======================================================================
Sailor Moon

The characters and concepts of Naoko Takeuchi are used without
permission. I do not own them, nor do I wish to. This story is
intended only as a homage to such work, not to make any money.

This story is a one-shot and has very little to do with the actual
events of Sailor Moon, even if it draws on the characters. It was just
something that I felt like writing.

(And thanks to Alex whose twisted brain came up with the original
concept for this story, and for his useful comments as I went through
the pain of giving it birth ^_^)

>----<

Revision 1.0    Date    13/04/2001
Comment(s):
----------

Revision 1.1    Date:   24/04/2001
Comment(s):
----------
Revised with the help of Alex to include useful comments from Allyn
Yonge, Bastet's Chosen and Sara.

======================================================================

        *           **           **           *

"Victory is never complete, Wars never end, And even when your enemy
is dead, Ensure you watch your back, For the enemy has many guises,
And not all of them maybe as they first appear..."

        *           **           **           *

Companionship
-------------

by Sharon Wall (mailto:SharonW82@hotmail.com)

    "Damn it! Suki's going to kill me!" the young woman swore to
herself as she hurried out of the underground station and walked as
fast as she dared down the street towards the distant company
apartment where she and her lover lived. Today was their third
anniversary, and Suki had made it bluntly obvious that being late
would mean banishment to the spare room for the next two weeks -
minimum. And one thing that Hotaru had learnt during the years that
she and Suki had been together, was that when Suki said something in
_that_ tone of voice then...

    "..." Hotaru swore under her breath yet again and increased her
pace. Four hours! She was over four hours late! All thanks to some
idiot jumping in front of the train... She shook her head, and tried
not to think about the expression that would be on Suki's face when
she tried to explain what had happened. Suki had many quirks that
Hotaru loved, but a sense of patience was not one of them. When Suki
agreed to meet someone at a certain time and place, then that time and
place was carved in stone - forever. Tardiness was not something that
Suki tended to accept with good grace - as Hotaru had learnt very
early on. Five minutes was just about Suki's limit. Anything over that
would earn someone one of her lover's infamous "black looks", and
Hotaru _hated_ to think how Suki was going to react to her walking
into the apartment over four hours late. On a normal day, Suki might
have at least listened to her explanation before exploding, but
today... Hotaru shuddered. Somehow, she did not think Suki would
accept any excuse for missing today - especially not after all the
trouble Suki had gone to arranging tonights events. No, in a simple
phase - Hotaru was doomed.

    "Oh well..." the girl sighed, there was nothing she could do about
it now. She would just have to grin and bear it. Suki would come
around, it might take a few days or so, but given the right sort of
"incentive" Suki would be like putty her hands. Hotaru grinned, she
knew very well the power that her round violet eyes had over her
lover. A few artful looks, a few flutters of her eye lashes, and Suki
would melt like butter in front of a fire. Yes, Hotaru thought as her
grin widened, she had learnt a lot about herself in the last few
years, a lot about things she had never imagined herself capable of.
Her eyes flashed in wicked glee - poor Suki didn't stand a chance!

    Hotaru's pace slowed as the memories of those last five years
replayed themselves in rapid succession through her mind. Meeting Suki
for the very first time in university... The quiet friendship that
they had both initially shared... The series of painful events that
had deepened it... The day that Suki had first kissed her... The day
that they had graduated - the night that followed it...

    Memories of beginnings...

         *           **          **         *

    "That's not right, you baka..."

    The sound of the soft voice scolding itself from the desk opposite
made Hotaru stop her reading and look up.

    "And that's wrong too, ninny..."

    Just sitting opposite of Hotaru was a diminutive looking girl with
short black hair who was scribbling furiously at a piece of paper,
muttering to herself as she did so. Open on the desk in front of her
was a thick book to which the girl was paying avid attention, stopping
just now and then to write something down. Hotaru smiled as she
recognized the signs of a struggling fellow freshman like herself.

    "Baka, baka, baka..." the girl muttered again pushing her face
even closer to the book, as if this would somehow transfer the
knowledge contained within its pages into her head. "Just how could I
miss that reference..."

    The smile on Hotaru's face widened as something about watching the
intensity of the other girl's antics made her feel strangely relaxed
The brunette was so caught up in her studies that she seemed to be
totally oblivious of the world around her. It reminded Hotaru some
what of how Ami used to get when she became totally engrossed in her
studies, and the familiarity of the memories that that image invoked
made her feel oddly warm and comfortable.

    Absentmindedly, she folded her arms on the desk in front of her
and lowered her head to rest on them, continuing to watch the
brunette's antics as she did so. The girl had one of the most
expressive faces that Hotaru had ever seen. Her lips, her mouth, her
eyes, they all seemed to be forever flitting from one expression to
another as the brunette struggled to make sense of what was written in
that great book. When she encountered something difficult, her eyes
would narrow and she would start to chew at her bottom lip. This
chewing would continue until suddenly, with a smile that lit up her
entire face, the girl would comprehend whatever it was she had just
read and start once more to scribble furiously on that bit of paper.
This procedure was repeated again, and again, as the girl slowly
progressed through one page after another.

    Hotaru found herself utterly captivated by the whole thing, and at
those rare times when the girl's face broke into that wonderfully
bright smile, Hotaru found her own face threatening to succumb to a
smile as well as she shared the girl's happiness. Slightly adjusting
the angle of her head, Hotaru unthinkingly gave a small, but softly
audible, sigh of contentment.

    Whether or not it was the sound of her soft sigh, or the girl's
sudden realization that someone was staring at her, Hotaru never found
out. But something, at that exact moment, made the other girl look up,
and Hotaru found herself staring into a pair of deep reddish hued eyes
set in one of the most attractive faces that Hotaru had ever seen. For
a moment, Hotaru was completely entrapped by the richness of those
eyes. She had never seen a color quite like them. They were a warm,
friendly red that instantly bought to mind the color of the glowing
embers of a fire just before it went out. It made Hotaru stare at the
poor girl even closer, just to confirm that such eyes could possibly
exist.

    "Ah... Can... Can I help you?" the other girl asked in a soft
voice that Hotaru almost missed.

    "Ahhh, well..." Hotaru found herself floundering as she tried to
invent a plausible reason for why she had been staring so rudely at
the other girl. "I just thought I recognized you from... from..." Her
mind groped around for one of her lecturers' names and settled on one
who was infamous for setting impossible assignments, "...Professor
Ogawa's lecture. And I was wondering if you might be interested in a
study partner to help with his assignment." Hotaru flashed the girl a
quick grin and held out her hands. "I'm desperate, I haven't got a
clue how to tackle it at all and its due in in only five weeks. I need
help!"

    The other girl blinked, and then slowly, she smiled back
apologetically. "I'm sorry," she said, "But I think you may have
confused me with someone else. I'm studying history as my major, and
Professor Ogawa teaches social psychology, if I remember correctly."
She tilted her head slightly to one side, "And I'm afraid I know
absolutely nothing about that subject. Sorry, I don't think I would be
of much help to you."

    "Ah..." Hotaru replied and then shrugged. "Oh well, guess I'll
have to struggle on with it myself somehow then."

    "Well," the brunette looked thoughtful. "I don't know how much I
can help you directly, but I for one would love to team up with
someone who is willing to bounce ideas around. I _really_ need a fresh
perspective on this..." she gestured to her page of scribbled notes
with a sigh. "It's the second time I've had to revise this paper and
it still sucks." She shook her head in disgust. "Would that be of any
interest to you?" she finished looking hopefully over at Hotaru.

    Trapped by her own lie, Hotaru could do little more than nod her
head. In response, the other girl smiled that wonderfully warm smile
of hers and held out her hand. "Matsumoto Suki," she said introducing
herself, "Pleased to meet you."

    "Kaiou Hotaru," Hotaru replied taking the offered hand in her own
and giving it a firm shake, wondering at the same time what her big
mouth had gotten her into. But then, as the other girl crossed over to
sit by her and together they began to try and make sense of Professor
Ogawa's assignment, Hotaru's opinions rapidly changed. This 'Matsumoto
Suki' was one extremely bright cookie, and Hotaru had not been kidding
- she desperately needed help, and at this late stage, she would take
any she could get.

            *           **          **          *

Memories of friendship...

            *           **          **          *

    "Are you sure I look okay?" the girl flustered, turning to look at
the dark haired companion at her side.

    Hotaru sighed and shook her head. "Yes, Suki, for the fifteenth
time you look great. Really, what are you so worried about? My parents
aren't going to cut your head off just because they may disagree with
your fashion sense."

    "But..."

    "Stop fussing, Suki," Hotaru ordered the smaller girl looking
around the outside of the train station to see if their ride had
arrived yet. "My parents will be arriving any time now and I don't
want the first thing they see to be you in one of your moods."

    "Moods?" Suki scowled looking sharply over at her friend. "What do
you mean 'moods'? I don't have any..."

    "No, of course you don't," Hotaru broke in passing the girl a
suitcase. "Heads up, I think I can see them coming now."

    "Already?" Suki grimaced as she took on the extra load of Hotaru's
case. "Gods, 'Ru! What exactly have you got in this thing? It weighs a
ton!"

    Hotaru, however was no longer listening. The sight of her adopted
mother's distinctive green hair and the taller figure walking along
beside her threw all other concerns right out of the window, and with
a glad cry she rushed over to greet them.

    "Hotaru!" the taller figure called out and with a laugh swept the
younger girl up in a tight embrace.

    "Papa!" Hotaru cried back happily as she returned Haruka's tight
embrace.

    "You've grown, girl," the blond senshi remarked with a smirk as
she gave her grinning adopted daughter a through look over.

    Hotaru giggled, "Well, it _has_ been just over a year, papa. What
did you expect?"

