Disclaimer… I don't own sailor moon, I have 3.75 now in the bank so like it'll do much to sue me… … So there! Sheesh…
Michiru walked through the park with Haruka, still looking for Hotaru.
"I can feel Saturn's presence… She's close-by." Michiru said to Haruka.
Haruka suddenly stopped and touched Michiru's arm, motioning towards a fountain. A small, dark figure sat on the edge of the fountain, sadly looking into it. They knew in a moment who it was, and Michiru gasped. Haruka took the jacket from Michiru and slowly and silently walked up to the sobbing frame, curled up on the edge of the fountain. With one last glance at Michiru for support, she wrapped the jacket around Hotaru's slender shoulders.
*****
Suddenly, I felt a jacket being wrapped around me, and I
jumped out of it and around to face my silent attacker. I had no idea that
someone was behind me, and it scared the crap out of me. I turned around to see
Haruka and Michiru standing by the edge of the fountain.
"Hotaru…" Haruka began. But I didn't want to hear anything else that she had to say. I ignored the sad look in her eyes as I kept backing away from the pair. Why was she sad? She's got nothing to worry about! But still, her eyes were a little red and puffy… not as red as Michiru's, but if you looked hard enough… aw, who cares? What did they want? The only reason I could think of is that they needed the cash back on income taxes that I provided them. I turned to run away from them only to find Usagi and her friends running up to me. Great. Just what I need… a sailor reunion. Damn that stupid irony again.
Looking at them, the loneliness stabbed away at my heart again. Why were they always together… you never saw one without the other… true friendship at it's best. That's thy it was so hard to be around them… and people in general… I wished… I was normal… boring, even.
*****
Usagi was the first one to get there. She wondered why
they were there. The only thing she got from Makoto was that Hotaru might be in
the park.
*****
"Firefly, we just want to talk…" she said in a soft, soothing voice. I felt worse because she called me firefly that anything else that had happened previously. How dare she? The only people allowed addressing me that was my parents and Chibi-Usa.
"Don't call me that!" I yelled back at her. I saw the hurt in her face and it just made me feel worse. New memories of when my parents took me to parks and pushed me on the swings… daddy always said that I looked like I was flying… like a firefly… the new pain burned into my head ad my heart. I had to get out if there… fast.
*****
Rei ran after Hotaru and Haruka. 'Man! How is Hotaru that fast?' she thought as she ran after them. 'Hotaru's such a weak girl, I've never seen her like this!' Rei had caught up to Haruka, but Hotaru was still ahead of them… and getting away. She darted through the trees like something possessed, never slowing or looking back. Rei wondered what must have happened for Hotaru to be acting like this. Something definitely was up. Rei, still following Haruka, slowed down when she saw Haruka doing the same. "What's up? Why are we stopping?" Rei asked, perplexed. She gazed at the older woman as she tried to catch her breath. Running that fast had definitely drained most of her energy.
"I lost her." Haruka said, feeling like she had failed.
*****
Sailor Saturn silently stared down at her two… no, she couldn't say friends. Hotaru had transformed, and quickly and effortlessly jumped into a tree, where she now rested. She waited while the other two girls caught their breaths and continued to look for her, calling out her name. As soon as they were out of range, she jumped off her high perch and quickly walked in the other direction.