Tales of Younger Earth
By Douglas "Candle Light Author" Helm and "Tuxedo" Will Wolfshohl

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, Sailor Senshi, and all terms, names, etc.
associated with the series are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi and
Kodansha. We make no claim to them and this work of fanfiction should
not be seen as making a claim.

Those characters that are original and the story "Tales of Younger
Earth" are copyrighted (c) 1998 by Douglas Helm & Will Wolfshohl.

This fanfic and hundreds of other Sailor Moon fanfics reside in "Tuxedo"
Will's SM Fanfics Archive at http://log.on.ca/users/helm/anime/index.htm

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


Chapter 24 - Bridges to the Heart

Kenji and Ikuko sat stunned by the unexpected outburst. Mamoru was
looking like a man about to die. Chibi-Usa, though, was indignant,
"Chibi-Usa, what are you doing out of bed?"

"HE'S NOT YOUR BOYFRIEND! HE'S MINE!" Usagi howled as she launched
herself at her daughter, "KEEP YOUR BAKA ODANGO ATAMA IDEAS TO
YOURSELF!!!!"

Chibi-Usa quickly pinned Usagi's arms to her side. "Tsukino Usagi,
apologize this instant!" she demanded. <What's she doing?>

"Gomen, Mamo-chan... I'm sorry that I wasn't here in time to save you
from that baka Odango Atama."

Before either of her parents could react, Chibi-Usa scooped her mother
up in a tight grip and quickly carried the still enraged child out of
the room. Up the stairs they flew while Usagi howled about the indignity
of the situation. Sitting on the bed in Usagi's room, Chibi-Usa stood
Usagi on the floor while keeping a firm grip on her shoulders. "I want
you to apologize, young lady."

"Make me!" Usagi shouted and stomped her foot. "What are you doing?!?"
Usagi demanded when Chibi-Usa suddenly lifted her up. "Iie, you can't do
this!" Usagi cried as she was settled across Chibi-Usa's lap.

<If I did that, Onee-san'd punish me,> Chibi-Usa thought as she
struggled with the squirming Usagi. <I hate to have to do this but this
is too much for Usagi. Something has to give and misbehaving isn't it!>
Securing the still struggling child, Chibi-Usa raised her hand and
brought it down sharply but jerked it backwards at the last instant.
<Iie, I can't...>

At the sensation running through her, Usagi increased her crying.
Through her loud crying, Usagi managed to choke out, "How could you do
this?!? You betrayed me!"

Chibi-Usa just sat there, staring at the hand she had been about to
spank her mother with. Sniffling herself, Chibi-Usa lifted Usagi up and
hugged her close while starting to rock back and forth. <Gomen nasai...>

"Let me go, Chibi-Usa!" Usagi yelled and squirmed out of her daughter's
grip. "Just get out!"

Chibi-Usa started to reach towards her mother but Usagi batted her hand
away and turned her back crying. At that moment, a very angry looking
Ikuko came walking into the room and said in barely controlled tones,
"Young lady, I have a good mind to put you over my knee and give you a
good spanking. That was shameful!"

Usagi's only response was to huddle and continue to cry. Chibi-Usa,
after another moment's pause, stood up and suggested, "Okaa-san, what if
Chibi-Usa is grounded for a day and has to do some corner time after
breakfast?"

Ikuko gave her daughter a long look before saying, "Tsukino Usagi, turn
around and face me." Slowly Usagi did, her face marred by tears, a deep
hurt residing in her eyes. "Usagi thinks you should be grounded. I'll
agree with that, but you're to go straight to bed."

"Grounded?!" Usagi sniffled, "You're not gonna..."

"Iie," Ikuko interrupted, "Only if you don't misbehave anymore tonight
or tomorrow. You'll have to stay in your room but we'll talk about that
in the morning. Now give Usagi a hug and then crawl into bed."

Usagi looked towards Chibi-Usa and then said, "I can't." Slowly she slid
into bed, hugged her stuffed bunny, and turned her face to softly cry
into her pillow. Chibi-Usa sadly turned and after one more look back at
her mother, left the room.

As she leaned heavily against the wall, she sniffled a little. Ikuko
placed a gentle hand on her "daughter's" arm and gave a comforting
smile. "I... I was going to spank her, Mom," she said in disbelief,
tinged with horror. "I was going to but... something stopped me."

"Mesume," Ikuko began softly, "I know you find it difficult to punish
Chibi-Usa. This is what an onee has to do sometimes. You did the right
thing though. Chibi-Usa probably thinks that Mamoru won't like her
anymore because he's marrying her onee. She's too young to understand."

Chibi-Usa looked towards the floor and sniffled a little. <How does
Usagi do all this stuff?> She had even had to have Usagi help her with
some of her chores. <I don't know what I was thinking...> She felt Ikuko
hug her and she tried to smile slightly.

"Come on, Usagi-chan," Ikuko suggested, "You have a young man downstairs
waiting." Chibi-Usa nodded and headed for the stairs. Behind her, a
little girl cried herself to sleep feeling betrayed and for all
practical purposes, alone.

                                 ******

By mid-morning of the following day, Chibi-Usa was feeling very
miserable. Ikuko's pep talk centering around punishment,
responsibilities, and the like had only served to deepen Chibi-Usa's
guilt. She had received a chilly reception from Usagi that morning at
breakfast. Her mother was only talking to her enough to forestall
anything Ikuko might say. All through breakfast, Usagi had glared at
Chibi-Usa before being sent back to her room.

That had been one of the worst times of Chibi-Usa's life. She not only
had to lecture Usagi sufficiently for Ikuko's satisfaction, but also she
had to place her mother in a corner. Chibi-Usa had never understood why
Usagi was so sad sometimes when she had to place her in the corner until
today. So deep in morose thoughts was she that Chibi-Usa never heard the
knock at the door. It wasn't until she heard a voice that she realized
that someone was at the front door. Quickly scrambling to her feet, she
made her way to the door and saw that it was Kimeko and Mie.

"Can Chibi-Usa come out 'n' play, Tsukino-san?" Kimeko asked.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Ikuko said, "I said Chibi-Usa was grounded. That
means she can't come out and play."

"Why?" Kimeko asked. <Usagi?!? Grounded?!?>

"Don't worry about it, Imouto," came Minako's voice from behind, "You
and Mie can play for a little while before you and I have to start on
this list of errands."

"'Kay, bye Tsukino-san!" Poking her head into the house, she shouted,
"BYE CHIBI-USA-CHAN!" Giggling, she turned and skipped away from the
door. Mie shook her head, sighed, and followed Kimeko away knowing her
rambunctious friend had gotten into trouble once again. As Ikuko turned
around, she caught the sad expression on Chibi-Usa's face but didn't
make any mention of it.

By lunchtime, Chibi-Usa had come to the realization that she needed
someone to talk to and the person she wanted to talk to was Misako. More
than any other time since her sister's arrival, Chibi-Usa wanted to talk
with her sister about what had been occurring.

Chibi-Usa looked up from her lunch straight into the smoldering eyes of
her mother. Quickly she shifted her gaze away and back down to her
plate. Ikuko had quickly put a stop to Usagi's pouting so Usagi had
decided to glare instead. "Ikuko-mama, why was Chiba-san here?" Usagi
questioned.

Ikuko pushed her food around her plate a moment before saying, "Well
Chibi-Usa, I would like you to apologize to Usagi first."

Usagi looked towards Ikuko for a long moment before saying, "I can't,
Ikuko-mama. I'm not sorry. If I said I was sorry to Usagi-sama, then I'd
be fibbing. I don't like to fib." The look of hope Chibi-Usa briefly had
disappeared.

The dining room fell silent for several seconds before Chibi-Usa said
softly, "She should know, Mom. I mean it does affect her." She braced
herself for the explosion but wasn't prepared for Ikuko to hand the job
back to her.

"Usagi-chan, this is your special news. If you want Chibi-Usa to hear
it, you should tell her," Ikuko replied.

<Thanks a lot! Maybe Onee-san will understand...> Chibi-Usa thought,
taking a deep breath, she said, "Imouto... Mamoru..." <What's the
word...> "Proposed to me last night and I accepted."

"Na... ni?" Usagi squeaked out. <Iie, I didn't hear it right.>

"Mamoru and I are going to get married."

The chopsticks dropped from Usagi's hand with a clatter. She sat there
for a second or so before bursting into tears. Pushing her chair back
and jumping from it, she ran out of the dining room and up the stairs.
After another moment or so, both Ikuko and Chibi-Usa heard a bedroom
door slam shut.

<What have I done?> Chibi-Usa thought. Blinking away the unshed tears in
her eyes, Chibi-Usa tried to finish her lunch. She glanced over to where
Usagi had been sitting and noticed that her mother's lunch hadn't been
eaten, only pushed around. <Mommy...> Closing her eyes, a single tear
rolled down her cheek.

                                 ******

Misako glanced over at Mamoru as she washed the lunchtime dishes.
Nervously, she licked her lips before asking, "Otou-san, do I have to go
with you? You said you'd only be gone a little while."

"I would prefer if you came with me, Miko-chan," Mamoru said as he
started drying the dish that his daughter handed him. "I wouldn't feel
comfortable about you staying by yourself."

<You have before,> Misako thought but she didn't point that out because
the situations were very different. "I promise to be really, really
good. I just want to read that book Makoto brought over. It's gonna be
so boring there..."

"Miko-chan," Mamoru interrupted as he placed the dish he was drying down
and looked at her seriously. "I know that you look like an adult. I do
trust you; it's just that... I wouldn't feel right about leaving you all
alone. I'd worry about you."

Misako frowned slightly and then sighed. "Okay," Misako said, "I guess I
can take my book and read it." She paused then and added, "Maybe some
nice guy will come and talk to me about it."

"Guy?"

