Part XII - Giants: Some are Good

[Zero: Some Might Be...
Flashman: You said that one already.
Zero: Just in case someone missed it last time.]

When Chibi-Usa first saw Makoto, she gave a little gasp of surprise 
before hiding behind Usagi. <She BIG!>

[(Flashman starts hitting himself over the head.)
Flashman: Must... banish... perverted... comment.
Bison/Zero: ....]

"Gomen Mako-chan," Usagi said, "She never acted like this for Ami." 
<Why won't you come around and meet Makoto? She isn't that scary.> 
Flushing a little bit, Usagi turned and gently lifted Chibi-Usa up, 
"Chibi-Usa-chan, this is my FRIEND Kino Makoto. She wouldn't hurt you.
"

While wrapping her arms around Usagi's neck, Chibi-Usa turned to look 
at Makoto and said softly, "Konnichiwa Kino-san."

"Konnichiwa Chibi-Usa-chan, are you ready to go shopping with us?"

Chibi-Usa turned to Usagi and asked curiously, "Mommy, what's 
shopping?" Her face took on an even more confused look as Usagi's 
mouth swung open in shock. "Nani Mommy?"

[All: Kill... kill... kill... KILL!!!]

Makoto was right, Chibi-Usa did NOT like the mall. Not that she 
wasn't fascinated with the store displays and the multitude of colors.
 It was the crowds she didn't like. In fact Usagi had to carry her. 
Not that Chibi-Usa wasn't willing to walk but the little girl was 
walking so close to Usagi that she kept tripping her mother.

"Where to first, Usagi-chan?" Makoto asked. <Watch this, straight for 
the food.>

"The kid's clothing stores. Mom wanted me to pick Chibi-Usa up a 
spring jacket. Then we hit the toy store."

"What about the food court?"

Usagi who had started moving off down towards one of the children's 
clothing stores stopped. Turning slightly, she said, "Well you 
invited us for supper. No reason to spoil my appetite on such low 
quality food when I can have a little patience and get your high 
grade stuff instead."

[(All three cover their mouths to keep in the gales of laughter that 
threaten to escape.)]

Walking over to Usagi, Makoto reached out and felt Usagi's forehead. 
"Are you sick or something? Usagi turning down food?!?"

[Flashman:(Still trying to bite it back) Oh... hell... again...
All: 
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!]

After they were in the store, Usagi said, "Okay Chibi-Usa, I'm going 
to let you down. What's your favorite color?"

Chibi-Usa looked towards Makoto and asked, "What's your color?" <I 
hope it's a pretty color.>

Before Makoto could answer, Usagi said, "Honey, I asked what YOUR 
favorite color was. I want you to pick out a color you like, not what 
Makoto likes." She smiled slightly as Chibi-Usa took on a look of 
consternation. "She did that with Ami. Chibi-Usa wore a blue dress to 
impress her."

Makoto chuckled, "Come on, let's go show her the colors. Chibi-Usa-
chan, I want you to pick out a coat that YOU like." That was the 
start of a torturous process. Chibi-Usa never really had been given 
the freedom to choose before, so picking out a coat she liked was 
difficult. It was difficult because... she liked them all!

[(The reviewers facefault.)]

Forty minutes and one frazzled sales clerk later, all three girls 
emerged from the store. Chibi-Usa was still looking into the bag in 
fascination. "Kawaii," she mumbled out. The body of the coat was a 
purple-pink in color. The sleeves consisted of four bands, one each 
of green, red, blue, and orange. It had already been dubbed the "Coat 
of Senshi Colors" by Usagi. This elicited a giggle out of Makoto and 
a blank stare from Chibi-Usa.

[Zero: I thought she knew about the Senshi.]

Chibi-Usa watched with a mixture of worry and fascination as her 
mother and Makoto argued. She was fascinated because Makoto and Usagi 
were arguing over who was going to buy her a toy. <Mommy and Daddy 
fight about me but it different,> Chibi-Usa thought, <Mommy's 
starting to turn red...>

"And I said you don't have to!" Usagi snarled, "Mako-chan, you have 
enough problems paying bills. You DO NOT need to spend money on Chibi-
Usa!"

<I hope they not get...> Chibi-Usa thoughts trailed off and she shook 
her head, <I hope they don't get mad at me.> Satisfied that she'd 
thought it correctly, she nodded. The fact that Usagi and Makoto were 
arguing over her was causing Chibi-Usa to worry. <I hope Makoto not 
hit Mommy.> Anytime her parents fought, it would make her father 
angry. Endymion typically ended the fight by assaulting Serenity in 
one form or another whether Chibi-Usa was around or not.

[Zero: I don't like what's insinuated there...
(Flashman starts vibrating.)
Bison: Uh oh!  He's gonna blow!
(Flashman stands as Bison and Zero head for the hills.)
Flashman:(Glowing yellow, blue and silver) 
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA....
(Flashman continues to scream and the theater is bathed in the light 
surrounding Flashman as it explodes outwards.)]

