Life At 902 Chapter 2 This Wasn't What I Expected, a sailor moon fanfic

Life At 902

By Douglas Helm and "Tuxedo" Will Wolfshohl

This story and our other Sailor Moon stories reside at our Shoujo Fiction .com domain. Comment are welcomed and encouraged.

Chapter 2 - This Wasn't What I Expected

Sighing, I flopped back onto my bed. 'It just isn't fair. Usagi knows how old I really am but she keeps treating me like some little kid!' I reached over to my pillow to pull it over to me and felt something hard. Puzzled, I reached under it and retrieved an object.

"Aren't you going to finish the story, Small Lady?" Diana questioned.

The object was a storybook that Usagi had been reading to me. I could read it myself, naturally, but it was a fun way to spend time with my future mother. Those warm thoughts were dashed away in an instant as all the annoyance from what had happened downstairs resurfaced and swelled up inside me. I angrily flung the book across the room.

I watched with some satisfaction as it bounced off the far wall and then dropped out of sight as it tumbled down the stairwell. My kitten guardian started to scold me. Of course, I ignored her. That is until it turned into a loud mew.

Moments later, I heard someone on the stairs. Sitting up, I could feel my stomach tighten as my grandmother came up into my room.

"Drop something, ne Chibi-Usa?" Her voice was bland, almost nonchalant.

"Gomen Ikuko-mama."

"I think you should go to bed early tonight."

"Iie!" I protested, "That ain't fair!" Then to try and justify it, I argued, "It's my book." That wasn't necessarily true but it was as good an excuse as any.

"Well, you ARE going to bed early. You weren't going to be allowed to go to the movie tonight anyway."

'Kami-sama! The movie!' I thought. How had that slipped my mind? "But Ikuko-mama...!" I started to complain.

"I won't put up with any more nonsense, Chibi-Usa," Ikuko said sternly interrupting me, "If I ever hear you talking to Usagi like I did this afternoon, you are in for one very sore bottom! Do you understand me, young lady?"

"Hai."

Nodding, my grandmother suggested, "Good. Now come eat supper."

"I'm not hungry," I replied petulantly.

"In that case, you can stay in your room until bath time." With that, she left me alone with my kitten guardian. Diana seemed about ready to burst.

"What DID you say to Her Majesty, Usagi?!?"

"Uh..." I began. I really don't want to explain to her, so I decided to obfuscate. "Now where was I? Oh yeah, Puu was just showing me how to use the Time Key."

- - - - -

There are only three bad things about traveling through time. The first is what happens when you reach your destination. Its sheer sensory overload and then the drop. Mind you, it only happened that first time, but dropping from several meters up to the ground is enough to scare anybody off time travel for good.

Fortunately, or maybe not so fortunately depending on your point of view, I landed on someone's head. That puzzled me at first. Shouldn't I be on top of someone? Instead, I was in a hug with someone. At first, I didn't recognize whom it was I was hugging. Then I heard that voice.

"Hey! Get away from MY Mamo-chan!"

I pushed back from my savior and saw myself staring into the very young looking face of my father. 'Sugoi!' I wanted to shout out in joy but then the voice. I turned slowly and saw my mother getting up off the ground.

'Iie, it can't be...' I thought. 'Mother looks young... too young... And where are her Senshi guards?' Jumping down to the ground, I quickly surveyed the area temporarily ignoring my dazed parents behind me. We were on a dock next to a small lake with a park of some kind surrounding it. Something was definitely wrong. 'Where's the Crystal Palace?' I can't remember a time when its grandeur didn't dominate the skyline.

My attention returned to Mother who was starting to get very angry. She was ranting about something to do with my "odangos" I think. I turned myself around to regard her ready to explain.

It's then I realized something -- Mother had grown very tall. I had passed my mother in height during adolescence. 'Something's gone terribly wrong,' I concluded. I had to get away to think. "Gomen! Gomen!" I shouted and rushed past her, leaving both of my "teenage" parents puzzled. I could hear Mother calling out to me but I just kept running.

Obviously, I had become very small. My proportions had drastically changed -- a child's I guessed, maybe half my former height. The signs were obvious: My long legs have shrunk. My ankle-length pigtails must have retreated to a mere fraction of their former glory. My beautiful figure has gone. My formerly ample bosom was as flat as a board. In fact, it looks like I've gained some pudginess but I could have been imagining things. 'Kami-sama! What happened?'

