Author's notes: Standard disclaimers apply. I do not now, nor have I ever, owned any rights to the canonical characters portrayed or their world. The plot is my own. ^_^
Please enjoy! And please forgive my continual delays.
She stared at the uncooperative phone. In truth, it wasn't the phone's fault. It was the fault of the stubborn woman on the other end. She sighed and dropped her phone to bed beside her. It had been three hours and four texts. No response. Michiru had to hand it to the blonde. Haruka did not lack resolve.
The room darkened as the light from the screen dimmed. Michiru stared up, watching the light die from the reflection in the ceiling light. Uranus had cut her off. The pain closed down on her chest and continued to tighten. Part of her wanted to text a plea for help, an emergency cry, but the more rational part of her prevailed. Emotional blackmail was something she would not stoop to, no matter how much she wanted her partner back. Unable to fight the pain any longer, she rolled over, curling up and into herself. She closed her eyes, not that it mattered all that much, her room had gone entirely dark save for the sliver of light under her door from the hallway.
The light from the hallway flickered briefly. Michiru hoped her roommate wasn't going to come in and try to cheer her up. She'd only just managed to hide the extent of her emotions when she came home. A second round would not prove as effective. At least, she thought wryly, she could justify things by defaming her parents. The irony that thinking of her current parents brought the soldier to the surface was not lost on her.
Without transforming, she pulled on all of Neptune's resolve. If Uranus was going to be an idiot, she would just have to go around her. It wasn't as if she hadn't given the woman ample opportunity to pull her head out of her rear. The pain didn't lessen, but she steeled herself against it, sitting up and waking her phone.
"Hello?"
Michiru winced at the tone. She'd woken the other woman up. Perhaps she should have thought about this earlier?
"Hello, Setsuna-san. It's Michiru. I'm sorry for calling so late."
"Michiru-san, is everything all right?" All trace of sleepiness was gone from the other end of the phone now. At least one member of her once team still cared. That Uranus cared and was hurting too badly was dismissed as counterproductive.
"Sort of. Well, I am OK, though we have a very large problem revolving around Endymion's generals." Michiru took a deep breath and launched into cramming as much information as she could into a data burst.
"And you're sure the other man was Jaedite?"
"As sure as I can be given the information I have. I never met the man, but he was very cozy with Hino-san. You told me that she's already friends with Chiba-san?"
"Yes, why?" Setsuna continued before she could answer. "Oh sweet Serenity, no. You think she's already defected?"
"I think that unless duty is woken, we could easily lose all of the Guardian Senshi to love."
There was silence for a moment and Michiru began to wonder if the connection had been lost. "Setsuna-san?" she asked, pulling the phone away slightly to make sure the call hadn't been dropped.
"I'm here. Do you really think they would choose love over duty?"
"I think that they would not see the consequences of their actions as being severe enough." Michiru closed her eyes, "Without the Princess, they may not realize what they have to lose until it is too late, until they can't turn away from their thoughts, their emotions."
"Is that why you're talking to me about this instead of Uranus?"
Michiru's stomach clenched tightly enough her lungs refused to work for a moment. "Uranus and I...I couldn't reach her," she finally offered.
"What do you mean you couldn't reach her?" Michiru winced at the harshness coming over the phone line. Haruka might be stubborn, but Michiru knew why she wasn't responding and it wasn't really her place to get the woman in trouble with her sponsor turned teammate.
"I mean I sent her a text. Setsuna-san, please, I wasn't calling you to get in the middle of that. I called because I knew you'd answer."
"Not that I don't appreciate it, but Michiru-san, this isn't how things worked. I'm not used to you, either of you, coming to me preferentially over the other."
"I know. It's not usual, but it's better than the information not being passed along."
"Is there something else I need to know, Neptune?"
Michiru closed her eyes, fighting the pull to transform at the title. "I'm not going to stop looking. I need to know what was so important that Kunzite felt dealing with it was more critical than continuing to assure my cooperation." Despite not having confirmation, Michiru had several theories, the worst of which, of course, was a crucial development in regards to the Terran royalty. Whatever that development might be, she couldn't begin to guess. With the Princess's memories tightly locked away, she couldn't imagine the Prince's would return. Still, given that he'd effectively warned her he knew she was a servant to the Moon Kingdom, there had to be something.
