Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or related characters. Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha/Toei Animation/DIC.
Chapter I: Earlier Years
"I don't want to eat this!" a voice protested loudly. The young girl pushed away her plate and pouted cutely at the woman sitting across from her.
"You have to finish your dinner Michiru."
The girl made a face at the mushrooms sitting on her plate and stated, "Mushrooms are icky!"
"You won't get dessert then," the queen replied silkily as she finished off her own mushrooms.
The woman smoothed her long dress and glanced at her daughter out of the corner of her eye. It was sometimes hard being a mother and she often wondered to herself if she was fit for the role.The Queen sighed and carefully watched her daughter glare suspiciously at the mushrooms.
Sighing softly, little Michiru picked up a fork and slowly prodded the mushroom.The princess wrinkled her nose.There was no way she was going to eat that. Mushrooms were the most disgusting things that ever dared to show up on Michiru's plate. Once Michiru became Queen, she would order that no mushrooms could be served ever again. She couldn't wait. In the meantime, all she could do was hope that the mushrooms would just pick itself up and walk off the table. Of course, no such thing happened.
"Michiru, your dinner seems to be getting cold."
Michiru sighed softly. What was the point? In the end, she would have to eat the mushrooms anyway. It was the same every single time that the cooks decided to serve mushrooms. Her mother made sure of that.
Her mother also made sure that she had perfect manners, ate the right food, played the violin flawlessly, got perfect grades in her studies and had the right friends. Many times Michiru felt like exploding but didn't want to disappoint her mother.
After a long silence, the princess asked, "Mama, why can't I go outside the castle? I know no one inside the castle wants to play with me, but I'm sure I will make lots of new friends outside."
"It is dangerous out there," the woman replied, looking deeply into Michiru's eyes. "Michiru, you are a princess. I will not allow you to mix with those horrible children outside the palace. Besides, there are many children in the palace that would love to play with you."
"They don't like me," protested the aqua haired princess. Seeing the doubtful look on the Queen's face, Michiru frowned. "I could feel it."
The queen opened her mouth to reply but suddenly, a young messanger had burst into the room. He appeared slightly out of breath as he jogged towards the long elegant table where the Queen and Princess were having their dinner.
"Excuse me, your majesty."
The queen turned around and stared at the messenger sharply for interrupting her dinner.
Michiru felt slightly sorry for the young messanger that now squirmed under the Queen's glare. He must be new, Michiru thought. All of the other messangers knew better that to burst in on the Queen like that. Though the Queen of Neptune had many good qualities that made her a good ruler, she was extremely strict and had no tolerance for mistakes, clumsiness, and people that were impolite.
"Um, sorry about the, erm, interruption, but I have an urgent message to deliver," the man stammered.
Her eyes sometimes looked liked an eagle's eyes, Michiru noted. They were sharp and anyone who looked into them could tell that the Queen was powerful and dangerous. If the Queen wanted you to sit, no one dared to stand; If she wanted you to walk, no one dared to run. Her eyes were also sharp. She would notice the smallest crumbs on Michiru's clothes and scold her for eating messily. The Queen also caught Michiru hiding the horrid mushrooms in her pockets multiple times. Nothing passed her eye.
"What is it?" the Queen questioned, sweeping a lock of aqua hair out of her eyes.
The messenger shifted uncomfortably under her stare but leaned forward and whispered something into her ear. The queen nodded curtly and got up from her chair.
Looking at Michiru, the woman said, "I expect you to finish all these mushrooms by the time I get back." Then she turned around and followed her advisor out of the room, her long cloak swishing behind her.
The princess sighed and stabbed a mushroom grumpily with her fork. Perhaps the Queen wouldn't notice if she hid the mushrooms in her shoe. No... it wouldn't work. Besides her socks would get all wet from the mushroom juice. Michiru glared at the mushroom as if it were all its fault.
"Dumb mushrooms..."
A young girl leaned gracefully on the balcony, studying the birds soaring through the clear blue sky. The wind playfully tossed her short blond hair and whipped gently at her calm face.
"It's beautiful today," Haruka commented, sweeping her hand through her hair. "I think I would like to go out again, Tamara."
From the inside of her room, the girl heard her maid drop something with a smash.
"Princess Haruka!" Tamara cried, apparently terrified. "You can't! We were almost caught last time and the queen has already begun to suspect us!"
"Mother doesn't have a clue," Haruka replied, still gazing thoughtfully at the brilliant sky.
The maid bent down to pick up the shattered pieces of the plate she had dropped, shaking her head. Nothing good could come out of this. Even if they weren't caught today, there was no guarantee that they won't be found out tomorrow or the day after that. After all, the Queen wasn't stupid, it was actually quite the opposite. "You are a princess, you surely have better things to do."
"But I don't," the blond said bluntly. She drew away from the balcony and strode into enourmous her bedroom. "Being a princess isn't as fun as you might think. There are rules for almost everything. I want to be free... free like the wind."
Haruka crouched down and reached underneath her bed.
"Where is it?" She muttered, sticking her head under the bed.
Tamara looked wildly around the room, trying to find a way to convince Haruka to stay. Eyes sweeping past the window, she suggested,"We- we could go play with the other palace children. The lords have all left today for a meeting on the moon but have left their children here in our care. You could-"
"I have met them before and they are all stuck up little- Aha! I've found it!" Haruka declared, drawing out a grubby little package.
Quickly unwrapping it, Haruka unfolded a pair of dull and worn looking pair of breeches and an old shirt she had managed to steal from the store rooms of the palace. She quickly slipped out of her dress and started putting them on.
"Okay, you know what to do," the young princess said, tossing Tamara her dress. "If you don't let anyone in, you should be fine, and if anyone looks through the window, I'm sure they won't be able to tell the difference when you're dressed up like me. Copy out chapter four for me, will you? I need to hand it in to my tutor when I return."
The maid sighed, pulling on Haruka's dress and tugging on her own short blonde-colored hair. When Tamara had first come to the palace, her beautiful hair used to reach down to her waist. She treasured her long hair and how she was able to make it shine brighter than everybody else's. However Haruka had wanted it cut so that she could act as her while Haruka went off to who knows where. Tamara sighed and ran her fingers through her short golden hair. Though Tamara had cut her hair when Haruka asked her, she didn't do it because the princess had ordered her to. She cut her hair for Haruka because she considered her a friend. And now, as a friend, Tamara was feeling concerned for Haruka. If Queen Urana caught Haruka, who knows what would happen. "You have to come back before dinner or else we'll both be in deep trouble."
"Mother is ata meeting on the moon so there is no way she will find out," Haruka replied nonchalantly.
"Just come back soon!" Tamara said, worry evident in her voice.
Haruka winked and jumped out the window on to a large leafy branch and soon disappeared from view.