Hotaru walked home slowly, tired after school and everything

Shimai No Hametsu

By Saturnian Blonde

Chapter 2 – Chapter 3

Here's the next chapter for this story. I am in no hurry to write this, as I get NO fan mail saying that you want it any faster… or ANY fan mail at all… I have so many ideas as to where this story's going', but it conveniently is blank on the things I need to know…

So anyway, I've got 2 chapters here!!! *Unenthusiastically* Yay. Party at my house. Kill me now, get it over with.

What? I gotta write a disclaimer?? What the hell for??? Oh… I see… *damn no-paying job, I don't know why I stand this frickin…*

Chapter II

"Why am I just now learning of her presence?" Pluto asked no one in particular as she stood at the gates of Time. She waited as if to get a response, but only silence returned the call.

"This complicates matters…" She sighed as she looked on to the mental battle. "I can't keep them apart forever. And neither can Hotaru…"

*****

"Come on, minna! Let's go!" Uranus said as they ran across rooftops to downtown Tokyo. They had received a call from Rei that a strange youma attacked an art school.

" Ouf! I'm getting out of shape." Neptune said as she landed heavily on a building, almost loosing her footing. "So where is it?" She asked as they looked around the surrounding area. It was surprisingly empty, with not a person on the street, but all the better for a fight.

"Over there." Saturn said as she grabbed her glaive and flew over rooftops before hopping gracefully down to the ground, landing silently on the cement. She looked on at a monster, probably 6 feet tall, with slimy orange scales and 3 tails lashing behind it. It snarled as it saw more prey landing on the ground.

Saturn walked over to the Inner Senshi, never removing her eyes from the gaze of the monster. He held her head up high as she walked, daring the monster to attack. As it lunged towards her, she swung her glaive around her and readied her Silence Wall, almost smiling as the youma smacked against it, flying backwards.

Uranus took this time to attack it, firing her World Shaking at it. While she did so, Saturn turned to the others, who were on the ground slowly trying to pick themselves up. Rei and Mercury weren't too bad, but Venus had a rather large gash through her stomach, which blood flowed from steadily. Jupiter tried to keep her still, holding her hands against the wound to impede the blood loss. As Saturn looked on, she almost lost her cool demeanour as she saw the pallor of Venus' skin. She placed her hands her stomach, and they glowed a pale purple. The wound slowly closed itself up, leaving only a slight red mark against her blood stained fuku. Saturn slowly stood up, trying to clear her head, which was spinning from her exertion. As she looked on, Pluto and Neptune weakened the monster until Sailor Moon had a clear shot at the fiend. As the last of the monster disappeared into dust, Saturn had a strange feeling come over her, one of dread, yet, of familiarity. 'What is that?' she thought when suddenly she heard a cruel laugh from the sidelines.

"Well, now, you must feel pretty proud of yourselves, defeating that youma and all…" A cool voice said, and a young woman appeared from the shadows. Her long white hair flowed around her hips, and her eyes glowed a dark purple. Her white and violet dress billowed around her from an invisible wind.

"Who are you?" Mars asked as she turned and stood taller, raising her chin in defiance.

"It doesn't matter who I am. All you need to know is that you're going to be destroyed." She said as she lashed out at them, shooting seven balls of black lightening at the Senshi. They barely dodged them, and as they each attacked them, both with attacks and combat, she quickly and effortlessly avoided them, returning their attacks with her own.

'Why does she look so familiar?' Saturn thought as she watched the battle from the side. The senshi were fighting a losing battle, one where the scales could quickly turn in their favour if Saturn entered the fight. Yet she felt no motivation to attack this other girl. Curiosity struck her more that any other emotion, as she watched the girl from the shadows attack her friends. She continued to stare at the girl, trying to place the face and energy signature. 'Why does she not attack me? I've been standing here, and she does nothing. Why? And why do I not want to hurt her?' she reflexively raised her shield again as a stray energy bolt came her way, but she remained unfazed. "She reminds me of Mistress Nine… is she just a girl that was taken over by the enemy? Like me? Is she the girl from my dream?? WAIT!!! What dream? Should I be remembering a dream?'

Then it hit her, beyond a reasonable doubt, where she remembered the girl. She remembered the dream she had the previous night, the one that Setsuna-mama didn't want her remembering. She remembered the girl that looked just like her, and how she was scared, just like Hotaru was when Mistress Nine took over her body.

When Saturn concentrated, she didn't see the tall, domineering woman that attacked her friends, she only saw the little girl from her dreams, the one that was scared and lonely, just like she was.

