03: Here Comes Trouble
The next morning dawned bright and clear. After going through my usual morning exercises, I went downstairs to prepare a light breakfast for the guys. My only question is how do I prevent Usagi and Kento from eating everything? I thought with a grin. Kento is known as the Bottomless Pit, and Usagi has the biggest appetite of all the girls.
"Whatcha thinking, Ren?" yawned Cye as he walked into the kitchen.
"I'm trying to find ways to keep Kento and Usagi- who has an appetite almost as big as Kento's- from eating everything," I said with a sigh. Cye smiled, and took over cooking breakfast while I set the table. "Unfortunately, I haven't come up with one good idea yet."
"Oh, no," groaned Cye, as he pictured what might happen. "It's a good thing that we're preparing so much food then. There's no way that those two can eat everything."
"I don't know, Cye," I said, as I finished setting the table. "I'll think of something later. Preferably after I get some coffee to help me think straight."
"I don't know how you drink that stuff," he said disgustedly. "You do realize that it stunts your growth."
"That's not a problem, Cye," I said coming into the kitchen to start a pot. "I'm easily several inches taller than whoever happens to be the tallest, so I've got no problems there."
While we argued about the pros and cons of coffee, the rest of the guys came down. Mia followed them, looking more awake and alive than they did. They sat down at the table and began to eat. I looked at Cye and Mia, who had come in to get some coffee, and whispered, "Morning of the Living Dead."
"No argument there," he replied, as we joined them. "You forgot that they're not morning people."
"Were they ever morning people to begin with is the question," Mia said.
"I just hope that Kento saved us some breakfast. It's going to be a while before lunch," I said as I reached for the bowl.
After they had cleaned up from breakfast, we went upstairs to get washed, or in the guys case, to become more human. An hour later, we were preparing for the party. Cye and I were in the kitchen, cooking and preparing trays of veggies and dips. Rowen was out shopping, getting soda and chips. Ryo and Kento were preparing an easy dessert from a recipe and very specific directions I'd given them.
Several hours later, around eleven, most of the food was prepared. All we had left to prepare were the burgers Sage was going to grill. We had just started to put it on the tables outside, and Sage was starting the grill when Yuli showed up. He started running back and forth, doing odd jobs and generally being his exuberant and hyper self. A few minutes later, the girls and Darien came into the yard. Soon after they arrived, another car pulled up. My eyes widened and I began to curse in several languages as I recognized it. Everyone looked at me, confused by my outburst- at least until they saw who got out.
"What are you three doing here?" I growled as the Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten strolled into the backyard.
"Usagi told us about this little get together," Seiya said, "and she invited us to come."
"Fine," I sighed. After introducing everyone, I went inside to bring out the veggie trays and burgers.
As Sage started to grill the burgers, Cye and Mako were comparing recipes and cooking secrets. Kento was showing off for Mina and Rei. Rowen was playing soccer with Ryo and Darien and me, while Ami, Usagi, and the rest watched. After a while, Sage yelled that the burgers were done, and everyone eagerly crowded around. While we ate, Usagi asked me how I knew Seiya and the others.
"A couple of months, they got mobbed by their fans while walking through the neighborhood," I said. "To escape the mob, they ducked in here. No one here was impressed by them, and I made sure to deflate their oversized egos." The three guys pouted and Taiki said, "We asked if we could hang out here when we needed a vacation."
"More like begged on your knees," Sasaki snorted. "Those three pleaded and whined until Kieren agreed just to get them to shut up."
"Since then, Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten drop by for a couple days once a month," I said, glaring at them, "usually without notice."
After we'd eaten, and the dishes had been brought in, I brought out my boom box and put on a tape of dance music. The girls partnered up with one of the guys and we all danced. Everyone was having fun, and surprisingly Usagi and Kento hadn't eaten everything on the platters. Even the four- legged partygoers seemed to have fun. We were relaxing and having a good time. That's when things started to go downhill.
"What's that?" asked Rini, pointing to something in the sky. We all looked up, and there was a white orb racing towards us.
"I don't know, Rini," I said, as my lupine (wolf) companions pressed against my leg, "but I think it's time we went inside." We began to run towards the house, but before we could get there, the orb landed in front of us. It began to glow, and then it was like the whole world faded into a white mist.
"What's going on?" Usagi shouted. "What's happening?''
"I don't know," I replied, as the orb rose and began flying to wherever its destination was. "It's my guess that we're inside the bubble, and we seem to be moving faster."
"Where are we headed?" asked Toshitada.
"I don't know," I said, as I watched the city shrink, then disappear. "I don't know."
"Anybody see Rini or Yuli?" asked Usagi. Several shouts of no came back.
"Headcount!" Ryo shouted, trying to see through the mist. "All those here, shout you name!"
"The Three Lights," Taiki called out. "As well as Usagi, Kieren, and Hotaru."
"Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna," Michi called out. "Yuli and Rini are with us."
"Mako, Rei, Ami, Mina, Cye, Sage, Kento, Rowen, Toshi, Saki, Toki, and Kuro," they shouted.
"All present and accounted for except Darien and Mia," I said, then thought, Hmm, just the warriors. Why?
It seemed like we were flying for a long time, but we began to slow down. I looked out the side of the bubble and saw a landscape that I didn't recognize. Where are we? I thought.
"Look!" Sage exclaimed. He pointed to a castle that was far away. "I bet that's where we're going."
Just then, the orb began to shake. I looked around and saw that black lightning was hitting the orb.
"We're under attack!" I shouted over the noise.
"Who's doing the attacking?" shouted someone above the horrendous crashing. I could see cracks form in the orb, and then it split into several smaller balls. We fell, getting separated on the way down.
