rlm@0: Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon - Infinity Alternate
rlm@0: 'Eye of the Beholder' - Chapter Two
rlm@0: by AmazonessDuo
rlm@0: amazonessduo@hotmail.com
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ~~~~~~~ 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Witch!” 
rlm@0: A group of three girls gathered near Hotaru, taunting her yet again.
rlm@0: She closed her eyes tightly in an attempt to ignore the viscous
rlm@0: things they said. 
rlm@0: 	“So what are you up to this time, Tomoe?” One of the girls asked,
rlm@0: her voice full of venom.
rlm@0: 	“Nothing…” Hotaru said meekly, clutching the book she had been
rlm@0: reading to her chest. She was having trouble breathing as her heart
rlm@0: beat faster. Why wouldn’t they ever just leave her alone? Why
rlm@0: wouldn’t they let her fade into the background? All she asked for was
rlm@0: to not be noticed. Had she ever done anything to hurt them? No. So
rlm@0: why couldn’t they ignore her?
rlm@0: 	“What’s this, Tomoe?” The girl on the right asked, ripping the book
rlm@0: from Hotaru’s grasp. She flipped through the dog-eared pages before
rlm@0: shutting the book. “You studying some more witchcraft?”
rlm@0: 	“What else could she be doing reading all the time like that?” The
rlm@0: girl on the left replied. 
rlm@0: 	Hotaru released a shuddering breath. She had no more tears to cry
rlm@0: over this. It happened often enough. The constant teases and taunts
rlm@0: were by now a way of life from her classmates.
rlm@0: 	“If you don’t want to be here, Tomoe, get on your broomstick and
rlm@0: leave.” The three girls snickered at the dark haired girl, one of
rlm@0: them tossing her book to the ground.
rlm@0: 	“Why don’t you all leave her alone?!” a sweet voice yelled angrily.
rlm@0: The girls turned to see a pink haired girl about their age run up to
rlm@0: stand beside Hotaru. Her crimson eyes burned with an unseen fire from
rlm@0: the anger she felt, her small hands balled up in fists. “What has she
rlm@0: ever done to you?!” ChibiUsa demanded.
rlm@0: 	The middle girl glared at Hotaru. “She was born.”
rlm@0: 	Hotaru normally would have shrank back from the other girl’s
rlm@0: statement, but she was still in shock. ChibiUsa was here? Defending
rlm@0: her? The thought made her head spin. 
rlm@0: 	“If that’s her only crime against you, you oughtta think of
rlm@0: something better because I can think of plenty more you’ve done to
rlm@0: her just from what I saw,” ChibiUsa said, stepping forward a little
rlm@0: ahead and to the side of Hotaru.
rlm@0: 	“How would you know? She’s a witch,” one of the girl’s said,
rlm@0: pointing at Hotaru.
rlm@0: 	“If she is a witch, I’d rather spend an eternity with her than a
rlm@0: second with you cold hearted bitches.” ChibiUsa stared at each of the
rlm@0: three girls. 
rlm@0: 	The girls glared back at this strange pink haired girl.
rlm@0: 	“She is a witch! We’ve all seen her. When people get hurt, they pop
rlm@0: up without a trace of it after she touches them,” The girl on the
rlm@0: right began.
rlm@0: 	“And what’s wrong with that? She did the same to me, and I’m
rlm@0: grateful,” ChibiUsa said absentmindedly rubbing her arm where her
rlm@0: injury had been.
rlm@0: 	“She’s always off on her own. Usually she’s reading something. She
rlm@0: always wears black. And she has those strange seizures,” The girl in
rlm@0: the middle finished.
rlm@0: 	“How can you all stand here and say that? You’re all so blinded by
rlm@0: hatred for what you don’t understand that you can’t see what she
rlm@0: really is,” the pink haired girl argued. 
rlm@0: 	“And what’s that?” The middle girl asked with a smirk.
rlm@0: 	“The sweetest, kindest, most beautiful girl I’ve ever met. If she
rlm@0: is a witch, then she’s a great one. And everything you all see wrong
rlm@0: with her, I wouldn’t want to change. She’s smart and gentle and has a
rlm@0: wonderful shining heart. And if none of you can see that, then I pity
rlm@0: you. I was wondering why she was so shy and reserved, but now I know.
rlm@0: Because of people like you.” ChibiUsa took Hotaru’s hand in her own
rlm@0: without taking her eyes from the three girls in front of her.
rlm@0: 	All three stared back at the pink haired girl that had interrupted
rlm@0: what would have otherwise been a normal day for them. “What are you?
rlm@0: Her girlfriend?” one of the three asked.
rlm@0: 	“What if I am?” ChibiUsa asked back, tightening her grip on
rlm@0: Hotaru’s hand, feeling the slight tremble in her lover’s hand.
rlm@0: 	“Oh my god…” The middle girl turned her gaze to Hotaru. “Tomoe’s a
rlm@0: lesbian.” The other two gasped as well, looking back and forth from
rlm@0: to the pink and raven haired girls. After whispering with each other
rlm@0: for a moment, the three girls finally turned to leave. 
rlm@0: 	ChibiUsa looked in shock after the three girls. They were
rlm@0: retreating as if they had some kind of disease. “And what’s wrong
rlm@0: with that?!” the pink haired girl yelled after them, half expecting a
rlm@0: response, but not being surprised when none came. Her free hand going
rlm@0: to her forehead, she sighed deeply. A tug on her wrist caught her
rlm@0: attention. Turning her attention back to the dark haired girl, she
rlm@0: saw Hotaru kneeling to pick up her book that they’d so carelessly
rlm@0: thrown to the ground. “Oh, Hotaru-chan, I’m so sorry. I was just so
rlm@0: angry when I saw them treating you like that. I had no idea… I’ve
rlm@0: probably just made things worse for you now, haven’t I?”
rlm@0: 	Hotaru shook her head softly. “There have been plenty of rumors
rlm@0: about me before. Everyone already thinks of me as a witch. This won’t
rlm@0: change things.” Glancing down at her book, Hotaru wiped some of the
rlm@0: dirt from the cover.
rlm@0: 	“Then why’d they leave like that?” ChibiUsa asked, confused.
rlm@0: 	Hotaru allowed herself a slight smile. “They were probably afraid
rlm@0: of my girlfriend.”
rlm@0: 	ChibiUsa laughed and drew the dark haired girl into a warm embrace.
rlm@0: Hotaru’s pale cheeks turned a bright red as she felt the other girl
rlm@0: holding her lovingly. ChibiUsa’s expression suddenly turning serious,
rlm@0: she said, “I’m sorry those girls were acting like that.”
rlm@0: 	Looking away, Hotaru wouldn’t return her gaze. “Its not just them.”
rlm@0: 	“Hotaru-chan… I’m sorry,” ChibiUsa said sadly, at a loss for words.
rlm@0: 	Hotaru smiled softly. “Don’t be. You’re the best thing that’s ever
rlm@0: happened to me, ChibiUsa-chan. Its not your fault if they all act
rlm@0: like that. You more than make up for it with the warmth and kindness
rlm@0: you show me.”
