Fantasy
Lois Fogg
SireneCall@hotmail.com
AuthorÕs Notes at the Bottom
Another long chapter, I know. Be warned ;D


Book 3: Why I Should Have Packed Clean Underwear or Cluck YOU,
Chickens!

	I almost walked out of the house without putting my clothes
back on. YouÕre getting far too used to this, you know, I told myself as
I struggled back into my jeans and tee shirt. It was now officially time
to get down to business, and I couldnÕt do it naked. I allowed myself a
momentÕs time to regret the absence of MamoruÕs tunic. Whenever I
thought about him I had the deepest sense of fear that it would be too
late to save him. While I knew that the Kojin had sent instructions not
to kill Mamoru, there could be things much worse than death. Even as I
left, he had been injured, and I had no idea how badly they had hurt
him afterwards. My imagination supplied lurid pictures of excruciating
torture. That was another problem with being a history major, I knew
just about every method of torture invented since the sixth century. I
forced myself to stop thinking about it; I was always useless when I
was emotional. The feel of something furry rubbing forcefully against
my legs startled me from my musings, and I jumped away, screaming.
Almost immediately, however, I realized that it was Artemis.
	ÒDonÕt you ever do that again!Ó I shouted, still trying to calm
my heart. There was a high possibility that I was becoming paranoid, I
thought. This whole adventure thing really can put a person on edge.
Artemis looked at me reproachfully, and nuzzled my leg again. Giving
up, I bent down to pet him.
	ÒSee, I got back all right,Ó I said, half to comfort myself. Sure,
I was fine, but Mamoru was another storyÉ I sighed gustily and
Artemis gave me a hard look, as if to ask me what had happened while
I was away.
	ÒItÕs a *long* story,Ó I said softly, still absentmindedly petting
him. ÒAll right Serena!Ó I said standing up. Sometimes I talked to
myself when I needed particular motivation, and this definitely counted
as one of those times. I carefully put the amulet around my neck and
tucked it into my shirt so you couldnÕt see it. Then I grabbed the book,
stuffed it in my purse, and made to leave PetuniaÕs house.
	ÒCome on, Artemis,Ó I said loudly from the library door.
ÒLetÕs go see if my nympho roommate has missed me.Ó

	I walked into our apartment with Artemis, hearing only
ominous silence. I saw MinaÕs car in the driveway, but with her social
life, that didnÕt mean much of anything. I found myself become
suddenly and irrationally angry that she would have left without even
thinking about me.
	ÒHey, Mina!Ó I called, annoyance showing through in my
voice. ÒMina are you here?Ó I heard a sleepy and confused grunt from
the general direction of her bedroom, and breathed a sigh of relief.
	ÒSerena?Ó I stared in amazement as a figure, dressed in a
rather ugly, if expensive-looking, bright green silk bath robe, stepped
out of MinaÕs bedroom. Mind you, the bathrobe didnÕt surprise me,
because Mina had been wearing that for a while. No, what shocked me
was MinaÕs hair. It looked as if it had mistaken the meaning of levee-
en-masse, and decided to sit straight up. Usually, Mina was absolutely
meticulous about her looks, but if I could credit it, IÕd think that sheÕd
been *trying* to mess her hair up. My eyes grew huge.
	ÒWhaÉwhat happened?Ó I stammered, unable to really
believe it. If it hadnÕt been Mina, though, I would have been rolling on
the ground laughing. She really did look awful. She gave me a long
hard stare and then burst into a tirade that she had obviously been
composing long before my arrival.
	ÒOh, only that you had taken my good blow-dryer, and hidden
it god-knows-where, so I had to use my old, broken blow dryer to try to
make myself look good before Engie got here,Ó I allowed myself a
momentÕs amazement that ÒEngieÓ had managed to sustain her
attention for four whole days. It must be record. ÒExcept that it *short-
circuited* and before I knew it, my hair looked like *this*, so I had to
call him and cancel, and when I went to the fridge to console myself, I
found out that you had eaten *all the ice cream*! And then, when I just
decided to go to sleep, Artemis found me and kept me up all night with
his meowing. Then he finally leaves, and *you* show up!Ó Her voice
had definitely degenerated into a wail. I stared at her for a shocked
moment before I felt the giggles rising up in my throat. Sure, I would
probably be just as mad if it had happened to me, but that didnÕt mean I
couldnÕt see the humor when it happened to someone else. I started to
laugh even harder when I tried to imagine her reaction if I told her
about *my* day. She would never believe a word of it. Laughing,
unfortunately, was the wrong reaction. Mina screwed her face into an
expression that was, if anything, even more ludicrous.
	ÒAnd youÑyou!Ó She spluttered, bordering on incoherence.
ÒAll this time you were out with your secret lover! To think that I even
*helped* you look nice for that date of yoursÉand you just abandoned
me like this!Ó She looked, to my surprise, like she was about to cry.
	ÒBoy, are you on PMS, or what?Ó I muttered under my breath,
admittedly unwisely.
	ÒIÕm *what*?Ó She said with ominous indignation. Really, I
was going to have to stop saying things like that, because when Mina
got really angry, Heaven save whoever fell in her path of destruction.
	 ÒNothing, nothing,Ó I protested in a valiant effort to appease
her. It didnÕt work, so I continued. ÒHonestly, IÕm not having a torrid
love affair or anything,Ó I paused a moment to really appreciate the
humor of the very idea. If only she knew what I really had been
doingÉwith an admittedly gorgeous man. ÒI just had to goÉÓ I trailed
off, with a sinking feeling in my stomach. Mina wasnÕt looking very
appeased, and I couldnÕt think of a plausible excuse for my running off
in the middle of the night. Making an effort to save the situation, I
grasped the first idea that entered my unfortunately eccentric brain.
ÒIÉhad to helpÉat Cluck-U.Ó Almost as soon as I said it, I had to fight
down the urge to clamp my hands down on my mouth. Oh God, of all
excuses for me to give, why did I have to give *that* one? I thought I
had put all chickensÑrubber *and* friedÑout of my life forever! And
now this? To top it all off, Mina still didnÕt look satisfied.
	ÒHmm? I thought you had quit, didnÕt you?Ó
	Wonderful, Mina was more perceptive than I had thought.
	ÒWell,Ó I said slowly, searching for a remotely plausible
explanation. ÒI had to agree toÉumÉhelp out inÉemergencies as part
of myÉresignation! Yeah,Ó I said, getting into it. I was lucky that Mina
had never worked a day in her life, or she would never have believed
me. ÒJosh got sick, so I had to fill in.Ó
	ÒOh,Ó Mina said, taking in my explanation and apparently
finding it satisfactory. ÒWell then, what about the ice cream?Ó
	I winced. Those 100 fat grams certainly had gone
somewhereÉnamely my thighs. I would have regretted my moment of
indulgence even if Mina hadnÕt been irrational. ÒIt was bad ice cream
anyway,Ó I assured her. ÒToo fluffyÉand besides, you donÕt want to
look bad for Engie, do you?Ó My tongue almost rebelled at
pronouncing that horrid nickname, but I forced it through. The mention
of Engie, as I had expected, worked wonders on my friendÕs mood, and
she looked almost ready to forgive me. Time to move in for the kill, I
thought.
	ÒCome on, Mina,Ó I said enticingly, ÒI think thereÕs a MASH
marathon on. We can veg out in front of the TV, and I can braid your
hair and we can eat loads of popcorn.Ó
	Yep, I was the master. Completely forgetting about her anger,
Mina agreed eagerly. MASH was our mutual favorite show, ever since
I had introduced her to it. Sometimes I was under the impression that
Mina hadnÕt watched any television before she moved here, which
brought up yet another round of interesting questions of where the heck
she had lived before this. Probably a cave, I thought sarcastically, as I
went to get the popcorn. It occurred to me how funny it was that Mina
and I were having a Ògirls night inÓ at twelve in the morning, but
neither of us was particularly inclined to sleep. Looking considerably
happier, Mina flopped on our expensive futon/couch (courtesy of
MinaÕs parents), and flipped on the television. Sure enough, I heard the
familiar theme song, and smiled to myself. Some things just didnÕt
change, I thought as I dumped the popcorn into a bowl. I plopped next
to Mina and offered her some.
	ÒIs it the low-fat kind?Ó She asked warily.
	ÒYes,Ó I lied blithely. Mina could use a little fat, and she also
knew better than to trust me when it came to popcorn and ice cream. I
reached for the brush on the coffee table and began to gently run it
through MinaÕs hair. Her hair really was a mess, and it took me a while
to work through all the tangles.
	ÒWhat would you do without me, Mina?Ó I asked facetiously
as I began to french braid her hair. It wasnÕt quite as long as mine, but
it fell a respectable distance to her waist, and I knew from experience
how hard it was to deal with long hair.
	Mina simply smiled in reply, too intent on the television to
really answer me. I tried to focus on the screen, but images of my
recent adventure kept replacing the shots of Klinger in his latest drag
outfit. I would seriously doubt my sanity if it werenÕt for the heavy
weight of MamoruÕs amulet. That and the cut on my neck were hard
proof of what had happened to me, and insurance that I wouldnÕt just
sit at home and forget about it. Perhaps I was taking a break right now,
but I knew that in the morning I would have to pick up and keep
moving. This just wasnÕt going to let me alone, but to be perfectly
honest, I wasnÕt too upset about it. I had always wanted an adventure,
after all.
	ÒMina,Ó I said softly. I didnÕt quite know what to tell her, but I
had to say something.
	ÒYes?Ó
	ÒWell, IÕmÉgoing to have to go away for a bit.Ó I said
reluctantly. I didnÕt know what possible explanation I could give, but it
couldnÕt be the real one.
	ÒWhat?Ó She asked, finally dragging her attention away from
the television.
	I stared at the ground, twiddling my thumbs. I really didnÕt
know what to say.
	ÒIÕmÉIÕmÉgoing on vacation!Ó I said breathlessly,
wondering if she really would believe my pathetic excuses.
	She narrowed her eyes, and I groaned inwardly. No matter
how clueless Mina sometimes seemed, she was by no means stupid.
	ÒVacation?Ó She repeated. ÒDidnÕt you tell theÉI mean,
Petunia that you would housesit for her?Ó
	ÒWellÉyes, but I thought IÕd get away for a weekÉyou
knowÉumÉsheÕll never know.Ó I finished lamely. I kept hoping that
Mina would once again engage herself in HawkeyeÕs sarcastic
comments, but no such luck. Her attention was fully focused on myself.
	ÒWellÉyou know,Ó she said slowly, a light dawning in her
eyes that did not give me a good feeling. What was she planning now?
ÒI could use a break too.Ó A break, my mind questioned. A break from
what? Non-stop sex with our dear friend Engie? I did not, wisely, voice
my thoughts aloud. ÒWhere are you going? We could go together!Ó
	I stared at her, stunned for a moment. Then her last comment
sunk in. I almost had to force down the groan rising in my throat
physically. How on earth was I supposed to go find Petunia while
toting Mina along? Especially without telling Mina what I was really
doing. She was looking at me expectantly, however, so I had to come
up with something believable, and quick.
	ÒWellÉum, IÕve got to call up the travel agentÉÓ Meaning
the random number Petunia had given me before she left. ÒAndÉum,
see what trips I can affordÉÓ I trailed off, the salient realization finally
dawning upon me. In my fever to help Mamoru, I had forgotten about
one very important fact: money. Even though Petunia had given me a
whole bunch, I wasnÕt sure if it would cover a plan/bus/train ticket to
wherever my elusive but affluent employer had opted to vacation.
	Mina was waving her hand negligently. ÒThat doesnÕt matter,
Serena. IÕve got plenty of money! If we go together, IÕll pay for
everything.Ó She looked at me, expectant and hopeful. I was about to
shake my head in an emphatic ÔnoÕ before an evil little plan invaded my
admittedly sleep-deprived brain. It was obvious really, and I had to
force down a mischievous little grin as I contemplated it. Sure, I may
have felt the vague stirrings of my somnolent conscience, but I
squashed them thoroughly. I was a woman with a mission, and I
couldnÕt let paltry details like morality get in my way, right? Again, I
ignored the side of me that rebelled at the thought. After all, I reasoned,
my plan wasnÕt *too* bad. What exactly *was* my plan? Well, since
Mina so wanted to go, and since I needed the money, I figured that I
could take her part of the wayÉand, well, the rest was obvious.
	ÒSure, Mina!Ó I said enthusiastically. ÒTomorrow IÕll call and
see what places areÉumÉnice around this time of year and then weÕll
plan our vacation.Ó
	ÒThatÕs fantastic!Ó She gushed, and I felt a serious twinge of
remorse at her obvious enthusiasm. Maybe I shouldnÕt do this to her.
ÒWherever we go though,Ó she said seriously, ÒThere have to be plenty
of good-looking guys.Ó The twinge died a sad, lonely death. Who was I
kidding? Of course the males were the main attraction for her Òbreak,Ó
seeing as how sheÕd probably laid all eligible males within a 50 mile
radius.
	ÒUhÉyeah, okay, Mina.Ó I mumbled, under my breath,
getting up off the couch and stretching. Well, perhaps my last thought
had been a bit harsh, but Mina did have one healthy heterosexual
appetite.
	ÒHey, what about Engie?Ó I teased, somewhat sarcastically, as
I started walking to my bedroom.
	MinaÕs hands flew to her mouth. ÒOh!Ó she exclaimed, ÒI
forgot! Oh well,Ó She giggled, eyeing me meaningfully, ÒI need a
change of scenery.Ó
	I laughed outright, pulled her braid playfully and walked to
my room. I was asleep practically before my head hit the pillow.

