The ever omnipresent question was, �Do they meet again?� Well, here lies the answer to that question; a sequel to The Light in My World. A Hiei and Hotaru one-shot.
Spoken Actions
Previously�
He smiled, not smirked or sneered, as a firefly landed in the palm of his hand.
He looked down at the firefly and whispered, �Hotaru, you�ll always be the light in my world� and� I�ll always be the light in yours��
Now� Hotaru�s POV
After realizing my calling as Sailor Saturn, the dreams I had are now a little clearer. I know that that young woman in the garden was me as Princess of Saturn, but who was that guy? He seemed so familiar. Why?
Anyway, everyone is busy getting ready for the party, so I decided to spend the day in the park. I used to spend my time here reading before I met Rini, but something�s missing. What is it?
Sometimes, I look up at a certain tree, but every time I look up I see only the leaves. Why do I get that feeling someone is there.
Hiei�s POV
It�s been a while since I�ve last seen Hotaru reading a book, her faint smiles, and her eyes. It�s been a while since I�ve seen her entirely. The last time that I did see her, she was just an infant. How? I do not know.
Sometimes, I look down just to see if she�s there. And sometimes� I wonder. I wonder if things would�ve been different if I had stayed instead of leaving her.
It�s not my fault, mind you. She seemed fine after that youma was destroyed!
Hm� you�d think a youkai like me wouldn�t care about some human, well, you�re wrong. Anyway, the dreams have become more frequent. I�m still trying to figure out who that young woman is.
And now� for probably the hundredth time�
No One�s POV
Hiei turned his head, but this time, his head was stuck in that position as his eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly. Were his eyes playing tricks with him? Was it just because he wanted to see her again? Was he dreaming?
Well, whatever the reason, Hiei did not care for on the bench, that he would look at from time to time, a young woman sat there reading a book.
She had shoulder length black hair that contrasted nicely with her pale snow white skin. Her ebony eyes, or they would have been had it not been for the traces of violet, were focused intently on the book that was in her pale hands.
It was even the same black dress that Hiei had last seen her wear before she appeared as a baby.
During the Silver Millennium�
Princess Hotaru walked through her gardens until she was summoned by her mother. When she entered the throne room of Saturn�s castle, the first thing her eyes caught was a stranger who was a little taller than she was.
He had red eyes that reminded her of blood. His hair was as black as the clothes he wore.
�Hotaru, with the Negaverse at large, I wanted you to be protected. Though I do not know why, Queen Serenity insisted that he be your knight.� Said her mother, �Now, will you please show him around?�
Hotaru nodded, but then she asked, �Why do I need a knight?�
�I didn�t think you needed one either, but Queen Serenity was really insistent.� Hotaru�s mother replied.
Outside�
�And what is your name?� She asked.
�Hiei� he replied looking around.
�I can tell you don�t want to be here, so why are you?� Hotaru asked with a smile.
Hiei turned his head to face her and said, �I got in some trouble with the Queen of the Moon, and this is my punishment.�
Hotaru frowned and said, �It�s not so bad here. It�s a heck of a lot quieter than the other planets.�
Hiei could only nod because she was right. It was quiet, yet it felt safe. That was definitely not the way it was where he was from which was either kill or be killed.
The first thing she showed Hiei was the garden. Next, it was the castle, and finally, the city in all its glory.
�Princess, it�s time for your lessons!� Shouted her mentor who was about a year older than she was.
�All right. Coming, Hiei?� Hotaru asked.
Hiei gave a heavy sigh as he followed Hotaru into the castle.
�Today, we will be practicing dancing.� Said her teacher.
The music that was played was soft and slow.
Hiei watched as Hotaru danced across the floor. He smirked at Hotaru because of how nervous she was. Hotaru was always a really excellent dancer, but when it came to dancing with guys, she was a little edgy.
A small laugh escaped his mouth when Hotaru accidentally stepped on her mentor�s foot.
After apologizing, Hotaru glared at Hiei who was still amused.
�Let�s see you try!� Hotaru challenged.
�Forget it!� Hiei shouted not caring that this was a princess he was talking to.
Apparently, Hotaru wasn�t one to care either for all she said was, �What? Are you afraid to dance?�
Hiei glared at Hotaru who mimicked his earlier smirk, �I don�t dance.�
Hotaru rolled her eyes and continued her lesson. She was a little more confident, but was still a little hesitant.
