Mamoru was sitting at his desk when the doorbell rang. He opened it and there stood his young daughter, Chibiusa.

"Hi, Mamo," she smiled. "I'm home."

"How was your day at school?" he asked.

My little girl met a new friend

Just the other day

On the playground at school

"It was alright," she answered. "I met a new friend."

Between the tires and the swings

"That's good," Mamoru said. "What's she like?"

But she came home with tear-filled eyes

And she said to me "Daddy, Hotaru lies"

"Her name is Hotaru and she's a liar," was Chibiusa's reply.

Well I just brushed it off at right,

'Cuz I didn't know how much my little girl had been hurt

Mamoru was worried, but she didn't want to discuss the subject further and he didn't make her.

The next day, Chibiusa got on her school uniform and rode the bus with her new friend Hotaru.

It was a sunny day, and as such all the students but Hotaru were wearing the short-sleeved uniforms.

"How come you're wearing long sleeves?" asked Chibiusa. "It's hot enough outside to be summer. If you have to wear long sleeves, you should at least roll them up."

Hotaru opened her mouth to talk.

"Here, let me do it for you."

Or the things she had seen

Chibiusa gasped. Hotaru's arm was covered in bruises, burns, and scratches.

Hotaru quickly fixed her sleeves.

"I'm alright, it's nothing," she assured the young Sailor Senshi. "I just fell down the stairs."

Chibiusa stopped talking.

I wasn't ready when I said "You can tell me,"

And she said…

Chibiusa played on the playground with Hotaru the whole time during recess.

"Can you come over after school sometime?"

Hotaru looked surprised.

"Um, I'm not sure…" she stuttered. "I'll ask my Papa."

Chibiusa and Hotaru walked outside together. Hotaru's father was parked by the sidewalk in his car.

"Hi!" he greeted. "I see Hotaru made a friend. What's your name, young lady?"

"Chibiusa."

Hotaru's father seemed nice, but after Hotaru said goodbye to Chibiusa and got into the car, Chibiusa saw him punch his daughter.

"Hotaru lies to the classroom,

Hotaru lies every day at school

Hotaru lies to the teachers

As she tries to cover every bruise"

The frightened child ran for the bus and went home to the Tsukino residence, where Mamoru was talking to Usagi.

"Usagi, Mamo-chan, Hotaru lied again today," Chibiusa told them.

They looked at her, concerned. Feeling that she shouldn't have said what she just said, Chibiusa grabbed her homework and went upstairs.

She phoned Hotaru's house to see if she was alright. The first time, there was no answer. The second time, someone picked it up but then there was a scream and nobody seemed to be at the phone.

My little girl laid her head down that night to go to sleep

As I stepped out of the room, I heard her say a prayer so soft and sweet

"God bless my mom and my dad

And my new friend, Hotaru

Oh I know she needs you bad,

That night, Mamoru tucked Chibiusa into bed and went home. As he was leaving, he heard her whisper a prayer.

Because Hotaru lies to the classroom,

Hotaru lies every day at school,

Hotaru lies to the teachers

As she tries to cover every bruise."

(Bridge)

While Mamoru was lying in bed, he couldn't stop thinking about Chibiusa's new friend. Was she alright? From what Chibiusa told him, she sounded like she was being hurt by someone at home.

I had the worst night of sleep in years

As I tried to think of a way to calm her fears

I knew just what I had to do (I knew exactly what to do)

Usagi and Mamoru drove Chibiusa to school after she slept in and missed the bus. The teachers had some bad news.

But when we got to school on Monday I heard the news

My little girl asked me why everybody looked so sad

The lump in my throat grew bigger,

"Why is everyone sad, Mamo-chan?" Chibiusa begged to know, sadness in her eyes. "Where's Hotaru?"

With every question that she asked

Until I felt the tears run down my face

And I told her that Hotaru wouldn't be at school today

Mamoru and his future wife both gulped.

"Hotaru won't be at school today."

"Oh," Chibiusa replied, disappointed. "Is she sick? Is she on vacation?"

Mamoru shook his head.

'Cuz she doesn't lie in the classroom

She doesn't lie anymore at school

Hotaru lies with Jesus

Because there's nothin' anyone would do

"Hotaru's gone," he sobbed.

Chibiusa gasped and started crying, along with many other children.

"I didn't know Hotaru very well," sobbed one of Chibiusa's other friends. "But I can't believe she's dead!"

Tears filled my eyes when my little girl asked me why

Hotaru lies

Chibiusa came home that day in a depressed mood.

"Why?" she wailed. "Why did Hotaru lie?!"

She went to her room and cried for a long time.

Oh Daddy, oh

Daddy tell me why

Chibiusa glanced at something in her backpack. It was a picture she had taken at school with her Sailor Moon camera. A picture…of her and Hotaru on the playground together.

They were sitting on the swings beside each other. Despite her pain, even Hotaru was smiling, and Chibiusa couldn't help but smile a little.

Hotaru lies

She cried herself to sleep and had a dream about being hurt by people that looked like her family but had glowing eyes and horrible claws.

She opened her eyes and saw Hotaru on the chair in her room.

"It's ok," she consoled. "You were just having a nightmare."

Chibiusa gasped.

"But Hotaru, I thought you were…"

"Yes, I'm dead," she sighed. "My Papa killed me. But don't worry, I'm still here for you. It's just that I'm a ghost and only you can see me."

Chibiusa hugged Hotaru and went back to sleep.

Hotaru lies