AN: MUCH longer chapter... who am I kidding with these shorter ones I've been posting?!
"Reports, your majesty."
Neo Queen Serenity turned from her office's window to see her assistant, Damon, setting a stack of papers on her desk. She sighed, dropping her arms to her side.
"How bad are they?" she asked softly. Damon shook his head.
"Not good," he replied. He motioned to the reports with his head. Serenity sighed again and picked up the reports, scanning through them.
"Another attack?" She looked up, brows drawn in worry. "That's the third one this month!"
She sank onto a nearby sofa, pulling her legs up and wrapping her arms around her knees. Although still small, the number of attacks had been steadily increasing over the past six month. When investigations were made into the attacks, there was no evidence to suggest who was behind them.
"Usagi!" Luna hissed from her perch on the window. She only used Serenity's former name when she was scolding. "That's no way for a queen to sit!"
Serenity rolled her eyes at her long-suffering advisor and sat up straight, feet on the floor. She grinned at Damon, who was covering his mouth trying to hide his smile.
"If I may make a suggestion, your majesty," he said, sitting next to her and gently taking the reports from her hand. He flipped a page and pointed to a paragraph. "If we look at the locations of the past attacks, there seems to be a pattern. Whoever is doing them is choosing places that aren't necessarily conspicuous, but that are connected in some way to your Guardians."
Serenity leaned her head to one side, tapping her cheek in thought as a grin grew on her face. "Damon… have you been spending time with Sailor Mercury again?"
Damon's cheeks reddened as Serenity squealed, throwing her arms around him. "Ahem," he coughed. "As I was saying, your majesty."
Lena uncrossed and crossed her legs for the fifth time in the restaurant lobby where she waited for Michiru and Haruka. Glancing at her watch she sighed. Although she had arrived ten minutes early, they were now fifteen minutes late. A flash of green caught her eye in the window as her cousin passed by, her sea green hair floating over her shoulders. Just behind her was Haruka, tall with pale blonde hair nearly glowing under the streetlights.
"I told you it was a left on 1st Street," Haruka said as she opened the door. Michiru rolled her eyes as she walked in.
"The directions said a right on 1st. It's not my fault they were wrong," she retorted. Her eyes lit up when she saw Lena. "Leenie!"
Before she was fully standing Lena was engulfed by her cousin's arms. She wrapped her own arms around her cousin, strangely cheered by the uncharacteristic hug.
"It's so good to see you," Michiru said softly. When she pulled away, Lena was surprised to see her eyes shimmering with tears.
"Hey, little dove," Haruka said, giving Lena a tight hug. Lena returned the hug, crinkling her nose and laughing lightly as Haruka mussed her hair.
"How was your trip?" Lena asked as they sat at their table.
"Oh, it was fine," Haruka responded quickly, turning as waiter came by to take their drink order.
"She slept the entire flight," Michiru added, giving Haruka a wink in response to her exasperated huff. Lena laughed and shook her head.
"How are your classes going?" Michiru asked, picking up her menu.
"Very well, thanks," Lena answered. "We wrap up for the semester in a few weeks, and then after that I'll only have one semester left. Mostly finishing my thesis."
"That's great," Haruka said, softly, her normal jovial tone missing. Lena stole a glance at her, but didn't comment.
"And then after that?" Michiru asked. Lena shrugged.
"And after that, I don't know."
"Well, with a political science degree you could always come home and get a position in the court," Haruka said nonchalantly. "I know of one that will be opening up very soon."
"Shush," Michiru said, bopping Haruka's arm with her menu. She set it down, folding her hands on top as she looked at Lena.
"There will be something for you, I'm sure of it," Michiru said. The waiter brought their drinks, pausing their conversation.
"Now, changing subjects," Michiru continued when the waiter had left. "Any love interests on your radar?"
"Michi…" Lena said, rolling her eyes. Hale popped into her mind and she felt her cheeks heating up. Before she could stop herself a smile began growing on her lips.
"Uh oh," Haruka said, poking Lena's arm. "Is our little dove… in love?"
