A/N: Hi yas! It's me again!! Here to get stuck on another story...again. Dodges the random sharp objects Kioko throws at her for getting distracted, again Well, the story behind this one is that, well, I didn't intend on posting it at first because that would be something else that I'd be putting my other stories off for, and something else to torture my readers with by not finishing. But someone asked me to write a SM/YGO crossover with Hotaru as the main character, of which I had already had a good base on beforehand, so how could I refuse? Besides, this just might get more reviews than Between Worlds does, who knows.

Ahem, anyways, I know a Hotaru/Malik thing is incredibly unlikely, but, for some deranged and insane reason, Malik is my favorite character in YGO, despite the fact that (Or maybe even because) his yami is certifiably insane. AND I'M GETTING SO INCREDIBLY SICK OF ALL THE YOAI FANFICS OUT THERE!! IT'S LIKE YOU PEOPLE CAN'T COME UP WITH A DECENT ORIGINAL CHARACTER TO PARE HIM UP WITH!! Ahem, anyways, that's why I'm pairing Hotaru up with him. Besides, though i love him and all (Not literally, I'm not that obsessed), you need to be fairly sweet, patient, and soft-spoken to put up with someone like him. And that's also the kind of person he needs. So there! Nya!

I am Hotaru Tomoe, to anyone who may know me, or to anyone who might not. I don’t know what’s going on, or what’s happening. I don’t know what happened. Everything’s a blur, but all of the sudden it seemed as if I opened my eyes and I was alone, so alone. Well, not alone, not really. Sailor Galaxia’s taking care of me, she’s good now that she’s been released from Chaos. I trust her, but…it still feels lonely without my foster parents, and without all my friends. Galaxia says that they’ll be coming back someday and that I was sent to this other world for my own protection. But from what? I don’t know.

I grew up in this new world, as I had in my other world. Galaxia taught me because it’d be dangerous to go to school and have people notice my abnormally swift aging. Of course, I’ve already been through high-school a few times, so it’s not that bad. So long as I have books to keep me occupied. Our house is big, not as big as the mansion me and the other Outers use to live in, but still larger than really necessary for only two people.

A few years after I was finally big enough to walk I started calling Galaxia Kumiko-mama, because that was the name she’d adopted, and because I began to feel a bond with her. She treated me like her own daughter, which I might as well have been since she’s been watching me grow, however swiftly, these past few years. We’re waiting until I mature back into a 16-year-old before enrolling me into any school, and when we do we’re probably going to move somewhere else to keep suspicions down. I hope we get a smaller house, we don’t need something really big if we’re not going to stay for too long.

She’s been so nice to me, I don’t even have to ask for anymore books before she buys them for me. She even got me a laptop and other electronics to play around with. She has a job as an opera singer and a few other things, most of the others she does at home on her own computer. So we have a lot of money. Soon we’ll be selling the mansion and getting a house in Domino. Galaxia promised me it won’t be too big, but I get the feeling I’m still going to have two whole rooms to myself again.

I can’t wait until I get to go to school again, it can get really dull around the house sometimes, especially when Galaxia’s too busy to take me anywhere. But I shouldn’t complain. I’m content, but I still wish the others would come back soon, it’s been so long. I wonder if they’re all right.

"Class, please welcome our new student, her name is Tomoe Hotaru, give her a hard time on her first day and I’ll be sure and give you a hard time your first day back. Understood? Good. Now, Miss Tomoe, you may sit over there by Mr. Ishtar, he’ll be your partner for this semester. You will all find what you need under your desks and I will write what you need to do up on the board. Since this is your first day back I made sure not to make it a very dangerous experiment considering how some of you are partial to blowing things up." Sutsuchi-sensei said, giving Jounouchi and Honda pointed looks. Anzu and Yugi snickered.

The pale girl had merely nodded to the teacher and walked down the room towards Malik with a very gentle, yet rather demure, look on her face. The others tensed up as they watched her sit down beside the psychopath-erm- ahem, I mean Malik. She took out her notebook and offered it to him. "Would you like to take notes, or do you want me to?" She asked in such a soft voice they could hardly hear what she said over the noise of all the other students who were getting their labs set up.

Malik gave her a sneering look, "I’ll let you write them down. I don’t need you messing up the lab anyways." He snorted.

"Okay." She said, completely unfazed by his rudeness.

