Disclaimer: Sailor Moon was created by Naoko Takeuchi. Angel Raye created the Chibi Scouts.
Alone
In The Time of The Chibi Elysian Scouts:
Young eyes stared out the window. It was raining in Crystal Tokyo again . It was Saturday with no school. Nothing to do. Dad is away. Mom and Grandma had Scout stuff to do. Violet was off playing with Rose and Chelsea. Maybe I could visit Aunt Setsuna and Aunt Maggie? They won't mind. I know not to touch anything! Young feet carried their owner to The Gates of Time. The child had gone there many times, fascinated by the swirling currents of time... Sitting and watching and not feeling so lonely. But today something would be different... Up ahead, voices could be heard. The child stopped in surprise and hid at a corner. Something was wrong here! Servants never came here. Only Sailor Scouts had any business here!
"This could get bad if we get caught here!" A coarse voice muttered.
"Shut up and stop worrying!" His compatriot growled back. "In a minute, they'll all be too busy with Lord Thanis to stop us! Now let's go!"
The child watched frightened. The two men (?) were huge and carried huge staves which were colored a dull black...except for the pale red and blue gems which were mounted on them respectively. Suddenly the palace shook without warning.
Sailor Pluto stood at her post watching The Gates of Time. Very soon. She thought to herself. The palace shook. Pluto sensed a presence behind her. "I was expecting you," she said calmly.
"Were you now?" A cruel voice asked with a smirk as she turned around. The two intruders stood grinning, staves at the ready. Sailor Pluto was outnumbered since her daughter; Cosmic Pluto, had been summoned to a scouts meeting earlier and had not yet returned. "Take care of her Crosis, while I ready the gate!" The larger soldier nodded and unleashed a ball of black energy from the tip of his staff. Sailor Pluto easily dodged the shot. She spun and raised her Garnet Rod in a defensive stance as the two opponents circled, each seeking an opening. Then Pluto raised her staff and swung it with lightning speed across her opponent's face. Crosis dropped like a sack of bricks. As an unfamiliar hum rose behind her, Pluto turned and saw the other intruder swing at her with his own staff. She almost evaded the strike, but the heavy weapon crashed down across her back and right shoulder, knocking her to her knees. She looked up as the enemy raised for a killing blow.
A small body flung itself at the huge warrior, throwing his swing off balance. He angrily belted a full backhand across the child's face and the child went flying backwards across the room and through the open time portal. The warrior turned and saw Pluto with her Garnet Rod leveled at him. Her eyes burned in anger as she glared at him. "Deadly Screams!"
In The Time of The Chibi Scouts:
"No way Gloria!" Daisy snapped. "I'm not making a bet with you! No deal... No way! Not after you had me jump naked into the palace pool and stole my clothes!"
"Yeah!" Gloria smirked. "That was one of my best pranks ever!"
"Mommy says you and Faith both got in a lot of trouble for that." Ariel remarked.
"Yeah." Gloria griped. "But it was worth it!" She brightened triumphantly. "Oh what I would have given to see Daisy wearing that volleyball net! That would have been priceless!"
"Oh shut up!" Daisy growled.
The girls all noticed as Annika suddenly jerked straight up and froze. They all knew that look well by now.
"What is it Annika?" Maggie asked.
"I am sensing a presence."
"Where?" Daisy questioned.
"Right above us." Annika pointed a finger up. Sure enough, a pink light flared above them and a hole opened up. As the girls scrambled to get out of the way, a small body fell...not merely dropping, but arcing as if shot out.
Gloria saw it coming straight at her. Oh crud! Not again! "Oof!" Gloria groaned as she fell back, landing hard on her rear. Oh well, at least this one did not land on my head.
Annika helped her up. They all stared down at the child who had fallen among them. What was most troubling was that this child was not moving.
"Ariel!" Daisy said. "Go get your mom quick!"
A short time later, Amy greeted Lita outside her office at the palace hospital. "Thank you for coming Lita."
"You sounded urgent. Is Daisy all right?" Lita worried.
"Daisy is fine." Amy assured her friend.
"Then what is it?"
"I'll show you." Amy said, motioning for Lita to come into her office. "It appears we have another visitor from the future." She remarked as she stepped inside.
"Is it Violet or Lily?" Lita asked. Since Amy had called her first, then whomever it was had to be related to her somehow.
"Actually," Amy commented. "It's a boy!"
Lita stopped and looked wide eyed at the child laying on a medical bed. He was a small boy with a slight build and short light brown hair. Hotaru was there. She had just finished cleaning some cuts and had put an icepack on a large bruise on the right side of the child's face. The boy had not stirred since his arrival.
"I ran a DNA comparison scan." Amy informed Lita. "His mitochondrial DNA sequence is an exact match of yours. So he is definitely descended from you."
"You mean he could be my son?" Lita asked.
"Possibly." Amy answered. "But I also crosschecked the results with scans from Daisy, Violet, and Lily which are already on file. The closest match to his nuclear DNA is Violet. That tells me that most likely he is Daisy's child! He isn't your son." Amy told the astonished Thunder Senshi. "He is your grandson!"
Lita knelt beside the child and brushed a lock of his hair. Then she clasped his small hand in hers. Who are you? She wondered.
In The Time of The Chibi Elysian Scouts:
"They are definitely retreating, Your Majesty." Sailor Uranus stated with satisfaction.
"Good." Serenity replied.
"Shall we go after them?" Cosmic Jupiter inquired anxiously. Cosmic Uranus nodded her head in agreement.
"No." Serenity told them calmly. "Lord Thanis and his forces will be back. We need to see to the condition of the palace defenses. Also," She continued, turning to Cosmic Pluto. "Cosmic Pluto, I want you to go to The Gates of Time and check on Sailor Pluto. She has not reported in yet. Cosmic Jupiter, go with her."
"That will not be necessary." A voice spoke and everyone turned to see Sailor Pluto standing there. She was holding her right arm awkwardly. She looked at Cosmic Jupiter with pained eyes.
Cosmic Jupiter saw those eyes and paled. "What is it Setsuna?" She questioned. "Is Violet all right?" She asked in dread. When the attack began, the Elysian Scouts had been ordered to take refuge in their quarters. Chelsea, Rose, Marina, and Violet should all have been safe. But what if Violet had decided to go fight?
"No." Sailor Pluto answered quietly. "Violet is safe and unharmed."
"Cosmic Jupiter's face flooded with relief. But if Violet is all right, then what...?
Setsuna answered her silent question. "I am sorry Daisy," she said. "It isn't Violet." She repeated. "It's William."
"Nani!" Daisy exclaimed. "Where is he!" She demanded. "Is he all right!" Her mind raced franticly.
"He is not here right now." Pluto replied.
In The Time of The Chibi Scouts:
"He is coming around now." Amy noted as the boy began to stir.
"Finally!" Lita said with relief in her voice. "Maybe we can find out how he ended up here."
The boy groaned as he woke up. His eyes blinked as he looked around, then focused on Lita. Looking on her with recognition. "Grandma...?"
"Well, Hello!" Lita said as she gazed into the child's eyes. They were huge eyes, a deep brown in color. Lita could not recall seeing a more gentle seeming set of eyes. Who would want to hurt this boy? She wondered in disbelief.
"Grandma...Where's mom?" He asked. Then he seemed to remember something. "Where is Aunt Setsuna?" He asked. "Is she okay?"
"Setsuna?" Amy asked puzzled.
"Those men." He said. The puzzled expressions on Lita, Amy, and Hotaru's faces deepened. "I saw one of them hit Aunt Setsuna. I tried to help her, but..." He said, his eyes helpless. "Is she okay?"
Lita reassuringly put her arm around the child. "She is fine, I promise." She said as she gave a look and a nod to Amy. "You just wait here for a moment, all right?"
"Okay." He said quietly.
Lita and Amy stepped off to one side. "Is he all right to leave here?" Lita asked.
"I don't see why not." Amy answered.
"Good. I will take him home with me then. I need to call Ken first." She said in consideration.
"And I will call Queen Serenity." Amy replied. "It looks like we need to have a Scouts meeting." Lita nodded in agreement and they stepped back over to the boy's bed. Amy asked him gently: "Do you remember your name?"
"Yes, Aunt Amy. William." He answered. "William Kino."
"How old are you?"
"I am eight years old."
"Very good." Amy told him. They needed whatever information they could get without upsetting the child. What they would have to tell him would be difficult enough. "Your mother's name is June, right?"
The boy let out a little laugh, certain that Aunt Amy was teasing him now. "No! Of course not! My mom's name is Daisy!"
"That's right!" Amy smiled at him.
Now Lita asked: "William? Do you remember what happened just before you got here?" She queried carefully. The boy seemed to choke up. "It's all right." Lita said, wrapping her arms around the small boy.
"I just wanted to see Aunt Setsuna." He cried. "But there were two big men. I saw one of them hit her with a big stick, and he was going to hit her again. I TRIED to help her." He sobbed. "I tried to push him away...but I'm too small. He just got mad and he took his hand and he hit me. I couldn't stop him." William said miserably, his eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry Grandma...I couldn't stop him."
"Hush." Lita said. "It's all right." She said to him, holding him close. "It's all right." She looked over at Amy who nodded in silent agreement. No more questions for now. "It will all be all right." She told him. "I am going to take you home, but first there is something I need to tell you." She said as she wiped the tears from her future Grandson's eyes.
In The Time of The Chibi Elysian Scouts:
"Setsuna. Where is my son?" Daisy pleaded.
"Do not worry Daisy." Sailor Pluto told her. "He is safe, in the past."
"The past?" Daisy repeated.
"Yes, you and Maggie were both eleven years old at the time."
"We have to go get him!" Daisy demanded.
"Unfortunately we cannot do so at this time." Queen Serenity said. Cosmic Jupiter looked at her stunned. The Queen held up her hand to forestall any argument. "Lord Thanis has already tried to strike at The Gates of Time once. He may try again. I know this will be hard, but we need everyone here. After Thanis is defeated, then it will be safe to recover your son." Serenity told her in compassionate tones, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Queen Serenity is right." Sailor Uranus said. "If we don't defeat Thanis and his forces, then William won't have a home to return to."
Daisy nodded her head in reluctant agreement.
"Don't worry Daisy." Lita told her daughter. "I remember when he came back. I promise you he will be all right."
Daisy shook her head as she thought back to that time. "I had pretty much forgotten, but I can remember pieces of it as well now...I didn't know he was my own son."
"Just as when Violet came back. We didn't want you to know too much about your future." Lita said.
"Daisy... I promise you. We WILL get him back." Serenity told her. "You have my word as Queen on that."
In The Time of The Chibi Scouts:
"Remember, call me Aunt Lita. Okay?" Lita told William when they arrived home. "I'm not ready to be called 'grandma' just yet and Daisy isn't ready to be called 'mom' yet either." The boy jerked his head up and down in a nod. He had been very shaken when Lita and Amy had told him where...or rather when he was, but he seemed to have recovered for the most part. "Now wait right here for a minute while I talk to Daisy." Lita went into Daisy's room. Daisy was writing in her journal and looked up when her mom came in.
"Hi mom!"
"Daisy, we have a visitor who is going to be staying with us for a while. Okay?"
"Who is it mom?"
"His name is William and he is Violet's brother. He is a little nervous and shy right now. I know you will be nice to him. Right?" Lita smiled.
"I promise." Daisy said.
"Good girl. Now come on and you can say hello."
A thought occurred to Daisy. "Is he the boy that fell on Gloria today?"
"Yes, he is."
Daisy's face broke into a big smile as she followed her mother into the living room, where William stood waiting exactly where Lita had left him. Hopefully he will relax a little soon. Lita thought. "Daisy, I want you to meet William. William, this is my daughter Daisy."
"Hi!" Daisy greeted chipperly.
"Hello." William said quietly with a timid smile. Mom.
"Now Daisy, your father will be home in a few minutes and then I have to attend a Scouts meeting for a little while. Don't forget, we are having dinner in the palace dining hall tonight."
"So we have another child from the future here?" Haruka sighed.
"Apparently he is Lita's grandson." Amy confirmed nodding. This brought a number of curious reactions from the other senshi since all their previous visitors had been girls.
"Do we know why he is here?" Queen Serenity asked.
"It would appear to have been by accident." Sailor Mercury explained. "The bigger mystery seems to be how he got here in the first place." She added. The others looked at her questioningly as she explained: "He did not have a time key and he was apparently unconscious when he arrived."
"But that is not possible!" Rei declared. The others nodded in agreement. They all knew that to use The Gates of Time required a time key and required the user to focus on a destination.
"Nevertheless, it has happened."
"It is possible." Sailor Pluto told them. "The Gates of Time could be opened to a fixed point in time and stabilized by artificial means...but it would require a great deal of energy to do so."
"Why would you do that?" Mina wondered.
"I would not." Pluto answered in point.
"William said he saw two men attacking you Setsuna." Lita offered. They must have been trying to gain access to the Gates."
"Yes." Amy agreed speculating. "He must have gotten in the way and fallen through an open gate."
"If The Gates of Time were being attacked, that means we might have to be on the alert for more hostile visitors." Haruka warned.
"I do not think so." Serenity considered. "I think they must have been stopped or likely they would be here already."
"Perhaps, Your Majesty," Michiru conceded. "but we should keep on our guard just in case."
Serenity nodded acknowledging her point.
"And what about the boy?" Haruka asked.
"We will just have to wait until someone shows up to take him home." Queen Serenity observed.
"In the meantime, he can stay with my family." Lita said.
"Does anyone have anything else to add?" Serenity asked.
"Yes, Your Highness." Lita said turning to Sailor Pluto. "Setsuna? William seems to be very worried about you. Maybe it would help if you were to come talk to him?"
