A feather could have knocked Usagi over. The wide blue eyes gaped at Makoto, watching the taller girl shyly and softly reply. Makoto was feminine, but this was not this kind of feminine—this was not the kind of reaction she expected from her friend! The blonde looked at Ami, reflecting on everything that she had witnessed during the day, and swiftly turned her attention back to Makoto, a serious frown forming on her usually-carefree face.

What the blue-haired girl had told Ms. Haruna earlier today could not possibly be true. Ami was ill, no question about it, and it looked like Makoto had caught the same kind of cold!

"Something weird is going on! Maybe you should both see a doctor?" she suggested, mulling contemplatively over the strangeness of today. Too bad Usagi wasn't all that great at solving puzzles, or she might have better ideas regarding whatever was going on. She definitely wished Rei-chan or Minako-chan were here. They were usually pretty useful, although in different ways! With Ami out of commission she needed someone to rely on!

"A doctor?" Makoto tilted her head, wondering why Usagi would say that. She didn't think anything was wrong with her. She felt fine when she woke up this morning, not even sore from the fight yesterday. Ami might be acting strangely, but Makoto had no idea why Usagi was worried about her too. 

"What do you mean by that, Usagi-chan?" Had she missed something obvious?

There was a right person to explain this, calmly and carefully, but that person was not Usagi. And unfortunately that person didn't seem to be present among anyone in the trio.

"Mako-chan, you seem so quiet! Ami-chan, you've acted tough all day!" Usagi protested, worried about offending her friends but completely unsure of how to phrase any of the thoughts in her mind. "Usually you would never say something impolite to a teacher," she commented, pointing at Ami. "And usually you would say something about it," she added, this time to Makoto.

"Maybe you caught the same strange cold!"

"I..I didn't realize..." Makoto was more shocked than offended. Had she been acting out of character? Wasn't she always like this? At first, she wanted to deny the charge, but something in her gut told her that Usagi was not mistaken. Something was going on, even if Mako couldn't remember what it was. 

But... people just didn't change how they acted out of a sickness, unless their brain was being affected. Her thoughts first jumped to a brain injury, but she didn't recall taking a blow to the head, and Ami hadn't either. 

"I don't quite think that colds work that way, but maybe there is something wrong with us," Mako admitted. Maybe it wasn't a medical issue at all...

Rei had tried on several outfits, finding none of them suitable to wear. She would have to go shopping, though it made now sense that she had no fashionable clothes at all. She was the most fashionable girl she knew!

After spending 30 minutes on make up, she finally stopped and look at herself in the mirror. What she saw...could not be unseen. She fell over from shock. It was so...BAD! But how could she be so bad at make up? She LOVED make up! Though...it was odd how she hardly had any choices to pick from. Clearly, this was an emergency and she needed help. There was only one thing to do. She grabbed her communicator, which she had put on her desk while trying on clothes.

"Usagi! This is the WORST. POSSIBLE. THING.  I need you help!" She whined dramatically into the watch. Hopefully Usagi and the others could come help her in this crisis.

Usagi nearly fell over when the message from Rei blared over her communicator. Really? Rei-chan sounded strange, too!

"What's wrong, Rei-chan?" Usagi asked, worrying that another Droid was attacking already. Why else would the dark-haired girl be using the communicator unless it was for sailor soldier business, after all. Rei was so serious about that kind of thing! "Where are you?"

The side of Usagi rarely seen, the serious one that would do anything to protect her friends, was the dominant element as she turned to Makoto and Ami, her blue eyes determined and sharp. "It sounds like Rei-chan's in trouble!"

"I'll show you when you get here. I'm at the shrine! Hurrrry!" Rei whined, very distressed. How awful that she could not even dress herself or do her own make up properly... But hopefully Usagi would be able to help her.

She slumped onto her bed. How could she become an idol now? This was the worst make up she'd ever seen in her life. She practically looked like a clown! She sighed, feeling defeated.

