Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners. I don't
own Sailormoon but I'll like to own Haruka & Michiru. ^_^

Warning: This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. All characters
will retain their names but some of the characters will be manipulated
such that they do not resemble their namesakes in the BSSM series.

Previous parts available at
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~chiaty/fanfics-Moon.htm

C&Cs are much appreciated.


DESTINED
Part 3

By GSL gsl@bigmailbox.net



It should have been a night like many others. Both occupants in
the room were spending some quiet moments together with each other,
cooking a meal to satisfy their hunger. A brown haired girl was humming
a tune thoughtfully as she deep-fried the prawns. Her roommate, who was
supposed to be helping, was instead staring out of the window.

"Haruka, the meal is about ready," Makoto called out. A grunt of
acknowledgement was her only response. Makoto turned towards the blonde,
whose back was facing her, and fought back an urge to ask her what was
wrong.

Haruka could hardly see the moon and stars from her vantage point,
them being partly hidden by the darkened clouds. The wind spoke of a
brewing storm, mirroring the one in her heart. She thought of the day's
events, mainly her argument with Michiru, her near confession, and the
nagging doubt about Makoto.

When she heard the stove being switched off, Haruka turned around.
A forced smile was in place when her eyes met Makoto's. As she took her
place at the table, a sumptuous meal awaiting her, she could imagine
her heart exploding any minute.

"So, how was your day today?" Makoto tried to sound nonchalant.

"Bad."

"I can see that. Want to talk?" Makoto could sense that Haruka
was debating within herself about her offer. Haruka didn't take long to
make her decision but Makoto almost wished that she did.

"What was your relationship with Chiba Mamoru?"

There was silence for a few minutes. The look of horror and
uncertainty in Makoto's eyes was enough to justify the doubt in
Haruka's heart. Haruka closed her eyes and rubbed her temples as the
beginning strains of a headache appeared. With a coarse voice, she
spoke, "if you don't want to talk about it, we can forget about the
whole thing."

Makoto smiled wryly as she shook her head. "I thought that was my
best kept secret."

"Makoto?"

Looking at Haruka, who held so much worry for her, Makoto felt
that it was only right to tell her. But then again, she sometimes
wondered if it was out of guilt or due to their friendship that Haruka
held her close to her heart. "When I was in high school, there was this
senior whom I had a crush on. He was handsome and caring, the kind of
guy that girls swoon over. I can still remember clearly the first time
we spoke." There was a gleam of dreaminess that Haruka had never seen
in Makoto. She knew that things could only get heavier as Makoto
continued her monologue. "There were a couple of bullies in school who
stopped me in school one day and demanded that I go out with one of
them. I refused and he came to my rescue. His first words were 'are you
alright' and I remembered it felt like he was asking me to marry him
then."

Makoto fingered her tea cup as she thought of the past. There was
no eye contact between herself and her ardent listener. She herself was
only concentrating on the floating tea leaves in her cup. "We fell in
love and I was like the happiest person on Earth. Everyday was filled
with love and joy. I..."

Not a moment too soon, Makoto's tears began to flow. Haruka
quickly offered tissue paper which Makoto gratefully took and dapped at
her moistened eyes. This melancholy was something that Haruka never
knew existed, prompting herself to ask if she had been a good friend
to Makoto. Although Haruka already knew the answer, she still had to
ask, "Do you still love him?"

Makoto seemed to ponder for a moment as she gathered herself but
there was no doubt about her words, "I can never stop loving him, my
high school senior."

"Even though he became a drug lord and dabbled in all vices?"
Haruka tried not to sound too harsh but her distaste for the man came
out nevertheless.

Makoto smiled, the kind that embodied bitterness and regret. "In
a way, he died that day. Even Mamoru told me that himself."

From the tone on Makoto's voice, Haruka detected something out of
the ordinary. "You are not referring to the day that he died at the
hotel?"

"No, it was way before that." Those were bad memories, things
that Makoto felt she had been repressing all her life, coming back to
haunt her. Even as her heart was breaking into pieces, she forged on.
"It was his first year of university; we had been going out for a year
before he changed. That day, we were supposed to go to the Tokyo
Observatory Tower." She turned to face Haruka, trying to be strong,
"You may still remember the incident. On August 18, a strong typhoon
hit Tokyo five years ago. Many people died that day and it was also
that day that the mighty Tokyo Tower broke."

Haruka nodded her head and recalled, "A glass panel in the Tokyo
Tower's Observatory cracked, broke apart, and fell to the ground. The
air pressure from the typhoon sucked a girl out of the building who
fell to her doom."

Makoto nodded her head. "He was in that building that day. I was
late. There was a blackout due to the typhoon and I was trapped in the
subway. By the time I got there, Mamoru was saved from the building and
the poor girl had died. He was crying and shivering. I rushed to
comfort him but I guess I was already too late."

"He changed after that. He turned to drugs and alcohol. I did
everything I could to persuade him otherwise. He even joined the yakuza
so that he could nurse his habit. The last straw was when I found him
in bed with another woman."

"You left him then?"

"Yes, and I never sought contact since. I had tried to convince
myself that the Mamoru that I loved has died that day on the Tokyo
Tower."

"Makoto?" Haruka voiced out of concern, implicitly offering an
avenue for Makoto to stop her heartbreaking dialogue. Looking at her
friend now, she knew she shouldn't have doubted Makoto. She couldn't
have killed the man.

The girl continued her rant as if she didn't hear her roommate.
"Now he is really dead and I realise that he will never truly be dead
as he still lives in my heart. I will never get closure. I will never
know what changed him. I will never stop loving him."

With that, Makoto broke down in inconsolable sobs, as Haruka
quickly rushed in and took her into an embrace in a fruitless bid to
comfort her.

**********

It was almost dawn. The rain was raging outside with no sight of
the impending daybreak. Haruka stared outside of the window out of
habit when she was deep in thought. She had finally coaxed Makoto into
a sleep while Haruka herself was still in a mess.

It was somewhat relaxing as she watched droplets of water passing
by and the wind rattling against her window panes. She had a great
desire to jog in the rain, knowing that the refreshing droplets and
freezing wind would distract her from her turmoil. However, she also
knew that getting sick right now was not a way to comfort Makoto or
solve her problems.

She turned her attention from the outside world to a small
package sitting on her table. It was a rectangular velvet case, the
kind used for encasing jewellery. It was an item bought out of impulse.
Half a month of salary was spent based on a thought that the recipient
would be delighted to have that piece of jewellery. The trouble was
that Haruka didn't even have the guts to give it to her.

Now with the sort-of love confession being spoken, Haruka was
sure that Michiru would be disgusted with her. It was only wistful
thinking on her part that the green-haired lass would feel anything
more than a deep friendship for her. Besides, Michiru was conducting an
investigation on Makoto. Haruka knew that she would do anything to
protect her roommate and that included going against her partner.

She only wished that she didn't feel this bad now.

On the other side of the town, Michiru was insomniac due largely
to her hotshot partner whom she had begun to develop feelings for.
Replaying the scene in the records room in her mind for the umpteenth
time, she chided herself that she should have reacted better.

But then, there was a question of how she should have reacted.
Embrace the blonde with a seal of a kiss, or reject her as she had
committed herself to Seiya? In the end, with Haruka running away, she
had bought herself some time to make a decision.

And it was the hardest decision she had to make.

Everything was running smoothly before she met Haruka. She was
happy. She was contented. Did she dare to breach the unknown?
Would she still remain happy and contented if she chose to ignore
the emerging feelings she had?

In any case, if Makoto proved to be guilty in the murder of Chiba
Mamoru, Michiru doubted that Haruka would forgive her. This would
always be a thorn in their relationship if they ever got together. If
Michiru were to choose Seiya, the thought of what it could be with
Haruka would torment their lives together.

Not thinking coherently, Michiru almost wished that bigamy was
legal.

**********

The next morning, Makoto was leaving the house for work when she
was intercepted by Michiru and an uneasy Naru. In a few short sentences,
she realised that they were not there for a social visit. Before she
could get over the shock of being asked to assist in the investigation
of the death of Mamoru, Haruka appeared by her side.

"Is this necessary? I could have accompanied her to the station."
Haruka quickly stepped in front of Makoto, ostensibly to protect her
roommate.

