XI. Crucial Time
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A/N: Hi! :) Well here is chapter 11. I'm tired and everything, but I'm super happy my story has reached the 100's reviews (Dora's music plays on the back lol) I did it! Lo hicimos! We did it! lol (yup I'm that childish haha)I never thought, really, that this story was going to go that far. I did propose myself to improve, but not really imagining I was going to receive that much support. All of this is for people like you and me, we might have different reasons to read Fanfiction, but we both enjoy it the same. So, thanks to everyone, but especially to those who take the time to review and express how they feel about the story. Now, the results from my question last time are as follows: 11 voted Yuri, 7 gender change and 5 other/both. We obviously have a winner, now I only ask to wait a little longer to those promised scenes. I'll try my best to please y'all, but please keep in mind that I'm human, young and little dumb so don't expect from me much haha
Adoki looked at the blonde on the ground. He couldn't help, but feel a selfish yet tranquil satisfaction.
"I don't think so," Not, yet but the wound looks terrible, "but we have to take her to the palace immediately!"
The day hadn't started as she wanted, every little thing she did seemed to be against her. The events from the night before still haunted her wherever she went, inside her room and in every hall and room she entered. She really wasn't the type to be carried away by passion, but the touches from the blonde ignited a fire inside her. How could she felt like that for a person she barely knew, and even worse, when claiming to be in love with somebody else. It's impossible; I can't feel anything for Haruka, for I love Adoki. Michiru paced inside her room nervously, for an unknown reason she felt awfully anxious.
The isolated Uranian fields came to life as a small carriage stopped in front of the grand palace. The gates opened and an old woman stepped off gracefully as servants came to help her carry her luggage.
"Someone please announce Michiru that Iothi Nao is here." The old woman spoke happily entering the main salon. Her mouth shaping an 'O' as she glance over the many pictures on the gigantesque walls. Nao took seat making herself comfortable as she waited for the queen.
One of the servants followed her orders going inside the kitchen where the maids prepared dinner for the night. "Kasumi-san," the employee called the brunette who sat comfortably on the kitchen's table, "there is an old woman in the guest room asking for Tenoh-sama."
Kasumi glanced over at the boy frowning annoyingly. "OK, you can go. I'll tell her."
The servant left the room and Kasumi made no attempt to move. She kept her feet resting on a chair as she reached for the fruit bowl on the table. Etsuko who enthusiastically prepared dinner looked at her sister quizzically.
"Aren't you gonna go and tell Michiru-sama?"
The brunette rolled her eyes, chewing her pear. "I will do it when I feel like. OK?"
Etsuko shook her head slightly, only if she wasn't busy preparing the meal she would have gone and announce her Queen that she had visits. "You're digging your own grave." Etsuko replied calmly, "Just don't come crying when she fires you."
Kasumi shrugged her shoulders taking another bite off her fruit.
Michiru couldn't take the silence of her room any longer; she decided she needed some company and went to look for her favorite maid. She went down the hall to the main salon when something caught her attention. The aquanette entered the guest room when she heard… someone snorting? She looked at the source of such noise and a grin graced her face when she saw to whom it belong.
"Nao! Oh Nao, you're here." Michiru launched herself towards the black haired woman.
The old woman jumped up automatically opening her eyes. "Michiru!" Nao equally shouted getting on her feet and hugging her 'little girl'.
"When did you get here? Why did no one tell me?"
"I don't know." Nao scratched the back of her head, "I'm old and I was tired," she yawn tiredly, "I supposed it hasn't been long."
"C'mon! Come to my room." Michiru helped the old woman walk. "Please tell me, how is father and mother? And Marina?"
Nao started walking along Michiru commenting to the aquanette about her family, and the current state of her mother planet. Both women arrived to the aquanette's room talking about the events each of them had experienced in the short amount of time.
"What is that nonsense about you wanting to come back to Neptune?" Nao asked in a scolding tone.
