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***Author's Note: All characters and Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon are property of Bandai, Toei, Naoko Takeuchi and others. Not me; I just use them to write some pretty rockin' fan fictions. This is the third installment of my "Strange Dreams" series. The first two chapters can be found in my books section. And now, on to the story.
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It was finally the day of Michiru Kaioh's concert, and I was brimming with excitement... and confusion. I had collected pictures, pamphlets, even internet audio clips of her music. Listening to her musical pieces filled me with emotions that were both perplexing and wonderful at the same time. Looking at the pictures of her I had taped to the edges of the vanity mirror in my bedroom held me still and contemplative for long minutes at a time. Something in her eyes made me want to smile and weep at the same time, and it really, really bugged me. I had never been greatly emotionally attached to anyone in my life, save my mother. And that was a feeling entirely different than this. I had read about love, sure, but I hadn't felt it, and couldn't even begin to guess what it was. This couldn't be it... but the possibility scared me. Nonetheless, I was looking forward to seeing her live. With a smile of satisfaction, I stepped back from the mirror to examine myself. I had decided on a fresh and masculine look because it worked so well for me. I had pressed my navy blue slacks as soon as I had gotten home from school, and my medium purple shirt the night before. My silk tie was a combination of the two colors blended together beautifully. I sighed peacefully and coiled my hair into a bun. Securing it fast to the back of my head with a pair of lightly decorated chopsticks, I gave myself a confident smile. In my own way, I was one good looking girl. On my way out the door I grabbed my pair of nice shiny black shoes and walked confidently out the door. I locked it securely behind me and stopped to put my shoes on before making my way out to the shed. I slowly put on my motorcycle jacket, making sure not to mess up my shirt and tie.
The day was chilly and cloudy, but it couldn't dampen my mood. I took the bike out of it's warm and dry home, making sure to lock it up behind me. Placing my helmet on my head (careful not to disturb my carefully arranged hair), I smiled faintly, remembering Usagi coming up to me the day before and telling me that she was sorry she hadn't spent any time with me and was glad to hear that I was going to this concert. I told her not to worry about the not spending time since we had all been super busy with school work, tests and our personal lives. She had said she would save me a seat and that she would wait for me in the motorcycle parking area. She was a little silly, but I really did like the girl. She made me feel proud and strong, and I really couldn't fathom why. I really looked forward to seeing Ami there... just something about her quiet and shy personality that made me feel so comfortable around her. I rode slowly to the park, enjoying the sights and smells of the city. Pulling up to the lot at the park I saw Rei, Ami and Usagi waiting for me. I parked and climbed off, pulling the helmet off quickly to greet the girls. We all smiled at each other as I locked the ignition and left my helmet and jacket in storage compartments in the rear of the bike. I glanced loving at it one last time before walking with the girls toward the stage. I gasped a little when Usagi took my hand and half dragged me to the front row. Minako (a member of their little friend circle I didn't know real well but saw with the others in passing all the time) and Makoto were already there, talking to each other in low voices. Usagi's large carry bag was sitting on a seat, and there were a few empty ones down from it. I took the last one and smiled faintly, settling back to check out the stage. A simple yet elegant wooden chair had been set almost directly in front of me, just a bit right of center stage. I almost jumped when Ami plopped down in the chair next to me and tapped me on the shoulder. "I noticed the look on your face when you got the leaflet about this concert, and the look you gave Usagi-chan yesterday when she asked if you were going to be here. I asked Minako-chan if she could help you get backstage to meet her." She smiled warmly and my jaw dropped. I gave her a meaningful stare and she smiled wider. "She can. After the show."
My heart hammered threateningly in my chest. I tried to calm it by closing my eyes and taking several deep breaths. I was going to get to meet her? I was going to get a chance to shake the hand of this magnificent creature? I swallowed hard and opened my eyes to see the lights around the stage had been softened. I clapped until I thought my skin would burst as the most beautiful person I had ever thought to exist made her way slowly to center stage. Did she look right at me? My heart skipped a beat and she bowed, her violin and bow already in hand. She carefully crossed to the chair and sat. She was dressed simply but magically gorgeous in a flowing pale green gown. Her hair had been curled to fall in full, soft waves around her face. Her eyes sparkled as she put the instrument to her chin and began to play a soft and rich tune. It turned a little dark, picked up tempo and carried me through an array of emotions before she finished and paused for a bit. The crowd cheered and applauded wildly for her, and I was among them. So beautiful, so gifted in music... I caught the thought train and stopped it. I looked down the row to the other girls and tensed a little. Rei's face was twisted in a angry glower and she appeared to be staring through the stage. Just then, a loud crash was heard, shaking the stage and the ground. Michiru froze and looked offstage, her eyes going wide. Two men rushed out from the wing and spoke in her ear, and in a blink she was up and running offstage. Another crash and a large boom that made my ear drums hurt. Rei, Usagi, Minako and Makoto were all out of their seats. I heard Ami breath a word that sounded like "youma" before she and the other girls started running. Again, as if separated from my body, my legs moved to follow. A monster? Whatever could that mean??
