Water Lilies: Chapter One

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and its characters are the property of Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha.

Chapter One: Down the Mountain

"Maya-san," Dr. Ami Mizuno paused before she completed the rest of the sentence, "perhaps it's time to reconsider moving in with Takeda-san and Yumi-san."

A chuckle combined with a twinkle in the dark eyes in the elder woman who sat across from Ami indicated she was far from offended at the younger woman's suggestion. "Ami-chan," name said fondly, Maya merely smiled as she replied, "I was born in this house and I intend to stay here until the gods tell me it is time to pass on."

Ami smiled back before taking a sip of the tea the older woman provided. It was an old argument between doctor and patient. Concern for the elderly woman living alone halfway up the mountain constantly motivated Ami to persuade Maya to move in with her son and daughter-in-law. Most of the time the argument was in the form of light banter between the two, however the woman was serious about having Maya move in with Takeda and his wife. She did not care that coming to Maya's house resulted in a forty-five minute trip, she enjoyed the routine house calls to patients; at home they were far more relaxed which ensured a better patient. No, the argument existed solely because Maya had watched Ami grow up from a toddler, resulting in a relationship of that of a relative. And the older woman certainly treated her kindly, as kindly as Ami's own grandmother, Hana. The idea that anything could happen to Maya up here in the mountain without anyone knowing anything made Ami press the issue.

But Maya was a stubborn old woman who refused to budge, also much like Hana. Ami swallowed a sigh along with the remaining bit of delicious green tea. There was no point in continuing the conversation now. She glanced outdoors through the wide door left open to provide light and air into the living room of the traditional style house, and judged it was time to get going, Maya was her last appointment for the day.

"If you'll excuse me, Maya-san." She stood up and waited as the old woman did as well.

"Of course," the older woman smiled kindly again.

"Thank you for the tea and cakes, they were delicious as always," the polite words flowed out of Ami with an unconscious grace followed by a bow. She picked up the worn canvas backpack beside her and settled it onto her shoulders.

"Nonsense," Maya replied, placing a wrinkled hand on Ami's cheek, "no need to be so polite child, but it's always nice to receive thanks." Ami blushed lightly at the contact and words. "And, I should be thanking you for all the good you do as well." The doctor's cheeks darkened at the compliment.

"Thank you," she bowed again before remembering, "Oh, I'll be back on the fifth to see you again. Is that date convenient?" Maya agreed it was.

The old woman followed her to the door and waved as Ami took off down the path. The last hour of sunlight laced through the treetops and spilled onto the floor of the earth. On the mountain beneath the trees, dusk and darkness arrived faster than at the base of the mountain where the village, Ami's destination, lay. This was Ami's favorite time of day in the mountain. Once in a while glimpses of the rice fields of the Yukikura village could be seen through the trees. Ami walked slowly, enjoying the view. A scent of jasmine wafted over her, carried on a light breeze and a flash of emerald eyes entered her thoughts.

The gentle smile Ami wore dimmed and even the sight of the rice paddy dancing in the wind below her failed to bring it back. She sighed out loud this time and continued walking down the path,the muscles of her legs flexing, her shorts showing off her creamy skin only to be interrupted by socks tucked into hiking boots. The daylight started to fade as she came to see her bicycle resting against a tree near the path. The rest of way up to Maya's house was too steep for the bike and so she usually left it at the halfway point.

No one really knew but it gave Ami a thrill to coast down the remainder of the way on her metallic blue cruiser, her fingers hovering over the brakes. A grin broke out on her flushed face, there was nothing in her thoughts now but the flight down the mountain as it raced to evade the growing darkness behind her. The grin widened as she maneuvered over a jutting rock sending the bike and its rider airborne for a moment . Legs and arms braced for impact, Ami bounced back onto the seat as the wheels hit the ground, thinking how grateful she was that her teen-aged neighbor offered to switch the typical wheels of the cruiser with a type usually found on mountain bikes. The path evened out, gradually easing into a dirt road leading to the village and Ami gently squeezed the brakes, slowing her pace. It would not do to have the village doctor riding like a hooligan from a big city.

And it would be much worse if word got to Hana about her riding habits. Her grandmother was a force to be reckoned with and stubborn, if not more so than Maya. Ami felt love and exasperation at the thought of the woman who had taken care of her from the moment they first met. Ami did not remember much of the time before the old woman entered her life. There were vague memories of a large, loud city. She had faint recollections of her parents. She knew from Hana's stories that Ami and her parents lived in Tokyo, until the tragic accident that took their lives. Ami was also in the car at the time, the only one to survive. Hana Masuyo arrived the day after the accident to take care of her deceased daughter's affairs and to take Ami into her custody. It was the first time they met.

When Ami was five years old she had already known what career she wanted. Hana was a doctor who ran a clinic in Yukikura Village offering health care to the residents of the area. Loved by all, Hana was kind but strict when necessary when it came to her diminutive granddaughter or even a wayward patient. A strong woman with a sense of justice, she believed everyone had the right to free health care. She often made house calls whenever a patient could not come to her, taking her shy but smart blue-haired granddaughter with her.

Ami learned a lot by helping out in the clinic and acting as Hana's attendant during home visits. Instilled with a strong work ethic and having a penchant for seeking knowledge, she completed high school at sixteen and made her way to university in Tokyo. Returning to Yukikura with her doctorate in medicine she was shocked when Hana declared she was retiring and Ami was her replacement. When Ami started to offer an objection, Hana stated how proud she was of her granddaughter along with the rest of the village. Ami could say nothing but give them reason for the pride and trust placed in her hands.

Twenty-nine now, and mostly content with her life, Ami found work satisfying. She was fulfilled in the career department. However, her love life gave her plenty of reason for discontentment but she refused to let it affect her. She pedaled slowly before coming to a stop before the large traditional house. Years ago, Hana converted part of the building into the clinic, Ami walked over to the structure and slid the door open. Placing her bag near her desk, she closed the door behind her and turned to the house proper. Despite the size it was kept in immaculate condition, the work of both Hana and Ami.

Pausing to pull the hiking boots off her feet Ami noticed there was an extra pair in the entryway, one that was two sizes larger and did not belong to her. Dread filled her at the realization that she very well knew who the owner of the boots were. A low chuckle and her grandmother's laugh drifted through the house and Ami stepped quietly through the rooms towards the inner courtyard.

Hana sat side by side with a tall, tanned woman with sparkling green eyes and lush mahogany hair in a ponytail. Ami stood still, looking upon the scene of the old and young woman. Hana puffed on a kiseru, the long-stemmed pipe at home with the older woman while the tall brunette sipped on a beer. The conversation between the woman and her grandmother was too low for her ears, murmurs escaping into the oncoming dark never to be heard again. The tall woman took more than a sip this time and Ami found her gaze glued to the column of the woman's throat as she swallowed the cold beverage.

The doctor found herself strangely thirsty. Perhaps she made a sound because the woman turned and spotted her, a huge smile decorating her lips, her teeth brilliantly white in her tanned face. Hana looked over as well.

"Ami! It's about time you got back," the woman grinned, "come, have a beer with us."

Ami smiled back, it took quite a bit of effort to summon the gesture. Her feet moved on their own and soon she found herself at the woman's side. "Makoto," she simply said, before the brunette caught her in a hug.

Hana might be old but her shrewd, dark eyes had not missed the look on Ami's face before the smile, nor had she missed the trembling of her granddaughter's lips before a mask had slipped into place. She returned the pipe between her thin lips again and stared out into the dusk. Fireflies danced into the oncoming darkness and she followed their path, her eyes turned away from the two women beside her.