Chapter 3

"Darien, there's something I should tell you," Serena said as they neared the orphanage.

"What's that?" he asked. "Do you remember Sailor Earth?"

"He'd be pretty hard to forget, hon. He saved our lives."

"Yes, well...he kind of might have seen me sort of naked."

The car suddenly swerved, and Darien had to struggle to stay on the road. "He saw you WHAT?!" he shouted.

"I didn't realize he'd be there!" she protested. "I mean, you don't expect anyone to just appear in your apartment, you know? I had just gotten up, and he popped into view!" Serena could see Darien was upset, but she managed not to break into tears. "I was wearing the outfit Raye gave me, and--"

"--He just saw you. I heard the first time. What did he want?" Darien asked.

"He told me I had to protect a child, but it wasn't Reenie. When I asked who the child was, he vanished."

He didn't bother to hide the smirk on his face. "Sounds just like Earth. A suggestion?"

"Um...sure," Serena said.

"Don't walk around your apartment in that outfit, and don't tell Raye, or she'll be insanely jealous."

Raye hopped into her cherry-red car and checked her skirt again. It was fashionable, yet short enough to turn a few heads. She had been dressing this way ever since she met Sailor Earth, hoping she could draw his attention. But, to no avail; he was always too busy with helping a Scout here or defeating an evil monster there. Raye wondered if he even knew she was alive. "You'll notice me, Earth," she promised herself, "one way or another."

Ten minutes later, Raye pulled up to Lita's house. She was a little surprised when only Mina emerged. "Where's Lita?" she asked as Mina sat down next to her.

Mina brushed a few strands of blonde hair out of her eyes and said, "Lita's got the flu, so she isn't coming today." She froze as she spotted Raye’s outfit. "Whoa, nice skirt, Raye! Who's the lucky guy?"

Raye blushed and put the car in gear. "No one, I just thought I'd try something different."

Mina gave her a sidelong stare. "Raye, I'll admit I'm not the smartest girl when it comes to love, but even I know a major crush when I see one. So who is it? Andrew?"

Raye laughed loudly. "Oh, come on, Mina! You really think I'd fall for the same guy Serena did? As if she had any taste!"

"Well, she did snag Darien," Mina pointed out. "And you did have a crush on Tuxedo Mask when you first met him."

"I got over that ages ago, Mina. Face it, you don't know really know the guy."

Mina's smile widened as she looked at Raye. "Oh, really? It's Sailor Earth, isn't it?" she asked. Raye blushed bright red, but still managed a quick refusal. Mina knew she was lying, though. "Raye, your face looks like a tomato! I know it's Earth!"

"So what if it is?" Raye said. "There's nothing wrong with him!"

"Of course not! But as your friend, I should be the first to tell you. Earth isn't exactly looking for a girlfriend right now."

"How do you know?" Raye asked.

Mina shook her head. "It's kind of sad, really. As you already know, he's a really nice guy, but there's things about his past you don't know. For example, did you know that he witnessed the day the Negaverse invaded the Moon Kingdom? Worse yet, he's one of the few that remembers it. And did you know he's actually related to Queen Serenity?"

Raye blinked in shock. "Are you sure? I thought Serena was the only member of the royal family that survived!"

"That's what I thought, but Earth told me himself. Though it's almost impossible to tell how, since he doesn't age. He could be millions of years old, and we'd never have any way of telling!"

Raye could hardly believe what Mina had just told her. "But how does that explain his not wanting a girlfriend?"

Mina frowned a bit. "That's the worse part. Earth was in love once, but something happened. Either the girl died or they broke up; he wouldn't say which. It must have been very painful for him, and that's why he focuses on helping people so much. He just doesn't want to show the hurt he's gone through. It's pretty ironic when you think about it. The Scouts exist to stop pain and suffering, and Earth's the best one there is. Who would guess that he's experienced more of it than all of us put together?"

"Serena and Darien! You finally made it!" Andrew grinned as they walked in.

"Sorry we're late Andrew, but Ser--"

Serena quickly elbowed Darien. "We were running a bit late," Serena explained with a hasty smile. "So, can we meet Hotaru now?"

"Oh, sure!" Andrew exclaimed. "But I should warn you, she's a very unique little girl. She hasn't said a word since she first came here a year ago, but I know she can read. I think she may be mute, or perhaps it happened in the accident."

Andrew led the couple to a small, dark room. The only source of light came from an open window along the wall. The little girl sat directly in front of the window, staring out of it as if she couldn't do anything else. Andrew motioned for Serena and Darien to wait by the door. He quietly walked over to the little girl and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She instantly looked up at him, and placed her hand on his own as a sign of recognition. As he leaned over and whispered into her ear, she stared at the couple with unblinking eyes.

"Darien, she's so pale," Serena whispered, taking his hand.

"Almost like a little ghost," Darien agreed.

After a few moments, Andrew led Hotaru by the hand, back to the couple. "Hotaru, these are the people that want to take care of you." She stared up at Serena, then Darien, and finally Andrew. He smiled and squeezed her hand. "Don't worry, I'll come and visit you soon." The little girl released Andrew's hand and slowly reached for Darien’s. He cautiously took her hand, not wanting to scare her.

Andrew ushered them back into the hall. "I'll be right back," he said, before disappearing around the corner. Hotaru squinted in the bright light and rubbed her eyes. Serena and Darien were able to see her clearly for the first time. She wore a traditional school uniform, save for the fact that her bow was royal violet instead of red. It almost matched the color of her hair and eyes, which were either violet or a dark shade of blue. In sharp contrast, her skin seemed even paler now.

A few minutes later, Andrew returned with a large black suitcase, which he handed to Darien. "This is Hotaru's, but I'm not sure what's inside it. Probably clothes or pictures."

At this point, Hotaru tugged on Serena's dress. "What is it, honey?" she asked. The little girl simply reached up with both arms. Serena understood and picked her up. Hotaru was surprisingly light, even for a girl her age. She stared into Serena's blue eyes for a few seconds, trying to determine if she could really be trusted.

“Don’t you worry, Hotaru,” Andrew said, patting her arm. “Serena and Darien will take good care of you.”

There was a hint of a smile on her face when Hotaru looked at Andrew. Then she turned back to Serena.

“Everything will be all right, dear,” Serena assured her. She gently kissed Hotaru’s forehead, trying to make her feel a bit more comfortable. But Hotaru just stared at her with those unblinking violet eyes.