Misperception by Papirini

going through the rift

MISPERCEPTION

Going Through The Rift

“Thank goodness.”

The soldiers couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as Tourmaline finished speaking. Just as Tourmaline had been concerned for Casper and Naru, it was the same for the sailors, though they did not know the full story. All they knew was that Casper harbored a hatred for Naru – they simply didn't know.

“I'm just glad no one died,” Rei mumbled. “Otherwise there'd be a lot to explain to Naru-chan's parents.”

“Do you really think he would have gone through with it, Tourmaline-san?”

“....I do not know.” Even Tourmaline looked a little shaken. “As much as I know about a child's history, I certainly can't predict their actions – I'm not a psychiatrist. There are just some things that cannot be predicted no matter how certain it seems. But it if for them that I did this; you know that.”

“I'll second what you said about prediction.” Haruka could only shake her head. “That was too close.”

The others nodded in silence as they finished off their coffee and tea. Setsuna, as she finished off her drink, looked over at a pair of figures who sat within sight of the table. Vazgorth's bruised face was filled with contempt and disgust towards the grown-ups; Kousagi's was merely contemplative.

“You know...I have a question.” Makoto swirled her drink around once or twice before she took it down with one gulp. “Tourmaline-san, out of every single dimension, why did you decide to hold this get-together

“Hmm?”

“Yeah, I agree with Mako-chan. Why this dimension?” Minako blinked. “Why not someone else's?”

“Well.....” Tourmaline paused. “I'm worried that it's a little complicated...”

“Still, we should know, right?”

“Minako-chan.” Michiru's voice was low. “Don't be so rude.”

“It's ok.” Tourmaline's face light up. “Just a moment. I think I can explain it.”

With that, Tourmaline passed Vazgorth – who simply glared at her – and Kousagi – who simply didn't look up. She came up to a tree and tapped on it; on impact, the bark slid away to show a computer screen.

“The outpost database for the dimensional folder.” A keyboard appeared underneath the screen. “I put this in a few nights ago, before I introduced myself to you. From here I've been activating the folder in your dimension.”

She punched in a few letters, and the screen came to life. The girls huddled together as they watched various images flash on the screen. Many of them were diagrams and charts; some were images of children, some were of the sailor soldiers themselves, but they looked noticeably different in their bearing, their height, their clothing, their faces.

“I chose your dimension because it was the most stable, and most dominant of all the dimensions I'd searched.” A blank screen came up, and Tourmaline quickly typed in a password. “There is a reason for this.”

Instantly, another image appeared. This one, however, was an odd-looking image, one that looked like a tree branch with crooked branches, an artery with countless capillaries. It started at the bottom with a large line that then squiggled violently through several hundred smaller lines, which in turn meshed with one another and spread out with thousands, even millions, of even tinier lines.

“This,” Tourmaline pointed to the largest line, “Is the line of your dimension. Yours is the most dominant one on the chart of approximately 2 trillion. Naturally, I've not managed to access that many of the realities, but it doesn't matter, as 98 percent of the dimensions are basically similar to the 138 most dominant dimensions, represented here right now.”

“Really?”

“Wow...”

“Amazing!”

“Take a look, Setsuna.” Haruka pointed towards the screen. “This is part of what you help protect. Mind boggling, isn't it?”

“...Indeed.” Setsuna stared. “Though, I'm thinking from what Tourmaline is showing us, that I'm glad I just protect one time line. I think I'd lose my mind after the first ten. They all start and finish at different points....it would be confusing even for me.”

“Actually, Setsuna-san...” Tourmaline shook her head. “You do protect more than one time line, so to speak. Theoretically, every time dimensions cross, the possibilities of each time line intermingles and can create new dimensions. That's why, in many dimensions, certain events that were deemed certain to occur may or may not happen. Hence why so many possibilities still exist even within this one dimension for a variety of events to occur in the future.”

“Such as...?”

“How about.....Chibi-Usa's birth.” Tourmaline smiled slightly as she punched in a few numbers. “Despite the fact that she exists in approximately 3,552,029 dimensions at this very moment...”

“WHAAAT?!”

Minako's eyes widened at this. Her mouth also dropped, though Rei managed to save her jaw before it hit the floor.

“Calm down, Minako-chan...”

