If I Tell Thee A Tale Chapter 12: Act Ten, a sailor moon fanfic

Act Ten: The Dark Secret of Heracles

The rain finally subsided, though the clouds still hung low as overcast. There would be no rain that day. Haruka woke up early, and began to dress, feeling stiff, and still half asleep. It was as if she had closed her eyes for a moment, and then suddenly, a few seconds later, it was time to get up. Proteus waited for her by the door, as with her two guards, Puck and Cupid, when she came outside.

They were all silent, but she nodded to them, as they made their way down the stairs. The judge was already at the court house, sorting through his own business, and making preparations for the case that was to take place soon. The maid and butler greeted them before they exited and the doors were locked closed behind them. They wouldn't be returning until the late afternoon.

"Come on, my captain," said Proteus gently, placing his hand behind her shoulder blades. She had been looking forlornly at the door, wishing to go back inside to safety.

The court house was located a few blocks behind the judge's mansion. The judge himself had taken a carriage to the cube-shaped building, and the quartet opted to walk. When they arrived, in front of them was a very simple building—box shaped with Corinthian columns along the front and an overhang where people stood around in groups. Around the front were more carriages, black and formal, driven by dark-colored horses. Out of them came formally dressed people, mostly of the upper classes.

Haruka noticed wearily that her own clothing were a few years out of date, when she noticed what some of the ladies were wearing. She prayed to the Gods that it wouldn't be something that would be used against her during the trial. Women wore bright colors, while men dawned dark, stiff suits and hats, which they carried in hand.

Cupid and Puck flanked either side of her, while Proteus trailed behind. They moved upwards, where it became darker than the outside because of the overhang, a looming shadow. As the blonde got closer to the entrance of the court house, people cast glances, curious of the new woman climbing up the stairs. They had known about her, but had never seen her in person.

"Remember, my lady," said a gentle voice behind her, "You are not the one on trial. You have nothing to be guilty of."

Time seemed to thaw out a bit at Proteus' words, and Haruka breathed when she realized that she hadn't been. She looked over her shoulder and forced a weak smile at her first in command.

"Milady!" greeted a broad, charismatic voice in front of her.

She finally reached the top of the stairs and came face-to-face with a black-suited man. His eyes were piercing and unreadable to the captain, which sent shivers down her spine. He smiled, and she was almost willing to trust him—if he were on the same side as she was. The stranger held out a hand for her to take in greeting, and suddenly she felt a bit of her old self returning, surfacing from the grief. Haruka took it, gripping it tightly, an impish grin showing in her eyes.

"Sir," she said, her voice formal and polite. Correct. "It is nice to meet you..."

"Heracles," he finished, another smile flashing. Their hands dropped. He shook his hand a few times so that the circulation could reach his fingers.

The double doors finally opened, and people began to filter through. Haruka wished that the man would leave, but he matched his pace with hers when she followed the crowd. They walked silently for a while, and she could feel him eying her sideways.

"I have wondered for a while what she saw in you... But I believe," he said in slow, halting, and pondering words, "I do see it now I think."

"I, if it is not too rude in saying, would love you to take your leave now, so that we can move on with the trial," Haruka said, her voice smooth. She didn't bother to look at him.

She watched him out of the corner of her eye. He bowed slightly, then faded into the crowd. That man was Elsa's husband. When he was finally gone, she felt a pain in her chest that made her stumble forward.

It was sometime before we were both broken out of the world that we had created around ourselves. I was in this drunken stupor, and for once I was able to stay in one place for longer than a few weeks. We spent most of our time in the conservatory, or in town, our rooms. I was so still, and everything was so calm around me, that I began to tell her about myself, and the world that I truly came from. It was a relief. She spoke at length about her vague memories of her mother before she died.

Her father was forever working in his private office. Eventually, as soon as the winter was in full swing and the skies clearer, he came into the conservatory during the night so that he could catalogue the stars. We spent our time in the parlor, and would eventually crawl up to our rooms in the early morning to sleep. The older gentleman had no idea of our affair. I should have felt some guilt, but I was a fool I think.

It was a peaceful existence. The staff around the house spent time with us, sometimes playing cards or eating the light meals that the cook had prepared. It wasn't as lonely as I first had imagined.

But it all changed with a single knock of the door. One of the staff answered without much thought. At the door, like everyday at exactly four, the postman arrived with a letter or a word. This time the jolly graying man had both, including a slight bow. Elsa and I barely glanced up from our game of chess, she sitting on the couch, while I was comfortably on the floor.

We barely noticed the door closing, but I'm sure we both heard the foot steps moving closer to us. Elsa glanced up after she moved her bishop. She moved her pale hand upwards to take the letter from the man who answered the door. With a slight bow, he left and moved somewhere else within the house.

While I concentrated on my next move, she carefully opened the sealed letter. At first I didn't notice the tense, cold silence filling the air. When I finally made my move on the black and white chess board, only then did I finally look up.

