Assassin's Tango
Chapter 9
It's over, you think as your eyes fall on the motionless figure that was the Princess of Neptune, lying at your feet.
"The Princess?" a slight smile curves her lips. "As long as you remember our words, you can do with her as you see fit."
You need to move fast, you think as you gaze down at your work. The stench of death is slowly but surely taking over the room and it probably won't be long before someone comes in search of the Queen and the Princess. You move to Tanaka's body and rip a small piece of fabric from his clothes, using it to clean off the drying blood from your sword. Once you can see your reflection on the cool metal, you throw the cloth back on top of the body and move to the door and, after making sure that the hallway is deserted, you step out of the room and lock it behind you.
You walk casually for a few moments before you break out in a run, only slowing when you reach the immediacies of the ballroom and people start appearing. Avoiding their eager approaches, your eyes scan the moving crowd until you find Mamoru dancing with some woman, looking rather uncomfortable at her closeness as they twirl. Suppressing an amused smirk, you quickly walk until you stand next to them.
"Excuse me, madam." You cut through their awkward dance, one hand on his shoulder and one in her waist, subtly forcing them apart. The woman frowns at you when you pull Endymion from her and you flash her the most charming smile you can muster. "I need to borrow my cousin for a few moments. Would you terribly mind?"
"N-no. Go right ahead, Count." She stutters, gazing at you dreamily, completely seduced.
And you do.
This time not having a care whether you are being polite, you drag him out to the corridor. He gazes at you questioningly and you shake your head. "Try to keep up and do your best not to bring any attention to us." Once he nods, you are walking again, moving away from the bright lights and loud music from the ballroom and to the darkened hallway where the door to the Queen's study is, pausing and listening for any signs of anyone having followed.
Satisfied that you appeared to be alone, you turn to face Endymion and take the time to actually look at him in a thorough manner for the first time since you met; trying to assess what his reaction would be to what lied behind the walls. He shifts, uncomfortable with your gaze. "What is going on, Haruka? Did something go wrong?"
"No." You sigh and turn to the door again, unlocking it and stepping inside, motioning for him to follow you, and quickly closing it behind him. A silent gasp escapes him while he looks around and you chuckle. "Did you have doubts that I would manage to do as you asked?"
"No." He says, but the small moment of hesitance before he answers betrays him. "Why did you bring me here?"
"I need your assistance."
He frowns. "What for?"
"I need you to leave and take her with you." You answer, pointing to where Michiru is lying.
"You want me to grab a dead body and take it with me?" he repeats slowly, looking at you as if you've grown mad.
You exhale loudly in impatience, crossing your arms and arching an eyebrow. "Do you think me stupid? She's not dead."
Endymion blinks. "What?" he breathes out, quickly moving to Michiru and checking for a pulse, shaking his head once he finds it. "Why?"
"There is no need to kill her."
"But Chaos…"
"You said so yourself that there might be something in her that is keeping it away from her!" you growl in annoyance. "I will not have an innocent's blood in my hands."
"I wager it would not be the first time that innocent blood would stain your hands." He snaps back, blue eyes shining at you in defiance and you feel as if something in your most inner being shifts, the same thing that feeds your drive when you fight.
You don't like being defied.
Still, you take in a deep breath and swallow forcefully, trying to push down the sudden anger that takes hold of your limbs, focusing your eyes in a corner of the room.
"Haruka…" he sighs after a few moments of silence. "You have allowed yourself to grow too close… You cannot see the danger behind your actions."
"You only said that she couldn't rise to the throne!" you say in a loud voice. "You didn't ask me to take her life. Usagi told me I could do what I wanted."
"No matter! It will be safer this way!" one of his hands gropes his pockets, the twinkling shine of a blade appearing from their depths. "Do not worry. If you cannot do it, I will."
That which had once only shifted now broke at the sight of him holding a blade over her heart, obviously intending to kill. A sudden all-consuming blind rage clouds you mind. You tremble violently, your breathing echoing loudly in the room. He looks up at you and his eyes widen in alarm, fixating on your forehead which is burning in heat. Your heart pounds madly and without knowing exactly how, you are pinning Mamoru down on the floor, the dagger that he was planning on using on Michiru now in your hand and pressed against his neck.
