7:00 AM local time, September 12, 2016
Unfamiliar ceiling.
It was an unfamiliar bed, as well. But her bed-mate was very familiar to her. She nudged her girlfriend. "Are you awake?"
"Errrr... I am now. What's wrong?"
"We're not at home."
Her girlfriend sat up quickly and took a look around. "Why are we in a hotel room?"
"Do you think that some new enemy has abducted us, Haruka?"
"No, if we were prisoners, our transformation wands wouldn't be on the table over there, along with what looks like your violin case."
They both got out of bed, She walked over to the table, and relaxed somewhat when she saw that the violin case was labelled "海王みちる". She relaxed even more after she opened the case to reveal her Stradivarius violin, her favourite bow, and her usual brand of bow rosin. Then she tensed up again when she noticed the envelope between their transformation wands and Haruka's car keys. It was addressed to Haruka Ten'oh and Michiru Kaioh... but it was in English. "You need to see this."
"And you need to see this," Haruka said as she picked up a piece of paper near the room's door. "We're in a Super 8 hotel."
"Is that bad?"
"There aren't any Super 8 hotels in Japan. And there isn't any place named Cornwall in Japan, either. And how am I reading this so easily? It's in English."
"Are we in England, then? That's the only Cornwall that I know of."
Haruka double-checked the hotel receipt. "No, this says Cornwall, Ontario, Canada."
"Intriguing. Well, if we're in Canada, we should do as the Canadians do, shouldn't we? Wash up now; this letter can wait." Michiru walked over to Haruka, and the two of them continued to the washroom.
An hour later, both women had showered and were dressed, wearing their own clothes from their suitcases that they discovered in the room's closet. They had opened the curtains to discover they were in a second-floor room, overlooking a parking lot that held a few dozen cars including Haruka's convertible.
"If this letter is trustworthy, we're in a different reality."
Haruka looked up from reading the other document that was in the same envelope: an International Driving Permit with her name on it. "And if this is authentic, it's not 1994 any more. It's 2016."
"The letter mentions that as well. 'Ere', whoever that is, also apologized for not leaving us in Ottawa with the other Sailor Senshi. Apparently there was no place available to park your car. He or she suggests that we use this fuel card," Michiru pulled what looked like a credit-card with a Petro-Canada logo from from the envelope, "to pay for a tank of gas, drive to Ottawa, and meet with the others."
"I don't like being told what to do."
"You always get into trouble when you ignore what you've been told, you know that. Are we even able to do something else?"
"That depends. My wallet's filled with cash right now. What about yours?"
"The same, as always. But how long will that last us?" Michiru asked. "We don't know how much food, fuel, and lodging cost in Canada."
Haruka grinned. "At the least, we won't be doing what we've been ordered to do."
"Despite the fact that that means we won't see Usagi-san and the girls for a while? From what the note said, they'll worry about us."
"Do you remember that mess Ami-san mentioned about the Dead Moon Circus? The youngsters don't need us to hold their hands."
"And what about Setsuna and Hotaru?"
"Considering what we did when we pretended to side with Galaxia, they might not want to see us right away."
Michiru sighed deeply, then said, "You have a point. It would probably be best if we were to make ourselves scarce for a while. Where should we go, then?"
"Whoever paid for this room also paid for breakfast for both of us. Let's start with the hotel restaurant."
Highway 401, between Cornwall and Kingston
9:49 AM
"Was there anything else important in that letter?" Haruka asked while passing an 18-wheeler.
"Just a contact name and address. Somebody named Rob Donaldson."
"But no phone number?"
"I don't see one."
"Then it would be rude to drop in unannounced, wouldn't it?" Haruka said with a grin.
"I suppose that doing so would be impolite," Michiru said quietly.
They reached the interchange with Highway 416 to Ottawa, and kept on going on the 401.
Kingston, Ontario
12:47 PM
"Good thing we thought to convert our cash to the local currency before we tried to buy lunch," Haruka said.
"True," Michiru replied. "I doubt that a Vietnamese restaurant in Canada would have accepted Japanese money."
"It's good food. Good thing you spotted this place from the road."
"To be honest, I was looking for a restaurant that sold something other than hamburgers or finger foods. They serve an excellent pho here."
"Well, there was also that sandwich place next door," Haruka teased.
Michiru shook her head. "Considering what kind of day it's been so far, I feel hesitant to try anything with the word 'Pit' in its name."
Haruka nodded as she finished her soup. "That was probably the right call."
