running running running i'm trying to escape
what's going on where am i it's too dark can't see
someone help me something's chasing me i can't run more
what can i do i'm so scared it's too cold silent frightening
i can't stop must keep going where do i go where do i find help
what can i do what can i do they're chasing me they'll kill me HELP!
looking behind i see a demon it's horrible
what can i do? it's chasing me
i'm all alone the sky's turning red
where's that wind going from? can't move, too cold
what's that dark shadow?
a girl standing holding a glaive watching me raising it oh lord
i'm going to die
why is it so quiet?
why isn't anyone else here?
statues... standing there... breaking apart
girls in sailor suits?
someone's here now,
WAIT!
long dark green hair black trimmed uniform red eyes strange staff
what is that in her hand a strange rod with a sphere on top why is she
holding it out to me am i supposed to take it what will happen if i do
wHAt wiLl HaPpeN iF i DoN'T?
"Take the henshin pen transform you must it's your destiny"
Destiny?
_My_ destiny?
Why mine?
What should I do?
Take the pen, or...
reaching grabbing shouting what's happening?
aqua light swirling all around
what is this suit?
what am i?
who am i?
what have i become?
Michiru woke up and groggily looked around. It was early morning, and
from the lack of sounds she heard, no one else was up yet. She moved
to rub her eyes, then stopped and looked down at her bloodstained hands.
She looked away quickly, rising to go into her bathroom and shower. At
least it was a weekend, she had plenty of time to clean up.
She turned on the water and stepped into the stall. The liquid spilling
down her cleansed her, the dried blood running off her and leaving her--
Red.
Red red red.
Like the sky... in her dream... or was it a nightmare?
She clutched her head and leaned against the wall, crying out softly. She
couldn't stand these crazy visions. Her heart was pounding quickly. Her
head... hurting... right in the center of her forehead...
What the--
She could see a reflection in the rippling water on the floor of the stall,
a strange aqua light... a trident of sorts... on her forehead?!
She quickly shut off the water, flinging the curtain aside as she leapt
to her mirror. She leaned against the counter, shaking all over. Gone. It
was gone. What had happened? Was she imagining things? What was going on?
She carefully dried up the water on the floor, then got back in the shower
to wash her hair. After drying off, she walked to her closet and unconsciously
selected her school uniform.
Sailor...
A sailor outfit...
The woman in the dream, she had one...
And when she grabbed that rod, Michiru had one...
She let it drop to the floor and leaned back against the wall, trembling
again. What was going on? It was just some dream... nothing more... why
were all these strange things happening?
She threw on a robe and ran downstairs, calling out to her family. No one
answered. Where was everyone? What was going on?
She went to the kitchen, puzzled, and saw a note lying on the table. She
picked it up and read it over to herself. "Michiru-- Gone to visit your
father's parents. Will be back tomorrow. Kanpeki is over at Murasaki's
if you need anyone. Love, Mama."
Just like that? Just leave, with only some note? Why didn't they wake her
up?
Could they have told her parents what happened?
Michiru stumbled again, leaning heavily on the table. No... no, they
wouldn't do that... besides, Ki wouldn't believe it, she wouldn't believe
anything like that of her children... God, if she knew that every one of
the triplets were homosexual...
Maybe she'd just go for a walk, clear her head a bit.
She stepped out into the fresh air. It was so pleasant... She walked, and
walked, and walked... She was soon in the city, the bustling people and
traffic. It normally excited her, but she could only glance around
nervously. This is the place... the red sky... the wind...
She felt like she was being suffocated... she raced for a park, stumbling
to her knees in front of the lake. No one was around. It was perfect silent.
The Silence...
She gasped for breath, and suddenly heard a horrible yelling behind her.
She whirled around and saw a giant shape loom over her. Her eyes widened
in terror. Some kind of monster?... A long but bloated maroon form, a
mouth lined with spiky teeth, evil eyes glaring at her...
From the dream...
She couldn't find the energy to scream. She turned to run, but it felt
like she was running in syrup. Her limbs wouldn't respond, they had
frozen in fear.
What the hell? A shadow? Someone was standing there...
Michiru looked up with wide eyes and took a step back, her mouth wide in
a silent scream.
"No... no!... you're just a dream... that monster is a dream... you're
figments of my imagination... THIS ISN'T HAPPENING!!"
A woman stood there, her long, dark emerald hair falling to the back of
her knees, at least, the part that hung from the bun she wore in her hair,
with wispy bangs on her forehead, intelligent crimson eyes, her skin darkly
tanned and showing her taut muscles well.
She was clad in a sailor suit of sorts-- a white leotard sewn in three
pieces, a top section with the bottom forming a line tracing the bottom
of her breasts, and a midsection with a thick white piping separating it
from the bottom section, hidden under a short, pleated black skirt with a
black bow in the back of it.
Centered on the top section in the middle of her chest was a round, flat
gem, maroon in color, which held a dark brown bow in place. A black collar,
like that of a sailor's, extended from this.
Around her neck was a black choker with a smaller version of the gem on her
chest dangling from it. She wore maroon earrings shaped similarly to
upside down, elongated chevrons. On her forehead was a gold tiara, in an V
shape, with an oval shaped maroon gem in the center.
She wore tall white gloves that came to her elbows, where three pieces of
thick black piping encircled her arm. Her high-heeled boots were black,
with the top of them cutting off in an upside down V, trimmed in white.
She carried with her a tall, thin, silver staff, reminiscent of a key,
topped with an unusual piece-- a silver heart shape about as large as her
head, a large maroon orb affixed on the bottom center piece, with two much
smaller gold balls on each side, a gold ball slightly larger than these
meeting in the center of the arcs, a smaller silver heart coming up from
this with a matching gold ball in the center.
"This isn't a dream, Michiru; you're very much awake, and you are very
much in danger."
"Get away from m--"
She raised her staff high in the air. The monster was right on top of
them...
And suddenly, the woman whirled around quickly, and it seemed as if mists
were encircling her. She whispered, "Dead Scream," and a large ball of
magenta energy shot out from the orb on her staff. It smashed into the
monster and stunned it, knocking it to the ground.
