Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.
Author's Notes: Last chapter! Thanks for everyone's support.
I also want to thank Insankitty/Mali/Forgottensyste m for the fanart dedicated to this story. Here's a link if anyone is interested:
size=1 width=100% noshade>Journey Ahead
Malachite grinned, "Unfortunately for you, I think you will have to die today."
Uranus raised her quivering hand. Her eyes darted to Neptune once again before focusing once again on her enemy. She'll need to find a way to reach her partner and untie her before Malachite could reach Neptune. Closing her raised hand into a fist, Uranus cried, "World Shaking!"
An enormous explosion filled the clearing, shaking the earth beneath their feet. Chunks of rocks and dirt poured downwards on the three. Taking the opportunity, Uranus sprinted over to the direction Neptune was in, coughing as she inhaled the dirt that filled the air. The blonde could feel buckets of pebbles and dirt shower on her body, becoming nestled in her hair and clothes and scratching her bare-skin. Closing her eyes tightly, Uranus continued to find her way through the raining dirt.
She could feel her partner nearby, coolly waiting for her. The blonde's steps were rushed and inelegant as she lumbered forward. A few times Uranus tripped over something but quickly regained her balance. Her partner's presence grew stronger with each step. Eventually, she could hear Neptune's tranquil breathing. Reaching out with her hand, Uranus felt her skin contact with something rough, much like tree bark. Moving her hand lightly over the trunk of the tree, Uranus' hand collided into something warm.
"Neptune?"
"Uranus…"
Opening her eyes, Uranus met Neptune's calm ocean blue eyes. Uranus' hand slid down from Neptune's shoulder and onto the threads that tied her partner to the tree. As soon as Uranus' hand contacted with the threads, she could feel them stirring to life. Slowly, a few sluggishly unwrapped themselves from Neptune and slithered up Uranus' arm. Uranus pulled her hand away before any more strands of thread could reach her. The thread tugging on her hand faltered and broke.
"Uranus, you don't need to worry about me. You need to take care of Malachite."
Neptune's words seemed to flutter past the blonde without effect. Uranus' lips twisted into a light frown as her attention remained focused on her partner. She knew Malachite was still out there, and she knew that she had to dispose of him but Uranus found that she couldn't move away from her partner. The blonde glanced down at the threads enveloping Neptune and noticed that they were gradually contracting around her partner. Uranus looked up, glancing sharply at Neptune.
"They're draining my energy. You have to hurry before Malachite regains his power," her partner said delicately.
"Malachite will kill you when all your energy is drained and you're no more use to him."
Neptune glanced down at the ground, for some reason, she was unable to look into Uranus' sharp eyes. The gray-green orbs had shimmered with concern and distress, making Neptune want to tell Uranus to stay by her side. She knew she couldn't ask her partner to do that no matter how much she wanted to. Instead, the aqua haired princess murmured quietly, "I know."
"I can't let him do that." Uranus said fiercely. Her hands reached forward and touched down on Neptune's shoulders causing the aqua haired girl to look up. The blonde was surprised at how cold her partner's skin was. Uranus' eyes traveled to pale Neptune's face. Her hands tightened their grasp on her partner. She could feel her partners' energy slowly trickling away like the sands in an hourglass. She couldn't abandon Neptune.
"But you can't break through the threads, and if you touch them, they will ensnare you and drain your energy as well," Neptune whispered. Her eyes shimmered but the aqua haired soldier didn't show any fear. "I know you can stop him before he drains all my energy. Uranus, I believe in you."
The blonde faltered. Struggling to find her voice, the blonde whispered, "But what if I am not able to complete this task on time? What if I am too slow? I… I can not let you die."
Neptune smiled soothingly. "It is hard to believe that the wind senshi would call herself slow," she said teasingly behind her poignant eyes.
Uranus' hands quivered as she held on to Neptune's shoulders. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Malachite rising to his feet. He appeared worse for wear, with bruises and scratches littered across his skin. The man's elegant white hair was covered in dirt drooped limply down his face. Malachite would be ready to strike within a few moments. Uranus looked torn as she glanced from her enemy to her partner.
"Michiru…"
Malachite wiped away a smudge from his cheek and glared irately at Uranus. Blood dribbled down his left arm wounded by a jagged rock that had cut through his clothes. In addition, his body was littered with numerous other injuries caused by Uranus' attack and the explosion of rocks. The white haired man clenched his teeth as he glanced at his opponent.
"Haruka…" Neptune gazed at Uranus' shaking hands and back at her partner. Neptune's ocean blue eyes looked questioningly into Uranus' gray-green orbs. Neptune slowly realized that this might be the last time she could look into those gray-green eyes. Pushing aside the logical part of her mind and ignoring the strenuous sensation of her energy draining away, the aqua haired soldier leaned forward as much as she could with the threads tied around her waist and pressed her lips against Uranus'. Neptune felt her partner's eyelashes flutter delicately against her cheek and her grip on her shoulder loosen. To her surprise, the blonde didn't pull away. The kiss was soft and brief, but lingering. Neptune closed her eyes, and pulled away. She could sense Malachite gathering up his energy and drawing more of hers as he prepared to attack. "Malachite—"
Uranus pressed a finger to Neptune's lips and shook her head. Ignoring the threads that were crisscrossing around them, Uranus cupped her partner's face in her right hand. The threads now encased them, trapping the captives inside the spider web like structure. Neptune shook her head. If Uranus didn't leave now, then they would both die together.
