Hotaru put down her pen and notepad. She knew someone had to tell the other outer senshi what had happened, but it was difficult. How could she tell them that the one they were all born to protect was dead? She made up her mind. It couldn't be put in a letter. She reached for the phone and dialled Haruka's number.

"Hello?" the familiar, cheerful voice of Michiru sent a wave of despair over Hotaru. "Uh...hello?"

"Um...Michiru...it's me," she mumbled.

"Hotaru? What is it? I can tell something's wrong." Michiru's voice sounded concerned, with good reason. Hotaru sighed deeply.

"Oh Michiru. It's been...awful..."

"What is it, Hotaru? Tell me!" Michiru sounded frightened now. "Or let me speak to Usagi."

Hotaru began to sob. Minako reached over and patted her shoulder.

"I can't, Minako...I can't..." Hotaru broke off.

"It's ok," Minako held out her arms to Hotaru as Ami took the phone.

"Michiru? It's Ami..."

"Ami, tell me what's going on!" Michiru cried.

Ami looked at Hotaru, who was leaning on Minako's shoulder. "Um...Michiru, are you sitting down? Are Setsuna and Haruka there?" she asked.

"Is Usagi ok? What's wrong with Hotaru?" Michiru cried.

"Listen, um...no Usagi's not, she's um...." Ami struggled.

"I wish I could have just told her." Hotaru whispered. Minako hugged her.

"Well the good news is the Negaverse is gone for good," Ami said bitterly. "But Usagi...she didn't..."

Michiru drew her own conclusion. "Oh...no…Usagi..."

"What is it Michiru?" Ami could hear Haruka's voice. There was a sound as if the phone had been dropped. "Michiru!" Now it was Setsuna's voice.

"Ami just told me...Usagi...she's..."

There was a click and Ami heard a dial tone. She put the phone down and turned to the two girls sitting on the bed.

"It was so hard...not being there."

Minako reached out and hugged Hotaru and Ami. "We'll get through this," she murmured. "We have to."

"Dinner, everyone!" called Makoto from downstairs. The two older girls reached the door and Ami turned back.

"Hotaru? Are you coming?" she asked.

"Yeah…just give me a second," Hotaru smiled reassuringly, wiping her eyes. "I just want to do something first."

Ami nodded and she and Minako left. Hotaru went to her chest of drawers and opened the second. She took out a small box, which she opened with a key on a chain around her neck, and lifted out a pressed flower. This was the rose that Usagi had left in the drawer for her on the day Hotaru had moved in with the senshi and Mamoru. A tear rolled down her cheek as she put the rose back in the box, which she locked and put back in the drawer. She sighed, and then turned to leave the room. She saw a movement in the corner of her eye, and then crossed the room to close the window and stop the curtains blowing in the wind. As she closed the window she looked down on the street. A girl with blonde odango was walking around the corner! Hotaru raced down the stairs and out the front door, then to the corner. She looked down the street, but there was nobody there.

As she walked dejectedly into the kitchen, she realised they must have wondered what on earth she had been doing, rushing out like that. They looked up as she entered the dining room, which was softly lit by a chandelier. As usual, the two places occupied by Chibi-Usa and Mamoru were empty. Hotaru sighed.

"Where did you go?" Makoto asked the dark-haired girl as she took her seat.

"I thought I saw…it doesn't matter," Hotaru said, looking down at her plate.

She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you ok, Hotaru?" Rei asked. Hotaru smiled sadly at the other girl.

"No, but I will be. We all will be. She wouldn't want us to be so sad all the time."

Hotaru suddenly remembered that on her first night, Makoto had made meatballs.

Makoto looked at her plate. "She'd want us to eat!"