Author's Notes: I'm sorry for taking so long! But it's here. I'm sorry if this chapter seems dragged on, but I just need to set up this plot. Then from here on out, it's smooth sailing if you don't count some bumps along the fic....
Disclaimer: Don't own anything but Sailor Star, since Sailor Sun belongs to *Dracuna Luna Challenge Master* But I created the fact that they are sisters and their civilian names and their personalities, and they're looks, etc. Basically Dracuna created the idea for Sailor Sun and some of her attacks. Other than this, everything else is not mine!
{Key:
~*/\*~ = Change in dimension
~*^*^*~ = Change in scenery
~~*~~ = Lapse in time
*.......* = Communication between dimensions}
"Violet Eyes Should Cover Pain"
Chapter 2: When Down and Broke, Work for Hilde! ^_^;
Written By,
Luna-Dragon
~*^*^*~
Cold, hard tile was underneath her, and she shivered in her unconscious state. Fists were clenched tightly together as another tremor swept through her, chilling her farther than the bone. Painfully, she opened her eyes as crimson liquid rolled down her forehead. Wincing, Hotaru brought a pale hand and touched the gash, willing herself to heal it but failing. It was then when she noticed that she was transparent. "What?" She mumbled, rising quickly to her feet and looking to her surroundings. Purple mist was everywhere; darkness enveloped everything out of the mists' reach. "The Gates of Time?"
"Yes, Hotaru, you are at the Gates of Time," A calm voice said, stepping from the shadows.
The sixteen-year-old resisted the urge to run up to the oldest Sailor Senshi of Time. "Setsuna-mama . . . where is everyone? Are they okay?"
Sailor Pluto smiled sadly. "They are all alive, but so are Star and Sun, I'm afraid. They left after they sent you."
"Sent me where?"
"There is not much time, Hotaru. Sailor Sun and Star have new powers that aid them in ripping the very fabric-like substance that separate our dimensions from others. That's where they sent you--into a different dimension. None of us are certain how to get you back except by having Sun or Star use the same technique to get you back. Until we do, you'll have to stay here. Maintain an extremely low profile until then, and don't reveal your identity to anyone. Avoid contact unless necessary . . ."
Already the world around Hotaru was fading. "Setsuna-mama . . ." She whispered softly, before the older woman disappeared.
'We're sending you a guardian . . . it's the most we could do . . .'
She heard the whisper run across her mind and her eyes closed. Hotaru felt like she was falling once more. Wind caused her hair to swing around viciously, the ends nipping at her transparent face. Instead of hitting the ground hard like she expected, her back hit something soft. Instantly she gasped, her eyes shooting open as she rose into a sitting position.
For a second, her violet eyes made her see everything disoriented as they tried to adjust to the sudden light. When she could see, however, violet eyes met violet ones. Surprised, she yelped, throwing the sheets at the pair of eyes that belonged to a teenager. Tangled in the mass of sheets, his own cries of surprise were muffled and confused. Hotaru used this chance and jumped from the bed, getting in to a fighting stance just as the confused teen threw off the white sheet.
Hotaru's breath caught in her throat as she gazed at the surprised teenager in front of her. He was taller than she was by only an inch or two the most. His long chestnut brown hair that reached passed his waist was in a giant braid that was at least a yard long, possibly longer. His attire was simple, black pants and a black shirt with a priestess' collar, a cross dangling from a necklace. When he turned, a grin was on his face, white teeth showing. But what had Hotaru mesmerized the most were his large violet eyes, the color just like hers. "Why is it that every babe I meet catches me by surprise one way or another?" He asked softly, scratching the back of his head absentmindedly.
Slowly, Hotaru relaxed, looking at her surroundings. The bed she had been in was up against the wall near the corner of the rectangular room, right under an open window. Small wooden tables were on either side of the bed, and a dresser was behind her. "Who are you?" She asked, lowering her fighting stance.
"Shouldn't I ask you the same question, babe?" The teenager countered her question with his.
"No. I don't know where I am, or why you were hovering over my face like that. Call me crazy but I think that I deserve and explanation."
The teenage in front of her blinked in surprise then laughed softly. "Well, you're at Hilde Schbeiker's place. We kinda found you unconscious at the beach." He pointed to his head, a small smile on his lips and Hotaru finally noticed the white bandage draped around her cut. "So you're here, babe. Name's Duo Maxwell. I may run and hide, but I never tell a lie. Now, what's your name?"
