The Ambassadors were having tea together with Mina. Hotaru and Rei remained standing as their custom was. There was silence around them, none spoke. Only Amy moved her eyes from one to the other.
"What in the world said Haruka before? About her returning from the future, killing Michiru here to bring her from, also, the future and about Caelum dying? And Michiru agreed?" she asked seeing Setsuna look shortly at Hotaru who's eyes were staring at the ground. "What? The two of you knew?" Amy continued, making Daryl also look at them.
Serena appeared with another pot of tea and Amy and Daryl stood up, looking at her calm face.
"Sit down I guess it was time for you to find out the truth" she said and also sat. "You see in the normal happening of things, Caelum is destroyed by Oceania. Haruka and I have died, together with our family and all the people around here. But for a reason or another when we died we didn't wake up in some heaven, but back here, days before the actual explosion. We have been sent in time and, as that happened; we decided to change the future. So we searched for the one to help us, the one who can manipulate time; she made a pause looking at Setsuna, who avoided everyone's eyes.
"I thought we cooperate well, I thought we three are supposed to know everything vital about this world…you hid a big secret" Amy said to Setsuna, but her tone wasn't harsh.
"So after convincing her it was best and after she made sure our plan might help, she sent Haruka back in time where she ended Michiru as a baby. And then…to the future on Arometra where all of you were indeed ambassadors, but where Michiru was the commander and not Hotaru. Haruka managed bringing her back and now that future has changed. Not for you as you still are ambassadors, not for Rey as she still is second in command, but for us and Hotaru" Serena continued.
"And you knew?" Amy looked at Hotaru.
"I see some things, death and life, I can see Serena and Haruka died, I can see Michiru has lived another life…as I can't see her death".
"You truly don't see her ever dying?" Amy asked.
"Not ever, but it's so distant it makes me believe I will be for billions of years dead when she will die. That makes me draw the conclusion she is to live as long as her star".
"So…you mean I was on that fleet in the future, second commander to Michiru?" Rei asked.
"Yes and you were very close to her. This is why you also care for her now…you two are just meant to be friends" Serena explained.
Daryl looked long at Serena who seemed very changed. Her face was calm and mature, her eyes glowed with a certain wisdom.
"You…what happened to you?" Daryl asked.
"The death of this planet happened. I wasn't as innocent as I seemed, I just…let's sat I kept it like that to give Haruka a certain feeling of comfort, that not everything changed. And she blindly accepted it, even if I was the one to help her plan this".
Amy covered her cheek with her hand looking down at the grass.
"This is all insane. You realize you changed a future? That future, by now past, exists somewhere. There is a ship in an alternative future where Michiru has been kidnapped from under our eyes and…"
"And?" Serena asked.
"She lost everything there, people that love her have lost her and…"
"Michiru loved someone in that future and that someone had died long ago. Her soul was fading there" Serena explained.
"Lita" Hotaru said. "But Lita died for Michiru to understand the value of life, how it can change in a blink of an eye. Unfortunately Lita had to die for Michiru to be able to save this planet".
"But she is alive here…" Daryl said.
"Some things never change. She died once for Michiru to understand all what Hotaru explained, she would a second time if Michiru would approach her. This is why that comet hit Arometra…Michiru was in the kitchen at the exact moment…when Lita's death happened in her alternative life" Setsuna explained.
"So she…returned to find her lover alive and…not be able to approach her?" Amy asked.
"Fortunately it seems Lita was her love in that alternative life. Here she…" Setsuna said.
"Loves someone else" Michiru appeared with Haruka in the small garden. They were holding hands which made Rei giggle.
"Yes…so the only ones suffering are we in that alternative life" Amy said.
"You'll get over it. That's life, it flows on and on no matter who or what has died. But Caelum wasn't meant to die" Hotaru explained.
Mina, who had been silent until now, looked up at Haruka and Michiru.
"With all due respect that I have for both of you…Oceania is in constant threat because of the heart you have in you".