"Uranus, you have to leave now."
Threads began to shoot forward and catch around Uranus' arms and legs. The blonde disregarded the threads that pulled on her and lowered her hands to grasp the threads that fastened Neptune to the tree. She was going to free Neptune even if the threads were to ensnare her as well. Grabbing a fistful of threads, the blonde pulled against the strands, in hopes of breaking them.
"I'm not leaving without you," Uranus said through gritted teeth as the threads already wrapped around her tried to pull her away from Neptune. The blonde bit down on her lip as she felt her energy slip into the threads and travel to Malachite. Ignoring this, Uranus continued to focus on the task at hand. She could feel the threads in her hand cut through her gloves and bite into her skin, however Uranus was determined to break them. The threads around Neptune quickly came to life and slithered up Uranus' glove and around the blonde's neck.
"Uranus, please, just leave without me." Neptune cried, her eyes filling up with tears as the additional threads began attacking her partner. Her eyes widened as she watched the numerous threads dig into her partner's skin, creating fresh cuts. "Uranus!"
"Michiru, I can't leave you because I love you!"
Neptune's eyes widened as Uranus' words echoed repeatedly in her mind. The usually calm and collected senshi seemed lost for words as she stared at her partner. "Uranus…"
A golden light suddenly filled the clearing, causing the two senshi to shut their eyes against the blinding light. Through her eyelids, Uranus saw the light die down into a dim glow and slowly opened her eyes.
Neptune also opened her eyes and gasped when she saw a shimmering sword hovering in between her and Uranus. Neptune gazed at the both elegant and deadly sword in awe, taking in the stunning details of the object. The sword had a golden hilt and a deadly looking blade decorated with jewels. Glancing up at Uranus, Neptune saw her partner wrap her gloved hand around the golden hilt and swing the sword around her, easily cutting through all the threads like they were butter.
Spinning around, Uranus rushed to her partner and slashed through the threads tying her partner to the tree. Dropping her sword, Uranus descended onto her knees to catch Neptune as she fell forward.
"Michiru, are you all right."
Neptune smiled softly as she looked up at Uranus. "I'll be fine. Malachite…"
"But—"
"I'll still be here when you get back. I promise."
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Malachite re-gathering his energy. Eyes flashing angrily, Uranus decided that her had caused enough damage. Gently laying her partner down on the ground, Uranus rose onto her feet.
"Malachite."
The white haired man drew back the broken threads, and looked up to meet his opponent's eyes. Malachite's usually calm face was now twisted with fury. Forming a fist with his hand, Malachite drew a handful of energy. A dim glow surrounded the man and Uranus could tell that the man was running out of energy.
Slicing her sword through the air, Uranus ran forward, drawing up her energy and pushing it into her sword. Overhead, Uranus could see a flickering ball of energy flying in to her direction. Lifting her sword, the blonde sliced the sharp blade through the energy ball, causing it to disperse in streams of light around her.
Uranus closed her eyes, feeling the wind rush past her and sweep through her tangled hair. She felt it whisper to her and guide her movements. Her navy blue dress fluttered softly as the blonde flowed forward. Haruka's feet seemed to float on top of the grass, as the wind senshi effortlessly glided forward. Lifting her talisman, Uranus closed her eyes and swept the sword in a graceful arch.
"Space Sword Blaster!"
Waves of light shot towards Malachite, engulfing the man completely. Then a loud blast shook the clearing leaving nothing but a column of dust. Everything that followed was deathly silent.
Uranus slowed her run, watching with narrowed eyes as the dust around Malachite cleared. Her knees trembled from weakness but Uranus forced herself to stay standing until she knew for sure that Malachite was dead. Holding her breath, the blonde clutched tightly onto the handle of her sword, as if expecting Malachite to burst out from the cloud of dust and attack her.
Seconds ticked by as Uranus stood patiently and breathlessly waiting for the dust to clear. Her blonde hair fluttered in front of her eyes and the grass beneath her feet flowed back and forth, irritating her legs. Sweat trickled down Uranus' cheek and collected over her brow but the blonde did not dare move her hand to wipe it away. Taking a shuddering breath, Uranus watched as the dust slowly blew away to reveal an empty clearing.
"What!"
Uranus' eyes widened. Where did Malachite go? The blonde spun around, frantically searching for Malachite. Her green-gray eyes fell upon her injured enemy, clutching on to his left arm. Uranus froze as she realized that he was heading towards Neptune.
Even as she lifted her foot off the ground, Uranus knew that she wouldn't be able to make it on time.
"It is hard to believe that the wind senshi would call herself slow."
The wind whipped past her tear streaked face and brushed against Uranus' fluttering clothes as the blonde ran forward.
"I'm not leaving without you."
No matter how hard she fought her way towards Neptune, Uranus knew she wouldn't be fast enough. Time seemed to slow, and all Uranus could do was continue to run her agonizingly slow steps and watch as Malachite lifted his knife above Neptune's throat.
"Michiru, I can't leave you because I love you!"
"Michiru!"
