Lois Fogg
Fantasy
PG-13
[AuthorÕs notes at the end]

Book Two: Why I Should Have Learned to Use Chopsticks

	Consigning Mamoru, Petunia and that innocent-looking little
book to a far corner of hell, I quickly covered my exposed chest, and
averted my gaze. This couldnÕt possibly be happening. I closed my
eyes, hoping that when I opened them again I would be back in
PetuniaÕs library, fully clothed. No such luck. The two men had
obviously forgotten all about their food, engaged in the apparently
much more interesting occupation of gawking at me. This had to end
somehow, I knew, but I didnÕt want to expose myself any more than I
had already and those two looked content enough to just sit there
forever. Just when I was about to suck up my embarrassment and
demand that one of them offer me his cloak, another figure appeared in
the clearing.
	It was extremely tall, masked, and dressed entirely in black. I
could see the bulge of a rather large sword through its cloak. It did not
look exactly friendly. I shrieked and backed up, again exposing my
chest. I had a moment of fear that the Kojin had already found them
and I had landed in the middle of a trap. That fear was roughly
eradicated, however, when the apparition pulled off his mask and cloak,
staring at me incredulously.
	Somehow, I had no doubt in my mind that this was Mamoru.
From what I could see in the flickering firelight, he had an unruly mop
of black-blue hair that fell disarmingly into his forehead. His eyes
looked black in the light, but I thought that they might be a dark blue.
Incredibly thick and long eyelashes framed them. His face was long
and masculine, but the shadows across it made him look mysterious, if
not forbidding. In short, he was gorgeous, and in my current state, it
was all I could do to gawk. He, however, seemed a little more in
control of the situation, thankfully. After a momentÕs surprised pause,
he strode to the campfire.
	ÒWho are you?Ó He demanded. I looked away from his gaze,
suddenly feeling completely inadequate. If only I had some clothes!
That would at least make me feel a little better. At the sound of his
voice, I started. He had a very nice voice, of courseÑdeep and sexyÑ
but that wasnÕt what surprised me. He spoke completely different
language, but I understood it anyway. I opened my mouth to respond,
praying that he would understand me as well.
	ÒMyÉÓ I began, and stopped short, surprised to hear an entire
other word leave my mouth. Was I speaking their language? I tried
again. ÒMy name is Serena,Ó I said.
	ÒWhy are you here? How did you find us?Ó He continued,
obviously understanding me. How was I supposed to answer that? Oh, I
come from another world and I was reading your journal entries, but I
just had a dream that someone was about to betray you so I found a
spell and came here. Sorry about the naked bit. Yeah right. I decided,
instead, to remedy the most embarrassing part of this interview. I was
feeling at a distinct disadvantage in my present state.
	ÒListen, I can explain everything laterÉdo you have
*anything* I could put on?Ó I said, eyeing him meaningfully. He had
the grace to blush and look away from me momentarily.
	ÒHow do I know that youÕre not an enemy?Ó He asked.
	I rolled my eyes at him. ÒDo you really imagine that anyone
against you would ever *dream* of appearing naked in the middle of
your camp? It doesnÕt exactly sound like an ideal method of infiltration
to me.Ó
	He smiled reluctantly. Bending down, he gently placed his
cloak around my shoulders, and I wrapped it around my body
gratefully. The night wasnÕt exactly balmy either. I shivered slightly
when his fingers brushed against me, but I studiously ignored the
feeling. I had come here for a purpose, after all. Feeling a little more
secure, I looked up again and realized that his eyes were most
certainlyÑand disconcertinglyÑblue. That having been accomplished,
he sat next to the other two menÑGenro and Ashitare, I was
assumingÑand leaned back, his eyebrows delicately raised. His
attitude was doing nothing to make me feel more comfortable, but I
persevered anyway.
	ÒYou areÉMamoru?Ó I questioned, just to make sure. To my
embarrassment, I stumbled over his name, since the language spell did
not deign to help me out. He sardonically corrected my pronunciation.
	ÒYes. I am called that. I assume that you meant to find me?Ó
His barely concealed smirk finished the sentence for me: ÔBut not, I
hope, in such a state?Õ I fumed. I was really going to have a few bones
to pick with Petunia when I got back.
	ÒYes,Ó I agreed, studiously ignoring the understated question.
ÒIÉhave come with a warning.Ó I said. Now, how exactly was I
supposed to phrase this? Even as I thought about it my rational for
coming here sounded increasingly pitiful. What if it really *had* all
been a dream. I had left in such a hurry that I had barely given myself
any time to think. And now, here I was, in the middle of another world,
naked, the most insufferably condescending man interrogating me. I
wasnÕt even sure now if I wanted to save him! He had said nothing to
my last comment, only raised his eyebrows even higherÑif it were
possible. He watched my internal struggle with evident amusement,
although his two companions regarded me with slightly more credulous
expressions, which gratified me somewhat. I could tell, however, that
they were growing a little bored with my silence. I was going to lose
my audience in a second.
	Ò I received aÉÓ I trailed off, unsure of what word to pick.
Come on, Serena! I said to myself harshly. You havenÕt read all of
those fantasy novels for nothing, you know. Use your imagination!
ÒVision.Ó I finished triumphantly, my imagination finally kicking in. I
could judge by their expressions that they were not quite ready to kick
me in the cold just yet. So far, so good. ÒMinions of the Kojin wait for
you at the Fugira pass,Ó I continued, my pronunciation not failing this
time. My voice took on more sonorous tones almost automatically, and
I could see the others sizing me up with more respect. Ashitare and
Genro exchanged worried glances, but Mamoru still looked like he had
yet to be convinced. ÒYou will be allowed to the enter the pass, at
which point you will be surrounded and captured by ten armed and
masked men. The Kojin has given the leaderÉUshiru,Ó I remembered
the name after a short pause, and congratulated myself silently, Òa
magical amulet to block the only possible escape route to your west.Ó
This latest bit of information caused Ashitare to speak up for the first
time since my Òentrance.Ó
	ÒIf this is true, Mamoru, we canÕt possibly go through the
pass! ItÕs far too dangerous,Ó the blonde interrupted.