"Oh, shut up," Lena said, poking Haruka back. She turned to Michiru, growing serious. "You didn't come all this way to ask me about school and my love life. You said you had something to discuss?"
Michiru sighed and nodded. "As you know," Michiru started, shooting a hesitant glance at Haruka. "Each of us Guardians is head of our own planetary court, as princesses of our respective planets."
"Of course I know that, Michiru," Lena interrupted. "Ever since Neo Queen Serenity became queen and our memories were restored I've only been reminded, oh… every day for the past few hundred years that you're the princess of the Neptune Court."
"And that you're my heir," Michiru added slowly.
"And that I'm your heir," Lena agreed, her eyes narrowing slightly. "My entire life has been making sure that I know I'm your heir and that I am prepared to take over in case…" Lena trailed off, realization setting in. She knew why Michiru was here. "No…"
"Leenie, please listen," Michiru started. Lena stood quickly, cutting her off and rattling the table.
"No! You promised, Michi!" Lena cried. She ignored the stares from the nearby tables.
"Promised what?" Haruka asked, gently ushering Lena back to her seat. She waved slightly at the table next to them, giving them a sheepish apologetic smile.
"Don't be ridiculous, Lena!" Michiru argued, ignoring Haruka's question. "We were children! You can't expect promises made by children to be lifelong oaths. Especially not something this serious!"
"Promised what?" Haruka asked again. She glanced between the two cousins, neither paying her any attention.
"I was never supposed to be the princess, Michiru. I was only here for emergencies, such as you dying. And oh look, you're not dead!" Lena snapped.
"The next in line is obligated to ascend to the crown upon the death, removal, or abdication of the monarch. That is our law, cousin!" Michiru said, her blue eyes flashing angrily.
Haruka slammed her fork down, the rattle of the dishes causing both Michiru and Lena to glare at her. "What promise?" Haruka asked, glaring back at each of them.
"Michiru promised me that I would never have to be the princess," Lena answered. "She said - and I quote - 'only my death will be the reason you ascend.' "
Haruka put an elbow on the table and leaned her cheek against it, slowly turning her head to look at Michiru. She raised her eyebrows questioningly at her fiancee, waiting for her to explain.
"Oh for heaven's sake, Haruka! I was nine and it was in Silver Millennium! Lena had done poorly in some training exercise and was crying because she didn't think she would be good at being a princess," Michiru explained with a scowl. "I felt bad that she was so worried about being next in line, so I told her that unless I died she wouldn't be princess." Michiru stood up quickly and slammed her hands on the table, both Haruka and Lena leaning back in surprise. "Things change, Lena! I can't do this anymore and I need you to step up!"
Lena and Haruka watched in stunned silence as Michiru stormed out of the restaurant. Haruka sighed and waved the waiter to their table.
"I'll get the bill. You go after her," she said. Lena nodded and rose to leave, gathering her and Michiru's purses and coats. Haruka's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. Lena turned in surprise, catching an uncommonly pleading look in Haruka's eyes.
"She needs this, little dove," Haruka said softly. She dropped Lena's wrist to slide a credit card into the leather folder the waiter handed her. "Michiru will never admit this, nor will she show it, but she's miserable. She wasn't made for politics and the headaches that come with it. She needs you."
Lena nodded, speechless, and followed after Michiru. She found her cousin sitting on a bench across from the restaurant, gracefully seated on the edge, her spine straight and hands folded in her lap. Even upset she's still the perfect princess, Lena thought, sighing. Silently, she sat next to her cousin, handing her the pink coat she had brought out. Michiru slid her arms into the coat, pulling it tightly around her. They sat in silence for several long moments before Michiru began speaking.
"I have always known my place," Michiru started softly. "I was a Soldier of the Outer Solar System, tasked with protecting the Solar System from invading forces. I helped to keep Silver Millennium safe for as long as I was able. When we were reborn, I took my role as an Outer Soldier just as seriously, protecting our princess and defeating our enemies."
