Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.

Aurhor's Note: Sorry about the short chapter. I'll try to make it longer next time. Oh, and for those old readers, I strongly suggest that you reread the older chapters because I have rewritten a lot of parts in the story. Er… why are you glaring at me like that?

Revenge

Rustles from outside the room caught the aqua-haired princess' attention. Alarmed, the woman slid off her bed, sweeping past the elegant marine-colored curtains and on to the cool stone balcony. Michiru was instantly greeted with a breeze of fresh air. Breathing in deeply, the aqua haired woman glanced around the gardens outside, searching for the cause of the disturbance.

Her gaze fell onto a familiar figure near the flowerbeds. "Yaten?"

The figure jumped in surprise, peering around to see who had spoken his name. When his eyes fell onto Michiru, he greeted her stiffly. "Princess Michiru, what are you doing up so late at night?"

"I had trouble sleeping," the violinist replied, shivering slightly. "What are you doing?"

"Just taking a stroll, not against the law is it?" he replied nonchalantly while glancing around the garden. "Go back to sleep Princess."

"I can do whatever I want."

"Yeah, like what you did to Mimet earlier," Yaten snorted. He was wondering why he was here talking to the Princess of Neptune. Glancing at the woman in standing on the balcony above him, Yaten could feel distrust emitting from the woman.

Michiru stiffened and looked away. Her voice shook slightly when she spoke. "I don't know how it happened... I didn't..."

Michiru wrapped her arms around herself, her back still facing the silver-haired man. "I couldn't have pushed her in. I couldn't have…"

"Listen," Yaten said hesitantly. "Why don't you invite Mimet over tomorrow for tea or something to apologize. Haruka and I could join too if you like."

Michiru spun around, her eyes widening as she looked at Yaten. "Would you?"

Though Michiru wasn't sure herself what had happened at the canal earlier today, she found that she had to make things up to Haruka. If Michiru lost Haruka's friendship over a little misunderstanding, she would never be able to forgive herself.

Examining his nails, Yaten nodded slightly.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" Michiru found herself asking the man standing on the ground below her.

Yaten snorted and stuffed his hands into his pocket. "Why are you asking so many questions? I'm helping you aren't I?"

"Yes, but..." Michiru hesitated. What if he was planning something?

Seeing the suspicious look in Michiru's eyes, Yaten said impatiently, "Haruka's locked herself in her bedroom ever since we got back. She's been bottling up all her frustration over the past few days and acting like everything is okay. There is a problem and I'm tired of waiting for this issue to solve itself on its own."

Michiru smiled bitterly. Haruka wasn't one to go around moping and complaining. She kept things inside her and if Yaten saw through Haruka's mask and knew that Haruka was unhappy over the last few days, then perhaps they were a excellent pair. The silver-haired man was also willing to come seek her out to try and make Haruka happy. I guess he really does care for Haruka... Michiru sighed sadly and glanced back at Yaten. She would have done the same thing in his position.

Michiru hesitated for a second before crying out, "Was Haruka really mad?"

After she was unable to answer why Mimet ended up in the canal, she had fled from Mimet, Haruka and Yaten, leaving them all dripping wet in the middle of the marketplace. She just wasn't able to stand the disappointment in Haruka's eyes. After all the time they had been together, why did Haruka not realize Michiru was not the type of person who would push someone into the canal? Nevertheless, it probably had not been a excellent plan to run off on them either.

"I'm not Haruka, why don't you go ask her instead," Yaten said bluntly.

Michiru frowned at the answer and the tone of voice used on her but decided not to comment on it. If it were any other individual she would have considered the person to be extremely unfriendly and rude. However, Yaten was Yaten; Constantly irritable and sarcastic. Despite that, Yaten seemed to be slightly likable.

"I want to ask you a question," Yaten said suddenly, his face turned upwards towards Michiru. For the first time in the entire conversation, Yaten's sole attention was focused on Michiru. "What do you value the most?"

"What do I value?" Michiru repeated carefully. She contemplated not answering him but decided that since he had bothered to come over and attempt to help mend her relationship with Mimet, she might as well answer one straightforward yet dangerous question for him.

"Yes."

"Freedom to be myself." Strange. It was strange that she had told Yaten the answerout ofher own free will. No one else in the universe knew. No one had bothered to ask. No one else cared to see what Michiru wanted; they only saw what they wanted the girl to be. Still, Yaten probably wasn't asking this question out of concern for the woman.

"Freedom?" Yaten repeated in disbelief. Out of all the other answers, why did she choose freedom? "Not gold, not silver, not power?"

"I believe that freedom is much more important than all of those."

All lies. They are all complete lies. He didn't want to listen to this. Yaten looked away from Michiru and shrugged casually. "Well, I've wasted enough time here."

Without looking back, the silver-haired man headed down the glittering path that ran through the palace gardens and back in the direction where the guest rooms in the palace were located. His attention was focused elsewhere as his feet automatically took him down the path.Freedom... Yaten shook his head and looked atwhere his feet had taken him.The young man paused as herealized he was standingbelow Haruka's room window. Soft light filtered through the curtained window, falling onto the garden below. Yaten stood in the comforting light, his face incomprehensible.