"Usagi...you're my only hope."

Ami didn’t really get Usagi’s confusion, so she looked at Mako, who finally conceded that it was okay to take a break from school work today. Then Usagi suddenly exclaimed they should both go see a doctor. Ami frowned; she wasn’t feeling sick. Why should she see a doctor?

As Usagi went on to explain that they were both acting weird, Ami’s frown deepened. What was wrong with acting tough? Sure, normally she was demure and shy, but… she had no idea how she’d managed it that long. That actually sounded exhausting now, being a pushover like that. Why had she ever been that way? That was the more puzzling thing; how she was then, not now.

She was about to point out that colds didn’t change people’s personalities, but Mako beat her to it. And then suddenly Usagi’s communicator beeped.

“Rei-chan is in trouble? What kind of trouble? Like monster trouble?”

She was actually itching for a fight now that she thought about it.

“Let’s get to the shrine, then,” she said decisively, already half running that way with her transformation pen out.

"Maybe it's that droid from yesterday," Makoto said. It might have recovered already and cornered Rei before she could transform, but how had it found the shrine? Maybe Koan had led it there. Before she could think any further, Ami was running off. 

"W-wait, we're coming too!" Makoto hurried after Ami, easily catching up with her. They'd have to be careful fighting so close to the shrine, if it really was that droid, considering how much property damage it had caused last time.

"Heyyyy, don't leave without me!" Usagi called, realizing that somehow she was about to get left in the dust. There wasn't even a moment to answer Ami's question or remark on Makoto's comment! She nearly tripped over her own feet trying to pivot and pursue the pair.

The blonde hurried to follow her two friends as the group headed towards the Hikawa Shrine, her years of being late for school serving her well in this situation.

As she ran, her mind raced with possibilities. It could be a Droid, perhaps the one they had fought before as Makoto suggested. Ami had her transformation pen gripped tightly in her hand, and instinctively Usagi placed a hand on her own brooch. No matter what strange things were going on, she had to protect her friends! She only hoped they'd make it to Rei in time!

She was feeling rather itching for a fight, actually, and so she transformed as she ran. “Mercury Star Power, Make Up!” she cried, and a second later Ami was replaced by Sailor Mercury.

She didn’t slow down until she arrived at Hikawa Shrine, and where usually she would use her computer to analyze the situation first, search for enemies’ locations, this time she just opened the main sliding door unceremoniously and poked her head inside.

“Where’s the emergency?” she demanded.

The sliding door busted open and it was none other than Sailor Mercury, recognizing the demanding voice (though was Ami always this loud and demanding?).  Rei was sitting solemn at her desk, not facing the door way.  She slowly turned to look at Mercury. Her face...well...it was something. It almost look like she had ran away and joined the circus.  Tears welled up in her eyes as she got up and ran to hug her friend in despair (never mind that she was transformed or WHY she was transformed).

"AMI. THIS IS THE WORST. POSSIBLE. THING."  She wailed dramatically onto Mercury's shoulder, make-up streaking down her and most likely getting onto Mercury's uniform.

"Mercury, wait! Stop!" Makoto had followed suit with Ami and transformed on the way, and now Jupiter ran around the corner to see Rei sobbing loudly on Mercury's shoulder. 

"Uh...." Jupiter blinked at the scene. What was going on with Rei's face? Why was she covered in running makeup? She'd never seen her friend cry so hard since they met. She didn't even know Rei could wail like that. But Rei was clearly upset, and Jupiter still wanted to help her.

"Are- are you okay, Rei-chan? Your uh..." Rei's face look like a clown had melted on it, but she definitely wasn't going to say that now. "make up is smearing a little...." should she get a tissue?

Once again, Usagi had that distinct feeling that somewhat was really off with the world today. They were at the Hikawa Shrine, in Rei's bedroom—a place they had visited hundreds if not thousands of times before—but what they saw when they got there felt completely bizarre. There was no monster that Usagi could see. Her fingers still gripped her brooch tightly, but at the moment there seemed to be absolutely no call for it. Rei wasn't transformed into Sailor Mars—she was just... Rei.