Hotaru touched her forehead, wincing slightly. She knew she could just heal it and cause the insolent throbbing to cease, but she couldn't do it in front of Duo, as he had introduced himself. She turned toward the teenager in front of her who had a waiting expression on his face. The violet-eyed girl bit her bottom lip in worry. 'Maintain an extremely low profile until then, and don't reveal your identity to anyone. Avoid contact unless necessary . . .' Setsuna's words echoed through her mind as Hotaru contemplated on what to tell him.
"My name . . ." She said slowly, her eyes searching for whatever label she could find. It proved useless as nothing in the room held a name that was believable. "My name is Firefly Meiou." It was the first name she could think of, and it wasn't a full lie. Firefly was indeed her nickname, and Meiou was Setsuna's surname . . . and she was like a mother to her . . . . "Firefly Meiou," She repeated with a bow, hoping to hide the guilty expression on her face.
Duo grinned. "So," he inquired suddenly, "why were you on the beach with a gash on your forehead anyway, babe?"
Briefly Hotaru wondered why she went through the trouble of thinking up a name if Duo was just going to keep calling her babe. "I - I . . ." She stifled a groan as she couldn't come up with a reasonable excuse. Not even saying she fell from a portal in the sky that led from her dimension to this one didn't sound like truth. He'd probably lock her up claiming she was clinically insane. 'Think . . .' her mind commanded, and she once again blurted the first thing that came to mind.
"I don't remember," she lied. 'It's better to fake not remembering anything to the truth and getting locked up in a mental institution. But if I got locked up I wouldn't have to worry about keeping a low profile . . .' Hotaru thought.
~*/\*~
Two silhouettes looked down at the mostly destroyed city from Tokyo Tower, smirking evilly and gloating at the fact that they did this. They caused the fear in the peoples' eyes. They, themselves, and none other held the power to destroy this miserable planet. But, they had choices.
A) The two could destroy this planet city by city as the Sailor Senshi tried futilely to stop them; causing them each pain at the fact that for once they were losing not only a battle but over six billion innocent lives.
Or B) Make their suffering quick and painless, killing them all off along with this planet and going back to the desolate land from which they came, revenge complete.
The former sounded oh-so-more appealing, they just couldn't refuse it. Why not take time and savor their victory? Why not make the nine Sailor Senshi suffer unimaginable pain at watching innocent lives to slip before their very eyes, knowing they were powerless to stop it from leaving? Sure, they had all seen it before. Which is why it made it all the more torturously fun. No one with hearts as pure as the nine Sailor Senshi of love and justice could get used to death, no matter how much they saw it. And since they had faced so much of it in the past, their whole life was set on preventing it. Who could not find ripping away their hopes and dreams without regret fun? It was a perfect plan, to say the most.
But over time, both Sailor Star and Sailor Sun knew that nothing was perfect. No. They weren't fools that were blind with rage and hell bent on getting revenge on the Senshi. All right, maybe just a little . . . but that did not mean they could not take necessary precautions. Their long, oh-so-long time with nothing better to do then to think of revengeful ways on the Senshi made their plan so well.
Precaution number 1) Get rid of the strongest Senshi. That was already partly completed. Sailor Saturn was stored away in another dimension, unable to return without the two's powers. All that was left was to kill Sailor Moon herself, or send her someplace where she wont be a bother; which they would do later. The Princess was, after all, the daughter of the reason they were killed in the first place.
Precaution number 2) Weaken the Senshi with an endless fleet of villains. Tire them out before the real battle even begun.
And, precaution number 3) Make sure the one Senshi capable, and willing, to destroy them and herself with a single attack was not to return. They should have killed Saturn in the first place, but sending her to that one dimension seemed all the more amusing. Let her come home to nothing but a rubble of a world and pain.
Sailor Star couldn't help but smirk as she went over the plan in her mind. "Soon, ay sis?" She asked wickedly, watching the city under the full moon.
"Yes," Sailor Sun answered coldly. "Soon." A flash of sadness crossed her eyes for less than a heartbeat, but was quickly replaced by utter anger. "Soon indeed . . . ."