Hotaru opened up the notebook and started writing down the instructions first while Malik set up the lab. She read off the instructions in such a sweet, soft voice that Malik found it difficult to snap at her saying he knew what to do. So he only did when she read off parts that were pathetically obvious. Her notes were so precise and accurate that he couldn’t find anything to complain about there either. She also did one part of the work while he was busy doing the other, so he couldn’t grip at her for not working either. And even when he did find something to snip at her for she hardly flinched, she just gave him that gentle smile and apologized.

She’s being so…so…DIFFICULT!! Malik thought bitterly. Though difficult in such a way that she was hard to annoy or get angry, and it was frustrating him to no end.

The next class was Math, and Malik sat as far away from Tomoe as he possibly could. Freak. He thought, leering at her the entire time.

Hotaru, on the other hand, wasn’t disturbed by his staring in the least, in fact she was completely oblivious to it as he sat in the very back corner and she was relatively in the front this time. She was working the problems on the board on her paper swiftly and precisely as she already knew how to do them, and had gained a few tricks at doing them fast from Michiru’s tutelage. Then, when it was her turn to do the problem on the board, she did it quietly and swiftly as if she were still doing it on paper. After a few more people had to get up and do a question on the board, (Jounouchi couldn’t resist and drew a smiley face, getting himself an extra sheet of paper), they were handed papers to do until a few minutes before class was over. This was when things started getting bad.

There was suddenly a sharp poke in Hotaru’s back, she looked around and found another student had poked her with the sharp end of his pencil. "Yes?" She asked.

"What’s the answer to number 3?" He asked with a wink.

"I’m sorry, but if I just tell you it’d defeat the whole point of Sensei giving it to you. If you paid attention, you should know how to do it yourself." She answered, giving him an apologetic smile before she turned back around to continue the problems on her paper.

"Come on, sweets, I can’t do it myself!" He said poking her some more.

"My name’s Tomoe Hotaru, and you need to do it yourself, if you can’t you should work on figuring out how later." She answered, not turning around this time. I should have remembered I’d get this kind of treatment. She thought, sighing inwardly as the pencil continued to poke into her back, but she ignored it as if she didn’t even feel it. She fought to keep from flinching when it started to go in harder. But finally he gave up and went on to doing his own work.

A few classes later and the bell finally rung for lunch. Hotaru decided to stay in her classroom to eat, she pulled out her bento (Lunchbox) and looked at what Kumiko-mama had packed for her. Her favorite kind of sandwich, a bag of cherries, a bred roll, and some fruit-juice to drink. Looks like Kumiko-mama still isn’t going to be very lenient with my diet. At least she’s not making me drink milk anymore. Hotaru thought as she took a bite out of her sandwich. There was no way she was going to eat all of this, but she might as well try.

"Jounouchi! Did you forget your lunch again?!" Hotaru looked over to find a group of people who had also stayed in the class room for lunch.

"I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’ll never do it again!!" The one named Jounouchi exclaimed, his stomach gave a low rumble which his friends snickered at. "Would anyone be merciful enough to give me something to eat?! Just a little bite is all I’m asking!!" He exclaimed.

"Sorry, Jou, but Grandpa forgot to pack half a lunch for me, I hardly have enough for myself." Said a short boy with spiky hair and a cute face.

"Anzu?" Jou asked.

"No way," Anzu snubbed, "Not this time, you’re always steeling from my box even when you have your own!"

"I’m a growing boy, I need food!!" Jou exclaimed. "Honda??"

"Excuse me." Hotaru said softly, holding out the other half of her sandwich. Despite her soft voice she was able to obtain the attention of the group of friends. "You can have some of my lunch if you like. Kumiko-mama packed me too much anyway." She told him.

Jou stared at the sandwich, a drop of drool coming from it. "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!" He exclaimed, hugging Hotaru around the waist.

Hotaru sweatdropped, not really knowing what to do. "Um, you’re welcome?" She said, feeling a bit nervous. She was thankful when he let go and started wolfing down the sandwich.

"Hey! This is great!! What is it?!" He asked enthusiastically.

"Jou! Remember the last time you asked that question?" Honda exclaimed.

"Uh, right, forget I asked." Jou said, making Hotaru giggle.

"Don’t worry, there’s nothing gross in it I assure you." She said before taking a small bite of her own half as she went to sit back down.

"Hey, Miss Tomoe?" The short boy called.

"Yes?" Hotaru asked.

"Want to sit by us?" Anzu said for him.

"I suppose." She answered, taking up her bento so she could sit in a closer chair.

