1. Chapter 1 (1/2)

the visitors

usagi and her friends discover another sailor senshi, and meet some very special visitors she escorts to them from their future.

this story continues on from 'a time for lovers' and takes place about a month later, at the beginning of the japanese school year's spring

eak.

. . . . .

chapter 1:

the end of march had arrived, and with it the last day of junior high school was finally over. at the hikawa jinja, a young miko stood sweeping the courtyard, thinking back on her past year at the ta private girls' school and wondering what lay in store for the next semester. her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the excited voice of a rapidly approaching close friend.

"konnichiwa, rei-chan!" rei paused her sweeping duties as aino minako's greeting reached her ears from the steps leading up to the hikawa jinja. her friend's mood appeared even more buoyant than usual as the fifteen-year-old blonde girl sprinted across the courtyard toward the miko.

"let me guess" rei leaned on her bamboo-handled

oom as minako slid to an a

upt stop in front of her. "judging from your crazy mood, i believe you passed?"

"hai! i passed the year!" minako was beside herself with relief and grinned at the shrine maiden. "for a while there, i wasn't sure if i would make it. those final exams were really tough! but i did!" she said

eathlessly, hopping from foot to foot as though the shrine's courtyard was covered in hot coals.

"congratulations, minako-chan." rei peered questioningly at the hyperactive girl. "uh... aren't you going to ask how i did in my finals?"

"oh! gomen nasai, rei-chan!" her blonde friend blurted apologetically. "i guess i just assumed you passed."

"you assumed correctly" rei replied with an air of satisfaction. "not at the top of my class, but very close."

"that's wonderful, rei-chan! have you told yuuichirou and your grandfather the good news?" minako asked. "i'm sure your boyfriend will want to cele

ate the special occasion with you!" she teased her friend with a knowing wink.

the miko smiled at the thought. "ojii-chan has my report card" she said. "he's happy with my grades, but told me to do even better next semester. as he always does" she sighed. "yuuichirou is away on an errand this afternoon so he hasn't found out yet."

"i'm sure he'll be really proud of you too." minako's voice suddenly dropped into a lower, more concerned pitch. "so... how did the other girls do?"

rei shrugged. "no idea. they said they'd be coming over right after their last classes were done, but there's no sign of anyone yet. we both know ami and ryo will have

eezed through the final exams, i think it's safe to say they finished at the top of their class. i think mako-chan should make it through ok too, but... usagi..." rei frowned at the thought of her sometimes scholastically-challenged friend. "i'm not so sure about her."

minako grinned evilly. "if usagi fails the year, we may not see her again until the new semester starts. her parents will keep her locked up in her room as punishment!"

the miko scowled at the thought. "you may be right about that, minako-chan. but usagi has no one to blame but herself if she gets grounded. she never tries hard enough, and with three people tutoring her, there's simply no excuse for her bad grades." she waved the

oom handle around angrily. "and doesn't she realize we may need sailor moon's help if any new threats appear? how can that odango atama do anything if she's not allowed to leave her own home?"

"we'll just have to hope any new enemies always attack near her place!" minako laughed.

"wouldn't that be convenient, minako-chan?" rei replied. "or perhaps we can just tell our enemies, sorry, we can't fight you anywhere else in the city, you have to go to this address to cause trouble. hope you don't mind" she grumbled sarcastically. "maybe we should hand out business cards with usagi's home address on them to any new monsters that turn up. it would certainly save time!" while minako laughed at the thought, the miko paused in mid-rant as she was distracted by the appearance of a striking young woman of about twenty who strode purposefully into the shrine's grounds. the tall newcomer glanced

iefly at rei and minako, the faintest of smiles

iefly appearing on her lips as she strode

iskly past the two teenagers. her long greenish hair swayed gracefully behind her as she walked by.

"who's that?" minako asked quietly, watching curiously as the young lady approached the altar and bowed before it.

"minako-chan, there are millions of people in tokyo. am i supposed to know every one of them personally?" rei muttered. "but now that you mention it... there is something oddly familiar about her, isn't there?"

"i thought there was too" the blonde agreed. she quickly returned to the matter at hand. "anyway, it hopefully won't be long before we find out if-"

minako was silenced in mid-sentence by a rapidly increasing burst of commotion approaching from the stone steps that lead down to the street. she watched as makoto was the first to pop into view, followed by ami and usagi scaling the steps beside her. the two waiting girls were surprised to see the odangoed blonde grinning from ear to ear.

"i don't believe it!" rei exclaimed. "i think usagi actually did graduate!"

"mako-chan looks happy too" minako observed. "looks like we all made it this time!"

as if to confirm her suspicions, usagi bounded over the last step and hurried up to the waiting girls, leaving her friends behind. "rei-chan! minako-chan! guess what?"

"hmm... there's a big sale on at the ice cream parlor?" rei teased.

"iie!" usagi replied impatiently. "but i wish there was! guess again!"

"you passed the year, didn't you?" minako asked, grinning at her. usagi nodded

iskly and grabbed the other blonde's hands in hers, twirling them both around in a makeshift dance.

"i did, minako-chan! not by much, but i made it!" usagi exclaimed proudly, nearly leaping with joy. "and the best part is, i don't have to listen to luna whining at me about schoolwork anymore. at least until the next year starts."

"that's ok, usagi-chan. you do enough whining by yourself as it is, you don't need luna's help. and will you two stop spinning like two demented tops?" rei yelled at the pair. "you're causing a disturbance and making me dizzy!" she looked at her happy friend and shook her head unbelievingly. "it's a miracle. how did you do it, usagi-chan? did you

ibe your sensei for a better grade?"

her friend replied the verbal jab by sticking out her tongue at the miko. "oh, and mako-chan passed too!" usagi quickly added as makoto and ami joined the little group.

"omedetou, mako-chan" rei congratulated the tall

unette. "i bet you can't wait to tell yuji the good news."

"hai, i'm going to phone him later tonight. i'm sure he and taro both graduated easily, so we're all moving a year ahead. what a relief!"

"my taro-chan is so smart!" minako boasted. "he has to be, to fall in love with me!"

"yes... i suppose he is smart, despite that one little... detail" rei chuckled. "and how did our resident genius do on the finals?" the miko inquired with a smile, turning her attention to the blue-haired girl who stood quietly nearby. "or should i even bother asking?"

ami opened her mouth to speak, only to have usagi interrupt her. "ami-chan got perfect scores on everything! she finished first, and ryo came in second."

"no surprise there" rei said, producing a blush from the modest, studious girl. "i suppose you'll all be going up to mako-chan's house this weekend now that spring

eak is finally here."

"that's our plan" makoto confirmed with a big smile of her own. "ami and ryo are driving us up to the old place again. we're going to try to stay for at least a week this time. longer, if we can manage!" she said hopefully, her thoughts immediately turning to her boyfriend in nerima.

rei peered at minako and makoto and grinned, "i can just imagine what kind of week that will be!" she thought for a moment before asking, "would you mind if yuuichirou and i drop by sometime while you're there, mako-chan? we won't be able to stay long though, maybe a couple of days at most."

"of course, rei-chan" makoto nodded. "everyone's always welcome at my house!" the

unette noticed a young green-haired lady approaching the little group and fell silent as the woman addressed them.

"sumi masen." everyone else looked at the visitor who now stood facing the girls.

"konnichiwa. can i help you?" rei asked her with a polite bow.

"minna... we need to talk" came the

usque, businesslike reply. "in private" she quickly added.

chapter 2:

the five teenage girls glanced at one another with puzzled expressions. "uh... sure" the miko agreed, gesturing ahead. "please, right this way." together, they entered the shrine's living quarters and gathered in rei's room near the study table. rei was convinced she knew this woman, but couldn't remember where she had seen her before. after closing the door, she confronted the stranger. "this is about as private as it gets around here. so... what can we do for you?"

the woman smiled. "actually, the reason i'm here is to do something for you, sailor mars. and for your friends as well."

rei's face lost its color as a round of gasps burst from everyone's lips. makoto immediately feared the worst and quickly reached into a pocket of her school uniform for her henshin stick while glaring at the mysterious visitor. "uh... look, lady. if that's what you are. we don't want any trouble."

"how do you know about me?" rei was stunned that her secret identity had somehow been discovered by this stranger.

"there's no need to henshin, sailor jupiter" the woman said calmly to the

unette. "i'm not here to cause trouble."

"no? then why exactly are you here?" makoto growled back, unconvinced. "and how did you find out about us?"

"i

ing news for you" the mysterious woman replied. "some visitors from your future will arrive here tomorrow for a very

ief stay."

