Part XIII Chapter 35 - Lasting Impressions Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen were the first to rush to their fallen daughter; Chibi-Moon was close behind her parents. Taking her daughter Sailor Moon cradled her gently and protectively. A look of concern was evident on her face. "Misako... Mesume...." Sailor Moon breathed out. She could feel tears starting to streak down her face, "How could this happen? What were you doing out here?!" Although her questions were directed towards Misako, Chibi-Moon flinched. Walking around to stand beside her mother, she reached out and gently touched her little sister's arm. "Miko-chan?" she called softly, her voice growing thick, "Come on, Miko-chan." Unseen by either Sailor Moon or Chibi-Moon, Tuxedo Kamen caught the frown on Mercury's face. He saw her raise her head and shake it slightly. He felt his heart grow heavy. Misako just was taking too long to recover. "Transform back," he instructed softly, "We have to get Misako home and into bed." He looked to his youngest daughter and wrapped an arm around Sailor Moon. "She'll be okay," he added trying to comfort her. "Hai!" Chibi-Moon chimed in trying to hide her own concern. "Michael-kun was." At the sound of Chibi-Moon's voice Sailor Moon whirled around and glared at her daughter. "What were you doing with Misako?!?!?" she demanded angrily. Chibi-Moon gulped and took a step back, "ANSWER ME!!!" "We-We... I-I mean I... I just wanted to let Misako play being a Senshi for a little while and..." Chibi-Moon finally got out with moistness in her eyes. She had rarely seen her mother so angry. "`PLAY BEING A SENSHI'!!!" "Usako..." Mamoru said softly placing a hand on her shoulder. "IIE!" Sailor Moon snapped, "Of all the irresponsible things to do!!!" She stepped towards her daughter. "You KNOW how dangerous it is! Didn't you THINK about that?!?" "Bu-but how was I supposed to know we would run into a Lemure?!" Chibi-Moon demanded, "If you want to get mad at someone, get mad at Misako! She's the one that thought up this whole thing!" Sailor Moon detransformed and then said, "I never thought I'd see the day you pulled a stunt that's more irresponsible than taking the Ginzuishou!" "BAKA ODANGO ATAMA!!!" Chibi-Moon screamed with hurt showing plain in her speech, "Don't you think I care about Misako?!? Don't you think I want to see her safe?!?" She sniffled a little, "I tried! I really tried! Gomen nasai!" Chibi-Moon detransformed and now stood there in her bunny pajamas tears beginning to fall. "If you REALLY cared about Misako, you would have stopped her from coming here rather than tagging along! You're her onee! You should be more responsible!" The others drew in their breath. They had never seen Usagi act this way towards Chibi-Usa and it was rather disconcerting to say the least. Chibi-Usa, balling up her fists, gave a half choked sob and screamed, "I HATE YOU! My mommy wouldn't think I didn't care about Misako! My mommy would be worried about me!" She swiped away a few tears and continued, "I WISH YOU WEREN'T MY MOMMY!!!" And with that Chibi-Usa turned and ran further into the park. Without hesitation Tuxedo Kamen ran after Chibi-Usa leaving the others standing in shocked horror or impotent fury. As the shock wore off, Kimeko was the first to speak. Turning to Usagi, she said flatly, "We need to get Misako home." She looked at Usagi and added, "But I think we should wait for Chibi-Usa and Mamoru-kun." Usagi's only response was to walk over to a nearby bench and sat down. ****** Mamoru ran down the path looking around for his daughter. After a few minutes he realized that he must have ran right by her. Turning around, he walked this time listening. This time as he approached a clump of bushes, he could her sniffling. Getting down on his hands and knees, he looked into the bushes and saw Chibi-Usa sitting on the ground, her knees drawn up to her chest and face buried. "Chibi-Usa-chan," he called softly. Chibi-Usa's head shot up and she stared at him. Her facial expression was a mixture of anger, fear, worry, and resentment. "Chibi-Usa-chan, come on out of there, please?" he asked softly and slowly reached his hand out to her. She looked at it for several seconds before taking it tentatively. "Come on," Mamoru said, "I'll listen to you." He slowly drew his daughter out of the bushes and into a hug. Chibi-Usa clamped tightly to him and started to cry in earnest. Mamoru gently held her and started to rock slowly, comforting her distress. "Misako will be okay," he told her gently, "Gomen if we didn't make sure that you were okay." He wasn't quite willing to say that he didn't blame her. Not only would that make Usagi out to be the heavy but Mamoru couldn't truthfully say that he wasn't upset either. After Chibi-Usa quieted down but kept a tight grip on him, Mamoru suggested, "Honey... we should really go back." Chibi-Usa shook her head and didn't look up at him, "You want to see how Misako's doing, ne?" "Hai..." Chibi-Usa whispered out, "But Usagi will yell at me again." She just couldn't bring herself to face Usagi, not after what Usagi had said. Chibi-Usa sadly thought. Brushing back part of her hair, Mamoru looked into her sad red eyes and said, "Chibi-Usa-chan, you know Usagi yells a lot... We might be angry with you but we do still love you." Mamoru stood up and started walking towards where they had last left Usagi and the others. "Chibi-Usa-chan, if Misako wakes up she'll want to know where you are." Mamoru added, "You can help Misako get over this. You know how scared she'll feel; you've been through some things just as scary." He hugged her a little tighter for a moment to try and give her confidence, "You're Misako's onee. Nothing will ever change that. " Chibi-Usa remained silent. She couldn't trust her voice and she wasn't sure what to say. She was hurt, confused, angry, and even a little jealous of Misako. Even though she was snugly in a comforting hug from her father, Chibi-Usa felt alone in the world and that scared her. ****** The others had discreetly left; they said they would wait over at Makoto's apartment to see what the news was. Kimeko had decided that she would stay. Actually, she would have stayed even if Usagi had wanted her to go. So as the city came awake and the sun continued to rise in the east, the two girls sat silently on the bench. Usagi was murmuring to Misako who hadn't yet regained consciousness and Kimeko was deep in thought. After several moments of awkward silence Kimeko turned to Usagi and said, "Usagi-san, I hope you don't take this the wrong way but what you said to Chibi-Usa was THE dumbest thing I've ever heard!" Usagi slowly turned to stare at Kimeko for several seconds before saying, "You don't understand, Kimeko-chan." "I