rlm@0: 	ChibiUsa looked intently into Hotaru’s violet eyes. “Don’t worry
rlm@0: about them. Just remember that I love you no matter what. It doesn’t
rlm@0: matter what they think. I’ll always love you.”
rlm@0: 	Hotaru’s blush worsened as she lost herself in the crimson pools of
rlm@0: the pink haired girl’s eyes. “And I you, ChibiUsa-chan.” Before she
rlm@0: knew what was going on, she was sharing a kiss with her lover right
rlm@0: where they stood. Hotaru remembered all the cruel comments and
rlm@0: torture she endured from her classmates. ‘What’s it matter what they
rlm@0: think?’ she thought to herself. ‘This moment of bliss is worth more
rlm@0: than every single thing they’ve ever done combined.’ 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	Hunched over a computer, Mamoru rubbed his palms against his eyes,
rlm@0: trying to focus. He had been looking up information on Professor
rlm@0: Tomoe and the events surrounding him for the past several hours and
rlm@0: everything was rapidly becoming a blur. Between the studying for
rlm@0: college classes he needed to catch up on, running around in a top hat
rlm@0: and tuxedo, and doing research for running around in said tuxedo, he
rlm@0: had to wonder when he had time for anything at all relaxing these
rlm@0: days.  Even going to see the talented violinist, Michiru Kaioh, with
rlm@0: ChibiUsa, Usagi and her friends had turned out disastrously. And
rlm@0: ChibiUsa had seemed awfully distracted about something. The tedious
rlm@0: work over the past few hours had finally yielded some results,
rlm@0: thankfully, so maybe he’d have a chance to relax after all.
rlm@0: Stretching in the chair, he turned back to tell ChibiUsa the good
rlm@0: news. 
rlm@0: The pink haired girl was nodding off in a chair near him, her head
rlm@0: tilted to the side as she sat leaning back. After a moment or so, the
rlm@0: future princess stirred and blinked. Noticing that Mamoru had had
rlm@0: seen that she had nearly fallen asleep, she grinned sheepishly and
rlm@0: pointed toward the computer. “Did you find anything, Mamo-chan?” 
rlm@0: Turning back towards the computer, the older man sighed. “No matter
rlm@0: where I looked, I couldn’t find anything of interest on Professor
rlm@0: Souichi Tomoe. Just a few minutes ago, I finally accessed something
rlm@0: on him. His life’s work has been on genetic research. It’s been an
rlm@0: obsession for him his entire career, even to the point where he was
rlm@0: considered an outcast by the scientific community for his bizarre
rlm@0: experiments on animals. He put up his knowledge on the subject out
rlm@0: for sale to continue funding his research and was bought up by the
rlm@0: Infinity district. Apparently they didn’t mind whether or not his
rlm@0: work was inhumane and hired him anyway.”
rlm@0: “So that’s why Hotaru-chan lives there,” ChibiUsa said thoughtfully.
rlm@0: A few more pieces of the puzzle started to fit into place, but she
rlm@0: didn’t say anything. She had promised Hotaru that she wouldn’t tell
rlm@0: that her father had done that sort of thing. But it seemed that
rlm@0: Mamoru had found out on his own. 
rlm@0: Mamoru nodded, his tone growing more grave. “During the construction
rlm@0: of some of the buildings, a fire broke out under some unknown
rlm@0: circumstances while he and his family were there.” Scooting to the
rlm@0: side, he let ChibiUsa get a good look at the screen. 
rlm@0: There was a picture of a smiling woman there with the words: Wife,
rlm@0: Keiko, Age 32, Deceased. ChibiUsa gasped. That was how Hotaru’s
rlm@0: mother had died when she was younger. But what was even more
rlm@0: surprising were the picture of a young dark haired girl and the words
rlm@0: that followed: Daughter, Hotaru, Age 8, Critical Condition. Not only
rlm@0: had Hotaru lost her mother in the fire, but she herself had been
rlm@0: caught in it, too. But what had happened to her? How had she survived
rlm@0: the fire? 
rlm@0: “They say that after that incident, all life left the Professor’s
rlm@0: face,” Mamoru said, breaking the uneasy silence that had spread
rlm@0: through the room. “The loss of his wife and the near loss of his
rlm@0: daughter must have changed him.” ‘I can understand why he’d grow cold
rlm@0: after that. I don’t know that I wouldn’t do the same if I lose Usako
rlm@0: and ChibiUsa. And we haven’t even had ChibiUsa yet,’ he thought to
rlm@0: himself.
rlm@0: “ChibiUsa-chan, you should keep a careful watch on Hotaru-chan. It’s
rlm@0: your duty as a Sailor Senshi to find the enemy and eliminate them. If
rlm@0: we don’t stop them soon, it may be too late to stop their invasion.
rlm@0: All could be lost. Professor Tomoe seems even more suspicious now,
rlm@0: and if he’s Hotaru-chan’s father, you should keep an eye out for
rlm@0: anything.” Luna looked up at ChibiUsa seriously.
rlm@0: The pink haired girl nodded eagerly. Any excuse to stick close to
rlm@0: the firefly was good enough for her. She wouldn’t believe that Hotaru
rlm@0: had anything to do with this but she felt very uneasy about the raven
rlm@0: haired girl’s father. “Hai, I understand, Luna. I’ll do my best. I
rlm@0: won’t let Hotaru-chan out of my sight.” She had a hard time trying to
rlm@0: conceal a large smile.
rlm@0: Luna sweatdropped. For some reason she didn’t think they meant the
rlm@0: same thing.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	Where is she? We were supposed to meet here to go to the movies.
rlm@0: We’d been planning it all week so we’d be able to have some fun this
rlm@0: weekend. Hotaru couldn’t have forgotten, could she? I hope that’s all
rlm@0: it is. I can wait a while longer before I go looking for her. What if
rlm@0: she shows up and I’m off looking for her? No, its safer to stay here
rlm@0: for now.
rlm@0: 	Brushing back some pink strands of hair from my eyes, I glance
rlm@0: around the park, searching for any sign of midnight black hair or
rlm@0: ivory skin. Hoisting my book bag over my shoulder, I stand up on the
rlm@0: bench I had been sitting on to get a better view. I can’t suppress my
rlm@0: anxiety. Maybe something really has happened to her. I could never
rlm@0: forgive myself if Hotaru got hurt coming here to see me.
rlm@0: 	You’re making too big a deal out of this, I scold myself. Just
rlm@0: relax. She’ll get here sooner or later. Its all a matter of time,
rlm@0: just like Puu had said so long ago. I grin a bit at that. I wonder if
rlm@0: she had any idea about this back when she first let me go back in
rlm@0: time. The grin fades as I remember that glimpse of dark green hair in
rlm@0: a crowd after I’d left Hotaru’s house with Usagi a while back. Could
rlm@0: Pluto still be alive? But why wouldn’t she come tell me? There are
rlm@0: too many unanswered questions. My head hurts just from trying to
rlm@0: think of all the questions, let alone the answers. Hotaru’s the focus
rlm@0: of most of them. She’s so mysterious. There’s a lot that I don’t know
rlm@0: about her or her family. But I don’t want to pry into things that are
rlm@0: better left alone. She seems so fragile that I worry about what
rlm@0: digging too much could do to her. And besides, I’m content just
rlm@0: knowing she’s there. I smile a bit. She’s so…. intoxicating? The more
rlm@0: I’m with her, the more I want to be with her. Forever. 
