Title: If Dreams Came True; Chapter 11
Author: Lady Hesperide
Address: ladyhesp@hotmail.com
Rated: PG-13
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and all its characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi, not me, I don't have any claim to them. Also, this work of fanfiction is written purely for my own pleasure and that of others, I'm making no money here, so no one should have a problem. The story is fully mine, and the rights to that are mine as well, use the story for anything but enjoyment without my permission, I'll hunt you down and...... You get the idea, it will not be pretty.
Note: I'm sorry that it took me so long to finally finish this chapter. I got very distracted by other projects, but promise to do my best and never again have such long breaks between chapters. Also, from now on some things or concepts might seem repetitive, please remember that each time they are brought up by another character and that when anyone has something important on their mind they tend to go over and over it. I tried to keep as close to the anime version of their meeting as I could, however you might notice some discrepancies in the chapters to come because I had to make everything come together as smoothly as possible. Lastly, I'd like to thank all the wonderful people who helped me realize that I just couldn't stop in the middle of an existing project to go on to another, especially if they are connected. Thanks so much for your constant support.
Hope you all enjoy!
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Chapter 11
The next two weeks passed in a blur of activity for Michiru. There was just so much to be done. Once she had signed the papers for her new apartment she sent for her belongings to be shipped from the warehouse in which her old land lord-not wanting to have to repay her for anything that was not originally in the old place- had stored them for the time being. Her new landlord thankfully provided the furniture, with an extra down-payment, of course.
Then there was the school. Sakoturo arranged for her to be equipped with the necessary recommendations and various instructions for the administration to speed up the acceptance process. She began with her first classes in just three days after their faithful conversation. It was strange to be back in school, she had so abruptly dropped everything to come to Tokyo, but it was good to once more have a set routine. At times when everything was changing for her and all activity was energized with the need to succeed in her mission, it was good to have the familiar motions of school as an anchor.
At the end of that first week she was already delivering five paintings to an agent's office for distribution. And on the way back, taking a scenic rout, devising careful plans on how to better watch for Uranus.
The search of course, took up most of her free time and thought. Realizing that stopping the Silence would much more difficult, she desperately wanted be done with the first part of her mission as soon as was possible. Now that she knew Ten'ou to be her comrade she wanted to have her take her place as a partner in the fight.
But before she could do that she wanted to know this girl's character. Michiru did not really look forward to trusting her back to someone who might leave it open to enemy fire. Therefore it was only logical to get to know her personality before trusting her in a fight.
And that's exactly what she was doing now instead of paying attention to physics. A little to the side and two rows behind, she had a perfect view of Haruka's proud profile.
She really was beautiful, Michiru decided, in a determent, aristocratic sort of way. Thick straw blond hair lay in waves close to her scalp, an unruly thatch falling over the right eye, not quite long enough to obscure the gray fire burning in it. The boyish clothes she wore suited her very well- perhaps better then a dress would once she started walking, and definitely better than they sat on some of their male classmates- but it was still beyond Michiru how some mistook her for a man. Even her words and voice, which most times encouraged this illusion, had an undercurrent of feminine elegance which could not be mistaken by any but the deaf.
Alright, so the last might have been a bit prejudiced by her other knowledge.
In the days during which Michiru had watched the blond she had seen the beauty hidden deep under the surface. Truly deep it was, too. Michiru did not know what drove the other- one can't know without talking for long spells- but whatever it was, she hid her kindness well and vulnerability even better. For that matter if Michiru had not seen her lose control that time on the scenic ocean road, she would suspect that there was no vulnerability to be found.
"Ms. Kaiou would you like to do the next problem?"
Michiru did not like this professor, she decided while reading through her assignment. The man was grossly over weight and his aura was the dingy gray of one too tired with life to bother. Plus he had a habit of picking on anyone who was not paying the closest of attention. To him it didn't matter if one was just looking for a dropped pencil, he took pleasure from making others uncomfortable.
Once done, she calmly returned to her perusal of Haruka- not directly staring, of course. It must be said that this she did particularly to annoy the professor, whose face took on a definitely red color, much like a beet. Satisfied, she bent her head to the file spread over her textbook.