"I’m Mutou Yugi." The boy greeted.

"Katsuya Jounouchi." Jou said with a mouthful of sandwich.

"Mazaki Anzu."

"Hiroto Honda."

"Bakura Ryou." They all greeted.

"Tomoe Hotaru. Please to meet you." She returned. "Here Katsuya-san." She said, giving him a handful of cherries in a paper towel.

"Hey thanks! Just call me Jou, everyone does." He said taking them gratefully.

"Well, except for Kaiba." Honda said laughing.

"Alright now, don’t even start with that!!" Jou snapped at him, making the others laugh, though Hotaru didn’t know what was going on. "Wow, who packed your lunch for you?! Even the cherries taste better than normal!!" Jou exclaimed.

"That’s probably because a pretty girl is giving them to you." Honda teased making Hotaru blush a bit in embarrassment.

"Alright smart-mouth, wanna take this outside?!" Jou demanded, standing up threateningly, but he just made everyone laugh, even Hotaru giggled a bit.

"So, Hotaru, I saw you got pared up with Ishtar Malik for the rest of the semester. What a drag, and on your first day too!" Anzu exclaimed.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Hotaru asked her.

"She means that it’s cruel to make someone like you put up with that psycho freak on your first day." Jou answered.

"Jou! That’s not a very nice thing to say!!" Hotaru exclaimed.

"Huh? Well, he deserves it!"

"That doesn’t mean you have a right to say it." She told him.

"That’s a little harsh, besides you don’t know what kind of stuff he’s done!" Jou defended, though without much enthusiasm.

"So? I’m sure you’re not completely guiltless either. Besides, how will he ever be able to forgive himself if you’re not willing to forgive him first?" She asked.

Jou backed away, "Okay, okay, you made your point and I’m sorry."

"I’m not the one you should be apologizing to, but I’d forgive you if I were. Here, you can have half of my roll." Hotaru told him, ripping her bred roll into half so he could have some of it.

"Oi, what am I suppose to do? Walk up to Malik and say, ‘Hey Malik, I know you hate my guts and I hate yours. But I’m here to apologize for calling you a psycho freak even though I didn’t say it in front of you.’?" Jou asked, making Hotaru giggle.

"That might not be a bad idea, we’ll just have to get a camcorder first." Anzu teased.

"Aw maaaan. Everyone’s against me today!!" Jou exclaimed.

"Hey, Hotaru’s giving you half her lunch so she doesn’t count. But other than her, yeah we’re all against you." Honda responded.

"Aw, gee, thanks. Now I see who my real friend is! So, Hotaru, wanna go to the arcade today?" Jou asked.

She couldn’t help it, Hotaru was giggling so hard she could hardly answer, "O-okay. But only if the others can come too." She said.

"What? These losers?!" Jou exclaimed, jerking his thumb towards the others. Hotaru started giggling really hard again.

"Aw, come on Jou, you know we’re just play’n." Honda said, giving his friend a noogie (sp?).

"We’d better stop you guys, poor Hotaru looks like she’s about to die laughing." Yugi said.

Malik stood against the wall next to the door of his classroom with a scowl on his face. He hadn’t been listening for very long, but it had been long enough. He left his place and started walking down the hall just as the conversation became completely meaningless. Why the did a girl I don’t even know just defend me against Katsuya?! And for something as meaningless as name-calling?! I didn’t even act civil to her during science. What a self righteous little ! Thinking she can just go and tell people what to think!! He fumed. Why am I getting so worked up over a weak little girl?! I should be concentrating on more important things. Like how I’m going to explain the new dent in my bike to Isis… He thought, feeling a shudder go up his spine at that. He could hear it now, "And how, dear brother, did that happen?" She’d ask with a look in her eye that said she knew he didn’t exactly drive safely on the road.

Malik was so wrapped up in his own thoughts he didn’t really pay attention to where he was going, and suddenly he bumped into someone. Of course that someone could have also bumped into him because he’d been yakking away to one of his friends at the time. Well, that was good enough for Malik, he grabbed him and threw him into the lockers on the other wall of the hall (hey that rhymed!!).

"Hey! You can’t do that to our buddy!!" Exclaimed the one he’d been talking to.

Malik stopped walking and turned slowly to him, noting with some satisfaction that it was the same guy who’d been giving Tomoe a problem in Math class. "Oh I can’t, can I?" He asked slowly and dangerously.

