Chapter 5: Remembrance Monday…
"No lies….. My name I cannot say……."
Hotaru opened her eyes to see Rini standing over her, her unusual red eyes were flashing and the area around them was puffy. She had evidently been crying. Rini whispered a soft sentence…
"A true scout never tells her name or lies… except to help another."
Hotaru sat up. For a few seconds, she thought her subconscious was still whizzing. Then she found that a very passage found it's way to the front of her mind and into her mouth.
"Indeed it shall be revealed. Indeed the time has come for the advent. But as I mouth 'advent', my vision is disturbed by the monstrous image of the worldly ghost. Somewhere in the desert a monster with a lion's body and a human face glares blankly and without emotion like the sun. And slowly moves its feet around in circles in the shadows of the frightened desert birds."
Rini smiled at the end. A happy, relieved kind of smile. One which suggested a sense of intense warmth. Unfortunately, that smile was soon to turn to anger.
"Chibi Usa..."
A soft yet dangerous voice echoed through the empty room. Rini sat up more, stiffed backed and wide-eyed.
"What do you want?"
"We want her back."
"Never."
"Want a bet?"
"Any time. Try me."
"You asked for it."
What happened next lasted only a few seconds. Something blue and glowy hit Rini in the back and she fainted like she was frozen. Hotaru only saw the face of the attacker before another blue ball thing was hurled at her own face. But it gave her time enough to say one quiet word.
"PallaPalla."
___________________________________
When she awoke again, she was paralyzed. She could just about move her head from side to side. What she saw startled her immensely.
"A jungle? Or rainforest?"
A soft yet malicious laugh came from somewhere above her. Twisting her head to see who the laugher was, she could only see weird Arabian style trousers and pointy shoes..
"So, we meet again, Traitor."
"What? Who are you?"
"Oh, playing the innocent, are we?"
"No. I meant, who are you?"
"I am JunJun. Surely you remember which of us is which.."
"Sailor Pluto, who is that?"
"That is JunJun. She is the weakest of all of the Quartet."
"Quartet?"
"The Amazoness Quartet. JunJun, VesVes, CereCere and PallaPalla. Watch out for PallaPalla's gems."
"What do they do?"
"Whatever she wants them to do...."
"Where are the others?"
"Oh, so you decided to confess that you know us? You just wait."
"And what have you done with Rini?"
"Well, we have uses for the little princess..."
"Princess? Rini's a princess?"
"You really are as dumb as you look, aren't you? Course she's a princess! She's daughter of Neo-queen Serenity….."
"...I am Neo-queen Serenity."
"Princess Serena?"
"Sailor Moon?"
"Serena?"
"Yes. I remember. Where is Hotaru?"
"I am here, my queen."
"I put you in charge of the outer senshi, I turn my back for one minute and you turn to the dark side of evil."
"I am truly sorry, my queen. It was just.."
"No excuses. I forgive you. You were misled by your father. For that, I give you sympathy…"
"Hello?? Welcome back to Planet Earth! Or as close as we can get to it."
"JunJun, what have you done with Rini?"
"Like I'm going to tell you!"
"You'd better."
"Ooh! Aren't we the fighter? Well you should be. Why don't you just transform, and then we can battle it out properly!"
"Transform?"
"Yes, you know! The thing where you yell something out when you hold up those stupid pens, and then do all the dancey stuff and voila- a sailor scout!"
"Pens?"
"Duh!! What happened to you? You used to be all big speeches and fancy words, but now you've gone stupid! And where are the rest of your little friends?"
Then, in true Japanese timing, came..
"You found us, JunJun!"
"Why did I just say that? This always happens!"
"I am Sailor Moon! Champion of justice, defender of the innocent and..."
"Stop."
All pairs of scout eyes turned to Hotaru. Regaining her feet, she stood and looked at herself. She was... older. Taller, prettier and more grown-up. Her mind just started whizzing again.
"I am a Sailor Scout. I make my own decisions and fight my own battles. I answer most of my own questions, and I make up my own mind. I'm sorry, but this is one of those decisions, one of those battles and one of those questions. I need to make it, fight it and answer it on my own."
Sailor Moon came up to Hotaru and held her hands.
"Hotaru... You remembered."
"That I'm a scout? Yes."
"No, your maiden speech."
"My maiden speech?"
Sailor Neptune stepped forward.
"Yes, the first thing you said when you found out your dad was on the side of evil."
"I.. remember..."
"My father... Is evil?"
"I know that it's a shock, but.."
"A shock!! Understatement! I am devastated! My father, who raised me and taught me the ways of the world is an evil demon!"
"But never forget, we are here for you, all the time. We can help, and we will help."
