Here is part four. I hope you enjoy it. We'll get to see Tiffany this time but it takes place before "Runaway."
Read and review please.
E-mail me at AngelRaye2@aol.com
Visit my web site at www.angelfire.com/anime3/chibiscouts
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. With the exception of Rini I own all of the Senshi's children.
Lost in Time
Part Four
By
Angel Raye
Lita sat down at the table with a piece of cake in front of her. Daisy was off being the doting grandmother. She had taken Lily to town for the day. Daisy was already starting to date again even though it hadn't been that long since the death of her last husband. Lita had questioned Amy about this who assured her that it was Daisy's way of grieving. She took her grief and nurtured it into love for other people. Lita thought to herself. Ken had died many years ago but she still missed him. Immortality did have its drawbacks. Lita knew she would remarry one day but she wasn't sure if she was ready. In a couple of years they would awaken the fourth and last generation of Sailor Senshi. That would keep them busy.
She was about to take a bite of her cake when a flash of pink light caught her eyes. Lita thought. She put down the fork and went to her balcony door. She opened it and stepped out. she thought as she pulled out her henshin wand. "JUPITER ETERNAL POWER MAKE UP!" After transformation she leapt the balcony and headed toward the source of the light. She ran over and saw two small figures huddled in the bushes. Jupiter looked closer. "Hope, Ariel," she gasped.
"Aunt Lita," Hope cried. "Are we home. Is this the right year?"
"I'm afraid not girls," Jupiter sighed. "You're about eighty-eight years into your future."
Ariel burst into the tears. "I want to go home," she sobbed. Jupiter pulled Ariel into her arms. Ariel rested her head on Jupiter's shoulders and howled.
"She just had her pure heart taken," Hope explained.
"I don't remember that," Jupiter stated as she racked her brains.
"Rini used Luna P to adjust your memories," Hope replied.
"I see," Jupiter murmured. She looked at Ariel crying her heart out. She held out her other arm to Hope. "Come on," she said. "Let's get you both up to my quarters. Hope went into Jupiter's arm. With the two little girls in her arms Jupiter leaped back up to her balcony. Once inside she set the girls down and then powered down. She looked at the two children. Immediately she was reeled back over eighty years. Ariel had stuck her thumb back into her mouth and was sobbing quietly. Lita picked Ariel back up in an attempt to comfort her.
"I want my mommy," Ariel cried.
"Hush Sweetie," Lita soothed. "I'll get her and the other Senshi." With Ariel in her lap Lita pulled out her communicator and began to contact the other Senshi.
Mina watched Tiffany drawing pictures at the table. It broke her heart to know that it would be another two years before Tiffany would run away to the past. Mina had a hard time looking at her granddaughter, Celine now with love. She knew what Celine was doing to Tiffany. Mina had discussed with the other original Senshi at length about breaking the oath they took when Tiffany had run away to the past but Sailor Pluto had told her no. So Mina knew all she could do was give Tiffany the love she deserved.
This afternoon Mina had gone to Celine's quarters. She had heard Celine screaming at Tiffany. Mina just walked in and saw Tiffany was standing there in tears. She had wet her pants and Celine was putting her down and giving her the worst time. Mina intervened. She told Celine that Tiffany was spending the night with her that night. Before Celine could protest Mina had picked Tiffany up and carried her out the door. It had taken a long time to comfort Tiffany but Mina had finally got her calmed down.
"Great-grandma," Tiffany whispered timidly.
"Yes Sweetheart," Mina replied focusing her attention on the little girl.
"Am I a bad person," Tiffany asked.
Mina's heart broke. She knew that Celine was always telling Tiffany how horrible she was. "Of course you're not Darling," she assured her. She held out her arms and Tiffany ran right into them. "You're a sweet little girl and I love you so much. So does Grandma."
"I love you too Great-grandma," Tiffany choked. She snuggled deeply into Mina's arms. Mina smiled and gently played with one of the child's braids. She remembered when Gloria was a little girl. She had not really been a child who liked snuggling. Mina had always envied Raye because Annika's favorite thing had been snuggling with her mother. Mina thought.
Her communicator beeped. Frowning Mina opened it. Lita's face appeared. "Mina," she said. "I'm sorry to interrupt but I need all original Senshi in my quarters."
"I have Tiffany with me," Mina hissed.
"I'm sorry," Lita replied. "Can you leave her with Gloria?"
Mina sighed. "I guess I can take her to Gloria's office," she decided. Gloria was always thrilled to see Tiffany.
"See you in a few," Lita signed off.
Mina picked Tiffany up. "Let's go and see Grandma," she suggested. Tiffany gave a smile to show that she liked that idea. Mina smiled back and carried her out of her quarters.
Lita glanced down at the two little girls sitting on her couch. It didn't take an expert to see that both of them were miserable. Ariel had her thumb in her mouth and was sobbing softly. Lita remembered the battle with Lady Gemmei quite well. She had retrieved Ariel from her cell and had been shocked at the condition the child had been in. Hope looked very upset too. Lita could imagine that all of this was taking its toll on her. She remembered the previous times these two had visited in the past while they were lost. Hope had been doing her best to look out for Ariel and reassure her. Lita thought.
A knock at the door interrupted her thinking. Lita ran to answer it. It was Serenity, Amy and Raye. "Oh good you're here," Lita said mainly to Amy.
"What is going on Lita," Serenity asked.
"Yes," Amy asked. "I had to leave Ariel and Madelyn in charge of the office and the flu bug is going around right now. Hotaru is on her way. She was seeing a patient."
"Both Tara and Ashley have it," Raye added. "Annika is helping Brooke out because two sick children can be exhausting."
"Amy you may need to take a couple of days off," Lita informed her.
"Why," asked Amy as she and the others followed Lita into the living room. They all gasped in shock when they saw the two children sitting on the couch.
