The gang met in Room 304 to discuss their plans for the next day.
"We're going to MGM," Anna decided.
"Why?" Manta said.
"Because I said so," she said.
"Goody!" Ren exclaimed. "I want to see the Muppets!"
"There are Muppets there?" Anna squeaked.
Yoh suddenly shushed everyone. "I think I heard something," he hissed. Quietly he tiptoed to the door and swung it open.
A girl dressed in black spy clothes was crouched by the door, holding a microphone up. "Oof!" she squeaked.
"Um...who are you?" HoroHoro asked.
The girl jumped up, hiding the mic behind her back, and stuck a fanfiction.net membership card in their faces. "Rekari Asakura," she said. "Author of 'Where Are They Going?'. It's one of my stories."
"And what are you doing here? With a microphone? And a tape player?" Pilika took it from Rekari's hands and hit the play button.
"Goody! I want to see the Muppets!" squealed Ren's recorded voice.
Ren blushed. "Can we destroy that?" he asked.
Anna took the tape and stepped on it. "Stop spying on us," she said.
No one can resist Anna's evil glare. Rekari ran away, screaming in fear at the evil look. "Copycat! Copycat!" HoroHoro singsonged.
"Good riddance," Anna said. "Now...about MGM. We are not going to see the Muppets."
It was only eight-thirty when they went to bed, but they were all suffering from jetlag to the extreme. They were so jetlagged that Lyserg and Jeanne were unconscious as soon as they flopped down on their bed.
Yoh and Anna were another story, however. The bed, although soft and fluffy, had a disturbing dip in the middle. Thus they spent the entire night rolling into each other.
Yoh woke up in the middle of the night feeling something soft and warm pressed against him. He blinked sleepily, trying to figure out what it was, and realized with a start that it was Anna. She was curled up in a tiny ball, her head resting against his chest. Yoh tried to edge away, but she snuggled closer. Finally he gave up, pulled the blankets around her, and fell back asleep.
It was early the next morning when the gang met in the cafeteria to eat breakfast. Yoh braved Anna's wrath and filled his mug with Pepsi. She was not amused.
"...and do you know what I'm going to do with you?" Anna shrieked.
"Let go of my collarbone and stop yelling because people are giving you funny looks?" Yoh suggested. Anna muttered under her breath and let him just drink the stupid Pepsi.
"Are we all set for our day of fun?" Lyserg asked.
Jeanne frowned. "Fun. Is fun permitted by the X-Laws? I must contact Marco and inquire about it-"
She started to get up, but Lyserg caught her around the waist. "Come back," he said. "It's okay to have fun."
"If you say so," Jeanne said, batting her long lashes.
"Tamao, are you okay? You don't look like you had enough sleep," Jun said.
Tamao was scowling like there was no tomorrow. "No, I didn't! Bailong kicks! Curses on those stupid straws!" she snapped.
"Whoa. Touchy," Ryu said.
"YOU BET I AM!" she said.
HoroHoro reached over and patted Tamao's knee. "It's okay, babe. We can switch around the arrangements, just for you," he said.
Instantly Tamao's eyes dropped. "I'm being selfish," she wrote. "I am very ashamed of myself."
"Don't be," Yoh said. "You're too sweet." He didn't notice the jealous death-glare Anna sent in Tamao's direction.
"WAIT!" HoroHoro yelled.
"What? You found your train of thought?" Anna asked.
"No! I lost my baby sister! My parents are gonna KILL ME!" he shouted, turning red in the face. "PILIKA! PILIKA!" He ran around the food court, shouting his sister's name.
"I am so glad I'm not related to him," Ryu said.
HoroHoro finally found his sister. She was still standing by the drink machines, talking to the surfer boy. "What have I told you about talking to strangers, Pilika!" he demanded.
"He's not a stranger. His name's Orlando," she sighed. "Isn't he cute?"
"Do you really want me to answer that, Pilika?"
"I guess not."
The gang was watching from their table. "Looks like Pilika has herself a boyfriend," Hao said.
"How cute," Jeanne said.
Ren stared at his plate. So Pilika had a new love.
His sister tapped his shoulder. "What's wrong, Ren?" she asked. "You're not eating." There were questions in her eyes, but he didn't feel like answering them.
"I'm not hungry anymore," he mumbled.
It turned out he didn't need to answer any questions. Jun knew just by looking at her baby brother. She reached over and squeezed his arm.
"Okay, I'm bored," Ryu announced.
"Time for MGM!" Hao said. "Come one, come all! The bus is leaving soon!"
