Kay, everyone. I would've put this out sooner if I had known that I'd get so many reviews, but I'll say it anyway. The three hundredth reviewer received a very long (for me) e-mail and I also reviewed all of their fics (not that I don't try to anyway, that just gave me incentive). I'm going to do the same at five hundred, then seven fifty, and one thousand, although I don't even know if I'll get five hundred ;-) Oh well, might as well plan ahead... so, everybody review so we'll get up to five hundred! Thank you all so much for being so supportive! ::sniffles:: It really makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Hyper Princess- thanks! I'll e-mail ya when I get a chance.
MarsMoonStar- thanks!
Anonymous- thanks!
Firefly-chan- thanks, and I'm glad you're glad! Hehehee
DevilsDarling- ::sweatdrops:: what a lot of capital letters… hehee maybe they'll kiss soonish, maybe not. We twill see we twill we twill… I'm not saying that I necessarily want a boyfriend. Personally, I think that people my age aren't mature enough for a relationship. I only danced with them because I didn't care. I think I knew I wouldn't be friends with any of the people when I went to middle school (it was my fifth grade social, in case I hadn't said that). Don't hurt the demons! Nonono! It was my fault, really! I gave them the pizza! ::hides behind chair:: I'll keep going! I will!
Bunni V- yay! Somebody knows how to wait! Hehehe thank you very much for all nice comments. I think that is kinda just a prologue for a full-blown fic, and I kinda have two (three if you count Voldemort's Choice, which I don't) of those running. I've got too much on my plate to get into another one! But I will let you know when I start working on that.
Roninchica- I'll read that fic when I get a chance, kay? Thanks for the quote, and I'm glad you found this chapter funny!
Crazygurl70- actually, I don't. this fic reminds me of my life too much to think about that. I sit there and think, "What kind of crazy, insane, barmy, batty, wacky, nutty, loopy, loony life am I living?" It's really fun to think about the answer, really. Thanks!
Silversickle17- have you completely given up on Ami A? you should have just changed the Ami A name to Silversickle17 and posted your story there, baka-head. ::sweatdrops:: heh heh… school? Oops, when is our autobiography due? Late night Wednesday… let's see, I can tell you who's at the bottom of the lake… mwahahahaha! YOU ARE! HAHAHAHA! I "accidentally" pushed you in, yep. Jen, Lauren and I were walking past the park to The Keep (awesome store, you've gotta find it, Ami) and Lauren says, "We should go ice skating!" Now, this was yesterday, and it was incredibly warm out. So of course, I says, "Yeah, and then we can find out just how thin the ice is." We used you to figure it out. I should tell your fortune with my Tarot cards. I did Jen's and Lauren's, and they were both really bad. Jen was "moving away from intelligence" and nearing something that wasn't good. Hehehee… it wasn't as bad a cliffhanger as other times.
Lunakitty- The 300th reviewer! ::throws streamers and parades around the room:: thank you, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Anneliese- Thanks, I will, thanks, I will and thanks!
Usagipegasus- Thanks! This wasn't too long a wait, was it?
Sailorartemis2000- How much do you wanna bet? You should know never to bet with the author. Thanks, and I will!
Siren- The spells thing will be explained later (I have plans for it) but for now I'll just say that it's because they make them in Spanish. It's kinda a psyche thing, where you have to know that the words will work, not just saying the words, too. She might be, might not be... we'll see. I'll try!
Hanazakari- maybe they do, maybe they don't. We'll see! You'll find out this chapter who she rescues.
HEY EVERYBODY! YOU HAVE TO READ AND REVIEW SILVERSICKLE17'S FIC! IT IS REALLY FUNNY, AND THE MAIN CHARACTER IS BASED ON ME! PLEASE READ IT, PLEASE! IT'S SHORT AND FUNNY, A GOOD MIX!
Sorry if there's any odd combos of British/American spelling, but I'm American and I've read a few too many books written by British authors.
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Usagi stood anxiously waiting on the edge of the lake. She didn't even know what she was going to be looking for, let alone where. All she knew was that it was in the lake.
