First and foremost this is not my story. This story was written by Jendra and is the sequel to her story Sailor Moon Universal. I really enjoyed this story when I first read it almost 3 years ago and when I realized it wasn't on fanfiction , I decided to upload it. Once again this story is not mine! I am just a huge fan of the story.

I would also recommend reading Sailor Moon Universal first; you might get really confused if you don't. It was posted on by Mandara.


Prologue

A small pink haired girl slept peacefully beneath a cover of rabbits and moons. A small gray kitten was curled up on her chest. The little girl woke slowly and stretched. Still half asleep and with her eyes closed, she absently petted the complaining kitten.

"Serena! Wake up!" a voice called from elsewhere in the house.

"Serena?" she whispered, her eyes flying open. "Am I back in the..." her voice trailed off as she finally got a look at the room she was in.

At first glance it looked like Serena's room, but a closer glance revealed differences. The furniture seemed smaller than it should have been. The alarm clock wasn't the new one Serena had received for her birthday. Instead, it was a digital clock shaped like a star. There were more dolls than she remembered, and she was holding one in her arms.

She looked closely at the exquisitely made doll. Its face and hands were porcelain, but its body was huggable soft. Its wavy brown hair felt real, and it was dressed in a beautiful red gown. *She's beautiful! Maybe Mommy gave her to me. But why don't I remember?* Still holding it, she continued looking around the room as her mind went back to the night before.

Reenie and Diana raced down the stairs with Luna Ball close behind her. "Mommy, Daddy! You're home!"

"Yes, sweetheart," King Endymion smiled down at her. "We said we'd try to make it today, didn't we?"

"And," Neo-Queen Serenity said, picking Reenie up, "Everything is fixed, so we shouldn't have to leave for at least another two weeks."

"Does that mean you can take me to the park tomorrow?" Reenie asked happily.

"Little one," Serenity answered, "Tomorrow we'll spend the whole day with you, okay? I know how much you've missed us, and I'm very proud of how well you handled it."

"And now Small Lady," Endymion said, taking her out of her mother's arms and carrying her upstairs, "It's time for you to go to bed. Tomorrow, we're all yours, so you need to be well rested, okay?"

"Okay Daddy," Reenie answered as she yawned. She'd stayed up past her bed time in the hopes they would be home like they had promised.

Endymion carried her up to her room, with Serenity following closely on his heels.

"Good night, Reenie," Serenity whispered, bending down to kiss her cheek.

"Good night, Mommy. Good night, Daddy. Love you," she murmured. "I'm glad you're back."

"Good night, sweet dreams," her father said. "We'll see you in the morning."

Reenie frowned and looked around again. She went over her memories a second time. Nowhere was there any mention of her taking a trip to the past. She didn't remember being woken up in the middle of the night and being sent into the past and found it hard to believe it had happened without her knowing.

It was when her eyes reached the pictures on the dresser that she realized there was something seriously wrong. There should have been pictures of Serena with her family, Serena with Darien and Reenie, and pictures of Serena with the Scouts. Instead the dresser held pictures of Reenie with two adults she didn't know.

Reenie stood up slowly and walked forward in a daze. Her eyes moved from one picture to another. All of them held a person who was obviously her, at different ages. Yet nowhere did she see any sign of her parents.

The kitten was sitting up and staring worriedly at her mistress.

"What's going on, Diana?" Reenie asked in a panicked voice. "Where are we? When are we? And where are my parents?"

Diana looked even more worried but didn't answer.

Reenie didn't notice. She had walked over to the window and was staring out with the same intensity she had stared at the pictures. It was Tokyo. There was no doubt about that. Tokyo Tower still thrust upward against the skyline. However, little else seemed familiar. The buildings seemed taller and strangely shaped and some were broken. Also, the perspective was different than what she was used to.

A young woman with wavy brown hair came into the room. "Serena?" she asked impatiently, "Why aren't you dressed? You're going to be late for school."

Reenie gasped and spun around, staring at the woman from the photos. And, she now realized, she looked like the doll as well.

