Chapter 14: Heaven or Hell

Amata returned to class the next day, halfway through the morning lesson. After Kagura's re-introduction which, while not wholly friendly, was polite enough, they took their seats. Several of the female students began chatting amongst themselves about Kagura; aside from the Aquarion pilots, most of the students had never seen the young man before. If Kagura heard the whispered conversations amongst the girls about who the "hottest guy in class was," he gave no indication of it, instead reclining his seat and kicking his feet up on the desk as he usually did when the two had shared a body.

"It's a little sudden," Suomi-sensei continued as she looked down at her notes with a look of distaste, "but the Supreme Commander has decided that…as a team-building activity, we will be taking a one day and two night trip."

Cheers rose up from the most of the students. The only ones who didn't were the ones who had participated in Fudo Zen's survival training the day before. They groaned, but whether it was from the thought of yet another training regime or because their muscles ached too much from the Headmistress's punishment, it was hard to tell.

"Where're we going?" one particularly excited student asked.

"Let's see here," Suomi-sensei adjusted her glasses. "It appears that we will be heading for…Resort Atlandia."

Gasps and whoops rose from the students, this time including the Aquarion pilots. The resort, named after the mythical land of angels found in all the legends about Aquarion, lived up to its name as a "Paradise on Earth." Built on top of a natural hot springs site, it was an epitome of luxury and had a price tag to match. Neo-DEAVA almost certainly was pulling a lot of strings to get rooms for its students. In addition to the onsen, the resort was only a half-hour's walk from the beach; mile upon mile of nearly untouched sands and crystal-clear water.

"Calm down," Suomi-sensei chided and for good reason; half the students were already out of their seats. "We will be leaving before dark; I want everyone to pack their bags in an orderly manner and have them brought down to the entry hall before 3."

Amata was almost as excited as everyone else in the room. Kagura, however, chose that moment to break the mood by muttering, "That old man planned this trip? He's up to something…"

"Up to something or not," Andy gleefully exclaimed, "It's not every day we get a day off, two nights at a hot springs resort, and the ocean to boot! So many possibilities, so many opportunities…" Then looking at MIX appraisingly, "and not to mention the bikinis and big bangs."

"Andy, you better not be thinking about anything improper," MIX warned. "You know how badly I kicked your butt yesterday and I'm not afraid to do it again if I catch you doing anything."

Andy bowed his head apologetically, "Yes, yes, I know. I won't—." Then, with a roguish grin and under his breath so that only the boys could hear, "Let you catch me, that is."

The boys headed back to their dorm to pack. Since their room could only house three people, Kagura now occupied the room across the hallway, sharing it with a pair of soldiers from Altair. Amata looked through his belongings, packing the necessities such as soap and toothpaste. It wasn't until Andy stuffed a pair of swim trunks into his own suitcase that Amata realized that he didn't own a pair.

"What? You've lived at the academy for this long and haven't even bought a pair of trunks to go to the beach?" Andy exclaimed dubiously. "The ocean's, like, five minutes away. What a waste."

"Actually," Jin interrupted. "I don't have any either."

Andy glanced at the time, "11:25. Well, we have more than enough time to head out into town and buy whatever you two need. You're all done packing besides that, right?"

-o-

It didn't take long to reach Neo-Kowloon by bus; the academy spared no expense in making it convenient for students to go on outings. As usual, the shopping district was crowded this time of day; it was difficult to navigate the streets without bumping into at least half a dozen other shoppers. To his surprise, Amata caught sight of Zessica, MIX, and Yunoha at the end of the street. He let the others know.

"Ohoh?" Andy remarked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "If I'm not mistaken, those three can only be here for the same reason as us."

"What makes you think that?" Jin asked, curious.

Andy placed an arm over the other boy's shoulder, "You're smart, my hole-digging bro, but when it comes to girls, you're way behind yours truly. Just think about it. We were told today that we were going to a resort with a nearby beach. What else would our female friends be in town to purchase besides swimsuits?"

"Towels, snacks for the trip, toiletry, a new outfit, school supplies they might be running low on," Amata said, counting off the fingers on his hand.

"Oh c'mon, not you too, Amata?" Andy said exasperatedly. "You're so naïve. Tell you what, let's follow them. Then you'll see that I'm right."

"I don't know, Andy-san. That sounds like a bad idea," Jin replied hesitantly.

"Jin, Jin, Jin. Don't give me that nonsense," Andy said with a grin as he started off after the girls. "I bet you're dying to see what kind of swimsuit Yunoha-chan picks out."

