Sailor Moon: Secondary Characters: Scalene
{Jon Carp}
Address:  jcarp@med.unc.edu

Special Thanks to Vic Naqvi, for letting me steal his idea.  Also for
reading and helping with this and the previous story.

Stop, Dave, stop.  My mind is going, I can feel it.  Stop.  There is no
question.  I can feel it.  I can feel it.  I can feel it.  I'm afraid.--HAL

Why did they send her, over anyone else?  How should I react?  These things
happen to other people.  They don't happen at all, in fact.  When you're
following an angel, does it mean you have to throw your body off a
building?--They Might Be Giants

        Michiru (and Haruka) walked past the window of the cafe on their way
somehwere.  Setsuna nearly spat her coffee across the room.
        She put the mug down quickly.  She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply,
and then let the breath out as slowly as she could.  She was okay again.
        Except for the tingling in her gut and the image that would not
allow itself to be forced out of her brain.
        DAMMIT!


        Haruka and Michiru lay on the bed side by side.  Someone banged on
the door, adding percussion to Hotaru's calling voice.  "For godsake guys,
you're making us sick.  When are you gonna soundproof your room like I asked
you?"
        "Tomorrow," Michiru called back.  "Got the plans and everything."
        "Pfft.  Right.  You two enjoy disturbing and annoying us, don't
you?"
        "I'm really suprised you didn't figure that out until now," Haruka
yelled.
        Hotaru laughed and walked away.
        Michiru stretched.  "I call the shower," she said.
        "It's not who calls it.  It's who gets there first.  And I'm faster
than you are."
        "Yeah, but I'm craftier.  I'll...trip you or something."
        Haruka giggled, and was about to say something, but was cut off by
the sound of someone screaming.
        Both of them jumped in suprise and then looked around for the
source.  It was very close by.
        Setsuna was sitting in the corner, sobbing and screaming her head
off.  Michiru ran over and tried to comfort her.  It did no good.
        But after a while she did stop screeching.  She covered her face
with her hands.  "It's not fair," she repeated over and over all night.
"It's NOT FAIR!"
        Michiru held her softly, bewildered.  "It's okay, Setsuna," she
whispered.  "We're here.  I'm here."

        "What's the matter with her?"
        "We don't know, Hotaru."  Michiru sighed out of frustration and
anxiety.  "It really could be anything."
        "But she's okay now, right?"
        "As far as we know," Haruka said.  "She calmed down, what, an hour?"
Michiru nodded.  "An hour ago.  But she still hasn't said anything.  She..."
        Setsuna walked into the room, eyes possibly bloodshot.  She wasn't
smiling.  She wasn't crying.
        "I'm sorry making you worry," she announced weakly.  "I didn't
mean to.  It's just...being alive again has been very difficult for me."
        Just old Setsuna, trying to keep her emotions completely inside all
the time.  Quite a relief for all of them.  "We understand," Hotaru said.
        "Thank you," Setsuna said, keeping her emotions completely inside.
"I'm glad you're..."  She realized Michiru was looking at her.  "Please,
don't do that.  I can't...your eyes...please stop."
        But nobody understood what she meant.   They all kept looking right
at her.
        "Please, Michiru, please...oh god, please!"  She ran into the
bathroom and threw up in the toilet.
        Hotaru followed, and Michiru tried too, but Haruka's hand on her
shoulder stopped her short.
        She turned around and they looked into each other's eyes.  The look
on Haruka's face reflected in Michiru's pupils was the same as always when
they gazed at each other.  It was far too familiar not to be noticed in
others.
        Michiru broke away and remembered what was happening.  "What are you
doing?  We have to help Setsuna!  She's sick!"
        "No," Haruka whispered.  She held Michiru tight and looked at her
tenderly, trying to prepare one or the other or both for the apparent truth.
        "She loves you, Michiru."
        Knees buckled, and Michiru would have collapsed to the ground had
she not been supported.  "What?  No...how do you..."
        "I can tell.  It's true."
        "But...but I don't understand, how could she...why..."  Michiru's
words dissolved into tears and sobbing babbles.  She held Haruka as tight
as she could and cried on her shoulder.