Neptune felt cold hands wrap around her shoulders and harsh breathing on her cheeks. The presence around her was alien and the aqua haired warrior tried to register what was happening. Wincing slightly, Neptune tried to lift her heavy eyelids but was unsuccessful. Her head throbbed painfully, causing the aqua haired princess even more difficulty in thinking straight. Something was happening. Trying to lift her arm, Neptune was shocked to find that all her limbs felt like they were made of lead.
"Michiru!"
Upon hearing Uranus's voice, Neptune's eyes snapped open. Opening ones eyes and awakening to see your opponent leaning over you was is not a good thing for anyone --especially if he had a knife in his hand. Eyes widening in surprise, Neptune's eyes followed the motion of the knife as Malachite lifted it above Neptune's slim neck.
"Michiru, move!"
Years of training kicked in as Neptune forced her body to roll aside, narrowly avoiding the knife as it became buried in the ground beside her. Gasping for breath, Neptune placed her shaking arms beneath her and tried to unsuccessfully lift herself off the ground. Beside her, she felt Malachite rise maladroitly onto his feet and step unsteadily towards her. Neptune knew she was helpless in her prostrate position. She could sense the ground beneath her bruised hands and cheek vibrate as Malachite stepped closer and closer.
Tilting her face to the side, Neptune met Malachite's ice-cold eyes. She had no more energy to fight back. All she could do now was lay face down on the ground and wait for the knife to be plunged ruthlessly through her body. Knowing that she had nothing left to fight with, Neptune felt her transformation slowly unravel and her energy drain away as she returned to her regular form.
"Uranus…"
Michiru closed her eyes, feeling the wind lift her hair off her face and whisper soft words in her ears. The grass beneath her face felt cool and comforting as they rustled softly, tickling her cheek. The footsteps had stopped and Michiru lifted her eyelids to meet Malachite's charcoal black boots. It took a moment for the aqua haired princess to notice that the boots were tattered and soaked with blood in some areas.
They were so close. How could they lose after all the effort they put in? Against her will, Michiru's eyelids fluttered shut delicately. She couldn't give up. She promised Uranus that she would still be here. She couldn't die…
Michiru felt her clothes rustle as something soared past above her in a gust of wind. Uranus. Her lips formed a small smile as Neptune fell into unconsciousness.
Uranus leapt over Michiru's motionless body, slamming herself into Malachite. Both warriors tumbled onto the grassy ground, momentarily stunned. Uranus was the first back onto her feet. Without pausing for a moment to think, Uranus dashed forward, her sword ready in her hand. Her opponent was already recovering and climbing back onto his feet. Uranus met Malachite's frosty eyes. Without pausing for a moment to think, Uranus plunged the sword into Malachite's chest.
Blood. The Uranian warrior felt her gloves slowly soak up the warm blood that seeped out of Malachite's wound. The abhorrent odor of blood filled the air while Uranus tightened her grip on the damp hilt of her sword. Closing her eyes, Uranus pulled her sword out of Malachite's body. Blood squirted out from Malachite's chest, staining Uranus' outfit. Taking a deep breath, Uranus dropped her sword onto the ground and fell on to her knees. She had reached her limit. Turning her head to the side, Uranus glanced down at her partner.
"Michiru."
Reaching forward, Uranus gripped the grass in front of her and pulled herself forward. Uranus winced as the blades of grass scraped her wounds and bruises. Uranus felt her transformation slowly come undone. Feeling slightly better that her clothes were no longer soaked in blood, Haruka continued to crawl forward despite the loss of her powers. Reaching forward with her hand, Haruka laid her fingers on Michiru's palm. Smiling softly, Haruka let the darkness surrounding her, envelop her and carry her into a deep slumber.
XXX
The room slowly came into focus as Setsuna opened her eyes. Staring at the soft blue rug in front of her for a few moments, the Queen of Pluto remained motionless for a period. Blinking a few times, the Senshi of Time speculated what had happened. She had recalled the threads trapping Neptina, Urana and her. Their energy was slowly draining away as the three strived to keep the time spell operational. Then the threads suddenly tightened around them and all became dark. Her right hand tightening around the cool handle of her staff, Setsuna pushed herself off the ground. Feather light strands of thread slid down her body as Setsuna forced herself into a sitting position.
"Urana, Neptina."
"Gah, I feel like I've been run over by a bull." Urana muttered as she sat up, rubbing her head. The Queen of Uranus forced a smile on to her face as she turned to Setsuna. "Are you all right?"
Setsuna nodded as she turned to glance at the bed Neptina was in. The blankets were tossed aside and the pillows appeared to be thrown on to the floor haphazardly. "I'm just worried about Neptina."
Urana smirked as she placed her hand on the wall and stood up shakily. Looking down at the bed beside her, Urana placed a hand on Neptina's cheek. "She is always the last one to wake up. She'll be fine."
Turning to look outside the window in Michiru's room, Urana narrowed her eyes. "It looks like Haruka and Michiru succeeded."
Haruka groaned as the sound of chirping birds filled her ears. She didn't want to get up from bed now. Pulling the blankets closer to herself, the blonde buried her head into her pillow.
"Haruka, you better get up."
The blonde felt someone tugging at her blankets and growled softly. It was like this every single day. She had no idea how her mother could wake up so early. The Queen surely had better stuff to do. Yet everyday, she would come into her room to wake Haruka up for her lessons before her duties at court.
"Mom, just a few more minutes."
"You've been sleeping enough already."
