Last modified: Oct 22, 1999 ----- She rode the elevator, tapping her toe, impatient at its lumbering pace as it worked its way up to her floor. She sighed again, and shifted the weight of the groceries that she carried on her hip. She was in need of some things for breakfast and had walked to a local 24-hour market to get them. It was early morning, and she wasn't one who enjoyed being up in time to watch the sunrise. This was evident in her impatience with the elevator. "Come on," she hissed as it stopped at yet another floor with no one getting on. Some little brat must have hit all the buttons again. If she ever found out which kid was doing that, there would be hell to pay... after she got through with him. She got off the elevator floors below the one she lived on. It was close enough now that she could charge up the stairs and get there long before she would have otherwise. She paused to catch her breath before pushing the door open to her floor. The door to her apartment was unlocked. The groceries were dutifully put in their place before she went looking for the apartment's other occupant. Her guest from last night should still be there. There was nothing unusual about having her guest spend the night with her. The thought of inviting this guest to move in with her had crossed her mind a few times by now. She went out into the living room looking for her, but she was the only person to occupy the sparsely furnished room. Next, she tapped on the bathroom door lightly. There was no answer. 'Probably still in bed,' she grinned. Her bedroom was across the hall. Slowly she opened the door to reveal the person she had been searching for asleep on the bed. A gentle smile crossed her lips at the peaceful sight her guest made lying on her side and her arms laid out before her. She crawled onto the bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping form. As habit dictated, she rested on her back with her arms folded across her chest and her legs crossed at the ankles. She took a deep breath before focusing on relaxing. A state of calm being reached, she began to sink into the depths of unconsciousness. Suddenly an arm was placed across her folded ones as the beds' other occupant nuzzled up against her. Her eyes flew open to look at her companion. The other's eyes remained closed, giving her a false appearance of sleeping. The other rested her head lightly on her shoulder before speaking. "Why are you so distant, even with me? Can't you let down your guard when we sleep to place your arms around me?" She blushed at the questions. "It's so new to me." She admitted softly while placing an arm under her head so that the girl leaned up against her side. "I don't mean to push you away." The other got comfortable and sighed contentedly. "I know, love, I know." Her breathing slowed as she returned to her rest. 'Love,' the word sent a chill down her spine. It was so foreign to her; it might as well not have existed. But it did. Did she love the one who rested against her, or was this some sort of twisted joke life was playing on her? With her free hand she stroked her fingers through the soft sea green hair. How is it that she had gotten so lucky? Things like this didn't happen to her, they just didn't. Everything in her life she had to fight for, but this was a gift freely given with nothing expected in return. Sure, something was hoped for, but it wasn't expected. There was so much for her to think about. So terribly much. Was it possible for one person to reshape her life? She closed her eyes and began her meditation again. She took a single thought with her into her slumber. She had come to know Kaioh Michiru. While learning of her, she had discovered much about herself as well... ******************** Heaven's Ruler by Greenbeans ******************** It hadn't been but a month ago that Michiru had confessed her love for her. The thought of someone *loving* her, Ten'ou Haruka, as is, without any strings attached, still threatened to overwhelm her. Michiru had honored her request to not leave her that first night. It had been an evening spent soul searching when she wasn't otherwise occupied with her guest. The next day she had taken Michiru to the track to meet the members of the racing team she belonged to. Michiru had mentioned on the cruise ship that she wanted to ride in her car. The track was a good place to begin. Haruka received another surprise when Yamagata confronted her about the nature of their relationship. He wasn't angry or disgusted, just the opposite. In his own way, he gave her his blessing to date Michiru. The idea of needing someone's permission to do what she wanted aggravated her, but she was pleased when he didn't disapprove. She hadn't realized how much she looked to him as a father figure. Indeed, she hadn't realized a lot of things. Yamagata was correct in saying that it had taken her this long to figure it out. There was no way he could have realized the true breadth of his statement. He had been referring to her preference for females at the time. That was one of the few things that she already discovered, but refused to indulge in. No, she'd missed the big picture in regards to her life as a whole. She was a person that tended to focus upon one set goal. It didn't matter what she had to do to achieve that goal, just so long as she succeeded eventually. She was like that with racing, track, and academics. Everything. With her thoughts so narrowly focused, she missed out on many of the social interactions that others enjoyed. She really didn't care to enjoy them since she had always seen them as unimportant in regards to the 'big picture'. And that was where Michiru entered. Oh God, how to explain just what she has done to her life? For the first time, she slowed down for the sake of allowing Michiru to keep up, but Michiru didn't want to go fast. She wanted to stop and admire the details that Haruka had so blindly missed. Never before meeting Michiru would she have considered wasting the time to go to an art museum, or a symphony. These things had been unimportant to her. They *had* been. Now she found herself playing a desperate game of catch up. She wanted to share these experiences with the sea green haired girl. The only way to do that was to learn quickly. ***** Haruka opened the door to the aged building for her companion. A small smile was her thanks as they proceeded side by side down the wide hall to the lobby. Michiru spoke briefly with the receptionist. They were then allowed to enter into the gallery itself. A middle-aged man came over to them from a nearby display. He and Michiru spoke for several minutes as she wandered around the room. All sorts of 'art' were on display here. Weird, twisted mutations of clay, steel, and whatever the artist could apparently dig up were melded together into something that was supposedly asthetically pleasing. She didn't get it. Michiru motioned for her to join her in front of a painting after the man had left. They regarded the piece in silence. It was ugly. What else could she say? It looked like someone had dipped their hand into a can of paint and flung it onto the canvas. There was no order to it. No people, no trees; she liked things with images that she could recognize. She wondered what Michiru thought of this mess before them. "Ara, it is a very popular style right now," was all she said. That wasn't quite the answer she was hoping for, so she asked again. Michiru regarded her as a smile crossed her lips. "I can't tell you what I think because every person will feel something different. That is the beauty of art. What one person finds to be pleasing, another may find offending; the emotions that the art causes you to feel are what is important." Haruka stared at the painting some more. "It's ugly," she judged. "Do you think so? Why?" "There's no people in it, no images. It's just a random pattern of splatters. Any child left unattended could have done that!" Michiru chuckled into her hand. "You value order and definition. Do you find things that lack these traits disturbing?" The gentleman Michiru had spoken with earlier joined them in viewing the painting. "There is nothing wrong with order and definition," Haruka quipped. He did have a point though. She didn't care for the randomness and seeming carelessness that the painting had been done with. "Of course not, young sir," he replied breezily, "but that is your opinion. The rigid definitions that you would find comforting, others would find constricting," he continued to study the work. "Some are just more attuned to the deeper emotions than others," he finished. Haruka crossed her arms. "I don't believe in the 'sensitive artist' line," she disregarded his arguments. "I believe in what I can see, in what I can touch." Michiru put a hand lightly on her arm. She glared for a brief moment longer before disengaging. Michiru guided her away from the man to view some other pieces. People like him had always aggravated her for some reason. No one was more 'sensitive' than someone else was. Michiru had taken her to the gallery that had pieces that were more to her own liking. As Michiru guided her from painting to painting, she explained many of the stories behind them. It seemed that every work had some trial that went along with it. She began to understand the amount of effort that the artist must have endured to create a particular piece. Haruka had learned many new things from her friend today. The sheer knowledge the other possessed in this subject could easily rival her knowledge of racing vehicles. Michiru was a person that Haruka respected on several levels. She respected the other for her creative energy. The effort that went into her works was not something to be taken lightly. Academically, she was brilliant. It was said easily enough and could have been influenced by who was making the comparison, but it was neither of these things in this case. Michiru had proven time and again that she was the top of the class. She wasn't envious of Michiru's success. Certainly, she had nothing against asking Michiru for help with her studies if she needed it. The part of Michiru that fascinated her the most was also the most elusive. There seemed to be an aura about her that she could not penetrate. This concerned her some, but not too terribly much. If there was something that she needed to know, she trusted Michiru to tell her. ***** In her dream she was looking over an empty plane. The plane she stood on was just that: three of the edges were within sight while the fourth edge extended forward into the distance from the direction she now faced. The sky, if you could call it that, was a leaden gray with no identifiable source of light. Mysteriously, a sword materialized at her right hand. She took hold of the hilt and raised it for further examination. The blade was finely crafted. Its hilt and guard were ornamented with intricate etchings. She regarded the blade curiously for it did not maintain any single form. One moment she was holding a scimitar while the next it was a light rapier and then a short sword. She looked out across the plane again. This time she saw that she was now standing at the fork of two roads. Both roads held the things that she valued most. Along the path to her left there was a racing track surrounded by photographers. She could see Yamagata busily working on a car, preparing for an upcoming race. The path to the right was strewn with rocks and obstacles. Michiru stood down this path, further along. That path seemed to be darker. Walking it would surely be more difficult than joining Yamagata. In her left hand there were a pair of dice. She tossed them in front of her with a sweeping motion. One die bounced along each path, becoming progressively larger as she watched them, but not settling on any face. This puzzled her since logically they should have gotten smaller and settled on a face long before now. Even at a distance, she could still see the pips clearly. It was at this point that her perspective changed to one who was floating out of body. She watched, as she chose neither of the paths. Instead she floated between them as the dice bounced along. Suddenly a blade fell from the sky, not blocking the paths so much as *severing* them. Holding the blade, which was attached to a long, slender, pole, was a giant child standing off to the side who then proceeded to extract the blade from its place. She watched as the bouncing dice continue along their path until they fell into the ravine that was created by the girl. The girl sneered at her as she wondered what to do. It was then that she recalled the blade in her right hand. It was tiny compared to the pole arm the girl possessed. She somehow knew that it was not powerful enough to overcome the child, but then she saw Michiru. She was on the other side of the chasm. She too was regarding the enlarged child. Michiru caught her gaze and held it. The child began to cackle as Haruka tried despertately to find a way to cross. Haruka woke up gasping. Sweat rolled down the side of her face as the last of the dream released her from its grip. She was sleeping alone tonight. Michiru had to be up early this morning and didn't want to intrude upon her, thus Haruka was staying at her own apartment. How she could use some comforting from the girl right now. She felt her pillow, noticing it was damp. Why did she have to be haunted with these nightmares? A deep breath helped to calm her nerves. It was nearly five in the morning. "A good time to get up and take a shower," she decided. A few hours later she was sitting in her geography class, quite bored. It wasn't the subject itself so much as how the teacher was presenting it. His monotone did little to hold the attention of the students. The dream from this morning continued to haunt her. