Michiru was shaking when she and Haruka finally returned to the blonde's apartment, arms wrapped around her slender body for warmth. She gasped when she felt another pair of strong arms join hers, holding her close and comforting her. "I'm sorry," a soft, familiar, husky voice whispered in her ear. "I never wanted for you to get hurt." "There was nothing you could do. You shouldn't have had to do anything at all. Haruka, we agreed going into this that our feelings for each other don't matter. Only our mission, our determination to defeat the Silence." She trembled at her words, wondering if Haruka would pull away like she had done every other time. She had to say it, she had to remind the older woman of their mission, but she was afraid that she wouldn't survive if her partner pushed her away again. Haruka pulled her arms away, and Michiru tried to stifle a sob at the action, shocked when her partner spun her around and stared into her deep blue eyes. "I don't believe that anymore," she whispered, lovingly wiping the tears off Michiru's cheek. "See, now I know how you really feel. I wondered if our time earlier today was just an act for you, but the look in your eyes when you realized that we were still alive . . . you looked like you wanted to jump into my arms." "I did," she whispered before she could stop herself. Michiru realized that she didn't want to have to control what she said anymore; she wanted to be completely free and at ease with Haruka. "And making love to you was the most amazing experience of my life. I tried not to let my feelings for you affect my job, but when that red block headed for you, all I could think was that I had to save you. Oh Ruka, I love you so much that it scares me." "Ruka? That's so cute." She touched Michiru's lips to silence her protests, a brilliant smile spreading across the blonde's face. No one else had ever seen her smile, really smile and Michiru blushed as she realized that Haruka really did love her. "I love you Michi, enough to die for you. I didn't realize it until Eugial was about to shoot me, and I tried to let go, release all links to life. I only had one, and I couldn't let go. It was you, Michi. You're the only thing that keeps me alive, the only reason I keep fighting. I don't care about my senshi duty or my princess or the Silence. All I care about is you and I won't ever let you go again. If you die in this fight, it will only because I fell protecting you." "Ruka . . . I don't know what to say." "Ehem." The lovers spun at the gentle interrupting cough, Haruka automatically pushing Michiru behind her and falling into a defensive stance. She straightened at the three people standing in their living room, all wearing white with a baby blue sash across their chest, two huge, white-feathered wings arching over each back. The man wore a simple loincloth and sandals like ancient Greeks, while the two women wore knee-length dresses cinched around their waists with a simple white ribbon. All three wore a quiver on their back filled with arrows and a beautiful wooden bow in one hand. The man had long pale brown hair tied back in a ponytail, his eyes alarmingly blue. The smaller woman had hair so vibrantly golden it would rival Minako's, pulled back in a practical French Braid, reaching to caress the floor even pulled up like that. Her purple eyes saw everything, and there was a depth in them that only came with extreme age, regardless of the beautiful youth displayed by her body. Her partner, for the love in the women's eyes was obvious, had fiery red hair that defied control, hanging to her knees in a silky waterfall of fire. Her eyes were emerald, and she seemed new to the bow in her hand. She lacked the confidence of the older woman. The man who had cleared his throat stepped forward. "Hello Haruka, Michiru. I am Cupid Number 557 Omicron, called Urakaze, and this is my former mentor Cupid 374 Omicron, Asakaze, and my former apprentice Cupid 779 Omicron, Rikuriko." Haruka's jaw hit the floor as her eyes returned to the red-haired woman. "Rikuriko," she breathed. "You died. I remember. We found you . . ." Rikuriko smiled. "Yes, Haru-chan, I died. But now I'm a Cupid, destined to dispense love and bring trusting hearts together. I'm glad you found your soulmate. Asa is mine." Haruka smiled as she pulled Michiru into her arms. "I am so glad you found your soul's mate, Rikuriko. How do you . . . Cupids know us?" "I am your Cupid, assigned to bring you two together in this life. My mother helped you fall in love in the Silver Millennium." "You mean Cupids are real? What about Eros from Greek mythology?" "Aphrodite's son, Michiru. We haven't seen many of the gods since they left Greece. They waited for you, but Humans often annoy them. They left us to take care of you. In any case, the Marine Cathedral is our jurisdiction, an ancient castle left over from the days when the gods roamed the earth. The story goes that Eros was born there and he and his bride Psyche lived there where she had a son and a daughter. The son became the famous and hidden First Cupid, 1 Alpha, and the daughter joined her soul to that of a newborn girl child near the end of the Silver Millennium. Her story is written on the walls and windows of the Cathedral. The mortals call her the Messiah of Light." Haruka gasped at the name, and Urakaze nodded. "We do not know our princess's identity, but we protect that place from all intruders. We call it the Forge, and sprites live there that create our arrows for us. They store the arrows in the cupid blocks on the wall in the Great Throne Room and they exist in the mortal plane until a Cupid touches them. They also cause pain to intruders, which you two unfortunately were. Until they enter the Cupid plane, they are tipped with poison. You need to get the tips out of your bodies." Haruka pulled her jacket off and looked at the tiny red spots on her arm. "They're that dangerous?" Urakaze waved his hand, and a golden bowl appeared in his hands. "You were never meant to go to the Marine Cathedral in your search for the Messiah, though I am glad you finally admitted your love." The women blushed, and the tall Cupid laughed. "You are the most stubborn woman any Omicron Cupid has ever encountered, Haruka. It took so many arrows . . . the sprites wondered if I was wasting them. Just use tweezers or a similar instrument