Grasping Saturn

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"....." Dialogue

[.....] Thoughts

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The senshi who protect the Gates to the Shadowrealm. We owe them our lives every single time they destroy one more youma. They hide in the background, always watching over us like the guardian angels of this universe.

One senshi for each planet, including one senshi for the Cosmos. She is one ruler of the New World born from the Revolution. The other...yet to be determined.

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Chapter One: Press The Start Button

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"Hota-chan, Hota-chan!" The frenzied voice of a young girl with bright crimson eyes and frosted pink hair rang out from across an odd store filled with not the sort of animals you would normally see in an English pet shop. She was not an ordinary girl herself, with her light pink locks pulled into two carrot-sized buns at the top of her head and large puffs of even more pink hair curling out from said buns. Her mother had been famous for wearing two large blonde buns at the top of her head with pigtails streaming out, giving her the nickname 'Odango Atama'...or 'Meatball Head'.

Another young girl of the same age rushed from the other side of the shop with a worried look, her hair styled a bit more conservatively; a straight bob with the tips curling in around her face. Her cheeks were surrounded by locks of midnight black, the sunlight hitting the top of her head just right for highlights of lavender. She had a paler complexion than her friend did, giving her the look of a frail waif.

"What is it Chibiusa? Did you get bitten?"

"No! Look at this Hota-chan!" Chibiusa held up something furry, her eyes alight with glee. "Isn't he just ADORABLE!?"

"...Chibiusa..."

Sweatdropping, Hotaru gently pried her friend's fingers off of the poor little...whatever it was...and gently scolded her, "You know these things could be dangerous. What if you got bitten and it became infected? Then we=d have to take you to St. Mungo's and we wouldn't get to spend more time together!"

They were in a musty little store wedged in-between Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and the newly re-made Ollivander's. Most of Diagon Alley had to be rebuilt after the last battle of the Dark War, when He Who Must Not Be Named was defeated by the Boy Who Lived. Several locations were switched due to the incoming of a newer generation of boutiques and even a few teen clubs (a large boom had started after the weight of the Dark War had been lifted off of the young men and women) so you could still see witches and wizards holding parchment maps, wandering about the maze of shops that was the larger and newer Diagon Alley with a lost gaze even after half a year had already gone by since the end of the War.

Hotaru didn't get involved much with that war when it was happening during the end of her fourth year and partway through her fifth, seeing as she had other duties to perform instead of helping vanquish an unnatural evil that should not have been born. But she did watch carefully from the sidelines, making sure nothing out of order happened that would upset Setsuna-mama and the future of the Revolution. And she did see that everything ended well. Harry Potter defeated Voldemort, the wizarding population would not be in any more danger, and the muggles were still unaware of the magic circling underneath them. Everything was as it should have been by the time she got back from the winter holidays in her fifth year.

[As it should be...]

Her fifth year passed without a hitch, she was still one of the highest scorers on the OWLs, in history, though that shouldn't be too much to brag about. It wasn't as if she hadn't the extra practice, given the daily combat exercises she had gone through during her fourth and fifth years to prepare for defeating the random youma running rampant in Hogwarts without the students noticing. Many of them didn't notice much when she happened to fight a youma that stumbled into Hogwarts; they couldn't see things that weren't really IN this world, if that was at all understandable. So much of that time was spent brushing up on all her magical skills.

As it was said before, the unnatural evil that was Voldemort had clotted everything in the wizarding world, so much so that none but the senshi and those with spiritual powers could see the youma that terrorized the deepest corners of the Earth. It was a senshi's duty to watch over the widespread portals into the mortal world from the Shadowrealm where the youma resided before the coming of the Revolution.

[The Revolution means the end of the Shadowrealm, and the beginning of a newly harmonious universe. Three worlds combined into one. Muggle, magical, and the Cosmos.]

And it was her post at Hogwarts that helped her assimilate with the witches and wizards of today, as one of the bigger Gates to the Shadowrealm was hidden deep within the dungeons of the old castle. Usagi-sama, the senshi of the Cosmos, had told her early on (before she transferred) how crucial it would be to reach the younger generation of witches and wizards before the Revolution so that perhaps the melding of the worlds would be easier. To get the support of the generation with a more open mind and all that.

However, the job was slightly boring.

[The Gate doesn't even get used that much...I get a little bored sometimes with nothing better to do but watch over a gate that doesn't even get any action.]

"-taru. HOTARU!!"

"Eh? ...N-Nani?"

Chibiusa stamped her foot, bringing up clouds of dust. Even after the rebuilding of Diagon Alley, most of the older shops had chosen to retain their previous atmosphere, dust and grime included. Her eyebrows were furrowed in annoyance and her fists were planted on her hips. "I've been calling your name for the past few minutes! Why were you so lost in thought?"

