The Impossible, a sailor moon fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor moon or the song featured in this story. The song is called "The Impossible" by Joe Nichols. I also tweaked the lyrics a bit for obvious reasons, but it's generally the same.

"Chibi-Usa...please, don't do this..." Hotaru whispered pleadingly into the phone. "We can work these things out! Nothing in the future is certain; we'll find a way to make it work! Don't give up on us..."

"My path has already been laid for me, Hotaru," came the teary reply. Chibi-Usa ran her fingers through her silky pink hair and rested her head on her hand, hunched over the desk in her room. Warm, salty tears began to drip from her chin and land with little splashes on the polished wood of her desk as she tried to keep her voice calm. This was going to be the hardest thing she would ever have to do...

"I am the future heir of Crystal Tokyo. I am obligated to keep the bloodline going. We cannot have children, Hotaru. We cannot sacrifice all of Crystal Tokyo for our love."

Hotaru couldn't believe what she was hearing. The supposedly innocent conversation, more like daydream, of the future they had shared earlier that week and the realization that came with it drifted through her mind.

--flashback--

Hotaru smiled warmly as Chibi-Usa tentatively placed her fingers on the glass of the shop window, in breath-taking awe of a smooth and delicate silk wedding gown on the display mannequin. The shine of the pure white dress and the brightly lit display window provided stark relief of the darkness of the damp night around them. The ebony-haired young woman slowly wrapped her arms around her entranced love, bringing her out of her daze, and whispered lovingly in her ear.

"I would love to see you wear that dress for me one day, my angel."

"Is that right?" Chibi-Usa nearly purred into Hotaru's ear, causing the slim girl to shiver slightly.

"Yes, it is. And I'll tell stories of your beauty to our children in Crystal Tokyo and show them pictures of what Heaven on Earth looks like."

Chibi-Usa's eyes widened slightly and she grew silent, her gaze at the mannequin slowly growing darker as unshed tears made her eyes glisten.

"Children..." she whispered.

Hotaru immediately noticed her love's change in tone and demeanor and lightly stroked her cheek, watching with concerned violet eyes. "...Chibi-Usa?"

The pink-haired woman in question suddenly spun to face Hotaru, eyes wide with realization and...fear? Hotaru blinked in confusion.

"Hotaru...we can't have children. We would have to adopt."

More than a bit surprised, Hotaru simply gave Chibi-Usa, who was growing increasingly frantic for some unknown reason, a confused look.

"Don't you get it, Hotaru!" Chibi-Usa cried, her earlier would-be tears now flowing freely down her beautiful face, heralded by a painful realization. "An adopted child can't be an heir to the throne. The senshi bloodline of the Moon Kingdom would end with me! Crystal Tokyo would cease to exist after my rule without a moon senshi heir to the throne!"

Hotaru quickly gripped the crying woman's shoulders and pulled her close to her, wrapping her in a warm embrace and running her fingers through her soft pink locks soothingly. "Chibi-Usa, nothing in the future is certain. You, of all people, should know that love will find a way in the end." Hotaru leaned down and whispered in Chibi-Usa's ear. "Do you love me, Chibi-Usa?"

The girl in question raised her head from its resting place on Hotaru's chest and met the gaze of a pair of loving, hopeful eyes. Instead of answering, Chibi-Usa leaned up slowly and placed a light, tender kiss upon Hotaru's lips, wrapping her arms around the slender woman's neck and pulling her closer.

As the kiss ended, Hotaru held Chibi-Usa close. "Everything is going to be fine, my angel," she said with confidence. "Fate cannot deny true love." The two women stood embracing in the night for a long time, both gazing thoughtfully at the silken wedding gown.

--end flashback--

"Hotaru," Chibi-Usa's voice began again, bringing Hotaru back to the painful reality taking place. "You know I love you with all of my heart. You are the only one I will ever truly love...but I cannot sacrifice the future of the Crystal Tokyo we've all worked so hard for because of my selfish emotions. You know we can't take that chance, Hotaru," the pink-haired princess nearly pleaded, begging the gods that Hotaru would understand.

