Hotaru's Classroom Class Report 1.3
First Battle
Sir Kyschar is pacing in the hall outside the faculty room, holding a brown paper bag, slightly crumpled between his hands.(FLASHBACK)
"Oh, Sir Kyscha-ar!"
He turned to see one of his new students, a cute little thing with short hair. "Chiharu, isn't it?" He had said. "You'll be late for Hotaru's class."
"This won't take long," She had insisted cheerfully, then held out the brown bag. "Here -- this is to thank you for being so, ah -- nice to us. Raine's mom made it, but we, uh, I mean, Yuri usually makes us a pack lunch, so . . ."
"Oh, well, ah . . . thank you. Run along now, we mustn't be late."
"Oh, no need to thank me, really," She had said, smiling. "It's a pleasure."
(BACK TO REAL TIME)
He paused by the door and frowned. Was Chiharu all nice and sweet and adoring or did he not see that glint in her eye . . . but, nah, why would such a sweet little thing do . . .
"You're blocking the way."
That voice . . . he knew that voice . . . so cold and yet, so . . .
"Hotaru!" He cried out, turning to face her, his eyes sparkling.
"Yes, that's my name, now STEP ASIDE."
"Hotaru!" He said again, scrambling for some words to say. "I . . ."
"I said -- mmmf!!!" She mumbled, cut off as he shoved two chopsticks in the brown bag and grabbed some food, shoving it in her mouth.
"I noticed you didn't eat lunch today, and I know it's your first day and that you're very nervous, but you musn't forego your health like that . . ." He said, digging through the bag for another bite of food, oblivious to the fact that her face had turned a hideous shade of red . . ."
"Ah, here, this looks good . . . open wide . . ."
. . . fast turning purple . . .
"Uh . . . Hotaru . . .? Something the matter?"
She glared at him. "OF COURSE SOMETHING'S WRONG!" She yelled. "ARE YOU TRYING TO POISON ME, OR HAS FOOD REALLY DIGRESSED INTO SOMETHING THIS HORRIBLE OVER THE CENTURIES?!"
"I'm . . . I'm sorry . . . one of the kids offered it to me. It can't be that bad, are you really ok? You're acting strange . . ."
She was poised to strike him, then she stopped. Her eyes widened at his words and her shoulders started to shake. Sir Kyschar stared at her nervously. She then burst into a loud, eerie laugh that echoed in the hallways.
"Um . . . Hotaru?"
"I see now," She said, turning back to face him. "You're on to me, aren't you?" She gripped her scythe. "You thought to get rid of me by poisoning me!"
"Now, Hotaru, you're blowing this out of proportion, it was an accident, I should've tasted it before . . ."
"SHUT UP!" She yelled, knocking the scythe agaist the wall, making it crack.
"Uh . . . our school board's on a tight budget, and yeeek!" He gulped as she hooked the tip of the scythe on the collar of his shirt, lifting him off the ground.
"You talk too much!!" She screamed, tossing him aside. He landed against the wall and slid down in an unconscious heap.
"Hotaru . . . why . . . ?" He mumbled weakly before slumping in faint.
**********About 10 minutes and 50.7 seconds before that*************
Usagi ran up the front steps of the school. I don't care what they say, Hotaru's not herself, I know she isn't! Something's terribly wrong! She pushed open the doors and started walking cautiously.
(TAP, TAP, TAP) Her steps echoed . . .
(tip, tip, tip)"My steps?!" She thought suddenly. "Why is there an echo?"
(TAP, TAP)
(tip, tip)She stopped. A howl of wind echoed, but nothing more.
She started again.
(TAP, TAP, TAP)
(tip, tip, tip)She stopped. No noise.
(TAP, TAP)
(tip, tip)
(TAP, TAP, TAP)
(tip, tip, tip)
(TAP)
(tip, tip)"AH-HAH!" She yelled, turning around. "I knew someone was following me, show yourself or . . . ah . . . Rumine?!"
Rumine stared at her for a while, blinked, then said, "Oh, is Miss Hotaru's class over?"
"What?" Usagi said irritably as she continued on her way, Rumine following close behind.
"Miss Hotaru's class, the one right after Sir Kyschar's class."
