Deep Sea Diving

New Lives

"Marry me?" Haruka muttered.

"You still got my ring?" I asked. Haruka broke from the kiss, reaching into her pocket and pulling out my ring. My smile widened. Haruka grabbed my hand, slipping the ring back onto my finger, safety where it was supposed to go.

MEMORY

"Here." Uranus said, holding a ring out to me. "I snuck down to Earth, had this made for you."

"You snuck down to Earth?" I breathed. I cupped Uranus' hand, turning it delicately to inspect the ring. A silver band adorned with a turquoise teardrop gem. "If Queen Serenity found out-"

"She won't." Uranus promised, pressing the ring into my hands. "When our service to protect our Kingdom ends, I swear to you Neptune, I shall marry you, just as Kings and Queens have promised themselves to each other for Eons."

"You swear it?"

"I swear it."

MEMORY END

"What day did we decide my love?" I asked, going back to gently threading my fingers through Haruka's hair again.

"The day we decided all those years ago?" She muttered. "The first day our service ended."

"Well, our service is still continuing." I sighed. "We didn't protect our Kingdom when we were supposed to. If we could get in contact with Queen Serenity we can ask what she wanted of us but...I don't think she's with us anymore." I looked to the sky. "If we could just reach the Moon...we can see if that holds any clues for us."

"We can do that tonight." Haruka said. "It's a full Moon, so it works."

"Alright. Tonight. We'll go to the Moon."

That night, Uranus and I stood on top of her apartment building, waiting for the sky to clear. I had my Mirror in my hand, resting it on my chest. Uranus had her sword by her side, ger grip tight on it's handle. "Tonight's the perfect night." Uranus commented.

"The Moon is beautiful tonight." I added, gazing up at the large celestial being in the stary sky.

"Not as beautiful as you." I gave Uranus a half-hearted glare.

"Oh hush you." I turned my eyes back at the Moon. The clouds moved away from the Moon, and shone down at us. In response, our Talismans shone faintly. "It's time." We lifted our Talismans.

"Oh Serenity." Uranus and I started, our eyes sliding closed. "Guide us on our journey home. Allow us to arrive safely." Light gathered behind my eyelids and I felt myself becoming lighter, and when I opened my eyes slowly, before they snapped open. What laid before us, was a ruin. Walls were crumbled, the lush gardens that once covered most of the castle grounds were dead and lifeless.

"Is this..." Uranus muttered.

"Silver Millennium." I breathed, tears pooling in the corners of my eyes. "Home..."

"What happened here?" Uranus demanded. I pulled my Mirror away from my chest and peered into it's reflective surface. My reflection stared back at me for a moment before it rippled and the past appeared in my hand. The tears spilt from my eyes as I watched the carnage. I watched as a dark evil infected the minds of Earthlings and attacked Silver Millennium. Our Kingdom was overrun by the people of Earth, and then the scene shifted to Uranus, Pluto and myself. We awakened Sailor Saturn...and Saturn turned Silver Millennium to dust.

"It was our fault." I croaked. Uranus turned to me. I showed her the Mirror. "We did this. We woke Sailor Saturn and she destroyed our Kingdom."

"Damn it!" Uranus cursed. "How could we?"

"We didn't think there was any other choice." I reminded her. "Either way, we failed our Queen...and our Princess."

"We can't fail again." Uranus stated. "Whatever this new enemy is, we have to stop them, to be worthy for them again." I nodded.

"That shall be our new mission." I stated. "Find Pluto, end these new enemies, and pay back our debt to Queen Serenity. She allowed us to live again, so we must be worthy of her gift." Uranus nodded in agreement.

I looked out the window of my new apartment, placing my hand lightly on the glass. I watched as the droves of new students dressed in green and maroon filed into the new school that was Mugen Academy. I sighed, buttoning up my own maroon shirt. It's been a while since I saw my dad. He periodically transferred money into my account, and that was all the contact I had with him. He paid for my school tuition and rent, which was the least he could do. I braided part of my hair and wrapped it around my head before letting the rest of my hair fall down my back. I collected my bookbag and music and headed out. Haruka met me out the front of my apartment building. I smiled at her, wrapping my arm around hers as the two of us walked to school together.