"Who decided we were leaving at four o'clock in the morning?" Manta
moaned.
"MINE!" Yoh shouted. "Two hours early for international flights!"
"But the flight leaves at ten," Manta said.
"I'm in the dumb math class for a reason, Manta."
Anna stumbled out of the house, dropped her kerchief-on-a-stick, and plunked to the ground. "So.tired.must.sleep," she murmured. She rested her cheek on her kerchief and was fast asleep instantly.
Yoh stood over her, staring at his dozing fiancée. "She's sleepy," he commented. "She shoulda had some coffee."
"Is that why you're bouncing off the walls?" Manta asked.
"YES!" Yoh cheered.
"That much caffeine is very bad in the morning, Yoh-sama," Tamao wrote on her notepad.
The blare of a car horn startled them all- well, except Anna. A big black minivan with tinted windows pulled up. The person riding shotgun rolled down the window. "Hi!" Bailong said. "Are you guys ready to go?"
"YES!" Yoh cried. He ran and shoved his suitcase, Manta, and Manta's suitcase into the car. Manta was now sandwiched between Ren and HoroHoro, both of which were snoring- in HoroHoro's case, loudly. Pilika was tucked between the window and her big brother. Tamao climbed in the back, hugging her suitcase tightly. "All ready to go!"
"Hold on," Jun, the driver, interrupted. "You kind of forgot your fiancée." She pointed to the sleeping girl.
Yoh rolled his eyes and leapt out of the car. "If I have to," he grinned. He slung Anna over his shoulder, carried her to the van, and buckled her in. Her only response was to sigh softly and cuddle against him. Yoh buckled up and put an arm around her shoulder, grinning madly. "I think we're ready now, Jun," he said.
"If you say so," Jun said, pulling out of the driveway.
Bailong's knuckles were white. "I didn't know you could drive, Jun," he said.
"Usually I let one of the jiang-shi drive, but occasionally I do it myself," Jun said, racing through early-morning Tokyo traffic. "Daddy let me borrow the van. It's his least favorite out of all his cars."
Beside Yoh, Anna stirred slightly. "What the." she murmured. She bolted upright and jumped away from Yoh's arm. "Yoh Asakura!" she screeched.
"What?" he blinked innocently. "You were sleeping so I carried you into the car."
Anna edged away from him, her arms crossed and her eyebrows twitching. "Leave me alone," she growled.
"Allrighty then, Miss Grumpy Pants," Yoh shrugged. He turned up his headphones and got jiggy with it in his own little world. Anna was none too pleased.
It was nearly an hour's drive to the airport, even with Jun's speed- devil driving. Finally they pulled up to the curb and the barely awake crew tumbled out. Except Ren. He was still sleeping.
"My poor baby brother," Jun cooed. She pinched his cheek. "Wake up, Lian."
"Mummy?" Ren yawned.
HoroHoro snickered.
"No, Lian, it's Junnie," she said. "Wake up."
Ren rolled over. "I'll get up in a little while, Mummy. I want Tigey," he mumbled sleepily.
Even Jun was sniggering. "Ren, you do know the guys are watching you," she said.
Ren bolted. His hair poked a little hole in the ceiling. "I'm awake!" he shouted.
"Of course you are," his big sister said, patting his cheek. "You guys go ahead and get the tickets. Bailong and I will take care of the car."
"Tigey?" HoroHoro smirked.
"Stuff it, Ainu boy, or I'll rip your lips off," Ren snarled.
"Ooh, SOMEBODY'S not a morning person."
Pilika pushed between her brother and her crush. "Stop it, both of you!" she barked.
"Yes'm," they said meekly.
"So who's going to get the tickets?" Tamao wrote.
"Dangit, Yoh thinks he is," Anna said. "Stupid head. He'll end up sending us to Saskatchewan."
"Hey, they have nice gerbil farms there!" HoroHoro said.
"And you know that how?"
"I like gerbils."
Anna shook her head and ran after her clueless fiancé. "No, Yoh! It's Orlando, Florida, not Orwell, New Jersey!" she shouted.
