Lost With You (part 1 of 9)

Haruka opened her eyes, blinked a couple of times before taking in the view of green leaves above her.

'What the Hell...?' She thought trying to stand, then she gasped in pain. 'What the Hell!' She then realized she was hurting everywhere, despite that she managed to stand up stumbling a little and tried to get a look around. She was surrounded by trees and that was quite odd cause she was supposed to be on a plane... Then she remembered.

Her breathing quickened and she turned around in every direction furiously, making her head spinning dangerously. Then she tried to calm herself and concentrate on her surroundings.

When the sound of her own heartbeat subsided she was able to perceive noise from her left. She walked in that direction and soon she found herself out of the woods and on a white sanded beach. She stopped for a moment, a young blonde woman with strange pigtails passed before her, she had tear-streaked cheeks and was yelling something. Haruka was still dizzy and didn't realized what the girl was screaming but decided to follow her. When she was completely out of the shelter of the trees the scene before her eyes took away her breath for a moment.

Just some feet ahead there was the middle section of the airframe, there was a long breach running all along the side and flames enveloped one of the end. People were running back and forth amid fragments of the airframe - some of them burning - clothes and corpses. Haruka snapped out of her dazed state and started running to the cabin. She passed by the pigtailed girl who was hugging tightly a dark haired man, crying loudly.

When she was near the cabin she looked around searching for something but she didn't find it cause kept running ahead to the smoking airframe in an incredibly frenzy. She passed by two men carrying a pregnant woman away from the burning wing of the plane, when she finally was near the big gash on the side of the airframe she looked inside coughing at the smoke.

"She's still in there." A voice behind her made her turn around. There stood the strange tanned woman who had sit in the back of the first class watching her before the crash-down. "Go ahead, we have to pull her out of there."

Haruka had the disturbing sensation the strange woman could read her thoughts. Did she really knew who she was searching for? But they didn't have time for conjectures, so she bent to go in the cabin.

"You ok, Michiru-chan?" Seiya's soft question had the power of tearing her out from her dazed state. She pondered the situation and then answered smiling.

"Yes, I'm ok. Thank you."

Taiki and Seiya told her they were carrying the unconscious Yaten out. She nodded but instead of following them she looked around. A lot of seats were vacant, more than she remembered being when they had took off. But a lot of them were occupied by unconscious people. She gasped when she realized that probably they weren't just unconscious.

Suddenly the reality of what had just happened took over her and she stumbled as her knees went weak. She started tasting every person's pulse point looking for someone still alive. No one was and she felt tears gathering in her eyes.

"Oh Gods..." She murmured when she approached a little girl who could have been no more than nine. She reached out for the girl's neck, her hand trembling, when she touched the still warm flesh the girl opened her eyes quickly.

Michiru jumped back at the sudden movement, but she soon felt an immense relief. She caressed the little girl's cheek smiling. The girl kept staring terrified at her, then with a little voice asked her: "Are you an angel?"

Michiru chuckled at the kid's question and softening even more her smile she replied: "No, dear, I'm afraid I'm not. Are you hurt?" She then asked searching the still sitting body for any blood-stain. Then she realized the little girl's legs were caught between her seat and a big fragment of the fuselage.

"No, I don't think so." The little girl seemed to think deeply before responding.

"Do your legs hurt?" The aqua-haired woman asked again.

"Mmh... just a little, but I can't move them, their stuck." The girl said pouting.

"I see, lets move this thing so you can slip out, OK?" Michiru tried to lift the fragment that was blocking the child's legs but she couldn't move it more than a couple of inches. After thirty seconds of unsuccessful pulling she had to let go of it cause the effort was too much for her muscles and the metal sheet took its previous place.

"Did I hurt you?" She quickly asked .

"No, I think it doesn't rest directly on my legs." The kid said smiling up at her reassuringly.

"We have to think about a way to move it." Michiru said looking around for something to use as a lever.

"Hime-chan! Hime-chan I'm here!... Oh God, are you alright?"

When Michiru turned around to look who was talking she saw the blonde woman who had helped her with her beauty-case caressing the little girl's face, eyes full of concern. The sitting child smiled up at the blonde, visibly happy to see her.

"Her legs are stuck, and that thing is too heavy." Michiru pointed to the metal fragment. The blonde turned to her then to where she was pointing then leaned to take a close look at the metal sheet.