At last Harry arrived so they could begin the second task. Ludo Bagman quickly explained what was going to happen to the crowd across the lake, and then positioned all the champions along the shore.
The signal came to begin, and Usagi quickly moved closer to the edge, said, "Yo soy un mermaid!" and dove in as she transformed. She surfaced about halfway out in the lake, and saw that the only one still near the top was Harry, who looked rather like a frog with gills. She glanced down at herself and gasped. Her hair (which was still shortened with her bangs grown out) was down loose, flowing out into the water. She wore what looked like a bikini-top, only it was much more exquisite than any she'd seen before: a silvery blue colour with little pearls lining it. The thing that was the most beautiful, however, was her tail. It was long and scaly, of course, but the scales were smooth. The top was the same silvery blue of her 'shirt', but it slowly changed from blue to turquoise and ended in a sea green. She drew in a breath, and then flipped up out of the water and dove back in, just like dolphins do.
Usagi was under much too quickly to hear the admiring gasps, but she wouldn't have cared anyway. As she swam deeper and deeper, she saw the giant squid fly off with a squirt of ink. Was the squid afraid of mermaids?
"Myrtle, what are you doing here?" Usagi gasped in surprise, not at all shocked that she could talk under water. Moaning Myrtle had appeared before her in the water.
"I came to say hello to Harry. Wasn't very talkative at all… who are you?" the girl said suspiciously.
"I'm Usagi Tsukino, remember? Do you happen to know where the mermaids are?"
"Oh, you're Usagi? Don't look it. You look like a mermaid. Not one that you'd find in here, mind, but one from Greece."
Usagi sighed in frustration and then said, "I know. I used a spell and now I have to find these mermaids. Do you know where they are?"
"Yes, I'll actually show you the way because you're talking to me," Myrtle said, zooming off.
Usagi swam quickly after, listening to the ghost's babble and speaking when necessary. Whether it was by good fortune, Myrtle, herself, or some combination of these things, Usagi came across no obstacles on her way to the mervillage.
"They don't like me much," Myrtle said sulkily as she paused near a rock depicting merpeople chasing the giant squid, "so I'll leave you here."
"Thank you, Myrtle!" Usagi called after her.
Usagi swam through the eerily quiet village. All she could hear was the song of the merpeople, drawing her to the central circle. There, at the base of a huge statue, six figures were tied up.
She swam quickly down the row of ugly (green skinned, haired, tailed, you name it... they're ugly.) singers to the figures. There was Cho (Cedric's...), a girl that looked like a Veela (Fleur's...), Hermione (She must be Victor's...), Ron (Definitely Harry's...) and a Japanese student named Motoki (Mamoru-baka's.). Usagi turned to the last figure and discovered that her most precious thing was...
"Lee."
{A/N: This is where I say, "HAHA! I FOOLED YOU!" because it wasn't Lee. That was way too expected to be used, so instead I'm going to make it...}
"EZMA? Ezma is my 'most precious thing?'" Usagi was clearly disgruntled. "How could she be my most precious thing? I think that she's an annoying little twit, and I'd be happy never to see her again!"
The merpeople gathered around her laughed.
"All right, all right... now how do I get her off this statue?" She looked around and spotted the spear that one of the mermen held. "Can I please use that?" she asked politely.
He shook his head and laughed.
"Yep, this is real good," Usagi muttered under her breath as Harry swam up.
"Hi Harry! None of the others are here yet, sorry. You have to take Ron. I get stuck with this little brat," Usagi said quickly.
"Usagi?" Harry said in surprise, looking at his twin. All that came out was a big bubble.
"You look so funny!" she cackled.
"Yeah, sure, you're being real nice," Harry bubbled huffily.
Of course Usagi couldn't hear what he said, but she lip-read him. "I never said I was nice," she pointed out slyly.
