Sailor Moon

Ghosts of the past

A fanfiction by Jonathan Schmidt

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon so don't sue me. There I said it J

This series is based almost entirely on the dub which, despite its shortcomings, I prefer to the original. Judge the story by how well made you think it is not by whether I include those questionable aspects of the original. Try to regard it as a different reality and dimension. It takes place a few months after the end of the Stars season. Any question/comments? Email me at ashmidt@flash.net enjoy.

Text in italics are thoughts.

Text in Triangular Brackets is psychic or telepathic communication.

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Episode ten: Hidden Demons! The Troubled Mind of Souichi Tomoe

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*The scene is Dr. Tomoe arriving home from work*

"Daddy!" a young Hotaru called as she leaped into her smiling father's arms. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too honey but now I can spend the rest of the day with just you so what do you want to do?"

"Can you take me to the park, the cherry blossoms are blooming, they're so pretty."

Tomoe bent down and ran a hand through his daughters black hair. "Not as pretty as you sweetie."

Hotaru and Tomoe laughed as he picked her up and swung her around. All of the sudden the happy scene was fractured as a terrible unearthly scream emanated from everywhere and Tomoe awoke in bed, his head burning like fire. He screamed in pain and held his head.

Hotaru ran into the room panicked. "Daddy!" She grabbed his hand and touched his face trying to calm him. She held him for several minutes till at last his breathing became less stressed and his convulsions stopped.

Hotaru looked up, her face wet from the recent tears. Trista stood in the doorway, her face sympathetic. Hotaru's voice was grave. "He's getting worse."

Trista nodded. "Then there is only one thing left to do."

Serena marveled at her surroundings as she walked through Dr. Tomoe's home. The others followed behind her. "Hotaru I can never get over how big your house is," she laughed, "somebody could get lost in it."

"And chances are it would probably be you…" Raye remarked.

Serena turned defensive. "Hey was that an insult?"

Raye: "If the shoe fits wear it."

Serena: "I'll show you a shoe. I'll shove it right down your big arrogant mouth."

"I'm soooo scared," Raye taunted.

It looked like Serena was about ready to do something crazy so Lita got between them and tried her expert hand at mediating. "Easy guys, we're here to help Hotaru remember?"

"Well okay, I'll ignore that little remark for Hotaru, for now."

"Hotaru we all want to help your father but what exactly can we do?" Amy asked.

Hotaru looked back at her, "Trista said she had a plan but she wanted to tell everyone together."

They ascended the chairs and soon found themselves in Tomoe's room. Trista sat next to his bed and rose as they entered.

"Is he any better?" Hotaru asked as she walked over to her father.

Trista shook her head. "No, I'm afraid his condition hasn't changed at all, he's still unconscious."

"What do you want us to do?" Michelle asked.

"Yeah, we'll do anything we can," Mina added.

Trista closed her eyes in deep thought as she explained. "I believe that there is more to this illness then meets the eye. It shows no indications of being anything natural. I believe that Dr. Tomoe is being attacked by something from within and the only way to find out what is to enter his mind."

Amy said. "Yeah, just like we did when the Grim Man attacked Rini in her sleep."

"Grim Man?" Hotaru asked confused.

"Yes," Mina said, "that was the first time we met Pluto." (We see flashback.) "Grim Man was one of the Doom Phantom's minions, he was sent from the future to attack Rini in her dreams. Pluto transported us into Rini's mind to save her."

"You can do that?" Amara asked Trista amazed.

Trista nodded, "we'd best transform now. If we are able to free Tomoe's mind then he will remember all that has happened and know the truth about us, there will be no point in trying to hide who we are."

"It seems like we're giving away our secret identities these days," Raye remarked.

"I for one would like to be able to discuss sailor business with Dr. Tomoe. His knowledge could be very helpful to us," Amy said.

