Warning to all who enter this fic, it is a very dark fic.
The bell that freed her from her sanctuary every day was the one sound she dreaded most. Not the one voice, for that voice could make many sounds, but for a single sound that would be repeated consistently over time, the bell that ended her sanctuary was the worst. Not that it was much of a sanctuary, as there were plenty in her sanctuary who hated her, who thought she was strange and evil and tormented and they were right. And they stayed away from her, leaving her to her own private prison, her own mental hell from which she could never escape.
The looks that they threw her way were always filled with suspicion, hatred, and ignorance, for they didn't understand her, they didn't ever take the time to get to know her. Had they taken the time to meet her, to get to know her, they would have learned of the pain she endured. She could barely hold it in as it was. No one ever talked to her. No one ever let her get it all out. No one ever gave her the chance to get the help she so desperately needed. And so, as the last ring faded into the emptiness of the classroom, Hotaru Tomoe slowly pushed her weak body out of her chair. Her shoulder length dark violet hair hung straight down her head as it always did, the dark colors of her uniform gave her an almost goth appearance as her violet eyes took in the world around her. Hotaru slowly trudged to the door and out it, slipping into the hall of her school not talking, barely breathing, and doing her best to hide from the world around her. Not that she could hide forever. After all, she would eventually get home.
As her feet slowly scraped along the ground in her trudging steps, Hotaru wondered if she should even call the place home. It wasn't a home to her, after all. A home was supposed to be warm, filled with love, and a place where one could always be happy. She had a home once, long ago, years ago, and she could still remember her father before he died. Before she became Sailor Saturn, before she was adopted, before she had been condemned to eternal suffering, the almost silent clacking of her shoes against the tiles of the school floor as she moved through the hallway echoed in her ears as though they were the last steps she would ever take. Plus, as far as she knew, they very well could be. However, she knew she had to go on, she had nowhere else to go, no one to turn to, and no one to save her. She wished, ever so desperately, that a knight like in the stories would come and save her. Alas, he never did, and so with an all-encompassing sense of dread Hotaru walked on.
She was outside now, though the sun held no cheer for her. The glare of the snow spread through the trees and across the ground in a diamond beauty gave her no smile. The sounds of others laughing, playing, being free gave her no sense of hope. After all, none of them had to walk on her path. None of them ever even cared enough to see where her path went, and so she walked on alone. Hotaru was walking towards her own personal hell. The place she was supposed to call home, and yet she feared so very much.
As she slowly made her way down the street, her mind echoed with the questions that had plagued her for so long. Did the people who claimed to be her friends know what was happening? Whenever Hotaru was with her torturer the others would all smile and look so happy for her. Could it be that they supported what was going on? Hotaru prayed that it wasn't so...but she knew it could be. After all, if those who supposedly loved her would do these things, then those who supposedly liked her would support it.
Hotaru's legs began to tremble as she drew ever nearer to her destination. Her breath quickened as she gasped for air that she needed. Most of the neighbors knew she was weak, knew she didn't have much strength, and always assumed that these were the reasons she would be trembling as she approached home. Her weakness wasn't the reason, however, and had they ever asked she would have told them so. No one ever asked, though, so no one ever learned the truth; Hotaru was scared, terrified really.
As she approached the short path that lead to the door of her personal hell, Hotaru questioned herself once more. She could walk away from all of this, she knew. She could just keep walking and leave the pain, the suffering behind. All it would take would be one single step and she could be as free as a bird in flight. All she would need would be a single brave moment to go into the unknown and everything she feared would be to her back and she would be moving away from it.
Unfortunately, as she had done hundreds of times before, her body stepped onto the known path, the path of pain, suffering and fear, instead of one that could potentially free her from this hell. Her eyes took in the door before her, the door that would take her from limbo to hell. As she slowly began to walk toward that door, her entire body began to tremble in fear. It ripped at her heart and made her colder then the snow around her ever could. She could feel every fiber in her body scream in horror at what was going to happen, what always happened when she returned home.
Her small hand reached out for the door handle trembling violently. She knew what waited for her behind the door, and it scared her more than anything else she had faced. As often as she dreamed about running away, about fighting back, she was Sailor Saturn, dammit, she should be able to defend herself, about doing something to make it all stop, she never could bring herself to go through with it. Hotaru could never understand why she couldn't go through with her thoughts to leave; she just knew she couldn't. As always her small hand turned the door handle, her meager strength pushed the door open, and she forced her trembling body into the house.
Hotaru's now frightened eyes seemed to swallow the inside of the house as she stopped within the doorway. Ever so slowly while trembling with fear, she searched for her tormentor, for some sign that the pain was going to start, that her life was no longer going to be her own. Like a deer staring at an oncoming semi-truck Hotaru's large eyes gazed into the nightmare abyss before her.
The abyss wasn't dark, there weren't hell flames shooting from the floor, and there were no demon dogs gnawing on human bones in the corner. In fact, the abyss looked much like any other house in the neighborhood. It was brightly lit, had a soft carpet, and light colors that gave it an overall cheery appearance. There were hard wood furnishings, a number of comfy chairs, and some beautiful tables spread around the building that gave it a simply homey feel. Hotaru knew that it wasn't the things in the house that were evil. It was the inhabitants instead that made this house into her own personal hell.
