"Sailor Senshi Heiresses" Chibi-Mamoru Darien Chiba CMDChiba@hotmail.com Chapter 7: Groan and Strain, Reenie Hello, everyone!! It's me, Chibi-Mamoru Darien Chiba. Man, Endymion was really pissed at Reenie last Chapter. I think that's the last time Reenie will run off without telling anyone. Anyway, Naoko Takeuchi created the world of Sailor Moon and its characters, so a quick deep Japanese bow of thanks to her because this and the other fanfics based on Sailor Moon would not exist if it weren't for her. I'm not doing this for money; I'm just a faithful Sailor Moon fan. ^_^ Heya, Reenie here!!! It has been twelve hours since I insulted my parents and the Sailor Scouts and then ran away from the hospital. My rescuer told my mom Neo-Queen Serenity and my dad King Endymion to discipline me and put the fear of God in me for everything I did last night and she meant that. My parents are doing EXACTLY that!!!!!!! Guess where I am and what I'm doing right now? I'm somewhere floating in the Philippine Sea swimming on a northeasterly course from Kyushu to Honshu!!!!! The total distance I have to swim from Kyushu to Honshu via the Philippine Sea as the crow flies is 540 miles or 864 kilometers. I have no idea where I am or what time it is. I've been swimming for hours as Sailor Moon and I'm so tired (huff) (puff)!!!! I sincerely hope there aren't any sharks in the water with me. This is child abuse!!!! I wonder if I can divorce my parents. My mom can divorce my dad and get a new husband if she wants to or vice versa, so why can't I get a new mommy and daddy? I get another wind and swim for about 2.5 hours and spot a large land mass in front of me. Could it be Honshu?? I swim closer and find that it is indeed Honshu!!! I tromp up onto the shore and kiss the beach grateful to be back on dry land. A kindly surfer bum takes me in and I explain to him I'm trying to get back to Crystal Tokyo. I watch the surfer bum as he first takes out a map of Japan and writes the distance scale as a ratio of miles over inches on a piece of paper. "Okay, now we're cooking with gas!!!" the surfer bum exclaimed. "Now let's see how far it is from here to Chiba." He then writes in the number of inches under x and then sets the two ratios equal to each other. "Okay, now for Chiba to Crystal Tokyo," the surfer bum remarks as he repeats the process. As the surfer bum works, I steal a glance at him. Dark green eyes and black hair. He reminds me of Selraina . . . and Kerwin, Sharon's husband. I have to be certain. "Say, where did you learn to do that?" I asked the surfer bum. "It's just simple algebra . . ., Reenie," the surfer bum replied as he looks at me. "You're Kerwin, Sharon's husband and Claribel's father!!" I declared. "Bingo!!" Kerwin answered me as he finishes his calculations. "Reenie, I have been talking with Zaccheus and we have agreed that the emotional turmoil you have put our wives through by running off like you did may have severed your friendships with them for good. You upset Sharon and I don't appreciate it one bit." "But I . . . I . . . I didn't mean to, Kerwin," I sobbed. "I figured that; you don't look like the type who intentionally hurts her friends, Reenie," Kerwin told me, "but be that as it may, all eight Scouts had to scour Crystal Tokyo looking for you and your dad had to close off the city which caused everyone who had planned to leave Crystal Tokyo that night a lot of grief and inconvenience." Kerwin clearly is not a happy camper. "I'm sorry, Kerwin," I apologized humbly and simply. Kerwin didn't seem to hear me. "What else do you want me to do, Kerwin? I have already said that I'm sorry." "I know, Reenie; I heard you," Kerwin replied, "but I made reservations three months in advance to go on vacation and Sharon and I were supposed to be on the plane to Indonesia the night you decided to show your behind in the hospital and then run off. As a result, we were unable to leave Crystal Tokyo as we had planned to and the 700,000 yen I spent getting those reservations and airline tickets has been wasted," Kerwin then snaps his fingers, "just like that. I had to spend another 1,000,000 yen to get this bungalow and an additional 900,000 yen to rent the boat anchored outside and doing so was a tough fight. I would be completely in the right to take all the money I was forced to spend out of your hide, Reenie, and if I were out there that night and *I* found you, I would return you to your parents after I gave you a good, thorough beating for having me out in the dark and the cold sacrificing my vacation simply