"Well, let me try." She said, resolve on her face. She took a firm grip on the metal sheet and tried to lift it, it quickly moved three or four inches, then she let go of it panting. "Ok, I can do it. Kaioh-san, when I get enough room please pull Hime-chan out of there." She leaned again and took the metal sheet with both her hands.

Michiru nodded and waited, ready to pull the little girl out of her seat.

"Are you ready Hime-chan? We're going to take you out." Haruka then gritted her teeth and lift the piece of metal. She winced as blinding pain passed through her starting from her left shoulder, but she never let go of the weight.

In a couple of seconds Michiru had enough room to pull the little girl out of her trapping seat and Haruka could finally let go of the metal sheet. She leaned back panting, closing her eyes waiting for the dull pain in her shoulder to subside. She opened her eyes only when she felt two tiny arms encircling her neck.

Michiru's expression turned to concerned for the wincing and panting blonde to full of tenderness at the view of the little girl hugging the tall exhausted woman.

Haruka stood up holding the child tight against her chest. When she was completely on her feet the little girl's eyes went downward towards her seat.

"Papa..." She murmured. Both Haruka and Michiru followed the kid's look and they saw a man's hand turned upward slipping out from under a pile of rubble.

The tall blonde turned around immediately and walked fast along the cabin.

"We'll bring you out of here, Hime-chan, then I'll return for your papa, ok?" She said exchanging a worried look with Michiru.

"He's not injured, just unconscious. Wait for him to wake and if he seems to want to throw up, just lay him on his side." They nodded and kneeled down as she stood and walked to check on someone else.

"Hey! This guy is bleeding like a fountain!" Someone yelled.

Dr. Mizuno turned and ran in that direction passing by a man who was walking slowly rubbing his wrist and wincing. A blonde young man was waving his hand to the doctor and pointed down at a male laying on the sand, he had a large gash on his leg and was bleeding copiously. She take a close look at the wound then tried to clamp it pressing vigorously with both her hands.

"Ami-chan! Come here!" She yelled.

"I'm coming!" Her daughter came running. When she was there she doubled with her hands on her knees panting.

"We have to find something to use as a tourniquet for this leg." Dr. Mizuno said glancing down at the leg under her hands. Soon Ami took off looking around. She spotted two men in elegant suits kneeling by another man unconscious.

"Excuse me, can I have your tie?" She asked bowing to the one with the red suit and curly hair. He looked up at her uncertain at first, then he understood and quickly untied his fashionable black tie and handed it to her.

"Thank you." She bowed again and fled off to her mother.

"Someone! Help!" A young woman yelled from her left, she glanced in her direction and had a quick glimpse of a pregnant woman panting and a black haired girl holding her. She reached her mother and told her a pregnant woman needed help.

"I'll get to her. Try to stop the bleeding in the meantime." The older woman said then she was off to the pregnant woman. Ami looked down at the bleeding wound and tied the tie very tight a good three inches above the gash. Soon the blood flow decreased and then it ceased. The young man watching was in awe.

"Wow! You were very courageous!" He complimented.

Ami blushed and lowered her head, shyly. "I wish I could be really courageous and useful..." She replied looking at her mother who was talking to the pregnant girl.

"Arigato." Michiru said following a running Haruka with the black haired little girl in her arms.

When they reached the supposed doctor, she was leaving a pregnant girl who was taking deep breaths supported by two others young women. She saw the little girl curled in Haruka's arms and ran towards them.

"I don't think she's hurt but we better be sure." Michiru said. Dr. Mizuno gestured Haruka to lay the girl down. The blonde did it and Michiru noticed how the blonde winced. She glanced worriedly at her but soon their attention was on the little girl.

"Papa..." She said softly while the doctor checked on her. She looked at Haruka with pleading eyes.

"I'll go Hime-chan. I'll get him out of there." Haruka then walked back to the cabin.

"Tenoh-san!" Michiru ran after her. "It's dangerous to go in there again!" She looked to the burning and cracking fuselage. "It could collapse at any moment!"

"That's why I have to hurry. I promised her." The blonde said without stopping her walk.

"Haruka-san..." Michiru said not realizing the familiarity with she had addressed the practically stranger. Haruka for her part was already too far to hear that.

"Hey, I need help!" She said in English, when she had got their attention she continued, "I'm going to look for someone still alive in there." She pointed to the air-frame. The younger girl looked frightened at her. "I know, it's dangerous, people keep telling me, but I had to give it a try."

"I'm with you." The man who was about her age said seriously, then leaned down kissing the scared girl lightly.