“Her birth has come up quite a few times in many of the children. Actually, this incident originally appeared while I was doing my doctorate thesis five years ago, on time line tampering.”

“Chibi-Usa. As in...she wasn't born in a lot of the dimensions?”

“Yes, though everyone in those dimensions thought she was 'supposed' to be.” The images of Ranami, Naru, Kousagi, Uromamo and many other different children appeared at the touch of a button. “A good half of the children that are here right now, were born into a dimension where Chibi-Usa appeared in the past to fight the Black Moon. Several of them became younger or older siblings to Chibi-Usa, but most of them...replaced her. As a result of the latter situation, several of the Serenitys and Endymions attempted to change the time line to have Chibi-Usa brought back to them. These attempts by the couple and the solder to 'restore' the timeline....”

“That's a subjective word if I ever heard one....”

“.....invariably met with....some different results. This here is the primary search I did when I first started my thesis on disrupting the integrity of all the time lines.”

Typing in another set of passwords, several pictures appeared again on the screen, with their respective dimension numbers noted underneath. There were many of them, and so Tourmaline scrolled down slowly, so that the senshi could take in the results.

Only two of them had Chibi-Usa and another sibling, and one with just Chibi-Usa. Three had the errant sibling without Chibi-Usa. None of the children in the pictures, not even Chibi-Usa, looked very happy at all. That equaled, out of Tourmaline's primary test of 250, 6 tests that produced any degree of success.

The rest of the images were eerily blank.

“My.....god.”

It was really the only thing anyone could think to say at the sight. What was especially sobering to the senshi was how empty the eyes of the children that survived were. They seemed unhappy, unfulfilled. What else was unnerving was the thought that they could allow such a thing to happen to a child – to the soldiers here, at least, at that moment, the risk, even for a child they took for granted would be born, seemed too great to fathom.

“Then....It's not worth it, is it?” Minako's head came down. “Regardless of the child. It's cruel to do that to anyone.”

“Is it?”

“..Don't you think so, Tourmaline?”

“Officially, I am a scientist,” Tourmaline responded. “I am supposed to be impartial to these results and treat them as impersonally as I would any science project. They are merely the results of the scientific process and of theory; their parents should have seen these results coming and anticipated the possible loss of both children.”

“And unofficially?” Michiru looked at her. “What does Tourmaline-san say?”

“....It is unforgivable.” The frankness of her voice brought shivers to everyone's spine. “And what is worse, Chibi-Usa was not the only child subjected to this. You know of Casper by now, how he was born instead of Naru in his dimension. It's the same thing with her, and many others, as a result of the intersecting dimensions; the parents wish to 'restore' them as well. I have not even done thorough research on any other child and attempts to 'restore' them, but....I know it's being done. And those success rates cannot have been much higher than that of the attempts to 'restore' Chibi-Usa.”

With that, Tourmaline took in a deep sigh and turned away for a moment, rubbing her face. The girls simply stared at her in silent agreement; they knew what else was on her mind when she spoke. They all remembered when she talked of her past, and how she was treated. How many of the children gathered were not always well-treated, or loved by their parents. To them, at least, it was a travesty that they thought they were incapable of. Unfortunately, Tourmaline proved them wrong.

...No. Setsuna closed her eyes and nodded, her thoughts echoed in the minds of the other sailors. If it happened here...even if another child had been born in this dimension, I would never have allowed it. Especially not now. Not after today...

On the screen, the pictures suddenly disappeared. The crooked lines beeped, and the image of the intersecting veins of reality also vanished.

I will tell Usagi, and Mamoru. I will tell them of this. They will learn of all these children, somehow.....

*FLAAAAAAASH*

Suddenly, the computer screen blanked out, and in front of the tree, a giant rip of light appeared, throwing everything into shadow. Tourmaline gasped at this, while the soldiers threw up their hands to shield themselves.

“What's happening?!”

“My eyes....can't see...!!”

“Are we gonna die?!?”

“Oh my!!” Tourmaline pressed several buttons on her computer. “It appears they're early. I wasn't expecting this...”

“Who's early?”

“Seranezar and Enzayamadon.” Tourmaline sighed as the gap widened. “I was hoping we could at least clean up before they arrived...”

“Sera...wait a minute!” Haruka turned to Tourmaline. “Not that brat's parents?!”

“HAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

As two figures began to materialize, Vazgorth stood up and began to cackle madly. His hands balled up into fists raised towards the sky, and he glared at Tourmaline evilly.

“At long last!!” He pointed to Kousagi and laughed. “So, you think you've won! We'll see how you think once my parents make you my personal slave, to do as I please!!”

“Hmph.” Kousagi's head was still down. “Leave me alone.”

“Ha! I was right. You are nothing but a weakling.” Turning away from his adversary, Vazgorth started walking. “Look at that, foolish adults! My parents have finally come. Now, you will all be tortured to the fullest extent by the Tyrants!!!”

“...I haven't told you that you can come out of time-out.”

“Go to hell.” Vazgorth kept walking, ignoring Tourmaline's order. “I don't answer to your insignificant demands now. With my parents here, I will have my way with you and you all shall be punished!!”

The light of the dimensional rip lessened as the two walked out onto the grass of the park. Seranezar and Enzayamadon were truly a sight to behold; both were tall, pale, and with long black hair and cold blue eyes. Both wore black capes lined with human skin to conceal their garments – the lady in a black leather shorts with fishnets, knee-high boots and no top save for a massive silver bauble which barely covered her breasts, the gentleman in a leather kimono with a wrap made of human sinew and silk and golden skull rings on every finger. Each held skull-crested rods, which they pointed towards Tourmaline.

“Good afternoon, mortal woman.” Enzayamadon spoke first. “We have finished our intergalactic expedition, and are here to pick up the Future Emperor of the Galaxies, our son Vazgorth.”

“HERE!!!” Vazgorth ran straight at his dad. “I'M RIGHT HERE, FATHER!!! YOU'VE FINALLY COME!!!!”

He flew into his father's arms, which hugged him tightly. Vazgorth looked over at Toumaline with an evil smile as he was reunited with his father; alongside them, Seranezar looked at a butterfly that was flying by, a look of disinterest on her face.

“Rei-chan.” Makoto looked at Rei-chan as the female tyrant pointed a finger at the butterfly, causing it to combust. “Is it just me, or do I want to take out my transformation pen?”

“We can't.”

“Why not?”

“Because.” Rei watched as the remnants of butterfly guts fell to the ground; Seranezar and Tourmaline met eyes, and they silently went off to the side. “These two hate sailor soldiers. They kill every one they find. Even us in their dimension.”

“....Damnit.”

“PAPA!! PAPA!!!” A snicker was on Vazgorth's face as he spoke. “We have to hurry, and destroy this world right now! I've been here all day, and I figured out a way to destroy these miserable creatures with as much brutality as possible. And then....and then...with that horrible lady's invention, we can go out and conquer all the other dimensions!!”

“My son....” The cold eyes did not show it, but Enzayamadon was clearly confused. “What has happened to your face? It is bruised.”

“She did it!!” Vazgorth vindictively pointed to Kousagi, who said nothing in response. “So, we can kill her second, after we kill that disgusting woman over there who kidnapped me and take her invention. And I get dibs on how we can slice her skin off!”

“....My son.” Enzayamadon looked at Kousagi, sizing her up, before looking back at his son, confused. “You were not kidnapped. You were brought here on my orders. And why would you even pick a fight with such a lowly creature? She does not look worth the time of our illustrious blood.”

“....What?”

Vazgorth looked visibly stung at his father's words. He broke off the embrace and stared at his father, his mouth open.

“But.....but....” He pointed an accusatory finger at Kousagi. “She tried to kill me! Father, that is a breach of the law! It cannot go unpunished! Surely we can whisk her away to our world and destroy her-”

“Vazgorth!!”

Everyone turned towards Seranezar, who stood right in front of Vazgorth and Enzayamadon. Her eyes were flashing red, and black lightning was crackling around her body.

“Foolish, weak boy!!” She pointed her rod at her child menacingly. “You are a disgrace to our family and to our heritage! Mingling with such people haughtily....showing off your might in such a way!”

“Mother?!”

“Husband.” The woman looked at her mate with cold eyes. “You remember that we promised the keeper of the dimensional gate that out child would not cause trouble under her supervision. We told her we were not interested in this dull and dead dimension, for it was a place with nothing to offer us. And what does our stupid child, whom also vowed not to make trouble if he were left under the care of others, do? He sullies on our good name and tramples on our word as rulers to the gatekeeper herself!”

