Disclaimer: Yes, I own Sailor Moon. I am an insanely rich person. Oh, and I also own half of North American and am currently bidding on the Moon. :p what do you think? Don't own it, don't sue.
Chapter 1: Childhood Sweethearts
A long, long time ago, when the Court of the Moon ruled the solar system and great civilizations existed on the nine planets, a man paced back and forth in front of the heavy, multi-colored cloth that, when draped over the arched doorway, served as a door on this planet. The man was tall, with sandy-blonde hair and brown eyes, and dressed in the loose cotton clothing of his planet.
Suddenly, a cry from behind the curtained door brought his head up, a haggard and haunted look in his eyes. Pushing back the cloth from the doorway, he entered the room and was greeted with a scene from his worst nightmare. His wife lay tiredly on the bed, knowing the time had come to leave her family. With her remaining strength, she motioned to her husband to come closer, smiling at him through her beautiful green eyes. "Take care of her, please, darling. Tell her about how much her mother loved her. Never let her, or Teman, forget. I love you." She reached up to caress his face, and he held her hand until her eyes closed and she became still.
Hesitantly, a maid came up to him, holding a baby wrapped in sea green cotton cloth. The man looked up, tears on his face, and took the baby. "Don't worry." He spoke softly to the wriggling child. Somehow, the little demon had managed to free her hands, and she grabbed at the scraggly beard of the man before her. Her father smiled, noting the determination in those green eyes, so like her mother's, and the strength in her small hands. "I'll be your mommy. I'll take care of you, my little Haruka."
* * *
Haruka was allowed to grow up wild, like her brother. Her father loved her very much and had the best of intentions, but he simply didn't know how to raise a girl and, being the king, was often called away on official business. Haruka grew up with her brother, Teman, playing with swords, racing and fighting with the boys. By the time she was seven, most of the court had forgotten that she was a girl and simply addressed her as 'Sir Haruka', which pleased her immensely because she hated dresses and looked down upon the prissy court ladies who wouldn't play in the mud and couldn't shoot a bow or ride a horse. She was happy wearing pant and a tunic like the boys, and her father indulged her. However, she was the despair of her only female relative, the venerable old dowager, her aunt Eleanor. Eleanor often argued with her younger brother about how he was raising his daughter, but every time, he would turn her away with the same argument. "Let my little Haruka be. She doesn't have to grow up just yet; Teman will be king and Haruka will never have to worry about sacrificing who she is for her people. Just wait, Eleanor. She'll be a lady when the time is right; she's only a child now. If she wants to run around in boys' clothing and learn swordplay, then I'll hire the finest tailor and swordsmaster on Uranus."
When Haruka was eight years old and her brother was just turning sixteen, the Royal Family went on a tour of the other Outer Planets, Neptune, Saturn and Pluto, to celebrate the Teman's coronation as Crown Prince of Uranus and to renew political ties with the other planets. To begin this journey, they traveled first to Neptune, the watery planet.
* * *
They were greeted at the Neptunian palace by the King and his family. The King was a tall, fierce-looking man with eyes that raged like the sea. When he was fourteen, his father had died and he had become King of Neptune despite furious debate. Years of dealing with the dark side of his family had made him a harsh but fair ruler, demanding the same of his children as of his subjects. The Queen, on the other hand, was a willowy beauty with pale skin and long, flowing sea-green hair. She had borne her husband five children over the twenty years of her marriage, and she always wore the slightly anxious look that comes from trying to keep up with three boys and two girls ranging in ages from five to twenty. The youngest she held in her arms, a frightened little girl who still sucked her thumb. The other girl, the same age as Haruka, peeked out behind her mother in much the same way as Haruka peeked out from behind her father, and the boys from both kingdoms stood around looking hot and uncomfortable in their formal dress. "Greetings, most noble King of Neptune," spoke Haruka's father in a deep, commanding voice, as protocol dictated. "We have come from the distant stars to visit our friends. May the rain always be warm in your face and a hindrance to your enemies." He bowed low.
The King of Neptune bowed in return. "Greetings, most noble King of Uranus. Friends and travelers are always welcome in our home. May the wind be always at your back and a hindrance to your enemies. Suddenly the stern-faced man smiled. "It's good to see you again, old friend. It's been too long."
"Far too long." The King of Uranus agreed. "How are you? You seem to have had some new additions to the family since I was here last."
The King nodded. "The one in Michelle's arms is Nereid. The other girl…Michiru! Remember your manners in front of our guests! Come out here and introduce yourself properly."
The little girl that had been hiding behind her mother came out nervously. She was a very pretty young girl, with the gently curling, aqua hair and pale skin of her mother and her father's piercing, stormy blue-green eyes. She smiled and curtsied at the visitors. "My name is Michiru, princess of Neptune. I am honored to make your acquaintance, sirs."
The King of Uranus did not point out the young girl's error, having become used to all manner of people addressing his daughter as 'sir'. He smiled at the young girl. "It's been a long time since I've met such a charming young lady."
Michiru blushed and retreated to the relative safety of her mother's skirts.
Suddenly, the King of Neptune's face darkened as he gazed at Haruka. "I am deeply sorry for your loss, Mikom. Is that the child?"
A shadow passed over Mikom's face. He dragged Haruka back from where she had been playing with a stick and some ants. "Haruka, mind you manners!" He scolded her, then turned back to his friend. "Yes. This little hellion is Haruka."
The King of Neptune chuckled. "He looks like you at that age, friend. His eyes, though….those are Irene's eyes."
Mikom nodded his agreement absentmindedly, too caught up in his memories of his wife to correct his friend's assumption about Haruka's gender.
