Hello everyone! ^-^ This story is something I'm very glad to have finished.

 It took me nearly two years from start to finish. Sometimes it would move

 to the back of my mind for a while when I was working on other stories or

 projects, but it would always lurk there until I would give it my full 

 attention again. This is my written version of Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon 

 S based off of Naoko Takeuchi's manga rather than the anime. It started 

 as a simple enough idea. I wanted to expand upon some of the points in 

 the manga. That's where ChibiUsa & Hotaru's most romantic scenes were 

 to begin with, anyway. ^-^ But it grew after that. Slowly but surely. And

 this is the end result. I can't say it's one of my best works, but I 

 certainly enjoyed writing a good deal of it. ^-^ It took me two years to

 finish, so a lot of my writing isn't really as good as it could be as my

 editor reminded me, so I take all of the blame for tarnishing Naoko 

 Takeuchi's manga. ^-^;; I really do hope you all enjoy this. ^-^ Now I 

 just need to start up SuperS and go through Sailorstars and this little

 project should be done in another two years or more. ^^;; I'd like to thank

 Boco the Chokobo for all of the contributions to this story and for being 

 so kind as to edit it for me when I don't have the patience to do it myself.

 I tried to follow the manga very closely, but there are some times when the

 story veers, so please bear with me. ^-^;; I borrowed heavily from manga 

 translations to keep myself on track for the most part, but it was a lot of

 fun to see how things turned out anyway. ^=^ Thank you very much for reading 

 this and if you have any comments or suggestions, please e-mail me. ^-^ 

 

 Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon - Infinity I Alternate

 'Eye of the Beholder' - Prologue

 by Amazoness Duo

 amazonessduo@hotmail.com

 

      "I thought it was around here.."  ChibiUsa let out a sigh as she walked 

 along.  She had come to the Mugen Gakuen amusement park with Mamoru, Momoko, 

 Diana, and some classmates, but she had lost her hat riding the roller coaster, 

 and had seperated to look for it.  She was having a great time overall, but 

 something felt wrong.  A strange feeling in the pit of her stomach just wouldn't 

 leave her.  She felt an urgent need to hurry.  "It must be the other side of 

 that building.."

      Looking around her, as she entered the secluded area in the shadow of the 

 skyscraper, the pink-haired girl found herself near the Infinity Academy, Mugen 

 Gakuen.  The feeling of dread wouldn't go away.  It worsened as she came near a 

 red and white warning sign.  "I can read that," she said to herself, barely able 

 to make out the complicated kanji.  "..research labs?  Oh, here it is."  The hat 

 had been blown by the wind into a corner of this section of the building.  The 

 princess picked it up and dusted it off.  "I bought it for Ikuko-mama, so I'm 

 glad I found it again."  Taking a better look at her surroundings, hat in hand, 

 she gasped at the sight unfolding in front of her.  A raven haired girl wearing 

 the Mugen Gakuen school uniform was having a coughing fit.  It sounded pretty 

 bad.  "Hey, are you okay?"

      ChibiUsa went over to the other girl, a hand going to the pale child's 

 shoulder.  The girl's arm came up, forcing her own away from her, the other 

 clutching her chest as coughs wracked her weak body.  "It's okay.. this happens 

 all the time... but you should go away.  The area is.. off limits..."

      Before the pink-haired girl could respond, her blonde mother had rounded 

 the corner at a dead run.  Strangely enough, she was also in a Mugen Gakuen 

 uniform, but she had no time to ask why before the older girl began: "What are 

 you doing here by yourself, ChibiUsa-chan!!  You should know better, it's 

 dangerous here!" 

      ChibiUsa responded defensively.  "I lost the hat I bought for Ikuko-mama, 

 and then this girl.. I guess she's okay, but she looked hurt."  Just as quickly 

 as the words left her mouth, the princess felt her broach reacting.  "The 

 Crystal..?"

      "ChibiUsa-chan!  Abunai!!"  A large black monster had grown out of the 

 darkness was hovering over the three girls.  Acting as quickly as she could, 

 ChibiUsa changed into Sailorchibimoon.  Not having time for a fancy speech, she 

 threw herself between the Daimon and the beautiful raven haired girl.

      The Daimon lunged forward towards the two girls.  Chibimoon brought her arm 

 up in front of her as the beast came crashing into her.  The dark haired girl 

 screamed as Chibimoon fell backwards. 

