The Outer Senshi Series Story 4 "Reflections in the Mirror" Part 2: "The Emperor of the Skies" Jackie Chiang She stared at the cut on her finger with a fascinated detachment. Red blood dripped slowly out, and she vaguely wondered how she could have been so careless. She put the finger underneath the sink, washing it out with soap. She found a bandage in her mirror cabinet, which she put on the cut. Taking care of herself... She'd been doing it since she left home two years ago. At the time, she'd wanted independence, to which her parents reluctantly agreed to. Now she was not only independent... but lonely too. Well, racing kept herself going. Racing, what she was devoted too. Her whole life, all of her dreams revolved around that. So what if she didn't have any particular close friends? That was what she had to sacrifice in order to achieve her dream... And she was popular enough, on the track and at Mugen Gakuen, if only as the boy everyone assumed she was. She sometimes wished she had been born a boy. Everyone would be happier that way, including herself. Her parents... She was their only child, so they needed a boy more than a girl who acted like one. Her opponents. It was a lot more admirable to lose to another man, rather than a member of the 'weaker' sex... Herself. For racing, she would give anything to be a boy. For racing, she almost had. She was Tenoh Haruka, a man to the world. It would have been so simple to have raced as a boy, where sexism and inconveniences couldn't touch her... And, most importantly, if she really were a boy... she wouldn't experience the ever returning pangs of isolation and loneliness. The pain erupted inside of her, gushing out, like the blood that ran down her body. It hurt so much. She heard a scream, then realized it was her own, as she fell, the pain finally ceasing, like her life... Her best friend was Shinrai, the only one who knew that she was indeed a female. He didn't mind nor had he ever revealed her secret to anyone. She thought of him as the older brother she never had. They were much alike. He was her height, and he had green eyes too, like her. His hair was black, though, and more longish than hers. He was arrogant and impetuous, but a good deal more thoughtful than Haruka. He was at first her competitor, then upon her beating him, her friend. When he accidentally discovered her true sex after walking into her room without knocking while she was changing, he swore that he would never tell. Since then he thought of himself as her protector, though he assured her he knew she didn't need one. A smile played on her lips. Shinrai was a great guy, and had her sexual preferences not have already determined who she was, she would have most likely dated him. As it was, the idea had no appeal for her whatsoever. Of course, even he didn't know that. She wasn't inclined to mention that she preferred girls to boys, not even after he proved trustworthy with her other secret. It was a personal thing. Regardless, as of now, he was getting her ready for her next major competition. He had also appointed himself her official trainer and manager, and he was good at it, she had to admit. Her dream of racing was a reality, however. She was the youngest driver ever to win the annual invitational formula one racing competition in Tokyo, being only 15... But the records said 16. She had lied about her age, it being technically illegal for her to enter competition before that age. Shinrai knew, but their three year age difference didn't bother him. Right now she was on her way to the track. She paused in front of the pay phone in the hallway. Sighing, she placed her card into the slot, dialing her home number. "Mom?" Haruka said into the phone after someone picked it up. "Haruka-chan?" a female voice answered. "Haruka-chan!" Haruka felt annoyed at her mother's continual usage of the -chan. She wanted to be called just Haruka, or at the most, Haruka-kun. "I just wanted to see how things are going, Mom. Dad's ok?" "Yes, your father is fine. I'm fine too. We're busy, with our next trip to America next week. How are things there?" "Great," Haruka answered, ignoring the sudden resurgence of loneliness that hit her upon hearing her mother's plans. "Everything's just great. I have my next race next week..." I was hoping you could come... "Well, good luck," her mother said happily. "Oh, I'm so glad you called, Haruka-chan. It's been months since we last heard from you." "I've been training," her daughter answered defensively. "I'm sorry, I should call more often..." "It's all right, Haruka-chan. Just hearing your voice is good enough..." "Ok, I have to go now. Tell Dad I said hi... Have fun on your trip." "All right. I love you, dear." "I love you too, Mom." She hung up the phone, resting her head against the wall. Her mother could always get to her, making her feel guilty, whether intentional or not. It wasn't as if Haruka was an economic burden; she wasn't. Her parents were extremely wealthy, and her allowance every month was considerably generous. Her father was a lawyer, her mother was in charge of the local charities and fund-raisers and that type of thing. She had always been close with her parents, yet immediately aware that they were disappointed that she was not a boy. They didn't say so, but once in a while, it showed, like when her father talked about carrying on the family name... or about his dream to start a family company, which Haruka knew required a son. Father-daughter partnerships never worked. But still... They loved her, they needed to know how she was doing once in a while. She sighed, then felt a hand on her shoulder. "Anything wrong, Tenoh?" "Shinrai... No, just called my parents." Haruka smiled. Shinrai always called her Tenoh from habit, instead of Haruka, which she didn't mind. "Ah..." Shinrai nodded solemnly. "I see..." "You don't see anything," Haruka smirked. "Well... no, I don't," Shinrai admitted. He smiled charmingly, which caused Haruka to snicker. "Don't you get along with your parents?" Haruka shrugged, taking out her card from the phone and walking towards the track. Her family was one thing she never discussed with Shinrai. "Yeah, sure I do. They can just get... Especially my mom, she... Nevermind, I'm ready, let's go." Shinrai frowned, slightly, but Haruka had one of her determined looks on her face, which indicated that she wouldn't say anything no matter how hard he could press her. If there was one thing he