Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon and other characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi.
Thank you for checking out this story. I will update when I can. It's a busy summer, but I'll do my best.
::Usagi::
Hi! My name is Usagi Tsukino. I'm 14 years old. I have blonde hair and blue eyes. I'm a little bit lazy, and a cry baby (I'm really trying to work on that though), but there's more to me than that! I hate people who are cruel and mean and my biggest enemy in the world is math. I love to eat, read manga and I love my family and my friends more than anything!
That's all very good, but why don't I look my parents you ask?
You see, my family adopted me when I was a baby, that's why I don't look like my parents, but they still love me very much! My younger brother, Shingo, is their child, but my parents say that they were only able to conceive him because they already had me! Mama says that he was my gift to them for adopting me. I think that it was more a gift to myself because I love my baby brother!
My family is very special to me because they chose me. Mama and Papa could have chosen any other baby girl to adopt, but they picked me. Sometimes I think that I'm extra special, because they didn't just give birth to me. By giving birth to someone, you don't have a choice on who that baby is going to be or what that baby is going to be like. But, by adopting me, they made a conscious decision in letting me into their lives and into their hearts.
I don't think I can imagine what growing up with any other family but mine would be like. Papa is an editor to a newspaper; mama takes care of Shingo and I and our home; and even though we pretend to fight a lot, Shingo and I love each other very much. We're not just siblings. We're best friends. He might be four years younger than me, but he's really smart and very kind. It's also really adorable that he's more protective of me than papa is. When we walk to school together, he scowls at all the boys that look at me and then he pulls me tighter to himself. I don't think I will be able to date anyone that Shingo does not approve of. Laughs.
Our parents are our best supporters in life. They listen to us, they protect us, and teach us. We talk about anything and everything. There is nothing in my life that I don't talk to my family about. From the first fight I ever had with my best friend, Molly, to my first crush and my first period. We're just that kind of close.
I'm really grateful to papa because he supports our family and makes the money for us to have all the nice things in our house. And even though he works so much at the newspaper, he still has time to come home and have dinner with us everyday. He always listens to our problems and gives Shingo and I advice on how to deal with our problems. When I grow up, if I'm half as smart as my papa, I would say that I made it out really well!
Even though papa is the head of our household, mama is neck that supports all of us. She takes care of everything in our family. I don't know how she does it! She cooks, and cleans, and gardens, she checks our homework and even has the patience to deal with all the tricks and shenanigans that Shingo and I can come up with! My mama and I share everything together. She knows about all my fears, my hopes, my dreams, and even though I'm not the smartest person, and even though I'm not the perfect daughter, she still loves me and accepts me for who I am. She's literally the best mama in the world.
So imagine my shock at meeting a talking cat telling me that I am Sailor Moon and that I can't tell my loved ones about it?!
::Ikuko::
Some people think that being a stay at home mom is an old fashioned notion. Especially with today's working women, somehow people have managed to make the idea of staying at home and not making an income and having a career an embarrassing idea. I think that that way of thought is ridiculous. I am proud to be a stay at home mother. No matter what anyone says, being a mother is a full time job, especially with my two off-spring.
I shake my head at these people who expect women to be all wonder women. They set us up for failure. Oh you're a mom, why don't you have a career? Oh, you have a career? Do you ever spend time with your children or family? Oh, you don't want a family? Your life must be incomplete without a partner and children. It infuriates me. I have a college degree, I could have a career if I wanted to, but I don't.
I want a better life for my children. I want to raise my son to treat women and others with respect, and I want to raise my daughter to have better expectations of life, to value her own worth and the worth of others. Maybe I'm too idealistic. Our family is fortunate enough that my husband, Kenji, makes enough money to support our family so I can stay at home and raise our children, and take care of our home. No matter what anyone says, it's real workâand hard work at that. When my friends who do have careers ask why I don't just get a job now that the children are older, I reply sweetly, "Because to pay someone for the work that I do at home, would be more expensive than what I would be making in a salary job." I cook, I clean, I do laundry, I garden. I know every story, every hurt, every smile that comes out of my family, and I wouldn't exchange any of it for the world.
