Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon

A/N: Sorry again for the long wait. I seem to have an unfortunate lack of free time lately. The good news is I've already started work on the next chapter so I will hopefully have an update soon. Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing!

Chapter 8: Doubt

-Distant Future: Crystal Tokyo-

The only sound was the soft click of Haruka's boots against the cement floor of the garage. Sometimes, when things became too overwhelming, she would come in here. Over the years, she'd amassed an impressive collection of vehicles and few things were more relaxing than spending an afternoon maintaining them or taking one out for a drive. It was a place where she could order her thoughts and escape the chaos that sometimes filled their lives. She'd been coming here a lot lately.

She absently ran her fingers along the fender of her white Aston Martin as she passed it. It was due for a tune up, but today she had another destination in mind. At the very end of the garage, four motorcycles were parked in a neat row. She smiled as she approached them.

She remembered the day she'd found them, well over a thousand years ago at an auction. They were fairly beat up but full of possibility and she bought all four. For the next several years, she'd hunted down the parts and put them back together in secret. When they were in running condition, she'd brought Hotaru in on her plan. The younger girl was an accomplished artist and she'd customized each one to match each of the Outer Senshi. The two of them had presented the bikes to Michiru and Setsuna as a family anniversary gift.

Haruka smiled as she stood by the sea green one and examined the crashing wave painted on the tank. Michiru didn't ride hers very often, preferring to ride on the back of one of the others. But she'd been moved to tears by the gesture. Setsuna's black bike got a lot more use. Her wild, reckless side was revealed to them the first time she'd tried out her gift. Haruka ran her hands along the handlebars. The image of Setsuna popping a wheelie before racing out of sight, leaving only a lingering smell of burning rubber, was still clear in her mind.

Haruka took a seat on the floor between her own motorcycle, dark blue with a stylized tornado along the side, and the last one in the row. She took a clean rag from her pocket and began carefully wiping down the bike in front of her. Hotaru's motorcycle was bright purple and, where the others had chrome piping, hers was black. Haruka carefully cleaned the light layer of grime from the tank until the image of fireflies against a night sky was clear.

The picture brought a sad smile to her face. As strong a soldier as she was, and however dangerous her capabilities, Hotaru was also their little girl. Haruka could remember taking her for rides when she was younger and giving Hotaru her first driving lesson. She stopped polishing long enough to wipe at a stray tear trailing down her cheek.

"I thought I might find you here," a gentle voice said behind her. Haruka didn't turn, but she scooted over and patted the spot beside her. Michiru sat cross-legged on the cement and picked up her free hand, pulling it into her lap. They sat together for a silent moment, staring at the scene of fireflies.

Hotaru had called them a few days before to report on the mission so far. She'd glossed over some details, probably in the vain hope of sparing her parents worry. Even with that, however, the story she'd told had been horrifying.

"I don't like the idea of the girls being alone on the ship with Ami," Haruka finally admitted. She heard Michiru sigh beside her but continued to voice the fear that had plagued her since the call. "How can we know that she's completely herself? And how do we know that some part of her wasn't there the whole time? She created that monster and what she did to the people there…"

"She deactivated the system and restored their free will before she left," Michiru reminded her. "They should be alright now."

Haruka's free hand clenched into a fist. "It's the fact that she could do something like that in the first place," she insisted. "And now they're alone with her, thousands of miles from anyone who could help them."

Michiru shifted to rest her head on Haruka's shoulder. "And Ami has only been away for ten years," she said heavily. Haruka had been expecting her to argue, but it seemed that they were having the same thoughts. "The rest have been gone even longer. I can't imagine what they'll be like after all this time."

Haruka had no answers and the two fell silent again.

Behind them, soft footsteps approached and stopped a few feet away. "You're worried," Setsuna said softly. It wasn't a question. Haruka nodded, tightening her hold on her wife's hand. She blinked and a few more tears escaped.

"You don't have to be," Setsuna assured her, walking closer. "Hotaru will be able to protect her."

"I know," Haruka replied, letting out a mirthless chuckle. She reached out with her free hand to caress the picture in front of her. "But who's going to protect Hotaru?" The words were barely above a whisper.

Michiru's hand squeezed hers and they both turned to face the Time Senshi. Always in the past, Setsuna had been the one with the answers. At the very least, she was something solid to hold on to. They waited, but she merely dropped her head to stare at the row of motorcycles beside her. "She'll be alright."

"How do you know?" There was a slight tremor in Michiru's voice when she spoke.

