A/N: REALLY SORRY YOU GUYS!!! My chapters are dragging so much! Waaaaaaah!!!! Oh well, I'll just have to push it more. Eventually I might get back to dishing out a chapter a day, maybe.
"It seems kinda dull around here, doesn't it?" Kioko asked, poking at her food with her fork. She yawned. "It's like every day's the same thing."
"Oh really? Mind explaining this?" Hotaru asked holding up a particular article in the Daily Prophet.
Of course, Kioko's first reaction was to look innocent, but then she saw the title, "Hogwarts Exchange Student Kikyo Night, A Real Student or a Real Ditz?" And it had a picture of Kikyo falling down a set of stairs in an extremely embarrassing position.
"Oh thaaaaaaaat." Kioko smirked, "Now Hotaru, do you really think I don't know how to use an owl?" She asked.
"You pushed her down the stairs in that picture didn't you?" Harry questioned. Mr. Dursly put down his own paper to take a look at the picture himself.
"Why Harry, however did you guess?" Kioko asked, looking more innocent than ever.
Hotaru sighed and put the article up, having no intention of reading it. "Kioko, some day you're going to mess with the wrong people and you're not gonna be able to scheme your way out of it." She said shaking her head.
"Nonsense, I have an endless supply of resources at my fingertips there's nothing I can't scheme my way out of!" Kioko said with a wave of her hand. "By the way, Hotaru, did you get much sleep last night? You look a bit tired?" She asked.
"I did wake up once or twice but I'm fine." Hotaru lied. Why do I keep doing this? Why can't I tell them the truth? Hotaru smiled and finished her bagel. "I'll be outside." She said getting up from the table.
Fact of the matter was, she felt terrible. Her eyelids wanted to shut so badly, but she couldn't let them or she might have another nightmare. She'd rather feel this way than go through that again. The last nightmare was worse than all the rest combined, and it seemed they all had kept getting worse. If she saw any more, if she were to see that same nightmare in a different, more horrifying vision (though that didn't seem possible), she didn't know what she'd do. But she couldn't stand it, she couldn't take all those images coming into her mind.
Hotaru used the fence she was near for support and did her best not to throw up at the memories. The rotting flesh was bad in itself, but seeing a man being eaten while he was still screaming, and eaten by a demon, it was too much. Only through force of will did she keep her breakfast down in her stomach. It can't go on like this forever. She told herself. I have to do something, I have to tell someone. But why? Why do I feel as though I should keep this all a secret? What is keeping me from doing anything other than sit around?!
Hotaru continued to walk down the street, she couldn't go to Aushran right now, she couldn't face him now. He would see what she was feeling, he'd know she was troubled, and this time, this time, while she couldn't get that nightmare out of her mind, he wouldn't be able to cheer her up again.
Hotaru kept her face hidden in her hair and just walked until she found a busy road. She didn't stop to go back, she just continued aimlessly.
In time it felt as if she were just walking like a zombie, completely unaware of anything around her, she merely walked. But it wasn't Mistress 9 this time, it was her, she was making herself sick and didn't know how to get out of it.
Then she stopped and stared. In front of her was a brick wall, she'd wandered into an alley without meaning to.
This is the wrong path to chose. She thought. But I'm lost…I can't just take another path…I have to go back.
She had to go back, she had to remember, all the things that had happened, she had to go back. Her first nightmare, there was a message in her first nightmare. One that imbedded itself in her mind. "With each conversion from dark to light the balance becomes obscure. Be warned, for the dark is rising." That was it. That had been the first clue.
Now I know what it means. Hotaru thought to herself. Many of the enemies we have faced have turned to the light, Galaxia had been are strongest enemy yet, she must have been the last straw. That is why the dark is rising, that is why Mistress 9 has suddenly become stronger, that is why all of these things are happening. The balance between good and evil is obscure, good has too much hold of this world, and now evil is strengthening. She told herself. It was a warning after all, she had known this was going to happen, and there wouldn't have been any way to stop it had she been able to figure out the message in detail before. It was out of their hands, the war between good and evil will continue, because there has to be a balance.