She sighed. Lena looked at her cousin out of the corner of her eye. Michiru slouched forward, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She heard her inhale deeply, letting out a shaky breath.
"When Usagi took the throne, the others moved into their roles so easily. The Inner Guardians as Neo Queen Serenity's protectors, Sailor Pluto returned to the Time Door, even Sailor Saturn found her place. Haruka and I… we resumed our original roles, keeping watch for invading forces. But we all soon discovered that we weren't the only ones who had been reborn. All those who were once members of Silver Millennium and its planetary courts quickly regained their memories, thanks to the Silver Crystal. In our efforts to rebuild the peace we once had in Silver Millennium, we reestablished our courts, each of us resuming our roles as princesses."
Michiru was quiet for several long moments. This was the story Lena had heard hundreds of times since her memories had returned; she could recite it just as well as Michiru had now. She was unsure what to say, or if she should say anything at all. With another deep breath, Michiru continued.
"Lena, I can't continue to be Princess Neptune. Even before I was never very good at being the princess. I was better as a Soldier. Luckily back then I never had to be anything but a Soldier, occasionally making an appearance at a party, but now…" she trailed off, staring blankly ahead. "I feel like I'm not able to do my job as a Soldier because I'm constantly involved in court politics. I'm in meetings almost all day, every day. When there isn't a meeting, there is a function that I'm required to attend. It all sounds so selfish, I know, but...There's never any time left to do what my heart tells me to do: to be a Soldier."
"Lena," Haruka said quietly. Lena glanced up to see the taller girl standing in front of them, hands in her coat pockets. "The Neptune Court has already agreed and signed the documents for Michiru's abdication. Neo Queen Serenity has already given her blessing, given that Michiru has a successor. The wheels are already in motion, and you are next in line."
Lena slumped back against the bench, leaning her head back. The winter sky was clear, the stars twinkling against their dark backdrop. She could just make out the constellation Orion, his three star belt shining. She had always loved the winter sky, which brought the hunter into view, secretly imagining he heralded her January birthday and good tidings. She sighed. Never expected him to bring these tidings.
She felt Michiru take her hand, threading their fingers together. "Leenie," Michiru whispered. "Please."
Lena gave her cousin's hand a small squeeze and turned her head towards her. She smiled and nodded, wordlessly agreeing to take Michiru's place. Picking up a piece of her own hair, Lena eyed the dark brown color before wrinkling her nose. Michiru laughed lightly.
"I always hated the green."
Lena skipped her Friday classes, having stayed up most of the night tossing and turning. Her brain wouldn't shut off after her conversation with Michiru. She finally gave up on sleep around 4am and fixed a cup of tea. Sinking onto the sofa with her steaming mug, she pulled a fleece blanket over her, petting Elliott who had curled up in her lap.
Sunlight poured onto her face through the window, waking her up hours later. She yawned loudly and stretched her arms over her head, accidentally swiping her now empty mug and knocking it over. With a clatter it broke against the hardwood floor.
"Shoot," she muttered. Elliott, who had moved to the back of the sofa sometime during the morning hours, meowed and stretched, her back arching towards the ceiling. She hopped off the sofa and trotted into the kitchen, her loud meows announcing she was ready for breakfast. Lena knelt on the floor and began cleaning up her broken mug.
"You'll have to wait, brat," she grumbled at Elliott's meows.
An hour later Lena sat at her vanity, having fed Elliott, apologizing for calling her a brat, and showered. Lena ran her hand over her deep brown hair, wrapping a long tress around her finger.
~Silver Millennium~
"Your cousin is so beautiful," Chika sighed. Lena made a noncommittal noise, earning a sideways glance from her friend. "You disagree?"
"Of course not," Lena said. "Those of the Court of Neptune have always been beautiful."
"So how come you're a member of it then?" Haleigh teased, giving Lena a wink. Lena stuck her tongue out at her.
