Chapter 8: Get Ready, Reenie!!! Hey, it's me again!!! Chibi-Mamoru Darien Chiba here. This is the last chapter before Reenie duels with her court. Once again, the world of Sailor Moon and its inhabitants are of Naoko Takeuchi's creation, not mine. If not for it, this fanfic and the others on the WWW would not exist. This story, the idea of the Adaptation Sceptre, the Sailor Scouts' daughters, Kerwin, Zaccheus, and Griffith are *mine*, however, and I ask that you please not copy them and take them for your use UNLESS you have my permission. OK? So without further ado . . . ***************************************************************************** It's now July 10, 2996. The time is 6:30 am. I have passed yesterday with more training with my mom Neo- Queen Serenity and my dad King Endymion which I'm paying dearly for right now. I have also gotten quite proficient at summoning and retiring the Adaptation Sceptre (getting the Sceptre out of storage and putting it back in storage, respectively). I'm studying the other sets of instructions Sandigeo sent me with the Adaptation Sceptre. I hope I at least get a glance at them before it's time to eat breakfast and go to training. The set of instructions I have right now is titled "Maintenance." It says that the Adaptation Sceptre is charged by induction and just about any energy source will adequately and safely energize it as long the computer circuitry is off. "But make certain that you have saved, hard coded and backed up the user data before you begin energizing the Adaptation Sceptre or the user data will be lost," I read. This message is in big red capital letters. Sandigeo must have wanted to make sure I see that. I get ready to summon the Adaptation Sceptre to be positive that the data I gave it the other day has been saved and then to hard code and back it up. But what stops me is the question of whether or not I'll be able to summon and retire the Adaptation Sceptre as myself. "Well, I should be able to summon and retire the Sceptre as myself," I reasoned with myself. "It knows that Reenie and Sailor Moon are the same person." I then stack my fists on top of the other vertically and pull my bottom fist away while thinking, "Form Adaptation Sceptre!!" A beam of dirty orange light forms between my hands and becomes the Adaptation Sceptre's handle. The bulb containing the Adaptation Amethyst forms soon after the handle does. "I am at your service, Sailor Moon," the Adaptation Sceptre said to me. "What can I do for you?" "I need some things explained, Sceptre," I replied. "What happens when I ask you to hard code and back up the data I gave you?" "Well . . ., it's hard to explain, Reenie," the Sceptre said uneasily. "Now what are some terms that you can understand?" I'm getting real annoyed at everyone trying to simplify things so that I can understand. I'm not some damn toddler!!! "Sceptre!!! Just spit it out!!!" I snapped. "I'm not as dumb as you obviously think I am!!!" "OK, Reenie. There are two types of computer memory, random-access memory and read-only memory," the Sceptre began. "They're also known as RAM and ROM, respectively. RAM is temporary and any information stored in it disappears as soon as the power is cut while ROM is permanent and keeps information even after the power is cut but doesn't allow the addition of any new information. The data you gave me is in RAM right now. If you turn me off right now, you'd lose it and we would have to start all over again. When I hard code the data you gave me, what I do is that I move the data into ROM and I also plant a copy in your DNA so that if you want to pass me down to your children, they'll be born knowing how to use me!! And then if your kids want to have kids of their own and pass me down to them, they'll also be born knowing how to use me and so on. Get the idea?" "Yeah, I do," I told the Sceptre. "But what about backing up data?" "Backing up data means I make a backup copy and send the original to your long term memory as insurance against memory crashes which are rare but do happen, Reenie," the Sceptre replied. "I'm going to take the liberty of backing up all the powers you adopt. The powers you adopt will not be transferred to your kids, though." I hear a knock at the door. It must be one of my parents coming to wake me up. "What was that?" the Sceptre asks me. "I don't know, Sceptre," I replied as I hide the Adaptation Sceptre under my pillow. At the next knock, I shout, "All right, I'm coming!!!" I go answer the door and Serenity is standing there. "Good morning, Mommy," I greet Serenity. "Oh, Reenie, you're up already," Serenity said in surprise. "Get some clothes on; it's time for breakfast." "Okay, Mommy," I agreed. "I'll be right there in five minutes." Satisfied, Serenity says that she'll expect me then and leaves. I fetch the Adaptation Sceptre from under my pillow, put a hand at either end, position the Sceptre horizontally, and push in on both ends while thinking, "Cancel Adaptation