      "Moon Spiral Heart Attack!" Sailormoon's voice rang through the haze of 

 pain seeping into Chibimoon's mind.  Before the Daimon could do anything, it was 

 hit by Sailormoon's attack.  A cat lay on the floor where moments before a 

 Daimon had been.

      Breathing a sigh of relief, Chibimoon shakily got to her feet.  She quickly 

 turned around to check on the dark haired schoolgirl.  The girl was on her 

 knees, her hands clenched against her chest.  She looked up, her silver grey 

 eyes still frightened.  Their mysterious depths left the pink haired girl 

 speechless as she tried to think. 

      "Who.. are you..? Why did you save me?" the raven haired girl asked, short 

 of breath.

      Chibimoon smiled broadly and held out a hand to the other girl.  Her knees 

 felt weak and a newer feeling in her stomach replaced the feelings of dread 

 she'd had.  Her crimson eyes looked deeply into the silver eyes pointed up at 

 her.  "We are the Soldiers of Justice!  Sailormoon and Sailorchibimoon."  She 

 really wanted to see this girl again for some odd reason.  She hoped this 

 wouldn't be the last she would see of her.  "Are you okay?  Were you hurt?" she 

 asked, concerned.

      The raven haired girl took Chibimoon by the wrist, pulling her forward.  

 "You are the one who's hurt," she said softly, eyes seeming to shine in the 

 darkness. "You got hurt for me."

      "What?"  Chibimoon gasped as she felt the bloody gash on her arm where the 

 Daimon had hit her.  She hadn't noticed before, but now that she did, pain shot 

 through her arm.  She felt a bit sick at the sight of her own blood. 

      The schoolgirl held Chibimoon's arm, gently placing her hand over the 

 wound.  Chibimoon looked down at the other girl, confused about what she was 

 doing. The raven haired girl looked back up at her, dispelling her concerns for 

 the moment. 

      Mamoru showed up just as two figures leaped off, from the shadows: a green-

 haired woman in a sailor fuku, and a platinum blond man in cape and mask.   

 Apparently they had watched the whole thing from the sidelines.  "Wait!" 

 Sailormoon yelled after them, to no avail.

      Chibimoon watched as the girl's eyes fell closed.  She seemed to be 

 concentrating intently.  Chibimoon gasped as a glow began to surround her arm 

 and the other girl's hands.  A warm feeling flooded through her, eminating from 

 the girl's hands, but passing over Chibimoon's whole body.  Finally, the glow 

 began to dissipate.  Pulling her arm up after the dark haired girl had let go of 

 it, she could see that the wound was now not much more than a bad scratch.  

 "Usagi!  Look, my wound.." 

      Taking Chibimoon's arm again, the raven haired girl began to bandage it 

 with her hankerchief.  Not looking at the pink haired senshi, she began 

 explaining as if she'd read Chibimoon's mind.  "I've been able to do that since 

 I was very young.  I can heal injuries, but it takes a lot out of me."  The pale 

 girl looked down sadly.  "But it frightens everyone around me when I do that."  

 She sighed, running her fingers through her dark hair.

      Chibimoon looked down at the dark haired girl in amazement.  "I think it's 

 wonderful..." she said softly. 

      The raven haired girl looked up at the future princess oddly, finished 

 bandaging her arm.  She blinked in confusion, looking up into those crimson gems 

 that stared down at her.  The other sailor senshi were talking behind them, but 

 she didn't seem to notice.  "You... You do?"  The question came out softly.  How 

 could anyone think its wonderful?  It seemed impossible to the girl.

      Chibimoon nodded emphatically.  "Un, it's amazing!  My arm feels so much 

 better now.  Thank you."  Looking down into two silvery pools, Chibimoon felt 

 herself being drawn in by this mysterious girl.  She longed for that gentle 

 touch, that warm feeling again.

      "And thank you for saving me."  The raven haired girl let a small smile 

 play across her lips.  It was the first time Chibimoon had seen her smile.  It 

 was beautiful.  This girl didn't seem to smile much, but it sent a thrill 

 through the pink haired girl just to see it.  Right there, Chibimoon vowed that 

 she'd get her to smile more.  "You should disinfect that when you get home," the 

 raven haired girl said, motioning to Chibimoon's arm.  "But right now, you 

 should go.  If the guards find you, you'll be in a lot of trouble."

      "Thanks."  Chibimoon smiles gratefully.  The pink haired senshi paused 

 before leaving.  It didn't feel right to leave yet.  More importantly, she 

 didn't want to leave yet.  She wanted to see the dark haired girl again.  

 "Umm... If you don't mind, could you tell me something?  What's your name?"