It was the folder containing Ten'ou's school history. Nothing horribly special, other than her outstanding sports career, but it did prove what she had already suspected. Ten'ou Haruka did not deal well with restrictive authorities, and had the will to stand up to them.
That could be useful, but at the same time might prevent an easy transition.
The bell sounded and the classroom instantly emptied, leaving Michiru alone with her thoughts. She stayed put for a minute more, then suddenly remembered that the big race was coming tomorrow and she had rescheduled the meeting with Sakoturo for tonight.
Quickly gathering up stray papers into her bag and berating herself for the over slight, she rushed from the room.
From behind a corner Haruka watched the new girl hurriedly walk off toward the doors. She'd felt the other's steady stare during that last class, it had flattered her a bit. But she now wondered, why? Did the girl know who she really was? Haruka had seen very little of this new addition in the last week she had attended school. The girl had kept very much to herself, making not the least effort to fraternize with her fellow students.
Underlying that was the feeling that she should know the quite woman from someplace. Indeed, she should know her rather well, the little feeling insisted, the mysterious musician was very important somehow. Haruka felt curtain that a momentous piece of information was escaping her, perhaps to do with the images which flitted on the edges of her consciousness.
The bell calling the start of the after-school clubs rang overhead, reminding Haruka that she too had to rush. The race tomorrow would be among finalists from previous competitions, not amateurs fresh from training and full of themselves. She'd been practicing more intensely for this one, she wanted for there to be no dispute over to whom the title would go.
Not that the title truly mattered. All that mattered in the end was the escape, the total purity of thought she got from running and racing cars alike. There came a moment when in her world there was nothing but the open track in front, and at that moment no nightmare mattered to her. The feeling of freedom came over her to abolish all shadows from the farthest corner of her mind. The title only made it logical, made the hours of practicing and training seem like they had a reason other then that blinding clarity of mind. The title made it easier for everyone around her to accept these obsessions.
A short minute later Haruka's red bike revved up and shot off school grounds. Heading without fail for the private gymnasium she occasionally used for training.
"I must congratulate you, Ms. Kaiou." Sakoturo said once the preliminary niceties were done with. "You have been on an instant success in this town. The paintings were sold within days, and those left only on display are being fought over as we speak.
"I have here three requests for your appearance for an evening of both classical music and your own. These are all from very prestigious houses and I recommend that you do your best to attend them all.
"Wait." He cut her off before she could get a response past her parted lips. "There is a bit more. The proprietor of an art house has approached me with the idea for an exhibition. Before you make your choice let me tell you that it will mean a lot of instant exposure. So much spotlight is not always the best way to take."
"Mr. Sakoturo, I am slightly overwhelmed. I considered my work to be popular when I still lived at home, yet those times did not compare. I am, however, aware of the dangers of getting too much exposure, overburdening the people with my work and making them weary of the style or subjects." Michiru delicately cleared her throat at that. "Especially most of my subjects." She paused for emphasis noting Sakoturo's approving nods with some satisfaction.
"I will not put anymore paintings to exhibition or up for sale. What's there should stay, but I think Tokyo has had enough of me for now." A small smile decorated her lips for a moment as she thought back to stopping by an auction house to see how her paintings were doing on the block. Even though more then half of her items had sold there had been a few shocked whispers from the more conventional buyers, her horrid and telling portrayals of the future seemed to leave a bigger impression then the more hopeful and beautiful ones. Let the people have time to understand that destruction really was not her main or favorite subject, they'd seen enough for now.
"However I think I'll never be able to refuse a recital, so I'll go to perform. That is satisfactory under our agreement, yes?" Michiru reminded herself to check the tone. She was getting a bit too exited about these developments. The trick was not to get sucked in too much, she could not afford to care too much about her personal future. Now if only she did not have to remind herself of that every minute of the day when her deepest and most pleasant dreams were coming true it would be nice. But then you can never have everything, can you? Michiru thought with an edge of bitterness. After all the world could not possibly save itself. Oh this is pointless, enjoy it while it lasts, or so the saying went. At least she thought that's how it went.