Jin turned beet-red and looked at the ground, hiding his face with his bangs. "Er…um…" he articulated, at a loss for words.

"And Amata, my brother," Andy said, knowing the battle was half won. "Aren't you the least bit curious as to what Zessica-san will be trying on? A bikini would suit her figure nicely. Or maybe she'll surprise you and go with a conservative one-piece?"

Andy's words placed those exact images into Amata's head along with a few others that he didn't mention. Needless to say, Amata lost control of his powers momentarily and needed to cling desperately to a fire-escape in order to avoid floating off into the clouds. Several curious bystanders pointed and gaped at the spectacle. By the time he managed to get back down, the girls had already disappeared into a store.

"Damn," Andy said, "we lost them."

"Actually," Amata said, "They went into that shop right over there."

Amata pointed at the clothing store that he had seen the three girls enter when he had been clinging for dear life to the fire escape. It was one of those popular chain stores that stocked everything from formalwear to pajamas.

"Perfect," Andy said with a grin. "Even if they catch us, we have a perfectly legitimate excuse for being in there."

The interior of the store was a storm of vivid colors. Clothing of every size, shape, and color, made from a myriad of materials, filled every rack. Unfortunately for Andy's ambitions, the store was divided into separate sections for men's and women's clothing with swimwear at very back corners of the shop. MIX was the first to spot the group of boys, having stopped by the entrance to look at a clearance rack.

"Andy!" she exclaimed in surprise, "W-why are you here?" She pointed a finger accusingly at the boy.

At the sound of her voice, Zessica and Yunoha came over. Zessica's face broke into a mischievous smile when she saw Amata.

"Perfect timing Amata," she said cheerfully. "Help me pick out a swimsuit."

Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed him by the arm and pressed in close. For the second time in less than ten minutes, Amata found himself struggling to stay on the ground, flailing his free arm and legs about. Laughing softly and chiding him on needing to learn to control himself, Zessica dragged him towards the women's swimwear section.

"Hey Amata, you traitor, how dare you get to enter paradise alone so easily?" Andy shouted after him. Then, turning to where Jin had been standing, "Well, at least we two bros will always stick together, right Jin?"

Jin wasn't there anymore. A half-transparent and faintly blushing Yunoha was leading him by the hand, determinedly walking after Amata and Zessica.

"Et tu, Jin?"

"And no," MIX said, before Andy could ask. "I am not going to ask you for your opinion on my choice of swimwear."

As Andy faded out of sight behind a rack full of jogging pants, Amata could hear his friend's pitiful pleas.

The students arrived at the resort at about a quarter after 9. By the time they got settled down into their rooms, boys in the west wing, girls in the east, it was well on its way to 10. Still, the students were filled with the exuberance of youth and a whole lot of excess energy from all the snacks they had brought for the train ride. It would be quite some time until lights out. Everyone decided to try out the hot-springs; after all, they were part of Resort Atlandia's fame.

As might be expected, there were separate areas for men and women at the hot springs. Andy had expected a wooden divider between the two sections but instead, he was disappointed to find that the resort had gone a step further and built a solid metal barrier between the two, disguised by a very natural looking strip of plant growth.

"This is an affront to all of man!" he declared, even as he plotted. "How dare they erect such a barrier here? Have they no respect for the traditions of male/female interaction on school trips? This heresy cannot stand. This barrier is no physical wall, but a wall of the heart!"

Amata shook his head at the antics of his friend as he slipped into the water. It was at the very edge, temperature-wise, of what people normally were able to tolerate and remarkably soothing. Kagura tested the waters before leaping in with a splash. Putting it mildly, it was an amazing experience for him; he had never really had the time or opportunity to enjoy life's pleasures before. The red-haired boy sighed just before he immersed his head underwater as well, clearly enjoying the onsen.

Meanwhile, Andy was soliciting the aid of anyone who was willing to help. Although most of the boys had been skeptical at first, Andy's passionate and mildly rousing speech eventually won the support of a good number of them.

"Give it up Andy," Amata said as he soaked, "You know that MIX is going to kill you if you try to tunnel to the girls side. Not to mention Instructor Dantes is probably watching your every move from somewhere."

"I'm disappointed in you, Amata," he replied, pointing a finger at the other young man. "Where is your passion? Can you look me in the eye and tell me that you are not the least bit interested in seeing what's going on the other side?"

Amata closed his eyes, trying very hard not to picture what Andy was referring to. "Of course I'm interested," he answered. "But I'm not going to break the trust the girls have in us and try to sneak a peek."

