Chapter 4

Notes: Since the cast is expanding a bit, I'm going to include a character list at the end of the chapter. The list will also be posted on my Tumblr, Crawl's Space (crawlspacefics, tagged Mischief Character List)

The shadow of that brief touch against her lips lingered as Pluto woke in the diaphanous confines of her living space. A sleepy half-grin formed on her lips, and she stretched languidly, sinking into the cloudy softness of her bed.

In the remains of the evening, Kaya's forwardness had faded, but the hazy sunshine in her eyes remained. With it was a warm something neither of them attempted to immediately define. Instead, there had been a few faux-accidental hand brushes as they moved and a bit of reluctance to part when she'd left Kaya at her apartment door. Left she had, though, and for now a dance was still just a dance.

She laughed softly at herself as she rose and went about her morning ablutions. She allowed the obligatory acknowledgement that she didn't really need such an added complication to her task. Though truthfully, when had she ever? Her relationships, romantic or otherwise, always came during random tasks away from the Time Gate. She'd even made a Mercurian chortle once when she described the rush of new attraction as a complication. Certainly if a Mercurian could find the humor in that…

The real question, she decided, was how much to allow herself to indulge in it. Even by human standards, she was on a very short time frame, her greater mission within arms reach. She would bring that up, she thought. Give all the details she'd left out so Kaya understood what was before her, and then follow her lead.

Forgoing her uniform for a bandana patterned halter top and black denim cutoffs, she waved her staff at the mists that encircled her workspace. As the usual blurry images began to play, she sighed through a smirk.

"At least now I know why you won't show me anything," she said with good natured annoyance. "But you know I never overstep, and I'll return when called. Have I ever not? So could you please, just possibly, provide some useful clue for this task you've assigned to me?"

"Where's Hana?!"

The unexpected and very annoyed voice startled her, and she whirled around.

"Her GPA dropped by 1/1000th of a point,"laughed another voice as a new scene played out on the mists. A young brunette tossed a softball from first base to a familiar blonde on the pitcher's mound. "She signed up for another study course."

The blonde hung her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. At that point the scene ended and began to replay on a loop. From an ill-defined distance, Pluto heard The Gate creak open, the crack of a bat hitting a softball filtering through.

She smiled. "Thank you."

On the plastic stool in her bathroom, Kaya let the shower spray wash over her. Beneath the flowery scent of soap and the warm cascade of water, she let the events of the previous night float about freely. Those garnet eyes. There was so much there she could get lost in if she was allowed to. And the softness of her touch. She believed fully she could spend hours just playing their fingers together, tracing each other's features, fingertips laying trails along skin or over lips. That led to Setsuna's smile and how it would shift, showing her moods.

Her mood. What was it exactly?

Melancholy, but just for a little while. Kaya knew that shift had been her fault. Kimiko's call had thrown her off, and she'd overshared by an embarrassing amount. But Setsuna had shared a bit, too, and it had been nice to have a moment with someone who understood, so perhaps she hadn't lost too many points for that. Then at the club, Setsuna had been relaxed and talkative. Surprised at Kaya's forwardness. Maybe not in an entirely good way.

Kaya let out an embarrassed groan, the sound garbled under the water. Pet the squirrel? Really? What are you, 14 years old?

So she lost a few points for that one.

The dance had been really good, though. And those lips had been so soft and warm beneath her fingers. Setsuna hadn't pulled away from any of the little touches after, either, and it really did feel like she was trying to draw out their good-bye. So maybe she hadn't lost too many points and would come out in the positive.

As the last smoky remnants of the club washed down the drain with her soap suds, a plan began to form. Kaya was twisting the water from her hair, the mental tabs for her 'personal' and 'mission' files sharing information in an attempt to find the right balance, when she heard the first ring. She paused, looking entirely confused at this sound that was intruding on her thought process. Her eyes squinted in the direction the sound was coming from as a few more high pitched rings invaded the ordered sanctity of her mind.

The phone. The phone. Oh.

Shaking her head to snap herself out of her thoughts, she closed her mental files after adding in pink and putting a little green clover in the margin to mark her place. She grabbed a towel to wrap around herself and moved forward blindly without her glasses, trying to get to the phone before the machine picked up.

"Good morning," returned Setsuna from the other end. "You were taking so long I was about to worry."

Kaya chuckled. "Naw. You just caught me in the middle of a shower." Then she frowned, her curious look and the way her head tilted just slightly carrying over into her voice. "Wait. You have a phone?"

"At The Gate, no," answered Setsuna with a light laugh. "But I did find a payphone at the sports complex. Can I apologize for missing our morning tea and convince you to come meet me at the softball field?"

"Definitely. And I'm intrigued," returned Kaya, the idea of a new lead perking her up. "Just give me about 45 minutes and I'll be there."

