Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Sailor X ❯ SX13: Sky Senshi Reborn ( Chapter 13 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Sailor X #13 Sky Senshi Reborn

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

Outside the quarters of Ten'ou Haruka February 22, 2017

The Luna Foundation

Cass cringed as she heard yet another heavy object slam into the
nearby wall. Knowing that the hurling of breakables was simply the
punctuation of a shouting match increased her restlessness. Cass hated
arguments.

"What's going on in there?" Sandra demanded as she approached the
scene.

"Bethany and Haruka are arguing," Melissa replied.

"Again," Cass chimed in glumly.

"About the same thing?" Sandra asked as the cacophonous noise of the
argument rose. Both Cass and Melissa nodded silently.

For about a minute, Sandra seemed to study the wall as if she could
see the two women on the other side. Then, with a growl, she started
toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Melissa asked.

Without looking back, Sandra snarled, "This is stopping now! I've told
them about this..."

==> * SM * <==

Observation Lounge overlooking the Hangar Bays

The Luna Foundation

Neo Queen Serenity stood at the window and looked out over the hangar
deck. The flattened triangular shape of the Serena covered just under
half of this hangar bay. Serenity's gaze was more upon the large empty
space off to the left of the Serena. Actually, the area was not quite
empty...machines and computers speckled the floor and people buzzed
about on various tasks.

However, not too long ago, that area had been the roosting place of
the Darien, which was being used by King Endyimon on a long-range
diplomatic tour of the extents of the Moon Kingdom in an attempt to
re-establish relations.

Neo Queen Serenity still remembered her husband's last kiss...some
eight months ago...

"You summoned me?" Serenity quieted a gasp of surprise as she turned
and saw Haruka kneeling before her. She had been too pre-occupied...

"Yes, I asked you here," the queen replied, a slight touch of
disapproval in her voice. She then let Haruka remain in the kneeling
position for a few more moments. Perhaps in the future the princess
would respect the queen enough not to startle her.

"Rise," the queen said as she returned to her view of the hangar.

After Haruka stood, she joined the queen in looking out over the
bustle of the hangar. After a few minutes, Haruka gave a bored sigh.

"You did not call me here for the view, I hope, Your Majesty."

"Please do not use that title."

"But..."

The queen's eyes narrowed. "I do not like that title, and it will not
be used in my presence. Am I understood?" Haruka gave a slight nod.

Serenity paused for a second before continuing. "You will need to find
someone to take over the duties of Sailor Uranus."

"I do not want to do this," Haruka replied quietly.

"This is not a question of what you want," Serenity stated simply.
"The others have already selected their replacements. You are the only
one who has not. You had the same chance as the others to object when
we started this, and you did not. So, now you will select someone to
replace you."

"But..."

"Right now, this is still technically a request," Serenity said. "If I
have to repeat it, it will be an order."

"Yes ma'am," Haruka murmured a slight second before she turned to
leave. Neo Queen Serenity listened to Haruka's footsteps as they
faded.

The silence that followed could be cut with a knife and was only
broken by a voice from the shadows...

"That was a tough thing to do."

"You've picked up a nasty habit, Raye," Serenity said to the shadows.

Raye glided forward to stand in front of her friend. "Someone has to
watch over you," she said. "Especially since the king left."

"It is hard," Serenity said. "Darien was always better when it came to
matters of discipline."

"You're a softie," Raye agreed.

"I don't think I have what it takes..."

"You do," Raye replied. "Haruka is a tough person, and you showed her
who the boss is. And, if something comes up, you'll handle that too."

Raye approached her friend and hugged her. "And if necessary," she
said, "Lita, Mina, Amy, and I will be there to help."

==> * SM * <==

Soft lights lit the bed...a sterile smell was faint in the room.
Somewhere nearby, a beeping noise could be heard...

"Daddy, don't go...you can't go..."

...a tortured sigh... Then: "I can't stay..."

"Daddy!"

"...just remember what I taught you..."

"I will..."

"...promise me..." ...a slight nod in response...

...the feverish-looking eyes faded...

The beeping turned steady...and a girl's quiet sobs began...

==> * SM * <==

Shinjiro Martial Arts School October 22, 2016

Tokyo

This day had started out like any other as far as Bethany Dell was
concerned. She had gotten up at sunrise and did her morning workout
routine as the skyline over the harbor changed from deep blue to
bright red, then sky blue.

She attended her classes, found that she had passed a math test,
socialized with a few people, and planned a get-together with a couple
of friends for that evening.

After school, Bethany went over to the nearby martial arts school for
her daily lesson. She quietly entered the building and headed toward
the showers. The door into the locker area was open. Bethany paid no
attention to that...the door was almost always open. She started
digging around in her knapsack for the keys to her locker and was
absorbed in the search when she turned the corner and saw Haruka...and
she wasn't alone.

Haruka was standing, pressing Michiru against the lockers with her
body. Michiru caressed her lover's body through the shirt she was
wearing and both of them were caught up in a long and passionate kiss.

Betrayal drowned Bethany. She didn't like Haruka the way she and
Michiru apparently liked each other, but over the few months that
Haruka had been teaching lessons at the martial arts school, Bethany
had become friends with both Haruka and Michiru.

