PGSM The Second Story

AN: Kaori Night and some Haruka!POV. Everyone Enjoy shit's about the hit the fan.

Tokyo, Late Summer, Present Day

"Dr. Mizuno," the prematurely white-haired man intoned quietly from the chair just outside the examination room. "I do not believe you have met my assistant-"

Mizuno Ami looked up at the bright and smiling face of the busty woman with red hair standing just off to Dr. Tomoe's left, her arms folded to accentuate her figure. Ami smiled, and bowed ever so slightly, "The pleasure is all mine, Ms…"

"Night. Kaori Night," The woman supplied, her voice far harder than Ami would have anticipated. She sounded as foreign as her name, and Ami wondered if she spoke English. It was not polite to assume such a thing about a person, so Ami merely smiled in greeting and looked away.

There was something about this woman that was extremely off-putting. Bad vibes, as Minako would say in her moments of not acting like a super cool calm and collected international superstar. Ami schooled her features perfectly blank and collected her thoughts. "Dr. Tomoe, if I could speak to you in my office?"

She did not want to voice her concerns about his daughter's physical state in his assistant's presence. It was not professional or polite to Hotaru.

"Certainly. Do you mind if Kaorinite joins us?" Dr. Tomoe asked, his eyebrows raised in an expression that made him look almost maniacal.

Kaori Night smiled at Ami and Ami did not know what to say. It was against hospital policy to discuss treatment with anyone who was not a relative of the patient in question, and extremely unethical to even contemplate doing such a thing. This whole situation was so strange, the doctor referred to her by her full name, last and given, despite the fact that it was very strange to do that in modern Japanese. Or English, or any language that Ami could think of.

Ami chose her words carefully, "It is not normally done, but I'll make an exception this once."

"Thank you, I want Kaorinite to be able to take Hotaru to appointments in the future if I cannot step away from my work, so I would like to bring her up to date on the treatment." The doctor explained as Ami pushed open the door to her office and walked to stand behind her desk. That made more sense, honestly. She could justify that.

They sat down in unison and Ami pulled the chart that she'd tucked into her pocket out and set it with her other notes on Hotaru's treatment.

"I will be frank, her unnatural growth is cause for concern. Couple that with the fact that her scars from the accident are not healing and I am very concerned for you daughter, Dr. Tomoe."

x

Haruka Tenou did not like Japan. It was difficult to find open road here. She wanted to ride, she longed to get back onto her bike and pedal her way towards victory once again. She'd taken time off from the racing circuit to come to Japan with Michiru and see this thing through, but now she was not so sure.

There were a lot of things that she wasn't sure about now, as she sat just outside the recording studio where Michiru and Aino Minako were finishing up shooting the PV for the single that was due to drop in less than a week. The video had to be done before the single was released and it was crunch time in terms of production.

Haruka wasn't sure what had happened, when she'd spoken with the girl who was the princess and yet who was not. She didn't know why she'd told that girl – Usagi – that battle games were dangerous. Or why she'd kissed her. Her fingers brushed her lips, thinking of how she'd sullied them. Intent, oh Uranus – intent. She'd forgotten about that, and she hoped beyond hope that that girl would not remember what that had meant.

She had wanted a moment of fun, to scare the girl some and to get her to stay the hell away from what she and Michiru (and Setsuna, as soon as she stopped being cryptic and hiding from them) had to do for the mission. The princess didn't need to see the lives that would be lost for this cause, and Haruka had intended to scare her off. The kiss, now that she truly thought about it, could have been construed as far more of a threat than that.

I just marked the princess of the white moon for death. Lovely.

Haruka folded her arms across her chest and scowled.

"Are they not finished?" From across the room, by the door that lead to the labyrinthine corridors that eventually lead outside, a woman's voice called. Haruka looked up to see that same girl she always saw around Aino Minako standing there, hands shoved into the pockets of her linen vest and looking uncomfortable.

Haruka shrugged, and gestured to the chair next to her, "No idea. I've been here a while." She knew she was being overly friendly, and that a proper Japanese girl might not take too kindly to her kindness, but she was grateful for the conversation.

The girl crossed the room in a few short steps. Haruka liked how she carried herself, like an idol or a warrior – without fear. Sailor Mars, Uranus' voice echoed in her head. Haruka was intrigued, and leaned forward when the girl sat down. "I'm Haruka," she said, offering her hand in a very western gesture. "Haruka Tenou."

The girl stared at it for a minute, before taking it, "Hino Rei. Your Japanese is very good." She smiled, and didn't meet Haruka's eyes in that annoying way that Japanese women thought was polite but was really just aggravating.

"Thank you, my grandmother would be pleased. She taught me," Haruka grinned. The compliment had been unexpected. The girl – Hino Rei – didn't seem the type to randomly dish out compliments without truly meaning them.

"Ah," Rei said, leaning back in her chair. "Are you here for Kaiou-san then?"

"Am I that obvious?" Haruka inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Steadfast brown eyes met her own, and her companion's expression became unreadable. "You're the only westerner other than Kaiou-san that Minako is working with."

Haruka's brow furrowed. No honorific, in Japanese, was a big deal. It meant a level of intimacy that surpassed those of casual or even deep friendship.

Well well well, Aino Minako isn't as perfect as she seems. Haruka's thoughts were dark, but knowing that this girl was Mars explained a lot. There was a healthy respect for the fiery warrior embedded deep into Uranus' very being. Haruka wondered if they'd ever fought together, in the past life.

"You caught me," Haruka shrugged, "I'm usually off training for races at this time of year, but Michiru wanted company while in Japan, so here I am."

"That is very kind of you," Rei said. She seemed thoughtful for a moment before asking, "What do you think of Minako's new CD?"

It seemed an odd question, but Haruka didn't think there was any harm in answering it. "The melodies that she uses are unique. They speak to something deep within me."

"Memories…" Rei muttered, shaking her head disdainfully. "Why can't she leave it alone?"

"Leave what alone, Reiko?" The door had opened and Aino Minako was standing flanked by both Michiru's and her own manager.

"Mars Reiko-san!" Minako's manager shrieked delightedly as Rei stood up and smiled crookedly at the man.

"Hello," she said quietly, "It's been a while."

"I would say so. Minako-chan, I'm going to be borrowing Mars-san here for a few minutes, we'll be in my office."

"But…" Aino Minako raised her hand in protest and Haruka did not miss the pleading look in Hino Rei's eyes directed at her.

"No buts, go get changed."

And then, just as suddenly as there had been people, there were two once again.

"Michiru-san is putting away her violin and will be out in a few minutes, Tenou-san." Minako said quietly. "Was Rei here long?"

"Thank you, and no. She had just arrived when you came out."

"Mn. Thank you." Minako looked pensive for a minute, but then her face hardened. Haruka sensed it too. There was an attack, and close. Minako glanced down at her watch, and then to Haruka. "Stay here," she said, before sprinting off in the direction that Haruka herself felt pulled towards.

"Aino-san…" Haruka called after her, half-heartedly and quietly. She did not want to stop her. It was better for her to suffer the defeat at the hands of the youma they were facing, it would teach her to stay away from the monsters. She could not transform, she had been told not to fight.

Why she was doing it was a mystery.

I just hope you know what you're doing, Venus. Serenity does not take kindly to treason.