The big day
Haruka let out an irritated groan and buried her head into the pillow, intending to disappear from the world this way for the next few hours. Her calculations proved to be wrong, however, as the doorbell kept on destroying her attempts. Since she dreaded what she suspected to linger before the main entrance, she tactically pretended not to be home, creeping out of bed into the toilet amidst the rhythmical ringing noise without drawing the curtains and letting sunshine into the flat.
When she re-emerged, still somewhat drowsy, a kind of victorious giggles were going on outside. And then she heard the clinking of keys, right in the completely private lock of her completely private door.
For the first time in this life, she started doubting the beneficial nature of peaceful break-ups - more precisely, her negligence of asking Michiru for the house keys back then, when their close-knit relationship faded gracefully into friendship, and she moved away. A friend of hers had said back then: those who claim to have split up in peace are either liars or thieves. In Michiru's case, she probably just found it entertaining to watch her struggle against Usagi's overexcited friend circle. She's always had this subtly malicious kind of humour sense anyway. But not with Haruka as the victim, not so far; and nor shall it happen this time.
Thinking swiftly, the windsenshi decided to escape through the back window; as a senshi, she should have no trouble jumping on the nearby oak tree and get away on rooftops. She grabbed her trainers from the hall; the entrance door was already opening while she stormed back into the bedroom that faced the opposite side of the flat, almost too late.
Her bad decision was to take a few seconds to grab a pair of jeans from the wardrobe; it was mid-summer, she could easily have shown up outside in her pyjama shorts.
One of her legs was dangling out of the window when Minako burst into the room.
"Rise and shine, main attraction of the day!" she yelled merrily. "We've got tons to do before the big ceremony! What are you doing?"
"Opening the window, obviously," Haruka growled while climbing back in and throwing the clothes on the chair.
"That's great, fresh air is good for the sleep-deprived skin and the nervous stomach," confirmed the young goddess of love.
"Have you had breakfast?" asked Usagi's head popping in through the door.
"Was just about to," answered the windsenshi with resignation, earning an excited squeal from the princess.
"I'm setting right out to explore the kitchen area for the right food."
"Please don't cook anything," Haruka yelled after her while ushering Minako out, voicing her desire to change into daylight attire alone.
According to her idea, Haruka would have felt completely tranquil during most of the day. She'd have a good breakfast, go on a motorbike ride, dine somewhere in the outskirts while staring at the scenery. Then she'd head back, pick up the dress on the way, return home with the giant dress sack folded into the trunk (the thin-designed white dress with just a hint of teal shade was full of frills anyway, crumples wouldn't have made a visible difference - she'd just have to be quick to hop on her bike and ride away before the shop assistants run out to stop the atrocity). So she would put on the dress at home, perhaps some make-up, and she'd be ready just at the right minute for the car sent for her. That's the point where she had planned to freak out first.
In comparison, the morning went by in a crazy rush, with all eight other senshi swirling around her, and their frantic worries and worst-scenario preparations soon caused Haruka to be on pins and needles. She had never realised that rogue locks in her hair were this important, or that the shape of her nails could influence the mood of her soon-to-be husband. Speaking of the latter, she needed to talk to him right now, for comfort. The request was denied. Her! In her own flat, with her own phone! But she wasn't left time to speak her mind about it, the hair was still to be disciplined, the eye contour shaped, the shoes adjusted. Secretly, she thanked the Heavens that she hadn't let the girls persuade her about the high heels.
Mamoru-san had received the honour of delivering the bride to the church. Why she wasn't allowed to drive there herself, Haruka never understood. She sulked on the back seat next to Michiru clutching her hand in silent excitement; she examined the intricate golden decorations on her nails, wondering if they were really capable of putting her fiancé in the right "mood". In fact, she just started questioning whether this whole fuss would put him in the right mood. When she had looked in the mirror a moment before she was dragged out and tucked into the car in a hurry, she didn't quite recognize herself - so how would he know which of the brightly dressed ladies he should smile at from the altar? She was turned into a woman, like any other ones on their happiest days. Although she knew Seiya's orientation, somehow she doubted that this was the form in which he had fallen in love with her.
