She still hold her thick book tight in her hands while she climbed out of the coach.
"Uranus is one of the biggest planets in our milky way and..."
"We all know that." Declared a high voice behind her. Two arms embraced her suddenly and took away the book. "But you seemed to have forgotten that we have holidays now. No more learning, no more school. We're here to have fun, Ami-chan. We want to visit Haruka and our sweet niece. And not to look all day long into big, boring books!"
The girl was fourteen years old and her yellow skirt played with her legs while she tried to escape her raging sister.
"Minako! Give it back! Right now!"
Light blue eyes looked happily into deep blue ones.
"Oh, so you are awakened at last?" teased Minako and her long blonde hairs swirled around her slim body while she jumped over the whole courtyard. Guards came to take care for the coach and the white horses.
"Please. Only this small chapter. Only five more pages. I want to know..." begged Ami her younger sister. Shoulder long blue hairs hang into her sweaty face as she chased a laughing Minako over the stony ground. The sun burned from a cloudless sky and the sisters were sure that their vacations would be great!
"Mina!" screamed Ami and burst out into laughter as Minako tickled her and the book fell unseen on the ground. "Please!"
"Hey, princess of Mercury, you shouldn't tickle your older sister to death!"
They both turned around as they heard the smiling voice from the main portal. A young man stand on the steps next to a young woman holding a small baby.
"My niece!" screamed Minako and let go of her sister to run over the steps. Shortly she greeted Haruka and glanced with big blue eyes down into dark ones. The baby laughed happily and stretched her arms towards the girl. To grab blonde strands and to try to eat them.
"May I hold her, Haruka? Please!"
Haruka smiled at the excited girl and her now deep blushing sister.
"Mina-chan!" she could hear the embarrassed whisper of Ami, crown princess of Mercury. "Can't you behave yourself?"
But they all knew that Minako couldn't. It was simply her temper. Her soul. She had to speak openly to all persons she knew – and to all persons she didn't. She had a good heart and loved her family and her friends deeply. And overwhelming time by time. Ami was often the victim of an attack meant as a soft embracement to show her friendship and love – and more than once the blue haired princess ended up on the ground with a laughing sister on her top.
"I want to welcome you, Minako, princess of Mercury to my..."
"Let this dry speech, Haruka. I know that you're a tough guy and a serious prince, but I am still too young to concern about this bloody rules. You know me since I was small and I know you since I can remember. So why always this silly welcome? Give my sister something to drink and to calm her nerves down and..." Suddenly there was a doggy expression in shinning blue eyes. "... and gimme your daughter. I waited for almost five months now to hold her, but the school was hard at Mercury and our teacher didn't want to let us free to hug and to kiss her. And to..." Minako started to talk without punctuation. Nor pause.
Ami smiled and picked up her book. They all knew Minako. Once she started to talk hardly anyone could stop her. But time by time she could be a good listener. Especially when she had a cold and couldn't talk at all.
Hotaru laughed happily at the girl she didn't know. But she trusted immediately. Because the persons she loved more than anything else on this planet were with her.
Her father and her new mother.
"Her name's Hotaru, isn't it?" asked Ami and looked over her sister's shoulder into a smiling face. Then she raised her head and frowned. "And who are you as I may ask?"
"She's Michiru of Neptune. I am going to marry her month." Answered Haruka and felt how Michiru winced next to her as Ami shook encouraged her right hand. A gesture typically for the water planet.
"Hello, Michiru. I am Ami of Mercury. And she's..." she pointed over to a blonde girl who danced around the steps with a laughing baby in her arms, talking silly things to small Hotaru and smiling the whole time such a big smile Ami almost feared that Minako's face could break into pieces. "... she's my crazy younger sister, Minako of Mercury." The silly talks even increased and Ami blushed again. But she smiled. Happily.
"We're here to spend our vacation. You did get my letter, Haruka, didn't you?" suddenly Ami looked very unsure.
"Of course and you may have your rooms as always."
Michiru smiled a frozen smile while she watched the persons talking so familiar with each other. She didn't know them and she felt out of place with a sudden.
"Princess of Neptune? That's the big water planet at the end of the milky way, isn't it? Strange, I never heard of you." Said Ami while they slowly walked into the nice shadowy palace. Minako was still holding Hotaru carefully tight and now both baby hands were full with blonde strands. But the Mercury girl didn't notice it at all.
"I only heard of one, but she's already married with the duke of Saturn. So I thought..."
"Oh, that's my older sister. She's happy on Saturn, although it's a cold planet. I guess." Answered Michiru and it jingled as she stepped into the huge entrance hall. The dressmaker gave her some laces for the feet ankles and now you could hear her come. She felt like a circus horse, but it seemed to be tradition. So she kept the jewellery on.
"So you must be Sailor Neptune. Or is there any other women left in your family?"
No, my mother died and gave her power to me.
After Ami's words there was suddenly death silence except Minako's silly noises to Hotaru. Haruka froze in motion and Michiru almost crashed into her. They spent a nice week together in the place and got to know each other a little bit better. They talked about their hobbies and a little bit about the wedding. The ceremony was tradition, but they could decide how they could create their big party afterwards. Whom they invited in – besides the guests they had to invite because of etiquette. The prince was very kind to her and together with Hotaru they laughed and teased around a bit. And got the strange feeling that the other one slowly became a good friend.
But now Haruka looked different than all those evenings they spent over their dinner and discussed over the climate of Neptune and Uranus.
We discussed a lot but there're two topics he doesn't want to talk about at all: Rumiko and the queen of the Moon.
"You are a senshi?" The voice was suddenly very calm and Michiru saw anger in dark green eyes which normally looked friendly down to her. Now they were icy and the smaller princess suddenly shivered.