"No lies….. My name I cannot say……."
Hotaru opened her eyes to see Rini standing over her, her unusual red eyes were flashing and the area around them was puffy. She had evidently been crying. Rini whispered a soft sentence…
"A true scout never tells her name or lies… except to help another."
Hotaru sat up. For a few seconds, she thought her subconscious was still whizzing. Then she found that a very passage found it's way to the front of her mind and into her mouth.
"Indeed it shall be revealed. Indeed the time has come for the advent. But as I mouth 'advent', my vision is disturbed by the monstrous image of the worldly ghost. Somewhere in the desert a monster with a lion's body and a human face glares blankly and without emotion like the sun. And slowly moves its feet around in circles in the shadows of the frightened desert birds."
Rini smiled at the end. A happy, relieved kind of smile. One which suggested a sense of intense warmth. Unfortunately, that smile was soon to turn to anger.
"Chibi Usa..."
A soft yet dangerous voice echoed through the empty room. Rini sat up more, stiffed backed and wide-eyed.
"What do you want?"
"We want her back."
"Never."
"Want a bet?"
"Any time. Try me."
"You asked for it."
What happened next lasted only a few seconds. Something blue and glowy hit Rini in the back and she fainted like she was frozen. Hotaru only saw the face of the attacker before another blue ball thing was hurled at her own face. But it gave her time enough to say one quiet word.
"PallaPalla."
___________________________________
When she awoke again, she was paralyzed. She could just about move her head from side to side. What she saw startled her immensely.
"A jungle? Or rainforest?"
A soft yet malicious laugh came from somewhere above her. Twisting her head to see who the laugher was, she could only see weird Arabian style trousers and pointy shoes..
"So, we meet again, Traitor."
"What? Who are you?"
"Oh, playing the innocent, are we?"
"No. I meant, who are you?"
"I am JunJun. Surely you remember which of us is which.."
"Sailor Pluto, who is that?"
"That is JunJun. She is the weakest of all of the Quartet."
"Quartet?"
"The Amazoness Quartet. JunJun, VesVes, CereCere and PallaPalla. Watch out for PallaPalla's gems."
"What do they do?"
"Whatever she wants them to do...."
"Where are the others?"
"Oh, so you decided to confess that you know us? You just wait."
"And what have you done with Rini?"
"Well, we have uses for the little princess..."
"Princess? Rini's a princess?"
"You really are as dumb as you look, aren't you? Course she's a princess! She's daughter of Neo-queen Serenity….."
"...I am Neo-queen Serenity."
"Princess Serena?"
"Sailor Moon?"
"Serena?"
"Yes. I remember. Where is Hotaru?"
"I am here, my queen."
"I put you in charge of the outer senshi, I turn my back for one minute and you turn to the dark side of evil."
"I am truly sorry, my queen. It was just.."
"No excuses. I forgive you. You were misled by your father. For that, I give you sympathy…"
"Hello?? Welcome back to Planet Earth! Or as close as we can get to it."
"JunJun, what have you done with Rini?"
"Like I'm going to tell you!"
"You'd better."
"Ooh! Aren't we the fighter? Well you should be. Why don't you just transform, and then we can battle it out properly!"
"Transform?"
"Yes, you know! The thing where you yell something out when you hold up those stupid pens, and then do all the dancey stuff and voila- a sailor scout!"
"Pens?"
"Duh!! What happened to you? You used to be all big speeches and fancy words, but now you've gone stupid! And where are the rest of your little friends?"
Then, in true Japanese timing, came..
"You found us, JunJun!"
"Why did I just say that? This always happens!"
"I am Sailor Moon! Champion of justice, defender of the innocent and..."
"Stop."
All pairs of scout eyes turned to Hotaru. Regaining her feet, she stood and looked at herself. She was... older. Taller, prettier and more grown-up. Her mind just started whizzing again.
"I am a Sailor Scout. I make my own decisions and fight my own battles. I answer most of my own questions, and I make up my own mind. I'm sorry, but this is one of those decisions, one of those battles and one of those questions. I need to make it, fight it and answer it on my own."
Sailor Moon came up to Hotaru and held her hands.
"Hotaru... You remembered."
"That I'm a scout? Yes."
"No, your maiden speech."
"My maiden speech?"
Sailor Neptune stepped forward.
"Yes, the first thing you said when you found out your dad was on the side of evil."
"I.. remember..."
"My father... Is evil?"
"I know that it's a shock, but.."
"A shock!! Understatement! I am devastated! My father, who raised me and taught me the ways of the world is an evil demon!"
"But never forget, we are here for you, all the time. We can help, and we will help."