Michelle spoke up softly. "Mikom, Triton, supper is ready, then, perhaps, the young one's can go for a swim and we can talk."
Triton nodded. "Michiru, Titus, Aithe, Gyas! It's time for dinner!"
Mikom turned to Haruka and Teman. "Well, you heard our host. Let's not let our dinner get cold." He ushered his children into the spacious entrance hall of the palace. It was beautiful architecture, everything reflecting the planet's dependence on the sea. The walls were varying shades of blue, and the ceiling arched up to form a giant shell. Haruka spotted Michiru hanging back, trying to get a good view of these strangely clad foreigners without getting a long lecture on proper etiquette from her father. Smiling, Haruka stuck out her hand. "My name's Haruka, an' I'm gonna be the bestest Prince of Uranus someday." Nervously, Michiru shook the other girl's hand, trying to pronounce the unfamiliar name. "H-H-…'Ruka!" She smiled proudly, and Haruka grinned back. "I'll call you Michi, then, if you're gonna call me Ruka." Just then, Mikom opened the door to the dinning hall and told Haruka and Michiru to come eat before their food got cold. In an unusual act of gallantry, Haruka held the door open for Michiru as they went in to dinner.
* * *
After dinner, The Kings and Queen told Haruka and Michiru to go outside and play while the adults and older children discussed political matters. Michiru grabbed Haruka's hand. "C'mon, Ruka! I'll show you the gardens! They're beautiful with the roses right now." Michiru led her down a little path to the gardens, which were surrounded by a tall, stone fence. Michiru frowned and felt around under the leafy creepers that covered the stone. "What're you looking for, Michi?" Haruka questioned her new friend. Suddenly the smaller girl pulled on an old, rusted ring, and an entire mass of ivy lifted away to reveal a small doorway in the stone. Michiru smiled. "This is my secret place. I found it one day when Papa and Mama were away. Come with me." Michiru entered the little door, Haruka following closely behind.
Inside the door was a small but beautiful garden. It was filled with roses and flowers of every kind, all placed to give an impression of barely restrained wildness. The most prominent flowers, however, were pale white flowers that were native to Neptune. They were thin and delicate, but they were also able to withstand the harshest weather that the planet could throw at them. Beneath their outer beauty and frailty was a kind of quiet strength. "It's beautiful." Haruka whispered. Michiru blushed at the compliment paid to her favorite spot. "Thank you. I planted them all myself." Suddenly she brightened. "There's a little pool, too. Wanna go for a swim?" Haruka looked down. "I dunno how to swim. There's not enough water on Uranus, only sand." Michiru frowned, then brightened. "Don't worry, Prince Ruka! The pond here is shallow enough to stand in. I'll teach you how to swim. Follow me." Haruka followed Michiru to a small, emerald green pond. Unabashedly, Michiru stripped off her dress to reveal a green swimsuit underneath. "I was planning on taking a swim here today, anyway." She admitted. "Okay, first you gotta take off your shirt. My brothers have special shorts to swim in, but I guess you don't…?" Haruka shook her head. "You can just leave your pants on, then." While Haruka busied herself with taking off her shirt, Michiru went ahead and got in the water. When Haruka was standing on the bank looking unsure, Michiru swam up to her and took her hand, leading her slowly into the water. "Don't worry, just stand up for now." Haruka still looked unsure, but she did as she was told. "Ok, now, watch me. First you take a big breath and hold it." Michiru demonstrated. "The you just go down and let the water surround you. Don't panic, just let yourself float, and remember, if you get afraid just stand up. When you feel yourself out of air, stand up and you'll be above water." Haruka nodded and took a deep breath, pooching out her cheeks like Michiru had done. Michiru giggled at how silly Haruka looked and Haruka, noticing this, crossed her eyes, making Michiru laugh even more. Haruka released her breath and took another one, this time disappearing into the water. She stayed under as long as she thought she could, then stood up. Michiru and Haruka practiced breathing underwater until it got dark and their parents came into the garden, calling for them.
Over the next week, Haruka and Michiru played together in the garden every day. Haruka became better at swimming, and Haruka in turn entertained Michiru with stories of her exploits on Uranus. On the tenth day, Mikom announced that he and Teman were going to go on a tour of the outer moons of Neptune, and that Haruka was strongly urged to come with them. "But Daddy…" Haruka whined. "I wanna stay here with Michiru! I promised to go riding with her tomorrow!" "But Haruka-chan, your godfather and godmother from Saturn will be there, too. Don't you want to come see them?" Haruka looked like she might consider this, but still shook her head stubbornly. "No. I wanna stay with Michi-chan." Mikom looked down tiredly at his stubborn daughter. "Alright," he said, "just for the next couple of days, then we go on to Saturn with no complaints, right?" Haruka looked like she wanted to argue more, but she knew that it wouldn't be worth it. "Yes, sir."
That evening, almost eight hours after Haruka's father and brother left to tour the moons, there was a horrible thunderstorm. Haruka had never even seen rain before, and the thought of water falling unchecked from the sky frankly terrified her. Thunder crashed, hurting her ears as the rain fell relentlessly, pelting the roof of the palace and tapping at the glass windows as though longing to come inside and be a part of the lives within. The rain tried the windows in Haruka's room mercilessly and the thunder crashed around her. Haruka sat huddled in a corner, shaking and silently mouthing words of prayer in her own tongue. As if she had sensed her fear, Michiru suddenly appeared beside her, murmuring words of comfort to her friend as Haruka cried into her shoulder and the storm raged outside.