Hotaru woke up shortly after and she looked around. She saw Chibi Usa dozing in the corner wrapped in an afghan. She looked around. She figured she was in Mamoru's apartment because she had been to the Tsukino's before and seen all the rooms and this was not the Tsukino's house. She stood up and looked outside, it was day. 'I had better get back home… oh right… there isn't anyone at home' she almost started to lose control when she remembered that she had chosen to stay here.
After breakfast that day she had headed over to play with Chibi Usa. The dream of course accidentally slipped out and she and Chibi Usa formed a plan to stay with Usagi. They had basically just ran before they were taken (what a plan!) but it seems they had succeeded. Hotaru looked down and saw that she wore no shirt and was bandaged across the chest and her arm was in a sling. 'well at the time diving into that bush seemed like a good thing…' she mused. She noticed the sling was made from Chibi Usa's own shirt and she looked over at her friend. Chibi Usa shivered and then frowned curling up into a ball. Hotaru stood up and dragged the blanket from her bed over and placed it on Chibi Usa.
"Thank You Chibi Usa-chan" She said.
She looked around and found her clothes freshly washed on a chair. She dressed and decided to look for Usagi. She walked out into the hall recognizing it from the party the day before. She looked around. The only other room seemed to be straight ahead. She walked in. Sunlight flowed into the room illuminating the various things inside through the blinds. Hotaru smiled at Usagi who was sleeping on the pullout bed. She almost laughed aloud. 'That's absurd' She shook her head and then decided to go prepare breakfast.
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Mamoru woke to the smell of bacon. 'Oh no. I hope that's not Usako, she hasn't developed her culinary skills yet.' He thought somewhat guiltily. He reached out an arm and felt beside him. His face fell. 'She's not here' He sat up and rubbed his eyes looking around. He then saw Usagi sleeping on the floor. 'Silly Usako' He shook his head and got out of bed slipping into slippers and going into the washroom to change.
Shortly after Usagi woke and felt to her left. 'strange he's not… oh yeah' she grinned laughing at herself. She smelled bacon. 'Oh he's gone to make breakfast. I'll just go take a shower.' She sat up groggily and walked into the washroom. 'Hmm he's already taken a shower I see.' She started to change when she heard someone clear there throat from behind the curtain. 'Ohgodohgodohgod!' She said panicking. 'Why doesn't he lock the door!' she struggled with the lock.
"Is someone there? Usako I'll be right out!" Mamoru said. A hand appeared over the bar and Usagi froze. The hand grabbed the rings and pulled the curtain back.
"Ahh! Usako! What are you doing in here!" He said closing the curtain quickly.
Usagi was sitting on the ground by the door facing it with her eyes squeezed tightly shut.
"I'm so sorry! The door was unlocked and I thought you were making breakfast so I came in here to take a shower and then you had turned off the water so I couldn't hear you and then I started getting unchanged and I heard you so I tried to get out… sorry!"
"Okay. Hold on a minute. Stay where you are."
Usagi heard a rustling behind her and then se heard the curtain open. She clenched her eyes tighter and waited. Mamoru walked across the room and he wrapped a towel around his waist.
"Okay. Now take a shower but next time knock okay?"
"I'm sorry!"
"Enough with the sorry's it's okay Usako," He stepped around her rubbing her head as he walked by. "I'll remember to lock the door next time. He chuckled as he stepped out closing the door behind him.
_____________________________________________________________________
Hotaru was just finishing up breakfast and Chibi Usa was setting the plates as the clock struck nine. Mamoru had been out a while ago and said he was going to work on his laptop for a bit in his room and to call him for breakfast.
"Breakfast!" She called
"Okay one minute!" Two nervous voices called from inside the room.
'I don't even want to know'Mamoru and Usagi had been faced with the problem of how to get Usagi out of the bathroom. She wanted Mamoru to leave but he said that he was working and that she should just come out with a towel and got the clothes. Usagi had responded with a no way. Mamoru eventually won and she dashed out in a towel grabbed her clothes and dashed back in. Mamoru sighed and finished up with his work. 'that girl' he thought. He got up and walked to the door lost in thought. On the way he bumped into Usagi.
