Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon.
Chapter 2
Haruka drifted her tapered fingers over the polished keys of the grand piano, but music wouldn't soothe her now. "He had the future and he had Koneko-chan. He had it all." She looked up find her lover placidly leaning over the piano, elbows up and chin resting in her folded hands. Michiru was humming. Her fluid voice filled the spacious room. "Now, no one has anything."
Out of all of them, Haruka had taken it the hardest. She hated Fate and Her sick sense of humor; she had never wanted anything to do with the end of the world, and now, it was all she desired. Becoming a soldier and saving a place where she had never really fit in had been a ridiculous notion three years ago. Racing had been her one passion, because that was as close to the wind as she could get, and everything else was passing entertainment for her endless boredom. Michiru had been the only one who understood her in that muddled time, the mainstay and the one who had tried to protect her from the ultimate responsibility. But by becoming Sailor Uranus, the wind became her.
After Mamoru had destroyed himself, something inside all of the Senshi had shattered. It wasn't his death, but the gentle and dormant power that had laid inside each of them. For Haruka, the spirit of the wind had flown from her heart and soul and she had been devastated from the loss.
Nothing had consoled her for weeks until she had gone on a late night drive to work off her anguish, and in the process, nearly run over the broken shell of Usagi.
The girl had looked lost, eyes hollow in her gaunt and sickly face. The boundless misery that had budded within Haruka like weeds with thorns withered when she realized just how selfish she had been. A person had died, not just a human being, but one who had loved and been loved by others. And Usagi, the manifestation of compassionate love and hope, had dwindled into a wretched mess.
Haruka hadn't even been able to understand the basest of the blonde's insecurities. In her efforts to comfort Usagi, she had only caught one intelligible word: different.
Different from what? she had wondered to herself. She didn't know in this sudden state of chaos.
And Setsuna had seemingly vanished off the face of the Earth. There had been no trace of her since the day before Mamoru's unexpected departure and none in the years that followed afterwards.
Seeking something to blame, she laid her troubles on Mamoru—a weak man, a man who couldn't handle his responsibilities, and a man who had abandoned them by taking the coward's way out.
Michiru stopped humming and closed her aquamarine eyes. "Ruka. . .this song has been on my mind lately. It starts like a nursery rhyme—very childish—then the melody progresses into charisma, fades into turmoil, and renews into victory."
"But?"
She smiled, though it was more of tightening of her facial muscles than a gentle reassurance. "But one note shatters the middle of the victory strain and it repeats continuously."
"What note?" Haruka asked although dread filled her upon collection of her answer.
"Low A."
Low A—the deepest note and the paramount beat of a drum that reverberated from the lowest point in Hell.
It was the beginning.
The music room suddenly thundered with a cacophony of broken notes as Haruka slammed her palms over the keys with a snarl. "We have nothing! What can we use to fight? Nothing!" she growled, standing to her feet. The glossy legs of the piano bench screeched back against the polished marble floor.
Michiru shook her wavy water-blue hair and gently took a hold of her lover's arm. The note continued to explode in her head, louder and louder with each tremendous beat. "The song is not our song," she whispered as she pressed herself along the line of the taller woman's body. The deafening noise in her sensitive ear slowed and faded in the music of Haruka's steady and all-eclipsing heart. Arms came around her. "Are you worried?"
"No. Yes."
"Have faith, Ruka."
"She's strong, but can she do it by herself?"
"She won't be alone."
"Don't ever leave me, Michiru."
"Never. I'd follow you into death."
- - - - - - - - - - -
Death.
The word crowed in delight while the couple embraced, clinging to their hair and skin and the very air they breathed. It beat its leathery black wings and pervaded each tiny corner of their atmosphere.
On the table, the white lilies in the elegant vase howled silently as they withered into ashes.
- - - - - - - - - - -
They had been in downtown Juuban for about fifteen minutes when a few neighboring schools let out. Walking past the gated community of one high school, Duo checked the name of the institution and concluded that the T.A. girl's uniform skirts were the shortest.
