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 22 - The Grass Is Always Greener...
Shortly after supper that evening, the Tsukino home was pierced by a cry
of indignation. Ikuko and Kenji both looked towards the ceiling, sighed,
and then turned back to watching television. They had informed Usagi
that unless it involved blood, she had to settle the girls' disputes if
she was around.
Misako giggled as she ran from her bedroom. "MISAKO NO BAKA!" Chibi-Usa
screeched, "JUST WAIT UNTIL I CATCH YOU!" This caused Misako to giggle
even more as she sped past her mother's bedroom. "GET BACK HERE!" her
sister roared as she gave chase.
"What's going on?!?" Usagi questioned as she opened her door and stepped
into the hallway. She gave a yelp of surprise and jumped backwards as
Misako bolted past her. Hearing her other daughter's voice, she
cautiously looked out to see Chibi-Usa running headlong down the hallway
in pursuit of her sister. "Whoa!" Usagi commanded and snagged Chibi-Usa
by the arm, "What's the problem, Chibi-Usa?"
"When I catch her, I'm gonna..." Chibi-Usa glared in the direction that
her sister had ran.
"You're not going to do anything," Usagi stated firmly, "Now what's all
the ruckus about. I thought you two were supposed to be getting ready to
go to the movies with Mamoru and I."
"We were, Onee-san," Chibi-Usa answered as she jerked her arm free of
her mother but she didn't move to follow her sister downstairs, "Misako
said that Kyusuke's in love with me."
Usagi was about to respond when she noticed some movement by the stairs.
Glancing over, she saw that Misako was peeking around the corner.
"Well?" Usagi questioned. Meekly, Misako came out from her hiding place,
trying to look repentant. Chibi-Usa, who had turned to see who her
mother was talking to, glared at her sister.
"I'm telling the truth, Usagi-san," Misako remarked as she walked down
the hallway, "I'm not trying to tease you, Chibi-Usa-chan, honest.
Kyusuke thinks you're really kawaii." This caused Chibi-Usa to blush and
look towards the ground. "I think he'd like to be your boyfriend."
"MI... SA... KO..." Chibi-Usa ground out while blushing even more.
"Chibi-Usa-chan's too young to have a boyfriend," Usagi remarked. <But I
think it's kawaii!> She tried to keep the serious expression on her face
but felt the smile tugging at her lips.
<I wish I was grown up... then I could have a boyfriend, and I know who
I'd want,> Chibi-Usa mused. "You promise you're not teasing me,
Onee-chan?"
"Hai," Misako replied, "You just wouldn't listen to me... Maybe I
shouldn't have said that he was in love with you." A mischievous grin
spread across her face. She was about to say something then caught her
mother's warning glare. "Come on, Imouto," she said, "let's go get ready
and then we can go to the movies." Starting to walk towards her room,
she glanced over her shoulder and added, "Maybe Kyusuke will be there,
then you can get a kiss from him!" She bolted down the hallway towards
her room.
"MISAKO!" Chibi-Usa howled and bolted after her sister.
"I'm gonna kick myself," Usagi mumbled out, "Now I know why Neo-Queen
Serenity sent them back here. So she wouldn't have to put up with them!"
Sighing loudly, she started down the hallway towards her daughters'
room. Just then, a howl rang out and Usagi increased her pace.
******
Shortly before Misako's provocation of her sister, Kimeko and Minako
were leaving Makoto's apartment. "You keep an eye on her, Minako-chan,
or some nice boy's going to walk off with her." This caused Kimeko to
blush.
"He can walk off with her... as long as there's one for me too," Minako
quipped.
Kimeko gave her mother a baleful glare and then sighed. <I suppose I
shouldn't get jealous. I mean my parents meet several hundred years in
the future.> She just couldn't picture her mother with anyone else but
her father, at least, while he was still alive. Thanking Makoto for
supper and bidding their good-byes, they started to walk down the
sidewalk.
After a moment or so of silence, Minako asked, "You don't like the
thought of me and another guy, ne?" At Kimeko's guilty flush, Minako
smiled. "Don't worry about it, Kimeko-chan. I'd be upset too."
"I know it's really silly, Mom," Kimeko said after a short pause, "Just
the thought of you and somebody else, at least when Dad's alive, creeps
me out."
<At least, when he's alive?!?> Minako wondered but decided not to
question the statement. Instead, she asked, "So how long can you stay?
What's your job like?"
Kimeko didn't immediately answer. <How long will it take for me to make
Misako realize that she needs to return?> Seeing the expectant look on
her mother's face, Kimeko said, "Only a little while, Mom." Then smiling
ruefully, she added, "The job's not what I expected. When I graduated, I
never thought I'd have to do homework again; then I got this job and it
required certain courses and..."
"You got lots of homework," Minako finished and giggled. "Aw... my poor
mesume," she cooed, "The whole world's picking on my little girl! Don't
worry, Mommy'll protect you." At Kimeko's facial contortions, she
started to giggle uncontrollably. However, by the time they reached the
Tsukino home, Minako had managed to get her giggling under control and
resume some semblance of calmness although an occasional snicker would
creep out. Through all of this, Kimeko remained silent.
******
<This corner needs some paint. I just bet I'm gonna get a sliver in my
nose,> Misako observed before muttering, "I guess this just isn't
something our parents came up with." Sliding her eyes to the left, she
noted that her sister was in a similar position -- nose against the wall
while she stood in the corner.
"Be quiet," Chibi-Usa hissed out, "Talking's how you got us into this
baka mess." <Bad enough we had to stand in the corner. Then big mouth
flaps her lips!> When the expected retort didn't come, Chibi-Usa
conceded softly, "Okay, Onee-chan, so it was both our faults."
There was another long silence before they heard footsteps on the stairs
leading up to their room. Not wishing to risk getting into anymore
trouble, they turned their eyes to stare straight ahead. Slowly the door
opened before someone entered. After an agonizing few seconds, a very
unexpected voice came.
"You two never learn, ne?" Kimeko questioned.
"KIMEKO?!?" Misako and Chibi-Usa squealed as they whirled around.
"How ya doin'?" the young woman asked.
"Kimeko!" Misako cried happily while running over to her guardian and
hugging her tightly. "I missed you a lot!" she declared as she tried to
snuggle close to her friend. <I'm so glad to see you... Now if only
Sakuya's okay.>
Chibi-Usa for her part was staring at the older woman. "Wow!" Chibi-Usa
declared, "You're... older. I bet you're as old as Mamoru." Although
Kimeko had grown only slightly taller, she had filled out compared to
the teen Chibi-Usa remembered.
"Kobanwa Chibi-Usa-chan," Kimeko replied, "You're looking quite grown up
too." <You're smaller than Misako!> She then turned back to Misako and
lifted her into a hug. "You're getting heavy."
"I am not!" Misako declared indignantly and sent a dark look when
Chibi-Usa giggled.
"She sounds like Sakuya," Chibi-Usa explained. Coming over to Kimeko,
she asked, "How is Sakuya?!" Looking around, she asked in a softer tone,
"Is she out of jail yet?"
"Gomen, Chibi-Usa-chan, I can't talk about that," Kimeko replied sadly,
"Now Miko-chan, what were you doing in that corner?"
"Imouto won't believe me that Kyusuke really likes her," Misako
explained innocently.
"Tell it right," Chibi-Usa countered, "She was saying he's in love with
me." Crossing her arms and pouting slightly, she added, "He is not."
"Tell me what she said, Chibi-Usa-chan," Kimeko requested as she walked
over to a chair and sat down. Settling Misako onto one knee, she
motioned Chibi-Usa closer before settling her on the other knee. <Watch
this, Usagi-sama,> Kimeko thought when she noticed Usagi, and Minako
above her, peeking in from the doorway.
"Misako said, `Kyusuke-kun really wants to be with you but he's too
scared to talk to you.'" Chibi-Usa explained, "`Boys only do that if
they're in love.'"
