Disclaimer: I do not own Sailormoon esp. Haruka and Michiru I wish I could but Naoko Takeuchi-Sensei owns them! Grammar and spelling mistakes are all mine.
Warning: This little story is about two women in love and together, so if you're disgusted by the thought of it feel free to click the back button and get over it, 'kay?
Forever By Your Side
"We're going to be together forever. So, you better get stronger and become a rightful ninja and be able to protect me someday, alright?"
Haruka's eyes snapped open; she did not realize she had doze off while she is on duty.
She mentally kick herself and immediately compose herself, shaking her head and trying to forget the memory that troubles her even in her dream. She silently and carefully checks her surroundings for any suspicious or unusual movements. After making sure everything is fine, she resume her position in a concealed branch near an open window, eyeing the people and the little commotion inside the room. She stealthily jump off the tree and disappear in a blink of an eye.
"It suits you well, your Highness. Is the waist too tight?" Kanari, the oldest and closest servant of the Kaioh family said while fixing and smoothening the hem of the dress.
"No it is fine, Kanari-san. It perfectly fits me, thank you for your help."
"It is my pleasure and my duty to help you in everything, your Highness."
"Hmmm what do you think, Haruka?" The woman asked glancing at the direction of the silent ninja while eyeing her dress disinterestedly.
Haruka immediately walk and kneel near her superior. She look at the beautiful figure in front of her. Words cannot even describe how beautiful her Princess, no her soon to be Princess, is right now.
"Haruka?"
Haruka was startled. She did not notice that she was staring at her Princess for far too long with mouth slightly agape. "You are so beautiful… I- I mean the dress perfectly fits you, your Highness. It really suits you." She blurted out of nervousness and astonishment at the same time. The tall ninja bowed her head in respect, low enough to hide her flustered face. She's thankful for the mask she was wearing; it help her conceal her embarrassment.
Michiru secretly smiled upon hearing the unexpected compliment that accidentally slipped from Haruka's lips. She knew the blonde had the knack of unintentionally blurting out whatever is on her mind. Still, it made her feel warm and her heart flutter in happiness.
Michiru is set to marry the successor of the neighboring Fire kingdom in weeks' time. It was the last wish of her father before he died. It was some sort of a peace agreement and a start of a new alliance between the two kingdoms, the Water kingdom and the Fire kingdom. She was against the idea at first but then she realized that it is for the sake and for the betterment of her beloved kingdom and its townsmen. She unwillingly sacrifices her freedom and her only love, thinking it is worth it in the end.
Michiru has been tossing and turning around her bed for almost half an hour. She's slightly irritated that she couldn't fall asleep again because of the same dream she was having.
Crimson liquid flowing and tainting her dress and her hands. Lifeless body lying in a pool of blood.
For the past three days, she was having the same dream and she didn't know why. Maybe it was a premonition or a warning or something. She sat up and look around the semi-dark room, the moonlight serves as her only light in her room.
"Haruka? You are here aren't you?" Michiru called amidst the darkness.
"Yes your Highness" was the quick answer.
"Come here."
"You called, your Highness?" A kneeling dark figure appeared near the bed that Michiru is currently occupying.
"I can't sleep"
"Yes your Highness"
"I can't sleep, so come over here," Michiru said, patting the space beside her
"Your Highness?" Haruka asked in disbelief.
Michiru pat the space beside her again, motioning Haruka to move beside her. Haruka hesitatingly walked beside Michiru, the latter pulled the blonde's hands making her fall next to Michiru.
'My heart is pounding so loud and fast, she might hear it in this close proximity' The blonde ninja said to herself while adjusting herself on the right side of Michiru's bed, forcing herself not to look at the woman beside her instead she focus her attention at the uneven pattern in the ceiling and slowly calming her racing heart. What she did not expected to happen was when Michiru lay on top of her, propping on her elbow, still looking at her intently. Feeling her princess' soft body pressed against her, sends shiver down her spine. She should not feel this way, not to her princess.
A moment later, she felt Michiru's hands touch her masked cheek. Soft hands slowly pushing down her mask.
Haruka's hands grab the aquanette's hands in reflex, "P-Princess Michiru, what are you doing?" Soft and warm hands cupped her flushing cheeks. She was slightly alarmed by the sudden action to say the least. Everything is so foreign to her; she has never been this close to anyone like this before. Her self-control and inhibitions almost went all down the drain; this small kind of action sends little sparks that made her heart flutter.
"Haruka…"
"Y-yes Princess M-Michiru?" she wanted to smack herself for obviously sounding too nervous and stuttering in front of her princess.
Forest green and deep blue orbs suddenly met. She waited for a response but she was only answered with silence. She looks into her Princess' eyes again, trying to decipher something, an agony reflecting her beautiful eyes.
After a long silence exchanged between them, Michiru finally spoke, "When I leave for my marriage," the aqua haired Princess paused, carefully constructing every words she wanted to say to the blonde ninja. Still running her thumb along her exposed cheek as she continues, "you will be staying here, because you are a ninja and your loyalty should be to this kingdom."
As she said those last few words, Michiru observed her loyal ninja's expression. She then looked at the blonde's deep emerald eyes, she somehow regretted everything she had told her only friend. Confusion. Anger. Sadness. She was not at all surprised to see all these mixed emotions coming from Haruka.
