Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Russian Roulette ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3

"Haruka!" Neptune screamed, running to her friend's side. "Haruka, no!" Weakly, Haruka opened her eyes and looked up and Neptune. The tears poured without relent from Neptune's eyes to Uranus' cheek. "You knew?" she asked. "You knew which was which?"

"No I didn't," Uranus admitted. "But I knew that you did."

Neptune gasped and sighing, shook her head. "Was I that obvious?" she asked. "I tried to make it look like I wasn't watching you so closely."

"It wasn't that," said Uranus. "You told me once that you wouldn't let me die. So I knew, when you suggested that idea, that you were going to make sure that the remote to set off your own device ended up in your hand. I couldn't let that happen."

"So you tricked me," said Neptune with a touch of anger. "And now you're going to a world of your own and leaving me behind."

"Hey," said Uranus with a weak smile. "You did it to me first."

"I'm not going to live, you know that," said Neptune. "Not without you or Setsuna or the others. I'm going to kill myself as soon as I arrive home."

"No you won't. You're going to become a famous violinist, find a good husband, start a family, and live a happy normal life away from all this mess. You're going to make all of us so proud." The last word of Uranus' sentence was almost cut off by a short-breathed cough. The poison was working in her system quicker than she thought. Her time was running out.

"Michiru," she said, peacefully closing her eyes. "Michiru, be happy." With that, her body fell limp. Neptune too, sat motionless as the barrier around her dissipated and the chains that bound Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask fell. Chaos had left them.

Sailor Moon slowly opened her eyes. She did not remember quite what had happened last, except that Chaos attacked her and Tuxedo Mask right before everything had gone black. But now, standing up and observing her surroundings, seeing Neptune kneeling next to the lifeless body of her companion, it didn't take long for her to realize what had happened.

"Neptune?" she asked fearfully. "Neptune, what's wrong with Uranus?"

Neptune stood up, not showing her face, allowing it to be hidden by the shadows of her deep green hair. "She's gone," she explained simply. "As are the others."

At Neptune's words, Sailor Moon's heart felt ripped in two. She staggered backwards in shock into Tuxedo Mask's arms. The prince of earth caught his princess and held her gently. Nothing could take away the pain, but at least he could try his best to soothe it. He glanced over in Neptune's direction.

"You seem rather calm," he observed. "Almost apathetic. Don't you even have a tear for them?"

"None," Neptune replied. "I made a promise. I promised her... that I would be happy."

* * * * *

It was about three years later when Michiru lay exhausted after fourteen hours of pouring sweat and tears onto her bed at Juuban Hospital. What a way to spend her first anniversary with her new husband, she thought. Stuck all night in the maternity ward.

"Ms. Kaioh?" the nurse's voice called. Michiru had insisted on keeping her last name. She looked weakly over in the nurse's direction. "Ms. Kaiou, would you like to see your daughter now?"

Michiru nodded and another nurse came forward, holding a small bundle in her arms. Delicately, she placed the bundle in Michiru's arms and pulled the blanket away to reveal a small innocent face. Large curious blue eyes were her most prominent feature, complimented by a few tufts of sandy blonde hair that adorned her head. Strange, she reminded Michiru of someone, like a friend long ago. A dear partner she would never forget.

As Michiru gazed at the infant's face, suddenly she noticed something. What appeared to be a blue symbol glowing faintly on the child's forehead. But only for a moment, and then it was gone.

"It couldn't be..." Michiru whispered.

"Ms. Kaiou?" the nurse asked. "Have you thought of a name for the baby yet?" Michiru nodded; she certainly didn't need to think twice about this.

"Haruka," she said. "Her name is Haruka."