Previous parts may be located at :

	http://log.on.ca/users/helm/anime/index.htm

or by e-mail request. We're estimating that it'll take 23 chapter and a
prologue to finish off the sotry so there's a ways to go :)
======================
Glossary of terms used.

-chan = denotes affection (usually feminine or for small children)
-kun = denotes friendship or respect (used for boys)
-sama = denotes respect to a person of a higher social class such as
     your boss, royalty, etc.
-san = honorable (a gesture of respect similar to Mr./Ms./Mrs. in English)
arigato = thank you
baka = idiot or stupid
chibi = little
fuku = uniform
furo = large tub used for bathing
Ginzuishou = Silver Crystal
gomen = sorry
gomen nasai = very sorry
hai = yes or okay
henshin = transformation
iie = no
imouto = younger sister
ja ne = see you later
Kami-sama = God (Shinto)
kawaii = cute
konnichiwa = good day
minna = everyone
nani = what or huh
ne = Right? or isn't that right? Actually this has several meanings. We
     are using it to make something into a question. Example: She's
     here, ne? meaning She's here, right?
obaa-san = grandmother
onee = older sister (-chan added would denote a small age difference and
     -san would be added to show more respect and/or a larger age
     difference)
onii = older brother
sensei = teacher (may also be appended as a honorific)
Senshi = warrior or soldier
sobo = grandmother (referring to yours)
sugoi = Great or Wonderful
======================
Tales of Younger Earth
By Doug Helm and "Tuxedo" Will Wolfshohl


Chapter 2 - Surprises

A little over a week after her arrival, Princess Misako was in a great
mood. Although she still thought school in the past was "funner" than
the school in the future, she still enjoyed school. She had missed her
friends and was eager to play with them again.

Her parents doted on her, her mother in particular, and Misako drank it
up as if it was water. Although Misako knew she could expect a certain
amount of attention from both her parents, her mother seemed
particularly interested in spending time with her.

Not that Misako minded the extra attention of her mother; it was great.
She did find some oddities, however. One being that Neo-Queen Serenity
would actually come and play with her. That isn't to say that Serenity
NEVER played with her youngest daughter but to Misako's young mind, it
appeared that way.

None of this was present in Misako's mind at the moment. She was hard at
play with her other classmates outside. School being nearly over for the
day, the kindergarten class had moved outside to enjoy the sunny, if
cool, weather. Misako loved her new fuku jacket. Its light pink sleeves
went well with the purple body while bright yellow buttons ran up the
middle.

Yes, Misako loved her jacket but play was vastly more important. She and
a few other classmates had moved over to a small sandbox to play. One of
her fellow classmates, Yuki, was her cousin and an annoying one at that.
Smaller than Misako, if such a thing were possible, Yuki constantly
followed her around.

Play started out friendly enough. Yuki was good at pretending and could
follow the unspoken rules of the game better than most. Misako found
Yuki a pest when she was being followed but it was still fun to play
with her cousin. The sand was cool and slightly damp. A few leaves had
covered its surface but were soon ground underfoot by the small group.

"Miko-chan," Yuki began, "When you go to past, you tell Ami-sensei that
Shingo-sama played with you but I think you fibbin'." Yuki just could
not believe the legendary progenitor of her family line had played with
Misako.

"Nah uh, I not fib," Misako responded and shook her head, "Uncle Shingo
did play with me and read me stories, too."

"We all think your fibbin'," Yuki explained indicating the others who
were present, "Shingo-sama wouldn't play with you. He help the Senshi
beat up monsters."

"But Uncle Shingo not know that Onee and Mommy S'nshi. He like me and he
read me story too and he hugged me. He very nice... not fight bad
monsters like S'nshi," Misako stated with conviction.

Yuki gave a snort of disbelief. There was no way HER ancestor would
simply read Misako stories. <She fib... not want Shingo-sama to be
great.> "I not believe you," Yuki stated, "I not believe you 'cause you
fib 'fore."

Misako's eyes opened wide and she stared with some surprise at her
friend. "When I fib 'fore?" she demanded. <I not fib... Fibbin's bad.>
She was starting to get the idea that Yuki didn't like her taking off
for two months.

"You fib. You say you let me come to your party but you not tell me,"
Yuki said as she jutted out her bottom lip in a pout. Misako looked at
Yuki in disbelief. "You're mean!"

"Am not!" Misako retorted. "You not come 'cause you bad!" Misako said
with a little vehemence, "Your Mommy say you not allowed to come to
party. You told me!" Now it was one thing to accuse Misako of fibbing,
it was quite another thing to tell a fib to support your case. <Baka
Yuki, I not fib. I'd get in trouble if I fib,> Misako thought.

"I not think Shingo-sama be nice to you. He fight monsters and help
S'nshi. Shingo-sama not like you 'cause you mean," Yuki stated. Yuki was
not one for cuddly emotions. She had been lost the past two months
without her friend Misako to follow around. She had been hurt and now
she was attempting to hurt Misako in return.

"Uncle Shingo very nice to me. He say he love me!" Misako stated firmly
while scrambling to her feet. <I miss Onii.> Yuki scrambled up as well
but Misako still seemed to tower over her. "Baka baby, Uncle Shingo love
me and he NOT fight monsters. I not want him to fight monsters." <Not
want Onii to get hurt.>

"You just not want Shingo-sama to fight 'cause you not want him to be
brave," Yuki argued with great emotion. <Mommy say he was great
fighter.>

The war of words continued for a few seconds more before Yuki pushed
Misako. Misako stumbled back catching the edge of her foot on the
sandbox. She tumbled backward landing with a thump on her rear. Yuki
grinned while the other girls giggled at their fallen Princess.

"Yuki, say you sorry!" Misako demanded.

"Iie!" Yuki snapped and gave a little sniff.

"You say you sorry 'cause I'm a princess," Misako said while balling up
her fist.