"What's the matter, dear?" the woman asked, concerned.

"Who are you?" Reenie asked in a trembling voice.

"What are you talking about? I'm your mother of course," the young woman said worriedly, walking towards the child.

Reenie tried to back up, but found herself trapped. Her head was swinging jerkily as she denied the statement she had just heard. "No you're not!"

"Serena," she began.

"Don't call me that!" Reenie's voice had gained confidence, "My name is Reenie! What have you done with my parents?"

A young man, slightly familiar from more than the pictures came in. "Come on, sport, you're going to be late for school if you don't hurry up," he said teasingly before he felt the tension in the air. "Is something the matter?"

"I think Serena's sick, Sammy!" the young woman said, "Or maybe she just had a bad dream, yes, that's it, isn't it sweetheart? You had a bad dream where we weren't your parents."

Reenie was staring at the young man. The name he had been called brought memories of a young kid that loved to tease her, and join with her in teasing Serena. She continued staring at him until the face clicked. It was an older version of her uncle, whom she had last seen when he was ten.

"Come on kiddo," Sammy said heartily, "you know us, you're just playing a game, aren't you?"

Reenie nodded slowly, "I know you," she whispered. Sammy and the woman smiled brightly. She continued, "But I don't know her, and I don't know why you're calling me Serena, or why you're saying you're my parents." The smiles were gone.

Sammy answered patiently, "We call you Serena, because that's your name, Serena Usagi Tsukino. And we say we're you're parents, because we are."

Reenie shook her head again. "Serena Usagi Tsukino is my mommy, I'm Serena Usagi Chiba. My daddy's Darien Chiba, and you're my uncle. Now, where are my parents?!" Reenie had started out calmly but was now almost shouting. She was very worried by what was going on. If the people pretending to be her parents had been strangers, she would have thought it a trick by the Negaverse, or someone else who wanted a pawn against her parents. But this was her uncle, Sammy, and he wouldn't do that to her.

Sammy looked very surprised, and hissed at his wife, "Mika, did you tell her?"

She shook her head slightly.

Sammy's wife grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out into the hallway.

Reenie turned and looked at the room once more. Her eyes fell on Diana, who was still sitting on the bed, not seeming to have moved since Reenie got up. "Do you know anything about this Diana?"

Diana just sat there.

"Diana, answer me," Reenie demanded.

"Meow," Diana answered.

"That is not funny, Diana! I'm not in the mood for jokes right now," Reenie snapped, turning away. Her voice cracked as it seemed even Diana was turning against her. She struggled to control her tears.

"Why won't you talk to me, Diana? Are you as messed up as the rest of this?" She suddenly heard a small voice behind her, and a single tear of relief trickled down her cheek.

"How did you know I could talk?" Diana asked very quietly. Her young voice showed the same worry that Sammy and his wife had shown.

"I've always known you could talk," Reenie answered. "Why would you hide it? And where are `your' parents? Where are Luna and Artemis?"

"No one was supposed to know," Diana said, still quietly, "It was one of the last things Mama told me, that no one should know, not even you."

Reenie froze, "Last things?" she whispered.

"Mm-hmm," Diana mewed softly, "They left years ago, I don't know exactly why. I was too young. I had to stay here."

"Because you were so young?" Reenie asked as she picked the kitten up.

"And because I was your guardian," Diana said, snuggling into Reenie's embrace.

"What's going on, Diana? Why do Sammy and... and... what's her name... say they're my parents?" Reenie asked in a trembling voice.

"I thought they were," Diana answered. "You were living with them when I came, and that was years ago. And her name is Mika."

"Mika... Mika? I know that name," Reenie mused. She suddenly looked down at the doll she was still absently holding. "Of course! Mika was that friend of Sammy's who won an award for the dolls she made. Did she make this one?"

"Yes, she made it for your third birthday. You call her Mi'a Doll, because you couldn't pronounce Mika. You take her with you everywhere, even places you don't take me," Diana answered, "But why am I telling you this, you should know."