She didn't see the inhabitants of the building. If no one were home but her, well, it'd be a few extra minutes of respite, anyway. She'd have a little extra time to prepare herself for what she knew was going to come. That was far more then she could hope for, she knew, but hope for it she did.
She stepped softly and slowly into the house, making as little noise as possible. Her hand pulled on the door so that it closed without her needing to turn around. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when the door clicked shut. It seemed that she was alone, and that she had a bit more time to prepare herself, to try to protect her mind.
A cry of pain escaped Hotaru's lips as a pair of hands suddenly grabbed her breasts and squeezed them hard. The cry turned to a squeal of intense anguish as the hands not only continued to squeeze, but also twisted her breasts violently. " Welcome home, Hotaru-chan. " That voice that whispered into her ear was husky and filled with promise. None of the promises would be good though. They were the promises of the pain and suffering that was shortly to come. They were promises Hotaru was all too familiar with.
" P...please...Michiru-mama...no more... " Hotaru's voice trembled with fear and was pitched high with the pain that was being inflicted upon her.
" Not...no...not again...please... " All that Hotaru's begging brought about was an even more vicious grip, pull, and twist to her breasts. Her tormentor was rewarded with another scream of pain and the buckling of her victim's knees. Tears ran freely from Hotaru's violet, terror-filled eyes as she was held upon her feet by the grip on her breasts.
" This," Michiru whispered in a harsh voice, " is going to be fun. For me, at least. "
Her face was streak with the dry marks of hot tears as her eyes locked blankly on the dark ceiling above her. There was blood running from her exposed breasts, where new cuts and scratches had been inflicted during the 'fun' Michiru-mama had. More blood soaked into her torn skirt from between her legs where a number of large and sharp objects had been forced violently into her. Her throat was raw from the screams of pain that she had been unable to contain within, and she could still taste the vile bodily fluids on her tongue that Michiru-mama had forced her to drink.
Hotaru lay on her bed, unable to close her eyes, terrified of the things she saw when she did. She wanted to run away, wanted to hide, wanted to do anything except continue to lie where she was. Her arms once more weakly pulled at the ropes that tied her to the bed. Her legs were likewise tied, forcing her to lie in the remains of her torn bloody school clothes spread eagled, ready just in case Michiru-mama decided to have more 'fun'. It was more common than not anymore.
Her head was drenched in sweat, her dark hair was plastered to her face, tilted and fell to the side, resting her cheek on the mattress under her. There were no blankets or sheets on the bed; Michiru-mama had stripped them off before tying her up. Again she weakly struggled against her bonds, but this time she felt it. Her right arm moved slightly. Her violet eyes gazed at the rough rope that was biting into her risks. Again she pulled at the right one, and this time she saw it, the rope slid against the wooden frame ever so slightly.
Almost disbelievingly, as though she were in some dream, Hotaru began to push her arm up, and slowly, with great effort, the rope moved with it. It was loose. Something about that sent a hope to her heart. What she'd never been able to do while actually free, now gave her a calling. Hotaru began to struggle at the bond, though weakly, she slowly caused it to slide up farther and farther, until finally it slid off the bed post altogether. Her arm was free.
Turning over on her other side, she stared at the second rope that kept her in place. Could she really do this? Could she really get away from the pain? Did she even want to?
A loud moan came through the wall into her room. That sound of Michiru-mama in pleasure as Haruka-papa pleased her broke the glass wall against her heart. Quickly, her small fingers began to pull at the knot in the rope. It seemed to take an eerily long time, but then her other arm was free.
As more sounds drifted through the wall, Hotaru sat up and gazed at her bruised legs, at the blood that was still slowly dripping from between them. She hurt, oh how she hurt; this was her one chance, and she couldn't let the pain stop her, no matter how bad it was. Reaching to one leg, then the other, Hotaru undid the bonds that held her. Slowly, wrapping the remains of her clothes around her, she moved to her door and opened it.
Peeking into the hall, she could see that the door to her mama and papa's room was closed, and the loud moans and cries of pleasure were still coming from behind it. Moving with a mixed sense of urgency and caution, Hotaru slipped out of her room and closed her door again. With a small prayer that she wouldn't be found, she moved to the steps and slipped down them.
Her bare feet were freezing as she stepped out the door, leaving even her shoes behind. There wasn't anything she wanted to take, or rather, she was too afraid to take anything. With trembling legs, she headed out into the bitter cold night, stumbling away from the house of her pain, the rags she had wrapped around her barely acting as any covering.
Hotaru didn't look back or forward, she just began walking, vowing to herself not to stop until she could no longer move.
Chapter 1:
The Hardest Part is the Night
Pushing open the door, Ranma Saotome stepped out of Furinkan High School and into the freezing cold night air. A dusting of snow was drifting down from the sky adding a meager sum to an already deep layer of snow. Even in his thick coat, the chill of the air caused Ranma to shiver.
As his feet trudged him through the schoolyard and toward the gate, his mind did nothing more than wish for being home. His soft black shoes, great for walking quietly, soaked through fast with the snow and his toes began to freeze. Ranma didn't really pay attention to the feeling though. He was too busy being depressed to worry about a little thing like cold toes.
The wasted expression that covered Ranma's face was thankfully hidden in the dark from anyone who might pass by. Of course, given the weather, that was unlikely. Stopping at the gate that led to the streets of Nerima, Ranma turned to look back at the school.
