Chapter 5
Author Note: This chapter is a bit longer than the others. I finally got a day off from work I had planed to break these scenes into two chapters since while I am working I don't have much time for anything but sleeping gotta love 12 hours shifts but with the day off I am able to put them in one chapter so enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the characters from Sailor Moon though any characters not found in the anime, manga or musicals I do own.
"Hotaru are you sure you are ok with watching the girls?" Michiru asked as she stood by the door her gym bag in hand.
"No problem mom." Hotaru said. "Uh mom can I invite Shingo over?"
"I don't know Ruka what do you think about Hotaru inviting her boyfriend over?" Michiru said a big grin on her face.
"He's not my boyfriend!" Hotaru said. "And he promised to help me with my homework."
"Hmm a study date?" Haruka said coming down the stairs her gym bag in hand.
"It's not a date just two friends studying." Hotaru said.
"Sure hun he's just a friend, a friend you hang out with all the time." Haruka teased both she and Michiru knew that the teens liked each other but neither had the courage to tell the other they loved teasing Hotaru about it. "What do you think Michi?"
"It's alright with me if it's alright with you." Michiru said.
"Yea go ahead and call your boyfriend but remember the twins need to be in bed by eight. Your mom and I shouldn't be out that long but you need to be in bed by ten tomorrow we are going to the zoo." Haruka said as she and Michiru left the house.
"He's not my boyfriend!" Hotaru said to a closing door.
Haruka and Michiru went to the garage and got into Haruka's yellow convertible it was spring time so they rode with the top down both loved to feel the wind blowing in the hair. As they drove towards the gym neither of them noticed a motorcycle with two people on it following them. Haruka stopped at the gym parked her car then took Michiru's hand. "What are you doing tonight love?" Haruka asked.
"Ami is meeting me here we are going to do laps. Want to join us?" Michiru said.
A grin came across Haruka's face then she said, "As much as I would enjoy seeing you and the lovely Miss Ami in your bathing suits I think I'm going to go hit the punching bag for a while maybe there will be someone there to spar with."
"Hehe Ruka you know that no one in this gym will spar with you. They all are afraid of you." Michiru said.
"Maybe you could get done swimming early and spar with me." Haruka said with that grin still on her face and she pulled Michiru closer.
"No I don't think so." Michiru said.
"What are you scared too?" Haruka teased.
"Never love I just prefer when our 'sparing' involves a bed." Michiru said kissing Haruka and then heading off to the pool where she found Ami waiting for her.
Haruka laughed then headed off to the changing room to get in her gi.
The couple on the motorcycle walked in still wearing their school uniforms. They stayed away from Haruka and Michiru to be out of sight but not hearing then watched as they spilt up. "Ok you go to the pool and keep an eye on mom and I'll follow after dad." Haruko said then used the pen to change her clothes to a gi.
"Why am I going after mom?" Michiyo said.
"What does it matter?" Haruko said handing the pen over.
"Then you go to the pool if it doesn't matter." Michiyo said.
"I've already got a gi on you go to the pool." Haruko said.
"You are avoiding her Ruko." Michiyo said.
"Avoiding who?" Haruko said even though she already knew who Michiyo was talking about.
"Mercury." Michiyo said flatly.
"No I'm not." Haruko denied. "Now you are going to the pool and I'm going to the sparring room.
"Who put you in charge?" Michiyo asked.
"I'm older it's just natural for me to be in charge." Haruko said a matter of facty.
"Only by three minutes!" Michiyo complained but Haruko was already walking away.
Haruko waved but kept going she found Haruka inside hitting a makiwara. She walked over to one of the punching bags and began kicking it while she watched her father out of the corner of her eye. After a short while her attention moved from watching her father to wailing on the bag. She figured that she knew the youma wouldn't attack until tomorrow so they were safe enough and if she was to be fighting the next day it probably would be a good idea to get some practice in.
"Hey take it easy what'd that bag ever do to you?" Haruka asked surprising Haruko who just stared at Haruka not sure what to say she hadn't seen her father in many years. "I haven't seen you around here before are you new?"
"Yea I just moved here from Sapporo with my sister." Haruko said.
"This is a nice area a lot of good schools here I figure that's why you are here?" Haruka asked.
"Yea school." Haruko said.
"So which school did you and your sister get into?" Haruka asked.
Haruko paused a minute trying to think of a school, "Uh the Azabu Juuban."
"Good school." Haruka said.
