Already Gone
Their house was located just right outside Tokyo. A fifteen minute drive from the city, an hour by bicycle, hell, only five minutes with a helicopter. And yet it had seen no-one but its owners in years. The spacious and beautiful garden, so lovingly tended to by Michiru, had not been played in for ages. Makoto had loved to come here to simply look at the flowers, perhaps pluck a few strays ones and leave them in a vase on the sideboard before she went home again. Haruka had often played volleyball with Minako while Usagi watched from the sidelines, content with a popsicle and a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses. Ami had read thick tomes somewhere in the shade of the large willow with Rei sitting quietly beside her and even Mamoru had stopped by for the odd summer barbecue.
Now, in the middle of July, and despite the newly installed pool, the garden was empty save for Haruka. Sitting at the edge of the swimming pool, she let her legs dangle and the feet dip into the cool water.
Somewhere in the house Michiru was fixing the two of them – it was always only the two of them these days – some iced tea. Closing her eyes against the sun, Haruka's thoughts strayed back to another hot summer day, the day it had all gone wrong.
"Setsuna, no! They are our enemies, damn it! They killed our sisters more than once, and now we're expected to go to this charade Makoto insists on calling a wedding? No way." Haruka's voice was quivering with rage, and Michiru placed a calming hand on her partner's shoulder. The blonde was sitting on the white couch, Michiru perched on its armrest, perfectly poised despite the upsetting news. Outside, the flowers were wilting under the sun's burning glare, but thanks to their excellent air conditioning, the summer heat didn't reach the inside of their house.
"I agree with Haruka. The shitennou have proven themselves to be dangerous, their vows of loyalty to Mamoru mean nothing. They have broken them before, and will do so again."
Setsuna shook her head. "Believe me when I tell you that we have nothing to fear from them. I of all people should know that."
Snorting, Haruka leaned back into the soft cushions of the couch. "Setsuna, no offence, but you didn't see the end of the Silver Millennium coming, and they certainly played a part in that."
Not rising to the bait, Setsuna leaned forward, towards the women opposite her. The senshi of time would have never expected to beg her sisters to go to the wedding of Makoto Kino and the man formerly known and feared as Nephrite, but the ramifications of them not going would be too severe. "If you don't accept the shitennou's return, you will loose them," she implored. "All of them, even Usagi. Just think of how long it has taken them to share the news of the shitennou's return with us in the first place. If we don't go, we will find ourselves outsiders before the wedding day is out."
"They wouldn't choose men over their sisters-in-arms. We're family," Haruka insisted, a stubborn note in her voice and not even a hint of doubt in her eyes.
Next to her, Michiru said nothing, her eyes fastened on the ornate blue hand mirror on the coffee table.
Drawing a lazy line in the water with her toes, Haruka bit back a bitter laugh. Who would have thought that having fought and died side by side meant so little when faced with the return of dead and traitorous lovers. Setsuna and Hotaru were still in contact with the other girls, which was the only reason why Haruka and Michiru had any inkling as to what was going on in their friends' lives. Ami was now working in a hospital, and apparently happy with Zoisite. Remembering the smart girl's torn body high up in the kingdom on the moon, Haruka wondered just how happy she could be. Minako (Minako of all people, Haruka thought angrily) had even moved in with Kunzite, throwing all caution in the wind. According to Hotaru, Minako and Kunzite owned a giant dog that always knocked things over, something Minako then hid from the man she now lived with. Hotaru had laughed when she had told them about the dog's and particularly his owners' antics, but Michiru's smile had frozen onto her pretty lips and Haruka had left the room rather abruptly. It was the last time Hotaru had shared any stories about the inner senshi.
Inching closer to the edge of the pool, Haruka moved her legs into the water. It was cool, pleasantly so, but it was also quiet and undisturbed. She'd rather see it wild with waves caused by her laughing friends, but then this was not to be. Unable to bear the stillness, she kicked the blue surface as hard as she could. Cool drops soared high into the air, landing on the terracotta tiles where the sun seemed to burn them dry in mere seconds, on her white shirt, and on her hot face, where they ran down her cheeks and onto her lips. Wiping them away impatiently, Haruka didn't pause to wonder why they tasted salty.
It was Makoto that had disappointed Haruka the most. Not even two years after their former enemies had appeared again, she had married Nephrite. It was this wedding that had set events into motion, this wedding that had caused their group to split. The invitation had read "Makoto Kino & Hiromasa Obuchi", but to Haruka and Michiru, this Hiromasa did not exist. There would only ever be Nephrite, a monster just like the youma he had once commanded. When Haruka had heard that Makoto had given birth to a little baby girl three years ago, she had actually cried for the first time since she had to watch Michiru die in the battle against Galaxia. Brave Sailor Jupiter, kind Makoto Kino – lost from their lives forever.
