Chibi-usa Triple Feature by Greenbeans Credits: Chibi-usa is the property of Naoko Takeuchi, whom is probably the only other person beside Phoenix-san on this planet who would lay claim to her ;> (Sorry, I had to get at least *one* jab in there..). These are 3 individual stories put into 1 file for convienance. I say this because story 3 is a complete 180 from the themes in the first 2 (just so that you aren't caught off guard). Thanks Phoenix-san :) ---------- The Earth and The Moon The soft padding sound of socked feet echoed through the long, dimly lit hallway of the palace. None of the guards stationed in concaves along the way paid heed to the little girl that rushed towards the Queen's chambers. A slight, bemused, smile was known to have creased the lips of more than one of those guards as the familiar scene played itself out. The heavy wooden door that separated the private and public chambers of the Queen was opened with a slight moan of protest. The little girl slipped inside with a nod of thanks to the guard who assisted her admittance. She approached the large bed that her parents shared, careful to not trip over any of the bedding that tended to be discarded during the night by her Mother. She tugged pitifully on the covers that caccooned her Father in warmth. He stirred at her promptings, sitting up once his mind cleared itself of dreamy cobwebs. "Daddy, I had a bad dream," the child lamented, holding tight to a handful of blanket. An expression of wry chagrin crossed his face. "What would make you sleep easily?" He asked, hoping against hope that she didn't want to sleep with them. He loved her dearly, but she was getting too big for the three of them to fit on the bed comfortably. "Tell me a story," she nearly begged. She was trying to be a big girl and not come running to her parents, but the transition was a difficult one -- especially when she was as close to them as she was. The King nodded his agreement before leaning over his wife, whispering into her ear where he would be. He got out of the bed and put a nearby robe on. The little girl held his hand as he escorted them both back to her room. He led them to a broad-ledge window seat that overlooked the gardens outside. Once he was seated, he lifted her up and positioned her comfortably in his lap. The Moon was brighter than usual tonight, providing the perfect backdrop for his story. "Have I ever told you the story of the Earth and the Moon?" He murmured in her ear. She shook her head, causing her pink pig tales to bob from side to side. "Thousands of years ago, before any humans were here, the Sun created the Earth. The Sun was a caring parent, doing all he could to nurture his newborn son. His warmth encompassed his son, chasing away the chill of cold space that surrounded them." The child looked up at him with eyes eagerly intend on his face. She was very bright for one her age, a fact both her parents took pride in. If she had any difficulties following his story, she would stop him. But for now, it was best to keep going. "The Earth completed many circuits around his father, but something didn't seem right. He spent several years questioning what could leave him with such a feeling of emptiness and longing. "'Father,' said the Earth, 'I am not complete without a partner. Please give me someone to be with.' "His father considered his request carefully, for he'd already completed the system. To introduce another planet would disrupt his carefully laid plans. The answer came to him when one of his nephews sped past them for a visit. A smaller planetoid, a moon, would fit his son's needs for companionship. "And so, the Sun created the Moon, placing her a safe, but reassuring, distance away from the Earth. The Moon was the image of pure beauty in the Earth's mind. She cast her soft, white glow upon him and he basked in it in a way he never could with his father. "The Earth watched the Moon, in awe of her. She smiled at him, tugging gently on the planet's surface, causing the oceans to roll. He enjoyed her attentions, and decided that henceforth he would protect the Moon, for she gave him what could not find elsewhere; love." The King looked down at his daughter. She had fallen asleep sometime during his story. Gentle fingers lovingly brushed aside a few stands of hair that lay across her face. Rising from the ledge, he carefully laid her down on her bed. He fussed with the covers until he was certain she would rest well. Quietly, he moved across the room to leave. At the doorway, he glanced back at her with a single thought on his mind: the Earth will always watch over the Moon. ---------- No Regrets "...and they all fall down!" The children dancing around in a circle all fell to the ground in unison befit with giggles. Chibi-usa and some of her friends wanted to go to the park when Mamoru came by to escort them home. It would be a shame to waste such a lovely spring afternoon by his reasoning, and so agreed to take them. Upon arriving, he called Usagi to let her know where they had gone. She thought the park was an excellent idea and would be joining them soon. (Of course, anything that got her out from under the watchful eye of Rei-the-study-hound was a good idea). He suspected that the others would 'indulge' Usagi and come along. Not that any of them were having their arms twisted, he noted with a grin. "Mamo-chan!" Usagi waved enthusiastically from the distance. He waved her over, not wanting to be too far away from Chibi-usa. Usagi ran over to him, huffing slightly from the effort. "This was a great idea." "It was Chibi-usa's," he admitted, hiding a smile from Usagi at the look of indignant surprise on her face. He glanced back at his future daughter. "It's good to see her enjoying herself while she can." "Mamo-chan?" Usagi took hold of his hand, suddenly serious. Her thoughts had often drifted in the same direction. As much as she and the child fought, she wanted the girl to enjoy as much of her time here as she could. The future would deliver its unfair blows soon enough. ***** 3 days (and a thousand years) later ***** Neo-Queen Serenity watched her daughter meander through the courtyard below the balcony she stood on. It broke her heart to see the child so lonely. She turned around to address the person standing in the chamber behind her. "I want Small Lady to live a childhood that she won't regret, Pluto. If the only place she will receive that is in the past, so be it," she spoke softly, but firmly. The senshi of the outermost planet bowed in mute acknowledgement of her liege's order. But she would not let the matter settle quietly without some advice. "Are you sure you're doing this for the right reasons?" "Isn't the happiness of my daughter a good enough reason?" The Queen retorted without malice. This decision pained her and she didn't want to make it any more difficult than it already was. Pluto appreciated her position. She would be losing one of the few people she was truly attached to. "Your