Pluto nodded her head. "Certainly. I will come by within the hour."
"Is there anything else?" Serenity asked. No one spoke. "All right then: Just as before, we will not discuss this with our families or anyone else." She decreed. "This meeting is adjourned." Serenity smiled as she rose from her seat. "I will see you all tonight at dinner!"
Setsuna arrived at the Jupiters' quarters a short time later, bringing Maggie with her. Daisy was delighted to see Maggie and they both went off into Daisy's room. Lita led Setsuna to the guest room where William sat quietly on the bed, looking out the window. Lita gently knocked on the door as she entered.
"William, I have someone here to see you."
He turned to see who it was. "Aunt Setsuna!" He cried happily. Setsuna smiled as the child's face lit up, but then his face fell a bit as he realized she was not in her Senshi uniform. She had not come to take him home.
Setsuna understood his thoughts as she saw his eyes fall. She sat down beside him on the bed.
Lita smiled reassuringly. "I'll just leave you two to talk for a while. I'll be back in a little bit. Okay?"
Setsuna smiled and nodded appreciatively to her. "I heard you were worried about me." She told William.
"That man was hurting you. I couldn't stop him."
She gently put a hand on his shoulder. "I know this is going to be a hard time for you, but I promise everything will be all right." The boy nodded. He knew Setsuna never made promises unless she really meant them...but he also knew that not even Sailor Pluto could see everything in the future with perfect clarity. She often said that time flowed with powerful currents and that no one could read them perfectly. Setsuna Meioh did not need Rei's psychic abilities to sense the direction of his thoughts. He was very afraid for her and he felt very much alone and powerless. There was a strong bond between them. It had existed before he was born. She smiled softly at him.
"When the time comes, you will know what to do." She assured him. "In the meantime, you must be careful not to reveal too much about the future while you are here...especially to Daisy or the other Chibi Scouts." She cautioned gently.
William smiled at this. "I know Aunt Setsuna. I won't"
"I know you won't" Setsuna smiled fondly. "Now let's go see Aunt Lita."
Meanwhile, Lita was in the living room. Ken looked at her questioningly.
"What?" She asked. His eyes seemed to twinkle in amusement.
"Oh, nothing." He said. "I thought we were having dinner in the palace dining hall tonight?"
"Yes..." She answered warily.
"Well... So what's William going to wear to dinner?" His face bore what suspiciously looked like a smirk.
"Oh! That's no problem! We'll just borrow... Um... Oh... Right." She frowned as she saw the problem. Ken grinned at her. She was embarrassed that she had not thought of this earlier. With Violet and Lily; indeed, with all the other visitors from the future it was a simple matter to borrow some clothes if needed. In this case; however, no one else would have any clothes to borrow since all there would be were dresses. Faith had some boys clothes, but nothing formal and besides all her hand me downs were pretty shot anyway.
After a moment's thought, Lita looked up to see Setsuna and William come out of the guest room. She was glad to see him smiling a little now. "Thank you Setsuna." She said, placing a hand on her future grandson's shoulder. "You know, I just realized that we need to hurry out and get you some new clothes before dinner tonight." She told him as she threw a quick look at Ken, promising dire consequences for her husband if he said so much as one word... "Ken can keep an eye on Daisy and Maggie for a while." She said calmly.
Setsuna watched this bemused. "I am glad I was able to help." She said. "Gary will come by in a couple of hours to pick up Maggie. I must return to my post now, but I will see you all at dinner tonight." She knelt down to give William a hug, which he returned tightly. "You remember what I told you." She instructed.
"I will." He answered. "I love you Aunt Setsuna."
William Kino; like most small boys, enjoyed shopping for clothes about as much as going to the doctor's office for shots. He had; however, long since decided that quiet acceptance was the best policy in these situations. It helped that Aunt Lita was in a hurry. It DID beat wearing a dress, he thought as he considered the alternatives. Of course, Aunt Lita had also told him they would have to go back tomorrow. Sigh. Still, they were ready for dinner. William was wearing a white dress shirt with black slacks. He smiled brightly as his Grandm... Err Aunt Lita came out in a beautiful emerald green dress. Daisy's dress was much the same, only a lighter shade of green.
Ken beamed at his wife and daughter. "You two look beautiful!" He said. "Don't they?" He asked William, who nodded enthusiastically in agreement.
"Why thank you!" Lita answered, kissing her husband and putting her arm around William. "Of course we always do...don't we?" She asked motioning Daisy to her side. "And tonight we get to have two handsome gentlemen escort us to dinner!" Lita said happily. Her future grandson blushed sheepishly at that as she took his hand. With Ken taking Daisy's hand, they went off to dinner.
William was a little nervous as he saw Queen Serenity and King Endymion standing at the entrance of the dining hall to greet them. Of course, he had been to the palace dining hall many times before. But in this time, he was a guest-not really part of the palace family-and they did not know him yet.
"Lita!" Serenity exclaimed. "Ken! Daisy!" She greeted them exuberantly. "And this must be William!" The Queen said with a warm smile, looking at the boy.
"Your Majesties." William said deferentially and; to everyone's surprise, did a full court bow with left arm tucked behind his back and right arm in front, even down to a little flourish of the wrist.
Serenity suppressed a slight giggle at the sight. It was so kawaii! "My! Such a charmer!" She exclaimed and looked at Endymion. "Be careful dear! I think someone is after your place!" She teased.
William's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. "Well, that's good!" Endymion laughed. "That means I can sit back and retire now!"
Serenity was still smiling as she saw the boy turn even more red and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You do not need to be so formal here. This is a family dinner and you are a part of that family."
Dinner went smoothly enough. William was fascinated seeing his mother and the other Cosmic Scouts as children. Still, it all felt so strange. He could not help but think of his sister Violet, and Rose, and the other children in his time...He felt even more out of place here than at home.
Lita watched her future grandson with concern as he sat quietly picking at his plate. She wished she could get him to relax. I just wish I knew what to do. She thought to herself.
In the meantime, Mina was also concerned. Gloria had been especially well behaved so far but; while Mina hoped the evening would pass without incident, Mina's suspicions told her otherwise.
After dinner, everyone retired to the palace living room. Lita hoped maybe William would relax as he played with some of the other children. Indeed, Ariel and Madelyn had asked if he wanted to play a game with them. She smiled as he joined them around the game board. Annika and Hope also joined in. Faith; meanwhile, noticed Gloria with a very self satisfied look on her face.
"What are you up to?" Faith questioned.
"What makes you think I'm up to something?" Gloria asked with a smirk. "I'm just waiting for something." She said as she eyed Daisy's shoes.
Faith followed her gaze. "You didn't put soap on Daisy's shoes again, did you?"
"Of course not!" Gloria replied, continuing to smile.
"Then...what?"
"You'll see!" Gloria continued to smile. She sat back and waited in anticipation while Faith continued to wonder just what she had done this time. It was not too much longer before Gloria's patience was rewarded. Daisy and Maggie went over and slipped into their shoes. Maggie started to head over to her mother when she realized Daisy was not with her. She turned and saw Daisy just standing there. Gloria grinned.
"Nani!" Daisy exclaimed.
"What's wrong Daisy?" Maggie asked.
"I can't move!" Daisy exclaimed. "Mom! Help! I'm stuck!" She called out embarrassed. Lita rushed over to her daughter. Mina went over to her daughter as well, certain that whatever was going on had Gloria's name written all over it.
"Let's have it!" Mina snapped.
"Have what?" Gloria tried innocently.
"You know." Her mother insisted, not buying her daughter's routine for a moment.
Gloria sighed and produced a tube of superglue, reluctantly handing it to her mother.
"You mean you glued Daisy's shoes to the floor?" Faith asked incredulous.
"Well, I hope you enjoyed this!" Mina told Gloria. "Because you are in serious trouble young lady! Let's go!" She ordered and marched Gloria back to their quarters.
Lita sighed as she helped Daisy ease her feet out of her shoes, which were firmly cemented in place. "There we go." She looked at Ken. "I guess we'll be going back to our quarters too." She said.
Ken nodded. He held his arms out. "Here, I'll take Daisy." The Jupiter family made their "goodnights" and went home.
Lita shook her head. It had been a long day. Mina had come by later to apologize for Gloria's little stunt and had also brought Daisy's shoes with her, having managed to get them safely unstuck using a bottle of nail polish remover. Lita readily accepted her best friend's apology and had asked her to stay and talk for a few minutes once she had settled Daisy and William to bed.
"He seems like a very sweet little boy." Mina commented as Lita poured her a cup of herbal tea.
Lita nodded. "He reminds me of Annika." She said as she poured her own cup. "You know...Even after having both Violet and Lily here, it still feels strange." She said staring into her cup. "I can look in one room, and I see my little girl. I look in the other and see her son. Oh, he is such a sweet little boy!... But I'm still not ready to see my little girl grow up just yet!"
"Well," Mina answered. "The only advice I can give is to enjoy the best of both worlds while you can. Daisy is still your little girl and William is a little boy who is very lucky to have such a wonderful grandmother who will take good care of her daughter's son." She said reaching across the table, clasping her friend's hand.
"Thanks Mina."
"You're welcome!" Mina smiled. "You know what they say: 'A friend in need is worth two spying in the bush!'... Err wait a minute..." She quirked her head questioningly.
Lita grinned. Some things never changed.
In The Time of The Chibi Elysian Scouts:
"How is Violet?" Lita asked her daughter.
"Upset, worried." Daisy replied. "You know how close they are."
Her mother nodded, remembering when Violet had run away to the past. Her grandson crying on her shoulder. "I'll go talk to her later." Lita said.
"Thanks mom." Daisy said.
"You're welcome." Her mother answered. "Now...How are you holding up?" She asked.
"I'm scared." Daisy told her mother. "I love both of my children, but I always knew that Violet was destined to be a Sailor Scout like us. She has always been a strong fighter... A lot like me I guess. William has always been such a gentle child though... Mom? How can I go out there fighting to protect the whole world... And I couldn't protect my own son?" Her eyes began to mist with tears. "I miss my little boy."
"I promise you he will be all right." Lita said, holding her daughter's head on her shoulder.
"Mom?" Daisy said. "Do you remember that party the other night?"
Flashback. Three Days Prior:
It was a large spectacle that night. The palace was well accustomed to such things and Queen Serenity simply loved any excuse for a party. Unfortunately, this party had not been Serenity's idea, but rather had come from the Public Relations Office. The official reason was to celebrate the anniversary of Neo-Queen Serenity's ascension and the end of the Great Freeze. An army of dignitaries and a horde of media had been invited. The centerpiece of the night was to be a photo-op with the Royal Family and all three generations of Senshi. It had been thoroughly planned down to the last detail... Except for one small boy.
Daisy dearly wished her husband had been there, but he was away on a project and would be gone for the next four or five weeks. There was no one to watch William as Palla was watching Kazuto and Ves was taking care of Kokei that night. He would simply have to be there at the party. Daisy did not expect any problems. Her son was a quiet child and not the kind to act up in public. Things went well through most of the night. William stuck close to his mother and grandmother during the evening. At one point, Daisy had been approached by one of the umpteen nameless bureaucrats in attendance. She knelt down and smiled at her son. "Why don't you go find your sister for me, okay?" She asked him gently.
"Okay." He said quietly. As he went off, the man reached down with a smile and tussled his hair. Daisy knew her son did not like that but he didn't even blink as he pretended to pay it no mind. She was proud of her son at that.
Then time came for group pictures. William knew he would have to wait while the pictures were taken. He gave his mother a hug, then his sister Violet, and then his grandmother. Daisy smiled as she led Violet onto the stage. She knew Violet was excited. Just as she knew how proud William was of his sister, and; of course, his mother and grandmother. Wanting to stay close, her son had found an out of the way little corner to watch from.
Unfortunately; as the photo-op began, photographers descended on that little corner as they jockeyed for the best or clearest angles. Daisy saw as photographers surged in front of her son. She sat helpless, forcing herself to maintain a smiling face for the public sake even as she saw her son pushed aside by an unrelenting tide.
Afterward, she left Violet with Lita. She found William curled up half asleep in a chair in the hall outside. "Come on." She said, picking up the exhausted child. "Let's go home."
When they got back to their quarters, Daisy tucked her son into bed. "William. I am so sorry." She told her son. "You should not have been treated like that and I promise I will NEVER let that happen again... I'm sorry." She repeated as she stroked her son's hair.
"It's okay." He whispered.
Daisy shook her head. "I also want to tell you how proud I am of the way you behaved tonight. This was a special night and it was a big night for your sister and there were a lot of important people there... I'm not too proud with all of us grownups right now... But I am VERY proud of you." She told him, giving him a hug.
Her son looked up at her with a painful expression. "Mommy... When do I get to be special?"
Daisy held her son tighter. "You ARE special, and you will always be special to me." She said as a tear flowed down her cheek.
End Flashback.
Daisy was in tears at the memory.
"Don't worry." Lita told her daughter. "We will get him back." Lita had also seen what had happened with her grandson that night. Immediately after bringing Violet home, she had gone straight to see Queen Serenity in fury over the incident. Serenity had not witnessed what had occurred, but had invited Lita to join her for a very long talk with the Director of Public Relations about it.
Daisy nodded, straightening herself up and wiping the tears from her eyes. "His ninth birthday will be coming up in a couple of weeks." She said. "I wanted to plan a special birthday for him to make up for what happened the other night. Maybe this will all be over by then." She hoped.
Lita smiled. "So what does he want for his birthday this year?"
Daisy shook her head with a resigned smile. "I don't know mom." She admitted. "You know he never asks for anything."
