I am Hotaru. Some call me the senshi of death. Some call me the senshi of destruction. It is true, I am both. But, I am also the senshi of rebirth. Within the folds of my power I can summon death and give rebirth to those lost. With three words alone, I can destroy a planet.
Many are frightened of me. They bow down in fright of my powers. They do not know that I wish not to use them. I wish not to have this curse. A curse that I must live with until I call upon it.
I wish I could live an eternity.
Then, I would never have to use my power. I could see greatness in many eras. Watch planets and stars grows in prosperity. But, no, one day I must destroy one. With three words, I hold the fate of many in my hands.
Some evil wish for my powers. Whereas I wish for their ignorance- or even their arrogance. They are too naïve to understand the powers that I hold with me. Unfortunately, they do not understand and have tried many times to force me to use it for their own biddings. Evil is never good. Evil is manipulative. Evil is evil and I am not.
I try to protect my family and friends. Yet, there always seems to be some evil beckoning death. They look at me in mockery and try to snake their way into forcing me to use my power. No. I refuse. I have lived long enough to see through their pathetic attempts. It is a pity they do not understand.
I can destroy them in more than one way.
However, some I know are not strong enough. They lack the strength to rid themselves of the threatening evil. I had to watch. I had to watch them be slaughtered.
And do nothing.
Nothing could be done. Like the Keeper of Time, I had to watch. I now understand what you went through. All those years of watching, watching your loved ones slip from existence. It is very painful indeed.
Indeed it is.
I shall tell the story now. The story when I was forced to destroy. Please do not judge. I know. I watch. I knew when it was time.
Time to lay down my scythe.
-----------------------------------
"Hotaru!" Haruka called. "Time for breakfast!"
I finish putting on my shirt and rush down the stairs. I see Haruka-papa standing there. I smile and walk into the kitchen. Michiru-mama is putting pancakes on dish. She greets me and everyone sits down.
I sit quietly, eating my breakfast. They are talking. I am not sure of what. But they are talking. Their voices are low. They must know it too. This feeling I have known for so long.
It is painful to feel the future and not be able to change. So many things lay written in stone. I wish so much, that a stone would weather. Weather and let us be free of the troublesome future. A las, it is not to be. I and the others know this. It is unfortunate that we must bare this burden. I just wish mine wasn't so great.
I know the time will come. I know it will come soon. I feel the power inside of me. I feel it urging me to let it out. It is a terrible power. One that wants only its wishes fulfilled.
I will not.
I will not answer to its desires. I shall fulfill none of it. The power, it is mine to control.
Only mine.
Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama know the loneliness, but they do not know the burden. The burden of unleashing death. Setsuna-mama. She know the truth. She knows the future. She understands the burden.
She has one of her own.
Where I am only able to feel the coming of disasters, she sees them centuries before their time. A terrible burden. One she never had a choice about.
Neither did I.
I look at Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama. They have finished their conversation. I did not hear much of it. The part I did hear was what I already knew.
Setsuna-mama will be visiting.
I wonder if she will finally be relieved of her burden.
I hope so.
--------------------
The rest of the day continued uneventfully. At least, most of it did. I felt the disaster coming. I felt it in my very soul. The power is churning inside of me. It wants to be released.
I will never give into its desires.
I promised myself so long ago. I will control the power. The power will be released when the time is right.
The time will be soon.
Too soon.
I wish to see the eras. I wish to see the prosperity. I wish to see the birth.
It is unfortunate that I must release disaster and silence the world. At least, the silence will be short and I will finish the destiny. The destiny created for me alone.
The light will come. Only after the silence. But, with the silence, there comes death. Destruction.
I am compensated only by the fact that the rebirth will follow and light will reign once more.
I only wish that the silence did not have to come. An unfortunate end to a prospering planet.
No longer shall they walk the paths of this planet. No longer shall they see the shores of this planet. No longer shall the fresh air penetrate their lungs. No longer shall they see.
See another day.
Another day, where light will reign once more. Where the darkness will be vanquished. They will never see it again. They shall see only darkness. Only destruction. Only me.
Only me laying my scythe down.
Forever.
I will not see another era. I will end this one. I will not see another birth. I will end these birthed lives. I will not see another existence. I exist only to end this one.
------------------
The darkness creeps up inside of me. My power is felt. The yearning is drowning out their screams.
Haruka-papa! Michiru-mama!
I watch them. I watch them being slaughtered. I knew this would happen.
Just like before.
I have always had to see people be murdered. The most gruesome are of those I care for.
