THE FLASH POINT (The usual gang is back now, with one exception, J.Bison is nowhere to be seen.) Flashman: Where's Bison? Sakura: He said that he'd taken all the pummling he could stand. Flashman: Oh well. ___________________ I apologize for the lengthy delay. It's been a hectate and strange couple of weeks. The final part of this fic *should* be posted sometime next week. [Flashman: No worries. With the way thunderstorms have been in my area, I haven't been able to write as much as I would have liked to either. Zero: And I hear the storms are on the way back. (Everone looks out the window.) <*Crash*Boom*Ominous thunder*> Here's a question, when Endymion came back... was Serenity pregnant? I'll never tell... [All: Awwwww.... Sakura: You're mean.] Part XXIII - Maturing High in the mountains, the fleeing group of individuals huddled. The man looked towards Sailor Pluto and asked, "Is she asleep?" The Senshi of Time moved from the darkness and approached the fire. She remained silent for several seconds before responding. Off in the distance, the baying of wolves could be heard. [Flashman:(Distant Happosai voice) Paaaaaantiiiiiiiesssss. (Sakura smacks him.)] They had fled the original hiding place with only two but within a night's travel, they had met up with another resistance cell. Now Sailor Pluto's only real desire was to keep Serenity safe while the timeline switched. ****** Serenity walked down the hall softly approaching her daughter's room. Glancing through the open door, she saw her husband talking with Usagi. A brief smile flitted across her face; Serenity was content and happy. Yes, she didn't have Endymion here but she had found love with another. [Zero:(Sighs) And yet, we all know how it ends in dust. Why must we see such a happy scene when we know how... Trident:(Whacks Zero with his trident) Be silent. You are spoiling the mood. Flash/Sakura: O_O;] This elicited a soft chuckle from her father. Bending down, he kissed her forehead and said softly, "You're almost four. In a few months you'll be a four and then maybe you can stay up later." Reaching down, [Flashman: A four? Does that mean she'll be a "ten" when she's older? Trident: Plazma bolt! (As Flashman gets flash fried) Eliminate the "a" before "four".] Rising, he walked across the room and after turning off the main light, left. The soft glow of the nightlight gave the little girl's sleeping features a softly and warm glow. It was something that Serenity always loved to see; it made her content. Leaning her head against her husband's chest, they both slowly walked towards their own room. "Serenity, I love you so much," he said softly stopping his motion to turn her about. Once she was facing him, he bent his head and drawing her slowly up before kissing her. "Would you... would you consider having another child?" She stared into his eyes for a moment before speaking, "Diamondo, I [Sakura: YA-TA! I guessed right! Flashman: Oh well, at least it's better then (shudders) Seiya.] She was about to say more but Diamondo gently placed a finger on her lips. "Shh, I know, my love. I would not want you to give up that love. You would be miserable; I'm not trying to replace Endymion. I just don't want to be replaced by him." Serenity thought while she encircled her husband and sighed in contentment. ****** Slowly Serenity awoke. She was not in the Crystal Palace. She was not in the warm embrace of her husband. She was on a mountainside, the coldness seeping into her bones with the sounds of nature all about her, and the hounds of hell tracking her. She lay there staring up into the star studded darkness thinking. They were two questions that effected the same person. She tried to recall that day that Diamondo disappeared but couldn't. Serenity sniffled a little. The past was hard to think about and even in this new timeline, things were not perfect. [Zero: They never are.] Chibi-Usa slowly woke. She was snuggled close to her mother, one arm lightly lay across Usagi. Chibi-Usa could feel Usagi's breathing, her chest gently rising and falling. She wiggled a little to get more comfortable. The bed was warm and she was content. It had been the day after her trip to Mamoru's and the time she had spent in her room had given her a chance to try and work things out. Chibi-Usa hadn't gotten any closer to a real answer for her feelings but she was starting to realize that things weren't necessarily what they appeared to be. The gentleness of the alarm clock made her jump slightly. Turning her head, she scowled disapprovingly at the alarm clock. She didn't want to get up and her mother didn't either so why set the alarm? "Good morning, Chibi-Usa," Usagi said softly. Chibi-Usa turned to look at her mother who gave a small smile, "I thought you'd be up with the birds." "Mommy, people don't sleep in trees," Chibi-Usa said. [All: ..... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Flashman:(Gasping for breath) Oh, that's where the best jokes come from, right out of left field.] "But your friends are coming over today," Usagi said, "And I'm your onee." Usagi didn't respond when she heard Chibi-Usa mutter darkly about that particular reminder. "Now come on. Let's get up and ready. You don't want your friends to come and you still in your PJs." Sliding out of bed, Usagi headed for the dresser. Chibi-Usa sat up and crossing her arms, stuck out her bottom lip. "You don't like my PJs?" Chibi-Usa questioned. Usagi sighed. She was getting the feeling that it was going to be a very LONG day. [Trident:(Confused) Why did she think that? Zero: The fact that our computer had to turn this into an attachment was probably a small clue.] "Konnichiwa!" Chibi-Usa replied while grinning. Her slightly uncooperative mood had disappeared once she woke up. Breakfast had been a necessary evil. Chibi-Usa wanted time to speed up but it just kept dragging its feet like usual. "Hello Atashi-san," Usagi greeted Maia's mother, "She's energetic." "I'll say she is," Mrs. Atashi remarked and then smiled, "Maia, you be good now. I'll be back