A drop of blood runs down his skin and it placates you, but only slightly. You don't recognize your voice when you speak, so deep and hateful it sounds. "Touch her and I will forget any repercussions that may come, yeah? I will not give a flying fuck about what might happen to me, do you understand? I will kill you. Slowly. Painfully. Is that clear?"
"Y-y-yes." He manages to wheeze out, trying and failing to move away from you.
"I'm glad." You tap him in the face rather harshly, not having any intention to get off of him. "Now, you will do as I said and take her with you while I provide a distraction, yes? And if you plan on doing anything to her…" you pause and press the blade harder "I want you to remember what I just told you. You will wait for me with her by the gazebo outside. Understood?"
He nods and the door suddenly bursts open. You turn your head slowly and the face of Iwao, who has his mouth open in shock, enters your line of sight. You watch in silence as his eyes roam over the entire room, pausing for a few long moments on the Queen's body, and you slowly grow tense again. It seems like hours pass before he finally looks at you and when he does, the rage that burns in his eyes clashes directly with your still present anger, stroking it and lighting up the fire that had consumed you. The highly likely possibility of an upcoming fight excites you tremendously.
"Tenoh…" he says, hand moving to his sword and unsheathing it. "Get off his Highness."
You gaze down at Mamoru. "Endymion, do as I said now." You mumble in a quiet voice so that the guard won't listen, before rising and putting yourself in front of Michiru's unconscious body.
"Come to me, Tenoh."
You wait for a few moments while Mamoru picks up Michiru before doing as Iwao asked, not getting too close to him. The guard doesn't spare a second glance to the Prince and doesn't pause to think whether his Princess is alive and well. No, his eyes are fixed on you. But not just a random part of you – they are fixed on your forehead, just like Endymion's had been before him, eyes shining in confusion for a few seconds before widening in comprehension. He steps back only slightly, visibly swallowing as if in fear.
What's suddenly so interesting about your forehead?
You frown and draw your sword as soon as the two are out of the room, swinging it around with one hand in warm-up. Iwao quickly does the same, adopting a defensive stand.
"I trusted you Tenoh…" he whispers, nose crinkled in disgust. "And what do I get in return? You kill my Queen…"
"Circumstances of life, my friend." You reply sarcastically.
"Tanaka was right! You are a traitor!"
"He was worse than me. Much worse."
"Doesn't matter!" he shakes his head in fury. "He's already had his punishment. It's your turn!"
"I don't want to fight you, Iwao."
"Then hold still while I kill you!"
And with that he strikes.
You're cleaning the slight trace of blood from your sword when you find Endymion. He's sitting near the shadows mingling almost perfectly with the dark, the only sign of his presence being the pale tone of skin. His eyes fix on the red liquid as you pass a piece of fabric across the blade, almost transfixed by the sight.
"Where is Michiru?"
He shakes his head as if your words woke him up. "I hid her there." He points to some nearby bushes. "She has not woken up yet." You nod, already knowing that it would be a while before she regained her senses considering where you hit her and the force of your blow. His gaze shifts back to your sword as you sheathe it and you arch your brow in question. "Did you kill him?"
You chuckle. "I said it before, Prince. The killing of innocents doesn't bode well with me." He frowns in disbelief. "Despite what you may think of me, the truth is that I am an assassin. But that does not make me a murderer." You only accept a job when you had proof that the person you are being hired to kill was not the best to be associated with – the only reason as to why you had agreed on the one that brought you to the Palace was because it was Setsuna who had given it to you. You trusted her to remain loyal to your standards.
"I understand." He says, but you can tell he doesn't. Still, you don't have the time or patience to explain to him how your mind works – you don't comprehend it yourself some times.
You move to the bushes and after some shifting, emerge with the Princess in your arms. You make a gesture with your chin to Endymion, motioning for him to get up. "Let's go."
"Go?" he repeats as he rises. "Go where?"
"I wouldn't know, Prince. Last time we went there, I had my eyes covered. You will lead the way."
He frowns and steps back, shaking his head in refusal. "No. I cannot take you there. I will not risk us being found."
"If you are subtle, we won't be." You sigh as he remains still. "Look, I understand your reluctance to take me there. I know you don't want Usagi hurt. But right now, I don't know anywhere else that can possibly be safe enough for me to be with her" you look down at Michiru pointedly "without there being a risk for her. This is not for me, Mamoru. It's for her."
His posture visibly softens. "What makes you think she will want to be anywhere near us during this time?"