"Anything wrong?" I asked. My voice sounded suddenly loud in the quiet air.

As soon as I spoke, I closed my mouth. Elsa's face had gone sheet white, and she looked like she was about to faint. Gently I placed my hand on her elbow just in case she needed to be steadied. The red head jumped, brought back to reality. Her gray eyes slowly moved downwards to look at me, and her lips forced a smile. But there was something terribly wrong behind it.

"I must go speak to my father," she said.

And then she was gone.

I spent the majority of that day in the kitchens around the cooks. There, where people bustled around like that of my old crew, I could keep my mind off the look that Elsa had on her face. I didn't know what it could be, could it be that bad? Part of me wanted to know, but the other part was content with ignoring everything from the outside and continuing with my lazy life with her.

Eventually I was recruited into the kitchen's chores. The head cook's assistant quickly found that I was good with a knife and had me cut the dinner's vegetables. The carrots and celery were thrown into the pot for a stew, and I was off cutting chunks of meat.

They laughed and joked, and my mind was distracted for a while. Though, all along, there was a small part of it that was constantly on Elsa and that letter. I tried my best to stay calm and focused on the tasks that were given to me. After all, I spent years forcing myself to focus on tasks that helped me to avoid thinking about my past. And why would that technique continue not to work?

When I did see her again, it was the late afternoon. It was as if nothing had happened. Her normal energy had returned when she came into the kitchens.

Grabbing my hands, she led me out, while I looked at her bewilderingly. I was suddenly aware of my height and felt clumsy as I watched her dance around.

"What's wrong?" I blurted. We were now out in the main hall.

She paused, giving me a confused look. Then a smile broke out on her face once more. "Everything will be all right!" Whatever it was that had bothered her, seemed to be at ease then. I relaxed and let it go—it didn't seem to be that big of an issue anymore.

"What was it that worried you?" I asked, really wanting to know. "What was the letter?"

All the light from her face suddenly left, and I bit my tongue, feeling guilty for even asking. "It was a letter from my future husband," she said finally. "It had been arranged when I was about four. But I asked father today if I could... not marry him because... my mind is... occupied with other things." Her smile returned, her cheeks coloring slightly as she gazed up at me.

"And what did he say?" The bottom was falling out of my stomach. Guilt. More guilt.

"He said that he would see what he could do. That everything will be all right."

"According to Mrs. Elsa's last Will and Testament, you were given the responsibility, instead of her husband. May I ask why she would do such a thing?"

Haruka was about to answer the opposing lawyer, when her own raised his hand to silence them both. She tried to tell herself that she would have been fine in answering, but she realized that her brain was drawing up blanks.

Heracles had been on the stand a half hour before. He turned out to be an outstanding gentleman, which made Haruka humiliatingly jealous. Or at least he appeared to be, something in the pit of her stomach continued to tug at her. Already she was getting hammered with questions. Though it made sense—a random person, not of the town, was given power over a woman's husband. A woman that they had never before seen, save for a few glimpses from seven years ago. Both the husband and the "friend" would be tested nonetheless just to be sure—that one was not mentally able, while the other was adept.

Before her lawyer could say anything, the man in front of her withdrew the question. He was a quick speaking, clever, slim sort of man. A long face, with straight brown hair under the powdered white wig. His robes made him appear even longer. Her own lawyer, which had been assigned to her by the judge who observed them, hardly knew her either, and seemed to be pulling at lose threads.

"Let us hear more about you, Miss Tenoh," he refraised. "Tell us about yourself."

Haruka raised her eyebrows as she thought for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "Well I work with a seafaring merchant company. Trading mostly with foreign countries..." Piracy and hunting for treasures, close enough to the truth, she thought dryly. "It was a business that I had started on my own, working up to the top."

"So you didn't gain this business from your father or mother?"

"No." She bit her tongue, about to mention her estranged relationship with her father. She kept eying the clock, even though time didn't matter at this point—it was until the judge and jury asked for a recess that anyone would be allowed to go.

"And why not gain a business from your own family—that seems to go against tradition, does it not?"

"Yes. I left home at an early age to strike out on my own," the blonde answered haltingly. Stupid snake!

"And you don't have a family, or a husband, of your own?"

"No I do not. That does not mean that I haven't considered the prospect of a family, I just haven't had the chance."

"So you have no attachments to land at the moment?"

Haruka felt like she was being put into a corner, the back of her mind tingling. "At the moment," she bullshitted, "But I do have offers that are open."

"Ah." The thin man paused for a moment, and turned his gaze off of her, and to the floor. He paced around for a bit before turning his attention back. Letting her stew. "I heard that you only briefly knew Mrs. Elsa... I would like to hear more of this story, please educate the court about your meeting and how you became so close so quickly."

