Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Sammy's Story ❯ Busted Ribs & Broken Hearts ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Sammy's Story 3: Busted Ribs & Broken Hearts


I wasn't sure what woke me up the next morning: the warm sun on my face, or something moving in my pocket. I slowly opened one eye to see a large man leaning over me. I tried to pretend that I was asleep, but he caught the slight movement and grabbed my throat, hauling me up from the ground.

"Hey, fellas!" he shouted. "He's awake!"

Instantly, nine other men appeared. I didn't like the looks they were giving me.

"What's yer name, kid?" the first man asked.

I didn't say anything.

His fist crashed into my jaw, and I could taste blood in my mouth.

"I asked you a question, ya little punk!" he shouted.

I opened my mouth, as if to speak, and spit the blood in his eyes.

He let go, but an even stronger grip around my neck soon replaced his.

"That was real stupid, kid," another said.

Something heavy hit me in the back, and I feel to my knees.

"Well, is it him?" someone asked.

"Could be. His hair's brown."

"Yeah, but he's got no glasses."

"Maybe he dropped them. Do I LOOK like I care?!"

They seemed to be busy arguing, and no one was holding me just then. I took a few deep breaths, then ran as fast as I could.

"Hey! GET HIM!" a man shouted.

I quickly realized that they'd taken me somewhere, because I was inside a building I'd never seen before. There were so many turns and doors that they all looked the same. It became clear that I was going nowhere fast.

Suddenly, one of the men seemed to jump out of thin air, and his foot slammed into my side. I was certain I heard something breaking before I crashed into the wall and slumped to the ground. He laughed at me before he brought his foot down on my head.

* * * * *

"Just make it easy on yourself, kid," a man growled as I came to. "Tell us your name and you might live."

There was more blood in my mouth now, but I decided not to spit it out this time. "Tommy," I lied.

His face twisted, and he punched the man next to him. "Idiot! I told you to get Mortimer Grimes, the rich kid! Instead, you bring me...TOMMY?!"

So they thought I was someone else. Someone they were planning to hold for ransom, apparently.

"I guess it doesn't matter, anyway," he muttered, turning back to me. "You've still got a heart crystal, and that's good enough for me." He opened his mouth wide and leaned forward.

There was a sudden pain in my chest, and I looked down to see a bright light. Something was coming out of my chest, and I could only assume that it was a heart crystal.

The man's eyes widened with anticipation as the crystal floated towards his open mouth.

That was when the wall exploded. Something big and orange came straight at us. It hit the man and instantly consumed him. I could feel the incredible heat as it passed by me and plowed through the opposite wall.

I was barely aware that the heart crystal had gone back into my chest.

Another man jumped in through the hole in the wall and grabbed me. "Move it, kid!" he shouted, pushing me out the door.

We hadn't gotten far when a voice rang out.

"World Shaking!"

The man behind me screamed, and I felt the incredible heat again. The impact of the big orange thing hitting threw me forward. I flew through the air for a few seconds before two arms wrapped around me.

"Relax," a gentle voice said. "I've got you."

I looked up, but the face I saw wasn't familiar to me. Yet, at the same time, it was. But I didn't have time to think about that as the darkness returned, and I fell asleep.

* * * * *

"I can't believe this crap!" a voice shouted. "Most of them were people! How could they do something like this to a kid?!"

"This is an unusual place, Haruka. Even people can be very cruel. They don't always have to be demons."

"I don't care, Michiru! It's not right, dammit!"

"I can hear you, y'know," I whispered.

I opened one eye to see both their heads snap towards me.

"Sammy?" Michiru leaned over me, placing her hand on my cheek. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

"I feel like a truck hit me, but yeah."

Haruka's face twisted in rage, and she turned away, muttering to herself.

Michiru smiled and leaned closer to me. "Haruka's upset because we found you after all the damage had been done. She blames herself."

"Well, she's not the one that beat me," I pointed out.

"That's true, but you know how stubborn she can be." She frowned a bit. "Do you think you can tell us what happened? It might help us figure out who those men were."

I opened my mouth, and then stopped. I was trying to figure out if I should include the part about Hotaru and Reenie. But then I realized that Michiru wasn't stupid. If I said I just went out for a jog at midnight, she'd know something wasn't right. So I told her everything.

Haruka mostly paced the room while I talked. When I got to the part about my attackers, she came forward, listening to my every word.

I ended talking about the two strange women that had saved me.

Michiru glanced at Haruka, who nodded. "Sammy, there's something we need to show you." She held up a mirror.

