Disclaimer: Yup. Don't own Sailor Moon.
I also don't own Kira (aka Star Striker) or Aoi (aka Star Keeper). They belong to Cassandra Sistena, who kindly allowed me to borrow *coughkidnapcough* them for this fic, and one other! *huggles* I love Striker-san and Keeper-san!
I DO, however, own Hikaru (aka Star Hunter), Josei (aka Star Dancer) & Amai (aka Star Dreamer). I created them for this fic as extra characters, and would appreciate it if you asked before using them for anything. (Ha! Like anyone would want to? :p)
Eep. =^.^= Um, gomen? It's been a long time since my last update of Walk A Mile. ;_; Like, six months... Sorry! I've been really busy with VA-ing, and finishing up Umbroso Estrella (it's done, it's done! Look for the sequel in the future!)
New chapter!
"Um...."
Taiki glanced at Ami and shrugged, "gomen ne."
A sigh. " I don't blame you. I can guess it was Seiya and Yaten's idea."
"Hai."
"Well that was entertaining." Kira chuckled, wandering up to stand next to them with Aoi in tow. From down the corridor, they could hear shrieking and the slam of a door, followed by pounding. "More entertaining than I expected, actually."
"Kira," Aoi chided, "that wasn't nice."
"But it was FUN, ne?"
Taiki gave a tolerant shake of her head, and Ami smiled nervously. Aoi stifled a giggle and turned a stern look on her friend and partner. "You know, we should make you go and rescue them."
Kira looked horrified, "I think not!"
"Then Kira-san would be in danger, too!" Hikaru's laughing voice called as she bounced up, arm in a sling and her two fellow-Starlights in-training right behind her. "I say you just let them be." She giggled again, grinning; "Usagi-san and Minako-san won't actually HURT them, will they?"
"No...." Ami said slowly, rubbing his temple, "but Rei is another story."
"Ami!" Makoto called from across the room. The brunet had been conversing in hushed tones with Princess Kakyuu, Luna and Artemis, but hurried over. Though seeming worried, he, too, was attempting not to laugh. "We should go help them out."
The blue-haired senshi nodded, "let's go."
There was no doubt, as Ami and Makoto headed out into the Palace, of where they were; the two simply followed the shouting and cursing that was still coming from Rei and Minako, and the frightened shrieking from Seiya. The two now-men found their friends- all five of them, though Seiya and Yaten had locked themselves into one of the many bathrooms of the Palace- only a few halls away.
"Oh my." Ami sighed.
Makoto could only nod silently.
"SEIYA! YATEN! OPEN THIS DOOR!"
"No!"
"NOW, DAMN IT!"
"No!"
Rei growled angrily, then grabbed onto the doorknob of the bathroom and yanked on it, bracing his foot against the doorframe. He was shifting between incoherent shouting and frightening silence, and beside him, Minako wasn't doing much better. Usagi was irate as well, but had chosen to stand back to avoid being hurt in Rei and Minako's tirade.
After a moment, Rei let go of the doorknob and, suspiciously sweetly, called; "we just want to talk to you, okay?"
Silence, then; "no way! You'll kill us!"
Growling, Rei rattled the handle again. "ARGH!"
"Rei-chan," Usagi said, "this isn't working."
"I KNOW!" Rei snapped, "FINE!" Letting go of the door again, he dropped down and sat against the wall, leaning against the door. "Stay in there! I'm sitting here until you open the damned door!"
"Are you kidding?" Yaten shouted back, "I'm NOT living in here!"
"Well then," Minako told her, "you'll have to come out, then."
"You'll hurt us!"
"Only a little." Rei said sharply, "really!"
"Bastard!" Yaten shrieked, "I'll Star Sensitive Inferno your ass!"
"THROUGH THE DOOR?!"
"Fine! Healer Star Power! Make U-"
"Guys!" Seiya pleaded, interrupting Yaten before she could complete her transformation command, "please! Just let us come out, okay? Come on! I'm in a five-by-five room with Yaten, and she's on the warpath! It was just a joke! This is cruel and unusual punishment! You can't do this!"
"CRUEL AND UNUSUAL-?!" Yaten's voice raised again, "I'll show you 'CRUEL AND UNUSUAL'!"
