Mercury smiled and took a step further into the fog; her body began to melt into the mist. Haruka moved forward, prepared to stop her.
A hallow screech bursted through the fog. The lingering ring ripped through the thick fog, making it feel as though it were thin veil. Two more screeches thrashed through, though all three faded into the distance. They left only the icy chill of unease in the veiling mist.
The remaining soldiers paled with unease and tensed. Haruka placed a cool hand around Mercury's upper arm. Upon contact, Haruka's frigid touch caused the sailor soldier to flinch slightly; the blue-haired soldier was unsure if it was from the touch or the coolness of it. When had Haruka felt enough compassion towards them to express such affection? Was this an effect caused by Usagi?
"Don't die pointlessly. We need to continue on and support her for as long as possible," Haruka said in a soft voice; those eyes held a confidence, a determination. The small soldier blinked, momentarily captivated by the passion within the changed woman. Though, a tinge of confusion still filled her mind: was Haruka showing kindness to her? Upon looking harder, the intelligent soldier found her answer. Mercury's lips curled into a determined line, she nodded in agreement.
The two young women caught up to the others quickly. Sailor Venus' eyes locked on Haruka. Haruka returned her gaze and nodded; wordlessly, they communicated a silence understanding of each other. Venus turned around, and they began to walk. Before too long, the four girls were walking alongside each other and talking. Haruka walked a step behind. The melody of their conversation danced around the solid, quick beats of their crunching steps.
Those sea-foam locks swayed, like the tide rolling across the beach. As the woman turned around, that hair formed a whirlpool around her porcelain face. Those oceanic eyes were downcast, staring at the ground.
"What's wrong, Michiru?" Haruka asked. She reached forward, her sun kissed hand sweeping through Michiru's hair.
Michiru licked her dry lips before responding. The small action brought attention to the hallows burrowing into her cheeks. A small cough broke through the thick lining of her throat, causing a spasm of delicate coughs.
"I...I...There's something I need from you, Haruka," Michiru said in a serious, soft voice. Haruka stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Michiru's petite waist.
"I would give you the sky itself, if I could, Michiru," Haruka whispered into her hair. Michiru turned around within Haruka's embrace, and tears lined her eyes. Haruka blinked in surprise.
"Promise me that you'll never let me hold you back," Michiru said firmly. Haruka shook her head and responded with a smile. She pulled Michiru closer.
"...okay, 'ruka-chan?" A higher, juvenile voice continued from where Michiru had left off. Haruka shook her head. Her chest felt hallow and sharp, almost empty. Yet, somehow that voice had sent a flutter of relief into her core.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Haruka asked, looking down to the golden haired Sailor Soldier beside her. The girl's arms were blanketed in goose bumps, and her lips had the slightest blue tint to them. Haruka looked to the others: they all carried the same features.
"We're going to take a quick break and try to warm up a little, are you alright with that?" Sailor Moon asked, tilting her head to the side. Those sapphire blue eyes, despite their cool, deep color, held embers of compassion and warm concern. Just looking at them gave Haruka the feeling of being human again, of having a warm body, a beating heart.
Upon realizing she was staring, Haruka nodded. They wouldn't put up much of a fight as popsicles, and Haruka wouldn't be enough on her own. It felt as though her heart should have been pounding from embarrassment- getting so distracted by beauty at a time like that was unacceptable, no matter how captivating.
Sailor Moon moved towards Mercury, Venus and Mars. Sailor Mars summoned a small amount of fire in the palm of her hand, and kept it burning around one of her scrolls. She released the scroll, and it spiraled towards the snowy ground. The fire didn't extinguish as it hit the ground, and instead formed into a larger ball, sparking with heat. They huddled together, trying to share body beat.
The girls continued to talk quietly amongst themselves. It was as though they were afraid of the pain the silence would hold, as if the realization of what they lost and would potentially continue to lose was too much for them to think about.
Haruka turned away from the girls and looked out at the blank horizon. Her eyes trailed across the curve, scanning for any abnormalities. They couldn't risk being caught off guard again. Haruka inhaled deeply; she could smell the girls, but nothing else. Her mind curled and perception twisted- the hunger in her body was becoming overwhelming. But, she could repress it. She had to.
Haruka looked back to them, for a brief second. She saw the four of them in their school uniforms, their middle school uniforms. They were fourteen, thin and frail, delicate and human. They were warm, easily ripped apart, young, ignorant and overly hopeful. Haruka blinked, and she saw the four Sailor Soldiers, the guardians born into a fate to protect this solar system- guardians who were the flawless, beautiful, and near divine Soldiers who stood for the ideals of humanity. Their powers are unfathomable and still developing. How could such delicate creatures become so powerful? How could these girls risk everything, put all of their trust in the strength of a girl who was so tiny?
