A Rainy Day
By Sailor Pixie
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Dragon Ball Z.
A/N: Hey minna, sorry it's been so long since the last chapter but I started a Andromeda fanfic and I wanted to get it settled before continuing with this one and then I went to NMMI, a college, for six months and was entirely to busy to update this story. Any ways if you enjoy Andromeda you should check it out. ^_^* Well now that I'm done with my shameless plug, on with the show! But before you continue I would like to thank Trickster's-Lulaby and Spirt of Death for reminding me about this story.
Chapter Seven:
ConsequencesHotaru was on the edge of waking, she was at the point where you are aware of everything around you and everything you've dreamed. She heard a voice in her ear murmuring saying her name occasionally and she wanted to answer but something was keeping her in the state between reality and dreams. A stronger voice than the one in her ear started speaking and suddenly Hotaru opened her eyes to realize she was standing in a white room facing a twin of herself with black eyes.
"Hello Hotaru, I hope I haven't startled you," said the figure before her. The figure was clad in a black long sleeved, turtleneck dress that covered her from chin to toes. She was barefoot and in her hand she held a staff identical to her glaive but without a blade.
"Who are you? Where am I?" Asked Hotaru as she peered around her.
"I am Saturn." Hotaru jerked her head in surprise.
"What!?"
"Not what, who. I am the mind of Saturn, just as you are the heart of Saturn." As she spoke the white room became a field of flowers, black flowers.
"What? I don't understand you. And where am I?" Hotaru asked confused.
Saturn smiled, "You are in the center of my mind, Saturn's mind. This is the only place I can still manifest a corporeal form in. I am the mind of Saturn given form so that I can crown you ruler of Saturn." She sighed softly, "Let me explain something to you, something vital."
Saturn sat on the ground, placed her staff behind her, and folded her legs underneath her. "Before you were summoned at the end of the Silver Millennium you were crown princess of Saturn. You were to become the next ruler of your planet. All of the crown princesses are given Sailor Scout powers to protect their planet, but when they are crowned ruler they loose their sailor scout powers and become one with their planet to be transformed into goddesses. I'm here to give you access to the powers of your planet. I am here to crown you the Goddess Queen of Saturn. Once you are crowned you will become one with Saturn, you will, in a sense, become Saturn." Saturn looked up at Hotaru.
"Why are you offering this to me
now? Why not when we were fighting
against enemies that killed us?"
"Before you could fight your
enemy, now because of the influence from the Sun the Inner scouts have stolen
their planet's powers by force. They
plan to kill the Outers and capture the Empress for the Sun. You are not allowed to kill them as
honorable scouts because of the laws created by Selenity the First to prevent
petty fights from breaking out between heirs.
If I make you queen you will no longer be a scout but a goddess and with
this new title will come not only new powers but also new
responsibilities. But I warn you, once
you have accepted the crown you cannot put it down again."
Hotaru looked down at her toes as she thought about what to do. She could help protect this Empress but only at the cost of her free life. "Who is this Empress? Why is she so important?"
Saturn held out a hand and a picture of Usagi formed there, "This is the one who could become the Empress of the Moon. She will be offered the same choice as I am giving you." She closed her hand and the picture disappeared. "You must make this choice now."
Hotaru straightened and said with confidence she did not feel, "I will take what you offer, I promised to protect my princess and I will keep that promise."
Saturn nodded and stood, grabbing her staff as she stood; "Now we will begin the ceremony. You must kneel before me." Hotaru went down on one knee, as she did so the pajama shirt she had been wearing changed to the sailor fuku she had worn when she had battled Pharaoh 90. Saturn placed her right hand on top of Hotaru's head, "Do you, Hotaru, promise to rule with and for the planet Saturn justly. Do you promise to bring no shame to the crown of Saturn and will you protect Saturn above all but the Empress of the Moon. Do you swear to protect the Empress with not only your life but if necessary your death. And finally do you promise to do all in your power to bring back life to the planet Saturn?"
Hotaru paused before answering, "Yes I, Hotaru, promise to abide by the conditions set forth by the planet Saturn and accept the crown and all the responsibilities that come with it."
Saturn knelt before Hotaru and placed her staff at Hotaru's feet, "The planet recognizes the rights of Hotaru as Goddess Queen of Saturn." Saturn kissed Hotaru on her brow and Hotaru felt a burning sensation and then an unfamiliar weight on her forehead. Hotaru touched the place where Saturn had kissed; there was a strange, hard bump. "Now stand and be welcomed by your planet."
Hotaru stood, "What is this?"
"The jewel now on your forehead is a mark of your office as queen. It is a bloodstone. It signifies the blood the royalty of the nine planets shed in the past for the peace of their people and represents the blood they will shed in the future. Your foremother died, as did the foremothers of the other nine planets, when they defeated the Children of the Sun and freed the enslaved people of the Solar System. From that day foreword every queen has worn the bloodstone on her forehead."
"Can I make it less obvious? Move it somewhere else? Remove it altogether?"
"Yes you can move it from your forehead when you are not acting as a representative of the planet Saturn. But you must keep it next to your skin, because now that you are queen you are linked to the planet. If you remove the means of that link you would become weak and slow until the stone is once again placed on your forehead. Might I suggest a necklace, it is the traditional method used." Saturn straightened and smoothed her hands over her dress, "I must return you to reality, for I have held you in limbo as long as I dare. Remember to be wary of the man bearing a sun on his neck. Remember the consequences of one-sided love as you remember how the Silver Millennium fell the first time. Remember that when the princess fell in love she gave up everything for her love and caused the events that led to the summoning of Sailor Saturn and the destruction of the civilizations on the nine planets and the Moon. Now I must return you with these parting words. Be careful who you give your heart to for the heart of the queen is the heart of her planet and people. Make sure you choose a noble soul to protect your heart." Saturn placed a finger on the bloodstone imbedded in Hotaru's forehead and Hotaru was once again aware of the whispering in her ear.
The voice was deep and slightly fuzzy as it spoke to her softly. Occasionally she caught her name among a jumble of indistinguishable other words, words that weren't as important as the voice. Hotaru was very suddenly thrust from her limbo state into a very real state where she could feel her energy-deprived body groan. She was aware of someone holding her hand and stroking it softly. Hotaru opened her eyes to see Trunks by her bed, holding her hand, and telling him all about little Aurora and how she seemed to enjoy chewing on Vegeta's clothes.
"Trunks, where am I?" Hotaru asked softly, her voice raspy with sleep.
"You're at CC. We brought you home after your battle with Mercury; you've been unconscious for three days," Trunks explained. He slowly let go of her hand and stood up to leave before saying, "Usagi said you should rest again once you woke up so I'll leave you be." Though Hotaru wanted to feel Trunk's hands in hers she let him go. Once he had left the room she reached up to feel her forehead and felt only smooth skin. She frowned before she remembered to check around her neck and sighed in relief when she found the silver necklace with her bloodstone. She smiled and laid her head back on the pillow before letting a dreamless sleep take her away.
