My Trip Abroad

by Ravenhale1

This is the tenth installment of the AU recreation of Rosario Vampire told through Kurumu's POV. This story covers the events over winter break (December 16th - January 1st, 2006 & January 6th, 2006), including the trip to China which is second season's Chapters 27-42 and a modified version of Chapters 47-49. Not strictly canon.

4. Magic Kingdom

Kurumu strolled out of the building, feeling the chill of the morning against her skin bared by her pink halter top. It was not any worse than the mild temperatures Mononoke had enjoyed this December and this was with the sun hiding behind clouds. Her legs were swathed in tight, white denim jeans. Wanting to feel taller, Kurumu had donned her platform sneakers.

Standing in the center of this courtyard was a huge cone wrapped in Christmas lights. A star with many points topped this spire. Two buildings claiming to be the city hall and fire department stood on the other side of the courtyard. A fancy train station was up the hill on Kurumu's left.

"I can't believe we're actually here."

Clutching the strap of her lavender purse which dangled against her hip, Kurumu turned to regard the awed Mizore. The snow girl was garbed in her pink, long sleeved shirt plagued with the dangling fuzzy spheres. Her three tiered skirt was nearly the same shade of pink. Despite Kurumu's protests, Mizore was wearing her purple and white striped stockings which looked silly with that outfit.

"I've never thought about going to one."

Moka wandered over to them while holding Yukari's hand and the strap of her crimson tote. The silver haired vampire was sporting that baby blue, long sleeved blouse with the white lace collar and brown buttons. A creamy white skirt riddled with lace barely covered her knees while white stockings covered the rest of her legs down to the glossy black Mary Janes covered in sequins.

Yukari fussed with the strap of her yellow tote. The witch had worn that short sleeved, white shirt with the yellow sunburst design below the swell of her slight bosom. Her ruffled yellow skirt hung halfway down her calves which were swathed in white stockings. Yukari stood a little taller because of the thick soles of her white platform boots.

"I didn't know Hong Kong had one of these."

"The park opened in September of this year, Ms. Akashiya."

A tall man with sunglasses perched on a thin nose stalked over to them. This was Mr. Hao Cheng whom had met them at the hotel. He had escorted them across the border while his associate had left with their van rental. A stretch limo with a driver had been waiting for them at Lo Wu station.

His dark locks were swept up in a faux hawk and he was wearing a tight, black jacket which buttoned up to a mandarin collar. This jacket stretched down to his calves, opening up in the front to reveal his black slacks. Glossy black dress shoes graced his large feet.

"When your family last visited, this place was Penny's Bay."

Ms. Huang giggled, drifting over to the guard's side. The Huang siblings were garbed in their usual attire while Tsukune had on his yellow L'Arc en Ciel shirt with the black lines vaguely resembling a face. A pair of denim jeans and black sneakers completed his casual ensemble.

"It was always a dream of mine to go to Disneyland. I was so happy when they announced their plans of building this seven years ago."

"Is anything here going to be in Japanese?"

Huang laughed merrily, clapping Tsukune on the back.

"Don't worry, Mr. Aono. Allow me to be your interpreter."

"Where would you like to go?"

Ms. Huang grinned at Mr. Hao's inquiry.

"That is a good question. I would love to do all of it, if possible."

"Your father did give you the whole day while he investigates the circumstances surrounding the latest assassination attempt."

"Can you acquire us a park map?"

"Let me take care of that, Sister!"

Huang hurried off to one of the nearby buildings. A burgundy sign over the door had the western letters for Photos. Mr. Hao sighed heavily, walking briskly after the young man.

"My brother so easily forgets that there are people whom want him dead. None of us should be walking off on our own."

"I shall stay by my Moka's side."

"What are we talking about?"

Yukari grinned up at Moka.

"Assigning partners for the day. I can be your interpreter better than Huang."

Kurumu smiled, offering her hand to Mizore. The snow girl favored her a slight smile, taking her hand.

"I'll be with Mizore. Do you want to be with Tsukune?"

"I shouldn't stand in the way of my brother's aspirations. Mr. Aono. Please take care of my brother."

Tsukune laughed nervously, touching the side of his neck.

"I have no idea what she's asking me."

"She gave you permission to make Huang your Shuichi."

"I don't need a Shuichi!"

A few of the people milling about this courtyard favored them a curious glance. This was unsurprising since three of them had odd colored hair and they were speaking a foreign language. Some men appreciated Kurumu's appearance, teasing her senses with halfhearted lust.

Nearly everybody was wearing a light jacket over their clothes. There were more people here than what she had seen at Lina World in Yamagata. It was busier than when they had arrived at the opening of the park. There was actually a line now for the train ride that they had started out with.

"My only request is that we don't do any more movies."

Kurumu smiled at Moka's comment.

"I guess that you didn't enjoy the Mickey comes to Hong Kong presentation."

"It's not enjoyable when I have no idea what is being said."

"Maybe I could teach you Cantonese-"

"That would take hours and it probably wouldn't even work."

"What makes you say that?"

"Mother can't see my future while I'm wearing the rosary. Short of you using Lilith's Eye, you wouldn't be able to connect to my mind."

Kurumu nodded, having not thought about that. Huang skipped back to their location, brandishing a colorful pamphlet. Two steps behind him was the stern Mr. Hao.

"I have the map, Sister."

"Very good. You will be partnered with Mr. Aono. You are with me, Mr. Hao."

Mr. Hao nodded as Huang stepped over to Tsukune's side. Grinning wide, Huang unfolded the map.

"As the train guide told us, the park is divided into four major sections. We are here at Main Street USA."

"It's written in Chinese."

"No worries, Mr. Aono. It doesn't look like there is much more to do in this section. The other three sections are Tomorrow Land, Fantasy Land and Adventure Land."

"Which should we do first?"

"I suggest doing the thrill rides before your lunch, Ms. Huang."

Huang nodded at Mr. Hao's suggestion.

"If that's the case, we should start with Tomorrow Land. It boasts about Space Mountain being a high speed roller coaster."

Yukari snorted, drawing her fingers up and down her tote's strap resting upon her shoulder.

"I wonder what humans define as high speed."

"Only one way to find out. Follow me."

Ms. Huang started off, walking across these red and brown bricks which formed a street. White concrete sidewalks stood up on either side of this road, preceding the shops. The shops on the right looked like someone had painted features on a slab of concrete. The sign over the first door was Cameras and the next sign down which read Locksmith was over a false door. At least the bump out declaring the Main Street Cinema was real.

Across the street from these painted buildings was the Disney Emporium which had a sign for Toys. The building beside it lacked a door but the Disney paraphernalia could be seen through its windows. It had signs for Novelties and Souvenirs between a second floor gazebo window, jutting out over the sidewalk.

"I want a Minnie doll."

Kurumu giggled at Mizore's declaration as they continued their slow stroll down the street.

"Some souvenirs would be nice."

"We can do our shopping on the way out."

Glancing into the Carriage House entrance had Kurumu thinking that all of these 'buildings' on the left were actually one souvenir shop. The next building had a sign for Goods & Fine Gifts but lacked an actual entrance. Across the street, the painted buildings were posing as different bakeries and dessert shops.

They walked by the first actual break in these structures. A narrow alleyway made with the same bricks stretched out in both directions, leading to staff areas. The Boutique building on the right was just as fake as the general store. The other building on the left boasted the finest collection of curiosities.

"What's the castle up ahead?"

Mizore's question prompted Huang to glance at his map.

"That is Sleeping Beauty Castle. Fantasy Land is behind it."

Kurumu grinned, squeezing Mizore's hand.

"Do you want to visit your castle?"

"I don't remember my lines."

The last buildings they walked by were the Main Street Cafe on the right with a red brick candy store on the left. They crossed another red and brown brick alleyway before entering an open courtyard. On the other side of these sidewalks were trees and bushes hemmed in with a green fence to keep guests from trampling through the nature. Green benches lined the fences.

The brick road ended in a circular bricked hub, wrapping around more of these fenced in nature displays. A tiered, white ceramic fountain stood in the center of it all. Huang veered off to the right, staying on the red brick road for a short way.

They soon go up on the sidewalk, following a throng of people along a path to the right. The concrete was paved in four wide stripes with red hugging the right side of the turn. Black was next and then tan followed by another black. The stripes ended at a circular brown arc about a display held up over white and gray tiles. A silver spiral swept around a brown sphere with the western letters for Tomorrow Land.