	ÒHold on, Ashitare.Ó He said absently, his eyes still firmly on
me. Genro moved as if to speak and Mamoru quelled him with a hand.
I might have been indignant at his imperious manner, but I was far
more concerned with my immediate fate. Still wearing that half-smile,
half-smirk, he walked over to where I sat and offered his hand. I took it
reluctantly, and he pulled me to a standing position. I was careful to
hold the cloak tightly around me, as I did not want a repeat
performance.
	ÒThank you for your informationÉSerena,Ó he said politely,
but there was still a definitely undercurrent of mocking humor there.
This time, *he* stumbled over my name, and I took great pleasure in
correcting him. Looking at me with surprised respect, he continued.
ÒBut, itÕs unnecessary,Ó I felt the bottom begin to drop out of my pride
as soon as he began the phrase, but the ending sentence clenched it.
	ÒI already know.Ó

	I stared at him, mouth hanging slightly ajar, my expression
mirrored by his two companions. He already *knew*! I found myself
possessed of a strong desire to throw the kind of temper tantrum I
thought I had grown out of since the third grade.
	ÒYou *know*?Ó I repeated, disbelieving. This just couldnÕt be
happening! He looked at me for a moment, and then did the absolutely
worst possible thing he could have in such a moment.
	He laughed. At the sound of his deep voice booming with
mirth through the forest, I just lost it.
	ÒI canÕt believe this!Ó I raged, my slightly hysterical voice
temporarily silencing him. ÒI did *not* go through all of this just to be
told by some smart-ass like you that you already know!Ó I wasnÕt sure
quire how smart-ass was translated, but from his expression I had
obviously landed upon some suitable equivalent. ÒI almost died!Ó I
spluttered, stalking back and forth, and waving my hands in the hair for
emphasis. The tension that had been building within me for the past
three days exited in a massive wave, and fortunately or unfortunately,
Mamoru was going to bear the brunt of the explosion. The three men
simply stared at me with stunned expressions. ÒI cast a stupid spell that
was so dangerous, and I donÕt even know *how* to cast spells, just so I
could save your stupid, worthless lives! And here you tell me that you
already knew? IÉIÉÓ
	I stopped, suddenly out of steam. Quite unexpectedly, I
wanted to cry. I had experienced such a brief moment in the rosy glow
of heroism; imagining myself the recipient of MamoruÕs grateful
thanks, a harbinger of peace and justice to this world. Now I had
received my true measure: a worthless message-carrier, already the
bearer of old news. It just felt like such a let down. I knew that my eyes
were sparkling ominously, and I bit my cheek roughly in a valiant
effort to keep from crying. I would die before I allowed myself to
display that final weakness before Mamoru, I knew. While it may have
been an absurd pride that I did not fully understand, it was absolutely
true. Bravely holding my chin up, I ceased my ravings and stepped
closer to him. I was surprised to see an expression of remorse cross his
admittedly gorgeous features. I realized, quite irrelevantly, that my
head barely reached his shoulders. The fact did nothing to make me feel
more secure.
	ÒIÕmÉsorry for the inconvenience.Ó I whispered softly, almost
overcome by the incredible blue of his eyes. Would this really be the
end of my adventure? I couldnÕt believe it, but it seemed that there was
no choice. ÒIÕll leave now, I suppose.Ó I said, reluctantly tugging at the
cloak to give it to him. I could not imagine a more undignified retreat
than one in the buff, but I did not have very many options. I did not, I
thought snidely, see any fig leaves handy. He opened his mouth but
was apparently unable to force anything out of it. Finally, just before I
removed the cloak, he reached his hand and closed it again roughly,
looking into my watery eyes with a disconcerting directness.
	ÒNo!Ó He said so forcefully that I felt butterflies of surprise in
my stomach, not entirely unpleasant. ÒI mean,Ó he began again, Òat
least allow me toÉyou just canÕt go out there on your own without any
clothes. You couldnÕt even defend yourselfÑÒ
	ÒOh?Ó I said indignantly, drawing myself up again. For some
reason his outburst had restored some of my confidence. ÒWhat makes
you think that I canÕt defend myself?Ó
	He rolled his eyes meaningfully. ÒFine. IÕm *sure* that you
can defend yourself. JustÉ allow me to get you someÉclothes, at the
very leastÉÓ
	ÒNo thank you,Ó I said proudly, shaking off his hand.
Unfortunately, that process shifted the cloak a little too much around
my body and rather a bit too much was exposed. Great move, Serena, I
thought sarcastically even as I blushed crimson. Way to support your
argument. Despite my embarrassmentÑwhich seemed like a permanent
condition latelyÑI continued. ÒI do not need your help, sir, certainly if
you are entirely without need of mine.Ó I did not, however, make much
of a move to turn around. Despite my words, I was not too eager to
walk off into that dark forest, alone and naked. Even if it only was for a
day. This world did not sound like my safe, westernized and
industrialized home.
	ÒSerena...Ó He said slowly, his pronunciation of my name
awkward, but inexplicably appealing to me at the same time. ÒI sort of
lied,Ó he blushed and glanced away from my stunned gaze. Now it was
*my* turn to raise my eyebrows, which I did with much enjoyment. ÒI
*did* know that the Kojin was planning something at the passÑÒ
	ÒHow?Ó I interrupted, finally curious as to how he could
know, when I knew for a fact that he hadnÕt about three hours earlier.
	ÒSniff the air. Do you smell anything?Ó He asked, his eyes
firmly on my features again.
	I tried to do this nonchalantly, but it didnÕt quite work, so I
gave up and just stuck my nose in the air. I noticed from the corner of
my eye that Mamoru was valiantly trying to hide a grin. ÒNot really.Ó I
finally concluded.
	ÒYou probably wouldnÕt, since it blends in so well with the
natural smell of the woods. But there is a faint smell of peppermint
here. The closer to the pass we get, the stronger it becomes. Peppermint
is the trace-scent of the KojinÕs magic. ThatÕs how I knew.Ó I stared at
him, as he crossed his arms over his chest complacently. Magic
smelled? This was getting stranger and stranger.
