Alone
"I don't know who the hell you think you are, scarring an innocent girl like this, but I won't forgive you. In the name of Uranus, I shall punish you!"
The woman laughed, her voice echoing around the darkness, The warrior realized quickly enough she was back where she'd started, only Usagi was awake behind her, fingers twitching into her uniform, clutching her as though she were a lifeline.
Chuckling, the woman looked maliciously down at the two, herself raised on a platform before them. "You know, that sounds terribly familiar... Hm, where have I heard such words before?"
"I don't really care you coward! I'll obviate you from the face of this planet anyways!"
This time the laughter was almost bitter, like a foul wind escaping some treacherous pit, like the song of the dying.
"You fool, how can you do something not even Sailor Moon could? I almost destroyed this brat once before as well, but the damn crystal protected her. You know, it's almost funny how terrified the poor baby is. She once faced me with such passion and courage, and now she's reduced to a whimpering worm..."
Sailor Uranus stared, the two had faced each other before? What was she talking about? And crystal, what crystal?
"Well, I'll just destroy you, like I did to that little boy who also tried to protect her. Such a small little boy, you know he screamed like a girl when I took him and burnt the flesh off him, and his eyes still cried when I pulled them from his head. The poor little thing..."
"Shingo," whispered the small girl, struggling to her feet behind her. "You killed Shingo..."
The laughter echoed through the blackness, a sound that struck her, like a pale sword in the moonlight.
"Awe, little one, don't think I've forgotten you, I remember those terrible screams when you tried to save that little boy, he was your brother wasn't he? I remember well, how could I not, it was the very next day you sought me out, was it not? The next day that I got trapped in this broken body tell me dearest what's it like to know your friends will die should they ever remember?"
"You foul beast," whispered Usagi, shaking stiffly as she climbed to her feet, she held tightly to the senshi's shoulder, she wouldn't let another be hurt. She wouldn't let Haruka be hurt... She couldn't loose another...
"Get out," she whispered fiercely, "get out of my mind!"
A bright light surrounded all three people and Sailor Uranus felt the power behind the light rip her apart. It hurt so much, so very much... And she felt so lonely...
And then she saw no more.
Sailor Neptune watched with baited breath as the two girls awoke from there slumber. They were okay, everything was going to be okay...
A dark breath of light escaped Usagi's mouth and the Senshi of the seas glared terribly. This was the thing that had caused such turmoil? This little puff of smoke?
A bright light stole away from Usagi's breast, and the warrior had to shut her eyes from the light. What was that? How did...
Her thoughts were cut off at the sound of the creature's screams. The girl had purified the spirit...Usagi had purified...
"Mmm," moaned the sleeping girl, Usagi was awake... Usagi was awake...
Sailor Neptune dropped to her knees, gathering the girl in a hug. She felt another pair of arms wrap around hers as well, and saw the woman, Ikuko, had joined in as well. Tears streaming down the mother's face, tears of happiness and relief.
"Mama? Michiru?"
The Senshi of the seas breath hitched. She couldn't know.. she just couldn't...
"Michi, it's alright, the spirit... it knew me..."
Sailor Neptune looked into the stormy green eyes, seeing the anger and sadness and pain in them at what she had witnessed. The aqua haired girl wondered exactly what she had seen.
"Haruka?"
"Yes koneko?"
"Thank you..."
Powering down to her civilian form, Michiru watched as her partner turned shocked eyes to the young girl, before they softened in some strange, almost unrecognizable emotion... Could Haruka be... No, no Haruka knew better than to fall in love in these dark times...
But that look, the soft eyes and loving stare at the peacefully slumbering woman-child... Michiru couldn't help but smile.
Perhaps, just perhaps, the future wasn't so bleak and horrible after all.
Sailor Pluto watched the exchange with narrowed eyes. Something strange was going on, the future had looked nothing like this, the outers and inners weren't suppose to get along, and where was Endymion-sama? Where were the inner Senshi?
Turning to leave the room, she prepared to find out exactly what, only to have a warm hand stop her. A young woman with blue wavy hair stop her. The loving, thankful eyes smiling back at her. The lonely guardian of time was shocked at those eyes, those loving eyes directed towards her.
