A/N - Yo people. VR here. This chapter is a straight up HotaChibi chapter only, because it needed it but the next chapter will more than make up for it my HM friends! Once again thanks to impersonal for all your help (your ideas spark me off!). Also a Disclaimer : I don't own Sailor Moon, if I did I wouldn't be writing fanfics cos the anime would be this way! Anyway also, I do not encourage, endorse or tolerate bullying, happy slapping or any other form of emotional and physical abuse. If you do, you're a douche. Anyway... on with the chapter! Enjoy!

CHAPTER 4 – MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I'M ALIVE

"That's the bell, class. Read chapter nine for your homework, you WILL be tested on it tomorrow." The class didn't moan and groan, instead, they rushed out of the door, glad that the day was over.

Only one student was reluctant to go.

She stared out of the window and brushed her bangs out of her face preventing the annoying strays of hair from obscuring her lavender eyes. With a heavy sigh, she gradually got out of her seat and packed away her books into her black messenger bag and slung it over her shoulder. She took her time leaving the classroom again like she did every day, in the hopes that she would not have to be at home any longer than she had to (not that school was any better for her to be loitering around – either way she was stuck in a building with people who hated her). However, on Friday she would be making the cross-city journey to her cousin's home; the very same apartment that would be her home for the next nine months apparently. Any other 15 year old would be ecstatic if they got to live with their older cousin who was known for her somewhat laidback attitude and lifestyle; but not Tomoe Hotaru. No, it's not that she didn't like her cousin, oh no, that was not the case at all. It was the fact that she knew her cousin didn't want her there. Which 25 year old would? Haruka was a young woman who had her bachelorette life down to the tee, and Hotaru knew being there might cause some tension.

To be honest, tension is the last thing she needed right now.

The only upside to all of this was that her father's wife wouldn't be around anymore. Thank the Gods', Hotaru could escape that woman for nine months at least. It was this thought that brought a small smile to grace her features, which was rare for the young girl nowadays.

"Hey, Tomoe, what the hell are you doing here? You freak, get the fuck outta here!"

Most other fifteen year olds' would have looked instantly for the person who had verbally assaulted them, but Hotaru was most certainly not like everyone else. For as long as she had remembered, she had been loathed by her classmates – all except Helios that is. Helios seemed to be indifferent to her at first but soon they two became friends, even though it was much to the annoyance of Hotaru's classmates. At first the young girl thought it was a passing phase of her classmates; that they would leave them alone after they got over it, but hell no, that was not the case. It was nearly eight years that Hotaru had put up with these children. They had thrown insults at her, even beating her up on a few occasions. After all these years, Hotaru had learnt to ignore these people. They would call her a freak, they would call her a witch, and they would call her a 'weirdo', but she learnt to block out all their cruel words. Her father's eccentricity as a scientist – they thought he was a mad scientist who lived with a witch and minions- prompted them to give those nicknames, especially 'witch'.

Little did they know the real witch was actually Kaolinite, her so called step-mother.

Her classmates thought Kaolinite was 'a babe' and 'too good for a Tomoe', the famous and beautiful angel that came descended to help Tomoe Souchi with his life. Hotaru only scoffed at her classmates- what they thought of her didn't matter to her, because they didn't know anything other than what they see on the television and the newspapers. They perceived her as a freak because of what her classmates told every student in the same year as them which everyone made fun of her using that. But, never was Hotaru once ashamed of whom she was. How could she be a freak? She was just like Haru-chan, and no-one thought that Haru-chan was a freak.

With her head held high she walked past her tormentors and headed for the school gate. She gripped the strap of her bag tighter when she felt something being thrown at her back. Most likely some stones, but still she would not give them the satisfaction of seeing her upset. Never would they have the satisfaction of seeing her in tears - not that she had any left to cry. She had cried more than enough in her life; when her mother passed away she cried for days and she was only five then. Less than two years later her father remarried to Kaolinite, and she cried again.

