Hi

Opps... Here is the second part of Chapter 1 which I said I was
going to send out last month, but in light of world events,
never did.

Chapter 2 will be released this month (if anyone is reading ^_^)

Authors notes and an UNCHECKED snapshot of part of chapter 2
follows the end of chapter 1.

Any comments, flames etc, welcome.

A complete version of chapter 1 is on my website listed below.
 
Cheers

Alex

============================================
E-mail - mailto:hitomi@ndirect.co.uk
WWW home - http://www.geocities.com/alex_gray255/
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information for most Ranma fics in the RAAC and TASS archives.

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Sailor Moon

The name Sailor Moon and characters here within are copyright of Naoko
Takeuchi and are used without permission. Some small concepts are also
borrowed from P.C Hodgell and are also used without permission. Other
characters and themes within are copyright of Alexander Gray and
Sharon Wall and are used with permission. This story maybe freely
distributed as long as this header is quoted, the authors are
referenced, and the contents are not altered without permission of the
authors.

(And yes, the various figures portrayed are totally out of character,
but hell, why not?)

*********************************************************************

                *           *           *           *

Reflections (Title will change)
-----------

(a Sailor Moon plus original story by Alex Gray and Sharon Wall)


                *           *           *           *

    Hotaru bowed deeply while seven pairs of eyes watched her every
move. "Hajimemashide, mina-san. Kaiou Hotaru tomashimasu. Dozo
yoroshiku." She kept her body bowed for a full ten seconds and then
straightened herself to look cautiously at these inhuman teenagers.

    There were four boys and three girls, each around about Hotaru's
age. Except for two of them, they all had the same dark hair and
refined features that, on first glance, reminded Hotaru oddly of the
image of herself that had been in the mirror earlier this morning. In
fact, apart from the boy who had pure white hair, and the girl with
long hair the color of pale lavender, the seven looked perfectly
normal - almost...

    Well, what did you expect? Hotaru chided herself with a small
smile.

    ::Tentacles and fangs, perhaps?:: a soft voice whispered in
amusement through the vaults of her mind, causing Hotaru to gasp.

    ::We could do that you know, if that is what you would like,
Kaiou-san:: another voice giggled.

    ::Might scare you a bit though...::

    ::Good idea. Let's see what the senshi's got, eh?::

    Hotaru was beginning to get swamped under the force of all the
alien thoughts bombarding themselves on her consciousness. The power
of these teenager's telepathy was slightly more than she could cope
with, and it was beginning to make her head spin.

    ::I know something that will give her a good scare:: the giggling
voice stated again in a way that made Hotaru tense slightly. ::Let me
try a..::

    ::And I know something that will give _you_ a good scare as well,
Relnus:: a soft voice suddenly stated, calmly drowning out all the
others. ::Try anything on Kaiou-san, and I'll make sure you meet it,
okay?:: The tone of the soft voice did not change and Hotaru was
uncertain if it was a threat or a joke.

    A sudden silence filled Hotaru's mind and she could almost sense
the scrabbling withdrawal of the others, leaving her alone. Well,
almost.

    ::Kaiou-san?:: the soft voice that had spoken up for her queried,
and Hotaru was lost on how she should respond. She was not telepathic,
how could...

    "Is this better, Kaiou-san?" the girl with the long lavender hair
said standing up and straightening her dress. "I'm sorry about all of
that. If I had known that certain people were going to be so rude I
would have stepped in earlier." The girl's head turned slightly to
look at one of the boys opposite and something passed between them
that made the other face pale. "But, I'm certain it won't happen
again, will it, Relnus?" the girl stated with a lopsided smile.

    The dark haired boy who was called Relnus flushed and shook his
head emphatically.

    "Good," the girl commented before walking over to Hotaru holding
out her hand. "Then let me be the first to introduce myself, Kaiou-
san. My name is Rhiannon, or Rhian for short. Pleased to meet you."

    Hotaru stared at the offered hand for a second and then at the
smiling face that was before her. Whoever this Rhiannon was, she
certainly seemed to carry some authority among these people, so Hotaru
hoped to Heaven that the girl's seemingly kind intentions were just
that.

    ::Caution can be wise in some circumstances, Kaiou-san:: that soft
voice spoke again. ::But you have to trust people sometimes, you
know:: Hotaru winced at the slight undertone of reproach that was
communicated in that voice. She looked up from the offered hand and
into the blue-grey eyes of Rhian. The girl blinked, and the smile on
her face widened as she boldly met Hotaru's stare. ::Trust me, Kaiou-
san:: the voice whispered again. ::Please::

    Ah, what the hell...

    "I'm pleased to meet you, Rhian-san," Hotaru jumped in with both
feet taking the offered hand and giving it a firm squeeze. She used
the opportunity to take a good look at the girl who she suspected was
in some way the leader of the bunch. On the surface, Rhian appeared to
be Hotaru's own age, and was of almost exactly the same height and
slender build. That delicate frame however, did not portray a sense of
weakness, but instead, somehow lend her an air of presence that, much
like Usagi in her better moments, yelled out 'I am here - see me'.
Luxorious, thigh length hair the color of pale lavender framed a
beautiful, artistically refined face. Gold streaks shone here and
there in the semi-braided hair, making it the most unique coloration
Hotaru had ever seen, and yet somehow, it seemed to suit the girl,
simply adding to Rhian's aura of otherworldliness. Nodding her head
slightly as if to acknowledge Rhian's distinctive presence, Hotaru
added, "And please, call me Hotaru. All my friends do."

    Rhian beamed. "See, that wasn't too difficult, was it, Hotaru-
san?" She gave a small laugh and releasing her grip of Hotaru's hand
turned to gesture at the others. "So then. let me introduce you to the
rest of the gang." She pointed at one of the dark haired girls.
"That's Branwen, but we all call her Bran." The dark haired girl
nodded her head and smiled back warmly.

    "Dylan." And a boy nodded his head politely.

    "Arianrod, or Arian." The last girl nodded her greeting.

