002 Crescent
Hotaru slowly walked through the park, her mind replaying everything that had happened over the last three days. She'd started a cram school only to be attacked by a monster that she killed. She'd made friends with Ami and she spent her free time working with a talking cat and an older girl in an attempt to find a Princess she'd helped protect in a past life. Hotaru closed her eyes to keep her tears at bay. She'd spent every night since the monster attack dreaming of her past life and reliving her dreadful encounter with the monster.
"Here," a soft voice said. Hotaru opened her eyes and stared at a tall blond girl as she held out a red rose in full bloom. Hotaru examined the older girl and frowned softly at the girl's unique hair style, two buns on either side of her head with streaming tresses flowing beyond her knees. She frowned as she looked into the blond's sparkling blue eyes, eyes that glittered with something undecipherable, as she gently took the proffered rose. "You look like you could use a friend. I'm Usagi, Tsukino, Usagi. Wanna head over to the Rose Garden with me?"
Hotaru watched the girl walk a few feet away before she slowly followed behind. The two slowly walked through the park, Hotaru a few feet behind the odd blond who hummed contently as she led the way. After several minutes of quietly walking down various paths Usagi walked through a few bushes creating her own path. Hotaru pushed through the bushes and gazed at the blond who was spinning in a circle, her arms spread out wide. Hotaru stopped and blinked at the girl in surprise. Usagi stopped spinning after a moment and faced Hotaru with a gentle smile. She grinned and said, "Welcome to the Rose Garden."
Hotaru looked at the blond for a moment before she let her eyes wander. She gasped in surprise as she took in the beautiful rose bushes that surrounded the two girls. Usagi grinned and spun around in a slow circle, almost as though she was trying to entice Hotaru to join her in her circular rotation. Hotaru grinned at the blond and spread her arms wide as she spun in a lazy circle. Her soft violet eyes drifted over the flowers until Hotaru was too dizzy to keep spinning. She fell to the ground as she watched the older girl examine the roses closely.
"I'm happy you enjoyed the roses, little one. You seemed so troubled, I hoped the roses would bring you peace," Usagi whispered as she turned to face Hotaru. Hotaru, pulled into the other girl's honest gaze, told her the story of her last few days. She told her of the monster, and the nightmares. She vaguely talked of the older companion and then about Luna, the talking cat who gave too many instructions. She talked about the evil queen and her destiny to protect a Princess or the world would be destroyed.
She watched the girl's face waiting for her to scorn her for making up tales and was surprised when Usagi merely smiled sadly. Hotaru, desperate to make the older girl believe her, pulled out her pen and tried to give it to Usagi. Usagi smiled a little and refused before she murmured, "I see, that's quite the adventure. You're so young too. You have help though from you're mystery friend, and the cat. They'll help heal your heart, just remember to smile, to laugh. As long as you remain happy, even just a little happy, you and your friend will be alright. You two will need to confide in each other, remember you aren't just fighting together to save the world, you're friends first."
"You think I'm making it all up," Hotaru accused. She threw her transformation pen in the rose bush and stormed away. She slowly traveled along the many paths until she reached the entrance. Hotaru stopped momentarily at the entrance to the park and frowned angrily. A sudden hand on her shoulder made Hotaru jump slightly. She turned around and looked up at Usagi who was grinning merrily.
"Here, you forgot these," Usagi said as she handed Hotaru her transformation pen and the red rose. Usagi looked after a red convertible as Hotaru examined the older girl. She'd obviously climbed into the rose bush to retrieve the pen as her arms were covered by various scratches. Hotaru blushed in embarrassment for making so much trouble for a complete stranger who had tried to help her. Usagi's soft voice made Hotaru's blush deepen as she said calmly, "You could have lied to me, yes, but I don't believe you did. You're eyes are honest, and I meant what I said, you have to laugh, you and your friend. Oh, and you might wanna find a better way to keep track of your pen, or you might lose it. Use your new magic and save us all and if you need to talk, just look for me."
Hotaru looked into the older girl's sad eyes seeking a lie. She frowned when she found nothing but sincerity. Usagi walked off, the aura around her dark with depression.