"Oh..." blushing profusely, Hotaru rubbed the back of her neck, "I was just thinking about the Revolution..."

"Honto?" Chibiusa grinned. "Doushite? It's not going to be for a while yet, Setsuna told us that last year!"

"I know..."

"And anyways," the girl narrowed her bright red eyes and covered her mouth secretively; "didn't you get her last letter? About...you know...the most recent information?"

"H-Hai..."

[One more complication: the unknown "other" ruler of the Revolution. Usagi is Light, who will be the Dark?]

The Revolution, was to be the combining of the Cosmos with the muggle and magical worlds. It was a senshi's duty to protect the three separate domains because they were the warriors of the stars. The senshi were hand-picked by the planets themselves to channel their power. Hotaru knew it was her fate to become the Saturn no senshi, as it was Chibiusa's fate to become the Moon no senshi and keep the harmony between all worlds. Not much else was known about the Revolution for now, except for the fact that all the doors to the Shadowrealm needed to be sealed before the Revolution could begin.

Growing serious, Chibiusa bent low, whispering, "We have to close the portals as soon as possible. They're starting to tear...and I don't even want to THINK about finding the other ruler. Finding Dark will be as hard as finding a needle in a haystack!"

"Hai, hai. I did read the letter. I'm sure fate will lead us to Dark eventually. What I don't understand is why I was positioned in Hogwarts, when I could be helping you out in London. You're by yourself when all the other portals have at least two senshi guarding them! My Gate hasn't been used that often anyways, in the past two years I've had maybe two youma enter by mistake...weaklings too. All the other Gates are tearing except for mine!" Though Hotaru wasn't very talkative to begin with, she was passionate about protecting her loved ones and guarding the Gates to the utmost of her ability. It seemed rather unreasonable to watch Chibiusa fight her way through incoming youma all by herself when all the other senshi had one other partner to help them out.

These youma from the Shadowrealm were nothing related to the Darkness, which was necessary for a universe to exist. Darkness and Light co-existed as one, but often times as not Darkness was mistaken for Evil. Dark had the option of being Evil, but Evil was not always the Dark. It was a little like a rectangle was always a square, but a square was not always a rectangle thing. The youma were bitterness, hatred, evil, anger, pain, hurt, and all the negative emotion rolled into one in every single creature. They were not living; merely personifications of the evil energy that people had been casting into the Shadowrealm since the dawn of Time. Though it was against Hotaru's wish to kill living beings, she didn't have to worry about defeating youma when they weren't anything more than blobs of hatred.

Chibiusa only smiled knowingly. She didn't seem like it, but she was centuries older than Hotaru. It was only recently, when she had been acknowledged as the Moon no senshi, that her body began aging at a normal rate again. It had stopped when she was a child and she had spent 900 years in a tiny body.

"You and I both know that there has been increasing levels of activity at Hogwarts since the end of the wizards' Dark War. You'll be needed there by the end of this year, I guarantee it. And Okaasan can't help stationing me by myself, I'm proud of the fact that she trusts me enough to let me fight alone. After the last battle with Chaos, I feel so much more confident in my abilities."

"I suppose...but I feel a little lonesome sometimes..."

Both Chibiusa and herself were solitary guardians of their respective gates. But as they were both located in England, it was as simple as a minor transportation incantation to bring backup to one another if necessary. Hotaru had been placed in Hogwarts during her fourth year, two years after the last war with Chaos. She had trained during that time of peace, studying to prepare for her position as a guard at Hogwarts and sparring with the other senshi to learn new fighting techniques. She was a year behind the famous Harry Potter and his friends, so it had been during his sixth year and her fifth that he had defeated Voldemort.

She wasn't actually in the inner circle to know all the details, but rumor had it that He Who Must Not Be Named had felt threatened when his cover was blown at the end of Harry's battle at the Ministry of Magic and made several mistakes during the war that aided the good side. With Dumbledore's help, Harry killed the Dark Lord and then it was only a matter of time before the majority of the Death Eater population were finally rounded up. Though Hotaru was still skeptical about how easily the war had been won, she supposed there wasn't much she could do as Voldemort had not appeared in the world since.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll finally be able to make friends this year. The effects of Volde-thingy's evil should be wearing off of Hogwarts by now. I mean, it WAS only because of him that no one could sense you, right?"

"Hai."

As Voldemort had not been natural evil, he had somehow covered the senshi and other warriors of the Cosmos up so that those around Hotaru could never focus on her entirely. She got by enough so that if she asked for the salt to be passed (rarely, as she wasn't a fan of salt and pepper), her voice would cut through the shadow that surrounded her to grab someone's attention. But most of the time her presence was like cupping water in your hands; no one could get a clear picture of the girl that was Hotaru. She would slip out of their vision as if she were never there. Even several months after the war, Voldemort's presence lingered like a bad aftertaste. The unnatural stench of evil should have worn off by now though.