	I woke up late the next morning, well, afternoon, really. I
wasnÕt surprised to find that Mina had already left, although I felt
another twinge of my persistent conscience when I read her note. It
read:

Serena,
	IÕm so glad weÕre going on vacation together! IÕve gone
shopping just for the occasion, so donÕt worry if IÕm back late. IÕll buy
for warm weatherÑthe beach would be niceÑbut if the travel agent
says something else would be better, IÕll be prepared :)
	XOXOXO
	Mina

I groaned. She was buying for warm *and* cold weather?
Really, one of these days I was going to have to visit that gold mine her
father owned. I absentmindedly poured some milk into my favorite
cerealÑAlphabits with extra marshmallows--thinking about what I had
to do today. First I had to call that number, and pray that someone in
that office could speak English. Then, hopefully they would tell me
where Petunia had gone, and I could take MinaÕs money and book the
tickets. With the clarity of thought I sometimes receive after a good
nights sleep, the thought seemed even more abhorrent to me now than it
had last night. I knew that I had to do something to make it just slightly
less morally repugnant. I still needed her money, butÉI decided to use
all of the money that Petunia had given me, and only use MinaÕs when I
ran out. IÕd pay her back eventually, I reasoned, and felt much better.
My conscience finally having given upÑalthough my fiscal sense was
screaming bloody murderÑI got up from the kitchen counter and
headed for the bathroom. I definitely needed a long, warm shower. I
turned off the tap long after I had started pruning and the mirrors were
unrecognizable through the billows of steam. After about another hour
of leisurely dressing, I was finally ready to face the world. Striding
purposefully now, I fished the number out of my jeans pocket and went
to the kitchen counter. I pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, and sat
there, next to the phone suddenly feeling inexplicably nervous. I mean,
what was I supposed to say to Petunia if and when I found her? I could
imagine it now: ÒHello, I know IÕm supposed to be watching your
house now, but I got sucked into another world and thereÕs a guy there
who I recently punched in the mouth who I really need to rescue
because heÕs in some deep trouble right now.Ó I laughed out loud. Well,
I would cross that bridge when I came to it.
Taking a deep breath, I picked up the phone and dialed the
operator. I read the number to her and almost choked when she told me
that the call would be two dollars a minute. I would have to keep this
one short.
ÒGutentagÓ
Uh-oh. That sounded like German to me. This was greatÉof
*course* they spoke German in SwitzerlandÉI felt like smacking
myself in the head for thinking that they spoke ÒSwiss.Ó Was there even
a Swiss language? This was like a scene from ÒAttack of the
Geography Reject,Ó I thought sarcastically, while the person on the
other line waited with some impatience.
ÒGutentag?Ó He repeated, waiting. Right, Serena, talk to the
guy. Except the only language I was supposed to know was French, and
I had completely bombed that in high school, barely scraping by with a
C. WellÉI was sure I had to remember *some* of it, anyway. It ought
to get me through. It couldnÕt hurt to tryÉthey did speak French in
Switzerland, didnÕt they? I was very quickly finding myself out of my
depth and my beleaguered receptionist was going to hang up on me
unless I said something, and quickly.
ÒUhhhÉÓ I began, crossing my fingers and toes, ÒBonjour?Ó I
really didnÕt mean it to come out as a question, but my nervousness
tends to do that to me.
ÒAhÉbonjour, Mademoiselle,Ó the man said smoothly with a
perfect accent, easily switching roles. I noticed that he called me
Òmademoiselle,Ó the term usually reserved for young, unmarried
women. I guess I did sound pretty young, though. Great, well now that
I had gotten over the introduction, the rest would be easy, right? Oh
yeah, Serena, just about as easy decathlon with twenty pound weights
around your ankles. Or, another part of me added, as easy as getting
along with Mamoru. Where had that one come from, I thought smiling.
ÒMademoiselle?Ó The operator prompted, some of his
annoyance obviously showing through. Oh yeah, I was undertaking the
tenth labor of Hercules, wasnÕt I? I dragged my attention back to the
immediate situation. I would think about Mamoru later.
ÒOui, Monsieur,Ó I said with far more assurance than I felt,
wincing at my atrocious accent. I felt his expectant pause on the other
end of the line, and I again came up short. What exactly was I supposed
to ask for now that I had his attention? Did I even know how to say:
ÒHi, IÕm the house sitter of this crazy lady named Petunia, but I really
need to find out where she is, and she gave me this number to call if I
really needed herÉso do you think you can help a poor girl out?Ó I
winced. No, I was going to have to take this a little bit at a time.
ÒMadame PetuniaÉeuhÉnon, non! JÕai une,Ó Wait, what was
the word for employer? I groped frantically, and finally sighed in
resignation. Òemployeur.Ó I said, dragging out the word to sound
ÒFrenchÓ and prayed I didnÕt sound too stupid. From the sounds of
barely suppressed amusementÑat least, thatÕs what I thought those
snorts had been, he could just have a coldÑI wasnÕt exactly
succeeding. Oh well, Serena, press on! I took a deep breath and
continued. ÒElle sÕappelle Madame Petunia. EuhÉJÕavais besoin
deÉla trouver!Ó I finished happily, finally getting back into the swing
of my pidgin grammar coupled with barely understandable accent. I
pronounced the words slowly, like a five-year-old, with none of the
musical quality that native French speakers gave the language.  ÒJe
vous telephone parce quÕelle me le dit. Es-ce-que vous avez
information que je peut utilizer de la trouver? SiÕil vous plait? CÕest
tres important.Ó [AN: For all you French speakers out there, I know she
butchered it, gomen! For all the other duds (myself included) you can
find a very rough translation (with proper grammar) at the bottom.] I
finished that long phrase breathlessly, praying that he would first
understand me, and second be able to help me if he did.
ÒOh! You must be Mademoiselle Tsukino. Madame Petunia
did say that you would be calling sometime around now, of course.Ó
I dropped the phone. I had just put myself (not to mention
him) through that positive agony for nothing! He already spoke perfect
English! It just wasnÕt fairÉthen again, it seemed like nothing much
was recently. I heard his imperative voice from the phone on the floor,
but I just couldnÕt bear to pick it up. How could I speak to him after I
had butchered his language so badly? It was almost unthinkable.
Somehow, however, I picked up the phone.
ÒYeÉyes, thatÕs me.Ó I stuttered, blushing so radiantly that I
was heating the phone.
ÒWell, Mademoiselle Tsukino, she left a message for you,
should you ever call.Ó
ÒWhat is it?Ó I asked, praying that for once Petunia had gotten
directly to the point, without playing one of her circular mind games.
ÒIt saysÉwellÉÓHe had begun the phrase business-like, but
by the end he had trailed off uncertainly. I had a sinking feeling in the
pit of my stomach at his tone. Petunia never did make things easy, did
she?
ÒUmÉMademoiselle, I pray that you understand this better
than I. The message reads: You may find me with the chickens.Ó
I stared at the phone a minute, completely put out. Even for
Petunia, that was strange. What on earth did it mean? ÒIs that all?Ó I
asked desperately. Some plane tickets would have been nice, but a
simple city or even a damn *country* would have been better than
enigmatic references to chickens.
ÒSorry, Mademoiselle. That was her only message. She
perhaps thought you would understand.Ó
ÒOf course,Ó I said numbly. ÒWell, thank you for your help.Ó
ÒA pleasure. Au revoir.Ó
ÒGoodbye.Ó I placed the phone in the cradle gently, and stared
at the scribble on the otherwise pristine page before me. I felt the
motivation and determination of the morning seep completely out of
my system, and I realized that if I didnÕt get out of the apartment
immediately I would break down with frustration. I grabbed the paper
impulsively, slipped on my shoes by the door and quickly vacated the
apartment.