Michiru sighed. "It's not any nonsense nanny," the aquamarine sat on her bed, "I want to go back home and Haruka has already agreed."
"Michiru, your home is here," Nao replied lovingly, "Your place is here in Uranus," she continued looking straight at blue orbs, "by your wife's side."
The aquanette opened her mouth trying to respond the loving woman when a knock on her door interrupted her. She stood up taking the moment as a distraction, soon after Sango appeared behind the door. Michiru let her in not without noticing something off with the young girl.
"Michiru-sama, I need talk to you."
"What is it Sango-chan?"
The young maid eyed the old woman sitting on a chair before deciding to speak. "It'll be better if we talk outside."
Michiru's eyebrows furrowed, but she complied following the maid outside her room. "What's going on Sango-chan? You're acting strange."
"I-It's H-Haaruka-ssama." Sango's gray eyes were welling up with tears.
"What's wrong?" Michiru asked worried. The strange vibes she had gotten earlier returned with force. Her heart sped up, "please tell me. What happened to my wife?"
"S-Somebody shot H-Haruka-sama." The maid sobbed.
The aquanette gasped in horror. "Oh lord!" Michiru felt her stomach flipped and her throat closing, "D-did they k- kill her?" Michiru questioned, finding her voice and scared of the answer.
"No, but she is in a bad condition." Sango stopped to take air, "Ushida-san took her to her room."
There was no need for more words as Michiru hurriedly headed to the blonde's bedroom. As Michiru entered the room she looked at the wounded blonde resting on her bed.
"Who was it? What happened?" The aquamarine repeated as she got closer to the blonde's bed.
Adoki, who didn't separate from the Uranian and stayed in the room observed a preoccupied and anguished Michiru. "Someone attacked us when we were on our way to the military base." His eyes rested on the blonde woman. "Rebels. I think." He continued scratching his chin, "They shot a soldier and her."
Michiru approached the blonde carefully opening up her vest and unbuttoning her white sleeve shirt. "Oh my god." Michiru gasped loudly taking her hand to her mouth at the sight of the wound, "is a horrible wound." Tears welled up in her eyes as they started to roll down her cheeks.
"Don't worry. I already sent for a doctor." Adoki said in a dry tone as he contemplated the scene before his eyes. The Neptunian woman seemed so worried about the fallen blonde. His jaw cracked and he turned around ready to leave.
The slight sound of a closing door made Michiru realized she was alone with the wounded blonde. She took a piece of torn clothing and carefully started to clean the awful wound. She cried aguishly, but managed to mutter, "Thanks goodness," when she saw the tall Uranian opening her eyes.
Even in a profound state of pain, the blonde opened her teal eyes. Her vision was blurry and everything in her sight range didn't stop spinning. She, however; could distinguish that aqua color she had become familiar with.
"Michiru…"
"Shh… Don't talk everything is going to be fine."
"What happened?" The blonde asked in her delirious state.
Michiru totally ignored the blonde as she frantically moved her hands around not knowing what to do. "Please, tell me how to help you."
The blonde had closed her eyes falling back to her unconscious state.
"Haruka."
Michiru watched the sleeping blonde and more tears rolled down staining her soft features. She carefully bent over the fit, but momentarily weak frame of the blonde hugging her cautiously. She avoided the wound placing her forehead against the blonde's.
"Haruka, I don't want you to die. I…" Michiru sobbed without noticing that Sango had returned to the room. "I don't want you to die. I don't want you to."
Sango stayed still watching silently the tender moment between the two women when suddenly the door opened revealing a worried Kasumi.
"Why did no one tell me before?" Kasumi entered the room and stopped a moment when she saw the blonde ruler laying helplessly on her bed. "Haruka!" The brunette launched herself towards the bed pushing the aquanette off the blonde.
A second later Michiru reacted still dumbfounded by Kasumi's actions and pushed the maid. "Step aside don't you see we need to clean her!" Michiru exclaimed angrily taking back her place next to the blonde.
