22/02/05 - Thanks for all your reviews... I really appreciated them (keep on reading and reviewing, please!)
I've tried to correct the punctuation... don't know why, but some disappeared (and still do) from the added chapters... hope you'll enjoy this story : )


Chapter 6: Training at Ojiwa - Part I

It was still dawn when they left the inn with lunch boxes in their bags.
The air was cold and there was still mist around them while they were walking up the mountain path.
Haruka yawned a bit but didn't complain... she couldn't sleep anyway.
This was her first day of training and she didn't quite know what to expect.
They walked for almost half a hour to make sure that they were completely alone...
Then the aqua haired girl stopped all of a sudden.
"Here we are... we can start now." she said before turning towards Haruka, henshin wand in her right hand: "Let's transform."
The blonde nodded... "Uranus Planet Power, Make Up!"
"Neptune Planet Power, Make Up!"
Now in her fuku, Haruka looked at her hands, fascinated by the strength she felt thoughout her body, her spirit empowered.
Not a second later came the answer from her always knowing partner: "It's strange the first few times, but you'll get used to it..."
Uranus lowered her hands, feeling a bit like a beginner (well, she was...): "What's next?"
"Follow me." Michiru said briefly before darting away...
The senshi of the wind didn't hesitate and started running after her.
Neptune was really fast and agile to move at such a high speed between trees, plants and other obstacles, but Uranus was right behind her and slowly advancing closer and closer, the princess of the oceans noticed after a quick glance back.
That was the moment she jumped onto a fallen branch, then down again, following a path that only she could see...
Nevertheless, Uranus was always at her back, ready to catch up with every shift she made. Closer and closer, she stretched an arm to grab her partner and then.. when she was just an inch away from getting her, Neptune suddenly jumped away, disappearing before her eyes...
She stopped immediately and looked around, but the sea beauty was nowhere in sight. Then she felt something... right behind her.
She whirled around and found her partner's forefinger pointing at her nose, almost touching it. Teal eyes crossed.
"Not bad" the senshi of the oceans observed with a smile, lowering her 'weapon'. To be honest, Haruka did a great work, since it was her first training, but knowing how self-confident the girl was, she preferred not saying it out loud.
In fact, Haruka wasn't satisfied with Michiru's comment... 'not bad'.
It wasn't enough for her... "Let's do it again. Next time, I'll catch you." she assured the other senshi with a strange glint in her eyes... challenges always turned her on...
But Michiru had other plans and just laughed at her partner's attitude "This isn't a competition, besides we have other things to do right now..."
"What things?" Haruka asked skeptically (she largely preferred the competition).
"You have to train your powers as much as your body."
Neptune turned on her heels and walked back for a hundred meters or so, murmuring something like: "I saw it.. around here... oh, yes... there it is!"
The object of her interest was a huge stone.. it looked pretty solid.
Neptune softly touched it: "You have to hit this."
She started to step back from the stone and gestured Uranus to follow her until she stopped again... "50 meters should be enough... go ahead..."
Uranus nodded, focusing her attention on the target, then.. "World Shaking!" and a weak energy ball flew towards the stone, missing it...
Too far to the left...
She tried again and this time a powerful energy ball flew over the stone, smashing against a tree that was barely able to withstand the impact...
"Don't waste all your energy on a single blow. First, you have to hit your target."
Haruka said nothing but this time she waited a bit longer before using her powers and she was finally able to (partially) strike it.
"Good. Try again." Neptune encouraged her, even though she wasn't sure if Uranus could hear her, as the blonde was so focused on her task.
She used her power another two or three times, then.. "It's weird..."
"What?"
"I feel tired... like I've run for ten miles or so..."
Neptune smiled sympathetically: "Being a senshi is not so easy... ne?"
The allusion was clear and Haruka didn't miss it... scenes from their first talk, the encounter on the cruise and the fight with that youma, played in her mind... now she felt guilty for her behaviour, her accusations... she couldn't even imagine how Michiru could have handled all of that alone before Haruka had joined her in their mission... the girl was really strong... a lot stronger than she was...
The senshi of the oceans saw the effect her words had on the taller girl and smiled at her tenderly: "You have to spend a lot of energy to use your powers and you're not used to it yet... I think it's enough for this morning... I'm a bit tired and we need a break..."
The senshi of the wind was a bit hesitant... then, feeling her own weariness, she nodded "Let's go and eat, then... I'm really hungry!"
Neptune smiled at her partner and they both detransformed before going back to the spot they had previously chosen, to have a seat and eat their lunches in peace.
After almost a hour, however, the two senshi were back in action, doing the same morning exercises to improve Uranus' skills...

Later, back at the inn, the evening meal was served in a big room with some low tables. There was no one besides them as the two girls entered the room.
The old lady who run the inn welcomed them: "Supper will be ready in a few minutes. Get yourselves comfortable."
They thanked the woman and sat down on their knees... a not-so-comfortable position you may say, but looking at how perfect and in control they were, you could only think it was the most natural to them.
The silence began to get on Haruka's nerves... she needed to say something... "I should thank you..." she said in a low voice "For everything. The training will surely help me."
Michiru smiled sweetly, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear "I'm glad to know that."
In the meantime, the door slid open, revealing a thin man in his early forties... he looked around the room, at the young couple and then, he took a seat alone.
They weren't the only customers, after all... and it also helped to dispel some of the uneasiness the blonde was experiencing thanks to her beautiful partner.
Not a moment later, the old lady came back with a tray in her hands, followed by a young boy, who was bringing a pot full of rice.
She knelt next to them and put down what was on the tray: a dish with meat, another with fish, a tea-pot and also a little bottle of sake, while the boy - possibly her nephew - served them the rice... then they turned their attention to the other customer.
The two girls took their chopsticks and started to eat with an appetite... quite a bit of appetite in Haruka's case. Watching her eating, one could almost swear she'd had nothing to eat in weeks...
Michiru couldn't help herself and giggled, gaining her partner's full attention: "What's so funny?"
"You are... when did you eat for the last time? A month ago?"
The taller girl turned red.. "Gomen... after all that training I'm really hungry..."
"Then, eat as much as you can, because tomorrow it will be even worse..." joked the aqua-haired beauty.
At that, Haruka grinned with a glint of challenge in her eyes and leaned forward, speaking in a lower tone: "Well.. I'm looking forward to it."
Michiru didn't know what to say then... but now she knew for sure why so many girls were falling in love with the tomboy girl... did she realize how sexy she could be?

