The Downfall of Uranus

Chapter One


The bluenette let out a soft giggle. Michiru Kaioh, Queen of Neptune, was supposed to be getting ready for a council meeting, but instead she was pinned down by Haruka on her chaise lounge.

"Queen Haruka," Michiru said. "However will I be able to focus during the important council meeting?"

Michiru pushed Haruka, but had no real intent to get her off. There was a muffled mumble to her question, as Haruka nuzzled her neck. Michiru giggled again. She heard the faint knocking on her door, but ignored it. Michiru dug her nails into Haruka's shoulders, pulling her down closer to her.

"Queen Michi-" the man stuttered. "Oh, I'm sorry."

He backed out, shutting the door.

Michiru shoved Haruka off her. Michiru's eyes shifted to Haruka, a smile forming on her face, until she started laughing. She fell into Haruka's chest unable to control her laughter. Haruka, feeling as though they had been violated, realized Michiru's amusement in it all. They were two grown adults acting like teenagers caught in a Romeo and Juliet type of love. Haruka chuckled lightly.

She lifted Michiru's chin, gazing into her beautiful greenish-blue eyes. "Oh, Michiru, I love you, and always will."

The two kissed. Haruka felt Michiru pulling away from the kiss and she leaned in not wanting it to end just yet.

"I have a meeting." Michiru reminded her.

Michiru stood up. She smoothed out her blue gown, designed by Minako Aino. It was fitting, showing Michiru's curves. Haruka watched the bluenette beauty walk toward the door, her hips swaying side to side almost teasingly. She tossed her gaze back at Haruka.

"Are you coming Ruka?" Michiru asked.

Haruka snapped out of her stupor, "Yes."

She got up off the blue chaise, and followed Michriu to the door. Michiru gazed at her sitting room. There was a piano on the other side of the room, and set of round stairs that led to the upper part of the house. Her violin, which she had played earlier that morning, was resting beside the matching couch to the chaise. A huge fireplace was the centerpiece of the room that brought everything together. A wraparound built in library was Michiru's favorite part in the room.

"This meeting is useless." Michiru sighed, as she opened the door to find Proteus still standing there.

"Sorry about that Queen Michiru." he bowed respectfully to her. "Your escort awaits for you to take you to the council room."

"There won't be a need for an escort. You and Haruka will do." Michiru said.

"With all do respect-"

"Proteus, that's enough." Michiru said. "Haruka, is the Queen of Uranus, she will protect me if anything were to happen."

Proteus didn't utter another word, as they bypassed her escort, he waved him on dismissing him. Michiru didn't pass the escort the slightest glance as they made their way down the corridors, her arm linked with Haruka's.

The Council Room was on the other side of the Palace. They passed by the great hall. They made it to the West Wing, where the ceiling were painted with some of the greatest painters from all over the Solar System, Michiru's included. They arrived to another matching oak door, and Michiru paused.

Proteus stepped forward, opened the door, the councilmen and councilwoman stood, "Announcing the presence of Queen Michiru, and-" he noticed the eager look on the graying woman's face, she clenched her hands together excitedly. "Haruka, Queen of Uranus." he finished, and her face twisted with annoyance.

Queen Michiru and Queen Haruka stepped into the room. Everyone, but the gray head woman, bowed. Queen Michiru's eyes met with hers. The older lady's eyes were narrowed, her lips pursed so tightly together it looked a if they might stay that way. She was head of the council and was the reason behind this meeting.

"Please tell me this is not Queen Haruka and that my old age is playing with my sight." she begged.

Haruka felt a smirk rising within her, unable to control her emotions she let it slip up onto her lips, "I am just a figment of your imagination. Queen Haruka is on her respectful planet, with Queen Michiru by her side."

"What happened to Admiral Genesis?" Naoki asked, her hand to her head.

"Haruka was a better escort." Michiru said.

"I tried." Proteus sighed in defeat, as he took his seat.

Michiru took her seat, and Haruka next to her. Naoki sat down defeated once again by Michiru's tactics. She hadn't been told of the arrival of Queen Haruka, of course, she had a hunch the Queen had not left when she was asked to a few days ago.

"The meaning for this council meeting, today, is to discuss marriage." one of the council members read verbatim from a scroll.

"Marriage is a harmonious, beautiful representation of ones love for another, and their love for that person." Haruka spoke.

"Michiru Kaioh." Naoki added.

"Yes, I do love Michiru Kaioh." Haruka smiled fondly at the woman.

Michiru jabbed Haruka in her side to get her to quit with her silly notions, "With all do respect, I do not wish to marry."