Blood. Everywhere. On the ground. On them. On him. Soon to be on me. When I must step in, the blood will come quickly and then end abruptly.
Just like my power foretells it.
My power has never lied. Despite its yearnings, it has guided me on my path. The one I mustn't stray from.
Even though I have tried. I have tried desperately hard to stray. To stray from my chosen path. The one that chooses the destinies of so many.
I feel the pain. The pain they are going through. I see their faces. Anguish written upon them.
Haruka-papa…
Michiru-mama…
They are dead.
Now it is my time. The yearning is at its peak. It must be released.
No.
Not yet.
One more.
Must perish.
Setsuna-mama. She has appeared beside me. She nods knowingly. I hold my scythe tightly.
I watch her battle. The evil is strong. Only one can subdue it.
Me.
It is always me, even as I watch Setsuna-mama battle. We both know the truth.
At least she will live happily in the next dimension. I only wish to join her. However, if I cannot, I would like the others who have to join her.
They deserve it. They all do. They fought for so long. So hard. It has been a difficult journey. I shall lay them to their eternal sleep.
Setsuna-mama.
She is gone. She lays on the ground. Next to Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama. They all lay.
Dead.
The chilling word. I feel it in my spine. I feel the shivers.
I see his gaze. The gaze rests upon me. The evil is cold. But I am colder.
I return the same icy gaze.
He does not know me. He does not understand what still lays dormant inside of me. It is a shame, his ignorance is tempting. He thinks I am just like the rest.
Weak.
But I am not. Not that way. My strength is one I do not wish to have.
The warmth of the scythe begins to race within me. I feel it. So powerful. So dictating. I had always resisted before. But, now, it is no longer meant to reside within me.
I raise the scythe. The evil looks at me questioningly. I raise the scythe high above my head.
Time slows. I feel the darkness flowing. The evil does not know. He thinks it is but a simple attack. He does not realize it will end his existence.
The scythe begins to fall. So slowly. The power is rushing to my finger tips. It is urging to be released.
Just a few more moments.
Then it will all be over.
I pray that I can join them. Join them in the next dimension.
It is getting closer. So close to the ground.
The evil stands still. Stunned. He remembers it. The prophecy. The one of a girl. A young girl with a scythe. She will stand someday, bathed in darkness. Letting all around her, fade from existence. All she must do, is let her scythe fall. Fall to the ground.
Realization washes over him. He knows that it is too late. I am the prophecy. The girl with the destiny of destruction.
But, he does not know it all. He does not know that I also hold the light. The light granted to me. I guess, it is my reimbursement for destroying the life of one. One planet of many lives.
My scythe has left my fingers. Permanently. My empty eyes watch. I watch it fall.
It falls to the ground.
"Death Reborn Revolution." I whisper the words as they come painfully off my lips.
It has hit the ground.
The deed is done.
Amazement washes over me. It is done. My destiny is fulfilled.
The darkness is released. All is destroyed. The evil that once stood before me is no more.
A sad smile crosses my face. I saw many eras. I wished to see many more. I could not. Instead, I destroyed one.
The most beautiful one.
I destroyed.
I shake my head in shame. Destiny is cruel.
I wish so much that the stone had weathered. The one that wished upon me, this destiny. The destiny to watch others die. The destiny to see many eras. The destiny to destroy the most beautiful era.
I am shamed. The lives are gone. The darkness has reigned long enough. I close my eyes.
A warm sensation flows through me. I open my eyes slowly. The light flows out. My eyes are closed again.
Ever so gently, I am laid down. My sleep has begun. My eternal rest is here. My destiny is fulfilled. Forever, I may rest.
Destiny can be cruel, but also rewarding.
"Haruka-papa! Michiru-mama!" I shout in glee. My small feet run quickly. I stop suddenly. I am stunned.
"Setsuna-mama!" I jump into her arms. Happiness flows through me. For the first time. It is all I feel.
Realization is inside of me: destiny is unpredictable.
Especially for me, Hotaru. Not the senshi of Destruction. Not the senshi of rebirth. Not the senshi of Saturn.
Hotaru.
I am only Hotaru. The girl who longed for innocence.
In her most destructive moment, she was granted her only wish.
-----------------------
-----------------------
Author's Notes:
What did you think? I hope you like it. This is a bit of a dark fic, but I thought there had always been an injustice done to Hotaru.
In the near future, I hope to write some other fics about the Outer Senshi. Particualry, Sailor Pluto. Maybe, about how she became the Keeper of Time and if she will ever not be the Keeper of Time.