After a few moments, I stopped. Almost immediately, something nudged me from behind. I pivoted ready to flee or fight. To my surprise, I saw something. Something I haven't seen in centuries. "Luna-P!" I shouted. It was my favorite toy and "friend" from childhood. The floating ball that resembles Luna seemed happy to see me. "What are you doing here?" Of course, it couldn't answer me.

Grabbing it, I ducked into some nearby bushes (my shorter stature and petite frame making that easy). Remembering some of its functions, I pressed Luna-P's nose. One of its eyes changed to a screen of static as the communications system engaged.

After a few minutes of static, I gave up. There was no response. For some reason, I had a sudden urge to cry. I fought it down though, blinking away the mist that had formed in my eyes.

"What do I do?" I asked my floating companion.

I was in the past -- too far in the past. "Mama and Papa look so young!" The old names from my childhood seem so natural. "Mama..." I had to do my best. Time travel was risky and I might wind up in a place where I can't do anything.

I began to worry. Could I even transform? How could I protect myself? There wasn't any way of knowing without transforming and I didn't want to risk attracting undue attention. Luckily for me, the Black Moon Family wasn't in this time.

A new worry surfaced. 'I look like a kid. Where am I going to stay?!' A hotel was out of the question for various reasons. An orphanage, like Father grew up in, certainly didn't appeal to me. Before I could panic, an idea popped into my mind. My grandparents and uncle should still be alive in this period. I felt myself smiling. I only had vague memories of my grandparents and no memories of what my Uncle Shingo was like at all.

"Luna-P," I tell my companion, "I'm so glad to see you. Let's go find my grandparents!" 'Mama looked so young. She must be still living with them.'

- - - - -

You can probably imagine what the scene would have been like if I had run up to the door of my grandparents' home and announced to them that their granddaughter from the future had dropped by for a short visit. 'Though it is a funny image, I quickly dismissed it. Instead, with Luna-P's able assistance, I had them believing that I was a cousin who came by for another visit. The last time I had been there was New Year's.

I don't know how Luna-P does what it does (that's Ami's department) but it worked. By the time Luna-P had changed back into its ball form, Grandmother and Uncle Shingo accepted that I was their niece/cousin who had come to stay for an indeterminate length visit while my parents were overseas. That's when the next surprise happened.

"Come and sit down, Chibi-Usa."

"Ch-Chibi-Usa?" I queried, "My name's Usagi."

"I know that, Chibi-Usa-chan." My grandmother Tsukino Ikuko smiled then explained, "Ne, don't you remember last summer when you came here, we kept mixing you and Usagi up? You told us just to call you 'Chibi-Usa'."

I chewed on that information as I made my way to the living room. My grandmother Ikuko had gone into the kitchen to get us some tea. When she came back, I said, "Arigato, Tsukino-obaasan." Shingo, who looked eleven maybe twelve years old at most, snickered. I thought quickly and took a sip. "This is good, Ikuko-mama."

"Arigato," Ikuko replied and pats my head.

'How old am I?' I'd have to find a mirror. If size differences meant anything, I estimated five years old. The next half-hour passed pleasantly with the three of us chatting, me making up bigger and bigger fibs the more we talked, mostly concerning how my parents are doing.

When my grandfather Tsukino Kenji arrived from work, things went rather well. The look of surprise on his face as I greeted him turned into delight after Luna-P did its magic.

For some reason, I thought that this good luck would continue... I neglected to realize that Usagi wasn't home yet. It was when Usagi showed up that things went sour, and I didn't even do anything!

- - - - -

"Minna, I'm home!" Usagi called out. Mother sounded tired. I could hear her walking up the stairs. Mere moments later, I heard her rushing back down them.

"SHINGO!!!" Usagi bellowed as she came into the living room. She was pretty. I guessed she looked fourteen or fifteen years old. I know she met Father for the second time around that age. "What did you do to my room?!"

"Nani? What are you talking about?" Shingo questioned.

"My room... Y-you... YOU!" she shouted after spotting me.

"Chibi-Usa came for a visit."

"Who?"

"Your cousin Usagi, Musume," Kenji answered.

"We don't have any cousins named Usagi!" she argued.

"Usagi no baka," Uncle Shingo muttered.

"Dear, maybe you should go and lie down."

"B-but... Mom, I'm telling you we don't have any little cousins. She's a fraud!"

"Here's the pictures from her last visit," Shingo interjected shoving a picture album at his irate older sister. Mother's face went through a number of expressions before settling on disbelief. I thought she might faint. This was not how I had envisioned meeting her.

