The Savior

By Tupie

"And on tonight's news... The issue of people being sent off to slavery supposedly at their own will has been almost solved tonight. John Dover reports on how these people are being sent off. John?"

Hotaru looked up at the television, watching the news carefully. She was alone in the house, and got up to turn on the heater, still watching the television over her shoulder.

"We have discovered that the enemy is somehow putting a special kind of paper on the market, replacing it with every-day human paper. There is invisible writing on it, and as soon as someone signs their name on it- it can be anything from a credit card slip to a paper for school- the actual writing on it appears and they have indeed signed a contract giving themselves up to slavery. The only way we know how to avoid this as of yet is to not write anything. Teachers, shopkeepers and many others are being notified, and are switching to other possibilities until this matter is solved. Despite the fact that the Sailor Senshi would usually be helping in this, almost all of them have disappeared. We assume that they too have been sent off into slavery. However, the only Senshi remaining is Sailor Saturn. She is, in a way, our savior... We can only hope that she can somehow defeat whomever is in charge of this terrible planning. We had a short interview with Saturn, and she told us what she was planning to do-"

Hotaru watched more carefully after hearing her name.

"Saturn, how do you plan to take this person on, given the fact that you have no back up whatsoever?"

Saturn looked at him quietly. "As far as we know, they don't seem to have much power except for the fact that they can put people into slavery. The only reason I wasn't taken with the other Senshi is because I wasn't at school that day. Ever since then, I haven't written a single thing on paper."

"Okay, I see. Well, you can go now, I'm sure you're busy with your Senshi- uh- stuff."

"You could say that."

---

"Thanks, John. Now for the weather. The skies are looking sunny and co-"

Hotaru switched off the T.V. It had been seven days since the other Senshi disappeared, and she had been sick and staying home the day they vanished. The boss of this plan to not only wipe out Planet Earth's inhabitants but use them all as slaves was working wonders, and no one knew how to stop them. Hotaru stood up and walked to the kitchen counter, washing her hands slowly and thoughtfully. I feel so responsible, She thought. But, even if I had been there, I couldn't have done anything... She turned off the water and opened the refrigerator to cook dinner. She heard the *click* noise of the television turning on, and blinked, turning around. The screen was glowing white, and she walked back to turn it off.

"Sailor Saturn," it echoed.

Hotaru gasped and backed away from the television. "What- what are you talking about? Who are you?"

"I very well know who you are, Sailor Saturn... Don't try to cover it up. My name is Shandoa. I saw you on the news, Sailor Saturn.... If you want a face-off, you shall have a face-off. Meet me at the Juuban High School at 11 p.m. tomorrow. If you are not there, all of your friends shall die, Sailor Saturn..."

Hotaru shuddered. "You can't do that!" She yelled. "Leave my friends alone!!"

"I will, if you come, Sailor Saturn... I will see you there..." The T.V. flashed off.

Hotaru-chan fell to her knees and wiped a tear off of her eye. "It's a trap, I know it, but... If she lays a finger on the other Senshi..." She stood up. "I've got to go.. I have to. I will defend my friends and the rest of the world... I won't let this Shandoa win..."

*****

"Wow! Did you hear about Sailor Saturn on the news last night?"

"Of course! She's my favorite, after all! I recorded it, too!"

"Do you think she'll win?"

"I hope so..."

Hotaru walked down the street, overhearing a conversation between four giddy girls. One of them was staring at her. She glanced back at the girl. "What's wrong?"

"You kind of look like Sailor Saturn.... That's so cool!"

"Hey, yeah, she does!"

"No way! She doesn't look like her!"

"Of course she does! She has the pretty eyes and everything!"

Hotaru blushed. "Arigatou..." She ran down the street and hid. "Hehe! I've never been so complimented before! But, I can't get distracted. The time is approaching... It's 9:00... I better head for the school." She started moving more quickly, and left the alley, and started walking down the street again.

A pair of glowing eyes appeared in the alley, staring after her. "Don't worry, dear Saturn... You won't win.. You don't have to worry about that." The figure laughed evilly, and disappeared.

Hotaru approached the high school, and glanced around to check if anyone was around. She raised her hand above her, grasping her transformation pen. "Saturn Eternal Power- Make Up!" The darkness and the emptiness swirled around her, and Eternal Sailor Saturn appeared where Hotaru had been. She ran inside the building, holding her glaive out in front of her defensively. The school was vacant and quiet, but all of the lights were left on. Sailor Saturn slowly walked down the hallway, looking around for Shandoa. She glanced at her communicator/watch, and it was the time for their showdown... But Shandoa was no where in sight. Saturn ran down the hallway, desperately looking for Shandoa. "Shandoa!" She shouted. "I'm here! Where are you?!" She turned the corner leading to the next hallway as Shandoa appeared at the end of the one Hotaru was just in.

Shandoa chuckled to herself. "I'm right here," She whispered quietly. She marched down the hallway, following Sailor Saturn.

Sailor Saturn gasped and looked back to see the hallway lights turning off one by one. A figure appeared in all of them, but they turned off too quickly to find out who it was. Sailor Saturn started walking backwards as the shutting off lights approached, and she started to run. She fell to the ground as something huge attacked her, clawing her face and her sailor suit. It lowered its paws to her shoulders, seeming to grasp them as it morphed into Shandoa.

"It's showtime, Sailor Saturn," She yelled at her. She stood up, still holding Sailor Saturn's shoulders, but moving her grasp to Saturn's neck. Saturn struggled for her breath as Shandoa laughed at her. "You're hopeless, Sailor Saturn! Hopeless! Did you really think that you could save your friends, all by yourself? Pathetic! I'll kill you, right here and now."