We ran behind the stage to a courtyard where they were trying to get Michiru into a van, but a large, glistening semi-humanoid shape blocked their path. Michiru screamed as a beam of blue light tore out of the monsters hand and lunged for her. One of the men with her jumped in the way and fell to the side like a rag doll. I let out an audible growl and heard a soft inquisitive sound. I looked to see the five girls staring at me with various looks on their faces. Just then a purple cat leapt out of the bushes. I shook my head violently and looked again, and sure enough, there it was. I pretended to have not seen it and looked toward Michiru again. I couldn't stop myself, nor the pounding of my heart. My mind was made up. In a dead sprint I ran to her side and knelt down next to her, desperate to try and get her to her feet. "Come on," I said softly but firmly, "We have to get away from this thing." She just stared at me, wide-eyed, and nodded quickly. With a strength I had never before possessed I grabbed her around the waist and half-carried her away from the monster. I deposited her behind a bush and looked around for someone to call out to for help. I glanced back and saw that the monster was trying to fight off the other body guard that had some sort of nightstick out and was trying to fend off the creature with it. I heard a voice call out my name and turned around to see the girl with funny looking blond ponytails run up to me.
"Haruka, you have to get out of here!" I stared at her hard.
"How do you know my name? Who are you?" By then, she had a whole group of girls dressed similarly to herself around her.
"That's not important, you have to leave, right now!"
I glared at her. "Look, I'm not leaving here without her!" I motioned to Michiru, who was now unconscious on the ground. I swallowed hard and stared at her, powerful emotions swarming through me like a tempest. I repeated myself, a cold anger burning it's way through my veins. "I'm. Not. Leaving." The purple cat I was trying to ignore had it's teeth in my pants leg. I glared down at it and addressed it with a voice filled with venom. "What?"
It looked up at me. "I knew it!" It cried in a triumphant voice. It backed away, jumped in the air and spun. In a flash of light, a blue pen appeared in my hand, and a rush of glory flew in and around me. Words that felt foreign yet like old friends at the same time sprung out of the depths of my mind and down to my tongue. I swallowed hard, bewildered, and raised the pen high. The words were going to be spoken by me, whether I liked it or not, so I might as well do it with feeling.
Uranus Planet Power, Make-Up!" The last words seemed to echo as everything around me faded to dark blue. My mind reeled as my body took on a life of it's own, swirling and twirling wildly about. My clothing had disappeared and was piece by piece being replaced by an outfit I had never worn before, but was strangely comfortable in. As soon as the last piece appeared, the world instantly reappeared. I was posed in a defiant position and came out of it only as realization hit me. I looked down to the yellow bow with a blue circle in the center, a short blue skirt, blue mid-calf boots, a white body suit on my torso and white elbow-length gloves that terminated in blue cuffs. I looked to the other girls and realized, with a faint smile, that I looked just like them. I knew who I was, and I knew that I had power. I looked back down to Michiru, who Ami was kneeling over now.
"She'll be okay," she said softly, standing to rejoin her team. She looked at me puzzled. "Who... are...."
The cat cut her off. "Sailor Uranus, guardian of the planet Uranus and outer planet senshi." I blinked and decided I would accept it, since so much had happened in the last few minutes. I spun around when I heard a angry combination of a roar and a scream. The bodyguard had fallen, badly beaten up. The monster was now looking around frantically, trying to find Michiru. I ran toward it a bit and paused, an idea occurring to me. It was almost like a chemical formula magically forming itself in crystal clear clarity in the core of my body. I jerked my arm straight over my head and closed my eyes, focusing all the power that was flooding my body into my hand. Once again the darkness enveloped me like it had when I had changed and was now focusing the very universe around myself and the monster.
"Uranus," I said, tasting the words. They tasted metallic and strong. Energy flew out of my skin and into my clenched palm, turning a brilliant gold and concentrating into a hard and solid ball. The power was tangible and a little terrifying, but I knew I was in control.
"World," I stared dead-on at the monster and willed the ball to grow stronger, hotter and harder in my hand. The ground beneath me began to tremble and opened a little, seemingly begging me to throw the power in my hand into it. I clenched my teeth around the last word to be said and closed my eyes for half a second. Time stood nearly still as I threw every fraction of power, will and energy I had down into the earth at my feet.