"Be careful, Neptune."
Such a simple phrase, but after Uranus' harshness, the sentiment was painful to hear. The pit that had started to ease by focusing on her duty returned three fold. Feeling her resolve falter, she took a breath, calling upon her guardian planet just shy of transforming. Wrapping herself in the cold comfort of her post was the only consolation she knew how to offer herself now.
"I'm a soldier, Pluto. I'll do my job." In one motion, she hung up her phone and exchanged it for her mirror, clutching it to her chest as she prayed for the strength to continue on. With her Talisman clutched to her chest, visions of the future were held at bay, but nothing did the same for her memories.
##
She had never felt alone really. As a child, even isolated as she had been, Neptune had never really missed people. She found solace in music, in her training. The outer planets had always been isolationist. Her visits to the Moon had been limited to two. The first when she swore fealty and the second after the Princess's birth. As far as she was aware, the Guardian Senshi didn't even know she existed. The queen's advisors knew, but the only others she'd ever met were Uranus and Pluto, and both of them mostly on the battlefield. All other communication was limited, strategy only. Her whole life had been devoted to grooming her to be the warrior she was.
So where did this loneliness come from? Why was she suddenly wishing Uranus would cave? They both felt it. No matter the denials, the awkwardness permeated every interaction on the battlefield and on the monitors. The most recent instance had been the miscommunication today that had nearly cost them the battle. All of the exercises she'd read about, all of the things they'd tried when they were younger to encourage their teamwork didn't help any longer. Every time they tried, one or the other of them would stand up, step away.
"I'm sorry." Uranus's contralto entered her awareness. Neptune hadn't realized she found the other woman's presence so comforting that her entrance no longer warranted immediately going on alert.
"We can't keep this up." Not that either of them needed to be told, but then again, she supposed they both needed it to be said.
Uranus stood next to her, and from a quick glance, joined her in looking at the monitor that was currently focused on the perimeter of the solar system. Neptune couldn't find the wrongness in the partnership. She knew the law as well as any, and more than most given she'd looked through it for loopholes, anything to convince the honor-driven Uranus that it wasn't treason. No such loopholes existed but their lack did nothing to change her feelings. Neptune wanted the woman next to her with an overwhelming fire that would consume both of them if they didn't do something and she was convinced that something was to give in.
"Did your mirror tell you that?"
"I don't need to confront my mirror for that."
"It's taboo."
"I know." Blue eyes turned to face intense green.
"So why do you keep asking?"
Neptune smiled softly at her partner, "I haven't been. I told you I'd wait. You are the one who brought it up." She'd kept to her promise. She hadn't asked, hadn't mentioned anything since the Princess's birthday.
Uranus's lips thinned. "You're a siren. I won't lose my honor for you."
Neptune turned away, looking at the monitor and placing her gloved hand lightly on the controls, shifting the focus to follow a comet. "I'm not asking you to lose your honor. I think that law was written long before our planets joined the alliance. It never took into consideration a partnership such as we had."
"Had?"
"We've been broken for some time, Uranus. It's been a long time since we were the solid partnership that kept an impenetrable barrier around the Solar System. In the past year especially, we haven't been able to be in sync. Haven't been able to have effective training sessions." She turned to face Uranus again, squaring her shoulders against the taller woman's disapproval. "We nearly needed reinforcements today for something that wouldn't have been more than a training exercise level intruder."
"And you think giving into our base desires will help us serve the Queen better?" Disbelief radiated through the other soldier's words. She couldn't have been more clear had she openly scoffed.
"I think that if we don't do something drastic, we're going to fail spectacularly in that service." Uranus opened her mouth to protest but Neptune had had enough. She put a finger against the other's lips. "Tell me our coordination hasn't suffered. Tell me that you feel the same for me you felt two years ago." The taller woman stepped away angrily. Neptune clenched her fists. "Tell me!"
"I can't! I can't tell you any of that!" Uranus rounded on her, "But what you're asking is against the laws that bind us. You're asking me to be dishonorable."
