I sat fuming.  I hated waiting.  Pluto never bothered to come early, never bothered to call ahead, never bothered to get a cell phone so she COULD call ahead.  She irritated me to no end and I knew she enjoyed doing it.
    And she was going to tell us what to learn this week.  For the last few weeks, she'd been telling us what to learn, who to talk to and even where to go.  It was getting on my nerves.  She was scheduling our entire lives.
    "Uranus, calm down.  Pluto knows what's best for us," Michiru said.
    What the hell was with that?  Uranus?  She never called me that unless we were on official duty.  Of course, she was used to Pluto's methods of operation.  The two of them had been paired up for well over six months before she even met me.
    "I can't calm down.  She's never here until I'm ready to kill her," I answered.
    "So she's late, why does it bother you?" Michiru asked.
    "She schedules our entire day and then never gets here on time.  It's irritating that we have to follow her rules, but she doesn't have those rules," I growled.
    "Maybe she get caught up in traffic.  Relax," Michiru told me.
    "I told you, I can't." I responded, almost snapping at her.
    I guess I was getting touchy because Pluto was even telling us not to fraternize.  We had to hold up the image of cousins and to get to 'close' could endanger our cover.  I was getting sick and tired of the Time Guardian telling us what to do.  And I was sick of Michiru always agreeing with HER, instead of me.
    Of course, I was also tense because she had told us something important would happen this week.  When she said things like that, I was probably going to wind up with a set of broken ribs or something equally 'pleasant'.  And what the hell was with her telling us at the last damn minute?  Six times in the last three weeks, _after_ we were done looking for the special Heart Crystals, she had told us not to bother.  I was almost convinced she was with our enemies and was leading us by the nose.
    Michiru had told me repeatedly that it was for the best.  She told me that Pluto had shown her what would happen if we didn't get these Heart Crystals, but as time went by, I was almost sure that we don't even need these damn things.  I had to find out what exactly was going on.  Pluto told me zip and Michiru wouldn't give me any details other than the mission was important.  The Holy Grail.  Feh.  I was almost convinced it was a damn legend.  One made by Pluto that was being used to manipulate Michiru and through her, me.
    "What will these talisman even DO if we find them?  Give us a quarter to play a crane game for the damn Grail?" I asked, bitter from the fact that I was being left in the dark.
    "Uranus, stop it!  This quest is not a joke and neither is the Grail," Michiru warned me.
    "Michiru, will you at LEAST give me some more details?  I know the least about this damn quest!  For all I know, we might be looking the exact opposite direction!" I tried to reason.
    "No," came a forceful command.
    I turned to face Pluto.  She glared at me and I returned the glare.  The emotion in her command was more than I'd heard out of her in the time I had been working with her.
    "Why shouldn't I know?  I'm doing most of the work, so I should know the reasons why I working so hard!" I snarled.
    "I'll tell you later," Pluto responded evenly.
    I clenched my fists with frustration.  Why shouldn't I know about what we're doing?!  Unless Pluto was the enemy and was trying to keep me from knowing too much.  For that matter, she might've done something to Michiru.
    "Michiru, come by my apartment around eight o'clock.  After that, Haruka, you both may have the rest of the week off.  That is all," Pluto told us.
    "WHA?!" I asked.
    Just like that?  The rest of the week off?  Now I was certain something was up.  She ordered us around for months, not letting us have more than an hour of unscheduled activities and all of a sudden, it's "Hey, have the week off".
    "Thank you, Pluto," Michiru said, giving a sweet smile to Pluto.
    There was something hidden underneath that smile.  I didn't like it.  Was Michiru cheating on me?  No, she loved me.  I was sure of that.  Our love was the one thing that kept me believing in her.  So long as she loved me, I shouldn't and wouldn't doubt her.
    .......
    Then why did I still doubt her?  Despite our love, I felt something uneasy settling in my stomach.  A secret that I deserved to know, but I wasn't being told at all.  I should be noticing what it was, but something just wasn't clicking.  If I knew what to look for, I might have seen it, but it was like to trying to figure out a jigsaw puzzle while wearing a blindfold.
    Michiru's smile faded slightly as she turned to me.  It was more than noticeable.
    "Let's go home." Michiru suggested gently.
    I refrained from visibly frowning, "Right."