"Sorry!" Usagi squeaked quickly moving out of the way and letting Mamoru through. Mamoru blushed but quickly recovered and walked to the table.
They received blank questioning stares from the two girls already seated and Chibi Usa rolled her eyes.
"That was errr… odd." Hotaru said
"mhmmm" Chibi Usa nodded and raised an eyebrow.
Usagi turned a dark red but sat down at the table and stared at her food. She eventually recovered and she began to look sad. Mamoru reached out with his mind but was stopped by Hotaru's thoughts. He looked at her questionably.
"Anything you have to say you can say in here."
Mamoru sweat bubbled as everyone looked up.
"Errr… I love you Usako…." He said.
"Awww!" Usagi cooed turning red again.
Hotaru's face fell. "Nevermind. Go ahead and do that in your heads. Blech. But we need to get down to business."
"Right!"
Chibi Usa opened her mouth to talk when there was a loud scratching at the door. All of them jumped up and transformed tipping over some of the chairs. They all got in their first attack pose and Tuxedo Kamen brought out a rose. They aimed cautiously at the approaching footsteps.
"Anybody home?" Luna's voice rose through the hollow hallway as Artemis, Diana and herself stepped around the corner.
Everyone sweat dropped and fell down.
_____________________________________________________________________
"And that's the whole story" Hotaru finished.
"And they didn't tell us?" Luna asked referring to the cats.
"No." Hotaru said looking down.
"Well. I too was visited by Sailor Stardust and I think I should be able to answer any questions you might have."
"Lunar Mind Meld!"
Three beams of light shot from Luna's forehead to the foreheads of the scouts. Each person's respective symbol shown on their foreheads as the memories were added.
"…wow." Mamoru said first.
"There's a whole other group of scouts." Hotaru said.
"Yes. I wasn't equipped with any of this before so you never knew. You now have you're full memories back."
Usagi laughed and looked at Darien.
"Stop it you to! No talking separately!"
"We aren't. It's Ami she made fun of y… errr… she… is back"
"Good."
"have you found the other scouts yet?" Usagi asked.
"yes I so far have contact with all the inner senshi. I can feel Michiru and Haruka but they won't respond. I can't feel Setsuna or Hotaru though… and… Chibi Usa…"
"Hotaru is with us."
"She is?"
"Same with Chibi Usa"
"Oh thank goodness! Could you ask Hotaru to try and contact Setsuna for me?""Hotaru could you try and contact Setsuna please?" Usagi said out loud
"Sure" Hotaru concentrated and Usagi felt her send out her mind. Usagi followed behind tracing its path.
"Hotaru?" a faint sound echoed
"Setsuna-mama?"
"Hotaru-chan! Where are you?"
"I'm at Mamoru-sans"
"What!"
"I'm sorry Setsuna-mama me and Chibi Usa stayed behind."
"Is the princess okay"
"I'm fine Setsuna-san" Usagi said finding her.
"oh thank the goddess. Is everyone else okay? I suspect you found Ami."
"Yes she found everyone and she has made contact with everyone but Michiru-san and Haruka-san"
Usagi instinctively followed Hotaru's thoughts to find Michiru and Haruka. When she arrived she was blocked out but Hotaru went through.
"Haruka-papa, Why are you not letting anyone contact you?" Hotaru asked.
"Because." Haruka answered coldly.
"Please just accept the inners. We are part of them. Where is Michiru-mama?""I… I can't find her."
"What! Haruka-papa please let Usagi-chan in she is still waiting."
"No"
"You pay disrespect for your princess?"
"She is gone anyway"
"hmm. I will try and look for Michiru-mama"
Hotaru returned to the waiting Usagi and Setsuna and reported what had happened and how they couldn't find Michiru. Back in the apartment tears dotted Usagi's closed eyes as a huge wave of thoughts went crashing in all directions.
"I found her." Usagi said.
"Please get Haruka-san to follow me Michiru-san is not well."
Usagi sped off towards Michiru and felt Haruka, Hotaru and Setsuna persue.
"Michiru-san?"
"Who are you! Why are you in my thoughts! Who is Michiru!"