Hotaru was silent as she held her father's hand. Amara put a hand on her shoulder. "The most important thing is making sure we take down whatever is causing Tomoe all this pain."

Lita looked at the young girl. "We'll save him Hotaru, you can count on it."

Hotaru smiled. "Let's do it."

The nine soldiers transformed in bright blast of light and ribbons. Sailor Moon put her hands on Saturn's shoulders. "Are you sure you want to come with us?"

"There could be things in your fathers mind that might be difficult for you to see," Pluto warned.

Saturn looked resolute. "No, my father has given me everything. When Mistress 9 took control of me he was willing to risk his life to get to me. The least I can do is try my best to protect him."

Pluto raised her Garnet Rod. "I warn you your powers will not work the same way they do in this world. You will be at the mercy of his mind." The rod glowed brightly and the sailors, save Pluto, teleported into Tomoe's mind.

Mars looked around confused; "hey we're still in Hotaru's house." Indeed they now stood in the living room.

"Do you think Pluto's powers malfunctioned?" Moon asked.

"More likely this is just a recreation of Tomoe's home based on his memories, the same way Rini's mind looked like Crystal Tokyo after it was attacked," Mercury speculated.

Venus glanced back and forth. "We better start looking. No telling where we'll find Dr. Tomoe."

Staying together the group moved through the house, Saturn in the lead. Mars closed her eyes as she concentrated. "I can't put my finger on it but something is really wrong here."

"I feel it too," Saturn said as they entered her room. She gasped. Her father stood in the room, looking over into a crib where a very young Hotaru lay, smiling as she grabbed his fingers and played with them, cooing softly. Next to him stood a woman with smooth black hair like her own, she put an arm around Tomoe and kissed him on the cheek. Saturn dropped her scythe. "Mommy…"

Saturn started toward them but was gently restrained by Uranus and Neptune. "It's not her Hotaru," Neptune said in as soothing a manner as possible, "it's one of your fathers memories."

Saturn's eyes moistened and she jerked away, running to her parents. Upon contact her hand passed right through them. She dropped to her knees and cried softly. The sailors watched, their faces shone in pity.

"If it helps at all little one," Neptune said softly, "a lot of us know how you feel."

Jupiter nodded sadly. "Yeah, the pain… never really goes away completely." Her eyes began to get teary. "But I know my mom and dad would want me to be happy and I know your mom would want the same for you."

Saturn bit her lip. "I was so young when it happened but I still miss her so much."

Uranus put a hand on the girl's shoulder and gently squeezed it. "Lets go." Saturn nodded and the group left the room.

Saturn gasped as they reentered the hallway, the figure standing there filling her with dark and cruel memories. "Kaorinite!"

Across from them Kaorinite stood next to a slightly older Dr. Tomoe, her arms wrapped possessively around him. "Tell me doctor," she said seductively, "how long till the Sovereign awakens?"

Tomoe chuckled. "Soon Kaori, soon. For now though she must remain dormant within the child. The power of Sailor Saturn's spirit will keep her alive long enough for us to awaken her with the energy of Pure Heart Crystals."

"Not all that dormant," Kaorinite said in disgust. "She attacked another student today, put him in the hospital. The teachers want to talk to you about it."

"I own the school. They will do as I say or not, at their peril. For now it seems we will simply have to deal with these little outbursts as best we can. Where is she now?"

"Hasn't left her room since she got home. Honestly I don't see how that weak little crybaby can carry our mighty Sovereign."

"Caring for her can be such a chore," Tomoe said bitterly. "I long for the day when she no longer exists."

Sailor Moon's eyes shook emotionally as she watched them talk. Was this what Hotaru's childhood was like? How could she bear it?

Jupiter stepped up to Saturn cautiously. "You okay?"

Saturn clenched her fists. Come on, don't let this get to you, she told herself. Things aren't like this anymore, it's in the past. It has no claim on me.

"This wasn't your fault." It seemed a rather pointless thing to say but Hotaru still found Moon's words quite comforting.