"That is true." Lita conceded. William had always been on the shy and timid side. She quirked a grin. "Mina certainly never had that problem with Gloria!"
"I do know he would love one of your triple chocolate cakes!" Daisy laughed.
"I was planning on it." Lita replied with a smile. "Of course, we will still need a couple of white cakes." She mused. "All these years and Ariel's tastes have never recovered from her and Madelyn sneaking that cake under the table!" They both laughed. They both needed it right now.
In The Time of The Chibi Scouts:
As Lita had told William the previous afternoon, she needed to get him a few more clothes before enrolling him in school on Monday. She decided it would be good for Daisy to come shopping with them. Daisy could use a couple of new outfits anyway as she continued to shoot up like a weed. Or a towering oak. Lita thought with a smile. She had even arranged for Maggie to come along. Maggie was not the only one coming along either. Lita and Mina had both decided it had been far too long since the two of them had taken the opportunity to go shopping together and whatever rivalries their daughters might have were not going to be allowed to interfere. Mina had promised Gloria that she could get a couple of new CDs if Gloria behaved while they were out. Considering the circumstances; a shopping trip and five girls, William dearly wished a hole would open up under him.
Lita enjoyed shopping. All things considered, the day had gone better than she had expected. Daisy and Maggie were certainly enjoying themselves. Gloria was behaving; mindful of her mother no doubt, but behaving nonetheless. Mina was also enjoying herself. William; however, had been quiet the whole time. Lita was glad he was so well mannered, but she wished she could see her future grandson smile a bit more. Going shopping was a necessity, but she had wanted it to be a fun time as well. So; just before heading home, while Mina took Gloria over to the music shop, Lita decided to take William over to a small toy shop. "Here." She smiled. "Why don't you pick out a couple of small things for yourself." He looked at her with a little smile. Lita's own smile grew wider. "Small things now!" She reminded lightly. He nodded his understanding and curiously began to explore. Lita was also curious. Curious to see what the boy would be drawn to. He passed the video games without a thought. Went right by the bats and balls. He paused for a moment by the action figures, looked them over briefly, shook his head. Then something caught his attention... Lita watched as her future grandson wandered over to the plush toys. She smiled deep inside. I should have guessed. He stopped, studying the shelf. He picked one toy with satisfaction and then frowned as he looked over the rest. She looked closer and put a hand up to hide the grin on her face as she saw the plush Sailor Jupiter in his arm. The store had a selection of plushes of the inner scouts. (For some reason, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto always seemed harder to find.) William seemed to be trying to decide which other scout he wanted. She stepped over and looked at him. "It looks like you have a tough choice here." She told him. Then she knelt down and whispered. "Then again... The Sailor Scouts always work as a team." She smiled and picked the other four scouts from the shelf.
"Thank you, Aunt Lita." He said softly.
"You're welcome!" Lita said fondly. She saw Daisy and Maggie coming over to them. Both girls were smiling. "Well, are we ready to go?" Lita asked.
"Yes, mom." Daisy answered. She had really had a good time. She enjoyed getting to spend the day with Maggie and; like her mother, Daisy also really enjoyed shopping. Not even having to put up with Gloria could put a damper on things.
"All right then. Let's catch up with Mina and we'll go home." Lita told them.
They met with Mina and Gloria just outside the music store. Gloria had her new CDs. Mina shook her head, ruefully smiling. "There goes the peace and quiet tonight." Still, Mina had to admit it had been a good day.
They went home. Mina and Gloria said their good-byes and went back to their quarters. Maggie also needed to get back to her quarters... And besides, she wanted to visit with her mother for a while before dinner. "I'll see you tomorrow!" She told Daisy.
The next day was Monday so after dinner, Lita put William to bed early since she would be enrolling him in school in the morning. Being a little older, Daisy was allowed to stay up just a little later. Lita looked at her daughter fondly.
"What is it, mom?" Daisy asked her mother.
"Oh! Nothing." Lita said, but continued to smile at her daughter. "I just keep thinking about how fast you are growing up!" She put her hands on Daisy's shoulders and looked at her at arms length. "My little girl is growing into a beautiful young lady." Lita said proudly as she drew her daughter into a hug. "Just don't grow up too fast. Okay?"
"I won't." Daisy promised. "Mom." She said after a moment. "I hope when I DO grow up, I'm as good a mom as you." She told her mother.
Lita held her daughter closer as she thought about William, and Violet, and Lily. "I'm sure you will be!" She answered Daisy warmly. "I'm sure you will!"
The next morning, Daisy got ready for school as normal. She and Maggie were in sixth grade now, only one more year until junior high. They met out front with the other girls, all of whom were in fourth grade except for Madelyn, who was now in third. It was taking a little getting used to not having Chelsea and Violet and Rose or Lily and Jasmine and all the other girls; who had now gone home to their own times, here. As the oldest, Daisy and Maggie were expected to keep an eye on the other children to and from school. Before they left, Lita reminded Daisy that William would be walking home from school with them. "Okay, mom." Daisy told her mother. "No problem." She said with a smile. She did not know why, but she somehow felt a connection to this quiet little boy. Partly; at least she suspected, because he was supposed to be Violet's brother. Daisy thought about Violet for a moment: At first she had been on edge and jealous about the other girl but; after mom and Maggie had helped her get passed that, Daisy had become very close to Violet. Later; when Violet had come back with Chelsea and the others, Violet had been the older of the two then, but the bond between them was still there and had even grown stronger. So that was part of it; Daisy mused, but she also felt another connection in its own right here. She mentally shrugged to herself. Whatever it was, she would look after him just as she would any of the younger children from the palace.
While the girls walked to school, Lita made sure William was ready and drove him to the school for registration. He was in fourth grade and found himself placed in Kadiri Mishima's class along with Ariel, Gloria, Hope, and Annika. He was glad for them being there. It felt so strange. This was the same school he went to in his time but all the people in it were new. He picked an empty seat near Annika and settled in for class. As he did so, he noticed Mishima sensei watching him appraisingly. He thought he saw a thin smile of approval on her face. Since he did not have textbooks assigned yet, Mishima sensei instructed Annika to share her books with him for the time being. He timidly pulled his desk beside hers and Annika shyly slid her open literature book between them. Once again, Mishima sensei seemed to smile as she observed this, then turned to the lesson at hand.
The day went relatively smooth. William was a fairly bright student and was able to keep up with the rest of the class without too much difficulty. At recess; however, he kept to himself. He watched the other kids from the palace with interest as they played. A group of three boys went over to Annika. William knew their kind well in his own time and he tensed as he looked on.
"Hey! Crybaby!" One of them called out. Annika seemed to flinch at the words. William hurt to see Aunt Annika's eyes fill with pain as they smirked. They did not; however, smile long as Gloria got up in the face of one of the boys who was obviously the leader.
"Why don't you just shut that ugly face of yours John?" Gloria demanded.
"The boys did not seem interested in messing with Gloria. "Sure. Whatever you say." The boy replied as he walked away. "See you later, crybaby."
Gloria put her arm around her best friend and smiled. "Don't let those kids bother you." She told Annika. "They're just jealous because you get to hang around me!" She said, beaming in mock pomposity and making a face. Annika giggled as she saw the expression on Gloria's face. "That's more like it!" Gloria said and they went back to playing.
The rest of school passed uneventfully as the final bell rang and the palace children gathered to walk home. William discussed their homework with Annika since they would be sharing her books until his books were assigned to him. They agreed that he would come over to the Mars' quarters after they got home while they worked on their homework. They sat down at the kitchen table and got to work. Rei was slightly bemused to think of this shy little boy as Lita's grandson... Especially Daisy's child! She thought in wonder. After they had finished their homework, William politely thanked both Rei and Annika and went back to the Jupiters' quarters.
Lita greeted him when he came in. Daisy had a Scouts practice and would be back a little later. "Why don't you go outside and play for a while?" Lita suggested mildly. It was a nice day out and she did not want him to be cooped up in the palace.
"Okay." He said quietly. Outside, the swingset was unoccupied so William got on it... Not swinging... Just sitting, as his mind turned elsewhere and elsewhen.
Flashback. The Gates of Time:
"Now stay close to me." Sailor Pluto instructed him. She had her left arm and hand tight around his shoulders even as she held her Garnet Rod in her right hand. He nodded and inched as close to her as he could. He had been to The Gates of Time many times before; even as a baby in his mother's arms, but never like this: Literally standing on the edge of time. It was something few could ever imagine and fewer would ever see. William had been warned that the gates could be dangerous, but he knew he would be all right as long as he followed Aunt Setsuna's instructions carefully.
"What's it like?" William had asked Setsuna in curiosity as he watched her standing guard over time itself. She smiled at him and; much to his complete surprise, had offered to show him. Perhaps the only ones more surprised were Maggie, and his mother Daisy, but Setsuna had reassured them it would be all right.
And so William Kino looked out into time. There seemed to be a distant roar and he could feel a pull on his body which seemed to draw him forward. He knew that Setsuna would never allow him to come any closer than was safe, but he was very glad she was there to steady him. "This is the Time Stream." Sailor Pluto told him.
"Time Stream?" He questioned in awe. "It feels more like a river than a stream!" He exclaimed.
Setsuna looked at him fondly. "Yes. You are correct." She stated. "The forces you feel pulling on you are currents in the flow of time."
"Currents?"
"Yes." She said. "Time flows as it does because of the currents that shape it. These currents are created by everything in the universe and how they interact with each other." Pluto explained. "Living things create strong currents, and sentient life... Like you and me," She continued. "Create the strongest currents of all. Where the currents interact, they swirl and shape the flow of time around them... And thus the universe as well."
"So how is it that you can see into the future?" William wanted to know.
Setsuna smiled. This was something even the other Senshi often misunderstood. The term "seeing" implied a degree of omniscience which she did not actually possess. She paused in thought as she considered how to explain it. "Well... It isn't actually 'seeing' the future." She told him. "It's more being able to 'read' the currents shaping the future... Or at least the possibilities of the future."
"You mean like a kayaker?" He suggested.
Setsuna considered the comparison for a moment "Yes, I think that is a good way to think of it." She approved. "Some people are more sensitive to the currents than others. That is why Aunt Rei and Aunt Annika are able to sense the future as they do. Brooke will have the same ability as she grows up. I have learned how to read the currents in time... But even I do not always read or understand them correctly." She cautioned as she remembered how she had misread the currents surrounding Hotaru back in the 20th century. That misjudgment in her part had nearly led to disaster. "I can read the currents of those I am familiar with better than those around strangers. The stronger a current is or the closer it becomes, the easier it is for me to read and the more I study a particular current in time, or the more I can focus on it, the more clear it becomes. My Garnet Rod helps me focus. It also helps me keep a fix in time." She said.
"But you see into the past." William said.
Setsuna laughed with humor. "Well, the past is what you would call 'charted territory'. Still," She followed. "looking into the past allows me to look for things that should not be there. It also allows me to see where currents affecting the future might have come from. Then I can understand them better."
"What if something bad happens? Could you go back and fix it?"
Setsuna regarded him sadly. "Sometimes," She said. "and somethings I cannot."
"Why?" He wondered. "If you knew what happened, why can't you fix it?"
"Because," Setsuna answered. "sometimes; in trying to fix things, we can do more harm than good."
"I don't understand." William told her.
Setsuna frowned as she thought how to explain it. This was the most basic and painful truth of her duties as The Guardian of Time: That there were some tragedies that she could not undo so that time would unfold as it must. It was a pain she bore that she could not change the fall of the Moon Kingdom. It even bound her in matters not yet begun... And forced her to insist that others be bound as well. Tiffany would not be born for decades to come. Celine was only a tiny child. And yet certain things were already written and could not be changed.
Finally, the orb in her Garnet Rod glowed briefly and Setsuna projected the image of a pond before them. "This is called the 'Ripple Effect'." She said. "Imagine this pool is our history." She paused, making sure he was following. As he nodded, she continued. "The middle of the pool represents the past, while the edge represents the present. A change in the past is like throwing a stone in the middle of the pool. It ripples out..." William watched as waves reached out from the center, growing as they swept out. "The ripple grows until it reaches the shore, where it can wash away everything... Including the very thing we were trying to protect." Setsuna looked sadly upon the boy as his face showed he understood what she had told him. Then she smiled at him warmly. "And I have a lot here that is worth protecting!" She told him and gently led him away from the Time Stream.
End Flashback.
"I can't let it happen." William said to himself. "I just can't. Setsuna... You promised I'd know what to do." He pleaded in his mind. "What do I do... Tell me what to do."
"You know, it doesn't go very far if you just sit there."
William jerked up short in surprise at the sound of Lita's voice. He had been so lost in thought, he had not even noticed her approach.
Lita looked at her future grandson with concern in her eyes. That he was a shy child was apparent. What really worried her was that he seemed to be trying to carry a very large load on his small shoulders. While Lita had not been suddenly ripped from her own time, she knew what it felt to be alone. It had been Serena and the others, who had helped her realize that she need not stay alone in this world. Even then, it had taken time for her to let her friends help her bear those burdens she had so long tried to carry on her own. Whether it be said that this boy was her grandson or her future grandson, it was irrelevant. He was here now and needed her and if he felt the weight of the universe on his shoulders, she would do whatever she could that he not carry it alone. She knelt in front of him and met his eyes, sweeping his hair gently. Those big brown eyes betraying their owner's heart to the world. "Tell me what's wrong." She gently asked him.
"I miss being home. I miss Violet. I miss Rose and all the other kids... I miss mom." He said softly, a tear streaming down his face.