    "Maxen." The boy with pure white hair grunted.

    "Pwyll." Another boy smiled and bowed his head in welcome.

    "And finally, Relnus, who you have already met of course," Rhian
finished with a sweeping gesture turning back to look at Hotaru. "That
is just about everyone..." she paused. "Ah, there are a couple of
others but they are quite a bit older than us and pretty much keep
themselves to themselves. You may meet them later, but I doubt it
somehow."

    "I'm very pleased to meet you all," Hotaru smiled, bowing her head
slightly once more.

    "Well, at least she's polite," the boy called Maxen commented to
Arian. "From what Azarth told us about their kind, I had been
expecting some kind of stuck up snob and that would have been a pain."

     Hotaru kept the smile on her face and remained silent. She had to
play this out until she got some kind of feel for what the heck
Setsuna-mama had gotten her into here. Reacting to snide comments like
that was not going to help her position one bit. If she had any idea
just exactly what her position was that is...

    "Maxen, be nice," Bran said looking over at the boy. "I imagine
this is as difficult for her as it is for us, so let's try and keep
things civil, eh?"

    "Arawn wants this alliance to work as well, remember, Maxen,"
Pwyll chipped in. "So at least give her a chance."

    Maxen held up his hand defensively. "Hey, hey, you've got me all
wrong. I like her, she's nice. That's all I was trying to say." He
stood up, and putting his right hand up to his chest, flashed Hotaru a
wide smile and executed a deep sweeping bow. "I am honored, Hotaru-
hime," he said jokingly, the expression on his face full of mirth.

    Hotaru flushed slightly with embarrassment the boy's honorific,
and this seemed to be the trigger which broke the metaphorical ice.
The next thing that Hotaru knew was that she was surrounded by a flock
of teenagers with questions being fired at her left and right.
Questions about her likes, dislikes, which types of music she listened
to, what her family was like, and so on and so forth. Hotaru tried to
answer as honestly as she could, but also tried to avoid giving away
information that she regarded as being sensitive. Throughout this
questioning, Hotaru noticed that the girl called Rhian and the boy
called Relnus hung back. Rhian seemed to be looking at her with a
thoughtful smile, and the boy just seemed to be bored, as if he did
not care one way or another. Hotaru was not sure which one she should
be more concerned about. These youngsters seemed to be friendly
enough, but Hotaru could not really tell if they were being genuine or
not. She just hoped that they were, but when...

    ::Ah, come on, Hotaru-san, don't be like that:: the soft voice
that Hotaru associated with Rhian spoke through her mind. ::We are
trying you know. This isn't easy for us either::

    Hotaru gave a brusque answer to a rather impertinent question
about her three measurements and raised her head in an attempt to
catch Rhian's eyes. She had so many questions running through her head
and yet no way to ask them. Gods! It was at times like this she wished
she was tele...

    ::You don't have to be, Hotaru-san:: Rhian's amused voice giggled.
::I am, and that should be more than enough. I can understand how you
feel like you've been thrown in at the deep end, and I can more than
sympathize. But you also have to realize that your Pluto is quite
right when she says that our kind is the only hope that you have for
continuing the lineage of the senshi. Indeed, she was quite convincing
in putting that case across. She was also quite convincing in stating
why we should start to help you. Our race has been nursing its wounds
for far too long, and the time when we can continue to allow such
stupidity is past..:: Her voice faded out for a moment, and to Hotaru
it seemed as if the girl was almost ashamed of something.

    ::Did you know we could have helped you against Galaxia but chose
instead to sit back and watch? Insane isn't it?:: Rhian's voice took
on a sardonic cast. ::From what I understand, it is almost sheer luck
that this world escaped unscathed, and yet, their are still more than
a few of us who insist that this experiment must end::

    Experiment? Hotaru queried, hoping that Rhian would pick up her
thoughts.

    She did.

    ::This:: the girl replied as her blue eyes swept over the
teenagers gathered in the room. ::The seven of us represent nearly all
of the youngest of our kind. Can you imagine the position that this
has put Arawn, my father, in? If something goes wrong, then not only
will he suffer, but so will our hopes of surviving as a race. However,
as Pluto said, if we don't do something now then ultimately it may not
matter anyway. And that, Hotaru-san, is why you are here::

    What do you mean?

    For a moment, Rhian said nothing but then she spoke ::Pluto
originally said it was because you were the most suitable, but my
heart tells me that it is more than just that. You are the senshi of
Rebirth, Hotaru-san, of Creation and Destruction, but whether that
role will be for good or ill, I just do not know::

    Hotaru frowned. Rhian seemed to know a heck of a lot about her,
had Setsuna-mama told these people _everything_?

    "Come on. Hotaru-san, give us a little credit please. We can find
out somethings for ourselvesDon't you think we can't find these things
out by ourselves," Arian huffed, giving Hotaru a slightly reproachful
look.

    "Ah, well, I..." Hotaru felt her face go red and she stumbled
around for the words to apologize. She hated the fact that these
people could read her every thought! It just was not fair!

    "Hotaru-san has a point, you know," Bran commented, turning to
look at Rhian. "It is a bit rude of us to just poke around in her mind
without asking." To which, Rhian's response was just a small shrug.

    "Well, she's just going to have to get used to it, Bran, unless of
course you want to teach her how to Speak as well."

    Bran straightened up and looked over at Hotaru. "Is that
possible?"

    "Heck, Bran, can't you remember your history at all?" Pwyll
sighed. "Even the commoners in the Moon Kingdom were able to Speak if
they were taught right. The nobility had no problems at all. They just
can't Listen as we can."

    "Oh, yeah, heheheee," Bran bought her hand up to her cheek and
scratched it. "I forgot."

    "Silly girl," Pwyll muttered with a fond shake of his head before
turning his attention back to Hotaru. "Would you like to learn how to
send thoughts like we can, Hotaru-san? It really isn't all that
difficult, and besides, as Rhian says, if you're going to be with us
then you need to learn."