"Darien! Take care! Please!" She said, her eyes watering.

"Don't worry Serena, I'll be back soon." Then he followed the already running Haruka.

The two entered the cabin and looked around checking on everyone's pulse.

"Hey...?" Darien called the blonde.

"What?"

"Look at this!" He pointed to a corpse.

"Is he dead?" She asked, "And... It's Haruka, by the way... You're Darien, right?"

"What?... Oh, Haruka, and yes, I'm Darien." He said. Then he pointed at the body's wrist. "He's dead, but it seems like someone else is not."

Haruka saw that the corpse had handcuffs on one of his wrist and the other end was unlocked. She decided to search for the man's documents and found a marshal badge in his coat's pocket.

"Great, it seems like he was the good guy..." She said looking at Darien with concern. "We'll deal with that later, come on." She gestured him to go back to their searching.

Haruka went straight to the little girl's father's seat while Darien checked on the others' pulse. She lifted all the rubble under which the man was with great effort and pain. When she reached him he was a bloody mess. He had a big gash on his head, his shirt was covered in blood and one arm was bent at an unnatural angle. His weird glasses were smashed and some shreds had penetrated his face. She contemplated the macabre view for a minute then she took an hold of the limping body.

"Ah, I think he's already gone, Haruka." Darien said when he reached her.

"I know..." she pause panting for the effort, "...but... argh!...I made a promise... ungh... and I don't break my promises. Pant, pant... So less watching and more helping, pal." She said between sharp intakes of breath. Darien helped her and together managed to pull the body out of its seat falling on the cabin floor. Sitting there they paused for a minute exhausted.

"Hey, is anybody in there?" A female voice yelled in English. "The wing is about to fall! If there's anybody in, it'd be better hurry!"

Haruka and Darien looked at each other and stood lifting the heavy body that now was coughing softly. 'Wait... coughing? Corpses aren't supposed to cough...'

"Oh Kami-sama, he's alive!" Haruka exclaimed in Japanese looking at the man in her arms. Darien looked at her questioningly. "He's alive!" She then repeated in English.

The dark-haired man looked down surprised, then they hurried down the aisle half dragging half carrying their human burden.

When they reached the exit a young, strong-built brunette was waiting for them and helped them so they could ran away before the huge wing of the plane fell down on the fuselage with a very loud crash.

Everyone turned around immediately when they heard the horrible noise of metal cracking and smashing.

"DARIEN!" Serena yelled and started to run towards the wreckage but was stopped by a firm grip on her arm.

"No, Serena! It could be dangerous, there could be an explosion." Mina said holding her struggling friend in place.

"Let me go! Darien is there!" She cried, tears falling down her cheeks. Mina didn't reply, just held Serena tightly, hugging her while she sobbed.

A few steps from them an equally distressed Michiru stood but she didn't show her internal turmoil the same way Serena did. She just stood there holding her breath, looking in the distance to the crashed airframe. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned around and her eyes met the woman's serious look.

"You have to trust her, she gave her word."

"I know Setsuna-san." Michiru said softly despite her heart was pounding in her chest. She even didn't notice that the other woman's comment was creepingly insightful.

"Hey, there's someone walking this way!" A young man with very thick glasses yelled, his arm stretched, his finger pointing ahead. Even if he had spoken in Japanese his gesture was unmistakable. That made Serena look up and when she spotted three - or were them four? - figures walking their way she collapsed in Mina arms sobbing even more but this time were happy tears.

Mina rolled her eyes but held tight on her friend as a large grin spread on her own face thinking with relief that Darien was safe.

Michiru felt the hand on her shoulder squeezing knowingly just before it was gone. She turned to the woman behind her and was greeted by an enigmatic smile.

Soon some of the observers snapped out of their dazed state and run towards the approaching group to help them, so they were able to carry the badly injured man to the doctor.

"Papa!" The little black-haired girl stood and run to the bloody pulp her father was but she was intercepted midway by Haruka who scooped her up with one arm, preventing her to reach him.

"Hime-chan, it's better if you let the doctor take care of him, you'll see him later. Is that ok?" She asked though never gave the kid a choice, she just walked away towards Michiru and the tanned woman that was with her.

When the blonde reached their spot the little girl was struggling furiously in Haruka's arm. Michiru frowned as she noticed that Haruka was wincing every time the girl hit her with her little fists and that though the kid was struggling the blonde wasn't using both her arms.