"I know she probably won't want to be near me." You whisper. "I know that she'll be incredibly confused about what's happening and will probably try to escape. But I also know that she needs a place to stay in safety. She just lost everything a few minutes ago. Everything she knows. She needs a safe haven." What you don't tell him is that she wanted out from it all.
A few moments pass in a heavy silence before he sighs. "Alright." He says and starts walking.
You don't look back once as you follow him.
A groan escapes Michiru as she shifts in the bed.
You jump from your seat, stumbling slightly as you approach her, movements made sluggish from lack of sleep. It had been a few hours since you had arrived at the house, being faced immediately by a surprised Usagi. She had looked at Mamoru for a moment, almost as if having a silent conversation, before she led you to a room in the back of the house. She'd told you where to find things if you needed and had quickly left after, closing the door behind her, leaving you alone with an unconscious woman who would most likely not want to be next to you when she woke up.
You could leave, you thought as you gazed down at her. There was nothing that was physically restraining you – you weren't tied down, the door wasn't locked and if it was, there was a window in a corner that you could make use of. You knew it would be best if you left. She was safe – you trusted Usagi to keep her well and to put some sense into Mamoru's head. Still, you stayed by her side, watching over her while she slept and tending to the area where you had hit her.
Another groan falls from her lips as she raises her hand, pressing her fingers cautiously against the bruised skin. You reach out without a thought, stopping her from hurting herself any further, and her eyes snap open, slowly focusing on you. Her brow furrows as you smile at her, and a few moments pass before she moves away from you, even if just barely.
You'd been expecting this reaction from her, but your chest still tightened when faced with it.
"It's alright." You whisper, trying to eliminate the confusion present in her face.
Her eyes shift across the room, falling on everything but you as she slowly sits up. "Where are we?"
"Safe." You move back, giving her some space. Your answer doesn't satisfy her, you can tell, but she accepts it.
"What happened?" she asks after a few seconds of silence, shifting again. "Why am I alive?"
"Because I didn't kill you." You say sarcastically, wanting to see if that would bring her eyes to you.
It does. Her gaze is filled with annoyance, and you can almost feel the question emanating from them. "Why?" you're the one who looks away this time. "Why? I asked you to. I was waiting for it."
"You don't deserve to die." You mumble. "You've done nothing wrong."
She nods and chuckles grimly. "And my mother? What did she do?"
"Your mother… she didn't do a thing. She simply couldn't resist." Her mouth opens, ready to question your answer, but you raise your hand, effectively cutting off her words. "Don't, Michiru."
A knock comes from the door, breaking the heavy silence between you, before opening hesitantly. Usagi's head – you can tell it's her despite the darkness – appears in the doorway before she opens it further, standing in an almost nervous fashion in her place, not inside the room but not out either. You make a small, inviting gesture with your hand and she smiles, stepping inside the room cautiously, the small light shining from outside illuminating her features. Michiru gasps and Usagi's attention is immediately diverted to her, blue eyes meeting blue eyes with an eerie accuracy.
"Hello Princess." The Black Hand's voice is warm and gentle when she speaks, a tone that you had never heard before. "Or should I say Michiru, considering all that has passed?"
"Princess Serenity…" the artist says in wonder, almost as if she couldn't believe that she was indeed standing before her.
The blonde smiles at her in amusement before she looks at you. "You can come out whenever you are ready, Haruka. We have business to discuss."
"Alright." You nod in agreement and she leaves, closing the door behind her.
A soft hand suddenly grips your arm and your head snaps back to look at your former charge. "She's alive?"
"Yes." You say simply.
"And you know her?"
"Yes."
"How?"
You pause. You give Michiru what you hope to be a blank gaze while your mind runs loose. Should you tell her the truth? Should you tell her what's Usagi's part in all that is happening? You sigh, feeling torn. If you tell answer her honestly, there's no guarantee that she won't react badly – what else is to be expected when you learn that someone you know wants, wanted you dead? And if you lie… if you lie what? She wouldn't be able to tell. Still, you decide to only tell her part of the truth. "Mutual friend."
Her eyes narrow. "What are you hiding from me, Tenoh?"
You blink in surprise. "What makes you think I'm hiding something?"
"I have known you for months now. It has become easy for me to realize when you are hiding something from me."
