Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Dark Serenity ❯ Chapter 7

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

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Sailor Moon: Dark Serenity
Chapter 7
The House With Evil Feelings All Around. The Secret of Pretty Girl Hotaru!

Usagi groaned as she stretched herself out over Rei's bed before she rolled over and found
herself face to face with her friend.

"Good morning sleepyhead." Rei smiled warmly at Usagi from a sitting position on the
floor.

"It's morning already? Ugh, I'm still dead tired." Usagi complained as she rubbed the
sleep out of her eyes.

"You can go back to sleep if you want." Rei offered, hoping that Usagi would not accept
the offer since she really wanted to talk to her.

Usagi sat up and stretched her arms, giving an enormous yawn in the process "That's
okay Rei-chan. If I'm up, I'm up." She looked down and saw a sleeping Chibi Usa
snuggled up against her side. She reached down and gently caressed her future daughter's
cheek. "I guess I gave everyone a real scare huh?"

"I never realised you had such a talent for understatement." Rei deadpanned. "Do you
want to talk about it?"

Usagi shifted uncomfortably, doing her best to avoid jostling Chibi Usa too much "Um...
there's not much to tell really... I wasn't really aware for much of it." She gave Rei what
she hoped was a reassuring smile while silently urging her to drop the subject.

Rei frowned as she considered this for a moment before she replied "Oh well. By the
way, Mamoru-san said he would be over soon." She said in her most matter of fact voice.

The reaction was instant. Usagi drew her legs up to her chest and shuddered violently.
Chibi Usa grunted but remained asleep. "Ah... I don't think I'm ready to see him just
yet..." Usagi said in a quiet but slightly panicked voice.

"So, it's true then." Rei hissed, her previously friendly expression replaced by one of pure
fury.

"What?" Usagi whirled round to look at Rei, her expression was completely terrified.

"She told us last night." Rei's voice was filled with anger "She told us what she did with
him." She shook her head disgustedly "I'd hoped it was a lie."

"No no no!" Usagi waved her hands in a concillatory gesture "I'm sure it wasn't like that!
She must have tricked him into thinking she was me, that's must be it!"

Rei looked at Usagi, surprised that she would defend him after what he did "That wasn't
the way she told it. And I didn't hear a whole lot of denials from him either."

Usagi was saved the trouble of thinking up another excuse when Chibi Usa woke up
"Usagi! You're still here!" She glomped onto the older girl.

"Yes, and I promise I won't leave you ever again." Usagi swore while hugging her back,
giving Rei a look that begged her to drop the subject.

Rei for her part had no intention of discussing Mamoru's... indiscretion... in front of Chibi
Usa. "Well, who's up for breakfast?" She offered as a change of subject.

Usagi flashed Rei a grateful smile before responding "I'm famished, how about you Chibi
Usa-chan?"

Chibi Usa gave a cheerful nod before all three girls got up to go in search of something to
eat. "By the way, are these your pajamas Rei-chan?" Usagi asked as she looked down at
the light yellow pajamas she was wearing.

Chibi Usa giggled at this before answering "You're wearing Luna P!"

Usagi's eyes practically bugged out "Nani? Well I hope she doesn't change back before
I'm ready to get dressed!"

"She won't." Chibi Usa said solemnly as the trio left Rei's bedroom and headed towards
the kitchen.

"I'm sorry I took your bed last night Rei-chan. You didn't have to do that for me." Usagi
said, almost meekly.

Rei did her best to suppress a sigh at these mundane topics. She really wanted to talk to
Usagi about what was going on, but she doubted Usagi would be in any mood to discuss
it even when Chibi Usa wasn't around "Don't worry about it Usagi. I hope cereal is okay
with you guys since that's about all I can make as far as breakfast is concerned."

"Cereal's fine." Usagi said as they entered the kitchen and Rei set about getting some
bowls from the cupboard "Say, where's Yuichirou and Ojichan?"

'She's really doing her best to come up with anything to talk about besides what's
important.' Rei thought as she poured corn flakes into the bowls "Yuichirou should be
out in the yard doing his chores. Grandpa's most likely making up new fortunes." She
poured milk in the cereal and offered the bowls to her guests.

"Um... this might be a silly question..." Usagi began in between munching on the cereal
"But what day is it?"