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw that child's face, smirking, as she was left helpless. She had briefly considered telling Michiru about her dream. But she was embarrassed that Michiru was in them as well. The sea green haired girl might take it the wrong way if she learned she was having nightmares with her in them. "Ten'ou-san," the instructor called out her name. "List for the class the southern-most countries in Africa." "Hai," she stood up before regurgitating the reading assignment from the previous night. He acknowledged her answer with a wave of his hand before continuing with the lecture. She reseated herself. 'Of course I'm still awake. Though it's a minor miracle in your class,' she thought darkly, seeing the motive behind him having her answer. Haruka sought out Michiru at lunch. They had come to enjoy eating beneath some trees that were on a secluded part of the campus. Despite Haruka turning over nearly every stone, she couldn't find her friend anywhere. "How odd," she had just finished searching the library, again, to no avail. It wasn't like Michiru to go off without telling her. Haruka didn't eat lunch due to her efforts in searching for Michiru. Her next class was PE, which she shared with Michiru. She became even more concerned when it became apparent that Michiru wasn't in attendance. This caused Haruka to worry throughout the class as to whether Michiru was all right or not. Haruka hadn't seen her since yesterday, perhaps she was ill. After school, she rushed to Michiru's apartment in search of her. The door to Michiru's apartment was opened promptly to forestall Haruka's insistent pounding. "Haruka? What's wrong?" Michiru opened the door wider, inviting her in. "I came here to ask you the same thing. You weren't at school today," she slipped her shoes off before following Michiru into the sitting area. Michiru's apartment was a sharp contrast to hers. Her own apartment was plain to the point of utilitarian, whereas Michiru's sparse furnishings radiated a simple elegance. A few tastefully done pieces of art hung on her walls. A vase with a single fresh flower sat on the table that was the centerpiece of the room. Plush couches were spread about the room in groupings that offered privacy while still being part of the whole. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to call you. My meeting took longer than was expected," she directed Haruka to sit down as she went to the kitchen to prepare tea for them. "You could have come after lunch. Surely it didn't last all day?" "In fact, it had," Michiru returned to the room with a tray and service for two. "I returned here less than a half hour ago." "You must be tired then. I should leave to let you rest," Haruka began to rise off the couch. Michiru placed a hand on her arm, gently pushing her back down. "Nonsense, you can tell me what happened at school today." "Nothing much really," she answered before sipping the tea offered to her. Michiru smiled softly. She knew that Haruka didn't pay much attention to the social circles that were prevalent at their school. A major event for them could have happened and would have gone unnoticed by her. "I have an idea," Haruka said suddenly. "Let's go out to dinner tonight, some place nice. We'll make an evening of it," she flashed her most charming smile at Michiru. A smile spread across Michiru's lips. "I would like that," she said. "Great, I'll come by around seven to pick you up," Haruka rose from the couch. Michiru stood up as well to escort her guest out. "Seven? Why so late?" Haruka gave her an impish grin. "I have to study for a quiz in geography. I think the teacher has it out for me." "Ara, Haruka." ***** Haruka had made a few calls to get a table reserved for them at one of the nicer restaurants in the area. It was one of those places that required a tie to get in, but Haruka didn't mind. Michiru looked fabulous, not that she didn't look great every day, but tonight she had put extra effort into it. She wore a pale ivory dress that did more to hint at her curves rather than reveal them. The fabric was the smoothest of silk that caressed her body. It suited her figure very well in Haruka's biased opinion. They had been seated at their table chatting when Haruka noticed something that was definitely not right. She reached out, taking Michiru's hand into her own, then gently pushed up the dress' sleeve so that she could get a better look at the outside of her arm. "Michiru, what happened to your arm?" She positioned it carefully so that she could better look at the shallow gash that was about 10 cm in length. The wound was relatively fresh, not having had the chance to scab over much. "I slipped while getting out of the shower and caught my arm on the catch of the sliding glass door. It's nothing to worry about," she politely retracted her arm, pulling the sleeve back down before folding her hands into her lap. Haruka frowned slightly. "I don't like seeing you hurt. The cut doesn't look bad enough to justify going to the doctor, but we are bandaging it up once I get you back," she said firmly. The waiter presented their dinner at that point and the subject was dropped in favor of eating. ***** "Ow!" Further words to express her pain were bitten off as she wrapped her cut finger in a clean shop towel. "Nipped yourself, Ten'ou-san?" Hiyama asked, coming over to see if she was all right. Haruka removed the towel to see if the trickle of blood had stemmed off yet. "Yeah, I'm fine," she walked over to the sink to clean up. It was the next day. Haruka was at the shop getting ready for a race that was being held this weekend at the exhibition grounds. It wasn't a major event, thus having no effect on the standings, but it would do a lot in terms of PR and advertising for the sponsor. "Would you mind checking over my work? I think I got all the bolts down tight," she asked Hiyama. He nodded and walked over to the car to examine her handy work. She was quickly becoming proficient in the maintenance and repair of vehicles. She wasn't certain if working on vehicles was what she wanted to do once her racing days were over. But for now it was a good skill to have and an interesting hobby. "Must stop by the store," she reminded herself after the cut was carefully cleaned out and bandaged. "The hazards of working in a shop, ne?" Yamagata placed a hand on her shoulder. "It'll ruin your soft hands." "That doesn't bother me," Haruka replied easily. Yamagata was just teasing, but he did have a point. Working in a shop did cause one's hands to become tougher and stained. His own hands were stained a darker tone than the rest of his skin. They were also covered with nicks and scars that did not detract from the strength and skill that his hands possessed. "How is Michiru doing these days? I haven't seen her since the race last month." "She's doing well. She's going to be giving a concert in two weeks. Would you like me to get tickets to it for you?" He laughed. It was a deep rumbling that caused her to smile in response. "Kind of you to offer, lass, but I would find myself lost in the sea of suits and classy ladies that would undoubtedly be there." "If I can wade through it, so can you," she encouraged. "It is about time to see if my suit still fits me," he mumbled more to himself than to her, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Her grin broadened at that. "No way to resist your charms," he laughed again before his attention was drawn over to the car Haruka had just finished with. "Let's take a look at your latest, shall we?" ***** Haruka looked into her grocery bag to see if she had missed anything. "White cream stuff, bandages, first aid tape, floor mat. I got it," she knocked on the door to Michiru's apartment. "I give you a key to my apartment and you still won't let yourself in," Michiru teased as Haruka slipped her shoes off. "Nope, not if I know you are here." Michiru startled her by giving her a quick kiss on the forehead. "You're so sweet." Haruka colored slightly. "Yes... Well... Ahem," she smiled sheepishly. "I brought some things for your arm." She lifted up the bag. "You didn't need to do that," Michiru protested. Haruka put her arm around Michiru's waist to guide her into the sitting area. "I want it to heal as quickly as possible. I also got one of these," she held up the floor mat. Michiru laughed, though Haruka wasn't certain if it was at the idea or the fact she had bought one that had a seashell pattern on it. "How about you let me place that and then I'll bandage up this," she suggested. Haruka noticed that Michiru was wearing a long sleeved blouse today. The cut wouldn't be noticeable if you didn't know it was there. "No need, I can put this in the bathroom," Haruka left before Michiru could say anything further. She padded into the bathroom with the mat. She opened the door. A green floor mat that covered most of the tiling met her gaze. Haruka raised an eyebrow. "Huh," was all she said before closing the door. ***** The next night, Haruka watched comfortably from a lounge chair as Michiru did her nightly laps in the Kaioh tower's pool. Only the two of them were in the large room that took up most of the floor. 'Graceful, that's what she is,' Haruka decided. Her body glided through the water as though she were walking on air. It in no way restricted her movement. It almost seemed to be pushing her along, assisting her on her journey from one end of the pool to the other. It seemed so *natural* for her, almost like a fish. Haruka thought on that. 'Then have I been kissing fish lips?' She shook her head, clearing that idea from her mind. Baka... Michiru swam over to her edge of the pool. "Is everything alright? I saw you shaking your head." She laughed hesitantly, scratching the back of her head. "Everything is fine, I just had a weird thought, that's all." Michiru raised herself out of the pool before Haruka could get out of the lounge chair and to her to offer a hand up. She handed her a towel instead. Michiru dried herself off quickly and stretched out her muscles some. "So what was this funny thought of yours?" Michiru asked while toweling her hair a bit more. Haruka glanced away, trying to be sly. "Oh, I was just thinking about how graceful you are, almost like a fish." Michiru smiled. "Thank you." But Haruka wasn't finished. "And I was wondering if that means that I've been kissing fish lips..." She whistled idly as the words sunk in. She glanced over at Michiru. The look on her face was absolutely priceless. "Fish lips?" Michiru came closer to her menacingly. Haruka scooted back, too far back. The edge of the pool was closer than she had thought. Michiru lunged forward to catch her hand, but only managed to be pulled into the pool as well when she fell in. Haruka pushed her head above the surface gasping. Luckily they had fallen into the deep end. Michiru was treading water not too far away from her. There was a playful gleam in her eye. "Fish lips?" She pressed before diving under the water. Haruka felt her shirt being tugged off before going under herself. Michiru was swimming away from her. Michiru made another pass at her, this time tugging on her pants. They both surfaced. "Hey!" Haruka sputtered. "I don't have a suit on underneath!" A grin flashed. "I know." "Ooh..." They swam to shallower waters where they could stand. They neared each other. "What were you saying about fish lips?" Haruka placed her arms around Michiru's slim waist. "Let me show you," she bent over the slightly smaller woman to kiss her. "Let's get out of here. There are warmer places to play," Michiru suggested. They laid out on the lounge chairs by the edge of the pool. They hadn't brought any extra towels with them, so they were using the drip-dry method. Michiru's hand sought out Haruka's before she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Haruka sat there listening to the light breathing of her friend. It felt good, holding Michiru's hand like this. She had always wondered how couples could walk around hand and hand like she'd seen so many doing. She still wondered, but this... this had a rightness to it, when it was just the two of them without the entire world to witness. She shifted position some, moving Michiru's arm. Her eyes traced down to where the cut was. Her eyes widened. There was no cut, no scab, no scar, and no indication that she had ever been marked in anyway what so ever. Healed in three days..? It couldn't be! The cut on her own hand was protesting at having been exposed to the harsh chemicals in the pool. Perhaps she had the wrong arm? No, she was certain that the one she is holding was the one. She wanted to ask Michiru how it was possible. She certainly didn't know of any creams or goop that could heal a cut like hers in three days, but Michiru was sleeping. Fine, when she woke up, she would get some answers. ***** They had returned to Michiru's apartment once they were reasonably dry. Michiru had showered and changed into her nightclothes already. She was borrowing an oversized T-shirt and shorts from Michiru since her clothes were too damp to change back into. Together, they cuddled on one of the plush couches. Haruka pulled the smaller girl in close to her. She took up her arm and traced a light finger along where her injury should have been. "How did this heal so quickly?" She asked as she continued to run her finger along Michiru's arm. "Hum?" Michiru kissed her while nuzzling into her more. Haruka laughed at the distraction that was almost enough to make her forget her question. "Come on, Michiru, tell me. I have a cut that could use some of that treatment." She leaned her head against the sea-green haired girls'. Michiru chuckled. "It healed quickly because I am Sailor Neptune," she said matter-of-factly. Haruka pulled back to give Michiru an odd look. "What is that supposed to mean?" "What do you think it means?" She answered cryptically, a slight smile playing on her lips. "You know I don't like playing mind games," Haruka frowned. She shook her head slightly. "No games, I am Sailor Neptune." The frown was replaced with a playful grin. "Fine, Sailor Neptune," she gathered Michiru comfortably against her, snuggling her. "Tell me what it is that you do." "I am the soldier of embrace..." "Oh... embrace, huh? I think I can handle that," Haruka interrupted. Michiru afforded her a smile before continuing. "My guardian planet is Neptune. I am one with the seas and tides. I am searching for my partner, Sailor Uranus." Haruka nodded her head. "So far, so good. Who is this Sailor Uranus person?" "You, Haruka." ----- Uranus tugged nervously on her vest. Tonight was a big night and it was getting to her. This annoyed her since she had been planning this night for the last two weeks. Now wasn't a good time to get cold feet. All of her fellow Senshi knew what was going on. She doubted the possibility of keeping such a thing under wraps in a gossip-ridden place like the Palace on the Moon. Even the Queen herself had taken interest in tonight's event. She had called Uranus to her chambers for a private meeting. Firstly, she wanted to assure Uranus that she approved of what was going to occur and then to offer encouragement. 