" Stupid detention. " His voice was soft, the words muttered so only he could hear. His breath, on touching the air, turned to a white fog that drifted up into the night. With an almost disgusted expression taking over his face, Ranma turned and walked out of the school entirely.
As his feet sloshed through the snow that covered the sidewalk, Ranma's mind tried to rationalize with the rest of him. He knew it wasn't the school's fault he'd been in detention, and he knew it really wasn't the detention's fault he was going home so late. If he had actually done his homework for once, the teachers wouldn't have piled the loads of after schoolwork onto him. Being the son of Genma Saotome, however, didn't let these realizations come forth, and instead his upbringing shot them all down. " Stupid school, " he muttered.
Moving far slower then he normally did, and along the ground rather than the fence, gave Ranma a lot of time to reflect on his life. Had he not been in such a funk, he might have done so. Instead his mind just kept listing reasons why it was pointless for a martial artist like him to bother going to school. He was so caught up in the list that as he passed by a small alley that he almost didn't notice the small form slumped against the wall.
Turning his attention to the form, he blinked as he tried to work out what it was. Slowly, Ranma took the three steps he needed to get to the figure, almost fearing it was Cologne, or worse, Happosai with a bucket of cold water. He did not want to get wet in this weather, and he didn't want to deal with the old hag, either. It was just too damn cold, and he was too damn hungry. Stupid Detention.
Reaching the figure, Ranma poked it, and blinked as it fell over onto his side. He blinked a couple of more times before he realized what the figure was. His eyes took in the young girl's dirty face, the blood stained and torn clothes, and the uncontrolled shivers that were racking her body. "Kuso... "
Ranma stood stunned for a moment, in shock at the sight. His mind went blank as he tried to figure out what to do. Time passed by as Ranma stood in silence as his blue eyes stared at the scene. Suddenly the scene went bright and then dark again as a car passes by. In that brief second of time Ranma got a look at the girl's face, a painful and haunted expression was painted on it. The look sent him into an extremely short lived rage as his mind began working again.
" Tofu! He'll know what to do!" The thought just popped into Ranma mind and just as fast he dropped to his knees so he could scoop the girl into his arms. Before he got that far, however, his eyes again took in the girl's almost naked form. " Crap, she needs something to wear. " No longer hesitating, Ranma quickly yanked off his coat and wrapped it around the girl as he scooped her up into his arms.
Despite the fact it was as cold as before, Ranma no longer felt it. The weather was no longer a factor to him as he dashed out of the alley and down the street, his strong legs propelling him forward. He took the blocks at a reckless pace, his feet sliding out from under him the times he hit patches of ice, but his agility and sheer willpower kept him on his feet and moving toward his destination.
His vibrating bundle in his arms, Ranma skidded to a stop in front of Doctor Tofu's clinic and began kicking at the door. " Hey, doc, open up! I need to get in, Dammit! " Kicking the door again, Ranma's tried to see through the windows, but only darkness greeted him. " What the hell! " Kicking the door again, Ranma blinked as his mind began working once more. Doctor Tofu was gone, off to some class in Kyoto for a month. " Shit! "
Looking down at the girl cradled in his arms, Ranma's eyes tried to bore through the girls closed lids, attempting to will the girl awake and ask her what he should do. With the adrenaline pumping through him, Ranma began to hop up and down, his mind working double time trying to figure out what to do. His mind once more came with a response. " Kasumi! She borrows books from Tofu! She may know! "
Spinning, Ranma took off at a mad dash once more, thankful that the sidewalk was empty and that he didn't have to dodge anyone. His legs pushing him as fast as he could, Ranma raced for the Tendo Dojo, his home. On approaching the place, his legs propelled him into the air, letting him jump over the fence rather than take the time to get to the gate and open it.
His landing, however, wasn't smooth at all, hitting a patch of ice, Ranma's legs slipped out from under him, sending him and his bundle crashing into the snow covered ground. His head slammed into the hard packed solid water, dizzying him for a brief second. His arms managed to keep their grip on his bundle and prevented the girl from hitting anything other than his chest. With a feat of dexterity, Ranma scrambled to his feet without using his hands and moved quickly to the door.
Kicking at the door once more, Ranma waited for someone to let him in. When no one came, he grimaced and shifted his grip on the girl slightly, freeing up one hand so that he could open the door.
" Kasumi! " Ranma's voice screamed into the house as he went through the door. What greeted him were a dark living room and a silent house. " Dammit, where the hell is everyone! " Ranma kicked backward closing the door and rushed his way into the house, stumbling over a piece of furniture as he moved through the living room and to the kitchen. Making his way into Kasumi's domain with his bundle, he blinked in complete puzzlement as a quiet and dark kitchen greeted him. " What the... " Ranma trailed off as another memory made its way back to him. " The restaurant! Damn, they're all there! "
Ranma's eyes turned to his bundle, difficult to see in the dark house. Though his vision of the girl was limited, he could still feel her shaking in his arms. " Kami-sama, she's freezing. I gotta get her warm, but how? "
Even as Ranma asked that, he felt a shift, and his perception changed slightly as the snow that had been clinging to his finally turned to cold water and triggered his curse. " Now of all times. Damn I need...that's it, hot water! The furo, that'll warm her up! "
Having a plan finally, Ranma dashed out of the kitchen and up the stairs, leading to the Tendo's furo. He raced into the dark changing area, shifting and kicking back with his leg, his foot catching the light switch and brightening both the changing room and the furo proper. Quickly making his way to the tub, he deposited the girl in it and unwrapped his coat from around the girl before turning the water on, beginning to fill the tub with a mixture of hot and cool water, praying he didn't make it so hot it hurt the girl more.