because you could not or would not restrain your emotions and behave yourself. But I won't lay a finger on you because I don't want any trouble from the Sailor Scouts; I find it more productive to escort you home and then ask your parents to reimburse me the 2,600,000 yen I was forced to spend because of you!!!" "You wanna know how I got here, Kerwin??" I snapped, making no attempt to be polite. "Not really," Kerwin told me as he puts the map away, "if you feel you have to talk to me like that." "My mommy and daddy flew me out to Kyushu and *forced* me to swim back to Honshu via the fucking Philippine Sea!!!!!" I shouted at Kerwin. "Reenie, you *will* apologize to my husband," Sharon told me angrily as she walks into the room and stares at me much like an angry mother does her disobedient child. I apologize. "Kerwin's anger is justified because his vacation plans were ruined because of you. I had to go all over Crystal Tokyo searching for your spoiled and poorly-behaved butt." "You were the stranger in the white gloves ringed in black who grabbed me!!!" I realized, detransforming from Sailor Moon. "Yes, Reenie," Sharon replied. "I also brought you home and told your parents to put the fear of God in you not only because of the danger you put yourself in roaming the streets last night, but also because I was FURIOUS with you!!! You ruined our vacation, Reenie. Why? Simply because you could not or would not behave yourself." Sharon takes a deep breath, turns her back to me, and walks a short distance. "Under normal circumstances, I might have overlooked your little outburst in the hospital . . . and even your running away. However, since your parents had to call on the Sailor Scouts to spread out and comb Crystal Tokyo looking for you and close off the city from the outside world, Kerwin and I were unable to go on vacation that night as we had planned for months before all that at the hospital occurred. We spent years putting money aside for that trip to Indonesia, Reenie!!!! Ruining our vacation plans was the last straw; you and I have come to a parting of the ways, young lady. As far as you and I are concerned, we're *through!!!* As soon as we're back home in Crystal Tokyo, that will be the last time you see us." Sharon grabs me by the arm and then she and Kerwin drag me to their boat. I fight like hell to keep Sharon from taking me below deck while Kerwin gets the boat underway. "In there, you ungrateful wretch!!!" Sharon orders me as she practically flings me inside a room and then closing and securing the hatch. I run to a nearby porthole and threaten to report Sharon and Kerwin to my mom and dad for mistreating me. Ten minutes later, Kerwin comes to fetch me. "Boy, will I be glad when we dump this rotten brat on her parents and kick her out of our lives!!!" Kerwin told Sharon, referring to me. We are now standing before the gates of my home, the Royal Palace. "Kerwin!!!" Sharon snapped. "Reenie may act like a brat at times, but she *is* NOT a brat. Keep the emphasis on what Reenie has done and off of Reenie herself." Sharon then scoops me up against my will and then she and Kerwin enter the grounds. I'm fighting like mad trying to get free. "Hey!!" my mom Neo-Queen Serenity shouted. "Gimme my daughter!!!" Sharon gladly complies. "Me and her," Sharon told Serenity, pointing to me, "it's over." My dad King Endymion comes in on this note. "What do you mean it's over, Sharon?" Endymion asked, shocked because he knows that she often comes over to play with me and teach me. "Reenie and I are through, Endymion," Sharon declared. "But why?!!" Serenity asked Sharon as she presses me closer to her trying to comfort me. "How about ruined vacation plans and 2,600,000 yen?" Kerwin responded to Serenity's question. "Sharon and I were planning to go to Indonesia when your little girl decided to act out in the hospital and then run off. Our vacation plans were ruined when we had to miss our flight because of Endymion closing off Crystal Tokyo and you calling the Sailor Scouts to comb the city looking for Reenie, Serenity." "I'm really sorry that happened to you, but I am grateful that you two made that sacrifice," Serenity told the angry parents of Claribel. "I'll see what I can do to reimburse you for your trouble. Sharon, I don't think that you really want to break off your friendship with my daughter. Why don't you take a few days and cool down?" Kerwin and Sharon agree and leave. The Royal Palace: July 7, 2996, 7 pm "Mommy, Daddy, I'm scared," I said as we are eating dinner. "What are you scared of?" Endymion