The man clearly didn't respect Haruka, possibly because of her answers, and the fact that he could sense her holding back a lot of information that could possibly get her hung. Her own lawyer moved to stand up, but the judge stopped him with a raised hand. Restless, he plopped back down into his chair behind the table.

The sea captain turned her attention back to her interrogator. Her thoughts and memories tried to force themselves forward and out of her throat. She hesitated as they jumbled and tangled together. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she gathered the simplest and less incriminating version.

"A few years ago, the... company that I worked for at the time got caught up in a violent storm. We were torn apart and scattered. I woke up in Miss Elsa's manor, the next moment I knew, where her father let me stay so that I could heal and gather myself. His daughter was very kind and nurturing—we became fast friends during this time. We were drawn to each other, perhaps because we spent so much time together.

"We were both lonely, maybe. It had been a while since I had someone that I could... feel close to. Perhaps she felt the same way..." Haruka stopped, then started again, "It felt as if the house was too big for her father and herself. I don't know why she cared so much for me, but I have my own reasons, and that is all that I can vouch for. I felt like myself for the first time in a long while."

"I see," answered Heracles' lawyer. He stopped, when he noticed that his client was gesturing towards him. Haruka eyed the lawyer's back wearily, watching him move towards Elsa's husband. They whispered to each other, glancing in her direction every once in a while. After a few moments, the drawn-out man returned to stand in front of her.

"In the sheriff's files," he said, as if he was spelling out something very slowly to her, "it was said that you were found on the shore... In men's clothing. To refresh your memory, madam, the sheriff was there helping to carry you to the house." I was conscience you dolt! Haruka's lips tightened. "When the doter and sheriff pealed away your clothing, they very quickly found your true gender. Your breasts were bound, hair cut short as well as dyed."

His words were humiliating, cold—and there, on the stand, she truly felt naked and violated. In that one moment, she felt her dignity being stripped away and analyzed. There were murmurs around her, people glancing to one another. Haruka didn't dare look over at the jury. She kept her gaze on the lawyer.

"It sounds as if you were suffering from a mental disorder," the thin man said when the whispers died down.

"Well," swallowed the captain, "I am obviously healed, am I not? Can you not tell from my clothing that I wear today? And was I not recorded by her own father that I wore the correct clothing during the duration of my stay?"

"I would only trust you being healed through our own doctors," muttered Heracles just loud enough for everyone to hear.

The lawyer that stood in front of her seemed to agree. "There are therapies that would help," he offered. His head was lowered, though his eyes were still fixed on her. The room suddenly felt smaller. "Electroshock therapies seem to be very affective in healing such... issues."

Haruka felt her eyes widen. Her hands gripped her knees, which fortunately no one could see. She had heard of such technologies, and wanted nothing to do with them. One of her crew had mentioned what it had truly done to the patients. Afterwords, they were something less than human—not completely there. They were "healed," oh yes, they followed anything that anyone said, but were barely functional. For those who were in the earlier stages, who gave in so soon, were horribly traumatized. It was torture. But without blinking, she spoke, a charming chuckle bubbling up from her throat,

"The earlier days of my job I do admit that I'm not proud of it—" Damn straight, I was a cabin boy! "Yet I had to do what I had to to work my way upwards. Hence why I did not feel myself until I met Elsa." Because none of the crew, at the time, other that Proteus, knew that I was a woman.

The lawyer smirked, knowing that he had cast doubt towards her onto the jury. "It must have felt incredibly hard... Being a lady doing a sort of gentleman's job.."

She eyed him and returned his smirk with her own charming smile, even though his last comment stung. She prayed that when Heracles was put back onto the stand, that her own lawyer would be able to even the playing field. But the judge cut off the trial with a raised hand.

"It seems like we are finished for the day," he said, his voice quite and smooth. Haruka could not read anything from him. "Tomorrow, Miss Tenoh's defendant will take over the questioning; and on the third day we will review everything before the jury comes up with a verdict."

He looked over at the blonde sea captain. "But so far Miss Tenoh, your own case seems weak. Your current life does not seem stable and does not stay put in anyone town. And your past shows the same signs, and in fact, worrying ones. We may have to go against Elsa's original wishes and return power to her husband."

Great! She had to lie, or at least skew the truth, about herself because people thought that who she is was wrong. Like how she felt and acted were all symptoms of some kind of horrible disease. Haruka was not one to hide who she was. Not after she let her true self out after she ran away from her father's estate. Lying about it felt like the bigger sickness. Turned her stomach inside out.

The outcome was becoming more and more obvious. Heracles just looked right for the job, it didn't matter who he really was. Only that the town was more familiar with him, not some stranger; not some outcast. She prayed that her lawyer could reveal the true person underneath—or at least the person that she suspected him to be.

She knew that even hoping that things could go her way was foolish: her "career" wasn't as stable as it should have been for the kind of environment the town required for things to work. She couldn't lie about it, even though she had the connections to forge whatever records she needed. Haruka knew better.

