Tales of Younger Earth
By Douglas "Candle Light Author" Helm and "Tuxedo" Will Wolfshohl

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, Sailor Senshi, and all terms, names, etc.
associated with the series are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi and
Kodansha. We make no claim to them and this work of fanfiction should
not be seen as making a claim.

Those characters that are original and the story "Tales of Younger
Earth" are copyrighted (c) 1998 by Douglas Helm & Will Wolfshohl.

This fanfic and hundreds of other Sailor Moon fanfics reside in "Tuxedo"
Will's SM Fanfics Archive at http://log.on.ca/users/helm/anime/index.htm

Send comments to: Douglas "Candle Light Author" Helm (dhelm@log.on.ca)
or "Tuxedo" Will Wolfshohl (wwolfshohl@logicon.com)


Chapter 15 - Bitter Reunion

The last stages of a full moon peeked out from behind a heavy cloudbank
that was speeding southwest. It illuminated the freshly washed city of
Tokyo allowing the concrete, steel, and glass buildings of the
skyscrapers to gleam from streetlight, starlight, and moonlight in an
eerie multicolored spectrum.

Chiba Mamoru had slept through the storm. He had even slept through the
panicked phone call his girlfriend, Tsukino Usagi, placed because of the
thunder. Now as the early August moon loomed large in the sky, he
dreamt.

He dreamt of a little girl, one of his future daughters. A soft smile
graced his lips as his five year old daughter giggled merrily as she
played on a swing. He mumbled something as he led her home for supper.
Taking her by the hand and leading her, the little girl's eyes shone
brightly with excitement and mirth. They also showed a deep love and
trust for the man that was beside her. The man that was, or rather would
be, her father almost a thousand years into the future.

It was a surprise then when Mamoru heard a knocking at the door. Still
more under the control of sleep than actual consciousness, he rose from
his bed and, dawning a nearby bathrobe, shuffled out. "I'll get it,
Miko-chan," Mamoru mumbled out as he peered out through the peephole.
"Baka kids... must be a prank," he mumbled again and turned back towards
his warm bed and badly needed sleep.

He had not taken more than two or three steps when the knocking came
again. It was a little louder but still tentative. Turning back, he
opened the door and blinked in the brightness of the hall light that
flooded into the entrance hall. Blinking rapidly, he saw a strange sight
before him.

It was a girl dressed in a pair of blue shorts and a purple T-shirt. Her
long flowing blonde-white hair looked windblown. The blue bow that
loosely tied it back was crooked and soggy looking. Her eyes held a
mixture of emotions: relief, fear, joy, and sadness. In all accounts
though, the little girl was obviously soaked through, tiny droplets of
water dripped from hair, chin, and nose.

Mamoru tilted his head, not really trusting to the images that he was
seeing. It couldn't be Misako. It had to be part of his dream. Misako
was safe in the future, not here standing at his doorstep a little after
three in the morning! Besides, this girl was too old to be his Misako.
The girl sniffled then before giving a small sneeze.

"Daddy?" the voice came from her small mouth. Quavering and tentative,
she looked hopefully towards him.

"Miko-chan?" Mamoru questioned, his sleep clouded brain trying hard to
make sense of the conflicting thoughts. He gave a little gasp as the
very soggy Misako launched herself at him and wrapped her arms tightly
around his neck, nearly pulling him over in the process. As Mamoru
fought to stay upright, Misako snuggled her head under his chin,
effectively cutting off the air supply because of his position.

Bracing himself against the wall, Mamoru pushed upward while swinging
his other arm around to support the weight around his neck. "Misako?!"
he questioned again as he looked at her, the sleep finally clearing from
his mind and the sleep gone from his eyes. Her only reply were her great
heaving sobs.

<Well I can't have the neighbors nosing in on this,> Mamoru thought.
Quickly ducking out into the hallway, he retrieved the suitcases and
backpack he found there. After dragging them inside the apartment, he
shut the door and turned the hall light on so he was able to see better.

"Shh..." he whispered out as he stroked Misako's hair. He could feel the
wetness of her clothing soaking into his robe but it didn't seem so
important at that moment. "Miko-chan, is something wrong? Did something
happen in the future?!" Various possibilities sprang into his mind and
his mouth went dry as a shiver ran up his spine.

"Iie," came the whispered reply between her tears. She clung to him,
seeking comfort from one of the very few people she still had in her
life. "I... I'm sorry I woke you up, Daddy. Gomen nasai. I didn't know I
was gonna get here this late," she choked out as she raised her
tear-stained face to look at him.

"It's okay, Miko-chan. I was thinking about you anyways," Mamoru told
her. He saw within her shimmering blue eyes the need for reassurance and
comfort, not to be asked questions. "Really, you just startled me." He
gave his daughter a light kiss on the forehead and smiled softly then.
"I missed you, Mesume."

"I love you, Daddy," Misako replied softly as she snuggled against her
father's chest. She could hear his heart beating and his slow and steady
breathing. She felt at peace.

They stood like that for another moment or so before Mamoru suggested,
"Miko-chan, why don't you go into the bathroom and get out of those wet
clothes." She blushed slightly then and allowed herself to be lowered.

"Gomen," she said softly.

"There's a fresh towel in the closet like last time." Nodding, Misako
picked up her backpack and wandered into the bathroom. <That child...>
He paused for a moment and smiled. <MY child will need something hot to
drink. Milk... warm milk.> He didn't dare give her hot chocolate since
that would likely keep her awake. "Come into the kitchen when you're
done, Miko-chan," he called out.

"'Kay Daddy!" she squeaked in return and his heart lifted at her
response.

                                 ******

Mamoru had just finished pouring the warm milk into a mug for Misako
when he heard a soft noise behind him. Turning, he saw Misako standing
in the doorway of the small kitchen; she had changed from her wet
clothes into a pair of light yellow summer pajama shorts and sleeveless
top. Her eyes although looking worried and distressed also held some of
the old excitement that always seemed to have been present when she had
been five.

"I made you some warm milk, Mesume," Mamoru said. He lifted the mug,
walked from the small kitchen, and sat it down on a low table. Sitting
on the floor, Mamoru rested his elbows on the table and turned his head
to regard his daughter who had been watching him with interest. "Nani?"

Misako didn't respond until she had walked over and sat beside Mamoru,
pulling the mug of warm milk over to her. "I just thought you'd look
older," she mused. Leaning against Mamoru, she closed her eyes and felt
the warmth of the mug between her hands.

"Well, it is my birthday today but I didn't think I was that old,"
Mamoru chuckled as he wrapped an arm around his daughter in a hug. He
looked down at the little girl that was leaning against him. "You must
be eleven by now, ne?" <But she's so small... just a little taller than
Chibi-Usa.>

Lifting the mug to her lips, Misako carefully took a sip and sighed a
little. "Iie Daddy, I'm not even ten." Lifting her head, she looked up
towards her father and asked, "Where's Mom?"

Mamoru felt a smile slide onto his face. "You're in the past, Misako.
You should call us `Usagi and Mamoru'."