	ÒButÉÓ I prompted, still intent on wringing out his apology.
	He sighed and gave me an appreciative half-smile. ÒBut, I did
*not* know exactly what they were planning; specifically that they
would block the west exit.Ó
	ÒMamoru, if you knew, then why didnÕt you tell us?Ó Genro
finally managed to interrupt, roughly breaking into what had become an
almost intimate dialogue, although it surprised me to think of it that
way.
	ÒBecause when I came back, I was met by this little surprise
who told you all anyway.Ó
	ÒOh, right.Ó Genro muttered, looking sufficiently humbled.
	ÒSo, my dear,Ó he said, turning back to me, obviously having
regained that innate self-assurance that had so infuriated me earlier. ÒI
believe that I owe you an apology.Ó
	Now, the only reason I allowed this was because he surprised
me. I would, however, be lying if I said I didnÕt enjoy it. In a practiced
motion, he enveloped my hand in his own and bowed over it. His eyes
never left mine, and I felt my breathing still within me. I couldnÕt have
moved if I tried. I was overcome with feeling of his hand on mine and
his eyes captivated me powerfully. His lips lingered on my hand for
just a moment longer than was proper, but a hair short of indecent.
Then he stood up again, looking cocky enough for me to punch him.
And I would have, too, if he had not effectively turned my brain the
consistency of gelatin.
	ÒAm I forgiven?Ó He asked, his voice deep and apparently
innocent, but I could *feel* the mocking somewhere beneath it.
	Now, I swear I had every intention of responding with a
resounding Òyou bet you arenÕt, you little self-assured, cocky, etc., etc.Ó
I was obviously not entirely in control of my mental or vocal faculties,
because instead I heard an emphatic ÒYesÓ in a small, breathy voice
that I did not even recognize as my own.
	Ah, well. So much for pride.

	Rifling through his saddlebags (the horses were tied behind
the fire, and I hadnÕt noticed them before) Mamoru pulled out a
ridiculously oversized dark-blue tunic for me to wear. I accepted it
gratefully, without complaint, and changed behind a friendly tree. I
handed him back his cloak, feeling a little sheepish about my behavior.
He really had gone out of his way for me; remarkable since he still
knew absolutely nothing about me, unless you counted the jumbled
mixture of facts that I had tossed haphazardly around during my earlier
tantrum. Although he eyed me curiously, he still did not ask, for which
I was again grateful. Not as though I would dream of mentioning my
friendlier feelings to the man himself. No, his ego was obviously quite
large enough without additional reinforcement. He could not quite keep
himself from laughing when he saw me in his tunic. It hung all the way
to my knees and the sleeves came far over my hands. It was, however,
made of a nice woolen material that made me feel warm for the first
time since I had landed there. I smiled self-deprecatingly, and twirled a
bit for his benefit.
	ÒDonÕt I look gorgeous?Ó I asked facetiously, tossing my
unkempt braid over my shoulder. Far from amusing him, however, the
question seemed to roughly send him from his previously light-hearted
mood. He paused, almost frozen for a second and then changed the
subject entirely. I was surprised, not to mention a little hurt. What had I
done?
	ÒHave you eaten?Ó He asked brusquely. I shook my head
mutely, realized that his back was turned, and repeated it aloud.
Nodding, he reached into his pack and pulled out two clean bowls,
walking towards the campfire. I followed, my head still full of his
sudden mood reversal. He sat down in front of the fire and indicated
that I should sit next to him. I did so cautiously, painfully aware of our
proximity. Every time I breathed I drew a whiff of this indescribable
scent emanating from him; not precisely sweet or malodorous, just
strikingly unique. It did nothing for my composure, to say the least.
Reaching over to a small kettle, keeping warm on some coals near the
fire, he poured something into both his bowl and mine. I had not, for
some reason, informed him of my imminent departure, and although he
was full of enigmatic glances, he had not deigned to ask any more
information from me. I almost wished he would, since then at least he
wouldnÕt be so studiously ignoring me. I looked in the bowl, which
seemed to contain noodles in a broth of some sort with chunks of
unidentifiable meat floating within. I grimaced, but then chastised
myself. What was I expecting, tea at the Ritz? Still carefully avoiding
my eyes, he handed me two sticks.
	It took a bit for me to realize that they were chopsticks, and
obviouslyÑnot to mention unfortunatelyÑI was supposed to eat with
them. As I saw Mamoru blithely pick up his food with those two
improbable little sticks, I felt close to despair. I heard my stomach
rumble loudly, and cursed it for the vilest treachery. Sure enough, at the
loud noise Mamoru stopped eating and looked at me.
	ÒWhy arenÕt you eating?Ó He asked, with something harder
than his typical sarcasm in his voice.
	ÒUmÉÓ I began uncertainly, my brain clouded by the aroma
of the untouchable food emanating from my bowl. Curse America
forever, I thought forlornly, avoiding his hard gaze. Why go through
these mental tortures? Because I had neglected to learn what was
quickly turning out to be a necessary life skill: how to use chopsticks.
Not as though I hadnÕt tried, mind you, it had just never worked out
properly. I had never attained the level of dexterity required to use
them. Noodles were hardly an appropriate food to eat with your hands,
certainly not next to a guy with the unfortunate and deadly combination
of unbelievable good looks and biting sarcasm. Speaking of that guy,
he was looking at me with an expression bordering on disgust.
	ÒTell me, Serena,Ó he began, and my body gave an involuntary
shudder of pleasure as he pronounced my name. I was really going to
have to stop that. ÒI get the impression that where you come from, you
probably get all the privileges of high society. The food there is
probably much better, IÕm sure. However, while youÕre here, and IÕve
decided to let you stay with us, I suggest that you lower your standards
just a little and deign to eat such meager fare as this.Ó
	I stared at him, stunned for a second. He was genuinely angry,
I could tell. Oh, why me? I moaned inwardly. Had God taken a nap and
let some practical jokester pull all the strings in my life? How much did
I need to get embarrassed in one day!
	ÒTh-thatÕs not it!Ó I protested, finally managing to force the
words past my throat. ÒIÉIÉÓ I couldnÕt say it, I just couldnÕt. It was
too much!