Michiru stood there trembling, glancing back and forth from the monster
to the woman. "W-what do you want with me?"
"I've come to awaken a part of you."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Michiru said in a trembling
voice. Her mind was on her dream. This was definitely the same woman...
Did she have that same rod with her? That "henshin pen"?
"Please, Michiru, ju--"
"Don't be so familiar with me!" Michiru snapped. "I don't know you!"
The woman lowered her eyes. "Not that you remember."
"What... what's going on here?... does this have something to do with my
visions?..."
The woman took out a rod, seemingly out of nowhere, and handed it to
Michiru. She sat staring at it a long time. It fit perfectly in her hand,
as if it was made specifically for her. It was aqua in color, about as
long as an ink pen, a bit thicker than the width of her eye, topped with
a small globe reminiscent of a planet.
"Michiru-chan, please listen to me carefully, all right?"
Michiru looked up from the rod and nodded.
"The daimon will awaken soon. I want you to do something for me."
"Um..."
"Hold it high up in the air... right... that's it. Now, repeat what I say,
but make sure you really mean it, got it?" Michiru nodded. "Don't be
scared when your fuku appears; that's what's supposed to happen. Ready?"
"Yes."
"'Neptune Planet Power, Make-up.'"
Michiru paused a moment. Odd thing to say. She squinted her eyes tightly
shut, her hand shaking a bit, and shouted, "Neptune Planet Power... MAKE
UP!"
She felt like she was thrown into the ocean, water rippling all around her,
and couldn't see anything but a swirl of aqua light and cloth around her.
She gasped out for air, and stood there shaking when it was finished,
looking down at herself.
Her fuku was styled in the same way as that woman's, at least most of it. Her
collar, skirt, choker, and glove piping were aqua, however, the bows on her
skirt and top dark blue. Her gloves only came to her mid-forearm, and for
shoes, she had delicate aqua slippers that laced up like a ballerina's.
Her choker had a round aqua gem set on gold pieces, her earrings dangling
gold hoops, the gem on her tiara aqua as well. She had sleeves, however,
three pieces of white piping like that separating her skirt and leotard.
"Oh my God... Oh my God..."
"Calm down, it's all right--"
She felt herself hit with a wash of memories, a big jumble mainly, she
couldn't clearly tell what they were, but she somehow knew that when she
needed to recall something, she probably could.
"Michiru?! Are you al--"
"What the--"
The "daimon" leapt up again, and dove at Michiru. Michiru screamed, wanting
to dive out of the way...
Something in her snapped. She was filled with rage, but was calm. She leapt
right back at the daimon, leg extended, and kicked it in the center of its
"forehead." Landing on her feet, she whirled around and lifted her arms in
the air. Water was swirling around her, a wave gathering and separating behind
her, and she screamed, "Deep Submerge!" The wave smashed into one ball of
energy and sped at the daimon, hitting it dead center, and it suddenly mutated,
becoming the girl again, lying unconscious on the ground.
Michiru stood shaking, and fell to her knees. The woman came up behind her,
and drew her staff in front of her face. An elaborate gate seemed to appear
in front of her and open up, and they passed through it, into... her room?
"W-What just happened?... W-Who are you?! What is this crazy get-up we're
in?!"
The woman closed her eyes a moment and sighed, then opened them again. "My
name is Meiou Setsuna. In this form you see me in," she gestured to her
fuku with her staff, "I am called Sailorpluto. I am a Sailor Senshi, currently
the only one awakened. I am bound by another obligation, however. I am the
Keeper of Time. I watch over the Gate of Time, and am only allowed to leave
for very important things... such as this. The Senshi are a team gifted with
magical abilities; we use them to fight an evil that threatens the world.
There are nine other Senshi besides me. You are one of them."
"You... you expect me to believe that?"
Sailorpluto narrowed her eyes and sighed. "Please... I'm telling the truth,
even though it sounds very much like some silly story to you at the moment.
You'll understand soon..." She let her staff rest again the wall and sat
down in a chair. "Let me explain some of our past... you should have felt
something when you transformed, seen things... they probably don't make
sense to you right now, but I'll try to explain them to you, all right?"
"O-okay... I can't guarantee I'll believe it..."
"Please, try."
Michiru sighed and rubbed her temples. "Fine..."
Pluto cleared her throat and briefly closed her eyes. "Over a millennia
ago, a kingdom existed known as the Silver Millennium. Back then, all the
planets were livable and were inhabited by large populations. Each of
these planets had a designated representative that would lead their people
as a member of the royal family as well as protect them in time of war.
These women were known as the Sailor Senshi.
"The Sailor Senshi were originally called together to protect the princess
of the Moon Kingdom; this was on the moon of Earth, and was the center of
the Silver Millennium. Their duties expanded later, however.
"Each Senshi was called by her planetary name, such as how I am Sailorpluto,
since I'm from Pluto. We were also broken into two groups-- the Inner
Senshi and the Outer Senshi. The Outer Senshi were comprised entirely of
planets in the outer solar system, however, Jupiter was considered an Inner
Senshi. The Inners' main duty was to protect the princess, while the Outers'
was to protect the galaxy from outside invasions.
"I, of course, am an Outer Senshi. You are as well."
Michiru raised her eyebrow. "Oh _really_? And why is that?"
Pluto sighed and rolled her eyes. "You don't believe me, do you?"
Michiru clenched her fists. "You are the Guardian of Time, you said. Do
you know everything that goes on, anywhere?"
"... After a fashion, yes."
"So you know what I've been putting up with lately, right?"
"... Yes..."
Michiru crossed her arms and lay back further on her pillows. "Well, there
you have it. You're throwing this all at me out of the blue, expecting
me to accept it, on top of everything else I'm already dealing with."
"I'm not done explaining, Michiru."
"Fine then. Continue. The sooner you finish, tell me how to get out of this
crazy outfit, and leave, the better."
Pluto looked skyward as if to say 'Why me?', then continued. "As I was
saying, you are one of the Outer Senshi; Sailorneptune. Don't think you
just got randomly picked to be a Senshi in this time, however."