this afternoon to pick you up." "'Kay Mommy," Maia responded. She had let Chibi-Usa go and was looking around the Tsukino home with interest. "Aren't I going to get a hug?" Mrs. Atashi questioned. "I guess so..." Maia said. Usagi covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. Maia looked curiously at Usagi for a moment before reaching up to hug her mother. Bending down, Mrs. Atashi gave her daughter a hug and a kiss. "Mommy... You just wanted a hug!" Maia protested. This time Usagi openly giggled. [Flash/Sakura: The old "Mother wants a hug and then kisses you" trick. Zero/Trident: Huh? Flashman: You'd have to have a mother to understand. Zero/Trident: Oh.] "I will. Ja ne," Usagi answered and closed the door once Maia's mother had gone. Turning, she made her way into the kitchen where Maia, Chibi-Usa, and her mother were. As she entered the kitchen, Usagi heard Maia saying, "Is this your mommy, Chibi-Usa-chan? She doesn't look like Sailor Moon." Usagi's eyes swung over to Chibi-Usa who was standing beside Maia. [All:(Trying to imagine Ikuko in a Sailor fuku) NAAAAH! Flashman: Some story ideas are too weird to explore.] Usagi started to feel flustered. She swung her gaze over to her mother. Ikuko was looking slightly confused. Before Usagi could respond, Ikuko said, "Chibi-Usa, I'M your mommy." A confused expression slid onto Maia's face as she turned to look at Ikuko. "Tsukino-san, are you Sailor Moon?" Ikuko shook her head. "Then you can't be Chibi-Usa's mommy. Chibi-Usa said her mommy was Sailor Moon." While Ikuko was staring quizzically at Maia who seemed to be serious about the matter, Usagi was glaring balefully at Chibi-Usa. Chibi-Usa gulped and threw a nasty look at Maia; she wasn't supposed to say that! She was just debating what to say when someone knocked on the door, "I'll get it!" Chibi-Usa [Flashman:(Jokingly) Run kid! Run! Sakura: When in doubt, head for the door.] By about twenty-to-eleven, all of Chibi-Usa's other friends arrived. The first to come after Maia were the twins, Tawa and Sawa. The next to come was Ikado and her mother. The little girl was almost a duplicate of Makoto except for the height. Ikado was the most rambunctious and also the bravest of the girls. The last to come was Nakita along with her father. Once the group had been assembled, they moved into Chibi-Usa's room to play while the grownups talked. As Usagi sat in her own room, she could her the little girls giggling [Trident: "she could hear" not "she could her".] "Come in," Usagi said while turning to look at the door. "Hi Usagi-chan," Minako greeted as she opened the door and walked into the room, "What's up?" "Not much, just doing homework... Did you study for that math test you're having tomorrow?" When Minako shook her head, Usagi sighed before saying, "Minako-chan, you're going to flunk out of math. You do know that, don't you?" [Sakura: Speaking of which... Flashman:(A huge amount of Algebra books in front of him) I AM studing.] "I brought her with me," Minako finally responded after a short pause before giving a sly grin, "Why don't we go have some fun on our own. We can be back in time for Makoto's good food." Minako gave Usagi an even bigger grin, "Or would you like to do homework?" "You're in a strange mood," Usagi commented dryly while pushing her homework to one side. "Well, being around Mie makes me feel like a little kid. Besides I still haven't gotten over the fact that you're ACTUALLY doing homework!" Usagi was about to respond but a burst of giggling from Chibi-Usa's room drew their attention. "She's lucky," Minako said softly. "Nani?" Usagi questioned. "Chibi-Usa, she's got good friends..." Minako said in the same soft voice. [Zero: Can I get an Amen? Flashman: Amen. Zero: Can I get a Haleluia? Flashman: Haleluia. Zero: Can I... get a girl friend who doesn't die. Flash/Sakura/Tri: ..... Voice: I'll think about it.] "Well there's always daylight before the dawn," Usagi said while giving a lopsided grin. "Why you...!" Minako spluttered and grabbing up Usagi's pillow, threw it towards her friend. "Make fun of my bad quoting abilities, ne?!?" Giving a yelp of mock terror, Usagi dodged. The pillow sailed over Usagi and hit Ranma the teddy bear. "Don't worry, Ranma, I'll protect you!" Usagi declared and retrieving the pillow, started to advance on Minako, all the while grinning evilly. [All: BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!] When Mie first entered Chibi-Usa's room, it fell silent. All eyes turned and widened. Ikado frowned and glared, "What are you doing in here, shrimp?" Mie gulped slightly and looked towards Chibi-Usa who was also looking curiously towards the little girl. "Hi Mie-chan, how'd you get here?" Maia asked. "Minako-oneesan brought me," Mie said softly. She hadn't entered completely into the room; rather she was looking around the door using it as a protective measure. [Flashman: Ummm... is this an author created character or one who was never in the NA anime series?] "She's just a little kid!" Tawa complained, "She's too young to play with us!" Mie frowned, her eyes started to mist over slightly. Chibi-Usa thought about what Sawa had said before saying, "But you're younger than I am, ne? Does that mean you're to young to play with me?" Grinning at her own logic, she said, "Mie-chan, come in and play. It's my room and I like you." "Arigato," Mie responded and scurrying into the room, sat down beside Chibi-Usa and Maia. Ikado and Tawa fumed while the other girls avoided looking towards Mie. Turning to face Chibi-Usa, she asked, "Chibi-Usa-chan, how old are you?" "I'm eight," Chibi-Usa responded while giving Mie a quizzical look. "You're the same age as my onee," Mie said, "How come you're not in her class?" Chibi-Usa shrugged; she didn't know. "Momo said somethin' about you but I forget what," Mie said softly. "Your onee is Sayama Momoko?!?" Ikado questioned. She along with the other girls had surprised expressions on their faces. When Mie nodded in the affirmative, Ikado gulped, "Um well... I suppose Mie