Thanks for reading. I hope everyone enjoyed it. Please REVIEW!
Japanese Words:
Senshi~ soldier, scout
Many are frightened of me. They bow down in fright of my powers. They do not know that I wish not to use them. I wish not to have this curse. A curse that I must live with until I call upon it.
I wish I could live an eternity.
Then, I would never have to use my power. I could see greatness in many eras. Watch planets and stars grows in prosperity. But, no, one day I must destroy one. With three words, I hold the fate of many in my hands.
Some evil wish for my powers. Whereas I wish for their ignorance- or even their arrogance. They are too naïve to understand the powers that I hold with me. Unfortunately, they do not understand and have tried many times to force me to use it for their own biddings. Evil is never good. Evil is manipulative. Evil is evil and I am not.
I try to protect my family and friends. Yet, there always seems to be some evil beckoning death. They look at me in mockery and try to snake their way into forcing me to use my power. No. I refuse. I have lived long enough to see through their pathetic attempts. It is a pity they do not understand.
I can destroy them in more than one way.
However, some I know are not strong enough. They lack the strength to rid themselves of the threatening evil. I had to watch. I had to watch them be slaughtered.
And do nothing.
Nothing could be done. Like the Keeper of Time, I had to watch. I now understand what you went through. All those years of watching, watching your loved ones slip from existence. It is very painful indeed.
Indeed it is.
I shall tell the story now. The story when I was forced to destroy. Please do not judge. I know. I watch. I knew when it was time.
Time to lay down my scythe.
-----------------------------------
"Hotaru!" Haruka called. "Time for breakfast!"
I finish putting on my shirt and rush down the stairs. I see Haruka-papa standing there. I smile and walk into the kitchen. Michiru-mama is putting pancakes on dish. She greets me and everyone sits down.
I sit quietly, eating my breakfast. They are talking. I am not sure of what. But they are talking. Their voices are low. They must know it too. This feeling I have known for so long.
It is painful to feel the future and not be able to change. So many things lay written in stone. I wish so much, that a stone would weather. Weather and let us be free of the troublesome future. A las, it is not to be. I and the others know this. It is unfortunate that we must bare this burden. I just wish mine wasn't so great.
I know the time will come. I know it will come soon. I feel the power inside of me. I feel it urging me to let it out. It is a terrible power. One that wants only its wishes fulfilled.
I will not.
I will not answer to its desires. I shall fulfill none of it. The power, it is mine to control.
Only mine.
Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama know the loneliness, but they do not know the burden. The burden of unleashing death. Setsuna-mama. She know the truth. She knows the future. She understands the burden.
She has one of her own.
Where I am only able to feel the coming of disasters, she sees them centuries before their time. A terrible burden. One she never had a choice about.
Neither did I.
I look at Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama. They have finished their conversation. I did not hear much of it. The part I did hear was what I already knew.
Setsuna-mama will be visiting.
I wonder if she will finally be relieved of her burden.
I hope so.
--------------------
The rest of the day continued uneventfully. At least, most of it did. I felt the disaster coming. I felt it in my very soul. The power is churning inside of me. It wants to be released.
I will never give into its desires.
I promised myself so long ago. I will control the power. The power will be released when the time is right.
The time will be soon.
Too soon.
I wish to see the eras. I wish to see the prosperity. I wish to see the birth.
It is unfortunate that I must release disaster and silence the world. At least, the silence will be short and I will finish the destiny. The destiny created for me alone.
The light will come. Only after the silence. But, with the silence, there comes death. Destruction.
I am compensated only by the fact that the rebirth will follow and light will reign once more.
I only wish that the silence did not have to come. An unfortunate end to a prospering planet.
No longer shall they walk the paths of this planet. No longer shall they see the shores of this planet. No longer shall the fresh air penetrate their lungs. No longer shall they see.
See another day.
Another day, where light will reign once more. Where the darkness will be vanquished. They will never see it again. They shall see only darkness. Only destruction. Only me.
Only me laying my scythe down.
Forever.
I will not see another era. I will end this one. I will not see another birth. I will end these birthed lives. I will not see another existence. I exist only to end this one.
------------------
The darkness creeps up inside of me. My power is felt. The yearning is drowning out their screams.
Haruka-papa! Michiru-mama!
I watch them. I watch them being slaughtered. I knew this would happen.
Just like before.
I have always had to see people be murdered. The most gruesome are of those I care for.
Blood. Everywhere. On the ground. On them. On him. Soon to be on me. When I must step in, the blood will come quickly and then end abruptly.
