Haruka flopped into her desk, arriving early as usual. She glanced out the window briefly. She had a bad feeling about today, and she wasn't sure why. Kemmei nodded to her and went back to grading a test from yesterday. He was an all right teacher, considering Haruka's low opinion of teachers in general. Some other kids waved to her as they took their seats. Haruka went back to staring out the window. It was fairly quiet in the room. She thought she heard someone else come in the room and talk to Kemmei. She was a bit surprised when the footsteps seemed to come towards her. She turned to look and practically choked on the breath she sucked in. "Well, hello, Haruka. Nice to see you again. Mind if I take the seat next to you?" Michiru... what was she doing here? She called her "Haruka"... just that, no suffix... oh lord... "I--" Michiru sat down and carefully put her bag on the ground. Haruka couldn't help but stare at her curvaceous legs as she crossed them. Michiru smiled faintly to Haruka. "How are you?" "I... I..." Michiru bent forward a bit and asked urgently, "You had a vision too, much worse than before, didn't you? Last night?" Haruka glared at her. "What do you mean? Are you nuts or something?! Visions?!" Michiru narrowed her eyes, then smiled. "You're still going to race this Friday, right? I want to make sure the tickets I bought don't go to waste." "_You_ watch racing?!" This elegant, classical girl?! Michiru laughed and said, "No, no! I'm not really into racing..." she dropped her voice as she smiled slyly. "I just enjoy seeing you out there." Haruka gulped and fought back her emotions. "Oh..." "You're a great runner, too. You shouldn't hold back, though. You're so fast when you just cut loose." Michiru then giggled a bit, talking quieter as she said, "Besides... that track uniform looks much better on you than all those silly suits and binding and make-up... I think you look so silly in this stuff. You look exactly like a man!" She knows I'm a girl... Oh lord... But she's still interested in me... Haruka tried to sound cold as she said, "Stop following me, got it? I don't know why else you'd be in here--" "Why, Haruka, I have all your classes now." "You WHAT?!" "Don't be so surprised." Michiru flipped her hair over her shoulder, glancing over Haruka. "We'll be seeing a lot of each other..." Her gaze lingered on Haruka's legs as she murmured, "Hopefully a lot more..." Haruka thought she was going to melt in her seat, but managed to keep being rude as she said, "I think _not_, Kaiou-san. You're not my type." Michiru glared at her and hissed, "You're just scared of your mission. You shouldn't treat me this badly because of it." "I don't know what you're talking about." "You're lying and you know it. You're afraid of getting near me because you have a destiny to fight by my side. You can't stand the idea of throwing away all you've worked for to fight for something you don't understand. I would appreciate it if you were at least civil to me. I didn't choose this anymore than you." "Y-you're delusional..." "Stop fooling yourself, Haruka. You can't avoid it, and you know it. Please, just give me a chance. You don't have a choice anyways. Don't act like this. Can't we at least be friends?" "I don't need any friends," Haruka mumbled. Michiru narrowed her eyes again and opened her mouth to speak, but a red- headed girl bounded up the aisle to Haruka. "Hey, Haruka-san! How're you? Haven't seen you since the other day... Oh, Michiru-san! You're here! Hiii!" Haruka wanted to thank God for sending Cindy. "Hi, Cindy-chan... You know her, _Kaiou-san_?" Michiru's eyes seemed to go flat and cold when she referred to her as "Kaiou- san," and she said quietly, "Her sister is my best friend." Cindy blinked rapidly. "Wow, you're actually talking to h-- oops, er, sorry, nevermind me... Your race last week was really great, Haruka-san." Haruka smiled. "Thank yo--" "Don't you agree, Michiru-chan? I saw you there, too." "Wonderful as always," she said in the same quiet tone. "Eeeek! Gotta go, the bell's about to ring!" Cindy ran off, the bell ringing just after she left. The class stood up as Kemmei rose to his feet, then bowed to him. "We have another new student. Kaiou Michiru has been a student here since elementary school, but she just joined our class. Why don't you tell us about yourself, Kaiou-san?" Michiru lowered her head demurely and said, "I paint a lot and have my works displayed in some museums. I play the violin professionally and give shows every weekend, and I recently released a CD. I'm the middle of a set of triplets, and have several other siblings as well." Haruka felt her jaw go slack and carefully kept from letting it hang open. "Wow, another star in the class!" Kemmei said with a laugh. "Sitting right by each other, too!" Michiru glanced at Haruka briefly then nodded. "Time for tyourei, let's go." The usual groans followed, then everyone got up and headed for the stairs. As they were descending, Michiru's slipped a bit, and Haruka instinctively grabbed her to steady her. Michiru stared up at Haruka, hands pressed to her shoulders, and blushed a bit. Haruka coughed and let go of her, ignoring some teasing whistles other people made. She's just too wonderful, too beautiful... I can't help but be attracted to her, but I can't give everything up... what am I going to do? Michiru limped down the rest of the stairs. Haruka hung back to make sure she was all right, eventually falling behind the others. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the class walked out, and Michiru surprised Haruka by grabbing the door handle and pulling it shut. Haruka opened her mouth to question her, but Michiru's finger on her lips silenced her. "I really did hurt my ankle, but..." Michiru lowered her gaze. "Haruka, please... talk to me. Don't shut me out. Please, try to be my friend... p-please..." Haruka's eyes softened a bit. "Kaiou-san... I..." She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts and think rationally. If you become friends, you'll get close to her. You'll fall even harder for her. How can you resist her then? Michiru looked up at her pleadingly, lower lip trembling. Haruka could feel her heart pound, moving to embrace her, soothe her worries... Haruka gripped the railing behind her to keep from moving forward and said, "I-I can't promise you anything. I can't say I'll make any effort but..." she lowered her head and said, "don't be upset if I'm horrible to you. Got it? Just... remember that..." Haruka bolted up the stairs, leaving Michiru stranded at the bottom. About five flights up, she slowed to a halt as she heard shuddered sobs echoing in the enclosed stairwell. She felt her eyes tearing, and slowly went back down the stairs. She'd made Michiru cry, no, sob... all because of her. All because she was afraid to be near her. She felt wretched, evil, corrupt. Michiru was curled into a ball in the corner, her face hidden in her hair, pressed to her knees. Haruka hesitated a moment, then knelt down next to her. "Michiru-chan..." Michiru lifted her head, biting her lip. Her eyes glimmered with a faint spark of hope. Haruka quickly pulled her into a hug, silently cursing herself for giving in. Michiru cried harder, but Haruka saw that she was smiling; they were tears of happiness. It felt so right to hold Michiru close, comforting her. It felt so nice to have Michiru in her arms. She gently stroked Michiru's hair, surprised at how nice it felt to hold her, not really awkward