A Night to Remember
Continued from Part 1...
Chapter 7:
"Now that we have the usual formalities out of the way, how about getting to know one another somewhat better" Michiru suggested afer settling into a loveseat beside her companion. The couples had finished their tour and were now relaxing in the living room of the mansion. "Usagi-chan, why don't you kick things off by telling Haruka and me something unique about yourself."
"There isn't much to say, Michiru-san. When I'm not Sailor Moon, I'm just an ordinary schoolgirl" the blonde replied. "With kind of bad grades" she admitted. "Oh, and a healthy appetite! But you already know about that part."
"There must be much more to your life than that, Usagi-chan. What's your very favourite thing in the world?"
"My Mamo-chan!" she grinned.
"I'm glad to hear that, Usako" Mamoru smiled. "I was worried you were going to choose food."
"That's my second favourite thing!" Usagi giggled. "Although evil Rei would probably tell you I've got those two backwards. Don't ever listen to anything she says, Michiru-san. She's rude to me and teases me all the time for no good reason!"
"How about you, Mako-chan?"
"My favourite? That's easy. My Yuji" the brunette answered at once. She gave her fiancee a loving smile. "Then comes cooking and gardening."
"I have five favourite things!" Minako chimed in. "My Taro, my Taro, my Taro, my Taro and... my Taro! In that order! And I love to drive fast too, so I guess that's six things" she giggled.
"I'm beginning to see a trend here, Michi-chan" Haruka chuckled. "Let's make this a touch more interesting. Usagi-chan, how about we pretend for a minute that you were like Michiru or me."
"Famous and successful musicians?" the younger blonde asked. "I wish!"
"That wasn't where I was going, but arigatou. What I meant was, if you weren't interested in boys, which girl here would you choose to be with? As a life partner."
"And as a lover" Michiru added.
Usagi stared at her hosts. "Nani? I'm not like that at all!"
"I know you're not. This is just for fun."
"Oh! Ok then. Hmm, tough question! Ask someone else first!"
"Sure. Ami-chan, how about you?"
The blue-haired girl promptly leaned forward, hiding her face behind her hands. "I can't possibly answer that kind of question, Haruka-san!"
"Sure you can" the blonde coaxed her. "Just pick one of the other four girls. It's a good way for Michiru and me to find out where everyone's tastes really lie."
"Well... if I absolutely had to choose a female..." Ami mused, "...it would be..." The shy girl nearly withered behind all the stares now focused on her. "...Mako-chan."
"Me?" The brunette's eyes sprung wide. "Ami-chan, I'm flattered!"
"Ohh!" Usagi groaned. "I was going to pick her!"
"Because of my cooking hobby, no doubt!" Makoto laughed.
"Of course that's why!" Usagi giggled. "But I'm only interested in my Mamo-chan, so sorry! Better luck next time, Mako-chan!"
"Ami-chan, would you mind giving us your reason for picking Makoto?"
Ami blushed even more. "I'd really rather not, Haruka-san. Oh dear, this is so embarrassing!"
"No problem." Haruka gracefully moved on. "Minako-chan?"
The bubbly blonde fidgeted on Taro's lap, tapping her lip in thought. "Hmm... I'd definitely have to pick Rei. Because that girl knows what it means to party! Just like she's doing upstairs with her lover boy right now!"
"Rei?" Usagi's face twisted into a horrified grimace. "Minako-chan, are you out of your mind?" She sat back and folded her arms. "I'd rather have a toothache! I'd rather jump off the top of the Tokyo Tower! I'd rather starve!"
"And that leaves Makoto" Michiru spoke, enjoying Haruka's little game immensely. "May I guess for you, Mako-chan? I think I know who you'd pick as your life partner and lover."
"You do?"
"You'd choose Ami."
"Hai. I would" the embarrassed brunette admitted. By now Ami's blush was nearly bright enough to illuminate a dark room. Makoto grinned, "I've always been a sucker for the shy intellectual type. And the blue hair is cute."
"Hey, no fair!" Usagi sulked. "Nobody picked me!"
Minako teased her, "Maybe Rei would have picked you if she was here!"
"Minako-chan!" Usagi yelled. "That was completely uncalled for! Now I'm going to have even more nightmares!"
"More nightmares, Usagi-chan?" Setsuna asked. "Do you have them often?"
"Not too often, Setsuna-san. But when I do, they're always really scary bad! And then I wake up and the room is all creepy and dark! Stupid, miserable dreams!"
"That is why they're called nightmares, Usako" Mamoru chuckled. "I must admit, I've had more than my share as well over the last few years. Particularly during the time Beryl was a threat."
"And good riddance to that wicked woman!" Usagi grumbled.
The group looked up when they heard a male voice gasp weakly from the hallway.
"...water..."
Kumada Yuuichirou staggered into the room, his hair disheveled, his torn shirt missing several buttons and hanging loose, and with a large pink bath towel wrapped around his waist like a skirt.
"Good grief!" Makoto blurted. "Are you ok, Yuuichirou-chan? You look like you're near death's door!"
"...need...water..." He slumped against the wall, breathing heavily.
"Excuse me a moment sweetheart." Taro squirmed out from beneath Minako and hurried to the kitchen. He soon hurried back with a full glass. "Here, Yuuichirou-chan. Drink this. It will help."
The young apprentice gulped it down before wobbling over to collapse on the floor with his back against the arm of a sofa.
"I told everyone Rei was lots of fun!" Minako laughed. "See? I was right!"
"Arigatou, Taro-chan" Yuuichirou uttered a week mumble. "You just saved my life."
"It's ok, Yuuichirou-chan" Taro said. "I know exactly how you feel."
"I bet you do, Taro-love!" his girl giggled. "And in another hour or so, you'll know it again! Oh yes you will, my big strong stud muffin!"
Yuji's grin was a mile wide. "Back to the tomb you go, Indiana Taro!"
