Disclaimer: Nope. No owning of Sailor Moon here! whistles
AN: Okay, I lied. I decided to focus on this chapter instead. Exactly a week since I last updated. Read on!
ffgirlmoonie: Same. And I'm the one writing the story.
Sailor Rain: Heh, thanks. I'm not even near 1/8th done yet.
courtjsonluvr87 returns: Great that you reviewed! Have any questions while your reading? Just ask. And have you ever thought that that's what I want you to think? xD
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Legend:
'Thoughts'
"Normal"
-Dream sequences/Flashbacks-
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Chapter 12 to Dreams and Wishes
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She was getting too old for this. She looked across the hallway and stared at nothing in particular. She heard a faint sound, like a whisper.
Flipping her head in the direction of the sound, she couldn't quite make out what it was. She heard the same voice, but slightly louder, and could faintly make it out.
"…Baa-san!"
…
A light filled the woman's eyes, inwardly wincing because of the pain and irritation. Where am I? She adjusted her eyes in the room, only faintly making out two heads at the foot of her bed. Or was it one? Blinking again, she counted one. Her eyes were starting to focus, but not by much. She hadn't noticed it before, but when she looked up, white walls surrounded her.
"…up! Look!"
"Shh! She's still resting!"
They sounded like children. From what she could make out, they were. So it was two she had counted. Glad I'm not losing my mind…yet. The former was holding onto another's hand, while the second child was to the right of her bed. The person's hand that was being held by the child pulled up a chair and took the woman's left hand.
Staring at the person for a few seconds, realization dawned on her. "Oh, dear." And she slumped back into the pillows.
"This time was a little different." The girl held a small, sad, smile. The children decided to talk amongst themselves in another part of the room. They wouldn't be interested in whatever the grown-ups were talking about.
"What happened?"
"You couldn't speak and remember things. Like you were sleep walking with amnesia." She paused. "Only you were slightly aware of your surroundings since your eyes were open." She clucked her tongue, a habit that the girl has kept since she was young.
"When can I get out?"
"Tomorrow, maybe, I'm not sure."
"And what happened to this?" She held up her right arm.
The girl stared at the bandage. "You burned yourself." Both winced at the thought.
"How long have I been out?"
"About four hours. You only woke up when the Doctor checked your pupils a second time."
"I'm getting too old for this."
"That only makes you wiser, Ms. Sori."
The old woman sighed, but glared at the younger girl. "I told you not to call me that when we're alone."
"Gomen, old habits are hard to get rid of." The girl smiled. "I'll come back later, okay?" The woman nodded. The girl placed a light kiss on the elderly woman's forehead. "Bye, Baa-san." She got up from the chair and left the room, children in tow.
I very well know they are not her children…but I do find it strange. Ms. Sori closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. What she didn't know, was that the near future did strange things.
----
Back at the apartment/condo building, they told the rest of the gang about Luna and Artemis' revelation. As well as Abigail's daughters in the future. After about an hour they gave up. They had very little information to figure things out anyway.
"Hey! Where do you want this?" Lita held up a picture frame of all Scouts, both inner and outer, as well as their respective partners and Guardians. The Generals as well.
"Ah, just place it on top of the TV set." Serena pointed out.
"Amy held up a small clay model of Sailor Moon that Sammy had attempted to make all those years ago. "And this?"
Serena smiled, then frowned. "In the bedroom, on the nightstand." She had frowned because his attempt made her alter-ego pudgy-like. "What are the boys doing?"
Mina and Raye appeared with box of decorations. Raye started up the conversation. "They're in the hall claiming that they can put together the computer desk there."
"Right." Sarcasm etched into her voice as she shook her head. "Men and their pride." They shared a round of laughter. "Hey, Zoi, you holding up in there?"
"Just fine and dandy!" She yelled back from the kitchen. They went silent before they resumed what they were doing.
"Hey, Meatball Head, where's Rini?" The priestess looked around the large living room. Serena nodded her heads towards the balcony. It was adjacent to the guest room they had.
"She's been thinking about her cousin."
"We all are." Raye retorted, rolling her eyes. "Don't we already know where they are?"
"You should know how it feels, Priestess." Serena narrowed her eyes. Their quarrels had grown shorter and ended pretty quickly.
"Sorry." Everyone was silent after that and just continued to unpack. Occasionally someone would speak to ask where something went, otherwise it was silent.
----
"So let me get this straight." She crossed her arms and stared at the men. "You're putting together a desk?"
