Chapter 2: Day 1
Everything was dark and silent, as Haruka found herself all alone in this dark expanse. The dirty blond haired woman did not know where she was or just how she got there, all she knew was that she was all alone with her space sword in hand and that she was dressed in her full sailor fuku. "Hello! Where the hell am I?" the senshi of the wind called out angrily into the darkness, but her question was only met by an deafening silence from the dark void.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the darkness and began to charge at the senshi of the wind. With her experience as a senshi guiding her movements, Sailor Uranus brought he space sword up and in one swift move, sliced the unknown creature in two and sent it tumbling on the ground in a heap. No sooner than she had dispatched the hostile being, another creature appeared and dove towards the senshi. But Uranus was ready for it and jabbed her blade into the creatures head, before taking her foot and pushing the now dead demon of her sword.
Her heart was beating at an incredible pace, as the senshi began to feel the effects of the adrenaline rush that was now setting upon her. A part of her was actually enjoying this, she always loved the action and was always eager to charge head first into a fight without a second thought. She would not have it any other way and she even hoped that another one of these creatures, who or what ever they were would actually try to attack her once again. Her wish was soon answered, as Uranus saw another creature standing in the distance.
With a small grin forming on her face, the wind senshi charged the unknown being and within moments, had grabbed the creature by the neck and with one hand, raised it into the air. "Who the hell are you!" Uranus demanded angrily, as she slowly began to choke her prisoner.
"Don't you know who I am?" the creature said, showing sign that it was in any kind of distress. "I don't have time to play any of your sick games!" Uranus growled, "just who the hell are you?"
Suddenly the creature had changed it appearance and Uranus soon found to her shock, the demon that she held was in fact an exact duplicate of herself. "Tell me, how does it feel to turn on the ones you love? How does it feel to know that you betrayed the trust of your family and took their live without feeling not one shred of remorse?" the duplicate Uranus asked with a cruel smile, as it pointed to where the other dead "creatures" lay. But when the real Uranus looked, she saw to her horror that the dead creatures were now replaced with the bodies of both Pluto and Saturn
"Tell me... how does it feel?" the fake Uranus repeated, suddenly starting to turn a shade of gray. Haruka was at a lost for words, she loosened the grip on her captive and staggered back with a look of complete shock on her face. "No... No... I..." the now traumatized woman tried to speak up, but could not bring herself to speak in her own defense.
"Why did you do it Haruka?" a very familiar spoke from behind her. When Uranus turned to see who it was, she found herself staring into the eyes of her lover. "Why did you make me kill my friend? Why did you kill our daughter?" Michiru asked in a pleading yet hurt tone.
"Michi... I'm...I'm sorry!" Haruka replied in a almost pleading tone. But the look on her lovers face told the wind senshi that Michiru did not believe her.
"Why did you come up with that stupid plan? Our family is dead because of you!" the young woman cried, as tears began to form in her eyes.
"Michi! please! I did not mean to..." Haruka tried to apologize to her lover, but was cut off when she felt a pair of hands rest to her shoulders. Too her horror, she discovered that that those had belonged to her now slain daughter and and friend. "You did this to us..." they said in unison.
"Sets! Taru! I... I'm sorry!" Haruka was all but crying now, but her tears had little effect on her former friend and daughter, as they slowly began to advance on the helpless senshi.
"You did this to us..." they said again, as their eyes began to glow red and reached out to grab the the now frightened woman...
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Haruka woke up with a start and in a cold sweet, as she found herself back in the bed that she and her lover shared. As she looked around she saw that Michiru was still next to her and fast asleep. As she looked at her sleeping girlfriend, Haruka could not help but to wonder just why this beautiful young woman is still with her after what she had put her through. Thanks to her, their family had been destroyed and the one person that would have most likely forgiven them, no longer considered them her friends and had every right to hate them. Just why Michiru stayed with her?
Haruka did not know just why Michiru still loved her after all they had been through, but she was glad that the young violinist had stayed by her side and she made a promise right there and then that some how, she would find a way to make it up to her lover and hope they can be happy once again.
Haruka sighed heavily as she looked at the small alarm clock on the sight stand, " 3:33 a.m." she grumbled, that meant that she would have to endure another few hours of restless sleep before the sun came up. So with an less than happy sigh Haruka laid back down and cuddled up with her girlfriend, hopefully the dreams would not be so vivid as before.