Setsuna sat on the park bench and watched from a discreet distance as the impromptu softball practice began. There were four young women, good friends judging by their banter, each wearing identical flaming sun t-shirts with 'Solar Flares' emblazoned in gold bubble script across the sun's surface. That the orange and yellow of their logo bore a strong resemblance to her missing medallion was not lost on her.

Her ears picked up the soft footsteps behind her just as the players settled on a pitcher. Her companion was attempting stealth, but her hurried pace gave her away too easily. Setsuna grinned as Kaya slid in beside her, a sleuthing smile in place. She dropped a backpack at their feet and lightly bumped Setsuna's shoulder with her own, earning a grin as a reward for her playfulness.

"Okay, so I'm awful at trying to sneak up on people," laughed Kaya as she pulled a tall thermos from her bag. "What'd I miss?"

Watching curiously as Kaya unscrewed the thermos and began to pour warm liquid into the cap cup, Setsuna answered, "Nothing much so far. However, I do recognize two of them. Did you bring your notes?"

Kaya paused in handing the plastic cup to Setsuna and stared at her in astonishment. "I shouldn't give you this tea just for asking that question."

"My apologies," laughed Setsuna. "I don't know what I was thinking." Then her smile softened. "You brought me tea?"

A light blush touched Kaya's cheeks as she shrugged. "It only took a few minutes, and it was easy to let it steep while I got dressed. Oh, and…" She reached into her backpack and produced a small, white paper bag and several napkins. "The bakery had some pastries out when I was going by. Could practically taste the apple cinnamon when I saw them, so I had to stop."

They settled comfortably into their improvised breakfast, and as they shared the cup of tea, Setsuna explained what had happened at The Gate. Helping to illustrate her story, the blonde on the pitcher's mound loudly and with great annoyance asked where Hana was. Her exasperation at her friend's amused answer was obvious.

"Those two," went on Setsuna as Kaya flipped through the colored tabs on her notebook until she got to 'sports.' "I recognize them from the art store. The redhead with her arm in the sling and the blonde on the pitcher's mound. Though given how she's throwing the ball, I don't think she's their regular pitcher."

Kaya giggled and tapped the open page in her notebook. "And you would be correct. Number 18, Hidemura Kaede. She plays infield, senior, art history major. That's all I have on her." She took a bite of braided pastry and chewed around a frown. She didn't like how lacking her notes were, and the source reference indicated the info had come from a recent article in the university paper. She let out an unhappy, "Damn. I must have forgotten to photocopy the article, because there should be a group photo attached to this. You might have keyed in on them sooner if I'd remembered it."

"It's alright," assured Setsuna, letting her hand rest on Kaya's shoulder for a moment. "What else have you got?"

Kaya began with the redhead. "Number three, Ikeda Akane." Her brow creased as she watched her, and she muttered softly to herself, "I know her. Where do I know her from?" Then full recognition dawned. Her eyes widened as her cheeks tinged red. "Oh. Her."

Ignoring the small, amused grin this caused on Setsuna's lips, as well as the question behind it, Kaya cleared her throat and went on at a slightly faster clip, "She's a photographer for the school paper and is part of the photography and journalism clubs. The Solar Flares are a rec league team, so she's probably the reason the university players got the write-up when they won the all-prefectural tournament. And," Kaya smirked, "she's their pitcher."

One of Setsuna's eyebrows quirked up, her interest in the redhead shifting gears. "A bit of bad luck that she injured her pitching arm the way she did."

"Total coincidence, I'm sure," returned Kaya, mimicking the half grin Setsuna wore.

She turned next to the current batter who's brown curls bobbed as she narrowly avoided a wild throw from their stand-in pitcher. Several demur curses left the mouth of Omura Mai, number eight, right before she suggested with great amusement that they really needed to be using a tee because Kaede couldn't pitch straight no matter how much she insisted otherwise.

"First chair violin," explained Kaya as they traded the tea cup. She topped the cup off as she encountered an asterisk in her notes that directed her to 'music.' "Huh. Got the spot unexpectedly when the original first chair had a melt down with the conductor over a series of equipment and instrument failures. Gotta love club newsletter gossip," she added with a chuckle.

Setsuna flashed back briefly on much of that gossip and how it all blurred across the microfiche machine. She shook her head to relieve it of that memory. "So an odd touch of good luck for her. How long ago?"

"Right before the New Year's concert. So about eight months."

Setsuna frowned, her eyes becoming a bit distant and thoughtful. "Has this been going on for that long? But why only alert me now if it has?"

"Maybe The Gate didn't think it was a major concern until the bad luck started?" suggested Kaya as she passed back the cup.

"Perhaps," replied Setsuna, not sounding convinced.

