Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Alone No More - Minako's Story ❯ Chapter 12 ( Chapter 12 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: jasonulloa 
Minako learns of Ryoku's intense fear of flying.
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 04.15.2003 | Pages: 8 | Words: 4.9K | Visits: 258 | Status: Completed
Minako learns of Ryoku's intense fear of flying.
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 04.15.2003 | Pages: 8 | Words: 4.9K | Visits: 258 | Status: Completed
Alone No More: Minako's Story
by Jason C. Ulloa
Chapter 12
"Wake up, Minako-chan," a soft voice called out to her as she slept.
"Hmm...," she murmured as she rolled over in her bed. "Just five more minutes."
"Wake up, Minako-chan," the soft voice repeated.
"Come on, Ryo-kun, I said five more...." She paused as her brain finally registered the
fact that it was Ryoku's voice she was hearing. 'Couldn't be....' She opened her eyes and
found a pair of gray eyes staring back at her, filled with amusement.
"So, the sleeping beauty finally wakes," he said with a soft chuckle.
"What're you doing in my room, Ryo-kun?" she asked, staring curiously at him. He still
hadn't moved from his previous position and she was now just noticing how close his face
was to hers. He was so close that if she moved forward just a couple of centimeters, and
tilted her head slightly, she could kiss him.
Ryoku blinked at her and moved back slightly, almost as if he sensed what she was thinking.
"Well, since today's the day, I figured that I'd come by a little early and give you a
little wake-up call."
She frowned as she sat up in her bed. "So early?" she asked. "Couldn't you have let me
sleep a little longer...?"
"Early?" he repeated with a smirk. "It's 10:00am right now."
"Nani yo?" she said as she glanced toward her alarm clock. It was 10:00am, right on the
dot. "Why didn't you wake me sooner!" she exclaimed as she leaped out of her bed and lunged
for the clothes she had set out for today. "We only have three hours to catch our flight!"
"Gomen, Minako-chan," he replied. "You looked so cute sleeping that I didn't want to wake
you."
Minako glanced at him over her shoulder and smiled. "Still, you should've woken me earlier.
You have months to watch me sleep when we get to London." She turned forward and started to
reach for the bottom of her pajama top, then paused. She still hadn't heard her door close
yet, signaling that he had left to give her some privacy while she changed.
'Oh, don't tell me he's gonna try to watch me change!' she thought with a frown as she
started to turn around. 'Hentai! Partner or not, I will not allow him to watch me undress!'
She started to open her mouth to say something to him, but stopped as she realized that she
was alone. He had already left, but the door wasn't closed all the way. 'Oh, planning on
peeping from outside, are we?' she thought as she marched toward her door and flung it
open. Still no Ryoku.
"Oi, Minako-chan!" Ryoku called out from his seat at the bottom of the stairs. "You're not
planning on wearing those to the airport, are you?"
"No, Ryo-kun," she replied. "I was just wondering where you went, that's all."
He gave her a small smirk. "Why? Don't tell me you thought that I was gonna just stand
there and watch you change?"
She blushed slightly as she shook her head. "Of course not, Ryo-kun," she told him.
Ryoku smiled knowingly as he stood up. "Right. Well, since we only have three hours until
we leave Japan, could you please get dressed? While you're doing that, I'm going to go make
you something to eat since breakfast was already served earlier."
Minako smiled as she watched Ryoku leave the stairs and head for the kitchen to make
breakfast for her. "Thanks, Ryo-kun," she said quietly as she headed back for her own room
to change.
**********************************************
"I didn't know you knew how to cook, Ryoku-san," Minako's mother said as she watched him
prepare Minako's breakfast.
"I learned a lot from my imouto-chan," he replied over his shoulder without turning from
what he was doing. "She's practically a master chef as it is."
"You have a younger sister?" she asked. "But, I thought you lived alone."
"I do. My sister lives at and attends a boarding school. I used to go there, but I was
transfered for fighting."
"Fighting?" she asked with slight disapproval.
"I had to teach someone that he couldn't take advantage of my sister," Ryoku said in a
level voice. "It was an effective lesson, but I still wish that I didn't have to do it."
"I see," Minako's mother said with an understanding nod. "You're very protective of your
sister?"
"Un," he said with a nod. "We're the only family we have left. We've gotta take care of
each other. I'd never let anyone hurt Mako-chan, and if they did, they would soon regret
it. It's the same with anyone I care about." He turned to look directly at Minako's mother.
"You won't have to worry about Minako while she's in London. I'll watch out for her. I
promise."
Minako's mother smiled at him. "You're a good young man, Ryoku-san," she said as she turned
and left the kitchen, leaving him to finish preparing breakfast.
**********************************************
"I'm so excited!" Minako squealed eagerly as she and Ryoku rode the bus toward the airport.
"Just think, soon we'll catch our plane to London, England! Think of all the sights we'll
get to see!" Her excitement waned slightly when she noticed Ryoku's slightly pale
expression. "Anou.... Ryo-kun, daijoubu?"
"Daijoubu, Minako-chan," he replied as he smiled faintly.
Minako frowned and shook her head. "Iie. Something's wrong, Ryo-kun. What is it?" Her frown
softened to one of concern as she turned to look at him. "You can tell me. What's wrong?"
"I'm okay," he insisted. "I'm just a little nervous about flying on that jet."
"Nervous?" she asked as her head tilted inquisitively. "You? Why's that, Ryo-kun?"
Ryoku frowned slightly as he considered the girl sitting next to him. "I never did tell you
how my parents died, did I?"
Minako's expression turned sympathetic. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to...."
"Now, that's all right, Minako-chan," he replied with a sad smile as he shook his head. "It
was about six or seven years ago. My parents were just about to come back from their second
honeymoon. They were flying back to Tokyo from spending a week in Paris, France. Mako-chan
and I were staying at our grandfather's house while they were gone; that way, they didn't
have to worry about us.
"On their way back, something went wrong. From what we were told, their plane hit some
rough turbulence above the Himalayan mountains after they had a layover in New Delhi,
India. Apparently, the rough shaking damaged their altimeter somehow, so the pilot had no
idea of how high he was, or if the plane had lost some altitude from the turbulence.
"Anyway, since the clouds were so dense, the pilots had no idea that they were in any
danger... that is, until they saw the mountains just a few kilometers ahead of them." Ryoku
paused for a moment and sighed sadly. "Moments later, the plane crashed into the
Himalayans with no survivors."
