Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Hanging from the Bamboo ❯ Hanging from the Bamboo ( One-Shot )

Hanging from the Bamboo

SailorOokami(LadyOfSesshoumaru)

 

Disclaimer: This is a short story for the Summer Oneshot Fanfiction Mini Contest! I do not own any of

the characters in this story.

Haruka & Michiru-18

Hotaru & Inners-16

 

“Haruka-papa, why do we celebrate the Hoshi-Matsuri?” Hotaru said as she picked out a vegetable from the shelf. She stared at it for a while, then placed it back on the shelf before turning to Haruka. Haruka placed the box of tea powder she was examining closely into her basket and turned to Hotaru. “Hota-chan, how many times do I have to explain the story. For the thousandth time, it goes like this. Two best friends were separated by their parents who caused a river to flow between them. But on the seventh night of the seventh moon, they are helped to cross the river.” Haruka smiled down at Hotaru who just glared back at her. “I'm not two anymore Haruka-papa, why won't you tell me the truth!? People laughed at me when I said I wanted to try out for Orihime in the play,” Haruka shook her head “I just don't think you need to know is all, you are still a bit young.” Hotaru flew into a rage “I'm old enough to know, Usagi-hime is the same age as me and she knows! Why can't I!?” With that, she flung her empty basket at Haruka and stormed out the door. Not even realizing it, she changed into her princess dress and began storming down the street. She entered an abandoned warehouse, looked up to the sky and yelled “Puu, get your butt down here now!” A small portal opened up in front of Hotaru as a lady in a short black fuku stepped through. “Yes Hotaru-chan, what did you want?” Saturn began to stalk back and forth. “Haruka-papa wont tell me the true story of the Hoshi-Matsuri, and if I don't know it, I can't try out to be Orihime for the play!” Pluto frowned. <Oh god I can't see the future!> “Hotaru-chan, are you sure you want to do this?” Hotaru stared at her for the longest time until Pluto caved in. “Okay, but you better sit down. It is a long story.” Hotaru seated herself gently on the ground as Pluto began.

“A young cowherd named Hikoboshi happened across seven fairy sisters bathing in a lake. Encouraged by his mischievous companion the ox, he stole their clothing and waited to see what would happen next. The fairy sisters elected the youngest and most beautiful sister Orihime to retrieve their clothing. She did so, but since Hikoboshi saw her naked she had to agree to his request for marriage. She proved to be a wonderful wife, and Hikoboshi a good husband, and they were very happy together. But the Goddess of Heaven found out that a mere mortal had married one of the fairy girls and was furious. Taking out her hairpin, the Goddess scratched a wide river in the sky to separate the two lovers forever.

Now Orihime must sit forever on one side of the river, sadly weaving on her loom, while Hikoboshi watches her from afar and takes care of the two kids.

But once a year all the magpies in the world take pity on them and fly up into heaven to form a bridge over the star Deneb in the Cygnus constellation so the lovers may be together for a single night, the seventh night of the seventh moon.”

As Pluto finished her story, Hotaru sat there with tears in her eyes. “That was so sad, why was the Queen so mean to Orihime?” Pluto just smiled mysteriously, and as she disappeared, she said “I guess you'll just have to figure that out yourself.” Hotaru stared at the spot where Pluto had stood for the longest time, pondering. She finally looked down at her watch and realized what time it was. “Oh My God, I'm Going To Be Late!” Pulling her best imitation of Usagi, Hotaru raced to her school as fast as she could. She made it, just before Usagi did, stood off to the side and breathed heavily. The teacher walked over to them and said “Nice to see you here finally Tomoe-san, Tsukino-san. Perhaps since you two were so enthusiastic about coming, one of you can go first?” Hotaru stepped forward shyly and said “I'll go.” She walked up to the front of the room, and poured her heart out into her words. “Oh Goddess, why did you separate me from my love. You know I pine and my sisters do nothing but weep, and all the cattle in the land sicken from an unknown disease. Please Goddess, repair the rift you have created across the skies and and across our hearts.” The teacher stood up to read the lines of the Goddess “You foolish girl, you fell in love with a mortal, and anything I ever do to you will not make up for that. You and your lover will be separated for all eternity!” With that, Hotaru burst into fake tears and ran off the stage sobbing. She stopped when she reached Usagi “Good luck!” She whispered as Usagi made her way up to the stage.

The next day, when the cast list was posted, Hotaru waited with bated breath. When someone walked by and laughed at her, her heart broke, but she faithfully followed Usagi up to the list. Usagi took one quick glance and began to spin Hotaru around, chanting “We got the parts, we got the parts!” Hotaru's heart began to pound and she joined Usagi's dance of joy enthusiastically.

