Alone

Usagi looked at the small box with the silver wrapping paper. It was so shinny and beautiful, she almost didn't want to rip it apart. Almost.

She sighed softly before letting her hands tear through the paper, shredding it easily with her fingers and lifting the top on a small brown box within. What she saw inside made her gasp for breath. Two beautiful glass slippers of green stared back at her.

She tentatively reached in to touch them, but then withdrew immediately. She suddenly felt repulsed, as though the wondrous green heels had transformed into ugly brown loafers. She hated loafers.

She placed the top back on the box and looked around the room. Where was Luna? She sighed and shook her head, the cat had probably run off to wherever she had been going for the last few months when the Senshi's memory had been hidden away. Not that she knew where that was, but her guardian cat had always returned home. Always.

So why did she feel so sick suddenly? Why did she feel as though something terrible had happened while she slept in peaceful unaware?

She shook her head and slowly got dressed, glaring slightly at the shoes that winked in the sunlight. Stupid shoes.

"Usagi?"

She ignored her mother, instead pointedly chewing her food.

She felt a hand grab her shoulder, intent on forcing her to face her. Usagi almost laughed at the pitiful attempt, she was not alive purely because of dumb luck, she had learnt to escape fiends...

Slipping beneath the arm, she stood placing her bowl in the sink and without a word went to grab her stuff, the tight grip on her arm stopped her.

"Usagi you will stop this nonsense at once, you have gone to far."

She looked at her, cold hard sapphires staring into blackened coal, she tore away her arm. How dare she say that she had gone to far. How dare she take away her friends, her powers, her life and say she had gone to far.

Why was she doing this? Why did she hurt her like this? Why!

"Usagi, I love you-"

"Liar," she spat, angry eyes only increasing in fury when the woman looked at her shocked, as though she had done something terrible. As though she had spit curses at her. It made her sick, the tear falling from her eye, the clouds ofwater forming...

The hand that whipped out suddenly took her by surprise, she hadn't expected it at all. She hadn't expected the hand to make contact with the soft tissue of her face, for the sting in her cheek to burn hotter than fire, or for her body to radiate cold more frigid than ice. She hadn't expected any of it. So when her face swiveled to the side from the impact she could only touch the spot her mother had just hit. She could only listen with fury as the woman gasped at her action.

She had hit her...

Her mother had hit her...

Her mother hated her...

Her mother didn't care...

Tears swarmed her vision and she ran from the house, the calls of her mother echoing like a hollowcry through the night. Like a soft haze on a summer's heated night. She ran for all she was worth, not caring that she was barefoot or that she didn't have any idea where she was headed.

She only knew one thought as the wind rushed through her falling hair and her face pulsed with pain.

They hated her, they all hated her...


Minako stared at the dying woman from behind the aqua haired woman, the sobs that escaped her throat terrified her. This woman, this person was going to die and Artemis wanted to let her? How could he be so cruel?

How could he allow a human life to fall away to the darkness of death when she could be saved? How could he?

Looking down at the small feline hidden in her purse, she saw only revenge in his eyes. Even at the pitiful creature before them. The creature that was fading quickly from life, who would die if she didn't step in...

"I need to ask you ladies to leave, she's almost gone, we want to make this as painless-"

"No!" screamed the woman whose emotions churned like the stormy sea. Tsunamis and hurricanes blew through her soul and she could only clutch her hands together and out last the surges of emotions.

"Please miss-"

"Ruka-chan! Ruka you can't give up, you can't! Please... Please hold on!"

"Miss, you need to lea-" his words were cut off by a slightly raspy voice, eyes still shut and skin paling quickly.

"You," yelled the doctor, looking at the patient who didn't appear so hopeless, "you with the aqua hair, keep talking! Kori leave her alone."

Minako could only stare on wide eyed as the older girl dropped to her knees and pleaded, begging the other girl with all her heart to keep alive. Flashes of images passed between their soul and through her eyes, lightning from the thunderous tempest that bellowed out it's life.

She made her decision then and there, clutching the small wand in her pocket that she carried everywhere.

Stepping forward, she laid a hand on the girl, tears streaming from her eyes that brought courage to her, she could, would do this...

"She's fading we need blood or she'll die!" called an unnamed nurse, Minako stood tall and proud, her eyes clear and determined to protect and save. That was her duty, was it not? Besides, she knew love when she saw it, and she was not the princess of Venus for nothing.

"I'll give blood!"

The smiles and cheers that acquainted the words drowned away all the fear she felt. She knew what she was doing right, one look at the teal eyed woman told her so. And thus she ignored every curse thrown by the white cat in her bag.

She was the warrior of love, not of revenge.


Hotaru frowned as she saw the tearful blue eyes run by, something about those eyes called to her, she felt drawn to them, like a moth to a flame. They were so enticing...

She ran after the blonde, watching her stumble and hit the ground heavily. She looked so fragile, so weak. But somehow she knew she wasn't. Somehow she knew this woman had the strength to defeat all of the nightmares of this world...

"Please don't cry," she said, smiling softly at the sobbing girl. She was so sad, why?

"Who- who are you?"

She blinked, did she have to tell her her name? People always ran when they learned it, not that many people asked for it. But still...

"Hotaru,"

The salty water had stopped falling, and cloudy blue eyes stared at her. She wondered why they looked so familiar.

"Hello Hotaru-chan, I'm Usagi."

"Usagi-san?"

"Yes Hotaru-chan?"

"You shouldn't cry, it makes the darkness stronger."

