Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Knight for Uranus ❯ Chapter 3

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Disclaimer: What? You thought I owned Sailor Moon? Ha! I didn't think
so... Yes, this is just a fanfic. The original characters and story
all belong to Naoko Takeuchi, with the exception of any new
characters inserted by yours truly.

Rating/Warnings: Somewhere between PG and PG-13 for Haruka/Michiru
references. Nothing big, but I thought I'd give a warning anyway. If
the idea of Haruka showing interest in a guy makes you see red, you
probably won't like the story.

Summary: Long ago during Silver Millennium, each of the Sailor
Princesses ruled over her own planet, protecting Queen Serenity and
her young daughter from danger. And protecting each princess was a
knight: one sworn to guard and protect her no matter what. Though the
two of them were never required to marry each other, it seemed like
destiny as the princesses fell more in love with their protectors
each day.

So Artemis tells the story. But if it is true, then each of the girls
should also have a person they are destined for in the present time.
As spring blooms and romance is in the air, this seems to be coming
true for everyone... except Haruka.


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A Knight for Uranus: Chapter 3
by Katrina Kadabra

The week seemed to pass far more quickly than Haruka had expected.
The meeting a few days before may have been the first time she saw
Taylor, but it certainly wasn't the last. She found that they
encountered each other several times during the day, although she
didn't seem to take notice of it before. They were right across the
hall from each other when Haruka had English, and they were even in
the same mathematics class. It was strange, Haruka noticed. Something
about him made her tense up when he came near, but not as if he
scared her. It was as if she suddenly wanted to behave in a just-so
manner. Could it be to impress him, or perhaps even attract him? No,
that was nonsense. In either case, what would he see in her? Haruka
didn't have the long-flowing hair, delicate eyelashes, or elegant
clothing that men usually found attracting, which was all very
shallow when Haruka stopped to think about it. So that settled that.
She would simply ignore those "feelings" about Taylor and push on
with her studies... and her racing.

Friday's competition was indeed grueling. Usagi and her friends were
unable to show, but at least Michiru and Taylor were there. Haruka
could not remember a day when Michiru wasn't there at the sidelines
cheering her on as she raced across the finish line. Today was no
exception. Except, of course, that Taylor was there as well. In the
end, Haruka won her first place. She brought her bike to stop just
across the finish line and removed her helmet, tired but proud of her
accomplishment. As was common courtesy, Haruka's opponent came up to
shake her hand. Haruka knew this man very well. Katsutoshi Yamada.
They had raced together often and were usually the only competition
on the course.

"You drove aggressively today," he commented. "Almost as if there was
someone watching you so you just had to win it for them." Haruka
gasped. Was even her racing being affected by Taylor so obviously?
She quickly drove the thought from her mind.

"Not at all," she replied to Katsutoshi. I drove just the same as I
always do."

"Suit yourself," he answered and headed back to his crew. Meanwhile
Michiru and Taylor came to congratulate Haruka on her win. There was
a bouquet of white carnations in Taylor's hand.

"Great job!" said Michiru. She glanced towards Taylor, who held out
the flowers.

"Congrats," he said. "It was an awesome race." Haruka could feel her
face turning bright pink as she accepted the gift. Why had he done
that? It was only one race and not even a championship. What did it
mean?

"Why don't we go out to dinner to celebrate?" Michiru suggested. "The
three of us?" Haruka nodded. Three was good.

The restaurant of choice was one of Haruka's favorites. It was a
small but rather nice little restaurant near the park. The type of
place that you didn't need to change into your Sunday best for, but
you could show up and not have a greasy plate of cheese show up as
the main course. When they arrived, a tall skinny waiter directed the
three of them to a table that sat snugly in the corner of the
building. Michiru quickly sat herself on one end of the table, not
moving over when Haruka came near. Haruka cleared her throat and
filed into the opposite side. Taylor sat himself next to her. No
sooner had they order their drinks, Michiru stood up again.

"Excuse me, I'm going to use the ladies room," she announced,
smiling. Haruka scowled. Michiru was leaving her alone with Taylor on
purpose and she knew it. For what seemed like an excruciatingly long
time, there was silence. Haruka did everything in her power to avoid
eye contact with Taylor, including such exciting activities as
inspecting her nails and staring blankly at the restaurant table.
Finally, Taylor spoke.

"You did a great job today. I mean it, I've never seen a race like
that before." Haruka shrugged off the compliment.

"I try," she said. "Although it seems no matter how many times I win,
I still have all the bets against me." Taylor nodded.

"I suppose... it did seem like most people were cheering for Mr.
Yamada."

"Yes, Michiru is usually the only one cheering for me," said Haruka
quietly.

"I'll be glad to come back and cheer for you," he said. "As many
times as you want." Haruka glanced upward into Taylor deep hazel eyes
and she felt her face turning pink again.

"I'm back!" Michiru announced, returning in a singsong tone. She sat
herself down and opened up her menu. "So, did we decide on the main
course yet or not?" Haruka picked up her menu.

"I'm not sure," she mumbled. "Guess I'll have the chef's salad."
Michiru sighed.

"You get the same thing every time we go out. Don't you want
something different?" Haruka smiled and put her hands behind her
head.