How had she not foreseen those?
"Please, Pluto-sama, won't you stay for a bite to eat? You must be hungry after using those powers, please allow me to fix you something for yourself."
Crimson eyes blinked in confusion before a small sincere smile spread across her face, the princess's Earth mother was almost identical to her lunar one, both held such love in so much abundance, and both had those wise eyes... Even if one was painted black while the other blue.
"No thank you, I fear I must return to my post, it is not yet time for me to wander the Earth." Whipping her key down, a large rip appeared in the air. The warrior stepped through without a look back, and the rip wove itself back together as soon as the last strand of hair had disappeared from sight, leaving no trace ofher presencein the room.
Only a slightly frowning mother staring at a blank wall, black eyes filled with sadness and something deeper.
Luna stared hard at the two girls hard at work by each other's side, one typing on a small calculator and the other scribbling heavily on a piece of paper. She almost smiled at the thought, the thought that her princess's court were fighting so hard against their unwilling bondage. They wanted out, it was crystal clear to her, but the question was if they could do it.
Could they defeat the Ginzuisho's power? Could they defy their princess's will?
Shaking her head, she figured she'd learn soon enough. She couldn't tell the girl's anything, Usagi had seen to that well enough, but she did have a loophole, she wasn't allowed to talk to them, she could always leave a little clue here or there...
She hoped more than anything those girls could do it, their princess needed them. Their friend needed them...
"Good luck girls," she whispered before trotting outside to stare off at the setting sun. She released a slight shiver as she watched the last rays of light cling to the Earth, the darkness that was coming was great. Great indeed...
"Haruka?" whispered Usagi sleepily, her blue eyes fighting to remain open, "what is it? What's wrong 'Ruka?"
A small smile lit the older woman's face at the nickname, and she couldn't help the smirk that played itself on her lips.
"Ruka?"
A playful slap was her reply, and Usagi sat up in her bed, allowing the bed sheets to fall revealing her wounded arms, the cuts and bruises staring angrily back.
The small smile turned into a frown in mere moments and Haruka turned to look the younger girl in the eye.
"Usagi, where did you get those?" the playfulness in her voice was gone, replaced by the hard edge of steel she used when confronting the youma and speaking of heart crystals. Now it was directed at her once more, only this time in the form of a pleading beggar, cold and darkness having eaten away at it's arm.
Usagi sighed, turning her eyes down to the bed sheets. She couldn't very well tell her she'd gotten them fighting, that would rouse questions like why she was fighting. Being totally honest, she'd be forced to tell the wind warrior she was Sailor Moon, and that wouldn't go down well at all. Haruka would probably hate her when she realized her true identity...
Tears rushed to her eyes at that.
Haruka would hate her if she told! She didn't want the girl to hate her, she didn't want those angry green eyes directed at her, seething with undying rage! She'd lost everyone else, her court, her love, her family...
If she lost Haruka as well...
The thought left her feeling hollow, numb. Why did the thought of loosingthe stoic, yet compassionate Senshi make her feel lifeless? Why did she feel she couldn't live without the woman who stared at her now with such a stare that it evoked feelings she was so unaccustomed to?
Two strong, calloused fingers lifted her chin, tears leaking slowly from each watery orb.
She was such a crybaby sometimes. Here Haruka was trying to have a conversation with her, and what did she do? She cried blast it!
"I'm sorry," she whispered, wiping away the tears with the back of her hand. "What did you ask?"
"Your hiding something,"
What! How did she know? She couldn't have known, could she? She couldn't still like her even though she knew her identity...
"And I'll find out soon enough."
A terrible sigh left her pink lips, she didn't know yet... Maybe, for just a few days, maybe she could keep it that way...
"I'm-" her lips were silenced by the strong hand wrapping around her head, pulling her to the young woman with the strength she never imagined. The kiss was passionate and great, and it left a tingling feeling on her lips when they parted. Her stomach curled and lurched with feeling. Her heart ruptured and imploded with life.
Maybe, if only for a few days, maybe she could keep it that way...
