Staying Adrift

*Chapter 1*

By:: grey tears

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About:: With Tomoe Hotaru being my favorite Sailor Senshi…how could I resist?! And to top it off, Juu-kun is a hottie waiting to be taken. So, glomp away Hotaru-chan! This is a Hotaru/Juunanagou(17), for those of you that don't know me too well. And on that note, I will be using the name "17" for him, since I seem to curse every time I misspell his name.

Disclaimer:: I do not own Juu-kun or Hotaru-chan. But I own their voodoo dolls.

Extras:: You know me. I know you. Be afraid. Be very afraid. And enjoy the story.

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There is a beauty in all of us. We don't always quite see it, but it is there nonetheless. The real challenge is knowing how to find it.

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There were things in this world that she was certain she would never come to understand. She wondered how love ever came to exist. Be it the love of a father and a mother, or that of a brother or sister. She became confused when hearing the word "hope," not quite knowing whether to laugh and point or simply sulk and turn away. Moronic beliefs were they. They were an idiot's childish light of recovery and merriment.

She hated them. They knew not of her. Yet, they still prayed. Still hoped. Still believed, that one day their distress calls would bring an angel. That angel, with hair as golden as bright as her crystalline eyes, would come. Come to save them all, and restore, yet another mystery word, peace.

Fools. Complete imbeciles. Did they know not of their decade of misery? Did they know not of the deadly machines out there that enjoyed their screams of pain and death? Are they that dim-witted?

She knew of no love. No hope. No happiness.

They had been long lost. The last of the silly childish ideologies was seen, adrift on an endless black river.

…Belief…

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He was angry. He was very angry and very bored. Practically all of this world's cities had been wrecked by his thirst for never-ending "fun," as he called it. His sister called it an "obsession." She obviously had no taste. Be it for her tastes in clothes or destruction. Completely boring.

He savored death. Found it around his arms and hugged it, welcoming the bellowing darkness that blew softly across his face. He loved the silent cries of humans. The waning sounds of life giving away to death. He loved it all.

But he was bored right now. REALLY bored. And his sister was away, probably scrimmaging through another clothes' shop for new shops. Android or no, the intelligence of blondes seemed impeccable.

"Idiot," he mumbled to himself, before deciding to fly off, in search of what could possibly amuse him for a minute or two.

Ice-blue eyes pondered idly to one, whether death would welcome him again, today. He smiled wickedly.

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"Rei-chan, you over-exerted yourself again. Please try to be more careful. We can't afford to loose you!" Ami's voice came out as hushed whispers to the injured girl that lay in her ragged bed, full of torn sheets.

"I'm sorry Ami-chan. I promise to try harder next time." The blue-haired girl smiled softly and patted her head affectionately. "I never said that. I only want you to be more careful and wary of anymore attacks. Rei-chan, you are a very important part of this group. Now please, recover yourself and rest for a while. I will come back to check on you."

The ebony-haired girl smiled softly and nodded, resting her head on the pillow with a tired sigh, she closed her eyes.

Ami walked sullenly down the dirty and torn hall towards the un-blinking girl.

"Ami-chan, what happened to Rei-chan?"

She turned her head in an automatic surprised jerk, only to have it relax when she noticed it was only Hotaru. "Do not worry, she was injured is all. You should rest as well Hotaru. You have been working hard at collecting supplies today. Go get some rest."

Hotaru only watched her tiredly shake her head as she made her way to her mattress on the floor. Her last words rang clearly in her head as she lay there on her mattress, unblinking.

"You have been working hard at collecting supplies today.."

She smiled softly. She was only inclined to do as much, she thought with a hint of angst. She couldn't help them anymore than Rei could.

Setsuna was in the other room along with Ami and Makoto, trying to help Minako reduce her fever that seemed to flare up every few minutes. Her heart could only go out to the other occupant in the room. Tsukino Usagi lay in bed with a stricken coma. She hadn't opened her eyes in two months, let alone moved.

She was struck, hard, when an attack had been fired toward the general direction of her school. She had been late getting out, thus having caused her reason of injury.

It didn't end there. Angst and terror was written all over this planet's fate. Whether by coincidence or fate, this planet had been always doomed from the start. Nothing existed anymore. Nothing made sense anymore. She could only do, but to hang onto one piece of object that proved existence in this world. She clutched her tiny crystal star, and fell asleep dreaming of long past days of laughter. Incoherently, she mumbled "…belief…"

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