Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Rebirth ❯ A New Family ( Chapter 4 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Nate Grey 
After her father's death, Hotaru moves in with Reenie's family.
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.30.2001 | Pages: 3 | Words: 1.8K | Visits: 313 | Status: Completed
After her father's death, Hotaru moves in with Reenie's family.
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.30.2001 | Pages: 3 | Words: 1.8K | Visits: 313 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi.
Note: Some of the stuff mentioned about Prof. Tomoe may or may not be true to the series. Again, I'm improvising.
are thoughts.
Rebirth, Part 4: A New Family
The few steps leading to the upraised platform seemed huge, and Hotaru took them slowly, one at a time. As she walked across the small stage, she could feel every eye in the room on her. She even thought she could hear a few whispers and hushed voices, but perhaps it was just her imagination. When she stood behind the podium, the large audience seemed more like a colorful blur. She was able to make out a few faces near the front clearly: those belonging to Serena, Darien, their friends, and of course, Reenie.
Hotaru swallowed nervously before adjusting the microphone. "The eulogy," she said in a shaky voice, "was originally to be delivered by one of my father's colleagues, but he graciously allowed me to give my own instead." She paused for a moment, then spoke more confidently. "My father was many different things to many different people. He was a gifted professor, a brilliant geneticist, and a well-known philanthropist."
Knowing the next sentence would draw a negative reaction from the crowd, Hotaru mentally prepared herself. "However, none of these accomplishments mean anything to me." As she had predicted, there were several disgusted faces and many more whispers which included something along the lines of "ungrateful brat."
When the voices died down, she continued. "I have good reason for my feelings. Despite his numerous degrees from well-respected colleges, generous donations to charitable organizations, and the founding of his acclaimed Infinity Academy, the man we have come here to honor had a simpler, less appreciated significance to me. He was my father, and even if he had been no more than that, I would have loved him no less. He sacrificed everything for me, and I know he wouldn't have hesitated to do so a second time."
Hotaru paused and glanced down to collect herself, but when she looked up, there were tears in her eyes. "Maybe that means something to you," she went on, her voice breaking, "and maybe it doesn't. But this man was my father, and he made a point of letting me know every day that I, with all my afflictions and imperfections, was his greatest achievement of all."
She turned and approached the open casket, wiping the tears from her eyes as best she could. In an act of unquestionable love, she leaned over and kissed her father's face several times. "Bye, Daddy," she whispered, planting a final kiss on his forehead. "I'll love you always." With that, she stepped off the stage and returned to her seat in the front row.
Serena leaned forward and squeezed her shoulder. "That was beautiful, Hotaru."
Hotaru's reply was a quiet sniffle that sounded something like, "Thank you."
The day proceeded fairly quickly after that. Before Hotaru knew it, she was standing over her father's grave, silently reading the tombstone over and over again. She wanted to have every word on it burned into memory. It just seemed like something she should do. She barely even felt Reenie's small hand squeezing hers.
"Hotaru, it's starting to rain," her friend whispered. "We can always come back later."
Hotaru nodded and followed her back to the car, where Serena & Darien were waiting.
* * * * *
"Serena, I know this isn't the best time to ask her, but there are legal matters that have be discussed."
Serena lowered her voice a bit, just so no one could overhear them. "I know, Mom, but Hotaru insisted that her father changed his will and signed all the necessary papers for this just before he died. She said that there shouldn't be any problems."
"But are you sure?" her mother pressed. "She's in a fragile state right now, and I'd hate for anything to upset her even more."
"Well, I'm not positive. Amy's mother knows a good lawyer, and he's been checking for loose ends. So far, he hasn't found any."
Mrs. Tsukino sighed. "That's another thing I'm worried about. It's been so long since she's had anyone other than her father to depend on. Do you really think she can make the transition that easily?"
Serena shrugged. "If anyone can help her with that, it's Reenie. They haven't been apart since the funeral."
At that moment, Sammy walked into the kitchen. "Hey, who's that girl upstairs with Reenie?"
"That's Hotaru," Serena told him.
"She'll be staying with us for a while. You should go up and introduce yourself a little later," Mrs. Tsukino suggested. "I bet she'd love to meet you."
Sammy gave her a doubtful look. "Are you sure, Mom? When I passed her in the hallway, she wouldn't say anything."
* * * * *
Reenie had only left the room for a few seconds. Yet, in that short time, Hotaru had somehow managed to change into her pajamas and slip beneath the blankets without making a sound.
"Hotaru, why are you in bed?" Reenie asked. "It's only 6:30, and we're about to have dinner."
"I'm not hungry," she mumbled from beneath the blankets.
"Are you sure you won't want something later?"
There was a slight pause. "No, thank you."
Reenie frowned and nudged the medium-sized lump under the blankets. "Hotaru, you haven't eaten all day!"