Minako took one of Ryoku's hands consolingly in hers. "How awful...," she whispered sadly.
"Hai, it was devastating for us," Ryoku continued. "It was even worse for our grandfather.
He was so hurt by the loss of his only daughter and her husband that his heart gave out the
next night. As Mako-chan and I slept, he passed on in his sleep. From that point on, we
were officially orphaned.
"Lucky for us, one of our father's old friends volunteered to look after us, so we didn't
have to go to an orphanage. However, he never really tried to raise us; he just took us in
just to pay back a debt he owed to our father. It was up to me to look after Mako-chan,
which I did as best I could." Ryoku paused for a second, then grinned wistfully. "Then
again, now that I think about it, maybe it was more Mako-chan and I taking care of each
other, rather than just me taking care of her.
"Anyway, that's my story," he finished. "Ever since the plane crash took our parents from
us, Mako-chan and I have never been able to get ourselves to ride planes." He paused for a
moment in thought. "Well, I guess that's not exactly true anymore. I was able to force
myself to ride that plane with you to China, but that was because you had to go in order to
take care of... business. I knew that I had to be by your side as your partner." He turned
to stare straight ahead at nothing in particular. "I guess when you get right down to it,
if I had to, I'd do almost anything just for you, Minako-chan. We're partners, and that's
how it should be."
"Ryo-kun...," Minako said quietly as she stared at him in amazement, then turned to stare
out the window. This was going to be her last chance to look at her home before it was time
to go to England.
**********************************************
" Hey, Ryo-kun," Minako called out as she hefted her backpack over her shoulders, "can you
see when our flight is leaving?"
"I'm checking now, Minako-chan," he replied as he scanned the huge display of flight
numbers, gates, and times. "Okay, there's the airline we're taking. Now, where's our
flight... NANI?!?"
"What is it, Ryo-kun...?" she started to ask before Ryoku hurredly snatched up his
suitcase, grabbed her arm and started dragging her along as he started running.
"We have to hurry!" he shouted without looking back. "Our plane is now boarding!"
"Boarding!!!" she shrieked as Ryoku swiftly dodged one traveler after another, dragging
Minako after him as she tried to keep up.
"Oi, slow down, Ryo-kun!" she gasped as she almost tripped again. Her backpack was throwing
off her balance and interfering with her running.
He stopped as he glanced toward a huge wall clock hanging on the wall overhead. "We'll
never make it at this rate," he muttered to himself as he glanced consideringly at Minako.
"Unless...."
There was a look to Ryoku's expression that made her suspicious. "Ryo-kun, what are you
thinking...?"
"Here, hold this for a moment," he requested, holding his suitcase out to her.
"What for?" she asked, looking at him warily.
"Trust me."
"All right...," she relented as she took his suitcase. As soon as she was holding his
suitcase, he quickly scooped her up in his arms and started running as fast as he could.
"Ryo-kun!!!" she all but screamed as he carried her through the airport.
"Hold on to the suitcases, Minako-chan," Ryoku warned as he ran. "And don't worry. I won't
drop you and I won't fall. I'll get us to our plane in time."
Minako quickly wrapped one of her arms around Ryoku's neck, being careful not to
accidentaly hit him with the suitcase in her hand, and held onto him as tightly as she
could. 'Ryo-kun no bakayarou...,' she thought to herself as she let herself be carried
through the airport. 'Still, there's something almost... romantic about being carried in
Ryo-kun's arms like this.' A small smile curved her lips as she looked up at him. He was so
intent on getting to the terminal on time without falling that he didn't notice her looking
up at him.
Ryoku slowly came to a stop and grinned as he tried to catch his breath. "We... made it...,
Minako-chan," he panted as he looked down at her, then put her down.
"Aww, Ryo-kun...," she pouted quietly to herself. "Why'd you have to put me down? I was
just enjoying it...."
"You say something, Minako-chan?" he asked.
"Eh?" she gasped as she realized that she said those words aloud. "Anou... nothing,
Ryo-kun. It was nothing."
"Oh," he replied as he retrieved his suitcase from her. "Well... let's go... board...
that... plane."
She could tell from the nervous look he was trying so hard to hide that he was still
nervous about flying. She could understand; after all, the trip to China wasn't nearly as
long as this one was going to be. Besides, this time she knew that Ryo-kun had a slight
fear of flying, while before she was too excited about flying to China and seeing Kaitou
Ace again that she didn't notice. This time, she was going to have to help her partner get
through this trip without letting his fears take over him. He was strong, but strong wills
sometimes have their weaknesses. It was up to her to help Ryo-kun fight his fears.
Minako walked up to Ryoku and took his hand in hers. "I'm here with you, Ryo-kun. We'll get
through this... together."
"Hai," he said with a uneasy nod. "Together."
"Let's get going, Ryo-kun," she said as they both handed in their plane tickets.
"Ah, I see you two have just made it on time," the woman behind the counter said as she
typed away on her computer. "Okay, Aino Minako... seat 26-E. Kino Ryoku... seat 26-F." The
woman smiled as she handed them back their ticket stubs, then winked at Ryoku. "You're
very fortunate, Kino-san. You get the window seat; however, I don't think that they'd mind
if you let your girlfriend have the window seat instead."
"Eh?" both Minako and Ryoku said at once.
"Anou.... Hai, I think I'll do just that," Ryoku replied just as Minako was about to tell
the woman that Ryoku wasn't her boyfriend.
"That's nice of you," the woman said as they headed through the doorway leading to the
plane.
Minako was so surprised that she didn't say anything until she sat down at her seat, or
rather Ryoku's seat. "Ryo-kun, why didn't you tell that woman that I wasn't your
girlfriend?"
Ryoku merely shrugged. "I don't know," he replied. "It doesn't really matter, does it? I
mean, she was just mistaken, that's all. Besides, we didn't really have the time to correct
her since we had to board our plane, ne?"
"I suppose so," Minako replied with a small frown.
Ryoku was about to ask what was wrong when the captain's voice came on the loudspeaker.
"That means we're about to take off...," Ryoku muttered uneasily to himself as he gripped
his seats armrests tightly.
"Relax, Ryo-kun," Minako whispered soothingly as she took his hand in hers.