The only ones who actually knew Hotaru was a student at Hogwarts were Dumbledore and the staff. Dumbledore, of course, was one with spiritual powers and he had been informed of the coming Revolution. Hotaru had passed into Hogwarts with a transfer examination... no other announcement had been made to make her presence known to the students. The staff had been informed with only the barest of facts: that she was to attend Hogwarts in order to help protect it from unknown danger. Most of the time Hotaru spent her hours walking around the grounds by herself and studying in the library. She had become used to the loneliness of the school year when she wasn't allowed to visit her friends at their respective Gates, so it ended up that she was normally very quiet and had an extraordinary ability to slip away to anywhere she desired.

Chibiusa sneezed at the abnormal amounts of dust floating in the air, her nose wrinkling. She gave her friend a cheeky grin before hop-skipping towards the door. Though they were both sixteen, she was still the rambunctious child that had entered the past with her Luna-P ball and her mother's Ginzuishou.

"Come on Hota-chan! I don't want to spend my vacation with you here in this old pet store, let's go get the rest of your supplies and spend the day shopping for clothes!"

"M-Matte Chibiusa..."

Paying for her packages, Hotaru hurriedly stuffed them into Subspace, the inter-dimensional pocket everyone had but not everyone used to carry things of any size and any quantity. She rushed to catch up with Chibiusa who was skipping away to the funny stares of old witches out shopping (most had never seen someone with bright pink hair before). The sunlight hit her eyes, so she had to stop for a second to re-adjust to this much brighter light. Squinting into the distance, Hotaru turned her head to meet the eyes of one very famous young man.

[Harry Potter.]

He was entering his seventh year, and the end of the Dark War had changed him almost entirely from the young, naive boy he had been when entering Hogwarts. Harry's face and body had lost all its excess baby fat, growing lean from all the quidditch practice and combat training he had gone through. With his tanned body and rough black hair, his popularity had soared among the females in all years with the curse of Voldemort gone. Harry's sixth year (Hotaru's fifth) had gone by with a change of personality and a change of lifestyle.

[He isn't the same, is he?]

Because the Harry now seemed so much more...untouchable. Girls (and a few young men) pined after him though he never kept a relationship for longer than two weeks. And even if that was certainly longer than the young Draco Malfoy kept his girls, Hotaru knew from observing the students around her that Harry did not seem to get "chummy" so to speak with others anymore. In the bathrooms she overheard the gossip of the latest girlfriend, of how it was the highest wish to marry him for good, and of how it was such a tragedy what had happened with his friendship to Ronald and that Granger girl...it was curious to her how he had ended up the way he did.

She did feel sorry for him, being so pushed upon a pedestal for so long that it was hard to deal with the pressure. She knew what it was like to be feared by others; being the only senshi who could destroy an entire planet should she so wish. Her life before her reincarnation had been nothing but loneliness and sorrow; when no one would dare look at her for fear of her anger and no one would dare talk to her, for fear of her power. Hotaru was so grateful to have been born with a new life here in the 20^th century, where Usagi-sama was ever so kind to her and none of the senshi ever thought about harming her in any way; especially not since she had been reborn after being possessed by Mistress Nine. But it WAS hard to erase the memories of being separated from the rest of your fellow man, which Harry had to deal with since he had started Hogwarts. Now it seemed as if all that fear of him being the one who had to kill He Who Must Not Be Named was turned into idolization. Hotaru didn't know which was worse, and either way it seemed as if Harry had only gained a superficial life in return for his heart and strong will to never die in the face of evil.

[I'm sorry. I hope to help the world heal soon, so I can protect all of you.]

The Revolution will come soon. And Hotaru would be there to protect Hogwarts until Usagi-sama took the throne along with the unknown Dark to the New World. She would protect everyone...including the famous Harry Potter.

Their eyes still locked, Hotaru straightened with a sense of power and calmness. The strength of her duty washing over her, she nodded to the Boy Who Lived with grace and continued to walk on in search of Chibiusa.

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[What...was that?]

Harry watched with slight shock at the odd girl that was walking away from him with the pride of an empress. He noticed vaguely that he had barely seen what she really looked like; he had been so mesmerized by the royal purple eyes that seemed to jump out at you and eat your soul. They were the oddest shade of violet he had ever seen on anyone really.

And the strangest thing was...she behaved as if she knew him personally.

"Harry! Harry dearest, come help me carry these bags..."