The paved colored strips continued on the other side of the display. Ahead of them in the center of this space was a huge purple sphere on the other side of some metal railing. Silver bands wrapped about the purple sphere which had a cyan sphere pinned on top of it. This fluted cyan sphere was connected to an orange sphere on one side with a steel rod jutting out the other. That rod connected to a yellow brown sphere and there was another blue sphere mounted to the side of a spire coming out of the top of the cyan sphere. Kurumu surmised all these bands, rings and spheres were meant to be like planets.

To their right was a pair of yellow astronaut suits which were open in the back for people to take pictures. Beyond that was a space themed restaurant with a yellow, curved roof which stepped down in sections. A large yellow rocket was held up on gray supports. Starliner Diner was written on one of the supports with the yellow Cantonese characters beneath the purple western ones.

Movement drew her attention back to the front. Different colored saucers were lifting up from the silver base section below the purple sphere. These silver arms operated independently of its neighbors, raising and lowering the saucers which flitted about in a clockwise rotation at a mild speed. Each saucer could seat four people with two in front and two in back. Little kids were riding with their parents.

"This is going to be as terrible as Lina World."

Kurumu laughed at Yukari's complaint as they drifted to the left, walking by a bunch of seating protected by more of the curved purple roofs. A sign in the center declared this was the Comet Cafe.

"I'm sure that Disneyland will be better than Lina World. Have you ever been to an amusement park?"

Mizore shook her head. Kurumu grinned, squeezing the snow girl's hand.

"That's right. Mizore wasn't with us when we went. Have you been to an amusement park, Moka?"

"Are you asking me or Hatsue?"

Tsukune flinched at Moka's stiff response. He laughed nervously as he followed Huang to the end of a line which entered a rounded building. Over the arched entrance was a circular sign declaring that this was Hyperspace Mountain. Just like the restaurant, there were red Cantonese characters beneath the blue western letters.

"I guess both?"

"The only time I went to a park without Hatsue was when I was eight. Momma took us to the Disneyland in Paris. They had a Space Mountain there."

"Was the ride any good?"

Moka smirked, letting go of Yukari's hand to tousle the witch's hair.

"Kokoa and I were both too short to get on the ride. I was so mad."

"Did Hatsue ever go to a theme park?"

Moka sighed, turning her attention upon him.

"Kokoa convinced Mother to let us go to the Disneyland in Tokyo during her Golden Week visit when I turned fourteen. But it was so busy. We never made it to Tomorrow Land."

"So you're like a veteran when it comes to Disney theme parks."

"Two days in two different parks is hardly a veteran."

They were shuffling to the opening which had a digital display claiming that they would have a twenty five minute wait. The exterior walls of this building were missing several blue panels, allowing Kurumu to see through the curved gold and silver framing. People were lined up in rows, making their way around the blue steel railings.

"What would you say was the best ride?"

Moka brightened up at Yukari's inquiry.

"Big Thunder Mountain. It was better experiencing it through Hatsue than when I did it alone."

"Do they have that ride here?"

"I don't think they have that, Mr. Aono. They would have mentioned it on the train."

"I think it was in Western Land."

Huang nodded at Moka's remark, glancing over the map as he followed the slow but steady moving line.

"There isn't a Western Land. And I don't see a Big Thunder Mountain attraction listed on the map."

"What other rides did the two of you enjoy?"

"Hatsue adored It's a Small World. I don't know why she liked it so much."

They reached one of the ends of these blue rails, turning about and doubling back to the entrance in a row closer to the white wall further in.

"I don't see that on the map either."

"Seriously? It was in Fantasy Land in both parks."

"I don't see a Small World listed in the attractions."

"Hmm. Haunted Mansion?"

There was a pause for Huang to peruse the list. He smiled apologetically with a shake of his head.

"They must have the Pirates of the Caribbean."

"I would have noticed if there was anything about pirates."

Yukari snorted at his amusement as they neared the next turn around.

"Four rides missing from my Moka's Disney experience. My expectations are dropping rapidly."

"Do they have an Indiana Jones ride in Adventure Land? They didn't have it in Tokyo and I was too little to ride it in Paris."

"The only attractions listed for Adventure Land are the Jungle Cruise, Lucky the Dinosaur and Tarzan's Treehouse. There is a Lion King Festival but that's a performance with set show times."

Moka sighed as they made their way around the turnabout.

"They had the Jungle Cruise in Tokyo. It was okay but not as fun as Pirates. Or Splash Mountain."

Moka brightened up again.

"Now that was fun. Mother refused to ride with us and we got soaked."

"You went on a water ride?"

"Yea. Hatsue was not in the habit of getting drenched so the shock made her wet herself. I could feel how embarrassed she was but there was no way anybody could tell."

Moka sighed with a wistful smile.

"It was poor planning on our part though since we needed a half hour break to dry off. We should have done that ride before lunch instead of after."

"It sounds like you had a lot of fun."

Moka nodded at Tsukune's remark, staring off.

"Mother tried so hard to keep distant from Hatsue but she would never deny Kokoa her birthday plans. Kokoa always thought that if she fought with me or did things from my past that she could reach me. It was hard for Hatsue to truly enjoy Kokoa's efforts since it wasn't meant for her benefit."

"When we find Hatsue her own body, we can all go to Disneyland in Tokyo together."

Yukari huffed with a shake of her head as Moka's mood notably soured.

"It will be years before she's tall enough for any of the rides."

"I'm sure it won't take you that long to find her a new body."

Mizore squeezed Kurumu's hand, causing her to smile.

"This is ironic when you think about it. Just yesterday we jumped out of a plane and now we're in line for a roller coaster."

"Yesterday was terrifying, Kurumu. I just hope that this roller coaster won't be a huge disappointment."

"I think we will handle this fine."

"You mean like you handled the cabinet?"

Tsukune flinched at Moka's scoffed remark.

"Nobody got hurt."

"You got hurt. And there was no reason for it."

"I didn't want you to get hurt."

"You are faster. Stronger. How does an inanimate object get the better of you?"

"It was going to hit you."

Moka scowled at Yukari.

"I was drunk. What's his excuse?"

"Aren't you being a little harsh?"

"No. She's right, Yukari. I could have caught the cabinet but I was too focused on saving her."

"You can't be doing that if we have to fight Fujisaki. This self sacrifice crap can't be your reflex. Nobody here will be happy about you throwing your life away, even if it is to save one of us."

"I'm sorry, Moka. I will do better."

Kurumu sucked in a deep breath as they reached another turnaround.

"This isn't something we should talk about today. We're at Disneyland. We should be having fun."

"I want a Minnie doll."

"I never would have had you pegged as a fan of Minnie Mouse."

Mizore shrugged at Tsukune's grin.

"Not a fan. But when I think of Disney, I think of Minnie."

"You should get a doll. You didn't have any toys or stuffed animals in your room."

Mizore cocked her head at Kurumu.

"That's not the reason why I wanted one. I was thinking about the baby."

Moka grinned with a distant look in her eyes.

"I bet Hatsue would love that."

"Really? Maybe you should get a doll too."

Moka laughed at Tsukune's suggestion, shaking her head at his misunderstanding.

"I don't need a doll collecting dust in my closet."

Huang chuckled as they neared the last turnabout with the white wall on the other side of the railing.

"No worries, Ms. Akashiya. You are more than welcome to get as many souvenirs as you like. When I promised an all-expense paid trip to Hong Kong, I did not intend for you to buy your own souvenirs."

"I have no interest in being in debt with the Huang family."

"It is not a debt, Ms. Akashiya. This whole trip was a wager I made with Mr. Aono."

"If you're not going to get the doll for Hatsue, than I will."

Moka huffed at Tsukune.

"Don't be silly. I just told you that I don't want a doll in my closet."

"I could give it to her when the rosary is repaired."

"On the assumption that she returns when it is repaired. Until that happens, don't buy her any junk."

Tsukune sighed with a resigned smile.

"I'm sorry, Moka. But I will get something for her. It is Christmas."

"Not much of a present if someone else is paying for it."

"Moka. Stop. Not everyone has money to give gifts."

Moka met Kurumu's gaze for a long moment. The vampire sighed with another shake of her head.

"Fine. Do what you want."

In less than a minute, they reached an opening in the wall which had a turnstile barring the way. Mr. Hao passed through first, pushing the black bar forward with a series of clicks which brought another bar up behind him to. There were three bars in total on a swivel inside the steel turnstile. Ms. Huang passed through next with her brother on her heels.

"Go ahead."

Kurumu frowned at Moka's offer, not wanting to stand behind Tsukune in line. But knowing that might cause a scene, she acquiesced. She let go of Mizore's hand, passing through the turnstile after Tsukune. Mizore was behind her while Moka allowed Yukari to go ahead of her.