Shandoa continued to laugh at Saturn as Sailor Saturn's vision blurred. She closed her eyes, still trying to breathe. "I have... I have to save my friends... I have to save- the world... I can't let her win!!" She weakly pulled her glaive up and slashed Shandoa across the face with it. Shandoa fell back, holding her now bleeding face, and Saturn hit the ground, coughing and choking.

"Ah! How could you THINK of touching my face?!!? I'll get you for that, Sailor Saturn!" Shandoa was furious, and jumped to her feet.

Sailor Saturn slowly dragged herself off the floor using the glaive as a walking stick. She held it in front of her, pointing it at Shandoa. "Give me back everyone you stole from this planet, now, or I'll destroy you!"

Shandoa laughed. "Yeah right, Saturn. You couldn't even scratch me. Well, unless you tried to scratch my face again with that stupid glaive of yours, and if you did, I'd rip your hair out!" She cackled evilly, but sweatdropping also. Eeeeh! I can't let this little twerp win! But she's so powweeerrrrrfulllll!!! What do I do, what do I do, what do I dooooo!??! Despite Shandoa's thoughts, her face and reactions remained cold and calm.

Saturn raised her glaive. "Fine, then. Let's see just how powerful you are!" She waved it around and shouted, "Death Reaper Powerful Charge!" The attack hit Shandoa straight on, but she didn't even move.

"Is that your best? Try this on, Saturn!" She raised her hands to the sky and shouted, "Demon Blast!" Aiming all the energy at Saturn.

Sailor Saturn was thrown back against the wall, and slowly slid down to the floor. She opened her eyes to see Shandoa laughing. Saturn once again pulled herself slowly to her feet, and held her glaive out. "Silence Glaive-"

Shandoa stared at her in complete shock. "You can't do THAT! You'll destroy yourself as well!"

Sailor Saturn shook her head. "I don't care. I'm talking about saving the entire world. My life will not make a difference in the balance of things."

Sailor Saturn continued her attack, but Shandoa suddenly dissapeared, and then quickly reappeared with all of the Senshi behind her.

Chibi-Moon weakly looked up at Sailor Saturn. "Sailor Saturn! No! Don't do it, Hotaru-chan! Please!!"

Sailor Saturn smiled at her. "Its okay, Chibi-Usa... I'll be fine. The world is depending on me, and I won't let them down."

Shandoa, Chibi-Moon, and all of the other Senshi stared at her silently in shock as she raised her glaive again. "Silence Glaive Surprise!"

Death ripped out of Sailor Saturn's glaive, the overwhelming darkness covering Shandoa and devouring her. The lock she had carried which kept all who were captured as slaves was broken, and they all appeared in the school, staring at Sailor Saturn as well. Death had completed its mission, and it moved back to where it had come, to kill Sailor Saturn as its price. Sailor Saturn stared at it quietly, waiting for it to come.

"NO! Sailor Saturn, Please, NO!!" Chibi-Moon screamed tearfully, standing up and running to her. "Don't let it kill you!!"

Sailor Saturn shook her head. "Stay back, Chibi-Moon... It will kill you as well if you come too close."

The darkness, the emptiness, and the Death came towards Sailor Saturn, and Sailor Chibi-Moon sobbed and looked away before it struck her.

"Silence WALL!"

Chibi-Moon blinked, and looked up at Sailor Saturn. Her invisible shield was protecting her from Death, but it wouldn't last forever. "Sailor Chibi-Moon, leave, now! Before it gets you as well!"

Sailor Chibi-Moon suddenly turned into Super-Neo Queen Serenity. "No, dear Hotaru-chan... I won't leave you alone to fight all of this..." She raised her Golden Heart Scepter to the sky, and shouted, "Moon Crystal Power! Please, Moon Crystal, fight this evil that is trying to destroy my best friend, Hotaru-Chan! Set her free from it!" A brilliant beam of light appeared from the Scepter, and flew at Sailor Saturn and Death.

*****

"Hotaru-chan. Hotaru-chan, are you all right?"

Hotaru slowly opened her eyes. "What happened?"

Chibi-Usa beamed. "You saved the world from everything, even though it meant sacrificing yourself, Hotaru... But I wouldn't let you do that. I destroyed the Death from your glaive."

Hotaru sat up slowly. "Where are the others?"

"They're fine, just resting up a bit."

Hotaru hugged Chibi-Usa warmly. "Thank you, my friend... I'm just glad that everyone is okay..."

Chibi-Usa pulled back. "There's something you need to have, though." She pulled out a locket from her pocket. "When I destroyed the Death that came from your Glaive, I destroyed Sailor Saturn... Or at least, the Sailor Saturn we knew. The dark one from the emptiness who could destroy the world with three words or destroy herself with only three as well... The new Sailor Saturn is within this locket. You have the power to use the Silver Crystal, Hotaru-chan... You are no longer a soldier of the darkness, but a soldier of the light. You never have to be unhappy again."

Hotaru took the pendant, looking at it strangely. "What changed? I understand that by destroying the Death that came from my glaive, you destroyed Sailor Saturn's power, but why am I able to use the Silver Crystal now?"

"Because the Silver Crystal destroyed Death to save a friend of someone who owned a Silver Crystal. You have much more power now, Hotaru-chan! But- did you wish you were still the Soldier of Death and Rebirth- the one with all of that darkness inside of her?"

Hotaru picked up her old transformation wand, and held it next to the pendant. Her eyes widened as the two morphed together, creating a pendant with the sign of Saturn on it rather than the moon symbol. She looked up slowly at Chibi-Usa. "Chibi-Usa-chan... Thank you, for saving me, but... I will be forever the Soldier of Death and Rebirth... and I will always hold the darkness within me."