His brother shot him a playful glare and opened his mouth to reply but before he could speak, a familiar sixteen-year-old miko's melodic voice called alluringly from the top of the stairs. "I'm waiting for you, Yuuichirou-chan! Let's not waste another minute of our night together. A night so filled with pleasurable possibilities! Come back to your Rei, you hot, sexy lover boy!"
"That weird cocktail must really pack a punch!" Makoto grinned at Ami.
Yuuichirou struggled but failed to raise his fatigued body from the floor. He mumbled, "Minna, could someone please give me a hand up? Arigatou."
Taro helped him to his feet and guided the exhausted teen towards the hall. "Can you make it upstairs on your own?"
"I... think so." He looked at the other boy through glazed, unfocused eyes. "Taro-chan?"
"Yes, Yuuichirou-chan?"
"If I don't survive the night... please give Hino-sensei my best regards." He slowly staggered off and Taro returned to his seat.
"Now that's what I call a night to remember!" Minako beamed at her fiancee. She slipped her arms around him. "And later on, our very own personal party will be almost as wild as Rei and Yuuichirou's, sugar muffin!"
"You should consider saving some of that energy for your drive tomorrow, Minako-chan" Haruka reminded her. "It's a good thing you said you knew your way around a stick shift, otherwise we'd probably never leave the garage."
"I will!" the bubbly blonde promised. "When are we planning on going out, Haruka-san?"
"Michiru and I are both late sleepers on the weekend, so perhaps sometime after ten."
"And a deep sleeper you are too, Haruka" Michiru smiled at her lover. She told the couples, "When my partner finally falls asleep at night, nothing less than a major earthquake could awaken her."
"That's entirely your fault, Michi-chan" Haruka teased her mate.
Minako abruptly bolted from Taro's lap and scurried behind the love seat Ami and Ryo were sitting on. She stuck her head between them and frantically whispered to Ami, "Can we talk for a minute, Ami-chan? Not here, out in the hall where it's more private!"
"Of course, Minako-chan." The blue-haired girl excused herself from her fiancee and followed her friend from the room.
"Ami-chan, I'm in big trouble!" the panicked blonde exclaimed.
"Oh? What's wrong?"
"I don't have the first clue about that clutch and gear stick thingy! My car is automatic! Please oh please tell me what to do!" she pleaded. "I really want to drive that Ferrari! I need to drive it!"
"My car is an automatic as well, Minako-chan. And so is Rei's Mercedes, Mamoru's car and the shrine's van. I understand the theory behind manually changing gears, but I've never actually done so before."
"Then teach me everything you remember from those boring lectures I slept through in driving class" Minako insisted. "I need all the help I can get!"
"Well... I'll give it a try." Ami began explaining the concept, but was temporarily interrupted by her miko friend's sultry voice from the second floor.
"There you are, Yuuichirou-chan! It's not nice to keep your lover waiting so long, you bad boy! Now I'll have to punish you for your tardiness. So get into bed!"
"Oh dear!" Ami gasped. "Poor Yuuichirou!"
"Don't pay them any attention" Minako hissed. "Just keep talking!"
In the living room, Ryo found himself wondering what the relationship could be between his longed-for wedding to Ami, and the horrible misfortune Setsuna had warned about. His mind sifted through possibilities while the two brothers from Nerima continued teasing each other.
"If you need any help later, Taro-chan, I'll be glad to send first aid. Oh, wait!" Yuji exclaimed. "You won't need first aid, will you? Not with your very own Nurse Minako in the house!"
"Just for that, the next time you hurt yourself playing sports at school, I'm going to make sure Nurse Minako takes care of your recovery" Taro grinned.
"Nani? Be reasonable, Taro-chan! I'm too young to die!" He added with a smirk, "By the way, where do you keep your whip, Indiana?"
"If anyone's going to be using a whip around here tonight, it'll be Rei-chan" Makoto chuckled. She instantly blushed at her own words. "I can't believe I just said that out loud!"
"Mako-chan, lately you're acting almost as ecchi as Minako!" Usagi giggled. "It must be all that time you spend in your kitchen. Or going on those outdoor hikes with your Yuji! He he! Oh! Speaking of which, are you sure you really don't mind if I visit your kitchen during the night, Haruka-san?"
"Not at all, Usagi-chan. Help yourself to whatever you wish."
Usagi grinned happily at the tall blonde. "I like you!"
"Minna, I'm aware of how everyone enjoys teasing Usagi about her legendary appetite, but there is a very good reason behind it" Setsuna informed the group. "It's simply because of the unique powers that dwell within her. They consume so much of her natural energy that she has to constantly replenish herself."
"Ha!" Usagi leapt to her feet, blurting "And everyone thought I always eat so much because I'm a greedy glutton!" She waggled her finger at the other teens. "Shame on you all!"
"That does explain why you never seem to gain any weight, Usagi-chan" Makoto remarked as Minako and Ami returned to the living room. "Well, that plus all the exercise you get with Mamoru." Her blush instantly returned. "What in the world has gotten into me tonight?"
"I know what's getting into you later!" Minako tittered as she walked up to her.
Daggers sprang from the brunette's green eyes. "Just once I'd like to hear you say something tactful, Minako-chan. Just one time! Can you manage doing me that one small favour?"
"Gomen! I'll try." The blonde stooped to whisper in Makoto's ear, "In the meantime, could you do me a favour, Mako-chan? A really, really, really big one?"
"I shouldn't, not after what you just blathered out loud in front of everyone" the brunette grumbled. "What kind of favour?"
"Can't say anything now" Minako softly hissed, her blue eyes darting shiftily from side to side. "I have to tell you down here in the living room at three A.M.."
Makoto glared at her. "Three in the morning?"
"Sshhh! Keep your voice down!"
"Forget it! This sounds like yet another one of your crazy ideas, Minako-chan. I don't want any part in it."
"Please?"
"No."
"Pleeeeease? I promise I'll never ever ask you for another favour ever again! And I won't mention that beach love-love time you and Yuji had ever again either."
The brunette sighed deeply. "Fine. I'll be here at three. But I hope you have a good reason to get me out of bed at that ridiculous hour!"
