Ryoku laid back against the headboard of his bed and sighed. It was late and he should be asleep, but he wasn’t tired, despite having to fight a monster today.
This was the second attack this week, or rather the second trap that Usagi and the others had walked into. Maybe they were growing a little lax in their wariness. He himself should’ve seen those last two coming.
First, there was that little ski contest out in the mountains. Moon Princess contest.… I should’ve known that would’ve been the perfect bait for Sailor Moon. Ryoku half-grinned to himself. But learning to ski was fun. And who knew Yuuichirou-kun came from a rich family? You’d think someone from a high-class family wouldn’t care to train at a temple.…
Today, there was the incident at the skating rink. Usagi and Minako wanted free skating lessons from those two Olympic figure skaters, Janelle and Misha, so they dragged everyone else along because of the ‘group of six’ clause in the lessons. Group of six.… Six Sailor Scouts.… Coincidence? Not likely. I suppose Usagi-chan and Minako-chan were more interested in skating with Misha than learning from him.
What really surprised him was the fact that, for a short time, it seemed that Misha wanted to take on Makoto for a new skating partner. He knew his sister was good – he had skated with her several times as her partner – but to be approached by an Olympic-class skater….
That wasn’t the only surprise he’d have. In reply to Misha’s abandonment, Janelle turned to Ryoku and gave him the same offer. He blinked in surprise, especially since he had never considered himself anything but an average skater. For a moment, he wryly thought that she only picked him because he was the only male at the rink besides Misha.
Both Makoto and Ryoku were confused by the skaters’ actions, especially when they started arguing with each other. Janelle then transformed into a monster and started attacking Makoto. Misha then transformed and attacked Ryoku. When Sailor Moon appeared, they joined together and attacked her. Unfortunately, she was still clumsy on the ice. That changed only when Tuxedo Kamen appeared, claiming that he was helping Sailor Moon only because he disapproved of Kunzite’s using humans to get to her and the Silver Crystal.
Eventually, Sailor Moon returned them to normal and Janelle and Misha were back together. Makoto and Ryoku didn’t mind at all; in fact, Ryoku was relieved.
He turned to glance out of his bedroom window. The moon was bright tonight. It seemed that it would grow into a full moon by the weekend. He sighed again and laid his head down against his pillow. He certainly hoped that it would be quiet for a while. He could certainly use the respite.
Luna woke up and stretched at the foot of Usagi’s bed. She glanced out the window at the morning sun. “It looks like we’ll be having some nice weather for a change,” Luna said. It had been cold for the past two days, not unusual for winter, but it was definitely colder than Luna preferred.
“Since it’s the weekend, we’ll work on you becoming more princess-like. Okay, Usagi-chan?” Luna continued, turning toward Usagi, and stopped abruptly.
She wasn’t there.
“Up already?” she wondered and hopped off the bed. “That’s rare….” She went into the living room. No one was there, either.
“Where is everyone?” She headed back over to Usagi’s room, and hopped up onto Usagi’s dresser. There was a note addressed to her on it.
“Morning, Luna. We all decided to go on a family trip. We’ll be back tomorrow night. Be a good cat while we’re away. I’ll bring you back a souvenir. ~Usagi”
Usagi gazed out over the grand view in front of her. The lake was a calm, crystal blue, shimmering with the light of the evening sky and surrounded on all sides by lush, green pine trees and brown oak trees. The sun was close to the horizon, giving the sky a rich violet hue. There were no clouds in the clear, evening sky and the air had a crisp, clean tinge to it – the kind of quality that can only be found in remote, rustic surroundings miles from any city.
“It’s so romantic,” Usagi breathed, as she took in the view. Her parents stood behind her, gazing at the lake and reminiscing. Shingo stood near his parents, sulking.
“It’s the middle of nowhere,” Shingo complained.
“Your mother and I have fond memories of this place,” Usagi’s father told him. “This is where we first met.”