The three girls stood on one side of the crowded ballroom watching the dancing, specifically Princess Neptune as she was twirled through the room by partner after partner. There was no denying that she was, and always would be, the most beautiful girl in any room. Lena knew she would never measure up to her cousin, no matter how hard she tried. Leaving her two friends to continue to moon over her cousin, she left the ballroom, escaping onto an empty balcony where she could be alone.
Sighing at her memories, Lena went to her closet, digging through boxes until she found the small wooden box she had shoved in the very back when she first moved in. Returning to her vanity, she opened the box, revealing a small wooden comb. The curved edge was lined with carved flowers, lightly washed in red. Her father had given it to her years ago in hopes that it would not only help Lena to escape from who she was, but also to bring her back.
~Crystal Tokyo~
"Ugh!" Lena cried in frustration, slamming her book closed. "I don't care!" Her father ducked just in time to avoid the book that sailed across the room, landing with a thud against the door. She grimaced. "Sorry!"
"You could have just put it back on the shelf, dear," he said, retrieving the offensive book and sliding it back into its place. Lena crossed her arms over her chest, slumping back in her desk chair. "Problem?"
"I hate this 'spare' nonsense Mother is forcing me to study. Isn't it bad enough our entire lives were lies? Now I have to pretend that I one day could potentially be a princess? It's ridiculous!" Lena exclaimed. Her father frowned and looked away. Lena watched as he crossed the room to the bookshelves. His finger ran across several spines before finally stopping on a dark green book. Pulling it from the shelf, he turned back and handed it to her.
"Open it," he said softly. Lena looked at him apprehensively as she opened the cover. Her eyes widened. A hole had been cut through the pages and a small fabric wrapped bundle sat nestled in the pages. "That belonged to your grandmother, who once sought to escape her own destiny as Princess Neptune. While she, like all of us eventually do, learned quickly that you cannot necessarily escape your destiny, you can, on occasion, take a small detour."
Lena stared at her reflection and frowned. Elliott jumped onto the vanity, her turquoise rimmed eyes staring at her, almost expectantly.
"I know, I know," Lena muttered. She ran the comb through the ends of her hair, her natural deep blue-green hair reappearing with each stroke. She was left with an ombre look, the deep brown transitioning into her natural hair color. Pleased with the results, she returned the comb back to its case.
"Just because I have to go back to this color doesn't mean I can't do it with style," Lena said, patting Elliott on the head. She dropped the robe she was wearing over her underwear and began searching through her closet to find her favorite jeans and sweater. After finding her jeans and pulling them on, she realized her sweater was hanging in the laundry room.
She had just pulled the hanger from her sweater when there was a knock at the door.
"Come on in!" she called, expecting Michiru and Haruka, who were coming to pick her up for brunch.
"Lena?" she heard a male voice call.
"Eep!" Lena squealed, pulling her sweater over her head quickly as Hale came into the room. When her head popped through the neck hole, she caught him grinning at her.
"Do you normally let men just 'come on in'?" he asked teasingly. Her face flushed as she laughed awkwardly.
"I thought you were my cousin," she explained. "She and her girlfriend should be here soon. We're going to brunch."
"That sounds nice," Hale said. His eyebrows drew together quizzically.
"What?" Lena asked, catching his odd stare. He reached out and gently took a lock of her hair, lifting the green tip.
"New look?"
Lena laughed and shook her head gently as he let go of her hair. "Old look, you could say," she said.
Another knock came from the door, catching both their attention.
"Coming," Lena called, leaving Hale in the laundry room and seeing Haruka's blonde head poked inside the slightly open door.
"Don't you know better than to leave your door unlocked?" she playfully scolded, coming inside with Michiru close behind.
"Don't you know better than to open other people's doors?" Lena retorted.
"Haruka has apparently forgotten what happened last time she just walked in," Michiru commented, a mischievous gleam in her eye.
"I didn't forget," Haruka said, rubbing her shoulder. "I still have the bruise."
"She walked in-" Michiru was cut off by Haruka's hand over her mouth.
"No one needs to know that story," she said.