asked me. "Do you think that Sharon was serious when she said that you and her were through?" "Yes, Daddy," I replied. "That's understandable for you to think that, Reenie," Serenity sympathized. "But I don't think Sharon was really serious. You're the one only she even allows near the Time Gate. She'd be lonely if it weren't for you. Don't worry; she and Kerwin can't stay mad at you forever." "Actually, I'm worried that the Sailor Scouts will try to avenge themselves on me via their daughters at the tournament, Mommy," I whispered fearfully. "Oh," Serenity said as she scoops up a bit of her dinner and chews thoughtfully. "Well, Reenie, I can understand how the Scouts could be tempted to do that, considering your conduct in the hospital the other night made it necessary for me to deploy them all over Crystal Tokyo and your father to close off the city and all the trouble that caused. You might get a hostile reception from the Outers if you were to go visit them now and the Inners . . . now how can I describe their probable reaction in terms you can understand?" "How about very unfriendly, Serenity?" Endymion suggested. "Yeah, what your father said, Reenie," Serenity said. "To be frank with you, it's really hard to say how the Sailor Scouts will react to you after all this blows over. Your father and I have known the Sailor Scouts a long time and they don't hold grudges for long." "But Kerwin told me that he talked to Zaccheus and then he told me that they agreed that the emotional turmoil I put their wives through may have irreversibly severed my friendships with them, Mommy," I told Serenity. "Reenie, you don't know that for certain," Endymion said. "Kerwin may have told you that because he was angry with you for ruining his vacation plans." "May I be excused?" I asked, annoyed that I'm not getting anywhere with my parents. Once I'm excused, I retire to my chambers and lock the door. As wise as Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion are, they are imbeciles when it comes to understanding my feelings. I flop on my bed and right on the sleeping form of my guardian cat Diana. "Ooops, sorry," I tell Diana, sitting up. "Reenie, do you know how heavy you are?!?" Diana complained as she leaps down to the floor and checks herself to make sure all her parts and pieces still work. "I think a nerve is pinched. Hey, when am I going to get fed?" With a groan of exasperation, I get Diana's bowl and go to the kitchen and fill it with tuna. I come back to my chambers and set the bowl before my cat before resuming my moping. "Reenie?" "WHAT?!?!!" I snapped at Diana. "Is something bothering you?" Diana asked me. "I had a really unpleasant episode with my parents yesterday, Diana," I replied. "I was made to swim from Kyushu to Honshu via the damn Philippine Sea. 540 fucking miles!!!! I can't wait until I'm queen!!! I'll personally enjoy watching them get ground alive . . . or crushed to death. Or something painful." "Reenie, I can't believe you just said that!!!" Diana said in shock, scattering bits of tuna everywhere. "Your parents love you more than Crystal Tokyo itself. *Everything* they do for and to you is for that reason!!!! Whatever they do to you is not worth getting that angry about. Do you understand me?!!!" I turn over on my side and Diana leaps up on my bed and extends her forepaw claws. "Diana, I want to rest," I yawned. With that, I fall asleep thinking that Diana will drop the issue and leave me alone. The next thing I know, I'm awake screaming in pain because of an excruciating bite on my left hip. Diana!!!! I angrily search the room for Diana, but she is nowhere to be found. If she drew blood, she's catgut strings!!!! "What happened, Reenie?" Serenity asked as she runs into the room. "What are you looking for?" "Diana," I growled to Serenity, "so I can have her made into catgut strings!!!!!!!!!" Serenity picks me up and I wince in pain when she supports my bottom with her arm. "Why are you angry with Diana?" Serenity asked me. "What has she done to you?" Serenity then looks to find her left hand covered in my blood and Endymion shows up. "Endymion, as soon as Reenie is attended to, I want you to call Animal Control and have them track down Diana so we can observe her for signs of rabies." "Rabies?? What's rabies, Mommy?" I asked Serenity as she carries me in the bathroom and begins to undress me and runs the water. "What are you going to do, Mommy?" "I'm going to give you a bath," Serenity told me as she shuts off the water. "Look, Reenie; if I don't give you a bath, that bite