"It doesn't matter, it happened years ago.." Hotaru said half snapping at her, but not of anger.

She sighed taking a small deep breath.

"About Mistress 9...." She then answered honestly.

"You've been having nightmares about mistress 9? Haruka felt her blood begin to boil, and her soul begin to steel itself. Such was the anxiety and tension hearing Hotaru bring up Mistress 9 brought about. Haruka had been quietly hoping that it was her senshi abilities and her abilities alone that were making things difficult. It still could be.

"How long have you been having them? As long as these accidents and flair ups have been happening?"

"I-I've been having them for 2 weeks and no, my powers didn't start until a week after them....why?"

Hotaru answered in a raspy whisper, she quietly looked up to meet Harukas eyes, to see any comfort for herself.

 
Only a week afterword? Last Haruka had checked, the events with Mistress 9 were nearly instantaneous-anything and everything having a direct correlation with her powers and behaviors.

But that still had to be a solid part of it. If it wasn't Mistress 9, what could it be?

"What happened in these dreams?"

Hotarus lavender eyes had went wide the very second she heard the question.

"No! I don't wanna talk about that..." Hotaru answered quickly, actually raising her voice showing the anxiety she also had.

She didn't want to talk about that. Hotaru wanted to stop talking about it, her head had began hurting, from all the crying and she was now having a hard time processing the situation.

 
Haruka gently placed a hand on her shoulder. It felt awful, prodding her like this. It was clear by her body language that her nerves were at their limit. But if they didn't talk about it now, when would they? Time was of the essence and, seeing as her powers were out of control enough to harm Haruka, the sooner the better.

"Please? Even just a little bit would help."

"I said no, I don't want to talk about it"

Hotaru stated again, her hands glowed slightly, she was past her limit and was holding it back best she could. She just couldn't bare to hurt Haruka again, the thought of seeing and hearing that pain she had caused was too much before to process.

Hotarus nightmare had something bad in it at least to hold herself back from telling.

Haruka halted in her tracks. Hotaru's hands had started glowing again, though not like before. It was only a small flicker in comparison to the outburst of power that had burned Haruka's. The last time they glowed was when she got angry.

Did all of this have to do with Hotaru's emotional state?

Realizing this, it was useless to push on the subject further-at least for now. Haruka sighed heavily and stood up from the chair.

"We're going to have to talk about this sooner or later, Hotaru." She mumbled as she pushed the desk chair back in its appropriate spot.

"Haruka....It's hard to see it every night...to actually say it..." Hotaru answered trailing off, Haruka was right though, she had to talk about it. But what could Haruka do to make them going away and help her powers?

These thoughts went through her mind and the young senshi of silence who was very intelligent couldn't even figure out a solution. Hotarus lavender eyes met Harukas bandaged wrists and tears showed once more, she felt so guilty and horrible. She even thought she didn't have a right to call Haruka "Daddy" or "Papa" anymore....

Hotaru, wanting to make it up to her, slowly got up and quietly walked over to the tall blonde and put her small hands on Harukas wrists wincing as moved her right bandaged arm that once had the stone but still... they immediately glowed healing the burns. Now if she knew how to heal herself....that'd be good since her bruises were still there and she felt weak.

'I guess I did get sick because of the rain but... I need to go to school tomorrow and talk to Aiko-San' Hotaru thought determined.

Without warning, Hotaru had placed her hands on Haruka's injuries. Before Haruka could say anything, her hands started to glow. The light enveloped the bandages, and the pain grew less and less. It was a warm sensation, like having your hands dipped in warm water after a cold autumn afternoon.

"Hotaru-chan...?"

"I know...it's not enough to make up for it but...." Hotaru stated trailing off and her eyes glanced off as well.

She knew shouldn't heal two separate injuries at once for this drains her a bit more but the young senshi didn't care, right now her mind was set on  healing Haruka. Soon enough Hotaru was finished and slowly took her small hands off her wrists.