It was a confrontation waiting to happen. Looking at her
beautiful partner slightly marred by dark circles under her eyes,
Haruka pushed away all personal feelings and concentrated on protecting
the one person she promised that she would.

Michiru could have practiced this for a million times and she
would not get this right; not with the hot gaze staring at her,
unemotional and devoid of warmth. Anyone lesser would have backed down
from the piercing green eyes, but there was a job to be done. Duty was
duty. With that, Michiru renewed her resolve and, haltingly at first,
she spoke, "This is just a normal police procedure. We are only
bringing her in for questioning."

Naru was helplessly looking at the equally stubborn partners and
Makoto knew that no help would come from there. Before anything could
get worse and the neighbours would start to complain about any loud
outbursts, she quickly intervened, catching Haruka's sleeve, "Haruka,
it's okay. It is just a quick trip to the station."

Michiru abstained from saying anything else.

Haruka wanted to object but knew that she was defeated. With
nothing less than a hard edge to her voice, she declared that she would
be coming with the trio, to which Michiru acquiesced in exasperation.

The car journey was quiet. Naru was doing the driving and decided
to fully concentrate on the task given to her. Michiru was looking out
of the window, trying to forget about how harsh the blonde was. Haruka
was also avoiding all contacts with Michiru. She knew she would do
anything to help Makoto, for the sake of her dead partner, Makoto's
father.

Makoto was strangely optimistic; the air of doom didn't linger
around her like the others. She was the one who consoled Haruka that
nothing would happen to her, gripping Haruka's hands to show her how
much she meant it. Haruka smiled a little to reward Makoto for her
efforts, and they continued to hold hands for the rest of the journey,
not realising that glimpses of jealousy directed at their clasped hands.

When they reached the station, Makoto was brought into a room
where Michiru and Naru would conduct the questioning session. Haruka,
who was denied access to the room, sat gloomily at her work space. It
was protocol that no one sane enough would disturb Haruka when she was
in such a mood. This, however, didn't apply to Setsuna.

After minutes of brooding, Haruka was called into Setsuna's
office. The inspector was a face of calm when she spoke to Haruka, "I
know that Makoto was brought in for questioning. And I know how
emotionally dependent you are on each other. But may I remind you that
this is a police department and you are an officer? You cannot let
personal feelings interfere with your job. Neither should you interfere
with Michiru's."

"I understand." Haruka knew how she should respond when she was
rightfully chided.

Setsuna could recognise the mask of indifference that Haruka
adorned from a mile away. "It is not your fault that Kenji died. You do
not need to atone for your mistakes by protecting his daughter."

"No, I'm not."

Sighing, Setsuna knew that she was better off talking to the wall
then to talk some sense into her bull-headed subordinate. "How is the
Furuhata's case?"

"I'm getting Hotaru to help me conduct some detailed background
check on our victim."

"What have you got?"

"Investigation is still on-going."

Haruka's replies were short and terse, a telltale of her
rebellious nature. Moments later, she was dismissed by Setsuna and she
returned to her office space. There she attempted to work, reviewing
Motoki's life like a woman possessed. In his short life, she noted
that he was a fortunate man, winning in competitions, topping the class,
getting a spot in an acclaimed university, surviving the Tokyo
Tower disaster...

Haruka stopped, did a double take, and re-read the last paragraph.
Furahata Motoki, one of the three survivors of the Tokyo Tower accident,
escaped with scrapes and bruises. It sounded too much of a coincidence.
Mamoru was also a survivor... it seemed that a pattern was forming.

Just at this moment, Makoto was released. She looked tense, with
patches of dried tears below her eyes. This was enough to prompt Haruka
out of her seat to join her roommate.

"You are free to go for now. If we have any more questions, we
will call you." Michiru spoke with a hint of professionalism, trying to
ignore the obvious concern the blonde was showering on Makoto. After
her parting words, Michiru withdrew to her workspace and threw herself
into work.

Everything was about timeline, motivations, and murder. Chiba
Mamoru, the most notorious drug lord in his time, was an honest and
forthright student. Although it sounded unbelievable, Michiru believed
that to be the truth. Like Makoto, she had an intuitive feeling about
the Tokyo Tower accident. With haste, she quickly contacted Hotaru and
asked her to help her gather all the facts about the accident. She was
about to leave for the records room when Haruka appeared in her
peripheral vision.

Trying her best to ignore the blonde, Michiru picked up her files
and found herself blocked by the imposing Haruka when she was about to
leave.

"I need to speak to you." Haruka spoke with an urgency that left
no room for negotiation. When Michiru nodded, the blonde quickly led
her to the vacant records room.

"I've found something." There was a gleam of excitement as
Haruka's words came forth. "Chiba Mamoru and Furuhata Motoki were both
involved in the Tokyo Tower accident five years ago. They were two of
the three people who survived the broken glass panel in the special indoor
observatory, 250m above ground."

Eyes widening, the shorter girl pondered over the discovery and
implications. "It may be a long stretch, totally unrelated..."

"But it's worth a try," Haruka cut in, as she mustered her most
sincere look on Michiru.

Michiru acquiesced with a smile, "I thought you would never speak
to me again, with me investigating your roommate."

"Well, I have to prove that Makoto is innocent."

Haruka's words hurt Michiru deeply. "I should have known. It was
all about Makoto." Michiru's body tensed with a burning sensation in
her heart. Rigid as she was, she could no longer keep up the calm
composure she was so used to wearing.

Haruka was rendered speechless.

"How could you???" Michiru accused, her eyes reddening. "If you
cared so much about Makoto, how could you say those things you said to
me yesterday in this room."

"What?" Haruka was shocked by the outburst. She never expected
such a strong reaction from Michiru. Her mind raced back to yesterday
and ran through everything she had said to Michiru and then it clicked.
"Are you jealous?"

"I'm not." Michiru replied indignantly. The idea that Haruka was
just toying with her while she was seriously considering her
preferences was clouding her mind with anger.

"I meant every word I said," Haruka defended herself.

"You did not." Michiru decided to be childish. "You love Makoto."

"In a sisterly way, yes." This was not a conversation that she
imagined she would have with Michiru. Armed with disbelief and pure
stubbornness, Haruka was equally firm in her words.

"Then you care too much for a sister. You look as if you would
throw away your life for her." There were no boundaries now, as far as
Michiru was concerned. Her hurt was flowing into words, demanding that
Haruka addressed them accordingly.

Haruka never expected that Makoto would become an object of
argument between them. "Ok, I've sworn on her father's death that I
would protect her. It will never work out that way between us."

Michiru was obviously still unmoved. She was trying to come up
with a retort when Haruka interrupted her, "What do I have to do to
convince you that you are the one that I love?"

When Michiru did not speak and Haruka grew more frustrated by the
seconds, the latter resorted to drastic measures. She pulled the
unsuspecting girl into her embrace and kissed her with a ferocity that
she never knew she possessed.

Michiru didn't respond at first. She was too shell-shocked to do
anything. Her first instinct was to push this offending blonde away but,
as Haraka caressed and deepened her kiss, Michiru was thrown into a
world of intoxicating senses and touches. Within seconds and
unthinkingly, Michiru pressed deeper into Haruka's embrace and willed
for more from the blonde.

The soft touches and mingling of breath were sensual and
mystifying. Seconds dragged out as each moment was about giving and
receiving a part of each other's souls. Hesitantly, fingers wandered as
tongues probed, this moment so significant that both individuals would
not be able to ignore or dispute the feelings being played out here.

Haruka's hands shifted upwards to both sides of Michiru's face,
her lips drawing more from Michiru's before she finally pulled herself
away. Both were breathing heavily, not speaking, just staring into each
other's eyes, trying to prolong the intimate moment they shared just
seconds ago. Just as Haruka tried to close in for another kiss,
Michiru stopped her.

"I can't." The sadness in Haruka's eyes prompted Michiru to
explain her thoughts. "There is Seiya. I..." With the mention of
Michiru's boyfriend, Haruka was about to pull away, thinking that she
was defeated. Michiru wasn't going to let that happen and pulled her
back to her embrace, fiercely hugging the blonde, "Give me some time,
please?"

Suddenly, it seemed that the world still had hope for Haruka. She
stared lovingly at her partner and asked, "Are you choosing me?" To her
disappointment, Michiru looked distraught.