Haruka knew she was thinking of the injury their daughter had suffered on Mercury. They all healed from normal wounds quickly, even those inflicted by youma or other creatures. But they'd discovered long ago that their own powers didn't heal them when the wound came from the power of another senshi. It had been an accidental discovery after an unusually damaging training session. At the time they'd laughed it off and nursed Minako until she couldn't stand any of them. Now, however, the implication was chilling. This time it had been her leg but next time it could be something worse.

Beyond that, there was the ever looming threat of the darkness that had consumed the rest of the senshi. It was still all around them. Haruka could almost feel it like a palpable force surrounding everyone in the palace. "What if the darkness takes over her too?"

"It won't."

Her eyes narrowed at the simple statement. Michiru placed her free hand on her thigh to hold her in place as she moved to rise. "How do you know?" Michiru asked again, cyan eyes burning into the older woman.

Setsuna sighed and sat heavily on Michiru's other side. She gave them a tired smile. "I suppose I should say that this darkness can't invade her the way it did the others." She looked past them and a slight drop in her eyebrows was the only indication that she was troubled. "It can't because there is already darkness inside of her."

Haruka felt as though she'd been struck. She looked at Michiru and saw an expression of utter shock. It didn't seem possible. She remembered the changes they'd witness as each of the Inner Senshi had succumbed to the evil flowing into them. She'd never seen anything like that in Hotaru. She was their sweet, quiet daughter. Haruka thought back to every instance that might have meant the evil was seeping into her as well. Moments when she would fall silent and retreat into herself, times when she had an almost fearful intensity. The times when she would exert her power and her eyes would lose something, as though they'd gone dead.

Setsuna seemed to sense where her thoughts were heading. She shook her head. "It isn't like the Inners. Darkness has always been inside of her. It's a part of who, and what, she is."

She shook her head, trying to deny the words that she knew must be true. Beside her, Michiru straightened and wrapped a comforting arm around her waist. Feeling suddenly drained, she let her head fall back to rest on the cool metal behind her. Her vision was swimming with helpless tears when she looked back at Setsuna.

Her garnet eyes were shining but she smiled reassuringly at them. "Hotaru, whatever else she is, is a part of each of us. She has light in her too, and it keeps the darkness at bay. No matter what happens, we have to believe in her. It's the only way she will come back to us."

-Distant Future: Deep Space-

Ami stared down at the sheet of paper in her hands. She was seated at the small desk in her cabin on the ship, the same place she'd spent most of her time since coming aboard. She'd been poring over the notes Chibi-Usa had brought, focusing on the ones concerning the Jupiter portion of the Planet Project. She'd set up her own computer and had been comparing the notes to her data bases, making sure there were no inconsistencies. So far, there was no new information but she was determined to check every single page.

The sound of footsteps drew he attention to her closed door. Apparently one of the girls was awake. They didn't slow as they passed her room and she sighed, setting the page down and sitting back. She wasn't surprised that whichever one it was hadn't stopped, it was still early and they probably thought she was still sleeping. Then she smirked at herself. She didn't believe that for a minute.

Ami hadn't seen Hotaru since her first day on board. They'd both been silent as she'd tended to the gaping hole in the younger girl's thigh. She was lucky that the wound hadn't damaged the bone or tendons. As it was, the pierced muscle would take weeks to heal. The moment she'd finished dressing the injury, Hotaru had left without a word.

Chibi-Usa stopped in to check on her occasionally. Three times a day, in fact, to bring her meals that she had to force herself to eat. The princess had suggested that Ami join them the first time, but Ami wasn't ready for that. Since then, the young girl seemed content to deliver meals to Ami's room. Chibi-Usa always smiled and reminded Ami how happy she was to have her back, but she didn't come inside the door and she flinched if Ami moved too suddenly.

Ami set the page down and lifted her arms above her head to stretch her back, then turned from side to side. Her eyes drifted around the room as she moved. Most of her possessions that had been on Mercury were in the cabin with her now, including her computer and several stacks of books. She'd brought her clothes, except for the lab coats that she'd become accustomed to wearing. There were too many bad memories associated with them, and anyway most of them were stained.

She picked the page back up, but her mind had wandered to the other things she'd left behind on Mercury. Most notable were the files and meticulous notes on her controlled youma project. She'd destroyed every scrap of data that she'd collected and deleted every file from her computer. She'd also destroyed the master controls of the drone project and all of the information about it. She never wanted anyone to have the chance to take over innocents the way she had.

