"Mother, how are you feeling?" Beryl asked, reaching up to stroke Michiru's cheek. "We have a long day ahead of us."

Michiru instantly pushed the girl away. She pointed at Malus, staring him down with a clearly malicious glare. "What did you do to me?" she screamed, pointing at him the whole time. Michiru recognized the room as being the place she remembered last being in, but something was different. For a moment, she remembered what Malus had told her earlier. She looked at the girl with red hair and realized what had happened. Michiru only stuttered and gasped as she entered a fit of madness. Was Haruka safe? What if he…what if he did something to her while-

Before Michiru could delve any further into hysteria, Beryl crossed over and took her hand.

"Mother," she said so seriously that it was almost sarcastic, "What is wrong?"

Michiru pushed her away again, this time taken her by surprise and causing her to fall on the cold, hard marble. Michiru backed onto the bed.

"Please," she cried, "Please let me go back!"

Beryl picked herself from the floor. "That won't be necessary."

"Please…Haruka- where is she?"

"While you were sleeping so soundly, I took away the life of that retched woman. She was calling your name when she died." Beryl giggled, cleared her voice, and then made an eerie replica of a very desperate sounding Haruka screaming her name. Beryl then turned her palms toward Michiru, showing her her own blood that still lingered there. "It was very enjoyable."

Michiru sank into the bed, not crying, but with a soul so broken that it was impossible to cry. Beryl, very satisfied, took advantage of her weakened state and took hold of her mind.

"Mother, stand," she ordered.

Michiru regained her composure and stood next to her daughter, her face void of emotion.

"Mother," Beryl said, pointing at Malus. "Kill him."

Michiru nodded and brutally obeyed, eliminating the man who was no longer of any use to Beryl.


"I won't do it," Haruka decided, whispering nearly inaudibly.

Pluto tightened her grip on her staff. "Uranus, I am not going to let your selfish ideas jeopardize our chance one more time!" Pluto shouted, turning on her partner. "How many times have you two-"

"Don't you dare say anything about her!"

Haruka ran through remorse, skipped placidity, and abruptly entered a stage of deep anger. Before Pluto knew what was happening, Sailor Uranus's powerful hands were around her throat. The senshi gasped as Pluto's staff clamored on the floor. Haruka strengthened her hold, but Pluto did not resist. She released her grasp a moment later and then sank to the floor.

"I'm pathetic, Setsuna. What can I do? She was right there in my grasp, but I could not do anything. And now we don't even know what they might have done to her. I couldn't even protect her. What can I do?"

When Haruka raised her head from her hands, she did not bother to hide the tears streaming down her face.

Pluto retrieved her weapon and turned her back against Uranus. She remembered clearly how Uranus had turned on her and Saturn before. How her miscalculations resulted in unneeded casualties and pain. And she was sick of it all. In a place deep in her heart, she would have done well without having to see Uranus or Neptune again, but the feeling of duty was stronger.

Once more, Pluto gave up her attitude.

"Haruka, you are not pathetic, but what can we do for Michiru if all you are going to do is sit down and act like a child?"

Haruka looked up at Pluto with her tear-stained face. "Why did it have to be her?"

"Because she is pure of heart and body, and she had something that she would give that up for," Serenity stated gently, finally speaking up.

As they had found out too late, the three of them, Pluto, Uranus, and Neptune, were all candidates for pure hearts. However, Haruka had seen Setsuna with a man, and memories reluctantly resurfaced of the time when her own chastity was stolen. Michiru was the only one of them that could technically be called 'pure of heart and body'.

Serenity took Haruka's hand and tried to comfort her. "We will do everything we can to help her, but we will need your assistance to find her. You have been here before, haven't you?"

Haruka picked up the little girl and held her tightly to her heart. "Will you stay with us after it is over?"

"When my duty is done, I will no longer be able to keep this body. We only have a limited amount of time, Beryl and I."


Majestic Weirdo: Once again, please review. Also, could you tell me if you prefer more chapters that are shorter and updated more often, or longer chapters that are updated less quickly. Your choice.