Through the Looking Glass Ami loved her job as a science teacher at Juuban Middle school. Really she did. She taught in many of the same rooms she herself had once been a student in. She enjoyed the subject she taught, which she hoped showed to her students. She felt she contributed to society in her line of work. She also enjoyed the familiar setting as she ate lunch near the same bench and tree her friends had eaten lunch by when they attended. At twenty-nine, this made her feel young again. And she just loved teaching. Yes, Ami loved her job. Everything about it but the last four minutes of the last class for the day, that is. That was when she had to scramble to finish her final lecture of the day, and tell 30 students what their homework assignment was before they ran out the door at breakneck speed. This was particularly hard today since it was a Friday. Even though the bell hadn't rung, she was already having to listen to the sounds of books being closed, backpacks zipped up and students chattering excitedly. Some students were already standing up and stretching as if they were preparing to run a marathon to the door. Every time she saw them do this, no matter how hard she tried, it always made her feel her students saw her as a boring adult, and didn't give a damn about her or her class. In short, it hurt her feelings a bit. She spoke calmly and rapidly as her losing battle with the second hand came to its unavoidable conclusion. "Now, I need you to read chapters 4 through . . . Pay Attention! 8 during break and answer the questions at stop staring at the clock and listen to me please the end of each chapter. Try to remember the important information on Boyle's Law in chapter 7. You will be tested on this when you get back. You all have my cell phone quiet down back there I'm not finished number so if you have any questions just give me a call, and-" Just then the bell rang out, interrupting Ami and reminding her she had lost her race once again to a darn timekeeping device. Ami quietly slunk back to her desk, currently piled with the last tests of the semester she had to grade, and watched as all of her students leaped out of their seats and ran for the door, some of them getting stuck between each other and the door frame in their mad rush. All of her students, that is, except one. Hotaru quietly wrote down the last of the notes that Ami had scribbled down on the board so fast there were actually spelling mistakes. As always, she quietly and orderly packed up her supplies, then walked over to Ami's desk to say goodbye before going to the parking lot to meet up with her Haruka Papa for the journey home. Once the rest of her classmates had left, Hotaru told Ami, trying to cheer her up, "It really was a good lesson today. The visual aids on buoyancy were helpful in your explanation, and I think most of them took the time to write down the homework assignment. By the way, it was kind of you to give us so little homework for break." Then she added, a little more irritated, "Some of the other teachers weren't as kind." The blue-haired woman sighed, and said, sounding tired, frustrated, and a little embarrassed, "Thank you Hotaru, but you don't have to stick up for me. I just hate it when they rush out like that." Ami took off her glasses to rub her eyes for a moment. She had to wear glasses all the time now because her eyes had gotten worse when she turned seventeen. She put her glasses back on, then said, sounding more enthusiastic, "So! What are your plans for the weekend?" "Well, let's see . . . " The girl said excitedly holding up her hands as if she needed them to help count the activities, "Haruka Papa, Setsuna Mama, Michiru Mama and myself are going to attend Haruka Papa's race at the Tokyo Five Hundred tomorrow. Next we are planning on doing some shopping at the mall, then I was thinking you and I could go to the restaurant were Makoto works and . . . " Ami held up her hand, stopping Hotaru there while smiling, "OK, OK, I get the picture," laughed Ami. "And since you're going to ask anyway, my plans are to finish up my paper in protest to the IAU for 'officially' changing the planet Pluto's classification from planet to dwarf planet. Then I have 5 physics books and a psychology book I'm just dying to read, plus two competing textbooks the school is thinking of using next year to replace your current one for my class. Then maybe wander the net, grade these darn tests,"she said picking up some of the papers for emphasis, "and Minako has insisted that I 'get out of the house for a while'. So I haven't decided what to do when she finally kicks me out of the apartment for a few hours, I have some plans for next Saturday I need to finalize, and . . . outright relax. Maybe even live dangerously and watch some TV." "Yea . . . exciting . . . well, I have to go or Haruka is going to think you gave me detention or something. See you later!" With that, Hotaru walked calmly out of the room and as soon as she was out of sight, Ami heard the sound of Hotaru's feet carrying her as fast as they could down the hall. The blue-eyed teacher suddenly remembered something she needed to tell Hotaru. Ami shouted down the hall after her student and fellow protector of the galaxy, "Don't forget to tell Haruka that Minako, Rei, and Usagi plan to go to the race tomorrow!" but she could already tell Hotaru was long gone. Now that she was alone, the soldier of fresh water packed all her papers in her bag, and took one last look around the classroom before leaving. Ami sighed quietly, thinking about