Another young woman stood behind him, looking down at her purchases with a slight frown. He was pretty sure he would forget her face in a month or two, he never could remember anyone really well after the many dates he had over the past year alone. It seemed almost silly to him to keep stringing them along, but it wasn't as if they didn't know what they were getting into. He didn't have a reputation of being a good, stable boyfriend. Ever since his popularity started taking over at the start of his sixth year, when he was really idolized for being a hero in the Dark War, he had been forced into relationship after relationship. Trying to forget the demons of every battle fought, and the constant calling of Voldemort to the final killing. Even when the Dark War had finished by the winter holidays, people still didn't seem to want to back off. He was more than just a war hero. He was HOT war hero. Rich, too. Apparently that made all the difference.

"Sorry Marie, I have an appointment to make..."

"Do you really?" The girl flipped her chestnut brown hair back and pouted full, cherry red lips. "It's not another female, is it?"

"No, of course not!" Smiling weakly, Harry put up his hands. "Do you really suspect me of cheating on you?"

"I suppose not," Marie sighed wistfully, "and I can always get Greg to help me..." She glanced at Harry sideways to gauge his response to her mentioning another guy.

Harry waved a hand absentmindedly back, used to these types of coy games and not really in the mood to play them at the moment. "You do that Marie. I'll see you around Noon-ish, is that alright?"

Getting a huffy agreement in reply, Harry grinned to himself and wandered away with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Down the winding streets, he noticed himself making regular checks around him for a hint of black hair or purple eyes...which was odd because normally he didn't remember a girl's face that well after seeing them for a minute. But for the most part the younger witches and wizards were in the small smattering of clubs, one of which he was headed towards at the very moment.

What he did end up seeing was a small group of youths around his age, laughing together and having a generally good time. There were two girls and two guys, one girl a year younger than him and the rest at his age. The older of the two girls had bushy brown hair which had settled to the small of her back in tiny waves, her face lighting up at what her friends had said. She happened to glance over at him, eyes widening before quickly turning away with a grimace.

[Nice to see you too, Hermione.]

He really did miss them all. Neville, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were standing right outside a bookstore with wide smiles on their faces and red cheeks flushed with laughter. They seemed picture perfect, as if they had all been friends forever.

Not wanting to stop and stare, Harry hurriedly turned a corner towards the club area, where he couldn't see any of his former friends. It wasn't as if he had wanted to push them away...it wasn't like that at all.

[It just...sort of...happened. That's all.]

The room was dark and noisy when he entered the Red Dragon, the largest of all the clubs built after the Dark War. Plus, it was the only one that stayed open twenty-four hours in the day. He had been a regular over the past summer, so it was only natural the guard let him in. He now owned an apartment close to the location of the Leaky Cauldron in London, now that he wasn't forced to live with the Dursley's. Scanning the lively crowd, Harry spotted a lone figure stretched out in a booth, watching the dancers with intense gray eyes. It was only a matter of minutes before Harry could reach him.

"Morning Malfoy, sleep well last night?" Harry eyed the boy's picture perfect looks. "Or perhaps should I say, did the blonde you were with sleep well last night?"

A silky voice replied, his gray eyes never leaving the pulsing lights and loud music, "It could have been a brunette."

"Ah, but I know you. You like blondes. Big, busty ones."

A year ago, Harry would never have imagined himself being partners-in-crime with one Draco Malfoy. He hadn't wanted having contact with the little prat at ALL outside of school. The tall boy was annoying, he was mocking, he hated interaction with Gryffindors, and he was the snobbiest bastard around.

[Funny how things change.]

It wasn't as if they were best friends or anything. Not even close chums. They were more like...acquaintances who met up with one another quite often. Harry had pushed away all his other friends, it only made sense that he would find a connection with the one other person who was just as aloof and...well...untouchable.

Malfoy had been one of the other student soldiers during the Dark War, surprisingly enough. Harry wasn't exactly sure HOW it had happened, but from what he gathered, his family life had been the pits with his father being a Death Eater. It made some sort of twisted sense that Malfoy ended up following his own father's advice; refusing to bend to the wills of half-bloods and mudbloods. Logic ruled that Voldemort WAS a half-blood; wasn't he? It wasn't like Harry didn't know what it was like being related to bad blood, so he could half-understand Malfoy's change of heart as he got older. A kid had to start thinking for himself as he got older at Hogwarts, and pretty soon Malfoy had been re-evaluating his principles.

At first, Harry had been a little apprehensive as even during their fifth year together Malfoy had been joining up with Umbridge to bully other students. Malfoy had only given a nonchalant reply when faced with Harry's original heated questioning. According to the arrogant purebred, that job had only been because he loved power. It had nothing to do with his father or the Dark Lord. Because of course even if the Ministry WAS full of idiots who couldn't have seen He Who Must Not Be Named even if he came to bite them in the arse, they still did not condone supporting Voldemort. Umbridge had been a nasty bit of work, resorting to the Unforgivables against Harry during his fifth year and unleashing dementors...yet even SHE wasn't stupid enough to go along with any of Voldemort's schemes. Malfoy had in no way been under the Dark Lord's eye since early in his fourth year, he was just a cold-hearted git by nature.

