Chapter 9: Revilations...
The senshi of the wind was in a state of shock, for sitting right next to her lover on the couch was not only a woman that she thought she wouldn't be seeing again for a very long time, but a woman that had every right (and ability) to strike her down where she stood. All the stunned woman could do was whisper out a cautious, "Setsuna...?" The time goddess just nodded a bit and replied, "It is nice to see you, Haruka."
"Wha... what are you doing here?" the senshi of the wind stuttered out, still in shock at the fact that one of the women who's trust she had destroyed, was now sitting in her cousin's living room. "And what are you doing to Michi?"
"She was not doing anything to me, Haruka." the young, aqua haired woman spoke up, as she set down her cup of tea on the coffee table in front her, "We were just talking and catching up on some things."
"Uh... so you were not crying?" the senshi of the wind asked with a stunned tone in her voice.
"What's going on in here? What happened to my door?" the trio heard some on exclaimed. When when every one turned to see who it was, they was a very puzzled Alexander looking down on what was once his home's front door. Haruka, now realizing what she had done, began to turn a light shade of red.
"Oh... uh... sorry Alex," the now embarrassed blond replied, "I just thought that Michi..."
"I am afraid that it is all my fault." Setsuna spoke up, cutting off her younger friend. "My name is Setsuna Meioh and I am a friend of Miciru and Haruka." she introduced herself to the home's owner. Alexander for his part hardly heard a single word that the time goddess had said, for as he saw Setsuna walk up towards him, Gary Wright's "Dream Weaver" began to play in his head.
"Um... uh... yea..." the marine managed to reply, albeit a bit awkwardly. "My name is Alexander and um... welcome to my home." the time goddess chuckled a but as she saw the young man's reaction towards her and she had to admit, it was kind of cute. It was at this point Michiru spoke up and said,
"While I was online I decided to send her a E-mail and she sent one back saying that she was in the area so I invited her over for dinner. I hope that you don't mind Alexander." the guardian of the sea lied with a pleading tone in her voice.
"No... no... It's no problem at all. Any friend of you two is a friend of mine." Alexander cheerfully replied, completely ignoring his broken front door. "So what are you doing in town, Meioh-san?"
"I was just doing some traveling when I got Michiru's E-mail. I hope you don't mind me dropping in like this, and please, call me Setsuna." the goddess replied with a smile, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the other two women in the room. Apparently the senshi of time had also begun to develop a bit of a liking towards the handsome marine.
"Well it is okay, Setsuna. I really don't mind have more company over for dinner." Alexander replied. "But first, I think my cousin would really like to help me repair my front door. Isn't that right, Haruka?"
The tall blond for her part, just blushed a bit and apologized for the damages that she had caused before both she and Alexander disappeared into the garage to get what they needed to fix the front door. All the while the senshi of the wind taking quick glances at her "friend" and wondering just why she was here at all.
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It did not take very long for the door to be repaired, luckily Haruka's kick had done less damage than it would normally do and it was only the hinges that needed to be repaired. When that was done, Alexander went into the kitchen to start that evening's dinner. Michiru asked if she could help him seeing that there would be a forth person joining them that evening and that Michiru knew Setsuna's favorite food. A fact that the marine was eager to monopolize on if he was going to try to impress the garnet eyed goddess that had walked in his home and his life.
While this was going, the senshi of time and the senshi of the wind were both sitting in the living room watching T.V. But as they sat there and watch the antics of a certain Detroit cop in Beverly Hills, Haruka's mind was working on overdrive to figure out just why Setsuna was here at all. The last time the guardian of Uranus had seen the time goddess was a couple days after their ill fated battle with Galaxia, when she said that she needed some time to be alone before leaving their home.
Haruka could still remember seeing the look on her friend's face as she left, it was a look of complete disappointment mixed with hurt and sadness. It was like the older woman could not even bring herself to look at the women that at one time she called her friends "friends" in the eye. But now here she was right next to her and she was acting as if nothing had happened, all she was doing right now was watching TV with her and laughing every so often at the movie that was on. Just why was she here at all and acting this way?