"I'll do it!" Kasumi moved towards where her sister stood with a bucket of warm water and towels.
The aquanette's head turned around and launched towards the garnet eyed woman trying to take the towels away from her. "NO! Leave!"
"Let me go!" Kasumi fought back. "I'll do it!"
Both women fought over the piece of cloth pushing each other. No one wanted to give up as both women kept pulling the torn piece of cloth by their side.
"Enough!" Sango stepped in between the two. "What matters now is Haruka-sama. So, stop it!"
Michiru ignored the younger maid as she pulled Kasumi by her arm. "Get out of here!"
Kasumi shook her off. "I'm not leaving. You're not interested in Haruka," She retorted angrily, "You're only interested in going back to Neptune!"
'Slap' Michiru connected her right palm against the left cheek of the brunette. "Leave NOW!" Michiru took the woman by her shoulders in an effort to take her out herself, "Leave right this moment!"
Kasumi struggled against the blue eyed woman. "No! I said I'm not leaving!" She disengaged from Michiru's grip and ran towards the blonde. "I'm not leaving you alone with Haruka, you could attempt to…"
The door of the blonde's bedroom was opened once more.
"Michiru, what's going on? I can hear the screams all over the place." Nao irritably asked as she walked in, but stop dead on her tracks when she saw the blonde.
"Nao." Michiru sighed relieved. "Please do me a favor and take this… 'Miss' outside."
Nao frowned, not really understanding but did as she was told. "Miss, didn't you hear?"
Kasumi ignored the old woman as she kept cleaning the blonde.
Obviously angered by the lack of cooperation Nao decided to take control of the situation by taking the brunette by her arm.
"Let me go, old woman!"
"Oh not that easy. Obey your Queen and leave the room." Even though Nao was old, she still had lots of strength, "Come' on." She pushed the maid again and again until she pushed her outside the room.
"Who was that?" Nao finally asked when she made sure the brunette wouldn't try to enter again.
"I will tell you later." Michiru said as she hurried to the blonde's side. "Right now, I need you to find me a large pair of scissors. I need something to cut off Haruka's clothes," She looked at the thick coat and the shirt, "I don't want to hurt her."
Nao didn't wait any longer and left the room. Sango who had stayed quiet the whole time stepped next to the aquanette handling her clean bandages.
"Michiru-sama please forgive Kasumi. She is not…"
"Sango." Michiru cut her off.
Sango nodded understandingly. This was not moment to talk.
Meanwhile Kasumi ran towards the kitchen. Tears trickled down her face as she looked for her sister.
"Etsuko!"
"Kasumi, please calm down." Etsuko tried to console her sister when she saw her crying. She didn't know about the earlier event in the blonde's room. "She is going to be alright."
Kasumi hugged her sister crying desperately on her shoulder. "Tenoh-sama will fire me and I won't see Haruka anymore."
Etsuko frowned. She knew very well her sister and even though she had no idea of what her sister had done she knew Kasumi probably deserved it. "Oh Kasumi, didn't I tell you?"
Kasumi only hugged her tighter.
"She loves her." The garnet eyed woman sobbed harder.
"You already knew that, Haruka-sama has always…"
"No." Kasumi intervened. "She…Tenoh-sama," garnet eyes looking up to her sisters' sadly. "She loves Haruka."
•°¤...¤•°… •
Back to the room, the doctor had finally showed up.
"Luckily the bullet didn't pierce through vital organs, but she has lost much blood." The doctor, an old man of red hair and thick glasses, explained as he dropped the piece of metal in a container.
Michiru stood right next to the old man. A handkerchief in hand. "When will she gain consciousness?"
The red head kept attending the blonde. "Maybe later during the night. I had to administer a high dose of anesthesia to operate her." The doctor talked as he stitched the Uranian's wound. "These wounds are very painful."
Michiru place both of her hands over her mouth unable to do anything else. She tried to stop the tears welling in her eyes as she asked. "Will she live?" After that difficult question, tears ran freely down her beautiful face.
