Disclaimer: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon belongs to Takeuchi Naoko, Koudansha, TV Asahi, and Toei Douga, and DIC.

Feedback is always appreciated. Email me at danielmcdonagh@hotmail.com

Chapter 11: Haruka and Minako's Hot Date!

Usagi was not a happy bunny. While she could hardly be considered a fan of school, she would much rather be there than stuck in Makoto's apartment being subjected to every conceivable test a certain blue-haired genius could think of.

The fact that Makoto was quite willing to cook anything she wanted softened the blow a bit, but not that much.

"Ami-chan… you're probably missing out on a whole lot of learning, not to mention the damage your attendance record must be taking." Usagi tried valiantly to get her friend to give up.

Alas, she was having none of it. "I'm several months ahead of the rest of the class in everything, and one afternoon off won't hurt me that much," Ami said dismissively as she tapped a few keys on her mini-supercomputer. "I need to find out what happened to you back there."

"I fainted, plain and simple." Usagi shrugged. "Probably from eating too fast or something."

"Usagi, you nearly died!" Ami snapped, causing Usagi to cringe away from her. Noticing her reaction, Ami composed herself a bit "Sorry, but it did seem like you were dying, and there didn't seem to be any realistic way to save you. I don't know how you recovered this time, but next time you might not be so lucky."

"Fine, test away." Usagi slumped back in the couch, accepting her fate with as much decorum as she could muster, which wasn't much. Her nerves were still shot from talking to Mamoru, and though it had went a lot better than she had anticipated, a very large part of her was still uncertain if things would ever return to normal between them.

She was surprised no one had pumped her for information about their conversation after Mamoru left. Rei and Minako had even agreed to return to school without putting up much of a fight at all. 'If only the same was true for Ami and Makoto…' Usagi thought disconsolately.

Chibi-Usa had also remained; she was currently in the kitchen with Makoto, getting a free cooking lesson, and probably eating half the food before it had a chance to get near Usagi.

'Is this my life now?' Usagi thought 'Spending all my time being watched and protected by my guardians? I guess I really am becoming the stereotypical 'helpless princess' now…' The thought caused her to chuckle slightly, but Ami was too wrapped up in analysing data or something to notice 'I'd never thought about it before, but princesses really do have boring lives… there definitely wasn't a Sailor Moon during the Moon Kingdom. I should ask Chibi-Usa about her life as a princess in the future sometime.'

Thinking about the future reminded her of her meeting with Neo Queen Serenity. 'She didn't seem unhappy with her life.' Usagi thought to herself before remembering the letter she had received. Putting a hand in her pocket, she saw it was still there. 'I may as well read it now…' she took it out and carefully ripped open the envelope. Ami gave her quizzical look, but Usagi ignored her as she unfolded the paper.

Dear Usagi of the 20th Century,
Firstly, you may as well tell Ami to stop her tests; she's not going to find anything.

Usagi blinked several times at that opening line before realisation struck her. 'Of course, she used to be me so she remembers when she read it when she was me!' Her head started to spin as she considered that the Queen had once been her receiving the letter, and she would one day be the Queen writing the letter. Shaking the thought off, she resumed reading.

I can't tell you what did cause your fainting — Pluto would skin me alive, Queen or not, if I did. Sorry. In fact, there's very little I can tell you, I'm afraid. But don't feel too bad; what fun is life without surprises?

All I can say is, no matter how bad things get, you must never give up hope. Despite what others (and even yourself at times) may think, you are a remarkable young woman, and when you truly believe in yourself, your power is unrivalled by anyone. No matter who might say otherwise.

You should also keep faith in the ones you love. I know you're hurting deeply over what Mamo-chan did, but you have already taken the first steps towards healing. Just remember that he loves you just as much as you love him. And don't be afraid to depend on the Senshi — they are worried about you, and don't like to see you bear suffering alone.

Anyway, I'm sure you've had enough of my prattling, so I'll leave off here. Give my love to Small Lady, and good luck with what lies ahead.

