Continued from Part 2...

Chapter 20:

Makoto smiled at her fiancee as Yuji tried unsuccessfully to stifle a massive yawn as he buttoned his shirt. "Someone's a little sleepy this morning. We don't have to head out so early if you're still tired, Yuji honey."

"I'm fine" he grinned, "considering how late we fell asleep last night. Besides, if we leave early like we planned we can beat the high noon-time sun." He pulled back their suite's curtain and glanced outside. "Looks like the beginning of another beautiful Hawaiian day, Mako my love. Kind of hot though."

"Someone was pretty hot last night, too" the tall brunette remarked, making her boy blush red. She laughed, "Just listen to me! I'm beginning to sound more like Minako every day! Or Rei, for that matter." Dressed in a light cream top and pale green skirt, she strode over to the reading desk. "Can't forget the map."

"Hai. If we lose it we'll be wandering around Honolulu forever trying to find our way home."

Makoto pulled open the lower desk drawer and frowned. "That's funny. The map isn't here."

"No? It has to be" Yuji puzzled. "I remember seeing you put it in that bottom drawer last night."

"It couldn't walk away all by itself" his girl mused. She quickly checked the other drawer, then both bedside tables before finally peering beneath the desk. "No sign of it anywhere."

"Maybe someone took it" Yuji pondered.

"That's kind of impossible, honey" Makoto disagreed. "Our room is still locked. Unless..." Her green eyes immediately turned toward the door separating their suite from Minako and Taro's room. "Yuji-chan, I smell a rat. A troublemaking blonde rat with a red bow in her hair and a bad case of the giggles."

"Would she dare do that?"

"There's only one way to find out." The brunette tried the handle to Minako's suite, finding the door locked, and rapped sharply on it. "Minako-chan! Are you up yet?"

Yuji paled. "Darling, what if they're... you know..."

"Don't care" Makoto replied. "There's only one thing that could've happened to the map, and I'm getting to the bottom of this right now! Minako-chan, you thief! Wake up!"

"Seems like they've gone out already" Yuji said. "Maybe we'll find them downstairs having breakfast."

Makoto took his hand in hers. "Come on, Yuji-chan. We're going hunting for that blonde baka!"

. . . . .

Six blocks away, Aino Minako stood on an unfamiliar street corner beside her fiancee. "Taro-love, I think we've taken a wrong turn somewhere. This isn't the right road to the car rental agency!" She reopened the map, her pretty face a study in concentration. "Oh, now I know! We turned left instead of right two streets back, after we had breakfast! I can't believe I got lost going to a place I've already been before!"

"Maybe we'd have more luck without that map, sweetheart."

Minako groaned, "We should have eaten breakfast in the hotel instead of at that new place, honey muffin. But I didn't want anyone to find us before we got away! Sneaking around like this in a foreign country is so confusing and complicated!" She folded the booklet and dropped it in her purse. "No problem! I think I know which way to go now. Let's make tracks!"

The couple hurried off with the girl glancing cautiously from side to side as they walked. "I hope Mako-chan and that brother of yours haven't started on their hike yet. If they realize the map is gone and catch us, we're toast!"

"I hope so too, my princess. By the way, how are you finally going to explain having Ami's map to Mako-chan when we get back?"

Minako's expression abruptly went blank. "I never thought of that, Taro-love!"

. . . . .

"They weren't in the hotel restaurant, so where else could they be hiding?" Yuji wondered. "Want to check out the beach?"

"They couldn't have gone very far, Yuji honey. Minako still has that racing date with Haruka later today..." Something suddenly clicked in her mind. "Wait a minute! Now I know what Minako is up to! And why the map is gone too!"

"You do?"

"That little sneak is so jealous about losing Taro to Haruka for the evening, I'll bet all the food Usagi can eat in a week that she's run away and taken him with her! Hai, that has to be it!"

Yuji burst out laughing. "You mean Minako kidnapped her own fiancee? That's so funny!"

"Kidnapping... sneaking into our room... map theft... backing out on a bet... that girl's got a lot to answer for!" Makoto growled. She took his hand in hers. "I think they're planning to rent a car and disappear somewhere until Haruka and Michiru leave Hawaii. And after all that bragging she did to Haruka last night too. Well, we're going to put a stop to it. That'll teach her to break into our room in the middle of the night! Come on, Yuji honey. We're speed walking to that car rental place!"

. . . . .

A minute later, Ami and Ryo entered the busy restaurant at the Sheraton hotel and were quickly escorted toward a vacant table. Always the perfect gentleman, Ryo held out a chair for his love.

Ami smiled sweetly at him as she took the offered seat. "Arigatou, my Ryo-kun." Opening a menu, she began glancing through it, grateful for the opportunity to practice her already excellent English reading skills. "I think I'll have a croissant and a coffee. Are you very hungry, darling?" She looked lovingly across the menu at her young man but a familiar face in a corner booth immediately caught her attention. "Oh! That's interesting."

Ryo turned slightly in his seat to follow her gaze. "Ami-chan! Isn't that the second cruise director from the Orient Venus?"

"I'm quite sure it is. What an interesting coincidence to find her at our hotel."

"Maybe her current ship is in port" Ryo thought aloud. "Want to go say hello?"

"After what nearly happened to Yuuichirou that night, I think it best if we don't, Ryo-kun." The woman seemed preoccupied with a newspaper and appeared not to notice the couple, much to Ami's relief. "I do hope Rei and Mako-chan do not cross paths with her again."

Ryo thought back to that fateful night. "Surely she's learned her lesson, my love. I know I'd take a threat from Mako-chan very seriously!"

"I hope you're right, darling. It must be a random crossing of paths that resulted in her being here in the same hotel. But let's forget about that past unpleasantness and enjoy our breakfast together."

. . . . .

"As a matter of fact, Aino-san did call to ask when we would be open for business this morning" the lady at the car rental agency told Makoto. "I assume she's on her way here to rent the Cadillac again."

Makoto turned to Yuji with a triumphant grin. "I knew it." She asked the clerk, "Would you mind doing me a big favor, miss? My fiancee and I are planning a little joke on Minako, but we need your help."

"Certainly" the woman agreed. "As long as it won't get me in trouble with the agency, of course" she added with a smile. "What do you have in mind?"

Makoto quickly explained her idea and the trio set off toward the large pink car, still parked at the far end of the lot.

. . . . .

"We're here, sugar muffin!" Minako exclaimed happily a minute later. "It'll just take me a second to rent my car again and we'll be away!" She gloated, "And no one's spotted us! It's the perfect crime!"

The woman at the counter had already prepared the necessary paperwork and soon handed Minako the key. "Have a great day, Aino-san!"

"Arigatou! We will now!" the blonde bubbled. She dragged her fiancee across the parking lot toward the Cadillac. "There it is, Taro-love. My car! After I put the top down we can fly away from here, and far away from that scheming Tenou Haruka!"

Taro's mouth fell open in shock. "Good grief, Mako-chan was right! It's humongous! And... you weren't kidding about the color either, my princess. I've never seen a car bright pink like that before."

"It's cute, comfortable and really powerful!" She added with a giggle, "I think it suits me perfectly, honey-love!"

Without wasting another moment, the teenage girl and her boy slipped into the wide front seat. Minako wasted no time in bringing the car to life, gunning its engine to the max. "Hmm... someone's been messing with my rear view mirror" the blonde noticed. She reached up to it and twisted the glass down, just as Makoto popped up from where she had been crouched hidden behind the front seat.

"Going somewhere?" the brunette growled.

"Aaaghhh!" Minako squealed in surprise.

At the same instant Yuji also appeared, springing from his hiding spot behind another nearby parked car with a massive grin plastered across his face.

"Mako-chan! What are... how did you...?" Minako stuttered.

"It appears our secret getaway plot has been discovered, my sweet" Taro said with a sigh.

"Just another one of your crazy plans, I assume?" Makoto gruffly asked the blonde. "Sorry to rain on your parade, Minako-chan, but it's not happening this time. Now turn off the car and start apologizing."

"Oh yes it is!" In sheer panic, Minako hastily shifted into drive and floored the accelerator. The Cadillac lurched forward, causing Yuji to leap out of the way as it shot past him. "No one can stop us now!" the girl behind the wheel blurted.