"I'm a princess," Yuki imitated in a mocking tone and wiggled her hips a
little, "I'm a princess." This sent the other girls off into a fit of
giggling. This was by far the best entertainment of the day.

Stomping back into the sandbox, Misako demanded, "You take that back.
You not Princess, I Princess." She glared balefully at Yuki who glared
balefully back.

"Your Onee is a poop head," Yuki said in an angry low drawn out voice,
"She baka and a baby not like Shingo-sama. He big and strong!"

Misako's bottom lip started to tremble. This was a supreme insult. Yuki
knew how much Misako admired her sister. Misako thought Yuki liked her
too. <'Sagi really nice,> the little girl thought, <I want her come
back.> Although it had been a very exciting week with her parents, she
still intensely missed Usagi. <Please Onee, come back... I got bad
dreams.> "Onee not poop head. She brave... fight monster... fought
monster 'cause it hurt me. Shingo not fight monster 'cause he not S'nshi
or uh... what Daddy was."

"FIBBER!" Yuki declared her face showing open disbelief and anger. She
gave a yelp of surprise when Misako tackled her. "Let go!" she howled
but it was no good.

Misako and Yuki rolled around in the dirt for a few moments each
struggling to gain the upper hand in the matter. As soon as the fight
started, the other girls had stood hoping that no one would come to
break it up. Grunting, they grabbed hair and pulled trying to hit each
other. Finally though, Misako's anger and her larger size prevailed.
Rolling Yuki onto her back, Misako pinned her to the ground. Raising
back her fist, she glared towards her cousin.

"You say you sorry," Misako demanded, "I order you to!"

"Gomen," Yuki squeaked. Misako let her up. After a brief pause, Yuki
added, "But I not mean it!" With that, she stuck her tongue out at
Misako.

                                 ******

Ami had just finished commenting how nice the day was going when she
heard a scream. Jerking her head around, she noticed it was coming from
the recess area near the sandbox. Taking to her heels, she soon arrived
to discover a rather grisly looking sight.

"What happened?!?" she demanded as she pushed her way to Yuki. The
little girl was curled up on the ground, both hands trying to stop the
blood running from her nose. "Let me see, Yuki-chan," Ami said softly as
she tried to get the little girl's hands away. "Yuki, let me see."

"It hurts, Sensei!" Yuki howled through her tears but she allowed her
hands to be drawn away. Ami worked quickly to stop the flow of blood and
to soothe the little girl. After a few moments, Yuki was sitting on the
ground, one hand pinching her nose and looking very miserable.

"Now, what happened?" Ami asked.

"Misako hit her," one little girl admitted.

Ami could feel the surprise rise within her but she squelched it.
Turning to Yuki, she said, "Yuki-chan, did Misako hit you?"

"Hai," Yuki said with a strange voice.

Looking around, Ami at first didn't notice Misako. Standing, she spotted
the Princess trying to hide. Making her away through the throng of
students that had gathered, she approached Misako. The little girl was
covered from head to foot in dirt. The only real damage that Ami could
see was one of her odangos was loose.

"Princess Misako, did you hit Yuki?" Ami questioned while fixing the
little girl with a look of unquestionable authority.

"Iie, Ami-sensei," Misako answered with as much conviction as she could
muster under Ami's questioning look. "She like Mommy in past, trip and
fall down." <Baka Yuki. Onee really nice. You not be mean to Onee!>

"I see," Ami said, "Come with me please." Placing her hand behind
Misako's back, she guided the little girl towards Yuki. Holding out her
other hand, she said, "Come on Yuki-chan, let's go inside and have a
little talk." Slowly getting up, Yuki took Ami's hand and then both
little girls were led away. Once they had gone, the speculation started
and rumors started to fly. Even in kindergarten, there was a rumor mill.

                                 ******

Neo-Queen Serenity sat in Ami's office and listened to Ami's report. As
she listened, she flushed brightly. Also present within Ami's office was
Yuki's mother, Lady Kie, who was also flushing with embarrassment. While
Ami was speaking, part of her mind kept wandering back to a puzzlement.
<Why isn't Endymion here?> Ami had been surprised to see Serenity;
Endymion having the more flexible schedule typically looked after Misako
and, to a lesser extent, Usagi. Of course, Ami hadn't asked Serenity
where Endymion was but it did make her curious. As Ami completed telling
both parents what had occurred, or rather what she had managed to piece
together, the room fell silent.

After a minute or so, Serenity rose attracting both women's attention.
Turning to Yuki's mother, she bowed and said, "Gomen nasai, Lady Kie. I
am very embarrassed by my daughter's actions." Straightening, she looked
at Kie who stared at her with a look of mortification.

"I should be the one to apologize, Your Majesty, Yuki shouldn't have
said that about Princess Usagi," Kie retorted. It was even more
disconcerting to think that her queen was apologizing to her. <Why isn't
Endymion-sama here?!?> She had spoken with her king on several occasions
when either dropping Yuki off for school or picking her up. Kie was
certainly more comfortable around Endymion. When she had first seen
Serenity, she had quickly assumed the worst.

Sitting down, Serenity turned to face Kie. The embarrassed expression
that had been on Serenity's face shifted to one of irritation, "Lady
Kie..." Serenity trailed off. She sighed internally, <Can't tell her
she's being silly.> After a few seconds of thought, she continued, "Lady
Kie, children have fights. Simply because Misako happens to be a
princess does not give her any right to hurt one of her classmates. At
the most, she should have reported it to one of the sensei." She gave
Kie a smile before turning to Ami, "Well, what is the school policy in
such matters, Mizuno-sensei?"

Ami noticed that Kie breathed a silent sigh of relief when Serenity
turned her attention to Ami. <She's pretty nervous but I don't blame
her. Likely, one of the few times she's been this close to Serenity.>
With that thought, Ami's curiosity demanded to be voiced but she quashed
it. Shoving her thoughts to the back of her mind for the moment, Ami
stated, "Seeing as this is a first incident, we will only suspend the
involved parties for one day." Shuffling some of her papers, she added,
"It will also be noted in their permanent records." She noticed Serenity
give a slight wince but didn't comment.