"I don't know. I'm confused. Give me time to decide, Ok?"

Haruka couldn't refuse even if she wished to.

**********

The same afternoon, personal feelings were pushed aside as the
partners delved into the murder cases of Chiba Mamoru and Furuhata
Motoki. The thread that tied the two murder victims together lay in
Tokyo Tower.

Rummaging through the records, Haruka and Michiru had read
all existing official records on the accident that took place five
years ago. There were witnesses' testimonials, the weather report,
coroner's report, and the ones that held most interest, the
firsthand accounts by Mamoru and Motoki.

The two men were at the special observatory room. Each was there for
a different purpose and through fate they survived the air pressure
pulling them out of the building by grabbing at pillars. What was
disconcerting was that when they were probed about the girl named
Tsukino Usagi who fell to her death, both persons were less than
forthcoming. This was especially evident from the video tapes that the
detectives got from news stations recording the event.

This, the detectives couldn't reconcile to the anguished look on
their faces, the obvious trauma that they had suffered and were
suffering. Both were like deer caught in the headlights, their eyes
bearing a fear that did not speak of a life threatening event but of
guilt. It felt much more, as if something was really wrong. What that
transpired was something Haruka and Michiru needed to work on.

The third survivor from the accident was, to their surprise,
Mizuno Ami, the state's medical examiner. She too held the same look as
the others. She was also the last surviving person of the people who
were on the observatory that day. It was a lead that they decided to
seek.

Sitting outside the coroner's office, the partners were waiting
for their chance to speak to Ami. When clearance was given, Haruka and
Michiru strode into the office purposefully.

The bespectacled doctor was looking at them curiously.
Introductions were not necessary as they already knew each other
through the course of their work. Deciding to be tactful, Michiru was
the one who spoke first, making small talk about the day and later
asking her about her opinion on the case on Motoki and Mamoru.
Coincidently or not, she was the medical examiner on both cases.

Haruka was observing the doctor, who was unemotional and
methodical in answering Michiru's queries. Did Ami recognise the two
dead men? Haruka knew that group counselling sessions were conducted to
help the survivors. Thinking back to the point where Ami was being
called on to the murder scene, Haruka remembered that Ami had not
always acted normally, as if she knew these men. Now, looking at the
doctor who did not show an ounce of emotion, it felt wrong.

From then on, Haruka began to see the doctor in a new light.

"Can you tell us more about the accident on the Tokyo Tower?"
Michiru asked.

Ami visibly shrank away from the detectives. She was tight-lipped
as she considered Michiru's request. Just as Michiru was about to
prompt for an answer, Ami spoke, "There is nothing more to be said. The
police should have records of my testimonials."

"Yes. But we would like to find out more," Michiru coaxed. "If
you do recall, two of our murder victims that you performed an autopsy
on were the other two survivors of the Tokyo Tower accident."

There was a note of realisation that lit up Ami's eyes, quite
different from what Michiru would have expected. It was as if Michiru had
just answered a puzzle that Ami couldn't solve. Although she suspected that
it was unnecessary, she went on to divulge which two specific persons
she was talking about. "Chiba Mamoru and Furuhata Motoki."

"I don't know anything about them," Ami responded defensively.

It was obviously a lie. By now, the two detectives knew that Ami
would be even more difficult to deal with. Hence, by tacit agreement,
they decided to retreat to make further plans.

"In that case, I guess we better be leaving." Michiru got up,
shook hands with the doctor, and took the lead to walk out of the
office.

Once outside and in the privacy of Haruka's car, they began to
discuss earnestly.

"She is too jumpy, making you smell a rat." Michiru started the
ball rolling. "But she comes across as too meek to be a murderer."

"Haven't you seen enough movies? It is always the quiet ones that
do the most harm," Haruka teased. For her move, she was rewarded with a
long-suffering smile by her partner. Her smirk then slowly receded
into a semi-serious expression signalling that she was in business mood.
"It dawned on me that Ami was the last one surviving," Haruka said
meaningfully.

Michiru had easily caught on to what Haruka had yet to say as she
was thinking the same way too. "Something happened on that observatory
that day. It was obvious in the way Ami avoided talk on it. It could
even be a secret that people died for and the killer would be the only
one surviving who knew of the secret."

Haruka nodded, satisfied that Michiru had so easily deciphered
her thoughts. There was one worry, though. "Aren't we presumptuous to
assume that she is the killer?"

Confidently, Michiru voiced out, "No. She could be the one. And
if she is not, then she is in mortal danger. In any case, she is
implicated."

"I guess there is only one course of action," said Haruka,
exuding a charm that few could resist when she was self assured. "We
are going to spy on her."

**********

It was late evening when Michiru went back to her house to pick
up some supplies. Haruka was left with the lone duty to keep watch over
the medical examiner at the coroner's office. It was meant to be a short
trip and Michiru had tried to keep it that way.

Seiya was waiting outside her house when Michiru arrived. The
detective was surprised to see him as she didn't remember having any
dates with him that day. To quicken things, she let him into the house
and began to pack as she probed him. "Did you wait long? You should
have called me first before coming over."

"I did call. Your line was dead." Seiya said, standing in the
hall way, feeling miserable as Michiru wouldn't even afford him a
glance. It felt as if he couldn't compare to the clothes and whatnots
that Michiru was busily shoving into a bag. "What are you doing
anyway?"

"I'm in the midst of an operation, and you know how things are, I
have to turn off all my communication devices. I also need to be away
for a couple of days." Michiru responded.

"I waited the whole evening." The tone of Seiya's voice was sad
and muffled. His words were spoken so softly that Michiru wasn't sure
she heard it right. However, it did have the desired effect on Michiru.

Guiltily, Michiru dropped her stuff and faced Seiya. He staked
his hands in his pocket, still standing in the hallway, staring
at her, eyes speaking of insecurity and demanding her full attention.

Michiru obliged. Looking at her childhood friend and boyfriend,
she realised that she had neglected him. She couldn't remember when the
last time that they had a meaningful conversation together was. And it
was mostly her fault. She was the one who didn't have time for him,
taking him for granted and falling for another.

It suddenly became clear that tonight would be the night that she
would have to make her decision. She walked towards Seiya, taking his
hand and sitting them down in the living room.

"Did you have something to talk to me about?" Michiru asked,
almost afraid of Seiya's response.

Seiya took a moment to collect his thoughts. When he finally
spoke, his words were heavy. "I've been thinking what kind of
relationship we have." He watched for Michiru's response and was
slightly satisfied to see the shock registered in her face. "What am I
to you?" The question was meant to be a metaphor, not to be answered
until Seiya had finished with the speech in his mind.

"Am I a boyfriend or a good friend? What is the difference
between the two roles? I've thought long and hard. I think I've
satisfied the criteria of being a good friend and I've tried to be the
best boyfriend there is. But what I think is not enough. What you think
is an important factor, too."

Michiru was wordless. She saw the hurt that lingered behind his
eyes and she was the cause of it. How could she pacify him without lies
and promises she couldn't keep?

Seeing the flabbergasted look on Michiru's face, Seiya continued.
"I am insecure." He looked at Michiru and slowly took one of her hands
in his. "We do not share the same intimacy as before. You do not talk
to me anymore. I feel as if I have lost you." Spoken as an afterthought,
he asked finally, "Did I?"

Her lips were suddenly dry. Her heart rebelled against making a
statement, cowering under a fear of destruction and loss. Michiru
looked away from his heated gaze, needing some time to compose herself.
It was during this time that he let go of her hand, an act so symbolic
that prompted Michiru to give him a response that he so deserved.

"I will not lie." Michiru closed her eyes as she was afraid to
see his reaction to her next few words. "I've fallen for someone else."

The temperature of the room must have fallen a few degrees, as
this was how she felt. Cold and shaken, she almost didn't dare to open
her reddened eyes. When she finally did, she was met with a stony face
that was obviously fighting hard to keep tears from falling.

"Listen to me." She quickly added. "It is not the end. I..."

Her attempt to salvage the situation was interrupted by Seiya
with two simple words. "Is it?"

"I know what I did was unforgivable."

"Is it her, Tenoh Haruka?"

After some hesitant moments, Michiru nodded.