The next morning dawned bright and clear. After going through my usual morning exercises, I went downstairs to prepare a light breakfast for the guys. My only question is how do I prevent Usagi and Kento from eating everything? I thought with a grin. Kento is known as the Bottomless Pit, and Usagi has the biggest appetite of all the girls.
"Whatcha thinking, Ren?" yawned Cye as he walked into the kitchen.
"I'm trying to find ways to keep Kento and Usagi- who has an appetite almost as big as Kento's- from eating everything," I said with a sigh. Cye smiled, and took over cooking breakfast while I set the table. "Unfortunately, I haven't come up with one good idea yet."
"Oh, no," groaned Cye, as he pictured what might happen. "It's a good thing that we're preparing so much food then. There's no way that those two can eat everything."
"I don't know, Cye," I said, as I finished setting the table. "I'll think of something later. Preferably after I get some coffee to help me think straight."
"I don't know how you drink that stuff," he said disgustedly. "You do realize that it stunts your growth."
"That's not a problem, Cye," I said coming into the kitchen to start a pot. "I'm easily several inches taller than whoever happens to be the tallest, so I've got no problems there."
While we argued about the pros and cons of coffee, the rest of the guys came down. Mia followed them, looking more awake and alive than they did. They sat down at the table and began to eat. I looked at Cye and Mia, who had come in to get some coffee, and whispered, "Morning of the Living Dead."
"No argument there," he replied, as we joined them. "You forgot that they're not morning people."
"Were they ever morning people to begin with is the question," Mia said.
"I just hope that Kento saved us some breakfast. It's going to be a while before lunch," I said as I reached for the bowl.
After they had cleaned up from breakfast, we went upstairs to get washed, or in the guys case, to become more human. An hour later, we were preparing for the party. Cye and I were in the kitchen, cooking and preparing trays of veggies and dips. Rowen was out shopping, getting soda and chips. Ryo and Kento were preparing an easy dessert from a recipe and very specific directions I'd given them.
Several hours later, around eleven, most of the food was prepared. All we had left to prepare were the burgers Sage was going to grill. We had just started to put it on the tables outside, and Sage was starting the grill when Yuli showed up. He started running back and forth, doing odd jobs and generally being his exuberant and hyper self. A few minutes later, the girls and Darien came into the yard. Soon after they arrived, another car pulled up. My eyes widened and I began to curse in several languages as I recognized it. Everyone looked at me, confused by my outburst- at least until they saw who got out.
"What are you three doing here?" I growled as the Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten strolled into the backyard.
"Usagi told us about this little get together," Seiya said, "and she invited us to come."
"Fine," I sighed. After introducing everyone, I went inside to bring out the veggie trays and burgers.
As Sage started to grill the burgers, Cye and Mako were comparing recipes and cooking secrets. Kento was showing off for Mina and Rei. Rowen was playing soccer with Ryo and Darien and me, while Ami, Usagi, and the rest watched. After a while, Sage yelled that the burgers were done, and everyone eagerly crowded around. While we ate, Usagi asked me how I knew Seiya and the others.
"A couple of months, they got mobbed by their fans while walking through the neighborhood," I said. "To escape the mob, they ducked in here. No one here was impressed by them, and I made sure to deflate their oversized egos." The three guys pouted and Taiki said, "We asked if we could hang out here when we needed a vacation."
"More like begged on your knees," Sasaki snorted. "Those three pleaded and whined until Kieren agreed just to get them to shut up."
"Since then, Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten drop by for a couple days once a month," I said, glaring at them, "usually without notice."
After we'd eaten, and the dishes had been brought in, I brought out my boom box and put on a tape of dance music. The girls partnered up with one of the guys and we all danced. Everyone was having fun, and surprisingly Usagi and Kento hadn't eaten everything on the platters. Even the four- legged partygoers seemed to have fun. We were relaxing and having a good time. That's when things started to go downhill.
"What's that?" asked Rini, pointing to something in the sky. We all looked up, and there was a white orb racing towards us.
"I don't know, Rini," I said, as my lupine (wolf) companions pressed against my leg, "but I think it's time we went inside." We began to run towards the house, but before we could get there, the orb landed in front of us. It began to glow, and then it was like the whole world faded into a white mist.
"What's going on?" Usagi shouted. "What's happening?''
"I don't know," I replied, as the orb rose and began flying to wherever its destination was. "It's my guess that we're inside the bubble, and we seem to be moving faster."
"Where are we headed?" asked Toshitada.
"I don't know," I said, as I watched the city shrink, then disappear. "I don't know."
"Anybody see Rini or Yuli?" asked Usagi. Several shouts of no came back.
"Headcount!" Ryo shouted, trying to see through the mist. "All those here, shout you name!"
"The Three Lights," Taiki called out. "As well as Usagi, Kieren, and Hotaru."
"Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna," Michi called out. "Yuli and Rini are with us."
"Mako, Rei, Ami, Mina, Cye, Sage, Kento, Rowen, Toshi, Saki, Toki, and Kuro," they shouted.
"All present and accounted for except Darien and Mia," I said, then thought, Hmm, just the warriors. Why?
It seemed like we were flying for a long time, but we began to slow down. I looked out the side of the bubble and saw a landscape that I didn't recognize. Where are we? I thought.
"Look!" Sage exclaimed. He pointed to a castle that was far away. "I bet that's where we're going."
Just then, the orb began to shake. I looked around and saw that black lightning was hitting the orb.
"We're under attack!" I shouted over the noise.
"Who's doing the attacking?" shouted someone above the horrendous crashing. I could see cracks form in the orb, and then it split into several smaller balls. We fell, getting separated on the way down.