Pluto picked up her staff and stood up. "Watch."
The large maroon orb on her staff started glowing, and an image started
flickering to life in front of Michiru's eyes. She could see a group of
women clad in the same type of fuku as Pluto, with slight differences in
design and many in color. They were fighting a hideous army, and seemed
vastly outnumbered. She could make out Pluto in the crowd, but she was...
standing to the side? Huh? The warriors continued to fight, and one by
one, were struck down. The army was advancing quickly, led by a woman
with bright red hair and a purple dress. She was moving towards a man
with black hair and silver trimmed black armor, who was trying to protect
a fragile looking blond in a long white dress. It was hard to tell what
happened, but the next thing she knew, Michiru was watching them float
through the air, then all the bodies around them lift up and become
encased in glowing balls and disappear.
"W-What was that?! I... That looked like something I saw..."
The orb stopped glowing and Pluto set her staff aside. "That was the fall
of the Silver Millennium. An army from a group called the Dark Kingdom
attacked. We weren't well enough prepared, and lost. The Queen, Serenity,
wanted her daughter and her court to have another chance, and sent them
all into the future, to be reborn with no memory of their previous
existence. There was a catch, however. To send the princess and her court,
the Dark Kingdom had to be sent as well."
"And the Senshi? What happened to them? Are they supposed to fight again?
You say I'm a Senshi, was I just picked out of some people or..."
"Michiru... You were alive back then. You are one of the Senshi sent into
the future."
Michiru's eyes snapped wide open. "... what..."
"It's no joke. I remember you _quite_ well... and you're as stubborn as
ever, quite frankly. You were one of my best friends, you and-- That's of
no matter right now. The point is, you are a Senshi, reborn into this time,
and one day you'll have to fight again."
"Why come to me now?! You say the Dark Kingdom was sent here too, won't
they reawaken like we have?! If I'm supposed to be a Senshi, why didn't you
get me sooner?"
Pluto looked away. "You won't realize the battle with the Dark Kingdom
happened... you see... it already did."
"What?"
"It's a bit difficult to explain. The Inner Senshi were killed battling
them, and were resurrected again. The time you've spent on Earth cycled
around, back to the point of time where they encountered the Dark Kingdom.
New threats are rising up now, however, new enemies. These first ones
will be taken care of by the Inner Senshi... but as you have seen, another
is preparing. You battled one of their prototype minions today. This
battle will be of far more importance, and you must prepare."
Michiru stood up and walked over to her window. "Pluto... this is too much
for me at once. I hear everything you're saying, but I don't know how to
deal with it."
"I'm sorry... I'm operating under instructions."
"Whose?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Why not?"
Pluto narrowed her eyes. "I have certain duties to follow, regulations,
orders, I can't sidetrack at all, can't bend them the slightest."
"... Yeah..."
Michiru lay her head against the glass. "So... what am I supposed to do
about all this?"
"Like I said, you need to train. You have to be ready for battle. You
will undoubtedly face more enemies before the real battle begins. You will
probably be having flashbacks of your past life, especially when you
transform."
"Why is that?"
"The nature of the magic involved, and... let's just say, you're a unique
Senshi."
Michiru grumbled a bit and muttered something under her breath.
"I heard that."
"Sure you did."
"Well, I did. And don't worry, you aren't the only one. You had a partner
in the Silver Millennium, and she'll be awakened later, don't worry. She
should have been earlier, but... circumstances are not ideal for her to
become a Senshi at this time."
Michiru looked at her quizzically. "'Partner'? In battles, I assume?"
Pluto looked at her slyly. "That's probably the least of what she's your
partner in."
Michiru blushed a bit. "You don't mean that we... we... um..."
"I do."
"... oh..." Crap... I had a lover?!
"Moving on, you need to learn how to detransform, so you aren't stuck
like that. I don't have much more time to stay here. I'm sorry I can't
help more, but... like I said, the rules..."
"Let's just get this over with."
"You're still blushing. You have to be calm for this."
"Oh shut up."
Once Michiru returned to a normal color, Pluto nodded and said softly, "Just
think about the uniform leaving you, of your normal clothes reappearing."
Pluto then turned around to face the other way.
She was startled when her fuku suddenly rippled, then disappeared with a trail
of cherry blossom petals swirling around her, then her normal clothes appeared
again. I better make sure not to do _that_ in public, last thing I need is to
give someone a peep show! No wonder Pluto turned away...
Suddenly a rush of memories hit her again, making her stumble. The past...
The ball is beautifully decorated, as always. The princess and her
prince are off to one side laughing, the other Senshi dancing with
their partners, except for Pluto... poor thing... and that mysterious
woman that we're all told to avoid, but the two of us know better, that
this woman is just as human as the rest of us...
"May I have this dance?"
I laugh and smile sweetly at Her. "Of course you may."
She gives me one of Her patented grins, and whisks me away on the
dance floor. Always the show-off, She twirls me around, dips me,
all those fancy little dance touches that reveal She's a pro.
I giggle a bit as the dance ends and She bends to kiss my cheek.
"Why don't we go off alone?" She whispers huskily to me, Her lips
darting towards my neck, then my own lips.
"That would be wonderful," I murmur, returning Her kisses.
She lifts me up in Her arms, carrying me to the balcony. I smile
up at Her... so romantic and tender, a side She never shows anyone
else.
"Wait," Pluto calls out to us, then calling us by our Senshi names.
"Would you wait a moment?"
I sigh and smile at Her, and She carefully lowers my legs till my
feet touch the ground again. "Yes, Setsuna? No need to be formal
amongst your best friends..."
Pluto comes over to us, and I'm surprised to see her eyes a bit
watery. "I'm afraid... I'll be returning to the Gate shortly..."
"No! You just got back!" I cry.
Then She asks, "Why do you have to leave so soon?"
"Duties," Pluto spits out. "It'll be awhile before I can return."
"I'm so sorry..." I whisper. I hug her tightly, as does She.
"Oh, my friends... I'll miss you..."
"And we'll miss you," we say in unison.
She smiles sadly at us, then looks up as if hearing something. "It's
time to go... farewell."