As the water heated up, Ranma reached out and splashed some onto his face, changing him back into his true male form. As he did so, he noticed that his arms were shaking uncontrollably. " Damn I'm cold, " he muttered. Looking at the hot water that was filling the furo, he hoped the girl wouldn't mind if she woke and submerged his arms in the water, gritting his teeth at the pain it caused him.
As his arms began to warm up, Ranma took his first good look at the girl. Her clothes were dirty and torn, bloodstains covering a good portion of them. Her shirt seemed to be more like ribbons then actual clothing, and as the hot water began to cover the girl's body, he could see her skirt begin to soften as the ice melted away. Thankful that the girl's body wasn't sliding down and bringing her head under the water, Ranma pulled his arms out and turned the water off.
Turning his body and leaning back against the wall, Ranma closed his eyes and wondered just what he was going to do now. Leaving the furo was the smart thing to do, for him, anyway. If the Tendo's came home and saw him here with a girl in the tub, it'd be hell to explain the situation before Akane malleted him, his dad accused him of dishonoring the family, and Soun became a human fountain again. Given the shape the girl was in, though, made it a bad move for him to leave. If she had problems he wouldn't be around to help her.
" Kami, " Ranma whispered, " why does this happen to me? "
Opening his eyes, Ranma turned his attention back to the girl. " Damn, who'd hurt a kid like that? " Looking a bit more, Ranma asked himself, " Just why is the water red? " He pondered that for a moment before shooting to his feet. " Damn, she's bleeding! "
Reaching into the tub, Ranma quickly pulled the girl out and laid her out on the floor. Looking at the girl, he grimaced as the only wounds he could see went back under the shredded remains of the girl's clothes. A feeling of dread filled Ranma as his slightly shaking hands grabbed the girl's shirt and quickly pulled the remains apart exposing the girl. The sight that greeted him caused a deep rage to fill him.
The girl's chest was covered in a mass of welts, poorly healed scars, bruises, and fresh cuts that were bleeding. Her stomach had a few faint bruises and a thin cut running up from the remains of the girl's skirt. Fighting away the anger, Ranma grabbed a nearby towel and pressed it as hard as he dared against the girl's open wounds. " Damn, this isn't going to work, " Ranma muttered to himself.
Gathering his legs under him, Ranma shifted his body so that he was facing the door. Kasumi's first aid kit was just through the doorway and on the right; he wanted to get it and get back as fast as he possibly could. Dashing out of the furo room and into the changing room, Ranma's left hand reached out and grabbed the doorframe, halting his motion while his right hand snapped out grabbing the first aid kit from its resting place. His left arm then pulled taut, almost hurling him back to where the girl lay on the floor.
Dropping and sliding the last few feet on his knees, Ranma tore the lid off the kit, his hands deftly removing the all too familiar contents. The disinfectant came first, a clear liquid in a brown bottle that hurt like hell when used. Grabbing some cotton balls, Ranma opened the bottle and soaked them in the disinfectant before putting the bottle aside.
Removing the towels, Ranma slowly began to clean the various wounds, stopping after each individual cut so that he could apply bandages to them. He was thankful that the girl wasn't awake to feel what was most probably a lot of pain. He was also relieved that she wasn't awake to call him a pervert and hit him with a table. As he finished cleaning the girl up, he grimaced, sure that Akane would get around to that later. Looking at the bloody mess he'd made of the bathroom, he turned gave his attention to the girl's face, trying his best to ignore her nude state. The sound of chattering teeth slowly filled the room as the girl continued to freeze.
Sliding over a few feet to the furo, Ranma yanked out the plug and allowed the bloodied water to begin to drain. Turning back to the girl, he could see her visibly start to shiver. Not really thinking, Ranma finally tore off his winter coat, which was stained in places by the girl's blood, and then removed the clean white shirt he had been wearing underneath. As quick and as gentle as he could, Ranma dressed the girl in his shirt, immensely glad that it was long enough to almost reach the girl's knees. Continuously seeing the girl almost naked had been putting an extreme strain on his mental state to keep him from fainting. Glancing back at the furo and seeing it finally empty, Ranma re-plugged it, and turned the water back on to begin filling it once more with the hot liquid.
Moving back to the girl, Ranma gently picked her up and placed her back into the filling furo, hoping that the warm water would help her. Sitting down on the edge of the furo, Ranma watched as the water slowly filled up, his mostly fried mind taking these few moments to blank out and cease functioning. As he watched the water rise up to the girl's chin, Ranma reached out and turned it off, keeping an eye open for the water to change color again showing that the girl was still bleeding somewhere.
Turning his attention back to the girl's face, Ranma blinked as he saw the water was now up to her lips. Turning to look at the faucet he saw it was still turned off. Thinking for a few moments, he turned to see the water had now moved up to the girl's nose. Even as it hit him like a ton of bricks, Ranma practically dove for the girl to keep her from sliding under. Not really sure what else to do, Ranma wrapped an arm around the girl and under her far arm to help keep her head above the water so she could breathe.
