I do not own the rights to any of the characters in this story. It's for entertainment purposes only, and I'm making absolutely no profit whatsoever. Enjoy!
AN - I'd like to thank everyone who has left a comment so far, and those who do so in the future. Also, a special thanks to you, Sam, for keeping me motivated. Well, on to the fanfic ...
This Time Around
Chapter 2
"Sailor Pluto," Artemis exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Do you know this woman," Serena asked the two cats.
"Of course they do, Princess Serenity," Pluto answered. Serena blushed slightly because the stranger regarded her with such respect.
"Please, just call me Serena," she replied shyly.
"Just who are you," Lita asked suspiciously as she stepped in front of Serena protectively.
Pluto smiled. "Sailor Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, and Venus," she said, looking at each Scout respectively, "you protect our Princess well."
"Our," Amy asked.
"Yes, she is my Princess as well," she replied. "I am Sailor Pluto of the Outer Scouts, and guardian to the planet Pluto. I am also the guardian of space and time."
"What do you mean Outer Scouts," Mina asked, confused.
"There are some things we haven't told you," Artemis said. "But if you search your memories of your past lives, you will know that what she speaks is the truth."
"Why have you come here, Sailor Pluto," Luna asked with a frown set upon her face.
Pluto looked at the black cat and smiled. "You're still the straightforward one, aren't you Luna," she asked. "I am here because someone of great importance has been lost in the stream of time."
"And you're here to look for this person," Luna asked.
"She was supposed to be sent here for a short period of time to… retrieve something," Pluto explained. "However, I made a mistake, and now she's lost. I can pinpoint where she is, but I, myself, can not go."
"So you need someone to go in your place," Serena asked.
"That's correct, Princess," Pluto answered.
"Well, do you think that we'd be able to help out," Serena asked, motioning towards the others. "What would we have to do?"
"You would need to go through the streams of time," Pluto replied. "I won't lie to you. This could be very dangerous."
"Well, we'd be glad to help out," Serena said firmly. "We could go and be back before anyone notices we're missing!"
"Serena, that's just not logical," Amy said. "What about school? It's one thing to fight as Scouts here, but it's a totally different thing if we just vanish into thin air."
"She has a point," Lita commented.
"There is one other thing," Pluto said as the girls quieted down. "There's a chance that a new enemy has followed the one I'm looking for. They are extremely powerful, and very dangerous. Are you still willing to go?"
The five girls looked at each other, and then they looked at the cats. "The decision is yours to make alone, Serena," Luna said. "No, Princess Serenity."
"We'll help in any way we can," Serena said finally.
"Then I shall prepare for your departure," Pluto said. "Go home, and each of you pack some of your things. Leave a note for your parents saying you're leaving on a trip. I have already made it so that no one is at your homes right now."
"Our parents will worry about us," Lita said in a worried tone. The others looked at her in surprise, and she smiled at them. "I consider your parents my family because the five of us are like family. I know I'm not related by blood, but your parents would still worry about me."
"We know, Lita," Mina said. "You are family to us, and that's all that matters."
"Don't worry about your parents," Pluto said. "I already have something planned so they won't become suspicious of your sudden disappearance."
"Now hurry along, girls," Luna said. "You should get going as soon as possible."
"Right," they said in unison. Serena, Lita, Mina, and Amy left while Rei went to her room. As soon as they were gone, Artemis turned to Pluto. "Who is it that they'll be looking for," he asked.
"A girl named Rini," she replied hesitantly.
"I've never heard of her before," Luna stated. "Is she a new Scout?"
"It's only natural that you've never heard of her yet," Pluto replied. "She comes from the future. She is Neo Queen Serenity's daughter."
"Neo Queen Serenity's daughter," Luna gasped. "Wouldn't that mean . . ." She allowed her voice to trail off as Sailor Pluto smiled slightly. "How will this affect Serena?"
"She must not discover that Rini is her daughter," Pluto replied as she gazed out the window. "No one should know too much about their own future."
Half an hour later, the five girls were gathered in front of the Temple. Each girl had packed some clothes and some form of identification - in case they needed it - and had it tucked away in a duffel bag. To the eyes of a stranger, the girls appeared to be traveling companions.
"We're ready, Sailor Pluto," Serena said. "What does the person we're looking for look like?"
"She's a five year old girl named Rini. She has pink hair and red eyes. You can't miss her," Pluto replied.
"We're looking for a little girl," Lita exclaimed.
"You should know more than anyone that looks are deceiving, Sailor Jupiter," Pluto said kindly. "She may be a tiny girl, but she is important to her time."
"Artemis and I made a decision while you girls were gone," Luna told them.
"We decided to stay behind," Artemis added. "If anything was to happen here, and we were all gone, here would be nothing for us to come home to."
"Together, Artemis and I, alongside Tuxedo Mask, will protect this place until you return," Luna said.
"But Luna, Artemis," Serena began. "We need you. Both of you!"
"You are wrong, Princess Serenity," Pluto said. "You're all stronger than you give yourselves credit for. Listen to your guardians, and believe in yourselves."
"Besides, we'd only be in the way if we went," Artemis joked.
"All joking aside, we believe in your abilities, and you should too," Luna said. She shook her head sadly, but regained her composure. "Now, stand together, girls. Sailor Pluto will do the rest." As the girls did what they were told, Pluto teleported them to the realm of time and space.
"I sure hope they'll be alright, Artemis," Luna said quietly. "If anything happens to them . . ."
"Don't worry, Luna," Artemis reassured her. "Our girls are strong. They'll be just fine."
* * * * *
"So your parents almost died in a skiing accident, huh," Rini asked her new friend. She pulled her knees up to her chest underneath the over-sized sweater she wore.