She could have just asked the guardian of Pluto why she was there, but for some strange reason the wind senshi could not bring herself to ask her friend such a question. Was it fear that was keeping her silent, Haruka did not know. All she could do right now was keep an eye on her fellow senshi and hope that she would get her answers soon.
A few hours later, quartet were seated around the small table in the kitchen and they had just enjoyed the meal that had been put together by both Michiru and Alexander.
"That was an very delicious meal, Alex." Haruka complimented, as she happily sank into her seat. "You should really think about becoming a cook!"
"Well it wasn't all me," Alexander replied in a humble manner, "Your girl here was the one who really did this magic. She even thought me a few things."
"I must say it was a very nice meal Alexander," Setsuna spoke up, " I had an really wonderful evening. But it is getting late and I must be returning to my hotel."
"I can give you a ride if u want." Alex spoke up, only to realize that what he had just said had not come out the way her wanted. "Uh... I... um... I mean I can give you a lift to your hotel."
Setsuna giggled again at Alexander's response and replied, "Thank you Alexander-San, I think I might enjoy getting a ride from you... um.. I mean, getting a lift from you." she began to blush a bit.
Haruka and Michiru were both taken a back by the way the two "adults" interacted with one another, apparently the American marine and the goddess of time were beginning to develop certain feelings for one another. Now normally, the two lovers (especially Haruka) would use this recent development to tease either the senshi of time or their host, but they thought better of this as Michiru spoke up and said, "Then it is settled. Haruka and I will say behind and clean up while you drop Sets back to her hotel."
Haruka, Alexander and Setsuna agreed to this plan and within a few minutes, Setsuna was in the passenger seat of Alex's Jeep and the two of them were pulling away from the house. However as the 4x4 began to drive off, the senshi of time could not help but to wonder if she had done the right thing and not talk to Haruka when she had the chance.
Setsuna could sense the tall blond's awkwardness while they were in the living room watching television, every so often she would notice her younger friend looking warily at her from the corner of her eye. Or how she would tense up every time it looked liked she was about to ask her a question, but most of all, the time goddess could sense the guilt that her much younger friend felt. It was so strong, it was surprising that Haruka did not drop on her knees and beg her right then and there for her forgiveness. All she did was sit silently on the couch as if she were a child that had knowing done something wrong (which was not far from the truth).
But her unannounced visit to the couple was not completely in vain, the goddess of time had managed to spend a couple hours alone with Michiru before Haruka had returned home and the talk that they had was very positive to say the very least. Now it was up to the guardian of Neptune to talk to her lover and relay her message to the guardian of Uranus and hopefully, the two of them would return to Japan and face the one person that mattered to them the most. Their princess.
Hope, that was all that she could do.
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As soon as the couple saw their friend drive off with Alex, the senshi of the wind quickly pulled her lover inside the house and slammed the door shut. "What was she doing here?" Haruka asked her now stunned girlfriend.
"Haruka, she just came by to talk." the goddess of the sea replied, taken aback by her lover's reaction.
"What? What did she say to you? Why didn't she try to talk to me?" Haruka was all but frantic now, it was like the reappearance of her fellow outer senshi team mate had spooked the tall blond in some way. Then again, seeing some one who's death they that caused would send almost any one into a frenzy. The young violinist just took a deep breath before she said, "Haruka, Setsuna was here to see me."
Haruka just paused in her tracks and looked at her lover with a stunned look on her face. "Setsuna was here to see you?"
"I am afraid so, my love." Michiru replied, as she walked over to the couch, sat down and began to explain. "Setsuna came by while I was on the computer. I was shocked to say the very least to she her standing on the other side of the door, I thought it was some kind of sick joke or that she was here to exact revenge on me in some way. At first I wanted just to ignore her and act as if no one was home, but I answered the door none the less and let her in."
"Did she scream at you? Did she threaten you?" The tall blond asked in an almost frantically, worried that the senshi of time may have hurt her lover in some way. Then again considering that Michiru was the one who took her star seed, Haruka would not be too surprised if the senshi of time took out her revenge on the guardian on Neptune.
Michiru upon seeing the worried look on her lover's face, smiled a bit and replied "You know you are cute when you look like that."
"Michiru... what did she tell you?"