"Go take a nap, dear," my grandmother suggested.

'If only I could talk to Mother in private without worrying about someone barging in,' I pondered.

Mother staggered from the room, mumbling, "I'm gonna take a bath."

"That's it!"

"Nani?" my grandfather asked.

"Oh... uh..." 'Think, Usagi, think!' "Ikuko-mama, may I go play?"

"Hai, but don't go far, Chibi-Usa-chan. Supper will be ready in a little while."

"Hai!" I declared and skipped from the room. I was annoyed to hear Shingo mutter "little kids". If he only knew...

My idea was simple: talk to Usagi when she was alone in the furo. I will admit that I didn't plan the strategy very well and it backfired on me. My mother thought I was trying to ambush her.

- - - - -

Now before you start thinking that all my worries and woes were with my teenage mother, let me tell you about my suppertime experience. After being forcibly pulled out of that nice warm furo by my grandmother and, much to my chagrin, dried off by her. I was marched up to Usagi's room.

Now as a princess, I have a pretty hefty amount of modesty. As a woman of 902 years old, mother and grandmother many times over, I'm also able to dress myself, thank you very much. But the profound change my body had gone through. The change I hadn't felt where my legs had shrunk, my arms became small and weak, my graceful fingers had become stubby, etc... Everything had changed.

To my "aunt", I was simply what I appeared -- a little girl. Being changed into an old pair of bunny pajamas, which Mother... Usagi had outgrown, was quite embarrassing! It was a far cry from my normal designer lingerie. She undid my rabbit ear odangos and combed out my pink hair.

At first, I thought I was going to be sent to bed early or some such thing but then, Ikuko told me to come down and help her set the table. She said that I wasn't about to get out of doing my chores.

The word mortification doesn't even begin to describe how I felt when I appeared in my pajamas in front of the others. Uncle Shingo snickered until Grandmother gave him a stern look. Mother, on the other hand, just glared at me.

Supper was a shock. No, not the food, it was wonderful. Home cooking was a rare treat. No, it was Mother. She ate... well, like a pig. It was disgusting. It was also a little sad -- Usagi ignored me. I could tell she didn't like me and that made me feel sad. I can't really explain why. I knew that if I even tried to explain, she wouldn't listen to me.

The next little while passed uneventfully. Shingo wasn't happy to hear that he had to move up into the attic bedroom. I felt bad about that but my grandparents didn't want me up there alone -- they said I was a little too young. The upside was that mother's room was right across the hall from mine.

While I was supposed to be playing quietly in Usagi's room (and Shingo was moving), I had Luna-P create me some outfits. Ikuko informed me she was planning to take me shopping the next day but I did need some changes of clothes and whatnot in the meantime. My new body isn't too my liking but, for now, I can't do anything about it.

- - - - -

Reflecting back, I know why I was cranky when it was bedtime but at the time, I wasn't sure why. Anyway, my aunt offered to read me a bedtime story. I folded my arms and tersely snapped, "I don't want a story read to me." My grandmother left me, looking slightly puzzled. I dearly wished that I could talk with Pluto and find out what was going on.

As I lay in the strange bed listening, I could hear the low murmur of the television from downstairs. A car passed on the street. Someone walked down the hall.

Today had been a very confusing, turbulent day. All of my plans were laid waste. The one person that I wanted so desperately to talk with didn't want me around.

I sniffled, hoping I wasn't catching a cold. "You can't get sick," I warned myself sternly. Rolling over, I drew the covers up and blinked my eyes. "I just got some dust in my eyes." I fell asleep telling myself that -- I wasn't going to cry.

- - - - -

I woke up well before dawn the next day with a very urgent need to use the bathroom. Hopping out of bed, I padded quickly from the room relieved that somebody had left the light in the bathroom on. I'll skip over the messy details.

When I was done, I came out and skipped back down the hall. I paused before going into my room. When I did so, I heard my mother mumbling something. Entering her room, I softly padded over to the bed.

"Oh Mamo-chan," Usagi cooed and made like she's going to kiss him.

I felt myself smile at this. Mother was so lucky to discover the love of her life so young. I also felt very lonely. Here is one of a handful of people that I have a link with in this time. No matter how young my mother is, she's still my mama.

I walked up beside her and reaching out, gently touched her cheek. The fourteen year old started and gave a snort as she woke up. She looked sleepily at me for a moment. I thought she was going to yell but she didn't.