But I won't give up, I promised not to give up. Hotaru took a deep breath and turned around.
It seemed her own fault, this was just too common a scene for it to have passed her by. 5 punks, gangsters, were standing in her way out. "Hey there little lady." Said the one in the middle smirking.
"You're awfully brave to come into our turf." Said another.
She must have looked like the easiest target then, a pale, week looking girl with a breakable air about her up against five boys brought up by the harsh streets where survival of the fittest takes it's place.
"Can I ask a question?" Hotaru asked softly.
"Sure babe, whatever." The leader waved.
"What do you believe in?" She asked, her eyes were hidden by her hair.
"In strength." He just shrugged. "The more strength a man has, the more he can take with it, and the more strength he can gain."
"But what happens when you have all the power in the world, and yet it tortures you? What would you do if you were immortal and couldn't die? What would you do, if you were stuck with both the responsibility of a horrifying power, and the torment of your own demons? There would be no way out, not even death could save you because you can't die." She said.
"There's no such thing as immortality." He spat, "Stop gibbering and get to the point!"
"You are wrong. Soon, you'll see. Everyone will know. The war between the three is about to begin as the war between good and evil continues. Right now, you have a purpose, you stand in my way as an obstacle, symbolic to what goes on behind the surface of your world." A look of confusion and fear spread on their faces.
"Freak!!!"
"Monster!!!" they cried.
Hotaru looked at herself as they ran. Her body was encased with a violet glow, and her forehead shone with the symbol of Saturn. Hotaru watched as her hand began to ripple, as though it were water, and disappear. The world around her rippled like water, the colors blurred.
I must go back, one way or another. Hotaru thought. The colors came together and she found herself in her room. Hotaru instantly sat down on her bed and brought out the Book of Silence and turned to her Journal section, where she had all her notes and entries.
********
Journal Entry: I knew about this from the beginning. Looking back, I see it. I felt it ever since I'd been reborn! I thought it was depression, but no, now I see, it wasn't. I had felt Mistress 9 awakening, I felt Silence bringing the Saturnarians back, I felt it, I knew there was something about Voldemort. But how?
"Your world, their world, and the others' world are all about to collide. The Messiah of Silence shall begin and end this action. You, Hotaru Tomo, will save and destroy all three of these worlds." That was one thing I read in the Book of Silence, one clue to all of this. I did begin the merge between the worlds. Sure the others went to Hogwarts before me, but until I went there no one else knew anything about the Senshi. Now everyone knows.
In my first entry I had considered that Voldemort was Chaos reborn, perhaps that was a suspicion of mine, but how Voldemort has become a pawn of Chaos, it's as if that assumption was true. Maybe it was coincidence, maybe it wasn't. I'd also read about the Prophecy between Harry and Riddle. Though from what I can tell it has little to do with much, other than the fact that one has to kill the other in the end. Of course Riddle wouldn't want to be the one to die, so it makes sense that he'd go after Harry himself. I also had a feeling that I had a part in that whole thing, Was this just another sneaking suspicion? Or an actual thought, a premonition of the future as my first nightmare had been?
I'm not sure if this has anything to do with all this, but in my second entry I mentioned that I was learning things very fast. Maybe there's a reason behind this too, and maybe it's just a coincidence. But are there any coincidences any more?
Oh my goodness, I've been reading over my first encounters with Ryuuza and it's hard not to start laughing. He's grown so much since then, we all have. It seems like such a long time ago, longer than two years even. I was pretty nervous then, and started acting a bit out of character. Though I imagine the book had something to do with that.