"Miko-chan, did you really mean that he's in love with Chibi-Usa?"
Kimeko questioned.
"Iie," Misako responded while shaking her head, "I keep telling her that
Kyusuke really likes her. He's asked me about you that's all."
Suppressing a grin, Misako thought, <I still say he's in love with you,
though. Just like we are with Senji.> "Imouto, I didn't mean to get you
mad. Gomen nasai."
"That's okay, Onee-chan," Chibi-Usa replied. She was about to say more
when Usagi entered the room.
"Come on, Chibi-Usa-chan, time to get ready for bed." Chibi-Usa didn't
look to happy about that announcement but slid from Kimeko's knee and
headed for her dresser. "Kimeko-chan, why don't you go into my room so
you and Misako can catch up."
"But I gotta finish the next chapter," Misako replied as she slid from
Kimeko's knee and walked to stand in front of her mother.
"It'll take Chibi-Usa a few minutes to change," Usagi said, "Now go on
and have a little talk. Minako-chan, why don't you go help my mom with
that snack she said she'd make..." Everyone froze and turned to stare at
Usagi who giggled.
"Usagi-oneesan," Chibi-Usa stated solemnly, "If this is my last meal,
could I have ice cream?" Kimeko suppressed a giggle.
"NANI?!?" Minako squawked in protest. Quickly, Kimeko and Misako slipped
from the room, neither wishing to watch the ensuing squabble.
******
Once Luna was out of the room and the door was closed, Kimeko turned to
look at Misako who was sitting on Usagi's bed. "I see you and your
sister are getting along well."
"Hai," Misako chirped, "Chibi-Usa is the best imouto. How's Sakuya?"
Walking over to sit beside the young girl, Kimeko replied softly, "Just
fine, Miko-chan. She had a beautiful baby girl."
"What's her name?" Misako questioned. It was then that Kimeko shifted
uncomfortably. "Nani?" Misako questioned with a worried tone,
"Kimeko-chan, what's wrong?"
Kimeko rubbed her forehead, <Okay, do I crush her spirits or...>
"Miko-chan, you know that Usagi and Sakuya are very close, ne?" Misako
nodded while giving her friend a strange look. "Does that bother you?"
"Iie," Misako replied, "It makes 'Sagi happy and I'm gonna try to make
her happy." After a moment of thought, her eyes enlarged while a smile
slowly spread across her face. "She named her `Usagi'!" Misako declared,
"That'll make 'Sagi really happy."
"My niece's name is Rakurai Atsuko Usagi Kimeko," Kimeko stated before
gently laying a hand on Misako's arm. "I hope you don't mind that," she
asked when Misako's features took on a sad expression.
"Iie," Misako replied, "Not really. I think it's a really nice name."
<But if I'm her onee, why doesn't she have my name?> She smiled weakly at
Kimeko before saying, "I just... I've been hoping it would be a girl for
so long." <I'll have to wait a long time to see her.>
"What's really bothering you, Miko-chan?" Kimeko gently questioned.
"Nothing," Misako said softly, "Too bad I can't tell Chibi-Usa. She'd be
really happy for Sakuya." Misako was about to say more when an explosion
from the attic bedroom shook the house slightly. "What was that?"
Their answer was Chibi-Usa's voice raised in outrage, "MINA NO BAKA!
THAT WAS MY RADIO!"
"Some things never change," Kimeko sighed, "Should we go and try to
help?"
"Hai, I want to help my imouto," Misako responded, "Maybe Sailor
Chibi-Earth will have to sit Minako in the corner." Kimeko tried
desperately not to laugh but it was a losing battle and after only a few
moments, she was convulsing with mirth as Misako ran from the room to
"rescue" her sister.
******
The following day was fairly pleasant with only a slight chill in the
gentle breeze. Misako could feel Diana snuggled against her stomach as
the gray kitten slept in her lap. Flipping the pages of the book she was
reading, she shifted on her futon in an effort to get more comfortable.
The room was silent until the door opened and Chibi-Usa entered the room
looking unhappy. Her sister only gave her a mild glance before turning
back to her reading.
"Onee-chan..." Chibi-Usa called softly.
"Whatever it is, Imouto, the answer's iie," Misako responded, "You know
I want to finish reading this book." Flipping another page, Misako
thought, <Kami-sama, I've already played with her. I even helped her
with her chores.>
"Would you take me over to Mamoru's?" Chibi-Usa questioned, "Kenji-papa
won't let me go over alone." The pout was audible in her voice, "He said
that Onee-san's with Mamoru and they should have some time alone."
"Later... I want to finish reading this," Misako stated. Diana sniffled
a little bit before falling back into deeper slumber. She heard her
sister walk over and sit down in front of her. <I will not look up!>
Misako knew that if she looked up, she'd face one of her sister's kawaii
attacks. Something she discovered her imouto was extremely good at...
unlike herself.
"Come on," Chibi-Usa pleaded, "Please Onee-chan?!"
"Iie," Misako replied with firmness, "Just wait until later when Mommy
comes back." Flipping another page, she thought, <Just leave them alone.
Mom 'n' Dad need time alone...> A slow grin spread across her face as
she blushed. <They gotta show those seamen where to go still.> She
giggled then and blushed even more.
"WHATCHA LAUGHIN' AT?!" Chibi-Usa shouted as her head eclipsed the book.
Her dark blue eyes twinkled up at Misako's with mirth and she was
grinning broadly. Misako gave a startled cry while jerking backwards.
Grabbing her chest, Misako gulped in air trying to slow down her heart
which was beating at a furious pace.
Diana, for her part, mewed in surprise as her comfortable bed was
rocked. Leaping off of Misako's lap, she whirled around, eyes wide,
trying to determine what had just occurred.
"Imouto, don't do that again," Misako admonished.
"Please Onee-chan!" Chibi-Usa begged, "Will you take me to see Mamoru?!"
Misako sighed before saying, "Hai, go get ready."
Chibi-Usa scrambled up from her position and gave her sister a large
hug. "You're the best!" she declared before scampering from the room
yelling, "KENJI-PAPA! ONEE-CHAN SAID SHE'D TAKE ME!" While sharing a
look of long suffering, both Diana and Misako sighed.
******
As Misako and Chibi-Usa, along with Diana perched in her usual position,
walked down the street hand in hand, Chibi-Usa asked, "Ne, Onee-chan,
what were ya dreaming 'bout last night?"
Misako looked over to her sister for a moment before saying softly,
"Nothing really, Imouto. It was just a nightmare." <I guess she talked
to Helios again...> She gave her sister a weak smile and said, "Don't
worry about it."
Chibi-Usa frowned and said, "Dreams are important, even if they are
scary." <Pegasus said so. I wish I knew your dream.> Squeezing her
sister's hand gently, she asked, "So what was it about?"
"I never grow up," Misako replied after some thought, "I guess that was
what scared me. Mommy thinks I'm a little kid, littler than you. I know
she doesn't say so but..." she trailed off and looked towards her sister
who nodded. Chibi-Usa could understand her sister's feelings.
"That's kinda scary," Chibi-Usa replied. They continued walking in
silence for a few minutes before they started to turn a corner. As they
came around the corner, Chibi-Usa stopped dead in her tracks and
blinked. There in front of her was Usagi and Mamoru in a deep and
passionate kiss. <Grownups are so lucky... He doesn't see me like that,>
Chibi-Usa thought sadly, <I wish I was big, then Pegasus would notice
me.>
"This is why I didn't want to take you, Chibi-Usa," Misako muttered out.
A stab of irritation rose up within Chibi-Usa and she shouted out, "Get
a room! Don't you guys have anything better to do?!?" Usagi visibly
stiffened while Mamoru raised his head slightly to see who was speaking.
