Serenity found herself in a soft haze. It wasn't dark, but she felt as though she was trapped within a cloud. "Hello! Is anyone here?" she called out softly. "Mother?" There was no reply, but she thought she heard the soft sounds of someone crying. Following the sound, she exited the fog and found herself in a dark cave. She shivered slightly and was tempted to return to the haze until she spotted the source of the sobs. In the farthest corner of the cave, a young girl was huddled, crying. At the sight, all thoughts of leaving were banished from Serenity's mind, and she hurried to reach the child. Slowing her pace as she neared, Serenity slowly knelt down next to the girl. "Hey there, it's all right," she said softly. The girl looked up quickly and, at the sight of the princess, promptly buried her face in her arms.
"No, don't look. I'm a monster!" she wailed as she pressed herself against the cave wall.
"You're not a monster!" Serenity protested. Gently smoothing the girl's glossy black hair, she eased herself next to the girl.
"No, no, you have to leave! She'll hurt you!" The girl cried, even as she leaned closer to Serenity, as if basking in her light and warmth.
Encouraged by the girl's response to her closeness, Serenity drew her into a comforting hug, allowing comfort and love to flow through her in soothing waves. After a few moments, the girl's shivering and crying ceased and she relaxed. Opening wide violet eyes, she gazed at Serenity in wonder.
"You're not afraid of me," she whispered.
Serenity smiled down at her. "No, I'm not."
"But, but I could kill you!"
Serenity shook her head. "You will not." She brushed the girl's bangs from her forehead and her smile widened as the symbol of Saturn appeared at her touch. "You saved me, Sailor Saturn. Do you not remember?"
The girl nodded slowly and a small, shy smile appeared on her pale face. "I'm glad," she whispered.
Serenity laughed softly and hugged her. "I am glad, as well. Now, why don't you tell me what you are doing in this dark cave? This is not a fitting place for the savior of a princess!" she declared.
Hotaru's smile immediately vanished and she turned troubled eyes away from the princess' gaze. "I was hiding from her. If she finds us, she'll hurt you."
Serenity drew her eyebrows together. "Who will hurt me?"
"Mistress Nine," came the girl's enigmatic reply.
"Mistress Nine? Who is she? Is she part of the Dark Kingdom?"
"She is me. At least, a part of me. She is worse than the Dark Kingdom," Hotaru answered quietly, her trembling increasing as she spoke of the demon who dwelt within her.
"Inside of you?" Serenity repeated, confused by this revelation. Closing her eyes, she reached out with her mind, carefully probing Hotaru's aura. The deep violet pulsed vibrantly, but she could sense small mottlings of black, trying to darken the light with its own evil. Gasping in horror at the foul entity that dared invade one of her Senshi, Serenity's eyes snapped open and she stared at the tiny form in front of her.
"See? I'm a monster," Hotaru whispered as she hung her head and tried to slip from the Princess' arms. She was surprised when the arms tightened and she looked up at Serenity in confusion.
"You are not a monster," Serenity repeated firmly. "You are Sailor Saturn, the Senshi of Destruction and a Princess of the Lunar Court. You are noble and loyal and shall not be sullied by this evil spirit!" Serenity's voice had gained strength as she spoke and her crescent moon blazed upon her forehead. She held out her right hand and summoned the Ginzuishou. Hotaru's eyes widened at the sight of the powerful, glowing crystal. "Do you trust me, Hotaru, Senshi of Saturn?" Serenity asked as a bright, silver light began emanating from her form.
Hotaru nodded slowly. "Yes, Princess."
"I am sorry, but this may be painful. I shall try to shield you as much as possible." Drawing all of her power, Serenity focused her will into the Ginzuishou. 'Sacred crystal of the Silver Millennium, cleanse this warrior of light of the evil spirit within,' she prayed silently and then released the power into the small girl standing bravely before her. "Cosmic Moon Power!"
Brilliant white light blazed from the Ginzuishou and enveloped Hotaru completely. She screamed as the purifying blaze burned away the evil that had been lurking within her.
The sound of someone screaming woke Setsuna and she quickly leapt from her bed and raced to Usagi's room. Michiru and Haruka came running from the other direction and Haruka flung open the door. The three Senshi all froze at the scene before them. The Ginzuishou hovered directly over Usagi and Hotaru, completely encasing them in its light, so bright that the Senshi had to squint in order to make anything out. Shading their eyes, they could barely see Hotaru screaming as Usagi held her protectively.
"What the hell is going on?" Haruka yelled at no one in particular.
