You Don't Remember How I Feel By Doug Helm and "Tuxedo" Will Wolfshohl Those characters that are original and the story "You Don't Remember How I Feel" are copyrighted (c) 1999 by Douglas Helm & Will Wolfshohl. This fanfic and hundreds of other Sailor Moon fanfics reside in "Tuxedo" Will's SM Fanfics Archive at http://members.xoom.com/questails/gateway.htm and http://rivendell.fortunecity.com/traveller/861/ Send comments to: Douglas "Candle Light Author" Helm (dhelm@log.on.ca) or "Tuxedo" Will Wolfshohl (wwolfshohl@logicon.com) Chapter 10 - Busted! Serenity thought as she looked at her children. Both little girls were now looking extremely guilty. While Misako looked at the ground, pretending her parents weren't there, Usagi tried to unobtrusively push the half-eaten container of chocolate pudding out of sight. "Look at this mess!" Endymion exclaimed, "What did you two do, swim in it?" "We were hungwy," Usagi answered boldly. Serenity tried to look stern but all she wanted to do was laugh. She remembered her recent experience being so small. She felt her lips twitching, wanting to become a smile. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that her husband was also trying not to smile. "We'll cwean it up, Otou-san," Misako offered softly. "I think you need to clean yourselves up first, Mesume," Endymion observed. Walking over, he picked up the empty pop bottle and the ravaged container of chocolate pudding. "I'll just go put these back where they belong." Serenity covered her mouth as she saw Usagi give her father a piteous look. Serenity thought. That brought back memories. Just then, Usagi slid from the couch and started shuffling quickly across the floor. At first, Serenity thought that Usagi was pursuing the pudding that her father had taken away but instead, she stopped in mid-stride, a strange expression coming onto her face. "Iie..." Usagi moaned out softly. "Usagi-chan, what's..." Serenity began to say and then stopped in surprise and shock. A small rivulet of liquid ran down Usagi's pudgy leg and onto the carpet. "Endymion, bring a towel or something... Usagi's had an accident." "'Sagi's peein'!!!!" Misako declared loudly, much to the chagrin of her sister. "I told ya not to dwink all dat pop!" She started giggling while pointing at her sister. Usagi turned red as a beet. Serenity was just about to admonish Misako for laughing at something that her sister likely couldn't control when the giggling suddenly stopped. A tiny look of shock appeared on the toddler's face before being quickly hidden. "Not so funny, ne Misako?" Serenity asked. "Nani?" Usagi asked while turning to look at Misako who was now looking sheepish and somewhat flushed. "Nah-nah!" she jeered while sticking her tongue out at Misako, "Shouldn't have waughed at me, Imouto." Serenity decided. "That's quite enough!" she said sharply. Immediately both girls started to cry. In a softer tone, Serenity continued, "All right, girls, we'll give you a bath and get you cleaned up." By this point, Endymion had returned with a towel and was mopping at the stain on the carpet under little Usagi's feet. "Those clothes will have to go," she added. Walking over, she lifted Misako up and carried her at arm's length down the hall and into her bedroom. Endymion followed with Usagi. ****** As she sat on the tile floor of Misako's bathroom, Usagi sniffled slightly and tried to resist the urge to wipe her eyes. Misako was sitting besides her watching their mother as she did something to the furo. "We don't have a tub anymore, Mesume, so I'm going to improvise," Serenity explained over her shoulder when she saw the girls watching her. "Serenity?" Endymion called out. "Hai! Now you two stay right there," Serenity instructed, "And I'll be back in a second." The girls watched as their mother left the bathroom and partially closed the door. "Usagi-san," Misako began while bowing her head, "I didn't mean to waugh at ya." "I know, Miko-chan," Usagi replied. "I dought dey'd yell at us or somedin', not give us a bath." She could only imagine the hideous revenge their parents had in store for them. "I'm not gonna compwain," Misako commented, "Dink dey're gonna spank us?" Usagi blinked in surprise. "Why wouldn't dey just change us back and tell us to go get cweaned up?" "Iie, Mom 'n' Dad don't seem that mad," Usagi offered. But if this entire affair was ever made public, her name would be mud. Just then, her mother came in, a small smile on her face. "Now let's get you both undressed and into the furo." What followed wasn't as bad as Usagi had suspected it would be. Serenity didn't say anything about their misbehavior, or the pudding, or anything else for that matter. She just chatted about different trivial matters as she cleaned both little girls