"I don't think that was a good idea," Misako commented softly. Diana
seemed to be in agreement because she leapt from Chibi-Usa's head to
Misako's.
"What are you two doing here?" Usagi questioned in a strained tone. <I
wanted some time alone with Mamo-chan.> Sighing slightly, she wrapped
her arms around his neck while resting her head on his chest. "Ignore
them, Mamo-chan, and maybe they'll go away," she remarked hoping they'd
take the hint.
"Hey, why should Mamo-chan take your side? You probably scarfed down all
of his food!" Chibi-Usa replied.
"Now look here, I didn't eat all his food. I spent a nice quiet
afternoon with MY boyfriend," Usagi stated as she whirled around to face
her daughter.
"Oh yeah, some girlfriend you are," Chibi-Usa sneered, "I'd make a
better girlfriend than you. I know more than you 'bout stuff." <I read
Ikuko-mama's magazines.>
"What are you doing?!" Misako demanded through gritted teeth. <Please
Chibi-Usa...>
Usagi gave a squeal of indignation and started forward. Mamoru stopped
her, however, and started forward himself. "Chibi-Usa, I want you to
apologize."
"Gomen nasai, Mamo-chan. I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner to save you
from the hyena," Chibi-Usa said solemnly. She then bolted around the
corner as Mamoru started walking towards her.
Walking over to her mother, Misako hugged her and said, "Don't worry,
Okaa-san, you'll be a great mommy." <Even if you go away.> Usagi smiled
and hugged Misako back. "Why'd Imouto do that? I don't think it was very
nice." <I've been here all this time and I still don't get why Chibi-Usa
does these things.>
Usagi sighed while looking at the corner Mamoru and Chibi-Usa had
vanished around. "Oh, Chibi-Usa gets into these moods where she just
loves to pester people. She gets over them, something must be bothering
her though." Usagi gave Diana a scratch behind the ears before saying,
"She's usually pretty good about accepting our relationship." <It hasn't
been this rough in awhile.>
"Think Imouto will be okay, Mom?" Misako questioned.
"Well, Mesume, that depends on whether Mamoru can catch her or not,"
Usagi replied. <I hope he catches her... then we can all go out for ice
cream!> Her stomach rumbled at that thought and Usagi blushed while
Misako giggled.
******
It did not take long for Mamoru to locate his wayward daughter.
Chibi-Usa had stopped in a courtyard. She was leaning dejectedly against
a wall and as her father approached, she looked towards him with some
apprehension.
"Well Tsukino Usagi?" Mamoru questioned and noticed that the little girl
winced at her full name.
Scuffing the ground slightly, Chibi-Usa stated, "I don't know... Why do
you guys have to do that type of stuff?" Mamoru walked over to crouch in
front of her so she added, "I mean, you seem to get so weird..."
Growling in frustration, Chibi-Usa crossed her arms and pouted slightly.
<Why can't I ever say what I mean?>
"Does Usagi being my girlfriend bother you?" Mamoru asked gently while
taking his daughter's hands.
"I don't know," Chibi-Usa said grumpily, "I know a lot more about guys
than Usagi but none of them notice me."
"What about Michael?" Mamoru prompted, "He certainly noticed you."
Chibi-Usa blushed slightly and looked down to the side. "Do you want to
be my girlfriend? I remember when you first came here that's what you
told Usagi... that you were my girlfriend."
Chibi-Usa smirked then and giggled, "Iie." Reaching out, she hugged her
father before saying softly, "I know you're my daddy." A smile spread
across her face as her father hugged her and stood. While lifting her
up, he gave her a kiss on the forehead which caused Chibi-Usa to giggle
again. Snuggling a little, she added, "I guess I shouldn't have said
what I did, Daddy."
"Mesume, is something bothering you?"
"I guess I was mad that Kenji-papa made me ask Misako to take me to see
you," Chibi-Usa admitted. <She wants to be such a good onee but I'M the
onee.> "I mean, he keeps me from going over to your place by myself.
You'd think I was five or something!" She scowled as Mamoru chuckled.
"You are a very grown-up eight year old."
"Eight and a half... But Misako doesn't think so," Chibi-Usa grumbled,
"Misako thinks I can't do anything. Like making my futon neat. She
thought I needed help and just did it. I can do my homework on my own,
or with Onee-san's help." There was a long pause before Chibi-Usa
continued, "I feel like when Onee-san was trying to be my mommy." Usagi
had been smothering her with love. She had taken on more of a motherly
role and that, Chibi-Usa didn't like. Here in the past, Chibi-Usa wanted
Usagi as a sister rather than a mother.
"Oh you feel crowded, ne?" Mamoru inquired and after some thought,
Chibi-Usa nodded.
******
The mid-afternoon sun filtered into the living room. Minako walked into
the room carrying an ice bag, a small frown on her face. "Are you okay,
Kimeko-chan?" she asked her daughter. Kimeko was sitting on the couch,
her eyes squeezed shut, head lolled backwards.
"My head's pounding like somebody's using a jackhammer on it, Mom,"
Kimeko answered softly. Opening one eye, she took the ice bag that her
mother was holding out before placing it on her forehead. "Arigato."
Sitting down on the couch, Minako replied, "That's okay... I could get
you some aspirin or something." Kimeko shook her head and winced
slightly. "Why?"
Kimeko sighed slightly and said, "I'm allergic to aspirin." Relaxing a
little, she explained softly, "I was fine yesterday. I think work was
just getting to me. I really needed this vacation." <I need a vacation.
I know why I have a headache. I didn't sleep all night and the future's
riding on top of my head,> she snorted then while thinking, <One
impossible thing per month! It was much simpler when I was a little
kid.>
"I'm really glad you came back, Mesume..." Minako began, "I know that
Misako was happy to see you; she's sure different from when she was
five."
Kimeko turned and looked at Minako for several seconds before saying,
"Why do you sound so depressed?"
Minako gave her daughter a weak smile before saying, "I'm being silly
really. I know you can't stay here but..." trailing off, she shrugged a
little, "I miss you. We had a lot of fun last time and I kinda wish you
could be with me." Seeing the slight frown on Kimeko's face, Minako
hurried to add, "I know, I know, you can't stay here but..."
"I know, Mom," Kimeko interrupted, "But what about your friends?" Minako
slumped slightly at the question. "You have to have friends, especially
the Senshi."
"That's the problem. Being a Senshi makes it hard to have friends that
don't know about me being a Senshi." Getting up, Minako walked to look
out of the window before turning to face Kimeko. "I had this problem
with the kids in England. I just can't seem to socialize. They either
think I'm stuck up, hate my guts for some reason I don't know, or just
simply don't want to be around me. I play volleyball but I'm not really
friends with any of my teammates."
<Well I still need time to see how Misako is feeling and I need to ask
Mom some questions so I'll handle this first.> Getting up, Kimeko walked
over to her mother and smiled down at her. "I don't think you should
worry. I mean you raised me and look how I turned out."
"You're trying to cheer me up, ne?" Minako questioned with a grin.
"Well Mommy," Kimeko said in a childlike voice, "I could draw ya a
pretty picture." Minako struggled not to giggle but finally it burst out
and she smiled. "Feel better?"
"Of course... you're here," Minako stated and hugged her daughter.
"Thank Kami-sama, now I can get some sleep," Kimeko replied.
"Oh no you don't, Kimeko-chan. You and me are going shopping!" Grabbing
her daughter's hand, Minako headed for the door while her daughter
started to protest, "We need to find us a couple of men."
"You're getting as bad as Makoto," Kimeko grumbled out. <Good-bye couch,
it was nice knowing ya.>
******
It was early evening of the same day when Usagi gave a sigh, patted her
stomach, and snuggled against Mamoru. "That was great, Mamo-chan," she
said contentedly.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Usako," Mamoru said and lowered his head,
before gently kissed his girlfriend.
"Should we leave and take the girls with us?" Minako questioned.