"But I don't know, Diana, because this isn't the way I lived! I lived with my parents from the moment I was born. And you and your parents lived with us too." Reenie sounded like she was about to burst into tears, "I want it to go back to normal. I want to go home," she ended in a whisper.

She tried to think of a new topic. "Mi'a Doll, huh? Looks like I have the same way of naming things, Mi'a Doll and Luna Ball." She looked around, "I guess Luna Ball's not here either, hmm?"

"What's Luna Ball?" Diana asked. "Any relation to Luna?"

"Luna Ball was one of my toys, though it was much more than a toy. It could do anything I wanted it to. And its face looked like Luna's. It even had the crescent moon," she finished, tracing the moon on Diana's forehead.

Reenie was still sitting on the bed, stroking the kitten and holding the doll, when Sammy, Mika, and another woman entered the room.

"Now, Serena," the other woman asked kindly, "What is this about you having a bad dream?"

Reenie shook herself, and tried to stop staring at the woman, in her thirties, with shoulder length blue hair. Reenie whispered, half to herself, "What has happened?"

"What do you mean, Serena?" Amy asked, "Oh, I'm sorry, you wish to be called Reenie now, correct?"

Reenie just stared at Amy for a long moment, "Maybe you can explain it to me, Amy," she finally said.

"I'll certainly try," Amy agreed.

Reenie got up and started pacing. "My name is Serena Usagi Serenity Chiba, but I'm usually called either Reenie or Small Lady. I am the daughter of Neo-Queen Serenity of the Moon, and King Endymion of Earth." She had been watching Amy's face closely and saw her shock at those two names. "I am also niece and heir to King Tranquility of the Sun." She looked at Sammy and Mika and realized they thought she was talking about a dream she had had. Amy still looked shocked at those names coming from a person who should have had no way of knowing they could exist.

Reenie continued, "I was born in the year 2989 in Crystal Tokyo. My parents, with the help of the Sailor Scouts, ruled there."

Sammy jerked at those words and broke in, "How did you know about them? It's forbidden to speak of them," he hissed.

"Forbidden?" Reenie asked in disbelief, "What do you mean `forbidden'? Why can't I talk about Sailor Venus, who's head of PR? What is that anyway?" she asked in an aside. "And she's leader of the Scouts when Mommy and Daddy are busy. Or Sailor Mars, Head of Palace Security and in... in... um... I can't remember the word, she's head of the spies. Of course she's not in charge of Sailor Jupiter, our personal bodyguard and Head of the Royal Guard. Sailor Mercury is head of the entire hospital and school system of Crystal Tokyo, one of the things that makes it such a.. a.. shoot, I can't remember that word either, it starts with a U."

"Utopia?" Amy asked absently, still trying to absorb what she had heard.

"Yeah, that's right, Utopia. And then there's..." but she was interrupted by a loud knocking at the front door.

Reenie and Mika screamed as the front door was suddenly broken in and heavy footsteps marched towards the room.

The door crashed open to reveal a large man with dark red hair, the color of blood, and dressed in a gray uniform. With him, he had a tall black youma. He stared around at the four people standing in the room.

"You have been overheard speaking words forbidden by our great leader. That is treason. Release the one who spoke them to our justice, or you will all suffer the punishment." His voice was unemotional, and all the more chilling for that.

"It was that one, Lord," the youma spoke quietly, pointing to Reenie.

The human-looking one shot a glare at the youma, he had wanted to make them tell him. It was always more fun forcing one to tell upon another. He looked at the little pink haired one who was staring at him and realized how young she was. He smiled, this could be fun after all.

"So, the child! She must have been taught, who taught her?"

"We do not know, Great Lord," Sammy said immediately, bowing.

"I don't believe you," the man said chillingly. "I think `you' taught her to speak treason. Kill him," he said to the youma.

Without any more warning than that, the youma raised his arm and shot Sammy through the heart as the others looked on in disbelief.

"NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" screamed Mika and Reenie as they saw him fall. Reenie dropped the doll in disbelief. The three women rushed to his side, Amy trying to find a pulse as Mika held him to her and Reenie wailed.