Hiei couldn�t believe the way she spoke to him. Had this been any other person, he would�ve killed them not even a second after they were finished speaking.
�So what makes her so different?� Hiei thought.
One year went by and Hiei had to admit that life on Saturn wasn�t that bad. At least, that�s what he thought until�
Hiei had entered a room to find out that Saturn was invited to a party thrown by the Moon.
�Why do I have to go again?� He heard Hotaru ask.
�Because it�s our duty as royalty.� Her mother replied.
Hotaru knew exactly what was going on.
�What was that all about?� Hiei asked as soon as the queen was out of sight. While he asked that, he found himself and Hotaru sitting in the garden where he first spoke to her.
�It was nothing, really.� Hotaru replied cheerfully with a smile on her face, though most of it was fake.
�You do know that you�re one of the worst liars I�ve ever known, right?� He questioned. A year on Saturn, and now Hiei knew Hotaru a little bit better than most.
�Now, I do,� Hotaru replied, rolling her eyes, �This is just a chance to see which princess is going to get married.�
�Married?� Hiei asked. He would never admit it, but one of the reasons that he liked Saturn was because Hotaru was there and knowing that there might be a chance she will get married to someone else made his blood boil.
�Oh well,� She said as she stood up, interrupting Hiei�s thoughts, �It�s not like anyone would want to marry or love the Sailor Scout of Death.�
She then left Hiei alone as she went to prepare for the party.
�That�s not true, Hotaru.� Hiei whispered once she was out of sight. Though as soon as he whispered those words they came back to him with full force; did he, Hiei, a cold ruthless youkai, really care about her?
Now� Later That Evening�
It was time for the party! All the Sailor Scouts were in Raye�s shrine celebrating. All except for Hotaru who chose to walk around in the garden. She smiled when she saw the fireflies that were all around. Hotaru looked at this picture perfect moment and thought that it was almost complete.
The Sailor Scouts had defeated their greatest enemy and yet, she still felt like something was missing, or rather� someone.
Still looking at the fireflies, Hotaru would�ve sworn that she saw a flash of black and white. �Oh well, I guess I�m just being a little paranoid.�
To her, this scene was very familiar, it was like her dream. Surrounded by darkness, Hotaru watched as the firefly came closer to her when she heard a voice.
Close by
Hiei watched in wonder. It really was Hotaru who turned her back to him and walked back into the temple to rejoin her friends. He would�ve said something had it not been for a very� very� very� loud interruption.
With the Sailor Scouts�
�What was that?� Hotaru asked just as she had slid the door closed.
"Doesn�t sound good," Amara stated. "Let's move."
Outside, a youma was destroying the street in front of the temple. Sailor Saturn had to turn her head in revulsion, for the youma was the most gruesome being she had ever seen.
�And here I thought that we were finally through!� Shouted Sailor Jupiter.
Accompanied by black wings, the youma appeared to look like a huge snake with long vine-like arms that blasted everything in sight. Its skin was apparently a sickly emerald green with eyes that were a menacing yellow with blood red slits. It attacked with large black orbs that swallowed up everything and left nothing.
And one of those spheres happened to be aimed right at Sailor Saturn! She was paralyzed from the fear. It was apparent that her feet were glued to where she stood.
Without a second thought, Hiei rushed into the scene and was able to rescue Hotaru.
One second, she was prepared to meet death and the next� Hotaru opened one eye to find herself being carried (bridal style) away from what had now become a battle site. In his arms, Hotaru felt protected, but then she realized that she was in the arms of a stranger. So why did this seem so familiar?
It was a very good thing for Hiei�s speed or both of them would have been killed. After they were a good distance away, Hiei stopped and looked down to see Hotaru�s eyes. She blushed because of how close he was to her even after he set her down.
�Thank you. Um� could you please tell me your name so that I know who I am thanking?� Sailor Saturn whispered.
Hiei didn�t know what to say. Did she truly forget him? He just continued to stare at her hoping that just looking at him would remind her. His plan backfired because in doing so, he did not realize that the youma was right behind him.
�Look out!� Sailor Saturn warned.
Hiei turned himself around only to find that one second later he was on the ground bleeding and almost unconscious. But before he blacked out entirely, he was able to see Sailor Saturn finish off the youma with a very deadly attack.