"Why?" Usagi responded as she sat up and looked curiously at Minako.
"Oh, so you two can get a little dessert." Minako grinned broadly as
both Usagi and Mamoru blushed. Kimeko just simply sighed.
"Mother, be nice. They invited us over to supper," Kimeko admonished,
"Or should I tell them what you did with my breakfast?" She grinned as
Minako rapidly shook her head.
Before Usagi or Mamoru could demand any details, they heard a screech of
protest from the kitchen. "CHIBI-USA! I'm gonna get you for that!" There
was a brief pause and then the sound of water splashing; Chibi-Usa gave
a cry of protest of her own before more sounds of water splashing could
be heard.
"GIRLS!" Mamoru thundered as he rapidly heaved himself off the couch and
walked towards the kitchen, "If there's any water on that floor, you're
gonna get it!"
"What were you saying, Daddy?" Chibi-Usa could be heard asking.
"Yeah," Misako echoed, "What were you saying, Daddy?"
Mamoru glared at his two daughters who were blocking the entryway of the
kitchen. "Girls, I thought you were going to wash the dishes."
"We are," Chibi-Usa countered, "We weren't doin' nothin' wrong," she
said innocently.
"Oh... well I guess I was mistaken then," Mamoru countered, "So washing
dishes involves getting the other one wet, ne?" The girls looked between
each other before shaking their heads. "Well then, I suggest you do the
dishes properly or I will get some parental practicing in, understand?"
"Hai Daddy!" the girls answered in unison before promptly giggling. It
was just like being at home in Crystal Tokyo.
Usagi, upon hearing the giggles, sighed and smiled at Minako. "They're
lucky... nothing to worry about except what to play or what mischief to
get into next. They will have an easier time at school too."
"Hai," Kimeko agreed.
"But you couldn't date Mamoru then," Minako pointed out.
"He could be Chibi-Chiba," Usagi giggled out.
"What's that?" Mamoru asked as he came to sit back on the couch after
ensuring the girls were washing the dishes instead of flooding his
apartment. Usagi and Minako just giggled in response.
Both Misako and Chibi-Usa frowned as they heard Usagi and Minako
giggling. "This really sucks, Imouto," Misako grumbled out, "We have to
do dishes while they just sit around and have fun."
"Yeah, Onee-chan," Chibi-Usa agreed, "And we can't do anythin' 'bout it
either." At that moment, there was another burst of laughter from the
living room. Looking out into Mamoru's living room, she demanded, "Ne,
Usagi-oneesan, come and help us!"
"Okay, okay," was Usagi's reply.
When Usagi entered the kitchen, Chibi-Usa gave her mother a dark look
and said, "I thought you were gonna help us." Her scowl deepened as
Usagi patted her on the head and retrieved the cookie jar instead.
"Cookie?" she questioned her daughters before taking one and placing it
into her mouth. The girls refused and continued on with their chore.
"What's the big deal anyway? You two do a fine job at home."
"We aren't at home, Onee-san," Chibi-Usa stated before Misako could
respond, "We're at Mamoru's and you ate most of the food as usual."
"I did not!" Usagi protested. Somehow managing to shove the cookie out
of her mouth, it hung precariously on her lip. "Aah..." Usagi said with
fear as her tongue worked desperately to retrieve the cookie.
"They call ME a child," Chibi-Usa commented, "Even though you're that
way, somehow, you are more of an adult than me."
"Yep!" Usagi cheerfully replied when she managed to save the cookie and
happily swallow it. "You know, you should really try these. They are SO
good!" she declared while showering both daughters with cookie crumbs.
"GROSS!" both girls declared. The next sound the guests in the living
room heard was the splashing of water and Usagi's screech of
indignation.
******
Misako lay staring up at ceiling; it was almost lost in the obscurity of
night. Hearing a noise, Misako turned her head and watched as her
sleeping sister start to wrap herself in sheets and blankets. Turning to
look up at the ceiling for a moment, she sighed and closed her eyes.
<Kimeko's so lucky,> Misako thought, <I didn't think I'd ever get out of
that corner.> She felt a twinge of longing for her home in Crystal Tokyo
and fought it off. <Daddy really surprised Mommy.> A faint smile tugged
at Misako's cheeks as she thought about the surprised expression Usagi,
who was dripping wet, had taken when Mamoru was lecturing the girls.
A muffled noise distracted her from her thoughts. Opening her eyes again
to investigate, she discovered her sister was trying to untangle herself
while she continued to sleep. <I wonder what she's dreaming about?>
Misako mused as she sat up to assist her sister. <Daddy didn't know what
we were giggling about... but he sounded so much like his future self.>
After getting her sister untangled and settled again, Misako lay back
down.
<If Kimeko had done that, I bet she wouldn't have to stand in the
corner.> Although soaking their mother hadn't been the girls' original
intent, they couldn't convince their father otherwise; neither had
spraying their father with the flexible rinse hose helped their case.
Faced with the prospects of either doing corner time or him calling
their grandmother, the girls took the lesser of the two sentences. <It's
funny here Imouto thinks about Daddy as just that but she thinks about
Mommy as Onee.> That irritated Misako slightly but it was just something
that she was trying to deal with.
Sighing slightly, Misako turned over and snuggled closer to her sister.
<I hope when you grow up, you will want me around,> she thought. Giving
her sister a hug, she closed to eyes and drifted off to sleep.
******
Turning the page of that morning's newspaper, Ikuko gave a slight sigh.
Sitting at the dining room table, she glanced through the partially
closed divide at Misako and Chibi-Usa who were in the midst of an
argument. Rubbing her forehead and wondering exactly where Usagi was
hiding, Ikuko straightened and called out, "Ne, what are you two
fighting about?"
Both little girls stopped arguing, looked at each other, and then at
their grandmother. "We aren't arguing, Ikuko-mama," Chibi-Usa answered,
"We're just talking about Mamoru-kun."
<`Mamoru-kun'?!?> Misako thought, <What's she up to...> Chibi-Usa hardly
ever called their father "Mamoru". Usually it was "Mamo-chan" or more
recently "Daddy". When Misako had asked her sister about that, Chibi-Usa
said that Misako didn't make it seem so weird that Mamoru was their
father. Misako wasn't really sure what her sister had meant but it did
make her feel good to know that she was having a positive effect on her
sister.
Ikuko, who had sat for several seconds in silence, finally asked, "What
were you saying about Mamoru-kun?" Again, both girls looked at each
other. Giving a slight sigh, Ikuko asked, "Okay you two, what did you do
last night?"
"Last night?" Chibi-Usa questioned again, "We were over at..." she
trailed off as she noticed that Ikuko was scowling at her.
"Nothing really, Ikuko-mama. We were just saying that Mamoru-kun kinda
sounds like Daddy when he yells." Ikuko cocked her eyebrow at this
statement, opened her mouth to ask something, and decided better of it.
"I think Onee-san, Minako, and Kimeko were teasing him." Internally,
Misako grinned. <They were teasing Daddy, but he yelled at us.>
"Were you two fighting?" Usagi asked as she came to stand beside the
girls.
"Where were you, Usagi?" Ikuko asked.
"I... uh... had to take care of a few things," Usagi replied while
blushing slightly.
"Oh," Ikuko said with a tone of understanding before asking sharply,
"Misako said you were teasing Mamoru-kun so much that he yelled at you."
Misako could feel the panic rising within her. When a knock sounded at
the door, Misako thanked Kami-sama for the distraction. "I'll get it,"
she quickly chirped while running towards the door.
"I'll help, Onee-chan!" Chibi-Usa replied and scurried after her sister.
Ikuko gave Usagi a grin and shook her head while rising, "I hope you'll
tell me what they did last night."
"Oh I think they'll tell you themselves," Usagi stated cryptically.
<After I have my own little talk with them about lying.>
******
Later that day, Usagi watched as her daughters sped ahead of her.