They entered a room which had a corridor running off to the right. The walls did not go all the way up to the acoustical tile overhead and the lights all gave off an eerie blue. Televisions were mounted to the ceiling and were playing a still frame shot with words that were being said over the speakers. It was in English so Kurumu paid little attention to the gibberish.

They had not walked the length of the corridor before the message repeated in Cantonese. The message warned them that the mission would feel like a roller coaster ride in the dark with many sharp turns, sudden drops and stops.

"Wait. Is this roller coaster in the dark?"

Kurumu giggled at Yukari's inquiry. The witch had automatically switched to Cantonese.

"Yes, Yukari. Are you scared?"

"No. But that might make things interesting."

"What are you talking about?"

Kurumu smirked at Moka, pointing up at the last screen before they would exit this chamber.

"Just commenting on the warning they were giving."

They stepped out into an adjacent corridor and an attendant gestured for them to turn to the left. They walked down the hall on one side of a steel bar. This corridor was lined with signs talking about stars and planets. People walked by on the other side of the hall, prompting Kurumu to glance over her shoulder. She realized that was a straight path to the exit.

"Brother. What other attractions are in Tomorrow Land?"

Huang held up his map which had to be difficult to read in this neon blue lighting.

"The Orbiter and Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters. The Orbiter was that ride we saw on the way in."

"That was obviously a kiddie ride."

"Lighten up, Yukari. We're here to have fun."

"And pictures. We must take many pictures."

Kurumu grinned at Ms. Huang's comment. She thought about taking her phone out but realized the lighting in here was poor. She would have to save her pictures for after the ride.

They entered an open room at the end of the hall. There were stairs down to a platform on the other side of the bar. Their pathway turned to the left, going down a ramp. The room was mostly black with a few colored spheres lit up and suspended from the void above them.

"I can see the end of the line!"

Kurumu smiled at Huang's enthusiasm as she wandered over to the edge of the ramp. There was a turn at the end of this ramp before it wrapped around and continued down to a platform where people were lining up into chutes. There were five lanes divided by steel barriers where people were lining up and a sixth lane which wrapped around for the front. This front lane had more people waiting for it.

There was a hiss and the gates in front of the lanes swung open, allowing people to approach an empty car which had just parked alongside the lanes. Two people got into most of the seats though there was one solo rider in the fifth lane. As these people boarded, another car rolled up behind them. It stopped and the people on that car quickly exited, hurrying towards the nearby stairs.

"Brother. It will be easier to stay together if none of us get in line for the front seats."

"Sister says that we should all ride on the same shuttle."

Tsukune sounded his understanding as they shuffled down the ramp, nearing where it leveled off. Yukari pointed at the operator whom was checking the restraints of the people on the shuttle.

"This ride is averaging twenty seconds between shuttles for the last six instances. I haven't seen any familiar faces leaving so the ride must be at least two minutes long."

Kurumu nodded at the observation as the operator returned to their station, pressing a button which sent the shuttle on its way. The next vacant shuttle rolled forward, coming to a stop. The gates hissed, swinging open to allow people to board the vacant one as another shuttle arrived to unload.

They drifted over to where the operator was before turning back to the last ramp. The line was moving steady though a few guests were stubbornly waiting for that front seat. Mizore's hand was slightly colder than it was seconds ago, catching her attention.

"Are you nervous?"

"A little. I don't know what to expect."

"It won't be any faster than flying."

"That wasn't fun."

Kurumu giggled as they shuffled down the ramp. The gates opened, allowing guests to board. The last people in front of Mr. Hao gathered about the lanes while their group pooled at the bottom of the ramp.

Twenty seconds later the gates opened and the lanes emptied. Their escort and Ms. Huang moved to the second lane with her brother and Tsukune taking the third. Kurumu guided Mizore over to the fourth lane while Yukari and Moka skipped the lane behind them to take the sixth. A bald man with a long goatee and moustache claimed the fifth lane with a stocky short haired woman. Before Kurumu could question Moka's decision, the full shuttle rolled forward and an empty one took its place. The gates swung open with a hiss.

Kurumu tugged Mizore along, stepping into the black seats. She let go of Mizore's hand to pull the strap of her purse up over her head so it was across her body as she sat down. She grinned at Mizore as the snow girl settled into the adjacent seat.

Kurumu grabbed the black restraint in front of her, pulling it down into her crotch. Mizore followed her example and managed a smile. Kurumu offered her hand which the snow girl immediately accepted.

The shuttle jerked forward and they rolled to the front of the tunnel. The operator walked along the platform, briefly checking the restraints of the passengers. Kurumu sucked in a deep breath, squeezing Mizore's hand as the attendant passed by them. The man continued on and then turned about, briskly making his way to the controls. A second after he arrived at his station, the shuttle jerked forward again, immediately turning right into a tunnel devoid of light.

They started up an incline though she could not see a thing. It was pitch black for several seconds but they finally crested and turned into another tunnel which was flashing blue and green neon lights. After a few seconds, they turned right and started up another incline. The lights pulsed along the walls of this tunnel which had a metallic hue. At the very top she could see a swirling white vortex.

The vortex vanished shortly before they reached the top. They came out into an open area which was mostly black with dots of white light representing stars. The shuttle made a lazy left turn around a model of a broken sphere with a bright orange center.

They started up another incline which had an exploding flash of orange and yellow rings in front of them. The image vanished and suddenly they started rolling down to the left into a black void. The shuttle righted itself for a moment but dipped to the left again. Another slight drop and a turn to the left.

Kurumu laughed, genuinely having no clue of where they were going. There was enough light from these 'stars' to keep her enhanced night vision at bay. Turning right. Falling. Turning left. Picking up speed with every second. She squeezed Mizore's hand, hoping that the snow girl was enjoying this.

She imagined this was what it would be like to fly with her eyes closed. The thrill was in the unknown. She could feel a slight breeze through her hair, caused by their speed. Not strong enough to worry over losing her ribbon. More tight rights. More tight lefts. The woman behind her was crying out in glee as they journeyed through the stars.

Then they hit a left which brought them into a glowing tunnel of blue and white lights. They slowed to a steady roll before reaching the end of the tunnel, making a lazy right into a void. Two seconds later they could see the lights of the docking platform. The shuttle rolled to the platform, finally coming to a stop.

Kurumu laughed, letting go of Mizore's hand to push up on the restraint which tucked in against the front of the car. Mizore did the same with a soft giggle, getting up on her feet. The snow girl daintily stepped out of the shuttle with Kurumu on her heels.

"That was awesome!"

Kurumu smirked back at Yukari as they made their way to the stairs.

"I'm glad we found a roller coaster you approve of."

"Whomever decided to turn the lights out was a genius. Unlike the roller coasters at Lina World, this one would be fun until I memorized the track."

Kurumu snickered as they walked up the stairs, reaching the exit corridor.

"You mean you didn't memorize it already?"

"It's called sensory deprivation. I would need to ride it two or three more times before I figured it out."

"Perhaps I should have Father build us a roller coaster at home."

Yukari snorted at Huang as they exited the building though they remained beneath the canopy. They followed Ms. Huang and Mr. Hao whom walked steadily towards the outside.

"Why would you waste resources on that?"

"Because it would be fun?"

"What might be fun is designing roller coasters. I wonder if that is a profession."

Moka laughed, patting Yukari on the head.

"That would be a waste of your talents."

"I'm not saying I would make it my career. But somebody needs to do something about all the lame roller coasters that pollute the world. We need more Hyperspace Mountains."

Moka smiled as they walked out into the open. They all gathered about for a moment.

"I think you need to ride more roller coasters before declaring a shortage of good ones."

"Will it be Orbitron or Buzz Lightyear next?"

"Lightyear. At least there's a chance it won't bore me."

"I'm fine with Lightyear. Mizore?"

Mizore shrugged indifferently to Kurumu's prompting. She glanced at Moka whom also shrugged.

"I don't care one way or the other."

"Did you like Hyperspace Mountain?"

Moka smiled softly with her gaze going distant.

"Yea. It was as amazing as Kahlua told me it was."

"Sounds like everyone is fine with Lightyear. Follow me!"

Huang took off with the map in hand. They followed him, passing by the Orbitron on their right. The line for that ride weaved through steel fencing with turnabouts just like the blue railing beneath the canopy of the Hyperspace Mountain building. Most of the path was occupied with park guests.

"I hope we don't have a twenty minute wait for every ride we get on."

"It's Disneyland, Kurumu. We waited over a half hour for Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain."

"I guess we know why you didn't have any time for Tomorrow Land."