He grinned cheekily at the clusters of girls who had stopped to stare at the foreigner in awe. "Hey, Hii-man, do all Japanese schoolgirls wear their skirts that short?" he asked, eyes still glued to his rapidly increasing fanclub. He flashed another charming smile. The female populace swooned.
"Hn."
Duo rolled his eyes and folded his arms behind his head as he caught up to his partner. "I don't get this—we're the Preventers, not the Ghostbusters. Why does Une want us to do a check on this again?"
"Magnetic field readings," he answered without further explanation; it wasn't his job to enlighten Duo of the directions he should have read. Although, even Hiiro wasn't completely sure why they were employed to check the Tokyo area. He had scarcely returned to L1 when the transmission for a new assignment had come through, requesting his departure back to Tokyo within one week. Parameters included the investigation of several sites and questionable personnel, and any information about the Sailor Senshi, an enigmatic group of supernatural vigilantes, was absolutely critical.
The appearance of some heroic girls in short skirts was a hoax—that was his first and irreversible impression. Magic did not exist, yet even with immaculate research through all forms of media from videos to news to tabloids, everything that involved the Sailor Senshi was unexplainable by scientific terms. The group had not formed over night; members had been discovered at different times. One member, Sailor Venus, had appeared in England for several years—fighting crime—before joining the growing group in Tokyo.
The Sailor Senshi had been engrossed in their own wars during the Gundam pilots debut with OZ. Accounts of their battles were always vague, but each and every person who had ever been interviewed would retell the same version of the otherworldly heroines who had saved them. It had been the same everywhere. Japan had suffered through the some of the most destructive and unearthly battles against foes no one had ever seen save the Sailor Senshi.
One picture had stuck out to him—Sailor Moon in an upgraded form, plummeting from the sky like a descending angel—if he believed in angels. She had been reaching for a younger Senshi, Sailor Chibi Moon. It had been plastered all over the newspapers at one time. The anonymous photographer was now a filthy rich anonymous photographer.
The details of that picture were one of the most absurd he had ever heard of. A floating circus had suddenly appeared in the sky and fell, crushing any and all buildings within a ten block radius. Then one ruined piece had begun to rise back into the sky and Sailor Moon had been seen clinging to the edge of it.
According to the press, the world had been saved again after that miraculous display, although there had been no traces of the circus that had supposedly fell with the exception of its catastrophic repercussions.
However, now under the Preventers, he and those who had joined were privy to other useful information. OZ had recognized the existence of the Sailor Senshi and had been adamant in using them as part of their plan, though they were never able to retrieve any identities before OZ's dispersion. However, they had found a pattern in distinct magnetic field readings in geologic instruments and the emergence of new, uncanny threats to peace.
They were presently making their way to the Galaxy Television Station for some questioning concerning the very last Sailor Senshi event that had taken place roughly two years ago. But, Lady Une had paired him up with his old war comrade who was somewhat infuriatingly frivolous.
Hiiro halted and with a glower, turned around. Duo was a few buildings back, studying a menu in the window of a cafe. "Duo," he growled quietly.
His unconcerned partner grinned. "Hey, I'm starved. Let's get something to eat before we get there." The doors slid open and he vanished into the shop.
Not very pleased with the unexpected change of plans, Hiiro stalked in after him only to collide with a slender blonde woman.
Omake: Yes, this chapter was really short and had practically no Usagi in it, which is why, *drum roll* I wrote a little omake! At first, this fic was gonna be totally Usagi-centric but now it has blossomed into some crazy fourteen-headed monster. And yes, I think I will put romance in it. *cackles* Anyhoo, on to the omake!
A frown marred Usagi's delicate forehead as she mulled over the most difficult decision of her life. There were two choices but they were both equally indispensable. She couldn't afford a mistake. She hummed thoughtfully under her breath, "This one? No, no, this one! No, this one!"