I wipe my tears away, and we all wave to each other.
The Gate opens, and she enters.
And that's that last time I saw her before the battle...
Michiru looked up at her, crying a bit. "Setsuna! Oh God..." She ran over
and hugged her tightly. Pluto emitted an "ooof!" but hugged her back. "I
forgot my own best friend... how could I have done that... oh lord..."
She suddenly pulled back with a puzzled look. "What the... you were there
after I was born here? I have a memory of... I can hear you talking..."
"Yes, that was me," Pluto smiled a bit as she nodded.
Michiru stood to the side and held her hands to her cheeks. "I... I feel
so strange... I wish I understood what was going on..."
"You'll probably be disoriented a bit, but things will clear up eventually
... I have to leave now, but I want to remind you before I leave, please
train, please be prepared. When it's time to fight, we'll need you in the
best possible shape."
"Wait! Setsuna!"
Pluto looked back over her shoulder. "Yes?"
"Well, the last time you left was really the _last_ time you left... I...
Is there any way I could contact you?"
"If you need me, I'll try to be there."
"Cryptic as always."
Pluto chuckled. "Always. Bye."
"... Bye."
Pluto held her staff high over her head and shouted a something Michiru
couldn't quite understand. A pair of ornate doors appeared out of nowhere
and swung open, and Pluto quickly stepped through, trailing out fog as
they slammed shut and disappeared.
Michiru stood staring at the empty spot for awhile, not even realizing how
much she was trembling. Gone. Just like that. Through doors that appeared
out of nowhere. She started chuckling a bit, not noticing the slightly
hysterical edge it took. She was a Senshi. Or she was again. But did the
past really count when you couldn't remember it?
Great, she thought to herself. What am I supposed to do now? I got some
crazy suit and jumbled memories. My best friend... er, who I remember as
being my best friend... Hell, this is too confusing... just left me alone
to piece things together myself. And I can remember a lover that I had
then, which I certainly don't have now. Who was she?
I guess I might as well try to get the hang of this crazy stuff.
She lifted her henshin pen for only the second time in this life. "Neptune
Planet Power, MAKE-UP!" It felt so strange to transform... but once she
did, she felt strangely comfortable and at ease. She felt more energetic,
stronger, more agile. It was quite unusual.
Neptune walked over to her window and shoved it open. She looked down at
the ground. She'd jumped it before--was bruised for weeks afterwards, but
it wasn't guaranteed death if she leapt. Might as well see if this Senshi
thing made the trip any different.
She stood on the sill. She leapt. She landed. She looked back up at her
window.
That was it? No "oomph!," no falling on her butt after stumbling, no
rubbing new bruises... just the sound of her feet hitting the ground?
This could be interesting.
Just to test, she jumped up in the air, hoping to reach her window.
She did.
Okaayyyy... Can jump up to a two story window and jump off it with little
effort and no pain. Hmmm. Definitely interesting.
Jumping back down, she looked around her house, then ran down to the lake.
The lake was as calm as usual, but--
She stopped and stared. And she felt. What was this she felt? The lake was
stirring somewhat... fed by a river leading out to the sea. The sea...
Was she feeling the sea? It seemed disturbed, worried, but it didn't feel
threatened, at least not yet. What was she supposed to make of that?
She stood there for awhile, pondering. She could leap inhuman amounts,
sense the sea, and now that she thought about it, she had run faster than
ever before. This wasn't too hard...
Waitaminute... I can't go anywhere like this! I'm dressed in some costume
for crying out loud! I have to get inside and get this off!
She rushed back to her window, leapt in, and shut it behind her. She
detransformed with a sigh.
She was overwhelmingly tired then for some reason. She could faintly hear
Pluto's voice chanting to her. Was the Time Guardian putting her to sleep?
She yawned and lay down on her bed again. Well... a little nap couldn't
hurt... yeah...
She's running towards me now
Her short, silky hair flying in the wind
(oh how she wants to be one with the wind)
Not noticing all the stares she receives
(so gorgeous, both her soul and body)
Then she is standing close beside me
Holding me against her perfect form
Bending to tenderly kiss my lips
Hold me forever please my love...
Smoothing back my hair, whispering to me
Her voice smooth as honey, deep as the sea
Her strong arms warming me as I lean against her
Her embrace and words promise eternity together
My partner in all things, my soulmate, my lover
So many titles to give, none capture our closeness
She has always been here for me, as I am for her
Together forever, in all things, yes, all things...
Reddened sky overhead
Screams cutting the air
We're separated in the crowd
Have to transform have to hurry
The troops are closing in quickly now
Must fight... protect the princess...
Where did you go?! I can't do this without you!
Punching kicking throwing thrusting attacking with my own special powers
Where did you go?! I'm so scared for you...
Darkness, blood, bodies lying everywhere
I see our teammates on the ground
I'm alone... where did you go? Are you alive?
Running crying screaming so scared...
Dark queen approaching the princess
Have to find you can't stop can't wait
Can feel you but can't see you, where are you?!
One of the four gray-clothed men, trying to block my path--
You're there, sword held ready, telling me to stay back
Striking at him, seeming to kill him, you look so sad
I hold you, crying against you, we're the only ones left...
Movement over your shoulder, he's standing to fight again
I smile sadly at you, you'll try to protect me...
I can't allow that, I can't let you die for me, I'm not worth it
He leaps, his own sword raised, you whirl around, I shove you
Blade descending, I close my eyes, this is for you...
i can't see i can't feel i'm numbed by my pain
lying on the ground looking up at the sky
did i save you? was my sacrifice worth it?
i'm supposed to live to fight i tried but you have to live...
now i'm lying here dying... sobbing... i hear screaming
someone's lifting me up now... crying....
i see you then i couldn't before
you're holding me in your arms
blood caking your uniform, tears pouring down your face
you weep against my hair, shouting out my name, begging
i can barely speak... my mouth is dry, you're babbling...