A few minutes later Michiru had also finished and they had paid their bill. Once they were out of the restaurant, they couldn't help but notice a truck towing a car-carrier parked in one of the longer parking spaces. Whatever car was on the carrier was covered with a tarp.
"Do you mind...?" Haruka asked.
"Of course we can take a closer look," Michiru replied.
"As long as you don't touch anything," a female voice said from behind them. They turned to see two black-haired men and one redheaded woman, each carrying a "Pita Pit" bag and a drink.
"We need to double-check all of the tie-downs anyway, Bonnie," one of the men said as he started doing just that. "What's the harm in letting them see the car?"
"It's not like there's anything to see, Hank," the other man said. "She still looks like a stock Mazda 5. It's everything that Bonnie's done under the hood that makes the difference."
Haruka grinned. "Are you coming from a stock race, or heading to one?"
"Coming from a race near Toronto," Bonnie replied. "But we're detouring instead of going straight home to Kemptville. Hank's rented out the Calabogie Motorsports Park for all day tomorrow, and Bill's going to test-drive my new engine tweaks."
Before Haruka could say anything, Michiru said, "I don't believe we've ever been to that track. I'm curious as to what it's like."
"So am I, and for professional reasons. I've done some race driving in the past. I'm Haruka Ten'oh, happy to meet you."
Bonnie grinned. "What, like the character from that Sailor Moon cartoon when I was a kid? Oh, but you probably hear that as often I hear jokes about Knight Rider. My name's Bonnie Barstow, and I hate my parents for giving it to me."
"The coincidences are amazing, aren't they? I'm Michiru Kaioh."
"You have got to be bullshitting us," Hank said. "Both of you, with the same names as cartoon characters?"
Bill added, "Next you'll be telling us you're a violinist, Ms. Kaioh."
"My Stradivarius is in Haruka's car's trunk."
"So your names pushed you into your careers, too?" Bonnie asked. "Small world."
"I still don't believe it," Hank said, "but I'm willing to accept it for now. I'm Henry Cooper, the guy with the lottery winnings in a bank account that these two automotive geniuses keep draining. Everybody calls me Hank. You've probably figured out that Bonnie's our little team's engine specialist. Bill Jones is our wiring guy and the best driver out of the three of us."
Haruka and Michiru traded a Significant Look. Then Haruka asked, "I don't suppose you'd be interested in hiring a professional driver? Michiru and I can relocate immediately."
"It isn't as if we have anything else to do," Michiru replied.
"I don't mind," Bill said.
"It'll be nice not being the only person I know with a so-called fictional name," Bonnie added.
Hank thought for a minute. "As long as we're going to be on the track anyway, we might as well give you a chance. Your tryout will be at Calabogie tomorrow. 8 AM sharp. See you there." And the three of them got into their truck.
"How do we get to Calabogie from here?" Michiru asked Haruka.
"That's what maps are here to tell us."
Calabogie, Ontario
7:32 AM, September 13, 2016
"Oh, good, you're early," Bonnie said as she closed the Mazda's hood and Haruka and Michiru got out of their own car. "Hank and Bill are still eating their breakfasts. Do you want to grab a golf cart and do a familiarization lap while you're waiting?"
Haruka nodded. "That's why we're early. And I think a slow-speed lap is a good idea considering that this is all rolling terrain."
Bonnie grinned as she replied, "I doubt there's a level stretch worth mentioning anywhere on the track. Let's go, as soon as I tell Hank." As she pulled out her cellphone, Haruka walked over to the golf carts and chose one with a full tank of gas.
"I'm surprised these aren't electric," Michiru said.
"This isn't level ground. An electric motor small enough to fit in one of these would have trouble with the gradients, unless the state of the art in 2016 is better than what it was in 1994."
They both got into the cart and Haruka started it up, just listening to the engine for a few seconds. "Sounds like it could use a tune-up," she commented.
"It belongs to the speedway," Bonnie said as she hopped into the cart's back seat. "There's nothing I can do about it. Let's go." As Haruka pulled up to the edge of the pit area, Bonnie said, "The other way."
"Oh, right. I'm used to Japan; thanks for reminding me that laps are run in the other direction in North America."
Neither Haruka nor Michiru saw the look of puzzlement on Bonnie's face at that statement.
They started the familiarization lap. "This is one of the most challenging tracks in eastern Ontario," Bonnie said, "what with all the gradients. Some of the sight lines are shorter than a lot of drivers are comfortable with."
"So it's only good drivers who race here?"
