Here is today's chapter! Yay! I'd still like to see more reviews, but I'm just happy people are reading this fic.
I forgot to mention this last chapter, but thanks to amnesia nymph for being the first person to review this story! Much plot pudding goes to you! And I'd also like to say thank you to the other reviewers as well! You know who you are...and so everyone else knows I'll say your names! These are all the people who have reviewed so far: amnesia nymph, neptune04, Thorn on a Rose, aquaxeyes, Soleil-Lune, X00001, moonqueen, iluvboys, petiyaka. Thanks guys (and girls)! Keep reviewing!
Moving right along...
I do not own the rights to Sailor Moon, The Crow, or any affiliated characters. If I did, I'd've been able to buy myself or have a costume of the Starlights school outfit made for an anime convention I'm going to tomorrow. But seeing as how I don't own the rights, I'm just going as a random flame alchemist...still cool but I want a Starlight school outfit from the Myus...sigh...I ramble...
People once believed that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead.
But sometimes, something so bad happens that a terrible sadness is carried with it and the soul can't rest.
Then sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to put the wrong things right.
Haruka stood on the top of Tokyo Tower, the wind blowing through her hair and lifting the back of her duster. She stared out over the city, her teal eyes taking in all the lights in the darkness. The crow landed nearby and cawed. Haruka turned and looked at the black bird.
"I've avenged Mika's death as well as my own. Am I not suppose to go back?"
The crow tilted its head and cawed.
Haruka frowned. "Are you trying to tell me that I was brought back for another reason?" she demanded.
The crow cawed again.
"Then show me," she ordered. The crow flew through the air and Haruka followed after it.
- - - - - - - - - -
Michiru sat in her room, staring at the picture of her and her family. Haruka's arm was wrapped around Michiru's shoulders and Mika was sitting on Haruka's other shoulder while Kaze was held in Hotaru's arms. Michiru bowed her head, keeping the tears at bay. "Happy Birthday Mika," she whispered, wiping away her tears. "I miss you both so much…" A familiar scent invaded her nose and she looked at the open balcony door. She rose to her feet and walked out into the chilly morning air. "Just the wind…" she murmured. She turned to walk back inside when a crow cawed. Michiru spun around and stared at it. "Why are you here?"
"To make the wrong things right," a voice whispered.
Michiru looked around for the person who said the line. "Who's there?" she demanded, her voice wavering with hope.
"Move on with your life Michiru. Move on," the voice said. A ring fell onto the balcony. Michiru picked it up and recognized it immediately as Haruka's.
"Haruka…" she whispered.
"Mommy?"
Michiru turned. "Kaze, is something wrong?"
"You said we were gonna go to the park today," he said.
"I did say that, didn't I?" Michiru asked. "Go get ready." Kaze smiled and ran inside to change out of his pajamas. Michiru smiled at her son and went back inside to get ready as well. Once they were both ready they met up with Hotaru and the three got into the car and headed for Juuban Park.
They arrived at the park and Hotaru ran after Kaze as the small boy ran for the swings. Michiru followed after them, a smile on her face. "Nice kids," a voice commented. She turned and saw a man with dark hair and red eyes walking towards her, two people flanking him on either side.
"Thank you…" Michiru slowly backed away, feeling very uneasy. Her hand went into her pocket to her henshin pen.
"In fact, I think we'll be taking them," the man said. The two people raised their arms, guns in hand.
Shots rang out and Michiru stared in shock. A figure in black stood in front of her, protecting the Sea Senshi from the bullets. The three stared at the figure. "You've taken enough from these people," the figure hissed.
"You're dead…" the red-eyed man said, backing away.
The figure laughed. "Boo!"
"Shoot her!" the man ordered. His two flunkies emptied their clips into the figure with no apparent affect.
The figure walked towards the man. One of the henchmen rushed forward, pulling a large knife out. "This little piggy went to the market," the figure said, slamming the blade into its owner's neck. Michiru watched as the figure continued forward. The other henchmen fired a point blank shot into the figure's head. The figure dropped to the ground and the henchmen grinned.
"You're next pretty lady," he said, walking towards Michiru.
The aqua haired woman stared in disbelief as the figure rose to their feet. As if sensing something was wrong, the man turned around and stared in horror. "This little piggy stayed home," the figure went on, breaking the man's neck. Two more henchmen swarmed out of the trees. One brandished a baseball bat while the other had a katana.
"You are dead!" the club one snapped.
"This little piggy had roast beef," the figure smirked, catching the bat in their bare hand and viciously striking the man in the throat, dropping him to the ground. The remaining henchmen rushed forward but the figure rammed a knife into his gut. "This little piggy had none," the figure whispered. The man dropped to the ground and the figure looked around, noticing the red-eyed man had fled. "Well what do you know? Ran out of piggies."
