Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Leather and Lace ❯ Chapter 1

Leather and Lace

By: Maidens of Konan (aka KittyLynne with contributions from Adriana Morgan)

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yûgi is owned by Watase Yuu, Shogakukan Comics, Pierrot Studios, TV Tokyo and Pioneer! The rights to the original plot, dialogue, and the lives of any original characters appearing in this story belong to the author(s). Please do these ideas, prose or characters without express written permission, or risk the wrath of Soi raining down upon your miscreant person.

Notes and warnings: Reincarnation story that does not take Eikouden into account. Alternative pairing. Spoilers for TV series and first two OVAs. Overall rating: M for strong language and adult themes/situations.

Chapter One

All the great forces...of justice, faith and good will...

The world as he knew it had vanished along with the pain; he'd moved beyond what he had been and the consequences of his actions. Unfettered by physical imperfection, he floated through the mists of time and space, guided by the bond that united him with the single image remaining in his mind; a beautiful, smiling young woman garbed in flowing red silk and a headdress befitting a goddess.

He had been born to protect this woman. He had loved her with every fiber of his being, would love her for all time. No sacrifice made was too great; this love was worth dying for... and living for, all over again.

The shimmering light beyond the void extended itself like a hand, beckoning to him. He stretched out and grasped it, letting its energy fill and shape him.

She was close. All he had to do was remember...

_________________________________________________________________ _______

Sergeant Detective Dante Tager cursed as the incessant beeping of his bedside clock jolted him awake.

Muttering to himself, he slammed his hand down on the snooze button, taking a grim satisfaction in hearing the anguished chirp the alarm made as it was cut off. A bleary-eyed glance at glowing green numbers had him dropping his head back onto his pillow with a sigh of disgust. It was Monday, his least favorite day of the week, and six frickin' a.m- and of course he'd purposely set the damn alarm for this time. Still, it was annoying to know that he could have had a full thirty minutes of sleep before he absolutely needed to bolt.

On the other hand, the loud grumble emitting from his stomach was an effective reminder that not getting up right now meant missing out on breakfast, something he needed more in starting his day than a few extra minutes spent lolling in bed.

The impasse had ended. He stretched out his shoulders and arms, and then clambered out of the queen sized four- poster that looked like three people had slept in it instead of just one, pausing only to toss the bedspread over the rumpled sheets in lieu of making the bed. Yawning widely, he raked long strands of fire-red hair out of his face with both hands, then hitched his flannel pajama bottoms back up around his waist before ambling off to the bathroom to perform his usual morning ablutions. After that, it was on to the kitchen where a cup of freshly brewed automatic drip coffee and a bag of his favorite pastries awaited him.

It was quick work to fill a mug and snag a jelly filled doughnut. He then walked into the living room and up to the picture window that spanned a good length of one wall. Taking a large bite of doughnut and a long swallow of coffee, he basked in the reflected warmth of the sunrise while gazing out at the picturesque view that lay beyond the double paned glass.

His house was the oldest and most modestly sized rambler in his neighborhood, but that didn't matter to him. What had sold him on the place was that it was almost at the pinnacle of the foothill on which the development was built, which meant he had an unobstructed view of the mountain range, Pike's Peak, and the rolling terrain of the city he called home.

Colorado Springs, Colorado was famous for having more sunny days year round than any other city in America, and he could tell that today would not be an exception; the only areas not presently illuminated by the sun were capped by the range of majestic mountains that bordered the city's west end. The monoliths themselves were still shrouded in shadow, their purple-hued peaks starkly outlined against a cloudless azure sky. With unerring accuracy, he picked out the flag waving on the rooftop of the US Olympic Center, the old growth trees lining the downtown sector, and finally, the distinctive red rock mounds of the Garden of the Gods right at the foot of the mountain range.

It was his favorite of favorite spots in the city, and in his opinion, the towering Rockies didn't overshadow the park's rugged brand of beauty in the least. It was always a fun experience to learn about and explore the oddly shaped ancient volcanic formations that stood tall amidst lush clumps of pines, sagebrush and desert flowers. Just as soon as he had enough free time banked, he'd be treating himself to a leisurely horseback ride there, although it would probably be a long time before he got within smelling distance of a stable, Dante thought ruefully. It was a good thing the Garden was open year round, for his latest case investigation, though progressing slowly, had demanded a good amount of overtime.

