Sailor Moon Z: #12 - The Awakening By: Janelle Jimenez Official WebPage: http://www.indy.net/~pandora/sailormoon/zodiac/intro3.html The sun shone brightly on Rei, Minako, Ami, and Mako. It was one of the first times they had left Usagi's bed in over a week. She had remained in a comatose state, never fluttering an eyelash or stirring. The girls had kept a constant vigil at her side, vowing they would be there when she awakened. The Outer Senshi, however, were trying to get her to awaken, and not just hope that some day it might happen. Today the Inners had taken a trip to the park, Minako was picking a bouquet of red and white flowers for Usagi. Ami was in a daze, once in awhile muttering the words, "Shadow Star Ninja." Mako was following behind them deep in thought, her hands folded behind her head. Rei was just walking beside the girls, soaking up the fresh air she hadn't been able to enjoy. "This seems so hopeless." Minako sighed finally, flopping down into a park bench. She brought the bouquet up to her nose and inhaled the fragrance. "Its not hopeless, Minako-chan. We just have to have faith that goodness with triumph." Ami answered and sat down beside her. Rei looked at the two and then stared out to the sparkling lake behind them. A black object caught her eye, she looked closely and saw it was a raven. The raven was beautiful, just like her own birds Phobos and Deimos. Its wings appeared to be broken. Rei narrowed her eyes and looked at the small stones that surrounded the bird, it was obviously the doing of immature little boys who had thought it would have been funny to try and shoot one down. Rei bent down to touch it, maybe she could take it home with her and care for it she thought. Rei lowered her hand to gently stroke the bird to comfort it, when a tiny pale finger reached forward and touched her wrist. Immediatly a strange energy flowed into her and to the bird. The bird stood up, flapped its wings and flew away. Rei looked straight at who had touched her and saw a young girl, possibly only three years old. Her black hair came just below her chin, and the sun's rays pouring down on them had made it appear purple. She was dressed in a violet sun dress. The girl smiled brightly, her big violet eyes shining. "Hino-san.." she said softly. Rei looked at her strangely, "Do I know you?" she asked. "HOTA-CHAN..!" called a male voice far away, the little girl looked over her shoulder. "Sayonara, Hino-san." smiled the girl and skipped towards the voice who called the for her. Rei followed the girl with her eyes. She watched the girl jump into the arms of a familiar handsome white-haired man... Souichi Tomoe. "Professor Tomoe..Souichi..Tomoe.." Rei said to herself, suddenly she realized something, "Tomoe..HOTARU?!" she exclaimed and jumped to her feet she raced towards Souichi, who looked at her fearfully and jumped into his car. Rei ran as fast as she could, but before she could reach there, Souichi had sped away. "HOTARU!!!!!!!!" Rei screamed, Minako, Mako, and Ami had heard the cry and ran towards Rei who was out of breath. "Whats going on?" Ami asked gently, she looked down at Rei's face, Rei raised her head. "Hotaru.." Rei stuttered, "What about her, Rei-chan?" Mako asked. "Hotaru! Hotaru..Hotaru Tomoe.." Rei said still unable to collect her thoughts. "Yes Rei-chan, what about her?" Minako asked, finding the topic rather boring, she looked down at her bouquet and inhaled the scent again. Rei stared at Minako and shook her, "Listen to me! THAT WAS HOTARU!" she exclaimed. Minako gasped and dropped the bouquet, she scrambled to the ground to recollect them. Ami looked equally as shocked, but more nervous than anything. "Please repeat what you said, Rei-chan.." Ami said carefully, Rei turned towards Ami, cleared her throat and replied, "I said, Hotaru Tomoe is alive." * * * * * Setsuna dropped her cup of tea. "WHAT?" Haruka said looking critically at Rei. "She's back..she is..I saw her in the park!" Rei exclaimed. "Are you positive?" Michiru asked, resting her head on her hands. "Yes. She looks just around three years old, she healed a dying bird..then I heard someone call for her, calling her 'Hota-chan'...then I saw her father..it was Souichi Tomoe without a doubt!" Rei explained, trying to be as calm as possibly. "So, Souichi is hiding Hotaru from us.." Setsuna mused. "Why would he do that for?" Haruka asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, Haruka-san, obviously he wants some time with Hotaru.." Michiru answered. She was always the one with the most maternal instinct out of any of the Sailor Senshi. Haruka smirked. "Should we let her be Sailor Saturn? Does she even know who we are?" Haruka asked. "Yes," Rei replied, "She called me 'Hino-san' that was really.. really strange, I suppose she was being polite..but I'm sure she remembers us." "How disturbing, ne? A three year old with memories of the people she knew before.." Michiru commented. "I need to see her. Haruka, will you drive us over?" Setsuna asked, Haruka nodded, she stood up from her