"Guess, kinda. I got this staff and my father... well, he wasn't very pleased about it. Neither was I. 'Cause I can't use all those bloody powers. I am too weak for." Said Michiru and swallowed hard.
"Don't worry, I am Sailor Mercury and my crazy sister is Sailor Venus. But we still have to learn a lot." Ami smiled and frowned as she saw an almost shocked expression in a suddenly pale face.
Strange, is there anything wrong about her being a senshi?
"I am hungry!" declared Minako who didn't notice anything of the conversation and broke the cold atmosphere with her big smile. "And Hotaru-chan feels a little bit wet. So, where's the kitchen?"
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"Why didn't you tell me?" Haruka crossed the room with big steps. Her daughter was safe with the sisters down at the huge living room and played a game while teasing each other around.
"Why didn't you tell me that you're Sailor Neptune?" The taller woman took a deep breath and her dark green eyes shone with anger. Automatically her fists were clenched while she turned around and walked from the wall over to the window. The huge moons were almost gone behind the horizon and the first fires shone in the palace.
"I thought it wasn't that important." Whispered Michiru and seized the small pillow she was holding in her arms tighter. She sat on her mattress and looked frightened up to a raging prince.
Why is he suddenly so strange? I did nothing wrong, didn't I?
"Not important? That you are one of the nine senshi? That whenever the queen calls you, you have to obey and leave to the moon!" Again Haruka turned and headed towards the wall. She looked like a wild, dangerous tiger being trapped inside a too small cage.
"The queen doesn't want me!" replied Michiru and took a deep breath. "Shortly after I discovered about that Sailor thing I asked her if I was allowed to come to the Moon to get a proper education and to help her with the other senshi and princess Serenity." The smaller woman squeezed her pillow again. "But she didn't want me. She told me that I was only an outer senshi and that it was my duty to stay on Neptune. To protect our universe from enemies coming abroad. What ever would happen on the Moon was not my business and I should try to talk to the other outer senshi. I couldn't await any help from her." Michiru swallowed hard. "She's a hard woman and she didn't care for me at all. So I let it. What else should I do? Princess Setsuna who's Sailor Pluto only guards her bloody portal and isn't allowed to leave. I don't know about a Sailor Saturn nor a Sailor Uranus. So I was alone with a golden staff and powers I couldn't use. Whenever I tried to transform my whole body was hurting and all I could produce was a small, shaking planet that couldn't even harm a fly."
Michiru raised her head and looked into still angry shinning green eyes.
"I am useless as Sailor Neptune. It's only a title, nothing more. If it was more, I could have defended myself against my father. But so... for ME it's not important, Haruka!"
Haruka's mouth was nothing than a line as she went quickly on her knees besides the smaller princess and laid her hand on a shaking shoulder.
"But it's important for me! Maybe you want to deny it, but the queen still has lots of power over you. Whenever she says to you that you should fight, you'll stand up and fight. And I don't want a wife who could leave my daughter and me every day." Haruka grabbed her turban and threw it with an angry sound to the ground. Her short hairs were messed and now she looked even wilder.
So he's sending me away. Because of that bloody thing that never helped me at all.
Michiru closed her eyes and shook her head.
"But..." whispered the former princess of Neptune and squeezed the pillow even harder.
It hurts whenever I transform myself, Haru.
Again Haruka heard the soft voice in her ears, saw dark eyes shinning sadly up to her. Again she saw how a small hand reached a golden staff and tried hard to change the past she couldn't by destiny.
She did it to save him. And after she recognized that she failed she lost all hope and gave herself up...
"It's an evil thing. It hurt so many people and I don't want anyone being hurt just because the queen thinks it's funny! I don't want to lose my family again of silly Sailor stuff." Haruka swallowed hard as she saw how Michiru hold her pillow tighter. Slowly she opened her fists.
I frightened her. I never ever wanted to frightened anyone. Especially not her.
"Please, promise me one thing, Michiru." Haruka carefully placed her right hand under the smaller woman's chin and forced her to look right into concerned green eyes. "Never use that bloody staff. Whatever happens in this universe. It's not your business. You can't change destiny with it. You can only hurt yourself by doing so. You and all the other princesses."
Michiru frowned. Still she didn't really understand what the prince meant but she knew that she wouldn't be sent away. And that was good.
"I promise." She felt how the hand carefully caressed her cheek. Then it was gone and Haruka rose suddenly from her kneeling position as if she had burned herself.
"But still I don't understand why it's so important."
Haruka turned towards the window and looked out to the half moons shining down at Uranus.
"Because Rumiko had been Sailor Saturn. It killed her. And now Hotaru took over the tradition. One day she'll be Sailor Saturn and I simply don't want another tragedy to let happen."
"Is there any Sailor Uranus?" asked Michiru silently and wanted to stand up. To go over to the prince who looked so lonely. To embrace and to comfort him. To show him that he was not all alone. That he still had her. But she couldn't move. So she kept sitting and looked at him with her sad eyes.
"No. And there won't be any sailor senshi from this planet any more."
Haruka turned around and leaned against the column pillar next to the window. Silently she stared down at the smaller woman for a long time. Neither of them dared to break the silence.
I used to be that bloody senshi.
"She died. Together with my parents."
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The shadow stepped out from the corner and Haruka winced wildly. Quickly she closed her shirt again and turned around. And looked into Ami's pale face. The girl was holding a candle in her hands.
"I know that it's not the best topic on the dinning table so I waited until everyone was to bed." Ami raised on hand and gently squeezed Haruka's right arm. "I am very glad to see Hotaru-chan as such a happy child. And I saw how loving Michiru is to your daughter and how loving she is to you, Haruka. But I have to admit that I miss Rumiko." Ami squeezed the arm again. "I am sorry, Haruka, that she died so soon. She was a very kind person."