    Michiru smiled, and holding out her arms gave her daughter a tight
embrace as well. "Oh, Hotaru, my daughter... I've missed you," she
whispered as she kissed the girl on her cheek. "A year is far too
long."

    Hotaru could not reply. The emotion that she felt at seeing the
woman she loved as her mother choked up her throat completely. The
best she could manage was a tearful whisper of "Mama..." and then she
just clung to the woman who meant more to her than she could possibly
ever say.

    Slightly embarrassed by the show of emotions, Haruka brusquely
wiped away the tears from her own eyes. It was then that she caught
sight of the petite brunette struggling with three cases and trying to
come towards them. "Ah," Haruka muttered to herself with a small
smile, "That must be the famous Suki..." and hurried over to give the
poor girl a hand.

    "Suki-chan?" Haruka queried as she got within a few feet of the
girl. "Can I give you a hand with those?"

    The slender girl raised her head and gave Haruka a grateful look.
"Oh, thank you! That would be very much appreciated - believe me." She
beamed, and tried her best to hold out a case for Haruka to take.

    Haruka smiled back warmly and taking two of the larger cases from
the struggling girl, used the opportunity to get a good long look at
her. The first, and most striking thing about her, was just how
beautiful the slender girl was. Her pale skin and classic features
seemed to be straight out of a fashion magazine, and Haruka found
herself staring at the girl for far longer than she had originally
intended. She just could not help herself - the girl was simply
gorgeous.

    "I'm very pleased to meet you, Tenou-san," Suki said bowing
politely, while at the same time trying to ignore the heavy stares the
older woman was giving her. She was used to receiving such stares from
other people, but it made her slightly uncomfortable receiving them
from one of Hotaru's adopted parents. Oh, she was not really bothered
by the fact that Hotaru's parents were two women in love - after all,
people lived how they wanted to live - no, what troubled her was that
it _was_ one of Hotaru's parents giving her such a stare.

    Haruka saw the small flush erupt on the girl's white face and
mentally gave herself a shake. Putting a smile on her face she reached
over and gave the smaller girl a friendly pat on her shoulder.
"There's no need to be so formal, Suki-chan. Call me, Haruka, please.
After all, you're going to be staying with us for over a month and
after everything Hotaru has told us about you..."

    "She's what!?" Suki suddenly burst out and then just as suddenly
clapped her hand to her mouth as she realized that people around them
were staring at her. The girl reddened and looked down. Haruka was
interested to note that the girl even blushed prettily.

    "Come on, Suki-chan, it's nothing that bad," Haruka reassured her
with a grin as she led the still blushing girl over to join the
others. "And by the way, Hotaru-chan," Haruka said in a playfully
angry tone to her daughter. "It's not nice to leave your friends
struggling all by themselves, you know. Especially not when it's your
luggage, you'll give poor Suki-chan here completely the wrong idea
about how we raised you. Now, do the proper thing and come over here
and give us a hand, eh?"

    "Yes, papa," Hotaru replied, flashing Suki a suffering look as she
took one of the cases that Haruka was holding.

    Michiru smiled, and held out her hand to greet the diminutive
looking teenager that her daughter praised so highly. "I'm very happy
to be able to finally meet you, Suki-chan. Hotaru has often written to
us about you, and I must say, she was right - you are simply stunning.
I bet you must have boyfriends hanging onto your every word, ne?"

    "Mama! Please!" Hotaru cringed as Suki flushed an even deeper red
and turned to give Hotaru a '...and I will deal with you later...'
stare.

    Michiru could not help but notice the interaction between the two
friends and laughed softly to herself. Putting her hand on her
daughter's shoulder she gave it a quick squeeze. "Come on, we had
better get your things loaded up into the car and start back. Tokyo
traffic at this hour's bad enough, but if we leave it much longer,
poor old Haruka's going to be driving all day."

    "Humph," the aforementioned woman commented before heading off
towards her car.

    Michiru grinned at Suki and leaning over whispered to her in a
conspiratory fashion, "She's just so much fun to tease. She takes
everything so seriously." And so saying, followed after her lover,
humming merrily.

    Suki looked over at Hotaru, and Hotaru looked back.

    "What can I say?" Hotaru offered with a shrug. "They're in love."
A statement to which Suki made no reply, other than a blink.

    The journey back was not as bad as Michiru had implied it might
be, and it was only a mere two hours later that Haruka drove into the
private garage that served their apartment and switched the engine
off.

    "Well," she said taking off her seat belt and giving her tired
legs a stretch. "We're home."

    Suki gave a small sigh of relief and opening her door gratefully
slid out. "I'm not really made for all this travelling," she
complained to no one in particular. "Four hours by train, another two
hours by car - that's not my idea of fun."

    Hotaru smiled fondly at the stretching brunette. "Suki, you always
say that about any form of travel. Heck, you even complain about the
bus rides around campus. Where's all your stamina, girl?"

    "In bed, where it should be," Suki huffed walking around to
stretch her legs. "You try getting up at 4:30 to catch a train and see
how you feel."

    "I did too, remember," Hotaru reminded the girl as the two of them
moved to help Haruka unload their baggage. "And I survived unscathed."

    Suki gave her a pointed look, "Knowing you, I'm not surprised."
She bent down and with a grunt lifted her case.

    "What's that supposed to mean?" Hotaru began, but she was
interrupted by Haruka.

    "Look, children," the older woman said giving each girl a long
stare. "Do you think we can save this squabbling until later on? I
want to get in."

    Suki blushed, and had the good grace to look embarrassed. Hotaru
on the other hand just smiled and silently took her case from her
papa. Haruka gave a small sigh and locked up the car. Muttering
something under her breath about kids in general, she walked over to
stand by the smirking form of Michiru.

    "Don't," the blond woman simply said as Michiru opened her mouth
to make a comment. "I'd gotten use to the peace and quiet. It'll take
me a while to adjust."

    Michiru gave her lover a quick kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry,
you'll get use to it. And by the time the week is out, you'll be
loving it - I know you will."

    Haruka did not bother responding to that and just waited silently
for the garage lift to arrive. Hotaru grinned over at Suki and leaning
down close to her friend's ear whispered, "I told you they would like
you, didn't I?"

    Suki grunted in response as she repositioned her hold on her case,
but other than that made no comment. Hotaru's face curled up into a
smirk as she recognized the silent treatment that the other girl was
giving her. Despite Suki's earlier denial, Hotaru recognized this
behavior as a prelude to one of her friend's moods. Well, in some ways
Hotaru could not really blame the girl. The slender brunette was not
someone who travelled graciously, and getting up at the ungodly hour
they had had to this morning had only made the situation worst. Hotaru
was not overly concerned though, given a couple of hours of sleep and
some food, and Suki would be back to her usual bright self in no time.

    As Hotaru had predicted, just after little less than two hours of
arriving, Suki politely refused the late lunch that Michiru had
labored over and quietly retired to bed complaining of a headache.
Hotaru saw her friend settled in, and then after wishing her a good
rest, returned downstairs to join her parents in the living room.

    Michiru looked up as Hotaru entered, her face concerned, "How is
Suki? Is she all right?"

    Hotaru made a dismissive motion with her hand and sat down on the
chair opposite the older woman. "Suki will be fine," she reassured her
mama. "She's just not the world's greatest traveller that's all, and
having to get up so early this morning only compounded the problem.
All she really needs is just a few hours sleep and she'll be back to
her usual bright self in no time."

    "And what about our plans for tonight?" Michiru queried, thinking
out loud. "We're supposed to be going out remember."

    Hotaru shrugged, "She should be fine by then if she's awake. I'll
check in on her in a couple of hours and see how she feels."

    Michiru nodded, "That's fine. It would be a shame if she could not
come tonight, especially after all the trouble I went too to get the
tickets."

    "Well, I warned you it was risky getting tickets for the same
night Hotaru arrived back," Haruka reminded her green haired
companion. "I thought it might be a bit much after such a long trip to
get here."

    Michiru shrugged, "It was the only night for which tickets were
still available. They _are_ a very popular group, you know, Haruka."

    Haruka sniffed but made no comment.

    "I'm not joking you know," Michiru emphased. "I had to pull one
hell of a lot of strings to get these tickets. They are the best."

    "If you say so," Haruka said with a grin and Michiru rolled her
eyes giving up. Haruka would learn.

    "Well, if Suki doesn't feel like going then I'll probably stay as
well and keep her company," Hotaru broke in, pulling her legs up
comfortably onto the chair. "You two can go on without us if you want.
We'll be all right staying here."

    Michiru was silent for a moment and then regrettably gave a small
shake of her head. "No, it just wouldn't be the same. I got these
tickets so that the three of us could go out as a family. It has been
over a year now since we last saw you, and I want us to spend today
together."

    "Hey, I'm staying for a month, you know," Hotaru said slightly
confused. "There's no need to waste a pair of perfectly good..."

    "It's a mother thing, Hotaru-chan," Michiru said with a soft
smile. "When you have a daughter, then you'll understand."

    Something about that statement made Haruka huff in amusement, and
Michiru shot the woman a black look. "So," the green haired woman
asked turning back to her daughter. "How are you finding University
life? Do you like the courses you chose?"

    Hotaru nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I do. Although, I'll tell
you, some of the assignments I've had to do this year have been real
pigs. I've been really lucky in having Suki as a study partner. She's
helped me no end."

    "How so?" Haruka asked leaning forward. "In your letters I thought
you said that she was doing history as her major, not social
psychology."

    "Yes, she is," Hotaru agreed. "It's just that she makes such a
great partner to trade ideas with. I mean, I can cope with the
research and all that, but arriving at the initial idea of what to say
is an absolute nightmare! I can't do it to save my life! And that is
where Suki mostly bails me out. She can come up with twisted angles
that the lecturer's just love."