"How many memories are we going to have to go through before we find the real Tomoe?" Mercury wondered aloud. Before anyone could answer the room changed, now they stood in the midst of a vast dark void. Mists surrounded them, obscuring their vision somewhat.

"Now what?" Uranus said.

"Oh I wish Tuxedo Mask was here," Moon said fearfully. "This is getting creepy."

"Well he's on that business trip so we're just going to have to do without him," Mars told her.

*Flashback*

Darien stood at the bus stop finishing a long goodbye to Serena. He hugged her tightly. "It will just be for a week then I'll be right back."

"Try to hurry," Serena whimpered, "things never feel right when you're not around."

*End flashback*

"Why did we end up in this expanse?" Jupiter asked. "It can't be one of Tomoe's memories.

Neptune looked about cautiously. "It must be because of whatever's attacking him. His mind is having trouble maintaining itself."

"If we don't heal him soon…" Uranus didn't finish the thought for fear of upsetting Saturn further.

Saturn raised her scythe and called out to the dark gloom. "I know someone or something here is hurting my father. Come out, tell me who you are!" She noticed movement to her left and pointed her scythe toward the figure as he stepped out of the mists. Her eyes widened. "Daddy?"

"Hotaru?" Dr. Tomoe asked tentatively. "Come closer, let me see you."

Uranus grabbed Saturn's hand. "Careful." Saturn pulled away and ran toward him, her eyes glistening in happiness. A few feet from him she suddenly stopped. Something wasn't right, his eyes looked different somehow, colder.

Tomoe held out his right hand to her. "What's wrong sweetie?"

Saturn turned angry and pointed her scythe to his throat. "You're not my father. Who are you?" The other sailors gasped as she pressed the blade harder against his neck, a bit of blood coming out. "Tell me!"

The Pseudo Tomoe smiled demonically, his voice suddenly becoming deeper, the star marking on the right lens of his glasses flashing. "Why Hotaru, I am your father." He began to laugh. Saturn felt a sudden chill of evil race through her, warning her. She narrowed her eyes and struck out.

"Saturn!" Moon cried in shock, still not certain that the man was not Tomoe. What happened next threatened to make her sick to her stomach. As the sailors watched silently, their guards up, the headless body of Dr. Tomoe stumbled back. Somehow he was still laughing insanely. The sailors watched in horror as his clothes tore off, revealing a very different body, and a new head shot out of his severed neck.

Uranus's eyes widened in shock as the being took form. "It's not possible," she said slowly.

"Its him," Neptune said, her voice shaking in fear.

"What do you mean?" Moon asked, her eyes trained on the being.

"What is that thing?" Mars said in disgust.

Uranus narrowed her eyes in hate. "It's the lead daimon that possessed Dr. Tomoe for all those years."

The creature laughed insanely, "true though I prefer to be addressed by my true name Germatoid." He stood in an odd white spandex suit; a large black star shaped marking making up his single expressionless eye. "Sailors, always a pleasure. Welcome to my home, soon to be your final resting places."

"How can you be here!" Uranus yelled. "I killed you myself!"

Germatoid chuckled. "That tale is a most interesting one indeed and one you and Neptune will understand the most as you were there to see it happen." (We see a flashback to the scene where Uranus fires a World Shaking at Germatoid's true form) "When you blasted my real body the fragments entered the special suits I had created, all except one. By mere chance it entered back into Tomoe's body. When you killed my lead mind Uranus the rest of my fragments ceased functioning. However the one inside Tomoe didn't. Without a full mind to guide it it acted instinctively to preserve itself. By tapping into Tomoe's brain it harnessed enough energy to barely stay alive. Still it was capable of nothing but existing. Overtime that fragment evolved and grew. Eventually my mind returned and I realized what had happened to my former self. From then on I focused on stripping Tomoe of his sanity, knowing that eventually you would come."

