Dear daughter

Hold your head up high

There's a world outside

That's passing by

Dear daughter

Never lose yourself

Remember that

You're like nobody else

-Halestorm (Dear Daughter)

~HARUKA~

The sleeping girl rested her head on Haruka's shoulder. She held her daughter and smiled. It was a dream come true, she was a parent.

"You look like you were meant to be a parent," Michiru said.

"It was my plan," she said. She smiled. "My gift to you."

Michiru sat down beside the pair and wrapped her arms around both of them.

"You should have told me instead of making me worry about a mistake," Michiru said.

"Well actually I didn't think it would work," she said. "I heard about it and tried it and well it works."

"Dragonfire tea?" Michiru asked.

"Nope," she replied. "Mermaid Tears."

"How did you get that?" Michiru asked.

"I bought it from a Neptunian merchant in Seaport," she said. "I gave him the replica of Elding and said it was the real thing." She kissed Michiru on the cheek. "I don't even know what happened to Elding."

"Victarion has it," Michiru said.

"Well I guess I do have to kill the Squid King," she said.

The girl in her arms groggily opened her eyes. She looked up at Haruka and smiled.

"Papa, mama," Rukia said.

"Sleep good?" she asked.

Rukia nodded her head.

"Papa, how did you and mama meet?" Rukia asked.

"Well it was many years ago…

There was this ball that the outer planet royalty threw to show off their heirs and hopefully marry them off. I was there grudgingly and I shot down those who asked to dance with me. However I spotted one girl across the room who made my heart skip a beat. It was almost an instant attraction. She was surrounded by many young lordlings who tried to get her to dance but she turned them down.

The perfect girl then walked over to me. She asked me to dance but I declined. Then she took me by the hand and made me dance with her. It was a slow dance and we quietly introduced ourselves. All the while we were falling in love with each other.

...that's how we met," she said. She nuzzled Michiru. "I'm so glad that we met and I'm so happy that we have you."

Rukia weaseled out of their embrace. She stood tall.

"Papa, will you teach me how to be a swordsman," Rukia said.

Michiru let go of Haruka and stood by her.

"You stab the other person with the pointy end," she said. She poked Rukia in the ribs.

"Not that way. I want to be great like you," Rukia said. She giggled as Haruka tickled her. When she stopped Haruka pulled Rukia in for a hug.

"That takes years of commitment but you are my kid so why not?" she said.

Michiru kissed Haruka on the cheek.

"She's just like you," Michiru said.

"She's got some Uranian in her," she said. She mussed Rukia's hair up. "If anything she'll be a great fighter like me."

"I will defend mama," Rukia said.

Michiru walked over and hugged Rukia. She kissed her on the forehead.

"With you as my protector no one will harm me," Michiru said.