Malfoy cut in to Harrys thoughts, causing the Gryffindor to glance back at him as he took a seat across from the young man.

"She wasn't bad. I've had better."

Draco Malfoy had gotten taller as he hit puberty, his face and limbs seemingly more angular. It gave him the aristocratic look, one that girls couldn't get enough of. His eyes had become freakily intense, his white-blond locks falling forward over his eyes. No matter what the situation was, every strand of hair seemed to be in place. Quidditch and the short span of combat training all student soldiers had undertook had filled out his body with hidden muscles. While Harry was tan and cocky, Draco was cold and dangerous. From the time Harry had gotten to know the bastard, he had found out that even without being a Death Eater or some shit like that...Draco Malfoy would always be a young man who liked being in control, and who didn't care for the emotions of others. All that 'mudblood' and 'pureblood' talk from him was still true in his opinion, the bigotry instilled by his father had not been erased even if he did refuse to follow Voldemort.

"I'm sure you have."

The two sat there, watching the teens grinding to the beat. School would start in a week; they would be forced to interact with the others. Another long year would begin, and nothing would change. Most likely Harry would spend his time either fending off the girls, flirting if he was in the mood, hang with Malfoy, and live his pitiful life the way his fans wanted him to...alone and...untouchable. Like some god.

Harry almost wished he was still under Voldemort's eye. Then maybe he'd have someone to laugh with again.

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[Mission: To guard the Gate to the Shadowrealm in the Nerima district of Tokyo.]

[Partner: Kino Makoto, Jupiter no senshi.]

A young woman with lustrous blonde hair and a red velvet ribbon sat in a comfortable living room. She knelt beside a low table that was trademark to traditional Japanese houses, a small cup of tea resting beside her.

[Reason: So that youma will not get out too far to wreak havoc. Mission will extend until Gate is closed.]

On the table was a piece of parchment. The only way to contact Hotaru nowadays was through letters and thick pieces of parchment. It was at times like these that said young woman wished the wizards would at least convert to notebook paper.

[The Gates: Will close when the Revolution is at it's head. No one knows how they will close yet. Yet to be determined.]

[The Revolution: When the three worlds of the universe, muggle, magical, and cosmic, will combine into one New World.]

It was pretty quiet all around except for the faint clinking of someone cooking in the kitchen. Kasumi must be making lunch; her sweet voice was heard humming through the doorway.

[New World: A harmonious universe where there all races work together to form a peaceful community. No secrets kept, no magic withheld, everyone will be able to contribute to society.]

As the sunlight hit her from the window, the young woman thought about her letter to Hotaru. It would have to be short; she needed to help Akane run some errands in an hour.

[The Rulers: Two will lead the Revolution, and two will help maintain the New World. They are the Light and the Dark. Usagi is Light. Dark...is yet to be determined.]

[Who am I: The Venus no senshi, the soldier of love. Aino Minako is my name.]

Finally ready to begin, Minako swept back her long mane of hair and pursed two pink lips. She was a beauty to behold, given many stares by the male population. It was the side effect of being the senshi of love. Smiling to herself, Minako attempted to start her letter to Hotaru.

It would be another year before all the senshi could get together again. They only met for a week in the summer; when activity was deemed slow enough at each Gate so that everyone was able to have a little reunion and to discuss the Revolution. This was one of Minako's traditions, to send everyone letters before the school year started (as most of the senshi were still in high school or college). It gave some moral support, and was a great energy booster.

Dear Hota-chan,

[What is the best way to start a letter?]

Greetings, from Minako! How are you doing, back in the wizarding world? Anything exciting happening? I'm positive you'll make loads of friends this year, how could anybody not like you Hota-chan? Be sure to check out all the hot guys in the area for me, I can't be the official boy-watcher anymore. Not since my relationship with Ryo-kun. Make sure you get a boyfriend!

Pausing, Minako smiled at the obvious cheerfulness in her letter. She could almost see Hotaru smiling at how nonsensical it seemed. The petite Saturn no senshi was always a little less exuberant than Minako was. She always tried to act calm in any situation, and it was like watching a jewel sparkle when you happened to make her laugh. Having a boyfriend would be ridiculous in her eyes; she never saw herself as pretty or as special as other girls.

[How wrong you are, Hota-chan.]

Everyone had something special about them. Some unique quality that those who appreciate you will be able to understand and love. Being the senshi of love, Minako had a special knack for finding that trait in others. She could tell that Hotaru was a flower just waiting to burst open and show her luminous petals. This year had a special feeling to it.

