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Post by Mizuno Ami on Dec 24, 2008 13:36:18 GMT -5
Ami sighed contently as she walked out of the Hospital Wing of the Palace. Sure some might argue - and Ami had to admit that there was something to be said for the caution - that one should not make drastic life changes when one is in an emotionally charged state. However, Ami felt that she should have made this decision a long time ago.
She was happy with the progress that was being made in the wing, and had left a few instructions with her assistant - a quite capable nurse who had been keeping things moving while Ami was at the hospital.
The next thing that Ami needed to do was to talk to Usagi. She hoped that her request would be approved. She knocked on the door leading to the Queen's office, trying to find her there before using the communicator to locate her.
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Post by Neo Queen Serenity on Dec 24, 2008 15:43:57 GMT -5
"Lady Mercury is at the door, your majesty. She just knocked."
Usagi raised her eyebrow at the aide, looking up from the photos spread across her desk. "Take these with you and wait outside," she said to the briefing group, and they quickly collected the glossy prints and retreated. "What are you waiting for?" Usagi told the aide. "Send her in! Don't ask when it comes to the senshi and the King; they priority over everything else."
She pushed out her chair, wanting to be standing to greet her friend. I wonder if everything is alright...
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Post by Mizuno Ami on Dec 24, 2008 15:59:06 GMT -5
Ami smiled as she was shown in, "Good afternoon, Usagi." She moved over to her and hugged her - something she had finally learned to initiate though most of the time one of the other girls did.
"I had a favor to ask of you." She smiled, "It's one I think you'll like." She did not want Usagi to think she saw her just to ask a favor, but since this one would benefit Usagi as well as Ami and many people in Japan - well, at least in Tokyo - she did not think it would come off that way.
"And I'm sorry about the tabloid." She sighed, "I should have told you about the rumor, but you were so busy when you get back..." She grimaced, "No, I shouldn't make excuses. I'm sorry."
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Post by Neo Queen Serenity on Dec 24, 2008 16:16:10 GMT -5
"Ami-chan!" Usagi said enthusiastically. It had been too long since she had seen her friend, and was even happier to receive a hug.
"Oh, I am excited to hear what it is! I'm glad you came to me, then..." Usagi smiled, though it dimmed slightly at the mention of that atrocious rumor. It had certainly caused her some grief, but she tried to wave it off, not wanting that ugly bit of news to cast a pall over the whole day. "It's fine, Ami-chan. It's the tabloids, it happens. Remember the time when they said I was the reincarnation of Princess Diana? Though I was born when she was still alive? It's all ridiculous..." Though, truth be told, the rumor had hit a little too close to home for Usagi. Mentally she knew that Mamoru and Ami would never betray her like that, that Mamoru loved her and Ami was too sweet and faithful (and smart) to pull something like that... But she always harbored a fear that Mamoru would get tired of her and want someone smarter, who could challenge him intellectually... Stop it, Usagi! You know it's not true! And Ami-chan was nice enough to apologize for a rumor she had no control over! "Err-- let's not talk about that anymore! Have a seat!" She plopped down in one of the plush chairs. "Do you want anything to eat or drink?"
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Post by Mizuno Ami on Dec 24, 2008 16:26:26 GMT -5
Ami rolled her eyes remembering the Diana rumor, even though very few of them actually caught her attention. "I hope it doesn't bring you any grief." She accepted Usagi's suggestion that they not even talk about it any further as she sat down near her queen and friend.
"I'm fine." She took a deep breath, "I've talked to my supervisor. The remaining time of my residency is being altered. She's agreed that I can use the remaining time to get the hospital here up and running. However, I obviously still have to see patients and someone from the hospital will be checking on me."
"I was hoping you'd approve making the palace hospital a kind of free clinic for those who cannot afford insurance or health care. It has a separate entrance so that it should not be a security concern, so Lucan should not panic - he can double the security between the hospital and the rest of the palace if need be. I just think it would set a good precedent for the rest of the world."
