rlm@2: Title: Space for hope. rlm@2: Author: Jerry-rose rlm@2: E-mail: sleeping.soul@hotmail.co.uk No flames please but critisism rlm@2: i'd love ^^ And yes i know my spelling and grammer are terrible =P rlm@2: rlm@2: rlm@2: "Say, Hota-chan?" Hotaru turned in the pink bed covers to face the rlm@2: girl that said her name with such affection. The girl had long black rlm@2: hair that reached her lower back, but had pink highlights in the rlm@2: fringe, and adoring pink eyes that were staring in her direction. rlm@2: Hotaru tilted her head so her black air fell over her face slightly, rlm@2: then pushed her fringe aside with a finger. rlm@2: "Hai, Chi-chan?" Hotaru had moved closer and put an arm over her rlm@2: lovers flat stomach, then her head against her chest. Usagi was rlm@2: sitting up in bed, her back against the head post. rlm@2: "What's out there?" Hotaru blinked and sat up to look at her. rlm@2: "Out where..?" She asked suspiciously and Usagi held her hands up in rlm@2: a form of surrender or self-defense, laughing slightly. rlm@2: "Well, out in the universe. I mean can you blame me for wondering? rlm@2: All our enemies came from there with the exception of very few... Is rlm@2: there a bad influence or something that creates these people or their rlm@2: hatred?" Hotaru smiled warmly and leaned forward, pressing her rlm@2: forehead gently to the other's. rlm@2: "All very wise things to want to know. And because you're so special rlm@2: to me, I'll let you into a little secret, but you have to promise not rlm@2: to tell anyone else. ok?" Usagi nodded and leaned forward slightly, rlm@2: as if enthusiastic and in need to hear. rlm@2: "Well, you know lately i haven't been around as much as i used to rlm@2: be?" Usagi blushed lightly and the other girl stopped. "What did rlm@2: Haruka-papa tell you?" Her tone was serious but also slightly amused rlm@2: so Usagi figured she'd say, she wanted to ask a few questions about rlm@2: it anyway. Like if it was true for one thing. rlm@2: "She said you were taking stripping lessons." Hotaru blushed a deep rlm@2: crimson and leapt out of the bed, vaulting her suitcase and then rlm@2: Usagi's as if they were hurdles and flung the door open, running into rlm@2: the bedroom opposite them, who's door was open, and yelled inside. rlm@2: "HARUKA-PAPA!!!" rlm@2: rlm@2: Michiru laughed and Haruka blinked nervously, turning slowly to face rlm@2: the living room door. rlm@2: "I'm dead when she gets down here! Michiru, you have to hide me!" rlm@2: Michiru laughed harder and shook her head. rlm@2: "Not on your life. This one's been coming your way since you started rlm@2: telling Usagi-chan that." Haruka sweat dropped and dashed for the rlm@2: kitchen... too late. Hotaru flew through the closed door and slammed rlm@2: Haruka from behind in a rugby tackle. Haruka fell forward into the rlm@2: floor and Hotaru laughed, her fingers finding her papa's most tender rlm@2: tickling spots as her delicate fingers spidered over her skin. rlm@2: "You shall pay, oh ticklish one!" Haruka laughed and squirmed on the rlm@2: floor, but was too weak to get up as she laughed harder and harder rlm@2: until Michiru intervened. rlm@2: "Come on now Hotaru, we need Haruka alive to drive us all to the rlm@2: shopping center." Hotaru slowed to a stop and sighed. rlm@2: "I guess you're right, mama." Michiru nodded and Hotaru got up off rlm@2: Haruka, letting her recover and then sit up, watching as she ran a rlm@2: hair through her short blonde hair. rlm@2: "You're getting too strong for my own good, kiddo." Hotaru waggled a rlm@2: finger at her, winking and laughing. rlm@2: "No papa, i just know you're tender areas!" Haruka raised an eyebrow rlm@2: suggestively and Michiru laughed, she knew what was coming next. rlm@2: "Actually i think you'll find only Michi knows my tender area's." rlm@2: Haruka laughed as Hotaru pulled a face and then ran to the door, rlm@2: turning happily. Haruka and Michiru looked at their 16 year old rlm@2: daughter, with her shoulder length black hair and her plain purple rlm@2: shirt reaching her thighs. She had a