Chapter One
The Appearance of Four New Senshi; Following the Princess to the Past
Usagi smiled as she waved goodbye to her mother. Ikuko smiled warmly but still felt a sting.
"Oh dear..." She murmured.
"What's wrong, Mama?" Kenji asked softly.
"Usagi hasn't been herself. I think she's sad but..."
"Are you sure?" He asked with raised eyebrows.
"It's a mother intuition!" Ikuko exclaimed passionately. "We know when our children are in trouble or they're hurting. It's a bond that cannot be denied!"
Kenji gently patted her shoulder, smiling as he agreed soothingly.
Usagi wasn't in her usual hurry, though she was late. But lately, it was as if her life was drained.
"Every since Chibiusa left, it's been so quiet. I wish..." Usagi sighed heavily. She turned a corner and went thump into a running body much slighter than her own.
"Oh!" A child looked up with wide blue eyes, her blonde hair cropped shortly, falling in soft ways to just barely her shoulders. It was greatly layered, having being cut short on the outside but the lower layers longer. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"It's okay..." She frowned, for a moment gazing intently at the girl. For a moment, just that moment, she saw Minako's face reflected to her. "Ah.. are you late?"
"Eh? No, no, nothing like that. Excuse me," the girl danced around her before dashing off. Usagi stared as the girl stopped and looked back slowly. Seeing Usagi still watching her, she took off running harder.
"Funny girl," Usagi sighed. "I guess even kids are late to class... though isn't the elementary school this way?"
Rei sat at the holy fire. She knew she should've gone to class but she had been unable to sleep due to strange visions filtering through her mind. She tried to concentrate but her attention felt divided.
"Rei?" Grandpa smiled widely. "You should be in class! What are you doing?"
"I just needed to find out something," Rei began.
"Now, now. Go to school. You can make your other classes," He ushered her out with a wide smile. "Go on now!"
Rei sighed as she dressed into her school uniform. She brushed her hair and as she examined her own face, she felt something almost familiar come to her. She continued to sigh as she picked up her bag and took out to the street, heading to her school.
As she walked sullenly, she continued to feel something. This feeling came and went, almost as if it were Rei being checked rather than Rei doing the sensing. Rei frowned and as she walked, concentrated just for a moment.
And when she felt it the strongest, she flipped around and came face to face with a young girl, who looked as if she had been caught.
She was young and child looking with her violet hair pulled back into side pigtails that ended at her shoulders. She had startling red eyes though, that reminded Rei of the holy fire.
"Yes?" Rei began.
"Sorry!" The girl flushed, trying to smile. "Bye!" She turned around and fled with a gasp.
"What the hell was her problem?" Rei muttered before heading back to class.
Makoto and Ami were already at school, the bell yet to be rung. They both were quite aware of the two young girls following them.
Ami's follower was a raven haired girl, her hair long and pulled into two side loops with blue bangs holding each loop to her head. Her eyes were light blue and she was slightly paler than most children
Makoto's follower was a slightly tall girl with maroon colored hair, her hair pulled up to a pigtail to the left side of her head, not unlike Makoto but not so highly put up. Her eyes were a deep green and she was darker than most girls by a few shades deeper of peach.
"I wonder what they want?" Ami asked finally.
"Who knows!" Makoto frowned and glared at the maroon haired one. But the girl only stared back at her with the same intensity. The bell rang and they headed in, at least knowing the two girls couldn't follow. And as they went in, both appeared the blonde and violet haired girls to the other two, whispering to each other.
And then, as soon as they appeared, they disappeared in a blink.
The girls regrouped after lunch, heading over to the Hikawa Shrine, talking adamantly about the day.
"It's strange, Mina," Usagi told Minako all serious. "I saw a look a like of you! She was really cute!"
"Really?" Minako rubbed her chin. "Maybe they were copying my looks. I am beautiful, after all!"
"It's more funny that we, as in Makoto and I, had a girl following us," Ami responded.