most certainly do!" Kimeko snapped, "Kami-sama! Chibi-Usa is only a little girl!" It had pained Kimeko to see Usagi yelling at Chibi-Usa like that. She could understand Usagi's worries and being angry but what Usagi had said was very unreasonable in Kimeko's opinion. "Chibi-Usa looks up to you. You should have been supporting her, reassuring her that Misako would be okay!" Usagi abruptly got up from the bench and walked a few paces away. "What do you know, Kimeko? You aren't a mother. How can you feel what I'm feeling?" "Usagi-san," Kimeko said coming up behind Usagi, "I spend almost every day with Misako and, to a lesser extent, Chibi-Usa. When your future self and Endymion-sama are away from Crystal Tokyo, I and Sakuya have to look after them." Kimeko thought, "I've noticed too that Chibi-Usa regards you differently here. She's more relaxed around you than her mother." "Nani?!?" Usagi asked turning to look at Kimeko, "I don't understand." "I don't either," Kimeko admitted, "But what I see is that you have a very special relationship with Chibi-Usa that even Misako couldn't break but now you're drifting away from her." Kimeko said gently, "She tried to do something for her imouto and it blew up in her face." "That doesn't..." "That doesn't excuse her behavior, I know." Kimeko stated firmly, "What it also doesn't excuse, Usagi-san, is that you blamed EVERYTHING on Chibi-Usa." Kimeko's knees suddenly felt like Jell-O. Stepping back, she sat down and sighed. She looked at Usagi but Usagi had turned away and stared towards the east. Kimeko thought, and that thought surprised Kimeko. Timed seemed to pass slowly. Kimeko shifted uncomfortably on the bench and was just about to go look for Mamoru and Chibi-Usa when a sudden scream frightened her. Looking around for the source, she found that Misako was awake and howling in terror, her arms and legs flailing wildly around. "Misako!" Usagi cried in relief. Misako, upon hearing her mother's voice, Misako located the source and immediately clung desperately to her mother. She buried her face in her mother's chest and sobbed, her entire body shaking. Usagi hugged her daughter closely. "Oh Miko-chan!!!" Usagi said, her voice thick with and coarse, "It's going to be okay!" Walking back over to the bench, she sat down and started to rock gently while rubbing Misako's back. "You're safe. The bad man went away and he'll never hurt you again." "Onee..." Misako finally managed to chock out, "Where Onee?!?" "Small Lady's okay," Kimeko reassured Misako and proceeded to hug the terrified little girl the best she could, "Your mommy's right, that bad man won't hurt you again." Kimeko felt her heart pause for a moment as a little arm released its death grip on Usagi and instead was clamped tightly around her neck. "Oh honey, it'll be okay..." Kimeko reiterated while hugging the little girl, "We'll protect you." The three girls didn't notice Mamoru or Chibi-Usa coming down the path. Mamoru had heard the scream and, as he drew closer, he could see that it was Misako who had screamed. She was now fearfully clinging to any support she could get find. Kimeko looked up and spotted Mamoru and Chibi-Usa closing rapidly. "See Miko-chan, Chibi-Usa's okay..." She pointed in the direction that Chibi-Usa was. Misako turned her head and let out a little sob. It sounded more relieved than anything else. Her tears started to abate and, by the time that Chibi-Usa had worked up enough courage to approach her sister, Misako was only sniffling. She still kept her tight grip on Kimeko and Usagi though. "Are you okay, Miko-chan?" Chibi-Usa asked softly. She didn't look towards Usagi; she couldn't really. Misako's answer was to let go of Usagi and Kimeko and, leaning over, hugged her sister tightly, "I love you, Onee-chan!" she replied. "I thought you hurt... Gomen, I not mean to get you hurt!" she sniffled again. Chibi-Usa sniffled herself and wrapped her arms around Misako. She could feel the little body trembling still, could hear her sister's ragged breathing, and she could feel the fresh tears soaking into her pajama top. She blinked and looked as someone lifted her up. Looking around she saw that Usagi had lifted her onto an opposite knee so that Misako could hug her sister better. Chibi-Usa thought. She lowered her head and sniffled again. "Let's go home," Usagi suggested softly, "Mom will be really worried about us." "Kim'ko-chan, you come too!!!" Misako pleaded. "I will, Miko-chan. I'm not going anywhere." With Kimeko's and Mamoru's help, Usagi managed to stand and start walking with both daughters. Mamoru was surprised to see her be able to managed with both of them but, as they started to walk, it seemed that Usagi was doing it because Misako wanted it that way, not because Usagi wanted it that way. He looked over to Kimeko who was walking on the left side of Usagi, where Misako could see her, and noticed that she was shaking her head slightly. He sighed silently. The road ahead was going to be bumpy. ****** Just outside of the Tsukino home, Usagi let Chibi-Usa down. Misako seemed ready to protest, that is, until she caught sight of a very angry Ikuko stalking towards them. Kenji remained at the door. Misako immediately resumed her iron clad grip, which hadn't really lessened since she first applied it at the park, and promptly hid her face. "Where were they?!?" Ikuko demanded without preamble, "I've been worried sick?!?" "We found them in the park, Mom," Usagi explained, lowering her head to look at Misako, she added, "Misako was really really scared." She hugged her youngest daughter and, looking back towards her mother, while saying, "Someone who looked like a police officer tried to kidnap Misako." She felt her daughter shiver and could hear the little girl give another sniffle. "Kami-sama!" Ikuko breathed and walked over towards Misako, "Miko-chan, are you okay? Did that person hurt you?!?" She reached out towards Misako but the child flinched away and just clung tighter to her mother. She didn't want to remember that bad man; she didn't wanted to remember what had happened to her. "We need to tell the police," Ikuko stated and started back into the house when Kimeko's voice drew her up short. "That's why were late bringing them back, Tsukino-san. We called the police and they told us to wait there. We did and they know where we live if they need anymore information." Kimeko fervently hoped that it wouldn't take Luna-P to make Ikuko forget. That would cause problems she didn't wanted to think about. Ikuko stared at Kimeko sternly for a moment, then said, "Well I suppose that it's all right... Now I have some questions of my own." She then motioned them into the house and, taking up the rear, entered before closing the door. ****** Five