rlm@0: Until We Meet Again. rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: Hello! Alright, first and foremost, I hate all those terrible echhi fanfics rlm@0: about Chibi-Usa and Hotaru. (Fortunately, there aren't many!) I felt like rlm@0: cleaning up the whole Chibi-Usa-Hotaru deal in my own way, and what I think rlm@0: they will be. I was inspired, alright?! Comments are appreciated, as I have rlm@0: stated in many varied terms before. Questions too! rlm@0: rlm@0: All rights to Sailor Moon all all affiliated characcters belong to: Naoko rlm@0: Takeuchi, Kondansha comics and Toei Animation. (To my knowledge.) rlm@0: rlm@0: This fanfic was written by Hotaru/Amber. rlm@0: rlm@0: E-mail at: tomoechan@hotmail.com rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: Until We Meet Again. rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: "Small Lady Serenity, the time has come for me to leave this planet," rlm@0: Saturn said, looking eye-to-eye with the princess. rlm@0: "Hotaru-chan..." Small Lady's eyes were brimming with tears. Ever since rlm@0: she had returned from the Tokyo of the past, become friends with Saturn, she rlm@0: had realised that the senshi of destruction never remained on a planet other rlm@0: than her own for a long time. Not to mention, she had been on earth when rlm@0: Galaxia had attacked. If Hotaru had been dormant on Saturn, she may have been rlm@0: able to destroy earth before Galaxia stole her sailor crystal. rlm@0: "Princess Small Lady Serenity, the world will go on without me!" Saturn rlm@0: smiled, her eyes filled with tears too. Her comment had been kind of redundant. rlm@0: "But...but...Hotaru-chan!!!" The pink haired princess began crying and rlm@0: hugged the sailor senshi before her. "It's...it's only one week!!! Couldn't you rlm@0: wait just one week?" rlm@0: "No, my Princess. I will be there in spirit, always." rlm@0: "I was looking forward to seeing you there..." rlm@0: "Your coronation will be beautiful, Chibi-Usa. Just like you, I promise." rlm@0: The two looked in each others eyes, and Small Lady stepped back quietly. Saturn rlm@0: summoned the Glaive and disappeared in a flash of violet light. rlm@0: "Farewell....Small Lady..." Her voice lingered behind in Small Lady's heart rlm@0: long after the figure of her friend had faded into a dreamless oblivion. rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: A Week Later, rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: "On this most important day, I hand my crown down to Lady Serenity, next rlm@0: in line of the noble blood of the Silver Millennium, which has rised like the rlm@0: phoenix from its ashes on the Moon to begin once more on the planet of Earth," rlm@0: Neo-Queen Serenity said as she took her crown off her head, "And so forth, each rlm@0: planet in the Millennium gives alliance to our new Queen, so that the strengths rlm@0: and weaknesses, the gifts and the burdens, can be shared through our peace," rlm@0: Each senshi of the Old Court stood up. The blue haired Queen was first. rlm@0: "On behalf of the planet of Knowledge and Water, Mercury, I assign my rlm@0: world to the allegiance of the Earth and Moon." rlm@0: rlm@0: Behind her, the black haired Queen of fire walked up and made her royal rlm@0: proclamation. rlm@0: "On behalf of the planet of War and Fire, Mars, I assign my world to the rlm@0: allegiance of the Earth and Moon." rlm@0: rlm@0: The next Queen, standing regally in her long green dress, rlm@0: "On behalf of the planet of Protection and Thunder, Jupiter, I assign my rlm@0: world to the allegiance of the Earth and Moon." rlm@0: rlm@0: Finally, the leader of the Inner Senshi made her decree, rlm@0: "On behalf of the planet of Love and Gold, Venus, and as leader of the rlm@0: Inner Senshi, I assign my world to the allegiance of the Earth and Moon." rlm@0: rlm@0: The next three Queens stood taller than those that came before, each with a rlm@0: degree of severity unmatched in the age. The first came forward and bowed rlm@0: before the new queen. rlm@0: "On behalf of the planet of Flight and Sky, Uranus, I assign my world to rlm@0: the allegiance of the Earth and