Minako sighed very deeply as she leaned back against a tree, her eyes closed. She smiled dreamily as the summer sun played with the shadows of leaves across her face. Everything seemed so peaceful and serene... "But Mako-chan...!" Minako nearly jumped out of her skin at Usagi's strident, whining exclamation. Opening her eyes, she saw three of her friends and fellow Senshi, Usagi, Makoto and Ami. Ami was sitting on a bench across from Minako, engrossed in a book. Minako ruefully wished for her concentration as she looked at the other two sitting next to her, Usagi holding a pitifully empty lunch bag and looking lustfully at Makoto's beautifully prepared meal. "Usagi-chan...this would be the third time I've had to share my lunch with you this week!" Makoto protested. "I get hungry too, you know?" "And she's being very generous by using the word 'share.'" Ami noted absently as she turned a page. "You tend to eat most of it." Usagi pouted. "But it's not my fault! I just wake up too late for breakfast and I just have to eat my lunch in class." She sniffed. "But then I don't have anything for lunch...and I get so hungry..." Makoto sighed the sigh of the long-suffering and food-deprived as she allowed Usagi to take a few morsels from her lunch. "I don't see how any of that isn't your fault, but..." Minako coughed gently and everyone glanced over at her. "You know Usagi- chan, the eye of the beholder is always bigger than your stomach." She said chidingly. Everyone simply gave her a look for a long moment. She shrugged. "Hey, it's true!" Undaunted, she reached into her own lunch, blinking as her fingers brushed a folded piece of paper that she hadn't placed there. She drew it out surreptitiously and glanced down at it, sure that it was a letter from one of her many secret admirers, but wanting to make certain before she began showing off. ~Minako...please come to my apartment after school today. I have something very important to ask you. But please, please don't tell anyone. Ami.~ The Senshi of Love glanced up. Sure enough, Ami was looking at her, a worried expression on her face. As soon as she realized she'd been spotted, her eyes darted back to her book, but a small pink flush remained on her cheeks. "Hey, what's that?" Makoto asked, finally digging into her own lunch. She had managed to save about half from the voracious Moon Princess. Usagi looked over as well. "Oooooh! I bet it's a letter from a secret admirer!" She purred. "Let me see!" She reached out for the paper. Out of the corner of her eye, Minako noticed Ami's fingers tightening around her book. Minako snatched it back and shoved it into her bag. "Not so fast!" She said teasingly. "This admirer wants to remain a secret, and, as the Goddess of Love, it's my duty to respect his wishes!" Usagi pouted. "You've never kept any of the others secret." Minako winked. "This one's different." Usagi pouted a little more, but quickly cheered up when she managed to get a couple more sympathy bites from Makoto. The rest of the day passed slowly for Minako, her mind filled with theories about her secret meeting with Ami. Of course, as she was leaving school, having said goodbye to her friends, she had to admit the answer was obvious. "Ami-chan's in love!" She said to herself, taking a long way around to Ami's apartment building. She did want to keep her friend's secret, so she didn't want anyone noticing where she was headed. "That has to be it...and this proves she's a genius, coming to me for help!" She sighed theatrically. "It's a hard burden, always being sought out for romantic advice. But I guess that's just the way it has to be...I mean, who else could the poor thing possibly go to?" Ami buzzed her in as soon as she reached the building and Minako tried to think up sage words of advice for any possible scenario the Senshi of Water might have gotten herself into as the elevator climbed to the penthouse. She smiled cheerfully as Ami let her in, determined not to let the other girl know she had figured out her secret. It would be much better for her to tell Minako herself. "So, how's your mom?" She asked conversationally as she sank into the plush sofa in the living room. "Oh...Mother's at the hospital...she'll be there until late tonight..." Ami said nervously, sitting across from Minako. She shifted around a little bit. "Minako-chan..." She said softly. This was it...Minako sat up, looking attentive but not overwhelming, she hoped. "Yes, Ami-chan?" Ami started to speak several times, but stopped herself. Finally she took a deep breath. "I'll never be able to say it...here..." Her cheeks red, Ami looked down at the table between the two as she held out a piece of paper. Now slightly confused, Minako took it and looked down at what she held. When her eyes took in what was on the paper, the Senshi of Love released it as if it burned her. It drifted gently down to the surface of the table, Minako still staring at it in disbelief. Ami continued to stare intently at nothing in particular. PRACTICE ENGLISH EXAM STUDENT: Mizuno Ami SCORE: 78/100 Minako finally found her voice. "A 78?" She looked at her friend, stunned. "You...you got a 78? On a TEST?" Ami bit her lip, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Minako mentally berated herself