1.1 --- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
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     1.4 +Hello, everyone! ^-^ We're so sorry it's been so long. We wound up 
     1.5 +
     1.6 +taking a little more than we thought we could handle, so we're working on a 
     1.7 +
     1.8 +whole lot of stories right now. This just happens to be the only one we've 
     1.9 +
    1.10 +managed to finish. ^^; We're working on a lot of other stories and joint author 
    1.11 +
    1.12 +stories atthe moment, so we don't really know when we'll finish the rest of 
    1.13 +
    1.14 +them. We'd still really love to hear from you at: amazonessduo@hotmail.com 
    1.15 +
    1.16 +We've got ICQ, too, so we'd love to talk to anyone on that. ^^ We're ChibiUsa
    1.17 +
    1.18 +Tomoe and our ICQ number is 50279282. 
    1.19 +
    1.20 +
    1.21 +
    1.22 +A friend of ours put up a site for the ChibiUsa & Hotaru Anthology, so you
    1.23 +
    1.24 +can find a lot of stories about the two of them by many great authors there. ^^
    1.25 +
    1.26 +The Anthology site is at: http://members.xoom.com/chibinhotaru/enter.html
    1.27 +
    1.28 +Please check it out. ^-^ Thanks to everyone who's helped make that a 
    1.29 +
    1.30 +possibility. ^^ So many beautiful stories came out of it and we appreciate all 
    1.31 +
    1.32 +your help. And most of all, we'd like to thank The  Ghost of 'lectricity, 
    1.33 +
    1.34 +because without him, there never would have been a site for the anthology. 
    1.35 +
    1.36 +Thanks, everybody. ^-^ We're still trying to collect stories for it, so if you 
    1.37 +
    1.38 +have any interest in writing a short story for the ChibiUsa & Hotaru Anthology, 
    1.39 +
    1.40 +please contact us. ^^
    1.41 +
    1.42 +
    1.43 +
    1.44 +This story uses one of the characters from the Sailor V manga, Natsuna 
    1.45 +
    1.46 +Sakurada. She was a police chief in that and she chased after Sailor V 
    1.47 +
    1.48 +throughout the manga. ^^  She collected a lot of things about her and 
    1.49 +
    1.50 +kept them in her office. You never do find out what happens to her after
    1.51 +
    1.52 +the Sailor V manga, so this should hopefully wrap things up for her. 
    1.53 +
    1.54 +
    1.55 +
    1.56 +Well, that should be all for now. ^^ We really hope you enjoy the story. 
    1.57 +
    1.58 +Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon is owned by Naoko Takeuchi, Toei Animation,
    1.59 +
    1.60 +and others. 
    1.61 +
    1.62 +
    1.63 +
    1.64 +
    1.65 +
    1.66 +			     'Sudden Glimpse'
    1.67 +
    1.68 +			            by
    1.69 +
    1.70 +		           The Amazoness Quartet
    1.71 +
    1.72 +
    1.73 +
    1.74 +
    1.75 +
    1.76 +Present Tokyo
    1.77 +
    1.78 +   Minako walked to the end of the hallway, although she wasn't known as 
    1.79 +
    1.80 +Minako anymore. She was known as her alias, Venus. She was a Sailorsenshi. 
    1.81 +
    1.82 +She wasn't thirteen years old anymore. She wasn't living in her own little 
    1.83 +
    1.84 +world. She wasn't able to play volleyball anymore and she wasn't able to 
    1.85 +
    1.86 +date anyone since the small cresent-moon-baldspotted kitty walked into her 
    1.87 +
    1.88 +life and told her of her past. She was forever changed by that one act. She 
    1.89 +
    1.90 +remembered her past, she remembered her present, she remembered period. And 
    1.91 +
    1.92 +that one act had so much pain into her life that she was tired of living. 
    1.93 +
    1.94 +Even though it had been many years since she left the trail of Sailor V 
    1.95 +
    1.96 +behind her she was still a remembrance of her life. Even if no one else 
    1.97 +
    1.98 +cared to remember, like the many idols that she had honored and discarded.
    1.99 +
   1.100 +   But, she also supposed that it wasn't exactly Artemis' fault that she had 
   1.101 +
   1.102 +been given her curse of eternal loneliness. It was, in fact, her 
   1.103 +
   1.104 +protector's fault. . The man who had told her he was to protect her always 
   1.105 +
   1.106 +and then with his dying words left her with almost nothing. No hopes of 
   1.107 +
   1.108 +ever being loved and no hopes of ever feeling the happiness that she always 
   1.109 +
   1.110 +saw in her princess' face whenever she looked into Mamoru's eyes. It was 
   1.111 +
   1.112 +the one thing that made her hate Serenity. But, in all her life, no matter 
   1.113 +
   1.114 +what the hate never lasted. Just as she never hated Adonis for what he did 
   1.115 +
   1.116 +to her, because he was heartbroken and lost. Just as she was now, and 
   1.117 +
   1.118 +because she could understand what he felt in those last few years of the 
   1.119 +
   1.120 +silver millennium when he had to watch her love grow for a man that 
   1.121 +
   1.122 +ultimately lead to the end of the happiest times of human existence.
   1.123 +
   1.124 +
   1.125 +
   1.126 +Past Silver Millennium
   1.127 +
   1.128 +   "Serenity what are you doing her in the Terra sector?" Venus yelled 
   1.129 +
   1.130 +grabbing onto one of the pigtails that cascaded down Serenity's back. The 
   1.131 +
   1.132 +girl looked to Venus with sobbing eyes, she sighed and cliched onto 
   1.133 +
   1.134 +Endymoin.
   1.135 +
   1.136 +   "Venus don't make me go now," she yelled in her honeyed voice, "I really 
   1.137 +
   1.138 +want to stay here with the Prince."
   1.139 +
   1.140 +   "No," Venus said grabbing the princess from the prince's hands. " Are you 
   1.141 +
   1.142 +crazy? Your mother would kill me if you stayed here! She'd have my rank 
   1.143 +
   1.144 +stripped and I'd never ever be able to show my face at my home planet!"
   1.145 +
   1.146 +   "It's all about you isn't it," Serenity said half meaning it, half-joking.
   1.147 +
   1.148 +   "No I'm just trying to get you to try and not act so childish!" Venus 
   1.149 +
   1.150 +yelled, "'You are almost eighteen years old, and able to take over for your 
   1.151 +
   1.152 +mother as soon as possible. You know that you are not a child and I know it 
   1.153 +
   1.154 +you have to act with some rational thought don't you?"
   1.155 +
   1.156 +   "You aren't my mother!" she yelled tugging her hand away from her 
   1.157 +
   1.158 +protector's grip.
   1.159 +
   1.160 +   "It must be hard," another male voice intruded into her ears and Venus 
   1.161 +
   1.162 +swirled around to find out who it was. "Having a bundle of curiosity for a 
   1.163 +
   1.164 +princess."
   1.165 +
   1.166 +   "Kunzite!" Endymoin yelled at his guard for having such a loose tongue. 
   1.167 +
   1.168 +Venus blushed slightly and ducked her head at the Lord Generals presence. 
   1.169 +
   1.170 +Venus is shy? He thought, This take-charge-ask-no-questions-girl is shy?
   1.171 +
   1.172 +   "No need for formalities around Lord Generals now is there?" Kunzite 
   1.173 +
   1.174 +asked more to Venus then the others. Venus pushed back a strand of hair.
   1.175 +
   1.176 +   "No there isn't," she said, "we are equal and should be treated that 
   1.177 +
   1.178 +way." 
   1.179 +
   1.180 +Then the girl seemed to remember her meaning for being there. "Isn't it 
   1.181 +
   1.182 +Serenity?" She reached out and grabbed the princess's pigtail again and 
   1.183 +
   1.184 +shoved the girl into the moon transfer beam. Not exactly hurting her 
   1.185 +
   1.186 +because she had also grabbed the girls arm in the process. She wasn't about 
   1.187 +
   1.188 +to give the princess the benefit of hiding behind the prince again.
   1.189 +
   1.190 +   When the girls left the Lord General turned to his Prince Endymion. He 
   1.191 +
   1.192 +smiled and shook his head laughing at something that he thought was funny. 
   1.193 +
   1.194 +Perplexed the Prince asked what was so funny to the guard.
   1.195 +
   1.196 +   "Nothing Prince," he said, " She must really care for you if she is ready 
   1.197 +
   1.198 +to make her protector so angry at her for endangering her life."
   1.199 +
   1.200 +   "What do you mean?" he asked, "She is safe here. I can protect her."
   1.201 +
   1.202 +   "You are young and naïve," Kunzite said, "You do not know how dangerous 
   1.203 +
   1.204 +it is here. How much protection you and Serenity get from the generals and I. 
   1.205 +
   1.206 +Venus is only doing her job by protecting and scolding her princess. She is 
   1.207 +
   1.208 +scared. You are a threat. No matter how much you love Serenity you can not 
   1.209 +
   1.210 +save her from everything. This planet is still under sedge. It is still not 
   1.211 +
   1.212 +safe from all of the dangers that exist. Don't you wonder why the King and 
   1.213 +
   1.214 +Queen, your parents, allow you to visit the moon so often?
   1.215 +
   1.216 +   "No," Endymion said, " They have never put up much of a fight." Kunzite 
   1.217 +
   1.218 +nodded his head and motioned for Endymion to follow him.
   1.219 +
   1.220 +   "It's because you are almost completely safe in the Moon Kingdom." 
   1.221 +
   1.222 +Kunzite 
   1.223 +
   1.224 +answered, "Queen Serenity has vowed to care for and protect the planet 
   1.225 +
   1.226 +Earth and all the people inside it. Because you are the highest order 
   1.227 +
   1.228 +prince in this land and caretaker for the people you are the most valuable 
   1.229 +
   1.230 +entity in this day. You will not live to see Serenity age. She is immortal 
   1.231 +
   1.232 +you know that, don't you? She will live only to see you die, and you to 
   1.233 +
   1.234 +become jealous of the fact that she will be forever young. It is a doomed 
   1.235 +
   1.236 +match from the start and I do not agree to it flourishing any longer. You 
   1.237 +
   1.238 +will get no help from me or from the other generals to see her, and if we 
   1.239 +
   1.240 +see her again I have to close all gateways to the Moon Kingdom.