had learned during his friendship with Haruka, it was that she was the most god awful stubborn person alive. For the rest of the day, Shinrai watched Haruka drive, timing her and then commenting on her methods of turning, accelerating, stopping. And through it all, Haruka's eyes held the look of one totally involved in what she was doing. I'm going to beat the shit out of all the others, Haruka promised herself as she watched Shinrai talk, mentally absorbing his words, taking them in. They won't know what hit 'em... Wouldn't know what hit 'em... She cried out as an unexpected attack from her side ripped into her. Stupid, never, never let your guard down... God, you're bleeding, it hurts, stop the pain, here it comes again, move damnit, MOVE! She couldn't, frozen in place. Oh God, you have to get out of the way, for her, save her, you have to, fuck it all. The immense pain suddenly exploded, and her last thought as she hit the ground was that she had failed... Walking home, she moved with her usual arrogance, one hand holding her bag over her shoulder, the other in her jacket pocket. It was pretty late and dark. The streetlights were on along the street, but no one was about. Not too strange for 11 at night, she thought. Her mind wandered back to racing. The race was too important to screw up... This would somehow affect the rest of her life, she was sure, though not certain why. Something... compelled her to win _this_ one, and not just the desire to simply win... It was more than proving to the world that she was the best, at least, this time... Why? She kicked a rock in her path. It scuttled down the road before finally stopping in front of a young woman who seemed to be waiting there. Haruka wondered why she hadn't seen her before; the woman had obviously been standing there for a while... Or perhaps not. The look on her face was serenely patient, her red eyes speaking of someone who knew so much. She had long green hair, lovely hair, that cascaded down her back. Haruka had no idea what to say to her. What do you say to a stranger on the street at night? Do you ignore them? Do you greet them? Just walk past her, she told herself. "Tenoh Haruka-san," the woman said. Haruka froze, her green eyes narrowing. "Who... are you? How did you know my name?" The woman smiled. "I met you a long time ago." "Uh huh, right," Haruka said, not buying her explanation for an instant. "How did you _really_ know?" She laughed. "I don't suppose you remember, Tenoh-san. But, of course, it wouldn't matter if I was telling the truth or not. You're quite famous, of course, as a formula one racer." "Then why don't I get the feeling that you're just another fan?" The blond said sarcastically. She wants something... From me. "Because I'm not," the woman said frankly. "Tenoh-san, you needn't be wary of me... My name is Meioh Setsuna." "I don't recall ever hearing your name," Haruka said flatly. "I never forget a name or a face." Setsuna smiled again, shaking her head. "Remembering... is not as easy as forgetting..." "What's that supposed to mean?" "In time, Haruka, you will know." Setsuna turned, her hair floating behind her. "Wait!" Haruka said, but a sudden gust of wind blew into her, and she had to put her arms up in front of her face in order to balance herself. When the wind died, she looked up again. The street was empty, only the single rock indicating the place where Setsuna had stood before. "Meioh Setsuna," Haruka murmured. "I won't forget you again." She sat outside on the sand, her legs stretched out in front of her, her eyes watching the waves absently. For the millionth time, she found herself wondering who Meioh Setsuna was, and what she wanted. She was a very beautiful woman, but very strange, very deceptive... Very dangerous. The ones who look weak always turn out to be the deadliest. She knew that from experience. The wind blew around her, flipping her bangs around her face. It felt good, warmly refreshing. She always envied the wind, and its glorious freedom, its incredible speed. That's what I want to be... The wind. I want to go faster, to feel the power, to feel everything just rip past me... Though it was low tide, she suddenly felt the waves hit her feet. Staring, she watched as the warm wave washed around her feet, then slowly pulled back. The waves resumed their normal pattern, never touching her again. How odd... Like the sea was pleading with her to remain on the earth, touching the ground... Don't leave, don't fly away... She lay back, arms folded behind her head as she stared up into the sky. The sky was starry and bright, and very pretty. Celestially at ease. Her eyes wandered to the moon, which was shimmering brightly with the rays of the sun. Sometimes... sometimes she wanted to fly away, never returning. What did she have here, really... Her parents? Would they miss her leaving? Would they even know? Shinrai and her other friends... They didn't fully understand her. Racing? Racing was exhilarating, exciting... But she sometimes felt it wasn't enough. She was missing something extremely important in her life. To fly away... away from the world, to find something, find something that would make her, keep her happy. She closed her eyes, sighing. A breeze floated by, and she thought she heard music... Violin music... Coming from where? Sitting up, she strained her ears. Her eyes fastened over the sea. The notes suddenly died, and she could hear no more. Violin music. From the sea? "You're going crazy, Haruka," she whispered. "Absolutely crazy." But she wasn't so sure. The eyes laughed at her, mocking her. You can't win. No matter what you do, I'll always defeat you. Over and over again, this same dream. It's only a dream, only a nightmare, just wake up. Dream? Does _this_ hurt in a dream? The other laughed, a high, hideous shriek of glee. She could see something glimmer in the faint red light, something sharp. It hit her in the next instant, and felt faint, and the light died out, as did her will to live... "Haruka-san!" "Tenoh-san!" "Ooh, Haruka-san! Call me, please!" "Need a girlfriend, Haruka-san?!" Haruka controlled her irritation at the shouts. Sometimes it was amusing, but right then she didn't want to be bothered with her fans in the stands. Her mind was concentrated on only winning. "Well, Tenoh, hope everything goes well," Shinrai had said helpfully before the race. "Just remember everything I taught you, and knowing how wonderful I am, you'll do