*Epilogue*
By:
Kohan
Though
my soul may sit in darkness,
It will rise in perfect light
I have loved the stars too fondly,
To be fearful of the night.*
The five-year-old hands of Hotaru Tomoe rose swiftly above her head in effort to reach the top of the counter where the peanut butter was located. She stood on the tips of her toes in the effort, and then cursed lightly under her breath when she found that her small body wouldn't allow her to reach without some aide. Quietly, stumbling slightly at the surprise length of her legs, Hotaru walked over to where a chair was sitting and clumsily picked it up and brought it over to the counter. Climbing onto it, she reached the peanut butter as well as the bread. Now for a knife. Opening the drawer, she retrieved a butter knife, and climbed down so she could prepare dinner. A dinner of peanut butter sandwiches.
Sitting
on the hardwood floor, Hotaru wrestled the jar open, and dug her
knife into it. Trying best she could to make sure that she didn't
spill any, she spread the peanut butter on the bread. This was
harder then it looked. Her body didn't do the things her mind
told it to, and so she was having more trouble then necessary. A
sudden noise caught her ears, and she turned her head quickly in
the direction that the noise had come from. At the front door
stood three figures. Hotaru stood up, the peanut butter clutched
tightly in her hands.
"Hotaru...?" Setsuna said.
"Meiou-san, Tsukino-san... Aino-san." Hotaru said.
"How did she grow so quickly, Setsuna?" Usagi whispered
to the older of the three.
"I'm not sure...it's possible that it's because she's done
it several times...but last time she had my help...I haven't done
anything at all..."
"And why is she being so formal?" Asked Minako.
"I have no idea." Setsuna said, then she looked at
Hotaru, "Where are Michiru and Haruka?" She asked.
"They are in their bedroom, Meiou-san." Hotaru said,
and went back to preparing dinner. Usagi walked over and crouched
down so she was at Hotaru's level.
"What'cha makin' there, Hotaru-chan?"
"Though I may bear the appearance of a 5 year old child,
Tsukino-san, I still hold the mind of a 18-year-old Hotaru
Tomoe." Hotaru replied tartly. Usagi was a little taken
aback.
"H-how long have you been like this?"
"This age? It will be one hour in ten minutes. After I died,
I was reborn here, as a baby. It took me only two days to get to
the age I am now. Ten'ou-san and Meiou-san are still
infants."
"And Rei?" Minako asked, coming up.
"I have not seen or heard from Hino-san at all." Hotaru
said, looking up. "If you don't mind, I would like to finish
making my dinner. "
Later
that night, after Usagi and the others had gone to find the other
senshi and retrieved them, Minako was sitting on the couch,
busily trying to feed baby Rei with a bottle. Setsuna had left a
few hours ago to go check on the time gates.
"I don't think she likes that, Mina-chan. See? Her face is
all crunched up...she looks like she usually does when she gets
mad."
"Well? She can't possibly drink out of a cup, now can
she?" Minako said, and at that, baby Rei stopped struggling.
"Minako? I don't know...but about Hotaru? She seems
more...um..."
"Aggressive?" Minako said. "Yes, I have been
thinking about that myself. She seems so dark."
"I don't know, but we should ask Setsuna...maybe we
shouldn't awaken Saturn at this point..."
"It's too late." Said a voice from the hallway. A
seven-year-old Hotaru stood there. "Saturn has awoken
herself."
"Hotaru-chan?"
"I am going back to bed. Growing up is hard you know,
especially when you are doing it at light speed. I'll see you in
the morning." She turned around to leave. "Oh, by the
way, there are some people...at the door. I think you'll want to
see to it that they come inside." Hotaru walked down the
hall and into her room. Usagi stared blankly at the spot where
she had been standing. Hotaru's voice suddenly echoed inside
Usagi's mind: "Are you going to get the door?" Usagi
was startled, but she got up and opened the wooden door.
...
"WU-CHAN!?"
"Onna?"
"And minna-san?"
"Are you going to invite us in, or should we stand out here
all day?"
"No! I-I mean yes! Come in!"
"Is Rei...is she...?"
"She's here...Hotaru too...sorta...you um, you won't believe
it..."
End.
***
*= Sarah Williams, "The old Astronomer and His Pupil"
***
Authors Note: There you have it. I guess the ending leaves room for a sequel, don't you think so? Oh, and it would be very nice, if you *do* want a sequel, that is, to kindly drop me a line of encouragement.