    Our days off passed quietly.  Maybe it was just me, but time seemed to speed up when I was busy thinking.  Things were beginning to wear on me.  Lots of things.  Neptune and Pluto keeping me in the dark, the weird looks they shared, all of the things we had done.  But most of all our reckless operating methods.  Were we nothing more than puppets for Pluto?  She had obviously played us for fools.  She had gotten her Garnet Orb without suffering the same crap we just had, obviously.  She knew all along who had them and what had to be done.
    "I can't do it anymore."
    Michiru stopped and spun around to look at me.  I feel a stab of pain as I see her face again.  Surprise, confusion, even a little fear.
    "What do you mean?" she asked.
    "The ruthless path we've taken.  We were wrong.  I can feel it.  Pluto knows it too.  She's been playing with us as if we were puppets in some stupid play.  She's toying with us," I spat.
    "I believe her.  She's lived longer than you and I have, so she has to know what she's doing," she responded, her face growing dark as she began defending Pluto.
    "Neptune.  She's not right.  We're more powerful because we're older, but that doesn't mean we can't be manipulated too," I angrily growled.
    I couldn't believe I was getting angry with her.  Our love was always what kept me with her.  But, she'd been Pluto's pawn a long time and feelings of betrayl filled my heart and mind.  What if Pluto was using her to keep me while she was using *me* as bait to keep Neptune firmly in her grasp?  It would explain the reason she kept calling Neptune over to her apartment, to be sure of her loyalty.
    "We're more powerful because we're more suited to this task.  The means to the end are not important," Neptune replied.
    "Pluto was the one who decided that it was ends themselves that were more important than the means.  The cruelest means to get the right ends.  It can't be true!  Look at them!" I pleaded, motioning to the cathedral where Sailor Moon and company had battled Eudial.  Where Neptune and I had given our lives so that the world could be saved.  Where Sailor Moon had become Super Sailor Moon to save us all.
    "I saw them, but they aren't right," Neptune replied.
    "They just bailed us out of losing the Holy Grail all together.  Think the world could've survived if she hadn't won?" I demanded.
    "Pluto is right in the end." Neptune repeated.
    Something in her voice told me she did not believe those words entirely, but she spoke them regardless.
    "Listen to you!  You sound like a damn android!" I told her.
    I wasn't expecting the slap.
    "I am not an android!" Neptune spat.
    Why were we getting out of control?  An hour ago, we nearly died for each other and now we were fighting!  This didn't make sense!  So long as our love remained, I could always trust her, but I was so angry.  I was shaking with barely restrained rage!  What was going on?!  All of the pent-up emotions seemed to be ready to boil over and it was only the fear that I might do something that I'd regret that kept me from hurting Michiru, my water angel.  I had to make her see why it was important!  I had to make her understand how I felt!  Their love made me ache to feel our love.  I had to know she still loved me, even thought Pluto was forbidding us from being together in the way I wanted to be with her.
    "Their love is a powerful-" I began.
    "Their love is a weakness.  Love is for fools," Neptune answered coldly.
    Those words ripped my heart out.  She was telling me that all my love for her was a weakness and that I was a fool.  She might as well have spat in my face and told me that every precious moment we shared meant nothing to her.  In a way, she just did.  How could she do this to me?
    "So.  That's it.  Everything we shared... means nothing." I whispered.
    "We had a promise, Uranus," Neptune stated.
    "One where the other would continue if one of us died," I repeated.
    "It was for the best," Neptune declared.
    "Who thought it up?" I asked, a strange numb feeling covering my heart.
    "Pluto," Neptune asked.
    "And why did you try and save me?  Just a while ago." I asked.  I feared the answer.
    "I care for you.  You're the only friend I've got," Neptune answered
    Friend.  FRIEND.  We had made love at one time.  The answer clicked.  I burst out laughing.  Even to my ears, it was a laughter filled with bitterness, anger and hatred.  Hot tears flowed from my eyes.  It made sense now.  Pluto keeping us from growing too close, Pluto scheduling our days, Pluto deciding what we should learn about, Pluto deciding who we got to talk to, why Neptune never told me anything Pluto hadn't, why Neptune always agreed with Pluto.
    "Uranus?" Neptune asked, reaching out for me.
    I slapped her hand aside harshly and shoved past her as I angrily marched down the fire escape.  An injury along my side that I had been trying to ignore was acting up.  It burned with anger as hot as my eyes.  I stopped as I reached the next platform and I turned to look at her one last time.  I conjured as much courage as I could.
    "I had thought that our love was true.  Now I know why you're always so helpful to Pluto," I choked out, trying to compose myself despite my cracking voice.
    "Uranus..." Neptune began.
    "It can't be both ways, Neptune.  We can't have a love like ours while the truth is being kept from me," I told her angrily, glancing at her.
    The guilty look told me my assumption wasn't off.  Pluto and Neptune were...  I turned my head, but before I continued down the stairs, I told her one last thing: "We're over."

