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rlm@0
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1 The night wasn't easy for the girls. Both of them squeezed on the tiny hospital
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2 bed in the darkness of Hotaru's room; the rhythmic hissing of the respirator paired with
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3 the beat of the heart monitor made for a symphony of restlessness.
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4 "UGH, that beeping is driving me crazy!" Usagi said in the darkness, "I can't
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5 sleep with it! I want to SLEEEEP!" She glared at the offending device, but was
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6 reprimanded by an angry Chibi.
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7 "If that thing stops beeping, you'll get a few hours of sleep…. but Hotaru will
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8 never wake up…. now stop complaining and block it out." The tiny girl curled onto her
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9 side and tried to do the same, but was finding it very difficult. She sighed again,
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rlm@0
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10 wondering what Hotaru is thinking, what she's seeing, what she's hearing, what she's
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11 feeling. Eyes glancing to the window, to the sky that was slowly losing it's inky
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12 blankness in favor of a mild purple as the sun was creeping up over the horizon, she
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13 stared at the slowly brightening sky for a time, before her eyes closed she didn't reopen
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14 them.
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15 Chibi's sleep was tormented, torturous, and troubled. She had visions of a
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16 happy, almost mocking future of herself, around Usagi's age. Seeing herself at her sweet
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17 sixteen party surrounded by the other Senshi and her friends, as she was opening the
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18 presents from a large stack on a nearby table, and the others were standing around her,
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19 two were sitting on the sofa next to her: Hotaru to her right, and Usagi to her left. She
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20 was flanked by Haruka and Michi who stood behind the sofa, Michi against Haruka's
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21 chest, cradled in her arms, both of them smiling brightly.
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22 The inners, too, were there. Ami, as always, was telling them to be sensible
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23 about what they're eating, her voice was as clear as always, "Minako! You shouldn't be
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24 eating so much cake!" Her lips pursed slightly as she looked at the senshi of love with a
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25 huge piece of chocolate cake in her hands, half of it in her mouth.
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rlm@0
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26 "Mmh! Mm-mm mmh!" Mina mumbled over the massive piece of cake in her
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27 mouth, narrowing her eyes at Ami, but with everyone laughing at her, she soon blushed.
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28 "Why not just rub it on your thighs, Minako?" Makoto chimed from the
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29 armchair where she sat with a large glass of cherry soda. "That's where it's headed
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30 anyhow," the brown haired girl quipped to her friend before taking another drink from
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31 her cup.
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32 Chibi glanced over a single, black velvet box sitting on the table near her.
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33 Blinking gently, she reached her hand out and picked it up, studying it carefully before
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34 spotting a tag on the bottom, "To my best friend. Love always, Hotaru." She grinned
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35 widely before opening the box, and gasping at the contents.
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36 The other senshi all stared at her with piqued curiosity at what was in the box,
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37 including the outers, save Hotaru, who looked away with a smile. Reflecting the light
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38 back on Chibi's face was a small, silver locket in the shape of a heart, her name engraved
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39 across the surface in calligraphy. "Oh my…" was her only reaction at first, before her
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40 hand reached up and opened the locket. On one side of the locket was a picture of Hotaru,
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41 and on the other was a picture of Chibi. "Hotaru it's beautiful…thank you." She stood up
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42 and moved to her, "Put it on me, please?" Hotaru nodded quickly and reached her hands
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43 up to take it; she could feel the other senshi's eyes on her as she placed her arms around
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44 Chibi's neck. Chibi felt the warm, smooth touch of Hotaru's fingertips as she fumbled
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45 gently with the clasp, but as the clasp closed the sensation changed.
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46
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47 Trying to pull back to show the locket off, she caught some resistance, not
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48 physically restraining Chibi, but rather like something was hung around her neck heavier
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49 than it should be, as if Hotaru's limp hands were holding onto her.
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50 "You ok, Hotaru?" Chibi asked, wondering if her friend had a fainting spell or
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51 something, but Chibi received no answer. Reaching up to pull Hotaru's hands away, to
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52 help her to a bed, Chibi stated aloud, "Someone help me here, I think Hotaru fainted…"
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53 but, again, silence was her answer.