"You too?" Rei blinked. "My senses were going crazy since early this morning. It was still pitch black but I felt such strange energies but yet, it was all familiar!"
"Ohhh..." Usagi grinned. "This is getting exciting!"
"You don't know the half of it!" A young boy, just slightly older than them, jumped down from a tree branch. "Allo!"
"Er..." Usagi looked up at the tree. "That was high!"
"Who are you?" Rei demanded.
"Me?" He grinned. He was lean and fit, with dark blue hair, his own eyes a blue shade. He was dressed in a simple white t-shirt with faded blue jeans, the cutoffs rather ragged, his black and rather heavy looking boots poking out. "Name's Umi."
"What do you want?" Rei began, still suspiciously.
"I'm looking for my sister! Do you know where she is? She's got black hair, blue eyes and an attitude that says she's better than everyone else?"
"I remember seeing a similar girl earlier.." Ami began.
"Great! Where'd she go?"
"I don't know," Ami said quietly.
"Damn! Well, anyways, thanks for your help, Ami-san! See ya!" He jumped backwards and seemed to disappear into the sunlight.
"Ami...How'd he know your name?" Minako asked finally.
"I don't know..." Ami flushed.
Mamoru was sitting in the park when he saw the same boy, whistling down the street into the park and its walkway.
"Yo!" Umi sat down next to him. "Nice day, huh?"
"Yes, it is rather nice," Mamoru tried to return to studying but he spotted from the corner of his eye the boy peeking over to check out the reading material. "Can I help you?"
"Chiba Mamoru, right?"
"Er..yes, that's me."
"You miss her?"
"Miss... her?"
"Usagi?"
"I don't understand what you're..."
But Umi sat up stretching. "Could fall asleep in this place! Don't ya worry! Usagi's gonna return really soon!" He grinned, his teeth in perfect alignment. "After all, it's kind of a training procedure...that and to make friends!" He waved goodbye, still laughing.
"What the hell just happened?" Mamoru frowned, trying to shake the strange feeling from himself.
The girls were passing by the park after they had spent some time at the park and Minako was the first to spot them.
"Hey! Hey! There's my look-a-like!" She began excitedly.
"It's like a clone," Makoto breathed. Minako glared at her. "What!"
"I think they all look like us," Ami pointed out.
"I'm going to go talk to them," Rei said suddenly.
The girls were obviously in a heated argument.
"He's your big brother! You get rid of him!" The blonde one demanded.
"But he won't listen to me!" The raven haired began.
"Please! Just make with the tearful eyes and he's putty!" The violet haired sniffed. "All guys are such dorks!"
"Uh oh..." The maroon saw the looming Rei. "We've got visitors!"
"Excuse me, but you were following me this morning! Why?" Rei demanded.
"Yea! Why?" Makoto stood even taller, the girls glancing at each other.
"Finally!" Umi landed with a thump as he sighed. "I've been looking all freaking day for you twits! Where have you been!"
"Twits?" The raven haired eyebrow twitched. "How dare you..."
"Oh no you don't! Anrui!" Umi began. "It's how dare you run off without telling anyone! And with everyone else to boot!"
"Hey! We came willingly!" The blonde started.
"Whatever! We are going home, now!"
"No!" Anrui's hand was grasped by Umi as a tug of war began. "No! No! No!"
"Come on!" He fiddled with his pocket. "We've gotta... go!" Light filtered from his fingertips as a rather familiar key fell from his grasp. It lit up into a rainbow of lights before the energy dying out.
"What just happened?" The maroon haired began.
"It...It broke..." The violet haired whimpered. "Oh no! We're stuck in the past!" Her eyes watered and her lip trembled.
The maroon beat her to it, beginning to bawl soulfully. The blonde, seeing everyone doing it, gave in and began to cry herself.
"Stop! Come on! Be big girls now!" Umi began fretfully.