What Misako said next shocked Mamoru. "Don't you want to be my dad?" Her
eyes held his, pleading for him almost not to leave her. Before he could
respond, she went on, "I know that I have to call you that when we're
out in public but I didn't think you'd mind if I did it here."

Taking the mug from her hands, Mamoru lifted Misako onto his lap and
hugged her tightly for a moment. "Of course I don't mind, Miko-chan. I
love being your dad. You should never think that I wouldn't want to be
your dad." He smiled at her then and gave her another hug. "Now what
were you doing out so late?"

"I didn't think I'd get here this early really. But I guess it's because
of when I left in the future..." She halted then and blushed slightly.
<Please don't ask when I left. How could I explain that?> Shifting to a
better position, she retrieved her mug and continued sipping at the warm
milk.

"You seemed really upset. Can you talk about it?" Mamoru asked softly.

For a moment, Misako hunched her shoulders defensively and asked again,
"Where's Mom?"

"She's at her parents," Mamoru answered, "It's a little late to call
there now but you'll see her at the birthday party tomorrow." <I should
make sure the girls keep Usagi away in the morning so I can spring this
surprise on her.> As he started to gently stroke Misako's hair trying to
get her to relax, he noticed one or rather two important elements
missing. "Miko-chan, what happened to your odangos?"

"I wear my hair like this now. I don't like odangos," Misako said
tensely.

Mamoru sighed, "Gomen Miko-chan, I know you can't talk about the future.
I just wanted to know what was wrong. I had a very frightened little
gir..." he was interrupted as Misako, almost angrily, got up and stalked
over to the balcony. Frowning slightly, Mamoru got up and walked over to
stand behind his daughter. Kneeling, Mamoru placed his hands on Misako's
shoulder.

"I'm not a baby," Misako stated angrily, "Why can't anybody see that?!?"

"Miko-cha... Mesume, I didn't mean you were a baby." Mamoru turned
Misako to look at him. "No matter how old you'll are, you'll always be
my little girl." Sighing again, he took the now empty mug and said,
"It's late, Miko-chan, why don't we talk about this tomorrow morning."

"Gomen nasai," Misako said softly, "It's just... it's just..." She felt
the tears come back and her frustration at not being able to tell her
father what she was feeling, what she had been going through in the
future. She started to softly cry again as her father hugged her
closely. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she hid her face against
him.

"Come on, let's get you into bed," Mamoru said. Standing, he lifted his
daughter and walked into his bedroom. "Now you sleep in here and I'll
take the couch," Mamoru instructed. Gently lowering his daughter, he
reached up and disengaged her arms from around his neck. "I love you
very much and I'm very proud to be your father."

"Really?" Misako questioned.

"Hai," Mamoru said reassuringly and gave her another kiss, "Now you go
to sleep, Miko-chan. I'll be out in the living room if you need me."
She gave him one last quick hug before snuggling down into the bed and
closed her eyes.

"'Night Daddy," Misako said softly and once again, Mamoru's heart
lifted. Bidding his daughter goodnight, Mamoru slipped from the room, a
soft smile on his face.

                                 ******

The early morning sunlight of that Saturday lanced in through the
windows around the balcony entrance. Slowly it crept across the floor
until it struck Mamoru fully in the face. Slowly, Mamoru's eyes
fluttered open and he groaned as he turned his head away.

<I'm on the couch... Did I go out as Tuxedo Kamen?> He tried to think
back and a fuzzy image came to him. <Misako?> Shaking his head, he sat
up and looked about the apartment. <Iie, it couldn't have been Misako.
It had to be all a dream. She's in the future.> Stretching, Mamoru rose
from the couch and started making his way towards the kitchen. That was
when he spotted the two suitcases sitting just inside the entrance hall.
<So it wasn't a dream,> he thought and padded softly over to the bedroom
door. Softly opening it, he peeked in and smiled when he saw Misako
curled up asleep. A frown replaced the smile then. <Something is wrong...
bothering her.> He had to get her to talk, if even a little. <Breakfast,
somehow I think she likes food as much as her sister does so I'll just
make her breakfast.>

Soon the smells of breakfast pulled Misako from her bed. Walking into
the washroom, she spent a few minutes washing and using the other
facilities before returning to look into the kitchen. Walking over, she
hugged Mamoru before saying, "'Morning Daddy, that smells good."

Turning, Mamoru grinned and gave her a quick one-arm hug. "'Morning
sweetheart, why don't you go sit down at the table. Breakfast is almost
ready."

"Do you want me to help?"

"Iie, arigato," Mamoru said while turning back to his work, "It's almost
ready."

"'Kay," Misako replied and wandered out of the kitchen and to the low
table. Sitting on the floor, she rested an elbow on the table and put
her chin in her hand before looking around. <It looks like what I
remember from when I was in the past before... Maybe a little smaller.>
She had expected it to be a little messier looking too. Unlike her
mother, Usagi of the past hadn't seemed to be the tidiest person in the
world.

A few minutes later, both were eating breakfast in silence. While Mamoru
wondered how he could find out what the problem was without disrupting
the timeline, Misako was worrying about roughly the same thing. <What
can I tell him?> Misako thought, <I really worried him last night.> But
it had been such a relief to be back in the past, where she could have
her parents to herself. <I have to tell him something.> She had her
parents' letter explaining that she had come back into the past for
Senshi training, but somehow though, that seemed insufficient.

Wiping his mouth, Mamoru said, "Miko-chan?" She looked at him and he
couldn't help but smile. <Even at nine, she's kawaii.> "If you can't
talk about what's wrong, I understand. I'm just worried about you."

She was silent for a minute or so before she replied, "There is a
reason, a great reason for me to be here in the past. I just want to
wait until Mom's with us before I tell you what it is." She glanced at
him and he nodded. Folding her hands in her lap, she looked at the table
for a moment more before saying, "The past little while has been rough.
When I found I was coming back to the past, I was excited about that.
I'm just relieved to be back here I guess and..." trailing off she
shrugged, unsure how to explain the relief she felt.

"So things got hectic in the future and when you got back here, it made
you feel pretty good, ne?" Mamoru questioned while sliding around to sit
beside his daughter.

"Hai," Misako agreed, "There isn't a war like the Black Moon War or
anything. Mom and Usagi are okay. It's just... sometimes..." She
squirmed slightly before saying, "It's kinda hard to talk about when I'm
not supposed to talk about the future."

Mamoru drew her into a hug then and, kissed the top of her head, before
remarking, "Miko-chan, it's okay. As long as you're safe and nothing
terrible is happening like what happened during the Black Moon War, then
what you've told me is enough." He pushed her away a little and added,
"I want you to feel comfortable. You don't have to tell me anything
you're not supposed to." He grinned at her. "I already know enough
anyway. You are my daughter and that's one of the very few things that
is important to me."

"Arigato!" Misako said and hugged her father, "You're the best." <Now if
only Mom would say that to me... and mean it.> One thing had become
obvious to Misako: No matter how much she denied it, she still wanted
her mother.