Once they had their tickets, it was time to go through security.
"Hm, this will be some fun stuff," Ren mumbled.
Yoh, Manta, Anna, and HoroHoro went through easily, HoroHoro of course because he had no suitcase. The security guards, however, were none too pleased with Ren's halberd.
"This.is.a..WEAPON!" the guard shouted, waving the collapsible halberd. "WE GOT A 2319!! 2319!!!"
"I need that," Ren insisted. "If you continue to annoy me, I will be forced to use it."
Jun grabbed her little brother's arm. "Ren, what have I told you about threatening people in public?" she hissed.
He blinked and smiled sweetly at his big sister. "Only when they make me mad?" he tried.
"Ooh, sorry! Try again!" Jun said. She spanked him. "Bad Ren!"
"That was mean!" Ren wailed. "And in front of the guys too!"
Yoh covered his eyes. "This is scarier than Anna on a bad hair day." He peeked through his fingers at his glowering fiancee. "Not that Anna ever has bad hair days."
"You're in it deep, Asakura."
Jun dragged her little brother away, lecturing him about anger management. Pilika passed her stuff and Jun's through the conveyer belt. Then it was Tamao's turn.
"Do I have to do this?" she wrote.
The guard squinted at her notepad. "Can't you talk?" he asked.
"Eh." she squeaked.
"Just put your suitcase on the belt, miss." Tamao reluctantly set her little pink suitcase on the belt and gave it a tiny tap. It rolled harmlessly down the belt.
"HEY! THAT TICKLES!!"
Tamao covered her eyes.
"IS THAT YOU, PONCHI?"
"OF COURSE NOT, KONCHI! I'M NOT AN X-RAY!"
"Is there something you'd like to share with the rest of the class, Tamao?" Anna inquired.
Tamao's face was pinker than her hair. "They made me take them!" she wailed.
Anna yanked Tamao's suitcase off the belt, ripped it open and dragged the shrieking spirits out by the ears. "You perverted little twits!" she hollered.
Yoh tapped her on the shoulder. "Anna, my dear, they're staring at you."
"Why?" she demanded.
"Because they can't see Ponchi and Konchi. It looks like you're screaming at Tamao's teddy bear," Yoh said.
Anna dropped the bear and smiled brightly at the crowd. "Um.I was schizophrenic, but we're much better now," she said.
Tamao rescued her teddy. "Mr. Bonkers, it's okay," she cooed, kissing the bear between the ears.
"Hey, what about us?" Ponchi asked.
"Do we get kisses too?" Konchi said.
"No," Tamao said firmly. "You have been very naughty. If you don't go right back into my suitcase and be quiet for the rest of the trip, then I will send you back home. Or I'll have Anna send you to the great beyond, either one."
The tanuki and the fox gulped and dived into Tamao's suitcase. She set Mr. Bonkers inside with a loving pat and latched it. "I'm ready now," she scribbled.
"Ooookay," Pilika said.
It was eight-thirty by the time they were done with security- which meant an hour and a half to kill. They split up to go shopping and agreed to meet back when they were getting ready to board.
Yoh: Double Espresso Choco Burst Delites. Three of them. Anna: Shiny Key Chains, Inc. Ren: Sleeping on a bench, sat on several times. HoroHoro: McDonald's Playland Pilika: Junior's Boutique Manta: Bookstore Jun: Still lecturing her sleeping brother Bailong: Currently being loaded onto the plane in cargo
"Flight 2460 to Orlando, boarding now," the intercom crackled. Anna tapped her foot impatiently. "Come on!" she shouted.
The rest of the gang showed up one by one. "Are we all here?" Jun asked.
"All except Yoh," Anna said. She cracked her knuckles. "If he's not here in two seconds, I'm-"
"I'M HERE!!" Yoh shouted, popping up behind Anna. She shrieked and tumbled back, hitting against his chest. He caught her. "Hi!"
"Leave go!" Anna said. She jumped away from him. "Here are the tickets. Just get on the plane. If you're left behind, then you can go back to Funbari and clean the house."