shapely body, a real hourglass rlm@2: figure if ever there was one, and a pale complexion. Her deep purple rlm@2: eyes glittered happily as she waved a hand and set off up stairs, rlm@2: back to her Chi-chan. rlm@2: Hotaru stepped back into her room to see Usagi with her elbows on rlm@2: the balcony railing. She shut the door gently so she didn't bring the rlm@2: slightly smaller girl out of her daydream and smiled at her back. rlm@2: Times sure had changed. If anyone had shown her this future only a rlm@2: few months ago she would never have believed it. She walked out and rlm@2: leant on the balcony fence beside Usagi. rlm@2: "Chi-chan?" Usagi looked up to her and smiled warmly, cuddling her rlm@2: tight and pointing up to the clouds. rlm@2: "That one rminds me of you." Her finger lined up with a smaller rlm@2: cloud that had furry edges, it was wispy and very spread out, almost rlm@2: like mist. Hotaru laughed. rlm@2: "I'm small, wispy, rough around the edges and spacey. Yes i know." rlm@2: Usagi also laughed, but then moved in front of Hotaru and took her rlm@2: hands, winding them around her and leaning back onto the taller girl. rlm@2: "That's what others might see, yes. But me... I see a soft skinned rlm@2: cloud with a wonderful look to it, not tense and tight, but rlm@2: wonderful, so if I might touch it, my hand would be welcomed and rlm@2: absorbed, not pushed away, I also see a cloud that doesn't look like rlm@2: it's all there, but when you get deeper intoit, it seems to never rlm@2: end. Hota-chan, that is what i see. And I love that cloud very much rlm@2: now." Hotaru was smiling warmly and kissed the back of her head, rlm@2: twirling her around and out of her grip so they were facing each rlm@2: other. rlm@2: "And I'm sure that cloud loves you too." Usagi smiled warmly and the rlm@2: two embraced, together in a world of their own. rlm@2: Hotaru was bought back into reality as she thought. rlm@2: "Chi-chan, did i ever tell you that secret?" Usagi shook her head rlm@2: and laughed. rlm@2: "No, i believe you went off to slaugter Haruka-san before you said rlm@2: anything." Hotaru nodded and leant back on the balcony once more, rlm@2: looking up into the sky. rlm@2: "Well, you know i haven't been around much lately?" Usagi took the rlm@2: spot just to Hotaru's right and smiled, nodding gently and looking at rlm@2: her. Hotaru was leaning over the balcony, facing out, and Usagi was rlm@2: sitting on the fence, facing in. rlm@2: "Well, that's because I've been doing research. I've been taking rlm@2: small trips into the stars to check things out. I've found nothing in rlm@2: the majority of this solar system, there is nothing here to endanger rlm@2: anyone, the sailor scouts have done very well in protecting it, so i rlm@2: could take you out into the stars and show you, if you like. You can rlm@2: see for yourself what's there." Usagi had been listening with rlm@2: seemingly no interest, but when Hotaru finished and silence met her, rlm@2: she looked up and straitened, coming off the balcony fence to look rlm@2: into Usagi's face and see a small tear fall down her cheek. Hotaru rlm@2: moved forward and hugged her tightly. rlm@2: "Let's go tonight, ne?" Usagi nodded into her chest and smiled. rlm@2: "I'd like that more than anything in the world." Hotaru smiled in rlm@2: return and hugged her tighter for a few seconds before stepping back. rlm@2: "In that case, i need to go and make the arangments, please wait rlm@2: here until i get back." Usagi nodded and leant back over the balcony. rlm@2: "Please hurry, Hota-chan." Hotaru nodded and walked from the balcony rlm@2: into the bedroom, then on through the door and down the stairs into rlm@2: the living room. rlm@2: rlm@2: "Haruka-papa. Usagi would very much like to acompany me on tonights rlm@2: journey. Haruka bought her head out of the newspaper and stared at rlm@2: Hotaru. rlm@2: "You told her?" Hotaru nodded guiltily rlm@2: "Hai papa, she was so... she wanted to see what's out there so much, rlm@2: I couldn't help but tell her. I can make her dreams come true..." rlm@2: Haruka shook her