    "Look, to be honest, all I really want is just for someone to
explain to me what the heck this is all about," Hotaru exclaimed
rising to her feet. "Is that expecting too much?"

    Rhian looked at the earnest expression on the small brunette's
face and sighed. "Pluto must have already told you something, Hotaru-
san. The seven of us are going to be the replacements for the current
senshi when it is time for them to pass on. There is no great mystery
about it. Our natural life spans, baring death, are numbered in
millennia, and unlike the Royal Houses of the Seven that the senshi
came from, our kind were explicitly created to meld with the kind of
weapons that the Guardian's represent. The chances of us surviving the
bonding process are almost guaranteed, and if your Pluto is correct
about what the future may bring, then we - and I include you in that -
will be sorely needed."

    "What do you mean?" Hotaru asked, concerned. "What exactly did
Pluto say?"

    "Only my father knows the exact details," Rhian said perching
herself against a table. "But he did mention that the Time Gates had
shown the possibility of the emergence of an enemy that threatened not
just our solar system, but our entire galaxy." The girl shrugged, "I
know it sounds a bit cliche, but that's essentially all I know."

    "But I still don't understand how I..."

    "And I can't give you answers I don't have, Hotaru-san," Rhian
replied holding up her hands. "You know about the same as me. The only
ones who would know more are my father and your Sailor Pluto. And I
can tell you now, trying to get answers out of my father is like
trying to get..."

    "Blood from a stone," Hotaru finished with a sigh. "Yes, I know
someone just like that."

    "They want us to learn how to work together as a team, Hotaru-
san," Dylan spoke up getting to his feet. "That seems pretty clear. As
far as I understand it, the strength that the senshi have always had
is their ability to work together as a team, and that is obviously
what they want us to learn to do. Sending us to the same school,
putting us in the same class - it's all working towards that common
goal - developing us as a team."

    "But why me?" Hotaru knew she was beginning to sound like a broken
record, but this situation was making her spin and she needed to make
sense of it in anyway that she could. "Why involve me?"

    From where he was standing Relnus snorted, "I would have thought
the answer to that one was obvious, Kaiou-san. You are not part of the
senshi team, not really. So by removing you they..."

    "I am so!" Hotaru exclaimed angrily glaring daggers at the rude
boy. "I have always been..."

    "Hey, calm down you two," Pwyll hurriedly jumped in both
figuratively and literally in an effort to keep the situation from
degenerating into an argument. "There's no need to start getting
personal now."

    "Relnus does have a point though," Rhian spoke up, earning her a
dark look from Hotaru which the lavender haired girl just ignored.
"You do have a rather, ah, unique position in the senshi, Hotaru-san.
Neither really in or out - just on the side so to speak."

    "I am not!" Hotaru fired back, getting angry now. "I'm as much a
part of the Outers as any of them!"

    "Really?" Rhian replied, tilting her head thoughtfully
"Surprising... Tell me, Hotaru-san, just how much of your own history
do you know? And I don't mean the history of your current persona, but
rather, the history of Sailor Saturn."

    Hotaru's impulsive anger at Rhian's words cooled rapidly as the
other girl's question made her stop and think. Just what exactly did
she remember of her past? That was a very good question. Her mouth
closed shut as she contemplated what Rhian had asked.

    "You don't know, do you?" Rhian mused, looking over at Hotaru
closely a small frown crossing her face. "Or you haven't yet realized
the full implications of it..."

    "Implications?" Hotaru inquired. "What do you mean, implications?"

    "Saturn is sometimes called the senshi of Rebirth - yes?" Rhian
asked.

    "Yeah, so?"

    "And just how many times have you been reborn now?" the Avatar
queried softly. "Three times? Four?"

    Hotaru raised her hands. "The only ones I know of were the times
when the Moon Kingdom was originally destroyed and in the fight
against the Death Busters. If there have been any others then I cannot
remember them."

     "According to our knowledge you have been Reborn eight times
since the Assyia-Cthlia originally created you," Bran supplied,
looking at Hotaru closely to see how the brunette would react. "You
are unique, Hotaru-san. The only still living original senshi."

    "Oh," was the only word Hotaru could think to say.

    "A one-shot doomsday weapon, specifically created to have the
ability to regenerate..."

    "In some ways you could say that you are a lot like us," Pwyll
remarked somberly, interrupting Bran's explanation. "We were created
originally just to be weapons as well. And like you, the founding of
the Moon Kingdom did not change things much for us either. In a way,
all we managed to do by fighting the Assyia-Cthlia was to wipe our
race out. By the time the war was over there were only 30 of our kind
left and..."

    "Pwyll, I don't really think Hotaru-san is interested in a history
lesson," Bran said, taking back control of the conversation. "What she
was asking was why she had been put into this position in the first
place."

    "And that is what I was trying to tell her..."

    The sound of the entrance to the small room sliding open stopped
the rest of the conversation dead as everyone turned to see who it was
who had disturbed them. Two people strode into the room, and closing
the door behind them, took a moment to glance around. As Hotaru felt
their eyes pass over her, she instinctively shivered and reached for
her own power. Both of these figures emanated an aura of such
strength, that Hotaru knew instantly that they could be dangerous
threats.

    "Father!" Rhian gave a glad cry and ran over to embrace a man that
made a certain Knight of Hotaru's acquaintance look like average
material.

    "Rhian-chan," the man in question gave a rueful smile and ruffled
the grinning girl's long hair.

    "Rhiannon, stop that," the young woman beside him with hair that
was slightly darker in color than Setsuna's chided the girl. "We
aren't here for a family visit - this is business."

    Hotaru was slightly surprised by how those words seemed to deflate
the girl, but Rhian meekly did as the young woman asked.

    "Sorry, mother," she said, releasing her hold on the young looking
man and stepping back.

    "Oh, don't look so down, Rhiannon," the woman consoled the girl.
"Your father and I will be home tonight. We can speak then."