Outside, it was a typical DC summer, extremely hot, humid
and almost universally thought unbearable. Of course, as I believe I
have mentioned, I am a real lover of DC summers for those precise
reasons. The heat seemed to bake the worries straight out of my head,
even as I developed unfortunately large wet spots in the underarms of
my tee shirt.  I wandered aimlessly in and around my neighborhood,
trying to force my way past the unholy muddle in my head. It just
didnÕt make any sense. Why on earth would Petunia be among
chickens? And why that particularly vile breed of bird, anyway? The
mere mention of a chicken nowadays was enough to send me
shuddering, remembering my previous days of horror with Harvey: so-
called seducer. Perhaps she knew that, and she was trying to torment
me? Yeah, I thought angrily, punching the air for emphasis, that
sounded like the Petunia I knew! In my enthusiasm I tripped over a
bump on the sidewalk, and sprawled face down on the pavement. When
I sat up, flustered but fine (save from a new coating of dust on my
already filthy tee shirt) I realized that the ÒbumpÓ was moving. It took a
few more seconds for my muddled head to realize that it was Artemis,
staring up at me expectantly.
ÒArtemis, you mangy, screwed-up, fur ball! Why donÕt you
watch where youÕre going?Ó The irony of my phrase did not escape a
small part of my consciousness, since people have been saying the
same thing to me since I learned to walk. Artemis looked at me
reproachfully, and I just sighed in frustration. I just wasnÕt winning
today, was I?
ÒAll right, fine, what do you want, anyway? I thought youÕd
gone out with Mina.Ó Looked at objectively, the situation must have
been downright hilarious. I was on my butt on the sidewalk, probably
looking about as disheveled and sweaty as I could get, talking as
though I genuinely expected a response from an obnoxious stray cat
who liked to annoy me and my roommate. Artemis, however, just
shook his head mutely like he understood me and my reaction was
perfectly normal. I shook my head.
ÒReally, IÕm sure I ought to be used to strange things by now,
butÉyou are just one *odd* cat!Ó Artemis gave me another one of his
ÒisnÕt it obvious?Ó looks, and nuzzled my leg, obviously indicating that
I should stand up. One middle-aged woman who was taking groceries
from her car gave me a long, slightly worried look and I cringed. I was
going to have to stop doing that in public places.
ÒSo,Ó I said conversationally as we started ambling again,
completely forgetting about my resolution. ÒWhat do you think about
PetuniaÕs message. Too weird, or is there something that IÕm missing?Ó
Artemis suddenly stopped in his tracks, looking up at me with
an expression I can only define as feline surprise. He made a meowing
sound that seemed to indicate a Òwhat did it say,Ó type of feeling. I
decided to fully resign myself to the peculiarities of my life and, as
some would say, just Ògo with the flow.Ó
ÒWellÉÓI said thoughtfully, realizing that I was accepting
Artemis as a human-type companion and wondering if that made me
insane, and then further surprising myself by realizing that I didnÕt care.
The white fuzz ball meowed imperatively, bringing me back to his
question. ÒOh, hold your horses! It said: You may find me with the
chickens. Now really, how on earth am I supposed to know what that
means? Is there a country called chicken? Perhaps she means
TurkeyÉthatÕs sort of a chicken, isnÕt it?Ó I wasnÕt even really looking
at Artemis as I rambled. I just followed his white form as he kept just a
few paces ahead of me, musing out loud. ÒI canÕt even stand chickens
in the first place. I mean, after Cluck-U, IÕll never be able to look at a
chicken the same way againÉdead, or alive.Ó I shuddered dramatically.
ÒHey, you listening?Ó I said, looking down at Artemis with
renewed annoyance. He just flicked his tail condescendingly. ÒFine,Ó I
grumbled. ÒSee if I ever tell you something again.Ó He gave me a little
kitty smile, obviously his version of an apology, and I finally relented.
ÒWhere are we going?Ó I asked after a couple of minutes,
realizing that we were leaving my familiar walking territory. If
anything, it seemed as though we were heading to downtown
Georgetown. Artemis just tossed his head forward, indicating me to
keep going.
ÒIÕm not sure I want to do this.Ó I muttered apprehensively,
contemplating my awful appearance. I really didnÕt want to expose
myself to all of trendy Georgetown looking the way I did at that
moment. After a few minutes, though, I shook my head resolutely.
What did I care what stupid people on the street thought anyway? I had
a mission, and my appearance did not factor greatly into it. The solid
weight of MamoruÕs chain around my neck lent me added
determination, and I walked with a purposeful air to my stride. After
about half an hour, during which the perspiration under my arms had
spread to other, more noticeable parts of my body to my complete
dismay, Artemis decided to stop.
ÒHave we made it to grandmaÕs house yet?Ó I queried
sarcastically, resting my back on a nearby wall for support. God, I was
tired, not to mention thirsty. Next time I did this, I was going to have to
remember to bring some water with me. Artemis just flopped there on
the pavement, apparently waiting for something.
ÒWell?Ó I asked impatiently, ÒWhat did you want me to see.Ó
Artemis closed his eyes. I barely restrained myself from cursing him
out. Sometimes he was so frustrating! I roughly peeled my back from
the wall, and paced down the sidewalk. We were on M Street, one of
the main roads in Georgetown, but I didnÕt care about the stares. I
thought vaguely, as I stared across the street, that this area looked eerily
familiar. I looked back at Artemis sharply, but the former had every
appearance of sleeping soundly. I looked up in annoyance.
And realized where I was. I had to force the scream rising in
my throat back into the morass of surprise and anger that it had come
from. Artemis, the devilishly crafty cat that he was, had brought me
smack in front of my arch-nemesis.
Yes, I was facing the yellow-tinted gates of hell itself: Cluck-
U Chicken.

I stared in mesmerized horror for a good two minutes, really
unable to believe that Artemis had had the gall to take me here.
ÒWhatÕs the point!Ó I shouted to his recumbent frame after I
had finally regained my senses and a proper level of outrage. People
were definitely giving me a wide berth, I noticed. I really must look
crazy, I thought to myself, and didnÕt care at all. Artemis pointedly
ignored me, obviously not planning on moving any time soon.
ÒStupid cat.Ó I muttered, eyeing the doors warily. My instincts
told me to run as far away as quickly as I could, but some demented
curiosity made me stay. Artemis *had* to have a reason for keeping me
here, I reasoned. A  customer opened the door to leave, the smell of
greasy chicken wafting after him. I controlled my gag reflex almost by
habit, still staring intently.
ÒWhyÕd you bring me here?Ó I muttered, still looking, for
what, I had no idea. When I finally did see it, I couldnÕt believe how
blind I had been for the past ten minutes.
Reaching far back into the suppressed memories of my time at
Cluck-U, I recalled that one thing that consistently made Harvey
lividÑexcepting of course my rejection of his ÒadvanceÓÑwas the
battle he fought with the travel agent next door. The latter were in the
unfortunate habit of advertising every possible vacation spot with a
seemingly infinite supply of travel posters. You could hardly see in
through the glass windows and doors because they were so plastered
with pictures of tropical beaches featuring catchy slogans like ÒYouÕve
never seen paradise until youÕve seen the Bahamas.Ó Sometimes, they
advertised for places IÕd never even heard of, or places I couldnÕt
imagine anyone would want to visit (what, exactly, is the appeal of
touring Pittsburgh?)  This, however, was not what made Harvey mad
enough to lock himself in his office and throw around his prized troll
and rubber chicken collection. No, the problem was that said travel
agency was in the unfortunate habit of taking extra posters and placing
them indiscreetly upon the pristine yellow-tinted windows of Cluck-U
Chicken. Invariably, they did so at night, meaning a very angry Harvey
at work all day while he telephoned the agency to scream at them once
again. Apparently, since I had quit, nothing had happened to change
this practice, because I was staring straight at a huge travel poster,
plastered unbecomingly on HarveyÕs window.
This, however, was really odd. Because it was almost three in
the afternoon, and Harvey always took these posters down as soon as
he saw them. Could he not be in today, I wondered. That was strange
to, because Harvey was a known workaholic. He would come in even
on his deathbed, employees joked. So, why had he left this one poster
up? And that, now that I thought about it, was pretty odd too. Usually,
the travel company tried to stick as many posters up as they could. I
had never known them to put only one, when they could plaster five.
The almost surreal quality of the situation having been realizedÑa cat
led me here, after allÑI took a closer look at the poster. I was not
surprised when I realized that I had never heard of it, but something
about the logo and the picture below it gave me an unsettling feeling of
recognition. The image depicted several half-naked forms seated
around a huge bonfire, decked with what I could only assume to be
native regalia. It was eerie, not inviting, and I could not imagine who
had been possessed to put it on a travel poster. On the top, I read: ÒYap:
Discover Your Magic.Ó
ÒMy god.Ó I breathed, my heart beating fast and my mind
racing. This must have been what Petunia meant when she told me to
find her with the chickens. After all, what place has more chickens than
Cluck-U? I knew objectively that I couldnÕt be sure, that this was at
best a coincidence and at worst a product of my admittedly desperate
imagination. But then again, looked objectively, none of this situation
made any sense at all. I barely gave a whit of attention to these
reservations, because I knewÑI *knew*-- that I had found my quarry.
Petunia was in YapÑwherever that wasÑand I had to get her,
somehow.
ÒArtemis!Ó I squealed joyfully, leaping into the air, heedless of
the curious stares and whispers. I scooped him up unceremoniously and
tossed him into the air.
ÒThank you *so* much!Ó I gushed, hugging him close. He
swatted at me playfully, but I detected a particularly self-satisfied
expression on his face, and he began to purr.
ÒDonÕt worry, Mamoru!Ó I shouted as I ran sprinting back up
the street, towards my house. ÒIÕm coming!Ó