The punk, suddenly realizing who he was talking to, went white with fear, "Ah! Ishtar, I uh, didn’t mean it that way!!" He exclaimed.

"Too late." He said, grabbing the punk by his shoulders and slamming him into the wall of lockers nearest to them. He then gave the punk a good knee in the groin and left him to collapse on the floor in pain. Malik turned to the other two ‘buddies’, who shrank back and said nothing as he passed them, feeling rather proud of himself after that.

The school bell finally rung and it was time to go. Hotaru packed up her things just as her cell phone rang. She answered it while the others waited patiently for her. "Hello?"

"Hi sweetie, it’s me. I’m on one of my breaks and I was looking at the clock and decided to call you. I didn’t get you in the middle of class did I?" The woman on the other line asked.

"Oh no, Kumiko-mama, it just rung and we were about to leave." Hotaru answered cheerfully.

"‘We’? Did you make some friends?!" She asked excitedly.

Hotaru laughed, "Yes I did, Mama. Is it okay if I go with them to the arcade today?" She asked.

"Of course you can!! Just be back in time to do your homework! Well, I have to rehearse for Saturday so I’ll see you when you get back. Actually, why don’t you invite your friends over to have dinner with us?!" She asked.

"Okay." Hotaru turned to the others, "Kumiko-mama wants to know if you’d all like to have dinner with us." She told them.

"If she cooks meals as good as she makes bentos I don’t see any way of refusing!!" Jou exclaimed, making the others laugh.

"Sure, though we’ll probably have to use your cell phone to call our own parents and make sure it’s alright, which I’m sure it will be. Tell her we’d be glad to come over." Anzu said.

"They said yes." Hotaru relayed.

"Oh good, how many of them should I expect?" Kumiko asked.

"5." Hotaru answered.

"5?! Eheheh, well I guess I should be happy for you, but you, young lady, will be helping me cook." She told her.

Hotaru laughed, "Okay, Mama. Bai bai."

"Bai bai." Kumiko returned and then she hung up.

Hotaru did the same and handed her phone over so the others could use it to call their parents. Eventually everyone had gotten the okay from their parents, a few of them having to make promises of finished homework to do so (Couch, Jou&Honda, cough), but they were able to go.

The arcade was a bit different than what Usagi use to drag everyone to, for one it was a lot bigger, and the games were very different. A lot of them liked to revolve around Duel Monsters, a very popular card game that it seemed the others were into a lot.

"Hey, Hotaru, have you ever played this game before?" Jou asked, pointing to one of the fighting games.

"No, not really, but I remember watching one of my friends play something like it." She answered.

"Wanna play against me? Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on ya." He said grinning.

Hotaru smiled, "Okay." She said sitting down. She remembered how Ami use to get really high scores whenever she played a video game, which wasn’t often. "It’s just a matter of pressing the right buttons at the right moments, sort of like chess if you think about it, you just have to think really quickly." She’d say. "It also helps to keep your head, get to excited about it and you’ll lose." Well, Hotaru wasn’t the sort of person to really get into something like a video game, at least not competitively. She could have fun, especially if she did it Ami’s way and used it to challenge her mind to think quickly and accurately. And before she knew it she had made a perfect on Jou (you know, where you K.O. the other person and you have like, all your health?). "Oh!" She gasped, as if she just realized she’d been beating him. She then turned to smile at Jou’s dumbfounded face, "Thanks for letting me win." She said. Jou fell off his seat.

"He didn’t let you win, you beat the crap outta him!" Honda exclaimed, looking surprised as well.

"I wanna rematch!" Jou exclaimed, getting back on his seat. "And this time I won’t go easy." He said.

"Okay." She responded as he restarted the game. She picked the same character and let her fingers fly smoothly over the buttons while her other hand moved the joystick about. She thought about Ami and the times they played chess together. Of course, Ami had always won, but Hotaru didn’t mind losing. She really wasn’t the sort of person who got at all competitive.

The next thing she knew the screen flashed "K.O." And her character had hardly any damage. Jou looked like he was about to faint. "Are you suuuure you’ve never played this game before?" Anzu asked. Hotaru suddenly found everyone surrounding her and watching her beat Jou.

"Well, I might have and just don’t remember." Hotaru answered. She had normally played kiddy games with Chibi-Usa when she was in an arcade, especially the crane games where they could get those adorable chibi-sailor senshi plushies.

"Let me try!" Honda exclaimed, shoving Jou out of his seat.