"Hota-chan! Come here! I've got some news to tell you!" Souchi Tomoe's voice was crystal clear as he called through the house to gain the attention of Hotaru. A few seconds later, a young Hotaru came bouncing down the steps of the family home.

"Hai, Otou-san?" Hotaru stepped into the living room where her father stood with a tall, red headed woman beside him.

Hotaru instantly eyed the woman suspiciously; she had been around the house a lot of late. Hotaru didn't like her. The woman lied to her father about some things, like how she lied about the nights she looked after Hotaru while her father worked late, and how she lied about the activities they did together (like cooking and baking). It was all lies, they had never done anything like that before. It was just a facade, just like the woman before her.

"Hota-chan, I have something to tell you."

Hotaru dragged her eyes away from the woman she disliked and placed her gaze on her father. He was smiling widely and it was only now that Hotaru noticed his arm was snaked around Kaolinite's waist. Lavender eyes widened slightly as her small heart quickened its pace. Hotaru closed her eyes and prayed to every divine power there was that her father wouldn't say what she thought he was going to say. She may have been young, but she was not foolish; she knew that her father was attracted to the woman next to him – as inexplicable as that may be. Hotaru moved slowly to the sofa that her father was gesturing her to. Souchi sat down next to her and took Kaolinite's hand in his own. A grin was plastered on his face. To Hotaru's horror, the next words she heard was:

"Hota-chan... myself and Kaoli... we're, well, we're going to get married."

It was clear the woman disliked Hotaru, even such a young Hotaru from before. Their relationship had been tumultuous ever since they had met. Hotaru tried to bring it to her father's attention only for him to sit in her room as she would talk to him about it all, and then he would hug her, ruffle her hair and tell her not to worry because it would all be alright soon. He listened but he never heard. Not once. With a sigh, Hotaru willed herself to the school gates, hoping that past these gates, she would have an uneventful journey. She brought her head up as she approached the gates.

Then she stopped in her tracks.

There they were.

Staring at her, grinning at her, taunting her, like always. Trying to hide her distaste for the four girls, Hotaru clenched her jaw and continued to walk towards the gate trying to stay as far away from them as she could manage. She nearly made it to the gate when the four appeared again, blocking her way and her only route out of school.

"Excuse me."

The four figures stayed still, showing no sign of backing down or letting Hotaru past. In fact, the oldest of the girls, stepped forward, crossed her arms and had her shocking pink hair flowing behind her in ungraceful movements. God, why did Helios have baseball practice today? Usually the two walked along a similar route home. If Helios was there the girls would never dare touch her due to their adoration for the pretty, young boy.

"Be quiet, Tomoe."

Hotaru was pushed back as the four girls stepped forwards. How could Hotaru have been so foolish? It was inevitable that the four female friends who made up the fan-club of Helios would be waiting for her today; Ves, Ceres, Pallas and Jun. Hotaru knew this couldn't be good. The class list of the ranking of the last examinations was pinned in the classroom earlier. Once again, she had come first. Any other normal 15 year olds would be proud, but she was not glad about it – all it meant trouble was this year, as always from the girls' who hated her. Her intelligence, her personality, hell they hated her very being! They were juniors while she was the youngest in her senior year. She skipped ahead a grade and to them, it was an embarrassment to them that Hotaru was number one each year. Hence being first in class always meant that an attempt at beating her up from the four girls she loathed so much would come.

"Just step aside," Hotaru's voice didn't waver once in her demand.

She was determined to get past them and get home; unscathed that is. But before Hotaru could register any movement she felt her cheek stinging, and raised a hand to touch it – she had been slapped. Ves's grin said it all: 'I just owned you, Tomoe'. Ceres stepped forward as she made one head movement that told the other girls to step aside. And they did without making any protest, aside from a snigger. Hotaru glared as Ceres stepped closer towards her.

