Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Neptune: Year One ❯ X ( Chapter 12 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

-Neptune: Year One-

Diclaimer: It's all Naoko Takeushi's folks, I don't own any of it.

--

-X-

The two girls slipped quietly into the darkened dorm room hand in hand. They would be alone for a bit, and they could take their time. As their lips came together, the taller girl cradled the shorter girl's cheeks in her hands. Soon, the older girl had the younger pushed up against the wall. Her hands began to wander, her excitement growing as she suckled on an earlobe and the shorter girl began to moan. She slowly began to hike up the other girl's skirt, when unexpectedly a hand stopped her.

"Michiru?" she asked in confusion as her girlfriend pulled back from her.

Michiru looked down at her feet as she avoided eye contact with her sempai. "I'm sorry, I... I'm not feeling good, I need to be alone for a bit."

Miyuki stepped back. "Not feeling good? Wha... You were feeling fine earlier today during the rehearsals. What's really wrong?"

Michiru continued to avoid eye contact as she bit her lip. Finally, Miyuki let out a sigh. "Very well, I'll get going. Just promise me you'll tell me later what was wrong, okay?" She turned and left, leaving Michiru still shaking a bit as she leaned against the wall.

The young artist closed her eyes and drew in a sharp breath. She pushed her long bangs away from her eyes with the edge of her hand. She had to look, had to see the face. And now that she had, she was lost. All she could see was that face, all she could hear was that voice. It called out to her soul, and it whispered of deeds and promises long forgotten. Her heart was being torn in two, between a choice of a comfortable future as a musician and an uncertain and dangerous fate of going back to being Sailor Neptune and trying to awaken Uranus.

She was drawn from her thoughts by a knock at the door, followed by Takayo and Elsa coming in. "Hey Michiru-chan," her roommate said with a smile, "The two of us were going to stay up for a bit, play cards and talk. You know, have a real slumber party. You want in?"

"Thank you, but no," Michiru answered as she pushed herself from the wall and started to head for the door, "I don't do slumber parties."

"Suit yourself," Takayo answered with a shrug. "So Elsa, you ran in this Fall's inter-school track event back in September, how badly did you beat everyone?"

"I didn't" Elsa answered as Michiru reached the door, "I came in second."

"Second?" Takayo asked as the doorknob was turned, "I thought nobody could beat you."

"Try telling that to Tenoh Haruka."

Michiru stopped.

"Tenoh Haruka? Is she fast?"

"You could say that," Elsa answered with a chuckle, "She's the first person I've gone against who I couldn't beat."

"On the other hand," Michiru said as she shut the door and came back into the room, "I have heard that slumber parties are supposed to be fun, ne? And just because I've never been to one before doesn't mean I can't start now, does it?"

Elsa and Takayo looked at each other, then at Michiru. "Well," Takayo said, "If you're sure you'd like to..."

"Wonderful," Michiru interrupted with a smile. "So, Elsa-chan, tell me more about this Haruka girl you raced against."

The rented theater was empty as she stole back into the balcony. Lighting up a cigarette and wearing a backpack, Zultan picked the large box up again and dragged it to the giant spotlight. She squatted down between the spotlight and the box, pulling out a flask of whiskey as she did so. She flicked the ashes onto the red carpeted floor as she took a swig before removing her backpack.

The professor was getting paranoid, that's all she could think of as she looked over to the heavy box. There was no way in hell that Sailor Neptune could've survived the daemon at the fair. Indeed, there'd been no sightings whatsoever of the girl since she'd left her in the tunnel of love with the hallucinogenic youma. The daemon in the box was superfluous; who did he think she was going to need protection from now? A group of parents, their bratty parents, or the nuns who were supposed to be watching them?

She put the cigarette back in her lips and held it there with her teeth as she used both hands to hook up the device from her backpack to the large spotlight, grumbling in annoyance as she had to use a three-pronged adapter at one point to finish the job. Finally satisfied, she snuck out as noiselessly as she'd snuck in, a malicious smile gracing her lips.

