A/N; Second chapter is here! This one is more of Haruka's introduction then anything. I hope this chapter doesn't bore you as much, haha. Don't worry though, next chapter is when things finally kick off. Thanks for the people who story alerted this and for the reviews.
SangLune; Haha, yes, I know. I wanted to show that this was something that had even the stoic Michiru Kaioh nervous. I'm glad you liked it though. c:
Jame Birdsong; Thanks very much, I'm glad you found it good.
Lee Lamprush; Thank you, I'm glad you like my work, I'll defintely try and keep up the good work. c;
ghostintc; I'm glad you decided to stick along with the story! I hope you find it to your liking.
petitaka; Phew, I'm glad you found the start good even though I though it was boring. xD
gxFANGIRL XD; Far from boring? o: What a shock, I thought it was completely boring! xD Had you hooked at the summary? I'm glad, haha. Thanks for planning to stick along with it. x3
Haruka's strides were long and quick as she walked down the hallway, fists clenched. Muscles were tense and her face was set in an irritated expression; blond eyebrows were tugged downwards and murky, teal eyes were narrowed in a murderous gaze, making any of the palace servants she passed shiver in fear. "Good morning, Prince—" One man attempted, only to be met with a fiery glare and stark silence.
The female was absolutely furious. Why would her father make such a decision? No, she wasn't irritated at his main decision, only the part of it that included her. Biting her lip, she slammed open the doors to the training grounds, storming outside with her sword strapped to her back. Was he insane? Out of his mind? With all the things that had been going on lately, he was going to send her away?
"Haruka, you are to escort your brother to Neptune tomorrow."
At the remembrance of her father's words, she quickly unsheathed her sword, grasping it tightly in her hands and scowling. She continued to stride forward towards a training dummy, stopping in front of it before mercilessly slashing at it with her sword. Straw and wood flew into the air from her irrational attack, and she didn't stop until she heard a loud voice behind her. Her eyes ran over the destroyed training equipment.
"Sir!" The out of breath call came, making the blond twirl on her heel to stare at the owner of said voice. She was met with the worried and confused gaze of a familiar face. "Spar with me," She demanded with a low tone, throwing a short sword towards the General, who caught it easily. The questioning look still stayed on his face while the brooding female got into a fighting stance, crouched.
"Princess, is there something—" Words were cut off as she suddenly lunged for him, making him sidestep to miss her sword by an inch. His lips curled down into a offended sneer as he got on the defensive, jumping back each time the sword was swiped at him.
There was a problem here. The person in front of him, Haruka Theoi Uranus, did not normally fight like this. Her movements were rash and brutal, completely lacking coordination. Of course, at moments she could be rash, but at the moment she was completely uncoordinated.
"Hey!" He snapped when she carelessly thrusted her sword forward towards his shoulder, missing the target completely but nicking his cheek with the blade. He felt a light trickle of blood run down tan skin, his eyes narrowing and he moved his blade to block an incoming attack from her. "Haruka," The growl escaped his throat as he pushed her blade back, making her stumble for a good second before she recovered quickly.
"Control yourself, Haruka!" In an aggravated state of panic at her blind attacks, he kept out of her range as well as he could. From the corner of his eyes he caught the beginning of a strong wind and silently cursed, tempted to shake his head. He kept his dark gaze on her instead, analyzing her moves and quickly finding a blind spot throughout the mess. He gritted his teeth at the vacant gaze in her eyes. 'She doesn't see me anymore,' He quickly realized.
Coupled with her inhuman strength, the General knew that if he didn't control her soon then he'd be in trouble. This would take a dangerous turn if he didn't stop her.
"But my army! The rebels! You expect me to leave my duties so easily? Who else will lead my army?"
From the corner of her eyes she could see the smirk her brother held.
Haruka snarled, teal eyes glinting murderously as she proceeded to blindly thrust her sword forward at her opponent. Who she was facing right now wasn't her original opponent anymore; he had morphed into the person she loathed. The imagined cocky grin on his face spurred her on, winds circling her feet as she flared up considerably.
Sword ready to pierce, winds dancing at the tip menacingly, she was knocked off course by a weaker yet more controlled burst of air. She stumbled backwards slightly while the other took the chance without a thought, fist launching forward to connect squarely with her jaw. The blond warrior tumbled back onto the floor, sword falling onto the grass and head thumping against the ground suddenly. She kept her head down, the rough winds around her eventually dispersing until the only sound was her own labored breathing.
A few minutes passed that allowed Haruka to gather up her thoughts. Her eyes flickered over to her sword and she glowered at it in disgust. How could she let herself lose her control so easily?
"... Sir?" First name basis vanished immediately when the battle was over, and a scuffle sound of feet against grass was heard. Haruka could sense the presence near her now, feet in front of her and a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay? I'm sorry, I had to..." As he moved to help her up she shrugged his hand off. She let her head rest on the grass for a while longer, sneer evident on her face. It was directed towards herself more then anything.