Makoto found herself pinned to the back of her seat by the sudden burst of speed. "Baka! Stop this thing right now!"

"No!" the determined blonde yelled. She pulled onto the road and zoomed away, tires screeching in protest.

Dumbfounded, Yuji stood helplessly watching them leave.

"Mako-chan! Come back!"

Chapter 21:

Ami looked up with a smile as a familiar voice called out across the restaurant, "Ohayou, love birds! Mind if we sit with you?"

"Please do" her blue-haired friend warmly replied. "Did you both rest well?"

Usagi plopped heavily into a seat at the couple's table, along with her fiancee. "It was horrible, Ami-chan! I had a terrible nightmare and I couldn't get back to sleep for ages! Thank heavens my Mamo-chan was there to hold me close until I calmed down."

"She dreamt that a large fish was trying to eat her alive" Mamoru explained. "Fortunately the telephone rang and woke her up before her nightmare progressed any further."

"I hate fish now!" Usagi muttered. "Evil, slimy, nasty things! Unless Mako-chan is cooking them. Then they're delicious!"

Ami giggled, "Was it a piranha, Usagi-chan? They have been known to attack people swimming, but there aren't any here in Hawaii, except perhaps those held in aquariums."

"That's a relief to hear" Usagi exclaimed. "I don't know what kind of fish it was, Ami-chan, but it was even bigger than a shark and had lots and lots of huge pointy teeth!" She comically dangled her fingers in front of her mouth and wiggled them. "Like this! It was awful!" The odango-haired girl next scooped up a menu and promptly scowled at it. "More English again! Mamo-chan, what are these things on the second page? Pancakes?"

"That's correct, they are indeed pancakes, Usako. Is that what you'd like for breakfast?"

"Hai, I'll take a big stack for starters! And maybe something else too. I'm so famished this morning."

Ryo laughed at the girl's ravenous expression before mentioning, "Someone you met a while ago is staying at our hotel, Usagi-chan. Do you remember that cruise director who lured Yuuichirou to her room on the Orient Venus?"

"Nani? That wicked woman is back, Ryo-chan?" Usagi bristled, her mood immediately turning sour again. "Ohh! If she tries any more of her funny business, I hope Mako-chan is around to help teach her another good lesson. That evil witch!"

Ami's voice dropped to a soft whisper. "She's sitting right over..." But the secluded table the girl glanced at was now deserted. "That's rather strange. She was there a moment ago."

"Good morning, everyone." A short bald old man approached the couples in another new but still garishly colorful Hawaiian shirt. "Nice to see I'm not the only early riser among our little group."

"Ohayou, Hino-sensei." Mamoru gestured to the last empty seat at the table. "Please join us."

"Arigatou, Mamoru-san."

After the priest had sat down, Usagi leaned toward him and winked. "Any luck with that bar attendant on the yacht last night, Hino-sensei?"

"Usako, that isn't a very polite thing to ask" Mamoru chastised his fiancee.

"It's ok" Rei's grandfather chuckled. "I'm afraid not, Usagi-chan. I'm just too old to make friends with the youngsters around here." He sighed, "This is one old man who's obviously very far over the hill."

"You're not old!" Usagi replied. "You're just wise and... uh... very experienced, that's all."

The Shinto priest laughed heartily. "I like your attitude, Usagi-chan!"

"Hai, my attitude is good! And not only that, I don't always pick on you like miserable Rei does so often" the blonde boasted.

Mamoru cringed. "Usako!"

"Well it's true!" Usagi exclaimed. "Rei-chan should be more like me, or even Minako. We're always nice and polite to our friends, and never ever try to hurt or scare them. At least... not on purpose."

. . . . .

At the same instant, Minako weaved the massive Cadillac around another car and sped maniacally through a yellow traffic light, her right foot still tightly glued to the floor. Behind her, Makoto slid across the rear seat and thumped her elbow hard against the inside of the car door.

"Oof! Slow down you lunatic! You're going to kill us all!"

"Then put your seatbelt on!" Minako shot back. The blonde turned onto a ramp leading onto State Highway One and mashed the gas pedal back down into the plush white carpet beneath. "Faster, car! Faster! We have to get away!"

Taro gripped the dashboard, his knuckles and face both turning white. "Mako-chan is right, sweetheart!" he gasped. "This is really very dangerous the speed you're driving!"

"Relax, Taro-sugar! I know exactly what I'm doing!"

"When you finally stop this thing, I'm going to kill you!" Makoto yelled at the blonde. She groped for her lap belt and struggled to click the flailing ends together while the car rocked and swayed around her.

"Then I won't stop!" was Minako's curt reply. "Not until we get far away from that hussy Haruka!"

"What's gotten into you lately?" the brunette behind her growled. "Even by your standards, this is completely insane! Turn this thing around right now and take me back to my Yuji!"

"No way! You hid in my car, so now you're along for the ride, Mako-chan."

"You are so dead!" Makoto yelled again.

"I'm not sharing one single minute of my Taro's life with that piano-playing seductress, or anyone else! So there!"

"It's just dinner and a movie- watch out for that truck!" Taro's complexion paled even more at the sight of a huge slow-moving transport they were approaching at breakneck speed.

Minako tore past the truck without slowing and pulled far ahead of it. "You both should learn how to relax more, love muffin. All that tension isn't good for your health."

"Relax?" Makoto gasped. "You're completely mad!"

"Madly in love with my man. Is that really such a bad way to be?" the girl behind the wheel answered defensively. "Don't worry, Mako-chan. I'll stop eventually and let you out somewhere when we get further away from Honolulu."

"Really? And how am I supposed to get back to the city? Assuming I live that long."

"I don't know. Maybe there's a bus or something."

"Taro-chan, you are very close to becoming an early widower" the brunette warned. "You'd better talk some sense into that girl of yours before I strangle her!"

"I'm trying to, Mako-chan!" the boy blurted. "I'm trying!"

Makoto glumly stared out at the scenery blurring past her window. "My poor Yuji!"

. . . . .

In their suite's bathroom shower, Rei pressed herself wantonly against her guy beneath the soft hiss of warm, soothing mist. "Mmmm..." she purred. "Kiss me, lover. I want to taste you again."

Yuuichirou gently tilted the miko's head back and eased his lips down to hers. Suddenly the rushing water lost all of its warmth, changing to a strong, icy-cold spray. He abruptly pulled away from his girl and flinched as it blasted over them. "Ahhh!"

"Quick, turn it off!" Rei gasped.

The Shinto apprentice hastily fumbled for the tap but it refused to budge. "I can't! The handle's stuck!" Frigid water continued gushing from the shower head, chilling the couple to the bone.

"Get out!" the freezing girl gasped. Her slender fingers, rapidly growing numb from the cold, grasped the long rail along the glass shower door. She tugged at it but the door stubbornly resisted her every effort and stayed tightly sealed, trapping her and her fiancee inside. "I don't believe this is happening!" Rei spluttered. "The door won't open either!"

Desperate, Yuuichirou spun around and placed both hands over the shower head, diverting the torrent away from his love and unfortunately, directly into his face. "Uhhh! Ssooo cooold!"

The teens were equally stunned when an instant later, the tap abruptly slammed itself shut. The frigid torrent eased to a dribble, then stopped completely. Rei yanked hard on the door railing once more and the big glass pane miraculously slid smoothly open as though nothing was ever wrong with it. She pulled her young man out into the bathroom, both shivering uncontrollably. They stumbled and skidded their way across the slippery floor into the bedroom and pulled sheets from their unmade bed, wrapping the dry cloth around themselves for warmth.

Yuuichirou's teeth were still chattering as he spoke. "What... just... happened... darling?"

"I don't know" Rei answered with growing suspicion. "It's almost as though the shower took on a mind of its own for a minute."

"Great!" The young man managed a weak chuckle. "Our hotel room is possessed!"

'You may be more right than you realize, Yuuichirou-chan' the miko thought with a deepening frown. "Unless..." she mused, "we've just been the victims of a cruel practical joke".

"Changing the shower temperature?" her love asked in disbelief. "Who could possibly control water like that?"