"Ariel, Hope," Serenity gasped.
"So they came here too," Raye mused.
"Mommy," Ariel cried and she flung herself into Amy's open arms. She burst into tears.
"It's okay Darling," Amy soothed as she quickly recovered from her shock. "Mommy's here."
Raye knelt down in front of Hope. "Are you okay Hope," she asked.
Hope only nodded her head in response.
A few minutes later Mina, Hotaru, Haruka and Michiru arrived. All of them were shocked at first to see the younger versions of Ariel and Hope but quickly recovered as they remembered the situation. "Hope," Michiru hugged the little girl. Hope did not return the hug.
"So you girls have ended up here too," Serenity stated. Hope nodded her head. Ariel just snuggled up to her mother and sucked her thumb.
"We can't get home," Hope choked. She looked at Ariel. "We just came from the 20th century when you were fighting Eudial. Rini used Luna P to adjust your memories. I had to pretend I was Aunt Raye's sister. Ariel had to be your sister Aunt Amy. It was so hard for her because she wanted you to be her mommy. When she had her heart taken I knew I had to get her out of that time. Even if we came to our future at least Aunt Amy could be Ariel's mother."
"Calm down," Amy instructed. "You're going to get upset."
Hope turned to Haruka and Michiru. "How could you," she asked.
"How could we what," Michiru asked.
"How could you be so ruthless," Hope demanded. "You were after the pure hearts too. You didn't care if that person died. You left our queen and the rest of the Inner Senshi to fight without helping them. How could you do that?"
"Hope," Haruka explained in a gentle voice. "We had a mission. We didn't want to sacrifice anyone but we couldn't let the Talismans fall into the hands of the enemy. And it ended up that we didn't need any sacrifices. Our queen showed us that."
"It was our way Hope," Michiru added. "Please understand."
"I can't right now," Hope shouted. "I just watched as you looked at Ariel's pure heart to see if it was a Talisman. She has already been through so much. She didn't need this."
"We don't remember since Luna P adjusted everyone's memories," Haruka told her. "It was hard for us too." She looked at Serenity. "I remembered when I thought Odango was going to have to be sacrificed. It tore me apart but I wanted to save the world from the silence."
"Hope," Serenity took Hope's hand. "Please forgive them. They eventually learned to work with us and they have been huge assets to us ever since." Hope only looked down at her feet.
"She's had a shock," Amy told Michiru and Haruka. "Give her time."
"So the question is now what are we going to do with these two," Mina asked.
"I want to stay with you Mommy," Ariel cried as she clung tighter to Amy. "Please let me stay with you."
"Hush Darling," Amy soothed. "Of course you can stay with me." That seemed to mollify Ariel a little bit. She pressed her cheek to her mother's chest feeling the warmth and comfort she always felt there.
"Hope would you like to stay with us," Michiru asked.
"No," Hope sobbed. "I just can't understand you right now."
"Hope," Michiru choked as a tear rolled down her face.
"Why don't you let Hope stay with someone else," Amy suggested. "You can spend some time with her while she's here and try to get her to understand."
"Very well," Haruka reluctantly agreed.
It was decided that Hope would stay with Hotaru. Since she was in a great deal of shock Amy felt it would be best for her to stay with someone who was also a trained psychologist. Hotaru had gone back to school and gotten a degree in child psychology. She would be able to help Hope deal with her feelings.
"In the meantime," Mina stated. "We'll just have to keep these two hidden from everyone else in this palace."
"We've done it before so we can do it again," Raye added and everyone agreed.
Michiru and Haruka headed towards Hope's quarters. Both of them were very upset when Chibi Hope yelled at them like that. They had to see adult Hope and find out what happened.
Hope let them in and fixed them some tea. "So Ariel and I are here now," she sighed.
"Yes," Haruka replied. "And your younger self just witnessed us trying to take Ariel's pure heart."
"We don't remember taking Ariel's pure heart because of Luna P," Michiru added.
"I remember how I felt when I watched that battle," Hope recalled as she took a sip of tea. "I was so shocked. I felt like the two people I trusted the most had betrayed me."
"Hope what did we do while you were here," Michiru asked. "I don't want to send you away angry. You seemed okay with us when you finally returned home."
"Just tell her the truth," Hope replied. "That's what I remembered you doing anyway."
"And it worked," Haruka asked.
"I still didn't understand but I was no longer upset with you," Hope recalled. "I didn't want to stay upset because I needed comfort too. Ariel wasn't the only one who was scared."
"Well we're going to go and see her tomorrow," Michiru sighed. "I guess we'll tell the truth and see what happens." Haruka only nodded in agreement. They hoped they could win Chibi Hope over tomorrow.
Amy gazed at the sleeping child in her room. Ariel was simply exhausted from everything that was going on right now. Amy decided to put her to bed early. Because of how frightened Ariel was Amy decided to let her sleep with her. At least if Ariel woke up then Amy would be right by her.
There was a knock at the door. Amy went to answer it. Adult Ariel was standing there. "Hi Mom," she said softly.
"Hi Darling," Amy gestured her to come in.
"So where's Chibi Ariel," Ariel asked.
"Sleeping," Amy replied. "She's just exhausted, both physically and emotionally." There was a moment's hesitation then Amy looked at Ariel, "I know this was a rough time for you. Every time your six-year-old self pops up she is so traumatized. It takes me back to the battle with Lady Gemmei. You regressed so much because of that. I know this being lost in time made things even worse."
"It was hard," Ariel sighed. "I wanted to be with you. I hated it when we went to a time where you hadn't met me yet and we had to adjust memories so that I could be your sister. At least in this time and other times in the future you could still be my mother."
"I take out the files to work with her while she's here but sometimes I wonder if it helps," Amy sighed.
"It does," Ariel assured her. "The love that you gave me each time I came gave me the strength to move on."