"Then you fix this! You fix us because I'm fresh out of ideas, Uranus." Neptune spun on her heel to look up at the monitor. "Go home, Uranus." Her voice was quiet, broken. The response to her request was the soft click of heels upon the stone floor followed by the warmth of two hands on her shoulders from behind. Neptune shook her head, shrugging her shoulders away from the touch. "Uranus, please. I'm only so strong."
"There has to be another way."
This time it was Neptune's turn to chuckle dryly. "Trying to convince me or yourself?"
"Forgive me." The whisper was so soft, Neptune wasn't entirely sure she heard it, but that didn't lessen the impact it had on her heart. She closed her eyes tightly and bowed her head before nearly stumbling as she was spun around. Blue eyes widened, trapped by intense green before their lips met.
Her mind registered the touch only a moment before Uranus pulled away. "May Serenity forgive me."
Neptune was pulled into a tight embrace and returned the gesture. "Uranus, are you sure you can do this?"
"I don't know. I don't think I can not do this. I just know that here, with you, I feel like I can finally do what I'm supposed to do, be who I'm supposed to be."
Neptune felt tears slip through her closed lids as the wall she'd built around her heart melted and the emotions burst through her veins. "I need you."
##
Haruka leaned her face closer to the steaming tea. Minako was still out, trying to get over failing to be noticed by a music producer earlier that evening. She hadn't been overly clear with the details of who said producer was until later after she'd left Haruka to be babysat by a cat despite her insistence that such a move might result in a new throw rug. The cat was currently sitting near the table, just off to the side enough to remain in Haruka's line of sight. The pair hadn't exchanged words all evening. Oh, Haruka had spoken occasionally, muttering to herself mostly, but the cat had been irritatingly quiet. She wasn't precisely wanting to have a conversation with him, but she definitely wasn't a fan of his silent lurking.
"Oh stuff it, Artemis. I know you can talk, so you might as well give up the act. If you're going to stare at me, then at least give me the courtesy of not treating me like an idiot."
The cat tilted its head to the side as if contemplating her request. Or pretending to be nothing more than a confused house cat.
She growled under her breath and stood up, taking her mug with her and heading to the living room. When the doorbell rang, she raised her eyebrow before glancing back at the cat. "Scram," she ordered.
Haruka knew she shouldn't have been surprised that Setsuna was on the other side of the door, but when she hadn't heard anything from the woman all day even after Minako had answered the phone, she thought that perhaps she'd managed to escape a lecture. Apparently not.
"Can I help you?"
Setsuna glared at her, slipping her shoes off and shouldering her way past the blonde. "How about starting with 'Oh goodness, Setsuna-san, what are you doing here at midnight?'"
"Midnight?" Haruka glanced at her wrist, forgetting she hadn't put her watch on. To compensate, she leaned over to look at the living room clock as she swung the door shut. Sure enough, it was that late. She realized that Minako's texts regarding the producer having dinner with Michiru and ignoring her had to have been a few hours ago. How had she made tea without realizing how late it had gotten? She shook her head, certain she didn't want to know the answer to that question. "All right. What does bring you here?"
"Your broken partnership."
Haruka turned to face Setsuna only to find Sailor Pluto standing there in her living room, garnet orb and all. She raised both her eyebrows. "So I guess security isn't high on your priority list?" She inclined her head to indicate the cat watching them.
Pluto didn't break her gaze from Haruka as she answered. "Come out, Artemis, and I swear upon my post that if what you hear tonight makes it past these walls or even to your present charge, I will personally ensure you are unable to father kittens."
The blonde arched an eyebrow as the cat who had irritated her all evening by pretending to be nothing but ordinary trotted into the living room and bowed its head. "Sailor Pluto."
"You wretched little -"
"Uranus, leave the cat alone. He's of no consequence. I only called him in here to make sure I know exactly what information he's responsible for keeping quiet."
"No consequence?" Artemis protested.
Haruka's blood chilled as she watched the smile form on Pluto's face. It was a cold expression and one she was very thankful wasn't directed at her.
"In this matter, you aren't, and until and unless the Princess wakes, you would do well to watch your chosen ward as her safety was assured tonight by the sacrifice of one of ours." Towards the end, she glanced at Haruka who couldn't keep her hands from clenching.