Haruka groaned getting ready to throw her pillow at her mother before realizing something. Her mother hadn't been able to be by her side and wake her up in the morning for some number of years. Everyday on Pluto, Michiru would be the one to drag Haruka out of bed and when the blonde wouldn't comply, the aqua haired princess would literally haul Haruka out from under the covers and shove her into the washroom.
Opening a blurry eye, Haruka glanced up to see her mother leaning over her. The Queen's shoulder length blonde hair swayed elegantly back and forth as she looked down worriedly at her daughter.
Looking around, Haruka realized she didn't recognize her surroundings. Silky blue curtains filtered the bright light from the morning sun on her left while on her right was an elegant dressing cabinet, a desk and a night table. The carpet was a light creamy color, which complimented the snowy white color of the walls.
"Where am I?"
"Triton Palace," Urana replied. Seeing Haruka's confused expression, Urana chuckled softly. "You're still slow in the morning. Then again, you were asleep for three entire days."
Haruka opened her mouth to question what her mother meant but closed it as the events slowly started flowing back to Haruka. The blonde suddenly sprang up from the bed. Turning to look around her frantically, Haruka turned to look inquiringly at her mother.
"How is Michiru?"
"Haruka, please don't do that," Urana commanded as she pushed Haruka back down onto the bed. The Queen of Uranus looked down at her daughter and sighed softly.
"You know, that is the first thing Michiru asked me when she woke up," a new voice commented coolly.
Haruka turned towards the doorway to find Queen Neptune standing there with a raised eyebrow. The Queen had a light frown on her face as she walked towards Haruka. Haruka's relaxed a little knowing that Michiru was fine but kept wary. Neptina's comment repeated itself in Haruka's mind, keeping the blonde alert. Keeping a careful eye on Neptina, the blonde noted that she did not look very impressed. Neptina's eyes, though tired, were icy and sent chills down Haruka's back, giving her the feeling that she had been doing something she was not supposed to. Haruka tried not to squirm while briefly wondering how often Michiru had been given that look while she was younger. Perhaps that is why Michiru seemed unaffected by most of the glares that instructors gave her, which, by the way, was not very often. Regardless of the situation, Haruka let a grim smile grace her face.
Taking a seat beside Urana, the Queen of Neptune leaned forward and stared at Haruka straight in the eye. Haruka looked straight back up at Neptina. She could sense that Neptina had knowledge of her relationship with Michiru. No matter what happened, Haruka was going to stick by Michiru's side. Power radiated off the Queen in rolling waves, causing Haruka to feel even more wary.
"You and Michiru are more than just friends."
It wasn't a question but a statement. Haruka remained silent but did not turn her head away. She knew where this was leading but didn't help Neptina along the way.
"What is she to you?" Neptina pressed, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"I love her."
Haruka heard her mother shift in the chair beside her but Urana didn't intervene. For this, Haruka was thankful. Haruka knew that she would have to talk to her mother sooner or later about this but this wasn't the way she wanted the Queen of Uranus to find out. They would wait until later to talk it out. Meanwhile, she would need to focus her attention on Neptina.
Neptina raised an eyebrow. "Do you even understand what love is?"
Haruka sat up in the bed, this time without Urana pushing her back down.
"Why do I need to define love in order for me to love someone?" Haruka asked, trying to keep her tone even and temper under control.
Neptina reached forward with cold hands and tilted Haruka's chin upwards.
"Because," she replied evenly, "I do not believe you understand what you are getting into."
Haruka pulled away from Neptina and glared angrily at the Queen. How could she say that? The only reason Haruka had pushed away Michiru –the only reason they kept away from each other was because they had thought of the consequences and had measured the situations they were in. Whether it was because Michiru had wanted the best for her kingdom or Haruka knowing that their feelings will get in the way of their duty, they did it because they did understand. It was Neptina that didn't know the sacrifices they had made and the pain they had been through to achieve what they had now.
"What do you know?" Haruka argued.
"I know that if you and Michiru become lovers, you would be ridiculed by many," Neptina answered as she grabbed on to Haruka's shaking wrist. "I know that if you and Michiru become lovers, you might not be able to defend the solar system effectively and that your feelings will get in the way of duty. I know—"
"If we are ridiculed, I will hold my head up high and still love Michiru all the same," Haruka shot back, "I will be by her side always. If we are hated, I will be there to support her. No matter what happens, I will not let anyone harm her.
"If we would not be able to defend the solar system effectively, we will train harder and hone our skills. We will work together to defeat opponents and perform even more effectively as partners."
"Do you really love Michiru?"
"Yes."
Neptina sighed and dropped Haruka's wrist. Looking down forlornly she placed a hand on Haruka's shoulder.
"You are just as determined as Michiru aren't you?" Neptina murmured softly to herself. The Queen glanced down at Haruka, her wavy hair falling softly down her shoulder. Her eyes softened as she spoke. "Your path ahead will be difficult."
"We will be ready to handle it together."
Haruka turned to her mother to see how she was managing this and was flabbergasted to discover that her mother looked rather pleased. The Queen of Uranus turned her head to face Neptina and smirked.
"I told you they knew what they were doing."
