Hope Through the Ages

Chapter 2
2 of 5

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Chapter Description: Second part of this story. There are 5, not four, parts to this story. ^_^ Third part today, the rest tomorrow or later tonight. Hope Through the Ages By the AP Scout (c) 2003 Part 2 A short time later, Serena Tsukino stalked around her bedroo

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Second part of this story. There are 5, not four, parts to this story. ^_^ Third part today, the rest tomorrow or later tonight.

Hope Through the Ages By the AP Scout (c) 2003 Part 2

A short time later, Serena Tsukino stalked around her bedroom in frustration and anger. Her mother had, by some weird sense of cosmic humor, heard the disturbance. As usual, the older woman thought Serena was picking on her little cousin. Given the subject of the conversation, neither girl could readily defend themselves. Rini simply sat in the bathtub and sniffled. Serena protested lamely and eventually was sent to her room.

"It’s totally not fair," Serena griped later while sitting down on the bed in her room. She reached out and held her transformation broach. "I’m Sailor Moon and a princess and like just because that stupid cat Luna thinks we have to keep it a secret, I get majorly balled out." Her words were intense and low. Pushing herself up again, she walked to her window and looked out. The taller buildings in the distance reflected the last vestiges of the sinking sun.

"Every time I get close to learning something ’bout the Negaverse or Rini and we get interrupted by my ’rents or that weasel Sammy!" She sighed. "I wish Rini and I like didn’t have to worry about my parents or Sammy overhearing us all the time." Her thoughts turned to Rini. "Poor kid. She seemed like she really needed a mom... And if I AM her mom, I wish I had the chance to be what Rini needs me to be."

Almost instantly, the broach snapped open. The fourteen-year-old looked down wide-eyed as the Imperium Silver Crystal floated into the air and hovered before her.

"Wha...?" the meatball-headed blond exclaimed.

"Granted," came a very soft and tiny voice. Before Serena could even begin to look for the source of the voice, the magical crystal flared bright white.

*

Rini Tsukino sat in her room brooding. Thanks to her Aunt Irene, Serena was probably going to be ticked off with her. The child sighed. Things were never easy between her and Serena. She glanced up at a funny feeling. Then she noticed the walls of her room waver then shift slightly. She got up and stopped as other things caught her eyes. The few toys she had were vanishing.

"My bed!" the child declared as her entire bed vanished. Spinning around, she saw other things winking out of sight: the clothes that she had left on the bed after undressing for her bath. Her pajama shorts and top that had been on the bed hung motionless in the air a split-second before flickering out. Then the small purse that sat on the desk. Gone.

She ran over to her desk and snatched up her favorite children’s storybook.

"Eek!" she cried as it too popped from existence. "What’s going on?" she wondered as things continued to change.

*

Back in Serena’s room, the blond watched in silent fascination as the hand that held the broach glowed. Serena raised it, watching as it grew a little larger, the fingers elongating. Her arm then started to grow as the glow spread up from her hand.

The teen might have run but she was too scared to. Quickly the glow spread up to her shoulder, and then started to drip down her front. She looked down seeing her feet expand a little but still remaining shapely. Her legs started to lengthen as the "liquid" flowed first into one and then the other. They became longer, making the meatball-headed blond taller. Her thighs remained firm. Her hips flared just a fraction. Her tummy rounded just enough to offset the decrease in her waist. The effect was to make her curvier. Her small A-cup breasts expanded a little, growing rounder and fuller. Certainly, they weren’t as large as Lita’s D’s but they were a little larger, maybe a large B-cup she supplied. Not quite as perky as they should be. As Serena looked down, she could see her nipples were pink pebbles against the soft whiteness of her curves.

She started to worry anew when the light crept up her throat and into her face. She felt muscles ripple slightly, reforming, and changing her features. Between her legs, she also felt small ripples, as if the magic that was changing her had minor things to change. Finally, her hair took on the same glow and for a moment, the golden locks turned bright white. Even they lengthened.

Soon the glow faded and for the next few seconds, Serena poked her new adult body. It seemed real enough. She guessed she was at least thirty years old but it was hard to tell. She turned to find a mirror and stopped dead. Her room... wasn’t her room anymore. It was a small girl’s room.

She blinked as she recognized some of Rini’s things. The dirty clothes the little girl had worn that day, the book she had bought her. Other things that should have been in the pink-haired girl’s room. But there were other things as well. Things Serena didn’t remember.

Doing up the bathrobe that no longer fit as well, she crossed the room and slowly opened the door.

