Hotaru opened her eyes. She was lying in a pile of soft warm furs. She pushed herself up. For a second she didn't know where she was. Kohaku was curled up in the furs next to her. Rin was sleeping on a settee, covered up with a different fur. Hotaru stood up. She realized they were still in Lord Sesshomaru's mother's palace, high above the clouds.
She remembered what had happened. What she had seen and found out in the underworld, what Queen Dione had told her. The memory hit her like a physical blow to the stomach. In less than three months she would be dead. The emotions she had managed to suppress in the underworld once more threatened to overtake her. She forced them down again.
Stay strong, little soldier. Haruka's voice echoed in her head. It was what she always used to tell Hotaru whenever nightmares or premonitions woke her up. Fearing the future won't prevent it.
Hotaru closed her eyes and took a breath. She would take that fear and tuck it away, put it in a box, and put that box on a shelf in the very back corner of her mind. She had to move on, decide what she would do next.
Now she knew the ending, now she knew the time frame. She wasn't going home. FIne. That was one less goal she had to achieve. Now she would not have to worry about finding Sango's group again. She was sure they would bump into each other again; it seemed like everyone who sought to end Naraku was on a collision course, but Hotaru no longer had to seek Kagome out as a vessel to return home. She could let that go. She had a new mission now.
She was going to destroy the Shikon Jewel. That was her fate. That was her destiny. That was where she was now going to direct all of her effort. She looked over to Kohaku, he was still asleep in the piles of fur on the floor.
Sailor Saturn was acutely aware of the lifespan of every living thing around her. It was one of the aspects of her powers that Hotaru hated the most. She could feel the death of every creature she encountered. The closer to death that creature was, the stronger the feeling. Most of the time she tried to ignore it. If she wasn't directly paying attention, it faded like static into the background. But that sense always screamed at her whenever she looked at Kohaku. His death was in the wrong direction. It was something behind him, rather than in front of him. His heart may beat, his lungs may draw air, but he was dead. The Shikon Jewel was the only reason he was able to walk in this world. Destroying the Shikon Jewel meant sending him back to his grave.
She had already agreed to it, she knew that. She had promised Lady Kikyo that she would do anything to help destroy Naraku. She had known how the priestess had planned to go about it. But two nights prior, the night that Lady Kikyo had died, Hotaru and Kohaku had stayed up late into the night talking. They had discussed what they were going to do next. What was their plan now that Lady Kikyo was not there to purify the Shikon Jewel? Hotaru had dared to hope that it meant Kohaku's life could be spared. It was a foolish thought, the wishful thinking of children.
The Shikon Jewel was an abomination. Such a horrid item should never have existed and it was a threat to time itself. Kohaku had already committed to giving up his life to essure that. Maybe they would go together, that wouldn't be so bad, that way neither of them would have to be alone. She wondered if she should tell him. She considered it for a long while as she watched his sleeping face. Perhaps it would be better not to mention it. Chances were he would go first, it might be kinder for him to go believing that at least one of them would survive.
Hotaru was contemplating whether or not she should wake him up when her thoughts were interrupted. A young demon boy, with the same white hair and golden eyes as Lord Sesshomaru, saw that Hotaru had woken and hurried over to her. He bowed to her, something which immediately felt strange. From what she had seen of demons so far, they had a strict hierarchy and were fiercely proud. She was human. She had done nothing to earn the respect of this boy. She couldn't imagine why he would be bowing to her.
"My Lady has been waiting for you to awaken." The boy told her. "Come, you must freshen up."
So he must be a servant, Hotaru thought, he's conditioned to bow to everyone.
That made more sense, but what did he mean? Lord Sesshomaru's mother was waiting for her? Why? Did the Lady know what transpired in the Underworld? How could she? She wasn't there and Hotaru doubted Lord Sesshomaru told her. He didn't seem to hold his mother in very high regard.
Before Hotaru could protest, the servant boy pushed her away from where Kohaku and Rin were still sleeping and herded into a separate room. There was a soaking tub full of steaming water beside an elaborately painted byōbu. Three demon handmaidens were waiting for her.
"The girl has woken." The servant boy announced.
"Thank you, Sabanto." One of the girls said. "We'll take care of her now."
The boy nodded and left.
"I think there's been a mistake." Hotaru told the three girls, who were already pushing her towards the tub and trying to strip off her clothes.
"Our Lady requests you have an audience with her." Said one of the girls by the tub.
"We simply cannot allow you to do so in such a sloven state." Added the one trying to de-robe Hotaru.
Hotaru felt slightly offended. Alright, so her clothes were more than a little dirty. Modern clothes showed stains a lot more than ancient ones, and she still hadn't quite gotten used to bathing in rivers yet.
