2306/A mermaid AND a phoenix AND a princess

A mermaid AND a phoenix AND a princess
Date of Scene:	08 February 2025
Location:	Campus Gardens
Synopsis:	Hotaru brings Chibiusa to meet local phoenix and one of the local mermaids. And well... during said encounter, a few secrets come out...
Cast of Characters:	Hotaru Tomoe, Chibiusa Tsukino, Tsubasa Yuunagi, Laura La Mer

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Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Hotaru Tomoe was having the BEST time ever. This year. Was. AMAZING! She'd gained two new friends who were super duper cool, a mermaid AND a phoenix! She'd even done combo attacks with both of them! And now? She got to do the thing she'd ALWAYS wanted to do.

She got to show off her friends to her other friend! Eeeeee! It was like show and tell but with FRIENDSHIP!

So she'd begged and pleaded (even though it was likely unnecessary) for Laura and Tsubasa to meet her super-cool-and-awesome friend (Although, admittedly, they'd likely already met her. Laura certainly had, considering the snow. But this was a different kind of meeting. This was CASUAL! No fairies in sight!)

She'd warned them she'd be bringing Chibiusa to the garden with the flexing muscle-man fountain (Someone's art project from years ago), and now she was playing escort with Chibiusa as they walked, a big grin on her face.

"Cure Wing is super cool, he goes all like, bwoom, and during his big finisher attacks he lets you jump on his back and then you're launched like a missile at him and Cure La Mer is a future queen and her big attack has her get eaten by a whale and then it smacks things with its butt which is very effective when you're a whale and..."

Her excitement was... very noticeable. She was definitely going to make the BEST impression with the little lady.

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Chibiusa has been having a time lately and, frankly, is glad to have something a bit more casual or relaxed to do. If she doesn't even have to leave the campus in order to do it, all the better. While she had gotten a chance to know Laura a little while visiting Chanteur, things were pretty busy for other reasons. As for Cure Wing, well... Chibiusa just hadn't run across him yet. She supposes this meeting would fix that.

    Contrasting Hotaru's youthful excitement is Chibiusa's tiredness. She's in the state of mind where a lot of stressors have happened recently but they are kind of over for now and she feels like she can relax. It doesn't hurt that the Radiant Heart campus is one of the safest places she could conceivably be right now.

    She smiles as she listens to Hotaru describe her friends. Chibiusa is always a little envious when others talk about their cool attacks, but it's always sweet to see someone so excitedly boasting on their friends' behalf. "I can't wait to meet them!" she says, and it's sincere, even if she can't quite match Hotaru's hyperactive energy.

    Luna-P is hovering behind the two of them, following Chibiusa like a duckling.

Tsubasa Yuunagi has posed:
Cure Wing descends from the sky in a smooth arc, his golden wings catching the light as he glides toward the garden. The wind from his flight rustles the leaves below, and a faint shimmer of magic lingers in his wake. With effortless grace, he lands, one foot touching the ground before the other, as if he's merely stepping from the sky rather than falling.

His sharp eyes scan the familiar space, quickly finding the flexing muscle-man fountainand the water that cascades dramatically from its exaggerated biceps, and Cure Wing huffs out a quiet laugh, shaking his head at the absurdity of it.

But from the sky, he had noticed Hotaru, so he had made sure to land nearby. Approaching the pair, the lithe Precure offers up a smile as warm as a summer sun as he bends at the waist, a sweep of his arm out as he moves into a proper bow of greetings. He doesn't say anything just yet though, assuming Hotaru wants to make the introductions.

Laura La Mer has posed:
No fairies in sight? That's strictly true since a certain seal fairy is leisurely taking a nap in the Aqua Pot. And Laura hasn't bothered to wake up the fairy either. She can totally be by herself right now. Herself, the ugly statue of muscle man (so says she), and potentially Tsubasa, if he is already here.

She likely knows who this super-cool-and-awesome friend is, for no reason other than both Sharon and her having met Chibiusa at Chanteur. She had asked the Snow Princess prior to this, but unfortunately, a teacher had roped her in as assistant/model for a sculpture session at the art club.