I remembered Kioko once I saw her, I knew she was familiar. It was probably the pale skin and raven hair, but…I'm not sure. I think I knew she was more, I mean…Draco, Harry, and I were friends on Saturn and I didn't really find anything quite familiar about them at first…but maybe my nightmares have the answer to that. I remember Kioko the most because she was my best friend, and I killed her…
I was so naive back then, I wanted to be an Auror to help the war against Voldemort, I thought I could help out in this lifetime and become a healer in the next. It's obvious that things definitely won't turn out that way at all. I can't help but shake my head at this, I feel so much older than I was then, I've changed, and I know it. We've all changed, we've all grown. Especially Kioko, out of all of us I can see she's grown quite a bit as well. Not just in strength though, she was already strong to begin with, and with good reason! But in mind as well. It's hard to explain though, she still seems like the same old Kioko I knew back then, yet…different somehow, older.
Draco is someone else who's grown, though with him it's more obvious. He's nothing like how he use to be before we started dating, and when he was making an enemy of me.
I think the time when I began gaining the powers of Silence started in the first Potions class when I actually felt Harry and Professor Snape hating each other. Feeling emotions was the first thing I could do, other than read the Silent Language.
I'm starting to think that there's some sort of trend in Kioko's…abilities. She's a very fast learner, good at martial arts, good at manipulation, and very clever with her wand. I don't think it's all a coincidence, I think it has something to do with her powers as Tarterus's guardian. They're probably different from silence, maybe all that is to her as Silence is to me. Maybe that's her power. Hm…
Why haven't I been having any more of those nightmares? The ones that put me in the hospital, I haven't been so exhausted that I needed medical attention. Is it that I'm getting stronger? Or something else? I can't help thinking there's something wrong. That there's something more to what we think. Like a key to everything, I don't know, and I'm not sure I want to.
It's like every time I find out more, everything just seems harder to bear. I killed Kioko, I can hardly put up with that. I killed other Saturnarians. I caused Queen Selenity to seal Saturn away. If you think about it, I'm part of the reason Voldemort exists. The other part, is Chaos.
It just feels odd, things have been quieting down. Is there a reason? Is there something being done beneath our noses? I can't hardly stand it! What is going on!? Why isn't Chaos outright attacking us?! Is he afraid of Mistress 9? Or is he preparing something?
Mistress 9 has been quiet, very quiet. At least, I think so. What if she had the nightmare as well? What if she remembers who she loved? What could she be thinking right now? And what of that whispering I sometimes hear just before she starts hurting my head with laughter? Am I hearing the voices of other Saturnarians? If so, why? And why does Mistress 9 always interrupt them?
Mistress 9 is fear, but how did she get like that? What happened to make her this way? Was it more than merely her love being killed? Or, did she really love him? Did she feel as though everything shattered after he died?
I feel sorry for her now, before it just seemed as though she was a demon, but now…it seems as though she's an actual person, living inside of me. She has stopped tormenting me and trying to possess me, I wonder why. Does she remember? Does she feel as though she's done enough? Is she tired? Or is she preparing for something?
**********
"Hey Hotaru, where were you? Aushran said you never came." Kioko commented when she found Hotaru in the living room of their underground house.
Hotaru shook her head, "I didn't feel up to it today. I'll apologize to him tomorrow." She said.
"You'll have to do it today." Harry said holding up a letter. "We'll be going to Sirius's place tonight."
Hotaru's head shot up. "Oh no. He hasn't finished his painting yet!"
"Maybe if you go now and stay he can." Kioko commented.
"Wait!" Harry said as Hotaru got up. The two girls looked at him oddly. Harry bit his lip, "Hotaru, there's something I need to tell you. Voldemort, er, Riddle. He was…happy, last night. I heard him talking…to someone…or rather something." He said.
"Harry…"
Harry shook his head as if to clear cobwebs. "He floated in the air, cross-legged. And had a ball floating between his hands. I couldn't see his face because he was wearing a black cloak, but I could see two spheres of light positioned to be his eyes. Does that mean anything?"
Hotaru nodded gravely, "That was Chaos." She said.
"He said something about Mistress 9, and about something called the Ebony Key. That's all I heard." He told them.
Hotaru started, "Can you tell me what he said about Mistress 9?!" She gasped out.
Harry shook his head, "He said 'And so is Mistress 9', but that's all I heard."
