By Hotaru Hope Maxwell (A.k.a. Faith Tomoe Maxwell)
I do not own SM or WK but do own the deceased character Ayame Nekoni! No using her without my approval!
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Soft beads of heated sweat ran slowly down moistened pale skin as startled huffs of breath panted their way from two lightly parted sparkling lips of a single person. Tears of agony and pain were mixed within the faces distorted and feminine features. Hands, normally loss and free of tenseness were bolted up strangling the bitter dark blue blanket. Raven hair stretched across the young figure's face like a smooth cloud of blackness. Gentile, yet pleading cries was whispered as the men in the corner watched, sad expressions etched across their faces. Omi was the first to speak up. "Should we ask Manx about what Miss Tomoe said?" He glanced to Aya. The young teen's eyes were full of curiosity and strange enough, some pain. The red haired man barely looked at him before shaking his head answering no. "Why not, Aya?" Yohji questioned. "This is her problem, not ours. We can't get involved in this when we are on a mission." He turned and walked from the room, his usual cold tone etched across his features. "Aya's right on that part. She can't cry to others all the time. She has to face reality." Ken shrugged, glancing as the other two glared darkly at him. "What? Aya can be right some times." He stated, breaking out into a light sad grin. "But…She said "They killed Ayame…" Did she mean a murder like the ones going on that we've been…" Omi was hushed by Yohji putting a hand over his mouth. "You aren't supposed to talk about it. Besides, we don't know that for sure." Yohji smirked, finger pointing out in a lecture time move as he winked from behind his shades. "No…" A soft moan broke from the girl on the bed. The group of boys looked to her. She kept on moaning and crying out softly, fighting her demons from within.
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****Inside Hotaru's Dream****
A young Chibi- Hotaru stared out, dull eyed into the blackness. There before the tiny child images of destruction and death kept playing. Tears of blood streamed down her cheeks as she saw her mother, father, and the senshi and then finally Ayame be killed. Her eyes streaming in the vision of blood. "You failed us…You failed us…" Words of that sort hummed deeply in her mind and ears. She continued to cry the dark red liquid. Finally, in a flash of dark black, Hotaru stood her true age. She looked at herself, just as she had done when she had returned to her original form during the dead moon circus fight. Two sides split into one being. A mirror alongside a mirror, joined together by four different views. She then saw something she had no idea of what it was more or less a shadow of some kind. "You failed me Hotaru…Failed me…Failed us…Failure! Destroyer! KILLER!" Hotaru knew that voice to well, she covered her ears in a blind attempt to stop Ayame's voice from penetrating them. "No…. No!" She moaned both in the real world and in the dream one. "I…I…" She stopped, feeling the world around her go fuzzy and saw Ayame falling to the ground, back ridden with blood. "Ayame! No!" She cried, her face deathly pale with pain and terror. Again and again she saw the golden dagger being pulled out and the horrid look upon Ayame's soft features. "NO!" She screamed as bright white covered her vision.
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Violet eyes shot open as Hotaru let out a horrified cry as she startled herself awake. Omi was the first to come running from his room to find her huddled on the corner of the bed. The dark blanket went to her waist as her knees curled up tightly. The girl shook violently, eyes still wide in pain and shock as sad tears streamed endlessly down her face and cheeks. Ken and Yohji appeared from downstairs. He looked sadly to them and slowly walked over to the crying and broken teenager before the young men. "Miss Hotaru?" He questioned timidly, almost afraid he'd destroy her if he spoke to loudly. She shakily glanced at him, eyes still large and swollen. "Are you alright?" He questioned. She slowly shook her head, trying without luck to stop the running tears. Ken came up behind Omi before speaking in a tone almost just as soft. "Do you want to talk about it?" Ken questioned. Hotaru glanced at him and then brought her chin to her knees orbs glancing at the ground strongly. "If not I can give you a ride home." Yohji offered, smiling sadly as he approached the threesome. "No thank you. I should walk home." She whispered softly almost so quietly that they almost didn't hear her. "No one should go through pain without talking to others…" Omi stated, ignoring his friend's stares. She glanced at him curiously, the dullness in her eyes leaving for a brief second. "Ayame…." She muttered, before returning her gaze to the ground like carpet. She quickly looked between Ken to Yohji to Omi. She instinctively curled more in Omi's direction and took a deep breath. "It happened the day I bought those violets from you guys…" Her voice was soft and sweet. The group carefully listened into the deep texture and pain, noting everything that could be crucial as Hotaru told them her story.
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"I don't really know what happened. I went to Mako-chan's restaurant or floral shop, The Heart of Juno."
"Heart of Juno! That's lead by Makoto Kino!" Ken outburst. Hotaru glanced up questioning and fearful. "You know of it Ken?" Ken nodded at Yohji's question. "Makoto Kino was the youngest to be admitted into the Paris school of chefs. She also…" He stopped glancing at Hotaru. "Gomen. Miss Hotaru. Please continue." Omi smiled sweetly at Hotaru. Hotaru nodded before speaking. "I finished off some extra work with Mina-chan and Ayame-san and we were closing shop. I bought the violets as a gift for Mako-chan, it was the first year anniversary of when she opened the Heart of Juno. Everyone had cake and just as we were starting to relax the glass broke down into shatters. We got out of the Juno real fast…but then Mako and Mina told Ayame and me to run. Ayame and I did what they said. When we got back…they…they…" Hotaru stopped, blinking back tears. "Were they dead?" Ken cried, his voice etched with fear. Hotaru violently shook her head. "No…They were gone…Ayame said we should go and then…" She whipped a stray tear away and looked at Omi who was watching her with some pity. "Ayame said we should go and then a hand struck out…A hand with a gold and silver dagger…" She stopped.
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Unbeknownst to the group, Aya was listening in on the conversation. Manx had appeared with more information on the cases and he was on the way to tell the others, but both red heads had seen Hotaru awake. They listened in on the story, taking note of every detail. "A hand with a gold and silver dagger…" Hotaru stopped and Aya pushed himself closer to the door. "Then there was laughing, everywhere. And then Ayame fell down into the glass." Hotaru had tears streaming down. She had stopped and was sobbing against her hands, tears flowing as the ocean flows. Omi put a hand upon her shoulder. "Go on…" He whispered in a silky soft voice. Hotaru slowly nodded before speaking, "She told me…that a person ruined her life and that she was sorry she couldn't see…see someone for their date…" She rubbed her sore cheeks with the sheet of the blanket. "See someone for their date?" Manx repeated. "Who were they? Eh, Little Missy?" Yohji questioned. "Two men. The first was…. Named…" Hotaru stopped thinking about it quietly to herself. "Ta…Takatori…" She whispered as Aya's eyes went large and his teeth gritted against each other as his hands clenched tightly into large fists. He glared sharply as he heard sobs coming from the room as the other occupants held shocked faces. "Takatori…" He muttered angrily. Yet again the man he'd join Wiess for was harming another soul. Ran Aya whatever anyone called him now felt a passion to seek more vengeance upon the man. Not for himself this time, but for Ayame, the girl his sister and others. In the flower shop, gentile petals of a blood red rose fell to the ground in a dead silent thump.
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TBC…