"That sounds fair," Serenity reasoned and, rising again, remarked, "Well
I should allow you to get back to work." Kie and Ami rose as well and
bowed. Bowing in return, Serenity added, "Lady Kie, please don't be too
hard on your daughter." Before Kie could offer any type of response,
Serenity was out of the room and gathering her daughter up to head for
home.

"Come along, young lady, we're going to get you a bath and then we're
going to have a very long talk," Serenity said sternly while holding out
her hand.

"Not wanna bath," Misako stated while crossing her arms, "Gonna play
outside... Baka Yuki."

"Young lady, I said we're going home," Serenity reiterated again but
Misako didn't move. A frown creased Serenity's brow and she firmly
placed a hand between Misako's shoulder blades and pushed. Misako
resisted and pushed back.

It was a fight all the way home. Misako would either resist Serenity's
guiding hand forcefully or try to dart off in a different direction to
get away from her mother. Serenity would dearly have loved to take
Misako by the ear but didn't wish to risk the chance of damaging
Misako's ear in the process. Eventually, Serenity got her youngest
daughter home. As they approached the Royal Family Suite, the two guards
on-duty snapped to attention but allowed their eyes to look towards
Misako.

"Mommy?" Misako questioned, her voice now low and submissive. <Mommy
look really mad,> she thought quietly to herself. Serenity hadn't spoken
all the way home but her face had darkened into a raging black storm
cloud. Serenity didn't speak now; she acknowledged the guards and then
entered their quarters. Once inside and away from the door, Serenity
spoke.

"All right, get into your room and get ready for your bath," Serenity
directed sternly, "I don't want any arguments."

"Not wanna bath!" Misako stated firmly, "Not bed yet! I wanna go play!"
She crossed her arms and glared balefully at her mother. "Yuki's fault,
not mine. I not do anything. How come you mad at me?"

Serenity's face grew even darker. <Now she's lying as well?!?> Serenity
thought. Feeling her blood pressure rising, Serenity gritted her teeth.
<Deep breaths... count to ten, just calm down.> Some had presupposed
that Serenity's problems originated with Sakuya being imprisoned. This
was a false assumption really; in fact, that seemed to be one of the
most easily dealt with issues whirling around Serenity. What had really
been bothering Serenity these last few weeks was some regional affairs.
No sooner had she solved one problem than another sprung up as a result
of fixing the first problem. She looked towards the little girl who
simply glared back. <You look like your onee and now you're even acting
like her,> Serenity thought. Without a word, she walked down the hall
and disappeared into her room.

Misako watched her mother go and then shrugged. <Gotta get somethin' to
eat,> she thought as her belly rumbled. Going down the hall, Misako
paused at her mother's bedroom but shrugged. <Mommy mad, so I'll get
some cookies,> she thought to herself and smiled. She liked the thought
of cookies for lunch. She hadn't gone much further when she heard her
mother's door open. Turning around, she saw that Serenity had changed
out of her dress and was now wearing a tracksuit. <Maybe Mommy not mad
anymore... Maybe come play with me,> Misako thought hopefully. "Mommy
gonna come play with me?" Misako questioned but she took a step
backwards at her mother's look.

"Iie Misako, come and take your bath, please," Serenity requested, her
voice calmer but still authoritative.

Scowling in disappointment at her mother's insistence that she take a
bath, Misako yelled, "BAKA MOMMY!" Stomping her little foot, she added,
"I not want bath! I told you 'fore I wanna go play!!!" Turning, she
started to stomp down the hall while grumbling about her mother. She
gave a surprised squeal though when she was hoisted off of the ground
and placed under her mother's arm. "Iie! Iie!!! Not want bath!!!" Misako
howled and started to flail her arms and legs, "Let go!!!"

Ignoring her daughter's protests, Serenity marched into the little
girl's bathroom. "You have to take a bath to get clean," Serenity
explained while starting the water running. Checking the temperature was
a little difficult with a squirming child but Serenity somehow managed
it. "Misako, you're going to take a bath whether you like it or not."

"IIE!!!!!!" Misako cried, "Not bath! Only furo bath!" <Not wanna go to
bed... Not have lunch yet!> Her eyes misted over and she gave a little
sniffle, <Why's Mommy being so mean?!?>

"We've had that talk before," Serenity retorted as she lowered the
toilet seat lid and sat down, "You're not old enough for a furo."
<Mesume, I know how much you liked the furo in the Tsukino home but your
father's worried about you and so am I. I think you're old enough,
though,> Serenity thought, <We've discussed it but he simply won't
listen to reason.>

"Am too!" Misako snapped while squirming. She started to use her legs to
pull away from Serenity as she was stood on the floor. <Mommy let go!!!>
She gave a cry of protest as Serenity grabbed one of her feet and lifted
it to remove her shoes. Her continued struggles only caused her to
overbalance and she fell to the ground. Her eyes were becoming puffy
with tears of anger and frustration. Her breath now came in short ragged
bursts as she tried to control her crying and the exertion she was
maintaining. "LET GO!!!" Misako demanded of her mother and tried to jerk
her foot loose.

Serenity simply ignored it. She had battled with Misako over baths
before but not to this extent. "Tsukino Misako, behave yourself. You're
filthy and you're going to take a bath whether you like it or not," she
admonished her daughter. <Please Mesume, we can have your bath and then
we can sit down and talk about what happened.> She was distressed at
seeing Misako behaving so aggressively; her youngest daughter�s normally
quiet and well-behaved nature gave Serenity a lot of pride. <Does
Endymion have this much trouble?> Serenity continued thinking, <He's
usually the one to handle stuff like this.> King Endymion had been
attending a diplomatic meeting involving some trade matters. Hence, it
had been up to Serenity to answer Ami's call.