“Seems like only yesterday, doesn’t it, Kenji?” Usagi’s mother said with a fond sigh as she looked lovingly toward her husband.
“It sure does, Ikuko,” Kenji replied, gazing back at his wife.
Usagi turned back toward the lake and looked out over the wide body of water to the forest beyond. Her gazing was interrupted when she heard the familiar sound of her star locket playing its music. She took the locket out and stared at it.
“My locket…,” she whispered to herself.
“Usagi, let’s get going,” Ikuko called out to her daughter. Usagi looked up from her locket. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing,” Usagi replied. A small gust of wind began to blow across the lake as Usagi joined her mother. As the two left, the wind began to grow stronger, causing small waves to form on the lake and some dry oak leaves to flutter across the surface.
“Is this where you sensed the abnormal energy?” Queen Beryl asked, staring at a projection of the lake overhead where Kunzite was projecting it.
“Yes, Queen Beryl,” Kunzite replied. “It’s quite similar to our power, yet it’s different and extremely powerful.”
“I see,” Beryl said thoughtfully. “Endymion, you will see into this matter.”
“Yes, Queen Beryl,” Endymion replied and left.
“Queen Beryl,” Kunzite said after a long pause, “his actions are becoming very irregular. Do you think it might be possible that he has noticed that his memories have been erased?”
She considered the thought. “Impossible,” she answered. “However, just to be on the safe side, you will follow him and keep an eye on him.”
“As you wish,” he replied with a bow.
“Endymion is completely mine,” she continued to herself, her expression dark and severe. “It is impossible for him to doubt his past.”
Luna sighed as she stared out the window. She didn’t like having to waste her time like this when she could’ve been training Usagi. She still had so much to learn before she could use the Silver Crystal to its full extent.
There was something else, though. Sort of a nagging felling, actually. Like there was something wrong, or something was going to go wrong. She rarely had these feelings, but whenever she did, she was usually right. She had to contact the others.
She rushed over to Usagi’s communicator and hit the broadcast button, which would contact all five of the other communicators at once.
Ami looked up from the textbook she was studying and answered her communicator. “Luna, what’s wrong? Is there an emergency?”
Minako dashed into her room, holding a towel around her. Her hair was still dripping wet from her shower. “Is something wrong? What happened?”
Rei looked up from staring at the sacred fire in front of her in pulled out her communicator from within her robes. “What is it, Luna? Did something happen?”
Makoto and Ryoku stopped sparring on the roof of their apartment and gazed over to where their communicators were laying. Hers was on her towel, while his was lying between his towel and his shirt. Where he had the luxury of going shirtless whenever he wanted to spar, she didn’t have that option, so she usually wore a sleeveless shirt, which was close enough to being shirtless for her. Ryoku wordlessly nodded and Makoto went to get her communicator. She tossed him his shirt and towel, while she hung her towel around her shoulders.
“What’s wrong, Luna?” Makoto asked as Ryoku walked up beside her.
“Has a youma appeared?” Ryoku asked.
Luna was started to wonder why they were all assuming that there was an emergency when she belatedly noticed that she had hit the ‘emergency’ button by mistake. Serves me right for rushing, Luna thought reprovingly. “There’s nothing wrong at the present, but I have a bad feeling….”
“Where’s Usagi-chan?” Ryoku asked abruptly. “She’s not with you.”
“She’s on a family trip at a hot springs resort in the mountains northwest of here,” Luna told them. “I think it’d be best if you all go check up on her.”
“Ryo-chan and I know where you’re talking about,” Makoto added. “We used to go there with our parents before they….” She trailed off quietly.
“Everyone,” Ryoku said, breaking the short silence, “meet us at the bus stop near our apartment. From there we can take transfer to a bus that’ll take us up to the mountain resort. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” came the reply and everyone shut off their communicators.
“I hope they can get there before anything bad happens,” Luna said worriedly to herself.