Bonnie laughed. "You could put it that way, Haruka."
They were six minutes into the lap, and out of sight of the pits, when Michiru gasped.
Haruka stopped the cart. "What's wrong?"
"The seas are suddenly troubled."
Bonnie sighed. "First you colour your hair green, now you're making cryptic comments. I think you identify a little too closely with that cartoon character you're named after, Michiru... Hey, where are you going?"
Michiru got out of the golf cart and looked around.
Haruka followed her out. "Stay here, Bonnie." Then she turned to her girlfriend. "Where?"
Michiru pointed as she said, "There, there, and there. Not completely human. They mean us harm. They obviously picked this place to attack us because nobody can see us."
As the three enemies ran at them from out of the surrounding woods, Haruka said, "Uranus Planet Power, Make Up!"
"Nobody but Bonnie can see us," Michiru clarified with a sigh. "Too late now. Neptune Planet Power, Make Up!"
The smallest of their enemies was at least seven feet tall, with muscles on his muscles and a small tree in one hand. The other two were a half-foot taller and similarly armed. None of therm were the kind of person you'd take home to meet your parents, unless you wanted them to have heart attacks from seeing their sheer ugliness. They were wearing leather jackets, slacks, and boots... although Haruka had an impression that what they wanted to wear was a lot more primitive.
The smaller opponent threw his tree at Uranus, who dodged it easily.
"I was beginning to think everybody here knew who we were. I guess not. World Shaking!" And then the senshi were facing an equal number of opponents.
"Deep Submerge!" Neptune attacked as one of the others threw its improvised weapon at her, destroying both the tree and the enemy easily.
The last remaining opponent was smarter than the others; he turned tail and ran. But Uranus and Neptune ran faster, Uranus tackling him to the ground.
"Why did you attack us?!"
"Hey, we were only out hunting! Gotta feed our families!"
"You... eat... people? We can't let you live. Space Sword Blaster!" And there were no more opponents.
Neptune sighed as she transformed back to Michiru. "If you had let him live, we could have found out where his family was."
"I was too angry to do anything more than deal with the immediate threat. I guess we need a reason to stick around and search for those... yokai's... kin. 'Not completely human,' you said, but human enough to understand. So I need to get this job so we can stay in the area and investigate. I'll go move that tree and pick up the familiarization lap where we left off."
"And I'll go talk to Bonnie."
By the time Michiru transformed back and got back to the golf cart, Bonnie was leaning on her knees and breathing deeply. "You... they... you... I guess you aren't like me after all."
"I'm sorry, Bonnie. No, we aren't named after the characters you mentioned. We are them. And it appears that we aren't the only people who've been transferred to your world. Can you keep this secret from the others?"
Bonnie nodded. "What would I tell them? Hank already doesn't believe it and he thinks it's a coincidence. And what can I tell him about what just happened?"
"There was a tree on the track and we had to clear it away," Haruka said, no longer in uniform, while walking over to the other two women. "That has the advantage of being true; it just isn't the whole truth. I'm sorry that you had to see that, Bonnie, but we had no choice. They attacked us."
"Who were they? And did I hear the last one correctly?"
Haruka replied, "I don't know, and he said they wanted to kill and eat us. We have a name for that sort of monster in Japan: oni."
"Although those weren't classical oni," Michiru said. "But, believe me, this world is much better off without any oni in it at all."
"You know," Bonnie said quietly, "I've got a separate one-bedroom apartment attached to my house in Kemptville. I used to rent it out back when there was still a college in town. I'd feel a lot safer knowing the two of you live there."
"I think we can accept your hospitality," Michiru replied with a smile.
"Until we find their lair, at least," Haruka added. "After that, you won't need a bodyguard. But, right now, let's get back to making sure we have a reason to stay in this part of the world."
They got back into the golf cart and finished the lap.
At the end of the day, Hank welcomed Haruka into the team and they all went out to celebrate. Not at a bar — none of them liked getting drunk — but at a good restaurant in Kemptville.
Then Bonnie took Haruka and Michiru to her place. Their discussion lasted all night.
Kemptville, Ontario
8:45 AM, September 14, 2016
"So this is our new home," Haruka said, looking around the empty living room.
"It's cozy, but it lacks a certain something," Michiru added.
"I'll bet that that certain something is furniture," Bonnie said with a grin. "Let's go see what we can buy at the Wallymart. I've got the truck all day, so we don't need to wait for anything to be delivered."
Unfamiliar ceiling.
