You Don't Remember How I Feel
By Doug Helm and "Tuxedo" Will Wolfshohl

Those characters that are original and the story "You Don't Remember How
I Feel" are copyrighted (c) 1999 by Douglas Helm & Will Wolfshohl.

This fanfic and hundreds of other Sailor Moon fanfics reside in "Tuxedo"
Will's SM Fanfics Archive at http://members.xoom.com/questails/gateway.htm
and http://rivendell.fortunecity.com/traveller/861/

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


Chapter 9 - Tide of Change

Endymion shuddered slightly as he felt his body thicken. Fear passed
through him when he felt himself start to grow. Somewhere just outside
the small portion of his mind that was Endymion, Usagi wondered what was
happening. Weak girlish arms formed into strong masculine muscled ones.
Legs lengthened raising his torso high into the air.

He watched as Serenity's features changed. Her baby fat melted away as
she grew taller. Her chubby legs and arms became slender, graceful, and
petite. She grew womanly curves. Her pudgy face became what he
remembered. It was his mother's face. <Iie,> Endymion corected himself,
<That is my WIFE's face.> The part of him that was Usagi felt
puzzled at the strange thought.

As his body became more masculine, Serenity's features became more
refined and he felt awe at the sight of the beautiful woman before him.
<Things seem so much smaller.> His concern grew as Serenity's face
changed from sadness and worry to confusion and puzzlement. <It must be
so strange for her,> Endymion thought, <Will she be my wife?> He scowled
slightly. <Why would I want my imouto as a wife?> He was a girl too,
right? But Endymion knew that was no longer true. He felt as if he had
returned home after a long absence.

As the light faded, he turned and was momentarily startled to see
himself and an older version of his little sister. And then it dawned on
him who the younger looking girls were. <They're Usagi and Misako.> A
part of him found it funny to be looking at a person that looked like
him, an older version of himself. <But I'm Endymion,> his mind answered
in response, <I'm King of Crystal Tokyo and the person I'm hugging is my
wife.> He looked at how the two girls were dressed and he admired the
older one's outfit.

Usagi was wearing a pink spring dress; a set of white bows held her
round odangos in place. Misako was wearing a blue skirt and lavender
blouse while a couple of green bows held her odangos in place. <I guess
she doesn't like bows,> Endymion assumed as Misako made a sour
expression upon feeling them in her hair. <I kinda think they're
kawaii.> Nothing though could compare to the regal outfit that Serenity
was dressed in.

"Mommy!" Serenity called out, "Daddy! 'Sagi!" She turned back to
Endymion, her bottom lip trembling slightly. "'Sagi... Where Mommy?" she
asked.

At first, Endymion looked around calling out, "Mommy?!" Then he realized
what he was doing. <We're the parents, Serenity...>

"'Sagi... I scared," Serenity admitted while hanging onto Endymion.

<I'm not Usagi,> Endymion thought, <I'm Endymion.> Wrapping a protective
arm around his wife, he said, "Don't be scared, Misa... Serenity-chan."

"Me Misako," Serenity corrected while hugging her "sister". <Who them?>
she wondered as she stared wide-eyed at Misako and Usagi. She figured
they were kids like herself. The bigger one with the strawberry-blonde
hair must be about her sister's age and the other was a baby although
both were the strangest kids she'd ever seen.

<She still thinks we're sisters,> Endymion concluded. Holding Serenity
at arm's length, he stated, "Serenity, I'm Endymion... Remember,
Serenity, I'm your husband." He was still finding that concept hard to
understand but it was slowly coming back to him. "I'm Endymion!" he
repeated.

"Dad?" Usagi asked. That seemed to remind Serenity of what she had been
asking before.

"Where Daddy?!?" Serenity queried. When she looked towards Endymion
that's when she realized something significant. "'Sagi, look like
Daddy." She'd have to get her sister to show her this trick again. She
stuck her finger into her mouth and started looking around the room.
Pointing with her other hand, she said, "Who you?"

"That's Mo... Usagi," Endymion answered his wife.

"She like you, 'Sagi. Pretty," Serenity countered.

"Are you okay, Mother?" Usagi asked. Serenity looked at her quizzically.
"Mother, you're Neo-Queen Serenity." Serenity shook her head. She wasn't
any dumb old queen.

"Serenity," Endymion implored while turning his wife to face him,
"Serenity listen! You ARE Serenity, my wife." <Why isn't she coming
back?> What had those strange girls done to his sister? <What did they
do to my pretty wife?!?> Endymion asked immediately.

"Nuhuh, you me onee, 'Sagi," Serenity declared. Her sister was obviously
playing a game with her. "Play Onee-chan."

"You don't have an onee," Misako corrected. <I'm glad I got mine back.>
"Mother, you're not Misako. You're Serenity."

"That's right. You don't have an onee," Usagi added.

"I'm her onee!" Endymion replied indignantly before he caught himself.

"Uhuh!" Serenity agreed and pointed to Endymion.

<What are we gonna do?> Endymion wondered. Turning to Usagi, he said,
"You have to do something. She thinks it's a game." Though playing a
good game with his sister would take the edge off of the situation.

Usagi stormed over and taking her mother by the shoulders, shouted, "YOU
AREN'T MISAKO!" Serenity's face clouded over as her eyes filled with
tears. "REMEMBER!" Usagi commanded, "REMEMBER YOU'RE SERENITY! This is
your husband. This is your mesume Misako and I'M Usagi!"

"Leave my imouto alone!" Endymion yelled while pushing Usagi away and
hugging Serenity.

"You are Serenity!" Usagi said angrily.

"Iie!" Serenity shouted back. Why was this strange girl telling fibs?

"Hai!" Usagi shouted, "It's all gone, Mother. You aren't Misako anymore.
You're Neo-Queen Serenity, Queen of Crystal Tokyo!" She then held up the
Ginzuishou and pondered, "Maybe I should use this again."

"Iie," Endymion answered, "That would be bad, Usagi. Who knows what it
would do to your mommy."

Serenity's soft crying abated and she stared with large, sparkling eyes
at the Ginzuishou. <I know that.> She'd seen it with her mommy. Why
would this strange girl have it? But she also felt that it was hers.
Slowly moving around Endymion but keeping close to her sister for
protection, she stared intently at the beautiful gem.

"Who are you?" Usagi asked Serenity.

"That's a silly question," Endymion stated and then shaking his head
added, "She's Serenity, my imouto."

"Misako!" Serenity chimed. <That mine!> she thought as she watched the
magical jewel closely.

"Iie," Usagi snapped and turning her head to the side, pointed to a girl
who was obviously, to Serenity, the baby of the group. She was the baby
because she was the smallest. "That's Misako."