"nani?" ami was as confused as her friends. "gomen nasai, how could you possibly know anything about our future?"

the green-haired young lady smiled. "perhaps this will help, sailor mercury." the young woman raised her right hand as the five girls looked on in astonishment.

"pluto planet power, make-up!"

a henshin wand appeared in front of the strange female and she grasped it in her raised hand. an immensely powerful burst of energy swirled around her, and a split-second later the young woman was wearing the familiar uniform of a sailor senshi, though hers was in black with garnet trim. her henshin stick also transformed into a long, silver key-like staff in her right hand. "as you can see" she said to the speechless girls who looked on with wide, unbelieving eyes, "i'm on your side. but please allow me to properly introduce myself before i proceed. i am sailor pluto, guardian of the gates of time and space."

"sailor... pluto?" usagi stuttered. "you mean there's more of us?"

the new senshi nodded. "i was sent here today by direct order of your future self, tsukino usagi."

"by... me?" the blonde squeaked.

"i'm sorry i cannot reveal more about your future lives at this time. too much information may have a disrupting effect on your current situation. i am here today in the capacity of messenger, and my message is simply that tomorrow, beginning at noon, each of you will receive a special visitor here at this shrine. your guests will be with you for a single day and night, to meet you and

iefly experience life in your world. please look after them and treat them well."

"who are these people?" rei demanded to know. "and if they're really from the future like you said, why would they want to go back in time to see us?"

you may think of it as... a learning experience. both for them, and for you." the senshi's vague answer only increased each girl's puzzlement. "all will become clear tomorrow. i merely ask that each of you are present for their arrival. it would be best if your boyfriends were also with you" she added. having said her piece, the staff and uniform vanished as the sailor soldier detransformed and turned to leave.

"wait!" minako called after her. "why do you want our boyfriends to be here?" senshi or not, the blonde shared makoto's distrust toward this strange woman. "it sounds like some kind of trap to me" she said suspiciously.

"you will better understand after you have met your visitors" the woman replied. "i must leave you now. don't bother showing me out." without another word, the young woman left the room and five very confused teenage girls behind.

rei glared at usagi. "so whatever this thing is, it was your idea? usagi-chan, now you're even managing to cause problems for us from our own future! why am i not surprised?" the miko grumbled.

"but... i didn't..."

"ami-chan, what did pluto mean about 'special visitors'?" makoto asked the

illiant blue-haired girl.

"i honestly don't know what she was talking about, mako-chan" a perplexed mizuno ami grudgingly admitted. "i guess tomorrow we'll all find out."

. . . . .

the next morning

ought a flurry of activity from the five teenage girls. minako and makoto met their boyfriends at the train station and escorted them back to the shrine, while mamoru took a day off from his university classes to attend the impromptu meeting. ryo was present as well, sitting close beside his beloved ami as they waited for the noon hour to arrive. only yuuichirou was missing, kept busy with some last-minute work for rei's grandfather, though he promised to join them as soon as he could get away from the demanding old shinto priest.

ryo glanced at his watch for what felt like the hundredth time. "it's nearly noon, ami-chan."

"i'm still worried this might be some kind of trick to trap all of us together" minako insisted to taro. "but don't worry, my love. if something bad happens, we'll protect you."

"i'm not worried in the least, honey" her boyfriend replied, sitting with an arm around the pretty blonde. "sailor pluto? people from the future? this whole thing is really fascinating!"

"mamo-chan, i'm scared!" usagi leaned against her boyfriend who sat on the floor beside her. she looked up at him with huge, frightened eyes. "hold me."

"you'll use just about anything as an excuse to cuddle your mamoru, won't you usagi-chan" rei grumbled. "even something weird like this."

"quiet, rei-chan!" the blonde yelled. "this could be something really important, you know!"

"if your future self arranged it, whatever it is, it's more than likely going to be a disaster!" rei shot back.

with a minute to go before noon, yuuichirou finally appeared. "did i miss anything, rei-chan?" he asked, sliding the door closed behind him.

"only usagi's constant prattling, yuuichirou-chan" the miko muttered as he walked over and stood beside her. rei got to her feet and the five couples looked expectantly at each other as the appointed time finally arrived.

at first, nothing seemed to happen. more seconds ticked by uneventfully, until at last the door to the study room slowly slid open. standing behind it was a cute little girl of about six years old. she wore a

ight red dress and had fine, raven-black hair that reached past her shoulders. the young visitor stood nervously in the doorway for a moment as she looked around, before suddenly spying who she seemed to be seeking. in a sudden blur of motion, she burst into the room and ran up to an astonished hino rei. before the miko could react or even speak, the child threw her arms around her in a tight squeeze and beamed happily up at the stunned teenage girl.

"mommy!"

"mommy?" aghast, yuuichirou stared first at the child, then at his girlfriend. "uh... rei-chan my love, i think you have a little explaining to do!" rei didn't reply, she could only stand rigidly frozen in place like a red and white statue.

at the sound of the young apprentice's voice, the little girl released her clench on the dumbfounded miko and hugged yuuichirou just as tightly.

"daddy!"

"well this is certainly interesting!" mamoru grinned at the stunned couple.

chapter 3:

after a long, awkward pause, rei finally found her voice. "ah... what is your name?" she asked the little girl, amazed at how closely the child resembled her when she was much younger.

"my name is akane" the girl answered after releasing yuuichirou from her grasp. "kumada akane." she smiled sweetly at her future mother. "that's the name you and daddy picked for me" she said proudly. "it means

ight red."

yuuichirou bent his knees, lowering himself nearly to eye-level with the little girl. "that's a very beautiful name, akane-chan" he told her softly.

"arigatou, daddy!" she hugged him again and rei could instantly sense the bond that she shared with her father, though akane had undoubtedly only seen him like this in photographs.

"she looks just like you, rei-chan!" usagi exclaimed.

"hai. she does" the miko replied, her eyes beginning to mist.

the little girl hugged rei again, even more tightly. "i love you, mommy." with that, rei shed a tear.

but before any more tears could form in the miko's eyes, a second young girl grabbed everyone's attention when she entered the room. this little girl also wore a pretty dress with frilly sleeves, this time in orange, and carried a small red bow in her surprisingly long blonde hair.

"i think it's obvious who her parents are!" mamoru chuckled.

"minna, konnichiwa!" this six-year-old ran up to minako and taro wearing a big smile on her cute young face. "do you know who i am?" she asked the couple boldly. "i'm your daughter and i'm from the future!"

taro reached out to steady his girlfriend, who was becoming a little wobbly on her feet. nervously clearing his throat, he spoke to his future child. "you have very beautiful hair" the teenage boy spoke softly, "just like your mother's."

"hai! i do!" the child replied happily. she hugged minako and taro in turn. with an outgoing bubbly personality very much like minako's, she asked the couple, "don't you want to know my name?"

"oh! hai!" minako giggled. "that's kind of important, isn't it!"

the girl smiled

ightly at her. "i'm ito emiko. you didn't know that, did you mommy?"

"no i didn't, but i do now!" minako laughed. she smiled warmly at her boyfriend who returned her smile, his eyes filled with pride and happiness. "we'll have such a wonderful, beautiful daughter together some day, minako my love" taro said, his voice choked with emotion.

emiko looked over at akane. "wasn't that trip here scary, akane-chan?"

rei's daughter nodded. "it was, emiko-chan. but... just a little."

the remaining three couples looked at each other as their suspense mounted. "i wonder who'll be next, mamo-chan?" usagi asked her boyfriend.

mamoru gently patted his soul mate's hand. "i'm sure we'll know very soon, usako."

the remaining seated couples now stood up and moved to the front of the study table. ami took ryo's hand, and the young man could feel his girlfriend's fingers trembling as she gently squeezed his hand in hers.

"this is... simply incredible!" ami whispered to him.

ryo nodded and was about to reply when the third visitor arrived. instead of words, the fifteen-year-old boy could only gasp weakly as a girl with short blue hair appeared in the doorway. her white top and pale blue skirt left no doubt as to the identity of her parents, and several of the other teens laughed at ami and ryo's comically widening eyes.

the third child walked up and greeted them softly with a familiar shyness in her soft, melodic young voice. "konnichiwa, okaasan. konnichiwa, otousan." as the little girl bowed politely to ami and ryo, ami noticed that though her future daughter looked very much like her, the little girl's twinkling blue eyes were a shade darker, similar to ryo's.

"you haven't met me before, so you don't know my name yet" the child announced. "my name is urawa chieko."

