I Believe in You (Hotaru's Story)

Even you face the night afraid and alone...
That's why I'll be there.

Chibiusa sat under the glare of a bright desk lamp, her hands busily streaking across the paper as she wrote. Once she'd finished a full paragraph, she picked up the paper and read. After looking it over for a solid minute, she grumbled, crumpled the paper and tossed it in the trash. She then picked up a fresh piece of paper, and started over.

She had done this three times.

"Are you having trouble with your homework?" Diana asked, leaping onto the desk and barely evading a stack of books, to peer down at the page.

"No," she answered falsely.

After several more minutes passed, Chibiusa groaned, putting down the pen and leaning back against the chair to stretch. She looked at Diana in defeat.

"Maybe you need fresh air, Small Lady?" Diana suggested helpfully.

Chibiusa frowned. She had been working on her Languages homework for the last hour and half. This was her most hated subject. But all that notwithstanding, it was hard to focus given the other issue that plagued her. It had been several days since the incident with Kabuto and Matomo, and she was still deeply troubled by it. Kabuto was a total creep. What bothered her most was that Trunks' behaviour made no sense at all. By now, she figured he and Mana must have liked each other. She was the only girl he spoke to after all.

"Yeah, maybe fresh air is what I need," Chibiusa sighed.

After clambering through the house and out the door, she allowed her mind to wander. She recalled the conversation she had had with Diana the moment she had returned home that day. She told Diana all that happened.

"He's right though. This is something of the past. Why should we even care anymore?" Chibiusa had said.

Chibiusa had convinced herself that going after Trunks was stupid, completely in vain. What were her reasons anyway? Because he looked at her sometimes? Because he was good-looking? Because he had given her her first kiss?

It really didn't make sense.

But Diana had said something that left her thinking.

"Before remembering, what were your feelings for Trunks? Don't you think you might have liked him anyway?"

Chibiusa walked along the sidewalk, observing the faint rustling of leaves in the wind. She decided it would be a good idea to visit Hotaru who seemed to still be sick with a cold. She had called her on the phone on Monday and offered to bring her work from school, but she had reassured her that she had other arrangements to retrieve it. Now that it was Friday, the idea that her best friend was still away from school bothered her.

Hotaru pulled away from her novel, hearing the faint knock at the door.

"Hotaru-chan? Your friend came by to visit. Would you like me to send her up?"

Hotaru stared blankly at the door, her father behind it. She knew who the visitor was. It could only be one person.

"Yes, that's fine," Hotaru said softly.

Shortly after, the short, pink-haired girl bounded inside, her face breaking into a large grin. Hotaru returned her smile.

"Chibiusa-chan."

"How are you feeling?" Chibiusa asked eagerly, sitting beside her on her bed. Her face reflected sentiments of concern.

Hotaru dipped her head, looking shyly into her lap. "Better."

Chibiusa sighed, bringing her hands to her chest. "Oh good, I'm so happy! Will you be back at school soon, then?"

Hotaru nodded slowly. She looked to see Chibiusa rummaging through her bag. Hotaru observed her keenly, noting her purposeful, energetic movements, the way her eyes lit up, the way her hair curled slightly at her cheeks. The girl was the same as she was back then. The memories were real, weren't they?

"Chibiusa-chan," Hotaru began uncertainly.

"I brought you cookies!" Chibiusa said cheerfully, pulling out a nicely-wrapped bundle. "I made them myself."

Hotaru gave a puzzled stare as she then placed the bundle in her hands. The wrapping was see-through, so Hotaru could see that the cookies were deformed and crumbling in places, though they smelled delicious. Hotaru smiled gently. Chibiusa was always thoughtful.

"You were going to say something?" Chibiusa asked, looking at her curiously.

Hotaru sighed, gathering her hands in her lap. "I don't know how to say it. But in our past lives, we knew each other… didn't we?"

Chibiusa appeared bewildered for a moment, then she clapped her hands over her mouth. "You know?"

Hotaru half-smiled, relieved that her words didn't come as a complete shock. "I was Sailor Saturn."

Chibiusa gasped, "Saturn?"

