* * * *

Near the Hikawa jinja a ball of bright light appeared and suddenly vanished, leaving a girl in a elementary school fuku in it's wake. Her black ponytail dangled over her shoulder as she struggled to get on her feet. Looking around, she noticed she was near her friend, Hino Rei's house. Running to the door, she knocked frantically. A small elderly man opened the door.

"Oh Kami-sama... Moshi-chan?" he said, staggered by the girl's appearance.

"Hai! Is Rei-chan here?" she asked, bowing before him. Her long dark ponytail drifted over her shoulder, nearly touching the ground.

He blinked almost audibly then responded, "Sure sure, come in! Rei's going to be surprised to see you!" He led Moshi down the hallway to the door of Rei's room. He knocked on the door and opened it, whispering slightly. He turned back around and faced Moshi. "Ok, you can go in now!"

Moshi beamed another of her smiles. "Arigato!" She bounded into the room, ready to pounce on Rei and hug her. Rei looked up and a smile started to slowly spread across her face. The smile seemed to be one of excitement, but also relief.

"Mo-chan, you're back!" She jumped from where she was sitting and the two embraced. Rei gripped her friend tightly. Moshi was almost exasperated at the amount of emotion Rei was displaying.

"Could it be?" Moshi started, looking at Rei, her violet eyes open wide. "The infamous Hino Rei missed me?"

Rei's lips quirked in a larger smile as she cuffed Moshi with her arm. "I would be lying if I said I didn't!"

Moshi simply stared, flabbergasted. She always believed that Rei hated her for some reason or another.

Rei noticed Moshi's hesitation, she quickly changed the subject. "Did you defeat Imitar!?"

Moshi nodded. "Hai, Imitar is no more!"

Rei smiled again and nodded. "That's good, very good. Let's go I know Usagi is dying to see you again!"

"Hai, I missed Minna! Let's go!" she said, heading for the door. Rei stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"First, you might want to get out of that small fuku," she said, looking at the too small shirt and barely covered Moshi's belly.

Moshi looked down. "Hmm it is a bit tight, got anything I can wear?" When she looked back up, her face was stained slightly pink.

Rei nodded and went to her closet, pulling out a T-shirt and one of her pink jumpers, to which Moshi stuck out her tongue and gagged. "It'll have to do till you get home!" she said as she threw the jumper at Moshi's head.

After dressing and brushing her hair, she and Rei headed off to Usagi's house. The two joked the whole way, laughing and poking each other. Walking up to the front door, Moshi tugged at the straps of Rei's jumper as Rei rang the doorbell. Usagi bleary eyed from lack of sleep opened the door wearing a pair of pink rumpled pajamas. "Nan des ka?"

"Usagi, guess who is back?" Rei said as she pried Usagi's eyes opened and turned her to Moshi.

"MO-CHAN!" Usagi said as she suddenly woke up and leaped onto Moshi, sending them both to the ground. "I missed you!" she squealed as she grabbed Moshi and held on as tight as possible.

"Ooof!" Moshi said as she connected with the ground. "I...missed. ..you--OOO AIR!"

Rei pulled Usagi off of Moshi. "Stop before you kill her! Now go get dressed, we're going over to Mako-chan's!"

Usagi nodded and stormed upstairs, quickly dressing. While waiting Moshi had a funny feeling, where was Chibiusa? She expected to see the pink haired girl running towards her any second.

"Rei-chan?" she asked, turning to face Rei.

"Hai?" she responded, also turning to face Moshi.

"Doko wa Chibiusa-chan?" she asked, cocking her head to one side in confusion.

Rei looked down at her shoes. "We'll have to talk about that later."

Moshi frowned. "What the he..." Before she could finish Usagi reappeared, bright eyed and fully clothed. She grabbed Moshi and Rei's arm.

"Let's go! Mako-chan will be happy to see you!" Usagi said with delight.

Moshi looked beyond Usagi's head and made a face at Rei. Rei made a face and stuck her tongue out in response.