"I know you do." She said sadly. "And I am sure they all miss you terribly..." Lita gently lifted his chin. "But you are not alone." She told him. "I'm here... And I will always take care of you. And I am not the only one you can come to. Amy, and Mina, and Rei, and even Queen Serenity. You are a part of our family and we look after our family."
"Now." She said with a wide smile as she stepped around, behind him. "Hold on to the swing tight, because here we go!" As she pushed the swing high into the air.
As he shot into the air, William's face broke into an exhilarated smile as; at least for now, the cares of his mind fell away as he touched the sky.
The next few days went well. William had shown himself to be a good student in school and Lita had also found him to be an avid reader. William had begun to make steady use of the palace library. One of his favorite books was a book on the legends of King Arthur. It was a book he had read a number of times in his own time, but the copy he had read before was an old and worn volume and he remembered a tear on one of the pages. It was a picture showing Arthur drawing Excalibur from the Stone. The page had a rip in the bottom corner and had long been taped together. THIS book was brand new; pristine, and he looked at it, fascinated at the newness of it. Checking the book out of the library, he began the walk back to the Jupiters' quarters. He opened the book as he walked, drawn back to that page and paying little heed to the world around him.
"I DON'T CARE WHAT IT TAKES! I WANT THAT GRID BACK UP YESTERDAY!" Haruka angrily barked. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HEAD OF SECURITY AROUND HERE AND I WOULD APPRECIATE A LITTLE WARNING IF WE HAVE TO CONFRONT SOMETHING MORE THREATENING THAN AN EIGHT YEAR OLD CHILD! NOW GET IT FIXED OR I'LL FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN!"
A pindrop could have been heard as the Director of Palace Security nervously watched an angry Sailor Uranus and a grim faced Sailor Neptune. In that chilly moment of silence, the sound of a book falling to the floor was as loud as a cannon as William jumped, startled by Haruka's angry voice.
Three heads turned sharply at the noise and the boy recoiled with fear as he saw the thunderous expression on Haruka's face He stumbled, falling backwards. Michiru dashed over to the child as Haruka watched with concern. IDIOT! She swore at herself. She threw one last icy glare into the Head of Security. "Dismissed." She said with finality. As the man retreated back towards his office, Haruka went over to Michiru and the child. William shrank back from her approach, clearly afraid of her. Flinching as she reached out to him.
"It's all right." Michiru soothed the child.
"That's right." Haruka said as gently as she could. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not going to hurt you." She repeated almost as a whisper. "No one is going to hurt you." She said as she took the boy, rocking him in her arms She was furious with herself. I didn't even see him! I didn't even bother to notice! Why did I have to go off like that? She just continued rocking the child as she patted his back. "Aunt Haruka was very angry." She told him sorrowfully. "I was very angry." She told him. "But I'm not angry at you... I'm not angry at you." She said. She could finally feel him starting to calm down now. "Come on now." She said as she stood up, reaching down her hand. "Come on. We'll take you back to Aunt Lita now." Haruka smiled as the boy timidly reached his hand up to her.
"Let's not forget your book." Michiru said, picking the book off the floor. As she did so, she noticed a slight tear on one of the pages.
The next day at school started out normally enough. The previous day's incident had faded, but William could not quite get it out of his mind. He had been so scared seeing the anger in Haruka's face. Even though she had assured him that it had nothing to do with him, he had been so afraid of that anger... And he was ashamed of that fear. He knew that Haruka had been his mother's mentor and that the two of them were connected by a special bond. Not merely metaphorically, but through the ceremonial bonding that each of the newborn senshi had undergone. Violet had been through that ceremony, but William knew HE would NEVER know that kind of connection. The bonding ritual was for senshi only and that was that. Sometimes he resented it, though he tried never to let it out. He loved his mother and his sister and all the other senshi in the palace and it was not their fault he was different from them...
Still, the day went well enough. Until recess that is. Gloria had gotten in trouble that morning and had lost recess that day. This had been all the invitation John and his friends needed to zero in on Annika. William watched as they made cruel sport of taunting her. He felt the pain as the tears began forming in her eyes. The other kids taking satisfaction from her pain. He knew all too well what it felt like to be teased and humiliated. He had never been a fighter, but he just could not let them keep picking on Annika. He was scared, but; unlike at home, these kids did not know how scared he was. He took a deep breath and went over.
"Hey! You leave Annika alone!" He shouted.
John regarded him with the amusement of a hyena warned off by a mouse. "So what's this? Crybaby's got a new protector? Beat it new boy!"
William stepped forward between Annika and the other kids. He tried to clear the fear from his heart. He could not let them know how scared he was. As he stepped in front of John, it dawned on him how much bigger the other boy was. Still, he could not walk away now. That would have been worse than doing nothing. "Just leave her alone." He repeated.
"What are you going to do if we don't?" The bigger boy asked with a confident smirk, advancing forward. William could not help it as he reflexively backed up from him. "Thought so." John said. "Crybaby ain't your problem new boy, so get lost!"
William cursed himself for showing his fear. He knew it was like blood in the water. As the other boy advanced on him again, William steeled himself not to back away again. "No."
"So you think you're a tough guy, huh new boy? You gonna fight me?" John asked advancing forward and giving him a shove. William stood his ground, staring defiant at the other boy. John began to get a little irritated. If the new boy would not take the hint and leave, then he was going to get hurt. John swung his fist and hit William in the face. William felt the sting and felt his face flush red as he fought to keep his eyes from watering. Still, he did not move. If John had any idea of what would come next, he might not have done it, but this new boy needed to learn his place. John punched William in the stomach. William doubled over in pain as John stood over him, smirking once more.
The sixth graders were also out and Daisy had seen John punch William and it made her furious to see that slug not only picking on Annika, but beating on a boy so much smaller.
John readied a fist and waited. "How do you like that, new boy?"
"How do YOU like THIS?" Daisy said as she grabbed John's shoulder from behind, yanking him backwards and throwing him to the ground in one swift motion. Daisy looked at the other kids. "Now which of you wants some of this?" The other kids all backed off, not wanting any part of it. "Here." She said, helping William up as he held his stomach.
It still hurt, but the pain was beginning to subside, to be replaced with a feeling of complete humiliation. It got worse as a teacher's voice lashed out like a whip. "DAISY KINO!"...
William carried his head down in silence as the palace children walked home that afternoon. He could not bring himself to face Daisy or Annika or the other kids. He knew that Daisy was carrying a note home for fighting in school. Fighting because of him. When they got home, William went quietly to his room. He spoke hardly a word the rest of the day. Lita watched concerned as he went through dinner in silence, eating very little. After dinner, he had asked to go to bed early. Lita nodded her head reluctantly. After tucking him in for the night, she decided to call Amy for advice.
..."Well, bring him by my office tomorrow morning at 10:00 and I'll talk with him and we'll see what we can do.
"Thanks Amy." Lita replied.
The next morning, Lita brought William to Amy's office.
"Am I in trouble, Aunt Lita?" The little boy asked.
Lita knelt down, placing her hands on his shoulders. "No..." She answered, shaking her head. "You're not in trouble." She gently lifted his chin as she looked into his eyes. "Aunt Amy and I are worried about you. I just want you to talk with Aunt Amy for a while. That's all." She promised.
As they came to the office door, Amy was waiting for them. "Come in and have a seat." She invited, directing them to the sofa then taking her own seat. Lita sat back, while William sat perched on the edge of the sofa, holding his hands in his lap. "I understand there was an incident at school yesterday." Amy said, leaning forward, pressing her hands together, looking straight at William. "Maybe we could talk about that?" She suggested.
William looked down at his hands uncomfortably. He honestly did not want to talk about it as the humiliation still burned. "I just wanted to help Annika." He said quietly.
"Tell us exactly what happened." Amy urged.
"I saw some boys picking on Annika, calling her 'crybaby.' I thought I could stand up to them and make them go away."
"You wanted to protect Annika." Amy said it as a statement.
The boy nodded. "But all I did was get Daisy in trouble."
Amy thought for a moment. "You said you 'thought you could stand up to them.' Do you ever get picked on at school?"
"Sometimes." He whispered.
"When the other kids pick on you, is there anyone who sticks up for you?" Amy asked.
William nodded again, his eyes closed.
"Who?" Amy prompted.
"Violet." He said almost voiceless.
Amy nodded as she paused, considering. Then she leaned forward with her hands pressed together as she looked at him. "Why do you think she does that?" She asked. William looked down, not answering. Amy put a hand on his shoulder, then gently lifted his chin so his eyes met her gaze. "I think I know why." She said. "It's the same reason you wanted to protect Annika... And it's the same reason Daisy wanted to protect you." Amy told him. She let him consider that thought for a moment. "Tell me..." She began. "What words would you use to describe Daisy when she is your mother in the future?"
William looked up as he thought about his mother. "She's pretty and strong..."
"Is she a good mother?" Amy asked.
The boy nodded his head feverantly in affirmation.
Amy smiled. She had expected a response like that. "All right." She followed. "How about Violet? How would you describe your sister?"
"She's tough..."
"I'll bet she's pretty like your mom too."
"Yes." He agreed.
"Do you and your sister play together any?" Amy asked.
"Sometimes." He shrugged. "But she usually plays with Rose and Chelsea."
Amy leaned forward again, looking over at Lita. "How about your Grandmother? How about Grandma Lita?" She asked with a broad smile. "How would you describe her?"
"She's the best!" William asserted without hesitation. "She's strong and brave and she loves us!"
Do you think she is pretty? Amy asked mildly.
William turned to his future grandmother and looked at her beaming. He nodded his head fiercely yes.
Amy smiled as Lita blushed slightly at William's enthusiastic response.
"How about... Queen Serenity?" Amy asked. "What words do you think best describe Queen Serenity?"
"Kind, caring..." William said considering.
"Do you think she is a good leader?"
"Yes."
Amy nodded. "Now..." She started. "Tell me what words best describe you." William frowned and his shoulders seemed to wilt as he thought.
"I'm small." He said. "I'm not brave..." His eyes fell. "Useless." He murmured.
Lita inhaled and readied to strenuously object, but she held back waiting for Amy to respond. It was hard for her, but she knew she had to let Amy handle this.
Amy studied William carefully. Like Lita, her heart wanted to object at William's self-condemnation, but her training forced her to maintain restraint. It was a hard part of what she did. It made her feel so cold and clinical sometimes, to hold back when she wanted to wrap these children in love: Annika, and Tiffany, and her own sweet Ariel... But it was often necessary to be able to truly help them. Knowing that she could help them was the only thing that salved the pain she felt in her heart, and the only thing that made this job worthwhile. Frankly, giving shots was much easier. The pain was brief and she could soothe it over with a hug and a smile and a lollipop...
Amy chose not to push on the word "useless," instead deciding to look for positive words he could use to refocus his self-image. "I hear you are a good student in school. Are you a smart person?" She asked.
"I guess." He answered noncommittally.
"You said you aren't brave... I think it sounds pretty brave for you to stand up for Annika like you did. I think you are a lot braver than you realize."
"I failed!" He cried in protest. "I couldn't help Annika, and I couldn't help Aunt Setsuna either!" William began to shake as he cried.
Lita held her future grandson, the pain and worry evident in her eyes. Amy put a hand on the boy's shoulder, her eyes sad. "I think that's all for now. Lita, why don't you take him home now." She suggested. "I'll stop by later so we can talk."
Amy returned to her quarters frowning in thought. At least she believed she had a good idea of what was troubling young William Kino. As for being able to help him. She had an idea, but there were a few people she needed to speak to first.
In The Time of The Chibi Elysian Scouts:
Serenity; Ruler of Crystal Tokyo, Queen of Earth, smiled softly as she entered her private sitting room and seated herself in one of the large overstuffed chairs. Here gathered with her closest and dearest friends. This was not a formal meeting; else they would have been in the Palace Conference Chamber, yet still a meeting commanding privacy. Here, Serena Tsukino was needed in the title and role that she had always cherished above all others: Friend. Serenity looked about her as Luna hopped up into her lap. Amy, Rei, Mina, Hotaru, Setsuna, Haruka, and Michiru all here for their friend Lita.
"How are you holding up Lita?" Serenity asked
Lita let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm all right." She said. "I know he will be all right and that this will all be over soon... I've just never been very good at waiting." She said tiredly. "I'm also worried about Daisy and Violet."
"How are they doing?" Mina asked, voicing everyone's concern.
"About as good as one could hope for I guess. Daisy has Violet helping her plan a special birthday party for William when he comes home.
Serenity smiled, fondly recalling some of the celebrations past of the palace children's birthdays. "Every birthday party is special! I do not see any reason for this one to be any less so!" Serenity paused for a moment in consideration. "Do you think it would be all right if I asked Daisy to let Chelsea help? Chelsea came to me yesterday and asked me for permission to use the Silver Crystal so she could wish for him to come back. She really misses him a lot."
"I think it would be a good idea if we arranged for all the children to help. This has affected everyone, and it has affected the other children most of all." Amy said.
"I'll say." Haruka put in. "Kokei has started having nightmares the past couple of nights."
"I'll talk to Daisy about it." Lita nodded in agreement to Amy. She paused for a moment and shook her head. "I know William will be all right, but I just can't stop worrying about him. Is he feeling lonely or scared? I feel so helpless."
It was Setsuna who answered her. "Lita, you have been like a second mother to my Maggie. All the times I could not be there as I would have wished, I could always draw comfort knowing that you were there for her and loved her as you loved Daisy. I see the remarkable person my daughter has become and it is in large part due to your presence in her life and I thank you for that." Setsuna paused momentarily looking levelly at Lita. "I also thank you for your grandson. For it is certain that without him, I would not be here now... Lita, I promise you that this will all be over soon and that William will grow stronger from these events." She smiled compassionately at Lita. "In the meantime. Remember that even though he is not here, he still has you to care for him. And I think Daisy would agree that means he is in the safest hands anyone could ask for."