rlm@0: 	Fifteen minutes go by and still no sign of her. I’m really starting
rlm@0: to get worried. It’s been over an hour now and she’s still missing.
rlm@0: My heart starts to beat quicker as panic begins to set in. Hotaru’s
rlm@0: okay, I assure myself. To prove that to my yearning heart, I decide
rlm@0: to go look for her. Her house isn’t too far from here so I decide to
rlm@0: check there first.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	A surge of excitement runs through me as I walk towards where I
rlm@0: remember Hotaru-chan’s room to be from the outside. I know I’m not
rlm@0: supposed to be here, but what if she’s hurt? She could’ve fallen down
rlm@0: after having another one of those fits and no one could know. Her
rlm@0: father barely pays any attention to her as it is and Hotaru obviously
rlm@0: doesn’t like that weird lady that works as his assistant. I barely
rlm@0: notice myself picking up speed as I nearly break into a run,
rlm@0: desperate to make sure the firefly’s okay. If anything’s happened to
rlm@0: her... Pushing the thought out of my mind, I stop worrying about
rlm@0: whether or not anyone saw me sneak into the house and bolt towards
rlm@0: Hotaru’s room. Be okay, be okay, be okay, please just be alright and
rlm@0: I promise I’ll make everything better... You’ll never have to cry
rlm@0: again, just please be alright... Out of breath and exhausted from
rlm@0: making it here in a much shorter time than it’s ever taken me before,
rlm@0: I slump to my knees a few meters from Hotaru’s window. Ignoring the
rlm@0: burning inside as I gasp for breath, I half walk and half stumble
rlm@0: over to the windowsill. 
rlm@0: 	“How do those new parts feel?” I hear Hotaru’s father ask from
rlm@0: inside as I make my way to the window. Well, if he was spending time
rlm@0: with her then it was worth her being late. He’s all she has for her
rlm@0: family so it’s good he’s not buried in his work right now. He seems
rlm@0: to care a lot about her when he does show it and my firefly misses
rlm@0: him. 
rlm@0: 	“They feel fine, dad. I think I’m getting used to them already,”
rlm@0: Hotaru lied. I don’t know what she’s lying about, but whatever it is,
rlm@0: it sounds like she’s faking it. For her father’s sake? Or because
rlm@0: she’s late? Whatever it is, her father doesn’t seem to notice. I try
rlm@0: to catch her attention from the window, but she’s looking over at the
rlm@0: clock in her room. I smile a bit. At least she’s okay. And now I get
rlm@0: to surprise her. 
rlm@0: 	“The parts incorporate a new development in masons and neurons that
rlm@0: I came across. They were used as part of a rather interesting
rlm@0: experiment. I’m still waiting to hear more of the results.” Her
rlm@0: father shakes his head, extremely pale purple hair moving from side
rlm@0: to side as he does. “But that’s besides the point. All the technology
rlm@0: is state-of-the-art and made from the best materials available.” He
rlm@0: places a hand on her cheek. I wonder what they were busy with. Hotaru
rlm@0: shivers slightly at his touch. A while back, she had told me that his
rlm@0: hands felt very cold. I guess it has something to do with his
rlm@0: research. “Very soon you won’t have anymore fits, Hotaru-chan.” I
rlm@0: smile at that. It has to be some new kind of medication then. This
rlm@0: means Hotaru-chan will get better! My smile fades after I see the
rlm@0: look on Hotaru’s face. I don’t think she believes him that she’ll get
rlm@0: better. My poor firefly. It’ll get better, I promise. He finally
rlm@0: picks up a few things that I can’t quite pick out as medical
rlm@0: instruments or tools and leaves the room. 
rlm@0: 	“I have to hurry,” Hotaru-chan says worriedly, brushing back dark
rlm@0: hair from her eyes. The poor girl almost seems frantic. Awww...
rlm@0: That’s so cute that she wants to see me so much. Hmm... How should I
rlm@0: surprise her? “ChibiUsa-chan might have already gone home by now. I’m
rlm@0: really late. That took longer this time.” She sighs sadly. What took
rlm@0: longer? I want to ask her. Bending up her arm, her skin begins to
rlm@0: glow brightly. Underneath, I can see wires holding her muscles
rlm@0: together and other strange parts in the part of her arm I can see.
rlm@0: She picks now to turn around and spot me.  I am Jack’s nervous
rlm@0: breakdown. Her oddly hypnotic silver eyes catch mine before I can
rlm@0: dare to look away. Caught like my namesake in headlights, I can only
rlm@0: stare back for a long moment. I don’t know what to think. If only I’d
rlm@0: waited this never would have happened. Fear and shock quickly fill
rlm@0: those infinitely deep silver eyes, mirroring my own as I take a step
rlm@0: back. What.. What was that? What happened? “ChibiUsa-chan?!” she
rlm@0: calls out, her soft voice wavering. 
rlm@0: I’m caught. I don’t know what to do. What can I say to her? There’s
rlm@0: no way I can fix this right now. I should’ve waited at the theater
rlm@0: and then... “I’m sorry, Hotaru-chan... I... I shouldn’t have barged
rlm@0: in here...” I turn around and start to run away, unable to sort out
rlm@0: everything that’s going through my head. “I’m sorry,” I repeat as I
rlm@0: run as far as I can, away from it all. She probably hates me now for
rlm@0: seeing that. My poor firefly...
rlm@0: “ChibiUsa-chan!” I can barely hear her call again.
rlm@0: 	
rlm@0: 	
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	I fall to my knees where I’m standing, unable to even make it the
rlm@0: rest of the way to my bed. Hot tears stream down my cheeks as her
rlm@0: fleeing image remains seared in my mind. Why? Why did this have to
rlm@0: happen? Why did I finally find a friend only to have her taken away
rlm@0: from me? My body is wracked with pain even as my heart and soul are
rlm@0: wracked with guilt and fear. I’ve lasted this long on my own but now
rlm@0: that I’ve had a taste of what it was like to have her care about me I
rlm@0: don’t think I can go back to the way things were. I don’t want to be
rlm@0: alone anymore. It hurts too much. 
rlm@0: 	The pain inside my battered shell of a body grows more intense as
rlm@0: my thoughts get darker. It’s as if the physical pain is mirroring the
rlm@0: pain in my heart. I collapse forward onto the floor, clutching at my
rlm@0: chest. My sobs are starting to hurt more and more as ice cold shoots
rlm@0: through my veins, followed seconds later by the searing hot pain.