will get infected." As Serenity bathes me, she explains that rabies is a deadly zoonosis. "Zoo o what?" I asked Serenity as she scrubs the area where Diana bit me. "Ow!!! Don't do that, Mommy!!!" "I'm sorry, Reenie," Serenity apologized. "I'm trying to be gentle, but getting the salt off your skin is not easy." It feels like Serenity is trying to skin me and I say so. "Honey, I know this hurts," Serenity apologizes to me, "but that can't be helped. There's no telling what will happen if I don't get this salt off you." Serenity then goes back to scrubbing me. "Anyway, a zoonosis is an animal disease people can get, Reenie. Rabies is a virus that causes its damage by attacking the central nervous system. Once it reaches the brain . . . " "Mommy?" I asked Serenity, looking into her innocent blue eyes. "What happens when the rabies virus reaches my brain?" Serenity turns me over and scrubs my front side. "There, all done!!" Serenity exclaimed, ignoring my question. "Now let's get you dried off and off to bed." She swabs the area where Diana bit me with alcohol which hurts and applies a bandage. How embarrassing!!! Getting bitten on the butt by your cat . . . "Hey, Serenity," Endymion announced as he barges into the room. "Animal Control has Diana under observation." Endymion sees me naked and promptly departs. "Mommy, what did Daddy do to Diana?" I asked Serenity as I put on my panties and nightgown. "Don't worry, Reenie; Diana won't be dissected or anything," Serenity reassured me as she tucks me in. "Good night. Sleep tight." "But, Mommy," I said as Serenity turns off the lights and leaves the room. I still want to know what's happening with Diana. Oh well, I guess I can always try again in the morning . . . 9 am on the morning of July 8, 2996 found me at the Crystal Tokyo Radio Station a frightened hornet. My mom and dad are standing outside of the communication room looking on trying to be supportive. I give them a quick glance as if to ask, "What the hell am I doing here?" More importantly, what am I going to say to these people? Endymion holds up a cue card that says: Good morning, Crystal Tokyo. This is Crown Princess Reenie speaking. I am on the air today because I wish to apologize for my disgraceful conduct last night at the Crystal Tokyo Medical Centre. After that, I am no longer at a loss for something to say. "Crystal Tokyo, I wronged my parents and the Sailor Scouts by insulting them in the hospital after being comatose for several hours and then added insult to injury by running away, making it necessary for my mommy and daddy to close off the city," I explained. "Sailor Scouts, if you're listening, I want you to know that while you did not have to rescue my soul and spirit and search Crystal Tokyo for me, I'm grateful that you did. I'm sorry for giving you a hard time and I hope you can eventually forgive me for last night and the other times I have been less than eager . . ." Serenity and Endymion give me *that* look that mad parents do. "All right, outright disobedient," I adjust myself. Serenity and Endymion give me thumbs-up. "The lengths I have to go to to please parents . . . (sigh). As the Princess of the Moon, Sun, and Earth Kingdoms and Crystal Tokyo, I wield a great deal of influence and have a responsibility to use it wisely. Kids, learn from my mistakes. Your parents tell you what to do because they love you very much and want what's best for you. When they do, just do it. You don't have to agree with your parents on whatever is going on; your parents have the final say and any reason you have for not obeying their wishes is unacceptable no matter how logical it is." Serenity holds up a cue card that says: Great job!!! But what about running away? "I also made the mistake of running away," I said. "Kids, life is tough, but the streets are even tougher. I'm glad Sailors Uranus and Pluto cared enough to chase me down and bring me back to my parents before someone else got to me and did who knows what to me. I want to take this time to thank the Sailor Scouts for bringing me back to my mommy and daddy. Sailor Neptune, I hope you're feeling better; thanks for saving my bacon back on Pollianus. I love you, Sailor Scouts; God bless you!!! Kids, your parents are going to piss you off all throughout your childhood, but your best shot for survival is to stay with them. I love you, Crystal Tokyo!!! God bless you!!!" After doing a TV commercial, we head back to the Palace and Serenity and Endymion congratulate me for a job well done. We arrive at 4 pm and at the gym, Endymion takes