Black Thorns on a White Rose
Chapter Four: Is it Friendship or More?
By: Ree
Pairing: Kou Seiya/ Ten'oh Haruka
Ages: Seiya (24), Haruka (24), Taiki (24), Yaten (24), Usagi (22), Mamoru (25-26), the Inner Senshi (22), Hotaru (20), Setsuna (Unknown, but appears 26), Michiru (24), Kakyuu (25), Chibi-Usa (Newborn babe)
Setting: Kinmoku Planet
Rating: R
Summary: It is the 30th Century Crystal Tokyo. Haruka has been feeling restless lately, and Neo Queen Serenity decides to send her on a diplomatic mission to Kinmoku. It's déjà vu all over again when she sees Seiya again for the first time. However, when Seiya (now a female) learns that her beloved Usagi married Mamoru and is now the Queen of Crystal Tokyo, it's all she can do to go on with her life. Can Haruka bring Seiya out of her misery once and for all? Or is it destined that the two of them will be mortal enemies forever?
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon; I don't want to claim ownership to Takeuchi-sama's noble work. So don't sue me! I don't own anything, I am just a poor student, and you won't get anything.
Seiya looked up from where she was sitting to meet the inquisitive eyes of Princess Kakyuu. Looking away, she tried not to let her eyes reveal her emotions as they probably did. Placing her hands gently over the other girl's, Kakyuu tried to look up at Seiya, but the raven-haired woman refused to meet her gaze. Reaching up and touching her cheek, she whispered,
"What's wrong, Seiya?"
"It's nothing Princess, don't worry about me. I'll be all right," the other tried to assure her with a small smile. "Haruka and I just had a sparring session and it got a little intense is all."
"I can see that."
A small smile played on the rose lips as Kakyuu went to see if the wound was serious and had been properly tended to. The familiar comfort that her princess provided was familiar to Seiya and it seemed to soothe her nerves. Wrapping her arms around Seiya, Kakyuu looked up at the distraught woman and hoped that whatever happened, Haruka would know about.
"Princess, was there something else you needed?" Seiya managed to choke out, her voice tight.
"Iie, everything's fine, Seiya, I was just worried about you. I'll see you at dinner tonight, so rest up."
Seiya nodded and lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling, looking lost in thought. As the elder woman left, she began to seek out Haruka. Said white-haired Senshi was pacing in her room, looking frustrated. If I had my motorcycle, I could go riding and clear my head...she seethed internally as she paced. It wasn't as though it was a real kiss. I don't know why I'm making such a fuss over it! Of course she knew why she was making such a fuss over it, but it wasn't as though she was going to admit it. Folding her arms over her chest, Haruka looked out the window. The wind blew through the trees and she breathed it in. The scent calmed her and reminded her to keep her calm and try to forget what had happened.
"It didn't happen; it's as simple as that. Seiya did not kiss me, and that's the last I'm going to talk of it."
Nodding in determination, she began to get cleaned up. She hadn't had a chance to relax in a long time, and she needed it. A knock sounded on the door as Haruka was tying a robe around her. Glancing up, she went to the door and opened it to be met by the red-haired princess.
"Haruka-san, we need to talk."
"There's nothing to talk about. By the way, how is Seiya doing? Are her wounds all right? I treated them as best I could."
"Hai, don't worry, her wounds are fine. At least, externally...internally she is suffering greatly and I want to know why. What happened between you and Seiya? Please, tell me."
"Nothing happened."
"You're lying to me, Haruka-san, and I don't want you to! Don't you have any kindness towards Seiya at all?"
Turning away from the inquisitive eyes of the princess, Haruka went back to getting ready for a bath as though nothing happened. Well, of course Kakyuu wasn't going to have any of that, so she simply stood in front of the other woman and wouldn't let her pass. Frowning, Haruka tried to move past her, but Kakyuu wouldn't budge. Crossing her arms over her chest she glowered at the woman before her. The princess' eyes bore deep into hers and Haruka sighed.
"You're not going to let me pass until I tell you, are you?"
"No I'm not. I can see it in your eyes, Haruka-san, there's something there for Seiya. What is it?"
"It's just friendship, that's all."
Kakyuu studied her for a moment. "Tell yourself that, and you may start to believe it. However, I know that it's something more than friendship. True, you never did accept us, especially Seiya, until the end. Still, there's something in your eyes that tells me something happened."
"Damn, do you have to be so inquisitive? It was only a light kiss, it wasn't as though Seiya-"
Haruka froze, looking slightly unnerved. She had admitted to something she had almost convinced herself didn't happen. Looking satisfied, Kakyuu nodded and placed a hand on the woman's arm.