"Oh, I do!" Minako giggled. "A very good reason! Arigatou, Mako-chan!" She scurried away to her love's waiting lap with a big smile on her face.
'What have I just gotten myself into?' Makoto wondered.
Chapter 8:
Ito Taro's eyes blinked open in the pitch-black room after the bedside clock had beeped twice. The blonde girl who had been dozing comfortably upon him jolted awake and smacked the clock into silence.
"Sshhh!" Minako hissed at it.
"What time is it, sweetheart?" the boy asked in a sleep-filled daze. "It still looks really dark."
"That's because it's the middle of the night, silly!" his fiancee giggled. "I have to get up for a little while, but you stay right there and rest awhile, honey muffin. I'll be back soon and wake you up for more love-love fun!"
"Hai... rest..." Taro mumbled. The still-exhausted teen drifted back to sleep mere seconds after the girl had climbed off his well-built frame. Minako slipped into her school uniform, not having had time to change to regular clothes before she and Makoto had driven to Nerima the prior afternoon to pick up their fiancees. She clipped her red bow in her hair and cautiously opened her bedroom door. A face appeared in the gloom beyond.
"Ahhh! Usagi-chan, don't scare me like that!"
"You scared me, Minako-chan!" The odango-haired girl's arms were heavily laden with assorted junk food. "Why are you awake now?" she asked suspiciously. "It's really late!"
"Never mind why. Go on back to your Mamoru and pretend you never saw me here, ok?"
"That's exactly what I was planning on doing" Usagi miffed. She continued down the hall with her gigantic late-night snack and disappeared from sight.
Minako tiptoed downstairs after passing Rei's bedroom, hearing nothing but silence from within. 'I guess that party's finally over!' she giggled to herself. Groping her way along the unfamiliar hall, she eventually arrived at the living room a minute after three.
"No! Mako-chan didn't show up!" she groaned.
"I'm here." A table lamp clicked on, revealing her brunette friend sitting on the sofa in mid-yawn. "I left my Yuji and my nice warm bed to do this favour of yours, so it had better be good, Minako-chan. Now talk."
Minako gestured toward the hall, "Turn off the light and follow me, Mako-chan. We need to find our shoes."
"We're going outside?"
"Hai. And don't make any noise!"
"Why on earth are we-"
"Sshhhh! You'll know in a minute."
Makoto reluctantly followed her friend to the front door and the teens pulled on their school dress shoes before stepping out into the night. The brunette watched Minako ease the door gently closed behind them, then peer upward. "Perfect!" the blonde cackled softly. "No rain!"
"Ok, we're outside. Now would you mind telling me why we're here?"
"In a minute, Mako-chan. I want to make sure the house is still dark and everyone else is asleep first."
"I wish I was still asleep" Makoto grumbled. She followed her friend around the front of the house, only to have Minako abruptly freeze solid.
"Chikusho!" the girl hissed. "Someone's out on the balcony!"
They crept closer, only to find that the person above them was Rei. "This is big trouble!" Minako groaned. Both teens were stunned when Rei spotted them in the shadows and instead of yelling at them, she waved happily.
"Hi!" To the girls' surprise, the miko greeted them with a big smile and another enthusiastic wave. "Konnichiwa! Such a beautiful night, isn't it ladies? The perfect night for love!"
"Rei is still acting kinda weird" Makoto hissed at her companion. "That cocktail mustn't have worn off yet."
"Good!" Minako breathed a sigh of relief. "Rei-chan, what are you doing out here at this hour?"
"Me?" the miko asked with an uncharacteristic giggle that made her sound exactly like Minako. "I need to let my lover boy rest a while to recharge himself again. So I thought I'd get a little fresh air while I wait."
"Speaking of which" Makoto muttered, "I wonder if Yuuichirou is still alive?"
"Why are you two down there?" Rei asked. She giggled again, "Mako-chan! Did Minako just catch you and Yuji romping around on the lawn? This isn't Hawaii, you know! You naughty, naughty girl!"
"No!" the brunette blurted. "Yuji is still upstairs in bed!"
"Oh. That's a good place to keep him!" the still-inebriated girl laughed. "That way, you won't get any grass in your ponytail!"
Makoto glared angrily at Minako. "Is this why I'm here? So you and Rei could embarrass me again?"
"No, Mako-chan! I didn't know she'd still be awake." The blonde begged, "Rei-chan, please don't tell anyone you saw us out here tonight, ok?"
"Why would I do that?" the miko wondered. "I have much better things on my mind, Minako-chan! Speaking of which" she added, turning away from the girls. "My Yuuichirou has had more than enough rest by now. Minna, see you later!"
"Rei is still spaced out and I'm getting more confused by the minute, Minako-chan. When are you finally going to tell me what's going on?" The brunette followed Minako around the corner of the mansion and suddenly realized what her friend had in mind. "Please tell me you aren't going to do something to mess with Haruka's fancy car!"
"Does... driving it count?" Minako asked innocently.
Makoto was horrified. "Are you mad?" she screamed. "If Haruka ever finds out what you were up to down here tonight, she'll kill you! And not only that, taking someone's car without permission is stealing!"
"It's not stealing, silly! Haruka already told me I could drive it. I'm just going for my first Ferrari ride a little earlier than we planned, that's all."
"If she wakes up and her car is missing-"
"Haruka will never know, Mako-chan" Minako answered with an evil giggle. "Michiru told us how deeply she sleeps, so that won't be a problem. I've already thought of everything else, and that's where you come in."
"Oh no you don't, no way!" Makoto took a step back. "I'm not getting mixed up in this disaster!"
"But you promised!" Minako sulked. "Anyway, the only teeny tiny little thing I need you to do is to help me push the car back inside the garage after my ride is over. You're the strongest girl in our group so between the two of us, it should be as easy as pie! I'm sure I can drive it, but I'm not very good at backing up or parking and I don't want to hit anything."
"I'd like to hit something right now" Makoto growled threateningly. "I'd like to a lot!"