I actually called the travel agent as soon as I got back home.
Mina hadnÕt arrived yet, not like that surprised me. With her, shopping
was a full contact sport that required dedicated practice.
ÒFlower Travel Agency.Ó A clipped but polite female voice
came over the phone.
ÒHi!Ó I said brightly, still glowing with the euphoria of my
discovery. ÒI saw your poster about Yap, and IÕve decided that I really
want to go there.Ó
ÒReally?Ó Said the voice, pleased and surprised. There was a
rustling of papers on the other end and the sound of drawers opening
and closing. ÒWe highly recommend it as a place for vacationers who
want the rough outdoors and pristine island setting.Ó
ÒOh, yes. That sounds positively ideal. But...um, where
exactly is it?Ó I winced at my ignorance, but I had to know.
She gave a bright and exquisitely false peal of laughter. ÒOh,
of course, Yap is not very well known. ItÕs located off the coast of
Australia, part of the Federated States of Micronesia.Ó
ÒOh,Ó I said laconically.
ÒSo, when did you want to go?Ó She queried.
ÒWellÉimmediately, actually.Ó
ÒImmediately? Well, this is a good seasonÉbut airplane
tickets will be high this close to the date.Ó
ÒOh, thatÕs okay.Ó I said, waving my hand airily like I did this
every day. ÒMoney is no object.Ó I could feel her surprise on the other
end, and the satisfaction with which she conducted the rest of the
interview was certainly not my imagination.
ÒWellÉÓ she began, and I heard the sound of manicured nails
hitting a keyboard at a good seventy words per minute. ÒIt seems that
the earliest flight I have is for tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. It goes to
Hawaii, and from there you can take the weekly flight to Guam. From
Guam itÕs a simple matter of hiring a boat to Yap.Ó That didnÕt sound
simple at all, I thought nervously. It sounded more like an expedition,
and I was getting rather tired of expeditions rather quickly. Whatever
happened to the ease of modern technology? Squashing my concerns, I
grit my teeth. I had gotten myself into this situation, and I would see it
through.
ÒThat sounds great!Ó I said with somewhat false enthusiasm.
My sense of adventure hadnÕt left completely, after all. ÒWhat day does
the flight from Hawaii leave?Ó I asked, suddenly remembering Mina.
Hawaii would be a perfect place to leave her while I went on ahead.
She would definitely find ways to enjoy herself until I came back,
which made me feel somewhat less guilty about what I was doing to
her.
ÒWell, the weekly flight leaves every Sunday morning, and
you will arrive in Hawaii on Friday around noon. Should I book a hotel
for your layover, miss?Ó
Perfect, I thought with a particularly cat-like smile of
satisfaction. ÒSure, please, the best hotel you can find.Ó Mina was
paying, right? And she was the one who would reap the benefits, in any
case. Having money was a great deal of fun, I realized. I ought to take
steps to make this a more permanent condition.
ÒOf course, miss. Well, we highly recommend the exclusive
Shoreland hotel. It has the unique set up of private bungalows with full
maid and room service, all connected to a main hotel that features all
sorts of entertainment for its guests. Absolutely top quality, if I do say
so myself.Ó
My eyes widened. I didnÕt even know places like that existed.
Now, *this* was the life, and Mina was going to be the one having all
the fun. Again, however, the weight around my neck reminded me of
my mission. ÒThatÕs perfect, absolutely wonderful. As a matter of fact,
could you possibly reserve a bungalow for the rest of the season? I
might want to stay there on my way back from Yap.Ó Meaning, I
needed a place for Mina to stay while I traipsed halfway across the
world to enter another dimension. That having been decided, the rest of
the conversation passed without a hitch. I allowed her to make
reservations for me in Yap, although I knew I wouldnÕt use them.
When asked for a payment method I just gave her MinaÕs credit card
number. It was all so blindingly simple, really. She said I could come
by for the plane tickets and our reservation numbers later that
afternoon. I hung up the phone, feeling as though IÕd accomplished the
impossible. Now all I had to do was transfer my money into MinaÕs
bank accountÑthat squealing part of my conscience just wasnÕt
shutting upÑand pack.
I made the painful transfer with a grimace, but it went through.
I had kept a measly twenty dollars for myself as I trudged home, secure
at least in the knowledge that I had done the right thing, if not the
fiscally prudent one. Just before arrived, however, I suddenly realized
that my job, the one I was supposed to have, had been neglected all
day, and there would be one very angry cat awaiting me at PetuniaÕs. I
quickly fished her key out of my pocket and ran inside the door,
praying that Jeannie had not torn any of PetuniaÕs furniture in her
frustration. Thankfully, Jeannie was in the kitchen, meowing
mournfully, but otherwise fine. I tossed her food in her bowl with far
more precision than I am sure she was used to, but she overcame her
fastidiousness rather quickly. Cleo and Pump, obviously, could take
care of themselves for the duration of my Òvacation,Ó but Jeannie was
another matter entirely. I was grateful that I hadnÕt forgotten about her,
but I didnÕt know what to do. For lack of a better plan, I waited until
she finished eating and picked her up. She fought at first, but realizing
that I meant business, relaxed in my arms. I tried not to run as I locked
the door behind me and went into our apartment.
Mina had finally arrived when I opened the door. I knew this
because clothes, suitcases and shopping bags were strewn everywhere,
not because I saw the unmistakable blonde head anywhere.
ÒHey! Mina!Ó I called. ÒWhere are you?Ó
ÒIn here!Ó She called from her bedroom. I walked over, trying
to avoid the piles of clothes and holding a squirming Jeannie, and
opened her door. She stood in the middle of an even larger pile,
obviously trying to decide what to bring.
ÒDo you think I should bring this bathing suit or this one?Ó
She asked me, holding up two virtually identical purple suits.
ÒListen, Mina, I need your help.Ó I said determinedly. She
looked up in mild surprise. ÒHey, isnÕt that PetuniaÕs cat?Ó She asked.
ÒYes. ItÕs the only one that canÕt live on itÕs own. Do you
know of anyone who can take care of it for a while?Ó
ÒWellÉumÉÓ She pondered for a while. ÒI know! Engie can
take her! He just *loves* cats. IÕm sure heÕll do it.Ó
I smiled at the thought of Jeannie with this mysterious Engie,
not like I was planning on refusing her offer. I wondered how the two
would take to each otherÉhopefully better than I had. ÒThat would be
wonderful. Hey, do you think you could go take her over yourself?Ó
ÒWellÉI suppose it might be nice to say goodbye to Engie.Ó I
saw the familiar dreamy look in her eyes and sighed. ÒAll right, sure.
Just give me a minute, okay?Ó
Jeannie obviously disliked the prolonged stay in my arms and
was squirming vigorously. Realizing that I was fighting a losing battle,
I let her go and prayed that she didnÕt ruin too many of MinaÕs clothes
before the latter could take her away.
ÒUmÉMina?Ó I asked. ÒDonÕt you want to know where weÕre
going?Ó
ÒOf course!Ó She shouted, dropping the suits in her
excitement. ÒI forgot that we hadnÕt decided yet. Oh, Serena, IÕm *so*
excited about this trip. It will be so much fun, donÕt you think?Ó
Oh conscience, just shut up, please shut up, I thought as self-
disgust made my gorge rise. I had to see this through, I just couldnÕt tell
her now, after all this. SheÕll enjoy herself. And when itÕs all over
youÕll tell her the truth, and perhaps she wonÕt hate you too much. It
didnÕt make me feel any better.
ÒSerena? Are you all right? You look like youÕre going to be
sick or something.Ó
I forced a smile. ÒOh, IÕm fine. Listen, we are going to the
beautiful, pristine land of Hawaii. We even have our own bungalow
and everything, and I hear theyÕve got plenty of hot guys there.Ó I
winked at her and she just smiled knowingly.
ÒWow, Serena, I just knew youÕd come through. So,Ó she said,
picking up the suits again. ÒWhich one?Ó

It continued like that for the rest of the night, save a short
break I took when I picked up the tickets and Mina dropped Jeannie off
at EngieÕs and stayed for a protracted goodbye. By the time we were
through, Mina had three huge suitcases stuffed with various
ÒnecessaryÓ items to my one modest duffel bag. Really, I thought, it
wasnÕt as though I was going to need that luggage for long, just long
enough to get to Yap. I couldnÕt wear normal clothes in MamoruÕs
world, or IÕd be singled out immediately. I did, however, have every
intention of asking Petunia how to land in that world fully clothed. IÕd
barely thought about what I tossed in there, since Mina was so busy
wailing over what she should and shouldnÕt bring. I had a bathing suit
for the day that I was stuck in Hawaii, some shampoo, conditioner and
a comb. IÕd packed plenty of books for the plane and boat ridesÑ
absolute necessitiesÑand some clean clothes. Finally, around two in
the morning, Mina declared herself packed and exhausted, and we
retired to our bedrooms.
One of the reasons that I had been so eager to go to bed was so
I could take a peep in my trusty journal. I knew that Mamoru had had it
with him when I left, and I could only pray that Ushiru and the other
men had not discovered it. His journal was the one link that I had to his
world, and I was desperate to know what had happened after I left.
When I opened it, reading by flashlight (more for romance than
practicality), I noticed something different. Usually about three pages
were filled out, but this time there was close to ten. As soon as I opened
the book the translations began, and I realized that there was more than
one journal entry.
ÒThis is really cool.Ó I said under my breath. Apparently, the
book knew when I hadnÕt read one of the entries and waited until I
opened it to translate the words. I frowned at that, because it seemed
almost like a security measure. Perhaps I was the only person who was
supposed to see the book? It sounded strange, and might just have been
a product of my overactive imagination, but it made a strange sort of
sense. After all, it was obvious now that Petunia had had an agenda
when she hired me. Unfortunately, I still had no idea what it was. My
thoughts having gotten me nowhere, I began to read.

The Ninth Day of the Horse Moon:

This girl dropped out of the sky today. She calls herself
Serena, and she came here completely naked. IÕll admit I was shocked
when I walked back into the clearing after scouting and found her in
front of the fire. I donÕt know where she comes from, or how she got
here, but sheÕs obviously a foreigner. I suppose that I ought to have
been more cautious than I wasÉshe could have easily been a spy for
the Kojin. I donÕt quite know why, but I suppose that I trust her. She
simply looked far too vulnerable to be threatening. Genro thinks that
IÕm a fool to trust her. He thinks we should leave her in the forest
where we found her and go on our way without such baggage. I
suppose heÕs right, but I think it would weigh on my conscience too
much if I left her. Besides, I donÕt know how she knows of me and my
mission, but she apparently came to help. She warned me of an attack
at the passÉof course, I had already figured it out by then. I canÕt help
it; even thinking about her reaction now makes me laugh. She had
apparently envisioned herself as my savior of some sort, because she
looked quite deflated. I am extremely curious about her, but I havenÕt
asked. One would think, after all I have been through, that I would have
lost my ability to trust anyone. I suppose that some people just seem
too honest for even I to disbelieve them, and if that isnÕt strange, I donÕt
know what is.
Funny, how I didnÕt want to tell her that we still planned to go
through the pass. Although I know of the attack, we simply cannot
spare the time to go around by sea. The plague is encroaching at a
deadly rate. Although the mountains and forests have isolated us for the
past week, I can feel death around us. No one knows why the Kojin has
so suddenly turned upon usÉbut we must fight him. I only hope that I
am making the right decision. At this point in my quest, my death
would do no good at all. Ashitare came up with a rather ingenious plan,
however. Perhaps it will work, and if it doesnÕtÉIÕll make sure that
Serena is safe.
IÕm laughing again. Of all the ways that I expected to spend
this evening, feeding noodles to a blonde foreigner who dropped naked
from the sky was not one of them.
	Mamoru

	My eyes had grown impossibly wide as I read, and my heart
beat painfully in my chest. He trusted me? I suppose that he would
have had to, after everything he did for me. Despite his positively
aggravating personality, the thought that with no basis at all he had
trusted me enough to travel with him and potentially sabotage his plans
made me inexplicably happy. I flipped eagerly to the next page, and put
out a silent prayer that he had retained his journal. The next entry was
dated two days later, and I breathed a sigh of extreme relief. At least he
was alive.

