Dislaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.
I Will Never Leave You
Decorative lanterns hung on strings strung above the numerous shops and stands, emitting a warm glow while people dressed in kimonos wondered the noisy streets. The stars glittered brightly in the dark night sky, and the wind whispered softly as it twisted through the many streets of Charon.
Michiru gazed in wonder as she followed Haruka through the vast market place of Charon. Who knew that such a tiny planet had so many people. Michiru struggled to keep up with Haruka as they wondered through the crowded marketplace. Conversations and laughter filled the warm night air and Michiru couldn't help but feel content to be walking amongst them like a regular person.
"Aren't you glad Setsuna let us come to the festival?" Haruka asked, looking over her shoulder at Michiru. The young girl smiled as she led her friend through the crowded streets.
The aqua-haired princess nodded and smiled softly at Haruka. Though she didn't show it, she was absolutely gleeful that she had the chance to come out of the palace to visit the marketplace. Charon castle was really nice, but she still felt some presence of the pressure she felt at home. If she didn't do well, her instructors, Setsuna and her mother would be disappointed. She couldn't disappoint them. She had already failed her friends, she couldn't fail anyone else.
"Hey Michiru, hurry up!" Haruka called. "It looks like something is happening over here."
The two princesses gathered around a huge stage where a crowd was slowly gathering. There was an excited buzz in the air as more people came to join the crowd. Giving a puzzled look at Haruka, Michiru stood on her toes to see over the heads of the people in front of her in hopes of finding out what was going on. The stage stretched for about five meters and was decorated with many colorful lanterns, and curtains, while fireflies hovered in the air around the perimeter. The crowd seemed to glow with excitement as they waited for the event to begin. Laughter and joy seemed to traveled through the crown, touching everyone within its reach. Suddenly all conversations came to a stop as a figure stepped through the curtains of the stage.
"Ladies and gentleman," a young woman shouted as she walked onto the stage. "Welcome to our annual moon festival competition!"
The crowd cheered loudly, whistling and clapping. Michiru and Haruka joined in, both equally as interested.
After the crowd had calmed, the hostess smiled widely, her even teeth flashing. "Tonight, we will be playing for various prizes and hosting many different competitions. I hope everyone will enjoy it as much as I will."
The crowd burst into applause once again.
"In the first competition we will be testing your mathematical skills, the prize being..."
Michiru watched curiously as the people from the crowd went up onto the stage one after another in attempts to win prizes from the many different activities. The young princess cheered as she watched people do the funniest things from performing daring stunts to inventing the most hilarious dances. The crowd was very enthusiastic cheering everyone on and making everyone feel welcome. More and more people from the streets gathered around the stage to join in the fun and games. Time flew by quickly.
"Michiru, look at that," Haruka said, pointing to the next prize that the hostess held in her hand.
"For our next competition, we will be competing for this elegant sword, made by the finest craftsman from Jupiter. For this competition, we will be testing your knowledge of our solar system. Contestants please come up."
Haruka grabbed Michiru's hand as she pushed her way through the crowd and onto the wide stage. The aqua-haired girl paled as she realized she was on stage with so many people watching her. It wasn't that she had never been on a stage before but, Michiru had performed many times in front of others back home. So why was she nervous now?
"Look at all these contestants! Well, we'll start with our first question," the hostess said, walking down the row of people. She reached the end of the stage and turned to the first person.
"All right, dear, which planet is second from the sun?"
"Um," the young boy fidgeted nervously as the hostess smiled kindly at him. "Mars?"
"So sorry, but that is the incorrect answer," the chatty hostess said, patting the kid on the back. The crowd cheered loudly for the boy as he walked off the stage, feeling somewhat elated even though he had answered the question wrong.
Michiru watched nervously as the hostess traveled down the line of people. She couldn't do this. She just couldn't. What if she disappointed Haruka? She didn't want to lose Haruka as a friend. If she lost, would Haruka leave her?