There was a longer pause. "I'm not hungry, Reenie."
She nudged the lump a little harder. "I don't care. You have to eat something."
The blanket lifted enough for Hotaru's violet eyes to become visible. "Why are you doing this?"
"You know how much it hurt to lose your father? It would hurt me twice as much to lose you, and I refuse to be put through that just because you wouldn't eat."
There was an even longer pause, and Hotaru let the blanket cover her face again. However, she eventually muttered, "Only fruit."
Reenie smiled and patted the lump. "Thanks, Hotaru. I'll be right back with some."
She got no reply.
* * * * *
When the phone rang later that evening, Mrs. Tsukino picked up on the third ring. "Hello?"
"Mrs. Tsukino? This is Tien Hiyashi. Mrs. Mizuno hired me."
"Oh, you're that lawyer Serena mentioned! Is there anything wrong?"
"Not exactly. I've been reviewing Professor Tomoe's will, and I was wondering if I could speak to Hotaru some time in the near future?"
"I suppose so, but she's still mourning her loss at the moment. Is there anything I should pass on to her?"
There was a slight pause. "Well, it seems that Prof. Tomoe left everything to Hotaru, and I do mean everything. That includes the mansion, his vast fortune, and ownership of the Infinity Academy. She won't be able to touch them until ten years have passed, though. Since the school was destroyed a few months back, I wanted to know whether Hotaru wanted to leave it that way or have it rebuilt and eventually reopened."
"I see," Mrs. Tsukino said. "I'll be sure to tell her. Is there anything else?"
"Yes, actually. This is the part of the job I hate, but I have to bring it up. As Hotaru is supposedly the only one left in the family, it is very important that she start designing her own will immediately. If something were to happen to her, virtually anyone that knew Tomoe could claim the estate."
"I understand. Thank you, Mr. Hiyashi. You've been very helpful."
* * * * *
Reenie honestly wasn't sure if Hotaru would be comfortable sharing a bed with her. But then, since Hotaru had actually gone to bed three hours before her, she was already asleep when Reenie climbed in. She noticed that Hotaru's back was to her, and that she was curled up in the fetal position. Reenie smiled and gently patted her friend's back before closing her own eyes.
That had been almost six hours ago.
As usual, Reenie woke up in the middle of the night. She was about to go to the bathroom when she realized that she had rolled to the middle of the bed. Half of it felt strangely cold. Looking to the left, she saw that Hotaru was gone.
Her first thoughts were dominated by panic. But as the minutes went by, Reenie knew it was far more likely that Hotaru had left under her own power.
Reenie's thoughts were interrupted by a strange noise. She turned to see a black hole next to the bed. Sailor Saturn stepped out seconds later. There were fresh tear stains on her face, and her boots were damp. Her costume faded away, revealing Hotaru underneath. She hadn't even noticed Reenie until she started to get back into bed.
"Reenie, what are you doing up?"
Reenie's answer was to tackle her friend with big hug. "Hotaru, don't you EVER do that to me again!"
Hotaru was obviously confused, but gently stroked the smaller girl's pink hair reassuringly. "Do what again, Reenie?"
"I woke up, and you were just...gone! I thought something terrible had happened to you!" Reenie looked up at her, tears falling down her face.
Hotaru instantly felt guilty. "I'm sorry. I needed to clear my head, so I went to visit my father..." She trailed off and looked at her friend. "Were you really that worried about me?"
Reenie nodded. "You're my best friend, Hotaru. I couldn't stand it if something bad happened to you."
"No one has ever worried about me before...except my father. I guess I've forgotten what it's like to have friends." Hotaru noticed that Reenie's sigil was glowing faintly.
Reenie noticed it, too, and answered the question on Hotaru's mind. "It glows when I get really upset."
Hotaru's cheeks turned a slight shade of red. "We should go back to bed before someone comes up to check on us."
Reenie moved back to her side and watched as Hotaru slipped in beside her. Again, she curled into the fetal position, facing away from her friend.
"Hotaru?" Reenie asked quietly.
"Yes?"
There was a slight pause. "Could you do me a favor?"
"Of course. What is it?"
Reenie bit her lip. "Could you...sleep facing towards me? I know it sounds weird, but it'd make me feel better."
Hotaru slowly turned over and stared at her. "Why is that?"
"I'm just used to people protecting me. I feel safer when you're watching me."
Hotaru didn't say anything.
"Hotaru?"
She blinked. "Yes, Reenie?"
"Thanks for being my friend." Reenie moved closer and quickly kissed her friend's nose before closing her eyes.
Hotaru waited until she was sure Reenie was asleep before turning away.
Reenie suddenly made a grunting noise and swatted wildly at an invisible opponent, mumbling something along the lines of "Go get 'em, Meatball Head!"