Neptina sighed and ran her fingers through her long wavy hair. Her expression was a mixture between uncertainty and sadness as she glanced down at Haruka. Michiru and Haruka loved each other dearly; Neptina could tell from the fire in their eyes when she spoke to them about the other. Yet, she didn't want these two children to face what lay ahead for them. She had thought that they were too young to understand but they had proved her wrong over and over again. She had seen this coming in her mirror for a long time and had tried to prevent it. She had ordered Michiru to keep away from Haruka, taught Michiru strictly on matters of how duty came before your own desires and had even forced Seiya on to her daughter. There were many times when she had doubted what she was doing and wondered whether she was doing the right thing as a mother. Yet looking at Haruka now and after hearing Michiru's own words, she had no doubt that the blonde would be able to take care of Michiru and whatever came in their way. Neptina closed her eyes, remembering the conversations she had with Michiru.
"I… I love Haruka."
Neptina felt her breath catch in her throat. So Michiru had finally said it. The flashes of the Michiru's future she had seen repeatedly in the past passed quickly across her mind. She had tried to prevent it numerous times in the past. She had worked effortlessly to lead Michiru away from this path, and yet, she had failed. Neptina felt her nails digging in to the palms of her hands as she glanced down at Michiru.
"You love Haruka?" Neptina repeated slowly, not quite to anyone. Her eyes flashed dangerously as she glanced down at Michiru. "Do you understand that both of you are girls? Do you understand what would lay ahead if you and Haruka became lovers?"
"I understand that I love her." Michiru gazed down at her hands and smiled softly.
"And do you think it would be worth it in the end?" Neptina questioned, her tone not quite angry but not pleased either. "Many people will not be understanding. Many people will look at you with scorn. Many people will try to tear you apart. Will you be able to deal with that?"
"Yes."
The answer struck Neptina hard.
"Why?"
What made Michiru follow her heart while she followed her mind? What made Michiru willing to deal with so many hardships ahead? Neptina gazed sadly at the daughter. Why was she unable to do that herself? Perhaps she had not loved Zhen as much as she had thought.
Michiru lifted her head and said quietly, "Love."
Neptina suddenly felt a headache creeping up on her. It was either the poor health she had been having lately or Michiru's sudden declaration of love for Haruka. Whatever it was, Neptina clasped on to the bedpost and placed her forehead in her hands. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Michiru biting her lip.
"I'm sorry mother, but I could not marry Seiya."
"So Haruka loves you as well?" Neptina asked, feeling slightly irritated that she would have to deal with Seiya's family and cancel the engagement. However it was apparent that Michiru was determined not to marry Seiya.
"Even if she didn't I would not want to marry Seiya. I would remain by her side and protect and support Haruka."
Neptina closed her eyes. How different Michiru was from her. Briefly, Neptina wondered if she would have done the same for Zhen if she had not married Asuran. Perhaps Zhen still would have wedded with Urana but would she have stayed by his side? The path she had chosen was based on her duty as a Queen and though it was not what she had wanted, Neptina decided that she could live with the ending. The path Michiru is choosing… Neptina opened her eyes and gazed at Michiru.
Michiru gazed defiantly up at her mother.
"I want to be with Haruka. No matter what happens," Michiru said with a small smile on her face."
Wincing slightly, Neptina decided to stop the memory there instead of reliving the moments she had when the invisible threads tied around her were activated. That was not one of the proudest moments of her life.
Smiling sadly, Neptina recalled the moments after she had woken up from her unconscious state and how the three of them had rushed to the cemetery to find Haruka and Michiru.
"I see you're awake, you're always so slow," Urana teased as she reached down and pushed back a stray strand of hair from Neptina's face. Furrowing her brow, Neptina looked up at her partner and frowned.
"I'm not slow," Neptina mumbled, as she tried to clear her blurry vision. "You're just abnormally fast."
Urana straightened up and laughed. "I never knew you had a sense of humor."
Sitting up, the Queen of Neptune glanced around the room. Setsuna was by the doorway of the room speaking with a few castle maids. The expression on Setsuna's face was serious as she listened silently to what they had to say.
Turning around to look at Neptina and Urana, Setsuna gestured for them to follow her.
"Haruka and Michiru? Did they succeed? How is everyone else?"
Setsuna's lips thinned as she tried to explain their situation.
"The residents of the palace and the people that were residing here after the attack on the city have taken the secret passage out of the palace under your officer's commands so they are safe."
Neptina nodded, satisfied that her officers were able to keep level headed in a dangerous situation like this and take the appropriate actions with out her command. The hours spent discussing and setting down rules, regulations and actions to take in different situations appeared to be worth it after all.
"The palace residents are slowly returning. As for Haruka and Michiru… No one knows where they are yet."
Their footsteps quickened down the hallway.
"But they are alive," Urana said. "I could sense them, but not very well."
Setsuna bit her lip; though they could feel Haruka and Michiru's aura, it was definitely very weak. When she was usually in close proximity to Haruka and Michiru, Setsuna could feel their power shimmering like a warm fire –not as refined as Neptina's and Urana's –but still very bright.
Setsuna nodded, "I just have a hint of their aura. Neptina?"
The two turned to look at the Queen of Neptune, knowing that her ability to sense others were more refined then theirs. The marine haired woman nodded, stepping ahead of Setsuna and Urana. Though she had a stronger sense of where the two children were, it was still very difficult to pinpoint their exact location. All she could do was head in the direction where she felt that their aura was stronger.