"Sure," Misako explained, "It seems every time I go out that I attract
guys. Maybe I can have a boyfriend like 'Sagi does." She smiled sweetly
before walking past Mamoru towards the bathroom. "I'll just wash up and
use the bathroom before we go then." <That'll get him.>

"Ah... Miko-chan," Mamoru began, "Just hold on a second."

"Hai?" she replied innocently, turning around to look at her father.

Mamoru opened her mouth and then closed it again. <Leave her alone, or
let her be hit on by slimeballs like those two in the park!> It was a
very difficult choice. <Maybe she could visit Usagi and Chibi-Usa.
Chibi-Usa did say she wouldn't mind seeing Misako again.> He saw Misako
looking at him expectantly. He was starting to think there was no way
out of this difficult decision when a knock came at the door. Walking
over, he looked through the peephole before opening the door.

"Konnichiwa Mamoru-kun, Miko-chan!" Minako's voice could be heard
chirping brightly.

"Konnichiwa!" Kimeko sang out as well before skipping past Mamoru and
over towards Misako, "Hiya Miko-chan!"

"Now her feet don't hurt," Minako muttered out. When she saw that Mamoru
was giving her a blank look, she amended, "Kimeko's tired and I was
wondering if Kimeko could stay here while I do the rest of my errands?"

"Minako-san, you're a lifesaver!" Mamoru declared, "Miko-chan, Kimeko
can visit with you and stay here."

"Why?" Misako questioned suspiciously.

"Well now you can stay with an adult." Mamoru failed to notice, or chose
to ignore, the black look that Misako was giving him. "Well the traffic
will likely be murder, so I should go. Be good, Misako, and listen to
Kimeko. Ja ne." Going over, he gave Misako a kiss on her forehead and a
quick hug before squatting and saying, "Kimeko-chan, you'll look after
Misako for me, ne?"

"Hai," Kimeko responded as she hugged Misako's leg before sliding down
to sit on her charge's foot. "I'm tired."

Before Minako could protest, Mamoru dashed out of the apartment and down
the hall leaving all three girls staring after him. Minako walked over
and said, "Are you gonna be okay, Miko-chan?"

"Hai," Misako replied while looking down at Kimeko, "Is she going to be
okay?"

"I think so," Minako replied while squatting, "You gonna be good for
Misako?" <I never thought I'd ask that.>

"Hai, Onee-san," Kimeko murmured sleepily.

"Miko-chan, I should be a couple hours or so. You look after Kimeko.
Imouto, I want you to listen to Misako." At Kimeko's sluggish nod,
Minako gave Kimeko a quick kiss before bounding out of the apartment and
closing the door.

For a minute or so, Misako blinked at the closed door, trying to figure
out what just happened. Looking down at her feet, she saw that Kimeko's
head was drooping. <What are you doing? Minako acted like you really are
a little girl.> Thinking that her guardian wasn't feeling well, Misako
carefully removed her foot from under Kimeko and moved to squat in front
of the little girl, "Are you okay, Kimeko-chan?"

"Hai, I think it's time for my nap," Kimeko mumbled out, "I feel SO
sleepy." With an expansive yawn, Kimeko slowly levered her up to her
feet and walked towards Misako. "I thought naps were kinda silly but now
I like 'em."

"Kimeko-chan, can I have a talk with you?"

"After my nap, Miko-chan," Kimeko replied, "It's about that time
anyway." <I didn't think Mom could shop that much, or that fast. I think
a hurricane hit the shopping malls and her name was Minako.> "'Night."

                                 ******

Misako sat on the couch cross-legged, deeply absorbed in the book that
Makoto had given her. It had been strange to put her guardian down for a
nap, but it had been even stranger that Kimeko had wanted a nap in the
first place. Hearing the soft padding of feet, Misako lowered her book
and turned her head. Kimeko was coming into the living room, rubbing her
eyes.

<That's so kawaii,> Misako thought as she noticed that Kimeko was
wearing a pair of jeans and a pale yellow T-shirt. <Better than those
overalls.> "Did your sobo dress you?" she asked Kimeko who nodded. "Do
you feel better, Kimeko-chan?"

"Hai," Kimeko squeaked as she first clambered up onto the couch before
settling herself onto Misako's lap. "Whatcha doin', Miko-chan?" Misako
blinked in confusion and frowned a little as Kimeko snuggled a little
closer. "Aren't ya gonna give me a hug?"

"Ki... Kimeko?" Misako questioned, "What's going on?"

"What do ya mean?"

"You're acting like a little kid." Kimeko shrugged. "You can't be a
little kid. You're supposed to be a Senshi, Younger Venus, my guardian."

"I still can be," Kimeko replied, "Miko-chan, you're still Chibi-Earth.
But, what if we stay like this? I can't go back to the future like a
little kid. If I stay like this, then I'll just have to stay here until
I get back to my right age." She felt a lump starting to form in her
throat as she thought of leaving her family and friends behind.

"That's baka," Misako snorted with urgency, "Kimeko, listen to yourself.
I'm supposed to be the little kid; you're supposed to be the adult. How
are you going to be my guardian if you're a little girl?"

Kimeko looked up at Misako with large, round eyes and asked softly,
"You're stayin' in the past. If I have to do my duty, then I have to
stay here too." She gave a yelp of surprise and tumbled to the floor as
Misako suddenly stood and moved to the balcony door.

"Nani?! How... how'd you know that?" Misako questioned, "Has the future
changed?!?" <It would have to. An adult me would be there.>

Kimeko stood up and walked over to stand in front of Misako. <This isn't
the time.> She knew she wouldn't be able to control her emotions.
"Miko-chan," Kimeko said softly, gently as not to frighten her friend,
"I knew you weren't happy in the future. I know it was hard on you. But
I've been here for a little while and you seem very happy." Swallowing
hard, she sniffled a little as her eyes started to moisten.

Misako turned back to look out the glass door for a moment before moving
back to the couch. "I am happy, Kimeko-chan. I have a mother that loves
me and I have an imouto that loves me."

"So I'll stay here. If we were gonna change back, I think it would've
happened before now," Kimeko replied. <Keep talking and I'll get more
information.>

"But you can't," Misako argued, "You'll miss your niece. You shouldn't
punish her by not being there just because I'm not."

"But you will be, ne?" Kimeko countered, "Sailor Senshi live a long
time." Kimeko didn't notice the tear streak down her cheek. "I will miss
you, Misako. Sakuya will miss you. Your mother will miss you..."

"Serenity doesn't care about me!" Misako yelled, "Damn it, Kimeko, don't
you see?! `Her Majesty' never cared!"

"Misako, how can you say that?!" Kimeko shouted herself as a few more
tears trickled down her face. "Your mother loves you."

"I can't go back, Kimeko. I'm staying here, where my mother wants me.
This is where my sister cares about me." Misako sighed and gave Kimeko a
long look before saying, "What about your family? Masao would miss you,
and what about your friends." Kimeko resisted the urge to use that same
argument back on Misako. "I need you as a friend, Kimeko." <As my onee.>
"You're the only one besides Dad that wanted me around."

She could feel the desperation rising within her. Slowly she questioned,
"What about Sakuya?"

Misako shrugged slightly and replied, "Sakuya really only cares about
'Sagi." <But when I'm there when she's growing up, then I can change
that.> "Please Kimeko-chan, don't do this. I'd feel really bad if your
family and friends were sad because you didn't go back. You said that we
would live a long time. I'll be there still. I'll see you again."

Kimeko walked over to stand in front of Misako, reached up, and took her
hands. "Misako, please don't do this. You have to know this is wrong."

"It isn't. What you are doing is wrong!"

"Nani?" Kimeko questioned, "I have a duty to perform... I have to stay
here with you to perform that duty." Kimeko's tears were increasing and
she felt her control slipping away.

"NOT AS A KID!" Misako snapped angrily, "Look at yourself, Kimeko, what
have you become? A little girl that is powerless. The guardian that I
had was strong and mature and a great Senshi."

Kimeko's bottom lip trembled and then sitting heavily onto the floor,
she began to cry in earnest. <What have I been doing?> Kimeko thought,
<I don't know what to do!> She couldn't go back to that wrong future,
yet she couldn't stay the way she was either.

"Kimeko..." Misako called but the little girl continued to cry,
"Kimeko-chan, please, I didn't mean to make you cry." Moving from the
couch, Misako gathered Kimeko up into her arms before returning to the
couch. "Shhh... it'll be okay. We'll work this out together." Misako
hugged Kimeko close and rubbed her back. "Don't run away, Kimeko-chan. I
love you. I need you to be strong. I need you in the future. I-If things
don't work out right, then I'll need you."

As the seconds passed, Kimeko calmed. Sniffling a little bit and
snuggling closer to Misako, Kimeko thought, <I've been doing the same
thing that Misako's been doing. I've been running away.> Even if she
stayed like this, she could certainly convince Misako to head back.
<Baka Kimeko.> But how had the future changed after her decision to
stay? That thought made her ill.

"Kimeko-chan, are you okay?" Misako questioned.

"I'm scared," Kimeko confessed softly while hugging Misako tightly
around the neck, "I don't know what to do."

"Kimeko-chan, we'll work this out together..." Misako replied. <I
promise.> As the little girl sought warmth from her, Misako felt a
strange feeling within her. It was soft and warm. It felt like when she
hugged Chibi-Usa. <This is good practice for being an onee,> Misako
thought. Gently rubbing Kimeko's back, she started to talk soothingly,
just like her mother would.

                                 ******

Misako glanced to the west and noticed that the sun was starting to set
low on the horizon. She was aware of the men watching her but she kept
walking. <I thought for sure that Dad would want to come with me,>
Misako thought. Her father had arrived home about two hours after he had
left. Minako had arrived to pick up Kimeko shortly after that. <But when
I asked Dad if we could go over to the Tsukino's, he said I could...
alone.> Considering how Mamoru had actively protested Misako going
anywhere without him around for the past few days, the change in his
mood was surprising.

