The Missing Sailor

Prologue

The Moon- November 2026

"Rini, darling," Queen Serenity walked into her ten-year-old daughter's bedroom. Princess Rini was sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair and merely staring at herself in the mirror. She was fairly certain that a child of her age shouldn't feel this empty. Then again, this is the same child that traveled to the past when she was only five in order to save her parents. Rini had seen a lot of things that a child should never see- and watching her best friend die in her arms was just another traumatic event to add to the pile.

Serenity approached the pink haired girl and took the brush, pulling the long locks of hair back into her usual style- the two pig-tails with the buns on the top that looked remarkably like rabbit ears. "Are you going to be okay for this? Because you don't have to go if you don't feel up to it," the young Queen offered her daughter as she finished her hair.

"I'm going." Rini replied, not meeting her mother's eyes. She didn't want to see the pity, and she most certainly couldn't bear seeing the pain. Everyone was hurting through this- but none more than her mother and herself.

"Okay, sweetie," Serenity leaned down and pressed a kiss to Rini's cheek. "I'll see you down by the gardens, then." Rini nodded, only watching out of the corner of her eye as Serenity left the room. Rini looked back at her reflection in the mirror. Just a week ago, she was sitting at this vanity with her cousin, trying on her mother's jewelry- doing things that normal children do. Hoshiko was the only one who could really make her feel like a child- not just a princess, or a Sailor Scout…but a little girl. A little girl who runs through the grass and scrapes her knees, who sneaks out of bed in the middle of the night to make sure she's not missing anything. Hoshiko did all these things with her, made her feel normal.

Rini glanced over to the necklace stand that sat near her mirror. She had taken all of her necklaces down except for one. It was actually Hoshiko's; a simple yellow ribbon with a golden star hanging from it. Three years prior, when Hoshiko had been found unconscious by the Palace Guards in the Gardens, while her yellow gown was torn and bloody, her body bruised- the necklace was in perfect condition. Hoshiko wore it every day. It was the one thing she had her old life, the life that had been erased from her memory by amnesia, and it was the only thing she had left of her mother.

Rini took the necklace into her hands, watching the gold shimmer in the sunlight that filtered through the curtains of the Princess's windows. She fingered the charm, feeling the warmth against her skin. No one quite understood why the metal felt so warm when it should be cool-the having not been worn since the night Hoshiko had died. Rini liked to think it was because the energy that Hoshiko had left behind and the energy her mother before her left behind, was keeping the power of the necklace alive. They never actually had a Senshi die before, so they could only assume that maybe this is what happened.

She took the necklace and wrapped it around her hand, finally standing up from her vanity to leave the room. The funeral was going to be happening soon, and they would be waiting on her. Family and friends came from their home planets to the Moon to send off the little girl who had touched their hearts in the past three years. Every one of them knew Hoshiko's mother, including the King Consort of Venus, who was the Queen of Hoshi's brother.

That was the last time they had all gathered for a funeral; all of the rulers of the different planets and their spouses. When Hoshiko came to the moon, the entire palace had gone into madness. Her parents immediately summoned the Senshi, sending them all to a rogue planet that had just been pulled into the gravitational pull of their solar system. It was later explained to her that the Queen of that planet was the long lost wife of Queen Serenity's younger brother, who had died when Rini was just a baby, before the family relocated to the moon. She disappeared almost a year later, with her infant daughter, leaving no hints to where she went, or if she would ever return.

They spent years searching for her, and in the process it ripped apart families and friendships. Then, there was an attack on the planet Hoshi, which killed the Queen. No one knows how Princess Hoshiko ended up on the Moon, barely surviving the attack. But she had, and while Queen Serenity and the rest of the Senshi traveled to the planet that they called Hoshi, Rini stayed behind and helped the little girl recover from her injuries. She was her cousin apparently, an actual blood-related cousin. She felt that it was her responsibility to make Hoshiko feel at home.

Hoshiko's memory never returned- at least not for three years. Not until the attack on the Lunar Palace…it triggered something in her, triggered memories- Memories of her mother's her mother's death, her home being destroyed. Not only that, but it awakened her powers. The powers that essentially caused her death by fighting off the monster at destroyed everything in her life before she came to the Moon.

