14Yami and Hotaru walked down to the track field. Their hands were entwined, and Hotaru had a small smile on her face, one of beauty and serenity.
Yami had his usual slight smirk on his face as he considered ways to get Hotaru to enjoy P.E.
'I hope Haruka is here. I want to see how fast she really is,' was the thought going around Yami's mind.
The two walked down and stopped outside the changing room, Yami gave Hotaru's hand a reassuring squeeze, and smiled at her. "You'll do great, firefly." Yami said in a reassuring tone.
Hotaru nodded her head, sending her silky smooth dark purple hair shaking around her face, and walked inside to change.
'She's so cute when she smiles.' thought Yami, 'But how am I going to help her with Mistress 9?' His face lost its smile, and a deep frown became evident. His eyes opened and his usual brown eyes were flecked with gold. 'I'll think about that when the time comes.' And with that thought, his smile returned.
He walked off towards the track and ran right into another student. She had short cut yellow hair and gray-blue colored eyes.
'Found ya, Haruka.' Yami thought smugly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." Yami said as he rose back to his feet, and offered his hand to the girl to help her up.
"No problem. So I take it you're the new student here," she paused before looking him over, obviously considering him, before smiling slightly as she said, "Like your fashion sense."
"You seen the teach?" Yami asked, as he hadn't seen the coach at all.
A smirk comes to Haruka's face, making her look rather self-satisfied, "I'm the coach for today, and I'll be running against anyone who wants to."
Yami smirked. "I'll take your bet and out run ya," he said, with a large amount of amusement in his voice.
"You're on!" was her reply, just as the students came out from changing, and Yami waited for Hotaru.
"Listen up class," yelled Haruka, her voice echoing through the field. "I want to see how good each and every one of you are in running. Now this will be just a simple 100-meter run. And at the end, Yami has kindly," her voice dripped with eager anticipation, "offered to race me. Line up!"
Yami watched Hotaru line up with four others at the line, his hands resting on his swords, ready for any problems that may arise.
They're off! Hotaru is trying and succeeding in staying in third place, but about ¾ of the way she dropped to fourth place. She finished the race, and collapsed at the finish line. Yami walked over to her, and held out a hand. "Need help, Firefly?"
Hotaru was sweating profusely; her breath coming in short gasps, but she managed to smile and grabbed the helping hand. "Thank you." Her voice is weak, but filled with happiness.
The two wandered over to a bench, and Yami placed Hotaru there, and stood behind her, his hand on her shoulder, and Hotaru noticed that his arm should not be that heavy for a seventeen year old. It was like she was holding a bag of lead on her shoulder, and then the weight was gone. "I'll be right back, Taru-Chan." Yami said, his voice sending shivers down her spine, as he passed her his two swords, and Hotaru got a good look at them and the one in her right hand is 760mm long while the other, slightly shorter one is 740 mm long. The grips were worn smooth, and they had evidently been well cared for by Yami.
Hotaru looked over at Yami and saw him getting into a ready running stance, while Haruka also prepared to run. A girl with long aquamarine hair held a hand high, and dropped it.
Yami and Haruka are both blurs, but slowly Haruka took first place and then just as soon as it started, the race stopped. Yami was a mere two steps behind her.
"Looks like you lose, Yami." Said Haruka, not sounding even slightly winded.
"How about a rematch? And this time I won't hold back." said Yami, his breath slightly winded, as he took off his jacket. He dropped it and one student walked over and tried to lift the jacket, and nearly stumbled when he attempts to move it. "What the hell?!" he shouted, "It weighs a ton!"
Yami looked at Haruka, "How about it?"
A dangerous glint came into Haruka's eyes "You're on!"
The two walked back down to the starting line, and got ready; this time Yami is standing sideways, weight balanced on the balls of his feet. This time Hotaru came up and raised one of Yami's swords, looked at both runners, and swung it down.
Yami and Haruka and both blurs, but this time they are even, about half way, Yami starts to shift his weight and took the lead, and Haruka can only watch as he overtook her, and crossed the finished line, but had the enjoyment of seeing him stumble, and land heavily on the track and skid.
Yami slowly got up, a long harsh scar on his right arm bleeding freely. His left pant leg was torn, and it was also bleeding freely. Yet he still had a smile on his face, and neither limped nor staggered as if he were injured, but walked, and held out his hand to Haruka. "Nice race. We have to do it again."