"please don't die! you can't! live! live! neptune! please!"
i'm going numb... but warmed when you look deep into my eyes
your kiss is so sad, but so passionate...
i can't see or feel my body
but i can feel your love now....
i hope you feel mine too.....
i'm not afraid of dying if it was to save you
i'm not afraid to die if it's in your arms
it'll be ok... you'll be ok... i hope...
"i love you" "i love you too..."
....goodbye
Michiru gasped loudly as she woke up, immediately sitting up, her hands
flying up to her mouth. She shivered all over and rubbed her arms to try
and relieve the chill sensation she felt. She had the strangest feeling
that Setsuna was standing there, but when she looked around, she couldn't
see anyone.
Michiru shakily stood, stumbling over to her dresser to brush her hair.
She dropped the brush several times, finally giving up. She curled up into
a ball on the floor, rocking herself back and forth, trying to calm her
nerves.
The dream... she knew it was real... but why couldn't she remember what
her lover looked like, her name, any distinguishing trait for that
matter? If Setsuna had really made her have that dream, she better have
had a good reason for causing so much confusion.
Michiru lifted her shaky hand to her forehead and pushed her hair back
from her face. C'mon... concentrate... maybe you can piece together
something...
Michiru let out a loud gasp as the vision quickly replayed in her mind,
but this time... her face... she could see her lover's face...
"Haruka?"
She slowly stood up and walked toward her mirror in a daze.
"Haruka... my lover?... my partner?"
"That's right."
There it was again; Setsuna's mysterious whispering. She could hear it
even though the woman wasn't present.
"Haruka was Sailoruranus, and she will be... once circumstances... are
more favorable for her. She is destined to be your partner again."
"In all respects?"
"Yes."
"... Oh my..."
Michiru leaned against a wall, still dazed. "I... I can't... believe it...
I mean, I want to... It's just... wow..."
"It just hasn't quite hit you yet, that's all."
So there was silence.
And more silence.
"Haruka's gonna be MY lover!!!" Michiru squealed with delight, hugging
herself and crying with joy.
"Er... calm down..."
"Oh hush! You have NO idea what this means to me!" Michiru laughed happily.
"Everything's going to be fine, we'll--"
She trailed off, eyes widening with fear as a chill went down her spine.
The sea... it was restless... "Wha--... I... she's in trouble... oh my gosh
... I have to get to her house!"
"What's going on?!"
"I have to go, she's in danger, I can feel it!"
"... Be careful."
Michiru quickly shouted, "Neptune Planet Power, MAKE-UP!" Upon transform-
ing, she leapt out her window.
Have to get there quickly... who cares if someone sees me... have to get
there fast...
She rowed faster than she ever had before, and she had a feeling that
the water sensed her urgency and propelled her quicker. She didn't bother
to carefully anchor the boat at the dock; she raced straight to Haruka's
backyard from the park.
Leaping into the tree by Haruka's window, Neptune saw that Haruka wasn't
there. She could hear a loud commotion downstairs, and quickly rushed to
the back window and froze at the sight.
"Oh no... no..."
Katai had a stranglehold around Sunao's neck, and Haruka lay on the ground
beside him, unable to move, but she could see everything that was
happening. Haruka was crying out hoarsely, but it seemed none of the
neighbors had heard. Sunao was frantically trying to pry Katai's hands
away, but her strength was leaving her quickly, and Haruka was slipping
closer to death.
Neptune knew she had no choice in this matter; she had to intervene. She
didn't even bother trying to produce the key, she just shouted, "Deep
Submerge!"
The blue energy ball slammed into the glass door, shattering it open
instantly. Katai lost his grip on Sunao's neck in shock, and the woman
fell to the floor, gasping for air before passing out.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Neptune didn't know why she chose her next words. "Invited by a new age,
I'm Sailorneptune! Acting gracefully!"
Katai snorted and rushed at her with his fist clenched for a punch. Neptune
sidestepped him, bringing up her knee to catch his belly. He doubled over
and collapsed on the floor, gasping deeply, and Neptune raced for a phone.
She quickly dialed the emergency number and hurriedly gave the address and
said that someone was dying, then dropped the phone back on the hook as
she saw Katai standing up again.
"Don't move!" he shouted at her. He lifted a gun up shakily, pointing it
down at Haruka. Neptune stood stock still. "Get over here... next to them."
Neptune walked over slowly. She had to buy time somehow for the ambulance
to get here... "Why are you doing this, Ten'ou-san?"
"Why?!" He laughed hysterically. "I hate the little bitch! It's her fault
that I don't have a son! My wife, to stupid to bear a male that could live,
only this dumb girl... I should have done this sooner! Shouldn't have
dragged it out so long! But no, no, Sunao knows now, and I have to kill
them both!"
"There are other solutions... they could just move away, you don't have to
do this."
"Don't have to do this?! And let them get the chance to tell the police?!"
"What if they knew that you would kill them if they did? Do you think
they'd dare tell?"
Just as Katai was distracted with that thought, she kicked the side of his
head, knocking him to the ground and disarming him. She lifted the gun and
quickly rapped the side of his head with it, knocking him unconscious.
She detransformed as she knelt to check Sunao's pulse. It was steady, and
her breathing was back to normal. She was very worried when she knelt down
by Haruka and grabbed the phone, calling for an ambulance. She then called
Teinei on her cellphone and quickly told her to get there right away. Michiru
carefully leaned over Haruka after she'd put the phone down, checking the
girl's breathing by putting her ear close to her nose. Her breathing was very
weak, and after checking her pulse, she found that to be weak as well. Michiru
quickly wiped her tears away, and sat hoping the ambulance would arrive soon.
From what Katai had babbled, it sounded like Sunao had come home and found
Haruka there, and Haruka told Sunao what happened. Sunao or Haruka must
have confronted him and he attacked.
Michiru jumped a bit when Haruka let out a soft groan. She was waking up
a bit. Michiru nervously leaned over her again to see how well she was
doing, and let out a startled gasp as Haruka's eyes snapped open. She
was rooted to the spot as Haruka stared into her eyes, then smiled faintly,
and her eyes fluttered shut. She started mumbling something and had just
quieted down when the ambulance attendants rushed in.
"What happened here?" a man asked Michiru as the others were examining
their patients and preparing to load them onto stretchers.