You don't know what to answer her. A scoff bubbles in your throat, which is your immediate response to her words, but it doesn't escape you. It's ridiculous, what she claims. It has to be. But the way she stares at you now, blue eyes fixed on yours knowingly, says that it's not. So, you turn around in annoyance and quickly move to the door, saying in a curt manner "Let's go.", not waiting for her when stepping outside.
The streets are dimly illuminated, the sun barely visible in the horizon. Neptune at dawn looks incredibly peaceful. But you know that this apparent peace won't last for long – as soon as the news of what came to be in the Palace comes out, difficult times will come. Michiru is walking quietly besides you, something unusual in your relationship prior to what happened earlier, but you suppose that is to be expected. You look at her from the corner of your eye and she is not the only one who can tell what's going on through other's minds. She's struggling with herself not to ask you something and you feel this odd sense of pride that you can tell what the stoic Princess of Neptune is thinking. "What is it?"
She shakes her head, startled. "Nothing."
You sigh. "Michiru… From now on, there will be no one controlling what you do or what you stop doing. You're free, free to do as you wish. It may not be in the way you thought it would be, but it's true. You don't have to worry about having people breathing down your neck ever again."
A sad smile crosses her lips. "Freedom… I wanted it. But at what cost will I have it?"
You step in front of her and smirk, lowering your voice. "I don't about you, but I think freedom is worth everything."
She sighs. "Is it?"
You nod. "Yes."
A few moments pass, both of you standing quietly in the dark hallway. Your mind is racing and your mouth is itching to let out words, but you don't know what to say. You have this strange feeling that there is so much to be said between you, but nothing comes out. So you shake your head and look away, quickly moving down the hall to the open door which borders the room where Usagi and Mamoru are waiting for you, still as statues.
The quiet sound of the door closing behind you brings their attention to you. The same look of surprise from earlier crosses Michiru's face when she's faced with him. "Prince…?"
"Princess." He acknowledges, not moving from where he is sitting with Serenity by his side.
The artist frowns and you put gentle hand in her shoulder to appease her. She shrugs you off. "What is going on?"
"That is a very complicated question you ask, Michiru, with many possible answers." Usagi replies.
"Do not play games with me, Serenity. After everything that has happened in the past hours, my patience is very scarce."
The blonde laughs. "Well then, do not worry yourself with things that are none of your business. That which you want to know will only serve to increase your current frustration and confusion." Her tone is pleasant enough but the stiffness of her posture which you are quickly becoming familiar with says that she is not to be questioned – Michiru seems to understand that. After a few moments, satisfied that she got her point across, Usagi's attention is brought to you. "Now, Haruka…. Mamoru informed me of what happened in the Palace after you requested his help."
You narrow your eyes slightly. "What of it?"
"I apologize." He says. "After debating with Usagi, I have been forced to see that your decision was indeed the best."
You don't like the 'forced' part of that sentence, but you know that's the best you will get. "It's alright."
"That said," the blonde continues "I bet you are a bit confused about your… harsher responses." You hadn't really given it much thought but now that she mentioned it, you had never reacted the way you did before. She smiles. "I believe I can explain that to you."
"Really?" you question in ironic disbelief.
She ignores it and nods. "And you will see that it is something that defines you as the person you are. It will perhaps answer some of your most inner questions and doubts."
"I will step outside to let you speak at will." Michiru says in a quiet voice.
"No." Usagi asserts. "This concerns you as well."
And you are more confused than ever. "What is it then?"
But, before she is able to answer, the doors burst open and a blood dripping Setsuna erupts into the room. Her clothes are torn in some places and a dark bruise is forming on her cheek, but she seems to ignore it all. Her voice is breathless when she speaks. "There has been a problem. We need to leave Neptune quickly."
AN
Hey guys!
Sorry for the wait but it's been a really busy month for me and isn't it just frustrating when you want to write but you're so tired you end up falling asleep on the computer?
Anyways, I just absolutely loved your reviews from the last chapter and laughed out loud at some of them. So no, I did not kill Michiru! She's got a paper to play in the future and what kind of story would this be if I killed her before anything happened between them? XD
Well, hope you liked this chapter. Things just keep on happening, right? Did you like Haruka's reactions to Mamoru? Do you think that her views on certain subjects, including her job, are confusing? Let me know because sometimes I may not be able to write things the way they sound in my mind…Other than that, He he… I just absolutely love writing this baby!
Thanks for reading and reviewing, as always, because they give me more and more motivation to keep on!
Until next time,
LostWyrda