"Yeah." They chorused.
She quirked an eyebrow. "A computer desk?"
"Mhm." mumbled Darien.
"And it's big?" She waved her hand, motioning to the various pieces scattered.
"A corner desk, to be precise." Greg paused. "And yes."
"Okay…" She tilted her head in one direction before turning back to them. "Out here?"
"Yes." Greg repeated.
"In the hallway?"
"Yes!" They chorused in unison once again. They were confused as to why she was asking so many questions.
"Don't have to snap at me all at once." Shaking her head, she sighed. "You plan to complete it all in the hallway?"
Jason nodded. "Every single piece. That's the plan."
"And how long were you out here?"
Darien glanced at his wristwatch. "Ten minutes, give or take."
And I thought I was clueless… She leaned her weight on one foot, arms still crossed. "I'm sorry to ruin your pride, men, but…" She sighed. "…did you ever think how it would fit through the door?" She pointed to the door and then to the pieces on the floor.
All heads looked back and forth between the door and some of the pieces they had started to work on. Two giggles erupted from behind the teen, causing their attention to revert back to her.
Darien stood up from his cross legged position and peered around the teen. Though, he didn't have to, he was obviously tall enough. He was practically a giant against her 5'4" height. "Are they the girls?"
"Yes." She gently coaxed them out. "It's okay, they're my friends." The duo nodded to each other and stepped out.
Ken and Jadeite seemed to voice their thoughts at the same time. "Twins?"
Malachite stared at Stephanie for a moment. "Are they yours?" It wasn't uncommon to have children early in the teenage years. So he just assumed.
Her face flushed at the thought. "No, no." She waved her hands in front of her. "They were actually down in the lobby during the power outage. I just happened to come across them." Malachite was silent, but you could tell that something was going on in his head.
Darien bent down to their eye level, so as not to scare them. "Abigail? Terrisa?" He noted how their eyes widened when he called out their names.
They were studying him, peering fearlessly into his midnight blue eyes. Familiarity flashed in their cobalt blue eyes. "Uncle Endy?" They whispered together. He nodded slightly and was met with little arms wrapping around his neck.
Stephanie studied the children for a few moments. Funny how Darien didn't say anything last night. She did find it strange, but since the twins recognized him, she wouldn't pry as to how she found them alone last night. "I take it these are your nieces." She took a step back to give them more space for their little reunion. That was thrown out the window when the girls caught her. Both immediately clamped onto her legs, worried that she might disappear.
He chuckled. "Yes, they're my nieces and it seems that you've made quite an impression on them."
She rubbed the back of her neck to hide her embarrassment and let out a soft smile. "I guess I'm just that good with kids?"
"Anyway, I guess they'll be staying…" He paused. Rini was taking the guest room. She wouldn't mind sharing, would she?
A young voice caught off his train of thought. "We're staying with her!" Terri exclaimed, holding onto one of the teen's hands, Abby holding the other.
"Little ones…" She knelt down, still holding their tiny hands. "…I promised I'd find your family and I did."
"But we want to stay with you!" A nod of agreement from Abby.
She sighed. "As long as we didn't find your real family, but we did."
Darien interrupted them. "If it's fine with Serena and Rini, they can stay with you." He knew that children would not give up until it went their way. He experienced that when he was a child, as well as when Rini first came to them. He also knew that the rest of the guys were too intrigued to stop them.
"Rini-nee-chan is here?" Abby exclaimed and he nodded. The girls' eyes seemed to beam with even more happiness. Thoughts of staying with the teen that had captured their hearts, as well as seeing their sister-figure, was overwhelming them. Stephanie looked unsure, however.
"Are you sure? I really don't want to separate family members from each other." She held a sad expression for a brief moment, but quickly erased it before anyone could notice. "I mean to say, family shouldn't be separated. At all."
All the men got the hint that it was a touchy subject indeed. They suddenly had an unexplainable feeling pass through them all, save for Stephanie and the twin. Unexpectedly, Malachite stood up first and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You shouldn't stress yourself, you're too young." She looked to be at least fifteen or sixteen. "If they want to stay with you, let them."
She looked at him with unease. Not that she was uncomfortable around him, she wasn't. "But…"
Ken interrupted. "Besides, it's not like you're going to take them out of the country or something…" He left his sentence open.
