Disclaimer: With the exceptions of some OCs, the characters contained herein are the property of Naoko Takeuchi. Monetary profit was neither sought nor gained with the writing of this story.
Ballads
A BSSM Fan Fiction
Chapter 5: Say Anything (Part 1)
Hotaru slowly stirred awake as the sun filtered through the blinds and into the room. She gave a big yawn and stretched, her arms moving in wide circles at her sides. Her hand landed on her Haruka-papa who was fast asleep beside her, and she giggled when Haruka sleepily brushed it away.
"Haruka-papa, wake up," she greeted, shaking Haruka excitedly.
Receiving no response, Hotaru clumsily stood up in the bed, preparing to pounce on her Haruka-papa. She lifted her arms up ready to strike but then froze. Suddenly distracted, she sniffed the air inquisitively.
I smell breakfast! she thought with a bright smile, but it was quickly replaced with a confused pout. But, Haruka-papa's right here.
A moment passed as she processed the situation, still hovering in a ready stance over her slumbering guardian. In a change of plans she clambered over Haruka, who grunted in displeasure at the action but gave no other indication of waking. Reaching the edge of the big bed, Hotaru jumped to the floor and then raced downstairs to the kitchen where her suspicions were confirmed.
"Michiru-mama!"
Michiru turned and greeted Hotaru with a smile as the girl ran up and gave her a hug. "Good morning, Hime-chan."
"I knew it would be you, Michiru-mama!"
"You did, did you?" Michiru teased as she turned back to the stove. "You two gave me such a nice gift yesterday that I thought I'd surprise you with breakfast."
"It smells really yummy! Unlike when Haruka-papa cooks."
Michiru looked down at Hotaru and laughed lightly at her expression of disgust, the girl no doubt remembering the smell of burnt breakfasts past.
"Thank you. Let's hope it tastes yummy, too." Turning the heat down on the burner, Michiru set aside the utensil she was holding and knelt down before Hotaru. She took a moment to carefully look over the young girl, who simply stared back at her with a curious tilt of her head.
"Michiru-mama?" Hotaru eventually asked, prompting Michiru to caress her cheek.
"Are you okay, Hime-chan? You didn't have any nightmares last night?"
Hotaru shook her head enthusiastically. "Nuh-uh. Haruka-papa let me sleep in her room last night, just in case."
"Did she really?" Michiru asked, a heart-warming image of Haruka and Hotaru cuddled together easily forming in her mind. "That was nice of her."
"Yeah. Haruka-papa is super tired. I tried to wake her up but she's still sleeping."
"Alright then, you," Michiru said as she stood. She gave Hotaru an affectionate pat on the head before waving her upstairs. "It's a good thing I decided to come here this morning, otherwise you'd have been late to school. Go get dressed and then we'll eat. And while you're up there, try to wake up your Haruka-papa again."
"Okay, Michiru-mama," Hotaru said, a mischievous smile reaching her lips. "Don't worry, I'll definitely wake her up this time."
Minutes later Michiru doubled over in laughter when Haruka's surprised yelp filtered down from above. She was still laughing a few minutes after that when a now wide awake Haruka entered the kitchen with a damp towel around her shoulders.
"I'm taking your key back. What did you tell her to do, exactly?" Haruka asked accusingly, though Michiru could see that she was trying her best not to laugh at the situation.
"Good morning, Haruka-san. How are you?" Michiru greeted with an amused smile. She laughed lightly as she moved the food from the stove to the table. Ensuring that all was present and edible, she picked up a slice of rolled omelet and walked over to Haruka, stuffing it into the supposedly unhappy woman's mouth.
"I just asked her to wake you up," Michiru admitted, resting her hand on Haruka's shoulder. "It was her decision alone to do so by I'm assuming dumping water on you, given your soggy appearance. Look on the bright side, though," she said with a teasing smile. "I like the way your hair looks when its wet." She ran her hand through said hair before turning her attention back to preparing the meal. She didn't get far, though, before Haruka hugged her tightly from behind and buried her face deep into Michiru's hair.
"I'll forgive you," Haruka said quietly, her breath tickling Michiru's ear. "But only because that omelet is delicious."
Michiru could feel Haruka smile against her neck as she brought her hands up to meet Haruka's.
"And because I know the real reason you came here this morning is to check on Hotaru after what happened at the park yesterday."
Michiru sighed as she leaned deeper into Haruka's embrace.
"Is it that obvious?" she asked. She felt Haruka nod in response. "Is she really okay?"
"Now that you're here with us, she's never been better," Haruka replied, resting her head against Michiru's. They stayed in that position for several minutes until Hotaru merrily reentered the room.
Haruka reluctantly released Michiru and walked over to Hotaru, who was helping herself to the waiting breakfast.
"Hotaru."
Hotaru looked up into her papa's stern face and froze. Haruka-papa did not look happy.
Seeing the reaction she wanted, Haruka's features softened into a warm smile. "Please don't ever do that again, understand?" she scolded, reaching a hand to ruffle her daughter's hair. "You can thank Michiru-san for saving you from any punishment." Hotaru nodded and Haruka sat down beside her before she continued. "We'll be driving to school today. Papa needs to go out and do a bit of shopping."
"A bit of shopping?" Hotaru repeated. She smiled thankfully at Michiru, who had come to sit at her other side.
"Fumi-chan's exhibition is this evening. I need to buy you an appropriate outfit. What do you want to wear? A skirt? Pants? A dress? Something else?"
"Something else?" Hotaru asked, taking the bait.
Haruka grinned. "Maybe a bathrobe, or a baseball uniform, or... Oh, I know! How about a full set of armor?"
"A dress!" Hotaru declared through her laughter at Haruka's ludicrous suggestions. "A really pretty dress!"
"All right, a really pretty dress it is." Haruka took a moment to eat another bite of her food before picking up the newspaper that had been left on the table. She didn't notice as Hotaru stopped eating and frowned.
"Is something wrong, Hotaru-chan?" Michiru asked.
Hearing her voice, Hotaru's face lit up again. "Will you be going shopping too, Michiru-mama?"
Unsure of what to say, Michiru looked over at Haruka for her input.
"Haruka-san."
"Hmm?" Haruka responded despite her attention being completely captured by the paper in her hands.
"Hotaru-chan would like me to go shopping with you," Michiru said. She waited a moment but, receiving no further reply, she turned to Hotaru instead, wondering if perhaps she'd misspoken or missed some inaudible response. Hotaru shrugged in a comically adult way that seemed to imply she'd long since given up trying to understand her Haruka-papa.
