Dedicated to all those who have read and/or reviewed this story so far. Thank you for the continued support.
Chapter 13: Gates of Time
'I'll find the answer when it's time.' Haruka thought as she lazily petted Wind-Chaser. It'd been a week since her odd encounter with miss Meiou and still the blonde spent a growing amount of time pondering things. She stared at the painted clouds of her living room ceiling with her head resting on the back of the couch. To her surprise Wind suddenly vaulted from her lap and ran to the door. Haruka raised her blonde head and watched as the Persian cat scratched lightly at the door.
'They say animals have better senses than us.' Haruka thought as her doorbell sounded. Judging by Wind's reaction there was only one person it could be behind that door. With a smile Haruka opened the door to allow her aqua haired girl friend to enter.
"What brings you here, Michi?" Haruka asked as the shorter woman entered and turned to look at her. A smile grew on Michiru's face as she crossed her arms lightly.
"Wind-chan of course." Michiru teased as the cat happily wound about her legs. Shutting the door Haruka had no doubt that comment had just made Wind's day. "Actually I wanted to surprise you for once, you just seem so lost in thought lately."
"I'm sorry, it's nothing bad." Haruka reassured her and walked over to give the violin player a hug.
"Regardless, I am certain that hansom blonde head of yours could use a break before you melt down from all this deep thought." Michiru spoke again as she reached up to ruffle Haruka's hair a little.
"What did you have in mind?" Haruka asked. Michiru answered by smiling and pulling her toward the door.
"Today I'm driving."
Michiru's gray compact had been trailing through the mid-day sun for a long time in near silence broken only by the CD player's speakers. Haruka leaned back in her seat, biting back her curiosity, and observed the violinist as she drove. Though she didn't match Haruka's skill and reaction time the blonde had to admit that there was a quiet grace and ease to Michiru's driving that put most people to shame. Teal eyes shifted to gaze out of the passenger window as Tokyo's building melted into the more wide spread areas out side the city. They passed a number of mansions like houses and at least one small shrine before Michiru turned onto a dirt road that led to a large estate.
Teal eyes took in every detail of the mansion as Michiru brought the car to a stop out front of it. A young man who was dressed casually met them as they stepped from the car and Michiru handed him the keys. Haruka raised her eyebrow and began to wonder if this was really someone's mansion or a themed business. She thought her question was answered as she spotted a sign near the door, which read: Gates of Time.
"What is this place, Michi?" Haruka finally asked as they entered through the large wooden doors a man had opened for the two. Michiru took a moment to nod her thanks before answering the tall blonde pianist. Michiru smiled brightly and took a hold of Haruka's hand to lead her deeper into the mansion. They passed a number of doors before pausing outside what appeared to be a large library room. Michiru turned to face her. "We're here to see one of my oldest friends, and really the only one I kept contact with after high school."
Michiru pushed the oak door open and led Haruka toward the center of the room where a woman sat at a table quietly working to restore a very old looking clock. Haruka was so distracted by her surrounding that she failed to take notice of their host as she took in the items around the room. She stopped as Michiru walked over and spoke to the other woman in a hushed voice. Teal eyes took in a number of ancient tapestries and banners hanging about the room in various stages of restoration, clocks of all type from over the years, what appeared to be ancient katanas, a suit of tarnished armor that looked to be of European origins and dusty books and scrolls piled high upon shelves everywhere.
"Why hello again, miss Ten'ou." She looked up to find Michiru flanked by Setsuna, both eyeing her with amusement. Haruka raised a brow in question when Setsuna stepped forward. "Allow me to properly introduce myself, I am Doctor Setsuna Meiou."
"You're a doctor?" Teal eyes glanced again about the room in confusion.
"I hold a doctorate in world history and archeology." Setsuna waved a dismissive hand about the large room to take in all the objects with in. "This is my office when I stay here in Japan, though I tend to travel quite often."
"You don't act like you were raised in Japan, and you seem to speak English every time we meet." Haruka pointed out. Setsuna and Michiru exchanged another look before Setsuna led them toward a smaller inner chamber at the opposite side of the room.
"Setsuna's mother was British but of Chinese decent and her father was Japanese." Michiru explained as they came to the inner office. Setsuna sat calmly behind a fine oak desk and Michiru took one of the two seats before it. Haruka however was distracted as soon as she entered the room. The tall blonde walked carefully toward a display of four glass cases near one wall. Among the neatly line cases were a tall staff with a red stone a top it, a glaive which almost seemed to glow in the soft light, a finely crafted mirror and what most caught the blonde, a scimitar style sword.