“Mother!! Father!!” Shocked, Vazgorth reached out to his mother. “You don't understand! I had to break that vow....these simple-minded creatures....these adults weren't caretakers, they mocked me....they lie to you....they-”

“SILENCE!!!” Seranezar's voice boomed as she grabbed the boy by his ear. “YOU SHALL NOT LIE TO ME! I AM YOUR MOTHER!!!”

Everyone, and Kousagi in particular, watched with a twinge of fear as Seranezar pulled Vazgorth away from his father and towards the portal, her eyes blazing with hatred towards her son. Vazgorth, on his part, screamed as loud as he could; his eyes were wild with fear, and he tried in vain to get away from his mother.

“You shall be punished fittingly for this...” Seranezar's seething voice echoed as she stepped into the portal with her child. “You shall be barred from our next expedition, and you will lose all of your imperial titles for three weeks...”

“NOOO!!!” Vazgorth's pain was very satisfying for the senshi to watch. “FATHER, SAVE MEEEE......!!”

With a flash of light, Seranezar and Vazgorth disappeared into the void, their forms gone from the 15th dimension. As the left, Enzayamadon stood up, standing in front of Tourmaline.

“I thank you for taking care of our beloved child, Chiba Tourmaline-san,” he responded brusquely. “Such as he was.”

“It was...a pleasure, your majesty.”

Nodding in return, the king turned his heels and walked into the light. As his body went in, the portal flashed one last time before dying out, the rip in reality re-sealed by an unseen force.

“....Thank god.”

As everyone else celebrated the departure of Tyrant Vazgorth, Kousagi still sat, her head down towards the ground, as if she were still in contemplation. However, there was a wide smile on her face as she clenched her hands together and closed her eyes tightly, to contain her excitement.

I WIN!!!!!!! In her mind, she was pumping her fist up and down, being carried in triumphant procession but countless bunnies and her friends from the 7th dimension. YEEEEEAH! I WIN I WIN!! WIN WIN WIN!! WOO HOOO....!!!!!!!

It was, without a doubt, the proudest moment of her young life.

----------------

The sun was finally beginning to set, after a long, arduous day. Only half an orange orb could be seen by the people in the park; everyone knew that their time together was almost up.

“....I really wish we did have cupcakes.”

“Hm?” Ranami looked over at Hitoko. “What are you talking about?”

“....Nothing.”

Chibi-Usa couldn't help but smirk at Hitoko's comment as the group sat down once more on the ground, looking up at the sunset as it threw purples, greens and blues into the clouds in the sky. For the most part, the group had been silent, allowing the events of the day to sink into their minds.

“Well.” Chibi-Usa looked up. “If you ever come back, I'll make you some goodies.”

“That's an if.” Ranami crossed her legs. “Such technology that Chiba-san possesses isn't something that can be used casually. I wouldn't be surprised if she destroyed it after everything was said and done.”

“If she destroyed it....”

Naru gave a sigh as she looked over at Casper. He wasn't talking to or looking at anyone else in the group; he simply stared at the scenery, his eyes swimming with emotions. He was, however, holding Naru's hand; Naru wondered how someone's fingertips could be so cold, yet the rest of his hand so warm. She herself had changed, out of her regular clothing and back into her nightgown, in anticipation for the inevitable.

“But....there's so much we could learn from each other.” Naru turned back to the others. “So much we could do together.”

“We're from other realities, Naru-chan.” Ranami pushed Gunther as was as he tried to lean on her. “You included. We can't simply stay together forever.”

“But....we're related. We're brothers and sisters in a sense, right?”

“Yes, but....” Ranami licked her lips. “We've already been together long enough.”

There was another silence after Ranami's words. A cloud passed across the setting sun, casting a shadow over the group as they all groped around for something to say.

“Still...” Naru looked down forlornly. “It's not right, I think. To introduce us, and then have us be apart again for the rest of our lives. There's still so much we could do together, don't you think?”

“I think....” Hitoko paused. “That my parents would be asking a lot of questions if I kept disappearing from their house.”

“Me too.” Ranami stretched, rolling her eyes. “As the heir to Earth, I'm supposed to be sequestered in the palace at all times. Any time that my parents find that I am outside the castle walls, even if its to go to school, can be cause for international alarm.”

