Chapter 03 – With The Outers

The girls were on their way to Nerima, including the other half of the Solar Senshi. After hearing of their plans, Haruka Tenou, tomboy of the group had thought it wasn't a bad idea. Unfortunately, the overbearing immature girls known as the Inner Senshi had heard her thoughts and insisted the Outers come along. Unheeding the sarcastic and caustic remarks that WOULD have worked had the Inner's contained brains smart enough to recognize it.

So, Michiru being the politer one graciously accepted the girl's offer. Though, inwardly, the calm senshi seethed, she was NOT into rough training. Damn her upbringing, had she been anyone else she'd say a flat out 'no,' but those taught by her parents—members of the hierarchy of Japanese Society—had ingrained those social graces into her bones and stuck.

Shit!

(Usagi giggled, she wondered if Michiru could really be like this. It certainly had its merits, she sometimes wondered whether the beautiful senshi enjoyed being with vapid looking girls. Funny though, in this story, Michiru belonged to polite society but in THEIR world, she was the daughter of the leader Aoshi who belonged to the infamous Oniwaban, yakuza lords of Underworld Japan. [did she mention Michi's otou-san was hot? With a double T hott?])

She had so been looking forward to some quiet peaceful times with Haruka. Where they would be left to their music and her sketches. Instead, she'd have to baby-sit little girls who couldn't even sit up properly. She shuddered, the Inner's decorum could be called horrendous at times, she was glad she did not have any worry of introducing her 'friends' to her parents.

Haruka had been enough.

Speaking of Haruka, it was all her fault. Why couldn't her lover keep her thoughts to herself? Why couldn't she be the loudmouth and opinionated woman she was at home? Still, Michiru had to grudgingly accept this group if she wanted to have at least a small amount of comfort. She knew training would be hell, but the look in Haruka's eyes would be worth it.

Her love cherished fighting, almost as much as she cherished the wind, Michiru would not take away the one thing that made Haruka come the most alive. It would be betraying Haruka as well as herself; she had come to fall in love with the—sometimes—brutal girl with the loud mouth and arrogant beliefs. She had irresistibly been drawn into the breeze, as leaves would have as they chased the wind about the sky.

(Usagi smiled, Haruka was that way. You could not help but be drawn to the tomboy.)

Usagi glanced helplessly at her friends. Throughout the train ride, the two older girls had kept silent, seemingly lost in thought. Usagi had wanted to become better acquainted. She didn't want to be the future monarch they would be required to serve, she wanted to be a friend they could trust.

(Thank the stars their world did not require a ruler. Everyone would be in bedlam if she ever ruled. Quite a few despised her ways and views on living peacefully. Especially the 'Gundam Wing' advocates, who believed Ririna Dorlain was the better ruler. Also those from 'Outlaw Star,' who believed the Terrans [her included] were way too primitive to rule the Cosmos, never mind the fact that she had lived during the Silver Millennium and was practically weaned to follow her mother's footsteps on intergalactic rule.)

Haruka almost smirked as she glanced at Usagi's fruitless attempt to converse with them; it amused the older blonde to find their liege behaving so childishly. But that was what she liked about the girl. Usagi lost all manners when she tried to be friendly; it was one of the few things Haruka had never experienced growing up. When it came to socializing or finding friends something was always expected of her, be it money, manners, ability, or intellect. With Usagi, none of that required but the truth of the person's character, which came as simple as breathing.

She could no longer keep it up. "Hai, Koneko-chan?"

Usagi looked up startled from her manga, she had given up her nagging, and was surprised to hear the Sky Senshi's husky and low voice speak to her. She could never get over it. The Outer Senshi had such beautiful voices. When spoken together it was like this symphony, the harmonic sound of ocean and sky coming together. No wonder they complemented each other so much. She liked to hear Haruka's voice. Haruka's voice was like a low howl in the breeze, or the quiet whisper of a coming storm. It always managed to soothe her when she wasn't in a good mood, it would lull her anger or frustration to nothing and become that of reverent worship to the owner of the voice. One could say she loved Haruka for it.

(Usagi read in awe…could she be like that? Be all poetic and flowery? She shook her head. Maybe not. But story!Usagi had beautiful prose.)

The younger blonde smiled brightly at Haruka, glad to have Haruka's attention on her.

Michiru looked at the chatting pair—or at least the chatting teen and the silent listener. She didn't know what she should feel, but Michiru felt amusement in seeing them together. One would think the younger girl was besotted with the other, and instead of feeling a burning jealousy, Michiru felt a certain kinship with the soon to be queen. She knew Usagi had always been good with knowing the personality of a soul and knew Usagi knew Haruka's one to the T. It was nice to know that she was not the only one who saw that special spark in Haruka. Michiru could not understand how anyone could not notice the capricious blonde, to her; it was like ignoring the ground as you walked on a cliff.

Usagi could feel eyes on her. She turned her head and discovered Michiru's stare. Michiru was best seen and heard. Everything she did in her movements, manner, and vivid paintings explained the gracious girl. What she did with her music explained the feelings she felt. Michiru was such an expressive person; her soul shown for the entire world to see yet people can never seem to see that. Usagi couldn't understand how others could not see what she saw. In Michiru, others saw her as the rich upper class snob who had everything she wanted, she saw Michiru as a soulful and lonely lady, a lady who was complete with her partner. Michiru was nice also; Usagi could sometimes hear the strain in Michiru's voice. Usagi knew there was a temper inside Michiru threatening to spring up, like an abrupt swell, spurting out large waves.

She'd love to see that one day.

(She would too.)