Hotaru sweatdropped, "O-okay…" and once again she let her fingers work and her strategic mind take over. By now she had a good idea of the combos and decided to use them. Honda didn’t even have a chance. "Perfect!" The screen flashed, showing the K.O. scene over again.

"Whoa." Hotaru looked around, starting to feel nervous because of the crowed that was gathering to watch. What’s the big deal? It’s just a game. She asked herself. She tried to sneak away from the game, but that wasn’t going to happen while she was now the center of attention.

"Let me try!!" Exclaimed one of the other gamers in the arcade.

Hotaru wished she could just leave, but she was too polite to say no. "O-okay." She said. Well, he was paying for the game so the least she could do was go ahead and fight him. Hotaru forced herself to relax, if she ignored the crowed around her and just have fun it wouldn’t be that bad. It wasn’t that hard to get into the game and treat it like how Ami would, but after a few more gamers got notoriously creamed by Hotaru’s style she was really wanting to stop playing.

"Um, I’d like to play something else now, if that’s okay…" She said, trying to get out of the circle of people as politely as she could.

"Wait, just one more game." Said a new challenger. The crowed seem to part and get out of his way as he approached Hotaru. He was a large man, blond with a red bandana and sunglasses. He had this bad-boy look all over him that made Hotaru feel a bit nervous.

"Bandit Keith!!" Jou exclaimed, growling. He tried to lung for him but Yugi and Honda held him back. "Don’t you dare lay a finger on Hotaru!!" He threatened.

"Jou no!" Yugi exclaimed.

"Relax, Katsuya, I just want a little match. Though," Bandit Keith sat down on the other chair and leaned over a little too close for Hotaru’s comfort, she backed away as much as she could while still sitting down, "Let’s say we make a deal, babe. If I win, you get to go out with me." He said.

"And if she wins?!" Jou demanded threateningly.

"Hmph," Bandit Keith sat straight, much to Hotaru’s relief. "Then I’ll give her all my duel monster cards! I’ll even pay for the match like everyone else. But trust me, babe, you’ve only been battling amateurs until now." He said.

"I have no doubt you are very good, and I’m sure these other gentlemen might be considered amateurs compared to you. But I’d rather not play for personal gain. It is, after all, merely a game. And a game is made for the amusement of its players and shouldn’t be abused in such a manner." Hotaru answered politely.

"What, are you afraid you’ll lose?" Keith snorted, trying to work on her pride apparently. But he had no idea who he was talking to.

"Yes I suppose I am afraid I might lose, because you see, Mama would have such a fit if I went out with someone for such a meaningless reason that I fear more for your safety than anything else." Hotaru answered, she really wasn’t trying to be a smart-alike, but several on-lookers burst out into fits of helpless laughter anyways. She gave them confused looks as if to ask why they were laughing, but then turned back to Bandit Keith. "So, if you don’t mind, how about just a friendly match, no strings attached. Okay?" She asked.

Hotaru had such a soft voice and innocent attitude towards the whole thing that not even Bandit Keith could say no to her. "Alright, girly, just a friendly match." He said, smirking as he pushed his sunglasses back into place. Hotaru got the sinking feeling that whether she beat him or not she wasn’t going to get rid of him.

She didn’t let that bother her though, the skilled new player offered a good challenge for her. Not only was he good at the game, but he was also a strategist and had evidently been watching Hotaru’s style very closely. The match went on for a long time, both health bars going down gradually, but it was obvious who was winning. And that was mostly because Hotaru kept her head and didn’t let anything get to her. Her opponent, however, was getting flustered with the fact that he could hardly get a hand over her. The more frustrated he got, the worse he played, and the worse he played, the more frustrated he got. Such a redundant cycle, and one that lead Hotaru’s character to victory with a little over half her health left.

"WHAT?!" Bandit Keith exclaimed, hitting the controls. "How did-this can’t be happening!!" He exclaimed.

"You got frustrated." Hotaru said.

"WHAT?!" He turned on her, but she didn’t even flinch.

"You kept worrying about loosing and winning, in fact you were stressed out even more because I’m a girl and you didn’t want to loose. If you just forgot about winning and merely played for the fun of it and kept your head cool you would have beaten me." She said, her voice and face were so innocent and truthful that the high and mighty Bandit could do nothing more than stalk off to another game, furious.

"Way to go, Hotaru!!" Jou exclaimed, patting her on the back.

"You really showed that jerk up!" Anzu said proudly.