"Hai, she was." Whispered Haruka in return and smiled sadly at the water princess.
"And Michiru is also a very kind person. Don't blame her for her destiny. She can't change it."
Haruka looked deep into dark blue eyes.
Hai, we can't change our destinies.
Ami knew what she was talking about. Minako wasn't her real sister. One stormy night her mother found the blonde girl in a basket before the palace's portal. They asked around in the milky way but no one seemed to know the small child. So they decided to raise Minako as if she was their own child. A sister for their Ami. For the crown princess who wasn't doomed any longer to stay alone in the palace forever, because the queen of Mercury wasn't allowed to get any more children after Ami's dangerous birth.
After ten years when they found out that Ami was Sailor Mercury they discovered that Minako was Sailor Venus. But no one on the love's planet accepted her. They all denied her and the woman who obviously was her real mother, the future queen of Venus, called her a liar and throw her out the day she wanted to see and to talk to her.
So the Mercury family decided quietly that Minako stayed their child and that they didn't need anything from Venus. The planet of love which dispelled their own daughter.
We can't change our destinies. As I can't change mine. Not now. Maybe never.
"I know."
"And don't you dare to yell at her! When I got to know it I'll punish you in the name of Mercury. She's a kind person and she doesn't deserve your hot temper!"
Haruka sighed and raised her hands to the ceiling.
"Oh mighty gods..." she teased and could hear Ami's giggle. "How did I deserve such friends? Does anyone else know about my temper?"
Ami shortly squeezed her arms again, then she turned around to leave the room.
"Don't worry, Haruka. Only the rest of the whole universe."
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"A picnic! I am so excited!" Minako covered her hairs with a silk veil and followed her friends. "I can't remember our last picnic! Especially not in the desert! That's so exciting!"
Ami who was carrying a big basket laughed next to her and stopped before the dragon who would bring them out to the desert. He carried a small coach at his back and looked at the moment very tired. His brown scales shimmered in the pale light of a new born day.
"Wow." Was all Michiru said when she looked at the huge animal with the long tail and the giant teeth it showed as it yawned. Haruka next to her yawned, too.
It's too early!
She looked over to Hotaru in her child's seat who was sleeping and envied her a little bit.
"He's..." Michiru stopped and Minako almost crashed into her. "He's beautiful."
"He's a she." Declared Haruka and smiled tired up to deep brown eyes. The dragon blinked and settled back into sleep until someone would tell her to fly into the cloudless sky. To serve her master. A master she liked a lot.
"Oh." Answered Michiru and wind played with her long hairs on her back. "Then she's beautiful."
Haruka watched her for some moments in silence. Still she felt guilty that she shouted at the princess who looked with loving eyes at the huge creature. Fearless Michiru stepped closer to the dragon and caressed carefully over some brown scales. The dragon opened her eyes and a long tongue suddenly danced over her arms. First Michiru froze in motion and didn't know how to react. Then she started to giggle and smiled loving up into deep brown eyes.
I am happy she doesn't look so sad any longer.
Haruka stepped closer and watched shortly to Minako who carried small Hotaru with pride. The whole morning Michiru kept silent. Even during the lively breakfast. Having breakfast with Minako was always an adventure, but sea green haired woman didn't even look up. She only hold Hotaru in her arms and fed her carefully.
She didn't even eat anything by herself.
"How's her name?" asked Michiru and interrupted her thoughts.
"Well..." Haruka corrected her turban and couldn't help to blush. "I've been five years when she was born and..." Shortly she saw into smiling blue eyes and sighed deeply. Three princesses leaned forward to hear her next words.
"Her name's Fluffy."
Three princesses burst out into laughter.
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"Gimme an apple." Minako took her big fan and tried to get some fresh air. It was incredible hot in the desert, even if they were still some hundred feet above. The dragon flew with slow, rhythmic motions and the coach on his back rocked only gently.
"This isn't an apple." Ami looked critically at the fruit, then at her sister who closed her eyes and enjoyed the moons shinning right into her face.
"Just gimme that green thing over there before you go on reading." Minako reached her hand and smiled as she heard her sister taking a deep breath. But finally she felt the fruit in her hands and bit into it. It was fresh and sweet – just the way she liked it.
"How long will it take?" Minako opened her eyes and turned her head towards the prince. She wasn't known to be very patient.
"Just five more minutes." Answered Haruka and observed how Michiru leaned forward to look out to the endless desert. As long as you could look there was only sand – from one horizon to the next.
This is her new home now.
Haruka swallowed hard.
Here're no oceans. Hardly any water at the surface. Only heat and drought. Does she regret her decision?
At that moment Michiru discovered their goal.
"There's an oasis." She said and pointed over to the green island in the middle of a yellow sea.
"Where? What? Where?" Minako was at the next moment by her side and almost fell off the window as she tried to see everything she had to see. Michiru almost fell off her seat and Hotaru started to babble. Ami did nothing – except of reading.
"Better we finish our fly." Said Haruka and rose from her seat.
It was a lovely tiny oasis. There was a fountain in the middle, the water shimmered in all colours of the rainbow. Green grass covered the ground and huge palms gave them enough shadow to spread their blanket. Minako already observed the basket while Ami searched for another book in her bag. She already finished the first one of about three hundred pages. A snack for her as Minako teased her sister.
"Don't touch the water. It's poisoned." Warned Haruka while she sat down and took her turban away. The women wore light dresses and suddenly Haruka envied them. She was used to the heat of her birth planet. But she hated it to sweat in those men's clothes. Especially when a narrow bandage was bound around her chest and almost stole her breath.