"Okay, Minako-chan," he said as he sat back in his seat. His back was stiff as a board and
he was staring straight ahead at nothing, but at least he managed to get his hands to relax
slightly.
"Anou... I meant, relax your whole body, Ryo-kun," she replied, giving his hand an
encouraging squeeze.
"I'll try," he said as he slowly relaxed himself. He was almost completely calm when the
plane started to move.
"ITAI!" she gasped as his grip tightened painfully.
"Oh! Gomen nasai, Minako-chan!" Ryoku exclaimed as he released her hand. "I didn't mean to
do that! Daijoubu desu ka?"
"My hand's all right, Ryo-kun," she replied with a smile as she tenderly rubbed her hand.
"You've got a really strong grip, you know?"
"Ehehe...," he laughed in chagrin as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm just glad I
didn't hurt you too much."
"I'm all right, Ryo-kun," she reassured him. "Don't worry so much."
Ryoku was about to say something else when the plane suddenly began to pick up its speed in
order to ascend into the air. He suddenly went completely rigid again, his heartbeat and
breathing quicking suddenly. Minako looked at Ryoku worriedly. She had never seen him this
scared before, even during their trip to China. But, then again, during their flights to
and from China, they hadn't sat together. This was the first time she had sat next to him
during a flight and now she was witnessing, for the first time, Ryoku's fear of flying.
"Ryo-kun, stay calm," she said urgently to him. "It'll be all right. I'm here beside you.
Look at me." She waited until Ryoku was looking straight at her before continuing. "Keep
looking at me, Ryo-kun. I promise it'll be all right. We'll get through this, remember?
Together."
"Together," he repeated weakly as he tried to fight his fears.
Minako quickly took his hands in hers again. When the plane began to climb, Ryoku's grip
tightened again, but this time she endured it without crying out in pain. She had to remain
calm and strong, for Ryoku's sake.
When the plane slowly stopped its climbing and leveled off, Ryoku began to grow calmer.
"It's over now, Ryo-kun," she said with the slightest hint of pain in her voice. "You can
relax now."
"Oh, I crushed your hands again, didn't I?" Ryoku asked apologetically.
"Don't worry about it," Minako told him firmly. "I said I was all right, remember? Now, how
do you feel?"
Ryoku shivered slightly. "I'm still kinda nervous and uneasy, but I think I can handle it,"
he replied with some of his usual confidence.
"That's good to hear, Ryo-kun," she replied with a slight yawn. "Flying always seems to
make me sleepy. How about you, Ryo-kun?"
"How long was this flight again?" he asked with a slight uneasy frown forming on his face.
"It's gonna be a very long trip, since this's a direct flight to London from Tokyo,"
Minako explained. "Over half a day, I think."
"Nani?!?" he gasped in a tight voice. "Over half a day???"
"Relax, Ryo-kun. I'll be here with you the whole way." She paused as she yawned again.
"Maybe it would be best if you tried to get some sleep, Ryo-kun. If you're asleep, then you
won't be nervous, ne?"
"I suppose so...."
"Here," she gestured toward him by patting her shoulder after she reclined her seat. "You
can lean on me until I can get a pillow from the flight attendant."
"I have a better idea," he replied as he reclined his seat and reached around Minako's
shoulder. "You're tired, too, ne? Then, we can lean on each other."
Minako sighed contentedly to herself as she leaned against Ryoku. "Now that you mention it,
I am getting sleepy. Oyasumi nasai, Ryo-kun."
Ryoku yawned as he slowly felt himself falling asleep. "Oyasumi nasai, Minako-chan...."
When the flight attendant came to ask them if they wanted anything, she smiled at the sight
she came across. "Kawaii...," she said softly to herself as she gestured over to her
co-worker, signaling for her to bring a blanket and some pillows, although it didn't seem
as though the sleeping couple really needed them. Gently, she laid the pillows on both
their laps and draped the blanket around the sleeping pair, then left the two alone.
**********************************************
Min ako slowly roused from her nap and glanced out toward the window. It was already full
night outside; she must've been more tired than she thought. As she sat up from her seat,
she realized that not only had there been a pillow under her head and a blanket covering
her, but Ryoku was no longer in his seat.
"Ryo-kun?" she called out as she glanced around.
"Are you looking for the gentleman that was sitting next to you?" the flight attendant
asked as she was rolling her cart forward. "I believe he went to one of the lavatory
facilities in the back. Since he took a personal discomfort recepticle with him, I think he
might be in there for quite a while." She shook her head sympathetically. "The poor young
man seemed to be quite ill. I take it he's not very comfortable flying?"
"Hai," she said with a nod as she threw off the blanket and unbuckled her seatbelt. "You
could say that."
"Oh, Miss?" the attendant said before she could get up. "We're going to be serving dinner
soon. Would you care to ask your companion what meal he would prefer, chicken or fish?"
"All right," Minako replied. "Oh, and I'll have chicken please."
"Certainly, Miss."
Minako carefully made her way to the back while being careful not to disturb any of the
sleeping passengers. As soon as she reached the restrooms at the end of the plane, she
checked to see which ones were occupied. Only one was.
"Ryo-kun?" she called as she knocked on the door of the occupied restroom. "Daijoubu?" She
grimaced as she heard the sound of vomiting coming from inside.
"I think... I'll... be okay... in a few... minutes...," Ryoku moaned weakly, then heaved
again. "Maybe... not...."
"I guess you won't be wanting anything to eat, then," she said in a sympathetic tone.
"Maybe... later...," he replied before a took a deep breath and opened the door. "I think
I'm... all right, now," he told her with a determined look on his face. "Don't worry. I
think I can handle it now."
"They're serving dinner in a little bit," she informed him. "Chicken or fish. I don't
suppose you want anything, ne?"
"Maybe if I took it slow," he said as took a deep breath. "After all, I don't wanna bring
it back up so soon after eating it."
"Anou... Ryo-kun," she began with another grimace, "can we please change the subject before
I need to go in there?"
"My pleasure," he agreed with a nod. "So, how long until we... have to land."
"About six or seven more hours, I think," she replied. "We slept a long time, Ryo-kun."
"Any pleasant dreams?" he asked as they headed back to their seats.
"I... can't really remember...," she began uncertainly. "However, there was one I do
remember. I think it was because you were in it."
"You dreamt of me?" he asked with a playful smirk.
