By Hotaru Hope Maxwell
I do not own WK or SM but I do own Ayame and the made up bad/good characters. Chow!
________CHAPTER TITLE: WEED BEING TORN___________________________________________________________
Dark violet eyes scanned the almost black colored room with a hint of despair. Everything was in tatters. Dark and light clothing alike lay thrown across every part of the room. Bullet holes were shot into the bed frame where Hotaru had stashed pillows to look like herself. Her many lamps were broken. She bent down on her knees and picked up a cracked picture frame of herself, Ayame, Minako and Makoto. Shadowed eyes noticed red, and the Saturn senshi moved quietly to the discarded recorder. Pushing the button, she braced herself for something horrid. "Hello…Taru-chan…. This is Ami. I got some bad news. If you are getting this message please sit down first." The voice stopped for a second and took a deep breath in. "I'm afraid Raye's just gone missing. Apparently she just up and disappeared. Don't think of it like Makoto or Minako. Think something else. It just has to be." Ami sounded as though she were still trying to convince herself of that. Hotaru bitterly rolled her eyes. "Sorry. In any case, Haruka sends an order to keep the lookout for the three of them alive. Still no word from Setsuna. Bye Hotaru." There was a click of the phone and Hotaru heard the machine say, "Message 2." Slowly she turned to begin to pick up things. "Tomoe. Manx here. We saw what happened to your apartment. Your first assumption is correct. It did have something to do with him. For now…Persia has offered the kitten's home or you can begin working in the area near them. There's a small coffee shop next door in need of a new owner. Can you fill in? Call me." The phone clicked off. Hotaru pulled out a packed back from under her bed. "I figured someone would find me. Guess its better this way." She thought, pulling out another to pack it. Pulling the picture into to it, she added another with herself and Raye and Chibi-Usa into the bag before briefly pulling off her attire for Lynx.
Hotaru raced down the street, her motorcycle was roaring as she passed by her old apartment. Her black hair stuck against her skin as she swerved in and out of traffic. Glaring behind her, she took note of the red car. Since she'd left the apartment, the bright sport's car had been tailing her. Glaring harshly, she smirked. She signaled, halting in front of the police station. Racing into deliver her response to Persia she also informed him of the car trailing after her. He had sent a man with a scar and blue hair and a green haired lady she heard Manx call Birman out to check the car. It wasn't there any longer. Hotaru smiled and nodded. Grasping some sunglasses, she went to check out the new place that she'd arranged to own.
Omi and Ken, who were watering flowers outside ceased their movement when they saw a moving truck pull up across the street. "Guess someone bought that silly old coffee shop, eh?" Ken smiled softly. "I don't think my new shop is silly, Ken-san." Omi blinked, recognizing the voice with ease. He turned sharply and found Hotaru standing there with a grin. "Oh look. It's the freak again." Some of the girls' muttered but Hotaru didn't flinch in the least. "Hotaru-dono?" Ken questioned. "Hi Hotaru-san." Omi smiled happily. The girl looked a little more cheerful as she nodded. "It's nice to see you, Omi-san." She bowed her head. "You own that shop?" Ken questioned. "I'm moving the Juno over here." Hotaru grinned. "I think it's the best way to honor Makoto, Minako and Ayame." She sighed softly. "The police say that there's no way Mako or Mina are alive anymore…I thought I'd buy the old shop, but Minako's parents took it and created a gift shop. Go figure." She stated, looking down with a blush. "That's so sweet." One of the girls humped. Ken sent her down with a glare. "If it isn't the little missy!" An annoying voice spoke. Aya and Yohji appeared. Hotaru giggled lightly as Yohji patted her shoulder. "I better get to over seeing the move. See you guys later! Send me some of your nice customers." Hotaru bowed, dashing across the street. Omi's sad gaze stared after her. She's hiding it… he thought quietly to himself, his ocean eyes closely following her slender frame as she directed the moving men.
Hotaru sat with her lap top in front of her, supervising the crew as they work about setting up the shelves for her goodies. Rolling her eyes, she scanned over her emails. "Boring." She stated, closing it. She blinked back some sleep as she let out a yawn. "Maybe I should go for a walk, right Sam?" She looked to the little bird hanging off to the side in his cage. Grinning from ear to ear, she poured some water into his feeding bowl and half-skipped to the entrance. To her surprise as she opened the door, Omi was standing there with a bouquet. Hotaru's face went bright red as she stared into his ocean eyes, and he himself was a light pink. There were merely inches apart. "Hello Hotaru-dono." He blushed even brighter as Hotaru slowly backed from the door. "Hello Omi-san." She grinned, looking away. "Yohji wanted me to give you some of our flowers to show you our support to your new Juno." He smiled softly as he gazed down at her. Hotaru's blush grew as she felt his gentile look upon her features. "Thank you, Omi-san." She bowed lightly. "Here." He handed the girl the flowers. Hotaru walked back a few steps, toward an empty vase near a birdcage. "Come on in, Omi-san." Omi followed graciously shutting the door after him. Hotaru hummed lightly as she put the flowers away. "Why?" Omi looked down at the coffee cup that was abandoned there. "Hm?" Hotaru questioned, looking out of the corner of her eyes.
"Why are you hiding yourself, Hotaru?" Omi gently touched the cup, eyeing the lovely flowers designed on it. Hotaru turned to him, her large purple orbs dark and wide. He looked up at her, his own eyes dark and serious. "I don't understand, hiding?" Hotaru questioned. "You know what I mean. Sneaking under the cover of a smile." Omi stated, standing. He walked over to Hotaru's side, as her eyes downcast to the door. "I don't hide." Hotaru hissed quietly. As Omi stepped closer, Hotaru's heart began to thump wildly. Omi's hand stretched out. "I can see through you. Your hiding, trying to be a smiling flower in a pile of weeds…" He muttered. Hotaru glared darkly at him as he touched her chin. "I'm not a rose in a pile of weeds, Omi. I'm the weed in the roses…." She stated, tone harsh. Omi's eyes went large and he turned, walking from the room.
Omi looked over the sunset scene of the skyline. "Hotaru…Why must you be Ouka?" He stated, eyes clouded over as he bent down. "You're not a weed, Hotaru. How? How can you think of yourself like that?" Omi shook his head, a tear reaching down his cheek.
Hotaru, who had been hiding behind a tree sighed, before glancing softly across the scape. She heard Omi and almost felt like crying. "I am a weed, Omi. A weed that is being torn." She hissed, walking away.
TBC…
Next time: Hotaru/Lynx runs into a battle that leads her to fight the senshi of time, Sailor Pluto. Can Hotaru fight against her own adoptive mother? Or will Bombay kill Pluto first?