Sitting with his back against the wall, a tired sigh was released from Ranma's lips as he wondered just how much longer this day could get for him. A rumble from his stomach reminded Ranma that he hadn't gotten a chance to eat since breakfast. Turning his attention to the girl, Ranma wondered when the last time was that she had eaten. The haunted expression which she wore when he had found her still covered her unconscious face, and the beating it had been clear she'd taken didn't seem like it'd have allowed her to keep what she might have eaten before it happened in her. The poor girl's stomach, when he had been able to see it, seemed to be one large bruise.
Shaking his head in disgust, Ranma looked at the girl again, and was taken by surprise to see her eyes blinking open. A low moan of pain came from the girl's throat as Ranma continued to hold her and his mind wandered what to do. Ever so slowly as though time thought to stop drifting forward, her soft violet eyes came into focus, and her head tilted slightly so she could see Ranma.
Then she screamed. The girl's voice was rough and hoarse, but it still had the effect of Ranma throwing himself away from the girl, his hands coming up and waving franticly. " Calm down, calm down! I ain't gonna hurt ya!"
The screaming went on for only a short time longer, and Ranma was unsure whether it was his words that did it, or if it just hurt the girl too much to scream. He remained on the far side of the room where the girl could see him and where he hopefully didn't seem threatening. After a bit of time of silence, Ranma finally dared to speak. " I found ya in an alley earlier. Doc Tofu is outta town or I'd have taken you there. Sorry about this. " He paused for a second before continuing, " I'm Ranma. "
The girl finally turned her head away from him, and he could tell she was struggling with something. Something quiet came from between her slightly moving lips, but he couldn't hear what she had said. He remained quiet, wondering what it was when her lips moved again, her soft voice barely reaching his ears.
" I'm...I am...I'm...Hotaru. "
A silence once again grew between the two as both were at a loss as to what to say. Ranma struggled in his own mind to find something that wouldn't sound horrid at that moment when Hotaru spoke to him again. " Thank you. For saving me, I mean. "
" Umm...you're welcome. " As the girl looked to him once more, Ranma knew he had to say something. " I, uh, I'm sorry about the shirt. Yours was...umm... " Ranma's glanced to the blood soaked clothes and towel, and suddenly a blush grew on his face as his mind chose that moment to recall he'd seen Hotaru naked...that he'd touched her...and dressed her...he was starting to think his head would explode from all the blood rushing to it.
For her own part, Hotaru looked to where Ranma had glanced and realized just what the bloody rags were. It then hit her just as fast that she was out of them and why Ranma was blushing so bad. Just as quickly a blush of her own formed, as deep red as a freshly picked apple. " You... " her voice was again a whisper, and her blush deepened more as she saw Ranma had moved somewhat closer to her so he could hear her.
" Yeah, " Ranma's voice was tight and he nodded slightly, trying to banish the images from his mind. Damn, but this was worse than that time he'd seen Akane naked. " You were bleeding and stuff. I couldn't let ya die, ya know? Plus, with my luck, no one else was home."
There was another silence between them before Hotaru's voice quietly filled up the room. " Thank-you. "
" Uh...yeah. " Ranma nodded and again shifted a bit closer to the girl, his ears starting to tire from the strain of hearing her speak. " So, uh, what happened to ya? Gah, I'm sorry, I don't wanna pry or nothin'. "
Before Hotaru could respond, however, the cry of another female filled the furo. " RANMA! HOW DARE YOU! "
Ranma spun around, still sitting on the ground, to see an insanely angry Akane staring at him. His hands immediately came up in a warding gesture as he stumbled over the words he tried to speak. "A..Akane...it ain't what it looks like! Listen to me, it ain't like it seems... "
" Ranma...how dare you cheat on me in my own house! Aren't those other floozies enough for you! " In her anger, Akane had torn a shelf out of the wall and was holding it over her head in preparation to smite Ranma as she stalked forward. Her advance and anger were both halted when the girl behind Ranma screamed, her entire features moving to terror.
" NO! Don't hurt me like mommy! I'll be a good girl, DON'T HURT ME LIKE MOMMY! PLEASE! "
Akane stared at the scene, the shelf falling limply from her hands and landing on the floor behind her. She could see the terrified look on Ranma's face as he suddenly started waving his hands at her to back up.
With her anger gone, Akane could finally see the bloody clothes and towel in the corner. She nodded to Ranma and slowly backed out of the room as the crying continued until she was in the hallway and shut the door.
With a sigh of relief, Ranma turned to the crying girl and promptly freaked out again. " Gah! Don't do that! Hey, Hotaru, don't cry, no one's gonna hurt ya. " Moving the rest of the way to the furo, Ranma reached out and put a hand on the girl's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. He wasn't really prepared when the girl threw herself at him, burying her head into his bare chest.
Ranma remained on his knees stiff and unsure what to do. Finally, slowly, he wrapped his arms around the trembling girl. Quietly he began speaking softly to the girl, not really paying attention to what words he was saying as they flowed from his lips. As Hotaru trembled in his arms he just kept holding her and doing his best to make his voice sound soothing.