I gasped when I saw my reflection. My face was heavily bandaged, and the only visible parts were my right eye and mouth, and even my jaw had a purple bruise on it. And then I noticed another image forming in the mirror. It was a beautiful woman, dressed in a sparkling, white gown. I noticed she looked a lot like Serena. And I could not take my eyes off her as the amazing story was told.

* * * * *

"Sammy!" a voice whispered. "Wake up!"

I slowly opened my eyes. "S-Serena?"

She smiled down at me, pressing her hand to my cheek. "You big dummy. Don't you know I'm the only one allowed to beat you up?"

"Tell that to the guys that did it." I couldn't stop staring at her.

Her smile faded. "Sammy, I-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" I blurted out.

"You know I couldn't do that, Sammy. Haruka and Michiru took a big risk by showing you in the first place, and you can't tell anyone."

I somehow managed to smirk. "It's not like anyone would believe me, anyway. I mean, who would suspect that YOU were Sailor Moon?"

Serena paused, and I could tell she was trying to figure out whether to take it as a compliment or be insulted. I wasn't really sure how I'd meant it myself.

"I need to talk to you about something," she said after a while.

"If by 'something,' you mean Reenie and Hotaru, then I don't want to hear it."

She frowned. "Sammy, you need to hear this."

"I don't care. I don't WANT to hear it, Serena!" I could feel my body shuddering with rage at the thought of them together.

"Calm down, little brother. You're already hurt badly."

"Exactly. I don't want to be hurt any more than I already am," I said quietly.

She sighed and stroked my head. "Oh, Sammy, I'm so sorry. I wish you hadn't found out that way."

"Well, how would you WANT me to find out?"

"Any way but the one you did."

Something occurred to me, and it wasn't good at all. "Did...you know?"

She blinked and looked at me in disbelief. "Sammy-"

"Did you?!" I shouted.

"No!" She looked hurt. "I wouldn't keep something like that from you. I knew they were best friends, but that's it. I thought Reenie might have a problem sharing Hotaru, but I just found out why from Setsuna today."

I sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. "I'm sorry, Serena."

"I know you didn't mean it." But that was all she said.

"I just don't understand. Hotaru said she...she thought she loved me."

"She does," Serena said quietly.

"Then why...?!"

"She loves Reenie, too."

"But..."

"She's just as confused as you are, Sammy. Probably even more so. Hotaru doesn't want to hurt either of you, but she'll never be able to choose. Her heart is too kind to reject someone she cares about."

It shouldn't have made sense...but it did. And I hated that. I couldn't be mad at Hotaru for loving anyone...even if it wasn't me. But she did love me...and Reenie. It wasn't fair. It wasn't necessarily right. But it was true.

"She wants to see you," Serena said, breaking into my thoughts.

"No," I replied instantly.

"Sammy, you can't-"

"...see her. Not yet. Not now."

Serena looked so sad. "Sammy, you're only hurting her by doing this."

Hurting HER?! That was when I lost it. "Serena, in the last two days, I have fallen in love, had my heart broken, and then had everything ELSE broken. I think I have a right to be a little upset right now! So if I want some time alone to think, she should respect that. She WILL respect that, and so will anyone else who wants to see me!"

She didn't say anything right away. "Does that include me?"

"No. You're the only exception."

"Sammy, Mom and Dad-"

"I said you're the only exception!" I snapped.

She stared at me for a long moment. "Sammy, they didn't do anything."

"Yes, they did."

"What could they have possibly done to deserve this?!"

"They hurt you," I said simply. "They didn't understand. They weren't there for you. They didn't even TRY to help. It's what they didn't do, Serena."

Serena blinked and started to protest. Then she realized I was right, and tears formed in her eyes.

"Serena, please don't cry," I said, wishing I hadn't snapped like that.

She didn't stop crying, but she leaned over and hugged me tightly, kissing the top of my head. "I love you, Sammy. Don't forget that, okay?"

"I won't," was all I could think to say.

She smiled, wiping away a few tears, then squeezed my hand. "I'll bring you some of Lita's cupcakes next time."

I nodded.

Serena reached over and ruffled my hair. "You know, I think Haruka & Michiru might like to see you, too. And I can't always be here..."

"They can come. But no one else."

She nodded. "Will you be okay by yourself? I could stay overnight, if you want."

I shook my head. "I'll be fine. I need to think."

"Think, not brood, right?"

"Right," I agreed with a small smile.