"You had slipped away so much during that time," Amy murmured. "When you returned from being lost I was afraid I had lost you completely. You were just a shell of what you were."
"We can't prevent it Mom," Ariel whispered. "It didn't matter how much help you gave me, the only thing I had on my mind was getting home to my time."
Amy smiled and took Ariel's hand. "At least you did come back after months of therapy."
Ariel pulled something out of her bag. "I brought something that might comfort her," she stated. She pulled out her old stuffed Moonbeam Annika had made for her many years ago. "I loved this as a child. I know she will like seeing it too."
Amy took the toy from Ariel. "I would like to see a smile on her face," she said.
"You will," Ariel assured her.
Once Ariel had left Amy heard screams coming from the bedroom. She hurried in and saw the child sitting up in bed crying hysterically. Amy was by her side in a flash. "It's okay Sweetie," she soothed as she gathered the frightened child in her arms. "Mommy's here."
"Mommy I was back with Lady Gemmei," Ariel sobbed. "She was hurting me."
"Well you're safe now Sweetie," Amy whispered. "Daddy destroyed her. Remember?" Amy swallowed heard at the mention of Greg. He had died a number of years ago but Amy's heart still ached for him.
"I want to go home Mommy," Ariel cried. "I want to go back to where I belong. I'm tired of being lost in time like this."
"You'll go home Darling," Amy assured her. "I promise. You and Hope will get to where you belong." She allowed Ariel to snuggle deep in her arms. Amy remembered what adult Ariel had just brought over. "Come with me for a minute. I have something for you to see." She picked Ariel up and carried her into the living room. There was the stuffed Moonbeam.
"That's the stuffed Moonbeam Annika gave me," Ariel exclaimed.
"Yes," Amy replied as she handed it to Ariel. "Your adult self brought him over. She thought it might give you some comfort." Ariel took the stuffed Moonbeam and hugged him close to her. Amy saw a glimmer of a smile on her face. She held Ariel close to her, reliving the times when her daughter really was this age.
The next morning Hotaru was feeding Hope breakfast. The child had been unusually quiet since they arrived last night. Hotaru could tell that the stress of being lost in time was taking its toll on Hope. Now that she had witnessed how her parents were during the fight with the Death Busters, she was even more upset.
"Hope," Hotaru began. "I understand how you feel about Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama."
"How could you," Hope asked. "I watched as they tried to take Ariel's pure heart. If it had been a Talisman they would have let her die."
"I do understand," Hotaru told her. "They and Setsuna-mama tried to kill me when they found out I was Sailor Saturn."
"Why did they try to do that," asked Hope in horror. "And why are you telling me this?"
"Well you will learn it in Senshi history eventually," Hotaru replied. "But when they saw I was the Sailor Senshi of destruction they thought the end of world would come when I awoke. So they tried to kill me. If Sailor Moon hadn't stopped them then I would have been killed. In the end it was me who stopped Pharaoh 90. I was reborn as a baby. Setsuna-mama, Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama raised me."
"How could you forgive them for trying to kill you," asked Hope in shock.
"When I saw how much they loved me I was able to," Hotaru replied. "Setsuna-mama helped me through a lot of it. Being Sailor Saturn I couldn't talk about it with a therapist. I understand now that it was their way of fighting."
"It was just a shock," Hope moaned. "Why didn't they ever tell us?"
"I think they were going to when you and Faith got older," Hotaru said. "And I believe they did. Of course you already knew." Hotaru looked at Hope. "Do you love Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama?"
"Yes," Hope admitted.
"Then do you really think you should be upset with them over something they did long before you were ever born," Hotaru asked.
Hope hesitated. She never told anyone except Amy that she and Faith were born during the Silver Millennium. She decided not to say anything. "I guess not," Hope sighed. She put her head on the table. "I really love them and I want to be back home with them."
"I know you do," Hotaru replied. "I remember when you two were lost in time. All of us did everything we could to find you. Your parents didn't sleep very much they were so worried.
"Are they going to come over," Hope asked.
Hotaru smiled and nodded her head. "They'll be over soon. Just talk to them. I'm sure they'll answer any questions you may have."
Later on that day Haruka and Michiru came by to see Hope. They were pleased when she gave them a hug. Hope sat and listened to Haruka and Michiru explain why they fought the way they did in the 20th century.
"So you see," Haruka concluded. "Michiru and I saw these terrible visions of the Silence approaching. We did what we felt was right so that we could save the world."
"We were relieved that no sacrifices had to be made," Michiru added. "We love Hotaru as much as we love you and Faith. Our Queen is very dear to us. We are glad she's a part of our lives."
"I don't know if I understand or not," Hope sighed. "But I don't want to be mad at you. I love you."
"We love you too Hope," Michiru held out her arms. Hope ran into them. "And I promise you will get home to your time." Hope was reassured by these words. She just wondered when she and Ariel would get home.
A couple of days passed and there was no luck with the time key. Hope decided to stay with Haruka and Michiru for the rest of her stay. Amy took time off work to be with Ariel. Neither of the girls had much freedom to roam the palace because they were from the past. Fortunately the balconies allowed both girls to get fresh air. Amy found herself just holding Ariel most of the time. The child was in very bad shape. She was constantly crying and sucking her thumb. Amy wished she could get the time key working properly but there was no chance of that. Ariel really needed to be home right now. Amy just did the best she could with Ariel while she was here.
Several days after the girls' arrival Mina and Gloria were both walking down the palace halls. In Gloria's arms was Tiffany. Once again Mina had intervened when she heard Celine on one of screaming rampages. "I don't understand Mom," Gloria was saying. "Why this sudden need to talk to Amy? She's so busy with Ariel's past self here."
"I know Gloria but I have got to talk to her," Mina replied. She ran a hand over Tiffany's hair. "How about if you take Tiffany to get some ice cream or something?"
