Inquiring Minds

Inquiring Minds

By: Tuxedo Rainbow

How did Ami find out about Chibi-Usa, and place her into the treatment? Some people want to know…

Time Frame: Crystal Millennium, 10/25/3004

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Crystal Tokyo Enquirer

Week of: 10/25/3004

Tuxedo Mask in bizarre love triangle! We have proof!

Chibi-Usa meets with Helios. Sordid pictures we can’t print inside.

Haruka and Michiru’s children… first pictures.

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“Outrageous!” remarked Sailor Jupiter, “I do not cook with no clothes on.”

“Okay, so maybe the Crystal Tokyo Enquirer got one wrong,” Ami responded, “but it is usually on the mark.”

“Mamo-chan! Get out here right now!” shouted Neo-Queen Serenity, “I know you were with Setsuna last night.”

“But… but…” blurted the King.

“You’re going back to the Crystal Torture Chamber for another week,” Neo-Queen Serenity huffed, “until you realize that I am your only love!”

Although he protested, the King was led away.

“Whoever is doing this has gotten a good jump on us,” Tuxedo Rainbow responded, “although, I do know that some of the images seem fake.”

“You mean someone had computer skills?” remarked Sailor Mars.

“Perhaps,” Tuxedo Rainbow responded, “but they would also need a printing press to send out the tabloid to the masses.”

Terra was reading as well, and laughing.

“So fake, so very fake, but a few real stories,” Terra chuckled. “I guess this is what happens when the 20^th Century influences 30^th Century Politics.”

“That Helios story I know is real,” Minako responded, :”I saw Chibi-Usa sneak out last night.”

“Why that little…” Neo-Queen Serenity stammered, “if that picture is real, she’ll pay.”

“How gauche,” Neptune responded, “although, those pictures of us are real. I hate being on the cover of a disrespectful rag such as this.”

“Oh, come in, Michiru-chan,” Haruka responded, “it’s not like you were in any respectable magazines.”

“Why, I never…” Michiru responded.

Hotaru did not even bother to read it. She was busily reading Prophecies of the 30^th Century by Urawa.

“Some of this has happened already,” Hotaru responded.

“Fake,” Michiru remarked, “all made up to make money.”

Hotaru sighed, and picked up a copy of the tabloid. “I though that Nostradamus was long dead, but these prophecies seem valid,” she stated.

Ami looked up from her medical text.

“Maybe this person has access to the Crystal Information Sphere,” Ami stated. “This person knows more than the average person.”

Tuxedo Rainbow nodded.

“We know that the Chibi-Usa story is true. We need to act on that.” he responded.

“We’ll have to catch her in the act of meeting Helios,” Artemis responded.

“I’ll do it,” Ami responded, “I feel it is my obligation.”

Tuxedo Rainbow glanced at Ami briefly, but dismissed any notions of her being the mastermind behind the tabloid.

“I should go as backup,” Terra responded.

“Fine.” Ami replied.

“I do not love Yuuchiro!” Rei shouted angrily.

“It seems that this magazine is quite popular,” Tuxedo Rainbow noted, “as the people are buying it.”

“Anything to distract from the problems of the crown,” noted Minako.

“And you should talk,” Neo-Queen Serenity stated, “because you took over for me several times.”

“Well, it was printed a few weeks ago,” Minako countered, “it’s not my fault I like to be photographed. I was an idol, after all.”

The rest sighed. The culprit had to be found out somehow…

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“So how much are they paying for this picture?” Terra asked.

“It’s enough to keep Makoto in ingredients for some time,” Ami responded.

Ami hushed Terra. “She’s coming.”

“know 1 is her,” replied Chibi-Usa, “tim 2 find mi man.”

As she left, Ami and Terra followed.

“I hope that this isn’t going to turn sour,” responded Terra.

“She doesn’t have to go far,” remarked Ami, “in fact, Helios has his own pimped-out stable.”

“I thought that picture was just another fake,” Terra responded, as Chibi-Usa approached the stables.

“So, my honey’s back to face the full horse attack,” Helios replied.

Ami quickly took the picture, and with Terra, left.

“I hope this works out,” Terra responded.

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-Real Picture of Chibi-Usa with Helios!

The Enquirer had it first, of course. Chibi-Usa’s life was ruined shortly thereafter. Neo-Queen Serenity forced her to take retraining courses beneath the castle, with Ami supervising the reprogramming.

It all seemed too perfect…

Terra wondered how the Enquirer got the photos so quickly. Ami only took them yester day. Unless…, she though, but that would be impossible…

As Chibi-Usa was led away, Ami pocketed the money. This will fund my new experiments, Ami thought, as well as keep a certain publication afloat…

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Terra visited Ami at Mizunotronics days later, and found Ami’s old mini computer.

“I don’t use that anymore,” she told Terra, “ I use a brand new computer.”

“I may not be a genius, but I can find things most people leave behind,” Terra responded.

After a brief look, Terra stared at Ami.

“It was you!” Terra accused Ami, “You are the publisher of that… that tabloid.”

Terra found,, amongst other things, several e-mails from unknown sources on Ami’s computer, detailing information to be send to the publication, as well as a hacked version of Photoshop.

“How could you stoop so low?” Terra asked.

“I needed the money,” Ami responded, sighing.

“Your little tabloid is going to be shut down when Neo-Queen Serenity finds out,” Terra remarked.

“I’ll shut it down,” Ami replied.

“No, I will,” Terra responded, erasing the files, and combing over the other computer.

“You must promise to never do this again, on your word as a Sailor Senshi.,” Terra replied.

“I swear,” Ami responded, “no more articles.”

And, just like that, the infamous Crystal Tokyo Enquirer was buried, never to resurface. Ami was happy in the fact that she could try new techniques on Chibi-Usa for free, and Terra was glad that the tabloid was gone.

But, days later, the tabloid returned. Ami swore that it was not her, citing that the first photo was of her in a most embarrassing position.

Terra knew that it wasn’t her, because after checking her lab, she found nothing that could incriminate her.

Perhaps it was Jedite who was doing this. Perhaps it was a new enemy.

No one ever found out who it was this time, even though many enquiring minds wanted to know.

But that is the way things go when something from the 20^th Century seeps into the 30^th. I guess even I, Tuxedo Rainbow, would want to know who it was this time. And no, it isn’t me. I know that for a fact.