Ahead of them was a bronze dome held up by four pillars with a display in the center. Beyond that was a gray and navy building with green trim. Guests were milling below a canopy which had a blue sign with green trim. The western lettering had a smaller row in white above a larger row in yellow. The yellow letters were more erratic as if they were jolts of electricity.

The columns holding up the canopy were made of two identical segments. These segments were blue and had a yellow electric symbol on top of a red circle. These cylinders were silver at each end and the diameter of the column halved where the two cylinders met. It took Kurumu a moment to realize these were meant to look like batteries.

As they neared the canopy, Kurumu spied a cartoon mural on the pink, green and yellow sectioned wall by a part of the line currently not in use. She immediately recognized the astronaut as the attendants gestured for Huang to enter the line.

"I know Buzz Lightyear. From Toy Story."

Tsukune chuckled at her declaration, following Ms. Huang around the column. Blue steel dividers stretched from this column to the next, turning to a far wall which was not part of this structure.

"You just remembered this?"

Kurumu stuck her tongue out at him as she guided Mizore around the column.

"I don't remember the name of every cartoon I watched as a kid."

"Does that mean this is a kiddie ride?"

"It might be. I don't recall seeing it at either Disneyland I've been to."

They came to the first turn in the path formed by this blue rail dividers, turning left. There was an open door with green framing which guests passed through but a blue rail divider denied them a direct path. They turned right and right again, walking back to the far end of the canopy. They turned left, walking all the way to the far wall where the line of people started.

"The Toy Story sequel was the first movie that mommy took me to see in Kengamine."

"You saw the movie a whole month before I did."

"Only because mommy was desperate to get me out of the house."

"Desperate? I thought you were happy about moving to Kengamine."

"Those were fake memories, Tsukune. I wasn't telling you the whole truth about what was going on."

There was an uncomfortable stretch of silence between them as they moved slowly with the line.

"Aono. You knew about Kurumu having troubles with her mother and her peers."

Tsukune nodded at Moka's remark.

"She mentioned that but never offered details."

"Honestly I didn't recall the details until I relived my memories to coincide with yours. I thought that I had gone to school in Kengamine to finish my fourth grade year but that was not entirely true. I went to school for only two weeks in February."

She paused thoughtfully as they drifted around a bend in the line.

"My mother seduced a teacher to supposedly make things easier on me. This didn't go unnoticed by the parents and a few kids found out. I was called a whore by Takada."

"Takada? Wasn't that the name of your first boyfriend?"

"Yea. He was a popular kid. My other classmates took his rejection as permission to ostracize me. And that set the tone for my entire school experience from fifth grade to the onset of my charm near the end of my seventh grade year."

"But you had such a positive outlook. I know that our meetings were fake but the things that you talked about sounded genuine."

"It's all a matter of perspective, Tsukune. There were good moments that I wasn't appreciating. Despite her faults, my mother was the best part of my life."

Tsukune sighed as they shuffled closer to the far wall once again.

"Honestly I should have realized that those years of memories were fake sooner. There was no way that I would not have mentioned you to my cousin. I just wasn't thinking about them logically."

"It's fine. I've known for a long time that you don't think about me unless you have to."

Tsukune flinched at her standoffish comment.

"I know it will sound insincere, but I still want us to be friends. Mizore too."

"Am I just an afterthought?"

"Please don't make a simple friend request difficult."

"I don't hate you, Mr. Aono. But I see no need for us being friends when I have Aoi."

Tsukune sighed heavily at Mizore's emotionless statement. He regarded Kurumu with resignation.

"I guess you'll say the same thing about having your boyfriend."

"That's how it should be."

Her heart ached from the deception. While it should be true, she barely knew Nijiro. She knew his plans for the future and had met his family, but it was not like they had ever shared a bunch of stories from their childhoods. She was reluctant to share her troubled past, considering how poorly their relationship had started out. Hours after Nijiro had asked her out while in the company of his parents, Kurumu had sex with Tsukune because of Lilith's mirror.

That had been exactly seven weeks ago. Her first date with Nijiro had been on the following Saturday, which had ended with her impregnating Mizore. She had not told Nijiro about that, afraid to give him another excuse to break up with her. He thankfully believed that Umizake had fathered Mizore's baby.

Totaling up their time together, she had five dates, three room visits, the meeting of his parents and their first encounter at a student council meeting after Sport's Day. She probably should count the short time they shared in Kyuushutsu's naked utopia and that called off date the day before the Yukimura trip. It felt like she had done so much more with Tsukune in the first seven weeks of school.

To be fair, the circumstances were different. With the school damaged, there was less opportunity to chat with Nijiro outside of dates. Visiting him in his dorm room had not proven to be an environment for a friendly chat. They just had sex. Lots of amazing sex.

"Are you going to take any pictures?"

Kurumu snapped out of her reverie, smiling at Moka's inquiry. Mr. Hao was stepping through the open door of the building with Ms. Huang behind him. She fumbled in her purse for her phone.

"Yea. You also have a phone, you know."

"Taking pictures is your thing."

Kurumu snorted, following Tsukune inside. The room beyond had cartoon murals with green frames bolted to the walls. The first mural on her right was an octopus like thing with orange tentacles wrapped about blue cylinders. Buzz Lightyear was shooting the purple head of the octopus with a red laser.

"Over here, Yukari. I'll take a picture of you in front of this."

Kurumu gestured at the mural on the left which seemed to be a view from the inside of a space ship. Two of those green men with the three eyes were pointing at a grinning robot attacking another ship while snatching up a cylinder in its red vice hand. A red diamond with the yellow electric sign on it was imprinted in the robot's chest.

"Only with my Moka."

"Fine. Stand by her, Moka."

A message was playing over the speakers in Cantonese, warning them about the evil emperor Zurg whom the space rangers must protect the galaxy from. Kurumu gestured for Moka to stand closer as she leveled her phone upon the pair.

"Big smile, Yukari."

Yukari grimaced but complied, pulling her lips back enough to display her braces.

"Sheesh, Moka. You can also smile."

Moka smirked, cocking her head over Yukari's which made it easier on Kurumu's display. Supposing this was as good as she would get, she snapped a couple pictures. They shuffled further into the room which had steel rails making a short, winding path about the murals.

The next mural they passed by was also on the left. It had a bunch of those little green guys holding their suction cup blasters inside a tunnel which opened out into space. A trail of these guys were flitting out into space with purple rocket back mounted to the backs of their blue suits.

"Mizore. Our turn. Take the picture, Yukari."

Kurumu beckoned for Mizore to stand with her as she held the phone out to Yukari. The witch snickered as she took the phone, brandishing it at them. Mizore rested her head against Kurumu's shoulder while Kurumu slipped her arm behind the snow girl.

"Big smiles."

Kurumu grinned broadly, having no idea if Mizore would do the same. After a few seconds, Yukari gave the phone back to Kurumu. She detached from the snow girl, checking the display.

"That's not much of a smile, Mizore."

"I smiled."

They drifted over to the next mural which was of a bunch of green men gathered about the liftoff of Buzz Lightyear's rocket. A green crane was off to the left of the rocket while a blue telescope tower building stood off to the right. There was one more turnabout before they would exit this room.

On the wall ahead of them was three large poster like displays in black and white. All of these posters were in English. The first poster they would walk by was a picture of a XP-38 Space Cruiser. Whatever that was. It looked like a fancy box. A black banner at the bottom indicated 360 degrees.

The middle poster was the Astro Blaster, which she recognized as the name of the ride. She guessed it was a weapon. The last poster had four different symbols that all had the electric symbol within it. The inverted triangle was on top with the circle and diamond beneath it. The bottom was a square.

"Yukari. You're the English wizard. Translate that gibberish."

"We're supposed to shoot our lasers at the targets with the Z symbol. It keeps track of our score."

"Like laser tag?"

Kurumu grinned at Mizore's sudden interest.

"Sounds like it."

"Is this a shooting gallery?"

"Shall we have ourselves a little competition?"

Tsukune held his hands up defensively at Huang's cheerful grin.

"I have no experience with a gun."

"My brother has no training with guns either, Mr. Aono. If you wanted a challenge, you could try beating Mr. Hao's score. He is an excellent marksmen."

The tall man huffed, adjusting his sunglasses.

"Real guns aren't the same as light up toys."

"If Mr. Hao defeats you, you must join our family!"

"Why is it always like this?"

"Do we get prizes for a high score?"

Nobody had an answer for Mizore's question as they shuffled out of the corridor into an adjacent hall. A white cord was stretched from the opening to a turnstile on their right, dividing the hall in half. Across was a wanted poster for the evil emperor Zurg.