*

It might have surprised a lot of people to learn that Rini’s first thoughts were for Serena. The pink-haired youngster did have a small core of doubt about her blood relationship with the pigtailed teen. Nevertheless, deep down in her heart, she knew it had to be true.

Creeping over to her door, she slowly opened it and looked into the hall. It seemed relatively unchanged though there seemed to be different pictures in different places. Her eyes didn’t linger long on them though. She moved them to Serena’s door and blinked. On the door was a sign. It was of a cute bunny holding a large heart in its paws. On the red heart in white lettering was written "Rini’s Room".

Before the seven-year-old could even begin to ponder what had happened, the door to the room across the hall started to slowly, silently swing open.

Her small heart sped up a little.

Then a round yellow meatball peeked out before vanishing. It appeared high up before vanishing again. It then vanished lower down, then it lingered before sliding upwards.

"Serena?" Rini whispered.

Slowly the meatball moved out to bring Serena’s adult face into view. The seven-year-old gasped. It was Serena, but it was also her mother Neo-Queen Serenity. The tiny kernel of doubt remaining in her mind vanished. She knew she had been right -- Serena was her mother. The only thing that was missing was her mother’s crescent moon sigil.

"Rini?" Serena said softly, coming into the hallway.

"Mommy," Rini called back and moving forward wrapped her arms around Serena’s legs tightly. After a moment, Serena picked her up and hugged her.

"Glad to see you’re okay too, munchkin."

"I was scared, Mommy."

"Rini... like maybe you shouldn’t call me that."

"But Mo..."

"We don’t know what happened," Serena said firmly but gently. "We gotta make sure it’s safe first." Solemnly, the child nodded. "Good girl," Serena said while patting her rump affectionately. "Now let’s like go have a look around, Rini." Putting the child down, the former teenager took her hand and they started off down the hallway.

The largest change that they encountered, aside from the two bedrooms they had been in, was the master bedroom. It didn’t resemble anything like Serena’s parents’ room. Instead, there was a desk with a computer sitting atop it and a large and roomy looking bed. Some internal instinct seized Rini. She ran over, climbed up on the bed, and started to bounce up and down.

"Rini!" Serena hissed, "Stop that!"

"Why?" the youngster replied boldly continuing to bounce. For some reason, this seemed very familiar.

"Stop it," Serena said while coming over to the bed, "What if you break it? My ’rents’ll skin me alive!"

"But it’s fun, Mommy," Rini countered and tried to jump higher. Making an exasperated sound, Serena reached out, grabbed the youngster’s wrist, and gave a small yank. The child lost her balance and fell forward onto her knees. In that instant, Serena delivered a hard swat to the little girl’s backside.

"Enough... We have to like check out the rest of this place."

Looking ashamed, Rini got off the bed and let Serena lead her away. "Sorry Mommy," she mumbled as they came back into the hall. The blond let her wrist go and bent down.

"Listen Rini," Serena said, "I just wanna make sure things are okay first. It might be the Negaverse." Rini nodded and they went downstairs. The furniture was both strange and yet familiar to them. Serena could tell that Rini wasn’t the least bit nervous. In fact, she seemed to feel right at home with Serena.

The most telling thing was the pictures. They showed Serena and Rini at various stages. Serena looking eight months pregnant gave Rini a lot of pause. It made the former teenager gulp slightly. An infant Rini in just a diaper and a slightly older toddler in a cute swimsuit playing at the beach.

They looked over various papers they found trying to puzzle them out. Then the phone rang. The two girls looked at each other. It rang again. "I’ll get it," Rini said and skipped down the hall to where the phone was.

"Hello? Tsukino Residence," the little girl said tentatively.

"Hi Rini," came the voice of Rini, "How are you?"

"Um... Okay... Where are you?"

"I’m at home. Is your mom there? I need to talk to her." Rini felt her heart skip a beat. "Rini?"

"Uh, yeah... Hang on, Gran’ma." Then turning, Rini called out, "Mommy!"

Serena, giving her a very puzzled look, came down the hall, and picked up the telephone. "Hello?"

"Hi Serena."

"Hi Mom," Serena said. She had a sinking feeling as Rini grinned. "Is my granddaughter behaving herself?"

"You bet," Serena said and frowned at the little girl who was making silly faces at her. Rini giggled and skipped up the stairs. Yes, Serena had a definite sinking feeling.

"So, are we still on for dinner tomorrow?"

The blond blinked, thought for a few seconds, and then, "Sure Mom." Then taking a blind guess. "Are you bringing dessert?" Irene laughed.