        I learned, after so many years, that cliches are never right.
Except one.  I've heard it over and over, in multiple languages and many
different forms, and I KNOW how true it is.
        "Beauty is fleeting."
        Well, of course it is.  I've seen so many handsome men and beautiful
women, and what's become of them?  Dust.  Dust is not very attractive.
        Yes, there were romances at the beginning, and that short
infatuation with the prince, but I've learned a lot since then.  And I
promised myself that I would be alone forever, and...
        blue shining waters at ME green waves smile bright cool warm love
love love lov...
        NO!  It's Haruka and Michiru it's Uranus and Neptune always for
forever that's the way it is!  I'm alone!  I have to be.  I'm Pluto, Pluto
is alone.  I...
        She held me.  Oh god, she looked at me and her eyes (blue and
wonderful) looked into me and she loves me she took care of me.
        That magical moment that never could have happened but did.  She
touched me on the hand and my body tingled and I knew I couldn't keep my own
promise.  And she smiled and said "Thank you, thank you".
        And then later noises sounds coming from their room all the time
and she forgets about me.
        Just ask her who she loves most.  "Haruka," she'll say.  "Haruka
Haruka Haruka."
         why


        Overprotectiveness goes hand in hand with bitterness, especially
when both are justified.  It was hard to tell which motivated Haruka's
actions over the next few weeks.
        First she just tried to seperate the two, but the fact that they
lived in the same house made that exceedingly difficult.
        Then, attempting to use peer pressure to her advantage, she told
everybody everything, accenting especially Setsuna's bizarre behavior.  She
urged them to talk to Michiru, and bring her to her senses, just in case she
actually was being tempted.  They all saw through this easily.

        The problem was recognized, and they did try to figure out what to
do about it.  Their discussions did not produce much, however, even when all
the senshi (except those involved) attended.
        Rei was obviously disgusted.  "I don't need to think about this,"
she said.  "You're putting pictures in my head I don't want."
        "We're so sorry," Makoto said.  "But we need to do something.  I
mean, Setsuna's definately not acting like herself here.  I can't imagine
she'd ever do anything like this."
        "She would," Hotaru replied quietly.  "I know her better than all of
you, and she would do this.  I've suspected it for a long time.  Probably
longer than she has."
        "How many goddamn lesbians are there?!" Rei suddenly burst out.  "Is
this some kind of outer thing?  Hotaru, tell me the truth, you like girls,
don't you?"
        Hotaru giggled despite herself.  "No, Rei, I don't."
        "Not yet.  Listen, I say we should just leave them alone and let
them take care of this.  It's not like they..." Rei trailed off, and stared
at the door.  Michiru was there.
        "I'm sorry to interrupt your meeting," she muttered.  "But I need to
talk to Ami."
        They were all suprised, but Ami stood up.  "Um...sure," she said.
"Excuse us, guys."
        They both went into the next room.  Michiru shut the door behind
them.  "Thank you."
        "What do you need?"
        Michiru sighed.  "Some advice," she said.  "I'm sorry to involve
you, but I need your brain.  I need someone who can think things out
logically and not rely on their feelings."
        Ami wasn't quite sure what to say.  "Well...Michiru, you're probably
not going to want to hear this, but I don't think I can help.  It's your
decision, and to tell you the truth, logic is not the best way to go about
it."
        "You don't understand.  I think with my heart always, and here I
don't know what to do."
        Poor girl.  Well, if she wanted logic and/or structure for her
thinking, it was the least Ami could do to supply it for her.  "Okay, first
things first," she said.  "Do you love Haruka?"
        "Yes."
        "Do you love Setsuna?"
        Michiru paused miserably.  "I don't know."
        Ami sighed.  "That means yes, doesn't it?"
        Michiru nodded, tears in her eyes.  "I didn't mean to," she
muttered.  "It just happened, I couldn't help it."  She shook her head and
seemed to snap out of a trance.  "But that's not important," she said
quickly.  "My feelings don't matter.  I just don't want to hurt either of
them."
        "You're going to have to," Ami said.  "There's no way around it.
The only suggestion I can make is to choose the one you love more, and try
to support the other as much as possible."
        Michiru nodded.  "You're right," she murmured sadly.  "But oh god, I
hate myself."

        Setsuna stood in her room facing the mirror.  Her face was
completely emotionless.
        As it should be.
        She stared at herself.  "That's right," she muttered.  "That's
right, Pluto.  That's the way you're supposed to be."
        The reflection had tears dripping out of its eyes.  This infuriated
her.
        "No," she growled.  "No.  You're not like that.  You don't love
people.  You're FOND of people.  Yes, that's it.  You're very FOND of
Michiru because she's kind to you.  And...you're confused because...being
alive again has made you feel strong emotions for the first time since you
were a child.  And so you've latched onto someone you're fond of.  Yes, just
a completely normal reaction."
        She thought of Michiru.  She could see the reflection's heart
flutter.
        "Stop," she commanded, but the person in the mirror was finally
letting itself feel what it needed to feel.  Too late to turn back now.
"Stop," she said again.  It refused.
        "STOP!!" she screamed, and flung her fist towards the glass.  The
reflection broke and exploded.
        She began to sob again.


