5. Con Artist

Ryan and Sandy’s Apartment

	“It looks good, brother,” Sandy said as she removed the cape 
from Ryan’s shoulders.  She held up a mirror to show him what she 
had done to his hair.  He looked completely different with short, 
white, spiky hair - she had even dyed his eyebrows to match.
	“We could be twins,” Ryan said, grinning at his reflection.
	“Do you want to be?” Sandy asked with a hint of glee in her 
voice.
	“Why not, Ryan said.  “We can be whatever we want.”
	“I love the way your mind works, brother.  You’re not afraid 
to take things all the way.”
	For Ryan, the past five days with Sandy had been a blast.  
The two of them had a great chemistry together.  Ryan had been 
increasing Sandy’s appreciation of music, especially for the 
Three Lights, even if they were a classical group.  At the same 
time, Sandy had bee lowering Ryan’s inhibitions, teaching him how 
to let loose, make noise, and have fun.  Living in the palace, 
Ryan could do none of this because it went against his princely 
decorum.  But now, he was no longer Prince Ryan of the Jovis 
line, now he was Ryan Noctan, white haired hunk of New Rome.
	While Sandy went out for the day, due to the fact that he had 
still looked like his princely self, Ryan was forced to stay 
inside.  He would turn off all of the electricity eating 
appliances, and the use his own power to generate the electricity 
to run Sandy’s computer.  Of course, when she came home, she 
would turn on all the lights and present him with a new outfit or 
two of clothing for normal people - he had never owned a pair of 
jeans before.  It saddened Ryan to think that, in two days, he 
might have to leave all of this behind and serve Stardust.
	“You know what?” Sandy asked. 
	“What?
	“You can go out with me today.”
	“Do you think anyone will recognize me?” Ryan asked.
	“You would be surprised at how many people can be fooled by 
even the simplest changes in wardrobe.  Anyone looking for you 
will be looking for the debonair, black-haired, well dressed 
prince.”
	“How do you know?”
	Sandy held up a flier with the picture of him she had just 
described.  “Well,” Ryan said, “at least they care enough to 
search for me.”
	“Anyway,” Sandy said.  “You are coming with me today to see 
Ayre.  We need some ‘proof’ that you are my brother.”
	“Shall we go now?” Ryan asked with a grin.
	“Listen you little exhibitionist,” Sandy mock-scolded him, “I 
am not taking you anywhere like that.  Besides, that birthmark of 
yours is mentioned on the flier.”
	“Ok fine,” Ryan said.  “I shall be ready in five minutes.”
	In only three minutes, Ryan looked like a fashion model, 
standing framed in the morning light coming in from the balcony 
door.  He wore a black v-neck knit shirt and some off-white 
khakis.  He had some stylish sunglasses on also, and a jacket 
slung over his shoulder.
	“What makes you think this Ayre person will help me?” Ryan 
asked.
	“Look in a mirror,” Sandy said bluntly.
	“So you want me to use my looks to persuade this Ayre woman 
to make me some fake identification?”
	“Who said Ayre was a woman?” Sandy asked coyly.
	Ryan was confused.  “But you said...oh I see.”  Sandy had 
helped Ryan overcome a lot of his bashfulness, but this hadn’t 
been something they had covered.  “Sandy, I...”
	“Oh don’t tell me you are afraid of a guy when you were just 
about ready to go without...”
	“I know,” Ryan said.  “I just don’t think I can...you know.”
	“I see I still have work to do with you,” Sandy said, shaking 
her head.  “Very well.  You can just act nervous and shy.  You 
are good at that.”
	Ryan stuck his tongue out at her - a response he had picked 
up from his five days here with her.  “Where are we going,” he 
asked.
	“Vatican High School.”
	“You’re telling me that this guy has set up his base in a 
Catholic high school?” Ryan asked incredulously.  “Isn’t that 
illegal?”
	“Not for him,” she answered.  Just wipe that stupid look off 
of your face and come with me.  Everything will make sense when 
we get there.”