"You always knew this day would come too, didn't you?"
Haruka sat up; she was taken aback at what she just heard. She could not believe she would be hearing those words coming from her Princess who she sworn to protect with her own life.
"W-What are you saying, Princess Michiru? I'll stay with you forever won't I?" Haruka stood far away from Michiru. Her jaw clamped, fist clenched, making her knuckles turning white from the raging emotions burning her being. Anger and confusion are still eminent in her eyes.
"Don't you know what you're saying?! It will be your own fault if you end up dead because you insisted on coming with me!"
"Then… I'll quit being a ninja. I'll come with you as your servant instead!"
"Don't you know that the grave punishment for leaving one's post as a ninja is death, you fool!"
"I…I still don't understand." Haruka said, feeling lost and defeated. "You said weare going to be together forever. I trained so hard all my life to become strong, to be able to protect you. I swore to myself to protect you until my last breath." She said the last sentence in a whisper.
Michiru didn't know what and how to react to that; instead, she went back to her bed, turning her back away from the defeated and lost ninja.
Haruka did not know how they ended up in an argument. She stood in a corner, concealing herself in the dark, looking at the sleeping woman in sorrowful manner.
'Even if we are apart… even if I can't see you, as long as you're alive. That's enough for me.' Was Michiru's last thought before she finally fell asleep.
"You're here aren't you, Haruka?" Michiru spoke as if nothing had happened between them last night.
"You called your Highness?" Haruka appeared out of nowhere
"Haruka," Michiru started, walking towards the open shoji door, eyeing the beautiful landscape in front of her. She continued, "You've served me well for the past 10 years. But as of today…" She turned and look at the deep emerald eyes that stares back at her own sapphire eyes. It was the hardest decision she had to make. A decision she thought of thoroughly last night after their heated disagreement.
'This is the only way.' she thought to herself before saying those two words that would change everything for her and Haruka.
"You are now relieved from your position as my ninja, Haruka."
Haruka's eyes widened in shock. Did she hear that right?
"Please continue to serve this kingdom." With that said, she turned her back from the ninja.
"Wh-Wha? Why?! Please at least allow me to stay by your side until you leave this kingdom, Princess Michiru!"
Michiru looked back at Haruka with cold eyes and emotionless expression.
"A weakling like you is nothing but a burden. Never come near me again, do you understand?"
The words she said felt like a venomous vile in her mouth, its slowly killing her. She suddenly couldn't breathe after saying those hurtful words to Haruka, Michiru walked away from the blonde.
'Forgive me Haruka, I'm only doing this for your sake.'
Days have passed; her scheduled journey to the Fire kingdom is almost near. To Michiru's dismay, she never saw Haruka around the palace, near her. This was her choice; she must face the consequences it entails.
'I told her to never come near me again, but Haruka is a ninja. If she hides her presence, I wouldn't know if she's here. If I cry, she might realize how I really feel.'
Tears started welling up in the corner of her eyes.
"No, I must not cry". We can't be together.
While she was halfway through her journey to the Fire kingdom, a group of bandits block their route.
"Who are you? Get out of our way scoundrels!"
"Heh heh heh… Looks like we hit the jackpot today ne, Toshi?" A big burly bald man said, swinging his katana.
"Hey! Leave all of your valuable things, money and women and get lost!" a man with a black worn out eye-patch shouted at the soldiers, ignoring the captain's demand.
The bandits approach the Daimyo Kago** that carries Michiru and ruthlessly killing the escorts of the princess' carriage without any hesitations.
"Kanari-san, take her highness and ran away from here fast!" one of the escorts ordered the remaining servants.
"What is happening, Kanari?" Michiru asked in fear and panic.
"Your Highness, we must esca-" a stab in the back did not let Kanari finish what she wanted to say to Michiru.
"Heh what do you think you're doing, you useless woman?!" the bandit said while drawing the sword from Kanari's back. Michiru was shocked to see the slaughtered body of her escorts and loyal servants.
"KANARI!"
The same man who killed Kanari grabbed Michiru by the neck and dragged her outside the carriage then pushed her roughly to the ground.
"I beg of you, please don't kill anyone else!"
"BWAHAHAH~ Go on and plead for your life and theirs, Princess." The burly man mocked her then pointed the sharp blade near her neck.
This is what her dreams have been trying to tell her. At that moment, Michiru tries to forget her fears and only thought of one person. Thatonly person. Haruka.
'Maybe I should have tried to see Haruka once more before I left. It was for the best, though. Haruka is safe now.' Michiru thought to herself. A small smile appears on her face while waiting for her death. 'If Haruka lives on and thinks of me from time to time, that would be enou-'
A/N: **Daimyo Kago is a traditional Japanese carriage.
Oh noes..what will going to happen now? Is she going to die or what? *evil grin*
This story was inspired by an old Japanese movie called Azumi (It's brutally awesome you guys should watch it XD) and has been sitting on my computer for the last two years and is waiting to be uploaded, well here it is now! This was supposed to be a oneshot fic but I decided to split it into two or more chaps because I just want to huehuehue
Read and review please let me know what you think of this story, I'll give you cookie :]
~Pew