isn't all bad." Momoko was older than they were. She was Chibi-Usa's age or older! [Flashman: Proof that, even when you're a little kid, knowing the right people helps.] "Well Momo's my friend," Chibi-Usa said, "And I like you." Mie turned and gave the older girl a brilliant smile. After a few more awed comments about Momoko, the others grudgingly accepted Mie. And soon after that they started playing together again. Mie's inclusion into the group did go slowly though. At first, Chibi-Usa and Maia were the only ones to include her fully but as time went on and Mie proved that she wasn't stupid or babyish, the others finally decided that she was okay. Although Chibi-Usa wasn't sure what caused the squabble, Ikado and Sawa had started yelling at each other. "You're making that up, Ikado-chan!" Sawa shouted, "You're fibbing!" "Am not!" Ikado shouted back, "I did SO get chased by a dog. It was the big slobbering one by the school." Sawa, her brown eyes blazing glared [All: Eeeewwwwwww.] After a few seconds Sawa subsided, "'Kay, but it just ain't fair. You have a lot of neat stuff happen to you." This comment caused most of the girls to stare in disbelief at Sawa. Shifting uncomfortably, Sawa [All:] Mie giggled before saying, "Onee got in big trouble." A grin started to slowly spread across her face. "You shoulda saw Mommy's face! It was all red and did she yell!" A giggle escaped Mie and her grin got even bigger, "Onee's always gettin' me into trouble." The last part sounded much like a typical five year old; just like her sister, Mie had a knack for getting into sticky situations. Unlike her sister, however, Mie hadn't yet developed the ability to talk her way out of trouble. [Sakura: But she WAS at the age where she could just stand there, be cute and automaticaly transfer the blame to her older sibling. My little brother did that to me more then once. Trident: What video game is he playing in the background of your stage anyway? Sakura: Tetris.] "I was jumping on my bed," Mie said softly. If her mother heard, she'd be in trouble as well, "Onee said she could jump higher than me." "What happened?" Nakita questioned curiously. All the girls except Chibi-Usa seemed interested. Chibi-Usa, however, was starting to feel slightly horrified at the imagined possibilities. She couldn't understand why anyone would take risks at getting into trouble. She, for one, tried her best to stay out of trouble. "I told Onee she was fibbing. I didn't believe her." Mie was grinning broadly now. "Momo started jumping on her bed and all of a sudden it went BOOM!!!" Mie threw her hands up to indicate an explosion before falling back and giggling even more. "It was pretty funny!" Mie declared from the floor. [All:(Muted trumpets) Whah whah whahhhhh.] After a few more seconds of giggling, Mie sat up, her eyes sparkled with mischief as she looked at the other girls. Tawa and Sawa were looking at each other before turning to stare at Mie. Maia was looking just about as shocked as Chibi-Usa although her complexion was normal. Nakita was staring wide-eyed and had a look of disbelief on her face. "Hai, the bed broke... It hit the floor. Mommy got scared, so did Onee!" Subsiding a little more, Mie leaned in conspiratorially before saying, "Onee's grounded for two weeks!" Chibi-Usa's scowled slightly, her apprehension giving away to curiosity. "You mean Momoko didn't get spanked?!?" Chibi-Usa questioned Mie. Mie's grin slid from her face and she looked curiously at Chibi-Usa, "Nani?" Chibi-Usa questioned when she noticed that her other friends were also looking at her. "Mommy got the bed fixed. Why would Momo get spanked?" Mie questioned Chibi-Usa. "But..." Chibi-Usa said and then trailed off. The room was silent for several seconds before Chibi-Usa spoke again, "But your onee did something wrong, ne?" Mie nodded, "So if she did something wrong, wouldn't she get spanked?" To Chibi-Usa doing something wrong and not getting spanked was a very foreign thought. There was just something strange that she couldn't really grasp, even with the discussion she had had with her mother the day before. [Sakura: When *he* dies... can I say "it"? Flashman: No problem. IF *he* dies. Zero: How could *he* survive? Trident:(Evil grin) We have our ways of keeping *him* alive.] Mie nodded, "Hai, Mommy told Onee that she's lucky Daddy fixed the bed." Standing, Mie pouted slightly and in a fair imitation of her sister said, "I hate being grounded! It's the worst thing in the whole world!" This prompted most of the girls to giggle. "Does your Onee say that a lot?" Sawa asked. Mie grinned again and while sitting down, nodded. Chibi-Usa was feeling even more confused. Getting up, she retrieved Floppy from the bed and holding it, said, "You gotta do something really bad?" she questioned Maia who nodded. A look of concentration came over Chibi-Usa's face as she tried to muddle it through. "Chibi-Usa-chan, what's the matter?" Maia asked seriously. [Flashman:(Angrily sarcastic) Oh nothing, it's just that she's been beaten several different ways to hell and back by an abusive step father, that's all. Zero: Who sliped the Cranky Flakes into your cereal this morning? Flashman: I just learned that some friends of a friend of mine LAUGHED when they read the parts where Serenity and Chibi-Usa were abused.] Ikuko frowned slightly, "Hai, it's been quiet up there." Turning, she went to the bottom of the stairs and called up, "Usagi-chan! Makoto's here!" A muffled acknowledgement came floating down the stairs and Ikuko gave a slight sigh, "Minako's over here, too." "Uh oh," Makoto said while grinning slightly, "Maybe I should go see if Usagi's okay. Minako has a habit of making things explode. I won't even let her in the kitchen at my place." Ikuko took some of the packages from Makoto and led the way into the kitchen. As she walked she gave Makoto a quizzical look. "Minako made my microwave melt." The response caused Ikuko's eyebrows to raise in surprise. [Zero:(Looking pale) Made... a... machine... melt? (Gulps) Flashman: See