"I... I came here and I saw... the father choking his wife, the girl on
the ground, dying."
"How'd he end up like this?"
"I... I managed to disarm him... he was too busy with them, didn't hear me
come in."
"What happened to the glass door over there?"
"Uh, it was like that when I got here."
"Are you a friend of the family?"
"No... I... was just walking by and heard the shouts... the girl's aunt
is on the way over."
"All right, thank you." He went to assist the others.
Michiru let out a sob when Teinei ran in and paled at the sight. "Michiru!
What happened?!"
Michiru mumbled the same explanation she'd given the ambulance attendant.
She couldn't tell Teinei she was a Senshi, as much as she trusted her. And
Haruka... a Senshi too...
"Ma'am? You are the sister of this man, correct?"
Teinei nodded.
"Did this girl tell you what happened here?"
"Yes... If you don't mind, would you place my brother in a separate
ambulance from these two?"
"Of course, we'll send for another one."
Haruka and Sunao had been safely placed on board the ambulance, and Teinei
turned to Michiru sadly. "I'll call you and tell you how things go," she
whispered. "I'm sorry that... you can't come--"
"No, it's better this way," Michiru said in a slightly hoarse voice. "She
doesn't need to know that I was involved... and I'd just be too hysterical;
I'd get in the way."
Teinei nodded to her, then said, "Why don't you... just go to my house for
now. Murasaki-chan will be back soon from the recital... tell her I had to
check on my dad, he, uh, he was sick... make up something... don't let
anyone know what happened... bye..."
Michiru waved as the ambulance pulled away, then dropped to her knees in
the grass, sobbing loudly. An attendant asked if she wished to stay; she
refused, and trudged back to her boat and rowed home.
She didn't quite notice when she'd entered Teinei's home and collapsed on
the couch. Haruka could be dying now... If only she'd been a little
quicker...
"Don't blame yourself."
Michiru gasped as she saw that Pluto now stood right in front of her.
"What are y--"
"Michiru-chan," Pluto said quietly. "You saved her life, and that of
her mother. Don't be upset. Everything's going to be fine."
"I... why are you... what..."
"Don't try to talk; you're too upset right now. I came because you are in
need of a companion right now... you're obviously distraught about what
happened. You don't know how to deal with an enemy yet--"
"Damnit, Pluto!!" Michiru shouted, and Pluto almost seemed to flinch. "She
almost DIED, and all you can do is rattle on about being a SENSHI?!"
Pluto narrowed her eyes and turned away. "Michiru-chan..." She clenched
her fist and faced the wall. "Do you have any idea how alone I am? Do you
think I am good at communicating with people, after guarding the Time Gate
for so long? I am the Guardian of Time, and my duty has become me now. That
and being a Senshi is all I really know how to do anymore. I was away from
my friends for countless millennia before you were reborn, and was guarding
the Gate the whole time."
Michiru pulled her knees up under her chin, eyes misting over. "...Look,
I'm sorry I snapped at you... I just..."
"It's all right... I know you must be devastated right now... But it'll be
ok. It has to be, you know that. Haruka is to be your partner, and she has
to live to do that. Don't worry."
"... She saw me."
Pluto whirled around, crimson eyes wide open. "WHAT?!"
"She... was awake when I arrived, passed out... after I detransformed,
she woke up, just for a moment, and stared right at me."
Pluto swore under her breath and brought her hand up to her chin. "It's
so soon for it to happen..."
The doorbell rang, making Michiru jump, while Pluto just looked over to it.
"I'd better go." She stepped through her portal and disappeared.
Michiru quickly smoothed her hair and opened the door to let Murasaki and
Kanpeki in. "How did the recital go?"
Murasaki began, "Well, it--"
"She was incredible!" Kanpeki breathed. "She plays the piano so well!"
Murasaki colored a bit and grinned. "Thanks! ... It, uh, runs in the family,
I guess... Teinei says Haruka-chan's great at it..." She turned to Michiru
with a puzzled expression.
"Michiru-chan, where's Teinei-san? She left in the middle of the recital;
we had to walk back!"
"She, uh, had to check up on her father... slipped on the stairs at home,
nothing major it turns out, but they were worried at first."
"Ah..." Murasaki seemed to believe it. "Well, can I offer you two anything
to eat or drink?"
"Sure," the two sisters said at once.
Murasaki laughed. "All right, let's go to the kitchen then. Help yourselves."
Michiru and Kanpeki found a brownie stash at the same time and argued a
bit over whether they should eat it or not before Murasaki insisted that
it was all right; they weren't saving it for any special reason. Kanpeki
quickly started eating; she loved any kind of chocolate; Michiru consuming
one rapidly as well, hoping the soothing qualities of the chocolate would
alleviate her worry for Haruka somewhat.
"You two really are a lot alike, you know," Murasaki commented.
The two both looked up at her in surprise.
"The same look on your face right now, too!... C'mon, you're triplets, what
do you expect?"
Michiru sniffed indignantly and joked, "Well, I'm older, so I'm better."
"No you aren't!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"So immature," Murasaki teased, then ducking from the wadded up napkins
that flew at her. "Hey, stop that!" she laughed, "you could've used those!"
"What?!" they both said.
"You've both got chocolate in the corner of your mouths. To busy arguing
to clean up after yourselves, tsk tsk."
Michiru grabbed a napkin while Kanpeki tried to figure out where it was
and wipe it away. Michiru watched with a pang of longing for Haruka as
Murasaki stepped over and carefully wiped it away, making Kanpeki blush
brightly.
"Um... thank you..."
"No problem..."
Michiru cleared her throat and calmed down. "I'm going to make a phone
call... I'll be right back."
She left the room and sat down on the couch by the phone. She waited until
she was sure Kanpeki and Murasaki were too deep in conversation to notice
her, then dialed the hospital.
"Hello, Tokyo Hospital, how may I help you?"
"Hi, I need to check on the status of a patient."
"Your name please?"
"Kaiou Michiru."
"And the patient?"
"Ten'ou Haruka."
"One moment please."