Before she knew it, she walked up towards the girl, no taller or shorter than she was. As she turned around, and stared into Saturn's eyes, she lost her serious demeanour, and her eyes softened. "Who are you?" Saturn asked softly, and before she disappeared through a black vortex that appeared behind her, she thought she heard her whisper a plea for help.

"Hello? Hotaru?" Mars asked the girl, who continued to stare off into the space where the mysterious attacker used to be. She waved her hand in front of Hotaru's face, and eventually she gave up and walked off, the rest of the Inner Senshi following her. Tension had been growing between the two groups, and the latest attacks had put a strain on their friendliness towards the others. Setsuna looked on as they walked dejectedly home. They were unhappy because they thought the Outer Senshi were much stronger than them, almost replacing them as protectors of Usagi, when actually, they were quite mistaken. 'If only they knew how strong they actually were, there wouldn't be this pull on everyone.' Setsuna thought as she watched them disappear around a corner. They were just as strong as the Outers; they just hadn't had their full powers awakened. Setsuna saw Rei tap into a little of her powers when she saw Usagi in danger, but, she had just brushed the surface of her hidden abilities. Setsuna sighed as she turned back to pressing matters. "Let them figure it out, they have to do it on their own." She said to Haruka and Michiru. She then turned to Hotaru, who continued to gaze off into empty space. She finally snapped out of it to turn to Setsuna.

"Ok. So what the hell was that? What'd you do, Setsuna?" she said coldly, giving her a bitter glare. Michiru turned to Haruka.

"Don't look at me! I didn't teach her that!" Haruka cried out as Michiru hit her.

"Why'd you do it? What are you trying to hide from me?!?" Hotaru asked as she reverted her gaze back to Setsuna. Setsuna unconsciously gulped. Not a good thing to get Saturn mad. Not a good thing at all.

"What is terribly wrong in the world now that you have to hide me from it, stealing my memories, memories of a girl I don't know, but is somehow the bad guy, and I'm supposed to fight her, but I can't even lift a finger! What the hell is going on, Pluto?" She said in a withheld fury.

If Setsuna hadn't had millennia to perfect that cool exterior, she would have crumbled from the tone of voice Saturn used. She had only seen her that angry, and that was back in the day. Pluto was lucky she was holding back, or else she might be a pile of dust from Saturn's wrath. Not many had actually seen the wrath of Saturn and lived to tell about it. If Setsuna lived… she'd be the first.

"It wasn't the best time for you to remember that, so I postponed the memories. You know you're not supposed to be allowed to be together."

"That was back in the silver Millennium!" Saturn cried, before pausing a brief moment. Pluto saw the uncertain look in her eyes, and assumed that her fury was tapping into her past memories and powers.

"You knew what it would do if you ever met." Pluto said, seeing if she remembered why, for the most part, she didn't and shouldn't remember.

"Still, that was millennia ago, and you know I've changed! I'm not going around having destructive impulses! I'm not trying to decide what time of the day is better to blow up the world! And you know orders never stopped me millennia ago! I saw her then, underneath everyone's knowledge. And nothing happened then! We didn't cause the Apocalypse! We stopped it a couple times, before even you," Saturn spat out, contempt clear in her tone "even knew it was happening!" She cried out, fighting the urge to strike Pluto with her glaive.

Neptune and Uranus stood back from the fight, watching both Saturn and Pluto. This is better than one of your soaps! Uranus said telepathically to Neptune, who groaned at this unsaid comment.

Who do you think will win? Neptune said as Pluto shot back a rebuttal, albeit a weak one.

Technically, Saturn should win, but she's going to leave the fight in frustration and anger.

As they listened back into the conversation, they winced as they heard the tone Saturn spoke to Pluto with. As they looked at Saturn, they could have sworn her eyes glowed with unsung power.

"My duty required it." Pluto said calmly, but with a slight edge to her tone.

"So did mine. That doesn't mean you had the right!" Saturn shot back.

"That's exactly what it means!"

"I don't want anyone messing around with the few sane memories I have left. You think it's easy to go around, unable to remember how many times you've been reborn, having select memories from select lives? I can't even piece together the life I have now! Now, you're trying to take away the few memories I have of the one – the only-- life I had where I was truly happy? Where I had a family and a life and someone who… completely understood me???" She said in a gentler tone, almost whispering.

Saturn's eyes coated over, and her serious, cold demeanour returned, full swing. "No. I won't let you take away the thing that means the most to me. Even if I die trying."