It was an unfamiliar bed, as well. But her bed-mate was very familiar to her. She nudged her girlfriend. "Are you awake?"
"Errrr... I am now. What's wrong?"
"We're not at home."
Her girlfriend sat up quickly and took a look around. "Why are we in a hotel room?"
"Do you think that some new enemy has abducted us, Haruka?"
"No, if we were prisoners, our transformation wands wouldn't be on the table over there, along with what looks like your violin case."
They both got out of bed, She walked over to the table, and relaxed somewhat when she saw that the violin case was labelled "海王みちる". She relaxed even more after she opened the case to reveal her Stradivarius violin, her favourite bow, and her usual brand of bow rosin. Then she tensed up again when she noticed the envelope between their transformation wands and Haruka's car keys. It was addressed to Haruka Ten'oh and Michiru Kaioh... but it was in English. "You need to see this."
"And you need to see this," Haruka said as she picked up a piece of paper near the room's door. "We're in a Super 8 hotel."
"Is that bad?"
"There aren't any Super 8 hotels in Japan. And there isn't any place named Cornwall in Japan, either. And how am I reading this so easily? It's in English."
"Are we in England, then? That's the only Cornwall that I know of."
Haruka double-checked the hotel receipt. "No, this says Cornwall, Ontario, Canada."
"Intriguing. Well, if we're in Canada, we should do as the Canadians do, shouldn't we? Wash up now; this letter can wait." Michiru walked over to Haruka, and the two of them continued to the washroom.
An hour later, both women had showered and were dressed, wearing their own clothes from their suitcases that they discovered in the room's closet. They had opened the curtains to discover they were in a second-floor room, overlooking a parking lot that held a few dozen cars including Haruka's convertible.
"If this letter is trustworthy, we're in a different reality."
Haruka looked up from reading the other document that was in the same envelope: an International Driving Permit with her name on it. "And if this is authentic, it's not 1994 any more. It's 2016."
"The letter mentions that as well. 'Ere', whoever that is, also apologized for not leaving us in Ottawa with the other Sailor Senshi. Apparently there was no place available to park your car. He or she suggests that we use this fuel card," Michiru pulled what looked like a credit-card with a Petro-Canada logo from from the envelope, "to pay for a tank of gas, drive to Ottawa, and meet with the others."
"I don't like being told what to do."
"You always get into trouble when you ignore what you've been told, you know that. Are we even able to do something else?"
"That depends. My wallet's filled with cash right now. What about yours?"
"The same, as always. But how long will that last us?" Michiru asked. "We don't know how much food, fuel, and lodging cost in Canada."
Haruka grinned. "At the least, we won't be doing what we've been ordered to do."
"Despite the fact that that means we won't see Usagi-san and the girls for a while? From what the note said, they'll worry about us."
"Do you remember that mess Ami-san mentioned about the Dead Moon Circus? The youngsters don't need us to hold their hands."
"And what about Setsuna and Hotaru?"
"Considering what we did when we pretended to side with Galaxia, they might not want to see us right away."
Michiru sighed deeply, then said, "You have a point. It would probably be best if we were to make ourselves scarce for a while. Where should we go, then?"
"Whoever paid for this room also paid for breakfast for both of us. Let's start with the hotel restaurant."
Highway 401, between Cornwall and Kingston
9:49 AM
"Was there anything else important in that letter?" Haruka asked while passing an 18-wheeler.
"Just a contact name and address. Somebody named Rob Donaldson."
"But no phone number?"
"I don't see one."
"Then it would be rude to drop in unannounced, wouldn't it?" Haruka said with a grin.
"I suppose that doing so would be impolite," Michiru said quietly.
They reached the interchange with Highway 416 to Ottawa, and kept on going on the 401.
Kingston, Ontario
12:47 PM
"Good thing we thought to convert our cash to the local currency before we tried to buy lunch," Haruka said.
"True," Michiru replied. "I doubt that a Vietnamese restaurant in Canada would have accepted Japanese money."
"It's good food. Good thing you spotted this place from the road."
"To be honest, I was looking for a restaurant that sold something other than hamburgers or finger foods. They serve an excellent pho here."
"Well, there was also that sandwich place next door," Haruka teased.
Michiru shook her head. "Considering what kind of day it's been so far, I feel hesitant to try anything with the word 'Pit' in its name."
Haruka nodded as she finished her soup. "That was probably the right call."
