The next morning, conversation at breakfast was subdued, the group barely picking at their food. Michiru and Haruka knew that something had happened the night before, but they had no idea what. Mamoru wouldn't look at Usagi or Rei; the little blonde bundle of energy was avoiding everyone's eyes, silent for once; Rei was even more protective of Usagi than usual, making sure she was enjoying her food; Minako kept glancing up at Rei when the miko wasn't looking, tears hovering in the corners of her blue eyes; and Makoto and Ami were sitting beside each other, trying not to flirt conspicuously. Only Haruka and Michiru could see the relationship developing between the brunette and the genius; everyone else was too preoccupied with their love problems. Haruka suddenly stood up from the table, taking some of the plates and cups as Michiru took the rest, placing them beside the sink. "Why don't you go into the living room?" Haruka suggested as she began to rinse the dishes. Mamoru nodded and left, the girls slowly shuffling after him. Haruka and Michiru silently cleaned the dishes and dried them, putting them away as Haruka glanced back into the living room. "They're not moving or speaking," she pointed out as Michiru placed her hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Do you know what happened last night?" "I don't know, Haruka. I know that Rei-chan and Minako-chan spoke on the balcony before they went to bed. I think something happened between the two of them." Haruka glanced over her shoulder at her partner. "I hope not. I hope Rei-chan doesn't hurt Usagi-chan just because Minako-chan is in love with her." "I think Rei-chan is in more danger from Mamoru-kun's feelings for Usagi," Michiru whispered. "He really loves her; you can tell." "Does he love her more than Rei does?" "That's not a fair question, Haruka love. They love her in different ways. We all love her in our own ways, even if some of us aren't as demonstrative as Rei-chan. She may hug Usagi, kiss her when she gets a good grade, and hold her while they sleep, but Mako-chan makes her cookies, Ami-chan helps her study, and Minako-chan gives her music and volleyball lessons." "What about us?" Michiru wrapped her arms around Haruka's waist and rested her head on the blonde's strong shoulder, feeling a burning deep inside that had been missing for a long time. "I have an idea, koibito." *~*~*~*~*~*~* Usagi watched Rei's fingers drawing invisible kanji on her arm, a prayer for true love. She knew that the miko thought she couldn't read it. She winced at the pain that the symbols evoked, the ghostly feeling of Mamoru's lips on hers, seeing the kanji transform into the word for traitor. She had betrayed the only woman that loved her, and she had to find a way to make it up to the miko. She sensed that Rei was shaking, but she had no idea why her girlfriend was so upset. Usagi reached up and placed a hand on Rei's cheek, smiling kindly. "What's wrong, Rei? Calm down." "I can't, Usagi," Rei whispered. "Something's coming, something bad. My entire being is screaming at me to run far away, to draw the danger away from you, but I don't know what that danger is." Usagi wrapped her arms around Rei's waist and rested her head on the miko's shoulder, never noticing the pained looked Minako shot Rei. "Don't worry; I'll protect you. I'll protect you all." The silence that followed slowly melted away as the gentle chords of an unknown but achingly familiar melody filled the air, the violin whispering of times past, lives lost, loves gone forever. Usagi stood first, pulling Rei with her as the other girls also stood, staring as Michiru slowly exited the bedroom, playing the violin she hadn't touched in months. Haruka slipped into the room from the other end, sitting down at her piano and waiting until Michiru hit that crucial chord before she joined in. Even Mamoru stood as the music filled the apartment, pain and shame washing away at the sound. Michiru was shaking slightly as her bow touched the strings, not even sure if she still remembered how to play. She had her eyes closed as she left the bedroom, sensing the girls in the living room, their shock and amazement washing over her. None of them had ever heard her play. She felt it when her partner joined her on the piano, her ears already deaf as the sound of crashing waves filled her. She let her music follow the waters, her lover easily chasing her as the eager wind, their souls merging in an infinite dance as their music faded, two pairs of eyes opening to regard their small audience. Usagi wiped tears out of her eyes as she leapt forward and embraced Michiru, spinning to throw her arms around Haruka's waist as the blonde joined her partner. Rei, Minako, Ami, and even Makoto echoed the little blonde's action, Mamoru bowing his head. "That was so beautiful," Usagi whispered. "I didn't know you could play so well." "Thank you," Michiru whispered, the burning feeling inside having changed to the feeling of perfect comfort and utter content she