Time Bridge
     "Aw!!! Beautiful Japan!!!! I'm here at last!!!!" an Icelandic girl on roller blades said aloud. Her name is Jóna Amethyst Katrín Ólafssonar and she had moved to Japan from Iceland through a college exchange program. The tourists and business men stared at her. "* Sweat drop and Nervous laugh * Sorry! Don't mind me!" Amethyst said when she noticed they were looking at her. "I feel stupid!!!!" she thought. Then a set of wheels came roaring around the corner. "Huh?" Amethyst said as she looked up. A tour bus was pulling to pick up the people. "Aw my ride's here." she said. Then Amethyst staked over to the line. She was about on the bus when the tour guide stopped her. "Uh.... what are you doing?" the Icelandic girl asked. "Sorry dono, no stakes allowed on the bus." the tour guide said in Japanese. (Jap lesson =Dono means miss) *Sweat drop on Amethyst's head * "Say wha?" the Icelandic girl asked. Then she remembered her translator and pulled it out of her pocket. Amethyst quickly flipped it on. The tour guide repeated her phase. "Not to worry!" the Icelandic girl said. Then she took off her roller blades, put them in her black and purple case, and flipped over her shoulder. The Icelandic girl followed the tour guide onto the bus.      Amethyst was getting bored as the bus rolled along. The bus was riding slowly and tour guide's talking was boring her. Amethyst was about to go to sleep when she looked up and saw what caused this adventure to start. It was a beautiful Japanese-style bridge. The other side was barely visible. Amethyst was amazed. She wondered what was on the other side. The girl decided to ask.
     "Any questions?" the tour guide asked in English. Amethyst raised her hand. "Hai, you in the back." said the guide. "Yes, what's on the other side of that bridge over there?" Amethyst asked as she pointed to the bridge. * Silence on the bus * "Any other questions?" the tour guide asked. * Silence on the bus again * "Okay, let's move on. Shall we?" said the tour guide. The bus rolled on when the light became green. Amethyst just slid down in her chair. Her question wasn't answered.      Once the tour was over, Amethyst went to the bank. She needed a currency change. The line wasn’t that long so she could get her money and go. “Konnichiha! What would you like today San?” the bank teller asked. “I would like a currency change please.” Amethyst said. “All right, we’ll right with you. Just place your money in the tray.” the teller said. Amethyst complied. The teller took the tray. Amethyst waited a couple of minutes. The teller came back with Amethyst’s money. It was all in new yen. Amethyst was amazed. But as soon as she took the money, the bridge came back into her mind. Soon the question came out of her mouth: “What's on the other side of that bridge downtown?” The teller looked at her and then said: “Nothing.” Then he told back the tray and closed the window. Amethyst just stood there. “Uh.... O-kay....” she said. Then she turned and left.      “That’s impossible! There’s got to be something on the other side! There has to be!” Amethyst thought as she staked along the street. “AND I’M GOING TO FIND OUT WHAT IT IS!!!!!” Amethyst yelled. She looked and saw two fifth grade girls staring at her oddly. "* Sweat drop and Nervous laugh * Sorry! Don't mind me!" Amethyst said. Then she quickly staked off.
     “Okay, I need a guide book, lunch, and register to my new home.” Amethyst thought. She knew to find a guide book, she would have to find a bookstore. So Amethyst took out her map and looked for a bookstore on it. She found one on Akimura avenue. Then Amethyst quickly made her way.      Amethyst kept looking around for the guide book in the bookstore. She wasn’t having any luck. “Excuse me.” Amethyst said to the bored looking clerk. “What?” the clerk asked. “Where is your guide book on Japan?” Amethyst asked.  “In the back section.” the clerk asked. “Thanks.” Ameth said. Then she staked to the back. Amethyst came back a few minutes later with the newest addition of the Japan guide book. She placed on the counter. “That will 2,525.75 yen.” said the clerk. Amethyst looked a little unsettle. “I’ll see how much I have.” she said. Then she looked through her pockets and wallet. As  it turns out, Amethyst could afford the book. So she put the money on the counter. And as the clerk rang up the total, Amethyst asked: “What's on the other side of that bridge downtown?” “Nobody goes there.” the clerk said not even looking up. Then she handed Amethyst the bag. “Thanks.” said the Icelandic girl. Then she left the store.      “Now that that’s out of the way, time for some lunch.” Amethyst thought. She went to a sushi bar. The bar was crowded. “This isn’t what my stomach wanted!!!” Amethyst thought. She had to wait for hours. Iceland boredly looked around. Businessmen were talking, college students were on their lunch break, and people were going in and out. Finally, Amethyst was up to get her meal. “Konnichiha! What would you like today San?” the chef asked. “California roll and the seafood delight.” the Icelandic girl said. “Coming up.” the chef said. Amethyst watched in delight as chef fixed up her sushi. When he was done, the chef handed Amethyst her meal. “Domo arigato. I have one question for ya?” she said. “Hai?” the chef asked. Amethyst drew in a deep breath and asked: “What's on the other side of that bridge downtown?” The chef looked offered and said “There’s nothing for you there!” “Okay sorry.” said she. And then she took her food and went to a table near a window.      Amethyst was lost in thought as she ate. “Why doesn’t anyone want me to know about the bridge. It’s like their guarding it from foreigners.” she thought. Ameth looked around. She was the only young foreigner there. All the others were grown men on business trips. She wondered if they too were curious about the bridge. Doubt filled her mind. The mystery was on Amethyst’s mind the entire day.      For weeks, Amethyst asked about the bridge. And she still got the same answer. So one morning on her bed, an idea hit Amethyst. “I’m going to cross that bridge!” she thought. And with that, Amethyst rose from her bed, ran downstairs, put on her stakes and left for her mission.
