Epilogue: The strongest drug

Epilogue: The strongest drug

"I can't believe it! You’ve dirtied my skirt with your bloody chocolate ice cream!"

"But..."

"MY skirt!"

"You are so mean... wah!!"

It was very loud at the race track. Right now the final race was taking place, the cars on the race track speeded up once more. This race was important. Today would decide whether the old champion would win again or whether he would be defeated for the first time in four years, by a newcomer who started the fast sport only one year ago and had managed to win every single race since then.

It was in the middle of summer, a very hot summer in Japan. Therefore, a lot of people ate ice cream and tried to find a shadowy place near the track. Two young women had the same idea walked through the rows of excited fans. Those fans were real fans. They were screaming, loudly. However, those two women were even louder.

"Why can't you take think of the other people around you? Only once? Why are you always so clumsy, Usagi?"

"Why are you always so mean to me, Rei?"

"I am not mean, I am honest."

"Wah!!"

Every race motor was silent in comparison to the crying of the younger woman. Her long, fair hair was bound into two plaids and almost touched the ground while she stumbled, still sobbing in a heart-breaking way. The other young woman was wearing a traditional priestess kimono which made her stand out in front of all the car fans. She only rolled her eyes and handled the blonde a handkerchief.

"Try to calm down, okay? I’m pretty sure that I can wash my skirt somehow to get it clean again. There’re bound to be restrooms here, somewhere. Please, I didn't mean it that way. Stop crying, okay?" she pleaded and sighed deeply as the blonde blew her nose even louder. "What should Michiru think of us?"

"She'll think that you were mean again!"

"No, she'll be embarrassed that her future queen is a cry baby!"

"I am nooowahaaaaa!"

The priestess only rolled her eyes and went over to the person waving at them, smiling at them happily.

Of course she's smiling. Her girlfriend will certainly win the race.

Rei turned her head and looked down at the cars racing along the track. It had been now three years that they met: at first as senshi and as opponents, later on as allies and finally as good friends. Together they had searched for the talismans and were able to find them - together. Although one of their senshi was still missing, no matter how hard Sailor Moon and her team searched for her in vain, they had still been able to unite the talismans, to create the grail and to rescue the earth. It was had been only last month when Sailor Moon finally gave up and declared sadly that Sailor Uranus had probably not been reborn with them and that it was senseless to search any longer for. Even Sailor Pluto, always sceptical and even after all their united battles still a little bit unsure about the future queen's decisions, agreed and consequently they all had silently decided to put away the topic Third outer senshi. They could defend the earth without her, therefore, there was no need to waste their time and energy any longer on that lost quest.

We are enough senshi to protect this planet. Together we are strong.

Rei snickered as Usagi stumbled over her own skirt and almost fell down.

Hai, we are crazy, but strong.

Quickly, she grabbed Usagi's right hand to hold her back from falling. The blonde lost her ice cream, but before she could protest, Michiru saw them and walked over to them.

"Hello Usagi, hello Rei. Nice that you could come." She smiled, always looking at the race track out of the corner of her eyes. She knew that this was her girlfriend's destiny: not transforming into Sailor Uranus, but sitting in a fast race car, literally flying over the hot asphalt. Michiru knew that her Ruka would beat them all, but still she couldn’t completely ignore the fear inside her heart. No matter how good Haruka was, there was always the risk of an accident. A tragedy the blonde wouldn’t cause, but could fall victim to.

Of course Haruka would stop racing instantly were Michiru to ask her to quit, but Michiru didn’t want to. It was Haruka's greatest joy to sit inside such a fast car and to see her love happy was Michiru's greatest luck.

"Looks like she's winning."

"Hai." Michiru leaded the two women towards the box of her girlfriend's team. There were more cooling shadow and less screaming people. "Do you want something to drink?"

"That would be great!" Usagi's big, blue eyes looked greedy at the lemonade and Rei had to argue with her at the very instant.

"A queen shouldn't be that greedy."

"I am not greedy!"

"Sure you are."

"Wah..."

Michiru watched them in silence, trying not to giggle too obviously. She was very happy that they became friends after the first fights and the first arguments. Especially Setsuna hadn’t been able to trust them. Not at all. However, their sceptical attitude towards the younger girls changed over the years. The same way like so much more did change.

Michiru turned away from the two arguing senshi and looked out to the race track, watching her Ruka racing like a wind goddess over the asphalt. Like the senshi she had never transformed into, although even Sailor Moon had believed to feel the wind in her presence.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a senshi or not. You are my soul mate, love. That's all what matters to me.