fine." "Thanks, Shinrai," Haruka said, grinning. "But... How wonderful do you mean?" Shinrai had smacked her on the back of her head, muttering, "Impertinent girl... Good luck." "Will do." One girl threw something down at her, and it bonked her on the head, but she still ignored it. She glanced out of the corner of her eye to see the usual crowd of fans. Two blond girls screaming, one blue haired girl yelling, couple of brunettes waving, etc... Then she noticed the girl with sea-green hair beside one of the hollering black haired girls. She only saw her for a second, but something about her... She was different. Not only because she wasn't jumping about madly like a rabbit or because she had an uncomfortable, bored look on her face or even her strangely calm beauty... Haruka shifted her thoughts back to what she was doing. You can think about all that later. Right now, concentrate on racing... She climbed into her car. She really did love it, like some men love their cars. They'd been through a lot together. The yellow race car with its number 1 on the side and front had taken her to many races, to many wins. She depended on it with the trust she had never felt for any human, except perhaps Shinrai... Maybe not even him. "Good luck, Tenoh-san," one of the members of her crew said. "Thanks," Haruka answered, grinning behind her helmet and giving him the thumbs up sign. The entire race itself was like a dream. It always was. An exhilarating, wonderful dream, where she was in control, she was in charge, she knew what to do. Her life was on the line, could go at the slightest screw-up, and that only made it more exciting. Living for danger, on the edge. That's the only you can fill the void, right? It was funny. When she raced, it was as if she was alone... Yet, she always knew that there were others there, trying to beat her, and she knew that she couldn't let them... But sometimes she forgot about them completely... After another win, as soon as she got out of her car, she was swarmed by fans and reporters. "How do you feel to win another race, Tenoh-san?" "Can you make a comment on winning, Tenoh-san?" "Tenoh-san, what can you tell your fans about this dominating win?" "Tenoh-san" "Tenoh-san" Haruka held up her hand. God, did they _really_ expect her to answer with her helmet on? She reached up, pulling it off her head, taking a deep breath. As soon as she did so, her eyes were suddenly staring into the ones of that pretty, green-haired girl from before. They stared at each other for a brief second, and she could hear the girl say something, everyone could hear it. "But that's a girl," she said, her voice amazed. Haruka controlled her equal astonishment. How the hell did she know that?! No one in her life had ever been able to know that so quickly... if at all. The girl blushed, but her gaze was still locked with Haruka's. It was like she didn't even know it until she said it... "Are you blind?" someone said, his voice angry. "Anyone can see that Tenoh-san is a guy... It's pretty obvious, don't you think?" Others were staring at the girl with hostility, murmuring in agreement. "Michi-chan," the black haired girl said, tugging on her friend's arm. "Let's go." Michi-chan... Was her name Michi? Michibiku? Michiru? Michiru... That seemed... familiar... and suited to the girl. The girl seemed only too happy to comply, turning around, walking away. Everyone's attention was on staring accusingly at them leave, so Haruka took her chance to slip away, unnoticed. She generally liked publicity, but to a point. Today she simply was not in the mood for anything of that sort. Shinrai was waiting for her outside the track. He had a thoughtful, annoyed look on his face. "I wonder how she knew?" he wondered aloud. "Gee, thanks," Haruka said sarcastically. The black haired boy looked startled, then grinned. "Sorry, Tenoh. I mean, congratulations on another win. What did I tell you?" "You're the man," his friend snickered. "But seriously..." Shinrai said, walking alongside Haruka, taking her to her car. "How _did_ she know? Only a few people know that you are a girl. Right? Unless..." "Don't be stupid," Haruka snapped. "I wouldn't tell anyone. I've never even met that girl before in my life." "I agree, she's hard to forget," Shinrai agreed, smiling. Haruka glanced at him sharply. "What do you mean?" She kept her tone even. "She _is_ one of the most beautiful girls I've seen before," he answered without hesitation. "You'd be pretty gone not to be able to notice that." "Hmm hmm." Haruka reached into her pocket, finding her keys. Taking them out, she slipped one of them into the lock. Suddenly Shinrai grabbed her wrist. "Why, Tenoh?" he asked, his voice low. "Are you jealous?" Haruka felt immediate shock go through her. Shinrai had an intense look on his face, and he looked more serious than he ever had been in all the time she'd known him. Jealous...? Why would he ask such a thing? Why would he even care? They were just friends... Right? She tore her arm from his grasp. "Why would I be jealous?" She felt angry. "Because I said she was beautiful." "No!" Haruka thought of something. Was... Shinrai in love with her? He couldn't be. The thought of them... the thought of her with any man... together nauseated her. "Haruka..." The first time he'd called her Haruka... "I have to... tell you something. Now." "Can't it wait?" Haruka said. "It can't," Shinrai said, his voice strange, desperate. "I know we've never been anything more than friends..." "And that's how it'll always be," Haruka put in sharply. "Haruka! I'm in love with you!" Haruka felt dizzy, her head spinning. God, don't vomit, please don't now. It's not his fault, he doesn't know, you never wanted him to know. But God, she'd never encouraged him in any way! Certainly never encouraged him before! Why would he suddenly say this? "Haruka?" "Shinrai... I'm sorry," Haruka managed to say, leaning against her car. "I don't feel the same way... I'll always think of you as only my friend..." Shinrai had a confused, weird look on his face. "I- Can't you give it a chance? Maybe you'll feel differently later..." "No... I'll never feel that way," Haruka murmured, closing her eyes. Never. "I... I see..." Shinrai's face suddenly closed, his voice becoming cold. "I'm sorry I told you, Tenoh. Of course, I won't ever speak to you about this again." "Please don't." The wrong thing to say, she realized that, but... What the hell else could she say? I'm sorry, I'm