"Well?" asked the blood haired man, "Are you going to tell me who taught you?"

No one was paying attention, especially Reenie, too caught up in grief to even hear. Although she had not known Sammy for long at this age, she still had fond memories of him before, and could not bear the thought that he was dead because of her. She wailed louder.

The blood haired man laughed, he loved doing this to humans. "You know," he said to the youma, "I don't think he taught her. But if it wasn't her father, it must have been her mother, kill her too."

Even if the women had been listening, they wouldn't have had any time to respond between the time he gave the order, and the time the youma carried it out. The first they knew about it was when they saw the beam go past them and enter Mika. She fell, still holding Sammy, not letting him go, even in death.

Reenie screamed, and her red eyes flared. As the fear, grief, rage, and guilt combined within her, she managed something that had not happened in the past two years. Her moonbeam appeared once more. As the white power surrounded her, Reenie threw herself at the youma. Never before had she used the moonbeam like this, but she was determined to punish them for what they had done. For one desperate minute, she wished she had the ability to become Sailor Crescent Moon or Sailor Universe on her own. Then she threw the thought away and concentrated on making sure that the youma did not dodge.

The youma didn't. Whether he was too surprised at the power, shocked that someone attacked him, or whether she was just too fast didn't matter.

Reenie exulted as she saw the moonbeam's power turn the youma into dust before her. However, the exultation caused much of the rage and fear to drain away. As it did, the moonbeam flickered and was extinguished.

The blood haired man was on the verge of running for reinforcements when he saw the power leave the little girl. With a gloating laugh, he grabbed her.

"You think you can kill a youma and get away with it?" he asked. "The Master will be very glad to get a prize like you."

Amy had been watching all of this with wide eyes. She saw him grab the daughter of her best friend, whom she had sworn to guard. And like Reenie before her, she found she had the ability to do something about it.

The gray uniformed man suddenly yelled and let go of the little girl, as a gray blur used teeth and claws to tear into his hand. He threw Diana off of him and into the wall, and turned back to see the blue haired doctor rushing towards him. She threw a vial of something into his face, and he screamed as it hit his eyes. She grabbed Reenie, who had picked up Diana, and dragged them out of the room.

Reenie stopped suddenly. "Wait!" she cried. Before Amy could respond, Reenie tore her hand free and ran back into the room, past the blinded man, and picked up the doll. Although she had not really known Mika, she suddenly could not bear to be without the doll that Mika had obviously poured so much love into. She ran back out to where Amy was waiting, and they set off again.

As they ran out of the broken front door, the youma who had been left there saw them and attacked. Amy managed to dodge, so that the beam only hit her in the side, instead of straight on. The youma moved into position to shoot again when it heard the Lord's voice screaming for it from inside the house. Without a backward look, it turned and went inside.

Amy dragged Reenie even farther away, until she couldn't go any farther. She could feel the wound draining her life away, and finally pulled Reenie into the shadows of a hedge.

"Serena," she panted, "I don't know what exactly is going on, but I think that something in the past must have changed, so that you have a different future than you should. I think, in time, you will get memories of your past in this time to match what they should be. Why you remember the other future, I don't know. I'm not going to be able to make it any farther; you're going to have to go to Lita's on your own. Just be careful of the youmas and `watch' `what' `you' `say'," she said emphatically.

Reenie was crying silently, tears falling down her face. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know you would all get hurt because of what I said. I didn't mean to do any harm. I just want my parents back."

"Your parents are dead, Serena," Amy said harshly, "You have to live in `this' world, because there's no way to change what has happened."

"So you're just giving up?!" Reenie almost shouted, before remembering that there was no way of telling who was listening. "And my name is Reenie!"

"There's nothing else we can do, Ser... Reenie. You have to be logical about this," Amy said more gently.

"I don't want to be logical! I want things to be the way they were, the way they're supposed to be!" A fresh spate of tears fell down Reenie's face.