For a moment the blonde was about to think of her as "just normal Rei," but nothing about this was normal. The priestess was coated in makeup—waaaaaaaaay too much of it. And she was bawling, weeping and repeating something about the "worst possible thing". As she tried to make sense of this, Usagi's heart sank.

"...Is ...Is Grandpa Hino okay?" she asked tentatively.

Rei was silent as she tried her best to compose herself. She hiccuped a little and wiped her eyes.

"Grandpa...hic...is...hic...fine..." She then looked at Usagi with pleading eyes, "JUST LOOK AT ME! How can I become the idol that I want to be if I can't even do my own MAKE UP!?"

Revealing this just upset her more, how could she fail at this simple task! She has been into make up all her life...right?  But why was all the make up she had so cheap and no good lip colors. How did she even allow herself to buy trash like this?

"Usagi, you have to help me!"

Usagi was her only hope (and because she knew Ami and Makoto would be useless in this matter anyway).

Oooooooooooookay, something was weird here, too!

Usagi gaped at Rei, unable to process what exactly was going on. Ami was behaving so aggressively. Makoto acted so timid and unsure. And now... Rei... Strong, fiesty Rei... Rei who so frequently flipped her hair in the face of popularity... (Even if she did want to be an actress and more, it had to be on her terms!) Here she wept, face covered in too much makeup applied in a childish and reckless manner, speaking about ruined chances at idol-dom. Where was the elegant, high-tempered shrine maiden?!

This was something that would have caused no one concern coming from Minako—although the blonde never had trouble with makeup—but it was downright spooky to see this behavior from Rei!

Usagi gripped her friend's shoulders, blue eyes wide with concern.

"Get a hold of yourself, Rei-chan!" she begged. "Makeup? You don't care so much about makeup! You're naturally pretty without so much extra stuff layered on you!"

After all, with her long dark hair and smooth skin, the teenager looked absolutely picturesque in her white top and red hakama. Who else among them could wear traditional attire with the same grace as their friend from the Hino family? She seemed timeliness, a perfect fit for so many eras of Japanese history. That was something the girl knew and generally seemed to act on. Why the change in focus so suddenly?

At that moment, Chibiusa wandered onto the shrine grounds, still carrying her backpack from school.

"I could hear your yelling from all the way at the bottom of the hill!" she said, before she took in the scene before her. She blinked a few times, as if failing to believe what she was actually seeing. Rei was crying as Sailor Moon yelled at her to pull herself together as Mercury and Jupiter watched. 

"What's going on here?" Chibiusa tilted her head, at a complete loss. Jupiter blushed and dropped her transformation, realizing how ridiculous they probably looked.

"Should someone maybe... call Luna or Artemis to sort this out?" Makoto asked.

Rei wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Usagi was right (for once). She had to pull herself together. Idols didn't just break down and cry the second something went wrong.

"Thank you, Usagi." She smiled, but before she could continue Chibi-Usa had arrived. It was only then that the reality of the scene sunk in and Rei immediately began to blush.

"I...don't think we need to go that far, do we?  I just need a little help with my make up..." She stated the last part a bit more quietly. It was very unbecoming of her to behave this way.

Mercury stared at the person in front of her that looked like Rei but whom she did not recognize.

She winced as the figure-that-was-not-Rei enveloped her in a hug, dripping make up and snot and tears onto her fuku. She just stood there in confusion as the others spoke, and slowly realized that not-Rei was… apparently Rei. In a strange amount of make-up.

Usagi began trying to shake some sense back into their friend, and Mercury slowly extricated herself from Rei, feeling like she’d just been dunked into cold water, something she usually reserved for enemy punishment. Something was off here, like Usagi said.