a lesbian, I can't ever love you that way? I think of you as the brother I never had, and anything more makes me literally physically sick? Shinrai nodded, walking away. "Good night, Tenoh." Haruka fumbled with her keys, unlocking her door, getting inside and slamming the door closed. She leaned back in her chair, eyes closed, head hurting. Every single swear word she could think of in every single language she knew flew through her mind. She wiped her eyes, angry to find out that she was crying. She hated crying; it was such a weak thing to do. But she knew, knew someplace, that she had just lost a friend very close to her... She saw it in his eyes that he would never treat her the same again... If he could stand to look at her. "Damn... Why the hell did you fall in love with _me_, Shinrai?" she whispered to herself. "Why did you screw everything up?" Screw everything up... You screwed everything up! You can hear her screaming, screaming your name. You can't reach her, can't save her, can't do anything for her! It's coming again... This dream that advances every single time you close your eyes and let your guard down... Any minute, the blade will hit you, slash into you, pierce your heart, and you'll die, fall into blackness. "URANUS! URANUS!" She's screaming. Answer her! Help her! No, not again... It hurts, this feeling of helplessness, the coldness of death... Dying... Is this what it's like to die? Why am I so lonely... Haruka found herself thinking about the girl, Michiru, for the third time in twenty minutes. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she keep her mind on something else? Like what? Shinrai? Who the landlord said moved away a week ago to some place in America? The one who said he was your best friend but the minute you need him most, he leaves you? Dammit. She glanced at her watch. This event thing would start pretty soon. Her eyes wandered over to the stage, which was empty. Someone had given her the tickets, God knew why, and she'd had nothing better to do so she had come. Some big social event for the rich. She hated this type of thing. It was uncomfortably formal, and she really disliked being surrounded by snobs. She couldn't stand fakeness. If you wanted to say something, just say it... Then again, isn't that what had gotten her in trouble to begin with? Idly, she drank some of her wine. It tasted pretty good, she guessed, but a fairly cheap brand. She knew, her parents were into knowing about wine and dates and quality and that type of thing. A hobby that wouldn't do you a bit of good if you got drunk anyway. Haruka sighed. She decided right then that she was over having Shinrai as a friend. Regardless of how much he had helped her in her past, he obviously didn't think too much of her if he just upped and left. Screw him. Anyway, if he was that immature then she didn't need him. Besides, she was used to being abandoned by people, being rejected, being alone. "Thank you for attending this event tonight," a man said from on the stage. Haruka looked up, thinking, "Finally." "As you know, this is a charity event, where the proceeds of the tickets go to help the local children's hospitals. Entertainment will be provided beginning with Kaioh Michiru, an exclusive violinist." Kaioh... Michiru? Could that be the same... "Michi-chan, let's go." A girl came out onto the stage... The same one she had seen at the race. So it _was_ her. Haruka took her time watching her. She had on a simple white dress with a blue sash, a blue necklace, and her hair was tied up in a ponytail. Cute. Michiru smiled, and it was a nice, sweet smile. She bowed, then placed her violin beneath her chin, breathing deeply before drawing her bow across the strings. The beginning was simplistic, slow, rather dull actually. Haruka was minorly amused. _This_ girl was exclusive? Why she was even here was beyond- Michiru's eyes opened slightly, as if she could hear Haruka's criticizing remarks. She smiled, closing her eyes again... Then she immediately accelerated into a fast, daring piece, which the audience recognized as an extremely difficult piece only a master or a gifted prodigy could play. -her. Ok, so you're wrong, Haruka told herself, mocking herself. She watched Michiru's fingers speed across the violin, playing beautiful, exquisite notes, and corrected herself. Really, really, really, really wrong... Michiru was the most amazing violinist she had ever heard of in her entire life. And she should know... Haruka herself was an accomplished pianist, thanks to years of practicing when she was younger. She used to perform for her parents' rich friends until she was thirteen, astounding them, delighting them with her talent. When she had finished, Haruka remained silent, eyes not leaving the girl's face. Michiru was smiling, in a somewhat half-arrogant, half-modest way, watching everyone else, studying them. Haruka grinned. She was definitely sharp, knowing how and when to use her chances to her advantage. The audience was in a brief shock. Michiru's eyes suddenly connected to hers. She finally noticed me. Haruka smiled, now deeply interested in this girl. She leaned back, sipping some more wine. Michiru's eyes were narrowed, and there was a wary look to her face. The audience began to clap then, and Michiru bowed quickly, leaving the stage in a rush. Haruka stood up, heading out of the room to follow her. She saw Michiru walking down the hall, towards the balcony. She looked sick, and Haruka felt oddly worried about her. Avoiding the others in the hall, she barely heard the whispers of her name by those who knew who she was from her face, walking after Michiru. She found her outside, leaning against the balcony. She seemed better, calmer, and for an instant Haruka regretted intruding upon her. But only for an instant. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Haruka asked from beside of her. She looked up at the sky, which Michiru had been staring at. Michiru stiffened, glancing at her surprised. Her eyes clouded up, and she murmured, "Good evening." Haruka gave her a look, not answering her, just studying her. She was even prettier up close. She had lovely, dark blue eyes and her hair was nice. Becoming embarrassed at her thoughts, she feigned nonchalance, returning her eyes to the sky. "It's such a clear night... You can see all the stars right now... Usually the smog from Tokyo drifts to cover the sky so you can't see anything." It was true enough. She loved looking at the sky... Little wonder. Tenoh Haruka, or "distant sky god." The sky was what she felt a connection too, and more specifically, its brother, the wind. Michiru looked down, not answering her. Haruka smiled, but she kept looking at her, watching her, staring at her. "You look nice," she said finally. "How do you manage it?" Michiru looked down at herself quickly, obviously surprised by the question. "How do I look nice?" she asked, her voice cautious but curious as well. Haruka's eyes narrowed on her outfit. "I've never seen someone take simplicity and make it look better than something rich or better than the expensive clothes." "This cost 50,000 yen," Michiru laughed, which had a nice sound to it. "Rather expensive, actually..." Haruka grinned, shrugging. "It's still simple looking, and I'd have no idea why you'd buy it for 50,000 yen. It still looks good on you." Michiru had a confused look on her face. "Thank you," she said slowly. "You look nice too." Haruka smiled. She was such a cute girl. Then Haruka's smile turned a bit mocking. "What's a nice girl like you doing being the best violinist I've ever heard?" Michiru looked faintly annoyed with her question. "The usual," she replied, her laugh this time forced. "Impressing everyone, receiving applause, et cetera..." "Like a dream," Haruka said thoughtfully, just coming to that realization. "That's what your music was like... A dream world was what you were creating." Michiru looked down, her eyes surprised, her voice soft. "How... did you know?" "When you play, you become relaxed, you look fully with the music, as if you were it personified," Haruka murmured, replaying Michiru's performance in her head, remembering every detail. Michiru didn't comment. She was looking away. Haruka felt some strange feeling inside of her as she gazed at the girl. She'd never talked to anyone like this, never understood someone so much after knowing so little. Why... Michiru sighed, her hands reaching to untie her hair. Haruka touched her wrist automatically, without thinking. "Leave it, Kaioh-san. It's very pretty." Her hand brushed Michiru's bangs, and the other girl flushed. "Why do I feel as if I know you from before?" Michiru asked, pulling away. "I hadn't even seen or heard about you until that day at the track." Haruka was silent, not knowing the answer herself. She felt as if she knew Michiru from before. Something entered her mind, something inane, on a chance. "Supposedly, in astrology, Uranus and Neptune are related... Your guardian planet is Neptune, right? Mine is Uranus..." The green haired girl smiled. She seemed to understand the answer, in a way that Haruka only half understood herself... Haruka's eyes narrowed, as she heard something. She felt eyes on her back, knew someone was there with them... She put her arm around Michiru, drawing her close. She felt surprisingly good next to her... "Shh," she hissed, quieting Michiru's unasked question. "Someone's watching us..." "Quite right, Tenoh Haruka-san." Haruka froze, knowing the voice, knowing who it belonged to without turning around. Slowly, she did. Meioh Setsuna was standing in the shadows, her smile benevolent. "Meioh Setsuna-san?" Michiru asked incredulously. "You know her, Michiru?" Haruka said, surprised. How did she know her? Michiru said softly: "I met her this afternoon..." "I'm glad you're both together again, Haruka, Michiru," Setsuna said quietly, her smile kind. "It's going to be very helpful." "Helpful?" Haruka snapped, irritated. "What do you mean?" Setsuna looked at both of them. "I-" Haruka heard voices, calling her name. Setsuna stopped talking, and Haruka looked to see some men entering the balcony. Who were they? She looked back at Setsuna, then saw that she was not there anymore. She looked down at Michiru, wondering how a mere embrace could make her feel so good. Michiru was blushing again, and she pulled away from Haruka. Haruka felt her own face turning red, realizing that this was a mistake, holding her, since they had only just really met that night. Michiru pulled away, quickly. "Arigato, Tenoh-san, for talking with me," she said, her voice turning formally cool. She avoided looking into Haruka's eyes as she said, "I hope to see you again in the near future." Wait, this is all wrong... "Kaioh-san," she said, but Michiru was already out the door. The men were heading towards her. She recognized them as her rivals from her last race... They probably would have confronted her earlier, had she not left so quickly. They surrounded her, but she simply leaned casually back against the railing, waiting for them to speak. "Soo, Tenoh, what were you and her doing?" one of them asked, with short brown hair, crossing his arms. "She was pretty hot," the blue haired one snickered. "Shut up," Haruka said, her voice suddenly sharp, but still low. She felt surprised at how angry she felt at his comment. "What's wrong? Did we interrupt you two?" The main guy, who had come into second place, Kaeru, smirked. "Did Tenoh not get any?" "You know what, Kaeru?" the first guy asked. "I think you two would go pretty good together." "Not bad thinking," Kaeru said, laughing. "She looks like she could really fu-" Haruka's fist slammed into his face. He went flying to the ground. His two friends rushed her, and she kicked the blue haired one in the chest, and then she kicked the other in the stomach. All three were on the ground groaning in pain. "Don't you _ever_ insult her like that," Haruka hissed angrily. "And don't ever cross me again, or I'll make sure that you'll never be able to even _think_ of winning a race." She turned, seething, leaving the balcony. She decided to skip the rest of the evening, so she went to her car. As she drove home, she thought she saw someone who looked like Michiru walking home, but the person turned a corner and she couldn't tell. She felt the side of her face, feeling the deep cut, feeling the stinging sensation from the wound. She saw the girl laugh, purple eyes ablaze with fury, laugh malicious. She saw that in her hand she held a deadly glaive, the blade glinting in the red light. The girl aimed it at her, but before she could touch her, a pure light pervaded throughout, and the girl screamed in pain from the goodness of it. Something was floating in front of her, she could barely see it from the blood running into her eyes. She reached for it, and as her hand clasped around the handle, she was enveloped by the