In The Time of The Chibi Scouts:
"Do you think this will work Amy?" Rei asked.
Amy nodded. She had decided that what William needed was to hear how Annika and Daisy felt about what had happened. When she had approached Rei about it, Rei had been reluctant as her daughter had been very upset about the incident, but had left the choice to Annika.
"It's all right mama!" Annika had said. "Aunt Amy showed me what happened wasn't my fault when we talked yesterday." Annika said firmly. "William stood up for me and I want to help him." Rei had looked and seen the sincerity and determination in her daughter's violet eyes. Rei was proud of her daughter. She only hoped this worked. She hated to think how Annika would react if it didn't.
"William and Annika are a lot like in a number of ways." Amy told Lita and Rei. "The time Annika spent with Brooke has helped her confidence a great deal, but she is still hesitant about standing up for herself sometimes. William also seems to have problems standing up for himself, but he was able to find the strength to stand up for Annika. "So yes! I definitely think this will be good for both of them."
Rei looked thoughtful at this and nodded.
"Okay," Lita said. "But what about Daisy? What role does she have?"
"William feels ashamed that instead of defending someone else, he ended up the one having to be protected. It's even worse because; while to you and me Daisy is a little girl, to William that is still his mother or at least his future mother, and to make it even worse, he feels responsible for getting her in trouble. Knowing Daisy, I seriously doubt she blames him for any of this and he needs to hear how she feels about all this. I've asked Ariel to sit in as well."
Amy faced Lita with a look of concern. "Frankly, what I am worried about is that this is only a symptom of a bigger problem."
"What do you mean Amy?" Lita asked. Rei also tilted her head in curious inquiry.
"Lita, William is a very sweet, very bright, and very gentle little boy who loves his family a great deal. Did you notice the words he used to describe you, Daisy, and Violet?
"Yes?"
"He kept using basically the same terms throughout: 'strong, brave, tough.' Compare the words he used to describe himself: 'small, not brave.' He clearly idolizes you and Daisy. He sees you and his mother as strong and he wants to be that as well." Amy paused momentarily. "That is one of the reasons it was so important for him to try to protect Annika, and even trying to protect Setsuna in the future. William is a true Kino in his heart and a Kino protects others. What he sees as his failure only reinforces in his mind and in his heart that there are just some things he can never achieve."
"Why! I'm sure he can grow up and achieve anything he wants to!" Lita asserted strongly.
"No he can't Lita." Amy said shaking her head regretfully.
"What do you mean by that?" Lita questioned. Then she paused for a moment. "...He isn't sick is he?" Lita worried, wondering whether Amy had discovered some illness crippling her grandson.
"No, William is a perfectly normal and healthy little boy." Amy assured her. "That's the problem." She said after a moment.
"I don't understand Amy." Lita replied in puzzlement. She was frustrated. She needed to understand. What did Amy see that she was missing?
Amy sighed. "William is a perfectly normal child." She said. "We are the ones who aren't normal. Think about it Lita..." Amy said as both Lita and Rei frowned in consideration. "We have always known that our immortality and our powers as senshi come with a price. We will watch friends and loved ones grow old and die. William is paying a price of his own. He knows he is not like the rest of us. His mother and his grandmother, and now even his sister battle terrible youma and he can't even protect Annika from school yard bullies! What's more is that life in the palace is pretty much centered on the Royal Family and on the Senshi. It has to be... But William is neither. So you can imagine it would be very easy for him to feel rather inconsequential and irrelevant. It isn't that he feels unloved. I think he feels very much loved, but he wants so much to feel worthy of notice. To make those he loves proud of him."
Rei nodded silently as she saw Amy's reasoning. Lita's heart ached. "What can I do?" She asked Amy.
"At some point, we all ask the same questions: 'Who am I? Why am I here? What was I meant to be?'" Amy replied. "William is asking himself those questions now and he will have to find his own answers." Amy counseled. "Just be there to give him love and offer guidance." Amy reassuringly smiled.
Lita smiled back with Amy's reassurance. "Thanks Amy. I will." She promised.
"I know." Amy said simply.
Amy took a breath and paused a moment. "...Well, are we ready?" She asked Lita and Rei, who both nodded firmly in reply. "Good." She said turning to the door of the small conference room Amy had borrowed for this session. "In that case, let's get to it." She said as she turned the knob and opened the door.
The children were waiting as they entered the room. There was no table, just seven seats facing each other in a circle. Amy took the empty chair most directly across from where William and Annika had been placed. Working around clockwise from Amy sat Ariel, then Rei, Annika seated next by her mother. Then came William, who looked silently down at his feet, still unable to bring himself to face the other children. Lita sat next to him on his left, and finally, Daisy sat between her mother and Amy.
Amy looked around at everyone. She smiled faintly and picked up her note pad. She waited a moment to make sure she had everyone's attention and then she began. "All right. I think we should start with you, Annika." Amy said nodding to Rei's daughter. "I would like you to start by telling us what happened in the school yard yesterday."
Annika leaned forward in her seat. It was hard enough telling these things when it was just with her mother and Aunt Amy, and she was just a little nervous, but; as she had told Aunt Amy, she wanted to do this if it would help... "Well," She started. "I was playing with Ariel at recess and John and some of his friends started picking on me."
"What were they doing?" Amy asked.
"They kept shouting; calling me crybaby, and laughing and running around me and teasing me."
"What did you do?" Amy gently questioned.
"I wanted to stand up to them like Brooke showed me, but I was afraid to stand up to all of them. I tried not to cry..." Annika's voice broke and her mother reached over and gently touched her shoulder. Annika shook her head.
"Then what happened, Annika?"
"That's when William came over and told them to go away." Annika said looking briefly at William with an expression mixed with both thanks and sympathy.
"Did they?" Amy queried carefully.
"No." Annika said, and for the first time, a touch of anger crept into her voice. "They just laughed and said that 'the crybaby had a new protector.' And John told him to get lost."
"How did you feel when William told the other boys to leave you alone?"
"I felt glad... But I was scared too, because John and those other boys are a lot bigger than I am, and they're a lot bigger than William too."
What happened after the other boys told William to go away?"
"John went up to him and started pushing him. Annika related.
"How did you feel when that happened Annika?"
"I was upset because I didn't want him to get hurt because of me."
"Is that when John hit William?" Amy gently asked.
"Yes," Annika said. "I felt like it was my fault because William was trying to protect me." Annika admitted. Yet it was evident from her tone that she no longer held herself to blame.
Amy smiled inwardly as she noted this. Bullies only had as much power as their victims gave them. Slowly, Annika was learning to take that power back. "What happened after that?"
"That's when Daisy came and pulled John off him."
"How did you feel about that?"
"I was glad because she made them go away and she stopped them from hurting William anymore."
"Thank you Annika." Amy said. "Daisy?" Amy turned to Lita's daughter. "Tell us about what you remember about what happened."
Daisy leaned forward expectantly. She had been eager to help when her mother and Aunt Amy had asked her. Daisy had no doubts about what she had done... Even if it had caused her to run afoul of Omori sensei. It was her choice and it certainly not William's fault that she had been reprimanded. Infact, She thought. John should feel lucky I only yanked him off his feet! I should have decked the snot! She stepped hard on that thought as she began to relay what happened.
"Maggie and I came out to recess together. The fourth graders were already outside. We saw that punk John and his friends teasing Annika."
"How did that make you feel, Daisy?" Amy questioned.
"I was angry." Daisy said flatly.
"What did you do?"
"I tried to ignore it." Daisy said frustrated. "You and mom are always warning me not to let my anger get the best of me." Daisy stated.
"I know that must have been hard for you." Amy said with sympathy. Truthfully, she was impressed by the amount of restraint Daisy had shown under the circumstances. "Did you see William confront the other boys?"
"Yes," Daisy replied. Maggie and I decided to keep an eye on Annika so we both saw when he came over."
"What did you think about that?"
"I thought he had a lot of guts!" Daisy declared, looking at William with a fond expression.
Amy smiled to herself in satisfaction. This was the response she had expected from Daisy. She knew that Daisy's opinion was very important to William and hoped this would ease the boy's self doubt. She then carefully followed her next question. "Daisy, what made you finally decide to intervene in what was happening?"
"When I saw John hit him... I just got so mad!" Even now, Daisy's hands clenched in fists as she thought about it.
"You were reprimanded by one of your teachers weren't you?" Amy asked her.
"Yeah..." Daisy answered a little sour.
"Yet you still feel you did the right thing?"
"Yes!" Daisy replied without hesitation.
"Thank you Daisy." Amy said in acknowledgment. She turned to Ariel beside her. "Ariel honey. You were there. Tell us what you remember. She instructed her daughter.
"Well," Ariel began as she recalled. "Annika and I were playing at recess. It was just the two of us because Gloria got in trouble and had to stay in, and Hope went to talk to Faith. We were having fun until John and his friends came over and started teasing Annika."
"Ariel?" Amy asked. "Do these boys tease or harass you when they tease Annika?"
"Sometimes," Ariel admitted. "But not as much as Annika."
"Tell me Ariel. What did you think when William told the other boys to leave Annika alone?"
"I was surprised." She replied. "Because William is not much bigger than Annika, and the other boys are a lot larger than he is."
"Do you think that was a brave thing to do?"
"I think so." Ariel said.
"Thank you Ariel." Amy said, smiling at her daughter. She then turned to William. She leaned forward and paused briefly in thought. "William... Why did you decide to help Annika?" William appeared totally confused at the question, as if she had just asked him what color the sky was. She had expected his reaction to be as much, but she needed him to answer that question now.
"Because..." He began, facing Annika. "She shouldn't get picked on like that."
"Like kids pick on you sometimes...?" Amy asked gently.
The boy nodded his head. "Yes." He answered softly.
Annika looked at him in surprise mingled with curiosity. Her heart went out in sympathy.
"William... Were you scared when you confronted the other boys?" Amy queried.
"Yes." He admitted, looking somewhat ashamed at the admission.
"Yet you did it anyway." Amy pointed out. "Do you regret standing up for Annika?"
William shook his head. "No!"
"Even though you got hit?"
"No! It wasn't Annika's fault!" He protested, looking to Rei and Annika.
"And none of this was your fault either." Amy said gently. "None of it... You didn't fail Annika. You overcame your own fears and stood up for Annika and for Ariel too! You didn't cause Daisy to get into trouble. You did not cause the problem, and Daisy chose to stand up for you... Just like you chose to stand up for Annika. She felt it was the right thing to do." Amy paused for a moment to let that sink in.
"What you did was to overcome your own fears to help someone else. That was being brave. Wouldn't you agree Lita?"
"Absolutely!" Lita affirmed. The others all nodded in agreement.
Amy leaned back and studied Annika and William with a thoughtful look and smiled. "Now; before we end this session, I would like to ask: Annika? Is there anything you would like to say to William?"
Annika nodded shyly and turned to the little boy beside her. "Thank you!" She said with her quiet smile.
"You're welcome." William replied in a tone nearly as soft as Annika's.
Amy nodded, her own smile growing. "And William? Is there anything you would like to say to Daisy?"
"Yes," He said softly turning to Daisy. "Thank you Daisy!"
Daisy looked back at him with a big grin. "Hey, No problem! You're welcome!"
Amy watched the children with satisfaction. Not everything would or could be solved in a single session like this. She admitted to herself. But today, they had done well. "All right. I think that will be all for today." She said, rising from her seat with a warm smile. "Thank you all for coming."
After the session was over, Lita decided to take Daisy and William out for ice-cream. Rei thought this was a good idea and she and Annika would go as well. Inevitably, Ariel asked her mother if they could go also. Giving in to the spirit of the moment, Amy agreed and; Lita driving, they all headed out together.
"Is this place new?" Rei asked as they pulled into the parking lot.
"Yes," Lita replied. "It just opened last week. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but this seems as good a time as any."
They entered and the hostess seated the group at a large corner booth. She smiled as she placed menus in front of the adults. "Your waitress will be with you shortly." The hostess said pleasantly and withdrew.
Lita studied the parlor with an approving appraisal. The layout was smooth and efficient yet comfortable. The staff appeared well kempt and attentive. Lita smiled to herself in satisfaction. She demanded the same level of standards and care at her restaurant. Her inward smile widened at the thought. Though her responsibilities as a mother and as a senshi prevented her from getting into the kitchen as much as she would have liked, she liked to keep a "hands on" approach in running her restaurant. She knew all the names and faces of her employees and it was not an uncommon sight to see her drop by and chat with her patrons or tie on an apron and wait tables. After a moment, she turned her attention to the menu in front of her. She glanced over at Rei, who was studying hers closely with Annika nestled tight beside her peering forward to look. Amy was also carefully studying her menu with Ariel, but only after making certain that a full napkin dispenser was at hand.
"So what do they have?" Lita asked.
"What don't they have?" Rei remarked.
William tried to keep a smile off his face. He had actually been to this place a number of times in his own time... But this was a detail that no one else needed to know...
Their waitress came over to the table. "Hello," She said pleasantly. "My name is..."
"Elizabeth!" Lita exclaimed as she looked up at the young waitress in front of her. This young lady was the spitting image of their old friend Elizabeth Furuhata; whom they had not seen in years! How could it be? A quick glance at Amy and Rei saw they were also equally in shock as to this young girl's appearance.
The girl looked back at them in surprise and confusion as to their reaction.
Lita's eyes widened further as she saw the name tag on her blouse: Lita, it read.
"I'm sorry." The girl said after an awkward moment. "My name is Lita Furuhata." She answered with an embarrassed smile. "Although I do have an Aunt Elizabeth." She added. Then smiling more naturally, "Are you ready to order? Or would you like just a little more time?"