'Good hunting,' had been the Queen's parting words. Uranus had long ago targeted her prey, it was now a matter of going in for the catch. She paced back and forth. "Damned nerves," she tried to come up with a distraction. Already she had given up on trying to get any reports read or written before they came due. A soft knocking on her door caused her to start with surprise. Then she remembered that she had asked one of the chambermaids to knock on her door when it was nearly time. Not that she hadn't been checking the time on a regular basis, but this would keep her from leaving too early if the maid was her cue to leave. "Finally," she took a deep breath before striding out of her chambers towards the courtyard where her meeting was to take place. As planned, she walked past a high window that would give her view of the grounds. No one was there yet. She entered the grounds, then stopped short. Her observation had been wrong, someone *was* here. She approached the other, pressing her way pass the hedges that set apart this area of the courtyard. "Uranus," Neptune smiled brightly. She rose off the bench she had been seated on to greet her. "Neptune," she said formally, hiding her awe. A small lump formed in her throat because Neptune simply looked stunning. The dress she wore was not as elaborate as the gowns Uranus had seen her wear at formal balls, but that did not take anything from it. Her close fitting dress was a deep blue with a low cut back. An elegant necklace sat against her soft chest. "You look wonderful," Neptune regarded her outfit while continuing to smile at her. Honestly, Uranus had been lost on what to wear for this evening. After too much thought she had decided on a pair of trews and a simple tunic with long billowing sleeves. An embroidered vest was worn over this to complete the look. "Hardly when compared to you. Shall we go?" Uranus offered her arm to Neptune. They walked together, arm-in-arm, to the tavern Uranus had selected to dine at. The owner was a friend of hers and had promised something special for the occasion. The tavern itself was a modest place that did a booming business. It was locally known for its variety of ales and rarer wines, making it a popular place. Despite this, the owner had set aside a corner for them that was relatively private. They talked of Senshi business while waiting for their meal. Discussing the familiar helped to soothe Uranus's tightly strung nerves. The Senshi of Neptune had been a pleasant surprise for her. She had heard of Neptune before meeting her. Upon learning of her intelligence and alignment with the seas, she was certain that their team had just acquired another Mercury. What she heard of Neptune was all true if somewhat understated. Uranus found herself immediately warming up to her. At first, she had considered it as professional interest. She needed to get to know Neptune better if they were going to be on the same team, she told herself repeatedly. She was only fooling herself. Many of her fellow Senshi had seen how protective of Neptune she was, how she bristled when others criticized her. They nodded their heads and continued to indulge her denials of there not being any deeper emotions tied to her behavior. It took her long enough to recognize the signs she was displaying. Finally, she had to admit that she was enamored with Neptune. Her fellow Senshi could have told her that weeks ago, but it was something she had to discover in her own time. Someone, Venus probably, suggested that she take Neptune out on a date, (only Venus didn't call it a date) and tell her how she felt. She wasn't certain about the 'confessing her love' part. Confessing to anything had always caused her a great deal of discomfort. Though, she did like the idea of being alone with Neptune for an evening. Thus, her plan was set, and she dedicated herself to entertaining Neptune for an evening. And so far, it seemed as though Neptune was having a good time. Now if she could just build up the courage to speak... After dinner she had decided that a walk through a local park would be a romantic thing to do. She wasn't much of a romantic to begin with, but she would certainly try if it would help her charm Neptune. Neptune walked besides her with her arm on Uranus'. There was a familiarity to it that Uranus enjoyed. They approached a small pond where they stood and admired it. "You know," Uranus said softly, "I have always liked water." "Oh?" Uranus nodded before explaining. "Water has always reminded me of a cleansing. Almost like a renewal of the spirit. Think of a plant that is withering from the hot sun, water will revive it. But it's more than that. Like a gentle shower, it comes down on us and clears away the filth about us. It gives me hope in a way..." her voice trailed off as she regarded the pond before them. "And what is it that you hope for?" Neptune asked after several moments of quiet contemplation. "My hope?" She thought about it. "I hope that some day I will do something that only I can do." "You've already done that," Neptune replied easily. "I've never felt alone when you are near." She chuckled lightly. "Is that so? Then what is your hope?" Uranus asked in turn, smiling down at Neptune before returning her gaze to the waters. "My hope is that some day you will come to love me," she answered in a barely audible whisper. Uranus' breath caught. She couldn't believe what Neptune had just admitted. She scolded herself to stay calm and act cool. For a long moment neither of them spoke. She could almost feel Neptune regarding her as she continued to watch the pond. Slowly, she pulled Neptune against her, bringing her body so that Neptune's back was tucked against her front. "How fortunate that we both have had our hopes fulfilled at such a young age." It was Neptune's turn to gasp. Uranus laced her arms around Neptune's waist and held her close. "That is, if you'll have me?" "Uranus," she laughed. It was a beautiful ringing sound that carried out over the surrounding area for all to hear. Neptune turned around so that she was now facing the taller Senshi. "Is that a 'yes'?" She grinned broadly. "Hm mmh," Neptune answered, playing her little game. "Good," she leaned her head down so that her forehead was against Neptune's. "I like you. I like you *a lot*. I want to get to know you better." "Why not start now?" She pressed herself against Uranus as the waters of the pond lapped nearby. ----- Haruka bowed her head while pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. "Are you alright?" Michiru asked concerned. "I have a headache all of a sudden." Michiru brushed back her bangs, testing her forehead with the back of her hand. "Perhaps this isn't the best time to talk." "I think I should be getting home." Saying that she pushed herself up off the couch and headed to the bathroom to gather her things. "Won't you spend the night?" Michiru followed a few steps behind her. "I need to finish a project for class," Haruka lied, and they both knew it. She nodded. "Good luck with it," she came closer to embrace Haruka once more before she left for the evening. ***** 'They were the same!' Haruka's mind raced as she walked quickly back to her apartment. 'Michiru and the Neptune in my dream.' Vision? Her mind wanted to convince her that this was a memory, but she would have remembered something like that long before tonight. What was that dream? And why did it feel so familiar? She wanted to scream in frustration. It was a problem that defied explanation, and thus would bother her until she could find some reasonable answer for it. 'Michiru knows the answer,' her mind argued. Perhaps, but that would mean having to admit that she was having these dreams. Michiru might think her strange for having dreams with her in them. Especially when it came time to explain what she was wearing in most of them. That sailor outfit... Haruka blushed. 'Baka.' Must stay focused. What to do? She could ignore it, pretend that tonight didn't happen. Yes, that would work. None of this silly Sailor Neptune business ever took place. And she was *not* the Uranus from her dream. ***** It was dark outside. The bright halogen lights that loomed above made the garage into a beacon on the moonless night. Everyone had gone home hours ago except for Yamagata and herself. The wizened mechanic was in his office doing paperwork. This left her as the only one in the shop itself. It was almost eerie, the silence that was so rare here. When Yamagata had left her, she was still working on her bike. She had stopped making progress not long ago. The thoughts she were trying to escape rushed her once she was alone. They had been troubling with no relief coming at night when her dreams came to haunt her. On a good night, it would be a retelling of Uranus courting Neptune. A dream that she was coming to enjoy a bit more each time she had it. On a bad night... she shuddered. The sky was a crimson backdrop as the buildings, people, and things that were so familiar to her were blown away like dust by a black twister. Sometimes she would wake up screaming at that point... or she would remain in the dream to witness the destruction around her. And then a ray of hope would appear. Michiru, with her hands folded in front of her, would be floating several meters above the ground. She spoke of a Messiah, Talismans, and a Silence. Her words made no sense, yet she felt as though they should. These dreams made her even more reluctant to speak to Michiru about them. Surely Michiru would think that she was going insane. The lack of outlet meant that all these thoughts remained within her to feed upon each other. Haruka jumped when a hand touched her shoulder. "It was quiet in here. I thought you had left without saying good night," Yamagata's eyebrows knitted together with concern. "Are you doing all right? I'll help you if you want?" She glanced at her bike. It would take her another hour to put it back together by herself. "It would be appreciated." He knelt down besides the bike on the opposite side from her. She enjoyed working with him. He always gave her room to learn new things while still getting the job done in a reasonable amount of time. "You're being awfully quiet," he commented after several minutes. It was a question phrased as a statement. She didn't have to answer him. She knew that he wouldn't take offense at her silence. This was his way of offering an ear if she wished to bend it. "I was thinking about Michiru," she said finally. "I've been worried about her lately." An expression of concern crossed his face. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Haruka moved from her kneeling position next to the bike to sit on the shop floor. Yamagata took the invitation and came around the bike to sit across from her. Once comfortable, she dove into her concerns. "I don't know what's wrong," she grimaced some. "Michiru sometimes leaves from our studying mid-way saying that she has to be somewhere. She'd come back an hour later sore and with cuts and bruises." His face registered his surprise. "That's pretty serious lass, to leave suddenly and come back injured. Any ideas who's knocking her around?" "No," she growled. "But when I find them..." her voice trailed off. A flash of anger washed over her briefly. He reached his hand out to relieve her of the wrench she was clenching. "What does she have to say about it?" He set the tool down onto the cool cement floor besides him. "To not worry about her. It will be all right. She's doing what she must. Everything is fine. "'Everything is fine' indeed! It's not fine if I can't even hug her without her moaning in pain," her voice cracked. She looked away from him. He scratched his chin briefly before taking her hand into his to squeeze it reassuringly. "Lass, someone is hurting the one you love. It's all right to be angry and concerned. I know that if someone ever hurt Sumire I would kill the bastard." "Sumire?" She cocked her head slightly. "I don't think I've heard that name before." He nodded in response. "My ex-wife. Things didn't work out for us, but I still care for her." "What happened?" Her eyes bulged when she realized what she asked. "Sorry, Yamagata," she blushed furiously. He waved off her apology. "I had always meant to tell to you about her, but the time never seemed right." He shifted into a more comfortable position. "I learned an important lesson from that relationship. No matter how much you love a person, you can't change who *you* are to make them happy. You can pretend, but then you won't be happy. "It's a form of honesty in your relationship. If you aren't honest with yourself, then you certainly aren't honest with your mate." "I understand what you're saying," she continued to think about it as he patiently waited. She had always thought of herself as being honest with herself. She knew who she was and took confidence in that knowledge. "You're