                                 ******

Kino Makoto put her phone down and stared at it for several seconds. She
turned back to her guest and opened her mouth to speak and closed it
again, unsure of how to phrase what she had been told; whether to truly
accept what she had just been told.

"Mako-chan?" Aino Minako asked. She had come over shortly after
breakfast on Saturday to visit Makoto. They had found a common bond --
namely relatives from the future and their concern of them.

"Misako's back," Makoto announced and, moving, sat heavily on a nearby
chair, "He said nobody else came with her." She inhaled deeply and
closed her eyes for a moment or so before breathing out. "He couldn't
say much else because she was right there but I got the impression that
he wanted to tell us more."

"When did she get here?" Minako said. She was trying to hide her
disappointment that Kimeko didn't come back too. Makoto smiled knowingly
at her and she blushed. "I know, Mako-chan, we're both worried about
them. But if Kimeko couldn't come back, then there must be a good reason
for sending Misako back alone."

Makoto nodded before saying, "Hai, well she got back at around three
this morning."

"Oh, I hope Mamoru didn't call my place. My dad would flip out if he
heard a guy's voice he didn't know," she giggled, "Actually I think my
dad would be really ticked if he recognized Mamoru. He knows Mamoru is
dating Usagi." Makoto grinned at that thought.

"Mamoru wanted us to keep Usagi busy this morning; apparently he's going
to get a little revenge for Usagi springing Misako on him before." <The
look he had had was priceless.> She giggled at the thought. "I'm
supposed to tell everybody to stall Usagi... and Chibi-Usa too for that
matter."

"Then come on!" Minako commanded while grabbing Makoto's hand, "If we
don't get over to Usagi's house, she'll probably go bolting over to
Mamoru's to wish him a happy birthday and mooch lunch off of him."

"Minako-chan, that isn't very nice," Makoto admonished but she laughed
then, "Somehow I could just see that. Okay, let me get my shoes on and
then we can call the others and make sure that if they see Usagi or
Chibi-Usa, do anything to keep them away from Mamoru's."

                                 ******

Mamoru started humming a tune as he waited for permission to open his
eyes. He was sitting on the couch after lunch and Misako had instructed
him not to look until she had come out of the bedroom with her dress on.
<I still don't know why I have to close my eyes. I mean the bedroom
door's shut.> He might be Tuxedo Kamen but that didn't mean he had x-ray
vision. <I hope I did the right thing by calling Makoto...> the way she
had reacted bothered him, <I just hope Usagi doesn't kill me.>

He heard the bedroom door open and the padding of small feet. Resisting
the urge to peek, Mamoru waited for permission. "Ready Daddy!" Misako
sang out after a few moments. He opened his eyes and gasped a little;
she twirled around and giggled a little. "What do you think?"

"You are a very pretty young lady," Mamoru commented and Misako blushed
lightly. She was wearing a light blue sundress. Her hair was held back
with a bow resembling a Monarch butterfly. Tiny earrings hung from her
ears and sparkled in the sunshine. With her hands clasped in front of
her and a small smile on her face, she was a very different girl than
the one that had come to his door late in the night. "You're going to
make a boy jealous someday." This caused Misako to blush even more.

Walking over, she leaned down and hugged him, "You really think I'm
pretty, Daddy?" Mamoru nodded after returning the hug, "Good, 'cause I
hate wearing dresses. I only put it on 'cause it's your birthday."

"And why do you hate wearing dresses?"

"Because... you can't play outside in them and I LOVE playing outside,"
Misako responded. She giggled then as her father shook his head. "Can we
go now? I want to see Mommy."

"Hai, we should head over there soon," Mamoru agreed, "I wouldn't want
you're mother coming over here and spoiling my revenge." Misako grinned
then and he said, "I get the feeling you're looking forward to this."

"What gave you that idea?" Misako asked innocently.

"Oh I don't know... It couldn't have anything to do with that evil grin
I saw when I told you about my plan."

"Of course not, she's my mom after all." However, Misako couldn't hide
the anticipatory glint within her eyes. She started to giggle as Mamoru
denied her statement by reaching out and tickling her. "Stop that!" she
said in protest but it was without firmness. <This is a lot more fun
than being at home.>

A few minutes later, father and daughter were walking towards the shrine
hand in hand. At first, Misako had been shy, almost surprised that she
could hold his hand. Mamoru did not question it and Misako was glad of
that. How could she tell her father that in the future such open
displays of affection were frowned up as being unseemly and beneath a
princess? Misako thought that the policy was a baka one and had said so
on a number of occasions. It was certainly a delight then to be able to
hold her father's hand as they walked in public.

The day itself was not overly hot. The sun shone down from a mostly
clear blue sky with only a few misty streamers of white to mark any sign
of clouds. The air although not as sweet smelling as that of Crystal
Tokyo was still filled with the smells of summer and it rang out with
people talking and children laughing. Birds sang to each other in the
park that they passed and within the Hikawa Shrine grounds.

As they walked, Mamoru gave his daughter an occasional look. <I wonder
what your surprise is?> Mamoru thought, <When I asked why you had come
back to the past, you asked if I could wait until Usagi was with me so
that you could tell the both of us.> He had, however, been reassured
when Misako had told him that there was no war in the future, or at
least that was not the reason why she had came back. <You said you had
been having a rough time the past little while and that the surprise you
had for us had something to do with that.> He couldn't understand why
Misako wouldn't tell him alone but he didn't press the matter.

<I can hardly wait to see Mom!> Misako thought, <She looked really
pretty in that old wedding picture.> And it would be nice to have a
mother that finally loved her. <They'll really be surprised that I'm a
Senshi.> She knew her father wanted to know what the surprise was but
she was reluctant to tell him without telling her mother as well. <It
wouldn't be fair and I want both of them to know before anybody else.>
It would also save her from having to explain it three times. <I wonder
if Uncle Shingo's any bigger?> It would be nice to see him. <I wouldn't
have thought Mom would stay over at Sobo's place all night...> That was
a mystery but Misako didn't worry about minor details.

They stopped at the shrine steps and looked at each other. "Nervous?"
Mamoru asked.

"Hai," Misako squeaked, "I guess I shouldn't be though."

"Now remember, I'll go up and set things up. Give me a couple of minutes
and then you can come up, okay?" Misako nodded and he smiled at her
before walking up the steps that led up to the shrine grounds.

<What am I going to tell Makoto?> Misako wondered, <Sakuya really made
her worry but I can't tell her a lot.> Yet, Misako suspected that Makoto
would be looking for news of Sakuya, especially after such a long time.
<I hope that she doesn't ask a lot of questions.> The other worry was,
of course, Minako. <I hated leaving Kimeko like that,> she sniffled
then, <I just couldn't risk her finding out what I was going to do
though. I hope they'll understand.> She was sure, however, that it
wouldn't make much difference to Usagi or Serenity. They both would be
happy to have gotten rid of her that much sooner.

