Title: First Knight
Pairing: Haruka and Michiru
Rating: PG-13
My apologies for the long delay between updates. Real life can be a pain sometimes in regards to free time. But I'm hoping to get this story moving much faster now. Thanks to everyone who was kind enough to leave a review. They are much appreciated and really motivate me to write.
Haruka. Michiru. Sailor Moon. Not mine. Not mine. Not mine. For full disclaimers see Part 1
*************
Part 2
Michiru Kaioh, the Princess of Neptune sat up in bed, a half scream bursting from her throat. It took her an agonizing few seconds of mind numbing terror before she got her bearings.
Ah Gods. Not again.
With a weary sigh she untangled herself from her twisted sheets and flicked on her bedside lamp. Her nose wrinkled in distaste. She was covered in sweat, her nightgown sticking uncomfortably to her skin.
A few seconds later the door to her bedroom burst open, to admit the fully armoured form of her father, "Michiru! Are you okay?" He grimly looked around the room for whatever had caused his daughter's distress.
"Yes Papa I'm fine. It was just a bad dream". Michiru blinked, slightly taken aback at seeing her father in the full armour of Jupiter Knight. His armoured chest and legs cast a soft green glow, but they were nowhere near as bright as the Jupiter symbol on his visor. The overall dark green of his armour was only broken by the aqua lines on the back of his gauntlets, which formed two small Neptune symbols, one on either hand.
"Ah ok". Noting the complete lack of anything remotely threatening, Daryn Kino allowed his armour to fade away and sheepishly ran his hand through his mop of shoulder length brown hair. A large man, he could not have looked more different from his daughter and only identical deep blue eyes showed that they were related.
"Another one"? A melodic voice asked softly. Liath Kaioh, the Queen of Neptune had followed her Bonded Knight and husband into the room. "That's the sixth one in as many days". She sat on the bed and took Michiru's hand in her own, her hazel eyes warm with concern. It was easy to see where Michiru got both her hair colour and delicate beauty from. A slight woman, Queen Liath had waist length aqua hair that framed her classically beautiful features.
"I know Mama", Michiru lowered her eyes, shying away from her mother's concerned gaze. "But it's just dreams and they can't hurt me". She gently disengaged her hand, her features set in an expressionless mask.
A pained look flitted across Queen Liath's face as she took in Michiru's shuttered expression. Her daughter had a disconcerting habit of hiding her feelings and withdrawing into her own world. Even from the people who loved her. "Sweetheart are you..",
"It's ok Mama." Michiru interrupted her quietly but firmly. "I think I will be able to fall asleep soon." She deliberately lay back down and pulled the bedcovers up over herself.
Liath sighed internally, knowing there was no point in pushing her daughter. "Okay sweetheart. Try to get some rest. You have a long trip to the Moon tomorrow." She gently straightened the bedcovers around Michiru's shoulders and stood up. "Goodnight darling".
"Goodnight Mama. Goodnight Papa", Michiru said quietly.
"Goodnight Littlefish. Sleep well." Daryn placed a gentle kiss on Michiru's brow and flicked off the bedside light. He took his wife's hand and led her from the room, shutting the door behind them.
Despite her earlier reassuring words to her parents Michiru lay awake for a long time, her eyes focused on the painting hanging opposite her bed. The light cast from Triton, Neptune's largest moon allowed her to pick out the dim outline of two figures. From memory she knew it showed an impossibly beautiful sea-green haired woman in the arms of an equally attractive blonde. Her famous ancestor, Ishtar Kaioh, with her lover Tristan. Michiru had been told time and time again how much she resembled the last Senshi of Neptune. But as far as she was concerned she was nothing like her. Nothing at all. That woman had caused so much pain and heartbreak to people who had nothing to do with what had happened. A thousand years later and still House Kaioh suffered. Ishtar had put her need for vengeance over her duty to her Family and planet. It was her fault that the Kaioh name had been dragged through the mud. And Michiru just knew that it was Ishtar who was somehow responsible for the horrible nightmares she'd been having. Damn that woman to the deepest Hell.
But as her gaze strayed unwillingly to the blonde, a part of her wondered how quick she would be to follow duty if it were her that Tristan was looking at with those beautiful silver eyes. The artist had somehow managed to capture the depth of emotion between Tristan and Ishtar. There was no other word for it but Love. Michiru's mouth twisted into a bitter smile. There would be no room for love in her life. Given the circumstances, she couldn't afford to pick and choose who she was to marry.
Duty always came before love.
And tomorrow Michiru would be leaving to the Moon. She would do her best to secure Neptune's future. Whatever the cost to her.
***********
A few doors down, Queen Liath gazed sadly at her husband. "I wish there was some way we could have spared her this."
