(7) I will be right here
The arcade was opened on a Sunday, because it was Christmas time and people bought more when they had time. Still there were seventeen more days until Christmas Eve, at least if you could trust the children's calendars, but the arcade was crowded. There were people everywhere: Teenagers shopping for their best friends, parents or siblings, older people shopping for their children and grandchildren and of course aforesaid children begging everyone they knew for the perfect gift.
Michiru walked in the middle of this bustle, looking around dreamily. She loved Christmas time, loved the scent of burning candles and candied fruits, loved the radio stations playing schmaltzy Christmas songs, mostly performed by Elvis Presley, and she loved the snow whirling above the glass roof while she was warm and save within the arcade.
The movie had been funny at the cinema. Even more funny was to observe Usagi and her crazy friends watching it. Michiru enjoyed every second of it and dreaded the moment when she had to talk to Usagi, or better, Sailor Moon. When the romantic movie was over, Makoto invited them all over to her to cook spaghetti. Michiru looked into Usagi's shinning eyes and knew that she could not tell her the truth. At least not the entire truth. So she told them that she had to go home to practice her violin, only to turn into Sailor Neptune in a dark corner and to step through Makoto's opened kitchen's window. Chaos was too mild a word to describe what happened with the others when she confronted Usagi being Sailor Moon. Of course Usagi started to cry immediately and it was indeed Mamoru who calmed the crazy girls down and asked Neptune to tell them why she was there. So she sat down and told them everything she knew about little Hotaru. She even explained their mission to a speaking cat, for heaven's sake! And ate Makoto's burnt pasta. But Mamoru seemed to believe her and Usagi promised her to help her fighting for Hotaru.
Michiru would have done anything for that promise made by Sailor Moon. The future princess of Crystal Tokyo seemed to be a real cry baby but when it came to her friends or to a lone soul she could rescue, she was able to outdo herself, to outdo everybody around her, even Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus, although the latter would have never admitted it. Tomorrow they would visit Hotaru together and find a solution. Hopefully. Michiru did not know what to do otherwise. If Sailor Moon could not rescue her Hime-chan, no one could…
"Wanna have a candied apple, mummy!" A small boy almost crashed into Michiru as he was busy to lead his mother to the shop where the sweet fruit was sold. The mother smiled apologetically at her, but Michiru only shook amused her head. It was Christmas time, it was normal for children to forget everything else when they saw a candy.
"Gomen nasai."
"No problem, nothing happened." Michiru watched mother and son disappear and studied the sign with a big red apple thoughtfully. Of course she loved candied fruits, but it was something she only did together with a friend. Maybe it was stupid, but her mother had bought her candied fruits whenever they had been on a Christmas market in Michiru's youth. Now Michiru was grown up and her mother was often abroad together with her husband, so they would not buy her any apples any longer. Still the memory of her mother buying her the candy and giving it to her was so comforting, so precious, she did not want to spoil it in buying an apple all by herself.
Maybe I should buy some Christmas gifts.
Michiru interrupted her train of thought and concentrated on the other shop windows instead showing huge teddy bears and small bunnies. Surely Hotaru would like one, just as Usagi who thought that you could never be old enough to get a cuddly toy.
If Hime-chan will live to see this Christmas.
Michiru clenched her fists inside her white cloak's pockets and shook slightly her head. No, Hotaru would be alive on Christmas Eve, as alive as Haruka and she would be! They would visit the small child and give her a huge teddy bear. They would sit under a Christmas tree and drink hot chocolate. They would laugh and be happy.
Hai, because it's Christmas!
Although Michiru knew that nothing could change destiny. If Sailor Moon could not help, then there was no way for Hotaru be cuddled her under a Christmas tree.
Sailor Moon will help. She must!
Michiru stopped before the shop window and already wanted to go inside as she saw a well known person standing only ten metres away in front of another window. Blond hair was hidden under a dark green cap and a dark green scarf covered half of her face. Her eyes were half closed and she was squinting, trying to read something in the shop.
"Hey, sleepyhead, finally woken up?" teased Michiru and could not resist to pull the soft cap from Haruka's head. It was warming her head that the blonde was wearing her St. Nicholas' gift. They had not spoken at all the past day, however, Michiru always made the first step after a fight and never left Haruka in peace until they got along again.
"Michi!" The blonde whirled around, because she had not seen her partner approaching her. "Do you want to frighten me to death?"
Michiru heard the ambiguity, but ignored it. Grinningly she stroked through Harka's fuzzy hair and pushed the cap back on now totally messed strands.
"Are you buying Christmas presents?" She peered over Harka's shoulder and frowned as she saw a jeweller's shop. Gold, silver and diamonds sparkled in all colours of the rainbow. Then Michiru glanced into the shop's interior and saw a beautiful young saleslady standing behind the counter and smiling friendly at a customer.
Why am I not surprised?
Michiru rolled her eyes, seeing that Haruka had been more interested in the young woman than in the jewellery. Of course, the blonde would have never spent her money on useless decorations as she called rings, necklaces and earrings.
"Maybe I'll buy some on December twenty-third, if I am still alive then." Muttered the blonde and sighed. Then she shook her head as if to clear it and turned her back to the jeweller's shop. "Did you buy anything?"
"Nope." Michiru shrugged her shoulders and grabbed for Haruka's hand as an older man ran into her and almost knocked her down. He did not even notice and for once the blonde did not scream after him as she normally would have done. But right now her worries were bigger than a stupid granddad not taking care of where he was going.
"Guess I had the same thought." Michiru shrugged her shoulders again helplessly. "Do you want to know what Sailor Moon told me yesterday?"
Haruka glanced at her smaller partner silently, before she shook her head and dragged her with her, not letting go of her hand.
"Tell me this evening when I'll copy your biology homework."
"You could do that now, you know? Writing it on your own, I mean." Michiru grinned challenging, being relieved that Haruka was finally talking to her again. They could not fight against their destiny, could not struggle for their own survivor and for the lives of the ones they loved if they did not get on well with each other.
"No, I don't have time for something as insignificant as homework." Now Haruka was smiling, as well.
I wish you could always be this way, almost carefree.
"You don't have time? What are you up to now?"
Haruka's smile deepened and she did not stop in their slalom through the crowded arcade until they stood right before the candied fruits shop.
"Buying you an apple."