"Don't be such a stick in the mud, Mako-chan!" the blonde groaned. "Look, if I wait until morning and Haruka finds out I'm not very experienced with silly clutches and things, she won't let me drive. This way, I can get in a little practice tonight and be perfect on my official drive later! Besides" she added with a dismissive wave, "a car is a car. I drove that big Cadillac in Hawaii and it was easy, so how hard could this possibly be?"
"I knew something like this was going to happen" Makoto muttered. "So what am I supposed to do, just stand around out here waiting for you to come back? What if you have a problem and get a flat tire or run out of gas or something?"
"That's why I'd so appreciate it if you came along with me. Would you?" Minako asked with her sweetest smile. "Just in case I get lost. We're not only very best friends, we're future sisters-in-law, remember?"
"I wish I could forget."
Minako held up crossed fingers. "I promise to drive really, really slowly and not go very far. I'll have you back safe and sound and snuggling with your Yuji in just ten minutes or so. Please?"
Against her better judgement, Makoto found herself nodding. "Ok. I suppose someone should go with you, if it means you stay safe. I don't want you to kill yourself."
"That's the spirit, Mako-chan!" Minako beamed. "The car key is hidden under a bench. I'll find it and we can hit the road!"
"Just make sure the road is the only thing we hit, Minako-chan!" Beneath a starry sky, the two girls slipped quietly inside the carport.
Chapter 9:
On the mansion's second floor, a small gap in the curtain covering an unlit bedroom window drew closed. Haruka turned away from the window with a satisfied grin. "Just as I suspected" she chuckled.
"Your assumption was correct?" Michiru asked from their bed. "Minako is taking the Ferrari for a joyride?"
"Hai. Minako is painfully easy to read, Michi-chan. And she has Makoto with her, which I have to admit is a surprise. I wonder how Minako talked her into going."
"Shouldn't you stop them, Haruka? I certainly wouldn't want the girls getting themselves lost or injured."
"They'll be fine. I've seen enough of Minako's driving to have a reasonable idea about what she can do. She's a little wild, but has a good sense of control."
"Are you sure?"
"Pretty much. Anyway, the streets are nearly empty at this hour, that Ferrari is an older, slower model and my racing sponsor is exchanging it for another one when the new models arrive next month, so I'm not concerned about it picking up a scratch or two." Haruka sat on their bed. "I remember my first time" she reflected fondly.
"Your first time? Doing what, exactly?"
"I'm talking about my first time driving a sports car, Michi-chan" her partner grinned. "What were you thinking I meant?"
"Oh... any of several possibilities" Michiru smiled. "Are you going to stay awake until they return?"
"No, as a matter of fact I'm feeling rather sleepy." Haruka stretched her tall, trim body out on the bed beside her lover. "Wake me if anything interesting happens."
. . . . .
Back at the carport, Minako was getting flustered as she groped beneath the bench for the key. "Where did Haruka hide that stupid thing? It's too dark to see!"
"If you can't find the key in one more minute, I'm going straight back to bed, Minako-chan. This insane plan of yours is something I can happily live without."
"Aha! Got it!" the blonde suddenly blurted to Makoto's deep dismay. She dangled the key between her fingers. "I'll unlock your door for you and then we're zooming straight out of here. In a Ferrari!" she swooned.
"And likely zooming straight to the hospital in an ambulance five minutes later" Makoto muttered. She stooped down to climb into the passenger seat. "Why is this thing so low?"
"All sports cars are like that, Mako-chan. Maybe it makes them faster or something, I don't know." The blonde excitedly hopped behind the wheel. "I've been dreaming about this moment for weeks!"
"And I'll be having nightmares about it for years, no doubt. If we manage to live through tonight. Do you know how to get it going?"
"I think so." After a moment of fumbling in the dark, the powerful engine rumbled to life, much to the blonde girl's delight. "Wow! This thing sounds really fast and we aren't even moving yet! Fasten your seatbelt good and tight, Mako-chan!"
"If I fastened it any tighter, I'd suffocate. And turn on the lights if you don't mind! I want to see what we're going to crash into."
"Silly! We won't crash. I know what I'm doing... I think..."
"You think?" Makoto glared at her.
Minako pushed a random button and the windshield wipers rubbed across the dry glass. "That isn't it" the blonde muttered. Next came the flashing hazard lights. "Hmm... that isn't the right one either." After repeated poking and prodding, she finally found the correct switch and the front of the carport was bathed in twin beams of light. "There, that's got it!" she bubbled at her friend.
"I'm impressed, Minako-chan. All that fiddling around and we haven't even left the garage yet."
"Hush, Mako-chan! I need to remember what Ami told me. It sounded kind of complicated." With her brow furrowed in intense concentration, she released the hand brake and partially depressed the clutch. "Next, Ami said I'm supposed to put it in first gear." She pointed at the stick between them. "That's the spot marked with the number one, Mako-chan."
"No kidding. Looks like Haruna-sensei's math classes are finally paying off for you."
Minako wiggled the shifter to one side and pushed it forward, producing a sharp metallic grind from somewhere beneath. "Oops! I guess I needed to push that clutch thingy all the way down." She tried again and the car slipped into gear. "There! Much better! Ready to roll?" she grinned. "Because here we go!"
She released the clutch too quickly and the car jolted forward a few inches before promptly stalling. "Nani? What's wrong with this crazy thing? We should be cruising down the street by now!"
"Maybe there's a loose nut" Makoto suggested to her friend. "Like the blonde one sitting behind the wheel."
"Hmph! Let me try it again, only this time I'll speed the engine up a little." Minako's hands and feet became a blur of activity as a flurry of still more frantic gearshift wiggling, key turning and clutch pressing followed.
"Good grief!" Makoto scoffed at the spectacle. "If we were trying to get to Nerima, we could've taken the bus there by now!"
The blonde exclaimed, "Here we go! Again! He he!" followed an instant later by a second lurching stall.
