Shadowed Love

Chapter 6

Eternal Shadow Moon...Make-Up!

How could Frost be a senshi? How could it happen?

No, this was wrong! It was all wrong!

Haruka had to run faster, she had to run away from what she had just seen.

Frost, I can't stay...it's complicated. Those were words she'd said once to the woman she loved. Complicated... that was one word for it.

Had Frost always been a senshi and just hidden? But how could Haruka not know? They'd made love, spent hours talking and laughing. Surely, in all that time, she would have sensed it, somehow.

Haruka, there's more to this then you can understand. One day, you will. One day...if we're lucky, it won't be too late.

Frost...a senshi!

The thought tumbled around in her head. Why had Frost never been mentioned? Haruka had never heard of the Shadow Moon, never. If anyone should have known it was Pluto or perhaps even Saturn. They would have known, they should have said something.

Why had she never heard of her before today?

Where they hiding something?

Haruka stop running; her legs were too tired to run anymore.

She dropped herself on a bench, near a waterfall. She was sweating and the spray off the fountain was cooling. She moved closer.

The look in Frost's eyes ripped at her soul. But Haruka couldn't understand why. That look had been one of pain; sorrow and utter hopelessness.

It was a look Haruka had seen before, but didn't know where she'd seen it. She just couldn't remember. Her hands pressed into her face as she realized she was about to cry. There was even more she didn't understand. Frost was right, she didn't understand.

"One day you will, Haruka."

Her eyes opened, her head lifted slowly. "Setsuna."

The Time Senshi bowed her head, "I was hoping to explain things."

"Explain what!" Haruka shouted, anger filling her heart. "You lied to all of us about the existence of another senshi. You lied!"

"I did not lie." Setsuna was utterly calm, "I was praying she would never been called. The Solider of the Future is more dangerous then any of us, even Saturn."

Haruka's thoughts were racing, "Frost...she's from the Moon Kingdom, like the rest of us."

Setsuna shrugged, "Not like the rest of you.

"What are you talking about?"

"Frost has been regaining her memories from the Silver Millenium. But her story starts long before the Moon Kingdom was real." Setsuna stepped up in front of Haruka but didn't sit down.

"What do you mean. Frost isn't senshi, she would have remembered before now." Haruka's tone was bitter.

Setsuna took a deep breath in, "She is not senshi like you and the others; she is something more." Her voice was cool, as if this weren't groundbreaking news. "She is the Queen of the Shadow Moon; a thousand times more powerful then that of Saturn or I or any you. She is the Herald of the New Age of the Future. She is the reason that the Moon Kingdom began. Her powers forged the Kingdoms of Mars, Mercury and the rest.

As a balance, to keep the powers equal, Saturn was made the Solider of Death and Rebirth. As a way to cancel out Shadow if anything went wrong."

Haruka was quiet for a moment. "Frost remembers all this?"

"Yes. She is immortal. She was there at the beginning, just as she is here, now."

"Why don't I have memories of her from that time?"

"You, as the Princess of Uranus, have been born many times since then. Frost or Chandra as I know her, has not been."

Haruka stood up and took a few steps away from the fountain. This was too much information!

"Chandra, was alive back on the Moon?"

"Yes." The word was sad.

Haruka looked back at Setsuna, "What are you hiding from me?"
The guardian of Time and Space sighed and shook her head, "I cannot..."

"If she was around and she has memories of me, why can't I remember her?"

Haruka clenched a fist, she had a feeling something every important was being kept from her. She spun around and went back to the older woman.

"Tell me!" It came out in a desperate shout. "Tell me why I am tormented by feelings I can't explain. Tell me!"

Setsuna stared into those dark blue eyes and realized she had no choice.

"Queen Serenity thought it best if you and Neptune didn't keep those memories. It was a very troubled time for both of you. Serenity wanted to keep that pain from returning. We need you and Neptune in the Future, as you are now."

"As opposed to what? Why did Serenity interfere?"

"Chandra is against war, she despises it. One of the reasons the Shadow Moon was so distant from us, is because of her total lack of wanting war." Setsuna hesitated, "It's ironic though, that someone who hates such a thing, would be a mastermind at it."