rlm@0: Maybe… Maybe I’m dying. Maybe whoever’s out there decided to take
rlm@0: pity on me, to finally end my suffering. Maybe the cruel trick that
rlm@0: was played on me, letting me finally find a friend and someone to
rlm@0: love, will be the last. My head against the floor, my tears stream
rlm@0: down my cheeks. A shaky hand reaches out to my amulet in the hopes
rlm@0: that it can heal me, but the image of ChibiUsa’s horrified face when
rlm@0: she saw me for what I am seizes up my body. My hand falls back down
rlm@0: to the floor, even the will to live completely drained from my body. 
rlm@0: I deserve to die. My life has served no purpose. I’ve only been a
rlm@0: burden to my father. He’s usually too busy to worry about me anyway.
rlm@0: He has to have Kaolinite keep an eye on me. Everyone else I’ve known
rlm@0: has made it painfully clear that they don’t want me here. They’re all
rlm@0: afraid of me. Even.. Even she’s afraid of me. 
rlm@0: Harsh, painful sobs wrack my body as my pain begins anew. “ChibiUsa-
rlm@0: chan…” I whisper hoarsely. I curse my horrible, dead body. I curse
rlm@0: myself for still being here for this to have happened. If I’d died a
rlm@0: few months ago, this never would have happened. She’d never have been
rlm@0: afraid of me and I never would have... I never would have met her.. A
rlm@0: lump forms in my throat as I try to look through my blurry, tearful
rlm@0: vision to the Holy Grail she gave me. It sits in a very special spot
rlm@0: near my bed, right near several of my favorite lamps. She somehow saw
rlm@0: past what everyone else hated about me, she wasn’t afraid of me when
rlm@0: she found out I could heal with a touch, but now that she’s seen what
rlm@0: I am, she’s frightened of me. And I don’t think I can live with
rlm@0: myself for that. I should have known that it was too good to be true,
rlm@0: that she could really accept me. Who could? I’ve been half dead for
rlm@0: so long.. My eyes fall closed as the pain starts preying on my
rlm@0: consciousness. I can only hope it won’t last much longer, that I’ll
rlm@0: finally be able to be free. Free of this prison of a body. Free of
rlm@0: all the loneliness and the hate.
rlm@0: I don’t want to live anymore. This painful life has taken everything
rlm@0: from me. First my mother, then my body, and now the only person who’s
rlm@0: ever cared about me. Not too mention all of the other countless
rlm@0: things that have been ripped away from me. How could this have
rlm@0: happened? I had thought that if she just didn’t know about it that
rlm@0: maybe… just maybe things would work out. How could I have fooled
rlm@0: myself into such childish dreams? I had thought I was past that, past
rlm@0: deluding myself with any form of hope. But looking into her shining
rlm@0: eyes made me forget about that, it made me grasp onto those thin
rlm@0: shreds of hope and cherish them with all of my being. 
rlm@0: She made me feel alive again. After so many years of being dead, of
rlm@0: being a breathing dead girl, it felt so wonderful to feel alive
rlm@0: again. Dad keeps my body alive… barely… but she had brought my soul
rlm@0: back to life. And now it was all gone. All taken from me within a few
rlm@0: brief seconds. Such an inconsequential amount of time that brought my
rlm@0: life to a deafening crescendo of pain and tears. Really, nothing has
rlm@0: happened. Things will go back to the way they were before I met her.
rlm@0: Everyone will still hate me and I’ll be all alone again. I shake my
rlm@0: head in torment. I can’t live like that! I can’t be alone again!
rlm@0: Tendrils of fear grip my ice cold heart as the thought of having to
rlm@0: endure through it all with the painful memories of her sends more
rlm@0: tears rolling down my cheeks. I’ve lasted through everything else
rlm@0: because I’ve never had a choice. What else could I do but move on?
rlm@0: Even when everything hurt, I was too apathetic to do anything but cry
rlm@0: to myself and hide in the shadows. But I can’t stand it any longer.
rlm@0: The thought of moving on knowing that I lost the only person that
rlm@0: ever meant anything to me is just too much to bear. 
rlm@0: “Agghh…..” I wince painfully as I stagger to my feet, leaning
rlm@0: heavily against a dresser. The pain inside and out seems to contort
rlm@0: my body in some sick rhythm. A symphony of silence. Making a few half
rlm@0: steps forward, barely able to make out anything through my blurred
rlm@0: vision, I grasp onto one of my favorite lamps. It’s a beautiful lamp.
rlm@0: Small silver designs encircle the midnight black lamp in a
rlm@0: neverending dance. But right now I can barely even see the object in
rlm@0: my hand as I concentrate on it. Fire shoots through my arm as the
rlm@0: muscle seems to threaten to just rip apart on it’s own. I cry out but
rlm@0: keep going. This is nothing compared to the pain I’ve felt. My
rlm@0: favorite lamp cracks and shatters as that small burst of cyborg
rlm@0: strength finally wins out over my dead body. Collapsing to the floor
rlm@0: again, I weakly watch the shattered pieces of the lamp, so much like
rlm@0: the shattered pieces of my life. Things had seemed so perfect before
rlm@0: mother died and everything started slipping away from me. Now even
rlm@0: the last shred of hope I had held onto has been taken away into the
rlm@0: darkness of the night. 
rlm@0: My pale hands search the floor for the right piece. I barely flinch
rlm@0: at the cuts I get as I grasp at them, blinded by my grief and self-
rlm@0: pity. A long jagged piece of porcelain finally catches my attention
rlm@0: to my right. Clutching it tightly, I can feel it bite into my skin,
rlm@0: the blood dripping much the same way my tears are. I shake my head as
rlm@0: I bring it towards my wrist, almost hoping someone will stop me,
rlm@0: praying that no one will. “Oh, ChibiUsa-chan… I’m so sorry…. I’ll
rlm@0: never hurt you again…. Because I don’t want to hurt again either...”
rlm@0: I get out between sobs as I push into my wrist. This is the only way
rlm@0: to escape. This is the only way I’ll ever stop the pain. It hurts too
rlm@0: much to go on. I only hope that ChibiUsa will forgive me. But by now
rlm@0: she’s probably already forgotten me... Shaking all over, I slide in
rlm@0: across my wrist, a grimace spreading across my face as the pain
rlm@0: becomes even more intense. As I wait to die and be rid myself of this
rlm@0: worthless body and life, I look down to my wrist. Torn flesh and
rlm@0: pouring blood greet my eyes, but also something more sinister. Metal
rlm@0: cords going to my hand jut out from the injury, a painful reminder of
rlm@0: how little of me is still human after the fire.  Shivering on the
rlm@0: floor, whimpering, the darkness finally claims me and all is silence. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Silver eyes blinked slowly and painfully into consciousness. Hotaru
rlm@0: immediately regretted opening her eyes as a harsh white light burned
rlm@0: into her vision. “Dad?” she asked weakly, his dim outline barely
rlm@0: visible through the haze of pain settling throughout her body. Yet
rlm@0: even then, it didn’t hurt at all in comparison to the pain in her
rlm@0: heart. Blinking back bitter tears, she rolled to her side, towards
rlm@0: her father. It was gone. It was all gone. There was a terrible
rlm@0: emptiness inside of her that could never be filled. It wasn’t just
rlm@0: that something was missing, that things could go back to the way they
rlm@0: were before, but that it had been ripped forcibly from her, the torn
rlm@0: edges of her soul impossible to mend. Shaking lightly as the tears
rlm@0: came more freely, she wondered where her father had gone. This man in
rlm@0: his place only cared that she lived, that her body was all right. He
rlm@0: didn’t offer any comfort to the pitiful girl lying on her bed.