      "Tomoe Hotaru," Hotaru said softly, finally getting to her feet.  The two 

 girls looked at each other for a long silent moment.  Turning to leave, she 

 whispered back over her shoulder, "Be careful."

      Chibimoon watched after Hotaru as she entered the building through large 

 double doors.  The girl's name ran through her mind over and over again as she 

 watched the girl's retreating form.  "Firefly," she said quietly.

 

      Hotaru collapsed near the doorway shortly after she got home.  Pain shot 

 through her veins as an icy hand seemed to clamp down on her whole body.  She 

 felt as if she were being torn apart from the inside out.  Her breathing grew 

 heavy and ragged as she gasped for air, her hand clutching her chest.  Hot tears 

 rolled down her pale cheeks as the pain became unbearable.  Everything grew hazy 

 around her.  For a moment, the dark haired girl wished the escaped Daimon had 

 killed her.  Then this pain would finally be at an end.  Through the cloud of 

 pain, she decided that it was good that she hadn't, if only that she had been 

 able to meet the pink haired girl right afterward.

      "Hotaru?"  Her father's assistant, Kaolinite, ran up to her.  "Another 

 seizure?  It's alright.  It will pass." 

      The older woman placed a hand on Hotaru's shoulder.  Hotaru shrugged it off 

 and pulled away, her breathing returning to normal as the pain began to dull.  

 "Let go of me!  I can handle it myself," she said angrily.

      "Hotaru, you know that's no way to talk to Kaori-kun.  She's helped us very 

 much since your mother's death.  As my assistant, you should treat her with 

 respect," Professor Tomoe said as he entered the room.

      "Professor!"  Kaolinite turned at his approach.  "Hotaru and I were just 

 having a discussion."

      Professor Tomoe nodded before looking sternly at Hotaru.  "Hotaru, you need 

 help with how poor your health is.  You have to let us help you.  And Kaori-kun 

 is practically part of the family.  You should listen to her."

      "She's your private secretary, your assistant.  She should know her place 

 and not invade our home!"  Hotaru stood up on shaky legs and ran off to her 

 room. 

 

      Slamming the door to her room, Hotaru fell forward onto her bed.  She 

 wasn't feeling very well.  She breathed deeply, trying to relax.  An image of a 

 pink haired girl came unbidden to her mind.  The other girl had been so nice to 

 her.  She had even saved her life.  What shocked Hotaru the most was that she 

 hadn't been afraid of her healing abilities.  Hotaru hugged her knees to her 

 chest and sighed.  Would she ever see the pink haired girl again?  Probably not.  

 She didn't even know her name.  Her life was too lonely for her to have found a 

 friend that easily.  That glimmer of hope, that warm feeling she had felt, 

 disappeared as the reality of the situation set in. 

      As she changed from her school clothes into a night gown, she felt a sharp 

 pain in her heart.  She didn't know if it was another seizure or if it was the 

 fact that she would never see the pink haired girl again.  She took a shaky 

 breath before pulling her nightgown the rest of the way on.  The thought of a 

 beautiful dreamless sleep beckoned to her as an escape from the sorrow she felt.  

 Closing her eyes tightly, she crawled under the soft sheets of her bed.  Still 

 wracked by a pain in her heart, she fell into a fitful slumber. 

 

      "It hurts..."

      Hotaru moaned in pain, rolling over in bed.  The vice-like grip over her 

 body increased.  She writhed in pain on the bed. 

      The door to her room slowly opened.  "Hotaru?" her father asked.  "Hasn't 

 it stopped?"

      "Dad..." Hotaru managed quietly.

      "Did you take your medicine?" Professor Tomoe asked worriedly. 

      "I took it, but... it didn't work."

      "When the time comes, it will.  You'll be alright."  The professor reached 

 into a large pocket on the side of his lab coat and withdraw an angular crystal.  

 "This is an amulet, passed down through the family.  Your mother used to carry 

 it."  He placed the amulet gently in Hotaru's hands.  "Now that you have it, you 

 can sleep soundly.  I'll come check on you in a bit.  Good night."  He turned to 

 leave, quietly closing the door behind him.     

      "Dad, why are you acting so strangely?  What's been going on lately?"  

 Hotaru sighed and held the crystal.  It felt cold against her palm.  Her pain 

 slowly started to recede as she stared down at the amulet.  "Maybe dad was 

 right.  It does seem to be working.  The seizure stopped.  But... I'm scared.  I 

 can't trust my own body.  It feels so strange.  The seizures... they've only 

 been getting worse lately."  She took a shaky breath, willing herself not to 

 think about such things.  Finally, she drifted back to sleep.