seat at the table and headed towards the door. Michiru followed Haruka and Setsuna as they walked out the door, she was followed by Rei who had begun to feel a bit left out. The drive to Tomoe Mansion was silent. When they finally reached the home, Rei felt even more uncomfortable than she was before. From their car, they heard a little girl speaking. Setsuna lead them around the house. They saw Souichi in a chair under a tree, watching his daughter who was standing by him and talking to him seriously. "Hotaru." Setsuna said. Souichi slowly turned his head towards their direction, his eyes filling with fear. He pulled Hotaru protectively towards him. Hotaru looked at Rei, Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna. "Meiou-san, Ten'ou-san, Kaiou-san.." she said and broke free from Souichi's protective grasp. Souichi stood up and walked towards them, Hotaru walking beside him. Michiru gasped as she saw Hotaru walk, a three year old who carried herself like an adult. "Why didn't you tell us about this before?" Setsuna asked Souichi. "I just wanted some time with her..you took her away from me after we were healed..then a few weeks ago I heard crying in her old room. I walk in and see the baby lying there..the sign of Saturn on her glowing on her forehead. I assumed what happened." He said, his eyes full of disappointment at the girls before him. "She's got duties to fulfill." Setsuna replied. "Maybe we shouldn't awaken her to be Sailor Saturn.." Michiru said, "You said she must never be awakened.." "But she needs to be reawakened..this is the only way we can save Sailor Moon and protect her safely for the next five years before she is Queen of Crystal-Tokyo..then, we can put Saturn back to sleep." Haruka whispered into Michiru's ear. "I don't want to be her." Hotaru answered in a perfect, adult voice. The same calm voice she always had used before. Her eyes took a look of emotionlessness. Everyone looked taken aback. "But thats who you are, Hota-chan.." Haruka said to her softly, "You ARE her." "If I become her, you all will be sorry." she replied quietly and turned to walk back in doors. They watched as she walked back inside, the way she carried herself frightened them, and her voice..it had been the most disturbing thing of all. "Souichi..what happened to her?" Michiru asked seriously. "I'm not sure..but..she has been very cold to people..except myself. At night she has nightmares she keeps screaming for Kaori to get away from her...and Mistress 9. What..have you done to her?" he asked, shaking his head, his eyes filling with tears. Setsuna frowned and spoke up, "Souichi..she's only three years old..you have to understand that it isn't possible for herself to be awakened yet. She shouldn't have these memories. They haven't been given back to her.." "No. That's where you are wrong..she may look three, but she isn't. Her mind..its mature..she knows more of her past lives than you realize.. all the pain..its all there.." Souichi cut in. "Well, we're going to need to take her from you..we need her." Haruka said sharply. Souichi looked up at them, "Did you notice how unaffectionate she was with you? She's resentful she's.." "Nonsense, Hotaru is too sweet and kind to even feel that way." Michiru snapped. "That was the old Hotaru..you did something to her..something evil. You made her hate her own father..she doesn't have to say it, but I can feel it. She cringes when I hug her, she refuses to let me help her do anything, and when she realizes a three-year old body cannot accomplish what she wants..you should see the anguish, the rage in her eyes.." Souichi said softly and quietly, his eyes flashed as he perhaps remembered an unpleasant memory. "WHAT DID YOU VICIOUS CREATURES DO TO HER?!" he shouted. Michiru looked taken aback. "Hotaru belongs with us, Souichi, you know she does..she needs to help us save the world." Setsuna replied calmly. Souichi laughed and walked towards the backdoor of the mansion. "Heh..'save the world'?" he asked as he opened the door and stepped inside, "You should heed her warning..you WILL be sorry when Saturn is reawakened." * * * * Michiru sighed, "That was the most..strangest..thing I've ever heard. Imagine! Telling us that Hotaru is evil now..and its OUR fault?!" she exclaimed. The Outers had dropped Rei at the Tsukino house, and the rest of them had gone home to Setsuna's house. "Do you think what they said was a threat or a warning?" she asked. "I think it was a warning." Setsuna replied, she looked quite upset at the whole matter. "I'm just shocked she acted that way towards us..like she didn't even acknowledge us as friends! Ten'ou-san? What was that about!" Haruka said shaking her head. Just then they heard a knock. Setsuna stood up to open the door, it was raining and dark outside. She slowly opened the door, lightning flashed. Standing before her was Souichi Tomoe, and an older looking Hotaru. She had to have been at least 8 years old now. Setsuna gasped. "Souichi! Hotaru-chan!" she exclaimed. Hotaru gazed up at her with the