<He's acting strange... and to think that Mom got grounded!> Misako had
to chuckle at that thought. <I'll have to ask her what she did.> A short
time later, she approached the Tsukino's front door and nervously
knocked.

After a moment or so, the front door opened and Ikuko smiled.
"Konnichiwa Misako-san, please come in."

"Konnichiwa Tsukino-san," Misako greeted, "Arigato," and stepped into
the house. Before Misako could even manage to slip off her shoes, she
was startled by her sister when she ran towards her and gave her a large
hug.

"Konnichiwa!" Chibi-Usa declared happily and with some relief, "I'm so
glad to see you, Miko-chan!"

"Usagi-chan," Ikuko admonished gently, "At least let Misako-san get her
shoes off." Chibi-Usa blushed slightly and giving her sister one more
hug, stepped back. "You should have called..." she whined slightly.

"Well if you're busy, I could leave," Misako offered while looking
quizzically at Chibi-Usa.

"Don't you dare," Chibi-Usa declared, "I meant you should have called
before." <That's what Onee-san always says.>

"Well girls, why don't you two relax and I'll go make us some tea. It's
been a while since I've seen Misako." As she walked towards the kitchen,
Ikuko sighed a little wistfully as Chibi-Usa and Misako giggled.
<They're so lucky... I wouldn't give up what I have, but I can always
dream.>

                                 ******

As they sat around the dining room table sipping tea, Chibi-Usa was
trying to figure out a way to politely slip away to talk with Misako in
private. Not that she didn't enjoy her grandmother's company but she
certainly couldn't talk to Misako in front of her. Besides, she found it
boring to talk about all that adult stuff.

"Where's Chibi-Usa?" Misako questioned during one of the lulls in the
conversation.

Ikuko pursed her lips, unsure of what to say. It was Chibi-Usa who
answered, however. "Chibi-Usa's grounded because she freaked out last
night when Mamoru asked me to marry him." Misako's reaction was not what
Chibi-Usa had expected. Instead of exploding into protests or outrage,
Misako sat quietly, staring at her sister.

"Are you all right, Misako-san?" Ikuko asked. <I thought she'd be happy
for her friend.>

Misako gave her sister a stern look and added, "I thought I'd be the
first to know..." It was a moment or so before Misako recovered enough
to lick her lips. Shifting slightly, she took a large swallow of her tea
and then asked, "H... hai Tsukino-san, I never thought Chiba-san would
propose to you." She managed to keep the contempt from her voice. "Did
you accept?" she asked.

"Hai," Chibi-Usa breathed out softly, "Chibi-Usa didn't take it too
well though."

"I'm not surprised, Usagi-chan," Misako snorted, "She'd be losing the
best friend she's ever had in you."

"There is Misako," Chibi-Usa countered somewhat confused. <Please
Imouto, don't be mad at me. I already feel guilty.>

"Misako's her onee," Misako replied, "Speaking of Misako, where is my
namesake? I'm surprised she didn't try to stop Chibi-Usa..." <Or you,>
Misako thought, <But I'll give you a chance to explain.>

"Misako's at an out of town gymnastics competition," Ikuko replied and
then considered her answer, "I didn't think such things took more than
one or two days." <I thought she would have called by now.>

"Tsukino-san, it's possible it's a large competition. Also sometimes
schedules require different events to be held on different days," Misako
reassured her grandmother.

"True," Ikuko replied. She sat silently for a moment or so, then giggled
before saying, "I wonder if every Usagi in the world has an onee named
Misako?" Her statement was received with silence and looks of confusion.
"Well, Usagi has you, Misako-san. Chibi-Usa has her onee, Misako." There
was a short pause and then Ikuko added, "And I think a sister can be a
best friend. My best friend was my onee."

"Mom, you have an onee???" Chibi-Usa questioned curiously.

Ikuko smiled and replied, "Honestly Usagi, don't be so silly. You know I
have an onee. You do know Nabiki, your oba, ne?"

"I don't think I've ever met your onee, Tsukino-san," Misako
interjected, "I remember Usagi mentioning something but..."

"Nabiki lives fairly far away near Sapporo. It's expensive to come and
visit, especially with her family. I miss seeing her all the time like
when we were kids. We write letters and talk on the telephone but...
it's not the same. You can't really hug over a telephone." Taking a long
sip of tea, Ikuko added, "That's why I think Chibi-Usa and Misako are so
lucky. They can be sisters, and fairly close sisters at that. I think
Misako's lucky too that she's taken you on as an onee, Usagi, just like
you have done for Minako and the others. Everybody needs someone they
can share their secrets with."

"But if you tell people secrets than it really isn't a secret,"
Chibi-Usa countered.

"You have to trust that person deep down in your heart," Ikuko
countered, "If you never trust anyone and try to do everything yourself,
you'll eventually fail. Do you know one of the reasons why I let you
discipline the girls, Usagi-chan?" Chibi-Usa shook her head. "Because I
trust you but also I think the girls feel more comfortable in sharing
private stuff with you. I also trust you to protect that privacy unless
it's important." Getting up, Ikuko smiled and said, "I've spent too much
time reminiscing. I know you two want to catch up." <You probably want
to ask Misako to be your Maid of Honor...> "Nice meeting you again,
Misako-san." With that, Ikuko left the room, leaving both girls to
ponder her words.

                                 ******

Chibi-Usa twisted her hands together as she sat in the chair by the
desk. She couldn't bring herself to look at Misako who was standing by
the window. They had sat in their room, silently, for the past five
minutes, each unsure of what to say.

"O... Onee-chan," Chibi-Usa said softly, "Are you mad at me?" She raised
her head to see Misako looking at her with a remote look. Shifting under
her sister's unwavering gaze, she added, "I didn't really have a choice.
Just think about it, though, now Mommy can get together with Daddy and
get married."

"Are you that baka?" Misako questioned flatly, "Think about what you've
just done to the timeline!" Chibi-Usa gave her a confused look. "Think
about history. What do the textbooks say about Mom 'n' Dad getting
married?"

<When did it say they got married?> Chibi-Usa wondered, <It's been a
while since I read the history books in Crystal Tokyo.> After some
thought, Chibi-Usa guessed, "I s'ppose she was about eighteen. Just like
I am now."

"Right, but how old is Mom really?" Misako prompted.

"Fifteen," Chibi-Usa replied before wrinkling her nose, "I don't get why
she was flipping out though." She looked towards Misako and said,
"Mommy's really upset and I feel bad about that. I didn't want to make
her cry or nothin' like that. I thought she'd be happy about it. This
way when we go back to normal, she can marry Mamo-chan."

Slapping her forehead, Misako drew her hand over her face in a slow
motion while giving a sigh of exasperation. "If things go back to
normal, Chibi-Usa, Mom won't be able to get married. THINK about it!
She's still going to have to wait three more years!"

"Two, she'll be sixteen in June," Chibi-Usa countered. <And I'll be
nine... teen?> She was about to add more but noticed that Misako was
giving her a very stern look.

"Assuming that Ikuko-mama and Kenji-papa would even let Mom marry when
she was young, do you realize what this could do to the future?"

<She sounds like Ami.> "So Mommy gets married a few years before she's
supposed to, Miko-chan. They still get married... so, what's the big
deal?"

<Graaah!!!!> Misako thought in frustration, <Of all the times to be
dense!> Clamping down on her irritation, Misako took several breaths
before asking, "What exactly did you do? Tell me everything that
happened?" Hesitantly, Chibi-Usa started to relate what had happened the
previous evening. At first, she was unsure of whether or not to tell
Misako everything but finally decided that she needed to get her worries
out into the open.

"So that's all that happened, Onee-chan," Chibi-Usa concluded after she
had finished her narrative. "What am I going to do?" She sniffled a
little bit. "The more I think about what happened, the worse I feel.
Mommy won't even talk to me."

"I just can't believe you were going to spank her..." Misako said in a
distracted voice. It was too surreal a thing to even consider. Noticing
the miserable look on her sister's face, Misako walked over and pulled a
chair closer so she could sit down. Leaning forward, she gave Chibi-Usa
a hug and said, "Imouto, I'm not mad at you. If I hurt your feelings...
gomen."

Chibi-Usa sniffled a little before saying, "I know you don't like how I
treat Mommy but..." she trailed off at Misako's look.

"I promise, I'm not angry with you. I'm worried though."

"Why?" Chibi-Usa wondered, thankful that her sister wasn't angry.

"If Mom and Dad don't get together, what happens to us?" Misako watched
her sister carefully and was not surprised to see Chibi-Usa's face pale
slightly.

"What have I done?" Chibi-Usa wondered sadly, "Have I really messed up
the timeline?" <Puu will be really, really mad and... maybe Misako won't
exist like...>

"Iie," Misako said, "I think you did what you had to do."

"I hate being like this, Miko-chan," Chibi-Usa stated in frustration, "I
thought being an adult would be easy. Instead, I have more chores, I
have to look after Usagi, I have to pretend I know what's going on. I
even had to punish Usagi."

"I think things will work out," Misako countered, "I want to go back to
being the way I was too. I can't hug Daddy like I used to. It makes me
feel funny. He's acting so strange and then all those guys..." Misako
looked at Chibi-Usa for several seconds and added, "I missed you,
Imouto." Her sister's response was to hug Misako.

"What do I do, Onee-chan? How can I make this up to Mommy. She won't
talk to me or nothing."

Misako tapped her lip thoughtfully. <Poor Chibi-Usa, this is an awful
mess. I have to help her.> "Ne, Imouto, do you remember that time I
wouldn't talk to you?"

"Which one?" Chibi-Usa questioned and giggled as Misako glared at her,
"Well there were a lot of times you were mad at me."