"Hotaru-chan... we hear your dad's going away. Has he realised what a freak you are and decided to get away from you? Gotta say, I can't blame him," Ceres smirked. Hotaru knew she was just dying to get a reaction from her. Well, she would be waiting an eternity in that case.

She kept her gaze calm and said nothing.

This made Ceres only smirk wider –God, Hotaru hated that smirk, it reminded her so much of her; the woman who loathed her so much and Hotaru in turn also loathed with every ounce of her existence. Pallas laughed at her once again taunting her, and took over from Ceres at intimidating the young Hotaru.

"Well, I wanted to tell you something... we got a new girl coming to school tomorrow and I saw her file in the office. I want you to stay away from her." Hotaru frowned in confusion.

"Why would I care about some new girl? You can do what you want with her. I'm not interested."

Jun scoffed and came close to her ear, speaking quietly into it, "I want to protect the girls in this school from the likes of you... freak."

Freak.

Hotaru's eyes watered at the way Jun said 'freak'. It was with so much hate, so much disgust, so much disapproval... she nearly broke down her silent walls. She nearly made Hotaru ashamed. Nearly. Jun stepped back and grin that smile that so many vied for. Not Hotaru. She couldn't care less for the girls and their wiles.

"Oh, and congratulations for coming top of the class, Tomoe. Again."

Pallas sneered as she spoke, and once again Hotaru found herself surrounded by the four girls, all smirking evilly at her. Hotaru wouldn't cry... but she couldn't stop any physical pain she was bound to feel as soon as the girls' began landing blows on her delicate body.

"USAGI-CHAN! MAMO-CHAN!"

A bounding young girl with bright pink hair, fashioned into two odd buns on top of her head ran through the train station and jumped straight to her 'Uncle Mamo-chan'. He caught the young girl and laughed gently.

"Ohayo, Chibi-chan," she grinned and fell into the warm embrace of her favourite male relative.

"Chibi-chan! That's my Mamo-chan!" The pink-haired girl let go of Mamoru and laughed as she embraced the 'odangoed' blonde she had known all her life.

"Usagi-chan!" The pink-haired girl, known by those who are closest to her as Chibiusa, but everyone else calls her Serenity; it's not that she hates that name, but she'd much rather be called Chibiusa.

"I missed you Chibi-chan! Now, you're here, we can go shopping together, go on girly days out! Oh it's going to be so much fun! And oh! Look how much you've grown in a year! You're so much taller! Your pictures did you no justice! You're turning into such a lady!"

Mamoru smiled as he went to the train baggage area to get Chibiusa's suitcases and took them took the car, while Chibiusa and Usagi were left to their own device. Chatting away madly about shopping and Chibiusa's new life in Tokyo, the continued "I'm so excited Chibi-chan! The next few months are going to be so amazing! We managed to get you into a really good school; it was a little awkward due to it being mid-year but Mamo-chan spoke to the principal and it's all sorted! You start Nishimachi Gakuen tomorrow! "

Usagi and Chibiusa began squealing about the 'cute' uniform that Usagi had picked up the day before. Tsukino Chibiusa was related to Usagi by blood, they were cousins. But most people confused them for sisters due to their identical perky mood, and their impossibly constant energy – and not least their identical appetites. Chibiusa's parents were happily married but unfortunately her mother had fallen ill and had to go to hospital, and her father was by her mother's side every step of the way. They had thought it best for their darling little Chibi-chan to go and live with her favourite family member to continue with her studies and her life, rather than be hindered by her mother's illness and neglected at home. It was agreed that Chibiusa would be staying with the newlywed Chibas' for a school term or so, but Mamoru had this feeling that it was going to be a lot longer than that – not that he minded, after all anyone that Usagi loved, Mamoru also loved. Furthermore, he had known Chibiusa since she was a toddler, and he loved the girl almost as if she was his own daughter. He completely doted on her. And Usagi, of course, he would do anything for her. Chibiusa was a lucky girl. At her old school she was one of the most popular girls; she was friendly, polite, she never said a bad word about anyone. Although she may not have been the best academically she put her heart into every task she was thrown with. And students and teachers alike adored her for her bravado.

