Disclaimer still stands.

"And why are we going to be stuck up here in the mountains? I don't care if we're going to be in a mansion. It's so unpractical. With no malls or other instances of civilization, Setsusna should know that we'll go crazy with boredom and kill each other. She better not have planned this to end like that! What are we supposed to do for entertainment, is what I'm trying to say here. Play Go Fish?"

That was the complaint of Minako Aino as she lurched up a tiny hill to the house bordered on one side by a mountain range, and the other a thick, virtually impenetrable pine-wood forest. Strapped across her back was three over-packed carry-on bags, and if not for the equally heavy suitcases she held in each hand, the weight just might have sent her rolling downhill. Rei, burdened with merely three bags, gave a lofty shrug.

"I'm sure Setsuna will buy you a Happy Fun Ball."

The miko just smirked as Minako huffed past her and tried to open the door with her knee, clearly intent on not staying outside any longer in the company of her overly sarcastic friend. When that didn't work, the blonde drama queen resorted to kicking the door with one heavy snow boot and yelling something along the lines about letting her the !#$ in. And still Rei was content to watch her falling on her face, buried by luggage, as Usagi finally got around to opening the mansion's doors. The naive girl blinked in confusion at the sight of two of her best friends, one caught in an avalanche of suitcases and carry-on bags, the other one grinning at the other's plight.

She looked down at the young Aino. "What are you doing, Mina-chan? That looks uncomfortable."

"Well, I'm certainly not having high tea! Get me out of here before I suffocate."

Usagi and ChibiUsa fell to the task in earnest, rolling the huge carry on bags off their friend as fast as they could. Usagi shot a pleading look at her other available, unburied friend. Rei threw up her hands and backed away. "Pardon me, but you've obviously mistaken me for someone who gives a damn." From the floor Minako glared at her, fully intending to get back at her for that later. When mother and offspring had finally unearthed the future Queen's look-a-like and the bags were finally moved out of the way, the door opened. Turning to see who had arrived, the miko couldn't help but smirk.

"Enter stage right: our local ambiguously gay duo!" Rei announced, gesturing to the stressed out not-couple of Haruka and Michiru with a imperious sweep of her hand. Without a word, Haruka dumped all of their baggage on Rei, who ended up buried much like how Minako had been only a few minutes earlier. Ignoring the loud cries of help and annoyance, the gender-bender stalked away, heading right. Michiru did the same to the left. They turned the corners and disappeared down the hall; a few minutes later two separate doors slammed at the same time. Rei looked pleadingly up at the others.

"Help?"

Minako only smirked and waggled one finger at her before getting her own luggage and prancing off to her room. Rei growled, but turn about was fair play, after all. Usagi had disappeared, along with her daughter. Suddenly, she felt a bag being pushed off of her. Twisting around she encountered Hotaru trying very hard not to laugh. Smiling ruefully, Rei began to wriggle out of the pile as best she could. With their combined efforts, she was soon free. The miko stood up and watched the young Tomoe take the handles of two bags in her hands and start off for Haruka's room. Shifting through the mess, Rei found Michiru's stuff and picked it up.

As she was dumping it unceremoniously outside the violinist's door, she couldn't help but notice that Setsuna's own was ajar. Rei ignored it and set off down the hall, but she only made it five steps before turning around and running back. Her natural curiosity had been piqued. After a brief look around, she slipped inside the room. Rei laughed quietly to herself when she saw no one within. Moving quickly, she sneaked over to the large oak desk in the corner, past the queen-sized bed. Rei knelt down and opened the last drawer.

At first it seemed to be empty, but Rei wasn't fooled. Putting one hand below the drawer, she gave the underside a sharp punch. She smirked as the false bottom popped up and over, exposing a thick, untitled book. Setsuna had kept it for who knows how long, and she was crafty when it came to hiding it, but did she really think she could keep a diary out of the hands of Rei Hino? The miko herself removed the book and stowed it under her shirt. Normally, she would never dream of going through someone else's personal things, but this was important.

Rei carefully replaced the false bottom, shut the drawer, and scurried out of the room. Taking great care to look unsuspicious, the miko ducked down the hallways until she was had only one more corner to round before reaching her room. Rei suddenly bit her lip in annoyance. Minako was coming up the hall. She was bound to see the lump under the young Hino's shirt. Thinking fast, Rei thought of a way to distract the other girl and give her a crack to slip though.

"I take it back."

Minako blinked as Rei brushed by her muttering those words. What on earth was she talking about? Whirling around, Minako stared in confusion at the miko's retreating back. "Rei? What do you mean? Take back what? Dammit, don't you ignore me when I'm talking to you Rei! Get back here!" But Rei didn't come back, and she didn't even turn her head. Besides, if Minako could see the mile-wide evil grin on her face, she would be running like a mother in the other direction.

So Rei kept walking, ignoring Minako's demands, and didn't stop until she had made it to her room. Smiling craftily, she withdrew the stolen diary and looked at it. Just out of wonder, Rei opened it and flipped through to a random entry. She slammed it shut a moment later. Walking quickly over to her bed, she lifted the mattress up slightly and stuffed the book underneath it, blushing furiously. Wow, who would have thought...Setsuna would...she's usually so stoic...damn. A knock at the door snapped her out of her shocked reverie.

"Rei? You in there?"

"No, I don't have anything hidden under my mattress!" Rei burst out in panic, then clapped her hands to her mouth. Usagi stood in the doorway, blinking. "I mean, yeah, I'm here."

"Um, okay. Anyway, we've got pizza."

Rei nodded and made a big show of straightening her covers. "Yes, yes, I'll be right down. Just stay there. I mean, NO! Go on. Like, somewhere else. Shoo shoo!" The words were clipped and rapid, stinging like tiny stone darts. Usagi recoiled and moved back out into the hall. Ami, who had just arrived and had decided to accompany Usagi on the mission of telling Rei that dinner was ready, subsequently got an earful of the miko's unusual response.

"I wonder what she meant by that," she asked after the blonde had shut the door. Usagi just shrugged and rolled her eyes.

"Knowing Rei, she's just going through a moment."