My Mile In Heels
							by Naia Zifu

	My eyes blinked open slowly to see Sailor Moon leaning over me with
concern in her eyes.
	"Are you all right?" she asked.  "You got hit pretty hard.  I'm so
glad you aren't dead."
	"Yeah, I'm okay," I replied, voice sounding oddly high for some
reason, "but my head is pounding."
	What had happened?  The last thing I remembered there was this
daimon who looked like a cross between a woman and a carousel horse.  My
partner and I combined our powers and thought we'd destroyed it, but as we
examined the latest heart crystal to see if it was a talisman, someone
yelled that the monster was getting back up.  It fired some kind of beam at
us, and I grabbed my partner to move her out of the way, but. . .
	"My partner," I said, feeling panicked, "is she okay?  Where is
she?"
	Sailor Moon bit her lip.  "I'm afraid she took the worst of the
blast," she replied.  "Mercury is with her now.  We don't know yet if she'll
be all right or not."
	I tried to stand, but was too weak to support myself, so Sailor Moon
helped me up and supported me on her own small shoulders.  I couldn't under-
stand why she was so concerned about me--I didn't even want her help.  We'd
always been fine on our own before, and we certainly didn't need any help
from a bunch of little girls now.
	"Leave me alone," I snapped, breaking away from her and stumbling
forth on my own.  My head throbbed and my vision kept fading in and out, but
I continued anyway, calling my partner's name, "Neptune!  Neptune!
Kami-sama, let her be all right."
	Sailor Moon caught me before I could fall again.  "You must've hit
your head harder than I thought," she said in a worried tone.  "_You're_
Sailor Neptune, remember?"
	Huh?  No, that wasn't right.  My name was Uranus.  My partner--  I
gasped as my vision faded back in and I saw Sailor Mercury kneeling beside
an unconscious body--_my_ unconscious body.  I blacked out again at the very
sight.
	The next face I saw was Mercury's, and she was smiling.
	"Welcome back to the land of the living," she said, then turned to
the others who were gathered nearby.  "Good news, minna, they're both awake
now, and are going to be just fine."
	That was good to hear.  I'd been worried for a while there.  I'd had
a strange dream that I'd seen my own body lying unconscious, and Sailor Moon
had been calling me Neptune.  I sighed and ran a gloved hand through my
sweat-soaked hair.  But hold on a minute--hadn't it been a lot shorter and
straighter last time I'd checked?  I looked down at my fuku to find it a
dark green with blue bows rather than the usual navy and yellow.  I wanted
to scream, but suddenly felt a comforting hand on my arm.
	"It's okay," a boyish voice murmured, "I'm here for you.  We'll
straighten this mess out somehow, I promise."
	I looked over and found myself staring into my own eyes, though
their expression was different, somehow softer.  I knew her immediately, and
nodded understanding.
	We stood up, supporting one another, and started to walk away.  The
other Senshi tried to stop us, to tell us we were too weak to go, but we
ignored them.  Whatever had put us into our present situation, we would
handle it together, without outside help, just as we always had.
	Though in our weakened states we probably should have seen a doctor,
Michiru and I instead returned to my apartment--_our_ apartment now, since
she was in the process of moving in--to try to figure out our predicament.
I sat in my favourite thinking spot, on the window ledge, staring out over
the city.  What kind of beam had that daimon thrown at us?  How had we ended
up in one anther's bodies?  And most importantly, how could we reverse the
effect?  I still found it hard to believe we'd changed bodies.  I didn't
even feel particularly different.  How could I not be me?
	Michiru sat beside me and took my hands into her own.  I couldn't
look at her, as to do so would spoil any sense of normalcy about the gesture.
Neither of us spoke for a long time.
	Finally she told me, "Haruka, the sooner you can accept what's
happened to us, the sooner we can try to fix it."
	She spoke with my voice, but the words and polite manner were her
own.  It sounded strange and unnatural, and made me wish to hear her normal
angelic voice again.  Of course, she was probably thinking much the same
about me.  I forced myself to look at her.