"You must marry!" Naoki retorted. "There must be a heir to your stand, blood relative, and considering they are deceased you have to carry on the legacy by marriage and giving birth."

"I understand this thought process, but I do not wish to be forced into a marriage where I do not love the other person. I love Haruka." Michiru announced.
Naoki rung her hands together, "Marrying another Queen is forbidden. Queen Haruka has to tend to her own people, and she must marry her own suitor."
"My Queen, Neo-Queen Seren-"

Michiru was cut off, "Neo-Queen Serenity is no longer your Queen. You are the Queen of your own people." Naoki pounded her fist on the oak table.

Michiru tuned out the rest of Naoki's words, to speak those words felt like a betrayal to Neo-Queen Serenity, while they still were her guardians Queen Michiru was now under Neptunain Jurisdiction.

Her eyes focused on the red curtains, the ones she had asked to be removed from this room just last week and to be replaced with blue or white curtains. She scratched the velvet seat cushion beneath her. The seats annoyed her, the color of this room messed with her mind. Why hadn't they attended to this problem when she asked for it to be changed? Had the council voted against her? What right did they have to tell her who to marry, and when. Michiru found Naoki's lips to still be moving.

"I will marry, when I am ready, and that is the final word on it." Michiru declared. "I won't have anymore meetings on this topic." She stood up, her hands folded neatly on her dress, "And furthermore, I want the carpet torn out of this room, the walls painted to a light blue, and the curtains and chairs to be of a darker blue."

Haruka's mind was still stuck on the first thing Michiru had said. They had promised to continue to fight, until they were allowed to marry. Was Michiru giving up? The palms of her hands were starting to sweat. Her suit, she felt, had started to bake her.

"Earth has changed you." Naoki said.

"As it has you." Michiru said, standing. "I declare this meeting adjourned."

"She'll come around." Michiru heard Proteus saying as she took Haruka's hand and led her out of the room.

The two stepped outside. The starlight shined through the Neptune's oceans and lit up her Palace. The guards present at each side of the entrance bowed to the Queens. Michiru waved gingerly back to them, and Haruka gave a simple nodded. Once they made it down the long flight of stairs Michiru rested her head on Hauka's shoulder.

"It seems almost unfair that I have to marry." Michiru sighed.

"Then don't." Haruka said.

Michiru's once lit eyes seemed dimmed, "Ruka, we both know this isn't going to work out between us. On Earth, yes, but we have a duty now and that is to our people."

Haruka stopped, she grabbed Michiru's shoulder, squeezing them tightly. Her eyes twinkled with the slightest bit of tears, "You are the reason I breathe, the reason I fight, the reason I love. There is no one else I could care deeply about as I do you."

Michiru's eyes misted over. She pulled away from Haruka, directing her attention to the gardens. Her insides felt scrambled, her heart swelling from all the emotions she was trying to keep locked inside her. She wondered what had happened to the mission derived Haruka she has once known, the one that would have sacrificed Michiru if the world had depended on it- the one that had her head screwed on correctly.

"Earth has changed you." Councilwoman Naoki's voice echoed in her head.

Earth had changed them, but more importantly Neo-Queen Serenity had changed them. Naoki knew that. A touch of Haruka's hand to her shoulder brought her out of her thoughts.

"I see the gardens are finally in place." Haruka said, trying to make small talk.

Michiru nodded, "Makoto was finally able to have them delivered."

"They are beautiful, so many blues though. Someone will think you are sad." Haruka smiled, trying to make light of the situation.

"Perhaps I am." Michiru stated.

They passed through the gardens, and to the loading station.

"This is always the fun part." Haruka smirked, looking at the circled watercraft.

Michiru laughed, "Yes, our transportation system is one of a kind."

"Will I see you again?" Haruka asked, with puppy dog eyes.

"Of course, in two weeks." Michiru kissed Haruka. "Don't worry, I won't be engaged anytime soon."

"I love you." Haruka said.

"I love you, too." Michiru replied back, as she watched Haruka step into the craft.

Once settled into the ball, it moved into the glass elevator. The doors closed, and the elevator filled with water and then shot to the top. There was a loading deck above the surface where Haruka would be boarding her own spacecraft and heading back to her own planet.

Michiru turned away to head back to her room when she saw Proteus standing at the Gardens edge waiting to escort her back to the Palace. She interlocked her arm around his and the two walked back through the gardens. Michiru looked back at the elevator, part of her hoping that Haruka would step out, and the other half knowing how foolish of Haruka that would be. She didn't, and the Queen of Uranus didn't return two weeks later either.