but rather pleasant. "Michiru-chan, I'm sorry... I... I don't want to hurt you. I really don't. But I... I'm so scared... I don't think I can do it. I can't take the mission. I'm sorry... I'll try to be your friend, really I will... But..." Michiru suddenly raised her head, her hands trailing to touch Haruka's cheeks. Haruka shivered as she felt Michiru's breath on her as she whispered, "All I ask is that you try... thank you... y-you don't know how much this means to me..." Haruka wanted to hold her close, kiss her trembling lips, never let her go. She ignored the ache in her heart as she pulled away and stood up instead. "I better get you to the clinic... um, have them take a look at your ankle." Helping Michiru up and assisting her steps, she lead her out of the stairwell and to the clinic. Throughout the next few classes, Haruka fought to keep a straight face while Michiru kept casting smoldering glances her way. When Kemmei would unexpectedly call on her, she would stumble over her words, making Michiru giggle at her. He'd then ask Michiru, who answered correctly. When it came time for her free period, she was surprised that Michiru didn't leave for a class. Haruka gathered her things to go outside to sit and think, and Michiru started to follow her. "Michi--" she started. "What? I need to practice." She lifted up her violin case. "I have a performance on Saturday night and need to prepare." Haruka sighed grudgingly as Michiru carefully walked behind her into the elevator. She hobbled a bit, trying to keep weight off her hurt ankle, but kept smiling at Haruka. "So... um... where are you performing?" Haruka asked. "It's on a cruise boat, actually," Michiru said. "Taiyo cruise lines... It's a charity event, actually, that I was invited to go to... help bring in more money." Haruka raised her eyebrow and said, "Well, I suppose I'll see you there. I'm going because of my sponsors. Just a silly publicity stint." Michiru laughed a bit and said, "You're actually giving in to them? It's not like you to bend to someone else's wishes." Haruka looked away and said, "I need something to do... and what would you know about it being 'like me' or not?" "I know more about you than you think," Michiru said softly with a sly grin. "I'd like to be alone," Haruka snapped. "Don't follow me outside." Michiru gave her a hurt look. "Haruka..." When the elevator doors opened, Haruka rushed out, leaving Michiru behind, unable to keep up. She took a detour and went to the library instead, just in case Michiru decided to try to find her outside. She was terrified of the girl. She promised to try and be her friend, but it was so hard to try to be _just_ her friend. She didn't know if she'd be able to do it. It was best to just try and avoid her as much as possible, no matter how much it hurt. It would only hurt more if she got involved. ********** Michiru sighed as she carefully arranged her hair. She'd lost her enthusiasm for her performance, as Haruka's recent treatment of her had brought her mood down. On Tuesday, it seemed like things would be all right. Haruka had promised to try and be her friend, and had even held her. After that, she gave her the cold shoulder, ignoring her as much as possible. Michiru kept trying, but Haruka was unflinching, not responding to her flirting in the least bit. The daimons were attacking so frequently now. The visions were so overwhelming. Every day, she ended up exhausted from battle. It was getting to be too much. She didn't know how much more she could take without Haruka's help. Michiru picked up her violin and prepared to walk out on stage. She knew Haruka was out there somewhere. She peered around the curtain and smiled to herself when she noticed Haruka in a sharp black tuxedo, an untouched drink on the table where she sat. She felt a bit of tingling in her stomach, excited to be performing in front of Haruka. She walked out on stage and smiled to the audience, to Haruka in particular. Closing her eyes, she prepared to play. Haruka felt her heart quicken as Michiru started playing. She looked so beautiful, standing there in her white gown, all the attention on her. Her playing was the best she'd ever heard. Haruka let out a tiny sigh, smiling as she listened. She could overhear the couple next to her talking about Michiru; "That girl is Kaiou Michiru." "She doesn't look like a junior high girl. She must be very popular at school." "I heard she doesn't make many friends." "Why is that? She seems very nice." "Well, they say she dislikes people." Haruka felt rather uneasy about the couple's words, and as soon as they'd finished, she gave Michiru one last glance, then stood up and left the room. She couldn't handle being there anymore, she couldn't handle the ache she felt. The vision passed through her mind briefly as she walked, but she ignored it, walking out into the hall, then entering the stairwell. Michiru, though she played with her eyes shut, opened them and frowned, feeling a strange feeling go through her. It felt as if her audience was sudden- ly much smaller, not as appreciative. She noticed that Haruka was gone, and felt let down. She didn't want to play anymore. She drew her song to an early close, curtsied, and quickly left the stage. She ignored the hot tears in her eyes as she put away her violin, then carefully descended the staircase where one of her paintings hung. She sat down on the landing, her ankle throbbing slightly where she'd injured it on Tuesday. She glanced up at her painting, "The End of the World." After a particularly gruesome vision, she'd painted it. A huge wave smashing into the city, destroying everything in its path... Michiru sighed a bit. She felt as if there was no hope for the future, no chance for Earth to survive. That painting could be the truth. She was thrilled to see Haruka descend the stairs, then stop before her painting, looking up at it, a tender smile on her face. Michiru trembled a bit, wondering what Haruka must be thinking. Fighting back fear, she managed a smile as she called out, "How do you like it?" Haruka looked over to her as she said eagerly, "You are more than welcome here, genius racer Ten'ou Haruka!" "You know a lot about me, don't you?" Haruka said. Looking at the painting, she asked, "Did you paint this?" Michiru ignored the question. "You're famous, aren't you?" She deliberately chose misleading words, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she said, "In my school, there's lots of your fandom. One of your fans wants to ride along the coastline with you in your car... even though she's a girl!" The color drained from Haruka's face. Michiru wondered if Haruka realized she meant herself. Haruka looked away and said, "The end of the world... How can a pretty girl who won't hurt a fly paint such a horrible, imaginary painting?" Michiru felt her hand shake. How could she say that? Haruka had the visions, too! She stood up, glaring at Haruka. "It isn't imaginary! I can see it clearly! As can you!" Haruka snarled at her, "Ridiculous! I am Japan's first ever junior racer, Ten'ou Haruka! Neither the memory of my previous life nor the end of the world is my business! If it has to be done, why don't you do it? I don't want you snooping around about me anymore!" Michiru clenched and unclenched her hands while Haruka spoke. "Stop talking that way!" she cried. "I don't want to do it either! I have a dream to be a violinist! I just can't keep on doing stupid things like saving the world from ruin!" They