"Girls!" Usagi shouted as her daughters ran giggling down the path in
the park, "Not so far ahead!" She glanced over at her companion and
grinned, "I bet they're very well-behaved in Crystal Tokyo, ne
Kimeko-chan?"
Kimeko gave a snort before saying, "They, meaning both of them, are good
girls. Sometimes, they become holy terrors but... haven't we all?" The
picture of a very enraged, and naked, Artemis flashed through her head
and she giggled. <Now that I think about it, my mom was never as strict
as Serenity. I don't even want to think about what Serenity-sama would
have done if Chibi-Usa or Misako had done that to Luna.> Although she
was quite sure that Luna would have been far more understanding.
"Now where did those two get to?" Usagi huffed with a sigh. <I was never
like that as a child.>
"They'll be okay, Usagi-chan," Kimeko reassured her future queen and
friend. Seeing the worried look, Kimeko smiled and said, "Don't worry,
we'll find them." Glancing up the path, she smiled and pointed. "See,
there they are." Usagi turned and saw that a group of children were
gathered around watching a puppet show.
A short distance away from both the puppet show and their mother,
Chibi-Usa and Misako were watching in curious fascination as a young
woman dressed in a magician type outfit explained a puppet show to the
gathered group of children. "This isn't very good," Misako observed as
first, the evil wizard died and then the hero.
"Sometimes, the good guy has to die... like Daddy," Chibi-Usa whispered
out in a strange tone of voice. Both little girls gave a startled gasp
as the final character, the Princess, died. Then the curtain of the
puppet show closed.
"All's well that ends well!" the young woman announced.
A boy's voice of about Chibi-Usa's age could be heard asking, "What's
that?"
A girl of about the same age, and sounding very much like Ami, stated,
"The subplot doesn't work."
Her companion turned to her and asked, "Was it like that in the first
half?"
A boy, who had been eating an apple, shouted, "I'm not satisfied with
that ending."
"Shut up, kids!" the woman yelled. She then screeched as the boy with
the apple core threw it at her, hitting her squarely between the eyes.
"You hurt PallaPalla... my turn!" she muttered. Misako became
suspicious. Pointing behind the gathered children, the woman shouted
loudly, "Oh! A tree of sweets!" As the children turned to see where the
tree was, the young woman transformed into her Dead Moon Circus outfit.
Upon seeing this, Chibi-Usa and Misako immediately recognized her as
PallaPalla, a member of the Amazoness Quartet. Both girls quickly
retreated up the path towards their mother and Kimeko.
"I don't want to trouble myself so I'll get you all at once!" PallaPalla
said as she drew out her pool cue before shooting her blue billiard ball
toward the unsuspecting children. As the children watched in horrified
fascination, the ball of energy bounced from one child to the next,
knocking out their dream mirrors in the process. As she floated just
above a statue, she danced while saying, "Deadly attack. Always shoot
and get some hits."
******
"Onee-san!" Chibi-Usa cried in a hushed tone as she ran towards Usagi
and Kimeko, "There's the enemy!"
"Nani?!?" Usagi questioned.
"Over there," Misako replied as she pointed in the direction of the
puppet show and the young woman floating above it.
"Okay, let's transform!" The other girls nodded and located a secluded
spot. "Ready?" she questioned.
"HAI!" came the response from the three other Senshi.
"EARTH PRISM POWER, MAKE-UP!" Misako shouted.
"VENUS STAR POWER, MAKE-UP!" Kimeko shouted.
"MOON CRISIS MAKE-UP!" both Usagis chorused.
The day's light was dimmed slightly by the magical flare of multicolored
light. In a swirl of blinding light and energy, the girls vanished to be
replaced by the Sailor Senshi.
"Venus, Chibi-Earth, call the others and then come back us up," Sailor
Moon instructed, "Chibi-Moon, come with me."
"HAI!" came the responses.
******
"Nothing! PallaPalla thinks Zirconia-obaa is senile," PallaPalla said
angrily as she examined the dream mirrors. "How selfish these dreams..."
She did not understand these dreams nor did she really want to. She had
a mission to accomplish.
"HOW DARE YOU TAKE THE DREAMS AWAY FROM CHILDREN WHO HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO
DREAM THEM YET?!" Sailor Moon shouted from atop a stairway near the
puppet show area.
"What would you know about true dreams?" Chibi-Moon snorted, "Yours only
involve food, Mamo-chan, or sleeping."
"Doesn't matter... go on!" Sailor Moon snapped. Pausing to calm herself,
she continued her speech, "I can't forgive you for making a wholesale
arrest of dreams. I AM THE PRETTY SUITED SAILOR SOLDIER, SAILOR MOON..."
"SAILOR CHIBI-MOON..." Chibi-Moon added.
"AND IN THE NAME OF THE MOON, WE WILL PUNISH YOU!" they finished
together.
PallaPalla, giving both of them a bored look, and yawned before saying,
"You popped up again? Please be thoughtful of PallaPalla." Releasing the
dream mirrors, they slowly sank back into the children who stirred and
slowly rose. As they became aware again, they turned and fled the area.
"They're all blanks..." PallaPalla observed again, "Hey let me ask
you... Are dreams important?"
"Of course they are," Sailor replied indignantly.
"It sure is," Chibi-Moon agreed then growled, "I mean, of course, they
are." <It sure is?!?>
PallaPalla took on a puzzled expression as she continued, "But something
like `I want to do this' or `I want to be that'... Isn't it selfish?"
"Selfish?" Sailor Moon questioned, then she looked at Chibi-Moon who
looked back at her.
Unaware that Younger Venus and Chibi-Earth had arrived, Chibi-Moon
glared at Sailor Moon and said, "Well selfish like `I want to be a kid
'cause math's easier' is selfish." <Math's hard! Onee-san thinks it's
easy but that's 'cause she's older,> she thought before adding, "But
something like `I want to be an adult is...'"
Sailor Moon interrupted as she turned towards her daughter, "Selfish!!
Selfish! Tremendously selfish!"
"Why's that?" Chibi-Moon quipped.
"'Cause it is!" Sailor Moon snapped.
Chibi-Moon gave her mother a dark look as she countered, "It's possible
to be an adult, but impossible to go back to being a kid."
"Great," Chibi-Earth muttered sarcastically, "Just what we need."
Walking over to her mother and sister, she demanded, "Can you two just
stop fighting and settle this later?"
To Chibi-Earth's surprise, Sailor Moon turned to her and yelled, "You
kids can push everything off. You don't have any sense of timing!"
"Yeah!" Younger Venus interjected as she joined the group, "I mean this
isn't any time to argue."
"Exactly my point, Younger Venus, these children have no sense of when
things need to be done," Sailor Moon said.
"What would you know about time?" Chibi-Moon demanded of her mother.
"You're always out late. That's what so good about being an adult.
Always showing Mamo-chan that body." <You certainly get noticed.>
"Adults have power! To be grown-up means you have strength and power,"
Chibi-Earth observed.
"Kids get to have all kinds of fun. It's great to be little and have
everything taken care of by your parents," Younger Venus chimed in.
PallaPalla watched in fascination as the argument of the four Senshi
continued to increase in intensity. Then an idea formed in her mind.
"REVERSE BALL!!" she shouted, placed the heels of her palms together,
and twisted them. The Senshi were completely oblivious to what was
happening until it was too late.
"Na... ni...?" Younger Venus questioned as she craned her neck back to
look at a very tall Sailor Chibi-Earth. Sailor Moon and Chibi-Moon were
having similar thoughts.
Gloating at the shocked Senshi, PallaPalla crowed gleefully, "I made
your dreams come true. How smart I am!"
"Smart?!" the now child-sized Sailor Moon demanded through gritted
teeth, then she yelled, "Damn you! Chibi-Moon, use the Charion!"