~*^*^*~
"So you're sure she's fine?" Sailor Neptune asked for what seemed like the hundredth time that hour. She sat on a dust filled couch, inside the remains of their once beautiful mansion. A barely intact coffee table was in front of her, and Sailor Uranus sat to the left of her. In front of the two lovers stood Sailor Pluto, having gotten back from talking with Hotaru in the Gates of Time.
"She seemed to be fine, Michiru. We even sent a Guardian after her, just to keep Hotaru out of trouble. She'll be safe in that Dimension; no evil lurks in it as it does in ours." The ancient woman answered almost automatically.
"Then why would they send her their? Not that I'm complaining." Uranus muttered. "I'd think they'd do something then send her to a peace filled dimension. Otherwise, why go through the trouble of working up so much energy?"
"Haven't you seen anything, Setsuna?" Neptune asked.
"Nothing of this, I am afraid. Usually I am aware of what is to come . . . but this was so unexpected . . . ."
With a sigh, Sailor Uranus held her lover's hand reassuringly. "She knows how to take care of herself . . . and she has to keep a low profile. Hotaru'll be fine."
"Isn't there a way we can keep watch over her? When we're not fighting, I mean." Neptune asked yet another time. She was slightly comforted by Haruka being with her, but that did nothing to ease the uneasiness in her heart, or what she felt from the tides. She wanted to know as much as she could. For their sake, and for Hotaru's.
"There probably is a way," the garnet-eyed woman suddenly brightened. "Michiru, try looking at her through your Talisman."
'That's right, nothing can oversee better than my mirror,' The aqua-haired woman thought, her talisman appearing in her hand. Closing her worry-filled eyes, she concentrated everything she had into forcing Hotaru's image into the mirror's clear, reflective surface. A teal aura surrounded her, the talisman in her head shimmering with whiteness before a picture of Hotaru rippled into view as if someone threw a rock into a pond and the ripples formed Hotaru.
"She's okay," Neptune breathed in relief.
"So much for a low profile though," Haruka murmured, watching Hotaru talking with a gray haired teenage woman and a teenaged man with a chestnut colored braid. "And what the hell is Hotaru doing talking with a boy?!"
Michiru snickered softly. "Think we can manage talking to her Setsuna?"
"It's worth a try."
~*/\*~
"Thank you," Hotaru said once more, bowing at the two people in front of her. One was Hilde Schbeiker, a teenager just a year older than she was with bluish eyes and dark gray hair. The other was none other than Duo Maxwell. With her just over an hour time with him, Hotaru found out that he had a very comical sense of humor. That and he enjoyed calling her babe. Hotaru still could not stop herself from seeing a hidden pain in his eyes that reminded her so much of Sailor Saturn, however.
Shaking herself from her thoughts, Hotaru straightened up, a grateful smile that was in no way a put on. Hilde, being an owner of a mechanic shop and a four-bedroom house that she shared with Duo when he worked with her, offered Hotaru a place to stay. The senshi had, after all, proclaimed she had no home or family living relatives here, which was true. Her father had died which was how Haruka and Michiru adopted her, and she had no family here since they were in her dimension.
There was a catch, though. Hotaru would have to pay her share of the rent by working at Hilde's shop just as Duo had to. She was quick to agree, since she did know her share of mechanics. Hotaru did have her father figure to thank.
*You're welcome.*
Hotaru almost lost her footing as she looked around, thinking she truly had gone clinically insane.
*You are not insane Hotaru! Don't think that.*
'Michiru-mama?! Haruka-papa?!' Her mind thought. "Um, Hilde? Do you mind telling me where the restroom is?" She asked quickly.
"Uh, sure. Three doors down your left hallway," Hilde answered absentmindedly, going through some papers.
Without hesitation, Hotaru practically skipped away, slamming the bathroom door behind her once she was inside. Locking it, she looked around and her violet eyes went wide at Haruka's face that appeared in the bathroom mirror.
"Um . . . Haruka-papa?" She mumbled, touching her head to make sure she didn't have a concussion and wasn't seeing things.
In the mirror her father figure smiled at her. "Don't worry. We're using Michiru's Deep Aqua Mirror to contact you. I'm surprised it worked, actually. And speaking of boys, who was that out there?" She rambled, instantly getting to the topic she had in mind.
"Haruka!" Hotaru heard Michiru and Setsuna scold and she grimaced. Michiru's face appeared next. "Hotaru, are you okay? What happened?"