"Haruka-san," Michiru repeated more sternly.
Haruka shot her gaze up to meet Michiru's and quickly gave in like a kid under the critical gaze of her mother. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?" she asked sheepishly.
"I think Hotaru-chan would like me to be there when you buy her dress for tonight."
"Sure, I'd love to have you join me. But why?" Haruka asked, setting the newspaper aside and turning to Hotaru.
Michiru looked over to see that it had been an article about yesterday's attack that had so greatly captured Haruka's interest. There on the front page was a picture of her as Sailor Neptune standing beside Jupiter and Venus as they confronted those last large youma.
Was she reading the article that whole time, or was she staring at the picture? Could she have realized…?
Triggered by the photo's subject, an image of a certain pile of ashes mere meters from where Hotaru had been hiding flashed through Michiru's mind, and a bad feeling settled in her gut at the idea of what could have nearly happened yesterday.
She's okay, she told herself as she took in a deep breath. She's okay, she repeated, and the bad feeling disappeared on her long exhale.
"Fumi-neechan says you have no taste for fashion, Haruka-papa," Hotaru answered bluntly, bringing Michiru's attention back to the conversation at hand. "She didn't like the last dress you bought me at all."
"Oh no!" Michiru exclaimed with exaggerated concern. It might have been a trivial thing for an adult, but she remembered what it was like to be a little girl that loved dressing up, a little girl for whom wearing an unfashionable dress was one of the worst things imaginable.
Haruka, for her part, accepted Hotaru's statements with a nonchalant shrug, having taken no offense to the truth of her knowledge about fashion.
"Don't worry, Hotaru-chan. I'll pick you out a beautiful dress. It'll be easy, seeing as how it will be such a pretty girl wearing it."
"Thank you!" Hotaru cheered, flashing Michiru a winning smile.
"You are most welcome."
Watching as Hotaru eagerly resumed eating, Michiru was finishing the last bites of her own meal when Haruka leaned over and whispered, "Are you okay?"
Michiru turned her head and looked at her questioningly.
"You checked out for a second there," Haruka continued, keeping her voice low so as to keep Hotaru from hearing. "Looked like you'd seen a ghost or something."
So she did notice that.
"It was just a flashback to yesterday. I'm fine. " She topped off the statement with a forced smile.
Haruka looked at her for a moment, and it was clear to Michiru that there was something on her mind. She saw Haruka's lips part as if about to say something but then she closed them as she appeared to reconsider.
"I hate that that happened to you," Haruka finally said, taking Michiru's hand in hers and squeezing it gently.
Knowing Haruka as well as she did now, the short sentiment was more than enough for Michiru to understand that Haruka was always going to chide herself for not being there.
"Thanks for caring," Michiru said, returning the comforting touch. She nodded toward the newspaper on the table. "The Sailor Senshi were there in record time and nobody was hurt. Hotaru's safe. And I'm fine, really."
Haruka studied her again and, accepting Michiru's answer, nodded and then turned her attention back to Hotaru.
"Almost done, Hime-chan? We should get going soon. We have a long day ahead of us."
"There is no excuse for what occurred here yesterday. Your government failed you. For that we are ashamed, and we offer you our deepest apologies."
Rei fidgeted nervously while she listened to her father, who had decided on his own to come and give a speech despite the advice of most of his advisers and Cabinet members. She stood to his left, a spot reserved for family members, and thus was not there as a political aide but as his daughter. And, standing just feet before her at the foot of the stage, was Minako.
"This morning your governor officially requested federal aid and I have authorized it unconditionally. While I believe that the citizens of this country have nothing but the utmost faith in the Sailor Senshi, the truth is that they are but few fighting against an innumerable enemy."
Not exactly a shining endorsement there, Father, Rei thought, chancing a glance at Minako. The leader of said Sailor Senshi gave no visible reaction to the statement. Given Minako's wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, though, Rei was uncertain if she would have noticed any reaction.
"Therefore, police presence will be increased, supplemented by the Japan Self-Defense Force. Please adhere to their directions in order to remain in safety. We will do all that can be done to address this issue and others. We must all work together for the best future of our great country."
Ah, there we go, Rei noted as Minako did little to conceal her frown. She isn't going to like having the police hanging around. It will only make things more difficult.
Minako had wanted to come today, not only as moral support for Rei, but also because she had been one of the senshi fighting here yesterday. Being here today was an important follow up to yesterday's battle. They intended to use the time after the speech to search for clues about the truth of what happened yesterday and the Level 2 manipulator.
Rei shifted her stance and glanced out the corner of her eye to her father's right. There on the same stage as the Prime Minister was the despicable Taizō. As one of the Prime Minister's advisers who also served on His Excellency's Cabinet, Taizō's presence wasn't unexpected or even out of place. What was out of place, however, was his smile. Despite the solemn atmosphere and the fact that they were there to acknowledge an unfortunate event which thankfully had not become a tragedy, he was smiling.
Rei shivered, an action which she realized Minako noticed. As secretly as possible, Rei nodded towards the man, who was now positioned behind the microphone in place of her father. Rei panicked for just a moment when she felt her father's firm grip on her elbow.
"Stay rational, Rei." His voice was calm, but not without a hint of trepidation. Rei nodded and tried to focus on Taizō's words instead of her feelings of contempt.
"We can confront this enemy with power, and together with stronger leadership we can win. We do not have those things now, but soon… Soon, we will have a chance for change. Remember what happened here yesterday. Never forget it. And when the time comes, put the knowledge of that memory to good use."
Rei's father cleared his throat as a warning, and Taizō paused for just a moment. He spoke again, his voice less passionate and his speech more scripted.
"As Prime Minister Hino said, heed the warnings of the policemen and other law enforcement officials. We wish only for your safety. That is all."
As the reporters began to retreat from the scene, Taizō turned to face Hino and smirked. Rei felt her blood run cold. She stood frozen to the spot, watching as he chatted with the media.
"What exactly was that about, Father?"
Prime Minister Hino sighed heavily. "It's exactly what it sounded like; a political speech. He's been a brilliant adviser to me, and I do value his opinion on many issues, but he's still set in his ways. I think he's still unwilling to accept the fact that I defeated him to become the Prime Minister. Now, despite serving in a position beneath me, he's hellbent on distributing more power to my position. One of his promises is that if in the next Diet session the newest addendum to the definitions of my power is approved, it will give us the ability to put an end to these attacks."
How is that possible? Not even we can figure out how to stop them.