"Another dozen or so of those and we may actually make it out to the driveway" the brunette teased. "Listen, maybe you should give up and wait until-"
"No!" Minako hissed. "I'm driving this stupid car tonight even if it kills us!"
"Us? What a pleasant thought" Makoto sighed.
This time, the flustered girl at the wheel was determined to get the car rolling. She slammed the clutch down, viciously shoved the stick into low gear and stomped on the accelerator. The Ferrari shot out of the garage with a squeal of spinning tires.
"Baka! Not so fast!" Makoto gripped the armrest for dear life as the street quickly loomed near.
"Now I know how to drive this thing!" Minako hooted in triumph. She spun the steering wheel and the sports car turned onto the deserted road. "I was being way too gentle, Mako-chan. But not anymore!" she cackled. "I'm going to show this car who's really in charge! Me, that's who!" Minako gunned the engine harder, pressing the teens back into their seats. "Wheee!" she blurted above the engine's roar."I so love this! I'm driving a Ferrari!"
"You're suicidal! That's what you are!"
. . . . .
Inside the house, a bedside light clicked on and Ami got up to peer through her window. "Goodness! Someone's making a dreadful amount of noise at this late hour, Ryo-kun!"
"Hai. I'm certainly wide awake now, Ami darling" her fiancee laughed.
Ami spun around. "You are?"
"Hai. Competely awake!"
"So am I" she smiled coyly. "What an excellent opportunity for a little more... studying, don't you agree?"
Ryo shyly blushed. "Most definitely, my love."
. . . . .
"I'm going to die" Makoto groaned. "Here in this strange yellow car with a completely insane person at the wheel!"
"No you're not, silly!" Minako insisted. "After we stop at the bottom of the hill, we'll drive a few kilometers on that bigger road that leads out of town, then we'll turn around and come back."
"You promise? Just a few kilometers?"
"Well... maybe more than a few, Mako-chan. I haven't even tried second gear yet. I want to see how fast this thing can really fly!"
"Goodbye, Yuji honey. I love you."
"Stop that!" The blonde braked to a jarring halt at the intersection, stalling the car again. "I'm beginning to get really angry with this thing!" She restarted the engine and once more they set off. After a multitude of lurches and grinds, the blonde finally found second gear. "Stall on me, will you? Take this!" She accelerated hard, pinning the girls against their seats yet again and flattening Makoto's ponytail as they sped down the thankfully deserted street.
Minako was quickly becoming obsessed with the feel of driving the yellow sports car. "I could do this all day, Mako-chan!" Her hand reached for the shift lever. "And now... for third!"
"Third? How high does that stick go up to?"
"I can't remember, but third should be enough, at least for now."
"One was more than enough for me, thanks. I don't want any third. And don't you dare think of going to four, Minako-chan!"
Minako wasn't listening to the brunette. "Such power!" she breathed. "It's so intoxicating! I want more. I need more!" A wild gleam of speed-induced lust filled her shimmering blue eyes and she pressed the pedal all the way down. "I need all of it!"
Makoto snapped, "Slow down, you baka! Driving this car is making you behave as crazy as drinking that cocktail made Rei!"
"We all have our weaknesses, Mako-chan!" Minako laughed as the scenery blurred past.
"Why on earth did I agree to this again?" Makoto asked herself. "Yuji and Taro are going to marry two certifiable lunatics! At least they will be if we're still around for our weddings!"
Chapter 10:
Five minutes later...
"Gomen, Mako-chan" Minako giggled, smiling nervously at the furious brunette sitting beside her. "Are you mad at me? You look mad, but you really shouldn't be mad, because I stopped the car-"
"Hai!" Makoto cut her off. "You stopped the car! In the middle of a farmer's field! BAKA!"
"How was I supposed to know that silly road would end so suddenly? I've never been out here before and-"
"Shut up, Minako-chan. Shut up and take this thing back to the garage it came from. And never speak about tonight to me ever again!"
"Ok, ok! You don't need to yell about it." Minako started the engine for the tenth time in the last half hour, wrenched the stick shift into reverse and slowly eased backwards, following the skid marks she had gouged on the way in. They reversed across the field, past the road sign they had nearly knocked down, over the curb and onto the street. "Before we go back to the house I really should check for damage, Mako-chan."
Makoto folded her arms in disgust. "Fine. Whatever."
The blonde clambered out and ran to the front of the Ferrari, only to hurry up to Makoto's door a few seconds later.
"Well?" Makoto growled. "Did you wreck Haruka's car?"
"Of course not, silly! Everything is completely, perfectly fine! Except for some weeds or something wedged behind the front bumper. Would you mind helping me get them out?"
"You put them there. You clean them off."
"There's too many!" Minako pleaded. "It will take me forever! I'd consider it a big favour, Mako-chan."
"You say favour just one more time and you're-"
"Please please please!"
"When will I ever learn?" Muttering to herself, the brunette climbed from the yellow Ferrari and stomped up to peer at the bumper. A rising full moon in the east cast just enough light for her to see the collection of grass, sod and what looked like a long row of decapitated carrot tops mushed against it. She fished several tissues from her pocket and bent to the task. "Don't just stand there like an idiot, Minako-chan. Get down here on your knees and start cleaning!"
"Hai! I'm on it! Arigatou, Mako-chan!"
The girls set to work, and the car soon miraculously appeared none the worse for wear. "That'll have to do" Makoto grumbled. "Now take us home, and go at a reasonable speed this time."
"I can do that!" Minako nodded. "Nice and slow, just like Usagi drives! Well, not that slow."
After they had started off, Makoto placed her hand around Minako's bare arm. "Ok, this is how it works. I'll be watching you closely, and every time you go too fast during the drive back, I'm going to squeeze your arm. Like this."
"Ouch!"
"Understand? Good."
Minako managed to travel scarcely a hundred meters before her right foot yielded to temptation.
"Ow!"
"Slow down."
"Hai!" she giggled. "Slowing down!" Another two hundred meters passed by.
"Ouch! That hurts, Mako-chan!"
"You know the rules."