A few weeks later, Hotaru was outside, gathering the dew before the break of day. Once Hotaru had filled her small bowl, she walked in the house and picked up a small stick off the counter. She began grinding it into her bowl, and then mixed the contents up. She picked up a brush, and quickly dipped it in the purplish mixture. She set her brush to the tanzaku and paused. <What should I wish for?> Suddenly it hit her. She delicately brushed her wish on the tanzaku and walked outside. Slipping her tanzaku on a branch, she kissed it softly, and uttered a small prayer. Just then, a shooting star passed by, igniting the sky with a lavenderish light. Hotaru smiled at the beauty of such a simple sight and walked back inside. She quietly slipped upstairs, and took a warm bath.

When she stepped out of the bath, she slipped on her underthings and walked out into her room. She picked the simple purple yukata off her bed, and began to slip it on piece by piece, except for the obi. Holding the obi in one hand, and her yukata shut with the other, Hotaru walked down the hallway. She knocked on the door, and a woman in a forest green yukata stepped out. The woman took a hold of Hotaru's obi, and quickly tied it into the proper shape for a young unmarried woman. She walked down the stairs to where Haruka and Michiru were waiting, holding the little vegetable animals in their hands. Hotaru picked up her little horse, and led the girls out to the bamboo bush. They placed their animals under the leaves and got in Haruka's car. They headed out to Rei's shrine, where all of the senshi were grouping before the festival. Before they left the shrine, The girls all paired up, so that if by any chance trouble arose, there would be someone to help. Even if the number of monster attacks was pretty much zero, it didn't hurt to be cautious.

“Usagi-chan, we're late!” Hotaru said as she once more tried to drag her friend away from the food and games. Usagi finally began to move, and they soon reached the stage. Hotaru was about to drag Usagi on the stage, when the teacher walked out, Hotaru's understudy in tow. “It's a good thing Tomoe didn't show teach, then you would have had to make up some excuse.” The teacher nodded as the understudy continued “Besides Tomoe should have never held this part, I was born to be Orihime!” The teacher nodded once more as Hotaru watched in horror. Hotaru froze for a second as the realization sunk in, and then she was gone. Usagi yelled futilely after her, but she was ignored. Hotaru fled as far away from the stage as she could, avoiding anyone and everyone. She finally stopped from exhaustion under a weeping willow, curling up in a ball and sobbing. A soft touch on her shoulder awoke her to the world around her, and standing by her shoulder was a young man. He smiled sadly at her and said “Otome-san, what is wrong?” Hotaru looked deep into the eyes that mirrored her own sorrow and told her sad story. The man stood there sadly listening to her story, until a smile lit up his face. He knelt on the ground next to her and said “I have an idea.”

Up on the stage, Hotaru's understudy was currently confronting the Goddess, When a swirling mist covered the stage, and a figure bathed in purple light appeared, Usagi almost fainted from fright. But she held her ground, ready to transform if need be. The figure turned angrily towards the understudy and began to yell. “You presume too much, Imposter. I hear all that goes on in this world, and earlier I heard you say that you wee 'Born' to be Orihime! I almost fell out of my throne! An imposter such as you should never have been allowed to play her.” The figure paused for a second as purple lightning crackled around her fist, then she continued “I should banish you to hell, but instead I shall only give you this warning. Know thy place in this world, and stay there. Or else I'll be back!” With that, the figure and all the mist disappeared.

“That was so much fun!” Hotaru yelled as she appeared back beneath the willow. The man sitting there smiled and said “I heard, even this far away. You are one good actress Hotaru-chan.” Hotaru blushed as the man stood up. “Now that you have completed your good deed for this century, shall we go?” Hotaru took his proffered hand and they walked around the festival for the rest of the day.

“Do you have to go?” Hotaru questioned as she stood on the bridge next to the young man from earlier. He nodded and she said “Will I see you tomorrow?” He shook his head and said “I won't be back until next year, I wish... Err... Would you meet me here?” Hotaru nodded and threw her arms around his neck. She moved he mouth next to his ear and whispered “Always, my Hikoboshi.” He embraced her around the waist, and spun around. He tried to plant a soft kiss on her cheek, but Hotaru turned just in time and deepened the kiss. They stood like that for a few minutes, until they ran out of air. Hotaru stared deep into his eyes as his form began to sparkle in her arms. As his form disappeared from view, he whispered to her “Goodbye until next year, my Orihime.”