	Ryan did as he was told and followed her through the streets 
of New Rome, another activity that had been restricted for him 
when he had been a prince.  They approached the large building 
with its name in black letters which stuck out far enough for 
each of them to have accumulated their own small snow drifts.
	Sandy took Ryan to a side door and led him into the warm 
hall.  Once inside, she immediately opened a door marked JANITOR 
and ushered him in.  Ryan stood back as Sandy pushed a file 
cabinet to the side and walked through the wall.  Ryan held back 
for a moment, studying the illusion, when a hand reached out: not 
Sandy’s but just as delicate.
	“It’s only an illusion,” came an airy baritone voice from the 
other side of the wall.  “Take my hand.”
	Ryan obeyed the new voice and took the hand, allowing it, 
with the little strength it had, to pull him through.  Ryan was 
quickly on the other side of the thin illusion and standing nose 
to nose with a high school student, who wasn’t letting go of 
Ryan’s hand.
	“Ryan, this is Ayre,” Sandy said.  “Ayre, my twin brother 
Ryan.”
	“You never told me you had a brother,” Ayre said.  “Not to 
mention one this cute.”  He pulled Ryan’s hand more as he spoke, 
but the diminutive boy didn’t have enough force to pull Ryan when 
he was standing firm.  Ayre did, however, succeed in pulling 
himself closer to Ryan by doing that, and was soon looking up 
into Ryan’s eyes in a seductive manner.  Ryan didn’t, in fact he 
couldn’t, back away.  Ayre’s face was angelic, one of the most 
appealing people Ryan had ever seen, and Ryan was transfixed, 
like a cobra’s victim.
	“Ayre, stop doing that,” Sandy scolded.
	“Ayre let go, looked away, and stepped back, all in one fluid 
motion.  Ryan shook his head to clear it and sat down, not 
knowing or caring if there was anything to sit on.  The jolt of 
his tailbone striking the cement floor was enough to bring him 
the rest of the way back to reality.
	“Sorry Sandy,” Ayre said, “I got carried away.  He’s just 
so...”
	“I know,” she replied, “it runs in the family.”
	“Are you ok?” Ayre asked Ryan.
	“Yeah,” Ryan said.  “You just...wow...I don’t know what it 
was you did.”
	“Ayre has that power over people,” Sandy said.  “He is so 
beautiful that all he has to do is look into someone’s eyes to 
get whatever he wants from them.”
	Ryan took a cautious look at the boy.  His hair was blond and 
tousled, and fell playfully over his sparkling emerald eyes.  He 
was small and slim, giving him a helpless and innocent look.  He 
was dressed comfortably in a t-shirt and jeans, which Ryan wanted 
to...he shook himself out of that train of thought.
	Ayre giggled.  “I know what you were thinking,” he taunted in 
a singsong voice.  “All you have to do is ask,” he added in a 
lower register, taking a step closer to Ryan.  Ryan’s torso went 
limp and fell back against the wall.  Gravity took over and 
caused him to slide down it so his lower body slid closer to 
Ayre.
	“Ayre!” Sandy yelled.  “Cut that out.”
	Ayre turned and sulked over to a large desk off to the side 
of the small, dimly lit room, where he took a seat on the chair 
behind it.  “Killjoy,” he muttered.
	“You shouldn’t use your looks to make people do things they 
don’t want to do,” Sandy said.
	“You mean things like making public officials sign forms 
saying that your brother’s documents are authentic and official?”
	“You,’ Sandy said, “are a wicked little boy.”  She stuck out 
her tongue at him.  Ryan laughed, knowing that that meant she 
didn’t have a real come back.
	“He has a sense of humor,” Ayre said.  “I might have to 
respect him if he turns out to be intelligent too.”
	“I still haven’t made up my mind on that issue yet,” Sandy 
said.  Ryan stuck his tongue out at her.
	Ayre laughed.  “You two are SO brother and sister.”
	“You should know,” Sandy said.  “You see,” she explained to 
Ryan’s puzzled expression, “his parents are both very attractive, 
which is where he gets his looks.  Because of that, Ayre has 
seven brothers.”