that can grab tiny points and extract every one of those tips and place them in this bowl. I'll return before daylight to collect them. Until then, we leave you two in peace and privacy to celebrate your victory." Michiru blushed scarlet, and the women Cupids laughed. "Urakaze-kun, are you always watching?" "Not when you make love," he answered bluntly. "It took four arrows this morning, but we left when you finally climbed into her bed. One of our rules is that we do not use our powers to spy on lovers." He bowed as the two women behind him vanished. "And I must apologize for appearing before you like this. Mortals are not supposed to know that we and the gods even exist. However, in your case it was necessary. And the next time you two become so involved in your mission that you deny your own feelings, I will clobber you. That is a promise, not a threat." With those final parting words, Urakaze vanished, the golden bowl on the table. The two women stared at the empty room for a long time, the spell finally broken when Michiru swayed, exhausted, the pinpricks in pain in her skin beginning to burn. "I guess we should do as he said," she whispered. She almost collapsed onto the couch, struggling to sit up and pull her shirt over her head. Haruka's hands stopped her as the blonde gently removed Michiru's shirt and helped her stretch out on the couch, her aching back covered in tiny red welts. Haruka touched one, and the sea senshi gasped in pain, biting her lip as tears streamed down her cheeks. Haruka dug the first-aid kit out from under the table and found the tweezers. Biting her lip, Haruka gently pulled the first tiny metal tip out of Michiru's back. Ignoring her lover's pain and her own at the tiny gasp and wince that accompanied the removal of each tip, Haruka filled the bowl, checking Michiru's arms and back carefully to be sure she had removed them all. "Is that all of them?" "Yes," Michiru whispered, her voice no longer steady. "I'm going to clean them now." Haruka wet a piece of gauze with peroxide and began to clean the welts, tears filling her own eyes as Michiru's fists clenched. When she had finished, she realized that her lover had passed out. Grateful that Michiru had escaped the pain for at least a little while, Haruka took off her shirt and began extracting the tiny tips from her red arms. The pain eased a little as she placed the last of the poisoned metal points in the gold bowl and wiped peroxide over her swollen skin. Her own pain dealt with, Haruka walked to the bathroom and filled the tub with steaming water, adding soothing herbs her mother had taught her about to ease pain after racing accidents, bike accidents, and long races that strained her muscles. Now Michiru needed it. Returning to the living room, Haruka gently lifted her lover and carried her to the bathroom, slipping her out of the rest of her clothes and into the steaming water. Michiru hissed as she opened her eyes, grabbing desperately for Haruka. "It's okay, Michi. Just relax. I'll take care of you." Michiru smiled. "I believe you." *~*~*~*~*~*~* Rikuriko slowly walked into Asakaze's huge apartment, provided by the Cupid Alliance. "Wow. All I have is a room in the Apprentice Dorms." "You can request an apartment now that you have a jurisdiction." Asakaze hung her bow and quiver on the wall as she slipped her sash off and sighed. "It's so nice to be able to relax. Things have been much calmer since Usagi and Chibiusa defeated Wiseman. I like being able to relax." Rikuriko smiled as she removed her own bow, quiver, and sash. "It's very peaceful here. Do you have many visitors?" "Only Ura-kun, and not lately. Sometimes I get lonely, Kuri." The purr in her voice was very seductive, and Rikuriko moved to stand in front of her, a mischievous smile on her face, delighted at the pet name Asakaze had given her. "Maybe I can fix that, Asa." She leaned forward and let their lips touch, shocked out of the moment by Asakaze's amused chuckle. "What?" "You call that a kiss? I could get better from a five-year-old!" Rikuriko grinned, wrapping her arms around Asakaze's thin waist. "You want something more? Very well. Don't say later that I didn't warn you." She leaned down and let their lips touch. Asakaze gasped at the fire that passed between them, a passion she had only experienced from outside, watching the lovers she brought together kiss. Rikuriko easily lifted her, carrying her into the bedroom and depositing her on the bed clad in silky sheets the many hues of flame, pausing to glance at the décor. "It looks like you were expecting me." "I never dared dream that this day would come," she replied, her voice husky. "I love you, Asa, my light even in the darkest times." "I love you, Kuri, my flame even on the coldest nights. I'm so tired of being alone." "You'll never be alone again." *~*~*~*~*~*~* Urakaze grinned as he silently padded into Asakaze's room, pulling the blanket up off the floor and laying it across the two women, limbs intertwined, hair freed from all restraint as they had apparently been. He paused a moment to wonder at the length of Asakaze's hair. He had never seen it loose before, and it covered the pair like a veil, so long that she could never wear it down. Smiling, he left, turning the alarm off and leaving a tiny note. Grabbing the two Cupids' appointment books from the living room table, Urakaze tucked them into his belt, giving them a holiday from all responsibility. Opening his great wings, he soared back to the ground, entering Haruka's apartment with ease. Taking the bowl, he smiled. "It looks like I did better than I ever hoped. Not only did I get Haruka and Michiru together, I managed to find my best friend's soulmate. Not bad for a day's work." "No," a deep voice replied from behind him; "not bad at all." Urakaze smiled as he embraced his mother and father. "I was wondering if you would come." "On your victory day? We wouldn't miss is," Yuriko assured her son. "You've been Summoned to see Aphrodite herself. She's very proud of you, son." 79 Alpha, also known as Kiyoshi—but only to his wife and son—nodded. "And so are we. Come; you have an appointment with destiny." They vanished, leaving behind two Soulmates who finally found the courage to let their love lead them and let their duty take a secondary position.
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