    "Really?" Rhian queried, looking up at the woman with a hopeful
expression on her face.

    "Yes, we have some news for you."

    "What..."

    "Quiet now, Rhiannon," the woman said once more, turning to look
at the man alongside her. "We have more important business to attend
too."

    "Kaiou-san?" the man smiled, holding out his hand towards Hotaru
which she automatically took. "Please, I know that all of this may
seem to be a bit sudden and strange to you at the moment, but if you
will allow me to explain things I think I can answer any questions
that you may have. But first off, let me start by introducing myself
and my consort. My name is Arawn Annwvyn," he nodded his head, and
then turning to the woman beside him said, "And this is my consort,
Olwen Penkawr."

    "Hajimemashide, Kaiou-san," the woman inclined her head once.

    "Dozo Yoroshiku," Hotaru bowed in response, releasing the man's
hand.

    "Pleased, I'm sure," the man called Arawn finished stepping back
and indicating that everyone should be seated. Hotaru glanced over at
Rhian and saw that the girl still had her eyes locked on her father.
Hmmm... There was something odd going on here.

    ::Rhian's family circumstances are... difficult:: a voice that
sounded suspiciously like Bran's whispered through Hotaru's mind, and
she glanced over at the other girl.

    How so? she queried, remembering how Rhian had read her mind
before, and hoped that Bran could do the same.

    ::That does not concern you, Hotaru-san:: Rhian's voice coldly
replied as her blue eyes flashed angrily at Hotaru.

    Opps... Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean...

    "Kaiou-san?"

    Hotaru blinked, and looked up as she realized that Arawn was
staring at her. Putting a smile on her face, Hotaru nodded, "Sorry?
What was that you were saying?"

    The man graciously waved her apology away. "Do not worry yourself,
Kaiou-san, I can more than understand how difficult this is for you,
so please let me try and explain." He looked around the room at each
of the teenagers and then began. "I'm sure that some of you have
already been told this, but for those who haven't I will try and start
from the beginning. A few months ago, I was contacted by Meiou Setsuna
- which is the current alias for Sailor Pluto - regarding the
possibilities of an alliance between the senshi and the Avatar.
Although you may not know this, Kaiou-san, the relationships between
the Avatar and the Moon Kingdom have never been particularly what I
would describe as cordial, so Pluto's offer took me initially quite by
surprise. However, the matters that Pluto bought to my attention soon
changed my mind. Over the last few years the Time Gates have been
showing hints of a possible future which, according to Pluto, has been
getting stronger and stronger ever since it first appeared. And
although I can't tell you the exact details of that future, what I can
tell you is that it revolves around the emergence of a... well...
entropic force, I think is the most appropriate word to use. A force
that appears to be affecting not just our solar system, but the entire
galaxy."

    "Entropic force?" queried Pwyll timidly. "May I ask what you mean
by that, my Lord?"

    My Lord? Hotaru thought, slightly surprised by the use of the
term. Was this Arawn some kind of ruler?

    "Perhaps hunger might be a better word, Pwyll," Arawn replied,
looking at the boy. "That's the word Pluto used to describe it. A
hunger which appears to be consuming anything in its path."

    "But what does that have to do with us... Ah... my Lord..." Bran
flushed and looked down nervously.

    Arawn laughed. "I'm not going to eat you, Branwen," he said, but
then something made his face become more somber. "I would never do
anything to hurt you, Branwen, you, or any of you." He looked over at
Hotaru. "I do not know if you realize this, Kaiou-san, but the only
reason I would ever allowed someone with your power anywhere near our
children is that Pluto knows what we would do to your princess if this
was a ruse."

    "What?!" Hotaru sat up alarmed. "What do you..."

    "Please understand, Kaiou-san, it is nothing personal," Arawn
reassured her. "But our children are the only things that matter. They
represent the only hope of a future that our race has, and I _will_
not put them in danger for _anything_. I hope you can understand that,
Kaiou- san. The only thing that stands between us and the extinction
of our race is just ten children. Can you imagine the kind of threat
that would be necessary for me to even consider putting any of them in
danger?"

    Hotaru eyes widened. "Ten..." she mouthed.

    "There is a price for near immortality, Kaiou-san," Arawn
continued. "And the Assyia-Cthlia did not exactly create our race with
reproduction in mind. However, the point I want you to understand is
the gravity of the situation that all of us are in - and I'm not just
talking about an elusive future that may never show up."

    "Then what, if I may ask, is the danger, my Lord?" Bran asked,
emboldened by what Arawn had said earlier. "What is this threat all
about?"

    "I would have thought the answer to that was obvious, Branwen,"
Olwen answered harshly instead. "The threat is extinction. Now that I,
Goewin, Blodeuwedd, Cordelia, Indeg, Morvudd, Modron, Essyllt, Hunydd
and Morvyth are past our breeding age, it will be your's, Rhiannon's
and Arianrod's responsibility to ensure the next generation. We need
to be..."

    "I don't think that was quite what Branwen was asking, Olwen,"
Arawn interjected quietly.

    "Well, it should be," Olwen replied, still staring at Bran who was
looking distinctly uncomfortable by now. "It should be the matter that
is foremost in every ones mind."

    "Yes, I agree with you, my dear," Arawn tried to soothe things
over, "But there are also other concerns that are just as vital." He
looked back at Bran. "The answer to your question is simple, Branwen.
Over the last seven years our planet has come under attack from more
enemies than in the last four thousand put together. And nearly all of
these attacks have been potentially devastating events. Things are
happening, Branwen. That is something both Pluto and I fully agree on.
What it is, or where it is ultimately leading, I just do not know, but
make no mistake - things are happening. Change is coming, a kind of
change on the scale that we have not seen since the Fall of the
Namers."

    "What do you mean, father?" Rhian asked confused. "Are you saying
that something or someone is deliberately causing all these events?"