There's no other way, you know.
Haruka sighed slightly and ran a steady hand through her sweaty blonde hairs.
"Poisoned?" Michiru looked very disappointed as she sat down next to her and took Hotaru out of her child's seat. The small child laughed and her tiny hands grabbed for sea green strands. The sea princess smiled at her and caressed over warm cheeks. Then she started to strip the small girl's pyjama.
"Hai. That's the curse of Uranus. You have hardly any water on the surface. And if you find some oasis like this one it's poisoned. But don't worry, you don't have to be thirsty. Most of the water we drink come from the underground. Under the huge desert there're many sources and a lot of my people live in the underground during the night. It's not so cold there in the night and not so hot at day." Haruka watched how Hotaru was freed from her pyjama and of course she grabbed now after her toy. It was a small bunny and she hold it tight in her tiny arms. "I said I can't give you any oceans. Such oasis are the only things I can offer you."
Michiru looked over to the fountain and nodded slightly. Her deep blue eyes observed the water falling down, heard the rushes that filled the air, her whole world. Suddenly she remembered the wild sea. The only element her father couldn't domesticate. It was free and kept it forever. Whatever her father tried, the sea couldn't be defeated.
I wish I was like that water.
Simply falling down. Leaving all behind. Being independent. Careless. Unhurt.
"Michiru?" Haruka frowned as the other woman didn't answer.
"Haruka?" At the next moment Minako kneeled next to her and before Haruka could react the princess had put her turban over her head. "This is from Mercury. Can you guess what it is?" she asked and Haruka almost lost a tooth as the spoon was pushed inside her mouth. It tasted bitter, but she recognized it after the second spoon full. When she could swallow the first one and could gasp for breath. Somewhere she could hear Minako giggle and knew that Ami was reading. She couldn't hope for help from her side.
"Michiru?" she tried to escape a still giggling Minako. "Mich..." Again another spun and she shook her head. But a smile betrayed her feelings. It was good that Minako and Ami were still so young and innocent. She could laugh with them without being remembered every second that she was a ruler. That she would be King of Uranus. That she would stay alone for the rest of her life – only to protect her own people.
"Mich..."
But the princess didn't answer. All Haruka could hear was the babbling of a playing Hotaru.
Michiru looked fascinated at the water falling down on an old rim. The stone was grey and whoever built this fountain, he or she was surely dead.
It looks as if it's ages old.
The princess sighed and heard the rushes of strong waves again in her mind.
Come! Come over here. Here you're free. Here you're wanted. Here you're loved.
Michiru turned her head and saw the waves crashing to the beach. She could smell the salt in the air and hear the cries of sea birds flying high above between some moons. The princess couldn't see them, but she knew that they were they. Just as the fishes. Just as –her- dolphin.
Come! Just come, princess! Here's your right place. Here...
Michiru smiled as she saw a big wave. Surely her dolphin was somewhere there. Only waiting for her. To run into the water. To embrace his fin. To swim with him – and never come back.
Come...
Michiru rose and slowly went over to the fountain. Her big blue eyes were blurred. She didn't hear Haruka's desperate shouts. Nor did she hear Minako's excited giggle. Nor did she hear Hotaru's protesting babble as she laid her carefully down on the blanket. Michiru didn't look away. Not for one second. Slowly she stripped some of her light skirts. Her veil fell unseen on the grass. She stepped out of her shoes and danced naked over the warm underground. The rushes increased and she stretched her arms towards it. It wetted her arms and her skin started to shimmer in all colours of the rainbow. A happy smile appeared on her now redden face and she threw the drops high into the air. It wetted her hair and hang in sea green curls like diamonds.
Isn't that a nice feeling, Michiru?
The princess nodded in agreement and sat down on the old rim. Slowly her legs dove into the water. It was clean and she could see to the ground.
Isn't that all you ever wanted, Michiru?
The water surrounded her legs and she didn't care about her last dress any longer. It was almost transparent now. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the incredible feeling. The feeling of freedom.
Isn't that all you ever needed, Michiru?
The reflected sunlight shone directly into her face. It was a warmth she missed her whole life. She spread her arms and laughed with joy.
Isn't that my nasty little daughter, Michiru?
She froze in motion as she heard the familiar voice behind her. She opened her eyes as she heard the noise of a belt behind her. Beating down on the soft grass. Being prepared to beat down on her soft flesh.
Isn't that the witch who killed my wife, Michiru?
Michiru turned around and looked directly into angry shinning eyes. Her father stood right behind her. He was holding his belt in his left hand. And a gun in his right one. His face left no doubt that he was ready to kill her this time.
Isn't that the bitch who ran away to marry a stranger she hardly know? You did this just to dishonour me, didn't you, Michiru?
The princess winced back as the belt met her left arm. She spun around and stumbled over her wet skirt as she tried to get out of the fountain. With a desperate sob she ripped it and jumped out of the water. Then she ran without looking back. Always hearing his voice behind her, feeling his hot breath in her neck. Knowing that if he caught her today there would be no escape from him anymore.
"No..." she whimpered. All the happiness had gone from her heart. All that remained was despair. And endless fear.
I had a home there. I had a daughter. And maybe one day I'd have to have a nice husband, too.
You're nothing than a bloody whore, Michiru.
The voice was driving her crazy as she reached the end of the oasis. Without thinking she left the green island and ran over the hot sand. Her flight looked like a hunt. She was the victim.
You're nothing than a bloody killer, Michiru.
She stumbled over her trembling legs and fell down.
"No..."
You killed your mother, Michiru!
"No..."