Minako laughed and playfully hit him in the arm. "Yeah, so I did. I bet you have just as
many dreams of me, ne, Ryo-kun? After all, when you have such a lovely girl as myself as a
partner, how can you not dream of me?" she asked with a playful wink.
"Actually, I mostly dream of being a samurai during the Edo period," he replied with a
grin. "I dream that I'm an acclaimed swordsman even greater than the master swordsmen,
Yagyu Jubei or Miyamoto Musashi!"
"Eh?" she said with a perplexed look on her face as she blinked in confusion.
"As for the others, sure," he added as he moved out of the way so she could sit down first.
"I've had a few dreams of you, too."
"Really?" she asked with a grin.
"I have," he replied as he sat down. "So, Minako-chan, what was the dream you had that I
was in?"
"Hmm...," she began as she picked up the blanket and handed Ryoku his half. "It was sort of
strange, Ryo-kun. You see, I've never seen the place before, but I could've sworn that it
felt so... familiar."
"Like you've been there before?" he asked.
"Hai, just like that!" she agreed. "Anyway, this place is covered in mist and the only
other person there is you. The strange thing is that we're standing there as our... other
selves."
"You mean...," he began, then mouthed the words 'Sailor V and Masked Knight'.
"No," she said, then mouthed the words 'Sailor Venus and Sailor Knight'.
"Sugoi...," he said with a contemplative frown. "So, is there more?"
"There are three other figures standing there," she continued. "They're hidden by the mist,
so I don't know who they are. All I know is that they're all female and that they're...
just like us."
"Like us?" he repeated in a quiet voice. 'Our allies?'
"Hai. Anyway, all five of us are standing around, looking for something. Suddenly, a bright
light appears and almost blinds me, but it's gone in a few seconds. In the place where the
light came from, there is someone standing there and staring down at me, but I think she's
staring at all of us. Before she disappears into the mist again, she holds out her arms to
us and says, 'Onegai.... Onegai, I need your help again.... Sailor Senshi, I need your help
again....'"
"So...," Ryoku said after a small moment of silence passed between them, "you've had the
same dream that I had earlier...."
"Nani yo?!?" Minako exclaimed in a hushed voice. "You had that dream, too?"
"Yes," he agreed quietly. "Just before I woke up feeling quesy." He turned a pointed gaze
at her, staring directly into her eyes. "Do you think that this dream means something?"
"It might, Ryo-kun," she began thoughtfully. "I wish Artemis was here. He'd probably have
something to say about it."
"I think we'd better keep our eyes out in London," Ryoku said seriously. "For all we know,
this could be a warning."
**********************************************
"You seem to be feeling much better, Ryo-kun," Minako noted.
"You think so?" Ryoku asked. "I guess I've gotten used to feeling the plane moving through
the air. I'm not really that nervous any...." His sentence was cut off as the captain of
the plane announced that they were nearing London and were beginning their final descent....
"D... descent?!?" he asked. "As in, falling? As in, plummeting? As in...."
"Easy, Ryo-kun!" Minako said, trying to calm him. 'Jeez, and he was just beginning to
loosen up, too....'
"There aren't any mountains around, are there?" he asked urgently.
"Sir, we're over England," one of the flight attendants replied as she was passing by. "The
nearest mountain range is hundreds of kilometers away in the main European continent."
"But, there's so many clouds about," he countered. "How can you be sure? What if the
plane's instruments are wrong? We could be heading straight for a mountain and we wouldn't
even know it until it was too late. Minako-chan, I...." He was cut off when Minako clapped
her hand over his mouth.
"Is he all right?" the flight attendant asked concernedly.
"He's a little nervous," she explained. "It's his first time on a plane."
"Oh," the flight attendant said understandingly, then smiled reassuringly at Ryoku. "I
assure you, sir, our airline has never once lost an aircraft due to malfunctioning flight
instruments, or crashing into mountains. You're very safe on this plane, I guarantee it."
With that, she walked away to take care of other business.
"Ryo-kun, I want you to calm down," Minako said sternly. "Honestly, you're acting like a
child! What happened to the brave, Ryo-kun that would face anything while by his partner's
side; even death?"
At that, he stopped struggling and looked straight at her. "You're right, Minako-chan," he
said quietly as he calmed himself. "I'm ashamed at the way I was behaving earlier. After
facing the many dangers of the Dark Agency, flying on a plane should be nothing."
"Right!" Minako said encouragingly. "Now, how do you feel?"
"Like I wanna throw up again," he admitted quietly. "I trust you, Minako-chan, but I can't
help but feel scared. I'll calmly face death, but at least I can fight back. On a plane, if
we start to crash, I can't fight back. That's why I'm scared."
"Ryo-kun...," she began as the plane began to dive through the clouds. Ryoku started to
tense up, but his determined expression remained fixed on his face. She slowly reached out
to him and took one of his hands in hers. "Remember, I'm here with you. Together. We'll
face anything, even death, together as partners."
"Anything...," Ryoku murmured quietly. "Together...."
Slowly, through the window, the view of clouds gave way to a view of the city of London
below. They were no longer over the ocean, but over land. Through the window, the land was
coming closer and closer.
"Please don't crash...," Ryoku mumbled quietly, as if praying. "Please don't crash....
Please don't crash.... Please don't crash.... Please don't crash...."
His litany was interrupted by the bump of the plane's wheels touching the ground. He
glanced over to Minako with a questioning look on his face. "It is over?" he asked.
"It's over," she agreed, giving his hand a squeeze of encouragement. "We're safe."
"We made it, Minako-chan!" he said in pure relief. "We've arrived in London in one piece!
Arigatou gozaimasu, Kami-sama!"
Minako shook her head in chagrin. 'It's amazing how someone who can easily face the dangers
we face without the slightest bit of worry can be so frightened of something as simple and
as safe as flying on a plane,' she thought to herself. 'But, then again, considering his
past with planes, I guess I can understand a little bit of the reason why....'
The second the plane dock with the gate terminal, Ryoku grabbed his suitcase from the
overhead compartment and handed it to Minako, then picked her up in his arms and raced off
of the plane before anyone could even stand up.
"Ryo-kun no baka!!!" Minako yelled as he raced off the plane, leaving the flight attendants
to stare after the pair and sweatdrop in chagrin.
"Yare, yare...," one of the flight attendants murmured as she shook her head and went back
to assisting the other passengers.
