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The Silver Millennium had returned. Crystal Tokyo stood eternal. The Inner Senshi remained at Princess Serenity's side, the Outer Senshi scattered across the Solar System, each to guard her own lonely sector. Despite their bond on Earth, Michiru hadn't spoken to Haruka in years.
One day, after a particularly trying battle with some kind of space worm, Michiru limped through her palace that orbited the planet for which she was named. She wandered the empty, echoing halls, gazing through the large windows that let her view her planet. No light shone through the clouds, no sign of life. She knew there were people down there, few and far between, but they felt millions of miles away. Sometimes she wondered if she was the only soul in the universe. She resigned herself to her solitude and went to bed.
A crash woke her some hours later and she fell out of bed in her hurry to get up. She ran, wincing, to the entrance hall. Flinging open the heavy door she found the last person she expected.
Haruka.
Michiru was about to ask why she was there, when Haruka took a few limping steps forward before she grunted in pain and keeled sideways. Michiru rushed to catch her, wincing as her muscles screamed. Heaving the taller girl into her arms, Michiru carried her to the bedroom.
Gently placing Haruka's limp form on her own bed, she rushed to a cabinet to gather supplies. She surveyed Haruka's wounds, finding multiple gashes and a broken wrist on her sword arm. Michiru took a deep breath and began disinfecting the wounds, careful not to aggravate the broken wrist. Haruka hissed in pain as the bitter stinging liquid hit her wounds. Michiru dressed the wounds carefully, avoiding causing Haruka more pain, and moved to set her wrist. Haruka's eyes were heavy, breath shallow. Michiru breathed a soft apology and carefully twisted the other girl's wrist until the bones aligned with a small pop. Haruka grunted and her brows knit in pain. Michiru quickly made a splint and wrapped it in spare bandages. Haruka's face contorted in pain as she accidentally wrapped the bandage too tightly. Michiru adjusted it and secured it with a simple knot. Haruka lay still in Michiru's bed despite the pain. Michiru tucked a loose hair behind Haruka's ear gently and cleaned up the supplies.
She placed the bandage roll and disinfectant in the cabinet before sitting on the edge of the bed, making sure Haruka was resting peacefully. She leaned over and kissed her lightly on the forehead before standing to leave. She turned towards the door, hesitating. It had been years, maybe even centuries since she had seen Haruka. She took a shaky step forward, determined to leave Haruka behind, as the other girl had once done to her. Just as she was working up the courage to leave, slender fingers gently wrapped around her wrist. Michiru froze, fist clenching as she resisted the urge to turn. She knew what she would see. Blue eyes.
"Michiru." Haruka's low voice rasped. Michiru steeled herself and turned to look at the other girl. Haruka gazed at her imploringly. Michiru felt something in her chest twist and she lowered her gaze.
"Stay. Please." Haruka begged.
"I've spent centuries trying to convince myself you didn't want me. Yet here you are. Why did you come back, after the way we parted?"
"I never wanted to leave you... I had to. I had no choice. It was never meant to last so long."
"Haruka..."
"Michiru..."
"So why didn't you come back?" Michiru choked out.
"I felt you'd be better without me." Haruka admitted. Silence hung heavy in the dim room. Michiru turned away. She heard Haruka shift and felt the gentle brush of lips against her hand.
"Let me fix it?" Haruka pleaded.
"How will you fix it?" Michiru replied skeptically, hurt laced in her words.
"Let me start by not leaving you tonight. Let yourself decide in the morning whether to abandon me again or not. But for tonight, let me pretend we never lost our way."
Michiru sighed, staring at the open door, thinking of the empty halls beyond. Here, she had the one thing she'd been aching for for centuries. The one thing she may never get back. She found she had no desire to leave the room. So she hesitantly slipped into the bed beside her. Haruka pulled her into her arms, holding her close. Michiru let herself melt into her embrace, comforted by the familiar feeling. Haruka wanted her to stay, and she didn't want to leave, or be left again. So she stayed.
"I'll stay if you will." She whispered, her head tucked beneath Haruka's chin. She felt Haruka swallow nervously.
"You know our duties. You know what we have to do."
"I do. And yet I still promise to stay by your side, through life and death. Through the storms of our own making." Michiru reassured her. Haruka held her tighter, as if she thought she'd drift away if she ever let her go.
"So stay." Michiru pleaded. Those simple words were Haruka's undoing. The stony Senshi relented, kissing Michiru's teal hair in silent surrender to the desperate hope blooming within her.