Serenity seized the opportunity and lunged at the Ginzuishou. Tearing it
from Usagi's hands, Misako jerked backwards as the Ginzuishou flared
again. She blinked her eyes trying to get rid of the spots that blurred
her vision. Her shock increased even more a Serenity gave a long low cry
of protest. Pushing Usagi away, Serenity staggered backward and stared
at all of them. "Okaa-san?" Misako asked gently. She became deeply
troubled when Serenity started yelling incomprehensibly at all of them.

Endymion moved towards Serenity who clung to him and cried loudly while
yelling at Usagi. "I think I better get the Ginzuishou," Usagi decided.
But when she tried to get the Ginzuishou, Serenity batted her away.
"Okaa-san!" Usagi called out, "It'll be okay!"

"Iie!" Serenity shouted as she whirled to face Usagi placing herself
defensively between Usagi and Endymion. Now she understood. Her mommy
caused this. "You m-make you like 'Sagi, m-make Daddy like me, 'n' 'Sagi
like Daddy. You bad Mommy!"

"Serenity," Endymion said, his brow furrowing slightly in concentration,
"It's okay. We can play together. Just calm down..."

"Iie, you fix, Mommy. I want 'Sagi. Onee-chan make better. I wanna
play!" Serenity replied.

"It wasn't real. It wasn't true!" Usagi added while trying to get closer
to their mother.

"You hurt her. Keep away from her," Endymion warned, "You made my imouto
cry." He moved so he was physically blocking Usagi from Serenity.

"Not true?" Serenity asked. When Usagi nodded, Serenity declared, "You
fib, fibbin' very bad." She looked directly at Usagi and said, "You fib
to me. I have onee. You not my mommy. Where my mommy and onee?"

"None of it was true," Usagi answered, "I'm your mesume. You're my
mother." She tried not to let her voice crack. Something had gone
terribly wrong. <Kami-sama, she's supposed to remember,> Usagi thought.

"Fibbin''s bad. It's not nice to fib to a kid!" Serenity retorted and
stuck her tongue out at Usagi. Her eyes crinkled up and she raised the
Ginzuishou. "I'm Mommy?"

"Hai!" both girls answered.

"Then in the name of the Moon, I punish you for fibbin'!" Serenity
replied with a smirk. Before Usagi or Misako could move, the Ginzuishou
flared once gain as power was channeled into it. The living room became
awash with magical light.

                                 ******

Usagi, who had started yelling for her mother to wait, stopped suddenly
when she noticed that all she could see of her mother and father were
two sets of legs. Childish giggling drew her attention upward and upon
tilting her head as far back as it would go, she saw her mother looking
down at her.

"Sugoi!" Serenity giggled and clapped. "Aren't the little babies kawaii,
Onee-chan?" she inquired.

"NANI?!?" Misako and Usagi yelled together before staring at each other.
Endymion just stared dumbstruck at what Serenity had done. This was
definitely an unexpected turn of events.

"Hai, you're very kawaii," Serenity repeated while bending down to look
at her small daughters. She gently pinched the cheek of Usagi. "Now you
are the little babies and I'm the mommy."

<I'm a toddler?!?> Misako thought, <I must be even younger than Mom
was!!!> She felt small and lumpy and very uncoordinated. Her parents
seemed like two giants in a room designed for giants.

<A bonnet?!> Usagi thought disgustedly, <I don't care if it's pink or
not.> The pink bonnet was bad enough but the frilly pink baby dress that
she was dressed in was more than Usagi could handle. "Change us back!"
she demanded.

"Change us back!" Serenity mimicked and giggled.

<Everything's pink!> Misako thought with disgust, <And... 'Sagi's
wearing a diaper... and, KAMI-SAMA, I think I am too!> She sat down on
the floor and started to cry. What had Usagi done to her? Everybody had
shafted her.

"See what you did?!?" Usagi demanded as she walked over to Misako.

"Aw... poor baby's cryin'," Serenity cooed, "Come on, Onee-chan, let's
go play!" No way she was playing with babies. She was a big girl after
all. Grabbing Endymion's hand, Serenity dragged him out of the room and
down the hallway to the master bedroom. "You two be good!" she called
over her shoulder before pulling him inside the bedroom door and closing
it behind her.

                                 ******

"Miko-chan," Usagi said, "Pwease don't cwy." It was hard enough to keep
from crying in this tiny body as it was.

"Go 'way!" Misako shouted while pushing Usagi away. Her sister stepped
backwards and plopped onto the floor herself. "Now what do we do?"

"I'm in a diaper?!?" Usagi exclaimed, "Dat reeks!"

"We're dree years old," Misako sniffled, "We don't even have 'nough hair
for odangos." Both girls' heads sported two little pigtails only a
couple inches long tied with tiny pink ribbons. Sniffling again, she
observed, "'Sagi-chan, you're talkin' funny."

"So are you, Imouto," Usagi poited out, "We sound wike babies."

<Not much we can do about it.> "At least we don't dink wike babies."
Usagi grunted noncommittally. "Wha' happened to Mom?"

"I'll worwy 'bout dat later," Usagi replied as she stood up. Usagi,
using her now pudgy hands, ripped off the diaper and flung it away from
her as far as she could.

"I wouldn't do dat, Onee-chan," Misako warned.

"I'm almost sixteen, Imouto, even if I'm in a wittle body. I'm gonna get
some panties at least," Usagi retorted. Turning, she marched, or rather
toddled, down the hallway towards her bedroom wearing only her toddler
dress and bonnet. It turned out to be a much longer walk than she
remembered. Misako sniffled again, scrambled up, and followed her
sister. She had felt a sudden fear being left alone in such a huge room.
As they passed the master bedroom, they could hear giggling.

"What are we gonna do?" Misako asked again as they walked past their
parents' bedroom door. "'Sagi-chan, we're dree and Mom's actin' so
weird."

"Hang on, Miko-chan. I'm gonna change first. I told you dat," Usagi
replied with some anger, "I'll worry about Mom. Maybe Dad can calm her
down." Fortunately, Usagi's bedroom door wasn't shut so they had no
problems entering it.

"So where do you keep 'em?" Misako asked as she looked around the
bedroom. "Wooks wike weawity is back to normal." Other than the bedroom
seeming huge, it looked exactly like the bedroom that the "teen" Usagi
used. <The room's just as messy too,> Misako thought. How could her
sister live like that?

"Bottom dwawer," Usagi squeaked while giving the handle an experimental
tug. <Uh oh!> It didn't budge. "Come on, Imouto, and hewp me open dis
up." Misako obliged and walked over to stand beside her "twin" sister.
"Weady?" Misako nodded. "Okay, on dree." Usagi commanded and started
counting. Their first attempt didn't work. Their second attempt got the
drawer open a little and within a few moments, they had the drawer
entirely open. She rooted around the drawer and found her smallest pair
of panties hoping for the best.