   1.241 +
   1.242 +   "What!" the young prince yelled a look of total horror on his face, "You 
   1.243 +
   1.244 +do not have to power!" Kunzite sighed he turned staring in complete 
   1.245 +
   1.246 +seriousness.
   1.247 +
   1.248 +   "Yes," Kunzite said, "I have the power to cut off all traveling and all 
   1.249 +
   1.250 +people from seeing you at all. I have the power to create a total hell on 
   1.251 +
   1.252 +earth for you if needed. I will do anything I need to protect you and the 
   1.253 +
   1.254 +princess. If you do not understand that then you are in for a amazing treat 
   1.255 +
   1.256 +to hear that reality is not all fun and games." Endymion stared at his 
   1.257 +
   1.258 +'friend'. The man he trusted with his life, and inside he knew that the man 
   1.259 +
   1.260 +was only doing this to protect them his maturity level wasn't at all at 
   1.261 +
   1.262 +it's highest. He yelled at Kunzite, and threatened to denounce the Lord 
   1.263 +
   1.264 +General from his rank. Then he stalked off, and Kunzite was left alone.
   1.265 +
   1.266 +   "Ah to be young again," Kunzite said even though the age difference 
   1.267 +
   1.268 +between him and Endymion was about three years the phrase was meant as a 
   1.269 +
   1.270 +joke.
   1.271 +
   1.272 +   "They do no seem to understand how much we care for them," Venus said, 
   1.273 +
   1.274 +her 
   1.275 +
   1.276 +voice making the Lord General to spin around and stare into the sad eyes of 
   1.277 +
   1.278 +SailorVenus. They where cold and piercing, as if everything that Kunzite 
   1.279 +
   1.280 +had just thought about in relativity to maturity flew out the window at the 
   1.281 +
   1.282 +mere sight of them. She wasn't looking at him, but in the direction that 
   1.283 +
   1.284 +Endymion had exited from.
   1.285 +
   1.286 +   "True," he replied as soon as he had gotten the nerve, " They do no 
   1.287 +
   1.288 +understand what we must go through to give them the life that they so badly 
   1.289 +
   1.290 +want."
   1.291 +
   1.292 +   "Even so," Venus said, "If apart of that happiness means we must 
   1.293 +
   1.294 +sacrifice 
   1.295 +
   1.296 +them to love one another are we hurting them by separating them? My whole 
   1.297 +
   1.298 +planet's meaning for existing is to give love to the planets surrounding 
   1.299 +
   1.300 +us. I'm going against all of my principals of I separate them like this. I 
   1.301 +
   1.302 +can't stand not giving them the love that they apparently have. Am I wrong 
   1.303 +
   1.304 +for doing so?" Kunzite looked at her and how she was so close to tears. It 
   1.305 +
   1.306 +made him upset to see her that way. In fact it almost killed him to see her 
   1.307 +
   1.308 +that way.
   1.309 +
   1.310 +   "I don't know," he answered, "So much can be compromised by doing so. I'd 
   1.311 +
   1.312 +hate to put your princess in so much danger. I know that they love each 
   1.313 +
   1.314 +other, but it is too much to just let them be together without thought for 
   1.315 +
   1.316 +everyone else."
   1.317 +
   1.318 +   "Perhaps," she said, " I can allow it in the confines of the Moon Kingdom 
   1.319 +
   1.320 +walls. I will have to talk to the other senshi, but I need to talk to you 
   1.321 +
   1.322 +first. He is, after all, your top priority."
   1.323 +
   1.324 +   "I don't know it's a lot to consider." Kunzite answered watching Venus 
   1.325 +
   1.326 +get 
   1.327 +
   1.328 +up and walk away. She tossed him a small pen with her planets' symbol. It 
   1.329 +
   1.330 +was orange and about the height and weight of a regular ballpoint pen.
   1.331 +
   1.332 +   "Press the handle and you will be able to speak to me at anytime you need 
   1.333 +
   1.334 +to. It is untraceable, and no one will be able to hack in to our systems 
   1.335 +
   1.336 +when you make the call. If needed you may have the generals talk to me as 
   1.337 +
   1.338 +well. I don't have it all figured out though, and I need more time. Okay? 
   1.339 +
   1.340 +Goodbye." Then she turned and left.
   1.341 +
   1.342 +
   1.343 +
   1.344 +Present Tokyo
   1.345 +
   1.346 +   "Venus-sama," Diana's voice interrupted Minako's thoughts into the Silver 
   1.347 +
   1.348 +Millennium. She turned to the small gray kitten that sat next to her with a 
   1.349 +
   1.350 +worried expression on her tiny kitty face. She smiled at the 
   1.351 +
   1.352 +acknowledgement of the elder senshi to her person.
   1.353 +
   1.354 +"Are you alright Venus-sama? You are so quiet right now." Minako sighed and 
   1.355 +
   1.356 +stared at the tiny violet-gray eyes of the kitten smiling and purring a 
   1.357 +
   1.358 +happy tune into her head. Minako padded the kitten between her ears and 
   1.359 +
   1.360 +smiled happily.
   1.361 +
   1.362 +   "I am alright Diana," she said quietly taking into account that the 
   1.363 +
   1.364 +kitten 
   1.365 +
   1.366 +had thought of her, "You are just like your father, Diana-chan. As sweet 
   1.367 +
   1.368 +and worried as ever, and taking time out to see if I'm okay. Your such a 
   1.369 +
   1.370 +sweetie thank you Diana." Diana smiled and then shook her head as quickly 
   1.371 +
   1.372 +as possible, as if she was trying to remember the reason why she had come 
   1.373 +
   1.374 +to Minako's room at all.
   1.375 +
   1.376 +   "There is a man here waiting for you," she said in a whisper, "He is 
   1.377 +
   1.378 +accompanied by Mamoru-san. He says that you should come down quickly so 
   1.379 +
   1.380 +that you may speak with him." Minako jumped up with a sudden bolt of 
   1.381 +
   1.382 +electricity.
   1.383 +
   1.384 +   "He knows you talk?" she asked the kitten quickly grabbing her by the 
   1.385 +
   1.386 +shoulders and bringing her close to her face.
   1.387 +
   1.388 +   "Yes Venus-sama he does", Diana said, " Papa isn't home right now may I 
   1.389 +
   1.390 +come with you Venus-sama? Please?" Minako stood taking Diana into her arms 
   1.391 +
   1.392 +and placing her onto her shoulders to rest.
   1.393 +
   1.394 +   "I wouldn't feel safe without you." Minako walked down the flight of 
   1.395 +
   1.396 +steps 
   1.397 +
   1.398 +on her way to the living room, she was almost shaking because of what Diana 
   1.399 +
   1.400 +had told her. She was scared to know that Mamoru-sama had brought someone 
   1.401 +
   1.402 +to her house, and that this person knew that Diana could talk no less. Who 
   1.403 +
   1.404 +was he? She turned a ways to see Mamoru sitting down and reading the report 
   1.405 +
   1.406 +that she had written for her english college class the week before. It had 
   1.407 +
   1.408 +been on the American favorite, "The Scarlet Letter". It was like the 
   1.409 +
   1.410 +American's reading the many favorite poets and writers of Minako's time for 
   1.411 +
   1.412 +their school assignment in their Japanese classes.
   1.413 +
   1.414 +   "Mamoru-sama?" she said in her soft voice, "Can I help you?" He looked up 
   1.415 +
   1.416 +at her and smiled. He closed the report and pointed at the 'A' printed in 
   1.417 +
   1.418 +the front.
   1.419 +
   1.420 +   "Very good Minako," he said, "I'm proud of you." Minako smiled and 
   1.421 +
   1.422 +stepped 
   1.423 +
   1.424 +to the bottom of the stairs.
   1.425 +
   1.426 +   "And, yet I know that you didn't come down to congratulate me on my 
   1.427 +
   1.428 +english report," she said. Mamoru smiled and stood up letting the report 
   1.429 +
   1.430 +lay on the table.
   1.431 +
   1.432 +   "Your right," he said, "I am afraid I have a job for you. You are the 
   1.433 +
   1.434 +only one I felt fit to have do this for me."
   1.435 +
   1.436 +   "Like what Mamoru-sama," she said, "You only seem to beat around the 
   1.437 +
   1.438 +bush, 
   1.439 +
   1.440 +and I can't help if you won't tell me what's wrong."
   1.441 +
   1.442 +   "It's ChibiUsa and Hotaru," Mamoru said, looking down quickly and sat 
   1.443 +
   1.444 +down. "I am worried about them."
   1.445 +
   1.446 +   "Why?" she said looking around her room looking for the other man Diana 
   1.447 +
   1.448 +was talking about.
   1.449 +
   1.450 +   "They're in love you know," he said bluntly.
   1.451 +
   1.452 +   "Of course I do," Minako answered, "I'm surprised you know. It's only 
   1.453 +
   1.454 +been 
   1.455 +
   1.456 +a few months maybe a year by now. I haven't been keeping track of any of 
   1.457 +
   1.458 +it."
   1.459 +
   1.460 +   "Why do you think they're so secretive about these things?"
   1.461 +
   1.462 +   "Maybe because ChibiUsa is the Neo-Princess of Crystal Tokyo, and Hotaru 
   1.463 +
   1.464 +is just a senshi. Only there to protect ChibiUsa not love her."
   1.465 +
   1.466 +   "That should make no diffrence," Mamoru began, but Minako placed her 
   1.467 +
   1.468 +fingers on his mouth.