An idea struck her, and she focused her sights on Taizō. She wasn't intending to harm him, but rather to potentially obtain some information on his true motives, either from his mannerisms or his aura. There was certainly a negative energy about him that grew stronger the harder she concentrated on it.
"Rei, get a hold of yourself."
Her father's voice reached her ears, but it did little to break her focus on the back of the despicable politician as he swaggered away. He feigned ignorance, but Rei was certain that he was hiding something. She shut her eyes as she deepened her concentration, ignorant of the heat growing in her palms as she slowly brought her hands together.
"Rei!" her father called again, a bit more fiercely. Still she did not break her focus.
"Rei." This voice was different. It was softer, and was accompanied by a comforting grip on Rei's arm. She opened her eyes to find that a worried Minako had taken her side.
"Mina," she whispered, shaking her head clear of the haze of her concentration and the strange emotions that accompanied it. She knew that she didn't like Taizō, but her hatred then had been unusually strong. "I don't like that man," she muttered.
"Neither do I," Minako muttered in hushed agreement. "I feel an overwhelming loathing towards him, and this is the first time I've ever seen him in person. It's strong and unsettling, yet somehow it feels natural, too." Minako's grip on Rei's hand tightened, and Rei returned the touch in kind.
"Rei, how many times have I told you that you must control your temper?" Hino looked at Rei in an attempt at fatherly admonishment. "If it wasn't for your friend here, you would probably have roasted him right here in front of all those cameras."
Rei glared up at her father and rolled her eyes. As much as he was attempting to repair their relationship, there were still times when his job took first priority and thus he lacked parental finesse.
"My name is Minako," Minako hissed, sending Hino an unhappy look. "Aino Minako. I'm Rei's best friend! You really ought to remember my name by now." Not surprisingly, Minako held little respect for one of the most widely respected people in Japan. She turned her back to him but didn't loosen her grip on Rei's hand.
"So you're Minako-san?" Hino said, no doubt attempting to better Minako's opinion of him. "I've actually heard quite a bit about you." His ploy worked, and Minako turned back around to face him, most of her anger no longer present in her posture. "I'm happy to have finally met you. You seem to be a very important person to Rei."
"She is," Rei stated with a challenging grin. "If you'll excuse us, Father, we have something we need to do. I won't be returning to the office today."
Rei could hear her father sigh in disapproval of their quick exit as they walked away, but she didn't care. They had to get somewhere they could talk in secret, and quickly. A small grove of bushes caught her attention and she led a protesting Minako inside.
"Rei-chan, what's the rush? Why are we hiding?"
"Mina-chan, sit down."
"You're scaring me," Minako stated, but she did as Rei asked.
Rei sat down quickly and played with the hem of her skirt. "I've thought this for a long time, but now I'm sure."
"About what?" Minako asked, taking Rei's fidgeting hands in hers to calm them.
"That man is up to no good."
"Taizō."
Rei hummed affirmatively. "He's hiding something, and I'm sure it's related to the youma. I'm going to keep a closer eye on him."
Minako sighed and rested their clasped hands in her lap. "I'm not going to stop you. As your leader, I know this is something that must be done, but as..." She paused, took a deep breath, and then looked Rei squarely in the eyes. "As your friend, Rei, I'm begging you to please be careful."
Rei looked into Minako's pleading eyes and gave her the best reassuring smile she could manage as she rubbed her thumbs over the back of Minako's hands.
"I will be careful, Minako. Don't worry; I'd never go against your wishes."
They held each other's gazes as the briefest of moments passed silently between them before Minako released Rei's hands to reach out and hug her tightly.
"I mean it, Rei-chan," she said, and Rei felt her cheeks grow warm at the touch of Minako's breath on her ear. "That man gives me the creeps, and my senses aren't as developed as yours."
"I understand, Mina-chan," she replied, earning a final squeeze from Minako. She was then caught off guard as Minako pressed further against her.
"What are you doing?" Rei asked, a bit unsure what to make of the motion.
Minako didn't answer as she continued to reach beyond Rei to grab an object protruding from the bush.
"What is that?"
"It looks like it might have once been some sort of hat," Minako answered, settling back across from Rei. "Most of it's missing, like it was burned or melted."
"Can I see that?" Rei asked, holding out her hand. Minako set what was left of the hat in it gently. A moment passed before Rei's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I thought so," she mumbled.
"What is it?"
"These burn marks aren't from fire; they're from a different energy."
"Like one of our attacks?" Minako asked, and Rei could tell that she had switched over to her serious senshi leader mode.
"That's probably the mostly likely thing. It's strange, though; it looks as if whatever caused this damage originated from inside of the cap and moved outward."
Rei frowned as she processed the evidence before her. She looked over Minako's shoulder and then her own, noticing for the first time the state of the grove in which they'd hidden.
"Now that I'm thinking about it, look at these branches around us. They've been burned, too, but it looks like they've already healed over. Some of them are even budding."
"What do you think this all means?"
"I'm not sure."
"Rei-chan, look at that!" Minako exclaimed, pointing at a spot a few meters away. Rei turned quickly to see what had excited Minako. There on the ground was a familiar site: a scorch-mark with a pile of ashes at its center.
"At the end of yesterday's battle one of the larger youma was unaccounted for," Minako explained with a frown. "Neptune went looking for it. She told me later that she found a pile of ashes."
"Do you think this is that pile?"
"It has to be." She swallowed nervously. "We knew that it had been injured in the fight and decided that it must have run away, hoping to escape, but ultimately succumbed to its injuries."
Rei huffed at the information. "Well, I think we know what really happened to it now."
"There wasn't anyone else here yesterday, Rei-chan," Minako asserted in a hushed tone. "It was just me, Jupiter, and Neptune."
"I want to believe you, Minako, but it's rather evident that something supernatural occurred here. Something involving powers very similar to ours. Maybe there was someone else here, but you didn't notice her because she isn't operating as a senshi. Not one of us, anyway."
"Are you suggesting this was the work of our mystery vigilante from the other day?"
Rei rolled her eyes at Minako's non-committal wording. "I mean the rogue Uranus, yes."
"We don't know for sure that it's her," Minako argued.
"We don't know for sure that it's not her," Rei countered.
Minako threw her hands up in frustration. "Let's just agree to disagree for now and get out of here. This place is kind of giving me the creeps now."
Rei shrugged. "Fine with me. Where to?" she asked, standing and offering Minako her hand to help her up. It was accepted with a quiet 'thanks'.
"One thing we can agree on is that someone or something was controlling those youma yesterday. Let's go check out some possible vantage points that someone could have used."
So she was the photographer from the concert.