With her Silence Glaive pointed directly at its head, Sailor Saturn shouted, �Saturn�s Deadly Silence!�
Everything was still until a wind was heard carrying the leaves that were on the ground. It was then that a black sphere appeared from the tip of Sailor Saturn Glaive and because she was right in front of the snake-like youma, it was killed instantly.
The others finally arrived only to see one dead youma, one panting Sailor Scout, and one unconscious youkai.
After taking in a breath of fresh air, Sailor Saturn turned to see her rescuer on the ground. She had no idea who this person was, but something told her that she had known him at one time or another...
Hiei stirred from his unconsciousness. He still felt very weak, but went completely frozen when his eyes met Hotaru's as she healed the injury he received.
When she looked at him, the name Hiei came into her mind.
�Do I know you?� Hotaru asked turning her head to see Sailor Pluto. Hiei also looked in Pluto�s direction when the Guardian of the Gates of Time nodded.
Then Hotaru turned her attention back to Hiei. Both were looking at each other deeply, but what was it about Hiei saving Hotaru that was so familiar? Even though Hiei was the one with some of the memories, he had never recalled saving Hotaru�s life before.
He noticed the injury he received vanished as Hotaru drifted into unconsciousness on top of him as he to closed his eyes.
During the Silver Millennium�
A celebration on the Moon� And there they stood in the corner of the grand ball room. Despite what she said earlier, Hotaru got more than just a second look from the guys around her.
She was wearing a stunning sleeveless silk bluish-purple ball gown that seem to cling to her figure. There were tiny jeweled fireflies intertwined into her shoulder length hair. Complementing the dress was her snow white skin. Yes, her unnatural pastel skin� She wore no make-up like the other girls, yet despite that fact; her natural, yet unnatural, pale skin gave her more of an ethereal beauty that no make-up could accomplish.
Hotaru stood there with a glass in her hand and her finger tracing the round brim of the glass. She noticed the guys flirting with the other princesses, except for Serena who was already with Darien. It seemed like they wanted to talk to her, but something stopped them. But she didn�t mind; if they were willing to just give up and go look for someone else, then it wasn�t like they really cared about her.
Hiei, in his usual attire, stood some feet away from Hotaru with his arms crossed as he mentally challenged anyone to even try and look Hotaru�s way. The Saturnarian princess, apparently still tracing the brim of her glass, did not notice this situation which was; stare at her and gain more than the cold glare of Hiei.
For fear of their life, no one did� except for one brazen person who came up to Hotaru. He had pitch black hair that was gathered into a pony-tail and chocolate brown eyes. About as tall as Hiei with fair pale skin, he stood pretentiously, in what appeared to be an armor like attire, a little too close to Hotaru, which had earned him a place on the �Don�t like at all, but won�t, or can�t, kill� list of Hiei.
Both of them could tell that this guy is the kind that is more interested in himself than others. And anyone could tell that Hotaru really didn�t like the guy, but being the polite princess she was, she only smiled a fake smile.
�I�m not allowed to kill him, so what can I do?� Hiei asked himself before an idea formed in his head.
He walked over to the two glaring at this guy as he wrapped his arm around Hotaru�s waist possessively. This action surprised both the nameless arrogant jerk and Hotaru, who immediately looked up to see Hiei still glaring.
Still not taking the hint, Hiei walked onto the dance floor, Hotaru in tow. Still in shock, Hotaru hardly noticed that she and Hiei were dancing to a slow song which made the situation she was in even more unexpected. However, after she finally got over this, she looked up at her dance partner and gave Hiei his own smirk as she whispered, �Thought you don�t dance?�
The only response she received was the smirk that belonged to that of Hiei.
Hiei�s POV
So, this is what it comes down to; me, a merciless youkai, dancing with a princess. I wouldn�t have done this for anyone� which is fine because she is just anyone. Over the past year, I�ve changed� I�ve become soft.
Soft� of all the words that would describe me; cold, merciless, ruthless, callous, she added the one word to this list that I would have denied instantaneously. Yet, for her, I don�t mind.
Should I admit this out loud, does that mean I care for her?
Hotaru�s POV
To say I was surprised wouldn�t even cover it.
Sure, he probably did it to get me away from that jerk, but still. He didn�t have to� since my life wasn�t threatened or anything, not that I didn�t want him to. It�s just� Hiei, of all people�
In the past year, I found a friend in him� even if he would deny it; he would probably say the same for me. Yet, I get the feeling that we should be more than friends, but I wouldn�t want to say anything to him. So, why do I get a stronger feeling that I should?