     Downtown was virtually empty. “Must be early.” Amethyst thought. Then she took a deep breath and staked across the bridge. Amethyst looked around as she staked. No one was still in sight. She was safe so far. Soon, Amethyst crossed the bridge.      When she was north or kita, Amethyst came across a surprising discovery! “Where am I?” the Icelandic girl thought as she looked around. People were dressed in kimonos.  The roads were dirt. Most of the buildings were wood and bamboo. Amethyst was looking around when cart came rushing her way. Amethyst turned and tried to move. But she must have forgotten she was on roller blades and fell flat on her face. “HEY! WATCH WHERE YOU’RE GOING, KID?!?” the driver yelled when he stopped. Amethyst looked up. An angry-looking man was glaring at her. The Icelandic girl was putting the pieces together. “Uh... excuse me san..” she said. “What?!?” the man hissed. “What’s the date?” Amethyst asked. “It’s June 7th 1868. Why?” he answered. Amethyst was taken-aback. “18....68?” she asked. “Hai! That is what I said! Are you stupid?!?” the driver yelled. “Uh.... Thanks! Sayonara!” the Icelandic girl yelled. Then she got up and staked away. The people in the street stared at her in confusion.      Amethyst staked away into a dark alley. She stopped to catch her breath. “1868? I went back in time?!? But how?” she thought. All Amethyst remembered was staking across the bridge. “I didn’t feel any change when I crossed! So how did I go back in time?” she thought. Then amusement crossed Amethyst’s mind. “I’m back in time! This is great! I’d be the first modern foreigner to cross back into ancient Japan!” she thought. Amethyst grinned with pleasure and staked out. She decided to tour the city of ancient of Tokyo.      The sun was beginning to set and Amethyst was worn out. “I need to rest!” she thought as she staked through the woods. Her first notion was to find a place to rest in the shade. But after a little searching, Amethyst ran into a building. It was a dojo. Amethyst remembered reading about these buildings. She staked to the front. Amethyst collapsed onto the the porch. “I’m sure the owners won’t mind if I rest here for a while.” Amethyst thought sleepily. Then she fell asleep.      A couple of hours later, Himura Kenshin and his crew came to the dojo. Kamiya Kaoru was by his side, Ayame and Sumuze were beside him to, and Myoujin Yahiko  and Sagara Sanosuke were trailing behind. They had all come back from a picnic and now returning. “Ken-nii.” said Ayame as she pulled on Kenshin’s pants. “Hai Ayame-chan?” Kenshin asked. “Who’s that?” she asked as she pointed up ahead at the dojo. Kenshin and crew looked. They saw a girl with long black hair with lilac highlights to her waist dressed in short shorts, a pink shirt that showed her midriff, and black and purple roller blades sleeping on the porch. “I don’t know Ayame-chan.” Kenshin answered. The crew walked up to her.  They hovered over her. “Is she dead?” Yahiko asked. “No, just sleeping.” said Kenshin. Ayame and Sumuze moved closer. Amethyst quickly opened her eyes. Kenshin and co. looked. Then the Icelandic girl yawned and stretched. “*Yawn* I wonder if the owner of the dojo has....” she said. Then Amethyst looked up. “Huh?” she said. Ayame and Sumuze ran and hid behind Kenshin in fear. “All right, who are you and where did you come from?!?” Sano yelled in defense. Amethyst didn’t know how to answer that. She didn’t think it would be wise to explained about the bridge and what was on the other side. Finally, she summoned it all up and said: “My name is Amethyst.” She looked and saw that the residents were confused. Then the Icelandic girl remembered. “They don’t understand English.” she thought. So she tried to explain herself in English the best she could. “My name is Amethyst. I came here from Iceland to go to school. I live downtown so I decided to see what was up here.” she said. The crew was still a little confused but soon they understood what she was saying.      Once tensions cooled, Amethyst stayed with Kenshin and co. for dinner. But soon, the Icelandic girl had to leave. So she said sayonara to the crew, hugged Ayame and Sumuze, and left. Amethyst crossed slowly across the bridge the same way she did earlier in the morning. “That was an adventure!” she thought. “But what am I going to tell Umeko Ono why I’ve been gone all day?!? I’m in trouble!!!!!!” Then Amethyst hurried back to her apartment. To Be Continued....