"Okay, I deserved that," Misako conceded, "I was talking about... oh."
<Baka Misako, that hasn't happened yet.> Misako frowned and then sighed.
"You could always go to her and tell her you're scared. I know Mom's mad
at you but that's always worked before when we're in trouble."

"Fake being scared?" Chibi-Usa questioned, "I don't know... that kinda
sounds like fibbing and I don't want to do that."

"Well, if Mom 'n' Dad don't get married, then I won't be born. You won't
be born either and that means that the Black Moon Family would win the
war. You need to be born so you can come back and bring the Senshi back
from the past, ne?" Chibi-Usa nodded a depressed look on her face. "You
have to have trust in people, Imouto. I think this will work out."

<I hope you're right,> Chibi-Usa thought as she hugged her sister. "So,
Onee-chan, what was it like being out on your own?"

"I wasn't and I think I'll be grounded for the next couple of weeks when
this all gets sorted out."

"Really?" Chibi-Usa questioned with surprise.

"Yeah, I tricked Dad into letting me watch a really scary movie that Mom
didn't want me watching and as part of my punishment, I have to tell
her." Chibi-Usa winced. "I'm a goner."

"Miko-chan, we're supposed to do these things and get away with them,"
Chibi-Usa replied. "Ne, did you kiss Mamo-chan?"

"Iie..." Misako replied hotly and then questioned, "What was it like?"

                                 ******

Minako took the plate that her mother handed her and started drying it.
Shoko started washing another plate while she turned and asked, "What's
the matter with Kimeko?" Minako gave her a quizzical look so she
explained, "She seems subdued. She was really happy this morning and
now... I don't know. Kimeko's just... calm. Maybe she's getting sick."

"I don't know... I know she took her nap. She was pretty happy before,
Mom. Kimeko was getting a little tired when we were shopping," Minako
said while glancing towards the living room. "She never said anything to
me." <I wish she would though. Misako and her had to be talking about
something pretty serious.>

They finished washing the dishes in silence before heading towards the
living room where Nobu and Kimeko were watching television. As they
stepped into the living room, Minako whispered out, "Awww... looks like
Kimeko's all right now." Kimeko had one arm wrapped around Nobu's neck
while she sucked on her thumb. With her head resting on Nobu's shoulder,
Kimeko was obviously sound asleep while Nobu stroked her hair softly.

"When did she go to sleep, dear?" Shoko asked her husband as she walked
over to sit on the couch.

"She just wanted a hug, then we talked a little bit and she just went to
sleep," Nobu explained softly. <I don't think you're feeling well. You
didn't even want to play.> Kimeko had been too quiet. <I wonder if she
did something wrong?>

                                 ******

Misako irritatedly rolled over and stared out the window of Mamoru's
bedroom. <I should be asleep,> Misako thought disgustedly, <Instead, I'm
wide-awake and it's all Chibi-Usa's fault.> Sighing again, Misako
flopped over to her stomach and fluffed up her pillow. "Iie," Misako
mumbled out, "She didn't have a choice. I'm just worried about what will
happen in the future." Bringing her hands around, she interlaced her
fingers over the soft material of the pillow before she rested her chin
on her them. "If I went away, would 'Sagi be sad?" She was quite sure
the little girl over at the Tsukino's would be; she was more interested
in the version of Chibi-Usa that was in the future.

<I really don't know,> Misako mused while shifting slightly, <Before, I
think she wouldn't miss me at all.> She just wasn't so sure now. <Why
would 'Sagi want me around though?> Maybe she could ask Kimeko about it.
As her mind wandered over the past few days' events, she reached down
and adjusted her pajama bottoms. <I hate wearing these baka things;
they're so loose. At least when I was a kid, my clothes fit me.>

The real problem was Mamoru and Usagi. <I have to get them at least
talking to each other. Dad's been so weird since I grew up.> Sighing,
Misako lay the side of her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. <I
wonder if Mommy was awake all night...>

                                 ******

Neo-Queen Serenity slipped from her room and down the hall to the living
room. It was brilliantly illuminated by a full moon. The room was also
empty. Crossing over to the study door, Serenity gripped the handle and
paused for a long moment before slowly opening the door and entering the
room. As she did so, she saw Endymion looking out the window. On his
cheeks glimmered a fresh streak of tears.

Closing the door, Serenity stood with her back to Endymion for another
moment or so before turning to face her husband. "Endymion, tell me what
you're feeling." Her husband turned to look at her; part of his face
sinking into shadow as he did so. "Please Endymion, you can't tell me
everything is fine."

King Endymion turned back to stare out the window into the formal
gardens. "Should I tell you what I see?" Endymion answered distractedly,
"Should I tell you what the future holds?" He did not see the look of
worry upon his wife's face. "At one time, I saw a beautiful future with
my wife and family."

"And now?" Serenity prompted after a considerable pause, "Can't you see
the same future? Misako will return."

"That was never the point, Serenity, and you know it!" Endymion hissed
with anger as he turned towards his wife, "The woman I loved... the
woman that I think you still are, would never EVER have done what you
did to Misako."

"She's your favorite, Endymion," Serenity countered hotly, "You
neglected Usagi."

Endymion shook his head. "Why are you denying it, Serenity. You know
what you did. You and I both drove a wedge between our children. We
purposely ruined what they had, what they might have had, and for what?
The all-mighty, precious timeline." Serenity opened her mouth but
Endymion raised his hand cutting her off. "Iie, this is where I draw the
line. No more timeline nonsense. I don't care if Pluto says we need to
do something to prevent the end of the world. I'm tired of being
manipulated by both you and Pluto into these types of situations."

"How can you say I manipulated you?" Serenity questioned while raising
her hand to her mouth.

"Look me in the eye and tell me that what you did was not manipulation."
Serenity turned away from Endymion and he sighed. "Serenity, I'm angry
and hurt. I'm also disgusted with what I did. I helped you rip this
family apart and I'm ashamed of that."

Serenity felt a few tears trickle from her eyes and she sniffled a
little. Swallowing hard, she clasped her hands before saying softly, "It
had to be done, Endymion. I have all of Crystal Tokyo, all of Japan to
think of. We have to think of the world as well." She looked at him
sadly and asked, "Can't you accept that? It was this way for the Black
Moon Family. It was this way for Misako's first trip."

"Serenity, I don't know you anymore. The woman I married would have
rather died than see ANY of her children hurt. You purposely sabotaged
Usagi's efforts to get closer to Misako. You and I, for I'm not
guiltless myself, took the last five years and wasted them, for what? To
fulfill some mysterious plot of Pluto's or... some real desire of
yours?"

"How can you say I wanted to hurt Misako?!" Serenity cried, tears now
flowing freely from her eyes. She breathed hard and gripped the edge of
the desk while questioning, "Don't you think I love Misako?"

"I think there's no room in your heart for Misako as long as Usagi is
around. For the past five years, it has always been about what was best
for Usagi, what Usagi needed. Never once did you truly consider what
Misako needed."

"She ran away," Serenity stated meekly, "What type..."

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Endymion roared, "Don't you dare try and blame this
all on Misako. If you want to blame someone, blame me. I didn't put a
stop to it when I could have. I should have stopped it but I didn't. If
Misako wants to hate me, I'll understand it. I will not see you blame
this on Misako!"

A tense silence filled the room. It was shattered by the door opening.
Serenity whirled around and saw Usagi standing in the doorway. "I...
Imouto, what are you..." Seeing the dark look Usagi was giving her,
Serenity trailed off and looked away from her daughter.

Slowly, avoiding any close contact with her mother, Usagi walked over to
stand beside her father and stated, "I heard you two yelling." Serenity
who had turned to follow Usagi's movements shifted uncomfortably and
looked away.

"I'm sorry we woke you up, Mesume," Endymion apologized while giving his
daughter a kiss on the forehead. "Why don't you go back to bed? You were
up late last night."

Usagi hugged her father tightly and placed her head on his chest. "You
were arguing about Misako, ne?" The silence that followed her question
confirmed her suspicions. Allowing her hug to go, Usagi turned to face
her mother. "Okaa-san, I'm supposed to be your favorite." Serenity
looked surprised by this statement. "Even little kids can tell," Usagi
pointed out to her shocked mother, "But I don't believe I was yours."

"Why?" Endymion questioned from behind his daughter.

"Because," Usagi explained while continuing to look at her mother,
"Okaa-san stole the one thing I wanted most. The one person that I'd
miss the most. If Misako comes back and hates me, I will NEVER forgive
you. You stole my imouto and made her hate me. Pluto stole my sister
too."

"Mesume..." Serenity began as she stretched out her hand to Usagi but
her daughter stepped backwards. Slowly Serenity clenched her fist and
lowered it to the desk. "You are going to be Queen," she stated in a
defeated tone, "I had to get you ready."

"We forgot an important lesson: compassion," Endymion countered. Slowly
Serenity straightened and walked to the door. Looking over her shoulder
for a moment, she left the room. That was when Endymion became aware of
Usagi's crying. Holding out his arm, she walked to him and hugged him
tightly while hiding her face against him.

<Gomen nasai, Misako. I tried to keep my promise to you...>
"Otou-san..." Usagi cried softly, "I want Misako here. I want my imouto
here."

"So do I," Endymion said as she gently stroked his daughter's hair, "So
do I." <I wonder what Misako's doing now?> He remembered Misako's entire
trip, but it was hard to tell exactly when his daughter was. <Hurry
home... Mesume.>

                                 ******

Misako's eyes flew open at the first sensation. Rolling to her back and
sitting up, she prepared to run to the bathroom. <I feel funny,> Misako
thought, <I guess I don't hafta go to the bathroom,> as she tried to
determine what was happening. She looked out and saw the full moon
shining brightly against a clear predawn sky. <What's going on?> Feeling
the tingling sensation run from her toes all the way up to the top of
her head, Misako shivered slightly and swung her feet over the edge of
the bed.