Michiru turned around to face her hunter. Her father. Her personal devil. She crossed her arms protecting before her face and started to kick after him as he leaned over hear. Still holding his gun tight.
That's why you deserve to die, Michiru!
"NO!"
She felt two arms embracing her. She felt how someone tried to hold her back. She felt how she was pushed down into the sand. She heard a voice calling her name. A voice so different from her father's.
"Michiru!"
But she ignored it. Wildly she beat around her, felt how the figure winced as she hurt it. But it didn't leave her in peace. Finally in peace...
Michiru saw how her father raised the gun and pointed it at her head.
This is your last day, Michiru. Now you'll be punished for what you've done to my wife!
She could hear something crepitate and felt suddenly cold steel against her forehead. She closed her eyes and started to pray – although she knew that there was no one who could help anymore.
"No..." she whimpered and started a last fight. But she lost it. Of course she lost it. Her father had always been stronger than her. "No... please, not..."
Say goodbye, you whore. Sleep tied you mother killer. Die in pain, Michiru!
"NO!"
Boom.
She winced wildly and screamed loudly as she heard the noise in her mind. But the pain didn't come. Her body didn't burn. Slowly she opened her eyes, but it wasn't darkness that surrounded her as she had expected. All she saw was dry sand. The mad laughter of her father died away and was replaced by a concerned voice.
"Michiru! Say a word! Can you hear me? Michiru?"
She raised her head and looked directly into a pale face. Into worried dark green eyes. Michiru blinked confused and stared at Haruka who held her tight in her strong arms.
"Michiru?" Haruka's face came nearer but Michiru still didn't react. She turned her head and looked over to the endless desert. The oasis laid behind her. About half a mile behind. She knew that she left it. She could remember that she wanted to run until the horizon would keep her safe from all dangers. Until no one would ever be able to find her again. But now there was no sign of her father left.
"Michiru? Are you okay?"
There is real concern in his voice...
Michiru blinked again and swallowed. She lowered her look and saw her ripped clothes. Suddenly she blushed and her face burned.
"Where's my father?" she asked with a shaky voice but didn't dare to look up. She heard how Haruka took a deep breath and knew that the prince was very angry about her.
"If you wouldn't be my future wife I would..." Haruka took another deep breath and started automatically to rock the trembling body in her arms gently. All she could remember was that Michiru suddenly started to scream. Haruka could free herself of a surprised Minako and saw how Michiru ran out to the desert. Without looking back. Her wet skirts laid next to the fountain and Haruka knew that Michiru had touched the forbidden water. That nightmares and worse were haunting her down in her mind. That she would run and run until she would break down in the middle of the desert. Without water. Without knowing where exactly she was. Without a chance to survive.
So Haruka ran after her and hold her tight when she screamed even more and stammered indefinable words. She hold her tight when Michiru tried to beat her. And she hold her tight and called her name when Haruka looked into deep blue eyes growing wide with panic when Michiru saw something Haruka couldn't see. Couldn't beat down. Couldn't take away forever.
"I told you that the water was poisoned! That you shouldn't touch it!" Haruka lowered her head and looked deep into tired blue eyes. The smaller woman trembled like leaves in the autumn wind and Haruka knew that she didn't need to scold her. Michiru was punished already by the water.
Don't shout at her, Haruka. Wasn't that Rumiko's first reaction when you showed her this oasis? To touch the forbidden water?
Haruka tried to smile as Michiru lowered her head and started to sob. Still she was too shocked to cry but she covered her face with her icy hands.
Hai, Rumiko loved this place. She came often to this oasis – together with Jimmy.
"That's why you shouldn't touch the water, Michiru." Haruka sighed slightly as the sobbing increased. "Don't worry, Michiru. It's over now. Whatever you saw, it wasn't real. It's not here. You're on Uranus and in security." To emphasise her words Haruka pulled the smaller woman closer and hold her tight.
"It's over, Michiru."
The princess heard the calming words and leaned herself against the warm body. For some moments she believed to feel breasts under the wide shirt. But the feeling was gone within the next moment when Haruka took her on her strong arms and carried her back to the oasis.
"Just don't touch the water again or I'll be really, really angry."
Michiru only nodded and buried her face into a warm, dark shoulder. Where no more fears existed. Where she didn't have to face two worried looking princesses of Mercury. Where she didn't have to see into angry green eyes.
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The rest of the day was nice. They had a delicious picnic and enjoyed the peace out on the desert. In a small oasis in the middle of nothing. Especially Ami and Minako enjoyed their holidays. Michiru was very silent. She cared loving about Hotaru and played with her and her toy bunny. Silently she talked to the Mercury sisters and when the day was almost over a thin smiled appeared on her face while Ami said something and Minako burst out into loud laughter that could be heard everywhere in the desert. But of all happiness Michiru looked sad and tired. Haruka didn't speak to her the whole afternoon and so she didn't dare to look at the prince again. She only looked at Hotaru who laughed at her as always. She didn't know that her future mother did a silly thing and almost killed herself.
In the coach she tried to look out of the window, but her tiredness had been stronger. So she fell fast asleep and started to dream. From a small child running into her opened arms. From someone holding her loving tight. From people who told her that she was needed, wanted. A thin smiled appeared on her pale face.
She's beautiful.
Haruka stood up and covered Michiru's freezing body carefully with a soft blanket. The nights could be very cold in the desert and some of the moons already disappeared behind the horizon.
She doesn't know that she almost died today. Sometimes the water nightmares become real and then there's no escape for those poor souls any longer.
Haruka swallowed hard. She was happy that Michiru was alright. That she could bring her back from her nightmare. But at the same time Haruka was really angry. Angry about herself.