She had a bet going on with Haruka. Who could irritate the composed lady first? Would it be her or Haruka? It was the reason why Haruka would often act somewhat childishly in the presence of the senshi. It only counted if there were witnesses. If Usagi won, she would be able to DRIVE Haruka's sweet yellow convertible. If she lost, then she'd be force to do something dreadful.

Go to summer school.

(Usagi's eyes grew wide. Summer school? That bet was NOT worth going to summer school over. Summer school meant taking ALL failed classes. Living in the story, Usagi thought of reliving Haruna-sensei on the same subjects again. Usagi had better not fail… or she would suffer a most terrible torture. Math.)

She shuddered at the thought. Still, it had been fun. Haruka could be a child like her at times, when others weren't present to witness such acts and it was nice to have some bond with the older senshi. It made her feel more accepted among the Outers. It was also great to see Haruka's uncontainable spirit break free, like the wind creating a sudden gust in a quiet and peaceful garden.

(Damnit! Couldn't Story!Usagi stop with the simile? I got it the first time, no need to mention it again!)

Usagi broke from her reverie to smile at Michiru, her manners getting the best of her.

Michiru noted the smile, it was like she understood what the other thought and continued her innocent and chatty conversation with the other blonde. Sometimes it astonished Michiru to know Usagi. Usagi was an unpredictable weather. One moment, hime would be immature, curious, and loud to caring, poignant, and sensitive or, sometimes, mature and wise. The mature and wise happened so seldom that, when it did happen, Michiru wondered who Usagi really was. Was she the immature one? The caring one? Or the wise one? A person could not be all; there would have to be one personality that encompassed the others. But here Usagi was, being all of them equally. Though the mature and wise happened so little, she still couldn't help but feel that those rare moments were so great that it made up for its long-term absence. It puzzled her greatly to know this seemingly easy to read girl.

"Michi-san?

Michiru looked up to the light voice. Again, it amazed her to know this person. Her voice could be so screechy and loud but when she was calm, it held a lilting almost melodic tone to it. It also amused her to know this girl. Though Usagi tried so hard to be formal, informalities still broke through. Usagi used the customary suffix one would use to a semi friend yet the name had been shortened as if they had always been friends.

Michiru couldn't see it as anything but.

"Hai, Usa-chan?"

Usagi smiled at the endearment, she was glad Michiru thought of her as a friend. She had always feared Michiru. Michiru was the epitome of grace and class; it was what everyone wanted to be. And Usagi had feared being that person. She didn't even know if she wanted to BE that person. She couldn't picture herself like Michiru, despite the future knowledge, she couldn't imagine herself being poised as Michiru was now. The older girl's posture held rigidly and upright, her face up and calm, almost a picture of indifference to the world. Though she knew this was what Michiru was and would always be, Usagi couldn't help but think that if she were to be like Michiru, it would be like being dead.

(True. Once, without the knowledge of the others, save perhaps Pluto, she had taken etiquette lessons. She had failed. But what unnerved her was being unhappy. She could not help but feel this sinking feeling, like she was drowning and she couldn't swim back up. She feared being that person if that would truly happen. She didn't want to die.)

"How is your composition holding up? You know the one with the piano solo in the first sheet and the integration with the flute and violin playing after it? It sounded so beautiful, it was like the violin's chords climbed up behind the notes of the piano as the flute played a separate tune, keeping the contrast between quiet tranquility and dramatic violence."

Michiru smiled indulgently at Usagi. There went that mature and wise voice, this time mixed with the curiosity. "Hai, Usa-chan. It's finished, one would merely need to hear the wind and the Atlantic Ocean to here my composition, it was my inspiration when we were on tour in Great Britain."

Eagerly, incredibly happy to hear such news, Usagi started. "Cool! Will I be able to hear it or must I wait for the CD or a performance of yours?"

"If we find a piano and flute—along with a flutist—in Nerima, you may hear it if you wish. Haruka and I know it already, so the flutist would only be required to play."

Usagi sighed wistfully. "I wish I could play such music. It gives me chills just to hear you guys. Its as if you are at the peak of your auras, surging forth as the music takes you over."

It had been said so honestly that Michiru couldn't help but believe the girl. There were times she felt the Inners were still young, still thinking like human society and caring only for the outward appearance, the popularity of a subject be it person or thing. But then, spurts of wisdom would show and Michiru had to speculate if their old incarnations were merging with them. Usagi would have been a great instrumental player; she had the heart of a composer.

(Usagi, mimicking her character, sighed wistfully. If only she could be a musician. She would have loved to play a set of drums. Sometimes, they could sound and express exactly what she felt—plus it would be fun to have something to hit and vent her anger on.)

Rei watched the Outers converse with Usagi through slit eyes. Something within her felt threatened at the sight of them together, especially when she would see Usagi gaze reverently at Haruka. She almost felt like yelling at Usagi, wanting to tell her to stay away from the Outers, but she knew it sounded as ridiculous as she felt. She guessed the threat was of a possibility that Usagi would abandon her—the Inners—for them.

(Usagi read the pages nervously. She didn't like the sound of this.)

Rei felt relieved when the bus stopped and they had arrived. They had been traveling for two days, butit had felt like forever for Rei, every minute of it had been spent watching the Outers. Sure, they were all cool but sometimes they could be such snobs. Who knew what they would do to Usagi. So she watched.

Usagi lugged her duffle bag onto her shoulders, stepping out of the bus. She noticed the place was somewhat similar to Juuban. It wasn't filled with many large buildings yet it held an abundance of office buildings on the lower part of Nerima, where they were at mostly held community homes and local shops at the end of the street.

It didn't look too bad.

Famous last words.

(Why were they famous? It really didn't sound too bad.)

TBC