Our Past: The Reason We Fight
Time: Kind of between chapters 3 and 4 of CAS 3
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She couldn’t believe it, but the proof was right there in front of her.
Michiru was alive and fine, and so was she. Their heart crystals were
back in their bodies, and with the true talismans, there was no need for
any one to be sacrificed. Ten’ou Haruka looked at Kaiou Michiru,
smiling but resisting the sudden powerful urge to enfold Neptune in her
arms. They watched the other Soldiers leave, thinking different things,
mostly that they had a long mission ahead of them. Sailor Moon had the
Grail, yes, but the Messiah was yet to be found. Uranus stifled the
urge in her heart to trust Sailor Moon and let her save the world on her
own, with or without the Messiah.
Uranus turned to leave, to return home, desperate not to reveal her
feelings, and she saw Neptune sway. Reaching out, Uranus caught her
partner, concern in her dark green eyes. "Are you okay?" She cursed
the emotion in her voice, knowing that emotion was far too dangerous to
interfere with their mission.
"Fine; I guess I’m just a little bit tired. It has been a long day."
Neptune would have pulled away, ashamed of her weakness, but Uranus
didn’t seem willing to let go.
Uranus smiled. "Perhaps you shouldn’t have gone off in your own little
world and left me alone." Neptune blushed at the reference to their
earlier conversation, finding an answer in her heart—an answer and a
promise.
"Never again, Haruka."
Sailor Uranus helped Neptune back to their helicopter, stopping at the
sound of soft footsteps behind them. "Pluto."
"My name is Meiou Setsuna here."
Uranus helped Neptune settle in before turning to face the Soldier of
Time. "Thank you, Setsuna-san."
She shrugged her shoulders, glancing at the Garnet Orb on the top of her
staff and the Space Sword on Haruka’s hip. "The Sailor Soldiers are all
needed now, Uranus. Haruka-san. Now we have to find the Messiah, but
tonight we can rest. I will see you again."
"Setsuna-san!"
The mysterious Pluto looked over her shoulder at Neptune, one dark
eyebrow raised. "Thank you," Michiru whispered, glancing significantly
at Haruka. She had the strangest feeling that Pluto had done something
wonderful for her and Haruka near the end of the Silver Millennium, but
she couldn’t remember. Somehow, though, she knew that Meiou Setsuna
did. Pluto nodded and vanished into the thick white mist shrouding the
island, returning as she arrived, as Uranus took the helicopter home.
Neptune sat in the back seat, resting, trying to put a sentence together
in her head, unable to look at Uranus and think. So much had happened
in so little time, and her mind flashed back to the image of Eugial
holding a gun to Haruka’s breast. Neptune clenched her fists, tears
gathering in her eyes. "No matter what happens, we have to get the
talisman. We have to ignore each other’s dangers and go for it alone."
Those had been her words to Uranus, and she had been the one to ignore
them. Their mission depended on their devotion to the cause, not each
other. She had sacrificed herself for Haruka, and it would have been
pointless if her heart crystal had not contained a talisman.
"It wasn’t pointless, Michiru."
Haruka’s words startled Neptune, and she leaned forward to see her
partner’s face. Uranus kept her eyes locked on the sky and their
destination, not trusting her emotional shield to remain intact if she
looked at Michiru. "I didn’t say that."
"I know what you were thinking. It wasn’t pointless. Sacrifice is
always necessary in war, especially ours. I’ve known that for a long
time. As long as we can be together, I don’t mind."
When they finally reached the apartment they shared, the senshi once
again became Ten’ou Haruka and Kaiou Michiru, a little worse for the
wear. They managed to make it into their apartment before Michiru
stumbled and Haruka caught her again. Haruka held Michiru as tears
filled the slighter woman’s aquamarine eyes and began to streak her
smooth cheeks. "I almost lost you today," she whispered softly, barely
able to speak at all for the tears. "When I saw you again, I just
wanted to jump into your arms."
"I know," Haruka purred, her voice the soft murmur of a cat’s. "I
didn’t realize what was going on for a moment. I owe Pluto—Meiou
Setsuna—so much."
"We have a long fight ahead of us, Haruka."
"As long as we’re together I can endure anything." Haruka wiped the
tears off her partner’s cheek and kissed her gently. Michiru smiled,
reaching up to take Haruka’s hand, remembering their earlier
conversation, knowing that Haruka saw Michiru’s blood on her hands. As
she had before, Michiru smiled at her partner and reassured the taller
woman.
"Don’t worry, Haruka; I like your hands." She paused, smiling. "I love
you, Ruka."
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