Oceanic Moods

The family lazed in the living room, all full from dinner that night. The waves of high-tide crashing against the shore had a sort of calming effect on the small family.

"Mama?" Usagi said softly, not wanting to break the silence, but something had been bugging her for a good portion of the day.

"Hmm?" her mother answered without opening her eyes.

"Didn't you and dad want to talk?"

"We did," Mamoru answered, "but there isn't much point in doing it now."

Usagi hated when her father got like that. He was rarely one to hold things back, so when he did, she had to question his motive.

"Usa, we changed our minds. You'll be grounded for at least two weeks for taking off initially, and there won't be any arguing about it."

Usako sat up and faced her daughter. "I think that should suffice, considering what you had gone through during your…" She saw her daughter's face fall. "Well, during your ordeal. However, the grounding is not negotiable."

"Okay, Mama. But it doesn't start until we get back to Tokyo, right?"

Mamoru smiled. "That's right. Your mother and I didn't want to ruin the rest of our vacation by feeling guilty, so instead of only grounding you a week, we extended it to two, but it'll wait until we're home."

Usagi smiled back at her father. "I can live with that," she said as she stood up and wrapped her half-dozing father in a hug. "Good night, Papa."

"Good night, Princess," he replied as he, too, wrapped his daughter in a hug.

"Night, Mama," she said as she blew a kiss toward the Matriarch.

"Good night, Usa. Sleep well."

***

Morning once again found the queen standing in the doorway to her daughter's room, gazing at the sleeping princess as the sun shone in her face. She looks horrible, she thought to herself, noticing her daughter's pale face. I wonder if she's feeling all right. She backed away and headed to the kitchen where her husband was sitting at the table looking at some brochures.

"What's all this?" she asked as she sat in front of him, glancing at one of the many pamphlets strewn across the tabletop.

"We need something to do today, and I thought a boat ride would be nice."

Usako thought a moment before nodding. "I agree," she said before closing the pamphlet she'd been looking at. "Any look good?"

"A few. One in particular." Mamoru pushed a brochure towards his wife. "I like this one."

'This one' consisted of a small Ferry ride from Lewes, Delaware to Cape May, New Jersey, where they could spend the day shopping, and then take the ferry back after dinner. Serenity thought this over for a moment and soon agreed with her husband. Yes, she thought, they would go on a ferry ride to get away from everything that had happened for a day.

"However," the incognito queen commented to her husband, "we have to get her highness up first."

"That's not hard," her husband commented. "All we have to do is start cooking." He got a playful glint to his eye as he threw her a wry smile. "She's worse than you when it comes to that."

Narrowing her eyes, but smiling, she said, "Shut up, you," before throwing the nearest brochure at him.

Mamoru only laughed as he entered the kitchen and pulled some food out from the fridge for breakfast. True to his assumption, within moments of sizzling eggs in the pan, Usagi sauntered in and crashed into a chair beside her mother.

***

There was a slight wind that day, and a darkening sky over the water. Why her parents had decided today would be a great day to travel over the sea was beyond her. Granted, she's not opposed to sea-travel, but after driving an hour and some-odd minutes, then to travel by sea to another state all in the sake of fun? This was just too much fun for her to handle.

The fact that she could not sleep for most of the night before did not help matters any. First it was too cold; next it was too hot; then she was thirsty, which consequently, caused the bathroom trip. When she finally settled down, every nerve in her body was shooting off electricity as though it was the middle of the day. She got up and walked around her room; she went into the living room (hoping she didn't wake her parents); she tried snacking on something cold (which normally helped her settle back down); everything short of taking a long run along the beach she tried, and finally – after a cup of tea – she fell asleep, only to hear her parents awaken an hour and a half later. It wasn't until her father started cooking that she finally gave up and got out of bed.

That was when they told her of the boat ride. Try as she might, she could not convince them to go alone.

"This is a family vacation, and you are a part of this family," her mother had said.

She sighed as she leaned further over the railing of the ship, trying to see into the water. She then looked up at the ramp that other patrons were boarding on. I wonder, she thought to herself as she stood errect. I wonder if they'd even notice I was missing.

Yes, we would notice, came her mother's thoughts into her own. You're our daughter. We notice a lot more than you think.

Usa blushed slightly as she thought back, Sorry. I'm just moody.