    "Well, she certainly seems to have made an impression on you,"
Michiru commented with a laugh. "You hardly seem to be able to write
about anything else."

    "What can I say?" Hotaru said with a shrug. "I really like her.
She's my friend, and friends are something you need in Uni."

    "She seems nice enough," Michiru put in. "A bit on the quiet side
perhaps, but polite. I'm glad you get along so well together. And how
about your other friends? Are they like her, or are they a bit more
boisterous?"

    Hotaru did not answer but looked away as if she were slightly
embarrassed about something.

    "Hotaru?" Michiru sat up, concern on her face. "What's the matter?
I mean, you _do_ have other friends, don't you?"

    "Well... not exactly," Hotaru finally said avoiding the older
woman's eyes. "I... don't tend to get along well with other people,
you know that, mama."

    "You get along well enough with Suki," Michiru replied confused.
"Why should it be different with anyone else?"

    "Suki, well, she's kinda like me," Hotaru said slowly, trying to
put into words why she felt so at ease with the other girl. "We both
don't really get along that well with other people and..."

    "You must be joking!" Haruka barked out in disbelief. "That girl
is absolutely devastating! She must have boyfriends coming out her
ears surely!"

    Hotaru shook her head, "Not that I've seen. She seems to be more
interested in her studies than with socializing. I know that a couple
of guys have asked her out, but she always says she's too busy."

    "And what about you, Hotaru?" Michiru asked in a concerned tone of
voice. "Do you have anyone special? Any boyfriends? I mean, you are
dating, aren't you?

    Hotaru squirmed under her parents close attention. "Well... I..."

    "Oh, Hotaru-chan," Michiru said with a sigh. "Why not? Come on
now, you are a beautiful young woman. You're not the sickly child that
you used to be. You _need_ someone with whom you can share your life.
You need a companion, Hotaru, believe me, you do. Friends are all well
and good, but you need someone special as well. You can't go through
life being alone all the time, especially not someone as _special_ as
you are."

    Hotaru's squirming increased, but she did not know how to respond.
She felt guilty, as if she had somehow let Michiru-mama down. However,
even with that feeling, she just could not imagine anyone who was
special to her in that way. Or indeed, even why she needed such a
person. If she wanted to talk to someone, or just felt lonely, then
she would usually just go and find Suki. The girl was after all her
friend, and Hotaru always felt much better after talking with her.
Somehow, Hotaru could never imagine telling the private things she
shared with Suki to some guy. She had seen the ways some of the jerks
in her class acted, and personally, it made her cringe.

    "Hotaru?" Michiru pressed.

    "Okay, mama, I'll try," Hotaru smiled at the green haired woman in
what she hoped was a convincing way.

    "Please do, Hotaru-chan," Michiru said, knowing it would be
counter productive to push her daughter any harder. But at the same
time, a small suspicion that had been growing in her mind ever since
she had first read some of Hotaru's letters was now beginning to get
much, much more. And if she was right, it would explain a great deal.

    Haruka saw the thoughtful expression on her lover's face and
wondered what Michiru was pondering. It was something about their
daughter, that was for sure, but exactly what, Haruka was not certain.
It would have to be a question for later on tonight. In the meantime,
she wanted to know more about how Hotaru had gotten on at University,
so leaning forward, she began to move the conversation towards that
tack.

    It was late afternoon, going on early evening when Hotaru quietly
opened the door to the guest room and popped her head in. Inside, the
room was dark and from what little light was available Hotaru could
see that Suki was still fast asleep. It was not however, a peaceful
sleep. The girl seemed to be tossing and turning as if she were in
some sort of nightmare, and as Hotaru entered the room she could hear
Suki murmuring to herself quietly.

    "Mine... You are mine..."

    "No... Go away... Leave me alone..."

    Hotaru tiptoed up to the bed and looked down on her friend
slightly worried. Suki's forehead was damp with sweat and the girl's
face looked almost frightened. Whatever the nightmare was - it must
not be pleasant.

    "You will be mine... Give in."

    "No, no... Me... Me... I, me... Go away..."

    Hotaru had had enough. Reaching down she gently shook the girl
whispering, "Suki! Suki! Come on, love, wake up."

    Suki bolted up awake with a gasp, and for a moment her eyes seemed
to be staring wildly at something that only she could see. "Who...
Wha..."

    "Shhh," Hotaru smiled and gently brushed the girl's damp fringe
back from the front of her face as Hotaru tried to reassure her friend
that everything was all right. "Shhh, you're safe, Suki-chan. It's me,
Hotaru. You were just having a bad dream, that's all."

    The girl flinched at Hotaru's soft touch and then with a great sob
threw herself into Hotaru's arms. "Oh, 'Ru! Thank God, it's you! I was
having the most horrible nightmare! There was this... thing... It kept
on trying to... to..." Her voice was choked out by another sob and she
just clung onto the form of Hotaru crying softly.

    Hotaru gently wrapped her arms around her friend and tried to
comfort her as best as she could. "Hush, Suki, hush. It was only a bad
dream. You're safe, I'm here, and I won't let anyone ever hurt you.
Shhh..."

    Suki rested her head on Hotaru's shoulder and slowly she seemed to
regain some of her composure. Finally, her tears diminished into a
series of small sniffles. "Sorry, 'Ru," she whispered at last just
letting Hotaru comfort her. "I... I didn't mean to go to pieces on you
like that, but..."

    "Don't be silly, Suki," Hotaru told the other girl. "You can go to
pieces on me anytime you like. You know I'll always be here for you if
you need me, don't you?"

    The girl in her arms sniffled and then buried her head in the nape
of Hotaru's neck, "Really?" a tremulous voice asked.

    "Of course, silly," Hotaru replied, gently rubbing her friend's
back. "I promise. I won't let anyone or anything hurt you - ever."

    Suki lifted up her head and her wide tear stained eyes looked deep
into Hotaru's. "Promise?" she almost begged.

    "On my life," Hotaru murmured back, feeling herself deeply
affected by the look of open trust and vulnerability that her friend
gave her. And before Hotaru knew what she was doing, she lowered her
face and gave Suki a soft kiss on the top of her head. "Forever," she
whispered into the girl's fragrant hair. "Forever."

    A polite cough sounded from the door and Hotaru jerked around
still protectively holding the diminutive form of her best friend. Her
power flashed briefly in her eyes as she prepared to meet...

    "Oh... Mama... It's you..."

    Michiru was more than slightly shocked. Just for a moment, her own
daughter had looked like she was going to seriously attack her! And
the experience rendered her somewhat speechless. She blinked, and
taking a deep breath to focus herself, moved forward into the room.

    A nervous smile flickered across Hotaru's face and gently letting
go of Suki, she got to her feet. "Err... Suki... Suki was having a bad
nightmare," she offered, feeling that she needed to explain what was
going on. "It scared her."

    "Oh," Michiru said simply.

    "I... Well... I sometimes get them," Suki attempted to elaborate.
"And for some reason, they always get worst went I have headaches.
They, well, they usually spook me."

    Michiru's blank look was replaced by an expression of sympathy and
she came over to stand by Hotaru. "So, how do you feel now, Suki-
chan?" she asked, reaching over to brush the girl's fringe away from
her eyes.

    "Better," Suki replied with a hint of a smile. "They only affect
me when I first wake up."

    "At least that's something," Michiru said playfully ruffling the
girl's dark hair. "Have you suffered from these nightmares for a long
time?"

    "A number of years," Suki said with a small shrug. "They started
soon after my father's company moved us down south away from Tokyo. I
suppose I've sorta got used to them by now, but... well... they are
the reason I don't like to travel too much. It makes them..." Her
voice dropped off as she looked away.

    "Then you should really get some rest, Suki-chan," Michiru stated
gently as she put both her hands on the slender girl's shoulders and
pushed her back down. "We were going out tonight, but..."

    "No!" Suki blurted out and then bit her lip. "Sorry, I mean, I
don't really want to go back to sleep right now. I'm..." her face
colored and she swallowed.

    Michiru gave the pale faced girl a long look and then smiled
reassuringly. "Okay, Suki-chan, if you feel up to it, then we'll go.
But only if you're sure you're all right now."

    Suki nodded her head and pushed back the duvet. "I'm fine, really.
Just let me get a quick shower and I'll be as right as rain."

    Michiru looked at Hotaru and then back at Suki. "All right," she
said with a shrug. "I'll leave you girls to get ready then. But
remember, the concert starts at 7pm, so we'll need to leave here at
about 5:30ish - okay? That'll give you about an hour and a half to get
ready."

    "That'll be fine," Suki replied getting to her feet and putting
her suitcase on the bed. "'Ru, what sort of thing are you going to be
wearing tonight? I don't want to pick something that conflicts..."

    Michiru quietly exited the room and left the two teenagers to
their own devices. She climbed down the stairs and went into the
kitchen where Haruka was making herself a drink.

    "Haruka," Michiru began, trying to put into words the odd thoughts
running through her mind. "What do you think of Suki?"

    Haruka looked up from the fridge. "What do you mean, love?"

    "Just what I said. What do you think of her, really?"

    Haruka stood up. "She seems like a sweet enough kid. It's
difficult to say, I mean, I've only just met her. Why? Is there a
problem?"

    "No..." Michiru replied thoughtfully, tugging at a stray lock of
hair. "It's just..."

    "What?" Haruka pressed, putting her glass down.

    "It's Hotaru," Michiru finally said. "I'm worried about her."

    "Eh? Why?"

    "Do you think we raised her correctly?" Michiru said, turning to
look at her lover, concern reflected in her eyes. "You know, given her
a balanced perspective in things."

    Haruka frowned, her confusion evident on her face. "Sorry?"

