Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Suzaku no Princess ❯ Tne Arrival of a Journey ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

CHAPTER ONE: THE ARRIVAL OF A JOURNEY

The red light reappeared, shining brighter than before, and from the bursting center, Usagi emerged, puzzled at the sudden sensation. She looked around and no longer saw the environment of books she was in but a room full of eyes staring up at her. From the crowd of men, the red-head flashed in her mind before she realized her body was plummeting downwards.

Luckily, Usagi landed on something, but it turned out to be someone instead. She thanked the gods that the rather plump man cushioned her fall. The man started to make a fuss, "GET OFF, YOU WENCH!!" He tried to crawl from beneath Usagi's weight, reaching his hand for something. "WHAT ARE YA STANDIN' THERE FER?! GET GENROU!!" he ordered, pointing to the red-head that Usagi had noticed.

The surrounding men hesitated, not wanting to attack the man they looked up to, but Genrou didn't do anything. He stood there, knowing he wasn't going to hurt them unless he had to. He wasn't after them, just the traitor.

The fat man pushed Usagi away and dived towards the fan, but before the fat man could get his hands on the fan, a man with blue hair swooped by and grabbed it. "GENROU!!" he shouted, throwing the huge fan to the young man. Genrou caught it and smiled. The blue-haired man told everyone to stop, which they did, even some cheered that Genrou had possession of the iron fan, Tessen.

"Heh." Genrou's grin revealed two (adorable) fangs. "Thanks, Kouji." He turned his attention back to the traitor, kneeling on the floor and begging for mercy. He shrugged, "Whatever." Before the fat man could thank him, Genrou continued, "But you ain't gettin' away that easy. Get 'im, boys."

The men who had suffered from the traitor's reign happily obliged with their real leader's order and took the weeping man away. Kouji walked up to his leader and said, "Welcome back, Genrou!" The next thing anyone knew, Genrou and Kouji were doing there buddy dance like the cute, little boys they were.

They immediately stopped dancing at a sudden burst of laughter that sounded like a wild animal. They finally remembered there was a girl present, who had appeared from a red light in mid-air. Usagi wiped a tear from her eye, "That's the first time I saw guys dancing. Very silly too!"

Genrou frowned, noticing her long, blonde hair in an odd style. "Maybe I should laugh at you too, ODANGO!" he almost shouted at her, not appreciating the offense to his and his buddy's friendship greeting.

Usagi pouted and yelled back, "DON'T CALL ME THAT!! MY NAME'S USAGI!!" It was enough she had to endure the name teasing from some guy she constantly ran into and now she had someone else calling her by that dumb name.

Kouji held his best friend back and asked the blonde, "Well then, Usagi, where are you from and just how did you get here?"

Her eyes wandered around the room, this time slowly taking it all in. "I'm," she began, thinking about what to say since everything looked unfamiliar to her, "I was in the library, reading this book. Umm, could you tell me where I am and what just happened here?"

"This is the place of the Reikaku Bandits--on Mt. Rei--"

At the word of 'bandit,' she panicked and immediately stepped away from them, creating a big gap between her and the sweating bandits. She told them at a really fast speed--like a single breath, "IDon'tHaveMuchMoneyOnlyAFewYenEnoughForASingleLunchAndMaybeTheArcadeButCou ldYouNotTakeIt'CauseIReallyReallyWantToTryThatNewSailorVGame!!"

Fr om that whole run-on sentence, everyone stared at her with these unbelieving expressions, wondering if she was even human. After a few seconds of comprehending what she said, Genrou said, "We don't pick on girls, so don't worry 'bout it."

Usagi relaxed a bit since no one seemed to be attacking her or giving her any mean looks. "But do you know how to get to Tokyo?" They looked at one another puzzled, and even murmurs from the other bandits in the back inquiring about the strange name gave her the answer. "Umm, how 'bout Japan? You should at least know the country." They shook their heads as the thought hit her that was probably in another world or dimension! But how could that happened? She was just reading an ancient Chinese text to Naru... Naru?! There was no sign of her friend there.

She grabbed Genrou's shirt with a worried expression, "WHERE'S NARU?!! WHERE IS SHE?!!"