	"How are you adjusting?"
	She shrugged.  "It's interesting," she began, staring at the plaid
pattern of her slacks.  "I've always wondered what it felt like to be you."
	"And?"
	"I don't know yet.  I haven't been you long enough.  Ask me later."
	I turned back to the window.  "Well, no offence, but I hope we don't
have to stay like this long enough to find out."
	"I understand," she replied.
	We sat in silence again for what felt like hours, just staring out
the window as raindrops began to fall from the sky.
	Finally she leaned in to gently kiss my lips, then joked, "Hey, I'm
a pretty good kisser."  I laughed a little at that, and she went on, "Come
on, there's nothing we can do about this tonight.  Let's just go to bed and
worry about it tomorrow.  Besides, I'm anxious to see how good I am at
_other things. . ._"
	"Gomen ne, Michiru, I can't," I said sadly.  "I-it would just be too
weird, like making love to myself or something."
	She smiled seductively and cooed into my ear, "I know, that's what
makes it interesting.  I'll show you all my best pleasure spots, then you
can show me yours."
	Reluctantly I stood and allowed myself to be led to the bedroom,
still unsure about her idea, but too intrigued to turn her down.
	I woke up late the next morning with Michiru snuggled close to me
and resting her head on my chest, but with her in my tall, athletically-
built body rather than her own soft, sweet-smelling one it didn't feel the
same.
	"Michiru?"
	"Hmm?"
	"Are you asleep?"
	"No," she replied.  "Actually, I was just about to get up.  I tried
snuggling and listening to your heart, but it wasn't the same."
	"I know how you feel.  I was just thinking the same thing."
	"We have to get back in our right bodies," we said simultaneously.
	I got up and took out a dark shirt, blue blazer, and khaki slacks
from my closet, but Michiru protested, "You aren't going to dress my body in
your men's clothes, are you, Haruka?"
	"Sure.  Why not?"
	"You know I never wear pants," she argued.
	"And you know I never wear skirts.  Don't worry, my clothes might be
a little long for you, but I'll roll them up."
	She shook her head and indicated her side of the closet, full of
nothing but pretty, feminine dresses and skirts.  "Put on one of my dresses.
We have to try to look and act as normal as possible, and hope no-one
notices the change, until we can straighten this out.  I'll be wearing your
clothes."
	"I thought you didn't wear pants."
	"I don't, but you do, so as long as I'm in your body I'll have to
suffer through it, which means so do you."
	"Fine," I said, and randomly pulled something from her side of the
closet, "but as long as we're trying to pass for one another, we'd better
start using each other's names, too, 'Haruka.' "
	Michiru got up and began searching carefully through my wardrobe.
"Fine, then, 'Michiru.'  You know you'll have to use girls' speech while
you're playing me, don't you?"
	I made a sour face at that.  "And you'll have to use boys' speech."
	"I'll try, but you should know I've never done it before."
	She held up several different outfits in front of her in the mirror,
trying to decide what co-ordinated best and looked the nicest, and for some
reason she also wanted it to pair well with my randomly-chosen dress.
	I sighed.  How could she expect to pass for me when she did such
girlish things as that?  Finally I handed her a random pre-matched suit from
my closet without regard to whether it matched my dress, and told her to
just put that on.
	We showered together, though the effect admittedly wasn't the same,
and got dressed in our respective hastily-chosen outfits.
	I hadn't worn a dress in some three years, besides my Uranus fuku,
so I was uncomfortable in the delicate, flowing pale-blue dress I'd grabbed.
I wanted to look for something more practical, but in her closet I didn't
think I'd find such a thing.  That dress did look nice on Michiru's body,
however.  I'd have to remember to mention that to her once we were back to
normal.  I was fastening a rubber band around a high ponytail when Michiru
let out a cry and I wondered what the problem was.
	"You're fastening my hair with a rubber band?" she cried, as I just
stared blankly.  "You should never do that; it causes breakage.  Use a
ribbon or a scrunchie if you must, but _never_ a rubber band!"  She
carefully removed the rubber band and tied in a silk scarf that just matched
the colour of the dress.  "There, better now."