Instead of a reply, there was a pained, choked sob followed by a click and a dial tone. The young princess quickly renewed the line and began to dial. One ring. Two rings. Four. Seven. "Hello, this is Hotaru Tomoe. I'm sorry I missed your call, but if you leave a--" Chibi-Usa hung up the phone, cutting off Hotaru's answering machine. She once again picked up the phone and dialed what she knew was Hotaru's destination.

"Hello...?" A sleepy voice answered the phone. Glancing at her watch, Chibi-Usa felt a small pang of guilt for calling at such an hour. "Michiru-san, I'm sorry to wake you. Please, I need to talk to Haruka-san..."

--------

Hotaru drove at dangerous speeds toward her old home in the more well-to-do area of Tokyo. She had to talk to her 'father', as she affectionately called Haruka. Of all the people in Hotaru's life, she respected and admired Haruka the most, even above Queen Serenity. She knew Haruka had silently and nobly endured hardships that she doubted even Usagi or her Michiru-mama knew the full trauma and terror of.

As she drove, she thought of the most important thing Haruka had taught her - to never underestimate the impossible. Haruka was unaware of the knowledge she had bestowed upon her daughter, as it was absorbed in silent observance. As the homes began to grow larger and further apart, Hotaru let her mind wander back to those defining moments in her life.

--flashback--

"SILENCE WALL!" I screamed for what seemed liked the hundredth time that night, barely managing to ward off yet another attack from one of four youma. Even with all of the senshi present, save for Chibi-Usa, this was not looking good. The battle had only begun a few minutes ago, but already several of the senshi were losing ground. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a rose cut the air like a dagger and embed itself in the broad shoulder of a roughly eight-foot tall youma, throwing off it's aim as it hurled a deadly attack of what appeared to be black electricity at Sailor Moon, who narrowly escaped being deep-fried. It now turned its serpentine head toward Tuxedo Kamen, who leapt in front of Sailor Moon and screamed for her to run as he began a fierce assault with his cane, whipping roses at every opening he had. Taking his advice to heart, she continued to scamper away from various attacks, looking frantically for an opening to use her own attack. I darkly noted that if she didn't find it soon, she may no longer have a need for the opportunity.

I quickly returned my attention to the battle around me, bringing up the Silence Glaive just in time to block an attack from another youma. It was more humanoid in appearance, save for it's midnight blue skin and the dagger like claws adorning it's fingers and toes and the actual daggers that seemed to be protruding directly from it's forearms. I idly noted a mismatched resemblance to a comic book character dressed in yellow she had once read about. The youma began its assault, the blades on its arms slashing with deadly precision and lightning swiftness. As I blocked and parried the youma's attacks, my eyes flicked over the battlefield to confirm the situations of my fellow senshi.

Venus, Mars and Tuxedo Kamen were trying desperately to give Sailor Moon a window of opportunity. Tuxedo Kamen would draw the youma's attention to him while the senshi of love and fire threw attack after deadly attack, doing everything in their power to at least slow the monster down. Sailor Moon herself would sneak a hit in every now and again with her tiara, though it wasn't having as devastating of an affect on the seemingly indestructible youma.

"VENUS CRESENT BEAM SMASH!"

The youma dodged the attack easily, to Venus's dismay. The huge snake-head youma leapt into the air toward Venus, leaving her no time to react. Just as the youma was about to come crashing down upon the senshi of love, Venus was tackled to the side by the Shinto priestess of Mars. The youma landed with a crash, the solid concrete where Venus once stood now a crater of gray dust and pebbles. The three senshi and Tuxedo Kamen once again begin their increasingly futile assault.