"Sacrificed?" she asked.
Neptune. Her face drained of color and her transformation pen appeared in her hand.
"Oh? So now you care? She told me you hadn't answered your texts."
Haruka was thankful for her pen now as she gripped the cool metal tightly. Neptune had gone to Pluto? How could she violate their partnership? The thought was cut short by the realization that had she answered, Neptune wouldn't have felt the need. And there had to be a need. Neptune wasn't the kind to make social calls that ended up in late night visits by the guardian of Pluto.
"She was having dinner with Endymion's general. Minako-chan told me they were so engrossed in each other that he never noticed her. I have no desire to condone or aid Neptune in cavorting with the enemy." She shrugged, ignoring the sharp inhaled she knew was from Artemis. Pluto's expression gave away that she was all too aware of the situation.
"Do you always let your emotions cloud your judgment?"
Her jaw dropped. The glaring lack of support from Pluto startled her. Certainly Venus would have understood. Pluto should have. There was a line that was simply not crossed. Neptune knew that what she was doing would result in being cast out from their team. She'd gone in knowing it.
"Oh, I have your attention now, do I? Good. Because I'm really tired of being treated like the fool. Neptune offered herself to Kunzite's attention tonight because he effectively demanded she choose between herself and Venus, and yes, he knows they're both special. There's no indication he knows who Neptune really is, but there was every indication he knew precisely who and what Venus is."
"That's Neptune's choice. If she wants to whore herself out."
"Uranus!"
"Don't." She felt the world shimmer and heard distantly Artemis gasping in the background. Instead of Haruka, Uranus now stood in the room, holding her sword at Pluto who arched her eyebrow and looked almost amused. The reaction only angered her further. "She told me flat out she would sleep with him if that's what it took. There is a line even we don't cross, Pluto."
"And she hasn't crossed it. So when you'd like to stop acting the jilted lover you can have the right to tell me she's no longer a member of our team, but she's doing what neither of us can, infiltrate the enemy. So start acting like the leader of our team that you've always been."
"But they can't be lovers. Serenity would have demoted them."
Uranus leveled her gaze at Artemis, "Cat, you had a better chance at living out your proper lifespan when you were quiet."
"You were!" he said, leaping up to the back of the couch to perch next to Pluto, apparently thinking that it was the safest place to be. "Then how?"
The blonde soldier had to admit that the cat might not have been as stupid as she'd thought. Uranus had no intention of answering the cat, but green eyes met expectant garnet. She lowered her sword and bowed her head, closing her eyes. "We had to swear an additional oath. We had a choice, to continue to serve the Princess or we could remain lovers. The oath is ironclad. The moment we touch as lovers again, we voluntarily resign our posts and accept exile forever."
The verbal admission deflated her. The sword dematerialized, probably back to her room as that's where she'd found it the last several times it had done just that. Her transformation reversed and Haruka stood there, bangs covering her eyes as she fought for control.
"Uranus." The voice was softer than she expected, and closer, much closer. She raised her head and opened her eyes but refused to look at either of the other occupants in the room. "I'm sorry you're hurting, but Neptune needs us. Something else happened tonight, something big enough that he cut short a date where he was getting her to agree to let him focus his energies on her to keep him from focusing on Venus."
"I can't watch her do that. Give me something else. Any other duty than that." She would accept exile to monitor the perimeter forever rather than watch Neptune give to their enemies what should have been hers.
"We know they're trying to get close to the Guardian Senshi. Mars is possibly already a lost cause."
"Mars?"
Pluto sighed loudly. "Artemis, I do not have the time to give you the full details, but suffice it to say, we have reason to believe the Terrans think Endymion will not restrict the Senshi in regards to relationships as Queen Serenity did."
Haruka turned her head sharply. Michiru's vision flashed before her eyes. There would be two transformation pens. Could that future change? Which pens had they been and was Neptune's now one of them? She needed to run, or drive. She didn't care which but the apartment was now far too small to breathe in. Leaving a stunned Pluto behind with an equally confused Artemis, she dashed out of the apartment, transforming on her way to the balcony window.