rlm@0: Instead, he kept checking a sheet of paper in his hands. 
rlm@0: Hotaru cursed herself as his cold hands checked to make sure the
rlm@0: wires in her arms were undamaged. She couldn’t even do that right.
rlm@0: Her only escape had been ruined. She couldn’t even kill an already
rlm@0: dead body. 
rlm@0: “Good morning, Hotaru-chan. You’re awake,” he stated as he moved
rlm@0: around to get a better look of the repairs he’d done to his cyborg
rlm@0: daughter. The cords and pieces in her wrist had been easy enough to
rlm@0: fix, although that most certainly wasn’t one of the things he’d been
rlm@0: worried about before then. He thought if anything endangered that
rlm@0: which was within his daughter’s body, it was that the girl was weak
rlm@0: and dying. He should have seen this coming. Of course, it didn’t
rlm@0: change anything. The time was near, making this only a very minor
rlm@0: setback. “How are you feeling?”
rlm@0: The sound of it was that of a doctor asking a patient, Hotaru could
rlm@0: tell. He was wondering how she was feeling physically, not how torn
rlm@0: apart she felt inside. “Papa...” the dark haired girl whispered
rlm@0: sadly. She was truly all alone now. Her father had gone somewhere far
rlm@0: away, leaving only this.. this person in his place. And now the only
rlm@0: person who had ever cared about her had run away in fear of her. Why
rlm@0: had she survived and her mother died? Why couldn’t she have taken her
rlm@0: mother’s place? She could barely remember her anymore, but she knew
rlm@0: that she’d been a wonderful mother. She didn’t deserve to die in a
rlm@0: horrible fire. Her life would have been much more worthwhile than
rlm@0: Hotaru’s own. Like she often did, but never with as much regret that
rlm@0: she couldn’t make it a reality, the dark haired girl wished that she
rlm@0: could have taken her mother’s place. They’d both nearly been burned
rlm@0: to death but she had somehow survived. Now more than ever she
rlm@0: wondered why. 
rlm@0: Dimly hearing her father repeat the question, she simply nodded. She
rlm@0: could feel a burning inside of her as the wires and cords and parts
rlm@0: all worked at a more desperate pace to keep her body alive. She
rlm@0: wanted to rip it all out. She was a mockery of life. Not truly alive,
rlm@0: but not allowed to die. It didn’t matter anymore. She was already
rlm@0: dead. There was no way this was any sort of life. She only had to
rlm@0: wait for when her body would finally give out on her. And she knew
rlm@0: that wouldn’t be a long wait. Her father finally left the room. “Why
rlm@0: did she have to find out? Everyone hates me for being able to heal
rlm@0: others. They think I’m some kind of witch. It was hard enough with
rlm@0: them knowing that. I didn’t want anyone to know about this dead body
rlm@0: of mine. I’ve been all alone for so long now. All by myself even when
rlm@0: drowning in a sea of humanity. Dad doesn’t care anymore. His research
rlm@0: is the only important thing to him. I don’t even know why he tries to
rlm@0: keep me alive. Doesn’t he see I’d be better off that way? I knew I
rlm@0: was going to die alone. It was a sad fact of life. But then... I
rlm@0: finally met her. She wasn’t afraid of me. She didn’t hate me. She
rlm@0: wanted to be my friend. She wanted.. to love me...” She sobbed
rlm@0: painfully, tears starting to fall anew down her still damp cheeks. “I
rlm@0: should have known. How could anyone love a monster like me? She’s an
rlm@0: angel and I’m a demon. I could only drag her into darkness. But
rlm@0: without her, why should I go on? I have nothing now. Why should I
rlm@0: live anymore? Is there any point to my life? Mama... why couldn’t I
rlm@0: come with you?”
rlm@0: 	An intense pain in her head makes her double over, clutching at the
rlm@0: searing fire within. “It... it hurts...” Her labored breathing
rlm@0: faltered for a moment, her physical and mental pain becoming an
rlm@0: uncontrolled beast within. “My forehead.. it’s… it’s like it’s on
rlm@0: fire...”
rlm@0: 	Through the knife’s blade that felt lodged in her forehead, the
rlm@0: deathly pale girl could make out three figures watching her. “Who are
rlm@0: you?! Are you... are you Death? Please... why are you torturing me?
rlm@0: Please just let it all go away... Please let me die..” The figures
rlm@0: just watched as if taunting her. Hurling her amulet out past them,
rlm@0: the figures vanished, leaving her all alone once more. Her face
rlm@0: against her pillow, she wept as it seemed to get even worse. The
rlm@0: darkness inside her was growing as her sense of loss intensified,
rlm@0: images of the pink haired girl from the past few weeks filling her
rlm@0: thoughts. 
rlm@0: 	Suddenly, she didn’t feel so alone anymore. And that frightened her
rlm@0: as she tried to look around the room. “It hurts so much...
rlm@0: Everything.. everything hurts.. Like someone’s trying to burst out of
rlm@0: me...” She looked up as thoughts that weren’t her own began to invade
rlm@0: her fading mind. “Someone’s taking over my body...” She tried
rlm@0: desperately to cling onto her last vestige of consciousness as icy
rlm@0: cold fear shot through her veins, her will crumbling quickly.
rlm@0: “ChibiUsa-chan...”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	The pink haired girl in question was leaning against a brick wall a
rlm@0: few blocks away, panting heavily as she tried to catch her breath.
rlm@0: Brushing back sweat dampened hair, she looked back the way she had
rlm@0: come. She felt sick from all of that running and the torrent of
rlm@0: thoughts swirling like a storm cloud in her head. Her insides felt
rlm@0: tied in knots. She pulled her legs to her chest, her short, crystal
rlm@0: blue dress in disarray. The harsh bricks scraped her back even
rlm@0: through the thin fabric. 
rlm@0: 	Shaking her head, the pink haired girl sighed miserably. What she
rlm@0: had seen of the raven haired girl entered her mind every time she
rlm@0: closed her eyes. Wires and cords holding her beautiful frame
rlm@0: together, keeping her alive. The girl she loved was barely alive.
rlm@0: “What should I do? Oh, Hota-chan, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have seen
rlm@0: that. I should have waited for you.”
rlm@0: 	“I had an accident a long time ago. I have many wounds from it,”
rlm@0: Hotaru had said to her what felt like years before but could only
rlm@0: have been less than a month before. ‘So that’s what she meant,’
rlm@0: ChibiUsa thought to herself, pulling her legs closer. “That surprised
rlm@0: me. But what should I do now? When I ran away from Hota-chan, did I
rlm@0: hurt her? What have I done?” She stood up, finally managing to breath
rlm@0: more normally. “We all have our secrets, Hotaru-chan. I’m over nine
rlm@0: hundred years old and I never told you. I can see why you wouldn’t
rlm@0: want to tell me about that. But I want to make it up to you. I love
rlm@0: you no matter what. This doesn’t change anything.” With renewed
rlm@0: determination, the pink haired girl gathered herself up and began to
rlm@0: turn back the other way. A sharp pain on the side of her head
rlm@0: elicited a yelp from the young looking pink haired girl. 
