Epilogue: The one
"Are you nuts!"
An excited Setsuna walked through the kitchen. From one corner to the other one.
"She's my girlfriend. She wants to adopt Hotaru, too. I have to tell her." Michiru sat at the table and stared at her hands.
"Do you know what you're talking about? You could harm Sailor Moon and the whole future by doing such a risky thing!" Setsuna stepped before the table and pressed her hands hard on the wood.
"She has a right to know it."
The older woman's eyes narrowed and she took a deep breathe.
"Why? Because she's your lover? That's not a reason for..."
"She's my soul mate!" Michiru suddenly raised her head and determined blue eyes stared into surprised black ones.
"And Uranus...?"
It was nothing more than a whisper but it was louder than a bomb exploding.
"That's not my business any longer! I waited for over four years for her, Sets! Even Sailor Moon isn't sure if she was reborn on earth in this time!" Michiru rose from her chair and now she was the one walking between fridge and door up and down. "Hell, Sets, I was so alone for over four years! I can't bare it any longer! Himme-chan needs a loving daddy and Ruka is crazy about her. She loves her with all consequences and I know she would never leave her. And she loves me, too. I am not alone any longer, Sets. I am suddenly as happy as I had never been before. I feel as if I could move mountains! I can't imagine my life without her anymore! I need her, Sets. I love her..." Michiru took a deep breathe. "That's why I am going to tell her that I am Sailor Neptune and that our daughter will be Sailor Saturn one day. She loves me, she'll understand it."
Setsuna still shook her head, there was a really sad expression on her face.
"There're new enemies now. We already fought against them, Michiru. There's a new threat – maybe from another solar system than our milky way. You feel it, I feel it and the others feel it, too. What happens if you are forced to fight. What will Haruka do? Sit at home and watch at Hotaru who will fight with you when she's old enough? This is not an easy life you've chosen, Michiru. Not for you nor for Haruka."
Michiru nodded, opened the fridge and closed it again without taking notice of it's content.
"But it's my only life and I can't live without them anymore. Comprehend, Sets, they're my family. I know my duty as Sailor Neptune and I will never disappoint Sailor Moon. I would give my life for my Queen. But before I have to fight, before I have to sacrifice myself and die, I have a normal life on this earth, in this time. And I am going to live it as long as it's possible – with Haruka and with Hotaru as a normal, innocent child!"
Suddenly tears burned in Michiru's eyes. Setsuna stepped over to her and took her into her arms and rocked her as if she was a small child.
"I know, Michiru." She whispered and sighed deeply. "I know."
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Slowly the leaves fell down. Whole nature was coloured and the bright sun sparkled through a light green, a golden yellow and a deep purple. The whole park seemed to be inflamed.
Some leaves swirled around in the fresh autumn wind around a sport pram. A small girl laughed happily and stretched her arms towards them. She caught a brown one and looked proudly up to her parents.
"They did really cut the rehearsal?" asked Haruka and stroke over Hotaru's dark hairs. Carefully she corrected the child's jacket. Still it was a very nice autumn day, but it got colder with every hour and she didn't want her to get a cold.
"Hai." Michiru smiled happily and danced beside her through the leaves. "More than seventy percent of the orchestra are ill and so the conductor thought that it's not worth playing." She swirled around and took her lover in her arms. "Anyway, I have the whole afternoon time to be with my family." Michiru grinned and kissed the taller woman. "And I have the whole evening time to..." she giggled as she saw how Haruka blushed deeply. "... to tickle you!" The young violinist reached under Haruka's brown robe and the taller woman burst out into laughter.
"No... please... Michi..." she laughed and tried to defend herself but she knew that she it was senseless when Michiru started to punish her in that more or less pleasant way.
"Why... Michi..."
"Well, that's my way to show you my love. And I love you very much!" The evil grin grew wider on Michiru's face as she tickled her girlfriend even more. Haruka's laughter increased. Then she reached for the young violinist who screamed out loud. But the taller woman didn't think of revenge. Instead she pulled her girlfriend closer and kissed her passionately.
An old couple passed by but they didn't see them. Didn't see how they made funny faces at Hotaru who winked back. Didn't hear their silent words about the young couple being so deep in love with each other.