"Did you go there?" Haruko asked but she already knew that Haruka went to Mugen Gakuen.
"No the school I went to is no longer around but my eldest daughter goes to Azabu Juuban." Haruka said.
"You have children?"
"Yes three girls, Hotaru is sixteen while Haruko and Michiyo are eight." Haruka said with the smile on her face that she got every time she talked about her children. "Ah here I am telling you about my children and I haven't even told you my own name. Ten'ou Haruka."
"Saito Kazushi." Haruko said shaking Haruka's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you Ten'ou-san."
"Please call me Haruka. Hey I don't know about you but I'm tired of hitting these bags you want to spar Saito-san?" Haruka asked.
"Hai but only if you call my Kazushi." Haruko said. Haruka put her arm around Haruko's shoulder laughed a little and led them both to the mats. They both bowed then dropped into fighting stances. Haruka was the first to attack moving with the speed of the wind but she wasn't the only one of the mat that had the wind on their side. Haruka's attack was a punch aimed for Haruko's chest she knew if she tried to block the attack the force of it was likely to knock her back not to mention it would most likely hurt. She knew exactly how to get out of this attack it was a moved Haruka had shown her. Though she had never actually sparred with her father she had watched her spar with Makoto. Haruko watched as the attack moved closer to her most would have seen in a flash lasting barely more than a second but one of the advantages of being a senshi of the wind she could fell the wind and in a sense make it feel like time moved slower giving her a better chance to react. She waited until the attack was mere inches from her then stepped back dropping to the ground sweeping her opponent as they missed their hit and staggered past.
Haruka felt the foot hit her legs quickly found the ground as her back made contact. She laid there for a second gasping more so at missing and being knocked down than in pain. She recomposed herself and pressed her hands above her head pushing herself up as she kicked her legs out landing in a hand stand she continued on with it and did a back flip landing on her feet in front of Haruko. It was Haruko's turn to attack now she moved forward with a hook kick which was easily blocked. Then a right punch to the chest, a round house to the side, two more sweep attempts and a back kick to the stomach all of which were blocked. The two played back and forth for quite sometime neither able to get the upper hand on the other until finally Haruka manage to sweep Haruko who fell to the ground taking Haruka with her. The both rolled on the ground unable to break free, Haruko had her legs wrapped around Haruka's neck while Haruka did the same thing.
"I think you two need to call it a draw." Michiru said from the doorway.
They both released each other and stood bowing to each other and shaking hands. "Good match." Haruka said then the two walked over to Michiru and Michiyo. "Ah here Kazushi-san I want you to meet my wife Michiru and I'm sorry miss I don't know you."
"She's my sister Emiko-chan." Haruko said then bowed to Michiru. "A pleasure to meet you Ten'ou-san."
"Kaiou actually but you can call me Michiru." She said bowing in return.
"Yea somebody didn't want to take my name when we married." Haruka said.
"Love we've been over this plenty of times I kept my name because I didn't want to confuse my fans. Anyway you could have changed your name to Kaiou Haruka." Michiru said a grin on her face.
"Well guess your right easier on both our fans if we keep our own names." Haruka said running her hand through her short blond hair then wiping the sweat from her on the leg of her gi.
"Looks like you gave Haruka a pretty good workout, not many can keep up with her." Michiru said.
"Hai, I must admit it was a challenge." Haruko said.
"Good to find some that can hold their own. I hope we get the chance to spar again." Haruka said.
"Sorry we can't stay longer but we better to get home and check on our eldest to make sure she's not got into any trouble with her boyfriend." Michiru said.
"Oh but Michi he's not her boyfriend." Haruka laughed. "Can we give you guys a ride home?"
"No thanks we rode my bike here." Haruko said.
Haruka and Michiru nodded then left. "Looks like you had some fun." Michiyo said.
"Dad's a better fighter than I thought." Haruko said.
"I thought you said we weren't here to have fun." Michiyo teased.
"Look who is talking." Haruko said flipping Michiyo's wet hair. "Enjoy your swim?"
"Yes I did. So what are we going to do now it's close to nine I found out from mom they are meeting the Queen at the zoo at ten." Michiyo said.
"We could go stake out the house and wait until morning." Haruko said.
"But we know they won't be attacked until tomorrow at the zoo. I think we should find some place to sleep and be rested when the battle happens." Michiyo said.
"Fine then we get a hotel room." Haruko said.
"One problem we don't have enough money. I couldn't take that much without anyone noticing it was missing you know how rare pre-Crystal Tokyo stuff is." Michiyo said.