There was a click as the secretary put her on hold, then another as she
returned.
"I have a Ten'ou Teinei here to speak to you."
"Hello, Michiru-chan?"
"Teinei-san, thank goodness... how is she?"
"She's going to be fine."
Michiru breathed a sigh of relief.
"Her condition is stable, and so is Sunao-chan's. Sunao is awake, just a
bit tired. She could leave today, Haruka is questionable though... she
could be moved, but the doctors would prefer to keep her here. Katai is...
well, he took quite a blow to the head with that gun barrel... he'll be out
of it awhile... Which should give them time to pack up and get out of that
house as quick as they can."
"Where would they go?"
Teinei sighed. "I don't know... an apartment maybe. I just know it'll be
fine. Katai should be put in jail, I don't know the details yet."
"Is Haruka still unconscious?"
"She's with us sometimes. She keeps babbling, something about an angel?
With seagreen hair? Hmmm... "
Michiru blushed faintly. "Maybe it's because... she... she saw me... she
woke up a moment and..."
"Hmmmm... Well, don't want to embarrass you too much... What excuse did you
give Murasaki-chan?"
"Your father fell down the stairs, so you had to check up on him. Wasn't
serious after all, but you had to make sure."
"Good, that'll work. Otou-san _does_ have a tendency to slip on the stairs,
so if she happens to ask how he is since the incident, he won't know the
difference either."
"... Ah..."
"... Michiru-chan, why don't you go back to Haruka's and I'll pick you up
there and take you to see her?"
"All right... um, see you soon... bye."
Michiru hung up the phone and stood shakily. The conversation in the
kitchen continued. "I'll see you later!" she called in to them, not
waiting for a reply; they were too busy talking, something about seeing a
movie? Michiru didn't know what was going on; she just wanted to get out
of there and see Haruka.
Her mind didn't entirely register how she ended up at Haruka's, sitting
on her bed. She sat there for awhile, just gazing around the room. She
stood slowly and walked over to the dresser, carefully picking up the
delicate gold cross and matching chain. She ran her finger across the
smooth surface and carefully slipped it into her pocket.
There were several notebooks lying on the floor under the bed. She would
have overlooked them but for a tiny blue corner peaking out from the
comforter. She careful pulled it out and opened it. She was quite shocked
at what she saw in them.
Compositions for the piano spanned dozens of pages, sketches framing
carefully penned notes, poetry, song lyrics...
Michiru carefully laid it on the bed. She wasn't about to read it all; these
were Haruka's private thoughts. Besides, it would take much too long even if
she was willing to.
Teinei came not long after that. "Michiru-chan? Could you come downstairs?"
Michiru was shocked to see Sunao standing there when she came down. She'd
never really seen Haruka's mother, and didn't get a good look earlier, so
she was amazed at the resemblance between them. Sunao smiled sadly at her.
"Hello there."
"H-Hello."
Teinei nodded to Sunao and said, "Michiru-chan, this is Sunao. Sunao,
Kaiou Michiru."
Sunao slowly held her hand out to shake Michiru's trembling one.
"Teinei-san... what..."
Sunao bowed her head and closed her eyes, her voice choking up a bit as
she whispered, "I want to thank you for saving my and my daughter's lives.
I am not entirely sure how you went about it... but we owe you everything.
Thank you."
"Y-you're welcome..."
Teinei's eyes bore into her, and she felt guilty under that gaze,
pressured. "I believe you owe it to Sunao to tell her..."
Michiru stiffened. "But... why..."
"Trust me."
Sunao looked up at her. "I know that you weren't just 'passing by' when
you came to our rescue. Please... what's going on here?"
Michiru closed her eyes tightly and tried to ignore the dull pain in her
forehead. There was just too much going on too quickly... saving Haruka's
life twice, her revelation to her siblings, becoming a Senshi, receiving
these fragmented memories of her past...
"I was here because... I... I _love_ Haruka."
Time seemed to take a break that moment as the room fell silent at her
words.
"You... love... my daughter?"
Michiru lowered her head. "Yes." She felt hot tears sting her eyes. Damnit,
why did she listen to Teinei?! She'd probably have to answer all sorts of
questions, defend he--
She gasped in surprise when Sunao hugged her tightly, then drew away. "Oh
God... thank you... thank you... You don't know... how much this means..."
Sunao brushed away tears and said, "If you hadn't come here, we'd be dead.
I suspect you're the one that attended to Haruka last night as well. My
daughter has a future because of you... and hopefully..." Sunao lowered
her voice as she continued, "Haruka has no one. Katai drove her deep within
herself, and since this started, she's been alone. She desperately needs
someone... and... well, according to Teinei-chan, Haruka would probably
be interested in a loving relationship with someone such as yourself."
"Sunao-san... I don't think Haruka is ready," Michiru replied. "I... I
would love it if she was, but I can tell that she needs time to recover,
to rebuild her life. She has to be able to accept herself before I can
try to enter her life. Please don't tell her... I don't want to ruin my
chances before I have the opportunity to talk to her myself."
"I won't." Sunao paused a moment. "How long have you been in love with her?"
"A few months. I've been watching her since the first day of school."
Sunao seemed quite shocked. "So you've been coming to our house all this time?
I never even noticed."
"Well, I didn't intend to be."
Sunao chuckled, then said softly, "Michiru-chan, if you don't mind... it's
too dangerous for Haruka and I to stay here. We need to get out of here,
fast, and find someplace to stay. We borrowed a van from a friend... could
you help Teinei and I pack up as much as we can?"
"So soon?"
"Once Katai wakes up, he'll be dangerous. The authorities have no proof of
what really happened here, so they aren't going to charge him. We have to be
gone before he can track us down."
"All right."
"I'll get my things, could you attend to Haruka's? I have a feeling you
know what she would want to hang onto."
Michiru blushed slightly and nodded, then took some boxes upstairs to pack
stuff in. The first thing was definitely the notebooks. Michiru searched
around and packed some clothes that Haruka favored, some of her manga,
her school materials, and other items, then took them downstairs in shifts.
Sunao and Teinei were waiting.
"Well, let's get going," Teinei said.