The older woman sighed in memories and said something about young love and romantic. Her husband agreed and they walked quietly away. Hand in hand. Grateful that they still had each other.
"Let's go on." Whispered Michiru after a long time they kissed and grinned as Haruka winced slightly. Carefully her right hand crept under her lover's wide shirt and caressed soft skin.
"Oh, you're so cold, Michi-chan!" Haruka put her hands over Michiru's on the clothe and hold it on her warm belly. "Let me warm you."
Michiru grinned back and gave her another soft kiss.
"At home..." she whispered and turned around to take the handlebars of her daughter's pram. The little girl caught two other leaves and showed them around proudly. Michiru corrected the scarf carefully and stroke over redden cheeks.
I have to tell her.
Michiru swallowed while they walked along the stony way covered with coloured leaves. She looked over to her lover, saw how the wind played with her short blonde hairs and her long robe.
I love her so much.
The last weeks since they returned from America had been like a wonderful, never ending dream. Suddenly she wasn't alone any longer. She had a real family. Not only her parents far away in Countries on the other side of the world. She had her Ruka and her Himme-chan.
I love her so much. That's why she has a right to know it.
"Ruka?" her voice was suddenly very shaky and she was angry about herself.
Why am I frightened with a sudden? She loves me! And Himme-chan! She won't leave me because I am a senshi. Because I am a part of Sailor Moon's Crystal Tokyo!
But the old fear stayed.
"Hai?" Haruka didn't turn her head. She had closed her eyes and it looked as if she would listen to the wind playing with her own scarf. Soft rays shimmered on her smiling face and suddenly she looked like an angel.
My angel...
"I've got to tell you something. Maybe you'll be shocked and maybe Sets is right and it's a fault to tell you. But I love you too much to deny it any longer and..." stammered Michiru and her steps got slower and slower.
"What is it?" Haruka frowned as she heard her lover's uncertain voice. She stopped beside her and finally opened her eyes. Michiru took a deep breathe as she saw into dark green eyes she loved so much.
"Are you a bank robber? Did you kill someone?" Haruka made a really, really shocked face. "Or did anything happen to your nice Ferrari?"
What the hell is she telling me? She's so pale with a sudden? She knows she can tell me everything, doesn't she?
"No, I have enough money and you're the only person driving the Ferrari, so it wouldn't be my fault." Michiru clenched her fists and looked into Hotaru's smiling face. "I didn't kill someone. Until know I wasn't forced to. Fortunately. Because I owned the talisman on my own." Michiru sighed and suddenly tears burned in her deep blue eyes. "Just once I almost let a person die: That was my sweet Himme-chan. She threatened the whole world and I was ready to kill her. Together with Sets. It was our only chance, because the one who owned the third talisman didn't appear and I was prepared to take any sacrifice to rescue six billions of people. Even to give up myself. That's my mission and destiny as a Sailor senshi and I would do it every day if it's necessary to defend our future Queen and our future King. And one day when Hotaru's old enough, she'll be a senshi, too."
Michiru sighed again and finally raised her head. But Haruka's face wasn't shocked. Only thoughtfully as if she remembered something.
"You don't believe me, do you?" asked Michiru with a shaky voice and looked up to the sky to prevent her tears from falling.
"It sounds... strange..." answered Haruka after a long while and shook her head.
But at the same time it sounds familiar...
At that moment they heard the screams and an old couple flew in their direction. There was a strange being behind them. It wasn't a living human nor was it an animal. It looked like a huge tree coming to live. And it had huge scissors and knifes instead of leaves and branches.
"Help!" yelled the old couple before it fainted. There was a bright light and two crystals floated above their heads. Then they turned black and the youma screamed out loud.
"That's all your fault!" yelled another person. It was smaller than the monster and remembered Haruka who stepped protectively before the sport pram on a mouse.
"Sailor Iron Mouse." Growled Michiru and sighed deeply. Then she took her staff out of her bag and turned around to her lover who watched the youma with big eyes. "This is what I meant, Ruka." She whispered and gave her a short kiss. "Take care for Himme-chan. This is my business."