“...My parents don't care.” Gunther smirked as he tried again to close in on Ranami. “They think I'm playing cards anyways, so they never bother to ask-”

“Well.” Ranami's fist flew out, but stopped an inch away from Gunther's face to convey her obvious message. “We can't all have parents like that, can we?”

“MEEEEP!!” Gunther's head swerved back. “I guess not! Urk!!”

“My parents wouldn't care, either.”

Everyone turned their heads towards Casper as he finally spoke for the first time in a half hour. He released his hold on Naru's hand and stood up slowly.

“I don't want to go back.” His voice was low as he turned away. “I really don't. I know what'll be there when I return.”

“M-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-me n-n-n-neither.” Right behind Hitoko, Uromamo cowered. “I....I'm sc-scared....to g-go back home...”

“Uromamo-chan.” Hitoko shook her head. “You're not going back there. You're going back with Tourmaline-san, remember?”

“...Y-yes.” Uromamo nodded. “I'm just s-s-saying, n-n-n-needles and pills are b-b-bad.”

“Right.” Hitoko nodded with a smile. “They are bad....”

“We have to go back.” Naru sighed. “The rest of us really don't have a choice, anyhow. I just don't want to go back to my bedroom, go to sleep and never see you guys again.”

“You should have brought a camera, then.” Chibi-Usa held a finger up. “Then you could have taken pictures!”

“...I distinctly remember you packing my bag, Chibi-Usa-chan.”

At this, everyone couldn't help but chuckle at the pink-haired girl's expense. They were not nervous or forced; the group was genuinely laughing. Even Chibi-Usa had to slap a palm to her head, roll her eyes, and let out a giggle at the irony of what she did.

“Hey, you!”

“Waaaai!”

“Come on, don't run! I said don't run!!”

Suddenly, children began to stream past them, hollering and screaming. One hundred children at once, of every age and look, were shepherded along by the sailor senshi, away from the lake and away from the sunset.

“What...?” Everyone who wasn't sitting stood up, startled. “What's going on now?”

“Vazgorth...?”

“I thought he was in time-out.”

“Uuugh, not him again...”

“Hey!!”

The teenagers turned around at the sound of the voice to face Makoto. The brunette was holding in her arms two of the youngest children to come through the folder – a little blonde three-year-old girl and a green-haired four-year-old boy who had been peaceably playing in the sandbox the whole time, with naps in between.

“Come on.” The group looked at each other as Makoto motioned behind them. Behind Makoto, the last of the sun dipped behind the horizon. “It's time to go.”

----------------------

All around them, in front and behind, the children were all leaving. Through the large rip created by Tourmaline, they went home; the process took some time, as Tourmaline had to program each child's dimension into the folder before allowing anyone through.

“So.....”

“So?”

“That was fun.”

“I guess it was.” Ranami crossed her arms. “Barring your card playing.”

“You're just mad that you kept losing to me.”

“Shut up.”

“Heheh.” Gunther grinned. “You're not that mad at me, are you? Considering, you know....”

“I...suppose not.” Ranami looked up. “But of course you have the sense not to go telling everyone you know about you and me.”

“...Can I at least tell my mom and da-”

“No.”

“I don't want them to think I'm completely hopeless!”

“...Fine.” Ranami turned around and gave a smile before she entered the rip. As she turned to do so, however, she placed something into his hands. “But don't tell them my name. All right?”

“Um, sure.” Gunther looked down at his hand before looking back up at Ranami's disappearing figure. “I'll see you around, I guess?”

“See you.....”

Gunther couldn't help but blush profusely as the rip flashed around Ranami, sending her back to the 86th dimension. He closed the sword-shaped earring in his fist before placing it into one of his pockets, a giddy grin on his face. Finally, as Tourmaline raised her hand for him to proceed, Gunther himself stepped into the rip.

Heheheh.... The light enclosed onto him, and he disappeared back towards the 76th dimension, numerous thoughts of Ranami's bountiful behind on his mind. Until we meet again, princess!

-

“Come on, you.” Hitoko nudged the person in front of her gently forward. “It's time for you to go now.”

“Ok...”

Kousagi walked into the rip first, disappearing into the light. Hitoko nodded as she was sent back to the 7th dimension; she had to admit that the lavender-haired girl had some gumption to fight such a brat like Vazgorth, even though she was punished for it.