	ÒIÉwhat?Ó Mamoru prompted, sarcastic but also a little
hopeful.
	I said a small prayer and then blurted out the hateful truth: ÒI
donÕt know how to use chopsticks!Ó I am afraid that the last word
degenerated into a semi-wail, and Mamoru winced even as he smiled.
	ÒOhÉIÕm sorry I said that, then.Ó He said. I could feel him
looking at me, but I was busy making studious eye contact with the
ground and trying to hide my bright red blush.
	ÒWow, you really did drop out of the sky, didnÕt you?Ó He
said, and I could hear a smile in his voice. I looked up cautiously into
his laughing eyes. This time, however, the laughter was not mocking
and I started to smile as well, despite myself. He placed his already
empty bowl on the ground and reached for his chopsticks.
	ÒOkay, just mirror what I do.Ó He said. I closed my eyes in a
silent prayer that this would work and picked up the unwieldy sticks.
For close to ten minutes Mamoru endeavored to help make my clumsy
fingers mirror his own, with little success. All right, with positively no
success. After I had dropped them in my bowl for the fifth time, he
leaned back sighing. I cringed in embarrassment; I had known this
would happen. When it comes to chopsticks, I am absolutely hopeless.
I stared at him from under my bangs, my hands demurely in my lap.
Then, as awful as the situation had become, something made it worse.
My stomach, previously silent, let out a growl so loud that it was
audible within a five-foot radius. I blushed radiantly, and my hands
flew unwillingly to my mouth. I looked into MamoruÕs laughing eyes
and then away again, quickly. This, I thought in frustration, was getting
absolutely ridiculous.
	ÒAll right, all right,Ó he said finally, sighing, Ò I give up.Ó At
first I thought that he really was going to let me starve, and I stared at
him with a panicked expression. Some people may be tempted to call
me a pig, but letÕs just say that I enjoy my food! He laughed outright at
my expression.
	ÒDonÕt worry! I wonÕt let you starve.Ó He said, curiously
mirroring my thoughts of a moment before. And to my eternal surprise,
he picked up my chopsticks, expertly lifted up the noodles and held
them expectantly in front of my space.
	ÒWhÉwhaÉÓ I stammered, unable to believe what he was
doing. Was he actuallyÉ?
	ÒFeeding you,Ó He finished my thoughts uncannily. ÒNow are
you hungry or not?Ó
	Silently, perhaps more stunned by this single action than
anything else that had happened before, I opened my mouth. And in
went the noodles. Even prepared over an open fire in the middle of
nowhere with lukewarm water, it was delicious. I slurped the noodles in
a manner IÕm sure my mom would have winced over, licking the edges
of my mouth where some juice was left over. I closed my eyes briefly
to enjoy the flavor, and then opened them again. Mamoru just stared at
me, amusement and admiration warring on his face.
	ÒWell?Ó I said, eager for more.
	ÒI just canÕt believe,Ó he said shaking his head incredulously,
Òthat you could enjoy that so much. Maybe I should try mine again.Ó
He joked, and to my surprise, I simply grinned at him. Then, with an
oh-so-subtle hint, I opened my mouth wide. Still chuckling slightly, he
shoveled in the noodles as fast as I could get them down. In relatively
little time I had slurped the entirety of my dinner, via the willing, if
slightly amused, Mamoru. I sat back, pleasantly full, and with an abrupt
change of emotion, I felt all the relative ease of the past few minutes
with him melt away.
	ÒThank you.Ó I said shyly, smiling up at him. Ô
	ÒYouÕre welcome.Ó He replied, looking at me with an
expression that I could only describe as shyness, although I wouldnÕt
have believed it. He quickly busied himself with cleaning up the
remains of camp, but in less than five minutes, that task was completed.
Ashitare and Genro had left the campfire after Mamoru had given me
the tunic. Mamoru told me that Ashitare had the first watch this night,
and Genro had tactfully retired further afield in the clearing. Finally,
looking at me awkwardly, he handed me his cloak.
	ÒYou can use that tonight. DonÕt sleep too close to the fire.Ó
	ÒWhat about you?Ó I asked, yawning, feeling tired as if on
cue.
	ÒDonÕt worry,Ó he said smiling, ÒWeÕve got to get ready for
tomorrow, anyway.Ó And with that last enigmatic statement, he walked
over to where Genro had lain down and kicked him awake
unceremoniously. I stared after him for a moment, unsure of what to
think about what had really happened to me. In a space of less than two
hours, he had impressed me, angered me andÉwell, had been
incredibly sweet to me. I could barely believe that any of this had really
happened. I was desperately afraid that if I closed my eyes, even for a
second, I would wake up in the library again. I did not want this to be a
dream. The entire situation was tooÉwonderful. Slowly, I sat down
next to the fire and rolled myself in his large cloak.
	It smells like him, I thought pleasantly, just before I drifted
away.

	Awoken at an ungodly hour that morning, I was dumped
unceremoniously on the back of MamoruÕs horse, forced to ride
uncomfortably close to him, while praying that my tunic wouldnÕt ride
too far up my bare legs. We rode in silence for a while, my arms
tingling with treacherous pleasure as they gripped his waist. In an
attempt to distract myself, I stared at the scenery around me. As much
as I loved DC, I had never in my life seen a virgin forest like this one.
There was something about the size of the trees, the quality of the light
that filtered to the floor, the mystery permeating the entire situation,
that took my breath away. I was overcome with its beauty.
	ÒItÕs gorgeous, isnÕt it?Ó Mamoru said quietly, surprising me.
	ÒYeÉyes.Ó I said in a small voice. While a part of me hoped
that he would continue the conversation, he fell silent again. After a
few hours, I noticed the terrain growing more uneven and the forest
thinning out. I realized that we must be extremely close to the pass,
which dragged my thoughts back to the real reason for my coming here
in the first place.
	ÒHow much longer will it take for you to go by sea?Ó I asked,
suddenly grateful that he had found out about the attack somehow, even
though my help had certainly been negligible. I felt him start under my
hands, and swung to face me suddenly, surprised.
