01/09/05 - I know it has been a long time since my last update and I'm really sorry about it (gomen!), but the last chapter of Destined Souls is finally online...

asakura89: I don't know what I'll do in the future but I'm definetly going to write something more about H&M.
Just wait and see whether you like it or not ; )


Chapter 20: And When the Story Begins...

"So it's true, then... you're leaving."
"Hai. My father has been transfered and we move with him."
"Will you finish out the school year at least?"
"No, we are leaving in three days."
"So soon..!"
"Ehi, don't sound so sad or I might think you truly are!"
"I am and you should know it."
With a sad smile, Nami looked up into those teal eyes of Haruka's and decided to reveal what she had been thinking: "It looks like you really forgot..."
The sudden change of subject confused the blonde: "Forgot... what?"
"This scene... is something that has already happened between the two of us before..."
With a frown, Haruka kept on staring at her friend, unable to understand (or remember) what the girl was talking about...
It was a nice Sunday and the two girls were sitting on a bench, the same one they had been sitting on the day a youma attacked Nami.
"The first time I saw you at Mugen High I felt.. well, quite fascinated by you..." a light blush spread on the red-haired girl's cheeks as she saw the confident smile on Haruka's lips: "But.. there was something more... I was sure I had already met you before. It took me a while, but then I remembered." she paused, smiling at the memory.. "I was 5 when my family and I moved the first time, to Odawara."
Odawara... Haruka remembered that place. She had spent her summer holidays there a couple of times as a child.
"I felt very sad and alone, because I had to say goodbye to all of my friends. I tried to make new ones at Odawara, but at that time I was too shy and the kids at the playground wouldn't let me play with them... it was then that I met you. You were as alone as me, but instead of being scared or sad about it, you looked unaffected."
At those words a wry smile formed on Haruka's lips... it was in her nature to hide her feelings so skillfully, after all.
"I thought we could play together, but then... would a boy play with a shy girl like me? I was afraid you would refuse like the other children, so I just sat there on the swing..."
Finally Haruka started to remember something... it was a warm day, but there was a gentle breeze in the air. She was playing with a ball, when she saw someone... a little red haired girl with big sad eyes. Haruka had never seen her before.
She was all alone on the swing and looked rather scared...
"Then you kicked your ball too hard and it rolled right to my feet. Now I'm sure it was deliberate." the red-haired girl looked at the tall blonde to see her reaction, but Haruka was just smiling, so Nami went on: "You asked me to kick it back and I told you I couldn't because of my dress, then..."
"I told you to just roll it back."
"And I did and we played together for the whole afternoon. And the next day and the day after... then my mom told me we would have some guests over for dinner: Arumi-san, an older lady living on the other side of the street and her grand-daughter, a girl about my age. You cannot even imagine the shock when you arrived with your grand-mother... a girl, the person I had spent so much time with, was a girl just like me. And then I wondered... 'was she teasing me?'"
The question made Haruka frown... the red-haired girl's smile however didn't fade as she continued: "But the answer came easy to me: no, she was just being herself."
Nami paused again, but this time, as she looked at the tall blonde sitting next to her, the red-haired girl saw a serious look on Haruka's face: "And then I foud out you were leaving for Tokyo the next day and I was very sad.. alone again... when we said goodbye and you got in the car.. it was then that I realized I didn't even know your name..."
"And you asked me... I was surprised to hear your voice.. and the question as well... I should have told you before..."
"But you told me then.. you popped your head out of the car window and shouted it as loud as you could, but the car was already far away and I only caught your first name: Haruka."
They both kept silent for a while, looking at the cloudless sky, then it was Haruka's turn to speak: "I can't believe you were that little girl... and I can't believe I forgot about it."
"But you didn't. You remember it now, don't you?"
A sad smile formed on the blonde's lips: "It's incredible.. after so many years, we meet again and then we have to separate once more..."
"Who knows? We could meet again someday.. and maybe that time you will be the one wearing a dress... it would look nice on you, I'm sure of it."
"Of course, but it would look much nicer on you..."
"I know, I know.." by now Nami was too used to Haruka's flattering attitude to take it to heart. Then she looked at her watch and stood up: "It's time to go. I still have so much packing to do..."
"Then goodbye.. and good luck, Nami-chan." Haruka stood as well and moved closer to the red-haired girl to hug her.
When they parted a light blush had appeared on Nami's cheeks.. "Good luck to you too... with Michiru-san, of course..."
Caught off guard, the young car racer had to fight hard to hide her emotions and simply nodded as the red-haired girl left with a smile...

