Story Title: "It Can't Get Much Worse"
---Chapter 2: Love will keep us together---
For Michiru, it is a warm homecoming: seeing her mother and father again, meeting her new younger brother Yasuo, swimming freely throughout Neptune's oceans, and to enjoy just being home. For Haruka, however, it is far different. He comes home to a deserted palace, where no one but servants scurry through the halls, there is no joy or laughter to welcome him home. For our poor Haruka, he is greeted only by a continuously shut door from his Father's wing of the house. His father allows only the servants to carry a key to his chambers, no one else may ever enter. He rules the planet fairly, but when Haruka finds some of his rules to be a bit too harsh, he is able to change them before they go out. He is able to do so because his father is never there to present them in person, he merely slips them under his door and a servant picks them up weekly. His father is very old and quite ill with some uncurable sickness that no doctor has been able to diagnose. He does not like to be disturbed because of this. His father is simply waiting, in mourning, for the day when he can finally rejoin his wife in death.
A few years passed, and Haruka grew tired of the dark, desolate planet he called home. The lack of social interaction was getting to him: The man who thought he didn't need anyone was missing his childhood friend. Sure, he can bring up a hologram and speak to Michiru whenever she is not busy; but to be able to do things with her, just walk around the Moon's rose gardens and talk, to give her their traditional birthday flower, he cannot do that from his own planet.
He laid down on his bed in his room and put his hands behind his head, closing his eyes and imagining her. He was thinking of her perfume, the way it smelled, the way she giggled... It was almost her birthday, there would be grand parties at Neptune for her birthday. Then, suddenly, he made a snap decision and stood up, his emerald eyes flying open. He packed up a few outfits, his henshin wand, too, and a small, very important, black box. It had occurred to him: If he missed her so much, what in the world was keeping him from seeing her?
Michiru flattened out the creases in her dress, she hadn't the time to iron it, he was almost here! She was unsure as to why Haruka had decided to come visit, but apparently he planned on staying for an extended period of time. Perhaps he was only coming for her birthday? Haruka said he'd missed her and wanted to spend time with her again to help train their powers even further. Her father, Toru, had disapproved at first. However, the thought that his daughter could use the extra training led him to accept the idea. Her father was always against her and Haruka spending time together due to the nature of Haruka's powers. Apparently her father was just like other people when it came to being discriminant against Haruka just because he turned into a girl when he was in senshi form. Not Michiru, though; her heart fluttered at the thought of spending more time with Haruka. She had missed him so much. She walked over to her window and peered down at the castle's entrance.
Haruka exited the dragon-drawn carriage and greeted the King and Queen of Neptune. His suitcase in his left hand, he pressed his right arm around his waist and bowed low before Toru. The King of Neptune smiled a little and nodded. He was not a very social man and when greeting visitors, he was usually quite withdrawn. The King of Neptune was a large, stout man, a bit overweight, but not huge. His hair was blue, what little he had left. His beard was very long and the same light blue color as his hair. His eyes were a dark blue. He was a very nice guy from what Michiru had told Haruka about him. 'At least he doesn't seem to think badly of me,' she thought. Haruka then stood upright, turned towards the Queen and bent down in a bow, kissing the hand of Toru's wife, Nami, with a genuine smile. Nami was a middle-aged woman with long, curly, silvery-brown hair. She was a small woman, her skin a fair tone like Michiru's, and her eyes were a crystal teal color. The Queen of Neptune smiled a bit as the Prince of Uranus kissed the back of her hand. She whispered to her husband as they began to make their way towards the entrance to the castle, "He's a very polite young man isn't he? I'm so glad Michiru found someone who seems so very nice." Toru grumbled in response. Inside he was fuming, he didn't want his little girl with this pervert!
Haruka thought he was doing fine so far. Toru and Nami had showed no signs of anger towards him, so perhaps they were OK knowing his gender switch when henshined. Winning over the father and mother of the woman you love is always a good plan, right? Haruka stopped himself in mid-thought, 'Love? Is that what I feel for her?' Haruka just smiled. He followed close behind the couple, allowing them to escort him into their Palace. The Palace was a periwinkle, sky blue color, and the inside was no different. Hues of everything from light teal to dark ocean blue decorated the inside. Nami took the Prince's hand so he would pay attention to her. She pointed out each wing of the house and whose rooms were in each. "You'll be staying in the guest's quarters to the east. Michiru and her younger brother's wing is to the west, our quarters are downstairs to the east. The living room, dining room, kitchen, and sitting room are all downstairs on the west side." Once the Neptunian servants opened the second set of double doors, Haruka entered, standing between the King and Queen. That's when he saw her.