In her sincere deliberation, she hardly noticed her husband coming up behind her with their daughter settled on his shoulders. Unbeknownst to the petite blonde, he had been searching for her for over an hour on the circus grounds. Hiiro looked over his wife's blonde head to discover the source of her dilemma.
Usagi was trying to decide between a plush hippopotamus and a plush pony.
He leaned in close to her, trying to understand just what it was she found so fascinating in some stuffed animals. Their bedroom was already swollen with the collection she had accumulated over her childhood. Hiiro shifted the unusually quiet Chibi-Usa and complacently laid his now free hand south of the border on his little wife. Unfortunately for him, Usagi did not acknowledge it in the way he had hoped. She screeched and swiveled around so fast, he thought she would keel over.
"Don't touch me, you pervert!" she shrieked as she began to blindly beat her assailant with the soft toys. "My husband's big and strong and he's going to beat you up!"
Since being physically assaulted by his wife who was significantly smaller than he would ruin his hard-won image, Hiiro had to retract his hand to seize her flailing arms. "Usa."
She opened her eyes, blinked those big blue gems, and squealed loudly with delight, "Hii-chan! You must have scared him off. You won't believe it! Some pervert tried to touch me!"
He smiled with effort as his daughter began to cheerfully replicate her mother's attack on his head. There was no need to disclose what really happened. "What are you doing?"
She gave a long-suffering sigh and held up the battered toys. "I can't decide! They're both so cute!"
Hiiro glanced at them, deciding they were both revolting. But Usagi was staring at him with such an eager face that he just didn't have the heart to let her down. "Chibi-Usa would like the pony," he resolved, recalling how much his daughter had shrilled with glee at the horses. He watched patiently as Usagi looked down indecisively at the dolls and then back up.
"Who said it was for
Chibi-Usa?"
@ @
/(^.^)\
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AN: I was rewatching episode 166 (SM falling to catch SCM) x_x and I was getting all sentimental so I started crying. That scene is really beautiful and suspenseful. *sighs* Usagi is so cool! x3!! Lol, well of course the other Senshi are cool, too, but what can I say? My favorite is Usagi. ^^;;
Snatches of scenes/thoughts/feelings were inspired by different episodes of SM. Haruka's desire to become the wind: 17 of S. o_o As you can see, I am much better with the info on SM than GW. . . Which is why I need to know where the Sanq Kingdom is on Earth. o.o;; If anybody knows, please tell me. x_x;; Heheh thanks ^^;
Galaxy Television Station (I think) was part of the Stars series and it was the Earth base where Galaxia was watching from. Not really important. ^^
Also, I took Geology freshman year of college and I fell asleep in it everyday (which is probably why I got a C), so I don't know what the crap I'm talking about with the geologic magnetic field stuff. :D I sorta made it up.
Fanfic idea up for grabs: Fate made a grave mistake and Tsukino Usagi is reborn into Duo Maxwell's body (Usagi and Duo may or may not share the body). Although Usagi/Duo is biologically a male, Usagi is a straight female and ends up falling in love with Hiiro (or any other G-boy. . . and maybe Duo has fallen in love with Usagi who is himself o_O Talk about narcissistic, lol). From there develops a hetero/shounen-ai relationship. [I'd love to see someone take a stab at this. This was totally inspired by all those body-swapping fics. . . 'cept I've got my own little twist. I don't think I've come across this idea before :D]
Review Corner: (I love you guys so much! *glomps them all*)
¤°°º°º°°¤|çé ß|úé Éy駤°°º°º°°¤: What an amazing name!! xD Lol, I had to copy and paste it to keep it intact :D That conversation confused me, too. #.#;; I don't think I understand Ami's theory anymore. @_@ There will be more weirdness! I promise, MWAHAHA!! And. . .it was crack. I made it myself. . Lol, well I hope you enjoyed the omake. ;D Much H/U-ness there. ^^
Chibi Koneko: . . Crack. . . Yep, I've decided to finish, although my updates will probably slow down after the next chapter or so. o.o Heheh ^^;; Aww, you're sick?! I hope you feel better!! *gives her Hiiro in a maid costume* Don't worry, Hii-chan will take care of all your needs! ^_~!