how much she missed being on the other side of the teacher's desk some days. Truth be told, even though she appeared not much older than her students, she was starting to feel her age. Not physically, but in her heart. Ever since the sailor warriors had reached the age of nineteen, except Hotaru who was younger, and thus still growing, none of them seemed to have aged even though now they were pushing thirty. They all knew they would be alive and relatively young in appearance still by the 30th century, but none of them had really thought about what they were going to do once people started to notice they were simply not aging. Ami had spent countless hours lately thinking about that and being older in general. "Best not to think about that right now though. I've got a spring break to enjoy!" said the quiet teacher to no one in particular. "Just out of curiosity though . . . " Ami casually looked up and down both sides of the hall, checking to see if anyone was around as she walked out of her room. She quietly started walking down the hallway. Then, as a huge smile formed on her face, she too ran as fast as she could for the nearest exit to her car, ignoring the looks of disapproval and surprise from other teachers tidying up their classrooms. ---------- A little later, Makoto was also getting off of work. Makoto now managed a restaurant called Panda Paradise Restaurant and Bakery. She had just left a meeting with the owner of the restaurant that had put a huge smile on her face. A meeting she couldn't wait to tell her friends about! The green-eyed woman was so caught up in her joy as she skipped down the street, that as she turned a corner going back to her apartment she almost didn't realize she was about to trample a very familiar pedestrian. "Hey Makoto! If you don't slow down you're going to kill someone!" laughed her friend Minako, as she changed direction and skipped down the sidewalk beside Makoto. "I haven't seen you smile like this for quite a while. What's up?" "Nice to see you too, Mina-chan." Makoto stopped skipping and started walking like a normal human being, reining in her joy before she really did step on someone. At 6 feet even, Makoto was a bit of a giant in Tokyo. Even still, she couldn't keep the happiness out of her voice as she spoke to her long-time friend. "I just got some good news from the owner of the restaurant I work at. I want to wait till we all get together Wednesday though, so I can let everyone know." "Well can you give me a hint? I promise not to broadcast it across town like I did last time Ami told me about your promotion." Minako meant literally broadcasting too since Minako now had a job as a morning radio DJ. "I haven't forgotten about that. All the more reason for me to wait. So . . . uh, how is Ami anyway? I've been so busy lately in the bakery training new staff I haven't spoken to her for about a month now." At the mention of Ami's name Makoto went from being happy to feeling suddenly a bit worried. The Senshi of thunder hoped that her blonde, scatter-brained friend wouldn't notice her sudden change in mood. "Ami? She's fine. She's been spending a lot of her free time lately in her room again, though. I worry about her. It's like I live in that apartment by myself some days. Well other than Artemus that is. He is usually yelling at me to clean up or some other thing the moment I walk through the door. I think they BOTH need to get out more. To be fair though, Artemus does sneak out to raid the neighborhood's garbage cans on trash day and to see Luna. I don't know. It could be worse, I suppose. I could be rooming with someone who didn't pay their share of the rent and bills on time, or worse yet! With Rei! Can you picture me living at a Shinto shrine? That's a lot of work to do, what Rei does. I shouldn't complain, really. At least I get lots of privacy with Ami as a roommate. I'm going to toss her out of the place for 3 days next week, minimum. Got the new locks and everything. Speaking of which -- do you mind if she crashes at your place when I begin my little plot? I've got a suitcase packed for the occasion already and everything!" Minako had spoken so fast that Makoto wasn't sure the blonde had taken a breath. It also took her a moment to catch up to what she had asked. "Wha . . . ? I guess she can stay with me a few days . . . I have an extra room in my new place. It'd be nice to have the company, too. Just make sure it's OK with her before you ask. I don't want her feeling like she is imposing on me or anything. You know how she is." Now the taller woman looked down at her shorter companion and said seriously, "I don't want her getting the thought that this was my crazy idea either. I'm not going to stop her if she tries to kill you this time, by the way. Really Minako, throwing her out of her own place is a little low, even if Ami could use some fresh air. I mean, her name is on the lease, you know." Then Makoto smiled and said, "You know if I hadn't known better, I'd say Ami planned this from the beginning just to get some peace and quiet from you and your loud music. It's far more clever than your usual antics!" Minako looked up at her friend sweetly, and said as if she were completely innocent, "Cool -- so it's a deal then! Well, I gotta go. See ya soon!" Then as she ran full speed down the sidewalk, she shouted over her shoulder to Makoto, sounding a little irritated, "By the way, Ami is starting to like my collection of American pop music!" Once Minako was out of sight from Makoto, she whispered to herself , feeling rather