Almost a hour later, they separated. The morning after they had to wake up early for their training... so they agreed on sleeping as much as possible to recover their energy.
Now in her bed, in the silence of her room, the young car racer tossed and turned again and again...
She was really very tired but her body was all tensed up... moreover, she was still excited because of the long day she'd had (with Michiru.. their training...), that's why her mind refused to let her have her deserved sleep.
Then she got an illumination... the hot springs!
They were the perfect solution!
She sat up and switched on the light to give a look at her watch. It was almost midnight... who could be there besides her at a time like that? Obviously nobody... just perfect!
She took one of the inn's towel and left her room without making a sound...

Several minutes later, as she stepped out with only a towel wrapped around her, she smiled with satisfaction at what she saw. There was a large pool of steam water waiting for her and only her, under the starry sky of a peaceful night.
A high wall made of wood divided women's hot springs from men's.
She didn't wait anymore (the air was still cold outside...) and slid her long legs in the wonderfully hot water with a pleased sigh.
She leaned her head on the stony edge of the pool, eyes closed, her body totally relaxed...
Could you think of a better way to end your day? Well, maybe...
"Seems like we have the same idea..."
Haruka's eyes suddenly opened wide in shock, as she spun around to realize it wasn't just her fantasy... Michiru was standing a few steps away from the pool... and much to Haruka's bewilderment, the wonderful curves of the young violinist's body were all in sight under the small towel that covered her... a body so perfectly shaped it surely was the work of a great artist.
Now the water was far too hot for the tall blonde to stand...
She rapidly looked away, trying in vain to calm down her raging heart... that was really too much for her...
However, it seemed that Michiru didn't notice anything as she came forward and slowly entered the pool... she sat near her partner, but left some space between them.
"Mmh, this is nice..." she whispered, sinking in the water till only her head was above the surface.
After a while, Michiru turned to look at Haruka, noticing her flushed face... that's when she decided to do something the poor blonde didn't expect...
There was a slight movement of the water and when Haruka looked on her left to see what was going on, she found herself face to face with her partner.
Before she could even think about what was happening, Michiru moved closer... she was watching her intently and then, she lifted her soft hand to remove a lock of blond hair from Haruka's forehead, barely touching her skin...
The tall blonde was speechless... her heart-beat was uncontrollable and she was hardly able to keep on breathing, completely lost in those deep blue eyes... was the smaller girl going to kiss her..?
Unexpectedly, Michiru frowned: "Your face is red... how long have you been in here?"
Out of the blue, realization hit her... it was all about her flushed appearance... Haruka felt like a real idiot to think that.. maybe.
She shifted position, moving away from her partner's tempting touch and with a husky voice, she replied: "I'm fine."
The aqua-haired beauty blinked in confusion and astonishment, then she seemed to understand how Haruka's mind had worked... a devilish smile formed on her lips as she decided to tease the other girl a bit more... well, she deserved that after her usual cold treatment!
The young car racer was still a bit upset when Michiru moved again nearer and nearer... this time it didn't look like she wanted to stop at all... Haruka could only hold her breath and watch with wide-opened eyes what the other girl was doing.
She was inches away from her face... it would have been so easy to close the final distance and kiss the blonde... but Michiru thought of something different and at the last moment, she moved aside... her lips almost brushing against Haruka's ear: "Don't worry, I won't bite you.. not hard anyway..."
Then the girl pulled back. Unable to hold it anymore, she started giggling at Haruka's expenses (of course), while the poor blonde just watched her... "You're.. teasing me...?"
Finally the aqua-haired girl recovered her self-control, a mischievous grin still playing on her lips as she replied: "Who knows..."
That wasn't exactly the answer Haruka wanted to hear, but however it was enough: "Ah-ah, you're very funny..." mocking resentment, she splashed her partner.
Michiru smiled even more at that, moving away from Haruka to avoid the splashes.. "No sense of humor..."
The tall blonde watched her partner as she swam in the hot water... she never thought Michiru could be so.. playful... not that she was complaining about it... indeed, she liked this side of her.
"It's getting very late... we should go back to bed now..." Michiru was back in her serious-mode, but a happy smile was still gracing her beautiful features.
"...together?"
Surprised the young violinist looked at her partner... for a moment, just a moment, she thought the girl was speaking seriously... it looked like this teasing session was just the beginning between the two of them.
She got out of the water, taking her time to answer the question and after a few steps, she looked back with a sly smile: "Alone."
"A pity!" moaned Haruka from the pool.
"Good night..." and with that, Michiru left in a very good mood...
Again by herself, the tall blonde smirked... her partner could be really funny when she wanted to... knowing that, made her feel a bit more at ease around the stunning girl.
Then she decided to follow Michiru's suggestion... she stood up and left the hot springs to go back to her bedroom...