"There's no way to go back and change the past, Reenie, you have to live with what you have," Amy said, trying to make her understand when she noticed Reenie staring at her with her hand at her throat. "What's wrong, Reenie?"

"My key? Where is the Crystal Key?" Reenie said intently.

"The Crystal Key? I don't know what you're talking about, and it's not important right now. Listen, and I'll tell you how to get to Lita's," Amy responded impatiently.

"You don't understand! The Crystal Time Key gives me the ability to travel through time! Puu gave it to me. If I had it, I could fix things!" Reenie almost begged for her understanding.

Amy did understand, but there was nothing she could do, and she knew she didn't have much time left. "Reenie," she said softly, "It's not here. I don't know anyone named Puu, and have never heard of the key. There is nothing you can do except try to keep yourself safe and get used to this life. I'm sorry."

"I can't believe you're just giving up! The Amy I know would never do that," Reenie said angrily. "She would use her brain to find a way out, even if she didn't have her powers. Why don't you anyway?" Reenie suddenly remembered to ask.

Amy ignored the last question. "I tried, don't you think I did? We all did, but there was nothing we could do. Now it's too late."

"It's never too late," Reenie almost growled. "If you won't help, then I'll find a way to make it right by myself." Reenie got up, grabbed Mi'a Doll and Diana, and ran off.

Amy tried to stop her, but wasn't able to get up. *Is she right?* she wondered sadly, *Could we have made a difference anyway? Good luck, little one. May Queen Serenity guide your steps. Princess, watch over your daughter,* she prayed silently.

Suddenly, Amy felt a presence above her. She turned over to look at the face of her executioner.

And smiled.

"Hello, Greg. I'm glad you found me, my love."

Reenie ran until she couldn't run any farther. When she looked around, she wasn't surprised to find herself in a very familiar park. "What do we do, Diana?" she asked softly. "There's got to be a way to make it right. There's just got to!"

"I don't know Reenie," Diana said, "but do you really think it was such a good idea to leave Amy there alone?"

Reenie hung her head, "No, it wasn't," she agreed in a small voice. She got up and started heading back slowly.

"Did you really mean all those things you said about your life?" Diana asked, interested, "You know, about being a Princess? That is what you are, isn't it?"

"Yes, I am Neo-Princess Serenity, of the Moon, Earth, Sun, and Crystal Tokyo," Reenie replied, "That reminds me, where's Uncle Tranq?"

"Who?" Diana asked, confused.

"Uncle Tranq, Travis William Watson," Reenie answered, "My mother's twin brother."

"Never heard of him," was Diana's answer.

"So something happened to him too," Reenie murmured.

Reenie was quiet for several moments, caught up in her memories of her family, and the last minutes of her newest family. She never saw the root in front of her and cried out as she tripped over it. She got up, rubbing her skinned knee, and murmuring something about being as clumsy as Serena, when she suddenly stopped. Lying in front of her on the ground was Mi'a Doll, with its porcelain face cracked.

Reenie gave a small cry as she scooped it up into her arms. The little doll was cracked far beyond her ability to fix. Reenie suddenly sat down and sobbed, hugging the broken doll to her desperately.

"What if it can't be fixed, Diana?" she asked brokenly.

"Don't worry, Reenie, we'll find someone who can fix the doll," Diana said soothingly.

"Not the doll, Diana. What if my life can't be fixed? What if this world can't be fixed? What if Amy was right? Nothing can make Sammy and Mika come back to life, and it's my fault they're dead. My fault," she whimpered.

Diana did the only thing she could think of, she licked Reenie's face and purred as hard as she could.

After a few minutes, Reenie pulled the doll away from her so she could see the damage better. As she did so, the whole face came away from the head, leaving a small space holding paper.

"What's this?" Reenie asked curiously.

"Probably just packing," Diana said, uninterested.

"I thought cats were supposed to be curious," Reenie came back absently as she pulled the paper out.

"Don't be silly," Diana answered. "You know what curiosity did to the cat."

Reenie wasn't paying attention, her entire attention taken up by the two things she held in her hands, a small package, and a letter in a very familiar handwriting.