head and Setsuna walked in. rlm@2: "And if you two get hurt?" Hotaru shook her head defiantly rlm@2: "No, mama, I've been hundreds of times into the safe parts of this rlm@2: solar system, and in fact the galaxy too... I don't see how anything rlm@2: threatening could move in so fast. And anyway, i'll protect her, as i rlm@2: have already sworn I will." Hotaru seemed so sincere and her heart rlm@2: was in the right place so Setsuna shrugged and moved back into her rlm@2: study. Michiru peeked out of the kitchen and smiled to Haruka, who rlm@2: sighed. rlm@2: "I think it's a great idea, Ruka, she should go and have fun. Why rlm@2: not take her to see the moon or even Saturn? I'm sure she'd enjoy rlm@2: both." Hotaru nodded and ran from the room, opening the front door to rlm@2: look into the twillight. She stuck her head into the living room and rlm@2: smiled. rlm@2: "We'll be leaving in a few minutes, we should be back by morning!" rlm@2: Haruka stood and ran to the door as Hotaru shot up the stairs. rlm@2: "You had better be back by morning! Else you'll be fried!" Hotaru rlm@2: laughed and ran out of sight, bursting into her room and out onto the rlm@2: balcony. usagi turned and smiled at her. Hotaru took her hands gently rlm@2: and jumped daintily onto the balcony railing. rlm@2: "Come... Chi-chan." Usagi took her hand and smiled warmly as she was rlm@2: lifted onto the balcony railing, then into the air. Joining their rlm@2: other hands, they made a loop, then vanished into the oncoming rlm@2: darkness. rlm@2: Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna stood on the roof and watched a shooting rlm@2: star sail across the darkening sky. rlm@2: "The wind is blowing in the scent of fear, something is not right." rlm@2: "The waters of the earth are disturbed, i agree." rlm@2: "Time sees a distortion, we must set this right." The three parents rlm@2: joined hands, with Setsuna in the middle, and dissapeared to follow rlm@2: their daughter and her girlfriend. rlm@2: rlm@2: "Chi-chan, you'll catch stars if you don't close your mouth." Hotaru rlm@2: giggled and Usagi closed her mouth, which had been gaping widely as rlm@2: she looked around the stars and planets. rlm@2: "G-gomen." Hotaru smiled warmly and looked straight ahead, she rlm@2: intended to take Usagi to the Moon. She turned away from the other rlm@2: planets and headed towards the moon. It was full and shined rlm@2: beautifully into the darkness surrounding it, it was easy to see how rlm@2: it's light spread to the earth and gave its people hope. Usagi rlm@2: noticed they were heading towards it and sqeezed Hotaru's hand rlm@2: tightly. rlm@2: "We're going to the moon?" Hotaru nodded and smiled. rlm@2: "We are." Usagi was smiling to herself and Hotaru looked at her rlm@2: curously. rlm@2: "Chi-chan... What's that smile for?" Usagi smiled openly to her and rlm@2: leaned forward, kissing Hotaru gently on the lips. rlm@2: "You said before, about the catching the stars? Well, I already have rlm@2: one... It's you." Hotaru blinked gently and reached out, unlinking rlm@2: their hands to touch her cheek and return the kiss. rlm@2: "Chi-chan..." Usagi broke the kiss and smiled warmly, placing her rlm@2: free hand over Hotaru's stomach. Hotaru smiled softly and kissed her rlm@2: once more. rlm@2: "Are you sure about this? It's not my place." Usagi put a finger to rlm@2: her lips and Hotaru hushed. rlm@2: "Hotaru-Chan, i've never been more sure about anything in my life." rlm@2: Hotaru put her hand to Usagi's stomach and smiled back. rlm@2: "You know... If we both go through with this, then we'll have to rlm@2: find someone else to watch over us." Usagi nodded and looked towards rlm@2: the moon, which was getting dramatically bigger with each passing rlm@2: second. Their hands reclaimed the others and they held tightly as rlm@2: they flew down through the bright glow of the moon. rlm@2: "Chi-chan, i have been working on a gift for you for some timje now. rlm@2: I hope you like it." Usagi moved to enquire about the gift but Hotaru rlm@2: shook her head. As they appraoched the surface, Hotaru