Oh heeey.
I don't know what inspired me to write this chapter tonight, considering I have two term papers whose due dates are looming in the too-soon future that I have not even started on yet... but who am I to argue when inspiration strikes?
Exactly.
So here's the fruits of my labor. I apologize that there is no violence, no death, and not really any sex in this chapter. LOL. Not that that's a bad thing, I guess...
Sailor Moon does not belong to me... all in good time, my pretties, all in good time...
And now, back to our show! ;)
--
Over the next few days, the other planets in the solar system responded to the moon's request for a last stand. Transports began to arrive on the moon from every corner of the galaxy.
Queen Serenity had done her best to avoid widespread panic throughout the solar system, and instead had promoted awareness of the fact that the Dark Kingdom was invading and preparedness for if and when they arrived. She had warned the planets even before Mars was taken, but they had shrugged it off as a standard precaution. Now, with the destruction of two planets having occurred, and unknown others looming in the distance, the royalties were taking everything seriously. Despite the Queen's diplomatic reasoning and call for calm, the transports that arrived on the moon contained small amounts of troops, if they even arrived at all.
Many of the transports were gunned down and destroyed by roaming Dark Kingdom pirates. The Dark Kingdom had quickly discovered that the transports contained soldiers and in an effort to cut them off before they could rally and defeat them, they picked them off one by one.
This did not help Queen Serenity's cause in the least, for home planets were already reluctant in sending away troops, convinced that if they sent too many away they would fall to destruction as Saturn and Mars had. The Queen had no argument that would stand up to their rebuttal- it was no use explaining that Mars and Saturn had the best defenses in the solar system and still fell.
Within a week all preparations and defenses had been set into place on the Moon, and the Queen made a bold decision.
"Everyone," she said to the gathered senshi and her own court, "As we all know, my daughter's scheduled masquerade birthday ball is this week, and I have decided, despite the danger, that it shall remain so. We shall carry on, as planned. Usagi shall have her birthday party… it may be the last celebration we have." Her grim words hung in the air for a moment before she excused herself and left, leaving a stunned court and a concerned senshi team.
The Queen met with the senshi after the formal announcement.
"Your Majesty?" Ami asked in disbelief.
"It sounds foolish, I understand," the Queen agreed. "But, with all of the royalty nearby, diplomats, aristocrats and others, we will proceed with the transportation lockdown. After all, we agreed that the palace would be our stronghold against the Dark Kigdom attack- everyone will already be located here. We can escort them to the safety rooms we have prepared, and carry out our plans. We have three days."
--
The next day, the Queen was surprised with a visit from Pluto. The Guardian of Time appeared very suddenly, startling the troubled ruler with her presence.
"Your Majesty," Pluto started stoically.
"Yes?"
"I must… leave now. For the Gate of Time."
The Queen swallowed and looked into Pluto's eyes. The information hit her like a hard blow. She hadn't realized the severity of their situation until Pluto said those words. The Guardian returning to the Gate meant only one grim thing.
They would die.
The Queen took a sudden raspy breath, reaching blindly for a chair to sit in. Pluto caught her grasp and guided her to a nearby chair, which the Queen merely leaned on.
"Setsuna," the Queen started hollowly.
"I'm so sorry," Pluto suddenly burst, tears welling up in her eyes, a single one streaking down her cheek, "so sorry, Your Majesty."
"Now, Setsuna," Queen Serenity began shakily, her own eyes tearing up, "Don't apologize for doing your duty."
"I just wish there was something I could do, but I can't. I just can't, Serenity. Please understand, I can't…" Pluto was sobbing, and Queen Serenity felt her heart breaking. This poor girl… how many times had she witnessed the death of her friends and loved ones, standing by helplessly?
The Queen stood up tall, and suddenly pulled Pluto to her, embracing her in a tender hug. "Setsuna, shh," Queen Serenity said soothingly, rubbing the other girl's back. "I understand. I don't blame you at all, Setsuna… Shhh."