"Are you suggesting something I don't understand?" Haruka said cold, staring into the woman's eyes.
"Don't give me that look, Haruka, you are cerebral enough! What if Caelum's heart was in a person? What if your planet depended on that person? Would you still stare at me with that anger?"
"What if…" Amy sighted rubbing her forehead. "We give you a heart transplant?"
Michiru blinked confused and breathed in long. She looked at Haruka, whose eyes went blank. There was a big struggle taking place in her.
"If it would be just me I would happily give you this heart back, but…it's not just me. I can't die with the thought I am hurting Haruka".
"Wait a little, Michiru. We all care for you, none of us want to see you dying! I am not saying to take it out of you and let you die. I am just saying we need a… solution" Mina stood up.
"Excuse me, princess?" a man approached. "You have a message from the retirement house. They asked you to rush down as fast as you can. Your father…called for you".
Michiru's eyebrows went up surprised.
"Yes, I am going now" she said.
"I'll come with you" Haruka said
"No, no, I need to…see him alone" she smiled kissed the blonde's lips. Haruka nodded as she agreed.
The king of Oceania was sitting on the same chair as before, but this time he was staring into the distance. Michiru approached him and sat on the chair next to him. He looked at her, through the same colored eyes as hers.
"It is indeed you" he said and he seemed lucid.
"Father" she whispered placing her palms on his hands.
"Come to think the day came to see my daughter grown up. It seemed just a stupid dream in the past and…"
"What happened to mother?"
"She went peacefully and made me go insane. I am lucid now, I don't know for how long, the doctor told me everything about my state. But it's better like this. I prefer living in my memories".
"But you have me back now and…"
"Forgive me Michiru, I was selfish. I couldn't see you die. I had to save you".
"I am not upset, I am happy I live".
"Yes, but a king should think of his people first and then his family. Unfortunately this is how it is meant to be".
"You actions saved another planet father".
"With the cost of my planet? Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want Caelum to die, for nothing in the world. But Oceania comes first, it must come first".
Michiru sighted.
"I…I am not a true ruler and I don't have what it takes. Maybe because I wasn't raised as one. I can't…I can't put Oceania first, I can't put myself first".
"You're putting someone else first. And another planet. But the ruler of this planet is stronger than you think".
"What are you asking of me?"
He looked long at her.
"To do…" he shook his head. "It's your life now, I can't ask anything of you. Just this…go to Oceania, go to the sea on Oceania. Near the small village of fishers, is a very old oak tree and a tomb. That is your mother's grave. Go visit it. Pay your last tribute to her".
Michiru nodded as tears rolled down her face.
It was the next day, Michiru and Haruka were looking for a grave, close to a fishers' village, under an oak tree. Mina was leading them, she knew that planet inside out, other than Michiru who had spent too less time there. They found it and Michiru placed some flowers over it.
"My life was never about this planet…in my alternative life I…I am thought to keep as far from it as possible. And now…I am supposed to change everything and live or die for it. I am just human and…I am just human" she whispered. "I am sorry, I am so sorry" she looked down on the grave.
"Princess?" a young man appeared from behind the tree. His smile and eyes were bright.
"Yes?" she asked.
"We heard you came, so I came to bring my tribute. I am the last standing man of the 'The vow of the crown'. May I shake your hand?" he offered his hand.
"He is one of us" Mina smiled. "I don't know why you say last, but…"
Michiru squeezed his hand and he suddenly pulled her closer.
"I am sorry. Long live the Royal Family" he quickly said sticking a small knife in her heart.
"No!" Haruka screamed jumping to her and pulling her back. The man looked shortly at them and, before Mina could react and grab him, he stuck the knife in his throat.
"Long live Oceania…" he whispered with his dying words.
"No, no, no!" Haruka gasped over Michiru.
"Live, please live for me…" Michiru whispered as her eyes closed and her last breathe left her.
Her body started dissolving, becoming quickly dust, the only thing left being her dress. Haruka's mind went blank.
Note: yep...she's gone. But keep reading updates coming today! Thank you!