up. "Okaa-san?" Usagi after her hair had been rinsed clean, "Are ya gonna make us owder?" "Hai," Serenity said, "Your father and I decided we don't want to do diaper duty over again..." She had had enough of diapers being a toddler herself for a week. "And your speech is hard to understand. We want to make sure we understand you completely." After giving each girl a quick look over, Serenity nodded to herself and smiled. "All right, Miko-chan, you're first." Reaching out, she lifted the smaller toddler out of the furo and stood her on the floor. Turning to where two large towels were laying, she picked one up and started drying Misako off. When Misako was nearly dry, Serenity wrapped the towel around her and then turned back to the furo. "Now it's your turn, Usagi-chan." Usagi stretched out her arms expectantly and was lifted from the furo and stood on the floor. Shivering slightly as the cool air brushed against her baby skin, Usagi tried not to be self-conscious. Serenity grabbed the other towel and started to dry her eldest daughter off. Usagi endured it stoically as Misako simply watched. After wrapping Usagi in her towel, Neo-Queen Serenity produced the Ginzuishou. "Okaa-san?" Misako asked nervously as she regarded the Ginzuishou. "Don't worry, Miko-chan," Serenity replied reassuringly, "I'm just going to make you older." Wincing at little, Misako closed her eyes as her mother concentrated, silently issuing her commands to the Ginzuishou. Blinking rapidly to clear the spots from her eyes, Usagi found that Misako was no longer a toddler. Her sister towered above her, however, she wasn't her normal height. "Hey, I thought you said you were gonna make us bigger?" "I did, Miko-chan," Serenity said as she wrapped the large towel around her now eldest daughter. "I've doubled your physical age. You're now six years old." Brushing a few stray blonde-white hairs out of Misako's face, Serenity asked, "You okay?" Misako nodded but she had a slightly confused expression on her face. "Everything will be okay. Now just stand over by the door for a second while I get your sister." The little girl complied and shuffled over to the door. Usagi thought, She stared at the Ginzuishou trying not to show how small she felt. Usagi promised but she had a strong desire to do such a thing. When the change came, Usagi let the breath out she had been holding in relief. She was definitely taller and now stood almost an inch higher than her sister. the now six year old thought. Though, Usagi's were her old puffy rabbit ear type. She giggled then, "Let's go and get dressed," Serenity instructed and ushered the girls out of the bathroom before her. "Miko-chan, your clothes are on your chair. Usagi-chan, your father left yours on the bed." Usagi wandered over to the bed. She could see over the bed now but now she wished she couldn't. The sight caused her to wrinkle up her nose in disgust. "Jeans and a T-shirt? Why can't I wear a dress?" Then she spotted the animal print underpants. The ones she had been given had a couple of blue baby bunnies. "Never mind," she said while quickly grabbing up the jeans. "You're enjoying this, ne Okaa-san? "I didn't pick out the clothes, Usagi-chan. Your father scrounged some of Misako's old clothing. You're lucky we didn't throw them away," her mother explained, "I'll leave you two alone to get dressed." Giving them another smile, she exited the room. "What do you have on yours, Imouto?" Usagi asked as she turned to her now twin sister. Misako held up the underpants and giggled. On it was a neon-pink teddy bear. "'Sagi-chan, meet Glow Bear." "Glow Bear?" "He glows in the dark," Misako responded. Usagi rolled her eyes then started to giggle. ****** Despite being only six in a physical sense, Misako was feeling quite relieved. And she didn't feel as bulky or ungainly as she had before. It was with some nervousness, however, that she followed her mother down the hallway and into the living room. She wasn't looking forward to what was likely to follow. "But if we're six, maybe they won't yell as much. They wouldn't hurt little kids," she had remarked to her sister. "Yeah but they can do other things," Usagi had pointed out as they had completed dressing. She was well within the range of a number of punishments which she had long since outgrown. "You may stand right there, Mesume," Endymion instructed as he indicated a spot in front of a two-seat couch that was to the left of a bigger one. When Misako and Usagi had shuffled to their indicated positions, Serenity and Endymion sat down on the larger couch. "First question, what exactly did you think you were doing?!" "Trying to get Mother to see that what she did to this family was wrong!" Usagi snapped back. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "I thought that if Mother could remember what it was like to be plain ol' Usagi, she'd understand." "You endangered the people of our kingdom to teach me a lesson?!?" Serenity asked with some horror. "We were only going to stay a week, Okaa-san. That was it," Usagi replied. "A week was nearly too long, young lady," Endymion joined in, "You were so bent on showing us how wrong we were that you never even thought of what could happen. Did you ever think of anyone but yourself?" "'Sagi had a good plan," Misako interrupted glaring up at her parents. "And we did come back like 'Sagi promised -- one week." "Please, Misako, we're talking with your sister," Serenity admonished gently. "Now, Usagi, exactly when did you cook up this hair-brained scheme? And why did you make me Misako if you wanted me to remember being Usagi?" That was the strangest part of the experience. Misako's mind screamed. "It isn't all 'Sagi's fault," she announced to her parents. "I suppose it's ours?" Endymion asked. "You were the ones that let HER split this family up," Usagi retorted with some heat. Her temper growing, she said, "I thought up this idea because my mom has a big heart and she would never have treated a little kid the way that YOU did." "Nani?! What do you mean `little kid'?!" Misako asked her sister. "Misako, just calm down," Endymion told his daughter who then bristled. "We know you're not a little kid." Turning back to Usagi, he asked, "You can't even do something without dragging in your imouto? That's not how an onee should behave." Misako thought, <'Sagi would've got creamed if I hadn't have told her how to make it work.> "What's that supposed to mean?" Usagi asked defiantly. "I mean that since you're older, you should know better," Endymion explained, "You're nearly sixteen. If you have a problem with us, you should have said so plainly instead of throwing a temper tantrum." "Temper... tantrum?!?" Usagi questioned, her face growing red with anger. "As an onee, I will protect my imouto. I knew Usagi of the past was dense but I didn't think both my parents had odangos for brains." Serenity sighed a little before saying, "That joy ride you took was bad enough, you could have seriously endangered every person on this planet." Misako thought as she listened to her sister and parents argue. "You're lucky that Pluto stepped in and persuaded the Senshi Council not to take any action against you but for you to force your poor imouto to go along with this plan and then change her into a boy, against her will..." "HEY!" Misako squawked in protest, "I told 'Sagi I had to be a boy! She MADE Otou-san be a girl." "You don't have to protect your onee, Miko-chan," Serenity remarked, "I understand completely. If she's going to carry off these schemes of hers, she's going to have to live with the consequences." "But they aren't just hers!" Misako complained, "Why do you always think that she's the smart one?!?" This statement baffled Endymion and Serenity. "I told 'Sagi she couldn't let Okaa-san be Usagi, especially a TEEN Usagi." Serenity and Endymion fixed Usagi with dark looks. "Usagi, did you put your imouto up to this?" Serenity asked. Before Usagi could respond, Misako gripped her hair in frustration and yelled in outrage. ****** Usagi thought as she watched her sister, She couldn't see any reason getting Misako into trouble too. "Of course, I put her up to it," Usagi fibbed. "That's not true!" Misako shouted indignantly, her eyes flashing with rage. "'Sagi told me that she wished she could use the Ginzuishou to make Okaa-san be like Usagi of the past again and I told her if she did that, Okaa-san would just use the Ginzuishou to change right back. Then 'Sagi would really be in trouble." "Shut up," Usagi muttered under her breath. She glared at Misako and thought, "They aren't going to buy it, Miko-chan. Who'd ever think you thought up something like this?" As Misako turned to stare with smoldering eyes, Usagi gulped. Endymion glanced between Usagi and Misako before asking, "Miko-chan, are you saying you thought up this entire plan?" "Iie," Misako responded, "'Sagi thought up the plan." Usagi cheered silently. "See... What did I say? I talked Misako into it." Usagi took a step backwards as Misako started reaching for her. "Now girls," Serenity demanded while getting up and taking Misako's arms in her hands. "I want you to tell us everything." Usagi glared furiously at Misako for a moment before sighing. "Yeah, it was my plan. I was going to turn you and Dad into teens." "But I told her that you'd be able to use the Ginzuishou as a teen. I told her that," Misako said while looking at her father. Younger Jupiter and the other Senshi had taught her that. "Things went on from there," Usagi explained, "I figured that the Royal Family