A two years passed, and every year, Hotaru faithfully met the man she called Hikoboshi every year on the very same bridge. A few days before Hikoboshi's scheduled appearance, Hotaru was out swimming with her friends, once more pondering Hikoboshi's problem. He could only come one day a year, just like the real Hikoboshi. <Now what happened so that the original Hikoboshi could return...> Hotaru thought to herself as she floated in the water. <Oh, that's right, a flock of Magpies formed a bridge... But what if you could form a permanent bridge... Using Usagi-hime's Ginzuisho, and our sailor powers! But how to get everyone to agree...> Slipping quietly out of the water, Hotaru walked up to the house where Usagi lay taking a nap. Hotaru poked Usagi until she woke up, and told Usagi about her problem. Always a kind-hearted person, Usagi agree to help her but on one condition. “What's that? Hotaru asked, praying it wasn't impossible. Usagi turned to her with her biggest smile and said “I want a waterfight. In the pool, all ten senshi.” Sighing, Hotaru quickly rounded up the other eight senshi, and with some coercion and a hint of occasional blackmail, she got them together. Diving into the pool after everyone else, Hotaru soon let her troubles disappear as she pelted people in the face with massive amounts of water Soon it became apparent that Hotaru was going to pose some threat, so Michiru and Ami teamed up against her. Quickly dodging a rapid fire attack from Michiru, Hotaru was hit from behind by an icy stream of water. She spun around, to see Chibi-Usa floating behind her with an innocent look and a giant water pistol. The fight slowly degenerated from there, Hotaru going for the hose. After Usagi's fiasco with her water balloons, they finally called it quits.

Hotaru woke up the next day with a hopeful smile on her face, and as she and the other senshi congregated on the bridge, the began to combine their powers and they formed a silvery rope, weaving above their heads. As Hikoboshi began to appear, the light coiled around him and became invisible. Before he became fully visible, the senshi de-transformed and everyone but Hotaru quickly left. She remained standing on the bridge, until Hikoboshi wrapped his arms around her neck. She turned to face him and whispered “I did it, I created a bridge. Now you can come every day.” The man stepped out of her embrace and looked deep into her eyes. “Hotaru, I need to tell you the truth. About me and about you. I am the real Hikoboshi, and you are truly Orihime. Many years after the goddess bound us apart, she allowed you to die and be reborn. Only once you inherited the full measure of your true powers, she said, could we be together again.” Leaning over, he kissed Hotaru soundly on the mouth and the memories came flowing through her mind. Stepping back, she looked around. “Where are Kohime and Orihishi?” Hikoboshi smiled indulgently at her and said “Born of Fairy blood, even tainted, they had a very long lifespan. Kohime was married twice, and out of her first union she had three girls and a boy. Serenity, the eldest daughter, eventually became ruler of the moon. Kaeka, the middle daughter, died 23 years later in childbirth. Her child survived to become Karuko, ruler of Uranus. Mishiko, the youngest daughter married a water sprite and on the day of their marriage, she was crowned ruler of Neptune. Sakoro, the only son disappeared 17 years later during a trip to Earth. He is suspected to be dead. Out of her second union, she had a pair of twins, Sakura and Mikara. They trained almost from birth, and when they went to Earth, they gathered students and formed the nation of the Amazons. Orihishi, only had one wife and child. He and his wife were killed in an attack, but his child survived. The child was adopted out to a good family.” She looked around, thinking. <Serenity... Karuko... Mishiko... Oh my god!> “You mean... Oh my god!” Hotaru said as she lifted up a small watch and pressed a few buttons. Pretty soon, three girls in short skirts came running down the path. “Ho...Hotaru-chan, what's wrong?” Sailor Moon asked her friend as Neptune and Uranus surrounded Hikoboshi. Hotaru looked at them and told them to stand down. She walked over to Hikoboshi and said “Usagi-hime, Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama. Please try to believe me, I am your great-grandmother. Before my rebirth, I was the real Orihime, and I had two children. My daughter Kohime was your grandmother, and your Mothers were Serenity, Karuko, and Mishiko.” The three soldiers stared at Hotaru incredulously. As tears began to roll down Hotaru's cheeks, Hikoboshi wrapped his arms around her and glared at them. Usagi took one step forward, and threw her arms around Hotaru and said “I believe you Hotaru-chan.” Soon the other two soldiers joined their leader in the hug.

 

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Whoot! I'm done! Even though the keyboard on my laptop broke halfway through, I finished. As of today, When I completed this story I have NO reviews. My stories have been up for a few weeks, but still no reviews! Pretty please Review! You don't even have to like the story. Flame it all you want, just review. Please.

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