Disclaimer: This is purely the work of a fan in appreciation of a spectacular show and manga, Sailor Moon. I in no way claim copyright to the original characters, nor do I wish to make a profit off of this. Sailor Moon is © 1994-2001 Naoko Takeuchi. "How Come, How Long" is © Babyface.

with the wrong kind of man

She paid with her life

for loving that man

So we can not ignore

we must look for the signs

And maybe next time we can save somebody's life

-'How come, How long' Babyface

"Ms. Tsukino, please come in and have a seat."

Usagi Tsukino did as she was told and stared into the eyes of the investigator sitting across from her. "I have a few questions to ask you concerning-"

"I know what this investigation concerns ma'am. If you haven't forgotten, this case has affected me very deeply." Her manner was not that of a young naive girl who always seemed to be cheerful, but that of someone who'd witnessed far more than she wanted.

The investigator nodded "I know this is a sensitive area for you and I know you understand why we needto ask you questions so I'll be brief. For the record, could you please state your name and your relation with the victim."

Usagi's face stayed neutral "You already know both."

"I realize this but please cooperate."

Usagi sighed "I am Tsukino Usagi and I was the victim's close friend."

The investigator wrote this down "Ms. Tsukino, did you notice anything unusual with the victim in the last days you saw her?"

"Are we going to continue calling her a victim or can we save a little of her grace and say her name." Usagi said, in a tone that hinted that it wasn't a question, but a demand. The investigator shook her head "I am sorry, but protocol insists we do not refer to a victim by name. Now please answer the question."

Usagi stared at the desk in front of her "If you mean different from how she'd been acting in the last year I saw her, then no. But there was a point when she began acting much different than she used to."

"Was this after she met the charged?"

"Yes. About two weeks after." Usagi ran a hand through her bangs "God, if I'd only realized what was happening..."

"It wasn't your fault. Now could you please try to recall everything you can remember. Starting when the victim began to act differently."

Usagi nodded slowly as the memory came back to her. "The first thing I noticed was that she didn't seem to want to go anywhere anymore."

***************************

"Hey girls look at this!" Usagi held up a flyer for a carnival that had recently come to town. "I was walking home when I found this and I thought we could all go here together, with our boyfriends."

"Or girlfriends" stated Michiru as she took the flyer.

"That sounds like a great idea Usagi. It could be a double date..uh...times three...plus four." Said Makoto.

Rei shook her head "Sorry, I'd like to but Teki is busy so he wouldn't be able to come, and I have a few things to deal with at the temple."

Ami nodded in agreement "I understand Rei-chan. I need to go to class soon."

Minako shook her head "That's not the same thing Ami-chan. You still have medical classes to go to. The rest of us are done with classes." She said with all the air of someone who'd finally escaped some vast prison.

Usagi looked at Haruka and Michiru "Will you two come? Please? If you don't you'll spoil this great plan."

They shook their heads "Sorry Usagi-chan." Said Michiru "I have a violin concert to perform in and Haruka has a race coming up that she wants to practice for."

"Oh...okay...I guess I won't do a double date deal, but Mamo-chan and I can still go together."

"Yeah, you two will have fun." Said Rei "Now I have to go back to the temple. Ja matta Usagi."

"I better leave as well. I have to study. Sayonara Usagi-chan. "Ami turned and headed toward the library.

*****************************

"That doesn't sound too unusual." The investigator said slowly.

Usagi closed her eyes "You're right. That's why I didn't take much notice of it. But she kept making the same excuse for everything. We didn't see each other very much after that, because she always said she was too busy." There was a moment of silence that was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Please come in." Said the investigator. A tall blonde entered the room.

"Haruka-san? Why are you here?" asked Usagi

Haruka answered as she sat down "Same reason you are."

Usagi looked at her. Haruka looked as if she hadn't had a good night's sleep in quite some time. Oh she didn't look totally disheveled but there were slight circles under her eyes and there was a certain air of...melancholy perhaps, that seemed to echo around the room, emanating from her, just as it did from Usagi.