	"Gomen, I never knew you were so touchy about that," I apologised.
"I just wanted to get it out of the way."
	Michiru pretended to be insulted.  "You think my hair gets in the
way too much?"
	"Come on, you know I love your hair," I said, touching her cheek,
"on you.  I'm just not used to dealing with it on myself."
	"It's okay, I was thinking much the same thing about you," she
replied.  "I can't do a thing with your hair."
	I laughed at her girlish attitude.  "Well, what did you expect, it'd
do tricks for you?  It's not supposed to 'do' anything.  The idea is just to
run a comb through it and go."
	"Haruka, do you put any effort into your appearance at all?"
	"Not as much as I can help it."
	"Hmm, I can't imagine ever _not_ spending time on my appearance,"
she said.
	I laughed at her again.  "You're such a girl, Michiru," I teased.
"Hey, did you put make-up on my face? Geez, what're you trying to do, make
me look like a cross-dresser?"
	"You _are_ a cross-dresser, dear," she reminded me.  "Besides, I
think you should wear make-up.  See how nice it looks on you?  And I didn't
even put much--no-one will even notice."
	"_I_ noticed.  Now go wash it off," I ordered, feeling like an angry
parent.
	"I will if you'll put some on," she said.  "Remember, I _do_ wear
make-up."
	"Well, I don't know how.  You'll have to put it on if you want me to
wear it so much."
	She agreed, and after scrubbing off the make-up she'd been wearing,
sat me down and began expertly applying cosmetics I'd never even seen before
and couldn't even imagine how to use.
	"You really go through all this every day?" I asked.  She nodded.
"Doshite?"
	"To look nice for you, of course," she retorted.  "Maybe now you'll
start to appreciate the effort I go through for you."
	I shrugged.  "You don't have to, you know.  Michiru, you're the kind
of girl who falls out of bed looking gorgeous.  You don't have to put out an
effort to impress me.  You already do."
	"Well, I have to admit, it isn't _only_ for you.  I like to look
nice for myself, too," she replied.  "If I have on a nice dress, and my face
is made-up nicely, and my hair frames my face just so, it makes me feel
better about myself.  But I guess someone like you, who puts no effort into
her looks, wouldn't understand that, would you?"
	"Actually, I think I do, in a way," I answered quietly.  "My mother
used to put me in fancy dresses, paint up my face, and fuss over my hair all
the time when I was younger."
	She stared at me in disbelief.  "You, Haruka?  You mean you actually
used to be a normal girl once?"
	"Hey, I'm not so abnormal now, you know," I protested.
	"Gomen," she apologised, and giggled, which seemed strange coming
from my mouth.  "A feminine girl, then?"
	"No, not really.  The whole time I was still tomboyish inside.  She
just wouldn't let me be that way on the outside, too.  I hated the way she
always dressed me up, as if I were just some Barbie doll rather than a
daughter.  Finally I just chopped off my hair, started wearing boys'
clothes, and began acting in public the way I'd always been in private," I
recalled.  "My mother was in denial for weeks, but at least, for the first
time in my life, I was happy with myself.  I couldn't go on being her living
doll forever."
	"So cross-dressing is what makes you feel good about yourself, the
way make-up and nice dresses do for me?  Haruka, you never told me that
before."
	I shrugged.  "It never came up."
	"Well, I'm glad you told me anyway," she said.  "I know we don't
discuss our pasts much as it is.  In fact, I think this is the first time
you've even mentioned your mother.  You don't get on well with your parents?"
	"We get on pretty well, I guess.  My father's the best.  He under-
stands and supports me at everything.  My mother's okay--you'd probably
like her--but I always get this feeling I'm a disappointment to her because
I'm not the perfect lady she always wanted me to be.  That's part of the
reason I moved out, but mostly it was just normal teen-aged desire for
independence," I explained.  "I don't see my parents much anymore since I
moved, but we try to keep in touch.  I'll take you to meet them if you want,
once we get back in our right bodies."