"And it means I'd be around more." Ami sighed again, "I've been neglecting all of you, and I'm so sorry. I know you want us all to follow our dreams, but it's not supposed to be at the expense of our friendship. And this way, if you need me to help with anything or just need a break, I'll be around."
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Post by Neo Queen Serenity on Dec 24, 2008 16:42:55 GMT -5
"I'll be fine," Usagi said, waving it off. She couldn't get off of this conversational topic fast enough.
Usagi listened to Ami, staying quiet until she had finished. At the mention of their friendship, she stared at the carpet, her eyes swimming, trying not to let them brim over with tears. All of the frustration and the worry from the conversation with Luna came rushing back.
"Ami-chan," she said softly, but her hug was much stronger than her words. "I'm happy to hear this-- and it would be such a help to me... but I have to know that this is what you really want... Of course we can offer up the hospital as a free clinic-- there will be some details to work out--" she waved her hand, not wanting to discuss deductibles and insurance and everything else at the moment, "--but I think it's a great idea, and one that will truly help people! However, Ami-chan... I don't want anyone to give up on their dreams for me, or our duties... If that's not what they really want. I want you to be happy... And maybe I'm stupid, but I'd even rather you be happy than be my friend. If you want to walk away from this all, you know that's okay. Ami-chan, you know I would love to have you around more and I could certainly use the help! But before I let you do this, you have to look me in the eye and promise me that this is what will make you the happiest, that this is what you really want."
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Post by Mizuno Ami on Dec 24, 2008 16:52:33 GMT -5
Ami hugged Usagi back. It'd been far too long since she'd had a real Usagi Hug (tm).
Ami smiled, a real sincere smile, "Usagi... I'm not giving up my dreams. I'm just figuring out how to balance them with everything else that is important in my life. I miss you all. I live here, but I almost never get to see any of you. I had no idea how much stress you were under until yesterday. Minako's home, and I've not even gotten a chance to see her. And I don't know when the last time I got to visit with Michiru and Haruka or Hotaru and Setsuna was. This is what I want, Usagi. We're family, sisters, and I want to come home."
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Post by Neo Queen Serenity on Dec 24, 2008 19:47:45 GMT -5
Usagi didn't know whether to burst into tears or start jumping up and down in happiness. "Ami-chan! Ami-chan! Ami-chan!" she exclaimed three times in quick succession. Something good had finally happened to her! Once again she found herself clinging tightly to her senshi of ice. "I'm sorry, I'm such a goof, but I can't help it! I'm so happy that's what you want! So of course you can have it! I've missed you so much, not just you but everyone else. No one ever comes to see me anymore. I thought everyone was going to go off and follow their dreams and leave me behind! I mean sometimes I hate being queen, who would want to share any responsibility with me? But if this is what you want!" Usagi had to pause to take a breath.
"I feel like thanking you, celebrating, something... I'm just so relieved and happy and happy that this is what is going to make YOU happy, and... Well, there just aren't enough words." Usagi suddenly realized her intensity of emotion and blushed, hoping she hadn't frightened poor Ami with her outburst.
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Post by Mizuno Ami on Dec 24, 2008 19:58:39 GMT -5
Ami chuckled and kept her arms around Usagi. She was long used to the outbursts, even if Usagi was more grown up than she used to be. "Then we can celebrate." Hopefully in a nice low key way. "I want to tell the others. I've missed all of you far too much, and I'm sorry I did not manage to figure this out earlier."
"And, Usagi, you should come to us when you're feeling down you know. We're more than friends, and none of us want you to be suffering."
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Post by Neo Queen Serenity on Dec 24, 2008 20:52:36 GMT -5
"Okay, well the you tell me how you want to celebrate," Usagi beamed, just trying to take it all in, though she just shook her head at Ami's remark about coming to them. "Not for these things, and not right now. I don't want to put pressure on anyone; and they need to take their own time and decide what they want, how much a part of this New Earth government they want to be. I don't want to influence anyone one way or another. So don't tell them what I said, please, Ami-chan? I'll share with you, but you decided to do this. They have to decide, too." Smiling, she pulled away.
