Wavering Destiny

Chapter 24: Crisis

Wavering Destiny
by Strawberry Moon Rose

Wow, thank you so much for the reviews! :D Sometimes it's hard to understand and be some of these characters, and I'm glad you like my takes on them.

Enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the characters. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi.
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Chapter 24: Crisis
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Everyone stared at her in surprise. In the middle of their heated discussion, they weren't expecting a twelve year old to interrupt them.

Hotaru clutched the basket in her hands. "Sorry," she apologized to the floor. "I didn't think anyone was home, so I let myself in. Is this...a bad time?" Her gaze flitted from the three women looking at her with mixed emotions.

Michiru was sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, Setsuna was situated in the chair nearby, and Haruka stood against the wall with her arms folded in front of her chest. They exchanged glances with each other, mentally debating whether or not to fill Hotaru in.

Setsuna finally spoke. "She's part of this too. She has the right to know," she said quietly to the others. Haruka and Michiru nodded in agreement.

Hotaru dubiously crossed the room and seated herself next to Michiru on the sofa. Tension seemed to hang in the air like smog. She sat the picnic basket of cookies on the floor by her feet. Her hands in her lap, she nervously balled them. "What's...going on?" she asked again.

Haruka sighed. She brought her fingers to her forehead, pressing lightly between her eyebrows. When she spoke, her voice was strained. "Our Princess has messed up the future," she said.

Hotaru was secretly relieved they hadn't been arguing about her, as silly as that seemed. But maybe that would have been better. "The...future?" she repeated.

"Hotaru," Michiru begun, looking uncomfortable. "You remember how close Seiya and Usagi were last year, don't you?" she asked.

Hotaru wondered what that had to do with anything. She pursed her small lips as she recalled the leader of the Starlights. They'd only encountered each during the battle with Galaxia. Even though she didn't know the Starlight that well, she could see that Usagi and Seiya had formed a special connection and strong friendship. "Of course. We made them stay away from each other when we found out their true identities. But they met up a lot anyways. Those two caused a lot of trouble for you guys."

"That's an understatement," Haruka muttered under her breath.

Michiru ignored her lover's comment and turned to the younger girl sitting beside her. "Last week Sailor Moon and the others went to their home planet," she explained.

"Their planet? Why? Was something wrong?"

Michiru shook her head, aqua curls bouncing at her shoulders. "No, I don't think so. They kept it a secret from us for some reason though, which was awfully fishy. It looked like they were only visiting, so we didn't worry or act on it. But now..." She shuddered. She couldn't see everything in her mirror, Kinmoku was too far away. She had assumed everything was okay until Setsuna showed up earlier that afternoon and dropped the bomb.

Violet eyes widened. "What happened?" Hotaru demanded, sitting forward on the edge of the couch. She hated being left out of the loop.