"It's Sunday, so at least we don't have to worry about school today." Rei told her.

Usagi blushed "Actually, I was wondering what the actual date was..."

"It's the sixteenth. Why?" Rei was instantly suspicious. She didn't think this was Usagi's
usual scatter-brainedness "Don't you know how long... it... lasted?"

Usagi was instantly regretting bringing up something connected to her ordeal, but
decided that she might as well be honest. It wasn't that big a deal compared to what else
had happened "Um... there wasn't really any way to tell when days ended or began..." She
hoped that would be enough to forestall any more questioning.

Chibi Usa picked up on Usagi's reluctance to discuss this further and decided to help her
out by changing the subject to something that was more cheerful in her mind "So when's
Mamo-chan coming round?" She chirped innocently.

Usagi turned white as a sheet and dropped the bowl in her hand, causing it to shatter on
the kitchen floor, it's contents spattering all around. Both Rei and Chibi Usa were
shocked to see that she was hyperventilating.

"Usagi... Usagi! Calm down!" Rei put her arm around her shivering friend and tried to
massage her back.

"What's wrong Usagi?!" A panicked Chibi Usa grabbed onto her leg fearfully.

Usagi came back to reality and her breathing slowed down, though not by much "Oh
Rei-chan, I'm sorry I made a mess!" She shrugged out of Rei's grasp and bent down to the
floor "I'll clean it up!" she started picking up pieces of the shattered bowl, and quickly
managed to cut her finger "Itai!" She hissed, dropping the pieces she had collected and
sucking on the injured digit.

"Don't worry about the mess, I'll take care of it." Rei said firmly as she more or less
dragged Usagi to her feet.

"Oh, well I'll just go clean this up in the bathroom." Usagi indicated her cut finger.

Rei wanted to just tell Usagi to use the kitchen sink, but decided against causing a scene
in front of Chibi Usa. "There should be band-aids behind the mirror. Help yourself." She
called after the retreating figure of Usagi.

After a moment Chibi Usa spoke "Rei-chan... what's wrong with Usagi? I thought
everything was alright now..."

Rei managed a baleful smile 'if only things were that simple in the real world...' she
thought sadly "Usagi's been through a lot... it might be a while before things are back to
normal..." '...if ever.' she finished silently.

After quickly finishing her breakfast, Rei got a brush and cleaned up the mess from
Usagi's breakfast. Chibi Usa just ate hers slowly in an awkward silence as the minutes
passed.

"All better!" Usagi said cheerfully as she bounced back into the kitchen, showing off her
finger which had a blue plaster wrapped around it. She smiled brightly at both Rei and
Chibi Usa.

Rei wasn't fooled for a minute. It was obvious she had been crying; her eyes were puffy
and her cheeks were slightly discoloured. 'Stop pretending everything's okay when it's
not!' Rei thought furiously, but kept her tongue in check. Again for Chibi Usa's benefit.

"Oh no!" Chibi Usa suddenly gasped as a thought struck her "I forgot all about Hotaru-
chan!"

"Who?" Rei and Usagi echoed.

"Hotaru's my friend, she was with me last night when I was attacked... I forgot all about
her in all the excitement!" Chibi Usa had a distinct note of panic in her voice.

"Don't worry Chibi Usa." Rei reassured her "There was no one else there when we
arrived. Your friend must have run away when the monster showed up."

"No!" Chibi Usa shook her head "Hotaru tried to protect me and got hurt, that's why I
released my energy like that. She wouldn't have run away, I just know it!"

"I'm telling you, she wasn't there last night. We would have noticed her." Rei protested.

"I'm sure Hotaru's okay Chibi Usa-chan." Usagi knelt down and hugged her reassuringly
"Why don't we go round to her house and make sure?" She offered.

"Okay, let's go get dressed!" Chibi Usa's spirits started to lift as she led Usagi back to
Rei's bedrrom. A few minutes later both emerged, fully clothed and trailing Luna P.

"Well, we're going to check up on Hotaru. See you later Rei-chan!" Usagi called out
cheerfully as they both left, leaving a bewildered miko girl behind.

After a few minutes of standing in stunned silence Rei remembered that Mamoru would
be round soon. "Aw crap..." She muttered under her breath.