Hotaru smiled and carefully drew Reenie into her arms. Reenie instantly stopped thrashing the air and snuggled into the warm embrace. Within a few seconds, she was snoring peacefully.
Hotaru gently kissed her forehead.
Continued in Part 5: Dark Diamond
Note: Some of the stuff mentioned about Prof. Tomoe may or may not be true to the series. Again, I'm improvising.
are thoughts.
Rebirth, Part 4: A New Family
The few steps leading to the upraised platform seemed huge, and Hotaru took them slowly, one at a time. As she walked across the small stage, she could feel every eye in the room on her. She even thought she could hear a few whispers and hushed voices, but perhaps it was just her imagination. When she stood behind the podium, the large audience seemed more like a colorful blur. She was able to make out a few faces near the front clearly: those belonging to Serena, Darien, their friends, and of course, Reenie.
Hotaru swallowed nervously before adjusting the microphone. "The eulogy," she said in a shaky voice, "was originally to be delivered by one of my father's colleagues, but he graciously allowed me to give my own instead." She paused for a moment, then spoke more confidently. "My father was many different things to many different people. He was a gifted professor, a brilliant geneticist, and a well-known philanthropist."
Knowing the next sentence would draw a negative reaction from the crowd, Hotaru mentally prepared herself. "However, none of these accomplishments mean anything to me." As she had predicted, there were several disgusted faces and many more whispers which included something along the lines of "ungrateful brat."
When the voices died down, she continued. "I have good reason for my feelings. Despite his numerous degrees from well-respected colleges, generous donations to charitable organizations, and the founding of his acclaimed Infinity Academy, the man we have come here to honor had a simpler, less appreciated significance to me. He was my father, and even if he had been no more than that, I would have loved him no less. He sacrificed everything for me, and I know he wouldn't have hesitated to do so a second time."
Hotaru paused and glanced down to collect herself, but when she looked up, there were tears in her eyes. "Maybe that means something to you," she went on, her voice breaking, "and maybe it doesn't. But this man was my father, and he made a point of letting me know every day that I, with all my afflictions and imperfections, was his greatest achievement of all."
She turned and approached the open casket, wiping the tears from her eyes as best she could. In an act of unquestionable love, she leaned over and kissed her father's face several times. "Bye, Daddy," she whispered, planting a final kiss on his forehead. "I'll love you always." With that, she stepped off the stage and returned to her seat in the front row.
Serena leaned forward and squeezed her shoulder. "That was beautiful, Hotaru."
Hotaru's reply was a quiet sniffle that sounded something like, "Thank you."
The day proceeded fairly quickly after that. Before Hotaru knew it, she was standing over her father's grave, silently reading the tombstone over and over again. She wanted to have every word on it burned into memory. It just seemed like something she should do. She barely even felt Reenie's small hand squeezing hers.
"Hotaru, it's starting to rain," her friend whispered. "We can always come back later."
Hotaru nodded and followed her back to the car, where Serena & Darien were waiting.
* * * * *
"Serena, I know this isn't the best time to ask her, but there are legal matters that have be discussed."
Serena lowered her voice a bit, just so no one could overhear them. "I know, Mom, but Hotaru insisted that her father changed his will and signed all the necessary papers for this just before he died. She said that there shouldn't be any problems."
"But are you sure?" her mother pressed. "She's in a fragile state right now, and I'd hate for anything to upset her even more."
"Well, I'm not positive. Amy's mother knows a good lawyer, and he's been checking for loose ends. So far, he hasn't found any."
Mrs. Tsukino sighed. "That's another thing I'm worried about. It's been so long since she's had anyone other than her father to depend on. Do you really think she can make the transition that easily?"
Serena shrugged. "If anyone can help her with that, it's Reenie. They haven't been apart since the funeral."
At that moment, Sammy walked into the kitchen. "Hey, who's that girl upstairs with Reenie?"
"That's Hotaru," Serena told him.
"She'll be staying with us for a while. You should go up and introduce yourself a little later," Mrs. Tsukino suggested. "I bet she'd love to meet you."
Sammy gave her a doubtful look. "Are you sure, Mom? When I passed her in the hallway, she wouldn't say anything."
* * * * *
Reenie had only left the room for a few seconds. Yet, in that short time, Hotaru had somehow managed to change into her pajamas and slip beneath the blankets without making a sound.
"Hotaru, why are you in bed?" Reenie asked. "It's only 6:30, and we're about to have dinner."
"I'm not hungry," she mumbled from beneath the blankets.
"Are you sure you won't want something later?"
There was a slight pause. "No, thank you."
Reenie frowned and nudged the medium-sized lump under the blankets. "Hotaru, you haven't eaten all day!"
There was a longer pause. "I'm not hungry, Reenie."
She nudged the lump a little harder. "I don't care. You have to eat something."
The blanket lifted enough for Hotaru's violet eyes to become visible. "Why are you doing this?"