needed to be as close as it could be to the real thing and that's how I made my wish." "You know pretty much what happened after that." Serenity and Endymion regarded each other for a long moment before Serenity instructed, "Girls, I want you to sit on that couch and don't move. Your father and I have some things to discuss." ****** Once in the study with the door closed, Serenity looked at Endymion and said, "Well?" "I think Misako's telling the truth," Endymion answered, "She's pretty upset about us thinking it was all Usagi's fault, Serenity." Serenity waved that aside, "She just doesn't want to see Usagi get into trouble." Endymion shook his doubtfully. "You think it's more than that?" "Hai," he answered as he dropped into a nearby chair. "Once she saw it was too late, Usagi did admit that Misako had helped her plan this. Think, Serenity, if Misako was lying, would Usagi support her?" "She'd try to protect her imouto," Serenity concluded. A pained expression came over her face, "So that means both of them were in on this. I just can't imagine Misako doing something like this. She always looked up to Usagi." "Not as much now," Endymion amended softly, "The girls aren't as close as they used to be. You heard Usagi though. She was just going to make you and I teens." Serenity sat heavily in a chair and closed her eyes. Rubbing her temples, she sighed. "You didn't think Misako was as innocent as I thought she was, ne?" "I didn't have any proof, Serenity," Endymion commented, "But Misako isn't as innocent as she might appear to be. There's a mind behind that kawaii smile." Endymion chuckled slightly and continued, "I think Misako sometimes plays naive and innocent just to show she's different from Usagi. Usagi and I both know she can be sneaky if she feels like it." Serenity gave her husband a rueful smile. "Hai, I know. I always found Misako's ability to make everything fit logically into a pattern a little eerie at times." She sighed a little then. "We can't let this go on, Endymion. What they did was so dangerous, I don't even want to think about it." Serenity shuddered a little bit. "This goes well beyond grounding." "Well, we can't spank them," Endymion stated, "Even if they do look like six year olds." "I agree. That would just make them resent us more and... I don't want that." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees while cupping her chin in her hands. "I don't suppose you want to raise them all over again, ne?" Endymion gave her a shocked expression. "Nani?! I can't believe you'd even suggest that! I want this family to be happy but could you honestly do that to the girls?" "Iie," Serenity replied, "And I'd be worried if you would have said hai." She smiled slightly and ran a hand though her husband's black hair. "Maybe you should dye your hair strawberry-blonde, Onee-chan." He had been kawaii as a five year old. "Serenity..." "Gomen," Serenity apologized while pushing herself up. "I'm just at my wit's end. Usagi and Misako are so angry with us. And I don't want to come off like an ogre in punishing them but I have to." "That's where you're wrong," Endymion retorted, "We have to punish the girls. Serenity, we have to work together. Not just us but the girls too." "How though? They won't talk to me. Things were so much easier when they were little," Serenity pointed out as she stared out the window. Endymion furrowed his brow for a moment and then said, "Ne, what about the wedding fiasco?" Serenity turned away from the window to look at him in puzzlement. "We could keep them six for awhile. I think everybody needs some time to calm down, to reflect." "But we couldn't send them to school like we did then. That would ruin them. It'd start rumors flying about the Royal Family and that, we don't need. The Throne must be seen as stable," Serenity argued. "You think we need a break?" "I think we all need a break," Endymion stated. "Well... we could tell the girls that we'll only keep them six until WE figure out some other punishment for them. The Senshi Council must be informed although Kami-sama knows what they will say..." "Treason most likely," Endymion retorted, "But we'll tell them we're handling it personally and that if they give us this time, something good might come of it." "Hiroshi will have a fit," Serenity remarked. Endymion smiled, "He simply needs to know that we won't be available for a week at most. And we can have Mizuno-sensei drop off the girls' schoolwork at the Suite each day. Only the Elders need know. That's best for all involved. To everyone else, we are taking a much needed vacation from our duties." ****** Misako ignored Usagi who was shifting nervously beside her. She was upset that Usagi thought she couldn't face the consequences of her actions. Misako snorted