    "No, Rhian," Arawn shook his head. "What I am saying is that
events along this scale do not occur just for nothing. _Something_ is
happening, but whether or not it is the result of a deliberate action
is hidden from us. Pluto believes that it may be linked to this future
that the Time Gate keeps hinting at, but I am yet to be convinced."

    "Then you're saying that _something_ is happening, but you have no
idea what, is that it?" Hotaru tried to make some sense out of what
the man was saying.

    The expression on Arawn's face was thoughtful for a moment and
then he asked, "Do any of you know about the basic principles upon
which the Namers were able to create the artifacts we call the Time
Gates?"

    Uniform silence met his question.

    "I'll take that as a no then," Arawn said looking around at the
blank faces. "Basically, the Time Gates work on the principle that
every event in the Universe is connected to every other event. I'm
sure you're all familiar with the axiom 'for every action there is an
equal and opposite reaction'. Well, the Time Gates utilize a similar
concept. For every event that happens in the Universe, there is a
cause for that event and a reaction to that event. Simply put, the
Namers created a technology that was able to scan each and every event
that occurs within a single moment, and from that, calculate all the
precedent and antecedent events related to it."

    "Sorry," Bran stated. "I'm lost already."

    "What father is trying to say, is that the Time Gates can workout
the past and the future by understanding the present," Rhian supplied.

    "Look at it this way, Bran," Pwyll spoke up. "If I were to pick up
a glass and drop it - what would happen?"

    "It would break most likely," Bran huffed.

    "Unless it landed on something soft," Dylan added. "Or someone
caught it."

    "But those are separate events," Pwyll stated. "I'm just talking
about one - what would happen if I dropped a glass onto this floor?"

    "It would break, obviously," Bran sniffed. "But what's that to do
with..."

    "So, from my action I can work out that by dropping the glass it
will most likely break, and that if I hadn't have picked it up, then
the probability of it breaking would not be there," Pwyll continued as
if Bran had not spoken. "Understand?"

    "'Suppose..." Bran did not look convinced.

    "For the event of the glass breaking to occur, I know that I have
had to pick it up first," Pwyll tried again. "And I also know that I
have had to drop it. Therefore, the two events are related to each
other - yes?"

    Bran nodded.

    "So, the Time Gates work along the same lines. For any single
moment in time, they are able to calculate the events that led up to
that moment and the events that will follow it."

    "But how?" Bran asked, wide-eyed. "What you are saying is that
these Time Gates are all-seeing - that they know everything. How the
heck can that be?"

    "The technology of the Namers is beyond our comprehension," Arawn
replied with a shrug. "While we may be able to understand the
concepts, I doubt we will ever be able to understand the how. But the
point I'm trying to make, is that all these events on some level are
connected, and because of that, having so many occur in such a short
space of time means that something at a pretty fundamental level is
happening."

    "Ahh... But what about the emergence of Crystal Tokyo?" Hotaru put
in. "That's supposed to happen in a thousand years, isn't it? Are you
saying that it is now under threat?"

    "No, that's not what I'm saying," Arawn corrected her. "What I am
saying is that change is occurring, and that this change is something
we will all have to prepare for."

    "But I still don't get why this is such a threat," Hotaru pressed.
"You're saying that change is coming, okay, I can accept that. And in
addition to this change, that there is a distant threat that may, or
may not, occur. Fine, I can accept that too. But what is the big deal?
When Crystal Tokyo occurs, then the senshi will be able to deal with
both, surely. I mean..."

    "And when they are dead?" Arawn interrupted. "Who will deal with
the threat then?"

    Hotaru blinked. "Dead?"

    "How long do you think your friends will live for, Kaiou-san?"
Arawn asked casually. "Two thousand, three thousand years? Then what?
Who will deal with the threats then? What would happen if someone like
Beryl or Galaxia attacked the Earth? What?"

    When Hotaru did not answer Bran took up the conversation. "So,
you're saying that we will be the ones that may have to deal with this
threat. Is that it, my Lord?"

    "Change is coming," Arawn repeated. "And with change comes
conflict, and my heart tells me that this time will be no different."

    "Can't the Time Gate tell us anything?" Bran queried, sitting up.
"From what you..."

    "Paradox," was all the man said. "There are times when knowing too
much can be even more dangerous than knowing nothing at all. That is
the danger with using the Time Gates to probe too deeply into what
might be. It is a risk that neither Pluto or I are willing to take. We
know enough to say that we must be prepared, and for now, that is
enough."

    Arawn was being evasive, Hotaru had seen enough of Setsuna-mama's
behavior in the past to know that. Something indeed might be happening
in the future, but Arawn knew more about it than what he was saying.
If what the man had said was true about being so protective of the
children in this room, then Hotaru just could not see him risking
their safety for a "something" that might occur in a vague future.

    No.

    While she could understand some of the sense of having a team of,
well, replacement senshi. The man's act about the importance of it
somehow did not ring quite true, and from the expressions of some of
the other people in the room, they were not convinced either.

    "So, how exactly is this expected to work?" Hotaru decided it was
time to return to more mundane matters. She would tackle Setsuna- mama
tonight to see if she could get anymore information. "What is it that
you expect the eight of us to do?"

    ::You are right, Hotaru-san:: Rhian's voice whispered in her mind.
::Father is being evasive - too evasive::

    ::Agreed. There is something else going on:: Bran added softly.
::But I have difficulty believing that Lord Arawn could be so...::

    ::Transparent?:: Pwyll supplied. ::Yes, it is almost as if they
want us to suspect something::

    Why? Hotaru queried.

    ::A catalyst to get us to work together, perhaps?:: Arian added
her penny's worth.

    ::Who knows?:: Pwyll answered. ::The only thing I can suggest is
that we...::

    ::Live with it:: a deep voice broke into the conversation, and all
eyes flew to look at Arawn who was staring at them with a cool
expression on his face.