Tiffany's eyes lit up. "Can we Grandma," she asked. "Can we?"
Gloria smiled. "Of course we can," she replied. "And since you're spending the night with me tonight it won't matter if it ruins your dinner."
Mina smiled. At least Tiffany was safe for another night. "I'll see you when you return," she called as she headed toward Amy's quarters.
Amy answered the door. Ariel was in her arms. "Hi Mina," she greeted her. "What can I do for you?"
"I need to talk to you," Mina replied.
Amy frowned and glanced down at the child in her arms. "Let me get her settled first and then we can talk," she stated. Mina watched as Amy got Ariel settled with a book. Ariel had protested, wanting her mother to hold her but Amy assured her that she wasn't going anywhere. She just needed to talk with Mina. Once Ariel was settled Amy led Mina into the kitchen where she fixed some tea.
"So how are things going with her," Mina asked.
"I've been taken back ninety-eight years," Amy sighed. "This was just lousy timing. Ariel did not need to get lost in time after what she had been through with Lady Gemmei. I try working with her but she's so obsessed with getting home that she can't concentrate on any therapy I give her."
"Whenever I saw Ariel I would think that it could have been Gloria going through that," Mina pointed out. "Ariel knocked Gloria out of the way and saved her from being taken. But when I saw how Ariel was after we saved her I felt guilty that my child was saved only because your child took her place."
"Don't," Amy told her. "Everything just happened the way it did. No one needs to feel guilty over it. Ariel acted very bravely." There was a pause and then Amy asked, "So what brings you here?"
"Tiffany," Mina replied. "I can't stand the fact that I have to wait two whole years before she can get out of there."
"I know the feeling," Amy sighed. "But we all took an oath. I hate it as much as you do since I worked with her when she ran away to the past. At least we know she will not spend all of her childhood with Celine."
"I just go crazy," Mina muttered. "I hear Celine screaming at her and I just want to snatch Tiffany away."
"So do I," Amy agreed. "But we can't." Seeing Mina's look of distress she reached over and squeezed her hand. "Just give her the love she needs. I see her when she is with you and Gloria. She adores both of you."
"Very well," Mina sighed.
Hope was sitting quietly drawing a picture. They had tried the time key again today but nothing happened. They would try again tomorrow. she thought.
"Hope," Michiru came in. "There's someone here to see you?"
"Really, who," asked Hope with curiosity in her voice. The original Senshi were being very careful at who Ariel and Hope got to see.
"We managed to convince the rest of the original Senshi and the queen that you might need someone else to talk to," Michiru replied. She stepped aside and a woman came in. She had blue hair pulled back in a ponytail. It took a minute for Hope to realize who it was.
"Faith," she gasped.
"Yes Hope it's me," the woman replied. "I thought you would like to see your twin."
"Faith," Hope flung herself into Faith's arms. It felt strange seeing her twin as a grown woman but nonetheless Hope was comforted by it. "I've missed you so much. I mean I miss you from my time."
"I know," Faith replied as she hugged Hope back. "When you were missing I missed you so much I thought I would go nuts."
"Faith I saw something in the 20th century I didn't want to see," Hope choked as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"What did you see," Faith asked as she sat down on the couch. Hope sat down by her.
"I saw Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa after pure heart," Hope replied. "They were after pure hearts when the Death Busters were too. It didn't matter if someone died."
Faith was quiet for a moment. "I understand how you feel," she stated. "They talked to us about it when we were older. I was shocked. I couldn't believe that they were so ruthless. But I know that was there way of fighting back then. They wanted to save the world from the Silence and that was the only way they knew how. Sailor Moon showed her that the world could be saved without making any sacrifices."
"I see," Hope murmured. "I just couldn't be like that."
"Neither could I," Faith admitted. "But then we have learned under the guidance of the queen and Sailor Venus. We've learned how to fight the way of the Inner Senshi." She paused and looked at her sister, "Don't let what happened in the past cloud your way of thinking. I couldn't have asked for better parents for us."
"Me either," Hope agreed. She gave Faith another hug, "I'm so glad you came to see me. You've changed. You're so loving."
Faith thought as she hugged her sister back. "Don't get discouraged. You'll make it home."
"I know," Hope sighed. "I just hope we get home before Ariel gets really bad. Aunt Amy mentioned that she's slipping away."
Faith did not want to tell Hope that both she and Ariel were in bad shape when they finally returned. Faith thought. "Don't worry. You'll both be fine. Just remember that I'm waiting for you in the past."
Hope was comforted by her sister's words. She looked forward to going home so that she could be with young Faith again.
The next day Hope and Ariel were ready to try the time key again. Ariel was clinging to Amy for fear of not being able to see her for a while. Hope activated the key and an opening appeared this time. "I guess we'll try again," Hope sighed. She turned to Michiru and Haruka. "I think I understand a little bit better now," she told them. "Thank you for allowing me to see Faith."
"We know the bond you two have," Michiru replied. "We thought it would help for you to see her."
"Take care and stay strong," Haruka added. She and Michiru gave Hope a big hug. "Good-bye and good luck."
Hope turned to Ariel. "Come on Ariel," she said. "We had better go."
"Mommy," Ariel choked as she wrapped her arms tightly around Amy's neck.
"You must go now Darling," Amy whispered. "You'll be okay. Just remember that you aren't alone and that you will make it home eventually."
"Okay Mommy," Ariel sobbed. She gave Amy a tight hug and then got down. She ran over to Hope and took her hand. The two little girls waved until they were out of sight.
"I know they'll be okay," Amy sighed. "It's just worrying when two little girls are lost like this, especially when one of them is in a traumatized state."
"As long as they make it home," Haruka added. "And we know they will."
"But until then those two have an adventure to experience," Michiru concluded. The three Senshi nodded and thought of their children who would get home eventually.