"Kami-sama, dat was hawd," Misako whined and sat down again. She started
to giggle as Usagi attempted to put the ridiculously oversized
underpants on. Her mirth increased when Usagi's feet got tangled up in
the panties and she fell forward to the floor causing her toddler dress
to slide up to her chest. "Hey wook! A full moon!"

"Misako, put up or chut up," Usagi mumbled from her position on the
floor. Blushing, she scrambled to her feet and adjusted her dress. "Come
on. Hewp me out, Imouto."

"'Kay, 'Sagi-chan," Misako giggled and got up, "So what do ya want me to
do?" <This oughta be good.>

"Just hold 'em wike dis," Usagi instructed and showed her sister how she
wanted them held. "I'll step into 'em."

"Hai," Misako chirped. "How does Atsuko ever move in a body wike dis?"

"I don't know, Mi..." Usagi grumbled out and then snapped, "Kami-sama,
not so high!" She gave her sister a dark look as Misako giggled again.
She nearly lost her balance trying to step into them. <And they call ME
a hyena!> "Come on, Miko-chan, dis is sewious."

"Gomen, Onee-chan," Misako replied, "I know dis isn't s'pposed to be
funny but..." She clamped her mouth shut and held the underpants for her
sister who stepped into them. A difficult task considering the height
and her now pudgy hands' grasping ability. Usagi was none too graceful
either.

"Now pull 'em up," Usagi directed. Misako complied but as soon as Misako
let the underpants go, they fell to the ground again in a heap.
Muttering under her breath, Usagi stuffed the underpants back into the
drawer and stalked out of the room. "Come on, I'll twy yours."

"Dey won't fit..." Misako began but followed her sister out of the room.
<I might have been petite but I wasn't a baby!> Even if she was talking
like one.

                                 ******

Usagi perched carefully on the kitchen counter some time later. She was
trying not to look down. It seemed like an very long drop. Instead, she
concentrated on her sister who was standing on a chair and leaning
against the counter. It had taken both of them cooperating to get this
far. "Are you sure dat baka ding won't give you a safety pin, Misako?
Even your panties are big on me but not as big as mine."

"Wuna-P isn't baka," Misako replied, "It dinks we're too young for pins
so it won't make us any. Come on, Onee-chan, wet's twy the dwawer
again."

"I say it's stuck!" Usagi commented and kicked the drawer with her tiny
foot. Seeing Misako's look, she sighed and after carefully moving to
stand on the chair beside her sister, took part of the drawer handle.
"Be weady if it wet's go."

"Hai!" Misako agreed while she also gripped the drawer handle. "One,
two, dree... now!" Much to Usagi's annoyance, the drawer slid out
easily. "Teamwork, Onee-chan, teamwork."

Usagi grinned evilly as she reached in a retrieved a safety pin from its
container. "Okay, TEAMMATE, you can put 'em on while I hold up dese
dings." Misako gave her a sour look but took the pin. As her sister
struggled with pinning the underpants, Usagi remarked, "I dint know you
had teddy bears on your undies, Miko-chan. Why couldn't you have
somethin' kawaii like bunn... HEY!! Dat wasn't part of the panties!" She
reached down and rubbed her bottom.

"Gomen, 'Sagi, it swipped," Misako responded sweetly.

                                 ******

Misako walked out of the kitchen and over towards the couch. With some
disgust, she yanked the baby bonnet off and tossed it aside before
beginning to tug the frilly dress over her head. "I pwomise never to put
Atsuko in any of dis baka stuff!" <I've got a new appreciation for that
kid.>

"What are ya doin'?" Usagi asked. She was feeling fairly comfortable
now. While she disliked the ultra-kawaii dress and bonnet, they were
tolerable, unlike the diaper which she had just recently replaced with a
safety-pinned set of Misako's smallest panties.

"I hate dis ding," came the muffled high-pitched voice of Misako. She
stopped, sat down, and continued to tug the dress over her head. "'Sagi,
hewp me out here, pwease?"

"Hai," Usagi agreed and helped her sister take off the dress. "Are you
gonna go around like that? Just in a diaper?" <I'd be so embarrassed.
She should have some modesty for Kami's sake.>

Misako frowned a little bit and then shrugged. "Hai. What's wong with
it?"

"You're weally twelve, Imouto. You just happen to be in a dree year old
body."

<'Sagi went around in just a diaper when she was little,> Misako mused.
<Well if putting something on will get her thinking about Mom 'n' Dad,
I'll do it.> Getting up, she walked down the long hallway to her room.
"I wonder what dey're doing? It seems awfulwy quiet," Misako remarked.

"I'll go wisten, Miko-chan," Usagi volunteered.

"'Kay, I'll just grab a tank top from my woom," Misako said and went
into her room while her sister stayed out in the hallway to listen at
their parents' door. <Hmmm... I guess I'll need a chair,> Misako
thought, <And I thought I was done pushing chairs today.> Walking over
to her desk chair, Misako started dragging it across the floor towards
her closet. Even with wheels, the chair was awkward to move. Once by the
closet door, Misako looked at the chair and shook her head. <That's too
dangerous, at least with nobody here.> At that moment, her sister came
toddling back into the room with a smile. "Are dey calmed down,
Onee-chan?"

"Nope! Dey're weally worked up!" Usagi answered with a silly grin.

"Then what are you smiwing at?!?" Misako inquired, "'Sagi, Mom was goin'
nuts. If Dad's gone nuts too, we're weally in fer it when dey come out
of dat woom."

Usagi giggled and walking over to Misako, stated, "Dey're startin' to
act normal." <More than you can imagine.>

"You dint open the door, ne?" Misako asked.

"Iie," Usagi said, "But if it was what I heard, dey are quite normal...
or as normal as dey're curwent activity permits, Imouto."

"Nani? What are you talking 'bout? Are dey talkin'?" Misako asked, a
sudden rush of fear overtaking her. When Usagi shook her head and
grinned wider, Misako asked, "Then what did you hear?" <Kami-sama, why
is she acting so weird?>

<Poor little Misako doesn't understand a woman's needs.> "Dey're makin'
out!" Usagi crowed, "You should hear 'em." <I really hate sounding like
a little kid.>

"Na-ni???" Misako asked in confusion.

"I said dey're makin' out."

"Making out?" Misako asked in a puzzled tone. <Mom 'n' Dad?!?>

"Misako!" Usagi huffed with a little exasperation, "Hai, making out...
makin' wove... having sex... Come 'n' wisten, it's weally funny!"