off his tuxedo jacket and cape, hands them off to Serenity, and tells me that it's time for more training. Now waaaaaaaait a minute!!!!!! I just got done giving a speech over the radio and doing a TV commercial which scared me to death. There's no way that I'm going to do any training after what I have been through!! I'm about to tell Endymion to go take a hike when I realize that my advice is meaningless if I don't practice what I preach. "Moon prism power," I sigh. With that, I transform to Sailor Moon and Endymion puts on some pads and kneels down. "Anytime you're ready, Reenie," Endymion said. I hesitate and Endymion gives me a gentle nudge in the chest to egg me on. I then throw one punch after another and Endymion tries his best to block them. "Add some kick to it, Reenie." I throw a right roundhouse and Endymion sweeps my other leg out from under me. "Sorry about that," Endymion apologizes to me, "but you'll have to be faster next time. Come on, Reenie; get up and let's try that again." It's at times like this I wish I weren't Sailor Moon. I get up on my feet and the training resumes. This is so monotonous, but I know how to spice things up!! "Daddy, I need to talk to you," I told Endymion. "Okay, what about?" Endymion asked me. Serenity moves in at this point anxious to find out what's going on. "What were you and Mommy arguing about, Daddy?" I asked Endymion. "We were trying to decide on who would go first in the tournament, Reenie," Serenity replied. "Back in the Silver Millennium, there was no Sailor Moon. Sailor Venus was the leader of the Sailor Scouts. My position is that since Sailor Venus is the true leader of the Scouts, her daughter should go first." "Get a clue, Serenity!!" Endymion disagreed. "The Silver Millennium no longer exists!! I want to proceed with the tournament using the sequence of the planets in this solar system in increasing distance from the Sun!!" Serenity angrily punches Endymion in the face. "Nooooooo!!!!!!" I wailed at Serenity. "Don't hit my daddy!!!!!" Upset and in tears, I run away to my chambers much to the shock of my parents. I lock the door and then flop on my bed crying. My reverie is interrupted two hours later by a knock at the door. "Princess?" a voice asked me. I head to the door and open it to find the master butler standing there with a package. "Yes?" I whispered politely although I feel angry enough to kill the first thing I see. "Are you all right, my lady?" the master butler asked me. "Your parents are concerned about you since you didn't show up for dinner. Anyway, this came for you." He then hands me the package. "Thanks," I replied with a sniff. "Tell my mommy and daddy that I'm not hungry and that I'm all right." With that, I close the door and lock it. The package is as light as a strand of hair in my hands. I carry the package into the center of the room and look for a way to open it. I can get the paper off with no problem, but the box is taped so well that it's impossible to open without the aid of a sharp instrument. I try the scissors that came with my school supplies. Damn, they're not sharp enough!!! Okay, so how can I get this box open? I could ask Serenity if I could borrow her sewing scissors or the gardener if I can borrow his hedge clippers. But then, I'd have to explain why and I don't want to answer any questions. My best chance is to wait until my parents go to sleep and sneak into the master bathroom, get one of my dad's straight razors, and then use it to open the box. What's in the box anyway? Could it be . . . the Adaptation Sceptre? I wonder if the comb they use on my hair will do the trick. I head into the bathroom and seize the comb. I press down hard on the taped seam of the box and, lo and behold, I hit paydirt!!!! Inside is a beautiful sceptre of a reddish-brown copperlike metal with a metal and plastic bulb on one end!!!! I surmise that the purple rock inside the bulb is the Adaptation Amethyst. At last, I have a fighting chance!!! I hold up the Adaptation Sceptre to the light of the full moon and a feeling of hope and comfort sweeps over me. I find myself no longer dreading the tournament and no longer upset that Endymion and Serenity were fighting. "Thank you, Sandigeo," I whisper. I lower the Sceptre to my eye level and notice several pages wrapped around the handle with rubber bands. I waste no time in removing the bands and unwrapping the pages. I find that sorting the pages into some sort of logical order too tedious to do one-handed, so I set the Adaptation Sceptre down on my