To be continued...
Read and review please.
E-mail me at AngelRaye2@aol.com
Visit my web site at www.angelfire.com/anime3/chibiscouts
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. With the exception of Rini I own all of the Senshi's children.
Lost in Time
Part Four
By
Angel Raye
Lita sat down at the table with a piece of cake in front of her. Daisy was off being the doting grandmother. She had taken Lily to town for the day. Daisy was already starting to date again even though it hadn't been that long since the death of her last husband. Lita had questioned Amy about this who assured her that it was Daisy's way of grieving. She took her grief and nurtured it into love for other people. Lita thought to herself. Ken had died many years ago but she still missed him. Immortality did have its drawbacks. Lita knew she would remarry one day but she wasn't sure if she was ready. In a couple of years they would awaken the fourth and last generation of Sailor Senshi. That would keep them busy.
She was about to take a bite of her cake when a flash of pink light caught her eyes. Lita thought. She put down the fork and went to her balcony door. She opened it and stepped out. she thought as she pulled out her henshin wand. "JUPITER ETERNAL POWER MAKE UP!" After transformation she leapt the balcony and headed toward the source of the light. She ran over and saw two small figures huddled in the bushes. Jupiter looked closer. "Hope, Ariel," she gasped.
"Aunt Lita," Hope cried. "Are we home. Is this the right year?"
"I'm afraid not girls," Jupiter sighed. "You're about eighty-eight years into your future."
Ariel burst into the tears. "I want to go home," she sobbed. Jupiter pulled Ariel into her arms. Ariel rested her head on Jupiter's shoulders and howled.
"She just had her pure heart taken," Hope explained.
"I don't remember that," Jupiter stated as she racked her brains.
"Rini used Luna P to adjust your memories," Hope replied.
"I see," Jupiter murmured. She looked at Ariel crying her heart out. She held out her other arm to Hope. "Come on," she said. "Let's get you both up to my quarters. Hope went into Jupiter's arm. With the two little girls in her arms Jupiter leaped back up to her balcony. Once inside she set the girls down and then powered down. She looked at the two children. Immediately she was reeled back over eighty years. Ariel had stuck her thumb back into her mouth and was sobbing quietly. Lita picked Ariel back up in an attempt to comfort her.
"I want my mommy," Ariel cried.
"Hush Sweetie," Lita soothed. "I'll get her and the other Senshi." With Ariel in her lap Lita pulled out her communicator and began to contact the other Senshi.
Mina watched Tiffany drawing pictures at the table. It broke her heart to know that it would be another two years before Tiffany would run away to the past. Mina had a hard time looking at her granddaughter, Celine now with love. She knew what Celine was doing to Tiffany. Mina had discussed with the other original Senshi at length about breaking the oath they took when Tiffany had run away to the past but Sailor Pluto had told her no. So Mina knew all she could do was give Tiffany the love she deserved.
This afternoon Mina had gone to Celine's quarters. She had heard Celine screaming at Tiffany. Mina just walked in and saw Tiffany was standing there in tears. She had wet her pants and Celine was putting her down and giving her the worst time. Mina intervened. She told Celine that Tiffany was spending the night with her that night. Before Celine could protest Mina had picked Tiffany up and carried her out the door. It had taken a long time to comfort Tiffany but Mina had finally got her calmed down.
"Great-grandma," Tiffany whispered timidly.
"Yes Sweetheart," Mina replied focusing her attention on the little girl.
"Am I a bad person," Tiffany asked.
Mina's heart broke. She knew that Celine was always telling Tiffany how horrible she was. "Of course you're not Darling," she assured her. She held out her arms and Tiffany ran right into them. "You're a sweet little girl and I love you so much. So does Grandma."
"I love you too Great-grandma," Tiffany choked. She snuggled deeply into Mina's arms. Mina smiled and gently played with one of the child's braids. She remembered when Gloria was a little girl. She had not really been a child who liked snuggling. Mina had always envied Raye because Annika's favorite thing had been snuggling with her mother. Mina thought.
Her communicator beeped. Frowning Mina opened it. Lita's face appeared. "Mina," she said. "I'm sorry to interrupt but I need all original Senshi in my quarters."
"I have Tiffany with me," Mina hissed.
"I'm sorry," Lita replied. "Can you leave her with Gloria?"
Mina sighed. "I guess I can take her to Gloria's office," she decided. Gloria was always thrilled to see Tiffany.
"See you in a few," Lita signed off.
Mina picked Tiffany up. "Let's go and see Grandma," she suggested. Tiffany gave a smile to show that she liked that idea. Mina smiled back and carried her out of her quarters.
Lita glanced down at the two little girls sitting on her couch. It didn't take an expert to see that both of them were miserable. Ariel had her thumb in her mouth and was sobbing softly. Lita remembered the battle with Lady Gemmei quite well. She had retrieved Ariel from her cell and had been shocked at the condition the child had been in. Hope looked very upset too. Lita could imagine that all of this was taking its toll on her. She remembered the previous times these two had visited in the past while they were lost. Hope had been doing her best to look out for Ariel and reassure her. Lita thought.
A knock at the door interrupted her thinking. Lita ran to answer it. It was Serenity, Amy and Raye. "Oh good you're here," Lita said mainly to Amy.
"What is going on Lita," Serenity asked.
"Yes," Amy asked. "I had to leave Ariel and Madelyn in charge of the office and the flu bug is going around right now. Hotaru is on her way. She was seeing a patient."
"Both Tara and Ashley have it," Raye added. "Annika is helping Brooke out because two sick children can be exhausting."
"Amy you may need to take a couple of days off," Lita informed her.
"Why," asked Amy as she and the others followed Lita into the living room. They all gasped in shock when they saw the two children sitting on the couch.
"Ariel, Hope," Serenity gasped.