"So what? Why was this a threat?"

"Serenity saw the love between the two of you growing; each day it grew deeper and stronger. She feared, as we all did, including your parents, that if Chandra asked you to leave the Alliance, you would do it. Without you, Neptune would leave, so would Pluto and Saturn. The security and safety of the Moon Kingdom depended on the outer planets. Serenity did the only thing she could think of to protect her beloved daughter and the Future...She erased all memories of Chandra from the mind of your previous self. When you met Neptune you fell in love with her. Not realizing that you had once loved someone else."

Haruka turned away from her, she was so angry! Her body shook with rage and she felt her fists clench to keep from screaming.

Setsuna looked very sad as she spoke. "Frost can ruin everything."

"How?"

The Guardian of Time and Space was silent for a long time. "Tell me honestly. Would you quit being senshi if she asked you?"

Haruka was startled. That was a crazy question! Of course she wouldn't! But...

"She does not like the life of being Senshi, which is why she is not one of us." Setsuna continued. "If she asked you to leave the group, to quit being Sailor Uranus, you would do it."

Haruka was silent. Setsuna was right. She would quit if Frost asked it of her. "What exact powers does she have? All the planets have a princess; the earth has it's prince. What's left?"

Setsuna sighed and closed her eyes and for a moment the silence was heavy.

"Back when the Moon Kingdom was alive, there was another planet. A little and somewhat obscure planet but immensely powerful. Queen Serenity had family that lived there but rarely spoke of them to anyone save Luna and myself. She feared that a rivalry would start between her daughter and the princess of that small planet. If that happened, the White Moon would loose. The princess of that small planet was far more powerful then Serenity."

Haruka suddenly cut her off. "I love Michiru! She and I were together on the Moon, we're together here. That's the way it is!"

Setsuna glanced at Haruka, "It wasn't always that way, as I've said before."

Setsuna could feel the anger and pain, the frustration and confusion. She'd known this meeting would deeply affect Uranus. That's why she had hoped to never have it. She loved the way things were and had no illusions about what would happen if Uranus left the Alliance.

She let out a sigh and tried again. "Princess Chandra came to the Kingdom for a party celebrating Princess Usagi. Serenity and the other planets were all there. During the evening, Serenity launched into peace talks with Chandra. Serenity was fearful of the future and knew that Chandra wanted to join with us. During the course of the party she met you; or your former self. The two of you were instantly in love. There was nothing anyone could do. Serenity was terrified for she knew that if Uranus aligned with Chandra, the power would shift against the Moon."

"So what? Are you saying she some how made me fall in love with Michiru?"

"No, the love between you two is very real, just as it is now. Serenity forbid Chandra from ever entering the Moon Kingdom again. She knew that at first sight of Chandra, your love would break the hold on your memories. Queen Serenity kept your parents from telling you anything about Chandra, other then she had left and would not be returning. For quite a while you were angry, you refused to attend Court or speak to anyone. But then Michiru came and that all changed. The rest you know."

"Why is there so much anger now?"

"Almost two years after this incident happened, Chandra came to the Moon Kingdom to ask you to run away with her. But she saw you with Michiru and knew you would never leave. She knew she'd lost you and that it was because of Serenity."

Haruka had a sudden, horrifying thought, "Did she lead the Negaverse to us?"

"No." Setsuna shook her head and was adamant about it. "No, Chandra did not. But she did not come to Serenity's aid either." The conversation fell silent.

Haruka stood in front of Setsuna and crouched down, "What happened?"

"As powerful an alley as Chandra was, she was even worse as a spectator. When the Dark Kingdom attacked us, despite Saturn's pleas and those of Queen Serenity; Chandra did not come. She stood in the shadows of her palace and turned a deaf ear and blind eye."

"But that's heartless!"

"No, Haruka, it's not heartless. It's...payback." Setsuna took the other girls hand and turned it palm up. "Chandra loved you with her entire being. She was the happiest any one had ever seen her; that includes me and I'd known her for a long time, at that point.

You filled her life with so much love, so much light and laughter. You were the star in her sky and the wind in her wings. Her life had meaning because you were in it.