what you're getting yourself in for?] Both Ikuko and Makoto jumped. Turning, they say Minako and Usagi standing in the doorway. "What on earth happened to you?!?" Ikuko questioned. Usagi's golden hair was rumpled and one odango was missing. Usagi flushed brightly and looked towards the ground, "Um... freak wind storm?" [All: ] "Hi Mako-chan, I can hardly wait for lunch!" Usagi said and then turning, bolted up the stairs. Minako waved her own greeting before following Usagi. Makoto giggled before smiling. After introducing Makoto to her other guest, and leaving Kenji to make small talk, Ikuko retreated inot the kitchen to assit Makoto. As they [Trident: "Into" not "inot".] "Hai," Makoto said while starting to cut some carrots, "She's a sweet little girl." A faint smile played across her face as she added, "Besides I like being her onee." "It's like having a family, ne?" Ikuko asked gently. Makoto simply nodded. "I think you're good for Chibi-Usa," Ikuko reassured the young girl, "Usagi's been trying so hard." Makoto was silent for several seconds before saying, "I don't think she's really gotten over Mamoru." Makoto thought. The last thing Usagi would want was for Makoto to discuss Mamoru to Ikuko. "I see Usagi improving and that's great. She's doing this for Chibi-Usa." The kitchen fell silent for a few minutes as Makoto and Ikuko continued to prepare the meal. Finally Ikuko said, "I know her heart was broken when we made her give up Mamoru... but does she understand that Chibi-Usa would be affected?" The question was more to herself rather than Makoto but the younger girl answered. "Usagi likes being a mother; she sees it as her... destiny I suppose. She loves Chibi-Usa and that little girl wants a mother. I know Usagi's her sister now but I think Usagi doesn't want to give up her role." Turning to face Ikuko, she opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself. Flushing, she turned back and continued on with her own work. "Mako-chan?" Ikuko questioned, "What were you going to say?" Ikuko said while placing her hand on Makoto's shoulder. Makoto remained silent for several seconds before saying, "I think Usagi needs to become an onee to Chibi-Usa in her own time. If it's pushed on her, then she won't be happy with it and Chibi-Usa won't make it any easier." [Flashman:(Sniff) That was... beautiful.] "Nani?" Ikuko questioned while raising an eyebrow. Flushing slightly, Makoto stopped her work and turned to face Ikuko before saying, "Maybe I shouldn't have said that." "Mako-chan, please, what did you mean?" Ikuko asked. That last statement was rather curious and it was hard to see how Minako would be lonely with friends like Usagi and the others. "Ever since Usagi started raising her grades and spending most of her time with Chibi-Usa, Minako's feeling a little left out." Turning around, Makoto started working again. She understood Ikuko's concern. Ikuko allowed the matter to slide for the moment. She had some thinking of her own to do. [Trident: As do we all.] For the rest of the time before lunch, Usagi and Minako took turns reading a storybook. It was made more interesting when Minako and Usagi acted out some scenes of the story. Although the girls were having a fun time, Usagi was slightly worried. A small part of her mind was trying to figure out what the girls had been talking about. None of them had mentioned anything but it seemed like the discussion had been serious. Minako hadn't even noticed and was throwing herself whole-heartedly into the acting out of the story. It was one of the reasons she spent time with Mie; she found that sometimes she needed to let go and little kids were fascinating. They could think and do some of the most outrageous things with little or no concern at all. To Minako, they were kindred spirits in a way. It was also a way for her to relieve tension. Since Usagi, and to a lesser extent Makoto, had started to pull ahead academically, she couldn't use the excuse that she was better than Usagi. Now within her own group, she was sitting at the bottom of the academic barrel. Admittedly Makoto wasn't far ahead but that slight gap felt more like a chasm to Minako. Her parents weren't sympathetic either. They pointed out that if Tsukino Usagi could pull up her grades, then Minako could do the same thing. Although Minako was happy for Usagi, she was also annoyed with her friend. [All: Zero: Poor Minako. But her parents DO have a point. Flashman: HEY!] "For you maybe. I'm not the one who spent the last six pages acting out EVERYBODY's part," Usagi said while raising her head high enough to glare at Minako who flushed slightly and giggled. "Isn't that right?" "Hai," Mie said. The little girl got up. "Minako-oneesan you did this." Crossing her one hand over her body, she placed her elbow on it before supporting her chin in the other one. Mie then proceeded to roll her eyes upward and tried to match the facial expression of Minako. [All: Tee hee.] "Everybody hates me," Minako pouted, "I might as well go eat worms." That produced the desired response. Everyone except Usagi stared at Minako, eyes wide. [All: O_O!!! Sakura: She finally got an expression right? Trident:(Seriously) Doomsday must be fast approaching. Zero:(Takes a swing with Z-Saber) Hey! Watch what you say about Mi-chan!] "Onee-san!" she called happily and ran over to give Makoto a hug. Makoto bent down and lifted Chibi-Usa into a big hug. "I didn't know you were here!" Chibi-Usa said excitedly. "I came over to help your mommy make lunch." As Chibi-Usa turned to look quizzically at Makoto, Mie nudged Maia and said, "She's BIG!" Maia just grinned. Gathering her courage, Mie walked over to Makoto and said, "Are you really Chibi-Usa's onee?!?" Makoto nodded. Turning, Mie looked at Usagi and asked, "How old are you?!?" Minako started to laugh as Usagi's face took on a sour expression. Makoto also chuckled. [All: ] "Mako-chan?" Chibi-Usa questioned, "If Mommy was going to help you make lunch... but she was up here reading to us... how can lunch be ready?" [Zero:(Head