Chapter 3

That night, Haruka did return to the deserted house. She had expected this. No one would want to stay in a house with a rapist let alone a murderer. She had though, hoped she was wrong. Where the hell was Michiru now though? What place would she agree to go? Of course! Setsuna's place! And since Setsuna still lived in the house all of the Outer Senshi had lived in, Haruka still had the key. Setsuna didn't know that.

"Ok, so I go into Setsuna's place and then what?" Haruka asked herself. "What if they have police there waiting to arrest me? Then what do I do?" No. They wouldn't be there.

Haruka looked over to the clock on the dresser to see what time it was since the sun was down and she was tiered.

11:47PM

Even the trees would still be asleep! Haruka thought. Then she had an idea of what to do! She ran over to the kitchen and grabbed the pad and a pencil and began to write, write and write till she thought she would get Writer's Cramp. Then she ran to Michiru's dresser and grabbed an envelope. She folded the papers and put them into the envelope. She stuffed the envelope into her pocket. She grabbed her coat off the floor and her keys off the counter. She slammed the door on her way out. She hopped on her motorcycle and rode off into the night. It was 12:19AM.

She parked a few blocks away from Their old house. She was wearing dark colors, but Haruka didn't just run up to the house throwing caution to the wind. She walked very slowly down the first block. Dogs barked at her as she passed. She cursed and ran for the end of that block. How the hell was she supposed to get to their house without waking up the whole neighborhood?

Then an idea hit her. Why not just run to their old house? If she ran fast enough with the wind, she might not make that much noise and the dogs may doubt what they see. The few dogs that do catch her, their owners may be used to dogs barking at night.

She decided to go for it. She didn't want the envelope to fall out so she took it out of her pocket and held it tight in her hand. She dashed as fast as she could. The thought of getting there to Michiru's bedside made her move even faster. Michiru had to see this note! But Michiru can't see her! If she did, Haruka had a feeling nothing good was going to come of it.

Haruka's idea worked. A few dogs had barked, but no lights had gone on. Haruka slid onto Setsuna's property. Hid by bushes so no curious gazer eyes would spot her. When she reached the gate, she slid it as slowly as she could open and shut so no wind would give her away.

When in the backyard, she stepped over various toys of Hotaru's. How could one small girl who matured so quickly have so many toys and be so sloppy with them? Well, can't do anything about that now huh? Oh well. She tripped over one.

"Damn!" She hissed. If she ever got invited here again she would make sure the brat learned a thing or two about being neat with her toys!

Haruka finally reached the back door. She fumbled for the key in her pocket. It wasn't there.

"Shit!" Haruka cursed. How the hell did that happen? She must have lost it when she fell. How was she to find the key in Hotaru's mess? She wasn't about to give up after all of this effort to get here! Hell no!

She soon wished she had brought a flashlight. The place was that much of a mess! Hotaru was definitely going to get some rants from Haruka when this was over!

She found it next to some Barbie Dolls and Kelly's Playhouse. Now why the hell did Hotaru need those? And why would she play with them outside next to a broken puzzle? Who knows!

Haruka made her way back to the door. She quietly placed the key in and turned it. She almost laughed when she got in without a sound. The place was completely quiet and very dark with the exception of the starlight coming in through the few open windows.

"Wow." sighed Haruka. "This place has changed a lot since I was last here."

It changed indeed. There were newly painted walls, already scribbled over with Hotaru's artwork. There was some new furniture too. Since Michiru had taken all of her paintings with her when they moved, the walls were lined with old pictures and Hotaru's perfect grades.

"Setsuna really cleaned up this place, except Hotaru's mess that is!" Haruka whispered as she made her way through. "How can this girl have so much stuff?!"

Then Haruka came to another hard part of the mission. Getting up the stairs and finding Michiru's room without waking anyone up. She had to find the secret way up the stairs so that they wouldn't squeak. Then open the doors so that they wouldn't squeak and close them if she was wrong. Then doing all of this again going back to her motorcycle!

"This is getting harder and harder. But, I refuse to give up!" Haruka complained at the bottom of the stairs. "Ok, here goes nothing! I have to do this to make life worth something!"

Haruka took a step up onto the first step. It was a failure. The step squeaked like it hadn't been used in a million years!

"Shit! Damn! Curse all hell!" Haruka cursed, but not too loudly to wake any inhabitants of the house she was intruding. She tried again to walk up the stairs but the first step creaked again and the second let out a pitch too.

"God! Do all of these steps need oil? Really! I am certainly going to have a talk with Setsuna and Hotaru after this! Unless of course this is their security alarm! Luckily it hasn't worked yet for my sake." Haruka whispered again.

The next step was more grateful and so was Haruka. She made it three steps with no complaining. She had better luck from then on. Step by step.

When she finally reached the top of the stairs she was drowned in accomplishment. But her celebration was quickly destroyed at the sight of her new nightmare that lay ahead on this treacherous journey of reinstates life.