The bell rang signifying the end of school and class. As the students leave, Yami refused to let go of Harukas hand, when they are alone, he opened his eyes, and golden brown orbs shone brightly, "Be careful, Silence has Shadow to call upon." And picks up his jacket and placed it on, and the dark heavy clouds above let out a booming thunder crack, and rain began to fall.
Hotaru handed Yami his sword back, and she rushed inside to change.
Yami calmly walked out of the rain, and waited for Hotaru to come out, the pain in his arm and leg not bothering him at all. He had stopped feeling pain when he swore that nothing would ever hurt him again, after failing in his promise.
A score of males and girls ran out of the locker room, just missing Yami. Hotaru then slowly walked out, ready to trek the long walk home alone. She looked at Yami and saw him standing in a small pool of his own blood. She let out an indignant cry, and placed her hand on his leg, as her hand glowed purple. The blood slowly began reversing its course, and then she moved to Yami's arm, and repeated the process.
After finishing this, Hotaru sat on the ground exhausted, her body drenched in sweat. She looked at Yami and then clutched her heart, her breathing irregular. Yami knelt down and pulled out a jumper from inside his jacket somehow. He then covered Hotaru's small frame with it, before picking her up.
"Relax Firefly. You shall not be harmed." said Yami as he walked out into the streets, giving Setsuna a wink and seemed to vanish into the rain.
"Who are you Yami?" asked Setsuna from underneath her umbrella. She looked around before she vanished from sight as well.
'What to do, what to do?' thought Yami as he held Hotaru and looked at the Youma in front of him, who wanted to drain his life force. He looked around and saw that the Sailor Scouts were not around to help out.
The Youma charged and a whisper echoed in the air and it was blasted by a magic attack. Yami turned his head and saw Sailor Pluto, her staff lowering to a guard position, "My planet floats in Time and Space, and I am the guardian of the Gates of Time, Sailor Pluto." She said, striking a pose.
"Thank you Pluto-san." replied Yami, as he placed Hotaru on the ground. He removed his jacket and covered Hotaru with it, and faced the monster, with one sword drawn.
"What are you doing?" asked Pluto, her ruby red eyes shining.
"I plan to kill that thing, it threatened my friend." He never took his eyes away from the body, which slowly got up, and then bulged, charging faster than both Yami and Pluto believed for its size and weight, ready to kill all those that got in its way.
ANOTHER PART OF TOWN
Inside a Shinto shrine, dressed in priestess robes sat a black haired youth, her eyes closed. She was sitting in front of a fire that was roaring violently. Behind her closed eyes a vision held her in its grasp
This vision was different from the last one she had had, there was a large male, shrouded in black, except for the swords at his waist and the purple silk sash around his right arm, he reeked of evil, but at the same time, good.
Rei watched the vision intently; the man not so much walked but seemed to glide along the ground. Wherever he stepped, his footstep was etched in darkness. About ten paces in front of him was a woman dressed in a fuku, her slightly black sailor outfit and dark purple skirt glowed, in her hand was a glaive, ready to attack.
The man stopped, his eyes continuing to change from brown, to gold flecked brown and then blue-green, he bent to a knee, his left hand sweeping to his side, while his right went over his heart, and he was swearing allegiance to the woman. The forms grew dim, and then disappeared.
Rei Hino's eyes shot open, and she collapsed onto the floor, her robes covered in her sweat, and standing over her body was her grandpa, who was patting her head with a cold cloth.
"Gramps?" was the weak voice that escaped her dry lips.
Her elderly and caring grandfather just smiled, and the world went black.
"You overexerted yourself, dear." was the soft reply, and the small shrunken priest, showing strength that was hidden by his small statue, lifted his granddaughter, and took her inside to the bathing area. He opened her robes; to try and calm the fever she was experiencing. His calm look never left his face though he was scared to his very soul; he was frightened about the last living member of his family, 'I made a promise to your mother Rei, I intend to keep it.' was the only thing keeping his tears back. He drew ice water into the western style tub and placed Rei inside it, keeping an eye as to make sure she didn't drown.
The old man grumbled to himself, "Stupid, stupid, stupid! You made a promise, and you nearly failed it." He looked over at Rei, she seemed to be sleeping soundly, he placed his hand on her forehead, and she was getting cooler.
