Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.

A/N: Well, I'm back again. Recently, I've moved back to the northern half of the country and I think it will be better for my writing and general mental state! I'm definitely feeling better than I have for the last two years! I don't want to jinx anything so I will just say: here is a new chapter. I hope you all like it and please feel free to let me know what you think. I appreciate everyone who has stuck by me over the chaotic last couple years!

Chapter 13: Things Unsaid

-Crystal Tokyo: Distant Future-

-Twelve Years Earlier-

Hotaru stepped outside of the palace gates and paused to zip up her jacket. It was mid-morning, but the air was still crisp. The sun was blocked by black clouds building on the horizon. Another storm. The past few weeks had seen temperatures well below the norm for spring and frequent heavy showers. It was almost as if the city was mourning to loss of the Senshi of storms.

Hotaru focused on slipping thin leather gloves over her hands, trying not to dwell on the deteriorating mood inside the palace. Chibi-Usa and Mamoru had recruited Hotaru's parents to help with a special lunch for the Queen. They hoped it would bring her out of the depression she'd slipped into since Makoto had left. While Hotaru had smiled as the little princess had described her plan in great detail, inwardly she doubted that it would make any difference. The Queen was in a daze, her mind drifting to the past so frequently that she was hardly aware of the people around her.

Ahead, Hotaru noticed a figure standing on the corner of the sidewalk, head bowed over a small computer clutched in her hands. Ami was the only one left now of the inner Senshi. She'd been taking long breaks from her labs, the first time she'd taken time off her work in years, to spend time with the queen. Not that it was doing any good, Hotaru thought sadly. She would never tell the others, but she suspected that Serenity was too far gone in her sadness for any of them to reach. She had been since the day Rei left.

Hotaru jogged the short distance between them, hailing Ami just as she was about to cross the street. The visor slid away from her face, revealing azure eyes narrowed in annoyance at the interruption.

"Hey," Hotaru said awkwardly. She hadn't had a chance to talk to her friend since Makoto had left, and she hadn't realized that until this moment. She crossed her arms self-consciously, at a loss for words.

"Hi…" Ami's eyes slid down to her arms and suddenly her expression brightened. "You're wearing them?"

Hotaru uncrossed her arms and held her hands out, flexing her fingers to show off the gloves. "Yeah, they're great," she said enthusiastically.

Ami smiled, some of the weariness leaving her features. "Have you had a chance to test them out?" She started walking and gestured for Hotaru to come along, talking all the while. "I wasn't sure the communicator on the left would make it too bulky around the wrist but I was hoping the light on the other side would balance the weight. Have you touched anything hot?" she inquired eagerly.

Hotaru had in fact tested them thoroughly. She regaled Ami with tales of her exploits, from pulling a log out of the hearth in the main hall to climbing the slick crystalline walls around the palace. She was about to launch into how she'd tested out the lock pick when she realized where they were going. She slowed, looking around at the bustling street that led to Old Juuban.

Ami seemed to read her thoughts. She smiled, but there was something in her eyes that made Hotaru a bit wary. "You really do like them?"

Hotaru nodded slowly.

Ami's expression hardened almost imperceptibly. "You're the first one to show any interest in my work in a long time. The others…"

Her gaze went far away and Hotaru felt herself go on guard. "Of course I'm interested," she said softly. "I'm your friend."

Ami stared at her a long moment, seeming to have an internal debate. Finally she gave the younger girl a quick grin. "I have a new project now. Would you like to see it?"

The sprawling facility in Old Jubaan was a bustle of activity. Scientists hurried back and forth down the halls, alone with computers and stacks of papers or in groups discussing various projects. Hotaru stayed close to Ami, trying not to bump into people as they made their way into Building Three. As the doors slid closed behind them, the noise and chattered died down. Most of the doors leading down the hall were closed and Hotaru could only glance through the few windows they passed.

"It's taken quite a bit of work," Ami said in front of her, continuing the conversation she'd started outside. "The idea is based on a project I completed during the Silver Millennium."