"She is a young and strong woman. Let's hope it will be like that." The doctor said somewhat doubtful, but when he caught sound of his words he turned around to face the sobbing woman. "Don't worry Tenoh-sama, everything will be OK."
The doctor left the palace hours later he finished his job. Michiru decided to spend the night ensuring the blonde's condition. Sango accompanied Michiru the whole night taking turns to watch over the blonde. Even though the doctor had operated and cleaned the wound, a normal and high chance of an infection was inevitable. During the middle of the night the blonde woke up delirious. The fever took control of her and so Michiru and Sango came to her help changing cool clothes on her forehead. In the morning, Nao joined the two exhausted women as Michiru slept uncomfortably on a couch and Sango in a chair.
"Michiru." The black haired nanny tap the aquanette's shoulder. "Wake up child, you need to rest properly."
Michiru stirred at the contact and opened her eyes lazily. "What happened? Haruka?" She quickly stood up as the thought of the blonde crossed her mind.
"Shh Michiru. Everything is alright." Nao tried to calm down the younger woman as she smiled reassuringly at her. "The doctor came back earlier and changed her bandages. I already sent Sango-chan to rest too."
There was nothing else to do for Michiru but to smile in return.
"Thank you."
Nao shook her head. "It's OK child, you need to rest too." She looked at the sleeping blonde, "I will take care of her."
It was midafternoon when Michiru decided she had enough rest. She was ready to take care of her wife and so she headed to her wife's room. She opened the adjacent door of her room and entered the blonde's only to find Sango and Nao talking quietly, but friendly.
"Oh I'm sorry I didn't come before but I…"
Michiru was instantly cut off. "Don't worry child, there is no problem." Nao easily retorted.
The young aquanette walked over to her wife's bed looking at her tenderly. "How's she?" She asked as she placed a cool cloth over her forehead.
"She woke up earlier today and asked for you." Sango happily replied as she eyed her queen.
"Yes, she did. She still sounded tired and a little light headed," Nao butted in, "but she seems to recover very well."
Michiru smiled. She is definitely very strong, a warrior. "Those are good news."
There was a knock on the door and Sango quickly moved to open the door. There in the doorway a servant stood quietly. "The strategist is downstairs. He wishes to talk to your Highness."
Nao eyed Michiru suspiciously as the latter paled, but quickly gained her color back.
"Tell him I'll be there in a minute." Michiru answered and the servant disappeared.
"What business does that man has with you Michiru?" Nao ventured to ask as she watched Michiru changing the cloth on the blonde's forehead one more time.
Michiru looked at her nervously. "He saved Haruka, Nao. He helped her when he carried her here."
Nao didn't say anything and only nodded. She watched as the aquanette left the room.
There in the middle of the main salon stood Adoki. He had a navy with a golden emblem uniform by which Michiru assumed was the color of the Uranian army.
"Adoki, what are you doing here?" Michiru asked as soon as she approached him.
"Hello, too." Adoki sarcastically greeted. "I just wanted to know how Haruka is doing."
Michiru frowned. Haruka? When had he become so familiar with the blonde? Shouldn't he hate her wife?
"She is doing much better." Michiru's lips turned into a smile. "She is now fighting off an infection, but she is strong and I have faith she will be fine."
The blue eyed man nodded. "Good." He looked at the woman in front of him. "Michiru, I also came here to tell you that I haven't changed my mind and I won't leave Uranus until you decide to come with me."
The aqua haired woman sighed. She feared he had come for that. "And I already told you I won't leave either. Why don't you just leave and make things easier."
Neither Michiru nor Adoki noticed when a silhouette descended the stairs looking and hearing what the two of them talked about.
"Michiru!"
A voice echoed in the large room. The aquanette turned around only to face Nao. The old woman looked at her incredulous. She gazed at her then at Adoki.
"What is the meaning of this? Have you lost your mind?"
Adoki looked at the exasperated old woman and gulped as he retreated from the place.
