Title: Innocence
Author:Devon Smith
Email:devons@direct.ca
Rating: PG-13(maybe PG, but I'm a harsh critic of myself)

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Innocence v 1.0
Devon Smith

 The man was an answer to her prayers.  Jenny was a missionary sent to Japan
to run a Christian orphanage.  Jenny had studied the culture and was fluent
in Japanese.  Jenny was a devoted Catholic, who wholeheartedly gave herself
to the children, but the church was facing hard times and hard decisions.
It was time to let go.

 "Yes," said the man, taking a sip of tea, "I intend to fully fund this
orphanage.  After all," the man smiled, "we can't allow the children to be
thrown out in the street.  No, I couldn't allow that."

 "Thank you, sir," said Jenny.  "I can't thank you enough."

 "Of course, I hope you will continue to run the orphanage."

 It would mean giving up her title as a missionary, but she would do
anything for her children.  "Certainly."  Jenny was almost jumping out of
her seat.

 "Good, because I wasn't going to give you a choice."

 Jenny didn't see it before, occupied with her own worry, but she saw it
now.  Something in the man's eyes gave her pause.  Her hackles raised.  The
man's eye began to glow and a beam sprang from them.  When Jenny tried to
move, she found she was paralyzed.

 The man laughed.  "Yes, you will do nicely."  He snapped his fingers, and
his servant came.  "What would I do without you, Esmeldra?"

 Esmeldra was a fiery redhead dressed in a maid outfit.  In her head, she
held a platter, upon which a box was placed.  She had a cruel grin on her
face.  "I'm sure you could accomplish much."

 "Don't be so modest my dear.  I value all my servants."  The man peered at
Jenny, his hand resting on the box.  "She will be a great ally to our
cause."  He opened the box and removed a small black pulsating egg.

 "Why do we have to mess around with children?  They're wimps," stated
Esmeldra.  "Then we wouldn't need her."  Jealousy pervaded her voice.

 The man looked at Esmeldra.  "So far, these children have resisted all our
attempts to control them.  We must find out why before we revive our silent
messiah."

 "We don't need her," claimed Esmeldra.

 The men turned and looked at Jenny.  The pulsating egg was moved closely as
Jenny tried to scream.  "Nevertheless, if we can control the children, we
can use them to get rid of our greatest menace."

 "The Sailor Senshi," whispered Esmeldra.

 "Exactly," said the man as the pulsating egg made contact and was absorbed
into Jenny.  At last Jenny broke the paralysis, but all she could was
scream.  The person who was Jenny was no more.

***

 Hotaru Tomoe had misgivings about today, the day Michiru-mama and
Haruka-papa decided that she should resume her schoolings.  Hotaru had
retained most of the memories of her previous life, along with the period of
accelerated growth.  Michiru, Haruka, Setsuna and of course, her father
privately taught her, so she had enough knowledge to pass at her apparent
age.  In fact, her intelligence could be measured of that of an eighteen
year old, even though she looked 13 years old.  On the application, Haruka
claimed that Hotaru was sixteen old, even though the tests didn't bear that
out.  The administrators demanded Hotaru be put in an accelerated class, but
Haruka(as always) got her way.

 Haruka claimed the foreboding she felt was simply because this was the
first day of school in her current incarnation.  Hotaru could remember the
first time she went to school in her previous incarnation and it felt
nothing like this.  In fact, it started to increase as she passed an old
stone building covered with ivy.

 Hotaru had to look up at the building which was surrounded by lush green
fields.  The building itself had an American look at it, given its perchance
for wide open space instead of the typical Japanese efficient packedness.
Stained glass indicated that Christians ran the place.

 Most remarkable was the sight of young children playing.  Even with the
eerie feeling the place gave her, Hotaru had to smile.  So intent was she
enjoying the scene that she never noticed the rubber ball that headed over
the chain link fence surrounding the place.  The ball hit her squarely in
the head.

 "Ow," said Hotaru, more startled then hurt.  She looked at the object that
just hit her and bent to pick it up.

 "Hey, can I have my ball back?" asked a small female voice.  Hotaru looked
at to find a four-year old girl looking at her.  The slight figure had
blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, blue eyes and a cherub face.  Hotaru
smiled as she picked up the ball.  The girl reminded Hotaru of Chibi-Usa.