"I felt it the first time I saw both of you together. I tried to
ignore it as best as I could but it turned out my instincts were
correct." He gave a nervous laugh. It was hard, so terribly hard to
keep himself in control.

Michiru kept mum. She couldn't ask for forgiveness. If their
roles were switched, she knew she would have broken off with Seiya. Now,
seeing how hurt Seiya was, she too was lost in her misery.

"Who do you choose?"

Michiru was startled. It was a decision that she was afraid to
make. However it was unfair of her to keep her two loved ones waiting.
Yet it was a major decision and she really did not have any idea. "I
don't know."

"Do you still love me?" His words were delivered with a
coarseness that she didn't recognise.

"Yes."

He smiled again, this time almost eerily. Brushing away the
moistness in his eyes, he could barely keep his voice from croaking.
"We knew each other since we were young. I couldn't remember a happier
time than when I was with you. You were my light and joy, my tears and
darkness.

Even through the happy times, we had arguments. It didn't feel
this bad, to this point of hopelessness. You have always blamed me as
jealous and possessive, but do you know why I act that way?" asked
Seiya.

When no response was forthcoming from Michiru, who continued to
torture him with her glassy eyes, he forged on, "I was insecure. Deep
down, I knew I couldn't keep you. The reason was ..." Tears began
trailing down his face and drowning his words.

Michiru moved to hug him but Seiya quickly pushed her away. "No.
Do not do this to me." Seiya cried, standing and stepping away from the
sobbing Michiru. "Do not act as if you love me. You do not!"

"Seiya, that's not true." Michiru cried. Further objections were
muted when Seiya made no attempt to stop his tirade.

"I've tried to deceive myself many times but that is how I feel.
You love me as a friend, as a brother and that is all!" It hurt him so
much to voice out his years of insecurity. He was so tired and even if
his heart was torn into pieces, it was time to set this straight.
"Don't you understand? I do not want you to be with me because you were
indebted to me. I want you to truly love me as a lover."

"Seiya, for all the times that we were together, the happy
moments and the sad ones, I was lucky that I had you. I would never
wish to have you replaced by another person. You accuse me of not
loving you, but would my heart hurt so much if not so? Would I be in
tears now?" Michiru retorted. She didn't understand why he was saying
the things that he said. It was untrue, wasn't it?

"Years ago, you asked me, 'can a person fall in love with two
persons at the same time?' I said no. When a person is truly in love, he
or she would no longer have the capacity to love another. I have always
believed in that because that is how I felt. If you love Haruka, then
you were not truly in love with me."

Michiru had no response to his accusation. She searched her heart
for answers, a painful process that delivered little results.

"I always thought if I keep on waiting, you would eventually love
me. But now you proved that I was wrong. You would never love me as you
would sooner fall in love with another than to see me as a lover!"

Staring at Seiya whose eyes were accusing and unforgiving,
Michiru realised that this was probably the end. She asked herself
again and again whether what Seiya said was true. She was confused and
anguished. What was definite was the deep wrenching pain in her heart,
and she had no one to blame but herself.

A brief silence resulted as neither made further comments. Both
were visibly drained from the emotions flying high in the room. The
sobbing was reduced to a halt as both realised the implications of
today's outbursts.

"I never thought I would be saying this." Seiya decisively said,
his eyes dried of tears, "I release you, Michiru."

**********

The clock had just struck eleven. The night was cooler than usual,
even with the lack of trees in the concrete jungle called the Tokyo
central district. The street lamps illuminated dimly, casting a dark
and foreboding glow on the skyscrapers. Except for a few occasional
workers leaving their offices, the streets were practically devoid of
people.

A car was parked obscurely on a side road adjacent to the
coroner's office. The car's window was winded down to provide some sort
of ventilation. Unless a passerby stopped and squinted his eyes to look,
Haruka was practically invisible.

The detective had been in the car for hours, waiting for Ami to
knock off from work. It would seem that the medical examiner was a
workaholic like Haruka and this would mean that there was no hint as to
when Ami would leave the office.

"Michiru has been gone for a long time," Haruka mused to herself.
Out of boredom, she zipped up her jacket and shifted to another
position to get more comfortable.

Not taking her eyes off the coroner's office entrance, Haruka
pulled out a velvet casing from the glove compartment. She fingered the
casing for a moment before finally opening it. A white gold necklace
stringing a skilfully sculpted miniature dolphin was presented.

"Was it time?" she wondered, shifting her attention to the
jewellery. Idly, she thought of the response Michiru would have in
seeing this present meant for her. Would the teal-haired girl be as
ecstatic as she was when she first saw the necklace in Osaka? She hoped
so.

Shaking herself mentally, Haruka resumed her attention back to
the entrance. This was not the time to think about such things. Putting
the case back to car compartment, Haruka kept a lonely vigil over the
unsuspecting medical examiner.

**********

In a lighted room amongst the darkened surroundings, Ami was
alone. Sitting in a swirling chair and restlessly sipping from a wine
glass, she held a face of deep sorrow.

Two photographs lay on the desk; she never thought she would see
the people in the pictures again. It was a memory she fought hard to
forget and she had nearly succeeded. Why did it have to come back to
her now?

Her life had dramatically changed after that incident. Her
carefree days abruptly ended and gave birth to the start of her search
for redemption. She had worked very hard, struggling between studies
and social work. All her life was spent on doing good, and when she
thought that she had atoned enough, she was proven wrong.

Emptying the glass in her hand, she sought to drown out her
thoughts and, especially, the desperate cries of the blonde girl.

Ami's solitude was interrupted rudely when an intruder barged
into her office. She didn't recognise the person but the glint of a
dagger easily told her the purpose of the visit.

Fear was something that she had experienced before. Five years
ago, Ami was in a somewhat similar position where her life was in
jeopardy. And that fear was coming back to her.

The hooded figure made no noise, not even a declaration on why it
was doing this. It wasn't necessary as Ami had already guessed the
motives of this individual. There was only one mistake she made in her
life and the debt remained unpaid.

"It was an accident," cried Ami.

The doctor never got to speak more, as the intruder rushed
towards her with a dagger poised for her heart. Ami couldn't defend
herself in time but managed to deflect the weapon slightly. Although
the act might have saved her precious minutes, it proved to be
insufficient.

"You are just as guilty," the intruder spoke, whispering into the
doctor's ear before delivering the final stab.

***********

Haruka stood powerlessly as she watched the numbers in the lift
lit up one by one. The rush of adrenaline was pumping through her body
as she knew that she might be too late.

She had acted the instant she spotted a suspicious person
entering the building. Her mind was in an overdrive and subconsciously
she knew that she had to get to Ami as soon as possible.

The lift opened and the police detective dashed out with a gun in
hand. However, she was already too late. Upon storming into the room,
Haruka saw Ami's lifeless body. "Drop your weapon and put your hands
in the air!" the officer shouted, angrily staring at the murderer before
her.

The hood casted shadows on the murderer's face and Haruka could
not see clearly who this person was in front of her. In a split second,
a bloodied dagger was thrown her way. Haruka dodged the weapon but
could not dodge the punch that followed. In stinging pain, she fell to
the floor. For a few helpless seconds, she noted that the murderer was
making an escape.

Fortunately, out of nowhere, Michiru suddenly appeared and
delivered a powerful kick that sent the murderer tumbling. When the
murderer finally recovered the senses, Haruka was already up and
pinned the murderer to the floor.

***********

"She still refuses to talk?" asked Haruka. She wasn't part of
the interrogation team as Setsuna pulled her in for an earful on acting
alone again. Anxious to know the answer, she followed the teal-haired
girl to her seat.

"Not a word." Michiru sighed. It had been hours since they pulled
the murderer back to the station. Even Michiru, the most patient of all
the officers combined, had no way to get the murderer to speak a word.

"She does know that we will still continue to charge her with
murder." Haruka was pondering over the case. In all her years as a
detective, she learnt early that behind every murder was a story to be
told, some were heart-wrenching pitiful and some downright stupid.
Regardless, this case would not be closed in her mind if she never knew
the reason behind these seemingly senseless killings.

"Yes, and she won't disclose her motives. Even her defence
lawyers couldn't get anything out of her."

The blonde suddenly became very aware of the weary look that her
partner was wearing. Behind those red shot eyes, she realised that
something was wrong. Before she could broach the subject, Michiru
turned away.