You knew that she missed her ocean. She's born on a sea planet. She can't simply deny her past and her identity. When she sees water she has to touch it! When you feel the wind you do spread your wings, too, and enjoy the feeling.
Haruka knew that she couldn't blame the princess. But she knew that she had to blame herself for being so careless.
I already lost Jimmy and Rumiko. I don't want to lose her, too.
Haruka frowned and carefully caressed over pale cheeks.
Jimmy and Rumiko had been my best friends. My family. Is she a friend, too?
For the rest of the fly she simply sat there and looked down at the smaller princess. Not knowing that a frowning Ami watched her.
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I have to apologise.
Michiru yawned and shivered. Minako and Ami already went into the palace together with Hotaru who slept deep and tight in her child's seat. She was clean and full. Surely all the small girl needed now was her bed and then she would sleep for the rest of the night.
He looked so angry.
Michiru turned from the entrance portal towards the huge stables with the big dragons. Haruka went away with Fluffy. She didn't want to bother her dragon breeder. This time of the year was the time when a lot of baby dragons would be born and the dragon's breeder needed all his nerves.
My father would have never done the work of a servant. Not even for his own family...
Michiru knew that her father would have left the poor dragon stay into the yard until someone, anyone had time for the innocent creature.
He looked so disappointed.
Slowly the princess stepped into the stables and her blue eyes grew wide as she saw the huge doors to huge boxes behind. Through bars she could see mighty dragons with different colours. Some of the shimmered, some of them were matt. Some colours were bright and light, some were darker. Some dragons had only one colour, some of them were spotted or striped. Some had only a white spot in the big forehead. Some had white paws and some had white tails. Some were old, some young. Michiru couldn't define if they were male or female but Michiru knew that the prince had both.
The princess raised her head and looked into blue, red, brown, dark, green and purple eyes.
A dragon is worth two thousand ginouses.
Michiru swallowed hard as a big head turned towards her and a giant nose pressed itself against the bars. The young woman stepped on her tiptoes and shyly stretched her hand. The dragon started to purr as she caressed the hard skin. It felt like leather.
Two thousand ginouses. Just like me...
"What shall we do, prince?"
Michiru turned around as she heard the deep voice she heard first when she came to the castle. Determined to become a wife of a stranger. A stranger who only wrote her a silly letter no other woman believed in.
"And its mother?" There was Haruka's voice. Silently. Tired. Sad.
Sad?
Michiru walked quietly over to the other box and watched through the open door. The straw crackled under her feet as she sneaked into the box. The prince was kneeling next to a small creature. A baby dragon. It was white. There was no other spot in the soft scales that looked more like fur. It was very small, maybe only some weeks old. Maybe only some days old. And it looked weak. Really weak. It only laid in the straw, could hardly raise its head as Haruka stroke carefully over the small neck. The tail laid lifeless in the straw and Michiru could hear how it whimpered frightened.
"She didn't survive the birth this morning. Gomen nasai, prince." The dragon breeder leaned against the wall and watched how his princes tried to calm down a freezing small creature that didn't belong into this world any longer.
"Any hope?" Haruka didn't look up. She knew how hard it was to raise a dragon only with the bottle. It was almost impossible and only one of hundred dragons survived the first week without its mother.
"Hard to say, prince." Tumari clenched his fists. "I'd say, no. Its too small and too weak. Guess it's better to make a short end than to let it suffer for another day." The breeder watched how Haruka rose and still looked down at the helpless baby dragon.
Its so small. Just like Hotaru...
Haruka swallowed and took a deep breath.
"Then do what you have to do, Tumari." she said and turned around. And froze in motion as she saw Michiru standing next to the door. Her face was very pale and her deep blue eyes watery.
"You can't kill it." She gasped hard and stumbled over to the baby dragon. She fell on her knees and touched the tiny head. Immediately it stopped to whimper and tried to creep closer to the warm body. To those soft hands. It closed its eyes and Haruka believed to hear a silent purr.
It's incredible! I tried to calm it down for over ten minutes now and she only sits down and it trusts her completely.
"You can't kill it. It deserves a chance to live."
"To live, but not to suffer."
Michiru looked shortly into determined green eyes and some tears ran suddenly over pale cheeks.
"It will live. If you only believe in it..."
"No, Michiru." Haruka stepped closer and grabbed her right arm. Determined she helped her up and pushed her away from the dying baby dragon. "That's the way of the world. Creatures are born, some other have to die. You can't change destiny. This dragon won't survive the next night and I simply don't want it to suffer endless hours. It's better this way, believe me."
Michiru only shook her head. She tried to escape Haruka, but she knew that the prince was stronger than her.
"That's what my father thought about me, too. He wanted me to die, but the midwife had been better. Now I am eighteen moon summer old and..."
Don't make it harder than it already is.
"Its mother died. How shall I feet it?"
As Haruka saw into watery but determined blue eyes she knew that it would have been better to send her back to the palace. Because for the first, no, for the second time in her life she risked to be defeated.
Rumiko had been the first person who could change my whole mind.
"Use a bottle. Steal milk from the other dragons. Do anything. Try anything. That's better than to live the whole life with this guilt."
Haruka blinked but she knew that her dragon breeder wouldn't interrupt this argument.
"Michiru, this is a dragon, not a human being. We handle things different on Uranus. And if there's no hope it's better to finish all this pain."
The princess swallowed hard and looked from the breeder to the prince and back. Shortly she stared at the baby dragon who started again to whimper and clenched her fists.
"I wanted to apologise about my silly behaviour this afternoon, my prince." She intimated a bow and shook her head. "Better I'll go back to the palace and take care for Hotaru." Michiru bit on her lower lip, more tears ran down her pale cheeks. "I was in pain all those years. But there had been no one to end it." She turned around and left with a desperate sob the stables.