A new trait that they hadn't seen since meeting her escaped. Fierceness. "Definitely not! Who, in their right minds, would?" She wasn't done yet, though. Letting go of Terri's hand, she formed a fist with her right and placed it on her chest, over her heart. "I promise to always keep them out of harms way, no matter what the cost." It was cheesy, but it worked. It elicited a round of small smiles from the men. The twins looked up at her in awe, not quite fully understanding the meaning behind her words, but understood enough that it made them feel safe.
----
He laughed gleefully as he sat on his throne, watching through mirrors. "Everything's going according to plan. The children have revealed themselves.
"It's just a matter of time." A figure commented.
He missed the part where she didn't call him Master. He was too into his plans to notice such a trivial thing. "Ah, Hakuya, things are going along smoothly, I presume?"
She nodded. "All according to your plan…Master."
Sunta had taken his time to make his appearance known, just watching. Hakuya had thought it was unusual to see him so quiet. She decided not to think too much about it, it could affect her mission.
"Are they the targets?" She pointed to the mirror in the middle. Two children were magnified. She didn't miss the sparkle in their cobalt blue eyes.
"Indeed. We must wait till they seep into the hearts of their group." He smiled maliciously. "And then we'll take them from their grasps."
It was a simple plan, but one that took time and patience.
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"Is something wrong, Stephanie?" Since his hand was still on her shoulder, Malachite had felt her sudden shiver.
"You know when you get a bad feeling and chills run up your spine?" It took a few seconds, but all of them nodded, even the young girls. "I just got that." The men shared a glance with each other before shrugging it off as nothing.
"So what do you think about the situation? If it's okay with them, will you let them?" Darien leaned against the wall, staring into her dark brown eyes for an answer.
She sighed. That was getting to be a habit for her. "Only if it's good with them." The children cheered and the men smirked. "But first, you've got to fix this problem before you go in to see them." She smiled as she watched their faces dim into embarrassment.
"You're right. Serena and the others would never let us live it down." He ruffled his ebony locks. Darien watched as she headed for his suite.
"I'm going to reunite them again and talk with them for a few minutes."
Jason blinked. "Wait! You made us realize our mistake, surely you've got a solution."
She tilted her head and smiled once again, telling the twins to go ahead without her. "I'm sure you'll figure it out like a puzzle." She stood their for a few seconds and then left them with confused expressions.
Until Greg's head snapped up and he chuckled. "Figures."
Everyone chorused a, "What?" and he turned it into a laugh.
"Just keep doing what we were doing."
They didn't get it, but decided to shrug it off. Her giving them a riddle as a hint was pointless, right?
----
Everything was so strange. And to think that they'd finally be at peace. All that hard work and still no peace in either timelines. Rini shook head before smiling. "It makes things interesting, doesn't it, Diana?" She looked at the gray cat.
"Yes."
"Is something wrong?"
"I…" Diana hesitated. She didn't like how Rini, her charge, picked up on her mood after uttering a single word. "Just head back inside and you'll see for yourself."
Rini nodded her head and slid open the balcony door, leaving the family of cats outside. She immediately sensed something with familiarity. "Wait a minute…I know this au-"
She hit the ground with a sudden force, closing her eyes. "Nee-chan!" She blinked. Only two people called her that. They hugged her tighter when she sat up.
"Hey, now, how're you?" Rini couldn't help but smile. She didn't have any siblings herself and thought of them as substitutes. Holding them at arm's length they looked the same as when she had left. Both with shoulder length, shiny, black hair. One done up in a ponytail was Terri And the other just let down was Abby. Both four year olds had the average height of any child their age. But they each had acquired the cobalt blue eyes of their Mother, with very faint specks of dark brown, most likely from their father. The other most noticeable trait were their dimples, another from their Mother.
"We're great, Nee-chan!" Abby smiled, dimples proudly showing, along with her sister's.
The pink-haired teen didn't miss the sparkle in their eyes. "Are you just really happy to see me or…" She poked their cheeks causing them to giggle. "…something amazing happened?"
"Nee-chaaaaaan!" They whined together, causing her to smile and hugging them once again. "We missed you too…" They whispered in her ears.
In the same room, but further away, the girls were speaking with each other at last.
"…and that gets us to now." Stephanie finished her explanation from start to finish. Not leaving any specific details out, well, maybe one. They were sitting on the sofas and lounge chairs as every one of them took in the information.
Amy was typing furiously on her Mercury computer. The other Scouts panicked when the blue-haired genius took it out in front of Stephanie. They came to realize that she just glanced at the mini-computer in Amy's hands and continued to explain, not bothering to ask what it was.