Michiru stared up at the framed picture on the wall before her. It was a photo from her charity concert, the lack of an audience suggesting it was taken during the rehearsal. She could see herself standing center stage with violin in hand, and Haruka was seated not too far behind her at the piano. Both appeared oblivious to the photographer, as if they were lost in their music.
I probably was, Michiru admitted to herself, remembering that night's experience. And while this is a great photo, I think I like that one more.
Michiru shifted her gaze to the next piece then stepped closer to it and smiled. It was a photo of Haruka slumbering on the couch, her arm wrapped protectively around Hotaru who slept peacefully on her chest.
"Do you like it?" a voice asked from behind Michiru.
"Yes," she answered, turning to find a faintly familiar young woman with a welcoming smile. She must be Haruka's cousin. "Have you titled it yet?" she asked, returning her attention to the photograph.
"No, not yet. Any ideas?"
"Say, Fumi-chan, don't you need your subjects' permission before you publicize their photos?"
This voice Michiru recognized, and she turned to accept a glass of wine from Haruka who was sidling up beside her.
"Normally, yes," Fumi answered, "but there are exclusions. The photo from the concert rehearsal is licensed by the company that owns the magazine it was published in, and they in turn gave me permission to use the pictures in my show. And as for this photo, I figured that someone with as big an ego as you, Haru-nee, wouldn't mind her picture on display for all to see. Besides, when I came over that day and found you two like that I couldn't resist. I knew it would be a great shot."
"I love it," Michiru encouraged her with a smile.
"Thank you! At least somebody appreciates my work." Fumi gave a slight bow and then stared at Michiru with an odd look. "Wait a second," she said, the shock of recognition reaching her eyes. "Oh, gods, I'm so embarrassed I didn't realize sooner. You're Kaioh Michiru!"
"Yes," Michiru confirmed with a small laugh. "And if I remember correctly, you are the backstage kidnapper from my concert."
"Kidnapper?" Haruka asked with heightened interest, moving beside Michiru to look Fumi square in the eyes.
Fumi could only laugh nervously, so it was Michiru who explained, with no small amount of amusement in her voice at Fumi's discomfort, the incident to which she had referred.
"That time that Hotaru-chan ended up in my dressing room and I signed her bandage, this young lady appeared out of nowhere and ran away with Hotaru-chan tucked under her arm like an American football."
"Is that so?" Haruka questioned, casting an accusatory glance at Fumi.
"Uh, heh. Well, it's true that I lost track of Hotaru-chan that night, but-"
"You lost my daughter?" Haruka gasped, keeping her voice down so as not to cause a scene. Beside her, Michiru hid her smile behind a glass of wine, knowing that Haruka was not upset but rather was giving the woman a hard time.
"It was only for a few minutes, I swear!" Fumi admitted, shaking her hands defensively before her.
Haruka gave a light laugh. "I'm messing with you, Fumi-chan. I already knew. And I know for a fact that Michiru-san took excellent care of Hotaru during that time."
Fumi gave a wry smile before her face lit up in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I never introduced myself. It's nice to meet you, Kaioh-san. I'm Ozaki Fumi. Thank you for coming to my show." She gave a polite bow before gesturing to Haruka with an open hand. "I have the unfortunate pleasure of claiming her as my cousin."
"Hey!"
Michiru laughed at cousins' exchange. "It's nice to meet you, Fumi-san. And please, call me Michiru. You see," Michiru paused to take Haruka's hand in hers, earning a happy smile from Haruka in return. "In addition to being my composition partner, I have the fortunate pleasure of claiming Haruka-san as my girlfriend."
"Thank you." Haruka grinned. "That's more like it."
"Girlfriend?" Fumi repeated, glancing between the happy duo with a smile. Her gaze settled on Haruka accusingly. "Haru-nee, you're not just after free violin lessons for Hotaru-chan, are you?"
"I'd never do that!" Haruka declared, feigning an exaggerated hurt at Fumi's accusation. She gestured toward Michiru with a nod of her head and with a cheeky smile said, "The lessons were her idea."
"I can't believe you, Haru-nee!"
"What can I say? I-"
"Haruka-san, where's Hotaru-chan?" Michiru asked, expertly settling the banter between the two cousins.
"Over there." Haruka pointed across the room. "She's been standing in awe of Fumi-chan's premiere work."
"I'm not ashamed to say it's a great piece," Fumi boasted. "Would you like to see it?"
"Of course."
"It was a lucky shot, from a burst series," Fumi explained as they walked. "The few before it were okay, but there was a weird flash that I couldn't filter out, and the ones that I took after it just didn't have that special something, you know?"
They came to a stop behind Hotaru, who remained transfixed by the large print on the wall. Michiru recognized the subject immediately.
"That's the memorial park, isn't it?"
"Yes," Fumi answered. "Brilliant purple flowers, as far as the eye can see. This was my first and most successful print. It helped me to finally get my foot in the door. I sold the other shots from the series to a company that has used them for souvenir designs, everything from clothing to postcards to puzzles. I get a small percentage from all sales, but it's no fortune."
"It's a beautiful photograph," Michiru said with a small, wistful sigh.
"Thank you. Speaking of beautiful, I love your dress, Hotaru-chan," Fumi said, ruffling Hotaru's hair. "Hotaru-chan?" she repeated, receiving no reaction.
"Hold this please," Haruka urgently whispered to Michiru, passing Michiru her wine glass. Michiru watched in concern as Haruka stepped around Hotaru to kneel before her and take the girls hands in her own.
"Hime-chan," Haruka said softly in Hotaru's ear.
"Wow. She's really zoned out," Fumi remarked, stealing Michiru's attention as she took Haruka's wine glass from Michiru. She downed its contents in three gulps. "Sorry, I'm still a little nervous about the show," she admitted sheepishly.
"Is this common?" Michiru asked her, pointing at Hotaru. She watched as Haruka continued to whisper in the girl's ear.
"I've only seen her like this once before, that night at your concert. She was standing outside your dressing room, totally out of it. Except-" She stopped briefly to skillfully swap the empty glass she was holding for two new, full glasses from a passing waiter. "I swear she was singing along to whatever you were playing. Here," she said, passing Michiru one of the glasses with a wink.
"Singing?" Michiru questioned as she accepted the glass. None of my songs have lyrics.
Fumi nodded as she finished a sip of wine. "I couldn't hear her, but I saw her lips moving like she was saying something."
"There you are," Haruka said as she stood and picked up Hotaru in one fluid motion. She settled Hotaru on her hip to face Michiru and Fumi. Balancing Hotaru with one arm, she reclaimed her glass of wine with her other hand.