rlm@0: Taking a half step backward, she felt a biting cold feeling where
rlm@0: the pain had been. Curiously, she brushed her hand over the spot. It
rlm@0: now felt wet and the cold began to be replaced by a burning feeling
rlm@0: at her touch, making ChibiUsa wince. Bringing her hand back, she saw
rlm@0: some blood on her fingers.  “What?” A gasp escaped her lips as she
rlm@0: felt as if she’d been bitten above her calf. Looking up at the dark
rlm@0: sky gave her a better understanding of what was going on. A few fat
rlm@0: droplets of rain hit the future princess. “What’s going on? It
rlm@0: shouldn’t be hailing in this season. This is just...” She stumbled
rlm@0: forward, having a hard time concentrating as that cold feeling that
rlm@0: had been on the side of her head started to spread through her body.
rlm@0: “This isn’t normal hail. I’ve gotta get out of it while I still can.”
rlm@0: She hugged herself tightly as she tried to keep warm, heading off
rlm@0: through the rain and hail. “I have to get back to Hotaru-chan. She
rlm@0: needs me.” Her weary mind still guilty from before, ran over the
rlm@0: possibilities as she raced back the way she’d come, hoping that she
rlm@0: could make things all right. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Was this what dying was like? That had to be it. She was dying. It
rlm@0: was worse than any of the fits she had ever suffered before. Her
rlm@0: whole body was aching horribly, like ice cold knives had been raked
rlm@0: across her body.  Making out anything through her blurry vision was a
rlm@0: chore that she couldn’t waste the time on, her nausea just making it
rlm@0: even worse. Every bit of her pain wracked body screamed out in agony
rlm@0: as she tried to get up.  Had her father’s attempts at keeping her
rlm@0: corpse-like body alive finally failed? Was she finally going to do?
rlm@0: Fresh tears started to sting her already bloodshot eyes. It was over.
rlm@0: Finally, this sick joke was over. 
rlm@0: “No...” she whispered, her raw throat aflame. There was something
rlm@0: else there. Something with her. Something... evil. That presence she
rlm@0: felt earlier, it was gaining in strength even as she was starting to
rlm@0: slip further and further away. She didn’t want to be here anymore, no
rlm@0: longer up for playing the part of the hated, wretched witch. But
rlm@0: still, the fear of dying was deep within her. And she knew that even
rlm@0: if she died, this thing would be released. And it would hurt... “No!”
rlm@0: she managed to get out louder. It was preying on her thoughts. It had
rlm@0: already picked its first target. Because of her. “You can’t have her.
rlm@0: No...” Pale hands gripped her burning forehead as she tried to force
rlm@0: it out, tried to change its mind, anything. If she’d been allowed to
rlm@0: kill herself, she would have been able to get rid of it along with
rlm@0: herself. Instead, it would hurt the only person that meant anything
rlm@0: to her. 
rlm@0: Silver eyes sparkled as Hotaru’s gaze was drawn to the window. A
rlm@0: large pillar of light flared in the growing storm, energy sweeping
rlm@0: through it. It was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
rlm@0: Like part of her could remember something much like it from long ago.
rlm@0: No, it wasn’t her. Someone else remembered it. Someone deep inside of
rlm@0: her. “The power..! It should be more than enough to replace the
rlm@0: Taioron Crystal. Master Pharaoh 90 will be pleased. That must be the
rlm@0: true power of Sailormoon. The Ginzuishou.” It wasn’t her own voice,
rlm@0: but someone using her to speak. The thought sent shivers through her
rlm@0: weak body.  Tears plunged to the sheets beneath her as Hotaru’s whole
rlm@0: body began to shake. She was afraid of what would happen now. 
rlm@0: Her hand lifted of its own volition, picking up the amulet her
rlm@0: father had given her. The crystal twirled back and forth as it hung
rlm@0: from its string. Something began to coalesce in the crystal, some
rlm@0: sort of image. She recognized the person immediately, her stomach
rlm@0: turning in on itself as it became clearer. Kaolinite, her father’s
rlm@0: assistant. The person who never failed to make things worse. She
rlm@0: wanted to drop the amulet, to get away from her, but she couldn’t let
rlm@0: go. 
rlm@0: “Soon, I will become the master’s partner. I won’t fail him. Unlike
rlm@0: the Witches 5, I won’t let the Sailor Senshi get in the way,”
rlm@0: Kaolinite said through the crystal. Despite being startled, Hotaru
rlm@0: clung unto the string, the crystal swinging back and forth. 
rlm@0: Again, the dark haired girl’s mouth opened without her permission.
rlm@0: “Yes, Magus, the time has come. You will take your place as the
rlm@0: master’s partner. Just remember your duty.” Magus? What was she
rlm@0: talking about? Who was their master? Why was all of this happening to
rlm@0: her? As the image vanished, she dropped the amulet to the floor, it
rlm@0: making little sound as it rolled across the carpet. Her hands went to
rlm@0: her head, light sobs escaping her.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Get in the car,” a voice said sternly as a car pulled up beside
rlm@0: ChibiUsa. The pink haired girl was shivering badly now as the storm
rlm@0: was only getting worse. Her eyes caught site of Haruka, Michiru, and
rlm@0: “Puu! It is you!” She wasted no time climbing into the back with her
rlm@0: old friend. Hundreds of questions raced through her mind, but she
rlm@0: couldn’t force any out. Instead, she just watched her old friend for
rlm@0: a long moment. The car sped up quickly, throwing her against the seat
rlm@0: as Haruka chose to ignore the traffic laws. “What happened?” she
rlm@0: asked finally.
rlm@0: “We screwed up,” Haruka offered in reply. 
rlm@0: Michiru frowned and turned back to face the future princess.
rlm@0: “Sailormoon has powered up with the power of all of the Senshi. It’s
rlm@0: all focussing on her with the help of the Holy Grail. The Enemy has
rlm@0: undoubtedly noticed this.”
rlm@0: Looking out the window, it took a moment for ChibiUsa to think
rlm@0: clearly again. “So that’s what that feeling was. Usagi’s more
rlm@0: powerful now. But isn’t that a good thing? Shouldn’t that help if the
rlm@0: Enemy’s close?” Her crimson eyes burned with curiosity as she looked
rlm@0: at the aqua haired woman. Her mind couldn’t drop what she’d intended
rlm@0: to do in the first place, still worrying about the raven haired girl
rlm@0: even with this crisis so close.
