by Sailor Earth
Author's Notes
Hey guys, firstly I must apologise for keeping you waiting so long! Unfortunately, the last six months have been very busy for me, and also I've been suffering from a severe and persistant case of writer's block. But I am proud to announce that this chapter is finally written! To everyone who has badgered me for this chapter, thank you, because without you it would not have been written. Please review, and let me know what you think should happen next, it may help cure my writers block if I'm suddenly innundated with new ideas! Anyway, enough from me - enjoy the story!
Chapter Fifteen - Setting Sail
"But when a young lady is to be a heroine, the perverseness of forty surrounding families cannot prevent her. Something must and will happen to throw a hero in her way."
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
"It's OK," whispered Jadeite, "Not everyone is out to get us! There are people around here who are on our side. You see that in over there?" he asked, nodding towards a building with a sign reading Starlight Inn, "It's run by four women, named Seiya, Yaten, Taiki and Kakyuu, and they'll take care of all the horses for us until we get back. And they won't let Dimando know we've been here!" he added with a conspiratory wink.
So there we were, half an hour later, with the horses delivered safely to the inn, and us gathered together in the harbour. Mamoru untied a small rowing boat from the edge of the dock, and we all put our belongings into it. Then he climbed in with Luna and Artemis and beckoned me to get in with them. So I did. And he rowed us across the harbour to the big ship that we were planning to take. We unloaded the luggage, and then Mamoru instructed me to stay onboard the ship with the cats whilst he went back to fetch the others. First he brought across Rei, Jadeite and Makoto, then Nephrite, Kunzite and Minako. Next came Zoisite, Setsuna and Hotaru, and finally Mamoru brought Ami, Michiru and Haruka over. However, only Mamoru and Haruka got out.
"What's going on?" I hissed.
Michiru and Ami are going to return the boat," Mamoru explained, "We don't like to steal from innocent folk unless we absolutely have to, so Ami and Michiru will row back, replace the rowing boat, and swim back. It makes sense, since they're the strongest swimmers." Soon enough, they got back, shivering and wet, but then they transformed, and they were dry again. The rest of us followed suit.
Well, you'd think that by now we were pretty sorted, wouldn't you? But at the time, I knew nothing about anything outside the Silver Forest, and I'd certainly never seen the sea before, let alone sailed in a ship! But with everything that was going on, I had no time to stop and admire the ocean's beauty. All I could think about was how on earth we were going to get the ship out of the harbour.
"Usa-ko, you didn't think my warriors were called sailors, for nothing did you?!" someone chuckled. I turned around to see Mamoru behind me. He must have been using that minding-reading trick of his again! It seemed to me that he could only use it when he was in close radius to the person's mind he was reading, and could only read their conscious thoughts, not their sub-concious ones. At least, I hoped that was true, or Mamoru might know a lot more about me than I'd thought! He might even know about that embarassing incident with the ice cream cone when I was six! "Spot on, Usa-ko! I can only read your concious thoughts, so you really shouldn't have brought that incident up! Now you're gonna have to tell me all about the ice cream later!" Jeez, I really hate it when he does that!!!
However, he had been right about something - the senshi really weren't called sailors for nothing! I looked around, and everyone had taken their places on the deck, whilst the men were busy hoisting the anchor. Mamoru took his place as captain at the ship's wheel, and we were off! I'd expected stealing a ship to be much more of a challenge! We were brilliant! Except that I'd had relatively little to do with any of this, apart from looking after the horses, and now they were gone. Everyone else had a job to do, but I felt lost and left out. I thought about asking Mamo-chan what to do, but he was busy playing captain, and I didn't want to bother him. I thought that perhaps I'd go below deck to check up on Luna and Artemis - not suprisingly, they seemed to have a bit of an aversion to water - but I felt a hand grab onto my arm!
"Not so fast, Usagi-chan! I've got a job for you!" It was Rei. Ah well, at least I'd have something to do.
An and a half later, and I really regretted having wished for something to do! That pyromaniac, work-a-holic, clean freak whom is also known as Sailor Mars had me scrubbing decks! Can you believe it! We hardly even had time to get them dirty! But according to Rei, the ship's last crew hadn't 'left the ship as clean as she would have liked'. I pointed out that this was a stolen ship rather than a luxury hotel, but she just told me to be quiet and scrub harder!
When I was finally finished, I went below deck and lay on on my bunk, trying to ignore the fact that every inch of my body was screaming in pain. I was so exhausted, and since I'd barely rested in the last 48 hours, I just wanted to role over and sleep! But unfortunately it was not to be, because who should appear, cheerful as ever, to deliver the news that Makoto needed a hand in the kitchen? None other than the great Captain Mamoru himself! Don't get me wrong, I don't even need to tell you how lovely he can be, but sometimes inexhaustable supply of energy is just too much.
"Well someone's happy to see me," he said flatly as he entered the room. I opened one sleepy eye and glared at him.
"Mamo-chan, I was just falling asleep," I grumbled, "You woke me up!"
"Honey, I'm sorry. Makoto needs you to help her in the kitchen."
"But I can't even cook!" I protested.
"Well then, all the more reason to help - I can't marry a woman who can't cook!"
"Who said I even wanted to marry you?!" I demanded. How dare he assume I wanted to marry him? Of course, I had daydreamed about it, but he didn't need to know that...
"What do you mean, Usa-ko?" he looked a little crestfallen, "I thought that's what you wanted..." I felt kind of bad for yelling at him.
"Of course it it, you dummy!" I smiled, "I was just winding you up. You're always winding me up." Mamoru smiled back.
"Well in that case, I guess you'd better go and help Makoto now." I stood up, and immediately sat back down. "What's the matter?" he asked.
"I ache all over..." I groaned.
"Oh...well..." I could see that mischevious twinkle in Mamo-chan's eyes, "In that case, I guess Makoto could manage without you for just a little bit longer..." He locked the door and sat down behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"The best cure for aching muscles is a relaxing massage," he told me, "And I just happen to be the master of giving massages! Now just close your eyes, and think relaxing thoughts." I closed my eyes, and lent backwards against his chest, and tried to pretend we were back at our little cottage in the Silver Forest. And I have to hand it to Mamo-chan, he really is the master of giving massages! In fact, lets just say he gave me the kind of massage that I sincerely hope he wouldn't give to just any old person!