<Not wanna go to bed!> Misako thought sadly, <Wanna play! I stick up for
Onee and Onii. How come Mommy mad?!?> She sniffled as tears rolled down
her cheeks. "Please Mommy, I wanna go play, and I'm hungry!" Misako
pleaded and gave a hiccup. Deciding that action wasn't going to win out
over pleading, she settled down and gave her mother one of her most
potent pleading looks. Her drooping eyes and odangos, the little pout on
her face and tears streaking her cheeks didn't have any effect; Serenity
simply ignored them while proceeding to tug off Misako's other shoe.

"Only if I get furo," Misako tried to compromise, "Not like tub." It
wasn't big enough for her tastes. Serenity only sighed as she pulled
Misako's socks off. In immediate danger of having to do something she
didn't want to do, Misako did something desperate. Drawing her one foot
up, she aimed it and lashed out.

"Owww!" Serenity cried out as Misako's foot came into contact with her
shin, "Princess Tsukino Misako, don't you do that. That wasn't very
nice." Pulling her daughter up, Serenity started to remove Misako's
other clothing.

Now Misako might have been a quiet child and very well-behaved but she
had inherited one trait from her mother. She was just as stubborn as
both her sister and her mother. When she set her mind to not doing
something, she used everything she could to avoid doing it. Five minutes
and two chases around the suite later, Serenity managed to undress her
daughter and get her into the tub. Misako sat grumpily in the water
muttering to herself about the unfairness of her mother and how Daddy
wouldn't be so mean. Unlike previous times, she was uncooperative and
resentful. Misako didn't help wash and took the opportunity to splash
Serenity anytime she thought she could get her mother thoroughly wet.

<How does Endymion do it???> Serenity thought, <I know Small Lady was a
handful at times but how did he manage to keep in such a good mood when
having to deal with both of them all the time?> By the time that
Serenity was finished with her scrubbing job, she was thoroughly soaked.
She was also losing her patience. It was not just the fight over the
bath, although it was certainly a contributing factor, but that Misako
used her authority to bully another. Then there was the matter of Misako
lying. To Serenity and Endymion, it mattered what their daughters did.
Both Endymion and Serenity valued honesty and expected their daughters
to be honest. When Misako had returned and admitted that she had
misbehaved in the past, it gave Serenity a great sense of pride. From a
small child, she was hearing something that even Small Lady rarely did.

As Serenity lifted her daughter out of the tub and started drying Misako
off, she thought about what she was going to do. Certainly if Misako had
been up front, Serenity would have scolded her daughter and likely
slated an early bedtime and loss of privileges as punishment enough. Now
though, it was more serious and Misako's willful defiance was disturbing
to Serenity. Taking her daughter into her bedroom, Serenity produced
some clean play clothes and handed them to Misako.

Misako examined the clothes for a moment then took them. Sniffling, she
only glared towards her mother as she pulled on the clean clothes. <Not
go to bed?> Misako thought as she pulled the blue T-shirt on. "I not go
to bed?" Misako questioned but Serenity didn't respond. With her
mother's help, she slipped into a set of purple overalls. The two straps
came up over her shoulders and attached at mid-chest with the front flap
part of the overalls. Feeling unsure of what was happening, Misako
looked up to her mother and asked, "Mommy, I in trouble?"

Gently taking her daughter's chin in her hand, Serenity bent to look
Misako directly in the eye. "Young lady," Serenity began in a controlled
tone, "You were very naughty today." Misako lowered her eyes to the
floor and sniffled. "Look at me," Serenity ordered. The little girl
raised her eyes but could only hold her mother's gaze for a moment. "I
want you to stand in the corner and think about what you did. I'm going
to dry off." Letting Misako's chin go, Serenity straightened and guided
her daughter into the corner. "When I get back, we're going to talk
about your punishment," Serenity said sternly and left the room.

Sadly, Misako lowered her head and sniffled. Wiping at her eyes, she
sniffled again before hiccuping. <What I do? Not good to stick up for
Onee and Onii?!?> She was very confused about what she had done wrong.
<Mommy strange... Not get mad at me 'fore.> She had squabbles with her
classmates before so it was hard to see what was so different about it
that made mother so angry.

After what seemed like eternity to Misako, her mother came back. Walking
over to the bed, Serenity sat down and instructed, "Misako, come here,
please." Misako softly padded over to stand in front of her mother. "Why
were you fighting with Yuki?" Serenity questioned.

"'Cause she say I fib," Misako replied softly, "She say mean things
about Onee and Onii." Misako raised her head and sent a pleading sad
look towards her mother for understanding.

"Why did you hit Yuki?" Serenity questioned. <Endymion, how can you
stand up to those very sad looking eyes when you're scolding her?> It
was hard to resist the urge to scoop Misako up into a hug and comfort
her.

"Yuki not say she sorry," Misako sniffled out, "Please Mommy, I fight
with Yuki 'fore. Why I in trouble?" Her misty blue eyes searched her
mother's face questioningly.

Taking a breath to fortify her resolve, Serenity said, "Because you hit
Yuki. That was very naughty of you. If Yuki was being mean, you should
have told one of the sensei, ne?" She cocked an eyebrow questioningly.
Misako sniffled but nodded. "You also fibbed to me." The expected
protest didn't come. Instead, Misako winced and her eyes took on a
nervous look. "You fibbed not only to me but Ami-sensei too. You know
that fibbing is very bad, ne?"

"Hai," Misako squeaked while flushing and looking towards the ground.
Trying to save herself though, Misako added, "Yuki fibbed too!" Peeking
up, she saw her mother's look and lowered her eyes to the floor.

"Yuki is not MY mesume. YOU are, Misako." Gently taking her daughter's
chin again, Serenity raised it and said, "I thought you were becoming a
big girl. You told the truth to me when you came back from the past and
I was very proud of you for that. But you fibbed to me. You also didn't
take your bath like I asked you to." <I was just telling your father how
grown up you were; maybe I was wrong.>

Squirming slightly, Misako asked, "What you gonna do, Mommy?"