<I want Daddy but...> Misako sat confused and worried, <I don't know
what's going on.> She just wasn't sure if Mamoru would comfort her.
After a moment or so, Misako flopped back onto the bed and sighed.
<Maybe I was just cold...> She gave a gasp as her vision turned to pure
white as a warmish sensation ran through her entire body. It only lasted
a few seconds but it was enough to scare Misako.

<I don't care what Daddy says!> Sitting upright, she pushed herself off
the bed and gave a yelp of surprise when her feet never made contact
with the floor. Instead, she toppled forward, just barely managing not
to hit her head on the floor. <What happened?!?> Misako thought as she
lay on the floor. Scrambling up, she started to walk again but again
toppled forward. <Nani?!?> Was something wrong with her legs? Rolling
over, she sat up and looked.

"I... I'm not big anymore," Misako remarked softly, "I changed back!"
With excitement and a few muffled giggles, Misako flung the oversized
clothing that was hampering her off. <Good, I won't trip in just this,>
Misako thought as she scrambled up and noticed that the pajama top
extended to below her knees. "Daddy... I have to tell him." Running to
the door, she opened it and prepared to yell.

<Better not... He still might not want to hug me.> There was only one
thing to do. Running down the hall and into the living room, she
launched herself at her father. When she made contact, she snuggled
close to him while hugging him tightly.

As Mamoru's breath was knocked from him, his eyes flew opened and looked
wildly around the room. His sleep clouded brain tried to deny the image
that met his eyes. "MISAKO!" Mamoru said sharply as he sat up.

"I'm small again!" Misako shouted as she tried to hug her father even
tighter.

Mamoru sat stunned, unable to really believe what was happening.
Blinking his eyes again, he realized that it was true. Misako was her
normal size once more. Hearing Misako sniffle a little bit, Mamoru
wrapped his arms around his daughter and hugged her closely. "Don't cry,
Mesume."

"I didn't know if you'd hug me ever again," Misako said sadly while
looking towards her father, tears slowly flowing from her eyes.

"Oh Miko-chan, I love you and I always will." They sat in silence for a
moment or so before Mamoru mused, "I wonder if your mother and Chibi-Usa
changed back?"

<I hope so,> Misako thought as she snuggled close, <Now I can go to
sleep.> At that moment, Misako heard her communicator sounding and she
sighed.

                                 ******

"We'll be there as soon as we can, Rei-chan," Usagi said with difficulty
before closing her communicator. <I wanted to sleep more... but not in
this tight outfit!> Her child-sized pajamas were starting to cut off the
circulation to her now teenage body. <I wonder if Chibi-Usa changed back
too?> Quickly she went down the hall and looked up the set of steps to
her daughter's room. <I bet Chibi-Usa'll be mad at me.> She felt a
twinge of anger herself. She started to move up the stairs and stopped
as the ripping of clothing filled the air. The already taunt fabric gave
way easily under the added stress and ripped apart. Quickly looking at
herself, Usagi immediately blushed at her lack of clothing. After
mumbling out her transformation phrase, Usagi thought, <Arigato
Kami-sama, at least my Sailor fuku is magical and won't rip.>

Quickly walking up the remaining steps and into her daughter's room,
Sailor Moon marched over and called out, "Chibi-Usa... come on, wake
up."

"Leave me alone, Imouto!" Chibi-Usa grumbled out as she rolled over.

"Chibi-Usa, we have to go to a fight," Sailor Moon said urgently while
shaking her daughter. The now little girl frowned as she stared blearily
up at her mother. "Boy, you look funny." Rubbing her eyes, Chibi-Usa
blinked and said, "I changed back... so it wasn't a dream."

"No time for dreams!" Sailor Moon snapped as she pulled Chibi-Usa up,
"That's how we got into this mess in the first place. Now let's
transform and get going!" Chibi-Usa's bottom lip trembled and she
sniffled a little bit while nodding.

After Chibi-Usa retrieved her broach, she and Sailor Moon said together,
"MOON CRISIS MAKE-UP!" With a swirl of magical light, Super Sailor Moon
and Super Sailor Chibi-Moon stood in the room. Without another word,
Sailor Moon walked to the window and, opening it up, leapt out into the
night with Chibi-Moon sadly following behind her.

                                 ******

PallaPalla pouted slightly as she looked through the collection of dream
mirrors she had. "Where is the Golden Mirror, I wonder?" After a few
moments, she blinked before grumbling out, "No way! Despite so many,
they're all blank!" Her head snapped up and she let the mirrors go as
she heard two familiar, and annoying voices.

"Stop right there!" both Sailor Moon and Chibi-Moon shouted.

"You fooled around with the heart of a girl who wants her boyfriend
back!" Sailor Moon yelled angrily to PallaPalla.

Chibi-Moon, not to be out done, stated angrily, "You fooled around with
the heart of a girl who dreams of being an adult!"

"You fooled around with the dreams of many children!" Mercury's voice
called out.

"You made trouble in the middle of the night," Mars stated tersely.

"You're so terrible that you deserve a Hari senbon!" the angry voice of
Venus shouted. <That was not a fun scene to wake up to!>

Jupiter seemed the sensible one of the group and calmly stated, "The
Sailor Soldiers won't forgive you!"

"In the name of the Moon..." Sailor Moon began.

"...we'll punish you!" Sailor Moon and Chibi-Moon finished together.

PallaPalla looked slightly disappointed as she took in the spectacle
before her. "Oh? You've returned to normal?" Not giving the Senshi time
to respond, she added, "That's okay. Come out, PallaPalla's Lemure,
Candy Doll Pero-Pero-chan!"

As the Lemure appeared, it greeted the Senshi, "Hi! Pero! Pero!"

"Treat them a lot, please!" PallaPalla directed her Lemure.

Pero grinned and nodded, "Yes, ma'am! I'll make you... candies!"

Jupiter leapt quickly, moving away from the other Senshi before shouting
out, "JUPITER! OAK EVOLUTION!"

As the Lemure was hit, it called out, "Pero! Pero! Pero! Pero!"

Sailor Moon looked on in horror as the Lemure's numbers increased. "Oh
Kami-sama! They're increasing!"

"Don't worry about it!" Venus soothed before shouting, "VENUS! LOVE AND
BEAUTY SHOCK!"

"Pero! Pero! Pero! Pero!" the Lemure said again.

To Venus' great surprise, the number of Lemure's grew yet again.
"They're still increasing!" Venus said in disbelief.

"No way!" Sailor Moon said while shaking her head in denial, "This can't
be happening!"

"MARS! FLAME SNIPER!" Mars shouted as she fired her attack at Pero.

"Pero! Pero! Pero! Pero!" Pero-Pero said with a grin.

Mars scowled darkly at the Lemure as she muttered, "They're increasing,
all right!"

"And they've melted into a disgusting shape!" Sailor Moon added as she
wrinkled her nose, "Venus, that looks like something you cooked."

"Hey!" Venus squawked but her protests were cut short as Mercury moved
to the attack.

"MERCURY! AQUA RHAPSODY!" Mercury shouted out.

The Lemure's response was predictable. "Pero! Pero! Pero!" However this
time, the "candies" were frozen by Mercury's attack into a solid mass
effectively stopping them. Then Pero-Pero said, "Oh, please excuse me!
Okay, then my next treat!"

At that point, a rose flew by and stuck Pero-Pero's "wrapper" to the
ground, then Tuxedo Kamen's voice rang out, "Your sweets are awful!
You're disqualified from treating people!" The Senshi turned to see that
Tuxedo Kamen was on top of a lamppost while Chibi-Earth, standing on
another nearby one, groaned. In the meantime, Pero had shifted form to
that of a woman in a Playboy bunny outfit causing the rose to
disintegrate.

<Now's my chance!> Younger Venus thought and raising her hands, shouted
out, "LOVING GRIP!"

"Pero! Pero! Peeee!!!!" Pero-Pero cried out as a large glowing hand
started to squeeze.

"Now! Sailor Moon! Now!" Tuxedo Kamen commanded.

"Hai!" Sailor Moon responded.

With hope and worry mixing within her heart, Chibi-Moon knelt and called
out, "Please, Pegasus! Protect everyone's dreams! Pegasus!" Rising and
ringing the Charion Bell, she called out, "Twinkle Yell!" A sense of
relief washed over her as Pegasus appeared and allowed Sailor Moon to
perform her attack.

"MOON GORGEOUS MEDIATION!" Sailor Moon shouted out.

"I was wrong! Stage out!" Pero-Pero cried as she was banished back into
the shadows.

"Pegasus!" Venus breathed.

"So beautiful!" Mars observed softly.

Sailor Moon noticed that Pegasus was looking at Chibi-Moon and she said
softly, "He seems to be looking at you, Chibi-Moon."

"Hai..." Chibi-Moon replied, tears shining in her eyes. <Pegasus... I'm
so happy you came back to me.>

As Pegasus faded away, Jupiter turned to Sailor Moon and Chibi-Moon and
asked, "By the way, how did you two get back to normal?"

Sailor Moon gave a shrug, "Well... while we were sleeping... somehow..."
she trailed off and shrugged again, "I'm just glad we are back to
normal."

With a mischievous glint her eyes, Mercury cooed, "Awww... but
Chibi-Sailor Moon was so kawaii!"

"Oh, stop that!" Sailor Moon growled out with a scowl.

As she looked to where her friend had been, Chibi-Moon thought,
<Pegasus... I think I understand you a little better... but was that a
dream... and that kiss too? Pegasus, tell me...>

                                 ******

The Senshi stood around and looked at Sailor Moon, Chibi-Moon,
Chibi-Earth, and Younger Venus in mild surprise. Mercury was scowling as
she looked through her VR visor and tapped out commands on her computer.
"How is this possible?!?" she questioned the four restored Sailor
Senshi. Chibi-Earth and Younger Venus shrugged and looked towards
Chibi-Moon who shifted uncomfortably and looked towards the ground.