"This way," Neptina said, turning abruptly down a corridor.
Pausing at a fork in their path, Neptina closed her eyes as she tried to locate Haruka and Michiru.
"Why don't you have a mirror as your talisman?" Urana teased lightly, causing Neptina to open her eyes and stare at her partner with a baffled expression. "It would be easier for you to locate Haruka and Michiru."
Neptina raised an eyebrow and reminded in a grim voice, "My flute has saved your sorry self many times."
Urana laughed. "I'm not saying that I do not appreciate your flute."
Frowning softly, Neptina held out her hand and called for her flute. Something Urana said had struck something in her memory. When she was still training to be a senshi, Neptina had often complained to her parents about her talisman. Why was her talisman a flute while most of the family had something that was able to look into the future, see what is not normally seen and able to find things that are lost? Though she had the Neptunian ability see through weaker illusions, her talisman did not enable her to strengthen that skill. Throughout her years of training with Urana and Ruby, she was able to learn many things about her talisman and use it to its full extent. Shimmering dimly, the flute slowly appeared on her palm.
"Your power is still low," Setsuna reminded Neptina.
The marine haired woman nodded, telling Setsuna that she understood. However… Glancing at Urana, she smiled softly before lifting the flute to her lips.
"I see," Setsuna commented with a small smile on her lips.. "You're trying to call Michiru's talisman with yours. Looks like the flute is more useful than you thought Urana."
"Hey, I never said that it wasn't useful," Urana protested.
Closing her eyes, Neptina blew softly on her flute. The soft and moving tune reverberated in the corridor and flowed effortlessly like a river through the air. Setsuna could feel her staff shaking in her hand in response to Neptina's flute. Urana's sword reacted in the same way and the Queen of Uranus gently placed a hand on the hilt to calm the sword. The three senshi suddenly felt a surge of power coming from their left.
"The power is too strong for just one talisman," Setsuna murmured softly as they headed towards the source of the power.
Urana felt her brow furrow. Then that meant that Haruka's talisman had showed up. Perhaps the situation was more urgent than they had thought if Haruka's talisman had appeared. The task should have been easy because the mage had been held down by his spell on the three of them. Had something gone wrong?
The three stopped as they stood in front of the gate leading to the cemetery. The ground was scorched in many different areas and the entire area looked like it had been bombarded with numerous asteroids. In the middle of the battleground was the glow of two talismans. The three headed in that direction, their shoes softly crunching the grass beneath them.
Neptina knelt down beside her daughter. Her gaze traveled down her shoulder to her arm and then her hand, which was held in Haruka's. Both senshi had content expressions on their faces and seeing the two like this made Neptina's heart clench painfully.
"Michiru…"
Neptina slowly raised her head and turned to Urana. Her partner looked down at the scene in front of her and sighed. Urana didn't appear surprised but she didn't seem overjoyed either.
"I wanted to prevent this," Neptina whispered. "I had done everything. I thought I had it under control and was almost sure that Michiru wouldn't fall in love with Haruka."
Running a hand through her hair, Urana turned to Neptina and said quietly, "The best we can do now is support them through whatever is to come."
So Neptina had waited until Michiru had awoken and asked her if it was really the future she wanted. Her answer was just as firm as ever. She would stay by Haruka's side until the end.
"Haruka… take good care of Michiru."
Charon Palace. Six months later.
The fire cackled warmly in the dining hall of Charon Palace. The aroma of soup filled the air, telling the princess that it was almost time for dinner. Michiru glanced down at her sketch and frowned at what she saw. Tapping her quill irritably, the Princess of Neptune glanced back up at the vase that she was supposed to be drawing.
"What's wrong? You look displeased," a silky voice said.
Michiru smiled as she felt someone slip behind her and glance over her shoulder at the sketch. The familiar scent of her partner filled the air, warming Michiru's insides.
"This sketch, it doesn't look right," Michiru answered, frowning at the drawing in front of her; however, all her attention was currently focused on the blonde behind her. "What are you doing here? I thought you were training with the Combat Master."
"I got bored," Haruka replied airily, wrapping her arms around Michiru.
"Meaning she beat you."
"Hey," Haruka protested. "I'm not that bad. Why do you immediately think that I lost?"
Michiru brought her hand up to muffle a giggle.
"You're right, I should think better of you," Michiru whispered as she turned around in Haruka's arms. She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her partner's lips.
The two were silent for a while, just content to be with each other. The past six months have been hard. The two senshi had worked to their full extent to make sure that they kept their promise to their mothers. They would not let their bond weaken them in battle. Haruka and Michiru worked extensively on their attacks and made sure that their techniques were flawless with the help of Setsuna and the Combats Master on Pluto. After many days ending with bruised bodies and sore muscles, Haruka and Michiru were confident in their abilities.
"What are you thinking of?" Haruka suddenly asked.
"Mm… I'm thinking about the earrings my father left me," Michiru replied with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I was just thinking that I should have taken better care of them."
"Oh, that reminds me…"
Haruka reached into her pocket and brought out a small piece of cloth that was folded into a neat package. "I wanted to give this to you."