   1.469 +
   1.470 +   "It does," she said, "It makes a big time difference, and if ChibiUsa is 
   1.471 +
   1.472 +to 
   1.473 +
   1.474 +marry anyone it would be a crowned prince. Someone like Elios, and not a 
   1.475 +
   1.476 +senshi. Do you don't understand much about things like this because you 
   1.477 +
   1.478 +fell in love with a crowned princess. You didn't have to worry about things 
   1.479 +
   1.480 +like this, ChibiUsa does. What would you do if she came up to you and told 
   1.481 +
   1.482 +you that she was in love with a girl, and a senshi no less. If it had been 
   1.483 +
   1.484 +you or Princess Serenity you would have been banned from seeing Serenity. 
   1.485 +
   1.486 +It's kind of the same thing here, understand?"
   1.487 +
   1.488 +   "No, I don't understand but then again my memories are clouded," he 
   1.489 +
   1.490 +looked 
   1.491 +
   1.492 +down thinking a second before answering, "You where one of the only ones 
   1.493 +
   1.494 +who have received almost all of your memories. I can't even remember my life 
   1.495 +
   1.496 +now, let alone my memories then."
   1.497 +
   1.498 +   "Perhaps I should talk to them," Minako said.
   1.499 +
   1.500 +   "No," Mamoru protested, "I do not want them to know that we know. I want 
   1.501 +
   1.502 +them to tell us when they're ready."
   1.503 +
   1.504 +        Minako looked confused. "I don't really know what I could do if you 
   1.505 +
   1.506 +don't want me to talk to them."
   1.507 +
   1.508 +        Mamoru shook his head. "I know that there's something you can do. 
   1.509 +
   1.510 +They need to understand that they can tell us that they're in love. But they 
   1.511 +
   1.512 +have to be ready to tell us."
   1.513 +
   1.514 +        "Hmmm...." Minako thought about the situation for a bit. "It's 
   1.515 +
   1.516 +getting dark out. Maybe I can come up with something if I sleep on it."
   1.517 +
   1.518 +        "Thank you, Minako. I really appreciate this. ChibiUsa's afraid of 
   1.519 +
   1.520 +the consequences of being in love with Hotaru. Even though she's the 
   1.521 +
   1.522 +princess I want her to know that everything will be fine," Mamoru sighed 
   1.523 +
   1.524 +wearily. "I just wish there was more I could do."
   1.525 +
   1.526 +        Minako smiled. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure we'll think of 
   1.527 +
   1.528 +something."
   1.529 +
   1.530 +        "Oh, before I go I wanted you to talk to someone." Mamoru called for 
   1.531 +
   1.532 +someone. A man walked around the corner. Minako gasped as she saw who it 
   1.533 +
   1.534 +was.
   1.535 +
   1.536 +
   1.537 +
   1.538 +        Meanwhile, Hotaru and ChibiUsa's thoughts were far from the 
   1.539 +
   1.540 +discussion Minako and Mamoru were having. They were both at the house where 
   1.541 +
   1.542 +ChibiUsa lived with Usagi's family. The two girl's were locked in a 
   1.543 +
   1.544 +passionate embrace on the couch. The lights were off and the only 
   1.545 +
   1.546 +illumination was the moonlight that filtered in through the windows. THeir 
   1.547 +
   1.548 +tongues dueled as their hands roamed each other's bodies, the thin fabric of 
   1.549 +
   1.550 +their clothes the only barrier between them.
   1.551 +
   1.552 +        They froze when they heard footsteps leading towards them. They 
   1.553 +
   1.554 +pulled away quickly. Hotaru was smoothing out her skirt as the footsteps 
   1.555 +
   1.556 +approached them. ChibiUsa was looking down nervously.
   1.557 +
   1.558 +        ChibiUsa looked up. She breathed a sigh of relief. It was Shingo, 
   1.559 +
   1.560 +Usagi's little brother, and it didn't look like he'd seen anything. "What 
   1.561 +
   1.562 +are you two doing out here with all the lights off?" he asked.
   1.563 +
   1.564 +        "Nothing," ChibiUsa answered immediately. "We were about to go 
   1.565 +
   1.566 +upstairs. We were talking."
   1.567 +
   1.568 +        Shingo stared at her oddly for a moment before shrugging. He sat 
   1.569 +
   1.570 +down on the couch by them and turned the TV on. Hotaru and ChibiUsa both got 
   1.571 +
   1.572 +up.
   1.573 +
   1.574 +        "We're probably off to bed now," Hotaru said with an exaggerated 
   1.575 +
   1.576 +yawn.
   1.577 +
   1.578 +        Shingo looked at the clock. "It isn't that late."
   1.579 +
   1.580 +        "Yeah, well, we're going back to my room anyway. Goodnight, Shingo," 
   1.581 +
   1.582 +ChibiUsa said.
   1.583 +
   1.584 +        Shingo waved to them as they walked upstairs.
   1.585 +
   1.586 +
   1.587 +
   1.588 +        "You know, one of these days we're going to get caught," Hotaru 
   1.589 +
   1.590 +stated matter-of-factly.
   1.591 +
   1.592 +        ChibiUsa sighed. "We should be more careful. I forget where I am 
   1.593 +
   1.594 +when you're around so its hard to remember."
   1.595 +
   1.596 +        Hotaru smiled, glad to have that affect on the pink haired girl. "I 
   1.597 +
   1.598 +know what you mean. I wouldn't really mind if we got caught, though. At 
   1.599 +
   1.600 +least we wouldn't have to hide it so much. Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa 
   1.601 +
   1.602 +don't hide it like we do."
   1.603 +
   1.604 +        ChibiUsa sighed again. "I know, but that's a different situation. I 
   1.605 +
   1.606 +haven't even been born yet in this time. That and I've always been told what 
   1.607 +
   1.608 +responsibilities I have to the kingdom because I'm I have to one day be its 
   1.609 +
   1.610 +queen. I'm pretty sure that I've already messed with a few of those 
   1.611 +
   1.612 +responsibilities when we fell in love."
   1.613 +
   1.614 +        Hotaru stroked her cheek gently. "ChibiUsa, please don't worry. I'm 
   1.615 +
   1.616 +sure everything will be fine. No matter what happens, I'll be here with you. 
   1.617 +
   1.618 +Even if everyone wanted us apart."
   1.619 +
   1.620 +        ChibiUsa put her hand atop Hotaru's. "I love you, Taru-chan." She 
   1.621 +
   1.622 +hugged the dark haired girl to her.
   1.623 +
   1.624 +        Hotaru returned the warm embrace. "I love you, too, Odango-chan."
   1.625 +
   1.626 +        They held onto each other reassuringly, knowing the other was there 
   1.627 +
   1.628 +for them. They stayed that way for hours as they talked before finally 
   1.629 +
   1.630 +falling asleep together.
   1.631 +
   1.632 +
   1.633 +
   1.634 +*******Minako's Plcae
   1.635 +
   1.636 +        Minako sat watching the man befor her pace back and forth trying to 
   1.637 +
   1.638 +reclaim his thoughts on what brought him here. She could only stare though. 
   1.639 +
   1.640 +Because the shock that he was here probably made her speechless, and the past 
   1.641 +
   1.642 +was still fresh in her memories. It made her so uneasy to be around him, and 
   1.643 +
   1.644 +what made her even more uneasy was the fact that he was supposed to be dead. 
   1.645 +
   1.646 +He walked around his long, shoulder length, silver hair tied back into a 
   1.647 +
   1.648 +ponytail. His crystal gray eyes flitering in the dark light.Kunzite...she 
   1.649 +
   1.650 +thought, why are you here?  Her eyes lined with tears and she was about to 
   1.651 +
   1.652 +cry if she hadn't held her breath and waitted for the feeling to go away. She 
   1.653 +
   1.654 +stopped though. Then he stopped and stared at her for afew seconds and went 
   1.655 +
   1.656 +to her to comfort her. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her 
   1.657 +
   1.658 +on her forehead.
   1.659 +
   1.660 +          "what's wrong?" he asked. Her eyes trying not to decive her from 
   1.661 +
   1.662 +giving away her thoughts.
   1.663 +
   1.664 +          "I thought you where dead," Minako said slipping herslef away from 
   1.665 +
   1.666 +him. "Why are you here?"
   1.667 +
   1.668 +          "Because I was reborn," Kunzite answered. "When you helpped kill 
   1.669 +
   1.670 +Queen Beryal I was released from the bonds of being her slave. So where the 
   1.671 +
   1.672 +other generals. But, they won't be reborn."
   1.673 +
   1.674 +          "Why?" she asked,"Why are you here?"
   1.675 +
   1.676 +          "Because I heard you." Kunzite said, "I heard you calling for me in 
   1.677 +
   1.678 +your dreams. About the silver Millenium. I heard you calling for help. So I 
   1.679 +
   1.680 +came."
   1.681 +
   1.682 +          "Then you know about ChibiUsa and Hotaru," Minako said recalling 
   1.683 +
   1.684 +her converstion with Mamoru. You about the and my mission."
   1.685 +
   1.686 +          "Yes," Kunzite said, "I am also here to help you with that."
   1.687 +
   1.688 +          "How?"
   1.689 +
   1.690 +          "We send them back to Crystal Tokyo. We let them see what it's like 
   1.691 +
   1.692 +in the future. Let them talk to thier future-selfs and realise that they can 
   1.693 +
   1.694 +tell Mamoru-sama about thier secret. I can help you know."
   1.695 +
   1.696 +          "Send them back?"
   1.697 +
   1.698 + **********
   1.699 +
   1.700 +
   1.701 +
   1.702 +	Hotaru woke up first. She blinked several times as she slowly woke up.
   1.703 +
   1.704 +Something felt different. Her left arm was asleep, but that wasn't it. It as 
   1.705 +
   1.706 +pinned under the familiar weight of her pink haired lover. She flexed her 
   1.707 +
   1.708 +fingers, feeling a tingle throughout her arm. She slowly tried to pull her arm
   1.709 +
   1.710 +out from under ChibiUsa. She finally gave up after a couple minutes. She sighed
   1.711 +
   1.712 +before kissing ChibiUsa's cheek. 