"So they came here too," Raye mused.
"Mommy," Ariel cried and she flung herself into Amy's open arms. She burst into tears.
"It's okay Darling," Amy soothed as she quickly recovered from her shock. "Mommy's here."
Raye knelt down in front of Hope. "Are you okay Hope," she asked.
Hope only nodded her head in response.
A few minutes later Mina, Hotaru, Haruka and Michiru arrived. All of them were shocked at first to see the younger versions of Ariel and Hope but quickly recovered as they remembered the situation. "Hope," Michiru hugged the little girl. Hope did not return the hug.
"So you girls have ended up here too," Serenity stated. Hope nodded her head. Ariel just snuggled up to her mother and sucked her thumb.
"We can't get home," Hope choked. She looked at Ariel. "We just came from the 20th century when you were fighting Eudial. Rini used Luna P to adjust your memories. I had to pretend I was Aunt Raye's sister. Ariel had to be your sister Aunt Amy. It was so hard for her because she wanted you to be her mommy. When she had her heart taken I knew I had to get her out of that time. Even if we came to our future at least Aunt Amy could be Ariel's mother."
"Calm down," Amy instructed. "You're going to get upset."
Hope turned to Haruka and Michiru. "How could you," she asked.
"How could we what," Michiru asked.
"How could you be so ruthless," Hope demanded. "You were after the pure hearts too. You didn't care if that person died. You left our queen and the rest of the Inner Senshi to fight without helping them. How could you do that?"
"Hope," Haruka explained in a gentle voice. "We had a mission. We didn't want to sacrifice anyone but we couldn't let the Talismans fall into the hands of the enemy. And it ended up that we didn't need any sacrifices. Our queen showed us that."
"It was our way Hope," Michiru added. "Please understand."
"I can't right now," Hope shouted. "I just watched as you looked at Ariel's pure heart to see if it was a Talisman. She has already been through so much. She didn't need this."
"We don't remember since Luna P adjusted everyone's memories," Haruka told her. "It was hard for us too." She looked at Serenity. "I remembered when I thought Odango was going to have to be sacrificed. It tore me apart but I wanted to save the world from the silence."
"Hope," Serenity took Hope's hand. "Please forgive them. They eventually learned to work with us and they have been huge assets to us ever since." Hope only looked down at her feet.
"She's had a shock," Amy told Michiru and Haruka. "Give her time."
"So the question is now what are we going to do with these two," Mina asked.
"I want to stay with you Mommy," Ariel cried as she clung tighter to Amy. "Please let me stay with you."
"Hush Darling," Amy soothed. "Of course you can stay with me." That seemed to mollify Ariel a little bit. She pressed her cheek to her mother's chest feeling the warmth and comfort she always felt there.
"Hope would you like to stay with us," Michiru asked.
"No," Hope sobbed. "I just can't understand you right now."
"Hope," Michiru choked as a tear rolled down her face.
"Why don't you let Hope stay with someone else," Amy suggested. "You can spend some time with her while she's here and try to get her to understand."
"Very well," Haruka reluctantly agreed.
It was decided that Hope would stay with Hotaru. Since she was in a great deal of shock Amy felt it would be best for her to stay with someone who was also a trained psychologist. Hotaru had gone back to school and gotten a degree in child psychology. She would be able to help Hope deal with her feelings.
"In the meantime," Mina stated. "We'll just have to keep these two hidden from everyone else in this palace."
"We've done it before so we can do it again," Raye added and everyone agreed.
Michiru and Haruka headed towards Hope's quarters. Both of them were very upset when Chibi Hope yelled at them like that. They had to see adult Hope and find out what happened.
Hope let them in and fixed them some tea. "So Ariel and I are here now," she sighed.
"Yes," Haruka replied. "And your younger self just witnessed us trying to take Ariel's pure heart."
"We don't remember taking Ariel's pure heart because of Luna P," Michiru added.
"I remember how I felt when I watched that battle," Hope recalled as she took a sip of tea. "I was so shocked. I felt like the two people I trusted the most had betrayed me."
"Hope what did we do while you were here," Michiru asked. "I don't want to send you away angry. You seemed okay with us when you finally returned home."
"Just tell her the truth," Hope replied. "That's what I remembered you doing anyway."
"And it worked," Haruka asked.
"I still didn't understand but I was no longer upset with you," Hope recalled. "I didn't want to stay upset because I needed comfort too. Ariel wasn't the only one who was scared."
"Well we're going to go and see her tomorrow," Michiru sighed. "I guess we'll tell the truth and see what happens." Haruka only nodded in agreement. They hoped they could win Chibi Hope over tomorrow.
Amy gazed at the sleeping child in her room. Ariel was simply exhausted from everything that was going on right now. Amy decided to put her to bed early. Because of how frightened Ariel was Amy decided to let her sleep with her. At least if Ariel woke up then Amy would be right by her.
There was a knock at the door. Amy went to answer it. Adult Ariel was standing there. "Hi Mom," she said softly.
"Hi Darling," Amy gestured her to come in.
"So where's Chibi Ariel," Ariel asked.
"Sleeping," Amy replied. "She's just exhausted, both physically and emotionally." There was a moment's hesitation then Amy looked at Ariel, "I know this was a rough time for you. Every time your six-year-old self pops up she is so traumatized. It takes me back to the battle with Lady Gemmei. You regressed so much because of that. I know this being lost in time made things even worse."
"It was hard," Ariel sighed. "I wanted to be with you. I hated it when we went to a time where you hadn't met me yet and we had to adjust memories so that I could be your sister. At least in this time and other times in the future you could still be my mother."
"I take out the files to work with her while she's here but sometimes I wonder if it helps," Amy sighed.
"It does," Ariel assured her. "The love that you gave me each time I came gave me the strength to move on."