"Oh!" Lita exclaimed as she glanced back at the menu and then over at Amy and Rei.
"We would like just a couple more minutes please." Amy said answering for them.
"No problem!" The young girl replied. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes!" She said and departed towards the kitchen.
"Well that sure was interesting!" Rei commented wryly.
"What was that all about, mom?" Daisy asked curious.
"Well..." How to explain this one? Lita thought.
"Well! I'll be!" A stangely familiar voice cut in. Lita! Rei! Amy! It is you!"
Lita looked up again to see that their waitress had returned, along with a slightly more mature looking version of herself. Both were smiling. Lita goggled for a moment, then tried again. "Elizabeth?" She asked once more.
The older Furuhata's grin widened. "Well, I see you've met my niece!"
"Is she...?" Lita Kino began.
Elizabeth laughed. "Yes. She's Andrew and Rita's second oldest daughter!" She answered proudly.
Lita Furuhata blushed slightly.
"It has been such a long time!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"So what are you doing here?" Rei asked casually.
"Oh... My husband Michael and I own this place!" She replied beaming.
"So I guess this makes you and Lita competitors." Rei smiled
"Oh! I hope not!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "No, I think there is room enough for both of us! At least I hope so! Besides, Michael and I have been hoping for a more casual crowd here. Maybe not the romantic dinner like at your place Lita, but a nice afternoon outing type thing.
"Speaking of which..." Elizabeth nodded and her niece pulled out her pen and order pad. "What would you like?"
Lita, Rei, and Amy looked around at the children to make sure they were ready. "Ariel?" Amy offered first.
"I would like a strawberry ice-cream cone, please!" Ariel said eagerly looking up at the waitress.
"Could you make that in a dish, please?" Amy amended to the younger Furuhata. Amy envisioned the image of Ariel fumbling her grip on a cone and dropping it right in her lap.
Lita Furuhata nodded as she scribbled the notation while Elizabeth smiled brightly in amusement towards Amy and the little girl beside her. It did not take much to see the family resemblance there!
"Annika; honey, what would you like?" Rei prompted.
Annika smiled up her shy smile as she responded. "Could I have chocolate, please?"
"Of course you can!" Elizabeth answered her as Rei nodded her head with a smile. Rei was especially pleased that Annika was becoming a little better at speaking up in public. Amy was right. The time Annika had spent with Brooke had been a big help.
Lita then turned to her daughter. "Daisy?" She asked.
Daisy looked up brightly. "I'll have peppermint chocolate chip, please!"
Elizabeth laughed inwardly. Not shy this one! There was no doubt as to who this young lady was! Lita next turned to the small boy sitting on her other side.
"William?" She asked. "What would you like?"
"I'd like a hot fudge sundae, please!" The boy beamed almost expectantly.
There is something about the way he says that which makes me wonder. Lita thought for a brief moment. The broad grin on Elizabeth's face seemed to confirm her fleeting suspicion.
Lita Furuhata jotted her shorthand. "Would you like nuts or whipped cream on that?"
"No thank you." He answered politely.
Elizabeth then placed a hand over her niece's pad and looked squarely at Lita Kino with a knowing expression. "It's been a while, but let's see if I can remember." She said drawing her hand up to her jaw as if trying to recall. "One slice of cherry pie with whipped cream and a cup of lemon tea. Right?"
Lita just had to laugh. "You know me too well!" She confirmed.
"How about you Rei?" Elizabeth asked.
"A cup of lemon tea sounds good right now." She answered. "And I think I'd like a piece of cheesecake to go with it!"
"Sounds good!" Elizabeth noted and then turned to Amy. "Well, Amy? What can we get you?"
"Oh, I don't know..." Amy hesitated. She noticed Lita, Rei, and Elizabeth all smiling at her in tolerant amusement. "Well... Maybe a cup of tea and a piece of cheesecake would be nice." She relented.
"Okay! It's settled then!" Elizabeth said, satisfied grin returning. "We'll be back with your orders in just a minute!"
As Elizabeth and her niece left, Rei shook her head. "Imagine that!" She said fondly.
"So that lady was a friend of yours mom?" Daisy asked after a moment.
"We all knew Elizabeth." Rei answered with a smile which; combined with the slight giggle Amy let slip out, told Daisy there was a good story here. "She used to work at an ice-cream parlor not far from our schools." Rei's smile grew as she continued: "There was also an arcade where her brother Andrew worked!" She smiled remorselessly at Lita, whom; Daisy noted, was beginning to blush a bit. "Your mom and Serenity both used to have huge crushes on him." Rei let that linger for a moment, then added: "Then they found out Andrew already had a girlfriend!"
Lita was spared from possible further embarrassment as they saw Elizabeth and her niece return with their orders. Amy's eyes bulged out in shock and dismay at the enormous slice of cheesecake placed in front of her. She looked over at the slice Elizabeth put in front of Rei and sighed. Switching plates would not work as her piece looked to be just as big.
"I can't eat all this!" She protested. "It's huge!"
Elizabeth smiled impishly. "We can cut it in half and wrap part of it up if you like, but you aren't getting out of it!"
Amy sighed again and resigned her protests. There goes my calorie plan for today. She thought.
Lita; on the other hand, smiled wolfishly at the thunderous slice of cherry pie set before her. Noting with satisfaction how it bulged with cherries. If this tastes as good as it looks, I might have to poach some of her talent for my kitchen!"
Then the ice-cream was served. Strawberry for Ariel, chocolate for Annika, and peppermint chocolate chip for Daisy, all in silvery towering dishes. Then the piece-de-resistance... One colossal hot fudge sundae in a silvery bowl set in front of William.
Lita whistled appreciatively. "I know you ordered a sundae! But that looks more like the whole week to me!"
Rei nodded in agreement. "Serenity would positively go crazy for a sundae like that!"
"Check the menu!" Elizabeth replied with whimsy. "Why do you think we call it a 'Royal Deluxe Sundae'? Anyway," She added. "Enjoy!" And let us know if you need anything!"
"We will!" Lita promised.
As Elizabeth and her niece left, Lita looked in amusement at her future grandson as he raised his spoon. "You wouldn't have been here before? Now would you?"
He looked at her feigning surprise. "Aunt Lita!" He protested. "You know that even if I had, I'm not supposed to tell you!"
Lita nodded in mock serious agreement although the boy's smile made his protest rather transparent. Well, I suspect the timeline will survive this somehow! She thought in wry humor as she turned to sample her pie.
That evening; as Daisy started taking her bath, Lita went to tuck William into bed for the night.Though the afternoon had gone very well, Lita kept thinking about what Amy had said concerning her grandson. She sat down on the edge of the bed and touched his cheek softly as she looked at him with a gentle smile. "William?" She asked. "Does it ever bother you that your mom, Violet, and I are all senshi?" She gently lifted his chin so his eyes met with hers.
William was surprised by the question. He felt confused. Of course it was great they were senshi! Everyone looked up to them, and they were important! They protected the queen, and the whole world, didn't they? And; most of all, since they were senshi they would live forever and he would never have to lose them! But... "Sometimes..." He admitted slowly.
"What bothers you?" She asked him.
"Well..." William hesitated as he tried to find the words for what he was feeling. What should, what could he tell her? That he hated the way kids at school teased him for being a 'palace brat'? How lonely he felt sometimes, living in the palace? Of all the things which ran through his mind, there was one thing he could never quite shake. Beyond anger. Beyond hurt. There was a fear: An over powering fear that took hold of him and would not let go. His eyes began to tear as he looked at his grandmother and tried to explain. "You and mom and Violet are going to live forever." He said.
Lita closed her eyes for a moment. She was afraid she knew where he was heading with this.
She was almost correct: "But someday I'm going to die." He said.
This was the part Lita expected.
"...And then someday, you and mommy will forget me..." He choked out. He turned from her in tears.
This part was unexpected and it hit Lita like a punch in the gut. It made sense; in a way, she thought. Something which; from a certain perspective, could be seen as even worse than the thought of dying... The thought of being forgotten by the people he cares about. Not only dead, not even a memory!
She pulled her grandson close and held him tight. "Shhh..." She said softly, brushing aside the tears. "Shhh..." She repeated. "William. I want you to listen to me." She said gently yet firmly. "There are a lot of things which may happen someday... But I promise you that is one thing which will never, can never happen. And I'll tell you why!" She smiled lovingly as the boy looked up at her, hopeful for an answer that would quell the worries he felt.
"As senshi, your mother and I will never grow old, but that doesn't mean that we won't pass on someday. Let me ask you: If something happened to me and I died... Would you forget me?"
William shook his head fiercely. "No! I'd never forget you grandma!" He declared while trying to banish the very thought that anything could happen to her.
"Are you sure?" She asked him.
"Yes! I could never forget you!"
"I don't doubt that for a moment." Lita said warmly, still holding him tight. "And that's because the most important things aren't just remembered up here." She said, placing her index finger on his forehead. "We keep them here." She stated, placing a hand over his heart.
"Now let me ask you this: How big is a heart?"
"Grandma?" He asked puzzled.
"Do you love me?"
"Yes! I love you grandma!"
"And you love mommy?"
"Of course!"
"And Violet?"
The boy nodded a definite yes.
"And you love Queen Serenity, and the other senshi, and your grandfather Ken too... Don't you?" She said.
"Yes." He answered.
"And if your mom had another child someday? Could you love that child as well?"
"Yes."
"That's a big heart! Don't you think? To have room for all those people in it. I think you could probably fit a whole universe in there if you wanted!" Lita said, smile growing.
"Now., who do you love the most? Me or your mom?" She asked him deliberately.
William hesitated. Why would grandma even ask such a question? What was he supposed to answer?
Lita watched the shock and dismay on William's face. Lifting his chin up once more, she apologized for the question. "That wasn't a very fair question. Was it?" She waited as he shook his head. "That's because love doesn't work that way." She told him. "I know you love me and yet I know you love your mom with all your heart. And you love your sister with all your heart too, don't you?"
"Yes," He said as understanding dawned.
"You love us each with all your heart. That's the amazing thing about the heart! Loving someone with all your heart, or loving someone new doesn't mean loving someone else less. Love isn't something you divide, but give it a chance and it will always multiply! So that's how I know that no matter how long your mom and I live, neither of us will ever forget you. Because; just as I know that you will always hold your mom and me in your heart, you are in our hearts and we will always hold you in our hearts. So even if we live for a million, even a billion years, even beyond eternity, we would never forget you and you will always be with us!"
"Promise?" The little boy asked.
Lita smiled as William looked to her, face lit in hope. "I promise! Sailor Scouts honor!" She raised her hand and swore. William hugged her tight in relief. She hugged him back, then kissed him on the head. She set him back down on the pillow, carefully positioning the five little sailor scout plushes in his arm and fixing the cover back in place. "Now, you need to get some sleep! We're going to have a full day tomorrow!"
In The Time of The Chibi Elysian Scouts:
Daisy Kino made her way to the palace living room having spent much of the morning wrapping presents for her son's birthday. Her mother had discussed Amy's suggestion; of allowing the rest of the palace children to help decorate for the party, the previous evening and Daisy had readily agreed. Violet was already down in the living room waiting with the other children.
Please come home safe William! Daisy thought as she entered the living room. As she walked in, she saw that Palla and Ves were with the children and she also noted Annika there; as well, with Brooke. Daisy smiled at that, but was startled as a hand rested on her shoulder. She jumped and turned to see Gloria standing beside her.
"Whoa!" Gloria said. "Don't jump so high! Especially when I haven't done anything yet!" She smiled. Daisy practically glared at her, but Gloria ignored it except to soften her smile somewhat and she chuckled at Daisy with genuine warmth. "Hey." She said with sincerity. "Maybe you and I haven't always been the best of friends like you and Maggie are, but I'll always be here for you if you need me. We all are." Gloria added nodding at Annika.
Daisy's expression softened into an appreciative smile of her own. It was true. They had never developed into what anyone would describe as "best pals." As a child, Daisy had always considered Gloria to be a monumental pain and Gloria still had a taste for pranks which often annoyed Daisy to no end. Yet it was also true that Gloria had matured from that rude little pest and had long since proved herself as a dependable leader and a steadfast teammate... And friend.
"Thanks Gloria."
"You're welcome!" Gloria answered. She shook her head with a chuckle.
"What?" Daisy asked, eyeing Gloria suspiciously.
Gloria's smile beamed unrepentant. "Oh, nothing! I was just thinking back a long time ago and thinking about a certain little boy I once met when I was ten."
Daisy cocked her head curious.
"To think I never in all these years even guessed who he was!" Gloria said with a merry twinkle in her eye. "But then, I never would have believed it if anyone had told me! I mean... I could have believed it if someone had told me he was Annika's child... Or maybe even Ariel's. I even might have guessed him as my own! That rascal!" She said with delight at a certain memory. "But I NEVER would have picked him for being YOUR son! Not in a million years!" Gloria waved a dismissive hand as she amusedly noted the look of warning in Daisy's eyes. Gloria sighed.
"You're very lucky Daisy." Gloria said. "And William is lucky to have you for his mother."
"Thank you." Daisy said with feeling and pride.
"Come on mom!" Kazuto called to his mother.
"Come and help us mommy!" Little Celine added.
"Duty calls!" Gloria noted and took Daisy by the shoulders. "You heard them! Let's get busy and we'll make this a party William will never forget!"
In The Time of The Chibi Scouts:
"William, come here a moment and let me fix your collar." Lita said mildly as she checked over everyone's readiness before they left for the party. "There!" She said with satisfaction as she stood back from her handiwork. Everyone appeared to be ready now and they were well on schedule. Tonight's party was a celebration for Jun, Ceres, Palla, and Ves, honoring their service to the palace.