 "Sure."  Hotaru gave the ball a hearty toss, throwing it over the fence and
50 metres beyond.  Hotaru had forgotten that she had incredible strength,
always remembering the weakness of her previous incarnation, she was unused
to it.  "Sorry."

 "Wow, that was remarkable, can you do it again?" asked the girl looking at
Hotaru with awe.

 "I don't think I should," said a cautious Hotaru.

 "Fran, stop bugging this nice person," came a nearby voice.  Hotaru turned
her head to find an American as the source.  The American woman was around
5'6" tall, with short brown hair and hazel eyes.

 "I'm sorry Jenny," said the little girl, Fran.  "I just wanted my ball
back."

 "It's quite alright," laughed Hotaru, "it was my pleasure."  Jenny picked
up Fran then stared at Hotaru.  It made Hotaru very uncomfortable.  Hotaru
scratched her head.  "I guess I should go now."  She waved at Fran.  "Fran,
I'm Hotaru, I hope I can see you later."

 "Bye Hotaru," cried Fran as Hotaru left.

 "Yes, bye Hotaru," Jenny whispered under her breathe.

***

 Once Hotaru got to school, the foreboding was gone.  Hotaru met the usual
assortment of people a school is usually filled with.  She said hi to
Usagi-chan and her friends.  It was wonderful to see them again.  Usagi had
offered to walk Hotaru home, but she declined.

 As Hotaru walked home, the foreboding she felt returned.  Once again, she
found herself staring at the strange brick building.  She couldn't help
feeling that something was wrong with this place.

 "Hello Hotaru."

 Hotaru almost jumped out of her skin, when she turned around to see Fran,
Jenny and a group of assorted youths.  Hotaru once again smiled despite
herself.

 "Fran, you startled me."

 "Oh," said Fran.  "I'm sorry.  Jenny's taking us for ice cream, do you want
to come?"

 Hotaru crouched and took Fran's hand in hers.  It seemed so... fragile.
"Well, if Jenny says I can come."

 "I'll be glad if you came, Hotaru," said Jenny flashing Hotaru her best
smile.  "I could use all the help I could get."

 Hotaru gave Fran her hand and they walked to the ice cream parlour.
Unbeknownst to Hotaru, a security camera had recorded the exchange.  Someone
else had watched the whole scene.

***

 "So, my silent messiah, you have come to me," said the man after Hotaru
left the range of the camera.

 Esmeldra looked at her master, a quizzical look on her face.  "Are you sure
about the plan?"

 "It's obvious the children are the messiah's weakness.  We will get to her
though them."  His hand pointed to the video screen letting the evidence
speak for itself.

 "But we might be revealing ourselves too soon."

 "We have to know her strengths and weaknesses.  Nothing must be left to
chance."  The man stood up.  "Let me know how the operation goes."  He
turned and walked away.

 "Yes, sir."  Esmeldra smiled as he left.  'You fool, you will fail and the
master will choose me to replace you.  It is only a matter of time.'

***

 If you ever want to lead a quiet life, it is advisable that you don't feed
children ice cream.  They tend to become unruly and noisy as Hotaru found
out.  Jenny was doing a good job, whether one child spilt ice cream over
herself, to one child who got too unruly when given such freedom.  Hotaru
helped where she could, but mostly sat back and left the business to the
professional.

 "I guess this is a full time job?" Hotaru asked of Jenny.

 Jenny looked up from her current problem to face Hotaru a winning smile.
"You don't have to tell me."  Jenny resumed her task, which was wiping ice
cream off a sweater.

 Fran tugged at Hotaru's cuff.  "Hotaru, will you come to the game?" asked
Fran.

 Hotaru gazed down upon the cherub face, then glanced at her watch.  "I have
to go home right now."

 "Pleaaaaase," pleaded Fran.  For good measure, she put on her most pitiful
face.  Hotaru was caught hook, line and sinker.

 Hotaru glanced at the phone, then at her watch.  She faced Fran again.  "I
guessed if I called Haruka-papa and told her, she wouldn't mind?"