And so here they were, at Mamoru's apartment, unpacking Chibiusa's belongings into the spare room they had. Mamoru had decorated the room in a light pink colour and had put in a desk, a chair and a large comfy bed. "I'll get a laptop from work for you sometime this week, Chibi-chan. I know schoolwork is all e-mail and electronic nowadays," Mamoru smiled gently at his wife's young cousin and she beamed a smile back up at him.

She hugged him tightly, "Thank you so much, Mamo-chan! Usagi-chan, I really appreciate all you've done for me."

Usagi embraced her young cousin, "Nonsense, Chibi-chan, we love you and that's what family is here for, ne? Now then, get settled in quickly... we're going to order pizza!" and with that, Usagi bounded out of the room, intent on finding the pizza menu and ordering as much as she thought she could manage.

"Hotaru-chan, what happened? Are you okay?" Souchi Tomoe raised his head from his suitcase that he had laid in the living room of their home.

He had seen his daughter enter the home, and that she had a cut on her lip, her cheek and some small bruises on her hands. Hotaru sighed heavily as she laid down her bags and shoes in the hallway.

"I'm fine. I fell down at school."

Souchi shrugged and went back to packing his bag full with his belongings.

'Only three more days' thought Hotaru as she trudged along to her bedroom, with her books in her hand, ready to do her homework. She had her hand on the handle when she heard a familiar yet unwelcome giggling coming from behind her, near the master bedroom. Hotaru's jaw involuntarily clenched once more.

"Good evening, Kaolinite-san."

"Fell down at school? Is that the best you can do, Hotaru-chan?"

Hotaru opened her door and closed it behind her. She just wanted to be away from the woman. She couldn't handle being near her. Not now.

She fell to her bed and clutched her pillow. She didn't understand why everyone picked on her; if it wasn't for Helios then she was sure that life at school would be a hell of a lot worse. She had kept her friendship with Helios a secret from her father and his wife, because she didn't want to be pressured into inviting Helios to their home. Either of them would scare him, and then she would lose the only acquaintance she had.

That was something she couldn't handle.

Losing the slight friendship she had with Helios would be more than just hell. They had been in the same classes since kindergarten, though they barely spoke to each other. It was only when they got paired together in Science a few years back (when Hotaru got the chance to do advance classes) and found out they both worked exceptionally well together that they began talking. Nothing too serious at first, but they found they lived only a few streets apart, so most days they would walk part of their journey home together. Hotaru found Helios to be a caring person; he would not take part in the bullying that went on and if he was present he would tell others it was unacceptable to treat her like that or he'd try to stop it.

However, Helios could not always be there to stand up for her.

There was one time, when Helios took Hotaru to a nearby arcade for a soda and ice cream. At first Hotaru was suspicious, but it turned out Helios had no malicious intentions. In fact, he just wanted to talk to Hotaru to find out why the others picked on her. And so she told him. She was not ashamed to tell him of her attraction to girls, yet he seemed to not be bothered by it. Simply laughed while saying they could go on a double date one day and that he would be a lucky man to have three beautiful women around him. He wanted to befriend her but Hotaru didn't want to let him be her friend. She couldn't bear it if he were to suddenly start hating her, like so many others in her class did. She liked Helios, but she didn't really know him that well. Although, she did know he did not approve of bullying, or the way their other classmates treated her. Still, he could not stop all the bullying. Ever since that incident in school over a year ago, he tried his very best to be there and to keep her out of harm's way.

For every teen, sometimes the worst moment of your schooling life can be getting changed after sporting activities. Some kids can be mean, and say some uncalled things. Today, in Nashimachi Gakuen, it seems as though this particular line of thinking was about to be unleashed on one particular girl.