Mercury and Jupiter were in an even grimmer situation. If the growing red stain on the side of Mercury's fuku and her increasingly sluggish movements were anything to go by, the cerulean-haired genius would soon be out of the fight. Suddenly, Mercury dropped to her knees in exhaustion. Several small, dark puddles near the Mercurian indicated that she had lost a vital amount of blood. Jupiter boldly engaged in hand to hand combat with the youma. This particular youma was also humanoid and rather short in stature for its kind, standing about six feet high. It didn't seem to have any deadly physical weapons, but was quite the martial artist. Almost effortlessly, it sent Jupiter crashing into a concrete wall of the small, surrounded picnicking spot of the park they were in with a good, solid punch to her chest. Jupiter slid down the wall and collapsed in a heap at the base of it. Slowly, she lifted her head and somehow began an attempt to struggle to her feet once more when Mercury's voice weakly called out her attack.

"MERCURY BUBBLES BLAST!"

In a last ditch effort to survive long enough to come up with a plan, Mercury used the cover of the fog her power created to try to haul Jupiter to safety. The youma roared in frustration as it tried to find its prey, shooting random beams of dark energy from its palm in what it thought was the general direction of the two senshi. For a moment, the two were safe. Hopefully, Mercury had bought enough time to put that computer of hers to work and end this increasingly deadly battle.

At last I caught a glimpse of my parents, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, battling something that looked like a mix between Medusa and a large dog. The youma was a heavily muscled quadruped with a head that resembled a horse's skull. There were no lips, just a jagged opening at the end of a long snout. All around its head were many snake-like tentacles that shot out like whips and sizzled with deadly dark energy. The three oldest senshi worked together in flawless and deadly cooperation, keeping the bizarre youma on its toes.

"NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!"

Neptune's attack was dead on and at nearly point-blank range. The water and the energy in the youma's tentacles caused a hissing, sizzling sound as steam rose from the youma's head and clouded the immediate area about it. Without warning, a massive forepaw of the creature swiped out at the senshi, catching Pluto and Uranus square in their midsections. Both senshi were thrown violently aside. Pluto struck the base of one of the several ornate fountains in the area and struggled to stand, dazed from the collision. Uranus, however, quickly recovered and immediately began to race toward the creature, her famous Space Sword crackling with energy. From the quickly clearing steam, a single tentacle emerged and shot toward Neptune, wrapping around her throat and delivering a devastating surge of dark energy to her body. Neptune screamed in agony as she tried desperately to free herself. Within a millisecond, Uranus was at her side, Space Sword raised high.

"URANUS SPACE SWORD BLASTER!"

The youma howled in pain and would have withdrawn the tentacle ensnaring Neptune, had it still been there. Neptune fell limply into Uranus's arms, barely conscious.

"NEPTUNE!" I screamed, trying desperately to make my way over to my mother. The youma I had been fighting smiled evilly and saw its opening. All breath left my lungs as the youma's solid fist connected with my stomach and a forearm dagger slashed violently against my side. I doubled over in pain, only to have a swift kick delivered to the side of my head, which sent me sprawling across the concrete near my parents, the Silence Glaive skittering out of sight into what remained of the fog created by Sailor Mercury. I weakly lifted my head and looked around.

Venus and Mercury lay next to each other unconscious on the hard concrete, blood flowing from most likely vital wounds. Mars and Jupiter stood protectively in front of the two, apparently having placed them next to each other in order to protect them. They, along with Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon threw attack after attack, doing everything they could think of to turn the tides of the battle. All of them had sustained grave injuries. Tears began to fill my eyes as I realized this battle would soon be over. An image of Chibi-Usa came to mind, finally causing the tears to fall. I would never see my angel again...and she didn't even know how I felt about her.

I turned my head at what sounded like garbled laughter. It was coming from the youma the other Outers had been fighting. Pluto lay off to the side, battered and unconscious, while Uranus knelt with a dying Neptune in her arms. The blonde senshi of wind was wide-eyed with fear of losing her soul mate.

"Michi...hold on. Please, just hold on," the blonde begged her lover.

" 'Ruka...I love you," Neptune whispered weakly, reaching up to touch the racer's face. "So much..."

"Michiru...don't..."