minutes later, a new set of tears flowed from Misako along with a demonstration of her lung capacity. Ikuko finally gave up trying to get answers from her. Misako simply didn't want to deal with it. Ikuko wasn't heartless though. She could see that Misako was clinging desperately to Usagi and even mentioning the fake police officer seemed to send Misako into almost a state of pure fear! "Miko-chan, why don't we go have a little rest?" Usagi asked softly. Misako gave a yawn but looked worriedly at Usagi, "Kim'ko and Onee come too?!?" she asked. Mamoru was relieved that Misako didn't want him to go with them. "I want to talk to your onee. You go ahead with Usagi," Ikuko instructed sternly. "Come on, Princess," Kimeko said softly, "I'll be there and Usagi will be there. We won't let that bad man come after you." She gave Misako's back a little pat before continuing, "Your sobo can talk to Chibi-Usa." Kimeko didn't notice Ikuko or Usagi wince at her last comment. Misako gave this serious thought. Her face bunched up for several moments before she gave a yawn and, relaxing a little, snuggled against Usagi and said very softly, "Hai." Usagi got up and Kimeko followed her up the stairs. They went into Usagi's room and shut the door. Ikuko walked over to a chair sat down and look sternly at Chibi-Usa who squirmed under her glare. "Young lady," Ikuko began softly, "I want the truth, the whole truth!" Ikuko raised a finger, "You and your imouto scared ALL OF US including Shingo!" "Where..." Chibi-Usa trailed off and looked at the ground. "Where to start? Start with the puddle of milk on the kitchen floor this morning and why you didn't stop your sister," Ikuko demanded. She folded her hands in her lap and waited patiently. Chibi-Usa hated this. She felt she was standing before her mother back in Crystal Tokyo because she had done something wrong. "I-I felt cold, and when I noticed that Misako wasn't coming back to bed, I wondered where she had gone to," Chibi-Usa began, "I looked around and found her downstairs. I guess when she was getting the milk it slipped and spilled out onto the floor." Chibi-Usa shifted slightly and looked up to see that Ikuko was sitting silently, simply looking at her, "Ikuko-mama, I tried to talk her into coming back to bed..." "Were you going to clean up the milk?" Ikuko asked. Chibi-Usa flushed, "Iie," she finally confessed, "I thought that if I could get Misako and me back to bed fast enough that you and Kenji-papa might think that it was Shingo's fault." "I see..." Ikuko said, the statement hung in the air thickly, "Go on." "Um well... I tried to get Misako back to bed but she didn't want to go and said that if I told on her, that she'd say that I had spilt the milk and that getting up that early was my idea." Chibi-Usa sniffled, "She made me feel guilty 'cause I said she wasn't really a Senshi." Another sniffled followed the first and Chibi-Usa paused before saying in a raspy voice, "Gomen nasai. I didn't mean for it to happen, Ikuko-mama, really I didn't!" She turned her eyes to regard her grandmother, begging to be believed, "I tried to stop her but... I thought that it wouldn't do any harm." Ikuko got up and walked over to Chibi-Usa, "And now it has," she responded, her voice controlled, "Chibi-Usa, YOU should have known better." Ikuko gently placed a hand on Chibi-Usa's shoulder, "Honey, you're eight years old, no longer a baby. I thought I could trust you." "But Ikuko-mama..." Chibi-Usa started but at Ikuko's upraised finger, she fell silent with another sniffle. She could feel a lump started to form in her throat. She looked at the ground again. "But nothing," Ikuko said sternly, "Chibi-Usa-chan, you knew that Misako wasn't allowed out of the house by herself or even with you when you weren't with Kenji-papa, Usagi, or me." Ikuko lifted Chibi-Usa's chin, "You also knew that Misako was grounded by Usagi." Ikuko said more softly, "Chibi-Usa-chan, you KNEW that it might be dangerous and that's wrong." "Are... Are you going to punish me?" Chibi-Usa asked softly. "I'm going to have to give that some thought. For now, go to your room and stand in the corner." Chibi-Usa nodded meekly and started to move off when Ikuko brought her up short with a question, "Honey? Are you okay?" Chibi-Usa just stood there and nodded slightly. Ikuko walked over to the little girl and, giving her a hug, said, "I'm glad you're okay." When Ikuko let her go Chibi-Usa ran up the stairs, a set of tears rolling down her cheeks. "Wow..." Mamoru commented. He had sat silently through the entire process and was now staring in awe at Ikuko. Ikuko turned and looked at him oddly. "That was incredible!" Despite her mood, Ikuko graced Mamoru with a smiled and then sat about getting him some tea. Chapter 36 - Duty By mid-morning, Ikuko had finished the housework for the day. It was a great stress reliever. Most of her concern was focused on Misako. It troubled Ikuko and the more she thought about the possible consequences, the more distressed she got. Which led to more of the house getting thoroughly cleaned. Kenji, Shingo, and Mamoru had vacated the house. Actually, Ikuko had told them to go find something to do and not get in her way. So they had disappeared out the front door, Kenji and Mamoru looking relieved and Shingo reluctantly following along; he wanted to know how Misako was. Quietly walking up the stairs, Ikuko placed her hand against Usagi's door and listened. There was no sound coming from the room. Gently opening the door, she looked in and found that Misako was curled up in Usagi's bed. Her little arms tightly clamped around Kimeko. Ikuko thought, Turning her gaze, she saw Usagi sitting at her desk scribbling away with a pencil. Ikuko tapped softly on the door. Usagi jumped and whirled around ready to attack. That got Ikuko's attention and earned Usagi a quizzical look. Sheepishly, Usagi relaxed and walked over to the door. "Gomen Mom," Usagi said softly. "Come downstairs, Usagi, I'd like to have a talk with you," Ikuko asked. She wondered why Usagi had flushed again but decided to let it pass for the moment. Turning, she headed downstairs. Usagi closed the door softly and quickly caught up to her mother. Once seated at the table, Ikuko looked directly at her daughter and said, "Usagi, what made you wake up?" Usagi thought, Settling herself better in the chair, Usagi responded, "Well, Mom, Luna was restless. Normally she sleeps until I wake up." Usagi smiled internally; it was all true. "I wondered what had agitated her, so I got up to have a look around." "So you noticed that Misako and Chibi-Usa were gone?!?" Ikuko asked. "Iie," Usagi said, "At first I headed downstairs and found the milk. I was confused... Maybe somebody had started to pour a glass and