Domo arigatou gozaimasu for all the reviews! I'm very happy and I am continuing with this story! To me it seems a bit slow compared to my other fics, but this is a romance/drama so I'm doing my best. First one I've really done so bear with me.

As it was pointed out in a review I recieved, I use the form Tenno for Haruka's last name. One thing I've noticed a lot in reading fanfics are the various spellings of her last name (Tenoh, Ten'no, Tenno, Ten'oh, etc). Honestly, I'm not consistent with one form so if you suddenly see Tenoh in a fic of mine, go with it. Though if anyone knows for sure how to spell her last name, I'd love to know.

And I forgot to mention last chapter, kami-sama is like saying "Oh god" or "gods".

Moving on now!

As usual, the characters Haruka and Michiru belong to Naoko Takeuchi-san, which isn't me. And another character of hers is dropping by in this chapter I believe but I won't say who. But that character is Takeuchi-san's too.

Dozo!

Haruka sat on a small boulder, her right leg drawn up to her chest and the left slightly dangling off the edge of the rock. The cool wind blew threw her short blonde hair and slightly blew the edge of her dark blue coat open. A week had passed since she and Michiru had come to Haruka's home and the weather had grown cooler.

Haruka sighed as her thoughts once again drifted to the aqua haired geisha. She had been struggling to come to terms with the emotions she felt for the smaller woman. Haruka kept trying to tell herself that two women couldn't fall in love, but in her heart, she knew that to be false. She sighed again and lifted the flute to her mouth. She slowly began to play a soft melody, one that her mother had taught her as a child.

- - - - -

Michiru heard the melody from where she was in the house and walked outside. She saw Haruka sitting peacefully on the rock playing a flute and was stunned at how well the woman played it. She smiled, recognizing the song. She walked near Haruka and as the blonde started to play again, Michiru began to sing the words to the song, her voice blending in perfectly.

Haruka opened her eyes and saw Michiru standing a few feet away, her eyes closed as she sang the words. The blonde remembered playing this song as her mother sang and a tear slid down her face, but she kept playing, not wanting Michiru to stop singing. After several more minutes of playing they came to the end of the song. Haruka slowly lowered the wooden flute, her soft eyes looking at Michiru.

"That was beautiful," the blonde said.

Michiru blushed and shook her head. "I'm not that good of a singer. I'm better at playing the shamisen."

"Then you must be peerless in playing the shamisen," Haruka replied. Michiru's blush deepened and Haruka laughed softly.

"You are too generous in your compliments," Michiru said.

Haruka shrugged. "I actually don't give out many compliments. I only give them out to those who truly earn them. Which might be why I'm not too popular amongst the samurai," she added thoughtfully.

"So you are a samurai then?"

"Hai," she replied. She felt bad for lying to the geisha, but no one could know that Haruka was actually a ninja.

"Does the lord you serve know about…" Michiru stopped to find the right words.

"Hai," Haruka answered, knowing what the woman was trying to say. The blew a little harder and the blonde lifted her teal gaze to the blue sky. "The snows will fall soon," Haruka murmured. She looked down. "It's too late for us to try to leave."

"Won't your lord be concerned with you being gone so long?"

Haruka shook her head. "I'm usually sent out on the long assignments." She slid off the rock and landed lightly on her feet.

"How's your back?"

"Much better," Haruka answered. She looked at the geisha. "There is still time for me to return you to Gion if you wish."

Michiru shook her head, her eyes staring at the ground. "Part of me wants to go back because I know many other okiya will welcome me, demo…demo…"

"You wish to be free," Haruka supplied.

Michiru looked up at the blonde, stunned she had hit the nail on the head so quickly. She lowered her gaze and nodded. "My life there was too predictable. I…" she fell silent and smiled bitterly. "I was growing tired of doing the same thing night after night and day after day. Though now…I've nowhere to go. Gion was my home."

Haruka stood in front of the geisha and gently tilted her head up. Aqua eyes met teal. "You could come with me…Michiru-san."

"I…I don't want to be…" she began.