Michiru and Fumi shared a glance when Haruka looked at the glass suspiciously for a moment before taking a sip.
"You really like this picture, huh, Hotaru-chan?" Fumi asked.
"It's my favorite!" Hotaru exclaimed with a bright smile, pacifying Michiru's concerns about her.
Fumi turned to Michiru with a grateful smile. "I must thank you, Michiru-san. I was afraid of what Haru-nee might buy when she told me she was going shopping, but as I was saying, Hotaru-chan looks beautiful."
"You figured it out, did you? No need to thank me, though," Michiru said with a blush. "She's a pretty girl no matter what she wears."
"That's true. Still, you should have seen some of the things she's worn. Last year, Haru-nee bought her this-"
"Fumi-chan, didn't you have something you wanted to discuss?" Haruka set Hotaru back on the ground and stared pointedly at Fumi. "Something about back home?"
"Oh, right," Fumi muttered, having forgotten the other reason she'd asked Haruka to come that night.
Michiru looked from Haruka to Fumi and, sensing that she wasn't needed, reached down to grab Hotaru's hand.
"Come, Hime-chan," Michiru cheered, leading the little girl away. "Let's go find something to to do."
Ami jolted upright on the small couch in her office, the medical data and varying print outs that she'd been studying falling to the floor in a flurry. There was a distinct thud mixed in with the chaos, and so she leaned down to pick up her fallen cell phone, hoping to silence the incessant beeping that had woken her. The phone remained silent, however, and as the beeping continued, Ami turned to look with nervous excitement at the device she'd set on her desk. She'd left Mercury's visor active in order to run some tests, and now the results were ready.
Hurrying over to her desk, Ami silenced the visor with a practiced hand. With the alarm now quiet, she heard the tail end of an announcement on the hospital broadcast system. They were looking for her, though the code they used was not an emergency code.
"They'll have to wait a few minutes," she muttered, waking her computer before slipping on the visor. She studied the results quickly, jotting down a few notes on a nearby writing pad. Putting the visor away, she pushed on a pair of glasses over her tired eyes. There was a half-eaten sandwich by her computer, a dinnertime present from Makoto, and she nibbled at it as she compared the information on her computer screen with what she'd written down.
"Wait; this means," she gasped, and then jumped when a knock sounded on her door.
"Dr. Mizuno, you're needed down the hall," a voice called out.
"Okay, thank you! I'll be right out!"
Ami grabbed her phone and quickly dialed a familiar number.
C'mon, Usagi-chan, answer your phone!
She anxiously tapped her fingers on her desk as the phone continued to ring.
"You've reached Usagi's phone! Please leave a message."
"Usagi-chan, it's Ami. Please come to the hospital as quickly as possible. I ran some other tests, and I think Mako-chan was right. Sailor Moon can help these people!"
"What about those, Michiru-mama?" Hotaru asked, tugging at Michiru's skirt with one hand as she pointed at a plate of cookies with another. "May I have one? Please?"
They'd walked through the whole gallery twice by that point. Despite Michiru's best efforts to keep the girl entertained, Hotaru was growing more fidgety with every minute that passed. The chance for a snack was a welcome distraction.
"You may, but only one," Michiru instructed, patting Hotaru's shoulder before the little girl ran ahead to the food table.
"Excuse me, but you're Kaioh Michiru, are you not?"
Michiru looked to her left to find an older woman standing there with an expectant gaze and a glass of wine.
"Yes, I am," she answered hesitantly. "I'm sorry; do I know you?"
"Oh, no, dear," the woman said with a shake of a hand. "But I know you. I'm a big fan of yours, both your paintings and your music. I've gone to almost every one of your concerts. I must say, that new piece at the charity concert was superb."
"Oh, thank you." Feeling another tug on her skirt, Michiru looked down to find that Hotaru had returned with a fistful of cookies and was now hiding from the woman behind Michiru's skirt. This was the fourth such interaction in the last thirty minutes, and Michiru could tell that Hotaru was growing more anxious with each one.
Noticing Hotaru, the woman's face lit up with a warm smile. "Who is this little darling? Is she your daughter? I don't remember hearing anything about you having a child."
The woman's gaze was piercing and Michiru felt herself quickly growing uncomfortable. "Oh, no, she's not my daughter," Michiru said, waving her hands in denial. "I mean, she's very important to me, but-"
"Michiru-mama, where's Papa?" Hotaru asked with another impatient tug on Michiru's skirt.
"Oh?" the woman questioned, her eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Not yours, you say? How interesting." She took a sip of her wine. "I can't help but to think that she looks familiar."
"Um, please excuse us," a flustered Michiru managed to say. "Thank you for your continued support." Sending an unhappy look at the smirking child at her feet, she took Hotaru by the hand and quickly fled from the woman.
"Here you are," Michiru said, handing her ward a cup of punch a couple minutes later. "Don't spill it, okay?"
"Okay."
Michiru watched with a gentle smile as Hotaru sipped the drink carefully, determined not to stain her new dress.
"I see it's not Tenoh-san that I had to worry about moving too quickly. How long has she been calling you 'Michiru-mama'?"
The voice was comfortingly familiar, though mostly unexpected, and Michiru turned around with a great smile.
"Setsuna-san, what are you doing here?"
"I was invited. Ozaki-san does great work for my company."
"Oh, that's right," Michiru remembered with a nod. "I realized earlier that she's the one that took the pictures of the concert for your magazine."
"Yes," Setsuna replied and then glanced down at Hotaru with a curious look.
Hotaru was standing in front of Michiru, right at her feet, one hand holding Michiru's and the other a glass of punch as she returned Setsuna's look.
"The real question is, what are you doing here, Michiru-chan?" Setsuna asked, looking back at Michiru. "And with Hotaru-chan, even."
Michiru smiled and ran a hand through Hotaru's hair. "As it turns out, Fumi-san is Haruka-san's cousin."
"Is that so?"
"Michiru-mama?" The two women looked down at Hotaru, who had since let go of Michiru's hand and was now pointing at Setsuna. "Who is this lady, Michiru-mama?"
"Hime-chan, don't point," Michiru said, guiding away the girl's outstretched finger. "This is Setsuna, my very dear friend. She's like my big sister."
"Oh." The sound was drawn out as Hotaru stared up at Setsuna with big, curiosity-filled eyes.
"It's nice to meet you," Setsuna said, smiling down at Hotaru. Hotaru nodded and returned the smile without breaking her gaze on the mysterious woman.