"Aishiteru...my 'Ruka..."

The aquamarine-haired violinist's slender hand fell from Uranus's face as her deep blue eyes closed for the last time. I felt my mother's presence grow fainter and fainter until I could barely feel it at all. Tears streamed down my face as I watched the scene. Suddenly, a soul-wrenching cry pierced the night and a sudden quiet befell the deadly battle.

"MICHIRU!"

All eyes turned toward the grief-stricken Uranian. Mars, Jupiter, Moon, and Tuxedo Kamen took in the scene with shocked faces while the four youma, weakened but no worse for the ware, smirked in amusement. At that moment something completely unheard of, though entirely warranted, happened.

Two tears slowly made their way down the wind senshi's face.

Uranus was crying.

The blonde senshi very gently lay Neptune down on the concrete, lovingly brushing an aquamarine lock from her face. She slowly stood up, head down and clenched fists shaking at her side. At first, I thought I was hallucinating the golden glow around her, but it quickly began to grow as she continued to stare down at Neptune's unmoving form. All four youma seemed to be attracted to this interesting occurrence and began to approach the Uranian.

She struck without warning. Uranus was no more than a golden blur as she raced toward the group of youma. The youma I had been fighting rushed to meet the charge, forearm blades glinting maliciously. As the two fighters met, shock was clearly written all over the youma's face. Uranus easily countered its attacks and within four or five moves, the youma's head hit the concrete with a sickening thud, severed from the rest of the body. All present looked on in disbelief, both youma and senshi alike. I studied my father closely and gasped at what I saw. Her eyes were completely different. They were cold, emotionless, and devoid of mercy and compassion. I had never seen her eyes like that.

This couldn't be the same woman that raised me. Images of my youth played in my mind - Haruka checking under my bed for the boogeyman; Lifting me up in the air as I clung to one of her strong arms; Letting me help her work on cars; Helping me build a birdhouse for my shop class...I shook my head and stared at the powerful woman before me. Did she look upon all of her enemies with such eyes?

I heard a slight moan coming from my left. I averted my gaze toward the sound just in time to see Neptune's head roll to one side. She was alive! I quickly crawled over to where she lay, tenderly touching the burns on her neck. Maybe...just maybe I could heal her enough to stabilize her. I quickly placed my hands on my mother, one on her forehead, the other over her chest and began to concentrate...

--end flashback--

Hotaru shook her head, snapping back to reality. The rest of that night was fuzzy to the ebony-haired young woman, but she remembered the other senshi describing what happened. Haruka had fought viciously, making relatively quick work of the very powerful youma without even the assistance of the rest of the senshi. Mars had confessed that she herself had been rather frightened at the sight of the blonde covered with different colors of blood, but what shocked her most were Haruka's eyes. Jupiter had agreed, noting that they had only returned to normal once she had seen Michiru open her eyes. The Jovian then smirked and said "The fury of the wind is unstoppable."

Hotaru smiled a bit. She and her father were a lot alike. Nothing could affect them like the ones they loved. Her smile then faded as the reality of her present situation once again settled on her shoulders.

Hotaru finally pulled into the driveway of her old home. She put the car in park and turned it off, simply sitting there for a few moments. When she looked up at the house, she saw her father's latest project parked off to the side in the huge driveway. It was a bright yellow convertible that looked like it had seen better days. There had obviously been a pretty nasty impact on the driver's side. Another memory washed over Hotaru as she examined the damaged car...

--flashback--

It's dark. Flashing lights. Everywhere. People in uniforms running around. It's raining. Blood...my blood? No...not mine. But who's?

"Daddy..."

My world went black.

--end flashback--

For the second time that night, Hotaru shook her head clear it and bring herself back to reality. A few years back, Haruka had bought that convertible and couldn't have been prouder. The same night she took Hotaru for a ride through Tokyo. Hotaru was slightly upset. It was raining, so they couldn't drive with the top down. Haruka had just smiled at her and promised that tomorrow they would go for another ride with the top down.