 "Hooray," cried Fran, who got out of the booth to let Hotaru out.

 "Hotaru, may I join you?" asked Jenny, who now stared at Hotaru's back.

 Hotaru turned and gazed at the serious look on Jenny's face.  "Uhhh, sure."

 When Jenny and Hotaru got to the telephone booths, Jenny placed a hand on
Hotaru's shoulder.  "I wouldn't get too attached to Fran if I were you,"
Jenny said in earnest.

 "What do you mean?" asked Hotaru, a little irritable for some reason.
Jenny's touch made her uncomfortable.

 Jenny removed her hand.  "Fran,..., well, Fran has a terminal disease."
Jenny couldn't hold Hotaru's gaze as she said it.

 Hotaru eyes widened.  "How long?" she asked.

 Jenny kept her hand down, her eyes sparkled in delight, but she managed to
convey sadness in her voice.  "Six months."

 Hotaru turned away to consider the situation.  She looked into her memories
and found images of friends standing by her though thick and thin.  If they
could do that, then she could do no less.  She turned to Jenny and grinned,
"All the reason to be a friend."

 After Hotaru said that, the building became alive with the sounds of people
screaming, of people getting up and of general confusion.  Hotaru looked to
see what was happening.  A horrible creature was attacking the ice cream
parlour.

 The monster had a vaguely cone-shaped body, with hair that reminded one of
sprinkles.  Also, the monster's skin was marbled in deep browns, whites and
pinks.  It might have been comical except for the spiked bands on the
monster's wrists and ankles.  Besides the monster shot rays of freezing ice
cream.  Several people were engulfed in ice cream cones.

 "The children," screamed Jenny.  Ignoring Hotaru, she ran out of the alcove
they were in and began to organize the children.  That was fine with Hotaru,
the alcove provided her with all the privacy she would need in the next few
moments.

 Hotaru took a quick glance to ensure her privacy, then shouted, "Saturn
Star Power, Makeup!"  The relatively harmless Hotaru Tomoe was turned in a
minute of seconds into the extremely deadly Sailor Saturn.

 When Sailor Saturn entered the fray, the monster already had one child in
its clutches.  Its mouth open in an unholy scream, but no sound came out.
Sailor Saturn became apprehensive, she knew what was about to happen and
rushed to stop it.

 It turned out to be too little too late, a dark beam emanated from the
creature's jaws hitting the girl dead centre, extracting a translucent star
shaped crystal from her chest.

 Sailor Saturn managed to fling the monster aside, saving the crystal and
the girl.  The monster crashed though a few tables, stunning it.  Sailor
Saturn used the time well to replace the crystal in the girl's chest and
returning the girl to Jenny.  Once again, a unknown reservation sprang up, a
feeling that she shouldn't trust the girl to Jenny, but she had no choice.
"Take care of her," commanded Sailor Saturn.  Jenny took the girl and
escaped the building.

 The monster dusted itself off.  It simply laughed as it saw Sailor Saturn.
"Sailor Saturn or should I call you our messiah of Silence."  Hotaru was
unfamiliar with the term, but filed it away from later reference.  "You have
returned."

 Sailor Saturn simply concentrated on the task at hand.  "I am Sailor
Saturn, the guardian of the planet Saturn.  The senshi of death of
destruction, I will destroy those who seek to those who harm any child."  To
emphasize the point, Sailor Saturn summoned the Silence Glaive, a weapon
over which she had precise control.

 The monster clapped.  "I see you have learned to make speeches just like
your Sailor friends."  The monster spotted a cowering Fran who was hiding
behind the counter.  Sailor Saturn followed the monster's gaze to see the
same thing.  "I'm sorry I can't play with you, I have business to attend."

 The monster leapt so that it could get a clear shot at Fran.  Sailor Saturn
leapt as well, angling perfectly, calling upon her powers of protection.
When the monster unleashed its freezing ray, Sailor Saturn was at exactly
the right point.  "Silence Glaive Block," Sailor Saturn shouted forming a
barrier between Fran and the ray, which the beam slid harmlessly off.

 The monster and Sailor Saturn landed but a few feet from each other.  The
monster turned around to find Sailor Saturn had lifted the Silence Glaive
over her head.  Not enough time to dodge, the monster tried to shield itself
with its forearm.  The Silence Glaive simply sliced though the forearm
before dissecting the monster's body.