She was showing off her new convertible to Hironari, bragging about how it was left to her by her aunt and discussing what kind of body work would be necessary to fix the car up, when a strange scent reached her nostrils. She closed her eyes briefly as she inhaled, musing that it smelled of the sea and of romance. Opening her eyes, she saw a shadowy figure standing outside the garage staring at her in the snow. She was used to having cute and not so cute girls following her from afar, and she'd gotten into the habit of flirting at her admirers with a wink, a smirk, or a look through half-closed eyelids.

She did none of those things now though. Instead, she simply looked back, trying to see through the shadows and steal a glimpse of the girl who smelled of the ocean.

The oceans of being...

Haruka's eyes widened as there was a bright sea green flash of light, carrying with it warmth and a sense of familiarity. As the light faded, the girl was still there in the shadows, but now the sky was a crimson red. The figure turned and began to walk away just as a large blackness began to suck buildings and people into itself. Instead of running away from the monstrous thing though, the petite figure was walking towards it.

A sudden sense of protectiveness took possession of Haruka. She pushed herself off from the car hood she'd been leaning up against and began to run out of the garage towards the girl, heedless of her own danger. She seemed to be running in slow motion though, unable to reach her as the black curtain of death came closer and closer.

Haruka woke up with a start, panting as sweat rolled down her forehead. She sat up in bed and brought her knees up to her chest, trying to calm down. Two nights now she'd had a nightmare about the end of the world, and tonight she'd dreamed of the girl she'd only caught a glimpse of from the garage door. She didn't even get a good look at her, how could she have made such an impression?

"Heh," she chuckled nervously to herself, "At least I'll have something good to share with the school psychologist next time."

The next day, the theater was full of parents and small children. Michiru looked out from behind the curtain, feeling her nerves acting up. She was no actor. How in the world did she get talked into this?

More importantly, was she in the crowd?

"Michiru-san."

"Hai?" Michiru turned around to see her mother's long-time personal assistant Kotono Morino. "Let me guess, you're here to explain to me why my mother won't be here tonight, right?"

"Well, I... That is..."

"It's alright, really," Michiru said with a sad smile. "If I remember correctly, this is her anniversary isn't it? How are she and her third husband doing?"

"Very well, but she wanted you to know that she'd be here if she could."

"I'm sure," Michiru responded with a forced civility. "Tell her I understand. Will you be staying for the show?"

"Hai," Kotono answered as she held up a small camcorder, "Your mom made me promise to tape everything for her."

Michiru looked at the camcorder and smiled. "That's my mom," she murmured. Looking back to the personal assistant, she nodded. "Where will you be sitting?" she asked as she put on her brown wig to play the title character.

"Front and center," Kotono answered, "Break a leg."

"Arigato," she said as the older woman left and she turned back to look out from behind the curtain again. Her mind drifted back to last night's slumber party, and to what Elsa Gray shared with her about Haruka. The girl had always been a natural athlete, came from a well to do background, and tended to keep to herself. She'd cut her hair short and started dressing like a boy a little over a month ago, and the rumor was that she was into girls (Michiru could still remember Takayo laughing out loud and squealing "Ewww!" when she'd heard that little tidbit).

What struck Michiru most though was Elsa's comment about Haruka as a runner. When Takayo asked her why she hadn't beaten her in a race yet, Elsa just shook her head. "Trying to outrace her is like trying to catch the wind."

"Who are you looking for Michiru-chan?"

Michiru turned to see Miyuki standing behind her holding onto several chains. "Oh, I didn't hear you."

"I'm sure," Miyuki murmured.

"What?"

"Nothing. Here, I have to help you get into these chains. By the way, just what did happen yesterday?"

"Yesterday?" Michiru asked, looking around as her fellow actors started to get in place.

"Yes, yesterday," Miyuki said as she locked Michiru's hands and feet into shackles and began wrapping chains around her. "You were fine right up until we went with your roommate and her friend to dinner, then..."

