A/N: Hey y'all! Just wanted to put in a quick note that even though this is based in Japan I will not be including the use of honorifics. I am white as snow and afraid if I try to add these I will get them entirely wrong and offend someone/look stupid. This takes place a few years after the final battle in Sailor Stars with Galaxia. Most characters are based on the anime. Characters are not mine, but the plot sure is! Enjoy!
You're going the wrong way. Haruka shook her head making her short blonde locks messier than they already were. For the past few days Haruka had been hearing what sounded like voices in the wind urging her to go in a different direction. She could be doing anything from walking to a coffee shop to driving like a maniac down the highway when her ears tingled with the sound of the wind speaking to her.
Haruka Tenoh was no stranger to the wind- as Sailor Uranus she was the wind soldier. But, times had changed and after the final battle with Sailor Galaxia there had been an undeniable veil of peace that quietly fell over Tokyo. It had been since then Haruka had changed into Sailor Uranus, and almost just as long since she even touched her Lip Rod. Now Haruka lived her life just as that- Haruka Tenoh. To others she is seen as a tomboy who could make any girl weak to her knees and any guy jealous of her charm on other women. She is a professional racer who can have anything, and anyone, she wants.
Ignoring the directions of the wind Haruka shoved her hands into the pockets of the blazer she was sporting and continued walking straight. Something deep inside her stirred, urging her to listen to the words she was ignoring. Guess the wind soldier in me wants me to listen. The blonde thought to herself. Arriving at her apartment building Haruka opened the front door and got into the elevator. Upon entering she pressed the button that would take her to the top floor and to her apartment. The elevator dinged signally she had arrived and Haruka gratefully opened the door to her apartment before stepping inside.
"Today was tiring." Haruka whispered to herself under her breath recalling the photoshoot she had attended for her latest racing contract. She looked around her apartment that was decorated with modern style furniture, the best appliances, and a few beautiful paintings hung here and there. To top it all of there was an almost picture perfect view of downtown Tokyo through a large window in the living area. For anyone who had the chance to look at the apartment, they would gush about how perfect it was. People only tend to see what's right in front of them and not what is missing. If only they had looked a little deeper would they noticed the lonely atmosphere that shrouded the suite. Nothing in the apartment was living but Haruka, and sometimes that wasn't even true.
After another minute of silent thought Haruka stood up and walked to her bedroom. There waiting was her king size bed she couldn't wait to climb into. The blonde silently slipped her shoes off with her blazer, undershirt, and pants following. Crawling into bed with just her undergarments Haruka slid underneath her comforter. After tossing and turning for a few seconds she found a comfortable position. Green eyes closed and the racer let sleep take ahold of her.
You're going the wrong way. Haruka was back at the same spot she was earlier. She looked around and blinked a few times, wondering if she was so tired that falling asleep had merely been a vivid imagination. She chuckled to herself as she began to walk forward just as she had done before.
Turn around. The hairs on the back of Haruka's neck pricked up as the voice was louder this time and sounded almost familiar. Her green eyes looked around nervously. There were no other people out on the sidewalk which was strange for Tokyo. The racer swallowed her uneasiness as if it was a bad tasting medicine and trekked forward.
Why won't you listen? The voice was much closer this time, yet it was gone as quick as the wind. Footfalls became more frequent as Haruka picked up her pace. She could see her apartment building. Haruka felt a burning sensation on the back of her head as if she was being watched. She should have been at her building by now but every step she took didn't bring her any closer to the building. "What's happening?" The wind carried her soft words away and brought a response back.
Why won't you turn around? At the same moment Haruka heard the words 'turn around' it was as if a storm blew her away. A blue sky quickly became dark grey and leaves funneled around the former wind senshi. Haruka protectively put her arm up to block any debris from hitting her face. Frantically looking around she couldn't find any way out of the whirlwind. Her legs felt as heavy as the past few years of her life and she couldn't move from her spot. Haruka struggled to break the invisible chains to no avail. If only she could just…
TURN AROUND!
And so she did. The scene in front of Haruka caused her breath to hitch in her throat. What should have been downtown Tokyo was replaced by a completely different environment. A vast ocean now lay in front of her at the bottom of a cliffside. The sky that was only moments ago turning sinister was now a beautiful canvas for the sunset. It was as if an artist painted a gradient of purple, pink, and yellow. Haruka smiled at the beautiful scene before her. As her eyes continued to analyze the sky her ears pricked up to a voice in the distance.
"It's a secret!" A calm but distant voice declared. Is that who I think it is? Haruka thought to herself, suddenly getting a bit nervous.
"You're sly!" A younger voice responded back. This voice sounded just as familiar as the first. It can't be… Haruka turned towards the sounds and she instantly wished she hadn't. What lay about 20 meters away was a scene that was all too familiar to Haruka. A yellow convertible, her yellow convertible, was on the side of the road overlooking the sunset. Two silhouettes sat in the back of the car. Haruka felt her stomach do a flip as she realized the two voices belonged to Setsuna and Hotaru- two people she hadn't seen in a while.
