Chapter 3 – Sweet Memories and New Beginnings
Hotaru continued to stare at her reflection, twirling every so often to see the light catch on her tiara and cast bright shapes across the walls. She posed countless times in front of the mirror, giggling whenever she found herself looking overly dramatic. Turning to her right, she cast a sideways glance at the mirror, smirking like a professional model. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a teary-eyed figure standing just outside the bedroom door. Startled, she gasped and jumped back. Who could this be? Was this another part of her strange "transformation"?
But it was only her father. He flipped on the light switch and walked slowly into the room and stood awkwardly in the middle of the floor. "Dad…" Hotaru whispered softly, "Dad, I…will you please tell me what's going on?" That's when Professor Tomoe wrapped his daughter in an enormous hug and began to cry again. "I never wanted you to know…I just wanted you to have a normal life!" he exclaimed, his voice sounding tired and defeated. "Dad, please. Tell me. I want to know," Hotaru said, her voice sounding meek. She almost wished she had never snooped to begin with…it seemed to be causing her father so much pain. But after he calmed down a tad, her father sat her down and explained everything. He told her about her past life, her suffering, the Sailor Scouts, Mistress 9, and of the leader of the Sailor Scouts, Sailor Moon, who had rescued her from what would have been her death. He told her of how she was reborn to live a normal life, free of the torment of an evil alter ego. He explained how he did everything in his power to make sure she had that normal life: asking web site owners to take articles/pieces about Sailor Saturn and Hotaru Tomoe off of their sites, denying scientists the right to study Hotaru as though she were some kind of fungus, losing contact with the Sailor Scouts, shielding Hotaru from anything related to her past, and telling the principal of her school, a close friend who knew all about Sailor Saturn and Mistress 9, to burn the previous "Hotaru Tomoe" file and never speak of it again.
Now everything made sense: the file, the failing web search, her father yelling at the principal, the pictures of herself that she didn't recognize, her father's old age…everything. Hotaru felt relieved that she now knew everything, and that her father no longer had anything to hide. But she also felt depressed…why couldn't she remember anything about her past life? Well, she knew why, but she still wished that she could remember something. Her only memories, which came to her as her father relayed the story, were that of her and a little girl with fluffy pink pigtails and cheerful ruby-colored eyes walking down the street together…and a blond girl with sky blue eyes and a determined expression on her face chasing after her into a world that vanished where Hotaru's memory ended. Her father told her the pink-haired girl was her friend in her past life, Rini. And that the girl who chased after her into the vanishing world was Sailor Moon.
"Do you think they're still out there?" Hotaru asked, looking hopeful. Her father winced. "Yes, I do. But they've most likely retired from a life of crime-fighting. It has been over eleven years, you know," Professor Tomoe said sadly, running his hand through his hair. For some reason that Hotaru could not explain, she felt a pang as she imagined a grown Rini. Her only memory of Rini was her face, and yet she felt like she had lost a friend with Rini's growing older. But almost instantly she recovered. "I'm going to find them, Daddy. I know they're still out there. They just have to be!" she said, biting her lip. "Hotaru-" her father began, but Hotaru cut him off. "Daddy, I know you don't want me living in the past, but I'll always wonder and wish I knew if I don't find out where they live, what they look like, if they still fight crime…I'll regret it if I don't act now, Daddy. You've kept these secrets from me for a long time, but you can only keep secrets for so long…this is part of me, part of my past, and I don't want to let it go," Hotaru explained, clenching her fists with frustration. Her father sat there for a moment, stunned. Finally he said, "Alright, Hotaru, you can…um…try to find them. Just don't get your hopes up. They could be anywhere in the world, or…well…deceased. And, I'm afraid you're not going to be allowed to use your powers. You can't control them yet, and it would just be far too dangerous," he said. His words stung, but Hotaru realized that her father was trying to do what was best for her. He was also making a few exceptions for her. And so she kept quiet, and began planning her first attempts at finding the Sailor Scouts. Every last one. And she figured it would get easier the more she found. They had to still be close friends or at least keep in touch, after all. They had a special bond as Sailor Scouts. She had a special bond with them, too.
And so Hotaru made a list (with her father's help) of all the Sailor Scouts and everything she knew about them. After reviewing the list carefully, she decided that her first job would be to find Sailor Moon and Rini. Her father had mentioned that Sailor Moon A.K.A. Serena Tsukino had come over to pick up Rini A.K.A. Sailor Mini Moon many times before. The only thing her father mentioned was that by this time, Serena might be married and have a different last name. But this didn't bother Hotaru. She would find Serena and Rini and all of the other Sailor Scouts. All she needed was some rest – it was four-thirty A.M.