Uranus stepped in front of Saturn. "Germatoid what do you hope to accomplish here? Your master and mistress are dead."

Germatoid laughed again. "True there is nothing left for me here, but whatever torment awaits me in eternity will be well worth it when my demise destroys you as well. Your friend Pluto will find she is unable to bring you back, my powers will keep you here till the end for soon I will have enough power to destroy Tomoe's mind as well as anyone inside at the time. I will be destroyed as well but as I said it will be well worth it."

"I don't care about your threats where's my father!" Saturn demanded.

"Oh him?" Germatoid said in an amused tone, "he's around here somewhere… In fact I believe that's him right now." He pointed toward the darkness as a man in a white lab coat stumbled out.

Tomoe was mumbling and incoherent. "No… leave me alone… don't hurt her… I don't want… Hotaru… Please… Its all my fault…"

"How about you say hello to the pretty sailors Doctor? They came all of this way just to see you." He threw his right arm forward, extending it into a whip. It wrapped around Tomoe's body, lifting him up before slamming him into the floor.

"Daddy!" Saturn yelled as she ran to him.

Germatoid looked back at the scouts. "Poor old fool doesn't have much life left in him I'm afraid. I'm the one in charge of his mind now?"

"That's not true!" Saturn cried. She shook her father gently. "You have to wake up."

"You're moondust pal!" Moon cried as the soldiers gathered around her.

Uranus drew her sword. "This time you'll stay dead."

A red aura grew around Germatoid. "I have been waiting a long while for this sailors. Now the time has come to avenge the Heart Snatchers!"

Jupiter's earrings flashed. "We'll see about that freak. Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

Germatoid merely laughed as the attack struck him in the chest, his whole body being electrified by it but not harming him in the least. "Next."

"I'll melt your dark heart!" Mars cried, "Mars Firebird Strike!"

The firebird passed right through Germatoid as he ran toward the sailors, his arms turning into scythes.

Uranus countered his cuts and stabbed at the creature's eye with her sword, his head stretching like elastic and dodging every strike. "Not this time Uranus," he laughed mockingly.

Uranus smirked. "I'd pay more attention to what's going on around me if I were you."

Germatoid looked around; the sailors had surrounded him. "What?"

"Venus Love Chain Encircle!"

"Neptune Triton!"

Venus's chain wrapped around Germatoid, holding him as Neptune ran at him and stabbed the triton into his chest. Germatoid let out a maddened laugh as liquid energy burst from the holes in his body like an over filled water balloon. He collapsed but his laughing didn't stop. His body bulged again, the chain snapping. He stood back up, unharmed.

Saturn held her father close, gently stroking his hair. Tears flowed down her face. "Please… please wake up…" she whispered.

Tomoe opened his eyes and spoke weakly. "What's going on? Who are you?"

Saturn found herself filled with new hope; she smiled down at him in relief. "You have to remember daddy. Its me, its me Hotaru," she said softly.

"Hotaru? I-I don't understand."

"Daddy we're here to help you but you have to remember. Remember the Heart Snatchers," Saturn said slowly.

"Heart Snatchers?" Tomoe repeated in vague recognition.

"Why do you even try sailors?" Germatoid said as he faced them down. "Reality is mine to distort here, you can't harm me unless I desire it."

Moon stepped forward, the crescent mark drawing in energy. "We'll just see about that. Eternal Moonbeam!"

The beam engulfed Germatoid as the sailors cheered. "That did it!" Venus cried.

Mercury didn't look nearly as hopeful. "Look there," she pointed to the dimming light left by the beam. Germatoid stood unscathed.

Uranus looked over her shoulder. "Saturn we could use some help here."

Saturn was torn. She wanted to help but she couldn't leave her father like this.

Tomoe's eyes widened as he looked at Germatoid, fear filling him. "No." (We see flashbacks of Germatoid taking over his mind then the final battle against the Mistress 9 and Pharaoh 90.)