Hotaru felt her fists clench at her sides and she shook slightly with the memory. They never got to take that second ride. On their way home, Haruka lost control of the car and they had run off the road. They had come to a stop when the driver's side slammed into a very large tree. Hotaru had drifted in and out of consciousness, but remembered snippets of her surroundings and the conversations of the many policemen and medical technicians running this way and that.

"Get a helicopter in here, NOW!"

"What's the status of the teenager?"

"She seems to be fine, just a bump on the head."

"What about the man?"

"It's a woman, sir. Tenoh, Haruka."

"Tenoh, Haruka? THE Tenoh Haruka?"

"Yes sir...She says she can't feel her legs..."

"There's no way she's going to be walking again..."

That had happened just several months before she and Chibi-Usa were to graduate high school. Haruka had kept herself rather secluded from other people, even Michiru. She would spend hours alone in the private gym area of the house. It was assumed that the accident had traumatized her mentally as well as physically. No one could even dare to guess at the amount of emotional and mental agony caused to a person like Haruka by being confined to a wheelchair. Michiru had been so worried about the blonde. Hotaru smiled a bit. The real reason for her self-exile was revealed at Hotaru's graduation ceremony.

On the day of Hotaru's graduation, in an unexplained mood swing, Haruka refused to attend Hotaru's graduation, leaving Hotaru heartbroken. Later that day, she walked on stage and received her diploma, then turned to face the crowd. What she saw would stay with her for all of the days of her immortal life.

Haruka was there in her wheelchair in the middle of the aisle that separated the crowd with a bouquet of roses in her lap. Everyone turned their heads to see what Hotaru was staring open-mouthed at. At that moment, Haruka stood up and began walking toward the stage, eliciting a collective gasp of astonishment from the crowd. Slowly, Haruka climbed the stairs and approached Hotaru, who just stared at her father-figure disbelievingly. Haruka opened her arms to her. "Congratulations, Hime-chan," she whispered to the girl lovingly. Hotaru had flown into Haruka's arms and hugged her tight as the entire crowd cheered for the multiple successes and miracles that day.

Amidst remembering times come and gone, Hotaru had gravitated towards the car and gingerly ran her fingers across it. She smirked to herself a little.

"The fury of the wind is unstoppable..." she quoted to no one in particular.

"I should thank Makoto for thinking of that," said a husky voice from behind Hotaru. Hotaru didn't even jump. The voice was all too familiar to the young senshi. "Haruka-papa..." she whispered. Haruka immediately walked over to the girl and wrapped her arms around her. Hotaru returned the hug, burying her face in her father's shoulder and finally allowing all of the complicated and powerful emotions surface.

Haruka and Hotaru sat in the backseat of the convertible and watched as the sun began to rise. Hotaru was leaning her head against Haruka's shoulder, enjoying the warm, safe feeling that enveloped her every time she was with the blonde.

"So what are you going to do, Hime-chan?" Haruka asked softly, breaking the silence. Hotaru sighed and shook her head. "I have no idea...I can't let her give up on us, Haruka-papa. I just know we're meant for each other." Hotaru looked up at her father. "Haruka-papa?" Haruka looked down at her daughter, prompting her to ask her question. "Do you think the future is certain?"

Haruka smiled at Hotaru and wrapped her arms around her, kissing her forehead. "No, Hime-chan. The future is not certain. The things your Setsuna-mama tells us, the memories we have of the future...they're all just possibilities. We have to fight for the future we want. If we just sat back and left everything to fate, do you think Crystal Tokyo would exist?" Hotaru bit her lip slightly as she thought about that. "So...do you think it's possible that I'm supposed to fight for my future with Chibi-Usa, rather than just let whatever happens happen?" she questioned. Haruka nodded. "I think so, Hime-chan. I think it's finally your turn to truly fight for love." Hotaru nodded and took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for the task ahead.

Just how was she supposed to do this?