"What?! What Naru?!" He pried her hands from his clothing. "I don't know whacha talkin' about! If yer talkin' 'bout another girl, then yer the only girl around here on this mountain." He eyed her from top to bottom and back to top again, "What the hell are you wearin?!" He stepped up close to Usagi, making her a blush, and inspected her blue skirt, lifting up a bit. "You look like some foreigner," he said.

Usagi's face grew redder before she slapped his curious hands away. "Are you some kinda pervert?!" She held her skirt down so he wouldn't be able to do it again. "Haven't you seen a girl before?!"

"Yer one strange girl," he sneered, wisely keeping his distance from her. He started to walk away, leaving her to stand there. Feeling empty in some unfamiliar world, she pondered if Naru was dragged with her into this world too? Or was she safe when that red light appeared?

Kouji saw the confusion on Usagi's face and grabbed Genrou's arm before the young man could leave. "We should help her, Genrou. She did help you get the Tessen back--and the leadership too."

Genrou looked at his friend and then glanced back at Usagi. "Oh all right!" he said, practically throwing his arms in surrender. "She can stay here until she figures out what to do. Just stay out of trouble."

"Trouble?!" Usagi blurted out, her face fuming red that some stranger would assume a kind, gentle girl like her would cause trouble. She stomped up to a surprised Genrou and pointed at him like he was being scolded, "Just because I'm terrible in school, I don't like working, I love to eat and sleep, I'm usually late and a klutz, does NOT mean I'm TROUBLE!"

This was one of the very rare times, Genrou was being shouted at by a girl, and it made him very nervous, seeing the serious expression Usagi was showing. The last thing he was was being afraid of a girl, but from observing her manner, she didn't seem as threatening as her words appeared to be. "Are you listening?" she asked, giving him a suspicious look as if he had blanked out her words.

"Damn, you talk too much." Genrou turned away and began to leave again while Usagi was steaming from his rudeness. "You can take care of her, Kouji." Kouji was about to say something, but Genrou left him and the others hanging with his departure.

Usagi crossed her arms, pouting. "Where are his manners?! Girls aren't suppose to be treated like this! Especially me! Tsukino Usagi!"

"Hey, don't worry 'bout Genrou," Kouji insisted. "He's been like that, and I doubted if he'll ever change." Usagi looked up at him and saw the smirk on his face. "When you know him as long as I have, you get used to him. The day he softens his image is the day the world is doomed." Kouji chuckled at the thought, which made Usagi giggle.

Kouji was right, she thought. Even if she only knew Genrou for a few minutes, there was something about him that told her he was who he was for a reason. Maybe she shouldn't have shouted at him. "Well, I may have been harsh yelling at him. I should apologize."

He looked at her and smiled, "Nah. Like I said, don't worry 'bout it. I'll have someone take you to your room." Right after he turned around to face the other bandits, a crowd of them rushed up to him, their hands waving in the air to volunteer for the job. A bead of sweat formed on Kouji's head as he decided that Usagi might be better off with him escorting her. "I'll take her myself," he announced as he ushered the girl to the exit.

After the declaration, the other bandits complained and mumbled how Kouji was hogging Usagi to himself. The blonde's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she heard that, but Kouji turned back and said, "Usagi is a friend of Genrou, so she's a friend of ours. You guys know better than to bother her." They randomly gave him their affirmative as Kouji and Usagi left them.

The two walked down the dim corridor, silently. Usagi was trailing behind Kouji a few feet, wondering how big the place was. She was getting behind, so she quickened her pace until she was walking beside him. "Thank you, Kouji-kun," she said.

He looked at her with a smile. "We may be bandits, but most of us are good people." She nodded and returned to him an adorable smile that made him blush a bit, and he turned his face away inconspicuously.

Back in the real world, Naru is sitting on the floor with her back against the shelves of books. She slowly looked up from the book in her lap, making sense of what was happening in the text. The heroine in the story appeared to be like Usagi, but it seemed so strange. She stared at the book again, wondering if it was possible that the heroine WAS Usagi. "Then... she's in this book?!"
Naru flipped back a few pages, skimming through the paragraphs again. Seeing that there had not been any useful information to get her friend out, she resumed reading in hopes of finding that answer.