"Oh, you were awake the whole time?" Usagi said absently as she scrutinized the scene before her. "Oh, no . . . so that's what Chiharu did with the lunch bag!"
"No. I don't recall any of it."
"So how do you know about Hotaru's class?" She asked, pulling Rumine aside. They huddled in the shadows as Hotaru's voice escalated into a shout.
"Mom told me about it. Was it boring?"
"Boring?" Usagi snorted. "I wouldn't exactly call it fun, but a training session matching the world's best torture chamber isn't what I'd call boring." She winced as Hotaru's scythe hit the wall.
"TRAINING?" Rumine frowned. "What training?" She said loudly, covering her ears as Hotaru started screaming again.
"HOTARU'S CLASS!" Usagi yelled back.
"But her class is . . ." Rumine was cut off as Usagi gasped when Hotaru flung Sir Kyschar's body against the wall. She scrutinized her former friend's face and her own expression cleared as realization seeped in.
"What class was she supposed to teach?" she demanded, turning around to face Rumine. "What class --" She sweatdropped upon seeing Rumine staring into space again.
She sighed, gripped her brooch and thought, Well, this is it!
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"
"What?" Hotaru whipped around to see Usagi step out of the shadows in her Chibimoon costume, carrying a small heart stick.
"You're not Hotaru," She said angrily. "In the name of love and friendship and for the preservation of peace, I will defeat you. I am Super Sailorchibimoon!"
Hotaru laughed. "So you think you've found me out! You're a clever little thing . . . or are you really?"
"Don't try to confuse me with riddles. I'm going to fight you no matter what the cost, as my duty as chibi-senshi!" She poised herself. "Moon--!"
Hotaru moaned terribly then, and the symbol of Saturn flashed on her forehead.
"Chibiusa . . ." She said softly. ". . . help me . . ."
Usagi stood up straight. "Hotaru?" She started running towards her friend. "Hotaru!!"
Hotaru's eyes flashed and she smiled slightly. Usagi gasped as she used the tip of her scythe to pull at Usagi's costume, dragging her nearer. Her fingers clenched at Usagi's throat.
"Hotaru . . . why . . . ?" She choked out.
"I am not Hotaru and yet I am . . ." Hotaru said, laughing as she increased the pressure. "Now what do you plan to do about it, princess?"
"Thunder Oak Evolution!"
Hotaru frowned. "What did you say --!!" She screeched as lightning struck her, effectively striking Usagi, too. They both fell to the floor in a tingling heap.
"YURI!!"
"I'm sorry . . . I forgot human bodies conduct electricity.""Let us handle this, look after Usagi!" Chibi-Venus said as Hotaru struggled to stand up. "Venus Lovely Cha-aaaain!" She finished in a yelp as she tripped over her heels and tangled herself in her own chain. "CHIBI-MARS! QUIT LAUGHING AND FINISH HER!!"
"All right . . . haha . . . okay . . . just . . . haha . . . (gasp) . . ."
"Usagi, are you all right . . . ?"
"CHIBI-MARS!!"
"No . . . don't let them . . ."
"All right already! MARS FLAME --"
Hotaru stood up weakly. Chibimoon broke free of Chibi-Jupiter's grasp.
"-- SNIPER!"
Chibimoon jumped in front of Hotaru, receiving the blow.
"USAGI!!" Chibi-Venus and Chibi-Jupiter cried out.
Chibi_Venus struggled to get up, tripped on her heels and landed against Chibi-Mars. They stumbled down on the floor. Chibimoon, wincing in pain fell before Hotaru, who was laughing at the irony of the current events.
"Why--you . . . !!" Chibi-Jupiter said angrily. "I'll save you, Usagi!"
"NO DON'T!!" Chibimoon managed to cry out. "Please . . . she's . . ."
"What?" Chibi-Jupiter said, stopping in surprise. Caught off guard, the scythe hitting her side knocked her down isntantly. "Ow!!"
"Usagi, what's the big idea?!" Chibi-Mars snapped, trying to wiggle her way out of Chibi-Venus and her chain.
"It's Hotaru . . ." Chibimoon said tearfully. "She's been possessed."