Moon." rlm@0: rlm@0: The second, in her aqua-green dress, hair trailing behind her in waves, made a rlm@0: slow curtsy to the new queen, and held hands with the first. rlm@0: "On behalf of the planet of Embrace and Ocean, Neptune, I assign my world rlm@0: to the allegiance of the Earth and Moon." rlm@0: rlm@0: Finally, came forth the last senshi. Dark green hair swirled around her, giving rlm@0: her an aura of mystery. Her black dress trailed behind her, covering the carpet rlm@0: placed out for the royals to walk on like a shadow from the skies. Her garnet rlm@0: eyes stared into the queens own. rlm@0: "On behalf of the planet of Reformation, Time, and Earth, Pluto, and as rlm@0: acting leader of the Outer Senshi, and as last planet in this solar system, I rlm@0: assign my world to the allegiance of the Earth and Moon." The old queen nodded rlm@0: to each of them as they made a circle around the new queen and bowed. The queen rlm@0: finally rose the crown above her head. rlm@0: "These Seven planets, Earth and Moon, make our Millennium. Rise to hail rlm@0: the new queen! I present to you, Second Queen of Crystal Tokyo, Queen Lady rlm@0: Serenity!" All the court rose and cheered. Serenity was now to make her first rlm@0: royal decree. rlm@0: "Each of these planets are at peace with us as so declared today in the rlm@0: Crystal palace. Any member of Earth has a right to be on these planets to newly rlm@0: populate them. Only the Silent planet, Saturn, is outside the Millennium, and rlm@0: not to be touched. Now, let peace live forever!" The queen stood triumphantly rlm@0: as cheers rose again. Her prince bowed once to her, and the two set off to the rlm@0: throne room. She was disappointed that Hotaru had not decided to join the rlm@0: Millennium. No one had been able to contact her, and she hoped that her decree rlm@0: would help keep things that way. It would be her friends wish. rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: Two Years Later, rlm@0: rlm@0: "Helios..." Queen Lady Serenity looked deep into the blue eyes of her rlm@0: prince. Today, today, thousands of years after they met, they would finally be rlm@0: wed. The Asteroid senshi each were her bridesmaids, the original senshi in the rlm@0: front row with her mother. Pallas had insisted on daisies with the roses, and rlm@0: had made each senshi carry a small bunch of them. Vesta had argued long rlm@0: afterwards, but Juno had said that the daisies were a nice contrast to the rlm@0: Queen's red roses. Ceres had even gone to the trouble of making Vesta leave her rlm@0: whip on a nearby table, so she could get it if she needed it, but wouldn't look rlm@0: like a complete fool carrying it in the middle of a wedding ceremony. the four rlm@0: had quarrelled for hours, but Queen Lady Serenity ignored them all, her rlm@0: thoughts only to her and her prince finally being together, forever. Her father rlm@0: had walked her down the aisle. In her hands, she carried the bouquet of red rlm@0: roses, grown especially for her wedding by her father. She knew she must look rlm@0: beautiful, her white gown shining, her odangos trailing behind her, pink and rlm@0: airy. Her veil was almost transparent, and her golden moon ensigna was glowing. rlm@0: Helios' earth symbol had begun giving off a soft glow as well. The priest rlm@0: coughed rlm@0: "And in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish," He conituned, rlm@0: but Helios and Serenity didn't seemed to hear him. When he stopped, Helios rlm@0: said, rlm@0: "I do. I have always," rlm@0: "And do you, Queen Lady Serenity, take this man, to be..." his voice rlm@0: continued. Now, both the bride and grooms' eyes were filled with soft tears. rlm@0: "I do." Serenity said. rlm@0: "Then I now pronounce you," He didn't finish, as Serenity kissed Helios rlm@0: passionatly on the lips. The entire court of Queen Lady Serenity stood and rlm@0: applauded. (Along with a few hollers and whistles, too.) The old queen gave the rlm@0: woman she would always think of as Small Lady a quick embrace, as did her rlm@0: father, resplendant in his lavender tuxedo. Helios bowed befor the pair, and he rlm@0: and his new