"That's right," Akira replied as he smiled. "It was really scary, too." He paused in thought. "How long will you be staying with that friend of your mom?"
Rini looked up in surprise. "Why do you want to know," she asked.
"Well, if she lives nearby here, maybe we could play," he replied.
Rini cocked her head to the side and smiled. "You're the first real friend I have," she said. 'Besides the Scouts,' she added silently.
"I'm glad to be your friend, Rini," he replied. "I hope we're friends for a long time." Just then, Akira's friend came into the room carrying a tray of cookies and hot chocolate.
"There you are, you two," she greeted. "I've brought you a snack. Rini, your clothes will be dry really soon."
"Thank you, Ms. Yoko," Rini said politely. "I'm sorry to bother you."
"It's no trouble at all," Yoko replied. "I'm just glad everything turned out alright. I'll tell you what. Why don't you stay until dinner? Then I can take you into town if you'd like."
"Are you sure you'll have time," Rini asked. "I'm old enough to take the bus."
"Nonsense," Yoko replied. "Dinner will be ready in a little while."
"Thank you, Ms. Yoko," Rini said, adding a curtsy.
"You're welcome," she said. "I'm going to go check on your clothes. Akira, why don't the two of you set the table?"
"Ok, Yoko," he replied. "Come on, Rini."
"You set your own table," Rini asked as Akira handed her three plates.
"Well, yeah," he answered. "Don't you?"
"Um . . . yeah sure," Rini replied. They both turned towards Yoko as she entered the room.
"Here's your clothes, Rini," she said as she handed them to the girl. "You can change in my room. Akira, I want you to help me bring the food to the table while she changes."
An hour and a half later, the trio got out of Yoko's car. She had driven Rini to town as she had promised. "Well, we're here, Rini," Yoko said. "Is there anywhere specific you need to meet someone?"
"Thank you, Ms. Yoko. I'll be fine," Rini replied.
"I guess this is goodbye, then," Akira said sadly. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too, Akira," Rini replied as she gave her friend a hug. "Oh, I need to show you something," she said as she released him. "Luna-P, appear," she exclaimed. She moved her hands in an up and down motion, as if she was bouncing a ball, and a black sphere, shaped like a cat's head, appeared.
"Wow, Rini," Akira exclaimed. "How did you do that?"
"This is my other best friend," she replied, hugging the ball. "I want to show you a trick."
"And what's that, Rini," Yoko asked.
"Luna Ball Kitty Magic, make these two forget about my existence," Rini shouted. The ball rose into the air, and a blanket of magic covered the two people. "When I snap my fingers, you, Akira and Yoko, will forget about a girl named Rini," she said. As she snapped her fingers, Yoko shook her head as if she were coming out of some sort of trance.
"Akira," she said, gently shaking the little boy's shoulder, "come on. I need to get you home before your parents start to worry."
"Ok, Yoko," he replied. He looked at Rini strangely, and then followed Yoko to the car. Rini watched as the two got back into the car and drove off. She picked up her Luna-P as it rolled over her feet.
"It was for the best, Luna-P," Rini whispered as she hugged the ball tightly. She then began to walk down the street, searching for her mother.
* * * * *
As Serena, Mina, Lita, Amy, and Rei stood in front of the Time Gate, Sailor Pluto turned to them. "Through this door is the path to the one you seek," she began as the door opened. "Stand strong, Sailor Scouts, and return safely."
"We'll bring Rini back to you," Rei stated, "and we won't let anything happen to the Princess."
"Well, we can't turn back now," Serena said jokingly as the five girls stared into the multi-colored portal. She stepped in bravely, and the four girls followed behind her.
"Wow, this is unreal," Amy commented as the five floated through the warp. "I've never imagined anything like this before in my life!"
"Yeah, this is really weird," Mina added.
"Well, it didn't take half as long as I expected it to," Rei said. "Look, I think that's the end of the tunnel." All five looked towards where Rei was pointing, and sure enough, they were close to the end. As they tumbled through, they could feel themselves falling. They all screamed, and with a final thump, they felt that they were no longer moving.
"The worst part seems to be over," Serena commented.
"That's great, Serena, but do you think you could get off of us," Lita asked.
Serena looked down and realized that she was sitting on them. They had fallen out of the portal, and landed in a pile. Serena was at the top of the heap. "Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized as she stood up. After they had helped each other stand, the girls took in their surroundings. They were standing in some sort of clearing in a forest.
"Where do you think we are," Mina asked.
"I don't know," Amy replied. She pulled out her mini-computer and she sighed in frustration as she regarded the screen. "Well, this wasn't much help." She replaced the computer in her bag and frowned.
"So what do we do now," Serena asked. "I'm hungry and miserable! We need to get to the nearest town fast."
"Hush, Serena," Rei hissed. "Do you hear that?" The girls listened carefully, and they heard the sound of footsteps.
"Good, someone's out here," Serena exclaimed. "That must mean we're close to a town. Maybe the person can help us, and . . ."
"No, Serena," Lita interrupted. "Don't you remember what Sailor Pluto said? It could be the new enemy she was talking about."
"Oh, right! We better hide, then," Serena replied. Rei, Lita, and Mina hid behind some bushes, while Serena and Amy jumped up into a tree. As Serena positioned herself on the branch, a lone figure stepped into the clearing. As Serena leaned forward to try to get a closer look, she lost her footing, and fell out of the tree, landing on the ground hard. "Geez, that really hurt," she mumbled as she picked herself up. "Of all days, why did I have to have an unlucky one today?"
"Serena," the figure asked.
Serena froze as she recognized the voice right away. However, as she looked up towards the person, her immediate reaction was still a gasp. "Please tell me I'm not dreaming," she whispered to herself.
To Be Continued . . .