"Someone I know very well" Rei spoke angrily. "A girl with blue hair."

Chapter 22:

Usagi dropped her knife and fork on the table and pushed the empty plate away with a contented sigh and an expression of pure bliss on her face. "Minna, I'm finished my breakfast! And with just enough room left in my tummy for a sweet, yummy dessert!"

"Um, I don't believe this particular restaurant will be serving dessert so early in the day, Usako."

"They're not?" the blonde pouted. "I thought this was supposed to be a fancy hotel, Mamo-chan. They should serve important things like that anytime!"

"We can certainly ask the waitress" Ami suggested with a smile. "If you're still feeling hungry, Usagi-chan."

"Is she ever not hungry?" Rei scoffed as she and Yuuichirou strolled up to the table. "Why aren't you still eating, Usagi-chan? Did the restaurant run out of clean plates?" The raven-haired girl paused to give her grandfather a quick hug.

"I bet you think that was funny, don't you Rei-chan?" Usagi muttered. "Well it wasn't!"

"That's good, because I'm not in a particularly funny mood this morning" the miko grumbled back. "Listen, odango atama, I don't know how you did it, but I'm convinced you and Ami were the cause of what just happened to me and Yuuichirou. I was willing to let our earlier spat slide, but not anymore! Those get-even jokes we talked about on the beach are just between us girls, so I'd appreciate it if from now on, you leave my future husband out of it! Ok?

"What are you griping about this time, Rei-chan?" Usagi asked innocently. "If you're going to be acting so miserable again today, why don't you just go away and... I don't know... take a cold shower or something?"

"You little menace!" Rei hissed. "I knew you were behind it!"

"Behind what, Rei-chan?" Ami puzzled.

The upset teen turned her scowl toward the blue-haired girl. "Yes. But of course" she spoke, her voice low and gaze witheringly cold. "I was wondering how Usagi could possibly be smart enough to pull off a trick like that, but it would be a lot easier if she had help from someone far more intelligent. Especially from... the Senshi of Water herself. Isn't that right, Ami-chan?"

The quiet, blue-haired teen was taken aback by Rei's accusation. "Pardon me?"

"Tell me something, was Mako-chan in on the joke too?" the raven-haired girl asked. "I notice she isn't here."

"I really don't know what you're implying" Ami answered in a calmly measured tone. "We haven't been playing any tricks on you, Rei-chan. None at all, to the very best of my knowledge."

"Oh really?" the miko replied skeptically. "Please excuse me if I don't believe you. Let's go down to the beach, Yuuichirou-chan." She grasped his hand and began leading him away, looking over her shoulder long enough to add, "Where the sun is shining and the water is always warm. Even you two can't tamper with that." Rei stormed out of the restaurant with her fiancee following sheepishly in tow, leaving the other teens and the diminuitive priest looking at one another in silent confusion.

Usagi finally spoke up, "See, Hino-sensei? She's so grumpy to me and our friends sometimes! And lately it's been getting even worse."

"I'll have a talk with my granddaughter later, Usagi-chan" the old man promised. "She is obviously very much on edge for some unknown reason."

Still perplexed at her friend's outburst, Ami told her fiancee, "I can only assume this means our little battle of wits is back on, Ryo-kun."

"It certainly sounds like it" her boy nodded solemnly.

. . . . .

On an empty stretch of freeway fifteen miles from the hotel, the large pink Cadillac rolled off the road and onto the shoulder. Faint wisps of steam trickled from under its hood, thickening into a tiny cloud as the girl at the wheel brought the vehicle to a lurching halt.

"Taro-love, what's happening to my car?" Minako puzzled.

"I think it's beginning to overheat a little from the whipping you've given it, sweetheart. We should maybe give it a few minutes to cool down before driving again."

"Overheat?" Minako gasped in horror. "This just won't do, sugar muffin! We need to escape from Haruka's clutches before she gets her wicked wandering hands on you! Who knows what evil things that woman is thinking of doing to my man!"

"I'm glad you finally stopped the car, Minako-chan" Makoto spoke from directly behind the blonde. She clicked off her seat belt and began leaning forward. "Now I can finally get my hands on you."

"He he he! Mako-chan, you're such a kidder!"

"Am I?" came the cold reply.

Minako twisted around in the driver's seat and flashed the angry brunette her sweetest and most disarming smile. "Uh... wait! There's no need to do anything rash that you'll really regret later, my kind and understanding future sister-in-law. You know, I've been giving my silly plan a lot of thought, and have just decided to... um... to go back to Honolulu after all" the nervous girl announced.

"You are?" Makoto couldn't believe her ears. "Well, it's about time."

"Hai!" Minako nodded briskly. "It's time for me to face the music. The... horrible piano music" she fretted.

"That's wonderful, my princess!" Taro agreed. "Trust me darling, this way will be much safer."

"You don't have to sound so happy about it, Taro-chan" Minako sulked.

"You still owe Yuji and me a very big apology" the brunette said. "Sneaking into our room last night was absolutely the rudest, most-"

"I'm sorry! Honest I am! It's just that true love like I have for my Taro can make a girl do crazy things, you know?"

"Looks more like jealousy than love to me" Makoto muttered. "But... I have to admit, I can kind of understand how you feel. So I'll forgive you. This time."

"Arigatou! There won't be a next time, Mako-chan!" the blonde promised. "Cross my heart!"

'Why don't I believe her?' Makoto thought glumly.

. . . . .

At another luxury hotel near the Honolulu beach, Michiru sipped her tea and caught her lover's eye above the rim of the descending cup. "Is it still your intention to go through with that little charade of yours?"

"That bet with Minako?" Haruka chuckled. "Definitely, Michi-chan. An evening with Taro sounds like a great way to get to know the guy she's so madly in love with. And maybe drive Minako a little crazy too. Should be fun."

"Hmm. Fun."

"Are you jealous?"

"Certainly not!" Michiru placed her teacup on its saucer a touch too forcefully, causing the white china to clatter in the quiet cafe. "I'm hardly a young, insecure schoolgirl like Aino Minako, Haruka." She ignored her companion's widening grin and turned her head away. "Besides, we both know which side your bread is buttered on. Taro will be nothing more than an amusing diversion for you."

"Of course, Michi-chan." Haruka's eyes twinkled mischeviously. "But you gotta admit, he is one good looking guy. I wonder what he's like in b-"

"Haruka!"

. . . . .

Alone in her darkened room, Miyu chanted an ancient Wiccan spell while kneeling before her pentagram.

"Misfortune all day,

misfortune all night.

Bring bad luck to those girls,

Only for a mite.

So mote it be."

The young woman cackled amid the flickering candlelight, "Time to begin the next stage of my sweet revenge!"

. . . . .

"Shall we join Rei and Yuuichirou on the beach, Usako?"

"Sounds good! But I don't want to sit too near her, Mamo-chan. She's acting so grumpy today!" Usagi slid back her chair and quickly stood up, whirling around and promptly stumbling into a waitress who was passing her table with a tray of empty plates. Dishes flew everywhere and a half-empty glass of orange juice toppled over the odango-haired girl, soaking her pink bikini top.

"Oh dear!" Ami gasped.

Usagi's face instantly turned a vivid shade of red. "Gomen nasai! That was my fault!"

"It's ok, miss" the waitress spoke. "Accidents do happen."

"And usually around clumsy me" the flustered blonde groaned. She gave the woman a deep, rapid bow, knocking the tray from her hands as she straightened up. "Ow! Oh, I'm so very sorry again! Let me help you clean up that mess I made."

The hotel worker quickly replied, "Please don't. I'll take care of this spill, miss. Don't worry about a thing."

"Arigatou! Then I need to go change out of this top. It's all sticky!" Usagi grabbed her embarrassed Mamoru's hand, pulled him from his chair and briskly led him away toward the elevators.

"Poor Usagi!" Ryo exclaimed, handing the waitress a glass that had toppled onto his table. "She was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"That does seem to happen to her quite often, Ryo-kun" his girl remarked.

After the waitress had gone, Rei's grandfather quietly spoke. "It wasn't Usagi's fault, Ami-chan. An unseen force pushed her into that young lady. I could sense it."

"Oh?"