Every time she thought of the lives that had been lost in testing the drone machines or those of the numerous failures of her monstrous creation, she felt the urge to wash her hands. There were no bloodstains on her skin, however, they were only in her mind. Her mind. It had been a source of pride and comfort for her entire life and now it felt like it had betrayed her.

She would give anything to be like the people she'd saved in years past. They'd been possessed utterly by youma and, when the monster had gone, those people had awoken as from a dream with no memory of what had happened. But Ami remembered every decision and every detail like a nightmare from which she could never wake.

She realized that she'd been staring at the paper in front of her and hadn't absorbed a single word. Frustrated, she slapped the page back onto the stack on her desk. She frowned at nothing for a moment until her eyes strayed to the corner of the desk. She didn't know how many hours she'd spent in the last week lost in thought staring at the picture sitting there. The frame was new, but the photo inside was hundreds of years old. She was sure Chibi-Usa had left it for her.

She stared at her much younger self: smiling, happy and in love. It seemed like another life that Makoto had held her so effortlessly and she had laughed so easily. She reached out to touch the image but stopped before her fingers reached the glass. Instead she dropped her loose fist onto the desk top and pressed her free hand over her eyes. It was a long time ago, she reminded herself. Everything was different now. She was different.

Soon she would be facing the former love of her life and the idea filled her with dread. Would Makoto even speak to her? Even if she did, what could Ami possibly say? Was she even the same person? Ami asked the same question of herself and realized she didn't know the answer. So much had happened, she wasn't even sure who she was any more.

Abruptly she got to her feet. She had to get out of her room, away from the memories and pain of everything around her. Before she left she turned the picture face down onto her desk, hiding the photograph from view. She couldn't look at those smiles any more, at the happy couple from long ago. They were gone and she doubted she would ever see them again.

Hotaru made her way slowly down the hall toward the elevators. She'd just spent a good portion of the morning trying to get clean without getting her bandages wet and the effort had exhausted her. Now she just wanted to sit and relax. Lately, she and Chibi-Usa had been spending their days in the living room at the back of the ship. After weeks of reading, it was a relief to have some semblance of relaxation with her friend. Part of her thought they should be planning for the coming confrontation with Sailor Jupiter, but there was plenty of time for that. They would be on the ship for several months before they reached their next destination.

Of course, there wasn't much they would be able to do since Ami had taken all of the paperwork and cloistered herself in her room. Hotaru didn't really mind since she wasn't ready to face her, but Chibi-Usa was becoming concerned. It seemed that the other girl had been under the impression that things would immediately go back to the way they'd been. At the moment, that didn't seem likely to ever happen.

Hotaru pushed the thoughts out of her head, focusing instead on her steps. She'd been using her purple practice staff as a makeshift crutch since she still couldn't put any weight on her injured leg. After a lifetime of having Senshi healing powers, she was finding the whole ordeal of recovery to be extremely inconvenient.

She rounded the corner and was surprised to see Ami kneeling in the middle of the hall. The woman hadn't left her room once since Mercury, and the last place Hotaru expected to see her was down in the lower levels of the ship. In front of the open fuel cell panel…

Her eyes widened in alarm. "What are you doing?" she demanded loudly, hurrying forward.

Ami glanced from the dull green cylinder leaning against the wall to the hostile figure approaching her. This was the first time Hotaru had spoken to her since Mercury and, even though she was clearly angry about something, it was nice to hear her voice. "One of the cells was running low," she explained calmly. "I was just changing it."

Hotaru's eyes narrowed suspiciously and Ami sighed and sat back, offering a clear view of the two functioning cells. Proof that she wasn't trying to sabotage the ship. "They alternate in powering the ship so as long as you keep switching them with fully charged cells, you never lose power."

"I know that," Hotaru snapped. Ami fell silent, watching as her dark eyes darted from the depleted cell to the other two. Apparently satisfied, she nodded then turned and started to hobble away.

Ami watched her go and felt a flare of fresh guilt when she noticed the white bandage showing beneath the hem of Hotaru's gym shorts. "How's your leg?" she ventured.

Hotaru stopped a few feet away, leaning heavily on her staff for support. "It'll heal," she replied gruffly, keeping her back to the Water Senshi.

Ami bit her lip before getting slowly to her feet. "I'm sorry." One of Hotaru's shoulders lifted in a half shrug and she continued to make her slow way down the hall.

Ami took an uncertain step after her. "I wasn't myself." Hotaru stopped again so Ami decided to take a chance and try to repair some of the damage between them. "You must know that. The darkness clouded everything. I knew what was happening, but I just couldn't stop myself from doing those things and acting that way." Hotaru didn't move or speak so Ami pushed further. "Chibi-Usa has forgiven me, isn't there any way that you could too?"

