Chapter 15

There was a brief moment in which Neptune saw nothing but a flash of red. Then came the pain. She watched the bullet of light tear her flesh, the blood dripping down in her arm as she collapsed to her knees. Why? What were they doing in this ridiculous battle, anyway? For what? Did she really think that she and Sailor Moon had the power to defeat the one who had been able to control Galaxia? Who was, in fact, the mother of all their defeated enemies? Maybe before it was possible. Maybe with the rest of senshi at her side she could do it. But not now. Neptune was tired of fighting it. And unable to convince herself her cause was worth the pain, she slowly allowed her body to give in to rest.

Seeing Neptune's eyes closing threw Sailor Moon into a panic. "Michiru!" she yelled. "Michiru, don't quit now! Come back! Michiru!" But the girl was deaf to everything. Everything, except perhaps her name being called by a familiar voice far away...

"Michiru! Michiru!"

Neptune slowly opened her eyes. The pain was less now, almost a faint memory, but the scene did not look as she remembered it. Here she was surrounded by a white mist, swirls of gentle clouds caressed her skin. It felt warm, like the sensation of Nathan holding her in front of a roaring fire on a bitter cold night. She wouldn't mind staying here.

"Michiru!" The voice called her again. Who was it? It couldn't be Usagi. It was too low in tone, for one thing. And the last she remembered, Usagi was calling desperately for her. This voice was almost commanding her; she expected it to finish with something like, "Michiru, play the G scale!" or "Michiru, recite the capitals of all the European countries in alphabetical order!" or...

"Michiru, sit up." Michiru did sit up, looking into the air around her. She still saw very little, but for some reason the mists around her seemed to form a pattern. Or perhaps it would better be described as a figure, a figure robed in white clouds. Or perhaps, she herself was the clouds.

"It couldn't be..." Michiru whispered. "Haruka, is that you?" The voice chuckled, confirming Michiru's thoughts.

"Well, I didn't think I'd see you here," she said. "But I'm glad you still recognize me." The figure floated down into Michiru's full view. It was Haruka, just as she remembered her. Well, not quite. This person appeared to have no physical body, she floated delicately on the wind, and all but her shining blue eyes and pink lips were the same grayish-white tone of the clouds.

"Michiru." For not having seen her in this form for so long, Michiru thought her friend's tone would be a little less cold to her. She almost sounded angry. "Michiru, you broke your promise to me."

"What are you talking about?" Michiru asked in shock.

"The promise you made when I died," Haruka reminded her. "You told me you would be happy."

"I..." Michiru stuttered. This was Haruka alright, firm and to the point. But did she have to be so cruel at a time like this? "It wasn't really a promise I made," Michiru replied, trying to think of the best excuse she could. "I mean, you said it after all..."

"So what? You still screwed me over on my dying wish. It was a pretty heartless thing to do." Haruka turned her back to Michiru, and Michiru could see wafts of clouds flowing from her body in the same motion. "And after I worked so hard to try and find Nathan for you too..."

"Nathan?" Michiru gasped. Her mind went back to thoughts she had was she felt the warmth of the clouds around her. "You mean... you brought us together?"

The girl turned her head back and smiled. "Well, I'm first to admit, I'm no matchmaker," she said. "But he did have a kind heart. And I didn't need any heavenly powers to be able to tell you had some feelings for him as well."

Michiru felt her face turning bright red. "So then, if I married the man you set me up with, why are you yelling at me?"

Haruka shook her head. "Because," she said sadly. "Even though you married him, you still allowed yourself to be consumed by your memories of sadness. And let's face it, you haven't exactly been kind to my other self."

It just now occurred to Michiru at this point that this person was speaking to her as she daughter was left in a world behind her. "So, she is your reincarnation then?" Michiru asked.

"Not exactly. She had the power of Uranus in her, like I did. Like Princess Haruka did. But she is not me. We are separate people. I no longer belong to that world."

Haruka turned around completely and saw tears beginning to form in Michiru's eyes, and she was worried that maybe she might have overdone her scolding just a bit. "I don't mean you were a bad mother," she said reassuringly, placing a hand on Michiru's shoulder, though to Michiru, it felt like nothing more than the brush of a breeze. "You were a wonderful mother to her. Still are. But you have to get it out of your mind that one day, she'll somehow turn into me again."

Michiru nodded.

"So where are we exactly?" Michiru asked, wanting desperately to change the subject.

"This is... a rift in time, I guess you'd call it. It's the last thing I saw before I left. If you go further than here, you can't return to earth again." As she spoke, Michiru could see a light appearing from the clouds in the distance. Haruka stood up, looking towards it.

"Are you leaving?" Neptune asked.

"Have to," Haruka replied. "I've stayed here too long." She looked at her companion's eyes. "If you want to come too, I can't stop you, I guess," she said. "But I'll make you miserable for eternity if you give up now."

Michiru smiled. "And leave my husband and child?" she asked. "Sorry, Haruka, but I'm afraid we'll have to meet another time."

"I'll look forward to it," said Haruka. "Then you can meet my new husband."

"You have a husband?" Michiru asked in shock. Leave it to Haruka to never reveal how serious she was about anything.

"Can't talk now, gotta go!" Haruka called out, her voice getting farther and farther away. "Promise me, this time, Michiru. Promise me you'll be happy."

"I promise!" Michiru called out. "Haruka, I promise!"

The last thing Michiru's saw was a bright smile on Haruka's face before the light faded and she was gone.


A/N: Hope this chapter clears up a lot of the confusion about Haruka. (I had to have her show up again just once. ) I actually noticed as I was looking this over that there are only two chapters left after this. -tears- I hope the ending is worth the wait.