    Michiru looked at Haruka and then with a small shake of her head
turned away. "Forget it, I'm just being too much the fussing mother."

    "No, love, what is it?" Haruka coaxed, crossing over to place her
arms around the shorter green haired woman. "Come on, tell me. You
know I don't like it when you start to worry over things."

    "But it's silly..."

    "Tell me," Haruka gently urged. "It doesn't matter how silly it
may sound, I want to know."

    Michiru sighed, and let herself relax in Haruka's warm embrace.
"It's just that I think Hotaru and Suki... Well... That they..."

    "What?"

    "Maybe falling for each other," Michiru finished.

    Haruka laughed and let her lover go. "Gods, Michiru, is that all?
You had me worried there for a moment going all serious on me like
that."

    Michiru's eyes narrowed and her lips whitened as she pressed them
together. "What do you mean 'is that all'? This is your daughter..."

    "Who is quite capable of making up her own mind about who she
wants to..."

    Hotaru pulled back from the kitchen and the conversation she had
not been meant to overhear and put out a hand to steady herself. She
felt confused, partly embarrassed and somehow guilty all at the same
time. She did not know why, there was no reason for it, but something
about her mama's words made her feel at fault as if she had done
something wrong. And in someways, her mama was right. She did feel
very close to Suki. Perhaps, even closer than was to be expected for
friends, but Hotaru did not feel sexually attracted to the girl.

    The relationship that the two of them shared was nothing like what
Michiru-mama seemed to be implying. Suki was someone that she felt
comfortable with, someone with whom she could share things. The girl
was a friend, a near sister, not a lover. And besides, Suki, like
Hotaru, preferred boys, not girls. True, Hotaru had not meet one that
"turned her on" enough to seriously consider giving up her virginity
for, but that was only a matter of time, nothing else.

    When Hotaru looked into her future, she imagined having a husband,
a family... All the things that were "normal" for people to have. Suki
was exactly the same. The girl would speak quite frequently of the
plans for her life. A job, a boyfriend, a husband, children,
grandchildren...

    Normal.

    Hotaru's fists clenched slightly as she turned away from the wall.
Normality... That was something that if Hotaru was truly blunt with
herself, she could never have - not completely. She was Saturn. The
Senshi of Creation and Destruction. She would always be different,
always be cut off, always be alon...

    "Aha! There you are," Suki called out from the top of the stairs.
"Really, 'Ru, I do wish you wouldn't just vanish on me like that. I
wanted to ask your opinion about what sort of style I should wear
tonight. There's two main choices up for grabs - ye old famous 'Black
and sexy'," she lifted up a short black dress that Hotaru remembered
did a very nice job of portraying her friend's lithe figure. "Or,
there's 'flowing and stylish'." Suki held up a darker navy dress that
was slightly longer and looked much looser in how it would cling to
its wearer. "Which one do you think would be best?" the girl said
looking down at Hotaru.

    Hotaru pushed her other deeper thoughts to one side and with a
small sigh, returned to more mundane matters. "Hold on, I'll come up
and you can show me what they look like."

    From the top of the stairs, Suki beamed down at her. "Thanks,
'Ru," she said merrily. "You're a friend in a million, you really
are."

    Hotaru did not reply.

    Just over two hours later the four young women were sitting down
in a large auditorium waiting while the "group" - aptly named "The
Players" - started to tune up.

    "When your mother offered to take us to a live concert, this was
not quite what I was imagining, 'Ru," Suki leaned over and whispered
in her friend's ear.

    Hotaru flashed the brunette a quick grin. "Mama has a more refined
taste in music than you kiddo, that's all."

    Suki did not deem to answer that one, but simply looked back to
the stage where the five violinists were just about finished re-tuning
their instruments.

    Faintly disappointed that Suki did not raise to her barb, Hotaru
tried another tact. "Aren't you glad I suggested you wear your navy
dress tonight, Suki?"

    "Why yes, thank you," Suki smiled back sweetly. "It would have
been slightly embarrassing if I had come in my clubbing dress."

    "Hey! You two! Shh!" Haruka whispered, leaning her head back to
give the two girls sitting behind her and Michiru an evil stare.
"They're starting!"

    Suki nodded her head in apology and closing her eyes, leaned back
into the seat to listen as the music began to flow outwards from the
front of the stage. At first the vibrations of sound were quiet and
simple, something like the sound of distant thunder, but slowly,
surely, the music began to become louder, the rhythms more complex and
intergrated. Suki felt herself begining to get lost in the music,
carried away by the trills and counterpoints of harmony that the five
artists on stage miraculously seemed to be able to draw from their
instruments. A small dreamy smile came over her face as she felt warm
and safe, protected by the tender wings of the melody.

    The power of the music was such that even the small nagging
headache that she had all night slowly dwindled away into nothing.
Suki felt absolutely at peace and the sensation of it was more
incredible than words could ever describe. Suddenly, she felt a small
hand tentatively touch her own, and without even thinking about it she
interlaced her own fingers with those of the other person and held on
tight. As the music continued to play around her, Suki slowly became
aware of the heart beat of the other person communicated through their
shared gasp. Whether or not it was just her imagination, Suki could
almost swear that the faint heart beat and the underlying tempo of the
music were nearly in perfect synchronization. For some reason, at this
time and in this place, this phenomena did not strike Suki as odd at
all. Tonight was a night when the logic of such things did not matter
- what was, was. She sighed, and pulling the hand towards her, let
herself get lost utterly in the delights of the moment.

    Haruka felt a deep abiding warmth slowly radiate through her body
as the sheer power and emotion of the music completely engulfed her in
its embrace. Without conscious thought she reached out and drew
Michiru to her. Her green haired lover snuggled up closely against her
and Haruka sighed in contentment at the expression that was on the
other woman's face. Michiru looked so relaxed, so happy, that Haruka
had to seriously fight off the urge of kiss that perfect face right
there and then. Resisting the temptation as best as she could, Haruka
settled for resting her head in Michiru's soft, fragrant hair and
watching the five players on the stage who were so engrossed in their
playing.

    All five of them were dressed in formal garb. The three women wore
long flowing gowns, while the two men were dressed in formal tuxedos.
Of the three young women, two appeared to be Asian  and the last, a
Caucasian, had impossibly red hair. The men looked to be Asian as
well, and all five of them were so focused on their music that it
seemed to Haruka as if each of them were simply parts in a greater
whole, a whole that was somehow capable of producing this... wonder.
She could now more than see why Michiru had been so insistent that
they come to this recital. Gods, she knew that Michiru was
exceptionally gifted, but these five... Impossible...

    Seconds became hours, minutes became days, as the music invaded
the hearts and minds of all those who were both blessed and cursed to
hear it. The melodies touched each person in a way that was unique,
carrying them off to memories of hopes that had either been long
denied or forgotten. It was a sensation that was simply impossible to
describe, as it seemed to touch upon the realm of the mortal and the
immortal, intermingling both.

    And then - silence. Complete and utter silence filled the hall.

    Seconds ticked passed as slowly, painstakingly slowly, people
began to return from those deep private places where the strains of
that unnatural music had sent them. For some, it was an experience
they could not bear, and from more than a few places in the auditorium
the sounds of crying could be heard. Suddenly, a single spotlight,
brighter than any other, shone down on one of the Asian girls and
slowly she stood up. Stepping forward, she moved gracefully to the
front of the stage.

    The slender girl had a pale complexion and short blue-grey hair
that fell just above her neck line. She was dressed in a cream white
gown that both accented and hid her lithe form, adding an air of quiet
nobility that demanded attention. The girl stood still for a moment as
her eyes swept over the sea of awed faces, then, bowing once, she
straightened and spoke.

    "On behalf of myself and my companions I would like to thank you
all for coming tonight. It has been well over a year since our last
live tour and we sincerely hope that you have enjoyed tonight's
selection of music." She smiled and then bowing once again returned to
rejoin the others, pausing just long enough to say, "Once again, thank
you for coming, and I wish you all a good night and a safe trip. Good
night." And with that the group rose as one, then bowed before quietly
leaving the stage.

    Silence filled the great hall like a void, a void which slowly
began to fill with the whispers and sounds of disbelief as it abruptly
dawned on everyone that the two and a half hour concert was over.

    Mouth slightly open, Michiru looked over at Haruka, her eyes
saying it all.

    "My God..." was all Haruka could think of uttering. "You were
right. That was..." she shook her head in amazement. In return,
Michiru just smiled a small mysterious smile and leaning over gave the
taller woman a gentle kiss on the cheek.

    "I know," she whispered as she stared deep into Haruka 's wide
open eyes. "I know."

    Surprisingly, Haruka blushed causing Michiru's mischievous smile
to deepen. "Later," the elegant woman whispered with a promising look
pulling back before poor old Haruka lost her composure altogether.
Humming merrily to herself, Michiru leaned her head back to see if
Suki and Hotaru were similarly affected by the power of the groups
unerrie playing. The sight that met her eyes however made that warm
smile drop slowly away.

    Suki and Hotaru were sitting, well, leaning might be a better
word, closely together with Suki's left hand clasped tightly in
Hotaru's right, each with a beatific smile on their young faces. The
two brunettes seemed to be completely lost in their own little world
and Michiru knew there and then who her daughter's choice for her own
special companion would ultimately be. The green haired woman sighed
softly to herself and let the images of small violet eyed
grandchildren slowly fade away. Haruka had been right, even if Hotaru
was her daughter, the girl was a child no longer and had a right to
live her own life the way she wanted to. True, Michiru had had hopes
that through her daughter she might have been able to experience
something of the joys of motherhood that her own lifestyle choice had,
but...

