In the Twilight of Memory

Summary: It all started with a simple question, and that reopened that old, scarred wound, for only she knew the truth of what really happened toward the end of what would someday be known as the Silver Millenium.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.

Rating: R

Chapter One

Three days ago, before then everything had been going just fine. There hadn't been too many youma attacks and everything had been going well. The Inners were nearing the completion of high school and her foster parents had been happy. \

If they hadn't had that meeting. If they hadn't...

But they had and there was no changing that. Now everyone was mad, and it hurt her that all their anger was directed at one person. She understood that there were things that didn't need to be talked about and this wasn't something important. The world wouldn't end if the answer wasn't revealed.

Usagi had been curious about her life on the Moon Kingdom. She'd asked a few questions about Serenity and then she had asked it. "What about my father?" It was a simple enough question, only Setsuna wouldn't answer it.

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Setsuna sighed, running the brush through Hotaru's hair. She should have known that something like this would have happened eventually. Everyone was aware that they were the reincarnations of the senshi from the Silver Millenium and it was inevitable that they would become curious as to to what had happened in that life. She just couldn't talk about it.

It wasn't that she was somehow forbidden to speak of it, it was that she couldn't. To speak of it would lead to the hurt. It would rip off that old, painful scab that never healed.

She couldn't speak of the Silver Millenium because she'd lived through it.

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The only thing that she was certain she'd always be able to remember was the hunger. There was always that knawing, aching hunger that never seemed to go away. She was away from the scorching heat and the beatings, but the memory of that hunger would never leave her mind.

It felt strange being held. She'd spent her whole life so far without any comfort, that this touch felt strange. The woman was kind though. And beautiful. She couldn't help but stare at the woman holding her, wishing to one day be even half as beautiful. The woman had lovely pale skin and hair darker than her own tanned flesh. Pretty blue eyes and then the crescent moon that stood out vibrantly on her forhead.

The woman was to be her new mother.

Not that she knew anything of the woman who had given birth to her. There was nothing in her memory before the camp.

It hurt to move. She was far too small and skinny. She knew that. Anyone who looked at her knew that. The woman sitting next to her new mother didn't look nearly as weak, but then again, she was Senshi Pluto, a warrior. There was no way she'd be weak.

It would be wonderful to be as strong as the Lady Pluto. Her flesh didn't have the sickly look to it that her's did. Lady Pluto's was a healthy looking dark tan. Her black hair certainly didn't look as though it were made of straw and it looked lovely in the dreadlocks that so many Plutonians wore. Her claws gleamed and looked well taken care of. There was no way she could ever come close to the magnificence that the Lady of Pluto possessed.

Lady Pluto, unlike her new mother, frightened her very much. There was no warmth in her eyes and whenever she saw the Lady's face, there was always a glare there. It scared her to think that this would be the woman who trained her.

She began coughing and the pain from it left her feeling dizzy. Her new mother held her as tightly as she could without breaking her fragile little bones and rubbed her back. They all knew that her chances of survival weren't high and the ship-sickness she'd been having only helped to weaken her. Once they made it to Arkka she'd hopefully get better.

At least she'd learned that she didn't like airships.

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