"Hotaru's like a slug!" Haruka suspected. "She leaves a trail of toys wherever she goes!" (I suspect you know by now the mess can't possibly be that bad. Please understand that Haruka is under a mountain load of stress and is at the same time trying to conduct a very hard mission to restore her old and once very happy and believe it or not peaceful and dreamt-for life. It makes things seem much worse than they really in fact are. (But, Hotaru's mess really is bad!) Thank-you.)

Haruka made her way around the mounds of dried up play-dough and pass headless and bodiless Barbie dolls. She came upon the first room. Would this be Michiru's? Could she go through with it? Would Michiru come back to her after she knew the truth? After she found out the real past? If Michiru didn't come back, just what would Haruka do to herself? Would she, no could she live without Michiru? Was that even possible?

"All or nothing." Haruka declared. "What will be will be."

The room wasn't the room Michiru was staying in. The room was completely empty. What used to be here? Haruka thought. Then it hit her. This room with the blank bed and bare walls, empty drawers, and dust-covered furniture was her old room. The room looked like someone died in it. It made Haruka feel horrible for some reason. She slammed the door shut and froze at her stupidity. She listened. Then heard Setsuna's voice that sounded tired.

"Go back to bed Hotaru! It's two-thirty! Please!"

"Thank God she's lazy in the mornings!" Haruka sighed. She then made quick, soft, steps to Michiru's old room.

"I hope I'm right." She wished at the door. She opened and it creaked. She peered inside.

The walls were the same old green tint and the place still smelled like the fish-tank Michiru used to have. The room had the same warm feeling as it used too. But all of that was air compared to the ravishing sea-nymph that lay asleep in Michiru's bed.

Haruka walked over to Michiru's side and just stared at her for a moment. The girl looked so innocent sleeping there. She really did look too beautiful to be the one she loved. But it was Michiru.

"Distance makes the heart grow stronger." Haruka recited. "It sure does." Then Haruka kneeled down and kissed Michiru's cheek. "I love you."

She gently placed the envelope under Michiru's hand and made the journey back to her real home.

Michiru woke up with the same longing feeling she had fallen asleep with. It just wasn't the same without Haruka. Why doesn't Seiya or anyone understand that? She simply couldn't hide from the one of who she called her lover!

She moved her hand in frustration and discovered some unknown and unfamiliar object under it. Something in her bed???! She turned quickly and saw an over-filled envelope there. Someone came into her room while she was sleeping?

She carefully bent down and picked the envelope off the floor (as she had accidentally pushed it there) and stared at the back of it. She gingerly turned it over in her hand as if it were gold. She read the top of the envelope.

My Love, Michiru

The envelope was one of her own, but covered in beautiful hand drawn designs. She didn't know Haruka had such a talent! She would soon find out there was a lot she didn't know . . .

Dearest Michiru,

I know you want the truth, you do deserve it, believe me. God I wish I had told you earlier. I'm writing you this because I'm too ashamed to tell this to you face to face. First, let me tell you I love you and will always love you no matter what. I miss you more than I ever have or will miss anything!! But, I've lost you to not telling you what you deserve to know. Here it is, my past. I was born in a happy family. I had an older crippled brother, Chûei. He couldn't walk well and needed crutches. We got along great. My mother was very kind. My father could be called the devil. My mother divorced him, and gained custody of us when I was 3. We saw my father once a month on Saturday. One day, he came over unexpected. He wasn't drunk or on drugs, but just took out a loaded gun and pointed it at my mother. She didn't scream or yell, just told me to listen to my dad. My dad told me to take a knife from the drawer and kill my mom or he would do the job. I was about to protest, but didn't. I took the biggest knife I could find and stabbed my mother in the heart. I cried out and sobbed until my father started laughing. I turned and grabbed the gun he had and shot him, but not close enough to the heart. He shouted and fell covering the wound. Then I realized what I had done. I dropped the gun and called 9-1-1 and said. "I just killed my mom and dad!" The police came quickly and I got put to trial. It was never finished. The only evidence was the gun and knife both with my fingerprints on them. They just wouldn't believe a five-year-old would kill her parents. I just got sent back to live (in hell) with my father. He always beat me, but I never told because I didn't want to go to court again. When I got old enough, my father raped me. A lot. He also made me rape my brother. Unless I did that, he'd kill him. One day my brother said he didn't want to live like this anymore. (My father sometimes beat him too. Now my brother couldn't even get out of bed). So when my father came in to watch us 'play', I refused. He shot my brother and instantly killed him. My anger took control and I shot my father, again missing his heart. He called the police on me and I got put in an orphanage, because they couldn't finish the case again. I changed my name to Haruka and went to three orphanages. I got raped at three. You don't need to know the names do you? You already have them. Anyway, they were all hell. I finally was allowed out when I turned fifteen. I had saved enough money to fend for myself though they would always let me come back. Then I met you, and my life turned uphill. I don't want to lose another wonderful person. Love Always,

Yuiren 'Haruka' Tenoh