    A hand gently laid itself on her shoulder and Michiru turned her
head to stare into the kindly smiling countenance of Haruka. The
expression on her lover's face was both sympathetic and warm, as if
Haruka understood all the confusion currently running through her
other half's heart. Michiru's lips opened slightly and unconsciously
she drew in a small breath. In Haruka's eyes she could see all the
love and joy that the two of them had ever shared, all the hardships
they had had to endure, and all the choices that they had ever had to
make - everything. In that one instant, Michiru saw crystallized in
Haruka's eyes the result of everything that had lead her up to this
point and she knew that even if she were given the chance to do it all
over again, she would not change even the smallest thing.

    "Let them have the same chance we had," Haruka gently whispered
into the other woman's ear. "Don't interfere, love."

    Michiru leaned back into Haruka's muscular form and sighed. Her
lover was truly amazing and with each day that went by Michiru learnt
something new about her. Haruka was right. Did she really have the
right to deprive her daughter of both the joys and the sorrows that
she herself had been through? Oh, she knew that if she acted now she
could probably stop the relationship that she was sure would blossom
and flower between these two children, but even if she did, then what?
Would Hotaru be any happier? She looked back at the peaceful smile
that was resting on her daughter's face and gave a small sigh. How
often had she seen the child of her heart look so contented? Her head
dipped slightly in defeat, and then, putting a bright smile on her
face, leaned down to gently ruffle her daughter's dark hair.

    "Hey, you two," she said playfully. "Are you intending to stay
here all night or something?"

    As one, Hotaru and Suki's eyes flew open and the two of them
separated at a speed that seemed unnatural. Michiru smiled and
pretended not to notice the slight flush that was on her daughter's
face. "So," she began. "What did you think of them? Pretty good, eh?"

    Suki nodded, her eyes wide. "They were... incredible. I've never
heard anything quite like it..." She looked over at Hotaru but the
other girl seemed unwilling to meet her eyes.

    "Yes, they were," Hotaru agreed, trying to look at everywhere
except at Suki or her mama.

    Haruka's lips tightened as she caught sight of the subtle
interplay between the three young women and tried to alleviate the
situation as best she could. "It's a real show we can't meet them,"
she sighed looking over meaningfully at Michiru.

    "Well, it might be possible," Michiru responded slowly, taking the
hint. "I got these tickets originally through a friend of mine who
happens to be responsible for arranging tonight's show. If I talk to
him, he might just be able to get us into the after-concert party. It
might be a bit of a tight thing though, from what I hear anyone who is
anyone from the Tokyo Academy of Arts is going to be there."

    "Well, you're not exactly unfamous yourself you know, bright
eyes," Haruka said with a grin. "You should use some of that fame to
get us in."

    Michiru pulled a small face. "I'll see what I can do, but no
promises."

    "Try."

    "For you, sweetling, anything," Michiru giggled, giving the blond
woman a slow wink. She then turned back to look at Suki. The small
girl still seemed to be trying to catch the eye of Hotaru, her face an
expression of concern that she had somehow upset her friend. Michiru
felt her heart melt at the lost look in the young girl's eyes, and
silently she wished the two of them joy, however things turned out.
Releasing her breath, she leaned over. "Suki?" she asked, laying a
hand on the slender girl's shoulder. "Do you feel up to meeting them,
or would you like to go home now? I know it has been a long day for
you, so if you want..."

    "No, no," Suki smiled shaking her head emphatically. "I would love
to have the chance to meet them - really! That music was just so
incredible! It..."

    Michiru smiled at the sudden animation on the smaller girl's face
and held up her hand. "Okay, okay, I get the general idea. Let's go
and see what we can arrange then, eh?"

    Twenty minutes later the four of them were welcomed into a crowded
ante-room filled with a wide range of people who were milling about -
chatting, laughing and drinking. It turned out that Michiru's friend
was more than happy to get them invitations to the party, and once
inside, Michiru even became something of a magnet herself. As Haruka
had said earlier, the beautiful green haired woman was something of a
celebrity herself.

    As the dynamics of the party changed rapidly around her and people
moved this way and that, Suki found that she was soon separated from
Hotaru and her parents and was left to fend for herself. She shuffled
nervously about as the noise and sheer bustle of the people around her
began to become oppressive. The faint headache that had been driven
away by the earlier music now began to return with avengeance and what
was even more depressing was the hungry looks she began to get from
some of the prowling wolves moving around the room. They seemed to be
under the impression that she was some little lamb apt for their
divine attention whether she wished it or not.

    Swearing softly to herself, Suki looked around for any sign of
Hotaru or her parents. No luck - the party had engulfed them like some
kind of ravenous beast, so Suki did the next best thing and searched
for an escape route. She hated it when this sort of thing happened. It
seemed to be the curse that came as a direct result of her looks. Oh,
Suki knew that she was beautiful - hell, she had been told it often
enough, but she just could not stand the attention that those same
looks bought her. While others might have been ready to celebrate in
their good looks and use it as a weapon, to Suki it was just a curse.
She was by nature a quiet person who preferred nothing more than to be
part of the crowd. She just could not stand the pressure that being
the center of attention always bought her; it always made her feel
queasy. No, she had to find a way out of this place, somewhere she
could collect together her wits and once more enjoy that wonderful
sense of peace that she had been so blessed with tonight.

    Finally, she spotted her freedom in the form of a small set of
sliding doors that led off to an outside balcony of some kind.
Grabbing her small plate of food, Suki made a hurried bid for the
sanctuary that those doors seemed to offer.

    Wind... cool wind... It struck her face like a moist balm and Suki
almost weep in relief at the sense of being cut off and alone at last.
She smiled, and took a couple of deep breaths as once more she began
to calm down.

    "Ahhh... Peace at last..."

    "A novel way of putting things."

    The sudden voice speaking behind her made Suki yipe with fear and
spin around, adrenaline rushing through her system. Her eyes moved
wildly this way and that as she tried to spot the person who had just
spoken to her, but it was only when a slender figure moved from the
shadows and came towards her that Suki was able to see anything.

    "Sorry," the figure said coming into the light. "I didn't mean to
frighten you like that, but I was already here and I thought you might
want to be alone so I spoke up. Are you all right?"

    Still tensed, Suki took a moment to scrutinize the figure who had
so surprised her. It was another girl and as she came closer Suki was
able to make out some more details. The other girl was a gaijin, with
short flaming red hair and a pair of deep sea green eyes that were set
in a face that was white to the point of being colorless. The redhead
was as slender as herself and had a profound beauty that was...
unusual. High set cheek bones and an ivory like skin conspired to give
the girl an exotic, almost alien like look, and Suki found herself
utterly captivated by it.

    "Sam!" A voice called out merrily from behind the redhead and the
girl turned to greet yet another figure who emerged from the shadows
as well.

    "Ami! Over here!" the redhead, whose name must be Sam, called out
as a slightly taller Japanese girl with the oddest blue-gray hair came
running over with a bubbling expression of mischievous mirth on her
face.

    "Got you!" the latest arrival said with a laugh as she latched
herself onto the redhead in a way that was much more than just
friendly. She smiled and gave the redhead a deep kiss that made Suki
suddenly feel very uncomfortable. "Whose your friend?" the newcomer
finally ask after releasing the redhead and looking over at Suki
questioningly.

    "Which one?" the redhead replied strangely.

    "The good looking brunette, of course," the other girl said with a
giggle. "You're not betraying me again are you?"

    "Her?" the redhead shook her head. "Ha! Don't make me laugh!"

    Suki was getting increasingly uncomfortable, and the sense of
peace that she had just gained died away.

    "So, what's your name, little one?" the blue-gray haired girl
asked staring at Suki with a pair of reddish eyes.

    "Ami, don't be rude!" the redhead scolded her companion before
turning back to Suki and bowing slightly in apology. "Please excuse my
companion, Matsumoto-san. She is still rather new to all of this and
does not yet fully understand the decorum that this country has."

    Suki blinked. How the heck did this girl know her name?

    The redhead straightened and gave Suki a bright smile, but other
than that said nothing more. Her companion gave a small laugh and then
leaning down, she whispered something softly into the redhead's ear
that made the girl giggle. "No," she replied with a smirk as she
glanced in Suki's direction. "No, I don't think the little one would
appreciate that."

    Suki flushed in embarrassment and the blue-gray haired girl gave a
snort of derisive laughter. "No, probably not!" she replied, releasing
the redhead and heading for the sliding doors. "Oh, and don't take
forever, eh Sam?" she told the redhead as she paused at the entrance.
"I still want to get some fun in tonight, you know."

    "Yes, I'm sure you do," the redhead replied with a groan. "You
always do."

    "Hahaha..." the girl replied back sarcastically as she slid open
the door and returned to the party leaving Suki and the redhead alone.

    "Ack," the redhead sighed, looking at Suki with a pained
expression on her face. "That girl is getting seriously out of
control. Sorry about all of that, Amilee is still something of a child
at heart. It will take her sometime to adjust to her new status, I'm
afraid."

    Suki did not answer. What could she say?

    The redhead turned and walking over to the balcony leaned out to
look onto the city below. "So," she said amiably. "How did you like
the concert?"

    Suki was not exactly sure what she should do. While the redhead
did not seem to be threatening, the way she had casually bandied words
with the other girl at her expense did not bode well. But still...

    "I'm not going to eat you, Suki-chan," the redhead snorted.
"Minnows like you aren't really my style. I prefer something with more
bite."

    Suki felt her face go red and she decided that she had had enough.
This rude girl had tried her patience enough, it was time to leave.

    "Your headaches will get worst, you know," the redhead commented
just as Suki got to the door.

    "What!?" Suki burst out spinning around as her blood turned cold.

    The redhead gave her an amused stare. "I said your headaches will
get worse."

