(Hotaru, Uranus Shuttle)
Ping!
In one of the shuttles, Hotaru’s peaceful sleep was interrupted by a chill in the air. The girl groaned and rolled on her bed as if she were experiencing a nightmare. One of the two guards outside of her room thought they heard a noise from inside, but the other shook his head and reminded the man of their orders to stay put.
The feeling inside grew worse; Hotaru was beginning to perspire badly. But no one else on the shuttle was aware. In the dark-haired girl’s mind, she saw a tall, short-haired individual’s back. He was wearing a suit of armor, just like Haruka. But there were flames all around him. She quickly shook her head as the man slowly turned his head and looked at her from over his shoulder.
He smiled. “Destroy everything… Kill all who stands in your way!”
Hotaru screamed as her body was enveloped by a dangerous, purple aura. The guards at the door jumped at the noise and rushed into the room just as Hotaru’s eyes snapped open. Suddenly, everything went white.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”
KabooM!
“What was that?!” Kali, Uranus’s field-commanding officer demanded. The crew around her were scrambling at their screens.
“I-I don’t know! One of our shuttles just disappeared off of the screen!”
“What did you say?!” Is it the enemy? “Which shuttle?!”
“I-I...” The woman stared hard at the officer and watched his face go white. “It was...Her Majesty’s. B-But Sir Haruka had already departed for battle, so it shouldn’t be a problem! We just need to alert all of the forces in the area, right?” Her subordinate was confused when he saw the angry frown on his superior’s face. “...Sir?”
...Shit! Kali Auranos gritted her teeth. Although her staff had forgotten one, little, important detail, she hadn’t.
“Get me Sir Haruka on the line immediately!”
“But... Her Majesty is still hasn’t returned from battle! Do you really think it’s a wise idea to interrupt her--”
“JUST do it!”
“S-Sir!”
Kali bent over her screen and waited for the communications port to open. Haruka had better damn well answer.
That was no ordinary explosion. That power surge she just felt, in the moment that the shuttle exploded still shook her to the core. Damn it, Haruka! You better pick up!
(Haruka, Palace Courtyard)
“Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!”
Just hang in there Rei! I’m almost there!
When I was in the battlefield, I suddenly felt this huge surge of power. At first, I didn’t know what to think. I thought it might’ve been Ares. But then, out of the blue, I felt it. Haruka clenched her jaw. Rei...Why did you go chasing after it alone?! We were supposed to rescue Minako together, remember?! What good does it do anyone if you—
In the woman’s vision she could see the Cupid Palace coming into view. But she was, once again, confronted by a small team of shadow assassins.
Haruka gritted her teeth, and raised her fist. “World…SHAKING!”
Wham! Wrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir---KABLAM!
“CRRAAAAA...!” Three more shadow assassins bit the dust.
Haruka leapt through the opening and ran straight into the palace courtyard. She came to a stop and warily eyed her surroundings.
This is it. This was where Rei’s signature disappeared. But... there’s something that doesn’t quite make any sense. There doesn’t look like there was a battle here. She scanned the deserted grounds. Was she too late?
No! She’s got to be around here somewhere!
With that, the tall woman boosted her detection spell and began an area wide scan for the Martian’s signature. But Haruka wasn’t far into the search when her concentration was rudely interrupted when her watch communicator went off.
“Oh, for cryin’ out loud!” With an angry snarl she bashed the button and opened the channel. “...This had better be important!” she muttered underneath her breath.
She watched as Kali’s image appeared on screen. “Your Majesty.” Kali greeted her as if calling her superior in the middle of battle was the most natural thing in the world. If it were anyone else that she was speaking to, her calm stance may have fooled them but it was obvious to Haruka that the woman was agitated about something.
“Drop the act. What’s wrong?” Haruka said coolly.
“As you wish.” The woman closed her eyes, as if trying to block out the loud noise in the background. “It’s your shuttle, Haruka. I don’t know how to tell you this, but...it was destroyed.”
Ah! Haruka felt her blood run cold. “What do you mean, by destroyed?”
“It means exactly that. From the report that I received from a nearby shuttle, they said that the shuttle suddenly exploded without any warning. As we speak, a search crew has gone to the wreckage to investigate and search for survivors... but from the sounds of it, I highly doubt that there were any. As for the cause of it...”
“Forget it.”
“What?”
“I don’t care about that! Just tell me about Hotaru! You know she was in that shuttle! What happened to her?!”
Kali frowned at the stupid question. “Well, if she was in that shuttle when it exploded, then I would think that...” The woman suddenly turned her head around and was distracted by one of her subordinates.