"Oh, come on," Andy exclaimed. "I'd bet anything that the girls are expecting us to try. It'd be an affront to them not to. Like saying, 'We're not interested in you or your big bangs.'"

As it turned out, the girls were expecting the boys to try; just not in the way Andy might have expected. Before going into the onsen, at MIX's suggestion, they hael a meeting in the changing room, huddling together to discuss what they should do.

"Ok, I can almost guarantee that Andy will try something stupid," MIX said in a low whisper; though why she bothered considering the sheer distance between the women's and men's changing rooms no one knew. Perhaps it was just to keep the atmosphere of a secret meeting going.

She continued, "I'll be on alert regarding him. He won't get far if I collapse his tunnel right on top of him. I think we should expect him to have persuaded some of the other boys to help as well."

Yunoha hugged her doll to her chest and protested, "I don't think that Jin-kun will try. He's not like that at all."

Zessica looked thoughtful, "Well, there was that one time he ended up in the girl's locker room, but that was probably an accident. You're right, he's a bit too much on the shy side to even think about trying. Amata on the other hand…he might not even be in on an attempt to get to the women's side and accidentally fly over if something stimulates his imagination enough."

"You don't need to worry about that," a newcomer announced. "Donar told me that he'd be on the lookout from his room, which overlooks the boy's bath, for any misconduct. I took a look at his luggage on the way in and frankly, I'm surprised the hotel staff allowed that much weaponry on the premises no matter how much we're paying them."

Everyone looked at the newcomer, startled by the sudden interruption. No one had heard Suomi-sensei come in, but she was standing right at the edge of the circle of girls wearing nothing but her glasses and a towel wrapped around her torso; her long hair was pulled back into a ponytail. The girls took one moment to gape at how quickly their teacher had changed from "strict instructor in a nun's habit-mode" into a beautiful, mature woman on vacation. Sure, her usual attire hid her figure quite well, but now that the students had a better look…they realized just how much of a difference a few years made.

"Anyway," MIX said, bringing everyone's attention back to her. "I think the real problem is Kagura-kun. He's a wild card and I'm fairly certain he won't be a part of it, but his 'Reversal' ability is going to be a pain to handle if he joins up with Andy."

"He's not going to be a problem," Zessica replied. "From what Amata told me, he only has eyes for one girl and she's not with us, meaning that he has absolutely no motive for even trying." She avoided using Mikono's name since it would put a damper on everyone's spirits if her absence was brought to the fore.

"Oh come off it, MIX," Sazanka said impatiently, "let's just go for a dip and worry about what to do if it happens. I'm betting the boys are already enjoying the onsen."

With a dreamy expression on her face she mumbled, "Cayenne-sama and Shrade-sama sharing the same bath…mmmm"

The girls left her to her fantasies, but took her suggestion to get started.

"Ah," MIX sighed as she slipped into the water. "That really soothes my aching muscles. Crea's punishment was terrible…having to dig all that dirt up…ugh!"

Zessica went in up to her neck, feeling the warm as it seeped into her joints and relieved the stiffness that hours of shoveling had caused. The other girls looked a bit perplexed by just how much the Aquarion pilots were enjoying the onsen, but figured that they deserved it for all their hard work.

There was a quiet "fwip" sound coming from the other side of the divider, followed by a much louder thud as something heavy hit the ground. Startled, several of the girls looked in the direction of the noise but, of course, didn't see anything.

"Not to worry girls," Suomi-sensei said, eyes closed as she leaned back in the water. "That's probably Donar keeping his word." She opened her eyes as loud splashing announced that several girls had rushed to her side.

"What is it?" she asked a little hesitantly due to the spark in their eyes.

Surprisingly, it was MIX who asked the question first. "I didn't notice back inside the locker room, but since when were you close enough with Instructor Dantes to call him by first name and no honorifics? Spill it, sensei!"

The other girls pressed in close, all clearly interested in what their teacher had to say. Here in the baths, everyone was equal. There were no ranks, no student-teacher dichotomy, and no need for decorum. It was the perfect opportunity for a bunch of young women to gain insight from a more mature and (hopefully) more experienced woman regarding love matters.

Suomi-sensei tried looking for an escape route, but eager young faces hemmed her in from all sides, cutting off all possibility of a getaway. Realizing she was trapped, the young teacher sighed and answered with the truth.

"I'm not really sure when or how," she admitted. "It seems like it's always been this way, to be honest."

There were a few squeals of delight and a barrage of more questions. The teacher found herself regretting her first slip in use of formal speech more and more.

"Who did he get?" Andy called back to the three remaining boys who had joined his quest for glory.