There had to be a way...

When Haruka returned to her rooms, she locked herself in, and began pacing back and forth. Flurries of different thoughts floated into her mind. Clashing, screaming, and trying to be the first one forward. Her legs moved her from window to door in front of the bed and back to the window as she paced. An idea was forming, and she was terrified of it—it was a gamble and it was such short notice.

She finally moved out of her room an hour later. It was the only way to protect what she had been ordered to protect by one of the people she was the most loyal to. Proteus was nowhere to be seen, and she moved on without him, or her "guards". When she reached the foyer she spoke softly to one of the maids. Her quite voice bounced softly against the walls around them as Haruka nervously stood. The maid left her to wait for a few moments, until she returned with the judge.

The older gentleman ordered a horse and carriage for her, raising a hand in his refusal to go with her. He smiled softly, saying that he could not get involved with either side—he was already doing that by letting her stay at his home. Haruka didn't argue, knowing that he was right, a wave of guilt hitting her—though she didn't want to return to Elsa's home. The memories alone were already too much for her to hold.

Finally, she was back outside the manor, where the clouds still hung low. She sat in the darkness and silence of the carriage. The curtains were drawn inside, though through the small gap between the cloth, she could see people moving about all around her.. From the outside, she could hear the horse clopping evenly as it traveled across the coblestoned streets.

Minutes later, when they were closer to the coast towards the edge of the town, they arrived at a small tower, framed with amber and collumns. It was connected and interconnected with copper wires, which soared over the town. Large branches of metal pierced the sky.

The driver dropped her off and moved off somewhere so that he could wait for her. She entered the building through a warm-toned, lightweight door. The blonde sea captain found that the main room was lined with oak desks, shining in the bright lamps from above. Officials waited at them, and every so often, there would be a person talking to one of them from the other side of the table. The scratching of quills moving against parchment echoed in the room.

She stopped by one of the people at the long desk, and began to talk to them, keeping her voice low. The young man asked basic questions, writing everything down on the parchment form that she said. He asked things like, 'what would you like the message to say?', 'how urgent is it?', and 'where would you like the message delivered?' She kept the message short and simple, and prayed to her ocean-bound God that it would get there in time. She hoped for a reply.

Makoto relieved one of her men from her chair when her shift arrived, her heels clicking along the gold-shining surface. Ouranös took over the main controls of the ship when he moved out from behind her. While she sat, he did the ritual of checking everything, and making sure that everything was in working order. Around them, the ship's brain hummed and purred pleasantly.

It had taken a while for the Io's Argus to finally be returned to her old self. New things had been installed as well, and Makoto had never seen her ship any better than it was when it was finally let go and out into the air. The Lune Queen had been very generous.

Unfortunately, when the ship was let out, the enemy had suddenly gone silent. The skies were clear of any trouble, leaving the sky captain bored and with little to do with her time. So when she sat in her captain's chair, she went through the normal ritual of asking the crew if there was anything, and the list of questions about the functions of the ship. Makoto yawned.

But there were moments when the brunette remember that her best friend had been taken by the other side. It made her even more impatient for action, and the silence was nearly enough to push her over the edge. Perhaps the minotany would

Ouranös suddenly jumped back, and her mouth snapped shut mid yawn.

He moved back from his work area, looking very perturbed. She looked in the same direction that his eyes were staring in—and in front of him, the telegraph moved, as if possessed.

"What's the message say?" she snapped.

The blond man jumped, his focus suddenly pulled from the telegraph. He shook his head as he continued listening to the series of electrical clicks, repeating itself over and over again.

"Is it from the Queen?" she asked. The brunette captain was sitting up from her chair excitedly, energy flinging from one end of her body to the other. She was ready for a fight.

"No!" he said slowly. He hesitated, turning his head to the side, his face clearly showing confusion.

"Out with it!" she yelled.

Ouranös breathed when he realized that he was holding his breath. His right eye twitched. "It's from Captain Tenoh!" His voice showed a sense of fondness for his old captain, or times long missed. He couldn't help but smile when he raised his eyes to his current captain, but it fell as he continued listening to the message.

"What does it say?" Makoto asked, her voice lowered and more subdued. Something was wrong.

" Well the first line starts out as 'Help Me.'"

Haruka sat at her desk, a nervous energy making her unable to sit completely still. She wasn't even sure if the infamous sky captain had even received the message, let alone reply back. The last post arrival had passed hours ago, and her hopes had dropped significantly when no one rang the doorbell. She prayed to the Gods that there would be something in the morning waiting for her, when the earliest post would arrive.

Proteus began to bang on the door to her room when it was late evening. Her head darted up towards the silence violating noise. Instead of getting angry, she laughed, finding his impatience amusing. The blonde began to wonder if she was going delirious from all of the stress.

"Come in!" she called.