    "How the hell do you know about my headaches?!" Suki exclaimed,
crossing over to grab the redhead's arm and spin her around. "And how
do you know my name? Just who are you?"

    "No one in particular," the redhead said gently but forcefully
removing Suki's hand from her arm. "And as to how I know about your
headaches, well, a person in my position knows many things. It's part
of the job description unfortunately."

    "What?" Suki asked confused. "What are you talking about?"

    "I'm a Player," the girl replied with a smirk as if that word
meant something.

    "You..." Suki's eyes widened. "You mean you're part of the group -
the Players?"

    "Amilee's silly little idea, I'm afraid," the redhead sighed.
"Personally, I think it sucks but then..." she shrugged.

    Suki took a moment to take this insanity in and try and make some
sense of it. What the hell was all this madness about? How did this
girl know about her headaches, and more importantly what did she mean
when she said that they would worsen?

    "Run out of questions have you, Suki-chan?" the girl giggled.
"Shame, but then..." she shrugged. "Oh well, I'd better get going or
Ami will be wondering what's keeping me."

    "Wait!" Suki exclaimed and caught the redhead hand. "Please! What
do you mean my headaches will get worse?" She felt a small jolt of
fear run through her and she swayed as she abruptly felt faint. "Who
_are_ you?" a voice demanded harshly, and Suki was slightly surprised
to find that it was her own.

    "Ah," the redhead grinned. "So the kid gloves are off are they?"

    "Tell me!" Suki found herself gripping the redhead's arm in what
must have been a painful grasp for the other girl, but somehow she
could not help herself.

    "Or what?" the redhead said, easily breaking the hold on her arm.
"Shadows might frighten the children that live here, little one, but I
am no child. I'm afraid you'll have to do a lot better than that." She
smiled and turning around headed back for the party.

    "You _will_ tell me!" Suki heard herself reply and like a
passenger in her own body she turned to hurry after the redhead, or at
least she tried to. Her body however seemed to have other ideas and
stayed exactly where it was. She jolted, and abruptly the whatever it
was controlling her body was gone. She was alone, alone and very
frightened.

    "Sticks and stones..." the other girl giggled and then opening the
door returned to the party leaving Suki to stand shivering by herself
in the night air. She was however not shivering from the cold, and
when Hotaru finally came looking for her over thirty minutes later she
was still there - with absolutely no memory of why.

            *           **          **          *

Memories of tragedy...

            *           **          **          *

    "NO!" the brunette screamed in disbelief, dropping the phone to
the ground and nearly collapsing as the news she had just received
rendered her legs utterly powerless. Only through quick thinking, and
even quicker action, was Hotaru able to run over and grab hold of her
best friend before the girl just fell to the floor like a sack of so
many potatoes.

    "No!" Suki cried out again fighting to push Hotaru away. "NO!"

    "Suki, please!" Hotaru exclaimed struggling to hold onto the
slender girl. "Stop it! Please!"

    "They're dead... All of them... Dead..." Suki moaned in a voice
that was filled with such heart wrenching emotion that Hotaru knew the
girl could only be referring to one thing - her family.

    "Oh, Gods... Suki... No..." Hotaru whispered, as ignoring the now
weakening struggles of her friend, she drew the girl tightly against
her. Wrapping her arms protectively around the petite girl, Hotaru
tried her best to offer Suki a place of shelter against the storm of
tears and emotion that Hotaru knew was just brimming on the horizon.

    And break it did. Firstly, Suki began to shake, making small
whimpering sounds as the weight of the news began to overcome her
initial shock. Then, the small body in Hotaru's arms began to shudder,
as great gulping sobs that sounded like they were tore from the girl's
very soul ripped themselves lose from her mouth. Suki screamed, and
the black despair contained in her incoherent words shook Hotaru to
the core. She had never heard a sound quite like it, and it seemed
impossible to her that such a delicate creature as the girl she held
so tightly in her arms could have ever produced it.

    Of the time that followed Hotaru remembered little. Sounds,
emotions, the presence of the small form shaking in her arms, trying
to find the words - any words - to soothe away the impossible...
Minutes, hours, all swirled into a grey amorphous mass as Hotaru
focused everything that she was onto just one small thing - the
presence of the broken child she held so protectively in the circle of
her arms.

    The weeks that followed that single horrific night had been a
torment of the like that Hotaru would never have imagined she would
have to endure. The laughing, joyful, companion who had come to mean
so much to her had been shattered, and the broken shards that remained
seemed slowly to be vanishing into a darkness from which there was no
escape. And no matter what Hotaru did, no matter what she tried, Suki
seemed to die a little more with each passing day.

    Reason, begging, screaming - Hotaru tried it all, but Suki seemed
to be lost to her own despair. There was a great gaping wound in the
girl's soul and despite all Hotaru's desperate efforts, Suki was
slowly sinking into it, Hotaru knew what it was like to lose a parent,
but the darkness swamping her dearest friend's heart was beyond her
understanding. Suki, her two elder sisters, and her parents had been
extremely close yes, but this... this...  _insanity_...

    It was something that Hotaru refused to accept.

    Finally, and in utter desperation, Hotaru had turned to her own
parents for help. Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama were wise in ways that
Hotaru could barely imagine, and it had only been with their eyes that
Hotaru had first begun to see what it was that Suki needed to bring
her back from the abyss.

    What it was that they both needed - even if neither of them fully
understood it yet.

            *           **          **          *

Memories of love...

            *           **          **          *

    "Ha!" Suki exclaimed merrily as she waved the wine glass in
Hotaru's general direction. "I told you I would beat you, didn't I? A
first - with honors! Beats a mere 2/1 any day!"

    Hotaru resisted the very strong temptation to sick her tongue out
at her giggling roommate and just put a forced smile on her face
instead. If it were not for the fact that they were in a very public
restaurant, Hotaru would have more than happily showed the giggling
Suki what price came with mocking someone of her statue, but that was
something that Hotaru would correct as soon as they got back. Yes, it
was _such_ a shame that Suki was so ticklish. Yes, such a shame...

    It had been just over 14 months since the death of Suki's family,
and in that time the relationship between the two girls had developed
to a point that left Hotaru uncertain and nervous. They seemed to be
balanced on the edge of a knife, not quite in love, but far, far more
than just simple friends. It was as if they both knew in their hearts
what it was that they truly wanted, but neither of them were willing
to take the first step in bringing that secret out into the open. And
the uncertainty of it was beginning to drive Hotaru nuts.

    She was sure that Suki felt the same way as she did, but dared not
risk what they both shared by giving voice to her truest desires.
However, it was becoming more and more difficult to stop herself.
Every time Suki flashed that wonderful smile of hers, or walked around
their rented flat in a state of undress, Hotaru had to physically
restraint herself from reacting. Although, she would _never_ do
anything to hurt Suki - physically or emotionally - her life was
becoming like hell. Hotaru _wanted_ Suki, but after having spent so
long helping the girl rebuild her life, Hotaru knew that Suki relied
on her far more than the small brunette would ever admit.

    Suki was a sweet, open, loving young woman who _needed_ people
with whom she could share her love. When her family had died, one of
the central supports to the young girl's life had been ripped away and
without anyone to replace them, Suki had turned in on herself, gnawing
at her own soul for the love she so desperately needed. This was the
insight that Michiru had revealed to Hotaru, and how she had bought
Suki back from the brink. Hotaru had become the new foundation that
the brunette needed so much in her life. That action had however
bought Hotaru... complications.

    To Suki, Hotaru was a friend, a sister, the replacement for the
family that she had lost. To Hotaru, Suki was the girl she loved - not
as a sister, but as a soul mate. The strain of that conflict was
pulling Hotaru apart. She dared not push Suki, but soon, very soon,
Hotaru would...

    "Hey, 'Ru!" Suki's concerned voice bought Hotaru out of her
reverie. "Are you okay?"

    "Sorry," Hotaru smiled back, putting her personal problems to one
side and focusing on the brunette. "What were you saying?"

    Suki sighed and waved the menu back under Hotaru's nose. "Dinner,
'Ru, dinner. What is it you want, silly? Remember our bet, this ones
on you."

    "Nananana..." Hotaru pulled a face in reply and took the menu from
the giggling girl. From the way that Suki was acting tonight, Hotaru
could tell that it was going to be an, er, interesting evening.

    It was several hours later, that two giggling, and slightly drunk
girls, pushed open the door of their flat, and with a lot of "shhh"
sounds stumbled inside. The lights were off and Hotaru fumbled about
trying to find the switch. Her gropings met the wall and then as she
moved along it, she encountered a soft warm hand.

    "Leave them, 'Ru," Suki murmured in a oddly tense voice as she
pulled the entrapped hand away from the wall.

    "Eh? Why?" Hotaru queried as Suki gently led her into the small
living room.

    "I prefer it," Suki replied letting go of Hotaru's hand and
stepping back until she disappeared into the shadowed darkness of the
room.

    "Suki? What... Ouch!" Hotaru swore softly as she stubbed her toe
on the coffee table next to the sofa. "Suki, come on, stop..." It was
then that Hotaru heard a faint sound that stopped her dead. A sound
that cut through the warm fog of the drink and set her heart pounding
wildly.

    The soft rustle of clothes falling to the floor.

    "'Ru..." Suki's soft voice whispered nervously from the darkness
causing Hotaru to strain her eyes in an effort to catch sight of the
girl. "I... I... I need to know something, and please, you must be
honest with me... Please... It's important... to me..."

    Hotaru bit her lip at the uncertainty that was communicated in
Suki's voice. She was certain that she knew what Suki was going to ask
and her heart was pounding like a mad drum in her ears. Her throat
suddenly felt very dry, and her hands were shaking as everything that
she was became focused exclusively on that instance.

