AN: Apologies for the extended hiatus. I've been suffering an extreme case of writer's block and laboring to decide some things, style wise. I consider this entire story a rough draft and intend to go through and polish it after it's complete. One major point though, the use of Japanese or honorifics in an English language fanfic. After much internal debate, I've decided that there are instances where this is entirely acceptable, because much is lost in translation. We don't really have an equivalent for honorifics in English (I don't consider Ms. and Mr. to suffice) and at any rate, American English at least is a bastardization of pretty much every other language, so I don't feel bad tossing in a Japanese word or phrase where I feel it's relevant. Currently, some chapters will have it, some won't, that'll be fixed later.
I'll try to be more reliable about posting from now on, forgive me.
R&R.
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Haruka hoisted herself over the garden wall and dropped softly down behind the rose bushes. The pitter-patter of raindrops masked any noise she made. Staying low to the ground and near to the wall, she made her way toward Tower Dorm, her only thoughts of getting there unnoticed and spending the night in a soft, warm, dry bed before she had to think again.
Chapter 36: Date Break
Setsuna's room was empty as Haruka snuck by, listening intently for anyone else who might be roaming at this hour of the night. She was too tired to look in on Hotaru, fearing she would wake the girl if she opened her door. So Haruka moved quickly, spurred on by her close goal, only one more landing to go.
In spite of herself, she paused outside of Michiru's room. Pressing up against the door, she debated entering, her fingers hovering at the doorknob.
'What would I say?' the blonde wondered. She imagined Michiru sleeping there and her whole body ached to touch her. But Kaori's words slipped through Haruka's brain and she pulled away, snatching her hand back as though the knob had burned her.
'I'll see her in the morning…' she decided, climbing up to her loft. Dropping her luggage haphazardly on the floor, she immediately stripped and slid under the cover, shivering and wiggling her toes to get the blood flowing once more.
As Haruka moved to get comfortable, a sudden unexpected warmth and weight startled the returning student and she pulled back, a hand reaching out to identify the other living body that was resting on the bed.
Luna woke with a startled meow and leapt up. Haruka's eyes adjusted to dark enough to make out the cat's shape and she relaxed.
"Oh, it's just you. You scared me Luna," the blonde reached out to scratch behind Luna's ears and run a hand down her back. Luna purred, still recovering from Haruka's rather abrupt entrance to her little hiding spot. Usagi happened to be a rather violent sleeper, and after one too many midnight beatings, Luna had escaped to safer quarters. Namely, Haruka's up until recently unoccupied loft.
"That's all the scratches I've got for tonight, neko," Haruka explained, pulling the blankets up to her chin and yawning. Luna made a move to settle back down next to the tall girl and Haruka smiled sleepily, glad for the extra warmth.
Haruka was dead asleep by the time her head hit the pillow. After waiting a few moments to be sure, Luna carefully got up and slid off the bed. Slinking out of the room and down, she stopped outside of Minako's room. Pressing low to the ground, she hissed under the door.
"Artemis!"
She heard a small disgruntled mew, almost drowned out by Minako's snoring.
"Artemis!" she repeated with a little more urgency in her voice. "Wake up, you nitwit!"
A few moments later, the door cracked open and a sullen looking white cat peered out.
"Was that really necessary, Luna?" He yawned, rubbing sleep out of his eyes with the back of his paw.
"We have a situation."
"Can't it wait til morning? It's pouring out," Artemis whined.
"Haruka's back." Luna growled. The white cat froze, ears twitching forward.
"Wait, what? Already?! But Michiru--!"
"Exactly!" Luna turned to head down the stairs. "We've got to alert Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn."
With a curt nod, Artemis darted after Luna and the two cats shot out of Tower Dorm, headed for the temple where Sailor Neptune was slowly awakening under the watchful eye of the two Outers.
-
"It's containable."
"That's your final assessment?"
Ami Mizuno nodded, offering a small, exhausted smile. There were circles under her eyes and she was quite obviously near collapse as she handed over her report to the headmistress and the hospital wing administrator.
"It's a weakened strain of what's hitting the plains at the moment, it's easily dealt with. We will just need to be diligent in dealing with all the cases we've already encountered, increase sanitation rounds and maybe even rotate in some immunity boosters into the meals. Since the jet stream cushions the school, we don't have to worry so much about a plague wind." The girl genius blushed as she struggled to hide a yawn.
The adults leafed through her analysis, looking relieved. They had long since given up on any pretense of shame at requiring the help of their student, at least in private.
"You have our profound gratitude, Mizuno. I'll have this report copied and enforced immediately. Now, go rest. I don't want to have to worry about you getting sick."
Ami made her way back to her room, the sun still below the horizon, though its light threatened dawn's imminent arrival. It felt wonderful to be done; her research had kept her away from her classes, her friends and sleep.
Ami pressed her cheek against the wall of her room, listening for the gentle click that would signal the wall swinging open so she could step into the adjourning room and crawl into bed with a cocooned Makoto, who shifted in her sleep to allow the smaller girl a spot beside her.