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54 Fingers curling around Hotaru's wrists, Chibi jumped at the sensation. They
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55 weren't as smooth and soft as they were before… they were dry and brittle, and as she
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56 pulled back, the hands cracked and slumped lifelessly to the side of the couch. The thick,
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57 tangible silence was shattered with Chibi's scream her eyes fell on Hotaru…or rather,
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58 what Hotaru had become laying lifelessly on the couch.
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rlm@0
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59 What once had been a beautiful, lively young woman, remained nothing more
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60 than a set of grayed, decaying bones dressed in the costume of the Saturn senshi.
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61 Hollowed, dark sockets that stared blankly at Chibi's terrified form, the jaw still attached
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62 to her face causing the skull to grin knowingly at the pink haired woman who stood
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63 petrified in the center of the room. "What's the matter Chibi?" the former Hotaru said,
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64 her voice floating eerily on the chill air, sounding pained and distant. The head turned
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65 slowly, stomach-churning crack sounded before her eye sockets began glowing with a
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66 faint purple light.
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67 Turning quickly to face the rest of the senshi, she was greeted only with a
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68 similar horror everywhere she looked. Each of the senshi in various states of decay and
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69 death, rotted flesh hung from dried bones in all directions. "What's wrong, Chibi-Usa?"
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70 Michi's voice too oozed over the still air, "Our daughter isn't good enough to be your
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71 friend any more? Don't you know she saved all her money to buy you that locket? And
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72 this is all you can do to repay her?!" Michi's sockets flared green a moment, then picked
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73 up in intensity.
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74 "N- no…" Chibi managed to choke out, her voice shaking, until it climbed in
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75 urgency, "but…. what's going on here?!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs, but only
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76 got a cruel chuckle from the living corpses that started to close in around her. Their bony
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77 fingers began to grasp for her body, causing her to writhe and struggle, but this only
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78 leading her to slam into another…they had her trapped. Tears began to stream down her
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79 face as she tried desperately to fight her way out of the circle, only to be thrown harshly
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80 back in by inhuman strength.
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rlm@0
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81 "Aw…look at the little ingrate cry," Usagi said as she picked up the knife that
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82 was used to cut the cake, her grotesquely misshapen hands, deformed by decay, gripping
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83 the handle tightly. Holding the weapon high, Usagi grinned; metal blade reflected the
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84 light menacingly over the frosting covering the steel. "We'll give you a reason to cry!"
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85 the hiss of the blade carving through the air sliced the silence, caused Chibi's eyes to
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86 widen and cry out in vain.
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rlm@0
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87 The sound of the point slamming into her chest woke her with a start, causing
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88 her to fall off the bed and onto the cold, hard tile landing with a pronounced yelp that
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89 woke Usagi. Chibi's eyes darted around for any sign of something to prove her existence
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rlm@0
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90 in this reality, where the senshi were alive and spotted Usagi yawning and staring down
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91 at her, "You ok?"
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92 "Yes!" Chibi answered quickly, staring Usagi down hard. The blonde looked
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93 Chibi over for injury, and caught the glare from her. Chibi stood and began to back away
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94 from Usagi, all the way to the wall, "Just fine!"
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rlm@0
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95 "Uh…what's wrong with you? You look like you seen a ghost." Usagi stretched
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96 her slender arms and placed her feet onto the floor. By now the sun had fully risen, and
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97 shone down into the room brilliantly. Chibi checked herself over, and then quickly placed
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98 her hand to her chest, looking for the locket. Nothing. Her sigh of relief cut short as she
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99 noticed Hotaru's bed was gone.
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rlm@0
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100 "Where's Hotaru?!" Chibi immediately went to the call button and pressed it a
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101 several times before again having her hand removed once again by Usagi. She waited
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rlm@0
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102 impatiently, moving to peek out the door, looking for a nurse. Just as her hand tightened
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103 around the handle with the intent to step outside, the door opened of its own accord,
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104 admitting a doctor… one whom Chibi recognized at a moment's glance to be different to
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105 the one from the previous night. He was dressed the same however, green S.C.R.U.B.s
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106 under a white coat, roughly 35 or so.