Sincerely,
N.Q.S

Usagi smiled at the little manga style drawing of Neo Queen Serenity giving a victory sign at the bottom. Despite the slightly ominous feeling that the Queen was being careful to avoid mentioning something very terrible that would happen in the near future, Usagi still felt rather uplifted at what she had just read.

As she folded up the letter and replaced it in the envelope, Ami finally gave in to her curiosity and asked "What was that?"

"Just a little reminder I wrote myself." Usagi said cryptically as she pocketed the envelope.

The following day, Haruka and Michiru were getting ready for Michiru's concert. Haruka was looking rather nervous, so Michiru was finally driven to ask what was bothering her.

"Ah… actually, Michiru… I kind of need an extra ticket for tonight…" Haruka answered, hoping Michiru would give her one without any questions, but knowing that was highly unlikely.

"What do you need another one for? Are you bringing someone along?" Michiru asked, a hint of teasing in her tone.

"Ah… you remember that girl we met at the game centre?" At Michiru's nod Haruka continued "Well, she beat me at that racing game and decided I should take her on a date as a prize… I kind of invited her to your performance tonight…"

Michiru tutted, "Young women these days are so forward…" She gave Haruka a mocking smile. "Am I to play the possessive girlfriend and scare her off?"

Haruka gave her a pleading look. "Please?"

"Not on your life," Michiru said firmly. "You got yourself into this mess, you get out of it." She sighed loudly. "Honestly, I have warned you about all that shameless flirting."

"I really didn't think she'd be so forward," Haruka said helplessly.

"Oh, my Haruka…" Michiru went over to her and put a hand on her cheek. "So much to learn about women…"

"You're not going to help at all?" Haruka asked, sounding very betrayed.

"Well… I could let you wear one of my dresses. I think that would send a strong enough message," Michiru suggested none too helpfully.

"You know I can't fill them out as well as you," Haruka purred seductively as she put her arms around Michiru from behind.

Michiru laughed airily as she escaped Haruka's grasp. "Flattery is what got you into this mess, don't use it to get out. You're on your own, Ten'ou Haruka. Besides, I have my own special guests coming tonight."

"Really? Who?" Haruka asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"Three cute girls," Michiru said simply.

"Three?" Haruka echoed, sounding impressed. "You're three times better than I am!"

"Or three times worse." Michiru pouted. "But I'm not like you. They happened to be interested in my art, so I invited them to my performance tonight."

"What do they look like?" Haruka asked, simply because that was the first thing she thought of.

"You've already seen two of them. At Tokyo Tower on Saturday…" Michiru said leadingly. As comprehension dawned on Haruka's features Michiru nodded. "The soldier of destruction and the girl who was attacked."

Haruka let out a long whistle. "Tonight won't be boring at all, will it?"

Michiru chuckled. "I certainly hope not."

Professor Tomoe finished leafing through the reports from the Witches 5 and set down the folder on his desk before picking up the phone and dialling the group's number.

After several minutes, it was finally picked up on the other end. "This is Witches 5, Eudial speaking."

The professor was pleased she had answered; it would have been awkward if one of the others had answered and he had to tell them their proposals weren't accepted. They all had such large egos. "Eudial-kun, I've finished going over your report, and I'm interested in your method for finding pure hearts."

"My method is far better than trusting the judgement of a daimon," Eudial said immodestly.

"Yes. That is why I am having you take over Kaolinite-kun's position. Do you have a target ready?"

"Yes, I do," Eudial replied. She had anticipated being picked ahead of the others and was already prepared. "He is a renowned virtuoso on the piano named Takio Kuragame."

"A musician? Well, following your report, I will prepare an appropriate daimon to act as bodyguard. I hope you succeed."

"I'm sure I will," Eudial said as she set down the phone on her end.

The professor set down his phone and started preparing the daimon incubator. Then he went into a small storage room and started rummaging through the assorted cardboard boxes. "I'm sure it's here somewhere…" he muttered to himself as he searched. Finally he retrieved what he was looking for — a children’s keyboard.

Taking it back into the lab, he placed it into the incubator and inserted an unformed daimon egg before activating the incubator. Foul smelling pink smoke started to come out and a klaxon blared.