When Queen Serenity interfered, forced you apart and then had you forget...it shattered Chandra's heart. All of her pure love turned to bitter rage and then slowly to hate. She saw you with Michiru and was helpless to change it. You would not have accepted her then. Just as she fears you will not accept her now."

"Of course I would have accepted her!" Haruka snapped, "Perhaps not as my lover, but I would have..."

Setsuna shook her head, "No, that would never have worked. Chandra knew this, which is why she kept herself out of your life. She knew that a half-love is worse then no love. To not have what Michiru has, would have been unbearable for Chandra. To be close but not allowed to touch, to smile but not laugh, that would have been cruel."

Setsuna released Haruka's hand. "If you really want to know. You never shone so brightly as you did with Chandra. To many your love was the truest they'd ever seen."

Haruka stood up and put space between them. "True...like Usagi and Mamoru."

Setsuna nodded, "Exactly like theirs."

Haruka looked at the hand that Setsuna had held. She remembered Frost's touch; the sound of her laughter. That sound had chased away all fears and doubts, everything in haruka's mind that was not a thought of love. That cool touch on the hand had touched her soul with such deep passion that nothing could quench the fire that yearned for her. She clenched her fist closed and closed her eyes against the sound of gentle laughter.

"What happened when the Dark Kingdom came? What did Chandra do?"

Setsuna was watching Haruka as she spoke. "She left us to our fate and fled to Earth to be reborn when the time came. Queen Beryl destroyed the small planet that was the Dark Moon and there was never any record of it in the history to follow."

"So what powers does she have?" Haruka asked again.

"She is the shadow of the Moon. She is more powerful then Usagi can ever hope to be. Frost is not evil, not even close. But she is the darkness."

"You said she is the Solider of the Future. What does that mean for us?"

"Frost's presence here is two-fold; one she will grant you enough power as senshi to attain your Neo-Princess forms. Which is the start to the Neo-Tokyo Age. The time of Crystal Tokyo. She will activate the Neo Crystal which in turn will evolve Usagi into her Neo-Queen form. The awakening of the Crystal will alter the world in an instant. It will go from what you see here to, to being it's advanced version. Not only will you, as senshi, be responsible for Neo-Tokyo. But for the rest of the world. It's all very complicated after that, but should it happen, you will understand it."

"And her second purpose?"

There was a moments pause. "The second reason is for her try and regain her lost love."

Haruka looked into the fountain. She thought of Michiru, her beautiful, talented, wonderful Michiru. They were perfectly matched as a pair; there was no denying that they were perfect together.

But...

The sound of that laugh, the sparkle in those captivating eyes...that touched haruka more then anything she'd ever felt before.

She knew Michiru would never quit being a Solider. Never. Despite Haruka's growing reluctance about the fight, Michiru seemed to be as passionate as ever.

But around Frost, Haruka didn't care about being a Solider. There didn't' t have to be a mission to keep them together. There was no need for magical powers. Because they created their own magic. Haruka knew that in her heart; the powerful love they shared was more potent then any magic or monster. It was a love that made Kingdom fall to it's knees once upon a time.

Haruka was quiet as it all filtered into her thoughts. Setsuna stood after a few minutes had passed. She looked into the sky and sighed, "The others are coming."

The other woman turned quickly, "Where do I find her?"

"Tonight, Frost will be at the one place you share that does not belong to anyone else."

Haruka sighed, "Thank you."

Setsuna shook her head, "Thank me for nothing. I am not proud of my role in this at all."

"Why, it's not your fault?" Haruka eyed Setsuna, "Is it?"

The older woman sighed but gave no answer. She looked over Haruka's shoulder as the entire group came running over the hill. They let out a shout of joy. Haruka turned and saw Michiru. The look of relief was visiable even at this distance.

"Does Michiru know any of this?"

"She does not."

Haruka sighed, "What happens if I choose Frost?"

The other woman was silent.

"Haruka!" Usagi ran up and threw herself into Haruka. "Thank goodness, we were so worried about you! Why did you run like that?"

Haruka reached for Michiru and the other woman took the hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Everything is fine Usagi. I just...had to run off that extra energy."

Continued in Chapter 7