“Think what?! Kali, don’t you dare ignore me!”
“Look, would you just shut up for a minute?!” She snapped back. She then listened to the rest of the soldier’s report, nodding in understanding, before she finally dismissed him.
“...What is it?” Haruka noticed that the third-ranked commander looked a little pale. “Did you guys find Hotaru?”
“Haruka.” Kali growled. Her green eyes were flashing. “Would you just give the kid a rest? If you were that worried about her safety, then you shouldn’t have brought her into a battlefield in the first place!”
Haruka opened her mouth to snap back, but on some level she knew her friend was right. As far as Kali knew, Hotaru was just an ordinary little girl that she had found on her travels. The ruler didn’t have the heart to tell the woman that their current dilemma and her comrade’s death were intimately tied into the girl’s existence. She didn’t know how Kali would take it. But now, she thought she may have an inkling of how the woman would react.
Ping!
Fizz…fizz…
Inside the Queen’s Chamber, Rei froze when she felt the malicious energy. Unconsciously she drew Minako a little closer.
What was that energy? She hadn’t felt such a dark energy in years. Something terrible is happening out there!
Ping!
FWOOOSH!
Outside, there was a loud explosion that rang throughout the air. Everyone on the field, including Haruka, braced themselves when they were hit by strong winds as a light filled the area.
Kali had tilted her head up and her eyes were widened in shock. “...Shit, Haruka.” On the shuttle’s overhead screen, it depicted a gigantic ball of pink-ish light hovering over the battlefield and in its center was Hotaru. “I think I just found her. If we live through this, we’re going to have a long talk!!”
Haruka turned her head towards the sky and gasped. “Hotaru?!”
Everyone else on the battlefield turned their heads towards the palace and gaped in awe. Ami and Makoto couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
Is that really Hotaru? The two rulers gaped.
Michiru was already bolting down the battlefield to find Haruka. Meanwhile, the wind ruler found herself torn inside.
“Hotaru!”Haruka clenched her fists at her side. Hotaru was surrounded in purple flames--her eyes were narrowed and glowing pink. The woman didn’t want to acknowledge it, but looking at the sight before her it really did look as though her charge had transformed into a monster; Haruka could feel her entire body shake with fear. But she couldn’t run and hide now. In her mind, she could still see the first time she had met the girl: It had been extremely dark and her senses were reeling; when she first found the girl and saw her look up at her for the first time, she felt as though a light had come into her life.
“Papa!”
As far as Haruka was concerned, Hotaru was still a shy, little girl who just wanted to be loved and protected. She had to protect her.
I have to do something! But what?!
“Hotaaaruuuu!” She called to her again. She hardly noticed Neptune reaching her side now.
“Haruka, look!” Michiru pointed out.
Haruka gasped. Goddess! What’s happening to her?! Before both women’s eyes, Hotaru’s body was beginning to change. She was growing taller, and her physique was developing into a young woman’s. She was aging before their very eyes!
RMM…RMM…RMM…
“Rrg!” Haruka tried to keep herself steady despite the shaking ground. W-Where is she getting all of that power?! A-At this rate--!
Michiru was also struggling to keep her balance. Her powers already rival ours! She analyzed. The intelligent woman didn’t want to admit it, but if Hotaru’s powers kept growing at such exponential rate than they were all in trouble.
“Eh… Uwaah…” The sound of sobbing broke the air.
Is she crying? Neptune and Uranus simultaneously thought.
Hot tears were pouring down Hotaru’s cheeks of her, now, teenage body. The emotional outburst affected Michiru the most; there was such an intense feeling of pain and anguish coming from the girl that Michiru came close to crying herself.
What is she reacting to?
Ping!
“Ah! Oh no!” She gasped at what she saw; a huge ball of light began to glow in one of Hotaru’s hands and it was growing at exponential proportions.
“HOTARU!” Haruka cried again. “Don’t do it!”
The dark orb kept on growing though. Soon, it had nearly become as big as the sphere that had initially surrounded the teenage girl. Everyone from the ground pointed up at the massive gathering of sparking energy. They all saw it for what it was: A threat to their survival.
“Hotaru!” Haruka tried to approach the girl, but a bolt of purple lightning shot towards her. She was nearly hit if it wasn’t for her partner, who pushed her out of the way just in the nick of time.
Kablam!
The two Goddesses glanced behind them to where Hotaru’s attack had hit. There was a huge crater in the rock.
Haruka was shocked. If I had been hit by that... “...Michiru. Isn’t there anything we can do?”
The shorter woman averted her gaze. “I don’t know. But I do know this... If she unleashes that thing, then everyone in the vicinity will be killed. Even the people in the city!”