Without a better answer, Kaya turned back to her notes. "Next, I've got our catcher. Number 12, Higashi Chika." The young woman in question was trying to hide a giggle behind her glove as a teasing back and forth started between Mai and Kaede. "Not to stereotype, but she's kind of girly for a catcher. Flower arranging, tea ceremony, got engaged to her boyfriend recently and the garden club had a big do. Though the newsletter gossip column for the stamp collecting club, of which her boyfriend is a member, suggested the groom-to-be is getting cold feet."

"Hard to say with that one," mused Setsuna after swallowing a bit of pastry. "Alandra doesn't directly influence thoughts or actions. She isn't powerful enough, though there are a few outlier stories involving bursts of such ability. However, those are generally viewed as cautionary fairy tales she was inserted into. Her primary mythology is most consistent with situational manipulation."

"I'll add a question mark next to her," suggested Kaya as she scribbled her notations beside Chika's entry. Then she looked up and scanned the field. "I'm missing one, and she was the one I'm most interested in."

"Hana," said Setsuna, remembering the name. "They were quite ill with her for not coming."

"Takahasi Hana," confirmed Kaya as she excitedly flipped through her notebook. "I told you I kept landing on that name. She is everywhere. Captain of the debate team, which went on a nationally recognized tear last year. Vice president of the Young Financiers club, who suddenly seem to be getting a lot of attention from some big name companies. She's consistently on the President's List and has a roster of academic awards as long as my arm. I don't know if I'm suspicious or jealous, because there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything she does and still be a student."

From a distance, Kaede was saying something similar as she again complained about her missing friend, who apparently was their back-up pitcher. Akane laughed at the blonde and her frustration, needling her by throwing a better pitch with her non-dominant arm than Kaede had all morning. Kaede threw her hands up in defeat, finally agreeing to scrounge up a tee while laughing about making them practice an extra hour for making her go get one.

"I have a theory," offered Setsuna after they'd watched the young women find and set up the tee. She wiped the last few crumbs from her mouth and fingers, then took a long sip of tea, not seeming to be in any hurry. Kaya's foot tapped impatiently against the ground as Akane declared being one-handed made her the best batter. Finally, as Kaya was throwing back the last of the tea, and out on the field Mai and Kaede were nearly colliding trying to dive for one of Akane's wobbly hits, Setsuna concluded, "One of them is Venusian."

Kaya choked and sputtered, tea coming up and burning her nose.

Setsuna patted her back as Kaya stared at her through wide, watery eyes. Voice raspy, Kaya choked out, "Venusian like… like you're…"

"No, no," grinned Setsuna. Continuing far too casually in Kaya's opinion, she went on, "In this case, descended from. Technically they'd all have a touch of Venusian in them just from bloodlines mixing over the centuries. However, I believe one of them is still close enough to their original bloodline that the medallion recognized them as such. Though I'm not entirely ready to speculate on which one just yet." She let her hand rest on Kaya's back and rubbed in slow circles. "Are you alright?"

Trying to cough away the tickle still in her throat, Kaya nodded. "So… so that's how they pulled this little mischief maker out?"

"That's my guess," went on Setsuna. "Though they're all likely involved with the theft in some way regardless." She turned from Kaya and continued watching the practice, though her arm stayed on the back of the bench just brushing against Kaya's shoulders.

Without much thought, Kaya moved in a little closer to Setsuna's side. "Then if we find out which one is our Venusian, we find out where the medallion is."

"Or at the very least we find a piece of the solution to putting our little goddess back where she came from." One corner of Setsuna's mouth turned up as she added playfully, "So, Detective Ishida, are you ready to begin narrowing down our leads?"

Kaya giggled, a wide grin on her lips. "I believe I am, Detective Pluto. But I need to go get groceries and run a few other errands first."

Setsuna shot her a teasingly skeptical look. "Groceries? You?"

"What?" shot back Kaya with a laugh. She held up her index finger as she began to count. "First off, frozen waffles are groceries. Second, for some reason I've been going through tea a lot faster lately." She smirked. "And third, I do know how to cook. I just don't really like to and usually have more important or interesting things going on that I don't want to stop for something so mundane."

Setsuna inclined her head. "I concede."

"Anyway," picked up Kaya, resting back against the arm that was relaxed across her shoulders, "I was going to say you don't have to wait for me if you don't want to. Though I think I might have a source that can help us out with Hidemura."

"If you don't mind," began Setsuna, and Kaya wondered if she heard just a bit of uncertainty in her voice, "might I join you? I could pick up a few things to make us dinner, as a small thank you for everything you've done to help. And because I enjoyed last night."

There was a blush of dusty rose in Setsuna's cheeks, and Kaya felt the heat rise in her own. Through a suddenly shy smile, she answered, "I'd like that. A lot."