   1.713 +
   1.714 +	"ChibiUsa-chan," Hotaru said as she gently shook the other girl. Hotaru
   1.715 +
   1.716 +heard noises from another room. They were different from the sounds she usually 
   1.717 +
   1.718 +woke up to. A type of happy chaos she'd grown to find comforting. The sounds
   1.719 +
   1.720 +of her Michiru-mama, Setsuna-mama, and Haruka-papa all going about their 
   1.721 +
   1.722 +business. The sounds she heard were still happy, but not the same. She couldn't
   1.723 +
   1.724 +quite put her finger on what was different, though.
   1.725 +
   1.726 +	When she started shaking ChibiUsa again, she realized the sheets 
   1.727 +
   1.728 +covering them weren't her sheets. She relaxed a bit when she remembered that 
   1.729 +
   1.730 +they'd fallen asleep in ChibiUsa's room. The relief was shortlived however, as 
   1.731 +
   1.732 +she looked around the room. The room was much bigger than ChibiUsa's and 
   1.733 +
   1.734 +lavishly decorated. There were a lot of lamps in the room and trinkets lying 
   1.735 +
   1.736 +around the room collected over the years by the people who lived there. 
   1.737 +
   1.738 +	"ChibiUsa," Hotaru said louder, shaking the pink haired girl more 
   1.739 +
   1.740 +urgently. "Wake up."
   1.741 +
   1.742 +	"Mmmm..." ChibiUsa rolled over with her back to Hotaru. Hotaru managed
   1.743 +
   1.744 +to get her hand out from under the other girl, freeing it. She moved he arm 
   1.745 +
   1.746 +around trying to work the feeling back into it. Hotaru sighed in frustration. 
   1.747 +
   1.748 +She was worried about where they were. She'd feel a lot better if ChibiUsa 
   1.749 +
   1.750 +was awake. She needed the reassurance the other girl's presence always gave 
   1.751 +
   1.752 +her. 
   1.753 +
   1.754 +	"Odango-chan, please wake up," Hotaru said desperately. 
   1.755 +
   1.756 +	"What?" ChibiUsa asked sleepily.
   1.757 +
   1.758 +	"Get up," the dark haired girl said, relief evident in her voice.
   1.759 +
   1.760 +	ChibiUsa hesitated for a moment, not wanting to leave the comfort of
   1.761 +
   1.762 +sleep.
   1.763 +
   1.764 +	"ChibiUsa," she heard the other girl say again. 
   1.765 +
   1.766 +	"Okay, I'm up." ChibiUsa sat up groggily, wiping the sleep from her
   1.767 +
   1.768 +eyes. She blushed and pulled the sheet up around her as she realized her 
   1.769 +
   1.770 +state of undress. Hotaru would have found it cute if she wasn't so worried.
   1.771 +
   1.772 +
   1.773 +
   1.774 +	ChibiUsa looked closely at the dark haired girl for a moment. 
   1.775 +
   1.776 +"What's the matter?" she asked. Hotaru looked so nervous. ChibiUsa hoped 
   1.777 +
   1.778 +nothing was wrong. She felt an icy pit form in her stomach as she saw the 
   1.779 +
   1.780 +frightened look on Hotaru's face. 
   1.781 +
   1.782 +	"Do you know where we are?" Hotaru asked her. 
   1.783 +
   1.784 +	The pink haired girl looked around the room for a minute. "We're 
   1.785 +
   1.786 +in Crystal Tokyo. We're in the palace, but I'm not sure what room." She 
   1.787 +
   1.788 +began to lie back down on the bed, glad to have answered Hotaru's question. 
   1.789 +
   1.790 +She felt relieved that it wasn't anything big. 
   1.791 +
   1.792 +	Hotaru grabbed her arm to keep ChibiUsa in a sitting position. 
   1.793 +
   1.794 +"Then why are we in Crystal Tokyo? We were in your room back in the present 
   1.795 +
   1.796 +last night, remember?" 
   1.797 +
   1.798 +
   1.799 +
   1.800 +	ChibiUsa looked around the room again nervously, now fully awake. 
   1.801 +
   1.802 +Why were they in ChibiUsa's time? Had her mother brought them there? If
   1.803 +
   1.804 +that was it, then why was Hotaru there with her? Did her mother already 
   1.805 +
   1.806 +know about them? Had Setsuna brought them? ChibiUsa's head began to swim
   1.807 +
   1.808 +with unanswered questions. 
   1.809 +
   1.810 +	Hotaru got up and took a closer look as she walked around the 
   1.811 +
   1.812 +room while she waited for ChibiUsa to get her bearings. It was the pink 
   1.813 +
   1.814 +haired girl's time period after all. For some reason, the room was oddly
   1.815 +
   1.816 +familiar and calming. Something caught her eye about some of the lamps. 
   1.817 +
   1.818 +She inspected it closely, shocked by what she'd found. 
   1.819 +
   1.820 +	"I think I know where we are," ChibiUsa said happily. "They must
   1.821 +
   1.822 +have moved all my things to a new room and this is it. Kind of like a 
   1.823 +
   1.824 +suprise for when I got back." She lifted up a stuffed bunny doll from off
   1.825 +
   1.826 +the bed. "I had this on my bed here in the palace when I went back to the
   1.827 +
   1.828 +past. I felt bad because I'd forgotten to bring it along." She smiled and
   1.829 +
   1.830 +hugged the bunny to her bare chest. 
   1.831 +
   1.832 +	"That's can't be it," Hotaru replied.
   1.833 +
   1.834 +	ChibiUsa looked up, confused. "Why not?"
   1.835 +
   1.836 +	"Because this is one of the lamps I collected. It's one of my 
   1.837 +
   1.838 +favorites."
   1.839 +
   1.840 +	"Then where are we?" ChibiUsa got up and walked over to the other
   1.841 +
   1.842 +girl.
   1.843 +
   1.844 +	"Well, wherever we are, someone must know we're here." The dark 
   1.845 +
   1.846 +haired girl said thoughtfully.
   1.847 +
   1.848 +	"This is too strange. Why would I be brought back here while I 
   1.849 +
   1.850 +was asleep?" ChibiUsa asked.
   1.851 +
   1.852 +	"I have no idea, Odango-chan. I'm sure someone can tell us what's
   1.853 +
   1.854 +going on, though." Hotaru thought about it for a moment.
   1.855 +
   1.856 +	"My mom should know. She might even be the one who had us brought
   1.857 +
   1.858 +here." ChibiUsa tried to keep the nervousness out of her voice. If it was
   1.859 +
   1.860 +her mother that had brought them both then she probably knew thet they 
   1.861 +
   1.862 +were together. ChibiUsa wasn't sure if she was ready to talk to her mom 
   1.863 +
   1.864 +about that.
   1.865 +
   1.866 +	"Good. Hopefully she can help us," Hotaru said, feeling a little
   1.867 +
   1.868 +better about there current situation. 
   1.869 +
   1.870 +	ChibiUsa stepped forward and opened the door. The two girls stepped
   1.871 +
   1.872 +out of the room. Before they could do anything, a little maroon haired 
   1.873 +
   1.874 +girl ran up to them. 
   1.875 +
   1.876 +	"Mama! Mama! Shisa won't leave me alone!" The little maroon
   1.877 +
   1.878 +haired girl ran up to the two of them looking about ready to cry. She
   1.879 +
   1.880 +looked like she was about five or six and her hair was done up in odangos
   1.881 +
   1.882 +with pigtails coming out from them. 
   1.883 +
   1.884 +	Hotaru and ChibiUsa stood there, not sure what they should do. The
   1.885 +
   1.886 +little girl looked up at them with big, teary eyes, waiting for them to say
   1.887 +
   1.888 +something.
   1.889 +
   1.890 +	Another little girl ran up to them before they could decide what to
   1.891 +
   1.892 +do. She had darker hair than they other one and she wore glasses. Her hair
   1.893 +
   1.894 +almost reached her shoulders. "Selene doesn't understand," Shisa said. "I
   1.895 +
   1.896 +just wanted us to play, but she's been trying to ignore me." 
   1.897 +
   1.898 +	Hotaru and ChibiUsa stared at the two children for a moment. ChibiUsa
   1.899 +
   1.900 +turned to look at Hotaru, waiting for the other girl to say something. Hotaru
   1.901 +
   1.902 +looked back at her and shrugged helplessly. 
   1.903 +
   1.904 +	"Mama? Are you okay?" Selene asked, sounding frightened. "Why are 
   1.905 +
   1.906 +you smaller?"
   1.907 +
   1.908 +	Shisa looked at the two of them as well. "Yeah. What happened?"
   1.909 +
   1.910 +	"Its okay," ChibiUsa said soothingly, trying not to worry the two 
   1.911 +
   1.912 +girls.
   1.913 +
   1.914 +	"And mama, your hair isn't as long as it used to be." Shisa added as 
   1.915 +
   1.916 +she looked at ChibiUsa. 
   1.917 +
   1.918 +	The two girls turned to Hotaru, but they couldn't notice anything 
   1.919 +
   1.920 +different about her other than her size. They turned in unison to look at
   1.921 +
   1.922 +ChibiUsa again. 
   1.923 +
   1.924 +	"Its a bit confusing," Hotaru said reassuringly. "We don't really 
   1.925 +
   1.926 +know what's going on either. But don't worry. I'm certain that everything's
   1.927 +
   1.928 +fine." Hotaru put a hand on both of their shoulders and smiled. The two 
   1.929 +
   1.930 +girls seemed to relax slightly. "Could I ask you a question?"
   1.931 +
   1.932 +	Shisa nodded. "Okay."
   1.933 +
   1.934 +	"Who are your parents?" Hotaru asked anxiously.
   1.935 +
   1.936 +	The two girls shared distraught looks before Selene answered. 
   1.937 +
   1.938 +"You two are."
