"Burn to ashes!"
The light that she had been reaching out to struck her and a searing pain filled her. She felt herself being ripped apart and helplessly consumed by fire. Falling to the ground she found herself being torn in two, and she descended down into the depths of a fiery inferno while some strange light reached in and saved her.
Nothing happened: not that day or the next. The tension inside the cafe seemed to explode. Neither Clotho nor anything else came for Hotaru, and no monsters appeared to fight. The Unkown Senshi had not made a single appearance since the day Venus had arrived, and everyone hung out by the cafe waiting. Ichigo's determined attitude seemed to be graded away with the passing hours and she seemed to not know what to do with herself. Everyone went about their business carefully, and were always making sure they did not put themselves in situations that would keep them there if Clotho did make her move. At least two other people were with Hotaru at every minute, and at night the Outer Senshi slept in the next room over with one of them always awake. Clotho would not take them by surprise.
Everything depended on this plan, if they failed they may never have another chance at getting into their realm, and in the worse case, Hotaru might be lost to them as well. Ichigo seemed to be with her the most often, and only seemed to leave her side for school and the night. Even then, she went reluctantly.
Usagi had gotten her out of her slump, and into a determined, strong will. Usagi herself spent her days with Chibiusa who was still in a state over Mitsuko. Chibiusa had gone to her house everyday, only to be turned away. Her state of worry seemed to begin to edge into her movement now, and Usagi consirdered calling Momoru home. He hadn't said anything about his powers awakening and he seemed to not know about the strange things that had been occuring in Tokyo, but Usagi wondered if Chibiusa needed him there more than the Earth did.
Chibiusa walked away from the poarch and towards a waiting Usagi, Ichigo, and Hotaru. She had been rejected at the door this time, rather than being let in and stay in the dining room. Usagi bent down worried.
"What is it Chibiusa-chan?" She glance at Mitsuko's window that was now covered by curtains.
"MItsuko's really bad off. She can't tell what is real or fiction anymore. She thrashes around all day, and the doctors don't want anyone but her nurses and mother near her." Chibiusa said with tears in her eyes. "The end is nearing and I can't do anything to support her. Her mother doesn't want me near her because she thinks it may frighten me." Usagi knew that Chibiusa had seen things far worse than whatever was going on in that room, but she thought that perhaps Mitsuko's mother was right in the fact that it would still disturb her.
"Come on, Chibiusa-chan." She lead the girl away and the group walked in silence. The last few days had taken their toll as they had waited for their chance to act.
Hotaru stopped walking suddenly and the three turned to her. She grasped her arm suddenly as if in pain.
"Hotaru-chan?!" Chibiusa grabbed hold of her.
"She's emerging..." Hotaru gasped out. She looked up at Usagi. "This would be their chance." Ichigo began to rotate her head to observe their surroundings. No one was near, she took out her power pendant.
"We should call the others and tell them to offer up their assistance." Usagi nodded and pulled out her communicator.
A giant web shot behind her and she went flying to the ground.
"Usagi!" Chibiusa ran towards her, but Ichigo stopped her.
"She is fine! We have to protect Hotaru! We have to get-" A new web encased her and Ichigo went flying to the ground beside Usagi, and her power pendant slid across the ground in front of her towards the feet of a new arrival.
The power pendant found its way into her hands and the woman picked it up and observed it. The woman looked like Clotho, but she was slightly taller and her hair was a shade of purple darker than hers, and around her head, a yellow laurel leaf. Her skin was not a pale grey-blue, but looked like porcelian. In her hands she held a staff that had grooves evenly carved into it, like a measuring stick, but at its top was the head of serpant. She laughed as she recognized the Mew Mew's marking.
"I think I'll hold onto this for awhile." She said through her laughter. She turned her attention to Hotaru and Chibiusa. "We've come for you Hotaru." Chibiusa stood a bit closer to Hotaru.
"Moon Eternal Make Up!" A pink light engulfed her and she transformed. The Fate laughed.
"A Sailor Senshi?!" She raised her staff. "What fun!" She looked up to the sky. "Clotho now!" A purple rope wrapped around Hotaru from behind and the new Fate attacked Chibiusa sending her several yards away from them. She walked past the two women on the ground who were struggling to break free from the web.
"HOTARU!" Usagi screamed as she barely got her hands free. Ichigo began biting the web and spat at the new Fate.
"Where is Aoyama-kun?!" The fate bent down and grasped Hotaru's chin.
"Who? Oh, Deep Blue, well..." She looked at Ichigo and smiled. "I made sure Deep Blue won. You're Aoyamou, or whoever he was, is no more." She turned her attention back to Hotaru and stood up while placing her staff on her chest. "Clotho! Restrain her completely!" Clotho's rope began to glow a deep purple and the new fate's staff began to react.
"Now sister! While Mistress 9 is being awakened!" The new fate raised her staff.
"I Lachesis, The Fate of Destiny, call upon the powers within this body to be revealed to me!" She said and Hotaru seemed to recoil in pain. "Mistress 9! Awaken in this body! I choose you as victor!" She cried out, "Death's Destiny's Awakening!" A surge of power desceanded upon Hotaru, but her form did not change. Instead to rope glowed more brightly as Hotaru's forehead revealed the seal of Saturn and a power surged from her. Lachesis found herself being pushed back and sent to the ground.
"Onee-chan!" Clotho shouted and deceasened to protect her sister. She seemed to have changed in apperance: her skin was now a healthy flesh colour, and her hair seemed to be set more loosely around her head. Her cloak was now a pure white, and she wore a green sash around her waist. Her hair's colour now seemed to be more of a lighter purple and her eyes were a light green. She looked almost like a different person.
Hotaru's powers surged and the rope seemed to disintagrate, and she stood before them as Sailor Saturn.
"This body is mine, and no one elses!" She said with her forehead still glowing. "I am the Sailor Senshi of Death and Rebirth!" She cried out. "Sailor Saturn!" Her Silence Glaive formed in her hands. "Your plan to awaken Mistress 9 within me has been defeated." She said raising her glaive. "Silence Glaive Surprise!" The two Fates were pushed back and Sailor Chibi Moon ran up beside Sailor Saturn.
Clotho helped up her sister up and she raised her spindle's needle. "Life Spinner's Portal!" She cried and she began to disappear.
"NOOO!" Ichigo screamed as they completely disappeared before either of the Sailor Senshi made it into the portal with them.
A dark figure viewed the scene from the trees, and a dark flame burned in her eyes. These Sailor Senshi would meet their end soon, and now she knew their identities as well. Only one thing stood in her way, and that was a small detail that was about to be overcome.