Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Russian Roulette ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Neptune looked desperately at Uranus, not knowing what to do or say. She wished now she hadn't so rashly challenged Chaos to "do her worst." She had hoped, or rather assumed, that her strong bond with Uranus with help them through any challenge. She never thought that it would be their undoing.

"What should we do?" she asked, not quite sure if it was to herself or out loud.

"Simple," Uranus replied. "We do nothing." Neptune's eyes widened in shock. Was her friend serious?

"But if we do that," she said quietly. "Then we both die."

"So we both die," said Uranus. "We've fallen together once before. We'll do it again."

"Twice," Neptune corrected. "Once at Eugile's hands, the other at Galaxia's."

"No, you fell before me with Eugile," said Uranus. "Remember?" Neptune thought back to the battle at the marine cathedral. Uranus was correct. Neptune did have her heart crystal taken first, right after she had quite literally walked through a line of fire to save Uranus from the same fate.

"Do you know how hard that was for me?" Uranus asked. "To sit there and watch you suffer, knowing that every hit you took was for me? I almost died because of it. I can't go through that again. I can't let you or anyone else, lose their life for me."

There was a long, almost deathly silence before Neptune finally replied, "This wouldn't be like last time. Last time was violent. This is a poison. It's quick and silent."

"Do think that makes it any better?!" Uranus yelled, her emotions finally exploding. "You think that your death, by any means, for my life makes me feel better?!"

"Well, what else can we do?" Neptune demanded. "It's a simple thing, Haruka! Just push the button and be done with it!"

"If it's so simple, why don't you do it!" Uranus screamed back. "How about I be the sacrifice this time, Michiru? How about that?" Neptune's face fell, her voice suddenly hushed.

"You know I can't do that," she said.

"So you can leave me alone but you can't take loneliness yourself?"

"I can't kill you!" Neptune exclaimed, who had no qualms about showing her tears. "I would much rather kill myself than you!"

"So," said Uranus. "We're back where we started."

"Three minutes remaining," announced Chaos. Uranus only turned her face away in response, not wanting to show the deep hatred for Chaos that danced in her eyes right now.

"Fine," said Neptune. "We both die." Uranus was a bit surprised at her friend's sudden change in attitude, but she did not question it. Nor did she allow the churning waves of emotions within her to come through to her face. She only stood in front of the barrier, staring to the distance, to the wind, and contemplating the inevitable that lay before her. Neptune, on the other hand, was completely unable to keep herself still. She hadn't really meant what she said to Haruka, she didn't mean it at all. And now she paced back and forth, wringing her hands together, knowing she had to say something but unsure if she had the courage to do so.

"You know," she finally muttered. "It doesn't make any sense for both of us to die when one could live." Her companion turned around to glare at her.

"Thought you just said you were decided on this."

"Not really, no."

Uranus sighed at her partner's indecision.

"Well," Neptune continued. "If both of us fell here, there would be no one to look after our prince and princess. What if they are attacked again? We don't even know if Chaos is telling the truth about releasing them or not." Uranus took her job as the princess' protector very seriously, Neptune knew she could play off it. If Uranus thought Sailor Moon was in danger, she would stop at nothing to save her. Neptune only held her breath and hoped her tactic worked.

"What's your suggestion?" Uranus finally asked. Neptune knew her far too well.

"Well, obviously we can't decide between the two of us what to do," Neptune said. "So we shall have to leave it to chance who falls and who survives." She handed the remote in her hand over to Uranus. "Shuffle both of these behind your back so that I can't see them. Then, I will pick one and press it. Whoever lives, lives, and whoever falls..."

"...is probably the lucky one," Uranus finished.

"Two minutes!" called Chaos.

Uranus did not waste any time. She did as Neptune asked and put the two remotes behind her back, shuffling them from one hand to the other until even she herself was unsure of which was which. She then held her hands out, one remote in each of them, for Neptune to see.

The soldier of the sea looked carefully over her two options.

"Hey," she said, trying to smile. "It's like that game, Russian roulette. You know, where they put one bullet in the gun and spin it?"

"Just pick one," Uranus said coldly. The smile on Neptune's face fell.

"Right." Slowly, she moved her hand from one choice to the other, her fingers at last landing on the remote in Uranus' left hand. She picked it up and held it gingerly.

"In case I don't see you again," she said. "Good-bye, Haruka."

"Good-bye, Michiru," Uranus replied. At that, Neptune closed her eyes, drew her breath, and prepared to press the button that would send one of them to their death. But before she could do anything, Michiru heard a small snap, like that of a spring being released. She opened her eyes to see the deadly device around her neck had fallen lifelessly to the ground. And as she looked behind her, she saw to her horror that Uranus had as well.