"What's wrong, Chibi-Usa?" she asked honestly.

I had a deep need to be with her, to reassure myself that I'm really here, that she's okay. I was surprised to hear myself ask, "Can I stay with you?" She made a sour face and flopped back down. 'At least, she didn't say no.' I climbed in beside her but felt hurt when she rolled over to her side, her back towards me. Nevertheless, I snuggled in against her warmth and closed my eyes.

"Mama..." I said softly. 'I'm going to help you, Mama, I promise.'

- - - - -

Ikuko didn't help Usagi's disposition towards me the next day. My grandmother had come in looking for me early. We were going down to the local school before going shopping. I had a very bad feeling about that. In the process of waking me up, she roused Usagi out of bed.

Shingo spent most of breakfast making snide remarks about his sister's lazy habits. Usagi just glowered and stuffed another piece of toast into her mouth.

I never did see if Usagi managed to get off to school on time that day. Grandmother had me out of the house and on the way to the Juuban Elementary School, a suspicious looking package in the backseat.

"I thought we were going shopping, Ikuko-mama," I complained.

"We should get you registered first, Chibi-Usa-chan. We can go shopping after school."

"School?" I whined.

"Well, you can't stay home all day." I was going to ask why not but the look in her eyes warned me not to.

I won't give you the boring details of being fitted into a sailor-style elementary school uniform. It had a red skirt and white blouse. The trimming around the neckline was red and so was the bow in the front of the blouse. The bow in the back of the skirt was a deep blue. I assumed Grandmother must have bought it for me last night.

'Kids actually wear this?' I wondered to myself. It had been some time since my youngest granddaughter was in kindergarten but apparently, they did. Seeing myself wearing it with my traditional rabbit ear odangos and puffy pink pigtails in the mirror, I had to admit I looked exceptionally cute. Hardly the effect that I projected as an adult.

"Now you have fun, Chibi-Usa-chan," Ikuko told me, "I'll pick you up after school."

"But..." The package was handed to me. It contained a rabbit head backpack with some supplies and small bento box for lunch. I had a very funny feeling Luna-P did this on its own. I promised myself to have a very long talk with it when I got home.

"Let's get you settled into a class, Tsukino-san," the Principal announced.

"H-hai... Sensei," I responded nervously. 'Oh Kami-sama...'

- - - - -

I was too nervous to pay much attention to the Principal as he discussed me with the teacher in charge of the room we're outside of. A sign reading "2-1" hung above it. 'Grade two? Kami-sama, that's means I'm seven!' I can feel my stomach slinking towards my feet.

'Why am I nervous? Seven is better than five,' I consoled myself, 'Besides, you're a good student. You've even lectured in front of people before.' I was a princess that would not be recognized as such. My dealings had mainly been with adults (nobles, CEOs, diplomats, and the like) who knew me as Crown Princess, not with children who only saw a seven year old girl.

"Usagi-chan." The name drew me out of my thoughts. The teacher (a pretty twenty-something brunette) smiled down at me. "Let's go meet your classmates." I don't trust my voice so I nod.

With my stomach doing flips, I followed the young woman into the classroom. My foreboding increases as silence overcomes the entire class.

My new teacher walked up to the chalkboard and wrote my name on it in hiragana. Obviously, they didn't know Kanji yet. I stood mute, hands clasped in front of me, feeling very miserable. 'Sobo tricked me!' I whined to myself disgustedly.

"Minna," the teacher began, "This is Tsukino Usagi. She'll be joining us." The looks of puzzled surprise didn't help me feel any better about my predicament.

"You're sure chibi..." one boy commented, "What a shrimp!" Had they overheard my grandmother? I swallowed trying hard not to yell but I also feel very sad. And that puzzled me even more.

"Chibi-Usagi? That means..." another boy questioned.

"Little rabbit! Little rabbit!" the first started to chant.

'Why doesn't the sensei do something to stop this?!'

"Why are you always like this, Yukio?" demanded a girl. "Quit it!"

"Little rabbit!" the same boy continued. That is until the girl whacked him across the head.

"Ouch! All right, I'll stop." Then slightly grinning, he added, "What about it... Chibi-Usa?" The girl glares at him.

Swallowing some of my annoyance, I grinned. "Hai." No reason to start off on the wrong foot. Besides, technically, the name was correct now.

"Mamohara-san," the teacher snapped sternly, "I want to talk with you after class."