"I really didn’t want to show anyone up." Hotaru said, finally getting off the chair.

"That’s exactly what makes you a good person, Hotaru." Yugi said sweetly.

"Thank y—"

"KATSUYA JOUNOUCHI!!" Yelled a new voice.

"Oh no." Jou squeaked, looking like he’d just remembered something.

The crowed parted horridly to get out of the path of a curly blond woman who was surrounded by anime flames of wrath. She stalked over to Jou, who was cowering and trying to hid behind Honda, without any luck. The woman grabbed his ear and pulled him closer, "I thought you might be in here!!" She yelled. "Did you happen to forget something?! Perhaps the fact that YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO WALK ME HOME TODAY?! WELL?!" She demanded in his ear. She then looked up at the on looking crowd, "WHAT?!" She demanded. They all shrunk back and went in different directions, leaving only the group to watch the spectacle.

"I’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorry!!" Jou exclaimed.

"Yeah I’ll bet you are!! You’re spending the entire day making this up to me, Jounouchi!! First we’re going to go shopping, and then you’re going to take me somewhere relatively nice for dinner!!" She told him.

"But Maiiiiiii, we were all going over to Hotaru’s for dinner!" Jou wined, motioning over to Hotaru.

"Hm?" Mai let go of Jou and he dropped to the floor. She looked over at Hotaru who didn’t know what else to do but bow politely.

"Gomen nasai, Mai-san. I’m Tomoe Hotaru. I’m new to Domino High and Jou was only being friendly and making sure I felt welcome." She said.

"My, what a cute little sweetheart you are!" Mai exclaimed, giving Hotaru a squeeze. "I’m Kujaka Mai, but you can just call me Mai!" She said, releasing the frail-looking girl to turn back on Jou. "But you’re still not getting out of this! I’ll let you off the hook this time, Jounouchi, but tomorrow you’d better walk me home, and you’d better take me somewhere nice for dinner! Got it?!" She demanded.

"Y-yes ma’am!" Jou exclaimed.

"Good." Mai turned back to Hotaru, making Jou breath out an obvious sigh of relief. "Well, Hotaru-chan, why don’t you, Anzu, and I go somewhere less full of cyber-geared males? The others can meet back up with you for dinner later." She said.

"Um, okay. Would you like to come too? Hopefully Kumiko-mama won’t mind." Hotaru asked.

"That’s awfully sweet of you! I’d love to!! Come on, I saw this one outfit that would look just so cute on you!" Mai exclaimed, pulling poor Hotaru along towards the door and leaving Anzu to follow without another word.

Anzu sighed and chuckled, "Well see you guys later then, okay?" She said waving to them.

"Aw man, there goes the best player I’ve ever seen, and I didn’t even get any tips from her!" Honda exclaimed.

"There goes my girlfriend, and I’ve never been so happy to watch her leave!!" Jou exclaimed, looking as though he’d just gotten out of being given a death sentence. The guys laughed at him and went back to playing video games.

Hotaru stepped out of the dressing room with a slight blush on her cheeks. She was wearing a tight black halter top, a dark green and black plad skirt with tiny strings of red here and there, and a pare of black high-heel shoes. She had a few articles of silver jewelry on, but nothing very superfluous, just enough to give her a bit of a sparkle.

"Oh my gosh you look so cute!!" Mai squealed. "And with just a little bit of makeup…" Mai took out some lavender lipstick and handed it to Hotaru. "Try it on!" She said, holding out a mirror.

"Um, okay." Hotaru said, she put a little bit of lavender color on her lips. But then Mai handed her some silver eyeshadow. She put as little on as she could get away with and handed them back to Mai.

"You look great Hotaru!" Anzu said smiling.

"Thank you." Hotaru said, her cheeks still a little pink.

"Here, take a look." Mai turned her around to look in the mirror. Just a little lipstick and eyeshadow and Hotaru saw someone else in the mirror. It wasn’t too drastic a change, but now she looked more beautiful than she did sweet. And the outfit seemed to express her thin frame and growing maturity in a nice way.

Suddenly Hotaru felt a sharp ping in her shoulder and she winced. Mai had touched the place where that boy in Math kept poking her. "Omg! What happened here?!" Mai gasped, finding the place red and raw.

"Um…A boy in Math class kept poking me there to tell him the answers to the sheets." She answered.

"Really? Well, what do you say we track down this loser and get Jou and Honda to make him feel the pain 10 times worse?" Mai asked.