got sick or something." Usagi shrugged, "Anyway, I looked in both bathrooms and nobody was there so I started to look around. That's when I found out that Chibi-Usa and Misako weren't in their room." Ikuko remained silent for several seconds before saying, "I see... So why did you scream?" Usagi winced internally. "Well you know me, Mom," Usagi explained after an extended pause, "I immediately assumed the worst. I've become very attached to Misako and Chibi-Usa and I didn't want anything bad to happen to them." Much to Usagi's surprise, Ikuko gave a small smile, "Tsukino Usagi, you don't know how proud that makes me feel." Ikuko continued, "You've grown up a lot over the past few months." "Mom..." Usagi said while blushing brightly, "Maybe it just easier getting along with them than fighting with them." She was trying desperately to keep up her image. Not that she minded her mother being proud of her just that she was fifteen and there were certain things you simply didn't admit to! "You don't fool me, Usagi-chan. I've even seen you encourage Shingo to play with them," Ikuko grinned, "You love them, ne?" Ikuko didn't miss the semi-pained expressions that flashed across Usagi's face before she nodded. Ikuko wondered if she should ask Usagi about it but decided not to. "I really care about them and when I found them gone I got really scared," Usagi admitted softly, "I don't know what I would have done if that man had taken either of them." Usagi was feeling guilty that she hadn't managed to hurt the main guy responsible for the attack against her daughters. They sat silently for a few moments, the clock in the hall ticking off each second. Finally Ikuko said, "Usagi-chan, do you think that the girls should be punished?" After several long seconds Usagi answered, "Hai, I mean, if Shingo and I ever did anything like this, I think you'd punish us." Ikuko nodded and then said solemnly, "Usagi, I and your father think that you should punish the girls." She tried not to laugh at Usagi, her eyes had grown large and her jaw had dropped in shock. "Nani?!?" Usagi squeaked out, "But Mom, you're the adult, er... the... parent." Ikuko resisted the urge to give an exasperated sigh. "Usagi," she said seriously, "You are a very responsible young woman." She gave her daughter a smile, "You've done a lot of things for the girls. I've seen you let Misako treat you as a mother..." "And Chibi-Usa looks up to you as her onee." Usagi blushed again. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about," Ikuko continued, "You've taken over most of the things I usually would do. You get the girls ready for bed, get them to take their baths, and, typically, you're the one to break up their minor squabbles." Another thought occurred to Ikuko, "They also go to you for comfort. Usagi-chan, YOU grounded Misako yesterday. I could have done what she wanted to me to do and overridden your decision but I won't do that." "Why?" Usagi finally asked, still blushing. This time Ikuko let her exasperation show. "Usagi-chan, I and your father trust you and you seem to be fair. You were perfectly right in grounding Misako yesterday. Responsibility has its down sides, Usagi-chan, and this is one of them," Ikuko said firmly but kindly. "Another reason is that you probably know more than I do," Ikuko admitted, "I can't be fair to the girls if I don't have all the facts." Usagi placed her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand and furrowed her brow in thought. After a long pause she said, "Well I guess I could ground Chibi-Usa." "And Misako???" Ikuko questioned. "Misako?!?" Usagi asked surprised, "Well I mean she's scared and well..." She faltered and gave a shrug. "Hai, Misako too. Misako is scared, yes, but once she calms down, I think you should." Ikuko explained, "Misako thought up this plan. She might be scared now but if she's anything like her onee, she'll get over it and probably do something similar again." Usagi looked dubious about Ikuko's reasoning, "Well, Usagi, it's up to you. I and your father will stand behind any decision you make." Ikuko got up and, as she passed Usagi, said, "Just please give it some thought," and then left the room. "Hai," Usagi said. Usagi thought as she sat at the table, It was like being let into an elite club. There was a warm feeling though; Ikuko had said that they were proud of her. This just increased her love for her daughters. They were the reason why she had started to improve, trying to better herself. But the warmth was also tinged with guilt. Usagi thought. As she reflected back on the day's events, she found a lump forming in her throat. Usagi thought sadly, slowly she got up and headed up the stairs. ****** Chibi-Usa was still staring at the same corner. Fortunately, she was now sitting on a chair instead of standing. Half an hour after being sent to her room, Ikuko had came in and instructed her to pull one of the desk chairs over to the corner. Chibi-Usa was bored, hungry, and sore. She was also very worried. She was just starting to doze off when the door opened. Looking over her shoulder, Chibi-Usa gulped as she saw Usagi enter the room, a dark cloud hanging over her head. Quickly, she turned back to the corner and stared straight ahead. Her heart sank as she heard the door close solidly and Usagi start to walk across the room. "Young lady, come here!" Usagi ordered sternly. Reluctantly Chibi-Usa got up and turned around to face Usagi. Her mother was sitting on the bed, a stern expression entrenched in her posture and features. Hesitantly, Chibi-Usa walked across the room to stand in front of her mother. She couldn't meet Usagi's eyes so she looked down at the floor instead. Usagi regarded her daughter for a long moment before saying, "Usagi, tell me EXACTLY what happened. Everything." Shakily Chibi-Usa began, how she had woke up and found Misako gone. About finding her sister downstairs and how she had agreed to help Misako be a Senshi. She told her mother about the plan that had gone horribly wrong and of the last thing she remembered -- FishEye's attack. As Chibi-Usa began her tale, her voice had been clear but by the end, her voice was thick and ragged. When she finished Chibi-Usa stood looking at the ground, head hung in shame and fear. Two streams of tears running down her face. "Chibi-Usa-chan?" Usagi asked softly. She waited until her daughter had lifted her face, her eyes puffy from tears, "I only have one more question?" "N-Nani?" Chibi-Usa choked out. "Do you think you should be punished?" Chibi-Usa stared at Usagi incredulously for several seconds. She blinked to make sure she wasn't hallucinating the entire thing but found that it was definitely real. Chibi-Usa thought, She was about to answer Usagi, who was looking