No One�s POV
The song ended and Hiei found himself unintentionally leading Hotaru into a garden. �Oh well� He thought before leaning against a tree while Hotaru sat on the ground. It was then that a faint glow started to come into view. Tilting her head to the side slightly, Hotaru looked at the light and asked, �What is this?�
A soft chuckle coming from Hiei caught her off guard as he said, �I�m surprised you, of all people, don�t know. It�s called a firefly; you�ll find more on Earth.�
At this, both turned their head towards the Earth. Then it was Hiei�s turn to be caught off guard when he heard a soft laughter coming from Hotaru, �A year ago, I wouldn�t have been able to even imagine this; you and me just sitting here.�
�A year�� Hiei said absentmindedly as another involuntary action of his surprised them both. He found himself wrapping an arm around her shoulders and what caused further astonishment was that Hotaru leaned into his hold. They didn�t realize it, but his arms, which were once around her shoulders, found their way around her waist. And they just sat there staring as more fireflies surrounded them.
But once they realized the position they were in, Hotaru blushed furiously as she tried to move, however, she soon found out that she couldn�t because Hiei�s grip around her tightened the moment he sensed movement.
So there they sat, Hotaru staring, with bewilderment, at Hiei who just stared right back at her. Neither said a word, and the scene would�ve been quiet had it not been for the music and laughter of those within the castle.
It took a while for her to realize that he was leaning close to her, but she noticed a little bit of apprehension in his movements. So, when their lips met, would it surprise you that Hiei pulled back immediately?
But, before he could pull back any farther, Hotaru wrapped both arms around his neck as a smile graced her lips.
Tilting his head slightly to the side, a look of confusion swept across Hiei�s face. And before he knew it, Hotaru rested her head on his chest. With a rare smile that was not seen before, Hiei, in response to her action, placed his chin on top of her head still amazed by how she fit perfectly in his arms.
Once again, there they sat� and once again� another surprise.
A scream brought them out of their world before a youma (looks like the one that the Scouts were fighting) appeared right in front of their eyes.
�So, the Negaverse finally decided to show their face?� Hiei asked already prepared to protect Hotaru. The youma attacked, but before the attack reached its target, Hiei carried Hotaru (bridal style) out of harms way thanks to his youkai speed.
Too bad it wasn�t enough, right? As you know, the Negaverse won� or so they thought, but you already know all of that�
Now�
Hiei was the first to wake up and he noticed all the Scouts surrounding him, but he didn�t care because after two seconds, his attention was turned to Hotaru who still laid unconscious on him.
Moving her gently, Hotaru was positioned on his lap with her head resting on his shoulders. Of course, he become aware of Sailor Uranus objecting to his actions, but of course, he really couldn�t care less.
�Let�s go before Amara kills Hiei before Hotaru wakes up,� Sailor Pluto whispered in Sailor Moon�s ear. Only nodding in response, Serena decided to ask Trista how she knew his name later.
And so they left, an irate Amara in tow. Not a pretty picture�
He stared down at her innocent face waiting anxiously for her to open those same black violet eyes. In the process of waiting, his hand had somehow spontaneously started stroking her raven shoulder length hair. This continued until he felt a slight movement on his shoulders.
�Hotaru?� Hiei asked still stroking her hair.
Blinking once or twice, Hotaru looked up to see a worried face, �Hiei?�
Nodding once was all it took before Hotaru buried herself in his black attire. A curtain was formed around her face when her shoulder-length hair fell around her slightly tilted head. Her tears streamed freely down her face.
Not expecting this, Hiei really didn�t know what to do, but instinct told him to help her stop crying. That was the last thing he wanted to see�
With one hand, Hiei moved her hair behind her ear before she tilted her head up to meet his eyes.
Hotaru seemingly froze under his touch as his palm hesitantly cupped her tear stained cheek. With eyes locked, Hotaru hardly became aware of the movement against her skin, and soon noticed that the movement was his thumb slowly shifting back and forth in a tender stroke.
Allowing everything to sink in at once, Hotaru finally took notice of the fireflies surrounding them; besides the moon, the fireflies were the only source of light in the darkness.
Once again, Hiei found himself closing the distance between them, but this time, he wasn�t as tentative as he lowered his lips to hers.
Actions speak louder than words. If so, then in one pure sweet kiss, �I love you� was clearer than words could ever convey�
Saturn�s Spawn: Well, what do you think? Please, Review and tell me!