Why? Was freedom really more valuable than money and power? He closed his eyes and remembered the day he had gotten the same answer from another girl. How long ago that day seemed...

"They have everything, money, servants, power! Things a person like me would never be able to have." Yaten laughed bitterly as he said those words. It was unfair. Why did he have to live the day he did, scraping for food day after day while others have servants serving their every need?

They don't have everything," the boy following him murmured.

Yaten stopped, causing Haruka to collide into him. He spun around to face Haruka with eyes that flickered with anger.

"I don't see what you mean."

"They don't have freedom."

Yaten laughed bitterly. "Freedom? So what if they don't have freedom? They have everything else! I would give up my freedom to have all that!"

Haruka was taken aback.

"No... Freedom is priceless."

After that day, he had discovered who Haruka really was. He was never able to forget the betrayal he felt in his heart that day and he probably never would be able to forget. Yaten curled his hands into small shaking fists and stared at the room where Haruka slept in. He would never be able to forgive her... He could never forgive Haruka.

Mimet frowned as she studied the letter in front on her. She didn't have time left. She needed to finish this quickly. He was getting impatient. Various thoughts ran through the young woman's head as she reread the letter again. She needed a way to finish this. She was so close.

Hearing a knock on the door, the young woman quickly folded the letter and placed it in her pocket. Straightening her hair, Mimet called out, "The door isn't locked."

A smirk fluttered across the woman's face as she watched Yaten trudge into the room and collapse onto the couch. Frustration, anger, bitterness, many emotions were imprinted across his face. Curious, Mimet shifted off the bed and walked over to sit on the couch facing Yaten.

"I can't do this anymore," Yaten said, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the back of the couch.

Mimet's eyes flashed with rage as she rose onto her feet.

"Are you giving up!" Mimet cried, her voice echoing around the room. "After we have come so far, you're planning to let go of everything now?"

"I just-"

Mimet stomped around the table separating her from Yaten. Her eyes glinted dangerously as she stared down at the silver-haired man. "Giving up should be the last thing on your mind. Have you forgotten everything?"

Yaten opened his eyes and found Mimet's face inches away from his own.Scorching rage radiated from the petite woman. Turning away, Yaten said softly, "I haven't forgotten."

"Feel anger. Feel the thirst for revenge. Victory is so close." Mimet breathed onto Yaten's neck. "I don't ever want to hear you say that you want to give up ever again. Do you understand?"

Hesitating slightly, Yaten nodded and Mimet drew away, seeming to be satisfied. The anger that had twisted her face before had disappeared and she had returned to the sweet young woman that everyone else saw. Yaten smiled bitterly. No one would ever guess who Mimet really was just by her appearance. It was really quite pitiful.

Nodding with satisfaction, Mimet strode away.

"I need to do something," Mimet said, as she picked up her coat and headed towards the door.

Yaten's eyes followed her back as she disappeared behind the door and out into the hallway. Her heels echoed softly a moment or two before they too, faded away.

"Haruka," Yaten breathed softly. The silver-haired adolescent stared out the window and at the clouds that seemed to be brewing in the sky. It seemed so long ago that Mimet had found him alone in the forest on the day that he had found Haruka's true identity. Betrayal and the feeling of pain had been fresh in his heart. It had torn him apart, knowing that Haruka had lied to him. Anger and pain was the only thing he could feel. Nothing else seemed to exist anymore. Mimet told the young boy of her plan to help him get revenge and had convinced him to find Haruka before she left for Pluto to tell the princess that he had forgiven him. After that, they had spent the next few years planning Yaten's revenge.

Revenge… it was the only thing on Yaten's mind back then. He focused solely on finding a way to get revenge. He had convinced himself that he could never forgive Haruka. Mimet had helped feed the anger on until they had come to Charon Castle to visit Haruka. This was where everything would come into place.

Yaten's closed his striking lime-green eyes. The anger was fading. This was something he had not planned on; something he failed to consider. Over the last few weeks with Haruka, he had felt the anger slowly fading away. Why? He had spent the last few years feeding the anger he felt towards Haruka, how could it face away so quickly? Had she forgiven her? Yaten sighed quietly. Was it because of her -the very person that she had hated with all his life over the past few years? Haruka…

Haruka rested her head against the cool glass of the window. The weather outside seemed to reflect her mood fairly well. Dark clouds twisted and turned in the gloomy night sky, a sign that a storm was coming.

"Michiru…" Haruka murmured. She knew her partner well enough to know that Michiru wasn't the type of person to push a person into a canal once she got angry. Yet, she had felt doubt when Michiru failed to defend herself and explain what had happened. Images of the uncertainty in Michiru's face flashed across Haruka's mind. What had happened?

Haruka, if I were you, I would reconsider the friends I choose if they push people in to a canal once they lose their temper! The words echoed loudly in Haruka's mind. Despite what Mimet said about Haruka choosing friends, the blonde never regretted being friends with Michiru and if asked the question today, she would still say that she doesn't regret having Michiru as a friend. They both needed each other.

A smile lit upon Haruka's face. They would get through this somehow. They always do.