Saturn's eyes glowed a dull shade, and with a simple flick of her hand, she opened a swirling vortex behind her, walking into it and not even looking back.

"I'm afraid to ask." Neptune said softly.

Chapter III

She walked down the stone corridor silently and purposefully, ignoring all that around her. She entered the main room, staring ahead of her into the eternal darkness.

So what happened.

"She's resisting. Quite normal until I fully accustom myself to this body."

No. It's something else. Saturn.

"What about her? She's just one of those pathetic senshi. I can eliminate her with ease."

No. It's something…else. The body recognizes her somehow.

"Saturn's nothing but a young child. She holds no threat."

Your denial will be your undoing. This new body… it holds some power.

"All the better for me."

Take heed. This will not be an easy battle. I begin to doubt this vessel's capabilities.

"I can control her."

Pray you do.

*****

Why me? Not this again, not again… I don't want to hurt anyone… let me go… Don't!

The evil… it's suffocating… Please… help…

*****

Hotaru stood in darkness, letting the silence ring in her ears. 'Dear Silence, you'll never betray me.' Hotaru thought as she listened to the voices carried in the invisible wind.

Why me? She heard someone say in her head, and she twirled around for the voice. It wasn't one of the Silence's, and yet, it was accepted through the Silence.

Memories flooded through Hotaru's mind, ones not her own. She saw a mother walking her through the park towards a large building, but they weren't of her. A young child, walking through a laboratory… then a great fire, surrounding her…not this again… calling out her mother's name… friends running away from her…I don't want to hurt anyone… having sudden pains in her chest…let me go… Hotaru saw these recollections swim around her vision until they melded to her own memories. Don't!

Hotaru finally cleared her mind enough to see that those foreign memories paralleled her own memories, almost to the letter. 'What's going on?' she thought. As the dreamscape extended further along into the twilight around her, she heard soft crying.

The evil… it's suffocating… Please… help…

Someone whispered in between the soft sobs, and Hotaru found herself saying the words aloud as a vision of a girl, the girl from her dreams. Hotaru blinked and found herself looking into he eyes of the girl, her violet eyes shimmering from tears.

I… don't know if I can… Hotaru thought, and the girl must have heard her, for she lowered her head. She reached out, and like a mirror, the girl reached out too, till their fingers brushed together.

Another waves of memories rushed over Hotaru, along with a dark undertone. I know this, She thought as a dark energy probed out, like a parasite searching for another victim. Hotaru unconsciously shivered as her subconscious paired the dark energy with what she felt when under Mistress 9's control. God, let me help… I know what you're going through…

No. I don't want to get you in trouble… run away… before they get you, too… please…

No! There's another way! Come with me! Push it away! Hotaru found herself saying, feeling sorry for the girl before her...

Hotaru felt the reality shifting, and knew instinctively that whatever dream she was in was ending. The two girls clung together tightly as Hotaru felt herself being pulled away, and the girl in the other direction.

I don't want to be alone… who are you?

Lily… hold on… I'll help… I promise! she said as they were pulled further away from each other, only holding hands. 'Lily? Is that her name? Damn it, why can't I do anything?'

Firefly… don't get dragged down again…not at my expense.

Hotaru and the girl screamed as the air started to glow around them, first with a cold, dark light, then warming up until the air shimmered with light. Hotaru resisted the urge to cry out as the hand around hers tightened in a death grip. She looked over at her face to see tears running down her friend's face, and in stunning realization she noticed that her own face was wet. She looked up into Hotaru's eyes, and as their eyes locked, the sigil of Saturn started glowing on both their foreheads.

Come on… Hotaru said through the energy filled air, Fight it!

Suddenly, the darkness shattered, and both girls were thrown to the ground.

Hotaru blinked, and warily tried to sit up, before she was hit with another wave of nausea. She fell back down, trying to control her spinning thoughts. A small whimper beside her brought her out of her reverie. She looked around, seeing she was in her backyard.

'How'd I get here?' she thought before she turned to her side. She gasped as she saw the girl from her dreams laying on the ground, unmoving. Hotaru crawled over to her, and checked for vital signs. She placed her hand on her forehead, and her hand glowed a light purple. The girl opened her eyes, and took a shaky breath. Abruptly healing powers drained from her into the girl. Just before she felt she couldn't take anymore and blackness ebbed its way into her vision, her energy was reverted back into her, healing her as well.

"What's… happening?" Both girls said in unison.

*****

"So do you know where she is?"