"Michiru-chan… What's the matter…" Haruka said on arriving.
"Ha…Haru…Haruka-san?"
"Michiru…"
"Har…Usagi… NO! I don't know any of you. Go away."
With that everyone was pushed out.
Hotaru and Usagi opened their eyes. Everyone stood expectantly except for Mamoru who looked pale.
'strange I didn't even feel you there this time.'
'you were very overcome with emotions, but it's half because we are growing closer'
Mamoru smiled at Usagi and squeezed her hand.
"Michiru-san… has lost her memory." Usagi said after a deep breath. "She pushed away our thoughts after almost remembering. I believe there may be an outside force altering her memory."
'just like you' she thought without thinking
Mamoru squeezed her hand tighter but frowned.
"Did you find everyone else" Luna asked.
"Yes everyone else is okay."
"That's good to hear" said Ami who had appeared in front of Usagi with the other senshi.
"Ami!" Usagi ran towards her for a hug but went right through. She flew to the ground and started to sob.
"I'm sorry Usagi. I probably should have warned you. The sole purpose of the jewel is to project images."
Mamoru worked his way around the girl quickly and helped Usagi up. Still crouching Mamoru comforted Usagi by sending warm thoughts to her and holding her close.
When they got back and sat on the couch Minako had tears in her eyes.
"Usagi-chan!" She said.
"Mina-chan…" Usagi replied but all they could do was look at each other.
Setsuna appeared behind them.
"I couldn't get Haruka to come I'm afraid."
"I expected that much" Usagi said.
"What happened?" Almost all the inner senshi said.
Hotaru told them what had happened and a silence fell across the room.
"So what are we going to do?" Usagi asked tears in her eyes.
"I think the enemy will probably use us as bait to get to you. I don't yet know of there purpose. They must be a spur of the rebellion of the white moon years ago."
"Well Taylor said," Usagi began
"Taylor?"
"Luna If you please." Usagi said to Luna.
"Lunar Mind Meld!" Luna said. Eight beams went out in different directions. Two canceled and fizzled out but the others were received.
"Haruka and Michiru rejected it" Luna said sadly.
"Well like I was saying. The enemy is probably going to use us as bait. I don't think they'll strike for a while though. From the calculations that they most likely would have made. They think that you are… dead. Until they find out your not. You are not going to be bothered." Ami said.
"But what about you guys?" Usagi asked worried.
"I… don't know. Inter-dimensional travel is not something the sailor scouts can do. But I do know that there is things back home that can pull us back. I'm just not sure what. As far as I am concerned we aren't necessarily being kept prisoners out there. We are scattered but technically set free. I've taken a look around. It has a lot of white moon energy and it looks a bit like the moon but black."
"Ami. I'm losing my grip. I need to get back." Minako said fading in and out.
"Okay…. Bye everyone." Usagi said the tears shining in her eyes.
"Don't worry about us. We'll be fine for now." Said Rei.
The scouts all wavered in and out for a bit and then disappeared.
"Goodbye" Usagi whispered.
"they'll be okay"
"I hope so" Usagi answered out loud not having the emotional strength to answer in her head.
_____________________________________________________________________
"Are you sure you don't mind?" Chibi-Usa asked again.
"Yes I'm sure. We can't have you sleeping on the floor. You and Hotaru go sleep at home. I'll stay here so that Hotaru can use my bed. The cats will watch over you."
"What about you?" Luna asked.
"I'll take care of her" Mamoru said smiling.
"Well okay… but I don't agree with it!" Luna said.
They were standing at the door packed and they were still arguing!
"No trust at all"
"I know!"
"Okay! Goodbye. I'll be fine!" Usagi said closing the door. Mamoru had gone with them so as to drive them home. Promising to stay in touch with Usagi. Usagi was glad she had a minute to herself and she started making tea for herself and Mamoru when he returned.
"You want tea?"
"Sure"
"hehe this is handy"
"Yeah but not when you're driving! Mamoru over and out"
Usagi laughed and took out a tray placing two cups and the pot on it and going out into the living room. She sat on the couch looking at the sky thinking.