**********************************************
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs
to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This
story belongs me, so I would appreciate it very much if you would ask for permission before
posting it anywhere else. Thank you.
The Question and all stories included are:
Copyright © July 6, 2001 Jason C. Ulloa.
All Rights Reserved.
by Jason C. Ulloa
Chapter 12
"Wake up, Minako-chan," a soft voice called out to her as she slept.
"Hmm...," she murmured as she rolled over in her bed. "Just five more minutes."
"Wake up, Minako-chan," the soft voice repeated.
"Come on, Ryo-kun, I said five more...." She paused as her brain finally registered the
fact that it was Ryoku's voice she was hearing. 'Couldn't be....' She opened her eyes and
found a pair of gray eyes staring back at her, filled with amusement.
"So, the sleeping beauty finally wakes," he said with a soft chuckle.
"What're you doing in my room, Ryo-kun?" she asked, staring curiously at him. He still
hadn't moved from his previous position and she was now just noticing how close his face
was to hers. He was so close that if she moved forward just a couple of centimeters, and
tilted her head slightly, she could kiss him.
Ryoku blinked at her and moved back slightly, almost as if he sensed what she was thinking.
"Well, since today's the day, I figured that I'd come by a little early and give you a
little wake-up call."
She frowned as she sat up in her bed. "So early?" she asked. "Couldn't you have let me
sleep a little longer...?"
"Early?" he repeated with a smirk. "It's 10:00am right now."
"Nani yo?" she said as she glanced toward her alarm clock. It was 10:00am, right on the
dot. "Why didn't you wake me sooner!" she exclaimed as she leaped out of her bed and lunged
for the clothes she had set out for today. "We only have three hours to catch our flight!"
"Gomen, Minako-chan," he replied. "You looked so cute sleeping that I didn't want to wake
you."
Minako glanced at him over her shoulder and smiled. "Still, you should've woken me earlier.
You have months to watch me sleep when we get to London." She turned forward and started to
reach for the bottom of her pajama top, then paused. She still hadn't heard her door close
yet, signaling that he had left to give her some privacy while she changed.
'Oh, don't tell me he's gonna try to watch me change!' she thought with a frown as she
started to turn around. 'Hentai! Partner or not, I will not allow him to watch me undress!'
She started to open her mouth to say something to him, but stopped as she realized that she
was alone. He had already left, but the door wasn't closed all the way. 'Oh, planning on
peeping from outside, are we?' she thought as she marched toward her door and flung it
open. Still no Ryoku.
"Oi, Minako-chan!" Ryoku called out from his seat at the bottom of the stairs. "You're not
planning on wearing those to the airport, are you?"
"No, Ryo-kun," she replied. "I was just wondering where you went, that's all."
He gave her a small smirk. "Why? Don't tell me you thought that I was gonna just stand
there and watch you change?"
She blushed slightly as she shook her head. "Of course not, Ryo-kun," she told him.
Ryoku smiled knowingly as he stood up. "Right. Well, since we only have three hours until
we leave Japan, could you please get dressed? While you're doing that, I'm going to go make
you something to eat since breakfast was already served earlier."
Minako smiled as she watched Ryoku leave the stairs and head for the kitchen to make
breakfast for her. "Thanks, Ryo-kun," she said quietly as she headed back for her own room
to change.
**********************************************
"I didn't know you knew how to cook, Ryoku-san," Minako's mother said as she watched him
prepare Minako's breakfast.
"I learned a lot from my imouto-chan," he replied over his shoulder without turning from
what he was doing. "She's practically a master chef as it is."
"You have a younger sister?" she asked. "But, I thought you lived alone."
"I do. My sister lives at and attends a boarding school. I used to go there, but I was
transfered for fighting."
"Fighting?" she asked with slight disapproval.
"I had to teach someone that he couldn't take advantage of my sister," Ryoku said in a
level voice. "It was an effective lesson, but I still wish that I didn't have to do it."
"I see," Minako's mother said with an understanding nod. "You're very protective of your
sister?"
"Un," he said with a nod. "We're the only family we have left. We've gotta take care of
each other. I'd never let anyone hurt Mako-chan, and if they did, they would soon regret
it. It's the same with anyone I care about." He turned to look directly at Minako's mother.
"You won't have to worry about Minako while she's in London. I'll watch out for her. I
promise."
Minako's mother smiled at him. "You're a good young man, Ryoku-san," she said as she turned
and left the kitchen, leaving him to finish preparing breakfast.
**********************************************
"I'm so excited!" Minako squealed eagerly as she and Ryoku rode the bus toward the airport.
"Just think, soon we'll catch our plane to London, England! Think of all the sights we'll
get to see!" Her excitement waned slightly when she noticed Ryoku's slightly pale
expression. "Anou.... Ryo-kun, daijoubu?"
"Daijoubu, Minako-chan," he replied as he smiled faintly.
Minako frowned and shook her head. "Iie. Something's wrong, Ryo-kun. What is it?" Her frown
softened to one of concern as she turned to look at him. "You can tell me. What's wrong?"
"I'm okay," he insisted. "I'm just a little nervous about flying on that jet."
"Nervous?" she asked as her head tilted inquisitively. "You? Why's that, Ryo-kun?"
Ryoku frowned slightly as he considered the girl sitting next to him. "I never did tell you
how my parents died, did I?"
Minako's expression turned sympathetic. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to...."
"Now, that's all right, Minako-chan," he replied with a sad smile as he shook his head. "It
was about six or seven years ago. My parents were just about to come back from their second
honeymoon. They were flying back to Tokyo from spending a week in Paris, France. Mako-chan
and I were staying at our grandfather's house while they were gone; that way, they didn't
have to worry about us.
"On their way back, something went wrong. From what we were told, their plane hit some
rough turbulence above the Himalayan mountains after they had a layover in New Delhi,
India. Apparently, the rough shaking damaged their altimeter somehow, so the pilot had no
idea of how high he was, or if the plane had lost some altitude from the turbulence.
"Anyway, since the clouds were so dense, the pilots had no idea that they were in any
danger... that is, until they saw the mountains just a few kilometers ahead of them." Ryoku
paused for a moment and sighed sadly. "Moments later, the plane crashed into the
Himalayans with no survivors."
Minako took one of Ryoku's hands consolingly in hers. "How awful...," she whispered sadly.
"Hai, it was devastating for us," Ryoku continued. "It was even worse for our grandfather.