The Mankin gang piled onto the shuttle, their stuff heaped around them. "Come on, everybody!" Manta said. "Disney singalong!"
"It's time to play the music!" Ren started promptly. "It's time to light the lights! It's time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show Tonight!"
"No Muppets," Anna said. "No, no, no. I had a bad experience with Muppets as a child."
Hao whipped out a notebook. "I'm a psychologist. Tell me your problem," he said.
"Since when are you a shrink?" Anna asked skeptically.
"Come on, babe. I've been living for centuries. Besides, you can get any degree at home off of the internet. So, problem?"
Anna sighed. "When I was two years old, my great-aunt Bertha gave me a stuffed Gonzo for Christmas. I was so scared of its giant nose I screamed, slammed the lid on the box, and refused to look at it. And I now hate all Muppets," she explained.
"You have a Great Aunt Bertha?" Yoh asked.
"Had. She disappeared in a tragic sky surfing accident." Silence. "What? She was a very active old lady."
On that note, the shuttle pulled into the parking lot. "Okay! Everyone, get their passes from Anna!" Yoh said. "And have a buddy, so you don't get lost."
"Um, I'm left over," Manta said, waving his hand.
"That's okay. Amidamaru can be your buddy," Yoh said, pulling out the talisman.
"Okay! I am now Manta-dono's best buddy!" Amidamaru cheered. "Do we have to hold hands?"
"No, um, let's skip that," Manta mumbled.
Yoh turned to Anna. "I take it I'm your buddy?" he said.
She shrugged. "Whatever. But we are not taking bathroom breaks every few minutes just for you," she said.
"I wanna go on that ride!" Hao whined. He jabbed a finger at the map. "We're going on this one first."
Bailong peeked over his shoulder. "The Tower of Terror?" he read.
"Sounds good to me," HoroHoro shrugged. So they headed over to the far side of the park to go to the Tower of Terror.
Since it was early, there weren't too many people in line, so they got through the line in under half an hour. They meandered through the long lines of the "former hotel" and talked as loudly as they could, greeting each other effusively each time they passed in the line. The only person who wasn't saying much was Anna. Yoh kept trying to get her excited. "Look, Anna!" he said, pointing to a display. "Isn't that neat?"
"Yeah, whatever," she mumbled.
Yoh rolled his eyes. "Did you know that this ride takes you up thirteen stories and then drops you? And it does it more than once," he said.
"Th-thirteen?" Anna repeated.
He studied her face. "Anna, your face is white," he said. "Are you all right?"
"I'm f-fine," she said, not meeting his eyes.
"Anna," he said, warning. "Look at me and tell me what's wrong."
She took him by the arm and leaned on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. "I don't like rides with big drops," Anna confessed quietly.
Yoh touched the back of her hand. "Well, why didn't you say so earlier?" he asked.
She dropped her hand. "No one will let me hear the end of it," she whispered. "I'll go on it. I'll be okay."
Yoh shook his head. "Hey, guys," he called. "I don't think I'm up to going on the ride. I'll just wait outside." He grabbed Anna's hand. "Come on, buddy." Anna's jaw dropped. "Play along," he whispered in his ear.
"I can't believe you're so chicken," she snapped out, her mouth scowling but her eyes lighting up. "Come on. We're going."
Yoh didn't let go of her hand until they burst out into the sunshine. "You're an excellent actress, Anna," he laughed, plunking down on the curb to wait.
Anna didn't sit. She twisted her fingers and stared at the pavement. "Yoh...thank you," she said.
Yoh leaned back and grinned up at her. "What are fiancés for?" he asked. "Now, come and sit with me. It could be a long wait."
Meanwhile, on the ride...
The members of the Mankin gang were preparing to get buckled in. "Oh, dear. I'm very sorry, but the toddler in your party is too short to ride this ride," the attendant said.
"Toddler? Where?" Manta asked, looking around. "I don't see- oh, dangit." Huffing and snorting in distaste, he thunked away.
"Wait! Buddy-dono!" Amidamaru hollered.
The rest of them piled onto the ride, and the car started to move out of the station. Lyserg glanced over at his seatmate. "You ready to rock, Jeanne?" he grinned.
She cocked an eyebrow. "Rock? I am not familiar with this term," she said.
"It means have fun," Lyserg explained. "You're don't need to be so serious, Jeanne. Loosen up."
"Loosen up?" Jeanne repeated. "I-"
"Oh, Jeanne," Lyserg said, exasperated. "Lighten up. Be happy! Be really really happy!"
"But I-"
Suddenly Lyserg leaned over in the seat and kissed her.
And, out of evil and terrible luck, the car dropped at the exact same time.