 

      Back at the underground base beneath Crown Game Center, Luna and Artemis 

 were talking to the Sailor Team about the two mysterious Senshi they had 

 encountered and the mysterious happenings at the Mugen Gakuen school.  ChibiUsa 

 wasn't really paying attention, her mind preoccupied.  She kept playing the 

 events of the day before over and over in her mind.  She couldn't stop thinking 

 about that strange girl.  "Hotaru," she whispered.  The dark haired girl's image 

 appeared with crystal clarity in ChibiUsa's mind's eye.  Her beautiful pale 

 skin, offset by dark raven hair.  Deep pools of silver that seemed to go on 

 forever.  She was pretty.  Very pretty. 

      "ChibiUsa-chan?"  Usagi asked for the third time, wondering what the Senshi 

 in training could be daydreaming about.  "Are you coming with me and Mamo-chan 

 or not?"

      "Huh?"  Looking over, ChibiUsa blinked a few times.  "Oh, right.  Yeah."

      Usagi smiled to herself as she started to drag Mamoru off, her future 

 daughter in tow.  "Anyway, ChibiUsa-chan.  You shouldn't give our real 

 identities out so easily.  What if those two were enemies?"

      "Sorry," ChibiUsa apologized half-heartedly.  "I thought I could be friends 

 with the girl.  I like Hotaru-chan, with her pure-white skin.. she was very 

 pretty."

      "Like plaster of Paris," Mamoru agreed.  At the questioning look from his 

 future daughter, he explained.  "A beautiful stone, like new-fallen snow."

 

      A few days later, the group had again gathered at Crown Fruit Parlor.  "So 

 you're the president of the 5th year class, ChibiUsa-chan?" Ami asked.

      "Yep," ChibiUsa responded between bites of a sundae.  "I represented all of 

 us at the entrance ceremony!  It was great.  The new class was cute."

      "ChibiUsa is the class rep.. the world's coming to an end." 

      "Oh, it's not that bad, Usagi," Minako interjected.  "Besides, we finally 

 made it into 3rd year junior high.  All we have to worry about is entrance 

 exams.. then again, if an enemy attacks now, I'll be held back for sure."

      "Don't be so gloomy.  It's April 17th, after all, Rei-chan's birthday!  We 

 should throw her a party," Makoto said as she played with the remains of her own 

 frozen treat.  "Where's she been, anyway?"

      "Out training on Mt. M, since yesterday," the blonde original-Senshi 

 responds.  "She wanted to cleanse herself for her 15th birthday."

      "Perfect!  We can surprise her!!  Everyone's going, right?"

      "A mountain?"  ChibiUsa makes a face at the 'older' girls.  "I have things 

 to do, being class representative and all.  Tell Rei-chan happy birthday for me, 

 though."  And with that, the pink-haired girl finished her icecream and slipped 

 out of her seat.  She had more important things to do.

 

      ChibiUsa frantically searched through the laundry.  Ikuko-mama had said 

 that she would wash it for her.  If she could only find it...  ChibiUsa smiled 

 to herself.  Any reason to see the raven haired girl again would be worth it.  

 Her smile slowly vanished when she found the hankerchief.  The blood stain was 

 still there on the white cloth. 

      A small sigh escaped her lips as she looked at the cloth.  All she really 

 wanted was to see Hotaru again.  She hadn't been able to get the dark haired 

 girl out of her mind.  She had wanted to give the hankerchief back to the dark 

 haired girl, but now it looked like stain of her blood was stuck in the cloth.  

 She would settle for any reason to see the other girl again.  She wasn't sure 

 why, but she just had to see Hotaru again.  She had to.  She took a deep breath 

 as she thought up an image of the other girl in her mind's eye.  That pale, 

 alabaster complexion that made the girl seem to be a beautiful statue brought to 

 life.  Those soft, thin lips that looked so pretty when they would smile.  Her 

 short raven hair, a dark contrast to her pale skin, making her look even more 

 striking.  And those sad silvery grey eyes.. just looking into them showed a 

 glimpse of the shadows this girl had around herself, the loneliness she clung to 

 as if it was the only thing she had.  She was so beautiful.  And so very alone.  

 The pink haired girl shook her head.  It wasn't fair.  This girl shouldn't have 

 to feel that way.  She would be her friend.  She smiled to herself.  Yes, she 

 would be Hotaru's friend.  She only hoped the other girl would let her.