Sceptre!!" The Adaptation Sceptre becomes a beam of dirty orange light that gets shorter as I bring my hands together. Then there is a bright flash of light which has the power to make people forget all about seeing the Adaptation Sceptre and can be used against enemies in many ways against which I make sure to close my eyes as I have when I was practicing with the Sceptre yesterday, lest I forget about the Adaptation Sceptre!!!! I then get dressed and head off to breakfast. "You're late, Reenie," Endymion said flatly when I arrive. "What kept you?" I was trapped. I need a good reason for being late, but I don't want to tell him about the Adaptation Sceptre. Aha, I have it!!! "I was so busy listening to the birds sing I guess I lost track of time, Daddy," I replied. "I see," Endymion responded as he pauses and looks at me before resuming his meal. "I wish at times that I were a kid again. It seems that you have all the time in the world then. But then before you know it, you're a teenager having to deal with peer pressure, a rapidly changing body, teen love, school, etc. But then adolescence is over and you have to deal with . . . adulthood!!!" "Endymion!!!" Serenity scolded. Endymion gulps because he knows that he has just gone too far. "Let's cross that bridge when Reenie comes to it." "Sorry, Serenity," Endymion apologized. We finish breakfast without a word and Endymion gathers his courage and says, "Reenie, your mother and I discussed whether Hermione or Cara should go first and we're deadlocked because both our positions are equally valid. So I suggested that we give you the choice." I don't care because I don't really want to take part in the tournament tomorrow even though I had found much solace by bathing in the light of the full moon that has been refracted by the Adaptation Amethyst last night. I found out yesterday that letting sunlight or moonlight shine through the Adaptation Amethyst and then bathing in the refracted light heals emotional injuries. Sandigeo had warned me, though, not to look directly at the refracted light or I'll go blind and made it very clear to me not to overdo it because once I get hooked on using that technique, it can be very hard to stop. But now back to this. I never took the time to find out what the Sceptre can do. Selraina's lightning can be very useful against Ensign Venus if she decides to use her chain against me and would almost be overkill against Ensign Mercury since her powers are based on water and ice which conduct electricity. Ditto for Sandigeo's magnetism to a lesser degree more so for the former than the latter, I think. So it shouldn't really make a difference if Selraina and Sandigeo had taken the time to give the Sceptre some powers for me to work with before sending it to me. "Daddy, Mommy, would it hurt things if I were to think about this and then get back to you tonight or tomorrow morning?" I asked my parents. Endymion and Serenity look at each other; they had not expected that reply from me. "What do you think, Serenity?" Endymion asked. "Should we let her think it over?" "I don't think it would really hurt anything, Endymion," Serenity said rather skeptically. "Of course, you can, Reenie. I have a meeting to attend." Serenity then gets up and leaves. Endymion and I begin training at 9:30 am. Rather than concentrate on stamina and technique as I did with Serenity, Endymion wants to emphasize power and speed with me. After breakfast, I transform to Sailor Moon and join Endymion in the gym. "Okay, Reenie, let's warm up using a technique I learned but never had a chance to try," Endymion said. "Oh, and what's that, Daddy?" I asked Endymion, a bit skeptical.

"It's called proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, or PNF for short, Reenie," Endymion said. "Lay down and I'll show you what I'm going to do." Thinking I have nothing to lose, I lay down. Endymion grabs my right leg and pushes it gently as one unit to a little past sitting position. "Okay, Reenie, now push against me." I push against Endymion who is holding the angle gently but firmly and counting off five seconds out loud. Endymion stops and asks me if I'm feeling any pain. "Yeah, Daddy, it hurts a little," I replied. "It feels like someone just stuffed me in a trash can butt first." "Reenie, you just say the darnedest things!!!" Endymion laughed as he does to my left leg what he did to my right leg. "Okay, push against me and tell me if you feel any pain." "It hurts," I said to Endymion. Endymion stops and then he and I do hundreds of sit-ups, push-ups, and jumping jacks. "Okie, Reenie, from here to Fukushima," Endymion said after a short ride to the the northern outskirts of Crystal Tokyo. He then sets off jogging northward. "Daddy, wait!!!" I shouted after Endymion as I start out jogging after him. "Where is Fukushima?" "It's 83 miles and 1,760 feet away from Crystal Tokyo, Reenie," Endymion replied. "Race ya there!!!" Endymion then takes off running and I answer by