Chibi-Moon, however, was preoccupied by looking at her new body,
Chibi-Earth was similarly preoccupied as well. "CHIBI-MOON! Chibi..."
<The body of an adult,> Chibi-Moon thought and sighed contentedly,
completely ignoring her mother.
Reaching up and yanking angrily on Chibi-Moon's fuku skirt, Sailor Moon
yelled, "Chibi-Moon!"
Giving herself a slight shake, Chibi-Moon replied, "Hai!"
"Take out the Charion! Hurry!" Sailor Moon commanded.
Kneeling and clasping her hands, Chibi-Moon prayed to the Pegasus,
"Please Pegasus... Protect everyone's dreams!" <Pegasus, what will you
think when you see me?> Getting up, she started to ring the Charion Bell
while calling out, "Twinkle yell!" However, she quickly realized that
her bell wasn't working and Pegasus did not appear.
"What's up?" Sailor Moon demanded.
"Pegasus won't..." Chibi-Moon began but trailed off again.
"Can't call Pegasus, ne?" PallaPalla questioned before opening up the
curtain of her puppet show. Many varied small Lemures sprung forth and
started towards the group of Sailor Senshi. Chibi-Earth and Younger
Venus reacted more on instinct and leapt away from the action while
Chibi-Moon and Sailor Moon continued to watch as PallaPalla's weird toys
magically came to life. As the enemy closed in on them, both Senshi of
the Moon shrieked before starting to run away with the Lemures in hot
pursuit.
******
Younger Venus looked away from the childlike Sailor Moon and grownup
Chibi-Moon, who were still being pursued by the Lemures, to her own
body. Looking down, she noticed that the ground seemed a lot closer. She
looked on with disbelief as she noticed that her body was even smaller
than Sailor Moon's was. Then a cry from Chibi-Earth drew Younger Venus
back from her own thoughts.
"HELP ME!" Chibi-Earth cried while scrambling backwards from the
swarming miniature Lemures. <I'm supposed to get stronger when I'm big!>
She felt extremely awkward as well. "RED ROSE HEART ATTACK!" she shouted
as the tiny Lemures swarmed her yet again. <At least it has better
range... not much though.> Leaping back, she glanced over to where her
mother and sister were still running for their lives and sighed.
"Really funny!" PallaPalla giggled as she observed the spectacle.
"STARLIGHT SHIMMER!" Younger Venus cried in a very funny sounding voice.
The little girl gave a cry of surprise as she was blown backwards by her
attack's backwash.
"Venus!" Chibi-Earth cried but then had to turn back to the Lemures.
Fortunately at that precise moment, the other Sailor Senshi arrived. The
familiar voices of the other Inner Senshi cut through the air like a
dull knife. Chibi-Earth groaned, then groaned, and then groaned yet
again, as the speeches from the Venus, Mars, and Jupiter got
progressively worse. <And I thought Mom's were baka... Now if they could
do something like Dad's...>
"You found me. I'll have lots of fun with you next time!" PallaPalla
declared before she and the Lemures disappeared. Panting from the
exertion of their run, Chibi-Moon and Sailor Moon leaned against each
other back to back trying to catch their breath. Unfortunately,
Chibi-Moon's increased body weight and Sailor Moon's lack of body size
caused them to topple onto the ground.
"Get off me!" Sailor Moon groused as she blushed. Chibi-Moon was
sitting, leaning back against her. <Oh I feel like I'm being crushed!>
"You shouldn't have ate all those nikuman!"
"That was you!" Chibi-Moon responded.
"Are you all right?" Mercury questioned.
"Yeah..." Mars started to say but blinked then, "Oh?"
Cocking an eyebrow, Jupiter stared at the strange sight before her. "It
seems very..." she stopped, unsure what to say.
"It's a bit..." Venus added before trailing off, unsure of what to say.
"Strange," Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus stated together. This just
caused Sailor Moon to flush with even more anger.
******
Venus looked around for her daughter. She gave a strangled cry as she
saw a little pre-school aged girl with blonde hair sitting on the
ground, head drooping in misery, wearing the same color fuku as her own.
Cautiously, she approached the little girl and knelt. "Kimeko?" she
questioned softly. The small child raised her head to look at Venus with
sad green eyes. "What happened to you?" Venus questioned. The air was
shattered as Kimeko opened her mouth and started to utter a wail that
easily rivaled even Usagi's.
"WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?!" Sailor Moon demanded of the screeching child,
"Get a grip!"
<Now what am I going to do?> Kimeko thought desperately, <I can't save
the future like this!> Deciding that it was all too much, Kimeko allowed
her body to simply go along with how she was feeling. Flopping back onto
the ground, she increased the volume of her crying as she pounded the
ground with both hands and feet.
"Kami-sama," Mars muttered out, "Venus, you're her mother! DO
SOMETHING!" <And I thought Usagi's whining was bad...>
Moving closer to her daughter, Venus said, "Kimeko-chan, come on now, it
isn't all that bad." Younger Venus just screwed her face tighter as she
vented even more of her frustration. "Mesume, please... let's talk about
this." Quickly catching her daughter's arms, Venus pulled the little
girl into a tight hug and simply held her. "Shhh... it'll be okay."
Venus soothed, "I'm here." To everyone's surprise, Younger Venus calmed
suddenly. She wrapped her tiny arms around Venus' neck and snuggled
close against her mother before shutting her eyes.
"I don't..." Mars began then trailed off as reality sunk in, "NA...
NI?!?" she questioned, her eyes bulging.
"I don't want to talk about it!" Sailor Moon pouted out.
"Finally, Odango Atama, you're your correct age. I always knew you were
a little girl." Mars smirked but before Sailor Moon could respond,
Mercury cut her off.
"Not here, the police are likely on their way now. Let's go find
someplace to analyze this," Mercury suggested. After muttering to
herself, Sailor Moon agreed.
"WOW!" Chibi-Earth said as she carefully walked towards the group, "This
feels funny." Chibi-Moon nodded but she was obviously distracted by
something that was more troubling. <I know what happens, Imouto, don't
worry. I'm sure things will work out for the best.> Then she frowned
herself, <Even Imouto's taller than I am as an adult.> What was
bothering her even more though was the lack of power she had noticed.
<Maybe it'll take awhile for my power to get used to the new body. I
should be a lot stronger than that.>
******
"Well?" Jupiter questioned Mercury a short time later. They had moved to
a nearby rooftop to plan their next course of action. Glancing over, she
noticed that Chibi-Moon and Chibi-Earth were both giggling about
something while Sailor Moon was shifting from foot to foot, unable to
keep still, and looking strange. Younger Venus sat on her mother's lap
looking very dejected.
"Minna," Mercury began, drawing the Senshi's attention, "My analysis
shows that Sailor Moon is roughly equivalent to a six year old.
Metabolically speaking of course."
"IIE!" Sailor Moon wailed, "I don't wanna be six!!!" Mars opened her
mouth to respond but decided not to comment.
"And Kimeko?" Venus asked.
"Younger Venus has the body of a four year old," Mercury stated after
glancing at her computer. Younger Venus, upon hearing this, reflexively
stuck her thumb in her mouth, closed her eyes, and flopped her head back
against Minako.
<I can't handle this... Now that terrible future will happen. And it'll
be all my fault! What can a four year old do?> Kimeko never remembered
sucking her thumb. It seemed that it was the only thing that was keeping
her from crying though, and after her recent temper tantrum in the park,
she didn't want to repeat it.
"Chibi-Earth and Chibi-Moon are approximately twenty-one and eighteen
years old, respectively," Ami stated finishing her analysis.
"What are we going to do?" Sailor Moon questioned, "I mean how are we
going to change back?"
"What do you mean? I thought you wanted to be small again," Mars
questioned.
"I do but... what about my parents? My mom would worry about me and the
girls," Sailor Moon replied.