We know, Sweetheart. Want to talk?

Nah. I'm just having an "off" day. Usa hoped that would be enough to convince her mother to drop the questioning.

All right, her mother's voice echoed in her head. But come and talk if you need to.

I will. Don't worry. Usagi smiled a bit. Right, she thought privately (she hoped), that's like telling a fish not to swim.

I heard that.

Usa watched the last of the passengers board. Her pig-tails, not up in her usual odangos, but loosely braided around her shoulders, blew across her back in the gentle sea breeze. One of them hung down over the railing, a ladder from the oceanic depth to the deck of the ferry. The other, blew across her back, wrapping a tendril around her slender waist.

"Better lean back, there, Miss," came someone's voice. She jumped slightly and turned to find a young man standing about two feet away, smiling at her. "The sea's frisky today. Wouldn't want you to fall overboard."

Blushing slightly, she stood back up and thanked the man before joining her parents inside. Her mother, who had seen the display, was chuckling at the pink hue her daughter's face had taken on. Her father's face, however, took on a more neutral palor. He didn't find the fact his daughter was blushing at all amusing.

"Usa, dear," she said softly, laughter creeping out. "Go wash your face before it turns the same shade as your hair."

"Mama," Usagi hissed. "You're not helping."

***

Standing on the bow, Usa watched as the ship crashed through one wave after another, sending a mist of sea water up onto the deck. She loved the scent of the sea air almost as much as Neptune did, and soon found herself daydreaming of her adventures in the 20th Century.

She smiled as some more sea water misted across her face, and she could have sworn she felt a hand brush her hair away from her eyes. Opening her eyes, she saw her mother standing beside her.

"You were daydreaming," she said, a mischievous look in place.

"So?" Usagi answered her mother, smiling at how much like her former self she looked. "Is that illegal?"

"Only if you don't tell me whom you were daydreaming about."

"No one."

Usako tsk'ed and shook her head. "Usa, really. I thought your father and I had taught you not to lie."

"I'm not lying, Mom." Usagi stepped away from the railing. "I'm just daydreaming in general." At her mother's disbelieving look, she said, "I swear!"

Usako stood and placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "Sweetheart, I believe you. You're just not acting like yourself, and dad and I are getting concerned. That's all."

"Attention passengers:" came a voice over the speakers, drowning out whatever she would have said. "This is your Captain speaking. Weather reports some thick fog and rough seas ahead, so please gather your belongings and return to the main cabins. Again, rough seas and fog ahead, so please return to the main cabins. Thank you."

Moaning and defiance was heard all throughout the entire bow while Usagi and her mother began journeying inside. "Really, Mom. I'll be fine."

As they were approaching a door, Usa happened to glance over her shoulder, and within moments, heard delighted screams of a little boy as the ship gave a sudden pitch, and many who were moaning and groaning began hustling towards the main cabins in a chaotic panic.

She felt herself being separated from her parents and shoved against the rail – hard – and nearly tossed over the top when a strong hand grabbed her shirt and hauled her back to the deck. She looked up into the eyes of her father, who had somehow plowed through the mad mob and pulled her into his protective embrace.

"You okay?" he asked quickly as he ushered her toward her mother, who looked about ready to faint.

"Yeah," Usa answered shakily, every nerve on end. She felt the bruise on her back grow to encompass her spine.

"Usagi!" her mother's voice soared over the din of the other passengers. "Oh, my God, are you all right?" she asked, her voice still shaking from her own shock. She reached out and pulled her teenager to her. "When the panic started, I turned around and you were just…"

"I know, Mom," Usa said softly as she hugged her mom back, forgetting for a moment she was a teenager. Her mother needed the reassurance her daughter was all right.

However, the princess still needed to breathe.

"Mom," Usa gasped. "Please, mom. You're suffocating me."

Instantly, Usako's embrace broke, and Usa stumbled a bit on the uneasy deck. "Sorry. I just…"

Usagi smiled. "I know. But I'm okay. I promise."

"Attention passengers: This is your Captain speaking. Will the parents of the little boy on the starboard side of the ship please pick him up and take him inside? I repeat, the parents of the little boy on the starboard side, please pick him up and…shoot!"

Everyone looked outside in time to see the boy jump as the boat pitched to the starboard on one of the waves and fly over the railing into the raging seas below.