With or Without You
A Haruka and Michiru fanfic.
By Haruka Tenoh <mklie@kitimat.SNO.NET>

Rating: PG


Prologue

        I can't stand the silence, the air of depression that hangs
above our heads like a rain cloud. I know she wouldn't either, if she
were here. But she isn't.

        The Princess goes first, dabbing at her cheeks with a white
tissue. She pulls out a small leather box, and opens it. She takes out
the blue and gold henshin stick, and places it on the coffin. She waves,
before her prince pulls her away slowly. I hear her lose control, and
collapse into a fit of sobs. I turn away, not wanting to see. Not
wanting to watch.

        Rei goes next. She is calm and collected, but I can see the
sparkles of tears glimmering on her tanned face, beneath her large black
hat. She whispers a prayer, then lays the talisman on the coffin. We
have no use for it now, now that she's not here. She steps back, and
walks away.

        Makoto and Ami take their turn. The both whisper their little
prayers, each trying not to cry more than necessary. Makoto takes the
bento box she had stashed under her coat, which is filled with all her
favorite treats, and drops it in. Then Ami takes a small photo, and lets
it flutter slowly onto the coffin. They both walk away, whispering
softly to each other.

        Minako and Setsuna go next. Minako's eyes are red from crying.
She pulls out her V-henshin stick, and throws it in. She walks away
quickly, joining the others. Setsuna is emotionless as usual. She says
something, and pulls out a small crystal. She kneels down, and drops the
crystal on the coffin.  She turns to me, and I swear, she is smiling.
She turns away, and heads towards the Princess.

        Little Hotaru walks up to the coffin next. She is neither calm,
nor collected. She is probably the worst of the group. She kneels down,
and kisses the top of the coffin. She takes out a photo of herself
holding onto her. She kisses it as well, before tucking it under
Minako's V-henshin stick. She doesn't move for a moment, then she stands
up, and runs to Setsuna, sobbing.

        I step forward, my knees suddenly becoming weak. I looked down,
into the hole where the coffin lay. I see all there tokens, and I cry. I
pull out the aqua mirror, and I look deep into the shadows. I see her
smiling arrogantly.  That's all too much for me. The mirror slips from
my grasp, and lands on the coffin, with a shatter. The Senshi turn to
me, looking startled as I stare blankly at the broken mirror. I feel a
hand on my shoulder, and I turn around. Setsuna is looking at me
silently. I nod, as if understand her silent stare. I step forward, and
fall into her embrace as she leads my away.

        "Good-bye Haruka," I whisper one last time, before Setsuna leads
me into the long black limousine. As we zoom away, I stare vacantly
outside, and for a moment, I can see her, running with the wind. No, not
with. She is the wind.

* _ * _ * _ * _ *

With or Without You
Chapter One

        This is the oddest feeling I've ever encountered. It's like, I
have no physical limits, and my mind sees and feels things so clearly
now. I'm at the cemetery I think. There's a funeral going on. I walk
over there, no, more like glide. When I near the crowd, I noticed that
they are all familiar to me. There's Usagi, being lead away by Mamoru.
She's sobbing. Must have been someone close who died.

        I walk over to where the coffin lays, and I look in.  What? Why
did they put my henshin stick? I turn around as Rei comes up. "Rei, who
died? Why are you..." I stopped, as I noticed that she was ignoring me.
The next surprise was even more of a shock. She dropped my talisman, the
space sword, into the coffin as well, then she proceeded to walk right
through me.

        What's going on? Why can't they hear me, see me, or touch me? I
turn around, panic setting in, and I see Michiru. "Michiru!" I call out,
in vain. She looks so sad. Her eyes are red, and she seems so pale.  And
then Setsuna walks through me to the coffin. I follow her, and I hear
her. I hear her whisper something. "Haruka, be patient. All shall be
explained soon," then she left, and allowed little Hotaru to come up.
But, if she's talking to me...That means...I'm dead.

        I swallow with difficulty, as my predicament sinks in. Woah. So
this is what death feels like. What, am I just going to float around,
forever? That's even worse than being brainwashed by the Dark kingdom.

        Then I see it. A beam of light ahead of me. I touch it with my
fingers, and I feel as if I'm being sucked in into its depths. I let out
a cry, then I become silent, as I feel myself becoming one with my
guardian. The wind. It spreads through my soul, with amazing speed, and
soon, I can see everything.  Oh god Michiru! It's so beautiful! I can
see the whole world in one glance.  How I wish my Michiru could see
this.