Hotaru watched her retreating figure for a moment before she wandered back into the park headed for the Rose Garden Usagi had showed her. When she reached the secluded section of the park Hotaru sat and stared at her pen. She focused on her pen, created an image of it in her mind's eye, and then she changed the image. She changed the pen in her mind to look more like a crystal. As Hotaru focused the image of the blond crept into her thoughts with a mischievous smirk. Hotaru opened her eyes in frustration and blinked at her pen. The top half of the pen that had once held her symbol of Saturn had changed to resemble a small crystal. Hotaru grinned in glee as she refocused her mind, pushing all other thoughts away.
Slowly she refocused on her pen, drawing its new shape in her mind. She then changed the image slowly starting with the crystal top. She bent the crystal and pen until it resembled a multi-pointed star. She drew a beautiful silver chain through the crystal star until it made a nice necklace that she could easily slip on over her head. She blinked her eyes and looked down at her creation. The crystal necklace looked just as she'd imagined it. She slipped the necklace on, pleased to find it wasn't nearly as heavy as it looked, and raced out of the park towards Ami's apartment.
~*~
Ami frowned as she stared at her math homework while Luna napped on her bed. She tossed her pencil down and glared at the wall in frustration. She was worried about her young team member, scared of her night's spent in memories of a past life, terrified of the monsters she was bound by destiny to fight, and worried about the missing Princess. Ami was learning of the Princess though her dreams, learning of her kindness and compassion and of her utterly gentle nature. She kept hoping her dream visions would show her the identity of the youth, but she always remained shrouded in shadows. Ami looked back at the cat and thought of everything Luna had told her.
She closed her eyes for a moment as she cleared her thoughts. Her quiet was disturbed by the doorbell ringing. Luna's head popped up as Ami stood and walked to the door, Luna following. Ami opened the door and stared outside as she breathed in shock, "Hotaru."
Ami stepped aside so Hotaru could enter the apartment. Once Hotaru was inside and the door was closed Ami wandered into the kitchen for drinks. Luna and Hotaru quietly sat on the couch. Luna frowned as she studied to small girl as she whispered, "I'm sorry Hotaru."
Ami walked in the room and put a drink on the table for Hotaru as she took a sip of water from her own glass. Hotaru was fiddling with her star necklace as she gazed at the decorations on the wall. Ami studied the necklace for a second; wary of the slight magical aura she could feel. She frowned slightly as she said, "How are you Hotaru?"
"I'm better now, but…" Hotaru said as she continued to fiddle with her necklace. Luna and Ami looked to Hotaru expecting her to say she'd decided to quit. Ami held her breath as Hotaru continued, "I met this girl in the park, and well I told her everything."
"Everything?" Ami asked.
"Everything meaning about being a scout destined to save the world?" Luna asked as she extended her claws and glared at Hotaru. Hotaru nodded as Ami sweat-dropped and Luna prepared to attack. Luna growled, "Exactly how much did you tell this girl?"
"Well," Hotaru said as Ami quickly grabbed Luna. "I told her that my friend and I were sailor soldiers fighting off and evil queen's minions in an attempt to keep Earth safe. I also mentioned that we were looking for a Princess we were destined to protect even though we have no clue who she is. I told her about the monster at the Crystal Cram School and that I killed it. I told her that we needed the pens to transform and then I got mad at her and threw the pen into the rose bush. She saved my pen and then gave me a brilliant idea."
Luna growled low in her throat as Ami calmly asked, "Did she believe you?"
"Yes," Hotaru answered warily.
"Oh good we're safe. She'd have to be a complete and total nut job to believe this." Luna said.
"Or another sailor soldier, or one of Queen Beryl's minions, or maybe she's actually run into a monster," Ami said thoughtfully. Luna glared angrily as she dug her claws into Ami's arms. "OW!"
Hotaru giggled as she took off the necklace and placed it in the middle of the coffee table. Ami dropped Luna on the floor and glared angrily at her. Luna hopped back up onto the couch and Ami turned to Hotaru as she asked, "Do you know who she was?"
"Um….Usa…..um….don't remember her name. She had long blond hair with two buns on either side of her head." Hotaru said thoughtfully as she leaned back against the couch. Luna laid down and glared at Ami as the bluenette frowned.
"Tsukino, Usagi," Ami muttered as she paled slightly.
"You know her?" Luna asked as her head shot up. Hotaru sat forward and stared at her friend.