"Alright then where can we stay that won't cost anything?" Haruko asked.
"Isn't Hikawa Shrine near the zoo?" Michiyo asked.
"Yeah and Lady Mars is always letting people stay there look at Yuichiro she let him stay and he never left." Haruko said.
Michiyo agreed to stay with Rei if she would let them. Then they used the pen and transformed back into their school clothes. They walked outside to the bushes where Haruko had parked the bike. She handed Michiyo a helmet then sat on the bike looking for two wires. She found the ones she was looking for and crossed them starting the bike. "I still can't believe you stole this bike." Michiyo said. "How is it you even know how to hot wire that thing?"
"Borrowed and 'we' borrowed it." Haruko said ignoring the second question as Michiyo climbed on behind her. "Would you rather we walked?" Michiyo grumbled no and they sped off to the temple. Haruko parked the bike several blocks away from the temple in a shopping center parking lot.
"Are we just going to leave it here?" Michiyo asked.
"Yea the police should find it in a day or two." Haruko said.
"What about our finger prints what if they run them?" Michiyo said.
"Then they find the prints of a couple eight year old girls do you really think the cops are going to arrest two children that can bare ride a bicycle for stealing a motorcycle?" Haruko said.
"I guess not well lets go it's getting late." Michiyo said leading the way up to the temple. "Haruko let me handle this one. Lady Mars can sense things we don't want her to pick up on anything. Let's just get in get some sleep and try to make as little contact with her as possible."
They made their way up the steps to the shrine and found the lights inside still on. Haruko rang the bell and the door was answered by a young girl around five or six wearing a chihaya. Michiyo and Haruka both bow then Michiyo asked, "Can we speak with the head priestess?"
The miko nodded then turned and yelled, "Mom there are some people here to see you."
A minute later Rei came over with a crying child she rocked the child gently in her arms getting it to calm down it was apparent from the bulge in her stomach she was pregnant. "Reiko how many times do I have to tell you don't yell inside look you woke up your sister Junko it's amazing you didn't wake your brother Youji up too. Sorry about that I'm Kumada Rei the head priestess here at Hikawa Shrine what can I do for you?"
"My brother and I are looking for a place to stay the night would you be kind enough to let us stay here for the night?" Michiyo asked.
Rei looked them up and down then nodded thinking they were probably runaways and she rather have them stay here instead of on the streets perhaps in the morning she could talk them into going home. "We have an extra room in the back if you two don't mind sharing."
"Thank you." Michiyo said bowing; they followed Rei into the back to the room.
"It's not much but it's a place to sleep there is a bath down the hall though it is a stove heated bath if you would like to take a bath just ask my husband Yuichiro and he will heat it up for you." Rei said.
"Thank you but that won't be necessary." Michiyo said.
"Actually Kumada-sama I wouldn't mind taking a bath if it is free right now." Haruko said.
"I'll have Yuichiro heat it up for you." Rei said then headed down the hallway. She asked Yuichiro to heat up the bath then headed to her fire room. She had sensed something odd from those two and thought to ask the flames about it. She lit the fire and tired her hair back sitting down before it to pray. Her mind was filled this images of the two only they won't as they were now they wore toga like outfits instead of the school uniforms she had seen them in. The images in her mind changed flashing to a pair of young girls, Haruka and Michiru's girls. The images kept flashing between the two and then were paired with a strong feeling of emotion. Rei felt pain, fear, sorrow, loss and hatred. When she finally came out of her trance she realized she was crying and Yuichiro sat next to her staring at her waiting for her to come out of the trance.
"Rei is everything ok?" He asked.
"I don't know. I felt something about those people in the guest room but I can't place it. I tried asking the flames but I only got jumbled images. Yuichiro I think something is going to happen to Haruka and Michiru's children." Rei said trying to stand but having some trouble being so far in her pregnancy Yuichiro helped her to her feet and then to their room where he got her to lie down. "Can you get me the phone? I have to tell Haruka about this."
To be continued…..
Angel's quick guide to Japanese:
Gi: A uniform often worn when doing karate.
Makiwara: A wooden board that stands at shoulder level with a pad tied to the top used to hit much like a punching bag.
Chihaya: The red and white outfit Rei wears when at the temple.
Miko: A young girl that works at a Shinto temple also known as a shrine maiden. In the anime Rei is a miko.
-sama: Honorific of extreme respect for one held in high personal regard. Most often used to a person of superior status.