"I feel... strange powers at work around her" the priest continued. "And possibly around you and the other girls as well. Please be on your guard today."

"I... will, Hino-sensei" the surprised blue-haired teen promised. "Perhaps we should go check on Rei and Yuuichirou, my Ryo-kun."

"Hai. Let's hit the beach, Ami darling."

Chapter 23:

Rei had kicked off her red sandals and the teenage miko walked quietly along the warm sand with her true love, lost in thought. She said nothing for a time until finally asking, "Yuuichirou honey, do you think I was too hard on Usagi and Ami back in the restaurant?"

"You tell me, darling. I honestly have no idea how they could have tampered with the water in our room, even with Ami's Senshi powers. I don't think they were responsible."

The beautiful raven-haired girl in the red two-piece bikini sighed. "Perhaps you're right. I just wanted this holiday to be a really fun experience for everyone, a relaxing week together before we fly home and head back to school. But somehow, some calamity always happens to spoil the moment. It never fails."

"Life's problems will only get you down if you let them, my love. Look at me" he smiled, "I'm having a great time!"

"Usagi is a dear and close friend, despite all the trouble she causes." She kissed his cheek as they strolled along. "And having to depend on baka Minako to drive us everywhere is yet another huge problem. Another big disaster! Why didn't I think to apply for my international driving license before we left Tokyo?" she grumbled. "We could travel around the island together and leave our cares behind. It would have been so romantic."

"I didn't think of it either, sweetheart" Yuuichirou nodded. He shrugged, "Well, what's done is done. Can't change the past."

"My, aren't you getting all philosophical on me all of a sudden" the young miko snickered.

"That's your guy, darling." He sagely stroked his chin. "Yuuichirou the wise philosopher."

"Starting a new career, are we? I thought you were trying to act like a detective, or... what was that thing you said a while ago... a rocket scientist?"

"Hai. All those things, my love. And more! I'm a man of many talents" the young man grinned. He bent to pick up a small seashell they were passing and held it against his ear. "This shell is telling me that my stunningly beautiful bride-to-be needs less worry and more fun in her life."

"Really?" Rei teased, "Too bad it can't tell us a way to brighten up this day. That freezing shower wasn't exactly a great start."

"I don't need a seashell's help to do that, Rei darling" he said, slipping the shell into a pocket of his maroon trunks as a keepsake. "How about we go for a ride?"

"How?" the girl puzzled. "What kind of ride?"

Yuuichirou pointed further down the beach to where a portable shed was set up near the water's edge. Moored in front of it bobbed a half dozen jet skis for rent. "That kind."

"Now you're talking!" Rei agreed. She suddenly ran playfully toward the brightly colored watercraft. "Come on, lover. You'd better pick up the pace or I'll leave you behind! Catch me if you can!"

"Ah! A challenge awaits!" Yuuichirou sprinted through the surf after her, both laughing as they raced toward their goal.

. . . . .

"I see them, Ami-chan. They're way down there where those jet skis are parked." Beside the sixteen-year-old boy, his petite fiancee peered through the shimmering haze of heat that already rose in waves from the seemingly endless white sands.

The girl's blue eyes lit up. "That's a great idea, my Ryo-kun! Let's rent one too." Together they began following in their friends' sandy footsteps as Usagi and Mamoru emerged from the hotel and spotted them.

"Wait up lovebirds!" Usagi yelled. "We need to talk!" She and her young man hurried over to the couple.

"You certainly changed your clothing quickly, Usagi-chan" Ami remarked. Usagi now wore a one-piece bathing suit in an even brighter shade of pink.

"I can move fast when I have to!" the blonde boasted. "Just like a real rabbit! Minna, have you seen Rei and Yuuichirou?"

"Hai, they're going for a ride on those jet boats over there" Ryo replied.

"Boats?" Usagi spotted her friends boarding two of the tiny watercraft. "Mamo-chan, that looks like so much fun! Can we go on them too?"

"Why certainly, Usako. Anything for my princess."

"Come with us and we'll do it together" Ami suggested. "What were you wanting to talk to us about, Usagi-chan?"

"About evil Rei. I think she's going to try playing a nasty joke on me later, and I'd really like your help, Ami-chan. I need your help" the girl pleaded.

"Uh, sure. Whatever I can do" Ami agreed. "I'm sure Rei has a target painted on my back too, so we may as well team up."

"I was so hoping you'd say that!" Usagi beamed. "Arigatou, Ami-chan! You're the best friend in the whole world!"

. . . . .

Yuji sat waiting on a roadside bench near the car rental agency, staring forlornly at the passing traffic, when a now familiar pink car came zooming down the street towards him. The boy leapt to his feet with a cheer. "My Mako-chan is back!"

The Cadillac, now with its top folded down, careened over to the curb and screeched to a stop. Makoto leapt over the side and flung her arms around the happy young man. "I was so worried about you."

"Me? I was worrying about you, Mako honey! I'm so relieved you made it back ok!"

"What's that supposed to mean, Yuji-chan?" Minako grumbled from the driver's seat. "Why doesn't anyone trust my driving?"

Makoto glared at her without uttering a word.

"Never mind. Don't answer that!" the girl at the wheel giggled. "Anyway, like they say, all's well that ends well. Let me give you a ride back to the hotel. My sugar muffin and I will... uh... we'll join you later."

"Nice try, Minako-chan." Makoto and Yuji climbed aboard the convertible. "But if you don't mind, we'll stick with you and Taro instead. And before you drive another millimeter, give me that map you stole last night."

The blonde driver's smile faded. "Why, silly? We'll come back in plenty of time for the race. Don't you trust me?"

The brunette clicked her seat belt on. "No."

"Hmph! Some people!"

. . . . .

Mamoru waded into the water and settled himself at the controls of a two-person jet ski. "Climb aboard, Usako." Nearby, Ryo took the front position of another two-seater and with his girl's arms wrapped snugly around his waist, he prepared to set off toward the two teens from Hikawa who were already racing along far from shore.

"Hey, no fair!" Usagi protested. "I want to drive!"

The university student's eyebrows raised. "Are you sure you can handle it, my love?"

"Of course I can do this, Mamo-chan!" she scoffed. "How hard can it be?"

"Then the controls are yours, Captain Tsukino" he relented with a grin. "Just be careful."

"I will!"

Mamoru slid back on the long foam seat and his odango-haired fiancee squeezed herself between him and the handlebars. She called across to the other idling craft, "Ok, Ryo-chan! Let's show evil Rei how good we can drive! It's time to make some waves!" Usagi opened the green and white Kawasaki's throttle wide and the boat abruptly reared up, zooming forward before Mamoru could brace himself. The young man promptly cartwheeled off the back and splashed head-first into the water while Usagi obliviously raced on alone.

Ami covered her parted lips with one hand to hide her gasp. "Oh dear! Mamoru-san, are you injured?"

"This really is fun!" Usagi exclaimed above the buzz of the engine, her twin golden braids whipping back in the windy spray. "Isn't it, Mamo-chan?" Not hearing a reply, she turned to look behind and was stunned to find herself riding solo.

"Mamo-chan? Where are you?"

Spluttering with a mouthful of salty water, Mamoru emerged from the ocean and stood up, waving at the girl. "Come get me, Usako! I fell off!"

His beloved wrenched the handlebars hard to the left and came thundering back toward her young man. 'How on earth did that happen?' Usagi wondered. "I'm on my way, my prince!" She zoomed straight at him and the other three teens heard her suddenly yell in panic, "Where are the brakes on this stupid boat?"

Mamoru hastily dove back into the water as the jet ski roared narrowly past him. It ran ashore, sliding along the sand to a sudden ignominious halt far up on the beach.

"This thing is a death trap!" Usagi blurted. Red-faced, she clambered off and scurried back into the surf. "Mamo-chan! Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, my love" the dripping wet teen caught his breath and wheezed. "Just fine."

His love waggled her index finger at him. "You should try to be a lot more careful from now on, Mamo-chan! These jet boat thingies can be very dangerous in the wrong hands!"

Chapter 24:

"Do we have to do this right now?" Usagi whined from her seat behind Taro. "It's nearly dinner time and I'm starving!"