"I'm fine Michiru-mama. And that boy, Haruka-papa, was Duo Maxwell. He used to fight in a war that took place but now he's working with Hilde Schbeiker in a mechanics shop." Hotaru answered, recalling what Duo had told her about himself before she met Hilde.
"We're glad to hear you're okay," Setsuna said, he smiling face appearing on the mirror. "But remember what I told you--"
"'Maintain an extremely low profile until then, and don't reveal your identity to anyone. Avoid contact unless necessary.'" Hotaru repeated with a smile. "I know Setsuna-mama."
~*^*^*~
From outside the bathroom door, Duo frowned slightly. Who was Firefly talking to? She couldn't be someone working against the Preventers, could she? Briefly he evoked what she had said to the three voices. 'Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama, and Setsuna-mama.' He thought, his frown growing deeper, remembering what she also said about having no family here . . . but maybe those three weren't family . . . .
Mentally he made a note to keep an eye on Firefly and tell Heero and the others about her the next time the five had a Preventers meeting. Nodding, a frown on his face, Duo sighed and walked away.
"A fine babe comes along and she may turn out to be an enemy. And here I thought I had better luck with women," Duo muttered.
~ * ~ L U N A D R A G O N ~ * ~
Author's Note: All right, I'm sorry that this chapter took so long to get out. But I made it nice and big (or at least bigger than the last two)! And once again I'm sorry if this chapter seemed boring and dragged on, but I just needed to have these parts happen to set up the plot I'm looking for. Next chapter will be more exciting, though. In both dimensions too.
I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner, but seeing as we've got Finals and tests and I've got to make up my grades at school . . . well you get the picture. I'll try to update when I can, but meanwhile, keep looking, k? But if you want, I can add you to a mailing list! ^_^ All you have to do is email me at: MissNina@bellsouth.net or just include your email in your reviews. Speaking of reviews:
Mirai Megami: I'm glad you like my fic, and don't worry, a lot of people have told me they feel sorry for Sailor Star and Sun.
purple hotagi: Nope, just Saturn in this world! As you can see since you read this chapter. At least . . . for now . . .
Hota-chan: Same, just Hotaru in this fic, for now.
And to everyone else who didn't have a question but reviewed (you all know who you are!) I thank you! Sorry it took so long though! If you wanna be on my mailing list just email me or tell me in your reviews. ^_^ Ja ne!
Disclaimer: Don't own anything but Sailor Star, since Sailor Sun belongs to *Dracuna Luna Challenge Master* But I created the fact that they are sisters and their civilian names and their personalities, and they're looks, etc. Basically Dracuna created the idea for Sailor Sun and some of her attacks. Other than this, everything else is not mine!
{Key:
~*/\*~ = Change in dimension
~*^*^*~ = Change in scenery
~~*~~ = Lapse in time
*.......* = Communication between dimensions}
"Violet Eyes Should Cover Pain"
Chapter 2: When Down and Broke, Work for Hilde! ^_^;
Written By,
Luna-Dragon
~*^*^*~
Cold, hard tile was underneath her, and she shivered in her unconscious state. Fists were clenched tightly together as another tremor swept through her, chilling her farther than the bone. Painfully, she opened her eyes as crimson liquid rolled down her forehead. Wincing, Hotaru brought a pale hand and touched the gash, willing herself to heal it but failing. It was then when she noticed that she was transparent. "What?" She mumbled, rising quickly to her feet and looking to her surroundings. Purple mist was everywhere; darkness enveloped everything out of the mists' reach. "The Gates of Time?"
"Yes, Hotaru, you are at the Gates of Time," A calm voice said, stepping from the shadows.
The sixteen-year-old resisted the urge to run up to the oldest Sailor Senshi of Time. "Setsuna-mama . . . where is everyone? Are they okay?"
Sailor Pluto smiled sadly. "They are all alive, but so are Star and Sun, I'm afraid. They left after they sent you."
"Sent me where?"
"There is not much time, Hotaru. Sailor Sun and Star have new powers that aid them in ripping the very fabric-like substance that separate our dimensions from others. That's where they sent you--into a different dimension. None of us are certain how to get you back except by having Sun or Star use the same technique to get you back. Until we do, you'll have to stay here. Maintain an extremely low profile until then, and don't reveal your identity to anyone. Avoid contact unless necessary . . ."
Already the world around Hotaru was fading. "Setsuna-mama . . ." She whispered softly, before the older woman disappeared.