Arella Hallo: My friend told me the word 'interesting' is just a nice way of saying something sucks. T.T Wasn't that mean of her? xD Lol, of course I'm hoping you mean it in the good way. Thanks for the review and it'll get more interesting. ^^
Heeros Bunny: Lol, poor Mamoru! xD Haha, I feel pretty bad for him. I used to looove him, but now I'm pretty indifferent. ^^ Man, it's like only me who didn't know of Moebius strips. x.x;; I mean, I knew what they were, I just didn't know they had a name! Haha, I'm such an idiot. Of course I wasn't REALLY smoking anything. :D I'm a good little girl. *beams* You know, that's an interesting idea you have there. o_o;; Would you mind if I put it to use somewhere? ^_^
angel313: Yep! The timeline totally confused me, but then I started writing about Haruka and I got a few ideas. ^^ I hope it's understandable here. . . so basically, they overlap and the Senshi only had very, very minor influence in the GW realm.
Angelight: Eep!! *gives Angelight-sama lots and lots of time* Lol, school has started, right? x_x I still have a week or so. +.+ The wonders of the UC system. ". . .as spectacular"?! What are you talking about? O_O This is nothing compared to your stuff! XD Your fics are all so. . .captivating. . .even if I haven't reviewed them all ;; ;; I suddenly feel so. . .inferior xD and unworthy ;-; Your description of the Moebius strip was very detailed. !! I sorta remember playing with them when I was little, but I didn't know they had such a technical name until now, rofl. :D I also suddenly feel very incompetent. XD Oh yeah!! Thanks for the birthday shoutout, lol!!
Sunshine Fia: *thinks* They'll meet. . .somewhere, somehow. xD I think I'll put them together. . . it just seems wrong not to, rofl. :D Does that mean you understand Ami's theory? O.O Feel like explaining to me anytime? ^^() The G-boys will come in slowly. :D See, Duo's already in! Yay for Duo!!
LiLSeReNiTiE: =x I know! Poor Usa, almost getting killed by Hiiro. *sighs* Don't worry, he won't try to kill her anymore. At least, not intentionally. ^^;
kalika55: No Senshi, but that doesn't necessarily mean there's life in space. ^^ Although, the timeline does include the colonies. o.o Hrmm, I think I better think this through more thoroughly. *embarrassed laugh*
Sailor-Destin: Thanks! I'll try to get out a chapter a week. . .until the next chapter at least, lol. After that, I have a feeling I'm going to get blockish. x.x
;ee: I e-mailed you, but I got a return that said you don't have an account on Yahoo! *gasps* Maybe you typed your e-mail wrong? x.X I'd still be glad to let you know when I update. ^_^
Midnight of Shadows: *whispers* Crack. And you might be able to buy it at Wal-Mart. . . some of those cashiers are pretty cracked out if you ask me. j/k! ^^;; Anyhoo. . . Yay!!! You're back!! :DDD Now you can finally update your stories. XD I've been wondering forever what was gonna happen with Usagi after she. . .cracked. o.o I NEED TO KNOW!! That last chapter sorta freaked me out and *goes back to check it* it still does. I think it was the line, "It really was a beautiful night" that gave me goosebumps. It's very cryptic. *shudders* And where did she get her gun? I want one. O_o
Silver-blossom: Thanks! I'll surely continue until I can't continue anymore! . . .Meaning the only thing that'll prevent me from continuing is death. .;; I hope I don't die soon, though. x_x;;
*hypnotizes the readers (with enticing images of Hiiro in a leopard print thong doing the macarena) into clicking the little review button at the bottom of the page to leave an entertaining message* :D