Minako stopped the convertible at the indoor go-cart track's parking lot. "It's all part of Haruka's evil plan, Usagi-chan. She's going to try to take my Taro away and ply my hungry man with food and drink! And after that..." Her blue eyes grew moist as she latched onto her fiancee's right hand in the front seat of the Cadillac, squeezing it tightly. "And then she'll try to have her wicked way with you, honey muffin!"

"Don't worry, my princess" Taro replied softly. "I won't let her. Besides, Haruka isn't that kind of person."

"I'm not worried, sugar love! I'm terrified!" his girl fretted.

"Pull yourself together, Minako-chan!" Rei hissed from the back seat. "You haven't lost the race yet, have you?"

"No, I haven't. But she's way older and more experienced than me, Rei-chan. An experienced, boy-stealing hussy! Hai! That's her type!"

Makoto unfastened her seat belt and scanned the quiet parking lot. "Maybe Haruka changed her mind about the bet, Minako-chan. We got here on time but I don't see her anywhere."

Minako climbed out of the rented convertible and peered around the lot. "You're right, Mako-chan. She didn't show up!" The blonde cackled with joyous optimism. "I know! She came to her senses, realized what a great driver I am and chickened out! Which means I win by default! Ha!"

The other three girls joined Minako and Taro as they waited beside the car. Makoto leaned back comfortably against the Cadillac's long hood and eyed her future sister-in-law. "If you can race a go-cart the same insane way you've been driving all day, you may even win this thing, Minako-chan."

"Dream on!" Rei scoffed. "There's a big difference between insanity and skill, Mako-chan. Minako has plenty of the first part, but the second? Not so much, in my opinion."

Her blonde friend glowered evilly back at the miko. "Thank you very much for that wonderful vote of confidence, Rei-chan! You're all supposed to be here to give me encouragement and support, remember?"

"I suppose so. You'll certainly need it" Rei replied bluntly.

"Well!" Minako began restlessly pacing up and down beside the convertible. She checked her waatch and announced, "Minna, I'm giving her five more minutes to turn up. If she doesn't show, I'm declaring myself the winner and we're all going straight back to the hotel!"

"Good idea!" Usagi agreed with an enthusiastic nod. "Then I can get back in time for dinner! Ami-chan really is the smart one, she's probably having a nice meal with her fiancee instead of starving to death in this strange place."

"Of course Ami is still back at our hotel" Rei snickered. "But I'm sure she's not sitting down in any restaurant."

"Why not?" Usagi puzzled.

"You didn't notice, did you Usagi-chan?" the raven-haired girl asked with a sly smile. "When we were riding those jet skis earlier? Well I did. Of course you wouldn't notice, you were too busy trying to drown poor Mamoru."

"Be quiet, you!" Usagi snapped. "Uh... notice what, Rei-chan?"

"When I zipped past Ami and Ryo on my jet ski, I noticed she was holding on to him" the miko laughed, "a little lower than around his waist!"

"Ohh!" Usagi grinned. "So that's why they rushed straight back to the hotel after their ride was finished! He he!"

"Someone needs to have a long talk with that girl" Makoto chuckled. "And to think Ami always likes to pretend she's so shy and modest. But we know better!" She spotted a sleek silver Porsche approaching and gave Minako a nudge as the blonde trudged past. "Bad news, Minako-chan. Looks like the race is back on."

"It is?" Minako's heart sank when the sports car rolled up to the group and Haruka gracefully climbed out.

"Hey. Sorry I'm late." She regarded the big Cadillac with amusement. "Ah, I see you drove here in your hotel, Minako-chan. That's certainly convenient."

"Hmph!"

"You didn't bring Michiru along, Haruka-san?" Usagi asked.

"She decided to spend the evening practicing her violin, Usagi-chan" the older blonde replied. "Besides" she winked at Taro, "this Porsche I borrowed from a friend only seats two, and I need the space for my handsome new passenger tonight."

Minako's mouth dropped open in utter horror. "No! I won't allow it!"

"It's a little late to back out now, Minako-chan."

"I'm not backing out! I'll race you, and I'll beat you too!" Minako vowed. "My Taro isn't going anywhere, unless it's with me!"

"I do admire your confidence" Haruka chuckled. "Tell you what. I'll make our little wager even more interesting by giving you a nice long head start. Half a lap. How does that sound?"

"You're going to eat those words, Haruka-san. And eat my rust too!" Minako scowled defiantly back. "Fine! Let's do this!"

"It's 'eat my dust', Minako-chan" Makoto corrected her. "Oh, forget it! Why do I even bother?"

. . . . .

Twenty minutes later, the teens emerged from the building with Minako on the verge of tears, her dreams of victory laying in tatters. "I can't believe I lost!" the dejected blonde moaned through quivering lips. "It's so not fair!"

"You honestly weren't doing too bad in the beginning" Makoto laughed. "Until you drove off the course and crashed into that big pile of tires."

"And as always, to the victor go the spoils" Haruka remarked with a coy smile. She opened the passenger door of her sports car with a flourish and gestured to Taro. "Hop in, Taro-chan. I have a very enjoyable evening planned for the two of us."

"My Taro-love! Please don't leave me!" heartbroken Minako sobbed.

"He'll be fine" Haruka winked at Minako. "I promise not to break him."

Taro gave his tearful love a lingering farewell kiss before reluctantly taking his place in the sports car. Haruka started the engine, called "Don't wait up for us, kids!" and with a jaunty goodbye wave the young woman drove briskly away.

"He's... gone!" Minako wailed. "That wicked hussy won the race and stole my man away from me right under my nose! How could this happen?"

"Because your ridiculous boasting about how skilled a driver you are finally caught up with you?" Rei suggested.

Usagi gave her distraught friend a comforting hug. "It's ok, Minako-chan. Please don't cry."

"It's not ok! I don't even know where she's taking him!" the other blonde sobbed. "I feel so lost without my Taro!"

"If it's any consolation, I happen to know where they're going" Usagi murmured. "Michiru told me last night on the phone."

Minako abruptly grabbed Usagi by her shoulders. "She did? Tell me! Where are they headed?"

"They're supposed to be having dinner together at a fancy restaurant across town, and then they're going to see a movie in a theater just down the street from the hotel Haruka is staying at" Usagi replied. "See, Minako-chan? Taro won't be very far away from you after all."

"Minna, get in the car!" Minako ordered the girls. She spun around and sprinted towards the waiting Cadillac with a look of crazed determination in her eyes. "Hurry! There's not a minute to waste!"

"Why the big rush?" Rei grumbled suspiciously. "What insane plan are you hatching this time, Minako-chan?"

"We're going to follow them and spy on their every move, silly! It's the only way I can know my man stays safe and out of that wicked seductress' claws!"

"Hold on just a minute! What about our dinner?" Usagi protested above a growing rumble from her empty stomach. "Or our guys? They're waiting for us back at our hotel."

"This is no time to think about silly food!" Minako answered breathlessly. She flung herself behind the wheel, started the convertible and screamed its engine mercilessly. "Come on, girls! Get in! They're getting away!"

Rei hissed at her odango-haired friend as they clambered into the car, "Now look at what you've gotten us into, Usagi-chan! You had to go and open your big mouth again, didn't you? When will you ever learn about tactfulness?"

Usagi pouted, "But I was only trying to calm her down-"

"Baka!"

Chapter 25:

"Hai, this looks like the address Usagi said they were going." Makoto flipped the map closed, nearly dropping it when Minako jolted the car to a sudden stop in the first empty parking space the blonde could find. "Can't you drive this thing any smoother?" the brunette grumbled. "My neck is starting to hurt."

"Gomen!" Minako bounded from the driver's seat, her eyes growing wide. "Look! There it is! That's Haruka's car parked right over there! Arigatou, Usagi-chan! You remembered that fiddle player's directions perfectly!"

"I never thought I'd live to hear anyone say that odango atama actually got something right" Rei teased the girl sitting behind her. "That's one for the record books."

Usagi glared silently at the miko. "Uh... so now that we're here, what's our next move, Minako-chan?"