Pluto straightened up after a moment, her eyes still brimming with tears that she contained, but barely. "Setsuna," the Queen started, placing a hand on the Time Senshi's shoulder and catching her gaze, "I am sorry. Sorry that you will have to witness what will surely come, sorry that you are powerless to stop it, and sorry that you have to bear this torture."
Pluto nodded sadly, her gaze averted to the floor, too ashamed to say anything in response other than, "Thank you, Your Majesty." She tried to smile, sadly, and with one last mournful glance at the Queen, she disappeared as quickly and quietly as she had come.
The Queen, now alone, sat down into the chair beside her and cried.
--
"What do you suppose the Queen wanted with us, Haruka?" Michiru asked as she and her partner walked together, hand-in-hand, to the Queen's audience chamber. Normally they would not be so public about their affection, but both knew that their time together was limited. In knowing so, they found themselves much clingier than usual, trying to make up for time they knew would be stolen from them. Their lovemaking had become quick and passionate, occurring more frequently as opportunities arose. It was after one such session that they had received the Queen's summons.
"Perhaps she wanted to go over her defense again? We are her makeshift guards once the attack starts," Haruka returned, squeezing Michiru's hand softly.
Once arrived, they were met by Queen Serenity's gaunt expression. She tried to force a smile, but she could not fool the two Outer senshi.
"Haruka, Michiru," the Queen greeted wearily. "Please, come in. I have important news."
The pair approached the Queen, bowed gently, and waited.
Queen Serenity took a deep breath. "Pluto has returned to the Gate of Time."
The two senshi gasped. They did not know what that meant for sure, for they had only heard whispers and legends of the significance. But the Queen did not leave it up to them to interpret.
"You may know that this means we are all destined for utter annihilation," she continued. "Surely, Michiru, you have sensed this."
Haruka exploded. "There must be something we can do!" She looked helplessly at her partner, hoping for a response, a protest, anything. Michiru shook her head wordlessly, sadly, silently accepting what she knew in her heart was true all along.
The Queen spoke on. "There is no doubt that we will all die... But we must do all we can. There is still a chance for rebirth, and, let us not forget that each of us has the power to change our own future." She swallowed shakily, her last words coming out wobbled. "Please, as a favor to me, do not alert the others to the information I have just given them. I would… protect them… from the burden of knowing their deaths are at hand. They are still so young, and the knowledge would consume them."
Haruka and Michiru only nodded. Michiru was lost in her own thoughts of foreboding, and Haruka was too shocked at the certainty of defeat.
"I apologize for placing this burden on you two; however, I wanted you to be prepared, as I am sure the two of you would be the ones strongest enough to attempt a rescue should the others fall… but we must remember our mission… and our fate."
--
On the way back to their quarters, in a daze, they ran into Rei, who could instantly tell from their dampened spirits that something was drastically wrong. She caught Michiru's unshielded gaze and knew, in that instant, the burden that had been thrust upon the two older senshi. She sensed the beginnings of tears, but instead felt Michiru's hand on her shoulder, their eyes locked in understanding.
"You know," the water senshi said quietly. "But please, as hard as it may be, understand, and keep it secret from the others."
Rei nodded. "I do understand, and I won't disclose, Michiru." She smiled sadly. "I'm sorry."
Michiru returned the sorrowful smile. "Me, too."
They parted ways and the pair continued, undisturbed, to Michiru's room, where, once inside, they embraced and fell into a fit of bittersweet passion, the desperation and need in their touches unlike anything they had experienced before.
When they finally collapsed, exhausted, they held each other tightly, lost in their own worlds of thought about what was to come.
--
The masquerade ball in honor of Usagi's birthday came sooner than they had expected. The turnout was astronomical considering the peril plaguing the solar system. Not a single transport was pirated by the Dark Kingdom. It was eerie to the senshi, for they had expected at least one or two to be destroyed, if not all of them; but it seemed that the Dark Kingdom knew they were civilians, almost as if they encouraged the gathering of them on the moon…
…or that they had other things to do.