Michiru watched as Adoki left to then face her nanny. "Nao I can explain."
"Explain? Michiru I helped raised you better than this! What were you doing with that man?"
"Shh. We can't talk here." Michiru reprimanded looking around, "Let's go to my room."
•°¤...¤•°… •
If there was someone Michiru Kaioh, well now Tenoh, could trust was Iothi Nao. When the young Neptunian princess met the handsome Adoki, she couldn't hide her happiness. She knew she couldn't tell her parents because they would not approve of her relationship and she thought about telling her sister, but her old nanny found out first. She couldn't lie her old woman as this one encouraged her to tell what was going on with her. Michiru trusted her nanny with her biggest secret and confessed her love for the handsome soldier. Nao of course had alerted her of the dangerous situation she could get in if she continued her relationship with the Neptunian soldier, but Nao couldn't ignore the happiness her 'little girl' showed back then and decided to no say anything. Thus, Nao had found and learned about Shibata Adoki.
Once inside the room the black haired woman started her scolding once more.
"How can you do this Michiru? Your innocent wife is lying on bed badly injured!"
Rolling her eyes the aqua haired woman kept walking around her room. "Nao, I didn't do anything! And you haven't meet Haruka. She is not the saint woman you imagine." Michiru eyed her nanny and looked at her convincingly. "She has a mistress."
Nao gasped at the sudden piece of information. "What? I can't believe that."
"Well, she does." Michiru grunted. "Kasumi, the maid you took out of the room earlier."
"And how would you know that? Have you seen something suspicious or anything?"
Michiru stopped walking; a thoughtful expression crossed her face. "I haven't observed anything personally, but someone saw Haruka and Kasumi kissing and told me."
"You shouldn't trust unreliable sources Michiru." The old black haired woman shook her head in negation. "People like to gossip, I might not know Haruka-sama well, but she seems like a good person."
The aquanette fell silent contemplating the idea.
" But why did you let that man stay here? In your wife's palace!" Nao continued with her reprimand.
Michiru was taken aback. She hadn't asked Adoki to come to Uranus and she had done nothing bad. She was angry. "Nao, please calm down. First of all, I didn't ask Adoki to come here. He just appeared here disguising himself as the new army strategist and," Michiru tried to calm down a bit as she started to pace around her own room once again, "I already ask him to leave a thousand times, but he won't do it."
"Well, you will have to ask him another thousand times because he cannot stay here. What would happen if Haruka-sama finds out eh?"
The young woman massaged her temples. Of course she had contemplated that idea and it scared her. "I know, I know Nao, but what do you want me to do if he just doesn't want to leave."
"Why didn't tell your wife that man was here?"
Michiru looked at her as she was crazy. "What? Are you insane? If I tell Haruka Adoki is in Uranus she would want to kill him. She hates him and I don't want any of them to get hurt."
That was it. Nao knew the eyed blue woman was right. Tired and without any energy to continue that conversation Michiru left Nao in her room and headed to check on the blonde. She entered the room and found Sango watching her wife.
"Is she better now?"
Sango smiled and stood up from her place. "Yes, I think she is. She recovered consciousness again and asked for you again."
Michiru tilted her head in thought.
"She also asked for Ushida-san."
"For the strategist? For what?"
"That I don't know." Sango left her queen alone and exited the room.
A muffled moan alerted Michiru. She walked over to the blonde's bed as she watched the taller woman stir a bit. She observed the blonde placing the back of her hand over Haruka's temple. "How are you feeling?" Haruka had her eyes closed and moved a bit.
"Do you need something? Maybe water?"
The blonde remained with her eyes closed, but nodded weakly as she licked her lips. Michiru poured water in a glass and helped the blonde drink her water. Haruka groaned after she finished.
"Does still hurt?" Michiru asked.
The blonde nodded.
Michiru watched the blonde. Haruka didn't seem to want to open her eyes and Michiru felt drawn to touch the beautiful yet boyish face of her wife, but restrain herself from doing so as she stood up from the bed and walked towards the door.