going to become as wrinkled as me if you continue to furrow your brows like that," he commented slyly. She reached a hand up to touch her forehead. "Hum, you're right," she replied. "Why did you want to talk to me about this?" He grinned. "Call me an old man acting the part of grandfather. I have no children to nag with my concerns so you get to fill the role." Impulsively she reached over and gave him a quick hug. "Thanks, ojii-san." ***** Haruka pulled out her gym clothes from her locker before shrugging off her dress shirt. The locker room was buzzing with more gossip than usual. Instead of the usual talk of boys and current idol singers, the conversation had taken a darker tone. "A beast attacked the girl right there on the sidewalk," the one who was telling the tale explained. "It shone a black light on her. It almost looked like black lightning. She was screaming with pain as it hit her. I would have died of fright right there if it had been me!" The girls gathered around her gasped. "Is she alright?" One asked anxiously. The storyteller nodded rapidly. "Yes, she was saved by a beautiful female warrior." The group ooh-ed at the thought of a super-heroine coming to defeat beasts. "Give me a break," Haruka snapped, annoyed at how the girls were eating this up. "Beasts? Female warriors? I think you have been reading too many manga as of late." "But Ten'ou-san," one of them whined, "she saw it with her own eyes!" "Did you?" Haruka directed her gaze to the storyteller. "Then how come it wasn't on the news, or in the paper? How come the police aren't prowling the streets seeking out these beasts?" The girl shrank down more with each question. "I don't know, Ten'ou-san," she mumbled after Haruka had finished. "I think we are all a bit old for this," she glanced about the room. All conversation had stopped during her scolding of the storyteller. That said, she left the room to go to the track for class. Michiru joined her outside. "So you don't believe in 'beautiful female warriors'?" She grinned teasingly. "No, I don't," she replied bluntly. "What if you're wrong?" "Are you saying I'm wrong?" She smiled some to take the edge away from the rebuke. "If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, but it would take a beast breathing down my neck for me to believe it." Michiru shook her head. "May it never come to that." ***** She couldn't open her eyes. The crimson sky was becoming darker with the buildings around her blowing away. Michiru was floating above her dressed in the sailor outfit she had seen so many times in this dream. The one with the impossibly short skirt that held the authority of a post she couldn't understand. This time the dream was different. This time she was trapped. "Why can't I wake up?!" She pled to the girl floating there, with no response forthcoming. "Michiru!" She continued to cry out. Michiru's eyes opened slowly. Her gaze held her in place. It frightened Haruka, the steel in those eyes that were normally so soft when they looked upon her. Haruka could no longer move, even though the deadly twister was nearing. Finally, Michiru spoke. She said only four words, but they hit Haruka harder than any physical blow could. "Tomorrow you will awaken." Haruka's eyes flew open as she snapped to a sitting position. "Kuso, kuso, kuso," the soft chant continued until her pulse returned to a more normal state. Why did that frighten her so? Why tomorrow? She had a race tomorrow. Sleep, she needed to sleep. But how could she sleep with that waiting for her in her dreams? She glanced over at her alarm clock. It was a quarter past eleven. Not too late. Maybe Michiru is still awake? She picked the phone up off the nightstand and dialed Michiru's number. "Hello?" 'Good, it doesn't sound like I woke her up,' Haruka thought. It was then that she realized that she wasn't sure why she called Michiru. Instinctively, she wanted to be comforted by her, but it would sound stupid to say she called because she had a bad dream. "Er, hello Michiru," Haruka said hesitantly. She groaned to herself, for her voice had sounded rough and shaky. "Haruka, are you alright?" Michiru's sensitive ear immediately picked up on her slip. Might as well bite the bullet. "I was wondering if you would spend the night with me?" Her voice smoothed out some with use. "I'll be right over," the phone clicked on her end. That night, she slept with her head nuzzled against Michiru's chest. Michiru held her close, comforting her, warding away the nightmares that haunted her. Not once did Michiru ask her why she had called, or what was wrong. It didn't matter now. Michiru was there to protect her from the daemons of her subconscious. ***** Haruka brushed her hair back in a futile effort to resist the wind's effect as she stood looking out over the gathering crowd. The sun was shining bright today, perfect racing conditions. The team always arrived early to the track on race day. Already, enthusiastic fans mulled about the stands and came to watch the team make final modifications to the cars. She was ready for the challenge of the race. This... this is what her life was about. Speed was all she desired -- the speed that took her one step closer to being the fastest, to catching the winds. Oh, they taunted her many a time, but today felt different. Today felt as though she would truly become what had only been a state of mind: the wind. ----- In another place... In another time... "I'm sorry Uranus," Mars squeezed her shoulder briefly before letting go. "There was nothing that could be done. He's dead." "You honestly expect me to believe that? I could have done something if I'd been more observant," Uranus turned away from the one who was trying to comfort her. She quickly left the room, assuring that Mars didn't see the twin wet streaks that lined her face. "You couldn't have saved him, Uranus. No one could have," Mars repeated to the room that only she occupied. ^^^^^ Uranus ran to the pond that had been the backdrop to many of her happiest times. She sat on the ground, leaned up against the trunk of a tree that's broad leaves would assist in concealing her whereabouts. It was here that she allowed herself the luxury of tears. "I'm sorry. I let you down. I let my family down. Everyone must be angry with me for my failure to protect a single person," she pled to the spirit of the deceased. "I couldn't even carry out a simple duty." She was charged with watching over a family friend who hailed from the same home world as herself. He was a gentle spirit, a scholar, naïve at times, so full of life. Whenever he was in need of advice or just a shoulder to lean on when homesickness settled in, she was the one he came to. She choked back a sob. "It's not fair! Why did he have to die? He never did a damn thing wrong in his life! He was an innocent," she buried her face into her hands. "Innocents shouldn't have to die." "Uranus?" Neptune was looking for her. The soldier of embrace heard her crying and was close to discovering her niche. "Neptune," she called out weakly, alerting the other as to her whereabouts. Neptune pushed aside the leaves to reveal her lover hidden within. "Uranus, I heard about your friend. I'm so sorry." She came the rest of the way in. Uranus cleared away a place for Neptune to sit besides her. "I'm sorry Neptune. I'm weak. I'm a failure to those I serve." "Nonsense," was Neptune's reply, "you can't blame yourself for a random act." "But he was an innocent. He didn't deserve to die." "Does anyone deserve to die? Not even our worse enemies deserve that. Life isn't fair, Uranus. The best we can do is protect those we can and try to bring some justice to something that is unfair by nature." Neptune carefully wiped away a tear. Uranus thought about it. "Yes, that is all we can do." ----- Her heart was heavier than if it had been cast in lead. "I can't believe he's gone," she mumbled to herself once again, not even her thinking spot could bring her comfort. Instead, she sat on the floor of her darkened bedroom staring at the shelf of trophies she had won during the last few years. Besides her on the floor lay a scepter with a blue orb and a star atop that. "Yamagata," she let the tears that she hadn't allow herself at the time of his death to slide down her cheeks unrestrained. He died today, and she had been powerless to do anything about it. Her friend. Her mentor. Her grandfather. And she was too weak, too slow, to stop that red haired witch from killing him. Her fist balled up out of reflex. "Why?" She sobbed. "Why did she have to steal one of the few people I cared about?" He was an innocent, a harmless old mechanic. Haruka glared at the stick that lay near her right hand. That was what had given her power. She had been *Uranus*. She closed her eyes briefly to let her mind revel in the memory of it. For that moment, her purpose had been clear. She was the soldier of the sky, one with the winds, Sailor Uranus. Another tear fell. She didn't know how she knew this. Or why she felt this unreasonable amount of confidence from such a startling revelation. But it had been so clear... unlike now. Right now, all she knew was the pain of Yamagata's death. The emergency crews that were stationed on scene for the races said he died of a heart attack. She bit back a bitter retort. 'That was one way of putting it,' her mind spoke what her tongue did not. Michiru was there. She had become someone else... like she had. Michiru became Sailor Neptune, the soldier of embrace, one with the tides. Just as she had confided in her nights ago. Haruka could see that now. It wasn't a dream she was experiencing, it was a *memory*. Memories, for more were plaguing her now, were emerging from the dark recesses of her mind. She picked up the scepter and examined it closely. Why now? She was happy. She had Michiru, Yamagata, and racing. All these things were going well for her, and then that red haired, scantily clad woman had to show up and destroy her world, her life. "It's not fair!" She threw the scepter into the shelf of trophies. The force of the impact knocked several of them to the floor. "Whoever said life was fair?" Michiru's sympathetic tone questioned from Haruka's bed, which she was resting on. Haruka didn't answer her. She continued to glare at the opposite wall with her knees pulled up under her chin. "Come to bed, love. It's been a horrible day that needs to be laid to rest." "How can I rest?" Haruka snapped bitterly. "Yamagata is dead, and that witch is still out there doing God knows what." "And you think you can do anything about it tonight when you are emotionally and physically exhausted?" She sighed. Michiru had a point. Wearily she pushed herself up off the floor. Her partner lifted the blankets up as an invitation. Once settled, Michiru caressed her jaw line with a light fingertip. This made her feel slightly better. She put her hands out to pull Michiru closer when she gasped in pain. "I'm sorry," Haruka apologized quickly. The anger within her rekindled at the thought of Michiru's body being marred by the claws of the creature that had attacked Yamagata. Michiru succeeded in defeating the beast, but not without paying a price. Michiru scooted herself up close to Haruka and made herself comfortable against the other girl. "I'm glad you're here, Michiru. I couldn't stand losing you as well," Haruka kissed her soft hair. "It will be alright. I have no intention of letting either of us die anytime soon." ***** Haruka went to the garage the day following Yamagata's death. There were many flowers and cards offering condolences for the teams' loss. The team was holding together well. She was numb to it all. Reporters had been floating in and out of the garage asking the same questions. What was the teams' reaction? Who would be the new crew chief? Would they be ready for the next race? It all made her sick. How could they be so shallow? Her friend was dead and it was her fault. No one saw that, but she knew the truth. She could have saved him, and didn't. She was disgusted with herself. "Ten'ou-san," Hiyama mopped the tears off his face with a red shop towel. "Will everything be alright?" How should she know? Should she lie to give him assurance? "The team will never be the same as it was before." She stated the obvious. Then her heart softened. "It is up to us to make the most of this loss. He wouldn't want us to give up the sport he loved because of his death." A reassuring hand was placed on the young man's shoulder. "You're right, Ten'ou-san, we shouldn't give up because of his death." ***** Michiru played violin at the funeral. She had insisted. Haruka stood by during her performance and let herself feel a new set of emotions. Dispare, loss, and anger all washed over her. None of these feeling were welcome as she tried to cope with Yamagata's death. She was asked by the team to deliver a eulogy. It was one of the hardest things she had ever done in her life. She tried to focus on happy memories of him, but her voice betrayed her, cracking as the loss overwhelmed her. Regaining composure, she finished speaking before joining Michiru among those gathered. Her partner held her hand reassuringly as his casket was lowered into the ground. A part of her was buried with him. That night, the news spoke of her emotional eulogy of the winning crew chief Yamagata. Again, the feelings of disgust overwhelmed her. How could she have fooled them all into thinking she was this great person when she had failed so miserably? Michiru held her close that night, telling her that she had been helpless in this situation. Haruka didn't believe it. Helpless was not a state she allowed herself to get into. She always had options; she just failed to exercise the right ones in this case. ***** 'Have you no decency?' Her mind screamed at the red haired witch standing off to the side as a daimon caused havoc among the people gathered for a junior league soccer game. It was early morning the day following Yamagata's