pulled back rlm@2: and they slowed down, making them land gently on top of the uneven rlm@2: earth. Hotaru moved towards a long white pillar in the middle of a rlm@2: ruined castle and Usagi looked around in awe. Her mother had told her rlm@2: of this, the ruins on the moon. The moon kindom lived and prospered rlm@2: here until queen beryll attacked. Hotaru took her hand and led to rlm@2: stand by the pillar, then whispered softly. rlm@2: "My Queen Serenity, please show yourself to your grand-daughter..." rlm@2: Usagi's eyes widened as a white haze filled the air, then rlm@2: concerntrated in the shape of a woman, Queen Serenity. She smiled rlm@2: warmly as she gained a solid body, though she still gave off a gently rlm@2: white glow. Hotaru stepped back out of respect and dropped to one rlm@2: knee, bowing low. Queen Serenity smiled down to her and lifted a hand. rlm@2: "Rise, Saturn.n You have no reason to kneel before me." Hotaru rose rlm@2: slowly to her feet and stepped back out of their hearing range, rlm@2: turning and walking around the ruins, to give them their space and rlm@2: time to aquaint themselves. rlm@2: rlm@2: "Usagi... Welcome home." Usagi ran forward and hugged her tightly. rlm@2: "Grandma..." Serenity laughed and hugged her back. rlm@2: "I can't stay long, Usagi, but i wanted you to know how proud of you rlm@2: i am, how proud of you we all are. You are very mature, moreso than rlm@2: your mother was at your age. You will rise to be a wonderful queen of rlm@2: tokyo." Usagi had tears in her eyes. rlm@2: "Grandma... I am not who you are proud of. I have disgraced your rlm@2: family. I am having children with Hota-" Queen serenity interupted rlm@2: gently. rlm@2: "No, Usagi. You have not disgraced us. It's the complete opposite... rlm@2: You are the rightful leader of the new world. Now, let me see you and rlm@2: your future wife together." Usagi smiled warmly and ran in the rlm@2: direction Hotaru had gone. She paused as she came to a standing part rlm@2: of the castle and wandered inside. She came to a set of large white rlm@2: marble doors, now dulled to grey with age and dust. There was a set rlm@2: of bright white marks where someones fingers had pushed them open rlm@2: such a small amount that they could only just squeeze through. Usagi rlm@2: knew it had to be Hotaru and walked through, silently walking through rlm@2: the large ballroom, her shoes leaving a set of golden and white rlm@2: trails behind her, following on in Hotaru's footsteps. rlm@2: "Hota-chan?" Her soft voice echoed throughout the chamber as she rlm@2: looked around for a sign of the other girl. There was no sign and the rlm@2: other end of the ballroom was open to the air, the rubble from the rlm@2: caved in roof littering the floor. Amongst the rubble were the rlm@2: remains of tables and plates and goblets. She strode into the rubble, rlm@2: following Hotaru's footsteps perfectly. rlm@2: "Hota-chan?" She repeated. Peering around rocks and rubble she rlm@2: frowned slightly, the footsteps had vanished and Hotaru was no where rlm@2: to be seen. Usagi pouted into the darkness. rlm@2: "Hota-chan!" Usagi's voice was shaking, panic starting to set in as rlm@2: she searched frantically through the rubble. "Hota-chan! Hota-chan!" rlm@2: Tears started to form in her eyes as she ran back to where Queen rlm@2: Serenity was sitting, tears streaming down her face. rlm@2: "Grandma! It's Hotaru, she's gone!" Queen Serenity smiled softly and rlm@2: hugged her gently, pointing up into the sky above the ruins Usagi had rlm@2: just ran out of. Hotaru had transformed into sailor saturn and her rlm@2: hair and fuku were blowing in the gentle breeze. She was facing the rlm@2: earth and looking down onto it with concerntration. rlm@2: "Listen to your heart, Usagi, can it feel something?" Usagi blinked rlm@2: slightly and then closed her eyes, focusing. She thought she heard rlm@2: the sounds of many screams and then Neo Queen Serenity's call for rlm@2: power. rlm@2: "What is it..?" Queen serenity looked towards earth rlm@2: "It means it is time for you to return and help your