"This is all your fault!" Anrui began. "If you had let me do my job!"
"YOU'RE STILL IN TRAINING!" He wailed. "And I promised Mom and everyone else I'd watch you all!"
"Well, it looks like you failed!" She shouted.
"AUGH!" He wove his fingers through his hair. "Why oh why did I agree to such!"
He stilled suddenly, seeing the girls gawking at him and the others. "Oh shit.."
"I wanna go home!" The maroon haired began.
"I want my mama!" The violet added in her wail.
"I want something to eat!" The blonde cried.
"You're always hungry," The maroon haired sniffled.
"Yea, Barako! You're a pig!" The violet haired almost giggled.
"You're one to talk, Mekumi!" Barako glared, pointing at the violet haired.
"Guys..." Umi began.
"Kind of like that party the other day, huh, Shinan? Barako had three pieces of chocolate cake!" Mekumi giggled.
"Guys?" Umi looked lost.
"SHUT UP!" Anrui shouted over them, her foot tapping hard onto the cement ground. "You've all ruined everything! Now we'll never find Usagi!"
Usagi blinked. "Err... I'm Usagi..."
"Not you Usagi, I meant the little Usagi!"
"Chibi...usa?" Minako asked haltingly.
"Yes!"
"But... are you friends of hers?" Makoto asked finally.
"What? I guess..." Anrui frowned. "We're more like allies than anything."
"We're her friends!" Barako glared. "You're so mean, Anrui!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Umi nearly screamed. He held up his hand, the key glittering. "You've all had your fun, we're going home, NOW!" He shouted. "Time Guardian! Hear my plea! Open the door to the Timegates and take us home!"
The pen lit up and it seemed as if the skies became as dark as night. He started, gasping. "What's going on!"
"Oh no..." Barako fell backwards, whimpering in fear. "Mama!"
"Mama!" The others wailed. Umi tried to think fast. "Ah... Everyone, run!"
He pulled out a small gemstone of blue. "Could you girls watch out for them?" He began desperately.
"Oh but who's gonna watch out for you?" A voice echoed in the winds. A young teenaged boy landed, with dark violet hair that was cropped and rather messy looking. "Come on, Water Knight! Put up your dukes!"
"Err..." He glanced at the others, seeming to pinpoint Ami who was staring openly at him. "Got no choice but to use the damn gem."
It wasn't quite a complete transformation as the gem lit up in shades of rainbowed blues, wrapping around his wrist to form golden bracelets.
"Mercurial Tsunami!" He called out and the gems in the bracelet blazed to create a watery tornado. His body moved as if in a dance, the attack guided upward. The other man began to dodge as the attack continued.
Umi was gasping in moments, the attack visibly lessening. "Anrui...Take the others...now..." He fell down to his knees, the attack's residue raining down to the ground. "So tired.."
"Makes it so easy..." The man lunged out at him with a cruel howl.
"STOP IT!" Ami literally screamed. She grabbed her book bag and flung it hard at the man, smacking directly in the face.
"Augh!" He held his nose, slightly bleeding. "Stupid... How dare you hurt my face!"
"That's not all that's going to hurt," Umi shouted. He jumped up high with a low kick to the other's stomach, sending the other sprawling backwards.
"In the Law of Crystal Tokyo, you've betrayed her Kingdom for the last time! By the order of the Knights, I hereby place you under arrest!" He began.
But the other began to laugh. "You cannot expect to catch me, Hermes! You're such a joke!"
"HEY! I'm the only one who picks on my brother!" Anrui shouted.
"I said get out of here!" Umi shouted.
Hermes smirked as he pulled out a rather Robin Hood- esque hat, with a set of white wings. "Sorry but I got my orders! Time to go!"
"Stop!" Ami stood in front of Umi, her body shaking, not from fear, but from rage.
"Hee hee, I forgot your previous selves existed. Say, did you know that if I killed you, these wouldn't exist? That'd be fun!" Hermes crackled.