	She seemed shocked.  "Your parents won't mind you bringing a girl
home?"
	Michiru had introduced me to her parents, but without mentioning my
gender, so they'd been left to assume I was a boyfriend.  They seemed to
like and approve of me fine until they found out I was a girl.
	Michiru had shown up on my doorstep a few nights ago without
warning, soaked to the bone from walking over in the rain, sobbing
uncontrollably, and carrying only one suitcase and her violin.  Her parents
had thrown her out for dating a girl, so I took her in.  I let her borrow a
dry set of pajamas and we talked about her problems over tea.
	I shared my bed with her for the first time that night.  She was so
nervous, never having slept with anyone of either gender before and unsure
how it even worked between two girls, but I was more than happy to show her
the ropes.  It was hard to believe that was only a few nights ago--she'd
gotten so much more comfortable with her sexuality in so short a time. . .
	Michiru called my name, startling me out of my reverie, and repeated
the question.
	I shrugged.  "Not really, they're pretty used to it by now.  They've
known about my being a lesbian for about three years now, so it doesn't
really bother them much anymore.  I wouldn't say they like it or anything,
but they're okay with it, and I'm sure they'll love you," I answered, then
added impatiently, "Are you almost finished yet?  Mama never put this much
junk on my face on her worst days.  Feels like I'm wearing a mask or some-
thing."
	"That's just because you aren't used to wearing it," she retorted.
"If you put it on every day you hardly even notice.  But yes, I am
finished."  She held up a mirror for me to see.  "So, what do you think?"
	"What if I have to scratch my face?"
	"Don't.  If you touch your face too much or scratch it I'll have to
take you aside and touch up your make-up for you."
	"Well, it looks pretty on you, love, but I still don't know how you
put up with wearing this stuff all day," I said.
	"That's why you're the tomboy and I'm the femme," Michiru replied.
"Well, if we're both ready now, I think I'll take you out to lunch.  We can
discuss how to get back to our right bodies so I can finally meet those
wonderful parents of yours."
	I reached to pick up my car keys from the table, but Michiru got to
them first.
	"Hey!  You know how I am about letting anyone else drive my car," I
protested.
	"Exactly," she agreed, "which is why I have to drive today.  People
might suspect something's wrong if you're driving, 'Michiru.' "
	"Okay, okay, but if you put one scratch on my baby I'll--"
	"Temper, temper," she scolded.  "We can't have you acting so
unladylike, 'Michiru.'  Someone might notice."
	"I think you're enjoying this role reversal a little too much,
'Haruka,' " I said, shaking my head.  "Let's just hurry and figure this out
so I can get my car, and my normal life, back as soon as possible."
	Michiru held me tightly about the waist as we walked to the car and
again as we approached the restaurant so I wouldn't teeter too much in the
high heels she'd insisted I wear because they "looked perfect with that
dress."  Maybe Sailor Uranus could easily run in her heeled boots, but I
could barely even walk in anything with a heel more than a couple of
centimetres.  I figured Michiru must have great balance, or at least a lot
of practise, to be able to wear her heels so gracefully.
	Inside the restaurant, I sat only picking at my salad while
thinking of how to get us out of our situation.
	"Any ideas yet?" Michiru asked.
	I considered a moment before replying, "If the daimon's ray is what
did this to us, maybe another shot will reverse it."
	Michiru shook her head.  "If it were the same daimon I might agree,
but that one was destroyed, remember?  A different daimon and the beam could
kill us."
	"Then what do you suggest?"
	"I think we should just tell Sailor Moon and the others what's
happened and--"
	"No," I protested.  "We aren't bringing them into this, Mi--
'Haruka.'  This is our problem and we're going to handle it on our own.  We
don't need their help."
	"You think we can fix this on our own?"
	"We have to."
	She smiled warmly and covered my hand with her own.  "Then, I
believe you," she said.  "I just hope you have a better idea than letting
ourselves get blasted by another daimon, because if you get me killed so
senselessly, I'll never forgive you."