"Hai Sensei..." the girl that had defended me replied. I'm about to think the boy who started it would get off scot-free but the teacher also told him to see her afterwards.

"Now, Minna, give Chibi-Usa a proper greeting."

The class stood and bowed. "Ohayo Tsukino-san." I bowed in return.

A few moments later, I began to look around to see where I'll be placed when Miss Mamohara used her influence again and cleared a desk beside her. The teacher didn't remark but I could see she wasn't happy. Not wanting to stir the pot more than I have, I quickly go and sit beside the little girl who gave me a large smile.

- - - - -

I won't bore you with details of my first day of school in several centuries. I will mention that by the end of the day, I had a friend. The girl who had rescued me from the bully was named Mamohara Momoko. By the end of lunch, I was calling her "Momo-chan".

"I hope your parents aren't too angry, Momo-chan," I commented as I packed up for the day.

"Naw," she indicated with a wave of her hand in dismissal, "When I tell them what was going on, they'll be okay with it, Chibi-Usa-chan."

I had my doubts but before I could respond, I saw my grandmother arrive at the classroom doorway. After introducing my new friend to my "aunt", we left for home.

We were just coming out of the school gate when something struck me. "Ne, Ikuko-mama, where's Usagi?" I asked.

"Usagi's gone over to the Hikawa Shrine."

"Nani?"

"You don't remember Hino Rei, ne Chibi-Usa-chan?" the woman realized. "She's one of Usagi's friends, a Shinto priestess in training."

"Oh...!" I exclaimed. 'Rei? Oh no! Mama must have gone over to get information on me.' In Crystal Tokyo, Sailor Mars' abilities were tremendous, the stuff of legend. She was one woman that I could never sneak up on. She even told me once that she could literally feel the link between my parents and me. "Ikuko-mama, I want to go over there!"

"I think we should go home. Besides, Usagi will be home in time for supper."

"I wanna go!" I stated firmly and stamped one foot. 'I have to talk to Rei and beg her to keep quiet. I can't have Mama knowing yet.'

"You can go with Usagi another day."

"I wanna go NOW!" I demanded in a loud voice. Ikuko gave me a slight frown. 'This isn't working...' Thinking quickly, I decided to use this cute body to advantage. "I wanna show Onee my new fuku and I wanna tell her about Momoko... Pretty please, Ikuko-mama?" 'Why is she so reluctant?' "You can drop me off and Usagi-oneechan can bring me home."

"Hai, all right, Chibi-Usa-chan," she conceded.

"Arigato," I chirped brightly and gave her the biggest, brightest smile I could muster. 'Oh Kami-sama, let me be in time.' Rei was not someone to trifle with lightly.

- - - - -

I paused after I first scaled the steps to regard the area. I was awed. The Hikawa Shrine always sounded impressive but being in a smaller body only served to make it that much grander.

Giving myself a shake, I started to look. I came up to window of a small building that served as living quarters to the staff. To my dismay, not only did I find Usagi but also all the other girls, except Rei, inside. 'Sugoi! But I need to avoid interruption.' Just then, I heard some humming.

Coming down the wooden porch way was an elderly man dressed in Shinto priest's garb. But my eyes lit upon the tray he carried.

Rushing forward, I smiled at him. "Konnichiwa little girl," he greeted.

"What are you doing, Ojii-san?"

"Bringing my granddaughter and her friends some tea." He gave me a quizzical look. "Is your mommy around by any chance?"

"Uh... Hai," I answer tentatively. 'I have to get him to put the tray down. "Hey, Ojii-san, want to see a magic trick?"

"Hai," he says indulgently.

Grabbing Luna-P, I started bouncing it and with a final strong bounce, sent it into the air and shout, "Luna-P Henge!" I add my command again and in a cloud of pink, Luna-P changed into a baby bottle.

"That's a good trick," he exclaimed. It worked. He had sat down and had placed the tray beside him. Hurrying over, I started shaking some of the liquid from the bottle into the various teacups.

"Ah... you don't put milk in Japanese tea!"

"It's not milk," I remarked and stuck it into his mouth, "It's sleeping potion." 'Gomen Ojii-san.' Almost instantly, he fell asleep, that's when I make my escape with Luna-P. I hated doing that but I knew he'd be fine. I used Luna-P to make the girls think I was the old priest and brought them the tray of tea and manju (Japanese cake). I departed without raising suspicion, and then I hid around a corner watching them with interest.