remembered so well. The girls could see it in her posture, her smile, the light in her eyes. She was finally whole again. She glanced up at Haruka, and another light entered her eyes, one Haruka hadn't seen in a very long time. The blonde shivered, reaching out to take Michiru's hand. "Will you guys excuse us for a minute? Michiru and I have something to discuss on the balcony." Rei giggled as she pulled Usagi away from the couple. "Of course, Haruka-san." Haruka led Michiru to the balcony, leaving the doors open to admit the warm breeze. The sun hung high overhead, covered by faint white clouds that promised only shade, no threat of rain. Michiru let Haruka pull her into her arms, resting her aqua-haired head on the blonde's chest. "Michiru, she's right. That was absolutely perfect." "I feel like these chains that I was carrying around from that day are all gone. It's amazing, Haruka." Michiru leaned up and kissed Haruka briefly, pulling away before the blonde's agile tongue could slip into her mouth. She smiled at her pouting lover. "Later, koibito. I promise. For now, just feel the wind, okay?" "I can do that." Haruka closed her eyes and listened to the alternating rhythms of the gentle wind and her lover's calm heartbeat. She wasn't sure how long she stood there before a tremor shook the building, forcing her to open her eyes and grab onto the railing to keep herself and her lover upright. "What?" "An earthquake?" Michiru slipped free and glanced out across the city. "It was only a very small tremor, Ruka." "Still, we should go check on the girls." As Haruka turned to reenter the apartment, a single white feather shimmering silver in the light floated down from the roof, landing just inside the balcony railing. Curious, the blonde reached down and picked it up. A racer . . . meeting Michiru after one particular race . . . a dream of death and silence . . . pushing Michiru away . . . a youma . . . Sailor Neptune throwing herself in harm's way for Haruka's sake . . . fighting the attraction as they battled youma after youma . . . going to Tokyo to stop the Silence . . . Sailor Moon . . . true identities revealed . . . Neptune's death and the Aqua Mirror . . . Uranus's death and the Space Sword . . . Sailor Pluto . . . the Holy Grail . . . Sailor Moon can't be the Messiah! . . . the final battle . . . stupid Moon! Kill Hotaru to save the world! . . . fighting Sailor Moon . . . she is the Messiah . . . driving away from Tokyo with Michiru . . . returning only to fight a new enemy . . . strange new Senshi . . . Starlights . . . have to protect the princess . . . final battle . . . turning on Pluto and Saturn and killing them . . . fighting the princess . . . it doesn't even matter! . . . dying, reaching for Michiru, the only person who really mattered . . . the forest and returning to the land of the living . . . how can they forgive us? . . . do I love her because of our duty to the princess? . . . Tejina . . . "Granted" . . . Haruka fell against the balcony, staring at the feather clutched in her nerveless fingers. "Michiru . . . Hotaru . . . oh no . . . I did it again . . . how could I? How could I betray our princess a second time?" "Princess? Ruka, what are you talking about?" "And she was right! You were both right! You were all right! It was true love all along. Any false love would have shattered by now." Haruka dropped her head into her shaking hands, tears filling her eyes and her voice. "We were finally happy, finally together, and I went and destroyed it! My wish killed Hotaru, separated Usagi and Mamoru, and got you raped! It's all my fault . . ." "Hotaru? Haruka, what are you talking about?" "What have I done? What have I done?" Michiru knelt beside Haruka and took the feather, gasping as images filled her mind, memories from another time, another life. She blinked, returning to reality as the building began to shake once more, a ferocious earthquake threatening to break Tokyo's tallest buildings in half, grabbing the railing and her partner as the first, second, and third aftershocks threatened to throw them to the ground far below. A crashing sound filled the apartment, and Michiru's eyes filled with fear at the sudden screams, quickly silenced. As soon as the building stilled, the woman who had once been Sailor Neptune grabbed her partner's hand and dragged her back inside. Makoto was crumpled in the corner, half covering Ami, the shattered table covering the pair. Minako was lying unconscious in the shattered remains of the large window, just barely having escaped critical injuries. Usagi, crouched in the center of the room, was shaking her head, trying to regain her senses, completely unharmed. A second later, Haruka and Michiru realized why. Rei and Mamoru were half-buried by pieces of the ceiling that hadn't been reinforced enough to survive an earthquake that almost brought the apartment building to the ground, neither of them moving. "Rei! Mamo-chan!" Usagi stumbled over to the pair and pushed the rubble aside, tears clouding