	ÒWeÕre not going by sea,Ó he said, his hateful eyebrows raised
again. Quite suddenly, I felt a resurgence of the annoyance and anger I
had felt for him when I had first landed. All memories of his nicer
actions were temporarily erased from my memory, and I balled my fists
in a futile gesture.
	ÒWhat do you mean, youÕre not going by sea!Ó I said it in
what I hoped was a rushed whisper, but Ashitare and Genro still looked
at us curiously. I ignored them.
	ÒJust what I said. It will take to long, and we donÕt have that
time to spare.Ó
	ÒYou know, I *had* given you some credit for intelligence,
but now I take it all back. Do you have a death wish? You know whatÕs
awaiting you there, and still you insist, just like a typical male, to go
blundering through there with a sense of misplaced honor and duty.
Your capture and death will do no one any good.Ó Least of all me, I
finished inside my head. He was silent for a while, and I was suddenly
afraid that I had said the unforgivable and he would dump me from his
horse and leave me in the forest to fend for myself. For some reason, I
was more upset about the prospect of leaving him than I was about
being alone in the forest. To my relief, however, he finally responded.
	ÒGenro, Ashitare and I are perfectly capable of taking care of
ourselves. We know what we are getting into, and we will just have to
take the chance that we will be captured. Their main advantage was that
they had the element of surprise. Without it, there is a great deal that
we can do.Ó
	ÒLike what?Ó I countered angrily, refusing to believe that this
was anything more than an act of male ego. He smiled superciliously
again, raised his detestable eyebrows, and turned around towards the
front.
	ÒYou wouldnÕt understand.Ó
	I almost punched him.

	We argued about it almost nonstop during the next few hours.
At one point he asked why I, almost a complete stranger, had taken
such an undue interest in his welfare. That shut me up, for a little while
at least. I didnÕt want to tell him about the journal and my world. I had
the sneaking suspicion that he would regard my eager reading as
voyeurism, not understandable curiosity. Besides, even despite that, it
didnÕt explain why I cared so much. So, I tactfully avoided the subject,
with myself as well as with Mamoru. As we neared the pass, even I
could detect the strong smell of peppermint, and I grew even more
frightened. My hands tightened around MamoruÕs waist even as I
argued incessantly with him.
	ÒAll right, what do you guys think about all this?Ó I said to
Ashitare and Genro, who had tactfully decided to ride a little behind us
and ignore our heated Òconversation.Ó They looked a little surprised,
since I had been too involved with Mamoru to talk to them much.
Ashitare cleared his throat.
	ÒWell,Ó he looked sideways at Mamoru, who nodded his head
in what he obviously believed was a subtle gesture. While I did not
allow my face to show it, inside I was fuming at their arrogance. Well,
maybe it showed a little through my face because AshitareÕs eyes
widened when he looked back at me. ÒWhile I had my reservationsÑÒ
	ÒListen, lady, we donÕt have any other choice,Ó Genro
interrupted rudely. ÒI know why you care, but an extra week and this
entire country will die of the plague.Ó
	My mouth opened and then shut again, bearing an unfortunate
resemblance to a fish. Of course, I had forgotten all about the plague in
my eagerness to save their hides. They did have a point; theyÕre victory
would be useless if there was no one left to save. Realizing this, I
would have conceded gracefully, had Mamoru not chosen that time to
act like a grade-A bastard.
	ÒSo, the little lady is speechless. I would never have believed
it.Ó And then he *snickered*! He actually snickered! All thoughts of
losing gracefully flew straight from my mind with, I must admit, some
relief. I never did like conceding a debate.
	ÒNot speechless, you little pea-brained, self-righteous,
hotheaded, overblownÉÓ my voice shook and I paused, desperately
searching for a final descriptor to fully encapsulate my burgeoning
emotions. ÒMisogynist!Ó I finally finished triumphantly, glaring up at
him. He was really uncomfortably tall, which gave him an unfair
advantage in confrontations like this. And that man, that odious and
unfortunately intelligent man, looked at me and smiled!
	ÒThatÕs five,Ó he said. I really wanted to shave those eyebrows
of his. ÒI bet that I can do better.Ó
	ÒOh yeah?Ó I countered. Not so originally, but sometimes I
was unfortunately overcome by how gorgeous he looked, and I could
not seem to think at all.
	ÒFine.Ó He looked far too happy to take on the challenge.
ÒClumsy, nosy, persistentÑÒ
	ÒWait! ThatÕs not a bad trait!Ó I interrupted.
	ÒIn excess, it is,Ó he said with such an air of long-suffering
patience that if it were possible to get any madder, I did.
	ÒWhy, youÉyouÉÓ I spluttered, suddenly rendered
speechless as his deep blue eyes gazed levelly in mine.
	ÒWhat? CanÕt think of anymore epithets?Ó
	I huffed in complete exasperation, and turned my head
pointedly away from him. I absolutely refused to take this any more.
He laughed in that maddening way of his, and then uttered the two
most unforgivable words.
	ÒToo easy.Ó
	While it may be a clichŽ, the only way to describe precisely
how I felt at the moment was that I saw red. I honest to god became as
madÑand about as unreasoningÑas a charging bull. I wanted to kill
him. Well, perhaps not that drastic a punishment, but I wanted him to
really regret being so cocky. So, without really thinking about it, I did
exactly what I had wanted to do the moment he had started making fun
of me.
	I punched him.

	Yes, I punched Mamoru, my so-called savior, straight in his
cheeky little mouth. Almost as soon as I did it I regretted it. Well,
almost regretted it. There was a little unrepentant part within me that
felt he had gotten what he deserved, the little bastard. His eyes widened
in shock, but he didnÕt bring his hand up in enough time to block it. His
hand flew to his mouth, and for a moment I wondered if I really had
hurt him. I hadnÕt taken Tae Kwon Do for five years without learning a
trick or two. Within seconds my rash action, I felt someoneÕs hands
pull me roughly from the back of the saddle, and I hung dangling from
the side of another horse, a knife at my throat. I realized quickly that it
was Ashitare, who had obviously thought I was now a danger to
Mamoru. I closed my eyes a little, feeling like a complete idiot. Things
like that always happened to me; I was never known for thinking before
I acted, but with Mamoru that tendency seemed multiplied infinitely.