    "A good question, Kaiou-san," Arawn commented as if nothing had
happened. "For the moment, all I ask is that you get to know each
other. Special arrangements have been made here at the school so that
you will all be by yourselves in one class. Extra lessons in some
topics that you might find interesting have also been arranged. I know
that this may not be exactly what you were expecting, Kaiou-san, but I
can assure you that all these arrangements have the full backing of
Meiou-san, and works to both our advantages. However, I can understand
if you do not wish to trust us yet. You are more than welcome to leave
until you have discussed things with Pluto, Kaiou-san."

    "No, I'm fine thanks," Hotaru said quietly, shaking her head.
"I'll stay for the moment. Setsuna-mama dropped me off here, so I
think I can trust you. I will be speaking with her tonight and I can
ask her for the details then."

    Arawn nodded his head in thanks. "I am grateful for that trust,
Kaiou-san, and I hope that I can show a similar trust in you. Please
remember, I'm also entrusting you with the future of our race. They
are good kids, please... look after them..." The expression on his
face seemed to Hotaru to become saddened, but it was so fleeting that
she was not certain if she had imagined it or not. "Well, Kaiou-san,
everyone, I will leave you to your classes. Please, try and remember
that you are going to be working together from now on. I know it is
not an ideal situation, but I believe we can make it work - at least
try, eh?"

    And with that, he and the woman turned and left, closing the door
behind them.

    "Well, that was different," Pwyll said cheerfully into the
silence, making a few uncertain smiles erupt on people's faces.

    "That's one way of putting it," Bran added.

    "So, Hotaru-san," Rhian said turning to face the brunette. "What
now? Do you trust us, really?"

    Hotaru caught the earnest look on the girl's face and bit at her
lip. What could she say? Trust is a very precious gift. It is not
something you can just give away to someone you have only just met.
However, if she was honest with herself, Hotaru did want to try and at
least give Rhian and the others the benefit of the doubt. Ironically,
as the man Arawn had said, Rhian, Pwyll, Bran - they all did seem like
good kids. But still...

    She swallowed, and looked around at the faces staring at her. She
knew that they were probably following her thoughts even now, and
while that idea still made her feel slightly uncomfortable, she was
getting more used to it. Looking back at Rhian, Hotaru nodded her
head. "I will try," she said with a small smile. "It will take me some
time, but I will try."

    Rhian's face lit up with a smile that seemed to reach all the way
up to her eyes, and she nodded. "Thank you, Hotaru-san. That is all we
can ever ask of you."

    "That maybe all you're asking of her, Rhian," Bran added with a
laugh. "But I for one will be asking a great deal more." She clapped
her hands together in a begging position and turned to face Hotaru.
"Please, Hotaru-san, I'm desperate for a study partner. I'm sick to
death of having Pwyll tell me how stupid I am all the time when I
partner up with him, and no one else is ever available. So,
pllleeasse, will you help me out?"

    "Hey, what do you mean I always call you stupid?" Pwyll
spluttered. "I never..."

    Bran spun around, her cute face red. "Yes, you do! All the time!
Whenever I get one little thing wrong, you always..."

    "That's because you always get things wrong!" Pwyll shot back,
leaning towards her. "You..."

    "Aye, aye. The lovebirds are at it again," Arian commented to no
one in particular, causing Pwyll and Bran to stop dead. And then...

    "We are not!"

    "What do you mean?!"

    "Hey, Arian! What about you and..."

    ::They can be children sometimes, Hotaru-san:: Rhian sent with a
grin as she came over to stand by Hotaru. ::But they are my friends,
my family, and I'd trust them with my life. I only hope that in time
you will come to regard them in the same way::

    Hotaru looked over at the girl who was the same height as her, and
then back at the now squabbling threesome, and a smile crept onto her
face. She nodded, but said nothing as she just stared into Rhian's
eyes. Rhian looked slightly confused, and her mouth twitched, almost
as if she wanted to ask what was the matter.

    And it was then that the small senshi of Destruction burst out
giggling.

                *           *           *           *

(to be continued....)

                *           *           *           *

AUTHOR(S) NOTE(S):

i)    I have no idea how the Time Gates are supposed to work, so came up
      with what I hoped was a plausible idea. If I am way out, then please tell me ^_^

ii)   Some parts of the dialog seemed on reflection... forced, but I hope this
       is not too bad.

                *           *           *           *

What follows is a snapsnot from an UNCHECKED chapter 2. English errors
abound!


Some Bad News
--------------------


    "He's one of them, isn't he?" Hotaru said simply looking across
the table at the man sitting next to Setsuna-mama. "One of Rhian's
kind."

    The man smiled and Setsuna simply finished her drink.

    "I'm right, aren't I?" Hotaru tried again.

    "Who else do you think would be able to get my attention," Setsuna
replied dryly, opening up the menu before her and giving it a scan.

    "My full name is Caradawc Llyr," the dark haired man smiled
offering his hand. "And I'm very pleased to meet you, Hotaru-san, very
pleased."

    Hotaru recalled her manners and putting a small smile on her face
reached out to take the hand. "A pleasure," she said, unsure of what
else to say.

    "There's no need to look so uncertain, Hotaru-san," the man
grinned back still holding her hand. "I am going to be your, ah," he
scratched his head and looked over at Setsuna. "Is Hotaru-san your
adopted daughter, or your ward? You never did say, Setsuna."

    "It's complicated," Setsuna replied.

    "Oh," Caradawc shrugged, turning back to look at Hotaru. "Well, be
your 'something'-father then anyway," he finished with a wink.

    Hotaru felt her smile grow slightly more real. "My actual legally
adopted mother is Kaiou Michiru, if that helps," Hotaru supplied.

    "Ah, yes, the violinist," Caradawc nodded. "I went to one of her
concerts once. A very gifted young woman, very gifted indeed..."

    "You don't play so bad yourself, you know," Setsuna said with
raised eyebrow looking up from the menu.

    "Ah, but I have had far longer to practice," Caradawc commented
back reaching for his water glass. "That is not talent, just
perseverance."

    "You play the violin as well?" Hotaru put in her two pennies
worth.