He stepped in, fuming at his captain. "You do not go off without telling any of your crew!" he shouted, slamming the door behind him. "I understand, sir, that you are going through a terrible hardship and are at a crossroads—but do not go against protocols that you yourself set up! Do not go against protocols that were set up to keep you safe!"

Haruka's eyes widened, her dark blue eyes piercing through him with shock. Proteus had never once shouted at her, or lost his temper, in all the years that she had known him. He was always patient and calm, guiding her through her troubles like a round-about spirit The pirate captain's jaw dropped: he was worried about her. For once he was truly worried that she was going to lose it. She closed her mouth, not trusting anything that would come out of her mouth for the moment.

"I sent a message to Captain Makoto," she finally said quietly.

By that point the man was leaning against the bed, breathing so harshly, that she could hear him from across the room. She was looking down at the floor, and heard his breathing quieten at what she said.

"It was the only thing that I could think of doing that would give me a chance."

He looked over at her. "Are you sure you want to do something like this? This is a huge change—a very huge responsibility, my dear." He walked over to her and held her long hands in his calloused and scarred ones.

Haruka's face tightened at the comment. "And leave everything to that man? I cannot do that—that's foolish and irresponsible! I have a duty to her, to everything that's hers and is her. If she put me as the soul benefactor, then there is something wrong with that man! If she had to change everything in her Will, then she didn't trust him—and there was a reason for it! I can't let him win because of it! Even if it means giving up my own livelihood."

The old Gentleman dropped her hands and stayed silent for a while. The blonde slowly began to worry, until finally he spoke. "I will stand behind you, no matter what. Even if it means staying off the seas." When she looked up at him, the old man was smiling gently at her, and she found that her shoulders relaxed.

Suddenly, her head darted towards the door to the room. Even clapping echoed from the hall as someone stood outside in the hall. The door was left slightly open, and she could see a shadow leaking through the crack.

"Who's there?" she snapped, raising to her feet.

The shadow shifted, as it switched legs and opened the door wider. The blonde pirate captain's jaw dropped in surprise at the figure that stepped into the room:

"Makoto?" she asked, alarmed.

"Captain Makoto," corrected the brunette sky captain with a smirk.

Haruka strode across the room, trying to find something to say. "What are you doing here?" she finally said when she stopped in front of the tall woman.

"You asked for my help, didn't you?" The brunette couldn't help but grin at the blonde's shock.

"I didn't mean actually coming here, I just needed a letter, proof that—"

"Well," shrugged Makoto, "Why not have the real article on hand?"

The brunette stepped around the room, taking in her surroundings, considering her next words. Haruka was already ahead of the conversation.

"So you'll be willing to tell the courts that I have more than a stable life to take on everything?" The blonde captain sat on the bed, her long legs hanging off. The pit of her stomach dropped at the idea of what she was asking her new friend.

"I have more than that..." Makoto hesitated, knowing what she was asking of her new companion. "I actually have a job offer for you—" She stopped a moment, immediately forgetting how she was going to fraise everything: Haruka was already not taking it well, if the look on her face was an accurate depiction. Her dark blue eyes widened, and her jaw line tightened, but Makoto ignored the look. "Don't look so stricken, Captain."

The Lune Queen had wanted Haruka in her service for a long while—Makoto never knew the true reason. But as soon as she first met the tall blonde titan, instantly she respected her, despite the fact that she was a pirate with a full pirate crew. She was already privateered to one of the Queen's major allies and generals. Ever since the first meeting concerning the doll, the Queen had been pressuring Makoto to tell Haruka of the "position opening" because it was of the utmost importance. Rumors had been going around that Setsuna had already been trying to ease the blonde captain into the force.

Now was the time to make the move—even if Captain Tenoh was going to be forced into it. More or less.

"My Queen has heard much about you and your exploits and is willing you to offer you a job of sorts—"

"I will not be privateered," snapped Haruka coldly. "I'm already—"

"Privateered, yes," Makoto said patiently. She shifted her weight uncomfortably. "But the Queen still offers the position to you. When she heard of your problem, she wanted to help. You will no longer be in the pillaging and hunting business, so to speak, but in her service. You'll have a home, and you will be rewarded generously. The stable life that you need Captain." The brunette said the last part slowly, emphasizing that she would be getting what she wanted all along. She hoped anyway—Haruka seemed quite the wild spirit.

"I'm being blackmailed," said Tenoh bluntly. Her face was blank, carefully controlled, however her eyes showed a fury that begged the be unleashed. Makoto eyed Proteus wearily before turning her attention back to the blonde. "If I say no, then you won't represent me, and everything will continue to build up against me. I'll lose. If I say yes, then you'll represent me—I'll win. But I'll be put into slavery."

"Not so harshly put, but yes."

Haruka stood up on two unsteady legs, suddenly feeling years older. She began to laugh bitterly in spite of herself. She clapped her hands together. "You finally have me. Someone has finally captured me." She paused for a moment, feeling ill suddenly. "Get out."