Michiru smiled and waved her hands as the cars took the final lap. Still Haruka was in the ople position and it didn't look like her opponent, the former formula one champion, would overtake her during the last bending.

Yes, a lot had happened during the past years. They finished school and while Michiru studied music and gave a lot of concerts - mostly for ill children and homeless people - Haruka discovered her preferences in fast cars. The same way Hotaru discovered her love for water. The soon the little girl could walk, she always ran towards the swimming pool. Certainly, her love for the wet element had a lot to do with Michiru's influence. Now, she was almost four years old and the best swimmer in her family.

"Mommy!"

Michiru's smile widened as she turned around and went automatically on her knees. The next moment her arms were full with a lively girl. Shoulder long, dark hair surrounded a redden face as Michiru raised her daughter and swirled her through the air.

"That's great, mommy!" laughed the little girl and smiled with a brown mouth down at her. Certainly, she had just eaten another chocolate ice cream. No, Michiru wouldn't be angry with Hotaru’s weak aunt who couldn't resist those pleading, green eyes. Hotaru was a real daredevil and she knew that she could achieve a lot with that innocent look and a pleading word.

For a brief moment Michiru saw a small baby before her, being pale and having difficulties to breathe. A very ill child no one had wanted to give a second chance, until her mother agreed to make a contract with the devil. A very beautiful devil who never harmed her, only tickled her quite often, with a lot of love.

"That's daddy!" shouted Hotaru and the vision of the weak baby was gone. Now, Michiru was holding a strong and very wild tomboy in her arms. The child was pointing over with her dirtied hands to the red Ferrari which had crossed the finish line - as the winner.

"Yeah! Victory!!" screamed the little girl and kicked her legs excitedly. It was clear that she wanted to be on her feet and to run over to her daddy. Michiru, however, held her tight in her warm embrace. Still, there were too many cars outside; she didn't want her daughter to get harmed.

"So, now we have a formula one champion in our family."

Michiru shrugged her shoulders and returned Elza's grin. Her hair were as fire red as ever, but now they touched her shoulders. It was one of her strange bets she sometimes did with Setsuna and now she had to let her hair grow for over a year. She had already managed five months.

"Hope you are not jealous, you fast sportswoman."

"Me? No. I don't need any cars to be fast." Elza grinned even wider and raised her camera to take some photos. She went into a training camp right after school and became a known sportswoman. She was the quickest athlete in her team and next year she wanted to try her very best to be qualified for Olympia.

"Don't boast so much, Elza-chan," snickered Setsuna who walked slowly behind the young woman. It was too hot for her. The sun was burning and she had some difficulties breathing as deep as she wanted to. Her girlfriend was slightly dancing on her nerves, especially when the redhead jumped around like a young deer while she felt like an old walrus. Setsuna had never felt this way before, but a lot had changed during the past months. As the senshi of time, and a s a woman, she knew that this condition would be only temporary, yet she wished autumn and winter to arrive sooner.

"I would never, Sissy-chan," smirked Elza but her smile became more tender as she went back to her fiancée and helped her to sit down. Then she organized her love a cold lemonade and tried to fan her some fresh air with one of her sport magazines which she always carried around with her.

"Hey, you shouldn't run so fast, you know that, Sissy-chan. Is everything alright?"

"I shouldn't run fast? Hey, but I didn't want to lose you out of my sight!"

"I was too fast?" Elza blinked and Michiru had to giggle as she saw the innocent expression there, knowing that her older sister couldn't be angry any longer after she looked seen into sparkling blue eyes.

"Oh, no problem. I'll simply borrow Haruka's car, then I'll have a chance, you whirlwind."

"Are you still allowed to drive a car?"

"Hey, I am NOT ill!"

"But you are pregnant."

"Just in the seventeenth week! Here, you can hardly see anything! I am still very mobile!"

"I know." Grinned Elza diabolically and stroked tenderly over Setsuna's belly. If you looked closer you could see that it grew over the past months. Even if a pullover could hide the bump perfectly, her summer dress couldn’t. Although Setsuna tried to behave as normal as possible, neither her morning sickness nor the summer’s heat did help her at all and she already felt fat and immobile. She wasn’t very keen to be pregnant for another eternity, but she was very keen in becoming a mommy and holding the little one tight that was right now sleeping inside her slightly swollen belly.