    An unnatural silence filled the room that seemed to stretch on and
on as neither of them was willing to speak, to give voice to the words
that each burned so much to hear. And with each protracted second that
slowly ticked by, the affects of the nervous tension on Hotaru's body
worsened. Her breathing began to come in short gasps, and her stomach
started to feel like someone was tying knots in it, but still she
remained silent. She was just too afraid of what she might say, of
what she might do if she was forced to speak first.

    "'Ru..." Suki tried again. "You... You have become very special...
No, I mean... Oh, Gods, 'Ru! I love you, damn it! I _love_ you!"

    Hotaru barely had time to register what it was that the other girl
had confessed when her arms were abruptly full of cool naked flesh as
Suki literally threw herself at Hotaru, sobbing. For an instant,
Hotaru was too stunned to do anything in response. This was the moment
that she had wanted so badly, had dreamed about for so long, but now
that it was here she had absolutely no idea of what to do or to say.
The flood of feelings triggered by the presence of the soft slender
form pushing itself hard against her cut off her ability to think. All
that she was capable of doing was just registering the presence of one
wonderful sensation after another.

    The silky smooth feeling of Suki's skin under her fingers...

    The clean, flower like scent that rose from the girl's hair...

    Her compact, perfect curves...

    The surge of physical sensations swamped Hotaru's mind like a
tsunami and she lost herself in the sheer wonderment of them. The
petite form nestled up against her felt so good, so right, that Hotaru
almost hated herself for not having the guts to do this before. Her
next actions were almost instinctive in nature. She wrapped her arms
tightly around the still crying form and slowly, ever so slowly,
lowered her head to softly kiss away the tears from Suki's eyes. As
her lips made contact with the moist skin, Hotaru felt the slender
body in her arms shiver and a pair of arms tightened their grip on
Hotaru's back.

    The taste of Suki's tears on her lips were more perfect than
Hotaru could ever describe. They were sweet, not salty at all. And
somehow, this was just how Hotaru had always imagined Suki to be.
Immediately, she sought to confirm this fact by pressing her lips more
boldly against the girl's pale own. Suki's head tilted back in
response to Hotaru's awakening desire and her reddish eyes looked
deeply into Hotaru's own. Just for an instance, Hotaru thought she saw
a look of triumph flash deep within them, but then Suki moaned her
name and the hot need that Hotaru had tried to deny for so long
overcame her completely.

    Sanity for the rest of that night was lost in a sea of desperate
desire and need. The first of many such nights, as at last, Hotaru
confirmed that she had found her other half.

            *           **          **          *

    Warm memories, painful memories, happy memories, loving memories,
memories that made Hotaru realize just how much she needed Suki to
make her feel alive, so...

    BLAAAA!!!

    The sudden sound of the horn and the screeching of brakes jerked
Hotaru back to reality with a rush of fear that elicited a small
shriek to escape from her mouth. Lost in her memories, she had just
stepped off the curb and straight into the path of an approaching car!
Frozen to the spot by the sight of her approaching doom, Hotaru could
only watch terrified as the car skidded to a halt, passing perilously
close to the place she was standing. Waves of adrenaline flooded
through her body and Hotaru felt slightly sick as the effects from the
hormone rush hit her full on. Her heart was pounding noisily in her
ears and she was shaking all over.

    "WHAT THE DEVIL DO YOU THINK..." the man in the car yelled at her,
adding a few choice expletives that made her flush. What in Heaven's
name had just happened to her? She had gotten so wrapped up in her
memories of the past that she had almost managed to kill herself! What
had she been thinking!

    The man yelling from the car began to struggle with his seatbelt,
and Hotaru had the sinking feeling that he was going to express his
rage at her stupidity in a much more personal fashion. Forcing herself
to move, Hotaru bent down to retrieve the coat that she had dropped
and spinning around ran off as quickly as her shaking legs would carry
her. Luckily, the pavement was fairly crowded, so she was able to slip
away with a minimal amount of fuss. Although her character may have
changed much in the last few years, one thing still remained true -
she did not like being the center of attention at all.

    Slowing down to a fast walk, Hotaru silently chided herself over
her stupidity. While it was true that Suki was very special to her,
she did not think that her lover would want her to kill herself
because of it. Hotaru shook herself mentally, and trying to put the
incident behind her focused once more on the task of getting herself
home as soon as possible.

    It took her another fifteen minutes before she was standing
outside the apartment door and fumbling with her coat to try and find
the key. Taking a deep breath, she bought it out and sliding it into
the lock muttered, "Well, here goes nothing..."

    "Tadaima!" she hesitantly called out as she closed the door shut
behind her. Utter silence met her words and Hotaru's throat tightened
as her heart began to beat faster. Slowly, and with an ever increasing
sense of foreboding, Hotaru took off her coat and shoes and carefully
put them away. Usually by now Suki would have come out to welcome her
back. The silence was not something that boded well, and Hotaru knew
that she was in for a rough ride. Taking a deep breath she
straightened her back, and with the resolve of someone who had the
power to shatter worlds she went into the main living room to meet her
fate.

    "Suki..." she called out hesitantly entering the main living space
of their apartment. "Are you..." She stopped, the room was empty.
Hotaru frowned, and with a nervous tension building in her, crossed
over towards the kitchen saying, "Suki, please, I know you're angry
but..." Her speech died away almost immediately. The kitchen, like the
living room, was empty.

    Hotaru's eyes narrowed, and entering the small room she looked
around. The plates from this morning had been washed and put away, and
everything looked clean and tidy - just as Suki liked it. But still
Hotaru could not shake the feeling that something about the room was
different, something was missing. It was almost as if the... well, for
lack of a better word, the character of the place was gone. Usually,
there would be things out on the work top, clothes that Suki was in
the process of ironing, various things left over from dinner, but
there was nothing. It was just clean, clean and empty.

    Hotaru's frown deepened and for some reason she shivered. "Suki!"
she exclaimed in a louder voice running towards the master bedroom.
Perhaps her lover was in bed with another headache. Suki had been
suffering from rather a lot of them recently, and she seemed to be
tired rather a lot of the time now. So, flinging open the door she ran
inside and looked wildly about. As with the kitchen, the room was tidy
and nothing looked out of place. The double bed was made, and the
fresh flowers that Suki had a tendency of buying each day were in
their vase by the window. Everything looked perfectly normal, but for
some reason Hotaru still could not shake she sinking feeling. Somehow,
God knows how, she knew that _something_ was wrong.

    "Suki!" she cried again. "Where are you?! Suki!"

    Nothing.

    Hotaru was beginning to feel worried now. This was completely
unlike Suki and she did not know what to make of it. She left the
bedroom and moved quickly to search the rest of the apartment, always
calling out Suki's name. Nothing, there was no sigh on Suki anywhere.
It was like her lover had simply vanished.

    Hotaru returned to the main living room and forcefully told
herself to calm down. She had to look at this sensibly. So, Suki was
not here - that did not necessarily mean anything was wrong. Maybe
Suki had simply got tired of waiting and gone out. There had to be
lots of possible reasons why Suki was not here, so why was she
automatically jumping to the worst possible conclusion?

    "Probably because I love the idiot..." Hotaru spoke out loud
answering her own question. She sighed, and slumped down into the
sofa. Brushing her hair back from her eyes she took another deep
breath and told herself to calm down. Suki had to be fine, just gone
out for the evening that was all. Absolutely nothing to worry about...

    "Just relax, Hotaru, my girl," she told herself sternly getting to
her feet and going into the kitchen. Picking up the kettle she filled
it from the tap and switched it on. Then, leaning over, she opened up
a cupboard and took out a cup which she then placed on the work top.
Turning, she opened the fridge and took out the milk, adding just a
dash of it into her cup. Putting the milk away, her eyes suddenly
caught sight of a small cardboard box pushed into the back of the
fridge that had not been there this morning. Curiosity, and the
possibility that this box might hold a clue to Suki's strange
disappearance, made Hotaru lean down and carefully take the small
package out. Placing it down on the work top beside to her cup, she
slowly opened it to reveal what was inside.

    "Oh.. Suki..." she whispered as she caught sight of the small,
exquisitely iced cake contained within. She looked at it for a long
moment, and then realized that this was what Suki must have been
working on so furiously last night when her lover had all but banned
her from the kitchen. Hotaru could still remember the tired but
satisfied smile that had been on Suki's face when her lover had
finally come to bed.

    One simple kanji was painstakingly, and beautifully, iced into the
top of a humble chocolate cake - the thirteen stokes of "JI". Hotaru
felt her heart begin to swell with an emotion that was more intense
than she could ever hope to put into words. An emotion that was made
even more poignant by the fact that Suki was not here to share this
moment with her.

    JI - the kanji which simply meant "to cherish" and "to love".

    "Oh, Suki..." Hotaru whispered again and closed her eyes as the
painful emotion filling her heart became almost too strong for her to
bear. Abruptly. she spun around and almost ran towards the bathroom
sobbing. Throwing the door open, she rushed over to the sink and
turned the cold water on. Putting her head down, she used both hands
to slash the icy water over her face. Once, twice, three times she
repeated this ritual until finally she straightened and looked at her
red face in the mirror.

    Two deep violet eyes that looked almost too big for her white face
stared back at her from the mirror. Eyes, that were at that moment so
open and vulnerable that Hotaru was nearly lost for words. Here she
was, the so-called Senshi of Destruction, reduced to little more than
a weeping child at the sight of a simple piece of kanji...

    "Oh, Lord..." Hotaru swore softly as she saw herself reflected in
the mirror, at how open and defenseless she looked. "I've got it
really bad, haven't I?" she told herself with a sigh as she grabbed
the towel from the rail by the sink and dried off her face. "Oh,
Suki... Where the heck are you..."