"That's strange," Michiru noted with a furrowed brow. "This whole evening she's been shying away from strangers and hiding behind me. With you, though, she seems awe-struck. I doubt she remembers you from after the concert. I dare say she likes you."
"I'm honored."
"Well, Haruka-san did say that Hotaru-chan's rather intuitive when it comes to people."
Setsuna turned her focus from Hotaru back to Michiru. "No dodging my question. How long has she been calling you 'Michiru-mama'?"
"Since yesterday, after the attack at the park," Michiru answered, smiling as a blush crawled across her cheeks. "That incident brought us all closer together."
"Has Tenoh-san noticed?"
"Knowing her she probably has, but she hasn't said anything about it."
"I'm sensing some doubt from you."
Michiru sighed and again ran a hand through Hotaru's hair, the little girl having since become entranced by the remainder of her punch. "Perhaps at the time I should have told Hotaru-chan not to call me that, but I couldn't."
Setsuna raised an eyebrow at the statement as she took a sip of wine. "Why not?"
"Because it felt so natural to hear her call me that," Michiru answered honestly, smiling as Hotaru finished the last of her punch.
"Look, Michiru-mama!" Hotaru yelled excitedly. "There's Haruka-papa!"
"Where's Fumi-chan?" Michiru asked as Haruka joined them.
"She's gone to sweet talk any potential buyers," Haruka answered with a proud smile. She bent to pick up Hotaru and then nodded to Setsuna. "Good evening, Meioh-san. It's always a pleasure to see you."
"Likewise. It's wonderful to see Hotaru-chan again, too."
At the mention of Hotaru, Haruka focused her attention on the girl in her arms. "Hime-chan, what do you say we take a walk around and you show me all your favorites? We can let these two lovely ladies spend some time together. I owe Michiru-san for watching you that whole time."
"Thank you, Tenoh-san, but there's no need for that," Setsuna said. "I need to say hello to a few more people before I head out. I have an early start tomorrow."
"Are you sure?" Michiru asked, surprised by Setsuna's statement.
Setsuna looked between the three of them with a fond smile and then nodded. "I've never been more sure. Go enjoy the show together."
"Is everything okay back home?" Michiru asked Haruka as they walked along the bustling nighttime streets of the city. They'd left the gallery a while ago as the show began shutting down, and were now headed to a restaurant for a late dinner. Michiru smiled as she watched Hotaru eagerly leading the way just a few feet in front of them.
Haruka casually waved away Michiru's concerns.
"Everything's fine. She just had a few questions about some small matters back home."
As they rounded the corner to a new block, Michiru quickly scanned their surroundings, as she had been doing every so often throughout their walk. She knew that some of the others were already out on patrol, but she still felt it was her duty to remain alert should a youma choose to strike. Though there were plenty of people out and about in this area, the attack in the park proved that large numbers of people were no longer a sure method of youma deterrent.
"Is that all? You were talking with Fumi-chan for a long time," Michiru followed up, keeping her voice low so as not to alarm Hotaru. Glancing up at Haruka, she smiled curiously at the sight of an uncommon blush on Haruka's cheeks.
"Well, um," Haruka cleared her throat, casting an unusually shy glance down at Michiru and then quickly returning her attention on Hotaru. "She had some questions about you. About us."
"Ah, so that's it. Should I prepare for an interrogation over dinner?"
Haruka chuckled. "Not at all. She was simply curious about the basics. She knows the who, obviously. And I quote, 'There are certainly no questions as to why,' end quote." She bumped Michiru's shoulder playfully, earning a matching blush on Michiru's cheeks. "She just wanted to know the what, when, where, and how of us. So I answered her questions, and then she started gushing about the guy she likes. If you ask me, she's too good for him."
Michiru laughed at Haruka's parentally judgmental tone.
"Why do you say that? Did you meet him?" she asked as they sidestepped a rambunctious group of teenagers headed the opposite direction. She watched as Haruka blindly reached down and pulled Hotaru closer to her with a simple touch on her shoulder, effortlessly keeping the girl close as the group passed them.
"He was one of the other featured artists tonight," Haruka said, continuing their conversation and their walk. "I didn't get the chance to talk much with him. His art was pretty interesting, though. If Fumi likes him then I'm sure he's a nice guy, but as her big cousin it's my job to be biased against anyone she likes," she admitted with a smirk. "Ah, here's the restaurant she mentioned."
They came to a stop at the entrance to check the menu hanging in the window.
"We're in luck. They have your favorite noodles, Hime-chan," Haruka said excitedly as she plopped her hands on Hotaru's shoulders. She smiled down at Hotaru as she asked, "What do you say, does that sound good?"
"Papa, where's Fumi-neechan?"
"I- what?" Haruka stumbled, surprised by the question. "She's on her way here. She didn't leave too long after us so she should be here in a little bit."
"Are you sure?" Hotaru whined, her attitude notably changed from her carefree behavior of just a moment ago.
Sensing that something was troubling Hotaru, Michiru knelt before her. She reached her hand beneath Hotaru's chin to slowly lift her face.
"Oh, Hime-chan," she gasped at the sight of burgeoning tears. "What's wrong?"
"Hime-chan?" Haruka echoed, kneeling down and taking one of Hotaru's hands into her own. She cast a concerned glance toward Michiru before she gently ran her other hand through Hotaru's hair.
Michiru caught a subtle, peculiar movement in the gesture; a quick sweeping aside of Hotaru's bangs as if Haruka was testing for a fever, the apparent negative results of which were met with a relieved sigh.
"Papa," Hotaru cried again more desperately, "where's Fumi-neechan?"
"She can't be too far from here," Haruka answered. She gently wiped at the tears on Hotaru's cheeks. "How about I call her?"
Hotaru sniffled and nodded her head before burrowing herself in Michiru's welcoming arms.
Haruka stood and dialed her phone. She gave Michiru an appreciative smile and stepped away as the call connected.
"Hey, Fumi-chan. Where are you?" she asked, doing her best to remain calm for Hotaru's sake.
Michiru couldn't hear Fumi's answer, but it was met with a confused look and shake of Haruka's head.
"What was that sound? Are you stopping to take pictures?"
Another unheard answer was met with an anxious sigh.
"Yeah, Hotaru was wondering."
Despite Haruka's calm tone it seemed to Michiru that something was bothering her, and her suspicions were confirmed a moment later when Haruka looked down at them, glancing between Hotaru and Michiru with a frown.
"She's kind of... do you remember how she was before my race?" Haruka continued, and though the information was being told to Fumi, Haruka's steady gaze on Michiru was a clear sign that she was meant to hear it, too.