“Your turn next, Hitoko.” Tourmaline turned back towards her computer. “I just need to put in the coordinates.”

“Ok....”

Hitoko looked over at Uromamo, sitting in a chair next to Tourmaline. Her heart melted at the sight; the boy had been given a teddy bear by Tourmaline, to calm him down while everyone was leaving him. Reassured, Uromamo sat cross-legged and contentedly, hugging his teddy bear tightly. She didn't say good bye to him; she didn't want him to think she was being taken by anyone, and thus scare him with nothing else to hold onto.

Good luck, Uromamo-chan....and Chiba-san.

Her gaze was suddenly drawn to an oval odango which appeared in her vicinity. With a smile, Chibi-Usa gave her two thumbs up.

“See you around!” She grinned. “Chocolate cupcakes are better!!”

Hitoko couldn't help but laugh as she went into the rip on Tourmaline's signal. As she was drawn back to the 3rd dimension, she vowed to one day return, and to prove to her half-sister, once and for all, that marble cupcakes were better.

It felt good to be happy for once.

-

“Are you ready?”

“Hm?”

“Are you ready.” Naru looked up at Casper. “To go back.”

“...No.” The red-haired boy looked down. “I don't want to go back.”

The two were almost up to their turn in the rip. Soon, they would be separated; they would be back in their realities, and they were both unsure of what would happen next.

“I wish....” Naru placed a hand on her neck. “I wish I could go with you. Maybe, talk to your parents. Something...”

“What you've done is the best you can do,” he responded sullenly. “You can only do so much.”

“I know.” Naru shut her eyes. “Casper-san....I'm so sorry.”

“No.” Casper looked away. “This was my fault.”

“Being born isn't your fault.”

“I wish my parents felt differently.”

They fell silent yet again. Several people ahead, Judy Charleston leaped into the rip, almost falling flat on her face as she tumbled back into the 38th dimension, broken Edison doll in hand and a scream in her throat that could shatter diamonds.

“I...” Naru looked up at Casper with a sad smile. “It was wonderful to meet you.”

“Really?” Casper gave a huff. “After I tried to kill you?”

“You'd be surprised how much I understand that.” Naru looked down. “Chibi-Usa-chan did exist where I come from, for a time. But when I became Sailor Moon, she was erased and everyone else forgot about her. It didn't change what I remembered about my own life under her shadow, though.”

Zandra Zukino walked through the rip proudly, and was enveloped into light. With little more than a smile on her face, she was whisked away to the 91st dimension, and into her private rooms on the SS Smuckers.

“Maybe...it's just a matter of time before your reality mends itself, for you to properly exist.” Naru stared at the rip. “It was that way with me, and not too soon. If it had been later.....everyone would have died.”

“And what of your parents?”

“...They love me more now than they ever loved me in 900 years.” Naru's voice masked a hint of bitterness. “But it can't take all the pain away. I just have to live through it, live on with my memories and with what might have been. And promise myself I would never do what my protectors did to any of my own children or, if it had ever happened, my siblings. That's all I can do to be the better person.”

They were next. Tourmaline gave the signal that it would be Naru who would go in first. Naru slowly nodded, she took a step away from Casper, her head down.

“I'll remember.”

“Huh?” Naru turned around. “Remember what?”

“...All that you've just said.”

To Naru's shock. Casper gave her a smile; it was a real smile, not the slanted one that she was so used to, that hid his rage and anger towards her. Perhaps it was because she had said something that no one else had said to him, to not give up hope; perhaps it was because she had forgiven him when she took him into his arms and hugged him. Perhaps it was both. Naru was unsure, but in truth, it really didn't matter.

“Good bye, Naru-chan.” He held up his hand. “I'm sure we'll see each other again.”

“Maybe.”

“Huh?” Naru turned to Tourmaline, who was still at the computer. “What do you mean?”

“...I know a lot of the people here have asked about what will happen to the folder.” Tourmaline looked down. “I certainly won't destroy it; there's much to be learned about the nature of reality that can still be gotten.”

“Will we ever be able to get together again?”

“....That, I can't be certain of.” Tourmaline smiled. “But you can go home knowing that there's always a possibility that you may meet again.”

The possibility of seeing Casper and Uromamo sincerely happy. The possibility for Chibi-Usa and Hitoko to find out which cupcake was the best. Or the possibility to see Gunther finally win Ranami, in public. Naru stepped forward to go into the rip.