"Hey, little one, guess I should be more patient with your mommy, huh?" said Elza to the unborn baby and gently put her head on Setsuna's belly as she felt slim fingers running through her fire red hair. "Gomen, Sissy-chan. I didn't mean to distress you."

"I know, Elza-chan. I know."

Michiru wanted to say something to her sister and her future sister-in-law, but Hotaru had finally managed to escape her arms and ran over the hot asphalt. Still hearing Rei and Usagi argue, Michiru spun around to fetch her daughter, but suddenly Haruka stood there, catching a wild tomboy who flew into her arms. Again Hotaru was swirled through the air and again she enjoyed it, laughing happily.

"Hey, my little princess," laughed Haruka and shook some of her wet strands out of her reddened face. Her sea green eyes sparkled with happiness as she let Hotaru down and kissed his girlfriend tenderly.

"Oh... champagne. What a nice taste," teased Michiru and giggled as Haruka embraced her with her free arm, because Hotaru was suddenly very interested in the helmet she held in the other one.

"I told them that it's not necessary, but they simply wanted to splash me with it."

"Give in, you liked it."

Haruka looked at her through her soft eyelashes and gave her another kiss.

"You know me too well, Michi-chan," she whispered. "But a shower with you is better. Hope you know that." They both grinned at each other, then Haruka bowed down and helped Hotaru to put on the helmet. Of course it was too big. And of course Elza was there right on time to take some more pictures.

Of a happy family.

A little car racer with a too wide helmet was swirled around by a tall car racer without a helmet while the others stood around, laughing.

Of my happy family.

- There're people out there who need you. Who will love you with all consequences. -

You’ve been right, Hika-chan. As always you’ve been right. Do you see them, Hika-chan? My friends? My girlfriend? My daughter? Do you see them from above, Hika-chan?

They are my family.

Haruka held Hotaru softly tight who seemed to enjoy the helmet and the attention she got with it. There were some reporters, as well, taking their own photos, but Haruka didn't see them. She only saw her friends, saw her family who meant everything in her life.

Finally, Setsuna rose and declared that she was hungry. Very hungry, because Elza's child in her was as greedy as Elza herself. The red haired girl pouted - but only for a moment - then they all decided to go inside. To celebrate the big event and simply to have a good time.

Haruka only turned around for one last time and looked up to the cloudless sky, believing to see a tiny star sparkling beneath the burning sun.

Arigato, Hika-chan. For everything.

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"Why do children always have to be born in the middle of the night?" Haruka yawned slightly and glanced at her watch. Right now she was driving in high speed over the highway of Tokyo to get to the hospital in time. Elza called them up merely minutes ago, not being able to say one single coherent sentence, but Haruka and Michiru knew at the very instant what had happened. Setsuna's belly grew incredibly big over the past months and the birth was near. Still they didn't know if Setsuna carried a little boy or a little girl. Every time thetime senshi went to the doctor, the baby showed them their back so that they had no chance to see its gender. Setsuna was a little bit upset, but Elza declared that she wanted to have a healthy child; the gender wasn’t so much important to her. Setsuna briefly wondered if she should misuse her powers as the time senshi, but decided against it. The staff of time only showed her what destiny thought to be important for the outer senshi to know. Setsuna didn’t want to press her luck for the staff had never let her down before.

"Because later on they'll hardly ever have the chance again to stay up so late in the night," snickered Michiru and thought of Hotaru who didn't want to go to bed early in the evening these days. Rather than to sleep she wanted her beloved daddy to tell her another fairy tale out of that old, thick book her granny had given her for her last birthday. Sometimes Haruka couldn't resist... but after the fourth story even she had to see that nothing could make little Hotaru tired if the little girl didn't want to sleep.

Right now the small daredevil was at home and aunt Rei was baby sitting her. The priestess had simply told them that she hated hospitals and that someone had to take care of Hotaru and offered her help.

"Elza's surely a complete wrack."

"Just like Sissy." Michiru giggled and looked over to her girlfriend. "Sissy told me last week that Elza has to have the next baby or they won't have any more children at all."

"Can imagine." Haruka grinned at the vision of a raging Setsuna who wanted to catch Elza but couldn't, because her big belly was always in her way. "But that's normal. There had been times when I was pregnant with Hotaru when I hated the entire world, too."

Quickly, they exchanged glances, knowing that Haruka had had her reasons for hating the entire while Hotaru had been inside her belly. Setsuna, on the other hand, only experienced some side effects of her snapping hormones.