"well?" usagi grinned, prodding her stunned, motionless friends to react. "hugs?"

ami and ryo both immediately dropped to their knees and held out their arms to the girl in turn. an intense feeling of joy came over the blue-haired teen and her boyfriend as their future daughter hugged them tightly. "it's so wonderful to meet you, chieko" ami said through moist eyes as a tear of happiness slid down her face.

"i love you both so very much!" the little girl replied. "but... you look so young!"

"we do?" ryo asked her. "how old are we when we're with you in your time, chieko-chan?"

"i'm sorry, daddy, but... i'm not allowed to tell you that" the child sighed. "sailor pluto made us promise not to talk about things like your age in the future. but i'm six."

"knowing her parents, i think the name you gave her is most appropriate!" mamoru told the blushing young couple.

"arigatou, mamoru-san" ami replied. she still found it incredibly odd that the young child standing here in front of her and her boyfriend had actually called ryo daddy. the proud parents-to-be smiled at each other, nearly overcome with emotion.

at the sound of approaching footsteps, chieko spun to face the door and waved at her very best friend who appeared next in the doorway. "midori-chan!"

after seeing how closely the other children resembled their mothers, makoto and yuji had expected much the same. they weren't disappointed, as the little girl who entered the room next stood noticeably taller than the other three children and had exactly the same hairstyle as makoto's, though the green balls that adorned the tie around her short

own ponytail were somewhat smaller.

yuji and makoto glanced at one another unbelievingly as the girl strode up to them with a look of confidence that seemed a little out of place in someone so young.

"hi mommy! hi daddy!" more hugs were exchanged and makoto's heart melted as her little girl squeezed her tightly.

"konnichiwa, midori-chan" the

unette whispered. she noticed that midori's eyes were

own, just like her boyfriend's, but possessed the same spark of independence that she had developed early on in life.

noticing that the girl's pale green blouse had a tiny rip on one sleeve, yuji asked, "what happened to your clothes, midori-chan?"

his daughter-to-be glanced at the torn fa

ic. "oh! just before we left school to come and see you, daddy, a boy was teasing chieko-chan in the playground. he was being really rude to her and he called her a... a nerd!"

"nani?" makoto frowned. "did you tell your sensei about him?"

her future daughter shook her head. "no, mommy. i just beat him up!" she beamed proudly.

the entire room

oke into laughter and makoto grinned at her child. "that wasn't very nice, midori-chan" she admonished, stifling a chuckle while trying her best to sound like a disapproving parent, but failing miserably at it.

"i know" the little girl pouted, staring down at the floor for a moment. "but no one makes fun of my friends!" she exclaimed defiantly. "no one!"

"not if they want to live to tell about it!" mamoru laughed. "mako-chan, i think you're going to have a very spirited young daughter on your hands."

usagi was gripping mamoru's hand in hers so tightly, his fingers were beginning to grow numb. "mamo-chan, our daughter will be next!" she blurted excitedly. but the blonde was surprised to see sailor pluto, again in her civilian form, join the group instead of another little girl.

the four children all cried out together, "setsuna-san!"

"minna, konnichiwa" the woman replied. "i see everyone has found their parents. please remember what i told you earlier about not talking about your future lives too much." the little girls all nodded obediently as setsuna walked up to usagi and mamoru.

"where is our daughter?" usagi asked the senshi.

"is there a problem?" mamoru added with a note of concern.

"nothing major" the woman replied. "your child should be along shortly. it appears that she is... reluctant to come."

"but why?" usagi pressed.

the green-haired young lady sighed. "she's currently somewhat angry at you, usagi-chan."

"mad at me? but i haven't even met her yet!" the blonde protested.

"i'm sorry, i meant your future self, not you here" setsuna corrected her.

"isn't that typical!" rei scoffed. "even in the future, you're annoying and upsetting people, usagi-chan!"

usagi glared angrily at her miko friend. "shut up, rei-chan!"

"i'm sure the delay is temporary" setsuna continued. "please be patient."

"having patience is not exactly usagi's strong point" rei smirked, drawing the expected reaction from her friend.

"will you be quiet?" the blonde fumed. "i want to see my daughter! right now!" she added, stomping her foot in frustration.

"is usagi still like this in the future, setsuna-san?" ami asked.

the woman smiled. "to some extent, yes, but... not nearly as much."

usagi's face formed a scowl. "ohh! why does everyone always pick on me? it's just not fair!"

. . . . .

author's note: an approximate translation of the girls' names:

akane:

illiant red

emiko: beautiful child

chieko: wise child

midori: of the color green

chapter 4:

"will you please calm down, usagi-chan" rei said. "no one's picking on you. why are you always so paranoid about that anyway?"

"it's not fair that you can visit with your daughters, but mamo-chan and i can't see ours!" the upset blonde replied.

"well if you hadn't made her so mad at you in the future, she'd probably already be here. did you even stop to think of that?" rei grumbled. seeing her friend's expression go blank, she added, "no, i didn't think so!"

"setsuna-san, when the kids return to the future, can you take rei with you too?" usagi asked. "she's nothing but a grumpy pest here."

"i beg your pardon?" the miko glared back. "if it wasn't for my help, you'd probably be history by now, odango atama!"

"minna, please." mamoru gestured to the four little girls who stood quietly beside their parents. "squabbling like this isn't setting a very good example for the little ones."

"mamo-chan, it's not my fault that rei is always so miserable!" usagi insisted. "i feel bad that a sweet little girl like akane-chan has to live with her!"

the miko's face flushed red with rage. "why you arrogant little-!"

before rei could finish, ami quickly reached out and covered chieko's ears. "let's all try to wait patiently like setsuna-san asked us to" she interrupted the miko, her expression begging the feuding girls to stop fighting.

"oh... all right" rei relented. "but i'm doing this for you, ami-chan. not for her!" her deep purple eyes regarded usagi with scorn.

puzzled at the lengthening delay, setsuna excused herself from usagi and mamoru. "i'll find out what's taking so long for your daughter to arrive, and be back shortly" she promised. "in the meantime, everyone please enjoy the time together with your children. remember that time is a very precious thing. mamoru-san, why don't you escort usagi on a quiet walk around the shrine's grounds? that may help ease the tension."

"an excellent idea, setsuna-san" mamoru agreed. taking his girlfriend's hand, they followed the green-haired young lady from the room, much to a still flustered hino rei's relief.

minako and taro sat on the floor with their daughter between them. the other couples quickly followed suit, sitting in groups of three and chatting excitedly with their future offspring. "i really like your dress, emiko-chan" minako said. "it's very pretty."

"orange is my favorite color too, mama" the girl smiled. "when i grow up, i want to be just like you!"

"do you have any senshi powers, emiko-chan?" taro asked his child.

"not yet, daddy" she smiled sweetly at him. "but sailor pluto told us we should all get them very soon."

"let's all hope she doesn't inherit minako's impulsiveness as well!" rei joked. "or her carelessness. a pair of minakos would drive me completely insane!" ignoring her blonde friend's frigid glare, she asked her daughter, "akane-chan, how long will you be staying with us?"

"until tomorrow, mama. we wanted to see how you lived when you were younger, so queen serenity sent us here to be with you."

"queen serenity?" the miko asked, puzzled. "you mean usagi's mother from the moon kingdom?" she glanced toward ami. "but isn't she..."

"no, mama. not her" akane said. "usagi-san is our queen in the future."

"nani?" rei was stunned. "that idiot odango atama actually becomes our queen?" she looked at yuuichirou in horror. "we're all doomed!"

"i'm sure usagi will have matured a lot by then, rei-chan" ami reassured the worried miko. "and we'll also have sailor pluto to help us."

"we'll need the help!" rei scoffed, still unconvinced.

"ah, rei-chan, we may have a slight problem here" her boyfriend spoke. "how are we going to explain the girls to your grandfather? we certainly can't tell him where they're from or who their parents are!"

"that's a good point" rei acknowledged with a concerned look. "any ideas, ami-chan?"

her

illiant blue-haired friend pondered the question for a short while. "well, we could tell him they are from... some other school" she suggested. "and that they've been sent here to learn things from older girls. perhaps some kind of... field trip?"

"but they look just like us, ami-chan" makoto chimed in as she adjusted the green tie in her daughter's hair. "won't that seem kind of suspicious?" ami fell silent again, churning the problem over in her mind.

"hai, they are like little copies of us, mako-chan" rei said. "well, we'll just have to ask pluto what to do. our 'queen usagi' wouldn't send them here without some kind of cover story... or would she?" the miko frowned deeply. "you know, i bet she would! that royal imbecile didn't think this thing all the way through!" she fumed. "some queen! ha!"