light itself... She awoke, still engulfed in the light. Staring in astonishment, she watched as the blue stick in her hand vanished into thin air. Wiping the blood from the cut on her cheek, she wondered what the stick was and why her dreams were always so real... The phone kept ringing, much to her annoyance. Finally someone picked it up. "Michiru?" she asked. "No, I'm sorry," a woman said. "Michiru-chan is out right now. Who is speaking, please?" Haruka inwardly groaned. "Tenoh Haruka... Could you tell her that I'd like to meet her in the park at five, please?" "All right," the woman said, sounding curious. "By the way, are you by any chance a friend of Michiru-chan's?" "Well..." Haruka sounded nervous, even to herself. This was probably Michiru's mother. "You could say that." "Oh!" She was pleased. "That's nice! I'm glad Michiru-chan's finally found a nice male friend for herself." "Uh..." Haruka sweatdropped. Male? "I'm not..." "Not what, dear?" "Uh... Nevermind, Kaioh-san," Haruka said politely. "Thank you for your help. Have a good day." Haruka hung up the phone, sighing. Lord, she sounded exactly like Haruka's mom... A male friend?! Well... It was true, she admitted to herself, that she wanted to be more than friends with Michiru... "Why do I get the feeling that Kaioh-san wouldn't be pleased with the fact that I'm a girl?" she wondered softly to herself. Something shot through her mind. Groaning, she fell to her knees as a newer vision came to her... "NEPTUNE!" She screamed. "URANUS! Where are you?" a voice cried back. "I can't find you!" She looked to the sky, seeing the clouds twist with blackness. She turned her head, watching in horror as large black waves swallowed up buildings and a large, destructive wind destroyed everything in its path... People, plants, animals, cars... All gone in an instant. "NEPTUNE!" She screamed again, this time frantically. A shadow loomed over her, and she twisted her head to see the cloaked girl flying towards her with her blade of death. The purple eyes were so cold, so icy, and her smile was so evil... She quickly moved out of the way, but not fast enough. The metal pierced her leg, ripping downwards, and she groaned as she lost all sensation in it. "Neptune..." she whispered as the girl giggled, then thrust the glaive into her... She stood up, holding her head. She looked down, seeing a bright redness soak into the leg of her pants before vanishing without a trace. She stepped on the leg, wincing as it still hurt a little. Looking around, she realized with a start that the street was completely empty, which was so very strange for Tokyo at this time of day... It was so quiet... "Haruka." That soft voice again... "Setsuna." She limped out of the booth to see the woman, her eyes hard. "What's happening? What did you do?" Setsuna smiled, but sadly. "I haven't done anything... But this complete lack of human life will happen if you do not listen to me..." "What are you talking about?" Haruka demanded, her voice angry. "Haruka, do you know about those visions you've been having..." Setsuna said quietly, walking down the street. Haruka followed her slowly; the pain gradually decreased. "How did you know about them?" "They're not just dreams, Haruka." "I think I figured that out," Haruka murmured dryly, running her finger over the nearly healed cut on her face, thinking about her leg. "But what do they mean?" "They're a warning of the future," Setsuna explained, her voice low. "In it, the world is destroyed by something known as the Silence... A coldness will sweep over Earth if you do not prevent it." "Me? Prevent it?" Haruka asked, laughing. "Look, Setsuna, do you honestly expect me to stop the world from ending? I don't even know if you're telling the truth." Setsuna stopped in front of a window, where she could see her reflection. "Haruka, come here." Haruka went to her side, glancing at her, then at the window. She saw herself wearing the same arrogant stare. "What? I don't see anything, just myself staring back at me." "Look again." Haruka did so, then stared in shock. In the reflection was a girl with the same features as she, but with an odd blue sailor-type uniform on, a short skirt, tiara, gloves... "Who... is that?" "A reflection," Setsuna murmured. "A reflection of yourself..." "That's me?" Haruka couldn't believe it. "But... she's so... And I'm not... But..." Setsuna laughed. "Tongue tied, Haruka? Understandable... Everything will fall into place very soon... As it will for Michiru." Haruka sent her a confused glance, then looked back into the window. She was surprised to see her usual reflection there. "Sets-" She turned her head. Setsuna wasn't there... And the street was once again filled with people... Is she telling the truth... Am I really that girl I saw... My reflection? She had wandered aimlessly around the park for hours, finding no sign of Michiru anywhere. It had been stupid on her part to pick the park of all places to meet her... Couldn't she at least remember that this was the fair weekend? It was nearly hopeless to search for Michiru, but she had to talk to her... Setsuna had mentioned her name. Did that mean that Michiru had been having visions like herself? That would explain so much... Yet so very little. In fact, it would even twist things more so... A little, purple haired girl ran into her, tripping. The girl fell down, beginning to breath harshly. Rather alarmed, Haruka bent down to help her up. "Are you ok?" Haruka asked. The girl continued breathing quickly, holding her chest. Gradually, she calmed herself down. She looked up at Haruka, smiling shyly, her bright purple eyes sweet. "Yes, I'm all right. I'm sorry I ran into you, Miss." She stood up and ran off. Haruka blinked. "Wait!" she called, but the girl disappeared into the crowd. That girl had been cute, about 11 or so. But if was weird how she had known that Haruka was a girl immediately... And how she had reacted after only bumping into her... Haruka still felt worried about her, unnaturally so for a child, and a stranger at that. She walked onward, still trying to see glimpses of Michiru anyplace. Standing on her toes so she could be even taller, she almost toppled when she realized that she did see the girl. She was heading to the House of Mirrors. Someone bumped into her, and she did fall down. "Oops, sorry, mister," the girl said. Haruka got to her feet, smiling charmingly at the girl, who was surprisingly cute. She had long blond