Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Tales of Minako and Hotaru ❯ Minako Hime ( Chapter 18 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Minako-Hime
(A Mai Otome/Sailor Moon spoof)

Hotaru Gomon was a noblewoman, the princess of her kingdom and the heir to the throne, and as the heir had certain responsibilities. The quiet, serious black haired woman knew her duty and carried herself with dignity from task to task, appearing every inch a child or royalty. However with royal blood came bodyguards, and that was where the problems lay...

Minako of the Lovely Topaz was a Otome, a superhuman protector sent from Garderobe Academy to watch over Hotaru but she was a little... unusual. The quiet, serene Hotaru was unused to such a brash blonde woman, and though she would never admit it she was also a bit envious of her shapely form.

“Good morning, princess,” Minako cried as she barged in, threw open the curtains of her bedroom and flooded Hotaru’s dim room with light.

Hotaru winced, shading her eyes as she said, “Minako, it’s still early....”

Cheerfully Minako yanked the covers off of her as she said, “You’ve got to take time for breakfast, Hotaru.” She paused, “Oooh, black lace, very nice....”

“Pervert.,” Hotaru grabbed her robe, pulling it around her as the teen got up, hurrying to the door as a chuckling Minako followed.

“Thank you,” Usagi, the chief maid murmured to Minako, the young blonde’s twin streams of hair bouncing, “we usually can’t make her get up.”

“Glad to help,” Minako chuckled as a man-servant opened the doors to the dining room, revealing the table set for breakfast.

“Mother,” Hotaru smiled at Michiru, then looked over at Haruka, “Father.”

“You don’t have to call me that,” the very female Haruka chuckled softly, sitting at the head of the long table. She and Michiru were at either end, while two settings for breakfast sat at the middle, waiting.

“Miss Minako,” Michiru gestured to a empty seat, “join us.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Minako smiled, clearly amused by Hotaru’s soft growl as she sat opposite her. She clapped her hands together and softly murmured before digging in, “Thanks for the food.”

“So,” Hotaru asked her parents as they ate, “what’s on the schedule for today?”

“We’ll be dealing with the negotiations with Celestine today,” Haruka mused, “can you handle the meeting with the chief of police, Rei Hino?”

“Certainly,” Hotaru answered confidently.

“And you’ll be coming along of course,” Michiru addressed Minako.

Hotaru nearly choked on her orange juice. “Why does she have to come along?” she begged, “I’ll be safely with the police!”

“You know you’re a target,” Haruka said gently, “and vulnerable if some lord wanted to force a marriage pact. We need you safe, if only for our own peace of mind.”

“Besides, it wouldn’t look good if you were wandering around without your otome,” Michiru noted with a small smile.

Minako smirked across the table then winked at Hotaru.

Hotaru fought the urge to grind her teeth. “You’re right mother,” she conceded, “I’ll bring Minako along.”

“Thank you,” Minako said sweetly, then finished her breakfast before Hotaru’s glare could set her on fire or something.

Not long after Hotaru was in one of the many cars associated with the palace, cruising along with Minako at her side. Reluctantly Hotaru met her companions amused gaze and crossly asked, “Must you be so insufferable?”

Minako smiled back as she asked, “Would that help you, Hotaru-sama? Or would I just become one of the many servants you ignore?”

“I...,” Hotaru actually looked startled as their driver expertly wove them through traffic, “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

“Not that I don’t enjoy teasing you too,” Minako added thoughtfully as she crossed her long legs sexily, making her short white and gold skirt hitch up dangerously high, “you’re cute when you’re flustered.”

“Minako!” Hotaru scolded.

A soft chuckle came from their driver as Ami pulled up to the station. The blue haired girl turned in her seat, “I’ll leave on a random evasion course, to try to make sure the car isn’t targeted. Would you like me to return at a set time, or call?”

“Call, I think,” Minako said, “it’s safer.”

“Very well,” Ami smiled as she pressed the switch to pop the car’s armored doors, “I’ll see you later then.”

“Is everyone getting paranoid?” Hotaru wondered softly.