"Oh no! It’s okay, really. I just won’t sit in front of him next time." Hotaru defended.

"It’s that kind of attitude that’s going to get you thrown in front of someone’s door and walked all over. When someone shoves you, you shove them back." She said.

"I’m sorry, Mai, but I don’t believe that. Two wrongs don’t make a right, and if you merely turn the other cheek it makes you a better person inside. Sometimes it takes more courage to walk away from a fight than to engage in one." She said.

Mai put her hand on Hotaru’s head in a sisterly manner, "Your so sweet and innocent, it’s hard to argue with you." She said, giving Hotaru another hug. "Come on, let’s buy you that outfit you look so great in and show you off to the guys. I know two of them who are especially cute, aaaaaand single!" She said in a sing-song voice, making Hotaru blush several shades of red.

"See? I told you they’d still be in here." Mai said as they spotted the four guys over by one of the arcade machines. Yugi and Ryou looked like they were ready to go, but the other two were still going at it.

"Haha! I win!!" Jou exclaimed as the girls walked over to them.

"Hey guys, check out Hotaru!" Mai said, demanding their attention and causing poor Hotaru to blush. The four guys looked over at them, and gasped.

"What did you DO to her?!" Jou exclaimed.

"You like it? Doesn’t she look beautiful Yugi? Ryou?" Mai asked the two, smirking because she knew exactly what their reactions were going to be.

"Well, um, I—er—that is um…" The two stuttered, both their faces were red.

"Um, Mai, it’s about time for dinner, perhaps we should go on to my house." Hotaru said.

"Yeah, your house, so your mother can kill Mai for giving you makeup." Jou said nervously.

"What a beautiful house!!" Mai exclaimed as they entered the front gate. Hotaru had gotten her wish for a smaller house, sort of. It still had two stories, and was very big. It had a very large front yard with trees and a flower garden in front of the house; it also had a patio with stylish furniture and even a swing. There was a pool in the back yard, and there was even more back yard than front, even with the pool. The entire estate was surrounded by a large metal fence that prevented anyone without a ladder and a lot of life insurance from getting over it. The back yard fence was made in such a way that there was like a metal sheet welded into the spikes for privacy. Needless to say, it was a very nice house, and had a very nice yard. Not quite what Hotaru had in mind when she said a ‘smaller house’ but better than that mansion.

"You guys must be pretty rich to afford something this nice!" Jou marveled.

"Um, yeah. Kumiko-mama is very successful, she has several small jobs she can do on the computer, and has a career as an opera singer. She’s very good." Hotaru explained.

"An opera singer? Wow, that’s probably a very nice job. And it probably pays well too." Anzu said. (Honestly, I have no idea how much opera singers get, but it’s got to be a lot for how much they must strain their voices to sing that high!)

"It does." Hotaru said as she fitted her key into the door. "Kumiko-mama! I’m home! And I hope you don’t mind but I brought another friend." Hotaru called, setting her things down beside the door. She took off her shoes and the others followed suite.

"Well then, I’m glad we didn’t get that small house like you wanted!" She huffed, coming into the foyer. "Well, make yourselves at home, dinner will be ready in a littlaAAAAHH!!" Kumiko exclaimed when she saw Hotaru. "And just what do you think you’re doing with makeup young lady?!" She exclaimed. "You know Haruka and Michiru will murder me if they find out I let you put that on!! And Setsuna will probably join them!!"

"But, Michiru-mama said I could wear makeup after I turned 16!" Hotaru defended.

"Did Haruka have anything to say about this?" Kumiko asked.

"Um…no…"

Kumiko sighed and rubbed her forehead with one finger, "Hotaru, you know your father already wants to skin me alive. But…okay, I’ll put up with Hurricane Haruka, but you do realize I’d only do this for you. Well, come on show your friends around and then come help me in the kitchen." She said, herding the group into the living room.

"What was that all about?" Anzu asked.

"Oh, Kumiko-mama and Haruka-papa don’t get along very well. Mostly because Haruka-papa just doesn’t like her, it’s a long story." Hotaru answered.

"What about those other two she mentioned, which one is your mother?" Yugi asked.

"Oh, they’re not really my parents, they’re my foster parents. My mother died soon after I was born, and my father not long after that." She explained, keeping a brave smile on her face.

"Oh! I’m sorry." Anzu said.