Hotaru covered her mouth when the words came out, what had that been about? Could it be the other? And if it was, how long would it be there this time?

"I know, I just can't help it sometimes..."

Purple eyes looked deeply at her, she knew... But how? Unless she was the one from her dreams... Could she be the one who tore away the darkness after she was sick? Could she be the light that had lit up her nights?

She shook her head, that woman, that angel, held a purity only someone untouched by reality could hold. Even the stars faded in time...

"Will you walk with me to school?"

The blonde haired woman smiled softly at her, and it felt like the sun had exploded before her eyes. Those blue orbs clearing from the tears. And even with them the light continued strong.

"Of course Hotaru-chan!"

Slowly, she watched the older woman pull herself up off the ground, puffy eyes dried. And she took the offered hand, walking towards the rising sun, towards a new beginning.

Looking up at the cloudy sky, she saw the her mama, smiling down at her with those beautiful blue eyes. Eyes that reminded her of Usagi-san.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Thank you...


Michiru watched as the younger woman was strapped in to the table and felt something similar to hope well within her. Haruka was going to be okay... She was going to be okay...

She fell to her knees and listened to the nurses rush and scramble around. She was scared, but everything would be okay. Everything was going to be okay...She was going to be okay...

She watched her friend sleep, noticing every action, every swell of the chest and gasping breath. Every twitch and shiver, she watched it all, desperate for the life to flow through her friend, the windblown woman. None came, none but the torn shudder giving her life.

"Ruka..." she whispered, her eyes clouded with tears, "O Ruka..."

She was tired, her eyes underlined with dark circles, all night she had waited, all night she had prayed, all night she had begged the blonde before her to hold on, to stay alive. Reminding her she was needed for their mission, reminding her of the woman waiting for her.

The blue eyed angel that had lit their darkness.

"Ruka, please... please hold on..."

She remained ignorant to her words, eyes still in peace, frozen death lingering on her lips. Lips that once sung with life and radiance. She looked like the frosty morning dew settled upon the spring grass, so precariously holding to the last strands of existence.

"Ko..." sputtered out of the woman's lips, Michiru felt her heart clench at those words, the longing sound, the wistfulness. "konek... neko..."

She felt the jealousy overwhelm her, Haruka could never be hers. She would never see her as anything other than a friend, a sister. They were but family in her eyes...

"She's safe Ruka, Usagi's fine..." She chocked out the words reluctantly, watching with immense pain as the woman smiled softly, her lips curling under the rays of dawn, she looked like a goddess, so untouchable by the world...

"Good..." whispered the woman before falling back into peaceful contempt, Michiru broke down with sobs, never noticing the hazy blue eyes crying with her, for her. She knew nothing when exhaustion caught her in it's cold grips.


Usagi looked down at the strange girl holding her hand. It felt... odd, and somehow nice. Something about this girl screamed to her, something strange and deep. Like a fire buried beneath ashes.

"Here we are Hotaru-chan," she smiled, squeezing the small hand in hers reluctant to let go. She didn't know exactly why.

"Thank you Usagi-san!" she smiled at the name, she wasn't used to be called such things. But she ignored it and let the girl go, watching her walk off towards the school. She prepared to head towards her own establishment, only she stopped when she heard something hit the ground.

Turning she noticed papers strewn across the ground and the young girl she'd just walked with picking them up. Her eyes widened greatly, how had they...

Her thoughts got cut off when someone pushed into the other girl, Usagi felt rage fill her. How could they do that? Those brats were bullying Hotaru-chan! Red-faced, she stormed into the courtyard, her eyes alight with anger and she was certain she looked like a tomato, but she really didn't care. How dare they hurt Hotaru-chan! Picking up the papers on the ground, she glared at any who came near Hotaru-chan, they all shrunk away easily, except one with a pudgy nose...

"Look at that guys, Hotaru's got herself a friend, how long you think she'll keep this one before something strange happens." Usagi glared. What were these kids talking about! As far as she was concerned Hotaru was a nice girl, and she wouldn't let these boys pick on her!

"Leave Hotaru-chan alone! She's not done anything terrible, I won't let you hurt her!" The children laughed and she stood with a terrible glint in her eye, a smirk on her face that she had learned for all of the monsters she had faced as Sailor Moon.

"Be mean to Hotaru-chan again," she whispered malevolently hoping her eyes were shinning eerily, "and I'll come to you in the dead of night when no one is awake to stop me-" She cut off and stood up, something she knew would let them think the worst they could come up with. And a child's imagination was a terrible thing, looking into their wide eyes, she could only smirk all the more.

"Hotaru-chan," she turned around, her eyes no longer glowing, "have a good day!"

And with that she walked off, knowing every eyewatched her go. And two in particular stared at her in admiration. Two soft purple ones that looked ever so familiar.


Artemis walked silently from the hospital, seething with anger and betrayal. How could Luna have done that? How could she have protected their enemy! The one who had brainwashed their princess with the terrible thoughts.

He hurried his pace, there was only one person he knew to do now, with both the Senshi of love and the guardian of the moon princess turned traitor, he would seek out all those loyal to his cause. To the truth!

He would not stand by and watch these fools destroy everything they worked for! He could not... even if that meant leaving Luna behind...

The pain that tore at his heart when he'd seen her run in begging Minako for help. The way she seemed so desperate to help those thieves! How could she!

Artemis tried to push away the terrible feeling in his gut, the twisted sensation that left him breathless. He sighed and ran all the quicker. What they had done was unforgivable. He ran in the direction of Makoto's house, knowing at least she would not give in to these devious creatures.

She would never betray their princess.