She reverted back to civilian form and pulled out her computer. “I can’t believe you made us run all the way here for make up,” she grumbled, but started an analysis on everyone and the area to see if she could find something wrong. “But something is definitely not right here.”

Usagi pouted slightly.

"That's what I've been trying to say!" she exclaimed, exasperated. Of course, she wasn't mad at any of them. Not even Chibi Usa (for once...), who had provided enough of a distraction to get the others to focus on what Usagi had been worrying about all day. It was good that Ami was now focused on investigating.

Rei had calmed down, although her next sheepish comment did still involve the "makeup problem". Maybe Makoto was right—Luna and Artemis tended to be very handy when it came to strange things like this. She nodded at the brunette, wondering if Makoto would be the one to contact them or if someone else ought to.

She wanted this whole strange thing to get fixed! FAST!

Rei side eyed Ami as she made a smart comment. Who was she to talk? It's not like she could have helped anyway. Rei tried to think of a retort, but all she could do was sigh in annoyance.

"Look I'm not sure whats going on but honestly it doesn't concern me. I just need Usagi to help me with my make up."  Ignoring Usagi's exasperation, she grabbed her by the wrist. She gave her the biggest pouty eyes.

"Please! This will help me fulfill my dreams!"  Rei somehow had also grabbed the flier for the idol contest and held it in front of her face, hoping to speak to Usagi's eagerness to oogle over hot idols.

"If you help, you can come with me and could meet him!"

"Rei-chan!" Usagi insisted, although her eyes remained fixed on the handsome smiling face on the flier. "There's something going on and it does concern you!"

It was mind-boggling to her to see the priestess, typically the one insisting she didn't know some famous idol until it was suddenly revealed that she was in the fan club, reacting so openly about this. And with such intensity! This was really more like what Usagi expected of Minako—but, of course, the Goddess of Beauty would never need help with her makeup. Honestly, Rei didn't usually need assistance either! She always looked so mature and sophisticated. That was definitely not how she looked (or was acting!) right now.

Her computer was on the fritz.

That was the only explanation Ami could come up with. Because the other possibility was… everyone was on the fritz.

“What the hell,” she swore, and immediately realized this was yet another unusual behavior. Maybe everyone was on the fritz.

“Okay, so according to my scan, all of our signature energy signals are mixed up. For example, this keeps trying to identify Mars but it can’t seem to decide which among us is her; it keeps bouncing between all of us. Something is definitely wrong with us and we need to find a way to fix it.”

She was worried now; if their energies were mixed up, would that not affect their powers as well?

"Oh no, all of us!" Usagi exclaimed, temporarily distracted from Rei back to Ami. She was even jostled out of her thoughts regarding trying to find some of Rei's not-so-well-hidden snack stashes. All of this drama and tension was making her hungry. Her dark-haired friend was always trying to keep prime sweets and brand-new manga issues out of Usagi's hands, but she was getting better and better at discovering them.

"What is this going to mean, Ami-chan?" Usagi asked, blue eyes wide. Even with the blue-haired girl's change in demeanor, Usagi still expected the same focus on logical solutions to the group's problems. Whether or not that was fair, given everything that the entire team was going through, hadn't crossed her mind.

"I really think we need Luna and Artemis!"

She wasn't looking forward to getting lectured—inevitably some part of this would tie back to Usagi and some weakness in her character—but it had to be better than staying like this!

Rei had to break herself from her begging of Usagi to stare at Ami. Did...did she just swear? She just stared at Ami, jaw slightly agape as she explained what her scanner was picking up.  Something really was wrong with them.

Rei sat on her bed, finally a serious look on her face. It wasn't easy trying to get her mind off the idol contest and on to the topic, but it did seem it was time for her to get serious. She sighed heavily before responding in agreement with Usagi.

"I guess you are right...Usagi, call Luna and Artemis," she thought on how she could help...maybe a fire reading would do the trick, "I'm going to try a fire-reading. Hopefully I can make some sense of all this."