What is Mistress 9? Hotaru thought. "Well…I'd best be going…" She said.
Hotaru knocked on the door three times. Feeling a bit guilty and nervous at the same time, in a house of four there was only 1/4th of a chance Aushran would be the one to open the door.
"Yes?" The door only opened a little bit so that the youth could peek at Hotaru with one eye. Her voice was quiet, and had little emotion in it at all.
"Is Aushran here?" Hotaru asked softly.
"Yes." She said with the same monotone voice. "I will go get him for you, wait here." She said blandly. 'Aushran, it's for you.' Hotaru heard the girl call with the Silent Language as she disappeared back into the house. Soon Aushran was at the door.
"Konnichiwa." He greeted, closing the door behind him.
"Um, sorry for not coming this morning. I had a lot on my mind…" Hotaru apologized, feeling a bit awkward.
"I understand. Though you have more on your mind now, don't you?" he stated.
Hotaru nodded, "We'll be leaving tonight. I just found out. I can't tell you where, just that I'll see you at Hogwarts and I hope you aren't mad at me."
"Why would I be mad? I can always finish the picture in school." He said. "I'll miss you though."
Hotaru felt her cheeks turn a bit pink. "I'll miss you too. But it's only less than a month." He nodded. Hotaru suddenly got an idea. "Um, do you have to do anything today? Maybe you me and the others could all go to Diagon Alley." She suggested.
"I'd like that." He said. "Let me ask my mother." He walked back into the house and Hotaru sat down on the swing to wait. Soon he came back out with his sketch book in hand, "She said I could." He told her.
Hotaru smiled, "Great! I hope the others don't have anything else planed."
Hotaru and Aushran entered the underground house where they found Kioko was…sitting on top of Harry reading a book.
"Um…Kioko?" Hotaru blinked.
"Yeeeees?" Kioko looked up from her book.
"Why are you sitting on Harry?" She asked.
"Long story that involved me taking a shower and Harry deciding it was a good idea to flush the toilet." Kioko said with her sadistic smile.
"I said I was sorry!!!" Harry exclaimed.
"And I forgave you. Sort of. Believe me, Harry, this is on no accounts the worst thing I could be doing to you. So!" Kioko got up and walked over to the two. "Is there a special reason you brought Aushran over?" She asked.
"Oh, well if you guys don't mind, I was thinking we could all go to Diagon Alley together? Or maybe Hogsmede." Hotaru answered.
"Can we wait until my back heals?" Harry asked, still on the floor.
"Harry, dear, are you insinuating that I'm overweight?" Kioko questioned.
"You jumped on my back!!!"
"Details, details." Kioko waved it off.
Aushran suddenly let out a small chuckle, and then went on to a soft laughter. Making Kioko look rather pleased with herself. "Anyway. Draco should be here in a bit, then we can go I guess."
"We have to be back by tonight, remember." Harry said, painstakingly getting up.
Hotaru sighed, "Here, Harry." She said walking over to him. She put her hands on his back and removed any injury as well as the pain.
"Thanks, Hotaru." He said.
"Who is Draco?" Asked Aushran.
"Draco Malfoy, he's Hota-chan's boyfriend." Kioko said waving it off a bit. "Oh, and Harry's rival. Though the two are getting along a lot better now than they had a while ago."
"Oh." Hotaru made herself busy by cleaning up the coffee table. She didn't like how Aushran had said 'oh', and felt rather guilty. He's my brother. She told herself, All evidence says so…But Aushran didn't know that.
"Hey, is that your sketchbook?" Kioko asked.
"Um, yes. I take it with me everywhere." Aushran answered.
"Can I see it?"
"Um…."
"Okay I'm here, everyone bow down and worship me." Draco said sarcastically as he entered the underground house.
Kioko suddenly busted out into a fit of laughter, as did Harry. Hotaru couldn't help but giggle at his joke. But Draco's mood changed from sarcastically humorous to reclusive once he saw Aushran. "Who's he?" He demanded, glaring at Aushran who calmly stepped aside to let him down the stairs.