"Miyuki, this is hardly the time or place to... Oof," she grunted as the junior pulled one of the chains a little too snugly.

"Sorry," Miyuki said. "But it's just that you've never come down with headaches before yesterday..."

"I didn't say I had a headache, I..." she grimaced as the chains were again tightened, "I said I wasn't feeling well. Please don't make a scene."

"Make a scene?" Miyuki asked indignantly as she padlocked all the chains in place. "Fine Michiru. Tell you what, it's obvious you want some sort of space, so I'm leaving. I've already seen enough play rehearsals to be able to quote it with my eyes closed anyways."

"Miyuki..."

"But this isn't over," she said loud enough to get the attention of some of the others behind the curtain. "After the play, we will discuss this further Michiru," she said before leaving through the exit and storming out of the theater.

Michiru frowned. She never meant to hurt Miyuki's feelings or upset her. Looking down, she realized that her sempai had her shackled so tightly that she could just manage to shuffle her feet, but her hands were almost completely immobile. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had to forget her relationship problems and try to focus on remembering her lines. She could suddenly feel anxiety. Strange, she'd never suffered stage fright playing her violin.

Her anxiety began to turn into fear, and she could feel her pulse begin to pick up. She opened her eyes and saw that, while some of the others were also looking a bit nervous, no one else was having an anxiety attack. Her hands began to shake as Takayo and the other girl playing guards came forward, each taking a chain in hand as the orchestra began to play. As the curtain began to open, she could hear the waves crashing.

Zultan heard the overture begin. It was time. Reaching into her backpack, she pulled out the large black star decail and stuck it to the front of the spotlight. As the curtain began to open, she took aim...

"It's magic time!" Takayo said enthusiastically as she and the other girl began to lead Michiru out.

"No, wait!" Michiru screamed. "Close the curtain, cancel the show!"

"What?" the other guard asked in surprise.

"Michiru," Takayo said as some of the other actresses already on stage gave nervous looks their way, "Get a hold of yourself."

"No, Takayo!" Michiru pleaded frantically, her eyes wide with fear as the tsunami picked up power inside her head. She was pulled by the two guards onto the stage, the crowd thinking her show of fear part of the play. "You have to listen!"

That's when the spotlight came on.

Barely able to move, Michiru dived down, landing hard on her chest and knocking the wind out of herself. Takayo and the other guard were both hit, collapsing down to the stage floor as their heart crystals were extracted. Three of the actresses in the council were next, each screaming out in pain as the spotlight shone on them.

Panic spread throughout the audience as parents and students rushed for the exits, only to find them locked. As those closest to the exit doors began to be crushed against them, Zultan shone the light on them. Screams of fear and pain filled the auditorium as men, women and children collapsed, their heart crystals floating in the air just above them.

Michiru meanwhile struggled to wiggle out from beneath Takayo who'd landed on her legs. She freed herself, but managed in the process to attract Zultan's attention. The violinist began desperately rolling on her side towards the back stage area behind the heavy stage curtain, the spotlight just missing her as she reached safety. Frowning, Zultan turned her attention back to the crowd, continuing to hit people with her spotlight until the screams and frightened shouts at last died away.

"Shit," the witch grumbled as she looked out at the glowing sea of heart crystals, "I would've thought for sure there'd be a talisman somewhere in a group this size. Hey, little girl," she called down from the balcony as she lit another cigarette, "Hey 'Joan,' come on out." Michiru lay on her side behind the stage struggling futilely to escape her chains as Zultan frowned. "Come on, let's not waste both our time."

When nothing happened, the witch finally shrugged. "Fine, you brought it on yourself." She opened the metal box. Instantly, dozens upon dozens of black snakes escaped and slithered out off the balcony and down to the auditorium floor. There, they began to slither together to morph into the shape of one large black viper, its glowing yellow-green eyes focused on the stage as it began to slither down the aisle and over fallen audience members towards its intended target.

-To Be Continued-