"Luna-P," Chibi-Moon replied, "We could use Luna-P."
Mercury frowned and then said, "I think we'll have to use that option
until we can find a way to return you to normal. However," she took on a
serious tone, "I think Misako will have to move out."
"NANI?!?" Sailor Moon and Chibi-Moon questioned. Chibi-Earth for her
part was grinning broadly at the prospects of being on her own.
"Hai!" she cheered. <I can live by myself just like Kimeko!>
"Don't get any ideas, young lady!" Sailor Moon admonished, causing both
her daughters to giggle. "Mercury, why would Misako have to move out?"
"I am concerned about the overuse of Luna-P on the Tsukino's. Although
my data shows no adverse side effects to date, there could be some."
Typing in a few commands, she then added, "Only having you and Chibi-Usa
to deal with, it will lessen the strain. Also, it will be a more
believable story because it wouldn't have to equate why their twenty-one
year old niece, Misako, would be staying with them and not in a hotel."
"I can't take her," Mars said, "There's no way I could explain her."
"I have to look after Kimeko," Venus chimed in as she hugged her
daughter. <Don't worry, Mesume, I'll always be here for you.>
"My place isn't big enough and the strain to try and explain her to my
mother would likely be great," Mercury remarked.
"You can come and stay with me, Miko-chan," Jupiter offered, "If you
want to... and it's okay with your mom."
"Actually, I'd prefer her to stay with Mamoru," Sailor Moon interjected.
"Nani?" Jupiter and Chibi-Earth questioned.
"I appreciate the offer Jupiter, arigato. I just... I think that Misako
would be more comfortable with Mamoru."
"Okay," Chibi-Earth agreed, "Well let's go then."
"First, Usagi's place, then Kimeko's hotel room, and lastly, my place,"
Sailor Venus suggested as she slid her young daughter from her lap.
Concentrating, Chibi-Moon shifted out of her Senshi form. Noticing the
girls were looking at her oddly, she looked down to see that her school
fuku she had been wearing was stretched to almost to the point of
breaking. The cool March breeze tickled her now bare midriff and her
skirt length was almost scandalous.
"Girl, is that thing legal?!?" Jupiter demanded.
"Jupiter!" Sailor Moon admonished, "Young lady, put something around you
this instant!" Chibi-Usa just giggled and patted her mother on her head.
The movement caused a small tear to appear in her now very tight fuku
blouse.
"I'd be careful how you move in that thing, Chibi-Usa," Jupiter replied,
"If those were the seams groaning, you're likely to burst something."
Chibi-Usa nodded slowly as yet another tear appeared. Jupiter then gave
a yelp of pain as Sailor Moon stepped on her foot. "Gomen," she replied
but it didn't sound very sincere.
"My turn," Sailor Moon stated and shifted. "Eek!" Usagi cried as she was
entangled in a mass of overly large clothing. The skirt and sweater she
had been wearing were draped loosely about her. "Whatcha know! A woolen
dress!" she declared as she stepped out of her skirt and lingerie. She
was right; her sweater covered her completely and then some.
"Me next!" Younger Venus stated firmly and detransformed. Venus giggled
as her daughter disappeared literally under a mountain of clothing.
Taking a deep breath, Chibi-Earth let it out. "I guess then it's just
me." Closing her eyes, she concentrated and felt the magical forces
reversing. And then the air was wracked by ripping sounds as her body
literally burst from the blue dress she had been wearing and shredding
it in the process. She shivered and opened her eyes to find everyone
staring at her in disbelief. Looking down at herself, she gave a shriek
as she found that unlike her sister, she wasn't wearing anything.
Blushing furiously, she scowled as her sister burst out into a fit of
giggles.
******
A short time later, Usagi sighed as she stopped by her bedroom door.
"Well that's done. My parents think that Misako, MY onee, is on a
gymnastics' trip," she giggled, "I'll have to remember that I'M
Chibi-Usa for the moment."
"Hai IMOUTO," Chibi-Usa replied, "And I'm really you."
"You gonna be okay, Chibi-Usa-chan?" Usagi asked the offered, "If you
get lonely, you could always come stay in my room." She giggled as
Chibi-Usa hugged her. "Now Minako's gone with Misako to get some stuff
from Kimeko's hotel room. She's going to come back here with Minako and
Kimeko and then you go with them back to Minako's to Luna-P her parents.
After supper, me, you, and Misako will go over to Mamoru's."
"Hai!" Chibi-Usa agreed, "I'll get Luna-P working on some clothes in
case this takes a while, Onee-san." Grinning, she started towards her
room. <I'll also be able to show Pegasus my new body!> Running up the
stairs, she gave a yelp of pain as she struck her head on the upper half
of the Dutch door that was set into the floor of the attic bedroom and
provided the only real entrance... if one did not consider the window.
Rubbing her head, she opened the second part of the door before
carefully entering her bedroom. Walking over to her globe, she called
out, "Pegasus." After a moment of no response, she called out again,
"Pegasus!" She felt tears welling up within her eyes, "Pegasus, please!"
she cried softly but when her friend did not appear, she sunk to her
knees and continued to cry. <Where are you, Pegasus?> Chibi-Usa thought,
<Why won't you come?>
*****
As the hotel elevator doors quietly rumbled opened, Aino Kimeko looked
down the dimly lit hallway. Feeling a coldness starting to slide up her
spine, she pressed close to her mother's leg and wrapped her arm around
it while squeezing her mother's hand tighter.
"Ne, Kimeko-chan," Minako's voice distracted her, "What's the matter?"
"I don't know, Mom," Kimeko replied softly while glancing nervously down
the hallway. "It just looks bigger I guess." <Everything does,> she
thought as she, Minako, and Misako moved out of the elevator. As they
walked, she kept a firm grasp of her mother's hand. In addition, she
kept glancing back over her shoulder as a feeling of anxiety appeared.
<This is unbelievable!> she thought angrily, <I'm a Sailor Senshi! I'm
also nearly twenty-one, I shouldn't be scared to walk down some hotel
hallway that I've walked down alone a dozen times before!>
About a quarter of the way to Kimeko's room, Minako stopped, bent down,
and lifted up her daughter. "Gomen, you were starting to trip me,"
Minako explained as she started walking while carrying her young
daughter. Kimeko blushed, but did not voice any complaints. In fact, for
some very strange reason, she was feeling a lot safer than she had a few
moments before.
Once they made it to the room, Misako unlocked and opened the door while
Minako let her daughter down. "Wow!" Kimeko exclaimed as she looked
around her hotel room, "This room is BIG!" Walking into the main part,
she tried to hop up onto the bed but failed. As she bounced off the
mattress and slid to the floor, her mother giggled. Then she giggled
herself and got back up. "Let's see," Kimeko said more to herself than
her companions. Grunting with effort, Kimeko had to crawl onto the bed.
Once she was on the bed, Kimeko rolled over to her back and sighed. "Why
do they make these things so high?!"
"They aren't that high," Misako countered as she came to sit on the edge
of the bed, "It's pretty normal really." <Even lower than I thought it'd
be,> she observed, her feet rested on the floor some inches away from
the edge of the bed.
"It's just that you're small," Minako added.
"I s'ppose... Let's get started," Kimeko suggested, "Miko-chan, go to
the closet and get out my stuff." <I'd never reach it now...> Misako
nodded and turned to open the closet. <I need to get higher...>
Scrambling up, Kimeko grinned, "This is more like it!" An old feeling
tickled at the back of her mind and she giggled.
"Nani?" Minako questioned, then she watched with some surprise as Kimeko
started jumping on the bed giggling with delight. "Kimeko?!?" Minako
asked with surprise.
"Hey!" Misako squawked, "If you're gonna jump, I am too!"
"Iie," Minako said firmly, drawing pouts from both girls, "Kimeko, you
stop that. Misako, put that stuff on the bed." She waited until both
girls complied before she asked, "Kimeko, I assume you've put your other
stuff in the drawers?"