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107 "We have some news on your friend…" the man looked directly to Usagi, as
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108 she was older, before turning to Chibi. His eyes were a sea green; soft and delicate,
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109 paired with slightly graying brown hair, clean cut and well shaven. He paused for a
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110 moment glancing down at the chart with a sigh, "We've found an abnormality on the CT
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111 scan…"
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112
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113
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rlm@0
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114 The sweet, rich whisper of a flute woke Hotaru from a deep slumber. Her eyes
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rlm@0
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115 fluttered gently as she glanced slowly around another torch-lit room. She was on a soft
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116 mattress in a wall-less, ceiling-less black room very similar to the place she had
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117 previously been. Rising to a sitting position, she saw a figure sitting on a chair adjacent to
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118 the bed, the man who had wielded her glaive before.
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119 The music stopped.
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rlm@0
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120 "So you're finally awake…" The man said, his voice as smooth as the flute was.
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121 His mask was still on, though his clothing was different from, black still, but it wasn't
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122 bloody. He was sitting close to the bed, his legs crossed, looking over her. He didn't
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123 speak after this, only watched her motions carefully, not cautiously, but he seemed
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124 curious about her.
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rlm@0
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125 "Who are you…?" Her voice was weak, it shook gently with a combination of
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126 fear, uncertainty, and exhaustion, "...and where am I?" The youth looked thoughtful for a
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127 moment, rubbing his chin through the thin cloth mask that shrouded his identity. He
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rlm@0
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128 looked a bit like Mamoru, now that Hotaru thought about it.
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129 "No…I'm not Mamoru." His voice sounded as soon as Hotaru had the thought
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130 manifested in her head, "My name is Seisen." He paused for a second regarding the latter
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131 question, thinking of how to answer her, while she sat dumbstruck at the way he detected
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132 her thoughts. "I suppose the best way to describe this place would be the astral plane."
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133 "Astral plane…? Isn't that the out-of-body thing?" her violet eyes looked him
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134 over, not really buying this astral plane business, but…where else could she be? This
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135 wasn't like anywhere she's ever been before.
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136 "Yes…something like that. However, there are some differences between the
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137 out-of-body and our existence here. You didn't come here from your own will, like I did,
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138 and you weren't brought here because you died in what you perceive as the 'real world.'
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139 You came here because something else brought you here. It wasn't me, I'm sure you'd
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140 thought that already," which, in actuality was the first thing that came to her mind as he
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141 suggest it. It was starting to frighten her that he could so easily read her mind. "That
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142 creature you witnessed earlier is what brought you here."
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143 "Why would it want to… do that?" her eyes glanced away, her tone
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144 melancholy, and frightened. "I'm just a girl…" She glanced away, careful not to think of
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145 herself being a senshi, but instead thought of a lamp she owned at home, not wanting to
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146 give herself away. "Why would it want me?" She recalled in detail the base of the lamp.
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rlm@0
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147 "Very interesting lamp." The youth chuckled lightly, "You are very clever, but
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148 I already know who…or rather, what, you are; there is no use in trying to deceive me, but
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149 be certain I'm not here to harm you." Her mouth dropped open, and she sputtered a
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150 moment, trying to think of a way to explain that she wasn't something special. Her
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151 attempts at protest were cut short when he held up his hand. "Don't… you don't have to
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152 make excuses, or try to hide what you are."
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153 "How do I know you're not here to hurt me…?" she edged carefully away from
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154 him, but couldn't get too far on her weak hands. He shook his head, glancing to his side
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155 then back to her.
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rlm@0
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156 "Here…" he reached down onto the floor and picked up something, then
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rlm@0
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157 thought better of it as Hotaru tensed. "It's nothing to hurt you…trust me." She didn't ease
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158 any when he put his flute onto his lap and used both hands to lift the object. Her eyes
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159 narrowed onto the flash of silver from her glaive.
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rlm@0
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160 "That's-- she started, but stopped when he nodded to her.