"Shaking!!" The ball tore the ground apart, lacerating it wildly as it grew and flew forward at intense speed. The ball had increased in size 20 times and was now in the shape of a sphere with a ring around it as it barreled on toward the enemy. It flew more out of the ground and faster, continuing to grow until at last the world reappeared, time resumed and with a shriek of agony the planet-shaped attack hit the enemy and it vanished in a flash of sparkles. The others ran up to me and Sailor Moon put a hand on my shoulder.
"Haruka... you're one of us." She said it more to confirm it with herself rather than me. I looked at her for just a second before looking back to where the monster had been. I took a deep breath and nodded faintly, then turned on her, taking a step back.
"Since you know my name, why not return the favor?" I narrowed an eye at her and crossed my arms over my chest. She, seemingly the leader, turned to the others around her and nodded first to her left, then to her right. In 5 brilliant flashes of light in orange, blue, pink, red and green the girls I had come to know as good friends stood in front of me. Ami smiled at me and took a step near.
"Blond suits you." She reached into her pocket and produced a lip gloss container with a mirror on the lid. My eyes widened as I saw in the reflection that my long red locks had turned into an extremely short blond boy cut. Usagi brought the cat over.
"This is Luna." She smiled down at the toy that once again began to talk.
"Welcome Sailor Uranus, senshi of sky and strength." A white cat that looked just like the first, upward facing crescent moon on it's head and everything, bounded up to sit at Minako's feet. She picked it up and carried it over.
"This is Artemis." I smiled at him.
"Hello Artemis." I wasn't sure if it was safe to touch him or not so I just kept my hands to myself. I sighed and looked down at my boots. I reached up and lightly touched the band on my head and the bit of cloth around my neck. It wouldn't due to stay in this form, so I willed the cloth away and with a brief flicker of light, I was just the way I had been. I suddenly came back to myself and ran to Michiru who had come to and was sitting up. Her eyes were closed but her face was clenched, as if she was fighting a headache. I knelt down next to her and curled my fingers, running them gently across her cheek. Her beauty was even more remarkable in person. The frown relaxed and she let out a breath before sighing softly. I knew then what it was, what I felt... I knew this feeling like I knew my own shadow, something I had always known but hadn't really looked at and explored. "I love you," I barely whispered. A faint smile took her face then and she sighed softly, leaning against my hand. I stood and picked her up carefully. I heard faint sirens not too far off, so I found a comfortable place to sit down, holding her in my lap carefully. She had fallen asleep again. I smoothed hair away from her face while the others girls left us to our own devices. I knew it looked odd, I know that it was incredibly weird, and I know that most of the world would hate me for feeling this way, but no one in the world touched me like this person did, and I hadn't even heard her voice. Like we had always been one, and just hadn't found each other yet, some kind of line of destiny, some twist of fate... I didn't care and stopped thinking about it as the sirens stopped and two paramedics ran over to us. Next thing I knew, she was in an ambulance bound for the nearby hospital and I was on my bike doing everything it took to keep pace.
She had been admitted and now lay supine in a hospital bed next to me. The hospital was still trying to get a hold of some sort of family or something for her, waiting for the men she had been with to wake up in recovery. They had both taken quite a beating by... something. I simply held the beauty's hand while she slumbered. Sometime later she came to and looked over at me. Her face grew questioning. "My name is Haruka," I told her, trying to keep my voice level, calm and neutral. "There was an incident in the park and..." She gave my hand a squeeze and smiled.
"I knew I would find you..." She whispered. Her face grew serene with a faint smile and then she was out again. Another hour passed and I left. The ride home was long and slow as I replayed the day's events in my head. I got home, stored the bike and went upstairs, as weary as I had ever been. I took my hair down, changed into my PJs and threw my clothes into the hamper. With a grunt I fell onto my bed and sighed. I knew I wasn't going to be able to go to sleep and it irritated me. What did she mean, 'I knew I would find you'? I had never been a big believer in destiny, fate, karma or any of that, and she really wasn't the type... I mean... what did it all mean? I had never before had any interest besides friendship with anyone, male or female. I had seen and heard a lot about homosexuality, having lived much of my life in California. I got up and walked to the window. The glass was cool and I rested my head against it, the air from my nose fogging the cityscape before me. I closed my eyes and shook my head a little bit. Maybe it didn't matter. Maybe truest, deepest love wasn't anything about gender... loving something deeper than gender. And maybe there was something ancient and unseen between Michiru and I that was older and deeper than anything I could comprehend. With a soft growl I turned and flopped down on my bed again, scooping a horror novel out from under it. Burying myself in the world of fantasy and other people's problems suddenly seemed very appealing, but I gave that up after a question flashed across my brain: what is fantasy anymore? I got up and walked to my stereo, then decided any music would confound my problem, so I at last found myself in the living room, staring at my TV. I flipped through the games I had and smiled, finding a racing one. I made it through about 4 tracks before I heard sleep calling to me. I stumbled back to my bed and fell into a restless sleep.
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