With a deep breathe she faced again the youma and raised her henshin.
"Neptune make up!" she screamed and felt the water surrounding her. Heard the rushes of the waves and felt how her clothes changed into her Sailor uniform.
"Deep submerge!" The planet left her hands and crashed over the youma who screamed in pain.
Now she knows it!
Neptune jumped and escaped Sailor Iron Mouse's angry attacks. The youma wasn't worth a penny. It was immobile and too large. So the enemy had to fight herself. It wasn't her duty, she could have walked away and let the youma die. But this time she was angry. She didn't find a pure star crystal and there was only Neptune around to attack. Sailor Neptune who defeated her for so many times.
Now she knows who I really am.
Michiru jumped again and the old couple stood up again. Now their crystals were black and they were now zombies of Sailor Iron Mouse. They had similar scissors and knifes as the large youma, but they were faster.
Four against one!
"Deep submerge!" screamed Michiru and tried to ran into the other direction. So that they wouldn't see and attack Haruka and Hotaru, her family.
Now she knows it.
To fight against those youmas was even easier than to look back and see into Haruka's surely shocked face.
I fight against once nice people and if Sailor Moon wasn't powerful enough I would have to kill them all. I am nothing more than a murderer in a nice dress - although I never had to kill anyone. But I would if I would rescue 6 billion people with just one sacrifice. I would sacrifice myself. And I would sacrifice the ones I love. Is Haruka strong enough to live with such a destiny? Is she strong enough to keep living with me? To know that our daughter will be Sailor Saturn one day? The senshi of death?
Michiru swallowed hard and threw another planet at the youmas around her.
Will she still love me when she knows that I am Uranus's soul mate and only love her, because Uranus isn't awake in this world? In this time? She isn't a substitute - but will she believe me?
Her thoughts, her angst, her nightmares grew too powerful in her soul and suddenly she stood there. Motionless. Silent. Only her eyes watered as she saw how the other youmas came nearer.
Will I ever be able to live again without her?
She knew the answer too well.
No...
Haruka saw how the scissors and knifes came closer and closer and how her girlfriend didn't move. Her girlfriend in a strange uniform she believed to know. Once she had seen such a similar uniform, too.
Or had it been just a nightmare? A feverish one?
She had seen a lot of illusions when she laid in hospital. When she got pain killers against her inflamed arms. Against the wounds which didn't stop to bleed until she decided that she would face life and pushed every thought about death again. At that moment her guardian angel seemed to leave her and the wounds closed.
"No." Whispered Haruka and pushed the pram carefully aside next to a bush were hopefully the strange monsters wouldn't see her.
"NOOO!" she screamed and ran. As fast as never had. Not even when she crossed the finish line and the other car killed her mother. When she wanted to go to her in the fire and the guards didn't let her through.
"NOOO!" Determined she jumped between the old couple and grabbed her Michiru. They both flew on the ground and Haruka looked into watery deep blue eyes. Into a painful face.
"Please, don't leave me..." sobbed Neptune and coughed.
"Never." Answered Haruka without thinking. Only with her heart. "Whatever is your duty, you have to do it. I won't be in your way, Michi-chan. I'll support you - the same way you help me every day to be happy again." Haruka raised her head and saw how the mouse girl laughed a wicked laughter and the old couple raised their knifes.
"No, you won't hurt her!" Haruka got to her feet and spread her arms protectively before her girlfriend how couldn't stand up. Her right leg hurt too much.
Maybe it's broken.
Neptune swallowed hard and tried to stand up. She groaned and blackness on her eye's rims forced her to stay where she was.
"I don't know who you are, but you won't beat her." Haruka's dark green eyes sparkled and she felt how the wind increased. It played with her short blonde hairs and stroke over pale cheeks.
"And you'll hinder us?" laughed Sailor Iron Mouse and shook her head. "What will you do?"
"If you harm her in any way I'll kill you!" Haruka clenched her fists and took a deep breathe. She could hear her lover's words shouting that she should ran away. That she should think of Himme-chan and about her future. Then it got quieter and quieter and even the shouting of the mouse girl disappeared. All that remained was the howl of the wind and the rushes of a far away sea.
