Elphie Muse:a bit disheveled: Sam's is very protective when it comes to Jell-O.

Um...duh? Though you should try depriving her of coffee. She took Teal'c out to get some.

Elphie Muse: 00...wow...

Yep. Well...the characters have finally simmered down. Now, my faithful readers, go enjoy this chapter.

Still not mine. Still collecting money for it to be though. Wanna donate?

"Uranus!" Neptune screamed. Everyone turned to see the Sea Senshi pulling the fallen blonde onto her lap. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" Neptune repeated as she sobbed uncontrollably. "Don't leave me…"

Tears slid down nearly all of their faces. Uranus' transformation undid itself. "She might have a chance if we get her to a hospital now," Mercury said softly.

Nightwolf undid his transformation. "I'll take her," he offered. "I could use some medical help myself."

"Oh god…your face…" Phoenix whispered.

He wiped some of the still oozing blood off and carefully took Haruka from Neptune's lap. He hurried down the stairs, glad that no one was in the stairwell of the apartment building. He ran to a nearby hospital and burst through the doors, causing several heads to swivel in his direction.

"She needs help!" he shouted. Nurses and a doctor ran up to him with a gurney. He carefully set the blonde down and followed them.

A nurse looked at him. "Sir, please come this way. We need to tend to your injuries," she insisted. Kael blinked away some blood that fell in his eye and followed the nurse to an empty room. She called for a doctor and began cleaning the wounds on Kael's face as carefully as she could. "What did this?" she asked.

"A…thing," Kael said. "Not sure what it was. The Sailor Senshi came and dealt with it before it killed my friend and me."

Doctor Mizuno came in. "I should start charging you rent," she said.

He smiled faintly. "Maybe you should."

She looked closely at the wounds. "They appear to be clean…might leave some scarring though."

Kael shrugged. "I don't care. Arm's dislocated too. How's Haruka though?"

"Tenoh Haruka?" Mizuno asked.

Kael nodded. "We were both attacked by the same creature…thing…"

"I'm not sure. Once I'm done tending you I'll go check." Kael nodded his thanks and closed his eyes as they washed his face and winced when they cleansed the wounds. "I'm a little hesitant about giving you something for the pain since these wounds are so close to your eyes and mouth."

"That's fine," he said. "Go without the pain meds."

She arched a brow at him in surprise but picked up the suture. "I apologize if this hurts," she said. Kael closed his eyes and sat silently as Mizuno expertly stitched his face. Fifteen minutes later she was done. She gently probed his injured arm. "Ready?" she asked. He nodded. Mizuno and a nurse swiftly reset his dislocated arm. The nurse put his arm in a sling.

"Thanks," he said.

"I'll give you some medicine to take to prevent any infections or complications," she said, handing him a slip of paper.

He nodded and walked out to the lobby where the others had gathered. As he approached them the Three Lights walked in and over to the group. Sam threw her arms around Kael and held him tightly.

He was slightly shocked at her behavior but said nothing. He returned her hug and went to sit down when Usagi hugged him just as tightly, tears streaming down her face. He gave her a tight squeeze and patted her on the back.

"I'm fine. It was nothing major," he assured them. He joined them in sitting down on the plastic chairs.

"Be thankful those claws weren't poisoned," Rei said.

"How…how's Haruka?" Michiru asked quietly, her voice wavering with thick emotion. Tears were streaming down her face.

"I don't know," Kael answered. "They took her to the Operating Room as soon as I brought her in. Doctor Mizuno said she'd go check on her."

"What happened to us though?" Seiya asked. "I remember being more easily angered, but other than that…"

"It was a tainted bell," Sam said. "Those exposed to its ring would be corrupted by it. The corruption would increase until it consumed the person entirely."

"Why weren't you four affected?" Taiki asked.

"You must have heard it like we did," Ami added.

"Guardians have a strong…shield I guess you could say, to such things. We would have had to been exposed to it for a prolonged period of time," Kael said.

"Okay. But what about Usagi and Haruka?" Makoto asked.

"Usagi wasn't affected because of how pure she is," Sam said.

"The Silver Crystal also offers some protection, but not a lot. But if one were to combine it with her personality…" Kael began.

"A rash, carefree crybaby who constantly puts others first at the risk of her own life?" Rei interjected with a faint grin.

"An insult and a compliment rolled into one," Yaten chuckled.

"I am not a crybaby!" Usagi sulked.

"Of course not o-dango," Seiya grinned.

Usagi crossed her arms and sat pouting. "So…what about Haruka? Why wasn't she affected?" Hotaru asked.