"how about

inging everyone out to my house in nerima for the night?" makoto asked.

"mako-chan, yuuichirou and i can't just drop everything, run away from the shrine and leave ojii-chan here all alone. we have obligations!" suddenly an idea dawned on her. "i still have some old miko clothing packed away from when i was young." she turned to her daughter. "akane-chan, how would you like to be a trainee miko for a day?"

"can i, mommy?" the little girl squealed with delight. "i'd love that!"

"of course you can, honey" her mother said. "i'm sure i can find something that will fit you."

"i'm going to be a miko!" akane proudly announced to her friends. "just like mommy is!"

"ami-chan, is your mother working tonight?"

"she is, rei-chan" ami replied with an understanding nod. "ryo-kun and i can take chieko-chan to my home after mother leaves for the hospital, and

ing her back in the morning before she returns. that should work."

"and yuji-chan and i can take midori to my apartment for the night!" makoto added. "problem solved!"

"uh... what about our daughter?" minako interjected. "my parents are home tonight so we definitely can't stay there."

before the discussion could go any further, setsuna returned along with a disappointed-looking mamoru and usagi. "it will be just the four of you on this visit, children" she announced. "chibiusa won't be coming."

"why not, setsuna-san?" emiko asked, also disappointed.

"she's being very uncooperative and stubborn today, so her parents decided it would be for the best to send her some other time" the senshi told the little blonde.

"like mother, like daughter" rei teased.

"quiet, you!" usagi yelled, feeling more than a little hurt by the turn of events.

"you'll get to meet her eventually, usagi-chan" setsuna reassured the girl. "don't take it so hard." the blonde muttered something unintelligible to the woman in reply.

to everyone's alarm, hino-sensei picked that inopportune moment to walk into the room. "yuuichirou-chan, are you slacking off again?" he growled at his apprentice. "we have visitors... out... side..." his eyes went wide as he noticed the children, and especially the sight of akane sitting happily between rei and her boyfriend. the shinto priest leaned back with his hands on his hips. "rei-chan, would you mind telling me what's going on?"

rei looked up at her grandfather like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "uh... konnichiwa, ojii-chan! i guess you're wondering why these kids are here" she grinned weakly at the old man.

"now that you mention it, that thought did cross my mind" the priest said, his voice level and emotionless. "care to explain?"

the miko stared at him. "explain? of course i can explain, ojii-chan! they're... uh... they're just..."

her diminutive grandfather folded his arms. "go on."

setsuna jumped into the conversation, bowing deeply to the shinto priest. "my name is meioh setsuna, hino-sensei. i represent an organization responsible for the care of these young children and have encountered a slight... ah... transportation problem. your kind daughter and her friends have volunteered to look after these four sweet souls for the night. they are far from home and in need of a place to rest." she assured him, "they'll be leaving tomorrow and i promise they won't be a burden."

rei cringed inwardly, not knowing if her wise old grandfather would buy the story. the priest stood silently for a moment, regarding each little girl in turn, and the teenagers who sat beside them. after another long, careful look at akane, he smiled warmly. "that's very good of you to offer our help, rei-chan." he next addressed the young woman. "this request is... highly unusual, meioh-san, but... i think we can manage to look after them for you until tomorrow."

"domo arigatou, hino-sensei." setsuna bowed again. "i knew we could count on the good people of the hikawa jinja to help us."

"yes, certainly" rei's grandfather said. "we're always glad to be of service here." he faced his apprentice. "yuuichirou-chan, i'll cover your duties for the remainder of the day. your new assignment is to help rei and the other girls take care of these kids. they can sleep in this room tonight, we have plenty of bedding to make them comfortable. please see to it." he raised an eye

ow, "do you think you can handle this without making a mess of things the way you so often do?"

"hai!" the apprentice grinned, nodding

iskly. "i've got it covered, hino-sensei!"

"good. then carry on." the old priest rubbed his chin, thinking, 'am i seeing things, or does every child here look just like... no, it can't be! it's just some odd coincidence." shaking his head, he left the room. 'perhaps it's my old age...'

"that was close!" rei

eathed a sigh of relief after he had gone. "arigatou, setsuna-san."

"mommy, who was that?" akane asked the miko.

"that was my grandfather, honey. don't you remember him from the future?"

the little girl's forehead wrinkled as she thought for a moment. "oh! now i do, mommy. i remember seeing his picture!"

"his... picture?" the sudden realization hit rei hard, and she took yuuichirou's hands tightly in hers. "he's not with us then, yuuichirou-chan. that means... he's..." the first of several tears slid down her face and the teenage boy comforted his grieving girlfriend with a gentle hug. usagi hurried over to the miko and also threw her arms around her distraught friend's shoulders.

"what's wrong, mommy?" akane asked. "please don't cry."

mamoru looked questioningly at setsuna, who shrugged. "that wasn't part of the plan, mamoru-san."

after rei had wiped her eyes and collected herself, she looked wordlessly at the blonde standing close by. usagi cowered, expecting a nasty outburst, but instead rei smiled at her.

"arigatou, usagi-chan" the miko said softly.

"i thought you'd be mad!" usagi puzzled. "why are you thanking me?"

"i'm thanking you for reminding me to make the most of the time we still have with our loved ones. even if that wasn't your intention."

"oh. you're welcome, rei-chan" usagi smiled back.

chapter 5:

rei took her daughter into another room and rummaged through a closet until she found a box containing her old miko clothing. selecting the smallest haori and skirt, she helped the little girl change into them. the transformation shocked even her, as the child looked even more like a six-year-old hino rei. for the finishing touch, she tied a red ribbon in akane's raven hair.

"all done" rei announced. "you're now a miko trainee, akane-chan."

the girl looked at herself in a nearby mirror. "mommy, i like this! i have to go show my friends!" the pair returned to the study room, receiving gasps of amazement from everyone.

"that's my daughter!" yuuichirou announced to everyone with a huge smile. "doesn't she look fantastic?"

mamoru whispered to usagi, "there's one very proud papa, usako!"

emiko ran up to her friend. "are you a real shrine maiden now, akane-chan?"

"not yet, emiko-chan. today i'm just pretending. but some day i will be!"

"your grandfather should see how she looks in your old clothes, rei-chan" usagi said. "though he'd probably try to put her to work in the shrine!"

rei laughed. "that wouldn't surprise me in the least, usagi-chan." she asked yuuichirou, "did you notice the way ojii-chan was looking at akane earlier, my love?"

her boyfriend replied, "hai, i did. for a minute there, it seemed like he made the connection between us and akane. i saw something in his eyes."

"i thought so too" rei mused. "sometimes i get the feeling that he knows i'm sailor mars, though he's never mentioned it."

"rei-chan, could i borrow a needle and thread?" makoto asked. "that little rip in midori's top is bugging me."

"i have a sewing basket, mako-chan. let me get it for you."

after rei disappeared into the other room to fetch the basket, makoto tried again to be a good example to her daughter. "midori-chan, fighting isn't always the best way to settle things" she lectured her child. "sometimes talking is better. you can't keep hitting boys every time they make you upset. do you understand?"

"hai, mommy" her daughter replied reluctantly.

minako's giggling caused both females to stare at the blonde. "what?" makoto asked, grinning. "what's so funny, minako-chan?"

"i never thought i'd hear you say those words, mako-chan" minako said. "you must be getting soft!" nearby, ami hid her own giggle behind a hand.

"who, me? soft?" makoto scoffed. "no chance!"

"hai! no chance!" midori parroted while placing her hands defiantly on her hips, causing minako and ami to giggle even more.

makoto regarded her daughter with a wry grin. "don't listen to what oba minako is saying, honey. there's a right time for everything, including fighting, but you should always try to settle things peacefully if you can."

"soft!" minako repeated, cackling evilly.

makoto glared back at her. "if you say that about me one more time, i'll-"

"now that's more like our mako-chan!" usagi laughed along with mamoru, just as rei returned to the room carrying a small wicker basket. as makoto thanked her and set to work mending her daughter's clothes, ami turned her attention back to her own daughter, who had been sitting quietly chatting with ryo.

"chieko honey, do other children pick on you very often?"

"not too much, mommy" her child answered. "but sometimes at recess when i'm sitting alone and reading a book, they make fun of me."

the blue-haired girl sighed, remembering the similar treatment she had suffered through in earlier years. "there's nothing wrong with reading and improving your mind, chieko-chan. it's actually quite important. try not to let the bad behaviour of other kids bother you."