He was so hurt by the loss of his only daughter and her husband that his heart gave out the
next night. As Mako-chan and I slept, he passed on in his sleep. From that point on, we
were officially orphaned.
"Lucky for us, one of our father's old friends volunteered to look after us, so we didn't
have to go to an orphanage. However, he never really tried to raise us; he just took us in
just to pay back a debt he owed to our father. It was up to me to look after Mako-chan,
which I did as best I could." Ryoku paused for a second, then grinned wistfully. "Then
again, now that I think about it, maybe it was more Mako-chan and I taking care of each
other, rather than just me taking care of her.
"Anyway, that's my story," he finished. "Ever since the plane crash took our parents from
us, Mako-chan and I have never been able to get ourselves to ride planes." He paused for a
moment in thought. "Well, I guess that's not exactly true anymore. I was able to force
myself to ride that plane with you to China, but that was because you had to go in order to
take care of... business. I knew that I had to be by your side as your partner." He turned
to stare straight ahead at nothing in particular. "I guess when you get right down to it,
if I had to, I'd do almost anything just for you, Minako-chan. We're partners, and that's
how it should be."
"Ryo-kun...," Minako said quietly as she stared at him in amazement, then turned to stare
out the window. This was going to be her last chance to look at her home before it was time
to go to England.
**********************************************
" Hey, Ryo-kun," Minako called out as she hefted her backpack over her shoulders, "can you
see when our flight is leaving?"
"I'm checking now, Minako-chan," he replied as he scanned the huge display of flight
numbers, gates, and times. "Okay, there's the airline we're taking. Now, where's our
flight... NANI?!?"
"What is it, Ryo-kun...?" she started to ask before Ryoku hurredly snatched up his
suitcase, grabbed her arm and started dragging her along as he started running.
"We have to hurry!" he shouted without looking back. "Our plane is now boarding!"
"Boarding!!!" she shrieked as Ryoku swiftly dodged one traveler after another, dragging
Minako after him as she tried to keep up.
"Oi, slow down, Ryo-kun!" she gasped as she almost tripped again. Her backpack was throwing
off her balance and interfering with her running.
He stopped as he glanced toward a huge wall clock hanging on the wall overhead. "We'll
never make it at this rate," he muttered to himself as he glanced consideringly at Minako.
"Unless...."
There was a look to Ryoku's expression that made her suspicious. "Ryo-kun, what are you
thinking...?"
"Here, hold this for a moment," he requested, holding his suitcase out to her.
"What for?" she asked, looking at him warily.
"Trust me."
"All right...," she relented as she took his suitcase. As soon as she was holding his
suitcase, he quickly scooped her up in his arms and started running as fast as he could.
"Ryo-kun!!!" she all but screamed as he carried her through the airport.
"Hold on to the suitcases, Minako-chan," Ryoku warned as he ran. "And don't worry. I won't
drop you and I won't fall. I'll get us to our plane in time."
Minako quickly wrapped one of her arms around Ryoku's neck, being careful not to
accidentaly hit him with the suitcase in her hand, and held onto him as tightly as she
could. 'Ryo-kun no bakayarou...,' she thought to herself as she let herself be carried
through the airport. 'Still, there's something almost... romantic about being carried in
Ryo-kun's arms like this.' A small smile curved her lips as she looked up at him. He was so
intent on getting to the terminal on time without falling that he didn't notice her looking
up at him.
Ryoku slowly came to a stop and grinned as he tried to catch his breath. "We... made it...,
Minako-chan," he panted as he looked down at her, then put her down.
"Aww, Ryo-kun...," she pouted quietly to herself. "Why'd you have to put me down? I was
just enjoying it...."
"You say something, Minako-chan?" he asked.
"Eh?" she gasped as she realized that she said those words aloud. "Anou... nothing,
Ryo-kun. It was nothing."
"Oh," he replied as he retrieved his suitcase from her. "Well... let's go... board...
that... plane."
She could tell from the nervous look he was trying so hard to hide that he was still
nervous about flying. She could understand; after all, the trip to China wasn't nearly as
long as this one was going to be. Besides, this time she knew that Ryo-kun had a slight
fear of flying, while before she was too excited about flying to China and seeing Kaitou
Ace again that she didn't notice. This time, she was going to have to help her partner get
through this trip without letting his fears take over him. He was strong, but strong wills
sometimes have their weaknesses. It was up to her to help Ryo-kun fight his fears.
Minako walked up to Ryoku and took his hand in hers. "I'm here with you, Ryo-kun. We'll get
through this... together."
"Hai," he said with a uneasy nod. "Together."
"Let's get going, Ryo-kun," she said as they both handed in their plane tickets.
"Ah, I see you two have just made it on time," the woman behind the counter said as she
typed away on her computer. "Okay, Aino Minako... seat 26-E. Kino Ryoku... seat 26-F." The
woman smiled as she handed them back their ticket stubs, then winked at Ryoku. "You're
very fortunate, Kino-san. You get the window seat; however, I don't think that they'd mind
if you let your girlfriend have the window seat instead."
"Eh?" both Minako and Ryoku said at once.
"Anou.... Hai, I think I'll do just that," Ryoku replied just as Minako was about to tell
the woman that Ryoku wasn't her boyfriend.
"That's nice of you," the woman said as they headed through the doorway leading to the
plane.
Minako was so surprised that she didn't say anything until she sat down at her seat, or
rather Ryoku's seat. "Ryo-kun, why didn't you tell that woman that I wasn't your
girlfriend?"
Ryoku merely shrugged. "I don't know," he replied. "It doesn't really matter, does it? I
mean, she was just mistaken, that's all. Besides, we didn't really have the time to correct
her since we had to board our plane, ne?"
"I suppose so," Minako replied with a small frown.
Ryoku was about to ask what was wrong when the captain's voice came on the loudspeaker.
"That means we're about to take off...," Ryoku muttered uneasily to himself as he gripped
his seats armrests tightly.
"Relax, Ryo-kun," Minako whispered soothingly as she took his hand in hers.
"Okay, Minako-chan," he said as he sat back in his seat. His back was stiff as a board and
he was staring straight ahead at nothing, but at least he managed to get his hands to relax
slightly.
"Anou... I meant, relax your whole body, Ryo-kun," she replied, giving his hand an
encouraging squeeze.