“You have been threatened princess,” Minako reminded her gently as she stood close on the short walk to the modern building, “such steps are not unreasonable.”

Hotaru shrugged after a moment, “I guess I don’t want to live that way.”

Minako gave her a smile free from other meanings, “That’s admirable, if stupid.”

“Thanks a lot,” Hotaru said, but she found herself reluctantly smiling back. As aggravating as Minako was, she DID have a certain charm....

THOOM! The earth around them bucked wildly, a shockwave of force nearly knocking them over. “Are you all right?” MInako demanded, pushing her down and shielding her with her body. The comic humor in her eyes was gone as Hotaru looked up, replaced by concern and a steely sort of intensity.

“Ami,” Hotaru felt fear clutch her guts, “Is she...?”

“It came from the other direction,” Minako reassured her as she looked to the west, where a large figure loomed over the city.

Amid the chaos the police rushed out, deploying in a defensive wedge around them. Rei Hino stood with gun in hand as she swept the street with her eyes, her black hair gleaming in the sun. “No secondary attack?” she demanded.

“Not yet,” Hotaru answered as she was helped up. The giant off in the distance towered over a building, it’s massive weight shaking the earth as it walked along broken streets. “Is that a youma?” she wondered grimly.

“Yes,” Minako nodded grimly. The youma were the latest incarnation of the attack beasts developed by the Otome’s enemies, beings of great size and destructive capability. She looked at Hotaru, “I need your authorization to stop that thing, Hotaru.”

Hotaru looked at her as if she was insane, “You can’t! It’s immense....”

Minako gave her a lopsided smiles as she answered, “I have to, Hotaru. There’s no one else who can....” With that she knelt, pushing her hair back to reveal the earring in her left ear, “Please, Hotaru. There’s not much time.”

Hotaru took a steadying breath. “Minako of the lovely Topaz,” she said as she pressed her lips to Minako’s earring, “by my authority, I release your power.”

Minako stood, smiling as she murmured, “Thank you.” Much louder she cried, “Materialize!” In a moment the nanotechnology in her body activated, reconfiguring her skirt into a bodysuit in white and gold, along with red gloves and boots. “This won’t be long,” she promised before soaring off to face the youma.

Watching the battle from a distance Hotaru was once more filled with awe and wonder at the power Minako commanded. She darted around the giant monster with incredible speed, weaving by it’s attacks even as she used her whip-like attack to slice away at it. In moments what seemed a indesructable monster was just rubble on the ground, and Minako returned with a smug smile on her face.

“Told ya,” MInako winked as she banished her armor, reverting to her usual dress.

Without thinking about it Hotaru rushed to Minako, holding her close as she cried, “I was so worried...”

MInako reached out and held Hotaru, patting her shoulder gently. “I’m fine,” she quietly reassured her, “we’re both fine.”

Hotaru shook her head, laughing softly as she relaxed. “Yes, we are,” she agreed, looking up into the taller woman’s blue eyes.

In the background Rei reorganized her people and lead them back into the offices as she muttered, “Might as well leave them alone for now....”

“Hotaru?” Minako looked at her questioningly as the girl’s cheeks reddened.

Hotaru pulled away, startled by how much her heart was racing. ‘I detest this woman,’ she thought, ‘don’t I?’ Clearing her throat she managed somewhat normally, “I’m glad things went so well. Should we carry on?”

“Of course,” MInako agreed as they walked into the station. ‘What was that look in Hotaru’s eyes just then?’ she wondered, ‘And do I want to find out?’

Meanwhile, back at the palace....

“How long do we have to keep making excuses to throw them together,” Haruka muttered, “before they finally figure out they’re made for each other?”

“I don’t know, dear,” Michiru sighed. “Hotaru is such a stubborn girl.”

“Don’t I know it,” Haruka agreed, sitting back. “Think we can talk Rei into setting up a false emergency? Maybe locking them in a bunker for awhile might do it....”

“Next week?” Michiru suggested.

“Yeah,” Haruka nodded, “we’ll try it then.”

To be continued...?