Coming back to reality from the momentary lapse she realized that Sakoturo's smile had broadened, satisfaction radiated from him in warm waves.
"That agrees very well, I had full faith in your making the right decision, Ms. Kaiou." The girl understood the tricks of the trade, he thought with more respect than he'd ever let show in his voice. She also knew herself, and that meant that she was not only talented but smart as well. That was more than any agent could ever wish for. "You really are making my job much easier."
"Then perhaps you should get a lower commission." Michiru said, only half joking. The man was getting a good percent of her earnings for his services, if it was so easy what the hell was he getting paid for? She raised an elegant green brow in mock challenge. Might as well have some fun.
The little man chuckled deep in his barrel chest, the motion reverberating through the rest of his frame. Michiru smiled lightly in return. You just keep taking it as a joke, sir, that will do you a lot of good.
The next day dawned clear and warm. Not a cloud besmeared the light blue of the sky, throwing the plane flying high across the sun in harsh relief. The birds sang for all they were worth from their little perches in trees and on statues. The air was thick with anticipation. The world waited for something to celebrate.
The irony of this atmosphere was not lost on Michiru. It was as if creation knew that today was the day a prophesy would be fulfilled, for better or worse. But then creation did not appear to care much if it would be destroyed or saved, only that something which was awaited would happen.
Michiru contemplated all this as she made her way down a crowded street near the business center.
She had been up and about with the morning, but it had still been much too late to wish Elsa luck. She'd looked forward to racing Ten'ou again, she had confessed to having trained harder for this than for any other race in a long time. She would be disappointed if Michiru wasn't there from the start to cheer her on, plus Michiru did not want her to think that the sole reason she was coming was to meet with Ten'ou. That came too close to using the other girl and Michiru promised to do that only if she absolutely had to. The time had not yet come, thankfully.
On the track Elsa was already into her warm-ups and stretches. She was getting ready to take her place when she finally spotted Michiru entering the bleachers. Excitedly Elsa waved to the musician, glad she had made it to the track before the start of the race. They'd previously decided win or loose today was the day she'd introduce Michiru to Ten'ou since Michiru was able to confirm her suspicions about the other. Still it was really very heartening to have her here for the race too.
Elsa saw Michiru smile at her encouragingly when her line of vision was blocked by a familiar tawny head. Ten'ou Haruka had arrived to take her place.
Elsa turned to Haruka with challenge on her face. "I heard you're fast, but I'm not going to lose!"
Haruka's only response was to look at Elsa and smile slightly, completely unimpressed. The referee came up to the side signaling for attention. "On your mark! Set" and he fired the little gun to signal go.
The racers were off. Instantly Elsa left the others behind, but Ten'ou was beside her. In another instant she was before her. And in the next she was far ahead, too far to be over taken. She had won without trying to, without exerting herself in the least.
Elsa knew this was not personal for the girl but could not help feeling like she had been slapped in the face. She was even tempted to drop her speed, though instead she put in a last burst of energy to come in at a close second at least. There was no way she could beat Ten'ou now, she knew that for a fact, that, however, did not mean she would be outdone by anyone else.
The race was over in no time at all, it seemed. And in truth no more then two minutes had gone by. Her calves burned with the exercise and she was slightly out of breath. She had put everything she had in that stint. If not today, I'll beat her record one day, she promised to herself.
When the rest of the events were finished, Elsa went to find Michiru so they could go over to Ten'ou. She found her waiting at the bottom of the stands, waiting.
"I'm sorry you did not win, Elsa," was Michiru's heartfelt greeting, "Next time you will without a doubt."
"Yes, next time. But for now come, I saw Haruka go to the changing area. Hopefully she has not left yet." She led Michiru away from the general crowd. They did not go for though, Haruka stood with her back to them at a bench where she was packing up her things.
"Ten'ou Haruka!" Elsa hailed her as the two girls drew near with Michiru walking a bit behind, holding tight to her school bag. "I've heard of your reputation, you are really great."
Haruka said nothing, instead she extended her hand with relative friendliness. There was something strange about this. She felt the atmosphere charge with expectation. Haruka was willing to bet money that she would not like what came next. She always could tell when there was something wrong in the air, and today the wind had whispered of unpleasantness and drastic change.