Mamoru swung around and said something sharply, but the words were
muffled behind his hand.
	ÒWhat are you doing here, you little bitch?Ó Ashitare growled
into my ear. I flinched, but was careful not to move too much. That
knife was a little too close for comfort. I prayed silently that my
chances at survival in this place werenÕt down to zero already. Death
after day one wasnÕt exactly my idea for adventure. Yet, even despite
the knife at my throat, I wasnÕt too afraid that I would die. For some
reason, I felt with dead certainty that Mamoru wouldnÕt allow it. Now,
try to figure that one out, little miss psychic, I thought to myself. I did
not, however, smile. Genro, I noticed, had positioned his horse between
Mamoru, and me as if somehow protecting his friend from whatever
attacks I may be able to come up with from my incapacitated position.
What did they think I was anyway? Some sort of evil magician? But,
considering what they were up against, I couldnÕt really blame them.
Mamoru roughly removed his hand from his mouth, revealing a rather
bloody bottom lip and I winced in sympathy and remorse. He spat on
the ground, and when I realized that it was blood, I just wanted
Ashitare to put me out of my misery. How could I possibly have done
that? Ashitare must have seen it too, because his grip on me tightened,
and I felt the cold steel of his knife bite into my exposed neck. I
clenched my hands, but said nothing.
	ÒLet her go!Ó Mamoru said imperatively, glaring at his two
companions.
	ÒButÑMamoru, she punched you,Ó Genro said, questioning.
	ÒI said, let her go.Ó His voice was a low growl, menacing and
intense.
	He and Ashitare shared a long glance, and at a moment I could
not detect, Ashitare conceded and dropped me unceremoniously to the
ground. I stared at Mamoru in shock, forgetting the blood that dripped
down my neck. He dismounted slowly and walked towards me. I could
not move; this situation had degenerated from a petty verbal battle into
something more serious so quickly that I barely had a handle on it. He
stopped in front of me, and towered above me, his expression
unreadable as I gazed upwards. Deliberately he offered me his hand. I
stared at it for a moment. At that absurdly inappropriate interval, I
realized that his hands were indeed large, but beautiful and strong, the
way I had imagined them to be in the showerÑwas it only a day ago?
Slowly, I reached for it. I had the strangest impression that we were
part of some incomprehensible dance. While not a normally graceful
person, I felt like a princess when he pulled me upright, and my hand
gripped his convulsively, even when it wasnÕt necessary anymore.
	ÒAre you all right?Ó He asked quietly, wiping some of the
blood from my neck with his fingers. My breathing stopped.
	ÒYes,Ó I finally managed to gasp. What was happening to me?
When had I lost control of this situation, or had I ever had control of it?
ÒIÕmÉsorry I did that,Ó I said eventually. ÒIt was childish of me.Ó
	He smiled, suddenly, cocky and ruefully and it finally broke
the spell that had surrounded us for the past few minutes. I breathed in
relief, but it was tinged with regret. It had, after all, been a stunning
feeling, if a little disconcerting.
	ÒIÕll survive,Ó he said quietly. Then, he raised his voice again
with a measure of anger to Ashitare and Genro. ÒDonÕt you ever do that
again.Ó His voice was dead serious, even threatening, although I
wouldnÕt have believed it. Why did he have so much faith that I wasnÕt
an enemy, anyway? After all, I had punched him. After a moments
thought, I laughed at myself. Of course, it wouldnÕt make much sense
for an enemy to try to incapacitate Mamoru by punching him in the
mouth in full view of his extremely overprotective and armed friends.
My attention was dragged back to the situation at hand when the two
nodded silently, and remounted their horses. I was about to climb on
behind Mamoru when he stopped me.
	ÒItÕs dusk,Ó he pointed out, Òand weÕre almost at the pass. I
donÕt want you to come with us. YouÕre vulnerable, and this is very
dangerous.Ó
	Dusk already? I realized that I had very little time left until the
spell ran out. The thought scared me because I most assuredly did not
want to go just yet. ÒYou have to take me with you,Ó I said earnestly. I
saw him looking at me skeptically, and I decided that it was time for a
little choice acting. I put on my best damsel-in-distress expression.
ÒButÉMamo-chanÑÒ I paused. Where had that one come from?
Ashitare and Genro burst into snickers at the nickname and Mamoru
darkened considerably. All right, keep going, Serena. ÒI donÕt want to
be here all alone. Something could come and eat meÉand I donÕt know
what I would doÉÓ I pouted a little for effect, rather pleased with my
performance. Mamoru, apparently, was not because he began laughing.
Not mocking, this time, just genuine peals of laughter. I stood there,
arms akimbo, looking up in annoyance. This really was not going well.
	ÒGet off it, Serena.Ó He said in between spurts of laughter. His
words, I noticed, were pronounced rather oddly, and I realized it was
because of his split lip. I pointedly ignored my feelings of sympathy
and remorse. Eventually he calmed down. ÒAll right, IÕll take you as far
as the pass, but after that, you at least have to wait until we get rid of
the KojinÕs men. If we donÕtÉthen, just run.Ó I nodded, worried about
the implications of him not succeeding, but grateful to be tagging along
anyway. I scrambled up behind him and gripped his waist protectively.
We trotted in silence for a while, but eventually Mamoru reined in, and
motioned for the others to be quiet as well. When I opened my mouth
to ask a question he quieted me with a look and I realized that
something serious was going on. Although I had not paid much
attention on the ride here, the forest had thinned out completely, and
the terrain was growing rougher. Just a little in front of us the ground
rose extremely steeply, some areas almost like a cliff face. If MamoruÕs
attitude was any indication, we were probably right in front of the
Fugira pass. At a silent signal from Mamoru, Ashitare and Genro
dismounted, and tied their horses to a nearby rock. Ashitare also pulled
out a large bow from his bag. In the now near total darkness, I saw their
figures melt away in opposite directions. I hoped they knew what they
were doing. MamoruÕs actions now seemed extremely risky, and I
didnÕt know if he would survive. The very thought, however, made me
shiver with dread, so I kept such thought of doom to a minimum.