Kaede hated her job. She hated how it cut ball practices short and that she had to waste time in a small, single-windowed office while her friends were out in the sun shopping and having fun. She hated the quiet of the office that emphasized the monotonous ticking of the old wall clock. She hated the feel of the letter opener against the mail she had to open and file, the fake pleasantries she dispensed when someone called the museum office, and the insincere helpfulness she gave to student researchers. And she absolutely loathed the childish glee Uchida-sensei displayed as he puttered among the displays and reference materials while plotting out how to make his temporary position as director a permanent appointment.

That, she thought, was the crux of her current problem. When she'd first taken the assistant job under Ando-sensei in an attempt to curry some academic good-will for her… questionable grades, it had been a perfect situation. The professor was ancient even by museum studies standards, and he spent most of his time napping at his desk or staring through a magnifier at the minutia of some dusty old thing from storage. Most importantly, he ignored her.

Then last year on a dreary February morning, he had come busting through the door while excitedly waving a tattered old book. He'd found it, he declared. Kaede had no idea what 'it' was or that he'd even been looking for something. Apparently, though, 'it' was going to be taking him on an extended sabbatical beginning immediately, and he probably wasn't going to be back before she graduated.

This presented a very big problem for her, because his replacement paid attention to everything. He knew where she was, what she was doing, didn't take naps, and actually did his job. He'd also changed the keycode to the storage area and didn't keep the new one on a notecard under his blotter.

Kaede sighed dramatically and let her head fall to her folded arms.

The gawdawful hangover she'd had stood out in her memory far better than the actual act itself. At the time, though, through the haze of her high, taking the medallion had seemed like such a harmless idea. They were only borrowing it, after all. Just a little something to help get them out of the rut they'd all found themselves in last fall...

They had all started to feel the frustration of being so close but never quite close enough. It had always come down to one. One dropped ball that led to losing the one game they needed to make the tournament. One test answer away from a perfect score, one bar short of getting first chair, or one 'I love you' too few for a marriage proposal. Even Akane and her damn near perfect eye for photography was coming up short. They needed something, but none of them knew what that something was. So instead of being out in successful pursuit of anything, they were spending a chilly Saturday holed up in the close confines of her converted shed of an apartment, dumping random alcohol bottles into a bucket of consolation.

Akane finished giving the concoction a stir, then dipped a tumbler in it. She threw some back and immediately gagged. Through burning tears, she coughed out, "Oh my god! That is awful! Needs some ice."

Kaede started pulling ice trays out of her freezer. As she passed them to Akane, not bothering to mention this was only going to water it down, she nodded toward the unopened juice bottle on the counter. "Throw that in there, too. It'll help."

Chika complied, unscrewing the bottle and pouring it in an unnecessarily measured fashion while Akane plopped in the ice cubes.

"Hey," interjected Mai as she motioned for Hana.

Knowing what Mai wanted, Hana grabbed her backpack and pulled on the embroidered education charm hanging from the keypull so she could retrieve the item they had stashed in it. She tossed the small baggie to her, and Mai grinned.

Holding up her joint stash, Mai giggled, "Courtesy the brass section. Those guys are wild!"

Kaede rolled her eyes. "Just make sure you point the fan in the right direction out the window." She grabbed a tumbler of hunch-punch and passed another over to Hana. "This is the only place that would let me keep a kiln. I'm not getting kicked out for a discount high."

Mai made a derisive sound, not at all concerned.

Akane started rummaging around Kaede's craft table looking for one of the lighters she knew was there. She found one at the same time she got a good look at the book opened up on the table. The colored illustration of a sun with a weirdly shaped fox chasing its tail took up most of the page and bore a close resemblance to their team logo. "What's that," she asked as she flicked the lighter on for Mai.

"Something that came up in one of my classes last week," answered Kaede. She opened the window wider as the first joint was passed around. "Some sun god or another. The medallion is supposed to be good luck. Thought I'd copy it to make some little talismans for us. See if it helps get us over the hump."

Mai snickered. "Hana's rubbing off on you."

Kaede stuck her tongue out at her just as Hana started making grabby hands at the book, the charm addict wanting it to sate her curiosity. Kaede traded it for the second lit joint, not entirely sure she should be mixing it with the alcohol but damned if she was going to be left out in her own apartment.

The conversation got away from her pretty quickly after that, lost as she was in the tilted haze her world had become. Akane was laughing about something, and Chika was turning bright red. Mai bumped her shoulder to Chika's and offered the last puff on her joint as an apology. Then Hana, who had somehow been able to focus on her book while also emptying two tumblers of hooch and wading through a dense contact high, began waving the open book at them.

Pointing excitedly to the picture of the medallion, Hana exclaimed, "Guys, look!"

All four of them squinted in varying degrees of inebriation, though Mai gave up pretty quickly and left it to the others to figure out. Just as Hana gleefully explained that the medallion was stored at the university, Kaede realized it was the text her friend was pointing to and not the picture.

Eyes suddenly on her, Kaede blinked. "What?"