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rlm@0
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161 "Your glaive…very nice, actually." His eyes wandered the weapon for a
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162 moment, before turning it in his hands, so the blade faced inwards toward himself
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rlm@0
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163 "Here." His left hand extended the grip of the weapon to her, carefully aiming it away
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164 from her body due to the large spike at the end of it. "It's yours anyhow."
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rlm@0
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165 "Yes…" she reached her hand tentatively out to the weapon and placed it
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166 around the grip before sliding it onto the bed next to her since she couldn't lift it with her
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167 fatigued muscles. "Why did you have it?"
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168 "A very good question," His eyes smiled, though his mouth couldn't be seen
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169 from behind the mask, "Well, when you don't have it with you, it does go somewhere
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170 you know. All the senshi's weapons reside here when not in use; this way no one can get
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171 their hands on them. The first breech happened today with that creature, but it will not be
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172 happening again. I have seen to that." His eyes wandered to a dark part of the room, then
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173 back to Hotaru.
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rlm@0
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174 "Are you some kind of security guard or something? And why did that creature
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175 want my weapon…?" She too, let her eyes then move to the blackness that cause his own
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176 attention before tearing her eyes it, to focus back on his eyes.
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rlm@0
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177 "Yes, and no. I am not required to guard the weapons, but I don't let anything
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178 near them. Not that it was a problem until today. "It wanted your weapon because that
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179 was the only certain way of calling you here; it was only a matter of time, having gotten
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180 its hands on the weapon, before you could be brought here…" His hands folded in his lap
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181 over his flute.
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rlm@0
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182 "Why would it want me here…?" This was starting to make some sense, but
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183 still a bit hard to believe, it made her head spin. She left her hand on her glaive, its
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184 presence making her feel much better than had she been alone.
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rlm@0
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185 "It wanted to kill you," Seisen told her dryly. "If it killed you here, it would
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186 have killed your spirit, thus preventing you from being reborn. When you are here, you
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187 are physical, tangible, much like you would be back home." His hand moved to his chest,
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188 patting it gently, "But I'm sure you saw that, anyhow."
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rlm@0
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189 "Why did you stop it?" Her eyes moved to his chest, where he touched. He
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190 should have been dead; that wound wouldn't have simply closed on it's own.
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191 "And…your wound…
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rlm@0
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192 "Would you rather I let it kill you?" he chuckled lightly, shaking his head.
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rlm@0
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193 "And my wound is healed. You're not the only one with a healing power, Firefly."
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rlm@0
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194 "You can heal too?" He had her attention now, and she sat up straighter against
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195 the mass of pillows on her bed; it made her think he had gone a bit too far to make sure
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196 she was comfortable.
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rlm@0
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197 "Yes…you saw what other power I have. Does it look familiar to you? Only
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198 difference is that your power moves on the circle of life. Your revolution is meant to
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199 show that everything lives, and then it will die." He paused a moment, adjusting his
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200 sitting position by uncrossing his legs. "My power lies on a single side of that, either life,
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201 or death, never both.
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rlm@0
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202 "Why do you have the powers I do?" Her eyes narrowed in confusion, and she
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rlm@0
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203 fidgeted, wanting to work out the stiffness that deadened her limbs.. Seisen studied her a
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204 moment, his black eyes softening as he looked over her face. She was so weak, so frail,
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205 but so completely powerful…after all Hotaru was both sides of the coin, much like her
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206 power.
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rlm@0
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207 "Well…" he paused a moment, reaching his hands behind his head to untie the
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208 mask's ribbon that held the dark mask to his face. He let the top of the mask fall to reveal
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209 his nose and mouth, running his hand through his dark black and purple hair.. His face
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210 was sharp, boasting well chiseled features, but still seemed very much innocent. "It's a
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211 long story, but it would be a bit odd that you have powers when your genetic copy
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212 doesn't."
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213
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214 "What do you mean you found an abnormality?" Usagi eyed the doctor warily
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215 as she spoke. Chibi stood looking up between two, not exactly sure how she should react.
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216 "Well, it appears there some trauma as her head hit the ground, causing her
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217 brain to swell a bit. This could be completely harmless, or it could lead to possible brain
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218 damage. Amnesia, paralysis…death." He quickly looked away from them as he spoke the
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219 word "death", not wanting to watch their reaction. Usagi decided immediately that she
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220 didn't like this doctor.