Hotaru nodded, slowing as something caught her eye through one of the windows. She backtracked to get a better view, frowning through the thick glass.

Ami's voice trailed off as she noticed her friend fall behind. She frowned as she registered what Hotaru was staring at. "We're still in the early stages of-"

"What is that?" Hotaru interrupted, pressing her forehead to the glass for a better view. Her hand dropped to the door handle but it was locked. Her eyes darted to a card reader beside it and she turned to her friend with raised eyebrows. "Ami," she said slowly, "What are they doing in there?"

Ami let out a breath, seeming torn between pride and irritation. "As I said, this project is still in its early stages."

Hotaru's gaze returned to the limited view of the room. Several scientists in white coats were gathered around some sort of operating table. The dark creature lying between them had a vaguely human form, but there was no mistaking what it was.

"Where did you find a youma?"

As she watched, one of the scientists began methodically cracking open it's chest with a small hand saw. Hotaru swallowed down bile and turned away sharply. Ami bit her lip lightly as she considered her. "We need to study them. If we can understand them, we can find a way to stop them."

"Where did it come from?" Hotaru asked again.

Ami shook her head. "It's a bit hard to explain," she said with a forced smile. "I don't want to bore you with science talk." Hotaru started to argue but Ami caught her arm and led her away. "What I have to show you is much more interesting."

Hotaru reluctantly continued down the hall, only half listening as Ami described a new weapon she'd developed. The rest of her thoughts were in the white room behind her. She wondered again where she'd found the creature, what she was doing with it and how many more were behind these closed doors. She wondered if the darkness that had taken the other Senshi had corrupted Ami as well. They would probably not know the answer until it was too late.

-Distant future : Deep Space-

Hotaru was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling and keeping her mind stubbornly blank. There'd been little talk as they'd returned to the ship. The villagers had pressed supplies and gifts on them. It was more than they could truly afford to give after the storm had taken so much, but they'd insisted. Once they'd boarded, they had stood on the bridge and silently watched as the ship passed back through the layers of cloud and fire. Ami was the first to leave for bed. Makoto had gone soon after to take a long, hot shower.

Hotaru had stayed on the bridge with Chibi-Usa, both muddy and exhausted. The princess kept watching her, studying her, but whatever was on her mind stayed there. Eventually she'd gone to bed too, leaving Hotaru to watch as they slowly pulled away from the planet of storms.

She had yet to leave her room today since she'd woken up. She'd heard footsteps in the hall so at least one of her companions was awake. She didn't have the energy to face them yet. She knew they would want to talk about what had happened on Jupiter. They all had questions for her and she wasn't ready to answer them. She wasn't even sure she had the answers. She wished she could talk to her parents.

She sat up abruptly. That was exactly what she should do. She dressed quickly, mentally going over what she would say. She looked quickly up and down the hallway but no one was around so she made straight for the bridge. This room was empty as well. She settled into the pilot's chair and brought up the communication screen, letting the image of static block the view of endless space out the window.

It took a few minutes for the call to go through, then Michiru's beautiful face filled the screen.

She seemed surprised to hear from her, but she smiled warmly all the same. "Well, good morning."

"Hi, Michiru-mama." She felt a lump forming in her throat as she stared up at the screen. She wanted more than anything to be back with them in the safety and comfort of the palace. But that couldn't happen. Not yet.

There were so many things to say she didn't know where to start. Michiru looked tired and there was a tense set to her shoulders. "Have there been any more attacks?"

Michiru shrugged wearily. "A few. We've been able to handle it so far."

"Always near the labs?" Last time they'd talked there had been several attacks in Old Juuban.

But Michiru shook her head. "Closer now as well. There was an attack two days ago near the palace wall. By the greenhouse."

Makoto's greenhouse. Hotaru frowned, wondering about the connection. Since they'd taken Ami from Mercury, youma had appeared in the area of the city that had once been considered hers. And now this.