stood staring at each other for several long moments. Haruka came down the stairs a little way and said, "You're just too weak to do it then. You don't need my help! Don't think you can push this on me! I don't care what you say, there's no reason to think the end of the world is coming, and that _I_ have some part in stopping it." She turned to leave, and Michiru moved to stop her, but instead fell to the ground when her ankle gave out and only brushing her fingers against Haruka's pant leg. "Leave me alone, Kaiou Michiru! I'm through with trying to be your friend! Go away!" "HARUKA!" she screamed, trying to get to her feet. Haruka didn't even look back. ********** Michiru sat in her desk at school, head hung low as usual. Another day, another disappointment. The bell was getting ready to ring, and she couldn't wait. A month of Haruka ignoring her had been hard to handle. She didn't understand it. Haruka had promised to try to be her friend, but she was showing no signs of keeping that promise. She tried to catch Haruka's eye, tell her she'd be at her race that night (as always), but Haruka didn't even glance her way. Michiru clenched her fist and was the first out the door when the bell rang. She didn't look back. Haruka gathered up her books quietly. Pretty much everyone had left by now. A couple girls tried to ask her out to dinner, and she politely refused. She didn't have the time nor the interest to date either of them. She closed her eyes, an image of Michiru flashing in her mind. If only she didn't have to accept the mission by being with Michiru... if only there was some way... But there wasn't. The dreams had made that quite clear. She was exhausted from school and needed a nap before her race, and it terrified her to think that she could have another dream. She hated sleeping, the dreams that came; visions of the Silence... and dreams of Michiru. It wasn't that they weren't enjoyable, but they made it even harder to keep up the cold treatment of her. She smiled a bit as she got into her car. She was glad she finally had something to drive around the city. She didn't care if she wasn't the legal age, she was going to drive if she felt like it. She could afford to buy her vehicles. She had a nice, bright yellow convertible; reaching high speeds but also letting her enjoy the feel of the wind against her face. The motorcycle she had was fun too; she had to really put her body into driving it. The car was much safer, though, and she could relax while she drove. When she got up to her apartment, she found a message waiting on her answering machine. Pressing the button, she was surprised to hear that it was Teinei. She hadn't had the chance to talk to her in awhile. "Hello, Haruka-chan! I've missed you... I've so much to say! I'll be coming to your race tonight. Good luck! I wanted to know if you could come over for a late supper afterwards. Your mother will be there, too... We haven't gotten to see you in so long! Call me if you can... I'm assuming you're coming unless you tell me otherwise. Bye." Haruka smiled; it would be nice to see family again. She stretched as she lay down on her bed. It always took awhile to get to sleep; so many thoughts racing through her head made it difficult. She finally closed her eyes and let the dreams come. Michiru racing towards me, dressed in sailor fuku. Arms outstretched, begging for help. The Silence is coming soon. Red sky turned blue. Fuku turned to nice, white dress. She reached for me, not pleading, but for an embrace. Eyes sparkling. Her kiss so warm, so passionate, so loving... arms holding close... Breath on my cheek, arms gently caressing my back... lips on my neck... Her dress slowly falls to the ground... Haruka's eyes snapped open and she quickly sat up, gasping for air. She shook her head rapidly, swearing when she noticed she was running short on time. She quickly slipped into her fire suit and gloves and rushed out the door, not bothering with the elevator. She drove far faster than the speed limit to reach the track, trying to outrace time and thoughts. The dream was worse than usual. She shivered a bit, tightening her grip on the steering wheel. She had to ignore it. She had to just race and forget about it. She wasn't at all surprised by her victory. Afterwards, her mother and Teinei came over to her, hugging her tightly. "It's been awhile," Sunao whispered, trying to keep the press from overhearing. "Can you come to Teinei's?" "Yes, let's just get away from this..." The crowd parted to let her through, leading Teinei and Sunao to her car. Sunao gave it a worried look while Teinei had a look of approval. "Haruka, this is illegal," Sunao said, getting in the passenger seat. "Let her have fun, she deserves it," Teinei said. "She has the money for it, and besides, you know how she loves to go fast." Haruka smiled at her in the rear view mirror. She started the engine and pulled onto the road. They had no idea what had been going on lately in her life. They didn't know what a help it was to keep her thoughts off Michiru. They stopped at a restaurant to get take-out before heading to Teinei's. Haruka felt strangely uneasy when they entered. Teinei and Sunao got the table set while Haruka went to change into something else before sitting down to eat. "So, is school going all right?" Sunao asked. "I know how tough that place is on some people." "It's easy for me," Haruka said with a shrug. "Not very challenging." "Have you been making friends?" Sunao asked her, giving her a strange look. Haruka shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I ran into my old friend Cindy-chan, but we don't get to talk that much... and I have track meets with her sister, Elza Grey..." "The famous runner?" Teinei asked. "Yeah... she's, um, she's nice, but she can be bothersome..." Haruka recalled the many times Elza had pleaded with her to give Michiru a chance. "So..." Teinei pushed her food around a bit. "Are you seeing anyone? Have an interest in anyone, by any chance?" Haruka narrowed her eyes. "I'd rather not discuss that..." "Oh? I've heard there's someone _very_ interested in you..." "Many people would love to go out with me," Haruka said, pressing her fingers to her temples. The endless barrage of fans got on her nerves sometimes. "There's one girl in particular... that knows you're a girl... Michiru?" Haruka knocked over her drink in shock. "How did you--" "Because I'm her neighbor and I talk with her all the time." Haruka's eyes widened with shock as a blushing Michiru walked in. "I-I'm sorry to interrupt ... but..." Haruka's chair clattered to the ground as she stood and started for the door. "HARUKA!" Sunao shouted. "Get back here right this--" "LIKE HELL I WILL!" she shouted back. "Haruka, this isn't what it looks like!" Michiru pleaded. "I just came to visit Teinei, it's not like we planned to--" "I'm through with you, Kaiou-san! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Haruka slammed the door shut and jumped into her car, giving them no time to stop her. "i... i didn't mean to... i didn't realize..." "Shhhh, it's ok," Teinei said, gently rocking the sobbing Michiru back and forth. "You didn't mean to upset her." "i didn't know she was here... i just walked in and..." "It's ok, Michiru, just calm down... It'll work out. Why would she _not_ want a relationship with you?" Michiru clenched her fists tight and sobbed harder. ********** After two months of trying, Michiru felt she was no closer to gaining Haruka's affections than before. She went home crying from heart ache and wounds sustained at the hands of daimons. She couldn't take it anymore. She _had_ to have Uranus at her side. There was no way to keep fighting. Any day now, a daimon would appear that was too strong for her and would kill her. Would Haruka care then? Haruka showed no signs of any feelings towards her whatsoever, be they friendship or attraction. She was a cold, hard slate. Michiru tried to keep up hope, following Haruka to the race track for practice. Though it was Friday, she didn't have a race today; it was scheduled for Saturday instead. Michiru felt incredibly uneasy though; she'd had a strange dream last night, picturing Haruka and Uranus simultaneously, and a young boy curled up on the ground. Michiru hoped there was nothing wrong, and hid to watch Haruka. Haruka walked towards the garage, wondering why she heard painful cries coming from inside. It sounded like the cries she heard in her dream last night... A strange dream about Michiru in that sailor garb, fighting some hideous creature. It pained her to dream about Michiru so much. Usually, the dreams were so much sweeter, so wonderfully romantic... of things that could never happen. It was getting harder and harder to resist her. Day after day, Michiru gave her those wonderful looks, said those sweet things, making Haruka almost willing to give up everything to be with her. But she couldn't... she couldn't do that. She ducked a bit to avoid hitting her head on the low door and called out, "Is someone here?" "Help..." A young boy in a red and green school uniform was doubled over in pain on the floor. He was grimacing and sweating a lot. "What's up? Are you okay?" A strange shape loomed over him and suddenly he was engulfed by it, turning into a monster. Haruka took several steps back. It couldn't be! One of the monsters she'd seen in the visions... how could this happen?! She grabbed a crowbar, trying to block it as it dove at her. She screamed as it knocked her to the ground, the crowbar flying out of her hand. She felt dizzy and confused, and an image of the boy appeared when she looked up at the monster. How could she stop it?! It was an innocent boy trapped in this body! She gasped and shielded her eyes as a bright light appeared, pulsating, a shrill sound filling her ears. A strange looking object appeared in the center of the glow, a dark blue rod topped with a strange decoration. Fascinated, unable to resist, she reached for it. Her hand was close to touching it, her mind numb to whatever consequences it could hold. It felt right, she needed to do it... "DON'T!" The glow disappeared and the rod fell as she turned to see who had spoken. Her eyes widened. Michiru? Here? "Don't touch it! Once you've touched it, you can never return to a normal life." Michiru's eyes closed, almost painfully, and she lifted a similar rod in the air. Haruka stared, disbelieving, as Michiru was engulfed in light, and left clad in the outfit from the visions. Sailorneptune... She wasted no time in attacking the monster. Once it had crashed into some shelves and had been knocked to the ground, she turned to face Haruka. Haruka shook with rage. She was thankful for her appearance, but how could she attack an innocent like that? "Stop it!" she shouted. "This was a human being until a little while ago! ... Are you okay with killing people?!" Neptune narrowed her eyes. "The Silence is approaching!" she insisted. "If I don't do this, there will be more sacrifices!" "So, you choose this way?!" Haruka was quite ready for an argument. "No, I don't choose this way--" "Are you still--" "LOOK OUT!" Haruka barely had time to comprehend that the monster had dragged itself from the ground and dove to attack, that Neptune had jumped in the way, before she was momentarily winded by her impact with the ground. She didn't think, she just reacted. It dared attack Haruka, she had to protect her! She dove in her path, crying out as it's claws raked across her back and arm, digging deep into her flesh. She was thrown onto Haruka, both onto the ground. Haruka let out a huge breath, stunned from the impact. Neptune fought back tears of pain, then a blush when she realized she was lying right on top of Haruka. She carefully got to her feet and let loose her Deep Submerge, not noticing what happened afterwards. She stumbled and fell to her knees, her eyesight failing her for a moment as she saw only black and splashes of color. She could feel herself tremble as Haruka gently took her into her arms and carefully, gently cradled her in them. She lay back in them, welcoming the warm embrace. She felt Haruka's hands quivering a bit, her heart thumping fast. She was too weak to move, trying to ignore the pain while welcoming the comfort. "The monster?" she whispered. "It's returned to human form. Don't worry," Haruka told her. Such strong, but gentle hands, carefully holding her so as not to aggravate her wounds... "I almost killed it," Neptune said softly. "No, I'm sure I'll kill it next time. It isn't easy... but I chose to become a Senshi." "Then why did you protect me?" Haruka gently lifted her arm, looking over her injuries. Her hand clasped Neptune's as she said, "If you hurt your hands, you can't be a violinist." Neptune fought back the warm rush in her cheeks. Her voice didn't rise above a very soft level, and she could hear the tears she held back. "I didn't snoop around just because you're a Senshi. Before I knew that you were the one... I was watching you from nearby when you were racing for the first time. I always wanted to ride in your car along the coastline just once... You never asked any favors of anyone. You are always faithful to your feelings." "I'm not faithful... I'm always running away," Haruka said. Neptune felt the tears brimming closer to spilling, and told her, "I know more about you than you do... because I watch you all the time! I don't want you to take the same way I took. Still, I was happy when I found out that you're the one..." A hot blush stained her cheeks briefly, and she looked away, tears running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to talk about it... sorry..." Neptune was terrified then. She'd confessed so much to Haruka... had she ruined any hope she had with her? She closed her eyes and tried to stop her tears. Haruka trembled a bit, looking down at Neptune. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that Michiru really had been watching her, and that even after this attack, she didn't want her help, for her to be a Senshi. After all the pleading for assistance... she told Haruka she didn't want her to follow her... She looked over at the rod, still lying on the ground. She squeezed Neptune's hand a bit tighter. She's risked her life, her career, all so she could live... so she wouldn't take the same path. Haruka closed her eyes tight, holding in her tears. She didn't want to fight it anymore. She was sure of Michiru's love for her, and was tired of pretending she wasn't falling in love with her. She was tired of letting the fate of the world rest on Michiru's pretty shoulders, letting her deal with all the problems alone. Michiru needed her help, Michiru needed her love, she deserved better. She carefully picked Neptune up and helped prop her against a wall. She smiled sweetly at her, briefly touching her cheek. Neptune looked at her with fear and wonder. "What are you doing, Haruka?" she whispered. "I'm not running away anymore," Haruka said to her, her smile