"It’s okay, after all, I have four parents instead of just two. Though the other three are away to America for some important business meetings and won’t be back for a really long time." She told them cheerfully. "Here, you can all sit down and watch some TV in here while I go help Kumiko-mama with the cooking." She said, handing Yugi the remote control to the TV.

"Alright!! A big screen!!" Jou exclaimed after the moment of depression had passed.

Kumiko was in the kitchen, currently cooking some chicken and biscuits in the oven while making several other things on the four burners. Her golden colored hair was pulled back into a ponytail of several looping braids and she had an apron on that said, "Golden Queen" On it in blood red letters. It was something that the two just had to make and laugh about. Hotaru had one too, only hers said, "Violet Princess" On it instead. They almost put, "Silent Messiah" on it, but Hotaru didn’t really like the idea. Besides, if anyone saw her in it it would be really difficult to explain.

Hotaru pulled her hair up into an itty-bitty ponytail and put on her apron. She then started helping Kumiko with all the food stuffs they were cooking.

Only a few minutes later Jou and Honda poked their heads into the room. "Mmmmm, something smells goooooooood." Jou said drooling.

Kumiko stepped in front of them, "And you’re not getting any of it until it’s done." She said, flicking her metal spatula so that it bobbed a bit.

"Uh, right, going now!!" The two said, wisely leaving the scene at that threat.

"They’re nice." She said, turning back to Hotaru.

"M-hm, and they’re fun to be with too. They’re so kind to me." Hotaru nodded smiling.

"That’s good, because if they weren’t," Kumiko flicked her spatula once again, making Hotaru giggle.

A/N: MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Malik has problems!! Sorry, I just couldn't resist doing that, it's just so fun!! Anyways, I guess what I'm suppose to say is R&R or something. Just, press the button, come on, you know you wanna! Oh yeah, by the way, I already know my spelling sucks, it always has, and it probably won't change, so there's no use in pointing it out to me, you'll be preaching to the choir.

I actually started this after the second chapter, but I decided to do some for the first one too. That’s right, BLOOPERS!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Scene 1:

Jou: I’m a growing boy, I need food!! Honda??

Hotaru: Excuse me. Holds out sandwich You can have some of my lunch if you like. Kumiko-mama packed me too much anyway.

Jou: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! Lunges at Hotaru in order to hug her, but pushes a little two much and the two fall backwards

Everyone else: .

Honda: Wait, wait, wait, isn’t this suppose to be a Hotaru/Malik fic?

Rhea: Yes, that was a mistake, CUT!!

Jou: Um, I think she passed out.

Rhea: AAAAAAAHHHHH!! GET A MEDIC IN HERE QUICK!!

Scene 3:

Hotaru’s about to face down Bandit Keith, they start the game and…

Keith: Uh, that’s not suppose to happen. Staring at the strange ring of light that appeared on the screne

Hotaru: Miss Rhea!! Someone put in the wrong tape!!

Rhea: !.! DON’T WATCH THE TAPE!! Runs to the back of the machine and ejects the tape from it before they could see anymore Who put this in there?!

Marik: Off to the side, snickering

Rhea: MARIK!!

Marik: Oh ! Runs

Scene 3:

Mai: Shrieks KATSUYA JOUNOUCHI!!

Jou: Oh no.

Mai: Stalks into the arcade surrounded by flaming waves of wrath I thought you might be in here!! Did you happen to forget something?!

Jou: Yeah, my next lines.

Mai: Blinks, then goes into a fit of laughter

Rhea: CUT!!

Scene 5:

Mai: Walking back into the arcade with Anzu and Hotaru See? I told you they’d still be in here.

Jou: Haha! I win!!

Mai: Hey guys, check out Hotaru!

Hotaru: Blushes

Guys: . ….Start to drool

Girls: …..

Mai: Uh, Jou, it’s your line. Jou? Jouuuuu…

Rhea: Smacks her forehead Alright, cut! Hotaru, go back to your dressers and tell them you need a little less makeup and a little more clothing. Starts grumbling to herself Geez, you think they’d never seen a Sailor Senshi before.

Scene 6:

Jou: Pokes his head into the kitchen Mmmmm, something smells gooooooood.

Kumiko: And you’re not getting any of it until it’s done. Flicks metal spatula

Jou: Oh yeah, well touché! Whips out dueling sword

Kumiko: Smirks and pulls out a rocket launcher Yeah.

Jou: !.! Runs

Rhea: CUT!! That was not in the script!!

Kumiko: Hey, he messed with the script first!!

Rhea: Sighs