That was by citing her being the transfer student of the moment, and there was nothing they could do to districate her out of it. Alas sometimes the school could really be implacable. The queen-to be is currently filing her nails right below the ugly statue, which she interrupts as soon as other three arrive on the place.

"Hey, Yokina-chan , Tsubasa-kun, and Chibiusa-san", she raises her arm in greeting, a smile showing on her face.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Hotaru Tomoe gasped in awe as Cure Wing descended, majestic and poised as an eagle! Truly, an epitome of what it meant to truly be... birb.

Hotaru's eyes were gleaming and then they caught hold of Laura. As elegant as ever, a perfect example of poise, grace and refinement, a demonstration of... future-queen fish.

"Well then! Everyone, this is Chibiusa Tsukino, she's super amazing and Usagi Tsukino's cousin! She's super smart and cool and knows about magic. Chibiusa, this is Cure Wing, he's the coolest bird EVER and can fly and is always up for helping people with all kinds of problems and threats! And this is Laura, she's a mermaid, future queen and one of the most stylish and amazing people I know! She's like, a mascot all on her own! She has devices and stuff and she's trying to assemble her very own team! She even has one now! She's like... the wizened mentor of her own magical faction!"

"... And you know what? I think... we're all probably close enough now, it's probably time I can let you all in on an important secret. One you can't tell anyone, ever. Since... I'm sure you've all noticed there's something off about me and my henshin. Being Sailor Charon and all. So... I'm going to let you all in on a little secret. I'm... not actually Yokina Meiou. I am actually Hotaru Tomoe, daughter of Director Tomoe from Obsidian and formerly the 'dark magical girl' Firefly. Errr, but, for the record? My daddy isn't actually evil. He's being manipulated by Kaolinite, who is the real evil villain behind the work my dad's forced to do."

They could all *hear* an exhausted sigh projecting in their heads. Psychicly. As poor Luminous Titan just... let his exhaustion be known. "But that's why my henshin is weird, and why I couldn't talk about it until now. But we've all worked together enough now that I figure it's okay for you to know the secret. Sorry I had to hide it so long."

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    As she listens to the introductions of Cure Wing and Laura, as provided by Yokina, Chibiusa smiles brightly to each of them. Small Lady curtseys towards Laura when told that she is a future queen, though not too low. A princess does not kneel in deference to a queen-candidate, but it's not uncommon in Japan to bow as a greeting. Cure Wing gets a nod.

    Then the truth comes out regarding Hotaru's own personal history and she blinks. So... there really isn't a Sailor Charon. She's just a friend of the senshi whom Pluto is hiding. That clarifies a few things, and answers a few questions that Small Lady didn't know she was going to have today.

    Chibiusa grasps Luna-P in both hands and says, "Well... if we're gonna talk secrets, there's one I should probably share since we're all friends here. A lot of people know it already." She glances from side to side to make sure no one tall enough to be from the Black Moon Clan is nearby, then speaks in a low voice. "I'm actually Usagi and Mamoru's child from the future of an alternate timeline. My full name is Usagi Small Lady Serenity and I'm the Princess of Neo Crystal Tokyo. I'm hiding from some bad people too, so it's probably better to call me Chibiusa unless we're alone with others who know."

    Then she smiles at Hotaru, saying, "You don't have to be sorry. You had valid reason to hide."

Tsubasa Yuunagi has posed:
Cure Wing colds his arms behind him as he straightens up and takes in Hotaru's words. His grin is instant and proud, puffing out his chest just a bit.

"Majestic, am I?" Truly, the highest of compliments!" he says, placing a hand over his heart in mock solemnity before flashing a playful wink. "Though I do believe 'birb' is a title of great power. I shall wear it with honor."

His gaze flickers to Chibiusa, taking in her presence with warm curiosity. "A pleasure to meet you, Chibiusa! Anyone spoken of so highly must be quite remarkable." He dips his head in greeting before turning to Laura, giving her a small, knowing smirk.

"And of course, the ever-elegant Laura, future queen of the seas. If I am to be the greatest of birds, then surely you are the finest of fish." His tone is teasing but respectful, eyes glinting with amusement.