at her expectantly, but found that she wasn't sure what to call Usagi. "Well Usagi-san," Chibi-Usa began tentatively, "I know that I should have told one of you." Chibi-Usa took a breath and said, "I guess it is all my fault that Misako got attacked." "That's what I thought too..." Usagi admitted gently. "When I first saw what had happened, I was very angry with you." She reached out and drew Chibi-Usa into a hug, "Gomen nasai, Chibi-Usa-chan. I know that just saying sorry won't make what I said go away but I am sorry that I didn't listen." She felt little arms snaked around her middle in a hug and as Chibi-Usa hugged her, she could hear the little girl's muffled voice say, "Onee-chan..." A burst of tears came then cutting her off. "Gomen nasai!" Chibi-Usa sobbed out, "I... I..." she sniffled again and simply hugged her mother. "You probably hate me." The voice was almost a whisper. "Chibi-Usa-chan, I don't hate you," Usagi said, "I am angry with you but I don't hate you." She could feel the moisture in her own eyes beginning to build. Chibi-Usa lifted her face up to look at Usagi and sniffled out, "What's the difference?" "Hating someone means you don't love them," Usagi explained, "I still love you, Chibi-Usa-chan. I will always love you. I'm just not very happy with you at the moment." She stroked her daughter's hair and asked, "Usagi, do you really not want me as your mother?" She tried to ask it as gently as possible. Usagi really didn't want to ask it but she had to know the answer. Chibi-Usa squirmed out of Usagi's hug and started to pace for a moment before saying, "Hai." It was a soft reply and she glanced at Usagi but the older girl was sitting on the bed with a stunned expression. Sitting in the corner had given her a lot of time to think about what she really wanted Usagi to be. "You and Mommy are different," Chibi-Usa started to explain. She hopped up onto the bed and slid against Usagi, "I mean I know you and she are the same person but both of you are really different." "Nani?!?" Usagi asked confused, "I don't understand." "I can be with you a lot more than Mommy," Chibi-Usa admitted, "And I can do things that Mommy wouldn't allow. We can get into trouble together." Chibi-Usa smiled and continued, "I have fun with Mommy but she's always so busy and, even with Misako there, I don't really have any friends." She sniffled again, "I wanted to do something for Misako and then you yelled at me, you sounded just like Mommy." Usagi wrapped her arm around Chibi-Usa in a hug, "I guess with your imouto here wanting me to be `Mommy', I guess I started to act differently." Usagi gave her daughter a little squeeze, "I'll try to give you some space, Chibi-Usa-chan," Usagi said, "But I think you might not like me very much in a couple of seconds." "Why?" Chibi-Usa asked. She felt her stomach tighten into knots. "Because I'm grounding you for two weeks. That means no friends, no phone, no television, and double chores." Much to her surprise, Chibi-Usa hugged her. "That wasn't the reaction I expected." "Onee-san, you didn't treat me like I was Misako's age," Chibi-Usa said, "And I wanted that. Ikuko-mama was right. I knew that Misako was grounded and I knew that it could be dangerous, I just didn't think." "Imouto, you just made your onee proud!" Usagi declared and hugged her daughter back. "I'll be speaking with Misako when she calms down a little bit." "You mean she's in trouble too?!?" Chibi-Usa tried to keep the hope out of her voice but failed. At Usagi's look she flushed slightly and said, "At least you treat Misako the same as me. Mommy always lets her get away with stuff. If she does punish Misako, Mommy just sits her in a corner or puts her in her room. I always seem to get into trouble more though." "After talking with Mom and you, I see that I jumped to some conclusions that were wrong," Usagi admitted. She lifted her daughter onto her lap and noticed that Chibi-Usa winced. "Are you okay, Imouto?" she asked in a worried tone of voice. "Hai!" Chibi-Usa squeaked. "It's just that when I got tossed, I landed rear end first and it's still a little sore." She gave a sheepish smile, "I would've said something to Ikuko-mama but I wasn't sure how to tell her." "Well Ami said you'd likely have a couple scratches and a bruise or two," Usagi reported, there was still a worried note in her voice, "But I can understand why you didn't mention anything." Usagi paused, "But I think to be safe, we'll think of something to tell Mom." She gave her daughter a hug and said, "Chibi-Usa-chan, I want you to be happy and if that means I have to be your onee instead of your mommy, then I will." "Arigato," Chibi-Usa replied happily, "You're the best, ONEE-SAN!" "I know it!" Usagi said smugly and then giggled at her daughter's sharp look. "I know it because YOU said it, IMOUTO," she said again. Things were going to be different. Usagi thought. ****** By six o'clock that evening Usagi figured that Misako was about as calm as she was going to get for awhile. "Come on Misako, time for your bath," Usagi told the child. "Onee-chan, you come have bath too," Misako requested. "Iie," Usagi said firmly, "You, young lady, are going to bed early. I also want to talk to you." Misako took on a worried expression but before the little girl could say anything, Usagi had taken her hand and was now guiding her up the stairs. Chibi-Usa, who was snuggled up beside Ikuko on the couch, watched her mother and sister leave the room and disappear upstairs. She turned to her grandmother, curiosity piqued, and said, "Ikuko-mama, did you tell Usagi that Misako should go to bed early?" Ikuko shook her head. Chibi-Usa hid a smile. She felt sorry for her sister but at least Usagi was being fair. By the time that Misako was in the furo, she was extremely nervous. Her fears about the "bad man" were still present but with her mother, her sister, and Kimeko nearby, she was feeling a little better. What she was nervous about was that Usagi hadn't said one word. She could tell that Usagi had become very serious and Misako's instincts were telling her that she was in trouble. "Okay, Misako, time to get you into your pajamas," Usagi said. Misako stood and her mother lifted her out of the furo and wrapped her in a towel. She then began to dry her daughter off. "Mommy?" Misako asked hesitantly, "Are you mad?" "Hai," Usagi admitted, "but we're going to talk about it when you have your pajamas on." She finished drying Misako off, wrapped the towel around her again, lifted her daughter, and carried her down the hall. Once in the bedroom with the door closed, Usagi helped Misako into her pajamas. Sitting on he bed, Usagi drew her youngest daughter close and said, "Miko-chan, why did you leave the house without