"You were always one to think with your stomach, honey."

The two women chatted for a few seconds and then Serena hung up. Just as she did so, there was a loud crash from upstairs. Then she heard Rini say, "UH OH!" Sighing, the woman marched up the stairs and down the hall. There she found Rini, her "daughter", vainly trying to repair the bed.

*

"Rini Usagi Tsukino!" Serena said sternly. The seven-year-old started guiltily. Her cheeks turned pink with embarrassment. "What the hell were you doing?" The little girl found the floor very interesting; her bare toes needed the carpet. "Well?"

"I’m really really sorry, Mommy," Rini said softly.

"Didn’t I like tell you not to jump on your bed?" The pink-haired girl nodded. "Well?!" Rini kept quite. She couldn’t bring herself to lie to Serena and lying to her mother, even a past version of her mother, was not even a passing thought. When it became apparent to Serena that Rini wasn’t going to answer, she said, "Get your pajamas on."

The girl quickly got her pajamas from the floor and then went over to the dresser. If it was her room, then probably her clothing was in there. As she started pulling on her panties, her mother sat down at her desk looking stern and annoyed.

Once her pajamas bottoms were on, the little girl took off her bathrobe and put it on the bed for a moment. She then pulled on her pajama tops, which were short-sleeved. One finished, she looked at Serena who said, "Come here."

Rini’s heart sank. She knew what was coming. The seven-year-old didn’t hesitate though. It would just delay the inevitable. She walked over and stood before the blond. "Rini, I need your help," Serena said.

"What?"

"I need your help," the blond repeated. The pink-haired girl gave her a puzzled look. "I have a good mind to spank you. Like I told you not to jump on the bed, didn’t I young lady?"

"Yeah... you said not on yours though. This is MY bed, Mommy."

"Rini!" The little girl grinned. Serena’s features softened and she said. "Kiddo, I’m kinda confused." This was unlike Serena, even the teen one. It worried Rini a little. Typically, if she had done something wrong, then Serena usually knew what to do about it.

The little girl came a little closer and asked, "What’s up?"

The meatball-headed blond considered for several seconds and then said, "Like I said I have a good mind to spank you..."

"But..."

"But, I know jumping on the bed is fun. I use to... Anyway, if I’m not really your mommy, then I would let you get away with it and let Mom handle you." The pink-haired girl understood Serena’s problem.

"You really don’t think you’re my mommy, do you?"

"It’s a little hard to believe," Serena admitted. Seeing the look on the youngster’s face, she added, "It’s not like I don’t want you to be my daughter, Rini. But like you talk about your mom a lot and how much I’m not like her."

Rini winced and then said, "You said Luna talked, right Mo-Serena?"

"Sure, but I thought you knew that."

Rini crossed her arms and tapped her lip. "I can’t tell you everything. I’m not s’pp’sed too and stuff." She looked at Serena. "But you really do look like Mommy now." Then she grinned. "I can get Luna Ball to show you a picture if’n you want!"

"You know, Rini. If I really am your mom, I’m gonna spank you. My mom woulda spanked me."

The pink-haired girl grinned. "Mommy spanks me too when I do somethin’ wrong." Rini hugged her. "’Sides, findin’ you is way great! It’s worth a spanking." She started to turn away to find Luna Ball when Serena asked her something.

"You don’t know who your father is, do you honey?"

"N-no..." There was a pause. "I thought it might be Darien ’cause he kinda looks like Daddy..."

"But?"

"Darien’s really mean to you. Daddy loves you lots." Rini felt bad at the look on Serena’s face. "Mommy, don’t worry. Daddy will find you and you’ll fall in love."

Serena straightened, took a breath, and then said, "Well let’s see what Luna Ball can show me."

"Right!" Rini declared and started looking for her companion. Maybe she’d forget about the spanking.

*

Luna Ball was nowhere to be found though. Both girls looked high and low for Rini’s floating companion. "Where is it?!" Rini complained and stamped her bare foot. That was one thing she liked about Serena or Irene -- she wasn’t being told to put on her slippers. In the winter, it was okay but in the summer, they just made her feet hot.

"Hmm... We’ve like gone over the entire place," Serena said.

"I know but it gosta be here, Meatba... Mommy." The little girl blushed some and giggled. She’d really have to watch how she talked to Serena now. It spoiled some of her fun.

"Well I..." The blond was cut short by the ringing of the doorbell. Both girls looked at each other.

"Daddy?" Rini asked.

"I don’t think so. He’d have a key," Serena said.

"Oh yeah."