Ah, so that's what's happening, Michiru thought, recalling the story Haruka had shared with her weeks ago about Hotaru's extrasensory ability. She suddenly felt her own heart rate increase at the thought that Fumi might be in danger. She closed her eyes a moment to concentrate on any potential youma energies, but felt nothing.
Now more understanding of Hotaru's worries, however, she gave her one last, tight hug before standing and lifting the girl to her hip.
Easily settling into the new position, Hotaru clung to the front of Michiru's dress and buried her tear-stained face in the crook of Michiru's neck.
"Okay. I'll see you in a few minutes, then," Haruka finished as Michiru stepped beside her. She slipped her phone away and turned to face them wish a reassuring smile. She automatically reached out as if to take Hotaru from Michiru but then seemed to think better of it and awkwardly dropped her arms back to her sides.
"Turns out Fumi-chan is a little lost, so I'm going to run back and meet up with her," Haruka explained. "Why don't you two go in and get started? I'll be back before you can miss me."
"Haruka-san." Michiru said uncertainly, grabbing Haruka's hand. She stared at Haruka for a moment, searching her face for any indication that there was something more to the situation than Fumi being lost.
"Go," she said, relieved to have found none. "We'll be here waiting for you."
"I'll call if we get held up. And get the noodles for Hotaru, they really are her favorite."
Michiru nodded in understanding, and so Haruka squeezed Michiru's hand before letting it go. She placed a quick kiss to Hotaru's head and walked back in the direction from which they'd come. Breaking into a jog as she neared the end of the block, she disappeared around the corner a moment later.
"What do you say we go in and get started, Hotaru-chan?" Michiru asked, rubbing a hand in soothing circles on Hotaru's back. She received only a quiet nod in response.
Turning to enter the restaurant, Michiru was supporting Hotaru on her hip with one hand and her other hand was poised to open the door when Hotaru suddenly spun around in her arms, sending her off balance.
"Papa!" Hotaru cried, desperately reaching out in the direction Haruka had gone. "Papa!"
"She'll be back soon, Hime-chan. What-"
The youma signature that Michiru felt in that instant was so strong and unexpected that it nearly knocked her off her feet. Her blood ran cold as she tracked the signature in the direction that Haruka had just gone, and she instinctively tightened her grip on Hotaru as dread washed over her.
Haruka is running towards grave danger.
The realization left her frozen in the doorway of the restaurant, entirely breathless, her heartbeat drumming in her ears.
"Michiru-mama!" Hotaru cried, breaking through her haze. "Michiru-mama, save them!"
Michiru stared curiously down at Hotaru for just a second before shaking her head and setting into action. Entering the restaurant, she ran to an empty booth in the corner near the restrooms and deposited Hotaru on the bench facing the door.
"Be right back," she said before running to catch the hostess. Explaining her situation as best she could, she left some money and contact information with the understandably confused and increasingly suspicious young lady and then returned to Hotaru.
"You need to stay here for a little while, okay, Hotaru?" Michiru gently instructed, trying to hide the urgency in her voice. She took Hotaru's hand in one of her own as she tucked the girls' hair behind her ear with the other. "The waitress is going to bring you your dinner. I'll be back soon with your Haruka-papa and Fumi-neechan, but I need you to stay here. Don't move from this table, and don't talk to strangers. Nobody except the waitress, okay?" she said, giving Hotaru's hand a comforting squeeze.
"Okay, Michiru-mama," Hotaru said, roughly wiping away her tears as she tried to put on a strong face. "I can do that."
Michiru looked into Hotaru's eyes and found an overflow of brave determination, a trait no doubt learned from Haruka. After one last, lingering look, Michiru hugged her tightly, planted a kiss to her temple, and then stood and quickly ran out of the restaurant, cell phone in hand.
Hotaru watched her go through watery eyes, sniffling but refusing to let her tears fall.
"I knew it," she whispered in awe. "Michiru-mama is gonna get the angels to save them."
A cell phone chimed next to her, and she looked up to see that someone had come to a stop beside her table.
"Oh, dear," the woman said, looking concernedly from her phone to Michiru's retreating form outside before looking down at Hotaru with a friendly smile. "Wanna join me for dinner? I just stepped into the restroom for a moment, but it looks like my food is ready," she said, gesturing to the plate of food on the next table over. "I don't see the sense in both of us eating alone. What do you say we eat together while we wait for her to come back?
Hotaru nodded eagerly, flashing her new dinner companion a shaky smile as she took the woman's offered hand to climb from the bench and then slipped into the next booth.
"Damn it! That freaking hurt!" Haruka groaned as she propped herself up against the building she'd been thrown against. The proof of the impact took shape as a small crater in the wall just a few meters above her head. Bits of broken glass and cement were scattered on the ground around her.
"That really hurt." She winced. "It hurts just to breathe."
Fumi was unconscious on the road about twenty yards away. Haruka had come running onto the scene to find a nightmare scenario. An elderly gentleman sat nearby, holding his head but otherwise conscious and okay, while the youma stood imposingly tall with Fumi's neck in its hands, strangling her as she struggled several feet off the ground.
Haruka's heart broke in that moment, seeing that Hotaru had once again correctly predicted personal tragedy.
Enraged, she had rushed forward and lunged at it with all her might. It had dropped Fumi, but in the same movement it had sent Haruka flying with a simple swing of its arm. Now she sat beneath the eaves of the small office building, bruised and bloodied and covered in glass.
This is bad, she thought, stumbling to her feet. I made a vow not to, but- I can't... Can I?
"Step away from her, or you'll regret it!" Haruka threatened through gritted teeth.
The youma turned to her and bared its fangs. "Oh yeah? What do you hope to do, human? Oh, I know! You can watch as I kill her!"
It laughed maniacally and then bent over Fumi. Haruka watched stupefied as the youma stretched out a long claw and scratched at Fumi before grasping her head in one hand.
But… at this rate we'll both die, and I made a new promise...
"Don't you dare!" Haruka shouted as she sensed a faint, familiar energy begin to rise within her.
"You can't stop me, human."
"No, but I can!"
That presence! Haruka snapped her head to the side to see a nostalgic figure a few yards away.
"Ugh! Sailor senshi!" the youma seethed.
It's Neptune, Haruka thought, sighing in relief. But… how did she get here so quickly? Though it felt like an eternity, in reality only two minutes had passed since Haruka had arrived.
"Step away from that woman!" Neptune yelled as she moved closer.
"Make me!"
