He appears out of thin air in the form of a white pegasus, and approaches Hotaru carefully, warily.
"I am here," he tells her. He recalls her, he thinks; a girl who had helped the sailor senshi and the maiden to free him. Why does she call for him herself?
How does she know him so well? But his mission and all his hopes are pinned on trust; he cannot risk that by breaking her trust by seeming to have forgotten her. Thus, he cannot ask how they are meant to be connected.
"I have come at your call," he says. That much, he himself had felt. "Please tell me what troubles you."
Placing her violin back in it's case, Hotaru stands, climbing back into her bed. He's here now, her bed is safe because Helios will make sure she doesn't have a bad dream.
"I had a dream again." She pauses, biting her lip, remembering the loud shrieks, the way the shadows seemed to grip her. "... She was there. The bad Queen. The one in the mirror."
She is so young. She is not the senshi he saw once or twice; and that does not help him to identify her. Helios watches Hotaru closely, trying to place those features that seem to remind him of something. Her words shake him out of his thoughts and give her his full attention. "Nehellenia?"
Hotaru nods, attempting to hide a flinch at the name. Somehow... using the childish name of 'the bad queen' makes it less scary, less real. Nehellenia gives the twisted shadow and identity, makes it real and reality, Hotaru knows, is much much different to dreams. "Yes. Her."
"There were others this time too. The men, and the girls and the other strange bat lady. And they were all laughing and it was so loud and... I... I was scared. I tried not to be, but I couldn't help it."
"They will not hurt you here," Helios says. He can't be sure of everything in the nexus, and he'd be so very wrong if he thought this world was truly like his own, but one thing he is sure of. "This planet has strong defenders. They will not let her harm you."
"Mercury-san.... Mercury-san and Uranus-san are never in my dreams. Only me, and the bad peoples, and you of course."
She bites her lip, fiddling with her blankets as she asks the question that's been nagging at her. "Why... Why didn't you come in my dream Helios-san? Usually... usually you help me break the shadows, but you never came, I thought she was going to eat me this time." She trembles, her grip tightening as she shoulders shake, goosebumps breaking out as she remembers the dream.
He looks away, sadly. "What you see when I come to you is a manifestation of my presence," Helios explains. "My body is elsewhere, and I cannot leave there. I am not always able to come when I would wish to."
"Oh..." she herself looks disappointed. Of course. A pity though, she would like to see more of him. But it must take a lot of energy to make himself appear like this, when he is needed, she can't be selfish. "I see. I'm sorry Helios-kun, I'll remember that."
"You have no need to apologize," Helios assures Hotaru. "I am very happy to come to you whenever I am able." He is sure no version of himself would visit her like this if they could not say the same.
This earns a smile from the little girl, Hotaru raising and hugging her knees, resting her chin on them. Helios... is this what a crush feels like, she wonders. If it wasn't so silly she'd ask someone, maybe Mercury-san.
Instead, she makes herself go back to the last few minutes of the dream, to what was said. "She... she's still looking for you Helios-kun. She hasn't given up yet."
He stiffens a little, and has to remind himself of the differing worlds and that in his own world, this is already past. It does not make him more safe here and now, or help his alternate in this world. He must all continue answering her as if he is still there and trapped.
"I will be careful of the danger," he tells Hotaru truthfully.
This time she notices the stiffening, a small frown creeping onto her features. "Helios," she asks softly, pausing for a few seconds. "Are... are you the Helios from this world?"
"I am here," he tells her. He recalls her, he thinks; a girl who had helped the sailor senshi and the maiden to free him. Why does she call for him herself?
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"Helios-kun. You came."
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"I have come at your call," he says. That much, he himself had felt. "Please tell me what troubles you."
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"I had a dream again." She pauses, biting her lip, remembering the loud shrieks, the way the shadows seemed to grip her. "... She was there. The bad Queen. The one in the mirror."
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"There were others this time too. The men, and the girls and the other strange bat lady. And they were all laughing and it was so loud and... I... I was scared. I tried not to be, but I couldn't help it."
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She bites her lip, fiddling with her blankets as she asks the question that's been nagging at her. "Why... Why didn't you come in my dream Helios-san? Usually... usually you help me break the shadows, but you never came, I thought she was going to eat me this time." She trembles, her grip tightening as she shoulders shake, goosebumps breaking out as she remembers the dream.
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Instead, she makes herself go back to the last few minutes of the dream, to what was said. "She... she's still looking for you Helios-kun. She hasn't given up yet."
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"I will be careful of the danger," he tells Hotaru truthfully.
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"I am not," he answers. "I apologize for misleading you. I couldn't be sure it had already reached you."
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She pauses, biting her lip. "But... what do you mean. What might have already reached me?"
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