Rini shook her head violently as the attack filled her head. She didn't want to think about it. But how can you not think about such a thing when you are walking to the funeral that had to be planned as a result?

As she walked down the palace halls, Rini fought to avoid the pitying stares of various guardsmen, maids, and an occasional chef. She didn't want their pity. She wanted her cousin back. She wanted her best friend back. Her mother had cheated death several times, why couldn't Hoshiko have had the same fate? Why did she have to die as well?

Finally the Princess made it to the gardens. The place was packed with family and friends of the Royal Family, other children who were slightly older and younger than Rini were there as well. Queen Serenity and King Endymion stood in the front of the crowd, waiting for her next to a small star shaped memorial that was sitting in the center of the grand gardens. In the exact same place that Hoshiko had been found in the first place, and the same place where she died.

She stood next to her parents, who then gestured for all of their guests to sit down. Rini didn't pay attention to the service her parents gave. She should have, she knew. However, instead she just looked at the grass at her feet, or the flowers that surrounded them. Hoshiko had loved the gardens. She loved the flowers. She loved just lying in the sun and enjoying the weather.

"…And she will be greatly missed by those of us that we like to think she considered her family. She was a precious, sweet, little girl who clearly would have done great things had she not been taken away from us so tragically." Rini's ears perked as her mother finished her speech. She hadn't realized that tears had poured down her face the entire time, despite the fact that she hadn't been paying attention. "Thank you all for coming today…Hoshiko would have been so touched to know that so many people cared about her. You are all invited for refreshments in the great hall."

Everyone who attended the service held a yellow rose. Before they left, they each set one in front of the headstone before turning to go back to the palace. One by one, they stopped to tell her and her parents how sorry they were, how much they were going to miss her, things like that. These were all people who were indeed close to Hoshiko, but at the same time, Rini couldn't help but get upset at each condolence. She couldn't understand why, but she found her tears falling faster and harder. Soon, it was just Rini and her parents, and at this point Rini was burying her face into her father's side, trying to stop her sobs. She just couldn't control herself anymore. She couldn't be the elegant, strong, Princess anymore. She needed to be the little girl who just lost one of the most important people in her life. She wondered if this is what her mother felt like when her brother died. How Hoshiko felt when she realized that her mother was gone.

Without Rini realizing, King Endymion scooped her up into his arms and wordlessly carried her back to the palace like he used to when she was younger. Before she had decided that she was much too old for her father to carry her around like a child. She was a Sailor Scout now, after all. She couldn't be Daddy's little girl and save the world.

He took her back to her bedroom, which was far away from the small reception that her parents were holding after the funeral. Her mother helped her get into her night gown. It wasn't very late. It was only about seven or eight in the evening, but everyone agreed that perhaps it was best that Rini just spend some time alone now.

They didn't anything to each other. Rini felt that her mother knew that nothing she could say would ever make this right. This wasn't something that a hug and a kiss could make better. This was permanent- which up until now wasn't a concept that Rini could quite grasp. Even though she was a superhero, someone who had saved the world at the age of five, she was still very much a child- despite her best efforts to pretend otherwise.

Once Rini's parents left her, alone in her room, staring at the ceiling, she really began to mull over the thoughts of the past week. It had been seven days since the most special girl Rini had ever known was taken from her.

Hoshiko was the same age as Rini- ten years old, a few months younger than the princess. She had deep blue eyes- a trait that was rare in someone with Japanese heritage. To go with the eyes, she had dark curly brown hair- almost a chocolate brown. Serenity would say that she looked just like her mother, though her nose and chin and many of her mannerisms were inherited from her father- Rini's Uncle Sam.

She was bright as the sun- both in personality and intellect. She was kind and spirited, constantly looking out for others. She had a wit like no one had ever seen- she loved studying flowers and was fascinated by ancient mythology. You could often find her in her bedroom just sitting among stacks of books and if you returned a few hours later she would be in the same spot, never moving except onto another story. She loved to dance and be girl, but at the same time was athletic and fierce. Hoshiko was quite skilled at a game that was known as Soccer on earth. This was another thing that she inherited from her father because her mother did not care for sports.