"There's someone I want you to meet," Elsa went on unfazed. "Come on, Michiru," she motioned for the other girl to come closer. "This is Kaiou Michiru. She is extremely intelligent and an excellent painter. She really wants to meet you." With that done Elsa stepped back, she'd said her part, the rest was for Michiru to finish. Looking without her eyes she could almost see their auras testing each other, uncontiously to their owners, as if getting reacquainted after a long separation. The two probed tentatively, mingled, and settled once more to their normal and controlled state about Haruka and Michiru.
During these few moments Michiru just stood quietly, a becoming blush coloring her cheeks. After such an introduction she felt a bit shy of Haruka. Yet she knew she would have to be the one to start somewhere, Haruka's eyes had already taken on a gleam of part recognition part horror part resentment, she knew who Michiru was and was not happy about it.
"You didn't even break a sweat," Michiru said in a low voice. "I think you were holding back. Right?" she made the last a question even though she did not really expect an answer, it was a start of the regular and mundane, something to put the other at ease. Maybe even to assuage her distrust with flattery and praise.
"What do you mean?" Haruka was not fooled, her mind had flashed on her most resent dream the instant Kaiou was introduced. But to think that would be to think that the dream some real meaning to it, which it did not no matter what proof she had. She narrowed her eyes a little at the aqua-haired girl, what was she trying to pull here?
"You can hear the wind rustling, can't you?" As she said the words a light breeze wafted through her hair, catching the silky strands and lifting them off her neck. Haruka's eyes widened for a second as Michiru's image became overlaid with that of the soldier from her dream. She narrowed them again, but the vision did not go away, her voice had had a mysterious overtone to it, in itself like that of a dream. Haruka felt as if a spell of compulsion was being woven around her, compulsion to do as the dream wanted her to. The soldier extended her hand beseechingly as she always did when Haruka refused to come aid her. If only she would…
Haruka shook her head sharply, right and left and again, trying to clear her vision. When she once again looked at Michiru before her stood just another pretty girl in a brownish school uniform. No one to command such power over her destiny. No one to whom she should acknowledge her true, albeit unrecognized, self.
Someone to tell to get the hell away from her.
"You're strange," Haruka said for the sake of not being rude to a pretty face. "So what do you want of me?" she knew that it was a risky question at this time, but by not asking she knew she would only show that she really did know the truth.
"Would you be a model for my painting?" Michiru asked on the spur of the moment.
"Pass. I don't like that kind of thing." Haruka was surprised by the request, her answer however, was true. She picked up her bag, and slinging it over her shoulder, walked away. Leaving Michiru to watch her retreating back.
She could not believe the nerve of that girl. Did she think she could just walk in with her subdued ways and soulful eyes, and expect her to not know what she was, what she wanted. She would not surrender her future so easily, oh no. But perhaps the girl did need some looking into. Not to say that Haruka was curious about her heightened awareness, but a bit of investigation wouldn't hurt none.
Instantly making up her mind Haruka turned her bike into a hard U-turn, heading back toward the center of the business district. The name Kaiou Michiru had been flying around the classier establishments for the past week or so.
Michiru remained standing with the wind at her back. She could not believe that Ten'ou could have just walked away from her like that. Didn't she know what was at stake? Didn't she realize her responsibility to the people of their planet? Of course not, Michiru admonished herself. Haruka might have a premonition as to what her destiny held for her, but she did not necessarily know just how real it all was. The two instances in which she had shown her awareness before showed her nothing but a weakness she had not know before existed. She had probably figured out by now that someone would come to call her to her duty and did not wish to leave her current life for a cause she felt no connection with.
No, she mussed walking away from the track, she only knew her personal sacrifice, but not the reason for it. Perhaps the proper time was not yet at hand. It could not be that Ten'ou would refuse to accept her part in the bigger scheme if she knew what they were truly fighting for.
Setsuna turned her back on the sunny scene and walked to a small stand of trees. Making sure she was completely out of sight of passerbys she opened a portal to her palace. She entered the dim silence of her own halls, so different from the bright and cheer-filled earth she watched, with a sense of certain foreboding.