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A new day had dawned in San Diego, as both Haruka and Michiru arose to the smell of freshly made pan cakes. It was just one day before that the couple had touched down in the coastal city and met up with Haruka's cousin, Alex.
From what Haruka had said, Alex was her cousin from her mother's side of the family. Haruka's aunt had married a American naval officer who was stationed in Japan at the time and Alex was a result of that relationship. Both Alex and Haruka had grown up together in Japan and had been very close, even when his father got sent back to America the two of them still kept in regular contact. Alex was even the first person she told that she was a lesbian and he kept her secret until she finally decided to tell her parents. He was even there when her parents turned on her and kicked her out of the house, Alex was the big brother that she never had. Now she and her girlfriend were his guess in his home because now more than ever, she needed a shoulder to lean on.
As the two lovers left their room, they were engulfed with the sent of pan cakes as well as eggs and coffee.
"Hey I was wondering when you two would wake up?" Alex said, as he saw the two women enter the rather small kitchen. "I guess that jet lag caught up with u huh?"
"Yea... it did." Haruka replied, as she and Michiru took their seats at the table.
"So... what do you guys want this morning? The menu is Banana pan cakes with scrambled eggs and bacon, with a choice of orange juice or coffee to wash it all down with." Alex explained, as he placed a plate stacked with pancakes on the table.
"This looks all delicious, Alex." Michiru complimented, "I think I will have the pancakes with juice."
"I will have everything!" Haruka exclaimed with a grin, as she eyed the food that was in front of her. "Well your apatite has not changed much." Alex said with a grin, as he passed her a plate.
"So Alex," Michiru began, "you said yesterday that you would be home for a few months before you were deployed again. Are you in the military?"
"Yea, Marines actually." Alex replied, as he poured himself a glass of orange juice. "I just got back from a deployment last week, now I have a few months home until I am sent out again."
"Must be exciting being in the Marines." Michiru said, as she took a sip of her juice. "It has it moments" Alex replied.
For the next twenty minutes, the three of them ate breakfast and began to make plans for the next few weeks. Alex said that next week was "Fleet Week" in San Diego and that there would be a number of events in and around the city. A fact that got Haruka's attention immediately, when she heard her cousin mention that the events would include both a car show and a air show. Two things that the Senshi of the Wind enjoy greatly. In the mean time he would take them around the city and show them some of the sites.
But that would all have to wait until tomorrow, Alex had some business to do do in the city and even though he asked them if they wanted to come along for the trip, both Haruka and Michiru kindly declined and opted to stay home. Saying that they were still tired and need some rest.
About an hour later Alex had left which left the two lovers all alone in the house. Normally when Michiru and Haruka were left all alone, they would normally used that time to engage themselves in certain activities. But ever since the incident with Galaxia, the fire that had existed in between them had died down quite a bit and they had been intimate for a while. It was just another reminder of the guilt that they felt and what they wanted to regain once again.
"Alex seems to be a nice guy." Michiru commented, as they walked back into the house.
"Yea he is."Haruka replied as she flopped on the living room couch, "Well... America: Day 1"
"I wonder how Hotaru is doing?" Michiru asked, her mood starting to grow somber. Haruka's mood began to grow somber as well as she answered, "Michi... her father got out of the hospital just before we left. The doctors say that he is fine and that he is more than capable of taking care of her."
"I know... it just that... that... I wonder if we made the right choice leaving her without saying goodbye?" the young violinist began to tear up a bit. Just before they had decided to leave Japan, the two of them had returned Hotaru to her father. They were there when the two reunited, Hotaru was almost in tears when she hugged her father, who was also in tears himself when he saw his child once again. He thanked the couple personally for their help and said that they could come and visit her any time they wanted. But when it came time for them to leave Tokyo, they thought it would be best if that they only told her father that they would be leaving and not the child that that they once called their daughter. Only saying that they were going on a trip and nothing more.
Haruka came in and hugged her lover, "Michi, you saw how happy she was when she went back home. Right now she needs her family in her life and not us. Maybe one day she would want to see us again but until then the best thing we can do is stay out of her life and allow her to heal. We are doing the right thing."
"I hope we are doing the best thing for her Haruka." Michiru began to cry softly again, as she held on tightly to her lover. Haruka returned the embrace and said silently,
"I hope so too..."