"Is there something else on your mind, Steph?" Amy stopped typing to look up at the girl in question. No one had noticed that her facial expression had changed at the beginning when she mentioned the power outage.
"Well, you wouldn't believe me if I told you." She paused. "Almost as farfetched as meeting the Sailor Scouts…"
The group shared a quick glance around the room. Serena spoke up, however. "Try us."
Stephanie looked at the floor, hands clasped, as she spoke. "I know this may sound unrealistic, but just hear me out." She took in a breath. "I told you that this city never has had a power outage. This is the first one in history that the whole city had one…Yes, Raye?"
"Huh?"
"You were tapping your foot, so I assumed you had something to say."
Raye blushed and stopped tapping. "N-no, go ahead."
The other girls inwardly laughed, except Steph, since she didn't know the priestess' traits yet. It was amusing that she'd get a reaction out of Raye like that. I mean, Raye? Stuttering?
"If you say so." Sighing, she continued. "That storm was really strange. Sure, we've had storms come suddenly like that, but never one so strong that it would cut off the entire city's power. I'm sure you've seen it on the news already." A round of nods from each. "I think it's connected to something, especially since no rain came out of the storm."
Serena opened her mouth and closed it, much like a fish. She attempted to get her voice out a second time and failed. Mina saw her distress and spoke for her.
"Connected to what, exactly?"
Stephanie's head looked one way before staring hard into each and everyone of their eyes with her own. "This is the part where you won't believe me, but I'll tell you anyway." Pausing yet again, she decided to just say it bluntly. "Connected to how Terri and Abby got here."
Silence followed her statement. Stephanie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. They didn't hear her excuse to get a glass of water as she headed for the kitchen. One thought floated through their minds.
That was the most likely possibility…
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"May I proceed with the attack, Master?" She had her head bowed, arms at her side. Hakuya received no answer. "We need to influence them so that ou-…your grand plan will work."
This caught his attention. Anything related to his plan did this. "You have my permission." He watched as she gathered a group of creatures and gave them instructions. They disappeared after a few seconds, heading to their destination.
"Master is thinking why you chose them." Sunta had taken their attention. He had been so quiet the entire time.
Hakuya merely smirked. "All in due time." Turning her head to watch the image of the twins and their Nee-chan. Mainly the twins as the smirk slowly slid off her face. My little ones…
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"You know where to put it! Let's get to it!" Darien barked from the doorway. This caused their respective partners to stare at them in confusion. Stephanie was watching from the kitchen, drinking water, smiling into her cup.
They watched as they brought in what looked to be the left side of the desk, followed by the shelving that would connect on top of that.
Serena was the first to speak. "I thought you guys were putting it together out there?" She had stood up with both hands on her waist.
Darien chuckled. "We did…were, but we changed our plans. We had a little bit of help…" He scratched the side of his head with a smile.
"Aww, our big, strong, men needed help." She held onto his free arm and lightly laughed. It took a lot for them to admit defeat.
Stephanie came back. "You had help?" Tilting her head. "I was just out there and I didn't see anyone giving help to you men." The right side of the desk came through the door at this point.
Serena looked between the two suspiciously. They were smiling at each other. "Is there something going on that we need to know?"
Darien and Stephanie broke their intense gaze. "Nothing, Sere, just a bit of male pride teetering here and there." He placed an arm around her and pulled her into a hug. She gladly accepted and returned the hug. He kissed the top of her head, glad that she was his and vice versa.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, love birds, but the desk is all done!" Jason grinned as he announced this. Every other guy slumped down on the couches, or the floor, finding a spot where they could rest. "Thanks, Steph!" Mina snuggled closer into his arms.
"For what?"
"Helping us." All eyes turned to the younger teen.
"I didn't help you, Jace." She did a slight roll of her eyes as she said this.
Jason caught on. "That's true, you didn't." He chuckled. "But thanks anyway."
"I'll just ignore that since there's nothing to thank me for." Stephanie sighed, this was a long day. "I have to go back to the hospital. I'll be-"
Mina quickly jumped and ran over to her. "Why? Are you hurt?"
She laughed nervously at her friend. "No, no, Ms. Sori had another…faint attack. I promised I'd come back later today."
"Tell her that we'll drop by soon to see her as well."
"Well, Mina, she might be out tomorrow." Looking at her wrist watch, it was almost five thirty in the evening. "Well, um, bye everyone!" She turned to go through the door, but a large frame was blocking her way. "Um, yes, Darien? I need to get going." She rubbed the back of her neck once again.