"I'll try," he said as he slowly relaxed himself. He was almost completely calm when the
plane started to move.
"ITAI!" she gasped as his grip tightened painfully.
"Oh! Gomen nasai, Minako-chan!" Ryoku exclaimed as he released her hand. "I didn't mean to
do that! Daijoubu desu ka?"
"My hand's all right, Ryo-kun," she replied with a smile as she tenderly rubbed her hand.
"You've got a really strong grip, you know?"
"Ehehe...," he laughed in chagrin as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm just glad I
didn't hurt you too much."
"I'm all right, Ryo-kun," she reassured him. "Don't worry so much."
Ryoku was about to say something else when the plane suddenly began to pick up its speed in
order to ascend into the air. He suddenly went completely rigid again, his heartbeat and
breathing quicking suddenly. Minako looked at Ryoku worriedly. She had never seen him this
scared before, even during their trip to China. But, then again, during their flights to
and from China, they hadn't sat together. This was the first time she had sat next to him
during a flight and now she was witnessing, for the first time, Ryoku's fear of flying.
"Ryo-kun, stay calm," she said urgently to him. "It'll be all right. I'm here beside you.
Look at me." She waited until Ryoku was looking straight at her before continuing. "Keep
looking at me, Ryo-kun. I promise it'll be all right. We'll get through this, remember?
Together."
"Together," he repeated weakly as he tried to fight his fears.
Minako quickly took his hands in hers again. When the plane began to climb, Ryoku's grip
tightened again, but this time she endured it without crying out in pain. She had to remain
calm and strong, for Ryoku's sake.
When the plane slowly stopped its climbing and leveled off, Ryoku began to grow calmer.
"It's over now, Ryo-kun," she said with the slightest hint of pain in her voice. "You can
relax now."
"Oh, I crushed your hands again, didn't I?" Ryoku asked apologetically.
"Don't worry about it," Minako told him firmly. "I said I was all right, remember? Now, how
do you feel?"
Ryoku shivered slightly. "I'm still kinda nervous and uneasy, but I think I can handle it,"
he replied with some of his usual confidence.
"That's good to hear, Ryo-kun," she replied with a slight yawn. "Flying always seems to
make me sleepy. How about you, Ryo-kun?"
"How long was this flight again?" he asked with a slight uneasy frown forming on his face.
"It's gonna be a very long trip, since this's a direct flight to London from Tokyo,"
Minako explained. "Over half a day, I think."
"Nani?!?" he gasped in a tight voice. "Over half a day???"
"Relax, Ryo-kun. I'll be here with you the whole way." She paused as she yawned again.
"Maybe it would be best if you tried to get some sleep, Ryo-kun. If you're asleep, then you
won't be nervous, ne?"
"I suppose so...."
"Here," she gestured toward him by patting her shoulder after she reclined her seat. "You
can lean on me until I can get a pillow from the flight attendant."
"I have a better idea," he replied as he reclined his seat and reached around Minako's
shoulder. "You're tired, too, ne? Then, we can lean on each other."
Minako sighed contentedly to herself as she leaned against Ryoku. "Now that you mention it,
I am getting sleepy. Oyasumi nasai, Ryo-kun."
Ryoku yawned as he slowly felt himself falling asleep. "Oyasumi nasai, Minako-chan...."
When the flight attendant came to ask them if they wanted anything, she smiled at the sight
she came across. "Kawaii...," she said softly to herself as she gestured over to her
co-worker, signaling for her to bring a blanket and some pillows, although it didn't seem
as though the sleeping couple really needed them. Gently, she laid the pillows on both
their laps and draped the blanket around the sleeping pair, then left the two alone.
**********************************************
Min ako slowly roused from her nap and glanced out toward the window. It was already full
night outside; she must've been more tired than she thought. As she sat up from her seat,
she realized that not only had there been a pillow under her head and a blanket covering
her, but Ryoku was no longer in his seat.
"Ryo-kun?" she called out as she glanced around.
"Are you looking for the gentleman that was sitting next to you?" the flight attendant
asked as she was rolling her cart forward. "I believe he went to one of the lavatory
facilities in the back. Since he took a personal discomfort recepticle with him, I think he
might be in there for quite a while." She shook her head sympathetically. "The poor young
man seemed to be quite ill. I take it he's not very comfortable flying?"
"Hai," she said with a nod as she threw off the blanket and unbuckled her seatbelt. "You
could say that."
"Oh, Miss?" the attendant said before she could get up. "We're going to be serving dinner
soon. Would you care to ask your companion what meal he would prefer, chicken or fish?"
"All right," Minako replied. "Oh, and I'll have chicken please."
"Certainly, Miss."
Minako carefully made her way to the back while being careful not to disturb any of the
sleeping passengers. As soon as she reached the restrooms at the end of the plane, she
checked to see which ones were occupied. Only one was.
"Ryo-kun?" she called as she knocked on the door of the occupied restroom. "Daijoubu?" She
grimaced as she heard the sound of vomiting coming from inside.
"I think... I'll... be okay... in a few... minutes...," Ryoku moaned weakly, then heaved
again. "Maybe... not...."
"I guess you won't be wanting anything to eat, then," she said in a sympathetic tone.
"Maybe... later...," he replied before a took a deep breath and opened the door. "I think
I'm... all right, now," he told her with a determined look on his face. "Don't worry. I
think I can handle it now."
"They're serving dinner in a little bit," she informed him. "Chicken or fish. I don't
suppose you want anything, ne?"
"Maybe if I took it slow," he said as took a deep breath. "After all, I don't wanna bring
it back up so soon after eating it."
"Anou... Ryo-kun," she began with another grimace, "can we please change the subject before
I need to go in there?"
"My pleasure," he agreed with a nod. "So, how long until we... have to land."
"About six or seven more hours, I think," she replied. "We slept a long time, Ryo-kun."
"Any pleasant dreams?" he asked as they headed back to their seats.
"I... can't really remember...," she began uncertainly. "However, there was one I do
remember. I think it was because you were in it."
"You dreamt of me?" he asked with a playful smirk.
Minako laughed and playfully hit him in the arm. "Yeah, so I did. I bet you have just as
many dreams of me, ne, Ryo-kun? After all, when you have such a lovely girl as myself as a
partner, how can you not dream of me?" she asked with a playful wink.