mother. Sorry rlm@2: we couldn't spend longer together..." Usagi nodded and hugged her rlm@2: tightly, running towards Sailor Saturn and tranforming. Sailor Saturn rlm@2: looked down to her and jumped off the roof, landing before her and rlm@2: holding out her free hand, the other holding her Silence Glaive. rlm@2: "Come." Sailor Moon took her hand and they jumped off of the rlm@2: surface, moving much quicker than they had on their way there. The rlm@2: stars whipped by as blurs and the moon was soon only a white sphere rlm@2: once more. Sailor Moon closed her eyes to the sharp cold hitting her rlm@2: face and Sailor Saturn noticed, moving into a hug and making her put rlm@2: her head into her chest, shielding her. They came to a sudden stop rlm@2: and Sailor Moon looked up. Sailor Saturn had her mouth back in an rlm@2: evil grin and Sailor Moon looked around, seeing a large ship in the rlm@2: air above crystal tokyo. Beneath it was the large silver glow of neo rlm@2: Queen Serenity's power, then each of the colours of the inner and rlm@2: outer senshi around that. Sailor Saturn was looking thoughtful, the rlm@2: glow beneath the ship was flickering, the senshi were weakening. rlm@2: Sailor Saturn pulled away from Sailor Moon and smiled softly. rlm@2: "Remember to be careful, what you hold inside you is something that rlm@2: can be killed easily... But they need you down there. I will try and rlm@2: find a weak spot in the ship, please protect my parents and yours, rlm@2: and of course the other senshi and people of the earth." Sailor Moon rlm@2: moved to object but Sailor Saturn had already swung her away in the rlm@2: direction of the earth, Saturns power surrounding her in a puple glow. rlm@2: rlm@2: "Hold on everyone! We cannot give up!" The senshi were all on their rlm@2: knees, their power flickering greatly. They were all in a circle rlm@2: around Neo Queen Serenity and King Endimion. They were the only two rlm@2: standing, his arms tightly around her shoudlers. Her arms were rlm@2: outstretched, her fingers surrounding the silver crystal, which was rlm@2: glowing silvery white. The light was strong and warm, the power rlm@2: radiating stronger than anything else, yet it was weakening fast. rlm@2: Above them the ship was looming, beams of darkness slamming into the rlm@2: shield. Each blast caused the shield and the ground beneath them to rlm@2: shake greatly. The king and queen fell to their knees as a rlm@2: particularly strong blast hit and the silver light flickered and rlm@2: died, Serenity falling to her front. The senshi cried out to her and rlm@2: the king reached to her rlm@2: "Usako!" A purple flash filled the space between the other senshi's rlm@2: beams of light and them was replaced by another silver light. Sailor rlm@2: Moon landed before her mother and held the silver crystal above her rlm@2: head. rlm@2: "Please Minna! We need to finish this now!" All the senshi nodded rlm@2: and struggled to their feet, as did the king and queen. Neo Queen rlm@2: Serenity smiled to her daughter and her silver crystal flickered into rlm@2: a glow. The power of the eight senshi lit up the sky and the ship rlm@2: backed a few feet before creating more blasts, more powerful than rlm@2: before. Sailor Moon's eyes filled with tears, looking past the rlm@2: fighting beams to the ship above. "Hurry... Hota-chan." rlm@2: rlm@2: Sailor Saturn had entered into the ship through a cargo hold and was rlm@2: walking silently down the coridoors. She met no one, and so started rlm@2: to run to the control room. As she entered into the room, expecting rlm@2: it to be empty she jumped slightly to see a young girl sitting at the rlm@2: controls in front of the large window. The girl had long black hair rlm@2: that reached her lower back, her clothes seemed like pyjama's. Soft rlm@2: white fabric covered her torso and legs in a simple short sleeved rlm@2: tshirt and trousers. rlm@2: "Who are you..?" Sailor Saturn asked, shocked at the age of the rlm@2: young girl. She turned around to face Saturn and smirked. rlm@2: "I am the thing that lurks in space. The thing