There was a deep silence for a long while. Haruka only stared at the now empty door frame and finally stroke through her short blonde hair. The dragon kept whimpering behind her in the soft straw.
"She's like princess Rumiko." Whispered Tumari after another long time and cleared his throat.
Haruka blinked and turned again towards the baby dragon. She could remember a girl with long black hairs begging almost on her knees that she didn't shot dead a wild Fluffy. A Fluffy who broke her right wing and they all wanted to free her from her pain. They all thought that she would never be able to fly again. And a dragon who couldn't fly wasn't a real dragon. She would die sooner or later as they all knew. But Rumiko screamed at them, took determined the medicine and moved into the stable for the next two months. She spend all those weeks in the straw and time by time Haruka and Jimmy joined her. To watch over an ill dragon.
Fluffy survived.
Haruka shook her head.
But Rumiko died...
Then she saw again blue shimmering eyes looking pleading up to her.
Maybe she never fought for her own security, but she tried to help this poor creature. Haruka remembered that Michiru shivered and was tired.
Although she almost died this afternoon she's still concerned about the baby dragon.
Haruka took a deep breathe and went on her knees next to the dragon and started to caress those soft scales again.
As concerned as she's about Hotaru.
Haruka could remember too well how Michiru cared for the small girl. How she stripped the pyjama and played with her the whole afternoon. How she fed her and changed the nappies with Minako's help, although Minako talked and laughed more than she really helped.
How Michiru hold Hotaru tight in her arms and looked loving down into dark eyes...
"What shall I do, prince?" The dragon breeder frowned as his prince took another deep breath.
"Fetch me some blankets and all the other stuff. Guess it's going to be a long night."
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"Michiru?"
It was already dawn when she crept into her fiancée's bedroom. The young woman laid between the pillows and slept deep and tight. She embraced one pillow hard as if it was her last life line and from the traces of her face Haruka knew that Michiru cried before she finally fell asleep.
I should let her sleep as long as Hotaru isn't awake yet.
Haruka yawned and sat down next to the princess on the mattress. She hesitated for some seconds, then she leaned forward and stroke some strands of sea green hairs out of a pale face.
She looks so weak but is so strong.
Without Michiru's hard words her dragon breeder would have killed the baby dragon the last night. Now it was dawn and the small creature was still alive. No one guaranteed her that it would survive the next days or even weeks but it fought hard for its second chance it was given. And as long as there was some hope Haruka would care for the baby dragon. Even if it died the next time.
Maybe then I won't feel as guilty as I felt when Rumiko died...
Haruka yawned again and couldn't resist to lay down on the soft mattress. Her whole body hurt and her tired eyes burned. So she closed them. The whole night she watched over the dragon and now she felt exhausted.
Haruka didn't care about her clothes as she fell asleep. Nor did she care about the warm body she leaned against when a nice dream welcomed her.
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"Mind the step." Michiru blinked but all she could see was darkness. It was cold underground and she started to freeze in her thin clothes. She felt how Haruka took her right hand and guided her through a labyrinth only she seemed to know.
"Where... where are we going?" the princess stumbled against the prince as he stopped suddenly and turned to the left. Waiting for her answer in vain she followed him.
Haruka laid next to her on her mattress when she woke up in the morning. First she had been very frightened until she realized that he was still sleeping.
He looked really cute while he dreamed.
Although it was strange feeling having a warm body next to her she didn't want to get up first when Hotaru got hungry. But the angry screams of the baby convinced her and so she left her bedroom and cared for the child until the prince came over for breakfast.
I like it to see him so sleepy. Then he looks more like a small child than a mighty king.
"Your head..."
Haruka touched Michiru's head so that she had to bow without running against a stone. The bed had been empty when Haruka woke up this morning. But still the scent of the smaller princess laid in the blanket and she needed a long time to convince herself to get up. Quickly she took a shower, changed her clothes and went over to the huge living room to get breakfast. Michiru fed Hotaru and looked still really sad – until Haruka confessed her that the small dragon was still alive and that they tried to save it – although she said that the chance was minimal and that it could die every hour.
Michiru's grateful smile was worth the terrible night in the dark stable.
"Where are we, Haruka?"
Suddenly Haruka let her go and Michiru could hear her walk away. Her steps sounded as if they were in a huge cave under the planet's surface.
"Haruka?" Suddenly the smaller princess felt alone. She crossed her arms before her chest and the laces around her ankles started to jingle as she stepped a little bit back. Until she felt cold stone in her back.
"Haruka?"
At that moment the light was switched on. A small planet floated down from the stony ceiling and stayed over a huge lake. The water shimmered golden in its light. Some flowers grew on the small beach and waves flood them as some fishes jumped over the surface.
"It's not the sea, but if you want to play with water, Michiru, then you'll have it here." Haruka stood somewhere at the rim and seemed to be very tired with a sudden. She leaned back on the cold stone and looked directly into surprised blue eyes.
I shouldn't play with those bloody powers.
But Haruka had simply been too lazy to lighten all those torches. So she produced the small planet. She knew that it would stay here for the next for or five hours. As long as she didn't touch or tried to move it.
"This water isn't poisoned?" Critically Michiru looked at the tiny waves and kneeled down. The water was clean, but she couldn't see the ground.
"No. The sources underground are harmless, Michiru. Without them there wouldn't be any life possible on Uranus. From here we get enough water to survive. All people from Uranus and all our animals and some fields underground are provided by thousands of such lakes." Haruka shrugged. "But it's not enough water to fight against the desert. It makes us to survive, but it can't change Uranus' appearance."