"Since there's nothing much we can do now, I'm leaving first."
The shorter girl said and began gathering her belongings. "I'll be back
in a few hours." Not even sparing a glance at her partner, Michiru
walked out of the common room.

Haruka felt distinctly that she had just been brushed off. In
confusion, she could only stare as her partner made her way out, and
wonder what had caused a change in Michiru. Just as she was
contemplating whether to go after her partner, Hotaru cried out in
frustration.

"Are you going crazy, Hotaru?" Umino shouted from his table
across the room.

Hotaru blushed at the comment, embarrassed to have caused a
commotion. "It was a file that Chiba Mamoru kept locked up in his
computer. I have spent days trying to crack the password and it still
refuses to be unlocked. I guess I just got too frustrated. I'm sorry,
everyone." Hotaru apologised and scanned the room, satisfied that
everyone had a smile for her. It was then that she realised that Haruka
was gone.

***********

The roof was a good place to think. You could stare at the
seemingly endless sky or view the large expanse of the Tokyo city line.
It was relaxing and it made all her worries seem so small. This short
interlude was what Michiru needed now.

Her heart was still doing flip-flops in her chest, a hurt growing
steadily within. She stared passively at the wide array of darkened
buildings and lighted streets, knowing that the sun will not be
showering its rays on this place for another two hours. Somehow, this
darkened surrounding suited her mood perfectly.

When all the action had died down, she realised that what was
left was a remembrance of what was lost tonight. First loves were hard
to forget and hard to get over. Her house, which was her sanctuary,
had become the one place she didn't want to be at the moment. The
rooftop of the police HQ on the other hand seemed like a good idea now.
It was a place where she could be alone and allow the wind to caress her
battered heart.

"Michiru?"

Upon hearing her name, the girl turned and found herself facing the
one person she didn't want to see right now. When Michiru made no
effort to respond, Haruka walked towards her, much to Michiru's dismay.

"This is not the time," Michiru said, trying to stop Haruka's
advance.

"Is something wrong?"

Michiru could detect genuine concern in her partner's voice and
it tore at her. "I can't. Not now." For every step that Haruka took,
Michiru took a step back and soon she felt the wall against her back.
In spite of that, she was still thinking of how to avoid the blonde for
she could not view the object of her betrayal without falling apart.

By now, Haruka was utterly convinced that something was wrong.
She could not possibly leave Michiru alone. Against her partner's
pleadings, she came nearer, putting both hands at either side of
Michiru, not allowing an escape route. "What happened? You are avoiding
me."

Michiru could feel Haruka's hot gaze on her and still she
steadfastly looked away from her. In a second, she felt herself pulled
into Haruka's embrace.

"Tell me please. This scares me."

The warmth of Haruka's body was soothing and comforting. But her
tears were already rolling freely onto Haruka's shirt and her body was
quaking with grief. She realised that Haruka was no longer speaking and
was acting as a silent protector, stroking her hair while she cried and
subconsciously lending her support. Michiru hugged her harder, grateful
that Haruka was around for her. It took a while but Michiru finally
took control of her sobs.

"What was that about?" Haruka asked. The two girls had sunk to
the floor somewhere between the sobs and were now leaning against the
wall side by side. Michiru, whose head was propped up on Haruka's
shoulder, was quiet.

As the silence drew on and Haruka was hesitant to ask again,
Michiru spoke, "Seiya and I broke up today."

Haruka was speechless. "I don't know what to say." She didn't
know whether she should be happy or sad. If Michiru had cried so much
about the loss of that relationship, then ...

"Seiya was an important friend and I hurt him so much."

It seemed then that Michiru had a lot to say and Haruka was
contented to let her do the talking. Everything about Michiru's past
from the death of her parents to her meeting Seiya to the years that
they have spent together was touched on. With the knowledge of all these
details of Michiru's life, she found herself respecting Seiya but at the
same time it made her incredibly jealous.

"I told him about you and he said I never loved him. I feel like
an ungrateful, deceiving wretch."

"Wait a minute. You told him about us?"

Michiru nodded her head.

"Ok." Although she knew she shouldn't, somewhere inside she was
gloating in joy. Maybe Michiru was reading her mind, for no longer than
a minute she felt a slap on her hand.

"I'm feeling guilty here. Maybe we shouldn't be together. It's
too disrespectful..."

Before she got to finish her sentence, Haruka hugged her fiercely.
"No way. I'm not letting you go. You are mine!"

Michiru was slightly shocked by Haruka's outburst, but when their
eyes met, she was lost. Emotions such as hurt and uncertainty welled in
those deep green orbs that were left for her to see. The walls that had
built up around Haruka's heart crumbled at that moment, letting
Michiru in. Love shone from Haruka's eyes and Michiru could no longer
deny her heart's desires and allowed herself to drown and sink into a
web of sinful pleasures.

As the two kissed in a passionate fiery embrace, Michiru realised
that Seiya had been right after all.

***********

The next morning, a trip was made to the murder suspect's house
in an aim to unravel the motive behind those murders. Haruka and Michiru
were oddly rejuvenated with less than three hours of sleep and had
embarked on this mission professionally.

They had combed the area four times already and nothing was found.
There were no blood-stained clothes, murder weapons, or any plans,
schedules or diaries on the murders. In short, in this house there
wasn't any hint of the grisly deeds that the owner had performed.

"Maybe we haven't looked hard enough," Haruka said drearily. From
the tone of her voice, it might seem that the blonde was about to
give up, but Michiru knew otherwise.

Nevertheless, Michiru thought it was time to share her
observation, "I realised something."

"What is it?" Haruka asked when Michiru didn't continue. The
serious look on her partner's face indicated that she was on to
something.

"There isn't a single photo in the house."

Haruka spied the area. True enough, on places where photos are
commonly found, there was none. She also knew that there were no photo
albums lying around from her rampaging through the drawers.

Nodding, Haruka considered the implication carefully. "I can only
think of two reasons for the lack of photos. Either she has bad
memories of the past or she hates herself."

Approving, Michiru smiled. "I think both elements are true. Look
at this place. It is sparse and functional. There is a lack of personal
touch. I would say that the owner does not indulge in any pleasures of
living."

"That is harsh."

"At the minimum, I think she is a very unhappy person." Michiru
walked around, feeling the contours of the furniture, cupboards,
drawers, and tables, and finding nothing. "From this house, I cannot
see what the owner's likes and dislikes are. There are no photos, no
pictures, no colour, no mementoes, nothing."

"Your point being?"

"I don't know. I still haven't found the link yet."

Michiru was smiling prettily, and Haruka realised that she ought
to do some detective work, too. "Maybe she is a paid assassin and this
place is just a temporary residence?" Haruka suggested, offering her two
cents worth.

"Somehow I prefer to think that something happened in the past
that made her such an unfeeling person today."

The air was heavy with unspoken thoughts and half-baked
deductions, which was only broken by Haruka's rumbling stomach
subsequently. A lunch break was quickly put in order.

They stopped at a roadside eatery, and the food arrived
shortly after they ordered. On tacit agreement, business and anything
related to detective work were thrown into the wind for the moment.

"Makoto asked if you would want to come to the house for dinner
tonight." Haruka was discreetly watching for Michiru's reactions to her
words.

"What's the occasion?"

There was hardness in Michiru's tone that even Haruka could
decipher. "Nothing. She just wants to know my girlfriend a bit better."

Michiru blushed.

Holding Michiru's free hand across the table, Haruka knew it was
time to settle Michiru's insecurities about her. "Makoto is like a
sister to me. I want you two to get along."

The sincerity in Haruka's expression had convinced Michiru to do
just that. In a matter of days, Haruka had completely taken a pole
position in her heart. She knew that there was nothing she wouldn't do
for her.

"As you know, Makoto was the daughter of my former partner."
Haruka began, beholding a face of resolve. "To me, Kino Kaji was more
than a partner. He was also my mentor, my friend, and even my quasi-
father. For six years, we had solved crimes together, getting through
every life threatening event unscathed, except for the last one."

"You don't need to tell me this." Although Michiru wanted to hear
the story, she knew that this was a painful history for Haruka.

Haruka shook her head. It was a past that she wanted Michiru to
know. The day before when Michiru poured out her heart and past to her,
there was only one thing that rang in her mind. It was that she wanted
to share her past, present, and future with Michiru, too.

