Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Betrayal ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

I walked along the streets of Tokyo, wearing a black shirt and olive green jacket, my normal clothes. I couldn't believe it. When Siren came back to me and told me, I thought she was joking. Apparently not. Galaxia was actually willing to let me return home and spend time with my friends? And for as long as I needed? There was something so kind about the gesture it was almost suspicious. But never mind. Maybe being back here again could help me clear my thoughts. Maybe even help me forget about my pain. And about Taylor.

Nervously I fidgeted with the sleeves of my jacket. I wanted to make absolutely sure that no one could see those awful bracelets. I was being paranoid, I thought. As if any of the girls even knew what the bracelets meant. But still... I pulled my left sleeve down just a bit more.

Suddenly I felt someone slap me on the back.

"Haruka!" said a familiar voice. I turned around to see Usagi's cheerful face looking up at me, and I smiled.

"Hey there, kitten," I said trying to be as cheerful as she was. "What's up?"

"What's up with YOU?" Usagi answered. "Sheesh! It's been days since we've seen you around!"

I shrugged. "I've just been busy lately, that's all." Usagi seemed perplexed, but she didn't ask any more questions of me. Thankfully, because I didn't have a clue how I would answer them. Instead, the dumpling-haired girl anxiously grabbed my arm and started pulling me down the sidewalk.

We arrived at Rei's house within a few minutes. Even before we reached the door, I could hear the girls giggling and gossiping with each other. I suddenly felt nervous, like I didn't belong here anymore. But there wasn't any time to think things over. Usagi pushed open the door and walked in, taking me with her. If I hadn't been so caught up in my thoughts, maybe I would have noticed the two figures watching us from the distance.

"I'm here!" Usagi called out. "And look who I brought with me!" The girls all looked up and stared at me like one does an outrageous painting in an art museum.

"Haruka!" they all exclaimed at once and ran up to me, touching me to see if I was real and swamping me with a bunch of, "Where were you's?" and "Are you okay's?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," I repeated. "I'm sorry if I worried any of you."

"Haruka?" I heard a voice say, quieter than the others. I looked up to see Michiru sitting in the corner. It had been days since I thought about her, and now her deep blue eyes were profoundly focused on me like she was going to cry at the sight. I stepped past the other girls and walked over to her. What did I say? Sorry to worry you Michiru, I've been far too busy serving an evil being bent on destruction to come see you? Oh yes, that would go places. But Michiru wasn't interested in hearing my stupid excuses. She stood up and grabbed my arm, holding on tightly as she could.

"Haruka, thank heavens you're alright!" she exclaimed. I looked at her eyes. Though squinted shut, I could tell she was starting to cry. Michiru never cried.

"You didn't come home that night," she said. "And I thought maybe you had spent the night at Taylor's or something. But I tried calling and calling and got no answer. I was so scared... something had happened to you." She pressed her face against my arm, her tears soaking into my jacket.

"I'm fine," I said, gently pushing her away from me. "You don't need to worry so much." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a handkerchief for her.

"You're right," said Michiru, taking the cloth and drying her eyes. "I overacted I suppose. I'm sorry. I was just so relieved to see you."

I didn't answer her. Poor girl, here she was insane with worry about me and all this time what had I been doing? But even if Michiru did understand all this business about Sailor Senshi and Star Seeds and the rest of it, she'd probably still worry about me, maybe even more so. Michiru had a good heart. She deserved a better friend than me.

"Okay," said Usagi suddenly, shutting her textbook. "Now that Haruka's back with us, I say we have a little party to celebrate!"

"Oh, no, please don't," I said, waving my hand.

"It's not you, Haruka," Rei interceded. "Usagi just wants another excuse not to study today. Like yesterday, when she thought we should have a party for her and Mamoru."

"It was our anniversary!" Usagi exclaimed.

"One year, eight months and two weeks?" Rei yelled. "What kind of anniversary is that?"

"A very important one!" Usagi yelled back. I couldn't help but giggle, and it made me feel good to be doing it. Something about being here with everyone was so warm and familiar to me. When I was around these girls, I knew I was never alone.

"Okay," said Makoto. "Tell you what. We'll study for an hour and half and then I'll go bake some cookies for Haruka. How's that?"

"Yah!" Usagi exclaimed. Rei opened Usagi's textbook for her, and the girls got to studying once again. They called on Ami and Michiru at least a dozen times to answer questions for them. Neither of the girls refused of course. Me, I tried to concentrate on the words in front of me, but it all seemed pretty futile. I wasn't going to school anymore. Heck, I wasn't even staying here anymore. Where would studying get me? Still, I flipped though the textbook pages, trying to find something of interest to me while Michiru spent her time tutoring the girls.

"Haruka, are you alright?" Michiru asked. I quickly snapped back to reality.

"Yeah, I'm great! Why?"

"You seem... distant," Michiru finally answered. "Something you want to talk about?"

"What's to talk about?" I asked. "Everything's fine."

"Okay." Michiru went back to helping Minako with an English sentence and my mind started to wander again. I started thinking back to when I was in junior high, on the track team. I was constantly having visions back then. Every time I'd get ready to start a race, I'd see that image. Of the city I loved being ripped to shreds, the people dying like insects. And amid the destruction, a girl would appear. A girl dressed in a dark green sailor uniform, with thick aquamarine hair cascading over her shoulders.

"You must accept your destiny," she told me.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"I am... Sailor Neptune."

"Sailor Neptune," I whispered quietly, still staring at my textbook. I gasped, not realizing I'd let my thoughts become vocalized, however quietly. But none of the girls reacted, so I assumed they didn't hear. Except that Michiru turned around to look at me again.

"What did you say?" she asked.

"N-nothing," I answered. Michiru looked suspicious, but didn't press me any further. Now I was really nervous. Remembering those visions was sending mixed messages to my head. There was something there, something that happened shortly after those visions that was blocked away from my memory. I strived to remember what it was, but in the process a wave of terror was flooding over me, like I was approaching a Pandora's box. What was it I wasn't supposed to remember? Michiru sat next to me, I could feel an aura about her. Then it started to come.

Neptune... Michiru was Sailor Neptune. No, I thought. This couldn't happen. Quickly I tried to banish the thoughts from my head, to force them back into the darkness where they belonged. If I began to remember who Michiru was, then I was putting her in great danger. I couldn't do that. But it was too late. I had already let my mind go too far. I already knew.

Around me the girls sat giggling, laughing, having a fun time. I didn't know what to do. What if Galaxia found out I remembered? She would target Michiru right away, of that there was no question. And without Taylor's power... I couldn't erase my memories again. But what could I do? I panicked as I thought things over. I had already lost Taylor. I was not going to lose Michiru as well. But what could I do?

Suddenly it occurred to me. Galaxia couldn't attack if Michiru was no longer Sailor Neptune, right? I thought back to when I first accepted my role as Sailor Uranus. If I could refuse the power of my planet back then, why couldn't Michiru refuse hers now? It was the only way. But it had to be done quickly.

I grasped Michiru's hand.

"Come on, we're leaving," I told her.

"Wha...?" she pulled her hand away and looked up at me completely bewildered. I couldn't say I blamed her.

"We need to get home now," I said urgently.

"For what?" she insisted.

"Just come on," I said. "I'll tell you when we get there." Michiru sighed and gathered up her books. She turned and bowed apologetically to everyone before she left.

"Please forgive us for rushing out like this," she said.

"It's okay," said Usagi. "We'll see you two next time, right?"

"Right," she answered. I wouldn't allow any more delay. I grabbed Michiru by the wrist this time and pulled her out the door with me.