   1.939 +
   1.940 +
   1.941 +
   1.942 +Minako walked down the corridors from the palaces marbled floors."How 
   1.943 +
   1.944 +did that happen?" Minako asked aloud. Her thoughts were in a jumble. 'Maybe 
   1.945 +
   1.946 +I shouldn't have come to the future,' she thought to herself. 'No. I'm the 
   1.947 +
   1.948 +Senshi of love. I wanted to help Hotaru and ChibiUsa. But why did I
   1.949 +
   1.950 +have to find out who I got with? Setsuna will kill me if she finds out that I 
   1.951 +
   1.952 +know. I just had to know, didn't I?' she asked herself. After meeting Kunzite
   1.953 +
   1.954 +again in the past, she thought that he might very well be the man she'd marry.
   1.955 +
   1.956 +When Hotaru and ChibiUsa had been sent to the future, she decided to go too so 
   1.957 +
   1.958 +she could help them, and possibly find out who she ended up with while she was 
   1.959 +
   1.960 +there. Her love life never worked out for her and now she finally had renewed
   1.961 +
   1.962 +hope for it. And with Kunzite's reappearance, she had a burning curiosity to
   1.963 +
   1.964 +find out how things would turn out for her. This had all made her start thinking
   1.965 +
   1.966 +about the past again, but she'd never thought that a certain part of her past
   1.967 +
   1.968 +would be such a big part of her future. 
   1.969 +
   1.970 +	When she'd gone to find out who her one true love really was, she'd seen
   1.971 +
   1.972 +her future self in the arms of Natsuna Sakurada. Natsuna had been a police chief
   1.973 +
   1.974 +when Minako was Sailor V and she'd fallen in love with Sailor V. Minako had only
   1.975 +
   1.976 +been thirteen at the time compared to Natsuna who had been about ten years older
   1.977 +
   1.978 +than her. It hardly seemed to matter to Natsuna, though. She'd quickly had some
   1.979 +
   1.980 +of her officers out trying to get Sailor V so she could talk with her. It had 
   1.981 +
   1.982 +frightened Minako to have the older woman chase after her like that. Eventually
   1.983 +
   1.984 +she'd even found out that Sailor V was Minako. Things between the two of them
   1.985 +
   1.986 +had left off unresolved because Minako's family had moved to England a short
   1.987 +
   1.988 +time afterward. She was shocked to find out what had become of that whole
   1.989 +
   1.990 +situation.  The idea scared her. Had she really been in love with Natsuna all
   1.991 +
   1.992 +this time? She wished Artemis was there. She stopped before the ornate doors
   1.993 +
   1.994 +of what she was fairly certain were the goup of rooms Hotaru and ChibiUsa 
   1.995 +
   1.996 +shared with their daughters. She'd asked a bit about the future and for the
   1.997 +
   1.998 +directions from her future self so she'd be prepared to help the two younger 
   1.999 +
  1.1000 +girls. She'd planned on asking her future self about what had happened between
  1.1001 +
  1.1002 +her and Natsuna, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything about it. She
  1.1003 +
  1.1004 +took a deep breath and composed herself before entering the room.
  1.1005 +
  1.1006 +	When she opened the doors to the bedroom she saw Shisa and Selene 
  1.1007 +
  1.1008 +jumping up and downtrying to get the two naked girls to comply with thier 
  1.1009 +
  1.1010 +needs. She smiled andcleared her throat trying to get the attention of the 
  1.1011 +
  1.1012 +two tiny girls. They stopped and looked at her.
  1.1013 +
  1.1014 +        "V-sama!" Shisa yelled jumping to Venus' arms and kissing her on the
  1.1015 +
  1.1016 +cheek in adorance. Selene pulled on Minakos fuku.
  1.1017 +
  1.1018 +        "V-sama, Shisa is being mean to me agian," Selene whinned, sticking her
  1.1019 +
  1.1020 +tounge out at Shisa.
  1.1021 +
  1.1022 +        "You two know better then to just barge in on your parents like that,"
  1.1023 +
  1.1024 +Minako said. Shisa stuck her tounge out at Selene and looked tirumphantly at
  1.1025 +
  1.1026 +Minako. "And, you know that Selene doesn't always like your games. You have
  1.1027 +
  1.1028 +to leave her alone sometimes. Try and practice your senshi skills with Jupiter and
  1.1029 +
  1.1030 +Mars."
  1.1031 +
  1.1032 +         "V-sama," Shisa yelled, "I want to practice with you!"
  1.1033 +
  1.1034 +         "Later Shisa," Minako said. "Just leave us now." The girls left and
  1.1035 +
  1.1036 +Minako closed the doors to the bedroom and smiled at the two nervous,naked
  1.1037 +
  1.1038 +girls. Hotaru had pulled the sheet over the girls and held her close to the
  1.1039 +
  1.1040 +cornor."Why are you two hiding from me? You've been married quite a while now."
  1.1041 +
  1.1042 +          "M-married?" ChibiUsa asked. "What do you mean married? We're only
  1.1043 +
  1.1044 +sixteen!"
  1.1045 +
  1.1046 +          "Not in this world your not ChibiUsa-chan." Minako said, handing over
  1.1047 +
  1.1048 +the clothes to a hamper, and turned and pulled out a gown that resembled
  1.1049 +
  1.1050 +Serenity's princess gown. She turned to ChibiUsa and grabbed her away from the
  1.1051 +
  1.1052 +sheet. She pushed the dress on her and released her hair from the tangled
  1.1053 +
  1.1054 +odangos. She began to brush the hair very gently, and when the tangles where
  1.1055 +
  1.1056 +gone she turned to Hotaru. Hotaru stared at her  from the sheet and watched her
  1.1057 +
  1.1058 +pull out another dress that resembled a senshi's attire but was decorated with
  1.1059 +
  1.1060 +tiny sequins that where shapped like tiny moons and stars. In the middle of her
  1.1061 +
  1.1062 +bow was a small locket that had the Saturn and Moon symbol on it. In the middle
  1.1063 +
  1.1064 +of the symbols was a tiny crystal that was colored black with silver lining on
  1.1065 +
  1.1066 +it.  Hotaru put on the dress and boots that laced up her legs almost to her
  1.1067 +
  1.1068 +knees.
  1.1069 +
  1.1070 +           "How do you know we're not from this world," Hotaru asked, "How come
  1.1071 +
  1.1072 +your being so calm about this?"
  1.1073 +
  1.1074 +           "Because I am from your world 'Taru." Minako said, "I am only posing
  1.1075 +
  1.1076 +like you and ChibiUsa. There is much that you need to know. Those two girls are
  1.1077 +
  1.1078 +the new princess' of Crystal Tokyo, they are your daughters."
  1.1079 +
  1.1080 +            "Look at us Mina-san," Hotaru said, "We're girls. How can we have
  1.1081 +
  1.1082 +children?"
  1.1083 +
  1.1084 +            "Ever heard of cloning? It's kinda like that but a bit harder to
  1.1085 +
  1.1086 +understand. Let's just say they've done a lot between our time and this one."
  1.1087 +
  1.1088 +            "Then how did you get here Mina-san?" ChibiUsa asked "How did you
  1.1089 +
  1.1090 +get to the Future Tokyo?"
  1.1091 +
  1.1092 +            "I was helped just like you two where," Minako smiled, "By someone
  1.1093 +
  1.1094 +you'd never guess." 
  1.1095 +
  1.1096 +	    ChibiUsa & Hotaru both looked at her. Minako sighed. "Its pretty
  1.1097 +
  1.1098 +confusing. Trust me." 
  1.1099 +
  1.1100 +
  1.1101 +
  1.1102 +*******
  1.1103 +
  1.1104 +
  1.1105 +
  1.1106 +     "Natsuna" Venus' voice breathed in the ear of her lovers. She kissed her
  1.1107 +
  1.1108 +sweetly on the cheek,tracing the jawline of her face with her gloved hand.
  1.1109 +
  1.1110 +Natsuna smiled sweetly her hair spilled over the fluffy pillows that litterd
  1.1111 +
  1.1112 +thier bed. She reached up pulling Minako's face to her own, kissing her fully on
  1.1113 +
  1.1114 +the mouth.
  1.1115 +
  1.1116 +    "I missed you today lover where have you been?" she asked, "I thought you
  1.1117 +
  1.1118 +would teaching the girls how to use thier powers by now."
  1.1119 +
  1.1120 +    "Not today," Venus said, "Today is our day to be together. You know that,
  1.1121 +
  1.1122 +it's our anniversary." She traced Natsunas creamy white breast with her
  1.1123 +
  1.1124 +fingertips bringing shivers down her spine. She loved every minute of this.
  1.1125 +
  1.1126 +Making her lover shiver underneath her touch and kisses. Strange how it just
  1.1127 +
  1.1128 +seemed so right after having shared so much with Natsuna in her past, Minako was
  1.1129 +
  1.1130 +able to share the future as well. It was perfect.
  1.1131 +
  1.1132 +      But there was the unresloved issue of Kunzite. What would he do if he
  1.1133 +
  1.1134 +fould her younger self wondering around. It wasn't like it was easy for him to
  1.1135 +
  1.1136 +let go of the fact that she and Natsuna where married. He'd always belived that
  1.1137 +
  1.1138 +they would get together and stay together no matter. Much Usagi and Mamoru's
  1.1139 +
  1.1140 +relationship, but in the end she couldn't wait for true love of the past to come
  1.1141 +
  1.1142 +to her. When there was the chance of being with such a sweet human being as
  1.1143 +
  1.1144 +well. She just hoped that her younger self could understand that so
  1.1145 +
  1.1146 +early.Chibi-Usa and Hotaru must be awakeing by now, she thought, I wonder what
  1.1147 +
  1.1148 +thier reaction on thier faces are right now....
  1.1149 +
  1.1150 +
  1.1151 +
  1.1152 +********
  1.1153 +
  1.1154 +
  1.1155 +
  1.1156 +	"Minako, what's going on?" ChibiUsa asked her worriedly.