Everyone was sure to get on the plane.
"MINE!" Yoh shouted. "Two hours early for international flights!"
"But the flight leaves at ten," Manta said.
"I'm in the dumb math class for a reason, Manta."
Anna stumbled out of the house, dropped her kerchief-on-a-stick, and plunked to the ground. "So.tired.must.sleep," she murmured. She rested her cheek on her kerchief and was fast asleep instantly.
Yoh stood over her, staring at his dozing fiancée. "She's sleepy," he commented. "She shoulda had some coffee."
"Is that why you're bouncing off the walls?" Manta asked.
"YES!" Yoh cheered.
"That much caffeine is very bad in the morning, Yoh-sama," Tamao wrote on her notepad.
The blare of a car horn startled them all- well, except Anna. A big black minivan with tinted windows pulled up. The person riding shotgun rolled down the window. "Hi!" Bailong said. "Are you guys ready to go?"
"YES!" Yoh cried. He ran and shoved his suitcase, Manta, and Manta's suitcase into the car. Manta was now sandwiched between Ren and HoroHoro, both of which were snoring- in HoroHoro's case, loudly. Pilika was tucked between the window and her big brother. Tamao climbed in the back, hugging her suitcase tightly. "All ready to go!"
"Hold on," Jun, the driver, interrupted. "You kind of forgot your fiancée." She pointed to the sleeping girl.
Yoh rolled his eyes and leapt out of the car. "If I have to," he grinned. He slung Anna over his shoulder, carried her to the van, and buckled her in. Her only response was to sigh softly and cuddle against him. Yoh buckled up and put an arm around her shoulder, grinning madly. "I think we're ready now, Jun," he said.
"If you say so," Jun said, pulling out of the driveway.
Bailong's knuckles were white. "I didn't know you could drive, Jun," he said.
"Usually I let one of the jiang-shi drive, but occasionally I do it myself," Jun said, racing through early-morning Tokyo traffic. "Daddy let me borrow the van. It's his least favorite out of all his cars."
Beside Yoh, Anna stirred slightly. "What the." she murmured. She bolted upright and jumped away from Yoh's arm. "Yoh Asakura!" she screeched.
"What?" he blinked innocently. "You were sleeping so I carried you into the car."
Anna edged away from him, her arms crossed and her eyebrows twitching. "Leave me alone," she growled.
"Allrighty then, Miss Grumpy Pants," Yoh shrugged. He turned up his headphones and got jiggy with it in his own little world. Anna was none too pleased.
It was nearly an hour's drive to the airport, even with Jun's speed- devil driving. Finally they pulled up to the curb and the barely awake crew tumbled out. Except Ren. He was still sleeping.
"My poor baby brother," Jun cooed. She pinched his cheek. "Wake up, Lian."
"Mummy?" Ren yawned.
HoroHoro snickered.
"No, Lian, it's Junnie," she said. "Wake up."
Ren rolled over. "I'll get up in a little while, Mummy. I want Tigey," he mumbled sleepily.
Even Jun was sniggering. "Ren, you do know the guys are watching you," she said.
Ren bolted. His hair poked a little hole in the ceiling. "I'm awake!" he shouted.
"Of course you are," his big sister said, patting his cheek. "You guys go ahead and get the tickets. Bailong and I will take care of the car."
"Tigey?" HoroHoro smirked.
"Stuff it, Ainu boy, or I'll rip your lips off," Ren snarled.
"Ooh, SOMEBODY'S not a morning person."
Pilika pushed between her brother and her crush. "Stop it, both of you!" she barked.
"Yes'm," they said meekly.
"So who's going to get the tickets?" Tamao wrote.
"Dangit, Yoh thinks he is," Anna said. "Stupid head. He'll end up sending us to Saskatchewan."
"Hey, they have nice gerbil farms there!" HoroHoro said.
"And you know that how?"
"I like gerbils."
Anna shook her head and ran after her clueless fiancé. "No, Yoh! It's Orlando, Florida, not Orwell, New Jersey!" she shouted.
Once they had their tickets, it was time to go through security.
