Chapter Eight - Realities

Setsuna placed Akahoshi on the bed then she sat down on a chair next to Hotaru who was trying to restore the strength she had lost in the complicated healing process.

"Hotaru-chan?" her friend said softly.

She looked up, "Yes?" The expression on her face was clearly indicating that she had a very good idea of what Setsuna was about to tell her.

"When the Princess regains enough power to transform, I want you not to get too close to her. You know what happened last time", she went on worriedly.

Hotaru sighed dolefully remembering what had happened to her ages ago, as Akahoshi had transformed for the first time, "I know", a tear rolled down her cheek, "this shouldn't have happened."

Setsuna took an arm around her shoulder quietly trying to console her, "It wasn't your fault."

Slowly she nodded; she knew that it had not been her fault, but if it had not been for her, there might have never been a need to freeze Akahoshi's powers after all.

Sadly she looked at the sleeping princess, hoping that such an incident would never repeat itself.

xxxxx

"General Hammond, these are Michiru Kaiou and Haruka Ten'ou", Jack introduced the two of them as they entered the general's office.

"Please", Hammond made a gesture toward the chairs in front of his desk, "have a seat."

Haruka and Michiru exchanged a brief glance, then sat down. "Thank you", Michiru said.

"So you know who our alien visitor is and how to deal with her?" the general started the talk right away.

"Yes, we do", Haruka confirmed, "But first of all we have to be sure that nobody else will get to know about our revelations. You must not tell anything to your administration or to everybody else. It is of essential importance for us that our true identities are kept secret."

Hammond thought for a moment then turned to O'Neill, "Colonel?"

He nodded, "Not a word from me, sir."

"Good", the general went on, "and there won't be a full report, either."

"Thank you, General", Haruka replied, "now we can tell you what we know."

"Go ahead."

Now Michiru spoke up, slowly explaining everything: "Your 'alien' is the last of the Myoujou no hime, Princess Akahoshi, daughter of Sagamyoujou Jotei.

A long time ago those known to you as the Goa'uld destroyed her family's realm; she was the only survivor of the massacre. As the protectors of her closest remaining relatives, we outer senshi were then assigned to become her guardians."

Jack frowned in thought, "By then she wasn't freaking like she is no, I take it?"

"That's right", Haruka went on, "Some time after the incident the Princess began longing for vengeance and through unfortunate circumstances her powers increasingly became stronger. She then concentrated all her force on this one thought of revenge.

This was when she actually became this dangerous and explosive. As her powers began to endanger Earth we had to freeze her powers, putting her into deep slumber."

"Then we came to that planet and bang..."

"No, Colonel", Michiru soothed him, "it must not have been necessarily you who woke her. We tend to assume that her awakening was self-impelled by the power of her own emotion. She was extremely roused, sad..."

xxxxx

...and lonely. This was how Akahoshi felt just now as she re-lived the feelings she had had to cope with during centuries of sleep. By thinking about it her wrath grew, she wanted to take revenge on those who were responsible for it and after it she would smite all those who had killed her beloved family...

xxxxx

A tremor went through Hotaru's body, "Soon she will awake", she gasped.

Setsuna stood up, "You think she'll have enough strength to transform, yet?"

"No", her friend shook her head.

"Good. But though you should stand aside..."

"I will", Hotaru confirmed, "and just to be sure you should..."

"I should transform, you're right", she took out her transformation pen, "Pluto planet power, wake up."

(AN: I was never quite sure, if the things the outer senshi had were pens, too; still dunno...)

xxxxx

Princess Akahoshi awoke, facing Sailor Pluto who was looking down on her.

"Puu", foran instant the old feelings of affection returned, to be replaced by even more anger immediately afterwards, "Why have you betrayed me?" she started up at her.

She held her back, "I haven't betrayed you, Akahoshi, you have betrayed yourself."

"What are you talking about?" she yelled at the senshi telepathically.

Pluto backed away from her for some moments struggling with the thoughts' force that had hit her mind in a completely unprepared state.

"How dare you treating your princess like this?" she yelled at her former guardian, slowly approaching her.

"I...", Pluto gathered herself, "I have never treated you unfairly. Everything that happened to you was a result of your own actions", now as Akahoshi came closer and closer toward her, the senshi raised her staff sending out a wave of greenishly shining energy.

Even thought the princess had not yet transformed she easily took in the energy with her hand, throwing it right back at Pluto who was not quick enough to get away; so her own powers hit her with an even stronger force than she had sent them out with."

"No!" Hotaru could no longer hold back, she ran to her friend's side, trying to support her.

As soon as Akahoshi saw her, her anger grew. And finally she transformed in a warp of light, reaching her form of absolute power.

Quickly Hotaru transformed into Sailor Saturn; merely moments later she was facing a deadly wave of orange light rolling toward her. Screaming and full of determination what to do she raised her glaive.

Purple light filled the room and only seconds later everything was over.

xxxxx

Michiru trembled turning to stare at Haruka full of fear.

Worriedly her friend put a hand on her arm and asked, "What's the matter?"

"It's Setsuna and Hotaru. They're both hurt", she brought out still shaken by her strong sensation.

O'Neill reacted immediately turning to General Hammond, "Permission to go, sir?"

"Granted", he picked up the phone, "I'll call in an emergency team."

The colonel nodded quickly leaving together with Haruka and Michiru.

xxxxx

In the guest quarters they found Setsuna and Hotaru both broken down to the floor. As Haruka came to a stop next to Setsuna, she opened her eyes looking up at her friend.

"Hotaru", she said in a whisper, "she needs assistance, quickly."

"It'll be here soon", Haruka assured her, "How about Akahoshi?"

Setsuna only shook her head not knowing what had happened to the princess. Haruka looked over at Michiru and saw that she was kneeling some feet away from her, next to the princess's motionless figure.

"Her body is no longer feeling hot", she remarked, "her powers must've been blocked somehow."

"Saturn must've managed to do this", Haruka returned moving over toward Jack who was holding Hotaru in his arms waiting for the medical team to arrive.

xxxxx

Janet Fraiser bent down over the young woman O'Neill had put down on the gurney.

"Check her vitals", she instructed the nurse.

"They're very weak, pulse down top 40 bpm, paralyzed breathing."

"Oxygen", Janet ordered quickly examining her body, it was covered with severe class three burns, "Move her out." Before she left, the doctor spun around to see that Sam, who had come in with her, was helping her friend Setsuna to stand up again and that Jack had lifted the alien princess without getting hurt.

She left to stay by her patient's side. A short moment later Jack and the others followed her.

xxxxx

Okay, here goes another chapter. Hopefully it had the right length.

More to come soon, stay tuned, people.

Thanks for your attention.