“Naru!” She was stopped again by Tourmaline. “You had closed your eyes when you came here, so I have to warn you. When you step into the folder, you may pass through other realities on your way back to your bedroom.”

“....Um....Thanks for the warning?”

“Don't mention it.” Tourmaline pressed another button. “Goodbye, Naru. It was good to meet you!”

The light grew brighter as Naru took one last step towards the rip. She didn't have to go any further to enter; the light simply drew her in, its warm arms embracing her. She felt the howling wind, heard the voices, just as she had before. This time, however, she didn't draw back from it; she kept her eyes open and took in everything.

“I'm....not afraid.anymore.”

”Naru!”

“Mother....?”

”Naru-chan!!” Usagi stood in the doorway of the old Tsukino house, her hands on her hips, an apron wrapped onto her waist. “Naru, what are you and your brother doing? You're getting yourselves dirty!!”

“...Sorry, mama!!” Seven-year-old Naru looked sheepishly at her five-year-old brother, Uromamo. “We were just playing...”

“Just playing?! Doooh.” Usagi grumbled as she walked towards them. “You know your father's birthday is today! How dirty you are....”

“I'm....not dirty!!”

Another day in the life. Naru and Chjibi-Usa faced off in their bedroom, their eyes boring into one another with typical teenaged rage.

“Yes you are. What did you spray on yourself, piss?” Chibi-Usa turned her nose up as she adjusted her pink leather jacket, glaring over at Naru's green argyle shirt, denim jeans and blue hair. “And your nose looks ugly with those glasses. No wonder you're single.”

“This is Evelyn Rose perfume, for your information!” Naru towered over the pink-haired girl – currently, black with pink streaks - and laughed. “And speak for yourself when you talk about ugly. At least I don't look like a demented skunk!”

“Prude!”

“Midget!”

“Nerd!”

“Punk!”

“Giiiirrrrls!!”

The two were interrupted by the sound of their mother. The smell of dinner suddenly filled their noses; it was tortoise testicle soup.

“...I hate being your twin!!” They snarled simultaneously. “Shut up, you!! Stop COPYING off of me!!!”

“What?!”

In a school. No one knows quite where or how.

“I'm not copying off of you,” the kid next to Naru whispered. “I'm just....looking.”

“Well, don't look, Mako-chan.” Clothed in the Juuban Junior High uniform, Naru covered her paper from Makoto, her eyes looking up and down as she wrote. “We're in the middle of an exam, if you haven't noticed.”

Makoto simply gave a sigh as old woman Haruna cast an eye in her direction. With little motivation to complete the test, she simply doodled two random bodies onto her test sheet, and wrote underneath in shaky kanji: THIS STINKS.

“Naru......Chibi-Usa.....!!”

The Crystal Palace. Neo-Queen Serenity's eyes widened as she saw her two children – Naru, who had been born, and Chibi-Usa, whom she hoped would exist at the end of the mission, suddenly glow in an eerie light and, right in front of her eyes, quickly fade away.

“....ther....!!”

“NO!!!!!” She stumbled towards their forms, hoping to grasp them, perhaps save them before the time line made it impossible. “NOOO!!!! COME BACK!!!!”

It was of no use. She stumbled, fell, and with only a trail of glittering ashes in their wake, her two children were gone. She let out a scream of agony.

The Timeline Restoration Project was an utter failure.

“NO!!!! NOOOOOOO!!!!!”

“I'm sorry, Usagi....”

A house, present-day Tokyo. A shapely, older Naru, her arms crossed, looked sternly at her young daughter as she cried. Next to her was a broken vase.

“But you are going up to your room, Usagi.”

“I'm...” Usagi's big eyes were filled with tears. “B-b-but I didn't mean to.”

“I'm sorry.” With a deft movement, Naru picked up her unruly daughter and brought her upstairs. “But you are not having dessert tonight. Not after what you just did.”

“Can I at least get the peppermint stick?”

A market in Tokyo; again Naru. She is much younger, and with her is Ami, her mother.

“You can have it,” Ami looked at Naru. “As long as you promise not to have it until you eat your dinner.”

“I promise!”

“Very well.” Ami nodded to the vender. “We'll take it.”

“Here you are.” The man smiled. “That will be 100 yen.”