Still, his life was pretty dang good overall. He had a nice house, friends he could count on, was making a decent salary doing what he loved to do, and was living in the kind of surroundings that were the stuff of his dreams. The only real fly in the ointment was his failure to find the right woman with which to share his good fortune.

That lack of accomplishment had been haunting him more and more lately. He hadn't lacked for company when he'd first moved out here, but the dismal fact was that barhopping and clubbing weren't the best ways to find the love of your life. Either was getting fixed up by your best friend, for that matter. Although he'd gone out with several women, out of a baker's dozen, only one woman had managed to hold his interest past a second date.

The indications had been positive that Sandra had potential to be 'the one'. She was smart, pretty, and as easy going as anyone could wish for in a companion. Even better, as a dedicated ER nurse, she understood about the stress and tedium of paperwork, working crazy hours and double shifts, and how frustrating dealing with red tape and a chain of command could be.

When they had gotten through six months of dating without even the slightest hint of trouble, he'd bought an engagement ring, but fate had decreed that he'd never get the chance to pop the question. The night he'd planned on proposing to her, Sandy had showed up on his doorstep to tell him that they were through as a couple. She'd reconciled with her surgeon ex-husband, and the two of them were leaving for Las Vegas that night to get remarried as quickly as possible.

Numbed by shock, he had silently listened to her hurried explanation of how and why this reunion had happened. She and her ex had never stopped loving each other. Both had been too stubborn to make concessions, until seeing his ex-wife enjoying the company of another man had woken the ex-husband up to the fact that he could lose her for good. Physical and emotional contact had been established, counseling had been sought, and the necessary compromises had been made to patch up the splintered relationship.

Seeing the joy in her face as she spoke of her love convinced him it was pointless to do anything but let her go and wish them both well...and so he had done just that. Sandy had cried and thanked him for his friendship, and had then added unintentional insult to injury by giving him a sisterly hug with the assurance that he'd find his own soul mate soon.

After the taxi was out of sight, he had plunked down on the doorstep and stayed there for a long time, staring out at the range of mountains as if they somehow could give him the key to understanding the complex, fickle creatures called women. There had been solace in the fact that unlike women, he could always count on the beauty of Rockies always being there for him when he got home at the end of a hard day's or night's work.

Ever since, he'd made sure to take some time out of his day to appreciate the view from his window. He would never ignore the presence of the mountains as many Springs natives tended to do. They were his inspiration, a symbol of continuity and the changing power of nature, and not to be taken for granted. It was his moment of Zen, a way to put things in their proper perspective.

It wasn't long after beginning that ritual that the recurring dreams had started; surrealistic impressions of an exotic, faraway place, inhabited by warriors, the echoing cry of a bird, and the shadowed figure of a young woman who reached out to him as if he were the only one who could save her.

He had one of those dreams a week for the last five and a half months, and more in the past two weeks. There were emotional variations in the images, but the mystery woman always appeared at the end. The vividly unrealistic nature of the images had been unsettling to him at first, but he had eventually accepted them and even started to look forward to seeing what visions his subconscious brought. And, even though he didn't totally understand why or where they were taking place, he figured that wasn't the point. The whole thing had the aura of a spirit guide taking him on a quest to cleanse him of past hurt, while giving him a sense of self-awareness. There was a purpose to these dreams, a feeling that they were moving him forward, leading him somewhere...and to someone.

Stuffing the last bite of doughnut into his mouth, Dante hastily washed it down with the rest of his coffee, hoping the infusion of sugar and caffeine would help him shake off the gloom his muse had provoked. Now that his morning ritual had been observed, it was high time to concentrate on getting to work. Dream analysis wasn't his forte, and brooding definitely wasn't his style. As far as he was concerned, the visions simply meant that if he didn't give up on the idea that the woman who needed him was out there, he was bound to find her.

He was sure of it.

_________________________________________________________________ _______

An hour later and several blocks away, Miaka Yuuki was in the process of ransacking her apartment. "Ooooh, where did I put those keys? They have to be here somewhere! Taka is going to be ticked if I'm late!"

She scurried into her bedroom and began to frantically sift through the clutter of papers lying atop her dresser, then moved to the adjoining bathroom- only to emerge a few seconds later looking more perplexed than ever.