	"Aw, you know you would," I said with a smirk.  "You can never stay
mad at me for long."
	"True, true," she replied, laughing, "but let's not test your theory
if we can at all help it, okay?"
	"Is that them?" a mature female voice asked.  "It _is_ them!
Haruka-san, Michiru-san, do you mind if we sit with you?  It's a busy lunch
crowd and we can't find an empty table to ourselves."
	It was the pretty brown-ponytailed girl; Makoto, I think her name
was, and with her was the brainy girl with the short blue hair; Ami, wasn't
it?  I'd met them a few times and they seemed like nice enough girls.
	"Of course you can sit here," Michiru agreed.
	The girls thanked us and sat down, Makoto taking the seat across
from Michiru and staring at her intently.  I put an arm around my girlfriend
protectively, and the brown-haired girl quickly averted her eyes.
	"Er, so, have you two known each other long?" Makoto asked nervously.
	I shrugged.  "Not too long, maybe a year."
	"Longer than that," Michiru countered.
	"Nani?  I don't think so.  It was just last year we were introduced,
remember?"
	"No, we met long before that, don't you remember?"
	Ami interrupted, "It sounds like you two have been together for a
while, then."
	" 'Together?' " Makoto repeated.  "You think they have _that_ kind
of relationship?"
	The blue-haired girl flushed crimson.  "I never said that exactly,
Mako-chan.  I only meant that--"
	"Tell the truth, you guys, what kind of relationship do you have?"
Makoto asked.  "Are you two. . .well, you know. . ."
	"No," Michiru quickly replied.  She still had problems admitting our
relationship in front of others.  "Of course not.  What would make you think
something as ridiculous as that?"
	"No, of course not," Makoto intoned, laughing nervously.
"Ridiculous."
	No-one spoke again for a long time.  The silence made me uneasy,
until finally just to break it, I asked, "What about you?  Have you two
known each other for long?"
	"Not as long as you and Haruka-san, I'm sure," Ami replied, "but
Mako-chan and I have become close."
	Close, eh?  Close as in close friends, or close the way Michiru and
I were close?  Well, looking at them, I did think they were kawaii as a
couple. . .
	"Close enough to go out for a lunch date together," I noticed.
	Both girls' faces went entirely red.
	"N-no, i-it isn't like _that,_ " Makoto protested.
	Ami added, "I'm just helping Mako-chan study for her algebra test
Monday, and we're taking a lunch break, that's all.  It's not like we're on
a real date or something!"
	Michiru nudged me in the ribs with an elbow and whispered, "Haruka,
stop it, you're embarrassing them!"
	"Gomen," I said, "I didn't mean to embarrass anyone.  I was just
curious.  Forget I asked."
	Suddenly I felt a strange sensation along my spine that made me sit
bolt upright in alarm.
	"Is something wrong, Michiru-san?" Makoto asked.
	It took me a moment to realise she was asking me.  "Er, I don't
know," I replied.  "I just had a weird feeling for a moment."
	Michiru put a hand on my arm and asked urgently, "Like a chill
running up and down your spine?"
	"Yeah, how'd you know?"
	"Excuse us, but I'm afraid we have to go now," Michiru said quickly.
	She paid the bill and hurried out of the restaurant, dragging me
along by the wrist.
	"Itai!  Not so rough, Michiru.  You're hurting my arm," I said.
"What's going on?"
	"The chill you felt in the restaurant, I get those all the time.  It
means something is going to happen.  Maybe we should have a look around the
city and see what turns up."
	We'd been driving around some twenty minutes before we found the
problem--a daimon resembling a picnic table was attacking a young family in
the park.  Sailor Moon-tachi were nowhere to be seen.  We had to get the
daimon to change us back, if possible, before they arrived to destroy it.
	Michiru produced the blue and gold henshin wand and considered it
for a moment.  "Do you think this will work for me?"
	"Why wouldn't it?  You're in my body."
	"Yes, but will it know who I am underneath?"