Everyone...?
“No. You mean, there’s really nothing we can do? So then what?! We just have to sit around and let it happen?!”
“Haruka...”
“Damn it!!” The blonde stood up and turned to face the teenager. She raised her hands, noting how hard it shook.
I really don’t want to do this...! She narrowed her green eyes as she summoned up her powers. There was no telling how much good it would do, but she had to try. Please forgive me, Hotaru!
Michiru’s saw the gold colour spark around the woman’s arms. “What are you doing?!”
BAM!!!
RMM…RMM…RMM…
At that moment, another force interfered. In a blink of an eye, a darker energy attacked Hotaru. The girl tensed in surprise; the foreign energy swirled around the teenager’s body several of times before it shot upwards and hungry clamped down on the sphere of light. No one could believe their eyes-- the threat was being nullified by an invisible force.
It’s actually overpowering her aura! The planet rulers realized.
Hotaru tried to lash out at the intruder, but she found that her powers were no match for them. The youth’s eyes narrowed when a voice rang out.
“I see... so you have finally awakened.”
Michiru’s eyes widened upon hearing that voice. That voice! Could it be…?
“Unfortunately… it is not yet time for your awakening …”
“Not time yet…?” Haruka mouthed. Recognition dawned on her. “Wait! I-It’s you! The Witch! What are you going to do to Hotaru?! Let her go!”
However, this invisible presence had other plans. With a silent command, the swirling void around Hotaru compressed down onto the girl and trapped her within its barrier. All the while, Hotaru was helpless. The girl attempted to struggle against the unseen opponent, only to feel her struggles weaken with her decreasing power. She was losing consciousness.
“Hotaru!” Through the patches of wind Haruka could barely make out Hotaru’s body slumping as an enormous blast of light lit the area. When the light disappeared, both Hotaru and the stranger had disappeared. “No...” No, no, no, no! This can’t be happening! “HOTARU!” Haruka raced to the spot beneath where she saw the girl disappear. “HOTAAARRUUU!”
“Haruka…” Michiru watched her partner slip into hysteria as she shouted the child’s name. As much as she wanted to cry herself, she tried to be strong for Haruka’s sake.
“Damn!” The blonde released a burst of power in frustration. She couldn’t accept this—to have Hotaru taken away by that person. “Michiru,” The other woman looked up at the mention of her name, “do you think you can figure out where she’s taken her?”
“Most likely... Why? What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to go find Rei and Minako. Once we’re all together, we’ll go after Hotaru. We have to get her back!”
Haruka ran off even before she saw Michiru nod in agreement. This time, when she faced the palace she could sense Rei’s signature.
There you are!
(Minako, Bed Chambers)
In one of the palace chambers, Minako finally stirred. The first thing the Venusian noticed was the sound of movement on her left side, and someone calling her name.
“My Lady!”
Minako slowly opened her eyes and realized that she was lying in a bed. She blinked and quizzically peered the room, somewhat feeling light-headed. She wasn’t dead was she? Her gaze finally came to rest on the individual who sat at her bedside.
“Taya...?”
“Oh, thank Goddess!” The next thing Minako knew, her advisor had bent down and embraced her into a secure hug. Past the woman’s head, she could make out a short-haired man in armor standing in the corner. She felt her heart skip a beat.
“Eros...?” The man averted his gaze. “But how...? I thought you were...”
“I’m sorry, my Lady... but... that isn’t Lord Eleutherios.” Taya said quietly and hugged her tighter.
“...Sapphro.” Minako said softly in understanding. She felt her friend release her from the hug, and instead held her steady by the shoulders. Minako looked down. “That’s right... It couldn’t be Eros, because...” She closed her eyes as it all came rushing back to her. It hurt so much.
“I’m sorry.” Sapphro hung his head in shame. “I tried my best but... it turned out my best wasn’t good enough.”
His words resonated deeply within Minako. In response, she shook her head. “No. Please don’t blame yourself. I’m sure that you did everything you could. And if Eros were here, right now... I’m sure that he’d agree with me.”
“...I’m sorry.” Sapphro turned his head away to hide the beginnings of tears.
“Lady Minako...” Taya said gently. “You’ve been through a lot today, so... I think it would be for the best if we’d let you rest.”
“Wait. Taya...? Before you go, how did I get here? The last thing that I remember, I was in the Queen’s Chamber.”
The young woman saw her guardians both exchange looks.