"We were investigating Chiba Mamoru on his drug dealings. Every
single one of our coup operations was unsuccessful, and soon Setsuna
suspected that there was a traitor in our midst. A trap was set to find
out who this person was and it turned out to be Kino."

The ending didn't surprise Michiru as she had nearly guessed it,
but she knew that it must have hurt Haruka a lot. She could only
imagine how much Haruka had suffered to find out that the one person
she respected the most was a traitor. It suddenly became clear to her
why Haruka was adverse to human relationships and even more opposed to
having a partner. Michiru squeezed Haruka's hand as a form of
encouragement, the only little thing she could do now.

"He had a gambling habit and incurred huge debts that he couldn't
pay off in his lifetime. Working for Mamoru was the only option that the
drug lord gave him."

Now was the hardest part. Michiru could see it in Haruka's
disturbed eyes. She offered Haruka a chance to stop again but Haruka
forged on.

"There was a crossfire between Mamoru gang and the police during
the unveiling of the traitor. I ended up killing him in the shootout."

"Haruka?" Michiru gasped. This, she did not expect.

"It was too late when I realised what happened. I rushed to him,
hoping for the best. But the only thing I could do was a promise to him
in his dying moments that I would protect Makoto."

"Did Makoto know about this?"

"Yes. She hated me for ages. It took me a while to get through to
her. I supposed subconsciously she knew that I wasn't the one to
blame."

Looking at the hard resolve on Haruka's face, Michiru realised
that the blonde had gone through a lot. The hurt was still there, kept
under wraps with walls around the heart. But with Michiru being in the
picture now, everything would change as she would do her best to mend
and soothe the broken heart.

"So now you know why it is impossible for me and Makoto?" Haruka
smiled self-deprecatingly. "I killed her father."

"Haruka, that is not funny."

***********

The trip to Tsukino's house was just as quiet and as unsettling
as the driver was. Both officers agreed that work should come first
when lunch was over. Deciding on the next course of action was easy. If
the murders were linked to Tsukino Usagi, then it might be advantageous
if they had a better idea of who this person was and who her closest
friends were.

When they reached the residential area, Shingo, Usagi's younger
brother was the one who met them at the door. Aged twenty-one, he was a
young man whose eyes spoke of age and weariness.

The detectives were quick to speak of their purpose for the trip.
Shingo was rightfully surprised but had obliged on the condition that
his parents were not to be disturbed as the death of his sister
remained a sore memory in the house.

It was also coincidental that his parents were not at home and,
therefore, Shingo brought them to his sister's room which was left
unchanged. The room was just like any other girl's room. Its walls were
painted light pink with a lineup of boy bands' posters. On a dressing
table, there were photo frames which Haruka and Michiru found
themselves flocking over to.

The photos were taken years ago as evidenced by the fading
colours. Usagi was always shown laughing at the camera. It was so easy
to see that this young girl was so full of life. There were photos
taken with her family and with her friends, but both officers noticed
that there was one person, other than Usagi of course, who was found in
most of the photos.

Hino Rei.

Shingo must have noticed them looking intently at the person in
question and offered an answer. "That was my sister's best friend. They
were very close. She was devastated by her death." The last word was a
whisper.

"Can you tell us more about them?" Michiru asked. It seemed that
their deduction was right after all -- not only were Rei and Usagi
related, but also they were very close. The question now was whether
their relationship was intimate enough to kill.

Shingo took a moment to gather his thoughts and let open the
floodgate to his memories. "Usagi was a sweet person, full of love but
clumsy. Rei, that's the name of that girl in the picture, was
slightly aloof, quick temper, but always kind and smart. They both were
different but complemented each other well. The way I see it, Rei was
her protector and confidant."

Haruka and Michiru looked at each other meaningfully but were
contented to let Shingo do the talking.

"As I said, Rei was devastated by her death. I guess she felt
partly responsible as Usagi was going to meet her that day on the Tokyo
Tower. Now, she comes over occasionally to check up on my parents. And
I know she visits her grave quite often."

From the tone of Shingo's voice, Michiru could detect that the
boy was grateful to Rei. "It sounds like she is a very good friend,"
Michiru prompted.

"I would say so. Not many people can tolerate my sister's
tardiness. I remember that Usagi used to fail her exams, but after she
met Rei, that seemed to have changed. Not that Usagi was passing with
flying colours, it was that she passed. It seemed that Rei was able to
get her to do anything, including studying which she hated with a
fevered passion. There came to a point that when my mom couldn't get
Usagi to follow her wishes, all she needed to do was to ask Rei to ask
her."

"Usagi listens to Rei wholeheartedly?" There were a million
impulses that cruised through Haruka's blood stream that second but
there was only one thought that stood out, Usagi and Rei were more than
friends.

"Yes, it was as if Rei had some power over her. I remember there
was a time when Usagi refused to go for her dental appointments. You
see, Usagi had acute fear for dentists and Rei came to know about it
and kept teasing her about handsome dentists and ugly decayed teeth.
Finally it was the reward of a sweet, I think, that got Usagi to go to
the dentist." There was a wistful smile on Shingo's face as he recalled
the event.

"That seemed like too frivolous a reward to tempt your sister,"
Michiru questioned.

"I think so too, but that was what I overheard from my sister."

Now for the all important question, Haruka asked, "Did Rei get
over the death of your sister?"

Shingo pondered for a while as his eyes turned glassy. "No, I
don't think so. She always had that sad look on her face and I don't
blame her. I don't think I will get over her death, either."

The shrill of a cell phone interrupted their conversation. Haruka
excused herself to pick up the call.

"They seemed like a very close pair of friends."

"I have never seen Usagi happier than she was beside Rei." Shingo
declared. Then as if remembering something else, a haunted look graced
his features, "but during the last few weeks of her life, Rei didn't
come over. It's like they quarrelled and Usagi was so downtrodden.
Finally, on that day, Usagi was meeting her and I thought their little
spat would be over. But..." He simply could not finish his sentence as
his words got choked.

Michiru did her best to console the young man. He declined and
kept a brave front. Conversation died down and they avoided looking at
each other until Haruka came back.

Haruka quickly came towards Michiru's side and whispered to her
secretively, "Rei escaped from the cell just minutes ago. They are
looking for her now. We got to help out."

Michiru processed the information and came up with a last
question for Shingo. "Do you know where their favourite haunts were?"

***********

"How did she escape?" Michiru asked as they rushed out of the car
and hurried on foot. It was purely a guessing game as to where Rei
could be at the moment. With the information given by Shingo, Michiru
had quickly relayed the information to the department.

"The old toilet routine -- knocked down an officer when she went to
the toilet," Haruka answered, keeping a few steps ahead of Michiru and
looking out for directions in a field of stone stabs and lonely trees.

As they neared their destination, Haruka instinctively slowed
down and spied for a particular priestess. There was none, much to the
blonde's dismay. Rounding up a corner, they reached the gravestone of a
young girl who died at the age of 16, Tsukino Usagi.

Haruka scanned the area once more and looked out particularly for
hiding places. When she was satisfied that there was none, she
suggested leaving the place.

Michiru disagreed. "Since we are here, we should pay our
respects."

Watching Michiru performing the familiar ritual, Haruka couldn't
help thinking what caused Usagi's death to spark this chain of
murders. It was all about this girl whose smile was so vibrant and
whose life was abruptly cut short.

What happened? Her brain screamed. Haruka needed to know the answer.
She stared at the name carved on the stone and willed it to tell her
the answer.

"Haruka, look at this!" Michiru gasped. "The soil here is cracked
and softer than the rest. It seemed like somebody had dug here
before." Thinking that this might reveal an important clue, they dug
the earth near the stab, against the better teachings of Confucius and
basic human morals. They did not know what they would find but there was
an odd intuition that told them that the answers were buried here.

Soon, a box was seen and dug out. Haruka opened the box and what
lay before them were two dairies.

***********
~Denotes a flashback scene~

~I find myself thinking of you all the time.~

~Do you know what you are saying?~

~Yes. It's all very confusing but I can't deny what my heart
feels.~

~This is wrong.~

There were many things she would wish for differently. First, she
would never have pushed her away. Instead, she would have embraced the
love that was showered on her.