When the trembling finally stopped, Ranma pulled himself back from Hotaru a bit so he could see her tear stained face. Seeing that the tears had finally stopped flowing Ranma spoke softly and with purpose for once. " You gonna be okay alone for a bit? I gotta go talk to Pop and the Tendo's. " Seeing the girl slowly nod, Ranma fully let her go and stood up. " I'll be back soon, and get ya some dry clothes to wear. Just wait here, okay? " Seeing Hotaru nod again, Ranma turned and slowly walked out of the furo and changing room and into the hall.
Looking around, Ranma had somewhat hoped Akane had waited here for him, but with no one in sight he turned for the stairs, only to pause and dash into his room to throw on a shirt. Leaving his room, Ranma made for the stairs and slowly walked down them and into the Tendo's living room.
"Boy! What's this about you with a strange girl in the furo! " Genma asks in his usual moronic manner.
Turning to face his overweight and bald father, Ranma rolled his eyes. " Don't go thinkin' nothing dumb, Pops. I found her freezing to death near school. Since the Doc's outta town, I had to bring her here. "
" Saving a girl from the cold, how manly of you, Ranma! " Nodoka Saotome says in her usual "my son is so manly " tone of voice.
Turning around, Ranma faced his mother, swallowing slightly as some bad memories came forward, but they were quickly crushed. " Hey mom, what're you doing here? "
" You were supposed to join us for dinner, and didn't. I wanted to see my son. Is that so wrong? " A slight edge entered Nodoka's voice.
" No, no, not at all, Mom. I love seeing you! "
" So, Ranma," came a voice to his side now. Ranma turned so he could see Nabiki as she spoke. The middle Tendo sister ran a hand through her page cut brown hair as she spoke. "Akane said there was a pile of bloody clothes. What happened to the girl? "
With a sigh Ranma shook his head. " I don't really know. Akane jumped in just as I started to ask Hotaru. That's the girl's name. " A sick look came to Ranma's face. " From her crying though, I think her mother did it to her. "
A gasp caused Ranma to turn and look at the oldest Tendo daughter, Kasumi. Her face being framed by her long brown hair held a slightly pained look. " Kasumi, could you go help Hotaru? " Ranma asked. " You're so nice, you're probably the best for it. " Turning to face his fiancée, Ranma spoke to Akane, " Could you find some clothes for her? She's somewhat shorter then you are. " Both of the sisters nodded and headed up the stairs.
Finally feeling relief over the entire situation, Ranma almost collapsed, when Nabiki grabbed Ranma by the arm and started pulling him to the kitchen. " I need to talk to you Ranma. Now. "
" What, hey, Nabiki, let go! I know how to walk, and I ain't like Ryoga and gonna get lost. "
Ignoring the protest, Nabiki pulled Ranma into the kitchen and toward the back of the room to keep them out of the way of eavesdroppers. " Ranma, be quiet and listen. "
With a frustrated sigh, Ranma looked at Nabiki. " What? "
" It's good that you helped the girl and all, but this could be bad. " Nabiki raised a hand to stop Ranma's protests. " If this girl's mother... "
" Hotaru. "
" Fine. " Nabiki's voice gained some frustration. " If Hotaru's mother really did this to her, she could go to the cops and claim you kidnapped her. There are a number of drugs out there that effect short term memory and it probably wouldn't be very hard for a decent lawyer to convince people that you're the one who did this. "
" Nabiki, that's insane! " Ranma was completely shocked and a bit disturbed by the suggestion.
" I know Ranma, but it could happen. It's best you convince this girl, " seeing Ranma's face darken slightly, Nabiki changed it, " Hotaru to go to the police first. This isn't some martial arts fight you can win with your fists, it's serious. "
As Nabiki's point broke through, Ranma's shoulders slumped. " I know, I know. I'll do what I can, okay? "
" Alright. " Then Nabiki's face changed once more, and Ranma was surprise to see some concern form on it. " Are you okay? You've been acting strange. "
" What do ya mean strange? "
" Don't get offended. " Nabiki's voice took on an almost calming quality that took Ranma back yet again. Hearing such a voice from the 'Ice Queen' was certainly different. " Your eyes are almost...frightening. "
That caused Ranma to stop and examine himself for a moment. Finally, he shook his head. " No, I'm not alright. You didn't see Hotaru, Nabiki. I had to bandage all of her cuts, and there were a lot. I didn't even look that bad after the Neko-ken training. I want to find whoever did this and hurt them, a lot. "
" Just don't lose control here, okay? We can't afford the repairs. " Nabiki says with a smirk, knowing how Ranma dealt with his anger.
" I won't. We got school tomorrow. I'll beat up on Kuno, and get some of this out of me. " Ranma shook his head and gave a tired sigh. " It's early, but I'm beat. I'm gonna check on Hotaru and then go to bed. Night Nabiki. "
" Sleep well, Saotome. "
As Ranma left the room, Nabiki stared at his back. She couldn't recall Ranma being so defensive of anyone other than Akane. She wondered if the girl...Hotaru was really in as bad a shape as Ranma said.