"I don't know," Sailor Moon admitted after a quick glance towards
Chibi-Moon, "First I was little and falling asleep. The next thing I
knew is that I'm big and..." Lightly blushing, she mumbled out, "Never
mind."

"Well come on, you four, change back and we can all go to breakfast,"
Sailor Mars suggested. Younger Venus blushed as did Sailor Moon and both
looked away. Chibi-Earth shook her head and Chibi-Moon repeated the
action.

"We need to take care of our parents," Venus said to Sailor Mars before
turning to Chibi-Moon and asking, "Can you use Luna-P on sleeping
people?"

After some thought, Chibi-Moon answered, "Iie, they have to be awake."
<I'm not looking forward to this.> It was liable to get her into serious
trouble. <Mommy...> Chibi-Moon thought sadly and she looked towards her
mother but Sailor Moon was glaring at Tuxedo Kamen. "Mommy?"

"Let's get this over with, Chibi-Moon," Sailor Moon said tersely, "I
want things back to normal before breakfast." With that, she turned and
leapt away towards home.

Chibi-Moon felt a lump forming in her throat and she sniffled a little.
<I bet Mommy's gonna punish me.> Her mother was so mad at her. <I didn't
want to do anything wrong.>

Chibi-Moon wasn't sure what to do when she felt someone take her hand
and squeeze it gently. Looking around, she saw her sister looking at her
with a large grin on her face. "Don't worry, Chibi-Moon, I think things
will work out." <Mom could never stay mad at you for long.>

"Arigato," Chibi-Moon replied. With that, both girls headed off after
their mother with Venus and her daughter taking up the rear. Tuxedo
Kamen watched sadly as his family vanished into the distance.

                                 ******

Misako peeked from underneath her covers at Chibi-Usa and tried to keep
the irritation out of her voice. "Just go and talk to Mom."

"But Misako, she won't even talk to me," Chibi-Usa said sadly, "I... I
don't..."

"Look," Misako snapped as she rolled to a sitting position, "I'm not
getting in between you and Mom. If you want to make things better, then
you'll have to do it!" A feeling of guilt washed over her as Chibi-Usa's
face crumpled and the little girl began to softly cry. Sliding over, she
hugged her sister while sighing. "Onee-chan, I'm sorry. Gomen nasai."
She felt her sister hug her back and Misako sniffled her own self.
"Please don't cry. I'm just tired. I didn't sleep all night."

Chibi-Usa hiccuped before asking softly, "What should I do? I know you
told me but... what if... what if it doesn't work? I don't want you to
go away." A tear rolled down her cheek and she added, "I bet Mommy's
gonna yell at me." <Or worse...>

"Chibi-Usa-chan," Misako said softly, "I promised you I wouldn't go
anywhere and I won't." She gave her sister a smile. "Now, you can sit
there and be quiet or go and talk to Mom."

"What if I sit here and don't be quiet, Onee-chan?" Chibi-Usa
questioned.

"Do you remember what I did to you when you called me `Peanut'?"
Chibi-Usa nodded, "I'll do worse." Rolling back onto her futon, Misako
burrowed under her covers. After a short pause, Chibi-Usa stood up and
walked towards the door. Turning, Chibi-Usa opened her mouth but Misako
cut her off. "Don't even think about it, Imouto," Misako warned with a
growl. Giggling, Chibi-Usa left the room and headed for her mother's
room.

                                 ******

Usagi stared gloomily up at the ceiling as she lay in bed. She blinked
to clear the unshed tears from her eyes. <How could you, Mamoru? How
could you betray me so much?> After a moment or so, Usagi heard the door
open but she didn't look towards it. <It must be Misako,> Usagi thought,
<I bet she missed me.> When she didn't hear anyone approaching the bed,
Usagi looked towards the door and was surprised and irritated to see
Chibi-Usa.

Her irritation didn't last long though when she saw her daughter's face.
"Mesume?" Usagi questioned as she sat up. Chibi-Usa looked at Usagi with
sad red eyes. Tears started to run down her cheeks and the little girl
sniffled. "What's wrong?" Usagi questioned.

"Mommy?" Chibi-Usa questioned in a quavering voice.

"Come here," Usagi directed as she held out her arms. Chibi-Usa only
hesitated a little before running to Usagi and hugging her mother.
"Mesume," Usagi said softly while lifting Chibi-Usa onto her lap before
hugging her daughter, "What's wrong?"

"I'm scared, Mommy," Chibi-Usa cried, "I don't know what to do? I didn't
want to make you mad!"

"Oh sweetheart, it isn't your fault," Usagi stated firmly, "Why are you
scared?"

"Because, I might have hurt the timeline. If you and Daddy don't get
together..." she shuddered and hugged her mother tightly. "I don't want
Misako to go away."

"Why would Misako go away?" Usagi asked worriedly as she started to rub
her daughter's back. When Chibi-Usa didn't answer, Usagi gave a little
sigh. "You mean that if Mamoru and I don't get back together, that you
won't be born?"

"And Misako," Chibi-Usa whispered. Lifting her tear-streaked face to
look at her mother, she added, "I... I wanted to make you happy. This
way you could marry Daddy sooner."

Usagi's heart lifted a little bit and then the happiness quickly seeped
away as guilt pushed it out. "You mean you did this to make me happy?"
As Chibi-Usa nodded, Usagi could feel her cheeks heating as she blushed.
Giving her daughter a kiss on the top of her head, Usagi started to
gently rock the child while saying, "Gomen nasai, I don't know what I
was thinking." Sniffling a little bit, she said, "All I could think of
was that Mamoru was going to leave me."

Chibi-Usa looked up at Usagi and explained softly, "I know... before I
wanted Mamoru as my boyfriend but... he's my daddy and I want him like
that. You're my mommy and if you don't marry Daddy, then you can't be."

Usagi smiled slightly and remarked, "Mesume, I was baka to blame you.
I'm still mad at your father. He should have known better." Moving her
daughter off her lap, she shifted over and said, "Come on, you can stay
in here for a little while if you want to."

"I think I'd better," Chibi-Usa said as she slipped under the covers.

"Nani?" Usagi asked with a slight frown.

"'Cause, Misako's sleeping and I want to call her `Peanut'."

"If you do, I'm not going to yell at her for what she does." Chibi-Usa
giggled as she laid down beside her mother.

"So are ya gonna marry Daddy?"

"Iie," Usagi said while hugging Chibi-Usa, "I'm not ready for that yet,
and I don't think Mamoru is either." <My Dad wouldn't let me either.>
Chibi-Usa gave a sigh of relief. At least, she wasn't going to be
punished and her mother seemed to be forgiving her. Snuggling close, she
shut her eyes before drifting off to sleep.

                                 ******

Chibi-Usa sat in her room while she worked on a picture. <I thought
Misako was gonna kill Luna-P.> She giggled slightly at the thought of
her sister looking very indignant. <Boy, was she ever mad!> Luna-P had
changed the Tsukino's memories so that they thought Misako still had
been at a gymnastics competition but she had done very poorly. <I don't
know why Misako thought I made Luna-P tell Ikuko-mama 'n' Kenji-papa
that. Misako sure got into trouble though.> Ikuko had given Misako a
scolding for not phoning and letting her know that everything was okay.

Chibi-Usa wasn't particularly happy with Luna-P either. According to
Luna-P, Chibi-Usa had been cranky, childish, and at one point, a major
brat. <I wasn't that bad!> Chibi-Usa thought as she sent a dark look to
where Luna-P was resting in a corner, Diana snoozing on top of it.

<At least Kimeko's and Minako's were believable.> As far as Nobu and
Shoko were concerned, Minako had been looking after her little cousin
and had done an excellent job. The adult Kimeko had assumed a role of
Minako's mentor.

<Luna-P changed Mommy's Grade Two shoes and her new fuku into a set of
Grade Four shoes and a new fuku for me,> Chibi-Usa mused. <Poor Mommy.>
Usagi hadn't been pleased with Luna-P either. <Kenji-papa was mad that
Mommy took me out so early without tellin' nobody.> Not that it could
have been avoided. <We had to go over to Minako's first. If her parents
had called the police...>

Sighing, she turned back to her picture and managed to get a little more
done before another wayward thought spoiled her concentration. <I know
I'm forgetting somebody though,> Chibi-Usa thought as she got up and
walked to the window, <There's another person I need to change. It isn't
Momoko; she's been away for the week with her parents on holiday.> For
some reason, she couldn't remember who it was that she had used Luna-P
on.

At that exact moment, Misako came flying up the stairs and into the
room. "Chibi-Usa-chan, what about Mie? Did you get her?" Chibi-Usa
slapped her forehead and groaned. "Well get Luna-P and bring it down.
She's coming to the door now."

"Nani?!?" Chibi-Usa cried. Running over, she unceremoniously dumped
Diana onto the floor as she snatched up Luna-P and ran out of the room.

"That girl..." Diana huffed, "Is going to pay, severely!" Misako walked
over and scooped Diana up. "Why can't she be as quiet as you?"

"I'd get worried then," Misako observed, "I really would." <She's
definitely a Usagi.>

Running out of the room, she provided Diana with a harrowing ride as the
young girl bounded down the stairs three at a time. As she came to the
bottom, she could hear Mei's voice saying, "Konnichiwa Tsukino-san, can
Chibi-Usa come out 'n' play?"

Misako saw her grandmother looking oddly at the little girl who was in
the entryway. Before Ikuko could say anything, Chibi-Usa cried out,
"Luna-P Henge!" Within moments, both Ikuko and Mie had altered memories.
Much to Misako's surprise, Chibi-Usa asked, "Can I go play with
Mie-chan, Ikuko-mama?"

"I want you to take Misako along," Ikuko instructed, "And you aren't to
go any further than the park."