He waved a finger in front of her face. "Ah, ah, you forgot about our little deal." He held a playful grin.
Serena's ears perked. "Deal?"
He nodded. "Our nieces are so fond of her that they want to stay, or rather live, with her." He closed the door to prevent her from slipping past him. "I said it was okay with me as long as it was okay with you and Rini."
Serena nodded. "I guess it's best to ask Rini, we already know what the girls want." She paused. "But wouldn't it be too much trouble for someone underage?" Stephanie quickly answered that problem.
"I'll be eighteen this coming year. It will be my last year of High School." Their minds did a double-take. She looked like she was no more than sixteen, but at least fifteen. Who would've thought. "Turning eighteen is considered adulthood here."
Serena needed more information if she was going to hand over her future nieces to a girl she had only known for almost a week. "And your parents? Are they okay with this?"
She looked at the floor. "They're on business trips…a lot…"
"Oh."
Shaking her head. "It's fine, really. Living by myself in that huge condo made me more adept to doing things around the place."
"Don't you have any relatives living here?"
She shifted her feet. "Well, no, not here. My Dad's dad is somewhere in Japan, I've never met him before." Stephanie rubbed the back of her neck once more. "If it makes you feel better, you can speak to my Legal Guardians sometime."
Before they could ask, a burst of giggles erupted from across the room. They watched as the children ran towards the teen, Rini walking a ways behind them, smiling. What they said next really surprised them.
In a highly enthusiastic voice, they chorused together. "Mama!" She didn't seem to flinch when they called her that, as if she was accustomed to hearing it.
"Hello, my Little Ones." They giggled and hugged her. She rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment once again. "I guess I should've told you that this is how fond they are of me. Though I don't know why…"
Rini was surprised, to say in the least. This brought back a certain memory. Her eyes glazed over as the remembered.
-
"Nee-chan?" She turned her attention to the small voice, stopping her current studying. She patted the seats next to her as she moved the books off the couch.
"What's on both of your minds this time?"
They were silent for a few moments, staring at the hems of their dresses as their legs dangled to and fro. "How come we don't have a Mama?" Rini sat there stunned. She had heard her Mother and Father talking about how they tried to show her cousins all sorts of Motherly figures, but none of which was successful. Abby continued her questioning. "We tried asking Papa, but he just gets all silent."
"Our Nii-chan's make excuses and say that it's not time for us to know." Terri pouted and crossed her little arms.
"They're right, it's not time." This earned a groan from both. "Anyone can be your Mama, not just your real Mama."
"Really?" They both whispered with belief.
"Remember all those nice lady's that your Aunty Sere and Uncle Endy were showing you?" She noticed them wrinkle their noses. "Yes, them."
"We don't like them." Terri stated, Abby nodding in agreement.
Rini sighed, she knew they were picky people. After all, no one could replace your real Mother, but they had not met their Mother since the day they were born. "How about if I tell you how a Mama would make you feel?"
"Yes!"
"Pweeeease?"
She laughed. "The most important thing is that they make you feel safe, warm, and protected."
"Just like you?"
Smiling, she nodded. "Yes, like me, but…in a different way. I'm more like a sister than a Mama." How was she going to separate a Mother from a sister? Or brother? Or any other, in fact? "Okay, someone that makes you feel that way when you first meet them. And teaches you more right than wrong. Correcting your mistakes."
"Okay…" She knew they were confused at this point.
"Someone who just loves you without saying it, but by showing it." Their eyes beamed. Aha, so they understood that. "And you'll know it if you look in their eyes when you first meet them." She had learned that from their Mother, her Aunty Abby.
"We understand! We'll have a Mama in no time, right Terri?"
"Right!"
She laughed as they scurried away, obviously in search of this Mama. Over the next few days, everyone in the castle was talking about how the twins would stare at them in the eyes, making chills run up their spines, which, in turn, made them fumble what they were doing. Rini sighed at this piece of information, maybe they didn't understand it so well.
-
But looking at Terri and Abby now, it seemed that they did understand. For Stephanie was the first that they had considered calling Mama. Rini concentrated on making the teen look at her. And succeeded. Rini's ruby red eyes peered into the teens dark brown eyes. Something was amidst her eyes, but they held each other's unwavering gaze. That's when Rini gasped, she could see it so well after some time.
There was so much love flowing out of them.
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AN: Um, wow. This is the fastest I've updated in a long time. Haha! Let's see how long it will take me to get the next chapter up. R&R please! Comments and Flames appreciated. Thanks.
B-chanz