Blinking curiously, Michiru reached forward to accept the package. Carefully unfolding the silky cloth, Michiru gasped in surprise as she found two earrings. One was the one her father had given her. The aqua marine earring glimmered brightly, reflecting the light from the warm fire in front of her. Michiru felt her eyes begin to fill up with tears. She had thought that she had lost them. Blinking away the tears, Michiru glanced down at the other earring. The other was an amber earring that was shaped like a star. Michiru ran a finger over the earring taking in its texture and design. It glowed warmly in Michiru's hand.
"This earring…" Michiru frowned. She had seen this design on Uranian flags and pictures. Looking more carefully at the earring, Michiru noticed the symbol of Uranus glowing from within the stone.
"My mother gave this to me. I don't like wearing it so I thought I would give it to you," Haruka said casually.
Michiru felt her eyes tearing up again. Michiru stared down at the earrings and glanced back at Haruka. "Thank you."
Haruka smiled and kissed Michiru softly on the lips. The two pulled apart when they heard a snicker from across the room. Leaning against a door was palace guard. The man looked at the two princesses with contempt. An ugly smirk was plastered on his face as he walked forward.
"Now isn't that sickeningly sweet?" He said.
Haruka rose to feet, her hands clenched into fists. Michiru placed a placating hand on Haruka's arm as she rose to her feet as well. Haruka glanced at Michiru through the corner of her eye, still keeping her focus on the man in front of them. Michiru gave her partner a look that said that she would handle this.
"Is there a problem?" Michiru asked coolly as she faced the man.
"Yes, there actually is," he replied. "And that is you two."
Michiru felt Haruka's muscles tighten and tightened her grasp on Haruka's sleeve. If they beat up everyone who had a problem with their relationship, then it certainly wouldn't make people like them better. She and Haruka had discussed this before.
"Haruka…"
"I can't just stand here and let him insult us."
"You can't beat him up either!" Michiru said softly.
"But we can."
Haruka and Michiru both turned to the doorway to see three familiar faces standing behind the palace guard with wide smirks on their faces. Michiru raised an eyebrow while Haruka relaxed and smirked evilly at the guard.
"Why do you look so amused?" Michiru asked as Haruka leaned back to watch the show.
"Because I know those three can beat a person up really well."
"Haruka," Michiru said warningly.
After leaving the palace-guard as a bloody pulp, and rolling his unconscious body out of the room, Seiya, Taiki and Yaten flopped down on couches with grins on their faces.
Haruka looked over Yaten briefly before turning to the other two men sitting across from her. Seiya appeared as dislikable as always, with his cocky smile and sparkling eyes. Sitting beside Seiya was Taiki, looking reserved and disinterested as he looked around the room.
"What are you three doing here?" Michiru asked, slightly surprised at the appearance of the three men.
"A visit," Seiya replied waving his hand in the air as he spoke. His deep blue eyes sparkled with mischief as he spoke. The raven-haired man took off his burgundy jacket and threw it aside as he leaned back on the couch. "We didn't have time to properly so good bye on Triton Palace with so many things happening."
"Where ever he goes, I follow," Taiki replied nonchalantly gesturing towards Seiya. "You know Seiya --he couldn't take care of himself if his life depended on it."
Haruka chortled. Taiki ignored the indignant yell from Seiya, which was caused by his comment and smiled politely at Michiru as she opened her mouth to speak. Huffing like a child, Seiya crossed his arms over his chest and satisfied himself with glaring at Taiki.
"How is it on Neptune?" Michiru asked curiously.
"Repairs are going well and it is flourishing more than it ever has with the help from Queen Uranus," Taiki replied while Seiya just shrugged, apparently not interested in such matters. The raven-haired man leaned back on the couch with his arms tucked behind his head as he stared lazily at the ceiling.
Haruka's eyes lit up at what Taiki had said. "It seems that the relationship between our two planets have finally settled."
The brunette nodded, looking pleased as well. "Many things will be easier that way. Plus Neptune needs all the help it can get."
"How are your parents?" Michiru asked Seiya politely as Haruka conversed with Taiki. Her last meeting with them did not end up well because of Michiru's decision to cancel the engagement. Though Seiya seemed pleased, his parents didn't take it too well at all.
"They've probably forgotten about the incident," Seiya said waving the topic aside. "They're still trying to marry me off though. They probably can't wait for me to leave home."
"I'm sure you'll find a nice girl to settle down with eventually," Michiru said thoughtfully.
Briefly pausing his conversation with Haruka, Taiki turned to Seiya and snorted into his hand. This caused the raven-haired man to raise an eyebrow at his usually reserved bodyguard but he remained silent. "If you're talking about Seiya settling down, I don't think it is very likely."
His eyes sparkled as he looked at Michiru. The princess of Neptune didn't know Seiya quite as well as he did, and he was quite sure that it would take a very unique woman if Seiya were ever to settle down.
"I would feel sorry for the woman he does settle down with," Haruka smirked.
"Hey, what does that mean?" Seiya cried as he jumped up from his relaxed position on the couch and slammed his hands on the table.
Haruka met Seiya's raging face calmly. "Nothing really, it's just if you randomly kiss girls, it's likely you wouldn't make a good partner."
Haruka was obviously still upset about Seiya kissing Michiru. Actually, upset was an understatement considering the homicidal glare that Haruka was sending Seiya. The blonde's eyes flashed dangerously as the two locked in a staring contest.
Michiru was about to stand up and pull Haruka back to her seat before a fight ensued but was save the effort when Yaten reached up with his hand and jerked Seiya back on to his seat.