"Yeah, she's in my class. Please tell me you didn't tell her my name?" Ami said horrified at the thought of having been discovered.
"No, I swear I never mentioned your name, not once." Hotaru said as she watched Ami. The older girl leaned back, relief washing over her features. Luna relaxed and Hotaru stared at her necklace resting on the table. After waiting a few moments in silence Hotaru quietly said, "Usagi gave me an idea while we were talking though."
Luna and Ami looked blandly at Hotaru and the younger girl flushed slightly. She squirmed in her seat then whispered, "I thought maybe…well I actually succeeded, but…."
Hotaru closed her mouth as a dark blushed covered her cheeks. Ami softly said, "It's okay Hotaru. Just tell us your idea."
"The transformation pens are easy to lose, so I figured maybe I could change it. I changed mine to this," Hotaru said slowly as she held up her necklace. Luna and Ami stared in shock.
"You changed the transformation pen?" Luna asked softly as she stared at the necklace. "But it's just not possible."
"But I did change it. Here, I'll show you," Hotaru said as she held her necklace in the air and shouted, "Saturn Power Make-Up."
Luna gaped in shock as Hotaru changed into Sailor Saturn. Sailor Saturn glared at the cat for a few moments before she changed back into Hotaru. She handed the necklace over to Ami as she settled on the couch again.
"This is too noticeable, I think," Ami muttered as she looked over the many points of the star necklace. Luna stood and walked over to Ami and the necklace so she could examine it as well.
676767
"Um, Naru," Usagi whispered as she stopped at her best friend's side. Naru looked up from her ice cream, sneered slightly and stood form the bench. Usagi, lowered her head slightly to hide her eyes as Naru started to walk towards the exit to the Crown Arcade.
"You're late, Usagi. I've been here for hours, where've you been?" Naru said, her voice low and dangerous. Usagi glanced up sharply and stared at her friend in shock. She suddenly blushed as she felt a pair of strong arms curl around her shoulders.
"Usagi, who's your friend?" Mamoru's deep voice asked. She blushed deeper when she caught the shock on Motoki and Naru's faces. They both looked ready to pass out, as neither was used to seeing the two together as friends. Usagi had hoped that Motoki would get over his shock quickly, but the tall blond seemed unable to grasp the concept without a severe shock of reality.
"Hm, Mamoru this is Naru, my best friend in the world," Usagi said as she smiled happily at the tall youth holding her close. Mamoru released Usagi and slipped into the bench Naru had been seated at before. Mamoru nodded and waved at Motoki, who managed to walk over without seeming too mechanical. Usagi and Mamoru giggled softly at the blond.
"Ne, Motoki, I'd like two burgers and two shakes. Thanks. So sit, Usagi," Mamoru said as he gestured at the seat next to him. Usagi glanced between Mamoru and Naru, her soft blue eyes concerned. Mamoru gently pulled her into the booth as Naru turned away.
~*~
"Luna what are we doing here?" Ami asked as she stared at the crowded jewelry store. She could vaguely see 'sale' signs posted within the shop that was overfilled with women trying on countless pieces of jewelry.
"We're looking for ideas. It's the perfect place to go unnoticed as we look for a simpler way to disguise the transformation pens," Luna said as walked into the store. Hotaru and Ami looked at each other with slightly hopeless expressions before they followed their guide inside.
"Stay close Hotaru, there's something wrong with this shop," Ami muttered as she edged closer to the younger girl. Hotaru nodded and grabbed Ami's hand seeking reassurance. After a gentle squeeze of the younger girl's hand Ami pulled the youngster through the throng of people so they could examine the jewelry.
They ended up in front of a case full of diamond earrings and silver chains. Ami gazed closely at the jewelry, feeling a soft aura of power radiating from the case. Hotaru placed her hand on the glass case and muttered, "Guide me Saturn."
Hotaru's eyes closed as she probed the mysterious aura. After a few moments Hotaru's eyes shot open and she started to pull Ami towards an empty corner of the shop. Ami followed unresisting as they slowly emerged from the crazed shoppers seeking bargains. Once the two girls were clear of the rowdy crowd and safely hidden in a corner Hotaru whispered, "Saturn Power Make-Up."
Ami frowned as she grabbed her pen and muttered, "Mercury Power Make-Up."