turning sad. "I'm giving in to fate." "No! No!" Neptune grabbed her arm. "Don't, please... don't give up your life, don't do this..." Neptune sobbed. "I-I can handle it... you don't need to..." Haruka hushed her with a finger to her lips. She walked over to the rod, ignoring the shaking in her legs. She reached for it, ignoring Neptune's pleas. Looking back at her, not trying to stop her crying, she said, "I'm doing this for you, Michiru. I'm doing it for you." She grabbed it tight in her hands, lifting it up in the air. She felt swirls of wind engulf her, light surround her. Words flooded into her mind, and she grasped it tighter as she shouted them. "Uranus Planet Power, Make-up!!!" A larger gust of wind hit her, spiraling around her. Her clothing felt as if it they were melting away, replaced with a new uniform. She stood there afterwards, too stunned to react. She wore a fuku like Neptune's, almost identical but for color. Her collar, skirt, choker, back bow, and glove piping were indigo, her front bow golden yellow. Her gloves came to her mid-forearm, and for shoes, she had high-heeled, indigo boots similar to a pirate's that came just above her ankle. Her indigo choker was bare of decoration, a gold hoop earring in her right ear, the gem on her tiara indigo as well. "Haruka..." Neptune choked out, standing up shakily. "S-Sailoruranus..." Uranus turned to her, watching her stumbling steps. She moved forward and caught her as she fell, pulling her into a tight embrace, but careful not to hurt her. "Michiru," she breathed, pressing her face into her hair. "I'm not going to run away anymore. I'm tired of hurting you... of you being hurt because I refuse to fight. I accept this mission and any duties that go along with it. Believe me, it hurt me terribly to treat you the way I did... I... I was just so afraid of being a Senshi that I wanted to push you away... You're so wonderful, so attractive, so incredible... It was all I could do to resist you, and if I couldn't do that, I couldn't avoid my destiny. To accept you, to allow myself to... to feel so strongly for you... means being your partner, fighting alongside you... And I was afraid of that. I'm not anymore. I'm going to be by your side, always." "Oh... Oh Haruka..." Neptune sobbed into her shoulder. "Oh my God..." Uranus held her tighter, crying with her. "It's going to be okay... we'll save the world, we'll prevent the Silence... it's okay..." Her head was pounding hard, and she didn't understand her own thoughts. Images were swirling through her head rapidly, things she didn't comprehend. She jumped a bit when the garage door slammed shut. A mist seemed to fill the room. "What's happening?" she asked. Neptune looked around, tightening her arms around Uranus. "I-I'm not sure..." A silhouette of a tall woman holding a staff appeared. As she started walking towards them, Neptune's eyes widened in surprise. "Setsuna?" she whispered. The name seemed to jar a memory somewhere... Uranus had a strange vision of looking up at a woman with dark green hair, much larger than her... she must have been very young, a baby?... recalled words... "Sailorpluto?" Uranus whispered. "That's right." The woman emerged from the mists, nodded to Neptune, and fixed her gaze on Uranus. "Welcome back, Sailoruranus." Uranus shook her head to try and clear it. "What... What's going on? My head..." "Flashbacks of your previous life. Don't fight them. You need to remember." Uranus felt very uncertain about it, but Neptune gently urged, "Stop trying to control them. It'll be all right." Uranus nodded slowly and closed her eyes, allowing the memories to flood her mind. "The Dark Kingdom struck five planets today," Queen Serenity tells us. I shudder inwardly as she lists the names. The war is getting worse... their forces are drawing closer to us every hour. Their queen is so jealous of our princess for winning the love of the man she also loves... A twisted love triangle that's costing the lives of billions, and will soon cost ours as well. We can't win. I know that, thanks to my own love sharing it with me. She knows a great deal about things, the true nature behind people and events... I almost jump up when my love's hand slips under the table to rest on my thigh. She smiles pleasantly at me, then turns her attention back to the queen. "--That is why I called you here." She looks in particular at my love and I. We very rarely are called to the Moon Kingdom, being stationed farther out in the solar system. "Except for your companion that lies sleeping still, and Pluto who is guarding the Gate... I need all of you here to protect my daughter when they attack." I lower my eyes a bit. Our first and foremost duty: protect the kingdom from outside invasions. We couldn't stop this one, however. They were simply too strong. We were captured, held in their clutches for weeks, finally escaping when one of the captors neglected to check on us for the night. Our second duty: protect the princess at all costs. That we would not fail to do. It was, after all, not as hard as protecting an entire system. That is why it was the Inner Senshi's primary mission; it was something they could handle. The princess had never been injured while we looked after her. "My queen," I ask, "do you think we will survive this?" My love and I know the answer already. This is for the benefit of the others, after all. Too blinded by their faith in their queen and princess and their own abilities to protect themselves to consider death. She lowers her eyes to view the ginzuishou, resting in front of her on the table. She looks at up at the sky briefly, and after some silently mouthed words, whispers, "No." The Inner Senshi gasp in horror. We don't react. It's no news to us. I look to my love sadly. I don't want to die. I don't want our love to end. Perhaps in the next life, we can be together... But I worry about fate, circumstances... maybe we'll never meet? The Inner Senshi and the queen start arguing, debating the issue. So immature of them. My love gives me a sympathetic look. I gently bend my head to kiss her pretty shoulders. She sighs blissfully and leans back against me. We've discussed this already. We understand what will happen. "--well, how long do we have?!" Venus asks, more like shrieks. "I estimate their arrival for tomorrow, if they continue the advance at the present rate." Hands slam against the table, curses are uttered. She gently massages my shoulders, softly pressing her lips to the back of my neck. The queen looks over at us, and we sheepishly part. It's not that we're ashamed of our relationship; she gave us her blessing. It just isn't appropriate at the time; the Inner Senshi have to come to grips with their upcoming deaths and we're over here enjoying ourselves. "Does the princess know?" Mars asks softly. I smile inwardly. She is quite possibly the most dedicated of all to protecting the younger Serenity. Her temper makes up for her devotion. "I felt it best not to tell her." "My queen," my love starts, then pauses a bit. I'm curious as to what she'll say. "I think... I think she would appreciate knowing so... so she could have one last night with Endymion." She smiles sadly at me. Another thing we discussed. If we're going to die tomorrow, we're going to make the most of tonight, after all. "I think that would be great for her," Jupiter says. "Last chance to..." "No," the queen says sharply. "I will not have her worried." She gives Neptune an apologetic look as she says, "I