  1.1157 +
  1.1158 +	Minako hesitated before replying. Maybe Setsuna should be doing all
  1.1159 +
  1.1160 +this. She was the Senshi of Time after all. "Well, you two have been hiding 
  1.1161 +
  1.1162 +your relationship for a while now. You shouldn't do that. The rest of us 
  1.1163 +
  1.1164 +care about you and all we want is for the two of you to be happy. So I thought
  1.1165 +
  1.1166 +if you saw the future, or at least some of it, you'll realize that you can 
  1.1167 +
  1.1168 +tell all of us about the two of you without worrying."
  1.1169 +
  1.1170 +	"We've already told my parents," Hotaru said. 
  1.1171 +
  1.1172 +	"Yeah, but you've been dating for a while now and you haven't told 
  1.1173 +
  1.1174 +any of the rest of us. We wish you didn't think you needed to hide from us,"
  1.1175 +
  1.1176 +Minako explained.
  1.1177 +
  1.1178 +	"Wait, how do you know, then?" ChibiUsa asked. 
  1.1179 +
  1.1180 +	"I am the Senshi of Love you know." Minako smiled. 
  1.1181 +
  1.1182 +	Hotaru sat down on the plush couch near them, shocked from all that 
  1.1183 +
  1.1184 +she'd heard. ChibiUsa sat down by her and put an arm around Hotaru, drawing 
  1.1185 +
  1.1186 +her close. Both girls needed comfort from each other at the moment. Things 
  1.1187 +
  1.1188 +seemed so strange. "I can't believe we have daughters," Hotaru said, amazed.
  1.1189 +
  1.1190 +"I never thought we'd be able to. I can't believe it." 
  1.1191 +
  1.1192 +	"So they're me and Taru's daughters?" ChibiUsa asked.
  1.1193 +
  1.1194 +	"Yes. They are the children you wind up having," Minako said.
  1.1195 +
  1.1196 +	ChibiUsa sat in silence. She'd been so worried about what her mother 
  1.1197 +
  1.1198 +would think about her getting with Hotaru. Hotaru was a girl, so ChibiUsa had
  1.1199 +
  1.1200 +thought she wouldn't be able to have an heir. Now it seemed that there wasn't
  1.1201 +
  1.1202 +anything for her mother to worry about other than Hotaru being a Sailor 
  1.1203 +
  1.1204 +Senshi.
  1.1205 +
  1.1206 +	"They were so sweet. Will we be able to see them again before we leave?"
  1.1207 +
  1.1208 +Hotaru asked Minako.
  1.1209 +
  1.1210 +	"I'm really not sure. You might," was all Minako could answer.
  1.1211 +
  1.1212 +	"So they're like clones? Is one a clone of ChibiUsa and one a clone of
  1.1213 +
  1.1214 +me? Or are they both a mix of the two of us?" Hotaru asked.
  1.1215 +
  1.1216 +	"I don't know. I really don't know much other than what my future self
  1.1217 +
  1.1218 +told me. Besides, its probably better that you two don't know about things like
  1.1219 +
  1.1220 +that anyway." Minako started thinking about Natsuna again after she mentioned
  1.1221 +
  1.1222 +her future self. She shook her head and tried to stay focussed on the two 
  1.1223 +
  1.1224 +younger girls in front of her.
  1.1225 +
  1.1226 +	"Are you okay?" ChibiUsa looked at Minako oddly.
  1.1227 +
  1.1228 +	"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about something," Minako said, 
  1.1229 +
  1.1230 +sounding distant.
  1.1231 +
  1.1232 +	"This is a lot farther than the future I'm from," ChibiUsa remarked.
  1.1233 +
  1.1234 +	Minako laughed. "Its not as far into your future as you think."
  1.1235 +
  1.1236 +	ChibiUsa blushed a little at the idea of getting married and having
  1.1237 +
  1.1238 +children so soon. Hotaru looked happy about the whole thing.  
  1.1239 +
  1.1240 +	"What should we do while we're here in the future?" Hotaru asked 
  1.1241 +
  1.1242 +confused.
  1.1243 +
  1.1244 +	"You should probably talk to your future selves. That way you can 
  1.1245 +
  1.1246 +see that there really isn't anything for the two of you to worry about. You
  1.1247 +
  1.1248 +should talk to some of us, too, and see how we handled finding out about 
  1.1249 +
  1.1250 +the two of you. You might be surprised about how things have happened to the
  1.1251 +
  1.1252 +rest of us. I know I am." Minako stood up to leave. "I've got to go for now."
  1.1253 +
  1.1254 +	"Where are you going?" ChibiUsa asked her.
  1.1255 +
  1.1256 +	"I've got a lot on my mind. I've got to think. Good luck to you both. 
  1.1257 +
  1.1258 +Ja!" Minako quickly walked out the door, leaving ChibiUsa and Hotaru once again
  1.1259 +
  1.1260 +alone in the room.
  1.1261 +
  1.1262 +
  1.1263 +
  1.1264 +*******
  1.1265 +
  1.1266 +
  1.1267 +
  1.1268 +         Minako wondered the sweet smelling halls until she reached the source.
  1.1269 +
  1.1270 +Makoto was cooking agian and the smell drove Minako crazy. It was so nice having
  1.1271 +
  1.1272 +the familiarity of her friends habits then the cold harshness of this world. She
  1.1273 +
  1.1274 +slipped inside hoping to grab a tiny cookie from the steaming batch next to the
  1.1275 +
  1.1276 +unsuspecting Makoto. But, just as she was able clasp one in her grasp Makoto's
  1.1277 +
  1.1278 +spoon slammed her hand down with a rap.
  1.1279 +
  1.1280 +         "Ow! Makoto what did you do that for!" Minako whinned, she looked at
  1.1281 +
  1.1282 +the upset Makoto her green eyes flaring slightly.
  1.1283 +
  1.1284 +         "Venus, you know you can'thave those." Makoto told her, "And since when
  1.1285 +
  1.1286 +did you start calling me by my given name. You know we only call each other by
  1.1287 +
  1.1288 +our senshi names."
  1.1289 +
  1.1290 +         "Sorry," Minako said tapping her heand with her finger, "Stupidity
  1.1291 +
  1.1292 +leak." Makoto smiled slightly at her friends gesture.
  1.1293 +
  1.1294 +         "So why aren't you with Natsuna?" Maoto asked. "She was looking for you
  1.1295 +
  1.1296 +a little while ago."
  1.1297 +
  1.1298 +         "Oh I have some thinking to do," Minako said, "It is our anniversary,
  1.1299 +
  1.1300 +and I can't think of anything to do with her right now." Makoto turned to her
  1.1301 +
  1.1302 +agian after having checked the cookies one last time. She reached over and
  1.1303 +
  1.1304 +offered one to her friend.
  1.1305 +
  1.1306 +         "Yeah I can't belive it's been so long since you and her got together."
  1.1307 +
  1.1308 +Makoto answered, "You and her where one strange couple I tell you. She was
  1.1309 +
  1.1310 +always after with her crush and you where always looking in all the wrong
  1.1311 +
  1.1312 +places."
  1.1313 +
  1.1314 +          "You mean Kunzite?" Minako asked.
  1.1315 +
  1.1316 +          "Yeah you and the rest of us where always looking for them to come
  1.1317 +
  1.1318 +back and be with us. But, we soon found out that that was just a dumb pipe
  1.1319 +
  1.1320 +dream."
  1.1321 +
  1.1322 +          "And where is your lover Jupiter-sama?" Minako asked.
  1.1323 +
  1.1324 +          "Probably up in the training grounds agian testing the newest
  1.1325 +
  1.1326 +similation atmospheres. They're a work of art don't you think?" Makoto asked.
  1.1327 +
  1.1328 +Minako rubbed her neck slightly, as if to show physical pain.
  1.1329 +
  1.1330 +          "Yeah what can I say it's a work out," Minako answered, "Not like the
  1.1331 +
  1.1332 +training we did with Luna and Artemis." So, Minako thought, Jupiter and the rest
  1.1333 +
  1.1334 +are in the same boat as I am. The generals are apparently not our husbands like
  1.1335 +
  1.1336 +they where in the past. But, like me, it's people who had a large influence in
  1.1337 +
  1.1338 +our lives. My don't I feel special...
  1.1339 +
  1.1340 +
  1.1341 +
  1.1342 +******
  1.1343 +
  1.1344 +	"Hi, Venus-san!" a little girl said as she ran into the room. She had
  1.1345 +
  1.1346 +short blue hair and light green eyes. She looked like she was around Shisa and
  1.1347 +
  1.1348 +Selene's age. 
  1.1349 +
  1.1350 +	"Hi..." Minako said, unsure. 'Another one?' she thought.
  1.1351 +
  1.1352 +	"Hello, Meimi." Makoto smiled at the younger girl.
  1.1353 +
  1.1354 +	"Makoto-mama, are the cookies almost done?" the little girl asked.
  1.1355 +
  1.1356 +	"Yeah. You better eat some before Minako finishes them all," Makoto
  1.1357 +
  1.1358 +said teasingly. 
  1.1359 +
  1.1360 +	"Makoto-mama? Mako-chan... I mean, Jupiter. You're her mom?" Minako
  1.1361 +
  1.1362 +asked, shock spreading through her. Her future self hadn't said a thing about
  1.1363 +
  1.1364 +Makoto having a daughter. Makoto stared at her oddly. "Of course you are,"
  1.1365 +
  1.1366 +Minako said nervously. "I was just kidding."
  1.1367 +
  1.1368 +	"You're acting strangely, Venus. Are you sure you're okay?" Makoto
  1.1369 +
  1.1370 +asked.
  1.1371 +
  1.1372 +	"Yeah. Like I said, I'm still trying to think about what to do 
  1.1373 +
  1.1374 +about Natsuna for tonight." 
  1.1375 +
  1.1376 +	"Well, if you want to be alone with her tonight, Ai can always spend
  1.1377 +
  1.1378 +the night here with us," Makoto offered.
  1.1379 +
  1.1380 +	"Could she? That would be great!" Meimi said happily. 
  1.1381 +
  1.1382 +	"The kids love playing together, anyway," Makoto gestured at Meimi's
  1.1383 +
  1.1384 +enthusiasm. 