Mamoru remained mounted and pushed his horse forward a little bit. I
noticed that the ground rose steeply on either side of us.
	ÒOkay, Serena, now hide in there.Ó He motioned to an almost
invisible niche in the rock face. I looked at him, worried.
	ÒWhat are you planning?Ó I whispered urgently into his ear.
He shook his head silently, and pointed up ahead. I realized that I had
seen other men, probably not Ashitare and Genro, skulking up ahead.
While I had not really felt genuinely afraid during most of this trip, I
felt so now, with a vengeance. Somehow I had the most dreadful
certainty that Mamoru would not win. I wanted to beg him to stay, and
just go around by sea, but I knew that if I spoke, I would give his
position away. Fighting back a sudden onslaught of tears, I held his
hand and dismounted. I gave him a pleading look, but he ignored me
stoically. Finally, I gave up and backed fully into the niche. I saw him
make sure I was hidden, and then spur his horse forward, riding noisily
into the pass.

	The fact that I had a great view of the ensuing scene proved to
be both a blessing and a curse. I had, despite myself, grown attached to
MamoruÕs fateÑafter all, it was why I had come here in the first
placeÑand the thought of his death scared me. My stomach clenched
in fear when I realized that he had deliberately announced his presence
to the KojinÕs men. I knew intellectually that this must be part of his
plan. If fantasy novels were any indication of reality, then he was
probably distracting them so that Ashitare and Genro had the advantage
of a surprise attack. I could only hope that the men had not planned for
that contingency. Sure enough, men seemed to peel themselves from
the darkness, and stood mounted in front of Mamoru. One lit a torch,
revealing a group dressed entirely in black, including ninja face masks.
	ÒWhere are the others?Ó The one holding the torch asked, and
with a start I recognized the voice from my dream: Ushiru.
	ÒWe were attacked by bandits two days ago. They were
wounded and could not continue.Ó He lied smoothly, and I held my
breath, praying that his opponents would believe him. I wondered why
Ashitare and Genro just didnÕt attack immediately, and then realized
that it was because the position of the KojinÕs men was too threatening
to Mamoru. He was practically in the middle of their circle. There had
to be a way to disperse them so that Ashitare and Genro could attack.
	ÒI donÕt believe you,Ó Ushiru said menacingly, spurring his
horse forward. He raised his sword towards MamoruÕs neck, but in an
extremely quick and practiced motion the latter armed himself and
flicked his opponentÕs sword away. Ushiru gave him an appraising
gaze, tinged with respect.
	ÒSo, you are not a complete fool, after all.Ó Mamoru just
looked at him. From my vantage point, however, I noticed the
suspicious glint of a steel knife, being slowly removed from a hidden
sheath near UshiruÕs belt. In a second, I knew, that knife would be in
MamoruÕs belly. There had to be something I could do. Something to
distract everyone enough to give the three the opening they needed.
And then, I knew. So what if it was embarrassing, I thought roughly, as
I prepared myself. ItÕs worth MamoruÕs life, isnÕt it?	After all, what
could be more distracting than a naked woman, running screaming into
the heart of danger?
	Well, it got their attention, all right. Ushiru became careless,
and Mamoru knocked the knife out of his hand just in time. As for the
rest of the men, they raggedly broke formation, and made many lunges
at my naked form. After a couple seconds, the fear dissipated, and I
began to have some fun. They were so busy staring at the bouncing of
my breasts that they had lost all coordination, so it was relatively easy
for me to evade their grabs. In the midst of the confusion, Mamoru
stared at me, mouth open, his eyes half laughing, half-angry, like he
didnÕt know what exactly to feel. All right, Ashitare, Genro, I thought
forcefully, time to make your move. Almost on cue, I heard the thud of
a bow landing in flesh and a groan from behind me. That only served to
add to the confusion. Feeling like my purpose had been served, I
moved to find another hiding place. Before I could do so, however, I
felt hands reach roughly under my armpits, bruising them. Reaching for
his sword, he held me by one arm around my waist. For the second
time that day, I dangled from the side of a horse, cold steel at my neck.
This is getting a little redundant, I thought, annoyance tinged with false
bravado. This time I was under no illusions about the imminence of my
death, because my captor was Ushiru.
	ÒStop!Ó he roared, so loudly that I winced. Almost
immediately, all action stopped. No more bows were fired and Ashitare
and Genro still remained hidden. At the noise, Mamoru lowered his
sword abruptly and turned towards me. Ushiru saw his gesture as well,
and tightened his grip on me.
	ÒOne more step forward, and the girl dies. You understand?Ó
He said menacingly. I looked imploringly at Mamoru, trying to tell him
to ignore Ushiru. I would leave soon anyway, and I had never meant to
make him lose the battle. This was quickly degenerating into the
biggest disaster of my life. Mamoru looked, for the first time since I
had met him, thoroughly daunted. I realized that he had no intention of
fighting while Ushiru held a sword to my throat. This couldnÕt be
happening, I thought wildly, I had to do something to save this
situation.
	ÒPut your sword down.Ó Ushiru said slowly. ÒAnd tell your
friends to come out in the open. We just want to capture you quietly.Ó
There was an unmistakable hint of gloat in his voice. And then, two
things happened at once. I felt myself begin to fade, slowly, as if the
process of returning was considerably more difficult than coming.
Mamoru began to drop his weapon. Then I realized that I had another
opening, and this time I wasnÕt going to waste it.
	ÒNo!Ó I shouted, and taking advantage of the fact that Ushiru
had lost his grip on me, I elbowed him hard in the stomach and grabbed
the sword out of his loose hand as I fell. I only had time to swing
wildly in UshiruÕs general direction before I felt MamoruÕs strong arms
drag me over his saddle.
	ÒWhat the hell is wrong with you?Ó He asked under his breath,
even as he fought off the other men.