understand the desire for a last night together, but I feel..." She coughs and says, "they have not married yet, and I don't think that before marriage they would already--" "I'm sorry I suggested it," my love says, sparing her embarrassment. She looks over to me, her arm slipping around my waist. "That's all right," the queen says. She stands there a few moments, silent, then walks over the window to stare out at her kingdom, the last chance she'll have to see it when the light fades for the night. "You may retire to your rooms, if you wish," she tells all of us in her soft voice. We stand, and all but myself curtsy, I preferring to bow. My love and I start to leave, before she stops us. "Neptune, Uranus..." We turn to our queen. The others have left. She reaches a hand for us, then pauses. Her hand seems heavy. "Something wrong, my queen?" "Forgive me," she whispers, turning away. "When you remember me and your duty, forgive me for putting it upon you..." Neptune looks to me, confused as I. "Yes, my queen," we say in unison, though not sure what to make of her words. We leave the room together, hand in hand. Our guest room is a little way up the hall. I turn the key in the lock, Neptune turning on the lights and going to our bedroom as I lock it again. I follow her in. We've already had dinner. This is all that's left now, all that matters. I take her in my arms, kissing her neck as we lie back on the bed. A tear slips from her eye and I quickly wipe it away. "Why are you crying, love?" I whisper, my lips pressing to her throat. "I'm going to miss you so much," she whispers. "Who knows when or if we can be together again..." She nuzzles her face against my neck and says, "Forget about that. Let's just enjoy this last time together... last chance to express our love." It saddens me to hear her so insecure. I'm uncertain about continuing. "If you're too worried, Neptune... Are you sure you want to do--" Her finger against my lips silences me. "I love you, Uranus," she whispers. "I want to show you my love, for this last time. Don't mistake my sadness for lack of desire." I can't help but smile. I should have known better. Any and every chance we get to spend together, we do. Her hands grip my shoulders, not too hard, and she kisses my eyelids, my cheek, my lips. Her lips are always so warm and soft. Her hands start to slip my clothes off. "I love you," I whisper huskily. "I love you too." The fact that the Dark Kingdom still hadn't attacked made everyone nervous. Two days ago, we'd expected them to... but for some reason, they hadn't disturbed us. That made me even more worried than if they had gone ahead and attacked. It meant they were building up more forces, which would ensure their win... not to mention the fact that we'd be caught by surprise. The Inner Senshi took it as a great sign, however, as did most of the kingdom. Balls were held the past two nights, another one planned for tonight, and the next... however many days we had left, if any. Neptune and I avoided them. We spent every night alone, as if it was our last. She had joked that she was rather enjoying the Dark Kingdom's inactivity; it made our nights even more wonderful than ever before. I have to admit, I'm rather enjoying it myself. The threat of death does wonders for your night-time activities under the covers... not that it wasn't good to begin with. Another ball is getting ready to start. We are preparing to go back to our room when Queen Serenity stops us. Her face is white as a sheet. I take hold of her arm, supporting her in case she weakens to the point of collapse. "What's wrong?" "I... I feel..." Neptune cries out, her hands clutching her chest, over her heart. I leave the queen's side to help her sit down. When I turn around, the queen has disappeared. "Are you all right?!" "I'll be okay," she forces out. "Give me a moment..." "What is it?" "They..." a tear slips out of her eye. "Oh no... they're attacking... tonight..." "Are you sure?" "Four hours, perhaps... maybe less... I'm certain this time. It's really going to happen." "We need to tell the queen," I say, helping her stand. "She can tell the armies to be ready. As for the partygoers..." I lower my head sadly. "They won't listen. It's best to let them enjoy themselves while they can." We find the queen after looking for several minutes. Neptune tells her what's happening. We're about to assist her when she stops us. "Go, please," she says. "I can handle things. You two need to be alone. There's not much time left..." I look to Neptune, tears glistening in her eyes. "My queen," I force out. She hugs us tightly. I have the feeling this is the last time we'll see her alive. "Please... share your love for the last time... the _real_ last time." She kisses our foreheads and tracing our forehead symbols with her index finger. I even bring myself to curtsy with Neptune, and we both kiss her hand tenderly. She's given us so much in our lives... the chance to meet each other, escape from our planet's legal system so we aren't forced into an arranged marriage with a prince from another world, becoming a second mother to all of us. It's hard to leave her like this... But she's right. I know I wouldn't be able to fight knowing that I hadn't taken the chance to spend my last few hours with Neptune before I had to go into battle. I keep from crying out in pain when the sword bites into my shoulder. I've always kept it bottled up. I never cry. Never. Neptune whirls around and let's loose an attack on the man that struck me. She quickly pulls me away from the attacker. One of those damned Shitenno, I'd imagine... all four of them in distinctive gray uniforms. They once served us, but the dark queen corrupted them. There's too many people here, too many bodies both living and dead. The ballroom is littered with corpses already, the army rapidly being slaughtered. We can't win. It's hopeless. All it takes is a quick glance to see that Neptune and I are the only Senshi left. I had a feeling we'd be the last ones. I have a bitter taste in my mouth. Pluto... Our dear friend... I saw her briefly. She wasn't fighting, just standing their with that staff of hers, watching. We could've used her. Neptune and I rejoin the battle. I lash out with my own sword, cutting through muscle to reach bone. Neptune attacks furiously. We're wearing out quickly, though. I'm losing blood fast, Neptune is no better. I fear more for her than myself. We stand back to back, as usual, covering each other while protecting ourselves. Someone suddenly leaps between us, jostling me, forcing us apart. I lose sight of her. One of the Shitenno... long, honey-colored hair, vaguely familiar. He tries to lash out at me and I quickly stab him through the gut, leaving him to double over in pain and die of the wound. I notice the one with long white hair is watching. I quickly look away. They were lovers, I remember. The princess once told us we should be friends with them; we had something in common, right? I accused her of being stereotypical. Now that I see him standing here, seeing me kill his lover, I can't help but pity him. It isn't his fault that the dark queen corrupted him. He just wanted a happy life with the man I just killed. I quickly turn away, frantically search for Neptune. She's holding off pretty well, but she looks terrified. Worried about me? I start to approach her. The white-haired Shitenno tenderly holds the honey-haired man in his death throes. I am so close to reaching her. He bows his head, then