Project: Sailor Earth

Chapter 18: Time's a changing

By: Tory L. Brown

Declaration of all legal things: All Sailor Moon type characters (minus
Sailor Earth) is based on the series Sailor Moon, Copyright by Takeuchi
Naoko (Did I mention she rocks?). Moshi is now back in the past, or what
might be the past, kinda makes you go hmmm..
Do not hesitate to email me with comments, suggestions or any other stuff.
Please sign my guest book on the main page as well, domo arigato!

     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?!" 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 suprised 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 also. "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 tounge 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, her 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-chan...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 Makoto'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?" 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's and Rei's
arm. 

     "Let's go! Mako-chan will be happy to see you!"

     Moshi looked beyond Usagi's head and made a face at Rei, who 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, 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...sorta flew 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 brough her own
book to keep her entertained. "That's scary, that girl looks just like
Moshi!" 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 over a year since we've seen
Moshi," Ami continued, voicing everyone's thoughts.

     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..Moshi!" 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 do when excited.
"OhmygodMamo-chanisgonnaflipoutoncehefindsoutyou'reback! EEp 
you'remomtooIbetshe'sgonnabegladtoo!!!" she babbled on, leaving everyone
confused as to what she was talking about.

     Moshi snickered. "Usagi's still confusing I see..."

     Makoto ushered everyone inside to the living room where they were
watching tv earlier. Once everyone was settled the questions started to
fly.

     "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 text
books 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 after a year of her daughter's disapperance, she'd be
use to just setting one. "Moshi...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 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! "Moshi!?"

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

     Miko leaped from the table and embraced her daughter, a years 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 arms
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..more
older..more mature. Whatever happened while she was gone, showed in her
apperance. "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 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'll 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, what am I
suppose to tell her!" she yelled as she tried to pry herself loose from
Makoto's steel grip.

     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.

     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..helllp," she
cried as she was slowly being dragged.  Marmoru 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 recounter the past year's
occurences.  She explained the entrance of another Sailor, Sailor Saturn.
The whole Mistress9/Pharoh90 adventure.  She also explained the Starlights
and their princess plus the destruction of the animates and the Golden
Senshi.

     "I missed everything!?" Moshi said after she finally calmed down and
Mamoru placed her back on her feet. "So Chibiusa finally recieved 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 buldged in shock. "Get up on time?! Usagi..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 am Moshi knocked on the door, she scratched at
the too small shirt of her old fuku as Ikuko opened the door. "Ohaiyo
Tsukino-san, Is Usagi 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 repluse, 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. "Umm..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 bidded her friends good bye and she
walked slowly down the long hallway to the testing room, it was by chance
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. "Moshi, 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 avaliable 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 familar 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: Not again!


*** Japanese Words Used in Chapter Eighteen ***

-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

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