Voice slightly slurred, Hana spoke at a quick clip that Kaede was having a hard time keeping up with. "This!" she reiterated by rapidly tapping the page, her finger creating a visual trail as it moved. "It's a good luck sun! Just like us! A sun! And it's here, Kaede!"

"Where you work," clarified Mai when it became obvious Hana's loud rambling wasn't making sense to Kaede.

"And have the storage keycode," added Akane around a wide grin and a slow drag.

"Oh," returned Kaede. Then her eyes widened in realization of what Hana was suggesting. "Oh! Oh, hell no! We'll be expelled."

"Only if we get caught," chuckled Akane.

"No, Kaede's right," inserted Chika, her mostly sober tone sounding almost flat to Kaede's ears. But at least someone was agreeing with her.

"Aw, come on," returned Hana, her expression becoming crestfallen. "This says it's been in storage for ages. No one will notice if we just borrow it for awhile."

"You are the one who said we needed a new lucky something," added Akane, quite happy to goad this idea on. "Oh, fearless leader."

Kaede scooped up another tumbler of hooch and swirled the half melted ice around as she tried to think. It really had called to her as a perfect little thing for them, right from the first time she'd seen the picture. And it wasn't like Ando-sensei paid any attention to things. If the medallion had just been sitting there for so long without his magnifiers finding it… She licked her lips, her initial reservations melting away under a fuzzy lack of inhibitions and the eager gaze of her teammates.

She threw back half her glass in one gulp, coughing as her chest burned. "Okay," she said hoarsely. "Let's do this. For the team."

Chika looked horrified in direct contrast to the way Hana clapped her hands in childish joy.

"So what exactly are we doing?" asked Mai, an unusual gleam in her eyes.

"The book has instructions," offered Hana, her dilated pupils shining with excitement. "There's some kind of ceremony. And offerings under a full moon."

"What the hell does a full moon have to do with a sun god?" asked Akane as she snagged the book from Hana in what Kaede thought was a remarkable show of coordination. Akane flipped through some of the pages, at which point Kaede realized the coordination was only surface level because those green eyes weren't focusing at all.

She squinted at Chika, the young woman holding a mostly full tumbler of hooch in a way that said 'only holds a glass to fit in.' Yep. Chika. Kaede, as team leader, made an important decision. Placing her hand solemnly on Chika's shoulder, she looked her mostly in the eye and announced, "You. Grab that and get all the number majiggies so we can find it. From the back thingy."

Chika cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "The bibliography?"

"Yes, that!" exclaimed Kaede as she clapped Chika's shoulder proudly. Then she lightly poked at Chika's eye, ignoring the way she tried to swat her away. "And your eyeballs get to be our look-out cause I think they're the only good ones right now."

Akane held out the book and dangled it back and forth in front of Chika.

With a huge sigh, Chika grabbed it. "Why are any of you my friends?" she mumbled dramatically.

They gathered what they thought would be the needed supplies based off Hana's description of 'offerings' - a couple of empty soda bottles refilled with hunch-punch, a candy bar and some spare coins, the last remaining joint and a lighter. With reference numbers scribbled down and the book safely in Hana's backpack, they made it to the museum office in relatively decent time after only a minor snag involving the garden gate and some loose stones on the side of the main house. But Chika was a decent seamstress, so her blouse would be fine.

The sun was just starting to set as Kaede fiddled with her keys, her tongue poking from the side of her mouth and hair falling in her eyes as she tried to get the office door open. It was Akane who rescued her with a hair tie, and between the two of them, they got the door open without setting off the alarm.

Mai scribbled down the location number Kaede read out from the item registry as the other girls fumbled with their flashlights looking for a step ladder. Kaede was too focused on trying to see the numbers on the entry keypad through the dim yellow backlight of the buttons to tell them they didn't need to because there was a ladder built into the shelves. Over the little beep of each number she pushed, she could hear Chika's school teacher voice trying to wrangle them and shush their excessively loud whispering.

Once they got everyone into the storage area, the small metal box was easy to find. Almost 30 years, she mused, and not a single person had ever shown any interest in it. They were actually doing a good thing by taking it, her muddled brain reasoned. Bringing this piece of forgotten art back out into the world. Also because Chika really needed to get this engagement so she'd loosen up a little. Kaede grinned to herself, quite proud of her selfless logic.

Akane shoved past her as she was doing all that contemplating and had shimmied up the ladder before Kaede had time to get indignant. She heard the clasps on the box snap open and looked up just in time to see Akane lift the medallion from its velvety bed. "Heads up," called the redhead right before dropping it down to Kaede.

Chika pushed her unceremoniously out of the way and caught it, not caring at all how Kaede wound up on her backside on the concrete floor.

Kaede glared at her as the others giggled.

Hana patted Chika's cheek gently. "Don't frown so much," she laughed. "It's good luck. It'll be fine."