        Setsuna stood outside Michiru's room, wiping away her tears.  Unlike
Haruka, with that terrified/arrogant attitude, she knew what she had to do.
        She put her hand on the doorknob and closed her eyes.
        "I've forgotten who I'm supposed to pray to.  I'm sorry.  But
whoever you are, please let her choose me.  Please please please please
please..."
        She went in.  It was very cold, for some reason.
        Michiru sat in her favorite chair, one and a half empty boxes of
kleenex on the arm.
        Setsuna walked over to her and clasped her hand in her own.
        "Setsuna," the girl murmured, looking straight ahead.
        "Michiru," Setsuna pleaded.  "Don't choose me.  Please, you can't.
You and Haruka are supposed to be together forever.  Pluto is alone, and
Neptune and Uranus love each other.  Anything that's different from that
will only hurt us."
        "I don't care.  I don't care about any of that.  I...I love you
both.  I don't know what to do."
        "Choose her.  Think of all you've been through together.  She loves
you more than I ever could.  Please."  Setsuna was getting choked up.  She
stood up and left quickly.

        They're both so beautiful.  And they love me.  They don't deserve to
go through this.  I don't want to have to choose one.
        But I do.  Setsuna, she seems so cold and distant, but I remember
when she forgave me, the look on her face.  She cares so much.
        But Haruka...is Haruka.  How could I not choose her?  How could...
        dark cold fading hand on fading hand grip tighter can't let go can't
lose her have to tighter maybe last time I feel her ever...
        There's no choice to be made.
        We live together, we die together, we live together.  I'm sorry,
Setsuna.
        Who do I love most?
        Haruka.  Haruka Haruka Haruka.
        I'm so sorry.

        Things were set right again.  Setsuna's mission had been completed.
        She stood on the edge of the office building's roof, tears blown
away and not reaching the street below.
        "Will that happen to me?  Will I just be carried by the wind?"
        No.  She will go straight down, her velocity increasing, until the
sudden deceleration will splatter her on the sidewalk, and she'll be dead
again.
        Death.  It will be beautiful.  Not as beautiful as Michiru, but
close.
        She whispered one final apology to herself and the universe for
forsaking her duty, but still could not bring herself to care anymore.
        She jumped.
        At least they'll be happy.  Michiru and Haruka together like they
always have been and they always will be, like they're supposed to be.
        Like they're supposed to be.  Michiru and...Haruka.
        Time slowed as things worked themselves out in her mind.  A smile
spread across her face.  She laughed and disappeared.

        Two babies thousands of years and miles apart found themselves in
each other's cribs.  This sudden, bizarre shift probably would have caused
tantrums, if not for the comforting green-haired woman standing over them.

        Haruka opened her eyes and smiled.  She reached over and lay her
hand on familiar form next to her.
        Michiru stretched.  "Good morning," she murmured.
        "Morning," Haruka replied.  She leaned over and kissed her lover.
Then she got up and walked over to the mirror.
        "Yeesh!" she exclaimed.  "I slept on my hair wrong again.  Man, I'm
going to be combing it all day."
        "I'm telling you, cut it," Michiru said.  "I think I'd like it
shorter, anyway."
        Haruka faked a pout.  "I thought you loved me the way I am."
        Michiru jumped up and gave Haruka a peck on the lips.  "I do.  It's
just that your hair's ridiculously long."
        Haruka laughed.  "You're so cute," she said.

        Michiru (and Haruka) walked past the window of the cafe on their way
somewhere.  Setsuna nearly spat her coffee across the room.
        She put the mug down quickly.  She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply,
and then let the breath out as slowly as she could.  She was okay again.
        Except for the tingling in her gut and the image that would not
allow itself to be forced out of her brain.
        DAMMIT!
        Michiru.  Michirumichirumichirumichirumichirumichiru...she hummed it
to herself.  It sounded like birds singing.
        She wanted to touch her.  Hold her and kiss her and love her and be
loved back and...

        NO.  They're meant to be together.  I'm not part of it.  I just have
to keep repeating that to myself, and eventually I'll start believing it.

        Setsuna stood up, ran a hand through her short blonde hair, and
walked out of the cafe.