Queen Serenity said that essentially Hoshiko was the perfect blend of both her parents. She seemed to have the absolute best qualities found in each of them-though she also had some of their faults. She had a bit of a temper. She was highly emotional in general. Sometimes she had mood swings that would make your head spin- though most of it did come from a post-traumatic stress disorder that only made sense after everything she had been through. It was said that the Queen of Hoshi was very much the same way- which was what drove her to fleeing during her grief in the first place. Hoshiko was also incredibly hard headed- when she had something in her mind, she made sure to see it through. This was sometimes a blessing, other times a curse- something that her father was known for.

How one earth did fate become so cruel to a single family? Rini had to wonder. She didn't just mean her own immediate family-but Hoshiko's. Three people, all dead. They were gone, after a long string of pain and unhappiness.

Rini didn't know how long she had been lying in bed thinking before she finally felt the need to get up. She may have slept for a while, but restlessly. When she looked out the window, it was now completely dark. The young girl climbed out of bed and slipped into her slippers before walking to her bedroom door and leaving her room. She found that she was walking the same route that she had earlier in the evening when she went to the funeral. Though, this time she was in no rush. She had no one waiting on her- at least no one who could go anywhere.

Ever since the attack, Rini could feel a presence. She assumed it was Hoshiko. Her parents often spoke of spirits of loved ones lingering to watch over the ones they left behind. It was possibly that presence that helped her keep it mostly together. It was a feeling that she was being watched over, and it comforted her in a way. The presence had been especially strong when she walked back down to the gardens, secretly sneaking past palace guards who would return her to her room with a report to her parents. Once she was safe behind the hedges and Rose bushes, Rini walked directly to the center where she was face to face with that star shaped stone yet again.

In Loving Memory of

Princess Hoshiko Arisu Tsukino

October 22, 2016-October 30, 2026

Our Star Child

Rini sat down in the grass and looked at the engraving. She wished that there was a little more to it than that. She wished it had said something about her, more than just the day she was born and the day that she died. All anyone would see out of this was that she had barely made it to her tenth birthday. They would also see that she was loved, and that she was a Princess and that her name meant Star Child. But, that's all anyone would ever know- and Rini wondered if anyone would even know who this girl was once there wasn't anyone around to remind people of her anymore. In a few months Rini was supposed to return to the past and help her mother's former self. She would be there for several years…only returning for summers. Would everyone forget about their Star Child when Rini wasn't around anymore to remind them?

"I don't want them to forget you…" Rini whispered, brushing her fingers against the glossy finish of the stone. "I don't want to forget you." That was another fear of hers. That once she returned to the past, she would be so invested in her mission there, Hoshiko was just drift to the back of her mind. She didn't want that to happen, but she had seen it happen to her parents. Her mother hardly eve spoke of her long dead brother. Rini didn't know if it was because it was too painful to talk about, or if she indeed just put his memory aside. She definitely didn't want it to be the latter when it came to Hoshiko.

Rini wiped away fresh tears from her eyes as these thoughts penetrated her mind. No, that wouldn't happen. She was determined. Not only that, she was determined to find some way to make sure that this never happened. For her entire life, she had been instructed to not do anything in the past that would alter the future. Rini couldn't help but think perhaps this would be an exception. Nothing bad could happen from preserving a life. Hoshiko living could only bring good things, she was sure of it. That way, in some alternate universe, she would never feel this pain. She would never have to go to the funeral of a friend- of her own cousin. Maybe she could even save her Uncle, which would keep his wife from disappearing. Rini licked her lips as she pondered this. Maybe, just maybe, she could change time for the better.

"I'm going to do it, Hoshiko…I'm going to save you. I just know I will…" Rini whispered as she stood up again. It was getting late and she was sure that someone would come checking on her- and she didn't need anyone to start a search party in her honor again. "Just you wait. You're going to live."

A.N.: Hello! For those who may be confused, this is a totally rewritten and re-structured version of a fanfiction that I began writing when I was 13. As you can imagine, my writing skills have improved and I wish to really do this story justice. Plus, honestly, I'm hoping this will drum up some interest in my stories again since I had a pretty decent following when I first started six years ago. I hope you enjoy!