"You don't know what you're getting yourself involved with, Kitten." Haruka began, tipping Usagi back gracefully, then pulling her back, in a smooth motion.
"I know enough. I know I can't turn away from you." Usagi's eyes swirled in deep passion, a passion Haruka almost couldn't look away from.
"You're too delicate to handle the world you're trying to enter."
"I'm stronger than you think. I can save you, I can save everyone."
"You don't even know what you're going against, you don't know their power,"
"I know I can save them, especially if you are with me."
Sailor Moon looked over to Haruka and she smiled lovingly. Those sapphire eyes held no doubt, insecurity or even fear. They were certain, loving, and ever hopeful. There was no possibility of anyone else being lost, or losing everything or even acknowledgement that Haruka was something that shouldn't exist, that she was tainted beyond repair. No; those eyes contained no such thing. Haruka understood how they could put such trust in Sailor Moon- no, Usagi. She wouldn't let that hope diminish.
After some snide remark, Sailor Moon's face twisted into a mask of annoyance and she stuck her tongue out at Mars, who of course returned the gesture. The other girls looked on, smiling playfully and submerging their pains with love for each other. Haruka found herself smiling, too. A warmth had even began to blossom within her chest. She blinked in amazement, stunned at the natural feeling of being with this group; at that moment, Haruka did not feel out casted, but as if she were part of a team.
"Is everyone ready to continue?" Venus asked as the laughter faded. Their expressions became serious. They all nodded, including Haruka. The tall woman blinked; when did she feel so...so much like a part of their team? When had this transition happened?
They continued on for a long while, the buzz of conversation occasionally becoming the melody of their march forward. They were guided by Sailor Mercury. Eventually, the events of the day thus far began to weigh down on the girls and they all fell into their own sullen silence.
"Minako-chan, what is the soldier of love going to do for Valentine's day?" Sailor Moon asked playfully as they were walking, changing the entire emotion of the group.
"A-ah! Usagi-chan!" Venus said in a shocked voice. She looked over to Mars with a look of panic; Mars could only respond with a flustered blush that managed to reach her violet eyes.
"Oh? You've got plans, don't you?" Sailor Moon continued mischievously. The small soldier did not notice the growing blush on Sailor Mar's face.
"I-i-it's not like that!" Venus stuttered nervously, a blush filling her own frigid cheeks.
"Who is it with, Minako-chan? Who? Who? Who?" Moon asked eagerly, practically bouncing in anticipation.
"Everyone! Be on guard!" Mercury suddenly called out as her computer began to beep rapidly. The girls formed a square and looked around quickly. Haruka dashed in front of Usagi and faced her, defensively blocking her from any potential damage.
The three remaining DD ladies let out a loud scream as they circled together, forming a large ball of heat. The waves of heat rippled through the air, melting the ice around them and thickening the air. Its heat was massive, and contrasting the icy environment, it was almost too extreme to handle.
"Wh-what'll we do?" Moon asked anxiously as it began approaching rapidly; it was fast enough they could not run out of the way.. Haruka's eyes tightened and her body hardened, anticipating death. She released a small cuss, preparing for fate.
As the ball neared its crash down on them, the heat waves barreled through; the ground they stood on melted rapidly, and they sunk down becoming drenched. Soon, they were up to their knees in water, while the heat began to painfully bite at their skin. Water formed steam around them, and the water became increasingly warm. Haruka wrapped her arms tightly around Sailor Moon, hoping her cool flesh would lessen the blow for the princess. This heat even scorched her frigid skin, causing doom to fill Haruka. It was too large to dodge.
Somewhere, in the back of Haruka's mind, she pleaded that this wouldn't be the end, that things wouldn't end with them this close. There had to be hope. Fate couldn't be so cruel. A desperate cry filled her mind.
"Sailor Moon, I-I lo-" Haruka began to whisper.
"Shabon spray!" Mercury yelled, encasing them all in a cool mist bubble. The mist enveloped them in its cool form, soothing their burns as the fireball wrapped around the cool sphere around them. Soon, the ice below cooled the fiery mass enough for it to lose its heat and potency. The cool mist and liquid dissipated, and the soldiers stood confidently.
As it cooled enough, Sailor Mars launched an attack, blasting through the charred remains. They all ran out of the ball, listening as the charcoal cracked and the remaining DD ladies bursted through it as well. As three DD ladies left, the charred remained evaporated into nothingness. They all gasped in shock.
"T-the fireball was an illusion, even though the heat was real!" Sailor Mercury realized, almost trembling with the realization. Her eyes narrowed as she looked up the three ladies who were hissing loudly. 'If they can create such realistic illusions, it could lead to our downfall. I have to remove that ability!' Mercury thought to herself, pressing her blue earring. The goggles covered her eyes, and she pulled out her small computer. The pretty soldier began to type rapidly.