Rei walked out of the room to head towards the meditation room where she would do her reading. She quickly poked her head back in, "But afterwards you have to help me with the idol audition!"

She could be serious about her Sailor Guardian duties but it was important to become an idol too!

After a very odd communicator call, Luna and Artemis joined the group at the shrine, and holed themselves up in the seclusion of Rei's room to try and sort the situation out.

"So from what I'm gathering from your explanations... Ami's computer is claiming that your energies are scrambled?" Luna asked. This couldn't be good. 

"And you think this is connected to their strange behavior today, Usagi?" Artemis continued. Even in the few minutes he had seen the other senshi together today, he could tell something was just off.

"It would make sense..." Luna studied the data on the computer. "As reincarnated senshi, your powers are strongly connected to your very souls, so if something did happen to your energies, it could explain a shift in personality. Though I don't know what could have caused such a thing in the first place."

Chibiusa, sitting more separated from the rest of the group, fidgeted nervously.

As much as her guardian sometimes annoyed Usagi with scolding and rules and lectures, right now she was so happy that Luna was here. Finally she felt just a little bit less like the world was falling to pieces. Both cats took the situation at hand to be a serious matter that required investigation and research, not just some joke to brush off. It was a relief to feel a little bit less like she was the one going crazy today! (Especially since the "crazy" ones—not that they were crazy-crazy, but still—were definitely her poor confused friends.)

"Yes, I definitely think it's connected! Ami talked back to the teacher, Makoto can barely say two words together, and just look at Rei!" she excitedly replied back to Luna's question.

As to what could have caused it... Usagi had no idea! She didn't even notice Chibi Usa's shifty behaviour. There was too much to think about right now to pay much attention to someone she still didn't feel entirely comfortable with.

It meant everything was a mess. Ami didn’t even know if their powers would still work as well with their energies being all crossed like this. She was glad that Luna and Artemis were coming, because this might be one puzzle she couldn’t unravel herself, especially with her own brain messed up like this. She doubted her ability to still be able to think clearly if she weren’t 100% the old Ami Mizuno.

“So you mean even our powers might be mixed up?” Ami asked in disbelief.

She was panicking just thinking that she would not have her reliable waters anymore. Her gaze swept her friends and back to her computer. “It seems you’re not affected, Usagi, so there’s that,” she added, noticing that Usagi’s energy remained constant. “If we can’t figure out how to fix this, the rest of us may not be able to fight. This only happened this morning so… maybe it started yesterday? At the droid fight?”

She thought hard to recall what had happened. “There was that weird explosion at the end. Maybe something happened then?”

Usagi's eyes widened, thinking back to the battle that Mercury mentioned. There had been an explosion! That crazy huge one just before Magnes disappeared! Chibi Usa was in the middle of it, with the others all trying to protect her. All that Usagi had seen was the bright light that counteracted the Droid's attack and then the blast of energy that covered the others. When it cleared, Chibi Usa was fine and everyone else seemed bruised and a bit scratched up... but otherwise fine!

Ami was right—Usagi was the only one who hadn't been directly impacted. She was too far to be caught in that final reaction.

"Maybe that's it, Ami-chan!" she replied. "Everyone else was caught in that energy!"

Rei meekly slid the door open back to her room, her face was covered in soot and ashes from the fire reading, which hadn't quite gone as well as she hoped. She caught the tail end of the conversation, "Everyone else was caught in that energy!"

"You mean from the droid attack yesterday?" Rei paused and thought, "I didn't see anything in the fire before it obviously exploded on me...Except..."

Another thoughtful pause as she recalled what happened right before the explosion, "I thought I saw a flash of a black crescent moon but it went by so quickly, I thought it was my imagination."

It made sense for Usagi not to be affected as she wasn't near the blast however...Rei's eyes landed on Chibiusa. She was directly in the middle of it.

"Why isn't Chibiusa affected? She seems to be normal."