“Wow, what a view!” Usagi declared as she stood up near the shallow end of the bathing pool and looked out over the lake. Her parents were sitting nearby, the water level coming up to their chests. Ikuko had her hair wrapped in a towel over her head, while Usagi tied her long ponytails over her head so it looked like she had two long loops of hair over her head.
“This seclusion isn’t all that bad, is it?” Kenji asked laughingly.
“Shingo, what are you doing?” Ikuko asked, glancing over at him.
“Come on,” Usagi added. “The water feels really good.”
“But I don’t wanna be in a mixed bath,” Shingo told them. He was standing near the edge of the pool, his towel wrapped across his chest and under his arms.
“Why be embarrassed?” Kenji asked. “It’s only us here.”
“You’ll catch cold if you don’t hurry,” Ikuko told him.
Usagi had climbed out of the pool and snuck around behind her little brother. She gave him a playful shove and he was in the water. She then jumped in after him and began dunking him into the water. Shingo twisted out of her grasp and retaliated by snatching her towel off her.
“Hey!” Usagi shrieked, while covering herself with her hands and arms. “Gimme my towel!”
“Usagi, knock it off!” Ikuko chided.
“Come on, let them be,” Kenji told her indulgently.
“Hey, I want it back!” Usagi shouted angrily as she waded through the water with both arms crossed over her chest.
“I’d like to see you try and take it,” Shingo taunted as he waved her towel around like a flag. He stopped by the edge of the precipice and took in the view. “Hey, the lake’s right over there,” he said to himself as his gaze turned toward that direction. He lurched back in surprise as he saw someone standing near the lake.
“Ha! Got it!” Usagi declared as she reclaimed her towel and quickly wrapped it around herself again. She noticed her brother’s preoccupation and climbed out to see what had caught his attention. “What are you looking at?”
“There’s some guy by the lake,” he told her, pointing.
“Where…?” she said, searching the shoreline until she spotted him. “No way!” she exclaimed, recognizing him, and ran off to catch up to him.
“Why is she in such a hurry?” Shingo wondered to himself.
Usagi dashed into the cabin where they were staying and grabbed her robe. She quickly flung it over herself and dashed out the door, down to the lake. When she reached the shore, she stopped abruptly. Mamoru wasn’t there, but there was a statue of a couple standing near the lakeshore.
“I guess it wasn’t him, after all,” she said quietly to herself. As she stared dejectedly at the statue, the star locket began to play again.
My locket…, she thought to herself. There it goes again. She reached into her robe and placed her right hand on the locket, sighing despondently.
The sound of a snapping twig caught her attention. She whirled around to see who had snuck up behind her and paused in surprise. It was Endymion, staring at her with a quizzical expression on his face.
“Why does that melody disturb me so much?” he said mostly to himself as he continued to stare at Usagi.
“Mamoru-san, it’s me, Usagi,” she said desperately. “Please, don’t you remember me?” she asked, bowing her head sadly.
“The name means nothing to me,” he told her coldly.
“Means nothing…?” she repeated desolately. “It’s me! Can’t you recognize me?!?” she asked, reaching out to him with one hand.
“Usagi!” Ikuko called out.
“Mom?” Usagi said, turning to see where she was. When she turned back to Endymion, he was gone.
“Oh, here you are, Usagi,” Ikuko said, walking up to Usagi. “Why did you rush out like that?”
“No reason at all,” Usagi lied.
Ikuko glanced over at the statue. “Oh, the Legend of the Lovers,” she said, smiling. “You were looking at this?”
“Legend?” Usagi repeated, turning toward the statue.
“It’s a folk tale about this lake,” Ikuko told her. “There was a young man from a local village who fell in love with a woman from Heaven. But, there was another woman, from the same village, who was also in love with the young man. When she saw the two together, she became so jealous she turned into a monster and attacked the entire village.
“The young man and the Heavenly woman sealed the monster into the lake. Their energy gone, they ascended into Heaven.
“It’s such a beautiful legend, don’t you think?” she asked.
Sealed off into this lake? Usagi thought to herself as she gazed out toward the lake. Usagi then gave off a small sneeze.