Reaching the top of the stairs, Ranma blinked as he saw Akane and Kasumi standing in the hall, both of them ashen faced. " What's wrong? "
Kasumi's lips moved without saying anything, but Akane replied, " We can't go in there. If either of us does, she starts screaming and crying again. " Akane was clearly shaken by the experience. She thrust out the clothes she held to Ranma. " Here, you give them to her. " Akane's shaken gaze turned to slight anger for a moment. " You've already seen her naked, right? "
Ranma's hands came up defensively. " Hey, she was bleeding to death, Akane. I had to do something! "
The tired sigh that came from Akane surprised Ranma. " I know, I saw the clothes. I...guess I don't blame you. " After slowly depositing the clothes into Ranma's hands, Akane turned and walked almost zombie like down the hall. " I'm going to my room. "
Ranma watched as Akane left, with Kasumi silently heading to her own room after her. In somewhat of a shock as well, Ranma opened the furo door and walked in. He immediately saw Hotaru through the next door and still in the furo. As he took the steps needed to take him through the changing room, he saw that she was slightly crying again. Walking over to her, he bent down and again after tossing the clean clothes aside, he wrapped his arms around her.
Hotaru latched onto Ranma for a few moments, crying out her tears before speaking in a harsh whisper. " I'm sorry. They came in and...and...I saw mommy's face, and I was scared...I'm sorry. "
" It's okay, Hotaru, they'll understand. " Ranma kept his voice soft as he spoke. " They'll understand, Hotaru. "
" They...they won't be angry, will they? "
Ranma shook his head. " They're not angry at all, Hotaru. A bit sad, but not angry. They'll be over it by morning. " At least, Ranma hoped they would be. He wasn't really sure what to do with either of them. " Are you hungry? " he asked, instead.
" No...but I'm sleepy. "
Ranma nodded his head, and slowly helped Hotaru up and out of the furo. " I've got ya some clean clothes. After ya get changed I'll help ya to me and Pop's room. You can sleep with us in there tonight. We're both highly trained martial artists, so you'll be completely safe, I promise. "
After Hotaru's nod, Ranma pointed her to the clean clothes and turned his back so she could change in some privacy. He was sure this would be a long night for her and quite possibly himself as well, but he wanted her to feel safe.
Chapter Two
At the Time Gates, Setsuna Meiou, otherwise known as Sailor Pluto, allowed a sad smile to appear momentarily. 'At last,' she thought 'you have escaped from that hell. I wish I could have stopped it, Hotaru. I wish I could have helped you, but I couldn't interfere until you met Ranma. I just hope you forgive me.' She set her plans of vengeance in motion, not noticing the tears silently falling from her eyes.
-Break-
As Hotaru got dressed, Ranma debated on whether or not he should reveal his curse. He was worried that if he did, the trust that he'd built with Hotaru would be broken by fear. On the other hand, his curse had always revealed itself at the worst possible time, and if he didn't do something she might be more scared of him when it did.
His mental argument was stopped by Hotaru nervously tapping him on the shoulder, letting out a small yawn. " Hotaru, " he began, " I need to show you something, and I really hope that you won't be scared of me. Before I do, I need to know, do you believe in magic? "
She nodded, not sure what Ranma was getting at. Ranma let out a little sigh of relief. " Okay, " he said " thanks to my Pop's stupidity, I've got a magical curse. Whenever I get hit with cold water, I change into a girl until I get hit with hot water…"
-Break-
The five Inner Senshi were startled by their communicators chiming. Checking to make sure they were alone, they opened the link only to let out gasps of shock. Sailor Pluto, someone they'd never so much as seen frown, was crying. Usagi was the first to speak, " Pluto, are you okay? "
" No, Princess, but I will be. " Pluto gave a sniff, before she continued. " I called to tell you all something very important. Uranus and Neptune are traitors to the ideals of Love and Justice. "
Anything else she said was drowned out by identical shouts of , " WHAT? "
The clamoring voices were stopped as Usagi drew on her Princess persona, and asked, " Sailor Pluto, what are they accused of? "
Her reply was short, " Abuse. "
Usagi's face hardened. She asked, in an icy tone, " Why did you not say anything? "
" I had no choice, Highness. Had events not occurred exactly as they did, the consequences would have been dire. I can say no more until the trial begins. "
Usagi sighed and relaxed a little. " Very well. What do you need us to do? "
" Princess, I need you to bind the powers of Uranus and Neptune, until their trial is concluded. Mercury, I need you to take Dr. Mizuno to the Tendo Dojo in Nerima, and be sure to leave early, as you need to catch them before school. I'll come over and tell you what she needs to do there. Everyone, I call for the trial of Sailors Uranus and Neptune to begin at 6 pm, the day after tomorrow. "
Five grim Inner Senshi nodded, and closed the connection. Luna turned to Usagi and said, " Usagi, who do you think they hurt? "
" I sincerely and truly hope I'm wrong, Luna, but I think it was Hotaru. I can't imagine what Pluto is going through, watching it all and not allowed to stop it from happening... Now, do you have any idea how I bind the powers of the Senshi? " Usagi asks the advisor cats.
Artemis sighs at this, " It has been a long time since we have had any need for the binding of senshi powers, I'm not sure if I remember how, do you, Luna? "
" Unfortunately the queen didn't need to do so, Ami, check the Mercury Data Computer, the information should be there, Usagi will need to look over what it says and go over it several times. I do hope Pluto has some good candidates in mind for taking over the positions of Uranus and Neptune. " Luna states.
" I would like to call in the Starlights, we will need help to subdue them and then guard them, the Starlights can do that, and maybe call in Galaxia as well. " Usagi says.
" I will call for them immediately, Usagi. " Luna says and races off.