Just like my power foretells it.
My power has never lied. Despite its yearnings, it has guided me on my path. The one I mustn't stray from.
Even though I have tried. I have tried desperately hard to stray. To stray from my chosen path. The one that chooses the destinies of so many.
I feel the pain. The pain they are going through. I see their faces. Anguish written upon them.
Haruka-papa…
Michiru-mama…
They are dead.
Now it is my time. The yearning is at its peak. It must be released.
No.
Not yet.
One more.
Must perish.
Setsuna-mama. She has appeared beside me. She nods knowingly. I hold my scythe tightly.
I watch her battle. The evil is strong. Only one can subdue it.
Me.
It is always me, even as I watch Setsuna-mama battle. We both know the truth.
At least she will live happily in the next dimension. I only wish to join her. However, if I cannot, I would like the others who have to join her.
They deserve it. They all do. They fought for so long. So hard. It has been a difficult journey. I shall lay them to their eternal sleep.
Setsuna-mama.
She is gone. She lays on the ground. Next to Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama. They all lay.
Dead.
The chilling word. I feel it in my spine. I feel the shivers.
I see his gaze. The gaze rests upon me. The evil is cold. But I am colder.
I return the same icy gaze.
He does not know me. He does not understand what still lays dormant inside of me. It is a shame, his ignorance is tempting. He thinks I am just like the rest.
Weak.
But I am not. Not that way. My strength is one I do not wish to have.
The warmth of the scythe begins to race within me. I feel it. So powerful. So dictating. I had always resisted before. But, now, it is no longer meant to reside within me.
I raise the scythe. The evil looks at me questioningly. I raise the scythe high above my head.
Time slows. I feel the darkness flowing. The evil does not know. He thinks it is but a simple attack. He does not realize it will end his existence.
The scythe begins to fall. So slowly. The power is rushing to my finger tips. It is urging to be released.
Just a few more moments.
Then it will all be over.
I pray that I can join them. Join them in the next dimension.
It is getting closer. So close to the ground.
The evil stands still. Stunned. He remembers it. The prophecy. The one of a girl. A young girl with a scythe. She will stand someday, bathed in darkness. Letting all around her, fade from existence. All she must do, is let her scythe fall. Fall to the ground.
Realization washes over him. He knows that it is too late. I am the prophecy. The girl with the destiny of destruction.
But, he does not know it all. He does not know that I also hold the light. The light granted to me. I guess, it is my reimbursement for destroying the life of one. One planet of many lives.
My scythe has left my fingers. Permanently. My empty eyes watch. I watch it fall.
It falls to the ground.
"Death Reborn Revolution." I whisper the words as they come painfully off my lips.
It has hit the ground.
The deed is done.
Amazement washes over me. It is done. My destiny is fulfilled.
The darkness is released. All is destroyed. The evil that once stood before me is no more.
A sad smile crosses my face. I saw many eras. I wished to see many more. I could not. Instead, I destroyed one.
The most beautiful one.
I destroyed.
I shake my head in shame. Destiny is cruel.
I wish so much that the stone had weathered. The one that wished upon me, this destiny. The destiny to watch others die. The destiny to see many eras. The destiny to destroy the most beautiful era.
I am shamed. The lives are gone. The darkness has reigned long enough. I close my eyes.
A warm sensation flows through me. I open my eyes slowly. The light flows out. My eyes are closed again.
Ever so gently, I am laid down. My sleep has begun. My eternal rest is here. My destiny is fulfilled. Forever, I may rest.
Destiny can be cruel, but also rewarding.
"Haruka-papa! Michiru-mama!" I shout in glee. My small feet run quickly. I stop suddenly. I am stunned.
"Setsuna-mama!" I jump into her arms. Happiness flows through me. For the first time. It is all I feel.
Realization is inside of me: destiny is unpredictable.
Especially for me, Hotaru. Not the senshi of Destruction. Not the senshi of rebirth. Not the senshi of Saturn.
Hotaru.
I am only Hotaru. The girl who longed for innocence.
In her most destructive moment, she was granted her only wish.
-----------------------
-----------------------
Author's Notes:
What did you think? I hope you like it. This is a bit of a dark fic, but I thought there had always been an injustice done to Hotaru.
In the near future, I hope to write some other fics about the Outer Senshi. Particualry, Sailor Pluto. Maybe, about how she became the Keeper of Time and if she will ever not be the Keeper of Time.
Thanks for reading. I hope everyone enjoyed it. Please REVIEW!
Japanese Words:
Senshi~ soldier, scout