With a start, Misako glanced down at the wristwatch she was wearing and
noticed that it had been more than a couple of minutes since Mamoru had
gone up. Blushing slightly at her inattentiveness, Misako hurried up the
stairs and through the Hikawa Shrine gates. She was halfway across the
courtyard when she finally realized that something was seriously wrong
with the scene she saw.

There were the girls clustered around Mamoru as she had expected. <But
they're all young... Younger than what I thought they would be.> She had
been expecting the girls to be around eighteen but here they were, no
more than sixteen. <Sugoi!> She had actually hoped to arrive soon after
Usagi's departure to the future. <Now Mom won't seem like Mom and she
can love me even more.> It had been Misako's considered opinion that
after one thousand years of life, Neo-Queen Serenity had forgotten how
to love anyone but her precious daughter Usagi.

Minako was the first person to see Misako and she gave a little gasp of
surprise. She stared at Misako then, a confused expression on her face.
"That can't be Misako!" she exclaimed in surprise finally finding her
voice. The three other girls turned and gave various murmurs of
surprise. Mamoru turned and motioned Misako over. The little girl
complied but never removed her eyes from the girls' faces as they stared
at each other in mild shock.

"Konnichiwa minna-san," Misako greeted as she bowed, "I'm glad to see
that you are all looking quite well." <And so young.>

"Hello Misako," Ami said with a smile, "You've certainly grown since we
saw you last."

"Konnichiwa Miko-chan," Rei responded, "Ami's right. You certainly have
grown. You seem to be turning out to be a fine young lady." She then
smiled kindly as Misako blushed.

Makoto and Minako seemed to be at a loss for words. After a moment,
Makoto said, "Hello, welcome back."

Giving Makoto a sad smile, Misako walked over and gave her a hug. "I
know you're worried about Sakuya," she said, "And I can't tell you
anything, but just remember to trust Sakuya and that she loves you."

"She's alive?" Makoto asked.

"Hai," Misako said with some surprise, "Why didn't you think she would
be?"

Makoto's eyes misted over. "Because... because when she left, Sakuya had
mentioned something about a trial and treason and..." Makoto trailed off
and shrugged expressively.

Misako chewed her bottom lip for a moment before saying, "I can't tell
you much, Makoto-san, gomen nasai. But I can say that Sakuya is very
much alive."

<Thank Kami-sama.> Then an uncomfortable silence fell over the group for
a moment before Makoto knelt and hugged Misako in return. "Don't worry,
Miko-chan. I know you can't tell me a lot and you might have said too
much already." She brushed a stray strand of hair out of the little
girl's face and added, "I won't hold it against you, Miko-chan. I'd
rather you keep your word to Pluto that you wouldn't talk about the
future then to have you tell me things and endangering the timeline
because of it."

It was obvious that Makoto was making an effort to say what she was
saying and Misako appreciated it. "Arigato," she whispered out then and
gave Makoto a smile. <Trust me, Makoto, you wouldn't want the timeline
damaged. You couldn't be a greatgrandma and I couldn't be an onee then.>

Misako turned and looked towards Minako and smiled. "My onee's okay
too." <Oops...>

"NANI?!?" Minako demanded, "Kimeko's your onee?" Misako nodded. "Then
that must mean you're my daughter." Mamoru took on a stricken, almost
fearful expression. Misako was staring at Minako curiously. "I mean the
hair and Kimeko's your onee..." she trailed off, sensing that she was
misinterpreting something.

"Iie, Serenity is still my mom," Misako explained, "I just wear my hair
like this because I like it a lot better that's all." She grinned, "But
Kimeko is my onee but not because I'm your daughter."

"Oh!" Minako said and expression of comprehension on her face, "So she's
like Usagi and Chibi-Usa, ne?"

"Iie, it is certainly NOT like that!" Misako snapped with more venom
than she had intended, "I am not Kimeko's daughter either." The
quietness that came into the courtyard then was almost stifling. After a
few moments, Rei moved from the group and entered the building. She
emerged then carrying a camera a few minutes later.

"Misako, Mamoru-kun, let's get a picture of the two of you together."
Misako moved over to stand beside Mamoru and Rei lifted the camera up.
After a second though, she lowered it and shook her head, "You better
pick her up, Mamoru. You two are so different in height that I'd have to
back up too far to get both of you in it." Misako shot Rei a dirty look
for mentioning her height but reached up towards Mamoru, who lifted her.

<I don't mind Daddy picking me up but did Rei have to mention my
height?!> She didn't want to be reminded that she was small for her age.
Loosely wrapping her arms around Mamoru, she turned to look at Rei and
smiled. Rei had just lifted the camera back to her face to look through
the viewfinder when a screech came from the direction of the stairs.
Everyone turned to see an enraged looking Usagi standing at the top of
the stairs.

"MAMO-CHAN!" she thundered, "What DO you THINK you're DOING?!?" She came
stalking over towards Mamoru and Misako, nostrils flared and face
flushed in anger. "If Chibi-Usa wasn't bad enough, now you're hanging
around with another girl!" She raised her finger and started shaking it,
"If you think I'm going to let you break up with me again, you're sorely
mistaken, buster!"

<Break up? They must not be married yet,> Misako thought in mild
surprise.

Chibi-Usa had just gained the top of the stairs at that point and heard
the last of her mother's comments. <Oh Onee-san...> She flushed slightly
embarrassed because of her mother's display and shifted both gifts in
her arms to gain a better hold. <Mamoru wouldn't run out on you. Not
after what he went through with my grandparents.>

The other Senshi stared at Usagi in mild shock, and then as their leader
finished her tirade and stood, fists on hips, glaring at Mamoru. They
began to giggle. Even the usually humorless Rei could not hold back the
giggle that came out. Mamoru was struggling with his own laughter.

"Usako, you know that you are the only girl I would want for a
girlfriend and true love." He forced a frown on his face and added, "I'm
ashamed of you, Usagi."

"NANI?!?" Usagi screeched, "Ashamed of me?!?"

"Don't you recognize your own daughter?" Mamoru asked with a grin.

"Konnichiwa!" Misako chirped brightly towards her mother. <She's young
too. Sugoi! I must have came back just after Usagi left!> Wiggling out
of her father's arms, Misako walked over and gave her mother a hug. "I
missed you so much, Okaa-san!" Misako said softly as she lifted
tear-filled eyes towards Usagi.

"Oh Misako..." Usagi breathed. Kneeling, she gave her daughter a fierce
hug and then turned her head back the way she came, "Chibi-Usa, look who
came back!"

<Chibi-Usa?!?> Misako thought she looked past her mother to find an
astonishing sight before her. A young Usagi was staring at her, eyes
wide in shock and her mouth hanging open. Misako felt a stab of anger
lance through her as she saw the little girl. <What's SHE doing here?!
This was supposed to be my chance.> Usagi wasn't supposed to be here!