"That piece is known as the Space Sword." Setsuna explained as Haruka finally pulled her attention back from the intricate sword and took a seat beside Michiru. Setsuna again held that mysterious glint to her eyes as she spoke again. "Each of those pieces was found at different dig sites about the world. Oddly they seem to have been perfectly preserved regardless of the fact that they were all buried for several hundred years."
"Several hundred?" Haruka questioned as she looked back toward the cases again. She shook her head in disbelief at the thought. "The mirror's glass would be dull and broken, the sword's blade could not be so finely crafted, nor the glaive which should have lost its handle and the staff is just like nothing I've seen before."
"Ah, but miss Ten'ou I have studied these items for years and I can guarantee you they are just as old or older than I have stated." Setsuna swiveled her chair a bit as she herself regarded the ancient items behind their bulletproof glass. She herself seemed to ponder them as her gaze wandered from one to the next. "I can't explain them and they have puzzled me since I first found the staff hidden away in the Iga Mountains, but I do know they are like nothing else. They aren't even made of normal materials it seems and each bears a symbol inlaid into it with perfect precision."
"I'm sorry if I seem a bit surprised, they just seemed to catch my eye as we entered."
"And draw you toward them?" Setsuna questioned with a raised eyebrow. She turned again to face her guests, resting her elbow upon her desk and leaning forward. "Yes I reacted the same to the staff, and Michiru toward the mirror. Which was it that called to you, Ten'ou?"
"Call me Haruka." The blonde insisted with a grin as she waved a hand back at the display. "And I wouldn't say called. I did feel intrigued by the Space Sword though."
"I thought so, you seemed to take only it in." Setsuna smiled kindly and sat back again. "To be honest, they didn't have names when I found them. I've found no historic reference to any of they objects but certain words seemed to come to mind as I was cleaning the dirt from each."
"What are the other three objects?" Haruka asked curiously.
"The Aqua Mirror, Time Staff and Silence Glaive." Setsuna stood and walked over to stand before the case, which protected the Time Staff and placed a hand lightly to the glass. "This one bears the symbol of Pluto. Ironically it is my ruling planet according to Western Astrology."
"I though you were an Archeologist, not a Divination master." Haruka commented lightly to the other women who shot her a smirk of her own.
"A well rounded scholar never turns down a chance to learn of something new, Haruka." With a light in her eyes the tall and regal figure turned from the case and smiled at her guests in a welcoming way. "What say we go outside, we could take a ride?"
"Ride?" Haruka glanced between the grinning women and gave a cautious look toward Michiru and her far to knowing face. "Ride what?"
"Horses, Ruka. It is a lovely day for a ride and Setsuna invited us both to join her for a small picnic."
Once they were all mounted, much to Haruka's embarrassment she'd needed a bit of help to learn how to get on the tall mount. Teal eyes watched as Setsuna allowed her own mount to walk slow and easy circles around them as Michiru explained what commands to give the horse and what it would do. Haruka tried to remember each clearly as they finally set out. She wondered, as she held the leather reins tightly, just how large Setsuna's estate was. She'd been surprised to find out the woman lived here and that she'd inherited the entire thing from her father's family.
As they rode slowly Haruka became more comfortable and decided to test out what the horse could do. With a quick look to see if the other two were paying attention Haruka coaxed the tall animal into a faster pace, however the horse didn't just speed up a little but instead took off like a gun. Michiru and Setsuna both turned to watch as the blonde's horse shot forward at a full run as if it were in a derby. With looks of concern the two women took off after their less trained friend. Setsuna, being the most experienced with horses was closing the distance quickly with Michiru not far behind. Over a small hill there was what looked to be a little stream and wither because of that or Haruka finally remembering the correct command the blonde's horse came to a sudden stop.
The horse reared onto its back hoofs, tossing the startled blonde to the ground with a heavy thud, just before Setsuna arrived. The red-eyed women slowed her horse and managed to grab the reins of Haruka's mount as Michiru moved her own to stand between the fallen blonde and her mount. Haruka's horse seemed intent on running again for a moment before it calmed down.
"Are you okay, Ruka?" Michiru slid from her own saddle and knelt near the blonde with concern in both her voice and eyes. She watched Haruka sit up and seem to do a visual check of herself while rubbing her head. "What happened?"