"BWAUGH! BWAUGH! BWAUGH! BWAUGH!" HoroHoro shrieked. Tamao clutched his arm, while Jun and Pilika squealed in delight.
Only Ren was nonplussed. "It's nothing," he scoffed. At least, that's what he claimed until they were all off the ride and outside. Then he was found leaning over a trashcan.
"Ew..." Ryu said, looking a bit greenish himself as he watched Ren hurl.
"Chronic motion sickness," Jun shrugged, patting her brother's back. "Believe me, when you've lived with him for thirteen years, you get used to it."
"Um...do I want to know what happened to Lyserg and Jeanne?" Hao asked.
"Ow...ow...ow..." Lyserg moaned. His lips were puffy.
"I think that kiss was unsuccessful," Jeanne mumbled.
"I tried to kiss her, but we kind of hit heads," Lyserg said, his shoulders slumping. "I'm dumb..."
And then Jeanne leaned over and kissed his cheek. He brightened instantly. "Maybe not so dumb..."
"Hey! You guys have fun on the ride?" Yoh chirped, jogging over with Anna at his heels.
"You come back here, Yoh Bartholomew Asakura!" she yelped. "That's my Mickey ice cream, and you know it! You already ate yours!"
"No! Mine! Mine!" he shouted, running in circles around the rest of the gang as Anna chased him.
Ren straightened up. "Whew," he mumbled. "That was unpleasant."
"Hey, you okay?"
"Yes! Fine!" he said, trying to look cool in front of Pilika.
"Okay, then," she grinned. "Let's go on that ride again!"
Ren clapped a hand to his stomach. "No, thank you," he said firmly.
"How about we split up and meet back later?" Hao said.
"I already thought of that," Anna said. "See? I got Fastpasses for everybody. We'll meet at the ride at six o'clock."
"What ride is it?" Manta asked, taking his ticket.
"Ooh! Goody! Little Mermaid!" Ryu shrieked. "I LOVE the Little Mermaid!"
"Please don't say that ever again," Lyserg said.
Author's Note: Rekari Asakura, wherever you are, PLEASE don't steal any more of my story!! *cries* Oh, and the thing about Anna and the stuffed Gonzo...yeah, that happened to me. Only it was a giant stuffed Abu with the BIGGEST eyes I had ever seen. And now I can't stand monkeys...
"Why?" Manta said.
"Because I said so," she said.
"Goody!" Ren exclaimed. "I want to see the Muppets!"
"There are Muppets there?" Anna squeaked.
Yoh suddenly shushed everyone. "I think I heard something," he hissed. Quietly he tiptoed to the door and swung it open.
A girl dressed in black spy clothes was crouched by the door, holding a microphone up. "Oof!" she squeaked.
"Um...who are you?" HoroHoro asked.
The girl jumped up, hiding the mic behind her back, and stuck a fanfiction.net membership card in their faces. "Rekari Asakura," she said. "Author of 'Where Are They Going?'. It's one of my stories."
"And what are you doing here? With a microphone? And a tape player?" Pilika took it from Rekari's hands and hit the play button.
"Goody! I want to see the Muppets!" squealed Ren's recorded voice.
Ren blushed. "Can we destroy that?" he asked.
Anna took the tape and stepped on it. "Stop spying on us," she said.
No one can resist Anna's evil glare. Rekari ran away, screaming in fear at the evil look. "Copycat! Copycat!" HoroHoro singsonged.
"Good riddance," Anna said. "Now...about MGM. We are not going to see the Muppets."
It was only eight-thirty when they went to bed, but they were all suffering from jetlag to the extreme. They were so jetlagged that Lyserg and Jeanne were unconscious as soon as they flopped down on their bed.
Yoh and Anna were another story, however. The bed, although soft and fluffy, had a disturbing dip in the middle. Thus they spent the entire night rolling into each other.
Yoh woke up in the middle of the night feeling something soft and warm pressed against him. He blinked sleepily, trying to figure out what it was, and realized with a start that it was Anna. She was curled up in a tiny ball, her head resting against his chest. Yoh tried to edge away, but she snuggled closer. Finally he gave up, pulled the blankets around her, and fell back asleep.
It was early the next morning when the gang met in the cafeteria to eat breakfast. Yoh braved Anna's wrath and filled his mug with Pepsi. She was not amused.
"...and do you know what I'm going to do with you?" Anna shrieked.
"Let go of my collarbone and stop yelling because people are giving you funny looks?" Yoh suggested. Anna muttered under her breath and let him just drink the stupid Pepsi.