"Misako?" Chibi-Usa questioned as peered at the older girl. "I don't
believe it..." Diana who was perched between her odangos didn't believe
it either. The gifts Chibi-Usa were carrying slipped from her grasp but
she did not notice. As tears welled up in her eyes, she ran to her
sister and hugged her fiercely. "It hasn't been the same without you,
Miko-chan!" Chibi-Usa cried. Diana, deeming that it was not safe to be
around a reuniting family, leapt from Chibi-Usa's head and took refuge
on the wooden porch.

<What's she up to?> Misako thought darkly, <She shouldn't be happy to
see me.> She was not pleased to see her sister here in the past and she
certainly was not prepared for what Chibi-Usa said next.

"I was really worried about you," Chibi-Usa said softly now getting a
good look at her sister, "You're bigger than I am." It was only an inch
or so but it was still obvious. <What did I do that changed the
timeline? How did I make Misako my onee?> Not that she was truly
concerned by that fact. Her main concern was that she had somehow
affected the timeline and she was worried about what else she had
changed.

"Hello Chibi-Usa," Misako stated coolly, "I'm surprised to see you
here." Then she shrugged off her sister's hug before returning to stand
beside her father while glaring towards the little girl that was not
supposed to be in the past. Towards the person she had hoped she had
gotten away from.

                                  ******

When Luna and Artemis came out to see what all the commotion was about,
they were surprised to see Misako as well. Misako's disposition,
however, had turned sour. She spent most of the time during which Mamoru
explained her arrival brooding. She sat beside her father yet as far
away from her sister as she could manage.

Even as the real birthday party started, it quickly became apparent to
her parents and, to one extent or another, the Senshi that something was
bothering Misako. Even with their questions skillfully and not so
skillfully veiled, Misako realized they were trying to figure out if she
was Usagi and Mamoru's first born child instead of being their second born.
For the most part, she easily deflected the questions while the celebrations
took place.

As Mamoru opened his presents, Misako sat in acute embarrassment at not
having brought one for him. <How was I supposed to know I'd end up
around his birthday?> She had left her gift sitting on her bed. <Now I
wish I had brought it.> She sat silent and shamefaced looking towards
the ground. <I coulda gone out and got him something.> But with the
limited amount of money she had and with such short notice, what could
she have bought? <It wouldn't be a surprise anyway.>

These gloomy thoughts were interrupted when someone hugged her. She
turned her head and saw that it was Chibi-Usa hugging her and giving her
a worried look. "Onee-chan, what's the matter?"

"Nothing," Misako said stiffly and shied away from her sister's contact.
<Just go away. You weren't supposed to be in the past. Everybody said
I'd be here when you weren't.>

"Don't be sad, Onee-chan," Chibi-Usa reassured her sister, "You didn't
know when you'd get back. I bet Mamo-chan isn't mad at you." Misako
turned and scowled at the little girl. "Just ask him," her sister
directed.

<Well I guess I should say something...> Misako thought. She got up from
her chair and walked over to stand beside Mamoru who was busily
"thanking" Usagi for her gift. Politely clearing her throat, Misako
waited until Mamoru had turned to look at her expectantly. "I... I left
your birthday present in the future, Daddy," Misako admitted, "It was
your birthday when I left and I didn't know when I would come back here.
Gomen nasai." She felt her cheeks warm as she flushed brightly.

Reaching out, he drew Misako onto his lap and hugged her. "Don't feel
embarrassed, Miko-chan. You've already given me a great birthday
present." She looked dubiously at him and he gave her a broad smile of
reassurance. "You came back from the future to the past and to see you
all grown up is one of the best birthday presents I could get." He
chuckled then as she hugged him.

The rest of the main celebration proceeded with all involved in a better
mood. It was after the cutting of the cake that Misako slipped from the
room and went to sit outside. The sun hung in the western sky as it
slowly made its way towards sleep. The late afternoon heat made the
wooden porch warm to sit on but not uncomfortable. She smiled as she
heard the grownups laughing though it was hard to think of them as
grownups; they really weren't that much older than her.

She was lost in simple enjoyment of the shrine grounds. It seemed so
peaceful compared to her life in Crystal Tokyo and she tried to imagine
herself living in a world where the only ones who cared about what you
acted like were your parents. Something appealed to her about that.
Usagi liked Court life, or seemed to at least. To Misako, it was boring
and she didn't care for any part of it. She had only used it to try and
get closer to her mother but it was obvious that, that had been the wrong
route.

The soft padding of small feet interrupted her reverie. Turning, she saw
Chibi-Usa leaning forward against a post, intently gazing at her.
"Onee-chan, whatcha doin'?" Chibi-Usa asked. Misako blinked for a moment
before shrugging. Walking over, Chibi-Usa sat down beside Misako and
started to gently swing her feet. After a few moments of silence,
Chibi-Usa said, "I bet you like bein' the Crown Princess, ne?" <At least
I won't have to do it. I never got to have any fun.>

Misako stared at her sister for several seconds before saying, "Why do
you think I'm the Crown Princess?!" She frowned as Chibi-Usa giggled. "I
don't see what's so funny."

"Onee-chan," Chibi-Usa said with a slight whine, "quit teasin' me."
Misako's frowned deepened and Chibi-Usa sighed in mild exasperation. "I
might be little but I'm not baka. You're older than me. You have to be
the first born... which makes you Crown Princess, ne?"

"I guess so..." She stared at the little girl for several seconds. <Why
is she enjoying this so much?> "I thought you wanted me to be your
imouto."

"I wanted a sister. I don't care whether you're my onee or my imouto,"
Chibi-Usa replied and gave her sister a hug. "You are just my sister and
since I'm the imouto then you have to be my onee. And a great onee too."
What the little girl did next completely shocked Misako into inaction.
Chibi-Usa kissed her and said, "I love you, Miko-chan. I was so worried
about you when you left."

The first emotion to seep through the wall of shock was not joy; rather
it was anger. <How dare she...> Misako thought darkly as she clenched
her fists, <If she thinks she can make up for all the times she pushed
me away...> This was supposed to be her time, alone, away from Usagi.
Her parents had promised. <Well, I'll just have to get rid of the little
brat.>

"Onee-chan, is something wrong?"

<But first, I'm going to have to do something about that!> Grabbing
Chibi-Usa's hand, she dragged the child to her feet and into the room
where the other grownups were. The conversation stopped as they noticed
the look on her face and heard the protests from Chibi-Usa.

"Sweetheart, is something wrong?" Usagi asked while giving a stern look
towards Chibi-Usa.

Letting Chibi-Usa's hand go, Misako replied, "Iie, Okaa-san." She paused
for a moment gathering her thoughts before announcing, "I guess I should
have told you this before but I am the same Misako that you saw when I
was five. I'm almost ten now." She threw a glance over her shoulder and
added, "Small Lady is thirteen." Turning to her sister, Misako said,
"That means I'm your imouto." <That's already disgusting enough.> "I'm
not your onee." Then giving Chibi-Usa venomous glare, she stalked from
the room, leaving all of the occupants but Mamoru bewildered. He alone
had a thoughtful expression on his face.