"That's Aushran Hametsu." Kioko said. "He'll be joining us while we rendezvous at Hogsmede. And if you have any objections, I'd like to see you try and stop him." She added.
"Kioko!" Hotaru exclaimed. Though she was right, Aushran was very well built, and a good head over Draco. It was very obvious who would win in a physical battle
"It's okay, I don't want to cause any animosity." He said. Though it seemed Aushran wouldn't be in a fight anyways. "If Malfoy-san doesn't want me here I'll go back home." He said. There was no real regret in his manner, it was mostly a matter-of-fact type thing. He appeared not to mind either way.
Draco looked as though he was about to say Aushran couldn't go, but he caught Hotaru's eye and shut his mouth.
"Well, I don't hear any objections!" Kioko said, "Let's go." Calypso appeared on her fist and she grabbed Aushran's sleeve. "Everyone hang on."
Hotaru took Harry's hand and Harry put his hand on Kioko's. Draco took Hotaru's other hand and they appeared in an alleyway in Hogsmede.
"So that is how you get around." Aushran said, watching as Calypso chirped and disappeared again.
"Phoenixes are very useful at times." Kioko said smiling.
*******
Journal Entry: I was able to cheer up that day after all. I was able to forget about what happened earlier and have fun with my friends. We made Aushran laugh several times, which feels like an accomplishment concidering how he always seems so mellow. It was mostly the times when Kioko would crack some sort of sarcastic joke. At the end when Aushran had to leave it was my turn to give Kioko the laughing look.
"What? Ooooooh no you don't Hotaru! That's my look!!!" Kioko exclaimed, but she only made me giggle.
"What?" Harry asked, confused.
"Never mind." Kioko grumbled while I continued to giggle. But then it seemed Ryuuza got in on it and was now giving Kioko that look as well. "Shut up Malfoy." Kioko snapped.
"By the way," Harry interrupted, "Draco's gonna need to come with us." He said.
"What?" Ryuuza questioned.
"You need to come with us to Grizwald Palace, Sirius's place as well as the base for the Order of the Phoenix." Harry explained.
"Oh, why?" he asked.
"Not sure exactly, this letter jus says you do. Probably because you're a bit of a target for Voldemort, considering how much you know about him."
"I wish you wouldn't say his name." Draco said frowning.
"Yeah, call him his real name, Riddle!" Kioko said. "Or Tom, Tommy, and Thomas." She grinned snickering.
"Somehow, I don't think he likes that name." I commented.
"Whatever, I can hardly stand staying home anymore anyways. Mum's going half crazy and is scaring the new house-elf." Draco said waving his hand.
"Do you need to go back and get some things?" I asked.
Draco nodded, "Yeah, I'm sure Pandora can just teleport us into my room." He said.
"Hm, we haven't taught Draco how to use a sub-space pocket yet have we?" Kioko asked.
"Which is why Hotaru needs to come with me." Draco added, taking my hand in his.
"Why Hotaru? Why not m—Oooooh," Kioko smirked making me blush. "Alright you two love birds, go be alone if you must." She said snickering.
Pandora, I called mentally. Pandora instantly teleported to my shoulder and nibbled at a piece of my hair in affection. Draco's room, please. I told her mentally. She chirped and the next moment we were there. Pandora chirped again and disappeared, leaving Draco and I alone.
"What do we need to pack?" I asked, looking about the large room. It was very obvious his family was rich now, his entire room had rich furnishings, tapestries, paintings, and all his personal belongings were in a very nice order, recently dusted and organized.
"Money, robes, broom, owl, wand." Draco said, taking his trunk out of his closet and started putting some nice robes into it while I fetched his broom.
I heard a hoot at my shoulder and looked over to see a lovely black owl looking at me. "Well hello there." I said, petting its soft feathers.
"She was named after Bellatrix, but we merely call her Bell now." Draco told me. "I have a stash of money in that trunk to your left, it's in a black bag." He said.