"Usagi!" Misako hissed in a mortified and disgusted voice, "Dat's...
Dat's gross!"

"Nani?!?"

"You shouldn't wisten. And I'm not going back to wisten either."

"Aw... Is the wittle baby scared?" Usagi taunted.

"'Sagi, I might sound wike a baby but I'm not one," Misako replied,
"It's none of our bus'ness. Dey should be talkin' not doin'..." She
wrinkled up her nose. "Doing dat!"

Usagi waved her hand dismissively. "You just don't unnerstand," she said
before musing, "I wonder if Sakuya 'n' Masao sound wike Mom 'n' Dad..."

"USAGI!" Misako shouted while blushing deeply, "Forget it. Hewp me get a
tank top out of my cwoset."

                                 ******

A short time later, Misako endured her sister's good-natured laughing.
<I laughed at 'Sagi,> Misako thought as she looked down at herself. The
tank top, the smallest one she had, stretched to well below her knees
and was more like a long dress. <At least I feel dressed now.> Usagi had
been right again. <I wouldn't want anybody to see me in just a diaper.>
It was embarrassing enough just knowing Usagi and their parents knew. As
she walked from her room, she tried to ignore both the crunching sound
of the disposable diaper she was wearing and the odd noises coming from
her parents' room. "Dat's so gwoss..." she muttered out. <They're so
old!>

"Miko-chan," Usagi inquired, "Why are you weawing dat diaper still?"

"Becawse we'll never weach the toiwet if we gotta go." <We don't have
those kawaii toilets here.>

"Misako, you mean you'd weally use it?" Usagi asked in disgust.

"Only if I had to, 'Sagi-chan," Misako replied, "But what are we gonna
do 'bout Mom 'n' Dad?"

"Let 'em do what dey're doin'," Usagi replied. She followed her sister
over to the couch and crawled up beside her. "Miko-chan, do... do you
wemember when we were kissing?"

"Iie," Misako lied. She was glad the stir of emotions that had run
through her when she thought of Usagi were gone now. Her understanding
of it all was waning fast. "But Mom 'n' Dad..."

"Did... did I do anyding to upset you when I kissed you?" Usagi
persisted, "Misako, I know I wasn't dinking straight and if I did
something..." <Kinda gross now me kissing Misako like that.>

"Onee-chan," Misako changed the subject, "I want to talk 'bout what
we're going to do now. When our pawents come out of that bedwoom..."
<Please 'Sagi, I don't want to talk about it!> She gave her sister a
pleading look hoping that Usagi would drop the subject.

"We'll talk to Mom 'n' Dad," Usagi decided, "I dink I know what happened
to Mom but I'm not sure." Seeing the worried look on Misako's face,
Usagi gave her sister a hug and added, "Imouto, I dink the only ding we
have to worwy 'bout is how our pawents are gonna punish us." She
suspected that it would make grounding look like a holiday. Reaching for
the television remote, Usagi flipped on the television and commented,
"We're stuck until dey get done. Now wet's see if dere's anyding good
on."

                                 ******

A short time later, both girls decided that they needed something to
eat. Neither of them wanted to risk facing their parents. That meant
that they needed to get the food themselves, which called for a major
operation...

"PULL!" Usagi commanded as she pushed her tiny feet against the bottom
of the refrigerator for leverage. Her tiny hands were gripping the
bottom of the refrigerator door.

"I'm twying!" Misako called back. She was hanging onto the refrigerator
handle and trying to push off of the counter. She opened an eye and
immediately shut it again. The floor and her sister were a long way
down. The only reassurance she had was that Luna-P had changed into a
thick padded mat below her. If she fell, she wouldn't get too seriously
hurt.

"OPEN UP, YOU WOTTEN YOUMA!!!!" Usagi howled as she strained herself.
The door gave a slight shudder and then, it started to swing open.
Misako lost her precarious grip on the door handle and fell towards the
mat. Her shouts of dismay were mixed with Usagi's shouts of triumph and
then the air rushed out of her.

"Imouto, are ya okay?" Usagi asked worriedly.

Misako took stock of her condition and when she caught her breath, she
slowly sat up and nodded. "Hai. Good ding I dought of the mat."

"Wet's get some food," Usagi commanded, "Put that chair in front of the
door so it won't cwose."

"Be careful what we take, 'Sagi-chan, we don't want anyding we could
choke on."

Usagi grinned and pointed into the refrigerator. "Dere are the only two
dings we need, Miko-chan... Chocowate puddin' and soda pop!" Misako made
a face; she wanted something more than just junk food.

                                 ******

When Serenity woke up, she felt warm and content. She felt Endymion's
strong arms around her body and she smiled. <That was beautiful,> she
thought, <We haven't been that desperate for each other since the Black
Moon Family War.> She felt tears sting her eyes and she snuggled closer
to her husband. <My love... What have we done to this family?> Feeling a
hand starting to stroke her long hair, Serenity cried even more.

"Oh Serenity," Endymion remarked, his own voice thick with emotion,
"I've always loved you."

"Hold me, Endymion," she pleaded softly and Endymion obliged. After a
long time, Serenity ventured, "What are we going to do, Endymion? Things
have gotten so badly out of hand."

"I think maybe we need some time alone," Endymion suggested, "Some time
to think things out as a family."

"The Senshi Council will never go for it, Endymion," Serenity pointed
out softly while laying a hand on his bare chest. "We have so much to
do. We have obligations to our subjects." When he snorted, Serenity
looked up in mild surprise.

"Serenity, we used to pretend to be sick on important days sometimes
just to be alone. Hiroshi and his staff can handle things, say for a
week. He can refer any immediate matters over to the Senshi Council. But
don't you think we need this time together? Not just for you and me but
the Usagi and Misako as well?"

Serenity was silent for a long time before she stated, "I know you might
disagree with me, Endymion, but we do need to punish the girls. What
they did..."

He interrupted her with a gentle kiss before saying, "Serenity, what we
need is to be a family first. What the girls did was wrong and Usagi did
break her promise to you. If you rush in there and hand out punishments,
especially after what you did to them recently, they will resent that.
We're so far apart now as a family that if we don't start healing
things, we never will be able to heal anything."

"Usagi certainly won't listen to me as a teenager," Serenity observed,
"And Misako... I don't blame Misako for being so distant but she follows
Usagi around like a puppy." <Just like I did.> It was so natural.

"Misako cares so much for Usagi that she'll do anything without
protest," Endymion replied softly. <Usagi's supposed to protect her
imouto.> "As to Usagi not listening, why not keep her young so she will
listen. Just change Misako back to normal." Sighing a little, Endymion
sat up and remarked, "Come on, Serenity, we aren't going to solve
anything by just lying here."