“Let’s go back,” Ikuko suggested. “You’ll catch cold.”
“Oh, Mom,” Usagi said, giving her mother a hug.
“My little baby…,” she said fondly, as she put an arm around her daughter and led her back to the cabin. “Now, if you fall in love with somebody…,” she began, pausing as she noticed Usagi bow her head and blush slightly, “…will you bring him home?”
“Yeah, I will,” Usagi promised. Someday…, she thought as she remembered Endymion, I’ll bring him home.…
Endymion came out from within the trees and stared out toward the lake. “The monster sealed within the lake…. Could that be the source of the energy?”
Kunzite appeared hovering above Endymion, his arms folded and a smirk on his face. “So, Endymion, you’ve already determined the source of the dark energy,” he said to himself in amusement. “Now, what are you planning to do with it?”
The one sealed within the lake, Endymion sent mentally to the monster within the lake, I command you to resurrect! At the lake bottom, a bubble of air broke through and rose toward the surface. Another one followed shortly; larger this time. More bubbles followed, causing the lake to appear as if it was boiling at one point.
“Arise, ancient spirit!” Endymion commanded, raising both hands high into the air. The bubbling increased dramatically until finally a huge column of water rose from the surface of the lake. Out of the column, the lake monster swam out, hissing furiously. The monster had a fish-like tail and scales on its lower half; like a mermaid. Its upper half was yellow-skinned, with pink hair and sharp fangs and claws.
“I want him back!” the monster screeched as she charged Endymion. His eyes widened in surprise as she swiped at him, missing as he leapt back at the last moment.
The monster turned and started at him, while Kunzite watched from above, grinning smugly. “So, he has awakened the sealed hatred,” he said, very amused. “Now what, Endymion?”
“I want him back!” the monster screeched again as she approached Endymion. He stood stoically before the monster as she advanced toward him.
Suddenly, she stopped and stared out beyond Endymion, as if she had just spotted something. She rose straight up into the air and hovered as she searched the forest. Her gaze settled on Usagi’s family, or more specifically, Usagi herself. It’s her…, she thought fiercely. That woman.… She grinned maliciously and flew off in her direction.
“Stop!” Endymion called after her. “Where are you going?”
Mamoru-san…, Usagi thought as she stared over her shoulder at the full moon. You’re still out there, but it’s like you’re not here at all.…
“Usagi, what’s wrong?” Kenji asked concernedly.
“Oh, nothing,” Usagi said, turning back to her family. “The Moon was so pretty, so I was gazing at it.” She turned around so that her back was to her family. “Isn’t it pretty?” The others looked up toward the Moon.
“It is really pretty,” Kenji agreed.
“It’s so pretty, that it’ll make you tearful,” she said, wiping a tear from her eye, then turning back to her family. “Well, I’ll go take a bath before dinner,” she told them and ran off.
The others stared after her in bewilderment. “I really don’t understand teenage girls,” Kenji complained. “Usagi seems like she’s a completely different person every once in a while.” Shingo just blinked in confusion and Ikuko just sighed.
Usagi ran down one of the many forest paths, trying not to cry. I can’t cry. Even if Mamoru-san can’t remember me, if I cry, he’ll laugh at me.…
A hissing sound behind above her caught her attention. “I want him back!” someone screeched at her.
“What?” Usagi asked. “Want back what?” She paused in her running and turned around. “No way!” she shrieked when she saw the monster. “This can’t be!”
“What is that?!?” Ikuko shouted as she and the others saw the monster.
“It’s a monster!” Usagi shouted as she ran over to her family. “Get down!” she shouted as she leaped at them. The monster lunged at them and swiped one of her claws at her, missing as Usagi and her family hit the ground.
The monster turned in midair and dived back at them, breathing a purple gas at them. “The trees…,” Ikuko gasped.
“It’s a poisonous gas!” Kenji shouted.