Placing her hands on Misako's shoulder, Serenity stated gently, "Misako,
I'm going to spank you." Misako gave a little cry of protest and shook
her head. Misako tried to pull away but her strength wasn't sufficient.
Sadly, Serenity lifted her daughter and settled the little girl across
her lap. <Endymion, I wish you were here to do this. I know you hate to
punish the girls as much as I do but I wanted to spend time with Misako.
I miss Small Lady and I want Misako's time with me to be special.>

<IIE!!!> Misako thought sadly, <Daddy not be so mean!> She squirmed to
get free. One spanking, that she had received in the past, had been
quite enough. "Iie Mommy!" Misako cried, "I be good, promise!" But as in
the past, it didn't work.

<Gomen Mesume,> Serenity thought as she tightened her grip and delivered
six firm, strong swats to Misako's bottom. By the end of the spanking,
Misako was crying loudly; her face screwed up into a mask of hurt,
anger, and confusion. Sniffling herself, Serenity gently lifted her
daughter. Carefully holding her daughter close, Serenity moved to the
rocking chair and started to gently rock. Unlike the first time in the
past, Misako didn't hug her mother but she did hide her face in
Serenity's shoulder.

"Shhh..." Serenity soothed as she stroked her little girl's hair, "It's
all over." <If I have this much trouble, how does Endymion ever scold
her?> Serenity thought. After a short time, Misako calmed somewhat.
"Mesume, are you still hungry?" Misako turned her tear-stained face to
look towards her mother and then nodded slightly. "Why don't we go wash
your face then we can have some lunch."

"Wanna see Daddy," Misako pouted. <Daddy not mean. He know I not fib; he
not spank me.> She shifted slightly to try and stop the overalls from
pressing against her tender bottom. <Baka Mommy. You not do that 'fore
except in past 'cause I get Onee in trouble.>

"We can try and find your daddy after lunch," Serenity said while
brushing away some of the tears. "Maybe, if you eat all your lunch,
Daddy will read you a story before your nap..." Serenity said.

"'Kay Mommy," Misako agreed. Closing her eyes, she tried to pretend that
her father was rocking her. Tried to pretend that her sister was there
and worried about her. <Onee-chan, I miss you. Come back soon.>

                                 ******

When Endymion found out about the incident, he reassured his wife that
he was behind her decision. He didn't tell Misako this as she was
looking for comfort but, privately, he told Serenity that he would have
done the same thing. As to the question as to how he'd disciplined the
girls before, he just smiled which irritated Serenity.

When Kimeko had found out, she was shocked. Serenity hadn't seemed the
type to do such a thing. She knew that Usagi in the past had spanked
Misako before but never thought that it would ever occur to Serenity.
Serenity had never spanked Misako before as far as she knew so this new
tactic was strange to Kimeko.

A few days after the incident, Misako and Yuki apologized to each other
under their respective mother's watchful gaze. Soon afterwards, the two
little girls went a short distance away to talk and to compare notes.
Both were distressed at how far the incident had gone and soon all was
forgiven. After giving each other a hug, Misako and Yuki got down to a
more serious discussion. Misako was a little relieved to hear that Yuki
had only been put to bed early and had lost some privileges for a while.
Yuki on the other hand was distressed to hear that Misako had been
punished more severely. After a few minutes though, both little girls
settled down to play and it was as if nothing had ever occurred. Both
parents wished grownups could forgive so easily.

                                 ******

Although Kimeko had worried about Misako's plight, more pressing matters
pushed the worry away. She needed to talk to Sakuya; after having put
the matter off for as long as she could, Kimeko had approached Neo-Queen
Serenity to seek permission. She was relieved when Serenity granted her
request and wondered why it had taken Kimeko so long to make it.

Now though, Kimeko was sitting in her bedroom brooding. Having obtained
permission to visit Sakuya, Kimeko had, at first, been thrilled. But as
the time to visit approached, her apprehension increased. To Masao's way
of thinking, there was something seriously wrong with his imouto. Being
her onii, it was up to him to figure out what it was that was bothering
Kimeko and try to fix it in some way. Masao had his suspicions as to the
cause but kept those observations to himself.

Stepping up to his imouto's bedroom door, Masao knocked. "Come in," was
the soft reply from within. Opening the door, Masao stepped into the
room and gave his imouto a smile. "What's the matter, Kimeko?" he
questioned as she walked across the room to sit on the edge of his
sister's bed.

"Nothing Onii-chan," Kimeko responded. She was sitting on her bed, her
knees drawn up and chin resting on them. "Why?" She turned her head to
look at Masao better and couldn't help but give a small smile.

"Don't lie to your onii," Masao admonished, "You've been home almost a
month and you've been moping about for just about as long." He twitched
his mustache to emphasize the point. "I thought you'd be bouncing off
the walls."

"Nani?" Kimeko asked while sitting up and swinging her legs over the
side of the bed.

"Well, didn't Serenity-sama give you permission to visit Sakuya?" Kimeko
nodded. "Well then, why so glum?" Masao questioned while giving his
sister a hug.

"I just don't know what to say... It isn't like I'm visiting or working
with her. She's in jail." Kimeko looked towards the floor, "I guess I'm
a little scared too. With what's been going on with Mom and Sakuya not
being here, I guess I'm feeling a little lost."

Giving his sister another hug, Masao reasoned, "Imouto, it'll be okay. I
bet Sakuya will be happy to see you." He smiled when she turned her head
to look at him. "I think she'll want to see you. I've tried to get Mom
to go and see her but she won't."

Hugging her brother in return, Kimeko said, "Arigato Onii-chan, you're
great." Leaning back, she smiled. "I guess you aren't so bad for a being
a runt." She giggled when Masao ruffled her hair.

"You go visit Sakuya and then all of us can go out to dinner," Masao
suggested, "We got something to celebrate."

"Nani?!?" Kimeko demanded but her Masao just winked before getting up
and leaving the room.