Haruka slowly willed herself not to cast her eyes more to the left knowing what she would gaze upon, but at this moment her heart won over her brain. There were two more silhouettes sitting in the front of the car. Haruka recognized one of them as herself, and the other one as-
"They're going home!" A third voice spoke up and Haruka felt like she had been stabbed with a knife. The final silhouette and new voice belonged to Michiru.
Haruka could hear her own heart beating in her ears and the rest of the conversation was lost to the rushing heartbeats. It didn't matter anyways since she had lived this own scene herself a few years ago. She stared at the aqua haired girl from a distance and willed herself not to cry. A gentle burst of wind carried a sweet scent of vanilla mixed with sea water. Haruka bathed in the scent as it was the scent of Michiru- the love of her life, her best friend, her past, life's greatest gift! And her biggest loss.
Haruka shot straight up as the scene from her past faded away. She was becoming more acquainted with reality as she looked around her dark bedroom. "It was only a dream." She mumbled aloud, her voice mixed with relief and a tinge of sadness. A quick glance at her bedside clock showed it was still going to be a while before the sun came up, but Haruka was wide awake.
The realistic dream brought back thoughts to the forefront of her mind Haruka thought she had done a damn good job of suppressing. After that same night in her dream Haruka only saw Michiru once more. It was a memory that pained Haruka so deeply. When Michiru left she took a part of Haruka with her that had yet to return. A few years had passed since then but the gash in the racers heart was freshly opened.
"God damn it!" Haruka yelled and slammed her fist down on the wooden table at her bedside. She forcibly wiped tears from her eyes as they threatened to spill over. Throwing the blanket to the side the tomboy walked into her bathroom and stared at her reflection. What stared back was the lifeless person she began to know after her life lost color. Specifically, a blue color. Green eyes that used to sparkle in the mirror were now even duller than usual after being reminded of her lost love.
Trying to distract herself from her racing thoughts, Haruka walked back into her room and sat at a small desk in the corner that adorned a laptop. She flipped the computer open and started looking at the new F1 rankings to see if she would have any competition in the coming season. Old names and new names blurred together as Haruka scanned the pages. None of the information was actually processing with her due to the fact more painful feelings were emerging.
Haruka had always loved cars and racing, so it was no surprise that after her soldier duties ceased she stayed with what she was comfortable with. Being alone had given Haruka fame, fortune, and a spot in the public eye, but no one to share this with. Oh how desperately had she wanted to share this with someone, but instead she used it as a coping mechanism. Flying fast down the road with no roof on the car gave Haruka something to focus on. Instead of focusing on what could have been she was focusing what was right in front of her. As time went on it became sort of a routine to simply put herself on autopilot. Very rarely did she break this except for the occasional night when loneliness would hit Haruka so hard she would go to a bar if only to be alone with company.
In the beginning, at every racing event Haruka's eyes would scan across the crowd. Green orbs searched though the sea of people for the girl who was the sea soldier to no avail. After a while the racer gave up. She thought if she was fast enough maybe she could race away from her past. In that race, Haruka still hadn't found the finish line.
After a few more hours of mindless internet surfing the sun was finally beginning to peek up from behind the clouds. Haruka rubbed her eyes from lack of sleep and decided to go for an early morning walk. Still only in her undergarments she pulled a thin sweatshirt over her head and put on simple black sweat pants and running shoes. As Haruka made her way down the elevator and outside she marveled at how peaceful everything was before everyone began to make their way to work.
Haruka breathed deeply as she stepped outside to take in some of the fresh air. I really needed that. She mused to herself enjoying the way the air helped clear her head. Walking briskly the racer began to walk towards a park near her apartment building. Haruka enjoyed walking in the early morning whenever she could as she saw it as a way to help herself relax. Ten minutes later and the park was in her line of site. As she was approaching the air began to stir. Haruka shivered as her sweatshirt did nothing to protect her against the ominous breeze.
Turn around. Haruka froze as if she were a statue. The wind called to her again but she wasn't falling for it this time. Turn around. The tomboy picked up her pace to a slight jog but the wind had no issues keeping up. Turn around. Haruka was running through the park now, over a wooden bridge, down narrow paths, anywhere to keep herself going. Turn around. No matter how fast she ran, it was inevitable. Turn around. Just like in her dream, she did.
"What the fuck do you want from me?" Haruka yelled as she spun around answering the call of the wind. The air stood still but the answer to her question was standing only a few meters away from her. Haruka looked like a deer in the headlights and had to remind herself to breathe. After a few tense moments the blonde let her shoulders relax a bit and muttered "it's just another dream." To herself before smirking and wondering how foolish she must be. The blonde turned to walk away but was stopped by someone crying out,
"Wait!" Haruka looked at the girl who cried out, green eyes locking with blue. "Haruka!..." the blue eyed girl whispered the name as if it was a word she wasn't allowed to say. She looked at the blonde with a gaze she was sure was full of regret. Haruka narrowed her eyes at the figure who the wind brought her to. The smaller girls name rolled off her tongue as it had a thousand times before, like a sweet drop of honey.
"Michiru."