Chapter 4: Do-Do-Donuts
The next morning – well, actually just a few hours later – Hotaru woke from yet another deep sleep. It took her a moment before she remembered everything that had happened earlier, and her duty to find the Sailor Scouts. It was a big duty…almost more like a dream rather than reality. But she was determined that they would all reunite and (she didn't mention this part to her dad) fight crime together.
Hotaru pushed the covers off of her and hurried downstairs. She had been dying to know if her first "target", Serena Tsukino, was listed in the phone book. But her dad had insisted that she get some rest. He told her that if she found out before she got a good night's rest (or a good few hours' rest) she would be too excited or too frustrated to sleep. And so, the first thing Hotaru did know that she had awakened was grab the phone book off the counter and drop to the floor, flipping pages like mad. Her anticipation began to grow when she came to the T's. Talon...Thomas…Ti…Tsukino!
The excitement began to grow even more. Closing her eyes as if to calm herself down, Hotaru began slowly reading over the first names of the people listed under Tsukino. So far there was no Serena, but there were still a lot of names left…she continued to read through them. Then she got to the end. Disappointed, Hotaru flopped back on the hard wood floor. This made the back of her head throb a bit, but she didn't care. She was busy deciding how to find her next lead. Settling on having a quick breakfast first, Hotaru sat up and was getting ready to shut the book when something caught her eye…in tiny letters, smack-dab in the middle of the list, was Serena Tsukino.
Hotaru couldn't hold it in. She cheered and jumped up and down and practically skipped into her dad's study to tell him. Her dad had been awake for a while, consumed once again by his studies. When Hotaru told him, a funny look crossed his face, and then disappeared. Hotaru couldn't help grinning; she knew that he had thought she would never find a single one of the Sailor Scouts. And now, here she was, preparing herself to meet the girl (now a woman) who saved her life, Serena Tsukino A.K.A. Sailor Moon.
Finding her name in the phone book again, Hotaru figured out that Serena lived only a few miles away. She wanted to ride her bike there herself, but her father insisted that it was too far. He told her that he should come, too, to make sure that Serena was home and that it was actually her and not some other person that shared her name. But he also agreed to leave once he made sure that all was well. After all, this woman saved his daughter. She deserved his trust.
And so they drove a few miles up the road, finally coming to a small house near the shopping center where everyone that lived around the area usually bought groceries and went to see movies. Pulling into the small gravel driveway, Professor Tomoe hugged his daughter and told her not to go anywhere without calling him first. Hotaru agreed and stepped out of the car. She took a moment to observe the house. It was plain, but it was also pretty. Fine oak trees framed the house, and patches of wild flowers growing near and there added splashes of color to the yard. The house itself was white with a black roof. The only flaws Hotaru saw were that the windows looked as though they needed to be replaced, and the paint on the front door was a bit chipped and old. Other than that, it was a lovely little home.
Hotaru approached the door and noticed a small doorbell off to the side. She pressed it and heard a faint ringing noise from inside. Slowly, the door began to open and Hotaru's insides began to twist and turn. She was scared that maybe they had the wrong house, or the wrong person, even. But immediately when the door was open all the way, she felt this feeling of relief wash over her. A woman with long blond pigtails and kind eyes stood before her. Hotaru didn't need to explain, the woman knew who she was. "Hotaru?" the woman asked, astonished. "Yes, it's me. Are you…Serena?" Hotaru asked politely, even though she was positive that she had found the right person. Her thoughts were confirmed when the woman nodded. "I hope this isn't too unexpected…are you busy? Because I'd really like to talk," Hotaru said hopefully. Serena was silent for a moment before saying, "Sure, come on in!" Her voice sounded unfamiliar…and yet so familiar. Hotaru smiled, then gave her dad the thumbs-up sign and waved as he drove off.
Unlike the outside of the house, the inside of the house was…well…a wreck. There were clothes, dishes, papers, trash, and other piles of who-knows-what scattered around the rooms of the house. Hotaru winced inwardly. Even with only one parent, her house had always been at least fairly clean. She wasn't used to this big of a mess. But one thing that intrigued her that she continued to find in every room was empty "Do-Do-Donuts" boxes. She figured Serena must really like donuts, judging by the fact that they were everywhere.