"Onii-chan!" Kimeko called after him while getting up, "You get back
here and tell me what you're hiding... And are you in love?!?"

                                 ******

Kimeko stopped at one end of the hallway. <What are you scared of?> she
questioned herself as she looked down the long, empty, and brightly lit
hallway. What scared her was simple -- that which lay beyond the heavy
doors at the other end. <You're being silly,> Kimeko thought silently,
<They can't get out.>

At the other end of the hallway was the special prison. It was where
Crystal Tokyo kept its high-risk security prisoners. The hallway that
Kimeko was looking down looked benign enough but was equipped with
several devices to immobilize anyone if needed. The entire prison
complex was also underground. Prisoners would have to fight their way up
and then along the hallway before even managing to reach the surface.
The doors and walls were also reinforced by magical means.

<Go on!> Kimeko prodded herself. Transforming, Younger Venus started
moving nervously down the hallway. As she walked, she could almost feel
the cameras tracking her every move. Once safely down the hallway,
Younger Venus expelled the breath she had been holding.

"Step up to the terminal," a faceless voice from a hidden speaker
directed.

Jumping slightly, Younger Venus looked around but was unable to locate
the source of the voice. Hearing a slight rush of air, Younger Venus saw
a small cavity within one of the walls. <Where'd that come from?> her
mind questioned.

"Step up to the terminal," the voice prompted again. Shaking her head
slightly, Younger Venus did as requested and stood in front of the
terminal. "Please identify yourself..." the voice trailed off, Younger
Venus was about to identify herself when the voice continued,
"Misidentification will result in termination of lifeform."

<Gee, I wonder if Mom would be upset,> Younger Venus thought
sarcastically. Seeing that there wasn't anymore prompts, she started the
process of identifying herself.

                                 ******

Once beyond the security door, Younger Venus was not yet permitted into
the prison proper. A very agitated looking guard peered at her intently.
Before Younger Venus could say anything, he demanded, "Nature of your
business here?"

Opening her mouth Younger Venus paused. <Visiting a friend?> She closed
her mouth and returned the guard's stare. "Um... I uh, I'm here to see
Rakurai Sakuya," she finally was able to get out. Her response to his
question caused both of his busy eyebrows to ascend into his hairline.
Pursing his lips, he was about to speak when Younger Venus blurted out,
"Her Majesty, Neo-Queen Serenity gave me permission."

Now his look shifted from surprise to doubt. "I suppose you got proof?"
Nodding, Younger Venus handed him the precious piece of paper and
waited. She could feel her irritation grow slightly when he activated a
speaker and pushed a button.

After a brief pause, the voice of Elder Uranus could be heard. "Hai?"
she said, her tone indicated that she was not pleased. "What is it?"

"Ma'am, um a..." he trailed off and looked towards the piece of paper
the young women had handed him, "A Younger Venus is here to see
Rakurai..."

Before the guard could even finish the sentence, Elder Uranus cut him
off, "Tell her to go away and come back when she's outta diapers."

Younger Venus bristled at the remark but held her tongue. "Ma'am, she
has an authorization from Neo-Queen Serenity. I was wondering if you
could confirm it?" the guard asked while shooting Younger Venus an
apologetic look.

The other end of the connection was silent for a few moments before
Elder Uranus answered, "I suppose..." To Younger Venus' interpretation
of Uranus' tone, she didn't like the idea of letting Sakuya have guests.
"Does she check out?"

"Hai Ma'am, the Security Unit checked her out."

Elder Uranus muttered something unlady-like then snapped, "All right but
only half an hour." And with a thump, the connection went dead.

"Gee, I wonder if she wanted some blood," Younger Venus drawled
sarcastically; this earned her a grin from the guard, "And that machine
of yours was a pain!"

"Gomen Ma'am," the guard said with a grin, "It takes longer 'cause
you're a Senshi. The machine was built for ferreting out disguises.
Senshi power levels slow it down some. It has to get by your disguise
aura, too."

Younger Venus blinked. "Our auras affect it?" she questioned.

"Only the one time... just like people really... Ma'am," the guard
replied. He grinned even more as Younger Venus opened her mouth at the
implication of that statement.

"Err... yeah," Younger Venus finally added after a few seconds.
Thankfully her escort arrived at that moment and showed her into a room.
It was a ten by ten foot room. The only furniture was a table and two
chairs. A harsh white light shone down from the ceiling making the pink
walls slightly nauseating. The only other remarkable feature besides the
security door on the far end was a sheet of a clear substance. It ran
from floor to ceiling midway through the room. Walking over to the
chair, Younger Venus noted that it was bolted to the floor. Shaking her
head again, she sat down and wondered what came next.

What came next was something out of an old video drama. The security
door on the far side opened and a guard entered. Next came Rakurai
Sakuya shackled at the wrists and ankles. She was then followed by three
more guards. Younger Venus raised her eyebrows but couldn't find
anything to say at the spectacle that was playing before her.

"Okay, sit down," the guard sergeant directed. Walking the best she
could, Sakuya went to the chair and sat down. Once seated though, she
gave Kimeko a grin. "Konnichiwa, Younger Venus," she called, her voice
able to be clearly heard, "Before you say anything remember that they
closely monitor all these conversations. We have secrets these guys
don't have clearance to even think about." Turning, Sakuya then grinned
openly towards her guards.

<Sako...> Younger Venus thought sadly. "How are you?" She looked
nervously towards the guards. <I've heard stories about SOME guards.>

"I'm fine," Sakuya said, "Bored... getting rusty at practice but fine."
Sighing, Sakuya said, "Okay, let's cut the crap. I'm in here for
twenty-five years. The food ain't bad but I don't have anything to
occupy my mind." <Kami-sama, I'm glad to see you.> "I'm surprised that
your mother didn't come too."