She saw the knifes and scissors flying through the air. A scream shortly broke through the howl but it stopped as fast as it begun.
This is my destiny.
Suddenly Haruka smiled as she saw a golden light in front of her face and automatically grabbed for it. There was another woman smiling friendly at her. She knew her. From somewhere far beyond her dreams. She had seen her between life and death.
Haruka nodded and raised the hot staff in her hands up to the sky.
She's my guardian angel. She helped me to survive in those dark days at hospital. She helped me and gave me back my will to live.
The tall woman stepped behind her and embraced her softly. It was the same touch Haruka had experienced after her father denied her in front of the doctor. Then it was gone and it left a strange feeling. Of an old memory she seemed to keep away. So that it couldn't hurt her.
No, please, don't say such words. I need you, Uranus. You're my soul mate. You can't leave... can't leave me... now. I... I love you...
Again she heard the shaky voice in her head. It almost broke her heart how it did the last time. Again she felt soft lips on her own. Lips she got to know so well during the past weeks.
Uranus?
The wind howled louder and louder and she screamed words she didn't know but they sounded very familiar in her ears. Her clothes changed and she could hear her heart beat in her mind. It had the same rhythm as the storm around her.
She turned her head and looked down at her lover. Deep blue eyes were still full of tears and grew wide as she watched the taller woman in great shock and disbelieve.
The knifes attained her.
NOOO!
Neptune's cry was full of despair and it sounded so familiar, too. There had been a similar scream. Thousands of years ago...
"Earth shaking!" Haruka swirled around and before she knew she did a huge golden planet crashed against the knifes and they fell dead to earth.
"That can't be! Another senshi! That's not my best day!" whimpered the mouse girl and a telephone box appeared next to her. She stepped into, waved with her hand and disappeared with the red thing.
Left were a surprised youma and the still transformed old couple.
"You aren't allowed to treat old people like that! They're wise and respectable. We all love our grandparents and you hurt them!" Haruka turned around and blinked as she saw a shinning person standing next to Hotaru's pram. The little girl laughed and the figure smiled shortly back. Shortly but with blue eyes full with deep love.
The young woman had two wings.
Like an angel...
Haruka blinked again and remembered her. She had seen her in the hotel room when Michiru danced around with her daughter in her arms.
Or had it been just an illusion?
Haruka lowered her head and looked shocked at the short skirt she was wearing. It was too short for her taste.
Is this an illusion, too?
"That's why I'll punish you in the name of the moon!"
Some other figures in similar uniforms appeared behind the goddess, but Haruka didn't care about them any longer. Silently she stumbled over to her Michiru and went on her knees next to her. Without saying a word she took the trembling senshi of the wide ocean in her arms and held her tight. She didn't really know what happened the last minutes but she surely knew that they survived it and that Michiru still loved her.
The smaller senshi raised her arms and stroke over her lover's cheeks.
"You're Uranus, Ruka..." she whispered and smiled. Then she started desperately to sob. "I searched you for almost five years now and I almost let you go, because I've been too ignorant to see the truth." She pulled her girlfriend closer and buried her burning face in her shoulder.
"I was so ignorant and because of my idle look of life I almost lost you. Forever."
Uranus.
Soul mate.
My Ruka...
"You know I am here for you. Always, Michi-chan." Haruka swallowed hard and frowned as the youma disappeared and the old couple looked normal again. "Although I don't know why I should wear this skirt. It's too short and it's too cold! You know I am not born to wear dresses." Teased the taller senshi and swallowed hard. The henshin escaped her shaking hands and in the next moment she wore her normal clothes again. As if nothing had happened at all.
"You know my opinion about dresses, Ruka." Michiru swallowed hard and squeezed her harder, ignoring the pain flashing through her leg.
"What happened?" asked Haruka and stroke through sea green curls and calming over a still trembling back. Michiru raised her head and her cheeks were wet. Her deep blue eyes looked straight into green eyes.
I love her, no matter who she is.
"You're Sailor Uranus." She declared with a shaky voice and smiled a thin smile.
"Pardon?" Haruka frowned and looked around into different surprised, understanding or simply crying faces around her. There were six women and a girl in similar uniforms. And behind them the tall woman see could three shadows disappearing between the trees.