Left alone, Haruka went back to her motorbike, put on her helmet and sped off with Nami's words - dangerous words - still echoing in her mind.
It took her a while to forget them and when she finally succeeded and went back to the apartment, it was sunset.
"You've been out for a long time." it could have sounded like an accusation, but as the tall blonde looked to the beautiful aqua-haired girl, wearing an apron while cutting some vegetables (she was in the kitchen to prepare dinner), Haruka knew it wasn't meant to be.
"I met with Nami-chan.. she is leaving with her family."
At the revelation, Michiru turned her full attention to her partner: "When?"
"In a few days."
"So soon?"
"That's the same thing I said to her..."
In the silence that followed, Michiru carefully watched her taller friend. She knew how much Haruka cared about Nami, even though the stubborn blonde would never have admitted it.
Sensing the oddness of the moment, the young car racer spoke again wanting to change the subject: "So.. when will dinner be ready? I'm starving!"
And of course she succeeded and their evening went on well, until that night...

It was dark... it was confused... it was devastating... it was.. a nightmare, just a nightmare. But the more Haruka kept on repeating it, the more those terrible images filled her head.
By now she'd had several visions, but this particular one was the worst. It was so real and horrible...
She sat up on her bed and covered her eyes with a trembling hand.. there was no way she could go back to sleep now.
The tall blonde glanced over at the alarm clock, it was still the middle on the night - 2:35 a.m.
It was a warm night, but a cold chill ran down her spine... it felt like ice in her veins. Unable to stay there any longer, she decided to get up and go to the kitchen for something to drink, hoping it would be enough to get those catastrophic scenes of destuction out of her mind.
It was then, passing by the sitting-room that she saw someone standing by the window. After a moment of confusion, the blonde easily recognized her partner. Of course Michiru had the same nightmare...

The Silence, the mission, the Messiah... how could she forget any of that when such shocking visions kept on haunting her dreams at night?
Standing in front of the window, Michiru hugged herself trying in vain, trying warm up her freezing body. She looked through the reflection of her tired face, past the buildings and the city lights of Tokyo, staring out at something only she could see.
Then she felt hands resting on both her shoulders and jolted, before relaxing again as soon as she noted the reflection in the window-pane of Haruka standing behind her.
They kept silent for a long time... the closeness of each other was enough to soothe their pain and worries, even though it wasn't enough to erase them... nothing could do that.
It was then, while Michiru was following the flow of her own thoughts that she felt how Haruka's hands begin to massage her stiffened shoulders.
The aqua-haired beauty knew that she shouldn't allow such dangerous personal contact between the two of them.. not at a vulnerable time like this, but it was also at a moment like this that she couldn't find it in herself to pull away from that tender touch... could anyone even imagine how gentle those strong hands could be when Haruka wanted them to?
There were so many emotions buried deeply in her heart that the young violinist couldn't repress them any longer and before Michiru even knew it, she had started to speak: "Did you see.. the eyes.. of that child?
The moment before he died? He was so frightened..."
A sob interrupted her, almost choking her words. At the same time, the movements of the blonde's hands got slower but also more determined, as if she was trying to comfort her smaller partner with her actions since she couldn't find the right words.
"And that man..." the aqua-haired beauty was deliberately ignoring her friend.. "He was calling for his wife...he was weeping..." again Michiru paused, knowing that she wouldn't be able to hold back the tears if she said anything more. Only one crystal droplet escaped her left eye, traveling down her cheek to land on one of Haruka's fingers...
This time the blonde's hands stopped completely, but didn't move away from the other girl's shoulders. This time she decided to speak: "All of this..." her voice nothing more than a whisper: "It won't happen... we won't let it happen... it is our destiny to stop it.. remember?"
Again it was silence, then the young violinist turned to face her partner... they were so close and yet they both felt the presence of the invisible wall that stood right between them... a wall they both wanted to destroy and at the same time, they needed it to carry on their mission...
Finally looking into Michiru's eyes, Haruka expected to see the smaller girl crying, but in spite of her pain and worries, the aqua-haired girl was calm as usual as she spoke: "What if we are too late? What if the enemy finds the three Talismans before we do? If we cannot prevent the Silence?"
"We can't give up right now, not before we even try to do something."
This time Michiru didn't find anything to object to and just looked thoguhtful as the tall blonde spoke again: "Of course we don't know how it's going to end.. that's why we have to do our best to accomplish our mission. We can't afford to fail. Beside..." 'I don't care as long as I can be with you', but she couldn't say it out loud, could she?
Nevertheless, looking deep into those beautiful deep blue eyes that seemed to be able to read her very soul like an open book, Haruka felt as if Michiru had already figured out what she wanted to say...
With a sigh the young violinist closed her eyes: "You're right, Haruka. I've been a little emotional tonight... please, forgive me."
But the tall blonde just shook her head: "There's nothing to forgive. I've been emotional myself... remember? You're just worried.. and so am I. But I know.. I know we can do it."
Being so close to this angelic creature, Haruka couldn't help but think about the months she had spent with Michiru since that day at the track when they had first met, then there was the cruise and her decision to become Sailor Uranus after Neptune's fight with the boy who had turned into a youma... it had been such a long time and so many things had happened... it wasn't exaggerating to say that her meeting with the aqua-haired beauty had completely changed her life. In spite of the
nightmares, fears and responsabilities she now had to take care of, Haruka was more than sure it was a better life.
And yet not one of those thoughts escaped her lips while her teal eyes were locked with Michiru's blue ones. It was something that she couldn't and shouldn't say.. most of all, it was something Michiru didn't have to know. After all, there was no way that the clever girl could read her friend's mind like that, was there?
After another brief moment of silence, the young violinist finally smiled enigmatically "Hai.. as long as we fight together..."
And with that last, soft statement, the conversation was over.