	“Yeah,” Ayre added, “and those of us who are really cute are 
the children of both of them.”
	“Such a cynical kid,” Ryan said.  “No wonder he is...”
	“He’s what?” Ayre interrupted indignantly.
	“So uninhibited,” Ryan finished.  “I have known men before 
with your, uh, tastes, but I don’t know of any who flaunt them so 
indiscriminately.”
	Ayre sat down and chuckled.
	“You have properly chided him,” Sandy said with approval.
	Ayre’s chuckle became a laugh.  “You two,” he said between 
laughs, “you talk alike, you look alike, you even do the same 
things.  Do you also have some sort of psychic link that I don’t 
know about?”
	“Shut up,” Sandy and Ryan said in unison, making Ayre laugh 
harder.
	“Let’s go,” Sandy said to Ryan.  “We can find some more 
cooperative and less jovial help elsewhere.”
	“But none quite so hot as myself,” Ayre said, controlling his 
laughter.  “Come here, sit down in my chair,” Ayre added, 
motioning Ryan to his chair.
	Ryan sat as Ayre shuffled through some papers on his desk.  
As Ryan was about to pull the chair in, Ayre sat down in his lap.  
Immediately the blond boy began laying papers on the table as if 
sitting in Ryan’s lap was the most normal thing to do.
	“Now, being Sandy’s twin,” Ayre began, “I can fill most of 
this out for you so that your information matches what Sandy’s 
already told me about herself.”
	“Get off of him,” Sandy said.  “He does not like that sort of 
thing.”
	“Oh, he likes it,” Ayre said.  “I can just feel it.”
	“Smart ass,” Sandy said.
	“Yes, it is,” Ayre giggled.
	“Get off,” Sandy ordered.
	“Give me a minute and I will,” Ayre replied.
	“You are impossible,” Sandy said.
	“No, Ayre corrected, “I’m quite easy.
	Ryan’s laughter ended their word play.  “He understands my 
sense of humor,” Ayre said.  “I like him.”
	“We have already established that,” Ryan said.  “Get off 
now.”  Ayre opened his mouth, but Ryan quickly amended, “get off 
of me now, please.”
	“You’re as bad as she is,” Ayre said, slowly sliding off of 
Ryan’s lap.
	“And you are incorrigible,” Ryan replied.
	“Thank you,” Ayre said.  “I try.  Now, to work.”
	“I think you have passed his tests,” Sandy said to Ryan.
	“Not really,” Ayre said, “but he has shown himself worthy of 
my friendship, so it’s ok.”
	“Will Ayre Reed please report to the principal’s office,” a 
voice said over the P.A. system.
	“Ugh,” Ayre groaned.  “What now?”  To Ryan, he said, “fill 
out these forms, and these, and these.”  He directed Ryan to a 
stool and pulled down a white backdrop.  “Smile,” he said, 
holding a camera.  Ryan smiled, but Ayre shook his head.  “Hold 
on,” he said, going to a drawer and pulling out a piece of dental 
floss.
	“Do I have something in my teeth?” Ryan asked.
	“Not yet,” Ayre answered.  “We can’t give you an attractive 
driver’s license photo.  No one would believe it was real.”  He 
placed the floss in Ryan’s mouth so a little was showing through 
the front, then snapped the picture.  “When you fill out these 
forms,” he continued, “put them into this envelope and I’ll take 
care of the rest.  Just so you know, Ryan, the last name Sandy 
picked was Noctan.”  Then he rushed out of the room.
	“He needs to cut back on the sugar,” Sandy said, annoyed.  
“One of these days, I am going to teach him a lesson.”

***

Ryan and Sandy’s apartment

	“Ryan,” Sandy said, “come in off of the balcony.  You have 
been staring out there all day.  Your identification papers are 
here.”