When Hotaru arrived home, it was still early in the morning. As she turned to pull into her driveway, she was surprised to see another car in her driveway. Hotaru's eyes widened. It was Chibi-Usa's car. She parked her car next to her lover's and turned it off, then walked up to her house. She tried the doorknob and, as she had assumed, it was unlocked. She walked into her house quietly and saw a mass of pink on her living room couch.

Chibi-Usa was deep in a fitful sleep when Hotaru knelt beside her. Hotaru gently took her lover's hand and placed her free hand on the troubled girl's forehead.

"Shhhht. It's okay, my angel...I'm here now," Hotaru whispered lovingly into the young woman's ear. The pink-haired princess calmed down slightly, but squeezed Hotaru's hand and whimpered the slender woman's name. Hotaru couldn't help but smile and leaned in to place a gentle, loving kiss upon her sleeping love's lips.

Soon, Chibi-Usa slept peacefully and Hotaru very carefully picked her up and carried her to her bedroom. She gingerly laid the woman on her bed and covered her up, kissing her forehead lightly. She stood and watched her love sleep for several moments before looking around the room. Her eyes fell on her guitar in the corner of the room. Being from such a musically talented family she had, of course, picked up a very promising skill. She and a few of her non-senshi friends had even formed an amateur band of sorts and were quickly gaining popularity amongst the locals. An idea began to form beneath her ebony locks and her violet eyes sparkled a bit as it developed. She smiled down at Chibi-Usa before grabbing her guitar and leaving the room, closing the door quietly behind her. She had to make a few phone calls.

Chibi-Usa yawned as she woke up, inhaling the scent of Hotaru's room. She rolled over, reaching for Hotaru so she could curl up and cling to dreamland for just a few moments longer. When she couldn't feel the comforting warmth beside her, she wrinkled her nose and opened her eyes. Suddenly, Chibi-Usa shot into a sitting position. What was she doing in Hotaru's bed?

She got out of bed slowly and walked out into the living room. The last thing she remembered was sitting on Hotaru's couch, waiting for her to come back from the Outer's house. She had called Haruka and explained everything to her, begging her to take care of Hotaru. Of course, Haruka was way ahead of the pink-haired princess and assured her that she would calm Hotaru down. Chibi-Usa shook her head. She could have sworn she was with Hotaru last night...

It was then that Chibi-Usa noticed a piece of folded white paper on the coffee table in front of the couch with her name written on it. She sat on the couch and slowly unfolded the piece of paper. Chibi-Usa's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The note consisted of only three words - "Go with them." Chibi-Usa shook her head, trying to make sense of the note. A sudden tingling sensation on her hip made her jump nearly a foot off of the couch. Dropping the note, she scrambled to fish her cell phone out of her side pocket and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey Chibi-Usa, it's Makoto."

Chibi-Usa blinked. "Mako-chan?"

"Hey, the girls and I were going to go out tonight. Come with us!"

Chibi-Usa sighed, reluctant to have human contact at that time. "I don't know, Mako-chan...I'm not really in a party mood right now."

"Come on, Chibi-Usa. Please come with us?" Makoto pleaded.

Unbeknownst to the pink-haired princess, all of the senshi were already gathered at Makoto's apartment. A faint strumming of a guitar was coming from Makoto's bedroom. Each of the inner scouts sat around Makoto's chair in her living room with their fingers crossed, staring intently at the brunette senshi of lightning. One cerulean-haired senshi folded her arms across Makoto's lap and smiled, the simple affectionate touch causing the brunette to return the smile lovingly. The Outers all sat on the couch, both Michiru and Setsuna affectionately resting their heads on Haruka's shoulders. The Outers all gazed at the floor in concentration, their ears acutely tuned to the phone conversation. Michiru suddenly noticed the music from Makoto's bedroom had stopped and glanced toward the hallway. Hotaru was standing there holding her breath, her guitar strap still around her neck.