The next morning was a quiet one like so many others had been.
They were sitting at the kitchen table, eating their breakfast in a comfortable silence.
After a while, Michiru looked up from her cup of tea to have a better look of her partner, who was reading the newspaper.
The tall blonde seemed to be rather absorbed in the article she was reading... was it about politics? Economy? Crime column?
Of course, not. Even though the aqua-haired beauty couldn't see it, she was more than sure Haruka's captivated look was due to the sports section.
A whole week had gone by since Nami had left and the young violinist was more than sure that her partner was still thinking about the red-haird girl. Haruka would never admit it, but she had grown fond of Nami, just like a little sister.
It was then that her mind went back to the talk they had had just some hours ago... to the gentleness Haruka had showed her and the blonde's reassuring words... an alarm seemed to go off in her head. These were dangerous thoughts and she couldn't let them grow into desire, not when the Silence was approaching... not when she had forced her partner to make that promise.
After all, it was just enough being around her every day, especially in the morning when the young violinist could view the intimate side of Haruka...
With a warm smile Michiru kept on watching the blonde, until she couldn't help herself and a soft giggle escaped her lips. At that moment, the young car racer finally raised her head from the newspaper to regard her smaller partner with a questioning, surprised look: "What's so funny?"
"Your hair. It's all messed up..."
Haruka's eyes twitched at the remark, then the girl unconsciously passed a hand through her wild sandy-blond hair. It was still early in the morning, of course her hair was ruffled... she was still wearing her pyjamas, after all!
But before she could even try to defend herself, Michiru quickly moved forward and stole the newspaper from her hands with a sweet, mischievous smile: "Don't worry, Haruka, you look cute."
Luckily for her, the young violinist had just started to read through the front page and couldn't see the effects of her words on the now crimson blonde.
'Cute'... how many people could venture such a comment about Haruka without paying the consequences? Well, the answer was more than obvious. The young car racer had learned a long time ago that Michiru could say whatever she wanted to and that was because... well, because she was Michiru.
The tall blonde then coughed, trying to sound casual, and purposely changed subject: "About today..."
"We end our lessons at 12 p.m., then I have to meet with the school orchestra for the acoustic arrangements at the park..."
"Then I will be waiting for you at the same place."
As Haruka mentioned the 'same place', an amused smile appeared on the young violinist's lips: "It looks like you really love it..."
Knowing that her partner wanted to tease her, the blonde just shrugged and stood up: "At least I have something to entertain myself with there." then she left the room to go and get her uniform.
"The girls you used to flirt with aren't enought any more?"
Haruka took her time before giving an answer: "No, they are just.. different."
"Different?" the smaller girl questioned with a sceptical look.
"Yeah, different. Now if you don't mind, I have to change for school."
"Of course." Micbhiru replied, following her partner with her eyes as the taller girl left the room.
Then she focused again on the front page of the newspaper was the breaking news of another youma attack in Tokyo that had been foiled by Sailor Moon and her gang. The story covered half a page... she couldn't help but wonder if these other soldiers would try to interfere with their mission. Should they consider those Sailor Senshi as allies or just more enemies getting in the way?
It seemed that they weren't interested in finding the Talismans nor did they know anything about the Silence. Yet they could be a problem... a real problem...