"Well..." Michiru sighed heavily, "She said that she... forgave... me..."
Haruka's jaw practically fell to the floor, "She... forgave you?" the young violinist just nodded and replied, "She told me that... she forgave me for what I did to her. What we did to our family."
"She wasn't mad or anything?"
"If she was then she did not show it." the aqua haired senshi told her lover, "But there was something else that she told me that has me worried about you?"
"Me?" the normally confident senshi of the wind gasped out, "What did she say about me?"
Michiru just came up to her love and looked her straight in the eye, "Haruka love... are you still beating yourself up for what happened that day?" That question caught the tomboy off guard.
"What... I..." she began to stammer, "I... I'm not..."
"Haruka Tenoh, do not lie to me." The guardian of Neptune sternly scolder her lover, "Tell me the truth, do you still blame for what happened that day?"
The senshi of the wind just stood there silently for a few minutes, before she hung her head low in defeat and answered, "Well... who else do you want me to blame? I was the one who came up with that stupid plan in the first place, it was my idea to turn sides and attack our princess. It's my fault and all my fault."
"Haruka..." Michiru said, as she got up from her seat and gently placed a had on the taller woman's cheek, "it is not your fault. How were you supposed to know that it would have ended so badly for us in the end? If any thing it is I who should be beating on my self for how it played out."
" What?" Haruka gasped in surprise, " How could you blame yourself? It was my plan."
"Yes it was," Michiru explained, "but I still should have said something. I should have questioned your plan or even disagree with it, but instead I allowed myself to go with your plan and in the end, we both ended up hurting the ones we most cared about."
"But still," Haruka countered, "Just how could I have allowed myself to think up such a stupid plan? It is my fault that we lost out princess trust, it is my fault that the rest of the inners now hate us. It is my fault that..." the tall blond began to tear up.
"My love, we all make mistakes. It is just human nature to make them and no matter how big or small they may be we must learn not only to deal with them, but we must also ensure that we don't make them again." Michiru told her lover, before she came in and planted a small kiss on her cheek.
"So you are not mad at me?" Haruka asked her lover. Michiru only smiled back and replied, "I could never be mad at you ruka, I love now and I always will."
The tall blond woman smiled through her tears, for some reason hearing those words come from her girlfriend gave the senshi of the wind a great sense of relief. It was as if all the fear and anxiety that had gripped her her for the last few weeks had suddenly vanished once she heard those words come from her lover's lips. Now it was Haruka's turn to show just how much she loved her goddess of the seas. Without saying a single word, Haruka went into the room both she and her lover shared, leaving a very puzzled looking Michiru in her wake.
A few minutes later Haruka emerged from their room, but this time she was smiling and she was carrying the same small bag that she had gotten from the jewelry story earlier that day. "Haruka... what are you doing?" the young violinist asked in a puzzled tone. The tall blond just smiled and replied, "Something that I should have done a long time ago."
What happened next left the aqua haired woman speechless. Haruka reached into the bag and pulled out an small black box that was in it. Michiru could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as her lover took her hand and got down on one knee.
" Michiru..." the tall blond blond began to speak, "Ever since I have met you, you have made my life so very happy. And if you marry me.. I promise you that for the rest of our lives, I will do everything in my power to make you the happiest woman in the world."
The tears were now flowing from the violinist eyes, as slowly began to nod and say, "Yes... -sniff- yes I will marry you."
Haruka grinned as she slipped the engagement ring on her lover's finger, before she got up and spined her lover in her arms for what felt like an eternity. When she was done, Michiru came in ,wrapped her arms around her lover's neck and planted a deep passionate kiss on Haruka's lips. To which the tall blond returned said kiss with the same amout of passion that her lover gave. Then, Michiru leaped onto Haruka and wrapped her legs around her waist as their kiss became deeper and more passionate.
Soon realizing that things were about to develop Haruka held on to her lover tightly, as she carried Michiru into their bedroom to celebrate their new life together...
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A/N: Okay i know that the ending of this chapter was a bit sappy if not cheezy, but i thought it would help move the story along. Well anyway, the story is coming to an end so stay tuned and as always please leave a review and thank you.