 The monster dissolved into a soggy ice cream cone and a black egg.  The
black egg cracked, revealing some smoke, then disappeared.

 Sailor Saturn had an inkling of what this meant.  She feared the worst.

 "Sailoooor Saturn, you're the best," shouted an ecstatic Fran as she ran
over and hugged Sailor Saturn.  "You saved me."

 Sailor Saturn looked down at Fran, considering the simple innocence the
child possessed.  'I was like that, a long time ago,' thought Sailor
Saturn.  She picked Fran up, but not before dismissing the Silence Glaive.
She sat Fran upon the counter and looked at her.  "I want you to promise me
something."

 "Anything," claimed Fran in an innocent voice.

 "The next time you see a monster, I want you to run away."  Fran nodded her
head.  "OK, I have to go again, but if you are ever in trouble, I will be
there."  Fran nodded again.

 Sailor Saturn turned to leave.  There were people she had to talk to.  Once
again, she would have to give up her innocence.

***

 Baseball was a rough and tumble game well suited to youth.  The epic of the
batter facing a whole team taught not only individual achievement, but team
spirit as well.  Tonight, two orphanages were playing against each other.
The audience was sparse, but enthusiastic.

 Hotaru definitely felt like she was at bat.  Facing people she loved
holding information from her and unknown forces vying for her power, she
felt alone.  She was looking at the team raged against her, waiting for the
first pitch, knowing that the fast ball was coming right up the gut...

 "What's up?" asked a familiar voice beside her.  Hotaru looked at Haruka
who smiled back.  Hotaru's view was slightly obstructed by the cap Haruka
had quietly slipped on her head.  Hotaru's hand involuntarily adjusted the
cap.  "You can't watch a baseball game without a baseball cap."

 "Oh, when did you become a font of wisdom?" teased another familiar voice.
Michiru giggled as she sat on the other side of Hotaru.  Hotaru would
usually giggle along with the joke, but she was not in the mood now.

 This was obvious by the way they sat.  Haruka and Michiru usually sat next
to each other, except when they were concerned about Hotaru, then they
flanked her.  A strategy that worked most of the time.

 "Haruka-papa."  Hotaru held Haruka's gaze for a moment.  "Michiru-mama."
Hotaru's eyes fell on Michiru who demurely looked down.  "You know what
happened today."  Hotaru took a deep breathe before continuing.  "Why didn't
you tell me?  Did you think you could keep it a secret?"

 "If you knew what really happened, you would thank us," said Haruka
decisively.

 Hotaru spun on her.  "So, you think if I knew what happened I would choose
not to know."  Hotaru then faced Michiru, since she knew Haruka would be all
but impossible to break.  "What gives you that right?  How can I help those
I love without knowing the whole story?"

 Haruka stood up, trying to use height to her advantage.  "You can't
possibly understand."

 The ploy didn't work.  "Understand?  What I understand is that people are
in danger because I lost a part of my life that's important even if it is
terrifying."

 Michiru stood up next.  "We didn't want to lose you."

 Hotaru was mystified by that statement.  "You know I would never leave
you."  She looked at the empathic Michiru and then at the stoic Haruka.  "I
love you."

 "You were a blessing to us, like the daughter we never could have."
Michiru looked at Haruka who looked back.  Haruka gave Michiru the nod that
let Michiru know Haruka knew what Michiru was thinking.  Michiru turned her
gaze back on Hotaru.  "You were a sweet innocence baby and we raised you as
best we could.  When the accelerated growth occurred, we were afraid even
more that we would lose you, the innocence lost."

 "You must understand, it was never our intent to withhold what we knew,
but...," claimed Haruka.

 "...if we told you what we knew, you would be changed forever," said
Michiru.  "You would cease to be the sweet, innocence Hotaru that we loved
dearly."

 Hotaru turned away from her parents.  She saw Fran going up to bat.  Fran
looked at Hotaru and waved.  Hotaru smiled and waved back.  One of the
adults gave her a bat and escorted her to the tee.  After some instructions,
Fran swung the bat at the ball and connected.  The ball only rolled a small
ways from home base, but Fran ran as fast as she could, beating the throw to
first base.  Fran cheered and smiled.  Hotaru did the same from the stands.