"Michiru, are you okay?" Haruka asked, turning to face the panicking girl. She frowned softly as she noticed how pale Michiru looked. "If you are feeling sick, we could go back to the palace."
"I'm fine," Michiru said, trying her best to hide behind her mask of calmness. She smiled reassuringly at Haruka. She could tell that her friend really wanted to win the sword. She couldn't ruin the chance for her. "Don't worry."
The hostess smiled brightly as she stopped in front of Haruka. "Looks like it's your turn. Let's see how you do. Name one planet that has only one satellite."
"Earth," Haruka replied coolly and with ease.
"Very good, we better watch out for this young contestant," the chatty hostess said, moving on to the next person. Stopping in front of Michiru, she asked curiously, "Out of curiosity why do we have a sweet girl like you competing for a sword?"
"I'm..." Michiru paused as she looked into the woman's beautiful amber eyes. From the corner of her eye, Michiru could see Haruka silently encouraging her. Michiru smiled, before answering, "I'm doing this for a friend."
"Well, he (or she) must be very lucky to have a friend like you," the woman said, as she turned to the crowd. "All right, enough of that. Your question is: Which planet does the satellite Triton orbit around?"
Michiru tried to hide her delight. She just couldn't believe that out of all the planets the hostess could have asked about, she had asked about Michiru's own home planet. "Neptune."
"Correct," the woman yelled as the crowd burst in to cheers.
Forgetting her nervousness from before, Michiru glanced around at the remaining people as the hostess continued down the line. There were about fifteen people left. Haruka and Michiru both had had good education because they were raised inside the palace but their were many people here that were older than them. Though this was only a competition, she could sense a tenseness in the air as the people waited with deadly silence for the next question. The crowd on the other hand yelled joyfully as they cheered for their favorite contestants.
"With twelve people remaining, we go into the second round!"
"Which planet is often called the twin planet of Venus because of its similar dimensions?"
"Earth."
"The outer planets are also known as..."
The hostess skipped down the line, this time with less people answering the questions successfully. Haruka and Michiru once again were able to answer their questions correctly. Michiru noticed that Haruka looked almost a little bored as her partner stared blankly into space.
Michiru on the other hand felt the anxiousness return to her as she looked at Haruka. Haruka had never failed to be by Michiru's side to help and protect her, therefore, Michiru knew that she couldn't fail Haruka. Yet doubt still grew in her mind. Would Haruka abandon her if she could not meet her expectations? Haruka was smart and very talented, was Michiru able to match that?
"A dominant feature on this planet is a crater called the Caloris Basin, this planet is?"
Michiru blinked in surprise as she stared at the hostess standing in front of her. Glancing around, Michiru realized that there were only four contestants left. When did that happen? Michiru knew she should have been paying attention. If this had happened at home, she would have been scolded by her mother. "I believe it is Mercury."
"Correct." The crowd cheered loudly for Michiru as the hostess walked onto the next person.
Her mother had pounded many useless facts and information into Michiru's head insisting that she would need it someday. The Queen hadn't let Michiru leave her room until Michiru had memorized everything in the geography book that she had given her daughter. She couldn't understand why her mother was so strict and wouldn't accept anything less than perfect. However, it was proving useful right now.
"The cause of the reddish color on Mar's service is caused by?"
"The iron oxide on the planet's surface," the young man beside Michiru answered with ease. His calm green eyes reflected intelligence and wisdom, and his clothing showed that he had sophisticated style and taste. Michiru couldn't help but feel that it would be hard to defeat him. The boy turned and met Michiru's eyes. The aqua-haired girl blushed softly at being caught staring before turning away from the boy.
"Which planet has winds that are the fastest in the solar system?"
Michiru glanced at the first contestant, wondering if he would be able to answer this question. He appeared flustered and completely baffled as he glanced frantically around the stage as if asking for help. "Um... Venus?"
"Sorry, that is incorrect."
Smiling, the hostess moved onto the next contestant. Haruka. "Why don't you give a shot at this question."