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rlm@0
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221 "How can something range from nothing to death? It doesn't make sense."
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222 Usagi cried, narrowing her eyes at the doctor. "Just do whatever you have to do to make
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223 sure she'll be fine" Usagi narrowed her eyes at the doctor, who shifted uneasily under her
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224 glare.
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225 The doctor shifted uneasily under her glare, shaking his head. "We can't…until
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226 the guardian decides what is best for the child, we simply cannot take any action,
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227 otherw—" Usagi's jaw dropped with disbelief that they would play God to simply await
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228 an order from the guardian. "If this was an emergency, or something of the sort, we
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229 could…" He began to stammer, sweat forming on his brow from the steadily-increasing
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230 heat of Usagi's glare.
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rlm@0
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231 "What do you mean IF this was an emergency? She could DIE! What does she
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232 have to do for you to consider it an emergency!? I don't believe this!" Her hands curled
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233 into fists as she began to advance on the doctor, her mind simply refusing to take what
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rlm@0
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234 the doctor claimed to be as the only solution. Chibi, now fully understanding the gravity
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rlm@0
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235 of the situation began to move on the doctor as well, on her mother's left side to block the
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rlm@0
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236 doorway.
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rlm@0
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237 "Well….what I mean to say is that it-it has to be a trauma b-before we can do
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rlm@0
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238 much…" the doctor's back hit the wall, and he swallowed hard as he was stared down by
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rlm@0
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239 Usagi, and flanked by a pink haired child. The blonde girl's left eye twitched, and she
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rlm@0
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240 stopped suddenly in her tracks, glancing away from the doctor to the ground, her mind
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rlm@0
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241 giving her a possible solution.
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rlm@0
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242 "Well then," Ceasing her forward motion, Usagi grew eerily calm as she smiled
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rlm@0
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243 knowingly up at the doctor…" Chibi stopped and looked up at her; the cool, steely
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rlm@0
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244 manner of her mother made her remember her dream and caused her to shudder, but she
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rlm@0
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245 didn't speak. "I guess I'll just have to let you have your way…I'll just go make a phone
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rlm@0
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246 call." Usagi said to the doctor, who was more than a bit surprised at her sudden change in
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rlm@0
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247 demeanor.
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rlm@0
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248 "If you're trying to call this Haruka person, the phone isn't being answered."
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rlm@0
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249 The doctor stepped from the wall and straightened his coat nervously.
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rlm@0
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250 "Oh no…I'm not going to call Haruka." She placed her hand on Chibi's
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rlm@0
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251 shoulder, but was taken slightly aback as Chibi stepped away from her. Usagi let it pass
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rlm@0
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252 for now, but continued, "I'm going to call a lawyer. Do the phrases 'Malpractice,' and
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rlm@0
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253 'wrongful death' mean anything to you, doc?" She was now very glad Ami had a big
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rlm@0
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254 mouth and insisted on babbling to Usagi and the others. The doctor's eyes went wide, and
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rlm@0
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255 he opened his mouth to speak, only finding himself quickly silenced… "Should
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rlm@0
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256 ANYTHING, God forbid, happen to Hotaru…you will be very, VERY sorry. And my
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rlm@0
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257 first task as the owner of Hotaru Tomoe memorial hospital will be to fire you."
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rlm@0
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258 "Well…" the nervous man began to shake visibly, and Usagi began to wonder
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rlm@0
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259 exactly how long he had been a doctor, and if this was the first bad news he'd delivered.
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rlm@0
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260 "I suppose this can be treated as a trauma…"
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rlm@0
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261 "Yes…and if it isn't a trauma, it can become one…not hers, of course, but I
|
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rlm@0
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262 think I can handle you." Usagi said with a smile and a tilt of her head, "Now run along
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rlm@0
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263 and have the nurses get a real doctor in here, 'Kay?" Usagi surprised even herself,
|
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rlm@0
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264 thinking that what she just did would be more suited for maybe Rei, or possibly Haruka,
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rlm@0
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265 but never herself. It made her feel good. She brushed past the doctor on her way out, and
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rlm@0
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266 Chibi looked up at the man a moment, before following her mother, leaving the
|
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rlm@0
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267 dumbfounded man in the white coat glancing sheepishly at his feet.