Meanwhile, Usagi sitting on a bed that was in a small room, supposedly hers for the time being. It was nothing fancy with just a bed and a table and a few chairs. There were two windows--one on the opposing wall, near the door, while another was on the left adjacent wall that opened to a clear view of the fields below.

The room was actually on the second floor, but the building had been built upon a rather big land, protruding from the mountainside. It was also the visible half of the Reikaku bandits' headquarters. The other half was strategically carved into the mountain itself, and how far into the rocky terrain, Usagi had no idea. Kouji didn't say anymore.

There wasn't much to see out the window since it was night time, which had only been an hour ago since she arrived in this world. Probably really late since she could only see patches of darkness, which she concluded to be forests. She sighed, wondering what to do, as she closed the windows. She plopped herself on the bed and rolled onto her stomach, thinking about her weird situation.

What kind of world was this? And why was she here? And more importantly, was there a way home? Those three questions continued to spin in her head until her stomach growled, reminding her she didn't have anything in her stomach since she left school. Then her mind dragged on to the incident with the drink machine at the library.

She finally got up and went for the door. She had to get some food but wondered where the kitchen was. The place was quite primitive compared to Tokyo. It felt like she was in the countryside, but at least the rural parts still had a televion or radio and most of all electricity!

Usagi opened the door but stood in the archway in shock. There was nothing she saw that would use electricity, and that was besides the point that the bandits lived in the mountains. Was she in the past? Things were beginning to come together as she strolled down the hallway to the stairway. It took her down to the first floor, where she continued her little trek, but her mind was still thinking about her environment.

The way everyone had been dressing. They weren't modern, but more like those from the history books of ancient times, specifically from ancient China. Was it possible that she didn't travel to another world but to another time--the past!

Her thoughts were all on the epiphany that she didn't watch where she was going until she fell back onto the floor. She looked up and saw the bandit she bumped into. "Miss Usagi." He apologized and helped her up. "It's really late, you should get some rest."

"I know, but I'm really hungry. I haven't eaten anything yet." She leaned forward slightly like she was in pain from starvation and rubbed her stomach for more emphasis.

"Then we should do something about that." He gestured her to follow him, "Come with me, I'll take you to the kitchen." Usagi jumped into the air with a joyful shout, surprising the man with the unexpected response. He smiled and then took her down another hallway that led straight to another building through a connecting corridor. They barely went halfway down that hall before turning right the to dining hall.

She was amazed to find people still up so late, and among them were Genrou and Kouji. Her escort told her he'd get her something to eat, so she let him and walked over to Kouji's table. Along the way, the men greeted her, "Miish 'sagi!" Some were apparently drunk from celebrating Genrou's return and new position. She stopped at a table to return the kind words, "Hi guys. Having too much fun, aren't ja?" she giggled before leaving them.

Kouji noticed Usagi coming over to the table before Genrou and asked, "Thought you'd be gettin' your beauty sleep or somethin'."

Usagi took a seat beside Kouji, facing Genrou on the other side, smiling. "I got hungry!" she chirped. She put her elbows on the table and rested head on her clasped hands. "Do you usually party this late?"

The two shrugged, and Kouji replied, "The guys felt like it. And after what they put up with from Eiken, I don't blame them."

"Eiken? Who's that?"

Genrou chuckled, "The ol' fart your butt flattened!"

Her facial features wrinkled into a frown at the mentioned of her butt, but she wasn't sure if it was an insult. She was surprised Kouji was laughing too. "Kouji-kun!" she called, disappointed. Between the two, Kouji was more the gentleman, and she appreciated his company when he took her to the spare room.

The two didn't cease their laughter, so she turned her pouting face away from them. Genrou finally calmed down, senseing her upset aura. "Hey, 'sagi," he called, but she didn't look at him. "Dammit, women are so petty." He leaned his head against his hand, looking in the opposite direction from Usagi. "I was just sayin' you really gave it to him." She glanced back at him, wondering what he meant. "That's all. If yer gonna hold a grudge, I don't give a damn."

Kouji grinned and said to her, "He apologized." Her brows knitted confusion, but he explained, "It's his way of saying 'I'm sorry.' Right, Gen?"

"Whatever."