"Mommy," she whispered. She opened the note.

'Dear Serena,' it started, `Maybe that's wrong, by the time you get
this, maybe you don't use that name anymore. Never mind, I
guess that's not important right now. My darling daughter, I doubt
you know me, and if you do I've probably changed this note. (I'm
sorry, I'm not very coherent right now.) I look into your red eyes
and wonder what your life is going to be like. I wonder how many
of my friends you'll know, we've already lost so much. I would
love to know that you're going to be growing up in a peaceful world.
I want to be there as you grow, see you take your first step, say
your first word, have you call me Mommy. Still I know that while
that cannot be, you'll have the best life my brother and his wife
can give you. They will love you as much as I would if I were
there. As much as I do right now, and have since I first knew
you were growing inside of me. If your father were here, he would
say the same thing. Always remember that we love you, and always
have. We have not been there for you, and for that I'm sorry, we
would have been if we could.'

`Little one, I must tell you what has taken us away from you.
Long ago, I accepted my destiny to try to save the world from evil.
I fought it at first, but I did finally accept it. My love, my brother,
my friends and I fought for as long as we could, and in the end it was
not enough, we could not fight anymore. Still, your father died
fighting to protect us, I think that is how he would have preferred it.'

Reenie had to stop for a moment, until the tears left her eyes clear enough to see. Obviously, the note had been meant for her when she was older, and she didn't understand some of the words, but the important ones she had no trouble reading. She continued.

`I have hidden for as long as I could, trying to protect you. I don't
think it has worked, I think HE knows where I am. Because
you are my daughter, Darien's daughter, and Travis's niece, you
have several unique abilities, and I believe HE wants you. I will
make HIM believe you are dead. HE will never get his hands on
you, I promise. My life means little now, keeping you safe is the
most important thing in the world. Perhaps one day you will be able
to do as I have not and save this world.'

`Long before I ever dreamed of you, a young woman came up to
me and gave me what is in the package that should be with this
letter. She said that it was very important that my daughter have
it, and to keep it safe until then. I did not know her, but somehow I
believed her, and so I have kept it, and given it to Mika with this
letter for safekeeping until you are grown.'

`I can write no longer, my daughter, and the important things have
been said. This one thing, you must remember above all others.
I love you. Your father loves you, as does everyone who knows
you. Live easy in the thought that you live always in our love
and our hearts, even if we cannot be there for you. If you do not
find it within you to fight, I understand. Believe me, I understand.
If that is what you choose, that is what you choose, and I will love
you no less because of it.'

`Go with all my love,
Your mother, Serena Usagi Tsukino.'

`P.S. Sorry for sticking you with my name, your father insisted.'

Reenie slowly unwrapped the small package. She stared without surprise at the small crystal topped key. "I choose to fight, Mother," she said fiercely.

She carefully folded the letter, and placed it in her pocket. She gathered Diana and the doll into her arms, then raised the key into the air. "CRYSTAL TIME KEY! TAKE US TO THE GATE!"

Diana looked a little worried as the light surrounded them, even Mi'a Doll seemed worried, if her little broken face could show emotion. But Reenie just stood there stoically, going with the power, as she had learned to do. Soon they arrived at a featureless, shadowy, gray plain.

"Why are we here?" Diana asked in a very small voice. "I thought we were going into the past, to try to change it or something."

"We are," Reenie answered absently.

"Then why are we here?" Diana still didn't raise her voice, after all, there was no way of telling what might be lurking out there.

"Two reasons," Reenie answered as she walked forward. "Number one, I need to talk to Pluto, and this is where she lives."

"Where is here, anyway?" Diana broke in.

"These are the time plains that surround the Gateway of Time. And before you ask, Pluto is the Guardian of Time." Reenie was looking around her for the light that was always next to the gate. "The second reason is that the Time Key always takes you here. You cannot go to another time without passing through the Gate. So why bother saying, take me to the future, or to the past, when it's only going to take you to the gate?"