I'm proud to say, that our family has a healthy balanced meal everyday of the week; that my husband and children have homemade bentos at work and at school. And some of that food even comes from our home garden that I take care of in our back yard! Our house is clean and welcoming, and our children are well behaved, respect us and know that we love them.
Our eldest daughter, Usagi, was a gift from the heavens. When Kenji and I were first trying to start a family, we were unable to conceive. We had gone to so many doctors and no one could find the reason why we couldn't have children. We were heartbroken.
However, I was determined to have a family. If I couldn't bear a child, then fine. We were going to adopt. Kenji was at first, resistant to the idea of adoption. He's much more traditional than I, but after first laying eyes on Usagi, his heart, and my heart were both stolen. That bright blue-eyed baby girl had healed our broken hearts with her smile. It was love at first sight for both of us.
Usagi knows that she's adopted. We never made it a secret to her. We're not ashamed of it, and neither should she be. Her story was fascinating, or more like, her lack of a story. No one knew where she came from. No parents, no birth certificate. She was found in the Sagano bamboo forest in the outskirts of Kyoto, bundled up in a beautiful white silk-like material. It was a mystery as to why anyone would abandon such a beautiful child, but I think Kenji and I were blessed, because when we looked into her eyes, we could sense that she picked us to be her parents.
Shingo came as a complete surprise. After adopting Usagi, Kenji and I gave up the idea of conceiving our own child. I stopped taking fertility pills; he stopped stressing in the middle of the night. We focused on the love we had for our new baby girl. We were happy. I still believe that it was Usagi's gift to us for adopting her.
I remember it clearly. Usagi was three years old.
"Mama? Papa?" she asked while we were out on a family picnic.
"Yes baby?" I replied.
"Are you sad that I'm not your baby from your tummy?" she asked seriously, her lips trembling, tears ready to spill from her eyes.
"Oh sweetheart," I said, tears forming in my own eyes. I pulled her onto my lap, and caressed her head. "No baby. I'm not sad at all, because you know, you might not have been born from my tummy, but you were born from my and papa's hearts."
"Really?"
"Yes really." I kissed the top of her head and looked at Kenji trying to hide the tears in his own eyes.
"Thank you for choosing me, mama and papa."
Later she said that she wanted a baby brother or sister to play with. I had smiled down at her sadly, saying that my tummy couldn't have any babies.
"Does your tummy have a boo-boo?" she asked innocently.
"Yes honey, it does," I replied sadly.
Usagi smiled with the intensity that only young children can accomplish and leaned over to kiss my belly. "There!" she exclaimed. "I kissed it, so now it's all better!"
Kenji and I chuckled at her antics, but thought nothing of it. Months later, I was pregnant with Shingo. Doctors say that it was a miracle. To this day, I believe it was because of my precious baby girl.
It's been years later now, and my baby girl is finally fourteen and my baby boy is ten. Time has flown by, but our family is happy.
My Usagi is still very child-like. She hasn't grown out of her crybaby stage yet, and I seriously need to consider alternative teaching methods for her because clearly the public school system isn't working for her. She's growing up to be a beautiful young lady with long blonde hair that seems to be getting lighter and lighter with each year that goes by. Shingo teases her that she's turning into an old lady when he catches glimpses of silver in her hair. But even though its apparent that she's going to be a killer beauty, I'm glad that Usagi hasn't discovered vanity. I don't think she will. Her soul is already so beautiful that she sees beauty all around her. She doesn't need a mirror to find beauty in life. I think that way is best.
She hasn't quite discovered boys yet, to her father's relief, (woe to any boy who has the courage to face Kenji's wrath.) I'm glad that we've been able to preserve her innocence for this long. She's had crushes before, and even now, she's all star eyed about Andrew, the son of our friends that own the Fruits Crown Parlour, but I think she's waiting for her first love. Andrew is lucky he's a friend of the family and that Kenji already sees him like a second son. Hahaha.
For all her immaturity, she's mature in the things that matter like being honest, being a good friend and caring for other people. She's a ray of sunshine and the people around her flock to her light. I am so proud of my baby girl! My friends are all jealous of the relationship I have with my daughter. It seems that most girls her age go through a rebellious stage. I hope that with Usagi, it won't be as bad.