  1.1385 +
  1.1386 +	'The kids?' Minako thought. 'I really should have spent more time 
  1.1387 +
  1.1388 +talking to my future self.' "Umm... Ai?" Minako said, not being able to think
  1.1389 +
  1.1390 +of anything else to say. 
  1.1391 +
  1.1392 +	"You know, cute little red-headed girl. You and Natsuna's daughter?"
  1.1393 +
  1.1394 +Makoto laughed. "I really hope you didn't forget about her."
  1.1395 +
  1.1396 +	Minako's eyes widened in shock. 'My daughter? Why didn't my future
  1.1397 +
  1.1398 +self mention that? Isn't that something I should know? How could she just
  1.1399 +
  1.1400 +forget to mention that?' "Sure, sounds good. Thanks Mako... Jupiter."
  1.1401 +
  1.1402 +	"Okay. Meimi and I will go get Ai a little later. I'm sure you and
  1.1403 +
  1.1404 +Natsuna would want to be alone on your anniversery anyway." Makoto gave
  1.1405 +
  1.1406 +Minako a conspiratorial wink in front of the innocent little girl. 
  1.1407 +
  1.1408 +	"Huh? Oh yeah. Thanks..." Minako said, trying to sound grateful.
  1.1409 +
  1.1410 +	"When's Ami-mama getting home?" Meimi asked Makoto.
  1.1411 +
  1.1412 +	'Ami-mama? Mako-chan's with Ami? I can't beleive it. I really 
  1.1413 +
  1.1414 +wasn't ready for this. There's so much I need to know,' Minako thought.
  1.1415 +
  1.1416 +	"Pretty soon. Don't worry about it. After she gets home, we'll 
  1.1417 +
  1.1418 +go pick up Ai. How's that sound?" 
  1.1419 +
  1.1420 +	"That sounds good. I hope Ami-mama gets home soon." Meimi looked
  1.1421 +
  1.1422 +thoughtful as she picked up another cookie. "Do you think Shisa and Selene
  1.1423 +
  1.1424 +could come over, too?"
  1.1425 +
  1.1426 +	Minako looked up. "Oh, could they? I'm trying to help Hotaru and
  1.1427 +
  1.1428 +ChibiUsa with something and it would probably help if they were alone."
  1.1429 +
  1.1430 +	Makoto thought for a moment. "I'll have to talk to Small Lady 
  1.1431 +
  1.1432 +and Saturn, but I'm sure that will be fine."
  1.1433 +
  1.1434 +	"Really? Thanks, Makoto-mama," Meimi said happily. 
  1.1435 +
  1.1436 +	"Yeah, thanks, Jupiter. That would help a lot," Minako said.
  1.1437 +
  1.1438 +	"Don't mention it. Its nice having all the girls around here 
  1.1439 +
  1.1440 +anyway. And it distracts Ami from working too hard," Makoto laughed again.
  1.1441 +
  1.1442 +	"I should probably be going," Minako said, standing up.
  1.1443 +
  1.1444 +	"I hope you and Natsuna have fun. Good luck with everything today."
  1.1445 +
  1.1446 +	"Thanks. Bye, Jupiter. Bye, Meimi." Makoto and her daugher waved to
  1.1447 +
  1.1448 +Minako as she quickly headed out the door. 
  1.1449 +
  1.1450 +
  1.1451 +
  1.1452 +******
  1.1453 +
  1.1454 +
  1.1455 +
  1.1456 +        "ChibiUsa," Elder Venus whisphered, "Small Lady, Saturn are you in
  1.1457 +
  1.1458 +here?" She looked to the two figeting girls near the doorway talking to each
  1.1459 +
  1.1460 +other and looking quite frightened. She motioned for Mercury and Mars to come
  1.1461 +
  1.1462 +with her. Surprized that Venus had brought the other senshi with her to the
  1.1463 +
  1.1464 +bedroom they deduced that this was Elder Venus and not the Minako that they
  1.1465 +
  1.1466 +knew.
  1.1467 +
  1.1468 +        "Venus-sama, Marsand Mercury," Hotaru asked looking at each of the
  1.1469 +
  1.1470 +senshi. Each looked beautiful grown and matureed to the age of twenty six. The
  1.1471 +
  1.1472 +age that each of them would eventually stop aging at when they reached the 30th
  1.1473 +
  1.1474 +century. Mars looked at Venus andthen to the two girls.
  1.1475 +
  1.1476 +         "Well," she said, "If you hadn't told me I wouldn't of ever guessed. She
  1.1477 +
  1.1478 +does look like Small Lady and Saturn of our time. Are they really from the past
  1.1479 +
  1.1480 +Venus-sama?"
  1.1481 +
  1.1482 +         "Well don't look at us like we're sideshow freaks," ChibiUsa yelled,
  1.1483 +
  1.1484 +"We are human beings you know!"
  1.1485 +
  1.1486 +         "Odango-chan!" Hoatru cursed, reciving looks from Rei.
  1.1487 +
  1.1488 +         "Odango chan," she whispered, "That's what I call...never mind. So you
  1.1489 +
  1.1490 +want to hear from us how we reacted to your coming out?" Hotaru looked at
  1.1491 +
  1.1492 +ChibiUsa and clasped her hand into her own, nodding.
  1.1493 +
  1.1494 +         "Well," Mars answered, "It really was the best thing for us all. I
  1.1495 +
  1.1496 +made us realize that you two where growen women, fully capatible of caring for
  1.1497 +
  1.1498 +each other. You are 15 years old aren't you? Most of us knew that we cared for
  1.1499 +
  1.1500 +others and didn't know what to do about it. You two had the courage to do what
  1.1501 +
  1.1502 +we never could have at that age. It wasn't until you two started to come out
  1.1503 +
  1.1504 +that I realized my love for your mother Small Lady. Ami started to realize her
  1.1505 +
  1.1506 +love for Makoto and Diana and that friend yours Mamokofelt love for each other
  1.1507 +
  1.1508 +as well. In the end it was the best thing for us all.
  1.1509 +
  1.1510 +	"And Venus-sama what about you?"
  1.1511 +
  1.1512 +	"I fell in love with my dearest Natsuna, and fully understand what
  1.1513 +
  1.1514 +you and Saturn are going through. Haruka and Michiru and Setsuna-san are all the
  1.1515 +
  1.1516 +parents of you too, remember? How did they react?
  1.1517 +
  1.1518 +	"They where proud of us.."
  1.1519 +
  1.1520 +	"Right," Venus answered, "And so where we. We are apart of you as
  1.1521 +
  1.1522 +well Small Lady, we are your family you must always remember that."
  1.1523 +
  1.1524 +	"Thank you minna-san," Hotaru said, "This was a great help to us,
  1.1525 +
  1.1526 +and our lives. We'll tell Usagi and the others as soon as we get home." Mars got
  1.1527 +
  1.1528 +up to leave and Venus followed behind her. Mercury walked up to them, handing
  1.1529 +
  1.1530 +ChibiUsa a small pen. ChibiUsa looked at it with wonderment and with an unspoken
  1.1531 +
  1.1532 +question.
  1.1533 +
  1.1534 +	"Keep this in memorance of this trip Small Lady," Ami said, "So
  1.1535 +
  1.1536 +that you can always remember that we are here for you no matter what." With that
  1.1537 +
  1.1538 +she kissed ChibiUsa and Hotaru on the forhead and walked away.
  1.1539 +
  1.1540 +
  1.1541 +
  1.1542 +******
  1.1543 +
  1.1544 +
  1.1545 +
  1.1546 +	ChibiUsa wearily leaned against Hotaru for support. "They understand,"
  1.1547 +
  1.1548 +she said quietly. "They really do understand."
  1.1549 +
  1.1550 +	Hotaru smiled gently at the girl she loved. Not only had her parents 
  1.1551 +
  1.1552 +approved, but so had their friends. She nodded. "They do. And they're happy 
  1.1553 +
  1.1554 +for us."
  1.1555 +
  1.1556 +	ChibiUsa smiled back, her hand going up to Hotaru's cheek. All the 
  1.1557 +
  1.1558 +worries she'd been having were washed away. She knew things would work out for
  1.1559 +
  1.1560 +them. They're friends and family cared for them, they were married, and they 
  1.1561 +
  1.1562 +had two beautiful daughters in the future. No matter what happened to bring 
  1.1563 +
  1.1564 +them to that point, it was worth it. Tears lightly clouded her eyes, her 
  1.1565 +
  1.1566 +emotions overflowing. "I love you, Taru," she said. The two girls held
  1.1567 +
  1.1568 +each other closely.
  1.1569 +
  1.1570 +	"Oh, Odango-chan. I love you so much," Hotaru said softly. Her hand 
  1.1571 +
  1.1572 +ran through ChibiUsa's soft, pink hair as her lips met the other girl's. They
  1.1573 +
  1.1574 +kissed passionately, both locked in the feelings of the moment. 
  1.1575 +
  1.1576 +	They stood holding each other for several minutes, neither wanting the
  1.1577 +
  1.1578 +other to let go. ChibiUsa gently stroked Hotaru's cheek, smiling as the other
  1.1579 +
  1.1580 +girl continued to run her hand through her pink hair. 
  1.1581 +
  1.1582 +	"Hotaru-chan?" ChibiUsa's voice finally broke the silence.
  1.1583 +
  1.1584 +	"Yes?"
  1.1585 +
  1.1586 +	"What do you think Rei meant when she mentioned my mom?" ChibiUsa 
  1.1587 +
  1.1588 +asked, curious.
  1.1589 +
  1.1590 +	"I'm not sure. It doesn't matter, though. We'll find out soon enough.
  1.1591 +
  1.1592 +One day, we'll be here. And you heard Minako. It's not as far as we think."
  1.1593 +
  1.1594 +Hotaru kissed ChibiUsa again lightly.
  1.1595 +
  1.1596 +	A smile spread across ChibiUsa's lips. "Yeah. You're right. One day."