Makoto gave a slight bow before turning to leave. "I shall see you tomorrow."

When she moved towards the door, she felt another presence trailing right behind her. The door closed when she was out of the room, and she turned around to see Proteus' bearded face, looking at her with an unreadable expression. Finally his face broke into a kind grin.

"I feel as though that there was no way out for either of you, and that you were put between a rock and a hard place."

"I wouldn't mind having her at my side on the battlefield," Makoto shrugged, trying to make the atmosphere lighter. Her dry humor wasn't helping. She dropped her shoulders when she realized that they were tensed.

"Who knows," he said, moving towards his own private quarters, "It might be the best for my captain to do some legal work. But she'll come around—and she knows that everything comes at a price."

"Even if it means losing your captain in that instance?" Makoto asked. She looked sad, guilty before she turned to go down the stairway and towards the exit.

We went on like nothing happened for several days after. Elsa seemed to have forgotten about the whole thing, save for a few moments when I caught her staring into nothing. I tried to shove all that I was feeling away so that I could be there for her. But it was hard.

I felt like I was getting in the way in the normal life she could have been having. If it weren't for the shipwreck... If it weren't for my being so straight forward. Suddenly I felt like some disease.

So it came as a sort of blessing from the Gods when the doorbell rang again.

I was with Elsa in her room, resting my head on her belly, while she stroked my hair. The curtains were drawn open, the late morning sun filtering in. It echoed through the house, shattering our already fragile world.

There were two different reactions: Elsa raised up, her face paling, excitement moving her limbs into action. She was out of the bed within the blink of an eye. The other was my own: I suddenly felt heavy, not wanting to move from the empty bed.

Finally, we both made our way down the stairs, one of the staff waiting for us, as well as Elsa's father. The figure was hidden by their bodies. Elsa and I waited, appearing to be patient. I gripped the hand railing.

Finally the two men in front of the door turned around to look at us. Elsa's father stepped away from the door, and finally we were able to see the third party standing right outside the door.

"Proteus?" My voice was suddenly hoarse, relieved.

He stepped through the door, one side of his body leaning onto a cane. He looked thinner, though his charisma and energy hadn't changed a bit. He smiled up at me, as I made my way towards him.

We embraced.

"What happened to you, my dear?" he asked. He was eying my women's clothing, a questioning look on his face. The old man had never once known me to willingly wear frills, lace, and silk. "We have been looking all over for you. The only way that I even found you was from one of the store keeps in the nearby town."

We all moved to the parlor. Elsa was at my side, while Proteus was across from me. Elsa's father was in one of the over-stuffed chairs, while the other man went into the kitchens to retrieve some tea for us all. The old gentleman filled me in one what had happened to the crew after the ship had wreck (leaving out the parts about piracy of course.) Elsa held my hand.

"So we were going to set sail within the week," Proteus finished some minutes later.

At first my brain didn't register what he said. "What?" I asked, dumb.

"We are going to set off within the week," he said again.

I could feel Elsa's eyes staring into me, and was afraid to look over at her. Slowly, I turned my head, making myself face her. And when I did, I looked down, at my lap, a pressure growing in my ears that blotted out every sound around me, save for Proteus' voice.

"I will be at the Sky Hotel, along with the remainder of the crew, if you would like to join us." Proteus caught onto something, and gave me the room and time that I needed.

He finally left some minutes later. I didn't get up to embrace him, numb and unable to think. When I glanced over to look at Elsa once more, she was looking down at her hands.

"What are you going to do?" she asked. Her voice was barely above a whisper. Her father left after Proteus had gone, and we were alone.

"It would be best if I were to go," I said. I wasn't thinking, letting my mind speak. I didn't even know what I was saying!

"You have your life, and with my stepping in it, I'm only getting in the way. I have my own life as well—and even if you were able to go with me—it is not a life that you can live."

I felt like I was contaminating her life. I loved her, and didn't want to ruin her future and her family's reputation. She had her life—I had lost mine long ago.

In the room, the silence was like a heavy blanket, threatening to suffocate me. Yet I couldn't get up to leave—nor could I look at Elsa, afraid of what would be on her face.

"I understand," she said, her voice still so quiet. "It is a sensible decision. The seas call to you, and it would not be fair of me to ask you to stay here at my side. And I saw that even at the beginning of your arrival."

I looked over at her, confused. We finally looked at each other, a slight smile forming on her face.

"You did you not see it within yourself?" She paused, before going on. "Plus I am an average lady, who will have an average life. That is what I was meant to do."

"I didn't mean that you were ordinary," I said quickly. "You are anything but that—"

"Silence!" Elsa's voice was cold. The softness of her face was gone, and suddenly I felt as if I was on the outside, no longer a part of this lady's world. I swallowed. "I think you should leave very soon," she said finally. "And I will send a reply to my fiance's letter and accept his marriage proposal."