 Hotaru looked back at the people she loved, feeling not so alone anymore.
"You don't understand.  I've changed and you don't know it.  I'm no longer
innocence."

 Michiru smiled.  "I can see that.  I guess now you can understand."

 Michiru and Haruka told Hotaru about Mistress 9, the being that controlled,
how they used her father against, about the beings of Tau Ceti.  It almost
made Hotaru want to cry, but she knew that she had to know, as if the world
depended on it.

 "Thank you, Haruka-papa.  Thank you, Michiru-mama."  She hugged them both
and they hugged her back.  For seemingly the last time in her life, Hotaru
felt what it was like to be a innocence sweet children unaware of the cruel
harsh world.  Hotaru wished the hug would not end.

***

 "Everything went as planned, sir," said Jenny to the man.  The man gazed
down at her, his calculating eyes trying to keep one step ahead.  He looked
at Esmeldra.

 "How are the experiments going?" he asked of her.

 "They go slowly.  I can't fathom why these children can resist our
influence," said the frustrated Esmeldra.

 Jenny cleared her throat.  Esmeldra looked at her, eyes full of hate.
"Pardon me, sir, but I believe I know."  All eyes were on Jenny now.  "It's
their innocence.  That pervading purity disrupts our evil influences."

 The man thought about it for a moment.  "Of course, that must be the
answer."  He turned to Esmeldra.  "I want to step up our timetable, we must
awaken the Messiah of Silence now.  Prepare the egg."

 Esmeldra was shocked.  "But the risk is too great, you don't even know
if..."

 "Esmeldra, don't do the thinking, just follow orders."  Esmeldra bowed and
hastened to obey.  The man turned to Jenny.  "Jenny, you will use the
children to lure Hotaru here.  Using them as a bargaining chip will lead to
her downfall and the resurrection of the Messiah."

 Jenny grinned evilly.  "Yes, sir."  She was about to turn away, when she
asked.  "What will you be doing?"

 The man grinned.  "I will be preparing the battlefield so to speak."

***

 It was another uneventful day at school.  Haruka, Michiru and Hotaru had
decided not to tell Usagi and the others what they learned.  So, when Hotaru
met them at school, she was slightly more apprehensive then usual.
Thankfully, no one caught on to her change in behaviour.

 Hotaru was coming home past the orphanage again.  The building caused her
more anguish then ever.  It was like a evil wind was blowing though her when
she passed the place.  She looked at the building, knowing for sure that
something was amiss.  It took her a few seconds to realize that the children
were missing.

 Hotaru ran up to the door of the orphanage.  Carefully, she opened the
door.  It was unlocked, which raised Hotaru's caution.  The entire situation
smelled of a trap.  Hotaru debated whether to get Haruka and Michiru, but
quickly came to the decision that she had to hurry.  Any delay might mean
disaster for the children.

 Hotaru entered and quickly pulled the door closed behind her.  She looked
for any signs of life, but there were none.  If Hotaru was sure that
something was wrong before, now she was positive.  "Saturn Star Power,
Make-up!" cried Hotaru, once again letting go of Hotaru to become Sailor
Saturn.

 Sailor Saturn could feel evil emanations coming from upstairs, so she
followed them.  In a room that resembled a study, Sailor Saturn found a
portal.  The portal was a curtain of spiralling rainbow colours encircled by
a stone arch.  Sailor Saturn could sense the children were near, but so was
the source of the evil.

 Sailor Saturn leapt into the portal against her better judgment.  She had
no choice and the person who set this up knew that.  She would be walking
into a trap, but she had to do it.

 Saturn entered a world of wildly swirling colours.  Saturn turned around to
find more colours, but no indication of a door.  Under her feet, there was
no apparent ground, just more swirling colours.

 "Excellent," said a voice.  Saturn turned her head toward it just to find a
dark-haired well dressed man fade into view.  "I'm glad you accepted my
invitation.  Well, of course, you had no choice."  The man made a gesture
and behind Saturn a cage appeared containing the missing children and their
caretaker, Jenny.

