Chapter Twelve - Reason
As Hotaru looked up at her friends, they could see that she had been crying, her cheeks were still wet with tears.
"What happened?" Setsuna asked her, but she was too perplexed to answer the question.
So Setsuna turned to Michiru who had been by Hotaru's side all the time. She merely shook her head saying, "She has been crying for quite awhile, but she hasn't told me anything, either."
Now Haruka tried to get Hotaru to talk, she knelt down in front of her, carefully taking her friend's pale hands into hers saying, "Ho-chan, have you seen something again? We are all well aware of how much it hurts you, but though we need to know what's going on, for Akahoshi's sake."
"I know", Hotaru returned weakly sniffling away her tears, "it is that this Goa'uld ... he's unremittingly hurting her", she hid her face in her hands.
"Is he hurting her physically, or...?" Setsuna exquired worriedly, not able to help this question.
"His mere presence is causing her great pain", her friend responded, "and he's tormenting her by other means as well."
"You mean torture?" Haruka was startled at once.
She nodded slowly, "And she's completely defenseless. And it's all my fault."
"No, it isn't", Michiru took an arm around her, "what you did only self defense. You couldn't expect something like this to happen."
"But it happened and now she's helpless, unable to reverse..." Hotaru and Setsuna exchanged a stunned look, they had just thought of exactly the same thing.
"Maybe that's the solution we've been searching for", Setsuna stated.
"What?" the other two eyed her confusedly.
"It's about the blocking process", she explained excitedly, "it is reversible."
xxxxx
Strong pain was making her shake and she could feel small flows of blood rinsing down her arms and her upper body. She prayed for this torment to end, she could no longer stand it.
Then, after another while of suffering, her body finally gave in and everything went black.
Akahoshi awoke and found herself lying on a daybed in a completely different room merely wearing a short nighty.
Slowly she sat up having a quick look around, there was nobody present except for a servant girl who came rushing toward her.
Confusedly the princess examined her body for scars or other injuries, but there were none to be found, even though they had to be there. What had happened to make them vanish?
Akahoshi had no idea, for she did not have any memory of the time after the endless tortures she had had to sustain, but at least she had some time away from Baal now and she did not hope that he would return for her too soon.
"Can you get up?" the young servant asked.
Akahoshi set her feet down to the floor, not responding to her question.
"My master wants to see you as soon as you are dressed", the girl went on while putting down a dress and some undergarments next to the princess, "And I advise you not to strain his patience too much", with these words she left her alone.
xxxxx
Some minutes later everybody had gathered in infirmary to listen to the plan Setsuna and Hotaru had come up with.
"There is a way we can unleash Akahoshi's powers again", Setsuna said.
"All you need to do is getting me close enough to her", Hotaru added.
Jack and Sam exchanged a quick glance. "How close would that be?' Jack inquired skeptically.
"I'd have to be on the planet at least", she gave in.
Sam frowned, "Through the Stargate?"
"Momentarily the only chance we have", Michiru stated.
"So you're saying that you can't use your freaky powers for teleport or something?" Jack asked, "not we're not willing to help, but given the situation..."
"Colonel, we understand your concern", Setsuna told him.
He raised his hands, "Thank you, Setsuna. Was just a question."
Now Hotaru spoke up again, "The problem is that I'm too weak to perform the reverse spell and toteleport all at once."
"This is why I'm not so sure if it's wise to let you go on such a mission, yet", Janet Fraiser intervened, her arms folded in front of her chest.
"Another problem is the Stargate being situated in the middle of Baal's fortress", Sam noted, "and it'll surely be guarded."
"So speaking it could be suicide", Jack muttered.
For a moment the room fell silent. Then Hotaru made a proposal no one had reckoned with:
"Let me go there alone", she demanded.
Everybody, even her friends, turned to stare at her without understanding.
"Don't even think about it", Jack and Haruka said almost at once.
But she did not give up trying to persuade them: "If she knows I'm there, she'll to her best to protect the both of us as soon as her powers are freed again."
"And if her craving for vengeance and her hatred for you returns?" Sam wanted to know.
"I just don't think this will happen."
"You think", Jack rolled his eyes slowly getting excited, "and what if you're wrong?"
Now Teal'C, who had followed the conversation silently, spoke out his thoughts,
"O'Neill, I share Hotaru's opinion. It is more than likely that the princess will protect her after all that has happened to her."
"Colonel, please", Hotaru looked at him in a highly pleading way.
He let out a long sigh, then he nodded slowly, "Good, you can go. But not without a team."
That moment General Hammond entered. "Have you thought of something?" he asked.
(AN: George 4 eva! Li, did u know Hammond is Texan?)
"Sir", Jack began, "Hotaru has a way to unleash the princess's powers again. I'd like to volunteer and put a team together to accompany her."
Before the general could say something to the plan Sam and Teal'C exchanged a meaningful look and the major said, "Sir, Teal'C and me would like to volunteer as well."
Hammond frowned while he was thinking about it, then he decided, "I hope you know what you're into, people. But I won't deny you my go-ahead; as long as you take a backup team with you to secure your position."
"Understood. Let's get started", Jack turned toward the exit motioning for Sam and Teal'C to follow him.
A moment later Hotaru got out of bed to get ready as well. Setsuna embraced her wishing her good luck and so did Michiru and Haruka.
Short before she transformed into Sailor Saturn she turned to Fraiser:
"Thank you, Janet", she whispered giving her a hug.
She returned the gesture saying, "We'll talk about that later. Good luck."
Hotaru nodded gratefully then she started the transformation, "Saturn Planet Power, make up."
xxxxx
Suddenly Baal stood in front of her, she had not even heard him enter.
"I've decided to give you another chance to submit to me", he said right away, a cold grin parting his lips.
"Keep on dreaming", Akahoshi returned snappishly, "never would I submit to a Goa'uld."
"Because Apophis has destroyed your planet?" he questioned with mock compassion.
Now her rage grew even fierier: "Because I hate you", she yelled, "Go to hell!"
"Your defiance begins to annoy me", he fumed, "I thought you were smart enough to know that I can do everything I like with you", he went on with a thin smirk, "I can hurt you and I can heal you. So as I can torture, kill and revive you."
She stared at him with disbelief. "You have killed me? How dare you?"
He smiled briefly, "Yet I haven't. Seeing that we can't coexist the way I wanted to, I have chosen another fate for you.", he paused for an instant looking right at her, "Implantation."
The mere word shocked Akahoshi to the bone. She froze trembling all over her body. "No", she whispered, "you can't do that."
"I can't?" he chuckled quietly, "Let me say you've had enough chances to prevent it."
xxxxx
Aw-key, here's chapter 12 already. (Oh, and I've got the feeling that I screwed chem...)
I think the story will work without Serenity and the inners for another while. But I'm playing with the idea to bring at least Sere up for the ending...
