Chapter 2 - Her destiny

Next Wednesday, Michiru was forced into going to the tracks with Elsa. The head teacher wanted her to get some training with Elsa for some unknown reason. Elsa, of course, already knew Haruka was a woman, which made Michiru feel a bit more stupid.

« You knew? »

« Of course! Michiru… so dreamy! She's competing with me. There's no way she could be a man. I thought you knew… I was clear enough… »

« Well… Let's talk about something else… »

« No that is too much fun. »

« Really? Ok… Then tell me more about her. »

« Well… What could I say… She is a pro. I made my enquiry when I learned she would be my opponent. She used to train for the Olympic games but she gave up on that. I read an interview. She said that she had no real interest in running, that what she really wanted to do was bike or car racing. She said that she wanted to let the place to the real passionate. »

« It's very kind of her. She seems like a good person after all… But when I think of her feminine fan club… I imagine most of them doesn't know who they really deal with. »

« True… Oh… Nice shoes… Not really fit for running, but still… »

Michiru blushed, she was wearing nice little turquoise ballerina shoes. She usually wore skater shoes or baskets. She blushed at Elsa's remark.

« Well… I don't really want to run, to tell you the truth… »

« It makes you more feminine, that's better. »

« Don't you like my style »

« Don't get me wrong, you're gorgeous, Michi… But skirts and dresses would fit you better. »

« I don't know. Marine likes me the way I am. »

« Michi… You play the man just for her, I know this. »

« You're wrong; It is just… me. »

« Really? So why did you begin to dress as you do since you met her? If I let you one more year with her I'm sure you'll end up like Haruka Tenoh. »

« What's wrong with that? I've been with Marine for almost three years now… She doesn't influence me, it's just the way it is… I grew up and I changed that's all. Dresses, nice skirts… that's a little girl thing. »

« Really? So there is no connection between the day she arrived in our school and the next morning when you came wearing the sport uniform and changed your whole girly clothing against pairs of jeans, tee shirts, large shirts and all… Michi… before her arrival I think I've never saw you wearing trousers. »

« That's not true… »

« I know why you are interested so much in Haruka Tenoh, you just want to get some piece of advice. After she is the one who gets mistaken for a man. And that's what you want, don't you? »

« You're annoying, Elsa. I should go… »

Michiru got up, but suddenly she saw her. Haruka was running. Michiru watched her in awe. She really was the wind. Her feet did not seem to touch the floor, it was as if she was flying. Michiru watched her like that for a while, then she took her pencil and sketchbook and began to draw an image she had in mind. Elsa left her and resumed her running exercises. She knew very well that when Michiru started to draw she was in her own world and nothing could disturb her, even if this time, she would have liked to stop her, because she knew all this would do no good to her friend.

Haruka was running when someone called her name. A young woman stopped her. They began to talk about the race. She wanted to know if she did competitions and what would be her next one. She didn't notice a turquoise-haired girl watching her.

Michiru spent a lot of time watching Haruka for the next two months. She came to each of her car or bike races. But the blonde never noticed her. It was weird, because they were running on the same track every morning since Michiru had to follow the same training as Elsa. By the months, her appearance changed a little. She abandoned her large tee shirts for tighter ones, she stopped wearing trainers and her hair bun was getting a bit loose. Marine was watching her girlfriend changing with worry and a inch of melancholy, but she did her best to hide her disapproval, because Michiru seemed happy with those small changes, and there was not so much to worry about since she wasn't wearing skirts or dresses.

During those two months, Michiru got to know Haruka without even talking to her. She was sure her impressions were right. Elsa was still disapproving, but in a way she couldn't really scold Michiru, because she looked a bit livelier, and prettier too.

So on that day, Michiru, so busy with her thinking about Haruka, couldn't expect her life to change that drastically, in just one afternoon. And this change in her life wasn't part of those changes that could be altered, such as changing your trainers for some feminine ballerina shoes. No, this change in Michiru's life would be a major, and definitive one, and at first, it did not seem like it was a change for the best.

It all began by a dream. A weird dream, but so realistic… There was destruction everywhere around her, people were dying… She herself was running as far as she could from this apocalyptic scene. But suddenly, a woman with dark green hair made her stop her race.