Daryn sighed and wrapped his arms around her. "Michiru has always been mature for her age. I think she can handle the responsibility."
"She's eleven years old Daryn. Her biggest concerns should be whether she should swim in the ocean or play her violin, not about who she's going to have to marry to save Neptune."
"Who knows maybe she's the..."
"Don't!" The raw anger in Liath's normally gentle voice shook Daryn. "Every Neptunian Princess in the last thousand years has dreamt of being the one to call that cursed Wand. Don't get my hopes up. Or her's", she added in a softer tone.
"Alright", Daryn placed an apologetic kiss on his wife's aqua hair. Then he grinned as a thought occurred to him. "Well on the bright side of things Michiru will finally get to meet girls her own age. That might coax her out of her shell. I seem to remember the last pair of Neptunian and Uranian Princesses certainly caused their fair share of trouble. Queen Serenity must be battening down the Crystal Palace hatches as we speak."
Liath laughed softly. "That's true. Lyra and I certainly did get up to a few interesting things." She bit her lip, her eyes once again filled with sadness. "I just wish we could have kept in contact. Maybe that would have stopped her from doing what she did. If only Pieter wasn't..", she trailed of unable to find the right words.
"Such a bastard" Daryn finished for her.
"Yes", Liath sighed. "I still find it hard to believe Lyra Bonded him. Considering what she and Endymion had"
Daryn frowned. "You know that never could have worked. Endymion was Human and the Uranian people would never have accepted him as King-Consort, no matter how Royal he was on Earth. If she had been anything but the Uranian Heir, Queen Serenity would probably have overlooked it and allowed them to marry. But unfortunately she was and once she failed to call the Wand, Lyra was still Duty bound to fulfill the Oath of Fealty."
"I know. I know." Liath said. "There's been so much pain. I fear for what sacrifices our daughter will have to make."
Daryn was quiet for a moment. "It hasn't been all bad you know." There was a pause. "I'd like to think we did okay", he continued softly.
Liath's eyes widened as she heard the hurt in his voice. "No Daryn. No listen to me". She took his face in her hands. "We did more than just okay. I'm the luckiest Neptunian Heir in the last thousand years. I got to do something that even Ishtar, with all the powers of Sailor Neptune never got to do. I actually got to marry the love of my life. I only wish our daughter gets the chance to do the same".
**********
TBC. I have nearly completed Part 3 and hope to have it up shortly. Reviews will be much appreciated. ^-^
Pairing: Haruka and Michiru
Rating: PG-13
My apologies for the long delay between updates. Real life can be a pain sometimes in regards to free time. But I'm hoping to get this story moving much faster now. Thanks to everyone who was kind enough to leave a review. They are much appreciated and really motivate me to write.
Haruka. Michiru. Sailor Moon. Not mine. Not mine. Not mine. For full disclaimers see Part 1
*************
Part 2
Michiru Kaioh, the Princess of Neptune sat up in bed, a half scream bursting from her throat. It took her an agonizing few seconds of mind numbing terror before she got her bearings.
Ah Gods. Not again.
With a weary sigh she untangled herself from her twisted sheets and flicked on her bedside lamp. Her nose wrinkled in distaste. She was covered in sweat, her nightgown sticking uncomfortably to her skin.
A few seconds later the door to her bedroom burst open, to admit the fully armoured form of her father, "Michiru! Are you okay?" He grimly looked around the room for whatever had caused his daughter's distress.
"Yes Papa I'm fine. It was just a bad dream". Michiru blinked, slightly taken aback at seeing her father in the full armour of Jupiter Knight. His armoured chest and legs cast a soft green glow, but they were nowhere near as bright as the Jupiter symbol on his visor. The overall dark green of his armour was only broken by the aqua lines on the back of his gauntlets, which formed two small Neptune symbols, one on either hand.
"Ah ok". Noting the complete lack of anything remotely threatening, Daryn Kino allowed his armour to fade away and sheepishly ran his hand through his mop of shoulder length brown hair. A large man, he could not have looked more different from his daughter and only identical deep blue eyes showed that they were related.
"Another one"? A melodic voice asked softly. Liath Kaioh, the Queen of Neptune had followed her Bonded Knight and husband into the room. "That's the sixth one in as many days". She sat on the bed and took Michiru's hand in her own, her hazel eyes warm with concern. It was easy to see where Michiru got both her hair colour and delicate beauty from. A slight woman, Queen Liath had waist length aqua hair that framed her classically beautiful features.
"I know Mama", Michiru lowered her eyes, shying away from her mother's concerned gaze. "But it's just dreams and they can't hurt me". She gently disengaged her hand, her features set in an expressionless mask.