her vision. "Rei! Mamo-chan! Why would you do that? Why would you push me out of the way like that?" Rei coughed and opened her eyes a crack, touching the broken beam embedded in her belly, staring at the blood covering her hand. "Couldn't . . . let this . . . happen . . . to you, Usagi. Couldn't let you . . . get hurt." Michiru stifled a sob as Usagi reached for her girlfriend's injury, knowing that she was powerless to save the miko. "Rei! Please don't die!" "Usagi . . . please let Mamoru take care of you . . . he loves you, too . . ." Rei closed her eyes, the pain overwhelming her as she slipped into unconsciousness, her blood pooling on the floor beneath her. Usagi shook her head as she glanced at Mamoru, sensing that he was as close to death as her girlfriend, one shoulder completely crushed by a piece of the ceiling that still covered his chest. "NOOO!!! I won't let you die! I have to save both of you!" Usagi took one of Rei's blood-covered hands in hers, Mamoru's hand in her other, blue eyes closed. "I will save you," she whispered, concentrating. She whimpered as a golden crescent moon appeared on her forehead, a single tear falling from her eye. Haruka and Michiru watched in utter amazement as the tear began to glow, floating in midair, growing into a sparkling crystal. Usagi released Rei and Mamoru, cupping her hands around the stone. "Save them both," she whispered. "Please don't let them die." "The ginzuishou," Michiru whispered. "Haruka, she's not strong enough! She can't possibly survive!" "Princess! Machinasai!" Haruka lunged forward as silver light exploded from the tiny crystal, trying to follow the calling of Usagi's heart. It touched Mamoru and Rei, trying to heal both, but there wasn't enough power, she wasn't strong enough, she was too young to understand her own strength. Usagi's eyes shot open as the crystal turned red and shattered, staring at Haruka as she fell down beside Rei, eyes soulless and dark. She breathed her last as Rei gasped and went still, Mamoru's life fading a second later. "No," Makoto whispered, staring at the blonde. Badly injured by the debris of the room, she erupted into a fit of coughs, Ami holding her. Makoto was so strong, but it wasn't enough. She had failed. Her princess was dead. As she collapsed against the wall, blank eyes locked on Ami, all she knew was that Usagi should not have died. Ami wrapped her arms around Makoto's limp form, a strange yet comforting cold invading her body. Her power. She knew how to use her power, just once. "Freezing," she whispered in a cloud of ice cold air, falling down beside Makoto, both following their princess into death. In the remains of the shattered window, Minako grabbed the nearest piece of glass and jabbed it into her wrists, eyes locked on Rei's still form as her life faded, too, leaving Haruka and Michiru alone. "No," Haruka whispered. "NO! Tejina! Please! Fix this!" "There is nothing I can do," a sad voice whispered as Tenbano Tejina appeared in the center of the room, wings folded along her spine. "I told you that I could guarantee nothing in this reality. You wished for it. Aren't you happy?" "No! I didn't want any of this! It should have been safe, without our powers and our enemies! How did all of this happen?" "Haruka! You wished . . . for this?" "She wanted to know if her love for you depended on your duty as senshi. This was the only way I could answer that question." Tejina glanced around, tears in her purple eyes. "I never meant for this to happen, either, Haruka." "Please, do something. I can't understand why they're all dead without their powers or their enemies. I didn't mean for this to happen!" "Perhaps you should have thought about the consequences before betraying your princess. You should have had faith in your partner's love. They died because they have no power. As senshi, they would have survived these injuries. In the original timeline, these four senshi all died twice. But they came back because of Usagi's love, enhanced by her power as the princess. She loved you, too, but you betrayed her. Was it worth it?" Haruka shrunk away from Tejina's mocking voice. "Please," she whispered, "I'll do anything. Just undo all of this! Make everything the way it was!" "I don't have the power." "I do! Take my power! If Usagi still had the crystal, I still have my senshi power! Take my power and use it to fix this." "It would take all of your power, including your life force. Are you willing to sacrifice everything to fix your mistake?" "Yes," Haruka whispered, staring at Tejina. "I'm willing." "Haruka, no!" Haruka turned and wrapped her arms around Michiru, kissing the distraught woman passionately before jerking away, tear-filled green eyes locking with Tejina's purple ones. "I love you, Michiru, and I always will. I'm doing this for her, for them, and for you. Please remember that." Closing her eyes and spreading her arms, Haruka whispered, "I'm ready, Tejina." "Haruka! NOOO!!" "Granted."
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