Chapter One: A Present from Beyond
Hotaru smiled as she received her birthday gifts. A book
from Setsuna, a piece of violin music from Michiru and a ball
from Haruka. Among her other gifts was a silver sword pendant.
Hotaru had no idea where it came from, but she was happy to have
it. A small crystal was in the hilt of the sword, and there were
designs all over it.
Setsuna freaked out at it. Michiru and Haruka didn't
understand why Setsuna was having such a cow over it. It was a
normal sword pendant. They sold them at grocery stores and all
over. It was possible one of Hotaru's friends hand picked it up,
wrapped in an envelope, and stuck it in the mailbox.
"Don't you know what this is?" Setsuna said as she
grabbed it from Hotaru's hands. "This is the key to the planet!!"
"Has Setsuna lost it or is it just me?" Haruka asked
Michiru.
"She's lost it. Setsuna, this is almost the same pendant
Haruka and I saw at the drugstore when we picked up Hotaru's
cake. You don't need to get all freaked out," Michiru said.
Setsuna looked down at it and stopped. Her mood was
tamed, or at least appeared to be. She laughed at herself.
"Ha! I thought this was the key to Shijosei! How stupid
of me!" Setsuna, who rarely ever laughed, cracked up right on
the spot. "Now how about some cake?"
* * *
Hotaru got into bed. Her birthday had been wonderful.
Even the pendant, which became Hotaru's favourite gift, was
pleasing. Setsuna came in to kiss her good night. Haruka and
Michiru had a night concert tonight, and they weren't going to
be able to say good night.
"Setsuna-mama, what's Shijosei? And what's about the
key?"
"Hotaru-chan, I didn't mean to flip out right in front of
you. It's just been so long since I've seen something from the
past," Setsuna explained. "I bet you want to know what it's all
about, ne?"
"Hai!" Hotaru sat up in bed.
"Long ago, in the Silver Millennium there was a planet
ruled by children. This planet was protected by a Senshi known as
Sailorshijosei. Shijosei was seemingly fair and just, but a few
of the children wanted to keep their youth. So they locked
Shijosei away with their own powers. They used a sword which they
transformed into a pendant to seal her so that only the person
with the sword could release her. This," Setsuna held up the
pendant, "is the sword. You are obviously the one who is supposed
to release Shijosei from her sleep."
"Wow," Hotaru thought. Setsuna didn't put the pendant
down. "Can I see it?"
Setsuna cautiously handed Hotaru the pendant. "Time for
bed. You've got school tomorrow."
"Okay." Setsuna took the pendant from Hotaru's hands. She
took it with her downstairs as though she were keeping it from
Hotaru. What could it mean? Hotaru thought as she curled up in
bed. Her eyes closed and she was fast asleep.
The next morning she woke up as she normally did, before
everyone else. She tiptoed downstairs and grabbed a box of cereal.
Pouring it in a bowl, she realised she didn't have her pendant.
Setsuna had taken it last night, Hotaru remembered. She put the
milk away and put the bowl on the table. She went searching
through the house to see where Setsuna had hidden the pendant.
She opened the cabinet where all the papers were kept, and lying
on a bed of important papers was the sword pendant.
Hotaru picked it up. "If you are special, show me." In
her hands the sword began to grow. Soon it was as long as Chibi-
Usa was tall. With the sword in her hands came a great sense and
feeling of power. She felt herself subconsciously transform into
Sailorsaturn. She had not gone into her Super form.
"What is your purpose? Why did you choose me?" From the
jewel on the hilt came the picture of a beautiful young girl.
Her hair was white, reaching the ground. It was curly in a way
and the strands were almost in clumps.
"Please young senshi, I beg of you. My planet is in
havoc," the girl said. "Use this sword and save our planet!"
Hotaru felt inclined to, but she did not know how. "How
do I find your planet? Who are you?"
"The sword knows the way," the girl said before she
disappeared.
Hotaru looked at the sword. She could almost see through
the blade. "Please, sword, help me save them. They need me." She
felt herself fill with energy. "Guide me to your planet."
At that moment, Setsuna ran downstairs to see Hotaru begin
to transcend into her heavenly form. Michiru and Haruka were also
there. "Hotaru, no!" they all screamed, but Hotaru couldn't be
stopped now.
She looked at them. Her eyes seemed happy. "I'll be back
soon," she said. And she disappeared into the stars.
"Chikuso!" Setsuna screamed.
Hotaru, meanwhile, was in space. The sword pointed to a
star. It seemed to know where to go. "Let's go!!!" she said. She
knew this was the beginning of one long journey.