rlm@0: “It’s not that simple. The Princess can’t handle this mission, even
rlm@0: if she has powered up,” Setsuna explained, trying to find the best
rlm@0: way to explain to her young friend from the future. She had only
rlm@0: recently regained her memories so it was awkward seeing the pink
rlm@0: haired girl in this life. “The Soldier of Ruin has been awakened. Our
rlm@0: coming together has awakened her because of our talismans. They have
rlm@0: called her from the deep slumber she had been in up until now. The
rlm@0: final soldier from the forbidden planet, Saturn. She is the Soldier
rlm@0: of Silence, the one who must not be allowed to awaken. We know that
rlm@0: the end is nigh. This world will come to an end unless we can stop
rlm@0: it. When we Senshi, stronger than the Sailor Team, cannot handle a
rlm@0: problem, then it is up to Sailorsaturn to end everything. We watched
rlm@0: as she brought down her glaive, ending the Silver Millenium. If we
rlm@0: don’t act quickly, she’ll do the same to this world.”
rlm@0: ChibiUsa gasped. To think that such a soldier existed was horrific.
rlm@0: Why would there be a need for such a last ditch effort? Something
rlm@0: that ended all. Could she really be a Sailor Senshi? She had never
rlm@0: heard of her in the future. But then, she had never heard of the
rlm@0: Outer Senshi either. 
rlm@0: 	“We were so stupid. Without all of our memories, we didn’t realize
rlm@0: what chaos we’d be causing. We had intended to stop the Enemy, but
rlm@0: instead we’ve brought about an even greater danger to this world.”
rlm@0: Haruka’s driving became more erratic as her frustration grew. She
rlm@0: calmed only slightly at Michiru’s reassuring hand on her thigh. 
rlm@0: 	“We didn’t know. Someone had been calling for the talismans to be
rlm@0: gathered in out dreams. We hadn’t yet remembered what the outcome
rlm@0: would be,” Michiru said comfortingly, thought she didn’t know if it
rlm@0: was more for Haruka’s benefit or her own. She once again turned to
rlm@0: the young princess. “Sailorsaturn appears when all is lost. At the
rlm@0: end of the battle, she is the one who brings all to nothing. It is
rlm@0: her duty to bring an end to everything.”
rlm@0: 	“Kind of like a cosmic reset button. If we screw up in our job to
rlm@0: protect this solar system, she takes over and wipes it all out so it
rlm@0: can begin all over again,” Haruka explained, narrowly missing a
rlm@0: pedestrian. 
rlm@0: 	ChibiUsa really wasn’t liking the sound of this. How would that
rlm@0: solve anything? Well, it would solve the battle rather quickly, but
rlm@0: so many lives would be lost. That wasn’t what Sailormoon was about at
rlm@0: all. She was supposed to protect lives. The smaller princess had
rlm@0: thought that was what all the Senshi were supposed to do, even if the
rlm@0: Outer Senshi resorted to some rather cutthroat tactics at times.
rlm@0: 	Setsuna cut in, grabbing the pink haired girl’s attention. “Saturn
rlm@0: is the guide to death. She brings all to the afterlife with her. But
rlm@0: she is normally asleep because her power is too deadly to be allowed
rlm@0: to work in conjunction with the other Senshi. She is awakened when
rlm@0: our three talismans come together, shattering her sleep and calling
rlm@0: her to her sacred duty. We are the guardians of the talismans, only
rlm@0: to awaken her in the most dire of circumstances. When Saturn awakens,
rlm@0: the planet will die.”
rlm@0: 	ChibiUsa let all this sink in, the wet air from the storm, playing
rlm@0: with her oddly styled hair. “Then why did you bring them together?
rlm@0: How did it happen?”
rlm@0: 	“We’re supposed to defend this solar system from outside attack.
rlm@0: The others are supposed to protect from inside threats along with the
rlm@0: princess. We didn’t often meet back during the Silver Millenium, and
rlm@0: never when all three of our talismans would be together.  When they
rlm@0: were all brought together during the battle against the Dark Kingdom,
rlm@0: Saturn ended the Silver Millenium and all of the planets that had
rlm@0: been a part of it. On this world, we were reincarnated with out
rlm@0: mission still intact. We met up so that we could find the Enemy that
rlm@0: had invaded from outside while we had slept and put a stop to them.
rlm@0: Little did we know that we’d bring about a larger problem.” Michiru
rlm@0: sighed as she leaned back in her seat. “We weren’t supposed to meet
rlm@0: here. Saturn has been reborn.”
rlm@0: 	ChibiUsa sat forward, trying to make out the swirling image in
rlm@0: Michiru’s mirror as it showed the face of the final soldier. “Oh my
rlm@0: God...” Her eyes went wide and her heart skipped a beat. She knew
rlm@0: that face. She knew it all too well. “That’s... is that Hotaru-chan?
rlm@0: Is she Sailorsaturn?” Her mind raced with the implications of that,
rlm@0: fitting it in with everything the Outer Senshi had told her.
rlm@0: 	“Saturn is awakening. That girl’s body is already going through the
rlm@0: stages of her reawakening. Soon Saturn will be upon us,” Haruka added.
rlm@0: 	“Saturn’s soul was the voice calling out for the talismans in our
rlm@0: dreams. We had no idea it would come to this. She must realize the
rlm@0: severity of the situation and used us to bring her back so she could
rlm@0: put a stop to this.”
rlm@0: 	“But we can’t allow that. Small Lady, you have a future. This is
rlm@0: all wrong. None of it is what is supposed to happen. Saturn can’t end
rlm@0: things now. Somewhere, time has gone awry. If it continues along this
rlm@0: path, your future will cease to be. Small Lady, you may cease to be,”
rlm@0: Setsuna explained softly.
rlm@0: 	What had caused time to slip so much from its original path? Was it
rlm@0: her fault? Chibimoon hadn’t been there the first time around. Was it
rlm@0: Setsuna? She had been guarding the Time Gate rather than being
rlm@0: reincarnated like she had been this time. Was it something else
rlm@0: altogether? “Why is this happening?”
rlm@0: 	Haruka shook her head. “Whatever the case, we mustn’t give Saturn
rlm@0: the chance to bring everything to ruin. We can’t let her wake up.”
rlm@0: 	Her stomach taking a dive, ChibiUsa finally managed to ask the
rlm@0: determined Senshi what was on her mind. “How are you going to stop
rlm@0: her?”
rlm@0: 	“We have to kill her.”
rlm@0: 	“What?!” ChibiUsa’s crimson eyes went as wide as saucers at the
rlm@0: statement. Haruka had been dead serious. “You’re kidding, right? You
rlm@0: don’t really mean you’d kill Hotaru-chan. She’s an innocent.” She had
rlm@0: to ask, even though there had been no doubt in her mind that Haruka
rlm@0: had meant every word of it.
rlm@0: 	Michiru sighed and gave Haruka’s thigh a none to gentle squeeze,
rlm@0: eliciting a yelp from the blonde. “I thought we weren’t going to tell
rlm@0: her that. You can explain it all to your ‘Odango’, but she’s just a
rlm@0: little girl. And that other girl’s friend no less.” Giving Haruka a
rlm@0: disapproving frown, it melted away as she turned back in her seat to
rlm@0: face ChibiUsa again. “We have to kill her so that Saturn can’t
rlm@0: awaken. Then we can seal her away permanently.”