Understanding, Usagi turned back to them with a smile, "I'm sorry, Genrou-kun, for taking it the wrong way." He didn't turn back to them, so she went over to his side of the table and sat by him. With his back to her, her hands went around to his face and grabbed his cheeks and pulled them like an aunt would to her cute nephews.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAH!!" He spun around and glared right at her smiling face. It took by surprise seeing her angelic face, almost greeting his nasty tongue, but he just stumbled back in his seat. He felt a warm sensation rise to his face and quickly hid it from his companions. "I hate women!" he grumbled.

Usagi giggled at the familiar response. "You're just like my brother. He's at that point in his life where he doesn't like girls." She gazed down at her hands, slightly sad. Her family were probably worried about her right now. They might've called the police and were all over the city searching for her.

Genrou and Kouji noticed her downcast expression and wondered what was wrong. "I wonder what they're doing right now?" she said softly. She shook her head, trying to smile the worries off, "They'll be okay without me." She was beginning to feel homesick, but she had only been away from home for a few hours--quite a LONG way from home.

Sensing she was about to burst into tears, Genrou grabbed a plate of leftovers and shoved it over to Usagi. "Here, eat this! Just don't go crying!" She looked at the plate and then at Genrou and smiled. He avoided eye contact with her, forcing the crimson color in his face to subside. He hated girls, but what was worse than them was seeing them cry. He never wanted to see them cry. Plus, tears didn't seem to suit Usagi.

After a while, the man who had escorted Usagi to the dining hall returned with a tray of food that he managed to put together from what was left in the kitchen. He set it in front of Usagi, who quickly dived in after thinking twice about Genrou's offer. She wasn't too sure about the meat, but the meal that arrived looked perfect. Starving for hours, she didn't waste a second and ate like her life depended on it.

It was nothing strange for Usagi to be eating like she usual did, but it was a sight to behold for those who didn't know her too well. Too wrapped up in her meal, she didn't notice Genrou and the others--who were sober--suddenly dropping whatever they were doing and gawked at her. She seemed to be inhaling food as if it was just air.

"She's human, right?" Genrou questioned. Kouji raised an eyebrow, barely shaking his head in uncertainty. Genrou slumped forwared slightly, thinking if she continued to eat like this, she would eat them out of everything. But he couldn't just kick a girl out into a strange land and let her wander the countryside alone. As much as he hated women, his conscience wouldn't let him do something not right.

He sighed wearily, just watching her eat. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He wasn't sure if he should start to regret saying that. He never regretted anything he did, but why did it start now? It felt strange, like Usagi's arrival had initiated a series of events.

The next morning, Genrou was leaning on the rail that overlooked a field of men training. He let out a loud yawn and rubbed his eyes. He couldn't believe it was already mid-morning when he woke up. He wasn't sure what happened the latter part of the night, but he recalled hearing Usagi's laughter ring in his ears. Why she was laughing, he didn't remember.

Kouji came by and handed him a a small bowl. Genrou looked at it and saw a thick, green liquid. There was an odd smell coming from it. "What's this?" he asked his friend, pinching his nose shut.

"It'll help you get sober. Just some herbal stuff left from the last loot we got."

The red-head was uncertain about it, but if the thing could make his head stop replaying Usagi's voice then what was there to stop him? He shut his eyes as he gulped the bowl full of green stuff down. Immediately after that, the bowl slipped from his hand and smashed on the floor. His left eye was twitching oddly while his mouth hung open. Kouji thoughtfully poked his friend's arm. Barely touching him, Genrou fell backwards to the floor.

A few minutes passed by when Genrou finally jumped to his feet, demanding, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!!"

Kouji laughed, "I never said I knew what I was doin'." He watched Genrou bend over the rail and started to puke over the side. "You seem wide awake now."

He finished relieving his system and wiped his mouth, feeling more alive now. He asked, "Where's the foreign girl?"

"I haven't seen her all morning." He looked thoughtful, rubbing his chin, "She pretty much collapsed right after you went out. I guess she wasn't used to drinking." He smirked. "If THAT worked for you, I'm sure it work for Usagi." He left to get some more of the green wonder for the girl.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The two bandits were walking down the hall, nearing Usagi's room, but it didn't take a genius to figure out she was completely out of it. The girl was snoring a storm in the room. Neither didn't bother to knock on the door. They just walked in as if the room belonged to their little sister and found her sprawled out on the bed. The covers were half draped over the side of the bed as well as her right leg.