"Hm, this will be some fun stuff," Ren mumbled.
Yoh, Manta, Anna, and HoroHoro went through easily, HoroHoro of course because he had no suitcase. The security guards, however, were none too pleased with Ren's halberd.
"This.is.a..WEAPON!" the guard shouted, waving the collapsible halberd. "WE GOT A 2319!! 2319!!!"
"I need that," Ren insisted. "If you continue to annoy me, I will be forced to use it."
Jun grabbed her little brother's arm. "Ren, what have I told you about threatening people in public?" she hissed.
He blinked and smiled sweetly at his big sister. "Only when they make me mad?" he tried.
"Ooh, sorry! Try again!" Jun said. She spanked him. "Bad Ren!"
"That was mean!" Ren wailed. "And in front of the guys too!"
Yoh covered his eyes. "This is scarier than Anna on a bad hair day." He peeked through his fingers at his glowering fiancee. "Not that Anna ever has bad hair days."
"You're in it deep, Asakura."
Jun dragged her little brother away, lecturing him about anger management. Pilika passed her stuff and Jun's through the conveyer belt. Then it was Tamao's turn.
"Do I have to do this?" she wrote.
The guard squinted at her notepad. "Can't you talk?" he asked.
"Eh." she squeaked.
"Just put your suitcase on the belt, miss." Tamao reluctantly set her little pink suitcase on the belt and gave it a tiny tap. It rolled harmlessly down the belt.
"HEY! THAT TICKLES!!"
Tamao covered her eyes.
"IS THAT YOU, PONCHI?"
"OF COURSE NOT, KONCHI! I'M NOT AN X-RAY!"
"Is there something you'd like to share with the rest of the class, Tamao?" Anna inquired.
Tamao's face was pinker than her hair. "They made me take them!" she wailed.
Anna yanked Tamao's suitcase off the belt, ripped it open and dragged the shrieking spirits out by the ears. "You perverted little twits!" she hollered.
Yoh tapped her on the shoulder. "Anna, my dear, they're staring at you."
"Why?" she demanded.
"Because they can't see Ponchi and Konchi. It looks like you're screaming at Tamao's teddy bear," Yoh said.
Anna dropped the bear and smiled brightly at the crowd. "Um.I was schizophrenic, but we're much better now," she said.
Tamao rescued her teddy. "Mr. Bonkers, it's okay," she cooed, kissing the bear between the ears.
"Hey, what about us?" Ponchi asked.
"Do we get kisses too?" Konchi said.
"No," Tamao said firmly. "You have been very naughty. If you don't go right back into my suitcase and be quiet for the rest of the trip, then I will send you back home. Or I'll have Anna send you to the great beyond, either one."
The tanuki and the fox gulped and dived into Tamao's suitcase. She set Mr. Bonkers inside with a loving pat and latched it. "I'm ready now," she scribbled.
"Ooookay," Pilika said.
It was eight-thirty by the time they were done with security- which meant an hour and a half to kill. They split up to go shopping and agreed to meet back when they were getting ready to board.
Yoh: Double Espresso Choco Burst Delites. Three of them. Anna: Shiny Key Chains, Inc. Ren: Sleeping on a bench, sat on several times. HoroHoro: McDonald's Playland Pilika: Junior's Boutique Manta: Bookstore Jun: Still lecturing her sleeping brother Bailong: Currently being loaded onto the plane in cargo
"Flight 2460 to Orlando, boarding now," the intercom crackled. Anna tapped her foot impatiently. "Come on!" she shouted.
The rest of the gang showed up one by one. "Are we all here?" Jun asked.
"All except Yoh," Anna said. She cracked her knuckles. "If he's not here in two seconds, I'm-"
"I'M HERE!!" Yoh shouted, popping up behind Anna. She shrieked and tumbled back, hitting against his chest. He caught her. "Hi!"
"Leave go!" Anna said. She jumped away from him. "Here are the tickets. Just get on the plane. If you're left behind, then you can go back to Funbari and clean the house."
Everyone was sure to get on the plane.