bed. Instructions, instructions, instructions. Hold it; what's this?!?! I have in my hand a letter from Sandigeo. It says: Dear Reenie: You left rather suddenly without saying goodbye!!! I regret that I was unable to give you the Adaptation Sceptre before you had to go back to Earth. I do hope that I was able to send it to Earth before you had to go in and fight those girls. Reenie, you are a very sweet little girl who didn't deserve the abuse Selraina dealt you or the abuse you're going to face in the tournament. I had no right to play with Selraina like I did when we first arrived at the cabin even if I had her consent. I had only to say no and walk away, but I chose to do neither and my parents are making certain that I pay for it dearly. I can imagine how violated you felt when Selraina was cleaning you up after that accident you had which is something for which I should not have been so . . . curt and I apologize deeply for that as well as putting you in danger as a result of my playing with Selraina. Hell hath no fury like the wrath of a scorned woman, I suppose. I don't think I meant to scorn Selraina, but unfortunately for me, Selraina took my sudden loss of interest and reluctance to free her as she has asked as rejection and then all hell broke loose. If it wasn't for you, Reenie, Selraina would have seriously injured or even killed me and I would be wholly to blame. I really wish that you had not been present then, but then again, your eavesdropping made the difference for me between getting yelled at by my parents and Selraina's and going to jail for attempted rape. Anyway, accompanying this letter, are instructions covering the following areas: 1. How to merge the Adaptation Sceptre with your Sailor Moon powers (You need to do this as soon as possible so that if you lose the Sceptre, it won't stay lost.) 2. How to use the Adaptation Sceptre to adopt and store the powers of your enemies 3. How to recharge the Adaptation Sceptre and cycle through and take inventory of your captured powers There's more the Adaptation Sceptre can do, but I have outlined the main functions you'll be using. Now hurry, Reenie!!! Merge the Adaptation Sceptre with your Sailor Moon powers before someone discovers it and tries to steal it from you!!! Look for the set of instructions titled "Installation." Just go through it step-by-step. Good luck at the tournament!! Love,Sandigeo Grekari Rockheart I waste no time in searching for the set of instructions titled "Installation." I find them and set the letter aside and other sets of instructions aside on my bed. I'm about to begin when I realize that I should check around to see if the coast is clear. I close the curtains and make sure the door to my chambers is locked. Since it simply wouldn't do if someone interrupts me when I'm in the middle of this procedure, I make extra certain that I'm not disturbed by propping my chair against the door. Okay, I think I've done all I can to insure that I'll not be disturbed. "Reenie, if you are reading this, you have firmly made up your mind to merge yourself with the Adaptation Sceptre," I read to myself, reaching for the Adaptation Sceptre. Sceptre firmly in hand, I continue, "One, you have to be holding the Adaptation Sceptre." I think that's taken care of. "Two, you must be in the form of Sailor Moon." My transformation to Sailor Moon takes only millionths of a second, but it's not something that can be done low profile. There's lots of noise and light. My parents may get suspicious if they happen to be nearby when I transform. Oh well, that can't be helped; I'll have to chance it. So I transform with a mighty shout of the phrase, "Moon prism power!!!!" I hear the footsteps of several people running asking what caused the noise and the bright flash of light. Oh, shit!!!! I'm gonna be caught if I don't hurry!!! Sandigeo, you better not have written a long installation sequence!!!! What's next? "Three, turn on the computer circuitry by depressing the button on the other end of the Adaptation Sceptre with your thumb." OK. I hold the Sceptre vertically with the bulb up, invert it, and use my thumb to depress the button I find. The Sceptre comes to life and rises out of my hand to about six inches above my head. "Princess Reenie, I presume?" the Adaptation Sceptre asked. "Yes, Adaptation Sceptre, I am Princess Reenie," I replied. "When I am dressed like this, I am known as Sailor Moon." "Splendid!!" the Sceptre exclaimed. "I have saved your voice pattern and personal data. As soon as I collect data about your DNA patterns and brain patterns, I'll