    Since I had the car, I got to our apartment first.  I packed all my stuff up and loaded it into my trunk.  Tears flowed down my face as I finished the task.  Tears for a love that was one-sided, tears for memories that I was abandoning, tears for the fact that my possessions were laughably small in number.  Only half my trunk was used up.  All for the mission.  I stared down at that trunk and lost control.  I wailed as emotions overcame my pride.  Neptune had warned me when I took the wand that my life would be forever changed.  I never knew that change would be so painful.  Betrayed.
    I don't know when I stopped crying or when I left, but the next thing I remember was suddenly seeing a mack truck's brake lights engage.  I barely screeched to a halt in time.  My heart started pumping again when the truck's brake lights disengaged.  I had the urge to yell some obscenities, but it wasn't the truck driver's fault.  It had been my own stupid recklessness that had almost killed me.
    At the next opportunity, I pulled into a gas station.  I bought some Pocari Sweat and sat in my car, drinking the soda, wondering what I should do.  Like hell was I going back to Neptune or Pluto.  I hated them both for the same reasons, but I had grown to hate Pluto for different reasons as well.
    What it was about Pluto that made me think she was playing me for a fool?  First of all, she didn't tell me anything about the 'special' heart crystals.  Secondly, she never told me anything of what was going to happen until it was too damn late.  Thirdly, she told me to never be friendly with the Inner Senshi.  They were 'immature' in her eyes.  Not as powerful as us. Yeah, and who was it that beat Eudial?  It sure as hell wasn't Neptune, Pluto or me.
    Sailor Moon.  Or rather, Usagi Tsukino.  For the longest time, I'd tried to be her enemy like Pluto told me to.  I tried to make her leave, but she wouldn't.  All our bullying, shoving and reckless actions had almost made an enemy out of her.  And did Pluto care?  No.  Then again, she and NEPTUNE were... behind my back.  What an idiot I had been!  I should've seen it from the get go.  All the 'frequent late night visits' to Pluto's place.  I wasn't supposed to notice.  I was supposed to remain the loyal and stupid strong arm.
    I felt like throwing up.  Neptune had played me like her violin.  To think of the number of times I was lonely without her.  Always thinking Pluto was just pestering her with specifics and... and... I didn't want to think about it anymore.
    "Hey!  You're-" came a familiar voice.
    I turned to see Makoto Kino, one of Usagi's friends.  I also figured she was Sailor Jupiter.  She was coming out of the gas station with a Pocari Sweat too.  Must be a popular brand.  I almost chuckled as I wondered how much the makers of Pocari Sweat would pay to have me and Makoto as spokeswomen.  "Pocari Sweat, recommended by 2 out of 10 Sailor Senshi!"
    "Hey," I replied lamely.
    Makoto stared at me.  I guess I didn't look too good.  Then again, I had threatened her a lot.  Her, Sailor Moon... everyone.
    "By the way... I, uh, wanted to apologize for how I rude I was before," I told her.
    Makoto nodded in affirmation.  She glanced around, then gave me a strange stare.
    "What?" I asked.
    "I just thought you wouldn't be out this late.  Where's Michiru?" Makoto asked, a look of pity on her face.
    Makoto must have been able to read my face.  Then again, I was not going through the trouble to hide my expression.
    "She and I... had a difference of opinions," I said, trying to make it sound nice, despite the fact that I was sick to my stomach.  Just because we were finished didn't mean I couldn't be.... CIVIL.  How would she had felt if I had played around behind HER back and then flat-out lied to her?
    "Oh.  Um.... so where are you headed?" Makoto asked.
    "Probably a hotel or something," I answered, with a numb quality in my voice that even I could hear.
    "Well, um, I've, uh, got an apartment nearby..." Makoto said.
    I looked at her as I considered it.  Might as well, I had no place to go and I couldn't stay in hotels for the rest of my life.
    "Okay.  Hop in, I can get us there in no time," I told her.
    I think she might've watched that show, Dukes of Hazzard.  She raced around my car, leapt over the door, and into the passenger's seat.  Then again, it doesn't take a kid with an enormous imagination to think of doing that.  Michiru did that once, the night we-AAAAGGH!  I was thinking of her again!  And that REALLY depressed me.
    The drive to her apartment was shorter than even I expected.  If it weren't for the awkwardness and difficulty maneuvering, I could've pushed my car the distance.  The truly awkward moment was entering her apartment.  It was no bigger than the one I used to share with Michiru, but unlike our apartment, it felt like an actual home.
    Entering homes always felt weird because you can feel the emotions of the place.  Near the door were warmth, kindness and a vague hurried feeling.  She was probably late for school every so often.  In the kitchen, love, caring and a tang of sorrow.  She missed someone.  Or two someones.  The living room was a chaotic mess of feelings.  All sorts of feelings raged there.  Some frustration, anger, rage, sorrow, depression, but happy emotions too.  She had friends over every so often and I could almost feel their moods as well.  They almost always exuded a mutual happiness.
    It almost surprised me that I could feel the emotions.  After all, I'd never really been much of a believer in empathy.  Then again, now that I thought about it, the reason was that Michiru had no strong emotions for me. I was the only one giving life to that dismal apartment, but I already knew what emotions I'd experienced.
    I felt almost embraced by the emotions.  Tears welled up in my arms as I realized I was feeling more loved just sitting in this room than I ever had in Neptune's arms.  The emotions from other people who were just feeling happy in one room...  I began feeling empty again.
    "Are you okay?" Makoto asked, suddenly appearing in front of me.
    "AAAH!" I yelped, falling back onto the couch.
    "Are you okay?" Makoto repeated as I calmed down.
    "Sorry, you just startled me," I responded, waving off her worried look.
    I scooted over on her couch and she sat down next to me.
    "I got worried for a moment.  You started to grow really, really pale," Makoto told me.
    "It's nothing.  I was just getting really caught up in my thoughts." I lied.
    Makoto glared at me, "It's not nothing!  You and Michiru had a serious fight and it's making you sick!  Now, tell me what's wrong!"
    My heart ached, but my mind was made up.
    "I broke up with Michiru for good.  She and Pluto were playing with me and I didn't want anything to do with it anymore," I answered.
    Makoto smiled weakly.
    "And here I thought you guys were too enigmatic to have real emotions." Makoto laughed nervously.
    I snorted bitterly, "You thought we were enigmatic?  We were just screwed up."
    "Anyway, why don't we get something to eat?  I've got some nice food on the table," Makoto said, changing the topic.
    "Sure," I answered.
    The spread was almost too good.  She couldn't have cooked all this.  The rice, the shrimp, the sauces, even the arrangement all looked like a master chef's meal, like the sort you'll see on TV when they advertise a new cuisine and it'll look so tempting.  But usually when you get to the actual meal, it looks less tempting.  And it definitely would've taken at least two hours to make all this.  I tasted the rice.  You could feel the love put into it.  It made the rice come to life.  Tears of joy rolled down my eyes.
    "Sorry I didn't make anything fancy for you," Makoto apologized.
    "Sorry?!  This is better than most of the meals I've had in my entire life!" I declared.
    "It's not that great," Makoto stated humbly.
    "Are you kidding?!  You can't BUY meals like this!" I responded.
    Makoto blushed and scratched the back of her head nervously.  I'd never had a meal that was as wonderful as that.  Makoto was not only a great cook, but she was also great to talk to.  I never had talks with Michiru during dinner other than bland ones about what little tidbit Pluto had felt like giving us or about how she wanted to have a nice recital.  She never asked me about anything.  She never listened to me.  The more time I spent with Makoto, the more the time spent with Michiru seemed like... a really horrible date that lasted WAY too long.  Maybe I was on the rebound, but even if I was just grabbing for emotions, I needed this.
    Makoto was made a connection inside me that Michiru never had.  I wondered if maybe I had just been looking in the wrong direction.  The conversation wasn't always funny, and sometimes we had differing opinions, but there was a spark.  Lots of sparks, actually.  The more she talked, the more I was drawn to her.  I had scooted from the opposite side of the table to adjacent to her.  We were alike, but different.
    Dinner was quickly wrapped up, faster than I would've liked, and I helped her with the dishes.  I noted a slight bit hesitation after I took the first dish from her, but then she relaxed a bit.  Probably realized that I wasn't going to bite or wave a wand and instantly turn her into a hardcore lesbian. I get that reaction sometimes.  Some people either get the entirely wrong impression or think that lesbianism is a contagious disease that you can get from drinking the same water or something.
    It was probably the fact that we were getting along a lot better than we might have.  Halfway through the dishes, she nervously began clearing her throat to get my attention.
    "Yeah?" I asked.
    "Um, was... was your argument with Michiru about... I'm sorry if it's personal..." Makoto began awkwardly.
    "She was cheating on me," I replied quietly.
    "Oh," Makoto stated.
    "It's okay, I guess.  I mean, I should've noticed it a lot sooner.  But, it just never occurred to me.  I thought that so long as she loved me..." I trailed off.
    I had been doubting Michiru for weeks.  And the only reason I hadn't picked up the signals was that I didn't WANT to pick them up.
    "Hey, don't feel so glum.  I'm sure she didn't mean to hurt you," Makoto told me.
    I was silent.  Maybe she hadn't really meant to hurt me, but she sure let me hang on for a long time.
    "What if she was trying to tell you, but it never seemed like a good idea.  I mean, she had to work with you, right?  She couldn't jeopordize your working relationship with your personal one," Makoto tried to reason.
    "It was still a pretty lousy thing to do.  I mean, I'd explained to her often enough exactly how _I_ felt.  I'd expect a little honesty back," I said, bitterly.
    "Hey, what would make you feel better?" Makoto inquired.
    "Huh?" I asked.
    "Come on, you need to do something to get that frown to leave," Makoto told me, giving me a kawaii little smile.
    I blushed at the idea.  Her in my arms, butt-naked, would cheer-no, that was my libido talking.  Besides, I couldn't take advantage of her like that. Especially not while I was-
    "Hey, tell you what.  If you promise to tell all us Inners what you guys have been doing, I'll do anything you want," Makoto told me.
    A cry of lust and passion flooding from her mouth, no!  Libido talking, libido talking!
    "I don't think you know what you're offering.  You don't just give that sort of thing away!" I answered, sweat starting to bead on my forehead as I tried to resist the idea of ravishing her.  Dammit!  Only perverts were supposed to be thinking stuff like this!
    "I don't think it's-" Makoto began, before realizing what I had implied. "Oooooh.  THAT."
    Wait a minute.  Was she thinking all I'd need was ice cream or something?  The blush on her face told me that was exactly what she was thinking.
    "Um, sorry," I responded awkwardly.
    I went back to drying dishes.  A lot had piled up after we had gotten into this discussion.  I worked fast to catch up, but there really wasn't any need.  She slowed down quite a bit, the embarrassment still on her face, as evident as it probably was on mine.  She seemed to be lost in thought.  Was she considering it?  Man, to feel her smooth skin and-SHUT UP, Libido!
    "What's it like?" she asked.
    "Like?  What?" I inquired.
    "You know... kissing a girl... is it different than with guys?" Makoto piped up a little, her face growing a deeper shade of red as she began asking.
    "I've never kissed a guy.  Never cared for 'em.  They're either overly macho, too shy or total freaks.  Mamoru is the only guy I've met that wasn't totally screwed up, and I'm not interested," I informed her.
    "There has to be some guys that are okay," Makoto defended.
    "There might be, but frankly, I just don't feel about guys in that way," I responded.
    "But about the kissing...." Makoto began.
    "What's it like to kiss a girl? What's it like to kiss _anyone_ you love? Guys or girls, I doubt that it's very different. I guess it depends on how much it feels when you kiss.  Sometimes, it's no different from kissing your aunt on the cheek, but other times, it can feel really good," I told her.
    "Is it really that good?" Makoto asked.
    When I leaned over and kissed her, it was pretty shocking for both of us.  I had been trying to show her by demonstrating.  Okay, so maybe it was a bit more than just a peck and maybe I slipped her a little tongue, but I sure as heck couldn't control that.  She pulled away, unsure.  It was okay.  Hell, I was unsure myself.  Maybe it was just too early.  Too fast.  Too desperate.
    "I'm sorry," I apologized.
    Makoto nodded, a solid blush on her face.  I sighed and leaned against the counter.
    "If I made you uncomfortable, I can leave... if you'd like," I told her.
    "No, it's all right.  I, uh, just wasn't, um, expecting it," Makoto replied nervously.
    "....." I answered.
    "That was nice," Makoto murmured.
    A blush began covering my face.  I couldn't believe I'd done that.
    "I think I need to take a bath," I said, cleaning the last dish.
    I left the room before I could do anything else stupid.  I REALLY needed a cold bucket of water dumped on my head right now.  Undressing was the most embarrassing part.  Even if Makoto was there, my arousement would be obvious.  So, I stuffed my underwear into the laundry basket and headed into the bathroom.  The cold tiles felt almost like ice.  That suddenly turned into an embarrassing little fantasy with Makoto and some ice cubes.  DAMMIT! I didn't come here to take advantage of another Senshi.  Besides, Pluto frowned on that... why was I thinking of that uptight-
    I dumped a bucket of cold water on my head.  I had to calm down or I'd just wind up in another circle of hating Pluto, hating Neptune and then hating myself.  That particular little game wasn't a happy one.  I filled bucket after bucket with cold water and dumped them on myself.  I had to calm down and the water was the only way I could accomplish that.
    I hoped Makoto didn't mind me using her shampoo.  I snagged a bottle and paused.  I felt two soft somethings pressing against my back and a sultry voice filled my right ear. "It's okay for tonight."
    I gulped.
    "You don't have to," I squeaked.
    "It's okay.  I... I wanna try it," Makoto responded, the increase of heat on my back making it evident that she was embarrassed.
    "It's not something you try," I tried to reason.
    "How did you know that you were?" Makoto asked.
    "Point," I noted, recalling my own seduction at Michiru's hands.  It was the first time I learned that women could do without men.
    "Show me what it's like," Makoto purred.
    I won't tell you perverts anything else about what happened that night.