sparking) Arrrgh! Logic circits... overloading... from... kid logic...] ****** About an hour later, Minako slumped back into her chair and gave a contented sigh. "That was great, arigato," she said casting her eyes first towards Ikuko and then towards Makoto. "We're glad you liked it," Ikuko said and smiled, "You must have been hungry, Minako-chan." "Hai," Minako said while sitting a little straighter, "When I heard that Makoto was going to help you, Tsukino-san, I didn't eat anything since lunch yesterday. I wanted enough room to get as much of that good cooking into me as I could." This response caused most of the adults present to grin. Tawa and Sawa looked slightly disgusted but they remained silent. "Mie-chan, let's say we get you cleaned up we have to go soon." "Why? We were having fun," Mie pouted slightly as she looked pleadingly at Minako. "Can't we stay?" "Gomen, Mie-chan, but I promised your mommy we'd be home by one-thirty." She gave the little girl an apologetic smile. [Flashman: Good idea.] "You're quite welcome, Mie-chan," Ikuko said, "Girls, why do you go play for a little while longer." [Trident: "Why don't you go play" not "why do you go play".] "Can I help you, Obaa-san?" Chibi-Usa questioned. Although Chibi-Usa didn't notice it, Ikuko did. Some of the parents were covering their mouths trying to hide their smiles. "No, arigato, why don't you go play with the others," Ikuko directed. Nodding, Chibi-Usa slid off her chair and led the way back up the stairs. As the girls were leaving the room, one of them muttered, "She doesn't have enough white hair." This elicited giggles from Minako and Usagi. "It's nice of you to VOLUNTEER to help Makoto clean the dishes, Usagi-chan, Minako-chan. Arigato," Ikuko said with her own smile. [Flashman: D'OH! Busted! Sakura: I HATE it when that happens.] "Nothing Mom," Usagi quickly replied. Shrugging, Usagi motioned to Minako and both of them started to collect the empty dishes while Makoto headed towards the kitchen. Once within the safety of the kitchen, Usagi sighed. Turning to start the water running, she said to Makoto, "That was excellent, arigato." "You're quite welcome, Usagi-chan," Makoto said, "Now once we get these dishes washed and put away, then I can go spend time with Chibi-Usa. If that's okay with you `Mom'," Makoto added while grinning at Usagi. "Makoto no baka," Usagi growled and flicked water at Makoto who sidestepped the attack. "So it was an honest mistake." Lowering her voice, Usagi added, "Besides, Chibi-Usa hasn't yet given up on calling me `Mommy' yet." This brought a thought to Usagi's mind, "She also went ahead and told Maia that I was Sailor Moon." "Nani?" Makoto breathed, "You're joking, ne?" Usagi shook her head in the negative, "Kami-sama Usagi..." "Yeah, well not much harm. Who'd believe her? Luna's not very happy though." [Flashman: Yah. Sometimes I think Luna needs some kitty prozak.] Meanwhile in Chibi-Usa's room, the girls were involved in their own discussions. "Maia," Chibi-Usa said softly as they stood in one corner of Chibi-Usa's room, "I told you it was a secret." The other girls were also spread out about the room involved in their own conversations. "Gomen Chibi-Usa-chan," Maia said, "I hope your mommy isn't really mad. But I thought that your sobo WAS your mommy. I didn't think it was a secret from her." Maia gave Chibi-Usa a pleading look. "Well just promise you won't tell your mommy," Chibi-Usa asked, "If anybody found out, then Mommy might get hurt." This revelation caused Maia's eyes to open wide. Before she could respond though, Ikado's voice interrupted them, "Chibi-Usa-chan, Maia-chan, come over here. I know what we can play next." Maia gave Chibi-Usa a wink before walking over to join the others. Satisfied that the matter was settled, Chibi-Usa followed her best friend over to join the others. "Now here's what we're going to do..." [Flashman:(Imitating Ikado) We'll go to a short break and be right back.] It was after supper when Chibi-Usa and Maia entered the room once again. Maia had "persuaded" her mother to allow her to stay for supper; although Ikuko's cooking wasn't as good as Makoto's it was certainly delicious. Sitting on Chibi-Usa's bed, Maia picked up Floppy and said, "Where'd you get Floppy?" "Mommy gave him to me," Chibi-Usa said while walking over to sit beside her friend, "Mommy said she had him when she was little. He's a good listener." "Where's your daddy?" Maia asked. "Home," Chibi-Usa said softly while shifting with obvious discomfort, a small shiver ran down her back. "I'm not allowed to see him." "Don't ya miss him?" Maia questioned now looking seriously at Chibi-Usa. Chibi-Usa nodded then sniffled. "What's the matter, Chibi-Usa-chan?" Maia asked worriedly, "Why are you cryin'?" Chibi-Usa turned mist filled eyes towards her friend and gave another sniffle, "If you spill juice, do you get into trouble?" Maia shook her had while giving Chibi-Usa a quizzical look. "I do," Chibi-Usa whispered softly, "If Daddy's here, I get into trouble but when he's not, then I don't." "But if you spill somethin', then it's an accident," Maia said, "Why would you get into trouble because you spilled somethin'?" Chibi-Usa shrugged; Maia sat silently for a few seconds before saying, "Chibi-Usa-chan, one time I spilled my milk over the carpet. Mommy got mad cause I was running with my glass when I shoulda been sittin'. I had to sit in the corner the whole day." That was one Saturday she wouldn't soon forget either; Maia had been bored stiff. Squirming uncomfortably, Chibi-Usa said while flushing with embarrassment, "I accidentally hit Daddy with some juice. He got really mad..." "I bet you couldn't watch TV for a whole week!" Maia said with some awe. "No," Chibi-Usa responded softly, "Daddy spanked me with his belt." Maia's eyes enlarged so that they appeared ready to explode. "Anytime I do anything bad, Daddy hits me with his belt... or other stuff." [All: Grrrrrrrr (Aura glow, powering up of weapons)] "But Chibi-Usa-chan," Maia said after a moments