"What if I get a bruise on my soft, beautiful skin?"
"Consider yourself lucky you still have skin. Or an arm."
"Hai" she sighed, but the frown disappeared as she drove and her bubbly personality soon returned. "You have to admit it, Mako-chan. This was a lot of fun. I love driving this car! And in another six hours I'll get to do it all over again!"
"Try not to drive Haruka into another field or through a department store window next time you go out. I don't think she'd appreciate it."
"That's what I love about you, my someday soon to be sister-in-law! Your silly sense of humour! Ouch!"
. . . . .
Minako slowly backed the Ferrari up to the carport and switched off its engine. "I'm not getting any closer, Mako-chan. We'll have to push it inside from here."
The brunette scowled, "I forgot about that! First you nearly wrecked us, then I got to crawl around in the dirt on my hands and knees in the middle of the night, and now I get to push a heavy car. I haven't had this much fun since the last time a cardian tried to kill me. How could today possibly get any worse? Unless Yuji ran off with Michiru while we were gone or something."
"Well... uh... you could've drank one of those cocktails Rei had tonight" Minako suggested. "That would be worse."
"At least Rei enjoyed herself!" Makoto hissed back. She placed her hands on the front of the Ferrari. "Are the wheels pointing straight? I don't want this thing to end up on the lawn."
"Hai! It should roll right in, Mako-chan." The blonde joined her and they both began to shove but the car stubbornly sat there, completely immobile.
"Uuggh! This thing must weigh more than Juuban High!" the brunette grunted, her shoes skidding across the driveway. She pushed even harder. "It's not budging, Minako-chan!"
"Oh, hold on a minute! Let me check something." Minako reached inside and moved a lever. "Gomen! I put the parking brake on by mistake! He he he!"
"One of these days, Minako-chan. One of these days I'm going to lose it. And it won't be by mistake."
Minako teased, "I thought you lost it ages ago, when Yuji and Taro stayed over at your house that night?" She giggled, "That's when I did!"
Makoto's voice became as chilling as winter in Siberia. "Shut. Up. And. Push."
This time the car rolled backwards into the garage, much to the teens' relief. Minako reached into her pocket for the key as Makoto walked past the driver's door. "Mako-chan, I left the key in the ignition. Would you mind pulling it out for me so I can hide it again? And set the handbrake too, please."
"Would you also care for a massage or a foot rub after your gruelling night, Minako-chan?"
"I would, but that's my honey muffin's job!" the blonde grinned. "He'll do that later."
Still muttering, Makoto pulled open the driver's door and reached inside, yanking the handbrake on. Just as she removed the key from the ignition, the shrill sound of a fast-approaching siren pierced the night.
. . . . .
The siren soon woke the blue-haired girl and her fiancee on the second floor. "Oh my!" Ami exclaimed. "This is a surprisingly noisy neighbourhood!" The siren's blare grew louder and her bedroom window began to flicker from a flashing emergency light somewhere nearby.
Ryo smiled shyly at his girl in the near darkness. "I'm wide awake again, Ami darling."
"So am I, my Ryo-kun."
"Would you... like to..."
She smiled coyly at her young lover. "Oh yes."
. . . . .
Makoto sprang from the car like it was about to explode. "Great, Minako-chan! Now you have the police after us for speeding so much! Baka!"
"Give me that key, Mako-chan!" Minako hissed. "I have to put it back so Haruka can find it in the morning!"
"Here. I guess we should go and tell..." The emergency vehicle pulled swiftly up the driveway and braked near the house. Makoto caught a brief glimpse as it roared passed the carport. "Minako-chan! That's not the police! It looks more like... an ambulance!"
The two girls looked at each other in horror, then spoke as one. "Yuuichirou is dead!"
They rushed outside but were even more surprised when they realized the vehicle was a fire truck. The front door burst open and Tsukino Usagi ran outside in her robe, gesturing frantically at the men. "Minna! It's in the kitchen!"
Two firemen grabbed large silver extinguishers from the truck and ran inside as lights began flickering on upstairs.
"Usagi-chan!" Makoto yelled as the two girls ran up. "What's happening here?"
The words gushed from the distraught girl's lips in an unbroken stream. "I was still hungry and I went downstairs to heat up some food in the toaster oven but then lots of smoke poured out of it and I thought I saw flames and so I called the fire department!" She took a deep breath. "And now they're here and they're going to wake everyone up and Haruka and Michiru will be so mad at me if I burn down their nice house!"
"Wait here with Minako. I'm going to see how bad it is." Makoto sprinted towards the door, stopping just inside when one of the men appeared.
The fireman held up a small blackened container. "There's no fire, miss. Someone put a cardboard box in the toaster oven and it got a little singed. Everything's fine now."
Makoto bowed at him. "Arigatou gozumaisu."
Michiru came hurrying downstairs, still appearing graceful in her silk gown despite her haste. "Mako-chan?"
"Usagi was cooking again, Michiru-san. There's no fire, everything's good."
"Was Usagi hurt?" the green-haired young woman asked.
"Only her pride" Makoto chuckled. "Don't worry about the kitchen. I'll air it out for you and clean up any mess. Please, go on back to bed."
Michiru smiled appreciatively. "Arigatou, Mako-chan."
Mamoru was next to appear. "Minna, what's hap-"
"Usagi. Cooking. All good now, Mamoru-san." The brunette added, "She's outside and really stressed."
"I'll take care of her. Arigatou, Mako-chan."
'I'm starting to feel like a traffic policeman' the brunette thought. 'What a crazy night!' She was then stunned to see Rei appear at the top of the stairs, bundled in her yukata and with a deeply worried look on her face. 'Oh oh. Looks like that cocktail has finally worn off!'
Chapter 11:
The miko also hurried downstairs to join the brunette. "Was there a fire, Mako-chan?"
"Usagi and a toaster oven had a slight disagreement, Rei-chan. Nothing to worry about" Makoto told her friend, wondering if the effects of Rei's earlier drink had finally cleared. She decided to find out. "So... um... how's everything going... you know... upstairs?