It had all started with the challenge from Ginta-kun during the school trip.
The shy boy had even tried to involve the blonde with other videogames, but soon enough he had understood that she was only interested in racing games and that's why he had showed her 'that place': a game center.
There Haruka could play her favourite F1 race simulator and relieve tension... and with Michiru preparing for a school concert in the nearby park, the young car racer had the perfect opportunity to spend her free time not only flirting with girls, but also playing her favorite game. And this day was no exception...
As Haruka stepped in the building, she greeted with a nod the boy at the register before hearing some unusual noises... like someone squealing.
She easily located the source as she approached the race simulator.
Two girls - obviously younger than herself - were racing together.
It was clear that the one with strange dumpling-like blonde hairstyle had lost to her friend - another blonde with long hair and a big red bow. The girl with the bow who was now trying to convince her companion to play again - talking about the importance of what they were doing (yes, she was a strange girl).
Looking at the two, Haruka couldn't help but think how cute (and funny) these girls were and she stepped up and joined the conversation: "Hey, young girl.. could I join you then?"
Her appearance seemed to have completely caught their attention and not a second later, the girl with the red ribbon had dismissed her friend: "Oh, please.. have a seat!"
Then Haruka spoke to the odango-haired girl.. "Would you mind holding my bag?" but again it was her friend who replied for her: "No, she doesn't. Let her hold anything you want." and the race begin.
Having grown quite accustomed to the game, the young car racer was confident enough to give the other girl a good head start...
The girl standing nearby pointed out that the race had started. Haruka, unconcerned, explained herself.
"I know, but I have to give her a handicap."
This surprised her friend and made the offended racer go even faster.
But then it was Haruka's turn to show what she could do. Her car easily reached the top speed and overtook the one of the other player and put the girl with the red ribbon one lap behind before the race ended.
"I lost completely!"
"Nothing like that. You did pretty well too." Then looking to the girl with a charming smile: "Let me say that such a pretty girl has a good game sense."
As the tall blonde expected, her words seemed to cheer the young lady up: "Do you think so? Well, I'm often told so..."
It was at that moment that a familiar voice interupted: "Sorry to be late, Haruka." and Michiru came toward them.
"See you, girls. Let's play together next time, dumpling-haired girl."
Then, as they were leaving, the aqua-haired beauty addressed her with an insinuating tone: "You've become good friends with them, did you?"
"Are you jealous?"
"Maybe..."
Of course Haruka knew her partner was just joking... it was always like that between them, wasn't it? Nevertheless the tall blonde wanted to justify herself: "They are cute, like kids..."
They walked in silence for a while until the young car racer spoke again: "However, you've finished the arrangments earlier than I expected."
It was a simple statement, nevertheless Michiru took her time before answering, pointing to a café they were passing by: "Let's have something to eat."
Haruka obliged straight away, knowing that her partner had something on her mind.
They took a seat at a secluded table and ordered some coffee that the waitress brought them in a few minutes.
The café was a small one, quiet and intimate... it was the perfect place to talk about such things: "I can feel it. The sea is now getting stormy again. We have to watch out in this town."
"That's right..." the blonde sipped her coffee, then.. "We have to be ready for the next attack... I wonder who will be the victim..."
"A person with a pure soul... someone who is known for the sincerity of his heart."
"Is there such a person in this world?"
For such a bitter comment Haruka earned a worried look from her partner that dissuaded her from pushing the matter further: "So, what are we going to eat for lunch? I'm starving."
"Oh my..!"
"What?" the young car racer was rather alarmed by the shocked look on the smaller girl's face.
"Our bento... I forgot them at the park... I had put them near the instruments and didn't get them when I left."
Worry was quickly replaced by amusement: "Nani?"
"I'm not joking, Haruka."
"I know, it's just.. not like you, that's all."
At that remark (or maybe the grin that her amused friend was desperatly trying to hide), the aqua-haired beauty didn't know if she should be more offended or ashamed.. "The others from the orchestra should still be at the park."
"Let's go and recover our lunch, then."