                                 *****

After a few moments of silence, Usagi suggested, "Chibi-Usa-chan, why
don't you head home and use Luna-P to get everything ready. I'll go home
with Mamoru and get Misako's things."

"Hai, Onee-san," Chibi-Usa chirped and, bidding her good-byes, left the
room. She paused only briefly to give her sister a worried look before
running across the courtyard and down the steps.

It was another five minutes before Usagi and Mamoru came out to gather
Misako up and walk back to Mamoru's place. They made the walk in silence
although Misako seemed to be in a better frame of mind when each of her
parents took one of her hands and they walked along together. Once
inside Mamoru's apartment, her anger and frustration at finding Usagi
here slipped away to be replaced by nervousness and even fear.

While she rummaged through her suitcases for the sealed letter her
parents had prepared, Usagi and Mamoru sat on the couch. They tried to
figure out what was bothering their daughter but had little success. It
was with nervous excitement then that Misako stood in front of her
parents.

"Okaa-san, Otou-san, before you open this letter, I need to show you
something," Misako explained and then handed the letter over to Usagi.
Her parents did not question what she had to show them; rather they sat
patiently and watched. Licking her lips, Misako clasped her hands over
her chest for a moment and when she removed them, Usagi and Mamoru saw
that a broach was seated there. Mamoru's eyes went up in surprise as he
seemed to understand what the broach's significance was.

Even Usagi seem to have some comprehension of what the broach might
mean. She opened her mouth to say something but Misako never gave her a
chance. Instead, the little girl shouted, "EARTH PRISM POWER, MAKE-UP!"
The bright light that always seemed to accompany the transformation
engulfed Misako for a moment or so before fading away. "Chikyuu no
kenryoku ni aru, sailor fuku Bishoujo Senshi... Sailor Chibi-Earth!"
Chibi-Earth announced. Her parents blinked their eyes to adjust them
again.

Mamoru was the first to move. Slowly he rose and walked around the
coffee table until he was beside Chibi-Earth. Slowly kneeling, he
reached out and gently touched Chibi-Earth's cheek. With his eyes
misting over, he reached out and drew his daughter into a hug. "Oh
Mesume," Mamoru whispered while holding his daughter tightly, "What a
surprise!" He felt a tear roll down his face but he did not care.

<He thinks this is great?!?> Chibi-Earth thought confused, <But in the
future, he doesn't like me being a Senshi.> Her father had hidden his
displeasure over the fact well but it was obvious that he did not like
Misako being a Sailor Senshi. There was, however, some comfort in the
fact that he didn't want Usagi being a Senshi either. After a moment or
so, her father released his hug and she took a step back. "Are you
okay?" she asked him. Mamoru started to speak but instead closed his
mouth and nodded.

Both turned to look at Usagi who was sitting with an incomprehensible
expression on her face. Walking around to stand beside her mother,
Misako asked softly, "Mommy?" That seemed to pull Usagi out of her
trance and she gave Misako a quizzical look. "Do you like me being
Sailor Chibi-Earth?"

Usagi smiled then and, reaching out, hugged Chibi-Earth. "I think it's
great you are a Sailor Senshi and I bet you will make both your father
and I very proud." Giving her daughter a light kiss on the cheek, she
added, "I love you very much." She was surprised then when Chibi-Earth's
face crumpled and her daughter began to cry. "Mesume, what's the
matter?" she asked in concern but Chibi-Earth only shook her head.

What had happened and what Chibi-Earth was not readily able or willing
to explain was that her mother had said she loved her and for the first
time in a long time, the little girl had believed her. <I missed you so
much, Mommy,> Chibi-Earth thought as she hugged her mother, <Why did you
change so much?> Her crying increased slightly when she was lifted onto
Usagi's knee and held closely; she heard Usagi's soothing words and the
gentle hand rubbing her back. <Don't let me go,> Chibi-Earth thought as
she snuggled closer, towards the warmth that she had sought for so many
years.

After a few minutes, Chibi-Earth calmed down and seemed to be content.
It was at this point that Usagi opened the letter from their future
selves and read it. As Mamoru watched her face, it contorted into a
grimace before taking on a slight air of sadness.

"What is it, Usako?" he asked. Usagi only held out the letter that he
took before she turned her attention to Chibi-Earth. After giving Usagi
one more questioning look, Mamoru turned his own attention to the letter
which read:

     Greetings,

     If you have not been told by now, our daughter Misako is a
     Sailor Senshi. She is certainly an unexpected addition to the
     list of Senshi and her "finding" as it were caused both
     heartache and discontentment.

     As you know, we sent Usagi back, not only to train as a Sailor
     Senshi but also to learn those skills that we were not able to
     teach her. We sent her back to show her how to make friends
     and learn the social skills necessary for her rule. We also
     wished to provide some semblance of a normal life for her,
     even if for a little while. These factors while all good are
     not the same reasons we have sent Misako back. Although she
     returned to the past to train as a Sailor Senshi, it was at
     the request of Sailor Pluto that she does so. We suspect the
     reasons for this but I can not state them here.

     Without giving specifics, I can tell you that it has been a
     rough time for Misako. To my shame, I have somehow missed the
     indications of my child's suffering. As Queen, I have an
     obligation to listen fairly to all. How can I do this if I can
     not recognize that my own daughter is having trouble?

     We have set Misako's arrival date sometime after Usagi's
     departure into the future. I fear, however, that this may not
     occur. If for some reason Misako should arrive when Small Lady
     is still present, then caution should be taken. I am not at
     liberty to state what you are cautioned against but for our
     family's sake, I plead you to have more understanding and
     compassion for Misako than I have had in the recent past.

     Faithfully yours, Serenity.

Mamoru blinked as he finished reading the letter and stared at it for
several seconds. Turning his head, he glanced at Misako and Usagi and
noted both were hugging each other while Usagi talked softly to Misako
and the little girl nodded every so often. <Kami-sama, what the hell's
going on in the future?>

                                 ******

Chibi-Usa was wondering the same thing as she sat on her bed in her
attic bedroom. <Why's Misako so mad?> she wondered. She had come home
and used Luna-P on her grandparents and uncle. Now they thought that
Usagi had gone to meet her cousin at the train station. <My OLDER
sister.> She wanted to ask Misako about the future but was afraid to.

"Chibi-Usa!" Ikuko's voice called from downstairs. Chibi-Usa moved and
went down the steps to the second floor where her grandmother was
waiting for her, "Come help me with supper. You can set the table."

"Hai, Ikuko-mama," Chibi-Usa responded and followed her grandmother down
the stairs and into the kitchen where she gathered up the dishes and
silverware before going out to the dining room.

<There's something bothering Misako.> Chibi-Usa continued to think as
she worked at her chore, <Could it have anything to do with the reason
she came back?> She likely would not get any answers until later tonight
when she could be alone with Misako and question her. At the sound of
the door opening, she looked out into the hall but saw that it was only
Shingo. <I bet he'll be surprised to see Misako.>

It was another five minutes before the front door opened again. This
time, however, someone called out into the house. "Mom? Dad? Look who's
here!" Ikuko and Kenji came to stand in the hallway as did Chibi-Usa.
Usagi placed the two suitcases she was carrying inside the door and
stepped aside to let her "cousin" in.