	Ryan walked in and opened the envelope, pulling out the fake 
driver’s license and birth certificate.  “Good,” Ryan said, 
preoccupied that he would have to foil Stardust’s first plot 
today.  “Sandy, I am going to go for a walk.  I’ve spent most of 
this week in the apartment and I need to clear my head.”
	“Want some company?”
	“No, I need to think some things over,” Ryan said.  “I would 
end up having fun instead if you were there with me.”  He pulled 
his jacket out of the closet.
	“I hope you work everything out, brother,” Sandy said as he 
walked out the door.
	He was five minutes into his walk when his ring began 
flashing.  Ducking into an alley, he held his fist to the sky and 
said, “Saggitarius Power, Make Up.”
	After transforming, he ran out of the alley and saw his 
reflection in a store window.  His hair was black again!  He 
would have to reflect on that some more when he wasn’t so busy.  
He pointed his ring forward and shot forth a yellow beam that 
only he could see, showing him the direction of the bot.  He 
followed it...right to Vatican High School.
	There was a bot there taking off tragedy masks and throwing 
them at the high-schoolers.  When one hit, it covered their face 
and sent their energy to the monster.
	“Don’t run from me,” it said in a melodramatic voice.  “You 
can’t run from Pathos.”
	Senshi Saggitarius spotted Ayre, cornered, and jumped down to 
him.  He picked up the boy and leapt to roof of the school, 
Stardust’s bot following.
	“Not very bright is it?” Ayre said nervously to Saggitarius.  
“It’s following us when there are all those students down there 
getting away.”
	“Negamonsters are never bright,” the Senshi said.  “Besides, 
I have a lot more energy to steal than a normal human.
	“The Negaverse is back?” Ayre asked.  Ryan nodded.  “Does 
that mean you’re one of the Sailor Senshi?”
	“Kind of, but not a Sailor,” Saggitarius answered absently, 
tracking the bot’s movement.  “Can we talk later?”
	The bot threw  a tragedy mask, but Senshi Saggitarius blocked 
it with his gauntlets, crossed in front of his face.  The Senshi 
took a flying leap to punch the bot, but it threw another mask, 
right into Saggitarius’ face.  As it began draining energy from 
the Stellar Senshi, the bot passed him and went for Ayre.
	“Help!” Ayre cried.
	The Senshi struggled to turn around and to overcome the urge 
to give in and collapse.  He saw the bot approaching Ayre and his 
reserves kicked in.
	“Saggitarius Lightning Arrow!” he yelled, sending his power 
through the bot’s head.  The arrow shattered the bot’s mask, 
which caused all of the other masks to shatter.
	Ayre ran to the Stellar Senshi and threw his arms around him.  
“You saved me,” he said with tears in his eyes.
	“Yes you did, Senshi Saggitarius,” Stardust said, appearing 
behind him.  “You have won a week’s vacation.”  She laughed and 
said, “it looks like you have also won your first fan.”
	“This was too easy,” Saggitarius said.  “Where is your 
insidious plot?”
	“I didn’t make one this week,” she said.  “There was someone 
here who annoyed me and I wanted to teach him a lesson.  I guess 
I succeeded in a way, but you still defeated my bot, so you win 
this round.”
	“You will be leaving now?” Saggitarius asked impatiently.
	“Yes,” she said.  “You and your groupie can spend some time 
alone together now.”  She laughed as she vanished through a 
portal.
	Ayre kissed Saggitarius full on the lips.  “You saved me,” he 
said again.
	“Cut that out.”
	“You’re not attracted to me?” Ayre asked, stunned.
	“Not a bit,” Saggitarius replied, not showing that he was 
just as surprised that Ayre’s power didn’t work.  “I am a Stellar 
Senshi,” he said.  “I have to be focused.”  He picked Ayre up, 
jumped down to the ground to set him down, and then left, jumping 
from rooftop to rooftop.
	He ducked into an alley to change back and noticed in another 
window that his hair turned back to white.  He walked back home.
	“Did you get everything straightened out?” Sandy asked as he 
walked into the apartment.
	“For a while,” Ryan replied, but in his mind he thought: for 
a week.

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