As she had stepped from one world to another her clothes too had changed, she now briskly walked to her main observatory hall in a gown of flowing dark indigo, her staff held lightly at her side. The hall was undisturbed as always, the only thing which could truly do any damage to the palace was the destruction of Time itself. A comforting thought at most times, somehow at the moment it only heightened Setsuna's feelings of unease.
"Show me the school," she said coming up to one sweeping wall. The pools and windows were already used to her asking for the same location so she no longer had to specify which school exactly she wanted. The water-like surfaces shimmered and resettled on Mugen High School whose grounds she'd just abandoned, showing different rooms, hallways, and laboratories.
At first glance it was an average advanced school, with plenty of computer rooms, experimental labs, and lecture halls, but to a trained eye which knew what to look for it was a breeding ground for evil. Small tendrils of darkness drifted through the shadows, an occasional flash of light revealed an unhealthy gleam in the eyes of a student. Sometimes it went as far as a cackle from someone in a lab-coat and a tube of dark liquid held high.
The sight had become quite familiar to Setsuna in the month during which she had watched for the bringers of Silence. At first she could not believe how bold they were, to have actual training classes, none had dared to issue such an out right challenge. Now, she was surprised by nothing.
She was especially disturbed now that Michiru had made contact with Ten'ou. The meeting did not go well, not that she had expected it to be any different. Haruka had been instantly turned off, but she saw no change in stream of Time and so suspected that this was as it should be. However the racer was now vulnerable to the attention of the dark ones. Her indecision could be her undoing, or the downfall of them all.
She remembered the Princess of Uranus from old, she had been a proud worrier. A woman worthy of any man, better than most. She had valued her freedom, both to serve the Queen as she chose and to pick her own partner. Haruka retained that high spirit and willfulness, the very characteristics which had made Setsuna proud to stand next to her in the few battles she had actively participated in.
Now those trait could be dangerous to both Uranus and the world.
That was why she now stood in front of over a thousand pools reflecting the worst humans could become with a little help, searching for the center of it all, for the one who gave them that help. Setsuna could not let Uranus to cross over, it would be a betrayal of past, present, and future, and she was willing to do whatever it took. Fight whoever they sent after the girl and even Haruka herself.
"Are you certain that would be wise?" the voice who shared Time with her whispered in the shadows of the high ceiling.
Setsuna startled, she hated when he came unannounced. "I will protect the future, that is what I was meant to do." She did not need to get into this now, she had no time. A smile quirked up her lips, the meaning of the thought was so absurd, she of all people had the time to spare. It was just that right now it did not feel as such, and he always had to start his arguments at the worst possible instances.
"You cast aside your restrictions as if they mean nothing. That is not what you were 'meant to do'."
"I do not look into Time for this knowledge, I take it from the present. There is no restriction on the gathering of information," she said with finality and turned back to the pools, redoubling her efforts.
"I only have your…"
"Be quiet." She had found it. In the deepest of the basements, under an especially foul laboratory, a room of shadow, evil, and death. She could see little, there was no light in the room but she heard the voices clearly enough. Ignoring the rumble of displeasure from the heavy presence about her she reached into the vertical pool. Emerging soundlessly in the room she had just been observing, she remained motionless in a corner, her dark dress blending well with the darkness. Once secure that none noticed or could notice her she focused fully on listening.
"Well done Professor. He is fully sedated I presume?" the woman who spoke wore shadows as a shawl about her. All that was visible was a pair of bright purple irises, which seemed to be devoid of pupils altogether. Even so, she could not have been mistaken for another, Mistress9 stood at the center of the room in all her menacing splendor. With her were three others, the Professor, a hench-woman or trainee, and, chained to the wall, a slumped shape which did not stir.
"This is the only way to wake him," the woman said with laughter. Her voice was a silky purr, not unlike that of a 900 number operator, vaguely Setsuna wondered if the woman practiced or if one could be born with such a voice. In her hand she held a syringe gun full of a bright, glowing, lime-green liquid. "Until your say so he can do nothing but run circles in his mind, Mistress."