distastefully at the thought. And she certainly wasn't going to let her parents think that it was all Usagi's wonderful plan. Her heart sped up slightly as the study door opened and their parents came out. She felt her mouth become dry as her stomach tried to tie itself into a knot. Usagi must have felt the same way for she stopped fidgeting in her seat and instead, concentrated on looking at the floor. "Your father and I have made a decision, Mesume," Serenity began. Both girls tensed expectantly. "You'll both be staying six years old for awhile." "Six?!?" Usagi whined, "That isn't fair!" "You don't think it's fair, ne?" Endymion asked, "I'm quite sure we could get along with you being say... two instead." Usagi's mouth dropped open in surprise and she stared at her parents incredulously. "As I was saying, you two will be staying six until your father and I can think of a suitable punishment," Serenity explained. "I'll never hear the end of it. My life is ruined!" Usagi whined, "What will Hana and Ikado say? What will Sakuya say?" "They won't know, Usagi-chan," Endymion replied. "Nani?" Misako questioned. She had managed to pull herself out of the shock that her parents' announcement had induced. "You believe me?!" "Hai," Serenity replied, "We don't want to ruin your reputations with your friends. You'll both be confined to the Royal Suite for the duration." Both girls looked like they were about to protest this when Serenity added, "And so will we." This caused both little girls to take on puzzled expressions. "I'll have to clear it through the Senshi Council but only the ELDER Senshi will know. And they will all be sworn to secrecy." "We want to talk about what happened over the week that you were big," Endymion continued his wife's explanation, "This family needs to spend time just being that, a family." "So you're just gonna ask us a bunch of questions, ne?" Misako asked. Her father nodded. "So why not just confine us to the Royal Suite?" "Because... we're part of the problem. You both pointed that out quite clearly," Serenity said while coming around to sit on the edge of the couch. "I'm sure you have questions just like we do and we want to try to answer them. There's a lot of stuff we have to think about. That ALL of us have to think about." "I want each of us to promise as Sailor Senshi to be as honest as we can be when somebody asks us a question," Endymion requested, "And we also promise not to get angry about what happened during the week you were big." Usagi and Misako regarded each other. Misako pondered, Usagi looked directly at her mother and said, "I have a question," "Nani?" Serenity asked. "Okaa-san, why did you listen to Sailor Pluto? I want the REAL reason this time." "Usagi-chan, I'd like to answer that," Serenity replied, "But I don't think this is the best time." "You mean you gotta think up a good lie!" the little girl shouted, "I knew you wouldn't tell us. Why do you think I did this? You weren't listening to me or Misako. You just said everything was all right BUT IT WASN'T!" Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Usagi-chan," Serenity began, her voice throaty, "I don't want to lie to you, or to Misako. I don't need time to think up a lie." Kneeling in front of her daughter, she said softly, "I just think that everybody needs time to catch their breath. There's a lot to think about. Please, Usagi-chan, wait until you're back to your normal size and then all of us will have a talk about why I listened to Sailor Pluto." Usagi looked over towards Misako. Misako was quiet for a long moment and then remarked, "'Sagi-chan, I want to find out too but we got other things to worry about." She paused for a moment and said in a quieter tone of voice, "I believe her, 'Sagi." "All right," Usagi conceded after a long moment of silence. Seeing the reluctance in the girls' faces, Serenity said, "I, Tsukino Serenity, promise as a Sailor Senshi to be truthful in answering questions put forth by my family and will do my best not to get angry if I find something out that would normally upset me. I also promise to fully explain and answer questions related to why I followed Sailor Pluto's instructions after my mesume are returned to their normal physical ages." Endymion used a similar phrase and made the same promises without the mention of Sailor Pluto. When her father was done, Misako braced herself and repeated the same oath as her father. Usagi was the last to speak but she did not speak it any less sincerely. "Speaking of Sailor Senshi," Endymion said, "Please, Mesume, hand over your transformation broaches." "Nani? Why?" Misako asked. "You're six. That means you're too young to be Sailor Senshi," her father responded. End of Chapter 10 Coming next in Chapter 11 - Bad Memories