	"Only one way to find out," I said, and held the green wand aloft.
"Neptune planet power, make-up!"
	Nothing happened.
	Michiru handed me the blue one.  "Try this one instead."
	I held up the blue wand and cried, "Uranus planet power, make-up!"
	Still nothing.
	"It seems we can't transform," she said.  "Now what?"
	I took off the heels she'd made me wear and tossed them back into
the car.
	"I guess we'll just have to go like this," I said, and ran towards
the monster.
	"Haruka," she called after me, "matte!  We can't fight the daimon
like this!"
	She sighed heavily and ran to catch up to me, which in my body she
managed easily.
	Searching for something to use as a weapon, I picked up a rock from
the ground and threw it hard at the daimon's head.  The rock bounced off
harmlessly, but definitely got its attention.  The daimon threw picnic table
splinters better resembling spears in response, and I moved to dodge them,
but in Michiru's body I couldn't move with my usual speed, and one of the
projectiles stuck in my right shoulder.
	Michiru was at my side in an instant, trying to pull the spear out,
but I stopped her.  "If you pull that out you'll only make it worse."
	"I have to do something," she protested.  "I can't stand to see you
suffer like this."
	"I'll be fine, Michiru.  You just--  Michiru, look out!"
	She turned to see the spears flying towards her, but there was no
time to dodge.  Instinctively, she raised her arms to shield her eyes.
	"Sparkling wide pressure!" Sailor Jupiter's voice called, and the
spears disintegrated milliseconds before they would have hit Michiru.
	"Are you okay?" Sailor Mercury asked me, examining my injured
shoulder.  "This spear goes almost all the way through.  If I remove it
there'll be heavy bleeding.  You need to get to a hospital."
	"I'll be fine," I insisted, and tried to stand, but stumbled and
fell to my knees.
	Michiru helped me stand and supported me on her shoulders.  "I'll
help her.  You go fight the daimon," she offered.
	Mercury looked towards the fight just as the daimon flung Jupiter
against a nearby tree.  She then left me in my partner's arms and hurried
to join the fight.
	"Shine aqua illusion!" she called, and when the daimon was encased
in ice she turned her attention back to us.  "Get going, you two!  The ice
isn't going to hold it for long!"
	The ice was already beginning to crack, but rather than running away,
Michiru and I started towards the monster instead.
	Suddenly the daimon broke free, ice shards shooting out in all
directions.  It shot some type of beam at us, but we made no move to dodge.
The beam would probably either kill us, or, if we were lucky, restore us to
our right bodies.  Even if it killed us, I thought as I held tight to
Michiru and braced myself for the impact, at least we would die together.
	The blast felt like an anvil crashing against my chest and its force
knocked us back a couple of metres.  Just before I blacked out I heard
Sailor Moon's childish voice making her usual pretentious introductory
speech, and I knew the daimon would soon be destroyed.
	My eyes opened again on a plain white ceiling, but the antiseptic
smell and beeping of monitors told me where I was.  So I was alive, but was
I back in my own body?  I looked at my hospital ID bracelet.  Ten'ou Haruka.
I breathed a sigh of relief.  So I was both alive and in my own body, but
what about Michiru?
	"Ah, Ten'ou-san, you're finally awake," a cheerful red-haired nurse
said.  "How are you feeling?  Any pain?"
	"My chest feels a little heavy, but I'll live," I answered.  "Was
there another girl brought in the same time as me?  Kaiou Michiru; beautiful
girl, green hair, had a shoulder injury?"
	The nurse shrugged.  "I don't know, but I'll ask when I get the
chance.  Are you family?"
	"Er, kind of," I replied.  "Michiru isn't close to her real family,
but I-I'm her girlfriend."
	"Girlfriend?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow.  I could feel my
face reddening already.  "Well, I'll see what I can find out.  Now I'll have
to check your dressings, and ask you what kind of Jell-O do you want with
your dinner?"
	I was lying around flipping television channels and wishing to be
anywhere but in that boring hospital room when the red-haired nurse returned
a couple of hours later.