'We're sending you a guardian . . . it's the most we could do . . .'
She heard the whisper run across her mind and her eyes closed. Hotaru felt like she was falling once more. Wind caused her hair to swing around viciously, the ends nipping at her transparent face. Instead of hitting the ground hard like she expected, her back hit something soft. Instantly she gasped, her eyes shooting open as she rose into a sitting position.
For a second, her violet eyes made her see everything disoriented as they tried to adjust to the sudden light. When she could see, however, violet eyes met violet ones. Surprised, she yelped, throwing the sheets at the pair of eyes that belonged to a teenager. Tangled in the mass of sheets, his own cries of surprise were muffled and confused. Hotaru used this chance and jumped from the bed, getting in to a fighting stance just as the confused teen threw off the white sheet.
Hotaru's breath caught in her throat as she gazed at the surprised teenager in front of her. He was taller than she was by only an inch or two the most. His long chestnut brown hair that reached passed his waist was in a giant braid that was at least a yard long, possibly longer. His attire was simple, black pants and a black shirt with a priestess' collar, a cross dangling from a necklace. When he turned, a grin was on his face, white teeth showing. But what had Hotaru mesmerized the most were his large violet eyes, the color just like hers. "Why is it that every babe I meet catches me by surprise one way or another?" He asked softly, scratching the back of his head absentmindedly.
Slowly, Hotaru relaxed, looking at her surroundings. The bed she had been in was up against the wall near the corner of the rectangular room, right under an open window. Small wooden tables were on either side of the bed, and a dresser was behind her. "Who are you?" She asked, lowering her fighting stance.
"Shouldn't I ask you the same question, babe?" The teenager countered her question with his.
"No. I don't know where I am, or why you were hovering over my face like that. Call me crazy but I think that I deserve and explanation."
The teenage in front of her blinked in surprise then laughed softly. "Well, you're at Hilde Schbeiker's place. We kinda found you unconscious at the beach." He pointed to his head, a small smile on his lips and Hotaru finally noticed the white bandage draped around her cut. "So you're here, babe. Name's Duo Maxwell. I may run and hide, but I never tell a lie. Now, what's your name?"
Hotaru touched her forehead, wincing slightly. She knew she could just heal it and cause the insolent throbbing to cease, but she couldn't do it in front of Duo, as he had introduced himself. She turned toward the teenager in front of her who had a waiting expression on his face. The violet-eyed girl bit her bottom lip in worry. 'Maintain an extremely low profile until then, and don't reveal your identity to anyone. Avoid contact unless necessary . . .' Setsuna's words echoed through her mind as Hotaru contemplated on what to tell him.
"My name . . ." She said slowly, her eyes searching for whatever label she could find. It proved useless as nothing in the room held a name that was believable. "My name is Firefly Meiou." It was the first name she could think of, and it wasn't a full lie. Firefly was indeed her nickname, and Meiou was Setsuna's surname . . . and she was like a mother to her . . . . "Firefly Meiou," She repeated with a bow, hoping to hide the guilty expression on her face.
Duo grinned. "So," he inquired suddenly, "why were you on the beach with a gash on your forehead anyway, babe?"
Briefly Hotaru wondered why she went through the trouble of thinking up a name if Duo was just going to keep calling her babe. "I - I . . ." She stifled a groan as she couldn't come up with a reasonable excuse. Not even saying she fell from a portal in the sky that led from her dimension to this one didn't sound like truth. He'd probably lock her up claiming she was clinically insane. 'Think . . .' her mind commanded, and she once again blurted the first thing that came to mind.
"I don't remember," she lied. 'It's better to fake not remembering anything to the truth and getting locked up in a mental institution. But if I got locked up I wouldn't have to worry about keeping a low profile . . .' Hotaru thought.
~*/\*~
Two silhouettes looked down at the mostly destroyed city from Tokyo Tower, smirking evilly and gloating at the fact that they did this. They caused the fear in the peoples' eyes. They, themselves, and none other held the power to destroy this miserable planet. But, they had choices.
A) The two could destroy this planet city by city as the Sailor Senshi tried futilely to stop them; causing them each pain at the fact that for once they were losing not only a battle but over six billion innocent lives.
Or B) Make their suffering quick and painless, killing them all off along with this planet and going back to the desolate land from which they came, revenge complete.