"Upstairs?" the raven-haired girl puzzled. "Everything's fine, Mako-chan. Why wouldn't it be?"
"You don't remember the last few hours? That cocktail? Or the effect it had on you?"
"I don't..." Rei thought for a moment and her face suddenly turned crimson.
"Now you do!" Makoto chuckled. The brunette grinned evilly. "Does Yuuichirou still have a pulse?"
The miko's pretty face reddened even more. "Yuuichirou is asleep, Mako-chan. And I was too, until that siren woke me."
Usagi unfortunately picked that moment to reenter the house, along with Mamoru and Minako. "Hi, Rei-chan! What are you doing up?" She teased, "Taking a break from attacking your poor fiancee?"
"Excuse me?" the miko scowled. "What's wrong this time, Usagi-chan? Were you afraid everyone would have a good night's rest for once? That just wouldn't do, would it?" Usagi cringed as Rei defensively launched into full-on rant mode. "Tell me, what are you going to arrange for everyone's entertainment after we all go back to bed? A taiko drum practice outside my bedroom window, perhaps? Or maybe a nice loud fireworks display?"
'Sounds like the old Rei is back' Makoto chuckled to herself. 'And then some!'
"I'm having a fireworks display!" Minako exclaimed. "A private one just between my Taro and me, that'll start as soon as I go upstairs and rev up my honey love's engine!"
The brunette muttered, "Haven't you revved up enough things for one night, Minako-chan?"
"Not yet!" the blonde giggled. "That car ride was only the beginning of tonight's fun. Now it's time to see what my lover boy can really do after he's had a whole hour of sleep!"
"Car ride? What car ride?" The miko regarded the clothing the future sisters-in-law wore. "Why are you two down here and fully dressed in your school fuku in the middle of the night? And why aren't your fiancees with you?"
"We... uh... felt like a cup of tea, Rei-chan" Makoto mumbled.
"Hai!" Minako giggled. "A really fast cup!" She swooned, "Just thinking about it makes me so steamy hot!"
Rei ignored the blonde's seemingly nonsensical reply. "Oh, tea! But of course. That makes perfect sense, Mako-chan. Too bad you and baka Minako didn't bring kimonos along, or you could have performed the full ceremony." She gave the brunette a suspicious look. "What was really going on outside earlier?"
"If you must know, we were... uh... picking carrots, Rei-chan."
"Nani? Carrots? That makes even less sense than Minako's usual babblings!"
Usagi tried discreetly retreating to the kitchen, but Rei noticed and dogged along behind her, interrogating the blonde as she went. "You were cooking again, weren't you Usagi-chan? I know, because I can smell something burning. And the firemen were a helpful clue too."
"For your information, I was only trying to-"
"Trying to make Haruka and Michiru homeless? Too bad, Usagi-chan. Better luck next time."
"Quiet, Rei-chan! Shouldn't you be upstairs torturing your Yuuichirou instead of down here torturing me?"
The raven-haired girl's deepening blush nearly equalled the crimson yukata she wore. "I was not torturing my Yuuichirou! We were just doing what comes naturally between a girl and a boy in love, that's all! How dare you say that!"
Makoto and Minako followed the bickering pair into the kitchen. The brunette was pleased to find that the windows were already opened and the charred cardboard smell was all but gone.
Seeing that all was well, Minako suddenly exclaimed, "Minna, see you in the morning!" She sprinted toward the stairs. "I'm on my way, stud muffin! It's love-love time again!"
Rei glared at Usagi, who was peering at the toaster oven with deep distrust. "So what did you destroy this time?"
Usagi whirled around. "You know what? I liked you a lot more after you drank that crazy cocktail thing earlier! Because then you weren't down here nagging me half to death!"
"And I liked you a lot more then too, Usagi-chan! "Because I didn't have to listen to any more lame excuses for your latest disaster! I swear, you wreck havoc on everything you touch. You could probably burn down a house just by eating a bowl of ice cream!"
"Miserable!" Usagi miffed. She took her fiancee's hand and dragged him away. "Come on, Mamo-chan. Let's go upstairs before evil Rei insults me again."
"It's not an insult if it's true!" the miko yelled after her. "Where are you going? Don't you dare walk away! I'm not done yelling at you yet! Baka!"
"What a night" Makoto sighed.
. . . . .
The brunette and her fiancee were the first couple downstairs in the morning. While Yuji set to work brewing a large pot of coffee, Makoto took the liberty of preparing a light breakfast for them and their friends. "Yuji honey, I think what happened here last night was something Haruka and Michiru's famous parties will never top. Oh, please make that coffee extra strong. Yuuichirou may need it!"
"I can't believe Minako actually snuck out in the middle of the night and drove Haruka's Ferrari" he grinned. "And you were brave enough to go with her!"
"Did she ever! It takes an awful lot to scare me, but once again Minako managed to pull it off. She drove the life out of that poor car!" Makoto cracked several eggs into a large wok. "I suppose we should be grateful that Minako didn't try that cocktail, or instead of riding around in Haruka's Ferrari, they'd be wheeling your brother out of here on a stretcher."
"More like in a body bag!" Yuji laughed. He turned at the sound of approaching footsteps. "Konnichiwa, love birds!"
Ami and Ryo strolled into the kitchen, their happy faces aglow with love. "Good morning!" Ami greeted them with a bright smile. "Minna, did anyone else hear those odd noises or notice any flashing lights last night? They awoke my Ryo-kun and me several times."
"Noise? Lights?" Makoto mumbled. "Oh, you must mean the fire truck! Hai, I noticed it, Ami-chan. It was kind of hard to miss, sitting there in the driveway."
"A fire truck was here?" Ami gasped. "Why? Was it by any chance because of Usagi?"
"Hai. Usagi" the chuckling blonde nodded. "The master chef was at it again. Did the other noise really bother you?"
"Well... it wasn't exactly an inconvenience, Mako-chan" the blue-haired girl admitted shyly.