        Then I see her, staring out the window of the limousine. And I
know she can see me, because for a fleeting second, I can see her eyes
light up. Oh god, she's so beautiful. Please, don't make me leave
her...Please...



Chapter Two

        For many days, Michiru refused to leave her room. She would
spend hours sitting on her bed, staring out the window, watching the
wind tease the sand and water. Now more than ever, the wind would hold
the image of Haruka in its grasp. It made Michiru go crazy. Setsuna and
Hotaru worried about her, and they tried to help, but with each passing
moment that she spent watching the wind, the more her sanity slipped
from her mind.

        One morning, Hotaru went into Michiru's room, carrying her
violin in her small hands. "Michiru-mama?" she whispered, tentatively.
Michiru continued to stare out the window. "Michiru-mama? Setsuna-auntie
though it would be a good idea...if you played...just a little..." she
suggested as she stepped forward, placing the violin beside Michiru.
Michiru turned, and looked at the violin for a moment. She picked it up,
holding it in her pale hands, before she stood up and threw it against
the wall. Hotaru let out a shriek of surprise. "GET OUT! YOU'RE ALL
TRYING TO TAKE ME AWAY FROM HER! ALL OF YOU!" she screamed, as tears
spilled down her cheeks. "N-no Michiru-mama.  No!" stuttered Hotaru as
she stepped back. "GET OUT!" Michiru screamed again, before Hotaru
whirled around, and ran from the room in fear. Michiru collapsed to the
ground, sobbing, trembling. "Get out..." she whispered.  "Get out..."
she curled up in a little ball, and fell into a restless sleep.

        Meanwhile, Hotaru was running down the stairs, crying. She ran
into the kitchen, where Makoto was showing Setsuna how to cook a proper
meal. They both turned around, startled as the little girl ran to
Setsuna, and grasped her leg. "M-Michiru-mama y-yelled at me!" she
babbled as she panted heavily from running and crying at the same time.
Setsuna knelt down, brushing Hotaru's bangs from her eyes. "Why did she
yell at you, Hotaru?" she asked quietly. "S-she said I w-was trying to
take her away from her...I wasn't! I swear!" the little girl cried. "I
know, Hotaru. I know," replied Setsuna as she hugged Hotaru tightly.
"Why don't you go outside, and play a little?" Makoto suggested. Hotaru
nodded, then walked hesitantly out the back door.

        Makoto wiped her hands on a towel, and took a seat at the table.
"She's losing it even more," she said, looking up at Setsuna. "I know
Makoto. But what can we do? She refuses our help, and she's constantly
staring out of that window," replied Setsuna, a twinge of sadness in her
voice. "If Haruka hadn't died, none of this would have happened you
know," murmured Makoto absently. "I know, but like I said, what can I
do? I can't defy the rules.  Who knows what would happen..." Setsuna
stared vacantly at the yellow flowers that Haruka had loved so much.
"Oh, I wasn't implying...I mean, I didn't mean for...Augh, well, you
know what I'm trying to say!" Makoto said, frustrated slightly. Setsuna
nodded. "Don't worry. We'll think of something." The two stood up, and
resumed their cooking lesson.

        Meanwhile, the wind faded away, leaving the waves and the sand
to rest quietly. The essence of Haruka looked up one last time at
Michiru's window, before disappearing.



Chapter Three

        "Help me, Michiru! I'm alive, I'm alive!" screamed the Haruka as
she clawed at the top of her casket. "HARUKA!" cried Michiru as she
tried to run to her, to save her. But she couldn't move. She looked down
with horror, and saw that her feet were being held tight by hands that
surfaced from the ground. She looked up again, helplessly. "HELP ME!"
Haruka screamed again, as the men in black cloaks slowly lowered the
coffin. "HELP ME!" "NOOOOOOO! STOP! SHE'S STILL ALIVE!" yelled Michiru
as they began to cover the coffin with dirt. One of them stopped, and
turned to her. "It's all you fault. You could have saved her. But it's
too late. It's too late..."

"It's too late.."

"It's too late..."

"It's too..."

        "NOOOO!" screamed Michiru as she sat upright in her bed, sweat
pouring down her forehead. "Haruka..." she whispered as she stood up,
and stumbled to her closet. She pulled out her blue housecoat, slipped
it on, and went to the balcony. With moves that a gymnast would envy,
she leapt down from the rail.  She landed with cat-like grace, and
headed towards her destination.

