Disclaimers: Sailor Moon and its characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi and its respective studios. If stories depicting relationships between women offend you kindly hit that back button.

A/N: So I am sure some of you folks remember this story. I had taken it down a while back because I was not feeling compelled to do updates for it. I felt I had written myself into a corner but I think it's very possible I'll be able to complete it. The creative forces have been strong with me these days. ;)

Thank you all so much for your supporting words, you are all wonderful readers.

Chapter One: The Typhoon

Fat drops of rain hitting the windows broke her concentration away from charcoal lines, swirls, and careful smudging. Taking two steps back she surveyed the drawing that had engrossed her for the past hour. She shook her head in frustration, waves of teal green hair captured in a ponytail bobbing in silent agreement with her. It still wasn't right somehow. And the deadline was two days away. She muttered what she considered a lady-like curse as she gnawed on her lower lip with her teeth. Am I going to make it in time?

The raindrops pounded against the window panes and she suddenly realized how quiet it was in the clubroom. She was the only one left. Whooshing winds buffeting the side of the building brought home the fact that all the other students with good sense had left before the conditions outside worsened; she sighed at her folly. She had heard the reports of course, a typhoon was making its way towards the city and all students were warned off campus. They were told by faculty members to leave, they didn't have to go home as long as they weren't hanging around St. Lulim Academy.

A set of lone footsteps echoed in the hallway, stopping directly in front of the clubroom door. It slid open to reveal a female faculty member. "Miss Kaioh! What are you still doing here?"

"Ah, my apologies, I lost track of time," Michiru rubbed the back of her right hand on one cheek. Charcoal dust clung to her fingers and underneath her well-manicured nails.

"Please don't dawdle anymore. It's getting darker out there," the woman warned, still standing at the doorway.

"Yes, of course. Thank you," Michiru nodded with a smile. Her blue eyes, however, were drawn back to the piece she was currently working on, her mind a million miles away as she gently rolled the drawing up and placed it carefully in a carrying tube. The woman left after a moment.

Michiru washed her hands at the sink at the back of the room, gathered her things and turned the lights off. Her own footsteps echoed in the empty hallways. It was the first time she was leaving school on her own. Usually her friend and classmate Nagi walked with her. But today Nagi did not show up for any of their classes and Michiru had used the opportunity to stay in the art clubroom and work in quiet instead of heading home immediately like most of the other students.

Standing at the main doorway of the art building she contemplated whether it would be easier to just run all the way to her apartment without bothering with her umbrella. The gusting wind rendered it all but useless. She could see other people struggling with the clumsy things as they flipped inside out, or were pulled along by the strong blasts of air, getting completely soaked in the process.

She looked down at herself and thought for the first time perhaps it had been a bit foolhardy to wear the pale yellow sundress and simple sandals she loved so much on a day like today. The day had started out sunny enough she justified before shrugging to herself, Oh well, too late now. At least the apartment was only three blocks away. She made sure the waterproof tube was closed tightly to prevent moisture from entering the case then opened the door and dashed out into the tumultuous outdoors.

Soaked instantly, the light dress clung to Michiru's lissome frame. Patches of wet skin could be seen through the fabric and she hoped everyone on their way home was too busy to pay much attention to her state. Her seaweed hair was soaked and sodden; tiny trails of water dripped down her neck and shoulders as the wind increased its speed.

"Hey cutie!" A group of three men stepped out from under an awning directly ahead of her and Michiru felt her heart stop. Their sleazy appearance did not instill a sense of security, just the opposite in fact. The tallest of the three smirked at her. "Hey, why don't you hang out with us?"

She glanced around, realizing the street was practically empty with the exception of herself and the men. Her heartbeat started up again, this time double pace. She held her head high, meeting their eyes with her own in an attempt to portray fearlessness. Her grip on the wet tube case tightened protectively.

"Excuse me, I'm in a bit of a hurry if you don't mind," she replied evenly, as she made a move to step to the side.

"I don't think so!" said one of the men to her left and he made an attempt to snatch the tube, but she pulled back just in time. She had worked much too hard and for too long on this piece to just hand it over to some hoodlum off the street no matter how intimidating he seemed.

"What? Think you're too good for us? Princess?" The last word was pronounced with a sneer and she took another step back, preparing to turn and run the way she came. But as she stepped backwards her waterlogged body collided with another person's body from behind. The first thing she felt was the warmth seeping through her thin dress. It was a comforting feeling until she realized the fourth person could be a cohort of these men. Fear slid up her spine; she was now completely surrounded.

A low husky tone drifted past her ear as a warm hand landed on her shoulder. "Hey fellas, she's with me. Is there a problem?" The words seemed pleasant enough but the intent behind them reeked of malice.

The men in front of her wore matching expressions of loathing, contempt and a trace of unease. Who was this person? Michiru now knew for sure she had stepped out of the frying pan and right into the fire. Alright, not a cohort. Someone worse?

"Well?" the voice demanded, "Is there a problem?"

The tall man in the middle responded with a sullen, "No problem." They retreated under the awning and the hand on her shoulder applied the merest pressure to her exposed skin.

"Let's go," came the order and she began to walk forward, aware of the three pairs of eyes that followed her as she walked by. But what she was really concerned about was the hand on her shoulder with that gentle pressure. On the outside she felt cold due to the rain and the heavy winds but on the inside a slow flame sputtered; an anxiety was building in her. Whoever the person was who came along had certainly saved her but what if she was now in for a much worse fate?

They walked until they reached the next block, Michiru holding onto her bag and waterproof tube. Her thoughts flew with a million possibilities and scenarios of being harmed. Her breath hitched. She had promised her parents she would be careful in the city. And here she was in an unknown situation, moments from being mugged, murdered or much worse.

The hand released her shoulder suddenly. "Okay, that's enough," the voice was gruff but did not contain any of the malice from earlier. Michiru turned around immediately and blinked in shock. The rain continued to pour but she had no problem distinguishing her...savior? She had assumed the person behind her would be so much more dangerous but certainly had not expected her savior to be a tall, slender, blonde and boyishly cute...woman.

Thank you for reading! Reviews are most welcome. ;)