There, at the top of the grand staircase, stood Michiru. The stunning Princess' dress contrasted beautifully with her surroundings. She wore an elegant satin peach dress, lined with peach colored roses across the top hem which showed a bit of her shoulders. The sleeves were short and poofy, and on her dainty hands she wore short, wrist-length gloves, matching the color of her dress. Her shoes which covered her small feet were plain high-heeled shoes. Nothing really special about them, except that they were worn upon her feet. Haruka was breathless, silent, staring at Michiru as she glided down the staircase. He noticed how the girl stopped at the bottom, 5 feet infront Haruka. He could do nothing but gaze in awe at the beauty before him. He had never seen her wear anything quite so fancy before. Then again, when they weren't in their senshi fukus on the Moon, they were too busy training to wear anything fancy or dressy. The tall blonde realized what it must have looked like to her parents, so he cleared his throat and gracefully bowed before the princess, taking up her hand with his right hand. He bent down and kissed the back of her hand gently. "Two years is far too long to not be in the presence of a beauty such as yourself." From the inside pocket of his tuxedo-type jacket he produced a red rose and presented it in his left hand.
Michiru had stopped dead in her tracks at the bottom of the stairs. Haruka looked so wonderful! He was wearing a white frilled fancy dress shirt and a jacket, long like a trenchcoat with tuxedo-like tails. The entire outfit he wore was a very dark, royal blue. The trimmings of it were gold to match the cufflinks, and in his hand he presented a red rose to her. Those eyes of his captured her into a stare, as if their very souls linked at that moment, and they both thought of their love for one another. The sea princess realized how impolite she was being by not saying anything. She made a small curtsey. Haruka walked closer, took her hand into his, kissed the back of it and said, "Two years is far too long to not be in the presence of a beauty such as yourself." The girl blushed.
The King eyed the two a bit, he knew in that moment that they liked each other as more than just friends. While he knew he would enjoy Haruka's company if they were just friends, he hadn't counted on them liking each other. They were both senshi. A senshi couple had never happened before. By all technical means, Haruka was supposed to be a girl. Toru's mind whirled. He did not want his daughter to be with a woman. Sure, Haruka was a man when not in senshi form, but just the thought of two women together made Toru sick to his stomach. He was raised somewhat close-minded and didn't want to expand his horizons anytime soon.
The King scoffed a bit when he saw how they acted with each other. This drew the attention of his wife and the two lovebirds. He cleared his own throat and then escorted them into the dining hall. Michiru and Haruka appeared to be holding hands as they walked. It was something they did naturally from all their years together on the Moon. However, it made the King uncomfortable. So he walked up between the two of them, one hand on Haruka's shoulder and one hand on Michiru's. He busted up their holding of hands by pushing himself inbetween the couple. "It's great to have another young person in our halls again. Michiru's younger brother has only been around a few years." Toru made note of the glare Michiru was giving him as he continued, "For so long, Nami and I were rather lonely without someone running through the halls with laughter!" Michiru felt uncomfortable now. Her father seemed to be trying to seperate them. I thought he wanted me to be happy, she thought, he probably didn't mean to separate us. Don't let your imagination run away with you, Michiru. She smiled and went on as if nothing had happened.
The dinner went smoothly, talking, laughing, joking, not a drop spilt on a dress, not a single flaw. The only thing Michiru noticed was her father often glaring at Haruka, as if searching for something to hate... After dinner, they sat down in a nice small room near the dining area. There was a white couch with red flowers, a coffee table, two chairs with the same pattern as the sofa, and a fireplace. Everyone was drinking a cup of tea. Michiru's parents asked Haruka many questions, especially interested in their years spent together on the Moon.
Suddenly, Michiru's younger brother popped up in the middle of their after-dinner conversation. "Hi! Nice to meetcha! You can call me Yasuo-chan!" He grabbed the hand of Haruka and shook it wildly like the little 5-year-old he was. Michiru laughed a little. She had barely known of her younger brother, due to her being at the Moon for so many years of her young life. For the short time she has known him though, he sure was a handful. Michiru couldn't understand how her mother was able to chase around after that little rascal! Haruka laughed a bit and began to play with Yasuo. He gave him piggyback rides, played hide-n-seek, all sorts of fun things he had never been able to do before due to it just being him and his parents. He was so excited and happy!
As the night came to a close, everyone retired to their own bedroom. Michiru enjoyed laying on her large, plush bed, full of silk sheets and satin pillows. As her mind wandered, she thought of how Haruka had surely won over the hearts of her entire family in only one night. She wanted to see him again, without her family around. She tip-toed out of her room. She knocked softly onto Haruka's door...
Haruka did not mind the guest bedroom. It wasn't as lush and pillow-filled as a royal one, but it was meant merely for visiting Lords and Ladies, so it was still very nice. Haruka jumped up out of bed at the sound of the knock. He hadn't expected anyone to come so late at night. "C-come in..." Haruka stammered. He didn't mean to act so nervously, but he didn't know who could possibly be coming by his bedroom so late at night. Michiru silently opened and closed the door. She snuck over onto Haruka's bed. Haruka curiously looked to her. Her hair was let down, her long tresses of aquamarine almost reached her lower back! It really has been a long time since I last saw her, I never remember her hair being so long! Haruka thought. She was in her nightgown which was basically just a long, teal, mostly sheer robe. In the important places, it was not sheer, though. Haruka blushed as his mind thought of what was under those non-sheer parts. She smiled at him as she sat onto the bed. Michiru crawled into the covers and laid down next to Haruka. They stared at each other for a long time, just thinking, neither sure of what to say to one another.