wife ran down the aisle. The original senshi through daisies at rlm@0: them, filling the air with white petals. The Queen looked back for only a rlm@0: moment, searching for the one person who had not come, wishing on the heart of rlm@0: a wish that the familiar purple eyes would look back at her, but the only hue rlm@0: of purple was the lavender of her fathers tuxedo. The Queen looked at her rlm@0: husband again and smiled. This was the life she had chosen, and she should not rlm@0: regret it. rlm@0: "Goodbye, Hotaru...my friend." rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: Five Hundred Years into the Future, rlm@0: rlm@0: Time passed into the waves of time, and the forces of Chaos rose once rlm@0: more from the hearts of darkness in the seas of beginning. Earth became the rlm@0: battle field, the final war for the blue planet had begun. rlm@0: rlm@0: The earth ravaged with darkness under the attacks. Cosmos had led the rlm@0: army, and had finally fallen. Her staff shone brightly over her head, still rlm@0: giving her strength. rlm@0: "We fight on! Chaos will not have this world!!!" The black storms sliced rlm@0: through the fallen forests, the crumbling mountains. Grey stone flew through rlm@0: the air and black lightning crackled over head. All that could be seen of their rlm@0: mysterious enemy was the black rolling clouds, sometimes a set of red eyes rlm@0: appearing from the mists, only to reappear miles away a minute later. Laughter rlm@0: boomed above them, but Cosmos fought on, her planet staff glowing brightly in rlm@0: her hands. In minutes, the entire army but Sailor Cosmos was broguth to its rlm@0: knees. The storm flew past, now moving towards the crystal palace. rlm@0: rlm@0: Inside, the queen sat on her throne, breathing heavily. Her odangos rlm@0: trailed behind the throne, somehow looking as exhausted and weary as her. Her rlm@0: husband had died in the first battle, and now she was alone. Alone, by the rlm@0: final battles of her home, planet and kingdom. Cosmos, some vague power, a rlm@0: ghost of what had once been her mother, led the armies with such bravery and rlm@0: fierce determination that she had to wonder if the stories of Cosmos' origins rlm@0: were true. She had heard of her from the Asteroids, gaurenteeing peace for a rlm@0: thousand years, until Chaos was reborn. Now Chaos and Cosmos were at eternal rlm@0: war, nothing seeming capable of defeating either. Queen Lady Serenity stood up rlm@0: and walked to a glass case, in which, embedded in stone by the tip of its rlm@0: blade, was a sword. It had not been used for nearly two thousand years, but rlm@0: Venus and Neo-Queen Serenity had made sure to keep it safe. On the sword were rlm@0: the powers and words to encase evil, and good, in a seal. As the Queen of rlm@0: Crystal Tokyo, she had the right and power to use it. Venus had lead the first rlm@0: line of battle, the leader of the Outer senshi long since having faded into the rlm@0: memories of her past. The gold senzshi had raised the blade in defiance against rlm@0: Chaos, glowing with energy. Each senshi had fallen, until the soldier of love rlm@0: had been the only one left standing, protected by the enchanted blade. She had rlm@0: lunged against Chaos, her golden enrgy shattering it only for a moment before rlm@0: the darkness had consumed her. She closed her eyes, and as she cried, the rlm@0: ginzhuishou reformed for her. Glowing from her tears, it sparkled silver before rlm@0: her. She must win this battle. The soldiers sacrifices would not be in vain. rlm@0: She lifted the case, the ginzhuishou glowing beside her. She would have to seal rlm@0: Cosmos and Chaos to properly seal it. The sword glowed orange for a moment, a rlm@0: glowing reminder of the senshi who had taken out half of Chaos' forces in a rlm@0: glow of golden light before being struck down, dead, by that monstrosity. The rlm@0: sword pulled easily from the stone, and was lighter than she had expected. She rlm@0: held the blade in her right hand, the silver crystal in her left, and she rlm@0: filled the palace with power. rlm@0: rlm@0: Outside, The last of the armies were incinerated