"I wanted to see how fast he could go." Haruka said sheepishly as she waved toward the horse. Setsuna shook her head with an amused smile and slid from her own saddle. She led the horses to a spot near the river and lightly looped their reins around a small tree. "Guess it was a bit too fast for once."
"Maybe you should stick to only speeding in cars." Michiru commented as she ran her fingers through the blonde's hair to check for any sort of bump or blood. Haruka quirked an eyebrow at the artists comment.
"I can ride motorcycles too, you know." She proclaimed with a cocky grin.
"This seems like a good enough spot for the picnic, thank you Haruka." Setsuna's red eyes sparkled as the blonde gave her a confused look, wondering why she was being thanked. "You seem have just 'run across' a wonderful spot."
Michiru giggled at the comment even as Haruka's teal eyes rolled at the pun. Setsuna came over with a set of saddlebags and started to pull out a large blanket. With a few quick movements Setsuna had the blanket spread out and Haruka and Michiru started to get the food out of its own saddlebag confines. Setsuna watched the two together and had to smile, they just seemed to fit.
Author's Note:
Sorry I slowed down a bit there. I know I was going so quick on the updates for a while but this chapter got me stuck and I had the urge to write a short story. (Grins) Said short story has become a chapter fiction with fourteen reviews thus far. Thank you to all those readers who keep reviewing, and encouraging me to keep writing.
Review responses:
Knight of the Wolf: It took me a lot of thought to figure out how I was going to bring Setsuna in and what her profession would be. For a time I considered tying her into Michiru and Haruka's musical careers, I even had a chapter written with her as a sort of recording director, but it just didn't feel right to me. Eventually I decided she had to have a job tied to her own personality and to her duties as a scout, and that the best way to explain her sudden appearance was if said job caused her to travel. Hope you like her part so far.
I think mastermind is a strong term; I like to think I am a lucky amateur as of late. I wont say what is going to happen for Ruka and Michi, you'll have to wait and see. (Grin) As for being too soon for a proposal, I really don't have a clue. A friend of mine recently got married to a woman he'd known for less than three weeks and though their relationship isn't anywhere near perfect it is their choice. I think the only way to know if it is too soon or not would be to gauge you own heart and what you feel. (Looks around) Wow, don't ask me where that came from because I have no clue when I developed that thought path. Maybe my friends are making me think too much on this stuff.
Jeannie: Yes, Ryu is a pain. (Grin) Glad you have liked it so far, I'll do my best to keep it up.
Moonjava: (Bows with a smile) I'm glad you enjoyed it. I always feel like it is longer between updates than it is, though this time it did get a bit longer. Thank you again for the continued reviews.
King of Warlords: (Grins widely and bows) Thank you very much for that compliment. Honestly I know there are still a lot of flaws with my writing style but I keep working at it and hope to get a book published someday. I'm sure your writing is better than you give it credit for and that you will improve even more over time.
My eye is healed and even the puncture wound didn't leave any long-term scars. Thank you for the concern. Honestly, though my friends call me Haruka, I do tend to get hurt a bit often. Always out to try something new or push myself just a bit more. Yesterday I bought a skateboard and decided to take it up as a new hobby; at twenty-one I am just learning from my eighteen-year-old brother. (Grin) I went to practice on my own at 0600 today and took a nice fall. The up side of hurting myself a lot is that I start to shrug a lot of injuries off and keep going.
Bahamut's King: (Laughs) I had completely forgotten about "Ryu Shipping". Yes, I like that name for some reason. My eye is doing fine, no more pain or blurriness. What Haruka did to Ryu was just my way of trying to show that she is becoming protective of Michiru, and also he was starting to remind me of a stalker as I wrote about him. Stalkers are no good. (Shakes head)
Moon Daisuki: I'm glad you liked it. I rewrote the part in the airport two or three times, had a hard time feeling like I'd gotten what I wanted in it. Ryu, well he's a lot of people I have met or seen along my life rolled into one. I don't know if I will use him again though, he was starting to seem a lot like a stalker. Anyway, hope you liked this one as well and sorry if it seems a bit short.
Animeprincess056: I was hoping you'd like the part with Triton. (Smiles) I will try to be a bit more careful Mesa-chan, but I seem to get in a lot of little injuries. (Grins) Still, I'll avoid what I can. Wish me luck though, now I am trying to learn to skateboard. Take care.