The former sounded oh-so-more appealing, they just couldn't refuse it. Why not take time and savor their victory? Why not make the nine Sailor Senshi suffer unimaginable pain at watching innocent lives to slip before their very eyes, knowing they were powerless to stop it from leaving? Sure, they had all seen it before. Which is why it made it all the more torturously fun. No one with hearts as pure as the nine Sailor Senshi of love and justice could get used to death, no matter how much they saw it. And since they had faced so much of it in the past, their whole life was set on preventing it. Who could not find ripping away their hopes and dreams without regret fun? It was a perfect plan, to say the most.
But over time, both Sailor Star and Sailor Sun knew that nothing was perfect. No. They weren't fools that were blind with rage and hell bent on getting revenge on the Senshi. All right, maybe just a little . . . but that did not mean they could not take necessary precautions. Their long, oh-so-long time with nothing better to do then to think of revengeful ways on the Senshi made their plan so well.
Precaution number 1) Get rid of the strongest Senshi. That was already partly completed. Sailor Saturn was stored away in another dimension, unable to return without the two's powers. All that was left was to kill Sailor Moon herself, or send her someplace where she wont be a bother; which they would do later. The Princess was, after all, the daughter of the reason they were killed in the first place.
Precaution number 2) Weaken the Senshi with an endless fleet of villains. Tire them out before the real battle even begun.
And, precaution number 3) Make sure the one Senshi capable, and willing, to destroy them and herself with a single attack was not to return. They should have killed Saturn in the first place, but sending her to that one dimension seemed all the more amusing. Let her come home to nothing but a rubble of a world and pain.
Sailor Star couldn't help but smirk as she went over the plan in her mind. "Soon, ay sis?" She asked wickedly, watching the city under the full moon.
"Yes," Sailor Sun answered coldly. "Soon." A flash of sadness crossed her eyes for less than a heartbeat, but was quickly replaced by utter anger. "Soon indeed . . . ."
~*^*^*~
"So you're sure she's fine?" Sailor Neptune asked for what seemed like the hundredth time that hour. She sat on a dust filled couch, inside the remains of their once beautiful mansion. A barely intact coffee table was in front of her, and Sailor Uranus sat to the left of her. In front of the two lovers stood Sailor Pluto, having gotten back from talking with Hotaru in the Gates of Time.
"She seemed to be fine, Michiru. We even sent a Guardian after her, just to keep Hotaru out of trouble. She'll be safe in that Dimension; no evil lurks in it as it does in ours." The ancient woman answered almost automatically.
"Then why would they send her their? Not that I'm complaining." Uranus muttered. "I'd think they'd do something then send her to a peace filled dimension. Otherwise, why go through the trouble of working up so much energy?"
"Haven't you seen anything, Setsuna?" Neptune asked.
"Nothing of this, I am afraid. Usually I am aware of what is to come . . . but this was so unexpected . . . ."
With a sigh, Sailor Uranus held her lover's hand reassuringly. "She knows how to take care of herself . . . and she has to keep a low profile. Hotaru'll be fine."
"Isn't there a way we can keep watch over her? When we're not fighting, I mean." Neptune asked yet another time. She was slightly comforted by Haruka being with her, but that did nothing to ease the uneasiness in her heart, or what she felt from the tides. She wanted to know as much as she could. For their sake, and for Hotaru's.
"There probably is a way," the garnet-eyed woman suddenly brightened. "Michiru, try looking at her through your Talisman."
'That's right, nothing can oversee better than my mirror,' The aqua-haired woman thought, her talisman appearing in her hand. Closing her worry-filled eyes, she concentrated everything she had into forcing Hotaru's image into the mirror's clear, reflective surface. A teal aura surrounded her, the talisman in her head shimmering with whiteness before a picture of Hotaru rippled into view as if someone threw a rock into a pond and the ripples formed Hotaru.
"She's okay," Neptune breathed in relief.
"So much for a low profile though," Haruka murmured, watching Hotaru talking with a gray haired teenage woman and a teenaged man with a chestnut colored braid. "And what the hell is Hotaru doing talking with a boy?!"
Michiru snickered softly. "Think we can manage talking to her Setsuna?"
"It's worth a try."