The second blonde was already slinking her way towards a nearby window. "Just a second, Usagi-chan. Let me scout out the situation inside first." She stood with her back pressed against the restaurant wall and slowly turned her head to peek in through the glass, quickly scanning the large crowded dining area. "It's kind of dark in there. And filled with stupid plants just like a jungle! I can't see... wait! That's them!" she gasped. "Wicked Haruka has my poor Taro trapped in a corner booth at the very back, all alone together!" She pulled away from the window pane, her eyes fearfully wide. "Minna, it's even worse than I thought!"

The other girls trotted up to her and Makoto casually peered inside. "You're right, Minako-chan" she answered in mock seriousness. "It's a real tragedy. Looks like they're reading their menus. How awful!"

"Mako-chan! How on earth can you make dumb jokes at a time like this?" Minako wailed. "It's a very serious mission we're on, you know!"

"So this is your big plan?" Rei asked skeptically. "We're supposed to stand around outside the restaurant like a bunch of hungry vagrants while they have dinner together?"

"Hmm..." A sly smile spread across the blonde's lips. "Rei-chan, do you still have that gold credit card in your purse?" Minako asked hopefully.

"I do. Why?" Rei frowned, "Surely you're not suggesting we-"

"Minna, we're going in!" Minako announced. "We'll find a nice secluded table where they can't see us and then I can keep an eye on my honey muffin and that lecherous piano player a lot easier."

"We're finally going to eat? Yay!" Usagi cheered, her face beaming. She gently patted her rumbling stomach. "There, there. It won't be long now, tummy. Try to hang on."

"We should be using that card Yuuichirou's parents gave me to dine with our fiancees" the miko muttered. "Not to act like a bunch of inept spies!"

"Speak for yourself, Rei-chan! Remember it's for a very good cause" Minako urged. She waved her friends forward. "Follow me, and everyone try not to act too conspicuous!"

. . . . .

At the Waikiki Sheraton, an old man strode up to the door of Rei's hotel room and knocked firmly. "Rei-chan? Are you in there?" Not hearing her reply, the elder Hino shrugged and turned away, walking alone towards his suite. 'Where is that granddaughter of mine? Yuuichirou is still waiting for her downstairs.'

Passing a closed door further down the hallway, he slowed as a strange feeling swept over the Shinto priest. He frowned deeply at the unpleasant sensation emanating from behind the locked door. 'A powerful force exists inside that room. Something unnatural. Something... evil.' After a moment's hesitation he slowly continued on his way, lost in thought and becoming increasingly worried about his granddaughter and her female friends.

. . . . .

"Table for four, please" Minako asked the hostess in English. "And can you find us something close to the front?"

"Let me see what we have available" the hostess promised.

The woman lead the girls past a sunken section with an empty circular table nearly surrounded by tall potted plants not far from the main entrance. "This one will do!" Minako insisted. "We'll sit down here if you don't mind."

"Of course, miss. Please make yourselves comfortable and your waitress will be along to take your orders shortly."

The girls slipped into thickly padded chairs and Rei stared quizzically at Minako. "Well? We're inside, and we can't see them from this part of the room because of that huge wall of plants. Are you happy now?"

"Hai, and they can't see us either!" Minako cackled. "Isn't this the perfect hiding place?" She twisted around and made a tiny opening in the dense foliage behind her with her fingers, craning her neck to squint through the gap. A sharp gasp escaped her lips. "No! That hussy!"

"What's Haruka doing now, Minako-chan?" Usagi asked. "And where are our menus? I'm wasting away from starvation over here."

"So? What else is new?" Rei teased her hungry friend.

Usagi stuck out her tongue in reply. "Miserable!"

"She's actually talking to him!" Minako whispered back. "Talking and laughing like she and my honey-muffin are really close friends! No doubt that loose woman is trying to seduce my man into going back to her hotel room with her after the movie! Who knows where this night will lead?"

Makoto chuckled, "You're letting your crazy imagination run wild again, Minako-chan."

"Hush!" the blonde hissed. "Keep your voice down!" Their waitress suddenly appeared, perplexed and amused by Minako's odd antics.

"Is there a problem, miss?" the woman asked with a smile.

Startled, Minako spun back around and grinned sheepishly at the server. "No problems here!" the blonde replied with a nervous giggle. "Everything's just fine! He he!"

. . . . .

In their booth across the busy restaurant, Haruka grinned at the shy young man nervously sitting across from her. "That girl of yours is rather protective, Taro-chan. As she certainly should be."

"It's wonderful to be cared so much about" the teenage boy replied with a blush. "And so deeply loved." He quickly added, "I guess you feel the exact same way about Michiru, Haruka-san."

"I certainly do." Haruka chuckled, "Which reminds me, I'd better keep to my best behavior tonight. Don't look now, but I believe we're being watched."

Taro's face brightened. "Nani? My Minako is here?"

"Don't turn around, Taro-chan. Just relax and enjoy your meal, and we'll let Minako and her friends amuse themselves with their little game. Remember, I won you fair and square. And until our date is over, you're all mine."

The teen gulped. "I am? All yours?"

"Hai. You are" Haruka replied, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Try the steak, Taro-chan. It's quite good."

. . . . .

"And a really big bowl of steamed raisu, please!" Usagi told the waitress. She asked the girl beside her, "How do I say raisu in English, Rei-chan?"

"It's pronounced 'rice', Usagi-chan" the raven-haired girl told her. "Listen, instead of having me translate your entire order for you, why don't you save time by doing what you usually do in a place like this? Just point at the menu and grunt."

"Ohh! Don't be so mean!"

"Sssshhhhhhh!" Minako hissed again. "Can't you both order a little more quietly? You're going to let the cat out of the box!"

"Out of the bag, Minako-chan" Makoto groaned. "The bag, not the box."

"Same thing" the blonde miffed.

"And stop it with the constant shushing. You sound like a pot boiling over."

Minako waited until the waitress had finished writing the girls' orders and left, then chanced another cautious peek through the greenery. "Minna, we'll have to eat fast when our food arrives! They'll probably be ordering dessert soon!"

Usagi licked her lips. "Mmm! Dessert! I hope they have chocolate cake here! And with those tasty colored sprinkles on top!"

"Hopeless as usual" Rei muttered. "You and Minako are two lost causes, Usagi-chan."

"This whole evening is a lost cause if you ask me" Makoto sighed. "I miss my Yuji." She glanced down at her wristwatch. "All our guys are probably worried sick about us too. We should have been back at our hotel over an hour ago."

"This is way more important than some silly walk on a beach with Yuji, Mako-chan" Minako insisted. "The fate of my future husband is at stake!"

"Good grief! You'd think Taro was marching off to war or something" the brunette grumbled.

"If Haruka dares to lay one finger on my man, just one, there'll be war, that's for sure!" the blonde vowed. "Sailor Venus will teach her a lesson she'll never ever forget!"

"Oh? And what might that be?" Rei teased. "How to be an incompetent stalker?"

"That's not funny, Rei-chan."

"I thought it was hilarious!" Usagi chortled. "Good one, Rei-chan!"

"Hey! How about some support and encouragement instead of making fun of my brilliant plan?" Minako muttered.

"Sure" Makoto chimed in. "As soon as you think up a brilliant plan instead of this insanity you've dragged us into, please let us know. I'd love to hear it."

Chapter 26:

Meanwhile at the beach-side hotel, three teenage boys sat waiting out on the patio. Ito Yuji checked the time for the fifth time that hour and sighed.

"Worried, Yuji-chan?"

"Just a little. The girls should have been here ages ago, Yuuichirou-chan." Yuji stared at the ice cubes slowly dissolving in his half-empty glass of soda. "I wonder if there was a problem at the go-cart track."

"It can't be much longer now" the Shinto trainee remarked, though growing concern in his voice betrayed his confident smile. "Maybe the girls found a nice restaurant somewhere and decided to have dinner without us."

"That's a distinct possibility, knowing my Usako's passion for food" Mamoru chuckled. His eyes followed a lone grey and white seagull that swooped down over the beach. "In any case, I'm sure they're ok. If Usagi was in any real danger... I'd know."

"How are your classes going at the university, Mamoru-san?" Yuji asked. "Taro has been thinking about enrolling in the engineering program there next year."

"Very well, arigatou" the oldest of the teens replied. "It's an excellent school, but Usagi is unhappy about all the time it's keeping me away from her."