Despite the scuffling and choking sounds that followed, Rei showed no signs of moving, and Minako seemed about ready to take up residence in the hallway as well. Usagi had propped himself against the opposite wall, not really participating, but not stopping them either.
Chuckling despite himself, Makoto cleared his throat. "Excuse me," he called, "may we cut in?"
"Mako-chan!"
"Come to join the fun?"
"Actually," Ami sighed, "we came to stop you from flaying them. It was just a joke, after all...."
"Just a joke?!" Rei demanded, "they made us spend a whole-"
"-day as men." Makoto finished for her. "Was it really so bad? I mean, come on, it really IS kind of funny if you think about it. Probably the worst part was when Haruka-san and the others were giggling at our expense, and THAT was worth it just to hear Haruka laugh that hard."
Rei glared silently.
"You know," Minako said thoughtfully, "....Makoto's right...."
"Yeah!" Seiya's voice called through the door.
"Shut up!" Rei slammed his fist into the wood, "or I WILL stay out here!"
A yelp. "Gomen nasai!"
Usagi giggled, very unbecoming for a man. "I can see how it's funny."
"Besides," Ami reminded them, "now we know it IS possible to change back to normal. No one was hurt by this at all, and I can guarantee that Kakyuu-hime was in on it, too. How could she not be? She wouldn't have done anything to upset us, so it MUST have just been in good fun."
Grudgingly. "I suppose."
"Hai," Minako stood up, brushing his tuxedo off, and threw his ponytail over his shoulder, "I guess I'm not too angry anymore. It WAS kind of a good joke....I mean, no harm no fowl, right?"
"That's FOUL, Minako...."
"Whatever."
"Anyway!" The senshi of love flashed a peace sign, "is it too late to go back and party?"
"I WON'T go like this!" Rei snapped.
"Ne...." Seiya called hesitantly, "we can....get you dresses....and stuff...."
"Actually," Kakyuu's melodic voice laughed as she approached from the direction of the Ball Room with Kira and Aoi, Luna and Artemis behind her, "I've decided to postpone the ball for a day or so. Hikaru-chan needs to rest some more, and I assume the Earthian Senshi whom are our distinguished guests would like some time to get re-accustomed with their female forms and choose new outfits, hai?"
"I think so." Ami agreed.
"Well then," Kakyuu smiled and glanced toward Rei, "will you let Seiya and Yaten out, now?"
"....fine." Rei grudgingly got up and out of the way.
After a long moment, the door creaked open and Seiya's head peaked around the corner. When she saw she was indeed safe, she made a dive for the hall, and Yaten stormed out behind her, a dangerous glint in her eyes.
Kakyuu nodded, then looked back over her shoulder at Kira, "I believe Kira would like to say something?"
"What?!"
Aoi nudged him.
"Shimatta." Glaring, Kira rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Look, I'm sorry for messing up your joke....but I planned on going to the Ball like this, and I wasn't going to change my plans just because of your little conspiracy!"
"Nice." Artemis chuckled.
Luna shook her head. "Was that an apology?"
"We're all good now?" Makoto looked around, noting that Rei still seemed less than happy. "Because- no offense- but I think I'd like to figure out how to change back and be myself again. HOW did you three do this for so long on Earth?"
Yaten snorted. "Are you kidding? Seiya LIKED it!"
A glare. "Harpy."
"Bitch."
Seiya grinned, "I know you don't actually think that."
"Try me."
"Oi...." Usagi shook his head and started down the hall, "I'm going to get changed."
"In more ways than one, ne?" Minako joked, earning a glare from both the blond and Rei. "Okay, okay...."
The Moon Child shook his head and headed down the hall to the tune of Rei snapping at Minako, Ami attempting to calm her hot-tempered friend, Seiya picking a fight with Kira over the whole ugly incident, and Kakyuu-hime's nervous laughter.
Usagi sighed.
Back to life as normal.
Oi, oi.
**********
Me: Eep. A VERY short chapter. ^^;; Gomen gomen. *bows* It just kind of....ended. *sighsigh* The next chapter will be longer, AND better, I swear! *mutters about writers block* Hopefully I'm over it now....