Not at all appeased, Chika tucked it into the backpack after wrapping it in a towel for padding.

Kaede picked herself up off the floor before Akane's sneaker could land on one of her hands, then snagged the backpack from Chika. She made sure as best she could that the empty metal box was back in its place, along with anything else they may have disturbed. Then they all hustled out of there.

They were running by the time they got to the park. Kaede's heart was beating so fast she thought it was going to explode in her chest.

"Oh my god!" cried Mai in grand amusement as she dropped limply onto a bench. "I can't believe we actually got away with that!"

"I swear you'll all be the death of me," laughed Chika as she dropped down onto the bench beside Mai. "But darn if I don't have to admit Hana was right. What a rush even if I do hate all of you right now."

"Okay, okay, now what?" asked Kaede as she leaned on Akane. She looked up at the moon, shielding her eyes as if its light were too bright for her. "Can we just call that full enough? Who's my ceremony guru?"

Akane tapped a finger against Kaede's forehead while giving her a lopsided grin...

Much like she had that night back in November, Kaede let out a groan. Except this time it was into the empty confines of the office rather than into the vastness of the clear night sky. She wound up abbreviating the unhappy sound, though, lifting one eye to make sure Uchida-sensei hadn't been alerted to her distress. When his office door didn't come flying open, she went back to wallowing in her own misery.

She wasn't entirely sure how they'd come to the conclusion that the sports complex was a good place for their small bonfire, but that was where they had wound up. Never mind that the fire in and of itself was a bad idea. The ritual instructions Hana had so happily said were in the book were nothing more than a few theoretical and overly broad statements that didn't really explain anything. So, calling on the knowledge from the fantasy novels she'd read in her middle school years, Kaede made up as dramatic a ceremony as she could, all of them taking turns to ask for luck in their specific endeavors. As offerings, they'd placed the items they'd brought on the ground around the fire while keeping one of the bottles of hooch and the last joint for themselves. Then they'd plopped down on the ground, bundled up together, and laughed.

Her last memory of that night was how pretty the orange flames of the fire were. It was like they were dancing, and something in the way they moved seemed as though it was laughing along with them. She remembered the motion making her sleepy, and how Akane's fingers loosely twisted a lock of her hair as her eyes closed. The next thing she knew, the sun was coming up as Mai's foot landed in her ribcage causing her head to jerk up from where it had been resting on Akane's shoulder while they all slept.

They'd moved quickly in spite of the hang-overs, and they'd spent the majority of the day sleeping it off at her apartment. That really should have been the end of their little adventure. But then Hana had looked at her with those big, brown puppy-dog eyes while asking if they could keep it for just a little while longer, just until the end of the month. She would have taken it back the next day if not for that. Instead, she'd relented, because what was a few weeks in the grand scheme of things? It would go by quickly and everyone would be happier for it.

Then… things had started to happen. It was all coincidence, of course, but that damn medallion had started to feel like a real good luck charm. So they'd kept it a little longer, wrapped in a pillow case shoved as far back in her closet as she could get it. At first, they'd pull it out from time to time because Hana insisted on treating it kindly by giving it the occasional trinket. The sun emblem was fully adopted into their logo and began finding its way onto the craft items they sold at random events to raise money for team equipment. Chika had even copied the odd little fox head onto patches for their uniform sleeves. Things had been going really well. So much so that they'd almost forgotten how the medallion came into their possession to begin with.

Right up until the absolute panic Ando-sensei's abrupt departure had caused. In that panic, she'd waited too long to put it back. She could still feel the sinking feeling in her stomach and the shaking in her fingers as she'd repeatedly punched in the defunct keycode, absolutely certain she was going to throw up as the keypad flashed an angry red at her. Then she'd panicked again when Akane asked her how it went, and she'd assured her friend that the medallion was back in its proper place. No problems at all. Most of the attention had shifted to Hana's disappointment at losing her favorite charm, but the suspicious side-eye that Akane had shot her wasn't missed.

Now the stupid thing was wrapped up and hidden beneath a floorboard in her closet with several layers of junk on top of it. Her plan was to just dump it in a wooded area somewhere, but there never seemed to be a good time to do it. And the longer she waited, the harder it was becoming.

She let out another sigh, banging her head against her folded arms and muttering 'why me' each time it landed.

"Now, now, none of that," intoned Uchida-sensei as he appeared abruptly, his voice a mixture of stern and amused.

Kaede sat up quickly, the veil of a proper young lady quickly falling into place. "Of course, sensei."

He chuckled, then tapped his fancy black and gold pen against the thick stack of papers attached to his clipboard. "Since you look bored here, why don't you come with me. I need to collect some information from the archives so I can prepare for next semester's class. Perhaps this early look will help your grade a bit."

She offered him a bright, grateful smile while internally rolling her eyes. Sweet Jesus she needed to get rid of that medallion so she could graduate and leave every bit of this place behind her.

