Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.
Warning: Shoujo-ai, Michiru/Haruka.
Never thought I would ever write a Sailor Moon fic, but inulover28 got me to re-watch it, although I still haven't gotten through all of it. I had only seen it dubbed and, man, is it waay better subbed, lol. This fic is dedicated to her. n.n By the way, I have only ever read a total of like, two SM fics so… Yeah. I'm sure this has been done before, but I had fun. :D And I hope you like my take in any case.
A tag of sorts to episode 21 of Sailor Moon S, so if you haven't seen it…
Hope you enjoy. n.n
I went back through and edited again; also added in a whole new scene that I think makes this fic a lot better. Let me know if you agree. I'd love to hear your thoughts. :D
Left Behind
She froze in horror as Michiru threw herself at the Witches 5 member to distract her, and then the gun fired before she could blink.
Her breath caught in her throat as she stared in disbelief at the heart-crystal quickly changing shape.
A mirror—talisman.
"Michiru!" she screamed, her heart already shattering at the thought of life without the beautiful violinist, her tether.
They had said they would do anything, sacrifice anyone for the mission, to stop the Silence, but… Not once had it crossed their minds that it might be one of them that held the pure-hearted talismans. Even though they had both said they would ignore each other's danger and move on alone, they had both dove in front of the other, trying to take on the hurt to spare the other. Both had taken arrows for the other, and Michiru had sacrificed herself for her…
"I like your hands."
She shifted her gaze from her tainted hands to the lovely woman drying her hair with a towel. She was taken aback by the tender look in her bright blue eyes, swimming with compassion, and sorrow, as she stood beside her.
She continued to stare at the talisman, for that meant…
After all that they had been through, and now it came to this?
Haruka swallowed thickly as tears threatened to form at the memories that continued to haunt her, and she shot up off the ground, needing to be close to her love, to hold her, cradle her.
Or she had tried to.
Before Eudial stopped her, the gun now pressed against her chest, a wicked, satisfied smile playing on her bright red lips.
Even she…?
Haruka stomped into the pool area, the door slamming shut behind her. She knew she'd find Michiru here after classes got out and she had been right, for the blue-haired teen was floating on the water, staring up at her questioningly.
The blonde shook her head, her frustration evident by her posture with her arms crossed against her chest and her weight on one foot.
Michiru raised an eyebrow but when Haruka's silence continued, she fell onto her back and started swimming, still keeping an eye on her.
A smile tugged Haruka's mouth but the soreness of her muscles from the fight against the latest enemy that had been sent their way last night reminded her of her failure.
She was an active person and always had been, but even she was starting to feel drained in the mornings from being a sailor senshi. She felt it to be a weakness, especially while watching Michiru act as though nothing happened after school, as though she wasn't fight along beside her.
Last night she had let her guard down and Neptune had yelled at her after the fight was over—after saving her life.
"You're going to get yourself killed! Go get some sleep!" Michiru had shouted at her before quickly walking away without another word.
Haruka watched Michiru swim with a frown while these troubling thoughts flooded her. She hadn't been able to think about anything else all day. She was glad at least that the violinist didn't seem mad at her anymore.
She had seen the blue-haired teen swim countless times and was always mesmerized by her grace as though she was fluid as well.
Sighing heavily, she set her bag down beside her and crouched next to the edge of the pool, eyes glued on her friend.
"You're in a bad mood." She suddenly heard, refocusing her eyes. Michiru was treading water right in front of her. She really hadn't been paying attention.
"I don't want to talk about it," she snapped, wrenching her eyes from the beautiful woman to stare at nothing to her right.
Michiru laughed lightly, the sound melodious to her ears. However, she was laughing at her so she turned back to make a retort but came up short when Neptune swam away again, waving at her while going backwards.
"Lighten up and relax." The words were soothing and sincere. Haruka knew that she was wound too tightly and that that could also factor into many mistakes.
She lowered her gaze to the rippling water at her feet, trailing her hand in it absentmindedly.
