Created: 12/25/02

Haruka reflected as she had to dress up in an idol outfit that Minako and Makoto had chosen for her.

It wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for the usual puffy frills associated with an idol outfit.. and the large puffy orange, red, green sleeves that she'd seen at the circus. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that it was fushia pink and rode above her legs. She decided that she would NEVER wear a dress again. The dress had lace all over it and these annoying little beads and sequins that kept iritating her eyes with their constant glare. Somehow the senshi had managed to subject her to a complete makeup. Down to the foundation and back up to the last bit of liner (lip or whatever it was.)

She'd lost the bet. Haruka, the dignified Senshi of Uranus had lost the bet.

She looked down and noticed that they'd mangaed her into orange mesh stockings and somehow got her hair to stand up in that wig that Michiru got her.

She slowly stepped up on that stage. Someone had managed to call all of Juuban to see her humiliation.

That's when Haruka woke up. Her scream filled the Victorian house. She heard someone knock on the door. She opened it up and then said solemnly to Michiru, "We must win."

Michiru yawned and nodded, and then said, "Oh, Haruka, the dress isn't that bad, I saw it yesterday."

Haruka's jaw dropped as Michiru went back to her room. Michiru continued to mutter as she described it going back to her room.

Haruka went back to bed and then imagined the dress. One more day to go.

Barring all the men that Haruka had managed to send to the hospital, the day was going pretty well. That is except that Haruka still hadn't gotten anyone to flirt with her.

They tried coffee shops, they tried bars, they even went so far as to get a love charm. They tried all the manga shops in town. No success, by the time the bet had arrived, it was over.

Haruka had officially lost. Haruka was distressed. Michiru was distressed. Setsuna was well, like Setsuna is in such a situation. Hotaru was with out a dress at all (she wasn't going to wear one for at least a few days) and utterly mad at Minako. Minako was on the ground praying to whatever kami there are in the world for her well-being and continued safety.

Setsuna booked the Juuban High gym. She pulled a few strings with her colleagues at KO University. Ami sent out the invitations to all the girls at Juuban High and at Juuban Junior High, as well as some of the classmates at the now destroyed Mugen Academy.

Haruka had no one to blame at this point except the Japanese Society. She could blame all of the girls that were not gay, but instead facinated by it. She could blame the fanatic Christians that believed that being gay was wrong. (She'd learned that it wasn't always true after a while. Religion confused her as it did most Japanese.)

Haruka was long dressed before she entered the arena. Usagi had bought her a frilly dress with lace. It wasn't tasteful at all. It was bright orange with red dots all over it. She was forced into red net stockings. and there was this thing sticking out of it. This thing that looked like a shepherd's staff had crushed a poor snake into two on the skirt that wound around Haruka's waist.

Haruka said quietly to Michiru, "I thought you said the dress was tasteful."

Michiru shook her head and said, "No, I said the shoes were. Besides, don't talk about taste in front of all of these impressionable girls."

Haruka smiled. Hotaru sighed in relief.

Haruka had to concede that the shoes were wearable. She caught herself thinking that and then said, "Oh no, I'm thinking like one of THEM too!"

Haruka peered out from the curtain and swore. The gym was unbelievably crowded for such short notice.

"How did they all get here? It's packed!" Haruka said.

The gym was crowded with girls and boys, and a few teachers from both schools who wanted to monitor the fiasco that these girls had put together. It wasn't that they didn't trust Meioh-sensei, they just didn't trust that many girls in the place.

Everyone had gathered once they heard that the ultra-cool senpai Tenoh Haruka-san was going to be publicly wearing a dress and apologizing for her past delusions. A few were her fans from her racing, but the majority just wanted to see her in a dress.

A thousand girls screamed, "Speech, speech!"

Haruka walked out slowly, trying to be dignified in her get-up. The whole gym became silent as Haruka cleared her throat.

"I am Tenoh Haruka. You have gathered here today to hear my apology towards those of you I have deceived."

Haruka paused, because the card said to.

Ami had written the speech, though Haruka had originally wanted to say, "Look, I'm sorry for what I've done good-bye."

"I have often dressed in men's clothes. It was not because I wanted to deceive you, but because I feel more comfortable in men's clothes. I think that my personal identity is that of a man. I've always known this, even though I am a woman."

"However," Haruka continued, "I have learned that there is a lot of prejudice in the world against those who are gay or cross dress. Even that of Japan, I have learned that being homosexual is a fantasy and not a true practice of what people truly believe of themselves. Thank you very much."

All of the Senshi nodded in satisfaction except Minako, who'd conveniently slipped out. She didn't want to be caught in anyone's fury for taking away the dignity of Tenoh Haruka.

This story would end here, except there was a minor detail that no one noticed until much later. There was one person in the audience that watched this, and continued Haruka's suffering despite the speech. Therefore, this was not the end of Haruka's trouble with dresses and women's clothes.

Anyway here are some notes:

Tokyo has very little crime to note of, and it's rare, since most things end up in a stand-off rather than strikes or violence. It's unlikely that charges would be pressed against Haruka since Japan isn't very sue-happy as the US can be.

As for the idol dresses, you can sample them by watching a few Minako episodes, and one of Rei's. Yes, they do actually exist. If you want to see a few, sometimes you can see them on some Japanese TV stations on a TV show call Hey! Hey! Music Champ. (when the singers sing...) They can be really awful in taste...

Be specific with your critiques please.