Before long, a voice came from inside the incubator. The daimon's voice, indicating it was now ready.

"Greensleeves!"

Haruka parked her car outside the Crown Arcade and looked around for a certain forward girl. 'At least she didn't insist I pick her up from her home…' she thought, trying to look on the bright side.

'And on the bright side, I'm taking out a beautiful young woman,' she thought. Minako was certainly attractive. 'But I have Michiru!' she told herself firmly.

Alas, Michiru found the situation rather amusing, and had even taken a taxi to the theatre she was playing at rather than be 'the third wheel on your hot date', as she had put it oh-so-delicately.

"I just have to find some way to let her down gently…" Haruka said, unaware that she was talking to herself. She briefly wished that she had taken Michiru up on her offer to let her borrow a dress. She probably wouldn't see Minako for the dust if she did that.

"Haruka-san!" A cheerful voice brought her out of her reverie.

"Ah, koneko-chan!" Haruka looked up and saw Minako standing by the car, then did a swift double-take. She wasn't just cute, she was stunning! She was wearing a lilac dress which came down to her knees and made her look several years older. 'Damn! If I didn't have Michiru…' Haruka forced herself not to go down that particular line of reasoning.

"Do you like?" Minako posed a little on seeing Haruka's slack-jawed reaction.

"You look gorgeous," Haruka said truthfully as she opened the passenger door.

"I'm glad!" Minako said, overjoyed at the compliment. "You look as handsome as ever tonight." She returned the favour while sitting down next to Haruka.

"Oh… ah, thank you." Haruka blushed a little before coughing and focusing her attention on driving.

"Is it okay for a high school student to drive?" Minako wondered aloud as the yellow convertible began racing through the streets of Tokyo.

Haruka blanched. She had never really thought about the fact that it was technically illegal for her to drive on public roads in Japan. Her good driving ensured the police never had a reason to pull her over. "I… ah… got my licence overseas," she said at last.

"Oh…" Minako accepted the explanation without further interrogation… mainly because she was flying on cloud nine from the fact that she was going on a date with what seemed to be the perfect man. 'Maybe he can be the one to help me finally get over Alan…' she thought, the memory of her first love in England calling up bittersweet memories.

Shaking off those memories so she could concentrate on the present, Minako returned her attention to Haruka. "So, who will be playing at this classical music concert?" she asked — not that she expected to recognise any musicians, but just for simple conversation.

"Some of the best contemporary classical musicians in Japan will be there tonight. Including Michiru…" Haruka said leadingly.

"Ara, your friend Michiru? I didn't know she was a musician, especially not a famous one," Minako said, totally unperturbed. After all, Michiru had said herself that she had no relationship with Haruka, and that was good enough for her.

Haruka noticed her failure to dampen Minako's enthusiasm at the mention of Michiru and suppressed a sigh. This was going to be a long night.

"Wow, I can't believe Michiru-san gave us box seats," Usagi enthused as she, Chibi-Usa and Hotaru were led to a box overlooking the stage.

"Yes, that was very nice of her," Hotaru said as she looked down at the packed normal seats. She preferred not to be surrounded by people like that.

Usagi took out the programme she had bought and checked the schedule for the evening. "Michiru-san will be playing second. The first performance is the Kobe wind instrument group…" She looked at all the other musicians and was a little surprised. "Michiru-san and a pianist called Takio Kuragame are the only people performing solo tonight. She must be very good."

"Shh!" Chibi-Usa hushed her. "It looks like they're starting," she whispered.

Usagi obediently put her programme away and focused her attention on the stage, where the Kobe wind instrument group were starting to play.

A few boxes away, Haruka and Minako were likewise silent as they listened to the music being played. Haruka noticed Minako kept sneaking glances at her, but tried not to pay it too much mind.

She was surprised when after a few minutes, Minako took her hand. But she decided not to pull away and hurt her feelings. 'Besides, we're only touching hands; that doesn't mean anything…' she rationalised.