	The Eleventh Day of the Horse Moon:

	IÕve been captured by the KojinÕs menÉled by a particularly
odious character named Ushiru. IÕm writing this because they did not
find the journal, although they took the kingÕs sword. Thankfully, I was
able to give the most important thingÑmy momÕs necklaceÑto the girl
Serena just before they took me. Ashitare and Genro have escaped. It
seems that they are planning on taking me the rest of the way to Mirror.
For what purpose, I can only imagine. Perhaps more exquisite tortures
than constant harassment await me in their notorious dungeons. I
believe they have cracked a couple ribs, not to mention that cut on my
arm. At least they donÕt make me walk, although I doubt the omission
is out of mercy. More likely, they are in a greater hurry to arrive.
Serena gravely wounded Ushiru, but the Kojin just have given him
more magic than that one amulet, for the smell of peppermint has been
rank the past two days. They carry him on a litter, his neck bandaged
thickly. I canÕt help but feel triumphant when I look at himÉSerena is
almost frighteningly brave, but no one can say that it didnÕt pay off. If
he survives, though, I cannot imagine the vengeance that psychotic toad
would give to her. She also killed one of his favored menÉhis nephew,
I believe. I hope she has the sense to stay out of his way. That is, of
course, if she ever comes back.
	I knew that she was a foreigner, but I admit that I was
surprised when she told me that she was from another world entirely.
She faded right in front of my eyes! She owes me practically nothing,
but I entrusted her with my most important possession, and I can only
hope that she will come back to find me. Strange, how a girl I met two
days ago has suddenly become my only hope of success. God certainly
does have an odd sense of humor. To think that a mere six months ago,
I didnÕt even believe in magic. Then I find out I am somehow the
bastard son of a king, that the kingÕs trusted advisor is in fact a
magicianÉthat his magic smells like *peppermint*. Even now, when I
think of how my life has changed, I can barely believe it.
	It looks like one of the men has woken up. I must put this
away.
	Mamoru

	I was worried for him, but I also felt far more secure in my
decision. This time he needed me, and I would come through for him.
Perhaps for no better reason than I refused to go back on my word, but
I had a feeling it went deeper than that. I lay across his journal and fell
into a thoroughly dreamless sleep.

	Mina dragged me kicking and screaming from my bed at the
ungodly hour of five in the morning.
	ÒIÕve only gotten three hours of sleep.Ó I muttered, as I put a
pillow over my head to block out the light.
	ÒDonÕt worry, you can sleep on the plane. Now, come one, get
up!Ó She pulled the covers off of me, and I curled in a ball, shivering in
my bunny pajamas.
	ÒLeave me alone!Ó I moaned, wondering what on earth had
possessed me to schedule a flight at seven in the morning.
	ÒDonÕt tempt me, Serena! I refuse to miss the plane; I really
want to go to Hawaii. If you donÕt get up right now, IÕm going to have
to break out the big guns.Ó
	I grunted disbelief. ÒYeah, like what?Ó I questioned, trying to
find where sheÕd tossed my covers without opening my eyes. I felt her
move around to the side of my bed, but I didnÕt realize what she was
aiming for until it was too late.
	ÒHey, Artemis!Ó she called. ÒDo you want some of these
yummy Godiva chocolates? Come here!Ó
	I roared incoherently and leaped out of the bed, grabbing
madly for my box of prized chocolates held precariously in her hands. I
looked around for Artemis, but I didnÕt see him.
	ÒYouÑyou!Ó I spluttered, giving her a look of utter
indignation.
	ÒHah!Ó she smiled. ÒI knew it would work. Now get dressed, I
told the airport shuttle to pick us up at 5:30.Ó
	Pointedly not speaking, I shoved her out of my room and
slammed the door behind me. Had to give her credit for ingenuity.
Waking me up at any time, let alone this early, usually required
someÉoriginal methods. I decided to put on a sundress, since I figured
that it would be more comfortable on such a long plane ride than jeans.
I looked around my room for other important items, and realized that I
hadnÕt packed MamoruÕs journal. I really must be tired, I thought as I
stuffed it inside of my purse along with some aspirin.  I stumbled to the
bathroom, brushed my teeth, made some effort with my hair and stuffed
all of my toiletries inside my bag. I dragged it with me to the front
door, and put itÕs insignificant mass next to MinaÕs colossal pile of
luggage. I walked slowly, rubbing my eyes, to the kitchen.  I realized
that an interesting smell was wafting towards my nose, and I perked up
a little.
	ÒWhat am I smelling?Ó I asked a disturbingly chipper Mina.
	ÒOh, I decided to make pancakes in honor of our vacation.
Want some?Ó She held out a huge stack of heavily buttered, fully
fattening pancakes. You always know when Mina is really excited
about something, because she suddenly stops worrying about the fat
grams. As usual, the smell of such delicious food went straight to my
head, and I nodded eagerly. Feeling far less exhausted, I poured maple
syrup all over my plate, and quickly stuffed the pancakes into my
mouth.
	ÒYummy!Ó I said past the food, and Mina smiled proudly.
	ÒI figured I had to get in here before you decided to cook.Ó
	ÒHey!Ó I shouted with mock-indignation, playfully tossing a
bit of my pancake at her. I suppose that wasnÕt the most intelligent idea,
because soon we were tossing them back and forth, and plastering the
kitchen with pancakes and syrup in the process.
	ÒUm, Mina?Ó I said, ducking behind a counter for momentary
protection. ÒItÕs almost 5:30, and we need to clean up the kitchen.Ó
	She put her hand behind her head in an embarrassed gesture.
ÒOh yeah, I forgot about that. Well, come out from there and help me.Ó
	Cautiously, I vacated my protective area, and seeing that she
really wasnÕt about to goo me again, set about cleaning the kitchen very
quickly. I thought it was a little odd that Artemis hadnÕt shown up by
now. He was practically my shadow nowadays. I dismissed it, however,
when the sound of a honk at our front door informed us that it was time
to depart. I went to the door, but Mina ran back towards her bedroom.
	ÒWhat are you getting now?Ó I asked, in exasperation. She
reemerged with a basket, of all things. ÒWhatÕs that?Ó I asked.
	ÒOh, I packed a lunch for us, since plane food is supposed to
be so bad.Ó Well, that wasnÕt such a bad idea, I thought.
	ÒAll right, well come on, weÕve got to load the stuff in the
van.Ó
	I finally made it to the door after the driver had rung the
doorbell a second time, and was tapping his feet anxiously. In ten
minutes everything was loaded in the van and we were on our way to
Dulles Airport, headed towards adventure.
	ÒFun, sun and boys!Ó Mina exclaimed happily.
	Plagues, amulets and Mamoru, I thought to myself.
	Funny how we were both equally happy about it.

	We had to check our bags in front, because there was no way
anyone could drag MinaÕs colossus any further. Mina blithely ignored
the look of pain the attendants gave her as they hauled the overstuffed
suitcases onto the scale. That having been finished, she tipped them
liberally, paid our driver, and we made our way to our gate. We were
feeding off the enthusiasm of the other, although I was excited for far
different reasons than my roommate. We arrived at our gate thirty
minutes early. I sat down and pulled out my book, but almost as soon
as Mina sat down she stood up again, pacing the floor. After ten
minutes, I snapped at her.
	ÒWill you sit down? WhatÕs wrong with you?Ó
	ÒWellÉumÉÓ She trailed off, looking at me uncertainly, still
pacing.
	ÒWell, what?Ó I hadnÕt really been paying attention to the
book, but she was making me nervous.
	ÒIÕveÉÓ She leaned in closer to me, and said in a whisper:
ÒIÕve never ridden a plane before.Ó
	ÒOh!Ó I smiled. ÒDonÕt worry, Mina. ItÕs perfectly safe. In
fact, weÕve got first class tickets, so it ought to be fun.Ó
	ÒOkay.Ó She said slowly, sitting down. I smiled slightly,
marveling. Really, you have to wonder how someone as rich as Mina
had never ridden an airplane before. Within the next ten minutes they
called the first class passengers, and Mina picked up her basket. It
looked really heavy, actually, and I wondered what the heck she had
packed. I handed our tickets to the attendant, who flashed a patented
smile and led us inside. This was a 747, and therefore first class was on
the upper deck. My eyes grew round as saucers when I saw the set up
they had for us. Being thoroughly inured to the rigors of coach-class
travel, I felt as though I had suddenly walked onto the set of Mission
Impossible. The seats were wide enough to fit two sumo wrestlers.
Each set of two was in its own little compartment, separated by fine
velour curtains. It was dimly lit, but each compartment had ample
lighting. There were personal televisions tucked underneath our seats
and portable CD players attached to headphones. The best part was that
we and another elderly couple were the only people in first class.
	ÒThis is great!Ó Mina exclaimed looking at the luxury around
her.
	ÒNo shit.Ó I muttered. Money sure got you some wonderful
things, thatÕs all I could say. Really, my decision to be a history major
was looking dumber and dumber. Not like money was going to matter
all that much when I arrived at my final destination. The stewardess,
pointedly ignoring my off-color remark, showed us to our seats. I took
the one next to the window, since Mina still wasnÕt quite sure of the
plane thing. It was fine with me, since I loved the view from airplanes
anyway, and it was sure to be more enjoyable without a screaming baby
behind me. I donÕt know why, but every time I ride on airplanes, I am
accosted by the screaming baby brigade. This time, I knew was going
to be different. It was going to be relaxing, luxurious, wonderfulÉI
snuggled deeper into the plush chair and closed my eyes comfortably.
Yeah, now this was the lifeÉ
	ÒArtemis,Ó I heard Mina whisper. ÒYou can come out now.Ó
	I smiled. ÒMina,Ó I said playfully, ÒStop joking around. I
didnÕt bring my chocolates out with me.Ó
	Then I felt it. A furry, wet nose that certainly did not belong to
Mina (even with too much make up) nuzzled my arm, and my eyes
flew open. And of course, there to ruin my life once again was Artemis,
my feline nemesis.
	ÒOh, shit.Ó I said succinctly, producing an entire stream of
sotto-voce expletives. ÒThis is not happening to me.Ó I rubbed my
temples. ÒThis is just *not* happening to me.Ó
	ÒMina,Ó I said forcefully, looking in her scared blue eyes.
ÒYou *have* to tell the stewardess that you need to get rid of your cat,
right now. I donÕt care what excuse you give he, but he just canÕt
come!Ó
	ÒWhy not?Ó She asked, holding onto Artemis tightly. The
latter looked entirely too self-satisfied, once again, and I resisted the
urge to slap him. To slap them both, actually. DidnÕt she have any idea
how much trouble we could get into?
	ÒThey have rules about pets, Mina! Listen, just go talk to
herÉÓ I trailed off when I heard the sounds of the engines starting and
felt the plane move to the runway. Of course, it was too late. It was
always too late. I buried my head in my hands and prayed that we
wouldnÕt get deported immediately. Serves me right for bring Mina
along, I thought despondently.
	ÒUmÉSerena? Are you okay?Ó She asked, touching my
shoulder lightly.
	ÒYeah.Ó I sighed as though my soul were missing. Why rail
against it? Bad things like this were bound to happen. ÒMina?Ó I asked
quietly.
	ÒYes?Ó
	ÒJust tell me, how did you get through the detectors with
Artemis in the basket?Ó
	ÒOh, that!Ó She giggled. ÒI just stuffed him inside my jacket.Ó
	ÒRight.Ó I said dully, looking out the window. With a burst of
speed, the plane got ready for take off. Mina gripped my arm tightly,
but I barely paid attention.
	So much for an enjoyable trip.

