hot2
Mommy Dearest

Author's Note: I'd like to say how happy I am with the reveiws! I'll try and keep up that suspensfulness (is there such a word? 0o;;) in the story. Keep reveiwing please! Now, on with the story!!!
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Chapter 2: Daydream
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Hotaru ran off to school, now happy that she had some friends to talk to. However, she didn't know if she wanted to mention the dream. No, those days of hiding in horror of Kaori where over. Those memories were gone, and she wanted them to stay that way. She slowed her pace as she heard a voice behind her, "Wait up Hotaru!" it was Rini. Her first friend back when no one cared. Turning around, Hotaru smiled. "Hi Rini!" she said, trying to shake of the dream and return to the present. "Say, me and my friends are going to go see a movie," Rini said, bustling with joy as she often did. "Do you want to come?" Hotaru frowned. "I don't know," she said. "Well, you can pick the movie if you want." Rini said. Hotaru shook her head. "It's not that. It's that Papa's been kind of over-protective ever since he regained his memory about the explosion and stuff at the school. Or at least most of it." At the final words, Rini gasped. "Does this mean he knows you're a Sailor Senshi?" Hotaru hushed Rini immediately and looked around to see if anyone heard her. "Not really," Hotaru said in a hushed voice. "Not all of it. He does know, however, that I'm important and powerful. But he doesn't know about me being Sailor Saturn." Rini nodded understandingly. "Yeah, and it's great now that people have accepted your healing ability. " Hotaru smiled. "Yeah, and—" She was cut off by the bell. "Oh no! We'll be late!" Both girls said as they ran off to class.
Hotaru tried hard to pay attention all day at school. However, during one lesson she accidentally fell asleep. Another strange dream appeared. It was the one of her mother and her trapped in the fire. She could feel the flames in her dream, burning against her skin. She heard her mother fall to the floor, not breathing. Hotaru woke up screaming and immediately got detention for it. She had to write a 500-word essay on class conduct. Rini waited for Hotaru after detention. This made her feel better; the fact that someone cared so much for her. However, the walk home was silent for the most part. When they reached Hotaru's block, Rini asked cautiously, "I heard what happened, but why? Why did you just scream like that?" Hotaru sighed. She knew no matter what Rini would end up finding out. But maybe it wouldn't be so bad. She would like someone to talk to. "Well," Hotaru started slowly; "I've been having strange dreams. I had a dream in class about my mother and I trapped in the fire. The one that destroyed the lab a long time ago." Rini gasped. "Why? Do think someone is sending you these dreams?" Hotaru looked down. "I don't know. But until I know something, please don't tell the other senshi. Not yet." Rini nodded and smiled. "You can count on me."

Later, at Usagi's house...
"WHAT? HOTARU'S SCREAMING ABOUT HER MOM IN CLASS?!" Usagi screamed out. Rini quickly told her to calm down and shut up. A typical mother/daughter argument started, but stopped when they realized they were way off topic. "So…why the heck did you tell me about this if it was a secret?" Usagi chided Rini. "You promised that you'd keep it a secret. How would Hotaru feel if she found out you—" Rini cut Usagi off there. "She won't. Because you won't tell her. " Rini said. "I told you…in case there's more to this than meets the eye. At least we should be on guard. What if someone's messing with Hotaru's past? Trying to scare her?" Usagi nodded. "Well, you're right. We should at least try to look into this."

Hotaru was having an overall great afternoon, despite the fact that her father was upset at her getting detention. He, however, was forgiving. He invited her down to the lab to work on her science homework. To Hotaru's delight, she watched as she and her father made exploding chemicals. She was allowed to go to the movies, and they ordered out her favorite noodles. Hotaru went to bed feeling fulfilled, and not just because she had eaten enough noodles for 6 people. She turned off her lamp, still leaving a few on though, and went to sleep.

"Hotaru?"
"…Who?"
"You know me."
"I do?"
"I gave you life."
"Mama?!"
"I gave you life. Now it is your turn to give to me."
"I don't understand."
"You are the key to my rebirth, Hotaru."
"But, mama…are you really her? How do I know?"
"You will. Come to my final resting-place. You'll see."
"Mama? Mama?! Are you there?!"
…Silence.
"MAMA!!! ANSWER ME!!"
…nothing.
"Mama…"

Hotaru woke up with fright. Did she just have a conversation with her mother…in her sleep? She got up out of bed, sweating. She put on one of her black skirts, shirt, and stockings, and shoes (AN: Like the old Hotaru who was sick all the time! I love those clothes...black rules!...oh wait, never mind, read the story!). She was going to find answers.

Rei popped up out of her sleep. There was a strange aura near. But…faint. Not like any human. Rei walked outside and closed her eyes, sensing everything around her. The trees, the sky, she connected with them. But they weren't stable, more like disturbed about something. She got on her robes and went to consult the fire. Counting rapidly to match her hand movments, she concentrated. "Oh flame, what's going on? Who's causing the disturbance?" The fire roared and shot up, reavealing the face of Mistress 9 standing over Hotaru, who was laying on the ground, her eyes deviod of all emotion as if she was dead. Rei gasped and grabbed her henshin (Transformation) wand. "MARS STAR POWER MAKE UP!!" And in a flash she was Salior Mars. She grabbed the tiny wristwatch that Luna gave her, which wasn't actually a wrist watch at all. It served as a communication between the Sailor Senshi and beebed whenever someone tried to contact you. Rei contacted Usagi first, and it took about 5 mintues for the odango head to wake up. "We'll meet you there!" Rini had said through it while Usagi was just getting up. Rei already had a sense of where the demon was, and rushed off to save Hotaru.

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After note: I'm sorry the other senshi haven't made their apperance yet! That'll change soon, in the final battle, so please, be paitent!
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