"Ah, so you have figured it out." Hotaru smiled. "I could almost admire your faith and loyalty this time . . . almost . . . but I'm afraid it's too late for you and your kind to make amends . . ."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Chibi-Mars shouted.
"Usagi, look out!!" Chibi-Venus yelled at the same time.
Hotaru raised her scythe menacingly. Chibimoon tried to move, then cried out in pain and slumped back on the ground.
A flash of white light streaked against Hotaru's arms, making her step back in pain. The scythe dropped on the floor, just as a white rose landed next to it, its stem embedded on the ground due to the force of its projectile motion. Blood dripped from its thorns.
Hotaru's hand reached out to grab the scythe, and Chibimoon gan see the bloody scratch the rose made. Another flash of white. A white rose landed just next to the scythe, making Hotaru draw back her hand.
(You can almost hear Tuxedo Kamen's theme song as Hotaru looks up in anger)
A shadowy figure is seen hidden (of course) in the shadows. Only a slight glint of light is revealed, showing that he is wearing white.
"A student should not be the object of a teacher's deep affection . . . particularly not of his/her hidden desire to kill. It's best for you to leave now, or I will punish you in the name of the Earth."
Hotaru turned back to Chibimoon, only to see Chibi-Venus stepping on her scythe. "I think he means it. Still wanna fight?"
Hotaru glared at her and ran down the halls, Chibi-Jupiter and Chibi-Mars following in close pursuit.
Chibi-Venus was about to rush off, when Chibimoon grabbed her leg. "No . . . please, we can't hurt her."
"She's been possessed and she looks really bad, only Chiharu's mom can exorcise and if we go after her now, it may be too late." Chibi-Venus gestured down the hallways as they heard Chibi-Mars and Chibi-Jupiter's yells. Distant blue and red lights shone occasionally.
"But what can I do?" Chibimoon said, crying as she looked at her moonstick. As her tears fell on the stick, her brooch schone and the stick started to transform into something longer. A new moonstick landed on her hands, colored silver and white. "What?"
"I believe, princess," The shadow above them said, "that your power, born in the name of love and peace, should not only be means of defeating an evil entity, it should also try to cure or purify them."
"You're right," Usagi gripped the moonstick and started to stand. "Thank you . . ." But the shadowy figure in white was gone.
"Chibimoon, come on!!" Chibi-Venus yelled, already running down the hallways (She had kicked off her heels and was running barefoot).
On impulse, Chibimoon grabbed one of the white roses before running after Chibi-Venus.
***************** At the other end of the hallway ******************
"Blast it! Stand still!" Chibi-Mars snapped as Hotaru dodged her flame attacks. The walls were singed and cracked from Chibi-Mars and Chibi-Jupiter's flame and lightning attacks.
Hotaru turned to see them at a far distance and smiled. Just one more turn and she could . . . She turned back to see Rumine walking across the hallway in a trance. "AAAAAAH!!" She cried out in alarm as she collided with Rumine's body.
"Ha! Good one, Chibi-Mer . . . er . . . Rumine!" Chibi-Mars said. "Now let's . . ."
"Hold it!" Chibi-Venus said. "Venus Lovely Chain!"
The chain encircled Hotaru and dragged her away from Rumine.
"Now, Chibimoon!" Raine said.
Chibimoon nodded, closing her eyes in concentration. She turned around in a style Sailormoon would have done. "Moon Cleansing Halation!"
"Nooooo!!" Hotaru screamed. The scream continued through the mouth of the spirit of a lady who was pushed out of Hotaru's body as it was struck by Chibimoon's attack. The lady with long silver hair gasped as a circle of white light appeared behind her, trying to pull her in. She struggled against it.
"This isn't over!" She managed to say. "My people will have their revenge!"
"What people?!" Chibimoon asked.
"Who are you?" Chibi-Mars demanded at the same time.
She smiled then. "It appears I would still have the last laugh. Look closely -- if you dare!!" Her forehead shone with yellow light. At the center . . . was the symbol of the moon!
"!!"
"!!"
"!!""No way . . ." Chibi-Venus uttered.
"How . . . ?" Yuri whispered.
Her laugh stared out strong and seemingly like that of a lunatic's, then it sobered slowly as her expression did, tinged with sadness.