hair fashioned into two odango shapes at the top of her head, blue eyes, and the word naive written all over her face. "That's ok. Just watch where you're going, odango." Haruka walked past her, patting her on one of the odango, not hearing as the girl's friends suddenly gathered around her, asking her who that handsome guy was. As she entered the House of Mirrors, she tried finding her way around. She felt annoyed as she realized that she hated mazes. She kept running into mirrors, and that pretty much irritated her. She was beginning to feel impatient until she finally found Michiru, who was on the ground, not moving. Quickly, Haruka lifted her up slightly against her chest, relieved to find her breathing faintly. She was extremely pale. "Michiru! Michiru!" Haruka said, shaking her slightly. Slowly, Michiru's eyes opened, and she looked confused. "Tenoh-san," she whispered, "what are you doing here?" Haruka helped her sit up on her own, not wanting to let her go, but doing so anyway. "I was looking for you," Haruka grinned, attempting to loosen the obvious tension the other girl had. "It wasn't very easy, considering the flood of people here... For some reason, after a while, I decided to come here, just for the hell of it, I guess." Can't tell her you were nearly desperate looking for her? Oh, shut up. "Did you see Meioh Setsuna here?" Michiru asked, looking away. She seemed troubled, her eyes dark. Haruka's narrowed her eyes, wondering if Setsuna really had been talking to Michiru too. "She was here? I'm not surprised... That woman is everywhere... But, no, I didn't see her." Michiru nodded, pushing herself up to her feet. She brushed off her skirt, still avoiding Haruka's stare. "Thank you for helping me, Tenoh-san," she murmured, her attitude once again annoyingly formal. "But I really didn't want to see you." That was such an outright lie that Haruka had to smile. But since the fact that Michiru _was_ lying wasn't funny, it was only a slight one. "Then why did you come here in the first place?" she said lightly. Michiru flushed. She really was cute when she did that, Haruka thought. She does it a lot though... "I would like to know why you wanted to meet me." Haruka stood, shrugging her shoulders. Her fingers brushed the mirror in front of her. It was cold, hard, but smooth. She looked into the glass, eyes catching Michiru's in the reflection. Michiru had a strange look on her face, one of curiosity, embarrassment, and... something else. "I wanted to get to know you better, that's all," she answered, her voice flat. "I thought we could be friends." Friends... That's really great, Haruka. _Friends_. Why not say _sisters_, for God's sake? Michiru seemed amused by the statement. With a touch of arrogance, she lifted one eyebrow, in a way that showed her humor. "You hardly know me, but you wish to be friends already?" It was Haruka's turn to be embarrassed. Keeping her voice even, she said, "I know you a lot better than you think, Michiru... And you know more about me than you're letting on." "I don't know what you're talking about," the other answered, annoyed with the observation. "I'd rather not see you again, if you don't mind." "Why?" Haruka was suddenly very angry, though she kept her annoyance down to a minimum... Just barely. What was her problem? "I haven't done anything, to my knowledge, to provoke you to say such a thing." "You make me uncomfortable," Michiru replied candidly, her answer very direct. Her blue eyes met with Haruka's green ones. "I don't trust you either." She didn't answer. True enough, she guessed. It wasn't as if Haruka was particularly comfortable with Michiru either, nor did she feel inclined to tell the girl every single thing about her life. Yet... Damn, why was she being so cold? That, to be blunt, pissed her off. Her mind recalled her conversation with Setsuna. If that woman really was talking to Michiru, wouldn't it be possible that she experienced the same as Haruka...? "You've had visions?" she said, turning around to face Michiru. A number of emotions flashed through the girl's expressive eyes. Surprise, anger, fear, pain... They finally decided on indifference. "What a silly thing to say," she said, her voice a trifle haughty. "I don't see things. I'm not crazy." "Neither am I," Haruka snapped, offended by her remarks. "What does being crazy have to do anything? Let me tell you something... _I've_ had visions, visions where I've seen the world ending, where I've seen things happening that no one can possibly imagine if they weren't true, _felt_ myself being killed... You can't feel pain in dreams..." She found herself grabbing Michiru's arms, staring into her eyes. "I know you've seen the same." Michiru was trembling, her eyes angry and scared at the same time. "Let me go." The command was soft and strained. "Haven't you?!" "Let me _go_!" Michiru yelled, using her leg to quickly trip Haruka. She lost her grip and fell. Both were breathing harshly, staring at each other. Michiru spoke first, her gaze unwaveringly direct. She spoke softly, but with an underlying coldness. "Tenoh Haruka. I don't want to ever see you again. Just leave things where they are at, and if you _ever_ touch me like that again, I swear I'll make you wish you'd never met me." Haruka watched as she walked away, quickly, gone in an instant behind the walls of mirrors. She sighed, getting to her feet after a few minutes. She leaned her head against a mirror, angry at herself and the other. Why did you do that to her? Why did you lose control? Why did she provoke you so badly? Yeah, you like her, a lot. But still... No one has ever made you react that way before... "Haruka." Haruka looked up, her eyes seeing Setsuna in the reflection. "Setsuna." She looked away. "I guess you know what happened." "I'm afraid so." "I don't suppose you'd like to explain why we both reacted so unexpectedly." Setsuna smiled, kindly. "Haruka... Remember when I told you that who you saw in the window was yourself?" "Yes," Haruka said. "Who was that, really?" "You. This may be hard for you to understand, but... You are her, and she is a warrior of this planet, Sailor Uranus." "Sailor... Uranus..." Haruka whispered. "Someone was calling that name in my dream. She was calling me?" "Yes," Setsuna nodded. "Remember this?" A bright light flashed, and a stick appeared in front of Haruka. She took it, but this time it remained in her hand. "It's beautiful," she said. "This gives you the