" Rei, I would like you to check and see if Hotaru is all right where she is and see if there are any new threats we needed to be worried about, looming on the horizon, now that we have this trouble within our ranks. " Usagi states.
Rei Hino nods at this, it was a wise decision, some evil blowhard could try to take advantage of this for their own personal gain, " Mina, I need you to find a male psychiatrist for Hotaru, one that is above reproach and can know of our other life, Hotaru will be leery around females now, and we should probably see if Chibi-Usa can come back, having her best friend around would probably help. "
Minako Aino nods at her assignment and Usagi turns to Makoto, " Mako-chan, I need you to do the most important job of all, stake out Haruka and Michiru-san's place, we can't let them leave and we can't be caught flat footed, I'll have Mamo-chan help you. " Usagi says.
Makoto nods and cracks her knuckles, she'd love another shot at Haruka anyhow. Those two had always thought they were above reproach, though Pluto would most likely go kick their asses herself for what they must have done to Hotaru, because only that could get her that upset. She only hoped Hotaru was safe wherever she was and that whoever had taken her in could handle fighting two Sailor Senshi if necessary. Makoto immediately heads off, knowing there was absolutely no time to waste. Abusers were the worst kind of scum out there and the fact that two of their own were in fact abusers was incomprehensible.
Usagi walks off and heads straight for Mamoru Chiba, " Mamo-chan, I need you to help Mako-chan stake out Haruka and Michiru-san's place, Sailor Pluto has accused them of abuse and I don't want them skipping out or hunting down Hotaru wherever she is now. "
Mamoru blinks at this, Serenity was out in full force, " Understood, Usa-ko, is there anything else? "
" Yes, their trial begins at six in the evening the day after tomorrow, now, I need to go meet up with Ami-chan, as I need to learn how to bind their powers. If they try to flee, stop them by any means short of death. " Usagi says and races off.
Mamoru ducks into an alley, dons his Tuxedo Mask guise and races off across the rooftops, catching up with Sailor Jupiter. He headed off to cover the rear of the house while Jupiter staked out the front. They couldn't let them sneak out, and from the muffled shouts coming from inside they both knew they were still there.
" That ungrateful little bitch. How dare she try and leave! " Michiru Kaioh shouts out, she was seething. Her toy had, had the nerve to escape, and there was no telling where she was now, how far she had gotten, and only Mercury could track her through her Sailor communicator.
" How dare you molest my child! " a very unwelcome voice roars out.
The teal haired Michiru and the dusty blonde Haruka Tenou both blanch at this voice, Sailor Pluto, Setsuna Meioh, was well and truly pissed off, " You bitches are going to trial for this, I've called for it and you will not get past me to my daughter, now that she's gone I can kick your skanky asses for your crimes! Queen serenity would be appalled at your disgusting actions towards a child! "
" Koneko doesn't know how to bind our powers, and like hell we're going down without a fight, right, Michi, darling? "
" You're right, koi. Neptune Planet Power! "
" Uranus Planet Power! "
Pluto blasts them outside where Sailor Jupiter and Prince Endymion join her, apparently the prince felt his authority needed to be felt, his eyes were hard as diamonds, and glittered with fury. Jupiter was sparking as she tore into Uranus. Pluto wouldn't have acted so soon, but she could not and would not allow them to find Hotaru, and it looked like she would be calling in a favor from Kuh Lon, otherwise known as Cologne.
Hotaru stares at Ranma, " Have you ever heard of the Sailor Senshi, Ranma? "
" Yeah, I have, why? " Ranma asks.
" Because you remind me of the Starlights, they were male in civilian form and female in senshi form. You see, I am Sailor Saturn, sailor senshi of death, rebirth, and destruction. My father made a deal with a demon and brought me back to life, after a lab accident, my body housing another entity known as Mistress Nine, my father died during that and I was taken in, adopted by Sailor Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, as, in order to stop the demon my dad made the deal with I sacrificed myself, but being death I came back as a baby and grew at an exceptionally fast rate. Pluto-mama never hurt me, Haruka-papa turned a blind eye while Michiru-mama had her 'fun'. " Hotaru answers.
" Do the other scouts know about this? " Ranma asks Hotaru.
" I don't know and I was too scared to find out. " Hotaru says and yawns again.
" We'll talk more after you've rested some, okay, Hotaru. " Ranma says, getting her settled down and he heads back to the bathroom to change back to his birth form and then ducks back into his room, opting to meditate all night, so as to be able to protect Hotaru better, he really didn't want to deal with magical girls, but to protect Hotaru he would. Though he couldn't imagine sailor Moon condoning something like this if she knew. No, sailor Moon couldn't know, but he also understood Hotaru's fear that everyone was against her, and her fear of older females. No way in hell would he leave her with his Pops, his mom would outright terrify her, the best bet was to leave her with Doc Tofu, but Doc Tofu was still out of town.
Plus, there was the problem of Happosai, after what he suspected Hotaru had been through he didn't want her suffering from any more sexual abuse. More like sexual harassment in Happosai's case. Hotaru would have to be around men for a while, until she learned that not all women were like her adopted parents. Kasumi would go a long way in helping towards that goal and the Old Ghoul, along with Shampoo would be highly pissed to find out about this, they'd help to protect Hotaru as well.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Ranma 1/2.