"I understand. Minako said she'll be climbing the walls when Taro finally starts his post-secondary studies." Yuji grinned, "Unlike Ami and Ryo, who'll probably arrange to attend as many shared classes as they can. I wish I had their smarts."

"They are brilliant, no doubt about it" Mamoru nodded. "I'm sure they'll have a very bright and successful future together." He mused, "Unless..."

Yuuichirou finished his coffee and leaned forward, lowering his voice. "You're concerned about all of us, Mamoru-san. Not just Ami and Ryo. Is it because of what Setsuna and our future kids told us?"

Mamoru's eyes met his. "Hai. If what they said is correct about Usagi becoming Queen, it will mean massive changes for each and every one of us. As well as for our country, and perhaps even the entire world. I often wonder what could happen to cause such a thing. In any event, there would most likely be big changes ahead in nearly every aspect of our lives."

"I'm trying hard not to think about that" Yuji spoke. "Mako-chan and I only want to live a quiet, happy life together. I certainly hope this strange future our children told us about, with palaces and queens and stuff, doesn't mean more trouble in store for the Sailor Senshi."

"I hope you're right" Yuuichirou said quietly. "I really do." He donned a grin as a happy young couple emerged from the hotel and walked hand-in-hand toward the waiting boys. "Ahoy, maties! We have love birds, dead ahead!"

Yuji also grinned at Ami and Ryo as they strolled up to the table. He greeted the blue-haired girl and her fiancee, who had become very close friends with him and his brother in the past year. "Konbanwa, strangers! Where have you two been hiding all afternoon?"

Both teens blushed, and Yuji and the others could instantly sense that something new was in the air. Ryo gazed lovingly into his Ami's shimmering, soft blue eyes. "Should we tell them now, Ami my love?"

"Where is everyone else?" his studious fiancee asked the other boys. "We do have some big news, and I was hoping we could share it with everyone at the same time."

"That's a very good question" Yuuichirou shrugged. He could sense excitement in their voices. "But why wait? What's the big secret?"

"Now?" Ami asked Ryo, her sweet smile growing larger.

"That's up to you, darling."

"I can't take this suspense!" Yuji laughed. He waved them into empty seats. "Ok. Spill the beans. What's going on?"

Ami sat down and smiled tenderly at her love before replying. "Minna... we've set a date!"

"What kind of date... Oh! You're kidding!" Yuji blurted. "This early? That day is still a long ways off. Isn't it?"

"Not as far off as you may think, Yuji-chan" Ryo grinned.

"Oh?" Mamoru's eyebrows raised.

"My Ryo-kun is right, Mamoru-san" Ami said. "We're planning on getting married..."

Everyone at the table leaned forward, listening intently.

"...this autumn!" Ami finished her sentence and giggled at the shock wave that spread around the table like wildfire as everyone's jaws dropped.

"This year? This autumn?" Yuji was stunned. "Wow! And, uh, congratulations!"

"Hai! Congratulations to you both!" Mamoru exclaimed. "That's simply wonderful news! But... isn't it just a touch..."

"Too early, Mamoru-san?" Ami asked with a soft giggle. "I know it must seem very odd, as we're both merely sixteen, but we believe the time is right. At least it is... for us."

Yuuichirou sat back in his chair and chuckled at the couple. "This is the part where I'm supposed to say some kind of smart remark, and usually get a poke in the ribs for it from Rei-chan, but this time you got me. I'm speechless! Well, almost!"

"When my Mako-chan and the other girls find out, two things are bound to happen" Yuji predicted with a laugh. "Number one, they'll start arranging a big party for our happy couple. And number two" he grinned, "I think our brides-to-be are going to start turning up the heat for our future weddings, guys!"

"That's something we can definitely count on" Mamoru agreed. "I wonder how my Usako will handle the news?"

. . . . .

"Minna, they've gone inside!" Minako hissed as she peered around the side of the theater. "Let's follow them!" She sprinted toward the entrance and with her friends reluctantly tagging along behind, hurried up to the ticket window. "Four tickets please!" She switched from English back to Japanese. "Rei-chan, get your gold card out and pay the nice lady!"

"This situation is going from bad to worse" the miko muttered as she dug into her purse. "Stalking is against the law, Minako-chan."

"We're not stalking, silly! We're protecting!" the blonde insisted. "There's a big difference!"

"Excuse me, miss" the woman interrupted her. "Which movie were you planning on watching today?"

"Which movie?" Minako puzzled.

"We have eight theaters in the complex" the lady behind the glass told her.

"Pick something good, Minako-chan" Usagi urged. "Something I can understand without subtitles. Ohh! I hope I don't have to read everything!"

"Too much work for that monster brain of yours?" Rei teased.

"Quiet, you!"

"Ah... those two people who just went inside" Minako spoke to the ticket agent. "That big strong handsome guy and that... other person. What are they seeing?"

"They're viewing the romantic comedy showing in theater five" the woman replied. "Are they friends of yours?"

"Hai. I mean yes. One of them is" Minako muttered. "Then that's the movie we'll go see too."

"What a waste to go to a romantic movie without my Yuji" Makoto sighed wistfully.

"Hush, Mako-chan!" her future sister-in-law hissed. "You and your guy can go together some other time. Right now I have to keep my honey-love out of danger!"

"Expecting an earthquake, Minako-chan?" Rei scoffed. "Or maybe a youma attack?"

"Just pay the lady" Minako begged. "Please!"

. . . . .

Inside the crowded lobby, Haruka selected two chocolate bars from a glass display case and handed one to Taro. "Here, take this. A little something to nibble on."

"Arigatou, Haruka-san. Please, let me pay for these."

"That's very sweet. By the way, Taro-chan, you do know what they say about chocolate being an aphrodisiac?" Haruka smiled.

"Uh... I hadn't really..."

"It's true. Be sure to eat all of it" she winked coyly at the embarrassed boy. "You may need its benefits later." Haruka restrained herself from laughing at Taro's sudden panicked expression. "Let's go find some good seats. Somewhere dark and quiet." Taking his arm, the tall, attractive young woman lead him down a hallway just as three younger girls entered the lobby.

"There they are!" Minako gasped. "She's got her claws in my man already, too! That wicked evil woman isn't wasting any time!"

Usagi sniffed the buttery scent in the air and licked her lips. "Minna, how about a big bowl of popcorn?"

"Popcorn?" A wide-eyed Aino Minako stared incredulously at the other blonde. "This isn't the time or the place for popcorn, Usagi-chan!"

"That's right" Makoto added sarcastically. "I always eat popcorn outside, usually during a snowstorm."

"I want popcorn or I'm not going any further!" Usagi threatened, folding her arms in defiance.

"Fine! Rei-chan, buy Usagi some popcorn" Minako relented. "But make it quick!"

"Does everyone think I'm made of money?" the miko growled. "I'm only borrowing this credit card, Minako-chan. Usagi can pay for her own junk food this time."

"Meanie!" In a huff, Usagi stormed off to the concession stand. "Anyone else want anything while I'm ordering?" she called over her shoulder.

"We're all good" Makoto replied. "We just finished dinner, remember?"

"Suit yourself." Usagi pointed at the largest container the theater offered and soon returned clutching a huge bucket. "The servings here are a lot bigger than what they sell in Japan. I like America!"

"Come on, we have to find good seats where we can watch them in secret!" Minako urged. "If that hussy tries anything, I want to be close enough to put a stop to it!"

Makoto frowned at Rei. "I get the feeling something bad is about to happen, Rei-chan."

"It already did" the raven-haired girl muttered. "The moment I invited Minako to come with us to Hawaii. And things have been going downhill ever since."

Chapter 27:

"Remember, we have to be really, really quiet if we're going to pull this off" Minako urged her friends. "And besides, I don't want Haruka to think I'm so insecure about my Taro. That would make me look silly!"

"It's a little late to hide that fact, Minako-chan" Makoto chuckled. "That bowl of noodles left the kitchen a long time ago."

"Don't you trust your own fiancee?" Rei teased the fretting blonde. "I trust my Yuuichirou completely."

Usagi grinned evilly at the boasting girl. "Aren't you forgetting something, Rei-chan?"

"Nani?"