"i'll try, mama" her daughter replied. "i love to learn new things."

"just like her parents" taro chuckled. "another genius in the making!"

the little blue-haired girl blushed at the compliment. "setsuna-san told me you and daddy are the best students in the whole country, mama. i hope i can be smart like you some day."

"i'm sure you will be just like them if you keep on studying, chieko-chan" minako said.

the little girl's face turned pale. "mama, minako-san said a naughty word!"

ami looked at her daughter in puzzlement. "studying isn't a bad word, chieko-chan."

"but... akane-chan said that's how you and daddy made me. by... studying!"

ami and ryo's faces flushed

ight crimson, followed immediately after by rei and yuuichirou's.

"akane-chan, where did you learn that?" the miko gasped.

"that's what you told me, mama" her daughter said. "you said that's how i was made too. after you and daddy were studying one weekend."

mamoru chuckled, "they learn these things so young in the future, don't they rei-chan?"

the red-faced miko stuttered, "but i didn't mean... not in that way... oh, forget it!"

"mama, if i study a lot, will i have a baby too some day?" chieko asked her mother innocently.

"oh my!" ami blushed even more deeply, hiding her face in her hands. beside her, ryo shifted uncomfortably on the floor, not saying a word.

"uh... how about we all make plans for this afternoon?" yuji suggested in a valiant attempt to change the subject and spare his friends any further embarrassment. "mako-chan my love, isn't there an amusement park in tokyo that's open today?"

"that's right, honey. it's called juuban land." makoto paused her stitching to address the group, "would anyone else like to go there? they have rides and food and fun games."

"hai hai!" usagi blurted. "i'll go!"

"i think she was asking the children, usagi-chan" rei laughed. "but now that i think of it, you're the biggest child here! you're certainly the most immature!" the miko ignored usagi's scowl. "that's a great idea, mako-chan. after yuuichirou and i take akane on a little tour around the shrine, we'll go with you."

after everyone else agreed on the outing, mamoru told usagi, "i guess i'm not needed if our daughter isn't coming today, and my work is piling up at the university. would you mind if i skipped this trip, usako?"

"but mamo-chan, it won't be nearly as much fun without you!" usagi wailed. "please come with us!" she leaned against his shoulder, looking coyly up at him while sweetly batting her big blue eyes. "please!"

"ok, usako" mamoru grinned. "you talked me into it!"

.. .. ..

with a parent on either side holding her hands, akane strolled around the hikawa shrine's courtyard, much to the delight of the guests and tourists.

"oh! so kawaii!" a visitor from nearby yokohama asked the young family if she could take their picture, and rei agreed. posing beside one of the stone koma-inu lions that flanked the entrance, the happily family was all smiles for the camera. a beaming yuuichirou slipped an arm around rei, with their daughter standing proudly in front of them in her miko clothing.

standing unnoticed under a nearby elm tree, rei's grandfather watched with amusement, after returning from a very special fire-reading of his own. 'so that really is my future great-granddaughter' he thought with a smile. 'i guess yuuichirou is good for something after all!' chuckling to himself, he continued watching the young family a little while longer before turning away.

the woman snapped several pictures and thanked the family before moving on. "rei-chan, do you think setsuna-san would object if everyone kept pictures of their children?" yuuichirou asked. "it may be a long time before we see our akane again."

"i'll ask her before we go to juuban land, my love" the miko replied. "thanks to usagi's clumsiness on the resort trip we took last year, i don't have a camera anymore. they have a picture booth at the amusement park, though. we can take photos there."

inside the shrine's living quarters, setsuna came forward from where she had been standing in the background. "i must return to my duties now" she told usagi and mamoru. "i'll return sometime later tonight to check on the children."

"setsuna-san, i have a question" usagi said quietly. "why did i... i mean the future me, send everyone's daughters to see us today? why not sooner, or some time after we're a little older?"

"this meeting could not take place until all of the senshi had found their true loves, usagi-chan" the green-haired young lady explained. "you and your friends are in a quiet period of your lives, now that the dark kingdom has been destroyed. this is the safest time for the children to visit."

the odangoed-blonde frowned. "does that mean there'll be more battles ahead for the sailor senshi?"

"i have said too much as it is. before this quiet time is over, you and mamoru will also meet your daughter. if difficult times should come to you, remember your children. their futures, as well as yours and possibly that of the entire world, are what you will be fighting to safeguard."

"will you help us?" usagi asked with concern. "and are there other senshi we haven't met yet?"

"the flowing river of time will reveal all in due course" sailor pluto replied cryptically with a wave of her hand. "please keep one very important thing in mind, usagi-chan. even though these children are with you now, your futures and theirs are not set in stone. if your lives should proceed down a path of defeat due to interference from your enemies, these young ones and the lives you would have shared with them may all cease to exist."

the worried blonde wanted to ask another question, but setsuna would say no more. bidding everyone a temporary farewell, she quietly left the room.

usagi looked at the little girls and their proud, happy parents. 'we won't let them down, sailor pluto' she vowed to herself. 'i'll do whatever it takes to make our beautiful dreams come true.'

chapter 6:

the city bus eased to a stop at the front gate of juuban land and discharged its passengers, with usagi hastily pulling mamoru onto the sidewalk behind the four young families. "this is going to be so much fun, mamo-chan!"

"slow down, usako. you're going to tear my arm off!" mamoru laughed, his girlfriend nearly as excited as the four children they were helping escort.

"i want to go on the rides!" usagi blurted, then instantly changed her mind. "no! i want to eat something first, then go on the rides!"

"usagi-chan, try to contain yourself this time, ok?" rei said, glancing over her shoulder at the indecisive blonde. "last time we came here, you ended up screaming like a monkey. try to act like an adult for once."

"but that ride was so scary, rei-chan! i couldn't help myself!"

"scary? you were on a ferris wheel!" the miko scoffed. "you refused to go on the really good rides, remember?"

"mommy, i want to ride the scariest thing they have!" akane announced

avely. "something that goes really fast!"

"like mother, like daughter!" yuuichirou chuckled.

"i guess i'll be the only one going with you on that ride, akane-chan" rei replied while smirking at her boyfriend. "daddy doesn't like going fast."

"hai, when we're together in the future, daddy always drives like a turtle" akane giggled. "not like you, mommy!" on the other side of her daughter, yuuichirou grinned sheepishly as the family strolled through the gate.

the group hadn't gone far before usagi spotted a game that involved throwing a ball through a small opening, with colorful stuffed animal prizes hung on display around the booth. "minna, i'm going to try this! it should be easy for me since i'm an expert at throwing things!" she boasted.

"hai. like throwing a tantrum" rei muttered. "go on then, let's see what you can do."

the blonde picked up the first of three offered balls and aimed for the small hole in the target board at the rear of the booth. "watch this!" the first ball struck near the hole and bounced away. "ohh! this is a lot harder than it looks!" usagi grumbled. her next attempt also missed, making the attendant duck as the ball whizzed past his head. "gomen nasai!" the flustered blonde apologized to the man as her friends laughed behind her.

"you're supposed to aim at the target, usagi-chan, not the people working here!" minako picked up the wayward ball and handed it back to the attendant.

"quiet, minako-chan! i can't concentrate if you keep chattering so much!" usagi focused on the distant opening, her eyes narrowing in grim determination. "i'll get it this time!" pulling her arm back, she flung the ball as hard as she possibly could toward the opening. the last throw slipped from her hands and went completely wild, ricocheting off a post and knocking a small prize off its hook onto the ground. "this game is impossible!" she fumed.

the attendant retrieved the fallen toy and presented it to her. "that's the first time anyone has ever knocked a prize down by accident!" he laughed. "so this is yours."

usagi took the tiny pink elephant and held it up victoriously for all to see. "minna, i won!"

"you didn't win. you cheated!"

"did not, rei-chan!"

before their bickering could escalate any further, taro suggested, "how about we all go on a ride. that one looks like fun, doesn't it emiko-chan?" he pointed to a large boat in the style of an old pirate ship that sat nearby.

"can we, daddy?" emiko bounced excitedly beside him.

"sure, honey" taro said. "you're tall enough. who'd like to join us?"

the other three little girls all chimed in together. "me!"

most of the group headed toward the boat, but usagi hesitated. "that ride doesn't look very safe, mamo-chan."

rei spun around and grabbed the nervous blonde's free arm, dragging her along with them. "come on, you big baby. we're all in this together." she looked down at the tiny stuffed elephant in usagi's quivering hand. "are you going to have your trophy mounted on the wall when you get home?"