Haruka was the first to break the silence, "Michiru?" The girl looked at him curiously. He continued, "I really missed you." Michiru blushed, raising a hand to try and hide her face. Haruka's hand made it to her face before hers, though, "Don't hide your face. You are beautiful, especially when you blush."
Michiru wasn't sure how to respond. Her eyes gazed into his, it was hard to imagine how he could think so highly of her. She never thought those things about herself, so why would he? She had missed him, too. Probably more than he had missed her. Michiru felt the warm touch on her cheek from his hand and his breath upon her lips. He was going to kiss her! Her first kiss! Michiru's body was shaking nervously. What if I'm a terrible kisser? What if he hates it? What if he can't stand the thought of ever kissing me again after this!? I couldn't possibly live without him-- It was at that moment that his lips met with hers. Her thoughts, her nervousness, her stress, all of it melted away. She thought of nothing except the warm feeling of his lips upon hers. As soon as it had begun, it was over. The wonderful fireworks display of a first kiss was over, but the feelings behind it were still there. So this is what love feels like.
Michiru and Haruka fell asleep together in each other's arms, enjoying one another's company. However, late that night, Toru was busy speaking with the royalty of Saturn. They had long discussed the possibility of an arranged marriage between the two planets and perhaps now would be a good time to have one. After all, it would keep his daughter from marrying that Haruka.
The following morning, Michiru woke up extra early to ensure she wouldn't be caught. She dashed back into her room, being careful not to wake Haruka, or anyone else, in the process. When Haruka awoke to an empty bed, he stood up and stretched. He went downstairs, had some breakfast, and met with Toru in his study. He planned on asking for Michiru's hand in marriage. However, Toru passed on some information to Haruka that came out of nowhere. Michiru was to be wed to the son of Saturn, Yukio. The industries of Neptune and Saturn had long shared prosperous trading, and this would secure their peace with one another. Haruka was dumbfounded. He could not imagine why, for the life of him, her father would force her into an arranged marriage. It was like committing suicide of her heart! Or am I just jealous, thought Haruka. He shook his head as tears welled within his eyes. Haruka congratulated the King on the upcoming wedding, and, choking on tears, retreated to his guest bedroom to pack.
The King of Neptune noticed how hurt the prince was by the news. Michiru was still sound asleep in her room and had not even heard a word of it, much less knowing that Haruka was planning on leaving that very moment... However, before Haruka even got a chance to leave, he was ushered out. His things were already packed for him, as if knowing he would want to leave. He was then informed by one of the guards that the King had banned him for his perverted nature. "I am not a pervert, this is ludicrous!" Haruka's screams fell upon uncaring ears, the guards were given an order and they would go through with it no matter what.
When Michiru awoke again and went to Haruka's guest bedroom, she found the room empty and no clothing anywhere in sight. When she made it downstairs, she found out the awful news: Toru had banned Haruka from his kingdom. He loved Michiru, that was his only fault, but it was a big one when she was promised to another man. The King of Neptune could not imagine her daughter being a pervert, loving a man who was part woman. It seemed, however, Toru was the only one who thought this way. No one else saw the prince as a pervert just because he became a woman when he was Sailor Uranus. The Prince of Uranus was indeed a man, but the fact that he was a senshi, and a woman when in senshi form, was enough for the King to deem him a pervert... The King did not want anyone to interfere with this marriage...
Michiru and Toru fought many times over the subject of marriage after Haruka was banned. Michiru argued that she would never marry the Prince of Saturn, she would force her father to allow her to marry whomever she liked. The King, at this point, was outraged that his little girl was interested in being with Haruka.
After their long argument, Michiru started to walk away when suddenly the King yelled an order for the death of the Prince of Uranus. The King beckoned towards the door and started to pass on the orders to his right-hand woman, Maki, who was skilled with weapons of all kinds. Michiru stopped dead in her tracks, "You wouldn't dare..." The young princess turned towards her father. It was as if he was someone totally different than the person she'd known as a child. Like he was someone who hated her, who wished her grief and pain in her life. However, the King thought he knew what he was doing. Surely, this was the moment the Queen had been talking about so long ago. The Prince of Uranus was the 'situation' and he, she, whatever IT was, must be stopped at all costs from corrupting his little girl in Toru's mind. He would never want something to happen to his poor daughter, and at least Yukio was not a senshi and could protect her with real power. These and many other thoughts lingered in Toru's mind, completely ignoring his daughter's desires. Michiru pleaded with her father, she did not want to see the one she loved killed.
Toru eyed his daughter for a moment, "Alright... if you make me the solemn promise that you will marry Yukio with no hesitation, then I will spare Haruka." Maki stepped up and said, "I will guard the entrances to the church on Saturn. I will make sure that the Prince does not interfere with the wedding." Michiru agreed, but broke down into tears, she laid there, sobbing on the floor of the royal throne room of Neptune for many hours, wishing there was something else she could do.
Later on, the King met secretly with Maki. He passed an order for Maki to send an assassin to silence Haruka for good. The King growled, "Make him disappear, so he can never cause my little girl harm again." Maki nodded in understanding.