"Why didn't I think to have a spare set made?" She inquired aloud to no one in particular. "Taka said he has a lunch meeting and an international client conference tonight -I won't see him at all today if I don't get going! I suppose I have to call a taxi…let's hope they can get here in ten minutes!"

Something soft and warm brushed against her bare ankles. Miaka glanced down and straight into the blue-eyed stare of the feline sitting in front of her.

"I don't suppose you happened to have seen where I left my car keys, Mizu?"

The Siamese appeared to consider the question for a moment, and then meowed in the affirmative.

"That's wonderful! Could you show me?"

Miaka followed closely as Mizu padded over to the unmade bed and pawed at the sleeves of discarded outfits that were hanging over its side. His mistress hurriedly tossed the pile of clothing aside and much to her delight found the missing keys that had been hidden underneath.

"Zu Zu, you've saved the day once again! Treats from the fish market for saving me from Taka's 'time is money' lecture!" She stroked the cat's silky, smoke-colored fur as the animal feigned indifference. Not fooled by the display of aloofness, Miaka continued to stroke until her pet's back was arching in contented pleasure and the sound of deep purring filled the air.

"That's a good boy." She crooned, scratching her kitty under his chin. "If only you would let Taka see what a softie you are."

The purring ceased as quickly if someone had hit an off switch. Mizu moved out of reach and then turned to give her an offended stare, his crooked tail twitching back and forth in quick, angry motions. His mistress sighed.

"Please understand, it's not that Taka doesn't like you. He just has to keep his distance because he's allergic to cats! He's going to start on the allergy shots so that you can live with us after we're married. I also told him that he's not to have you fixed or de-clawed, so there's no need for concern!"

A growling hiss said that her attempt to reassure had failed.

"I'm sorry, I really don't want to argue with you. Let's change the subject. How do I look?" The skirt of her strapless sundress billowed around her, showing off the shapely legs beneath as she pirouetted in front of the dresser's long mirror.

At the cat's grudging yet appreciative sounding 'meeee-oooowww', Miaka's smile returned.

"Thank you, I like it too! It's comfortable, and even better, it was a great deal at the discount store!" Her smile faded. "It's not the designer brand Taka likes, but I can't justify spending a half-month's rent for one outfit, especially when he's helping me out with rent in the first place. I wish he'd let me take that other unit in my price range..."

Mizu's stare was unrelenting in its accusation.

"Excuse me, but I did say no to living with him!" Miaka asserted. "It was a compromise, something that was important to me, and that he could deal with," she added, turning away.

If someone had told her ten years ago that she would willingly choose to live apart from Taka, she would have laughed. She had no rational explanation for refusing, since in this day and age, and in this country, living together before marriage was an accepted and respectable practice. After going through the trouble to become proficient in English so she could move to America to be with him, it made no sense to want to live separately.

Yet here she was doing just that, and it felt right, no matter how frustrating she found her present situation! Whenever loneliness threatened her resolve, whenever self- doubts tempted her to give up all semblance of independence, a whisper deep in her heart said to hold on, that better times were coming, and good things were worth waiting for.

After weeks of brief or long-distance contact, Taka had made a date with her.

Maybe today would be the day her patience was rewarded.

_________________________________________________________________ _______

After leaving some food and water for her pet, Miaka called out a final goodbye and locked the door to her apartment. Dashing down the outer stairway to the parking lot, she strode across the black asphalt to the flashy, scarlet colored LeBaron convertible that Taka had arranged for her to lease. The early morning breeze sent a chill across her exposed skin, but she didn't bother to turn and go back for a jacket. Though it might feel a bit cool now, she'd been here long enough to know that a clear, cloudless sky over Pike's Peak was a strong indication of a scorching hot day to come. The sundress was a good choice.

Unlocking the door, she climbed in, tossing her purse into the seat next to her, and then set a bottle of mineral water into the cup holder between the driver and passenger seats. Since her arrival in Colorado six months ago, she had been advised by several natives to make a habit of drinking at least sixteen ounces of water first thing in the morning to combat the effects of high altitude and dry climate, but she would have to put off that little ritual today.

If she didn't hurry, she was going to be horribly tardy for this rare date with Taka. A delay like an emergency potty stop just wasn't acceptable in a world where time was as precious a commodity as money.

To be continued…

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