Finally, Serena led Hotaru to a room that was a tad cleaner than the others, with couches and end tables and a great view of the backyard. After taking a seat in on one of the couches, Serena stood up again. "I'll be right back!" she exclaimed with a cheerful smile. Hotaru nearly burst out laughing when Serena returned carrying a box of Do-Do-Donuts. "Want one?" Serena asked, shoving one into her mouth and sputtering a few crumbs on the floor. Hotaru shook her head.
"So tell me, Hotaru…not that I don't want you here…but why are you here?" Serena questioned when she finally swallowed the donut. "Well, see, it's a funny thing…" Hotaru replied before launching into the story. Hotaru talked while Serena wolfed down two whole boxes of donuts. When Hotaru was finished with her story and Serena was stuffed (actually rather sick) they began to talk more about the present time and about finding the Sailor Scouts. "Do you still keep in touch with any of them? What can you tell me about them?" Hotaru said excitedly, sounding somewhat like a reporter. "Well…" Serena said, "…to start off, you should know that Rini isn't here anymore. She returned to the future. You see, she's my daughter, believe it or not. She only came to the past to help us fight a tough enemy. She was a great help…although she could be a bratty little pesky good-for-nothing selfish – um, uh, sorry, uh, anyway..." Serena laughed awkwardly. Somehow Serena's goofiness seemed familiar, too. Hotaru hoped that these memories would keep returning; it made her feel like less of an outcast, like she could actually relate. Without thinking, she asked teasingly, "So, do you know now who you ended up marrying?"
Suddenly there was dead silence. Hotaru could tell that Serena was very uncomfortable now, and she wished that she could stuff the words back into her mouth. She bit her lip and sat quietly along with Serena for a moment before blurting out, "I'm sorry!" Serena shook her head. "It's not your fault. Things just…didn't work out," Serena said softly, brushing a strand of blond hair out of her face. "But what about Rini?" Hotaru exclaimed, again without thinking. "I guess she might disappear or…oh, I don't know. I really don't, Hotaru. All I know is that things didn't work out between Darien and I," Serena stumbled on the last part as her eyes began to get a far-away look to them. At the mention of Darien's name, another memory flashed into Hotaru's mind. It was a blurry image of Darien holding an unconscious Rini in his arms, looking concerned and upset. She knew it was Darien. Somehow she just knew. When the memory faded, Hotaru looked up at Serena, who seemed troubled and ashamed. Suddenly, Serena began telling Hotaru the story…
"Darien and I were so close…I'd always dreamed of marrying him. I'd picture myself in a gorgeous white dress…with flowers tucked into my hair…" Serena closed her eyes, as if imagining it in her mind. Her face took on a carefree expression, and for a second she looked like young Serena again rather than an adult. Sighing, she continued, "He was so protective of me, but I liked it. He made me feel so special, like I was more than just Serena Tsukino, the pig/dunce." Serena laughed half-heartedly. "When I got to college – Darien had already graduated – I had big plans for my career and for our relationship. Before I knew it, I was majoring in a million different subjects, and Darien and I were getting married. It was one of the happiest times in my life," Serena reminisced, tears filling her eyes. "I was just so sure…I…I thought that…oh, never mind. Anyway, a few months before the wedding was supposed to be held, I began failing horribly in all my subjects as well as in my part-time job as a secretary at the college. It was humiliating and degrading to find that all of the answers on your test were incorrect and that people had been complaining that you were a lousy worker. I honestly just didn't have the brains. You can't barely get by all through high school and then expect to become a rocket scientist…not that I wanted to be a rocket scientist, but you get the picture. So, yeah, I began failing, and more and more I began relying on Darien to do things for me: drive me around because I couldn't afford gas, buy me groceries because I could hardly afford a loaf of bread, and constantly reassure me that I didn't need a top-notch education to mean something to him. But the truth is, I did. In failing everything, I was having to rely on him too much, and our relationship turned into him catering to my every whim…" Serena's voice trailed off, as if she could hardly stand to say the last part. Finally, she dropped her head and said in the quietest, most ashamed voice Hotaru had heard from her so far, "…Six weeks before the wedding, Darien told me that he'd had enough. We got into a huge argument and…the wedding was cancelled. I never saw him again after that. I hear he's really made something of himself. And here I am working for Do-Do-Donuts, just as he'd predicted. But, in a way, I'm kind of glad our relationship ended. He deserved so much better…" Serena bit her lip as tears streamed down her face. Hotaru wanted to comfort her, but there was nothing to say.