	"Ten'ou-san?  Your, um, girlfriend is here and she's going to be
fine with a little time and PT," she told me.  "The surgeons removed some
sort of spear from her shoulder, and she has cracked ribs and burns to her
chest similar to yours.  What happened to you two?"
	"A daimon attacked us in the park," I answered truthfully.  Such
things were common enough that admitting it wouldn't arouse suspicion.
"When can I see her?"
	"Now if you want, but she's still a bit weak and groggy, so you
couldn't stay long."
	"I don't care how long," I said, and sat up so quickly it hurt my
burnt and broken chest, causing me to wince in pain, "I have to see her."
	Michiru was still in recovery from her surgery when I was taken in
to visit her.  Her shoulder and chest were heavily bandaged, an IV dripped
painkillers into her hand, and she was surrounded by beeping monitors.  As I
approached her I saw her face had a few little scrapes and first-degree
burns, but she still looked beautiful as always.
	Michiru smiled weakly when she saw me and said, "So your plan
worked.  It's good to see you looking yourself again."
	"You, too," I replied, and gently squeezed her hand.  "How are you
feeling?"
	"I'll be fine in a few weeks, but I'll have such terrible scars
after this."
	"Gomen, it's my fault what happened to your shoulder," I said.  "I
feel so guilty.  You know I'd never intentionally hurt you."
	"I know," she replied.  "I don't blame you for anything that's
happened, and right now my only concern is to get out of this hospital as
soon as possible.  Remember, you promised I could meet your parents once we
were back in our right bodies."
	I smiled and brushed her aqua hair away from her eyes.  "And you
will," I promised, "just as soon as you're well enough."
	"I'm nervous.  Are you sure they'll like me?"
	"They'll love you, Michiru, just like I do.  How could they not?"
	"I hope so," she said.  "And I want to hear all their stories of
kawaii things you did as a child."
	"I didn't do anything kawaii as a child."
	"Haruka, all children are kawaii, and all parents have lots of
stories about it," she said.  "I'll ask them about it when I meet them.
I've always wondered what you were like as a girl.  I wonder if they have
pictures of you in your long hair and frilly dresses?"
	"Fortunately, I destroyed all of those long ago, so you'll never be
able to prove anything."
	"That's okay, parents always have extras.  You can't have destroyed
them all."
	"Yeah?  Well, we'll just see about that," I began, but the nurse
interrupted me.
	"Excuse me, I'm afraid I'll have to take you back to your own room
now.  Kaiou-san is going to need her rest."
	I leaned in to kiss my girlfriend briefly, and whispered into her
ear, "Aishiteru."
	"I love you more," she replied.
	"Get better soon, okay?"
	Michiru nodded, and I turned to leave, but she called me back.
"Haruka, you wondered what I thought about being you?"
	"Yeah, and?"
	"I know I seemed to criticise your lifestyle too much, but in spite
of that, I really enjoyed it.  I think I learned a lot about you today."
	I smiled down at her and gently caressed her cheek.  "And I was just
thinking the same thing about you."




©1998 Naia Zifu, all rights reserved, for all the good it'll do me...
Haruka, Michiru, Ami, Makoto, Sailor Moon, and anyone else I'm too tired to
remember appearing are all SM characters that I don't own rights to, but
as always, I'm not trying to make money off anyone else's ideas.
This is my fifth completed Haruka and Michiru story!  Okay, maybe it's a
little weird and confusing at times, and it could have ended better (but at
least this is better than its original ending!  *shudder*), but I hope it'll
be well-received anyway.  Anyone who has problems with my insinuations about
Ami and Mako should know I've been doing so much longer than this one
fanfic--I just think they look nice together and would be good as a couple,
so please no-one beat me up about it just because they aren't really a
couple in the anime and everything, okay?  And I know this story is just
begging for a Michiru companion piece, but I haven't even got one of those
in the works as of yet.  Maybe later.
More Haruka and Michiru fanfics will be coming, erm, as I finish them, so do
be patient, okay?