- - - - -

I knew it wouldn't take long. After I left, I waited a few moments for the young Sailor Senshi to dig into the treats. When I thought I had given them enough time, I crept up to the door, slid it open a little, and peered in.

My plan had worked, but not as I had expected. 'Damn it! Rei doesn't drink tea in the afternoon.' Yet, Rei was out cold along with the other Sailor Senshi. 'One, two, three... four?' I counted, 'Where's Mama?' I didn't see her. Pushing the door open further, I crept in and started to look around when someone grabbed me from behind. I cried out in surprise as the arm around my middle lifted me into the air.

"I didn't drink any tea! Tell me who you are, why you came!" my mother's voice demanded. I turned my head to look over my shoulder. I'm a bit surprised to see that her left hand is raised up.

Before I can respond to her demand, I found out why that hand was raised. It came crashing down and smacked me squarely on my bottom. The pain shot up from my rump and into my brain. I gasped out, turning my face away in surprise.

I felt my eyes tearing up. I won't cry though. I felt totally indignant. Before I could say anything though, another smack added to the sting and I did start to cry. I felt my mother shifting to deliver yet another swat. My mother wouldn't do this.

The thought of my mother lying in stasis sprung into my head. It was my fault. I know it was. I deserved to be punished. I rejected... The gates that held back my emotions burst and I started to bawl.

I heard Usagi give an exclamation but I don't know what's happening either. I feel energy pulsating about me. In a way, it felt familiar. I gasped when my mother dropped me suddenly to the floor. The sensation faded as I fought for control.

"Well... well..." I heard a voice pipe up.

Looking up, I'm shocked. "Cooan!" I exclaimed before I could stop myself.

"Nani?!?" asked my mother.

"Can it be?" she remarked looking at me curiously. "I'll find out later, but first, I will kill you." She directed the last part to Usagi. Before I can even react, Cooan fired off some of her dark magic and a blue flame leapt towards my mother. Usagi scrambled back.

'I have to get out of here... Protect Mama,' I think and rushed from the room. Turning, I ran away from the shrine as fast as I could hoping to draw Cooan away. 'The Senshi in this time are no match for the Black Moon Family,' I knew.

My flight was stopped when Cooan suddenly appeared before me wearing a silly grin. "Why in such a hurry, little Rabbit?" she questioned.

"I will not permit you to harm these people," I declared, "I am Crown Princess Tsukino Usagi and I shall not let you escape." I try to transform, performing the flicking motion for my transformation broach.

Nothing happened.

I felt dread crept over me. Again, I try but still nothing. I cried out my transformation phrase and this just made Cooan chuckle. "So the Rabbit will come to the fox," she purred.

"I'm... just a little kid." I realized and backed up.

"Stop right there!" I heard a voice call out. I felt a shiver walk up my spine. I looked up with Cooan and see a Sailor Senshi. One I don't recognize.

"A girl's fun should not be interrupted by heartburn. I am Sailor Moon and in the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"

Now consider my bewilderment. Here was the legend that my parents had told me about. Here was the legend, the greatest Sailor Senshi of all time, which I thought I had met, making very bad speeches.

I won't describe the battle other than it was fast and furious. The biggest surprise was a male figure showing up, one that I had never heard of. Tuxedo Kamen saved my legendary hero. As Sailor Moon battled Cooan until the woman fled, Tuxedo Kamen held me.

Strange how I never figured out until much later he was Father. I think I even remarked that being held by him made me feel warm and safe like Father did. I didn't notice Sailor Moon leave.

- - - - -

Tuxedo Kamen left me with the other girls who had arrived by then after the effects of my potion had worn off. I stayed with them as he went away. They regarded me curiously and even more so as Usagi appeared. I wonder where she had gone? At first, I was afraid that she was going to pick up from where she left off.

"You okay, Chibi-Usa-chan?" she asked gently, a worried look on her face. I nearly burst into tears again. The change was so sudden. Usagi, at that instant, sounded so much like Mother. Clamping down on my feelings, I sniffled.

"Here," she said. She drew me closer and held a Kleenex to my nose. I blew my nose and let Usagi wipe it. You'd think such a thing would embarrass me but it felt nice in a way. "We should go," Mother suggested and scooped me up. "You know I like your new fuku. It's kawaii."

"Arigato," I said softly. That night, I fell asleep on Usagi's bed, feeling at peace in a small way.

End of Chapter 2

Coming next in Chapter 3 - Everybody's Leaving