that you missed on rlm@2: your rounds." Saturn's eyes widened and she stepped forward, the rlm@2: glaive glittering ominously in the light of the battle outside the rlm@2: window. rlm@2: "What are you here for?" The girl laughed so softly it seemed she rlm@2: couldn't possibly be evil. rlm@2: "I am here to get rid of you all! You cause war and hatred rlm@2: throughout the whole solar system. You are the reasons for war on rlm@2: earth. Humans destory everything! I'm here to set the world free from rlm@2: your hatred" The girl lunged forward and aimed to punch Saturn, who rlm@2: simply jumped aside and took her Glaive in both hands. rlm@2: "You're wrong. The people of Crystal Tokyo try to save this planet! rlm@2: They protect this world from everything that tries to destory it!" rlm@2: The girl lunged forward again and punched her hard in the stomach. rlm@2: Saturn cried out and fell to her knees, preying to all she held dear rlm@2: for the safety of the life growing inside her. Looking out of the rlm@2: window she saw all the senshi on their knees, then watched in horror rlm@2: as Sailor Moon and Neo Queen Serenity fell likewise. With a shout of rlm@2: anger she dug the Glaive deep into the control panel of the ship, the rlm@2: sparks of elecricity flying out over the room. Yanking the Glaive rlm@2: from the controls she smashed it into the window, shattering it and rlm@2: letting the air get sucked out. The girl behind her screamed as she rlm@2: was sucked towards the window, crying out and drawing a dagger. As rlm@2: she was pulled off her feet and towards the window she whipped the rlm@2: dagger out and it sliced down the length of Sailor Saturns right arm, rlm@2: slicing deep into her flesh and leaving a deep wound from her rlm@2: shoulder to her wrist. Saturn cried out and pulled back, however rlm@2: after catching a glimpse of her eyes she instinctivly jumped from her rlm@2: position and out of the window to follow her. Her Glaive caught rlm@2: either side of the window and she was pulled back, the only piece of rlm@2: the girl that Saturn could reach was the end of her dagger. Closing rlm@2: her eyes tightly she grabbed the dagger and held it tightly, the rlm@2: blade slicing into her palm and fingers. Her blood dripped down the rlm@2: blade and down the girls arm. The young girls eyes widened as she rlm@2: shouted out. rlm@2: "Don't!" Saturn was surprised and pulled her closer, the dagger rlm@2: digging deeper into her fingers. rlm@2: "Why shouldn't I? No one deserves to die!" The girl was crying and rlm@2: shook her head. rlm@2: "Leave me! Look at what you're doing to your hand!" Saturn shook her rlm@2: head, looking down to the glow of the Senshi. The black blasts had rlm@2: stopped and the glow was reducing slightly as the senshi all powered rlm@2: down. rlm@2: "I won't let you fall! Look how far it is, you'll die!" Saturn was rlm@2: still trying to pull back but the dagger sliced into her skin deeply rlm@2: and slipped from her grasp. The girls shrill scream filled the air rlm@2: and Saturn made the choice in a matter of a few seconds, letting go rlm@2: of her glavie, leaping from the ship window and diving down towards rlm@2: her. The ship behind them creaked loudly and the same sparks as the rlm@2: control panel lit up on the outer ship. It started to fall with them rlm@2: and Saturn made herself more streamlined, grabbing the girl's hand in rlm@2: her right and pulling her close, into a hug. The girl's eyes widened rlm@2: and she held on tightly to Saturn. Saturn smiled softly to her as the rlm@2: wind swept past them. Saturn looked up to the ship to see it falling rlm@2: after them towards Tokyo and lifted her left hand. rlm@2: "Saturn planet..... power!" Her cry echoed into the atmosphere and a rlm@2: purple light erupted from her, the ship being absorbed and slowed rlm@2: down. With a quick sweep of her Glaive the ship was fired out into rlm@2: space harmlessly. Saturn was gasping for breath but smiling warmly, rlm@2: the earth was safe. The girl in her arms was watching her and Saturn rlm@2: smiled down to her. rlm@2: "Are you