"Man, this is a nightmare," Genrou said as he went over to the beside and shook her shoulders. She just shrugged it off. He bent over, near her head, and shouted, "Hey! Get up, 'sagi!" Her hand swung back and smacked him in the face. He quickly retreated after the assault, rubbing his injured nose, "How much can a girl sleep?!"

Usagi rolled over onto her right side as she started to mumble in her sleep, "Leave me alone... No, Luna... Please, no more school... no more fighting..." She rolled onto her back, restlessly. "To be normal..."

The young men were puzzled, staring down at the girl. Genrou shook the words aside and grabbed Usagi's ears and shouted loud, "GET UP, O-DAN-GOOOOOOOOOO!!"

This time it was loud and clear, causing Usagi to leap out of bed and run around, "OH NO! School! I'm gonna be SO late!! LUNA! Why didn't you wake me up??!!" She grabbed her socks and shoes and began to put them on. Her golden locks were undone from their usual style and moved around her body like a separate entity.

Kouji watched amused, but Genrou found her appearance unearthly. It all seemed like a dream--a goddess descending from the heavenly skies. She was out of place in such a common environment that didn't suit her at all.
Usagi finally looked up and saw the two watching her. Genrou quickly averted his eyes from her, wondering if it was his imagination or not, but he thought her blue eyes were fixed on him. She slouched a bit, realizing what had happened the day earlier. This was actually the one time she wanted to be school, wishing that it had all been a dream.

She stood up and greeted them with a smile. "Good morning!" she chirped. "Is breakfast ready?!" Taking them by surprise, the two men facefaulted.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

After breakfast, Usgai began to wander around the bandits' place freely, observing their activities with great interest. It wasn't anything like modern-day Tokyo. The ages of the men ranged from her own age to those of her parents. They didn't have many opportunities, forcing them into a lifestyle of a thievery. But like Kouji had said before, they were good people. Of course, they were only human.

"Miss Usagi!" people greeted her. She would usually give them a smile and a wave. If there was something interesting, she would stop and ask questions. After a while, she realized she didn't see another female around. Was she really the only one? She really didn't believe them at first.

She sat down on a huge rock and watched some of the men practice their fighting skills. Some were training one-on-one while others were following the directions of the instructor. "Miss Usagi! Watch this!" some shouted for her attention. That was when the others began showing off for their female guest. She didn't hesitate to give them words of praise and encouragement.

Eventually, Usagi joined in on the fun, receiving some careful teachings on combat. She might as well do something useful, and the training here could improve herself before she returned home. Thinking about home, she sighed sadly. "Miss Usagi, are you okay?" a young man asked her.

She quickly smiled, rubbing the back of her head, "Aah, I'm great! But please call me 'Usagi.'" She resumed her training and held the staff like her instructor had told her. When she didn't think about home, she was really enjoying herself.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

About three days later, Usagi ran out through the gates that fortified the bandits' home and met the group of men who were on their way up. They were pushing loads of food supplies to their headquarters, and Usagi came out to help them.

It had only been a few days, but she was becoming used to their lifestyle. Their lifestyle wasn't difficult to adapt to since it wasn't confined to any rules. There were rules but not strictly enforced. It was more like a sense of duty and honor.

Just like Usagi was used to them, the men were quite fond of her company as well. She seemed to brighten everyone's day with her smile. When someone was feeling down, she did her best to cheer the person up. She didn't treat them badly like the lowly people in the cities did. They were all equal in her eyes, and sometimes, they thought, she treated them like family.

Genrou and Kouji stood up on the balcony that overlooked the front gates, noticed the situation with Usagi and the bandits. He watched Usagi nearly trip and panickly hop on one foot, hoping she would recover her balance. In the end, she fell forward, dropping the boxes she had in her arms to the ground.

He dropped his head into his hand with a groan. Usagi climbed back to her feet again with the help of the other bandits, and they all laughed it off like it was a usual thing.

Genrou leaned forward, putting his head on his arms with his eyes still on Usagi. "She's clumsy and slow, but she seems to make everyone happy," he remarked. "Her types are rare these days." Kouji nodded, noting where his friend's eyes had been concentrating on.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Usagi stacked the boxes on the kitchen floor and then turned around and saw some food laying in a basket. She took a batch of corn and began to tie them up with the rest of the vegetables on the rope. The era was very primitive, so they had to buy whatever they needed that day so the food wouldn't spoil. It was very inconvenient.