"Are we all set for our day of fun?" Lyserg asked.
Jeanne frowned. "Fun. Is fun permitted by the X-Laws? I must contact Marco and inquire about it-"
She started to get up, but Lyserg caught her around the waist. "Come back," he said. "It's okay to have fun."
"If you say so," Jeanne said, batting her long lashes.
"Tamao, are you okay? You don't look like you had enough sleep," Jun said.
Tamao was scowling like there was no tomorrow. "No, I didn't! Bailong kicks! Curses on those stupid straws!" she snapped.
"Whoa. Touchy," Ryu said.
"YOU BET I AM!" she said.
HoroHoro reached over and patted Tamao's knee. "It's okay, babe. We can switch around the arrangements, just for you," he said.
Instantly Tamao's eyes dropped. "I'm being selfish," she wrote. "I am very ashamed of myself."
"Don't be," Yoh said. "You're too sweet." He didn't notice the jealous death-glare Anna sent in Tamao's direction.
"WAIT!" HoroHoro yelled.
"What? You found your train of thought?" Anna asked.
"No! I lost my baby sister! My parents are gonna KILL ME!" he shouted, turning red in the face. "PILIKA! PILIKA!" He ran around the food court, shouting his sister's name.
"I am so glad I'm not related to him," Ryu said.
HoroHoro finally found his sister. She was still standing by the drink machines, talking to the surfer boy. "What have I told you about talking to strangers, Pilika!" he demanded.
"He's not a stranger. His name's Orlando," she sighed. "Isn't he cute?"
"Do you really want me to answer that, Pilika?"
"I guess not."
The gang was watching from their table. "Looks like Pilika has herself a boyfriend," Hao said.
"How cute," Jeanne said.
Ren stared at his plate. So Pilika had a new love.
His sister tapped his shoulder. "What's wrong, Ren?" she asked. "You're not eating." There were questions in her eyes, but he didn't feel like answering them.
"I'm not hungry anymore," he mumbled.
It turned out he didn't need to answer any questions. Jun knew just by looking at her baby brother. She reached over and squeezed his arm.
"Okay, I'm bored," Ryu announced.
"Time for MGM!" Hao said. "Come one, come all! The bus is leaving soon!"
The Mankin gang piled onto the shuttle, their stuff heaped around them. "Come on, everybody!" Manta said. "Disney singalong!"
"It's time to play the music!" Ren started promptly. "It's time to light the lights! It's time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show Tonight!"
"No Muppets," Anna said. "No, no, no. I had a bad experience with Muppets as a child."
Hao whipped out a notebook. "I'm a psychologist. Tell me your problem," he said.
"Since when are you a shrink?" Anna asked skeptically.
"Come on, babe. I've been living for centuries. Besides, you can get any degree at home off of the internet. So, problem?"
Anna sighed. "When I was two years old, my great-aunt Bertha gave me a stuffed Gonzo for Christmas. I was so scared of its giant nose I screamed, slammed the lid on the box, and refused to look at it. And I now hate all Muppets," she explained.
"You have a Great Aunt Bertha?" Yoh asked.
"Had. She disappeared in a tragic sky surfing accident." Silence. "What? She was a very active old lady."
On that note, the shuttle pulled into the parking lot. "Okay! Everyone, get their passes from Anna!" Yoh said. "And have a buddy, so you don't get lost."
"Um, I'm left over," Manta said, waving his hand.
"That's okay. Amidamaru can be your buddy," Yoh said, pulling out the talisman.
"Okay! I am now Manta-dono's best buddy!" Amidamaru cheered. "Do we have to hold hands?"
"No, um, let's skip that," Manta mumbled.
Yoh turned to Anna. "I take it I'm your buddy?" he said.
She shrugged. "Whatever. But we are not taking bathroom breaks every few minutes just for you," she said.
"I wanna go on that ride!" Hao whined. He jabbed a finger at the map. "We're going on this one first."
Bailong peeked over his shoulder. "The Tower of Terror?" he read.
"Sounds good to me," HoroHoro shrugged. So they headed over to the far side of the park to go to the Tower of Terror.
Since it was early, there weren't too many people in line, so they got through the line in under half an hour. They meandered through the long lines of the "former hotel" and talked as loudly as they could, greeting each other effusively each time they passed in the line. The only person who wasn't saying much was Anna. Yoh kept trying to get her excited. "Look, Anna!" he said, pointing to a display. "Isn't that neat?"
"Yeah, whatever," she mumbled.
Yoh rolled his eyes. "Did you know that this ride takes you up thirteen stories and then drops you? And it does it more than once," he said.