Michiru pulled her even closer and it seemed as if she would never ever let her go again.
I'll wait for you... As... as long as... I live...
Both heard the words in their minds. Together with the rushes of the wide sea moved by wild wind.
Michiru's voice was very quietly, but Haruka heard it and her heart almost stopped to beat.
"You're Sailor Uranus, Ruka. You're the one I've been waiting for so long."
Haruka swallowed hard and pulled her lover closer to herself.
And you've been the girl I wanted to apologise to. Why didn't I see it before? You've been the one from my nightmare. The one who kissed me and said that she will love me forever...
As I love you, Michi-chan.
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"Michi-chan? I am home."
Haruka stripped her robe and slipped out of her wet shoes. Then she walked over to the living-room. She could smell the friendly fire burning in the chimney. It was now in the end of October and it was quite cold outside. It got darker with every hour and so the evenings could be romantic.
"And, how was it?"
Michiru kneeled before a sitting Hotaru. Their cheeks were redden and both of them laughed.
My family...
Haruka swallowed hard as she walked over to them.
"Terrible! Usako almost cried when it was her turn and she screamed at the doctor as if he killed her."
Michiru giggled at her lover's words and could imagine a screaming Usagi too well. The two where at the doctor to get their vaccination against the dangerous winter's flu. The other of the Sailor team had been to the doctor two weeks ago but at this time Haruka and Usagi had have a little cold and weren't allowed to get the injection.
I never want to be so ill like last spring again.
"But you was the great hero, wasn't you?"
"Hai." Haruka blushed slightly and grinned a tomboy grin.
The young violinist frowned as she watched her lover.
Otherwise I would have send her away that very night...
"Stop, Ruka." She whispered and banished this thought out of her mind. Out of her heart. Her girlfriend was with her. Her soul mate. For the rest of their lives.
"Why?" the tall woman frowned but did as she was told.
"Because Himme-chan and I want to show you something." Michiru giggled and the small child giggled, too, as if she knew what would follow. Hotaru stretched her arms towards her mother and grabbed her hands. Then Michiru helped her on her feet and the small girl walked with unsure steppes towards her daddy.
Haruka's eyes grew wide as she went on her knees. She heard Michiru's proud giggle and saw how her girlfriend let go off their daughter.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Four unsure steps towards her daddy. Hotaru laughed happily as Haruka took her finally in her strong arms and swirled around with her.
"Little princess!"
"Daddy!" screamed the little girl in pleasure. Then the tall woman stopped and dark green eyes looked into deep blue ones. They were full of love.
"Her first steps." Whispered Michiru and suddenly tears ran over her cheeks. But it were no longer tears of sorrow. Now they were tears of joy.
Her first steps...
Haruka looked down at her daughter and felt how Michiru came over to them and embraced them both.
He said she's no child of mine.
The taller senshi smiled and kissed two red cheeks loving.
He doesn't know how wrong he was. She's my child. As much as she's Michiru's child. Our daughter.
Haruka smiled loving at her family and hold her Himme-chan a little bit tighter.
End
As some of you may notice, I like Haruka and Michiru quite more than I like Sailor Uranus and Neptune. Maybe so they're a little bit realer. Or am I simply fed up with all those battles from the anime? (Mostly they're simply boring - especially with Sailor Moon and her strange ballet.)
So I decided to write a story without Sailor Uranus. But with a Tenô Haruka who doesn't know about her destiny. And about a Kaioh Michiru who still searches for her love but stumbles over an illusion and almost lost her closest friend forever.
For me they're meant to be together by destiny, no matter if they're senshi or "normal" people.
Another advantage to write about them as "normal" people: They are able to have the same problems as "normal" people, because they can't solve them with a simple earth shaking or deep submerge.
Maybe Haruka's father sounds unreal, but a) this was my idea while listening to No son of mine and b) there're parents out there who are so blind. Sad but true.
For all who really read all this stuff (about 70 pages on my text program): Arigato! I know, it's quite a long story (if it's still a "short story"). Hope it was worth all your time.
April
04.Octobre - 20.Octobre 2000
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