It had been days since she came to this place, but there was no sign of her ever returning home. She suddenly jerked at a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and saw a bandit. "Is something wrong, Usagi?" he asked.

She shook her head and smiled faintly, "I'll be fine. I was just thinking."

"Okay, we'll be having lunch soon." She nodded and left the kitchen.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Not too far away from the fort, there was a cliff that had a beautiful view of the valley below. Usagi had been going there when she wanted to be alone to think. There were times when she would've missed a meal if it wasn't for her stomach's growling--like her alarm clock for mealtime.

She sat down on the rock and pulled her legs close to her body. The wind picked up and blew her long ponytails. She shivered a bit, but it wasn't the coolness that bothered her. Something was about to happened. Was it really that or was it telling her SHE had to do something? Why was she sitting here and waiting for the answer come to her? It wasn't like her to wait for things to happen. She had always been the person to take action.

At the realization, she released her legs and let it touch the ground again but was soon startled by a sound behind her. She turned around and saw Genrou. "Everyone was looking for you. It's lunchtime." He walked down to her and stood on the rocks instead.

"Sorry. I didn't realize the time." She glanced down at her stomach, guessing she wasn't that hungry. That would've been a first. She suddenly saw a bundle thrown into her lap. She opened and saw three big dumplings and looked up at Genrou. "Thanks, Gen-chan!"

He almost lost his balance from the outburst of the diminutive name. He was about to say something, but he saw she was already eating peacefully and remained quiet. He turned his gaze to the scenery. It was the first time that he realized that he never took time to sit down and enjoy what had always been with him. Wherever he journeyed, he was always with the natural environment.

"It's beautiful," she said and then took another bite.

"Yeah. I wish I could see more of it."

She looked up at him and finished swallowing before asking, "Why? You can do anything you want to."

"I'm the new boss, so I have to take care of everyone."

Usagi stood up with a disappointed look. Not expecting that reaction, he unknowingly stepped back. "They can take care of themselves. They're grown men, aren't they? They can't depend on one person for the rest of their lives!"

He thought about her words and then smiled, shrugging his shoulders. "I guess you're right." He looked at her and changed the subject, "What're ya gonna do?"

She leaned forward, taking nibbles of the second dumpling. "I don't know, but I can't stay on Reikaku anymore. I have to find a way home, and to do that, I have to leave here."

"Yeah, there's no point in stayin' then, but the world out there is dangerous, ya know. You're better off stayin' here."

"I know it'll be dangerous, but I don't have any other choice. My family and friends are probably worried to death about me. And besides, I have to find my best friend. She may have been pulled here with me."

"So yer not gonna change your mind, huh?" Usagi stood up and nodded to him with determination in her eyes. He was very surprised to see the sparkle of will in a girl. It all came down to this, he thought. It was the determination of a girl that helped finalized his decision. He smiled, looking back at the scenery. "Thanks, 'sagi."

"'Thanks?' For what? What did I do?"

He didn't answer her questions but just told her, "I'll get them to get you supplies for the journey."

She didn't know what to say, after he and the others have done so much for her, taking a stranger like her into their home and making her feel welcomed. She probably didn't do much for them except be a burden. Usagi just settled with a 'thank you' for the time being until she could find a way to return her gratitude.

The next morning, Usagi was ready to depart from Mt. Reikaku. She held the reins of the horse in her hands as she led the horse along. The bandits had kindly provided her with a horse to hopefully ease the journey for her. They had also loaded the essential supplies of food and extra clothing on the horse.

Kouji and the bandits stood by the gates, bidding farewell to their blonde goddess. She smiled and thanked everyone for their kindness. Kouji asked her, "Are okay 'bout the horse?"

"Of course!" she answered, not wanting to admit that she had never ridden a horse. She had seen it in Western movies a lot so it was probably no big deal. She looked around but didn't see Genrou. "Where's Gen-chan?" she asked, hoping she could at least see him before she left, uncertain when she would--or even would--return.

Kouji smiled, "Don't worry. He's coming." As he said those words, Genrou appeared with another horse that seemed to be well-supplied like Usagi's. Genrou pulled the horse along down to where Usagi was.

