A/N: Since I loved Sailor Moon very much as a child, I watched it again recently, reread the Manga and found myself drawn into the story again. And rewatching it, this little idea came into my mind. I hope very much that no one gets offended or upset by it since it involves character death. It's quite Michiru-centered and will not be too long I guess, maybe two more chapters. Also, I am not a native English speaker, so there will probably be a couple of mistakes.

I would be very happy to get some feedback, in particular constructive criticism is very welcome :)

Disclaimer: Obviously, Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi etc.

„A shooting star!"

„What did you wish for?"

„That's a secret. And you, Setsuna?"

"It's a secret."

"That's not fair!"

(…)

"And what did you two wish for?"

"There is nothing we wish for, this is our happiest moment, isn't it, Haruka?"

"It is."

~o~o~

Maybe she should have wished for everything to stay as it was, Michiru thought three months later, as she looked down onto the hospital bed in which Hotaru lay.

The girl's face was pale and haggard, the lips chapped and cracked open. She looked as though she had been ill for months, even though it had only been a little over a week since the child had been sent home from school with a light fever. That's when it had started. At first they had thought it was a mere cold and had put Hotaru in bed, but it had worsened day by day. And now…

She forced herself to look away from the many needles and tubes which stuck in Hotaru's frail little body and felt her stomach clench painfully.

Nobody knew what ailed the girl. The doctors were not able to find anything. And even Ami and Mamoru who had finished his medical studies by now couldn't find any cause for the illness, even though they spent every minute researching and hardly got any sleep.

They were lucky to have been admitted at all into the hospital room, Setsuna, Haruka and her, as they were no relatives. In order to finally be allowed to stay, they had had to appeal to Ami's mother for help.

A few steps away Setsuna and Haruka were discussing silently whether they should fetch Hotaru's father so he could see his daughter for what might be the last time. But how were they supposed to explain to the man that the fatally ill twelve-year old girl was the same child as his one-year old daughter whom Setsuna had fetched last year? He had lost all his memories after all...

A small knock caused her to look up. At the window which connected the hospital room with the corridor, Usagi, Mamoru, Ami, Rei, Minako and Makoto were standing.

Usagi's eyes were brimming with tears as she looked at Hotaru, tears which Michiru hadn't allowed herself to cry yet, even though her composure wasn't far from crumbling down. Usagi had appealed several times to her Senshi to allow her to heal Hotaru with the Silver Crystal, but they could not allow their princess to risk her life however much they wished for Hotaru to get well again.

Michiru quickly glanced over at Ami and Mamoru, but both shook their heads dejectedly. No news then. Not that she had expected it. Her mirror showed her nothing but death and Rei's defeated face betrayed that she saw the same in the fire.

Soon a doctor appeared and talked to the group, shaking her head several times. Probably she told them that they couldn't enter the room – as so many times before. The doctors didn't want to take any chances. Even though there was no indication of the illness being contagious, they didn't admit any visitors expect for the girl's three guardians who refused to leave the room anyways.

At last the girls and Mamoru left dejectedly. Ami held her little computer up as she caught Michiru's eyes and tried to smile encouragingly, failing miserably.

~o~o~

Dusk fell and bathed the room in calm twilight. Michiru started, as suddenly a fluorescent lamp flickered and a doctor entered the room. She shuddered and folded her arms to warm herself a little.

Haruka, who had been leaning against the wall, straightened up and came towards the bed, where she took her place behind the chair in which Michiru was sitting. She leaned back slightly when she felt Haruka's hand on her shoulder, seeking comfort in the touch.

"I'm afraid I don't have good news for you", the doctor said and sighed, as she finished examining their adoptive daughter. "Her condition keeps worsening by the hour. I am very sorry, but I don't think she will live to see the morning."

Haruka's fingers dug painfully into her shoulder. "Is there nothing you can do?" she asked and Michru could hear how much she strained to keep her voice calm.

Haruka was probably the only one of them who still truly believed that Hotaru might be saved. Michiru was unable to ignore what the sea and her mirror relayed to her and Setsuna neither appeared surprised at the doctor's words. If the wind told Haruka the same, she fiercely ignored it.

The doctor shook her head. "I don't understand what's happening…I never experienced something like that with a child. It's as though her body has resigned fighting...as though she wanted to leave this world…"

Unconsciously Michiru wrapped her arms around herself more tightly. Wanted to leave? Why should Hotaru want to leave them? Was it her fault? Had it hurt Hotaru more than she had admitted that Haruka and her had pretended to turn against them, to turn against their very own family and took their star seeds?

The door clunked shut as the doctor left the room again. She realized that the warmth of Haruka's hand was missing now and she did not need to raise her head to know that Haruka had taken up her post at the wall again.

„Michiru-mama? Haruka-papa? Setsuna-mama?" All three started, as they heard the small voice.

Hotaru was faintly smiling up at them. The shades under her sunken eyes were even more pronounced under her violet irises and Michiru moved her chair closer to take the pale hand into hers. Setsuna sat down at the edge of her bed and Haruka stepped close to the bed as well, squatting down.

„Hotaru…" Michiru didn't know who of them had spoken; maybe it was all three of them.

The girl looked for a moment into their tired, sad faces and spoke again, although with notable effort. "Please…please don't be sad, I didn't want to cause you grief. All I did was wish for growing up as a normal girl only once, together with Chibi-Usa…I never thought that…"

A coughing fit shook her body. She closed her eyes for a moment and opened them again with difficulty.

„I am sorry … ." And as she closed her eyes this time, they didn't open again.

The machines attached to her little body went mad and immediately two doctors came rushing into the room, probably alerted by the machines. But they were only able to confirm the girl's death.

~o~o~

Michiru did not remember exactly what happened afterwards. A seemingly endless mass of gray days followed, which she spent either shut into the music room with her violin or on the shore.

There hadn't been a funeral, as Hotaru's body had simply dissolved – to the doctor's horror, but only mild astonishment of the Senshi.

Haruka was similarly affected by grief, even though she didn't shut herself in, but rather drove her car as well as her body to so far unknown speed. When Michiru resurfaced from her own world, she felt that she hadn't been far from mourning a second loss, which would probably have hit her even harder.

Setsuna seemed to be able to handle the loss better – fleetingly Michiru wondered whether she knew more about Hotaru's death than she was allowed to reveal or whether she had accustomed herself in the course of the millennia with the tides of birth and death holding her companions prisoner. Still, she spent suddenly much more time guarding the time portal than necessary – she seemed to barely be able to bear being at home and close to her companions.

Only half a year later, when at least a semblance of normality had returned, she came home more often again.

To be continued.