The investigator spoke "Please state your name and relation to the victim."

"I am Tenoh Haruka and I was a friend of the victim. Perhaps I could have been more and helped her."

"What do you mean by that?"

Haruka answered "Well, as I'm sure Usagi has told you, the victim had been acting ... strange for a long time. After a while we began to accept her behavior as the norm. After about two months she began acting almost cryptically. I don't know why I never realized it was her way of silently asking for help, scince that would have been the only way I would have asked for help."

"Were you and the victim simaler in many ways?"

"Yes. We were both skilled in martial arts and we were both fast, although in different ways. She was fast at changing directions and adapting to new situations, while I'm fast at running flat out. We had the same foolish pride, the same stubbornness, the same tendency to totally throw ourselves into what we are doing. That's why I could often tell when she was upset. But this time I stupidly ignored the signs and well...look where it got us all."

"Could you please explain what you meant when you said you could have been more than a friend to the victim?"

Haruka was silent for a bit "The victim's only living relative died when the victim was still a minor. I was older and should have offered her a place to stay until she could get back on her feet. But I didn't and she ended up living with the charged."

"I see. Tenoh-san, I understand you were present during the last few days of the victim's life."

Haruka nodded "Hai. I was there, as were Kaioh Michiru and Mizuno Ami."

"The victim and the charged were staying at a hotel. To my understanding, you and those you have mentioned were there also."

"Right. Usagi-chan would visit every so often, scince we were staying there for six weeks, but she wasn't staying there."

Usagi sighed heavily "I was to busy to stay there, plus I didn't really have a reason for staying there. Mamo-chan and I were planning out our wedding when-" Usagi caught herself as her throat tightened. Haruka put a hand on her shoulder.

"Tenoh-san, why were you and the others staying at the hotel and what were the room arrangements?"

"Well, the victim was there to give her debut singing performance at a Kyoto festival. The charged was there to 'cheer her on' as he said. I was there to compete at the festival in a motorcycle race, Ami-chan was there to compete in a swimming event, she was convinced to come by Michiru. Michiru herself was there to give a violin performance as well as display her artwork. The reason why we were staying so long was to prepare without distraction, as well as stay for the entire festival, which lasted about two weeks due to all the events taking place. As for the room arrangements, Michiru and I were in the room directly beside the victim's and Ami was in the room directly under the victim's."

"Didn't you notice anything suspicious happening in the room next to yours?"

Haruka was silent for a long moment and she felt Usagi's eyes burrowing into her.

"Yes."

Usagi suddenly leapt from her seat, knocking over her chair in the process "What?! You KNEW what was going on?! How COULD you! How COULD you leave her alone with that MONSTER when you KNEW!"

"Ms. Tsukino..."

Usagi ignored the investigator "Why didn't you HELP her?! Why didn't you do something...ANYTHING?! Haruka-san you...you...BASTARD!"

The investigator stood up and grabbed Usagi's shoulder "Now that's enough! Have a seat Ms Tsukino."

Usagi shook the investigator's hand off "You left her with HIM! You didn't help her! I don't care what any report says, if you and Michiru-san and Ami-chan knew what was happening and you didn't help that makes you all as bad as the murderer!"

The investigator righted the chair, grabbed both of Usagi's shoulders quite firmly and pushed the raving woman into the chair. "I said have a seat Ms. Tsukino. We did not come here to shout at each other."

Usagi continued to glare at Haruka.

Haruka spoke without facing Usagi. She didn't want to see Usagi's eyes and see the pain that she knew was in them. The pain she'd seen in her own eyes when she looked in the mirror. The pain she'd seen when she looked into Michiru's, or Ami's eyes. Worse, the pain in Usagi's eyes was undoubtedly at least three-fold. "I never said Michiru or Ami-chan knew anything. I didn't even say I knew what was going on. All I said was that I knew something suspicious was happening. I didn't know what and I didn't feel I should go stick my nose in. I blame myself for that all the time."