in the black blast. rlm@0: Cosmos finally stood squared to Chaos. rlm@0: "You cannot defeat me, Chaos!" rlm@0: "Nor you me..." it said in its deep voice. Cosmos began to glow a fierce rlm@0: white light, born of the cleansing forces of good, and Chaos mimiced the same, rlm@0: in the forces of darkness. rlm@0: "We shall end this battle here..." rlm@0: "So you are the last player in this game...I thought as such." The two rlm@0: locked, blue eye for red eye. Suddenly, a great shattering noise came from rlm@0: behind them. rlm@0: "What?" Said Cosmos. The crystal palace had begun radiating strams of rlm@0: light, faster and faster till the glass like shards filled the air. Both Cosmos rlm@0: and Chaos protected themselves from the flying daggers. rlm@0: "Who is there..." asked Chaos. A single pillar of crystal rose from the rlm@0: center of what had once been the palace, and on it stood the Queen. She raised rlm@0: her sword and pointed it at Chaos. rlm@0: "You shall not rule this world!" Shouted a voice, standing in the rubble rlm@0: of what had once been the pintacle of Tokyo. rlm@0: "I belive that I will," Queen Serenity's eyes began glowing, and she rose rlm@0: the sword above her head. The ginzhuishou embedded itself into the hilt. rlm@0: "Cosmos! Give me your power!!!" The crystal shone, and the blade of the rlm@0: sword filled with light. Beams of light began falling from the sky, slowly at rlm@0: first, until light fell in waterfalls. Cosmos' aura had expanded, all the rlm@0: energy being sucked into the ginzhuishou. Each ray of light sliced at Chaos... rlm@0: Like a thousand shooting stars, Serenity thought, to punish this evil. "For rlm@0: love and Justice, and on behalf of the Moon, Chaos, and for my kingdom, I will rlm@0: punish you!!!" The sword filled with light, and the sky grew brighter in a rlm@0: final display of dazziling light. Her power spent, Serenity fell to the ground, rlm@0: the sword clattering beside her, falling slowly, until it shattered against the rlm@0: now blackened earth. rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: "Small Lady....Small Lady..." A voice came from above her. I have not rlm@0: been called that in years...she thought to herself. The voice continued, rlm@0: changing tones... "Queen. Awaken. There is work to be done, and choices to be rlm@0: made." Serenity grogilly got up and looked at the figure before her. Tired, her rlm@0: head hung low, she could still make out the purple boots. Please, she pleaded, rlm@0: don't let this be a dream...don't let this be a dream. rlm@0: "Hotaru?" rlm@0: "Small Lady," a gloved hand helped her up and she looked into the purple rlm@0: eys once more. She ran to hug her, but the now silent figure merely pointed to rlm@0: the west. "Look," was all she said. The world was barren, no life, no trees. rlm@0: Even the highest mountain range that protected Crystal Tokyo had crumbled. The rlm@0: earth itself had become dark. If she could see it from space, Serenity would rlm@0: realise how much the Earth had begun to look like the long forgotten Nemisis. rlm@0: "Where are Chaos and Cosmos?" rlm@0: "Sealed in the crust of this earth. More so, binded to this earth. Both rlm@0: are like star seeds from this earth, Queen. And can be destroyed with it." rlm@0: "You mean...." she looked at the soil beneath her. It had turned black. rlm@0: "Where is everyone else?" Saturn looked away. rlm@0: "Dead," rlm@0: "My mother? On the Moon?" Saturn put her hand gently to the Queen's face rlm@0: and moved the tear that glistened there away. She nodded. rlm@0: "No... oh heavens...no...." Saturn looked around. Black clouds filled the rlm@0: sky once more, and the Earth rumbled in anger. rlm@0: "Small Lady...this kingdom is no more. You have saved the universe once rlm@0: more, but it is not permenant." rlm@0: "You returned....your sight... the appearnce of Saturn means..." rlm@0: "The death of the world. You remeber your lore well, Small Lady." rlm@0: "Isn't there something we can do?" rlm@0: "Save the world, and we release Chaos." rlm@0: "Won't destroying it be the same?" rlm@0: "They are binded, Small Lady. For the first time ever, they have