Haruka felt the presence of the aquanette leaving her room. "Please stay." She murmured. Michiru turned around and moved towards the end of the bed. "Closer." The blonde murmured again.
Finally Michiru decided to sit closer watching the blonde lifting up her hand. She took it. Haruka felt Michiru holding her hand and felt an immense happiness, but it quickly disappeared.
"If I die…" Teal eyes opened for an instant, "You will be free forever."
"But I don't want you to die." Michiru quickly responded.
Haruka fought to keep her eyes open as they closed by its own. "I would like to know something. The day you went to my bedroom to talk about the divorce," Haruka paused as she tried not to focus on the pain on her left side of her chest. "Remember?"
Michiru nodded. "Yes, I do."
Haruka smirked at the memory of that night. "When I kissed and caressed you, I believe you enjoyed it."
Michiru blushed at as she also remembered that night. She looked away from the blonde, even though the latter had her eyes closed.
"No."
"Yes, Michiru. You were anxious and heated." Haruka groaned, licking her lips, "I felt how you shivered in my arms, you were responding to my kisses and caresses."
The aquanette looked at Haruka who opened her eyes at that moment. "No, you were wrong."
Haruka let go of Michiru's hand and tilted her head sideways. "That's a shame, for a moment a thought there could be something between us, even if it was only physical."
Michiru opened her mouth and stopped before deciding to speak. "If I was sure I would be comprehended, I would share with you what's inside me. I would tell you all I feel, all it's inside of me."
The blonde moved her head so she could see the aqua haired woman again. "And why do you think I won't understand? My mind is open, I know how to listen. Try, Michiru, try."
In that precise moment somebody started knocking the door. Michiru moved in an attempted to open the door.
"No, don't open the door. We're talking." Haruka tiredly ask.
"But it could be something important."
"Tell them I don't want to be bothered."
Michiru stood up from the bed and headed towards the door without opening it.
"Who is it?"
"It's me Sango-chan." The voiced of the maid echoed, "Katsuru-san and Ushida-san are outside. They wish to know how Haruka-sama is doing."
Haruka had heard the young woman through the door and nodded at Michiru.
"Ok let them in." She licked her lips, "but this conversation has to continue Michiru."
The night fell and after two hours of talking with Katsuru and Ushida the blonde fell deeply asleep.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Ha. I wanted to write a really cat fight between Kasumi and Michiru, but Michiru is a lady. She can't fall that low and started fighting on the floor pulling out poor Kasumi's hair hahah that would be funny. Please let me know how I'm doing. To those who wanted Haruka transform sorry. Don't be upset, who knows, I might write something like that on the future (I'm not promising anything) but cheer up. R&R
Snowflake- Well, I don't know if being unconscious counts as vacations from pain, but she's getting better ;)
Ch- Nope I didn't kill her I'm not that evil haha
Alex- Realmente no tengo un dia para actualizar. Los Viernes es mas probable porque termina la semana y con eso la escuela y trabajo YES! Pero hay veces que tengo tiempo y entonces actualize pronto. Diente por diento con eso de que Michiru beso a Adoki, Haruka tambien beso a Kasumi haha Haruka trata de conquistar a su esposa, solo espero que Michiru entienda pronto
Fanficnis- You're welcome. I honestly didn't know they were block (again I'm slow haha) until I finally figured out. I appreciate your words and support, and I'm glad you like ML.
Alexis- Hola. Lo siento, mi espanol no esta tan avanzado. No termine mi educacion en espanol y mi gramatica es pesima, no se poner acentos, ni comas y varias palabras me confuden. No creo que podria escribir en espanol :S Me da gusto que te este gustando mi historia y espero y siga asi.
Lorena- Hola, si entiendo haha Dejame agradecer a tu amiga porque te ah recomendado mi historia. No pienso que Michiru se paresca mucho a la protagonista original de la historia pero no creo que se muy llorana, solo cuando sea necesario ;)