“The Queen’s Chamber,” Taya said thoughtfully. She was interrupted when the three of them could hear people talking outside of the room. Sapphro immediately went to tell them to quiet down, but as soon as he opened the door, Minako exclaimed,
“You guys!” Everyone was there: Ami, Makoto, Haruka, Michiru and Rei had all stopped talking and looked at the shocked girl.
Minako almost felt like crying again.
“Hey! It’s good to see that you’re awake.” Haruka waved. She ignored Sapphro’s disapproving look and led the rest of the group in.
Minako was ecstatic. “I just can’t believe it! Am I seeing things? Like how? When...?”
“It’s a bit of a long story.” Ami admitted.
“Yeah, but the important thing is that we all got through in one piece.” Makoto laughed. But the awkward silence around her prompted the woman to shut up.
“Huh? Did something happen?” Minako blinked back curiously. She was surprised to see the apologetic looks she was receiving. “Umm...C-C’mon you guys, why the long expressions?”
“Hey... We all heard about what happened to your family. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we’re sorry for your loss.”
“Oh. I see... Well, you know, these things just happen sometimes, I guess...” She smiled.
“...Minako. I really hate to say this, but I’m afraid that we can’t stay for long. Something really important has come up.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s...well, I’m sure we can handle it. But you stay here and rest, all right, kiddo? We’ll come back and visit you again soon.”
Haruka was surprised when the blonde suddenly looked glum. Had she said something wrong?
“I mean--”
“It’s okay. I understand...” Minako said in a quiet voice. If they thought she was going to be a burden if she came along, then she could understand being left behind. “If you guys don’t mind, I think I should rest. I guess I’m feeling tired after all...”
“...Yeah. All right then... we’ll let you get to it. I hope you feel better soon.”
“Thanks.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Minako watched the others leave one by one. But as they passed the door, her eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to the dark-haired woman there. Rei hadn’t moved from the doorway during the entire visit.
Taya saw the silent exchange between the two women. “Well, I suppose we should take our leave as well, my Lady. Please, rest well.”
The advisor got up and was met at the door by Sapphro. As the pair passed Rei, Sapphro paused long enough to whisper into her ear, “Your planet ruler killed my best friend. So if you ever make her cry, I’ll kill you myself.”
Rei said nothing and waited until the two had left. Once they were alone, the woman finally stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. For the longest time there was an awkward silence between them. Feeling somewhat nervous, Rei purposely walked up to the bed and sat down in the vacant chair. The creaking of the furniture relieved the silence only for a moment.
As Minako watched the woman sit in the chair, she suddenly noticed the extent of her friend’s injuries. There were a few nasty, black bruises on Rei’s face, and a long bandage wrapped about her forehead. On her arms, there were also quite a few of scrapes and bruises.
“Wow, just look at you. You’re all beaten up. What happened?”
The question shocked the Martian. “You mean... you don’t remember?”
“Remember what?”
Rei felt the hairs on her head starting to stick up at odd angles. You really...don’t remember? You did this to me!!! She wanted to shout, but somehow she found the will not to.
“It’s nothing.”
Sensing that it was a delicate topic, Minako finally said, “I see. So, umm, anyway... I guess you heard about what happened, right? It’s kinda crazy, huh?”
Rei closed her eyes for a moment. She could clearly see Minako’s weak smile when she was talking to Haruka only minutes before.
“What do you mean?”
“Huh? W-Well...everything I guess.”
Rei saw her smile again, but this wasn’t what she wanted. “Minako.” The hard tone that she said her name surprised the blonde. “...How do you really feel about all of this?”
“...”
“Honestly.”
“...Honestly?” Minako finally dropped the smile. “I don’t know. It’s just... It happened so fast.”
Those men... Minako thought back to the three who had went with her into the Audience Chamber.
“I thought I had everything under control...”
Marie... Eros...Mother... Oh no. I’m going to cry!
“I was so sure of myself that I could save everyone. But...look what’s happened. They’re dead. They’re all dead because I wasn’t strong enough to save them!”
Rei was speechless as she watched the tears begin to spill down Minako’s face. The loss of a family; it reminded her of living alone on Mars.
“I-I thought they abandoned me... but they were...” Minako bit her bottom lip. “They were just trying to save me!”
They still loved me... even after I’ve failed them.
She couldn’t help it. She couldn’t stop crying, even with Rei sitting right there. “Hah... You probably think... I’m such a big baby, crying like this, right?”
She froze when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Minako lifted her chin up and saw Rei staring straight into her eyes. There was such a serious expression on her face.
“No. You aren’t being a baby.”
She didn’t know why, but after hearing those simple words the tears wouldn’t stop. She cried harder than before, this time into Rei’s shoulder as the woman held her in a secure embrace.
They both stayed like that for awhile.
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