"She's part Guardian," Kael said.

"How?" Minako asked.

"Her father was Guardian of the Sky if I recall correctly," Kael began.

Michiru smiled ever so faintly. "That doesn't surprise me."

Kael grinned. "True."

"I thought Guardians were forbidden to marry royal members of the planets," Setsuna said.

The grin faded from Kael's face. "They were. But Yosu, Haruka's father, fell in love with Kairen, the queen of Uranus shortly after she took the throne. The couple risked everything to be together. Lord Yosu was willing to give up everything just to be with Kairen, but she wouldn't let him."

"What happened?" Taiki asked.

"Queen Serenity stepped in and decreed that if two people loved one another, it shouldn't matter who they are," Kael said. "The couple were finally able to wed and they had Princess Haruka."

"I take it things quieted down after that," Makoto said.

Kael chuckled. "Not so much. After Haruka was born and grew up a bit, she kept dressing in boy's clothes. Her parents really didn't seemed bothered by it but the rest of the court did. It only got worse from there."

"How do you mean?" Ami inquired.

Kael's gaze turned to Michiru, who had her eyes downcast. "Well, Haruka and I were good friends. I was training under her father to become a Guardian and she practiced with me. Everyone just assumed the two of us would get together."

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"Haruka got blind-sided by a Neptunian princess," he grinned.

Michiru looked up. "Me?"

Kael nodded. "Even though you were from a very prim and proper royal family, that didn't stop the two of you from being together as much as possible."

"I take it there was an outcry for them not to be together," Rei said.

Kael nodded. "Very much so. But Queen Serenity stepped in once more and repeated what she had said about the Uranusian princess's parents. The two were deeply in love and that love should be celebrated, not shunned. People shut their mouths and learned to live with it."

"Mother," Ami said, rising to her feet.

Doctor Mizuno smiled to the group. "Nice to see you all again."

Michiru rose to her feet and looked pleadingly at the doctor. "How is Haruka?"

"She's stable."

"What…what does that mean?" Michiru demanded.

"Miss Tenoh suffered several broken ribs, a bruised trachea, a compound fracture in her left ulna, a broken right tibia, a major concussion, and various cuts and bruises," Doctor Mizuno said.

Michiru lost feeling in her legs and would have fallen had Sam and Yaten not grabbed her. They guided her to a chair and eased her down. "Will she be okay?" Usagi asked anxiously.

Mizuno looked down. "It's hard to say."

"What does that mean?" Hotaru demanded.

"She's in a coma," Mizuno said softly. "We don't know if she'll come out of it or not. The longer she stays in it, the less chance there is of her waking up." Michiru buried her head in her hands at those words.

"Could we go see her?" Kael asked.

"Not all of you and not all at once," Mizuno said.

Kael nodded and Mizuno told him the room number. Kael walked over to Michiru and helped her up. He guided her down the hall and up the elevator. "She'll be all right Michiru," he said.

"But…the things I did…the things I said…" she sobbed.

"Don't worry about it," Kael said. "Haruka loves you with her entire being. Only a few people I know have had a love like that. The prince and princess being one of them," he told her.

"But…"

"Enough of the self doubt Michiru. You couldn't control your actions. This is like what Sam went through when she was evil," he said.

"How do you know?" Michiru asked.

"She told me," he answered. They got off the elevator and he led her to Haruka's door. "Now go in there and spend time with her." He opened the door and pushed her in, shutting the door behind her.

Michiru looked in the hospital bed and her hand flew to her mouth as a sob escaped her throat. Haruka lay in the bed, a heart monitor beeping every few seconds. A breathing tube sat nestled against the blonde's nose while several white bandages covered cuts and gashes on her arms and face and neck. An IV line ran from Haruka's right arm while her left was secured in a white cast. The Wind Senshi's right leg was propped up, a cast on it as well.

Michiru somehow found her way over to the bed and sat down in a chair. She reached out and brushed several strands of hair from Haruka's forehead while her left hand held the blonde's right hand.

"I am so sorry," Michiru whispered, tears sliding down her face. "I'd never hurt you…I could never hurt you…I thought I couldn't…you have to make it through this Koi. I couldn't live without you…" (Love)

She kissed Haruka's hand and rested her head on the bed. "Don't leave me…please…I don't want to live without you. You're my world." She closed her eyes and slowly dozed off, not seeing the tear that slid down Haruka's face.

Poor Michiru. I don't hate her, but this is just kinda something that had to be done.

Now be good little readers and review. Something cool will happen if you review. I won't say what though.