Wasting a few more seconds, she finally got up, ignoring the throb of pain in her jaw. The sound of the door opening made her eyes slowly scroll to the intruder. "That was... a good fight, General Oberon." She spoke quietly, refusing to acknowledge the newcomer. She ran her eyes over the toned male, noting how easily he had taken her down in his enraged state. Then again, this was one of the strongest general's in the Uranian army... a personal friend to her too.
"Thank you," Oberon replied quickly, before finally turning to look at whoever entered and pausing at the sight.
"Why hello, nice to see you General, sister..." The blond haired General bowed lowly to the male, murmuring a quick hello. His gaze shifted over to the female next to him. Even without any words, he could feel the air of distaste that formed around Haruka.
Haruka stood up straight, not wanting this man to see her slouching. No, it wasn't that she wanted his approval, because it was just the opposite. She didn't want him to think he could easily look down on her. Knowing him, he'd take any oppurtunity. A sneer stayed settled on her face and she glared at him though said nothing in response.
Her clothes were ruffled and dirty from the earlier fight, jaw reddening as proof she had been hit hard earlier. If the sight of her sword laying abandoned on the ground and grass cut by wind wasn't enough proof of her earlier scuffle, then what was? The male let a slight smirk slip onto his perfect lips.
"I just wanted to check on my sister," He explained although no one had asked. General Oberon gave an understanding nod, looking at Haruka cautiously. Haruka ignored the statement and bent down to pick up her items. 'Bullshit, you came to ridicule me...' She thought while running her fingers over the blade of her sword.
"Did something happen? Oh, your jaw is swelling up..." Haruka fought not to launch a fist right into her brother's face at his tone. She walked past the two men, only pausing for a second when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Hey," The Prince said and Haruka immediately shrugged his hand off, opening the door and slamming it closed when she walked inside.
She seriously did not feel like dealing with the Prince, her brother.
-0-
After taking a quick shower, she had retreated to the outside again, this time choosing to sit down under a tree and think instead. She closed her eyes and let her body relax.
Well, until she felt somebody walk up to her. An irritated sigh left her lips and she opened her eyes, one eyebrow raising curiously at the intruder who stared down at her. "Can I sit?" She only shrugged and patted the spot next to her, relaxing her muscles again. There was a comfortable silence after this as the two simply enjoyed the scenery. Or at least Haruka tried to.
"There something you wanted to talk to me about, General Oberon?" Haruka finally broke the silence with a question.
"Sir, I wanted to-"
"Haruka. It's Haruka, remember?" A chuckled followed the statement from the General, who nodded in response.
"Yes, Haruka. Well I wanted to speak to you about earlier. Something bothering you?" He felt her tense up slightly next to him and heard her sigh deeply. Oberon wasn't about to let this go, especially when he had known Haruka for so long.
"Huh, you pursed me? I thought you'd let it go if I almost killed you," She teased although there were traces of guilt in her words. He laughed only slightly in response, looking at her with forgiving brown eyes.
"That only made me want to speak with you more, smart one. Come on, you can trust me. We've known each other since we were kids." Oberon reassured while adjusting himself on the ground, sitting up against the tree and closing his eyes. He heard a scoff from Haruka, and then silence. "You're pretty bothersome when it comes to things like this..." Haruka said with a snort.
"... I'll be going to Neptune tomorrow." Oberon jerked up quickly at the information, eyes wide. He looked at Haruka questioningly, about to ask until the female continued to speak.
"I know, it's not my own choice. We'll be taking a shuttle tonight so we can make it by the morning. You know how it is, the long flight and all..."
"But Haruka! Our army... who's going to push back the rebels if they plan an attack?" A frustrated sigh left Haruka and she moved her hands up to rub her temples.
"My father says he has it covered. Bullshit. He knows that there is no better leader to this army then me; I know the rebels like the back of my hand." Haruka hissed out in aggravation. There were a few moments of silence.
Haruka spoke first. "I want you to take command of the army while I'm gone, Oberon." She looked at him pleadingly, and at the gaze, Oberon knew that she trusted him completely. He couldn't refuse her, not even if he wanted to.
"... I will. I promise I'll lead the army in your absence just like you'd lead them." Haruka smiled, before she broke out into a full grin and she stood up, stretching.
"Man, that's a huge weight lifted off of my back! Comon, let's head to the pub in town." She pulled the man up and they both walked off, before brneaking out into a laugh halfway out of the gardens.
A/N;I like this chapter a lot more then the last one, it was a lot less boring to me. :'D I hope that you all like this chapter too. The next one will definitely be out soon and that's when our two stars will finally be able to meet... maybe. Reviews are appreciated!