"Wait here," she said sternly. When Rini looked like she was going to protest, Serena added, "Daughter."

"’Kay." With that, the former teen went down the stairs and approached the front door cautiously. She could see a tall, elegantly dressed woman with long deep green hair and the strangest eyes. Nervously Serena opened the door ready to transform if needed.

"Serena Tsukino?" The blond noted the nice looking clothes looked rumpled.

"Yes?"

"We haven’t met in this lifetime yet but I’m Susan Meiou and..."

"Puu!" came a surprised squeak from a smaller voice. Serena felt her temper start to rise as a pink blur dashed past her and clamped her arms around the strange woman.

"Small Lady," the stranger said with a mixture of exasperation and annoyance in her voice.

"I’m so glad to see you, Puu!" Rini babbled, "Lotsa strange stuff’s goin’ on. Is Mommy ’n’ Daddy okay? Can I go back to them? Is the Negaverse gone?" Rini’s stomach voiced its opinion. "’N’ can you talk while we eat? I’m hungry!"

"EXCUSE ME!" Serena yelled. Rini seemed to suddenly realize that she wasn’t supposed to be down here and tried to sneak by her mother. It didn’t work; Serena caught her by the ear and held fast. It wasn’t painful to the little girl but it did make her blush.

"Way to go, Rini," Rini thought, "Not listening to Mommy twice in one day... We really are out to get a spankin’!"

"Talk!" Serena commanded.

"Uh..." the seven-year-old began.

"I will be happy to explain," the tall woman said, "You see, Princess Serenity or should I say Serena, I’m a Sailor Scout as well. I am Sailor Pluto the Guardian of Time."

The youngster had a sinking feeling. "Am I in trouble, Susan?"

"Among other things." The young girl sighed.

"Serena’ll be fine. Come in, Susan," Serena said while letting going of Rini’s ear. "You," she said to the pink-haired girl who was making for the stairs, "You can go into the dining room and sit." Glumly, Rini did as she was told.

*

After coffee had been served to the adults and Rini received a glass of orange juice, Susan asked Rini, "You found out, didn’t you?" Rini nodded. "And then told her?"

"Told me what?"

"That you are my mommy."

"So it’s true?" Serena asked. Susan nodded. "So like what are you doing here? Was it because she told me that like reality went all wacko?"

"No," Susan said, "At most Rini telling you would have moved you coming to the future earlier. Not the best of situations but..."

"So it was the Imperium Silver Crystal." The blond muttered. Rini’s eyes went wide, her tall friend sat silently expressionless.

"You used it?" Rini squeaked.

"I was majorly mad. Every time we went to talk, my ’rents or Sammy’d show up." They looked at Pluto. "I didn’t mean too. I was just mad that I like got chewed out for something I didn’t do."

"I didn’t like it either, Mommy," the pink-haired girl piped in. Maybe she could negate her previous bad behavior... or at least mitigate it.

"We’re still talking later, little lady," Serena countered, looking directly at her daughter.

"Ah man!"

"At any rate," Susan began briskly, "Things have seriously changed."

"Like how?" Serena asked.

"Is Mommy okay?!?" Rini demanded.

"Your parents are fine, Small Lady," Susan said, "Your mother is right here." They both blinked. "Don’t you get it?"

"Uh... no," both girls replied.

Pluto the Guardian of Time sighed. "Serena’s wish made reality change. Rini isn’t born in the future. She was born right here in the past over seven years ago."

"That’d be in the 1980s then?" [Sailor Moon first aired here in 1995.]

"Roughly."

"No freakin’ way. I was in first grade!"

"No. You were twenty-four at the time."

"No way!" Rini replied. "So like I’m not a princess."

"Yes, you are a princess. Serena is the Moon Princess and you are, after all, your mother’s daughter. However, you have no subjects in this timeline."

"Susan, do you know where Luna Ball is?"

Serena tapped her lip for a moment and said, "So that would mean like Luna Ball wouldn’t have existed?"

"Yes, that’s right."

"No way, Serena’s actually right?" The seven-year-old looked stunned. "I gotta put this on the calendar!" Serena glared at her daughter who had hopped up.

"Rini..."

"I’d get the soap out too," Pluto commented.

"Why?" Rini asked.

"You’re about to say a very naughty word."

The pink-haired girl paused for a moment to look at her friend. Then brushing away the warning, she continued on her way smartly slamming her big toe into the table leg. "Ow! Fuck that hurt!"

"Told you," Serena heard Susan mutter. She was too shocked to really react.

 

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