« Sailor Neptune! Silence is coming, you must awake. You have a mission, you have to save the world before this scene really happens. You have to find the holders of the talismans. But first, you'll have to find your partner. »

Michiru awoke, sweat running down her forehead. Marine was still asleep near her. It was impossible for her to fall asleep again after such a dream, so she got up and began to draw the scene she had just seen. As it was night, it was really calm and she found it easy to concentrate.

When she left with Marine, she brought her work along with her so she could continue to paint in the afternoon, when the class ended, she calmly sat in front of her painting and dived into this state of mind, so common to her and resumed her painting… It took her quite a while to notice the girl that was calling for help next to her.

« Please! » said the girl in a weak voice. Her face was white.

Michiru looked at her, she got up instantly. The girl seemed ill, she had to call for someone. But as she approached her, she turned into a monster.

Michiru was thrown to the ground. The shock left her breathless. She painfully tried to get up. She had to run away, and fast. But suddenly a light appeared before her, quickly replaced by a sort of pen. Michiru just caught it, as if it was the most natural thing to do… She found herself changing into a turquoise and white sailor outfit. Now she knew what to do. It was a sort of inner knowledge that seemed to have been sleeping in her during her whole life.

« DEEP SUBMERGE!!! »

The monster found itself attacked by a light blue globe of water. Then it turned back into a young girl. Michiru immediately checked on her. It seemed she was alright. Then, she took a look at herself. She didn't understand a thing of what had just happened in front of her eyes… and to her. But her questions were just about to be answered.

« You did a great job for a first time. » said a voice behind her. She got to her feet and turned back to see who it was. She thought she already knew who it was, and she was right, the dark green haired woman of her dream was standing in front of her.

« Let me introduce. You are Sailor Neptune, and I am Sailor Pluto. I guess we'll find Uranus in no time now… She can't be very far. »

Michiru looked at the woman, half bewildered, half fascinated. She placed the unconscious girl on a table near the window. She caught a glimpse of the tracks situated right under the building. She caught sight of Haruka and Elsa running. All that seemed to be happening in another dimension. Michiru felt suddenly deep inside her heart that her life had taken a direction that would make this impression of living apart from them quite definitive.

« I think you made the dream. The one about silence. » Said Pluto, getting her out of her daydreaming state.

« I did. You were the one provoking it, weren't you? »

« Yes. Now you've awaken as Neptune. I am sorry, but it was necessary. Many fights awaits you. None will be easy. You may die, but there's nothing you can do. No one runs from destiny. »

« I thought my destiny was to become a famous violinist and to marry my girlfriend and be happy ever after… Not to save the world. »

« You can't help it. You're a sailor senshi. It's been your task since the beginning of times. You're one of the outer senshi. The four most powerful senshi. »

« Most? It means there are more of us? »

« Yes, but don't worry about this right now. Your mission is to find Uranus, your greatest partner. »

« You found me. Why don't you just find this Uranus person yourself too. »

« Because you will find her much more easily than I ever could, and we have no time to loose. You two have a very special link. Maybe you already know her. »

« Do you have any clue? Because I think that if I just go down in the street calling for a certain Miss Uranus I don't I will be very successful. »

« I'm sure she will eventually come to you, or you will get into her without meaning it. She's currently having those dreams too… The difference is that it's your face that will appear in them from now on. It will be more easy for her to find you this way. Well… I have to take my leave on you for now… Bye. »

« Wait… »

Sailor Pluto disappeared, letting an embarrassed Michiru, sorry, sailor Neptune.

« I was joking! Do you really think I will accept such a thing?! »

But no answer came.

The next weeks were rough. It seemed that now she had awakened as senshi, there were monsters everywhere. And this Uranus person didn't show her face. But Michiru wasn't really searching either, all this fighting was hard enough to accept for her. She couldn't how she would be able to convince someone else in joining for something she scarcely understood. Giving up on her dreams was a thing she found very hard to do, and she still wasn't done with that. She thought she honestly couldn't ask someone to do the same.

But as the weeks passed, the monsters became tougher and tougher. Michiru had a hard time between the running exercises, swimming practise, violin rehearsing… and monster fighting. She started to come back with awful bruises, worrying Marine and Elsa, at such an extent that one morning after the practise, Elsa couldn't help but question her.

