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She stood, her henshin stick held up in her
slender hand. She wanted, more then anything, to break down and weep.
They had come so far, yet they were defeated by a mortal within their own
home. Setsuna looked at Michiru and Haruka, and her own sadness seemed
infantile.
Michiru was curled up on the floor, and Setsuna
cursed Tendo Ranma for the millionth time. If he had planned to torture
the Outer Senshi, he certainly couldn't have thought of a better plan.
It would have been kinder to rip out their heart crystals and stomp on
them.
"Michiru," Haruka said softly, breaking the
silence that had been hanging tensely in the air between them.
Michiru said nothing, but shifted her dead
eyes towards her soul mate.
"I wish I could hold you, beloved," the Uranus
Senshi said wistfully. "Damn Tendo Ranma," she finished, voicing
Setsuna's thoughts.
"He's already damned us," Michiru replied
bitterly. "How could he kill a child, let alone his sister?"
she whispered.
"He's sold his soul to darkness," Haruka said
matter-of-factly. "We were blaming Mistress Nine and Saturn Knight
for warping Hotaru-chan, but perhaps the corruption began younger... who
else could have taught her the Dragon Slave?"
"Let's not speak of the bastard," Michiru
said, her unusual use of profanity showing how far she had fallen since
her daughter had died.
"Hai," Haruka replied.
" But we should have thought of this earlier,"
Setsuna said, finally joining in the conversation. Anything
to avoid thinking about how uncomfortable she was from holding the
same position for five hours. Her mind began to click into motion,
using the wisdom she had acquired over centuries to come to an unsettling
conclusion. "We never learned who Saturn Knight was... could it be
possible that Saturn Knight was really Tendo Ranma?" she asked.
The other two Outers' jaws dropped.
"It would fit," Haruka murmured. "After all, Hotaru never said she
and Ranma were brother and sisters... what better way for Saturn Knight
to watch over his beloved then to pretend to be her relative? At
least until she matured."
"But Saturn Knight died battling Mistress
Nine!" Michiru protested, finally showing a little bit of life.
"Are we sure? Haven't you learned not
to take anything at face value yet?" Haruka retorted, fire in her eyes.
"Please, Haruka," Michiru begged, "I don't
want to die with you angry at me. Let's assume that Saturn
Knight was really Tendo Ranma. Why would he... kill Hotaru-chan?"
she managed to get out, only choking up once.
"Saturn Knight was psychotic," Setsuna reminded
her comrades-at-arms. "Perhaps finding Hotaru-chan being raised
by a decent family made him jealous. Perhaps he thought that if he
couldn't have Sailor Saturn, no one could."
A single tear fell to the floor, and Michiru
looked at Haruka. "Don't cry, Haruka," she said.
"We'll be with Hotaru-chan soon," she promised.
The toughest of the Senshi looked at her beloved.
"I know. I want to go there, so I cry because I'm weak.
We're abandoning the Princess. Can we really leave her?"
"We don't have a choice in the matter- Ranma
designed his trap very well indeed," Michiru said. Then the traces
of life that had animated her for a those few moments fled.
"I love you, Haruka," she said.
"I love you, too, my Michiru," Haruka replied
solemnly.
In her entire existence, Setsuna had never
truly hated anyone more then she'd hated Tendo Ranma at that moment.
Killing them would be a horrible crime, but to torment Haruka and Michiru
so was the worst anyone could do. First he killed a poor, defensively
child, then he separated them to die a horrible death without being able
to comfort each other. The human touch was a wonderful thing,
and to be deny it was to spit in the face of everything humanity stood
for.
Then the door swung inwards, and they all
waited with baited breath- could it be help? Hotaru walked in, and they
reacted, their urge to protect their child outweighing their joy.
"No! Hotaru! Run!"
"Quick, get away from here as fast as you
can!"
"Don't worry about us! You have to save yourself!"