"You would be no burden on me," Haruka said softly.

Michiru trembled slightly as Haruka moved closer. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears and her breathing quickened. What is this feeling? Can this…can this be…love? Michiru thought. The blonde's lips met her own and Michiru closed her eyes, sinking into Haruka. Please Kami-sama! Let this be real! Michiru begged, throwing away her care that Haruka was a woman.

Haruka pulled away. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that…it was wrong of me," Haruka said, hurrying away from the geisha. She ducked into the forest and leaned against a tree, her eyes close. "What's wrong with me?" she murmured softly. You can't fall in love Haruka. You have a duty to her and the clan, she scolded herself. You also have a duty to your heart, a small voice said in her mind.

- - - - -

Michiru stared after the blonde as she ran into the forest. Tears began sliding down her face. She hung her head, laughing bitterly at her fate. "No one can love a geisha," she whispered, remembering what the mother of her okiya had told her when she was a small child. She slowly headed back inside.

- - - - -

Haruka walked to the front of the house and immediately noticed footprints leading away from the structure. She followed the trail with her sharp eyes and saw that they led into the forest. She dashed up the steps of the house. "Michiru-san? Michiru-san?" she called in the empty rooms. She bowed her head when she realized the geisha was gone. She glanced out a window then did a double take.

"The snow's early…" she murmured as fat white flakes drifted down to the ground. Realizing Michiru didn't have much, the blonde ran outside, throwing a heavy jacket on over her gi shirts. She whistled for her horse and it came running up. Haruka leapt onto the black animal and rode it bare back into the forest, following Michiru's tracks as the snowfall grew heavier.

The ninja urged the horse as fast as she dared, not wanting to miss the tracks. She suddenly reined the horse to a stop as an arrow whizzed by. Several men came out of the woods. They were shabbily dressed but carried quality katanas. Haruka glared at the ronin samurai.

"Give us the horse and we'll let you live," the leader smirked.

Haruka's quick eyes studied the five men. She barely twitched her arm and four shuriken slipped down her arm into her right hand. Two she slid into her left hand. "All right," she agreed and threw her arms out. The throwing stars plunged themselves into four of the men and they fell to the ground. The blonde pulled a throwing knife free and ducked a slash from the leader. She plunged the weapon into his eye and shook her head.

Haruka cursed the ronin silently and quickly found Michiru's trail again. She snapped the reins and the stallion rushed forward. Several minutes passed by and Haruka cursed again for the snow had completely hidden the geisha's trail. Never one to give up, the ninja slowed her pace and began scanning the whitening forest. She came upon a small clearing and frowned at an oddly shaped lump near the center. Haruka leapt off the horse and ran to the shape. She fell to her knees and rolled the shivering, unconscious form of Michiru over.

The blonde scooped the smaller woman into her arms and carried her back to the horse. She draped the geisha over the front of the horse and leapt up. The warrior pulled Michiru up so she rode sidesaddle. Haruka gently turned the horse around and set off at a quick pace back to the house.

Michiru tried to open her heavy lids, but they refused to comply. She felt the odd sensation of rocking back and forth as someone held her in strong, protective arms. Feeling safe and secure, she gave up trying to open her eyes. She took a deep breath in through her nose and recognized Haruka's scent of a soft spring wind.

Haruka felt Michiru tremble in her arms and she swore silently at herself for driving the aqua haired woman away. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm sorry if I hurt you Michiru-san. That's the last thing I wanted to do." She urged the horse to go faster as snow crashed into her face. "I've never allowed myself to love anyone and…" she smiled humorlessly. "I couldn't help but fall in love with you the moment I saw you in that teahouse in Gion."

Haruka pulled the stallion to a stop as they reached the small barn. She slid off the horse with her precious cargo and carried the geisha inside. She set Michiru down on the floor in the bedroom and quickly pulled out the futon. She then placed Michiru on the bedding and placed several thick blankets over her. The blonde left for several long minute intervals. Nearly twenty minutes later she returned and closed the door to the room. She walked over to the still shivering geisha and set a bowl of steaming water on the ground. Haruka took a piece of cloth and dipped it in the hot water, wincing slightly as the heat scalded her skinned.