Haruka blinked. Slowly, as if she were touching fine china, she removed the bandages. First her left hand, then her right, and could only stare mouth agape at them.

Nothing. No scabs, no redness, no blood. There was nothing. It was as though the injuries hadn't even happened. After a few moments of her mouth floundering open and shut, Haruka finally found her voice:

"Hotaru, how did you do this..?"

"I-it's not that hard, I'm able to heal it like that..." Hotaru stuttered suddenly feeling weak. Of course, she used too much of her powers.

Still she had her eyes glanced away from the taller senshi.

"I know it doesn't make up for what I did but..." She repeated  once more trailing off before finishing since she had tears in her lavender eyes once more.

"Doesn't make up for what you did?" Haruka let out a small chuckle, and placed a hand on her head. She began to ruffle through Hotaru's hair, and began to count using her other hand as she began to make a verbal list:

"Lets see; You didn't mean to injure me. You felt bad and apologized over and over. Now, my injuries are gone."

Haruka stopped ruffling her hair and held out her three fingers.

"That's three things you've done. Pretty sure they outnumber this one accident, don't you think?"

"No..." Hotaru muttered honestly wincing in a little pain when the hand was on  her head and her hair was ruffled.

"I don't want you to hate me...and i don't to lose you Haruka...." She admitted biting her lower bruised lip nervously for the reply to come.

"Ah, Hotaru." Haruka sighed deeply and patted her on the shoulder.

"I've said it once before, and I'll say it again. I could never hate you, Hotaru. Besides..."

Haruka pointed at herself proudly with her index finger. "It's gonna take a lot more then some flashy light show to take me out. Believe me. I'm not going anywhere."

She at least hoped that this would bring the child some solace. To say that Hotaru was upset was an understatement.

Hotaru stood dumbfounded for a quick moment before slowly nodding. "Yea...." 

Hotaru answered honestly. How was Haruka so calm? She also knew Haruka was trying to cheer her up but she still didn't feel better.

Hotaru felt even even more weak than before, then she immediately realized why, she had used too much of her powers within a few hours for too long! What shocked her most was that she had gone far past her limit. Hotarus powers allowed her to heal once mabe twice depending on the injury but not like this. Slowly her vision went partially black and she gripped harukas arm and the bed clinching her eyes tightly.

"Hotaru? HOTARU!"

Hotaru collapsed mid-sentence, managing to have a half-hazard grip on Harukas arm. Even though she was small in stature, the amount of weight on Haruka's previously injured arm hit suddenly and quickly, and she found herself immediately off balance. Haruka's concern wasn't on herself, however, but the small girl grasping to the side of the bed as well. In the same moment Haruka landed on her knees, she managed to prop Hotaru upright by her shoulders, her head landing on Haruka's chest instead of the hard ground.

"Hotaru? Hotaru! Hey!" Haruka's heart lurched with each passing second as she gently shook her. "Can you hear me? Hotaru!"

"I feel weak Haruka-san." Hotaru muttered against her chest her eyes opening a little tiredly as a sign that she could in fact hear Haruka.

She didn't even realize what had happened until she felt the warmth of her father figure catch her from falling.

'Dang it... I hate my limits...I went too far past it...along with running all the way home.' Hotaru thought to herself as she felt her world going black once more and snapped out of it feeling pain in her bruised arm and she winced loudly.

This was bad.

Very bad.

Even though Hotaru managed to respond, she seemed to fade into unconsciousness again, only to be dragged out of it by some intense pain. Haruka felt as though her heart was going to pound right out of her chest.

"Hotaru...hang in there!"

Carefully scooping Hotaru up, it took all her energy not to just storm down the stairs at the mach speed she was capable of. Hotaru was weak enough as it was, she didn't need to be bounced around.

With Hotaru still in her arms, she reached the telephone and began to dial for an ambulance.

"I'm....okay, Papa, I used...too much of...my powers." Hotaru answered slowly.

