A Guardian In Need of Saving

Chapter One

The winding roads of her favored route were empty today, and the city of Tokyo was sprawled along the horizon like a glistening expanse of starlight. A fierce breeze rustled the ancient birch trees hanging low above the interstate, a canopy of browning leaves that marked the changing of the season. Winter would soon be upon them, but the threat of fresh snow clinging to the frigid air was hardly a deterrent for Haruka. She would drive through sleet if it meant clearing the fog from her head.

Such a constant haze had been steadily consuming her these past month, and she could not place a finger on its exact origin. She had never known such peace, such beautiful, undulating sunlight that rose every morning at dawn. It was not plagued by the shadows of daimons or phages, by the enemies meant to harm those she loved. Haruka often still dreamt of them, of the things she'd endured in the name of the Moon and her Princess.

She recalled Sailor Galaxia so vividly, her golden armor shining bright beneath the stars. A dismissive wave of her hand, and Haruka still dreamt of Michiru falling to her knees, her Star Seed gone and the light dimming from her eyes. It kept her awake most nights, sweating and gasping for breath, and Haruka had to remind herself that she and Michiru were safe, that the future Neo-Queen Serenity had brought them back from a realm of such endless dark.

A sigh escaped through her lips, and Haruka propped her elbow against the rolled down window of her convertible. The wind raced through her hair, tousling her short blonde locks and whipping them in front of her face. She swept it back with her fingers, her calloused thumb brushing over the bare skin of her forehead. It'd been months since she'd worn her tiara, its sparkling gem the same shade of blue as her eyes. Michiru had always told her how handsome the relic made her look, how it added a soft, gentle touch of beauty to the otherwise sharp angles of her face.

Turning onto a lane that most would have missed unless looking for it, Haruka forced herself to sit up tall in her seat. When she and Michiru had bought this house a several weeks ago, they'd chosen not to pave the old dirt road that served as their winding driveway. They could hear the sound of tires on dirt and stone from anywhere on their small slice of property, and without the constant threat of Earth succumbing to destruction, the wind and sea no longer whispered their secrets. Haruka had needed some peace of mind in knowing when she and Michiru had visitors.

The gilded front door of a large, slightly dated manor opened onto a wrap-around porch. Michiru stood beneath the threshold as Haruka pulled her car around, parking it beneath the shade of an old weeping willow tree. She'd barely managed to haul herself from the front seat when a blur of dark hair shot from around Michiru, barreling straight for Haruka's long legs. She braced herself for the inevitable impact.

"Haruka!" Hotaru flung her arms around Haruka's torso and squeezed. "You've been gone for hours. Where were you? Michiru and Setsuna were getting worried."

She smoothed back Hotaru's hair and smiled. "I went for a drive," Haruka told her, gently untangling herself from the child's crushing embrace. She reached into the back seat of her convertible and procured a plastic bag. "I picked up carry-out. I thought everyone might be hungry."

Hotaru grinned and snatched the bag from between Haruka's fingers. "I'll go put this on the table," she said. "Michiru figured you'd bring dinner home, so we've been waiting on you to eat." She clutched the carry-out containers against her chest and raced for the front porch, bounding up the stairs and past Michiru.

Michiru shook her head as Hotaru disappeared into the house, calling out for Setsuna as she went. "If you were going to be late," she chided softly, raising an eyebrow at Haruka as she dragged herself up the steps. "You should have called."

"I'm sorry," Haruka said, towering over Michiru and pressing a kiss to her brow. "I didn't intend to be gone for so long."

Lacing their fingers between them, Michiru tucked herself beneath Haruka's chin. She closed her eyes and breathed in deep, sighing contentedly at the familiar scent of Haruka's favored cologne. "Did your drive help to clear your head?"