"Ami-chan, what're you-" Sailor Moon began, but she was quickly interrupted by Venus.
"Watch out!" The soldier of love called out, pulling Sailor Moon back just in time for her to miss a human sized icicle that was seconds away from hitting the small soldier.
Haruka growled lowly, looking up to the hovering women who giggled innocently. Those navy eyes looked back to the sailor soldiers; Mars and Venus had stepped in front of Moon, and Mars' hands were placed protectively on the princess' shoulders.
The tallest of the DD ladies hovered closer and raised her arms above her head; seconds later, chromatic icicles plummeted down like oversized, sharpened hail. Mars and Venus protectively formed a cover over their princess, while yelping slightly from the pain. Mercury, who stood parallel to Haruka began to tremble from the pain, yet she continued to type.
The infected one knew what to do. Haruka stepped towards Mercury and hunched over the girl's shoulder. Mercury blinked as the pain dissipated and looked up to Haruka, her eyes wide with shock and appreciation.
"Ha-Haruka-san," Mercury breathed out in amazement; still she noted that Haruka's eyes were still locked on the DD ladies.
"Don't worry about it, just hurry so we can keep going," Haruka encouraged nervously. Mercury nodded and continued to type. Somehow, protecting the blue haired soldier felt right. The blue DD lady hissed loudly.
She charged Mercury and Haruka. As she approached, Mercury closed her computer and began to run towards the DD lady.
"What are you doing?!" Haruka called out in shock; almost instantly there was a loud thud as the Sailor Soldier slammed her small computer into the forehead of the DD lady. Mercury's computer cracked the gem on the blue woman's circlet. The blue haired solider slammed her computer harder into the gem, fracturing it into dust. She howled out in pain, cradling the shattered gem.
Sailor Mercury tossed an apologetic look back to Haruka, "Usagi won't lose," She whispered. Seconds later, Mercury concealed herself and the DD ladies in a thick mist.
'I'm sorry, Usagi-chan, everyone.' Mercury thought to herself, looking up to another DD lady that was plummeting down towards her.
"Ami-chan!" Moon screamed out, watching her friend's face fade into the fog.
"Ami-chan, no!" Venus cried out, though the soldier's hands tightened around Moon's arms, holding the girl in place. Mars bowed her head, and Haruka looked on in shock.
Mars looked to Venus and Sailor Mars grabbed Moon's remaining arm and together the two soldiers began to pull Sailor Moon away from the battle.
"No! We can't leave Ami-chan! We can't lose her! We have to help!" Moon cried out, still struggling to go back and save her friend. Tears and pain blinded her vision, as her breath became chaotically saturated in panic. Though she struggled so hard against Mars and Venus, it was in vain; Moon felt weak.
"W-we can't," Venus whispered painfully, "No victories in war come without loss,"
Sailor Moon cried out desperately.
Screams, from the DD ladies and from Mercury, echoed through the snowy land. There were hisses, snaps, and growls. And a piercing scream pulled all noises into silence. Sailor Moon recognized that pained, defeated scream. It was Ami.
Soon, the fog faded, and a pink-red DD lady was sprawled across the ground a short distance away, her body was frostbitten in many places and was partially frozen. As the fog continued to fade, giant, massive icicles became visible. The ice wasn't clear, or blue, or even a frosty white. The cool distance was painted crimson.
A giant icicle had buried itself within Mercury, and those deep blue eyes were hazy with tears. A small smile played across her lips. 'Mako-chan, I want to see you; if there is such a thing as Heaven, I hope you're there waiting for me,' Mercury thought to herself.
"Ami-chan!" Sailor Moon cried out; Mars and Venus' grip had weakened from shock, allowing the solider to rip away from them. She ran towards Mercury. "Ami-chan, no!" Moon cried out again, her voice becoming hoarse with pain.
The blue soldier looked towards Usagi; her uniform was ripped in several locations and her mangled, frost bitten limbs hung limply. Somehow, the sailor soldier looked serene. She smiled, a bittersweet smile. "Usagi-chan, you can do it," She whispered encouragingly. Mercury's lids were becoming heavy, while her vision was becoming distorted. "I believe in you," She whispered as her eyes slipped closed.
"No, no this...this can't... Ami-chan!" Sailor Moon screamed, falling to her knees beside the now deceased soldier. The blood pooled around her was icy.
AN: Sorry for the massive delay, but here's the latest chapter. ;_; It's rough killing off the soldiers. For those who did catch it, Haruka's action was a reference to the start of Sailor Moon StarS, in which Haruka does protect Ami when they are all separated from their usual partners.
At this point, two DD ladies are remaining, while Rei, Minako. Usagi and Haruka remain! It's coming closer and closer to the final battle and the chance for Usagi to save the world.
And on a side note, I am desperately looking for a beta-reader. If this would interest you, /please/ let me know. Feel free to PM!