same strange coldness in her eyes. "Meiou-san." she said nodding her head. "Please come inside..your bound to get sick in that rain." Setsuna said, hurt from Hotaru's actions. She closed the door and led them to the living room. "Hota-chan!" Michiru exclaimed, putting her hand over her mouth. Last time Hotaru was reverted to infant form, it had taken her awhile to return to her normal age, almost a year in fact. But this time, she was aging extremely rapidly. "Kaiou-san." Hotaru said nodding her head. Michiru glanced at Haruka with a look of distraught, Haruka shrugged. Hotaru sat down in one of the chairs. "I apologize for the way I acted before, but it was only fair warning. Hotaru and I chatted a bit after you left.." Souichi explained. "As much as I hate to part from my beloved child again, I must. You see, I realized she belongs with you..and one day, when the world is totally at peace..then we can be a family together." Souichi finished. Souichi bent down and quickly gave his daughter a hug and a kiss on the cheek. His eyes shifted to the left nervously. "We already said our good-byes..please visit often Hotaru." Souichi pleaded, Hotaru nodded at Souichi. "Yes, father." she replied emotionlessly. Souichi nodded and walked out the door. The room was silent. Haruka and Michiru where glancing at each other, both critical of what just happened. "I'm going to my room." Hotaru announced, she got up and walked to her old bedroom, entering it and then slamming the door. The room was silent. "Was that scene strange to anyone but myself?" Michiru asked. "It was to me..what the hell is going on?" Haruka demanded. "You are all failing to see what trully matters here." Setsuna said quietly. "Which is.." Michiru urged. "Time has sped up for Hotaru, as you can see from her rapid growth. You also forget how powerful she was when she was but 16 years of age. I have noticed she grows with power everytime she is reborn.." Setsuna explained. "Her instability frightens me..what if the ultimate power that Saturn can be obtained is obtained now? She could destroy us all on a whim." "Maybe its best if we don't awaken her..the new enemies can be easily defeated without her..ne?" Michiru said nervously. "I'm afraid its too late for that, Kaiou-san." said an emotionless voice, Michiru, Haruka, and Setsuna quickly turned around. Before them stood Sailor Saturn, aged to at least 12 years of age...she smiled strangely at them. They noticed something different was about her, not just her age.. It all struck them instantly, she was dressed differently than she ever had been. This new form wasn't even her Princess form..it looked much past that. Michiru brought her hand to her mouth and gasped. "My God..what have we done?" she mumbled. "WHO are you?" Haruka demanded, the strange looking Sailor Saturn smiled, and raised her Silence Glaive, which was also impressively heightened. "In the name of Death and Destruction, I am the Messiah of the Silent World of Darkness, Emperial Sailor Saturn." "Emperial?" Michiru repeated, trembling. Sailor Saturn nodded, "I can save Sailor Moon." * * * * Rei, Minako, Mako, and Ami stared down at Usagi. It had been so long and still not a flutter of an eyelash, they where beginning to lose hope. Then the door opened..Rei looked up immediatly. She felt something grave in her heart, danger. She quickly took out a ward and chanted on it. The door opened wider and in entered Setsuna, Michiru, and Haruka. Rei sighed with relief and put the scroll of paper away. "Its just you..I could swear I felt the strangest premonition of danger.." Rei apologized and shifted her eyes back to Usagi. Michiru nervously cast her eyes towards Haruka. The door opened a bit wider and in strode a young girl. Her black hair cut to her shoulders, her purple eyes gazed at the room. She had a pale, thin frame. Minako recogized her immediatly and gasped. "Hotaru..!" she exclaimed. Hotaru nodded her head silently and strode over to Usagi. "Has she been like this the whole time?" she asked. Ami nodded her head yes. "She hasn't moved..her heart doesn't even beat..but her brain is fully active. The doctors cannot explain it medically." Ami replied. "Usagi is to become Queen of Crystal Tokyo in but 5 years..the people of earth will start to see why she is the true Messiah, this is simply one of the signs." Setsuna answered quietly. Hotaru kneeled down by Usagi's bed, she touched Usagi's pale cold hand. Immediatly Hotaru's body was surrounded by a purple aura. The sign of Saturn appeared on her forehead and her eyes started to glow with purple light. Usagi's body lurched upward as the energy filled her body. "No.." Rei whispered. The aura around Hotaru began to glow even brighter, Minako shielded her eyes. A moan escaped from Usagi's lips. Ami looked hopeful, it was the first sign of life in weeks. "No..stop it.." Rei said, she clutched her head, "Usagi! She's calling to me..STOP IT HOTARU!" Rei shouted. Michiru and Haruka stared at Rei. Purple bolts of electricity ran up and down Usagi's body. Usagi's