    "Passingly," Caradawc waved the glass dismissively. "No, for real
talent you have to look to people like your mother, or Rhiannon. Now
they are people with a genuine flair."

    Hotaru leaned forward. "Rhian?" she queried. "Rhian plays the
violin?"

    Caradawc looked at her, surprised. "Rhian? You mean Rhiannon? You
have met her... Oh, yes, I remember you mentioning something about
Rhiannon at the beginning. Yes, Rhiannon plays the violin - remarkably
well actually, along with several other instruments. She takes after
her mother in that respect."

    "Olwen?" Hotaru queried, remembering the name of the woman who had
been alongside Arawn this morning.

    "Olwen... You mean you have met her as well..." Caradawc raised
his eyebrows and whistled. "You have been honored. But no, Olwen is
not Rhiannon's mother, that was Lady Caridwen Angharad, who was the
wife of Lord Arawn. She died giving birth to Rhiannon a long time
ago." His face looked sad and Hotaru wondered why, but she made no
comment.

    "Hotaru," Setsuna put in. "These are not really subjects that I
think we should be talking about here, eh? I can appreciate your
interest but I would prefer to talk about things closer to home if you
don't mind."

    "Oh, sorry," Hotaru remarked glibly and reached out to take a sip
of water. "I suppose you are right. This is not really the place for
that sort of thing. So," she flashed a smile at Setsuna-mama, "are you
going to let me have all the juicy details of your relationsh..."

    ::Hotaru...::

    Hotaru double blinked. Rhian?

    ::Hotaru... Can... Can we talk?::

    Hotaru looked up startled and twisted her head around to see if
she could spy the girl.

    "Hotaru?"

    "What?" Hotaru jerked her head around to look straight into the
worried eyes of Setsuna. "Um, I mean, sorry..."

    ::Hotaru... I... Sorry... I shouldn't have... I'll leave you...::
The girl's mental voice sounded confused, uncertain, almost as if she
had just had a shock.

    Rhian, wait! Hotaru scrambled to re-focus her mind. What is it?
What's the matter?

    "Hotaru, what is the matter with you?" Setsuna asserted more
loudly, reaching over to give her dazzled looking daughter a shake.

    "Mama, please," Hotaru held up a hand, trying to stop her
annoyance showing on her face. "Just let me be for a moment." She
closed her eyes. Rhian, what is the matter?

    There was no reply and Hotaru was just about to try again when a
thoroughly misery voice came through. ::Hotaru... I've... I've just
been told I'm... Oh, Hotaru! I've been engaged to Owain! It's
horrible! He's ancient! Even my mother was engaged to him before
Father chose her! He's horrible! What am I going to do, Hotaru-san?!::

    By now the force of Rhian's "voice" was making Hotaru's head spin.
The power of it was incredible but it was flooding her mind to the
point of insensibility.

    "Hotaru!" Setsuna exclaimed reaching out to slap the girl lightly
across the face.

    "Ouch!" Hotaru complained, raising her hand to her stinging cheek,
the jolt of pain returning her to her senses.

    ::I don't want to marry anyone, Hotaru! But father and mother say
I must! They say I have too! That I have a duty! I hate it! Hate it!::

    Rhian! Hotaru sent sharply. Please! You're overwhelming me!

    ::Hate it! Hate... Oh, Hotaru-san, I'm sorry... I...::

    Let me come to you instead, Hotaru offered without really
thinking. Tell me where you are and I can try and teleport there.

    ::Try?::

    Heehee, I'm still getting the hang of somethings...

    ::If you're sure, I can bring you here if you want. I... Thank you
for the offer, Hotaru-san. I...::

    Silly, Hotaru smiled. Give me five minutes and then "bring" me to
you.

    ::...:: came the confirmation. ::And thank you...::

    "Hotaru! Speak to me!"

    "Huh?" Hotaru blinked and found herself looking into the concerned
face of Setsuna - really up close and personal. "Ya!"

    Setsuna fell back into her seat in surprise, the voice of her
daughter still ringing in her ears.

    "Mama... Oh... Sorry," Hotaru tried a smile and then jumped to her
feet. "Sorry, mama, but something has just come up, something
involving Rhi... I mean, a friend. I've got to go!" It took her a
moment for her own words to sink in. Friend? But she had only just met
Rhian and the others today. And while she did like them, did she
already think of them as friends? Why?

    "Eh?" a confused Setsuna was saying when Hotaru tuned back into
what was going on around her. "What the heck do you mean - I've got
to..."

    "Setsuna," Caradawc laid his hand on the time senshi's arm. "Let
her go."

    "What?!" Setsuna gave a most uncharacteristic squawk. "What do you
mean..."

    "Trust me," Caradawc just said with a mysterious smile that would
have done the time senshi proud. He looked up at Hotaru and winked.
"Nice to meet you again, Hotaru-san. I hope we can do this again, at a
more, say, convenient time."

    From the knowing look communicated in his smile, Hotaru guessed
that he had caught some of Rhian's incensed conversation as well, but
she just nodded her apology and got to her feet. "Friends can be
troublesome sometimes," she said with a grin, "But well..."

    "Friends are friends," he finished for her. "Like them and hate
them, they are still friends."

    "Something like that," Hotaru grinned back as her put on her coat.
She bowed in apology, "Again, mama, Llyr-san, I apologize for this..."

    "You had better have a good explanation for this when you get
home, Hotaru," Setsuna stated. "Or I will use a certain device to
invade a certain person's privacy and find out why."

    "It's a friend, mama," Hotaru said as she straightened, a small
feeling of adolescent rebellion stirring in her gut, "That's all.
Aren't I entitled to my small secrets as well?"

    Setsuna's eyes narrowed at the slight undercurrent she heard in
her daughter's voice. "Secrets, Hotaru, can be dangerous. I don't like
them."

    Hotaru almost had to bite back the scathing comment that popped
immediately to her mind at that statement. This was getting her
nowhere. Why did Setsuna-mama think she had the right to know _every_
little secret that was part of her life? Gods! This was partly her
fault anyway! If she had not...