clever for what she felt she was setting in motion, "The Senshi of love strikes again! HA HA!" ---------- Minako and Ami shared a small, two-bedroom apartment with Artemus. The front door opened into the living room and kitchen with a small hallway running to the two bedrooms and the bathroom. Other than their bedrooms, which were highly individualized, the place was sparsely decorated. It wasn't much, but it was home for the three of them. Ami unlocked the door to the apartment, dropped her bag full of papers by the door, and went straight to her room. Ami's bedroom wasn't very big, but it was the place she was the most comfortable in the entire world. It was organized and tidy, but it was crammed full of various things. She had a small twin bed off to the far corner with a simple blue bed set. In the other corner near the window was a desk with a lamp and a high-tech computer she had built herself. There were stacks of books near the desk ready for her to list on the BookCrossing website or to read. On the wall was a signed Starlights poster and several pictures of all of her friends and family. There were three bookshelves full of books on nearly every topic, two file cabinets, and a dresser. Ami sat down at her desk and booted up her computer. All the information in the world was at her fingertips when she was here. But Ami wasn't really interested in surfing the net, or reading up on the latest scientific advancements at the moment. She was more interested in the chat program and chatting with someone she had come to think of as very special. Unfortunately, CherryPieLover wasn't online. Ami had been somewhat dating Cherry online for three months now. Partially for safety, and because Ami was just plain shy, they had yet to see a picture of the other. Also, they both were a little jittery about friends finding out their sexual preference, and again, to play it safe, the two women had not met in person, though they were planning on doing so soon. Ami decided to look at more pictures she had of her friends on her computer. She had them as far back as 1995 and up to the present. Her conversation with Hotaru earlier had caused her to think about her long-time crush, who Ami was pretty sure felt they were just friends. Ami opened up one of the picture files of Makoto and got lost in the image's green eyes for some time. She felt a little guilty still having feelings for Makoto, now that she had PieLover, but she knew Makoto just wasn't available. So, that was that. Suddenly, just as Ami was closing the image, a box appeared in the center of the screen. CherryPieLover: I just got the most wonderful news and I've got to share it with someone before I burst! Ami suddenly felt childishly excited just to see that Cherry was online as she typed her message back. PBJ1978: I love you too. I take it I'm the first to hear this wonderful news? CherryPieLover: Yes. I plan on telling the rest of my friends when we get together later in the week, but since we have never met in person, I figure I can tell you now and not have them feel jellous. They tend to all want to be the first to know. PBJ1978: Ha ha! Sounds like my group of friends. I can't wait to meet you in person. We ARE still on for next Saturday, right? (Oh, and by the way, you misspelled jealous) CherryPieLover: Hey! Don't change the subject! And yes. 8:30PM just as we planned. Speaking of restaurants, let's go back to what I was trying to tell you for a moment. The owner of mine has decided to sell me the restaurant at a fairly big loss to her since she has more than enough to retire and because she thinks I will keep it running with pride. PBJ1978: You weren't kidding. That IS wonderful! You'll have to tell me where you work once we meet so I can try the food. You keep teasing me about your cooking skills compared to my typical lunch. Hope your skills with a skillet are as good as you boast! The two secret lovers talked for a while after that, until suddenly Ami heard the front door open. Ami quickly typed up an apology, then closed the program and opened up the program with her paper for the IAU just in time for Minako to throw open the door to Ami's room. "How many times do I have to ask you to knock before entering?" asked Ami, looking over the top of her glasses at Minako as she spoke. "Two or three more times should do it," answered the blond cheerfully. "So whatchyaupto?" "Working," Ami said simply, as she gestured at her computer screen. Then she sat back in her chair as she swiveled it so she was facing Minako and asked, "So what kind of social nightmare are you going to try to drag me into now?" At that comment, Minako looked a little disappointed. "That's not fair. I know I screwed up when I tried to set you up with that last guy. I'm only trying to help you out, you know. You've always got some kind of report to write or tests to grade, or some computer program or bit of research to do lately. I swear you're losing some skin color. You really do need to get out a little more. I thought we would just go out to dinner for the night. I've already arranged for us to eat at Usagi and Mamoru's house." Ami looked up finally and spoke to Minako as if she were a small child. "Minako, you know I'm a teacher. I have to study to keep up with current information and changes to the scientific world." Then Ami blurted out before she realized what she was saying, "and it may please you to know I have a date next Saturday. So quit bothering me about going out!" As soon as she finished Ami turned beet red. Minako looked at Ami with her