"Actually, I mostly dream of being a samurai during the Edo period," he replied with a
grin. "I dream that I'm an acclaimed swordsman even greater than the master swordsmen,
Yagyu Jubei or Miyamoto Musashi!"
"Eh?" she said with a perplexed look on her face as she blinked in confusion.
"As for the others, sure," he added as he moved out of the way so she could sit down first.
"I've had a few dreams of you, too."
"Really?" she asked with a grin.
"I have," he replied as he sat down. "So, Minako-chan, what was the dream you had that I
was in?"
"Hmm...," she began as she picked up the blanket and handed Ryoku his half. "It was sort of
strange, Ryo-kun. You see, I've never seen the place before, but I could've sworn that it
felt so... familiar."
"Like you've been there before?" he asked.
"Hai, just like that!" she agreed. "Anyway, this place is covered in mist and the only
other person there is you. The strange thing is that we're standing there as our... other
selves."
"You mean...," he began, then mouthed the words 'Sailor V and Masked Knight'.
"No," she said, then mouthed the words 'Sailor Venus and Sailor Knight'.
"Sugoi...," he said with a contemplative frown. "So, is there more?"
"There are three other figures standing there," she continued. "They're hidden by the mist,
so I don't know who they are. All I know is that they're all female and that they're...
just like us."
"Like us?" he repeated in a quiet voice. 'Our allies?'
"Hai. Anyway, all five of us are standing around, looking for something. Suddenly, a bright
light appears and almost blinds me, but it's gone in a few seconds. In the place where the
light came from, there is someone standing there and staring down at me, but I think she's
staring at all of us. Before she disappears into the mist again, she holds out her arms to
us and says, 'Onegai.... Onegai, I need your help again.... Sailor Senshi, I need your help
again....'"
"So...," Ryoku said after a small moment of silence passed between them, "you've had the
same dream that I had earlier...."
"Nani yo?!?" Minako exclaimed in a hushed voice. "You had that dream, too?"
"Yes," he agreed quietly. "Just before I woke up feeling quesy." He turned a pointed gaze
at her, staring directly into her eyes. "Do you think that this dream means something?"
"It might, Ryo-kun," she began thoughtfully. "I wish Artemis was here. He'd probably have
something to say about it."
"I think we'd better keep our eyes out in London," Ryoku said seriously. "For all we know,
this could be a warning."
**********************************************
"You seem to be feeling much better, Ryo-kun," Minako noted.
"You think so?" Ryoku asked. "I guess I've gotten used to feeling the plane moving through
the air. I'm not really that nervous any...." His sentence was cut off as the captain of
the plane announced that they were nearing London and were beginning their final descent....
"D... descent?!?" he asked. "As in, falling? As in, plummeting? As in...."
"Easy, Ryo-kun!" Minako said, trying to calm him. 'Jeez, and he was just beginning to
loosen up, too....'
"There aren't any mountains around, are there?" he asked urgently.
"Sir, we're over England," one of the flight attendants replied as she was passing by. "The
nearest mountain range is hundreds of kilometers away in the main European continent."
"But, there's so many clouds about," he countered. "How can you be sure? What if the
plane's instruments are wrong? We could be heading straight for a mountain and we wouldn't
even know it until it was too late. Minako-chan, I...." He was cut off when Minako clapped
her hand over his mouth.
"Is he all right?" the flight attendant asked concernedly.
"He's a little nervous," she explained. "It's his first time on a plane."
"Oh," the flight attendant said understandingly, then smiled reassuringly at Ryoku. "I
assure you, sir, our airline has never once lost an aircraft due to malfunctioning flight
instruments, or crashing into mountains. You're very safe on this plane, I guarantee it."
With that, she walked away to take care of other business.
"Ryo-kun, I want you to calm down," Minako said sternly. "Honestly, you're acting like a
child! What happened to the brave, Ryo-kun that would face anything while by his partner's
side; even death?"
At that, he stopped struggling and looked straight at her. "You're right, Minako-chan," he
said quietly as he calmed himself. "I'm ashamed at the way I was behaving earlier. After
facing the many dangers of the Dark Agency, flying on a plane should be nothing."
"Right!" Minako said encouragingly. "Now, how do you feel?"
"Like I wanna throw up again," he admitted quietly. "I trust you, Minako-chan, but I can't
help but feel scared. I'll calmly face death, but at least I can fight back. On a plane, if
we start to crash, I can't fight back. That's why I'm scared."
"Ryo-kun...," she began as the plane began to dive through the clouds. Ryoku started to
tense up, but his determined expression remained fixed on his face. She slowly reached out
to him and took one of his hands in hers. "Remember, I'm here with you. Together. We'll
face anything, even death, together as partners."
"Anything...," Ryoku murmured quietly. "Together...."
Slowly, through the window, the view of clouds gave way to a view of the city of London
below. They were no longer over the ocean, but over land. Through the window, the land was
coming closer and closer.
"Please don't crash...," Ryoku mumbled quietly, as if praying. "Please don't crash....
Please don't crash.... Please don't crash.... Please don't crash...."
His litany was interrupted by the bump of the plane's wheels touching the ground. He
glanced over to Minako with a questioning look on his face. "It is over?" he asked.
"It's over," she agreed, giving his hand a squeeze of encouragement. "We're safe."
"We made it, Minako-chan!" he said in pure relief. "We've arrived in London in one piece!
Arigatou gozaimasu, Kami-sama!"
Minako shook her head in chagrin. 'It's amazing how someone who can easily face the dangers
we face without the slightest bit of worry can be so frightened of something as simple and
as safe as flying on a plane,' she thought to herself. 'But, then again, considering his
past with planes, I guess I can understand a little bit of the reason why....'
The second the plane dock with the gate terminal, Ryoku grabbed his suitcase from the
overhead compartment and handed it to Minako, then picked her up in his arms and raced off
of the plane before anyone could even stand up.
"Ryo-kun no baka!!!" Minako yelled as he raced off the plane, leaving the flight attendants
to stare after the pair and sweatdrop in chagrin.
"Yare, yare...," one of the flight attendants murmured as she shook her head and went back
to assisting the other passengers.
**********************************************
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs
to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This
story belongs me, so I would appreciate it very much if you would ask for permission before
posting it anywhere else. Thank you.
The Question and all stories included are:
Copyright © July 6, 2001 Jason C. Ulloa.
All Rights Reserved.