It took a few more minutes, but I finally convinced her to go home.

* * * * *

The next morning, Michiru brought me breakfast. She didn't say anything about Hotaru, but I could tell she wanted to.

"You think I'm wrong, too, don't you?" I asked after I had eaten. "About not wanting to see Hotaru."

Michiru hesitated. "I understand why you don't want to see her right away. But I do wish you would change your mind, eventually. I won't pretend to understand what you're going through, but I do know what Hotaru's going through."

My head snapped up. "Going through?"

"Sammy, ever since she found out you wouldn't see her, Hotaru has been...totally silent. She was quiet before, but now she won't even speak to Reenie or Serena. Setsuna's been threatening to bring Hotaru down here, but Haruka's been able to stop her...for now."

"What about Reenie?" I asked, for some reason.

"She wants to see you, too. She wants to apologize."

I nearly fell off the bed. "What?!"

Michiru smiled. "I thought that might surprise you. She wants to talk to you alone."

"You don't think she'd try to beat me up again, do you?"

"No, I think she's being sincere, Sammy. Could you give her a chance to explain? I think Hotaru would feel better if Reenie brought her a message from you."

I did want to know why Reenie would even consider apologizing. And I wanted to hear her side of the story. Maybe I could figure out why Hotaru loved her so much. Maybe I just wanted to see if she'd attack me while I was injured. Or maybe I couldn't resist the pleading look Michiru was giving me.

"Fine," I muttered. "Two weeks from now."

Michiru smiled again. "You're a good person, Sammy."

Funny how I was the only one that didn't feel that way.

* * * * *

Two weeks passed faster than I realized. Fortunately, my face had healed up by then, and most of the bandages were gone. I had started taking phone calls from my parents and friends, but I made sure the nurses knew that only Serena, Haruka, and Michiru were allowed to see me.

Sometime in the afternoon, I woke up to find Serena smiling down at me.

"You've got a guest, little brother." She backed up a few steps, and the first thing I saw was pink hair. Somehow, I'd forgotten that Reenie was coming. But then, it wasn't as if I could do anything about it now. It had been my idea, more or less.

"I'll be right outside," Serena said as she left the room.

Reenie didn't move until Serena was gone. Then she slowly sat down next to the bed, staring at me in silence.

"Hi," I said at last.

"Hi." She blinked a few times, and then said, "I'm sorry I beat you up."

"Forget about it. The last beating hurt worse than yours did."

"I'm sorry I kissed Hotaru," she added quietly. "It was...a mistake."

"What makes you say that?"

She looked at me as if I was crazy. "It put you in here, for one thing. For another, I thought I was a lesbian. I'm not. I wanted to be...but I'm not."

"Um...you're gonna have to explain that last one," I said.

Reenie sighed. "When Serena told me she was a lesbian, I was happy for her. I was beginning to think she and Darien wouldn't work out, anyway. They were always fighting, and when Serena was in a bad mood, she took it out on me sometimes. She didn't mean to, but I guess I was a little annoying."

I somehow resisted the urge to say anything.

"Anyway, I had known about Haruka & Michiru for a while. I admired them, because they didn't try to hide their feelings for each other. They weren't nervous or anything. They were proud of who they were."

Reenie paused and looked at me. "Did Michiru already tell you about the Sailor Scouts?"

I nodded. I still had a hard time believing it, but Michiru wouldn't lie about something like that. It was kind of hard to picture Reenie saving the world, though.

"Good. That'll make this easier. Did she tell you how I first met Hotaru?"

I shook my head.

"Okay. Get comfortable, because this will take a while..."

Nearly three hours later (thanks in part to all my questions), Reenie was done. "And that's how Queen Serenity saved Hotaru and me...again, anyway."

I just sat there, looking at her.

"Well, now do you understand why I thought I was in love with Hotaru?"

I nodded. Of course, there were stranger things about the story. Like how Hotaru had been reborn, and her healing powers, among other things. But then, there was hardly anything I wouldn't have believed about Sailor Scouts at that moment.

But Reenie still wasn't done yet.

"All I knew was that I loved Hotaru. More than any of my other friends, in fact. I knew there was something special between us. Once I found out about Serena, I thought for sure that we were both lesbians that just didn't know it yet. But I was afraid of scaring Hotaru. You know how jumpy she can be. So I was trying to find a good way to ask her to...well...kiss me. That was when you got interested in her."

"So you kissed her because you thought she might choose me over you?"