    A faint whistling sound suddenly reminded Hotaru of the kettle
that she had put on and tossing the towel to one side, she hurried
back into the kitchen. Grabbing at the kettle, she switched it off and
pulled the plug from the socket. Turning her attention back to Suki's
masterpiece, she very carefully packed the cake back up into its small
box and put it away into the fridge. There was no way she wanted to
risk getting it damaged, not after all the hard work that Suki had put
into creating it. Once that had been done, Hotaru poured the hot water
into her cup, added some instant coffee, and returned to the living
room. Sinking down heavily into the sofa, she started the long wait
for Suki to return.

    Her nose wrinkled slightly at the strong smell of the coffee as
she took a small sip. The hot bitter fluid ran down her throat, making
Hotaru pull a small face. Unlike Suki, she was not really a strong
coffee drinker and...

    Suki...

    "Oh, stop it!" Hotaru told herself sharply as her thoughts once
more began to dwell on the unpleasant. "Suki is fine! You're just
being silly - stop worrying!" However, her stern words did not have
the desired effect and Hotaru angrily put the coffee down on the floor
and grabbed at the remote to the TV. She started to aimlessly flick
between the channels until at random she stopped on a US import film
that was badly dubbed into Japanese. Putting down the remote, she drew
up her legs onto the sofa and tried to lose herself in the mindless
action of the movie.

    Hotaru continued to persevere with the movie until it got so
stupid that even in her current state she could not face anymore.
Getting to her feet, she crossed over to the TV and switched it off.
She took a moment to stretch and then glanced down at her watch -
22:45. It was getting late, Suki _should_ have been back ages ago.
Tonight was special, and they should have been celebrating it locked
in the passionate embrace of each other's arms - not like this! Hotaru
nervously ran her hand through her short hair as the feeling that
something was wrong once more flared to life within her.

    "Damn it, Suki!" she swore heading back into the kitchen. "Where
are you!?" She all but threw the cup into the sink and stormed angrily
towards the bedroom. Her worry was now beginning to turn into more
than just a case of irrational concern over her lover's whereabouts,
it was now becoming a genuine fear. Suki had never behaved like this
before, and Hotaru's imagination was only too happy to begin to supply
reasons why Suki was not here - all of which were dark and unpleasant.

    "Damn it, Suki!" Hotaru swore at her absent lover yet again. "If
you don't come back right this minute, I swear I'm going to show you a
side of my nature that you would..." Hotaru abruptly cut her tirade
off, and with a sharp in-take of breath tilted her head back to look
up at the colorless ceiling. "Oh, Suki..." she sobbed.

    For the second time that day a set of hot tears streamed down
Hotaru's face, but this time she did nothing to stop them. By now she
was just too wrapped up in her concern over Suki to worry about how
she might look. She stood like that for a good five minutes or so
before finally she turned and headed for the bedroom. Enough was
enough! She was going to change and go out and try and find Suki
before all this worrying drove her into an early grave!

    She flung open the wardrobe and taking out a pair of casual jeans
and a top started to change. Ten minutes later, she was outside the
apartment and standing in the warm night on the street below. It was
by now late enough for the streets to be reasonably quiet, and Hotaru
took a moment to look around her and have a think. She knew in her
heart that she was only really out here because she felt like she had
to do _something_, but now that she was here she had to try her best.
There was no point just rushing off to search randomly. She _had_ to
think. The local hospital? Should she try there? No! Suki was fine!
Her lover would _not_ be there! But where then...

    After a few moments or so of consideration, Hotaru nodded her head
and started off down the street towards a club where she and Suki most
frequently chose to spend their late summer evenings together. It was
as good a place to start as any, and besides, Hotaru needed the chance
to clear her head. All this worrying was driving her mad!

    The hours flew by with a speed that seemed impossible and before
Hotaru really knew it, she was standing back inside the apartment -
panicking. She had just spent the last three hours visiting ever place
that she could think Suki might have been. Nothing, she had found
absolutely nothing and Hotaru was beginning to feel frantic.

    When she had first arrived back to find an empty cold house,
Hotaru had almost lost control completely. It had only been by the
barest thread that she had managed to stop herself from going
completely to pieces. The fact that it was now nearly two o'clock in
the morning, and Suki was still missing, had ironically been the only
factor that had helped her maintain her control. She had to think! She
had to decide what she was going to do! Did she call the police? The
hospitals? Who? Think!

    Entering the bedroom, she yanked off the sweaty top that she had
been wearing for the last few hours and proceeded into the bathroom to
run her head under a cold tap. It was the only thing she could think
to do at this point in time - Hotaru was stumped.

    Taking a deep breath, Hotaru deliberately pushed her head under
the tap and held it there. The cold water slowly soaked through her
hair reaching her skin. The sensation made her shiver, but she forced
herself to endure the feeling. She needed it to calm her, to focus her
mind on something other than the numbing worry that even now was
threatening to overtake her control. Suki...

    The sound of the front door slamming shut whipped Hotaru's head up
faster than her slender body seemed capable of. A wild hope suddenly
erupted from within her and crying out in joy she ran towards the
living room, the excess cold water running down her semi-naked top.
The sight that greeted her eyes a moment later almost made her faint
with the rush of heady relief that flowed throughout her body.

    There, standing in the middle of the room was a petite, slender
brunette with brown, almost reddish-hued eyes. The figure was clothed
in a light summer dress and her face had a classical beauty that
simply stole away your breath. A face that locked onto Hotaru's and
almost seemed to be begging something that the other girl could not
understand.

    "Suki..." Hotaru whispered taking a small step forward, and then,
with a mad scream of joy ran to embrace her lover.

    "'Ru! Don't!" the girl shrieked and jumped back. "Please! Don't
come near me!"

    At her lover's screamed words of rejection, Hotaru froze. A
shudder of emotion passed through her body that made her sway. Suki...
Suki... was rejecting her...

    The petite brunette suddenly shuddered and her eyes widened as if
she were feeling some sort of intense pain. The girl took a deep,
gulping breath and her beautiful face twisted as a small whimper
escaped from her lips. "'Ru... Hurts..."

    "Suki!" Hotaru shrieked running forward as the brunette suddenly
collapsed to the ground. Dropping to her knees, Hotaru reached out
with her hands yelling, "Suki! Suki! What's the matter?! What's wrong
with you!"

    The girl started to scream, and wrapping her arms around her own
stomach curled up into a tight ball. Hotaru was at a complete loss at
what to do. The sight of the petite form of her lover screaming in
agony tore her apart inside, but she was utterly powerless to do
anything to help. The only thing she could think of was reaching down
to try and hold the other girl, as if somehow the physical contact
between the two of them could stop whatever insanity was happening.
Suki, however, even in the extremity of her pain, still tried to push
Hotaru feebly away. Desperately, Hotaru tried once more, but met with
exactly the same response. It was almost as if something about
Hotaru's attempt to get close, made the brunette's pain even worse, so
with no other choice, Hotaru got to her feet and backed away.

    "Suki..." she whimpered as the sight of her lover in so much pain
was simply killing her. She could not think, could not feel, the only
thing she could do was stand helplessly by and watch. Her mind had
completely shutdown. Even the thought of trying to use her power to
attempt some form of healing was banished completely from her mind,
Only one thing mattered, only one thing - Suki.

    In the moments that followed, it seemed to Hotaru that time itself
slowed down to an infinite point, an infinite point that kept
endlessly looping around her beloved's screams. How long this went on
was impossible to tell, Hotaru's only way of noting the passage of
time was by those tortured sounds. It did not even occur to her to
wonder why those screams bought absolutely no one to investigate. or
the reason why Suki kept trying to push her away. The only thing that
held her attention was her lover's agony - nothing else mattered.

    The screams suddenly stopped, and the room was filled with an
unnatural silence. It took a few seconds for the silence to percolate
into Hotaru's brain, but when it had her heart stopped beating.

    Suki was...

    Suki was...

    "Well, well, well, Saturn. It has been along time, has it not?"

    The sound of a voice long thought forgotten made Hotaru gasp and
she took a small step backwards in shock as Suki slowly got to her
feet. The petite brunette straightened herself and stared at Hotaru
with a slight smirk on her face. "You do remember me, my dear, don't
you?"

    "Mistress 9..." Hotaru whispered in horror taking yet another step
back. "How... Wh..."

    The girl laughed, and the sound of it sent a riot of shivers up
and down Hotaru's spine. She remembered that laugh. It still sometimes
haunted the darkness of her own nightmares, and here it was, emerging
from the mouth of the girl she loved more than life itself.

    "Why, Saturn, you did not seriously think that I could be
destroyed so easily, did you? I must admit, your strength did catch me
somewhat by surprise, but one victory does not win a war, eh? And
besides..." the girl's smile widened, "Thanks to your...
interference... I was able to find a Vessel much more suited to my
needs. A Host, strong, but unlike you, more... malleable..." The smile
twisted into a look of cold hate. "You cost me and my Master a great
deal, Saturn, and it pleases me that my revenge will cost you the one
you love the most. I will... will..." The look of hate resting
unnaturally on the girl's beautiful face suddenly changed to an
expression of pain, fear and confusion that twisted Hotaru's soul.

    "'Ru... Please..." the brunette moaned desperately trying to reach
out in the direction of her beloved. "I... I can feel her growing
inside... me... I... She... 'Ru... Kill me... Please, kill me! I...
ARRGHH!" Suki doubled over again as a fresh wave of agony tore through
her body. "'RU! PLEASE! YOU MUST!! YAAAAA!! KILL ME!! NOW!!"

    Hotaru raised her hands to both sides of her head and screamed.
This could not be happening... IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE! IMPOSSIBLE!!

    "SUKI!! NO!!"

        *           **           **           *

The end.