By the time the car pulled up in front of the church, her ankles felt so wobbly she thought they wouldn't hold the weight of all these frills. But they did, and she climbed out of the vehicle without help. Some lights flashed from a few private cameras and a single professional one; a fortune was spent on keeping the occasion secret from the paparazzi. But something was still wrong. The well-dressed crowd stared at her in dismay, as if she had just arrived from space. Was it the nails? Had she already smudged the damn eyeliner? Did they see through her skirt and noticed that slipping strap on her shoe? What was it?
"Go, go, go," Michiru urged her quietly while stuffing a bouquet of calla lilies in her hand and pushing on her back. So she trod towards the church entrance on the path opened up for her among the whispering people, until she saw Taiki and Yaten hurry towards her (instead of standing next to their brother inside), their expression glum. When they met, Yaten only swept through his hair in irritation, while Taiki guided the windsenshi into an unoccupied corner.
"Seiya's gone," he muttered.
"What? Where?" she burst out with a day's tension.
"We don't know for now, he went to use the restroom a while ago, but he's not there."
"How could you let him go at such a crucial time?" Michiru scolded him as she arrived among them. "You can't leave wedding couples alone right before the occasion, they easily get cold feet. What do you think best men and bridesmaids are for?"
"I'll go find that measly quitter," Haruka spat as she turned around and headed back to the car, not listening to the others' pleads to stop her. Mamoru, occupied by his own fiancé's swooning, reacted too late as the bride slid into the driver's seat behind him; even Michiru and the two popstars barely had time to hop in beside her before she gave gas.
"I'm fine on my own, you know. I'm running after my man, not away from him," Haruka notified them while speeding on the highway.
"That's exactly why we need to watch over you, darling," Michiru caressed her bare upper arm.
"What's your plan?" Yaten inquired from the back seat.
"Home," replied the windsenshi briefly.
The eloper wasn't home. However, while they were looking through each room, Michiru received a phone call from the girls: someone had seen the groom being seized and dragged into a cup ramen van.
"No!" Taiki burst out.
"The ramen girl!" Yaten cried.
Haruka looked at them with interest, so the brunette explained.
"Her father is the owner of the biggest cup ramen factory in the country, and she herself is a Three Lights fangirl of the rabid kind. More exactly, she has a fixation on Seiya. She's already been banned from concerts, but she manages to buy her way in now and then, causing trouble for both fans and guards."
"And why didn't I know about her?" inquired the windsenshi curiously.
"It would take all week to list every crazy fan we have," Yaten enlightened her.
"She's bad news, but at least we know now where he is." Taiki pointed out comfortingly.
"And that he isn't escaping from you," Michiru smiled at her.
"Yeah, that's good news, too," confirmed the brunette with disinterest. "Police is already on her, so we know where to go."
"Let's head out then, so the guests don't have to wait too long," Haruka said and hurried out.
"We might need a plan first," Taiki attempted to reason while the trio ran after the flowing frills of the dress.
"We'll make it in the car," came the answer.
Forging the plan was all for naught, though. When they crouched in the nearby foliage in the scorching sunset, staring at the rich mansion surrounded by a football field's worth of front garden and an army of living and mechanical guards, Haruka didn't remain patient for long.
"This is ridiculous, I'm heading in," she pointed out, ceaselessly working on freeing her frills from intrusive twigs and leaves.
"Are you crazy?" Yaten shrieked. "These guys are as influential as the mafia, you'll be obliterated without a second thought!"
"You forget that we're all senshi," she argued.
"Even a senshi dies when a bullet splatters her brain," Taiki noted.
"Thanks for the graphic illustration of my point," Yaten spat at him.
"We don't have time for this, let's go," Haruka hissed.
"At least let's decide on a route and some meeting points," Michiru suggested. "Otherwise we'll just run in blindly and get shot down one by one."
"I don't care! I'm not going through this fuss again. I'm getting married before the end of the day, and that's that!" Haruka snapped, and with the last word, she kicked herself away from the branch. Like some stray daylight ghost, she flew through the trees to disappear behind the sturdy brick wall.
TBC (possibly maybe not)