Usagi angrily got to her feet and faced the monster. “Now, I’m mad!” she shouted at her. “How dare you mess up our family trip!”
Kenji grabbed a thick tree branch and pointed it at the monster like a sword. “Don’t move, demon!” he declared. “I’ll take care of this,” he told the others, then turned back to the monster. “Don’t you dare touch my family!”
The monster turned and hissed as Kenji, causing his resolution to dwindle. He still held up the branch, but he slowly backed away from her. She hissed and swung at him with her claw, pinning him to the tree by his throat.
“Dad!” Usagi and Shingo shouted fearfully.
“Kenji!” Ikuko shouted fearfully.
Just before the monster was about to strike Kenji, a black rose flew past her face, causing her to halt abruptly and release him. He slid down to the ground as the monster turned to see who flung that rose at her.
“Kenji, are you all right?” Ikuko exclaimed as she rushed to his side.
Usagi and Shingo turned to see Tuxedo Kamen land a short distance away from them.
“Who’s the guy in the cape?” Shingo asked.
“He’s on our side, I think…,” Usagi told him uncertainly.
“You will not harm those who aren’t involved,” Tuxedo Kamen declared. The monster hissed and swung her tail at him, reducing a nearby tree to splinters. She looked up to see the Tuxedo Kamen had leaped over her attack.
“Are you okay?” Ikuko asked as she, Usagi, and Shingo hurried from the battle. Ikuko and Usagi were helping Kenji walk.
“My back hurts a little, but I’m fine,” he reassured them.
Usagi glanced back at Tuxedo Kamen. I wish I could go help you, Tuxedo Kamen-sama, but I can’t change right now.
“Run while you can,” Tuxedo Kamen taunted. The monster retorted by striking him with her tail, knocking him out of the air and hitting the ground hard. Usagi’s eyes widened in shock as she saw the monster close in on him.
“Hold it right there!” a voice shouted. The monster paused in its advance and turned to see who spoke.
“Sailor Venus!”
“Sailor Jupiter!”
“Sailor Mars!”
“Sailor Mercury!”
“Sailor Knight!”
“At your presence!” All five Sailor Scouts stood in a row before the monster, forming a line between her and Usagi’s family.
“Wow!” Shingo exclaimed excitedly. “The Sailor Warriors fighting for love and justice!”
That’s my line…, Usagi thought irritably.
“I want him back!” the monster screeched angrily, turning toward the newest threat.
“Shabon spray!” Mercury shouted, raising a thick mist, obscuring the monster’s view.
“Head that way!” Usagi said, leading her family away from the battle, then sneaking away from them.
“Stay close everyone!” Kenji shouted. “Don’t get lost!”
Be careful, everyone, Usagi thought as she watched her family disappear into the mist. “Moon prism power, make up!” she shouted, transforming into Sailor Moon.
“Hey, over here!” Sailor Moon shouted, clapping her hands together. The monster instantly turned toward her.
“You will not get away with terrorizing innocent tourists and disturbing my family trip,” Sailor Moon declared from the branch of the tree she had been standing beside earlier. “On behalf of the Moon, I’ll punish you!”
She leaped down from atop the tree branch and landed in front of the other Scouts. “You defended my family,” she said to Tuxedo Kamen. “You’re a good man after all. I’ve always loved you.”
The monster hissed and swung her tail at Sailor Moon, striking the ground in front of her.
“Sailor Moon!” Venus, Jupiter and Knight exclaimed worriedly.
“Crescent beam!”
“Supreme thunder!”
“Earth thrust!”
The three attacks combined into one and pounded into the monster, disintegrating her.
“Got it!” Jupiter said smugly.
Just as Jupiter spoke, the monster began to reform. She growled and hissed angrily at the Sailor Scouts.
“Or not…,” Knight amended, slightly puzzled.
“Our powers don’t work?” Venus said confusedly.
“Then, let me give it a try,” Sailor Moon declared. “Moon tiara action!” she shouted, flinging her tiara at the monster and disintegrating her. “Now, we got it.” But, once again, the monster reformed.