"Lena?" Hale called, coming into the living room. Michiru and Haruka both raised their eyebrows in surprise. Haruka eyes roamed up and down Hale before turning to Lena, doing the same.
"Did we… interrupt something?" she asked.
"Huh? What?" Lena asked. Michiru leaned closer, her hand to her mouth.
"You sweater's on backwards," she whispered loudly.
"Oh my gosh!" Lena exclaimed, her eyes narrowing at Hale. "How long were you going to let me stand there like that?"
Hale laughed, holding up his hands. "Sorry!"
"Who are you?" Haruka asked bluntly.
"I'm Hale Davis," he replied, holding his hand out, seeming unaffected by Haruka's gruffness. Haruka grasped it tightly, giving it a shake.
"Haruka Tenoh," she said, nodding.
"And you must be Michiru," Hale said, turning to the green haired woman who stood before him. He glanced between her and Lena, noting their similarities. Both were medium height with pale skin and small noses, but that was where the similarities ended. Michiru was beautiful, there was no questioning that, but she seemed... cooler and a bit distant. Lena was softer somehow, warmer.
"I am," Michiru said, gently shaking his hand. "It's very nice to meet you. We've heard nothing about you."
"Michi!" Lena hissed, shooting her cousin a scowl. Hale chuckled and patted her on the shoulder.
"Lena and I just met the other day. I moved in next door about a week ago," he explained with a charming smile. Haruka narrowed her eyes at him until Michiru noticed and elbowed her in the side.
"Well I'm glad our Lena has nice man next door to watch out for her," Haruka said in a slightly sarcastic tone. Michiru's head dropped onto her palm.
"It's my pleasure," Hale replied, winking at Lena, which only made her face burn more with embarrassment. "Listen, I need to get going. My shift starts in an hour and I have some errands to run before it. Catch up with you later, Lena?"
She nodded and, after saying his goodbyes to Michiru and Haruka, Hale left. As she closed the door she leaned against it, closing her eyes and sighing.
"Oh he's cute, Leenie!" Michiru exclaimed. Lena opened her eyes to see her cousin's face light up and Haruka's arms cross over her chest as she raised a questioning eyebrow in Lena's direction.
"You two are worse than my parents," Lena mumbled as she leaned down and pulled on her boots before grabbing her coat and keys from the coat rack. "Are you ready?"
"Um, Lena," Michiru said. Lena looked at her questioningly. Michiru waved a finger up and down at her. "You may want to fix your shirt."
With an aggravated groan Lena stomped into her bedroom, slamming the door on the girls' laughter.
Haruka leaned against the plane window watching the clouds. Being in the sky was nearly as relaxing for her as being in the water was for Michiru. Although not as relaxing as being in my car, she thought, inwardly sighing at the lack of driving she'd been unable to do lately. Neo Queen Serenity had politely "asked" her not to drive within Crystal Tokyo's city limits after her little "incident" on the highway. Her poor car had since been garaged for months.
Michiru stirred next to her, catching Haruka's attention. "Good nap?" she asked, struggling to hide her grin at Michiru's disheveled hair.
"Hm?" Michiru said groggily. She leaned back against Haruka's shoulder. "Yeah, it was good to sleep. I haven't slept well since we left Japan."
"I know," Haruka said softly. She had seen how worry had kept her fiancee up during the night, tossing and turning in her sleep.
"I'm sorry if I kept you awake too," Michiru said. Haruka gave a soft laugh.
"Don't worry about it. Everything's okay now."
"Do you think so?" Michiru asked, glancing up, catching Haruka's blue eyes. Haruka nodded and placed a small kiss on her nose.
"I do."
AN: A chapter on a TUESDAY?! I had it written... was eager to get it published!
I did want to mention a couple things in case anyone was wondering. The story is set in Crystal Tokyo, but only a few hundred years after Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion became rulers. While we've gotten to see 30th century Crystal Tokyo, I thought it would be interesting to write about the earlier years. I'm also excited to get some action going... clearly there is something going on in Crystal Tokyo!
Let me know your thoughts! I heart reviews!