taking off running in response. When I went running with Serenity, she and I did only 30 miles from the Royal Palace and back at a pace of 30 mph which means it only took us two hours to get the 60-mile run out of the way. I'm gonna get Endymion for putting me through this and Serenity and him for that bit in the Philippine Sea one of these days!!! "Jupiter Thunder, crash!!!" two female voices rang out. I glance to my left and see that it was Sailor Jupiter and Ensign Jupiter who had launched those attacks into the air as I run past. "What was that all about, Daddy?" I asked Endymion, worried about being hit accidentally. "That's just their way of saying good morning, hon," Endymion answered me without looking back. In a clearing ten miles away to the north, Sailor Mars is coaching Ensign Mars on how to use the Mars Celestial Fire. Ensign Mars notices me, but before she can say anything to me, Sailor Mars roughly drags her back to her lesson. As I approach, Sailor Mars and Ensign Mars break from training and cry out, "Mars Celestial Fire, surround!!!!" The mother- daughter barrage of fire rings shoots up into the air at a steep angle, crosses my path of travel, and speeds off upwards to meet its death in the thin upper troposphere. I assume that's Sailor Mars and Ensign Mars's way of saying good morning. This is too weird for school. Anyway, I run and run until Crystal Tokyo is just a distant point on the horizon. Endymion is a little ahead of me and is keeping up a good pace. "Come on, flamingo head," Endymion teased me. "I'm over 1000 years old and I'm ahead of you!!!" "Your legs are longer than mine, Daddy!!!!" I shouted back. "I'm getting tired, too." "You're too young to be tired, munchkin," Endymion laughed at me, not turning to look back at me. "How far is it to Fukushima now, Daddy?" I asked Endymion, ignoring his earlier remark to me. Endymion stops running and gets out his map and compass while I look over his shoulder. "Well . . .," Endymion said to me as we wait for the compass needle to balance, "Fukushima is north of Crystal Tokyo and . . .," the compass needle is now lined up with the Earth's north and south magnetic poles, "and we are heading north-northeast on a heading of fifteen degrees toward Fukushima." Endymion spots a town that spreads out ahead of us and off to our right and says, "That must be Fukushima. Come on." Endymion then puts his map and compass away and sets off again. I do my best to follow. My legs feel like they've been slow cooked in a Crock-pot for days. My muscles are so tender that I think that they're just going to fall off the bone. Finally, my body decides that enough's enough and I kneel down for a bit to still the world. I then get to my feet and try to keep up with Endymion. I don't make it far before my Sailor Moon powers shut down allowing the true feeling of exhaustion to sweep over me as I just collapse right there in the forest. Calling out my father's name is the last thing I can think to do before I pass out . . . "Reenie!! Reenie!!!" a voice shouted at me. I open my eyes and look up at Endymion who is shaking me and calling my name. "Finally, you're awake. Here, drink this." Endymion then puts a straw in my mouth and I suck in a cool liquid. "Daddy . . ., where are we?" I whispered to Endymion. "How long was I out?" "You were out for an hour and we're in Fukushima, Reenie," Endymion answered. "I have arranged for us to take the 5 pm train back to Crystal Tokyo. It's now 2:30 pm and we need to eat lunch and be back here at the train station before 5." At lunch, Endymion is ravenous while I can barely stand the sight of food. "Reenie, you're not eating," Endymion says. "I don't feel hungry, Daddy," I mumbled to Endymion. "Reenie, it's a long trip to Crystal Tokyo," Endymion told me. "You're going to be very hungry later. Please eat something for Daddy." I force-feed myself the whole bowl of rice, a couple of egg rolls and much of the teriyaki. "Why have you and Mommy been so mean to me, Daddy?" I asked Endymion who stops eating dead in his tracks. "I can understand the marital arts training, but why have you felt the need to push me so hard that my Sailor Moon powers crash?" "Well, your mother and I are trying to build up your endurance and stamina, Reenie," Endymion replied. "We only had seven days before the tournament, so we needed to force you to do a lot of work in a relatively short period of time in order to get you ready in time. Your being comatose for two days really put us in a time crunch and your mother and I had to take drastic measures to make up for lost time." "What about that bit in the Philippine Sea?" I asked Endymion. "That was part of your training as well as your punishment for running off and all the truama you put your mother and me through and the trouble you caused!!!!!" Endymion snapped. "That reminds me; I need to call your mother before she starts thinking that I kidnapped you and sends the Sailor Scouts after me. You WILL stay put