Hotaru nodded. "It's strange. It had happened at the oddest moment, but it all came back to me. I was the Princess of Saturn; I, along with the others served the Silver Millennium and guarded the outer galaxy."

Of course, Hotaru neglected to mention that in the precise moment she had remembered, she felt something heavy and debilitating consume her like a terrible fever. Her cold might have been no such thing at all. Now, having at least confessed to Chibiusa, she felt suddenly lighter, as though a weight had been lifted.

"I thought Trunks-kun and I were the only ones who could remember," Chibiusa murmured.

Hotaru cocked her brow. "Yes. I realised he has been reborn as well. But I don't think he is the only one. There are others, at least I think so…"

Chibiusa looked serious, pensive.

Hotaru continued. "You like Briefs-kun, right?"

Chibiusa's brows shot up.

Hotaru smiled reassuringly. "I've noticed. You've also started calling him 'Trunks-kun'. "

A small blush crept along Chibiusa's cheeks, though her expression seemed a bit sad. "I do. I really like him, Hotaru-chan. But he doesn't like me. He doesn't want anything to do with me."

Hotaru reached for Chibiusa's hands and clutched them tightly. "I'm not sure why I've been reborn, but maybe it was so that in this life I could be your friend, Chibiusa. We were both lonely at the time of the Silver Millennium, weren't we? About Briefs-kun, I don't know everything, but you know how I feel, right? I supported you back then and I support you now. As your friend, I want to keep supporting you."

Chibiusa gave a slight nod."You did support me…Sailor Saturn did."

"You mustn't give up. The Princess never gave up, did she?"

"But Hotaru…"

"Chibiusa-chan, promise me you won't give up. You have to make him see that he can't give up either."

Chibiusa was stunned to disbelief at how she hadn't noticed sooner that Hotaru was Sailor Saturn. Certainly they resembled, but the realisation only came to her when she said so herself. Chibiusa's heart felt at ease knowing that her best friend truly supported her. She needed that kind of encouragement. Hotaru was right. Diana was right. She couldn't let Trunks go just yet. She had to do whatever she could to change his mind. Convincing people was what she did best. She smirked wickedly to herself. It was a challenge. But it would be alright, she reasoned.

She always loved a good challenge.

You can say it's all right,
But I know that you're breaking up inside.
I see it in your eyes.

Trunks was two seconds away from rescuing Princess Peach when a shrill voice cut across his thoughts.

"TRUNKS!"

Jerking suddenly, he put the game on pause and turned his head towards the door with a start.

"I've been calling you. Weren't you listening?" Bulma said with an annoyed look.

"Sorry, I didn't hear," he sighed, placing the game controller on the ground.

Bulma gave a calm nod, folding her arms as she leaned her head against the door frame.

"Video games again, hm?" she glimpsed curiously around the room and frowned. "Hey—what happened to the cat?"

Trunks didn't reply, rather he stared intently at the television screen, regarding the still-image of Mario in a mid-run. Trunks didn't have any intention of explaining anything about Diana. He knew his mother was there for a reason. He just wished she would hurry and get to the point.

"Fine. You don't want to tell me. I understand." Bulma let out a drawn-out sigh, apparently hesitating to speak about something difficult but deciding to anyway. "I just thought I'd mention—about your father. He wants to know why you haven't written to him."

Trunks rolled his eyes. "So he pretends to care all of a sudden?"

"He's at least making an attempt, Trunks. You can't keep acting like he doesn't exist," Bulma insisted.

Trunks whipped his head around, his eyes narrowed. "Really? Isn't that what you do? Isn't that what the company does?"

Bulma pursed her lip, a crease formed between her brows. "Don't be foolish. You know we have to protect the company's image."

"Your image," Trunks mumbled. He returned his focus to the television, actively ignoring his mother. "I don't want to talk about this."

At long last, Bulma gave up and left, the sound of the door closing and her clacking heels resonated down the hall. Trunks breathed out. His body was tense. His father had written him. This was rare, almost unprecedented, and yet, Trunks didn't want to know the contents of the letter. The truth was, once upon a time, long ago, Trunks idolized his father but somewhere along the way Trunks had given up trying to connect with him, emotionally and literally.