Michiru leaned forward and touched the water with her right hand.
"That's good, Haruka. I wouldn't like to see Neptune as a desert planet only because our people got fed up with all the water. Or Saturn turning into a second Mars. Every planet has its character. You shouldn't change it."
Haruka nodded, then she laughed a small laughter.
"My mother wouldn't agree with you. Her whole life she tried to plant roses. My father gave up and she got her own garden. She planted all kinds of roses she got from earth or the moon and watched over them. For one summer she was successful and a small field stood in blossom."
Michiru raised her head and looked over into treacherous shinning green eyes. The taller woman had taken her turban into her hands and stared at the white cloth.
"Only one summer?" asked the water princess although she already knew the answer.
"She died at the end of the summer. Rumiko tried to care for the garden after she got to know about it, but it was senseless. The desert isn't the fields they have on Jupiter and we have to be satisfied with the fruits we get underground."
Rumiko loved those roses, but she had been too weak to take care for them. As she had been too weak to take care for herself...
"The water's nice warm." Michiru rose from her sitting position and the veil fell down on the stony ground. "On Neptune the oceans are cold. But I liked them a lot."
"Uranus is a hot desert planet. All sources are hot." Haruka's eyes grew wide as Michiru simply took two steps forward and jumped into the water with an elegant dive. She tried to say something but it was already too late. The princess swam under the surface like a fish. She returned to the surface near the rim where Haruka stood and tried to splash her with water.
"Don't you want to join me?" Michiru smiled an honest, happy smile that warmed Haruka's heart. She'd like to say yes. To join that beautiful woman in the nice water. But she knew that it would have betrayed her real gender - although she could hardly breathe with her bandage.
Why don't you just tell her? She won't kill you. At the moment she's happy with all the water around. That's the best moment to tell her! Just do it!
But she didn't. Again she couldn't.
"No, I am not so keen on water. My shower every morning, that's enough, Michiru." Haruka smiled back and started to leave the rim.
"But it's so nice in here. In your shower you can't swim like this." With those words she laid herself on the back and spread her arms. Her sea green hairs covered her shoulders like a curtain. She closed her eyes and threw some drops into the air. They shimmered like a rainbow in the small planet's light.
"Guess you're right. But..."
But I am girl.
Michiru opened her eyes and Haruka looked into blue eyes that were as deep as the water around the smaller woman. She believed to drown in them, but suddenly it didn't matter anymore. The taller princess walked over to the rim again and bit on her lower lip. Just two more steps. Just to get into the warm water and to tell her the truth.
Maybe I'll find a friend in her. Someone who understands me. Just like Rumiko.
Although Haruka knew that she would never feel the same again she felt for the Saturn's princess. It died with the dark haired woman.
Haruka hold herself back at the last moment and clenched her fists.
Maybe she'll shout at me and runs away. Maybe she'll be afraid of me. Maybe she'll hate me, because she can't dissolve the engagement. She can't go back to her father. She's doomed to stay on Uranus - together with me and my daughter.
"Better I'll go and take some towels and dry clothes for you. Don't worry, the planet will burn for another hour. I'll be back as soon as possible." Haruka turned away from the swimming sea goddess and almost ran upstairs into the labyrinth she would explain later to Michiru. If you knew some simple rules it was easy to find the way back to the lake. The tall woman knew that the sea princess liked the water and that she simply needed her bath time by time.
"Okay..." Michiru frowned. She had seen the inner fight of the prince but couldn't explain what was going on. But she knew that she wouldn't get an answer - even if she would ask.
Sometimes I wish I could understand him.
Michiru sighed slightly.
But I have the rest of my life to find out what's going on behind blonde strands.
For the first time after she came here some weeks ago this thought didn't make her worry any longer. The prince didn't yell at her when she touched the poisoned water. He tried to save the baby dragon. He showed her this lake and allowed her to swim into the warm water.
He loves cute Himme-chan. So why wouldn't he be a good friend, too?
Michiru smiled happily as she threw some more drops into the air. Then she dove again into the deep water that was her real home.
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Tumari yawned as he closed one huge door silently behind him. It was late at night, almost dawn. It had been a long night. Two dragons gave birth to cute little dragons. Strong male dragons that would help them to overcome the lead dragon they had to sell the last months.
The dragon breeder remembered an angry princess begging for a small dragon baby and smiled in memories. He knew that she was worth it. But he hoped that it was now enough with selling the best dragons. It was just five months ago that they gave away another leading dragon to Saturn. To raging grandparents who wanted to have their granddaughter - or at least a compensation - in money, of course.
Only four leading dragons left...
But it was enough to overcome the next years. With those two strong dragon babies they would be able to. The babies would be other leading dragons in about twenty years and they all had to pray that another tragedy wouldn't happen during that time.
It was now dark in the stable. All dragons slept or chewed bored on their straw. Just one light was shinning in a huge but almost empty box. Tumari sneaked silently into the box and saw a shadow laying in the straw. Blonde strands hang into a pale face. A white dragon baby laid next to the warm body and enjoyed the attention it got. Still it was alive - although the dragon breeder didn't expect it to survive the first twenty four hours.
Tumari walked over to his prince and covered his freezing body with a soft blanket. The prince didn't react. He only frowned and squeezed the bottle in his hands harder.
Tumari remembered a girl of twelve years laying in the same position next to a whimpering Fluffy. Then he saw again the sea princess begging for the small dragon baby although every one knew about prince Haruka's hot temper.
And now he's watching over the small dragon.
Tumari shook his head and left silently the stable to get into his own bed and to get some sleep before he would watch after some other pregnant dragons.
She must be something special that he reacts like this. Something special. Just like the other princess.
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