~*/\*~
"Thank you," Hotaru said once more, bowing at the two people in front of her. One was Hilde Schbeiker, a teenager just a year older than she was with bluish eyes and dark gray hair. The other was none other than Duo Maxwell. With her just over an hour time with him, Hotaru found out that he had a very comical sense of humor. That and he enjoyed calling her babe. Hotaru still could not stop herself from seeing a hidden pain in his eyes that reminded her so much of Sailor Saturn, however.
Shaking herself from her thoughts, Hotaru straightened up, a grateful smile that was in no way a put on. Hilde, being an owner of a mechanic shop and a four-bedroom house that she shared with Duo when he worked with her, offered Hotaru a place to stay. The senshi had, after all, proclaimed she had no home or family living relatives here, which was true. Her father had died which was how Haruka and Michiru adopted her, and she had no family here since they were in her dimension.
There was a catch, though. Hotaru would have to pay her share of the rent by working at Hilde's shop just as Duo had to. She was quick to agree, since she did know her share of mechanics. Hotaru did have her father figure to thank.
*You're welcome.*
Hotaru almost lost her footing as she looked around, thinking she truly had gone clinically insane.
*You are not insane Hotaru! Don't think that.*
'Michiru-mama?! Haruka-papa?!' Her mind thought. "Um, Hilde? Do you mind telling me where the restroom is?" She asked quickly.
"Uh, sure. Three doors down your left hallway," Hilde answered absentmindedly, going through some papers.
Without hesitation, Hotaru practically skipped away, slamming the bathroom door behind her once she was inside. Locking it, she looked around and her violet eyes went wide at Haruka's face that appeared in the bathroom mirror.
"Um . . . Haruka-papa?" She mumbled, touching her head to make sure she didn't have a concussion and wasn't seeing things.
In the mirror her father figure smiled at her. "Don't worry. We're using Michiru's Deep Aqua Mirror to contact you. I'm surprised it worked, actually. And speaking of boys, who was that out there?" She rambled, instantly getting to the topic she had in mind.
"Haruka!" Hotaru heard Michiru and Setsuna scold and she grimaced. Michiru's face appeared next. "Hotaru, are you okay? What happened?"
"I'm fine Michiru-mama. And that boy, Haruka-papa, was Duo Maxwell. He used to fight in a war that took place but now he's working with Hilde Schbeiker in a mechanics shop." Hotaru answered, recalling what Duo had told her about himself before she met Hilde.
"We're glad to hear you're okay," Setsuna said, he smiling face appearing on the mirror. "But remember what I told you--"
"'Maintain an extremely low profile until then, and don't reveal your identity to anyone. Avoid contact unless necessary.'" Hotaru repeated with a smile. "I know Setsuna-mama."
~*^*^*~
From outside the bathroom door, Duo frowned slightly. Who was Firefly talking to? She couldn't be someone working against the Preventers, could she? Briefly he evoked what she had said to the three voices. 'Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama, and Setsuna-mama.' He thought, his frown growing deeper, remembering what she also said about having no family here . . . but maybe those three weren't family . . . .
Mentally he made a note to keep an eye on Firefly and tell Heero and the others about her the next time the five had a Preventers meeting. Nodding, a frown on his face, Duo sighed and walked away.
"A fine babe comes along and she may turn out to be an enemy. And here I thought I had better luck with women," Duo muttered.
~ * ~ L U N A D R A G O N ~ * ~
Author's Note: All right, I'm sorry that this chapter took so long to get out. But I made it nice and big (or at least bigger than the last two)! And once again I'm sorry if this chapter seemed boring and dragged on, but I just needed to have these parts happen to set up the plot I'm looking for. Next chapter will be more exciting, though. In both dimensions too.
I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner, but seeing as we've got Finals and tests and I've got to make up my grades at school . . . well you get the picture. I'll try to update when I can, but meanwhile, keep looking, k? But if you want, I can add you to a mailing list! ^_^ All you have to do is email me at: MissNina@bellsouth.net or just include your email in your reviews. Speaking of reviews:
Mirai Megami: I'm glad you like my fic, and don't worry, a lot of people have told me they feel sorry for Sailor Star and Sun.
purple hotagi: Nope, just Saturn in this world! As you can see since you read this chapter. At least . . . for now . . .
Hota-chan: Same, just Hotaru in this fic, for now.
And to everyone else who didn't have a question but reviewed (you all know who you are!) I thank you! Sorry it took so long though! If you wanna be on my mailing list just email me or tell me in your reviews. ^_^ Ja ne!