Hotaru was changing after her last lesson of swimming, as quickly as possible, so she wouldn't have to be with the other girls in her class any longer than usual. Today, it seemed she had no such luck. As Hotaru was buttoning up her shirt, she felt herself moving uncontrollably forward and her head impacted with her sports locker. 'Kuso', she tried to grabbed her head in pain but barely had a chance to as she was thrown around instantly to stare directly into the faces of her four worse tormentors at school.

"Oi, Tomoe, we got a bone to pick with you." Ceres did her trademark of crossing her arms and smirking amusedly at the younger girl. Hotaru was silent; she had done nothing wrong! The class list was not up and she had not answered a single question in class voluntarily.

"What were you doing with Helios-kun yesterday? In the Crown!" Hotaru took in the features of the four girls before her and saw that they all seemed angry. What was she doing with Helios? Just a simple chat between friends over some ice cream and sodas!

"We were just talking."

"LIAR! You weren't just talking! Helios-kun is one the most beautiful boys in the school! Why the hell would he hang around you? Unless you two were... together?" Ceres eyes' blazed with an anger that Hotaru had never seen before.

"No! Helios and I are just friends!" An instant gasp followed Hotaru's sentence and Ves spoke in shock.

"Helios? Just Helios? No honorifics? You ARE together! We knew it!"

"What? No! We're just friends! I don't even like boys! I – " and Hotaru realized her mistake too late.

She watched the girls for their reaction. Ceres' face was blank, Pallas seemed confused, Jun's eyes were as wide as Hotaru had ever seen them and Ves' mouth was wide open. That was all for a split second. Hotaru blinked. As she opened her eyes, she saw the disgust in their eyes. The way they looked at her says it all. She was lower than scum.

"You don't like boys? Oh My God, you probably stare at us when we're changing! That's fucking disgusting! Urgh, Tomoe, you're such a-a-a... a freak!"

Hotaru didn't know what happened. It all moved so fast. As soon as Ves had finished speaking, she felt another stinging on her cheek. She didn't even have time to rub her sore cheek, Ceres clenched her fist and landed a blow directly to her nose. Hotaru's head smacked into the back of her locker, hard. She felt hands grab her collar and throw her to the floor as someone smacked her head once again. She cried out in pain. A hand flew to cover her mouth and Hotaru stared up into Jun's face.

"Don't you dare make a fucking sound, Tomoe. Hey, Ves, get your phone out!"

The cruel laughter echoed into her ears and Hotaru could feel hot tears escape her eyes while Jun kept her hand clamped over Hotaru's mouth, preventing her from screaming out for help. Ceres looked down at her and smirked. God, that fucking smirk. Hotaru gasped and winced in pain; she had been kicked in the stomach. She had been kicked hard. She felt someone holding down her arms, and looked to her left; Jun had her other hand, keeping Hotaru's hand down and to her right Pallas and her other arm restrained. Ceres delivered another blow to her stomach, and more tears escaped her eyes. Hotaru opened her eyes for a split second and saw that next to Ceres was Ves, with her cell-phone, recording the entire incident. The level of humiliation and shame like Hotaru had never felt flowed through her body. She was helpless, and the girls were going to beat her, humiliate her and have the entire ordeal on film! Hotaru tried to fight them but she was weak; she knew that and they knew that. Why was she so weak? She had no chance of escaping! So, with shame hanging heavily on her heart, Hotaru gave in. She went limp and let the girls' do what they had to do. She only hoped that by giving in, it won't go by quicker and they might get bored and leave her.

Once the girls left her, she tried to lift herself off of the floor but she struggled. She had to get up. She had to. Now, she was in the showers, still with her clothes on, although they had been torn and ripped. She sat in the corner as a shower ran. She didn't know how long she had been ther. She had blocked out time, she had blocked out images and she had blocked out sound. That's why she didn't notice the figure in front of her, gently calling her name. She didn't notice a thing, until a hand gently touched her shoulder and she winced wildly and flew her eyes up to the person who touched her. She looked into caring eyes as she fought back tears.

Helios.