reason is a sound one, but reflects an unnecessary concern." Serenity's sharp glance caused her to hesitate briefly before continuing. Pluto wasn't used to not being in control of a conversation, and would need to choose her words most carefully for this one. "Serenity, you want what is best for Small Lady - for her to live her live without regrets. I ask you how she can regret something she does not know? Could she regret not riding the bullet train if she never knew that it existed in the first place? The things she knows of the past are stories to her, myths that are no more real than a dragon from a book." Puzzlement and then dawning understanding crossed the Queen's features. Pluto nodded her head before continuing. This next topic would be the hardest to approach. "I have to ask if some of the regrets you are trying to spare Small Lady are ones of your own," she meet Serenity's eyes levelly, trying to express as much compassion as she could within a look. "I -" she paused, "I'm not sure, Pluto. I want her to have everything I can give her. Is that wrong of me?" Pluto drew closer to put an arm around the younger woman. "Of course not. Every parent wants that for their child. But you must remember that opportunities you had and missed as a child may not suit her or even be available. I would suggest offering as many opportunities as you can and letting Small Lady select those that suit her best." Serenity sighed softly, feeling sullen at the direction her thoughts were taking. "Do you think sending her back is a bad idea?" Pluto shook her head. "It's not if it is done for the right reasons. Small Lady could use the training and the experiences she will gain there. Going simply to spare her missing an opportunity devalues the experience." The Queen watched her daughter playing with a stick in the dirt. It was a simple pleasure the child received from moving the earth around. "Thank you, Pluto." ***** A thousand years (and 3 days) previous ***** Chibi-usa chased her friend to the jungle jim as quickly as her legs could propel her. "Wait up!" Her friend stopped, huffing some to catch her breath. "This is fun, Chibi-usa. I'm glad you could come." Chibi-usa smiled broadly at her friend. "Me too." ---------- Revenge of the Small Lady Rabbit Somewhere that wasn't anywhere in particular, a rabbit hopped about acting cutely in the opinion of some and being a nuisance in the opinion of others. Elsewhere, a bean of upstanding stature in the community she lived in wrote a story. It wasn't just any story she was writing. Going against her usual grain of good-natured-ness, it was a revenge fic against her least favorite member of the community: a pink-furred, small, lady rabbit. The bean was none-too-kind in her appraisal of the rabbit, referring to her as a yam on multiple occasions. In yet another location that was equally far from both the rabbit and the bean, a great-winged phoenix took notice of the situation and appointed himself as the defender of the rabbit. (Because animals should stand united against the recent growth of unsavory vegetation around the community). Taking note of this alliance, the bean redoubled her efforts to discredit the rabbit. She went so far as to create a list of reasons why rabbits should be stewed and posted it in the Town Square. The phoenix was not amused and kept a carefully made list of transgressors and their violations against the rabbit. Frustrated with how her species was being run through the mud, the rabbit took her complaint to the bean personally. The rabbit hopped around the community's garden until she found the bean's pod. "Hey, you!" She chittered angrily. "Knock it off or I'll eat you!" She barred her sharp teeth to intimidate the bean into submission. The bean, used to threats of being eaten, retorted as she usually did. "Ecchi yo! I'm not that type of bean!" "I'm serious!" The rabbit hopped with indignation. "Get away from my pod before I roll a pumpkin over you," the bean shook her fist angrily at the rabbit, then returned to her pod. Unsuccessful with this attempt at a peaceful resolution, the rabbit came up with another plan. The rabbit, with the phoenix as her right-hand-firebird, rallied the sympathetic community members to their cause. At the same time, a group of carnivores were organizing themselves to hold a potluck featuring rabbit stew. (The bean would be in attendance of this event since none of her lentil cousins would be in the main course). The rabbit-tachi raided the potluck without bringing any foods to the event. They ate all the chips and dip and created much havoc. The potluck-goers weren't happy about having their event turned upsides down and retaliated by replacing all the carrots in the garden with green onions. The antics of the two factions were tolerated by most, and outright condemned by the more mature members of the community. It was a war with no end in sight. The rabbit would be satisfied with small victories though, and since the bean had given her so much grief, it was time to start paying the bean back. One day, the bean was playing a game and discovered that she had no phoenix downs. The only place one could get the downs she needed would be from a phoenix. "Ah, beanie, you need some phoenix downs for your game? You wouldn't believe how many people have been coming around lately asking for those. I'm all out today, come back tomorrow and I'll have some set aside for you," he said. Once the bean had left the phoenix's nest, the rabbit came out of the shadows. "We have her where we want her," she laughed maniacally. The phoenix chuckled slightly; somewhat concerned about the position he was finding himself in. The following day, the bean returned to the nest to get the downs. "I have them all ready, but I'm afraid you'll have to do something for me in return." 'Phoenix-san has always been considerate to me, I'll go ahead and agree,' the bean thought to herself before asking what it was that he wanted. "You have to wear these rabbit ears on your head for 3-days," the phoenix presented the bean with a pair of rabbit ears to wear. "Wha-?! Why?" The bean sputtered. "Advertising the phoenix down product, of course!" He spread his wing wide to encompass the entire community. "I've started a business called 'Rabbit Downs' and the rabbit motif is my calling card," his beak twisted into an innocent smile. The bean took the rabbit ears and the phoenix downs. "I'll get you for this... you and your little rabbit too," she promised darkly as she left the nest with the ears on her head. "I don't doubt that this will be the last we see of each other," the phoenix agreed sagely. ---------- I'm pretty sure you can catch most all of the reference in this last story. Here's a quick run down: * The community is AFS-M. * 'Reasons Chibi-usa Must be Punished!' from my page. * The black list. * Phoenix Downs are from the Final Fantasy series, which everyone is playing right now and probably going through a lot of them ^^;