"You had slipped away so much during that time," Amy murmured. "When you returned from being lost I was afraid I had lost you completely. You were just a shell of what you were."
"We can't prevent it Mom," Ariel whispered. "It didn't matter how much help you gave me, the only thing I had on my mind was getting home to my time."
Amy smiled and took Ariel's hand. "At least you did come back after months of therapy."
Ariel pulled something out of her bag. "I brought something that might comfort her," she stated. She pulled out her old stuffed Moonbeam Annika had made for her many years ago. "I loved this as a child. I know she will like seeing it too."
Amy took the toy from Ariel. "I would like to see a smile on her face," she said.
"You will," Ariel assured her.
Once Ariel had left Amy heard screams coming from the bedroom. She hurried in and saw the child sitting up in bed crying hysterically. Amy was by her side in a flash. "It's okay Sweetie," she soothed as she gathered the frightened child in her arms. "Mommy's here."
"Mommy I was back with Lady Gemmei," Ariel sobbed. "She was hurting me."
"Well you're safe now Sweetie," Amy whispered. "Daddy destroyed her. Remember?" Amy swallowed heard at the mention of Greg. He had died a number of years ago but Amy's heart still ached for him.
"I want to go home Mommy," Ariel cried. "I want to go back to where I belong. I'm tired of being lost in time like this."
"You'll go home Darling," Amy assured her. "I promise. You and Hope will get to where you belong." She allowed Ariel to snuggle deep in her arms. Amy remembered what adult Ariel had just brought over. "Come with me for a minute. I have something for you to see." She picked Ariel up and carried her into the living room. There was the stuffed Moonbeam.
"That's the stuffed Moonbeam Annika gave me," Ariel exclaimed.
"Yes," Amy replied as she handed it to Ariel. "Your adult self brought him over. She thought it might give you some comfort." Ariel took the stuffed Moonbeam and hugged him close to her. Amy saw a glimmer of a smile on her face. She held Ariel close to her, reliving the times when her daughter really was this age.
The next morning Hotaru was feeding Hope breakfast. The child had been unusually quiet since they arrived last night. Hotaru could tell that the stress of being lost in time was taking its toll on Hope. Now that she had witnessed how her parents were during the fight with the Death Busters, she was even more upset.
"Hope," Hotaru began. "I understand how you feel about Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama."
"How could you," Hope asked. "I watched as they tried to take Ariel's pure heart. If it had been a Talisman they would have let her die."
"I do understand," Hotaru told her. "They and Setsuna-mama tried to kill me when they found out I was Sailor Saturn."
"Why did they try to do that," asked Hope in horror. "And why are you telling me this?"
"Well you will learn it in Senshi history eventually," Hotaru replied. "But when they saw I was the Sailor Senshi of destruction they thought the end of world would come when I awoke. So they tried to kill me. If Sailor Moon hadn't stopped them then I would have been killed. In the end it was me who stopped Pharaoh 90. I was reborn as a baby. Setsuna-mama, Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama raised me."
"How could you forgive them for trying to kill you," asked Hope in shock.
"When I saw how much they loved me I was able to," Hotaru replied. "Setsuna-mama helped me through a lot of it. Being Sailor Saturn I couldn't talk about it with a therapist. I understand now that it was their way of fighting."
"It was just a shock," Hope moaned. "Why didn't they ever tell us?"
"I think they were going to when you and Faith got older," Hotaru said. "And I believe they did. Of course you already knew." Hotaru looked at Hope. "Do you love Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama?"
"Yes," Hope admitted.
"Then do you really think you should be upset with them over something they did long before you were ever born," Hotaru asked.
Hope hesitated. She never told anyone except Amy that she and Faith were born during the Silver Millennium. She decided not to say anything. "I guess not," Hope sighed. She put her head on the table. "I really love them and I want to be back home with them."
"I know you do," Hotaru replied. "I remember when you two were lost in time. All of us did everything we could to find you. Your parents didn't sleep very much they were so worried.
"Are they going to come over," Hope asked.
Hotaru smiled and nodded her head. "They'll be over soon. Just talk to them. I'm sure they'll answer any questions you may have."
Later on that day Haruka and Michiru came by to see Hope. They were pleased when she gave them a hug. Hope sat and listened to Haruka and Michiru explain why they fought the way they did in the 20th century.
"So you see," Haruka concluded. "Michiru and I saw these terrible visions of the Silence approaching. We did what we felt was right so that we could save the world."
"We were relieved that no sacrifices had to be made," Michiru added. "We love Hotaru as much as we love you and Faith. Our Queen is very dear to us. We are glad she's a part of our lives."
"I don't know if I understand or not," Hope sighed. "But I don't want to be mad at you. I love you."
"We love you too Hope," Michiru held out her arms. Hope ran into them. "And I promise you will get home to your time." Hope was reassured by these words. She just wondered when she and Ariel would get home.
A couple of days passed and there was no luck with the time key. Hope decided to stay with Haruka and Michiru for the rest of her stay. Amy took time off work to be with Ariel. Neither of the girls had much freedom to roam the palace because they were from the past. Fortunately the balconies allowed both girls to get fresh air. Amy found herself just holding Ariel most of the time. The child was in very bad shape. She was constantly crying and sucking her thumb. Amy wished she could get the time key working properly but there was no chance of that. Ariel really needed to be home right now. Amy just did the best she could with Ariel while she was here.
Several days after the girls' arrival Mina and Gloria were both walking down the palace halls. In Gloria's arms was Tiffany. Once again Mina had intervened when she heard Celine on one of screaming rampages. "I don't understand Mom," Gloria was saying. "Why this sudden need to talk to Amy? She's so busy with Ariel's past self here."
"I know Gloria but I have got to talk to her," Mina replied. She ran a hand over Tiffany's hair. "How about if you take Tiffany to get some ice cream or something?"