eyes snapped open, her mouth dropped and she began to scream a bloodcurdling scream, Mako winced and gripped Minako's arm. "Rin..pyou..tou..sha.." Rei began, taking out a ward and chanting on it. "Rei-chan, what the hell are you doing? Hotaru is helping! See! Usagi is alive now!" Haruka exclaimed and smacked the ward out of her hands. Hotaru had her head bent down, the aura around her was blindingly bright, Usagi was screaming at the top of her lungs in pain. Rei glared at Haruka and gazed at the fallen ward, Hotaru raised her head and her eyes flashed, she stretched a finger forward and touched Rei's skin, the energy exploded around Rei and sent her flying back into the wall. Michiru gasped. "Stop her! She's killing her!" Mako screamed. "Just TRY to stop me." Hotaru whispered. Michiru looked at Hotaru fearfully and started to cry tears of anguish. Her heart was breaking to see such a beautiful-hearted person be so hateful and cruel. She was shocked to see Hotaru hurting Usagi, the one everyone needed and loved so dearly. "Why are you doing this?!" she demanded, fighting her tears away, trying to be strong. Rei groaned, she moved her arm slightly and pain shot through it. She worked the strength to pick up a ward.. "Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, sai, zen..." she whispered, she stood up and shouted, "AKURYOU TAISAN!!" she threw the ward at the back of Hotaru's head. The second it touched her body the aura went out like a light and she collapsed to the floor with a moan. Usagi's screams stopped and she lay back in bed, her open eyes looked upwards, her pupils frantically look from side to side..it was a horrible sight. Her body was shaking uncontrollably and her skin was grey and moist. "My god! USAGI!" Minako screamed and held her tightly. Her eyes glared at Hotaru. Hotaru wasn't standing where she was. Instead, she saw a 12 year old girl curled up on the floor in the fetal position, breathing deeply, and coughing. Her eyes stared up at Haruka and Michiru, with pure fright in them. Ami rushed to the Hotaru and quickly started working on her computer. "Okay, what in Gods name just happened there?" Haruka demanded. "It seems that..I don't really know.." Ami said finally looking defeated. "Was her body possessed by a being like Mistress9?" Michiru asked. "No..That Hotaru we saw nearly kill Usagi..is the real Hotaru." Ami reported, her eyes full of fear. "It can't be!" Michiru cried. "The Hotaru I know isn't like that! She isn't evil and cruel! Your wrong, Ami-chan..WRONG!" she said hysterically and began to shake the blue haired girl viciously. "Michiru! Control yourself!" Haruka exclaimed and pulled Michiru away and into a comforting embrace. "What about Usagi-chan?" Minako demanded. Ami looked down at her computer still a little shaken from Michiru's outburst. "She appears to be worse off than ever." Ami sighed. "HOW..Can she be WORSE off?" Haruka demanded. Ami looked down at Hotaru with sad eyes, then looked back at Haruka silently. Hotaru gazed at Rei and stood up, she was breathing deeply, "Please..forgive me.." she said staring right at Michiru who turned away, her eyes full of tears. Hotaru grasped to back of a nearby chair for support and her hand clenched at her chest. She groaned and leaned forward, the girls stared at her. She quickly opened the door and ran out of the room. Haruka cleared her throat and spoke up cutting the thick silence, "Perhaps none of you realized..Saturn should have never been awoken, but we didn't awaken her. She did it herself. She came to us as EMPERIAL Sailor Saturn..." she drifted. "Emperial? I thought Sailor Moon's final form was Princess?" Minako asked quizzically. "Minako-chan, that's for Sailor Moon. She is to become Neo-Queen Serenity soon, so having heightened forms of Sailor Moon isn't going to save us all.." Haruka answered. "Hotaru-chan has tapped that much power?" Mako said incredulously. Michiru shot her a look, "You know the Outer Senshi have always been more powerful than the Inner..but Saturn's power is even more than probably all of us put together. Do not let her frail body and kind hearted disposition fool you." Michiru replied. "Kind-hearted? Yea right.." Rei muttered as she struggled to regain herself, still shaken from the blast. This time not only Michiru, but Haruka and Setsuna gave her a look. "I do not think this incident was caused by cruelty." Setsuna said finally. "In all of time, people have become disillusioned when they come across power. No, this was not the true Hotaru here." she concluded. Minako slammed her hand down on the bedside table. "Why is it always Hotaru?! Don't you care about Usagi?!" Minako cried. Ami touched Minako's arm comfortingly. Everyone was silent, Minako had a good point there. Finally, Setsuna spoke up, "Because, Minako-chan, Hotaru Tomoe should have never been reawakened to the power of Sailor Saturn, because we have defied yet another law implemented by Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, I sense that the end of the Time draws closer.."