I opened the small trunk and peered at the gift box inside curiously. It had a tag on it that read "Hotaru". A small smile crept on my lips as I picked it up. Ryuuza can be so sweet at times, especially when no one else is looking.
I felt Ryuuza looking at me attentively and decided he meant for me to open it. So I unwrapped the box and found the cutest little teddy bear inside. It was lavender, and very soft but heavy because it was stuffed with beads instead of cotton. "Kawaii!" I exclaimed smiling at Ryuuza. Draco's lips curved up in a smile and I saw a little bit of pink creeping onto his cheeks.
"I thought you might like it." He shrugged, trying to sound as if it were no big deal. I walked over and hugged him.
"I do." I said kissing his cheek, finding that it was turning an even deeper shade of red. Draco then hugged me back and rested his chin on my shoulder.
After we were finished packing Ryuuza's things I called Pandora, but she was busy currently so Calypso came and brought us back to the house, and so here I am, writing all this down while we wait for our ride.
"It's about time something more exciting happened." Kioko commented, referring, of course, to the fact that they were changing scenery. She and Hotaru had already packed everything in the basement into their sub-space pockets, so there was no more need of the other rooms and the four were merely sitting in the living room on the articals of furniture that were left there solely for them to wait on. "I think Dumbledore's reasoning for having me here was a bit wasted. Mistress 9 hasn't surfaced at all." Kioko commented. Hotaru stayed silent, nodding in agreement. It wasn't entirely true, but mostly it was, Mistress 9 was being very quiet.
"Is that why you came?" Harry asked.
"Oh yeah, if Mistress 9 got out I'm probably the only one who could have defeated her, plus I doubt you'd want to be alone with someone who could turn demon on you at any moment. No offence Hotaru." Kioko said.
"None taken." Hotaru replied. Kioko was completely right in that, though it was doubtful that even she could defeat Mistress 9 now.
"What do you think it means?" Harry asked.
"What what means?" Kioko questioned.
"Mistress 9, why do you think she's subsided? You think she might be planning some move? Gaining strength?" Draco responded, apparently he and Harry had the same thoughts.
"I thought it was because Hotaru's getting more powerful." She answered.
Hotaru shook her head and everyone looked at her. "She hasn't even tried." She said, suppressing a yawn.
"Okay, that is cause for concern. Is it dark out yet?"
'Nope' Anri, Kioko's snake, hissed.
"Darn." Kioko sighed.
The room wasn't quiet really, there were too many birds and animals in there. Mainly the owls and raven were making sounds, the lileeths and large cats were lazing mostly as they usually did when they were in that room they'd been given. Hotaru just thought of something. "What are we going to do with your pets Kioko? I doubt they'd like it in our sub-space pocket." She asked.
"Simple, we use one of our phoenixes!" Kioko answered.
"Speaking of which, what do you think they're doing for the Order that keeps them so busy?" Harry asked. "In fact, what is the Order doing period?"
"Dunno." Kioko mused, "I think the Senshi are a part of the Order, or at least it seems like the Outers are, they could be doing stuff against Riddle. You know, finding out information, getting themselves into near-impossible situations, barely making it out alive. That kind of stuff."
"That reminds me, I need to talk with Usagi. I hope she's with the Order when we get there." Hotaru said.
"Usagi? Who's that?" Draco questioned.
"Sailor Moon, aka: Selenity's daughter." Kioko responded.
"Ah."
"You really think they'll tell us what we're doing when we get there?" Harry asked.
"No, but they can't exactly hide their thoughts now can they?" Kioko asked, grinning at Hotaru.
Hotaru herself sighed and shook her head. "Kioko," She began, but Kioko interrupted.
"I know, I know. 'A person's thoughts are their own, blah blah, I'm not going to envied another's thoughts, yak yak.'" Kioko sighed. "It was worth a shot." Harry rolled his eyes.
A/N: Hey guys, sorry to cut this chapter a bit short but I wanted to get it out before going to bed, and plus I have this lump in my stomach that isn't doing to well for me or I would have written more.