"What `other stuff'?" Misako questioned, "Unless you mean..." she
trailed off and her eyes expanded in surprise. "Oh!" she exclaimed and
then promptly blushed.
******
Standing on the bed, Kimeko gave the sweater, which had somehow gotten
trapped under the suitcase, a menacing glare before grabbing it with
both hands and yanking. Everything seemed to go okay until her feet
slipped and she fell to the bed heavily. "BAKA THING!" Kimeko yelled in
frustration and kicked the suitcase. "Mom! Could you help me please?!"
she questioned.
"I'll be there in a little bit, Kimeko-chan. I'm kinda busy," Minako's
voice floated from the bathroom.
"How'd you ever fit into this?" Misako squawked.
<Nani? You look about my size. If anything, that dress should be a
little big on you.> Shrugging, Kimeko scrambled up and tried her luck
again. After another ten seconds of fruitless effort, she gave the
suitcase another kick for good measure before simply shoving the large,
ungainly pieces of clothing into it. For some very strange reason, she
took great enjoyment in this, as if she were vanquishing some evil
monster.
At this point, Minako came out and gave a gasp of surprise. "What did
you do?!?" Clothes were spread haphazardly over the room; the bed, which
had been neat, was now in about as much disarray as the clothing.
"Nothing Mom," Kimeko squeaked innocently as she stood up on the bed,
placed her hands behind her back, and looked towards the ground.
"Come on, let's get this place tidy," Minako suggested while starting to
shake her head slightly. As her daughter slid from the bed and started
to pick up clothing, Minako wondered, <Will you be a holy terror when
you're little?> Somehow, that wasn't a very comforting thought.
*****
"Minako-chan? What do you do with this funny looking thing?" Misako
called from the bathroom a short time later.
"Hang on a second," Minako replied. "Are you going to be okay now,
Kimeko-chan?" she asked the little girl who was attempting once again to
help pack the suitcase. Kimeko nodded and grinned up at her mother. "We
really need to get you home so I can get you some new clothes." The
tattered remains of Misako's dress made a workable, and even decent,
skirt and top for little Kimeko. "Now don't going beating up anymore
clothing, okay?"
"Hai," Kimeko squeaked out as she stuffed another blouse into the
suitcase. "Misako, if you ruin this blouse, I'll hurt you!" Kimeko
warned. <It's brand new and I haven't even had a chance to wear it yet.>
Hopefully, this situation wouldn't last long but the prospect for that
were pretty bleak. <I know what the history books say but that got
invalidated when Misako and I got changed too.>
At that point, Misako's voice cut into her thoughts. "So what do you
think?" Misako questioned. She came strolling out in a light blue dress.
"It fits pretty good." Then she grimaced and said, "Ne Kimeko-chan, do
you have any bigger ones?"
"Bigger what?" Kimeko questioned curiously. Misako now looked like the
adult who had sent her back to the past. "That dress looks pretty good
and it's actually a little big on you, Miko-chan." <Maybe a size or two
at most just like I thought.>
"Not the dress, the bra," Misako corrected. She watched with confusion
as Kimeko fell off the bed with a thump. "Nani?" she questioned while
turning to Minako who was trying not to smile, "Ne, what's so funny?"
Minako just grinned even more. "It's feels funny."
"I'll see what I can do for the moment, Miko-chan," Minako remarked,
"But we'll have to get Luna-P do take some measurements and spit out
some stuff."
******
Misako glanced over her shoulder before commenting, "I hope Minako
doesn't get into a lot of trouble."
"I know but there was no way Luna-P could readily explain what happened
to your... er Kimeko's dress," Chibi-Usa replied.
"I want down," Diana moaned from atop Chibi-Usa's head, "It's too high."
<It's too far to jump down from here!> She tightly closed her eyes and
tried not to dig her claws into Chibi-Usa's scalp. She felt herself
being lifted and then settled lower. Opening one eye partially, she
found that she was now resting atop of Usagi's head. "Small Lady!" she
protested.
"Not so small anymore. 'Sides, Usagi's supposed to be Chibi-Usa. That
means that you're her kitten for the moment," Chibi-Usa replied,
"Remember what Ami said." Diana sighed, and simply looked grumpy about
the situation.
"I know what Ami said!" Misako joined in, "And I'm gonna try something."
Looking around to ensure the sidewalk was clear, she took three quick
steps and then, did a cartwheel back to her feet. "HAI!" she giggled
delightedly while bouncing up and down, "It's gone!" She had been
feeling very strange since her body grew and now the imbalance she had
experienced was gone.
Two young men who were coming out of a nearby doorway across the street
stopped dead in their tracks as an angel of beauty suddenly did a
cartwheel along the sidewalk.
"Let me try!" Chibi-Usa declared. Misako covered her eyes while Diana
turned fully around and hid her face in one of Usagi's tiny odangos.
Chibi-Usa backed up several feet. Usagi noticed this and moved further
to the side. "Here I go!" she called gleefully and started running.
Usagi covered her eyes but spread her fingers so she could still watch.
To her amazement, Chibi-Usa completed two cartwheels in a row.
By this point, the two observers were unsure whether their hearts would
ever start beating again or not.
"Sugoi Imouto!" Misako declared.
"Arigato," Chibi-Usa replied. She turned to face Usagi. "Come on."
"My feet are tired," Usagi whined out, "I never knew it was this far to
Mamo-chan's."
"I'll carry you, Onee-san," Chibi-Usa offered after some thought. She
started to walk forward and promptly caught her toe on a slightly raised
portion of the sidewalk. "AAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!" Chibi-Usa cried as she fell
forward and hit the ground with a resounding thump!
Giggling, Usagi walked over to her daughter and said, "I think I'll
walk." Skipping up the street, she turned and questioned, "Now who's the
klutz?!"
"Onee-san!" Chibi-Usa thundered. Giggling even more, Usagi whirled and
ran down the street as fast as she could. "GET BACK HERE!" Chibi-Usa
thundered. Misako just smiled and continued walking.
<I'm an adult! Now I can do anything I want!> Misako thought as her
sister chased her mother up the street.
"I'd give up my first born child to date her," one man observed.
"Which one?" his companion asked.
"Not the klutz." Seeing his companion's expression, he elaborated, "The
kid must belong to the one with the rabbit ears. She's got to be
married... likely to some hulking brute of a man."
"So what do you suggest we do?"
"Find a bar and drown our sorrows in saki because of what will never
be." Thinking of that sage advice, both men moved off down the street to
find a bar.
******
Mamoru frowned as a knock came at the door. "If that's Usagi..." How was
he supposed to study with her over here? "Hai, I'm coming!" he called
out as the knock sounded again. "Who is it?" he questioned as he opened
the door.
"DADDY!" Misako cried happily and shooting forward, hugged him tightly,
"Can I stay here for a night or so?!?"
The force of Misako's impact drove them backwards and onto the floor.
Mamoru looked first at the beautiful adult woman who was hugging him
fiercely, and acting very much like Misako, to the little girl, and
another beautiful adult woman, each resembling someone he knew. "I got
it... Is this `Surprising Camera'?" he asked in shock.
"Iie Daddy, don't be so baka," Misako giggled, "I'm Misako, your
mesume." She looked into his eyes and Mamoru gulped. The apartment grew
silent for several seconds before Mamoru gave a startled cry, pushed
Misako off, bolted for the bedroom, and slammed the door shut. "Did I
say something wrong, Mommy?" Misako asked sadly as she looked down
towards Usagi.
"Uh... we'll talk about it, Mesume," Usagi said while walking over to
the bedroom door, "Ne Mamo-chan! Come on and we'll talk about this."
When there wasn't any response, Usagi sighed, "I guess this'll take
longer than I thought."
End of Chapter 22
Coming next in Chapter 23 - On the Other Side