"Hey," Seiya yelled indignantly. "What was that for?"
Hesitating slightly, Michiru turned to face the last member of the group who had seemed content to not say anything so far in the conversation. "Er… Yaten, what are you doing here?"
"Seiya dragged me along." Yaten replied, looking at Seiya out of the corner of his eye. Shifting all his attention to Michiru, Yaten raised an eyebrow at Michiru's perplexed expression. "I would have come back for a visit even if he didn't though."
Michiru bit her lip as she glanced over at Yaten. She and Haruka had discussed her relationship with Yaten before and Haruka had told her firmly that her relationship with Yaten was over and that he had betrayed her. Michiru's ocean blue eyes met Yaten's lime green orbs. Despite what Haruka said, she still wondered about Yaten. Was he still a threat to her?
"Why are you with Seiya?" Haruka asked, interrupting Michiru's thoughts.
Yaten broke his eye contact with Michiru and shrugged, mumbling something about duties.
"A few months ago when we were visiting Uranus for business, Seiya was attacked by thieves," Taiki explained. "Let's just say that Yaten helped us out in a tight situation. So in the end we offered him a job as Seiya's bodyguard."
Yaten snorted. "I only helped because they were interrupting my lunch."
Feeling eyes on him, Yaten turned to face Michiru. "Do you need something?"
Blinking in surprise at Yaten's directness –she had forgotten what it was like being with Yaten—Michiru frowned and said that she didn't need anything. It wasn't that she was afraid to ask. She didn't care what Yaten would say to her question or how he would react. She just didn't want to call this to attention in front of so much people --especially Haruka.
"I'm hungry," Seiya said suddenly, jumping onto his feet. Stretching his hands he looked towards the door. "Beating up that palace guard sure took up a lot of energy. What are they serving tonight?"
Striding towards the door, Seiya left the room. Not far after him were Taiki and Haruka. Yaten also got to his feet and started exiting the room. The man paused as he felt a hand softly grab onto his arm. Sighing softly, Yaten turned to Michiru with an annoyed expression.
"Michiru are you coming?" Haruka asked, waiting by the door. Her eyes lingered on Yaten before her cobalt blue orbs focused again on Michiru.
"Yes, I'll be there in a minute," the aqua haired woman replied.
Turning to look at Yaten once more, Haruka turned and left the room.
"I thought you didn't want anything from me," Yaten said coolly as Michiru let go of his arm. The silver-haired man flung back his long silver hair as he appraised Michiru. "If you want to discuss my relationship with Haruka, all I have to say that we are just friends. Maybe not even…"
Michiru furrowed her brow as she digested his words. Yaten wasn't one to bother with lies or with half-truths so she trusted what he said about Haruka with a inner sigh of relief. What did bother her slightly were his last words. "Maybe not even?"
Yaten shrugged. "Haruka likes to hold grudges."
"Oh," Michiru murmured quietly.
She understood that. She was quite sure that Haruka still was angry with Seiya for kissing her half a year ago and still looked murderous whenever she mentioned the man. Let's just say that she didn't even wish for her worse enemy to fall into Haruka's bad side. Glancing at Yaten, Michiru felt slightly sympathetic. If she and Yaten hadn't started on opposite sides, they might have become friends. She remembered the conversations she had with Yaten alone and had briefly saw what lay underneath his mask of indifference a few number of times. Yaten wasn't that bad of a person, she decided.
"I'm sure Haruka has forgiven you," Michiru said quietly. Yaten's expression changed slightly for a moment before returning to his normal expression. Michiru smiled, realizing that Yaten really did care for Haruka. "Come on, we better not dawdle too long, or they'll wonder where we are."
As Michiru left the room, Yaten glanced towards the ceiling and sighed. "I can tell you're there… Haruka."
The blonde raised an eyebrow and slid out from behind the door. Yaten turned around, his hands behind his back and met Haruka's eyes for the first time since he had come into the room. The two were silent for a while.
"It's been a while," Haruka finally said as she walked forwards.
"Yes, it has," Yaten answered quietly.
Haruka reached into her pocket and brought out her remaining amber earring. Taking Yaten's hand, she dropped the earring onto his palm.
Yaten glanced down at the earring, confusion written all over his face. She had given Haruka the earring when he said that they would start a new friendship that was free of any hidden motives. Did that mean that Haruka rejected his friendship? Yaten glanced up and looked at Haruka sharply.
"Yaten," Haruka began, "I want you to keep this."
Yaten closed her hand over the earring and brought it to his side. He looked at Haruka dejectedly before nodding and turning away.
"I gave the earrings to the two people who have influenced he the most in my life. One to Michiru and one to you," Haruka said loudly, causing Yaten to stop. "I can not hold a grudge against you when you have showed me the world and have taught me to follow what I believe in. Yaten… thank you."
Slowly turning around, Yaten hesitantly reached out with her hand and placed it on Haruka's shoulder before brushing past Haruka. The blonde spun around and blinked in confusion.
"We don't want to keep everyone waiting do we?" Yaten asked, glancing over his shoulder.
Shaking her head, Haruka followed Yaten, with a smile on her face. Crossing her arms behind her head, Haruka gazed up at the ceiling and smiled with contentment. The future ahead may seem dark but she had the people she cared for by her side and that was enough for her.
End