rlm@0: 	“But.. But she’s one of you! She’s another Sailor Senshi! Why would
rlm@0: you kill another Sailor Senshi?!” 
rlm@0: 	“She’s not another Sailor Senshi yet,” Haruka explained. “Besides,
rlm@0: just because she’s one of us doesn’t mean we can sit by and let her
rlm@0: destroy our world. We have to stop her. Then we’ll go after the
rlm@0: enemy. She may be an innocent, but a lot less innocents die without
rlm@0: her.”
rlm@0: 	“The talismans have already called Supersailormoon. They’re full of
rlm@0: power, vibrantly giving it off. Just like when she.. They acted the
rlm@0: same way when they called Saturn to end the Silver Millenium. The
rlm@0: time is near when they will fully awaken her.” Michiru shuddered at
rlm@0: the memories. “This world shouldn’t have to go through that horror.”
rlm@0: 	“That’s still no reason to kill her! There has to be another way
rlm@0: without sacrificing Hotaru-chan. You can’t throw people’s lives
rlm@0: around! Who are you to decide who lives and who dies? Isn’t that her
rlm@0: job?” ChibiUsa wiped at her eyes, her heart aching at their words.
rlm@0: She looked to Setsuna for support but got nothing more than an
rlm@0: apologetic look. 
rlm@0:  	“It’s not like this is our first plan of action. But there’s
rlm@0: nothing else we can do. If we don’t kill her, this world will come to
rlm@0: ruin. And then everyone will die. One life isn’t worth the lives of
rlm@0: billions. She would die as well. So this way, only she will die. We
rlm@0: don’t have long before Saturn returns. You’ve seen her body, haven’t
rlm@0: you, Small Lady? She should have died years ago from an accident that
rlm@0: took her mother’s life and rightfully should have taken hers. But
rlm@0: Professor Tomoe rebuilt her body, keeping her alive through a mixture
rlm@0: of machinery and his genetic research. She only came out of her coma
rlm@0: because he sold his soul to Pharaoh 90. Her small, weak body, it
rlm@0: can’t last much longer. She has been dying for a long time, Small
rlm@0: Lady. If we weren’t to kill her and Saturn didn’t, then she would
rlm@0: still die. Soon,” Setsuna tried 
rlm@0: to explain. She wished there was an easier way, especially with the
rlm@0: pain she saw in her young friend’s eyes, but knew this was how things
rlm@0: had to be.
rlm@0: 	“There has to be a way to save Hotaru-chan. She can’t be a lost
rlm@0: cause. I won’t believe that,” ChibiUsa said stubbornly. 
rlm@0: 	Haruka frowned, turning a corner. “The only way to save her body
rlm@0: would be to let her fully awaken as a Sailor Senshi. That would be
rlm@0: strong enough to bring her body back to life. But letting that happen
rlm@0: would be foolhardy. She’d be dead moments later when Saturn wiped
rlm@0: everything out.”
rlm@0: 	The future princess was starting to feel sick. The girl she’d seen
rlm@0: not more than an hour ago was going to destroy the world. And more
rlm@0: importantly, these people were going to kill her. She couldn’t let
rlm@0: that happen. “I won’t let you kill Hotaru-chan! Even if it’s to seal
rlm@0: off Saturn, I won’t let you do it! There has to be another way.
rlm@0: You’re Sailor Senshi! You’re supposed to protect lives, not end them!”
rlm@0: 	“If we can save this world by killing that child, we will. After we
rlm@0: kill her, we’ll stop the Enemy. If we let her live, she’ll kill us
rlm@0: all. Do you think we’d just sit by and let that happen? Just because
rlm@0: she’s an innocent?” Haruka closed her eyes, still keeping the car
rlm@0: from plowing into anything miraculously. “This isn’t what I wanted
rlm@0: when I joined up. But it has to be done. We can’t let this world end.
rlm@0: It’s our mission to stop her. She is a threat and we have to kill her.”
rlm@0: 	“ChibiUsa-chan, her life has been tough and full of hardship. The
rlm@0: poor girl never had any friends. She’s always been alone. She’s
rlm@0: always been in pain. It is time for her to rest. She’ll be much
rlm@0: happier in the afterlife,” Michiru said soothingly, switching tactics. 
rlm@0: 	“I’m her friend now! I’ll make sure her life gets better. I won’t
rlm@0: let her be alone again. I’ll make sure that this life gets better for
rlm@0: her,” ChibiUsa protested. She had to cling onto the hope that she
rlm@0: could fix things. She had to believe.
rlm@0: 	Haruka chuckled, opening her eyes as she passed another stop sign.
rlm@0: “Those are strong words for one so young, princess. Are you really
rlm@0: willing to devote your life to fixing her problems? That’s a lot of
rlm@0: commitment.” Setsuna’s sweatdrop went unnoticed. The Senshi of Time
rlm@0: was the only one out of the three of them that knew that ChibiUsa was
rlm@0: over nine hundred years old.
rlm@0: 	“Yes! I don’t care. Hotaru-chan’s very important to me. I’d do
rlm@0: anything to make sure she’s all right.” There was so much more the
rlm@0: pink haired girl wanted to say, but it was all so confusing. She just
rlm@0: sighed.
rlm@0: 	“It doesn’t matter. So your future can exist, so this world can
rlm@0: have a future, we have to kill her. She’s even more of a threat than
rlm@0: the Enemy at this point. We might not even have time to stop her. But
rlm@0: we have to try.”
rlm@0: 	“No!! I won’t let you kill her! We can save her, I know it! We just
rlm@0: need to try! I know my future exists, so she won’t destroy it. The
rlm@0: world will be fine. Just trust in Sailormoon and let me deal with
rlm@0: Hotaru-chan. I promise that everything will be okay.” ChibiUsa’s
rlm@0: pleading voice broke, more tears building up in her crimson eyes. 	
rlm@0: 	Michiru shook her head firmly. “We can’t fight with Sailormoon. She
rlm@0: feels the same way about sacrificing innocent lives. So we have to do
rlm@0: this on our own. The Sailor Team is too weak. We have to be the ones
rlm@0: to save this world. And we will.”
rlm@0: 	The car came to an abrupt halt and before the smaller senshi knew
rlm@0: it, she was standing there on the curb while the car drove off. It
rlm@0: took her a moment to catch her balance as her weary body begged for a
rlm@0: rest. The cold droplets were starting to pelt her with more force
rlm@0: now, the occasional hail stinging her soft skin badly. “Hotaru-chan
rlm@0: is Sailorsaturn. Sailorsaturn will end the world,” she whispered to
rlm@0: herself, her thoughts muddled. “Hotaru-chan... You always look so
rlm@0: sad. Your eyes seem to know everything. Even when you’d laugh, you
rlm@0: still looked so depressed and alone. I won’t leave you alone. I
rlm@0: promise.” Clutching her broach, the pink haired girl took off towards
rlm@0: the large house where Hotaru lived, praying that she’d get there
rlm@0: before the Outers.