A crisp, refreshing wind shook the city of Tokyo, battering against the window where the woman known to this world as Ten'ou Haruka stood observing. The hour was late, and the city was far into the night's slumber, but Haruka's eyelids wouldn't shut.

"Hino Rei..." she spoke the name that had been lingering her mind since her encounter at Mugen Hospital that afternoon. It's syllables were so comfortable to her mouth, yet arose alarm in her heart.

In the bed beside her, Kaiou Michiru woke to find her partner absent. She sat up and glanced at the window, her gentle turquoise eyes directly meeting Haruka's own razor-sharp black ones.

"It's windy tonight," Haruka spoke quietly, almost contemplative. Silently, she guided her intense gaze back to the window. These late night reveries were not unknown to Haruka, she enjoyed the world most when she was the sole person aware of it. However, something she sensed in the air this particular night distinguished it from the others. It's beginning anew, she thought.

"Haruka," Michiru, the woman who had been Haruka's faithful companion for a large portion of both their lives, spoke gently to her, "Come back to bed. You're working tomorrow."

Haruka ignored her logical concern, choosing instead to plunge further into her own intuition. "I met someone today," she spoke suddenly, her gaze still focused on a world invisible to anyone else's eyes.

"You meet people everyday," Michiru replied intelligently. "You're a lawyer." Haruka disregarded the comment and continued, the trance consuming her whole body.

"Hino Rei." Silence befell the entire room as the name was spoken. Haruka turned suddenly to face Michiru, her eyes speaking what her lips could not. Michiru gasped.

"But, we were told that...that when we next encounter the forces of the inner planets..."

"I know," Haruka cut her off.

"Oh God..." Michiru hid her face in her hands, her graceful body trembling as she wept.

"It was inevitable," Haruka declared solemnly, secretly requesting the strength to restrain her own tears. She didn't want the past to return any more than Michiru did. The physical, as well as emotion turmoil had almost killed both of them. She didn't want to fight that battle again.

"We have to fight," Michiru stated quietly, her tear-stained face turning to Haruka's. "It's our duty as soldiers of the outer solar system."

"But what is our goal?" Haruka inquired, suddenly furious at the world for letting such a thing happen. "To protect a crybaby princess whose throne is handed to her? It doesn't sound like a mission to me."

"Ruka..."

"No, I don't want to sacrifice my own life and yours as well for something I don't even want to be a part of!"

"That's selfish..." Michiru mumbled, speaking to herself, so it seemed. "...but true. We obtain no benefit from this cause. But, the first time our goal was to locate the Talisman's, which we found sealed into our own hearts. Was that not a wasted effort? But we fought. We found our Messaiah, and now we must protect her."

Haruka gazed at Michiru, biting her lip, holding back tears. "I know, and I intend to fight...but...I just don't want you to get hurt." Michiru took her hand.

"Don't worry. If we go down fighting, we'll go down together."

Through the tears now streaming down her face, Haruka smiled.