"And this is about more than just the stunt I pulled by running off. I genuinely thought I wouldn't be missed for a few hours. And I didn't ask anyone about it... because normal people don't ask someone to sneak them out if they want to go shopping. I wanted to do something for myself, by myself, without having to kowtow to anyone, including the senshi. But!" she straightened up in her chair. "That's all in the past-- what do you want to do to celebrate? I don't know where the others are, but I'm sure they could be found..."
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Post by Mizuno Ami on Dec 25, 2008 10:13:41 GMT -5
Her own personal celebrations would involve a long bath and reading and perhaps some time on her poor neglected harp. How did she want to celebrate with the girls? "I don't know. I just want to spend some time with everyone. That's all really."
Ami sighed a bit, "Usagi, we're not mind readers. Well, Rei may be, but not the rest of us. I did not even realize that there was a choice to be made until this morning." Until that tabloid. She would not argue with her further right now, but she was not entirely Usagi's "test" was a fair one. "I won't say anything for now."
"We'll see if we can work on that. You can't stay cooped up in the palace, no matter how big it is, all the time. And you did get out successfully, we'll just have to make sure there's no panic from Lucan next time."
She chuckled as Usagi shifted back to the subject of the celebration. "It's not urgent, Usagi. It can wait until this evening or whenever everyone's together."
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Post by Neo Queen Serenity on Dec 25, 2008 17:51:52 GMT -5
"I'm probably just not articulating this correctly, Ami-chan," Usagi said stubbornly. "Everyone needs to make their own choices; I just don't want to say anything to them that might make them choose something contrary to their happiness because of me..." She wasn't sure if that made much more sense. "It's not about reading my mind or anything, it's just I want everyone to follow their dreams and do what they want with their lives without interference..." It still didn't sound right, so Usagi just dropped it, trying not to laugh when Ami mentioned they could celebrate when everyone was together.
"We're really not all together anymore, and if we are it's a rarity. If you want to celebrate we'll have to ask everyone to gather together," she smiled. "And you know I wouldn't mind that. There are lots of people that I haven't seen in ages! But I'll leave it up to you, Ami-chan."
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Post by Mizuno Ami on Dec 26, 2008 17:15:39 GMT -5
"I do want to see everyone, Usagi. I feel like the prodigal." Even though Minako was physically gone longer. She sighed softly, "I really just want to see everyone." Ami wondered if that sounded as much like whining as it did in her head. She rather hoped not.
"Just don't be too hard on everyone or pull yourself away, Usagi. I don't think most of us realize that there is a decision to be made. I'm pretty sure I speak for all of us when I say that we want to be involved. We all love you, Usagi. Not just because of duty or past lives. We're family."
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Post by Neo Queen Serenity on Dec 26, 2008 17:19:26 GMT -5
"Then we can," Usagi said with an indulgent smile. "Ami-chan, you know I certainly wouldn't mind. And I won't 'pull away' from everyone either. I'm just going to let them come to me when it comes to certain things. But let's not depress ourselves with business or anything like that. I'm so happy to hear you say that we're like family! So let's get together and celebrate, okay? Why don't I send someone around the palace to tell everyone to meet up... What time would be best for you?" For Ami-chan and all of the girls, Usagi would clear her schedule.
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Post by Mizuno Ami on Dec 26, 2008 17:26:39 GMT -5
"I wanted to get some work done today. I need to talk to Hotaru and explain why she might not want to shadow me after all, at least until the hospital is set up. I need to make sure that the delivery date on some of the equipment is moved up as soon as possible, and..." She blushed a bit, "I wanted to get to work on painting the halls. Something calming but not as sterile as white. Something comforting."
"This evening or tomorrow, whenever works for everyone. And I don't really want it to be all about me, please. Just... a family get together?"
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