all like this on earth?" Saturn nodded slightly and smiled rlm@2: warmly. rlm@2: "The sailor Senshi are yes. Likewise the people of the earth. And rlm@2: especially the king, queen and princess. They would all give anything rlm@2: they have, their lives included, for the safety of this world." The rlm@2: girl rested her head on Saturn's chest and sighed. rlm@2: "I didn't realise..." Saturn nodded gently rlm@2: "No one does." They were getting evercloser to the surface of the rlm@2: earth and Saturn was starting to glow purple once more. rlm@2: "If you have any power at all that would be helpful." The girl shook rlm@2: her head and looked sorrowful. rlm@2: "Are we going to die?" Sailor Saturn shook her head and smiled rlm@2: slightly. rlm@2: "No, we won't die. So what's your name?" The girl smiled in return rlm@2: and hugged her gently. rlm@2: "Well, my name's Emily... And incase you were wondering I'm 16. rlm@2: Saturn looked surprised and tilted her head down to the small girl. rlm@2: "No offense, but you don't look a day over 9." The girl nodded and rlm@2: sighed rlm@2: "I know. It's a disease. I won't grow anymore than i have now." rlm@2: Saturn blinked rlm@2: "Tough break." the girl nodded and looked down to Sailor Saturn's rlm@2: arm. The blood was soaking quickly into the girls clothes as she was rlm@2: being held and Saturn was slowly loosing the feeling there, finding rlm@2: it a nice change from the pain that was there before. The small rlm@2: purple glow around them had grown and they were within a few hundred rlm@2: metres of the earth surface. From the ground Sailor Moon noticed the rlm@2: purple glow streaking to earth and shouted out to the senshi, rlm@2: pointing up to her. rlm@2: "Please, Minna!" They all nodded and got to their feet, their hands rlm@2: raised. They could help her down, but she had to get within their rlm@2: power circle. As they all powered up the circle gradually formed, rlm@2: colour by colour. in the centre was the two white beams of the rlm@2: imperial silver crystals. rlm@2: "Hota-chan!!" Sailor Moon was screaming out into the sky, she knew rlm@2: there was no way she would hear, but hopefully she'd feel. ""Move to rlm@2: the middle of our power! We can help you down!!" Sailor Saturn hadn't rlm@2: heard, as suspected, but she had felt the power surge and seen the rlm@2: light. As she looked towards the tube of light, Sailor Moon's words rlm@2: echoed in her head. She moved her left arm out, her right embracing rlm@2: the girl tightly. With a quick burst of power they started moving rlm@2: towards the beam. The girl's eyes were wide as she watched the rlm@2: spectrum of colours approaching. Saturn held her tighter as rlm@2: encouragment and the girl smiled, burrying her head in Saturn's fuku. rlm@2: The two came within touching distance of the beam and Saturn held out rlm@2: her hand, touching the blue beam of Sailor Mercury. They passed rlm@2: through the power and a sudden wind hit them, parting them. Saturn rlm@2: grabbed the girls hand in her right and flinched, reaching to take he rlm@2: same hand in her left also. Looking up the girl was terrified, but rlm@2: Saturn smiled warmly. She was reminded of the time passage she rlm@2: patrolled with Sailor Pluto occasionally. rlm@2: "Don't worry, Emily-san! Nothing bad can happen as long as you're rlm@2: with me." Emily nodded and they both pulled closer, so they had both rlm@2: hands joined. They fell until they could see the Senshi below them in rlm@2: enough detail to recognise their expressions. Saturn looked to the rlm@2: worry on Sailor Moon's face and found she had to look away. What if rlm@2: she had lost the baby? As she averted her gaze she found herself rlm@2: looking up into a streak of blood drops falling from her arm. She rlm@2: found mild interest in them and them before they were hit with the rlm@2: sensation one gets when stopping in an elevator, their feet touching rlm@2: the floor gently. Saturn fell to her knees, as did the other girl, rlm@2: their legs now unacustomed to the gravity of the earth from space to rlm@2: falling. Everyone ran