 Saturn faced the man again.  "Let them go."

 "Of course, all in due time, but first you must return something that
belongs to us."  The man smiled, seeming to enjoy this game of cat and
mouse.

 "What?" asked Saturn in a voice that seethed with anger.

 The man once again waved and an oak box appeared in front of him.  He
grabbed it and slowly opened it.  He turned it around and showed Saturn the
contents.  "Yourself.  You see, we want the Messiah of Silence back."

 Saturn shook her head.  "I can't allow that."

 "Oh, come now, you don't actually want me to hurt the precious children, do
you?"  The man smiled.

 Saturn looked down on the ground to consider the proposal.  Yesterday, she
might have accepted it.  Yes, Saturn didn't realize that the beings from Tau
Ceti didn't keep their promises until yesterday.  Hotaru looked up and
shifted her weight forward.  "If I grant your wish, you'll just use the
children as slaves.  They would be better off dead."

 The man looked very displeased.  "I hoped you would come along voluntarily,
but I see I was wrong."  The man shrugged his shoulders and closed the box.
"I can still insert the daemon into your unconscious body.  I won't get a
result as powerful as I would if you came willingly, but it should more than
suffice."

 With a thought, Saturn summoned the Silence Glaive into her hand.  "In the
name of Saturn, I will destroy you," she cried before she leapt at the man.
The man simply stood there, disappearing before the Silence Glaive could
touch him.

 The man waved his finger at Saturn.  "So very slow.  Would you like to see
my true power?"  The man waved but a hand and the ground dropped from under
Saturn.

 Well, the ground didn't so much as drop as a patch of swirling colours
under Saturn's feet turned into a circle of pure blackness.  Saturn couldn't
resist being drawn into the nothingness.

 Saturn was falling.  Around her was the blackest void she ever saw.  The
only down she could discern was the direction in which she was falling.  The
man's face appeared before her, translucent and big as a building.

 The man laughed.  "Pitiful, absolutely pitiful.  Your powers mean nothing
to us."

 Saturn just kept falling, trying to think of a way out, when she heard
another voice.  "Sailor Saturn, I believe in you," came the plaintive cry.
Saturn smiled when she heard this familiar voice.

 "What?" asked the man.  "How can this be?"

 "There are some powers you will never understand," said Saturn.  She raised
the Glaive above her head and commanded that it cleave though the illusion.
It cut though the blackness, revealing the same world of swirling colours
that Saturn entered.  "I won't fall for your illusions anymore."

 The man grimaced.  "If you won't fall before my illusions, then fall before
my might."  The man coiled his body gathering his power in his hand before
unwinding sending a beam of utter darkness toward Saturn.

 Saturn leapt over this beam, holding the Silence two-handed above her
head.  The man sidestepped her attack, allowing Saturn to cleave the space
he occupied a second ago.  He turned around to unleash a second beam, when
Saturn leapt back just as quickly as she came forward.

 The man was suddenly facing the blackness of the void.  Saturn did not
intend to cleave him, but instead commanded the Glaive to cleave the very
fabric of his universe.  He had unwittingly stepped into the void and now it
was too late to step out.  The man yelled as the blackness swallowed him.

 Saturn watched the man disappear into the inky blackness.  After having
sucked the man, the void was starting to suck the rest of this universe into
it.  Saturn would have to do something.

 Holding her hands in front of her, Saturn allow her healing power to flow
into the rift.  The void at first resisted, but then the colours began to
dominate and soon the rift closed.  Saturn sighed and then turned around to
look at the cheering children.

 "I knew you could do it," shouted an enthusiastic Fran.

 "I don't know how to thank you," said Jenny.

 Saturn smiled.  "Don't thank me just yet."  She looked at the bars
surrounding the cage.  "Everyone step back," she cautioned.  Two swings of
the Silence Glaive and the bars were gone.  Saturn grinned.  "Now let's get
out of here."

 Jenny came up to Sailor Saturn and put her hands on her shoulders.  "You
are truly the Messiah of Silence."  That statement seemed out of place from
the Jenny Saturn thought she knew.  In fact, the grip was uncharacteristic
of a women her size.  Saturn could sense evil intent coming from the woman
who changed before her very eyes.