Hotaru finally turned to face her but her expression was hard. "Chibi-Usa is just like her mother. She wants to believe the best of people."

It was as though Hotaru had physically slapped her. It took Ami a moment to find her voice. "We were friends once," she said softly.

Hotaru scowled and took a limping step closer. "I remember. You were one of my closest friends for centuries." Ami held her hands out questioningly but Hotaru's face only darkened. "But that didn't stop you from leaving, did it."

This time Ami didn't try to stop her as she made her slow way down the hall. She waited until she heard the elevator doors close to let the tears fall.

Chibi-Usa stretched her arms over her head as she stepped out of her bedroom. She'd spent the first hour of her morning in meditation, trying to clear the jumble of confusing thoughts in her head. Her thoughts were still a mess, but at least she'd come to a decision of what to do next. She took a deep breath to strengthen her resolve and marched down the hall to Ami's door. Before she could second guess herself, she rapped firmly on the door. She waited but was met with silence.

She raised her hand to knock a second time, but she was distracted by the sound of shuffling steps punctuated by the dull clunk of a staff against the thin carpet. "She's not in there," Hotaru informed her as she approached.

Chibi-Usa glanced at her friend before turning back to the door in confusion. Ami hadn't left her room once since they'd boarded. Also, considering the size of the ship, there weren't that many places to go.

She looked past Hotaru in the direction of the living room but it appeared deserted. "Is she with you?" Hotaru made a sour face and shook her head. Chibi-Usa sighed. Hotaru hadn't spoken much of what had happened on Mercury, but her expression darkened every time Ami was mentioned.

Chibi-Usa heard the elevator doors behind her and spun around to face them. Ami's posture was slumped and she kept her head tilted downward as she approached them.

"Good morning," Chibi-Usa tried, attempting to smile as the genius walked heavily toward her. Despite herself, she took a half step back when Ami reached her.

She winced inwardly, but Ami didn't seem to notice the movement. "Morning," she mumbled as she passed. She glanced up just long enough for Chibi-Usa to notice her red, puffy eyes. As Ami keyed in the code to her bedroom door, Chibi-Usa's first instinct was to leave her alone with her grief. But she'd been doing that since Ami's arrival and they really couldn't put off this talk any longer.

"Ami?" The bluenette paused in the open doorway, focusing somewhere near Chibi-Usa's feet. "Would you mind if we talked a little?"

She could see a muscle working in Ami's jaw as she stepped back and allowed the door to close. She glanced at Hotaru, who stood calmly leaning on her staff. "What is there to talk about?" she asked dully.

"Well, we're going to reach Jupiter soon-"

"I don't know if I would consider three and a half months to be soon," Ami countered, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall.

Chibi-Usa almost smiled at her words; for a moment Ami had sounded like her old self. She continued as though she hadn't been interrupted. "And we should decide what we're going to do before we get there."

Ami considered her words before finally lifting her gaze to meet her eyes. "You think that will help?"

She knew they were both thinking the same thing. None of their planning had prepared them for what they'd found on Mercury. It was likely that it would be the same on Jupiter, if not worse.

"It couldn't hurt," Hotaru pointed out. Chibi-Usa turned her hopeful gaze on her friend. "We could at least decide where to start looking for her."

Chibi-Usa smiled, feeling better with Hotaru's support of her idea. Ami shrugged indifferently before returning to the door to her room. Chibi-Usa stepped forward to stop her but Ami gave her a tired half smile. "I just need my computer so we can go over the maps. I'll meet you in the living room in a few minutes." She disappeared, leaving Chibi-Usa and Hotaru alone in the hallway.

"I think she's starting to get better," Chibi-Usa said happily. She turned to Hotaru, but her excitement vanished as she looked her over. Hotaru had her hands crossed loosely over the end of her staff, but there were visible tremors running through her body. A thin sheen of sweat shone across her forehead and her breathing was uneven. "How are you feeling?" she asked in concern.

"I'm fine." Despite her words, Hotaru's voice sounded rough and strained. She was clearly in pain and trying not to show it.

Chibi-Usa moved closer to her, examining her face. Her dark eyes were dull with exhaustion. "You look pale," she said gently.

"I'm always pale," Hotaru replied with a weak chuckle.