« Michiru… What's going on? »

Michiru sent her an innocent look, as though she had absolutely no idea of what she was talking about.

« Don't play that game with me. I've been knowing you for too long for that. What's happening? Where do you get those bruises? Why are you so distant lately. Answer me, please! »

« There's no… nothing. Nothing, really. The bruises… Well… It is just… Recently I started a kick-boxing class, and the people in it are more violent than I expected… And I am distant because… well… I have to train a lot, I have to catch up with them. »

« Kick-boxing… Don't tell me it's about Marine again? I can't bear to see you destroying yourself like that… What has become of the pretty demoiselle I knew? If this girl needs you to be a man, then she can go and fetch a real one, not converting my friend into a sort of androgynous creature. »

« What do you have against androgynous. Haruka is, and you still like her. »

« Haruka is Haruka. But you are Michiru. It's just not you. I want my friend back. It's been too long. Marine doesn't take you for who you really are. This girl needs a man, not you. »

« Shut up! I don't want to listen to you anymore! How can you speak about my girlfriend like that?! You know what… well… never mind…. Just… don't interfere. »

Michiru gathered her things and left quickly.

Elsa was right, she was keeping her distances with her lately, and with everyone else. She didn't want to put them in danger with her fights. She switched from being a popular person to being the most lonely girl of the school. It was not really a problem because she was so busy, and by observing Haruka, she was never feeling lonely. It was like having a very close friend, except that she had never actually talked to that friend.

The thought of Sailor Uranus had quite left her by now. Until that very day she got into this argument with Elsa. When the school finished that day, she was still angry with her and pretty nervous. Until the moment she sat in the rows surrounding the racing track and caught sight of Haruka, running. At that moment, all thought of anger left her and got up and crossed her arms on the wooden bar in front of her seat and watched dreamily at Haruka. Then she started drawing… She was in this special state of mind… but she was feeling so tired… She started seeing Haruka. But she was nothing like the blonde person who was running down the tracks. She was wearing a sailor outfit quite like her own, but the colours were dark blue and gold instead of turquoise blue. She was holding a sword.

« Neptune! You found me at last. I've missed you… for a thousand years. It is not really nice to keep a friend waiting… »

« Uranus… You are… Of course you are Uranus. I am sorry… »

Neptune felt tears rolling down her cheeks and threw herself in Uranus arms who circled her arms around her in a tight and comforting embrace.

« It's ok now. See? It's over. Now we are going to fight together, just as we always did. You don't have to bear that destiny alone. »

Michiru suddenly awoke. She had fallen asleep on her sketchbook. Uranus… She had seen Uranus. But was it really her? She took a look at her sketchbook. She had drawn Uranus on it, with her complete sailor outfit… But… Wait a minute… This person was not Uranus… She was…

Michiru took a look at the person running on the tracks… Impossible… Haruka…

« I see you found her at last. » said Pluto.

« No… » said Michiru, tears running on her cheeks.

« I told you. In the end you came to her without realizing it. »

« She can't be… »

« She is. You know that… you always knew. That is why she caught your attention at first sight, why you keep thinking about her, why you feel so close to her though you never actually spoke to her. »

« It can't be… I don't want her of all people to get involved… »

« She is involved. She has always been. Same goes for you. Now you have to make sure she joins you. »

« I can't… »

« You don't have a choice. Do you want her to be targeted, without knowing anything? »

« No. »

« Sailor Uranus is a tough warrior. Her help will be necessary. You're not alone anymore. »

On those words, Pluto disappeared.

« Not alone anymore… That's what she said to me as well… So… we were destined to meet each other after all… I wanted so much to be her friend… but now she is in danger too… But in a way… Who else could it be? I can't imagine anyone else… »

What Michiru thought, but couldn't admit, was that she didn't want anyone else by her side. And somewhat, the thought that it was her made her a bit happy.

Michiru felt a tear running on her cheek. She was glad it was Haruka in a way… But it meant that she too would have her dreams broken, her life put on the front line. Michiru felt a huge pain. She also knew she wouldn't bear it if the blonde was hurt or killed.