Hotaru distractedly ran her hands along the vibrating frame of the car. She watched her driver make a point of ignoring her strange behavior from the corner of her eye, then she went back to her nostalgic thoughts. It'd been a long time since she'd ridden in a car. She only had to close her eyes and she was back in the past, feeling the engine shake the metal frame of Haruka-papa's car. While Hotaru had sometimes felt a bit uneasy at the speed Haruka chose to drive at, Michiru-mama had always seemed to be perfectly at ease, completely trusting in Haruka's ability.
Hotaru smiled to herself, amused. Haruka-papa. Michiru-mama. She must be feeling nostalgic. She hadn't called them that in years! Ever since they'd stopped aging and Hotaru had caught up with them, it'd seemed a little silly to call them that anymore. She placed her chin in her palms, and her elbows on her drawn-up knees. Everything had changed after the disaster. Papa had died, and while she always would love Haruka and Michiru, they could never quite replace him. So she'd gone off to live in solitude, and Serenity had been kind enough to send some servants off to care for her.
And now she was going back to Crystal Tokyo. Would they be happy to see her? Would they even care? Serenity would, of course. Her heart was big enough to care for everyone and everything. But would anyone else? Hotaru wrapped her arms around her legs and looked down at her feet. She wiggled her toes inside her shoes and continued to wonder. Would Michiru and Haruka even notice her arrival? It often seemed that they were so wrapped up in themselves that the rest of the world barely mattered. She buried her face in her knees and began to shake with worry. What about Chibi Usa? Would she want to be friends with a woman who was so much older than her now? Would the young princess even care about her anymore?
"M'Lady?" Hotaru jerked her head up from her knees and looked through the partition at the chauffeur. "We're almost to the palace. I thought you'd like to know." She wiped at her wet eyes with her hand, glad for once she never wore makeup. Hotaru wished there was a back door she could just slip into. Walking up to Serenity and Endymion with a whole crowd watching wasn't going to be pleasant.
The car stopped in front of the royal palace, and Hotaru suppressed an urge to gape like a village idiot. The Crystal Palace always affected her like this, no matter how often she'd seen it. The chauffeur opened her door, and she threw back her shoulders and climbed out as regally as she could. Then she began the long, lonely walk to the throne room. Courtiers, government officials, and even a large crowd of the common folk lined the walls of the hall as Hotaru slowly walked down the red carpet toward the large double doors that led to the throne room. Petitioners shot angry looks at her as she walked ahead of them in line, and she could feel them wondering who she was, until the unrelieved black of her dress and the ghostly pallor of her skin brought to mind chilling fables of the messiah of silence. She actually felt them draw back with fright as they realized who she must be. Hotaru began feel very shaky at their implicit rejection of her. It was just like it had been when she was a child, before she knew she was Sailor Saturn. Superficially it was for a different reason this time--they were drawing back from her might as a senshi instead of her powers to heal--but she knew it was really for the same reason. They were afraid. She slowed her measured tread to the audience chamber as she became more and more distressed at their fear. She closed her eyes for a brief moment. She couldn't allow them to affect her this way! But Hotaru was affected--nearly immobilized, in fact--by their reaction to her, so she opened her eyes as Lady Saturn. She felt calm cover over her anguish like a smothering blanket, and she blinked her eyes, now cold with dispassionate unconcern, and began to walk toward the audience chamber again. Serenity and Endymion were waiting for her.
She finally neared the gigantic double doors, made of a translucent milky quartz, and stood at the end of the column lined corridor, waiting for the herald to announce her to the court. While she waited she scanned the throne room. Serenity and Endymion sat on twin thrones, and along either side of them sat one or two senshi. Mercury sat by Serenity's side as she heard petitions, dressed in a sharp powder blue business suit, whispering advice in her ear. Venus hovered near, in her sailor uniform, obviously standing guard just in case anyone decided to try anything with the King or Queen. And next to King Endymion sat Uranus, having a quiet conversation with him about something.
Serenity finished with the petition before her, and the herald motioned her forward. As she stepped forward he called out in a loud voice, "I present to the court Lady Saturn."
A hush fell over the court as everyone turned to stare at her. She kept the cold mask of Saturn on her face as she stepped forward to bow to her Queen and King. Serenity quickly rose from her seat to pull Saturn back up.
"None of that, now, Hotaru." She wrapped her in a warm hug. "I'm so glad to see you. It's been so long!" Hotaru felt her mental mask shatter in the face of Serenity's welcome. She hesitantly hugged her back.
"And it's always wonderful to see you, Serenity. But--why is everyone so surprised to see me? Didn't you get my letter?"
Serenity smiled. "Actually, I did, but thought I'd surprise everyone else. With stewards and officials always trying to schedule me to death, I thought I'd keep this under my hat, or they'd strangle us both with ceremonies."
Hotaru smiled at the suppressed chuckle in Serenity's voice. "Well, that's a relief. I was a little worried about that."
Serenity looked up at the herald. "The audience is over. Anyone else with petitions will have to wait until tomorrow." The herald gave a quick bow, and started herding everyone out of the room, then he closed the huge quartz doors behind him as he left as well.
As soon as the doors were closed, Haruka, Ami, Minako and Endymion came forward to greet Hotaru as well.
Ami smiled her quiet smile. "You're looking well, Hotaru. It's good to see you. Now I won't have to travel to that bleak castle of yours to give you your annual check-up!" She raised an eyebrow as Hotaru stifled a groan.
Minako bounced up, cheerful as always. "I'm so glad that's over. I'll be happy when it's Makoto's turn to stand guard. It's hard keeping my face stern for that long!" She enveloped Hotaru in a fervent hug. 'I'm glad to see you, Hotaru! It's been so long!"
Endymion smiled and shook her hand, as reticent with emotions as she was. The warm glow of being here, with her only real friends and comrades, made her cheeks feel pink with happiness. If only she had the stamina to live here in Crystal Tokyo, she could have this sort of camaraderie all the time. She turned to the only one here who hadn't greeted her yet with a rare mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Hello, Haruka-papa." She wasn't disappointed. Haruka took a step back in surprised shock, and everyone covered their faces to hide their smiles, except Minako, who just laughed out loud. It was hard to take Haruka by surprise like that.
Haruka opened her mouth say something when Rei and Makoto ran into the room from one of the private entrances. "Hotaru! I can't believe you're here!"
"Why didn't you tell anyone you were coming?"
Serenity looked at Rei. "I knew she was coming, but decided to keep it a secret so none of my overly efficient government officials would decide we needed some impressive ceremonies to welcome her."
Rei's slightly pugnacious expression softened. "Oh, well, that's all right, then."
Serenity pointed toward the gilded door that led to her private suite. "Why don't we leave this huge, drafty room and go chat someplace more comfortable.?"
Hotaru followed Serenity, surrounded by her friends, feeling like she was home, at last.
*****