Only Rei had steered clear of the shitennou, even attempting to start a new life in a new flat with a new job, not once letting Jadeite get too close to her. Michiru had been so proud of the girl's strength, inviting her over for tea and walks around the garden, stopping by the antique shop to check up on her at least once a week. Soon after, Rei had told them that Jadeite had left Tokyo to travel the world. Rejoicing at the news, Haruka had briefly forgotten herself and slapped the priestess on the back, exclaiming what brilliant news those were. One out of the way, three more to go. Rei's look could have caused kingdoms to crash, and that was the last they had seen of her. She didn't even answer their calls anymore.
The last one of them they had seen in their house was Usagi, but it wasn't the girl they adored so much anymore.
The doorbell rang once.
"Michiru, do you expect someone?"
The sweet violin music coming from the sun deck stopped, and Haruka could hear Michiru come inside and store the precious violin in its case.
"It's Usagi," she said simply, her beautiful expression once more unreadable, and it was then that Haruka knew that her lover had used the mirror.
Pulling the door open, their queen and friend was indeed standing on their porch, nervously wringing the hem of her pink shirt.
"Usagi, come in. It's nice to see you, albeit a bit of a surprise," Haruka offered, not quite sure how to proceed, since the last time Usagi had appeared unannounced, it had been to tell them off for not coming to the wedding, and that was years ago. Since then, their friend's appearances had been increasingly rare, and always announced beforehand.
Leading her into the kitchen, Michiru set out to prepare some tea. There was a colourful box of fruit tea they kept on the shelves because Michiru knew that it was Usagi's favourite. It had been there for a while, untouched. Still, there was no dust on it, it was kept perfectly clean. Michiru already had the box in hand when Usagi's quivering voice stopped her.
"Thank you, Michiru, but I'm not in the mood for tea." Not meeting their eyes, Usagi stared at her feet. Following her gaze, Haruka smiled to see red nail polish and pink sandals. It was a colour combination Chibi-Usa would love, and the senshi of Uranus briefly wondered when the little princess would finally be conceived. At last, Usagi looked up again.
Setting the box down on the polished counter, Michiru cocked an eyebrow, crossing her white arms in front of her chest.
"If this is about what I think it is, Usagi, then the answer is no. I wrote her a letter, she knows we're not coming."
Usagi blinked back a few quick tears, and balled her hands into fists. Her voice was shaking, but the despair in it was hard to miss.
"It's the christening of Makoto's baby boy, and you already missed that of her daughter. Do you even know the children's names?"
It was Haruka who answered, her voice quiet and even, but her eyes fixed on the painting hanging in the hallway. On the calm white walls, in their calm white house, its swirling colours stood out like a poppy in a field of rapeseed. "No, and we don't want to."
"But Haruka, how can you cut us out of your lives like that? I thought we were friends!"
"How WE can cut YOU out? Usagi, it's you who has done the cutting. They are our enemies, they shed your blood, we found you dead on the moon with everything lost, and now we're supposed to accept them as husband, lovers, fathers even?" Haruka snorted, and like Michiru, crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"But you haven't even met them! Not once! If you do, you will know that they are good men."
Before Haruka could answer, Michiru cut across her.
"Usagi, they are the sort of people we meet on battlefields. You and the girls are free to come and see us whenever you wish, but the shitennou are not welcome. We will treat them the same way we have treated all enemies, so it's not in their interest to set foot over this doorstep or into our lives."
"You wouldn't do that, you wouldn't hurt them."
"We would do anything to make sure that they won't hurt you, Usagi. Protecting you is our destiny. It's our sacred duty."
"But you don't need to protect me from friends! Ask Setsuna, ask Hotaru. They know them, and if you can't trust my judgement, then perhaps you can trust theirs."
"Setsuna has shared her opinion with us; it doesn't change anything."
"But how can we all live together in Crystal Tokyo when you can't even meet them now? Haruka, you would really like Hiromasa, really. He's such a nice man. He builds furniture, and likes to go running and play football. And Michiru, I think you would get along with Takeshi. He likes classical music, listens to it all the time, so you have something in common. Perhaps you could play for him, I'm sure he'd appreciate it. Please, please, try. Just once. Come to the christening."
Slowly setting the box of tea back on its place on the shelf, Michiru smiled. It was a dark smile, a knowing smile.
"And what if we don't?"
"You're brooding again." Michiru said and put down a small tray with drinks, lovingly decorated with a perfect white rose. Reaching for the flower and twirling it between her fingers, Haruka wished for the colour that were her friends.
"Do you think they'll come back one day?"
Sitting down beside her, Michiru's legs joined Haruka's in the aquamarine depth of the pool.
"If they do, we will be here."
Under the scorching light of the late July sun that burned all flowers away, they were together alone.
THE END