*sigh* Here's chapter 5. I don't know why I'm posting this though, since
I haven't gotten ANY reviews for the last couple chapters. Do you people
hate it that much? If you hate it and don't want me to post anymore, please
tell me, kay? Thanks.

Disclaimer: Do you really think that *I* own Sailor Moon? I do own the
other characters though. Please don't steal. Thanks!


A Dreamer's Dream
By Tegasus
Rating: PG

Chapter 5-"It's all my fault!"

"Well, well, well. One of your warriors made it through her own
personal nightmare." Uther's face appeared in the Dream Mirror. "I'm impressed.
But, of course, that was an easy one. The Princess of Mars is used to seeing
through illusions and fighting against overwhelming odds. The others though,
they aren't that strong. They won't make it."

"They will, Lord Uther. Their souls will burn so brightly that your darkness
will be lost forever. You'll see."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hotaru woke up to a sea of stars. She was alone and seemed to be floating in
space. The girl looked around and saw that she was right. She was in space. What
am I doing here? Haruka? Michiru? Setsuna? Where is everyone?

Hotaru drifted aimlessly for a while, not paying attention to anything, when
a flash of light caught her attention. She saw what looked to be a castle on a large
asteroid. Maybe that's the Dream Castle. Hotaru found herself drifting towards
it. As she got closer she saw that the castle was made of crystal, or more precisely,
covered in crystal. A crystal palace?

The girl drifted down until she was able to stand on the asteroid. Nothing
else to do but check it out. She walked closer to the huge building. As she
approached, she noticed the there wasn't any entrances to be seen. How do I get
in? When she reached out to touch the crystal wall, her hand went right through
it like it wasn't there. Well, that answers that question. Hotaru walked
through the wall, not noticing that the world outside had vanished.

As she walked towards the center of the castle, two great doors swung open to
revel a large room. At the far end of the room were two thrones, both occupied. In
front of them were two rows of four rectangular crystal boxes. As Hotaru drew closer,
she realized that each contained a body. They were coffins.

"That's right, Hotaru," a voice said. "They are coffins. Have you noticed who
occupies them?" The girl looked up and her eyes widened. It was Serena and Darian.
No, she corrected herself, it's Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion.

"That's right," the Queen continued. "But you still haven't looked."

Hotaru slowly looked down, dreading what she might find. She slowly walked
forward. The first two coffins contained the bodies of Neptune and Uranus. Beyond
them, she could see the bodies of the four inner senshi. When she reached the last
two coffins, she stopped, moaning in pain. They contained Pluto and Chibi Moon.

"Surprise, Hotaru. Are you proud of what you have done? You have destroyed
everything you have ever cared about."

NO!

"Oh, yes," Endymion replied. "You see, you never really destroyed Mistress 9.
She took over and killed everyone. Then she used the powers of Saturn and destroyed
the universe. Only the combined powers of my Golden Crystal and Serenity's Silver
Crystal could save even this small part of our world. And it's all your fault!"

Hotaru sank to her knees next to Chibi Moon's coffin. Tears were running down
her face. No, I couldn't have. I would never hurt my friends.

"Are you so sure?" Serenity asked. "You have before. It was you and you alone
who stole Chibi Moon's pure heart crystal. What makes you so sure you didn't do it
again?"

The girl had her hands over her ears, trying desperately to block out the
queen's voice. No, I didn't do this! I couldn't have!

"You can and you did." Endymion's voice was like ice. "You are the Soldier of
Destruction, you bring the Silence." He smiled evilly. "But you don't have to worry
about that anymore, Hotaru. You'll never have to fear the Silence again. Hear the
voices of all those you have destroyed."

If Hotaru screamed, she didn't realize it. All she could hear were the voices.
The sounds of millions of people crying out in agony. It's all I deserve, she
thought as the darkness consumed her. I killed them. I deserve to hear their agony
for the rest of eternity. Dimly she could hear Serenity and Endymion laughing, but
she didn't care. It's all my fault.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hotaru drifted. The voices were quieter now, but they were still there. Every
once in a while, an especially loud scream would slice through the darkness, but
the girl would ignore it. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore.

"That's not true, Hotaru."

What's not true?

"That nothing matters. Your friends still matter."

I killed them.

"All people must die eventually. It's just a matter of when and how."

I didn't care once. I ended the Silver Millennium without a second thought.
I killed the other senshi then too.

"If you hadn't, someone else would have. All things must come to an end."

Then why do I hurt so much?

"Because you have a pure heart, Hotaru. People with pure hearts care."

The girl said nothing. She noticed that the voices had grown a little louder.

"You don't have to listen to them, you know."

Yes, I do. That's my punishment.

"What did you do?"

I killed them.

"Who?"

Everyone.

"Are you sure?"

Hotaru paused. What do you mean?

"Did you stand by and do nothing while they died?"

I don't know.

Hotaru's Saturn Crystal suddenly appeared over her heart. "Look inside yourself.
What do you hear?"

Nothing. It is silent. What does that mean?"

"If you had killed them, would not YOUR heart be screaming at you too?"

Yes...

"Listen carefully. What does your heart tell you?"

Hotaru closed her eyes, placed her hand over her Crystal, and listened, not to
the noise, but to the silence. It says that I have been sleeping for far too long.
I was reborn here with my friends, so that we could fight together. They need me.

"Yes."

But, how can I find them?

"Listen."

As Hotaru listened, she began to hear things. Silence isn't dead, she
thought with wonder. It's filled with life itself. The warm silence between good
friends. The cold silence between enemies. The awkwardness between strangers. There
is life in a still mountain lake and a quiet wind... Silence is not death! The
Saturn Crystal began to glow softly, driving back the voices.

Hotaru's eyes sprang open. "I am ready."

"Saturn Eternal Silence Power... MAKE-UP!" The Crystal began to glow brightly
and the silent, purple light flowed over her, driving away all of her doubts and fears,
transforming her into the Soldier of the Eternal Silence, Eternal Sailor Saturn.

"Saturn Silence Wave Destroy!" Saturn's Silence Glaive appeared in her hand and
a burst of light shattered the darkness. Saturn found herself on a bluff over looking
a lake. In the distance she spotted a castle. My friends will gather there. I must
join them. She had found her own path and could now follow it. The rest was up to
the other senshi. Saturn began to run. The darkness was closing in and time was running
out.




OK minna, please tell me what you think. I need feedback! Oh, and I have a pic of Dream
Maker. Ask and ye shall receive. ^_^ I'm at pixietegs@hotmail.com. Ja ne!

Tegasus