Haruka wrung the cloth out and placed it on Michiru's forehead. The blonde then took smaller strips of cloth and dipped them in the hot water as well. She then carefully placed them on the smaller woman's wrists and neck. For the remainder of the evening and into the night, the ninja stayed awake, keeping a vigilant eye on the other woman.

- - - - -

Michiru groaned and slowly opened her eyes. She turned her head and the blonde warrior sitting near the window, her arms folded over her chest with the sword sticking over her shoulder and her legs folded beneath her. Her head kept drooping forward and occasionally the blonde would jerk it back up.

Michiru's eyes widened. She…she cared for me…for how long? Michiru struggled to move her lead limbs but they failed to obey her. She let out a faint sigh of annoyance and Haruka's head jerked all the way up, her tired eyes open.

"Michiru-san?" Haruka whispered.

"Ha…Haruka-san…" Michiru rasped out, her throat dry.

Haruka rose to her feet and briefly left the room. She returned a few moments later, a bowl of water in her hand. She knelt down next to the futon and carefully helped Michiru sit up. With great care, the blonde tipped the water towards the geisha's mouth and she slowly sipped it, holding back a sigh of relief as the cool water slid down her parched throat.

"I'm glad you're doing better," Haruka said softly.

Michiru nodded and the blonde carefully laid her back down. "Did you…mean what you said? About loving me?"

Be as honest as you can be Haruka. You do love her, there is no denying that. Love her as much as you can before she finds out what you really are, the small voice told the blonde.

"I did," Haruka whispered softly. She was stunned to see tears shimmering in the geisha's eyes. "Are you all right?"

Michiru nodded, blinking the tears out of her eyes. They slid down the corners of her eyes into her hair but she ignored them. "I grew up believing that no one could love a geisha," she whispered.

"You're more than just a geisha. You're a beautiful woman," Haruka whispered.

"Don't you think it wrong for two women to love each other?"

"If two souls love each other, then that love is never wrong." Haruka smiled faintly. "My father told me that and I never really understood what it really meant…until now," she added softly. Michiru smiled and closed her eyes, falling back asleep. Haruka bent over and kissed the woman on the forehead. "I will always protect you Michiru-san. I swear it on my life."

- - - - -

Michiru yawned and sat up. Several days had passed since Haruka had rescued her from the cold. She had slipped in and out of consciousness during those days, but the geisha knew that Haruka was always nearby. It had comforted Michiru to know that. She stretched her limbs and looked around the room. The dawn sun was peeking through the crack in the door, but Michiru took more notice that the blonde was gone. She carefully rose to her feet and shuffled out of the room, placing a thick blanket over her shoulders. She stepped outside and walked around the wood porch that surrounded the house. The ground was covered in fresh, undisturbed snow.

But has its own beauty in the winter, when the snow has just fallen like a soft blanket over the earth. Everything looks clean and pure, like there has never been wars or hunger in the land…

The words Haruka had said sounded in her mind and the geisha smiled, agreeing with her words. She continued walking around the house and stopped when she saw Haruka sitting in the snow. The blonde wasn't moving, just sitting calmly in the snow. Michiru frowned, curious as to what the warrior could be doing when the tall woman rose to her feet. The geisha watched as Haruka began moving in the snow, practicing a kata.

It's almost like a dance, Michiru thought after several moments. She leaned against a post and just watched, a small smile on her face.

- - - - -

Haruka finished her form and straightened, wiping the faint sheen of sweat from her brow. She turned and saw Michiru leaning against a post. Haruka walked back to the house and smiled at the geisha. "I'm glad to see you up and around."

Michiru smiled and nodded. "Thanks to your tender care."

"You cared for me when I was wounded. This was the least I could do." Michiru frowned as she stared behind the blonde. Haruka turned and saw a rider trotting up to the house. Haruka rested a hand on her katana and motioned for Michiru to stay where she was. The blonde walked forward slowly.