"Yes, and because I was afraid if Hotaru fell in love with a boy, she'd never give me a chance. She was nervous enough about being a possible lesbian; I know she couldn't handle being bisexual."

My eyes widened. "How did you...?"

"Serena told me. She didn't want me to be confused."

That made sense. I couldn't see Serena trying to explain Reenie's relationship with Hotaru to Mom & Dad.

"Anyway, Sammy, I know I'm not in love with Hotaru. When I kissed her, it was...nice, but I knew it wasn't right."

"How's that?"

"Because all I could think of was how much we were hurting you."

"Then...why didn't you just stop?"

Reenie shrugged. "I wanted to be sure, I guess. I was confused, and so was Hotaru. I wasn't thinking straight, and I thought I was losing my best friend."

"So...what are you saying, Reenie?"

"I'm saying if you still want Hotaru, I won't try to stop you. I'd rather see her with someone I knew I could trust. Besides, if you hurt her, I'll beat you up again."

"How is Hotaru?" I asked.

Reenie frowned. "I'm really not sure. She won't talk to me anymore. But I told her that I was coming to see you today. She misses you, Sammy."

"How do you know that?"

"I KNOW my best friend, Sammy. I haven't seen 'Taru this upset since her father died. Either she really does love you, or she thinks she does. But I think you should talk to her very soon, before she gets worse. Don't blame her for something that was my fault."

Reenie had a good point. The kiss had been her idea, and Hotaru was too passive to refuse her best friend. Besides, Reenie was very strong-willed, when she really wanted something. And there was no doubt in my mind that she couldn't have overpowered Hotaru, if it had come to that.

"Promise me you'll at least think about it," Reenie pleaded. "I'm really worried about 'Taru. Even if you don't love her anymore, at least tell her that now. She needs to know how you feel."

I'm still not sure why, but I felt my mouth moving. "Bring her with you tomorrow. And tell the other girls to come, too."

* * * * *

I still had a hard time believing that they were the Sailor Scouts. But when I saw them all together, it was a lot more believable, for some reason.

Then I realized someone was missing.

"Where's Hotaru?" I asked.

Setsuna narrowed her eyes a bit. "She's waiting outside."

I returned her glare. "Then bring her in, please."

"What guarantee do I have that you won't hurt her further?"

My eyes widened in disbelief. "Lady, I was beaten within an inch of my life. And in case you didn't know, I can't be reborn. I'm no Sailor Scout, and if I had to base my opinion of them on you, I'd wish Serena wasn't one, either."

Setsuna stared to say something, but Haruka shot her a look.

Finally, Michiru sighed. "I'll get Hotaru." She gave Setsuna an angry glance before leaving the room.

"So why did you ask us all to come, Sammy?" Mina asked.

I grinned sheepishly. "Would you believe I wanted autographs?"

"Mine, maybe," Mina said, looking smug. Serena elbowed her in the ribs.

"I was going to ask you all to transform...but I decided not to later. Of course, if you WANT to, I wouldn't try to stop you..."

At that moment, Michiru returned, pulling Hotaru along by the hand. They stopped by the foot of the bed, but Hotaru hid behind Michiru.

I signaled to Reenie, who nodded and grabbed Hotaru's other hand, dragging her over to the bedside. Haruka placed gentle but firm hands on Hotaru's shoulders, effectively keeping her in one spot. However, Hotaru kept her head lowered, possibly so she wouldn't see me.

"Hello, Hotaru," I said quietly.

Hotaru stiffened, but she still didn't look up. "Hi, Sammy," she whispered after a while.

"Could you do me a favor, Hotaru?"

Hotaru finally raised her head, and she looked puzzled. "A...favor?"

I almost gasped when she looked at me. I'd forgotten the power her violet eyes held over me, even if she wasn't aware of it. "Yes. I want you...to transform."

Hotaru's eyes widened. "What...?"

"You don't have to. I certainly can't make you in this condition. But it would really make me happy if you did."

Reenie squeezed Hotaru's hand reassuringly. "Go on, 'Taru. Show him."

"But...I don't...know," Hotaru whispered, looking uncertain.

"Listen to your heart, dear," Michiru said faintly.

Hotaru looked at her, and then back at me. "Are you...sure, Sammy?"

"Yes, I am," I replied.

Hotaru slowly removed a strange locket from her dress. "Saturn Crystal Power," she whispered.

It's difficult to describe what happened next. I saw the locket open, and then there was a bright light. I could just make out Hotaru's body spinning, but even that much was hard to be sure of. Then the light faded, and I had to blink a few times to get my eyes to adjust.