permission?" "'Cause I wanted to be S'nshi. I real S'nshi!" Misako responded softly, "I wanted you be proud of me, Mommy." "Miko-chan, you knew that you were grounded," Usagi said, "I told you what that meant yesterday. You also know that you left the house without permission." Misako lowered her head and she sniffled slightly, "That was very naughty, Misako." "But you and Onee S'nshi!" Misako protested, "I want to fight baddies!" "You made your onee go with you," Usagi said sternly, "If Usagi didn't help, you were going to fib and get her into trouble." Misako flushed bright red in embarrassment, "You know that fibbing is very bad, ne?" "Hai," Misako whispered out. "Gomen Mommy," she said and looked up to her mother, two small streams of tears running down her face. "Misako, you know I'm going to have to punish you," Usagi said. Misako looked to her mother pleadingly, her face framed by her hair, blue eyes misted over, and colored light pink from the tears that were starting to come. "Please Mommy," Misako said, "I not mean to be bad. I be extra good, I promise!" She hugged her mother the best she could and said, "I not mean to get Onee into trouble." With some effort Usagi fortified her resolve and gently pulled Misako's arms from around her waist. "I know you didn't mean to get your onee into trouble but what you did was wrong." Usagi said softly, "Your sister was punished and I'm going to have to punish you too." "Nani?!?" Misako asked as Usagi lifted her up. She was even more confused when Usagi laid her on her tummy across Usagi's lap. The first swat took Misako completely by surprise. She sucked in her breath and started to kick her legs slightly. She felt Usagi tighten her hold slightly. The second swat made Misako give a yelp of pain and start to squirm a little more. The third swat set Misako to howling, kicking her legs and arms trying to understand what was happening. Tears streaked down her cheeks as she cried. She couldn't believe what her mother was doing! Usagi gave her daughter three more firm swats on the bottom before stopping. Picking Misako up, she hugged her daughter close, "I do love you, Misako," Usagi told her child softly. Her only response was a sob. To Usagi's surprise, Misako wrapped her arms around Usagi's neck and hugged her while continuing to cry. After the worst of the crying faded out and when Misako was now softly crying with the occasional hiccup, Usagi stood up and pulled the covers back. Settling the little girl on her stomach, Usagi said, "Have a good sleep, Miko-chan, if you get scared you can come into my room." Misako just hid her face in her pillow and continued to cry. Gently pulling the covers up Usagi turned and found Chibi-Shingo. She handed the teddy bear to Misako and gave her daughter a kiss before leaving the room. Misako took the teddy bear and hugged it tightly. She cried herself out and then sleep finally to took her. With a little heart that had been broken she blinked once, twice and then the blackness took her and the world was still. Chapter 37 - Difficult Decisions "Kimeko-chan!" Minako called with some relief as she saw her daughter entered their bedroom at the Aino home. It was well past seven in the evening. "I was starting to worry." "Gomen, Minako-chan," Kimeko said softly, "Usagi was telling me some things." Kimeko shuffled over and sat down on the bed, "What a day!" Minako got up and walked over to her daughter. Sitting down, she put a comforting arm around Kimeko. "I hope you aren't blaming yourself," Minako said looking seriously at her daughter, "Because if you are, then you can sleep downstairs!" Despite her mood, Kimeko smiled before saying, "Just a little." She gave a shake of her head and replied, "Iie, I know that there was nothing I could do." "But you were great!" Minako said, "It doesn't matter that you didn't stop the attack but you were there when Misako needed you. That's just what a guardian should do." Minako smiled at her daughter, "I never even thought of attacking that fashion freak that controls the Lemures." "I figured you were right behind me, Mom, and I had this undeniable urge to hurt that guy badly." She grinned, "I might not be as powerful as Sailor Moon but to see the utter look of shock on his face made the effort with it." Minako giggled, "So you aren't going to mope around because Misako got attacked?" Kimeko shook her head, "I feel a little guilty but I know that even Sakuya couldn't have prevented the attack and that's comforting." Her smile slid away as she said, "I'm just worried about Misako." "Yeah, Kimeko-chan," Minako said, "Were you over at Usagi's all this time?" Kimeko nodded, "Why'd you stay over there so long?" "Duty," Kimeko stated, "Misako had been hurt. I had to make sure she was all right. And then when we got to the Tsukino's, Misako didn't want me to leave. When Misako got put to bed I was going to leave but Usagi wanted to talk to me." She took on a solemn expression, "I do have to wonder if it was the right decision." "Nani?!?" Minako asked confused, "What decision?" "Gomen," Kimeko apologized, turning to her mother, "Just thinking out loud." She stared at the ground for a long moment before saying, "When you left with the others, I had a talk with Usagi." "Oh?" Minako prompted. "Hai, I told her that I what she had said to Chibi-Usa was one of the dumbest things I had ever heard." Kimeko looked over to her mother, "I told her that I thought she was treating Chibi-Usa unfairly." She took an unsteady breath before saying, "I've never talked to Serenity-sama like that before." "In my opinion you had every right to!" Minako said, "The other girls and I thought that Usagi was being a bit harsh." Minako shrugged, "We could see that Usagi was worried but I think we would have mentioned it later on." "Serenity-sama always said that she paired me with Sakuya so that some of her forwardness would rub off on me." Kimeko mused, "I don't know... I guess I was worried about Misako and just couldn't stand to see Chibi-Usa heartbroken because she had made a mistake." "Well you don't have to convince me, Kimeko-chan," Minako said, "I'm on your side." She looked over at her daughter hopefully, "Was Usagi really angry?" "Iie," Kimeko answered after a pause, "She was at first but after she had a talk with her mom and thought it over some, she realized that she had been a little hard on Chibi-Usa." Minako gave a small sigh, "Well Chibi-Usa didn't get off the hook... but then again neither did Misako." "You don't mean..." Minako looked at Kimeko who nodded, "What the... so what did Usagi talk to you about?" "Oh just that if I went back and there were some differences, don't be surprised." A sad expression slid across her face, "We'll have to leave soon. I would say leave