"Who are you?" Michiru demanded.
The figure turned slightly and Michiru could see white paint on the figure's face. "Someone who wants justice for what was taken from you." The figure turned and began walking away.
"Chotto matte!" Michiru cried, running after the figure. She grabbed the figure's shoulder and spun them around. Her eyes widened and she stumbled back a few paces. "Ma…masaka…" she whispered.
Haruka offered a small, sad smile. "Keep your son safe Kaioh-san," she said. She turned and began walking away.
"Haruka stop!" Michiru cried. Haruka turned and looked down at Michiru. "I thought you had died."
"I did die Michiru," Haruka whispered.
"Demo…you're standing right in front of me!" A crow cawed and she stared at it, a frown on her face.
"People once believed that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes, something so bad happens that a terrible sadness is carried with it and the soul can't rest. Then sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to put the wrong things right." Haruka ran her hand through Michiru's wavy hair. "Take care of Kaze," she whispered. "These hands are too stained to hold you or him anymore." She stepped back and began walking away.
"Haruka…"
"Move on with your life Michiru," Haruka called over her shoulder. "You deserve to be happy."
Michiru watched as Haruka disappeared into the shadows. "Michiru-momma… are you all right?" Hotaru asked as she ran up, Kaze in her arms. "I heard gunshots," she added softly.
"I'm fine…" Michiru murmured. "I'm fine…"
- - - - - - - - - -
The red-eyed man sat down in his apartment and took a long drink of beer. "It couldn't have been her…it couldn't have been…" he whispered.
"You stole my life," a cold voice said.
The man stumbled to his feet and wildly looked around the apartment. "Who are you?" he screamed.
"I was Ten'ou Haruka. Now I'm nothing more than the ghost of vengeance," she said, stepping into view.
"I saw you die! No one could have survived that gunshot!"
"Who said I was living?" Haruka demanded, stalking towards him. Her teal eyes were cold. "You killed an innocent child. You stole her from her mother. You will suffer for that."
The man stumbled away from Haruka. "I was just following orders," he stammered, tripping over a chair and crashing to the floor.
"Maybe you should have rethought those orders," she whispered. She kept walking closer to him, her boots thudding on the floor. She hauled him to his feet. "Now you're going to tell me why Damien wanted me and Mika dead."
"I'll never tell! Never!" the man cried.
Haruka let him fall to the floor. She slammed her knees onto him and glared at him. "You are going to tell me. One way or another," she returned. She placed her right hand on his head and closed her eyes. Flashes appeared in her mind and she removed her hand, glaring at him. "So that's it then. He wants to destroy the world."
"Everyone who opposes him will die!" the man returned with a grin.
"There's just one problem," Haruka whispered.
"Nani?"
"I'm already dead," she answered. She pulled his gun out and pulled the safety off. "I've never really used a gun before," she said. She hauled him to his knees and pressed the gun against his forehead. "Feel familiar?" she demanded.
"Abashed the Devil stood…and felt how awful goodness is…and felt how awful goodness is…" the man whimpered, his eyes closed. The last thing he heard was a shot.
Haruka watched the body fall to the floor and she dropped the gun. "One task done," she whispered. She walked to the window and stepped out into the cold dusk air. She jumped up onto the balcony and dropped to the street below. The crow cawed as it stared down at Haruka. It took off through the air.
- - - - - - - - - -
"We may have a problem," Ami said to her friends.
"What?" Usagi asked.
"Over the last few days, children have been reported missing," Taiki said. "We have no idea who's taking them or where they're going or anything like that."
"A man with red eyes tried to take Kaze and Hotaru yesterday," Michiru said.
"Did he tell you his name?" Makoto asked.
"No."
Rei opened her mouth to say something when she felt strange energy. She frowned and rose to her feet. She walked to the door and slid it open. Her eyes widened. "Kairen!" she screamed, rushing out the door. The others scrambled to their feet and saw several figures running off with Rei's daughter.
A tall figure suddenly dropped from the trees and killed two of the other figures. Michiru stared. "Haruka," she whispered.
Rei slammed her fist into the face of the man who had her daughter. She pulled the black haired girl away and ran back towards her friends, the figures following. One grabbed the miko's leg and Rei crashed to the ground. "Run to the others Kairen!" Rei shouted to her daughter.
"You'll die!" the man snarled. He gasped in pain and shock as a sword appeared through his abdomen.
"Quoth the raven, nevermore!" Haruka returned, letting him fall to the ground. She turned to the other two remaining figures, her teal eyes cold. "Who wants to be next?" she asked. One of the figures hurled several throwing knives at her. Haruka fell to the ground.