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rlm@0
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268
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rlm@0
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269 "M…my genetic copy? A clone? You're a man, though." Hotaru looked over
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rlm@0
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270 the face of the man who sat before her, his black eyes closed. "I don't understand…"
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rlm@0
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271 "I didn't expect you to…I'll explain in a moment. Would you like something to
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rlm@0
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272 drink? I have some juice here if you'd like some." He said, and waited as Hotaru
|
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rlm@0
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273 considered his offer. But as she shook her head in rejection, Seisen turned his head away
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rlm@0
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274 from her, feeling a bit dejected. "Alright…well, I suppose I should start at the beginning,
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rlm@0
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275 hmm?
|
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rlm@0
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276 "When you died in the lab explosion…you were not supposed to recover. It was
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rlm@0
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277 no accident that the place was blown up. However, your father sold his soul to have you
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rlm@0
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278 reborn, and thus placed a great evil in you, and in him. Now here's where I come in…"
|
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rlm@0
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279 Pausing a moment to gather his thoughts, he allowed his rich black eyes to slowly move
|
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rlm@0
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280 over the weakened girl in front of him. "You've heard the theory 'for every action, there
|
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rlm@0
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281 is an equal and opposite reaction', right? Well, that's me. I'm your reaction. You were
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rlm@0
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282 reanimated as per the agreement your father made, but you became Mistress 9."
|
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rlm@0
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283 "Yes…" Hotaru didn't like discussing the time period she was Mistress 9, it
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rlm@0
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284 caused her to recall fuzzy memories that had no real place in her mind. It only tormented
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rlm@0
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285 her and caused horrid nightmares.
|
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rlm@0
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286 "Fearing you were too powerful to be stopped by the senshi, I was created by
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rlm@0
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287 another force to counter balance your existence." A shadow crossed his dark features as
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rlm@0
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288 he glanced away, looking towards the sword that leaned against the chair near him. "I
|
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rlm@0
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289 was created to kill you."
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rlm@0
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290 "To kill me?" Hotaru's fears returned as she increased the grip on her glaive,
|
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rlm@0
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291 thinking she was a fool to have trusted him…to sit and talk. Seisen, upon sensing her
|
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rlm@0
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292 discomfort and sudden mistrust, sighed deeply, shaking his head.
|
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rlm@0
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293 "Yes… I was created using your base DNA, but XY rather than XX…to receive
|
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rlm@0
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294 your power plus increased physical strength due to being a man. You were raised as
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rlm@0
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295 Mistress 9, and I was told that you were my enemy, that you were the plague of
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rlm@0
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296 mankind…harsh I know, but I bought into it. I was brought up in the way of the
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rlm@0
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297 warrior…trained daily to strengthen mind, body, and spirit so that one day I would be
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rlm@0
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298 able to kill you with little difficulty. However…I did all of this knowing that you were
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rlm@0
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299 my 'sister'. Since we are of basically the same DNA, there isn't another way to phrase
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rlm@0
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300 it." Hotaru let her eyes fall away; that would explain why he was defending her, and the
|
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rlm@0
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301 mass of pillows that was bigger than she was, but it still didn't make enough sense. "The
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rlm@0
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302 day Usagi and the others encountered 9; I was there to make sure they succeeded. If they
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rlm@0
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303 failed I was to finish the job. When it comes down to power, you can beat me out any
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rlm@0
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304 day, since I'm just a copy. But, since I wasn't biologically produced, I don't have some
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rlm@0
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305 of your…" thinking of the best way of phrasing it, but only finding himself able to
|
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rlm@0
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306 express himself clinically, "your physical weaknesses."
|
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rlm@0
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307 Seisen looked her directly in the eye, his dark, but enchantingly innocent
|
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rlm@0
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308 features growing even more distraught as she instantly turned away. "I'm not going to
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rlm@0
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309 hurt you…" His voice was small, pained. His lack of tact and instant distress proved he
|
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rlm@0
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310 wasn't used to dealing with people.