Makoto and I are doing well in Nerima right now. Mako-chan is still staying with Ucchan at her okinamiyaki restaurant, and the Nerimans help out with youma battles from time to time. It's been two years since we've all started guarding these Gates, and it STILL amazes me how crazy Nerima is. Even then, I can't believe that it only took the Nerima crew half a year before they uncovered my and Mako-chan's identity! Fancy that.

As for what's been happening over here, Ranma-kun and Akane-chan are still having the battle of the sexes. Things have been dying down...chaos-wise (no relation to our Chaos wars, mind you) and I'm seeing wedding bells in their future. Honestly, I have not made contact with Ryo-kun in over a week! After we had gotten him that GPS Receiver, he's been doing really well with directions and everything...I suspect his batteries have run out again. Kasumi-chan, Nabiki-chan, and Tendou-san are all happy as tomatoes (or is that potatoes? I can never remember. Maybe it was clams! But that wouldn't make sense. How can clams be happy? ...Or potatoes and tomatoes for that matter.), especially since we've finally got the bathroom fixed again. No more public baths for me!

So yes, I'm still staying with the Tendous for this upcoming year. I'm continuing my education at the local college this year, majoring in theater. Akane-chan is really interested in acting; she's been asking me questions about what the educational requirements are to get a degree! Can you believe that? Someone asking ME for educational advice! Me, the one who never thought she'd even graduate high school! I'm so glad I've finally gotten out of Furinkan High, that was really the funny farm if you know what I mean. Akane-chan and the others should be graduating next year.

I'm really not planning on doing anything major, I just want to be able to act on any kind of stage. Plays are fun, movies even better. All my life I've wanted to be an idol...this is my chance! I really feel like this is my calling, you know? Hate to sound un-Minako-ish, with my CAREER plans and everything...but college has really made me think about what I would like to do for a living. Besides defending the universe, I mean. Lol.

Oh, darn it! It's already eleven and I promised to help Akane-chan with groceries. I wish you the best of luck at Hogwarts. Make lots of new friends and GET A BOYFRIEND!!! I want to know ALL the juicy details when you write me. That's an order. Minako the matchmaker is on the job!

Love Always,

Mina-chan

Hearing the door slam in the front hall, Minako grinned at her letter. She quickly rolled the parchment up, resolving to send it by owl later that afternoon.

[This year is going to be special. I can feel it in my bones.]

##-------##

"Hey 'Mione! You got another owl from Neeee-ville!"

The Weasley home was crowded as everyone finished up with lunch, the entire kitchen filled with sounds of family talking. It was at times like these that Hermione could forget how her parents had died in the Dark War; and how she was now an adopted child. The Weasleys had really tried hard to make her one of them over the past couple of months, and for that she was grateful.

Pouting at the teasing look she got from Fred, Hermione snatched at the letter. "You didn't read it, did you? I swear...if you did-"

"Why would we want to read a sappy love note from dear old Neville-kins?" Fred's twin, George Weasley, cut in. "ESPECIALLY if it's to our sweet little sister 'Mione?"

"Hff...I wish you would stop calling him Neville-kins-"

"Because what? That's you're PRIVATE nickname for him 'Mione?" Fred grinned cheekily. "Spare us the details."

Hermione really did feel at home here, almost a year after the war had ended. She had hated those few weeks right after the war, when she had known that Voldemort was dead...and the Death Eaters STILL got to her parents. Her heart had felt like it had plummeted from a sweet dream. It had been over...and then her parents were murdered. Where was the justice in that?

"Ron! I wanted that last roll!" Ginny huffed indignantly at her elder brother, who was pointedly ignoring her outburst.

Said boy bit off a large chunk of bread, grinning at the twins' remarks.

"His nickname isn't >Neville-kins' you know...it's Sweet-cheeks,"

After being impaled on Hermione's glare, Ron shrugged, "Thought you'd want them to know the truth behind that logical brain o'yours. You have a fetish for tight buns."

Straightening to her full (and rather short) height, Hermione gave her best death glare that she could muster, "I-hff-RONALD WEASLEY-hff-how DARE you insinuate-hff..."

After five minutes of not coming up with a decent comeback, Hermione bit off a scream of frustration. The twins were guffawing, Ron was polishing off the rest of lunch, and Ginny had stepped on all three's toes for being arses. It was a typical Weasley morning.

Secretly, Hermione reveled in this "family bonding" that seemed so childish and immature. She had been born an only child...and while that had its perks, it could be terribly lonely at times. Even before the end of the Dark War, Mr. And Mrs. Weasley (or Mum and Dad, now) had treated her especially nice. She had felt a twinge of jealousy that they had had such rowdy and lively memories. Hermione missed her parents horribly, and she wouldn't have traded them for anything in the world if they were still alive...but it would have been nice to have a sibling or two growing up. Being a part of the Weasleys had been like a dream come true during the first few months.