shocked silence, "How come you get spanked all the time? It's only if you do something REALLY, REALLY, BAD. Doesn't your daddy love you?" Chibi-Usa just sat silently for a long time thinking. She felt Maia shake her slightly. The revelations of the past few days were confusing. Slowly, with some effort she started to tell Maia little pieces, trying to figure out what was "normal". It was one step in a long series of steps that would likely last for several years. [All: YEAAAAAY!] Late that night, Usagi entered her room; she had just finished changing for bed in the bathroom as not to wake Chibi-Usa. The little girl was restlessly sleeping. Something had obviously been bothering Chibi-Usa when she went to bed and even in sleep, it bothered the little girl. Yawning, Usagi gently slid into bed. As she settled down to sleep, Chibi-Usa snuggled closer. She gave Chibi-Usa a gentle hug and brushed some of the loose hair out of the child's face. [All: Awwwwww.] "Sweetheart, are you okay?" Usagi asked while stroking Chibi-Usa's hair. The little girl positioned herself so she could use Usagi's shoulder as a pillow. Usagi gave her daughter a hug and waited for a response. Usagi thought as she watched her daughter's face. "Maia... Maia said that you only get spanked if you do something REALLY, REALLY bad," Chibi-Usa said seriously, "You said that Daddy was sick 'cause he hits me so much." "Hai," Usagi answered softly while holding her daughter a little closer for comfort, "What were you thinking about, Usagi?" [All:(Softly) Go... go... go.. go... Flashman:(Singing) Go go Chibi-Usa! Tri/Zero/Sakura: O_o Flashman:(Shrugs) Sometimes, the Sentai in me has to come out.] "Does Sobo hate me?" Chibi-Usa asked in a thick voice while sniffling. Usagi opened her mouth to respond and then closed it. For a long moment she thought about what to say. "Usagi, my mom spanked you yesterday because you did something really dangerous, ne?" Chibi-Usa nodded. "But she still loves you. When I was bad and got punished, I knew that she still loved me. So even if I got put into a corner or grounded or even spanked, I knew that my mom loved me. She loves you, too. Do you understand?" "A little," Chibi-Usa responded, "I can't go back to the future. Daddy was really mad when I hid in the closet once 'cause I wet the bed. He'd be really mad that I ran away from him." "What do you mean?" Usagi asked softly. She could feel that Chibi-Usa was starting to relax a little, the worry draining from her. "My juice spilled all over Daddy and he got really mad at me. He spanked me REALLY hard and told me not to move. Mommy was going to send me here when Daddy found us." A sob came out and for a long time, the little girl stayed quiet reliving the horror of that day. After a minute or so, she continued, "Mommy made me come back here. I ran away from Daddy. If I go back, then Daddy will be mad at me and I'm scared." A fresh set of tears came to Chibi-Usa and she softly cried again. Wrapping her arms around Usagi's neck, she buried her face against Usagi and cried. "You can stay with me and I'll protect you," Usagi said while gently stroking the little girl's hair, "The others will protect you." Sitting up, she drew Chibi-Usa into a comforting embrace and started to gently rock. "I'll be right here and your daddy won't hurt you. I love you and so do my mom and dad... Even Shingo loves you." Usagi continued to talk comfortingly to Chibi-Usa who eventually cried herself out. Usagi settled both herself and Chibi-Usa back into bed. The little girl gave a yawn and she snuggled closer for warm and comfort. "You had a big day, ne?" Usagi asked trying to get Chibi-Usa's mind on to a more pleasant topic. "Hai, arigato," Chibi-Usa said softly, a slow smile spread across her face, "Mommy, I'm sorry I told Maia that you were Sailor Moon." She raised her eyes to look at Usagi. Chibi-Usa thought as she saw her mother's soft features as they were highlighted by the streetlight coming in through the window. "It's okay," Usagi reassured her daughter, "We talked about this before. I'm not angry with you but I don't want you telling everybody that I'm Sailor Moon, okay?" "Hai," Chibi-Usa said and giving her mother a hug settled down to sleep again, "I love you, Mommy." [(At this point, everyone is bawling their eyes out and leaning on each other for comfort.)] Usagi was pulled out of her thoughts by feeling the padding of small feet on the bed. Lifting her head slightly, she saw the gently glowing eyes of Luna looking at her. "Nani?" she questioned softly, no desire in waking the sleeping little girl. Luna was silent for several seconds. Then moving to sit on Usagi's stomach, Luna said softly, "I'm disappointed in you." Usagi glared at her feline mentor but didn't say anything. "After all that talk about consequences if Chibi-Usa told that you were Sailor Moon and all you did was ask her not to do it again." "What was I suppose to do? Chibi-Usa wouldn't lie to Maia. She's her best friend," Usagi said, "I believe my daughter. I believe her when she says she won't tell anybody else. Besides who's going to believe a six year old?" [Flashman: And besides again, it's not like she could spank... (realizes what he just said) her. Sakura:(Glowing blue) Please tell me that was a slip of the tounge. Flashman:(Nodding rapidly) Yeah, yeah. I didn't mean it! Honest! Sakura:(Glow fading) Good.] ****** Chibi-Usa watched with some apprehension as the wave started to build. [Flashman:(Jack Dawson voice) Hang on! This is it!] Tentatively the little girl took a few cautious steps towards the water and then sprang back as a wave came into shore. She looked up and saw that Usagi was heading into shore. When Usagi reached Chibi-Usa, she crouched in front of her daughter and said, "Are you scared?" "Kind of," Chibi-Usa said softly. "You can go back and sit with Ami if you want," Usagi said gently. [(Once again, that image of a SD Chibi-Usa wearing glasses and reading an Advanced Calculus book forms in a thought ballon over the heads of the group.) All: ] Softly, she said the ending part of her thought, "I don't know how to swim." She flushed slightly and turned back towards Usagi. "Well that's okay. I can't swim very good either," Usagi said, "What if we just sit in the where it's shallow." "I thought you had to swim if you went to a beach," Chibi-Usa said now looking at Usagi curiously. "Nope, you don't HAVE to swim. You don't have to come in if you don't want to." "You'll come with me?" Chibi-Usa asked. At Usagi's nod, she reached out and took hold of her mother's hand. Together they entered the water slowly and after a brief walk, found a shallow place to sit down. Chibi-Usa thought. "The water's warm, just like bath tub." "Hai," Usagi said, She watched as Chibi-Usa aquatinted herself with the surrounding water and sand. Usagi thought, She felt a little sad; it reminded her of when Chibi-Usa had first appeared. That brought another memory to mind, [All: Flashman: Since the next chapter's gonna be the finale, he probably is.] "Usagi," Makoto said softly from behind her. Usagi gave a yelp of surprise and whirled around. In doing so, she tripped both herself and Chibi-Usa. With a splash both wound up face first in the water. As Usagi scrambled to her feet, she saw that Makoto was lifting Chibi-Usa up. "Gomen," Makoto said softly. Chibi-Usa sniffled slightly and clung to Makoto. "You scared me half to death!" Usagi said, annoyance showing through in her voice. "Are you okay, Chibi-Usa-chan?" [Flashman:(Imitating fish who pops up) They're fine, but could you tell them that we don't pee in THEIR home, so could they knock it off! (Sakura, Zero and Trident pummle him.)] "Gomen," Makoto repeated and wiped some of the water away from Chibi-Usa's face, "Usagi-chan, Rei wanted to talk to you." Turning to look at the little girl in her arms, Makoto added, "Want to come out with me?" Usagi thought then something occurred to her, "Imouto, what if I got Ami to come down and she can show you how to swim?" "Only if Onee-san comes to," Chibi-Usa stated firmly. [Trident: "Too" not "to".] "I'll be back in a bit," Usagi said and then head towards the shore. Casting one more look back to see that Makoto and Chibi-Usa were splashing water at each other. She walked up the beach. After drying off her feet, Usagi slipped a pair of sandals onto her feet and wrapped a towel around her bathing suit. Once more suitably attired, she went in search of Rei. She found her friend waiting by one of the concession stands. As she approached she noticed that Rei was looking a little down. "What's up, Rei-chan?" Rei only responded by indicating that she wanted to walk. Shrugging, Usagi moved to stand beside Rei and then both girls set off down the beach. As the seconds passed, Usagi was starting to wonder what Rei had wanted to talk about. She was about to ask that exact question when Rei began to talk. "Usagi, why didn't you come to me? I could have helped you," Rei questioned. [Flashman: Hmmm, let's see. You're an Aries, meaning you've got a bad temperment. Sakura: So are you and so do you. Flashman: Bite me. Sakura: No way. You'd like it.] Rei gave a stiff nod in response. The fiery girl's face was set into a mask of sternness. "Because it involved Chibi-Usa; it involved Mamoru." Rei suddenly stopped and forced Usagi to turn around and retrace the few steps she had taken. "Why didn't you tell Mamoru?!? Look what could have been solved! And what does Chibi-Usa have to do with not telling me!" Usagi could feel her own temperature rise but she didn't yell. Instead she replied as calmly as she could, "Rei-chan, you made it obvious that you don't like kids. Chibi-Usa's at a very confusing stage in her life and she needs support. Makoto was willing to offer that support to her. That helped me! I didn't tell you for the same reason it took so long for me to tell Makoto, I didn't want Mamoru find out until I had the will to tell him. As to why I didn't tell Mamoru... I have my own reasons, none of them are very good or very clear; but think, if I told Mamoru about this, don't you think his future self would know?" [All: Damn straight!] "We are, Rei-chan, we are. I'm trying my best. Don't you care about that? What was I supposed to do? Ami was the first one to find out that Mamoru was the father. Why are you blaming me?!? It was hers and Luna's [Trident: Don't you mean "stepfather" or, " was not the father"?] "Scared?" Rei sneered sarcastically. "Hai, scared. I was scared that what Ami and Luna were saying was true. I was scared that I'd have to give up any hope of loving Mamoru. I was scared for Chibi-Usa... I was scared of my own feelings. I'm Chibi-Usa's mother and I love that. But if keeping her safe means giving up Mamoru, then I will." Usagi lowered her head and looked at the ground, "I don't mean to hurt you; you're a good friend but you're always pushing me to do better... to shape up, grow up." Usagi stopped and waited, Rei turned to look at Usagi, "I'm sorry if you can't forgive me. I hate keeping secrets but these were some of the most important. My mom wants me to give up being a mother to Chibi-Usa and that scares me." Slowly Rei walked back and placing a hand on Usagi's arm, said, "Usagi, Chibi-Usa would love you either way. You care about her, and no matter what appearance you put on it, inside both of you will know that you are mother and daughter." Grimacing, Rei looked towards the ground as she mumbled out, "I guess I was a little silly. I'm happy that you're trying so hard for Chibi-Usa... She's lucky to have you as a relative." Usagi opened her mouth in shock. She closed it and attempted to speak once again but nothing came out. That was about the closest thing to an apology that Rei had every made. Even if it wasn't an apology, it was pretty out of character for Rei. [Flashman: I may come down on her pretty hard sometimes... but, I guess she's not ALL bad and she really does love Usagi. Zero/Sakura/Tri: O_O Zero: Shesh. Today's been a day for strangeness.] As the woman sauntered down the beach, several eyes turned her