	I had spent the hours on the plane trying to distract myself
from our impending doom, but my books had lost their interest. After
all, why bother reading a fantasy novel when you were living one?
Mina chattered incessantly about what she would do when we arrived,
and despite myself I became somewhat engaged in the conversation. It
was hard to ignore Mina, even if she had just ruined your life.
	ÒMina,Ó I asked when we were an hour away. ÒIs there any
way that you can keep people from finding out about Artemis in
Hawaii?Ó
	ÒOh, sure, Serena! DonÕt worry about it. IÕve got a plan and
everything, and Artemis understands.Ó Funny how she thought of
Artemis as an almost-human, too. ÒIÕm really sorry about all this. I just
didnÕt know.Ó
	ÒItÕs all right, Mina.Ó I said fatalistically.

	All too soon, we landed in Hawaii, and it was time for us to
get off the plane. I tried not to let the extreme nervousness that I felt
work its way into my expression, but it was difficult. I smiled at the
stewardessÕ as we left. I walked slowly up the exit ramp, trying to
forestall the inevitable as long as possible. Mina was delighted when
two people on either side of the exit gave her a lei, a rather unappealing
shade of pink for her and yellow for me. I smiled mechanically and
plodded towards customs.
	ÒYou still got that plan?Ó I muttered out of the side of my
mouth. Could you go to jail for failing to declare pets?
	ÒYeah, yeah. DonÕt worry, Serena. ItÕs all under control.Ó
	I felt tempted to roll my eyes, but didnÕt want to jinx whatever
idea she had. As we approached the line, I noticed something distinctly
odd. There were around twenty chickens in straw covered crates, just
sitting in the middle of the floor. They were squawking and smelling
terrible, but no one else seemed to notice them. People walked past, and
didnÕt comment, didnÕt even look.
	ÒMina? Do you see those chickens?Ó I asked, feeling like I had
entered the twilight zone.
	ÒYeah.Ó She said, wrinkling up her nose. ÒThey smell awful.
Why doesnÕt somebody do something with them.Ó
	Well, either Mina and I were crazy or every body else was
disturbingly uncurious. What I really didnÕt understand was why no
officials were doing anything about it, and why it looked as though the
chickens were sitting there without an owner. It didnÕt help that the
very sight of chickens made me shudder. I couldnÕt shake the
disturbing feeling that they were looking at me, though. Like they had
trained their paltry intelligence on my dejected form, and I didnÕt like
the idea at all.
	ÒCome on, Mina. LetÕs get it over with.Ó I said, shoving her
forward into the shortest line. That line, unfortunately, happened to be
right in front of the chickens. What is wrong with my life, I queried
fatalistically as I listened to their raucous squawking, and felt their eyes
bore into my back. All too soon it was our turn.
	ÒDo you have anything to declare?Ó A tired-looking woman
asked us from behind the raised counter.
	ÒUmÉno.Ó I said, trying to keep my unease out of my voice
and failing dismally. I handed her our passports to try to cover up, but I
had a feeling it didnÕt work.
	ÒWhatÕs in that basket?Ó She asked sharply. Artemis must
have moved because it shook a little.
	ÒOh, nothing!Ó Mina said brightly. ÒItÕs just some food I
packed for our trip.Ó
	 The lady frowned, and I wilted. What now? ÒWe have strict
food laws here. We canÕt allow any fruit with diseases that might harm
the indigenous fauna. Give me that basket, maÕam. IÕll probably have to
get rid of it.Ó
	ÒOh no!Ó Mina cried, clutching it closer. I looked at her in
disbelief. Now was *not* the time to start your acting debut, Mina!
ÒItÕs a family heirloom.Ó She wailed. ÒI couldnÕt possibly bear to part
with it.Ó
	ÒWe wonÕt throw away the basket, maÕam. Just the food. Give
it to me, and IÕll see to it that you get it back in due time.Ó
	Great, Miss Ham, I thought, how are you going to get out of
this one? I felt like taking up my lot with the chickens
	ÒUmÉwellÉÓ Mina stuttered, obviously out of ideas. This
was a *plan*? Serves me right for trusting a girl whoÕd never ridden on
a plane before. SheÕd just lived way too sheltered of a life for me to
trust her with anything Òreal-world.Ó
	Obviously getting tired of her equivocation, the lady plucked
the basket from her arms, and gasped in horror and fright when Artemis
poked his head out. Oh great, I thought, bracing myself, here it comes.
The explosionÉ

	And then something really strange happened. The chickens
stopped squawking, stopped moving and turned in unison towards the
lady. She looked between them and me uncertainly, as though she had
just noticed the chickens. I saw her pupils dilate and I found that I
couldnÕt move. In a second it was over.
	ÒSureÉgo on through.Ó She was saying slowly, shaking her
head as if to clear it.
	Although I didnÕt understand what had just happened, I didnÕt
need to be told twice. Grabbing Mina and the basket, I sprinted far out
of her range. I didnÕt want to know what would happen when those
chickens stopped doing whatever they had done.
	ÒWhat the hell just happened, Serena?Ó Mina asked, panting as
we rode the escalator down to baggage pick-up.
	ÒI donÕt know. I really donÕt. Just make sure that Artemis stays
in that basket until we get to the hotel, and we might survive this, after
all.Ó Mina nodded in a business like manner, and we went to find our
luggage.

	After several close callsÑdid Artemis *want* to get
quarantined?-- and a minor battle as we struggled to get MinaÕs luggage
onto a cart and into the taxi, we were on our way out of the airport and
away from the strange telepathic chickens. We, thankfully, did not have
to deal with the luggage when we arrived at the hotel. Porters hurried
out immediately to take them from the taxi for us and to open the large
blue-tinted glass doors. The only thing they failed to do was roll out the
literal red carpet. It was enough to make me forget about our harrowing
experience of an hour ago.
	ÒWow.Ó Mina said succinctly. ÒYou sure know how to travel,
Serena.Ó
	Money knows how to travel, I amended. IÕd never have been
able to afford this on my own, butÉMina was a good friend to have.
We walked to the check-in counter. The clerk behind it was a woman
who looked considerably more genuine than most people I had come
into contact lately. She had an ethnic beauty and a bright smile that IÕm
sure brought her many tips from customers.
	ÒAh! Welcome to the Shoreland Hotel, Miss Tsukino and
Miss Aino. IÕm sure you will enjoy your stay here at our exclusive
resort. LetÕs seeÉI have you registered for the Paradise Island
bungalow for the rest of the season. ItÕs one of our best,Ó she said as
she handed us the keys, ÒJust go ask for Aleya if there are any
problems.Ó
	ÒThank you.Ó I said, eager to just lie down and sleep.
	ÒAnd be sure to check out the Moonlight lounge tonight.
Persimmon, the local phenomenon Japanese jazz band is scheduled to
play. It ought to be packed, and if you like jazz, theyÕre an experience.Ó
	MinaÕs eyes grew glassy, and I knew with a sinking feeling
that I wasnÕt going to get much sleep tonight. She loved jazz with a
passion and she would make it her mission to drag me into it.
	ÒThat sounds wonderful.Ó Mina gushed, even as I discreetly
tugged on her elbow.
	ÒI have a brochure about them, here, if youÕd like?Ó The lady
supplied helpfully. Mina grabbed it from her fingers almost before she
could hand it to her. After considerable cajoling, I managed to get her
into our bungalow.
	The hotel had an interesting set up. Each bungalow was
partially secluded, with palm trees lining the graveled pathways to the
doors. Inside, of course, they were filled with every conceivable
amenity, but it was nice having the impression of roughing it without
the inconvenience. As soon as I closed the door behind us, Mina let
Artemis out of the basket and he ran around the room suite several
times, obviously grateful to stretch his legs. I walked straight past the
sitting room to the beds and sprawled on the mercifully soft mattress.
	ÒSerena?Ó Mina called, walking into the room.
	ÒDonÕt say anything, Mina. Just leave me alone,Ó I said, eyes
still closed.
	ÒBut, SerenaÑÒ
	ÒI mean it, Mina! DonÕt ruin this. Let me just lie here, and
sleepÉÓ
	ÒCome on! WeÕre on vacation, you know! We need have
funÉand I think the perfect way to have fun is toÑÒ
	ÒNo, Mina. I am not going to that jazz concert tonight. You
can go oggle the hotties by yourself.Ó
	I had opened my eyes half way at this point, and I could tell by
the way that Mina had pursed her lips that she wasnÕt about to give up.
I sighed and rolled over. Mina could put up a good fight, but I was
notoriously stubborn. We would see who won this fight.

	ÒHey, listen to this!Ó Mina said for the fifth time in the past
hour.
	ÒNo!Ó I groaned, pressing the pillow over my head. Mina
pointedly ignored me.
	Ò ÔKintaro Furuhara, age twenty five, is the award winning
vocalist and guitarist of this five-man jazz band. Born in Osaka, Japan,
he moved to Hawaii with his family at age six. He attended Stanford
University on full scholarship, and then decided to go back to his home
of Hawaii to pursue his dream career of being a jazz musician.ÕÓ
	Mina giggled happily and held the brochure close to her chest.
ÒDoesnÕt he sound positively wonderful? IÕve just got to meet him,
Serena!Ó
	ÒFine, go meet him.Ó I muttered, but my resolve was
weakening.
	ÒBut I canÕt just go alone, and donÕt you dare say I can. I
mean, what kind of girl walks into a jazz band all alone? I *need* you
there, Serena. Please, please, please? I know you like jazz, so donÕt tell
me you donÕt.Ó
	ÒSure I like jazz, but canÕt I like sleep more. I have had a very
busy week, and IÕm about to pass out. Is it so hard to understand?Ó
	Mina knew she had me. ÒFine.Ó She said, raising her
eyebrows. ÒDonÕt go. Be that way.Ó
	ÒObnoxious girl.Ó I said smiling, tossing a pillow at her. ÒYou
knew IÕd do it.Ó
	ÒOf course,Ó she said smugly, ÒBut I couldnÕt tell you that,
now could I?Ó