Hotarus breathing slowly became steady as she fell in a small deep sleep. She had never felt so weak nor this much pain in a long time. Though yet she seemed so peaceful in that small moment with her arms on her lap and her head resting on Harukas chest, using it as a pillow.

Despite Hotaru's statement, it was clear that she was anything but okay. He breathing slowed as she became completely unconscious this time, and Haruka could feel her body go limp in her arms. The very second she heard someone's voice on the other end, it took all she could to keep her from screaming into the receiver.

"Yes, Hello, I've got an emergency." She almost dropped the phone, her hands were trembling so bad. "My daughter, Hotaru, has kept falling in and out of consciousness" A pause. "About two times....yeah..."

Haruka knew she couldn't tell them the real details, that there were supernatural forces at play, so she did her best to answer around them. As the person on the other end said she would send an ambulance, her heart seemed to race a little less. Haruka continued to talk and relay the information as best she could.

"We were talking in her bedroom, she gave me a hug, then collapsed. She tried to talk to me again, collapsed a second time. I grabbed her and ran downstairs knowing full well we'd need an ambulance and so that she'd be as close to the door as possible."

At that moment, red lights could be seen flashing outside. "Ah! They're here! Thank you, m'am. Thank you."

Haruka hung up just as the paramedics opened the door, a gurney being pushed by one of them; it made a loud clank as it went up the entryway stairs. Without missing a beat, Haruka ignored the men motioning for her to give her to them, and gingerly placed her in the gurney herself. The men got to work, and loaded her into the back of the ambulance, hooking her small frame up with all sorts of equipment, and an oxygen mask was placed on her face.

As soon as the doors shut and the engine started, Haruka darted back inside the house as quick as her feet could carry her. She grabbed her communicator and her keys-nearly knocking over the present Chibiusa had left in the process. Haruka only glanced at the note briefly-thanking the heavens above that Chibiusa hadn't been present for this; it would have been harder to get Hotaru to safety if there was an additional child that needed to be calmed down-and ran out the door locking it behind her. Ignoring the voices of the neighbors who had come out of their homes, curious about the commotion, she jumped into the drivers seat of her car, jabbed the key in the engine so hard it may have bent, and sped off, tires screeching as she spun out of the driveway and onto the busy evening street.

An hour or so later, which had felt like merely a few minutes for the young senshi she had finally groaned opening her eyes slowly and looked around blinking. It wasn't Harukas nor her bedroom. Then her eyes met the window and they widened a bit as she woke up fully. The hospital!? When was this? And how did she even get here?

Hotaru slowly sat up, when she didn't see Haruka at the window her heart began racing in a small panic.

'Haruka...w-where are you...?' Hotaru asked herself.

"Haruka-papa where are you?" She asked once more but actually out loud.

 
"Damn!" Haruka gritted her teeth as she wailed on her horn for what seemed like the fiftieth time. All it took was for one car to get in-between her car and the ambulance at the turnoff, and she lost track of the it in no time. Before long, she wasn't moving much, as the traffic she found herself in became more congested as the feet went on, eventually slowing her otherwise speeding car to an unexpected and unwanted halt.

"Damn it all!" Haruka screeched, as she rolled down the window. She stuck her head out, praying quietly that she wouldn't see the flashing emergency lights anywhere. The last thing they needed to do was get stuck as well; and Hotaru's well being was on the line.

Thankfully, the ambulance was nowhere in sight. While that settled her rage a little, it prompted her to begin swearing like a sailor while her head was still outside.

"CMON! MOVE ALREADY!" Haruka hollered as she slammed her fist on the horn, and let it stay there. The high-pitched wail echoed proud and loud.

This would have to get someone moving.

Meanwhile Hotaru was in a small panic, she quickly looked to the chairs next to the bed and no one was there and it made anxiety prickle inside her. Where was she?