UNTIL I'm done with my call, Reenie." Endymion then gets up and heads over to a pay phone. After he dials in the Royal Palace's phone number, Endymion looks over at me and I shrink under his steely gaze. Whoever said that blue is a color of tranquility lied big time!!! After Endymion finishes his call, I could see that he's visibly shaken from the conversation as he takes me by the hand, pays for our lunches and leaves the resturant. Endymion and I arrive at the train depo at 4:45 pm and we take a walk in the woods before lining up for the 5:00 pm train. Since the train travels at 200 mph, it only takes a little more than a half hour to arrive home in Crystal Tokyo. When we arrive at the Palace, it's 6 pm. "Where did you take our daughter, Endymion?!!?!" Serenity demanded. "I was about to deploy the Scouts after you!!!" "Reenie and I ran to Fukushima, a nice little town 15 degrees east of magnetic north as denoted by the 140th meridian of east longitude and only 83 miles and 1,760 feet from Crystal Tokyo, Serenity," Endymion replied. I use the diversion to retire to my chambers. I find that a letter had arrived for me. I waste no time opening it. It says: Dear Reenie: Heya, kiddo!!!! Sandigeo here. What's shaking? From what I heard, the tournament you're going to be fighting in is tomorrow. Nervous? Well, don't be; I have already programmed the Adaptation Sceptre with Selraina's lightning and my magnetism. There's enough of a charge as far as our respective powers and the Sceptre's power supply go to get you started. I also read that you have been given the choice whether to fight Ensign Mercury or Ensign Venus first. Choose Ensign Venus; her laser will be useful against Ensign Mercury as well as Selraina's lightning. Alternate between using my magnetism and Selraina's lightning on Ensign Venus when she lashes out at you with that chain of hers, but remember to *only* use the Adaptation Sceptre to weaken your opponents. Use some physical combat moves also. Unlike the powers of your opponents when you capture them, my magnetism and Selraina's lightning are temporary files on the Sceptre's computer. If you use them up without defeating Ensigns Mercury and Venus, you are in DEEP trouble. I have good news that I forgot to tell you in my last letter: Selraina and I are here on Earth in Crystal Tokyo as Shelly Desiree LaPhoenix and Sandra Gregory Naturalier, respectively, as judges for the tournament!!! We're going to personally make certain that your future court members behave themselves during this tournament, but that *does* NOT mean that you can just go hog-wild, Reenie. As judges, Selraina and I cannot show favor to you or your opponent, but we'll set up the rules before any fighting begins. We're counting on you not to blow our cover by referring to us by our Pollianian names. If you want to retell what happened to you on Pollianus, fine. BUT leave out the story behind the Adaptation Sceptre!!! The idea here is to make everyone think that you have always had the Adaptation Sceptre. If your parents and the Sailor Scouts learn otherwise, they will want to take the Sceptre away from you and either study it or try to destroy it. Try to be as sneaky as possible with the Adaptation Sceptre. If you're going to summon the Sceptre, be ready to use it *immediately* and then quickly retire it!! I also advise you to have the Adaptation Sceptre hard code the data you gave it during installation if you have not already done so. Don't worry, Reenie; everything's going to work out in your favor if you do your best and I know you will. Love, Sandra Gregory Naturalier (aka Sandigeo Grekari Rockheart) P. S.: Selraina also says hi and apologizes for the freaky stuff she did to you. I'll be watching her like a hawk should she get out of control. I have made sure Selraina knows that I have my eye on her along with everyone in the stadium. If my parents weren't so busy flaming me for playing with Selraina, I would have told you that being violated like that is not your fault. You told Selraina no and then she did it anyway. That *was* NOT your fault. Okay? Now go out there and accept nothing less than victory over all eight of your future court members!!! I waste no time in summoning the Adaptation Sceptre and asking it to hard code and back up the data I gave it. With that job out of the way, I retire the Sceptre, drop the letter on my bed, and rush off to tell Endymion and Serenity that I want to fight Ensign Venus first. They agree and then I rush off back to my chambers. Knowing that I have a leg to stand on as far as the tournament is concerned does a lot to put my mind at ease as I change into my nightie, climb into bed, and allow sleep to claim me . . . THE END So do you really think Reenie has a chance in tomorrow's tournament or what? Why? I think that Reenie has a chance because I'm the one writing the fanfic!!! So what do you think so far of this tale? Send comments, questions, etc to the usual place: CMDChiba@hotmail.com