"Ruka! Watch out! That's not the race track!" shouted Michiru suddenly as a big shadow jumped on the street. Haruka braked hard and she was lucky to have her racing skills, therefore they avoided the impact. The car slipped across the road and came to a screeching halt, but that was all.

"Nani? What was that?" whispered Haruka and shook her head, turning over to her girlfriend. "Are you okay, Michi-chan? Are you hurt?"

"Hai, everything alright, Ruka." Michiru opened the door and Haruka could see a golden staff sparkling in her hands as she left the car.

"Wait a sec, Michi!" Haruka rose, as well, and cursed under her breath as she hurt her head at the car's doorframe. "What do you think you are doing?"

"That wasn’t a deer nor a fox. That was a youma, no doubt! I can feel it. The sea's raging again."

"Again?" Haruka looked around, sceptically. "But Sailor Moon defeated the last youmas two years ago, right? You found the talismans and the grail and could ban the evil."

"That's what I thought, too." Michiru raised her henshin to transform, but was held back by her girlfriend. Slowly, she turned around and faced Haruka, feeling slightly confused.

"Don't even try it, Michi. You are all alone, Sailor Moon's far away. You know how strong those youmas can be."

"But we can't simply let him walk free! He's able to kill people. Innocent people!"

"That's why we are going to talk to Usagi and the others – in the hospital. Together you're surly able to defeat him..." Michiru wanted to walk away, but Haruka held her tighter. "I won't let anything happen to you, Michi-chan. I mean it! Maybe I am not a senshi, but I am your girlfriend and I tell you to come with me and to talk to the others before you harm yourself."

"I know what I am doing."

"Like you did in front of the opera? When I had that flu three years ago?"

For a moment there was silence and Michiru looked deeply into worried green eyes. Then she sighed and slowly lowered her henshin.

"Okay, Ruka. Guess you are right. Let's..."

She couldn't finish her sentence, because the youma appeared suddenly out of the darkness, attacking them with sharp knifes. He was one of the stronger species. On of the most evil monsters. He wiped away Sailor Neptune's attack like a troublesome fly and aimed his knifes at her. Ready to kill her. Or at least to try it. Haruka knew that he would be successful, because Michiru wasn't able to defeat it. Not all alone.

We need to call Usagi!

We need Sailor Moon to defeat it!

Haruka glanced over to Sailor Neptune who shouted another deep submerge, but her spell failed. Again.

I need to rescue Michi-chan first!

Michiru raised her hands protectively, instinctively stepping in front of her girlfriend. The sea senshi stared shocked at the youma who only laughed at her attack. Her strong attack that looked so weak with a sudden.

Nani?

The knifes sparkled dangerously and Michiru wondered how she should defeat them. Without Sailor Moon's, without anyone else's help. There was simply no time to grab her mobile to call for Usagi or at least one of the inner senshi. As there was no time to get back into their car and drive away. To run before it could really harm them

I have to protect Ruka, as well...

At the moment when the ugly youma raised his hands to throw his knifes, a planet hit him and he screamed in pure agony and anger.

Nani?

It had been a golden planet. None of the other senshi had a golden planet. Michiru's was blue, Setsuna's green and Hotaru was still too young to fight. The inner senshi had other weapons, no planets at all.

Nani?

"Michi?" Haruka's voice was shaky and as Michiru turned around to look at her girlfriend, she saw what was so obviously frightening her, because behind her there stood her Ruka, wearing a Sailor uniform, holding a golden staff tightly in her trembling hands.

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End

Author’s corner:

Now, the story is completed. I hope you liked it. Thank you all very much for your nice, encouraging reviews and for reading such a long story (AND leaving a review smile).

I told you that Haruka does transform at one point of the story, however, it couldn’t be any earlier than the epilogue, because I wanted Michiru to accept Haruka the way she is. I wanted them to fall in love, because they love each other, the humans, not because they feel obliged because of the stars and because of what had happened in the Silver Millenium. I wanted to them to make their own choices, unbiased by destiny and all that senshi stuff. For me, they’re Haruka and Michiru and only when they have to fight and protect the ones they love they turn into Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. It’s a little bit like Bruce Wayne and Batman – only the other way round grin.

Some more facts:

This story took part at the "Sailor Moon Fanfiction Competition of the Animexx 2003" and I even succeeded by reaching the 2nd place (after all, it's a German page, this story was in English, thanks again for the people who accepted this long, English story -''').

Writing: September 2001 -July 2002

Uploading: July 2002 - May 2003

Reuploading on ffnet: January 2008 – June 2008