His father was scarcely around. His father truly was a deadbeat—or so he thought.

Trunks would come to realise that his father wasn't just absentee...he was dangerous. So for better or worse, their estranged relationship didn't bother him much anymore. He'd come to accept it. He had made his mind up long ago that he would live as though that man, his father, Yasai Vegeta, never existed.

Did it help matters that in Trunks' past life, this Vegeta was King Vegeta II? The man who ruled mercilessly with a pride and arrogance so great and impenetrable it intimidated all including his own family? Not a chance. Trunks' past self had admired that man then too, but that man had been indifferent to his feelings and desires. He was more a father in name than in action.

As Trunks regarded Princess Peach on the far corner of the TV screen, a new thought crossed him. Peach was always waiting for Mario to come to her, to save her, and as Mario, Trunks would travel across worlds to get to her. Mario sure was dedicated, wasn't he? Trunks thought of Chibiusa. Could he ever do something like that for real? Over and over again?

"Who are you, Trunks? Seriously who are you?"

Growling in frustration, Trunks cut the power on the game console and tossed the controller aside. He lumbered over to his bed where he flopped onto his back, and brought his arms over his face. On Monday evening, he had remained after school for Judo club. He and Mana had returned to the classroom. He saw Chibiusa on the ground while Kabuto and Matomo fought each other.

Trunks' instinct was to react.

He didn't, couldn't imagine what might have happened. He didn't know why Chibiusa had been there at all. Kabuto had made a pass at Chibiusa once before, at Tomodachi Sweets. Kabuto must have liked her then. Trunks didn't like the way the thought of them being together made him feel. And on top of it all, he couldn't understand why he cared anyway.

Trunks didn't know who he was anymore. He was not his other, past self, he reasoned, yet on the inside his other self was always there, always lurking, leaving him always of two minds, never certain of anything, forever at odds with himself.

He liked her.

He didn't like her.

He was crazy about her.

She made him crazy.

Which one was it?!

These things could only lead to headaches. When Trunks thought of his own parents, if they served as any kind of example, relationships were fleeting anyway. His past life was proof of this too. Girls were trouble. Meanwhile, Chibiusa expected so much, want so much more than he was willing to give. Even if he wanted to entertain friendship, he knew it didn't make any sense. What did they have in common anyway? Chibiusa had returned as an ordinary person—an ordinary girl. He on the other hand was heir to a corporate empire. The second chances only came for one of them. He didn't want to be so terrible as to be mean the way he did, but he needed her to know. He needed her to understand that things could never be like they were back then.

"Who am I?" Trunks mumbled, his voice throaty and hoarse. "I'm a mess."

In spite of residing within the same classroom, tracking down Trunks one-on-one was a difficult task. Finding him after school was virtually impossible. Even during the lunch breaks, he would disappear. It was odd as there weren't too many places someone could go beyond the classroom to eat lunch. Chibiusa figured it must have been "elite privilege" that allowed him to get out of the usual rules everyone else had to follow.

Eventually, school was out for a week of holidays and Chibiusa felt completely stuck, knowing that for that entire time she would be unable to see him at all. Besides homework, Chibiusa wondered how he must have spent his time. Training and video games were his hobbies, right? That's when she remembered that he had told her something important: he and Goten trained at the same dojo. When she thought about it, she realised she really hadn't seen Goten in a while either. She decided that if she went looking for Trunks, even if he ignored her, wanting to see Goten was the perfect alibi.

So Chibiusa found the building, Diana at her side for reassurance. As Chibiusa stared up she saw the words "Turtle Hermit" marked clearly on its front. Its design was large and boxy with pale pink walls and a red rooftop. It was a fascinating, if not strange, concept for a martial arts facility. She went inside. Passing through a hallway, she was instantly awestruck by the phenomenal height of the ceiling and traditional Japanese design, which did not seem to correspond with its more flamboyant outer appearance. She came to the large wood and paper doors. She pressed her ear against them, hearing the sounds within. People were fighting. Was Trunks among them?

"Can I help you?"