Saturn stared at him, her eyes full of concern. "Daddy?"

Tomoe clutched his head as if in pain, the terrible memories too much to bear. "No! Hotaru its- it's all my fault!"

Germatoid looked at him. "Indeed it is Doctor. You were given a choice and condemned your daughter to a fate worse then death."

Saturn grabbed his shoulders, turning Tomoe to face her and cried out. "Don't listen to him! You were only trying to save me! We have to let go of the past and move on or it will destroy us both. Our destinies are what we make of them we're slaves to no one. That's what the sailors have taught me. We can have a bright and happy future and you can be a part of it. Don't let the past keep you from having a good life. Let it go!" she begged.

Tomoe seemed to struggle to answer. "I-I want to Hotaru, but its just so-so terrible. It's all because of me…" he began to weep.

"You have to stop blaming yourself!" Saturn cried emotionally. "You're the one who freed me daddy. Because of my memories of you I became strong enough to fight Mistress 9. None of us blames you for what happened, we would have done the same thing in your place."

Tomoe's tears dripped to the floor. "Oh… Hotaru…"

"Because of your love for me I became Sailor Saturn and gained a second chance at a happy life. Now its your chance." She looked to the sailors. Germatoid was blasting each to the ground with blood red beams from his eye. She stood up. "Now I'll drive this demon out of you for good."

Tomoe's mind was overwhelmed as he tried to take in everything that was happening. "Hotaru…" he whispered as Saturn faced down Germatoid.

"Feel my wrath!" Germatoid yelled, a huge red beam rocketing from his eye to the sailors.

"Silent Wall!"

The beam dissipated around the energy barrier, revealing Saturn standing in-between him and the sailors, her shield pulsing. "Your efforts come to nothing I assure you," Germatoid said confidently. "You may have escaped The Silence but you will never escape me, none of you will!" His arms extended toward them, followed by six tentacles that sprouted from his shoulders and neck. Each wrapped around a sailor, holding them fast. Electrical energy surged through the tentacles, shocking the soldiers hard. One by one they dropped to their knees in pain.

Tomoe tried to focus, to find something to balance the confusion that filled him. He looked to Saturn, her face scrunched up in agony. His fatherly instincts began to take over, his love for her driving away the mental trauma. Hotaru's in danger I have to do something I have to help them. As soon as the words left his lips bright auras began to grow around the sailors, disintegrating the tentacles.

Germatoid looked surprised as his now stumped arms retracted. "What's this?"

Saturn's voice dripped with anger and hate as she stood up, her aura surging. "I will never forgive you for what you've done you soulless parasite! I'll show you the true power of The Silence!" She raced at the shocked Germatoid, her power reaching its peak. "Silence Scythe Strike!"

Saturn slashed down with all her might, cutting Germatoid cleanly in two as she ran through him. Everyone stood silent, waiting to see what would happen.

Mar's senses flared. "No! Saturn get away!"

Saturn leaped back as Germatoid's two halves bulged and exploded, an unearthly red light wrapping around the fragments. It dimmed, revealing Germatoid in his true form (that huge plant/insect thing). Clearly angry the hideous creature now glared down at them from his unearthly eye. "Do you really think you can just wave your little stick around and be rid of me? Your powers mean nothing here! However… mine do." Red energy surged around his eye and fired outward.

Saturn raised her scythe to shield the other sailors. "Silent Wall!"

The energy wave slammed into the barrier. Saturn struggled against it. It began to crack. "I-I can't hold it!" The barrier shattered leaving every sailor lying prone on the floor. Saturn struggled to stand but to no avail. How can this be? My energy's totally gone.

Moon pulled herself up with what little power she had left. She remembered the power boost Tomoe had just given them. "Dr. Tomoe, you're the only one who can stop this," she pleaded.

"What?" Tomoe asked in disbelief.