The two transformed in the shadows and watched the crowd. The two girls grimaced as they watched the store customers fight over the jewelry, vicious battles starting over anything from simple earrings to priceless gems of very size. The store owner, a feisty young woman with fiery red hair was busy making deals and selling various pieces of jewelry to everyone in sight.
After long moments of standing, clinging to the shadows the girls watched Luna come out of the throng of people. The cat looked around, silently searching for the two girls as she tried to keep the panic from her eyes. Sailor Mercury waved slightly and Luna raced to her side, her eyes quickly settling in a dark glare. "Why?"
"There's something very wrong here. The jewelry has the same aura as the disks at the Cram School," Sailor Mercury whispered as Sailor Saturn nodded. Luna's glare darkened as she studied the two transformed girls. After a few moments Sailor Saturn nodded and stepped from the shadows. Sailor Mercury followed and frowned at the shop keeper as her customers sank to the floor.
The woman grinned wickedly as a blond youth appeared beside her. His blue eyes dancing as he surveyed the unconscious crowd on the floor. His eyes glimmered happily as he picked up two rings and held them out towards the glaring scouts. His soft voice was gentle as he asked, "Care for some jewels mi'ladies?"
Sailor Saturn summoned her glaive as Sailor Mercury settled into a fighting stance. The man grinned as he stepped closer to the scouts as he said, "No. That's too bad. Misrue drain them of their energy for our Queen."
The woman nodded as her shadow on the wall twisted and changed until it resembled a monster with five arms and three horns. All other details of the monster were lost within the black etches of the shadow. The two sailors frowned darkly as the blond boy vanished in a flurry of Sakura petals. Sailor Saturn and Mercury charged forward as Misrue launched an attack of diamond knives. Sailor Mercury grimaced as several knives found their mark, leaving blood pooling on the floor as the two scouts lost blood while they continued to try and defeat the monster.
"Mercury, use this to heal her. She's not a monster, you can't kill her," Luna cried as she did a quick back flip. When Sailor Mercury turned to heed the cat's advice Misrue sent a barrage of ruby shards at the two girls. A large shard buried itself in Mercury's shoulder, sending the injured bluenette to her knees. Sailor Saturn quickly stepped between her and the monster.
Sailor Mercury crawled forward as Sailor Saturn distracted the monster. When she reached Luna she examined the crescent wand for a moment, the wand had been in her dreams many nights; always held in the soft and gentle hands of their queen, the ruler of the Moon. Sailor Mercury forced herself to her feet and screamed, "Sailor Saturn move."
Saturn moved aside as Sailor Mercury held out the crescent wand and said, "Moon Healing Activation."
The two girls sighed gratefully when the woman collapsed to the floor unconscious and her shadow returned to normal. The two scouts sighed tiredly as they sank to the floor, their transformations slipping way to reveal their true identities. Hotaru crawled to Ami's side and silently examine the older girl's injured shoulder. Ami tried to grin in reassurance as she slipped into unconsciousness. Hotaru cried and pulled the older girl into a hug as she too slipped into blessed unconsciousness.
~*~
"Oh, Naru, are you alright? How's your mother?" Yui asked as Naru walked into the classroom. Nabiki and Yui quickly hugged their friend as they asked numerous questions about her mother's health. Usagi sighed and searched the classroom. Five girls had been at Naru's mother's jewelry shop yesterday during the mysterious attack that had left over forty people hospitalized with various degrees of injury. Most of the shoppers had been luck and received shallow cuts and a severe decrease in energy that the doctors couldn't explain. Ten people had been seriously injured but were expected to make full recoveries with time. Usagi hoped that her classmates were among those fortunate ones to be left with minor injuries.
"Mama's fine. She was relatively uninjured, but no one even knows what happened. Everyone who was there is so confused, and mama's just as bad. They have no idea what could have caused all those injuries or why no one knows what happened. It's so odd," Naru said as she took her seat behind Usagi. Usagi turned to look at her friend.
"Are you alright though Naru?" Usagi whispered. Naru ignored Usagi's question and continued to talk solely to her two friends, Nabiki and Yui about her mother's condition at the hospital. Usagi turned to face the front of the classroom as the teacher walked in. Usagi forced a bright smile on her face as the day began to unfold.