Tiffany's eyes lit up. "Can we Grandma," she asked. "Can we?"
Gloria smiled. "Of course we can," she replied. "And since you're spending the night with me tonight it won't matter if it ruins your dinner."
Mina smiled. At least Tiffany was safe for another night. "I'll see you when you return," she called as she headed toward Amy's quarters.
Amy answered the door. Ariel was in her arms. "Hi Mina," she greeted her. "What can I do for you?"
"I need to talk to you," Mina replied.
Amy frowned and glanced down at the child in her arms. "Let me get her settled first and then we can talk," she stated. Mina watched as Amy got Ariel settled with a book. Ariel had protested, wanting her mother to hold her but Amy assured her that she wasn't going anywhere. She just needed to talk with Mina. Once Ariel was settled Amy led Mina into the kitchen where she fixed some tea.
"So how are things going with her," Mina asked.
"I've been taken back ninety-eight years," Amy sighed. "This was just lousy timing. Ariel did not need to get lost in time after what she had been through with Lady Gemmei. I try working with her but she's so obsessed with getting home that she can't concentrate on any therapy I give her."
"Whenever I saw Ariel I would think that it could have been Gloria going through that," Mina pointed out. "Ariel knocked Gloria out of the way and saved her from being taken. But when I saw how Ariel was after we saved her I felt guilty that my child was saved only because your child took her place."
"Don't," Amy told her. "Everything just happened the way it did. No one needs to feel guilty over it. Ariel acted very bravely." There was a pause and then Amy asked, "So what brings you here?"
"Tiffany," Mina replied. "I can't stand the fact that I have to wait two whole years before she can get out of there."
"I know the feeling," Amy sighed. "But we all took an oath. I hate it as much as you do since I worked with her when she ran away to the past. At least we know she will not spend all of her childhood with Celine."
"I just go crazy," Mina muttered. "I hear Celine screaming at her and I just want to snatch Tiffany away."
"So do I," Amy agreed. "But we can't." Seeing Mina's look of distress she reached over and squeezed her hand. "Just give her the love she needs. I see her when she is with you and Gloria. She adores both of you."
"Very well," Mina sighed.
Hope was sitting quietly drawing a picture. They had tried the time key again today but nothing happened. They would try again tomorrow. she thought.
"Hope," Michiru came in. "There's someone here to see you?"
"Really, who," asked Hope with curiosity in her voice. The original Senshi were being very careful at who Ariel and Hope got to see.
"We managed to convince the rest of the original Senshi and the queen that you might need someone else to talk to," Michiru replied. She stepped aside and a woman came in. She had blue hair pulled back in a ponytail. It took a minute for Hope to realize who it was.
"Faith," she gasped.
"Yes Hope it's me," the woman replied. "I thought you would like to see your twin."
"Faith," Hope flung herself into Faith's arms. It felt strange seeing her twin as a grown woman but nonetheless Hope was comforted by it. "I've missed you so much. I mean I miss you from my time."
"I know," Faith replied as she hugged Hope back. "When you were missing I missed you so much I thought I would go nuts."
"Faith I saw something in the 20th century I didn't want to see," Hope choked as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"What did you see," Faith asked as she sat down on the couch. Hope sat down by her.
"I saw Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa after pure heart," Hope replied. "They were after pure hearts when the Death Busters were too. It didn't matter if someone died."
Faith was quiet for a moment. "I understand how you feel," she stated. "They talked to us about it when we were older. I was shocked. I couldn't believe that they were so ruthless. But I know that was there way of fighting back then. They wanted to save the world from the Silence and that was the only way they knew how. Sailor Moon showed her that the world could be saved without making any sacrifices."
"I see," Hope murmured. "I just couldn't be like that."
"Neither could I," Faith admitted. "But then we have learned under the guidance of the queen and Sailor Venus. We've learned how to fight the way of the Inner Senshi." She paused and looked at her sister, "Don't let what happened in the past cloud your way of thinking. I couldn't have asked for better parents for us."
"Me either," Hope agreed. She gave Faith another hug, "I'm so glad you came to see me. You've changed. You're so loving."
Faith thought as she hugged her sister back. "Don't get discouraged. You'll make it home."
"I know," Hope sighed. "I just hope we get home before Ariel gets really bad. Aunt Amy mentioned that she's slipping away."
Faith did not want to tell Hope that both she and Ariel were in bad shape when they finally returned. Faith thought. "Don't worry. You'll both be fine. Just remember that I'm waiting for you in the past."
Hope was comforted by her sister's words. She looked forward to going home so that she could be with young Faith again.
The next day Hope and Ariel were ready to try the time key again. Ariel was clinging to Amy for fear of not being able to see her for a while. Hope activated the key and an opening appeared this time. "I guess we'll try again," Hope sighed. She turned to Michiru and Haruka. "I think I understand a little bit better now," she told them. "Thank you for allowing me to see Faith."
"We know the bond you two have," Michiru replied. "We thought it would help for you to see her."
"Take care and stay strong," Haruka added. She and Michiru gave Hope a big hug. "Good-bye and good luck."
Hope turned to Ariel. "Come on Ariel," she said. "We had better go."
"Mommy," Ariel choked as she wrapped her arms tightly around Amy's neck.
"You must go now Darling," Amy whispered. "You'll be okay. Just remember that you aren't alone and that you will make it home eventually."
"Okay Mommy," Ariel sobbed. She gave Amy a tight hug and then got down. She ran over to Hope and took her hand. The two little girls waved until they were out of sight.
"I know they'll be okay," Amy sighed. "It's just worrying when two little girls are lost like this, especially when one of them is in a traumatized state."
"As long as they make it home," Haruka added. "And we know they will."
"But until then those two have an adventure to experience," Michiru concluded. The three Senshi nodded and thought of their children who would get home eventually.
To be continued...