She was about to voice her theory when something else distracted her. "Is something else wrong? Haruka-papa…"

"She's down in the garage." Always before the two of them had answered her calls together. She wondered what was so important that the blonde would stay away now. Michiru noticed her fallen expression because she smiled gently. "Everything's fine, she just has a lot on her mind."

Hotaru wanted to press her but Michiru continued on to another topic. "How is your trip going? Are you still on Jupiter?"

Hotaru shook her head. "We're on our way to Mars. We've got about three months to get ready." She recounted their time on Jupiter, leaving out a few of the more violent details as she described the battle. Despite her censoring, Michiru looked horrified as she listened, particularly the final confrontation between Ami and Makoto.

"But they're alright now?" Hotaru's mouth twisted but she nodded. Physically they were all fine. Thanks to Chibi-Usa. "And you?"

"Me? I'm fine." Michiru fixed her with a stare and she dropped her gaze to the console. She knew what her mother was actually asking her. "I'm trying," she said softly.

Michiru lifted a hand reflexively, as though she wanted to run a hand through Hotaru's hair like she did at home. "I know it's a lot to forgive. They've done terrible things. But if you give them a chance, maybe you'll find a little bit of who they used to be."

Hotaru nodded glumly. She knew her mother was right but… "They left us." She managed to whisper. She felt tears sting her eyes and blinked them away. "They were supposed to be part of our family but they didn't even think of us when they went away."

Michiru looked sad as well as she considered. "I won't ask you to forget the past," she said finally. "I know how much it hurt you when they left. But I want you to try to forgive them. For yourself if not for them. You have enough of a burden to carry already."

Makoto tied her hair back in a loose pony tail, feeling refreshed after a long shower to wash away the bad dreams that had plagued her all night. She felt restless being confined to the small space of the ship, but wasn't sure where to direct the excess energy. For years, she'd spent most of each morning in rigorous training, but she seemed to have lost something deep down that had driven her. She paused in the doorway and closed her eyes, trying to find that piece that was missing. She considered the events of the last few days, which were painfully clear still. She forced her mind back to before the others had found her, trying to think what had made her work herself to exhaustion each day.

It came as a bit of a shock when she realized that she felt calm. Despite what had happened recently, despite what had driven her into near-uncontrollable rage all those years ago, she felt almost happy. The anger was gone. She realized that whatever grudge she'd held against the others that had raged like an inferno in her heart all these years had cooled to a mere memory. She blinked, feeling the loss and at the same time a sense of deep relief. It had been so long since she'd felt anything other than rage, she hardly knew what to do with herself. In a daze, she made her way back to the main level of the ship.

She found Hotaru in the living room, in the corner that held a mat and training implements. Chibi-Usa had mentioned moving the equipment out of Makoto's bedroom the previous evening but she'd forgotten until now. She stood silently in the doorway, watching as Hotaru moved slowly through a series of form drills with a translucent purple staff. Makoto spied a green one among the other weapons on the rack and made an impulsive decision.

"How about a sparring partner?" she asked, hefting the green staff and giving it a twirl to test the weight. Hotaru frowned at her, no doubt thinking back to their near-death encounter the other day.

Makoto planted her feet and offered a friendly grin which was not returned. "If you're feeling up to it," Hotaru said slowly.

She moved to face Makoto and made a slow, tentative swing toward her. Makoto brought her own staff up, swinging it in a half arc that knocked the weapon away. More purposely, Hotaru followed around with the other end, which Makoto parried effortlessly. Hotaru took a step back and tightened her grip, taking a breath to center herself before lunging in with a sharp jab. Makoto moved like lightning to block her and with a quick twist, knocked the weapon from Hotaru's hands and sent it bouncing away across the floor.