"That's it! I've had enough!" Anrui yelled so loudly, it was startling. "It's time to stand up and fight! Everyone!"
"NO!" Umi nearly shouted. "You're not prepared..."
"Umi! Have some faith, okay?" She smirked as the four girls moved to the front. "You wanna pick on my bro and Ami-sama? I don't think so!"
"Mercury Prism Power, make up!"
"Mars Prism Power, make up!"
"Jupiter Prism Power, make up!"
"Venus Prism Power, make up!"
Each of them looked much like the Sol senshi's fuku, save that the colors were reversed and each had a round brooch, outlined in yellow with the main color as well as their choker having a heart clasped at the center and their bows in Super form. They were so similar that their shoes resembled the Sol Senshi counterparts.
"I am Sailor Chibi Mercury!"
"Sailor Chibi Mars!"
"Sailor Chibi Jupiter!"
"And Sailor Chibi Venus!"
"In the name of Future Earth, we will punish you!" They shouted as one.
"Oh god..." Makoto gawked. "This is...a joke, right?"
"Foam Cleansing!" Sailor Chibi Mercury shouted, creating a handful of bubbles that she blew out at high Hermes. It suck around him, blinding him from everyone.
"Hey!" He was heard retorting.
"Blaze Striking!" Sailor Chibi Mars pointed as a fiery arrow erupted from her finger tip to go straight forward.
"HOT! HOT! HOT!" The area cleared around him, revealing him as he tried to put out the fire that was on his head.
"Great shot!" Sailor Chibi Jupiter cheered.
"I wasn't aiming for his head," Chibi Mars said darkly.
"That's it! Next time, I'm kicking all your asses! But just so you can't go too far!" Hermes laughed boisteriously.
"Time Gate Lock!" He shouted, holding a black key. It dissipated. "Have fun!" He disappeared.
"He didn't..." Umi gaped at the sky. "Oh no! How are we to get home!"
"You mean we can't?" Chibi Jupiter's lip trembled.
"Not this ...Not again..." Umi began.
"Wahh!" All three girls cried loudly.
"Augh!" Umi flipped around, grinning widely, looking much like a clown. "Cheer up! Cheer up! Big brother Umi can take care of this!"
"Yea right," Anrui had untransformed, eying him.
"Shut up," He said from the side of lips. "You wanna have them crying all afternoon?"
Anrui was quiet before facing the group. "Hey! Think of it this way! We get to miss school!"
"YEA!" Everyone cheered as the rest untransformed.
"My head hurts..."
"Umi-san?" Umi jumped, seeing Ami approach.
"Err..."
"You...all are from the future, right?"
"Maybe," Umi hedged around the topic.
"No maybe! We are!" Anrui stated.
"SHUT UP!"
"I am Mizuno Anrui," Anrui bowed slightly. "This is Mizuno Umi."
"I'm going to be sick," Umi was heard complaining in the back.
"I'm Kino Barako!" Barako said brightly.
"I am Hino Mekumi," Mekumi said smoothly.
"Oh! Oh! And I'm Aino Shinan! So happy to meet you!" Shinan grinned widely.
"Are you, like Chibiusa?" Makoto asked carefully. "Future..."
"Children?" Mekumi frowned. "I would've thought that would've been easy to figure out. We are Chibi versions, and have the same last names, and we even look like you!"
"Hey, where's Umi going?" Barako asked suddenly.
"UMI!" Anrui shouted. Umi slinked back, fiddling with a key. "Oh..were you going to try that?"
"I was..." Umi stared at it.
"Well?" Anrui asked impatiently.
"Err... Time gate...open?" He held out the key in such a way like it would explode on him.
"You're not doing it right!" Anrui lunged for it. "Let me do it!"
"No!"
"Give me!"
"Stop it!"
"No!"
"You can't have it!"
"GIVE ME GIVE ME GIVE ME!"