The figure halted several feet away and bowed slightly. The tall figure straightened, garnet eyes looking at the blonde. "Have you heard that Lord Akira has died?" the stranger asked.

"I have not," Haruka replied. "How did he die?"

"In his sleep it seems," the stranger answered, smiling faintly.

Haruka returned the smile. "What brings you here my friend?"

"I am on my own mission but knew that you would be at the safe house for the winter." The eyes shifted to the figure near the house. "Who is that?"

"Someone who has lost much," Haruka answered. "She doesn't know anything."

"She?" The sighed. "You can't be thinking of asking her to join. You know our rules."

"I'm not Pluto," Haruka whispered softly, using the stranger's secret name. "But everything she had was ripped away from her in a single day."

Pluto nodded. "Don't get too attached Uranus. She wants everyone back in springtime," she said.

Haruka nodded. "I know. What of Saturn?"

"She is recovering from the wounds she received when I left. The other group has increased their vigilance as a result of what happened."

Haruka nodded. "Will you be staying or moving on?"

"Moving on. Remember what I said. Do not get involved with her if you can help it." Haruka faintly nodded and Pluto returned to her horse and began riding away, knowing from what she had seen in the blonde's eyes she cared for the girl.

Haruka watched her fellow ninja leave and returned to the house. "Who was that?" Michiru asked.

"A miko asking for directions to a nearby village," Haruka answered. "Please excuse me while I change." Michiru nodded and Haruka went inside, the geisha behind her. The blonde walked into a small room and closed the door. She pulled out a clean, heavy set of pants and an equally heavy shirt. She shrugged out of her dirty clothes and set them aside. She changed, stopping to look at the golden blue symbol that was tattooed onto her upper right arm near her shoulder. It was of a circle, an extension rising out of the top of the circle and being joined with two smaller vertical lines by a horizontal line. She fingered the sign of her code name briefly before pulling the gi tops on.

She slid open the door and walked out to the main room. She blinked in slight surprise when Michiru held up a bowl of steaming soup for her. The blonde accepted it with a bow and sat down. She tasted the soup and her eyes widened slightly. "This is delicious," she commented.

Michiru blushed. "It's not that great," she murmured.

"I'd say it's better than my cooking, but that's not saying much," Haruka countered with a grin. Michiru giggled softly, her hand covering her mouth. The blonde smiled, glad that the geisha was feeling better physically and emotionally.

"Haruka-san…can…can I ask something of you?" Michiru asked softly.

"Nani?"

"Can you…will you teach me how to…how to fight?" she whispered.

Haruka stared at the smaller woman. "Why do you want to learn?"

"I don't know…I just…forget I asked," she murmured.

Haruka leaned over and placed a hand on top of Michiru's slender hand. "I will teach you everything that I know if I do teach you. And I am not an easy teacher." Michiru nodded. Haruka, what in the names of the gods are you doing? You know you need permission to teach outsiders! If the others find out… a voice yelled in her mind.

To hell with the others! Haruka snapped at the voice of reason. I won't teach her the secrets that we know. She believes me to be a samurai, so I will teach her what I know as a 'samurai'.

"I won't let you down Haruka-san," Michiru said.

"Don't let yourself down," she corrected. Michiru nodded. Gods what am I doing? Can I really teach this woman how to kill a person? Do I want to? Haruka sighed mentally. Why is life so screwed up? "We'll start tomorrow and take it slow until I'm sure you're completely better."

"Arigatou Haruka-san," Michiru said. The blonde nodded and resumed eating, as did Michiru.

Guide to Japanese:

Demo: But

Ronin: Masterless samurai (sometimes spelled at rorouni)

Kata: A single person going through a martial arts form without contact (ie: practicing moves that flow from one to another)

Miko: Shinto priestess

Nani: What

So? Is is still good? Again, if you catch any errors about what I have, let me know. Also, I'm using the Senshi names from the series as code names and their planet symbols as signs of who they are. It made sense in my mind when I wrote it like that. Please review as I stop rambling.