He dragged her from the bath and carried her to her room, where he laid her on the western bed, and covered her with a thin sheet, and left the door open, to let the air circulate. "Be safe, little one." He whispered and left, going to prepare dinner.
ANOTHER PART OF TOWN
Yami slowly got up after the last hit from the Yuma, a trail of blood coming out of the corner of his mouth, and a nasty cut above his left eye. 'You're gonna die.' he thought
Sailor Pluto couldn't help but feel concern as Yami slowly got back to his feet, she jumped over a swipe from the Youma, and blasted it with a Dead Scream.
The thing roared in pain, but just attacked harder, no longer intent on draining Yami and Sailor Pluto, it just wanted to kill the annoying humans.
Unnoticed by the Youma, Pluto and Yami, Hotaru had regained conciseness, and she watched as Yami, her ONLY friend was hurt, trying to defend her.
Hotaru felt something grow inside her, an unknown power and a single phrase. Her eyes glowed brightly as she stood up, Yami's jacket falling away, and she was covered in a tasty black sweater with the kanji for death over the heart, she raised her hand and cried out, "Saturn Planet Power Make-Up!"
And everyone there went silent.
Hotaru was covered in dark purple light, which masked the transformation, and Sailor Saturn stepped out, her fuku wasn't white but a soft gray color, and the skirt was surprisingly knee length, and was a dark, almost black violet. Arm length purple gloves missing the fingers, covered her hands, her right hand was wrapped around the staff part of the Silence Glaive. Twenty inches of wickedly sharp steel was evident at the top of the staff, around her head, instead of a tierra was a white bandana, with the symbol of Saturn slashed with three jagged black marks.
Sailor Pluto was shocked, Sailor Saturn was there and she had to be killed, or she would kill all there is.
The Youma noticed the new Senshi and could smell the power radiating of the new warrior, he wanted it but waited to see what the new person would look like.
Yami grinned as he watched Hotaru change into Sailor Saturn for the first time, but was concerned with Pluto there, since he had watched the show, he knew she would try to kill her for being a threat to the world, he idly saw the Youma look at Hotaru, but his attention was on Pluto, and what she would do next.
"I am she who will bring the Silence, Sailor Saturn." she whispered as she held the Silence Glaive at the ready
The Youma charged straight at Pluto's back
Saturn leveled her glaive and a small ball of purple energy erupted from the tip. Pluto managed to jump away in time to avoid the blast, but never noticed the Youma get hit with the attack, "Dead Scream." She whispered, pointing her staff at Saturn, Saturn twisted in a circle and the blast passed by, harmlessly destroying a tree, the same one that Hotaru was resting just a few minutes ago, taking with it Yami's jacket and large sweater.
Yami charged at the Youma, going for the other sword at his side. The Yuma dodged the slash, but the end of one of the swords rammed in between its eyes, "NOW!" Yami yelled and bounced away, as both a Dead Scream and a Silence Glaive Surprise blasted the Youma, and it turned to dust.
Yami slid to a stop, clutching his chest, "Fucker broke a rib." He whispered, anger in his voice, he looked around to see Pluto getting ready to blast Saturn's unprotected back; he rushed forward, as the blast blew from Pluto's staff. It was covered by a thin black shine. "Die you Bringer of Destruction!" shouted Pluto, her face full of confidence, but turned to fear when Yami came to a stop in front of the blast, swords crossed, but just before the blast could hit, a faint figure equal to Yami's height stood with him two katanas drawn in the same guard position.
The blast hit Yami and was cut, blowing above him and around him, "Run Saturn, RUN!" he shouted as he felt the blast crack the wood of his swords. Saturn looked at Yami once, and did as she is told, she ran. She ran around the block and stopped for breath, and as a large explosion reached her ears, a tear crept down her face. "Yami." she breathed, shock and fear holding her in place.
She laid her head against the cool brick; she was covered by shadows, as her outfit made her nearly invisible. She never saw two human hands appear around her, and pull her into the building, a third appearing when she started to scream. She vanished, along with the building wall.
A/N: how about that? Who took Saturn and is Yami really dead? Find out in the next episode of Be Careful What You Wish For; Fallen Warriors Paradise.