    "Setsuna," Caradawc took the woman's hand in his own.

    "What?" she asked cooly, breaking her gaze from her daughter.

    "Do you trust, Hotaru?" was his simple question.

    "Of course I do," Setsuna replied back tartly. "But..."

    "Then let her live her life, eh?" the man replied back calmly
without missing a break. "She's a big girl now and does not need you
trying to protect her from every little thing."

    Uncharacteristically, Setsuna's face went white and then slowly
colored. "What do you mean?" she said in a voice that would have
frozen ice.

    "Exactly, what I said," Caradawc replied, a light smile still on
his face. "Remember what I told you before when we first meet? Well,
you're still doing it."

    Setsuna's mouth tightened and she looked like she was have a hard
time deciding which curses to start throwing first. It was then that
Caradawc did something that made Hotaru almost fall over. With total
disregard for the public restaurant they were in the Avatar leaned
over and gave the woman next to him a kiss of the type that was
anything but chaste. Hotaru felt her face go bright red and turned
speedily away with a gasp.

    ::Go see your friend, Hotaru-san:: Caradawc's  warm voice
whispered in her mind. ::I think Setsuna and I are going to be...
slightly busy...:: The voice faded away and when Setsuna gave a small
contented moan, Hotaru unilaterally decided that now was indeed a
_very_ good time to make her escape.

    And that was precisely what she did, furious blushes and all.

    Outside the restaurant it was getting into the cool of late
evening and Hotaru stood still for a few moments to catch her breath.
It was beginning to rain and the small side-street outside the
restaurant was all but empty.

    Christ... Over the last ten hours she had seen sides to Setsuna-
mama that she had never imagined existed, and the experience left her
reeling. The sound that Setsuna-mama had made when Caradawc... Ack!
Taking a deep breath she gave her head a quick shake - she did not
want to go down that path - no.

    ::Hotaru... Are you all right?:: Rhian's voice rang through her
mind. ::Your thoughts seem a little... odd::

    Nothing, nothing, Rhian, Hotaru replied, getting used to this
constant invasion of her mind was tricky.

    ::Opps... Sorry, I...::

    Argh! Sorry, Rhian, Hotaru tried to apologize. I did not mean it
quite like that... Anyway, how are you feeling now? You seem a bit
calmer.

    ::I've just been talking with Bran and Arian. It appears they seem
to have had a similar, ah, request from their parents tonight as well.
They weren't exactly happy about it either::

    What? The same person? Hotaru spluttered in surprise.

    ::Oh, no... It appears that the three of us will be having the
_honor_ of being... shared between various...::

    WHAT?!? Hotaru blew up.

    ::Yes:: came the single reply and this time Hotaru picked up
something of the cold fury that Rhian was seriously trying to keep
bottled. ::That was Bran's reaction as well::

    ::THEY CAN GO AND BLOODY _FUCK_ THEMSELVES!!:: Bran's eloquent
comment stormed through Hotaru's mind.

    "With a sandblaster!" a sudden enraged voice hissed behind Hotaru
causing her to shriek and spin around.

    "Arian?!" she gasped as her heart travelled the short distance
back from her throat down to the place it usually rested. "What the...
Don't do that, girl! You scared me to death!"

    The only reply she got however was a curse that reminded Hotaru of
a certain shrine maiden on a very bad day. Arian looked furious enough
to start tearing strips of flesh off the nearest living target that
came into range, and the was the girl's eyes were glowing a furious
white color convinced Hotaru that perhaps at that moment being quiet
was a more sensible idea.

    "&##^@@#^%%^!" Arian swore. "Those little &&*#$^@#^!!"

    Rrrighttt... was all that Hotaru could think of as a response.

    "You can bloody well say that again!" Bran cursed popping into
existence just behind Arian.

    "&##^@@#^%%^!" Arian obliged, glaring at the ground as flickers of
white lightning started to play over her hands in an alarming way.

    "Arian, get a grip on yourself!" Rhian exclaimed as she and Pwyll
abruptly appeared in a way that left Hotaru in no doubt that these
kids had teleportation down pat.

    "Pwyll!" Bran wailed throwing herself at the startled boy.
"They've engaged me to Gilvaethwy!" she howled, trying to strangle the
poor boy. "Gilvaethwy and Mabon!"

    "&&*#$^@#^!!" Arian put in as well.

    Pwyll was unfortunately rather short of breath at this time so he
failed to make any comment, but Rhian did.

    "Bran! Arian! For fuck's sake - shut up!"

    Later, Hotaru was not sure if it was the green flames that
exploded to life around the slender girl, the way the ground seemed to
suddenly shake for a few seconds or the white fury that was contained
in Rhian's tone, but whatever it was, Arian and Bran fell silent.

    "Thank you," Rhian replied, the flames around her vanishing as
abruptly as they had appeared. "Now, perhaps we might be able to
decide how we get out of this stinking mes..."

    The rest of her statement was cut off by an explosion just across
the street from them and from the smoke and flames stumbled a number
of singed individuals.

    "What the hell..." Hotaru was just in the middle of saying when
she stopped dead her eyes widening.

    Several other, um, things also emerged from the fiery rubble.
Several big things, with horns, teeth, scales... Hotaru blinked.

    "...ame...iper..." a faint shout could be heard from one of the
figures and a bolt of something red shot across to strike one of the
big things, which from the reaction of the big thing only served to
make it angry.

    "What the fuck is that?!" Arian swore pointing at the battle going
on across the street, her eyes wide.

    "...hain..." came another faint shout as the battle moved off up
the street, the big things chasing after the more agile small figures
who seemed to be battling with not much effect.

    "Trouble, perhaps?" Bran supplied in a casual tone, making Pwyll
give a choked sound.

    "Bran! Of course it's... Arrgh! Why bother!?" he exclaimed.

    "It's the Inners!" Hotaru yelled, turning to stare at Rhian. "The
senshi! We have to help them!"
 
...



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