Earlier in the day, Lita had taken Daisy and William out so they could find a few small presents to give at the party, afterwards helping them with the wrapping. Now it was time to head to the main dining hall where the party was being held.
Another boring party. Faith griped to herself yet again. In truth, it was not all that bad she told herself. She actually liked Palla, Ves, Ceres, and Jun... Especially Jun. Although Ceres tended to be a little on the prissy side for Faith's taste. Like this stupid dress! Faith thought. It was still a grownups party though... So it was boring.
Gloria was also having a boring time of it. The evening had begun with one of mom's standard "Behavior" lectures and a pat down search which had uncovered a few rubber bands and various other contraband. Gloria was nothing; however, if she was not resourceful and she had learned how to improvise in situations like these. Her crafty mind had already worked out an idea. All she needed now was an accomplice to put her plan into motion. She spotted Faith tugging at her dress and smiled. Time to go to work!
"Hey Faith! Enjoying the party? Gloria smirked.
"What do you think?" Faith snapped. "There's nothing happening here and I have to wear this stupid sissy dress!" She whined.
"Then let's say we have a little fun!"
"What did you have in mind?" Faith asked warily yet intrigued. Partnering up with Gloria usually ended in serious repercussions but the boredom was just too much.
"Just meet me over at the dessert table in a few minutes." Gloria instructed. "I just have to put a few things together first!" Gloria smiled confidently.
Faith grinned back. Whatever Gloria had in mind, it promised to be good. Faith nodded. She was in and Gloria had her accomplice!
A few minutes later, Faith found Gloria at the dessert table, standing next to the obanyaki. Checking to make sure no one was paying any attention, Gloria smiled with an air of satisfaction as she pulled a small plate out from under the table. On it were two sweet bean paste cakes. Faith looked at her curiously as Gloria smiled.
"Here, I need you to take this plate and give one of these to Daisy!" Gloria's smile widened as Faith looked at her in complete puzzlement.
"What?..." Faith frowned in confusion as Gloria's smile grew.
"Have you tried any of these?" Gloria asked conversationally. "I think they're a little bland but I've fixed that!" She remarked as she carefully showed Faith a bottle of "Texas Red's" hot sauce. "Just wait until Daisy gets a taste of this!"
Faith's eyes widened as she pictured it. Still... "How do you know this is going to work?"
"Well, To tell the truth, I would have preferred to put this in the punch bowl but it's too close to where mom is sitting. We'd never pull it off. But anyway, Daisy would never trust me but she'll trust you! Especially after I take one!" She said lifting one of the cakes from the plate and setting it back down. "I only put hot sauce on the one with the green toothpick in it." She explained. "When you offer the plate to Daisy, I'll come by and snatch the other one. Trust me!" Gloria said. "It'll work!" She assured Faith. "Now just wait a few minutes while I walk around. We don't want anybody seeing us together before we do this!"
Faith nodded as Gloria put the plate back under the table. Gloria smiled again and walked away as Faith began to wait.
Unfortunately for Gloria, she and Faith had overlooked one opponent tonight. One who excelled at going unnoticed. William Kino liked Aunt Gloria. Truth was that she could be a lot of fun. But; as he happened to overhear Gloria outline her plan to Faith, he decided that he was not going to let her get the drop on his mother. As Gloria walked away from the table, William slipped underneath from the other side and made a slight adjustment on Aunt Gloria's plan. He then slipped back out and started to watch for Gloria.
Gloria waited patiently. After a couple of minutes, she looked over at Faith and nodded discreetly. Time for it all to come together. She watched as Faith headed towards Daisy. Then she began to move in.
"Oh, Hi Maggie!" Faith greeted. "Here Daisy, I thought you might like one of these." She said offering up her plate.
"Thanks Faith!" Gloria smiled as she walked past plucking one of the cakes off the plate.
"Hey!" Faith protested after Gloria. Then looked apologetically at Daisy. "Anyway. Here, you can have this one."
"Thanks Faith." Daisy smiled taking the offered cake.
Gloria laughed inside as she headed to the table where her mother and all the adult senshi and knights were seated. This was the finishing touch. When Daisy discovered her little surprise, Gloria would be standing with the adults with an airtight alibi. "Hi mom!" She said to her mother as she waited.
Mina smiled back at her daughter. Experience told her that Gloria was up to something again, but she had no clue as to what. This meant that she would just have to wait for the commotion and sort it out afterward. She sighed to herself.
As she waited for Daisy to get "fired up", Gloria decided to taste the sweets of her victory and took a big bite out of the pastry in her hand. Almost immediately her mouth began to burn and her eyes watered. Her throat became very dry. "Water!" She croaked out and someone immediately thrust a cup into her hands as she started coughing. Gloria downed the cup franticly, finding it was not water, or juice either. Still, the burning in her mouth began to subside. She stopped coughing as her mother patted her back and she handed the cup back to the person who had offered it. As she did so, she saw who was standing in front of her.
"My mom says that milk cuts the burn faster." William told her as he gave her a small smile.
Assured that her daughter was all right, Mina now stared at the boy and then looked at Lita, who nodded with a stern look on her face.
"Would you know anything about this, William?" Lita asked firmly.
Surprisingly the boy still smiled as he shook his head. "Not as much as Faith does." He said. "I just know I like these toothpicks!" William said as he held an orange one up in front of Gloria.
Gloria's eyes narrowed as she looked at him and she knew she had been had! The adults just looked at them in confusion until Amy let out a little giggle as she figured it out. She then looked apologetic at Mina.
"Sorry Mina." She said. "But it looks like Gloria has just been hoisted on her own petard!"
Rei also let out a small laugh as her eyes opened in recognition. "I think you're right Amy!"
Soon, all the adults were smiling as the pieces fell together. Mina turned to her daughter with a twinkle in her eyes. "Well, under normal circumstances somebody would be in very big trouble right now... But I think Gloria has just been served her desserts of justice!"
"I thought that was 'just deserts'." Lita said.
"Whatever." Mina shrugged.
"Maybe so." Haruka smiled coolly. "But it seems there is still one young lady who still has a serving to come." She looked at Michiru who nodded in agreement.
"Oh Faith!" Michiru called out. "Could you come here a moment?..."
After the party, the Jupiter family returned to their quarters. Daisy had been mildly surprised when she learned about Gloria's attempted prank on her. Not so much that Gloria had tried it, but how it had backfired. She smiled appreciatively at William. Nice going! Daisy thought approvingly. After all, it was good to see Gloria get a taste of her own medicine every once in a while.
Aunt Lita had warned William; however, not to make a habit of getting into these kinds of pranks. Given that it was Gloria's own plan which had been turned on her, Aunt Lita decided that leniency was justified. "this time..." She had told him with just the slightest twinkle in her eyes.
"I'm really proud of you though." Lita said. "You used your head and figured how to turn a problem in on itself."
The next day there would be school, but there was still an hour or so left before bedtime and William kept thinking about his grandmother's words. There had to be a way he could help his mother and Aunt Setsuna and everybody back in the future, but Aunt Setsuna had warned him of the dangers of tampering with the timeline...
That's it! He exulted in his mind. Aunt Setsuna, I know what to do now! William got up from the desk in the guest room and went and softly knocked on Daisy's door.
"Oh! Hi!" Daisy greeted as she opened her door.
"Hi Daisy." William said timidly. "Daisy... I was wondering if I could borrow some stationary?"
Daisy looked at him for a second, then smiled mildly. "Sure..."
About an hour later, Lita found William at his desk, busily writing. "William, it's time to get ready for bed." She told him. She looked; frowning a moment, at the pages he was writing. "That's not school work I hope." Lita knew that as a child, she often had poor study habits and had worked hard to make sure Daisy did not fall into those same habits.
"No, Aunt Lita." He promised. "But it's important. I have to finish this."
Lita looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. Then she nodded in acquiescence. "All right, but just one more hour. Then it's bedtime." She said firmly.
"Thank you Aunt Lita."
In The Time of The Chibi Elysian Scouts:
Sailor Pluto nodded in satisfaction as she felt a shift in the time stream. The time for waiting was over and now it was time to bring matters to a close. Pluto smiled warmly as she left The Gates of Time to see Queen Serenity.
In The Time of The Chibi Scouts:
William awoke the next morning feeling a bit tired from staying up late the night before, but he knew it had been worth it. In any event, the day at school went well. Weekend assignments were turned in and Gloria managed to keep out of trouble that day. This had an impact when John and his cohorts went looking for targets at recess as they left Annika alone. John opting to have some fun with the new boy instead.
"Hey! New boy!" How does it feel to have your butt saved by a girl!" He and his friends laughed in scorn. Surprisingly, William only looked at him and smiled back.
"Feels better than getting my butt kicked by a girl!" William smirked at John.
John felt his face burn as he shot looks at his "friends" who hurriedly banished smirks and snickers of their own as he glared at them.
Gloria and Annika smiled and giggled as well at John's irritation. Gloria was still a little irked at how last night's prank had backfired, but she was delighted to see John so completely caught up short. She nudged Annika and went right up to John, looking significantly at her watch. "Hey John! Don't you have a losers' club meeting to go to?" She asked with a big smirk which widened as his cohorts resumed their own grins which once more vanished (Albeit with some reluctance.) as John glared fuming at them and stalked off.
The remainder of recess and the rest of school passed without further incident and that afternoon; after finishing his homework, William turned to finishing what he had been working on the night before.
"Crescent?" He asked the orange furred moon cat. "Could you do me a favor?"
"What is it?" Crescent inquired.
"Please, I need to speak to Luna. It's really important. Could you please go ask her to come here? I have something I need to give her."...
In The Time of The Chibi Elysian Scouts:
Thanis; self proclaimed 'Ruler of Earth', stood uncomprehendingly before Queen Serenity and the assembled Senshi and Cosmic Senshi in the palace conference chamber. His wrists manacled together and his arms held in the unyielding grips of Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus. Guards awaited outside. The was no swagger or defiance left in him, only bewilderment and denial. It should have been so simple! A quick and decisive decapitating strike. It had been carefully and meticulously planned. Every detail considered! It should have been so easy! A single word escaped his lips: "How?"
Queen Serenity eyed him coldly. The final assault on Thanis' lair had been brief. While some youma fought to the end, most of his supporters had either surrendered or had run off. Thanis himself had been found hiding behind his seat in his throne room. Such a vile little worm. Serenity thought. Her tone; however, was almost conversational as she addressed him: "It seems you underestimated our intelligence network. We had advanced warning of your plans. Including knowledge of the agents you planted in palace security."
Cosmic Jupiter inhaled sharply in surprise at this and most of the other Cosmic Senshi also betrayed some expression of surprise. Thanis took no note of this as he reeled in his own shock.
"It took a while for us to identify and isolate them," Serenity continued. "But we were able to find where you had planned to sabotage our defenses and rerouted them. Allowing you to believe you had suceeded. The truth is your attack was defeated before it ever even started."
Thanis stared at her blankly. His dream of empire destroyed. Still unable to comprehend his defeat. At a nod from Serenity, Uranus signaled for the guards to take him away to the palace prison.
Cosmic Jupiter watched Thanis being led away. Knowing that their enemy had been defeated brought relief as it meant they could now send someone to recover William. Still, if Queen Serenity had known what was going to happen? Did her mother also know? Why? She wondered as she wheeled on them. "You knew this was going to happen?" She asked Queen Serenity, feeling betrayed. "Mother... Did you know this was going to happen?"
"Yes." Lita admitted sorrowfully.
"All of the original senshi knew." Rei admitted.
"Why?" Daisy asked plaintively. "Why didn't you tell the rest of us?" If she had known, if she had some warning, she might have been able to protect her son! "How could you? He believed in you!" She said accusingly at the older scouts. "He trusted you!" Her eyes filled with pain. "I trusted you!" She cried.
Maggie stepped over to comfort her. Daisy nodded in acceptance of her support.
Serenity eyed her compassionately. "Daisy... There was a reason we could not tell you... Or the other Cosmic Scouts." She said glancing at her own daughter who was obviously troubled by all this. If something like this had happened to Chelsea...
Daisy looked up as Serenity walked over to a special safe mounted in the wall behind her. Daisy knew that safe was made of hardened duratanium and had a security pad which was programmed only to open by Queen Serenity's hand print. Serenity withdrew several sheets of paper before closing the safe back. She presented them to Daisy.
Daisy reached for the pages. As she did so, she recognized her old stationary. She looked down at them to recognize her son's handwriting on them.
"William wrote three letters in which he described everything that he remembered on the day Thanis attacked." Amy informed her. "He gave one to Luna, one to Sailor Pluto, and one to myself and asked us to keep them safe and unopened until the date written on the envelopes."
"That date was four weeks ago. Two weeks before the attack." Serenity said. "In his letters, he told us that he remembered that his mother and grandmother were attending a senshi meeting at the time and that Sailor Pluto would be on duty at The Gates of Time by herself. He also remembered hearing the names of Thanis, and of Crosis; who was one of the youma who attacked Sailor Pluto."
"He also told us that he didn't hear any security alarms after the attack started." Uranus informed gently, yet with a touch of pride and satisfaction in the boy. "He said he didn't know if it meant anything, but it led Michiru and myself to inspect the security programs... Where we found evidence of tampering."
"Your son gave us the warning we needed to survive." Serenity said placing her hand on Daisy's shoulder.
"William wrote one more letter." Sailor Pluto said, indicating the papers in Daisy's hand. "It was for you."