forward and Saturn smiled up to them all, they rlm@2: were all ok. After a few seconds, however, a rain of crimson started rlm@2: to fall over them, and looking up they realised it was the blood that rlm@2: had fallen from Saturn's arm. Saturn looked down to it and held the rlm@2: wound tightly. Sailor Moon knelt beside ehr and kissed her gently. rlm@2: "Don't worry, we'll get it cleaned up." Saturn nodded and held her rlm@2: hands out to the girl, who took them gently. rlm@2: "This is Emily-san. Please minna, may she stay here with us?" rlm@2: Everyone smiled and nodded, waving greetings. Neo Queen Serenity rlm@2: stepped forward and the senshi cleared her path, moving aside so she rlm@2: could see the small girl. rlm@2: "I see," the queen started, putting a hand to the girls head "You rlm@2: are unlucky to have this disease. But in this palace you will be rlm@2: treated your true age as everyone else. You will always be welcome rlm@2: here, so feel free to stay as long as you desire." Emily seemed rlm@2: mildly surprised and bowed low. rlm@2: "H-hai! Arigato." Saturn stood and Sailor moon did likewise, taking rlm@2: her good hand. The rain slowed, then stopped altogether, and everyone rlm@2: seemed to be favouring red clothing. They all shared a laugh as they rlm@2: took in each others appearences, before Saturn and Moon left for rlm@2: their room in the palace. Emily watched after them and smiled softly. rlm@2: "Arigato..." rlm@2: rlm@2: "Sheesh Hota-chan. Anyone would think you let her hack you apart." rlm@2: they both laughed and Usagi dabbed a cotton wool pad gently over her rlm@2: upper arm. She got a new piece and dabbed downwards to the elbow, rlm@2: then down again to the wrist. She sighed and leaned back, wiping hair rlm@2: from her face. "It's no good, Hota-chan. It won't stop bleeding long rlm@2: enough for me to clean it all and put a bandage on. Lets go to the rlm@2: medical room." Hotaru shook her head. rlm@2: "Just wrap it. I will be fine, i promise." Usagi nodded gently and rlm@2: took the plastic from a bandage, wrapping it tightly around her arm rlm@2: and smiling warmly. rlm@2: "Thank you, Hota-chan. We wouldn't have been able to do it without rlm@2: you." Hotaru smiled and hugged her gently. rlm@2: "Iie. You would have managed just fine, Chi-chan. I'm glad you're rlm@2: ok." Hotaru suddenly jumped and lept off the chair, runnning out of rlm@2: the room. Usagi followed her at a sprint but still the slightly older rlm@2: girl pulled away. She turned a sharp corner and Usagi had to skid to rlm@2: make the turn. She watched as Hoatru made turn after turn, finally rlm@2: bursting through a door and into a dark room. rlm@2: "Setsuna-mama!!!!" She shouted into the room and Setsuna came out of rlm@2: her bedroom into the living area. rlm@2: "Hai, Hotaru-hime?" Hotaru was panting slightly from the run and rlm@2: shut the door behind her, Usagi was hiding around the corner and put rlm@2: her ear to the door. rlm@2: "Setsuna-mama! I need to know if it's ok!" Setsuna understood and rlm@2: indicated for her to take a seat by the fire. Hotaru nodded and rlm@2: accepted the seat, sitting on the edge uncomfortably. Setsuna took a rlm@2: seat opposite Hotaru and moved to begin, but Hotaru held a hand out. rlm@2: "Chi-chan. Come on in would you? No need to hide." An embarrest rlm@2: Usagi moved into the room and shut the door behind her. Usagi took rlm@2: Hotaru's hand and knelt before her, resting her head on Hotaru's rlm@2: knees. rlm@2: "Hotaru, Usagi. You will have two healthy children. You need not rlm@2: worry. Time favours you both, and althouhg many challenges lie ahead, rlm@2: you will defeat all problems as long as you face them together. Just rlm@2: as our King and Queen had to, you two must overcome the same rlm@2: hardships. Go now, you need not hear any more. But you will each have rlm@2: a healthy baby girl." The two girls nodded and stepped out of the rlm@2: room, tears in each of their eyes. They shared a hug and moved rlm@2: together as one back to their room. They would hace anything sent rlm@2: their way. They were sure of it.