leaps up, a sword in his hand. He's unbelievably fast. Probably wasted a lot of energy to do that; the dark queen's troops all operate on limited energy reserves. I want to scream out when he reaches Neptune. She whirls around, not sure of what to do. I run to her and jump between them, tell her to get back. The general comes at me. My mind whirls rapidly, several thoughts coming to mind: He's trying to kill Neptune. I should kill him for that. I killed his lover. He deserves to be put out of his misery. I feel no remorse as I ram the blade into him. He slumps to the ground, and I grab Neptune, holding her tightly to me. Not many people left on either side... the battle is slowly winding down... I see the dark queen has reached our princess. We've failed miserably. "Q-Queen... B-Beryl... is she..." Neptune can barely whisper through her sobs. "She's reached Serenity," I whisper, knowing what she's asking. "It won't be long now." She falls silent. I worry a bit about that. She seems to look over my shoulder. I let out a startled shout as she shoves me rather forcefully to the side. I'm about to question her when the worst possible thing happens. The white-haired Shitenno... he isn't dead... His sword is raised, leaping for _me_, or where I was moments ago, blood streaming from his chest... Neptune now stands in the path... I scream loudly, but there's no time to stop it... His sword cleanly stabs into her chest and emerges from her back. He smashes into the ground, probably driving the last life from him with the impact... Neptune... I feel hot tears streaming down my cheeks as I hold her bleeding body in my arms. She's trembling all over, shaking with her last energy. I can't comprehend what I'm saying, I'm babbling, sobbing... She grips my hand tightly, looking up at me through her own tears. She doesn't have much time... I quickly bend to her, kissing her lips one last time. "I love you!" I sob. "I love you too," she whispers. She fixes her eyes on my face, her hand too weak to hold mine anymore. She closes her eyes and grimaces, pressing her cheek to my chest. My tears splash across her cheeks. She's in so much pain... There's a tiny quiver of her shoulders, and a small exhale of breath, then utter stillness, utter silence. I frantically shake her, but there's no reaction. My hands start to go slack, and I carefully lay her on the ground. I'm shaking all over, my vision too blurred with tears to make out anything I'm seeing. I let out a long, loud, pain-filled scream. I want to strangle that man as he somehow props himself up. "Damnit, would you just DIE?! You fucking KILLED HER!" He rasps out, "A-and YOU... k-killed HIM, bitch!" He looks down at Neptune. "S-she died for you," he chokes out. "S-she l-loved you?" "Yes..." He seems to be fascinated with my tears. He grabs my sword. I move to squeeze the last breath from his throat, and I end up screaming as I end up run through with my own sword. i seem to be lying on the ground now... she's right next to me. i weakly reach to clutch her hand. i hear him mumbling to me, "y-you tried to k-kill me, b-but i s-suspect there was some m-mercy behind it ... i d-don't have m-much time left either, s-so the least i-i can do is l-let you join her... a mercy k-killing." i surprise myself by whispering, "thank you." i manage to drag myself to her side and wrap my arms around her. i'm going to die next to her, holding her, i'll never be separated from her, not even by death. i feel i'm taking my last breath. i close my eyes, leaning against her. i feel it coming close. i smile faintly as i feel my life dim. "neptune..." Neptune carefully shook Uranus. She'd fallen into a trance of sorts when the flashbacks started. Pluto teleported them to Haruka's apartment while she was still in that state. They laid her on her bed and waited for her to wake up. Pluto stood, as usual, Neptune sitting next to Uranus's prone form. Her wounds had already healed thanks to the Senshi's quick healing abilities, but she was still sore and some scabs showed. Pluto was emotionless as usual as she viewed them, Neptune was getting frantic waiting for Uranus to wake up. Slowly, Uranus came out of it. She trembled, clutching her arms as if seeing if she was really alive. After several moments of this, she gasped out, "Neptune?" Neptune hugged her tightly. "I'm here, it's okay..." "I... I saw... I... I died..." Neptune remembered her own frightening visions of her death, the horror of the battle, the pain of the sword, the strange sense of rightness as she took the strike meant for her lover. She hoped it hadn't been so bad for Uranus... Then she realized how horrible it must have been for her... to see her love die before her eyes, after taking a blow meant for her, to have her die in her arms... "Are you going to be all right?" she asked her. Uranus pulled away from her embrace. "I think... I just need a moment..." She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, then massaged her temples a bit. "Are all the flashbacks this bad?" Neptune gently squeezed her hand, laying her head against Uranus's shoulder. "Our deaths are painful to remember... but there's good times to remember, right? Did you see anything except that final battle?" Uranus's cheeks burned at Neptune's touch and at the memory of their last time together. "Before... Before the battle, when we..." She coughed and fell silent. Neptune blushed a bit, too. "Uranus," Pluto said, "do you know exactly what your mission is?" Uranus frowned a bit. "The visions were... a bit confusing. I know that... we're supposed to prevent the destruction of the world, the Silence... and I remember seeing a girl holding a tall weapon, and three shining items... I can't piece it together from that." Pluto nodded and calmly explained the mission, her words eerily the same as Queen Serenity's. Neptune wondered if the queen had rehearsed the whole thing with Pluto, perhaps they spoke often; the queen still existed in spiritual form, after all. Uranus listened attentively, not asking any questions. Her eyes were very sad, painful to look at. "I understand," she quietly whispered when Pluto finished. "I..." She looked down at Neptune, then said, "I accept." A ghostly smiled flickered across Pluto's face. "Very well. You will sacrifice the holders to retrieve their Talismans, with the understanding that it means their death?" "Yes." "You will use any means necessary to ensure that the Talismans are in your hands?" "Yes." "You will retrieve the Holy Grail at all costs?" "Yes." "You will give your life, if need be, for the Messiah of Light?" "Yes." Pluto hesitated briefly, then asked, "You will let your partner die in battle while you escape to continue the mission, if need be?" Uranus sat still, her eyes darting over to Neptune. She lowered her head and whispered, "If need be... _only_ if it is absolutely necessary." "Then I welcome you to the ranks of the Senshi, Sailoruranus. Good luck. Goodbye to both of you; I must return to my post." Pluto disappeared. Neptune felt her heart aching as she looked at Uranus's face, hardened into a scowl. She lay a hand on Uranus's shoulder. "You better detransform, try to get some rest. I don't think you can make it to practice, but you don't really need it. I... If you need me here, I'll stay..." "Please, don't leave me," Uranus whimpered. Neptune was shocked at her voice. "Don't let me be alone..." She shivered a bit, then asked, "How do I get out of my fuku?" Neptune turned to face the opposite