Farewell
Author: amethystserenity
Rated: PG13
Rating : 
Chapter 12
Farewell by Amethyst Serenity
AN: Special thanks to AngelicMoonDJ (beta!), Ichigo (what would I do without you to IM?) and Arianna Demarcus (another odd hours conversationalist)! If you have any problems with Haruka and Michiru, their relationship is part of this chapter. There's nothing blatant but they are a couple. Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews!
Disclaimer: If I owned anything, do you think this would be free?
Chapter 12- Memories
In a spacious, well-furnished condominium, Haruka impatiently paced the living room floor and cursed half-heartedly. Without the navy-blue blazer, her loose-fitting white shirt revealed Haruka's normally concealed feminine curves. Michiru leisurely added the finishing brushstrokes to a watercolor seascape. With a groan of frustration, Haruka yanked her hands out of her pockets and raked her fingers through her short, wavy, sandy-blonde hair. After a puzzled glance at her, Michiru smoothly turned and cleaned paint off her brushes.
"What's wrong, love?"
"We shouldn't be here. What can Pluto be thinking?"
"The Princess must be found."
"Already done. Serena Tsukino... Serena's the Princess."
"How do you know?"
"How can you *not* know? It's *her*, Serenity. She has different hair but she still looks the same. I would know our Princess anywhere. She hasn't changed at all," Haruka passionately declared.
"Then, we have accomplished part of our mission. Why are you upset?"
"It's not our job to guard her. Those damned Inners should be doing it."
"Be honest, Ruka. You *want* to be here. With her."
"Michi, I... missed her. A thousand years... and I remember how it was... and her. Serenity loved everyone. She was so innocent... precious... doomed."
With her hands jammed in her pockets, Haruka stopped and stared unseeingly at the open window. The wind ruffled her hair. Michiru sighed. From the very first, Haruka, formerly Diana of Uranus, had worshipped Serenity with blind, unquestioning adoration. To Diana, she represented innocence, joy and beauty, everything good in the universe embodied in one sweet, lovely girl. In the Silver Millenium, Uranus was one of her fiercest, most devoted guardians although her primary duty, like Neptune and Saturn, was warding off threats outside the solar system. When she was around Serenity, no one in a ten-mile radius *dreamed* of upsetting the princess in *any* way (Jupiter *might* forgive an offender but Uranus *never* did). Uranus' punishments for perceived insults were both inventive and infamous. If Diana had not been sent out on an extended mission during Earth's diplomatic overtures to the Moon, Endymion would not have been allowed within ten feet of Serenity. Wryly, Michiru acknowledged sharing Haruka's affection for Serenity although not to the same extent. After all, the princess had befriended them and brought them together.
As a child, Serenity visited almost all the Outer Senshi on their respective planets. With her sensitive, generous heart, she noticed the loneliness hiding beneath the polite faces of the older Senshi. Exercising her power, the Princess demanded the participation of the Outer Senshi in her royal court. In this startling break with tradition, the small girl defied even her mother. Surprisingly, Queen Serenity relented and summoned the Outer Senshi, save for the mysterious Pluto, to the Moon. Diana and Michiru, then called Amphitrite of Neptune, had initially accompanied the princess out of duty but then discovered friendship with the Senshi and love, love for Serenity and for each other. Neptune and Uranus became an inseparable pair even though their love affair was barely tolerated in the highborn society. While their status as Senshi princesses (and Uranus' legendary temper) protected them from blatant censure, they could not escape the sly whispers or the subtle slights. In her naiveté, Princess Serenity was delighted for them and completely oblivious to the gossip. The unwavering friendship and admiration of the princess and the other Senshi had been priceless.
"We couldn't protect her. We... failed her."
"I know. I was * there*."
The anguish usually hidden beneath Michiru's cool elegance bubbled to the surface. Her stormy sea-blue eyes glittered with unshed tears. Michiru clenched her fists and wrapped her arms around herself. Swiftly crossing the room, Haruka embraced her and kissed her cool, silken hair. Despite the passage of time, the distant dark memories were fresh and painful. After barely withstanding Beryl's attacks in the outer rim of the galaxy, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn had desperately rushed to the Moon for the final battle. They were too late, arriving only to see the death of Venus, the last Inner Senshi. Upon seeing Serenity's impaled body, Sailor Uranus went berserk and mindlessly tore into the enemy soldiers. Sailor Neptune leaped after her, protecting her lover's back steadfastly. Neptune and Uranus died as they had lived... together. Tears slid down their cheeks. Haruka whispered softly into Michiru's aqua-green hair.
"I wanted to preserve her shining light."
"As did I," another voice murmured. Haruka and Michiru whirled around to see Hotaru slipping into the room. Her quiet voice was permeated with sadness. In this life, she was the youngest Sailor Senshi and Michiru's distant cousin but she had been one of the oldest Senshi and the last to see the Queen alive. Hotaru's deep violet eyes darkened to almost black with pain. Unlike the other Outer Senshi, she had searched for survivors, slipping unseen through the enemy. Queen Serenity and her feline advisors were the only ones left. Suddenly materializing in the enemy ranks like an avenging angel, Saturn swept them all away from her Queen. Already weakened by her grief and several defensive spells, Queen Serenity raised the Imperium Silver Crystal to perform her last and greatest act of magic. White light exploded from the Crystal, blinding everyone and mercifully silencing Beryl's demented ravings. When Saturn could see again, the Royal Court and Beryl's forces were gone without a trace. Depleted of energy, Queen Serenity lived long enough to give Hotaru, known as Hecate of Saturn, a bittersweet smile full of pride and one last gentle, motherly touch on her midnight hair.
Left with nothing to protect, Sailor Saturn used her ultimate attack to ruthlessly obliterate the remaining enemy forces in the solar system. And then she was alone... completely alone in a ruined kingdom filled with ghosts. Falling to her knees, Hecate dropped her Silence Glaive and cried for her Queen, her kingdom, her friends and most of all, her Princess. Even in her earliest memories, she remembered the fear in other people's faces: fear of death, fear of dark omens, fear of Saturn's power, fear of *her*. No one dared to come too close until the child-princess Serenity with her bright, angelic beauty and lighthearted smiles. In her ocean-blue eyes, Hecate saw mischief, joy and heartwarming trust. With gentle but unshakable persistence, Serenity blithely ignored her seeming reluctance and coaxed the older girl out of her melancholy. The Princess braided flowers into her hair, confided her "darkest" secrets, teased her into drinking champagne, dragged her to meet the other Senshi and taught her to play silly childish games... everything Hecate never quite learned to do. Serenity did not know what her friendship meant to Hecate but maybe she did. The pure-hearted Princess had always been drawn to those who needed her the most. When she finally surrendered to her death, Sailor Saturn smiled as the remnants of the Queen's magic enveloped her, *knowing* the magic would take her to the Princess. Hotaru opened her eyes to see Haruka and Michiru in front of her.
"This time, it's different. We can stay with her now. It *will* be different."
"We won't let anything happen to our Princess. Nothing will hurt her again."
The Outer Senshi made a solemn vow to each other, sealing their pact with clasped hands.
"Never again."
AN2: Since I'm skipping all that Mistress Nine crud, my explanation for Hotaru's younger age deals with her death in the Silver Millenium. Queen Serenity sent all the Senshi, EXCEPT for Sailor Saturn, into the future at the same time. Therefore, the age differences among most of the Senshi in the future are about the same as they were in the Silver Millenium. However, Hotaru was sent into the future a little later than the others and therefore is a little younger.