Michiru couldn't read Haruka's expressions as she waited for her friend to answer. Silently, Michiru cheered her friend on.
She watched Haruka hesitate for a second before answering, "Saturn."
"Incorrect," the hostess yelled.
The crowd groaned. Haruka shrugged before walking off the stage. Before disappearing, she turned around and mouthed silently to Michiru "I'll wait for you." Michiru bit her lip as her eyes followed her friend.
"Let's see if you know the answer," the hostess said as she walked beside Michiru.
The young girl glanced up at the tall hostess, tugging nervously at one of her locks of hair. Realizing that her mother wouldn't have liked it, Michiru dropped her hand to her side and nodded politely at the hostess.
"Which planet has winds that are the fastest in the solar system?" the hostess repeated.
"Neptune," Michiru answered, without need for much thought.
"Correct!"
So it was just the two of them left. Michiru glanced uncertainly at her opponent. It was the young man she was staring at before. She wondered how intelligent he really was.
"CORRECT!" The hostess yelled, breaking Michiru's concentration. "Wow, we have some very intelligent contestants here with us today."
"What percent of the Earth's surface is water?"
Michiru paused as she raked her mind for the answer. "Seventy-one percent."
The crowd cheered loudly for the young girl.
"This planet is considered unique because its axis of rotation is tipped compared to the plane of orbit. Which planet is this and by how many degrees is it tipped?"
The crowd waited with baited breath for the young man to answer the question. He shook his head. "I don't know."
"Okay!" the hostess said as the crowd groaned. The woman turned to Michiru. "If you could answer the question, then you will win the prize. Do you want me to repeat it?"
Michiru shook her head. "The answer is Uranus and 82 degrees."
The hostess smiled sympathetically and everyone fell silent. Michiru could have sworn you could hear a cricket chirping if there was one. Even if there was one, a cricket would have been alarmed by the deadly silence and have run away. She glanced anxiously at the woman.
"Ohh, so sorry... it looks like you win the prize!"
The crowd erupted as everyone cheered the winner. Grinning, the hostess handed Michiru the sword that Haruka had wanted. Without waiting, Michiru quickly ran into the crowd to find Haruka.
"Michiru... about the sword," Haruka said quietly as the two princesses walked home from the festival. The blonde-haired princess glanced down at the new sword she carried in her hand. The case encrusted with jewels shimmered and seemed to wink at Haruka as she carried the light sword. "Thanks."
"No problem, Haruka," Michiru replied, glad that she could make her friend so happy. "Haruka... I-"
"Hold on," Haruka said, grabbing Michiru's arm.
"Wha-"
The princess of Uranus held a finger to her lips. Her face appeared alert as she closed her eyes and focused her ears on the surrounding noises. "We're being followed."
In an instant four men leaped out from behind the bushes, holding knives in their hands. Haruka pushed Michiru behind her and drew out her sword. Haruka's eyes were calculating as she sized up the three men. If only they were able to transform but their instructors said that they weren't ready yet. Haruka glanced at Michiru out of the corner of her eye. Michiru did not have a weapon with her. It was better if they avoided a fight.
"What do you want?" Haruka shouted. Would there be people nearby that would be able to hear them?
"We were paid to take your lives," one of the man sneered as he rushed forward towards the two girls.
Looks like we won't have a choice, Haruka thought as she brought the sword up to block the man's knife. The other three men formed a circle that prevented the two girls from escaping. The man struck again and Haruka stayed her ground. The young girl grunted under the force and her arms trembled slightly. Out of the corner of her eye, Haruka could see that Michiru had found a sharp stick lying on the ground and was using it to defend herself from another man. This left only two people to prevent them from escaping. If only they could break away.
Haruka leaped back as the man charged forward once again. She was glad that Yaten had taught her how to defend herself and fight before she left Uranus. Her instructor here on Pluto wasn't bad either. Michiru seemed to be handling herself well. For some reason, her partner had always done everything in her power to prefect all the things she had learned from her instructors. She improved quickly over time and could now even match Haruka in speed. Of course, her attacks still needed some work, but over time, Haruka was sure Michiru would master that as well.