  1.1597 +
  1.1598 +The two girls finally let go of each other. ChibiUsa grabbed Hotaru's hand.
  1.1599 +
  1.1600 +"We should probably find Setsuna so we can leave."
  1.1601 +
  1.1602 +	Hotaru nodded. "I'm really glad we were broght here," she said. 
  1.1603 +
  1.1604 +	"Me too," ChibiUsa agreed.
  1.1605 +
  1.1606 +	Before they could get very far, they heard footsteps heading towards
  1.1607 +
  1.1608 +them. They turned around when they heard a woman shout for them to wait.
  1.1609 +
  1.1610 +Three women quickly ran up to them. ChibiUsa quickly noticed her mother, Neo
  1.1611 +
  1.1612 +Queen Serenity, and the two other women seemed to be Hotaru and ChibiUsa's
  1.1613 +
  1.1614 +future selves. ChibiUsa's pigtails were longer, but still not as long as her
  1.1615 +
  1.1616 +mother's. She'd grown into a beautiful woman, looking regal in her palace 
  1.1617 +
  1.1618 +gown. Hotaru was just a little taller than ChibiUsa, her dark eyes, now 
  1.1619 +
  1.1620 +behind a pair of thin reading glasses, no longer carried any of the pain from 
  1.1621 +
  1.1622 +her youth. 
  1.1623 +
  1.1624 +	ChibiUsa's mother smiled at her. "My little girl," she said happily.
  1.1625 +
  1.1626 +	"Mom," ChibiUsa gasped. She hadn't seen her mother in several years,
  1.1627 +
  1.1628 +ever since she'd gone back to the past again. She knew Usagi would one day 
  1.1629 +
  1.1630 +be her mother, but it just wasn't the same as seeing Neo Queen Serenity again.
  1.1631 +
  1.1632 +ChibiUsa ran up to her mother and hugged her. "Mom, I missed you." 
  1.1633 +
  1.1634 +	The queen laughed slightly. "I know. I missed you back when you were 
  1.1635 +
  1.1636 +gone too. I know you had your reasons, though." She smiled towards Hotaru. 
  1.1637 +
  1.1638 +"I'm really happy for you. I'm glad you found someone that means so much to 
  1.1639 +
  1.1640 +you. Its more than I could have hoped for when I sent you to the past
  1.1641 +
  1.1642 +to train to be a Senshi."
  1.1643 +
  1.1644 +	Serenity held ChibiUsa at arms length and looked her in the eyes.
  1.1645 +
  1.1646 +"There's a lot you have to face before you reach this point in your lives,
  1.1647 +
  1.1648 +but with Hotaru by your side, you'll get through it just fine."
  1.1649 +
  1.1650 +	ChibiUsa hugged her mother again. "Thanks, mom."
  1.1651 +
  1.1652 +	Hotaru's future self took a step forward. "ChibiUsa, you're just as
  1.1653 +
  1.1654 +beautiful as the day we met." ChibiUsa blushed at the compliment.
  1.1655 +
  1.1656 +	ChibiUsa's future self stepped forward as well. "Good luck telling 
  1.1657 +
  1.1658 +everyone. Try not to worry about it too much. There are still a lot of 
  1.1659 +
  1.1660 +hardships the two of you have to go through, but I wouldn't mind going back 
  1.1661 +
  1.1662 +to relive some of the things you have coming up." With an odd smile on her
  1.1663 +
  1.1664 +face she added, "Like the honeymoon."
  1.1665 +
  1.1666 +	"ChibiUsa," the future Hotaru said, a smile forming on her lips as 
  1.1667 +
  1.1668 +well. 
  1.1669 +
  1.1670 +	Hotaru looked confused. "Does everyone still call Odango-chan 
  1.1671 +
  1.1672 +ChibiUsa?"
  1.1673 +
  1.1674 +	The pink haired girl of the future laughed. "No, only Taru still 
  1.1675 +
  1.1676 +calls me that, even if I'm not chibi anymore."
  1.1677 +
  1.1678 +	Hotaru nodded happily. "That sounds good. I like that name."
  1.1679 +
  1.1680 +	ChibiUsa thought for a moment before asking, "What about Shisa 
  1.1681 +
  1.1682 +and Selene?"
  1.1683 +
  1.1684 +	"What about them?" replied her future self.
  1.1685 +
  1.1686 +	"Well, so Hotaru and I... we wind up," ChibiUsa began.
  1.1687 +
  1.1688 +	"Yes," the future Hotaru answered, smiling at the girls that had once
  1.1689 +
  1.1690 +been her and her wife. "You wind up having twins."
  1.1691 +
  1.1692 +	"But how?" ChibiUsa asked.
  1.1693 +
  1.1694 +	"Its confusing," the future raven haired girl said. "But it doesn't
  1.1695 +
  1.1696 +matter. All you need to know is that some day the two of you will have the
  1.1697 +
  1.1698 +twins. And they'll be a big part of your lives. They're a lot to handle, but
  1.1699 +
  1.1700 +trust me, they're worth it." 
  1.1701 +
  1.1702 +	ChibiUsa and Hotaru smiled at each other and held hands. 
  1.1703 +
  1.1704 +	"Thank you," ChibiUsa said. 
  1.1705 +
  1.1706 +	"Thanks for everything," Hotaru added. 
  1.1707 +
  1.1708 +	Their future selves smiled back at them.
  1.1709 +
  1.1710 +	"Don't mention it," Serenity said. "I'm glad you both got to be here,
  1.1711 +
  1.1712 +if only for a brief time, to see that you shouldn't worry so much about the 
  1.1713 +
  1.1714 +rest of us. We all care for the two of you."
  1.1715 +
  1.1716 +	When the two girls turned around, Setsuna was already standing there.
  1.1717 +
  1.1718 +"Are you read to leave?" she asked them.
  1.1719 +
  1.1720 +	"Hai, Setsuna-mama," Hotaru answered.
  1.1721 +
  1.1722 +	"Good. Then as soon as we get Minako, we'll leave," the Senshi of time
  1.1723 +
  1.1724 +said. The two younger girls followed after her while they're future selves waved.
  1.1725 +
  1.1726 +
  1.1727 +
  1.1728 +	Minako was standing alone on a balcony, looking out over the buildings
  1.1729 +
  1.1730 +in Crystal Tokyo. She sighed to herself. She turned around when she noticed a
  1.1731 +
  1.1732 +shadow near her. She looked over to see Natsuna standing in the doorway.
  1.1733 +
  1.1734 +	"Oh, hi. I hadn't noticed you," Minako said, trying to pass herself off
  1.1735 +
  1.1736 +as her future self.
  1.1737 +
  1.1738 +	Natsuna smiled to herself. "I know you aren't my Minako. At least not 
  1.1739 +
  1.1740 +yet." Minako just nodded, having been caught. "You really shouldn't worry too much
  1.1741 +
  1.1742 +about all of this. You shouldn't fear what your future holds, Minako."
  1.1743 +
  1.1744 +	Minako turned around and looked out at the bustling city again. "I'm not
  1.1745 +
  1.1746 +afraid."
  1.1747 +
  1.1748 +	"You could have fooled me," Natsuna said.
  1.1749 +
  1.1750 +	"Its just that... I wasn't ready for this. I didn't see it coming," 
  1.1751 +
  1.1752 +Minako said quietly.
  1.1753 +
  1.1754 +	"Is that so bad?" Natsuna asked her.
  1.1755 +
  1.1756 +	Minako thought for a moment before answering. "I don't know. I don't know
  1.1757 +
  1.1758 +what to think right now. This is all so strange."
  1.1759 +
  1.1760 +	"I know. If you hadn't come here, things would have happened in their own
  1.1761 +
  1.1762 +time. Instead, you already know what happens between us. You don't understand 
  1.1763 +
  1.1764 +how things developed between us, though. I know I'm not what you're looking for
  1.1765 +
  1.1766 +right now, but eventually..." Natsuna paused. "Eventually we fall in love."
  1.1767 +
  1.1768 +	Minako laughed a little in spite of herself. "I already knew how you felt.
  1.1769 +
  1.1770 +You made that perfectly clear ever since I was Sailor V. I guess I'm just 
  1.1771 +
  1.1772 +surprised at how I wind up feeling. I had no idea."
  1.1773 +
  1.1774 +	Minako was shocked when she saw a little girl peeking out from around
  1.1775 +
  1.1776 +Natsuna. Minako looked carefully at the little girl. She had shoulder length 
  1.1777 +
  1.1778 +slightly curly reddish brown hair. She looked up at Minako and smiled before 
  1.1779 +
  1.1780 +disappearing behind Natsuna again. 
  1.1781 +
  1.1782 +	"Ai," Natsuna said. 
  1.1783 +
  1.1784 +	"That's Ai?" Minako asked.
  1.1785 +
  1.1786 +	Natsuna nodded. "Yep, that's her. We were on our way to Makoto's. I 
  1.1787 +
  1.1788 +knew you were going back soon, so when I saw you out here all alone, I wanted
  1.1789 +
  1.1790 +to say something before you left."
  1.1791 +
  1.1792 +	"Really? Thanks, Natsuna. And you too, Ai." Minako smiled to the little
  1.1793 +
  1.1794 +girl as she peeked around Natsuna again. 
  1.1795 +
  1.1796 +	"Minako?" Minako turned when she heard Setsuna say her voice. "Are you 
  1.1797 +
  1.1798 +ready?" Setsuna asked. 
  1.1799 +
  1.1800 +	"Yeah. I'm ready," Minako said. She looked back at Natsuna and Ai a last 
  1.1801 +
  1.1802 +time before rushing over to Setsuna and the two younger girls. Natsuna and Ai 
  1.1803 +
  1.1804 +waved to her as Setsuna prepared to send Minako, Hotaru, and ChibiUsa back to 
  1.1805 +
  1.1806 +their own time. Hotaru and ChibiUsa weren't too sure who the women and the girl 
  1.1807 +
  1.1808 +were, but they waved along with Minako as a bright light engulfed them.
  1.1809 +