* * * *

Makoto sat down to her favorite TV show and a bowl of potato chips. A commercial was on with a girl that looked almost like Moshi. Moshi, her friend vanished for almost a whole year, and the gang was in high school now. Time had changed so with her gone, she almost spoke with Takanera Miko everyday. Ever since Moshi jumped ahead, time almost seemed to fly with her gone.

Minako flopped down next to Makoto with her own bowl of chips. She was here also with Ami to watch some TV. Ami although had brought her own book to keep her entertained. "That's scary, that girl looks just like Mo-chan!" she said as she stuffed a few chips in her mouth.

Ami looked up from her book, removing her glasses. "Hai, she does. Sugoi ne?" Makoto merely nodded, deep in thought as she chewed on a potato chip. "Or maybe it's because it has been more year since we've seen Moshi," Ami continued, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"I know," Minako said sadly. "We've defeated the Deathbusters, Nehelenia and Galaxia. She missed quite a lot."

Makoto nodded. "We've even went up in power. I wonder if the same happened to her."

Ami shrugged. "Time travel is a finicky thing and I understand how Setsuna-san is very protective about it. But what if Moshi didn't change and is still at her last level, will she power up now or stay that way?"

Minako and Makoto's eyes went wide. "Sugoi. That is a lot to think about," Minako said.

A frantic knocking at the door drew everyone's attention to it. Makoto put the bowl down and went to the front door. "I'm coming, hold your horses!" she called as she turned the knob, releasing the lock and opening the door.

"Konnichi wa!!" Usagi called as she stood next to Rei grinning madly.

"Konnichi wa Minna-chan," Makoto said. "What's up?" Had it been Minako and Rei standing outside her apartment grinning, she would have thought the pair was up to something devious.

Usagi started to giggle as Rei talked. "We've brought someone to see you!" she said smiling also.

A figure bounded out from behind Usagi and attached itself to Makoto. "Mako-chan!!" Moshi cried as she hugged her best friend.

Makoto's green eyes swelled with tears. "Mo-chan!" she yelled as she returned the hug. Ami and Minako ran to the front door to see what the commotion was.

"Kami-sama, Mo-chan!" Ami said as she dropped her book on the floor. She rushed forward to embrace Moshi.

Minako grinned. "Mo-chan! You're back!"

"Group hug!" Usagi called out as she hugged Rei. Soon the six friends were in a tight group hugging and laughing. Moshi giggled, she was getting that feeling again, the same feeling she had after she defeated Mosite and Chibiusa and Miko started a group hug. "I missed you Minna!" she said as the group began to break up.

Usagi started to talk rapidly as she usually did when excited. "Oh my god! Mamo-chan is gonna flip out once he finds out you're back! You're mom too! I bet she's gonna be so glad!" she babbled on, leaving everyone confused as to what she was talking about.

Moshi snickered. "Usagi-chan's still confusing I see..." She reached over and scratched Luna and Artemis behind their ears. The two cats purred happily. Both were glad to see the missing Senshi again.

Makoto ushered everyone inside to the living room where they were watching tv earlier. Once everyone was settled, the questions started to fly. Moshi was sitting in front of everyone with the two cats draped on her shoulders.

"What was it like?"

"How was Imitar defeated!?"

"Are Shi and Miko ok?!"

"Did you see Hoshi?!"

"Where's your star?!"

Moshi waved her hands in a gesture of defeat. "Ok ok I'll answer each question one at a time, and then we go see Ru-chan ne?"

"Okay!" they all answered in unison.

* * * *

Mamoru looked at the picture of his sister he kept on the desk in the living room. He wondered if she'd look the same afterward, obviously she didn't die because he still remembered her. He also wondered when will she return, it's been so long a whole year. He often walked past her apartment to get a glimpse of Takanera Miko. Of everyone Miko took her disappearance the hardest, she put off her job to search for Moshi. Posters littered the downtown area in search of a small dark haired girl with large violet eyes.

With a loud sigh, he removed his glasses. Looking around he noticed how empty the apartment seemed. He'd always known what loneliness was like, but this was almost the worst. Standing up he gathered his textbooks and headed for his bedroom. In the room he placed his books on the desk, the ones he needed for tomorrow he placed in his bookbag.