After having paid the bill, the young couple left the café to reach the park. On the way to recover their forgotten lunch, they took a familiar road...
"Why don't you wait here?"
The sudden question caught the blonde off guard.. "Nani?" then she followed Michiru's line gaze until she noted the sign of Kameda's Tuning Service. "Are you sure?"
The aqua-haired girl just nodded "I'll be back soon." and then left, while her taller partner entered the garage with a happy smile.
There was a mechanic working on a car (or better say under), someone that Haruka seemed to know: "Kameda-san..."
The man's head came out from under the car to see who it was and was greeted with a "Good afternoon."
"Oh, hi. You're back again..."
"Pardon me for interrupting..."
"Just a second, I'll be done soon."
"Hai."
The man stood up, cleaned his hands with a rag stained with grease and then moved to the front of the car to fix the engine... Haruka was right by his side.
She had known Kameda for a while... he was an expert mechanic and had also repaired her car a few times. He clearly loved his job and Haruka admired him for this, because he could do what he wanted (and probably had always dreamt) to do with his life...
And Michiru knew all of this, didn't she?

After a while the tall blonde decided to move aside and stand by the entrance, not wanting to get in the way.
It was then that she spotted the hem of a blue skirt out of the corner of her eye... she already knew who it was and yet wondered if the two had really followed her all the way from the game center: "Ehi, little kittens, how long are you going to hide there?"
The head of the girl with the red ribbon finally popped out of the corner with an embarrassed smile: "Did you know?" She was soon followed by the one with the dumpling head.
The young car racer walked out of the garage towards the low wall on the other side of the road and then spoke: "Tenou Haruka, first year of high school."
The statement seemed to surprise the two girls causing the tall blonde to go on: "You want to know about me, right?"
A big smile lit up their faces as they replied in choir: "Hai!"
Then both girls put a hand behind their head with a perfect synchronization.. "That's right." commented the girl with the red
ribbon while her friend just trailed off: "..right."
Haruka was quite amused by this unusual couple, then with a thoughtful look she wondered: "Is there anything else you want to know..."
"Hai!" hand raised above her head, the girl with the ribbon was ready with a question: "Who is the woman you were with?"
"Who?" her friend echoed again.
The tall blonde looked surprised, but didn't have the time to say anything since her inquisitor was pressing on: "What's your
relationship?"
"What kind?" the dumpling urged.
"Is she your girlfriend or not?"
"Is she?"
The question was unexpected: "My girlfriend? Michiru?"
"Michiru? Does that show your relationship?"
"Does it?"
For a moment, a brief moment, Haruka really didn't know what to say...
Michiru.. her girlfriend? The aqua-haired beauty had always arouse much stronger emotions in the stubborn blonde: fear, anger, happiness, respect, unconditional trust, desire, love... could a girlfriend do all of this? The answer was obvious...
"Our relationship is just more than that..."
That simple statement seemd to break the girls' hearts... something that the charming Tenou Haruka couldn't stand: "But don't give up. You still have a chance..."
The blue eyes of the girl with the red ribbon were now dreamy again.. at least until a soft voice brought her back to reality: "Don't be deceived."
"Michiru.." the young car racer wondered how long her partner had been listening (not for too long, she hoped), nevertheless she already knew that a scolding session was waiting for her...
"You're always saying that whenever you see a pretty girl."
Just as she thought. She had to fight hard not to smile: "Don't say it like that."
"Do you think you can say anything about it to me? I wonder if I should go home with your lunch..."
"Oh, come on!"
The charmed girl choose right that moment to step in: "A question! Are you Haruka's girlfriend?"
The dumpling head just by her side: "Please, answer yes or no!"
"No." was the calm reply they got from the young violinist... the answer she was supposed to give... what the two girls wanted to hear since they were interested in her taller partner.
Haruka's girlfriend... no, she definetly wasn't. Their relationship lacked all the basic things that a couple would do, like kissing or dating... and yet her bond with her blonde friend was so much stronger than the one between two lovers, so much deeper...
It was all about destiny.
Destiny had brought them together and destiny was forcing them not to be together as they wanted to... and who knows how their future was supposed to turn out...
It lasted for nothing more than a second, but when Michiru looked into Haruka's teal eyes, she knew for sure that they were thinking the same thing: girlfriend or not, what kept them together was something much stronger than any other relationship... a red thread that linked their souls, destined souls.

The End


Author's Note: First of all, I want to say thank you to all the people who read this story and kept on supporting me with their reviews and emails... Destined Souls is dedicated to all of you, guys: )
A very special thanks goes to my editor, Saun, for her never ending patience and her extremely helpful advice. Arigatou : )