tomorrow but Usagi wants me to wait until she's shown her us a surprise she has." "Do you know what it is?" Minako asked. "Iie, Minako-chan, she just said that it would be another day or two." Kimeko held up her hand, "I think that what Misako needs is her home environment. We've been gone two weeks... I'd kinda like to see Sakuya too." Minako reached out and hugged Kimeko, "Oh, Kimeko-chan, I'll miss you." She leaned back. "I've really enjoyed having you here." Getting up, she said, "Let's go and have a milkshake or something!" Kimeko smiled and nodding both girls bounded down the stairs giggling. ****** Kimeko was up bright and early the next morning. Changing into a track suit, she quietly slipped down the stairs and out into the city. The morning was clear, a mild nip in the air tasted slightly salty. The morning birds warbled to each other creating a tune of sorts. As Kimeko jogged along she considered how to tell Usagi that it was time for her and Misako to leave. A small shadow slipped across Kimeko's face, It had been a very exciting visit. She enjoyed meeting her grandparents and enjoyed seeing Misako interacting with relatives she didn't have in Crystal Tokyo. However, Crystal Tokyo was where her friends were, where her real mother and father were, and where her home was. She was hoping that her older brother would be on leave when she got back. She was sure her older brother would be very proud of her. Turning into the park, Kimeko continued to jog and glancing at her watch noticed that it was only six o'clock. As she jogged, her mind wandered over her conversation with Usagi the previous evening. It had been rather strange, at least in Kimeko's perspective. Kimeko thought to herself as she slowed and walked over to the railing. The morning sun reflected off of the water and Kimeko had to squint. Giving a sigh Kimeko started to jog back towards home. She was sure that Chibi-Usa wasn't going to take it well. It was quite evident to her how much Chibi-Usa had missed her little sister. ****** Kimeko knocked on the door of the Tsukino home and waited patiently. After a moment or two the door was opened by Shingo and he smiled slightly. "Konnichiwa, Kimeko-chan," Shingo said, "Maybe you can help us." "What's the problem?" Kimeko asked as she stepped into the house and removed her shoes. Shingo only smirked and shook his head slightly. Sliding into a pair of guest slippers, she followed Shingo. "Shingo-kun, what's the matter?!" Kimeko demanded. Shingo, however, kept quiet and simply motioned Kimeko towards the living room. Giving an exasperated sigh, Kimeko stepped in to see what the mystery was. "But, honey," Usagi was saying, "We all have to go to school." She was kneeling in front of Misako, "I know you're scared but I promise that bad man won't come after you at school. Your onee will be there too." "NOT WANNA GO TO SCHOOL!!!!" Misako shouted, "Please?!?" She took on a sad look and said, "U-'Sagi-chan, if I go to school you come too." Usagi gave an exasperated sigh, she had been down this road before! "Konnichiwa minna-san," Kimeko interrupted. The others started at the new voice and looked in its direction. "Kim'ko-chan!!!" Misako cried happily and bounded over to Kimeko, "Kim'ko-chan, you come with me to school?!? Please?!" "I will walk you to school, Miko-chan, but I have to go to MY school too." "But I want you to come. If you not come, then I not wanna go to school." Misako crossed her arms and started to pout. Kimeko lifted Misako and said softly, "I know you're scared but you'll be safe at school. Usagi promised you too." She gave Misako a hug and continued, "You wouldn't want Usagi-chan to get into trouble because you didn't go to school." "Please, Kimeko-chan?" Misako begged softly, moisture building in her eyes. "I scared. Had scary dream last night. Not want to go alone." She looked pleadingly at Kimeko, "You be with me before." Misako paused, "When Mommy not there, you watch me... baby-sit me." Giving Kimeko a hug, she sniffled a little and said, "Pretty please???" As a finishing touch she batted her eyelids at Kimeko innocently. Kenji who had come in from the kitchen muttered out, "Definitely related to Usagi." He had been, on more than one occasion, on the receiving end of Usagi's "kawaii attack", and generally speaking he gave in as a result. This didn't win him any popularity contests with Ikuko either. Kimeko giggled at the muttered comment. Usagi flushed brightly but then sobered. "Miko-chan," Kimeko explained, "Gomen, but I can't go to school with you." "Aww..." Misako started to whine. "Misako," Usagi said softly, "Come here for a second." Kimeko let Misako down who slowly walked over to her mother. Bending down, Usagi whispered something into Misako's ear. Standing up, Usagi asked, "Do you understand?" Misako paled slightly, nodded, and scampered out of the room and up the stairs to get ready for school. "Wow," Chibi-Usa asked, "Onee-san, what did you say?" "That's between Misako and myself," Usagi replied, "Now go get ready for school too." Chibi-Usa nodded and headed off after her sister. "Hi Kimeko-chan, thanks for trying to get her to go to school." Kimeko walked over to Usagi and said, "Usagi-chan, what did you say to her?" "Gomen, like I told Chibi-Usa, that's between Misako and me. I doubt that she'll tell anyone anyway." And Usagi was right. Misako never did reveal exactly what her mother had said. ****** That afternoon Usagi found herself snuggled against Mamoru on his couch. She sat, head resting comfortably on his shoulder. Mamoru had one arm snaked around Usagi and they sat quietly enjoying each other's company. After a moment Usagi turned her head slightly and, reaching up, drew Mamoru down into a kiss. She gave a little contented sigh; Mamoru did likewise. "Ewww!!!!" came the voice of Chibi-Usa from the balcony doorway, "MUST YOU DO THAT?!?" She put her fists on her hips and glared disapprovingly at her parents, "Why are you into all this mushy stuff anyway? I mean he just kissed you, Onee-san, not likely anything special happened." Usagi gave a growl of annoyance. Mamoru tightened his grip slightly before saying, "Chibi-Usa-chan, it was very thoughtful of Usagi to let you come. I suggest you watch how you behave considering you're grounded." Chibi-Usa gaped at Mamoru for several seconds, her mouth working but nothing was coming out. "I thought you were watching Misako anyways." "Hai," Chibi-Usa squeaked out. Stepping out onto the balcony, she closed the door again. "Good, they're playing quietly," Mamoru observed after a moment, "It was really nice of you to let Chibi-Usa come too." Usagi wrapped her arms around Mamoru in a hug and sighed, "Yeah, well we had been planning to have dinner over here with her and