"I recall that you have some experience with guns."

"I've done some hunting but I prefer laser tag."

Yukari snorted as they neared the steel turnstile. It was identical to the one they had passed through at Hyperspace Mountain.

"I'm surprised that they let her have a gun. Did they not know about all of her suicide attempts?"

Mizore smiled softly as Mr. Hao passed through the turnstile first.

"My parents knew of some. We pretended they were accidents."

Kurumu wagged her phone as Ms. Huang slipped through next with her brother behind her.

"We need to talk about happy things, Yukari. We're at Disneyland."

Tsukune chuckled, following Huang through the turnstile.

"That's right. Most of us are here for the first time so we need to make happy memories."

Kurumu passed into the next room. The line drifted to the right towards a wall with a picture of two green men at the controls of a spaceship. One was sitting in a curved purple seat while the other was looking out at the line.

The line doubled back along a circular rail which kept them away from the display. A huge statue of Buzz Lightyear stood in the center of raised podium which was connected to a knee height red ring encircling the moving figure. Buzz held a blaster in one hand while the other waved at the guests. He twisted his hips and turned his head. His eyes closed and his mouth moved along with a message playing over the speakers. Sadly it was in English but she hoped it would change to Cantonese soon.

To the left of Buzz mounted on a green stand was a huge etch a sketch with the red border and two white dials in the lower corners. The white display was showing details of the mission.

"Aono. Picture of the four of us."

Kurumu grinned at Moka's suggestion, handing over her phone.

"Yea. Take like three or four and I'll keep the best one."

Tsukune smiled, taking her phone. Kurumu hopped over to the railing, pulling Mizore close to her side. Moka stepped in beside her, steering Yukari in front of her. Tsukune stepped back to the other curved railing, leaning back over it with the phone aimed at them.

"Smile, everyone."

Kurumu sucked in a breath and smiled with contentment. After a few seconds, Tsukune straightened up and stepped back to them.

"I hope that's enough."

Kurumu took back the phone, checking through the display. Yukari had the silliest of smiles but that was her fault. She often encouraged Yukari to flash her braces which was not necessary.

While they waited for the line to move, Mr. Hao pulled out a digital camera from his long jacket and took some pictures of Ms. Huang and her brother.

"There are too many people here."

Kurumu chuckled at Yukari's complaint as they slowly drifted around to the other side of the room.

"True. But you wouldn't have preferred sightseeing in the city."

"I'd hope that Hong Kong would have something better to see than a bunch of buildings. It should have a forest preserve or a natural landmark. Something that isn't man made."

"Did we even drive through the city? I couldn't tell since the limo windows were all tinted."

Huang grinned as they drifted towards an opening into an adjacent passage.

"A pity that you couldn't see our glorious city but the bullet proof windows are tinted for my protection."

"Is there anything worth seeing in Hong Kong?"

"Well we are on Lantau Island. If we wrap things up early, we could go see the Tian Tan Buddha."

Yukari regarded Huang with a stern expression as they followed him into the passage.

"Buddha. You want us to see a Buddha."

"It's a national landmark, Ms. Sendou."

"I said natural landmark, not national."

"There are many country parks, Ms. Sendou. Our family headquarters is hidden within one."

The short passage was lined with a mural that showed the four different shapes of targets on the right while the left had another picture of the little green men. People were drifting to the left at the end of this corridor with a bluish white graphic on the far wall ahead of them.

"I suppose we can look at a Buddha if my Moka is fine with that."

"I think that will depend on Ms. Huang. This is her dream trip."

"Sister! Can we visit the Tian Tan Buddha after this?"

"Only if we have the time."

Kurumu chuckled as they shuffled into the next room.

"Oh! This is a moving shooting gallery."

Tsukune pointed over the red rail, drawing Kurumu's attention to the seats people were loading up into. These seats were similar to what she had seen in the diagram earlier. They had green trim and purple lining and other colorful graphics printed on their glossy surfaces. A pair of purple blasters with yellow tips were mounted to the front of each of these cruisers.

Guests were directed to these cruisers which could seat two. The line steadily moved with the fronts of the cruisers naturally closing up as they entered a tunnel on the right. The space between these cruisers remained the same with them all moving at the same, methodical pace.

The ride never fully stopped but was not moving that fast. People hopped out of the cruisers which had parted upon reaching the attendant's station. Some attendants directed the guests out of the cruisers while others directed guests from the line to get into cruisers when four were vacant.

"Any tips for doing this, Mizore?"

Mizore smiled at Tsukune, nodding.

"You should find an early target and figure out its calibration. Not all laser rifles shoot down their sights but they are consistent."

"That's good to know."

"And there is no benefit to pulling the trigger. The laser will keep firing if you keep the trigger pushed."

"Isn't that like cheating?"

"It's how lasers work. The only reason why you'd ease off the trigger is if there was something you didn't want to shoot."

Tsukune nodded as they drifted down the ramp to the docking platform.

"Makes sense. I didn't know moving shooting galleries were a thing. I'd have to tell-"

He paused for a moment.

"I wonder if the guys on my floor know about this."

While many of those guys were in the arcade club, they all lived in monster towns. It was difficult to say how much knowledge they had about current trends in human society. Kurumu imagined that his first thought had been to ask his old junior high friends.

The attendant waved the guests forward to the next four cruisers which happened to include Ms. Huang and Mr. Hao. The agent encouraged Ms. Huang to take the further seat of the last cruiser before getting inside it himself. The track continued moving steadily forward as people from the next four cruisers were encouraged to exit the ride.

The attendant waved them forward once the cruisers were vacant. Kurumu slipped her phone back into her purse before following Huang and Tsukune down the black track. Kurumu stepped into the second cruiser and over to the far seat, settling down. Mizore drifted in behind her. The snow girl pulled her blaster out of her holster, holding her hand out and aiming her blaster at it.

Kurumu glanced at the top of the front, noting it had two digital displays with the red led lights showing both scores to be zero. Between the two displays was a black rod topped with a red sphere.

"What does this do?"

Mizore shrugged as they started moving forward. Kurumu grabbed her blaster out of its holster as the front half of their cruiser closed. They rolled by a picture of a little green man holding flags as if directing traffic. They entered a dark room littered with colorful models. A huge red robotic hand was stretched over them with long black fingers. There was a red magnet with one of the circle symbols, so she aimed at it, keeping her trigger pressed. She saw her points go up but Mizore was already twice her score.

"You are taking this too seriously."

"You can hit the same target more than once."

That was nice to know but there were not many targets to shoot on her side. Mizore was blasting away at the circles targets on a robot dog chasing a hydrant and a robot hand clutching a shuttle. Successful hits were causing the models to move.

The slot machine robot on her side had circle targets on its nose and its belly. She was aiming for the nose when Mizore grabbed the red ball and pushed it to her side. This caused their cruiser to swivel, allowing the snow girl to shoot her targets easier.

"Hey! Those were mine."

"You can shoot them too."

Kurumu pouted, firing at the targets while Mizore focused on the spinning saw blade which had two diamond targets. It was hard to tell if the robot was reacting to her shots but she was getting points. The robot also had a pair of square targets but before she could shoot them, Mizore righted the cruiser.

Kurumu sighed, trying to hit the spinning saw blade while Mizore fired at the square targets on the hands and chin of an orange robot. The robot's head lifted while the hands swung up and down.

Kurumu tagged a circle symbol on another robot's head, causing its propeller to spin. Batteries were lined up on her side and were being knocked down by other riders though the displays quickly righted themselves. Kurumu was able to tag one battery with a circle symbol and another with a square symbol.

Mizore tugged on the ball to spin the cruiser again, allowing her to tag a battery with a circle symbol. This revealed a diamond symbol behind it which the snow girl also lit up. Kurumu was astounded at how many points the snow girl had with a total already near seventy thousand. Kurumu's score was a meager nine thousand as they rolled into the next section.

This room had a construction robot on Kurumu's side with an easy to hit square symbol on his chest. Mizore was lighting him up as much as Kurumu was. A talking emperor Zurg was a little further down on her side, though he was yelling in English. He had several square targets on him which helped her score.

She had a respectable sixteen thousand as they rolled into a chamber with strobing lights. There were two robots with square symbols in their chests which bumped her up a couple thousand more.

The next room was themed like an alien planet with monsters moving about. A fish like creature moving in a circle had a triangle on one side and a diamond on the other. The lizard it was chasing or being chased by had a diamond only on one side. There were circle and square targets on the tentacles of an unseen creature beneath everything.

She tagged the square on another reptile, causing it to roar in pain as her score jumped up. She was only over twenty four thousand now but Mizore had somehow shot up to two hundred fifteen.