"Konnichiwa," Misako greeted, "Thank you for allowing me to come and
visit, Tsukino-san."

"Oh Miko-chan," Ikuko remarked while moving to give the girl a hug, "You
don't have to be so formal. You called us `Ikuko-mama and Kenji-papa'
before so you can certainly do it now."

"I've missed you a lot, Ikuko-mama," Misako said while hugging her
grandmother tightly. <Obaa-san, I bet you wouldn't let Mommy treat me
the way she does.>

"And who is this fine young lady?" Kenji questioned as he moved up to
stand beside his wife.

"Kenji-papa..." Misako ground out while blushing slightly.

"The last time I saw you weren't that big... and you've gotten prettier
since then too.." Misako blushed deeply even more than.

"Kenji, quit teasing her," Ikuko admonished but mirth was dancing in her
eyes. <It's only been a few weeks... although she does seem bigger.>

"Gomen," Kenji said and added, "Do I get a hug or are you too big for
that?"

"Iie," Misako said and, still blushing, hugged Kenji. <I don't remember
you being such a tease, Ojii-san.> After a moment, she let the hug go
and, taking a step back, noticed that one person was missing. She was
about to ask where Shingo was when he came down the stairs and looked at
her oddly for a moment. "Shingo-kun!" Misako shouted excitedly and,
darting between her grandparents, wrapped her arms around him and
squeezed. Usagi giggled as Shingo's eyes widened in surprise and
confusion.

Then what was even more of a surprise was that Shingo returned the hug
and exclaimed, "Peanut, you came back for a visit!" Misako giggled then.
Then he forced himself to let go. It wouldn't do to show he truly missed
her in front of everyone.

"Hai, I missed all of you a lot." <I'll have to feed Luna-P the letter
from Mom and Dad so it can make allowances for what's in it.>
Begrudgingly, Misako realized that that was one reason why it was good
to have her sister around. "Dad said it was really nice of you to let me
come and stay for awhile." <She had to know I was coming back when Small
Lady was here. How else could this plan work?!?>

"Well you weren't any real trouble before... at least nothing Usagi or I
couldn't handle," Ikuko said and gave each little girl a long look; they
both had the decency to blush slightly and giggle. "Now, minna, come and
eat supper." As the family moved into the dining room, Ikuko said,
"Don't worry about the suitcases. We'll take them up later. Misako, you
can sit there." She indicated a seat. "And Chibi-Usa-chan, you can sit
beside your onee." This set Chibi-Usa off into a fit of giggles. "And
what's so funny about that?" Ikuko questioned.

"Nothing Ikuko-mama," Chibi-Usa responded, "I would love to sit beside
my... onee." She snickered again and covered her mouth with her hand to
try and help keep the giggling under control.

Misako simply sighed and shook her head, "This looks really good,
Ikuko-mama." She then smiled shyly at Shingo who was sitting opposite
her, "How's Mika?"

"Fine," Shingo mumbled out while looking warily at Misako. Misako just
smiled at him

"Nani?" Misako asked, "Did you think I was gonna tease you, Shingo-kun?"
By Shingo's expression that had been his exact thinking. "I like Mika
and wondered how she was doing, that's all." Shingo shifted
uncomfortably before concentrated on eating.

Ikuko and Kenji grinned at each other and then Ikuko explained, "Don't
worry, Miko-chan, Shingo's just a tad sensitive when it comes to Mika.
Especially after the other night." Shingo's face burned crimson; Misako
thought she could almost feel the heat of his blush.

"It was an honest mistake, Mom," Usagi chimed in, "I mean how was Shingo
supposed to know?" This earned her a dark look from Shingo. "Nani? Am I
supposed to tease you about it?" She then noticed her daughter's face
and she scowled. "Don't even think about it, Chibi-Usa."

"But it was really funny!" Chibi-Usa remarked. Turning to Misako, she
said, "You should have seen it. Poor Shingo was running down the stairs
and..." Suddenly Chibi-Usa stopped as a hand was placed over her mouth.

"Young lady, if I remember correctly, Usagi told you to forget that it
happened," Kenji admonished, "That means you're not to tell any of it."
He gave her a warning look before removing his hand. "Now that we've
thoroughly trounced Shingo's pride, maybe we can move on to more
interesting things. Misako, why don't you tell us about your trip here."
Giving one more look towards her sister, Misako started to tentatively
tell of her supposed train trip here.

                                 ******

Misako stuffed another pair of socks forcefully into the drawer. She
tried to ignore the room's two other occupants but it was hard to
dismiss the feeling of their eyes locked upon her. <Why can't I have my
own room?> Misako thought darkly but she knew the reason. And after
pondering it, she agreed that this was the best solution. Her mother
being fifteen deserved to have privacy. Shingo had recently moved back
into his room and Misako had neither the desire to share that room or
the wish to kick her uncle out.

She understood and accepted sleeping in Chibi-Usa's room as graciously
as she could but that did not mean she had to like it. Putting the last
of her socks into the drawer, she turned to find Chibi-Usa and Diana on
the bed; both were watching her with mixed expressions.

"Kami-sama, don't you two have anything else better to do?" Misako
demanded, "I mean can't you two just leave me alone?"

"But Miko-chan," Diana said, "Ikuko-mama told Small Lady to help you
unpack."

"The day I ever take help from my sister to do such a simple chore is
the day I give up..." Misako trailed off and turned back to her
unpacking. <The day I take help from you, Small Lady, is the day I give
up being a Senshi.>

"Please Onee-..." Chibi-Usa began but trailed off as Misako whirled
around to glare at her. "Miko-chan," she said softly while lowering her
eyes slightly, "I know that I'm your onee but we have to pretened that
you're my onee.. To Ikuko-mama and the others, I'm your imouto." Misako
grunted noncommittally. "Can't I help you... please?!?"

"Oh all right, IMOUTO, you can help me unpack that second suitcase." She
then gave the little girl a dark look. "And don't you dare touch my
backpack." Chibi-Usa shook her head and with some relief, slid from the
bed to help.

"Miko-chan, is anything bothering you?" Diana asked with some concern.

"What would you care?" Misako snapped as she whirled to glare at the
gray kitten. Diana blinked in surprise. "Nothing's the matter!" She
turned back and began silently counting, trying to control her anger.
<Don't get mad... just get rid of them.>

"You seem mad about somethin'," Diana said, "I know you didn't want to
share a room but I didn't think you'd be such a baby about it." The room
seemed to grow suddenly colder. The kitten watched with wariness as
Misako dropped the clothes she had in her hand and slowly turned. "You
shared a room when you were here before, ne?"

Misako stalked over and glaring down said in a tightly controlled voice,
"You know, Diana, that's the most you've ever said to me. You typically
don't think I exist!" She lowered her face to look at Diana squarely in
the eye before adding, "Don't even think of trying to patronize me."