"Call the cops!" Yaten shouted to Yuuichiro. Rei's husband nodded and ran back inside. The Senshi glared at the two.
"Bad move," the other figure smirked.
"Oh I don't know," Haruka said, rising to her feet. The two figures turned to her. She pulled the blades out. "If the cops get here in time you might live."
"Nani?" the Senshi asked.
Haruka ignored them and walked towards the figures as they backed away from her. "I thought I was brought back only to avenge my death and my daughter's death. Looks like I'm here to stop your master from ending the world as well."
"Hell will rise on this world!" the first figure snapped.
"Not while I'm here," she returned. Her hand shot out and the first figure fell to the ground, his knives sticking out of his chest.
"What are you?" the last figure stuttered.
"The Crow," Haruka whispered in a cold voice. The figure hurled a knife at her. Haruka grabbed the weapon, spun around and threw it. The blade struck the figure in the head and he dropped to the ground. "Looks like the cops couldn't save you." She turned and began walking away.
"Machi na sai!" a voice ordered.
Haruka stopped and turned, looking at Eternal Sailor Moon. A door to the shrine opened, throwing light onto Haruka's painted face. The Senshi gasped in shock and disbelief. "Ha…Haruka-san…" Seiya whispered.
A crow landed on the blonde's shoulder. "This isn't your fight Sailor Senshi. Not yet," Haruka said. She turned and began to walk away.
"Haruka-san! You need to stop doing these terrible things!" Moon yelled.
Haruka stopped and looked back at them, her face unreadable. "Terrible things? I've done no worse than these so called men." She slowly walked towards Sailor Moon. "I've seen these men rape, kill, and torture innocent people." She stopped in front of the smaller blonde. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I watched them kill my daughter." Haruka suddenly grabbed Moon's head in between her hands. Moon's eyes closed and she sank to the ground as images swam before her eyes.
Haruka stepped away from the kneeling blonde. "There's a small taste of my pain Sailor Moon. I failed my daughter and my family. I won't fail again." She turned and ran through the trees, disappearing into the night.
Seiya knelt next to Moon. "Are you all right?" he asked.
"I could see…everything that happened to her…just before she died…" Moon whispered. "I could feel the pain in her heart…"
"How did she do that?" Taiki asked.
"She's not human," Yaten replied. "She's a Crow."
"What do mean by her being a Crow?" Makoto asked.
"People once believed that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes, something so bad happens that a terrible sadness is carried with it and the soul can't rest. Then sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to put the wrong things right," Michiru quoted softly.
"I've heard of that story, but isn't that just a myth?" Rei asked.
"Did what just happen look like a myth to you?" Minako countered.
"If she was brought back as a Crow, then something big and very bad is about to happen," Setsuna said.
"How do you know?" Usagi asked as she rose to her feet.
"I have seen someone come back many centuries ago as a Crow. She returned to stop an apocalypse. One that started with her death and the death of her daughter," the Time Senshi answered. The Senshi looked in the direction Haruka had fled.
"So there could be another apocalypse on us," Ami said.
"Most likely," Setsuna agreed.
"Then we'll face it and stop it," Usagi decided. They each nodded.
- - - - - - - - - -
Michiru sighed as she finished brushing her hair. She looked in the mirror as the door opened. "You're still going on this date?" Setsuna asked.
"It's a business dinner Setsuna-san. Hogosha-san has sponsored nearly all of my concerts this past year."
"Just…be careful, okay?"
"I will be," Michiru insisted. She did up her hair and grabbed her purse, rising to her feet. "Keep an eye on Kaze and Hotaru."
"I will," Setsuna said and watched as Michiru left. The Time Senshi sighed and folded her arms over her chest. She suddenly smiled faintly. "You can come out Haruka-san," she said.
The Crow stepped out of the shadows. "How did you know I was there?" she asked her friend.
"Oh come on Haruka-san. I've known you for too long not to know you wouldn't be watching over Michiru."
Haruka smiled. "I'm glad Michiru seems to be happy." The blonde glanced at Setsuna and frowned. "What?"
"She's been seeing this Hogosha person for a while now, but he refuses to come to the house. She's the only one who's seen him," she said.
Haruka's eyes narrowed. "We'll see about that," she whispered. She turned and walked to the window.
"You don't even know where she's going!" Setsuna called after her.
"I have connections," Haruka returned as the crow flew overhead after Michiru's car. Haruka leapt down to her hidden black motorcycle and got on. She rode off, following the crow.
Japanese Word Guide:
Chotto matte: Hold on/Wait.
Masaka: Impossible.
Demo: But.
Nani: What?
Miko: Shinto priestess.
Machi na sai: Hold it right there.
So? Is it getting interesting? I hope it is and I really hope you leave a review. Please?