Squirming slightly, Younger Venus sighed, "Mom's been having it rough
lately. I don't think she's up to seeing you at the moment." She noticed
this news caused Sakuya to frown slightly. "So Sako-chan... you had the
trial... How did it go?" <What a baka thing to say,> Younger Venus
thought but she was having trouble talking. She wanted to hug Sakuya,
wanted just to go outside with her and just hang around. Before Sakuya
could answer her friend's first question, Younger Venus added, "I miss
you."

The stunned expression that came across Sakuya's face hurt a little. The
stunned expression wasn't out of hearing Younger Venus saying she missed
Sakuya. It was the way she said it that had given Sakuya the shock. <I
remember back to when you were little,> she thought as she blinked
towards her friend, <You used to say that... You've grown up and I'm
very proud of you, Ko-chan.> Coming back to the present, she noticed the
hurt look on Younger Venus' face and said, "I miss you too, Ko-chan,"
Sakuya said softly, "Has Princess Usagi come back yet?"

<Ko-chan...> Younger Venus thought and couldn't help but giggle, <She
hasn't called me that since I was little.> "Sako-chan, I'm not a child
anymore," Younger Venus admonished. But she did feel better. "And no,
Princess Usagi has not come back yet. She's going to be hurt that you're
here."

"I know, but I think Elder Saturn will help her," Sakuya answered.
<Hotaru's been pumping about as much information out of me that she can.
I know some of it was from the trial but there were some things that
wouldn't really apply.>

She was drawn from her thoughts by Younger Venus' voice, "Sako-chan, I
have some news. People haven't taken your sentence very well." Sakuya
cocked an eyebrow questioningly at Kimeko. "The Youngers are blaming
Mom. They think you got shafted, at least most of them do." She then
squirmed as a smoldering fire came into Sakuya's eyes. "The minor nobles
think that they know more than the three Elders who sat as judges." The
fire grew a little more. "Even Neo-Queen Serenity's abandoned Mom in a
way. She's trying to keep out of it."

"Damn!" Sakuya swore, "I should have known... Younger Venus, do me a
favor? Hustle over to Younger Saturn when we�re done here and tell her
to get down here." <Gomen Minako-chan. It wasn't your fault.>

"What can you do?" Younger Venus wondered, "I mean... you, ah... well.
Weren't you removed?" She winced as Sakuya glared at her but it
softened. Her nervousness started to mount again as Sakuya grinned with
a hint of evilness.

"Don't worry, Ko-chan," Sakuya soothed in a liquid honey voice, "I'm
just gonna give Younger Saturn a few suggestions as to what the training
schedule should be like for the next couple of weeks." At that point,
Younger Venus realized something. Sakuya might have been stripped of
title, position, and rank but she still had clout.

<Somehow, I think I should've stayed in the past,> Kimeko thought.

"Now then, we only have a short time left," Sakuya said suddenly
changing directions in a fashion that would have made Usagi proud, "I
got some questions for you."

                                 ******

"Where IS he?!?" Kimeko whined later that same evening. <If I have to
sit in this PRISSY dress much longer, I'm going to KILL Masao!!!> Kimeko
thought darkly. She detested formal dresses so she was rather irked that
her brother was keeping her waiting. She was also finding this one just
a little tight on her. Fidgeting, Kimeko pulled at the white evening
dress she was wearing. A green ribbon was tied in her golden hair to
hold it back. Her father Hiroshi was also well-dressed in a navy blue
suit with white shirt and tie. Her mother Minako was a good match to
Hiroshi. She was wearing an off the shoulder dress. It was a slightly
lighter shade of blue than Hiroshi's suit. Having decided to leave the
bow at home, her hair flowed down her back in a cascade of gold.

"He'll be here. We got here early like he planned," Minako said
soothingly. "You know you sounded just like Usagi when she used to
whine." She then giggled when Kimeko glared at her.

"You two behave," Hiroshi admonished gently while looking around.
Although they were in one of the private rooms of this particular
restaurant, Hiroshi didn't want his wife and daughter making a scene.
The room was done in dark oak, a small chandelier hung from the ceiling,
and its sculpted edges refracted the light and gave the room the
appearance of a soft glow. The carpet was a deep rich royal blue.
Although the table was covered with a cloth, it was likely the same type
of golden brown wood that the chairs were made of.

At that moment, the doors opened. All three turned and saw Masao enter
the room. Grinning, he said, "Gomen, I was halfway here and then I
forgot the surprise." Turning, he closed the double set of doors and
walked over to the table. "You look very lovely this evening," he
observed to Kimeko. This just caused her to blush a fiery red color. He
turned to his mother and she held up a warning finger. Giving a slightly
crooked grin, he said, "And you, Okaa-san, are looking particularly
radiant tonight. Like Kimeko, Minako blushed a deep red. Turning to his
father, Masao grinned. "Not well, Otou-san?" Masao questioned as he sat
down. Hiroshi had been giving him an evil look daring him to make some
smart remark.

"I'm fine," Hiroshi said after a few moments, "Now do we eat first
before this surprise or do you want to tell us now?"

"We'd better eat first," Masao observed, "Now I said this was my treat
but don't you go too wild, Imouto, I don't think that dress has much
breathing room." Masao then winked at his sister. Kimeko gave a squawk
of protest but turned an even deeper shade of red. Hiroshi groaned and,
lifting a menu, hid his face. Masao just grinned and turned his
attention towards the menu.

After having received their food, they started to eat and to talk. Masao
carefully avoided giving away any hints as to why he had gathered his
family here to this restaurant. Finally giving up on that matter, Kimeko
turned her attention to something else.

"When are we going to meet this young lady who you're so sweet on?"
Minako questioned. Masao shifted uncomfortably but didn't respond. "The
CTDF must keep her busy because I'm sure you would have introduced us by
now."

"She's not in the Defense Force," Masao admitted. <I wouldn't call her a
`young lady' either.>

Taking on a determined look, Minako asked, "Are you ashamed of us? We
just want to meet her."

"Iie," Masao said while shifting uncomfortably, "It's just that... well,
we've decided to slow down for a little bit."

"She broke up with you?!?" Minako questioned, horror showing on her
face, "Why that little..."