***

"So Chibi Usa, what's Hotaru like then?" Usagi asked as she allowed herself to be led by
the hand towards Hotaru's house by Chibi Usa.

"Well, she has some sort of illness that makes her really weak and has seizure's, but she's
really sweet and smart. And she was so brave last night when she tried to help me... I
really hope she's alright..." Chibi Usa looked a little sad at the possibility that she
wouldn't be alright 'It seem's I always bring trouble to people that I like...' she thought
dismally.

"Don't worry. I just know that she'll be safe and sound at her house when we get there.
You just wait and see!" Usagi said confidently.

The pair walked along for a little more before Usagi was suddenly struck by a thought
"Hey, how have my family reacted to my being gone for the past week?"

Chibi Usa took on a sullen expression "I hypnotised them to think you were off visiting
relatives in Nerima..."

"But I don't have any relatives in Nerima..." Usagi looked rather confused at this news.

"I'm not your cousin either..." Chibi Usa said despondantly as an explanation of what her
hypnosis could do.

Usagi abruptly stopped, forcing Chibi Usa to do likewise as she retained her grip on her
hand. "No you're not my cousin." She said sternly before grabbing Chibi Usa in a tight
hug "You're far more important than that to me..."

"Usagi..." Chibi Usa said shyly "People are looking..." She tried to disentangle herself
from the hug, though her reason was mainly to avoid crying with happiness and
embarassing herself further.

"I don't care about that..." Usagi said earnestly as she kept ahold of her future daughter "I
want you to know how proud I am of you for last night... I couldn't have done it without
you..." She was starting to tear up herself.

"It was my fault for getting you involved in my troubles..." Chibi Usa sniffled.

"Hey now," Usagi relaxed her grip so she could look Chibi Usa in the eyes "You only did
it to help your mama, right?"

"Uh huh." Chibi Usa nodded.

"Well your mama is me, so it's only natural that I should have tried to help out, right?"
Usagi pressed on.

"I guess so..." Chibi Usa agreed hesitantly.

"No guessing about it. You have nothing to feel bad about, understand?" Usagi held
Chibi Usa's gaze until the child slowly nodded "Good!" She said brightly, letting go and
taking her hand so they could resume walking.

***

Hotaru slowly came to in her darkened room. Her temples were throbbing and her vision
took a few minutes to stop being blurry. She sat up and saw she was in her bed wearing
her night clothes.

"What's going on...?" She asked herself as she looked around in bewilderment "Wasn't I
going to that tower with Chibi Usa-chan?" She massaged her temples in a futile attempt
to get rid of the pain as she considered her situation.

After a moment, she got out of bed and went over to open her curtains. She was instantly
assaulted by the bright sunshine and quickly closed the curtains again. Bright light
certainly wasn't doing her eyes any favours. After the purple spots stopped swimming in
her vision, she turned on her lamps, bathing the room in a diffuse light which was much
easier for her to take.

She sat back down on her bed and tried to regulate her breathing as she struggled to
remember the events of the previous evening. Everything after leaving the house with
Chibi Usa was a blank.

A disturbingly familar blank.

"I must have had one of my episodes!" She exclaimed, recalling all the other blank spots
in her memory.

Blank spots which always preceded her learning that she had done something terrible.
"Did I... hurt her...?" Hotaru looked at her delicate pale hands as if they were soaked in
her friend's blood. She had a terrible feeling that she would never see Chibi Usa again.

"I hope she isn't hurt too badly..." Hotaru drew her knee's up to her chest as a horrible
voice in her head said 'It's better this way... you were never meant to have friends.'
"Always alone..." A choked sob escaped her lips before she tried to rein in her feelings.

"You'd think I'd be used to it by now... that it wouldn't hurt..." She rubbed away the tears
from her eyes. A part of her was terrified that if it ever did stop hurting then she'd be even
less human than she was. A part of her revelled in the pain.

***

Hotaru wasn't the only one in the Tomoe household that was feeling less than human
today. Kaolinite - 'no... just Kaori now...' she reminded herself - was making breakfast for
the professor. He frequently forgot to eat while he was absorbed in the process of
growing daimon eggs.

The professor had brought her back to life using a process she didn't understand and was
pretty sure she didn't want to. All she knew was that she felt... different... inside. It was
like a disgusting weight was pressing against her mind, she didn't know what it was, but
she knew it felt unclean. Unnatural.