    It didn't feel wrong the next morning.  With Michiru, all sorts of thoughts had plagued me, but with Makoto, it was as if those thoughts had never existed.  In fact, Makoto was wondering why we hadn't done it earlier.  I knew it because my head was in haze.  But, now, it felt much clearer.
    I almost felt like giggling when Makoto made breakfast in my shirt.  Of course, I was only wearing my pants.  But, still, she looked pretty cute in my shirt.  I had to resist the urge to take her right there, standing over the cooking fish.
    "Miso soup, rice, pickled vegetables, tea, and fish.  Sorry, but we're out of seaweed," Makoto told me as she presented the meal.
    "You... don't ALWAYS eat a traditional Japanese meal, do you?  I mean, this is great and all, but..." I began.
    She giggled and tapped my nose coyly.
    "No, but I do eat a good meal in celebration of something good," she informed me.
    The meal seemed to take longer to eat than it did for her to cook it.  Even so, we were both dressed and ready for school.  She paused at the door.
    "It got weird, didn't it?" she asked.
    "Yeah," I responded, a bit embarrassed.
    "It was still great.  Though next time, try not to be so spontaneous.  I'm just glad that wasn't a favorite shirt," Makoto noted.
    "Do you want me to drop you off at your school?  It's no real problem," I offered.
    "Sure!" Makoto said.
    We hopped in my car and drove off.  As we pulled up to the school, I turned to her. "Do you just want meet back here after school?"
    "Nah.  Meet me at Hikawa Shrine.  We've got a lot of talking to do," Makoto told me.
    "Okay.  See ya," I responded.