"Hai Ikuko-mama," Chibi-Usa chirped. "Come on, Onee-chan!" she added as
she ran over, grabbed Misako by the wrists, and pulled her quickly out
the door.

"Chibi-Usa, let me get my shoes on first!"

"Jeez, you're slow. Come on, I wanna go play!"

Ikuko gave a little sigh and shut the door on the girls' good-natured
squabbling. <I think it's really nice of Chibi-Usa to become friends
with Mie. Now if only Misako would do something like that.> Somehow
though, Ikuko didn't think it would be a good idea to ask Misako about
it.

                                 ******

Misako walked down the street two days later and shivered slightly. The
sun was hidden by a layer of clouds; a light mist seemed to permeate the
air, making everything damp and cold. <I'm glad I only had to ask Mom if
I could go and see Kimeko. I don't know what I would've told
Ikuko-mama.>

After a few minutes, Misako walked through the entranceway to the hotel
that Kimeko was staying at. Walking across the hotel lobby, Misako
stopped every so often to look at some of the interesting artwork. <This
place seems bigger than I remember it.> Moving to the elevator, she went
up to Kimeko's floor and walked down the hallway. <This is kinda
creepy,> Misako thought as she looked around nervously. Increasing her
pace a little bit, she finally reached Kimeko's room and knocked.

It was a moment or so before the door opened and Kimeko motioned Misako
into the room. "Arigato Miko-chan, I appreciate you coming over."

"Wh... what did you want to talk to me about?" Misako asked her guardian
as the walked into the room proper. While Misako took a seat in one of
the two chairs that were in the room, Kimeko sat on the bed.

<Well, here we go,> Kimeko thought before she said softly, "Can I ask
you something?" Misako nodded. "Are you still going to stay here in the
past?"

Flicking imaginary dust from her dress, Misako looked towards the floor
for a long moment before she replied, "I need to, Kimeko-chan. I want a
mother and Usagi loves me... Chibi-Usa loves me too."

"But you don't think your onee in Crystal Tokyo loves you?" <Don't you
dare say I'm your onee,> Kimeko thought when Misako didn't immediately
answer. "I don't understand why you don't think Usagi loves you. I mean
your onee."

"She just doesn't want me around," Misako replied, "She gets all the
attention." She looked at Kimeko and pleaded, "Please Kimeko-chan, don't
take her side. I don't know what I'd do if you did that."

"I'm not trying to take anybody's side, Miko-chan," Kimeko assured the
young girl, "I'm just trying to understand why you want to stay in the
past." The room fell silent and after a minute or so, Kimeko sighed and
asked, "Did you know that I'm going to have to stay in the past too?"

"Nani? You aren't little anymore."

"True, but you are my responsibility. I'm your guardian and if I
neglected my duty by returning to the future, then Sakuya wouldn't be
very happy. Neither would my mom or Serenity-sama."

"Her Majesty doesn't care about me. She keeps talking about how Usagi
needs to be ready to be Queen. What am I going to be? She never spends
any time with me." Kimeko opened her mouth but Misako continued on, "I
asked Her Majesty once what I would be if Usagi was going to be Queen.
She said `Well you'll be Usagi's sister'!"

"Well, you ARE Usagi's sister."

"I want more than that!" Misako shouted. Taking a few deep breaths, she
looked away from Kimeko for a long moment before saying, "Usagi does
everything better than me. I'll never be anything more than her sister.
Why go back when I'm somebody special in the past?"

"Does Usagi do gymnastics better than you?" Kimeko questioned.

"Probably," Misako admitted sadly, "She's probably dancing with Senji
too."

"I thought you just wanted Senji as a friend," Kimeko said curiously.

"Usagi just takes everything I have and ruins it or wants it for
herself," Misako grumbled out. "I don't know why I should go back to
that. At least here, Ikuko-mama isn't afraid to stop Chibi-Usa from
doing something wrong."

"Hold it!" Kimeko said sternly, "First off, I bet your parents are as
strict with you as they are with Usagi. I bet they're even stricter with
Usagi. Secondly, Sakuya would certainly not let Usagi get away with
anything. At least she never did in the past."

"She's probably gonna let Usagi be Atsuko's onee," Misako grumbled out.

"Nani?"

"I said Sakuya probably wouldn't let me around the baby if I went home."

"Now you're being baka," Kimeko countered, "What's really bothering you,
Misako? You haven't even seen the baby yet and you don't know what
Sakuya's going to do. She's always treated you fairly I think." Misako
pouted slightly and turned away from Kimeko. "I thought you weren't mad
because Sakuya named the baby Usagi and Kimeko."

"I'm not," Misako pouted out. <I shouldn't be...> "It's just..."
trailing off, she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms
around her legs. "Usagi gets everything I ever wanted."

"There's one thing that Usagi doesn't have that you do, Misako," Kimeko
said softly. The young girl turned to look at Kimeko dubiously. "You
have freedom."

"Nani?"

"You can do what ever you want." Misako snorted and Kimeko smiled
slightly. "Okay, you can do more than your sister could ever do." She
could see that Misako didn't believe her in the least and Kimeko sighed.
"You can choose to be anything you want to be. You could spend all your
time being a Senshi. You could study and teach gymnastics when you grow
up. You could become a dancer or anything else you ever dreamed of."

"What does that have to do with 'Sagi?" Misako questioned grumpily.

"She has one career that she has to be good at. She has to be Queen.
That means she has to study certain things and be good in them. It
wouldn't matter if she wanted to become an artist; that would be
secondary. That would have to be for times when she wasn't dealing with
matters of State."

"But I can be anything I want to be here in the past and I'll be away
from 'Sagi. That'll make her happy," Misako retorted quietly, "It won't
matter what I do. To everyone, I'll always be Usagi's kid sister."

"So you're going to stay in the past to change that?" Kimeko said at
Misako's nod, then she added, "Then you'll be lying." Misako sat up and
blinked at Kimeko's declaration. "You'll be lying to yourself, the
people that DO care about you, and an entire country. You're going to do
something selfish just so you can feel good!"

"It isn't like that..."

"IT IS!" Kimeko snapped, "Kami-sama, Misako, listen to what you're
saying. Staying in the past and trying to be Usagi's onee won't solve
anything."

"It will!" Misako shouted, "I'll be able to make sure that 'Sagi loves
me."

"You can't force someone to love you, Miko-chan. That's wrong, and
hurtful," Kimeko said softly, "Usagi loves you." Misako shook her head
rapidly. "Hai, she does. Usagi wanted you to be a Sailor Senshi. She
pestered your parents for months."

"Parent," Misako corrected moodily.

"Okay, you're right. Usagi helped convince your father that being a
Sailor Senshi was a good thing," Kimeko countered. Seeing the look in
Misako's eyes, she added, "Usagi has always wanted to go to your
practices. She has a lot of responsibilities though."

"She never wanted me around," Misako quipped.

"And do you want Chibi-Usa around all the time?" Misako was silent.
"Iie, of course not. It's the same with Usagi. She's growing up and has
a lot on her mind but I promise you, Misako, she's always loved you."
Misako slid from her chair and walked over to the window, "When you were
sick, it was Usagi that took care of you."

Misako's shoulders shook a little and after a moment, soft crying could
be heard. Kimeko sat on the bed, unsure of what to do. Misako turned a
tear-streaked face to look at Kimeko and remarked, "Usagi just did it so
she'd look good to Her Majesty."

Kimeko grimaced and moving purposefully off the bed stood up. "Tsukino
Misako, just listen to yourself! How old do you think you are?!"

"I'm almost eleven!" Misako countered angrily, "What's the big deal?
Ain't I supposed to be happy?!"

Kimeko's face narrowed into a tight mask of controlled anger. "You're
acting like a child, Misako. Things can't always be fair. What about me
and Masao? Sure we fight sometimes but I know Masao loves me. I know
Usagi loves you and would do anything for you."

"That's a lie!" Misako shouted back, "Why are you lying to protect
that... monster?!" Misako turned away as heaving sobs shook her small
body. <Why don't you see what's happening, Kimeko? Why are you defending
'Sagi?> "Don't you want me to be happy?"

Kimeko moved to kneel behind Misako and slowly reached out a hand.
Gently touching the young girl's shoulder, she asked, "Miko-chan, when
you're at the Tsukino's, is Usagi really your mother?"

"Hai," Misako said after a moment's pause.

Kimeko gently turned Misako to face her and wiped a few tears from her
cheek. "Really? Can you call Usagi `Mom' when your sobo or sohu are
around?" Misako took on a reluctant look but shook her head. "You love
Usagi, ne?" Misako nodded. "You wouldn't want to make Usagi sad, ne?"

"Iie," Misako said shakily, "But..." she trailed off as Kimeko placed a
finger against her lips.

"Listen to me for a second, Miko-chan." When Misako nodded her
understanding, Kimeko stood and, taking Misako's hand, moved back to sit
on the bed. Pulling the little girl closer, Kimeko said, "You know that
Usagi and Mamoru get married when they're eighteen. Do you think they'd
want you around when they're married?"

<Would they?> Misako wondered, <I know Daddy loves me but... when Mom
'n' Dad get married I'll be... twelve. I know they'd want to be
alone...> She considered more of what she knew of the history
surrounding that time. <I don't think I could live with them. They won't
have a lot of money.> There were some other events surrounding her
grandparents but she couldn't recall the facts at that moment. "I guess
they wouldn't want me around. They'd want to be with each other," Misako
admitted with a slight shiver.

Kimeko gave her charge a warm smile while brushing a few stray hairs out
of Misako's face. "And what about the Darkness? Are you going to stay
here? Are you going to be strong enough to survive that?" Misako shifted
uncomfortably before shrugging and taking on a defeated look. "Misako,
do you remember when you ran away? Usagi worried a lot. And she moped
about for a solid month because of the way that you left. Did you know
that Usagi thinks you hate her?"