The investigator jotted down a few things. "Tenoh-san, could you please describe the final weeks of the victim's life?"

Silence.

"Tenoh-san?" the investigator asked again.

Haruka gave a long heavy sigh.

"Most of the time things went as they would have if the incident never happened. Every once in a while though..."

*******************************

"Well, we're done setting the paintings up, everything's ready for the art show." Said Michiru as she and Haruka headed back to their room.

"Yeah, I know they'll love your work. You'll knock 'em dead, after all, that's what you do best. Next to swimming, playing the violin, looking great, acting perfectly in public, singing...."

Michiru gave her lover a playful slap on the arm "Now Haruka, just because I'm better at more things than you are..."

"Oh ho! Is that so?" asked Haruka as she snaked her arm around Michiru's shoulders and pulled her closer. Michiru smiled and was about to say something when the both of them heard a crashing sound. Their heads jerked towards the source of the noise and they found themselves staring at the door to Rei and Teki's room. They looked at each other, then Haruka walked up to the door, slowly, hesitated, then knocked on the door. There was a shuffling sound from inside the room, then the door opened just enough to reveal Teki's face "Hello?"

"Hello Teki-san, how are things going?" asked Haruka in a casual manner.

"Things are going just perfectly fine Haruka-san." The reply was equally casual in tone, but the way it was phrased seemed a bit strange.

Michiru spoke in concerned tones, interrupting when it seemed clear Haruka would have not been able to keep some suspicion out of her voice. "Are you sure? We heard a crash from in here as we were walking by and we were worried."

"Oh that? Rei just tripped with some bags. She was returning from her shopping. I told her not to try and carry all of it by herself, but she wouldn't listen to me. You know how stubborn she is."

Michiru nodded "Yes. Is she all right though? Does she need help?"

Teki shook his head "Nah, I already checked on her. Nothing a few hugs and kisses won't cure."

Haruka smiled "Ok then, if you're sure she's all right, Michiru and I will be on our way. Ja matta."

As they walked the short distance from Rei's room to theirs Michiru called back "Remember, we're just a door down if you need anything."

**************************************

"That was the first time an incident like that had happened, and it wouldn't be the last. The whole time we were there, strange things kept happening in the victim's room. Of course, I dismissed them as simple things, like love-making our maybe even a lover's quarrel or, scince she did know martial arts, a sparing match between the victim and the charged. God I was so stupid!" Haruka slammed a fist down on the desk. The investigator jumped a little but continued writing.

"How long did this go on?"

"Up until the night before the victim's performance debut was to happen." Haruka's voice tightened a bit and Haruka swallowed hard to counteract it, although her throat continued to tighten as she spoke. "Michiru kept telling me that she felt like something was wrong. Despite the fact that I had simaler feelings, I told Michiru that it was probably imagination combined with nervousness of an upcoming performance. That just goes to show that I should have listened to those feelings."

Usagi gave the older woman a sympathetic look as she listened to the story. No longer did she feel it was Haruka's fault, after hearing the explanation and seeing Haruka's face how could she?

The investigator seemed oblivious to an impending tidal wave of Haruka's trapped emotions.

"Tenoh-san, please describe what you saw or heard on the night before the victim's performance."

Haruka was silent for a long time. She closed her eyes, gave a weak cough to try and open her compressed throat, then began.

************************************

"Are you ready for the race tomorrow Haru-chan?" asked Michiru as they stood on their miniature balcony, staring out at the night sky. "I'm always ready for a race Michiru. You know that. That's like me asking you if you're ready for your performance."

"True, but I felt like asking you anyway." Answered Michiru. Haruka wrapped her arms around her smaller companion. "All in all, I'm felling really good about tomorrow."