    Mugen High School.  Normally, I felt nothing when I entered the halls of the school, but today was strange.  I felt a nagging presence of something in the school, but my mind was focused on what I should do about Michiru or Setsuna.
    The former of the two appeared before me in a deserted hallway.  I briefly wondered what was going on, but I decided to just ignore it for now.
    "Michiru," I deadpanned.
    "Haruka.... I'm.... I can't express how sorry I feel," Michiru implored.
    I stood there, unsure of what to think.  I was keeping my reaction dull.  I was hardly one to judge her.
    "Were you cheating on me?  I just was to know," I asked.
    [I have to hear the answer from your mouth,] I added mentally.
    "I'm sorry..." Michiru whimpered, her voice cracking.
    "Was it Pluto?" I inquired.
    Michiru violently shook her head.
    "She was trying to get me to tell you," Michiru explained, tears of shame welling up in her eyes.
    I was definitely surprised.  I hadn't expected Setsuna to be on my side.  That didn't explain why she refused to tell me anything, though.  Michiru got down on her knees.
    "I'm sorry..." she whispered.
    Even if our romance was dead and she had backstabbed me, at least she was willing to come clean about it.  We could go one of two ways now.  The first was to apologize, forget all about this and become friends.  The second was to become bitter and let this drag on.  I weighed the options and quickly came up with an answer.  Even a backstabber as a friend is better than one as an enemy.
    Besides, technically, I kinda cheated on her last night.  Or did I?  I was beginning to hate complicated romances.  I took a deep breath and decided.
    "Apology accepted," I answered.
    "Hold me?" she begged.
    I knelt down and looked her in the eyes.  Her sad eyes called out to me, but I couldn't feel that way about her.  Not anymore.
    "Michiru, I can only comfort two kinds of people.  People who I love and people I call friends.  I can never comfort you as a loved one.  Not after this.  Do you still want to be comforted?" I asked.
    She nodded.  I held her.  She sobbed onto my shoulder.  I guess being friends is better than nothing.  At least we weren't fighting bitterly over this.  I guess it was time for forgiveness.

    Once school was over, I cruised over to the Hikawa Shrine.  I found a place to park and head up to the shrine, taking off my school jacket as I climbed the stairs.  When I reached the top, Makoto was there with Usagi, Minako, Rei, Ami and even Chibi-Usa.  The cats, Luna and Artemis, were also present and perched on the shoulders of Usagi and Minako respectively.  I don't know how heavy cats are, but those two had to be magic for Usagi and Minako to carry them on their shoulders.
    "Hey," I said, giving a very short wave as I walked up to the group.
    Once the hellos were all accounted for, Ami got down to business. "Haruka, if you don't mind me asking, why were you after the heart crystals?  You've told us before, but why-"
    I'd expected this question.  Just not this abruptly.  My expression turned grim.
    "If you're asking me why we were so ruthless and greedy in our search, it was because the Holy Grail that Usagi now possesses is a major artifact.  According to Pluto, we were to gain it by any means necessary and to never let anyone, even you Inner Senshi, get to the heart crystals first.  Of course, Pluto also told us to use the cruelest methods possible to gain the heart crystals, to never join you Inners, and to never fully trust you either.  Pluto was the one who ordered us to learn things, to get involved in various hobbies when we didn't want to.  Pluto, Pluto, Pluto," I answered.
    "THAT'S why you two always seemed to be close at hand when something happened!" Minako blurted.
    "Probably.  Neptune has known Pluto longer and trusts her implicitly.  Frankly, I'm tired of doing my best to follow her plans and having almost nothing to show for it.  We could've had most of this wrapped up easily if she would've given us more than just vague clues and suggestions," I growled.
    "But, Pu isn't bad!  She's never mean to me!" Chibi-Usa blurted.
    "True, but you're probably the one person that Pluto has a soft spot for," I noted.
    "So, what are you planning to do now?" Usagi asked.
    "Well, I'm not sure.  As separate groups, the Outers and the Inners were pretty much just bashing their heads together.  All of this was to make a better future.  So, I figure, why not work together and try to get a great future?" I declared.
    "We do always need a hand or two..." Ami noted.
    "How do we know you aren't just following one of Pluto's plans?  And what ARE her plans?" Rei demanded.
    "Frankly, when you consider that Pluto _could_ actually be the Guardian of Time like she claims, I really don't know if I'm following one of her plans. But if I am, it's not one I'm aware of.  As for her plans, it depends on whether you're talking about her long-term or short-term goals," I answered.
    I popped my neck briefly and took in their anxious expressions.  They were probably waiting for me to continue.
    "According to HER, her long-term is to make a perfect future.  She wants to make something called Crystal Tokyo a reality.  As for her short-term, she wants to find the Messiah or something like that.  She told us that there are two Messiahs.  The first is one of destruction.  She's the one who'll destroy Earth if she gets the Holy Grail.  As for the other one, she's the one who will eventually lead to the salvation of the planet.  The problem is, she never tells us who either of them is, where they'll be or how we're supposed to know which is which," I responded.
    "So, we've gotta find the Messiahs and find out who should get the Grail?" Ami asked.
    "As far as I know.  Up until now, Neptune and I were searching blindly for both the Messiah AND the Grail.  Now that Sailor Moon has the Grail, they'll focus more on finding the Messiahs.  But, frankly, I don't know what they'll do," I replied.
    "Just one more question," Usagi stated.
    "Okay, go ahead," I told her.
    "How many more Senshi ARE there?" Usagi demanded.
    "To MY knowledge, just one more.  The Senshi of Destruction, Sailor Saturn. She can destroy a whole planet by herself.  I think she might be the Messiah of Destruction, but I really can't tell.  I mean, just having Senshi Powers can't really mean someone is evil or good," I answered.
    "I think I like Uranus helping out already.  I mean, she's a lot nicer now that she's actually TALKING to us," Rei commented.
    We all had to laugh.
    "Yeah, I guess we WERE a little too protective and stuff," I replied.
    "But it's great to be working with you," Usagi said, bowing.
    "Hey, hey, odango-atama, no reason to bow.  I'm joining you guys, not giving an award." I laughed.
    "Mou!  I told you, no one but Mamoru can call me odango-atama!" Usagi fumed.
    "ODANGO-ATAMA!" Rei chided.
    I couldn't believe it.  Sure, they were a year younger than me, but I was still having more fun here than I was before.  Heck, I was having more fun now than I ever did before I even became a Senshi.