burial. Michiru felt that something was wrong, insisting that it was occurring at the soccer fields in the nearby park. She became Neptune before charging forward to stop the monster that was examining the unconscious children with some sort of black light. Haruka surged forward herself after the red haired witch. The murder of her friend would see justice one way or another. The witch laughed at her futile efforts before teleporting out of the way. "Daimon, take the heart of this foolish man," she ordered while pointing at Haruka. The daimon stalked towards her with a menacing look to its features. "Deep submerge!" A tidal wave overcame the daimon, smashing it into the ground. It collapsed, reverting to a rubber ducky. Then a ghastly looking egg emerged and split in two. A sickly black spirit giggled before disappearing into nothingness. A scowl crossed the witch's features. "This won't be the last time we meet, but it will be the last time you interfere," she sneered before vanishing. "Michiru?" Haruka looked to her partner. "Let's get out of here before the authorities show up," she took hold of her hand and led her away quickly. ***** Michiru eased herself into the steaming bath, sighing softly as her muscles immediately began to loosen. Haruka sat outside of the bath, watching her. "Why didn't you transform into Uranus?" She asked, her features calm with her eyes closed. "Uranus? That's not me, Michiru." "Oh?" She opened one eye slightly to look at her. Haruka scrubbed her face with her hands. "It's just," she sighed, "I am Ten'ou Haruka, race car driver, student, and track athlete. I *know* who I am." "Do you now?" Michiru leaned against the side of the tub. "You have just told me what you do, but *who* are you?" Haruka looked at her friend dumbfounded as she considered the question. "I am Ten'ou Haruka." "How do you know that?" "Because that is what my birth certificate says!" She exclaimed, exasperated. Michiru chuckled softly before leaning over the edge of the bath to kiss Haruka's forehead lightly. "I know it's difficult. What does your heart tell you when you ask it?" "I... I don't know what you mean," Haruka whispered. Michiru spared her another knowing look through slitted eyes. Her eyes said all that Haruka needed to hear. 'She knows. She knows I'm fighting with myself. Who am I?' Haruka stared at the floor for several long moments before Michiru spoke again. "'That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.'" "Michiru..." Haruka's tone warned that she wasn't up for games right now. "Shakespeare had a point," Michiru murmurred softly, letting the hot waters have a soothing effect on her. Haruka continued to mull over her feelings. She was so confused. This all was so new, so different, so unreal. Stuff like this didn't happen! A wet hand slipped onto her own to give it a reassuring squeeze. She looked up to see the understanding, the compassion, etched in her lovers features. "You know how it has to be. You've had the same visions that I have. You've seen that mad woman, those monsters, we can't let them run loose to do whatever they please." Haruka averted her eyes. "Visions are nothing more than dreams we chose to give more weight to. And these creatures, why are *we* the ones who must fight them?" She challenged. "It is our destiny..." "I don't believe in destiny," Haruka cut short the explination she knew was coming. Slightly taken aback, Michiru raised an eyebrow before continuing on a new track. "Ara? Then it's a good thing destiny believe in you, ne?" Haruka shook her head, then held it in her hands. Silently, almost unnoticed, a tear, then two, dripped between her fingers to land on the linolium floor. Michiru said nothing at this display. The seriousness of their situation has finally sunk in with her friend. ***** With Michiru still relaxing in the washroom, Haruka quietly sat on her ledge, looking at her hands. Such power, such strength. What's happened to her? 'You are my partner, Sailor Uranus,' Michiru explained. 'I didn't want you to have to walk the same road as me, but I was happy when I learned that you did.' At the time of this revelation, she'd been overwhelmed by it all. Who wouldn't be? A *monster* was attacking with Michiru coming to her rescue. There was no time for debate. All seemed, well, not clear, but certainly she had an idea of what was expected of her. On the ground near her laid her future. Touch it and it was hers. But this... this was more than she had expected. Now she had Power. She clinched her fist tightly. Even now, without being in her senshi form, she could feel the slight stirring of summoned Power. It was at her command, for her disposal, all she had to do was to gather it like a child would a bouquet of flowers. Pulling some of it to her fist, she opened her hand palm up. A weak flash accompanied the action. She repeated the opening and closing of her fist. Each time she allowed more Power to flow free. She watched this with detachment. "Lord, what's happened to me?" A tear slipped down her cheek. Close. Gather. Open. Flash. Close. Gather. Open. Flash. Normal humans couldn't do this. Why could she? Why had she been singled out for this task? She was Ten'ou Haruka, a student, a racer, but not some heroine. "Uranus!" Michiru rushed into the room. She was in her senshi form of Neptune. "Michiru?" She asked, startled at the intrusion. "What's wrong? I can feel you gathering power, but the seas are calm," she strode up to her purposefully, a look of concern marring her lovely face. "Nothing's wrong," she answered, erecting the walls of protection about her. Michiru knew she was lying. "Ara, then why have you gathered so much Power?" She looked to her still clenched fist. She had drawn more than she had wanted. Her hand glowed a golden yellow. It frightened her how the Power pulsed like a living thing within her hand, she could feel it moving; squirming to be free. "How do I get rid of it?" She asked, trying not to betray her fear. She felt as though she was holding a deadly insect within her fist, one that might decide to sting her at the slightest movement. Michiru placed her hands over hers. She closed her eyes as she began to glow with the blue/green energy that marked her aura. "Uranus," she whispered. She swallowed. The Power still wasn't dissipating. "I can't help you if you won't let me in." The Power began to grow hot. It was slowly burning her hand. "Michiru," she pled. "Ten'ou Haruka has accepted Kaioh Michiru, but Sailor Uranus has not accepted her partner, Sailor Neptune." Another tear rolled down her cheek. It was only partly brought on by the pain of holding back the Power. "If I accept Sailor Neptune, I have to accept Sailor Uranus," she cried. Michiru's features softened. "I'm sorry, Haruka, I didn't chose this fate. It's unfair to ask so much of you, but I can't do it alone." Now she was taking deep breaths to forestall the pain. She was tempted to open her hand and release the Power. She wouldn't do that, not while Michiru's hands were over hers. She swallowed again. "Sailor Neptune is my partner," she said slowly, deliberately. "I am Sailor Uranus," she finished. Neptune saw a different person at that moment. The hurt and confusion in Haruka's eyes were pushed aside with purpose. Neptune squeezed her hand firmly. The Power flowed out of Haruka's hand like a retreating tide. Haruka gasped as she was freed of its grip. She opened her hand to see that it was not burned as she had thought. She massaged her right palm with her left hand, assisting the tingling sensation in receding. She continued to take deep breaths. For several long moments neither of them spoke. "Neptune," she whispered softly, "why me? Why us?" Neptune took her hands into her own. Neptune rubbed her thumb in the palm of her right hand. "Why not? It is our destiny to be senshi. To fight this battle." "You know I don't believe in destiny." Neptune smiled at her gently as she continued to work to on her palm. "Destiny, fate, divine intervention, luck, call it whatever you wish, the result is still the same. We are who we are. You couldn't live your life as any other person. You could try, but there would always be a void within you that needed to be filled." Haruka thought about that. "You filled that void, Neptune. I don't see how being Uranus can make me a complete person." Neptune released her hand. The tingling had been gently smoothed out by her attentions. "We hadn't been together long enough for you to notice that part of you was missing. Had we been together for years, you would have felt it. I felt it..." her voice trailed off. Neptune walked over to the window. She looked out over Tokyo. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining with billowing white clouds in the sky. A hand was placed on her shoulder. "I'm sorry to have caused you any pain," Haruka murmured in her ear. "How could you have known?" A playful smile crossed her lips. "You don't believe in destiny, remember?" ***** Haruka looked at herself in the mirror before turning on the water to wash her hands. Rinsing the soap lather away, she paused to regard her hands. What happened earlier continued to disturb her. She was a freak for having such powers. Certainly, being different was nothing new to her, but different in a way no one else had a chance to understand? 'Except Michiru,' her heart reminded her. Yes, Michiru understood her. Now, more so then ever. She remembered a lesson her father once gave her about power. His gentle baritone voice so patiently explained that power wasn't just about strength, it was about *control*. There was a difference between those who simply held power and those who could truly weild it. She turned the faucet off, dried her hands, then left the bathroom. It was time for her to learn control. ***** Haruka stood before the sponsor's representative, her resignation on the desk in front of her. "Why Ten'ou-san?" He demanded. "You have a fine career and are a great asset to the team." "I can't do it anymore," she whispered softly. "I have to finish my schooling and racing is distracting from that too much." "I see," he didn't, but this was her decision. "Should you ever chose to return to the circuit..." "Thank you," she bowed, then left the office. ***** Haruka went to the garage to collect her things late that night. She didn't want a confontation with the crew members, and more importantly, she wanted to say good-bye privately. Her footsteps echoed hollowly in the unusually quiet shop. She stopped once she arrived at Yamagata's cramped office. The metal desk he used was nothing more then a workbench that had been claimed for his private use from the main shop. On it, stacks of papers sat in a basket, waiting to be looked at. A crude but sturdy built shelf above his desk held many binders and books that were reference manuals. Most of those had seen better days with the odd page sticking up and the bindings well colored with the grease that often covered mechanics hands. She leaned her arm in the doorway of the office, putting her weight against the doorframe. Yamagata had always been a kind, open man. The necessity of locking his office was unthinkable to him. She let her gaze drift about the office, from the calander that had all team events marked (including her menstral cycle being charted) to a modest sampling of plaques and trophies that the team had won throughout his days as a mechanic. She'd always been a tall girl, but there was a time when he towered over her, instead of vice versa. Fond memories of those times with him caused her to smile gently. One in particular drew a short bark of laughter from her. It was her first time changing the oil on a car. She'd done everything right except to move the catch pan into position when she removed the bolt to drain the oil. Oil spilled everywhere and had taken her inexperienced self an hour to clean up. Yamagata had been frustrated with her mistakes, but was never angry when she fouled something up. With hindsight, she could clearly see the gruff love he'd always shown her. He'd seen her as the grandchild he never had. Upon reflection, she realized that she'd seen him in much the same light. "Ten'ou-san," she snapped around at the sound of her own name being spoken. Hiyama stood a respectful distance away from her, obviously having been standing there for several minutes already. "I saw that the shop lights were on when I passed by," he added by way of explaination. "I wanted to get my things," she turned around to fully face him. "You said that quitting was the last thing we should do," he wasn't challenging her. His eyes were soft with compassion, telling that he simply wanted to know why. She opened her mouth, intending to feed him the line about schooling, but nothing came out. She sighed. "Sometimes," she began, grasping for the right words. "Sometimes you have to take a step back before you can surge forward. Leaving the team wasn't an easy decision for me, but a greater good will be accomplished by my doing it." He nodded slowly. There was no way for him to hide the disappointment that he felt, but he did understand. She walked past him, stopping long enough to squeeze him on the shoulder before continuing to the bay where her tools were kept. "Ten'ou-san," she turned around, "should you decide to come back, will you allow me be part of your crew?" "I can't think of anyone I would rather have," she answered before continuing to the bay. ***** Haruka was distracted during class the following day. Her lack of performance was attributed to her mourning Yamagata, and to a point, it was. Past that point was her mind's pre-occupation with what she'd just set herself up for. Michiru had outlined several changes that would need to be made to accommodate their new priorities in life. Haruka always maintained a workout schedule, but a more intense one was needed for the training they required. She'd given up racing to make time for this. They'd decided that her sticking