A few minutes later Michiru had also finished and they had paid their bill. Once they were out of the restaurant, they couldn't help but notice a truck towing a car-carrier parked in one of the longer parking spaces. Whatever car was on the carrier was covered with a tarp.
"Do you mind...?" Haruka asked.
"Of course we can take a closer look," Michiru replied.
"As long as you don't touch anything," a female voice said from behind them. They turned to see two black-haired men and one redheaded woman, each carrying a "Pita Pit" bag and a drink.
"We need to double-check all of the tie-downs anyway, Bonnie," one of the men said as he started doing just that. "What's the harm in letting them see the car?"
"It's not like there's anything to see, Hank," the other man said. "She still looks like a stock Mazda 5. It's everything that Bonnie's done under the hood that makes the difference."
Haruka grinned. "Are you coming from a stock race, or heading to one?"
"Coming from a race near Toronto," Bonnie replied. "But we're detouring instead of going straight home to Kemptville. Hank's rented out the Calabogie Motorsports Park for all day tomorrow, and Bill's going to test-drive my new engine tweaks."
Before Haruka could say anything, Michiru said, "I don't believe we've ever been to that track. I'm curious as to what it's like."
"So am I, and for professional reasons. I've done some race driving in the past. I'm Haruka Ten'oh, happy to meet you."
Bonnie grinned. "What, like the character from that Sailor Moon cartoon when I was a kid? Oh, but you probably hear that as often I hear jokes about Knight Rider. My name's Bonnie Barstow, and I hate my parents for giving it to me."
"The coincidences are amazing, aren't they? I'm Michiru Kaioh."
"You have got to be bullshitting us," Hank said. "Both of you, with the same names as cartoon characters?"
Bill added, "Next you'll be telling us you're a violinist, Ms. Kaioh."
"My Stradivarius is in Haruka's car's trunk."
"So your names pushed you into your careers, too?" Bonnie asked. "Small world."
"I still don't believe it," Hank said, "but I'm willing to accept it for now. I'm Henry Cooper, the guy with the lottery winnings in a bank account that these two automotive geniuses keep draining. Everybody calls me Hank. You've probably figured out that Bonnie's our little team's engine specialist. Bill Jones is our wiring guy and the best driver out of the three of us."
Haruka and Michiru traded a Significant Look. Then Haruka asked, "I don't suppose you'd be interested in hiring a professional driver? Michiru and I can relocate immediately."
"It isn't as if we have anything else to do," Michiru replied.
"I don't mind," Bill said.
"It'll be nice not being the only person I know with a so-called fictional name," Bonnie added.
Hank thought for a minute. "As long as we're going to be on the track anyway, we might as well give you a chance. Your tryout will be at Calabogie tomorrow. 8 AM sharp. See you there." And the three of them got into their truck.
"How do we get to Calabogie from here?" Michiru asked Haruka.
"That's what maps are here to tell us."
Calabogie, Ontario
7:32 AM, September 13, 2016
"Oh, good, you're early," Bonnie said as she closed the Mazda's hood and Haruka and Michiru got out of their own car. "Hank and Bill are still eating their breakfasts. Do you want to grab a golf cart and do a familiarization lap while you're waiting?"
Haruka nodded. "That's why we're early. And I think a slow-speed lap is a good idea considering that this is all rolling terrain."
Bonnie grinned as she replied, "I doubt there's a level stretch worth mentioning anywhere on the track. Let's go, as soon as I tell Hank." As she pulled out her cellphone, Haruka walked over to the golf carts and chose one with a full tank of gas.
"I'm surprised these aren't electric," Michiru said.
"This isn't level ground. An electric motor small enough to fit in one of these would have trouble with the gradients, unless the state of the art in 2016 is better than what it was in 1994."
They both got into the cart and Haruka started it up, just listening to the engine for a few seconds. "Sounds like it could use a tune-up," she commented.
"It belongs to the speedway," Bonnie said as she hopped into the cart's back seat. "There's nothing I can do about it. Let's go." As Haruka pulled up to the edge of the pit area, Bonnie said, "The other way."
"Oh, right. I'm used to Japan; thanks for reminding me that laps are run in the other direction in North America."
Neither Haruka nor Michiru saw the look of puzzlement on Bonnie's face at that statement.
They started the familiarization lap. "This is one of the most challenging tracks in eastern Ontario," Bonnie said, "what with all the gradients. Some of the sight lines are shorter than a lot of drivers are comfortable with."
"So it's only good drivers who race here?"
Bonnie laughed. "You could put it that way, Haruka."