He heard the jingling of keys and voices whispering. Once of the voices he could pick out as Usagi, she probably was dropping in with the girls again. Wait a minute, he never gave her a key. Moshi although had one.

He raced back out into the hallway to the living room. Standing in a tight group was Usagi and the others. With a odd grin on all their faces, he wondered what were they up to, also how in the world did they get in?!

"Mamo-chan," Usagi started. "We just thought we'd come by and see how you were doing."

"Hai," the rest said in unison, nodding madly in agreement.

"Ok, then have a seat," he said, unsure of what crazy plan they had in action, with Usagi here and Rei and Minako acting as a team, he was for sure stuck.

They shuffled forward, still in the tight group, edging closer, and closer towards him. Suddenly someone broke through the group and pounced on him. "Tadaima!"

Opening his eyes wide he saw Moshi sitting on his chest beaming. "Midget! Um, you might wanna get off my chest, I can't breathe!" he gasped as Moshi blushed and jumped off.

Finally getting to his feet, he gathered his sister in his arms in a loving embrace. He placed his chin on the top of her head and sighed. Top of her head? She never reached under his chin. "Midget, you grew?!"

"Huh?" she said snapping out of her trance. "So that's why my fuku was tight!"

Rei nodded. "You're the same height as Usagi now!"

"Wow, I grew!" Moshi said as she flexed like she had muscles. Looking at her watch she noticed the time, her mom might be home from work by now. "Minna, don't go no where, I'm gonna run home and be right back," she said heading for the door, of everyone she missed her mother the most, she wondered how she was doing.

Mamoru nodded. "Go on, I was about to tell you to go there."

Moshi waved and raced out heading down the stairs.

* * * *

Takanera Miko was keeping herself busy with preparing something to eat. She noticed that again, she had set two places at the table instead of one. You'd think that after a year of her daughter's disappearance, she'd be used to just setting one.

"Mo, where are you?" she said as a tear slipped down her cheek, plopping onto the counter's surface. Feeling herself starting to cry again, she sat down at the table. Picking her apron up, she started to sob into it. She was sobbing so loud that she didn't hear someone enter the house and walk into the kitchen.

"Okaa-san?" the voice asked, heavily laced with concern.

She wiped her eyes and looked up. She saw a figure wearing a pink jumper and t-shirt. Blinking to clear away the tears, the face came into focus; it was Moshi! A little taller and her face a bit leaner, but it was Moshi! "Mo?"

Moshi's eyes started to glitter with tears. "Okaa-san!"

Miko leaped from the table and embraced her daughter; a year's worth of grief came pouting out. Moshi leaned her head on her mother's shoulder as the relief of her mother being safe washed over her. "Please mama, don't be angry at me," she pleaded.

"No, no, I'm not angry, I'm happy you're back!" Miko said as more tears fell from her eyes. "Let me look at you!" She held Moshi at arm length. Moshi was a bit taller and looked a bit heavier. Her face was a bit lean though. Her hair looked even longer, she looked older and maturer. Whatever happened while she was gone, showed in her appearance. "Are you hungry, I was preparing something."

Moshi nodded. "I'm always hungry!" she joked as she sat down, the familiar feeling of home seeped back into her.

Miko sat a plate in front of Moshi. "Will you tell me why you were gone for over a year later?"

Moshi sat ramrod straight in her chair, a year? "A YEAR?! "I've been gone a year?!" she asked confused.

Miko nodded. "Hai, Mo, a whole year, all your friends are in high school, I went to the graduations."

"OH KAMI-SAMA!" Moshi screamed as she jumped to her feet. That's why Rei said she'd tell her later. "I'll be back I swear!" She ran from the table, putting her tennis shoes on instead of her school shoes, she raced down the steps and headed for Mamoru's apartment.

As she raced to Mamoru's pure anger flooded her, she was going to murder, no annihilate, no obliterate Rei for not telling her. She stormed up the inside steps to his apartment, the loud laughs of everyone reached her ears. Putting her key into the door, she kicked it open. Snarling as she yelled. "Why didn't you tell me I've been gone a year!"

Rei's eyes widened in almost fright. "Well..um..."