~Why are you avoiding me?~

~I'm not.~

~Do I disgust you?~

~No!~

She regretted so many of her actions. Foremost, she regretted
making her sad with her senseless actions. She even made her cry, the
most evil sin that she could have committed.

~Please meet me at Tokyo Tower. I want us to be at least friends
again.~

She had let her die thinking that it was a one-sided love. It was
unforgivable. If only she had searched her heart earlier, if only she
had not bowed down to the pressures of the society, if only she were
not caught in the subway malfunction that day, if only...

Tears streamed down her face as memories from the past invaded
her senses.

~I'm sorry for bumping into you.~

~It's okay. My name is Rei.~

~I'm Usagi.~

Tokyo Tower was the place where they met. It was to be the place
where she would reciprocate her feelings. But she was too late and it
costed her everything. It was only befitting that this would be the
place where it all ended.

"Usagi, I'm so lost without you."

***********

The contents of the diaries were quickly skimmed by the seasoned
officers, who had shortly returned to their car. One of the diaries
belonged to Usagi and detailed her life experiences to the day before
her death. Haruka felt slightly guilty as she read the most inner
thoughts of this young girl. There were notes on happy occasions and sad
occasions, but the most revealing of all was the silent turmoil of
falling in love with her best friend.

In those pages which spanned weeks and months, Haruka stole a
glimpse of the young girl's heart. She read how Rei's rejection had
hurt Usagi. She read how happy Usagi was when Rei finally agreed to a
meeting at Tokyo Tower.

For a moment, Haruka felt the injustice of the world. How could
someone so young and so idealistic be condemned to such a short
existence? She looked over to Michiru, who was poring over Rei's diary.
It hit her then that she was fortunate, truly fortunate that Michiru
was with her.

Rei's diary was longer than Usagi's. The first entry in the book
was the day when Usagi died. It was hard to maintain composure as
Michiru read the rough passage that Rei had to go through to continue
living. The contents were gloomy where each day was filled with regrets
and more regrets. Every page was a struggle to read through, as each
word oozed with pain. It spoke of days of loneliness, the regrets that
haunted her every second of life, the search for peace in Shinto, and
the final realisation of what conspired on that day in Tokyo Tower
through an unsuspecting source.

At this point, Michiru asked Haruka to look over and found their
questions answered. As they had discovered earlier, Motoki had visited
Rei on several occasions. In one of those days after a particularly bad
nightmare and swipes of alcohol, he stumbled into Rei's shrine and
confessed his sins to her unwittingly in a drunken stupor.

That was a turning point in Rei's life, to finally know that she
actually didn't have to lose Usagi. Her thoughts quickly turned
murderous on the people who robbed her of her happiness.

On the last page of the diary was a sentence that sent a chill up
Michiru's body:

-I will avenge you and then we can finally be together.-

"She is going to kill herself. We need to find her soon." An
anxious Haruka commanded, from the driver seat.

"But where could she be? The other teams have checked out the
arcade, the coffee house, the shrine, and even the school. We are out of
ideas." It was not common, but Michiru was growing frantic, too.

"No, there's one more location." Haruka said after a minute of
pondering, "the place where Usagi died, the place that sparked the
death count -- Tokyo Tower."

As there were no better alternatives, Michiru urged Haruka to get
the car moving to their intended destination. Haruka's cell phone rang
again. It was Hotaru.

"Gals, I've found something. I've just decoded one of Mamoru's
computer files and, I stress, you must read this."

***********

The sun had set a long time ago. For hours, Rei had been hiding
in the stairways of the Tokyo Tower and avoiding being caught by
surveillance cameras. The observatory tower had been officially closed
for quite some time already. She knew that the security guards would
have made their rounds and in a few moments, she would be able to sneak
into open air deck unnoticed and undisturbed.

Relying on her trained reflexes, she was soon basking in the cool
night air. This was an open area situated 50m above the indoor observatory
and was cordoned off from public as it provided access to a 300 meter drop
to the streets below. Yet this was also one place where one could have
unobstructed view of the Tokyo night scenes, and it was way better than the
view afforded by the dedicated decks open to public.

More importantly, this was the place where Usagi bumped into her,
the start of their beautiful friendship. It could have marked the
beginning of something more if she were on time that day.

It was so easy to imagine the young blonde waiting for her at
this location five years ago, the day she had decided that she loved
Usagi and was on her way to confess her love.

But she was late, trapped in the subway due to a blackout. Usagi
must have thought the worst when she didn't arrive on time. The idea
alone had caused Rei many bouts of crying fits.

It rained that day, mainly caused by the approaching typhoon. Rei
could imagine a slightly soaked Usagi departing to the indoor
observatory deck below to wait for her. Even when the announcement came
on the PA system to ask all visitors to leave the observatory decks as
high-speed winds might cause the building to shake, Usagi never
wavered on her decision to wait until she arrived.

Tears never failed to appear whenever Rei thought of Usagi. It
had been five years already. Still, Rei could not forget the blonde
girl who had brought so much joy to her life. She had tried so hard to
live again, for her parents, for her friends, and for everyone sakes.

But it all felt so hollow, until fire filled her heart.

"Rei, please step away from the edge."

The priestess turned, horrified to realise that someone else was
around. She noticed the two detectives that apprehended her right away.
She could also see scores of police acting as their backup. Feeling
trapped, she deliberately climbed up the rail that separated her from
her drop.

"Wait!" The blonde known as Haruka pleaded. "Think of Usagi. She
wouldn't want this for you."

"You don't know the first thing about her." Rei retaliated.

"No. I..." Haruka couldn't tell her that she looked into their
diaries. "I know what it meant to love someone. I would want the best
for her and I would want her to live on and realise our dreams."

"You could never understand how hard that is until you experience
my kind of pain. It's time I find peace now that my deed is done."

Before Haruka could come out with a retort, Michiru butted in.
"If you insist on dying, then you should at least know the truth."

Rei hesitated for a moment, and Michiru realised that it was time
to tell the story she learnt from Rei's diary and Mamoru's file. "That
day on the Tokyo Tower..."

***********

"Miss, the announcement came again. I think it is best to go down
and wait for the typhoon to pass. I can feel the building shaking
already."

Usagi shook her head. She smiled to the young man and put up a
brave front. "It's okay. I'm waiting for someone. She'll be here any
moment."

"Are you sure?" Mamoru asked, full of concern. There were only
four persons left on the deck and three of them, including himself, had
already decided to go down to the ground level.

"Yes."

The smile that Usagi put on left him with no recourse. Reluctantly,
the young Mamoru left her side from the window pane to the lift lobby,
where the other two visitors were waiting.

He had just walked a few steps before a loud shattering noise and
a shriek were heard. Almost immediately, he could feel the pull of the
wind on him and everything went upside down.

Somehow, he managed to grab hold of a pillar and was able to
steady himself for a moment. The short hair girl whom he later knew as
Ami and the other young man, Motoki, were also swept away from the lift
lobby towards the broken window panes. They too had held on to some
pillars to stop their descent.

"Help!" A cry muffled by the force of wind and rain alerted him
to the whereabouts of the fourth visitor on the deck. He turned his head
and saw the young girl floating in the air, 250 meters above ground.
The only thing stopping her flight of doom was a precarious hold on the
edge of the window rail.

He acted instantly. Crawling briskly and carefully towards the
girl, he yelled out to the other guy to help him and shouted words of
encouragement to Usagi.

It soon became apparent that the pull of the wind was getting
stronger as he neared the faltering girl. Calming his frenzied heart,
he saw the young girl's hands, which were bloodied by the shards of
glass, giving way. With a mighty dash, he reached out and at the last
minute, miraculously, caught one of her hands.

It was seconds later when he realised that someone was holding
his leg, which stopped him from sliding through the broken window too.
Unfortunately, their efforts seemed insignificant compared to the
force of nature. Before long he was slowly slipping nearer towards his
aerial doom.

"Please come and help us." The guy known as Motoki shouted.

Mamoru turned his head and saw the short haired girl cowering
behind the pillars. She did not move. He could see that she was very
frightened, and his heart almost sank when she replied, "I can't. The
wind will pull me away."

"If you don't help, we all will die," Mamoru pleaded. On his part,
he was making a great effort to pull Usagi into the building but it
wasn't working. All he could do was to maintain grasp on the girl and
pray that he wouldn't slip along with her.