She was ashamed that he saw her like this. Her only friend. He said nothing but he turned off the shower and crouched down to her, and held her in an embrace and asked who did this. Hotaru remained silent.

Hotaru frowned at the memory. Ever since that day, Helios always tried his best to meet her after school and keep as close an eye on her as he could. But, Hotaru was thrown out of this train of thinking by the computer on her desk that began flashing wildly, telling her she had received a new message from 'PegasusH'. Hotaru sighed and sat down on the chair in front of her desk and opened up the IM message from her 'friend':

PegasusH says: Yo Hotaru. I'm sorry I wasn't in Science but baseball practice took up the entire afternoon! Do u have the notes that I can borrow?

Silence says: Yeah I do. I'll put them in a sharing folder. I can't talk for long; I have a lot of maths homework to do.

PegasusH: Thanks! I appreciate it. I have a lot of English to do too. I'll meet you tomorrow by the kiosk if you like, and we can do some quick cramming before our Science exam.

Silence: Sure. I put the file in the folder, Helios-kun, but I have to go now. I'm packing before I do my homework.

PegasusH: Oh yeah, you're moving to your cousin's right?

Silence: Yeah... I have to go now, I'll see you tomorrow, Helios-kun.

PegasusH: Ja ne, Hotaru-chan!

Hotaru signed off the IM messenger and sighed reservedly. She didn't have to pack, that was a lie. She had done it the night before when her father came home and told her she would be moving to Haru-chan's. It was going to be a long evening; she would do her homework, then go downstairs for dinner and retreat to her room to read a book. She was so glad that in a month's time she would be turning sixteen, and then she could go and maybe get a job, have some money for herself. She could meet new people who wouldn't call her freak, people who wouldn't judge her.

Just maybe. With that reserve thought, Hotaru opened her maths book and began her homework.

"ARGH! Usagi-chan, why didn't you wake me? There's only 35 minutes until school starts!"

The pink-haired girl ran into the bathroom and instantly began to get showered and dressed. After she was washed and dressed, she grabbed a piece of toast from the kitchen and gulped down a glass of orange juice, all the time telling Usagi she was a 'baka' for not waking her up in time.

"Now, Chibi-chan, she didn't mean it and there's still fifteen minutes left. I'll drive you and make sure you get there on time. Okay?" Mamoru spoke softly.

"Hai, Mamo-chan!" Chibiusa ran from the apartment and followed Mamoru to his car.

The drive was pleasant enough what with the radio playing light morning music filling the car. Chibiusa stared out of the window; she was not from Tokyo, and although she had visited the city several times, it never ceased to amaze her. Chibiusa was gently shaken from her little fantasy word as she felt the car come to a gentle stop. Chibiusa looked from her window and saw the school - it was huge and there were still some students walking around the campus. The pink-haired girl looked curiously and saw not far off a pretty boy, with fair, almost white hair waking along and being bothered by a few of the girls of the school.

'He must be a great boy if all those girls are bothering him', thought Chibiusa.

She was in a slight daydream until she saw the dark-haired girl beside him, her head hanging slightly and seemingly ignoring the girls' that vied for the males' attention. Chibiusa saw how the boy kindly spoke to the girls but then directed his attention to the dark-haired girl, whose face was obscured by her bangs. 'That must be his girlfriend'. The young bundle of energy was interrupted from her daydream by Mamoru's gentle voice.

"So, I'll pick you up at 3pm, is that okay, Chibi-chan?" She nodded and he smiled.

"Great. You had better get going, you need to go to the office first, Chibi-chan. Have a fun day!" Chibiusa smiled at Mamoru's sincerity – he really did want her to have a fun day.

"It's high school, Mamo-chan, how can I not have a fun day?"

A/N 2 - Another note. I am from the UK so all the classes and years are based on what I know we can do here (skipping grades, advanced classes, skipping a grade or two). If you made it this ar, do me a favour and review - if you do you get another chapter! Ja ne! -VR