        Soon, she was there. At the cemetery where they had buried
Haruka. She walked over to the head stone, and knelt down. She hadn't
been here since the funeral, and it took her a moment to compose
herself. Suddenly, she started clawing at the top soil. She went on all
fours, and continued to tear at the dirt, vengefully. She continue on
like this for more than two hours. After awhile, her blood, and the dirt
had mixed, forming a reddish paste, but she didn't care. She had to save
Haruka! She had to!

        Meanwhile, back at the house, Setsuna's eyes blinked open, and
went wide, as she felt it. A disruption. She stood up and walked
cautiously up the steps, to Michiru's room. She knocked once, twice,
then she opened the door.  Michiru was gone. "Nooo..." she whispered as
she whirled around and ran downstairs. She grabbed her coat from the
stand, and ran outside. She knew where Michiru had gone. She knew what
she was trying to do. And she had to stop her, at all costs. Haruka's
life depended on it.

        Setsuna reached the cemetery in record time, and she sprinted to
where they had buried Haruka. She found Michiru, clawing at the dirt.
One of her hands, no longer had fingernails, and there was blood
everywhere. "Michiru..." she whispered. The girl did not reply, she just
continued on, panting heavily.  Setsuna touched her shoulder, and
Michiru flinched, but she ignored Setsuna.  Setsuna grabbed Michiru by
the shoulder, and yanked her back onto the ground. Michiru let out an
animal like cry. She clawed at Setsuna, then she managed to kick her
away. She scrambled to a nearby tree, and pulled out her henshin stick.
"NEPTUNE PLANET POWER....MAKE UP!" she yelled. But nothing happened.
Michiru stared at the stick for a moment, before dropping it like a hot
coal. She looked up, tears streaming down her face.

        Setsuna stepped closer to Michiru, extending her hand. Michiru
rushed forward, and collapsed into her arms, babbling about how she
could have saved Haruka, and why her henshin wouldn't work. "Shhh,
shhh....Don't worry Michiru, I promise I'll save her..before it's too
late....and I don't know why your henshin isn't working..." murmured
Setsuna as she cradled the sobbing woman in her arms. She slowly began
to lead her away from the cemetery, back towards their home.

        At the house, Setsuna bandaged Michiru's hands and took her
upstairs to her room. Before leaving, she locked the balcony door. She
said good-night, then went down to the kitchen. She made mental to fix
everything soon, before Michiru went completely insane. She had to do
it, before they were both lost. She sat down, and prepared some coffee,
because tonight, she would have no more rest. There was too much to be
done.



Chapter Four

        Sailor Pluto walked silently through the purple mist towards the
soft light that shined up ahead. Soon, she was there. A tall door loomed
in front of her, and she frowned slightly. She knew that she must not
tamper to much with time, or she could cause some odd paradox. But she
knew she had to do it. She had to continue on for the sake of two of her
closest friends. But first, before she did anything, she must discover
the exact moment before the disruption happened. She sat down, in a
meditative stance, and closed her eyes.

        She remembered the day well. Michiru and her had gone shopping,
looking for something to get Haruka for her birthday. They had stopped
at almost every shop, looking for the perfect gift. Soon, Michiru
stumbled accidentally upon a beautiful watch, that had an inscription on
it. It said, "The Wind". They had bought it immediately. They had
decided to take the bus, the morning before, and so, they stood waiting
at the bus stop. Michiru had glanced at her watch, wondering why the bus
was so late. Usually it was prompt. The two decided to walk, and
suddenly, bang! That's when she felt it. She had stumbled, and knelt
down on one knee, trying to regain her balance. Michiru had stopped, and
asked if she were alright, but all she did was get up, and run towards
the feeling. Michiru chased after her, dreadfully worried. Soon, they
reached it.

        There was a large crowd of people, around a tree. There was an
ambulance, and she had seen a flash of gold. Her first thought was, "Oh
dear, someone has died!" Then, she realized she wouldn't have felt it,
if it weren't someone important. She and Michiru pushed past the group
of people, and when they saw the ambulance attendents picking up a limp
body, she could hear Michiru whisper something in horror. They set the
body on the stretcher, and placed a white sheet over the face. But not
soon enough. She and Michiru had both seen who it was. Haruka. Haruka
was dead. Michiru had turned away, and ran.  While she stood there in
shock.