Chibi-Usa gave a slight smile. She lifted her hand to Hotaru's cheek, which felt warmer than usual. Hotaru's eyes fluttered closed for a moment and she leaned into her touch. Then she straightened, frowned at nothing for a moment and turned away to limp toward the living room.

Chibi-Usa followed, confused by her abrupt departure. "Maybe you should go lie down for a while," she suggested to Hotaru's back.

Hotaru dropped her head, considering the suggestion. Ami emerged from her room with her mini computer in one hand and glanced at them before going past them down the hall.

"I'm fine," Hotaru decided, staring after the bluenette to the open living room door. She started determinedly after the older woman.

"Taru." Chibi-Usa caught her arm lightly and stepped in front of her. Hotaru's jaw was clenched and she was shaking badly. "You shouldn't even be walking around right now. You need to let yourself heal."

Hotaru's eyes drifted past her and narrowed. Chibi-Usa frowned worriedly at her friend. She couldn't understand why she was being so stubborn. "Hotaru-"

Hotaru turned toward her then, eyes flashing angrily. "I am not leaving you alone with her," she whispered fiercely.

Her previous confusion was replaced by shock. "I've been alone with her every day since we got her back," she said slowly.

"Standing in the hallway and bringing her meals," Hotaru pointed out. "That's not the same thing."

"We're just going to be talking." Chibi-Usa couldn't understand Hotaru's attitude. What had happened on Mercury had been terrible, but it was over now. They had Ami back with them and she was obviously trying to make up for what she'd done. They were never going to be able to bring the other Senshi home if the three of them couldn't make peace with each other. They stared at each other for a long moment.

Finally Hotaru let out an angry sigh. "I don't think you understand what she's capable of," she ground out.

Chibi-Usa raised her eyebrows. "I was there too," she reminded her. "I saw what happened to those people."

"It didn't just happen!" Hotaru realized she'd shouted the last word and dropped her voice, forcing herself to calm down before she continued. "Ami created all of that. She chose to take away their free will."

"She also chose to destroy all of the equipment and free them all." Chibi-Usa was becoming indignant in the face of Hotaru's stubborn insistence. "I was right beside you when we fought that monster, and I know she created that too. But I also watched her change. That was real remorse, Hotaru, and she's never going to get past what happened if we don't let her."

Hotaru's mouth snapped shut on whatever she'd been about to say. Her eyes narrowed briefly before her face lost some of its intensity. "You really don't blame her for any of it, do you."

Chibi-Usa shook her head but Hotaru was already limping away from her.

"Taru…"

Hotaru moved with determination toward the back of the ship where Ami was waiting. Chibi-Usa caught up with her and searched her face, trying to see what she was feeling. Hotaru gave her a brief, grim smile. "Let's hear what she has to say." Hotaru's dark eyes pierced her own and the smile disappeared. "But this doesn't mean that I forgive her. I don't trust her and nothing she says will change that."

They sat in a circle in the small living room. Ami's eyes were locked on the screen of her laptop and the soft click of her fingers on the keys was the only sound in the room. Hotaru was on the couch with her injured leg stretched out in front of her. Occasionally she would shift and grimace, as though she couldn't find a painless position. Chibi-Usa sat on the other end of the couch with her hands clasped loosely in her lap. She let her gaze drift between her silent companions, trying to figure out a way to narrow the rift between them.

"That should do it," Ami murmured, looking up from the small device in her hands. The interface visor glowed a translucent blue, shielding her eyes from view. She turned toward the video screen on the wall and tapped a few more keys.

The screen flared to life and filled with an image of the solar system. Chibi-Usa studied the different planets before focusing on Earth. She bit her lip, trying to keep a sudden wave of homesickness at bay.

"That's us?" Hotaru asked, pointing. Ami nodded. Chibi-Usa leaned forward slightly and finally saw a tiny blue X near the line that marked the orbit of Venus. According to the map, that planet was currently off to the right making its way around the other side of the sun.

"We'll be passing home in a few days," Chibi-Usa mused. She wondered how everyone was doing there.

"Maybe we should stop there first?" Ami suggested, turning toward them. "Serenity-"

"No!" Chibi-Usa felt herself blush at her sudden outburst. She glanced at Hotaru, whose dark eyebrows were slightly raised. "I.. I mean… we should wait. The plan was to bring all four of you back," she explained quickly. "And Jupiter will be much further away if we don't go straight there."

The visor still covered her eyes so it was impossible to read Ami's expression. Her mouth tightened briefly and she gave a terse nod. Chibi-Usa gave Hotaru a pleading look.