Usagi was about to protest the point then noticed that Chibi-Usa was 
looking worriedly at them. <Oh I completely forgot about her. Chibi-
Usa's so quiet.> Usagi started to giggle, <We must look pretty silly, 
and Makoto is right - it is HER money.> "Okay Mako-chan, you win."

[(The light fades and reviels that most of the theater is decimated 
and a confused Flashman stands in the rubble as Zero and J.Bison 
rejoin him.)
Flashman: I thought that Usagi-samas mother gave her money to buy 
something for Chibi-Usa?]

Ten minutes and several yen later, Chibi-Usa emerged from the toy 
store with a teddy bear. Her small arms wrapped around its chocolate 
brown fur. Her chin nestled between its rounded ears. The smile on 
Chibi-Usa's face was only rivaled by the twinkle in the teddy bear's 
bright blue eyes. Turning to Makoto, Chibi-Usa said, "Arigato Mako-
chan. I really like my present."

"What are you going to name him? Or is it a her?"

Chibi-Usa tapped her lip for several second in deep thought before 
saying, "I gonna name him, Ranma."

"Ranma?!?" Usagi questioned, "Why would you want to name him that?"

[(Zero and Bison stare at Flashman.)
Flashman:(Threateningly) Not... a... single... coment.]

"'Cause Uncle Shingo says that Ranma's tough. Mommy, you said that 
bears are strong so if his name is Ranma, then he's REALLY tough." 
Makoto gave a snort but Usagi giggled. Chibi-Usa's eyes widened as 
her stomach rumbled.

"And I," said Makoto, "Say that it's time we went home for supper." 
Usagi was about to respond when her own stomach rumbled, seconding 
the motion. "Good thing I prepared ahead of time," Makoto said 
causing Usagi to blush. Unseen by Makoto, Usagi motioned for Chibi-
Usa to take Makoto's hand. Starting to walk, Makoto smiled as Chibi-
Usa took her hand. <Arigato Chibi-Usa,> Makoto thought, <You just 
wait until I get a hold of that monster. I'll pull every hair from 
his body one by one and force feed the hairball to him.>

[All: Can we watch?
Flashman: And do you really mean ALL his hair?]

Chibi-Usa sat at the table, eyes closed, savoring every bite of her 
food. Slowly, she lifted another morsel of food to her mouth and 
popped it in. Chewing slowly, she allowed the flavors to run rampant, 
tantalizing her taste buds. <This is better than Sobo's... better 
than Mommy's too.> Opening her eyes, she looked at Makoto and said, 
"This is really good, Mako-chan."

"Arigato Chibi-Usa-chan. If you're full, you don't have to eat it all.
"

"I'm not full," Chibi-Usa said honestly. "I really like it," she said 
and popped the last bit of food on her plate into her mouth. 
<Yummy!!!> Chibi-Usa thought, <I hope there's more.>

"Well you just leave room for dessert," Usagi said, "I wouldn't want 
you to miss out on the triple chocolate-fudge brownies Makoto made." 
Even thinking about them was making Usagi's mouth water. "Mako-chan, 
arigato for having us over for supper."

[Flashman/Bison:(Drooling) Triple chocolate-fudge brownies?  YUMMS!
Zero: Let me guess, one of the drawbacks of not having tastebuds, 
right?]

"You're quite welcome," Makoto said. "I like having company over, and 
you are such a kawaii little girl." She giggled a little as Chibi-Usa 
flushed a little bit at the compliment. <I've only met you a day and 
I'm already thinking of you as family.> Makoto mused, <Well I guess 
it's natural considering taht I think of Usagi as family.>

[Flashman: "considering taht"?  I think you mean "considering that".
]

End of Part XII

[Bison: And a good part it was.]
____________________________

(Zero egarly turns to Flashman.)

Zero: Okay, I've GOT to know.  Just WHAT is in that box?  You've been 
holding it all day and you promised you'd tell me what's in it.
Flashman: Oooooooh... okay. (Flashman opens the box and pulls out a 
remote control)  Ta da!
Bison: A remote control?  What's it control?
Flashman: The heavy artilery for when we take Endymion to our tourtre 
machine. (Flashman hits one of the big red buttons) Now look outside.


(Zero and J.Bison race for the window and look out.  They go wide 
eyed as they look up and see, wearing special helmets, Godzilla, 
Mecha Godzilla, Neo Mecha Godzilla and Space Godzilla.)

Flashman: They'll be the heavy hitters of our assault force and we 
can see what happens when we have 'em jump up and down on him a few 
times too.
Zero:(Stunned) Cooool.
Bison:(Stunned too) Wow.
Flashman:(Turns to Doug) BTW, I didn't get to say this during chapter 
11 due to memory constrains {*&%$&# Note Pad} but concerning the 
whole "Serenity's other love" thing... PLEASE don't make it Seiya(sp?
).  If you do, you'd better not go to I-Con or I'll find you and 
punch you in the nose.
(Authors note: I'm kidding.  If I ever met you IRL, I'd shake your 
hand and praise your work.)

The Flashman
(Proud member of The Church Of Tsukino Usagi)

3 Months till I-Con

May The Spirit Preserve You!