Hello everyone *waives excitedly* It's me again with another Hotaru
oneshot.

Disclaimer: No copyrighted material belongs to me and if you sue,
all you'll get is a pile of partially destroyed manga and a Gundam
Wing artbook

'Castle in a Cloud' is from the Broadway show 'Les Miserables'


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~*Castle in a Cloud*~

Hotaru walked into her classroom on the sixth floor.

Cold, tired, alone.

They threw rocks at me today; why???, she thought bitterly, salty tears
running down her cheeks.

Mentally and physically exhausted, Hotaru rested her head on her desk.

I'll just rest my eyes for a moment. No one will notice...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

//There is a castle on a cloud;
I like to go there in my sleep.//

She felt herself floating. Rising through the clouds and onto the moon.
The ground was made of cotton candy, soft and sugary sweet. She plucked
off a piece and took a bite. It was good. The palace at the end of the
field was made of rock candy that looked like marble. Giving off a
surreal friendliness, it invited her closer. She accepted it, and
made haste towards the castle on a cloud of sprinkles.

//Isn't any silence for me to keep//

The closer she got, the smaller she became, 'til she was an
eight-year-old little girl again. It seemed that the fantastical
beasts liked to rest under the lollipop trees and eat the rose bushes.
It didn't make quite make any sense to her, but then again, a palace
made if rock candy didn't either. She turned around to watch a group
of chocolate bunnies running past her feet. She laughed and tried to
pet one, but it began to melt under her fingertips and ran even faster.
Then from the shadows of one of the purple and green candy-cane bushes
came a black winged unicorn. It nibbled on her ear. She giggled and
jumped on its back.

"Lets go to the castle," she said hugging its fuzzy neck.

The unicorn began to gallop.

"Faster!!!" she cried, and the unicorn spread its gossamer butterfly
wings and began to fly towards the magical candy palace.

//Not in my castle in a cloud//

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The unicorn stopped at the door while Hotaru tried to figure out what
was going on inside the pretty castle. She heard laughter and singing,
so she too wanted to join in on the fun. She pulled and tugged on the
ornate heart-shaped handle, but the door wouldn't budge.

//There is a room that's full of toys;
There are a hundered boys and girls.//

The unicorn tapped the big double-doors of the castle with its
shimmering rainbow horn. It slowly creaked open to reveal a softly lit
room filled with stuffed animals and a throne in the center. It looked
very familiar, but it seemed less menacing this time around.

Inside there were children, all young and kawaii and happy, with happy
grins on their faces they said "Hi 'Taru-chan!!!"

A young boy with a giant braid and sparkling amyethyst eyes ran up and
grabbed her by the arm.

"Come on, the queen wants to see you."

//Nobody shouts or talks too loud//

The braided boy yanked her off the pegasus and dragged and bounced with
her towards the other side of the room. No one srceamed "Hi freak!!" or
"Ewwww... it's that scary girl." They all just smiled or waived as she
skipped with the braided boy

//Not in my castle in a cloud//

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The boy dragged her to giant double doors with gold crecent moon handles.
Pulling them open, he dragged her inside.

//There is a lady all in white;
She holds me and tells me its alright.
She's nice to see and soft to touch,//

The queen sat in a satin silver chair in a white silken gown. Her long hair,
the same color as her dress, was done up in odango. The gold crecent moon
on her bow matched the one on her brow. Her eyes were delicatly closed while
she radiated peace and contentment. The braided boy grined, waived good-bye
and slammed the door behind him. The queen's sapphire eyes snapped open as
she approached Hotaru. The gentle queen wrapped her arms around the frail
girl.

"I'm sorry little Saturn," she whispered, "Fate is so cruel. You don't
deserve a life of sadness and despair, I *was* the one who called on you,
after all"

//She says, Hotaru-chan, I love you very much//

She looked Hotaru in the eyes and said, "It'll turn out for the best. I
love you and so will the other senshi. You'll see..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

//I know a place where no one's lost//

She felt so comfortable and safe in the queen's arms. This was home,
this was what it's like to be loved againafter so long. Her arms were
so warm; when was the last time she had felt such kindness?

//I know a place where no one cries//

Her eyes began to water with happiness and a lone perfect teardrop
rolled down her cheek.

//Crying at all is not aloud//

"Goodbye..." whispered the queen.

Hotaru felt herself falling, away from the moon, back through the clouds; while growing up all the while.

//Not in my castle in a cloud//

She woke up as the bell rang, a tear of happines dripping down her cheek

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Next chapter is just lyrics, so go and review!! The box-thingy's there
for a reason ^_~