They'd had some silly fun grocery shopping, but after getting back to the apartment things had taken a pretty hard turn toward the serious.

Kaya sighed as she stood in her living room. Arms crossed loosely over her chest and a Kirin bottle dangling from her hand, she stared blankly out the balcony screen door. When the two of them had been browsing through the market, teasing each other about what the actual definitions of 'cook' and 'groceries' were, Setsuna had casually dropped that she wanted to fill in some details about her mission over dinner. Apparently their definitions of 'over dinner' were also different, because Setsuna had started talking about the end of the world at the same time Kaya had started peeling potatoes. She'd almost taken the skin off her finger in a moment of shock, because these details were not the ones she'd been expecting.

Now in her quasi-isolation, she could hear Setsuna still puttering around in the kitchen. A pan was moved onto the cooktop followed by the whoosh of the burner lighting, and in Kaya's mind, snippets of their conversation replayed.

"When the others awaken, a powerful and destructive force will follow them. It's my responsibility to contain it and make certain it never awakens again."

"It's so close. I can't put my finger on an exact time yet, but I'm certain it's begun. And I have to be at The Gate so I know when to act."

"My place has always been at The Gate, to watch over and guard the time stream. I've taken the occasional liberty and am generally forgiven. However, barring missions that require my temporary attention, The Gate is where I must always be. I'm proud to serve as I do, but I also don't have any choice in it.''

Kaya turned the words over again in her head, and again she translated them all down to 'I'm a willing prisoner to my duty, which I perform without question. What I want doesn't matter, and I can't be here in any way after we catch the squirrel.'

She took a gulp from her bottle, feeling her frown without needing to see it. As unexpected and unpleasant as it was, these were details she needed whether she wanted them or not. Because Kaya could see the road she was on and the edge it led to.

In the kitchen, oil sizzled as vegetables were added to a pan. All of her mental files felt as chopped and tossed as those vegetables, the tabs mixed up and the colors becoming an unintelligible mess.

"Do you listen in the daylight?" she asked quietly, not entirely realizing it was out loud. She wondered where the moon was at this time of the day. "I'm not sure what I think of you yet. I don't even know who or what you actually are - her Goddess, her Queen, some random source of magic? Magic," she muttered, shaking her head at herself for saying such a thing seriously. It was a real thing in her world now, though, and the sharpness of her gaze turned back to the sky. "Whatever you are, I do know she has an immutable belief in you and the path you've put her on. I don't have either the right or the knowledge to question that. However, I will say that you better damn well not betray that. Not when she's given up her entire life to you."

She took another long draw off her bottle, then sighed. Her eyes closed for just a moment as she gathered and repaired her internal files. A mental finger landed on the pink tab with the little green clover. At least this one was only a rough draft. As she plugged in bullet points for the new details, her patchwork plan shifted, taking on a slightly new form. When she opened her eyes again, she grinned.

Whispering to the sky, Kaya spoke to whatever force she found herself reluctantly adopting. "I think I'll take on part of her philosophy for now. Destiny, I guess I'll call it. So even if it's just for a little while, thank you for dropping her into my life."

After several deep breaths, she looked back over her shoulder into the kitchen. From the opposite side of the breakfast counter, Setsuna glanced up from the cooktop and smiled softly. Kaya returned it, then started moving in that direction. She set her beer bottle on the counter beside Setsuna's and waited for a comfortable pause in the cooking so they could face each other.

Setting her utensils aside, Setsuna leaned back against the counter and loosely crossed her arms. Her eyebrows rose in question at the way intent and nervousness swirled in Kaya's bearing. "Everything okay? You seemed quite focused on your thoughts."

"They were important thoughts." Then, biting on her bottom lip, Kaya took a step forward. She reached up and ran a finger along Setsuna's bangs, then traced lightly down her cheek. "I can't control every aspect of my life or mold it into exactly what I want it to be. In spite of how it may seem, I do know that. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to live my life the way I want or ignore the moments I'm given, no matter how brief they may be."

She moved one more step closer so their legs touched and they were just a breath away from each other. Setsuna's hands fell to rest on Kaya's hips to hold her lightly in place, and Kaya hoped she couldn't tell just how nervously fast her heart was beating. She swallowed hard, then went on, "Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like I'm going to have time to plan out a smooth and witty seduction, so I'm just going to jump in. I don't think I've been subtle about my interest, and I'm pretty sure you've got some, too. To me, you are fascinating, and beautiful, and more than just a casual curiosity. I like being with you, and I want time with you that isn't about your mission. I want the chance to learn more about you. I want to know what it feels like to run my fingers through your hair, what your lips feel like against mine, to hear your voice in a whisper in the middle of the night, and to just be with you for however long I'm allowed to have. So I have to ask more directly than some of my romantic notions want me to. What do you want, Setsuna?"