Chibiusa jolted in fright, taken aback by the sudden presence of a frail-seeming elderly man with a long and thick white beard and moustache. His mouth hung open in a weird grin, revealing missing teeth.

Trunks held his hand up to strike, crouched in a stance. He awaited his opponent, Goten, to attack when the door pulled open. Kamesennin, the Master Roshi stood there.

"Ahem," he grunted, bringing a hand over his mouth.

Trunks turned to look, startled, because it appeared the sensei had a curious case of a nosebleed. Roshi looked directly at him. Trunks straightened his posture and respectfully drew his arms to his sides, waiting.

"There's, er, a girl outside. Uh… for you."

"A girl?" Goten exclaimed, looking as confused as Trunks did.

Right on cue, the pink-haired girl popped out from behind him, dressed in a red blouse with lace trim and denim shorts with white rabbit accents. Trunks flinched.

"Chiba-chan?" Goten uttered before turning to Trunks with a confused stare.

"Goten-kun!" Chibiusa said excitedly, prepared to cross the wooden floors of the dojo towards them.

"Er, sorry Sensei—this'll be quick!" Trunks said in a rushed tone. Not giving her the chance to move another inch, he hastily grabbing her hand to lead her out the room. She pulled her hand away, resisting.

Roshi chuckled then nudged Trunks in the shoulder as he left the door to head inside himself.

"Oh, no, no. I understand perfectly well. Take your time."

Trunks glowered at him, before redirecting his glare at Chibiusa who smiled innocently.

"What are you doing? How did you even find this place?" he hissed, speaking under his breath.

"Your room. I saw you had trophies and awards with the name plastered all over it," Chibiusa said matter-of-factly, placing her hands on her hips. Trunks almost bought her story, until he saw from the corner of his eye the swaying of a familiar grey-haired tail peeking out from around the corner. So Diana had helped her find the place?

Trunks groaned.

"Look, I'm in the middle of training…you can't just show up here like this." He suddenly became conscious of his sweaty body, his hair pressed against his forehead, and sleeveless top revealing his toned arms. He blushed in embarrassment noticing her face redden as well. He shook his head angrily. "Okay, outside! I'll give you two minutes to explain."

They walked out into the hall and stood on opposite sides, backs pressed against the walls.

Chibiusa regarded Trunks with a severe gaze, her scarlet-red eyes boring into him. Trunks eyed her with suspicion.

"You liked me didn't you? If you never knew about any of it, you would have liked me, right?" she asked finally.

Trunks stared blankly. "Huh? That—well—I don't know!"

"Really? That's funny because I think you do know," she said quietly. Trunks watched as she reached into her pocket and pulled out something small. She walked towards him, her red shoes tapping against the floor and sending his heartbeat into overdrive. Then she held it up, thrusting in his face the sticker photo from Tomodachi; that picture of Kyuusuke, Goten, Momoko, Hotaru, Chibiusa and himself. There it was, the two of them staring at each other. Those silly pink hearts drawn around them. Trunks' face turned crimson as Chibiusa's eyes glinted evilly. "This meant nothing?" she asked.

That picture…Trunks had forgotten all about it. What was she trying to do? He turned his head away with a scowl.

"I already told you. We have to forget the past."

"This isn't about the past," she retorted. "The feelings …they would exist anyway even if we hadn't remembered it. I'm right aren't I? So then let's not recreate the past. Let's make a new future!"

Trunks turned, shoving by her as he headed back through the door of the training room. He didn't say anything further, leaving her to stand there as he closed the door with a slam.

Trunks directed a glare at Roshi who seemed to be beside himself. It was strange that his sensei who had scolded him about bringing a cat was so unconcerned about a girl showing up.

"Wha? You sent her away already? Why didn't you invite her in? You know we don't see too much of them around here," Roshi groused.

Trunks rolled his eyes, ignoring the old man as he returned to his fight practise with Goten. Roshi had always been an incredible pervert. Goten on the other hand seemed to still be in a state of shock, as he regarded him with wide, beady eyes. Weird, Trunks thought.

"Are you okay, Goten?" Trunks muttered.

Goten nodded weakly."Y-Yeah. I guess."