"I think it was Direzza-san," one of them answered.

"Damn. Malloy-san, huh?" Andy said as they huddled down in a hole he had dug. "He was a good man. He will be missed."

"He's not dead, actually," someone replied. "Just unconscious."

Andy ignored him, getting a little too absorbed in his role as the commander of his own little squad.

"As I said, a good man. His loss shall not be in vain!"

Andy tunneled forwards, towards the divider, knowing that nirvana lay on the other side. He was more and more sure of success with each clod of dirt hurled backwards; at least, until his hands hit a metal barrier. He tried to use his powers to smash a hole right through it, but something about the thing refused to give way. Concentrating a little harder, he recognized MIX's handiwork in reinforcing the structural integrity of the barrier.

"Playing hard to get only makes me more determined!" he exclaimed. "If I can't go straight ahead, I will go under!"

Andy tunneled further down, only to hit solid bedrock. Normally he would have been able to remove it as easily as loose soil, but again, MIX's handiwork stopped him in his tracks. Damn, that young woman was prepared, he thought appreciatively.

"Bad news boys," Andy said. "MIX's interference means that we can't tunnel there from the men's side of the onsen. But, I think we should be alright if we go around and tunnel in from the other side. Who's with me?"

"I'm not so sure about this anymore," one boy admitted, "I want out. This turned out to be a complete waste of time and if MIX knows we're coming, then so do the other girls. I'd rather not get caught and get mauled by the girls. I have too much to live for. No hard feelings, right?"

Andy sighed as the deserter left their ranks. The road to paradise was hard and few would ever see the destination. From the mouth of the tunnel, they heard another "fwit" and a soft thud as Instructor Dantes' tranquilizer dart found another target. Andy paused his digging for a moment as a tribute to the fallen, deserter though he was.

The going was tough and unexpected obstacles in the form of running into more of the underground divider slowed their progress. In the end, the other two boys gave up and left Andy to his own devices. However, he would not give in; this trial was what separated the men from the boys, the determined from the rest, the strong from the weak. Andy W. Hol would succeed or die trying, his tale an inspiration to males everywhere for generations to come.

It took the better part of half an hour, but finally, the young man managed to go all the way around and tunnel up into a hidden recess on the women's side of the onsen. He surfaced, expecting to see heaven for the first time, but was struck down with disappointment a moment later.

The entire bath was empty. Not a living creature stirred. No movement save for the steam swirling about in a faint breeze.

Where had he gone wrong? Andy was certain he had heard voices from the other side as he was tunneling. There should have been people there.

He took a few steps forwards, disbelieving his terrible luck. The steam swirled around him, wrapping him in its comforting warmth as if to comfort him. It swirled about, dancing around playfully.

The boy heard a soft footfall coming from behind him and turned around a moment too late. The last thing he saw before stars heralded his entry into the realm of unconscious dreams of playful young women enjoying themselves at an onsen was a wooden wash bucket flying at his face.

-o-

"—old you he was going to try something stupid," someone was saying as Andy drifted back into the world of the living.

He gave a groan, trying to feel at the bump on his head. He found that his hands and feet were both bound.

"I think he's starting to come to," the voice continued. Andy finally regained enough sense to recognize it as MIX's. "Nice thinking, Yunoha, turning us all invisible like that."

Andy's vision returned, blurry at first, but slowly regaining clarity. It took a minute, but finally, the people standing before him resolved into the distinct figures of his female classmates…and one very annoyed looking teacher. They had all covered themselves with towels, but he could still appreciate how those clung to their forms. Their bare legs were a nice bonus. He tried not to stare too much, except at MIX. She drew his eyes like honey draws flies.

"Well now, Andy," MIX said, hands planted on her hips. "What are we going to do with you?"

There were several suggestions that caused the boy to flinch in imagined pain. Whoever thought that men were more prone to malevolent thoughts clearly had never incited the wrath of these women.

"I can think of one," Zessica said thoughtfully.

"What would that be Zessica-san?" MIX asked, still watching Andy warily.

"Well, you and Andy could go alone to one of the private rooms…"

"Uh-huh…and?"

With a grin on her face, Zessica finished, "And spend the whole night together like the married couple you two already act like, sheesh!"

MIX protested that they weren't like that while blushing furiously. "You deny it too, Andy," she cried at him. Her overreaction wasn't really convincing the girls too well of her feelings.

"I can't do that," he stated plainly. "I came all this way for you, MIX, and I'm sure as hell am not going to deny my feelings for you."