The form of Mistress9 moved forward to bend over the prisoner and one shadowy hand came forth to grip what must have been its chin. "How do you like that, hhmm? Where is your brave protector now my lovely? I think," she continued moving the prisoner's chin from side to side, "That we should now leave our guest to his own devises. I'm sure he has much to think about." In an unhurried, fluid motion she straitened up and turned in the direction of what must have been the exit.
"You will be my best creation yet," said the Professor. Then to his assistant, "Come, we have much to do. He has a strong mind with capabilities more subtle then the average human, the memory-wipe potion will need at least two more distillations."
The two went to follow after their mistress out a door which was no more then an opening of deeper dark.
Once she heard the click of the lock being driven into place, and was certain they had gone, Setsuna stepped away from her hiding place. Slowly, cautiously, she approached the prisoner. Although she was close enough to touch the prone form she could discern nothing of the form in front of her. Nothing could be seen without illumination in this place, she thought. With some reluctance she raised her staff and sent a small push of energy into it. The orb at the staff's edge flared red- not unlike a light-bulb of that color. The light was enough to see by.
Setsuna leaned in toward the figure of a man hunched in on himself, bringing her staff with her. It took her a minute to recognize just who it was before her, the frozen posture did not aid the eye. Once she did…
With a muffled curse she stepped back, instinctively extinguishing the light on her staff. This was awful! She had known that something like this would happen, but had hoped she would be wrong. Or that at least the future would change enough for this to become a non-issue. As it stood now there was only one thing the enemy would want- did want- with him. And in light of that her first instinct was to warn Michiru.
She backed away some more and crossed back to her palace. There she promptly called up an image of Michiru wherever she was at the moment.
"No! You are not thinking."
"It is a trap, they saw that neither would abandon the quest, so they set a trap which Michiru will not resist."
"A trap which both Neptune and Uranus must evade on their own. Any other way will disturb the balance."
"You knew?" Setsuna asked indignantly. Of course he knew, but not to warn her of the developments? That was harsher than necessary by far. At the moment it did not matter that she was previously upset at the girl for her unthoughtful words, she was under a lot of pressure at the time, she needed a warning at least. And Setsuna herself was used to knowing things before someone had to be warned about them, the fact that he had kept from her the progress of a key player in the current struggle was just plain bad manners. Never before had they seen a situation quite so differently.
"You yourself said they chose a path each must follow and walk with their own strength."
"I meant nothing quite so harsh, you surely know that." But she was no longer trying to get through the pool, her reasoning mind had kicked in, pushing the emotions to the far side as it always did.
"None-the-less it is so. If you aid them now they will never trust their own power, commitment to this course or to each other. This was meant to be." The last was said with such force and certainty that Setsuna could not argue. After all he did know better, that in itself irked her to no end.
Setsuna sighed, feeling the responsibility of her post weigh down on her as it rarely did before. She did not answer, and he said no more perhaps understanding her need to think and absorb the new bend in their relationship. A moment later she felt his presence lift and be gone from the observatory.
"Show me the battle to decide Michiru's way," Setsuna said to turning her attention once more to her pools. She knew that the request was very vague for the portals, each one will have to decide for itself what she is asking for. Which was really what she depended on, the pools will show her different battles in Michiru's career as a soldier and she herself will be able to pick out the one she needed to find. She did this often enough, though not so much that the pools would get tired of her commands, having the entire hall play bits of one life allowed her to view the whole existence of a being at once rather then having to sit down and watch years worth of life, even in a fast-forward-sort of mode it took too long.
After a time of processing and thought the pools rippled over and settled into new images. Each pool now showed Sailor Neptune, for the most part accompanied by Sailor Uranus, fighting. Some windows showed the same enemy, others had singular instances, a couple even had Kaiou Michiru alone, probably an inner struggle.
Setsuna scanned all these until she saw what she needed. Sailor Neptune was being attacked by a woman with long pitch-black hair and amazingly red eyes. It was the assistant she'd just seen with Tomoe, this had to be the fight she wanted. Sure enough the image expanded to include Uranus, struggling with a large, brownish, furry animal who stood on its hind legs.
She reached up and tapped the pool with her staff, making the other pools take on this event.
With a grim-set face she watched.
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