Hotaru stared at her in surprise before retrieving the staff. She held it ready, this time going on the defensive. Makoto's lips twitched in a quick smile before she darted forward. Her staff swung down, but as soon as Hotaru moved to meet it, she switched directions and caught her low behind her knees. The move swept Hotaru off her feet and dropped her onto her back. She twisted, preparing to block the next attack, only to find that Makoto had stepped back with her staff swinging loosely in one hand. She considered the younger girl for a moment while Hotaru got back to her feet. Hotaru lifted her staff again but Makoto made no move toward her.

Hotaru's eyes dropped to the bright green staff as it swung slowly against Makoto's side. She stepped back, preparing to use her power to protect herself. Finally Makoto met her eyes and smiled. "Do you want to play tag?"

Hotaru dropped her guard, staring at the other woman in surprise. "I haven't played since…"

"The last time you played with me?" Makoto finished. Hotaru nodded. "Do you still remember the rules?"

"Of course." Hotaru felt a grin forming. They'd made up the rules themselves a lifetime ago. Hotaru raised her staff again. "You can start."

Makoto moved into an attack stance and slowly swung her staff up. Hotaru blocked at the same speed. "One," she breathed as the weapons met. Makoto jabbed upward a little faster and was parried by a quicker spin. "Two." Hotaru turned away a third swing and chuckled softly as she continued the count. "Three." Both women grinned as their movements sped up with each blocked attack.

At twelve, Makoto finally managed to tag Hotaru on the shoulder. She laughed and stepped back, inviting Hotaru to attack her instead. "You're it."

Ami pushed her damp hair back from her forehead as she made her way down the hall toward the living room. She'd barely slept and, after a long shower, she still felt drained. Her mind was drifting aimlessly over the events of the last few days. She'd given up trying to organize her thoughts into anything other than chaos, there were just too many questions. She and Makoto should have died on Jupiter, but Chibi-Usa's power had pulled them back. How had she done it? What did it mean for Serenity and the state she was in back home? Surely the queen must be weaker than the girls had said to allow her daughter that level of power. The thought of powers beyond explanation brought her to Makoto. She knew the woman had become impossibly strong, but what had happened in the village defied explanation. How, in her state, had she been able to achieve that kind of connection with her power. It had been primal and beyond anything Ami had ever witnessed of her lover.

She stopped walking as she caught the word her mind refused to stop using. Makoto was not her lover. She wasn't anything to her now. Was she? Ami shook her head. That question would have to wait. There were more pressing problems. Like youma reappearing in Crystal Tokyo. How long had Hotaru known before she'd told Chibi-Usa? What else was she hiding from her? From all of them?

Ami pressed her hands to her eyes until stars exploded behind her eyelids. It was too much. She needed to take her mind off of all of it. Dropping her hands to her sides, she moved forward with more purpose. She'd helped Chibi-Usa move the training equipment out of the fourth bedroom the night before. A strenuous workout seemed just the thing to drive the unanswered questions from her mind.

As she approached the doorway, she heard raised voices. Makoto was shouting and she heard an exclamation from Hotaru, along with a hollow thud. Concerned, she hurried into the room but stopped dead when she saw the other two.

"Twenty-seven! Twenty-eight!"

Makoto was grinning, counting the strikes as she attacked Hotaru. The younger woman blocked her expertly every time, laughing as she moved to match her opponent. "Twenty-nine!" The training staves were blurs of color as they spun and slashed around them. "Thir- HA!" The last blow had gotten through Hotaru's defenses, hitting her in the chest and knocking her back several steps.

Ami frowned in concern as the raven nearly lost her balance on the edge of the mat and dropped to one knee. She bowed her head, panting heavily as she set her staff down beside her. Before Ami could enter to check on her, Makoto had moved to the girl's side. She gave Hotaru's shoulder a friendly squeeze before helping her back to her feet. "You're it."

Hotaru swayed a little, laughing as she used her staff to steady herself. "Are you sure you can handle another round? You're not as young as you used to be."