A pained look flitted across Queen Liath's face as she took in Michiru's shuttered expression. Her daughter had a disconcerting habit of hiding her feelings and withdrawing into her own world. Even from the people who loved her. "Sweetheart are you..",
"It's ok Mama." Michiru interrupted her quietly but firmly. "I think I will be able to fall asleep soon." She deliberately lay back down and pulled the bedcovers up over herself.
Liath sighed internally, knowing there was no point in pushing her daughter. "Okay sweetheart. Try to get some rest. You have a long trip to the Moon tomorrow." She gently straightened the bedcovers around Michiru's shoulders and stood up. "Goodnight darling".
"Goodnight Mama. Goodnight Papa", Michiru said quietly.
"Goodnight Littlefish. Sleep well." Daryn placed a gentle kiss on Michiru's brow and flicked off the bedside light. He took his wife's hand and led her from the room, shutting the door behind them.
Despite her earlier reassuring words to her parents Michiru lay awake for a long time, her eyes focused on the painting hanging opposite her bed. The light cast from Triton, Neptune's largest moon allowed her to pick out the dim outline of two figures. From memory she knew it showed an impossibly beautiful sea-green haired woman in the arms of an equally attractive blonde. Her famous ancestor, Ishtar Kaioh, with her lover Tristan. Michiru had been told time and time again how much she resembled the last Senshi of Neptune. But as far as she was concerned she was nothing like her. Nothing at all. That woman had caused so much pain and heartbreak to people who had nothing to do with what had happened. A thousand years later and still House Kaioh suffered. Ishtar had put her need for vengeance over her duty to her Family and planet. It was her fault that the Kaioh name had been dragged through the mud. And Michiru just knew that it was Ishtar who was somehow responsible for the horrible nightmares she'd been having. Damn that woman to the deepest Hell.
But as her gaze strayed unwillingly to the blonde, a part of her wondered how quick she would be to follow duty if it were her that Tristan was looking at with those beautiful silver eyes. The artist had somehow managed to capture the depth of emotion between Tristan and Ishtar. There was no other word for it but Love. Michiru's mouth twisted into a bitter smile. There would be no room for love in her life. Given the circumstances, she couldn't afford to pick and choose who she was to marry.
Duty always came before love.
And tomorrow Michiru would be leaving to the Moon. She would do her best to secure Neptune's future. Whatever the cost to her.
***********
A few doors down, Queen Liath gazed sadly at her husband. "I wish there was some way we could have spared her this."
Daryn sighed and wrapped his arms around her. "Michiru has always been mature for her age. I think she can handle the responsibility."
"She's eleven years old Daryn. Her biggest concerns should be whether she should swim in the ocean or play her violin, not about who she's going to have to marry to save Neptune."
"Who knows maybe she's the..."
"Don't!" The raw anger in Liath's normally gentle voice shook Daryn. "Every Neptunian Princess in the last thousand years has dreamt of being the one to call that cursed Wand. Don't get my hopes up. Or her's", she added in a softer tone.
"Alright", Daryn placed an apologetic kiss on his wife's aqua hair. Then he grinned as a thought occurred to him. "Well on the bright side of things Michiru will finally get to meet girls her own age. That might coax her out of her shell. I seem to remember the last pair of Neptunian and Uranian Princesses certainly caused their fair share of trouble. Queen Serenity must be battening down the Crystal Palace hatches as we speak."
Liath laughed softly. "That's true. Lyra and I certainly did get up to a few interesting things." She bit her lip, her eyes once again filled with sadness. "I just wish we could have kept in contact. Maybe that would have stopped her from doing what she did. If only Pieter wasn't..", she trailed of unable to find the right words.
"Such a bastard" Daryn finished for her.
"Yes", Liath sighed. "I still find it hard to believe Lyra Bonded him. Considering what she and Endymion had"
Daryn frowned. "You know that never could have worked. Endymion was Human and the Uranian people would never have accepted him as King-Consort, no matter how Royal he was on Earth. If she had been anything but the Uranian Heir, Queen Serenity would probably have overlooked it and allowed them to marry. But unfortunately she was and once she failed to call the Wand, Lyra was still Duty bound to fulfill the Oath of Fealty."
"I know. I know." Liath said. "There's been so much pain. I fear for what sacrifices our daughter will have to make."
Daryn was quiet for a moment. "It hasn't been all bad you know." There was a pause. "I'd like to think we did okay", he continued softly.
Liath's eyes widened as she heard the hurt in his voice. "No Daryn. No listen to me". She took his face in her hands. "We did more than just okay. I'm the luckiest Neptunian Heir in the last thousand years. I got to do something that even Ishtar, with all the powers of Sailor Neptune never got to do. I actually got to marry the love of my life. I only wish our daughter gets the chance to do the same".
**********
TBC. I have nearly completed Part 3 and hope to have it up shortly. Reviews will be much appreciated. ^-^