However, seeing the women pressed against each other reminded Bethany
of her father...who had very strict opinions on what was acceptable
behavior. In fact, when the family had lived in San Francisco before
joining the UN mission to Tokyo, Stephen Dell had made sure that his
daughter knew what he thought about same-sex relationships.

They weren't just wrong...they were UNCLEAN!

Bethany stood staring, and inside her mind, her father's voice echoed:
"...just remember what I taught you..."

Bethany hurled her knapsack into the nearby locker and stormed off,
silently satisfied at Michiru's gasp of surprise.

==> * SM * <==

Haruka entered the gym and saw Bethany sulking on the nearby benches.
She padded across the room on bare feet and closed the doors leading
out. She then locked the doors behind her. This was one lesson that
Haruka didn't want anyone to interrupt. With a stern look on her face,
she turned and approached her student.

"So you saw us," Haruka growled.

"How'd you guess?" Bethany responded with a glimmer of hatred in her
eyes. She knew that Haruka was trying to intimidate her, and she was
in no way going to shrink from this argument.

"Why did it take you this long?" Haruka asked. "It's not like Michiru
and I have kept our relationship very private."

"Yes," Bethany agreed. "I just saw a very public display!"

"Why do you care about what goes on between me and Michiru?"

"I care because you and I were friends!" Bethany yelled. "My father
always told me that gays and lesbians...that you were sick and
unclean!"

"Your father was an idiot," Haruka stated.

Bethany stood up quickly, clenching her fist as she did. "How DARE
you!" She growled as she lunged at Haruka, who blocked the fist coming
at her and threw Bethany toward the mats.

And the fight was on...and it was a mix of various martial arts,
wrestling, and street fighting. Faces became bruised from fists or
elbows, abdomen muscles were tortured from numerous kicks or knees,
and clothing was nearly ripped to shreds.

At one point, Haruka grabbed Bethany and rolled so that the younger
girl was pinned to the mat. Haruka then laid down on top of her,
pressed her body into Bethany's and kissed her. Bethany was too
startled to do anything.

"I hate you!" Bethany screamed when Haruka broke the kiss.

"I don't think you do," Haruka said as she got to her feet and pulled
Bethany up. "I hear a lot of your father in your voice, but I don't
hear you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bethany growled as she went to the
benches to get a towel.

"It means this," Haruka replied. "I don't care whether you hate me or
not, but if you do, hate me for your own reasons, not someone else's."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Bethany said as she toweled
the sweat from her face.

"Good," Haruka said simply. "Do you mind if I tell you something?"

Bethany gave a slight shake of her head and continued to towel
herself.

"I like you." Haruka said. "You have guts. Not too many people would
have the spine to stand up to me the way you've done since you entered
my classes. I've been hard on a few people, and I've always managed to
put you in that group because I wanted to see just how much you'd put
up with....and you

simply put up with it...with no complaints."

"You are my sensei," Bethany replied.

"Yes," Haruka said, "but I gave you tasks that were not ones a teacher
should give. They were harder,

and they had a higher purpose than simply teaching you martial arts."

"Oh?" Bethany said, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Before I go further, there is one final test," Haruka said. "You will
not like it, but it is necessary. If you pass it, I will tell you why
I have singled you out for `special treatment'."

"What do I have to do?"

"Nothing much," Haruka replied as she took the first step toward the
younger girl. "Just trust me. If at any time you don't, you can walk
away." Haruka continued to walk slowly toward Bethany, and the younger
girl looked at her uncertainly. Haruka approached, and Bethany's eyes
darted toward the door leading to the locker area. Then, her eyes
seemed to steel themselves, and she looked directly at Haruka as the
older woman came face to face with her. Then Haruka again stepped
forward, tipped Bethany's chin up and kissed her. With her free hand,
Haruka pulled Bethany close, ignoring the slight shudder that ran
through the young girl's body.

"Why..." Bethany whispered when the kiss was broken.

"I know that you hate me," Haruka said. "In fact, I can use that
hatred to make you stronger. However, you can be of no use to me if
your hatred is stronger than your trust."

"You make it sound as though you are going to use me as a fork or
something," Bethany replied.

"No," Haruka said. "Do you remember the stories of Sailor Moon and the
other Sailors...."

And the talk began. Haruka explained how she was in the position of
unwillingly having to choose a successor to the power and legacy that
was Sailor Uranus, and she explained that she wanted someone as tough,
if not tougher than she was, but someone also intelligent enough to
think on her feet if necessary. Haruka then asked Bethany if she would
become the next Sailor Uranus...

"...and the rest is history," Melissa said to Cass, who had hung on
every word of the story.. Melissa had gotten the majority of the story
from Michiru after the elder Sailor Neptune had been caught by
Bethany. Michiru thought she'd be more diplomatic with her pupil than
Haruka had been with Bethany, but the elder Neptune was pleasantly
surprised...

"What doesn't interfere with my duties as Sailor Neptune doesn't
concern me," Melissa had said calmly.

Sandra exited Haruka's quarters and approached the other women.

"Hey," Cass said. "It's a lot quieter now. What did you say to them?"

Sandra smiled. "First I listened to them, then when they started
arguing again, I told them that if they didn't stop, I'd lock them in
a very small closet."

The three girls laughed as they turned to walk down toward the nearby
lounge. "Come on," Sandra said. "Dinner's on me."

Fanfic ©1999 - John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon,

© 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: July, 1999

Release: 3^rd Edition - January 27, 2001