Sunao took a last look around the place, then sighed bitterly. She was
almost violent when she locked the door, but was careful when placing
the boxes in the van. "Are you sure you got everything she'd want?"
"Positive."
"All right then."
They got in the van, Teinei driving. "We'll have to the hospital to get
Haruka-chan... I know the doctors won't like it, but she'll be in danger
if she stays there with Katai too long."
"Teinei-san, is it really a good idea for me to go, too?"
"Don't worry. They'll give her something to make sure she's sleepy; make
the move easier. I have an apartment lined up that a friend of mine is
moving out of, so we'll drop this stuff off first to make more room, then
get Haruka, all right?"
It didn't take long to finish that and get to the hospital. They were
escorted to Haruka's room in silence. After giving the doctor an
explanation, he prepared the necessary medication, then gave it to the
still unconscious Haruka.
"She'll sleep for several more hours, maybe wake up a few times, and will
be tired the next few days. Make sure she doesn't move except when
necessary; eating, using the restroom, etc. Anything else?"
"No matter what happens, my husband is not to know of this," Sunao said
sharply.
"Understood."
Haruka was stretched out in the backseat of the van, head cradled in
Michiru's arms. Sunao watched out of the corner of her eye the whole trip
to the apartment. Michiru gazed down at Haruka, and carefully pulled out
the cross necklace that she'd tucked into her pocket. She fastened it
around Haruka's neck and smiled softly at her. She gently stroked her
hair and touched her hand to her cheek.
It's going to be all right, she thought. Haruka will be safe now. I just
need to give her some time to recover. It'll be okay.
Haruka stirred very slightly, but didn't open her eyes, and was soon
fast asleep again. Sunao chuckled a bit when Michiru released the breath
she'd been holding.
"Worried?"
"A bit. She's seen me, but I'm not sure if she will remember me."
"Don't worry, I won't tell her what really happened... If she happens to
mention remembering you, I'll deny everything."
"Thank you."
It didn't take too long to reach the apartment. They had to be very
careful moving Haruka, but got her upstairs and tucked into a bed
without any trouble.
"I should probably go," Michiru whispered sadly. "It wouldn't be a good
idea to have me around."
Sunao handed her a slip of paper. "The number here... in case you want
to talk to me. I'll get yours from Teinei."
Michiru tensed a bit when Sunao hugged her, and nearly cried when she
hugged Teinei.
"It'll be okay, Michiru," Teinei whispered.
"I'm just so scared... I... I'm going to check on her one last time...
then I'll go."
Michiru slowly approached Haruka's bed, bending carefully over her.
"Please get well soon," she said softly, lightly touching her cheek.
Haruka's eyes fluttered slightly and she whispered, "Angel?"
Michiru smiled sadly, standing to adjust the blue notebook set on the
nightstand, and left, waving slightly to Sunao and Teinei, refusing a ride
home ("I need the time to think".)
Life was just too complicated sometimes.
"Oh good, looks like Michiru is the only one home," Kanpeki commented as
she walked to the front door with Murasaki. "No cars, and no lights
except hers."
"That's, um, that's good."
Kanpeki giggled a bit as she unlocked the door and took Murasaki's hand,
leading her into the house. She shut the door quietly behind them. "Whew,
I'm so full..."
"I told you they had the best food there," Murasaki said with a laugh.
"They sure did."
Kanpeki shuffled her feet as there was a bit of an awkward silence. "Well,
uh, what do you want to do now?..."
Murasaki smiled sweetly at her. "I wouldn't mind just spending some time
alone together."
"Oh..." Kanpeki blushed a bit as Murasaki took her hand and led her to
sit on the couch in the living room. "You know, I had the best time of
my life tonight."
"Wish I'd had the nerve to ask you out earlier," Murasaki said with a
laugh.
"Yeah..." Kanpeki smiled at her. "I'm really glad..." She quickly wiped
her eyes and looked away.
"What's wrong?" Murasaki leaned towards her and hugged her gently. "You
can tell me..."
"I just..." Kanpeki bit her lip and blushed, then smiled up at her. "To
tell the truth... I love you."
Murasaki blushed a bit, but smiled back at her. "I love you, too."
Kanpeki hugged her tightly, then started laughing.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, we spent all this time trying to hide our feelings... but we feel
the same!"
"It's a bit amusing..."
Kanpeki jumped when the clock struck the hour loudly.
"Ten o'clock already?!" Murasaki frowned. "Damnit... Teinei'll be
expecting me to get home."
"Do you _have_ to go?"
"She'll pitch a fit if I don't get home on time... sorry."
They heard Michiru call down right after that, "Kanpeki-chan, come up
here a moment..."
"I'll be there in a moment!" Kanpeki turned to Murasaki. "Guess I
won't be walking you home."
"Oh well," Murasaki said with a shrug. "... Call me?"
"Sure." Kanpeki shyly looked down. "Well... bye."
"Bye..."
Murasaki paused a moment, then bent forward and tenderly kissed Kanpeki's
lips. Kanpeki wrapped her arms around her neck and returned the kiss, then
they pulled away.
"I love you," Murasaki said softly.
"I love you, too."
Kanpeki waved as Murasaki left, watching her for awhile, then shut and
locked the door. She walked up the stairs to Michiru's room in a daze.
"What is it, Michiru?"
Michiru looked up from her sketchbook. "Sorry, I didn't interrupt you
two, did I?"
"Um, not really, I suppose..."
"So... you went on a date?"
"Yeah..."
"Well? How was it?"
"The best night of my life," Kanpeki sighed. "And..." she blushed a bit.
"Well, I told her... I told her I loved her, and... and she said she
loves me, too... and we kissed before she left."
"That's great!" Michiru said excitedly, but her smile seemed a bit sad.
"What did you need me for?"
"It, um, it wasn't that important actually... I just wanted you to tell
Teinei whenever you go to see Murasaki that I won't be visiting tomorrow...
I need some time by myself to think."
"All right," Kanpeki said. "Well, I'm going to go call her now, so I'll tell
her."
"Thanks."
"Sleep well, onee-chan."
"You, too..."
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