"How are you scoring so high?"

"Diamonds and triangles are worth more."

Mizore was shooting up a small moving rocket with emperor Zurg upon it on her side. The rocket had a diamond but when it moved it had a tiny triangle target behind it. Kurumu tried to hit it but saw no increase to her score before they entered a tunnel which was streaming lights.

The tunnel lacked any obvious targets. Once they exited, they started on a wide right around a big Buzz Lightyear statue firing upon an emperor Zurg crammed in a red rocket. There were many square targets on the rocket and around Zurg as well as a big circle target on his chest. Not seeing any diamonds or triangles, Kurumu fired at the square targets. As they slowly rolled about the scene, more targets became visible. Kurumu even saw a diamond but she was unable to tag it for any points.

They eased into the next room which was filled with little green men. An emperor Zurg was confined in an action figure box with a circle target. It was the only thing in the room to shoot so she snagged a few more points but she was not even going to break thirty five thousand. She could only shake her head at Mizore's score of three hundred seventy five thousand six hundred forty points.

They rolled into the next tunnel which had a chart with ranks based on score. Her score of thirty two thousand eight hundred sixty would put her in the L3 category. Mizore was in the L5 rank which was between three hundred and five hundred thousand. Kurumu would have needed to break a hundred thousand points to get the L4 rank.

"Mizore. You scored ten times as much as I did."

"Yea. You suck."

Kurumu laughed as she put her blaster into the holster. They rolled by the attendant which caused their cruiser front to swing slightly forward. Kurumu got out of her seat, following Mizore out onto the loading ramp. They trotted after Tsukune and Huang whom were at the end of the ramp, turning right through an opening. They entered a shop full of Disney merchandise where Ms. Huang and Mr. Hao were waiting.

"So how did you fare, dear Brother?"

"Mr. Aono is amazing. He scored fifty six thousand on his first try."

"You didn't do so bad yourself."

"You beat me by more than ten thousand points. I clearly have much to learn."

"Well I won't mention how poorly I did, but Mizore scored over three hundred thousand points."

Moka chuckled at Kurumu's remark as she arrived with Yukari.

"I feel the same way. I didn't break forty thousand but Yukari almost broke three hundred thousand."

"I didn't realize the point value difference until it was too late. And some of those triangles only came up if you hit other targets. It would take multiple tries to optimize my score."

"Oh? Is this another ride that gets Yukari's stamp of approval?"

Yukari puffed up indignantly at Kurumu's amusement.

"It was entertaining and different. I wouldn't say it was thrilling."

"I guess that means Mizore got the top score."

"Hold up, Ms. Kurono. We haven't asked how well Mr. Hao and my sister performed."

"I didn't break fifty thousand, dear Brother. You don't need to share that with our guests."

"But most of us can understand you."

"And I can understand Japanese while Mr. Hao thankfully cannot. How about we move on to the next ride before we shatter his pride as a marksman?"

Sharing a laugh, they headed for the gift shop exit.

---

"Big smile, Yukari!"

Yukari sighed, standing in front of a person dressed up like Minnie Mouse. The Minnie was garbed in a pink, satin dress with puffy short sleeves which ended with a red and yellow hem. This hem also came down the center to about the person's hip, wrapping about the torso to make it look like the garment was two separate pieces. The pink dress continued down as a skirt which flared out before reaching the knees. The person had on a black bodysuit, covering their arms and legs. Naturally the worker also had on big white hands and a big Minnie Mouse head with a pink bow nestled between round black ears.

"I'm not even a fan of Minnie Mouse."

Kurumu chuckled, moving her phone to get the witch in the display. Mizore was politely latched to the worker's side, pressing her head against one of Minnie's sleeves. The worker had one of her white hands on Mizore's shoulder and the other on Yukari's shoulder. The snow girl had a gentle smile.

"Just don't look like you're bored."

Yukari giggled which was much better than her agitated expression. Kurumu snapped up at least three pictures before lowering her phone. She skipped over to the witch.

"Okay. My turn."

Yukari took the offered phone, walking off as Kurumu sidled up beside the worker. She grinned at Mizore whom seemed content to remain beside Minnie.

"Moka! Do you want a picture with Minnie?"

The vampire looked up from her seat upon a concrete bench built into a curved cobblestone half height wall preceding Sleeping Beauty's castle. Tsukune was sitting beside her.

"I'm not changing my mind, Kurumu."

Kurumu pouted, leaning her head against the shoulder of Minnie. Yukari aimed the phone at them.

"Okay. Smile."

Kurumu grinned as prompted. A few seconds passed and Yukari lowered the phone.

"Are you wanting to take pictures with the other mascot?"

Kurumu detached from the worker, strolling over to Yukari to retrieve her phone.

"Depends on Mizore. Do you want pictures with Mickey?"

With phone in hand, Kurumu gestured to the other mascot. The Mickey was garbed in a long sleeved, yellow Chinese shirt with a red geometric circle design. A red Chinese cap with golden hem rested on top of his head between his big black ears. Baggy red slacks stretched down to large black shoes. Ms. Huang and her brother stood in a short line of people waiting for pictures with the mascot.

"Not really."

Kurumu nodded, turning and bowing to the Minnie. She voiced her gratitude and heard both Mizore and Yukari echo her sentiments. The moment they retreated, a family of four stepped up to ask permission for taking a picture with the mascot.

"This is worse than Lina World."

Kurumu chuckled, scrolling through pictures as they returned to the cobblestone wall. It was not nearly as many as she had taken at the wedding. She would be lucky to have fifty after deleting the duplicates.

"I wouldn't say that."

"We had to wait a half hour to ride tea cups, Kurumu. Tea cups."

Kurumu smirked, supposing she had no defense for that. It felt like every attraction had a long line. Even the line for lunch had been so intimidating that they had opted to go on some rides first.

"Do you guys want to walk through the castle again?"

Moka groaned, glancing over her shoulder at the castle.

"I guess that's no different than waiting here for them to finish their pictures."

"Should I come with you guys?"

Moka huffed at Tsukune as she stood up, grabbing her crimson tote.

"No. You're supposed to stay with Huang. You can tell them where we went."

Kurumu tucked her phone back into her purse before taking Mizore's hand. She steered the snow girl over to the cobblestone bridge which stretched over a small pond in front of the castle.

"I bet Mizore is enjoying her first time at an amusement park."

"The teacups were fun."

"Tsukune made his cousin pass out on the tea cups in Lina World."

Yukari snickered, trailing behind them while holding Moka's hand.

"That moron didn't realize how fast he had us spinning. Those tea cups aren't designed for superhuman strength spinning."

They crossed a small wooden section of bridge lined with waist high black fencing, passing beneath the teeth of a black iron gate held up in the arched entrance. It was a short passage to the other side which had a pair of sculpted columns marking the end. Directly ahead of them was the Cinderella carousel.

"I was a little worried that Mizore would get sick."

"We weren't spinning it that fast, Moka."

"Fast enough that we squished Yukari between us."

"Yukari had no complaints."

"What are we planning to do over here? We've done all of the rides."

Moka nodded at Yukari's statement as they stepped out into the daylight on the other side.

"Huang said that the Philharmagic attraction was like a movie. Even if I wanted to do that, his sister would be upset if we did it without her."

Kurumu mulled that over as she regarded the buildings flanking either side of the path leading out to the carousel. The yellow building with the steep pitched red shingle roofs was the gift shop that was at the end of the Winnie the Pooh ride which they had just finished before taking pictures with the mascots. The beige building on the right was another small gift shop.

"We could walk over to the Snow White exhibit. This way."

Kurumu tugged Mizore along as she moved towards an arched opening between the Pooh building and the castle. Yukari sighed dramatically, following after them alongside Moka.

"Are you planning to take more pictures?"

"We have to kill some time."

"I just want to leave."

Kurumu giggled as they stepped into a short tunnel.

"Don't be like that, Yukari. You had fun in Tomorrow Land."

"And haven't had fun since. This place is too crowded."

"The Tokyo Disneyland was worse."

"How? Are humans that starved for entertainment that they'd wait a half hour for kiddie rides like that Orbitron and Dumbo?"

Kurumu smirked as they walked out the other side of the tunnel, veering right with the paved walk which came to a circular area with a small well in the center. A blue tiled pagoda roof was supported by a pair of concrete pillars stretching up from the cobblestones of the well.

"It wasn't even twenty minutes for either of those rides."

"It was close. The only ride we've waited less than fifteen minutes for was the carousel."

"I liked the carousel."

Kurumu smiled at Mizore's comment, squeezing her hand.