They were six minutes into the lap, and out of sight of the pits, when Michiru gasped.
Haruka stopped the cart. "What's wrong?"
"The seas are suddenly troubled."
Bonnie sighed. "First you colour your hair green, now you're making cryptic comments. I think you identify a little too closely with that cartoon character you're named after, Michiru... Hey, where are you going?"
Michiru got out of the golf cart and looked around.
Haruka followed her out. "Stay here, Bonnie." Then she turned to her girlfriend. "Where?"
Michiru pointed as she said, "There, there, and there. Not completely human. They mean us harm. They obviously picked this place to attack us because nobody can see us."
As the three enemies ran at them from out of the surrounding woods, Haruka said, "Uranus Planet Power, Make Up!"
"Nobody but Bonnie can see us," Michiru clarified with a sigh. "Too late now. Neptune Planet Power, Make Up!"
The smallest of their enemies was at least seven feet tall, with muscles on his muscles and a small tree in one hand. The other two were a half-foot taller and similarly armed. None of therm were the kind of person you'd take home to meet your parents, unless you wanted them to have heart attacks from seeing their sheer ugliness. They were wearing leather jackets, slacks, and boots... although Haruka had an impression that what they wanted to wear was a lot more primitive.
The smaller opponent threw his tree at Uranus, who dodged it easily.
"I was beginning to think everybody here knew who we were. I guess not. World Shaking!" And then the senshi were facing an equal number of opponents.
"Deep Submerge!" Neptune attacked as one of the others threw its improvised weapon at her, destroying both the tree and the enemy easily.
The last remaining opponent was smarter than the others; he turned tail and ran. But Uranus and Neptune ran faster, Uranus tackling him to the ground.
"Why did you attack us?!"
"Hey, we were only out hunting! Gotta feed our families!"
"You... eat... people? We can't let you live. Space Sword Blaster!" And there were no more opponents.
Neptune sighed as she transformed back to Michiru. "If you had let him live, we could have found out where his family was."
"I was too angry to do anything more than deal with the immediate threat. I guess we need a reason to stick around and search for those... yokai's... kin. 'Not completely human,' you said, but human enough to understand. So I need to get this job so we can stay in the area and investigate. I'll go move that tree and pick up the familiarization lap where we left off."
"And I'll go talk to Bonnie."
By the time Michiru transformed back and got back to the golf cart, Bonnie was leaning on her knees and breathing deeply. "You... they... you... I guess you aren't like me after all."
"I'm sorry, Bonnie. No, we aren't named after the characters you mentioned. We are them. And it appears that we aren't the only people who've been transferred to your world. Can you keep this secret from the others?"
Bonnie nodded. "What would I tell them? Hank already doesn't believe it and he thinks it's a coincidence. And what can I tell him about what just happened?"
"There was a tree on the track and we had to clear it away," Haruka said, no longer in uniform, while walking over to the other two women. "That has the advantage of being true; it just isn't the whole truth. I'm sorry that you had to see that, Bonnie, but we had no choice. They attacked us."
"Who were they? And did I hear the last one correctly?"
Haruka replied, "I don't know, and he said they wanted to kill and eat us. We have a name for that sort of monster in Japan: oni."
"Although those weren't classical oni," Michiru said. "But, believe me, this world is much better off without any oni in it at all."
"You know," Bonnie said quietly, "I've got a separate one-bedroom apartment attached to my house in Kemptville. I used to rent it out back when there was still a college in town. I'd feel a lot safer knowing the two of you live there."
"I think we can accept your hospitality," Michiru replied with a smile.
"Until we find their lair, at least," Haruka added. "After that, you won't need a bodyguard. But, right now, let's get back to making sure we have a reason to stay in this part of the world."
They got back into the golf cart and finished the lap.
At the end of the day, Hank welcomed Haruka into the team and they all went out to celebrate. Not at a bar — none of them liked getting drunk — but at a good restaurant in Kemptville.
Then Bonnie took Haruka and Michiru to her place. Their discussion lasted all night.
Kemptville, Ontario
8:45 AM, September 14, 2016
"So this is our new home," Haruka said, looking around the empty living room.
"It's cozy, but it lacks a certain something," Michiru added.
"I'll bet that that certain something is furniture," Bonnie said with a grin. "Let's go see what we can buy at the Wallymart. I've got the truck all day, so we don't need to wait for anything to be delivered."
--
Rob Kelk
Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown
Rob Kelk
Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown
![[+]](/images/collapse_collapsed.png "[+]")
Spoiler