"You know how much it hurt to lose your father? It would hurt me twice as much to lose you, and I refuse to be put through that just because you wouldn't eat."
There was an even longer pause, and Hotaru let the blanket cover her face again. However, she eventually muttered, "Only fruit."
Reenie smiled and patted the lump. "Thanks, Hotaru. I'll be right back with some."
She got no reply.
* * * * *
When the phone rang later that evening, Mrs. Tsukino picked up on the third ring. "Hello?"
"Mrs. Tsukino? This is Tien Hiyashi. Mrs. Mizuno hired me."
"Oh, you're that lawyer Serena mentioned! Is there anything wrong?"
"Not exactly. I've been reviewing Professor Tomoe's will, and I was wondering if I could speak to Hotaru some time in the near future?"
"I suppose so, but she's still mourning her loss at the moment. Is there anything I should pass on to her?"
There was a slight pause. "Well, it seems that Prof. Tomoe left everything to Hotaru, and I do mean everything. That includes the mansion, his vast fortune, and ownership of the Infinity Academy. She won't be able to touch them until ten years have passed, though. Since the school was destroyed a few months back, I wanted to know whether Hotaru wanted to leave it that way or have it rebuilt and eventually reopened."
"I see," Mrs. Tsukino said. "I'll be sure to tell her. Is there anything else?"
"Yes, actually. This is the part of the job I hate, but I have to bring it up. As Hotaru is supposedly the only one left in the family, it is very important that she start designing her own will immediately. If something were to happen to her, virtually anyone that knew Tomoe could claim the estate."
"I understand. Thank you, Mr. Hiyashi. You've been very helpful."
* * * * *
Reenie honestly wasn't sure if Hotaru would be comfortable sharing a bed with her. But then, since Hotaru had actually gone to bed three hours before her, she was already asleep when Reenie climbed in. She noticed that Hotaru's back was to her, and that she was curled up in the fetal position. Reenie smiled and gently patted her friend's back before closing her own eyes.
That had been almost six hours ago.
As usual, Reenie woke up in the middle of the night. She was about to go to the bathroom when she realized that she had rolled to the middle of the bed. Half of it felt strangely cold. Looking to the left, she saw that Hotaru was gone.
Her first thoughts were dominated by panic. But as the minutes went by, Reenie knew it was far more likely that Hotaru had left under her own power.
Reenie's thoughts were interrupted by a strange noise. She turned to see a black hole next to the bed. Sailor Saturn stepped out seconds later. There were fresh tear stains on her face, and her boots were damp. Her costume faded away, revealing Hotaru underneath. She hadn't even noticed Reenie until she started to get back into bed.
"Reenie, what are you doing up?"
Reenie's answer was to tackle her friend with big hug. "Hotaru, don't you EVER do that to me again!"
Hotaru was obviously confused, but gently stroked the smaller girl's pink hair reassuringly. "Do what again, Reenie?"
"I woke up, and you were just...gone! I thought something terrible had happened to you!" Reenie looked up at her, tears falling down her face.
Hotaru instantly felt guilty. "I'm sorry. I needed to clear my head, so I went to visit my father..." She trailed off and looked at her friend. "Were you really that worried about me?"
Reenie nodded. "You're my best friend, Hotaru. I couldn't stand it if something bad happened to you."
"No one has ever worried about me before...except my father. I guess I've forgotten what it's like to have friends." Hotaru noticed that Reenie's sigil was glowing faintly.
Reenie noticed it, too, and answered the question on Hotaru's mind. "It glows when I get really upset."
Hotaru's cheeks turned a slight shade of red. "We should go back to bed before someone comes up to check on us."
Reenie moved back to her side and watched as Hotaru slipped in beside her. Again, she curled into the fetal position, facing away from her friend.
"Hotaru?" Reenie asked quietly.
"Yes?"
There was a slight pause. "Could you do me a favor?"
"Of course. What is it?"
Reenie bit her lip. "Could you...sleep facing towards me? I know it sounds weird, but it'd make me feel better."
Hotaru slowly turned over and stared at her. "Why is that?"
"I'm just used to people protecting me. I feel safer when you're watching me."
Hotaru didn't say anything.
"Hotaru?"
She blinked. "Yes, Reenie?"
"Thanks for being my friend." Reenie moved closer and quickly kissed her friend's nose before closing her eyes.
Hotaru waited until she was sure Reenie was asleep before turning away.
Reenie suddenly made a grunting noise and swatted wildly at an invisible opponent, mumbling something along the lines of "Go get 'em, Meatball Head!"
Hotaru smiled and carefully drew Reenie into her arms. Reenie instantly stopped thrashing the air and snuggled into the warm embrace. Within a few seconds, she was snoring peacefully.
Hotaru gently kissed her forehead.
Continued in Part 5: Dark Diamond