been rlm@0: binded. The power of the ancient sword is great. They say it was forged in the rlm@0: seas of begings. To the death of this world, to the death of them. Yes, they rlm@0: will grow again. But this time, it will be more... permenant. In the seas of rlm@0: beginning, there will be new star seeds, which take Milleniums to create, and rlm@0: these star seeds will be named Cosmos and Chaos. But for now, to the end of rlm@0: this world, there may be peace." rlm@0: "Tell me, Hotaru. Please. Did you know that this...this," she said, rlm@0: pointing, "Would be the outcome?" rlm@0: "This is every outcome, eventually. Everything happens. Every world, rlm@0: every soul will have its trial. Most die in it. But in this, we keep Chaos at rlm@0: bay, until the end of the universe." rlm@0: "What choice is there to make?" rlm@0: "You made the seal. You must choose to break it." Saturn lowered the rlm@0: Silence Glaive to the grey shards of stone scattered across the sands of what rlm@0: had once been Lady Serenity's kingdom. Glowing purple, they reformed into the rlm@0: blade. Serenity picked up the sword and drove it into the earth. rlm@0: "On this sword, by my mothers guardians and by my name and power as the rlm@0: Queen Serenity of Tokyo, I..." She looked at Saturn. "I..." she paused, crying. rlm@0: "How can I ask for a world to end?! How can I ask everythign to end? For me? rlm@0: For others?" rlm@0: "There is no other to die on this Earth, Serenity. Everyone but you is rlm@0: already dead. As for asking for the end of the world...In this case...how can rlm@0: you not?" rlm@0: "I entrust this blade and earth to its final destruction of destroy the rlm@0: heart of Chaos and Cosmos." Saturn nodded as Lady Serenity made her final rlm@0: decision. rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: Lady Serenity had a few minutes to talk to the soldier of destuction, and rlm@0: she had so many things to ask...to know. Too much to left unsaid. rlm@0: "Hotaru...why didn't you come? Why could you not be there?" rlm@0: "I love you too much to let you leave this world with Chaos on it. To rlm@0: feel guilty for the destruction of every world in the solar system. This way, I rlm@0: still have the power to destroy this world, to doom Chaos. If I had stayed... I rlm@0: would not." rlm@0: "Will I die here?" rlm@0: "If...if you choose. Life is made of choices, Small Lady. We make them to rlm@0: help ourselves or help others. It is our chouices inn this life that make us rlm@0: who we are." rlm@0: "What choice have I?" rlm@0: "If I named your choices, they would become mine. You must choose your rlm@0: own path, your own destiny." rlm@0: "End this world, Hotaru. Sailor Saturn." Saturn nodded, now her eyes rlm@0: filled with tears. She did not even say the attack, just brought down the rlm@0: Glaive in a clean `swish,' guiding it to the earth, to the destruction. The rlm@0: Queen stepped closer to her, and clung to her shoulders. In her palm lay the rlm@0: ginzhuishou. rlm@0: "Farewell, Small Lady. I...." rlm@0: "I know. Until we meet again, Hotaru. Until we meet again." rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: Saturn. rlm@0: rlm@0: Grey mists swirled around the planet of destruction, as barren as the rlm@0: earth that they had left. Sometimes, a purple lightning bolt would flash above, rlm@0: but other than that, it was silent. No life lived her, but in all the planet, rlm@0: everywehre, you could sense the spirit of another, waiting for some event that rlm@0: would signal her to return. After the destruction, Hotaru's spirit return to rlm@0: its sleep. But, in the world where spirits are all we are, the floating Saturn, rlm@0: silent, was not alone. Another waited for her awakening, when she could look rlm@0: into her eyes, the eyes of someone who she still knew, still loved, once more. rlm@0: She was carefully pulled into a set of arms, the small figure asleep on rlm@0: another's lap. The two odangos trailed behind the figure, holding the smaller rlm@0: one, watching carefully over the spirit of her friend. Knowing the unsaid words rlm@0: that drifted between them. rlm@0: "I know, Hotaru. I know."