A low "oooh" passed through the crowd of female students. Most seemed to have forgotten their lynching mentality of a few moments ago in favor of admiring Andy's dedication towards MIX. Andy gave an inwards sigh of relief; he might just live to see another day.

"W-w-what about you, Zessica-san?" MIX exclaimed, turning to her friend and trying to change the topic. "You and Amata-kun are pretty close too, aren't you? Why don't you just go ahead and—"

Zessica gave it a thought. "You know, that's not such a bad idea," she said wryly. "Maybe I'll try that later."

"Ok, girls. Enough of this nonsense," Suomi-sensei declared. "The fact is that Andy-kun here has clearly violated the rules of the onsen and according to the resort rules, the affected party, which would be us, gets to decide on the penalty."

Just as Andy was about to be sentenced to his fate for a crime he didn't really regret committing (now that he had indeed seen paradise,) he was saved, literally, by an answer from the heavens. Amata Sora fell out of the sky after hurtling over the barrier, clearly not in control of his powers. Only Zessica's timely dash and catch prevented him from face-planting into the dirt. Still, the boy's momentum carried them both to the ground, Amata on top. From his seated position, Andy could see that the other boy's hands and face were placed in some very envy-inspiring spots.

"Gah! Zessica-san!" he exclaimed as he leapt backwards off her and averted his eyes. "I didn't mean to—I mean, Kagura—and—said something—"

Worst excuse making ever, Andy thought dryly as he watched his friend fumble around trying to get the words out.

It took quite some time for the other boy to calm down and, even then, he was unconsciously floating a few inches off the ground. According to what they were able to piece together from Amata's nervous stuttering, Kagura had actively encouraged him to "be a man and just go over to claim his woman." When that had failed, he had made Amata's powers go haywire, though how, the boy refused to tell, turning very red when pressed, and then proceeded to punt Amata, who was wearing nothing more than a towel over his waist, over the divider.

"Alright, that's it," Sumoi-sensei declared in exasperation. "You two boys will sit in the lobby until morning. Seiza position!"

The two boys groaned; aching knees would make the one full day of their break far less enjoyable. MIX gave Andy a smugly superior smirk. As if to deflate MIX's sense of superiority, Suomi-sensei continued, "MIX, Zessica, you two will be joining them."

"What?" the two girls protested at the same time. "But we didn't even do anything."

"They're your responsibilities," Suomi-sensei said with a hint of amusement. She was enjoying her petty revenge on the ringleaders of her questioning session about her relationship with Donar Dantes. "Didn't you say earlier that you would stop him, MIX? And yet, here's Andy-kun. And Zessica, didn't you mention the risk of Amata-kun flying over, however involuntarily? You should have planned for that eventuality. Count that as a lesson learned, because preparing for the unexpected can save your life in the Aquarion."

Back in the Neo-DEAVA's command room, the Headmistress and the Supreme Commander sat at a table, a box of donuts laid out before them.

"Didn't you say 'Love was Forbidden,' Fudo?" Crea asked. "And yet here you are, seemingly encouraging activities that may lead to that which you have forbidden."

The Supreme Commander took a donut out of the box. Examining it thoughtfully, he replied, "The name 'Aquarion' was once forbidden, yet now we find ourselves relying on that name alone to guide us through battle. Love is still forbidden but, one day, that too might be the only power that can deliver us from unwanted destiny."

He took a bite out of the donut. "The players are ready, the game is set, the wheel of fate spins, and love may yet be the answer; as it was both one and two cycles ago."

On the big screen, the scene showed what was going on in the lobby of Resort Atlandia. MIX had fallen asleep, leaning on Andy's shoulder. Amata and Zessica were both asleep as well; their heads together, shoulders supporting one another as they slumbered peacefully.

*notes: Slight delays in getting this chapter out, mainly because the Steam summer sale was going on and I was playing a few of my purchases. Yes, not the best of excuses, but hey, I needed a break from typing every so often. The narrative in this chapter's a mix of perspective and omniscient narration, mainly because there was a bit too much going on for me to keep it in perspective narrative the whole way through. The next chapter will probably be like that as well.

Andy gets to be awesome in a somewhat un-awesome way in his perspective segment, but still has very little luck with the girls. Amata on the other hand, has a bit more luck than he would care to have. This was the obligatory onsen episode that pretty much any anime has one of. Next chapter as you probably guessed from the description of the resort, is the obligatory beach, aka fanservice, one. Hope you enjoyed reading a not-so-plot movingly dense chapter. Next chapter title preview:

Chapter 15: It's All Fun and Games…