Of course, it had been awkward the first two weeks or so as well, as she and Ron had still had crushes on each other. But, of course, they fought too much for it to be anything more than a sibling type of love. Hermione really should have seen that coming. She was grateful that no bitter feelings had come out of that incident. And she was really glad of her lasting friendship with Ron as well as the other Weasleys...even if she couldn't say that about OTHER such people.

Now, she was glad of her relationship with Neville. Their personalities seemed to fit, though sometimes it was a bit embarrassing having people tell her she was the "man" of the couple. Neville was the sweetest boy she had ever met, he was always willing to please and they had just gotten so much more closer during the sixth year as he had inadvertently "replaced" OTHER members of the once Golden Trio. But really...Hermione was so grateful for his support throughout her rough times in the sixth year when all seemed for naught. Parents gone, best friends drifting apart, the war was over and things seemed so crazy it was beyond belief. He had been like her lifeline.

"I'm heading up to our room, 'k Gin? I want to finish a bit more reading before we finish up the packing."

Climbing upstairs, Hermione grimaced at the painful memories coming up. She really hadn't expected to see HIM at Diagon Alley, most of the time HE was hanging out at those new clubs and doing things with his NEW friends.

[He can go...piss himself for all I care...]

Secretly, Hermione had watched Harry over the course of their sixth year. As he steadily grew more popular, and more stand-off-ish, she couldn't help but feel remorse for his new personality. It was like he had been shutting her and Ron out for some reason. Like she wouldn't be able to understand what was happening to him.

[Didn't we fight alongside him? Didn't we get hurt too?]

Did that count for nothing?

She didn't know what had happened; it was as if he were steadily fading into the shadows where neither she nor Ron could reach into. He became the "unattainable guy" for many young women. But for Hermione, he was just the best friend that was lost to her.

[Stop this Hermione.]

[Be reasonable. There's nothing you can do to change his mind.]

[Survive this year, and it will all be over. You won't have to deal with anyone from Hogwarts unless you want to.]

It was going to be a looong seventh year.

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The hotel room was lit up softly by several lamps covered in silk scarves of violet hues and the like. Hotaru liked darker colors, especially purple or black. She personally decorated this room at the Leaky Cauldron because it was the room she always stayed in over the summer every time Hogwarts got out for the year. Several knick knacks lay upon the dresser, a plush armchair in the corner. She and Chibiusa were lying upon the large double bed, Chibiusa's suitcase lying half-packed upon the floor. They were taking a short break from stuffing all of Chibiusa's souvenirs into her pack before she left for her base in London tomorrow.

Looking up from her position on the bedspread, Hotaru's eyes widened a fraction.

"Oh! Amida has brought something for me!"

Even while exclaiming, Hotaru's voice was still quiet and reserved as she slide slowly off the bed and walked towards the windowsill. From the open sky came a beautiful black raven, a messenger of death. His silky midnight black feathers ruffled carefully as he stepped onto a small ledge that Hotaru carried around with her when she traveled. She had named him after the Japanese god of death, whose realm was full of wondrous ambrosia trees, soft breezes, and the sounds of birds calling to one another. It was her vision of the afterlife, the domain she supposedly ruled over. The Saturn no senshi was referred to as the chinmoku no senshi, or the hametsu no senshi...the "soldier of silence" and the "soldier of destruction or ruin" respectively. She was the one who put universes to rest...when there was need for rebirth. In this way, Hotaru was directly connected to Usagi-sama...or the Cosmos no senshi. Usagi-sama had the sole duty of bringing about rebirth after total ruin.

"Really? Oooh...looks like another letter from Puu!" Chibiusa grinned mischievously, snatching said parchment from Amida's leg as she scanned its contents. "Puu" was her nickname for Setsuna-mama, the senshi of Pluto. Puu's domain was Time, as she was the one who was keeper of the Time gates and who was the main bringer of information on the Revolution and on any updates.

"Honto?" Hotaru leaned over Chibiusa's shoulder, eyes bright with curiosity. "Read it out loud."

Even while just skimming over the neatly printed words, Hotaru and Chibiusa could sense Setsuna's dignified and mysterious speech just by touching the parchment. Hotaru smiled, she could feel Setsuna-mama's presence while reading her letter.

Dearest Hotaru,

No doubt Chibiusa is with you at the very moment, making my job of contacting everyone a little easier. How are you? I suppose you should be slightly excited, as another year at Hogwarts will be starting very soon. I'm positive that the effects of the Dark Lord has worn off completely, you'll find many who notice you that haven't ever before...