"I don't know. I believe the Princess has activated the Ginzuishou in her sleep," Setsuna answered as she peered at the two forms on the bed. "The crescent moon mark is glowing, as well."
"But, she was so weak from the battle. She shouldn't be expending such power now!" Michiru protested.
Setsuna shrugged. "Whether she should or not is irrelevant at this point. She has already done it." As she spoke, Hotaru's screams died down along with the bright light. The Ginzuishou dropped to the bed next to Usagi's head. As if a spell had been broken, the Senshi rushed into the room, anxious to reassure themselves that Usagi was all right. The crescent moon mark had faded and Usagi seemed to be sleeping peacefully with a pleased smile upon her face. Turning their attention to the young girl who had been screaming in agony just minutes before, they were surprised to find that she looked much better than she had earlier. Her cheeks had a healthy glow and her breathing was deep and steady. She, too, was smiling. Shaking their heads in consternation, the three silently agreed to let them sleep and return to bed. In the morning, they would get some answers out of their reckless princess.
Serenity dismissed the Ginzuishou and collapsed to her knees in weariness. The cleansing had taken quite a bit out of her, but she felt the drain was well worth the effort. Hotaru's aura now blazed with a vibrant violet fire untainted by any hint of the evil that had marred it before.
"Princess! She's gone. The monster is gone! And I'm whole again, as well!" Hotaru exclaimed in delight as she examined herself. Rolling up her sleeves, she studied the firm, healthy flesh and muscle of her arms. "I'm healed!" she cried in delight as she turned towards the weary princess and wrapped her arms around her in an embrace. "Thank you!"
Serenity returned the embrace. "You are most welcome."
Hotaru woke slowly and stretched. When it didn't cause any pain, she stopped and her eyes snapped open. She couldn't remember a time when she hadn't ached in the morning. She sat up hurriedly and examined herself. 'It wasn't a dream!' she thought in wonder. The darkness that had flitted at the edges of her mind was vanquished and Hotaru giggled in delight. She looked down at the pale, silver-haired girl who was still sleeping peacefully next to her She was startled at how young the princess looked. 'She can't be more than a few years older than I am!' she thought in surprise. At a sound from the doorway, she whirled around, placing herself between the sleeping princess and any danger that might be approaching.
"Saturn," Setsuna said in greeting as she studied the young girl who was giving her such a fierce glare from the bed. The dark-eyed girl looked much better than she had the night before. Her eyes were brighter and color had returned to her cheeks.
Hotaru relaxed as she recognized the green-haired woman in the doorway. "Pluto," she replied. She glanced down behind her to see if the Princess had awakened and was both relieved and disappointed that she hadn't. Relieved because she knew how exhausted Serenity had been, but disappointed because she wasn't sure she wanted to face the other Senshi just yet without the Princess by her side.
Setsuna noticed the apprehension in the other girl and suppressed a small sigh. The chilly reception from the other Outer Senshi had understandably put the youngest Senshi on guard. She would have to have a talk with them later. The Senshi would all need to learn to work together as a team if the threat to the Princess and the Earth was to be dealt with. Moving quietly, she sat down on the bed and reached around Saturn to check Usagi's pulse. She smiled as she felt it, strong and steady beneath her figure. At Saturn's questioning look, she spoke, "She's fine. She'll most likely sleep all day, though. She used a lot of energy last night."
Saturn dropped her gaze again at the last comment. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean for it to happen." She was completely unprepared for the embrace she suddenly found herself in.
"Do not apologize," Setsuna said fiercely as she hugged the younger girl. "Were it not for you, we would have lost her and the world would be doomed. I'm not sure what happened between the two of you after that, but whatever it was, I'm sure it was for the best." Setsuna released the girl and looked into her eyes. "You are a Senshi and the Princess loves you. Do not worry about the others. Usagi will set them straight."
Saturn gave her a tremulous smile and impulsively hugged the woman back. "You're not afraid of me?"
"Of course not! Yes, you are very powerful, but so am I. The Princess wields more power than any of us, yet she does not instill fear, does she?"
Saturn shook her head emphatically and grinned at the older woman. "I cannot imagine anyone being afraid of our Princess. She makes everyone happy!"
Setsuna smiled back at her, nodding her head in agreement. "Indeed she does, at least, most of the time..." her voice trailed off as she thought of the fear they had all felt when Usagi had disappeared.'I'll let Mamoru deal with the Princess when he arrives,' she thought briefly and then turned her attention back to the girl in front of her. "What say we leave Usagi to sleep and you and I find some lunch, hmmm?"