Setsuna's smile widened, and the backs of her fingers came up to brush over Kaya's blushing cheek. Then those fingers moved to the back of Kaya's neck, gently pulling her in until their lips touched. It was soft and easy, their lips parting just enough to taste a tease of breath, the action the beginnings of an answer. When they pulled back, Kaya marveled at the moonlight shine in the gemstones that were Setsuna's eyes. Her voice low, Setsuna returned, "I would like all of that very much. Along with the chance to learn some of those same things about you."

Kaya's cheeks grew brighter as she ducked her eyes and released a shaky, nervous breath. "Okay then. Better not let your vegetables burn, though. Especially since you're trying to prove you're the better cook."

Reaching forward and placing her fingers under Kaya's chin, Setsuna gently tilted her gaze back up and smirked. "I am the better cook." She placed one more quick kiss on Kaya's lips, then moved away to finish dinner.

.

Warm air and the sound of street traffic drifted in through the open windows, mingling with the low volume of the tv. Setsuna stretched out on the couch, lounging comfortably with Kaya's petite frame cuddled in on top of her. The faint scent of dish soap lingered as Kaya's fingers traced lazy circles along her arm.

Setsuna had almost forgotten what it felt like, those little touches that reminded you of the partner beside you. Things like the playful brush of an arm as they washed the dishes or a hand against the small of her back as a thank you when she reached to place a dish in the cabinet. The way fingers gently twined in curiosity and how that could so easily become more demanding.

"This is my favorite episode," whispered Kaya as her lips brushed against Setsuna's neck. The focus of her fingers moved slowly from Setsuna's arm to trace along the edge of her halter top and the curve of her breast. "Izumi owned it in that dress. And I still think they get together at the end of the episode."

Setsuna didn't even pretend to pay attention to what was happening to Detective Zima on the tv. Her eyes closed, she murmured out an affirmative, then a little hum of pleasure. In the background, the detective's fingers traced a curtain hem to find a hidden door as hers tickled at Kaya's waist, slowly tugging the t-shirt from her shorts. As the hidden door was teased open, Setsuna slid a hand under the thin fabric of the t-shirt to draw random shapes against Kaya's back, enjoying the little ticklish giggles this elicited.

Kaya propped herself up on her elbows so she was looking down at Setsuna. Their lips met, kisses lingering with a teasing nip of teeth or the languid play of tongues as the exploration deepened. Kaya's hand moved beneath the fabric covering Setsuna's breast, gently kneading the soft warmth beneath her palm, teasing the nipple as it hardened. This earned her a low moan.

As she leaned in close to Setsuna's ear, there was a wide grin in Kaya's voice. "You can stay tonight if you want. I'll lend you a shirt."

Setsuna cracked an eye open and returned Kaya's saucy grin with a playful smile of her own. Her fingers trailed up Kaya's spine, stopping to play along the band of her bra for a moment before popping the two hooks. "I suppose I could," she returned, her leg shifting to press more firmly between Kaya's.

Kaya bit her bottom lip, a little hiss escaping. Her eyes darkened, and she sat up. Holding Setsuna's gaze, she pulled her t-shirt over her head, then dropped it to the floor to mix in with stellar theory and the Byzantine empire. She slid her bra slowly down her arms, amused at the crooked grin on Setsuna's lips. The bra joined her shirt on the floor, but before Setsuna could do more than run the backs of her fingers along one of those delicate curves, Kaya was standing and holding a hand out to her.

"Come on," she said as Setsuna's fingers wrapped into hers. "There's this beautiful little planet I want to spend tonight studying."

Cheeks warming to a dusty pink, Setsuna let Kaya tug her up, then followed her into the bedroom.

A Bit of Mischief - Character List

Key Players

* Ishida Kaya - (Ami's mom) Pre-med, member of the mystery club, fanzine addict, and entirely taken with a certain Time Guardian

* Hidemura Kaede - (Minako's mom) Softball captain, art history major, more interested in her rec league ball teams than her classes, and the catalyst for Pluto's current problems

Softball Team

* Ikeda Akane - Redheaded pitcher and regular at Nyoteric, Kaede's closest friend, photographer and journalism major

* Takahashi Hana - overachiever in the group academically, has a love for charms

* Higashi Chika - team's catcher, education major, she's probably the most down to earth in the group, fiance is in the stamp club

* Omura Mai - 1st chair violin, plays outfield, personality within friend group is significantly different than what she projects to everyone else (she likes trouble)

Art History Department

* Mizuno Suoh - (Ami's dad) Doing work study at the library, Kaya's zine dealer and manga buddy

* Ando-sensei - The professor that hired Kaede, very old and lackadaisical, found something and ran off on extended sabbatical causing Kaede's current problems

* Uchida-sensei - Interim head of the department, Kaede can't get anything by him because he pays attention to everything