"shut up, rei-chan!"

everyone climbed aboard, with usagi and mamoru sharing the rearmost seat. a worker lowered a metal bar across their lap and locked it in place, causing the girl to squirm nervously. "what's this for, mamo-chan? is it a handle?"

"that keeps you from falling out, usako."

"falling out? mamo-chan, i don't think i'm going to like this ride!" her words came too late, as the boat began gently inching forward. "aahh! it's moving!"

in the seat directly in front of her, makoto grinned at yuji. "she thinks this feels bad? just wait until this thing really gets going!"

as the ride's motion gradually increased, the children all held their hands in the air, squealing with delight. even normally subdued ami and ryo became caught up in the fun, holding chieko's hands up and screaming as the boat rocked forward and back until it was nearly vertical.

usagi would have none of it, crushing her little stuffed elephant beneath her palm as she clenched the safety bar in a death-grip, her eyes squeezed tightly closed. "mamo-chan, please make it stop!"

"i can't, usako" he said above the children's delighted squeals. "just relax, it'll be over soon. if you open your eyes, you won't feel so dizzy."

his girlfriend compromised, opening one eye just as the boat reached its highest point and began plunging downward. usagi's body lifted from its seat, becoming weightless for an instant. the panicked blonde's scream could be heard all over the park. "aaaahhh!" usagi's two long

aids of hair streamed behind her odango as the boat whooshed down, then upward around its pivot.

after another minute of rocking, the ride began to slow and finally came to rest at the exit stairway. the other families climbed out, leaving usagi and mamoru behind. "you can let go of the bar now, usako" mamoru prompted her. "the ride's over." he helped pry usagi's hands free and escorted the wobbly, white-faced girl down the steps where they met rei and their other friends at the bottom.

"did you like that?" the miko was asking her daughter.

"hai! it was really fun, mommy!"

"it wasn't fun at all" usagi wheezed. "it was terrifying!" she hung onto a nearby railing to steady herself. "and it made me flatten my elephant too! ohh, it's ruined now!"

after allowing the shaken blonde a

ief rest to calm herself, the couples and their children wandered deeper into the amusement park. having regained her composure, usagi spotted a booth selling pink and blue cotton candy on a stick. "i want the pink kind!" she hurried over and bought a huge clump, munching on it vigorously.

"can i have some too, mommy?" chieko asked hopefully.

"it isn't very good for your teeth, chieko-chan, but an occasional treat shouldn't hurt if you always

ush properly afterwards" ami relented, purchasing a stick of the blue-colored sugary snack for her daughter and presenting it to her.

"arigatou, mommy!" chieko took a bite and smiled happily. "i love you! and daddy too!"

"we love you too, chieko honey." ami squeezed ryo's hand as the warmth in her heart for their little girl made the studious teen's eyes mist. "so very, very much."

the other children also received cotton candy and devoured it as they strolled through the park. as they were finishing, minako spied a ride that hadn't been there the last time she had visited juuban land. "taro-chan, they have bumper cars! we just have to take emiko on them!"

"please, daddy!" his daughter begged. "i want to drive a bumper car!"

"i think you want to drive one even more than emiko does, minako-chan!" taro chuckled. "those cars look a little too small for me, darling. why don't you take emiko on the ride while i watch from here."

"are you sitting this one out, usagi-chan?" rei teased as she and akane walked past, heading toward the cars. "i wouldn't want you to overdo it after your death defying boat ride!"

usagi glared at her. "i'm going on them too, rei-chan, and you'd better be ready to get bumped good and hard!" the blonde retorted. the tiny cars could only seat two, so the girls boarded with their daughters while their boyfriends stood watching them behind the wall.

"how does it work, mommy?" midori asked after they were buckled in.

"can you reach that pedal, midori-chan?" makoto pointed. "when you press it the car moves, but remember you have to steer where you want to go."

her daughter grasped the wheel and smiled happily up at her mother. "ok! i'm ready!"

with everyone in place, a bell rang and the cars lurched away. "mommy, i'm driving!" midori laughed. she spun the steering wheel and their car turned sharply. suddenly they felt a firm jolt, and makoto looked back to see minako and emiko behind them, the older blonde grinning wickedly.

"got you, mako-chan!" they pulled around the two

unettes and makoto could hear minako giving her daughter instructions. "next we have to hit ami and chieko. that should be easy enough!" their car buzzed past as they headed toward their next target.

"i hope you never drive a real car like that, minako-chan!" makoto yelled after them. 'but you probably will' she thought wryly.

a short distance away, ami and her daughter were carefully threading their way between several randomly weaving cars, with chieko steering. "you're doing great, honey" the older girl encouraged the younger. "let's see how long we can last before someone hits us." ami glanced around and spotted minako and emiko's car zooming straight at them like a hungry shark approaching its victim. "turn left, chieko-chan!"

her daughter obediently spun the steering wheel and they swerved away just in time. the two blondes shot past and ran into the wall with a firm thump. ami looked over her shoulder, smiling sweetly as minako made a sour face at the blue-haired girls. "looks like someone forgot who the real drivers are!" ami said, feeling quite proud of her young daughter. chieko gave her mother a big smile in reply.

nearby, usagi was weaving desperately left then right, struggling to shake the duo relentlessly closing in from behind. 'rei isn't bumping me!' she thought. the blonde glanced back to see the miko and her daughter both grinning maniacally at her as they closed in. 'she's making akane-chan evil, just like her!'

"we've almost got her, akane-chan!" the miko laughed from the pursuing car. "usagi can run but she won't get away from us!"

leaning against the barrier, the five teenage males looked on as spectators to the action inside. "i never thought bumper cars was such a competitive game until now" taro laughed. "the girls are really taking it seriously!"

"ami and chieko just dodged a bullet, but rei and akane look really determined to run into usagi" his

other added, unwittingly sounding like an announcer at a sporting event.

"come on, rei-chan! you can do it, akane-chan! bump into her!" yuuichirou cheered them on as he leaned over the wall. he suddenly had the feeling he was being watched and turned to see mamoru peering at him curiously. the apprentice's face reddened and he mumbled apologetically, "uh, sorry mamoru-san. i just got caught up in the action."

"no problem" mamoru grinned back. the eighteen-year-old university freshman grimaced as he watched rei and akane finally strike their target, jolting his girlfriend hard against her seatbelt.

"baka!" usagi yelled at the laughing pair. "i'll get whiplash because of you!"

"it's not our fault you don't know how to drive, odango atama!" rei answered tauntingly.

"ohh! i'll remember this, rei-chan!"

chapter 7:

"well that was embarrassing" rei sighed as the young families waited for a bus outside the amusement park. "usagi-chan, remind me never to come here with you ever again!"

her friend stared disdainfully at the miko from a nearby bench where she sat gently rubbing her stomach. "this was totally your fault, rei-chan! if you hadn't forced me to go on that stupid roller coaster, i wouldn't have gotten sick!"

"you can't blame rei for this one, usagi-chan" minako said in the raven-haired girl's defense. "all that junk food and soda you ate before going on the ride certainly didn't help." she laughed, "throwing up on your boyfriend was kind of funny though! i feel really bad for mamoru-san."

"hai, minako-chan, i guess it was funny, if you have a sick sense of humor!" makoto chuckled. "poor mamoru!" standing close beside the

unette and holding her hand, midori clutched a huge stuffed giraffe that yuji had won for her in a shooting game.

"ohh... please don't say the word sick anymore, mako-chan!" usagi groaned. "i feel terrible about what i did to my mamo-chan!"

"are you heading home to rest, usagi-chan?" ami asked.

"no, i still want to see the children more, ami-chan. i'll be fine by the time we get back to rei's shrine."

"please don't be sick there too" rei begged. "and if you are, try not to throw up on ojii-chan!" yuuichirou snickered as he pictured the scene in his mind, receiving a stern glare and a sharp prod in the ribs from his girlfriend. "yuuichirou-chan, don't you dare even think about that!"

"sorry my love!" the apprentice apologized, though he continued grinning.

ryo returned from quick visit to a nearby convenience store and handed usagi a small box of tissues. "take these, usagi-chan. just in case you feel sick on the bus."

"arigatou, ryo-chan." the blonde opened the box and pulled out a tissue, loudly blowing her nose in it.

rei sadly shook her head. "there sits our future queen!" she muttered, waving her hand derisively at the odango-haired girl. "if our future turns out to be anything like today, i for one am in no hurry to see it. you know, i think i'd make a much better queen than her."

"rei-chan! that's... mutiny!" usagi yelled.