"Haruka-san, it's nothing to be ashamed of. You can still be strong even if you admit to something. Now sit down and tell me exactly what happened. Perhaps I will be able to help."
Knowing that there was no way out of it Haruka sighed and sat down on the bed as the redhead sat next to her. Meanwhile, Seiya was having a similar inquisition from Taiki and Yaten. They knew that something had happened and they were trying to find out Seiya's feelings on the matter. If those feelings turned out to be something more, then they were going to try and pound them out of their friend. After all, they knew what was best, right?
"Seiya, you've been hiding something from us, now out with it. We saw you and Haruka out in the gardens, and we want to know exactly what happened between you," Yaten insisted.
"Nothing happened," Seiya deadpanned.
"Oh something happened all right, and we're going to find out what it is. You could always tell us everything. Why won't you tell us this?" Taiki demanded as she stood on Seiya's other side.
"This is something I have to figure out on my own," Seiya snapped, crossing her arms protectively.
"If this is about Haruka, then why can't you just tell us? Did something happen between you two in the garden afterward?" Taiki wondered, her brown hair falling around her serious face.
"Even if I tell you, you won't let it be, so why should I?"
"Because we're your friends," Yaten insisted.
"If you were my friends, then you would trust my decisions and respect my privacy!" Seiya snapped and got to her feet. "You acted the exact same way when I fell in love with Usagi!"
"She didn't return your feelings; we were only looking out for you!" Taiki countered angrily.
"You think you've got everything figured out, but you can't because I don't have everything figured out yet. Just leave me alone for once in your lives! I have to figure out what I'm going to do about Haruka!"
Slapping a hand over her mouth, Seiya looked as though she had just admitted to something horrible. Taiki and Yaten exchanged knowing looks and sat down next to their friend. Both of them continued to pester Seiya, thinking they were actually helping her.
"I'm telling you two, just let me figure this out on my own! I have to figure out my feelings for her!"
"Aha! So you do have feelings for her!" Yaten crowed as she grinned slyly. "What exactly happened between you two?"
Figuring she couldn't stop the inevitable, Seiya told them. "We were sparring in the garden, that much you know, and while she was tending to my wounds...something came over me. It was as though I was seeing her in an entirely new light so I leaned over and kissed her. Something just came over me, I can't really explain it, but it was there. So I thought I'd take the chance."
Taiki and Yaten exchanged glances before getting to their feet, looking pleased. "We saw the kiss and everything that happened, we just knew you wouldn't admit to it unless the two of us managed to worm it out of you," Yaten explained with a broad grin on her features.
"You...you knew? Yet you still continued to pester me about it? You're dead!" Seiya roared.
As the raven-haired woman proceeded to try and kill her two "friends", Kakyuu had managed to get Haruka to tell her all of what happened. A knowing smiled played on her lips as she reached over and took the other woman's hand in hers. Haruka gave her a strange look as Kakyuu simply giggled and hugged her. Now I'm very confused. Why is she hugging me? Wondering what was going on, she merely raised an eyebrow at the princess.
"What are you smiling about?"
"Haruka...do you care for Seiya?"
Looking shocked, Haruka began to think. Do I have feelings for Seiya? Is it just this place? At least I know that this isn't destiny, she thought with a smirk. This could actually be something that I want for once. Perhaps I won't have to be a slave to destiny forever. Now that I have fulfilled my mission as a Senshi and am starting a new life...her thoughts traveled to what she wanted. What Haruka wanted more than ever was to escape the chains that destiny had placed on her wrists. Now that peaceful times had finally arrived...perhaps it was time for her to think about starting a new life for herself. It would be a change, to say the least.
"Haruka-san?"
"I need time to consider everything, Princess Kakyuu. I will see you at dinner tonight," she said slowly.
"Very well," Kakyuu replied, rose from the bed, and headed for the door. "Just don't take too long in considering everything. Seiya is very precious to me. I will see you at dinner."
As she left, Haruka was left with Kakyuu's words mulling around in her mind and no way to work them off so she could think. Sighing and settling for a hot bath, Haruka hoped it would help her in considering everything that had happened that day as well as riding could. As she climbed into the bath, she had no idea that Seiya was going through a similar thought cycle. Both Senshi ended up gazing at the three moons and wondering where their paths would take them.
Wow, it looks like those two have some thinking time coming. LoL, let's just hope they don't spend too much time thinking. Perhaps next chapter they'll finally realize something...or not. R&R!
Ree