"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."
"Nature Boy"
Act VII, Scene I: Neptune
You idiot. You did all this for me? Aino-san is dead. Did you know that? She was the first, before Time fell apart. She was so cute, back in the day. Was I jealous on that day when she and your "little kitten" stalked you? Hmm. Maybe. But I always knew where your heart lay. Always.
Oh, how I've missed you.
It's not fair, Haruka. You've always been in your own world. You are the wind and nothing will hold you—not duty, not Serenity and not even me. What made you think that this would be a good idea? What made you think that this would be a feasible idea? Why would you not admit that it was my fault? I was a Sailor senshi—I should have been faster. I should have seen that chunk of debris. I could've dodged it. I could've dodged it. I could've, if I had just looked. . .
I'm so lonely, here, Haruka.
I want to touch you again. Run my fingers through that fop of hair on your head. Ride with you in your car. I want to feel your warmth. I want to feel your fingers entwined with mine. I want to touch you again, Haruka. But more than anything, I want you to kiss me. Kiss me, Haruka, just one more time. Kiss me.
Kiss me . . .
Instead you've destroyed the cosmos. How could I mean so much to you that you would sacrifice everything and everyone just for one more day with me? I'm only one person, Haruka. How could I mean so much to you? You've faced Judgment and Punishment and now, Death. Oh, Haruka. You're dead even in this world. Your soul has fled even beyond the afterlife.
You're gone.
It's not fair, Haruka. Don't leave me here all alone. Don't go where I can't follow.
Kiss me, Haruka. Kiss me. Just once more, please. Kiss me . . . let me see your light . . .
Haruka . . . I hear music.
Scene II: Uranus
She had gone from the Nothing to non-existence. She wasn't even dead. She was lost. But for a moment, everything had been fine. And knowledge of that moment made fading into non-existence bearable. There would be no miraculous ginzuishou saves or returned star seeds. This time, her soul had fled and there was no return.
And yet she could hear music.
Faintly, a familiar, tinkling melody surrounded her. Her heart calmed. Her soul paused in its flight from Everything. She knew that melody. But from where?
She felt a slight weight against her neck. Haruka's eyes widened. She was non-existent yet she could feel—see--! What the---? She raised a trembling hand to her throat and felt a fine chain. She traced the chain down until her fingers touched a locket in the shape of a star. This is where the music was coming from. She tripped the catch and the locket sprang open. What had been a quiet, soothing tune from a music box suddenly engulfed everything. Haruka felt herself burning—but not in agony. She felt pure.
How? she wondered dreamily as she lost touch with herself. She was dissolving, spinning, being absorbed, SOMETHING, but it was okay. She felt peaceful.
She hadn't expected an answer to her question, but one came anyway. A soothing, motherly voice she hadn't heard for so many lifetimes:
"It was a gift from a princess to her beloved. They wanted you to have it."
Scene III: Moonlight
Densetsu
The door slammed rather loudly and Serenity blinked awake. She was on the floor, in the Funeral Chamber. At least she assumed it was the Funeral Chamber. Something wasn't right, but what? Besides the fact that she was alive and well when her last memory had been of the timeline dissolving? But no…everything felt right. She could feel Minako, Rei, Ami, Makoto . . . Setsuna . . . they were fine. As per usual, a miracle occurred. But what?
Neptune's quartz tomb was gone. And instead of the horrible silence that had always permeated the Chamber, a faint melody Serenity had not heard for so many years was playing.
Blinking back tears, Serenity shakily pulled herself to her feet. Yes, the quartz casing was gone, yet Neptune still lay on the platform. Haruka stood next to her, in the tattered and melted remains of a knight's armor. She held one of Neptune's gloved hands in her own. Around Haruka's neck was—oh, god, the Star Locket.
Serenity felt a tear slide down her cheek. The Star Locket and—oh, Serenity desperately hoped she wasn't hallucinating . . .
Michiru's eyes were open and she was smiling. "Haruka," she whispered, "I followed the music . . . "
. . . shinjite iru no mirakuru romansu . . .
/final curtain fall/
And three and a half years after I start this damn thing, I finish it. I hope it was worth the wait. I apologize for taking so long but in the past three years, I've graduated high school, graduated community college, gotten engaged and am graduating from university in two weeks so I can go to graduate school.
Thank you so much for your support and kind words. I don't remember where this fanfic was going when I started, but I'm satisfied with the ending. If you must throw eggs, I understand. But thank you for your patience.
I don't know if I'll be conjuring up anymore fanfiction adventures. It's a lot harder to dive into fanfiction when you hit the scary GROWN UP world, I've found. I wish you all well in life and once again, thank you for your reviews.
Risu