Misako. If it had been uh... impromptu?" Usagi looked at Mamoru who nodded with a soft smile, "Then I wouldn't have let her come." Usagi closed her eyes for a moment and said, "She was looking forward to it and I think that it won't put any ideas that she's not grounded into her head." "I suppose that I should start cooking," Mamoru decided. He moved to get up but Usagi stopped him, "Usako, I would love to sit here with you but supper would never get cooked." "Mamoru, Kimeko and Misako are going to be leaving Wednesday," Usagi said softly. Mamoru stopped his motion and seemed to sink deeper into the couch. "We're having a going away party tomorrow night." Usagi turned her head to look at him and said, "I was thinking that I'd send Chibi-Usa back with them." She sniffled a little. "Usako," Mamoru asked softly, "Do you really think that's right?" "I don't know, Mamo-chan," Usagi admitted after a long pause, "She was hurt fighting that Lemure. What if they come after her?" She shook her head, "Chibi-Usa's home isn't really here." Usagi gave a little sniffle before continuing, "I'd miss her..." "So would I," Mamoru interrupted, "But, Usagi-chan, I think Chibi-Usa should stay." Usagi raised her head and looked questioningly at him, "She's just starting to get over the attack. You two have some wounds to heal. Sending her away might make her think that you aren't willing to forgive her." He laid a finger on Usagi's lips, "Shhh.... I know you care very much about both of them. So do I. It's just that Chibi-Usa's had some rough spots, especially where we're concerned, and right now what she wants and needs is your comfort and support." Usagi stared out at her two daughters for a long time, "She needs to stay here to help destroy the Lemures," Usagi finally admitted, "I kept trying to figure out a way to beat them without her but she's needed HERE in this time." Lowering her gaze to the floor, she sighed, "Her life would be in danger here; she could get hurt again." "So could you," came his soft reply, "So could you." He lifted her chin so he could gaze at her a moment before saying, "Usako, did you tell Chibi-Usa that Misako's leaving Wednesday?" "Iie, I was going to do it tonight after supper," Usagi said, "That way she could have us around if she wanted a hug." She stared into his eyes for a moment longer and then kissed him again. "EEEWWWWW!!!!" came two voices this time from the doorway, "THAT'S DISGUSTING!!!" Chibi-Usa and Misako chorused together. It was Mamoru's turn to growl. Getting up, which in the process made Usagi fall over, he stalked towards his two young daughters. Misako giggled and, using her speed and size to her advantage, darted to the side and skidded around Mamoru. Chibi-Usa gulped slightly and took a step back. "Ah... Now Mamo-chan..." Mamoru gave a little louder growl, "Ah... Daddy, it was just a joke!" Chibi-Usa quickly explained and took another step back. Mamoru reached out, slid the balcony door closed, and locked it. "HEY!!!" Chibi-Usa protested while knocking, "Let me in!" Misako giggled but decided to go help her sister. Before she took a step though, Mamoru interrupted, "I think I'll go start supper now. Miko-chan, would you like to help?" "Yay!!!" she declared happily and, coming over to her father, started to pull him towards the kitchen. She seemed to forget about her trapped sister. "Onee-san!" Chibi-Usa whined, "Please, Onee-san, let me in!" She tapped a little louder while saying, "I promise I'll be good!" For a few moments Usagi pretended that she didn't hear Chibi-Usa. Relenting, Usagi got up and wandered over to the door. Opening it up, she gave a mock glare of disapproval before returning to the couch. Chibi-Usa followed and, snuggling up beside her, said, "What were you and Mamoru talking about?" Usagi sighed, this was going to be hard. ****** Tuesday evening found the Tsukino home packed. Everyone was in the living room and there was hardly any place to sit. Ikuko and Kenji were seated on the couch. Mika was also sitting on the couch while Shingo sat beside her on a foot stool. Apparently, they had made up sufficiently that Mika deemed him worthy to hold her hand. Usagi held her tongue, although Ikuko couldn't resist giving her son the "all knowing smile". Minako and Kimeko opted to sit on the floor. Misako was seated on Mamoru's knee while Chibi-Usa took up another chair. Rei and Makoto chose to stand rather than sit on the floor and Ami had skillfully snatched up the last comfortable armchair in the room. "I know this is supposed to be a party," Usagi began. "And it will be!" she reassured the gathered audience, "However, wishing to live to see my next birthday, I have decided to show you the surprise I've been talking about..." Usagi noted the glares. "Or not talking about," she added meekly. She was standing beside a covered object. Almost everyone in the group had figured out that it was a painting, they just weren't sure what the painting looked like. Nervously, Usagi looked towards her parents before reaching up to remove the cloth that was covering the painting. She didn't look at the painting; she wanted to see her parents' faces. Slowly, she unhooked it and let the cloth slide down on its own accord. As the canvas was revealed, peopled started taking on stunned expressions. The Senshi gathered in the room gave a little gasp of surprise. Luna who had been perched on the arm of the couch lost her balanced and toppled to the floor with a thud. No one except Usagi noticed though. A minute passed then two. Usagi was starting to get nervous when her father finally managed to speak. "Kami-sama," he breathed softly. Before his eyes was a very stunning work of art. Mamoru and Usagi were formally dressed. Mamoru was wearing a tuxedo. Usagi was wearing a white flowing dress, her odangos held in place by tiny strings of pearls. The fabric and pearls seemed to almost glisten. Misako and Chibi-Usa were dressed in pale blue dresses, while pale yellow ribbons held their odangos in place. Chibi-Usa's odangos had been tweaked to match her mother's and sister's rather than her regular style. Chibi-Usa was perched gracefully on Mamoru's knee her hands folded and in her lap. Misako was similarly perched upon Usagi's knee. They were slightly turned to look at each other but they still managed to look at you, eyes bright and full of energy. The background was of evening tones, hues of royal blue, purple, red, yellow, and orange made up the sky while a marbled wall ran behind them. A gibbous moon showed high and to the right peeking through an archway of stone. Usagi hadn't been expecting her father to be this stunned. However, his next words nearly made Usagi faint. "They look like a family," he said softly. Usagi thought, End of part XIII