"Th-thirteen?" Anna repeated.
He studied her face. "Anna, your face is white," he said. "Are you all right?"
"I'm f-fine," she said, not meeting his eyes.
"Anna," he said, warning. "Look at me and tell me what's wrong."
She took him by the arm and leaned on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. "I don't like rides with big drops," Anna confessed quietly.
Yoh touched the back of her hand. "Well, why didn't you say so earlier?" he asked.
She dropped her hand. "No one will let me hear the end of it," she whispered. "I'll go on it. I'll be okay."
Yoh shook his head. "Hey, guys," he called. "I don't think I'm up to going on the ride. I'll just wait outside." He grabbed Anna's hand. "Come on, buddy." Anna's jaw dropped. "Play along," he whispered in his ear.
"I can't believe you're so chicken," she snapped out, her mouth scowling but her eyes lighting up. "Come on. We're going."
Yoh didn't let go of her hand until they burst out into the sunshine. "You're an excellent actress, Anna," he laughed, plunking down on the curb to wait.
Anna didn't sit. She twisted her fingers and stared at the pavement. "Yoh...thank you," she said.
Yoh leaned back and grinned up at her. "What are fiancés for?" he asked. "Now, come and sit with me. It could be a long wait."
Meanwhile, on the ride...
The members of the Mankin gang were preparing to get buckled in. "Oh, dear. I'm very sorry, but the toddler in your party is too short to ride this ride," the attendant said.
"Toddler? Where?" Manta asked, looking around. "I don't see- oh, dangit." Huffing and snorting in distaste, he thunked away.
"Wait! Buddy-dono!" Amidamaru hollered.
The rest of them piled onto the ride, and the car started to move out of the station. Lyserg glanced over at his seatmate. "You ready to rock, Jeanne?" he grinned.
She cocked an eyebrow. "Rock? I am not familiar with this term," she said.
"It means have fun," Lyserg explained. "You're don't need to be so serious, Jeanne. Loosen up."
"Loosen up?" Jeanne repeated. "I-"
"Oh, Jeanne," Lyserg said, exasperated. "Lighten up. Be happy! Be really really happy!"
"But I-"
Suddenly Lyserg leaned over in the seat and kissed her.
And, out of evil and terrible luck, the car dropped at the exact same time.
"BWAUGH! BWAUGH! BWAUGH! BWAUGH!" HoroHoro shrieked. Tamao clutched his arm, while Jun and Pilika squealed in delight.
Only Ren was nonplussed. "It's nothing," he scoffed. At least, that's what he claimed until they were all off the ride and outside. Then he was found leaning over a trashcan.
"Ew..." Ryu said, looking a bit greenish himself as he watched Ren hurl.
"Chronic motion sickness," Jun shrugged, patting her brother's back. "Believe me, when you've lived with him for thirteen years, you get used to it."
"Um...do I want to know what happened to Lyserg and Jeanne?" Hao asked.
"Ow...ow...ow..." Lyserg moaned. His lips were puffy.
"I think that kiss was unsuccessful," Jeanne mumbled.
"I tried to kiss her, but we kind of hit heads," Lyserg said, his shoulders slumping. "I'm dumb..."
And then Jeanne leaned over and kissed his cheek. He brightened instantly. "Maybe not so dumb..."
"Hey! You guys have fun on the ride?" Yoh chirped, jogging over with Anna at his heels.
"You come back here, Yoh Bartholomew Asakura!" she yelped. "That's my Mickey ice cream, and you know it! You already ate yours!"
"No! Mine! Mine!" he shouted, running in circles around the rest of the gang as Anna chased him.
Ren straightened up. "Whew," he mumbled. "That was unpleasant."
"Hey, you okay?"
"Yes! Fine!" he said, trying to look cool in front of Pilika.
"Okay, then," she grinned. "Let's go on that ride again!"
Ren clapped a hand to his stomach. "No, thank you," he said firmly.
"How about we split up and meet back later?" Hao said.
"I already thought of that," Anna said. "See? I got Fastpasses for everybody. We'll meet at the ride at six o'clock."
"What ride is it?" Manta asked, taking his ticket.
"Ooh! Goody! Little Mermaid!" Ryu shrieked. "I LOVE the Little Mermaid!"
"Please don't say that ever again," Lyserg said.
Author's Note: Rekari Asakura, wherever you are, PLEASE don't steal any more of my story!! *cries* Oh, and the thing about Anna and the stuffed Gonzo...yeah, that happened to me. Only it was a giant stuffed Abu with the BIGGEST eyes I had ever seen. And now I can't stand monkeys...