Moshi crossed the living room for, heading directly for Rei, if Makoto hadn't grabbed her she would have grabbed Rei and throttled her until she turned blue in the face.

"Why didn't you tell me! I looked like a fool going home. My mother asked me where I was for A WHOLE YEAR...A WHOLE YEAR Rei-chan, what am I suppose to tell her!" she yelled as she tried to pry herself loose from Makoto's steel grip. "Oh well duh mom, I went to the future to save my life!" she cried in a overly goofy voice.

Rei sighed and looked down at her feet again, Usagi blinked in confusion and turned to Rei. "Rei-chan, I thought you told her," she said, not a question but a comment.

"I was going to, but she seemed so happy to be back I didn't want to ruin that," Rei answered as she twiddled her fingers together.

"How could you not tell me that, Rei-chan!" Moshi cried.

Rei sighed. "I had my reasons."

A snarl erupted from Moshi as she started to drag Makoto behind her, trying to get to Rei. Makoto struggled to hold onto the tiny hurricane that was slowly whirling out of control.

Makoto looked to Mamoru for help. "She's too strong!. Help," she cried as she was slowly being dragged. Mamoru jumped from his seat and clamped his arms around Moshi. She winced as all her air whooshed out of her as Mamoru lifted her off the ground.

Rei sighed again as she started to retell the past year's occurrences. She explained the entrance of another Sailor, Sailor Saturn. The whole Mistress9/Pharoh90 adventure. She also explained the Starlights, their princess, and the Golden Senshi Galaxia.

"I missed everything?" Moshi said after she finally calmed down and Mamoru placed her back on her feet. "So Chibiusa finally received all her training and went back to Crystal Tokyo?" she asked as she sat down at the table.

Minako placed her hand on Moshi's. "Everything that happened is for a reason, you had to go to protect the future and your daughters' futures."

"I guess so," she said as she released a sigh of defeat.

Usagi looked at her watch. "Gee it's getting a bit late, I have to go to bed if I want to get up for school tomorrow."

Moshi's eyes bulged in shock. "Get up on time?! Usagi-chan, is that you?!" she said as she placed her hand on Usagi's forehead.

Usagi laughed. "This is high school, it's way harder than jr. high. I have to get up early if I want to stay in good terms!"

"Besides, you have a test tomorrow!" Minako added.

Ami nodded and continued. "You have to take the entry exam if you want to go to Juuban High with us!"

Moshi raised one eyebrow. "Who all goes to Juuban high now?"

Makoto answered. "All of us, except Rei, she still goes to T*A." She smiled and finished. "The coolest thing is, they have fukus that fit!"

Moshi smiled but then a thought hit her that made her groan. "I still have those old elementary fukus! Usagi please can I get one on loan from you?!"

Usagi nodded as she stood up, preparing to leave. "Just come by at 7:30 and change there. We can walk to school from there."

Moshi blinked. "7:30? Boy you wasn't kidding!"

* * * *

The next day at 7:30, Moshi knocked on the Tsukino family door. She scratched at the too small shirt of her old fuku as Ikuko opened the door. "Ohaiyo, Tsukino-san, Is Usagi-chan up?" Moshi said smiling as she held her bookbag in front to cover her belly.

Ikuko blinked, she hadn't seen this girl in over a year! "Kami-sama, where have you been?!"

Moshi made circles with her foot. "I'd rather not talk about it...it was a bad experience." Adding a fake shudder of repulse, she hoped she convinced her enough.

Tsukino-san sighed, poor girl. Good thing she's home where she belongs now. "Usagi is upstairs, I'm sure you know the way," she said as she stepped out the way and allowed Moshi inside.

Moshi went upstairs, past a stunned Shingo and knocked on Usagi's door. Usagi opened it and was actually dressed and brushing her hair. "Ohaiyo Mo-chan, come in!"

Moshi hurried into the room and quickly ripped the tight shirt off. "I'm so glad to be done with this thing!" she said as she put the shirt of the new Juuban high fuku on. "Think I can keep the skirt on, it still fits?"

Usagi looked at Moshi and laughed. "Iie, if you can see what I see, you'd want to wear the skirt with that shirt."