With a small chuckle, he spreads his arms. "Well! Now that introductions are made, what grand adventure are we embarking on today?"

And it seems to be a day of secrets. As Hotaru introduces her true self, and who her father is and that he's with Obsidian, but being held against his will, the small Precure gasps. "You should have told us this sooner so that we could plan a rescue!" Simple as that. There's no looking down at Hotaru for her secret or feeling betrayed, just that 'Go Get 'Em' attitude that seems to be prevalent in all Precures.

And then Chibiusa is making her own introduction, and the sparkle-eyed Wing is gasping. "Oh, so you're like... from the future?" he asks, because the other assumption would be... something that Cure Wing has NOT studied yet. He's from a young girl's theme after all! "That's really neat! Both of you! And I'll be happy to help any way I can!"

Laura La Mer has posed:
"Well, that is pretty much all true", Laura corroborates her best friend with the widest smile. If there is anything that gets to her is praise, all the more so if it's about being queen or her beauty (or her mermaid beauty!). Not that Laura's confirmation is really necessary to Chibiusa when she had already been told about the whole thing at Chanteur.

And then there are the revelations Hotaru drops on them, from her identity to her status as a (manipulated) figure of relevance in Obsidian and the truth behind her henshin. That however raises a lot more questions than answer, but that's not what Laura gets at first. "It's ok, Yok-, Hotaru-chan. Of course you didn't know what to do in that situation, but don't worry, we have your back of course!", Laura exclaims, clasping Hotaru's hands in hers.

Laura is glad her friend was able to break away from there on her own, even if she had never been in contact with 'Firefly', nor does she know who Kaolinite may be other than the fact she just joined the top ranks of the list of Laura's enemies.

And then there is another unveiling, from Chibiusa this time, who reveals she is a princess (not too much of a surprise, given her portament) from an alternate future (definitely a surprise) and Neo Crystal Tokyo (way more puzzling; what even is a Neo Crystal Tokyo), but the most important part of it all is that there are some bad people after her. The dangers certainly grew in the span of this minute.

"That's of course the truth, Tsubasa-kun. I am definitely the prettiest mermaid there is, but that's not why we are, you know? So, I don't think you have called us here just to tell us the truth and go back. Are we about to hold a strategy session on how to best help you?" Laura remarks, arms crossed in wait.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Hotaru Tomoe blinked and squeaks a little when Chibiusa tells her who SHE is. "Y-you're... a future princess? Then? That's so cool..." she whispered. "And Neo Crystal Tokyo sounds like such a cool place. Like... a futuristic Tokyo... made of crystal..."

... Not entirely inaccurate, either. "I hope something like that happens here someday. Usagi-sempai would make a good queen, too." However... the comment about helping her?

"Oh... That's... not really... possible. The ummmm... reason dad believes them is because they're... more or less... allowing his medical research to continue. And until... the... need for it is gone, he won't leave. Kaolinite is just going to keep feeding him lies, but... there's no fixing... this. It's... kind of... my fault. Since I'm... well... dying. Eh... heh... heh... It's... actually why I had to leave to begin with. Dark energy has made my condition worse and uhhhh... daddy was trying to fix it but... there was... no real... cure... for what's happening to me."

"... He just refuses to accept it."

"... So! Now that we're all together, I was thinking we could play a game! Chibiusa, would you like to learn risk? We have house rules. They're *awesome!*" Hotaru said, quickly trying to shift away from the other... secret... she'd been... kind of hiding from them.

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Small Lady smiles, even giggles, as she hears everyone compliment one another. This seems like a really nice group of friends if they all boost one another like this. Though it seems like a few more secrets are coming out and...

    Chibiusa tackles this one at a time. She nods at Wing and says, "Right! Well, not this world's future. I'm from another world that has a very different timeline, but it's the 30th century so it's still the future. Kinda."

    Then she nods at Hotaru and says, "That's about right. There's a lot of crystal there because of some magic that my mom had to do. It's actually very pretty!" Or well, it was, but Chibiusa leaves that part out.

    When Hotaru mentions that she's terminally ill... though... Chibiusa isn't sure that she can just skip past that. She turns a little pale, but...