"Say no more" Makoto grinned. "You two will find any excuse to do more studying."
"Mako-chan!" Ami reddened. "Are my Ryo-kun and I really that predictable?"
"Was I wrong?"
"No" she blushed. "You weren't wrong."
"Then you're that predictable. Here, have a coffee."
A sniffing sound was instantly followed by Usagi and Mamoru entering the kitchen. "Something smells yummy!" the blonde exclaimed. She spied the wok and rushed over to it. "Arigatou, Mako-chan!"
"As predictable as Usagi's appetite" Makoto snickered at the blue-haired girl. She playfully smacked the hungry blonde's hand away. "Get out of there, Usagi-chan! You'll burn yourself and I haven't even finished adding all the ingredients yet."
Seconds later, Minako rushed into the kitchen and looked around. "Oh no! Haruka still isn't up yet!" she groaned in disappointment. "I was so hoping to drive my Ferrari again!" She bubbled, "I feel the need for lots more speed!"
"Your Ferrari?" Makoto snorted. "A little possessive today, aren't we?"
"Um... what did you mean by driving it again, Minako-chan?" Ami asked.
"Did I say that?" Minako giggled. "Oops!"
Rei appeared, greeting everyone with a smile. "Konnichiwa, minna." She glared at Usagi who was still hovering near the wok. "Good morning, pyro."
"See!" the blonde wailed at her fiancee. "Evil Rei is at it again, Mamo-chan!"
"Yuuichirou will be down later" the raven-haired girl told her friends. "For some odd reason, he's unusually tired this morning. Completely, utterly exhausted."
"Oh? I wonder why?" Usagi tittered.
"Shut up, Usagi-chan."
"My honey love is really tired too" Minako giggled. "Haruka's Ferrari wasn't the only thing I drove hard last night!"
"That was rather tactless" the brunette remarked. "And it isn't even nine yet. A new record."
"You drove Haruka's car? Already?" Rei asked in surprise. "And without her permission, I assume."
"She won't mind because now I'm an expert at changing gears!" the blonde retorted. "Mako-chan, you really should learn how to drive" Minako insisted. "All the other girls know how. Besides, you're missing out on so much fun!"
"Maybe I should" the brunette mused. "Then I can kick you out of the driver's seat whenever you go crazy. Which is every time you sit in it."
"I'd be happy to teach you" her future sister-in-law offered. "I know! Why don't I give you your very first lesson next week? You can use my car to practice with."
"Thanks, but I don't have a death wish."
"Now now, silly! I'm not that bad!"
"Not far from here, there's a big bunch of mangled carrots that would say otherwise, if they weren't already dead."
"What is it with you and carrots lately, Mako-chan?" Rei muttered.
Makoto grinned, "Never mind."
"Hey, minna." Haruka joined the teens, wearing shorts and a tank top. "Arigatou, Mako-chan. It looks like I'll finally have the opportunity to sample your famous cooking."
Minako seized the older blonde by the arm. "No time for eating, Haruka-san! Let's go driving!"
"You still want to go?" Haruka feigned surprise. "I thought the novelty would have worn off after your adventure last night."
Minako's eyes bulged wide. "You knew?" she cringed.
"Of course I knew. Well, did you enjoy yourself?"
"Hai! So very much!" she exclaimed, then abruptly pouted, "Does this mean you're mad at me and won't let me drive it anymore?"
"Sure you can drive it again. But not until after I've had breakfast."
"Arigatou, Haruka-san!" Minako beamed. "I was all wrong about you! You're much too generous and kind and nice to ever chase after my Taro. I don't know what I was thinking!" She bowed for full effect. "Gomen nasai!"
"I'm glad you finally realized that, Minako-chan" Haruka chuckled. "And just to show you that I really am a good sport, I'm going to suggest a way to make this morning even more interesting. I'm entering you in a little contest against your friends."
"Nani?" Minako eyed Haruka suspiciously. "What kind of contest?"
"After you drive, I'm going to let the other girls take the car for a spin too" she announced with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "And whoever I deem to be best at handling it can borrow my Ferrari all weekend for their pilgrimage to Nerima."
"That's so kind of you, Haruka-san!" Ami smiled appreciatively. "I'd love to try my hand at driving a sports car." She caught Minako's eye. "It must be so much faster than my little blue turtle."
"I definitely would too" Rei agreed, to the growing horror of her blonde friend. "Count me in!"
"I think I'll pass, thanks anyway" Usagi fretted. "Mamo-chan's car is more than fast enough for me, Haruka-san."
"A horse and wagon would be too fast for you, Usagi-chan" Rei smirked. "Even without the horse."
Usagi stuck out her tongue. "Nyaaa! Meanie!"
"Lizard!"
"No no no!" Minako blurted. "Everybody hold your herses here! If anyone's driving that car to Mako-chan's house this weekend, it'll be me!" She glowered evilly at the other girls, "So don't waste your time even bothering to try!"
. . . . .
Several hours later, an orange Toyota was cruising at its top speed down the highway toward Makoto's old country home. "This whole thing just isn't fair!" Minako grumbled again. "I should have won that stupid contest! My car feels so unbearably slow now!"
"Will you please stop whining about it?" Makoto groaned from alongside Yuji in the rear seat of her friend's hatchback. "You're making everyone crazy! You've been going on and on about losing Haruka's contest ever since we left Tokyo. You finished last, Minako-chan. Live with it!"
"At least we'll be there soon, honey muffin" Minako muttered to her Taro. "But it's still not fair!" She happened to glance in her mirror and her mouth dropped open. "Kuso!"
The bright yellow ride of her dreams zoomed up behind the teens, smoothly changed lanes and pulled alongside. Its young female driver and her male passenger waved at them before the petite blue-haired girl at the wheel giggled and floored the accelerator. The powerful sports car roared ahead, leaving Minako's struggling car far in its wake.
Minako scowled deeply at the Ferrari as it disappeared into the distance. "I hate you, Ami-chan!"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Note: Next is 'A Gift from Beyond'