way. Most were men who watched the slender hips swivel seductively back and forth or trace the outline of the slender legs and the snug-fitting bikini. [Flashman: Sakura: MIDARE ZAKURA! (WHAM!)] Esmeraudo thought, As she continued to walk, she scanned the water and the sand but the crowds were making it difficult. she thought, but floating wasn't really an option, not yet. Esmeraudo thought as she spotted a well-built man walking down the beach in a swimsuit. Meanwhile, Usagi and Rei had reached the spot. Looking around she saw that Ami and Makoto were out in the water with Chibi-Usa. "Chibi-Usa-chan!" Usagi called out to the little girl, "Come back in for a second! I want to put some more lotion on you so you won't get sunburned!" "'Kay Mommy!!!" Chibi-Usa called. Usagi gave a sigh of mild exasperation while Rei giggled. "You just wait, Rei-chan," Usagi grumped as she searched for the lotion, "One of theses days you're gonna marry Yuuichiro and have kids of your own!" Rei's snort of contempt indicated what she thought of that idea but Usagi didn't miss a slight twinkle of anticipation in Rei's eyes. [Flashman: To see that happen, read Shieldsman by Christopher "God Boy" Angel! Trident: Why did you just... "plug" I believe the word is, him? Flashman: No reason. (To someone behind him holding a red shield to the back of his neck) You can go now.] "What cute looking guy?" Rei asked now scanning the beach looking for her other blonde haired friend. "You know, the one with those cute little green Speedo trunks." "Him?!?" Rei questioned her eyes growing wide, "He's WAY too old for Minako." "He can't be THAT old!" Usagi said. Any further conversation was interrupted as Chibi-Usa came running up to her mother and applied a very wet hug. "Eww... you're all wet," Usagi said while pushing her daughter away a little bit. "Get your sandals on and we'll take a walk to the store." Nodding Chibi-Usa complied and soon enough, both mother and daughter were heading for the little store that Usagi had seen. ****** King Endymion smiled. It wasn't one of pleasantry. Rather it was a smile of self-satisfaction. The Throne Room of the Crystal Palace was packed tightly with loyal followers or those too cowardly to stand up against his power. "Bring them in," Endymion commanded as he sat atop his throne. The seat of power, of HIS power. A hushed silence fell over the room as the large set of double doors swung open. Three figures shuffled into the room. Once in a rumpled and faded dress, the other two in no more than rags and shackles. The guards [Trident: "One in a rumpled and faded dress" not "once in a rumpled and faded dress".] "Greetings Serenity, my wife," Endymion sneered when Serenity had came to a stop some twenty feet from the throne. "You honor us with your presence, ne?" "You defile the Throne, Endymion. You are a wife beater and a child abuser!" Serenity snarled, "You do no good service to the crown you supposedly wear." [All: Hear hear!!!] Rising to his feet, Endymion quickly descended from the dais and gripping Serenity's chin in his hand, drew her face close. "Who will believe you? You are the one who took the Crown Princess. You are the one who fled and conspired against me!" His voice had been cold, soft, and dangerous; now it rose to an enraged snarl, "You DARE question MY power?!? You are the one who committed adultery! You gave birth to that abomination!" Shoving her back, Endymion whirled. Serenity fell heavily to the floor. [All: GRRRRAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!! Flashman:(Each word dripping with malace) We... can... wait... one... more... chapter.] "Well my spirit does not approve," Endymion said while turning back again. "Once I get back the Crown Princess, she will learn to obey ME! You will have one precious chance to see her, and during that time, she will suffer for disobeying me. Then I will take her away and you will spend the rest of your life wondering what became of her." "Do you not feel what is happening? Does your arrogance blind you?" Serenity questioned. "I know what you speak of, what has changed can be undone. Once I rid myself of Sailor Pluto, I will have free access to the timelines... ANY timeline." "No!!!" An enraged snarl came from both shackled prisoners. But they never had a chance. Within seconds, the guards had incapacitated them and Endymion was once again standing at Serenity's feet. "Get up!" he ordered her. Slowly, with the last of her dignity, she rose still staring defiantly towards her husband. "You monster," she said softly, pure hatred showing through. "Me a monster?" Endymion questioned, "I am only practicing my power. Now, take Her Majesty to an area where she can observe these traitors' slow executions." Drawing Serenity close, he forced a kiss upon her and then said, "I'm going into the past to get your daughter and protect my future. To undo what you have done." "Is there any message I can give your daughter?" Serenity did not respond. Shoving her roughly away, he said, "I will see you soon." Serenity wanted to scream, to fight in some way; but at least in front of this monster, she would not give in. She would be damned if she would fuel his enjoyment by breaking down, by pleading. But in a small corner of her mind, Serenity didn't believe it. She was scared and no matter how much she battled not to show Endymion, she was certain he knew. _______________________ Flashman: And on that clifhanger, we end this chapter. Zero: Hey, I've got an idea as to how Endymion can die. Flash/Tri/Sakura: How? Zero: As we know, Chibi-Usa became Chibi Moon for a brief cameo near the end of Sailor Moon R. Flashman: I THINK she did but I'm not sure. Zero: Well, how about she DOES become Chibi Moon near the end of the final battle with Endymion and instead of the usual distraction attack, in this world, her Pink Sugar Hearts Attack is really razor sharp heart shaped shurikan and she uses it to stick Endymion to death. Flashman: Hey, that's not a bad idea. Well, we'll see what happens next chapter and find out.