be able to complete the installation process and nobody else but you will be able to use me. You'll also find that you'll be able to control me as if I were a part of your body." "Cool!!!" I exclaimed. "I knew you'd like that, Sailor Moon," the Sceptre told me. "Please take off your gloves while I ready the handle for scanning." I pull the forearm length gloves off my arms. The Adaptation Sceptre floats down and I grasp it in my right hand. "Sceptre, will the scan hurt any?" I asked. "Yes, it will, Sailor Moon," the Sceptre replied. "I'll have to send high-frequency and -energy vibrations through your body to gather the data I will need to complete the installation. Grasp me tightly with both hands and don't let go no matter how bad the pain gets." I clamp on my left hand and the Sceptre asks, "Ready?" "I . . . guess so, Sceptre," I said. "Just do it and get it over with." The Adaptation Sceptre then vibrates in my hands and I scream out in pain louder than I ever have before. My instincts are telling me to let go of the Sceptre, but my mind is telling me to hang on for all I'm worth. "Reenie!!! Are you all right in there?" King Endymion shouted through the door. I couldn't do anything in response because it's taking all my willpower to resist letting go of the Adaptation Sceptre. What is taking the Sceptre so long to scan me?!!! "There, all done," the Adaptation Sceptre said. "You can let go now, Sailor Moon; I have the data I need." I let go and the Sceptre floats up. While the Sceptre is doing its thing, I hear a loud crash. Endymion is trying to break the door down!!! Hurry, Adaptation Sceptre!!!! "Installation complete, Sailor Moon. When you detransform, I will automatically go to your subspace pocket, become inactive, and await the next time you need me. In the meantime, study those other sets of instructions Sandigeo sent you. To summon me to action, stack your fists vertically and think the command, 'Form Adaptation Sceptre' while you pull your bottom fist away from the top one making certain to keep your top fist STILL. This is *very* IMPORTANT!!! You HAVE to do it this way each and every time you wish me to help you with an enemy or I will not be able to come to your aid. To retire me from action, place your hands at either end, position me horizontally, and push in *while* thinking the command, 'Cancel Adaptation Sceptre.' Remember, Sailor Moon, 'form' to summon; 'cancel' to retire. Practice those movements and study those other sets of instructions. You better think fast, Reenie!!! It won't be long before your dad breaks the door down!!!" I quickly detransform and grab the other sets of instructions and the letter and hide them under my pillow. I then unbrace and unlock the door. I find a VERY angry Endymion in his pajamas. "Serena, why was the door locked?" Endymion demanded of me. "Your mother and I are trying to sleep and you're screaming like a banshee!!!!" Endymion looks down at me and gives me the once-over. Silly me, I had forgotten to change into my bedclothes!!! I was going to tell Endymion that I was having a nightmare, but those deep blue eyes of his tell me that excuse will not fly. I bet he's going to ask me why I'm not in bed. "Small Lady, why aren't you in bed? It's 11:30 at night!!!!" Come on, Reenie; think of something!!! Endymion's major steamed!!! Aha, I have it!! "I was having a hard time sleeping, Daddy," I yawned, "but I'm totally wiped now and I'll be going to sleep now. Good night." I close the door gently in Endymion's face, kill the lights, and slip into my nightgown. I think Endymion bought my story . . . or at least I hope he did. Going to sleep after what I have been through "adapting" myself to the Adaptation Sceptre and vice versa proves to be an easy task as I fall asleep as soon as I am in the bed. Night, night. THE END So things worked out after all. So what do you think? Were Sharon (a.k.a. Sailor Pluto) and Kerwin in the right to treat Reenie as they did for ruining their vacation plans? Why do you think this? How would *you* have reacted if you were either Sharon or Kerwin and found yourself unable to take a vacation you wanted to take because of Reenie running off? Why would you choose to react the way you did? Did Reenie get her just desserts from her parents for endangering herself and ruining her parents' good image or do you think that her punishment is out of proportion to the crime? Why? Email address: CMDChiba@hotmail.comPlease put the title of this story in the subject line of your letter. Doing so will enable me to get back to you faster.