"You're a furnace!" Ami breathed, tugging at the blankets, trying to give the heat Makoto had built up in the nest of sheets and comforters a way to escape. Makoto only responded with a sleepy mumble and encased the blue haired genius in a hug and pulled her close. Ami blushed and struggled half-heartedly for a moment before giving in and enjoying the embrace as she drifted off to sleep.
-
"The gods hate me…" Setsuna moaned into her hands. Sailor Saturn placed a sympathetic hand on her fellow Senshi's shoulder. The cat guardians sat near the fire, trying to get dry.
"This could be good though, right?" Saturn edged hopefully towards the positive. "I mean, wouldn't it be better to wake them together?"
"Yes and no." Setsuna sighed and leaned back, applying pressure to the bridge of her nose. "Optimally, if we could awaken them all together, in the palace under Queen Serenity's care, with all the protection and supervision the Moon Kingdom can provide. No, not even that! Best case scenario, none of us ever get awakened. There'd be no need."
Saturn was silent a moment before responding in a soft voice, barely audible.
"If we hadn't awakened, I would just be a sick little orphan. You and I would have no reason to be close. If it hadn't been planned, we probably would have never met."
"Instead you're one of the single most powerful and subsequently dangerous individuals on the face of the planet, with the ability to the world as we know it in an instant. Because of this, you will always be feared and probably even hunted. Is that really a fair trade?"
"I think so." Saturn answered easily, wrapping her arms around the older woman's shoulders. Setsuna attempted a protest, only to have it squeezed out of her. She gave up and let the contact calm her, and slow her racing thoughts. It was early morning, and she would need her wits about her to plan her next move.
-
Haruka sat in class, trying to ignore the whispers around her and the knot in the pit of her stomach. Outside the window, the air was dead and thick, dark clouds giving the impression of timelessness and the blonde had to resist the temptation to call her element into service to clear them out.
She'd eaten early and after an uncomfortable meeting with the headmistress, she'd headed off to class. There had been murmurs in the hall, strange looks and a few awkward greetings. As soon as Haruka sat down, she wanted to run, to escape the stone walls, flee their stares and the white noise of their voices. The lesson passed in a haze.
The blonde stayed in her seat until she knew the next class was about to begin and rushed out, sprinting to her next one to avoid any chance of being ambushed by curious students.
She employed this strategy of speed and dodging throughout the day. A mix of terror and longing kept Haruka from effectively seeking out Michiru, suspicions still swimming through her thoughts. It was exhausting and she was astonished that she even managed to make it through the day, even with a few close calls. Luckily, the closest had been with Minako and Usagi, who had announced their presence loudly and from across the hall, giving Haruka time to slip away.
But the pair was persistent and well after sundown, as Haruka was making her way back from the baths, they caught up to the evasive blonde.
It was rather like stepping into quicksand, a sudden weight on her legs. Haruka looked down into two sets of giant, watery blue eyes.
Captured.
"Hello kittens." Haruka sighed, reaching down to pry them off her legs. The girls transferred almost seamlessly to her arms and Haruka accepted her fate.
"When did you get back, Tenoh?" Minako sniffled.
"Why were you avoiding us, Haruka?" Usagi's lower lip trembled.
"Sorry kittens, it's been a very long day. I arrived last night, and I had so much to do. I knew I couldn't risk getting distracted by such pretty girls." Haruka pushed her weariness done underneath a playful, confident mask, flashing them a winning smile.
"We missed you," Usagi informed, trying to cling to her pout, but a flattered blush was turning her cheeks red.
"Will you tell us all about it? Where did you go? What did you do? It's been all kept under wraps, top secret." Minako prompted eagerly, letting herself under the sway of Haruka's charm, forced though it was. She knew there was something wrong, something Haruka wasn't sharing but now wasn't the time to push it.
Both girls could see something wild in Haruka's eyes, something distant and exhausted. The blonde was reminiscent of a trapped animal. Grudgingly, they set their prey free, with murmured promises of an explanation tomorrow.
-
'There's no escaping it now...' Haruka stared blankly into the moonlit night, trying her best to ignore the waves of despair and panic threatening to wash over her. Usagi and Minako had been placated, briefly. But soon it would be morning, and their merciful truce would be revoked.
There was something so deeply personal, so intensely private and vulnerable about her mission that idea of sharing to details of her absence made Haruka anxious and on edge. She couldn't put it into words, even in her mind. The blonde couldn't explain herself, her actions and her emotions.
Lying wasn't really an option. As shaken as Haruka was now, she would never be able to muster up the concentration and dedication it would take to lie to Usagi's face. The girls would see through and would take it personally, only egging them on in the pursuit of the real story.
The real story.
What was the real story? The past few weeks were hazy, hard to remember or distinguish. The things that had driven her back to school...
Kaori's murmurings that had found the fears lurking in the girl's heart and preyed upon them with a ravenous appetite. The same fear that held Haruka back from actively seeking out Michiru. The deep, dark insecurity that made each moment she waited on seeing the aqua-haired girl physically painful.
'Tomorrow.' Haruka promised herself. 'I'll ask Setsuna tomorrow.' With forced confidence, Haruka considered the matter closed and her thoughts shifted to the other influential factor.
Amadeus.
Even thinking about him made her skin crawl. A tantalizing offer, the chance to face the murderer who'd stolen her parents from her. Now, what was in it for him?