    I was curious the instant I heard the knock at the door.
    "Hey, Mako-chan, were you expecting anyone?" I asked.
    "No, not really," Mako-chan answered.
    Another knock.  Frowning at having to deal with some weirdos asking us to join their religion or worse, a door-to-door salesman (those guys were getting rare, though), I headed for the door.
    "Hell-AAH!" I yelped, reaching for my wand.
    "Listen, you and I need to take a walk," Setsuna told me.
    I glared at her, but this was obviously important.  I resented the fact that I had to even listen to her, but maybe this would answer a few of my questions.  My opinion of her was rather low at the moment, but I had to trust her.
    "Mako-chan, Setsuna and I have to take a walk," I called.
    "Okay, dinner will be ready in thirty," Mako-chan replied.
    "Right," I said, walking out of the apartment with Setsuna.
    Setsuna was silent until we were about a block away.
    "Do you know what I let Michiru's secret stay as such for so long?  Or why I've been demanding that you two be relentless in your search?" Setsuna asked.
    "Not really." I answered.
    I paused.  She hadn't mentioned why she was keeping information from me.
    "It was supposed to be for the sake of Crystal Tokyo.  You weren't supposed to grow tired of it just yet," Setsuna responded.
    "WHAT?!" I demanded.
    "Just listen.  Ever since I became Pluto, it's been my duty to try and make the best possible future for Princess Serenity.  Crystal Tokyo _is_ the best possible future, but the more strife that's in the making of a kingdom and the more it has to endure, the longer its reign lasts.  The Serenity clan had to endure hundreds of hardships to get the Silver Millenium.  And that lasted over four thousand years.  With the right checks and balances, the Crystal Tokyo future could last four hundred thousand years.  Do you see how this becomes important?" Setsuna asked.
    "You mean, all the crap that's happened in our lives-" I began.
    "Most of it WASN'T planned or executed by me.  My duty is to try and funnel all of the bad things into a good outcome.  For example, every day Usagi is late for class, that's another hundred years to Crystal Tokyo's survival," Pluto explained, taking out a cigarette.  It was an odd habit I'd noticed.  She'd take out a cigarette and act like she was smoking, but if you asked if she needed a light, she'd glare at you until you shut up.
    "A hundred years?  Really?" I asked.
    "No, but you get the gist, right?" Setsuna asked.
    My right eye twitched.  I suddenly recalled a proverb: "The fluttering of a butterfly's wings in America can cause hurricanes in India."
    "So, you mean me and Michiru breaking up was..." I began.
    "Expected?  Not entirely.  I'm dealing with numerous forces of the universe.  The strongest possibility was that you would remain in the dark forever, but Michiru would give up her other lover in about five months, shortly after this particular matter was over," Setsuna continued.
    I nodded and took in our surroundings.  We were walking on the bank of a stream.  I hadn't even noticed.
    "So, what's this done for the Crystal Tokyo lifeline?" I inquired.
    "Disrupted it completely," Setsuna answered.
    I stared at her.  Bad things were supposed to IMPROVE Crystal Tokyo timeline, weren't they?
    "You see, even if you HAVE forgiven Michiru, working with her will be difficult.  Normally, bad things do improve the future, but the problem is that it makes working in the present difficult.  And if we don't do something, we might lose the future I've worked over twenty-five thousand years to create.  Everything goes to the toilet.  Besides, not all bad things improve Crystal Tokyo's lifespan and not all good things shorten it," Setsuna told me.
    "So, what should we do?" I asked.
    "Replace her," Setsuna replied.
    "WHAT?!" I demanded.
    "Look, Michiru, as it stands, isn't going to do a good enough job being Neptune.  So, we replace her," Setsuna told me.
    "Couldn't you just go back in time and fix things?" I asked.
    "No.  Running into myself it too risky," Setsuna stated.
    "But she's got a Talisman!" I protested.
    "It's now separate from her heart crystal.  We can take it without harming her.  And the power is transferable.  Trust me, I've had to do this sort of thing about thirty times.  Senshi are _hard_ to replace, not _impossible_ to replace," Setsuna responded.
    "..... could she get it back?" I asked.
    "She COULD, in time.  However, she'd have to WANT to change," Setsuna explained.
    "But, Makoto and I-" I began.
    "That?  That doesn't do diddly," Setsuna answered.
    "Wha?" I asked.
    "Look, it's her conduct that I've become upset about.  I just recently found out that she's kept you in the dark about various things.  You had a single fling.  So what?  You're only human and you needed some support.  No biggie.  But, for example, did you know why I told you two were to refrain from overly fraternizing?" she inquired.
    "....  Wait, to 'REFRAIN' from 'OVERLY' fraternizing?" I demanded.
    "I was worried about you two getting too hot and heavy to do your job.  So, I told her to tell YOU that the both of you to refrain from overly fraternizing," she responded.
    I couldn't believe it.  Pluto hadn't forbidden us to be together, she had requested that we keep from getting overly involved to the point that we stopped doing our job.  If I hadn't forgiven Michiru, I might have marched off to find her and turn her into paste.  Of all the low-down...
    "Here she comes.  She can tell you what ELSE she 'forgot' to tell you," Setsuna noted.
    I turned around to see Michiru walking along the bank.  Michiru looked at us and lowered her head again.  I tried to keep my expression neutral, but a growing glare and frown were inevitable.
    "Haruka, Setsuna," Michiru said, as she neared us.
    "What else didn't you tell me, Michiru?" I growled.
    Michiru sighed.
    "I didn't tell you about how long I've been.... deceiving you," Michiru answered.
    "And how long HAVE you been 'fraternizing'?" I demanded.
    Michiru looked away from us, pointedly staring down at the stream.
    "How long?" I asked.
    "What about you and Makoto?  Setsuna told me about THAT," Michiru shot back.
    She was clearly feeling a little betrayed.
    "Last night was all we've had so far," I responded.
    "..... Months," she murmured.
    I didn't want the exact time any more.
    "And what about the cruel and ruthless path that we took to get the Talismans?  Whose fault is that?" I demanded.
    "Both of yours," Setsuna interjected.
    "Huh?" I inquired.
    "I told you both to get the Talismans by any means necessary.  Did I even once mention that it had to be a cruel or ruthless path?  Did I _SAY_ you two had to refrain from working with the Inners?  No.  You two took it the wrong way completely," Setsuna answered.
    I flushed with embarrassment.
    "In any case, I want BOTH of you to refrain from interfering with the Inners.  The search for the Messiah of Salvation is on hold until I find a solid path to Crystal Tokyo.  Your personal lives, as always, are your own.  And now, I'll take my leave," Setsuna responded, vanishing abruptly.  The only sign of her presence was the unlit cigarette.
    I turned back to Michiru.  It took me a while, but frankly, I wasn't about to get angry over it.  It was enough that she had lost my love.  I wasn't going to tear down the rest of her supports just for petty revenge.
    "I'll be at Makoto's.  No matter what," I began, struggling to refrain from saying something hurtful. "I'll be your friend."
    "Haruka, wait," Michiru said.
    I turned and found something thrust into my hand.
    "Haruka, I've done a lot of stupid things.  I know you've forgiven me for some of it, but I feel I have to make it up to you.  I'll come back for this when I've become a better person," Michiru whispered.
    It was her transformation pen.  She was handing it to me.
    "You don't need to do this," I responded.
    "I have to.  I'll never forgive myself if I don't at least try to become... what I should have been from the start," Michiru told me.
    With that, Michiru Kaioh walked off.  It was definitely going to be different with her gone, but it wasn't forever.  Neptune would be back again.
    I headed back to the apartment.  My opinions of both Michiru and Setsuna were definitely different, but I wasn't sure if they were higher or lower.