 The children stepped away, fearing that what their care giver had was
contagious.  Muscles ripped and expanded, her hair grow, she enlargened and
filled out.  Soon, she was carrying Saturn a few feet off of what accounted
for a floor in this place.  She flung Saturn like she was an old rag,
separating Saturn from her most powerful tool, the Silence Glaive.

 "You're a fool to fall for such a simple trick.  Maybe you don't deserve to
be the Messiah," claimed the creature formerly known as Jenny as she
approached Saturn.  Unlike the man, she didn't want to render Saturn
unconscious, she wanted Saturn dead.  Saturn was too stunned to get up and
muster a defence in time.

 Fran rushed out of the crowd of children to latch onto her former care
giver.  The rest of the children followed her example, realizing that it was
their only hope.  The shear swell of little bodies managed to stall the
creature for the vital few seconds for Saturn to regain her composure.

 The creature managed to fling most of the children away from her.
Fortunately none of the children were seriously hurt.

 Saturn stood up and with a thought the Silence Glaive returned to her
hand.  The creature paused, fear in its eyes.  Saturn once again leapt,
striking the creature in the head.  The Silence Glaive passed through the
skin without making a mark.  It came out the other side of the creature's
head with a black pulsating egg impaled on it.

 The creature quickly reverted back to Jenny, who now knelt on the ground.
"What the?  Where am I?" asked the confused Jenny.  "I...I can't remember
anything."

 "Don't worry," said Sailor Saturn as she helped Jenny up.  "I'll explain it
all when we return."

 Jenny looked around to see what happened and saw the children.  "The
children," she screamed as she ran to each of them, checking them to see if
they were alright.  "What happened to the children?"  She looked at Saturn
expecting a response.

 Saturn looked at the ground trying to come up with an explanation that
wouldn't terrify Jenny.  After all, how can tell another that they hurt the
ones they love?  'Maybe I shouldn't tell her,' Saturn considered.  'Maybe
she should retain her innocence.'

***

 With the help of Haruka and Michiru, Hotaru ensured that the orphanage
found enough funding to keep it open for fifty years.  Needless to say,
Jenny was more than overwhelmed.  She considered naming something after
Hotaru, but Hotaru declined.  She added that she would like to visit though
and Jenny was more than happy to oblige.

 Now, Hotaru wanted in an alley near the orphanage for her friend to show
up.  She was late as always.  Even when Hotaru gave her friend a time 30
minutes before she needed to actually be there, her friend was still late.
Hotaru looked up at the sky and sighed, nothing unusual there.

 "Ahhhh," came a voice that was accompanied by heavy footsteps as Usagi ran
toward Hotaru.  "I'm late.  I'm so sorry."  Usagi, out of breath, put her
hand on Hotaru's shoulder and panted heavily.

 Hotaru smiled.  "Don't worry, I'm used to it."

 "You're such a good friend," stated Usagi.

 Hotaru nodded knowingly.  "So, will Sailor Moon be making an appearance
today?"

 Usagi winked at her friend.  "You bet, anything to help."

 Hotaru giggled.  "I'm sure the children will be delighted."  Hotaru
straightened up and peered at Usagi.  "You know what I like about you?"
Usagi shook her head.  "Your innocent spirit."

 Usagi smiled at her friend.  "You know, I was going to say the same about
you."

 The two friends shared a giggle, then stepped in the alley to transform, to
bring happiness to the most innocence of them all.

FIN

Legal Stuff: Sailor Moon and other related characters are copyright property
of a bunch of people I can't put a name on right now.  The companies Bandai,
Disney, and DIC obviously have a claim to some of these rights and should be
acknowledged as such.

Notes:  Anticipating the obvious question:  Where is Esmeldra?  All I can
say is that she didn't die and may show up later.  I know you probably will
say, 'The idiot, he got such and such detail wrong.'  Give me a break, I am
simply using my artistic license(a good excuse for lack of research, I might
add).  Send me your questions, comments, critisms at dsmith@direct or
dsmith@mail.lillonet.org or devon.smith@lillonet.org, whatever works for
you.

Sorry, I don't take requests(unless it's a really good one).