Masao interrupted his mother's beginning tirade, "Mom, she didn't break
up with me. We just decided that it was going too fast." Masao glanced
towards the table. <Do I really love her? Is she right, are we just both
infatuated with one another?> It was a puzzle. <We need time to sort
things out.> "We want to take our time and see if we really love each
other." Minako subsided but didn't look happy on the matter. The rest of
the meal was finished in silence, each lost in their own private
thoughts.

After finishing his meal, Masao stood. All eyes turned in his direction.
He walked a little away from the table trying to collect his nerve. It
was both thrilling and a little terrifying for what he was going to say
next. Reaching into his inside jacket pocket, he produced a neatly
folded letter. "This is the surprise," he announced turning around and
waving the letter a little, "Who wants to see it first?"

"ME!!!" Kimeko cried unable to contain herself. Scrambling up, she
nearly knocked the chair over in her rush. Running over, she snatched
the paper out and quickly unfolded it. Quickly reading it over, Kimeko's
jaw dropped in surprise. Numbly, she read it a second time. Then,
letting her hands drop to her side, she raised her head to look at her
brother. After a second, her bottom lip began to tremble and she gave a
little sniffle. "Onii-chan," Kimeko said softly. Walking over, she
hugged her brother and started to silently cry.

"Shh..." Masao consoled holding his sister close, "Why are you crying,
Imouto? This is a happy time." Kimeko just shook her head and continued
to hug her brother while crying on his shoulder.

Minako looked extremely worried. Getting up, she approached her
children. Hesitantly, Minako reached for the letter, acting as if it
might bite her. After taking the letter and smoothing it slightly, she
started to read it. Minako hadn't gotten more than halfway down the page
when she let out a gasp of surprise. Hiroshi was just getting up to see
what was causing all the commotion when Minako let out a yell of
jubilation and started happily bouncing around the room.

"You little sneak!" Minako howled as she went over to her son and hugged
him fiercely. "When did you find out about this?!?" she demanded as she
hugged him again.

"Oh, about a week or so ago," Masao answered. He gave yelp of surprise
as his mother punched him in the arm. "What was that for?!"

"You knew about this for an entire week and you didn't tell me?!?"
Minako demanded, her joy momentarily replaced with anger and hurt. "Why
didn't Makoto tell me anything about this?" <She had to have known.>

"Because she thought me surprising you would be better, ADMIRAL," Masao
confessed.

"What's going on?" Hiroshi asked. He was looking deeply confused and
decided to have someone tell him rather than read the letter.

Sniffling, Kimeko said, "Onii-chan got promoted." She gave her brother a
large hug before turning to her father. "He got promoted to lieutenant
commander." There was a hint of awe and disbelief in her voice. Hiroshi
blinked, opened his mouth to say something, closed it again, and sat
down. "MY Onii did some good stuff during the Black Moon Family's
invasion." Turning back again, she gave her brother one last hug. <I
guess you aren't much of a runt anymore. I'm so proud of you,
Onii-chan.>

Masao felt warm inside. He was happy to make his family happy. With the
recent trouble, it had been a needed boost especially to his mother and
his sister. Returning his sister's hug, he wondered, <Will I ever have a
family?> At the moment, things didn't look that way.

                                 ******

As time passed, one day slipped into another and Princess Misako's
nightmares faded into an unpleasant memory. Misako continued to miss her
sister but with time, that also grew into something that resided in the
back of her mind. It was only during special times like Christmas that
Misako's sense of loneliness made itself known.

December was a particularly hard month for Misako. She had gotten her
sister some Christmas gifts and placed them under the tree but when
Usagi never came back for Christmas, Misako was heartbroken and spent
several days moping about.

King Endymion walked to his daughter's door and knocked gently on it.
"GO 'WAY!" was the shouted reply. Misako's voice was filled with hurt
and anger.

"Can I come in, Miko-chan?" Endymion asked his daughter. There was
silence to his request. Making a decision, Endymion slowly opened the
door and looked into the room. Misako, wearing a set of blue overalls
and a white shirt, had her face buried in her pillow. As the little body
shook, the sounds of crying could be heard. "Misako," Endymion said
softly while going and sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Go 'way!" Misako cried without lifting her face up, "I want 'Sagi come
back!!!"

Gently placing a hand on her back, Endymion said, "Misako, we're only
putting away the tree. Keeping it up won't bring Usagi back." He gently
started to rub his daughter's back as he continued speaking, "You know,
Usagi will be really happy when she does come back."

"Not put tree away," Misako sniffled while lifting her face towards her
father, "'Sagi not see tree, be sad that she miss it." Letting her face
droop, she pleaded, "Please Daddy, not want 'Sagi miss tree."

Endymion considered what his daughter was actually saying before
responding, "You mean that if we put away the Christmas tree, Usagi will
miss Christmas?" Misako sniffled and nodded. Smiling, Endymion lifted
his daughter up and brought her into a hug. "Oh Mesume," Endymion said
softly, "Usagi won't miss Christmas because we're putting away the tree.
It's been a whole week." <A very long week,> Endymion thought, <You
moped about all the time... even cried yourself to sleep when Usagi
didn't come back for Christmas. You weren't even going to open your
presents.>

Misako wrapped her arms around her father and sniffled again, "I want
'Sagi come back." Even with the warmth of her parents, something within
her heart was missing. She wanted a hug from her sister, her onee.
Closing her eyes once again, a single tear rolled from them. Its
glimmering surface shiny, bright, and fragile. Like Misako's heart.

End of Chapter 2

Doug

"It is the major decisions that change the course of our future but it 
is the minor decisions that shape the being who we are."

"I write in broad tapestries, interweaving characters lives leaving
 the little details to the reader unless the detials are important."
	- Anne McCaffrey
	  From the book "Get off the Unicorn"

"I am Sailor Chibi-Earth! And I will sit you in the corner!"
	- Tsukino Misako, ToYV#6

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