I digress. My reason for writing is to update everyone upon the situation at hand. So far I am sure you know of the increase in activity at the Gates that has caused some concern. The Gates in London, as well as in the locations in America have been tearing. This is worrisome as a tear in the Gates will trigger enormous amounts of negative energy coming from the Shadowrealm, possibly raising the levels of youma that enter our mortal domain.

Our main goal up to this point is to guard our respective Gates into the Shadowrealm and deal with the youma that come our way. Until the Gates are closed for good, we cannot hope to bring about the Revolution that will create the New World. The New World is our goal as the planetary senshi...we are the guardians of the stars, the warriors of the Cosmos. It is our duty to protect every being in this star system to the best of our ability. That said, the Revolution will bring about a permanent harmony upon the three worlds that make up this universe. I'm sure we all know the importance of this, as the ignorance of each world concerning the other worlds will inevitably hurt this star system in our endless battle against Chaos. Chaos will not die, it is necessary for that factor to exist in order for the universe to have balance. But if the trio of worlds remain isolated from each other, we can never hope to put up a good enough fight against Chaos that will maintain this balance.

That said, our secondary goal is to then locate the Dark. Our Light has already been determined as Usagi-sama, yet in order for the Revolution to be led properly both spectrums of this star system must be accounted for. Our only clues are that we have already had some contact with the Dark; otherwise the Revolution wouldn't be progressing as well as it is now. Then we know that the Dark has an unmistakable connection with Silence and Shadow...these two art forms of magic have long since been lost to any race within this star system. Much is as of yet unknown about what Silence and Shadow can consist of, however you, Hotaru, may be able to help in this search greatly as your senshi form is associated with Darkness as well. As Saturn is the planet of Destruction and Silence, you will be the most likely to come in contact with the Dark before the rest of the senshi do...like normally congregates towards like. Please be on close lookout for anyone with the affinity for the dark or other such symptoms. Perhaps you would even get a closer look at the long since lost magic forms of Silence and Shadow...one of the epithets of for your powers deals with silence after all.

I wish you and Chibiusa the best of luck in the upcoming year. Hopefully during the winter holidays I will be able to pay a visit to you Hotaru, as things appear to be coming at a head and your Gate is broiling with activity. Be careful when you go back to Hogwarts, I am sensing a larger increase in activity in that castle than in any of the other Gates.

Pluto

Looking at each other, Hotaru and Chibiusa exchanged worried glances. They knew of the tears in the Gates, but they hadn't expected so many sites to be affected. Were things that bad?

"Chibiusa," Hotaru's voice was soft with concern, "please be careful in London. I'm afraid for you...you have no backup should you be outnumbered..."

Her companion flicked back a pigtail of soft pink hair while trying to appear confident. Hotaru was not easily fooled; she could see the apprehension in her friend's eyes. Though Chibiusa was the Moon no senshi and therefore one of the strongest fighters other than Cosmos, Pluto, or Saturn...she was still in training. She hadn't had as much experience fighting as the others had, coming from the future and having spent almost 900 years with dormant powers. Hotaru wasn't sure whether Chibiusa could handle it is Setsuna-mama was correct and youma did start pouring into the mortal world with more ease.

"I'll be fine Hota-chan...honestly!" Chibiusa gave a grin and held up two fingers as a 'V' for 'victory'. She had picked up the habit from the ever-cheerful Minako who never seemed to be put down in a bad situation.

"Demo..."

"Seriously," the young woman with a bright crimson stare caught Hotaru's royal purple eyes in a reassuring gaze, "don't worry about me. You should be worrying more for YOUR Gate; Puu did say that you will have a lot of trouble coming to you in the future. If one of us gets into trouble, we can always contact each other with these, ne?" She tapped at her watch with deep blue trimmings and a silver moon floating in the glassy area. It was a standard piece of equipment for all senshi, though each watch was personalized for their specific characters. But the purpose of wearing them was that they acted as links to every other senshi and were used as means of contacting the others in a moment's notice.

Hotaru's hooded eyes looked down at her own watch, with tiny amethysts studding the outside circle and a silver spiked crystal etched into the surface of the watch underneath the glass covering with mother-of-pearl bits. Her expression was only slightly hesitating, before she smiled grimly. Her only hope was to trust Chibiusa and the others to protect themselves as well as they protected those around them...as everyone had a job they were required to do. Hotaru looked back up at her friend with more comfort than she had had previously.

"We will do our best, ne, Chibiusa-chan?"

[I will protect Hogwarts. It is my duty.]

Chibiusa smiled brilliantly, her beam reminding Hotaru of why Chibiusa was so special to her as a friend. Her positive attitude was always so infectious, and her laughter catching. Though Hotaru was naturally shy and apprehensive around others, Chibiusa never had any qualms about hanging out with the more recluse girl. Hotaru knew her best friend was thinking that same thing she was.

[To fight the evil that surrounds this star system, I will do my best.]

##-------##