"Am I what you expected?" Sailor Saturn asked.

"Not really. I didn't know what to expect." My eyes turned to the long weapon in her hand. "Wasn't expecting THAT, though."

Saturn smiled. "Most people don't."

"You actually use that thing when you fight?" I made no attempt to hide the disbelief in my voice.

"Yes, sometimes." Saturn looked a little worried. "Does that...surprise you?"

"Well, YEAH! I mean, I thought you were this quiet, gentle girl that could never hurt anyone, and now you've got this big, scary sword thing-"

"Silence Glaive," Reenie corrected.

"Oh. Well, I guess I'm just...surprised, like you said."

Saturn's smile faded. "I'm the Scout of Rebirth and Destruction, Sammy. I'm supposed to be...scary."

"But...I don't understand. You're so...so..."

"So what?" Saturn asked.

"So...beautiful. How could you be the Scout of Destruction?"

Saturn blushed. "It wasn't my choice, but it is my duty."

"So you've...killed people?" I asked.

"Yes," she said quietly. "It's nothing I'm proud of, and I certainly don't enjoy it. But sometimes it is necessary."

"Serena's killed people, too," Reenie added helpfully.

Serena glared at her. "They were evil monsters, NOT people."

"Well, they LOOKED like people."

"I seem to recall several of those 'people' kidnapping you for their evil plans. You didn't seem to mind so much when I destroyed them then."

"I think we should leave Sammy and Saturn alone for a while," Haruka said. And before Setsuna could protest, Haruka muscled her out the door. The other Scouts filed out behind them...all except Reenie.

"Don't mind me," Reenie said with a huge grin. "Just act like I'm not here."

Serena returned and dragged Reenie away. "C'mon, squirt. She said to leave the lovebirds ALONE, not alone with YOU."

"Sammy...why did you ask me to come here today?" Saturn asked after a moment.

"Lots of reasons. But I guess the first would be because...I missed you."

She blushed, and the Scout uniform faded away. "I...missed you, too."

I reached out and took Hotaru's hand. "I should've told you this sooner, but...that night we danced together was the greatest night of my life."

"You mean it?" Hotaru asked, her eyes clouding over.

"Of course I do." I swallowed noisily and took a deep breath. "There's something else I've been meaning to tell you, too." I paused, mostly for effect, and looked straight into her violet eyes. "I love you, Hotaru."

She didn't say anything at first, and I thought I'd made a huge mistake. Then she burst into tears, and I thought she was about to run out of the room. Instead, she leaned over and hugged me tightly, planting kisses all over my face. Somewhere in there, I was pretty sure I heard her say she felt the same way about me...and she was sure of it this time.

The mood was slightly ruined when the door swung open and all the girls came tumbling in on top of each other. I wasn't surprised to see Serena and Reenie at the bottom of the pile.

"Uh...we tripped!" Mina cried, struggling to get Lita off her back.

* * * * *

I guess things all worked out in the end.

After Serena graduated, the first thing she did was get her own apartment. Amazingly enough, it's only two blocks away from the arcade where Andrew works. She says she can't move TOO far away, or she'll get rusty at the Sailor V games. I don't know; seems like Mina always beats her scores anyway. Strangely enough, every time I go to see Serena, there's Mina again. Serena swears they're still friends, but I don't know...

Haruka & Michiru haven't changed much, except they somehow convinced Hotaru to live with them instead of the orphanage. I can't really complain, since they all come to visit me...well...pretty much everyday. My parents keep asking who they are, but just saying "friends" doesn't seem to be enough for them.

The last I saw of Darien, he'd gone off to join the navy. I'm guessing he might not be coming back. At least, that's what Serena's hoping. Setsuna seems to have vanished as well, but she pops up every now and then, just to make sure I haven't gotten TOO close to Hotaru. But what she doesn't know won't hurt her.

Reenie moved away about two months ago. She told me she was going to live with some of her "other" relatives. She also made me promise to take good care of Hotaru or she'd come back to kick my butt. I think I've kept my word, and Hotaru has no complaints.

My parents still haven't really accepted that Serena's a lesbian. I'm thinking of moving out as soon as possible. I figure if I bug Serena long enough, she'll cave in and let me stay with her (especially when I remind her how supportive & understanding I was in her time of need). If that falls through, I could always get Hotaru to ask Michiru. I have a pretty good idea of what Haruka would say.

So that's my life.

That's my story.

So far...


The End.