Daisy thumbed through the pages until she saw the last one. She began reading:
'Mommy, Please don't be mad at me. And don't be mad at Grandma or the other senshi. I have to ask them to keep a secret for a while. If you are reading this, then you already know what it is, but I have to tell you why. You always said there was nothing I couldn't tell you, but I can't tell you, at least not for a while. I know you will always love me and protect me and that is why I have to keep this a secret from you. It was an accident that I got here, but if you knew it was going to happen, you would want to protect me from it. But I have to be here so I can help you there. I know you will come get me when things are okay again.
Don't worry, Grandma knows who I am and is taking good care of me. You're here too. You just don't know it's me!
I'm sorry I make you worry, but I'm okay. I have a feeling now that I'll be coming home soon! I love you mom!
Love William.'
Daisy's eyes began to weep in understanding and joy. A relieved smile formed as she carefully folded the letter and she turned to embrace her mother. "I'm sorry mom." She apologized for her anger.
"It's all right Daisy." Lita soothed. "You reacted like any good mother would." She said and held her daughter tight.
Serenity turned to Princess Rini and the other Cosmic Scouts. "It was hard enough that we had to keep this from Daisy. Your mothers and I did not want you to have to bear that burden also. So we felt it was best not to tell any of you until we were able to tell Daisy." Serenity turned a glance to Setsuna, who nodded a smile. "Now... it's time we sent someone back to bring William home." Serenity decreed looking at her daughter. "Tell me Rini." She commanded. "Do you think Chelsea is up for another trip to the past?"
"I think so." Chelsea's mother answered with a confident smile.
"Good! Go get Chelsea and bring her here. She has a mission I think!" Serenity smiled as her daughter nodded and left. Then she turned to Daisy. "Lita, why don't you take Daisy back to her quarters? Daisy needs to tell Violet that her brother will be coming home soon!"
Daisy nodded gratefully. Her eyes still misted in joy.
As Lita and Daisy left, Mina noticed Gloria rubbing her head as if trying to massage an ache. "What's wrong Gloria?" She asked her daughter.
"Chelsea." Gloria sighed. "I love that girl, but of all the times she came back to the past, there's only one or two times I can recall that she didn't arrive landing on my head!" She shook her head ruefully. "And this isn't one of them I'm afraid."
In The Time of The Chibi Scouts:
"Gloria!" Daisy shouted; somewhat drenched as she took off after the daughter of Venus. "I am sooo going to get you!"
Gloria laughed in delight as she ran. Her water balloon bolo had worked perfectly! The trouble with water balloons was that they were a bit short ranged. Dropping them out of a tree was good for a surprise, but tended to leave her cornered for retaliation. Throwing them was not much better since they lacked the momentum to be accurate at any distance. Gloria needed something better if she was going to get Daisy... And so she had! She had nailed Daisy with not one, but three water balloons tied together. All that was left was a clean getaway from the angry reach of Daisy's arms.
"Sorry Daisy girl!" Gloria called out in glee. "You're not fast enough to catch me today!" She crowed as Maggie and Hope and Faith looked on. It certainly looked that way, until the heavens opened up on her.
WHAM! Gloria was knocked to the ground momentarily stunned.
"Gloria? Are you okay?" Hope asked.
"What happened?" Gloria asked. "Did Daisy just hit me?"
"Chelsea's back!" Faith exclaimed.
"Oops! Sorry Gloria!" Chelsea apologized as she hopped off and offered Gloria a hand up. The girls noted this was not the teenage Chelsea they had seen only a month or so earlier, but appeared to be just slightly older than she had been when Violet had first visited them.
"Welcome back, Chelsea." Maggie said. "So what brings you here?" She asked, although she had a pretty good idea already.
"I came to find Violet's brother, William. Is he here?" Chelsea inquired.
"Yes." Maggie answered. "I guess we should get you inside the palace. I expect Queen Serenity will want to see you right away."
As Maggie, Hope, and Faith went with Chelsea back to the palace, Gloria rubbed her head and sighed. "Why does this always happen to me?" She complained.
"Ever hear of karma?" A still dripping Daisy smirked.
William was surprised when Aunt Lita told him to come with her to the council room. He had no idea what to expect as he followed her. They came to a stop at the chamber door and Lita pulled the door open and guided him inside. She placed a hand on his shoulder as the door closed behind them and gave a reassuring squeeze before stopping to stand a half pace in front of him.
"Reporting as ordered. Your Majesty."
"Ah! Thank you Lita!" Serenity exclaimed exclaimed with a smile and gazing at William fondly. "William." She said mildly. "I think you know our other guest." Serenity gestured an arm at where Princess Rini stood.
Other guest? William thought curious and a little confused... Until Chelsea stepped out from behind her future mother. "Chelsea!" He exclaimed in surprise and hope.
"William!" She answered happily. "We've all been so worried about you! But you can come home now!"
William looked up at his future grandmother. Strange... If he had one wish in the entire world now, it would be to go home to his own time, to mom and to Violet. Yet somehow; amid the eruption of joy he felt that he was going home, he felt a little wistful at the idea of leaving here.
Lita looked at him with a similar mix of emotions. She was glad that William would finally be able to go home and that her daughter's future self would be able to hold her son once more, but she felt a touch of sadness in herself. As with meeting Violet and Lily, It was hard to let this piece of her heart go. She smiled at her grandson. "I'm so happy for you!" She said.
"I have discussed everything with Chelsea, and she also had a note from our future selves Lita." Serenity informed. "William, you and Chelsea will go home tomorrow morning." Serenity leaned back with a knowing grin as she held up the note. "I believe your mother has a surprise for you when you get back! In the meantime, you and Chelsea will be our guests of honor at dinner tonight!"
"Chelsea, I know you won't mind spending the night here with your mother and me!"
"Of course not grandma!" Chelsea exclaimed. "You told me to expect that when you sent me!"
"Good!" Serenity cried. Then turned a mischievously stern look at Rini for a moment. "Oh... And Rini... No fair trying to warn Chelsea so you can escape that punishment from a while back!"
Rini blushed with embarrassment at the memory of that little party gone awry. "I promise mom."
"Warn me?" Chelsea asked curious. "About what grandma?"
"Don't worry about it Chelsea!" Serenity grinned. You will find out when you need to know!"
Early the next morning it was time to go. A few of the senshi and chibi senshi were on hand for one last good-bye at The Gates of Time.
Rei was there with Annika. "Thank you for being there for Annika." She said, kneeling down and giving William a little hug.
Annika shyly stepped forward as her mother stepped back. "Thank you." She whispered. Then surprisingly kissed William on the cheek. She giggled slightly as William's face blushed almost purple.
Amy bent down and hugged the little boy. "You take care now." She told him. "I'll be waiting for you there if you need to talk to me about anything. Okay?"
"I promise, Aunt Amy."
Amy stepped back and Daisy slapped an arm across his back. "I'm really gonna miss you!" She said.
"I'll miss you too Daisy." He replied softly.
"It sure was fun having you around." Daisy grinned, then paused a moment. "Take care of yourself, okay? And say 'Hi' to Violet for me!"
"I will!" William promised.
Then only Lita remained. She knelt in front of her grandson and unslung the shoulder bag she had been carrying. She unzipped the bag and showed it to him. Inside were some of the clothes Lita had bought for him when he first arrived. "I don't know what the styles will be like in 30 years, but I think you look very handsome in these." She said indicating the dress clothes on top. Also in the bag were 5 little plush Sailor Scouts waiting to escort their owner home. Lita zipped the bag closed and pulled the carry strap over William's shoulder. She wrapped her arms around the little boy and held him for a moment more. "I am so going to miss you!" She said as a tear crept into her voice. "For you it will only be a few minutes before we see each other again, but for me... It's going to be hard waiting the next couple of decades or so."
William hated to see his grandmother sad. He held her as tight as he could and hugged her. "But you said I would always be in your heart, right? ...So I'll still be with you... Won't I?"
Lita pulled back a moment to look into her grandson's eyes. Those same big brown eyes she had gazed into two weeks earlier. Even without a genetic scan, there could be no doubt as to who this boy was. Amy was right. This boy was a Kino at heart... But the eyes were so much like his grandfather! Lita smiled and nodded her head. "That's right!" She said as she heard him repeat the promise she had made to him. "How did you get to be so smart?" Lita squeezed William one last time and then pulled back, straightening at his collar. "Well... I guess it's time..." She said at last. "Your mother has been waiting long enough... I'd like to keep you here forever." She chanced a glance over at Daisy, who was currently standing several feet to the side. "But somewhere out there, my Daisy is waiting for her little boy!" She said softly.
William nodded and Lita nodded back. She stood up and took William by the hand to where Chelsea was waiting beside Sailor Pluto. She let go and Chelsea took hold of his wrist as she raised her time key.
"Be safe!" Lita cried as Chelsea summoned the key.
"We will!" William promised... And then he and Chelsea were gone.
Lita stood watching the gate for a moment until Sailor Pluto placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you all right, Lita?"
"I'm all right, Setsuna." She replied.
Setsuna nodded. "He'll be fine... I promise." She said.
"You know..." Setsuna began. "I've been thinking about taking a few days off from the Gates. I was thinking I would make dinner tonight for Gary and Maggie. Maybe you, Ken, and Daisy could come over tonight." Setsuna smiled as Lita looked at her. "I could use your help." She said. "I've been working on a souffle. But for some reason, I can never seem to get the timing right!" She mused.
Lita paused for a moment as it hit her and then she laughed. "All right! We'll be there!"
In The Time of The Chibi Elysian Scouts:
Daisy stood anxiously waiting in the palace living room. She felt her mother's comforting hand even as she placed her own hand on Violet's shoulder. All the Senshi and Cosmic Senshi were present along with all the children in the palace. The sole exception being Cosmic Pluto, who was waiting for Chelsea and William at The Gates of Time. Daisy wanted to be there herself, but at least Maggie was there and had promised to signal when Chelsea and William arrived. Setsuna was seated on the couch, next to Rose and bearing the same calm expression she always did. Her shoulder having fully healed now. Daisy noticed her barely glance at the clock on the far wall and smile. Even without Maggie's signal, Daisy felt her heart pound with anticipation. The pounding grew more fierce as; sure enough, a chime sounded Maggie's signal.
William followed Chelsea and Aunt Maggie through the corridors of the palace feeling somewhat perplexed. He wondered why his mother had not been there to meet him. He asked Aunt Maggie where she was, but Chelsea and Aunt Maggie only smiled at him and at each other.
"You will see." Cosmic Pluto told him as she smiled. "You will see."
They rounded a corner and...
"SURPRISE!"
William froze dead in his tracks at the entrance to the palace living room. The room was filled with people! Helium balloons were everywhere and huge hand painted banners reading 'WELCOME HOME!' and 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!' hung over head. His mind paused for a moment in wonder. Is it my birthday? He questioned himself as he thought. He added up the days. It is my birthday! These thoughts passed in the briefest of instants as he saw the most important person in his entire universe.
"Mommy!" He cried in joy and raced into her arms.
Daisy wrapped her arms tight around her son. Tears of joy streamed down her face and her heart promised to leap out of her chest. "Welcome home!" She cried.
"Onii-chan!" Violet cried happily as she joined the family embrace. It was their own little joke since; although a year younger than William, Violet was already considerably taller and stronger than her "Big Brother".
Lita knelt down and put her arms around her daughter and grandchildren. Although she had known everything would be all right, the past few weeks had been hard on her as well. Now it was finally over! In the palace kitchen, Ken was overseeing the last little touches on the cakes and the party menu. Lita had volunteered to take care of it, but Ken knew how dearly his wife wanted to be with Daisy and Violet when William arrived, and so had insisted. Ken was as proud as anyone of his grandson. Charging a youma head on like that! Indeed, Lita had remarked that reminded her of someone. She said she could not quite recall whom though.
"And look who else is here!" Lita said as she directed William's attention to Setsuna, who was standing just behind her.
"Aunt Setsuna!" He cried happily. "You're okay!"
"Yes," She said with that soft smile of hers. "Thank you..." Setsuna told him as she hugged him.
"Every princess needs a handsome young knight to come to her rescue sometime! Isn't that right Setsuna?" Aunt Annika said as she bent down and kissed him on the cheek.
"That's right!" Setsuna agreed with a slightly amused look as William's face blushed purple just as it had 30 years earlier.
"You did good." Haruka said in approval. Michiru nodding in agreement.
"You have made us all proud." Serenity told him sincerely. "Now!" She said in a lighter tone. "We have a party to get going!... Just remember when you cut the cake!" She told William with a smile. "As Queen, I get the first piece!"
The party proceeded to the palace dining hall. At the table, William was to be seated along with the rest of the Jupiter family in a place of honor to Queen Serenity's left. As he sat down, he shot back up... Startled at the loud sound of a whoopee cushion.
Aunt Gloria clapped her hands in delight and laughed triumphantly. "I got you!" She said in playful satisfaction to the startled boy. "I've been waiting 30 years to do that!" Mina sighed and rolled her eyes skyward.
"Gloria..." Daisy said in warning.
Gloria completely ignored both her mother's expression and the annoyed look on Daisy's face as she went over to William with a warm smile and put her hands on his shoulders. "I think we'll call it a draw." She said with a wink.
"It's okay mom." William promised his mother. "It's only Aunt Gloria." He said.
Daisy looked at her son in surprise, then her expression softened and she regarded her son with pride. "You're right!" She said as she hugged him once more. "It's only Aunt Gloria." She smiled. Her son was safe and home once more. With her children by her side, nothing else mattered.
Okay... Should I do any more fics with Lita's grandson? I have a few vague ideas about what might be in his future, but I'm not sure and I'll appreciate any ideas, suggestions, or comments you may have!