Chapter 8: Training at Ojiwa - Part III

They spent another four days training, becoming more and more effective as a team... two bodies and a single mind... now they were able to know exactly what the other wanted to do with just a glance... something few were capable of.
That night, while they were eating, Haruka spoke first: "So.. what are we supposed to do tomorrow?"
"Nothing..."
Haruka blinked at that: "What do you mean?"
"There's nothing more to learn... we'll keep on training these few days of holiday that are left, but there's no need to do it the whole day."
The tall blonde still didn't get it.. "Then... what else we could do?"
"Well.. we could start with a stroll here in Ojiwa... have a look at the surroundings... and there's also a Shinto shrine not too far from the village that I'd like to visit."
"You know this is not a pleasure trip.. don't you?"
Michiru met the blonde's severe look with confusion... yes, this wasn't suppose to be a holiday, but a training exercise... but was it so bad to have a little spare time? Was it a sin to want to spend time with the other girl as Haruka & Michiru and not Uranus & Neptune?
The car racer noticed her partner's confusion and unexpectedly burst into laughter: "You should see yourself!"
When she finally calmed down, the blonde spoke again: "I was just teasing you! Training is important, of course.. but we do need a break! So, when do we start?"
"Actually... never." Michiru stood up and walked away pretending indignation... secretly she was really glad she had been able to get so close to her stubborn partner, who now promptly followed her with a worried look on her face.. "Oh, come on! I was joking! I really want to see Ojiwa and that shrine... please, don't be angry!"
The aqua-haired girl said nothing, enjoying Haruka's concerned tone and her expression... she looked so cute, just like a child... something that very few people had seen... maybe no one beside Michiru herself...

The next morning was completely dedicated to their training, but then in the afternoon...
"Haruka, look at that!" Michiru exclaimed, tugging her partner's arm to reclaim her full consideration.
The tall blonde felt how her heart bounced in her chest then...
...Haruka...
That was the first time that Michiru had addressed her without using -san... and it sounded so natural that the violinist herself hadn't even realized it...
What also didn't pass unnoticed was the closeness of the smaller beauty... her long wavy hair... her brilliant smile... her sweet perfume...
Haruka kicked herself mentally... there was no way she could lose herself in such thoughts right now when the angelic creature was right beside her!
She forced herself to move her gaze from Michiru to the object of the artist's amazement...
It was a sculpture made of colored glass, representing two dolphins jumping out of a restless sea. The little wonder was full of detail and it almost seemed alive. There were many other works: an ancient dragoon, a small cat, a beautiful dancer... but that one with the dolphins was for certain the best one... the man who had made those was a real artist...
"It's wonderful..." commented Haruka in a low voice.
"Hai..." was the soft reply of her dreamy partner...
"Why don't you buy it?"
"It's too expensive... I don't have enough money with me..."
Haruka saw her partner's disappointment and decided to do something: "We could buy it.. together..."
Michiru now focused her attention on Haruka: "I can't ask you to do something like that..."
"Well, let's say that it will be yours.. and also mine. Really, I like it as much as you do."
Michiru was now more than happy "Arigatou!"
The young car racer smiled back at her friend as they entered the shop...

It was a pleasant afternoon after they left the fragile item they had bought at the inn... there weren't many shops at Ojiwa, but those few were quite interesting... like a little store where a lot of old vintage clothes were sold and where Michiru found many strange things (even a pink wing!) to put on her ideal victim (who? Poor Haruka, of course!).
They enjoyed the time they spent together, finally able to forget - at least, for a while - all their problems, all their worries... there in Ojiwa, they were just Haruka and Michiru.
They had to be just that, because they needed a reason... something that could give them the strength necessary to face the Silence alone, since that was their destiny...

The next day, the last one of their holiday, was quite similar to the previous one, but in the afternoon, after they wandered a bit through the village, they made their way towards the famous shrine.
There was a long way to go to get there...
"Michiru... how long have we been walking?"
"About two hours..."
"And the shrine still isn't in sight..."
"Not yet..."
"The sun is going to set soon... it will be dark when we come back this way..."
Michiru stopped suddenly, causing Haruka to do the same... then she slowly turned to face her friend with a sweet smile: "Are you... scared?"
"Of course not!" Haruka replied, maybe a bit too quickly... but she managed to recover: "In fact, I was worried for you... it's too late once you've been caught by the wolf, my little kitten..." she whispered with a suave voice that the aqua-haired girl found almost irresistible...
"Don't worry, hero, I can take care of myself.. and by the way..." she smirked a bit "I wouldn't be so sure of who has caught whom..."
Haruka watched startled as her attractive partner left and then she had to catch up as usual.. "Wait!"

A few minutes later they finally arrived at the shrine. It was located in a small clearing of the mountain woods, surrounded by many plants and scented flowers.
It looked like a long time had passed since anyone had visited the place... it was so calm, isolated, serene... now Haruka was sure that the long walk was worth it.
"There's a legend about this shrine..."
The tall blonde turned to look at her friend, who was admiring the breathtaking view they had over the valley... "A legend? What is it?"
"Many years ago.. a miko lived here and dedicated herself to guard the shrine. One day she found an injured man. He was a bandit and a vicious warrior... however the woman decided to take care of him.. he was still a human being and if she did not help him, he would have died... time passed and the man recovered his consciousness, but was still unable to move. He insulted and cursed the miko, treating her badly, but the woman continued to look after his wounds..."
Only at that moment, when Michiru glanced to her left, where Haruka stood, she realized how much the blonde was caught up with the story... so very interested that she couldn't wait to know the rest: "And then?", the blonde prompted.
She was so lost in the magic atmosphere of the place and the legend that she didn't even noticed how dark it was already...
"Slowly the warrior started to change his behaviour... when the miko cured his injuries he kept silent and only thanked her when she left.
From time to time, the woman also sang for the man and told him many tales... the gentleness and goodness of the miko struck him and he began to feel ashamed of all the brutal things he had done in his life... he wanted to make amends and he was sure he could do it with the woman's help..."
"Well.. how did it end?"
Michiru smiled at Haruka's eagerness: "We don't know... some say that the man didn't change and when he regain his strength, he spared the miko's life and then he went back to his previous cruel lifestyle...
others say instead that he became a better person and fell in love with the woman, but that she refused him... he then decided to leave the shrine and wander around the world to help people... there's also a third version of the story that says that the miko decided to leave the shrine and live with the man that she had learned to love more than the shintoist divinity she served and was cursed for it..."
Again Michiru watched her partner with interest... the girl seemed to be in deep thoughts, then Haruka asked: "And you? Which one do you think is true?"
Michiru thought of it for a moment before answer.. "I believe that when you truly love someone, you can achieve anything... even become a better person.. or accept the burden of a cursed life, if you can live with your beloved..."
"I guess you're right..." Haruka replied softly in a low tone.
Then a strange noise, like an explosion, alarmed her... until the blonde realize what it was...
Colored lights, like many shining stars, were joyfully dancing in the darkness of the night, over the valley... they were fireworks.
Haruka stared at the colored sky with a bright smile on her lips...
"You knew about this, didn't you? That's why you didn't want to come here earlier..."
"Isn't it beautiful?" Michiru asked instead, leaning her head on the taller girl's shoulder, overwhelmed by the romantic mood.
The sandy blonde racer slowly looked down on her partner with a strange look: "Yes.. it is..."


Author's Note: For those who are wondering, a miko is a virgin that devotes her life to a shinto divinity and stays at his
temple... she's a priestess, in short.
So, what do you think? As always, read and review, please :)