"This is your mind not his." Moon was emphatic. "You're a good, kind man he has no place in your body you have to drive him out. Do it for your daughter."

Tomoe looked to Saturn. She lay on the ground, barely moving. Germatoid charged another blast and fired it straight at her. "No! Hotaru!"

Tomoe dove in front of Saturn, the blast engulfing them both.

Tomoe saw himself through his mind's eye. He was playing with Hotaru, chasing her around the park as she laughed. He smiled as she collapsed in exhaustion and fell immediately to sleep in his arms. "I love you Hotaru," he whispered in her ear. Hotaru smiled in her sleep.

Tomoe felt an odd sense of empowerment at the memory. He saw himself speaking to him. "These are the important things. These are what you hang onto in life regardless of what your circumstances may be. They are what matter and they are what you must fight for. Stand on your feet and do what you know you can!"

The sailors watched in worry as the explosion's energy slowly dissipated. Germatoid was still chuckling. His laughing abruptly stopped as the energy at last cleared revealing Tomoe still standing. Carrying Saturn in his arms he slowly walked forward, his face etched in anger.

Germatoid didn't seem impressed. "How climatic, you're going to try after all," he said in a bored tone.

Tomoe gently placed Saturn in Uranus's arms and glared at Germatoid. "You destroyed my daughters life once, I won't let it happen again!" Bright energy flared all around him, forcing the sailors to step back.

Moon: "He's doing it!"

Venus: "He's reclaiming his mind!"

Jupiter: "All right!"

Saturn opened her eyes and smiled. "Daddy…"

Tomoe's lab coat blew about as his mind's energy surged. "Sailor Moon's right. This is my mind you have no place in it!"

Germatoid's own energy began to grow. "Then we shall see once and for all who has the rights to this mind." Both of their energies released and slammed into each other in a violent display. As Tomoe struggled Germatoid laughed, deciding to try some mental torture. "I remember the way your wife looked after she died in the explosion. I'm afraid there wasn't much left of her though." He again began to laugh insanely, "and then there was your poor daughter. So confused over how weak and in pain she suddenly felt. I can't count the number of times she came home in tears from one of her attacks or the ridicule she suffered from her peers. It was most entertaining." However instead of weakening Tomoe as Germatoid had hoped, his verbal jabs only seemed to anger him more and increase his resolve. For the first time Germatoid began to feel truly worried.

Tomoe gritted his teeth. "I won't let you win, I won't let you ruin any more lives!"

As he felt himself being overpowered Germatoid screamed in one last pathetic attempt to manipulate his host, "No you fool! You are nothing without me!"

Tomoe smiled, "I think its you who is nothing without me."

Germatoid let out one last maddened laugh and blew apart before totally disintegrating. Tomoe's energy proceeded to engulf everything in brilliant light.

Saturn opened her eyes, finding herself back in her father's room. The other sailors stood around her, apparently having just arrived as well.

Pluto stood up concerned. "I got worried when I lost contact with you. What happened in there?"

"We'll explain everything," Moon said, finding it to be something she never thought she would say to Pluto. She looked at Tomoe and Saturn. "For now let's let these two rest and catch up."

"Oh daddy I have so much to tell you!" Saturn cried as she climbed on the bed with her father.

Tomoe hugged her tightly as if afraid she might disappear, proving to be just a dream. "You can tell me everything later sweetie. Now I'm just glad you're here."

The sailors silently watched the sweet scene unfold. Saturn's eyes watered involuntarily. "I've missed you so much."

Tomoe hugged her tighter. "Me too." He looked up at the sailors. "Thank you for protecting Hotaru. You've taken better care of her then I ever could have."

"It was an honor," Neptune said with smile, "but trust me there are some things only a father can do."

Tomoe nodded and held Saturn close to his chest, no words describing the happiness in his eyes.

She had fallen asleep in his arms.

Notes:

"Yay! It feels good to finish an important part of the series plot. I hope you found the story touching.