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    TO BE CONTINUED......

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    This does what no one else has, BREAKS UP MICHIRU AND HARUKA! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!  Every fanfic about breaking up usually separates Usagi and Mamoru.  Why shouldn't Haruka and Michiru have some arguments?
    The thing that always bugged me was that you never saw them with any SERIOUS passion.  I mean, it was sort of like friends who occassionally get serious, but for the most part, they never have any emotion in their love.  And to me, that's just not right.
    I chose to do it from Haruka's position because, for the most part, she seems to be the one with all of the passion.  Michiru has always seemed a bit... blah.

    I'd like to thank my pre-reader, Angus McSpon, for helping me revise it and become
better.  You deserve at least credit for all the help you gave me (*).  He kept me from making
a few hypocritical and logical mistakes.  I wound up telling him half my life story (dull life,
wasn't it?) and he sent me back some great advice.

(*) - Note: This may not actually be a good thing.  I have no knowledge of good or bad when it comes to anything I've done.

    So, if you really liked it, actually send me an e-mail even if it just says 'Like' or 'Sucks'.

    Oh yeah, I don't own these characters, I don't own those DiCheads who dubbed it, and I certainly didn't like the look of that Might-Have-Been Sailor Moon video that's on SVAM's webpage (go to http://lefty.simplenet.com/svam/ and look under the Sailor Moon section for the WORST idea for an altered Sailor Moon story that you'll ever see.  A Cartoon/Live-Action mix show!)

