Darkest Before the Dawn
By Chari VonDillarizz
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Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from any existing properties of the Sailor Moon Universe, with exception of originally created characters and properties. Thank you.
It had been such a long night and Haruka had spent the last several hours watching Usagi cry as Michiru held her. Haruka wanted so badly to comfort her princess but she could not bring herself to move closer. It was already taking every ounce of self-control that the sky king possessed to not bolt out the door and deal with this matter herself.
The rain pelted the windows of the Outers' estate and Haruka took to staring out the window, unable to look at the pale and haggard form of her princess any longer. Around two a.m. it finally starting dying down and the moon peeked through the clouds, giving Hurka a moment of hope. She smiled until she thought she heard Usagi speaking softly. She had to be wrong. It must be a ghost or a trick of the mind. Compulsion driving her to hear those words that grated at her once more, Haruka turned, "What did you just say Koneko?"
It was so painful to use that term of endearment at this moment, yet Haruka knew it was what Usagi needed. For an instant, the corners of Usagi's mouth twitched upward, but they fell too fast for Haruka to be certain she was going to smile. Usagi's voice was scarcely audible when she repeated the words Haruka knew she would, "On top of it all, I am pregnant."
Haruka did not say anything, she merely grabbed her henshin stick as she bolted out the door of her bedroom. Just before she reached the door, Setsuna caught hold of her wrist. Haruka growled at her longtime friend, no family. Setsuna nodded, "Go… Go and avenge the honor of our princess. The three of us have things here." She paused then continued, "Just remember, what is done cannot be undone."
As Haruka blasted down the slick roads that only one as adept as her could navigate on a motorcycle she had this thought buzzing about her mind. It seemed ironic because she knew that it was a common belief that she was the most prideful among the Senshi. Yet, the notion that kept pricking at her skull was, "Pride will tear us apart". Though really, it should have been stated in the past tense. Nonetheless her mind wouldn't use that tense. Perhaps because of the action she knew she was preparing to take and the ripples that would tear through time. Haruka chuckled to herself as she made a mental note to by a large bottle of headache medicine for Setsuna on her way home.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, the Senshi of the Wind reached her destination. She parked her bike about a block from the Hikawa Shrine and transformed, immediately calling forth her talisman. Under the cover of a rainy Thursday evening Sailor Uranus found herself eyeing the blade of her sword, confident that it was up to the task ahead. Confidence she had, but her pride had been thrown out the window. He hands would be soaked in blood and she did not care. She did not care that Usagi would never look upon her the same, that she would never forgive her. Haruka happily took on the roles of Judge, Jury, and Executioner for the sins committed against her princess. Her fellow Outers, especially Michiru, would understand this darkest hour before the dawn. This night would go down in heroism and infamy.
She ran across the rooftops and through the trees, owning the wind which was hers to command. First she spotted Ami, her nose in a book as usual. Ami was the one that brought her the least joy in this nights endeavor. Haruka reminded herself that Ami too had made a choice. She abandoned her princess, her friend, when she needed her the most. Haruka was the most merciful to Ami though, her head came off quickly and rolled to the trunk of the nearby tree before what had been Sailor Mercury began disappearing as her Star Seed began its journey back to the cauldron. Perhaps in her next life, Mercury would be the friend and soldier she should be. The only blood staining her blade as she moved on.
Her next target was Makoto, preoccupied with the flowers growing on the grounds surrounding the heard her at the last moment, but it was too late, she shrieked for a second and then her eyes fell on the space sword piercing her had made her target, even a Senshi could not live without their heart. A gurgle and some gasping noises escaped Makoto's throat as she pulled her sword from the Senshi of Jupiter's chest, heart still on it. This time more blood got on the grass and some on her fuku. Then another departure of a Senshi's Star Seed from the Earth. Haruka wondered if Jupiter would find herself concerned with more than boys and baked goods in her next life.
As she neared the doors of the shrine she caught sight of Mars, not Rei Hino, but Sailor Mars. She was poised and ready. She knew that Haruka would come, but she hadn't warned Makoto and Ami. That was a level of cold she hadn't thought the Senshi of Fire capable of. She could see Mars readying her Flame Sniper. Haruka laughed aloud as she dodged her with ease, even more amused to see Mars inadvertently setting fire to her own home. Frustration was clear on Mars' face and Haruka smirked, knowing she would exacerbate Mars' feelings and impair her judgement more. The stupid Inner Senshi came at her in an attempt at hand to hand combat. Haruka laughed once more as she stepped aside with ease and ran her sword through Mar's back. Mars' eyes bugged out as she saw the blade protruding through her chest. Her voice had that same gurgling quality that Jupiter's had before, but at least Mars' was intelligible, "Suffering… and greed… Holy…" That was all that she could choke out as she hit the ground and began to disappear. Haruka hoped that Mars' would head to a stronger holy need and duty in her next incarnation.
From inside she heard the voices of ghosts, or soon to be, who could not escape her blade. Much to her delight the doors to the shrine flung open and out rushed Sailor Venus, or as she was calling herself from what Koneko had said, Princess Venus and Prince Endymion. They held hands and Endymion attempted to shield the Venusian whore he'd been cheating on Usagi with for months now. Haruka hadn't been shocked though, he was a male and men deserved no trust in her estimation. What had shocked her was Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter. They had all opted to follow Endymion's "new princess". The bleach blonde who apparently cared more about sucking dick than protecting the real princess.
All of this crossed Haruka's mind in the microcosm of less than a second. She wasted no time in stabbing Endymion in the groin and then separating his head from his body. Unlike the truly tragic princess Usagi had once been, Minako reminded Haruka why she had been the leader of the Inner Senshi and flipped backward, summing her Sword of the Silver Crystal.
Yes, this was what Haruka had wanted, a true fight. The two crashed blades, keeping each other on the defensive for some time. Eventually Haruka grunted, "Whj?"
Venus took a step back, rigid but clearly losing steam. Haruka did not have such worry. Venus glared, " For suffering and greed. She made all of us suffer and die for her greed."
The statement almost caught Haruka off guard, "What do you mean? You were her bodyguards!"
Minako sharp tongue cut through the waning night air, "Exactly, we were with her always. We watched her pride and obsession with Earth tear her mother apart. And in the end her love and greed took our soulmates from us. I only wanted her to suffer as we did, watching everyone she loved leave her and all of her hope slip away. Now she won't even get ChibiUsa."
That was when Haruka saw her opening, a slip in Venus' posture. Haruka went in for the kill, and her blade met with another heart. As Venus went down Haruka looked upon her with ice in her veins, "May you be left in the vacuum of your heart Venus." Haruka didn't bother telling Venus that she was wrong.
As the sun beamed over Tokyo, Haruka walked into her home still transformed and bloody. She sat down a huge bottle of Excedrin on the counter, looking at Setsuna she shrugged, "She no longer needs to cry for yesterday, now I need you to do something."
Setsuna rubbed her temples and sighed, What is it?" Haruka took her hand and placed something in it.
She yawned, "Take care of those." Haruka didn't bother looking back as she heard Setsuna gasp. She knew the reason. She knew Setsuna had opened her hand and saw the sparkling gold and gleaming yellow that Haruka had left with her. Under her breath she mumbled, "Only some will survive," as she made her way to one of the extra bedrooms for a nice hot shower.