"It was a nice ride to have after our late lunch."

"I'm glad we did the tea cups and elephant ride before lunch. That Pooh ride left me feeling nauseous."

Kurumu frowned as they drifted over to the well. A little sign on the well stated that Snow White was on a break and would be back at four. To the right of them over the side of black railing was a gray rock display upon which stood several white figures of the dwarves and Snow White. Water tumbled down the display into the pond below which had three white fish models spinning about and spitting streams of water up. Frogs perched on nearby stones also were spitting out streams of water into the pond.

"That ride made you feel nauseous?"

"Yea. Strange. It was not any faster than the carousel."

"Maybe the bouncing upset your stomach."

"Or it's the quality of the food. For how expensive it was, I was not impressed."

Kurumu sighed at Yukari's complaint, releasing Mizore's hand. The Royal Banquet Hall had served bento box lunches with curry, rice and pork. The curry from the Rice & Spice diner in Mononoke was arguably better and the tiny portions guaranteed that they would need another evening meal.

"It could also be that she's pregnant."

Mizore nodded, grabbing the nearest pillar of the well and leaning against it.

"I do feel tired."

"Are we waiting for Snow White to return for pictures?"

Kurumu giggled, fishing her phone out of her purse.

"Naw. I can take your pictures. Line up along the rail in front of the exhibit."

Mizore groaned, pushing off the pillar to shuffle over to the rail. Moka chuckled, stalking over to join the snow girl while the pouting Yukari followed in her wake. Kurumu flipped open her phone, selecting the camera function as the trio took up a pose with Mizore leaning against Moka and Yukari in front of them. A song with English lyrics played nearby.

"Okay. Smile everyone."

Kurumu took three photographs of her friends, noting that the time was a quarter to four. Taking in a deep breath, she closed up her phone and dropped it back into her purse.

"Didn't Huang say that there was only one ride in Adventure Land?"

Moka nodded as the three girls drifted back over to her.

"The Jungle Cruise."

"Can't we skip that?"

Moka laughed, draping an arm over Yukari and tugging the witch in close to her side.

"That's not a bad ride. And unless Mizore get seasick, she should be fine."

"I still want my Minnie doll."

Kurumu grinned, taking Mizore by the hand. She guided the snow girl over to a wooden bridge with yellow railing which spanned over the pond.

"Ms. Huang won't have us leave without stopping in the souvenir shops. I'm going to pick up something for myself and for Nijiro."

"Don't get carried away, Kurumu."

"It's not like I'm planning to get gifts for all of my friends."

Yukari sighed heavily as they followed the paved walkway back to the area in front of the castle.

"This amusement park is rated for six year olds."

"Disneyland has always been a place meant for families."

"I guess that makes sense. Lina World had tea cups, a carousel and rides very similar to the Orbitron and Dumbo. It would have been nice if they had a track with those miniature motor cars."

"Oh? I don't recall you saying that you liked that about Lina World."

"It was different, Kurumu. Just like the Lightyear ride was different."

Knowing that was as close to an admission of enjoyment as she was going to get, they strolled into the paved open area with the mascots. Tsukune remained seated at the bench while Mr. Hao was taking pictures of the Huang siblings with Mickey.

"Did they even notice we were gone?"

Tsukune laughed with a shake of his head. He pushed up onto his feet.

"Where did you go?"

"Just walked around and took a few pictures."

"Looks like you were back in time."

Kurumu smirked at the Huang siblings drifted away from the mascot.

"Assuming they don't want pictures with any other Disney characters."

"Ms. Huang! Can we do the jungle cruise now?"

The woman perked up at Yukari's query. She said something to Mr. Hao and he lifted his arm, drawing back his sleeve to check a watch. He responded while lowering his arm and pocketing the camera. Ms. Huang nodded, beckoning to them.

"Yes. The cruise and then souvenirs. I don't want you missing out on your date with Buddha."

Yukari snorted as they all started walking towards the siblings.

"I never said that I wanted to see the Buddha."

---

"That is a big Buddha."

Kurumu smirked at the weariness in Mizore's voice. She glanced up at the huge bronze Buddha seated upon a row of bronze petals. His right hand was held open, facing the stairs which stretched up the hillside to the monument. His left hand rested on his knee with the palm facing the dark sky. Lights scattered about the perimeter of this concrete platform shined upon the statue.

"You made it."

Mizore sighed, leaning against Kurumu's shoulder.

"You should have carried me."

Kurumu snorted, glancing at the many flights of concrete stairs they had walked up the hill to arrive at this platform. There had been at least a dozen flights with fifteen steps each.

"That's like two hundred stairs, Mizore. I'd rather fly you up here if you could stomach it."

"This is impressive."

As Kurumu fished her phone out of her purse, Yukari sauntered over to a set of stairs which was blocked by a wooden rail and steel chains. Those two flights of stone steps continued up to another level directly below the seated Buddha. Stone columns which housed a lamp were built on either side at the base of these blocked stairs. Yukari had on a black witch hat with an orange bow about the base of the cone. A pair of round, black ears were stitched to either side of the cone.

"The beads atop his head and his facial features. The shape of his ears and the design on his robes. It's not stone so it's not like they chiseled this. Did they pour molten metal into a mold? Welded on parts and scoured in details? And it's huge."

"I'm pleased that you approve."

"Gnomes could do this easy. I could probably figure it out with magic. But humans… I'll admit that this is not something simple."

Kurumu flipped open her phone, noting that it was almost seven. They had arrived less than a half hour ago. Apparently this place had operating hours which was why nobody else was around. Ms. Huang had flexed her family influence to allow them access to the monument, but the temple was closed as well as all of the associated gift shops.

Not that any of them needed more souvenirs. Kurumu had picked up a keychain and a yunomi for her collection back home. Both items had markings for the Hong Kong Disneyland. Unsure what she should get for Nijiro, she had followed Mizore's advice to get him a Mickey shirt. Mizore had done the same for Aoi while making sure she got a Minnie doll and a two part Disney necklace. She was already wearing her half and would give the other to Aoi when she saw him.

Moka had surprised them by picking up a pair of Tinkerbell earrings. The vampire had already put them in during the half hour drive from the theme park. The little blond fairies garbed in simple green dresses dangled from her earlobes as the vampire stalked slowly away from them. That was the only souvenir that the vampire had picked out.

Under Mizore's insistence, Tsukune had grabbed a different Minnie doll for Hatsue. While hers had a pink kimono, Tsukune's doll was garbed in the red dress with white dots that Minnie was known for. He had also picked up tee shirts for himself and his mother while grabbing a set of Disney themed playing cards.

That hat was not the only thing Yukari had picked up. She had also picked out a tee shirt and a Minnie mouse clutch which was stuffed inside her yellow tote which she had left in the limo.

"I don't think I have an angle that will have enough lighting to have any of you in a photo with the big Buddha. Maybe I can get a decent picture of you guys with one of these smaller ones?"

Kurumu thumbed over at a statue along the perimeter to her right. There were three smaller bronze statues in that direction which all faced the big one. The nearest one was holding a flower in its right hand while the left rested on its thigh.

"Haven't you taken enough pictures today?"

"There is no such thing. Get over there, Mizore."

Mizore sighed, drifting over to join Yukari as Kurumu wandered around to face the statue. She noticed that there was a small passageway below the stairs to the other side. She brandished her phone at her friends whom stood in front of an iron barrier with a floral pattern which denied guests easy access to the smaller statues.

"Smile!"

The lighting was terrible but she could see her friends and the statue. Everything behind that was an indistinct dark blur. She supposed it did not matter as she snapped up three pictures.

"Yukari. Can you take some pictures of me?"

Yukari drawled out an affirmative, walking over to trade places with her. After surrendering her phone, Kurumu grabbed hold of Mizore whom immediately leaned against her. Kurumu giggled, caressing the snow girl's head.

"You need to face forward for the picture."

"I'm exhausted."

"Chin up, Shirayuki."

Mizore sighed, lifting her head off Kurumu's shoulder. Kurumu grinned at Yukari, hoping that Mizore was doing the same. Seconds later, Yukari lowered the phone.

"I don't think these last pictures are any good."

Kurumu stalked over to retrieve her phone. She scrolled through the last six photographs.

"No better than the ones I just took."

Yukari nodded as Kurumu slipped her phone back into her purse.

"This is nice. No noisy humans around. Lots of trees. But I'm hungry."

Kurumu chuckled, glancing at the next statue. This one was very similar to the first but was holding the left hand under the right hand with the right palm facing forward. There was a break between this statue and the next which had one of the perimeter spotlights which illuminated the big Buddha.