"Michiru," Haruka grunted as she was forced back to back with her partner. "If you find a break, I want you to run for it."
"I can't leave you behind," Michiru said, blocking another strike with her stick. "We're partners. I won't disappoint you Haruka. You mean too much to me."
The two separated again as the men came swinging towards them. Haruka studied her opponent as they both attacked and defended, searching for flaws within his body movements.
Suddenly one of the men came forward, slamming Haruka into a tree. The girl landed with a hard thump against the rough bark of the tree trunk.
All Haruka could do was watch helplessly as the man came forward, ready to finish her off. The princess closed her eyes, waiting for the flashing pain. It never came. Haruka gasped as Michiru crumpled to the ground in front of her.
"Michiru!" cried Haruka, struggled to regain her balance. Scrambling onto her hands and knees, the princess crawled weakly towards her friend. Her face paled as she saw the knife that had been plunged into Michiru's right shoulder. She hugged Michiru's limp body against her chest. "Michiru..."
"It looks like you're finished now," one of the men laughed.
"Dead Scream."
The men screamed as a ball of purple energy came whirling at them. Haruka blinked in confusion. She must have hit her head to hard. All she could remember was calm footsteps walking towards her before Haruka fell unconscious.
Michiru slowly lifted her heavy eyelids as she felt the rising sun tickle her skin. For some reason, her entire body felt as if she had been run over by a herd of elephants. What happened? Memories of the night before came rushing back to the girl as she gasped and pushed herself into a sitting position. The girl gasped as she felt a sharp pain in her right shoulder and slumped back down onto the bed. Michiru closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. The familiar scent of lavenders filled her nose. Glancing out the open window, Michiru realized that she was back in her room at Charon Castle.
"Michiru?"
The girl turned her head towards the open door and saw Haruka sticking her head in.
"Come in."
The blonde smiled as she slowly strode into the room. She couldn't say how relieved she was to find Michiru awake. Even though Setsuna had said that Michiru would be fine, it didn't stop Haruka from worrying. It was all her fault. If only she had been able to protect her.
"Haruka, what happened?"
"Sailor Pluto came and rescued us," Haruka said, pulling out a chair and sitting down beside the bed. "She's talking to our parents right now. The men got away."
Haruka sighed and swept a hand through her blonde hair. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Michiru said, smiling weakly. Michiru felt herself liking Setsuna even more than before. When she had arrived at the castle, she had already liked the Queen a lot for providing her a place to stay even though she was so busy with her own affairs. The princess turned her attention back to Haruka.
"Don't you ever do that again."
Michiru's eyes filled up with tears as she saw Haruka's angry expression. "I'm sorry."
The blonde could have slapped herself but decided that it would only make Michiru more distressed. "No, no. I'm not angry at you. Please stop crying Michiru."
"But I failed you Haruka. I wasn't able to help you," Michiru sobbed, clutching her blankets tightly. "I'm not worthy of being your partner, I'm so sorry. Please don't abandon me."
Abandon her? Haruka felt even more baffled than before. Did she do anything that would ever lead her partner into thinking that she would abadon her? "No, I let my guard down, I should have been there to protect you. You are the best partner I could ask for Michiru and I would never abandon you. What makes you think I would abandon you for a thing like this? You really think too lowly of me."
"No, it's not that," Michiru sniffled. "But my other friends... they left me because I wasn't good enough for them. I failed them as a friend and-"
Haruka didn't know what to think of this. All she knew was that she had to help Michiru. Haruka watched her distressed friends through her troubled green eyes.
"Stop Michiru," Haruka said, reaching out for Michiru's hand. "I don't know who your so called "friends" are but I know that true friends would never abandon each other. Your friends weren't good enough for you. They failed you as a friend and I promise you that I would never leave you."
Once again, Michiru found herself saying the words, "Thank you Haruka."