"Oh," Diana answered. She was quiet for a long moment before asking, "What's that?"

"What's what?" Reenie followed the pointing paw and glimpsed something through the fog. She walked toward it, getting more nervous by the step. Finally she stood in front of the Gate. The lantern next to it was unlit, and the area was deserted.

"Pluto!" Reenie yelled.

"Uto... uto... to... to..." came back to her from the echoes.

"PLUTO!" she yelled again, louder. Her only answer was echoes.

"Puu, where are you?" she yelled once more.

"Where are you... are you... you..." came back from the darkness.

"Puu, where are you?" she whispered, "You don't leave your post. You would certainly never let the light go out."

"So, are we trapped here?" Diana asked nervously.

Reenie looked around once more before shaking her head. She wanted to go searching, but knew how dangerous it was to leave the trail. And no matter what Diana thought, they had been following a trail well marked in her memories.

She walked up to the gate.

"So what time are we going to?" Diana asked.

"I'd hoped to ask Pluto that," Reenie said looking down at her. "Do you know when things started to go wrong with the Scouts?"

"I don't know," Diana admitted, "Mama never told me that, and no one else would talk about it, because of those guys."

"I've got to know what has happened to my home," Reenie suddenly decided. Before Diana could say anything, Reenie was in front of the gate. "CRYSTAL TIME KEY! OPEN THE GATE! TOKYO, 2997!"

The gate opened, almost reluctantly it seemed. Reenie ran through and dropped to the ground. "Why does it always open so high?" she asked in disgust before looking around. She had thought that last time she came, with all the broken crystal buildings was bad. This was much worse.

The plain where Tokyo and Crystal Tokyo had stood was empty. Not a building, not a tree, not a lake, not a person. Nothing. Desolation surrounded them as far as they could see. There was no sign that Crystal Tokyo had ever stood there. Here and there small ruins poked up through the brown dirt that covered the plain. The contrast just made it worse.

"This is where you lived?" Diana whispered.

"Maybe I messed up," Reenie answered, "Maybe this isn't the right time. There might be a time between Tokyo and Crystal Tokyo where it looks like this. Yes, that must be it, I messed up, this isn't 2997, it's some other time."

"I don't think you messed up, Reenie," Diana sounded much more mature than a kitten. "This is what the future is going to be if we don't stop whatever went wrong."

"What do you care?!" Reenie suddenly yelled. "This isn't your home! You don't know it! You lived there, why would you want to change your own past? You don't know what Crystal Tokyo was like. You don't know what my parents were like. Why should you care?"

"Because from the sound of it, you're life was a whole lot better than mine!" Diana yelled back. "Do you know what it's like never being able to talk? Do you know how I felt watching my mother walk away? I want my parents back too. I want a future where I don't have to worry about losing my ability to talk because I was never able to use it. I want a future where I can see my parents in more than dreams and memories. I want peace as much as the next being. I'm not going to let you or anyone take that hope of a happy future away from me. I won't! Do you hear me? I won't let you do that!"

Reenie stared down at the crying kitten before sweeping her up into her arms. "I'm sorry, Diana, I'm sorry. I'm just so scared. I want my parents. You know, I didn't actually believe they were dead. I thought maybe they'd been reborn and started Crystal Tokyo and were just waiting for me to join them. But they're not! They're gone! They're dead, and I wasn't even there! It's not supposed to be like this! I want my parents! I want to see my mommy and daddy again."

Reenie was crying and screaming at the same time. After all that had happened, she still hadn't truly believed. She had thought that maybe it was a dream, or a nightmare. Or that maybe her parents were just hiding to protect her. The desolation that surrounded her finally convinced her otherwise. Her parents were dead and hadn't been reborn. She was devastated by the thought. Diana wasn't much better. Suddenly Reenie pulled out the Crystal Time Key. "CRYSTAL TIME KEY! I WANT MY PARENTS!" she yelled, and barely even noticed the light surrounding her and taking her to the plain, much closer to the gate than usual. Without hesitating, she threw herself through the Gate.