“That’s no fair!” Sailor Moon complained. “You can’t do that, you cheating youma!”
“Hmm…,” Mars said, as she clasped her hands together and began to divine the monster’s nature. “That’s not a youma. It’s an evil entity formed from an age-old jealousy. It’s definitely not from the Dark Kingdom.”
“That is correct,” Tuxedo Kamen stated. “I am responsible for awakening this ancient spirit. Leave this to me.”
“If it’s an entity, then it’s in my jurisdiction,” Mars replied, bringing out one of her anti-evil wards. “Purifying flame, exorcize and remove the spirit! Mars fireball charge! Evil spirit, begone!” she shouted, flinging the ward at the monster’s forehead, paralyzing it.
“Fire soul!” Mars shouted, causing a ring of fire to surround the monster.
“Wow…,” Sailor Moon uttered in surprise.
“Sailor Moon, now,” Mars told her.
Sailor Moon nodded and brought out her Crescent Moon Wand. “Moon healing escalation!” she shouted, rotating the wand in a large circle in front of her, ending above her head. As she held the wand above her head, a white glow emanated from the wand and covered the monster. In a flash of light, the monster reverted to the spirit of a young girl. The girl then began to rise into the sky.
“Now, she is ascending to Heaven after being released from the bonds of eternal jealousy,” Mars stated as she and the other Sailor Scouts watched her rise into the sky.
“So pretty…,” Sailor Moon breathed in awe.
The girl turned around and waved back to the Scouts in gratitude for being released from her captivity. As her gaze slid toward Tuxedo Kamen, she gave a start as she realized that he was that one who had released her from the lake in the first place and had tried to control her. He gave a small wave of his hand and a grin, signaling his farewell to her. She grinned and turned back toward the heavens, fading away with the light.
Sailor Moon and the other Scouts turned and faced Tuxedo Kamen. “Tuxedo Kamen-sama,” Sailor Moon called as she took a step toward him.
“I was tempted to say it was none of your business,” he coldly told them. “However, you will owe me one for this. Farewell.” He gathered his cape and leaped away.
“Wait!” Sailor Moon called, reaching out to where he stood before.
Kunzite appeared hovering among the trees with his arms folded, frowning in bewilderment. “He is such a strange fellow,” he muttered to himself and disappeared again.
“Well, Sailor Moon,” Knight said as he and the others changed back, “you should go find your family. They must be worried about you right now.”
Sailor Moon changed back as well. “Right,” she agreed, nodding. She ran a few steps, then paused. “By the way…,” she began, turning around.
“Later,” he told her, gesturing for her to go. She nodded and ran off.
“Come on, Ryo-chan,” Makoto pleaded. “Please?”
“It wouldn’t be the same without you here,” Rei added.
“Are you all sure?” he asked. Minako and Ami nodded their agreement.
“Very well,” he acquiesced and sighed. “I’ll stay, too. I suppose I could use a break as well.” The girls grinned. “Too bad I didn’t pack anything….”
“I already took care of that,” Makoto said. “Your things are in my bag with my things.”
Ryoku blinked in surprise, then shook his head in resignation and began to walk away. The others looked at him in surprise as he left. “Was it something I said?” she said to herself.
“Well?” he called over his shoulder without stopping. “Aren’t you coming to the cabin? Or, are you going to stand there all night?” The girls all exchanged a look and grinned again, then started after him.
“Usagi!” Ikuko, Kenji, and Shingo all called out, searching the forest for her.
“Usagi, where are you?” Ikuko called out.
“Answer us!” Kenji shouted.
“Sis!” Shingo yelled. “The monster must’ve gotten her,” he said sadly, sniffling. “I shouldn’t have been so mean to her….”
“That’s right,” Usagi said, popping up behind her little brother. “You shouldn’t.”
“Usagi!” everyone exclaimed at once with great relief. Usagi rushed up to her mother and gave her a big hug.