	We walked into the consummately decked-out moonlight cafŽ
in full regalia. The only reason I looked decent is because Mina had
condescended to lend me something of hers for the occasion. As she
put it, she didnÕt want to be seen with a Òfashion misfit.Ó I took it as a
compliment. We had arrived half an hour early at MinaÕs insistenceÑ
she wanted good seatsÑbut the room was already filling up. It looked
as though locals as well as hotel patrons were attending. They must
really be good, I thought, impressed. Mina was right, I did like jazz, but
it wasnÕt the all consuming with me that it was with her. She had
borrowed one of my CDÕs one day and things had never been the same.
We sat at a table near the front, MinaÕs eyes eagerly searching the stage
for a glimpse of the musicians. Looking at her, I promised myself to go
on a real vacation with her some time. We really had so much fun
together, she deserved something better than my ditching her. Speaking
of ditching her, I still had no idea how I was going to do it. I hoped that
some idea would turn up quickly because I left the day after next.
Before I could delve deeper into that unpleasant topic, the band walked
on stage.
	By now, the room was packed, with tardy spectators crowding
the hallways and doors. A huge cheer went up when they walked on
stage and took their places. I had to agree with MinaÕs assessment,
though, Kintaro was far and away the hottest member, and the others
werenÕt bad looking. He walked up to the mike, picked up his guitar,
and gave a dangerously charming smile to the audience. IÕll admit I was
growing a little short of breath looking at him, but Mina had an
expression of absolute adoration on her face. For a second I had a
moment of clarity that she would fall in love with him, but as quickly
as the feeling had come it left. Why on earth would I think that,
anyway? Mina dated as many guys as there were days of the week,
each day of the week. Just because she thought one guy was hot didnÕt
mean anything, but the conviction came back again, stronger than ever.
	Just listen to the music, Serena, I told myself sternly. And the
music was definitely worth listening to. Without any introduction the
band burst into a fast number that showcased all of their talents, but
both Mina and I were most impressed by KintaroÕs almost warp-speed
jazz guitar playing. The guy was an absolute prodigy, and I could see
why they had packed the concert hall tonight. Mina looked frantically
for him during the intermission, but a solid wall of fans surrounded
him. During the second half, I noticed that he was looking at Mina
directly, and she blushed under his attention. I was shocked when he
sang a love song almost entirely to her. As for Mina, she looked like
she had gone to heaven. When the concert finally finished, far into the
night, she gave him a hugely enthusiastic standing ovation. He smiled
brightly and winked at her before he left the stage. She would have
fallen over, except the table caught her.
	ÒOh God.Ó She said, her hand over her heart, breathing
heavily. ÒIÕm in love.Ó
	And although IÕm usually the first one, I didnÕt dispute it. We
hung around a little longer than strictly necessary, hoping that Kintaro
would send some message. Sure enough, just as we were about to give
up, a bellhop came up to us and handed Mina a white lily.
	ÒMr. Furuhara told me to give this to you. He wonders if he
could meet you.Ó
	ÒWhere?Ó She said breathlessly, her voice several octaves
higher than normal.
	ÒHe suggested an all night coffee shop in the city. If you
agree, he could give you a ride.Ó
	ÒYes, of course! Where is he?Ó
	As if on cue he walked into the room, and smoothly tipped the
bellhop.
	ÒThanks, sir, but I think IÕll take it from here.Ó The man
nodded and walked away. I looked at the scene in front of me, feeling a
mixture of happiness for Mina and understandable jealousy that this
wasnÕt happening to me.
	ÒI couldnÕt help but notice you in the audience. My name is
Kintaro, whatÕs yours?Ó
	ÒMina.Ó He held her hand gently and smiled in that radiant
way of his. ÒWill you come with me?Ó
	She nodded silently, and he led her out the doors and towards
a realm I did not know.
Damn, I thought sullenly. Mina really does get everything.

	She had not yet returned that morning, well, that afternoon,
since I woke up around one. Artemis and I went out on the beach
together where I opened MamoruÕs journal, but unfortunately, nothing
was written. I tried not to assume the worst; it made since that he
couldnÕt write in it every day without discovery. It didnÕt mean that he
was desperate, or dying, or already dead because I hadnÕt gotten my act
together and saved him sooner. I felt guilty and frightened that I was
sitting on this pristine beach, under a huge umbrella getting a gentle tan
while the one guy who really needed my help was in a life or death
situation. I had to do something, but I knew intellectually that I had
done all I could. For now, all I could do was sit and wait and hope that
he survived until I could get there. I snoozed through most of the day,
petting Artemis idly, trying not to believe the gory images of torture my
imagination so obligingly supplied my burgeoning fears.

	A very disheveled looking Mina returned late that night. As
soon as she closed the door behind her she let out a whoop of joy,
sweeping me out of my place in the couch and danced with me across
the floor.
	ÒHave a good time?Ó I asked sarcastically. She didnÕt notice.
	ÒYou have no idea, Serena. No idea at all. I am so desperately
in loveÉoh Kintaro!Ó She held her heart dramatically, yet I sensed a
genuine feeling in the gesture that had nothing to do with MinaÕs
natural streak of drama.
	ÒIÕm really happy for you.Ó I said, smiling. If only that awful
pain in my stomach would go away, I thought, so I wouldnÕt have to
wonder when or if this would ever happen to me.
	ÒSerena.Ó She said, turning, and looking seriously at me. ÒWe
have to talk.Ó
	ÒYes we do.Ó I said emphatically, remembering my trip
tomorrow morning. We sat on the couch together.
	ÒYou go first.Ó I said, not eager to spill my news. I still hadnÕt
quite worked out a plan.
	ÒOkay. WellÉSerena, I know this vacation was meant for just
the two of us, and I really wanted it to be. ItÕs justÉnow that IÕve
found Kintaro all I want to do is spend my time with him. SoÉÓ She
trailed off, looking at me uncertainly. I almost laughed, but barely
restrained myself. So much for coming up with a reason! She was
doing my dirty work for me.
	ÒYou want me to go for a couple weeks, you mean?Ó I asked,
trying to sound serious.
	ÒCould you? IÕm so sorry. IÕll get you another hotel and
everythingÉitÕs justÉÓ
	ÒHey, donÕt worry!Ó I said enthusiastically. ÒI totally
understand. And donÕt worry about me, IÕve already made other plans.Ó
I winked at her.
	ÒOh, Serena! I knew youÕd understand!Ó She hugged me
tightly, and I smiled. Now I didnÕt feel guilty at all, a condition I was
grateful to feel again.
	ÒIÕve got to get some sleep, though, Mina.Ó I said, extracting
myself and standing up. ÒMy flight leaves tomorrow morning.Ó
	ÒOh! Where are you going?Ó
	ÒTo meet an old friend.Ó

	I told Artemis in no uncertain terms that morning that he was
not to screw up my life anymore. To give the little guy credit, he didnÕt
look much inclined to take this particular trip with me, for which I was
grateful. He gave a little meow of goodbye, and I smiled at him.
	ÒIÕll miss you, you little fur ball.Ó I said, sniffing a little. I
didnÕt know how long I would be gone this time. ÒWatch Mina, will
you? We both know how she can get sometimes.Ó Artemis nodded and
made a motion with his head, as if telling me to get going.
	ÒAll right, all right!Ó I laughed. I blew him a kiss as I left,
toting my bag over my shoulder, finally ready for the final leg of my
journey.

	For once, the ride to Guam was uneventful. Save for the
expected representatives of the Screaming Baby Brigade (I was riding
Coach), I had a remarkably peaceful journey. Something that I fully
needed, considering what I knew I was up against when I arrived.
Thankfully, no visas are needed for Guam or Micronesia, so I went
through customs easily. It is amazing, I thought as I went to get my
luggage, how not having cats around makes these things so much
easier. It was late afternoon, and I had to find the docks so that I could
hire a boat to take me to Yap. I took a taxi and barely noticed my
surroundings in my hurry to find Petunia. Now that I was so close to
my goal, I could hardly stand the wait. I needed to get to Mamoru
immediately. He dropped me off and overcharged me a ridiculous
amount, but I didnÕt feel like haggling. Feeling my stomach rumble in
its ominous way, I went to a fruit vendor and bought a bunch of
bananas and some mangoes. Then I made my way over to the bustling
docks. I realized that I probably should have made reservations with a
more trusted liner, but I wasnÕt overly concerned with such travelerÕs
issues right now. So long as I got there, it was okay with me.
	I stopped a burly man who looked as though he might be able
to help me.
	ÒUm, sir, excuse me. Do you know what boat I can take to
Yap?Ó
	He eyed me curiously. ÒThe tourist boat left an hour ago.Ó He
said with a thick accent. ÒThe only other boat thatÕs leaving me today is
over there.Ó He jerked his hand over to the far side of the docks, where
the merchant ships landed.
	ÒDo they take passengers?Ó I asked, experiencing that sinking
feeling again.
	ÒFor a price.Ó And before I could ask him any more questions,
he pushed past me. Well, I thought equably, readjusting my duffel bag.
IÕll just have to take what I can get. I walked quickly to the where the
man had pointed, and saw that indeed this ship was carrying livestock.
When I saw what kind of livestock, I wanted nothing more than to turn
heel and run as far away as I could.
	Why, oh why, do I always have to be around chickens?

	I walked up to the edge of the boat and called to the closest
sailor.
	ÒUm, excuse me, but could you give me a ride to Yap?Ó I
asked.
	He frowned and jumped lightly off the edge of the ship onto
the dock. ÒWhy not use the tourist ship?Ó he asked.
	ÒIt left already. IÕve got to get there soon.Ó Probably not a
good idea to mention the fact that I needed to get there, I realized too
late. They would definitely overcharge me now.
	ÒHmm.Ó He said, stroking his chin. ÒAll right, for fifty
American dollars, weÕll take you.Ó
	I staggered in shock. Fifty dollars? I didnÕt have nearly that
much money on me. In fact, I hadnÕt paid any attention to how much
money I had spent on the taxi and the fruit, but I guessed I had only
fifteen dollars on me. Oh, what kind of fool am I to go to another
country with only fifteen dollars? I felt like jumping into the water just
to put myself out of my misery, but I pulled it together.
	ÒItÕs too highÑÒ I began, attempting to bargain, but he cut me
off.
	ÒFifty or nothing. We are not a passenger boat.Ó I stared at
him, open mouthed, incapable of believing that after all of my effort it
would end here, on this dock, in front of the chickens.
	And then it happened again. The odious bird stopped their
noise, stopped fluttering, and turned in unison towards the man. I could
not move or speak, but I knew what was going on. Yet again I saw his
pupils dilate, and his face go slack. For whatever reason that I could not
divine, the chickens were protecting me during this trip. And it
certainly seemed like I needed a whole lot of protection.
	ÒFor you, lady, Ò he said slowly, rubbing his eyes, Òten
dollars.Ó Stunned, I handed him the money and climbed on board.
	After that, I didnÕt even mind that nasty chicken smell for the
five-hour boat ride. It seemed a small payment for saving my ass two
times in three days. Of course, I knew that Petunia had to somehow be
involved with the chickens. It smacked far too thoroughly of her off-
center and oftentimes-frustrating sense of humor.

	As I landed on YapÕs principle island, I was first struck by the
utter darkness. I was so used to the constant lighting in American cities,
that to see a place that was truly dark at night surprised me. I
contemplated trying to find Petunia right now, but I realized that I had
no idea where to start. There werenÕt many people around, and
certainly none I could talk to. No, I decided to take advantage of that
hotel reservation and sleep for one more night before I left for my true
expedition. Thankfully, the hotel was only a mile away from the dock. I
had to ask directions from the sailors, but they didnÕt say anything
about my payment, and I breathed a sigh of relief. The lady at the desk
confirmed my registration and the bellhop took me too my room. It
wasnÕt as nice as the Hawaiian bungalow, but it was perfectly adequate
for my needs, which were namely a shower and a bed. While I soaked
into an almost scalding hot bath, I opened MamoruÕs journal,
desperately hoping for an entry. To my relief, there was one. I waited
impatiently for the translation to finish, and then read eagerly.