    Oh geeze. Oh geeze. What should she do? Do they really just... ignore that?

    She tries to. "I um... don't have any magic powers, or anything but... I'm happy to play games! I kinda know a version of Risk but I don't know your house rules yet."

    Then she decides that she couldn't possibly just move past what Hotaru just told them. "Are you really okay? That sounds really sad. Even if you've tried everything you can't just expect me to accept that you're going to..." she pauses, slumps slightly, and then says, "Who am I kidding? I can't do anything about that." Maybe just ignoring it to play games with the time she has left is the best choice after all.

Tsubasa Yuunagi has posed:
Cure Wing sticks his tongue out at Laura, a playful gleam in his eyes. "Oh, so you accept being the prettiest mermaid, but change the subject. It is a well-earned compliment." he points out to her, but his attention is immediately moving back to the situation. "We're going to find a way to cure you, Hotaru. Whatever we need to do. We'll figure it out." He turns to Chibiusa and Hotaru, his usual easygoing nature still present, but now laced with a quiet determination. "Sounds like there's a lot to unpack here. If there's a problem, something we need to act on, then I want to know how we can help. What's our next move?"

"The two of you Hotaru and Laura, you're my closest friends outside of Sorashido. If something's weighing on you, if there's something you need to face, then I want to help." he offers a chipper little smile. "I don't have any big secrets to drop on anyone, so there's that!"

Laura La Mer has posed:
Laura drops Hotaru's hands when the other girl reveals the truth out of complete shock when she ears the other girl is dying, her heart squeezed tight at the pronunciation of those words. Looking at her with wide eyes, a shadow of disbelief over them, a smile stretched from ear to ear, Laura asks Hotaru. "What do you mean, you are dying? How could dark energy do this? I have never seen anything..." she stops there.

"You always seem so..." the pinkette starts saying, before memories of those times at Chanteur, when she barely ate, when she couldn't even be there a lot of the time. That affliction she had turned all the human libraries she could find upside down, and all those at Grand Ocean too, just so she could find an answer.

An answer that wasn't there. An answer that even her father couldn't find. An answer that he might have ruined himself, exposing Hotaru further to dark energy, with Kaolinite's oh so precious intervention.

"I see how this is. They have been doing this to you all this time. What's the cause, Hotaru? They must have found that much. Haven't they? Anything you know, that might be the solution. We just need to work together with this. There is no way you are dying, Hotaru. I promise you, ok? Just tell me what they have found out, please", Laura pleads more than asks.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Hotaru Tomoe just smiled, but... slowly the smile wavered. As, one by one... the others began to fall and focus on it. "I... know. It's terrible. I know it makes people sad and... I'm sorry. But... trust me."

"Nothing can be done. When I was young, there was... an accident. I lost my legs and arms. Daddy... developed these prosthetics for me. It's why my hands and feet are always so cold. Why I always wear sweaters and pants."

"... Riventon made me Luminous Titan to help... control... the symptoms. It's like there's... something inside me. Something.... dangerous. Bad. We've... tried things to remove it. Even... purifying it... but... it doesn't... work. Daddy has been trying to fix it for years but... It just leads to... pain. A lot of pain."

"... It can even lead to people dying..." Hotaru mumbled, her eyes lowering as she tried to force the smile to stay on her lips. "But... I... know my time is nearing an end. I've been given a gift. I should have died years ago. But... thanks to everyone I've met, I've been given so, so many things. I get to run around and be a senshi! I got to meet all of you! I get to fight monsters and save the world! I even rescued Santa once! I get to have the coolest, most awesome life EVER!" Hotaru said, her eyes gleaming and her smile genuine. "I... I know I'm going to die. That can't be changed. Nothing can be done about it. But that doesn't mean I have to be sad. And I've been so lucky and met so many wonderful, amazing people. And made great friends. So I am happy, I promise. So... let's have fun, okay? Instead of worrying about what can't be changed." She tugged on her necklace and there was a flash before... "EEP!"

... She was buried under board games.

So many board games.

Like twenty of them. She squeaked from under the pile. "L-Luminous Titan... I... meant like... three or four... not.... all of them..."