"Hotaru, came here with me. You have to be a good girl and let the doctor do her job." She said taking the little girl from Haruka. She observed the blonde as she sighed with relief as the struggling girl was taken off from her.

"Hotaru... So that's your name, Hime-chan." Haruka said, trying to move the kid's attention from her father's condition.

"Yes, I'm Tomoe Hotaru. And what's your name?" The child asked.

"I'm Tenoh Haruka. Nice to meet you, Hotaru-chan." The blond bowed theatrically.

"Thank you for saving me and my papa, Tenoh-san." Hotaru too bowed, then she disentangled herself from Michiru's arms and hurled herself at the blonde hugging her tightly.

"Ow! Easy Hime-chan, it's ok!" Haruka exclaimed, her face paling suddenly.

"Setsuna-mama said you were going to take your word, and bring my papa back!" Haruka looked questioningly at Michiru who pointed to the tanned woman beside them.

"Thank you for the trust." Haruka said to the mysterious woman.

"You're welcome, Haruka-san." Setsuna replied with a sparkling in her strange garnet eyes.

Then Michiru stood and left them without a word, but soon she was coming back with the short-haired doctor's daughter. The aqua haired beauty pointed to Haruka and the younger girl nodded.

Haruka watched them questioningly, even more dumfounded as the blue-haired girl got closer and closer to her.

"Excuse me?" The blonde asked, glancing suspiciously at the approaching girl.

"You're hurt." Michiru stated, matter of factly. "Your left arm, right?" Haruka looked at her in surprise.

"I'm afraid you'll have to take off your shirt, Tenoh-san." Ami said withdrawing to give the blonde enough room to discard the garment.

Haruka glared at Michiru but did what she was asked to. She started fumbling with the buttons of her white shirt one-handed. After a few minutes she gave a frustrated sigh.

"Here, let me help," Michiru said and leaned down unbuttoning the blonde's shirt gently.

"Thank you..." Haruka mumbled, blushing slightly at the sudden nearness of the aqua-haired woman.

"Here you go," Michiru said slipping the shirt down the blonde's shoulders, "Kami-sama!" she suddenly gasped when the discarding of the shirt revealed Haruka's left shoulder. From her sleeveless undershirt poked out a weird bulge surrounded by a large bruise.

"I'm afraid that's a dislocation." Ami said calmly, "We have to reduce it, before the ligaments are damaged permanently." She said that then got closer to Haruka.

"Hey, wait a moment, isn't your mother the doctor?" The blonde said frowning.

"But Ami-san is a doctor too, aren't you?" Michiru said.

"Mmh... yes, I'm a doctor... almost." Haruka's shot a worried look at her before she added quickly, "I mean, technically I'm not a doctor yet." She lowered her head self-consciously then she recomposed herself.

"Ok," Haruka nodded to her indicating she was ready for the girl to treat her shoulder.

"Michiru-san I need you to hold her in place while I reduce it." She then took hold of Haruka's left wrist with one hand while the other was placed under the blonde's armpit. "At three I'm going to pull it in its socket again." She explained, then she searched the blonde's pale face for permission, when Haruka nodded she begun counting.

"One... two..."

"ARGH!"

Ami had pulled early to prevent the tensing of the blonde's muscles. The shoulder came back in its socket smoothly, even if Haruka had pain filled eyes and Michiru was panting for the effort of holding her in place.

After a couple of minutes Michiru handed Haruka a makeshift sling made with a handkerchief.

"Thank you." The blonde said.

"You're welcome. How are you, does it still hurt?"

"Nah, it's ok." Haruka said dismissively, but her face was still pale and her eyes were pain-filled.

"You're a very bad liar, Tenoh-san." Michiru chuckled.

"Call me Haruka, please." The blonde said.

"Well, you're a very bad liar, Haruka-san." The aqua-haired woman said smiling. Her blue eyes locked with the blonde's teal ones for a long moment. Then the magic moment was interrupted by a anxious voice.

"Oh, Michiru-chan! Thank Kami you're alright." Seiya came to them and embraced a surprised Michiru tightly. "Yaten-chan has been unconscious for hours!"

"Is he alright, now?" Michiru asked, truly concerned.

"Yes, he is, but we got very scared. Come and see him, he would be pleased." He said and while he dragged the astonished Michiru away to where his brothers were he eyed back menacingly at the sitting Haruka. She shot him back a very cold look that softened when it shift on Michiru's withdrawing figure.