direction. "Just think about it really hard, and it will happen." "All right then..." After a little while, she let out a startled yelp. "Thank you for looking away! God!" Neptune laughed a bit. "I hope you'll show me the same courtesy then." Haruka jokingly covered her eyes with her hands but peeked through her fingers. Neptune laughed and tossed a pillow at her face, and while she was occupied, detransformed. "Spoiled all the fun!" "I didn't look at you, so it wouldn't be fair if you looked at me!" Haruka winked at her. "Oh, so you want to see me na--" "My, my! How did you ever guess?" Haruka blushed deeply and looked away while Michiru just laughed. "I, er... Hold on a moment please." Michiru raised an eyebrow and turned away. She heard Haruka unzip her fire suit, and after a little while, zip it back up again. "There, much better." Michiru turned around, noticing Haruka had taken off the bindings she usually wore. "Definitely better. Flat doesn't suit you." "Michiru!" she lightly hit Michiru's arm. "I swear, you just love to tease me about my body, don't you?" "I've had plenty of time to study it. It's quite... exquisite." "Ah..." Haruka coughed a bit. "W-well then... Let's go outside, shall we?" Haruka got up and walked to the sliding glass door leading out to her balcony. She held out a hand to Michiru and beckoned her to follow. Michiru took her hand and stepped outside. She was surprised at the view. It over-looked a park with a huge lake, and some rather pretty buildings. She could sense the water's eagerness, and it was more so than usual. There was something else different about it, something that wasn't there before. She noticed a wind blowing across the water, and glanced up at Haruka, smiling wistfully at the sight. Haruka's eyes were closed blissfully, enjoying the breeze. "Can you feel it?" she whispered. "The wind is much happier now. It's rather enjoying itself. It's having fun dancing across the water." She opened her eyes and fixed them on Michiru. Michiru gripped the railing between her hands. It made perfect sense, didn't it? The wind and water were a part of them, and now that the barriers were being broken down, they rejoiced in each other. "The sea is calm... but excited." Michiru looked over to Haruka. "I think it's wondering what more will come of this... ?" Haruka moved to stand behind her, her arms reaching around either side to grip the railing, Michiru standing between them. "I want to be with you, Michiru. I want things between us to be... more than partners in battle, more than friends. I have no reason to stay away anymore. I want to follow my heart." Michiru trembled a bit as Haruka's arms encircled her waist, embracing her tightly from behind as she rested her cheek against Michiru's. Michiru blushed deeply and let herself relax against Haruka, enjoying the feel of her body pressed up against hers. "Well?" "Haruka... you have no idea how happy that would make me..." She felt tears spill down her cheeks. "Thank you..." Haruka smiled and pulled away from her. "I'm... I'm glad..." Haruka ran her hand through her bangs. "I'm not sure what to say now," she said with a nervous chuckle. Michiru linked her arm around Haruka's and grinned at her. "I think... Well, I'll be going to your race, of course. Maybe afterward, we could go out to a nice restaurant and talk some more." "I'd like that. I'll give your name to Engi-san and tell him to let you into our building, all right? Come as early as you like, I get there hours befo-- You know that already, don't you?" Michiru blushed faintly and laughed. "Well, yes..." Haruka smiled slyly. "It's going to be fun to learn more about you, Michiru. You definitely have the upper hand..." She gently gripped Michiru's shoulders and pressed her forehead to hers. "...but I think you'll find me quite resourceful. I may not know that many personal details, but I understand how your mind works. I know how to get to you." Michiru gulped in air. It felt wonderful to be this close to Haruka, her face so close, her breath upon her... But it was too soon. She carefully removed herself from Haruka's grip. "That you do, Haruka... But..." She sighed with a bit of disappointment. "I think we need to take this slow. We haven't even been friends in these months, it will take a bit of time before we can be..." Haruka silenced her with a finger to her lips. She smiled faintly at Michiru. "My body tends to act before my brain," she joked. "I would prefer to take this one step at a time... I..." She pressed a finger to her forehead. "You understand how hard it is for me to get close to anyone. And considering how close we were back then, if we were to be that serious in the future... It will take time. I have to break down my own defensive walls that I've put up against this. I've never trusted anyone, not after my father... Hayasa and Engi are my friends, Engi-san's more like a real father to me... but... when you get down to it, I can't really trust them. Hell, I don't even trust my mother, my aunt..." "I know, Haruka." Michiru hugged Haruka loosely. "I know. But I promise you, I will never, _ever_ hurt you. I couldn't even if I wanted to. I'll do everything I can to make you the happy. You deserve a better life than what you've been given... You didn't deserve that bastard for a father, to be destined to this mission..." Haruka grabbed her hands and stared hard into her eyes. "No matter how much I hate the idea of my fate being controlled by outside forces, it brought me to you. I was too scared to realize that I couldn't escape it, I could've spared us both a lot of pain, but I was just too terrified... yet..." She let go of Michiru's hands to tenderly press her hands to her cheeks. "If it wasn't for this mission, I might not have been as serious about you. I might have just modeled for you like you asked without considering that you wanted me to be anything more than a friend. I would have ignored my feelings because I thought there was no chance at being your lover." Michiru closed her eyes to block another welling of tears. She rested her hands on Haruka's, carefully stroking them with her fingers. "I love you, Haruka," she said softly. "I... I don't expect you to say it back. You haven't had the chance to get to know me well enough to say that..." She opened her eyes and saw Haruka was crying. She was silent about it, but tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Michiru... I... thank you... I have to say though... I know that I am falling in love with you. And to know that someone as wonderful as you loves me... It makes me so happy..." They hugged each other tightly, crying into each other's shoulders. After several minutes, they pulled away. Michiru sniffled, then glanced at her watch. "I... I have to leave... my parents will be expecting me back. I'm really sorry..." "It's all right. I'll get your phone number from Teinei, all right? So, I'll call you tomorrow morning before I leave..." "Yeah..." She gave Haruka one last hug, exchanging a broad smile, then turned and walked out of the apartment. Haruka sat down on her bed, clutching her arms in her hands. She cried tears of happiness. She lay back on the bed, gazing up the sky with a wistful look on her face. She grabbed her notebook and wrote something in it quickly. There was no more fear. There would be no more pain. There would only be the joy of sharing a love with Michiru. Haruka fell asleep with a smile on her face.
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