with the track team would be best since it was physical training and they didn't want to draw any attention by her seemingly dropping out of the picture. Michiru already made many of the adjestments needed in her private life to accomidate their mission. It was her turn now. But as to what exactly their mission was, she was still foggy on. She knew that they had to prevent that mad woman from harming any more people, but what drove her to attack in the first place? She understood, via discussing memories with Michiru, why they had to do this. She could feel the sense of duty and pride remerging from its long slumber in her soul. They were the best at one time, and they would be the best again with renewed training. ***** The couple went to Michiru's apartment after school to change before heading out to do some shopping. At some point during the day, a note (that Haruka nearly stepped on when she entered the apartment) had been slipped under the door. It was a request to meet later this evening issued by someone who signed the note Meiou Setsuna. Haruka was suspicious of the note. They both lived in secured apartment buildings. For someone to get in, she would have needed to get pass the doormen who doubled as guards. Personally, she thought it was a kid playing a prank. Michiru pointed out that she could have gotten in if they were visiting some other tenant of the building and then left the note. "We should at least check it out. If we don't like what she has to say, we can leave," Michiru reasoned. "It's probably just a fan that slipped past security," Michiru favored her with the *look*. "Fine, we'll meet, but if she tries anything funny, we're leaving." Michiru nodded her head in agreement. ***** They arrived early at the requested location, a small coffee shop. Michiru selected a booth by one of the big-paned store windows. Haruka went to the counter to order for them before sitting down next to Michiru. The couple had been sipping on their drinks between snippets of conversation when a young woman approached them. "Kaioh Michiru?" She asked, almost too confident in the answer to make it a question. At Michiru's nod, she introduced herself as Meiou Setsuna. Setsuna didn't appear to be much older then the pair of them; possibly a university student. She had impossibly long dark green hair and rich red eyes. Her attire was casual, but stylishly so. "I'm glad you could meet with me. Especially since we have business to discuss," she opened. "Who *are* you?" Haruka demanded irritability. Setsuna smiled softly in response to Haruka's brash manner. "I'm an old friend." ----- Loneliness. Longing. Duty. Uranus patrolled her sector of space faithfully year after year, decade after decade. Tauntingly close was her partner, her soulmate, Neptune. Further out, Pluto continued her eternal surveillance of the time stream. ^^^^^ Tonight was their night. Once a year they left their posts to confer with each other and help soothe the loneliness their duty subjected them to. It'd been another quiet year. Supplies from the Moon Kingdom arrived last week along with a personally written note for each of them from their Queen. Her encouragement and praise lifted their spirits and gave them reason to celebrate for an evening's time. Uranus reveled in the company of her sisters. Neptune and her would have each other once they retired for the night. So they enjoyed their time with Pluto unresticted by a demanding lust for each other. Pluto told stories of what she had witnessed in the time stream during the last year. They laughed at the tales while sharing a bottle of fine wine they they'd set aside just for tonight. The three of them were soldiers dedicated to the Queen first and foremost with their commitment to each other as sisters not far behind in importance or strength. ^^^^^ "Listen, squirt, I just want to speak to Pluto!" Uranus sighed. How someone as mellow as Pluto can have such a spirited guardian for her castle, she'll never know. The guardian left and returned a few minutes later. "Pluto is at the gates of time right now, may I take a message?" Uranus narrowed her eyes slightly. Guardian Pluto wasn't gone nearly long enough to have checked. "Now you listen to me, I want to you to go tell Pluto that I'm here or I'll give you a one way ticket to the Moon, got that?" Guardian Pluto sniffed. "Who are you to-" "Guardian Pluto," Pluto appeared, then greeted Uranus with a warm embrace, "you may leave." She dismissed the guardian with a gesture while guiding Uranus away. "Now, what brings you to Charon Castle?" ----- Haruka gasp audibly as she recovered from the rush of memories. It had only taken a moment. She and Michiru were equally shaken by it. "Setsuna? Pluto?" Michiru smiled knowingly. "It's good to see you again." "It's been too long," Setsuna agreed with a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I wish it were under happier conditions that we're meeting." "It's regarding our recent 'pest' problems, isn't it?" Michiru said. The older woman, who's looks did not betray her years, nodded. "An enemy from the outer reaches has penetrated as far as Earth while you two slept. They come in search of a power that will aid their master in seizing the planet. The key to this power are three Talismans that unlock the Holy Grail. We must capture the Holy Grail and deliver it to the Messiah." "My God," Haruka said softly. "Not only do we have a battle on our hands, we're in a race as well." "How do we find these Talismans?" Michiru asked. "They are in the pure hearts of three people. The person's heart crystal must be extracted to retrieve the Talisman. But there's a catch, if the heart is away from the body for too long, the person dies." The implications of this warning quickly sunk in. "How in the hell do we get the Talimans without killing three innocent people?" Haruka demanded. She took a swig of her coffee to forestall any further comments. Setsuna bowed her head in acknowledgement. "You don't," she answered softly. "That can't be! There has to be a way," Michiru's eye pled with the guardian of time for an answer. When Setsuna spoke again, it was in a softened tone. "Sisters, we don't even have a way to extract the heart crystals. We must be like vultures, swooping in at the time of attack. Our enemies can extract the crystals. We must capture, examine, and return them to the host before any harm is done." "Except if it's a Talisman," Haruka added bitterly. "The path of a warrior is never an easy one," Setsuna reminded. "Our enemy is going to bring forth the Silence. I know you've had visions. I've been plagued with them as well. This is the only way to prevent that horrible fate." "We understand. We're already preparing for battle and have infiltrated the Delta District. Will you be joining us?" Michiru asked. "I must return. During these turmoilous times, I shouldn't have left as long as I have already." The both nodded their understanding. It was a subject they had discussed many times before. How Pluto was forced to guard the gates of time while her sisters went into battle. It was a difficult duty to maintain under such circumstances. They would not make it harder on her by adding guilt to the emotions she must feel by her forced absence. "Be strong, sisters," with that, Setsuna left the table to return to her duties. A few minutes pasted before Haruka voiced a question that arose during their conversation. "What did you mean by 'infiltrating the Delta District'?" Michiru gave her a puzzled look, then sipped her tea before asking her own question. "Ara, Haruka, can't you feel it?" "Feel what?" "Why did you transfer to Mugen Gakuen when you could have gone anywhere?" "Um," Haruka said slowly as she thought about why she had chosen the school. "It is a good school. I liked the track coach when I met him," she shook her head. "I don't know, it just called to me." "You were drawn there," Michiru corrected. "Fate led you to where you were needed. Even if you can't feel the strings attached to you, they exist none-the-less." Haruka scowled. "I'm not a puppet." "No... Perhaps not." ***** A car rolled to a slow stop at the edge of a forest clearing. Its driver got out and methodically stacked the contents of the car's trunk into a pile a few meters away. The early hour and tall trees surrounding the clearing didn't allow for much sunlight to filter through. Haruka wiped her brow while leaning against her car. Those watermelons were around four kilograms each with there being plenty of them. A melon was carried over to the other side of the clearing where it was carefully balanced on a tree stump. Haruka walked back across. She pulled out her henshin stick. "Uranus Planet Power, Make-up!" She shivered even though she wasn't cold. She should be cold, for it was a cool morning, but she wasn't. It was going to take some time before she got used to the short skirt that accompanied this uniform. She smirked to herself. She certainly had the legs to wear the uniform well. Then she laughed out loud. Michiru had told her that the cold wouldn't affect her as Uranus, but she hadn't believed her until now. Michiru had, in fact, suggested this trip to 'get acquainted with herself'. There was a lot she needed to learn about being Sailor Uranus. Experience was the best teacher. "Well then," she cracked her knuckles, "let's get started." She took a cleansing breath before raising her right fist above her head. The power pooled into her palm as she wished it to. "World Shaking!" She spun around, tripped on a root, and fell to her knees. The golden energy ball strayed off to sever several branches from their trees. Debris showered down on her. Fortunately, nothing large fell on her. This gave her the notion to not throw at full strength until she had more control. Standing back up, she gathered the power again. Her mantra rang out as she successfully spun around and planted the energy ball into the earth. The ball streaked forward to completely miss the melon. It instead smacked into a nearby tree with little resulting damage. "I call myself a baseball pitcher and I can't even hit a damned watermelon," she muttered in disgust. Thus, the pattern for her morning was set. A couple of hours later, she felt distinct pleasure at finally knocking the watermelon off the stump. She strode over to the 'vanquished' melon to put it back up. Her eyes glanced over the many nicks she had put in the stump itself and surrounding trees. No matter. She walked back to the far end of the clearing. Turning, she smirked at the melon that taunted her. Her hand raised above her head. Gathering. Spark. Gathering. Explosion. "World Shaking!" She slammed the full strength ball into the ground. It streaked along leaving a shallow ditch in its wake. It slammed into the stump, splintering it. She turned away while covering her face as the splinters flew around the clearing. "Shimatta!" She cursed in frustration. Her temper didn't improve when the melon, undamaged for the most part, rolled past her. She kicked the offending fruit, getting her boot tip lodged in it. She looked off at the distance, exasperated with her current situation. Dislodging her boot, she kicked the melon aside without further incident. She turned to the pile to select a new victim. It was carried to the splintered stump, where she firmly skewered it on a point. "This time I won't miss," she growled as she walked back into place. The noontime sun was cool in comparison to the hot anger that was Sailor Uranus at that moment. She gathered power, not full strength, but enough to blow the melon apart. Carefully, she turned, planted, and watched. The ball coursed along in the dirt to smash into the melon with a resounding thud. Bits of the juicy melon and seed flew around the clearing. Sailor Uranus stood there, fist still to the earth, watermelon chunks scattered around the stump. A satisfied smile crossed her face. "I did it." She looked over at the pile of melons. She sighed. There was still a lot of work to be done. Now enthused about the project at hand, Uranus placed the next melon on the splintered stump. Practice went much better for her once she had succeeded in turning the first melon into bits. There was one problem to this that she had not foreseen: wasps. The misting of watermelons was a signal to them to come out in force. The small insects, whose sting was enough to discourage even her from drastic action, collected around the stump. She had tried moving to other locations, but they were on to her now. She was the source of the wonderful ambrosia they sought out. Their persistence became too much for her to endure. Moving far away from the mound of remaining melons, she threw her attack into it. The watermelons' juices coated every thing within blast radius with a sticky sheen. She reverted back into her civilian form before getting into her car and driving back into town to tell Michiru her progress. ***** Later that night Haruka slipped out of the bed and padded silently to the other side of the room. Familiar movements helped her to find what she longed for, despite the darkened surroundings. Just as quietly, she slipped out of the room and into her thinking spot. The lights of Tokyo glowed brightly tonight, for a brief moment she allowed herself to be awed by it. Tightly, she clutched her grandfather's cross in her right hand. She inclined her head some and focused upon the feelings within her. "I wanted to thank you," she whispered. "I haven't forgotten what I asked of you. Apparently, you hadn't either. You ended my suffering and gave me a purpose. You gave me someone... she means so much to me," she smiled slightly, "but you must know that already. "I will fulfill the mission before me; for you and for her. We will deliver the Talismans to the Messiah," her voice cracked. Reassuring arms slipped around her. A moment of surprise quickly lapsed. How much had Michiru heard? "You should be in bed," she scolded Michiru lightly, covering her horror