    The title of this is: "Sky's Reflection"

    Author's Notes on the Creation of Version 3.0124-A of Sky's Reflection:  This was the THIRD, count it, THIRD version.  It got TWO major overhauls.  For those who missed the first edition, it ended with Haruka and Makoto fighting Setsuna and Michiru.  After a long serious of talks with Angus MacSpon, a great guy who pointed out a few logical flaws, I decided to rewrite.  The first had been written with me working to get all of the emotion down.  When I started looking over this to rewrite, my ideals started to crack and I found myself lacking a good idea.
    I wanted Pluto to be the villian, but I couldn't bring myself to hate her.  She seems cold-hearted, but I had to evaluate what the reasons behind that cold heart.  In the end, my idea of the Plutos was this: Every Pluto sets up a long-term plan and uses her ability to control time to help her create an ideal future.  Once this future is made, she then passed on her task to another Pluto, who then watches as that ideal future crumbles and sets into motion their own ideal future.  Naturally, all Plutos would hold conduct in very high regard.
    So, as I was working, I kept the betrayl.  Michiru has always had a secret side and at first, I was tempted to keep to make Michiru and Setsuna doing it behind Haruka's back.  But, that would leave Haruka very bitter.  So, I changed it to Michiru and some mystery person who never gets introduced.
    The biggest problem lay with Makoto and Haruka.  I SO wanted to get them together (after all, I think only a few hentai dojinshi even thought of having them together), but I and Angus both decided that Makoto wouldn't just spontaneously hop in the sack with Haruka.  So, some semi-platonics hijinks later, I figured that Haruka had at least gotten Makoto interested.  But, I began getting antsy.  It would feel like Haruka was forcing the relationship if she made the first serious move.
    Oh well.
    Anyway, there were various parts I wanted to keep from the original.  Like the fight scene.  Sadly, I couldn't manage it.  In the second version, I was going to have a vote to remove Michiru, and end THAT with a fight.  Michiru is good, but even in a tag-team with Haruka, I severely doubt she could defeat Pluto.  But, OOOOH!  I SO wanted to keep Pluto's secret attack, "Dark Sight".  Then that transformed into a vote where Michiru decided to leave on her own.  You see what happened.
    One of the other things I wanted to keep was a heated discussion between Haruka and Setsuna.  Halfway through the planning, I figured I should just make it more of an explanation of why Setsuna was trying to get them to be so ruthless.  But, I hit a snag.  Why DID they have to be so rude?  The idea hit me.  "Forces beyond human comprehension"!  Pluto's messing with intangibles trying to make a clear path to the future.  Going by the original SM line, it was obvious that they would see it, despite the @#$@#$ that Michiru and Haruka had to display towards the other Senshi.  Then, it evolved into Setsuna hasn't been a bitch whatsoever.
    Then again, I think the Anime was a lot less compassionate for those two.  I mean, they learn often enough that the Inners are trustworthy and can hold their own.  After about six or seven demonstrations, either they both have a Martyr complex or they're getting stupid in their teens.  And as we on the FFML know, stupidity, like mold, increases with time.

    Ben McCrillis <aka. A-kun>
    reply at akun15@hotmail.com
    Join GSMIT at gsmit-subscribe@egroups.com (gsmitsubscribe@egroup.com?)
    visit my webpage at http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Island/3968/index.html (I've REVISED!)

    "You get one wish."
    "I wanna be your girlfriend..er, I meant, I want you to be _my_-AAAAH!"
    *WHOOSH*
    "GYAAAAAH!!!  .....  hey, are these real?"
    "Yep."
    "Neat-o complete-o." - Umm, *BLUSH*, this was, ah, the original version of this fanfic.  Yeah, it was supposed to be an SI, but I gave a much needed overhaul.  Hell, I started from scratch and kept the name.
    Even more embarrassing (and I only later admitted it in some e-mails concerning this) was that this was, if you couldn't tell by the content, an AMG! SI lemon.  Then, it turned into an SM SI lemon, then finally, I just redid it.  So, you could say those ideas were Version .035, .05 and .0674982-B of this story.


    "I'm a martial artist too!" Akane whined.
    "Feh.  You're someone who PLAYS martial arts.  You USED to be someone who was a Martial Artist.  You're so pathetic now that I don't think I would be ALLOWED to teach you." A-kun shot back.
    "Afraid you might lose your 'prestige' with a few elderly Bridge Clubs, A-kun?" Akane asked.
    A-kun snorted.  He stood up and glared at her.
    "Now go home, little girl, and stop wastin' my time." A-kun growled.
    "No!  I won't!" Akane protested.
    "Feh.  Think you can really learn?  Think you're at all a challenge for someone like me?" A-kun inquired.
    Akane didn't answer with words.  Instead she threw a punch.  One that ended with A-kun sliding in close and back-handing her into the wall behind her.  She stumbled out of the crater and coughed up blood into her right hand.  She was certain he had broken a few ribs.
    "That was just a small taste of what you can expect.  Give up?" A-kun demanded.
    Akane's eyes were filled with anger and hatred.  She coughed out an angry, yet firm, "Never."
    A-kun appraised her mentally, changing her price from $1.29 to $39.95.
    "You have... potential." A-kun began, before walking up to her, grabbing her by her hair and hauling her up until they were at the same eye level, "But don't get cocky.  I never let up on students.  Go see a healer and then meet me tomorrow in Training Room 2 at 5 o'clock.  AM, not PM."
    Akane's eyes widened with joy, but she knew better than to get her hopes up too high.
    "Are you ready to hate me more than you've hated anyone else in your entire life?" A-kun asked.
    "I already do." Akane eagerly answered.
    [You're one step closer.] A-kun thought, setting her down.
    She stumbled towards the door.  A-kun helped her with a cheap kick to the ass.  Akane glared back at him.
    "Lesson #1, 'Never present your opponent an opportunity to get a cheap sight gag in before defeating you.'" A-kun informed her.
    - Anime Death Tournament 2 Prelude, coming soon.

TharzZzDunN: [King Koopa] Stupid bombs!  They were SUPPOSED to get Mario and Luigi!  Not Manicotti and Linguinni!
    - from a stalled MSTing of [Deleted for security purposes]

Genma Saotome: Guess what boy?  I got you another fiancee!  This one ran me over with her car, then backed over me a few times before swearing at me in English! [points to a dazed Eudial]
    - From the Oh Dear Gawds, Not Another One!

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