“Now Naru....what do you say?”

“....ROLL CALL!!!!!!”

Sapporo. Usagi looked at all six of her children as she and Mamoru took the morning roll before school.

“Ranami!”

“Present.”

“Yoshi.”

“Here.”

“Sara.”

“Here!!”

“Mamoru.”

“Here....”

“Motoki.”

“Mommy!”

“Naru-”

“MOMMY, MAKE VAZGORTH STOP!!!”

A world eerily like Xaxalax. The Tyrants have won another victory against their inferior enemies.

“Naruza, Vazgorth!” Seranezar looks at both of her children angrily, a whip in her hand, as they were sequestered in a private room. “I have told you repeatedly to behave when we are publicly executing people!”

“But Mommy, Vazgorth pulled my hair!!”

“Because you're a tattletale.”

“AM NOT!”

“ARE TOO!!”

“....That does it.” The queen cracked her whip. “You are both done.”

The two children's eyes widened as the guards grabbed them and turned them around. Pulling down their pants, Seranezar lifted the whip in readiness for the beatings.

The screams echoed through the castle and lifted up into the sky, where no one could hear them.

So many....so many of me. Through space, and through time, looking into the past and....into the future.....

The future.

A quiet day.

”Casper?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you believe in freight?”

“What?” Casper looked down at the wide blue eyes, confused. “Freight?”

“The thing that disguises life.” The blue eyes blinked under a mess of blue hair. “Like Pumo-san was saying to Mama.”

“...Oooh! Of course...” His hand held onto a hand still lined with baby fat. “But I think you mean 'fate'.”

“Well, do you believe in it?”

The two walked along a sidewalk in a glen, the leaves on the trees pinker than the young girl's cheeks as they swayed gently in the breeze. In front of them, the horizon dropped to reveal a large city in the vicinity.

“I can't really say.” Casper looked at the city, his eyes narrowing. “Sometimes I don't. Sometimes I do. It's been on and off for a long time with me, I guess. Why are you asking me about this?”

“Mama does. She said she did to Pumo-san.”

“What mom and Pluto talk about isn't something you should be hearing of.” Casper stopped as the little girl bent down to tie her shoe. “You're still just a little girl.”

“I'm not little.” The pout on the little girl's face was too cute for anyone to resist. “I'm gonna to be a kidding gardener, and I'm gonna go to school in Sebtemur. Just like you!”

“I'm in college now.”

“So? I'm gonna be in school too. So, I'm not little anymore!”

Casper couldn't help but chuckle as the girl fumbled around with her shoelaces before finally setting them into an irregular knot. As the workmanship was shoddy, they would be loosened, soon enough, and she would have to stop again so that Casper would tie it for her in the correct way.

“Mama said something else.”

“What?”

“She said you went into the past.”

“I did. It was a long time ago, though.”

“She sounded real sad.”

“There's always a lot on mom's mind.”

“She was talking about you, too.” Casper stiffened slightly at this. “She said she wished she wasn't so mad at you alongside Papa, and didn't talk to you, but she didn't know why she and Papa had been mad at you before. Because...Papa died when the bad people attacked, didn't he?”

Slowly, Casper nodded. It wasn't something that she was supposed to know, not for many years at least. It was the reason he had to return to the past, to enlist the help of old friends. It was the reason why their father died, just before the little girl was born.

It was also the reason why no one remembered why they had been mad at Casper. For everyone else, it was an irrational anger; for Casper, he knew that he was not supposed to be born. Another had been slated to. And it was only when his father died during the invasion of the Black Moon that anything changed – he was the man who sent that other child into the past, where people who cherished her first met her. Where they first would have begun to hate Casper for what he wasn't.

So he went to the past, in place of that other child, and time changed. All was soon almost right with the world; but his anger had been too intense, and the wounds too deep for him to completely forgive his mother even after she had forgotten her animosity.

But he had come to realize that there was always hope. He somehow met her one day, before anyone in his reality even knew she was ever to be born; he only wished that she would grow to be as wonderful as he remembered her.

“Casper?” As they walked on, Naru began to skip to his long strides. “I don't believe in freight. Believing in freight sounds like a dumb idea.”

“.....Yeah.” As the two shadows strode together as they entered into the sunset, the glistening crystal city below them, Casper truly smiled. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

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