Shingo, though he would never admit it, loves his older sister with a protectiveness that rivals his father's. He is the little knight to our princess and their relationship of love and caring for one another proves to me that Kenji and I are doing our jobs right as parents.
::Shingo::
My name is Shingo Tsukino and I'm 10 years old. My family consists of my papa, my mama and my older sister. I love my family, video games and playing tricks on my sister.
When I was younger, I would have said that our family was pretty normal. Papa worked, mama took care of the house and of my sister and I; but, hearing my friends talk about their families, I realize that my family is different. We're special. For one, my big sister is adopted. For some reason some people think that this is an embarrassing thing. So what if my parents had a hard time conceiving. What they did was a good thing. There are so many children out in the world that need a loving family, so why not adopt?!
When I hear about other boys or girls talk badly about my sister for being adopted, I get furious. They don't know her. She's the kindest, most generous person I know. She even helps these kids out that make fun of her. I will never let anyone bully my sister. She calls me her knight. I like that, because I know that making fun of people is wrong. Bullying people is wrong, whether you're a kid or an adult. I want to be a knight when I grow up. To protect people who have no one else to stand up for them and for people who are weaker than I am.
And I don't care what my friends say, that I'm a mama's and papa's boy. They even make fun of my relationship with my sister, but while they complain that their parents don't understand where they're coming from, that their parents are being unfair and mean, I can honestly say that mine can. My parents listen to us. They let us complain without interrupting us. They let us cry on their shoulders and explain why things are they way they are in life. I wouldn't trade my relationship with my family for anything in world. I don't care if it doesn't make me 'cool.'
My older sister is my best friend, even if she is four years older than me. We talk about everything. She tells me about school and her friends, and I do the same. We protect each other, fight with each other and love each other very much. She will always be my best friend. She gives me advice, and lifts my spirits when I'm feeling sad or angry. I'm never lonely when I'm with her.
Life with my family may not be normal, but I think we're kind of the best family, and no one will be able to change my mind about it.
::Kenji::
Life can definitely throw curveballs at you. Hello, my name is Kenji Tsukino. I am an editor in chief for the local newspaper. I have a lovely wife and two amazing children.
I had always thought that my life would be ordinary. That I would get married, have my children and lead a simple, but happy life. Life it seems has other ideas for me. My life has ended up so much more complicated that I thought it would, but I think I'm happier for it.
First of all, my wife is a strong, willful, independent woman. Maybe she was the first sign that my life wasn't going to be as simple as I thought it would be. Ikuko is exciting to be around. She's fun and vivacious. Life always holds wonder to her with her in my life, I was able to look at the world with a different perspective.
My daughter, Usagi, is my little princess. Yes, we adopted her, but I do believe she chose us to be her parents. That angelic little blonde baby with eyes that pierced through your soul; she chose us. Raising Usagi I realized that I am a very protective father. I might have spoiled Usagi a little, but like any father, I would do anything to protect my baby girl, and I would do anything to keep her from harms way.
Likewise, with my son, Shingo, he is the prince knight to our little princess. As a baby, he would always want to be around Usagi, I think for the first month, he preferred to be in Usagi's arms than Ikuko's arms!
Our two children have formed a bond that I don't see in most siblings, and even though they do argue and fight, they're quick to apologize to one another and make up.
Life is exciting with my family. It's not boring or mundane. It's not easy or always fun, but the love we share is so much more than I expected. And that makes it all worth it.
When I come home from work and sit back during dinner watching the animated conversations between my wife and children, it makes me smile. The unconditional love can be felt throughout this house. It is a reminder to me why I work so hard. Seeing my children happy and healthy, seeing my wife glowing with pride; it makes my heart soar and I know all of my hard work is worth it. And when Shingo lets me watch the evening news in the living room after dinner, and when Usagi brings me tea and sits by my asking me how my day went, I know that I am appreciated.
So there you have it. The Tsukino family as how I think they might have been. I'll tease you guys with chapter 1 in the next week or so. Until then, a review or subscription would be wonderful.
best,
~ciel