(13) When you're falling behind
Michru had always found it difficult to play to in an empty concert hall, because during the concert the seats were filled and the acoustic did change. But she could hardly tell her class to watch her play. So she stood in the middle of the empty hall, playing her notes with closed eyes. There was no one there to see or even criticize her. Her music teacher and the other members of the orchestra were long gone, but she had to rehearse her piece of music again. Partly because she was hoping that Haruka would come and accompany her on the grand piano. But sadly enough, no wind senshi came.
Michiru sighed slightly and put her violin down. Probably her best friend was still at her sport club, ignoring her injured arm, running against her opponents, running away from herself…
"That was fantastic."
Startled she looked up as she heard the clapping. Haruka was not standing there admiring her skills, but Usagi and Mamoru. The girl still wore her school uniform, obviously they came directly to Michiru's boarding school as her lessons ended.
"Hey, you two, that's a surprise." Although Michiru felt disappointed she could not help but return Usagi's happy smile. The blonde held her boyfriend's hand tight and they looked deeply in love. "What are you doing here? Hopefully not listening to my rehearsal." Michiru joked and put her violin in its case.
"You sound great, Michiru-kun. I wish I could play that way." Marvelled Usagi. "Are you going to give a concert?"
"My orchestra is giving a concert. That was only my solo part." Michiru closed the instrument's case and jumped from the stage to come over to them. "We're giving a concert on New Year's Day. You're welcome to come."
"Great!" squealed Usagi happily and Michiru wondered briefly how this girl could ever become their queen. Then she remembered what had happened only yesterday and changed her mind. Usagi was indeed very young but she was also very powerful. She could achieve goals others had to fail. And she had a big heart, liked her friends and was able to forgive everything, even towards her enemies, or her former enemies, like them…
"We'll be there." Confirmed Mamoru his girlfriend's words. "We want to stroll over the Christmas market and then visit Hotaru and..."
"We want to buy her a big chocolate Santa Clause!" interrupted Usagi her boyfriend and dragged him impatiently out of the dark hall into the winter's twilight. The days got shorter and shorter and dusk came almost after dawn had taken place.
"I'm not sure if she's allowed to eat chocolate yet. She's still ill, you know." Mamoru made a doubtful face and didn't mind to be pulled over the boarding school's grounds towards the parking lot.
"It's Christmas time, every little girl should have a chocolate Santa Clause." Now Usagi was sulking. Surely she wanted to hint that she wanted to have a chocolate Santa Clause, too, since she was as small as it served her. For a big chocolate bar she would be willingly tell everybody that she was only five years old.
Michiru giggled and hang her coat around her shoulders to protect her from the freezing cold but also to hide her ugly school uniform. Silently she envied Usagi for her bright one. It looked better and a lot more positive.
"Okay, we buy one but we'll ask Tomoe-san before we give it to Hotaru, alright?"
"Alright."
Yes, Hotaru was still in hospital, she was still ill. But she left the intensive care unit and her heart's data improved over night. It was a little miracle. One evening she was in deep coma and doomed to die, the next day she was awake and able to breathe on her own. She would have a weak heart for the rest of her life, but she would recover. She would live.
"Do you want to come with us?" Mamoru opened his car and Usagi hopped on the front-passenger seat looking for a nice CD they could listen to while they drove to the inner city of Tokyo. "I'm sure Hotaru will be glad to see you."
Michiru glanced hesitatingly around but all she found was an empty parking space. Mamoru followed her look and shrugged his shoulders.
"She'd be welcomed, too."
"I know." Yes, Michiru had known that neither Usagi nor the others blamed Haruka for what she had done the other night. In the end it had been Uranus' power with which Sailor Moon was able to defeat Mistress 9 and to rescue little Hotaru. However, Michiru sensed that Haruka did not want to face Usagi and her team nor did she dare to visit Hotaru. The sea beauty wanted to talk to her, wanted to tell her that she was wrong, that everything was fine, but she got no opportunity to do so. Haruka had already left their apartment when she woke up and disappeared right after their lessons.
Michiru hoped that Haruka would return early in the evening so that she could talk to her. That she would return at all.
She feels like she had let us down.
Michiru sighed and put her violin case on the backseat before she climbed into Mamoru's estate car, this time with winter fitting clothes and not only in a nightshirt.
"Let's go, Hime-chan's surely waiting for us."
"Hai!" Usagi grinned and put a CD into the player. Mamoru started the car but only rolled his eyes as she had to listened to the newest boygroup's schmaltzy song, again. "What do you wanna eat on the market? I wanna have a big chocolate bar." She glanced over to her boyfriend to make sure that he had heard her wish. "A. Big. Chocolate. Bar."
"Maybe a candied apple." She would not be eating it together with her Haruka, but she would not have to eat it all alone, so it was fine. Silently she had to giggle as Mamoru looked pleadingly up to the car's ceiling, but no one answered him, no one helped. He had to survive the Christmas market all by himself, and buy his girlfriend a really BIG chocolate bar, as well. And so he did. Only ten minutes later Usagi was holding it in her gloves, dirtying her scarf and grinning at the glittering shop windows with a brown smile.
"I'll buy some roasted almonds, I'll be right back." Mamoru shoved gently through the crowded place. Usagi nodded and continued to eat her chocolate happily, pointing at another shop's windows. "They look very soft."
Michiru turned and recognized the toy shop she had looked at some days ago. In another life as it seemed. So much happened in between. So much good.
Maybe I should buy the teddy bear now. Hime-chan's going to be alive at Christmas and it seems as if we won't die on our mission, as well.
The sea beauty smiled happily and stepped to the window to look closer at the cuddly toys.
"I do have one of them, too. Mamoru-chan bought me one on my last birthday. They are cool, although Chibiusa always wants mine!"
Michiru hardly listened to what the girl, their saviour, was telling her. She only had eyes for the big teddy bear, imagining little Hotaru hugging it with reddened cheeks and an excited smile. A movement in the glass' reflection, however, startled her. She believed to see a certain blonde standing on the other side of the street, but as she swirled around to search for her she was gone. There were many people passing by, chatting, laughing, eating, humming, but Haruka was not there.
An illusion?
Michiru frowned but forgot the incident as Mamoru returned and the two friends dragged her over the market for another half an hour before they drove to the hospital and visited a giggling Hotaru, opening her Christmas calendar while Chibiusa watched her with shinning eyes.