Like a daimon.

The professor had told her she would no longer play an active part in the Deathbuster's
plans. She would remain his live in assistant, but all the field work would go to the
younger research group: Witches 5.

She was no longer Kaolinite the Deathbuster. Now she was just Kaori the professor's
assistant. She hadn't decided how she felt about that yet. Thinking on any meaningful
level was proving most difficult this morning.

Hotaru entered the kitchen, moving almost mechanically. Kaori ignored her, she didn't
feel like tormenting the girl, not today. Hotaru likewise ignored Kaori, preferring not to
draw her attention in case she got on the recieving end of a few hurtful comments. She set
about making her own breakfast.

After preparing some cereal, Hotaru went into the living room to eat it. Kaori remained
in the kitchen as she continued cooking.

The doorbell rang.

Kaori looked at the clock and saw it was nearly half past nine. Rather early for visitors
on a Sunday. She went to answer the door and was startled to see Hotaru's friend, the girl
who didn't have a talisman but nonetheless posessed extraordinary power, was waiting
anxiously along with a teenage girl who bore more than a passing resemblance to her.

'It's not my business anymore.' Kaori reminded herself that she was no longer involved in
the search for the talismans. "Yes?" She said slowly.

"Is Hotaru here?" The younger girl asked nervously. The older girl placed a comforting
hand on her shoulder.

Kaori didn't bother to send them away. 'Let them do what they want...' she thought as she
allowed them in "She's in the living room."

***

"And then she just took off with Chibi Usa to go check on this Hotaru girl." Rei finished
telling Makoto and Ami the events of this morning. The two girls had come along to see
Usagi and offer support if Rei needed to kick Mamoru out.

Usagi was gone, but Mamoru had still to arrive, so Rei was quite glad for the company.

"So do either of you two know when Minako's coming round?" Rei asked the pair. All
three girls were standing around outside the shrine.

"She said she'd be round this afternoon. She'd rather not get involved in the whole
Mamoru situation." Makoto informed her.

Rei made a disgusted face "Typical... I'm glad Usagi's back so we don't have her as
leader any more."

"I don't know... she did rather well under the circumstances, and I can't blame her for not
wanting to get involved." Ami said. She had pretty much been dragged along by Makoto.
'I wish I had a spine...' she thought dismally to herself.

"Well as far as I'm concerned the bastard can go to hell! There's no way I'm letting him
near Usagi." Makoto emphasised her statement by cracking her knuckles.

"Don't you think it's a matter for Usagi and Mamoru to deal with themselves?" Ami, ever
the voice of reason, pointed out.

"Weren't you listening?!" Rei sounded exasparated "Usagi was having panic attacks at
the mention of his name! She didn't leave because she was worried about Chibi Usa's
friend, she got out of here to avoid him!"

Ami's hands suddenly shot to her mouth "He's here!" She squeaked.

The other two girls turned round to see Mamoru just making his way to the top of the
stairs. "Solidarity, Ami." Makoto reminded the blue haired girl.

Mamoru approached the three girls and saw he was on the recieving end of two
venomous glares and one half hearted glare. "Where is she?" He demanded, deciding that
if they were going to be hostile, then he would too.

Rei and Ami were both momentarily surprised by his attitude, they had expected him to
be a lot more obsequious given that he was blatantly in the wrong. Makoto had expected
this attitude from him however, and was unfazed "She left. She didn't want to see you."
She took great glee in informing him.

"Where did she go?" Mamoru bit the words out harshly. The only thing which had kept
him sane last night was the promise of seeing her today, and now she was being kept out
of his reach. He was not happy.

Rei had recovered by now, and was ready to take out her anger on him."Why do you
care? Feeling a little antsy are we?" Her words carried so much hatred it even surprised
her.

"Rei! You aren't helping!" Ami said forcefully before turning to Mamoru "She went to
visit one of Chibi Usa's friends. We don't know where she lives so you might as well
leave, Mamoru-san."

Mamoru was turning several shades of purple from Rei's jibe, but if Ami was telling the
truth, and he really couldn't see her lieing, then he might as well leave. "Fine, I'll go." He
turned and stalked off. No, he was certainly anything but happy.

Once he was gone Rei turned on Ami "Dammit Ami, why did you do that?! I was just
getting started!"