Back at Hotaru's house, Chibi-Usa sighed and blew her bangs out of her face, looking around as she tried to come up with an excuse to decline the offer when she saw Hotaru's note on the floor. "Go with them..." she whispered to herself. "What?" Makoto asked on the other line. Chibi-Usa shook her head and sighed again. "Nothing. Alright, I'll go." Chibi-Usa thought she heard several excited whispers. "What was that?" she inquired warily. "Nothing!" Makoto quickly chirped. "We'll ask Haruka to pick you up at your house around seven so you don't have to drive. Dress casually. See you then!" Makoto quickly finished and hung up the phone before Chibi-Usa could ask any more questions.

The brunette blew out a sigh of relief as she let the phone drop with a soft thud to the carpeted floor. Each of the inner senshi had their hands clapped over each other's mouths and let out the breaths they had been holding in since they almost gave everything away with excited background chatter. A rather meek sounding voice called everyone's attention toward the hall entrance.

"Is she coming?" Hotaru asked quietly, nervously fingering the strings of her guitar. Her band-mates poked their heads out of Makoto's bedroom, earnestly awaiting the answer. Makoto smiled and nodded. "Haruka is going to pick her up at seven," the Jovian confirmed. Hotaru smiled and nodded before returning to the room and closing the door as the band's practice resumed once more.

Later that night, a motorcycle purred to a stop in front of Chibi-Usa's house. Chibi-Usa was waiting on her porch in somewhat of a daze. She hadn't even noticed the blonde wind senshi pull up. Chibi-Usa finally looked up at the sight of a pair of legs in front of her. Haruka gave her a slightly sad smile.

"Are you ready, princess?" Chibi-Usa simply nodded and stood.

"How is Hotaru...?" The young woman asked carefully.

"She's fine, princess." Haruka said reassuringly. "Things will work out."

Chibi-Usa sighed sadly and closed her eyes for a brief moment. "I hope so, Haruka," she whispered. "I hope so..."

The motorcycle came to a stop in front of a local karaoke bar. It was a quaint, homey little place that provided some small comfort to first time singers and inspired many routine performances. When Haruka and Chibi-Usa walked in, Rei and Makoto were on the stage singing a comic love song to their girlfriends, Minako and Ami, respectively. The poor girls were horribly red and became even more embarrassed when their lovers jumped off of the stage with their microphones and began dramatically singing, Makoto dropping to her knees in front of Ami and Rei pulling Minako up to dance with her. When the song mercifully came to an end, everyone at the bar cheered and whistled as each of the singers received a kiss from the objects of their affections, leaving them both with wide, goofy grins that would surely last the rest of the night.

Haruka escorted Chibi-Usa to where the rest of the group, including Mamoru, was sitting, then went off somewhere. Chibi-Usa assumed she was going to the bar. She quickly dismissed Haruka's absence and was soon included in the group's small talk. About fifteen minutes later, Chibi-Usa noticed Haruka return to the group, taking a seat next to Michiru. She also noticed the rest of the senshi glance at Haruka expectantly, then quickly look away. Chibi-Usa was about to inquire as to what was going on when the lights of the bar all dimmed and a voice came over the sound system.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special performance tonight by a local band for a very special someone in the audience. Give it up for The Elements and the first debut of their brand new song, The Impossible!"

Chibi-Usa blinked in surprise as the man introduced Hotaru's band and watched the stage intently. A single center-stage spotlight shone dimly as a few notes from a lone guitar brought the cheering crowd to silence. When the song actually began, the spotlight became brighter, showing Hotaru half sitting, half leaning on a barstool alone on stage with a headset microphone. Soon the rest of the band began to play gently as the song began...

"My dad chased monsters from the dark
She checked underneath my bed
And she could lift me with one arm
Way up over 'top her head
She could loosen rusty bolts
With a quick turn of her wrench
She pulled splinters from her hand
And never even flinched..."

Hotaru looked up for the first time and met the gazes of her fellow senshi. She saw a look of awe in all of their eyes, including Chibi-Usa's, but at this moment she locked gazes with one person in particular, driving the meaning home for all of them as the memory of a terrible battle washed over all of them.

