If you asked somebody, 'If you HAD to lose sight or hearing, which would you choose?' Most people would select hearing, but that does not mean it is any less problematic than losing your sight. People who lose their hearing are treated far more harshly, as hearing loss of any level can be taxing to deal with. Yet, you have to remember what those disadvantaged individuals go through. Bear that in mind as we join the Outer Senshi and Comet down the upper right-hand path!
Most of the walk consisted of a dead, cold, misty road. "We've been walking for what feels like forever. Anybody got the time?" Uranus asked. Neptune removed her cell but shook her head: It would not work.
"Even if we did, I'm unsure if time flows the same here as on the Moon," Pluto added.
Comet glanced at Saturn, who seemed most distressed by her condition. Everyone figured it was because the ebony-haired girl knew people in school with all different levels of hearing loss. So, assuming this path leads to regaining her hearing, would she take it? Pluto was not worried about that as it is not only Saturn suffering from this but Comet. Yet, Roshi seemed to like being cryptic, so they should still be cautious.
"What's that building?!" Uranus pointed ahead. Alexis looked and shrugged.
"I can't see, and Alexis can't speak!" Pluto snapped.
"Sorry, I wasn't thinking..." Uranus sulked, a bit ashamed.
"I see it." Saturn and Comet affirmed to make Uranus feel better.
Uranus gave them a sympathetic smile as she knew it was not in Saturn's nature to take part in the conflict as an introvert. Comet was struggling to speak coherently as she could not hear her own voice. Due to how tired they are from walking, they are relieved to see this place looks like a 5-star hotel!
"A hotel! This must be where the people who serve Roshi stay when they aren't building his roads." Uranus knew Roshi probably did not care about the well-being of his laborers, but she tried to make a light-hearted joke.
Everyone, except Pluto, who listened, looked around for someone to check in with. "Something's not right. If this is a 5-star hotel, why is there no personnel?" Pluto could not hear any footsteps, voices, rustling, ding of the elevator, nothing!
"Can't we just rest for a few minutes?" Saturn asked, noticing her whole sentence did not come out correctly. But the others could make out what she had been trying to say.
So, they all sat down on what they swore was the world's most comfortable couch to warm up. Due to the comfort, they fell into a peaceful slumber, except for Hotaru's daughter...
Waking up, Saturn finds herself home as toddler Emily, with her parents over her, looking concerned. At first, it is not clear why until she hears her actual biological father say, "I can't have a troublesome child!"
Emily realized she could hear, only just better out of one ear.
"She's not troublesome! We can still love her, disability or not!" Hotaru yelled.
"Am I troublesome because I can't hear?" Emily thought.
Next, she is playing with little friends, not the Senshi, other friends. However, because she cannot hear as well as the others and because kids are cruel, they say things like "Are you just acting stupid?", "Are you dumb?", "You're ugly," "Retard", and "So lame" every day, eventually abandoning her. This is why Emily became an introvert. While she could hear in reality, kids are still cruel and will use those words, too. Becoming an introvert was a way for Emily to protect herself. The next minute, Emily is in school, and while she now knows the Senshi are her friends, they are not with her in every class.
Emily offers her teachers to wear a tiny microphone connected to her, now present, hearing aid, but that ends up about as well as the incident with the kids!
"I don't want to wear that useless thing! I don't know where it's been!"
"I wiped it down!" Emily tried to explain it was clean.
"I don't care, just pay closer attention!" This teacher stormed to the front of the classroom, and the students started whispering about Emily, making her want to cry, but she had to hold it in.
On top of the stress of being a Senshi, Emily had to worry about proving she could show others she was just as capable as anyone else of becoming the best she could be! Unfortunately, being beaten down so much led to having suicidal thoughts! Thankfully, the Senshi were there to support and help her in any way they could. Again, time-shifted to somewhere near the present! As everyone had learned not to take anything Christen said seriously, Emily had only discovered it recently, so Christen's words still stung sometimes.
"You're a Senshi with a disability! It's shameful! Hanging out with you, people are going to think we are worthless degenerates!" Christen has no idea what degenerate means but knows it is an insult.
With these abusive words swirling around in her head, Saturn wakes up, crying. She is back in the hotel lobby, unable to hear anything, and her friends around her are still asleep. If they are dreaming, it is happier than hers as a few of them have smiles on their faces. Saturn steps outside to sort herself out.
"Just a nightmare, just another nightmare..." Dark-skinned Solider of Silence repeats this in her head as she does some calming exercises.
Despite her best efforts, the quiet girl can not wholly stop crying or feel hurt. Suddenly, she feels hands on both her shoulders! Looking behind her, Uranus and Neptune had their hands on her left shoulder, with Comet guiding Pluto's hand and placing her own on Saturn's right shoulder. Gazing at them, Saturn started to feel a little better.
In her eyes, it is lovely to have friends who stand in the path of destruction for her.
"Don't fret, Saturn. Through thick and thin, we will always be here. I treasure you, and you treasure me, even now. I am willing to walk an extra mile if I have to to get our senses back!" Pluto promised, with Comet, Uranus, and Neptune nodding in agreement.
Saturn's eyes shimmered with happiness, though she could not hear exactly what they said.
"I don't care if I never get my hearing back as long as I have you!" Saturn hugged them!
Hobbling into the lobby came Kikazaru, who was holding the same invisible, shimmering bubble with a light inside! Immediately, the Senshi pointed their weapons at him! Calmly, Kikazaru put down the bubble, pointed at Saturn and Comet, then backed off. Neptune nudged Uranus, making a gesture with her Deep Aqua Crystal mirror.
"Rush Reflection!" Uranus, called Neptune, aimed at the bubble to see if her mirror's magic revealed any traps!
Once the mist clears, there are no traps. So, Saturn with Comet approached the bubble cautiously. Nothing about it looked or acted out of the ordinary, and when Saturn held it, it felt normal. Eventually, it popped, and the light entered Saturn and Comet's ears. One-by-one sounds started to reach them!
"My ears are back in business!" Saturn cheered.
"Oh..." Comet caught the crestfallen looks on the other girls' faces, though they tried to be as happy as possible for the two girls.
Though they could not return the way they came, for some reason, it was blocked by an invisible wall. The girls continued strolling down the road and found themselves back at the crossroads, where the Inner Senshi were waiting. Everyone was overjoyed to find Venus, Asteroid, Saturn, and Comet had regained their senses! Now, they could only hope their Princesses, Dark Kingdom Senshi, and other kittens also faired.