"It's late," Serenity conceded, "Let's go see what our `parents' are up
to." Then with a sudden horrible thought, she asked, "Endymion, do you
think Usagi and Misako... um... did it?"

"We'll have to find out. Find out how much this affects Misako."

"When I think about what Usagi put Misako through just to get even with
me..." Serenity began and then trailed off and shook her head. "Iie, I
won't go down that road. I don't know all of the facts yet. But I
promise you I'm going to find them out."

"WE'RE going to find them out," Endymion amended, "WE'RE going to find
out what brought all this on. Remember, they just didn't do this to you,
Imouto."

"You're quite right, Onee-chan," she giggled as Endymion gave her a
dirty look.

                                 ******

Misako watched in disgust as the spoon once again slid from her grasp,
bounced down her tank top leaving a trail of pudding on it, and landed
on the couch with a plop. "Don't waste it!" Usagi admonished her, "Can't
you hold anyding, Miko-chan?"

"You have more on you than in you!" Misako retorted as she looked at her
sister. "It's dese bodies, Onee-chan." The spoons were large and
awkward. <Now I know why Atsuko gets so messy.> Dropping the spoon onto
the floor, Misako stuck a hand into the container of pudding, lifted it
to her mouth, and started eating the pudding with renewed vigor. <I
never thought chocolate pudding would taste so good!> It must have been
an extra special batch.

"Dat's gwoss, Miko-chan," Usagi uttered as she watched her sister scoop
another handful of pudding up. "Eeww!" she added as Misako shoved the
pudding into her mouth, spraying pudding everywhere in the process.

"At least I dint pour nearwy the entire bottle of pop over myself,"
Misako countered.

"Iie, you just washed your hair in it," Usagi giggled.

Misako grinned as she scooped up an extra large helping of pudding and
began to slowly eat it. Her eyes never left Usagi's face which was a
mask of indecision. Her smile got even broader as Usagi dropped her
spoon and scooped up pudding in her hand as well. "I dought you said dat
eating puddin' with your hands is gwoss."

"You're gettin' more than me, Imouto," Usagi whined as she shoved, or
attempted to shove, a double handful of pudding into her mouth. This
pudding was the best. She'd have to remember to ask where they got it.
One thing for sure, she was going to get her fair share of it.

"Aw, poor wittle 'Sagi-chan... Here have some of mine," Misako teased
and reaching out a pudding-coated hand, patted her sister on the cheek.

"Misako..." Usagi hissed while batting Misako's hand away, sending tiny
bits of pudding splattering across Misako. "Don't be gwoss."

<Onee needs to loosen up,> Misako thought. Picking up a handful of
pudding, she proceeded to dump it down the front of her sister's dress.
"Dere, now dat's gwoss!" Misako declared and started eating pudding
anew. <What's 'Sagi gonna do?> she thought worriedly as Usagi picked the
container of pudding up. <She isn't gonna throw that, is she?>

"I WOVE CHOCOWATE PUDDING!!!!" Usagi yelled before she stuck her entire
face down into the pudding container and started eating it.

"Hey!" Misako complained, "Save some fer me!" Grabbing the container,
she pulled it away from Usagi and started scooping pudding up as fast as
she could.

Neither toddler heard their parents enter the room until their mother
exclaimed in a very shocked voice, "What in the name of Serenity's Ghost
is going on here?!?"

Chapter 10 - Busted!

<Oh Kami-sama,> Serenity thought as she looked at her children. Both
little girls were now looking extremely guilty. While Misako looked at
the ground, pretending her parents weren't there, Usagi tried to
unobtrusively push the half-eaten container of chocolate pudding out of
sight.

"Look at this mess!" Endymion exclaimed, "What did you two do, swim in
it?"

"We were hungwy," Usagi answered boldly.

Serenity tried to look stern but all she wanted to do was laugh. She
remembered her recent experience being so small. <They must have worked
really hard to get that pudding and pop.> She felt her lips twitching,
wanting to become a smile. <Kawaii! Both of them look so sorry. They're
so little. All I want to do is hug them.> She noticed out of the corner
of her eye that her husband was also trying not to smile.

"We'll cwean it up, Otou-san," Misako offered softly.

"I think you need to clean yourselves up first, Mesume," Endymion
observed. Walking over, he picked up the empty pop bottle and the
ravaged container of chocolate pudding. "I'll just go put these back
where they belong."

Serenity covered her mouth as she saw Usagi give her father a piteous
look. <She's in trouble and she still wants more pudding. She's MY
mesume,> Serenity thought. That brought back memories. Just then, Usagi
slid from the couch and started shuffling quickly across the floor. At
first, Serenity thought that Usagi was pursuing the pudding that her
father had taken away but instead, she stopped in mid-stride, a strange
expression coming onto her face.

"Iie..." Usagi moaned out softly.

"Usagi-chan, what's..." Serenity began to say and then stopped in
surprise and shock. A small rivulet of liquid ran down Usagi's pudgy leg
and onto the carpet. "Endymion, bring a towel or something... Usagi's
had an accident."

"'Sagi's peein'!!!!" Misako declared loudly, much to the chagrin of her
sister. "I told ya not to dwink all dat pop!" She started giggling while
pointing at her sister. Usagi turned red as a beet.

Serenity was just about to admonish Misako for laughing at something
that her sister likely couldn't control when the giggling suddenly
stopped. A tiny look of shock appeared on the toddler's face before
being quickly hidden. "Not so funny, ne Misako?" Serenity asked.

"Nani?" Usagi asked while turning to look at Misako who was now looking
sheepish and somewhat flushed. "Nah-nah!" she jeered while sticking her
tongue out at Misako, "Shouldn't have waughed at me, Imouto."

<I better step in here before they start arguing,> Serenity decided.
"That's quite enough!" she said sharply. Immediately both girls started
to cry. In a softer tone, Serenity continued, "All right, girls, we'll
give you a bath and get you cleaned up." By this point, Endymion had
returned with a towel and was mopping at the stain on the carpet under
little Usagi's feet. "Those clothes will have to go," she added. Walking
over, she lifted Misako up and carried her at arm's length down the hall
and into her bedroom. Endymion followed with Usagi.

                                 ******

As she sat on the tile floor of Misako's bathroom, Usagi sniffled
slightly and tried to resist the urge to wipe her eyes. Misako was
sitting besides her watching their mother as she did something to the
furo. "We don't have a tub anymore, Mesume, so I'm going to improvise,"
Serenity explained over her shoulder when she saw the girls watching
her.

"Serenity?" Endymion called out.

