Duty and Love

Act 2: Faster Than The Wind

"Sailor Neptune... You must obtain the three talismans in order to create the holy grail and search for the messiah."

"What's a talisman? And how do I find the messiah?" I pleaded with the figure. Their glaive glistened under the moonlight of the dreamy vision. There was a brief silence before the mass responded.

"Talisman are hidden inside those who are pure of heart. Heart crystals with a strong glow indicate the presence of a talisman. You'll be able to identify the messiah when the time comes, Sailor Neptune."

"How am I able to complete this task by myself?" I do not even know what the silence is, how on earth can I battle this alone?

"You have a dormant parter who can fulfil this important mission with you. She's complimentary to your own personality and abilities, however, she is also your opposite. This senshi fills the gaps that your own skill does not..."

The dream faded away and I could feel myself waking up. A partner... I wonder what kind of girl she is. Why hasn't she awakened on her own like I have, is she not burdened by the damning visions? Maybe she's fighting this pre-conceived destiny of ours. That's probably why. Too stubborn to accept our mission. She must accept who she is.

I arrived at school early today. This morning I have violin practise, with all this discussion of 'approaching silence,' I've barely been able to think about my playing. I slipped into one of the music area's little studios and began to play. The notes and chords danced and flowed through my head like the way fish explore the depths of the ocean. Would she enjoy the sound? My mind wandered back to the thoughts of my partner. Could we become friends? I rarely attach myself to others, what will she think of me?

I attended my lessons like normal. I saw the classmate I saved in English, he seems to be fine after that whole ordeal. During lunch I sat and ate with Elsa and some other friends. They were all gawking at a racing magazine, quite strange behaviour for such feminine people.

"Whoaaa check this out Akane. Isn't she stunning?" Yuu chimed. She was refering to the tall blonde racer standing next to her Ferrari.

"He's soo hot!!!" Akane replied. She was all but drooling over the image in the magazine.

"SHE's a woman!" discourse about the androgynous person arrose.

I interrupted. "Who is that?"

"How can you not know who this is? This is Haruka Tennoh, she's a rising star like yourself, Michiru." Yuu told me.

Regardless of her gender, she was absolutely beautiful. The racer was holding her helmet in one hand and was leaning against her car, she had a half-smug look on her face.

Elsa finally spoke, "she's the girl I was talking about the other day, Michiru. The one person rumoured to be faster than me in the Minato ward."

"An established racer and a brilliant runner..." I thought about what my vision told me, about the kind of person my partner is. Opposite yet complementary. I dislike sports yet she loves them. Perhaps the person I am searching for is someone like her.

"Hey! She's entered in this race this weekend," Akane said while clutching four tickets. "My brother scored these for me. We should all go!"

"Akane, you're brilliant!" Yuu exclaimed. She could barely contain her excitement.

Elsa and I exchanged a slightly amused glance. The two of us were hardly the fangirl type unlike Yuu and Akane.

The rest of that day and the following few preceding Haruka's race went by slowly. My yearning to see her with my own eyes would grow stronger each day. How strange to feel this way about a woman I've barely heard of, let alone met before. My sleep over these past few days had been absent of new visions. This made me both relieved to have some meaningful rest yet somewhat concerned as to why.

On the morning of the race I was torn between two kinds of outfits:

Casual yet comfortable; a baggy windcheater pared with some jet-black jeans.

Pretty but casual: a purple crop-top paired with my black skater skirt and my black Converse shoes.

I decided on the later as although I'd never have admitted to it, I wanted Haruka to notice me. And this one shows off my killer legs.

Elsa and I met on the train. We were headed for the Tokyo race track. We'd organised to meet our two other friends at our destination because they both live on different train lines. By the time we met with Yuu and Akane, the four of us realised we should have arrived earlier.

Almost the whole seating area was full. Despite us having tickets, the track was filled with other spectators. Most of which were her  fangirls. There was no chance that she'd notice me now.

Eventually we secured some seats in one of the middle rows, it was better than nothing. At the first glimpse of Haruka's race car the crowd went wild. I watched her complete lap after lap of the track, stunned by her efforts.

Why did she fascinate me so? Why do I long to cruise beside her along the beach as she drives? After crossing the finish line she exited her car and waved to the masses. She'd won the tournament. I could now see she was as passionate about motor sports as I am about playing the violin.

"Complimentary but different," I muttered silently. She must be the one.

"She's really something else, huh?" Elsa noted. I turned my face to look at her. She'd originally come to analyse the kind of person Haruka was. But, like the rest of us, she was distracted and stared in awe at the skilful woman.

I shifted my focus back to the prestigious racer. To my surprise, it seemed as though she were staring at me, though difficult to be sure of from this distance. Had she seen me? Does she know about who I am? Haruka looked away the moment I caught her gaze.

It was soon time to return home. After what felt like the longest train ride of my time, I entered my house. I think I spent the rest of the afternoon daydreaming about that woman. And that night I was again greeted by a now too familiar figure.

"Sailor Neptune," the voice echoed, "time is running out. You must confront her; Sailor Uranus."

"But who is she?"

"You know the answer to that question."