"You must be clean for the Lady."
The demon girls pushed her into the tub.
Hotaru cried out in protest but the girls didn't seem to care about her opinion in this matter. They vigorously scrubbed the dirt and dust from her body. Hotaru suddenly had a memory of coming home to Michiru after she and Chibiusa had chased Diana through the fish market. Michiru had been so angry that during the ensuing bath she had scrubbed several layers of Hotaru's skin off. The handmaidens were just as ruthless. One scrubbed Hotaru's head so roughly, she was convinced all of her hair was going to fall out.
After they were satisfied, the demonesses pulled Hotaru from the tub, dried her off, and dressed her in a kimono with cherry blossoms on it. They worked with such speed and efficiency, that Hotaru barely knew what was going on. No sooner was the obi tied around her waist than the girls shepherded her through another door. Suddenly, Hotaru was once again standing in front of Lord Sesshomaru's mother.
"Welcome, young one." The demoness said. "I am glad to see you found the clothes I left for you."
They were exceptionally hard to miss. Hotaru thought.
"Yes, thank you." Hotaru said.
She remembered her manors and bowed to the demoness, probably too late to be considered still polite. The Lady raised her eyebrow but didn't comment. She seemed to be observing Hotaru. Hotaru wasn't sure why yet, but she had a bad feeling.
"What age are you, child?"
"Twelve, my Lady."
"You have the eyes of someone much older."
Hotaru shifted. She was feeling exceptionally uncomfortable.
"I am told that a lot."
Lord Sesshomaru's mother looked thoughtful. Silence continued for a few moments as she seemed to be observing Hotaru.
Finally the demoness asked, "How is it you found yourself traveling with my son?"
That took Hotaru off guard.
"We aren't really traveling together, my Lady." Hotaru objected, "Kohaku and I just bumped into Lord Sesshomaru the other day. We got caught up in all of this by mistake."
"I see." There was a hungry sort of look in the woman's eyes. "Perhaps then, you'll find traveling in such a way is terribly philistine for a young lady such as yourself."
Hotaru blinked in surprise.
"Philistine?"
"Uncivilized, my child." explained Lord Sesshomaru's mother. (Hotaru had known what the word meant.) "You all stumbled in here looking rabid. Why my son has lost his entire arm, and that other little human girl doesn't even wear shoes. Not that you can be blamed, of course. It's a boorish way of life, isn't it? The lands below are unruly and crude, but I can see in you the culture and refinement most humans lack. It would be a pity for you to lose that by continuing to wander around like a feral child."
Hotaru didn't know how to respond to that. She still wasn't quite in the right headspace and she found this entire situation surreal. Not to mention, she was still reeling from the bathtub attack. But she knew one thing for sure, the Lady had managed to call her and her friends uncouth in seven different ways. Hotaru was quite certain she did not like the Lady.
"Perhaps it would be more prudent for you to stay here." The demoness continued.
"Here?" Repeated Hotaru in surprise.
"I assure you you would be quite comfortable."
"Thank you, my Lady, that is a very generous offer and I am humbled to receive it. Yet I am curious why you would extend such an invitation."
"A girl needs education." Replied the demoness simply, "The world below of humans and brutish demons is savage. Only great demons like my race have the resources you will find here. You could learn much from me."
"I am human, too." She pointed out.
"You smell of the stars." Was all the woman said. A chill went down Hotaru's spine. She wanted out of this conversation. She wanted away from this castle. She was growing more perturbed with every second that passed.
"Mother." The door opened, Lord Sesshomaru walked in. His face betrayed slightly more annoyance than usual. Kohaku, Rin, and Jaken trailed behind him. Hotaru ran over to Kohaku immediately.
"Are you okay?" Kohaku whispered.
"Yeah." Hotaru whispered back. She took his hand. "Glad to see you."
"Did I not make myself clear before?" Asked Lord Sesshomaru. "The girl is with me. You are not to interfere."
"She seems old enough to make her own decisions." His mother argued.
Lord Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed.
"We are leaving."
"My offer stands, child." The demoness said. "Stay here and never want again."
She felt Kohaku's hand tighten around hers.
"I appreciate the opportunity, I really do. But I think you're mistaken. I am just a human."
The woman cocked her head to observe Hotaru.
"Very well."
Hotaru, Kohaku, and Rin followed Lord Sesshomaru away from the palace in the sky. As they descended the stairs, Hotaru leaned in close to whisper to Kohaku.
"So Lord Sesshomaru is going to let us tag along with him?"
"Seems like it." Kohaku replied. "Honestly, it works out for us. If anyone can defeat Naraku, it's him."
Updated: How many times am I going to rewrite this fanfiction? Who knows