The second the words left the youma's mouth it was struck by a powerful ball of energy that knocked it yards away from Fumi. It stood up slowly, chuckling all the while, a moderate wound instantly apparent on its arm.
"Is that the best you've got?" It taunted.
"Deadly Scream."
The incantation crept over Haruka like a cold whisper as Pluto stepped from the shadows across from her. The attack caught the youma off guard, and so while It struggled to keep its footing, Haruka took the opportunity to rush as best she could over to Fumi.
"You there!" Neptune shouted at Haruka, though she didn't break her gaze from the youma. "Get that girl out of its reach!"
Haruka did as she was told, and the moment she did so Neptune fired off another shot at the youma. There was another shout and Haruka looked up to find that Jupiter had arrived and was now confronting the youma hand to hand. A minute later movement to her left brought the arrival of Mars and Venus.
"Aaargh! It's not worth it!" the youma shouted. Its eyes narrowed as It stared at Fumi, who was still unconscious in Haruka's arms. "The life of one measly human simply isn't worth this much trouble!"
"Life?" Mars questioned as the youma fled, its laughter fading into the night. She and Venus soon gave chase as Jupiter walked over to the others, seeing that one of the victims was none other than her new sparring partner.
Haruka collapsed to the ground, her bruised body too exhausted to continue.
"She'll live for now, but that youma has likely established a connection with her. You need to bring her to the hospital."
Haruka's eyes flew open to find Neptune staring down at her from just a few feet away, her gaze piercing Haruka's heart. Their eyes locked for only a second before Neptune turned her head away.
That stare, thought Haruka, pushing up into a sitting position. It still intimidates me, just like-
"What are you waiting for? Get going!"
Haruka studied Neptune carefully; there was a certain degree of anger present in her cold eyes, her clenched jaw, and the hands in tight fists at her sides. She refused to meet Haruka's eyes again, and for a moment Haruka wondered if Neptune realized that she was Uranus. Groaning, she tried to stand, but failed.
"I can't carry her. I think one of my ribs is broken." Again.
Jupiter glanced questioningly at Neptune, receiving an answer to an unspoken question in the small shake of a head.
"I'll carry her," Jupiter offered as she stepped forward. She took Fumi from Haruka with a solemn smile, understanding through their silent exchange that for some reason Neptune was unable to do so. She received a thankful smile from the older senshi in return.
"Sailor Jupiter will lead you to Juuban General," Neptune advised before turning her back on Haruka. "It's not too far from here."
"There's a young doctor there; she's the specialist on these cases," Pluto expounded. "She'll be notified of your impending arrival. Be sure to get your wounds treated as well."
"The police are here," Neptune noted with indifference, nodding toward the policemen that had stopped to check with the injured man.
"Let's leave him to them, then," Pluto huffed. "Here, let me help you up. Will you be okay to walk?" she asked as she helped Haruka to stand.
"Yes, thank you. And thank you, too," Haruka directed to Neptune, her voice laced with pain from her injuries. "You saved our lives."
Neptune simply nodded in response before running off into the night, Pluto following quickly behind her. Haruka hung her head as she turned to follow Sailor Jupiter, the limp body in the senshi's arms a sickening reminder of everything that Haruka had hoped was finally in the past. As they hurried toward the hospital, Haruka gritting her teeth against the pain with every step, she pulled out her phone to send Michiru a message.
[Fumi attacked. Going to hospital. Entrusting Hotaru to you.]
Michiru took one last look at the message before stepping into the restaurant. She stood in the doorway a moment, watching as Hotaru played with some crayons on the table, blissfully unaware of how much her life was about to change. Taking a deep breath, Michiru fought back her tears as she approached the table.
"Hotaru."
"Michiru-mama!" Hotaru exclaimed, jumping up to hug her but quickly realizing something was wrong. "Michiru-mama, what's wrong?" she asked, straining to look around Michiru. "Where's Haruka-papa? Where's Fumi-neechan?"
Michiru sighed and sat down, gathering Hotaru into her lap. She cradled the girl tightly, finding relief in knowing that at least Hotaru was safe.
"I'm sorry, Hime-chan," she said, her voice straining as she choked back a sob. "I was too late."
"What do you mean, Michiru-mama?"
Hotaru looked up at her with wavering eyes, and Michiru hesitated a moment before explaining. "I got a message from Haruka-papa. She's at the hospital with Fumi-san. Fumi-san is not well, Hotaru."
"Fumi-nee is hurt?" Hotaru cried softly and Michiru could do nothing but rock her gently. She quickly wiped at some escaped tears, hoping to hide them from Hotaru.
At least she's eaten, Michiru thought, noticing the empty dishes on the table. Wait a second…
"Hime-chan, didn't I leave you at a different table? And I know I told you not to talk to strangers." Michiru stared intently at the second set of dishes before her.
"I didn't, Michiru-mama."
"Then whose-"
"She was keeping me company."
Michiru jumped with a start. "Usagi-chan," she gasped, watching the young woman step up beside the table.
"Hi, Michiru-chan." Usagi greeted as she slipped onto the bench opposite Michiru. "I was hoping you'd return under better circumstances."
"What are you doing here?"
"Ami-chan called me earlier. I've been, um..." she paused for a second, glancing around them before lowering her voice, "helping out at the hospital for a few hours. I came here for a break and to recharge before going back. I had just stepped out of the restroom when I saw you running out the door." Usagi looked at Hotaru with a sad smile. "There were enough of you responding to the, uh, call, and my energy was pretty much all used up anyway, so I thought it better that I stay here with Hotaru-chan. Besides, I had a whole plate of food to eat still. No way was I leaving that behind."
"Thank you," Michiru whispered with a smile despie the solemn situation. Hotaru sniffled, still weeping in Michiru's lap. "I feel better knowing you were here with her."
"It was my pleasure," Usagi said with a wry smile. She reached across the table to rest a hand comfortingly on Michiru's arm. "Things won't be easy from here on out. Let me know if there's anything more I can do to help you."
"You've done more than enough," Michiru sighed, patting Usagi's hand thankfully. She stood from the table then, clutching Hotaru tightly to her chest. "But... if you see Haruka-san at the hospital, please tell her that we'll be waiting for her at home."
"I will."
Hotaru cried herself to sleep that night, cradled in the safety and comfort of Michiru's arms.
End Chapter 5: Say Anything (Part 1)
Shout out to Kikyo17, who predicted Fumi would be attacked all the way back after Chapter 2 Part 1. I wanted so badly to say something after your comment in your PM back then, but I couldn't do so without giving anything away.
As always, I'd like to give a big thank you to all of you for reading.