She finally left, leaving me in the emptiness of the room.

And then it was over.

I thought it was all over, and that I would never hear anything of her for the rest of my life—save for in my memories and in my dreams. A mistake that I stopped, a mistake that could have been so much worse.

It was only years later when I did hear from her. And that is why I am writing to you—because I realize that I did make a horrible mistake. Because I heard from her in a way that I didn't expect.

You see... Elsa had been brutally killed in an accident—while in the house of her husband. Killed in a way that I don't believe was an accident. And now I have to protect what is left of her because I feel that I am responsible in some way for her sudden death.

The court room was bustling, people shifting nervously around in their seats—or that could have been Haruka reflecting what she was feeling. She sat next to her own lawyer, unable to keep still. Finally, she sat on her own hands and took a couple of deep breaths, eying the stand. Already up on it was Makoto, reflecting the sort of confidence that the blonde sea captain would feel out on the battlefield: ready to go with guns blazing. Haruka wasn't sure if she liked her anymore.

The green eyed brunette wore her uniform, sitting easily in the chair next to the judge. All of her badges gleamed proudly in the light, a smirk clear on her face. Like a predictor over prey, she watched Heracles' lawyer moving back and forth in front of the stand. He didn't look all that eager to begin questioning her, but eventually he warmed up to the idea. After a while, Haruka decided, he looked like he was just as irritated by the brunette as he had been with her the day before.

"So the 'job' offer that was given to Miss Tenoh was given out by you?" the opposing lawyer asked the brunette captain.

"No," Makoto said, shaking her head slightly, "It was given to her by my Queen."

The thin-set man looked like he didn't believe her. "Right."

"My Queen is the ruler of Lune, which I'm sure that you've heard of, sir. We have been giving services to your country for the past decade, so you know that the offer comes from a reputable source."

"And may I have proof of this offer and where it comes from?"

Makoto barely batted an eye lash. She moved her hand into her jacket, where there was an inside pocket. Safely hidden in that pocket was a thick, pearl-colored envelope, which Haruka didn't know anything about. Deftly, the brunette opened the front by sliding a finger under the lip, freeing the document inside.

"Here it is, sir," she said politely, though her lantern green eyes were bright with glee. She held the thick parchment out for the man to take and show to the judge. The jury shifted in their seats as they subconsciously tried to crane their necks to see the paper that she handed off. The slim lawyer grudgingly handed it off to the older gentleman. The bearded man began to skim through it.

"I see that it isn't signed," the judge said, while he still looked over the sheet.

"We have been talking about this offer for months, but I had yet to see her after the preparations were made so that she could sign it. We are both very busy women and each very hard to get a hold of. I finally found where she was going to be within the past week and was able to meet her just last night."

"I see," the judge finally said, looking up at the sky captain. He handed the document back over.

"So you are a General of Lune?" asked the skinny gentleman as he walked back over.

Before Makoto could answer the judge looked over at the man. "Her ranking is credible so you do not need to question this lady on her background. The document is more than enough, as well as the badges that she wears."

The thin man pursed his lips, and Haruka glanced over to watch Heracles' expression. The only thing that she could see of any irritation was him shifting his weight before crossing one leg over the other. His face was carefully concealed of any emotion other than a vague sort of smile on his lips. If Haruka had been attracted to men, she might have found him attractive now that she thought about it—if it weren't for the fact that he was most likely a killer.

She moved her dark blue eyes back towards the stand where the lawyer continued to question the sky captain. The interrogator appeared to be slowly losing his temper now that the carpet had been taken out from under him. Slowly, she began to hope—even with her new job waiting for her after the trial's completion. Finally the short man gave up, and her own lawyer took over, though he only had one question:

"So, Haruka will have a stable job, not as lucrative... as her last one?" the more dignified man asked. He was the only person in the whole town that knew the exact details of her career. When she first met him, it had taken Haruka quite a while to realize that he had a bald spot near the top of his head. "And she will have her own lands to do with what she wills, as well as being paid handsomely for the position she will be taking—a high ranking position? She will... be stable?"

The man sounded relieved. He didn't like the idea of representing a pirate captain who cross dressed in gentlemen's clothing. His paled face gained back some of the color it had lost as he eyed the green-eyed brunette. Slowly she nodded and he turned away.

"No more questions."

At Makoto's sudden appearance, both sides had to have the fair chance of asking the new witness questions. Finally the trial was back on track, and Heracles took his place at the stand when the brunette finally left. They both eyed each other for different reasons: Makoto eyed the auburn-haired man suspiciously, after reading the message that blonde sea captain had sent her just the day before. She tore her attention away so that she could sit at the table where Haruka sat. Heracles had eyed her with an amused curiosity as he took his place at the stand—a look that made the blonde rage. Disloyal son of a—

The questioning was short—her own lawyer wasn't so keen on badgering his witnesses as much as the smaller man who currently sat impatiently at the opposing table. After all, there wasn't much that the balding man could do—there was no proof, at least as far as the law of the husband doing anything wrong. Plus everyone knew the man: he was charming, almost matching Haruka's own charm. She would have had more of a chance if they had gotten to know her just as well as Heracles On top of that, he was charismatic, and a hard working gentleman—he had all of country's ideals wrapped into one person. Save for one hidden trait that the blonde sea captain wished she could reveal.