"Jessica!"

"How would you like to swallow that entire bowl of popcorn all in one bite?" the miko threatened. "I can arrange it!"

Usagi giggled, "My, aren't we touchy all of a sudden?"

"Of course I trust my man, Rei-chan" Minako insisted. "It's that piano-playing hussy I'm worried sick about."

"You still think Haruka plays both sides of the street?" Makoto asked.

"She plays both sides of the piano, doesn't she? I'm not taking any chances, Mako-chan! Come on girls, let's follow them!" With the red bow-adorned blonde leading the way, the other three teens trekked after her into the depths of the cinema. As they reached the open doorway beyond which lay the darkened confines of theater five, Minako suddenly halted and poked her head sneakily into the entrance. Preoccupied with her popcorn, Usagi kept on going and collided with Rei as the odango-haired teen was reaching into her oversized bucket for another handful.

"Ow! Watch where you're walking, clumsy! And quit trying to spill popcorn all over me!"

"Gomen! I didn't expect you to stop moving in the middle of the hallway like that, Rei-chan!"

"Shhh!" Minako spun around and shushed the duo with a cautioning finger pressed against her lips. "They're going to hear us if you two keep yelling at each other!"

"Who's yelling?" the raven-haired teen stormed.

"It was Rei's fault for stopping so suddenly" Usagi muttered through butter-soaked lips. She scooped another clump of her treat from the bucket and munched on it while exchanging angry glares with her raven-haired friend.

"My fault? Try paying attention to where you're going next time, you inconsiderate little-"

"Ssshhhh!" the girl leading the group hissed again. "Minna, we'd better split up" Minako whispered. "All four of us sitting together will be too easy to spot. Mako-chan, stick with me. We'll go right and Usagi and Rei can go down the left aisle. Don't sit too close to them!"

"Do I have to?" the brunette groaned.

Rei fixed an icy scowl on Usagi. "I was just thinking the same thing, Mako-chan. Why am I always the one stuck with that baka Usagi?"

"Takes one to know one, Rei-chan!" Usagi glowered back.

"Sshhh! Sshhh! Sshhhhh!"

"What's the matter now, Minako-chan?" the tall brunette snickered. "Did you just spring a leak?"

"No! Can't you be serious just this one time, Mako-chan?" the blonde begged. "Just do this as a personal favor for me, ok? And for my poor Taro, and our sweet, innocent future daughter too."

"Anyone else?" Rei snorted. "Are we doing this for the Emperor as well, Minako-chan?"

Usagi raised her right hand in a clumsy salute, scattering popcorn across the hall carpet. "Hai!" she grinned. "For the Emperor!"

"Some people just never know when to stop joking around" Minako grumbled. A sudden swell of music from inside alerted the teens. "Listen!" she gasped. "The movie is starting already! Minna, my honey-love and that hussy are sitting near the middle of the room on the far right side. Remember to keep yourselves behind them and sit towards the rear and out of sight!"

"I won't see the movie very clear from so far back!" Usagi protested. "I'm short!"

"Not as short as my temper is getting" Rei growled. "Come on, Usagi-chan. Let's get this disaster over with. And don't forget to bring along your humongous bucket of junk food. Maybe if we hide behind it, no one will notice us."

"Miserable!"

The four girls split up and Makoto sighed as she dutifully followed a comically tip-toeing Aino Minako to an empty section four rows behind Haruka and Taro.

Rei also quietly entered the theater but jumped as she felt a hand suddenly grip her shoulder in the gloom.

"Rei-chan, wait a minute!"

"What is it now, Usagi-chan? And move over, you're blocking the aisle!"

Usagi scooted to one side to allow a middle-aged couple to go past her. "Gomen!" She told the miko, "I forgot to buy a soda and this popcorn is making me really thirsty. I need to go back and get some."

"Go right ahead. I'm not going with you and missing the start of the movie like a complete idiot. I'm finding a seat. You can join me later, after you've bought your usual huge barrel of soda. Maybe they have one in a ten litre size to match that popcorn. That should satisfy you for at least an hour."

"But I might not be able to find you in the dark!" Usagi protested. "I don't want to sit in this strange foreign movie theater all by myself!"

"That possibility is the best thing I've heard all day." Rei walked on, leaving her friend to make her way back to the concession stand alone.

"And I used to think all Shinto mikos were supposed to be helpful and nice" Usagi muttered. "Ha!"

. . . . .

"I still can't believe you're getting hitched so soon!" Yuji exclaimed from his seat on the hotel's outdoor patio. "We'll have to call you Mr. and Mrs. Urawa from now on. You know, just to break the name in!"

Ami giggled softly, "If you wish to, Yuji-chan. We certainly won't object."

"It's going to be interesting when your parents find out" Yuuichirou chuckled. "For your sake, I hope they don't interfere."

Ami gently squeezed her Ryo's hand. "We've both been dropping hints for a while now, Yuuichirou-chan. They will certainly be surprised, but not too shocked. At least... I hope not."

"Do you mind if I break the news to Hino-sensei?" the Shinto apprentice asked the happy couple. "Speaking of whom, I wonder where the old man is tonight? Haven't seen him for hours."

"Of course you may" Ami agreed. "We were in fact planning on asking him if he would perform our ceremony."

"I'm sure he'd be more than happy to" Mamoru remarked. "As I hope he will for each of us, when it's our time to exchange vows." He paused to check his watch. "Speaking of time, it's getting late back in Tokyo and I promised Setsuna I'd check up on things at home today. Please excuse me for a moment." The university student hurried into the hotel and rode the elevator up to his suite, still wondering if Ami and Ryo were being somewhat hasty. Dialing the number of a large house on the outskirts of the city, he heard three rings before a familiar voice picked up the receiver.

"Moshi moshi."

"Konbanwa, Setsuna-san. I hope my late call isn't disturbing you."

"Of course not, Mamoru-san. I'm merely sitting here in the library enjoying an interesting book from Michiru's collection on famous composers."

"I see. Everything quiet on the home front?"

"Serenely so. Tell me, how are you and the others enjoying your Hawaiian holiday?"

"We're having a great time. This island chain truly is a paradise. Uh... did you know that Haruka and Michiru are also here?"

"But of course I did, Mamoru-san" Setsuna smiled into the phone. "I trust they are behaving themselves."

"We haven't seen much of them to be honest. There was one little issue earlier between Haruka and Minako, but it seems to be all settled now. Other than that, the only big news is about Ami and Ryo."

Setsuna's words developed a faint note of tension. "Indeed? What news?"

"They've decided to get married this coming autumn" he announced.

The phone line briefly fell silent, and when the Guardian of Time spoke again, Mamoru detected uncharacteristic surprise and deep concern in the young woman's voice.

"No."

"Pardon me, Setsuna-san?"

"No" she repeated. "Ami and Ryo must not wed this year."

"But they've already set the date. They're happier than I've ever seen them before. Why can't they-"

"They must not" Setsuna insisted. "They will not. Mamoru-san, this may seem a difficult thing I am about to ask, but you and Usagi must forbid their wedding. At least until later. Perhaps... sometime next year."

"Forbid their wedding?" Mamoru exclaimed into the phone. "It's not our place to do that, Setsuna-san." He heard the woman from Tokyo sigh deeply before she continued.

"Mamoru-san, the day will come when you and Usagi rule over not just Tokyo, or your country for that matter, but... very much more. And as Usagi is in fact the Moon Princess incarnate, she even now has a measure of power over the lives of all those in her court. It is high time she exercise that power, for the good of all concerned."

"But... can't you at least tell me why the marriage shouldn't proceed this year?"

"I could, but... I must not. I'm very sorry, Mamoru-san. Please understand, there is a sequence of events that must be followed to ensure the planned future that Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom worked so hard to arrange finally does come to pass. It is one of my tasks to observe and, if necessary, lend a measure of guidance to you and the Sailor Senshi in this regard. I cannot say more, but please heed my warning. The wedding of Mizuno Ami and Urawa Ryo must be delayed."

"Asking them to wait will be a very difficult thing to do, Setsuna-san. They may not even listen to us."

The voice on the line was disconcertingly ominous. "You must somehow make them listen, Mamoru-san. Make them."

. . . . .