"Someday . . ." she whispered. "You'll know . . ."
"And we'll set it right!" Chibimoon said. "I promise . . . now you can rest in peace . . ."
She shook her head as she faded completely into the light. "I can never do that now. It's far too late."
The light disappered competely, encasing them in darkness.
Silence.
Chiharu suddenly appeared in front of Usagi, light from a flashlight illuminating her face in a creepy way. "Now, wasn't that cree-eepy?" She entoned.
"Yeeeek!" Usagi screeched. "Knock it off!"
"I was just trying to lighten up the mood."
"Yeah, well how about lightening up the hall?"As if on cue, light turned on, making them blink. Rumine had flicked on the lights.
"Oooow . . ."
"Hotaru!" Usagi said, rushing over to her side. "Are you ok?"
"Yes . . ." She whispered in a tone so much like Yuri's that Yuri, Raine, and Chiharu's eyes widened. "I . . . think so." She lifted herself up and hugged Usagi. "Oh, I've missed you so much, Chibiusa!"
She turned to the rest of the senshi and bowed her head. "I am so sorry. I seem to have this ability to be possessed very easily. I'll be more careful from now on." She bit her lip, trembling slightly. "How will I explain this to your parents? They trusted me so much and I . . ."
"We're not going to tell 'em."
"No way."
"You see, it'll be all right, Hotaru. Everything'll be back to normal!"Yuri fiddled with her dainty skirt. "Are you sure we shouldn't tell our parents? That spirit did say it was far from over."
"And she sure left a lot of questions unanswered." Raine frowned. "It's so mysteriuos and freaky . . . how could an enemy have the symbol of the moon?"
"We'll find that out soon," Usagi said cheerfully. "Besides, we just won our first battle! There's no need to worry them over nothing! We've just fullfilled our duty as Chibi-Senshi!" She clapped her hands. "No sweat, right? Wasn't it fun?"
They surveyed their dishelved, torn, bruised, and bloody figures and sweatdropped. But they tried very much to smile in support of their princess.
Some moments later . . .
Sir Kyschar rubbed his head, groaning. It was all his fault. He'd turned a sweet little thing like Hotaru Tomoe into a raving lunatic because of the poison stew. Now she was never going to speak to him. He was nothing but an insignificant bug, a murderous scorpion who tainted the innocent shell of a butterfly . . .Hotaru watched him move about dramatically, tears streaming down his face, and tensed. How were they going to explain . . .
"Um . . . Sir Kyschar?" she said tentatively.
He jerked and stood ramrod straight. "Uh . . . uh . . . Hotaru . . . uh . . . here . . ." He picked up the scythe and handed it to her, then jumped back. "You . . . uh . . . seemed to have dropped it . . . I'm not really sure, but I think you may have dropped it on my head . . . hehe . . . he . . ."
"Oh . . . no, I . . . dropped it when you handed me the food and you tripped over it and hit your head. You started rambling and shouting . . . like you were having this nightmare, so I ran to get help, but the clinic's closed so I . . . well . . ." She smiled shyly. "I'm glad you're okay."
"A nightmare? Oh . . . ah . . . right, right! It was so strange, you . . ."
She shook her head, touching a finger to his lips. "Forget about it. It would never happen." She leaned and raised herself on tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you for the lunch . . ." She blushed furiously and rushed off. "Good night!"
He raised a trembling hand to his cheek an stared after her. As soon as the doors swung close, he fainted on the spot.
"So THAT was his game. I almost feel sorry for him. He's such a wuss." Chiharu leaned over his body. "He's knocked out. We'd better leave."
"Sir Kyschar and Hotaru?" Yuri said excitedly. "Oh, how sweet!"
"Nauseating," Chiharu muttered. "What a corny display that was.
"Aw, lighten up, Chiharu," Yuri teased. "You'll fall in love someday."
"Spare me."
"Spare all of us the chatter for now," Raine said tiredly. "I need sleep."
Everyone trudged out the door.
Usagi stole one last look at Sir Kyschar, then turned back to the white rose in her hand.
"Good for you, Hotaru . . ." She thought, twirling the flower with her fingers.
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