at being discovered. "So should you," Michiru nuzzled up to her after she made room next to her on the ledge. "Michiru, I-" Michiru silenced her. "We will find the Talismans. For Him and for you," she breathed into her ear before kissing her cheek. They sat like that for several minutes. Haruka held the cross out before her. It dangled on its chain with the lights of Tokyo playing off it. "I've never seen you wear it," Michiru commented, breaking their silent reflection. "It was a gift that I'm not worthy of." Michiru reached her hand out to grasp the cross. Haruka released it into her hand without so much as a word of protest. "I'm not patient. I'm not kind. I don't forgive. I do what I feel needs to be done without apology," she leaned her forehead against her knees. "That sounds like an apology to me," Michiru ran her fingers through Haruka's short hair. "I'm not apologizing, I'm pointing out why I'm a bad person unworthy of such an item," she explained defensively. They sat together. She was weeping silently. Michiru could surely feel the deep breaths that accompanied her muffled sobs. This feeling of guilt was plunging her deeper into reflection of her whole place in the scheme of things. So what if they found the Talismans? What then? Did she get her life back? And would that life include Michiru? Or was this just some grand dream that she would wake up screaming from? For now, there was nothing to be done. Why wouldn't this feeling of worthlessness leave her? She bit her balled up fist. Did she even deserve what she had now? Was Michiru too good to be true? At this point, she could live without the racing, the money, the fame, but she wouldn't give up Michiru. Were the feelings mutual? She closed her eyes. "Why do you love me Michiru? I've given you every reason in the world to hate me, yet you stay by my side." It was a few moments before she got her answer. "The Ten'ou Haruka that I see and the Ten'ou Haruka that you see are two different people. The Ten'ou Haruka that I see is a gentle girl that will do whatever it takes to defend a friend. She is focused. Honest. A thoughtful, reflective thinker. She is deeply concerned with the future and guaranteeing that there will be one. "She is the sweetest, gentlest, lover anyone could wish for. I have found my soulmate in Ten'ou Haruka and I will not let her go without a fight," Michiru hugged her fiercely, emphasizing her words. Her tears dried up as she listened to Michiru's words. They were spoken with such confidence, she found herself believing the truth in them. Michiru leaned her head on Haruka's back briefly before lifting it up again. A memory from the past flew through her mind as Michiru slipped the chain around her neck. The clasp closed. Michiru traced her fingers lightly around her neck. "You are capable of such deep caring. You bring Hell's fury upon yourself before you let anyone else experience it. But I am here. I will stand beside you, Ten'ou Haruka. Do not ever think that you will face the battle alone because I will not allow it. "We are halves of a whole. Different, separate, but one. Please let me be the other half of you," her heart wept at the last statement, for it was nearly a plea by Michiru. She turned to face her. A trail of tears flowed down Michiru's cheeks. She wiped them away with her thumb. "I made you cry," she whispered in awe, then felt shame for her self-absorbent attitude. "Please don't cry Michiru. I don't want to see your tears," Michiru brought her into a tight embrace. With a weak smile, Michiru said, "Don't apologize. My tears are on your behalf. How can I be happy when my heart's love isn't?" "I don't know," Haruka held Michiru close to her, nuzzling her until the feelings of self-doubt that had so plagued her ebbed away. The feelings still rested within her, but they did not dominate her thoughts as they had an hour ago. Haruka watched Michiru intently after she drifted off to sleep a few moments earlier. She had brought peace to her life. Yes, these were the turbulent times of war, despite that, in her everyday life, Michiru restored her calm. She owed much to Michiru, more than she would ever be able to pay back and could only express with her love for the other. ***** The screaming of the daimon's victim disrupted what would have otherwise been a peaceful day at the park. Neptune and Uranus witnessed the attack from the cover of some nearby shrubbery. Up to this point, Neptune had always swooped into battle. Now they waited with mixture of anticipation and disgust. Things moved antoganizingly slow as the daimon extracted the heart crystal before passing it onto her mistress. That was the cue they were waiting for. Uranus gathered her World Shaking and sniped the crystal from the red haired witch with Neptune darting out from cover to neatly catch it. Of course, their usurping the crystal was not smiled upon by their enemies. The daimon charged at Uranus with amazing speed. She dodged easily, managing to get a strike in with the back of her hand. Neptune quickly examined the crystal to see if it was a Talisman. Discovering that it was not, she returned it to its host before charging into the battle herself. Uranus kept the daimon distracted, but at the price of being knocked around in the process. With a cry of outrage, Neptune threw her attack full force into the daimon's back. The daimon arched with pain, allowing Uranus the opportunity to move away. She threw her World Shaking into the daimon's chest, effectively defeating it. The red clad woman teleported tauntily near them. She flipped her red hair over her shoulder before speaking. "I would like to know the names of the ones I shall soon kill," she smirked. "Sailors Uranus and Neptune!" Uranus resumed a battle stance that was mirrored by Neptune. "Planets? You expect me to be intimidated by girls named after *planets*?!" She was the only one laughing. "I am Kaolinite, of the Death Busters. When we meet again, you will die," she used a mocking tone. Laughing at them once more, she teleported away. ***** Back at her apartment, Haruka was too angry to say anything. She wanted nothing more then to wipe the smile off of Kaolinite's smug face. The murderer of Yamagata would not get away without facing *her* justice. Michiru watched her silently as she paced the room. Haruka flung her arms at irregular intervals as she argued with herself, cursing Kaolinite. She came to an abrupt halt, then turned to face Michiru. "Our mission be damned, that woman *will* pay for what she's done!" "Haruka, you can't let revenge get in the way of duty," her partner warned. "There is a difference between revenge and delivering justice." Michiru left her perch on the sofa to wrap her arms around her lover's waist. "Justice will be served when we have the Talismans and they don't. We'll frustrate their plans and teach them that they are messing with the wrong senshi." Haruka thought about it for several minutes as Michiru rocked them from side to side. A slow smile crept across her face. "I could take quite a bit of pleasure from frustrating them," she finally concluded. Michiru hugged her tighter in agreement. "Then she'll pay." ***** The pair did not die the next time Kaolinite encountered them, nor the time after that. They continued an impressive streak of confiscating heart crystals for examination. Every few days, they were forced into battle as the frequency of daimon attacks increased. The strength of the daimons also increased, but not at a rate that matched the leaps in skill the two senshi were making. The trials of their battle did take a toll on them. They became increasingly distant from their classmates. At one point, Ezra asked about Haruka's apparent change in attitude. Before, racing had always been a game for her, but now she took it more seriously with a competitive edge she'd never displayed before. It was difficult to keep their senshi and their everday lives separate. The pressure of being a warrior while maintaining the fascade of normalicy was crushing. But through it all, they had each other. They could rely upon each other to provide the support they needed when they felt as though they would crack under the pressure. Any other two people would likely have done just that. Who could possibly understand them? Would anyone actually believe them if they explained their situation? That would have surely landed them in some sort of mental institution. Being locked up at a time like this would leave the world defenseless against its unknown predator. They both loved the world enough to do whatever was necessary to save it. The price of three lives now seemed trivial after the numbers of battles they've fought. What were three people when compared to the entire population of a planet? The sooner they found the Talismans, the sooner people would stop being attacked. This line of thinking accentuted the feeling of urgancy they were already experiencing. What they needed was an outlet for their pent up frustrations. ***** "Thank you for seeing me, Hiyama-san," Haruka greeted the young mechanic warmly. "I have decided to re-enter racing and was wondering if you were still interested?" He leaned against the car he'd been working on. "Of course I'm still interested. Are you really ready to come back?" A slight frown creased his forehead. Haruka chuckles on the inside, it was a mannerism they had all learned from Yamagata. "Honestly, no, but I need to race. My blood is slowing down and thickening. I would like to particapate on the amateur dirt bike circuit." "Amateur? That's below your skill!" He protested. "This is just a weekend hobby, Hiyama-san. The crew will be you and me. Are you up for it?" "Yeah," he grinned, "I'm up for it." ***** Michiru arranged to give a few concerts in the Tokyo area to provide herself with a release. The news of her desire to perform publicly was greeted enthusiastically and arrangements were made. They could only hope that the dates they chose for concerts wouldn't be days that an attack occurred. This also gave Michiru an excuse to induldge in one of her other hobbies: shopping. Haruka had been draft as Michiru's porter during their day at the mall. While Michiru spent too much time for Haruka's patience trying on one outfit or another, she wasn't content to exclude Haruka from the 'fun'. She would select outfits for Haruka to model when she wasn't finding ones for herself. Haruka was certain that at least half of the things Michiru selected were chosen for the simple fact that Michiru wanted to see just how far she could push. Haruka swallowed her pride (with some effort) because she knew that Michiru needed this. So what if she was having to try on pink things with frills on them? No one else was in the fitting room to witness her humiliation. "Is this a bad time?" Setsuna poked her head into the room. Michiru waved her in while Haruka hid behind the changing screen. "What brings you here?" Michiru asked cordially. Haruka tried to snaked an arm out to get ahold of her own clothing, but Michiru was between her and the clothes rack. "I was doing a bit of shopping and saw you come into the store," Setsuna smiled in greeting to them both. "Have you found anything of interest?" Michiru waved off-handedly at the pile of parcels Haruka had brought with them into the fitting room. "I've had a fairly good day." "How about you, Haruka?" Setsuna politely turned her attention to the person who hoped that she could slip by without notice. "Oh, I haven't found anything yet. Would you mind handing me my clothes, please?" "Why don't you model what you have on for Setsuna?" Michiru suggested. "Michiru," she protested softly. "I'm really rather shy." "Oh?" Setsuna asked, surprised. "Uranus has always been one of the more *outgoing* members of our family." Haruka glowered at both of them before coming out from behind the screen. She was wearing a form fitting, sleeveless, after-dinner dress that Michiru thought would look sexy on her. Indeed, the dress did nothing to hide her curves. Haruka stared hard at her feet while her two friends looked over her like a person examining a beast before auction. She was sorely tempted to ask them if they wanted to see her teeth. "May I change now?" She asked pointedly. "I think you look wonderful!" Setsuna encouraged. "A royal blue is definitely a good color for you." Haruka continued to stare at her bare feet. Michiru's light chuckle caused her to look up from her sulking. "You really are cute when you blush," she winked at Setsuna and then handed Haruka her clothes. "We'll wait for you outside." Her friends left her to regain her dignity in private. ***** As they did far too often, they waited among the branches of a tree for the attack to finish. This time the Death Busters had the temerity to attack a Shinto Miko. The girl's screams raked across their ears. At one time, Uranus' blood boiled when this happened, but by now the battles had numbed her to other's pain. She wanted nothing more then to get the heart crystal and finish this. Some other girls showed up on the scene, but, as with previous passersby, were restrained from interfering with the extraction. The Miko stopped moving when the crystal finally came out. The daimon smiled and stated its intentions to deliver the heart crystal to Kaolinite. "Not if I have anything to say in the matter," Uranus muttered before throwing her attack down on the daimon. Neptune followed her lead with her Deep Submerge. The daimon fell to their attacks, allowing them to retrieve the heart crystal and examine it from the relative safety of the tree. "It's not a Talisman," Uranus sighed before tossing the heart crystal back to its host. They leaped from the tree, running from the scene before any of the witnesses could ask questions. "Next time it'll be a Talisman," Neptune encouraged. "We can only hope," Uranus replied while keeping pace with her. ***** Their next encounter with the Death Busters left them shaken. It wasn't the battle so much as encountering the other senshi. The battle took place at a rundown house that was home to countless kittens. They retrieved the heart crystal for examination from the daimon, then returned it to the host. On their way out one of the senshi, the one with an orange fuku, pointed out the obvious by stating the daimon wasn't defeated yet. She then invited to two of them to join their merry little band of school girls. 