mouth and eyes wide open for a moment, then stammered out, "Since when? But I was going to -- But you never -- How did you . . . That's great!" Then Minako, now leaning on the door frame added with a cheesy grin, "So who is the lucky guy?" Ami, still turning yet another shade of red, answered, "Look, Minako, it's nothing OK? I'm just going to meet up with someone I have an interest in and see where things go. Probably won't even go past the first date with my luck. Uh . . . You were saying something about going out to eat? Great Idea! Get going!" At this point, Ami was pushing Minako out her room and toward the front door. "You go out and have a great time, and I'll finish, uh . . . " Ami reached down and grabbed the bag with papers she had sat down next to the door earlier. "I'll grade these! Yeah, that's it. I'll grade these. You go have a great evening out on the town and let me know how it goes, OK? Bye!" Minako had just enough time to get out, "But I --" before Ami closed and locked the apartment door. As she leaned against the door for a moment, Ami decided a nice warm shower would help calm her down a bit. It wasn't often that she told anyone about her personal affairs because it made her uncomfortable wondering what people would think or assume. Even her closest friends. So she made her way to the bathroom, undressed and stepped into the shower. The warm water felt good on her skin and seemed to wash away all her fears and uneasiness about herself. Once she felt like herself again, she got out, dried off, and wrapped a towel around herself, then she looked at her reflection in the large mirror over the sink. Deep blue eyes stared back at her as she thought about the day's events. She closed her eyes for a moment, sighing, realizing the shower hadn't made her forget as much as she wanted. Ever since she was a kid, romance made her uncomfortable. So, she had spent most of her teen years with her face hidden behind books. It had taken her many years to fully understand the reason for it, and when she finally admitted to herself that she was a homosexual, she had originally felt like she had a huge weight lifted from her shoulders that she hadn't noticed existed until that moment. Unfortunately it also made her feel stressed. Japan is a very conservative country to live in, so being openly gay isn't common even in the homosexual community. This made her feel she had to hide this fact from her family as well as coworkers. She felt bad for not even telling the other Senshi. It wasn't that she was worried about loosing their acceptance however. Ami knew her friends would accept her for who she was no matter what. It had more to do with how embarrassed she would be if Makoto found out how she felt about her. On top of that, getting older made her situation even worse. The thought of spending a lifetime that could potentially last thousands of years, or more, experiencing watching the person she fell in love with aging and dying long before she would over and over was a terrifying one to Ami. Or worse yet, spending that long lifespan totally alone. She loved her friends, but she longed for a more intimate relationship. It made that part of her life that much more difficult, since she was still painfully shy when it came to dating, and she was a closet lesbian. As she looked at her reflection a moment more, she started to feel angry at her own face in the mirror. "You worry about everything, you know that? Just once why can't you say to hell with the consequences! Break the stupid rules of society, since they are unfair! Let yourself fall in love, and just take the moment already! Its no one's business but your own if things actually work out or not with you and Cherry, so stop worrying about it!" She stared at her reflection a moment more, as if waiting for a response. Ami could feel all her frustration with herself coming to a boil. Years of loneliness were finally starting to take a toll on the Senshi of water, now that she couldn't hide from her feelings behind books or mountains of extra homework. Even though she knew it wouldn't make her feel any better and would probably break the mirror, Ami brought up her hand and tried to slap her own reflection as hard as she could. That was when everything started. Her hand passed through the glass, causing the glass surface to ripple like water, and she felt her hand smack against someone's face. Ami quickly drew back her hand and looked back at her reflection with shock as the water-like mirror smoothed itself back out. Her reflection, on the other hand, now with a red cheek, bore a different expression than hers. One of rage. Then Ami watched as the background in the mirror changed entirely from a reflection of the wall behind her to solid black. Her reflection backed up several feet and ran forward. "I must be dreaming," said Ami out loud, then she screamed in terror as her reflection jumped through the mirror, smashing it and sending glass flying everywhere. Ami felt the sharp glass cut into her skin, realizing with growing anxiety that it wasn't a dream by a long shot, as she staggered away from a literal mirror copy of herself as it stood in front of her. The clone copy looked at her curiously, then, as if remembering its purpose, it said simply and with a little sarcasm, "Goodnight," as she grabbed the stunned Ami's head with both hands and smashed it against the counter as hard as she could. Ami felt a sharp pain, heard herself groan loudly in agony, then everything went black.
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