        Sailor Pluto opened her eyes, and sighed frustrated. Sure, she
knew when Haruka had died, but no one knew how, or exactly when Haruka's
car had rammed into the tree. If Sailor Pluto went back in time too
late, or too early...Who knows what would happen? "Well, if this is the
risk I must take, then it's the risk I will take," she muttered as she
searched through the ring of keys. Soon, she unclipped a long, brass
key, with a large P on the handle. The key of the past. She slipped it
into the door lock, and turned the key. The door swung open, and a puff
of mist emerged, sucking Sailor Pluto into the gate.

        Only a second later, Sailor Pluto was standing in the park,
where the accident had happened. She turned around, and tried to see if
the accident had already occurred. She checked the tree, and saw no
damage.  "Good, I'm not too late," she whispered as she sat down, and
waited.

        Meanwhile, Setsuna and Michiru were walking through a clock
store.  Setsuna was studying some of the antique clocks, while Michiru
fingered through some of the wristwatches. "Oh Michiru, come over here,
and take a look at this beautiful clock!" called Setsuna. Michiru turned
around, and bumped into a man, carrying a box. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I
didn't..." Michiru paused as she looked tentatively at the box he was
holding. In it, was the most beautiful gold watch she had ever seen.
"Amazing. How much?" she asked the man. "Oh, 500 dollars," the man
replied. "We'll take it," answered Setsuna behind him, as she handed him
a thousand dollar bill. The man's jaw dropped as he slowly plucked the
bill from her grasp. He ran over to the till, rang it up, and handed
Michiru the receipt and the box. "Oh yes, Miss. There's an inscription
on the back. `The Wind'. We can have it remov-" she cut him off. "No,
that's perfect. Just perfect," murmured Michiru as the two turned, and
left the store.

        Back at the tree, Sailor Pluto sat there, contentedly waiting.
Some children had stopped to look at her, and she had sent them on their
way. She heard a loud screech suddenly, and she looked up. A sleek,
yellow sports car was speeding down the street, with five youmas
directly above it. The disturbance. She stood up, wielding her staff.
Five..four...three...two....  "DEAD SCREAM!" she screamed as she twirled
around, sending the purple ball of energy slamming into the large
youmas.  The youmas didn't even know what hit them, as they fading into
dust. The car came to a halt, and Haruka jumped out. "Thank god! I was
beginning to get worried there! Wait, I thought you were with Michiru!"
she said as she walked over towards her. "Haruka, you must keep this to
yourself. No matter what. Promise me," replied Sailor Pluto, without
answering Haruka's question.  "Why, Setsuna?" Haruka asked, puzzled.
"Just do it." "All right, I promise." "Good. Good-bye, Haruka. I missed
you," murmured Sailor Pluto as she walked away from a puzzled looking
Haruka. She held up her staff, and soon, a purple mist whirled around
her, pulling her back to her own time.



Epilogue

        Michiru's eyes opened up with a start. She sat up, and raised
her hands.  She counted her fingernails. "One, two, three, four, five on
one hand. One, two, three, four, five on the other," she murmured
softly, totally shocked.  How could they have healed so fast? And where
were the bandages? She heard a soft moan, and she look down beside her.
She jumped up, and started screaming. "OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!!!!!!" She
heard the door slam open, as Setsuna rushed into the room. "Michiru,
what's wrong??" she asked, frightened. "HARUKA'S IN MY ROOM! HARUKA'S
ALIVE! HARUKA IS NOT DEAD!" she screamed in reply.

        Meanwhile, Haruka was laying beside the bed, with a surprised
expression on her face. She had fallen off as Michiru had started
screaming.  "Michi-love, what's wrong?" she asked in a groggy voice.
Michiru was about to say something, when she stopped, and a puzzled look
appeared on her face.  "I...I don't know..." she murmured, confused as
she sat back down on the bed. "I thought...." she began, but then
paused. "I can't remember what I thought..." Suddenly, Michiru leaned
down, and hugged Haruka tight. "I missed you..." she whispered. Haruka
gave her a puzzled look before she tentatively climbed back into bed.
Michiru looked up at the window and for a fleeting second, she swore she
saw Haruka in the wind, before she disappeared. Michiru shook her head,
thinking about how idiotic she had been behaving, and she cuddled next
to Haruka, and they fell asleep. Setsuna crept out of the room silently,
smiling all the way.

THE END