Moshi mumbled and put the skirt on, she was finally in a fuku that matched, no longer will she be taunted as the little sister dragged to school. As she tied her shoes, another knock was at the door. Usagi opened it and let Makoto, Minako and Ami in.

"Time for school!" Ami said. This was one of the few times she actually enjoyed going somewhere.

Minako grinned. "Also time for Moshi's test!"

Moshi narrowed her eyes as she glared mockingly at Minako. "Minako-chan, if my lunch wasn't in the bag, I'd bop you with it!"

"Do you actually think she's ready?" Luna asked as she stretched on Usagi's bed.

Artemis leaped down from Minako's shoulder and sauntered over to where Luna was laying. "Of course...you don't think she can do it?"

Luna twitched her tail. "I never said that, I just asked if she was ready.." She jumped down from the bed and walked out of the room.

Artemis' ears drooped. Luna seemed to be in a bad mood this morning.

* * * *

"Good luck!" Makoto said as she clapped Moshi hard on her back. The force of Makoto's blow almost made Moshi kiss the tiled floor of the school.

"Arigato," she wheezed, Makoto nearly knocked all the air out of her!" Moshi gulped silently as she waved her friends good bye and she walked slowly down the long hallway to the testing room. It was by chance that they were having new testing for new students just transferring in from junior high schools. So deep in thought she was, she almost passed the door to the test room. Peeping inside the room, she saw rows and rows of desk with eager students already sitting there.

Sekano-sensei noticed a small head peering in. He walked over and opened the door. "Takanera-kun, I see you're back!" he said as he smiled at his former student.

Moshi smiled back. "Ohaiyo Sekano-sensei!" she sighed, at least there was one familiar face in this room. She gripped her pencil tighter as she scurried to the last available seat in the room. On the desk was the test packet with the large words, 'DO NOT OPEN UNTIL TOLD' embossed on the cover.

"Now class," Sekano-sensei started. "You have three hours to finish this exam..you may begin." Loud sounds of pencils ripping through paper filled the room as over 50 students began to scribble away at their tests.

"I hope all that studying we did pay off." Moshi thought as she slowly ripped the small tab on the test packet. After filling out the needed information, she set on to start the first part of the test, English.

* * * *

Three hours later, hungry and tired. Moshi slowly made her way to the cafeteria when a familiar hand grabbed her arm. "This way!" Minako said as she slowly pulled Moshi to the cafeteria. This was much different than when they ate lunch at the junior high. Standing in line they waited as Ami, Makoto and Usagi finally showed up.

"Mo-chan?" Makoto asked. "How was the exam?"

Moshi squealed, "It was hell, hell I tell you!" She cringed in mock horror. Reaching up she tugged at Makoto's shirt like someone begging for mercy.

Minako added. "All the horror of it!"

Usagi and Ami sighed and sweatdropped. "That's horror of it all Minako-chan," Ami said.

Minako giggled. "I knew it was something...oh look we're up!"

* * * *

"It seems they've resumed living a normal life mistress," a voice said from the corner of the room.

In the middle of the dark room was a large silver ball perched over a silver pillar, three prongs surrounded the ball holding it in place like a dragon's claw. In the clear surface of the ball, were a moving picture of the Senshi's while they ate their lunches. Suddenly from out the darkness a woman's disembodied face appeared over the ball, watching with growing interest. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail under her silver helmet that sported a pair of horns.

"Enjoy your peace little Senshi, for it will be a while before you have that peace again..." She threw her head back and released a loud evil chuckle that resounded in the room...sending chills down the spine of those that heard.

The End

Next Chapter: Chapter 25, Silvery Dreams.

-chan -- suffix added to a name to denote affection

-san -- suffix added to a name to denote respect/formal situation

-sama -- suffix added to a name to denote total respect

Arigato -- Thanks

doko wa -- Where is

Fuku -- sailor suit/ uniform

Kami-sama -- god

Konnichi wa -- Good afternoon

Hai -- yes

Iie -- no

Minna -- Everyone

ne -- a verbal inflection that expects an agreement

Ohaiyo -- Good morning

Okaa -- Mother

Sugoi -- weird