Ami stayed hidden in the doorway, watching the pair joke with each other. It was as though the last decade had never happened. Her jaw clenched as a feeling of bitter resentment washed over her. Where were the accusing stares and moody silences? It wasn't as though Makoto hadn't hurt people. She'd done terrible things, too. The villagers had been afraid of her, too. How could Hotaru treat her like none of it mattered?"

She felt a presence beside her and turned to see Chibi-Usa looking past her into the room. "What's going on? Is everything alright?"

Ami nodded, trying to speak around the growing lump in her throat. "Everything's fine," she managed to choke out. Chibi-Usa gave her a questioning look and she gestured harshly at the other two. "They're… playing."

Chibi-Usa moved past her into the room, smiling as she approached them. Ami stayed where she was. It wasn't fair. How could they forgive her so easily? She felt angry tears pricking the corners of her eyes and turned away before they could fall.

Hotaru was up earlier than usual. She'd already had a shower and a cup of coffee, and was back in her room sitting at her desk. A sheet of paper sat in front of her. Her eyes were unfocused as she considered it but it didn't matter. She had the whole thing memorized. What had started as a curiosity was now a burning question in the back of her mind. What was it? What did it mean? They'd been back on the ship for nearly two weeks and she still hadn't found the right moment to question Ami.

She knew the woman had questions for her as well, she could see it in her azure eyes every time they were near each other. It would be impossible to seek answers from the water Senshi without giving answers in return.

Hotaru slipped the page into the drawer in the center of the desk. Speculating wasn't getting her anywhere. She stood up, resolving to find Ami and confront her about the "Failsafe" project.

She made her way down the hall to the living room hoping to find Ami there, but the only occupant was Chibi-Usa. She was standing on the training mat with her back to the door. Hotaru paused, watching as she took a deep breath and held up her hands.

"Moon Crystal Power Make-Up!"

Hotaru flinched back as she was assaulted by a blinding flash of light. There was a moment of pink ribbons of light curling around the girl's body, then another flash to reveal the form of Sailor Mini-Moon.

She still had her back to Hotaru, who was gaping. It had been centuries since any of them had transformed, she hadn't even been sure they still could. Her eyes took in long legs topped by a short pink skirt and a thin torso clad in white. Her staff was held out at her side and her hair hung down her back in jeweled pigtails. Hotaru swallowed hard, mesmerized by the woman in front of her.

Chibi-Usa held her staff in front of her, muttering words that Hotaru couldn't hear. They were both still for a long moment. Chibi-Usa's shoulders lifted and fell in a heavy sigh and she banished her staff in a shimmer of sparkling pink. The transformation melted away to reveal the princess standing in her pajamas.

She turned slowly and started when she saw Hotaru frozen in the doorway. "How long have you been there?"

The tone was perfectly friendly but Hotaru found herself struck dumb. With the torrent of guilt that washed over her, she may as well have been watching the princess undress. "Uh…" she managed.

Chibi-Usa walked over, smiling despite her defeated pose, and caught Hotaru's arm. "Are you hungry? I was about to have breakfast."

"Um…"

Chibi-Usa sighed and stopped attempting to steer her friend down the hall. "I suppose you want to know what I was doing."

Hotaru tried to think back to the last time she'd seen Chibi-Usa transformed. The princess had barely reached her waist. She pictured the impish grin and chubby fingers clenched around a tiny pink wand. The image was blasted away by the more recent one of lean curves and short, short skirt. She must have nodded because Chibi-Usa started talking again.

"I thought maybe I could access the crystal the old-fashioned way."

Crystal. The Silver Crystal that Chibi-Usa was wielding for her mother who was in a near-death coma back home. Hotaru let the thought jar her back to the current situation. She blinked and gave the princess her full attention.

"Did it work?"

Chibi-Usa crossed her arms self-consciously. "Well… you saw."

Hotaru started to nod, then forced her thoughts away. Yes, she'd seen quite a bit. She looked into her friend's face, mustering a confidence that she didn't feel. "It's alright. We'll figure it out."
Chibi-Usa smiled and linked their arms together. "Do you really believe that?"

"I do."