"baka! we're not on a ship, how can it be mutiny?" the miko shot back.

minako's eyes glimmered. "i could do it!" she smiled at her daughter. "don't you think i'd make a good queen, emiko-chan? we'd live in a huge palace with servants and everything!"

"that would be nearly as bad!" rei now directed her rant at the other teenage blonde. "sure, you'd live in a palace for a little while, minako-chan. until you blew it up!"

"rei isn't one to forget your past mistakes, darling!" taro laughed.

"i can't forget minako-chan's disasters, taro-chan" the miko grumbled. "even though there were so many of them!"

"rei-chan, please calm down" ami urged the miko, who was becoming more and more upset as she remembered the disastrous day minako helped out at the shrine. "what's done is done, we should all try to move on and forget any past... problems." a bus pulled up to the stop and its door hissed open. after a

ief and uneventful ride, the group settled themselves in back at the hikawa shrine, minus mamoru who had gone home to change.

"minna, that afternoon in the fresh spring air has given me an appetite for some real food. how about i whip up something nice and healthy for everyone?" makoto offered. "you don't mind if i borrow your kitchen, rei-chan?"

"go right ahead" the miko agreed. "i'm sure you remember where everything is."

"mommy, can i help too?" midori asked excitedly. "i can show you all the things you taught me about cooking in the future!"

"your daughter certainly is a little copy of you, mako-chan" taro complimented her.

"hai. she's a lot like me when when i was a kid. the biggest difference is, thankfully she still has her parents..." makoto's voice trailed off as a hint of sadness crept into her voice. she quickly shook off the unpleasant thought and smiled warmly at her daughter. "ok, midori honey, let's see what you've learned about cooking from the future me!" the little girl set aside her stuffed giraffe and nodded happily. makoto took her child's hand and together with yuji, the young family disappeared into the kitchen.

ami sat listening to ryo chat with chieko about her schoolwork for a few moments, then caught rei's attention. "rei-chan, your grandfather said the children can stay here tonight" ami mentioned, "but i don't think he's expecting our boyfriends to sleep over as well. i hate to think they can't stay with us all night, but if they do, it may pose a problem for him."

"i was just thinking of that, ami-chan" the miko replied. "it would be a little awkward for ojii-chan to accept."

"yuji and i can't stay over anyway, my love" taro told his disappointed girlfriend. "our parents are expecting us back later tonight. how about we hang around as long as we can and catch the last train back to nerima? we'll return on the very first train tomorrow morning."

minako's happy mood faded. "do you really have to go, my taro-chan? i'll miss you so much!" she slipped her arms around him and kissed him deeply, prompting giggles from their daughter and the other little girls.

chieko looked at ami with wide, innocent eyes. "mama, are they... studying?"

the blue-haired teen's face reddened. "chieko honey, later on your father and i have to have a little talk with you about... that."

"hey, you two!" usagi scolded minako and taro. "there are little kids here! don't get so mushy!"

"sorry, usagi-chan!" minako said

eathlessly after her lips reluctantly parted from taro's. "we got a little carried away!" she grinned.

rei frowned at the blonde before glancing at her wristwatch. "we still have another couple of hours before the guys have to leave. let's make the most of it." she glanced at yuuichirou before asking her daughter, "akane honey, can i ask you a question?"

"sure, mommy!"

"i know sailor pluto won't let you say too much about the future, but what is life like then? do we still live at the shrine?"

"hai, sometimes we do. but we live in another place too" her daughter answered.

"oh? what other place do we live at?" the curious miko pressed.

"is it queen serenity's palace?" minako asked the little girl.

"i'm... not supposed to say." the child looked down at the floor, frowning. "sorry, mommy."

"that's ok, honey" the miko said soothingly. "i don't want you to tell us anything you shouldn't." rei gently took her daughter's small hands in hers. "as long as we're together, that's the important thing."

"hai, we're all together!" akane

ightened. "you and daddy and me, and all our friends, and sailor pluto, and s... and some other people too."

"other people?" ami leaned into ryo, whispering in his ear, "i wonder if she means other senshi?"

"we'd better not ask" her boyfriend replied quietly. "i wouldn't want the children to get in any trouble with setsuna-san." ami nodded, though her mind pondered who these mysterious others could be.

"it looks like tonight will be a mother and daughter-only sleepover, yuuichirou-chan. before you call it a night later, would you help me find our spare sheets and blankets? i think there's a couple of spare tatami mats in the hall closet we can use."

"i'd be happy to give up my bed for one of the kids, rei my love" the apprentice volunteered.

"it wouldn't be right to have some of them sleeping in beds and others on the floor. but thanks for offering, honey" rei replied. "the only fair way would be for all of us girls to spend the night together here." she glared across the room at usagi. "are you staying here overnight too, usagi-chan? you know you don't have to. maybe it's best you went home, so everyone else can get a good rest without listening to your horrible snoring. you're louder than the bus we rode here on."

usagi had picked up midori's giraffe and now waved its head at her friend. "what are you talking about, rei-chan?" she asked, haughtily raising her nose in the air. "i happen to be a princess, and princesses do not snore!"

"oh yes they do!" rei, minako and ami all answered together.

"well... i'm staying anyway!" usagi decided. "i like spending time with the kids."

"fine, stay if you want. but if you keep us awake, you're not going to like what happens" rei warned.

usagi casually shrugged off the miko's threat. "whatever. anyway, now that i'm feeling better, i'm really thirsty!" she announced. "rei-chan, do you have any soda or juice?"

"but of course, your majesty!" rei replied sarcastically. "can you manage to find the kitchen all by yourself, or would you like your humble servant to fetch you something?" she gave the blonde a short, stiff bow.

usagi stuck her tongue out. "don't bother getting up. i'll help myself."

"you're beyond help, usagi-chan."

"there you go again! sometimes i think you really don't like me very much!"

offended at usagi's remark, rei replied, "you know that isn't true, usagi-chan. even though you constantly find new ways to drive me crazy, we are and always will be best friends."

"really?" the blonde smiled. "you mean that?"

"really, we are" the miko affirmed. "if we weren't, i'd have thrown you out of the shrine a long time ago."

"arigatou, rei-chan!"

usagi wandered off to find something to quench her thirst, not hearing rei mutter, "though i admit there are some days i'd still like to."

chapter 8:

usagi's eyes lit up the moment makoto reappeared in the study room bearing small bowls of nikujaga. her daughter and yuji followed carrying two trays of temari-zushi and a large handful of chopsticks. "minna, enjoy!" the

unette announced. "everyone help yourself, there's extra in the kitchen if you'd like more. sorry we didn't make anything fancier." the kids gathered around the table with their parents sitting behind them, and tucked into the food.

"those sushi balls are fancy, mako-chan!" usagi said, popping one of the colorful sesame-seed garnished temari-zushi into her mouth. "and they're so delicious too! arigatou!"

"don't thank me, usagi-chan. midori made those" makoto replied proudly. "she's a very good cook for a six-year-old!" she said, smiling at her daughter.

"you've taught her well in the future, mako-chan. the skill to make delicious dishes like these must run in your family" taro complimented her, producing a pair of blushes from the two

unettes. "too bad yuji could never make food like this at home!" he teased his younger

other. "his stuff's awful!"

"well at least i didn't set fire to the top of the stove like you did that time, taro-chan" yuji grinned back. "you nearly burned the house down!"

minako's seventeen-year-old boyfriend blushed red. "let's not mention that, yuji-chan" taro mumbled.

"you had a cooking accident, taro my love?" minako asked. "isn't that a coincidence! i've done that too... a few times!" she giggled.

"poor little emiko! she's going to starve to death if she has to depend on you two to prepare her meals" rei teased the couple.

"i won't be hungry, rei-san" their daughter said. "whenever mommy and daddy's food isn't very good, i just go to midori's home to eat!"

minako and taro looked at each other before hanging their heads in shame as their friends laughed. "don't worry, honey" minako earnestly promised her little girl. "mommy is taking cooking lessons from mako-chan. i'll get much better at it in time."

"don't count on it" rei muttered. she pointed at usagi. "maybe our future queen over there can loan you her royal chef, minako-chan."

usagi suggested, "now that you mention it, since i'll be a queen in the future, i think i should start practicing my duties."

"oh?" rei asked. "how were you planning on doing that, usagi-chan? are you going to make an official decree announcing that today is 'throw up on your boyfriend' day?"

"not funny, rei-chan!" usagi paused her munching long enough to glare evilly at her friend. "actually, i think today should become 'be nice to usagi' day. on second thought, one day is too short for something that important. i'll make it a whole year!"

