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…
Usagi and the remaining sailors listened to Michiru and
comforted her while they waited for the others to get back. Usagi was pretty
confused, still wondering what had happened. She was still worried about that
look in Hotaru's eyes.
"Man, I'd expect something like that from Rei, but from Haruka? She's usually pretty quiet. Usagi said. Michiru smiled.
"Haruka didn't expect it either. She wasn't sure what provoked it, but she just all of a sudden said it all. That's why she's so upset. If she had thought about it, she never would have said it. Haruka feels really guilty, and it's eating her up that Hotaru ran away, to top it off…" Michiru's voice trailed off.
"But don't worry…" Minako chirped up. "Hotaru's the strongest one of all of us. That's what brought her through everything. Haruka and Rei will find her."
"Yeah, they'll probably be back any second…" Makoto added, just as Haruka and Rei appeared out of the woods.
"See, there they are… oh… uh oh." Usagi trailed off as everyone realized that Hotaru wasn't with them. Rei was looking at everyone with a look of failure, and Haruka just walked to the fountain's edge where everyone was sitting and sat beside Michiru, who gave her a sad yet understanding nod and hug.
*****
I continued through the woods, trembling from all the
exertion.
*****
Ami, transformed into Sailor Mercury, scanned around the park for Hotaru on her computer, while the others just sat around the fountain.
"So let me get this straight…" Usagi said for the 5th time. "Hotaru… out-ran… you… and you lost her…" Rei and Haruka both nodded, slightly annoyed.
" Are we talking about the same Hotaru here?" Minako, just as confused as Usagi, spoke up. Haruka and Rei both sweat-dropped.
"Hey guys!" Ami spoke up.
"Did you find her???" everyone asked at once.
"Um… not exactly, but there is a strong energy reading over there," she pointed to the right, "and… oh dear," Ami exchanged worried glances with the others. "It's Sailor Saturn."
"Oh No!"' Michiru gasped.
"Then we'd better get moving and in uniform." Haruka said as she took out her transformation pen. The others followed suite, and after the sailor scouts, minus one member, were ready, they took of after the energy readings.
*****
I turned around to where the rose came from as I heard rustling from behind. Holding my glaive ready to attack, I scanner the small clearing surrounded by trees. I didn't see a soul. But didn't give up yet. I spun around to see the rose between myself and…
"Tuxedo Mask… what a pleasant surprise." I said, my voice
full of sarcasm and contempt.
"Sailor Saturn… Hotaru, why are you running from your friends? They only want to help." He pleaded. Those words hit me hard. Help. Me? Not very well likely.
"And how are they gonna do that? By ignoring me? By
isolating me? You and I both know it, Mamoru, that they, and you, haven't
spoken more that 10 words at a time to me. You've just broken a new record! I
haven't had a real friend, or had anyone make an attempt to be my friend, since
Chibi-Usa left." I choked the words out, sub-consciously not wanting to
believing them, but knowing they're true.
Mamoru took a couple steps towards me, and before I knew it, he put his hand on my shoulder.
"I know that they haven't exactly been very
conversational, but hey, you know what those conversations are like! You've
been lucky to miss them!" he said with a smile. Great, now he's trying to make
me smile… and I thought he was one of the smarter ones.
I pushed his arm away and raised my glaive towards him.
"Get away from me!" I cried. I wanted to slash his throat, but knew that I couldn't. I couldn't do that to him; the future depended on him one way or the other… Chibi-Usa depended on him, as her father. I didn't know what to do, so I kept the glaive raised between us as a thin veiled threat. As long as he thought I would use it, I was in the clear.
"But don't turn away from people just because they're done wrong, especially if they're trying to make up for it…" He turned his head, and I saw the other scouts come up behind him. I heard Haruka yelled my name. Oh no, can this day get any worse, I asked myself as my hands began to tremble. He saw this, too. Great, now he knows I'm weak. I might as well shoot myself in the head. Might not hurt as much as what's to come, I laughed to myself.
*****
Usagi ran up to the clearing and saw Hotaru holding her
glaive to Mamoru, it's blade about a foot away from his neck. 'Oh no! Hotaru
don't!' she cried in her mind, afraid of what was to come. She looked at
Hotaru, at her face. She still had that look… that wounded innocence hidden
behind Saturn's usually cold exterior. And fear! Hotaru was afraid of them?!
Granted, most people were afraid of her, as well. But, why? Usagi's mind was
plagued with questions, and she hoped that she would get answers to them, as
well. She saw the glaive wobble, as Hotaru tired out and could barely hold the
item anymore. Sailor Venus saw this, too, and quietly whispered "Venus love
chain encircle". A golden chain shot from her fingertips, and shot with
lightning speed towards the glaive, snatching it from Hotaru's hands. Hotaru
looked shocked for a second, the looked really scared, like a caged animal. She
slowly backed away from the group, and put her hands together. She slowly
narrowed her eyes and whispered something unheard.
*****
Mamoru tried to grab the glaive before it got to Hotaru,
but failed.
"What now?" Sailor moon asked. She looked at the lock. It was a black circle, about the size of a basketball, and had rings around it, making it look like Saturn. On the front of it, was a handprint.
Mercury, scanning the vortex and lock, looked at it.
"It's some kind of time or space vortex," she said "and the lock is a scanning
device. " She put her hand in the handprint. The Saturn Lock started to glow
red, and Ami pulled her hand away. "Ouch… it gets hot if you're not the person
to open it, I guess."
All the scouts tried their hands, but the lock wouldn't open.
"Well… look at the hand print itself…" Makoto began. "It's smaller that most of out hands, and probably would only fit Hotaru's hand… or…" Makoto stopped, and looked up at the sky. A light pink beam shot down from the sky, and a small figure fell down towards the earth, slowing until its feet touched the ground. The Beam of light faded away to show…
"CHIBI-USA!!!!!" Usagi cried as she swept the little girl up into her arms.
"Hey! Let me Go! BREATHE! Oxygen becoming NECESSITY!!!!" Chibi-Usa replied, chocking. "Let me go!!! You wanna follower her or not??!!"
"What!!!???" everyone shouted.
"Yeah, that's right, that's why I came… against orders, I might add…." Usagi let go of Chibi-Usa and the little pink haired girl ran up to the vortex. She put her hand up to the lock, but wasn't tall enough to reach it. "Um… a little help here???"
Mamoru lifted the girl up, and she put her hand on the lock. Instantly, it started glowing purple, and the chains and lock that barred the way melted away, revealing the passage.
Chibi-Usa gave Mamoru a hug, then ran and gave Usagi one, too. "Well, I gotta go now… c-ya in a few!" Chibi-Usa said, and the pink light returned and whisked her away.
Usagi sighed as the Sailors went into the vortex. After Rei had gone, Usagi mumbled to herself. "I knew I should have stayed home today…" and screeched as Rei's hand shot out of the vortex to pull her in.