Harry swam over and picked up a sharp rock {A/N: the only sharp rock in the vicinity... important fact} and hacked away at Ron's bonds. After Ron was freed, Harry turned to Hermione and began to saw at her ropes, too, but then was stopped by a merman.
"Come on, Harry. It's no fun to get everyone else's people," Usagi said as he argued with the merman.
"Fine," Harry mouthed, "but I won't let you have the rock and I'm staying here."
"Dang it," Usagi muttered. She swam over to Ezma once more and began picking apart the rope with her fingers. It was slow going, and by the time Cedric and Victor had gone by, she had made hardly any progress. "Please, Harry? You let Krum have the stupid rock," Usagi said pleadingly.
Just as Harry was about to give in, a huge clearing of water approached, Mamoru in the center of it. Harry swam quickly back, knowing that he'd die from lack of oxygen in the bubble.
"Woah! Hold up there, buddy," Usagi said as he tried to get close to the statue. "If you wake up these people, you are stuck helping them back to the top in that bubble of yours. You do realize that they're under a spell so that they'll wake up once they hit air, right?"
Mamoru had stopped, shocked.
"Anyway, if this stupid twin of mine would just give me the stupid rock, I could cut your friend free and send you on your way."
She seemed to be talking more to Harry then anyone else, so he guiltily handed over the rock.
"Thank you."
Once Mamoru was on his way, Usagi sawed off Ezma's bonds then said to Harry, "Let's bring this girl up, too. We can both drag one of her arms. I don't think Fleur is coming."
Harry nodded, and once the girl was free, they both pushed off the bottom and began to swim to the top, the merpeople rising around them. Harry was gradually slowing down, though, and his gills were gone. When he completely stopped, Usagi realized that whatever he had used had worn off and said, quite softly, "Shit." {A/N: I sure hope my story rating is at least PG... don't wanna get in trouble!}
She shifted her grasp on Ezma so that the younger girl was tucked under her arm, and repeated the process with Fleur's sister. Then, grabbing Harry and Ron by the scruffs of their neck, she shot to the surface. Ron, Fleur's sister and Ezma woke up once their heads were above the surface, but Harry remained unconscious.
"Take it Harry waited to long, huh?" Ron said, looking anxiously at his friend.
"Yes," Usagi said, then realized that she was still a mermaid and that he couldn't understand her. Sticking her head underwater, Usagi said quickly, "Yo soy Usagi Tsukino." As she came back up, she repeated, "Yes. Help that girl there, she doesn't look like she swims very well. Ezma, you can manage, right?" The girl nodded. "Good. I'll drag this prat."
They made a very odd procession, swimming slowly back to shore with merpeople all about, but at last they made it. Percy splashed out to meet his brother, Fleur ran to her sister, and Madame Pomfrey bustled over to Harry. Usagi used a quick drying spell and then pulled her hair into a ponytail to keep it out of her face. Ezma was tagging along behind her, praising how she had rescued all of them.
Her patience stretched to the maximum, Usagi snapped. "Buzz off! You're as annoying as that beetle in Hermione's hair!" With that said, Usagi stormed off and sat by herself.
After a bit, the marks were given. Fleur received twenty-five points, Cedric received fourty-seven, Victor forty, and Mamoru thirty-seven. Harry managed to pull off forty-five (for showing "moral fiber" in refusing to leave until all hostages were safe). Usagi waited to hear her score.
"Usagi Tsukino was the first to arrive at the hostages' holding place, but was delayed by finding a way to cut the ropes. She also managed to rescue a fellow champion and three hostages at the last stretch to the surface. We award her fourty-eight points."
Her jaw dropped open in shock. Fourty-eight added to her previous score put her in the lead! Harry and Cedric were tied, three points behind her, with the other three scattered out after that.
"Why didn't you tell us what spell Usagi used?" Ron asked.
Dumbledore and Setsuna exchanged glances, before Dumbledore said, "Because we're not sure what she used. We'll have to have a chat, Miss Tsukino."
Usagi nodded and followed the two professors into the school.
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R&R! That's all I'll be able to get out for a little while, sorry.
Rini