Hotaru smiled as she received her birthday gifts. A book
from Setsuna, a piece of violin music from Michiru and a ball
from Haruka. Among her other gifts was a silver sword pendant.
Hotaru had no idea where it came from, but she was happy to have
it. A small crystal was in the hilt of the sword, and there were
designs all over it.
Setsuna freaked out at it. Michiru and Haruka didn't
understand why Setsuna was having such a cow over it. It was a
normal sword pendant. They sold them at grocery stores and all
over. It was possible one of Hotaru's friends hand picked it up,
wrapped in an envelope, and stuck it in the mailbox.
"Don't you know what this is?" Setsuna said as she
grabbed it from Hotaru's hands. "This is the key to the planet!!"
"Has Setsuna lost it or is it just me?" Haruka asked
Michiru.
"She's lost it. Setsuna, this is almost the same pendant
Haruka and I saw at the drugstore when we picked up Hotaru's
cake. You don't need to get all freaked out," Michiru said.
Setsuna looked down at it and stopped. Her mood was
tamed, or at least appeared to be. She laughed at herself.
"Ha! I thought this was the key to Shijosei! How stupid
of me!" Setsuna, who rarely ever laughed, cracked up right on
the spot. "Now how about some cake?"
* * *
Hotaru got into bed. Her birthday had been wonderful.
Even the pendant, which became Hotaru's favourite gift, was
pleasing. Setsuna came in to kiss her good night. Haruka and
Michiru had a night concert tonight, and they weren't going to
be able to say good night.
"Setsuna-mama, what's Shijosei? And what's about the
key?"
"Hotaru-chan, I didn't mean to flip out right in front of
you. It's just been so long since I've seen something from the
past," Setsuna explained. "I bet you want to know what it's all
about, ne?"
"Hai!" Hotaru sat up in bed.
"Long ago, in the Silver Millennium there was a planet
ruled by children. This planet was protected by a Senshi known as
Sailorshijosei. Shijosei was seemingly fair and just, but a few
of the children wanted to keep their youth. So they locked
Shijosei away with their own powers. They used a sword which they
transformed into a pendant to seal her so that only the person
with the sword could release her. This," Setsuna held up the
pendant, "is the sword. You are obviously the one who is supposed
to release Shijosei from her sleep."
"Wow," Hotaru thought. Setsuna didn't put the pendant
down. "Can I see it?"
Setsuna cautiously handed Hotaru the pendant. "Time for
bed. You've got school tomorrow."
"Okay." Setsuna took the pendant from Hotaru's hands. She
took it with her downstairs as though she were keeping it from
Hotaru. What could it mean? Hotaru thought as she curled up in
bed. Her eyes closed and she was fast asleep.
The next morning she woke up as she normally did, before
everyone else. She tiptoed downstairs and grabbed a box of cereal.
Pouring it in a bowl, she realised she didn't have her pendant.
Setsuna had taken it last night, Hotaru remembered. She put the
milk away and put the bowl on the table. She went searching
through the house to see where Setsuna had hidden the pendant.
She opened the cabinet where all the papers were kept, and lying
on a bed of important papers was the sword pendant.
Hotaru picked it up. "If you are special, show me." In
her hands the sword began to grow. Soon it was as long as Chibi-
Usa was tall. With the sword in her hands came a great sense and
feeling of power. She felt herself subconsciously transform into
Sailorsaturn. She had not gone into her Super form.
"What is your purpose? Why did you choose me?" From the
jewel on the hilt came the picture of a beautiful young girl.
Her hair was white, reaching the ground. It was curly in a way
and the strands were almost in clumps.
"Please young senshi, I beg of you. My planet is in
havoc," the girl said. "Use this sword and save our planet!"
Hotaru felt inclined to, but she did not know how. "How
do I find your planet? Who are you?"
"The sword knows the way," the girl said before she
disappeared.
Hotaru looked at the sword. She could almost see through
the blade. "Please, sword, help me save them. They need me." She
felt herself fill with energy. "Guide me to your planet."
At that moment, Setsuna ran downstairs to see Hotaru begin
to transcend into her heavenly form. Michiru and Haruka were also
there. "Hotaru, no!" they all screamed, but Hotaru couldn't be
stopped now.
She looked at them. Her eyes seemed happy. "I'll be back
soon," she said. And she disappeared into the stars.
"Chikuso!" Setsuna screamed.
Hotaru, meanwhile, was in space. The sword pointed to a
star. It seemed to know where to go. "Let's go!!!" she said. She
knew this was the beginning of one long journey.