Neither idea sat well with the senshi, but they attempted to take their minds off of the troubling thoughts and focus on the happiness of Usagi's birthday.
The aristocrats, royalties, and other high-class parties showed up without fail, and without fear. For, they reasoned, as bad as the solar system was, it was not grounds to pass up an invitation to a masquerade birthday ball, and they had made the plans months in advance, and had nothing but the utmost faith in the Moon's defense systems and the sailor senshi.
Usagi was dressed in a gown that matched the Queen's, and she looked beautiful and princess-like- much more mature and sophisticated than she had ever been in the past. It almost seemed that she possessed a sudden grace, like she was a different person.
Haruka and Michiru observed the princess from afar, proud of the regal aura she was emitting, and of her flawless ladylike behavior. They sipped their wine casually, stealing secretive, longing glances at each other through their masks. As much as they enjoyed their social front, and time spent with their fellow senshi, in these final days they would have rather have spent their time together and alone.
Haruka sighed and caught her partner's deep blue eyes through the eyehole in her partial face mask. She extended her hand gallantly and smiled a brilliant smile that made Michiru's heart flutter. "Shall we dance, then?"
Michiru's eyes danced with radiant happiness through her own mask, which was framed with delicate, brightly colored scales, and in response she placed her own slender hand in her partner's and let herself be led out onto the dance floor.
They had not danced together since their intimate relationship had been forged. Suddenly, dancing to them became very familiar and sensual as they pressed ever closer, unafraid of the close proximity as they had been before. To the contrary, they craved it.
As they spun and moved elegantly across the dance floor, seemingly lost in their own world, they noticed Usagi dancing just as elegantly with Prince Endymion, whose eyes were disguised beneath a mask. To anyone else he would have seemed a normal guest, but to those who knew him, his stance and powerful presence marked him as the Prince of the Earth. He gently guided Usagi across the dance floor, the two of them lost in hushed, serious conversation.
After a number of dances Haruka and Michiru escaped to an adjacent balcony, noticing out of the corner of their eye that Endymion and the princess had done the same with a separate balcony on the opposite end. Haruka led Michiru outside, and pulled her close into her slightly shaking arms.
"Michiru," she said breathlessly, reaching up fervently to push the mask covering the artist's features from her face. Simultaneously, Michiru was doing the same to Haruka's mask, and their mouths met with sudden passion, eliciting a slight moan from each. Michiru's arms instantly slid around Haruka's neck, and Haruka nearly picked Michiru up in her desire to pull the girl closer, though it was physically impossible. They kissed heatedly for a few moments before they pulled away slightly, their noses touching, their gazes locked.
"I love you," Haruka said fiercely, her grip on her partner never wavering.
Michiru cherished the tight embrace. "I love you, too," she returned, before kissing the blonde again, tenderly. She pulled away and they stepped to the railing together, almost afraid to place too much distance between them in fear of losing each other.
They held each other and gazed up at the sky, the Earth taking up the majority of their view. It glowed a peaceful white, the blue and green swirls seeming to cast their vibrant colors to the reflecting light.
Suddenly Michiru gasped in anguish, collapsing to her knees as a sharp, sudden wave of dread washed over her. It made her stomach turn, and she felt as though she were about to vomit, but just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, and she realized Haruka was calling her name, concerned. She came slightly out of her daze to notice Haruka had knelt beside her and had an arm around her, her other hand on the side of her face. Had she really felt what she suspected?
"Michiru! Michiru? Are you all right?" Haruka's voice faded again and Michiru closed her eyes to focus her mind.
No, she was certain. She opened her eyes and looked straight into Haruka's teal ones.
"It's started."
--
Sorry for the cliff hanger. I mean, it's not like you guys don't know what happens. I mean really. :P
JOIN ME FOR THE NEXT EPISODE! -cue Kanine Krunchies music-
….or not. :X
Listen, I'm crazy over here. I'm sorry. Feel free to leave me a review, because I do enjoy them quite.
See ya next time pals! ;)