"Hai! Now you two stay right there," Serenity instructed, "And I'll be
back in a second." The girls watched as their mother left the bathroom
and partially closed the door.

"Usagi-san," Misako began while bowing her head, "I didn't mean to waugh
at ya." <It must have been worse for her than me.>

"I know, Miko-chan," Usagi replied. "I dought dey'd yell at us or
somedin', not give us a bath." <Is this some type of trick?> She could
only imagine the hideous revenge their parents had in store for them.

"I'm not gonna compwain," Misako commented, "Dink dey're gonna spank
us?" Usagi blinked in surprise. "Why wouldn't dey just change us back
and tell us to go get cweaned up?"

"Iie, Mom 'n' Dad don't seem that mad," Usagi offered. <Maybe being a
baby is okay. I know I'm really fifteen but if it keeps Mom and Dad from
going ballistic, I won't complain.> But if this entire affair was ever
made public, her name would be mud. <Not to mention that it would hurt
Misako.>

Just then, her mother came in, a small smile on her face. "Now let's get
you both undressed and into the furo." What followed wasn't as bad as
Usagi had suspected it would be. Serenity didn't say anything about
their misbehavior, or the pudding, or anything else for that matter. She
just chatted about different trivial matters as she cleaned both little
girls up.

<This is weird.> "Okaa-san?" Usagi after her hair had been rinsed clean,
"Are ya gonna make us owder?"

"Hai," Serenity said, "Your father and I decided we don't want to do
diaper duty over again..." She had enough of diapers being a toddler
herself for a week. "And your speech is hard to understand. We want to
make sure we understand you completely." After giving each girl a quick
look over, Serenity nodded to herself and smiled. "All right, Miko-chan,
you're first." Reaching out, she lifted the smaller toddler out of the
furo and stood her on the floor. Turning to where two large towels were
laying, she picked one up and started drying Misako off.

When Misako was nearly dry, Serenity wrapped the towel around her and
then turned back to the furo. "Now it's your turn, Usagi-chan."

Usagi stretched out her arms expectantly and was lifted from the furo
and stood on the floor. Shivering slightly as the cool air brushed
against her baby skin, Usagi tried not to be self-conscious. Serenity
grabbed the other towel and started to dry her eldest daughter off.
Usagi endured it stoically as Misako simply watched. After wrapping
Usagi in her towel, Neo-Queen Serenity produced the Ginzuishou.

"Okaa-san?" Misako asked nervously as she regarded the Ginzuishou.

"Don't worry, Miko-chan," Serenity replied reassuringly, "I'm just going
to make you older." Wincing at little, Misako closed her eyes as her
mother concentrated, silently issuing her commands to the Ginzuishou.

Blinking rapidly to clear the spots from her eyes, Usagi found that
Misako was no longer a toddler. Her sister towered above her, however,
she wasn't her normal height. "Hey, I thought you said you were gonna
make us bigger?"

"I did, Miko-chan," Serenity said as she wrapped the large towel around
her now eldest daughter. "I've doubled your physical age. You're now six
years old." Brushing a few stray blonde-white hairs out of Misako's
face, Serenity asked, "You okay?" Misako nodded but she had a slightly
confused expression on her face. "Everything will be okay. Now just
stand over by the door for a second while I get your sister." The little
girl complied and shuffled over to the door.

<Well, six is better than three,> Usagi thought, <At least now, I'll be
able to reach the toilet if I have to.> She stared at the Ginzuishou
trying not to show how small she felt. <I'm not gonna close my eyes,>
Usagi promised but she had a strong desire to do such a thing.

When the change came, Usagi let the breath out she had been holding in
relief. She was definitely taller and now stood almost an inch higher
than her sister. <At least we have odangos again,> the now six year old
thought. Though, Usagi's were her old puffy rabbit ear type. She giggled
then, <I'm in a heap of trouble and I'm worrying about my hair!>

"Let's go and get dressed," Serenity instructed and ushered the girls
out of the bathroom before her. "Miko-chan, your clothes are on your
chair. Usagi-chan, your father left yours on the bed."

Usagi wandered over to the bed. She could see over the bed now but now
she wished she couldn't. The sight caused her to wrinkle up her nose in
disgust. "Jeans and a T-shirt? Why can't I wear a dress?" <Kami-sama,
Misako's the tomboy, not me!> Then she spotted the animal print
underpants. The ones she had been given had a couple of blue baby
bunnies. "Never mind," she said while quickly grabbing up the jeans. <At
least these will be covered.> "You're enjoying this, ne Okaa-san?

"I didn't pick out the clothes, Usagi-chan. Your father scrounged some
of Misako's old clothing. You're lucky we didn't throw them away," her
mother explained, "I'll leave you two alone to get dressed." Giving them
another smile, she exited the room.

"What do you have on yours, Imouto?" Usagi asked as she turned to her
now twin sister.

Misako held up the underpants and giggled. On it was a neon-pink teddy
bear. "'Sagi-chan, meet Glow Bear."

"Glow Bear?"

"He glows in the dark," Misako responded. Usagi rolled her eyes then
started to giggle.

                                 ******

Despite being only six in a physical sense, Misako was feeling quite
relieved. <At least I can walk okay.> And she didn't feel as bulky or
ungainly as she had before. It was with some nervousness, however, that
she followed her mother down the hallway and into the living room. She
wasn't looking forward to what was likely to follow. "But if we're six,
maybe they won't yell as much. They wouldn't hurt little kids," she had
remarked to her sister.

"Yeah but they can do other things," Usagi had pointed out as they had
completed dressing. She was well within the range of a number of
punishments which she had long since outgrown.

"You may stand right there, Mesume," Endymion instructed as he indicated
a spot in front of a two-seat couch that was to the left of a bigger
one. When Misako and Usagi had shuffled to their indicated positions,
Serenity and Endymion sat down on the larger couch. "First question,
what exactly did you think you were doing?!"

"Trying to get Mother to see that what she did to this family was
wrong!" Usagi snapped back. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "I
thought that if Mother could remember what it was like to be plain ol'
Usagi, she'd understand."

"You endangered the people of our kingdom to teach me a lesson?!?"
Serenity asked with some horror.

"We were only going to stay a week, Okaa-san. That was it," Usagi
replied.

"A week was nearly too long, young lady," Endymion joined in, "You were
so bent on showing us how wrong we were that you never even thought of
what could happen. Did you ever think of anyone but yourself?"

"'Sagi had a good plan," Misako interrupted glaring up at her parents.
<How was I supposed to know we'd nearly be swallowed by the other
person?> "And we did come back like 'Sagi promised -- one week."