Ami made a half-hearted attempt to crawl nearer to the guys but
was quickly swept forward. In a frantic move, she was struggling and
grabbing onto air until she caught hold of another pillar. The ordeal
proved too much and she refused to help out.

"I can't hold on any longer." Motoki shouted from behind, his
hold on Mamoru's leg getting weaker and weaker. If no help was
forthcoming, he was running a great risk that he too would be yanked
out of the building.

Out of desperation, Motoki shouted the words that would haunt him
for the rest of his life. "You have to lose her or the two of us will
fall." As if to accentuate his point, both of them were dragged to the
edge, with Mamoru being half thrown out of the building. "If you don't
let go of her, I will let go of you!"

The fear of death consumed Mamoru. He looked at the young blonde
girl who was looking at him so fearfully and felt his hand on her
relaxed.

***********

"Stop it," shouted Rei. She didn't want to hear how Usagi
plummeted to her death. The look of anguish was evident on her face but,
more noticeably, pure hatred was reflected in her eyes too.

"Those were Mamoru's account. He wrote it and kept it locked in
his computer. There were some things that he knew that Motoki didn't.
Don't you want to know what actually happened?" Michiru countered.
Haruka had whispered something into her ear and Michiru knew that she
needed to distract Rei.

"All of them are just as guilty. They let her die. They could
have saved her but they didn't." Rei was furious as she recalled that
Usagi's death was partly attributable to them.

"They were in danger themselves."

"So is it ok to let her die?" Rei cried. She watched approvingly
as the officers had nothing to retort her. "I was so shocked and angry
when Motoki told me that he let my Usagi fall to her death. I could not
do nothing. Why should I be living in pain and my Usagi torn away from
me when they have a life ahead of them? I will not allow that."

"Rei, listen to me. There is more. So please hear me out for a
few seconds." Michiru quickly continued from where she left off.

***********

Mamoru quickly tightened his hold again. He would be a murderer
if he had just let go of her hand and he wouldn't be able to live with
himself. Striving harder, he tried to pull Usagi up to no avail and
instead fell nearer to death's embrace.

The sad look on Usagi's face was telling. Her eyes oozed with
dejected acceptance. It was the face that graced his sleep as years
went on. "Please, save yourself." Her crystal clear voice alarmed him.

Mamoru shook his head, in disagreement.

"Please tell Rei that I love her." Those were her last words when
Usagi just allowed herself to slip away from Mamoru's vice grip.

***********

"You're lying!" Rei was hysterical. She didn't believe that Usagi
would have just let go like that. She couldn't...

"No. I would not lie about this. This was the account written by
Mamoru. And given the situation, he was the only person who had the best
knowledge of what truly transpired." Michiru explained rationally. She
eyed the priestess thoughtfully and was slightly worried that her plan
might backfire on her. Rei was becoming too agitated, too unsteady from
her seat on the railing.

"No..." Rei's tears had come forth quickly. Glimpses of Usagi's
life came back to her. The young blonde had always acted
compassionately to others, sometimes putting other people's interest
ahead of her own. Usagi had always been a selfless person.

"This was his personal diary. He had no intention of sharing it
with anyone. Why would he lie to his diary?"

"It can't be." Rei's voice didn't sound convincing anymore.

Out of nowhere, Haruka appeared and with a mighty pull, pulled
the priestess out of the railing and onto the floor with her. Haruka
was about to pin her down when she realised that Rei was not resisting
anymore, who had only cried harder.

"What have I done?" Rei whimpered.

***********

A new day had begun. Haruka and Michiru found themselves watching
the sunrise from the rooftop of the HQ. It had been a long day the
night before and they had just gone to the rooftop for a break. With
only the two of them, Haruka sat against a wall, which allowed her to
overlook the Tokyo skyline. Michiru leaned back against her, her
head resting on Haruka's chest and her body secured by Haruka's arms
encircling her waist. Words were softly exchanged between them as they
relished the peaceful moment.

"We should do this more often," Haruka said, deeply contented
with life itself. She had never felt so close to another person before
and this was a feeling that she never wanted to let go again. At the
thought, her hug on Michiru tightened just a little.

"I didn't know you are so needy." Michiru joked. She made Haruka
loosen her embrace a little so that she could have a good look at her.
This Haruka was something she had never seen before. Haruka had always
presented a macho persona in front of others. This was the only time
that she had seen her as mellow as a cat.

"It's too late now. You are stuck with me." Haruka challenged,
with a charming smile.

"Is it?" Playfulness was something Michiru can handle.

"Damn right." Haruka concluded.

The straight-faced Haruka seemed so cute in Michiru's opinion
that she couldn't resist but meet Haruka halfway for a kiss.

After what felt like an eternity had passed, both came up for air
with an awestruck look on their faces. Haruka was the one who broke the
silence first, "we definitely have to do this more often."

Her comment earned her beautiful gales of laughter from Michiru.
Haruka didn't feel embarrassed that Michiru was laughing at her but was
instead glad that she made her happy.

As the laughter died down and they resumed their original positions
overlooking the city, Haruka felt Michiru tense slightly. "What do you
think will happen to Rei?"

Haruka knew that that was a question on Michiru's mind all evening.
"She will be put on trial for murder. I think she will confess to the
crime. And she will get her sentence."

"Death." It was a statement of fact, not a question.

"Yes." Haruka softly agreed.

"Why did we go around stopping her from committing suicide, if
the outcome is the same?"

"Because that is how our system works. She needs to know what
truly happened and repent for her mistakes. If she killed herself, she
wasn't atoning." Haruka commented. It was an answer that she spent her
entire working life as a police office to arrive at.

Michiru turned back and gave her a weird look which basically
translated to 'it was unbelievable that Haruka could come up with
something like that.' Of course, Haruka protested. "I'm not an
airheaded blonde, you know."

"Yes. You are *my* airheaded blonde." Michiru countered
playfully.

"Yours?"

Michiru blushed. It was the first time that Michiru had come out
to say it. "One thing I've learnt from this incident is to treasure
what I have. You never know when it would be taken away from you, and
society norms and values may not be always right."

Haruka thought for a moment and shifted slightly to retrieve her
jacket lying on the floor next to her. From the pocket, she retrieved a
velvet case and laid it before Michiru. "I haven't said this properly
yet.." As Haruka opened the case, she declared emotionally, "I love you,
Michiru."

Michiru recognised the white gold necklace immediately. "This is
the one in Osaka..." Upon seeing Haruka's nod, Michiru was choked for
words. This meant that Haruka already had feelings for her then.

"May I put this on for you?" Haruka asked. With the consent given
by Michiru, she nervously strung the necklace around Michiru's neck and
clasped it.

Once done, the green haired girl turned to face her partner and
mouthed her word of thanks. It was apparent that she was still
emotionally charged from receiving the present.

"I'm glad that you like it." Haruka responded, beginning to feel
unsure how to react.

"I love it and I love you, Tenoh Haruka." Michiru declared
earnestly.

As both leaned in for another kiss, Haruka's cell phone rang
again. Grumbling, Haruka took the call unwillingly. Not more than a
minute of listening to the other party, Haruka unceremoniously
questioned, "another murder case?!"

To this new development, Michiru could only smile in exasperation.
She stood up, staking a hand out for Haruka, who had just recently ended
her call. "Come on. Duty beckons."

Haruka sighed and took the help to pull herself up from the floor.
"You know what? I'm glad that you are my partner."

"Partners forever?" Michiru teased.

"Forever."


***** THE END *****

Author's notes:

I've completed the series finally. It was a long write (approximately 2 years
in writing), with the usual delays attributed to real life. If only money
could drop out from the sky and we do not need to work for it, I'm sure my
writing speed would have vastly improved.

So, to all the readers out there, as the above didn't happen, I
apologise for the long wait.

I have taken liberties with the structural design of Tokyo Tower as I
have written this fic based on memory from various anime that had
scenes in Tokyo Tower. So certain descriptions of Tokyo Tower may not
be true.

Last but not least, I thank Cass & Albrecht Halbstein for their pre-
reading efforts. Without them, my fic will be laden with spelling,
grammar and plot continuity mistakes.

GSL
gsl@bigmailbox.net
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~chiaty/fanfics-Moon.htm
15 December 2002