Haruka sat in the living room, finally throwing the magazine she was trying to read on the coffee table. So one had said much since they had gotten home, nor had they heard anything about Hotaru.

"She's off in her own little world." Setsuna said, peering into he teacup.

Michiru and Haruka looked at each other cryptically. "Literally?" They asked at the same time.

"It doesn't matter, I can't go talk to her 'till she leaves."

"So what the hell happened back there? It's not like Hotaru, or even Saturn for that matter, to just suddenly blow up at someone," Michiru asked, "Even under duress."

"I'm not entirely sure, but it must have something to do with the conditions they lived under during the Silver Millennium" Setsuna said, taking another sip of her tea.

"They? So she has a… sister?" Haruka blurted out incredulous. All eyes were on Setsuna as she slowly nodded, unsure whether to continue.

"Twin." She said. "Born the same day, they were holding hands when they were born. It was a very difficult delivery, and the Queen of Saturn died during childbirth. The Queens of the other planets were frightened of the twins, since their combined powers far outweighed their own, even as the girls were little."

"Just as we were frightened of Hotaru before she was awakened." Michiru whispered with a hint of sadness.

"Exactly so. Queen Serenity declared that the girls be separated, never to be together, so as not to combine their powers. Luck of the draw, Hotaru's sister was locked away on the Moon of Titan. The Queen made a hasty decision, fearing that they would destroy the galaxy. They never would have destroyed the kingdom, no matter how they were punished for being simply born.

"They were so cute… if not for minor differences, they were undistinguishable. And so close together. Rumour was that they were telepathic, but no one ever saw them together so nobody knew. Even though they were never told that the other existed, they always knew that there was someone out there.

"Even I don't know how they met, but one day they did meet. Whether or not their telepathy had anything to do with it, they snuck away to meet, and became closer than ever. They cast a spell to alter her appearances to Hotaru's, and continually switched places, to be fair to each other, to let the other see the world.

"I don't know why I didn't remember her before. She was reborn, but she never showed up anywhere… Why didn't I see her?" Setsuna chided herself.

"Hot- Hotaru said that they stopped the apocalypse a couple times… before you knew about it… what was that about?" Haruka asked.

"She was right. I didn't know about those times till much later. It was very likely that the Silver Millennium could have ended much sooner than it did, and even though the Queen and other planets shunned them so, they still saw fit to protect them.

"If it wasn't for us and the other soldiers, the Silver Millennium would have existed longer than it did. One day the Queen found that Hotaru and her sister were seeing each other, and sent us to go after them." She looked down at her hands, saddened at the cruel memories.

"Oh my god… I remember…" Michiru said, her eyes distant and forlorn. "I had a dream about it about a month ago. We… we killed a girl… maybe it was Hotaru, maybe it was her sister, but they were identical, and… we killed her. And Hotaru stopped everything. She just cried, and wouldn't talk to anyone, the she disappeared… and then Beryl attacked, but she didn't stop her coming, or help us… because we betrayed her." She said, despondently.

"She lost all hope. Hell, we took away her reason for living, so that's why she never helped during Beryl's attack… I do remember. She let Beryl kill her without a fight." Haruka said, slowly, realizing the full implications of what she was saying. Setsuna nodded.

"I don't think even Hotaru knows all this yet." She said slowly.

"But, we heard her, she said all of it right to your face…" Michiru reproached, confused. Setsuna shook her head, and drew a cautious breath.

"She said it, but she doesn't realize what she said. You know when you're in battle, and sometimes you have the sudden urge to use a new power, or a new attack?" Setsuna asked, hugging a pillow to her stomach.

"So, you're saying that just because she was mad she tapped into her memories, but she doesn't realize what they mean?" Haruka said sceptically as she leaned back in her chair.

"So then maybe we should ask forgiveness for our past actions before she knows what they are…" Michiru said inadvertently.

"It was prophesied that destruction and death would strike mutually through the twins." Setsuna said cryptically, staring into nothingness, as they heard a soft knock on the door.

Setsuna, being the closest to the door, stood up and walked to the door. Haruka and Michiru jumped up and ran to the door as they heard Setsuna gasp. They reached the door to see Hotaru and another girl with pale white hair holding each other up, clutching each other tightly. The symbol of Saturn glowed lightly on their foreheads, waning as they looked weakly up at them, like small frightened animals.

"Please… help her," they said collectively. Before anyone could say anything, they both collapsed into Setsuna's arms.

***~~~***

so… what'cha think? That shitty, eh? Well, leave a review; even if it's just to let off steam, I do like to get reviews… even flames! Flame away!!!