"Please, Misako, we're talking with your sister," Serenity admonished
gently. <Poor little thing... She's defending her onee.> "Now, Usagi,
exactly when did you cook up this hair-brained scheme? And why did you
make me Misako if you wanted me to remember being Usagi?" That was the
strangest part of the experience.

<Because I told her to!> Misako's mind screamed. "It isn't all 'Sagi's
fault," she announced to her parents.

"I suppose it's ours?" Endymion asked.

"You were the ones that let HER split this family up," Usagi retorted
with some heat. Her temper growing, she said, "I thought up this idea
because my mom has a big heart and she would never have treated a little
kid the way that YOU did."

"Nani?! What do you mean `little kid'?!" Misako asked her sister.

"Misako, just calm down," Endymion told his daughter who then bristled.
"We know you're not a little kid." Turning back to Usagi, he asked, "You
can't even do something without dragging in your imouto? That's not how
an onee should behave." <I would have never done that.>

<What does Dad mean?> Misako thought, <'Sagi would've got creamed if I
hadn't have told her how to make it work.>

"What's that supposed to mean?" Usagi asked defiantly.

"I mean that since you're older, you should know better," Endymion
explained, "You're nearly sixteen. If you have a problem with us, you
should have said so plainly instead of throwing a temper tantrum."

"Temper... tantrum?!?" Usagi questioned, her face growing red with
anger. "As an onee, I will protect my imouto. I knew Usagi of the past
was dense but I didn't think both my parents had odangos for brains."

Serenity sighed a little before saying, "That joy ride you took was bad
enough, you could have seriously endangered every person on this
planet."

<I'm a Sailor Senshi and Senshi are supposed to protect people...>
Misako thought as she listened to her sister and parents argue.

"You're lucky that Pluto stepped in and persuaded the Senshi Council not
to take any action against you but for you to force your poor imouto to
go along with this plan and then change her into a boy, against her
will..."

"HEY!" Misako squawked in protest, "I told 'Sagi I had to be a boy! She
MADE Otou-san be a girl."

"You don't have to protect your onee, Miko-chan," Serenity remarked, "I
understand completely. If she's going to carry off these schemes of
hers, she's going to have to live with the consequences."

"But they aren't just hers!" Misako complained, "Why do you always think
that she's the smart one?!?" This statement baffled Endymion and
Serenity. <Great Serenity's Ghost! I go and do all that work and they
still think I'm a little kid! Don't they realize I'm almost thirteen?!>
"I told 'Sagi she couldn't let Okaa-san be Usagi, especially a TEEN
Usagi."

Serenity and Endymion fixed Usagi with dark looks. "Usagi, did you put
your imouto up to this?" Serenity asked. Before Usagi could respond,
Misako gripped her hair in frustration and yelled in outrage.

                                 ******

<Why'd Misako go and say that?!?> Usagi thought as she watched her
sister, <I'm already in trouble as it is.> She couldn't see any reason
getting Misako into trouble too. "Of course, I put her up to it," Usagi
fibbed.

"That's not true!" Misako shouted indignantly, her eyes flashing with
rage. "'Sagi told me that she wished she could use the Ginzuishou to
make Okaa-san be like Usagi of the past again and I told her if she did
that, Okaa-san would just use the Ginzuishou to change right back. Then
'Sagi would really be in trouble."

"Shut up," Usagi muttered under her breath. She glared at Misako and
thought, <They didn't think you were involved. Just keep quiet and I'll
get you out of it.> "They aren't going to buy it, Miko-chan. Who'd ever
think you thought up something like this?" As Misako turned to stare
with smoldering eyes, Usagi gulped. <Maybe that wasn't the best thing to
say.>

Endymion glanced between Usagi and Misako before asking, "Miko-chan, are
you saying you thought up this entire plan?"

"Iie," Misako responded, "'Sagi thought up the plan."

<Good girl!> Usagi cheered silently. "See... What did I say? I talked
Misako into it." Usagi took a step backwards as Misako started reaching
for her.

"Now girls," Serenity demanded while getting up and taking Misako's arms
in her hands. "I want you to tell us everything."

Usagi glared furiously at Misako for a moment before sighing. "Yeah, it
was my plan. I was going to turn you and Dad into teens."

"But I told her that you'd be able to use the Ginzuishou as a teen. I
told her that," Misako said while looking at her father. <I'm a Sailor
Senshi... A Senshi doesn't lie and let another Senshi take the blame.>
Younger Jupiter and the other Senshi had taught her that.

"Things went on from there," Usagi explained, "I figured that the Royal
Family needed to be as close as it could be to the real thing and that's
how I made my wish." <I won't tell them that Misako insisted on being a
guy.> "You know pretty much what happened after that."

Serenity and Endymion regarded each other for a long moment before
Serenity instructed, "Girls, I want you to sit on that couch and don't
move. Your father and I have some things to discuss."

                                 ******

Once in the study with the door closed, Serenity looked at Endymion and
said, "Well?"

"I think Misako's telling the truth," Endymion answered, "She's pretty
upset about us thinking it was all Usagi's fault, Serenity."

Serenity waved that aside, "She just doesn't want to see Usagi get into
trouble." <I wouldn't have wanted to see you get into trouble either.>
Endymion shook his doubtfully. "You think it's more than that?"

"Hai," he answered as he dropped into a nearby chair. "Once she saw it
was too late, Usagi did admit that Misako had helped her plan this.
Think, Serenity, if Misako was lying, would Usagi support her?"

"She'd try to protect her imouto," Serenity concluded. A pained
expression came over her face, "So that means both of them were in on
this. I just can't imagine Misako doing something like this. She always
looked up to Usagi." <I know how much she does.>

"Not as much now," Endymion amended softly, "The girls aren't as close
as they used to be. You heard Usagi though. She was just going to make
you and I teens."

Serenity sat heavily in a chair and closed her eyes. Rubbing her
temples, she sighed. "You didn't think Misako was as innocent as I
thought she was, ne?"

"I didn't have any proof, Serenity," Endymion commented, "But Misako
isn't as innocent as she might appear to be. There's a mind behind that
kawaii smile." Endymion chuckled slightly and continued, "I think Misako
sometimes plays naive and innocent just to show she's different from
Usagi. Usagi and I both know she can be sneaky if she feels like it."

Serenity gave her husband a rueful smile. "Hai, I know. I always found
Misako's ability to make everything fit logically into a pattern a
little eerie at times." She sighed a little then. "We can't let this go
on, Endymion. What they did was so dangerous, I don't even want to think
about it." Serenity shuddered a little bit. "This goes well beyond
grounding." <Kami-sama, if the public found out, I'd have to put them
both in prison!>

"Well, we can't spank them," Endymion stated, "Even if they do look like
six year olds."