... Who carried ALL their board games in their device?!

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Smiling at Cure Wing and his lack of big secrets, Chibiusa says, "It's better that way, trust me."

    Then Laura makes it obvious that she shares her terror at this news and Chibiusa just... can't really move on from it either. Her mind goes through all the possibilities. Maybe if she could take Hotaru to the future, there might be medical advancements that could save her. If only Neo Crystal Tokyo wasn't currently under siege. She gets the feeling that Hotaru didn't mean to drop that big of a bombshell, but... here they are now.

    "Maybe we can find something? I don't know. Have you tried magic healing? I know there are only a few of those around, but..."

    Her mind goes through the options. Hotaru would already know about Mamoru, and would have likely already asked by now. Someone might be able to produce a miracle, though those can't really be taken for granted. Luna-P can do a lot of things, but any form of advanced medicine is out of her reach.

    Chibiusa has seen a lot of people on their deathbed, and they all take it in a different way. Hotaru just wants to be happy, and enjoy her time, so eventually Small Lady decides to honor that wish.

    "It is sad, and I'm not going to just ignore it. Even if it's impossible to change, like you say, I'm going to be looking out for a chance to save you. But... for the time being... We should just have fun, right?"

    Looking at the pile of games that Hotaru is now buried under, Chibiusa winces sympathetically. "Are you... okay under all that?" Then she finds the one labeled Risk and starts trying to gently tug it out of the pile. "This one, right?"

    She glances at the other two, Cure Wing and Laura, and flashes them a forced smile.

Tsubasa Yuunagi has posed:
Cure Wing's feels a tenseness, his usual lightheartedness giving way to something deeper: concern, frustration, maybe even anger at the unfairness of it all. He watches Hotaru's wavering smile, the way her words weigh heavier with every syllable, and he feels that all-too-familiar ache in his chest when his friends are hurting and he can't just fly in and fix it.

He exhales sharply, then kneels slightly so he's at eye level with her. "Hotaru..." His voice is softer now, but steady. "You don't have to apologize for this. Not to me, not to any of us. You're dealing with something that no one should have to carry, and you are carrying it. That's not weakness. That's strength."

He lets the words settle before continuing. "But you said it yourself, your dad's been trying to fix it for years. You've been trying. That means there's still something to fight for. And if that's the case, then I'm not giving up on you either. None of us are." He glances at Chibiusa and Laura, knowing they feel the same.

And then it's the sudden attack of the board games. "Ack!" he yelps, leaping back just in time not to get avalanched. "What the... okay, that is a LOT of games! But that's fine. Games are fun!"

And while Chibiusa is working on pulling out Risk, Wing gives a solemn nod. "Chibiusa's right. Maybe we can find something. Maybe there's an answer out there that you haven't tried yet. I don't know what that looks like, but I do know this, you don't have to figure it out alone." His gaze sharpens as he looks at Hotaru. "You've got us. You don't have to just accept this as unfixable."

He feels the feathers of his coat ruffle slightly as he considers her words again. "You said purifying it didn't work, and your dad's been trying for years... but what if we're looking at this the wrong way? If this thing inside you can't be removed, maybe it needs to be understood first. Maybe we need to learn what it really is before we figure out how to help you."

Laura La Mer has posed:
"I am not going to believe that, Hotaru", Laura shakes her head, once, twice and thrice. "I am just going not to", Laura denies it. "There is no way. I don't want to hear you say it, because it's just not possible, ok? There is still time, things we haven't tried, things we can still find out. I just didn't know, that's why nothing turned up", Laura looks at her.

Those are prosthetics. She has never heard of prothestics like that, really. That's certainly a good job right there. Pulled wool all over people's eyes, they did. Gave Hotaru a chance to act like there is no problem. Gave Hotaru a chance to hide her pain, in silence and solitude.

"What is that something, Hotaru? Please, tell me all you know. I am sure if we leave nothing untried, we can still find a solution. You too, Luminous Titan. I am sure you know a lot from suppressing it all these years. Just share all you have with us. We can help", Laura bites her lips, alternating between the device and her friend.