After the Kobe group had finished, there was a short break before Michiru came on. 'She looks as beautiful as ever, my Michiru…' Haruka thought on seeing her. Then 'Was it just my imagination, or did she wink at me?'

Over in her own box, Hotaru noticed the wink and pointed it out to her friends. "I think she was winking to that box over there," she whispered.

Usagi and Chibi-Usa turned to look and nearly had heart attacks. "M-Minako-chan!"

They both gasped, seeing their friend in a private box with a handsome "man".

"Boy, wait till I tell the girls about this…" Usagi whispered to herself, before shutting up as Michiru started to play.

When she finally finished playing, she was given rapturous applause by the audience. "She really is wonderful," gushed Hotaru as she gave a standing ovation.

"She's certainly talented," agreed Chibi-Usa, who was also sneaking a glance at Haruka and Minako's box. Unfortunately, she never saw anything juicy; they were just applauding like everyone else.

As the applause trailed off, Haruka sat back down and put her hands on her lap in the hope that would take them out of reach for Minako. If Michiru were around, she would surely have lamented the naiveté of her partner.

'Chance!' Minako thought gleefully as she sat down closer and put a hand over Haruka's on "his" lap.

Haruka blushed as Minako did this. She was far more used to being the hunter than the hunted, and it was making her terribly nervous; but she couldn't see any way out that wasn't rude.

After several more performances, there was an intermission, and Michiru took the opportunity to come and visit Usagi and her friends. "Hello, girls. I'm glad you made it," she said as she stepped into their box.

"Michiru-san! Thank you for getting us these great seats. Your performance was very good!" Usagi greeted her enthusiastically.

"I've never been to a concert like this before, but I'm having a good time," Hotaru said sincerely.

Michiru smiled at them "I'm glad you like it." She angled her head to get a look at Haruka's box. She was sitting rather uncomfortably while Minako looked the picture of contentment as she rested her head on the older girls shoulder. It almost made her feel sorry enough to go and help Haruka out, but she firmed her resolve. The best way to cure Haruka of her flirting problem would be to show her the consequences, and it did not seem like she was enjoying them…

Which Michiru actually thought was a bit odd; Minako was undeniably beautiful. 'I'm surprised Haruka isn't taking advantage of the situation…' Michiru thought, gaining a bit more respect for her partner.

Chibi-Usa saw where Michiru was looking and said, "That's our friend Minako… we had no idea she'd be here, though."

"Ara, you know her?" Michiru asked.

"Yes, she's a good friend. I'm glad she seems to have found a nice guy after having such bad luck in the past…" Usagi lamented, remembering when she had learned of Minako's unrequited love back in England.

Michiru could hardly believe that such a good-looking girl would have bad luck in love, but it certainly made her feel bad about the fact that her luck with Haruka would not be good.

"It looks like they're starting again," Hotaru observed as a man took a seat by a piano on stage and the lights were dimmed.

"That's Takio Kuragame. He's supposed to be really good," Michiru told them. "I had better go backstage. I'll see you again at the end, okay?" she said before departing.

A few minutes into his performance, Chibi-Usa spoke. "Hey, what's all that smoke down there?"

Usagi and Hotaru both peered over and saw a thin gas covered most of the floor seating, and everyone seemed to be asleep. A figure in a gas mask leapt onto the stage and removed the mask once she was clear of the smoke.

"What are you doing?" Takio demanded as he stopped playing.

"I want to see your pure heart!" Eudial took out her gun and aimed it at him.

"Pure heart?!" Chibi-Usa echoed, recognition dawning.

"I'll go get help. Chibi-Usa, stay here with Hotaru," Usagi ordered as she dashed out of the box to transform. She hoped Minako would have the sense to do likewise.

Checking no one was around, she took out her brooch and called forth her henshin. "Moon Crystal Power… Make UP!!" It was the first time she had transformed since before going to Crystal Tokyo, but it was as familiar as ever.

Meanwhile, on the stage, Eudial had shot Takio and was checking his heart crystal. 'How do I tell if it's a talisman again?' she tried to remember, but was interrupted.