"In thirteen years I'd never seen her cry
But the day Michiru-mama died, I realized...

"Unsinkable ships sink.
Unbreakable walls break.
Sometimes the things you think could never happen,
Happen just like that.
Unbendable steel bends.
If the fury of the wind is unstoppable,
I've learned to never underestimate
The impossible."

All of the senshi smiled at the clever play of Makoto's quote about wind in the song. Makoto, herself, smiled proudly, honored that her statement had left such an important mark on everyone. Everyone was impressed with the wisdom Hotaru expressed through the song.

Finally, Hotaru let her gaze settle on Chibi-Usa as she continued to sing her song, her voice becoming only slightly strained as she recalled the memories that inspired her next verse. This would be only the second time she would have described the painful instance to her angel.

"And then there was my senior year
Daddy had a brand new car.
It was late, the road was wet...
I guess the curve was just too sharp...
I walked away without a scratch...
They brought the helicopter in.
And daddy couldn't feel her legs...
They said she'd never walk again."

Hotaru glanced back at her parents and smiled proudly at them. Haruka and Michiru stared back at their daughter. Tears were streaming down Michiru's face, reliving the memories and the miracle they had experienced. Haruka's gaze met Hotaru's and she gave her a knowing smile. Hotaru grinned a bit and sat a little straighter as she continued her song, proudly sharing her father's miracle.

"But daddy said she would and Michiru-mama prayed...
And the day I graduated, she stood up to say..."

Hotaru stood and began to sing with a new gusto, her voice gaining a deep strength that gave everyone in the bar shivers.

"Unsinkable ships sink.
Unbreakable walls break.
Sometimes the things you think would never happen,
Happen just like that.
Unbendable steel bends.
If the fury of the wind is unstoppable,
I've learned to never underestimate
The impossible."

Hotaru jumped off of the stage and very slowly walked toward a speechless Chibi-Usa, letting the song engulf the wide-eyed girl as the music became more powerful and dramatic.

"So don't tell me that it's over
Don't give up on you and me
'cause there's no such thing as hopeless
If you believe..."

Hotaru's voice became a bit quieter and softened as her most important message had been bluntly delivered to her lover. Her words came more gently as she slowed her approach of Chibi-Usa, now almost face to face with her angel.

As Hotaru strummed the last lingering notes of her song on her guitar, the crowd was frozen in an awe-struck silence. Hotaru whispered gently to Chibi-Usa, but her words still resounded gently in the speakers around the bar.

"Chibi-Usa...I love you. Please...don't give up on us, angel. Let's make our own future."

The young pink-haired woman choked out a soft sob, a few tears finally falling. Several of the senshi had tears in their eyes as Hotaru reached out and very gently stroked her lover's cheek, wiping away her tears. The ebony-haired senshi of Saturn cupped Chibi-Usa's cheek and leaned forward slowly. Chibi-Usa's eyes closed, readily waiting for the tender kiss she so desperately needed. The entire crowd of the bar forgot how to breathe, seeming to await the kiss almost as anxiously as Chibi-Usa...almost. When the two women's lips finally met after what felt like a lifetime, everyone in the bar began cheering, screaming, and whistling.

A few minutes later, all of the senshi were closely gathered on the stage as Mamoru explained to someone how to work his digital camera. Hotaru stood behind Chibi-Usa with her arms around the smaller woman's waist, holding her close to her. Haruka stood next to her with her arms around her Neptunian water-nymph in a similar fashion, looking for all the world like the proud father she was. As Mamoru walked toward the stage to find his place for the photograph, Hotaru chuckled a little bit. Chibi-Usa looked up at her inquisitively.

"What's so funny, love?" Hotaru grinned and kissed Chibi-Usa deeply and lovingly just as the person took the picture. When they finally pulled apart, Hotaru smiled down at her angel.

"Nothing, my princess. I just realized something."

"Oh? What's that?"

"I got my picture of Heaven on Earth after all."