"Haruka-Papa..." She said again, scared that maybe Haruka wasn't even coming. Laying back down, she drifted back off to another deep sleep.

 
Well, something got moving. But it wasn't the cars.

Haruka groaned and plopped her head against the steering wheel as a man, fairly well built and seemed to be in his mid-to late-forties got out of his pickup truck about a lane across from her. She heard the moans and hollers of the annoyed pedestrians as he cracked his knuckles and approached her car door.

It was obvious by his posture that he was looking for something-or someone-to take his frustrations on. And Haruka and her foul mouth just became the target. Without even so much as batting an eye, she stared him down.

"What do you want? Look, If I got you mad, I'm sorry." Haruka clenched the steering wheel, hoping it would calm her nerves. He wasn't the only one looking for something to take his frustration out on. "It's just that there's-"

Before she could even finish her sentence, the man hurled his foot into the car door. The sound of bending metal could be heard, and the blood rushed to her head.

Did this jerk just dent the door of her sports car?

"OH NO YOU DID NOT!" Haruka screamed, as she opened the drivers side door so suddenly, the man was knocked over; having not been given a chance to step away from the angry blonde's vehicle. She rolled up her sleeves, reared her arm back, and was just about to deck him before someone else caught her arm. Still fuming with anger, she whipped her head back to see a police man staring sternly back at her.

Her rage for her beloved car deflated in an instant. The man scurried off like a scared mouse back to his truck, a few shades paler.

"H-hey, officer." Haruka stammered out, taking note of the small glimmer of silver on the side of his belt. Handcuffs. This was the last thing Haruka needed. "Look, I'm sorry I just lost my temper. My daughter-she just got rushed off to the hospital. I was following the ambulance but lost it, and was yelling my frustrations when that guy-" She jabbed a finger to the man in the truck, she could have sworn she heard him yelp when their eyes met. "-Decided it was a good idea to kick the hell out of my door."

The officer just stood there, unmoving. Haruka sighed. "Look, all I'm asking is to meet her in her hospital room. I'm sure she's already awake and scared being alone in there. You can arrest me after I see her."

Hotaru was still out stuck in a nightmare once more, but she could not wake, she hoped that someone just might soon.

'Haruka...' She cried in her sleep, a few tears dripping in her sleep as her symbol glowed dimly sending a signal throughout the area.

 
Haruka lowered her eyes in shame as the officer walked back to his car that was parked on the sidewalk. He began to say something into his radio, and his lights switched on. So this is how it was going to go. The one time Hotaru truly needed her, and she couldn't keep her attitude in check and it got her arrested. She shut her eyes and brushed her hair past her forehead, fighting back tears.

Some father figure she was.

Haruka was ready to accept her fate in the slammer as he walked back. He motioned for her to get back in her car, and she did so without a fuss.

Having her drive her car there as evidence of the fight, huh? Smart guy.

Suddenly, to her surprise, he turned on his sirens and the cars began to pull over to the side. Haruka could only stare in disbelief-her mouth hanging open as he pulled his car in front of her moving a forward a bit and then stopping. He stuck his hand outside of the window and motioned her to follow him.

Haruka couldn't believe it! She wasn't getting arrested! She was getting an escort!

A few tears rolled down her cheeks as they made their way out of the congestion and back onto the open road. Before long, they both pulled into the ambulance parking lot. Haruka was immediately out of her car and across the parking lot to the main entrance. Before she entered the hospital, she turned around to see the officer taking a picture of her car door-as evidence for the fight, most likely. Haruka cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted:

"Thank you, officer!"

And immediately took off for the front desk. Haruka soon found out which floor Hotaru was being held at, and which room number. She slid the door to Hotaru's room open, and out of breath she called for her:


"Hotaru!"

Hotaru was once in a deep sleep again, tears were streaming down her cheeks as her heart was racing and her symbol dimly glowed, she was having a nightmare once more...

She could hear the voice saying her name but only groaned softly in her sleep not even moving.