"Stop right there!" a figure silhouetted against a floodlight ordered her.

"Who?!" Eudial looked up at the intruder.

"You disturbed the beautiful melody! For love and justice, the sailor-suited pretty fighter Sailor Moon will punish you!" Sailor Moon leapt down onto the stage and did her poses.

"Damned pest," Eudial said dismissively, before cupping her hands around her mouth and yelling, "Come out, daimon!"

"Greensleeves!" The daimon, which looked like a woman with piano keys all down her torso, charged into the fray.

"Daimon, remove this annoyance!" Eudial commanded.

Up in their box, Chibi-Usa and Hotaru watched. "Don't worry, Hotaru, Sailor Moon will beat the monster!" Chibi-Usa said, wishing that she could go and try out her own henshin, but realising it was best to stay with Hotaru. She looked over to Minako's box and saw that both she and her date were missing.

"Chopsticks!" The daimon started pressing the keys on her body and a sonic wave blasted at Sailor Moon, who barely managed to dodge it.

Leaping up onto the piano, Sailor Moon readied her attack, taking out the cutie moon rod, she began charging up with power. "Moon Princess Halation!!" She released a massive blast of pink energy, which would have been enough to kill Rubeus several times over, at the daimon.

The daimon retaliated with a sonic wave, and the two attacks battled briefly before Sailor Moon was overpowered and hit by the tail end of the blast.

'I can't believe it didn't work!' was all Sailor Moon thought as she was knocked into the air.

Chibi-Usa watched with her heart in her mouth as Sailor Moon did all she could to dodge the follow-up attacks. She was losing badly. 'I have to help her!' Chibi-Usa thought before turning to Hotaru. "Stay here. I'll see if I can find any help," she said before dashing out the box.

"So much for punishing me!" Eudial taunted. "Daimon! Finish her!"

"Hai!" The daimon began pressing more keys, preparing a final sonic blast which would surely kill Sailor Moon.

"Deep Submerge!!" A sphere of blue energy slammed into the daimon, making it release its attack as it fell. The sonic blast destroyed the piano, but hurt no one.

"Is that all your power? You shouldn't fight, in that case," Sailor Neptune said harshly to the prone Sailor Moon.

Meanwhile, Sailor Uranus leapt down and stole the heart crystal from Eudial, eliciting a "Hey!" From the latter.

"This isn't a talisman," Uranus said, tossing it over to Neptune.

"You should be gentler with a musician's heart," Neptune chided her partner as she replaced the crystal.

The two prepared to leave, but a voice stopped them. "Hold it right there!" Sailor Venus appeared on stage, causing Eudial to groan with annoyance at all the Sailor Senshi. "Are you just going to leave now, when the enemy hasn't been defeated?"

"All we care about are the talismans," Neptune said firmly as she turned her back on Venus.

"If you need our help, then you aren't really a Sailor Senshi," Uranus said before the pair disappeared.

"The two strong ones are gone, daimon. Kill the others!" Eudial ordered the creature.

"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!!" Sailor Chibi Moon pointed the pink moon rod at the daimon and releasing her most deadly attack.

At least that was the plan…

As it happened, the gem on the top of the rod sparkled briefly and nothing happened. "Hey, it doesn't seem to work," the daimon observed, looking closely at the pink moon rod.

Not one to give up, especially on her first battle, Chibi Moon did the only thing she could think of to make the damn thing work. She shook it. After several seconds of this, a stream of small hearts flew out and hit the daimon's nose.

"Itai! Itai! Itai!" The daimon put up its hands to ward off the irritating and slightly painful attack.

Meanwhile, Sailor Venus had taken the time to charge up her own ultimate attack. "Venus Wink Chain Sword!!" She thrust the sword at the daimon, killing it with a lance of golden light.

Seeing her "bodyguard" dead, Eudial decided it was a good idea to vacate the area. Forgoing the traditional 'I'll get you next time' speech, she snuck out quietly, hoping no one would notice her.

No one did.

To be continued.

Webmaster: Larry F
Last revision: May 21, 2007