Unfortunately that wasn't the way to win the war. She was trying to attack in another way, since there was no way to bring out his darker side: through Elsa's Last Will and Testament and through Makoto.

During Heracles' questioning, he remained the smooth and controlled man that Haruka had seen before. Slowly, she felt her energy draining from her body; it was an unusual feeling. Maybe it was what it was like to lose a battle. Her lawyer's voice slowly began to echo around the room as she tried to keep her own eyes open, the lights above her head becoming super saturated.

"Haruka?"

Makoto's voice rang sharply in her ears, and she winced. Slowly she looked over at the sky captain, a questioning look on her face. The two women stared at each other, while the blonde tried her best to act like there was nothing wrong. What was happening? Everything slowly began to drag around her, as if the world was moving on its axis without her. She barely noticed Heracles leaving the stand and her own name being called for her to rise.

Taking a couple of deep breaths, she stood steadily—though it took all of her self control to not trip. Both Proteus and Makoto were not fooled and watched her worriedly: there was nothing that they could do. By some luck sent from the Gods, she made it to her seat, and sat, relieved, into the leather-cushion.

"You came out here as soon as you got the letter, did you not?" asked the balding man in front of her. Good, he was starting off simple—he was proving that she didn't have to be dragged along by her hair to be at the trial. She wanted what was offered to her in the Will.

"Yes," she said. The blonde captain kept it short and simple.

As he went on to the next question, her chest began to pound like she wasn't getting enough air. She could feel the color draining from her face; her hands becoming cold as her heart began to struggle under some sort of weight that was pressing against it. The blonde slowly nodded her head and answered—she didn't know what she was saying, but her voice sounded clear and sharp.

Breathe! she told herself, breathe for God's sake!

She glanced away from her lawyer to look at Makoto, wondering how bad it was: it could have all been in her head. One of Makoto's eyebrows angled downwards with worry, her mouth slightly open. Her large hands gripped the edge of the table—this was not good.

Another question. Robotically, she could hear her voice echoing in her head answering as if on cue. Her chest felt like it was on fire by this point, her hand shooting to her collarbone. Her skin was cold and clammy to the touch. Vaguely, she was aware of the fact that she was still answering the question; she was shaking her head.

And then suddenly, the feeling was gone. The colors around her were no longer oozing, moving back into the objects that they colored. Blood returned to her limbs, while her heart was set lose—she was able to breathe.

"And your relationship with your father gave you a reason to want to start a stable family of your own eventually?" went on the lawyer as if nothing had happened.

What the hell? How much had she told the court? She forced a weak smile, and nodded. "Yes, that is it exactly," she apparently finished.

Finally, she was dismissed and the court was let out for the rest of the evening. Her companions piled all around her, worried looks on their faces. Puck and Cupid had barely noticed any change in her demeanor while up on the stand, and became worried when notified by their first in command. Haruka was relieved that there were only two people in the whole house that had even noticed the subtle change. When they finally got out into the street to board their private carriage, Makoto finally spoke.

"What in Jove's name happened up there?" she asked, her voice terse.

Puck finally started the carriage, the black box jerking from the movement of the horses. Cupid was standing in back outside of the carriage. Haruka turned her attention back to the inside of the small room. She shook her head.

"I don't know. All I know was that I was praying that no one would notice—anything odd going on around me, would take whatever chances I had left."

"I don't think anyone else noticed," Proteus said, his voice quiet and grave. "I just hope, my captain, that it wasn't anything serious and life threatening.

The trio inside the carriage sat silently on the way back to the manor resting at the center of town. Haruka looked out of the window, watching everything move around them, breathing in and out. Her heart beat on as if nothing had happened, her body moving just as quickly and alertly as it had ever done. It was like a passing of a serious storm. She hoped it would be the only serious storm that her body would have to deal with for quite some time yet.

It was only years later when I did hear from her. And that is why I am writing to you, Michiru—because I realize that I did make a horrible mistake. Because I heard from her in a way that I didn't expect.

I have never told anyone about our affair, and wouldn't dare to, at this point, other than you. I wouldn't dare soil her name. But for some reason, our short time together has made an impression, and I have been called to her defense, and called to take away what really belongs to her husband. And now once buried memories, are now brought back up to the surface...

AN:

As always, thank you for your reviews! Yeah, this is the letter to Michiru (the one that our blue haired person started reading at the end of Act 8), petiyaka. Thanks! ^_^