Ami for once was angry herself "You weren't helping anything Rei! This is more
important than your petty grudges!"

"This isn't a 'petty grudge'!!" Rei shrieked angrilly "You didn't see her..." She slumped to
her knee's, overwhelmed with emotion "You don't know what it was like..."

***

Kaori showed Usagi and Chibi Usa the door to the living room and then went off to
resume making breakfast for the professor.

The two girls entered and saw Hotaru sitting with her back to them. She didn't bother to
turn round at the sound of the door, expecting it would just be Kaori.

"Hotaru-chan! You're alright!" Chibi Usa exclaimed, rushing over to hug her friend.

Hotaru for her part was completely stunned "Ch-Chibi Usa-chan... I thought... what
happened?" Shock was quickly replaced by joy as she realised she still had a friend, and
she returned the hug with equal fervour.

Usagi, still standing by the door, couldn't help but smile at the scene the pair made.
'They're so kawaii!' she thought cheerily.

"I'm so sorry Hotaru... I must have lost track of you in all the excitement, I'm really
sorry!" Chibi Usa gushed.

'Should I admit I have no clue what she's talking about or just go with the flow?' Hotaru
asked herself uncertainly. Despite having little experience in friendships, she realised that
honesty was important, so she eventually asked "Um... Chibi Usa... I don't know what
you're talking about. I can't remember anything after we left my house last night."

Chibi Usa looked at her friend askance "You don't remember?"

'Have I done something wrong? I knew I should have just kept my mouth shut!' Hotaru
reprimanded herself, but Chibi Usa just decided to give her an edited account of last
night's events.

"We were attacked by a monster, and you tried to fight it - you were so brave Hotaru-
chan! - and then the Sailor Senshi came and defeated it, but you were nowhere in sight...
I didn't see where you went. Gomen."

Hotaru was able to put the pieces together in her head to come up with an explanation 'I
must have had an episode and just attacked the monster because it was the nearest
thing... then I propably wandered home in a daze...' Was the most sensible explanation
she could come up with. "I'm glad the monster didn't hurt you Chibi Usa." She said,
referring more to the monster in her head than anything else.

"I'm just glad you're safe!" Chibi Usa said sincerely, then she suddenly remembered
Usagi was in the room "Oh I forgot, I'm so rude..." She mentally chastised herself over
forgetting her manners 'You're a princess remember, dummy!' she thought angrily
"Hotaru, I'd like you to meet my... um..." She couldn't well call Usagi her mother, but
cousin was just so distant, then she was hit by inspiration "Big sister Usagi! Usagi, meet
Hotaru."

Hotaru thought it was a little odd that two sisters would both be called Usagi, but
decided she was in no position to comment. As far as weird families went, hers took the
prize. "I'm pleased to meet you Usagi-san." Hotaru got up and bowed.

"I'm glad to meet you too Hotaru-chan. And please just call me Usagi-chan." Usagi
bowed as well. She was quite pleased at Chibi Usa admitting to a closer family
relationship with her to her friends.

"Okay... Usagi-chan." Hotaru said, slightly shyly, but she lost her reservations when
Usagi gave her a bright friendly smile in response. 'She's a lot like Chibi Usa... the
Tsukino's must be a really nice family...' she thought.

Usagi was thinking that she should suggest some sort of activity for all three of them to
do today 'I should try to get to know Chibi Usa's friend...she seem's like a really nice
girl... besides, if I go home, Mamo-chan will probably find me...' She shuddered slightly
at the thought of his name. 'But where could we go? Too many people I know are likely
to be at the game centre...' she considered her problem a little before inspiration struck.
"Hey, would you two like to go to the art museum? I'll pay." 'Ha! Nice one Usagi! No
one will ever look for you there!' she mentally congratulated herself on a brilliant plan.

Chibi Usa was pretty surprised at this development. As nice as Usagi was, she was not
well known to be generous when it came to spending money on others, and she had never
seemed interested in art 'But mama loves art... maybe Usagi just hides it.' she thought to
herself. "That sounds like a great idea! What do you think Hotaru?" She turned to her
friend.

"Well... I've never been to an art museum before, but I'd like to go with you." She
replied.

"Great, then it's settled." Usagi announced brightly.

***

End Chapter 7