Usagi smiled at the sentiments. My brave dad, kind mom, and Shingo.… Well, he may be a pest, but he’s all right… sometimes. I love my family.
“This water feels great,” Rei said as she waded out toward the middle of the bathing pool. It was the same one Usagi and her family was using earlier. She and the others had given Usagi the good news that they were going to spend the weekend there with her and her family. They were all sharing the same cabin, not too far from Usagi’s.
After battling that last monster, the Scouts had all decided to relax in the warm waters of the bathing pool. Rei was now standing in the middle of the pool, looking up at the full moon. He hair was bound in a towel over her head, so as not to get wet. Ami and Minako were both immersed in the water up to their chests near one end of the pool, Minako’s hair also bound in a towel above her head. Makoto sat on the edge of the pool nearby, letting her feet dangle over the edge and into the water. Since her hair was bound in a ponytail near the top of her head, she didn’t need a towel to wrap her hair in. Usagi was leaning against the edge of the pool at the opposite end of the pool from everyone else, staring off into the sky at the full moon. She, too, was immersed up to her chest in water.
Ryoku was the only one not in the pool… well, not yet. His towel was wrapped around his waist as he sat on one of the few small boulders that had been placed around the pool for decoration – this one being the closest to the edge of the bathing pool. He had elected to wait until the girls were done with the pool before he would use it himself. The others had argued that since they were going to be in for quite a while, and since it was a mixed bathing pool, he might as well join them. Faced with the option of either being by himself for perhaps hours on end or joining his friends at the pool, he hesitantly joined them. But he still hadn’t gotten into the water yet. He told them that he would get in when he felt like it, which didn’t seem very likely, but at least they got him to join them.
Tuxedo Kamen-sama…, Usagi thought pensively to herself.
“Cheer up, Usagi-chan,” Makoto told her. “You’ve still got lots of chances.”
“I’m all right,” Usagi told them. “After all, I’ve got great friends like you. By the way,” she added, turning around toward them, “why are you all here?”
“Luna contacted us,” Ami told her as she and the others stood up in the pool. Ryoku turned from his moongazing and turned toward the girls in the pool.
“So we decided that…,” Rei began, grinning slyly.
“…we didn’t want you to…,” Minako continued, also grinning slyly. All of the girls started advancing toward her; Makoto from behind.
“…let you have all the fun!” Makoto finished as all four girls reached out at once and started dunking Usagi into the bathing pool, laughing playfully.
“Hey!” Usagi spluttered, trying to break free from her friends. Ryoku watched the amusing spectacle between the five girls and laughed so hard he fell off the boulder he was sitting on and tumbled into the bathing pool.
As one, all of the girls turned toward him, hearing the yelp he made as he fell off the boulder, combined with the splash he made hitting the water. “So, you finally decided to join us?” Makoto called as he stood up in the water, coughing and spluttering.
“Perhaps,” he replied, still coughing a little as he tossed his ponytail back over his shoulder and wiped the water from his face.
Usagi grinned mischievously and started whispering to Makoto. Then, she grinned and gathered the other girls into a huddle. Ryoku began eyeing them a little disconcertingly as they all turned toward him, each with the same mischievous grin Usagi and Makoto were wearing a while ago.
I don’t think I’m gonna like what they’re planning, he thought to himself. “What are you girls plotting?” he asked as he slowly backed away from them.
“You’ll see…,” Makoto told him playfully.
Uh-oh, Mako-chan’s using that tone of voice.… That’s exactly the same thing she said before she pulled that last embarrassing prank on me. I went through a whole month at Aosora Academy with practically one-third of the female students telling me I had a nice behind.
“I knew I shouldn’t have come,” he muttered as he was backed into the edge of the pool. “Now, you stay right there. Don’t you dare do what I think you’re gonna do.”
“Ready?” Makoto asked.
“Ready,” the others agreed.
“Uh-oh,” Ryoku muttered again.
To Chapter 36: The Shadows Return