|
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rlm@0
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311 "You just said you were supposed to kill me." Hotaru frowned as she turned to
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rlm@0
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312 her glaive once more, her fingertips gently moving over the smooth metal of the blade.
|
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rlm@0
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313 "Now you say you won't hurt me. I don't know what to believe."
|
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rlm@0
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314 "I was created to kill Mistress 9. She doesn't exist anymore, so my existence is
|
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rlm@0
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315 pretty much useless." Seisen shrugged and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes with
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rlm@0
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316 his hands behind his head. Hotaru glanced from him to the glaive by her side; his
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rlm@0
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317 vulnerable position might let her wound him and flee to find some way to get back home.
|
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rlm@0
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318 "You can, if you like…you'd probably be doing me a favor," his eyes slowly
|
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rlm@0
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319 opened to look at her, "I won't stop you if you try." With his hands still behind his head,
|
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rlm@0
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320 he pulled the ribbon on the mask once more around his head and tied it into place, again
|
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rlm@0
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321 concealing his features, his eyes again closed..
|
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rlm@0
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322 "What do you want from me? I don't understand all of this… You don't let it
|
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rlm@0
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323 kill me, but you were supposed to kill me…you go out of your way to make me feel
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rlm@0
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324 comfortable." Hotaru let her eyes move from him to the darkness of the room, looking for
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rlm@0
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325 any possible exit, or a portal of some kind. "I just want to go home."
|
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rlm@0
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326 "Then I'll take you home, but leave your glaive here. You can't take it with
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rlm@0
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327 you, but it will be safe." He stood up, flute in hand, and stretched his body. He was tall, at
|
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rlm@0
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328 least as tall as Mamoru, and his build was above average, which did fit his story to
|
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rlm@0
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329 Hotaru. Picking up his sword, he slung the sheath around his body and latched it into
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rlm@0
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330 place, where it was in reach of his right hand over his shoulder. "Come on," he said,
|
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rlm@0
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331 placing the flute in a slot on the sheath's strap, which crossed his chest from right to left.
|
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rlm@0
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332 "They should be happy to see you…"
|
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rlm@0
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333 Making their way along the darkness of the astral plane, Seisen guiding the way
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rlm@0
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334 past the torches that lined each room, and crossed the paths of others like a roadway
|
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rlm@0
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335 system. Hotaru was weak, and only shuffling along behind Seisen by will power. More
|
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rlm@0
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336 than once collapsed under her own weight, only to be caught by a blinding motion of the
|
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rlm@0
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337 ninja-dressed youth who offered he carry her, but she adamantly refused.
|
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rlm@0
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338 "We're almost there," the black-eyed man looked up at a portal that swirled in
|
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rlm@0
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339 the darkness, purple spinning in a clockwise fashion, drawing in the very light that
|
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rlm@0
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340 surrounded them. Gusts of wind began to pull at the two as they neared the portal. The
|
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rlm@0
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341 long ribbons of Seisen's mask began to flutter around his face, just as Hotaru's hair did
|
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rlm@0
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342 the same, but her weakness caused her to drop to her knees. Seisen turned to regard her
|
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rlm@0
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343 for a moment, and shadow crossed his face as he drew his sword and faced the girl fully.
|
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rlm@0
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344 The black blade of the sword shimmered with a crackle of purple electricity as Seisen flat
|
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rlm@0
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345 out charged Hotaru, enough power and speed to physically counter the portal's pull,
|
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rlm@0
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346 making the air still for a fraction of a second before his powerful sword thrust came
|
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rlm@0
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347 hailing down just above Hotaru's head.
|
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rlm@0
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348 She had long enough to think, "I'm dead," before the blade met flesh.
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rlm@0
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349
|
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rlm@0
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350 On the flight from Japan to the United States, Haruka and Michiru sat restlessly
|
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rlm@0
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351 in the plane, hoping for the best, but fearing the worst. They had been in the air for what
|
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rlm@0
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352 seemed like forever; the hospital had called them the night before and they had caught the
|
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rlm@0
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353 first plane to anywhere in the US, which landed in New York in about 20 minutes.