	ÒI was just trying to help!Ó I said indignantly, pulling myself
to an upright position, while avoiding the swipes of swords. This was
really getting dangerous. Mamoru looked as if he was about to reply,
but just then he came head to head with a formidable opponent who
took all of his attention away from me. Quickly I swung around to
make sure that no one else was attacking, and in the process I saw
Ushiru. So, thatÕs where the other men went, I thought. He had been
wounded, somehow. And then I remembered the sword, still in my
numb fingers. Had I done that, I wondered. I remembered the feeling of
my sword biting into flesh before Mamoru grabbed meÉ and then I
had a clear view of his wound. His throat had been sliced, raggedly,
blood pouring from it in a deadly stream. I gaped in horror, and barely
missed getting hit by someone else who had pulled along side us.
Mamoru paused enough in his other fight to knock off my attacker, but
that one moment of distraction had allowed the bigger manÕs sword
through his defenses. I gasped in shock as I saw the sword slash
through his armor, and leave a gash on his upper arm. Mamoru grunted
in pain and raised his good arm up to block the next attack. Suddenly
overcome by the same anger that had caused me to punch Mamoru, I
raised UshiruÕs sword and, driven by desperation and not skill, I shoved
it unmercifully forward into his opponentÕs stomach. The man grunted
once, and then fell off of his horse.
	ÒAre you all right?Ó I asked, staring at the spreading wetness
on his shirt in concern. He looked at me, but then his attention focused
towards the right.
	ÒAshitare, Genro!Ó He screamed suddenly. ÒRun! Run!Ó I
noticed two figures, cloaked by darkness pause suddenly and then
scurry away. They must have understood his sudden fear, but it was
still unreadable to me. Finally I realized. I could smell peppermint
intensely, now, and that could only mean one thing. To my surprise, I
saw Ushiru standing upright, supported by two men. In his hand he
held some sort of disc. It began to radiate a green light, and I realized
that it must be the KojinÕs amulet. Thankfully Ashitare and Genro had
already left, probably using the west exit. Taking advantage of his
distraction, someone roughly pulled Mamoru and I off of the horse.
Even as it happened, however, I felt the pull back to my world even
more strongly. I would disappear any second now, I knew. In a last
ditch effort to salvage the situation, I grabbed Mamoru as we went
down.
	ÒIÕm leaving, now,Ó I whispered urgently. He stared at me.
	ÒHow?Ó
	Hands pushed us upright and swords made us walk forward.
ÒThe way I came. IÕm notÉfrom this world. Believe me, Mamoru.Ó I
said. We were nearing Ushiru, who looked weak, but formidable in his
anger all the same. I, for one, did not want him to take vengeance for
his wound on me. Mamoru realized it at the same time. I stepped
forward, and felt myself disappear even further. MamoruÕs gasp
informed me that my skin had turned translucent.
	ÒHere,Ó he said suddenly, pulling something from around his
neck.
	ÒHey! What are you doing?Ó The man behind us said,
grabbing Mamoru. Just before the other men used that as an excuse to
kick him into the dirt, he pressed something in my hand.
	ÒSerena,Ó he grunted, even as he tried to fight them off, Òtake
that with you. If you canÉpleaseÉÓ His voice grew distant in my ears,
and I knew I was almost fully in my world again.
	ÒFind me.Ó And that was the last I heard.

	I sat in the library, naked of course, still gripping something
hard and metal in my hand. So, it had survived the trip with me, I
thought. My emotions seemed distanced, like I had overused them so
much in the other world that now I could barely feel anything. I
wondered why it had survived the trip, then shrugged philosophically. I
opened my hands to reveal a circular disk hung on a strong gold chain.
On the disk were seven circles, and within each circle was a drawing of
some sort. One looked like a horse, another like a dragon, one like a
bunny and a few others were unidentifiable. I wondered what it meant,
and why Mamoru thought that it was so important. At the thought,
finally my emotions took residence in my body. The last I had seen him
he had been hurt, about to be beaten senseless by a band of hired thugs.
At least Ashitare and Genro had escaped, but what could they do? What
could I do, for that matter? I thought about MamoruÕs last requestÑ
plea, really. Find me. How was I supposed to do that, anyway? What
was I, but some inept and unemployed history major? Why did I care
so much about this other world and their war? I could just put down the
amulet, put back on my clothes, and ignore this entire thing. It was
getting dangerous, anyway. The still bloody cut on my throat reminded
me of that. And, to top it all off, Mamoru was a bastard! It may be
different if he had been nice to me, but he had spent the entire time
making fun of me! Serves him right if I punched him in the face! I
began to smile, despite myself, at that memory. I was fully justified in
not helping him, I argued, since he was a complete jerk. Humanity was
better off without him. Just when I was about to toss the amulet in a
corner in a fit of self-righteous anger, a memory came in my mind
unbidden. Mamoru smiling, holding noodles up to my face while I
gobbled them greedily. All right, so maybe he wasnÕt a total bastard.
After all, itÕs not every day that someone feeds you home cooked
noodles. And in a very typical manner, all of my anger melted away,
and I was left withÉresignation. I suppose that I had always known
that I would help him. It was a lost cause from the beginning.
	Which was, I suppose, why I should have learned to use
chopsticks.

********************************

Well, tell me what you all are thinking about my incredibly bizarre
story! IÕm dying to know, really. Thanks to all you people out there
who emailed, I actually got a lot more responses than I expected from a
fic like this <happy grin>. Stay tuned for Book Three, entitled ÒWhy I
Forgot to Ask,Ó and you can just imagine what embarrassing situations
our beautiful, if awkward heroine discovers herself in. Well, this
chapter is brought to you byÉThe Buena Vista Social Club, which I
was listening to non-stop while I wrote this. Also, if she manages to get
it out this week, read my best friendÕs HILARIOUS fanfic ÒOne Wild
Night.Ó Her penname is Harlequin. Oh, and for those of you interested,
when this tome is finished, I have in mind another (again completely
different) fanfic, so donÕt think IÕm disappearing on you guys! IÕll keep
coming back likeÉa bad habit! Ouch, pardon the clichŽ. UmÉI think
thatÕs all for my rambling. Wait! Before I forget: disclaimer,
disclaimer, donÕt own sailor moon, blah, blah. There, I think that got
the point across ;D All right, all right, *now* IÕm done.
Email me!!
Lois