"Really? I wish I felt the same." Michiru said as she leaned back into Haruka's embrace.

"Are you nervous about the art show or something?"

"No it's not that, it's just that I feel like something bad is going to happen soon."

"Well, if the feeling goes away by tomorrow then we'll know it was noth-"

Haruka stopped talking as two loud thuds, one identifiable as a slamming door the other as something being thrown into a wall, sounded through the air.

After a pause Michiru spoke "that sounded like it came from Rei-chan's apartment." Haruka nodded in agreement.

Then came a loud smack, followed by the sound of a woman's voice crying out.

A cold chill shot through Haruka's spine and embedded itself in her heart. She numbly registered the sound of Ami coming onto her balcony below and the conversation between Michiru and Ami.

"Michiru-san, did you here that just now?"

"Yes, Haruka and I-"

The sudden sound of breaking glass made all talking cease as a suitcase went flying over the balcony, spilling it's contents as it fell. Through the broken glass, voices could be heard.

One voice was female, obviously in pain, as each sharp cry emphasized. The other was male and came in the form of enraged bellows. And in-between these sounds were the sounds of ripping cloth, crashing objects and the piercing smack of flesh hitting flesh.

It was the sounds that held Haruka frozen in place, unable to act. They didn't sound human at all.

Then, without warning, a feminine figure, bloodied and bare hit the railing of the balcony. Her spine connected with the banister with a thud that was quickly drowned out by a scream and an even louder grotesque crack. The figure moved her head to the side and Haruka found herself staring into twin violet pools, devoid of the spark of life that should have been in Rei's eyes. The figure mouthed two words, but Haruka couldn't decipher them. Then Rei's attacker grabbed the girl by the silky black hair on the back of her head and scooped up her legs.

The violet pools still drew Haruka to them, forcing her to look into them, and Haruka found herself unable to tear away from their hold on her.

Even when the eyes widened in a final struggle for life.

Even when the shrill scream sliced through the silence of the night.

Even after the raven haired beauty disappeared over the edge of the cliff.

Even after the double cries of horror and disbelief echoed through the air.

Even when the dull wet thud from below silenced everything once again.

Haruka still saw those eyes. They still held her frozen even after they'd gone away. By the time she snapped back into the physical realm, the attacker was gone, and sirens were blasting through the darkness. Also sounding through the night was the high-pitched cries of a woman who'd come as soon as she'd heard something was wrong.

Usagi.

**********************************

"I still see those eyes. Still see her. Whenever I close my eyes they come back. And I still dream about that night." Haruka was crying. Her throat had tightened to speechlessness several times through the story and tears found their way down her face. "I'm sorry..." she began apologetically.

Usagi stared at the investigator "I think you have all the information you need ma'am."

The investigator paused "I'm sorry, but I need to ask one more question. One that I've had to ask all witnesses. Are you both sure you know who did this?."

Usagi stood up, slammed both hands down flat on the table and said two words, her face inches from the investigator's "You know."

Then she turned, helped Haruka up and walked out the door, supporting Haruka as the older woman numbly walked beside her, leaving the investigator behind.

Michiru and Mamoru were waiting outside, by two different cars. Michiru, seeing what shape her beloved was in, came forward and hugged Haruka. Usagi looked at Mamoru who gave her a comforting look. Then the small blond broke down, crying her heart out as her fiancé held her close, waiting patiently for her to get all of this out and giving any support she needed. After a long while, Mamoru spoke "Michiru-san, I'll give you and Haruka-san a lift."

Michiru nodded "I'm sure the car will be fine outside a police office." And with that the four of them got into Mamoru's car. The drive was silent for the most part. After all, what does one say during a ride to a dear friends funeral?

"Chimei Teki" murmured Michiru.

Mamoru glanced at the rear view mirror "What was that Michiru-san?"

Michiru looked at Mamoru "It finally hit me. HIS name. Chimei Teki. Fatal."

Owari.