On her way back to the residence, Usagi believed more and more that everything she saw had just been a figment of her imagination. That strange gnome she could have easily accepted as some form of unidentified monster, sent by some unknown new enemy.
But a complete city underneath the surface of the lake that is visible only for a short instance?
Even if she considered the transformations, supernatural enemies and time travels she dealt with during her adventures as Sailor Moon, this was a bit too much.
As she reached the house she decided not to talk about this with anyone... not even with her friends, after she would come home. They would most likely laugh at her.
Especially Rei...
"I'm back!" she shouted as she came in and removed her shoes.
A grinning face that was surrounded by long, raven-black hair appeared in the door leading to the living room. "Welcome back... meatball head!"
Usagi looked back at her friend and teammate in surprise.
"REI!"
----
Shortly afterwards, they were all sitting together in the living room. Usagi realized with surprise that Rei didn't come alone... her grandfather was sitting next to her mother and sipped from a cup of tea.
"When I told Grandpa that you're spending your vacation here," Rei spoke up. "He remembered that the priest of the nearby temple is an old friend of his, and so he decided that the two of us could use a little time away from our duties as well... so we packed our things and came!" She smiled.
Usagi smiled back. She was really glad to have one of her friends around, one who she could speak with. With only her parents and the pesky little Shingo around (okay, he can be a nice brother every now and then), the time at the lake had been really boring and bothersome for the blonde girl.
Grandfather Hino took a sip from his cup. "I've been here several times," he explained. "But not nearly as much as back when I've been a young lad." He chuckled. "Koji and I used to do all kind of wild stuff those days. We were swimming in the lake, exploring the forests and looking for the spirits."
Usagi blinked. "The spirits?"
"Oh, didn't you know?" The old man put down his cup. "The people living around here have all kinds of stories that there are many strange creatures living around here, nature spirits, yokais and ghosts." He chuckled. "Back when I was a young boy, I believed everything, of course. Nowadays... well, let's just say: We all don't know what's out there, do we?" He picked up his cup and took another sip.
Usagi's father laughed. "Well, Shingo, you gotta be careful then. You don't want one of those yokais to come and get you, right?"
"Hah, hah, very funny..." the young boy muttered.
"Please, Grandpa... we decided that on this vacation, we wanted to stop thinking about spirits and such," Rei sighed. "The people that live around here are creepy enough..." She shuddered.
"Why, Rei-chan?" Usagi's mother asked. "Did you meet anyone in particular?"
"Well... there was this strange boy I ran into yesterday, right after we arrived. He was wearing tattered clothes, and his face was dirty..."
Ikuko raised her eyebrows. "Is that alone a reason to call someone creepy?"
"That's not it," Rei tried to explain. "You know... he acted weird. I was strolling through the forest, eating one of the sandwiches we brought from home, and I accidentally dropped the wrapping. I just wanted to go and pick it up, when suddenly, this guy stood in front of me. He yelled at me in some strange language I didn't understand... and then he gestured at the wrapping. I think he was upset that I dropped it to the ground. You know, I tried to explain that I dropped it by accident, but he wouldn't listen... I don't know if he even understood me. In the end, he picked up the wrapping by himself and left without saying another word. But he threw me such an angry glare... He acted as if I had committed some sort of crime."
"Ah yes, I think that was Ash," Grandfather Hino nodded. "My friend Koji told me all about him... he's supposed to be an orphan that lives nearby, with his foster parents. He's a foundling, you know?"
"A... foundling?" Usagi wondered.
Hino nodded. "Yes, his foster parents found him in the woods a few months ago. He was wearing some strange clothes and only spoke a very old dialect most of the people around here didn't understand. When they realized that the boy didn't have a home, they adopted him."
"But why did he act like this?" Rei wondered.
"Well, they say that Ash loves nature like nobody else. He spends most of his time running through the woods, searching for animals or sitting atop trees. You don't want to know how often he has driven his foster parents crazy by bringing home forest animals that have been hurt." He took another sip. "If there's one thing he can't stand, it's people who pollute the environment."
"I see..." his granddaughter murmured. "And when I dropped the bread wrapping, he believed I did it intentionally..."
"Well, I hope this boy won't come near this house," Ikuko said. "I don't want my children to hang around with such a boy."
"He's not a bad guy," Grandfather Hino explained. "He's just not used to human civilization as we know it. Some people believe he was being raised by animals."
Usagi's father laughed. "Some sort of modern Mowgli, huh?"
"Something like that," Hino shrugged. He put his cup down again. "My, this was simply delicious, Ikuko! You have to tell me the name of this brand."
"Why, thank you!" Usagi's mother beamed. "I'm glad you liked it. Would you like another cup, Hino-san?"
The old man shook his head. "No, I have to politely decline. My friend is waiting for us back at his home, and I don't want to keep him waiting." He stood up. "Rei, are you coming?"
"Aw, you're leaving already?" Usagi whined.
Rei smiled. "Sorry, wish I could stay for longer... but I'll come over tomorrow, promise!"
"Why don't you sleep here, Rei-chan?" Ikuko asked. "There are two beds in the room where Usagi is sleeping... my sister has twin daughters, you know? You could share the room. Um, that is, if that is fine with your grandfather."
Grandfather Hino shrugged. "I don't mind. I know she will be fine in your care, Tsukino-san."
Rei and Usagi smiled at each other. "Great!" Usagi cheered. "It's gonna be like a pajama party!"
Shingo rolled his eyes. "Girls... go figure..." he muttered. Usagi simply growled at him.
Rei's grandfather stood up. "Oh well, I have to leave. Perhaps I will come for a visit very soon... this tea is just too tasty." He grinned. "And perhaps I can tell you some more stories my friend told me about this region. Like the story of the hidden labyrinth... or about the city in the lake."
The others laughed, but Usagi felt a chill crawling up her spine. What did he say? City in the lake?
Right after Grandfather Hino had left, Usagi excused herself and Rei, and she dragged her friend to the room she was sleeping in. She then closed the door.
"What's the hurry, Usagi?" the raven-haired Shinto priestess asked. "You look worried. Is it about Luna? I'm sorry, but we still couldn't find a trace of her..."
Usagi shook her head. "This isn't about Luna..." she said. "But after hearing what your grandfather just said... I have to tell you something."
"What is it?" Rei asked as they sat down on the two beds.
Usagi gulped. "You know, either I'm going nuts or something big is going on. You... you won't believe what I saw earlier, when I was at the lake..."
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(Posted Mon, 05 Feb 2007 21:25)
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