"You keep saying that Usagi loves me and cares about me but... she never
did anything to show me that. Not like my imouto."

Kimeko gave a little sigh of exasperation and explained, "What about
school? She was always proud of you because of your grades. She wanted
you to be a Senshi and... Usagi asked Sakuya to spend more time with
you."

"She did?" Misako asked, a sense of hope coming into her heart.

"Hai," Kimeko replied, "Misako, you know you can't always do what you
want. Sometimes Usagi wasn't able to do what she wanted, which was to be
with you." Getting up, Kimeko walked to her closet and retrieved the bag
the adult Misako had given her. Walking back to the bed and sitting down
she smiled. "I have something for you."

"Nani?!?" Misako questioned while eyeing the bag suspiciously.

"Do you think I'm lying?" Kimeko questioned. Misako blushed and shook
her head. "This is for you from Usagi."

Misako took the bag and opened it. Inside was something that looked like
a frame, and an envelope. Retrieving the wooden frame, Misako looked
curiously at the picture. <It looks like me and 'Sagi,> Misako thought,
<When did I draw this?> It had to be when she was young. Carefully
setting down the framed picture, Misako reached in and retrieved the
envelope. After hopping up on the bed, she noticed that the envelope was
sealed. "What's in here?"

"I don't know," Kimeko answered honestly, "I know that she wanted you to
have it though."

Carefully opening the envelope, Misako took the letter out and spread
the two folded pages that were within. Nervously licking her lips, she
glanced at Kimeko who smiled a little and then without a word, got up
and headed for the bathroom with the letter. Once the bathroom door was
closed, Misako started reading the letter:

     Misako,

     When you left without saying good-bye, I felt terrible. I felt
     like I made you leave again. I wish you had said good-bye but
     I wish you had told me what I did wrong. Every time I tried to
     do something right, I screwed up.

     I remember when you became a Sailor Senshi. I was so proud of
     you, and I thought you and me could be part of a team. I know
     you can be a great Senshi but it takes time. Lots of the
     Youngers are stronger than me. I'm stronger than you but you
     aren't as clumsy as me.

     I miss you, Imouto. I remember when I was being punished for
     Sakuya's wedding. You and Hana were my only friends. I know
     I've been acting baka, Misako, and if you still hate me when
     you come home... I'll understand. I know you might not come
     home but I hope you will. I'll do anything, Imouto, I promise,
     just give me another chance.

     I remember you drawing this picture of you and me when you
     were little. It was just after I came back from the past. I
     would like you to draw me another one. You're older now and I
     bet you can do a better job.

     I love you, Imouto, hurry home,

     Usagi.

                                 ******

Chibi-Usa softly padded up to her bedroom in her stocking feet. As she
came into the room, she looked at her sister with a worried expression.
<Misako's been actin' funny all day.> Closing the bedroom door,
Chibi-Usa headed for her dresser to retrieve her pajamas and a fresh set
of underpants.

Misako glanced over to Chibi-Usa before turning to look out the window
again. <What do I do? Kimeko's right. I can't stay here but... can I go
home?> That letter, from her onee, sounded real. She looked over to
Chibi-Usa again and thought, <I love you but... you're not really my
onee or my imouto. My onee's so different from you and I know you don't
really like being my imouto.>

Chibi-Usa seeing Misako looking at her strangely walked over and asked
softly, "Did I do somethin' wrong, Onee-chan?"

"Nani?" Misako questioned.

"Well, you've been actin' funny since you came back from talking to
Kimeko." Chibi-Usa looked away for a moment and then looking Misako
right in the eye, she added, "I usually make you mad so..."

A pang of guilt stabbed at Misako's heart and she winced. <I have to
talk to her,> she thought, <I think I've been so wrong. I'm so scared
though...> "Would you like me to take a bath with you or are you getting
too old for that, 'Sagi-chan?"

"It's a little late, Miko-chan," Chibi-Usa replied, "Ikuko-mama said I
could have one tomorrow. She ain't very happy with me." Misako grinned
as her sister blushed slightly. <Well it was a good program.>
"Ikuko-mama keeps saying I'm not getting enough sleep."

"What if I try and convince Ikuko-mama to let you stay up until I go to
bed?"

"You would?" Chibi-Usa questioned.

"Hai, after all... you ARE my onee." Grinning at the shocked expression
that Chibi-Usa was giving her, Misako skipped from the room in search of
her grandmother.

                                 ******

A short time later, after having washed Misako slipped into the warm
waters of the Tsukino's furo until only her head was above the water.
Misako gave a sigh as she felt the water warm her throughout. Chibi-Usa
was in a similar position beside her. "Do we do this a lot, Onee-chan?"
Chibi-Usa asked softly. "I mean you hafta make sure I take a bath when
we're in the past, so did I have to make sure you took a bath too?"

Misako opened her eyes and turned her head to regard Chibi-Usa.
"Chibi... Onee-chan, I want to talk to you." Chibi-Usa took on a worried
look at Misako's tone. "I'm going against Pluto's rules. I'll likely get
into a lot of trouble." Chibi-Usa's worried look deepened. "But you have
to promise me, give me your word of honor as a Sailor Senshi, you won't
never, EVER tell ANYBODY what I tell you."

"I promise, Misako," Chibi-Usa stated seriously holding up her right
hand, "I promise I won't tell anybody anything you say."

<Well Misako, you wanted to explain things... She promised, so are you
going to run away or tell her the truth?> Misako bit her lower lip for a
moment before saying softly, "We used to have baths together. Then you
started to act funny."

"Why?"

"You were... well you just were," Misako replied lamely, "I got mad
because you didn't want to take baths with me and Mom 'n' Dad wouldn't
let me take baths without somebody watching me."

"You were little?" Chibi-Usa questioned, "I know Mommy wouldn't let
either one of us take a bath alone if we were small. Somethin' bad might
have happened to us."

Misako shrugged and said, "I don't know,... that's the best example I
can give you." Chibi-Usa gave her a curious look. "I wanted to do what
you did but I was `too little' or `not old enough'." She gave a crooked
smile as Chibi-Usa gave her a pointed look, "I know, Onee-chan, that's
what you hear, ne?"

"Hai," Chibi-Usa grumbled out.

"You know how sometimes I didn't want you around?" Chibi-Usa nodded.
"Well, that's what happened to me. You didn't want me around." Chibi-Usa
took on a panicked expression and Misako shook her head. "Sometimes you
wanted to be by yourself or with your friends. Just like me, though, you
didn't know how to tell me."

"Why are you calling me `Onee-chan'?"

Misako shifted slightly and then she said, "I... miss having you as my
onee. I thought I was gonna show you how to be a good onee but... I
wasn't a very good one."

"You were so," Chibi-Usa countered as she sat up and got out of the
furo. Starting to dry off, Chibi-Usa paused while saying, "I'm the bad
onee. I didn't want you around."

Misako got out as well and got her towel. Starting to dry off, she said
softly, "I remember one time when you were having a sleepover and you
wouldn't let me stay. I was so mad at you." She looked towards Chibi-Usa
and added, "I guess being the Crown Princess is pretty tough."

"Hai," Chibi-Usa said with a sour look, "Did you hear about the whoopee
cushion?" Misako shook her head. "Well let's get into our pajamas
first."

                                 ******

Sitting in their room, Chibi-Usa slid under the covers of her futon and
lay down. Misako followed suit after shutting off the lights. "How'd you
get Ikuko-mama to go for this?" Chibi-Usa asked.

"I... sorta gave up my allowance for the week," Misako confessed softly
as she moved close to her sister, "It doesn't matter. I wanted to talk
to you, Onee-chan." She smiled as Chibi-Usa hugged her. "So what's this
about a whoopee cushion?"

Chibi-Usa giggled before saying, "You remember how mad you were when I
told you I was coming back to train, Miko-chan?" She saw Misako nod in
the gloom. "Well I was mad at Mommy because she wouldn't let me spend
the day playing with you instead of going to Court. So, I put a whoopee
cushion on the throne when she was standing up talking. When she stepped
back and sat down..." Chibi-Usa trailed off and giggled again.

Misako felt her mouth twitch into a smile before she started laughing.
"Oh I bet Mom was mad."

"She turned bright red, stood up, and saw the cushion. She walked over,
took me by the arm, and led me out the private exit," Chibi-Usa trailed
off and she shivered slightly, "I thought I was home free. Mommy would
send me home and scold me later on."

"She didn't?" Misako asked curiously.

"Iie, I bet you can guess what she did," Chibi-Usa replied. "That's one
reason why I thought it was great when I thought you were my onee. I
wouldn't have to do all that boring stuff." Chibi-Usa was quiet for a
long time before saying, "What if I do become Queen? Mommy never seems
to have any friends."

"What about the Senshi?"

"Sure but, most of them are so polite. I really like Hana." <I miss
her.> "I wouldn't want her to not be my friend." She looked at Misako
through the darkness and she sniffled a little. "Misako, when you went
away, I got really scared that I might do something to make you not
exist."

Misako sniffled slightly as she felt her eyes moisten. "I've been wrong,
Onee-chan. I wish I could tell you everything but... I'm scared. There
are important people that might not make it if I told you everything."
She felt a tear roll down her cheek and she added, "I'm just trying to
be someone special. I don't just want to be your kid sister. I want to
be someone that counts."

Chibi-Usa hugged Misako and said softly, "I keep telling you that you're
special to me. I can tell you lotsa stuff I couldn't tell Mommy." She
gave a wry smile and added, "I'd have a pretty sore bottom if I told
Mommy everything." Misako sniffled a little and gave a slightly
strangled giggle. "You just never believe me."

"Gomen nasai, Onee-chan. I've been really baka. I love you."

Chibi-Usa shifted away from Misako and looked at her curiously. "I love
you too... Peanut!"

End of Chapter 24

Coming next in Chapter 25 - Duet