power to become Uranus. You must find the Talismans with Sailor Neptune in order to stop the Silence from destroying Earth." "And... she is..." Haruka grew thoughtful. "Michiru?" Setsuna smiled, tilting her head. "Yes, Sailor Neptune is Michiru. That is why she had the same dreams as you did. You two are partners." "Partners..." Haruka wondered at that. "But... She doesn't like me, how can we work together?" "She will change," the dark green haired woman said. "And I guess you are a soldier of this Earth, too?" Haruka asked. "Yes... I am," she laughed, sadly. "I protect this Earth, past, present, and future..." She turned away. "Where are you going?" Haruka asked. "To finish my work," Setsuna answered. "I will see you again... one day." "No, wait!" But she was gone. "I... still have so many questions." She held the stick in her hand. It lifted out of her hand, floating. She stared at it, and she found herself surrounded by a blue light, that swept her away. Startled, she looked around. She saw nothing except for the ever present dark blue color. "Where am I?" "Your soul, of course," a voice answered her. She turned to see a miniature version of herself floating in front of her... Wearing a blue, elegant dress with the sign of Uranus on her forehead. "Who are you? My tour guide?" "I'm your conscience, your memory," the other explained. "You've forgotten quite a bit, Haruka." "Oh?" Haruka was humored by her memory. "Like what?" She rolled her eyes. "Everything..." She touched Haruka's forehead. "There now... Remember now?" And she did. They were children on the moon, playing together. Neptune used her Deep Submerge to splash her with water, upon which she let loose a World Shaking. Neptune began crying as she slipped as she ran off. She held her knee which she fell down on. "Don't cry," Chibi Uranus said, worried. She gave Neptune a kiss on the knee. "There, it's ok now." Chibi Neptune stopped crying, smiling. "Thank you," she sniffed, rubbing her eyes. "Your my best friend, Uranus..." Neptune leaned up, kissing her. They remained doing so, pressed against each other until they heard giggling. Neptune pulled back, smiling at the other senshi valiantly attempting to try to hide themselves behind plants and objects in the hallway. "Guess we've been found out," she whispered. "Oh well," Uranus said back, bending her head down to kiss her again. Michiru looked down, confused. "You look nice too." You're so cute, Haruka thought. Haruka found that she was outside the House of mirrors, alone. The stick was in her hand, and she touched its handle thoughtfully before placing it into her pocket. Michiru, she thought. She felt weird, knowing so much now... But not really, since her past was worthless if she had no future... She walked home, mulling over in her mind about things. She kicked a rock in her way, reminding herself of her first encounter with Setsuna. She was a warrior, like herself... Why did she seem so sad? Haruka continued walking, noticing the peacefulness of the city, liking it in some way. Quiet. Gave her time to think. She decided to take her longer route home; she was used to walking a lot, from track, so it didn't bother her to take a scenic. She knew this place, near the side of the road, where she could see the sea perfectly. It was best at night, when no one was around, and when she could see the sky and the stars and the moon. Life was funny. She reached the spot, on a small cliff, where she stood looking over the side. Her thoughts swirled in her mind, and she recalled Shinrai. He had been her best friend... She wondered what he was doing then, if he had found someone else who could appreciate him in that way. She thought about her parents, who were in America. She wondered if they were having a good time. She wondered if Michiru was all right... And she wondered about herself, about her life ahead of her. Shinrai was out of her life forever, she knew and understood. She accepted it without emotion, as if she had lost a part of her past that she could never regain... Her parents. Well... They were important to her, but not so much a major factor in her life. Michiru... Herself... They were connected, she realized. If she couldn't have Michiru in her life again... "Hello, are you lost?" someone asked from behind her. That was her, now. "Do you need a ride home?" She sounded worried. Haruka shrugged to herself. Might as well talk to her now.... "No, I'm all right, Michiru," she said. "Haruka?" Michiru's voice was quiet, wary. She smiled at her, watching her look down. Say something... "You should really look at this," she tried, shifting her glance back to the ocean. "You'd like it. It's really beautiful." She heard Michiru sigh, then unbuckle her seat belt, opening the door, shutting it behind her. The girl went to her side, and she gasped. "It's wonderful," she whispered. "It reminds me of you," the blond said automatically. She looked at Michiru, who was staring at her with an odd expression on her face. "You remind me of a lot of things," she finally said, turning her head away. "That's a typical response, Neptune," she said, laughing. Michiru looked more surprised than she sounded. "You... know?" "Yeah," Haruka answered, feeling relief. So her gamble had worked. "I guess you do too." "I remember everything from before," she murmured. She smiled shyly at Haruka. "We were close, weren't we?" "I'd say more than close," Haruka pointed out gently. "Do... you still feel the same way?" Haruka saw her fighting her embarrassment. She realized with a start that they were both young, Michiru only having turned 15 several months ago, and that pleased her. She wanted to be with her for the rest of her life, a decision that surprised her. She felt suddenly nervous. Just do something. She leaned down, kissing Michiru on her cheek, gently. Michiru looked shocked, staring at Haruka. She knew she was turning red. She coughed to hide her feelings. "I do feel the same... But you might not... I guess that was dumb to do... Why am I so damn _nervous_." The other girl giggled. Haruka smiled, reassured by the sound. "That answered my question," she said, drawing in Michiru against her. "I'm glad I met you again, Michiru." She nodded, repeating, "I'm glad I met _you_ again." In spite of everything she had known, everything that she had gone through, no words before had ever made her feel so glad to be who she was... Tenoh Haruka, senshi of the planet of the skies, Sailor Uranus.