"Nope," she said with a grin. "I'll never change, I guess." Taylor
glanced over at her, but didn't say anything. The skinny waiter came
back with the drinks and took their orders along with their menus.
Haruka put her hands back on her lap. She was a bit more relaxed now,
but couldn't help sensing that she had left Taylor feeling out of
place. Haruka turned looked out the window. There was a gorgeous view
of the lake. With the overhead moon reflecting down on its surface,
the water looked as if hundreds of delicate fairies dancing on it.
There was a path that led all around the lake and a bridge off in the
distance. It would be a nice night to go for a walk out there.

"Your dinner, ma'am," Haruka heard a voice say. She turned around to
see the waiter standing there with their platters.

"That was fast," she commented.

"They usually are," Michiru said. She pulled out her utensils,
delicately placing the napkin on her lap. Haruka and Taylor did the
same.

The meal was eaten mostly in silence, with a bit of light
conversation here and there that got gradually stronger as the
evening progressed. Taylor asked Haruka all sorts of questions about
her experience on the racetrack. Haruka was only too proud to comply
and give out her stories of victory to the fullest thrilling detail.
Michiru watched as Haruka and Taylor spoke. How sweet they looked
sitting and talking to each other, leaning on each other's words.
They seemed to have much in common. She hated to see them pulled
apart, but when the meal was finally over, the waiter was quick to
bring the bill, as there was still a long line of people waiting for
a table.

While the three of them stood in line waiting to pay for their meal,
Michiru swayed lightly from one leg to another. She looked out into
the distance, towards the same lake Haruka had watching earlier.
Something was pushing her to say something...

"There's a lovely path around the lake out there," she said
indicating the scenery outside the window. "Might be nice to take a
stroll on a night like this." Haruka seemed embarrassed at Michiru's
suggestion.

"Michiru, that's nice of you to offer, but don't you think we should
do that sometime when we don't have a third person here? You're being
kind of rude."

"Hmm?" Michiru asking, pretending not to have heard her. "Oh no, not
me. But the two of you can go if you like. I have to be heading home.
I need to wash our school uniforms for tomorrow."

"Michiru, we don't have school tomorrow." A sweatdrop appeared on
Michiru's forehead.

"That so?" she said with a laugh. "Guess it's better be prepared in
case we do then. I'll see you when you get home, Haruka." And with
that, Michiru picked up her purse, leaving Haruka and Taylor
completely alone.

"Darn it, Michiru," Haruka mumbled under her breath.

"If you don't want to go, that's fine with me," said Taylor. "It's
not a big deal." Haruka bit her lip. His voice suggested just the
opposite.

"Oh no, I'll go with you," she volunteered. Haruka wanted to slap
herself in the face - why had she done that? She had decided when
this whole thing started that she wasn't going to put herself in a
position for Taylor to be close to her. This wasn't helping. Still,
Haruka could not go back on her word, and after they had paid the
bill, she and Taylor walked outside and onto the path.

It was a lovely spring evening. Blades of grass swayed gently amid
crowded patches of marigolds. The silhouettes of a flock of geese
dotted the horizon as they flew through the crisp spring air. It was
the kind of setting you expected to find only on a movie screen,
never in real life. Haruka tried to take her steps briskly, but
somehow her feet seemed to move perfectly in sync with Taylor's.

Finally, they arrived at the bridge. Haruka walked up to the peak and
peered over the edge. It was dark and the water is the pond was
wavering, distorting her reflection. Taylor walked up and stood next
to her. Haruka suddenly felt her heart thumping inside of her, like
she was standing on the edge of something, some crucial point in her
life and she didn't know what to do. Should she jump forward and risk
being hurt or simply fall back into the safety of her isolation? As
Haruka pondered this, the wind picked up and blew strands of her ash
blond air across her face.

"Look at that!" Taylor suddenly said. Haruka followed his finger up
into night sky just in time to see shimmering blue comet flying
across the heavens.

"A shooting star," she whispered.

"You're supposed to make a wish," Taylor reminded her.

"A wish?" Haruka thought to herself. "I wish... I suppose..." A
breeze picked up gently, one that might have given normal girls a chill,
but the wind never phased Haruka. To her, it was like a sister or
brother calling her home. "I wish," she said to herself. "I wish to
know myself better. These things I feel... I don't what they are.
I'm mixed up; it's always been just me and Michiru. What is this sudden
passion and why do I have it for him? Is it really love? I wish to know."
Haruka let out a deep sigh. Her lungs felt heavy, possibly from the cold
air or the weight of her emotions or both.

"What's the matter?" Taylor asked her. Haruka shrugged.

"I think I made too many wishes," she mumbled. Taylor laughed. He had
a pleasant laugh, warm and inviting. Taylor reached up his hand as if
to hold her shoulder. Haruka tightened her fists.

"Don't get so close to me," she thought. "I don't know if I'm ready
yet." To her shock, though she had said nothing, Taylor actually put
her arm down. Haruka sighed, relieved but a little disappointed as
well. Taylor stood next to her patiently, ready to support her but
not forcing himself upon her as the two watched the ripples moving
slowly across the water below them. After almost an hour, Haruka
began to yawn.

"Come on," Taylor said gently. "It's late... we should be getting
home." Haruka nodded.