All of a sudden Michiru was there under the water. She saw the mischievous look in her eyes but, before she could react, the blue-haired woman snatched her wrist and pulled her forward.
Her eyes widened and she was submerged in the warm water. She came up sputtering beside Michiru who had her head tilted back in laughter.
Haruka was unable to form any words, she was so angry and surprised by the act of playfulness.
"Michiru!" she finally shouted and pounced on the unsuspecting woman.
She dunked her head under the water as a form of payback. However, when Michiru was fully under, she slipped away and pulled at Haruka's feet, bringing her back under.
And she knew she could never win a water fight with Neptune.
When Haruka broke the surface, she raised her hands in defeat, pleased to see that Michiru came up right beside her.
The violinist grinned broadly in triumph at the blonde.
Haruka smiled in return, her worries forgotten in the depths of the pool.
A wicked thought crossed her mind then and she had to keep her expression from giving her away. It'd be worth the risk…
She jumped at Michiru once again but, this time, she locked her lips with the blue-haired woman.
Michiru's eyes widened in surprise and she fell back into the water without resistance.
Still under water she got over her shock and returned the kiss, deepening it.
When they finally broke the kiss and resurfaced, Haruka smirked.
Michiru laughed wholeheartedly in response and smacked her arm in mock irritation.
That had been their first kiss. The violinist always knew how to cheer her up; no matter her mood. And now…
Haruka had joked to Michiru about not leaving her alone, but she hadn't realized until now how serious she had actually been… It had torn at her very soul seeing the blue-haired teen get hurt protecting her, her scream of pain still echoing in her lost mind. She no longer knew what she was supposed to do. She had lost her one constant since becoming a sailor senshi, her pillar, her love… She had always been there for her.
Her sapphire eyes slid from the gun against her chest to Michiru's still form, fallen across the cold floor, her aqua hair in disarray.
She held no delusions about losing a heart-crystal, about it turning into a talisman; about it not returning to the owner's body…
Death.
She flinched at the thought.
Haruka was oblivious to what was going on around her, to Eudial's hovering, to the gloating words from her enemy's mouth.
How was she to move on by herself…?
Then there was a loud noise and the Witches 5 member no longer stood above her, the gun no longer pointed at her chest, and Usagi took her place protectively.
That was right. The gun had been pointed at her—she had a talisman. She didn't have to do this alone. She wasn't supposed to.
The soothing melody of violins played in the back of her mind accompanied by a warm smile and blue eyes. The gentle way in which Michiru had held her hand hours before…
She blinked, and Neptune had yet to move, the mirror still above her, shining mockingly.
Then Usagi entered her view, shaking the blue-haired teen, trying to shout her back to wakefulness—and how she wished it was that easy!—pleading with her to snap out of it, for the talisman to turn back into the heart-crystal, but the sight just drove it home how lost they really were.
At least she didn't have to be alone… To be without Michiru…
Haruka told the pig-tailed girl to leave Neptune alone. To let her rest in peace, she added mentally.
When she ignored her, Haruka shifted her gaze in despair, and the blue eyes, darkened with pain, fell upon the gun that Eudial had been wielding.
"You're so unfair, Michiru," she found herself saying as she picked it up, "to leave for a world of your own…"
She could hear Usagi like background noise.
That reminded her: She would no longer need it. It was all up to Sailor Moon and the other inner senshi—and if the unmoving form of her dearest friend hadn't been before her, she might have cringed at the thought. However, as it was, she tossed Usagi's brooch back at her and raised the gun to her own chest.
And how convenient was it that it had landed so close to her…?
Her distraught mind could barely keep up with what was around her, and she was surprised at Usagi suddenly trying to pry the gun from her fingers, trying to convince her to stop.
She almost believed her, that they really could stop the Silence, even without the talisman. But…
Haruka's tear-filled gaze shifted beyond Usagi to Michiru…
And she shoved the younger teen away with one last sentence, told the future queen to find the last talisman…
It might have been selfish but, really, they needed her talisman as well…
Michiru…
She pulled the trigger.
A sword glowed above her form.
The second talisman.