"Yea. I didn't want to agree with you earlier, but lunch sucked."

Motion drew Kurumu's attention to Tsukune and Huang. The guys had raced up the hill as another one of Huang's many challenges to draft Tsukune into his family. So far he had not managed to best Tsukune in anything despite Tsukune never accepting any of these challenges.

The boys had come through a passage beneath another stair which stretched up to the second platform. This double flight of stairs was on the other side of the third statue which held both of its hands up as if making an offering to the big Buddha.

"Huang. Can we get up to the other levels?"

"You can, Ms. Kurono. This first stair is the only one blocked. You can even get up to the top level but there are gates which discourage you from touching the statue itself."

Kurumu nodded, grabbing Mizore's hand and starting off.

"Come on, Yukari."

Yukari sounded an affirmative as they walked over to the stairs beyond the third statue. Like the stairs leading up to this monument, the flight was divided by a smooth ramp between white wooden rails. Following the usual etiquette, they drifted over to the far side and took that flight up.

"More stairs."

Kurumu grinned at Mizore's complaint as they walked up eleven steps to a landing before ascending another eleven to the upper level. Like the other stairs, a meter high concrete barricade marked the sides which were topped with rounded crowns at each section.

Once they reached the second level, there was a recessed corridor with a red door beyond. Aware that the temple was closed, Kurumu drifted back around to the left towards the first stair.

"I know that we just got here, but we shouldn't stay too long. I would like to treat you all to a nice meal before we check in at a hotel for the night."

Kurumu nodded at Ms. Huang whom lingered at the top of the stairs stretching down the hill. Mr. Hao stood beside her still wearing his sunglasses despite the lack of sunlight.

They passed by another red, recessed door, continuing along this narrow walkway. Three smaller statues were spaced on the lower perimeter on this side of the big Buddha. All three held out offerings. The first had a jar while the second had a stone brick. She was unsure what the third one was holding.

"This stair is blocked."

Yukari pointed at a narrow staircase built into the side of the walkway which went up to the third level. A steel gate denied them access. They continued walking until they reached another flight of stairs which went down to the first platform. Another recessed red door faced this flight of stairs.

They drifted around to the back of the big Buddha. Kurumu noted another stair which was blocked off which went back up to the top level before turning her attention to the dark void beyond the perimeter below. There was a break in the concrete railing for a small landing with two sets of stairs winding down to the lower level in different directions.

"What is my Moka doing?"

Kurumu frowned, noticing that the vampire had stopped at the rail of the perimeter below and was staring out into the darkness. Kurumu slowed to a stop at the break in the concrete.

"Did you two want to go up to the Buddha?"

"Not really."

"I'd rather not do any more stairs."

Kurumu snickered as she tugged Mizore along, descending the stairs to the first perimeter.

"You should be able to handle going down."

"I'm not even in the mood to eat. Sleep sounds nice."

Yukari snorted as they steadily descended these stairs which hugged the curved wall.

"You were never one to eat anyways. Unless it was ice cream."

Kurumu took in a deep breath as they arrived at the bottom. She let go of Mizore's hand and turned a smile upon Yukari.

"Could you walk Mizore back to the car with the others? I want to be alone with Moka for a little bit."

"What for?"

"To talk about Tsukune. We all know that she got drunk because of what he said yesterday."

Yukari sighed, slouching her shoulders.

"She wouldn't talk to me about it last night. What if they don't want to leave without you?"

"Just make sure that they don't disturb our chat."

"I'll give you ten minutes."

Kurumu smirked, patting Yukari on the head.

"Okay. Don't have too much fun without me."

"Fun? This day has been anything but fun."

Kurumu chuckled, turning about as she backpedaled away from her friends.

"You liked the jungle cruise."

"The guide was funny. The ride was lame."

"Yea, yea, Yukari. Just keep them away."

Yukari drawled out an affirmative as Kurumu spun about on her heel. She walked quickly over to where Moka stood. The vampire glanced at her approach before returning her gaze to the dark scenery.

"I'm a vampire, Kurumu. I'm not deaf."

Kurumu sighed, grabbing the rail as she peered out into the emptiness.

"Yea. We've all been worried about you since the plane."

"I misjudged my tolerance to alcohol."

"And it has nothing to do with Tsukune?"

Moka breathed in deep, keeping her eyes on the black horizon.

"I had a pair of earrings just like this. Momma bought them for me."

Kurumu nodded, contemplating the significance of the revelation. She was aware that Moka and Kokoa had lost many of their things when the original mansion had been destroyed.

"But you had fun today, right?"

Moka sighed, touching the rosary which was hidden beneath her clothes.

"I miss her. I can't hear her. I can't talk to her. There's nobody here. I'm all alone."

Kurumu swallowed thickly. She knew exactly how that felt. She wondered if it was harder on Moka since the vampire had literally been with Hatsue for her every moment of her life for the past six years.

"Yea. I wish Hatsue could have been with us too."

"I know that there were drawbacks to being trapped behind the seal. That I was denied control and the freedom to experience things without her influencing the way I felt."

Moka paused to take in a deep breath.

"But it was safe. If anything bad happened, I could act like it wasn't my fault or my concern. And I could enjoy the good things without any risk to myself."

Kurumu laughed softly despite the thickness in her throat.

"That seems a little cowardly."

"I know. The big bad vampire hiding in the shadow of a silly girl whom couldn't keep her mouth shut about us being different. She was so desperate to be accepted. And there was nothing I could do."

"It will be okay, Moka. I know that Hatsue will return to us. It may take a couple of years, but I believe that Mizore's baby will remember us."

"I wasn't ready to be without her. I don't know what to do."

Kurumu hesitated at the tremor in Moka's voice. The vampire was on the verge of tears.

"This is about Tsukune."

There was a long moment of heavy silence. Kurumu glanced over her shoulder.

"Moka. He's an idiot, okay."

"A part of me hoped that when Hatsue left, these feelings for him would go with her."

"It will be fine, Moka. When he realizes what we've done, he will have to give up on Hatsue."

Moka shook her head with a rasped out sob.

"He's going to hate us all."

Kurumu grabbed Moka's shoulder, squeezing it firmly.

"No. The only person Tsukune hates is Fujisaki."

"I need to have this seal repaired so that we don't need Tsukune's help."

"He's not going to let Fujisaki get away with murdering his father."

"He might not work with us if he finds out what we did."

"Tsukune was there when the Headmaster told us that the best chance we had at defeating Fujisaki was together. He may not like what we did, but he won't abandon us."

Moka shook her head, pulling away from Kurumu.

"There is no us, Kurumu. The Headmaster wasn't talking about you or Yukari or Mizore. He was talking about Tsukune and me."

Kurumu stepped in and hugged Moka from behind, pressing her cheek against Moka's back.

"No. It won't just be the two of you."

Moka's body relaxed and her hands rested upon Kurumu's.

"You're right. Mother can help. And the Headmaster promised he would. Maybe this Touhou Fuhai will want to put down Alucard once and for all."

"That's right. We will all be there to support you."

"No, Kurumu. If I'm relying on Mother, I don't want you in this fight. You, Mizore and Yukari need to protect Hatsue so that she can have that life we promised her. That's your fight."

Kurumu sighed, relaxing her grip. This girl was too stubborn.

"You're assuming that Fujisaki will let us live if you somehow lose. I'd rather make sure that you win your fight or else there might not be a future for any of us."

Moka sniffled, turning about in Kurumu's grasp to drape her arms over Kurumu's shoulders. Her crimson eyes were softer and wavering.

"What do we do? Unless we convince Touhou to lie for us, Tsukune will find out that Hatsue is no longer inside the rosary."

Kurumu took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. She squeezed Moka firmly as she rested her head on the vampire's shoulder.

"I'll take the blame. You guys have followed my lead before. Say it was my idea."

"Yukari will never back that. We could blame Mother but he'll still be mad at us."

Kurumu lifted her head up, opening her eyes.

"I guess we could say our silence was needed for its success."

"Yea. My logic for not telling him before. But we could have told him after we did it."

"His father died right after that. The timing was horrible."

Moka nodded thoughtfully, staring at Kurumu's shoulder.

"I hope he's okay with that excuse."

"It's mostly true, Moka."

Moka sucked in a breath with a slight nod.

"Yea. I want your blood."

Kurumu laughed at the random request.

"Is this the make it hurt nip or the make me wet myself nip?"

"I can do it later tonight if you want the feel good version."

Kurumu padded Moka on the back before releasing her grip.

"Later tonight. We'll do whatever feels natural."

Moka laughed softly, following Kurumu's lead.