She sat forward, one hand jumping to her thigh at the movement. "We should probably try to figure out where to start looking for Sailor Jupiter."

Chibi-Usa let out a quiet, relieved breath. She felt guilty about her reaction. She wanted to believe that Ami was completely healed, but the thought of bringing her back to Crystal Tokyo with her mother in such a weakened state…

She forced her gaze back to the screen, which now showed a blown up picture of the planet Jupiter.

Ami cleared her throat and turned back to her computer. "There aren't actually that many places she could be," she informed them. Chibi-Usa hoped she was imagining the cool tone of her voice.

"How do you figure that?" Hotaru asked sarcastically. "It's not exactly a small planet."

One eyebrow arched above the visor as Ami shot her a look. "I'm aware," she replied icily.

Chibi-Usa frowned as the two glared silently at each other. "So," she ventured tentatively, "what are you thinking?"

Ami looked quickly at her, seeming to remember herself. Hotaru crossed her arms and leaned back, turning resolutely toward the screen.

"It took a lot of work to make any part of the planet habitable by humans," Ami explained. "For centuries, scientists thought that there was no real surface at all and all of our probes were destroyed before they could penetrate the atmosphere. Eventually I managed to invent a ceramic coating that protected them against the caustic chemicals in the outer layers of the atmosphere. We used it on all of our space ships after that." A proud smile lit up her features as she talked.

Chibi-Usa tried to follow the explanation, but she didn't know enough about the planet to make complete sense of her words. She glanced at Hotaru, but the raven seemed just as lost as she was.

Ami seemed to notice their lack of comprehension and hurried on. "Anyway, we discovered that we could only colonize parts of the northern hemisphere. The storms in the south were too dangerous. So, right now there's only one major city on the planet and only the area around it is inhabited."

"So she'll be somewhere near there?" Chibi-Usa asked. Ami nodded but her gaze stayed riveted on the screen.

"Great," Hotaru said gruffly. "That'll save some time at least."

Chibi-Usa looked at her in surprise. Personally, she was relieved that the search had been narrowed so much. Jupiter was by far the largest planet they would be visiting and she'd been dreading the time it would take to look for Makoto. "That's good news," she reminded her friend.

"I know," Hotaru replied wearily. She tried to smile at her but it faded quickly. "But what do you plan to do once we find her?"

Reluctantly, Chibi-Usa turned back to Ami. "I thought maybe you could talk to her."

Ami sighed heavily and closed her computer. The visor slid away from her eyes and vanished and the screen on the wall went black. "What do you expect that to accomplish?" she asked dully.

Chibi-Usa shrugged uncertainly. The idea had made perfect sense in her mind, but hearing the utter despair in Ami's voice made her second guess herself. "You were together for centuries. She loves you. Maybe that will make her want to come back with us."

Ami smiled sadly at her and shook her head. "Whatever we had before, I don't think it will be enough now. Too much has happened." Her azure eyes filled with tears and she dropped her head to stare down at the closed computer in her lap.

"What about you?"

Chibi-Usa tore her gaze from the broken woman before her to stare at Hotaru in confusion. "What?"

"Maybe if we can get you close enough, you can heal her," Hotaru clarified, "Like you did on Mercury." When Chibi-Usa still didn't respond she smirked, as though amused by her friend's density. "You have the Silver Crystal," she said slowly. "Use it."

"She's right," Ami jumped excitedly back into the conversation. "It worked on me, maybe it will work on her too!"

They both looked hopefully at her. She shook her head. "I can't."

Ami frowned. "Of course you can, we just have to get you close to her. We should be able to manage that."

Hotaru tilted her head, her smile fading to a look of concern. "What do you mean 'you can't'?" she asked gently.

Chibi-Usa shrugged, pulling her feet onto the couch so she could wrap her arms around her knees. "I can't use it," she whispered. Hotaru shook her head, not understanding. "I tried," she admitted. "I've been trying all week but…"

She sighed. She'd tried everything to access the power of her mother's crystal. She knew it was there, she'd inadvertently used it once already. But when she looked for the power inside of herself, the way she did when she used her own abilities, she couldn't feel anything.

"You just need to learn how to use it," Ami said optimistically. "You've got plenty of time to practice before we get there."

"And if not, we'll find another way," Hotaru added.

"There might not be another way." Chibi-Usa felt like crying as she spoke her worst fear aloud.

Hotaru laid a hand on her forearm and squeezed gently. "We'll find one." Hotaru smiled, dark eyes meeting her own. "I promise."

More than anything, Chibi-Usa wanted to believe her.