"Nani?!?" both Chibi-Usa and Diana asked but Misako ignored them and
went about the rest of her unpacking.

When it was finished, Misako turned to Chibi-Usa and said, "Go have your
bath." <And leave me alone.> Walking over to the bed, she sat down and
pulled her bookbag towards her.

"Aren't you coming, Miko-chan?" Chibi-Usa asked as she started hunting
for her pajamas and undergarments.

<Baka.> "You aren't trying to tell me that you can't take a bath on your
own?" Misako questioned, "That's all you ever want to do." <How am I
ever going to live like this?> She had came back to get away from her
sister, not be with her.

Before Chibi-Usa could answer, a voice cut into the conversation.
"Certainly Chibi-Usa can take a bath on her own, but you're her onee now
and it makes more sense for both of you to take baths at the same time,"
Usagi explained.

"Usagi-oneesan," Chibi-Usa whined, "I could have told her that!"

"Yes and I likely would've heard an angry retort. Not even a full day
and both of you are arguing." As both girls reddened, Usagi shook her
head, "Mom won't stand for it and neither will I."

"Hai Okaa-san," Misako said tightly, "Whatever you say." She could feel
the blood starting to pound in her ears. <They expect it and why give
Mom even more reason to hate me.>

"Now, you two, go have your baths and then come into my room and I'll
read you a story." Chibi-Usa and, much to Misako's surprise, Diana
cheered while Misako felt another surge of annoyance.

                                 ******

Despite her earlier protests, Misako found herself enjoying the
Tsukino's furo. She would happily admit it as well. Submerged up to her
chin in the hot, soothing waters, she could easily close her eyes and
imagine that she was all alone in the past. That is until the water hit
her in the face. Opening her eyes, she noticed Chibi-Usa sitting
opposite her and grinning.

"Do that again, spore, and you'll die," Misako warned.

"Oh, I'm so scared," Chibi-Usa replied sacastically and, bringing her
hand down, flicked the water again. Again, it found its mark by hitting
Misako squarely in the face. Misako, in three fluid motions, gracefully
heaved herself out of the furo and was starting to retrieve her towel
when Chibi-Usa's voice stopped her. "Misako, come on, I was only playin'
around." Misako remained silent. "Please, Miko-chan, don't be mad at
me!" Chibi-Usa begged, "Gomen nasai."

Misako stopped and glared at Chibi-Usa uncertainly, "You promise not to
do it again?" Chibi-Usa nodded. "Okay," she said and, replacing her
towel, lowered herself back into the water.

"I'm really sorry, Misako," Chibi-Usa said softly, "It's just when you
were here last time, we could splash each other."

"I was a child then," Misako said, "I'm not anymore and Ikuko-mama
wouldn't approve... just like last time."

A silence fell over the room for a minute or so and then Chibi-Usa
asked, "Misako, what happened to Sakuya?"

"I can't talk about the future," Misako answered. She opened her eyes
enough to see her sister grimacing. "You know perfectly well I'm not
allowed to talk about the future, even if you are from the future."

"Please?!" Chibi-Usa asked, her eyes drooped and her mouth turned down
into a sad expression, "I really want to know what happened to Sakuya."
Her sister remained silent and Chibi-Usa began to fume slightly. "I care
about her! Why are you being so mean... You know how much I want Sakuya
to be okay." Tears sprang into the little girl's eyes and she didn't
bother wiping them away.

<Well I told Makoto that she was okay.> Misako looked towards her sister
and sighed, <I remember you coming home and being so angry with
Neo-Queen Serenity.> She would never think of that person as her mother.

"All right, Small Lady, but if you ever tell anybody else what I'm going
to tell you... especially Minako or Makoto, I will rip your tongue out.
Understand?" Misako gave her sister a stern look.

Chibi-Usa briefly considered if the information she was about to hear
was worth that. <I bet she would too.> Something told Chibi-Usa that
Misako was not kidding. "Hai, I promise not to say anything."

"You'd better not," Misako growled, "Sakuya's in prison." Chibi-Usa's
reaction was predictable -- the little girl was enraged that Sakuya was
still imprisoned after so many years. Misako, however, would not say
anything else, no matter how much her sister pleaded.

                                 ******

It was later that evening when Misako came into the attic bedroom. She
had spent the past hour alone with her mother and enjoyed it
tremendously. <Mom tried to get me to talk about what's wrong...> Misako
hadn't thought that it was that obvious. <I guess she noticed I wasn't
acting like I did when I was five.> Walking over, she carefully hung her
bathrobe up before slipping between the sheets.

"Miko-chan?" came the voice of her sister.

"You're supposed to be asleep, Small Lady," Misako admonished. <Why
can't she just leave me alone?>

"What did I do?" Chibi-Usa questioned. Misako turned her head to look at
the little girl who was on her left. "Why don't you like me anymore?"
<Am I starting to hate you again?> Chibi-Usa thought, <Is that why you
don't want to be around me?>

"What are you talking about?" Misako demanded in a whispered tone.

"Why don't you want me around... like with the bath. I know you don't
like baths... at least when you were five you didn't, but we always had
fun." She looked towards the older girl hopefully. "I know you can't
talk about the future, Miko-chan, but I had to do somethin' that made
you so mad."

"You really want to know?" Misako questioned. Chibi-Usa nodded. "You
really want to know why I'm mad?"

"Hai, I love you and you're my imouto. If I did something to hurt you,
then I'm sorry but I want to know what I did."

<I was wondering how to bring this up,> Misako thought but now her
sister was giving her a golden opportunity. "Okay Small Lady, if you
really want to know." She tried to contain the excitement. "You aren't
supposed to be here. I was supposed to come back and you were supposed
to be gone."

"Gone?!?" Chibi-Usa asked worriedly.

"Hai, gone back to the future. You weren't supposed to be here. This is
MY time." She could feel the anger building now. "You're never satisfied
with simply hurting me. You have to take everything away." Chibi-Usa
opened her mouth to speak but Misako continued on, "You think you're so
special being a Senshi. Mommy's little princess that can do no wrong."
Misako snorted then, "You do lotsa stuff that's wrong. You just get away
with it."

"What are you saying?" Chibi-Usa demanded, her eyes misting over.

"What I'm saying, dear sister, is that you have no business being here.
This is my chance and my opportunity. You get in my way and I'll run you
over." Turning, Misako faced away from Chibi-Usa and added, "You know,
CHIBI-Usa, I thought that you were really mean when you were little
because you used to tease me... I'd rather have that old sister back. At
least then, the onee that made me feel miserable loved me and wanted to
be with me."

Chibi-Usa tried to talk but couldn't. She felt the lump in her throat
and tried to swallow it as her vision blurred with tears. She wanted to
hug Misako, reassure her sister that she did love her but Misako only
moved away. Turning over, Chibi-Usa worried about what had happened in
the future. What had she done to drive the one thing she wanted away?
How she could ever hate, really hate, her sister?

End of Chapter 15

Coming next in Chapter 16 - In Battle Surprise