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rlm@0
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354 "Sir?" the flight attendant regarded Haruka, her bright green eyes and sugary-
|
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rlm@0
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355 sweet smile shone down on the shorthaired woman. Haruka played it off, not bothering to
|
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rlm@0
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356 explain she was a woman, nor caring at the moment. "Would you like something to
|
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rlm@0
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357 drink? A soda? A glass of wine maybe?"
|
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rlm@0
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358 "No, thank you. I'm alright." Haruka answered, and the woman, undaunted,
|
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rlm@0
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359 inquired if Michi would like something. She likewise refused politely though she was
|
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rlm@0
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360 being destroyed inside. She didn't want to have to do this again; she couldn't take things
|
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rlm@0
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361 like this. Why Hotaru? kept going through her head.
|
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rlm@0
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362 "We land in 20 minutes," Michi checked her watch, "We can catch another
|
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rlm@0
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363 plane to Maine, or we can just get a bullet ca- a cab, rather."
|
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rlm@0
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364 Haruka just closed her eyes and sighed, "We'll take a cab. We don't need to
|
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rlm@0
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365 wait for another plane… I hope they can drive fast."
|
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rlm@0
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366
|
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rlm@0
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367 Usagi now stood impatiently at the nurse's station, her tautly-crossed arms and
|
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rlm@0
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368 dangerous expression warning everyone she was not to be toyed with at the current time.
|
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rlm@0
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369 Taking a lesson from her daughter, she began the same full on assault on the bell Chibi
|
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rlm@0
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370 did only a few hours beforehand. "Hello! I need a doctor! A REAL doctor who CARES!"
|
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rlm@0
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371 She turned to glare at Hotaru's room in time to see the man slipping out of the room like
|
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rlm@0
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372 a weasel, and scurry into a lounge to avoid a confrontation with Usagi.
|
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rlm@0
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373 A nurse came to regard Usagi and looked to the pink haired girl. The whole
|
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rlm@0
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374 floor knew what room they were from; it was not very often that you find a small midget
|
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rlm@0
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375 girl with pink hair done in ondangos. "Yes? A doctor will be right with you, Doctor
|
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rlm@0
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376 White just called and said he will no longer be on the trauma case, but to have someone
|
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rlm@0
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377 look at her right away." Usagi nodded in triumph, feeling much better about herself, and
|
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rlm@0
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378 the situation, though Chibi only regarded her with a wary glance, her dream still not
|
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rlm@0
|
379 shaken so easily.
|
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rlm@0
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380 "Where's Hotaru?" Usa finally managed to ask the nurse, standing on her tip
|
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rlm@0
|
381 toes to see over the counter. And ensued a verbal exchange that must have broken the
|
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rlm@0
|
382 sound barrier at some point.
|
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rlm@0
|
383 "Radiology,"
|
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rlm@0
|
384 "What's she doing there?"
|
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rlm@0
|
385 "Getting another cat scan."
|
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rlm@0
|
386 "When will she be out,"
|
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rlm@0
|
387 "When it's done."
|
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rlm@0
|
388 "Don't you talk to her like that!"
|
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rlm@0
|
389 "I don't know when she'll be out!"
|
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rlm@0
|
390 "Then find out!"
|
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rlm@0
|
391 "I would ma'am, but I can't just call and ask them to hurry!"
|
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rlm@0
|
392 "No, but you can call and ask them how long it's going to take!"
|
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rlm@0
|
393 "I'm busy right now,"
|
|
rlm@0
|
394 "Doing what? All I've seen you do is eat that nasty little salad."
|
|
rlm@0
|
395 "Maybe you should get a salad, it might improve your temper."
|
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rlm@0
|
396 "Salads are not food! Vegetables are what food eat!"
|
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rlm@0
|
397 "I have to go now, I'll have someone in her room shortly,"
|
|
rlm@0
|
398 "We'll be waiting."
|
|
rlm@0
|
399 "Don't hold your breath,"
|
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rlm@0
|
400
|
|
rlm@0
|
401
|
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rlm@0
|
402
|
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rlm@0
|
403
|
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rlm@0
|
404
|