"ha! like that'll ever happen!" the miko scoffed. "while you're at it, your hungry royal highness, why don't you ease up a little on the food? mako-chan made enough for everyone, assuming we're all normal people with normal appetites. that obviously doesn't apply to you."

"hmph! just wait until i become queen, rei-chan! we'll see if you're still saying all those mean things about me then!" the blonde backed up her threat with a savage bite on a rice ball.

"i wonder if the dark kingdom will ever come back?" rei mused. "too bad we destroyed it, maybe the rest of us should have joined them instead. it would probably be less stressful than living under the rule of queen odango atama!"

"you'd like that, wouldn't you, rei-chan?" usagi scowled. "i bet you'd love to be the next beryl too! you're already evil enough!"

"would you both please not bicker so much in front of the children?" ami begged the feuding duo. "they are at an impressionable age and your behavior may set a bad example for them."

"ok, ami-chan" rei sighed. "i'll try. but only if usagi doesn't let this queen business go to her head. she's difficult enough to put up with already."

"jealous!"

"don't be rediculous! and don't talk with your mouth full, usagi-chan" rei grumbled. "while you're at it, don't talk at all!"

"please!" ami pleaded. "the children are listening!"

a soft scratching noise at the study room's door caught the miko's attention, and rei walked over and slid it open to reveal two cats sitting in the hall. the children spotted them and squealed happily as they padded into the room.

"luna! artemis! konnichiwa!" akane greeted them excitedly.

yuji and taro both peered at the new arrivals curiously. "rei-chan, i didn't know you had pets" taro said, not having met them before. "they're cute little things, aren't they? i really like the white one." as the felines approached the

others, both teenagers noticed a prominent gold crescent moon pattern in the fur of their foreheads. yuji and taro shared a puzzled glance.

"how does akane know your cats' names, rei-chan?" yuji asked. "are they from the future too?"

"they're not mine, yuji-chan" rei told him with a smile.

becoming even more puzzled, yuji looked across the table at yuuichirou, who was also grinning widely at him for some unknown reason. "are these the guardians you told me about at mako-chan's house, yuuichirou-chan? i thought you were talking about people, not animals."

"i think it's time for some introductions" luna said after eyeing the two

others and the little girls.

"it talked! that cat talked!" taro's face turned as white as a sheet. "yuji-chan, tell me i'm not crazy!"

nearby, his

other looked on in disbelief. "i'm glad you heard that, taro-chan! i thought i was going insane!"

"you're not going insane, my love." makoto squeezed his hand. "and you're not hearing things either!"

"ito taro, ito yuji, may i present luna and artemis" yuuichirou said, waving an arm toward the two felines with an exaggerated flourish. he chuckled at the boys' stunned expressions. "that's exactly how i must have looked when i met them the first time!"

"it's a pleasure to finally meet you both again" luna said. "you were the only two boys in the entire moon kingdom who were able to win makoto and minako's hearts."

"artemis is the white one and he's mine, taro-chan" minako said, reaching out and scratching under her cat's chin. "luna is usagi's guardian."

"but... cats...! what?" taro faltered. his

other sat with wide eyes and mouth agape, staring transfixed at the new arrivals.

"they were with us during the time of the silver millennium" usagi explained. "when my mother sent us into the future, she sent them along too, to help us become sailor senshi again." she grinned at the astonished boys. "we didn't tell you about them before now because we all wanted it to be a big surprise."

"it's definitely a surprise, usagi-chan! that's for sure!" yuji gasped.

"speaking of surprises, luna and i haven't met your future daughters" artemis said. "though they certainly seem to know us."

"we know you very well" chieko confirmed. "you're with us in the future too."

"i see" the white cat said. "you have to be ami and ryo's child."

the beaming young parents-to-be nodded. "this is urawa chieko, artemis" ami told him.

"it's good to meet you, chieko-chan." artemis took a few steps nearer, looking back and forth between her and ami. "the similarity between you and your mother is amazing!"

"all of them look so much like their mothers" luna agreed. a round of introductions followed while yuji and taro sat quietly nearby, trying hard to absorb this incredible new twist in their lives.

"where's diana?" emiko suddenly asked luna. "she's not with you?"

"hush, emiko-chan!" midori placed a finger to her lips. "maybe they don't know about her yet!"

"oops! gomen nasai!" the little blonde apologized.

"diana?" artemis looked at luna. "who's diana?"

"i have no idea, artemis" the female cat said. "i'm sure we'll find out eventually."

"luna, i'm really mad at you!" usagi glowered angrily at her mentor. "why didn't you tell us about sailor pluto before? and you didn't mention taro and yuji either! it's not nice to keep big important secrets like that from us!"

"we only remembered pluto after we met her earlier today, usagi-chan" luna answered in a perturbed, squeaky voice. "and we didn't know when makoto and minako would meet their boyfriends again, so it wouldn't have been right to mention them to you or the other girls."

"well... thanks for nothing!" the blonde scowled. "who else are you forgetting to tell us about?"

"no one we can recall at the moment" her feline companion admitted.

"i don't believe you! fine, luna. keep your stupid secrets!" usagi miffed. "and i thought cats were supposed to have good memories."

"you're thinking of elephants, usagi-chan" ami corrected her. "they have excellent memories."

"i'm so glad you're not an elephant, artemis!" minako joked. "where on earth would i keep you?"

"you and me both, minako-chan" luna said as the white cat smiled at her.

everyone quickly became silent as rei's grandfather stuck his head into the room. "the shrine is closed for the day, rei-chan" the diminutive priest announced. "mind if i see the children again?" without waiting for her reply, he walked up to akane. "my, but you're a pretty little girl. you remind me so much of rei when she was your age." he looked at the raven-haired young child closely, his eyes softening as he regarded his granddaughter's future offspring smiling sweetly back at him.

rei and yuuichirou exchanged worried glances as the old priest sat down beside them. "uh... ojii-chan, is the front gate locked?" rei asked, hoping he had forgotten.

"it is, rei-chan."

"have you had your dinner yet, hino-sensei?" makoto queried the elderly man. "there's still a little food left over in the kitchen if you'd like to have it. i'd be happy to warm it up for you."

"arigatou, but i'm good, mako-chan. perhaps later."

"sensei, what about the trash bins? have they been emptied yet?"

"yuuichirou-chan, everything's taken care of!" came the stern reply. "if i didn't know better, i'd think you don't want me here! i'd just like to visit with the children for a few minutes."

"nani? no, that's not it!" his apprentice fibbed. "i'm just making sure that... uh... that the shrine work is all caught up, that's all."

the old man peered skeptically at his apprentice. "what's gotten into you, boy? you never cared about the shrine this much before."

"well... it's not too late to start."

"no, i suppose not" the priest chuckled. he remembered his earlier fire reading, and what it had shown him about the children. still undecided on whether to reveal his knowledge, the priest looked earnestly at his granddaughter. "rei-chan... i should tell you something."

"yes, ojii-chan?" he could hear the nervousness in her voice and hesitated.

"i... ah... never mind" he said, a

uptly changing his mind. "i'll... tell you later."

the crowded room became even more so as setsuna appeared in the doorway. "minna, konnichiwa." she strode up to the priest and bowed deeply, and he stood and bowed in return. "thank you again for allowing the children to stay the night, hino-sensei. i hope they haven't been any bother for you so far."

"no trouble at all, meiou-san. i'm honored to have them stay here with us."

"setsuna-san, we went to the amusement park today!" akane told the senshi.

"oh? did you enjoy yourselves?"

"hai! it was so much fun!" rei's daughter exclaimed. "but we had to leave early when usagi-san got sick on mamoru-san."

the dark-green-haired young lady tried her hardest not to laugh as usagi's expression turned sour.

"i was trying to forget about that!" the blonde moaned. "like mother, like daughter, i suppose. isn't that right, rei-chan?" an instant after the words escaped her lips, usagi realized her mistake.

rei's grandfather spun around, leaning toward the flustered blonde with his hands clasped behind his back. "gomen nasai, usagi-chan? mother and daughter? who are you talking about?"

rei and yuuichirou looked on, horrified, as usagi groaned under her

eath, 'oh no! i've really done it this time!'

chapter 9:

"uh... what i meant was..." completely at a loss for words, usagi shot a wide-eyed, desperate look toward rei. standing by herself off to one side of the room, setsuna remained oddly quiet, as though she were waiting for something to happen.

"i think what usagi was trying to say, ojii-chan, is that akane reminds her a lot of me, and-"