"I agree. That would just make them resent us more and... I don't want
that." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees while cupping
her chin in her hands. "I don't suppose you want to raise them all over
again, ne?"

Endymion gave her a shocked expression. "Nani?! I can't believe you'd
even suggest that! I want this family to be happy but could you honestly
do that to the girls?"

"Iie," Serenity replied, "And I'd be worried if you would have said
hai." She smiled slightly and ran a hand though her husband's black
hair. "Maybe you should dye your hair strawberry-blonde, Onee-chan." He
had been kawaii as a five year old.

"Serenity..."

"Gomen," Serenity apologized while pushing herself up. "I'm just at my
wit's end. Usagi and Misako are so angry with us. And I don't want to
come off like an ogre in punishing them but I have to."

"That's where you're wrong," Endymion retorted, "We have to punish the
girls. Serenity, we have to work together. Not just us but the girls
too."

"How though? They won't talk to me. Things were so much easier when they
were little," Serenity pointed out as she stared out the window. <Seeing
them both as small children almost made me forget what they had done.>

Endymion furrowed his brow for a moment and then said, "Ne, what about
the wedding fiasco?" Serenity turned away from the window to look at him
in puzzlement. "We could keep them six for awhile. I think everybody
needs some time to calm down, to reflect."

"But we couldn't send them to school like we did then. That would ruin
them. It'd start rumors flying about the Royal Family and that, we don't
need. The Throne must be seen as stable," Serenity argued. "You think we
need a break?"

"I think we all need a break," Endymion stated.

"Well... we could tell the girls that we'll only keep them six until WE
figure out some other punishment for them. The Senshi Council must be
informed although Kami-sama knows what they will say..."

"Treason most likely," Endymion retorted, "But we'll tell them we're
handling it personally and that if they give us this time, something
good might come of it."

"Hiroshi will have a fit," Serenity remarked.

Endymion smiled, "He simply needs to know that we won't be available for
a week at most. And we can have Mizuno-sensei drop off the girls'
schoolwork at the Suite each day. Only the Elders need know. That's best
for all involved. To everyone else, we are taking a much needed vacation
from our duties."

                                 ******

Misako ignored Usagi who was shifting nervously beside her. She was
upset that Usagi thought she couldn't face the consequences of her
actions. <I should've kept quiet so I wouldn't get punished.> Misako
snorted distastefully at the thought. <I'm a Sailor Senshi, not a wimp!>
And she certainly wasn't going to let her parents think that it was all
Usagi's wonderful plan.

Her heart sped up slightly as the study door opened and their parents
came out. She felt her mouth become dry as her stomach tried to tie
itself into a knot. Usagi must have felt the same way for she stopped
fidgeting in her seat and instead, concentrated on looking at the floor.

"Your father and I have made a decision, Mesume," Serenity began. Both
girls tensed expectantly. "You'll both be staying six years old for
awhile."

"Six?!?" Usagi whined, "That isn't fair!"

"You don't think it's fair, ne?" Endymion asked, "I'm quite sure we
could get along with you being say... two instead." Usagi's mouth
dropped open in surprise and she stared at her parents incredulously.

"As I was saying, you two will be staying six until your father and I
can think of a suitable punishment," Serenity explained.

"I'll never hear the end of it. My life is ruined!" Usagi whined, "What
will Hana and Ikado say? What will Sakuya say?"

"They won't know, Usagi-chan," Endymion replied.

"Nani?" Misako questioned. She had managed to pull herself out of the
shock that her parents' announcement had induced. "You believe me?!"

"Hai," Serenity replied, "We don't want to ruin your reputations with
your friends. You'll both be confined to the Royal Suite for the
duration." Both girls looked like they were about to protest this when
Serenity added, "And so will we." This caused both little girls to take
on puzzled expressions. "I'll have to clear it through the Senshi
Council but only the ELDER Senshi will know. And they will all be sworn
to secrecy."

"We want to talk about what happened over the week that you were big,"
Endymion continued his wife's explanation, "This family needs to spend
time just being that, a family."

"So you're just gonna ask us a bunch of questions, ne?" Misako asked.
Her father nodded. "So why not just confine us to the Royal Suite?"

"Because... we're part of the problem. You both pointed that out quite
clearly," Serenity said while coming around to sit on the edge of the
couch. "I'm sure you have questions just like we do and we want to try
to answer them. There's a lot of stuff we have to think about. That ALL
of us have to think about."

"I want each of us to promise as Sailor Senshi to be as honest as we can
be when somebody asks us a question," Endymion requested, "And we also
promise not to get angry about what happened during the week you were
big."

Usagi and Misako regarded each other. <Promise to tell the truth? That
could be bad,> Misako pondered, <There are some things that would make
Mom and Dad awfully mad.>

Usagi looked directly at her mother and said, "I have a question,"

"Nani?" Serenity asked.

"Okaa-san, why did you listen to Sailor Pluto? I want the REAL reason
this time."

"Usagi-chan, I'd like to answer that," Serenity replied, "But I don't
think this is the best time."

"You mean you gotta think up a good lie!" the little girl shouted, "I
knew you wouldn't tell us. Why do you think I did this? You weren't
listening to me or Misako. You just said everything was all right BUT IT
WASN'T!" Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"Usagi-chan," Serenity began, her voice throaty, "I don't want to lie to
you, or to Misako. I don't need time to think up a lie." Kneeling in
front of her daughter, she said softly, "I just think that everybody
needs time to catch their breath. There's a lot to think about. Please,
Usagi-chan, wait until you're back to your normal size and then all of
us will have a talk about why I listened to Sailor Pluto."

Usagi looked over towards Misako. Misako was quiet for a long moment and
then remarked, "'Sagi-chan, I want to find out too but we got other
things to worry about." She paused for a moment and said in a quieter
tone of voice, "I believe her, 'Sagi."

"All right," Usagi conceded after a long moment of silence.

Seeing the reluctance in the girls' faces, Serenity said, "I, Tsukino
Serenity, promise as a Sailor Senshi to be truthful in answering
questions put forth by my family and will do my best not to get angry if
I find something out that would normally upset me. I also promise to
fully explain and answer questions related to why I followed Sailor
Pluto's instructions after my mesume are returned to their normal
physical ages."

Endymion used a similar phrase and made the same promises without the
mention of Sailor Pluto. When her father was done, Misako braced herself
and repeated the same oath as her father. Usagi was the last to speak
but she did not speak it any less sincerely.

"Speaking of Sailor Senshi," Endymion said, "Please, Mesume, hand over
your transformation broaches."

"Nani? Why?" Misako asked.

"You're six. That means you're too young to be Sailor Senshi," her
father responded.

End of Chapter 10

Coming next in Chapter 11 - Bad Memories