"What are you doing, Gen-chan?" she inquired.

"Coming along, of course." He patted the horse, and before she could say anything, he continued, "Yer my responsibility, so I can't let ja wander in a strange land alone."

"But what about being the boss? And the others?"

He waved it off with his hand, saying, "Ferget 'bout it. Kouji's takin' over while I'm gone."
The man himself added, "'sides that, Gen-chan doesn't like stayin' in one place for long. It drives him crazy."

Usagi giggled as Genrou said, "Whatever. We better get going then." He pulled on the reins of the horse, leading the way down the mountain, while Usagi followed, waving back to the others. The bandits wished Usagi and Genrou good luck. They also told her to return when she could. She was always welcomed there.

Back in the library of the real world, Naru finally closed the book. Half of her found the story fascinating while the other half was worried to death about Usagi and the journey she was about to take. At the moment, her friend was safe, but what was going to happen, she didn't know. She was positive this was no ordinary book which meant Usagi's journey would not be a simple, ordinary one.

Naru got up and headed for the door. Tucking the book beneath her blouse, she closed the door quietly and decided to leave the building fast.

She hurried down the street and took a bus back to Juuban-ku, which wasn't too far back, but she wanted to get back soon. She wasn't heading to her house but to the house of the Tsukinos. The bus stopped a few blocks from Usagi's house, so Naru had to run the rest of the way there.
When she arrived at the front door of the Tsukinos' home, she only found Shingo present. "Where are your parents, Shingo?"

"Dad's working late, and mom's still out shopping." He noticed his sister wasn't with Naru. "Where's Usagi? Isn't she usually with you?"

"That's why I came to see your parents," she started, but she wasn't sure of how to explain the rest of the story. "Can I come in?" He nodded, feeling something out of place, and moved aside to let her in. He closed the door just as she took her shoes off in the foyer.

Shingo led her into the modern living room. He sat on a footstool while Naru took the sofa. She seemed very nervous as she brought out the book of the 'Universe of the Four Gods' and placed it on the table. "What's this for?" As much as his sister got on his nerves, he was beginning to worry about her. "And what happened to Usagi?!"

Naru took a deep breath and began to relate the incident at the library to him. She continued onto to the story that she started in the book. Through it all, Shingo could only express his feelings through his eyes. "And I came quickly here to tell your parents the news," she finally finished.

Shingo hung his head low, so Naru couldn't see his face, but a low chuckle came from him. He propped his head back up and frowned. "This is stupid! Does Usagi expect us to believe THAT?! What'd she do this time? Fail another test? She thinks running away would make mom and dad forgive her?!"

Naru slammed her hands on the table, leaning forward. "I saw her disappear with my own eyes! Are you saying that I'm lying to cover Usagi's test grades?!" She took a few seconds to calm herself before continuing, "Look, Shingo. I've known you two since we were all young, and you should know me better than that--I don't make excuses like that. And you--of all people--should know her own sister better than anyone. Usagi wouldn't lie and make everyone worry about her."

Naru was right, but he still doubted some fairy tale-like story. He needed evidence that Usagi disappeared into some story, but the only proof was the book. "So the book is it?" he asked.
She nodded. "The book is a Chinese text, and from what I've been reading, the description is of ancient China. But I don't think Usagi knows she's in the book yet."

"So we have to continue this book to find out how to get her out, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't know how long it will take. What should we tell your parents?"

"I don't know." He didn't want his parents to go crazy on him, but how was he going to keep the secret from them? "How 'bout there's a big test, so Usagi is studying at your place. It gets late so she sleeps over there."

"Well, that'll only work for a day."

"I know, but it's better than nothing, right?" He looked at the book, wanting to know more about it. "Since mom isn't home yet, let's read a little more." She nodded and opened up the book to the last page she left off. She read it aloud, and soon the house was only filled with Naru's voice.

But outside the room, Luna had heard everything--since the arrival or Naru. This wasn't good at all, and it looked like the path ahead of them was going to be hell. If Usagi was really in the book, then what was going to happen to the world without Sailor Moon?! And how was she going to help Usagi if she needed to see that book herself?! And she definitely didn't need Naru and Shingo getting suspicious.