"Don't talk like your life is over already, Hotaru", Laura frowns, reaching to grab her hand. "You are still here, you are still here, and I am not going to let go, you know? I am going to hold tightly, and find a solution. Nobody is going to die. Not without my say so. You are my teammate, and so you are not allowed to go anywhere."

Then Hotaru gets buried under board games. And Laura starts removing them with trembling fingers. She doesn't ask if it hurt. Not when Hotaru has just shared so much more pain than that, that of course she is hurting regardless.

"Hey, Hotaru. Tell me. I want to hear you say it. Say you want to be saved. Say you want to have fun with us forever and ever. We are going to grant that wish, you know? It's just like you said. "Always in the end come hope and rebirth." So don't lose hope, Hotaru. Let's look for it together", Laura pushes the games aside with that same smile.

She sees it in the others' eyes, and she hears the same words. They all care. They really do. So they can do this. That's what she knows. What matters. That they are all going to hold tight and not let go.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Hotaru Tomoe twitched slightly under her pile. "I-I'm... I'm mostly fine... Luminous Titan is... a brat sometimes. But he'd never do anything to hurt me..." One by one the boxes were absorbed back into the device. "He's just annoyed that I shared all the secrets... he's over protective."

"And... yeah, I know it can't just be brushed aside. This is... my fault. I normally... wouldn't want to dump this on you, but I realized it was... kind of necessary to explain why my daddy was working with Obsidian and... sorry. I just... when people... find out it usually results in one of three things..."

"... Either they spend all their time trying to find a way to fix it and end up... only... focusing on that... and... forget to ever have fun and relax around me... or they try and ac like it's nothing, but keep looking at me when they think I don't notice, with those sad, somewhat... scared looks. Like they're scared I'm going to just... lose control at some point." Oh, if only she knew exactly what they WERE scared of...

"And yeah, I've tried magical healing... Mamoru... Sailor Moon... So many others. There's..."

"... I... want to be saved... I want there to be some magical solution that... makes it not hurt anymore, and lets me spend all my time with my friends, my family. But... I also know... I know that it doesn't always work that way. Sometimes people don't get saved. And I don't want everyone who cared about me to kick themselves because they weren't able to fix it. I don't know... what that thing is... Riventon studied it but... it's dangerous. I suppress it well enough, but... when I can't... it can destroy a lot... It's like... a monster... I guess... purifying it only makes things... worse. It makes it lose control and... Riventon managed to... keep an eye on me when I was in Obsidian. So I didn't hurt or kill anyone. Now the ummmm... now th people I'm staying with do it."

"I haven't lost hope, though. When I die... I'll be reborn, you know? That's why my mom used to say. When we'd go and see the fireflies each year. Fireflies are the souls of the departed moving on. And so... when my time comes... I hope I can come back and be with everyone again, perhaps in another way. A nicer way. For now? I get to enjoy the time I have with everyone and I want to keep enjoying it."

She started opening he box, pulling out the small little rules they'd made... and cards... and little figures... and the little pieces to signify the sky and water kingdoms.

... Was this even risk anymore?

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Chibiusa hears both Laura and Cure Wing say that they aren't going to give up on her so easily, and even though she kinda feels like Hotaru just wants to move on and start playing games... This also feels like an important conversation to have.

    Small Lady crosses her arms and considers all that is being said. The terminally sick girl, and the friends swearing to help. Maybe there's something in some other world that they could find, or some artifact, or something. It feels so cosmically unfair that she doesn't want to accept it as hopeless.

    Her mind goes to the Phantom Crystal hanging from her neck. If she could awaken her powers, could she do something?

    No. Not if Sailor Moon couldn't.

    On the other hand... "If I ever make it back to the future, I'll try to ask Sailor Mercury if she knows anything. I'm sure you've already asked the Senshi of this era, but the Sailor Mercury of the future might know things that her current self doesn't."

    That is, of course, assuming that Sailor Mercury is even still alive in the 30th century. No, of course she is. She has to be. Right?

    Small Lady looks down at the open box of Risk and their house rules, and the pieces and... oh. "So you're the kind of player who likes to use a lot of mods, huh?"