	The Thirteenth Day of the Horse Moon:

	With fast horses and no fear of pursuit, the trip to Mirror from
the pass runs about four days. We shall make it in three, arriving
tomorrow morning. The pain in my ribs is easing, but the pace we are
setting would not be easy under ideal circumstances. I can only suppose
that Ushiru is the reason for this undue haste; despite the magic, his
condition is by no means stable. If I am lucky, he will die before we
arrive, but if he does not, there are famed doctors at Mirror who will
most likely save his life. The taunts have mostly died on the lips of my
captors. Most are too exhausted after the dayÕs riding to do any more
than sleep. I have only managed to stay up tonight out of a sense of
duty. I do not understand the LadyÕs clues, but I can only hope that
writing in this journal will bring her closer to us. Serena, as well. If she
comes at all, she must come before IÕve stayed long in Mirror. But I
dare not contemplate what will happen if she failsÉ
	Mamoru

	ÒStay safe, Mamoru.Ó I whispered, holding the journal closely
to my chest. ÒIÕm comingÓ

	I woke up early that morning, sweating from a nightmare that
slipped away as soon as I tried to recall it. Shivering despite the
warmth, I climbed out of bed and headed straight into the shower. I
figured I ought to get as clean as I could before I left, because there
wouldnÕt be many opportunities for a bath in Umeru. I took it in
extreme haste, however, and ran back into my room, shuffling through
my duffel bag, looking for clean clothes. I finally pulled out a pair of
unused jeans and a tank top. Unfortunately, I could not find unused
underwear anywhere.
	ÒI *know* that I packed four pairs!Ó I muttered to myself,
looking through it again, and dumping all the contents on the floor.
Eventually, I assured myself that it was indeed not in the bag, and that I
was completely out of clean underwear. At home, it might not be such a
big deal, but IÕd been under a lot of stress lately in some extremely hot
countriesÉand, well, there was dirty underwear and then there was
dirty underwear. Gritting my teeth in extreme frustration, I picked the
pair of underwear that looked the cleanest (which wasnÕt saying much)
and put it on stoically. I dressed quickly after that and stuffed my
clothes back in my bag, uncomfortably aware of the state of my
undergarments. Trying to ignore the grimy feeling, I picked up my bag,
grabbed the journal and left the room. I checked out downstairs,
grateful that I had reserved the room under MinaÕs credit card, since my
cash supply had dwindled dangerously low.
	Now, I actually had a plan to find Petunia. Well, not much of a
plan, but enough to make me happy. I walked to the open-air market,
picked a likely looking vendor, and walked up with a large grin on my
face.
	ÒExcuse me, have you seen a woman named Petunia? She
dresses in very bright colors and she has short, big, blonde hair.Ó
	The matronly woman pondered my question for a moment,
and then smiled widely. ÒOf course! You must mean the foreign witch.
Everybody knows her.Ó
	Foreign witch? Well, that was an apt description, certainly.
ÒWhere can I find her?Ó I asked, itching to be on my way.
	ÒSheÕs with ourÉhow do you call them? Witch doctor, yes.
She has her own island.Ó
	ÒOh,Ó I said. ÒHow do I get there?Ó
	ÒHire a water taxi. Say you want the two witches.Ó I nearly
burst out laughing at the thought of saying that seriously, but I thanked
her profusely and made my way back to the docks.  A man in an old-
looking speedboat that I supposed was a water taxi was parked at the
end of the pier.
	ÒCan you take me to the two witches?Ó I asked, suppressing
laughter. It sounded absolutely surreal, not practical. The man,
however, did not seem to think I had said anything strange.
	ÒFive American dollars.Ó He said, summing up my accent and
my clothing quickly. I handed him the last of my money, praying that
Petunia was really here and I hadnÕt just been led on a wild goose
chase. I doubted it, though. The lady at the open market had definitely
known who I was talking about, and Petunia wasnÕt an easy person to
mistake. As I sat for the fifteen-minute boat ride, I knew that already I
had gone on an adventure worthy of at least a TV miniseries. And the
funny thing was, it wasnÕt over yet. Not nearly.
	ÒHa!Ó I said to myself, as I leaned back in the boat. ÒImagine
that.Ó

	The man dropped me off on a deserted-looking beach of a
very small island. ÒThe two witches are over there.Ó He pointed to
some smoke coming from somewhere behind the thick trees that had
grown in the center of the island.
	ÒUhÉthank you.Ó I said, looking ahead of me uncertainly.
Well, I was almost there, I thought firmly as the man drove away.
Come on, Serena, see it through. Setting my brow, I plunged through
the forest, quickly finding a well-worn trail. At least that meant I
wasnÕt on an uninhabited island. Almost before I was ready, I came
into a clearing that housed a small hut. I was necessarily reminded of
my ÒbungalowÓ on Hawaii. The latter had certainly been a creation of a
more luxurious man, whereas this was a creation of necessity. I walked
slowly around, finding the source of the smoke. What if sheÕs not there,
I wondered frantically. What if youÕve been led into a trap and this
witch is going to eat you and youÕll never see Mina again? What
ifÉand then I saw her, squatting with another woman who was half-
naked and covered with paint and beads.
	ÒPetunia?Ó I called uncertainly. How would she react to me?
She unfolded herself gracefully, and turned around to face me.
	ÒSerena!Ó She said, beaming, walking over and putting a
friendly arm around my shoulders.
	ÒIÕve been expecting you.Ó

	ÒÉso heÕs in a whole lot of trouble and he gave me this
necklace and I just *have* to get back there and give it to him!Ó I
finished an hour later, telling my entire story. While I sat down I had
grown uncomfortably aware of my dirty underwear again, and it
distracted me.
	Petunia smiled. ÒMy dear, I am so very glad you found me,
because I can certainly help you a little.Ó
	ÒWill you?Ó I asked, squirming uncomfortably.
	She beamed. ÒOf course.Ó Her friend had remained silent
during our entire exchange, nodding at intervals, but otherwise
contributing nothing. It was, actually, rather disturbing, so I tried to
ignore her.
	ÒProlonged exposure to alternate worlds,Ó Petunia continued,
Òis dangerous to those who are not experienced with magic, but I can
send you forÉsay, three months, safely. Do you think that will be
enough time?Ó
	Three months? I supposed it might be enough, but I couldnÕt
really know. But Petunia had said that any longer would be dangerous,
so I would have to make do. I nodded. ÒI guess so.Ó I shifted
uncomfortably again, grimacing a little. Never again would I forget to
pack clean underwear, thatÕs for sure.
	ÒHere,Ó she said, fishing something out of her pocket and
handing it to me. ÒYou can use this only in extreme circumstances. I
will not guarantee that it can help youÉbut it may.Ó It took me a
second to realize that I was holding a Malibu Barbie doll.
	ÒWhat?Ó I said succinctly, unable to believe that I was
supposed to use a Barbie doll for help. Looks like, of the two of us, the
Barbie doll needs the most help, I thought cynically.
	ÒOh, that,Ó Petunia laughed a little and for the first time in my
acquaintance of her, looked genuinely embarrassed. ÒI didnÕt have
anything else on handÉsoÉÓ
	I raised my eyebrows but didnÕt say anything else. Besides,
after telepathic chickens and human cats, why couldnÕt I believe in a
magic Barbie doll? It made about as much sense (meaning none at all).
	Petunia stood up, and I took my cue, if moving oddly from my
uncomfortable underwear. I really couldnÕt stop thinking about it! ÒDo
you have any questions, Serena?Ó She asked seriously.
	Questions? Sure I did, about twenty thousand, but most could
wait. Damn this itchy underwear, I couldnÕt think at all. Eventually, I
remembered one question.
	ÒHey, youÕll cast the language spell, right?Ó
	She smiled that knowing smile of hers again, tinged with some
inexplicable pride. ÒOf course. Anything else?Ó
	Yes, there is, I thought, even as I fought the urge to just strip
naked and jump in the water. The question just kept slipping my mind,
however.
	ÒWell?Ó Petunia prompted.
	ÒNot that I can think of.Ó I muttered, unable to shake the
feeling that I was missing something important. Every time I thought I
knew, though, I was overwhelmed with how uncomfortable I felt and it
would slip away again. At some unseen signal, Petunia and her
nameless friend stood on opposite sides of the campfire. I found to my
surprise that I was already in between them. They closed their eyes and
chanted in unison under their breath. I felt myself fading slowly, almost
familiar now. Just before I completely disappeared, I finally
remembered what I had forgotten to ask.
	ÒHow do IÉÓ but the rest of my question was lost. I landed
with a painful thump on cobbled pavement.
	ÒKeep my clothes on,Ó I finished bitterly under my breath.
	ÒGod damn it.Ó I said emphatically, wrapping my arms around
my redundantly naked body.

ÒI knew I should have packed more clean underwear.Ó

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

AHHHH! IÕm finished, IÕm finished!!
<does an EXTREMELY happy dance>
You have no idea what I went through to get this out. Slaving away in
front of my computer for hoursÉ<sob> Well, it wasnÕt that bad, but
this story is turning out to be more of an epic than a fanfic. I hope you
people like long chapters, because thatÕs what theyÕre going to be like
from now on. Oh, right, I said IÕd translate that ÒFrenchÓ for you, didnÕt
I?

Well, here it is:
ÒI have an employer. Her name is Petunia. Um, I need to find her. I
called because she told me to. Do you have information I could use to
find her? Please? ItÕs very important!Ó
Sound like someone doesnÕt know how to speak French? Well, you got
that one right! Japanese, all the way! UmÉmoving on toÉthank youÕs!
I love these!

Thanks to everyone who emailed me, you are all wonderful, every last
one!! Really, I love those emails! Also, thank you to Amanda who gave
me the idea for my sub-title and the entire chicken motif in this chapter
;D Thanks to Nemesis for that *great* review and to I Abibde, for his
thoughtful and honest comments on a story in a genre he canÕt stand.
Thanks, of course, to TanyaÉbecause sheÕs cool and I always talk to
her (I canÕt WAIT for Otakon!!) Oh yeah, and *she* was the one who
gave me the main title for this chapter. AndÉwell, hey, IÕll thank my
sister too because sheÕs an awesome moonie who will, IÕm sure, read
my story eventually <sweatdrop>

What would you do if you owned Sailor Moon? Well, if *I* owned
Sailor Moon, I would go out and buy my own island off the coast of
Japan and make new SM mangas for helpless fans to enjoy. But thatÕs
just me, and since IÕm not doing that, you can rest assured that I donÕt
own the show ;D

UmÉramble, rambleÉanything else? I donÕt think so. Hope you
enjoyed it! I know the plot is strange, and itÕs only going to get
stranger.
<wink>

Lois