'Make no mistake,' Uranus said coolly. 'Finding the Talismans is the only thing we care about,' Neptune finished. They left then. Surely between the five senshi present, they'd be able to handle a weakened daimon. "Do you think we did the right thing?" Haruka asked later. Michiru was stretched out on the couch with her head pillowed in Haruka's lap. "Joining up with them would only slow us down. Remember what we're fighting for, we can't afford any liabilities. Besides, this is a matter for us to handle since the Death Busters are from the outer reaches." Haruka continued to stroke Michiru's soft hair. "You're right." ***** "You are a hopeless flirt!" Michiru scolded her on the walk home from downtown. "They were cute girls. You can't begrudge me having a bit of fun now and then?" Haruka grinned. The two school girls really were cute. Both blondes too. "I can deny you other types of fun if you'd rather explore that avenue instead," Michiru said in a light tone that Haruka knew implied that the warning was a valid one. She chuckled hesitantly. "Hey now, no reason to get jealous! You know that you're the only woman for me," Haruka put an arm around Michiru's waist and pulled her closer. "Oh?" Michiru continued being difficult before giving in and leaning her head against Haruka's shoulder. "Just don't forget it." "How could I ever forget you, love?" ***** This was not their final encounter with the school girls. Once they took note of them, they saw the girls everywhere. The one with a funny hairstyle, Tsukino Usagi, took to following Michiru around. This gave Haruka the opportunity to tease her lover about who was the flirt? Michiru brushed her comments aside. She was used to the hero worship her skill earned her, and felt more than capable of dealing with the girl. If life had been normal, they might have considered it the beginning of a friendship. But since it wasn't, they didn't. ***** "How unfortunate that Sailor Moon has come into the picture," Haruka mused while easing herself into the tub. Michiru was already in and submerged up to her neck in the hot water. She waited for Haruka to get comfortable before replying. "There isn't anything we can do about her except scare her off." "Yes," Haruka agreed slowly. "She would only slow us down..." she left the sentance open as she turned to inner reflection. "What are you thinking about?" Michiru asked after the conversation lapsed into silence. "I don't remember a Sailor Moon. The other senshi we've met, I can place, but not her," she frowned slightly. "Am I just not remembering correctly?" Quietly, her partner shifted through her own memories for several minutes. "Now that you mention it, I don't recall her either. I wonder who she is..?" ***** Haruka was deep in thought while riding her motocycle. Her preoccupation with the Talimans nearly caused her to crash into Makoto and Usagi, who were crossing the street at an intersection. Realizing what had nearly happened, she dismounted her bike and rushed to them. "I was thinking to myself and wasn't paying attention to the road. There's no excuse, it's my fault," she said with much remorse. Fortunately, Makoto only suffered some scratches to the back of her hand from the near-accident. Haruka removed the scarf from her neck and tied it as a bandage around her hand. When she was satisfied that the girls would be alright, she remounted her bike and wished them well. Not a half hour later, Michiru contacted her to warn her that there would be an attack soon. Michiru's premonition this morning was the reason she was out on the streets looking around now. The fact that it was her looking around and not Michiru was somewhat confusing since she wasn't nearly as sensitive. Even if her sense was a dull one, her eyes worked perfectly, and that is what she needed most when searching for the possible targets of the Death Busters. She was suddenly hit with a premonitition that was coupled with a strong feeling of nausea. Somewhere near, the Death Busters were attacking. Haruka abandoned her bike in a back alley. Transformed, Sailor Uranus lept up onto a nearby building's roof, where she could get a better view of the immediate area. Neptune wasn't long in joining her. Together, they witnessed Makoto being attacked. The act of extraction was deterred by the appearance of Sailors Moon and Mercury. "She's their next target," Uranus gritted her teeth with muted anger. It was always more difficult to stand back and wait when the target was someone she knew. "We can keep an eye on her. She admires you, we could use that to draw the Death Busters out," Neptune suggested. Uranus snorted. "Keep in mind that this is business. Don't neglect me tonight for any flirting I might do today." Neptune muffled a protest when Uranus winked at her. Two quick jumps landed her next to her bike. She needed to change if she was going to be cruising for chicks. ***** "Come out, come out, where ever you are," Haruka called softly to the water that was spread out before her off the wharf. Convincing Makoto to come with them had been easy. A compliment here, a wink there, and the girl was swooned by her charms. They went to an isolated pier, hoping the location and lack of people would draw the Death Busters out to attack. Makoto wasn't far from them, checking her make-up or something. It really didn't matter what the bait was doing, as long as the prey was lured by it. They hated using the girl like this, but it would give them the opportunity to strike back at the aggressor. The lines of their mission had become blurred. No longer was Haruka content to just sit back and then swoop in, she wanted to lash out at them for the cruelity of their actions. It was a frustration Michiru shared. The plan worked in that it drew out their rival, but failed in that it also drew out the other senshi. Even with the interference, the extraction and examination was conducted quickly with no Talisman as the result. A late-comer to the battle, Jupiter, was the one to hammer the nail into the daimon's coffin. "Wait! I don't know the reason, but you always come to steal the pure hearts like a thief. You're the same as the daimon," Jupiter yelled after them as they were leaving the scene. Uranus turned back and answered, "Then what are you going to do?" "I can't forgive you today," Jupiter lunged forward to attack Uranus. The older senshi knocked her strike away before delivering one of her own. Jupiter folded over, defeated for the time being. They retreated to a nearby grove of trees, for they needed to be in place when Makoto came looking for them after they'd been knocked aside in the opening moments of the battle. Once again, they felt the strain of their dual nature. ***** Michiru sat down besides Haruka in the darkened room. The only source of illumination was the television that was before them. Haruka didn't say anything to her, only nodding slightly to acknowledge her presence. On the television, Haruka was watching the local news. Since their schedule was variable from day to day, Haruka made a habit of recording the nightly broadcast to watch later on. The sports anchor came on then, launching into his segment with a recap of the current racing scene. "I'm glad to see that you're still following the standings," Michiru commented. Haruka grunted slightly. "This isn't what interests me. The next story is what you should see." She fast forwarded the tape past the sports commentary and commercials. Michiru gasped as the first thing she saw coming off the commercial break was a picture of Sailor Moon hovering by the anchor's head. The story contained a few stills from a more recent battle and went to some length at speculating what was occuring. "They messed up," Haruka said with an edge to her voice. "They let the media get a glimpse at them. Now we will have to fend off the media as well." "I don't think that will be much of a problem. We're much more careful then they are," Michiru watched the expression on Haruka's face carefully. The image on the screen shifted. Haruka eyes went cold, her features becoming hard as stone. Michiru looked to see what caused the sudden change in her partner and instantly understood. On the television, a public official was discussing the appearance of the mysterious warriors. She was calling all fire and brimstone upon them, condeming them for their actions, and promising the most severe of punishments when the authorities caught them. Haruka's expression became more and more detached with each word spoken. Michiru recognized the woman. She didn't need the bar at the bottom to tell her the name. "My mother never did understand me," was all that Haruka said before the television was turned off and the room was cast in total darkness. ***** "Ten'ou-san, normally your grades are excellent, but your recent efforts have been lackluster when compared to your usual efforts," Haruka stood before her instructor's desk at polite attention. Her grades really were slipping. She knew that sooner or later someone was going to call her on it. "Do you have a reason for this slip?" He looked up at her through eyes framed by his thick glasses. "No, Instructor." He gave her another long look before glancing back over her recent grade sheets. It was a gesture to fill the gap while he considered what he was going to do about her. "Your marks aren't at the point to justify additional cram schooling," he decided slowly. "You are a very," he paused to find the right word, "self-reliant student, Ten'ou-san. I trust that since the problem as been brought to your attention, you will give your all to resolve it." "Of course, Instructor." He sighed softly, seemingly not happy with his own decision, but not in a position to do more. 'He really was a caring instructor,' Haruka mused to herself. He set her folder on top of a stack of other student files that occupied one corner of his desk. "You may leave," he waved her off. She turned to leave, then paused when he added one more thing. "And if you are having any difficulties, please come talk to me. You're success is a matter of great concern for me." "Thank you," she bowed to him politely before leaving the small cubicle he called an office. ***** ***** ***** She was dead. Neptune lay beside her with the object of their search, their existence, floating a few feet above her lifeless body. Her mind refused to accept this idea. She was Neptune after all; no one could calm the seas... Usagi begged for the Talisman to return to Neptune's body. Silly girl... couldn't she see that was what they had fought so hard for? They had won -- almost. One Talisman captured, soon to be two, with only one left to find. It frustrated her that she couldn't deliver all three to the Messiah herself. She paused as the irony of it hit her. Racing. Family. Friends. Yamagata... she held back a sob. All these things she has given up in the name of saving mankind. Now, the price of the sacrifice has been upped to her life. She wanted to cry out in frustration. After being stripped of everything, even Michiru, couldn't she be left alone to suffer? Why did she have to give up everything else? Why couldn't it have just been stated at the beginning that she would have to die? Maybe Yamagata could have lived then... Duty... it was her duty to save the world from the Silence. She wouldn't want to live if what she saw in her visions became a reality. The price of three lives had seemed so very little in comparison. Deep down, she was glad that one of the three lives was hers. At least one innocent was spared... And Michiru, she looked over at her limp body. Soon she would join Michiru in whatever place their actions had earned them. With iron resolve she picked up the witch's weapon. "No!" Usagi screamed at her when she noticed what she was going to do. They wrestled over the weapon. "We will find another way. No one has to die," she pled. They paused in their struggle. "For a moment there, I almost believed you could do it," she said softly. She then shoved Usagi aside when her guard was down. Usagi watched in horror as she knelt her head and pressed the muzzle of the gun against her chest. Silently she prayed, 'Forgive me Father; I know not what I do.' She pulled the trigger firmly, the slide clicking forward as she did so. And all was dark. ----- In the darkened living room, Haruka sat in her thinking spot. Her head leaned against the wall supporting her. Strong hands massaged the ornamental guard of the sword that lay across her lap. She looked at it in a detached manner. It was beautiful, well crafted, strong. It almost glowed, even with the scabbard fully in place. Without the scabbard, the golden blade *did* glow. At first she had thought it merely reflective, she was wrong in that assumption. A light finger traced the jewels that were inlaid along the scabbard. The whole time it was inside of her... It was ironic, she decided. It was her mission to find this but she already had it. A hidden quality... there was a lesson to be learned from that. She died for this sword, or had she? She wasn't certain. She was willing to die for it... and to kill. That she was certain of. Was it all worth it? That was a question that weighed heavily within her. They had the three Talismans, and thus the Grail. They came so far and it wasn't over yet. There was no respite for her. Did the winds ever rest? She wondered idly, as she watched the lights of Tokyo. From the gentlest breeze to the strongest gale, they blew. Ever present in their duty... She *is* the wind. **********( End Heaven's Ruler )**********