for being so shocked. Ami's studies meant so much to her, and Minako's reaction couldn't have helped at all. "Hey...it's okay..." She said more gently. "I mean, 78...it's almost a B!" "I've never gotten a B in my entire life, let alone a C." Ami said miserably. "But I've just been so busy this semester with my other subjects, and Senshi business, and helping all of you study..." Minako winced. "I'm sorry Ami...if we were messing you up, you should have said something!" Ami smiled a bit and shook her head, looking up at Minako for the first time. She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "No, no! I love helping you all...it's one of my favorite things, it really is!" She said earnestly. "And I can't imagine what would happen to you and Usagi without me to help you study!" Minako grinned a bit and rubbed the back of her head. "Ami-chan...you didn't have to say it like that..." "Like what?" "Never mind." Ami smiled again, with a little more feeling. "Besides, it's only a practice exam from cram school...the real thing won't be for a couple of weeks." She blushed. "Actually, that's really why I asked you over..." It took a couple of moments for that to sink in. "You want me to tutor you?" She smiled at Ami's tentative nod. "Wow...that's sort of unusual, isn't it?" She giggled. "Sure, I can do that." Ami smiled, relieved. "Great! Just...please don't tell the others." She looked embarrassed. "I know it's just a silly practice test, but..." Minako cut her off with a huge smile and a V hand signal. "Hey, don't worry about it! My lips are sealed." Minako had always been a little worried for the shyest of the Sailor Senshi's self-esteem, and she had no intention of doing anything that would hurt Ami's pride. Ami whipped out a day planner and laid it open on the table. "Now when should we do this? I have cram school and of course there's the usual studying with the others...it will be hard, but I'd like to get as much work in as possible..." The short-haired girl continued planning rapidly, with only the occasional input from Minako. What have I gotten myself into? Minako wondered, a little dazed by Ami's implacable efficiency. She glanced up at the other girl's face, noting absently the rather cute way her eyebrows were drawn together in concentration as her fingers danced the pen over the planner. Well, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to spend a little more time alone with her. That was a rather odd thought, and Minako would have looked at it a little more closely, but at that moment the communicators around both girls' wrists crackled to life, a familiar voice sounding out in tinny stereo. "This is Jupiter! There's a youma attacking the crowd in front of the bookstore near the arcade. Mars and I are keeping it busy, but we need help!" As she spoke, the words "Burning Mandala!" sounded out faintly behind her, followed by a whoosh and a muffled screech. Minako frowned. "This is Venus. I have Mercury with me. We're on our way." Both girls stood up and rushed towards the door. As they rushed to the elevators, the communicator came on again, this time to the sound of a snore that was shortly cut off by a squeak of pain. "Luna here...don't worry, she'll be there soon." As the elevator descended, Minako and Ami gave each other a quick smile. When it reached ground floor, the two pelted out of the building and ducked behind it. Finally away from any prying eyes, it was time. "MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!" "VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!" Transformed, the Senshi dashed off. The screams of terror and fleeing crowds made the location of the attack easy enough to find, even they hadn't known where they were going. They turned the corner to find the street in front of the bookstore was a war zone. Quite a few people were still there, immobile statues covered in a thick, inky liquid. Jupiter was standing in the middle of the street, lightning crackling around her as she launched an attack towards the youma, a massive black spider streaked with green with a humanoid torso clad in chitinous armor that matched its markings. It was battered and even smoking from a couple of places, showing damage from the battle thus far. It rushed towards Jupiter, who was also a bit the worse for wear, dancing nimbly out of the way of the streaking electricity while a stream of the black goo jetted from its mouth towards the Senshi. Jupiter rolled out of the way as well, and the youma skidded to halt and turned just as Jupiter climbed to her feet. "Where's Mars?" Mercury asked worriedly, peering at the street below. "I can't see her." Venus replied. "But we're not finding out up here. Let's go!" She ran over and leapt on top of a nearby car. "Hey, Youma!" The spider lifted its head to look at her, and Jupiter glanced behind her, a smile of relief on her face. "I can't allow you to destroy the peace in this city and harm these innocent people! I am Sailor Venus! Prepare to be punished in the name of Venus!" The spider stared at her for a moment, then leapt high into the air, coming down onto the hood of the car Venus was standing on, crushing the vehicle and sending the Senshi of love flying. "I am the daeva Spinne." It said in a guttural hiss, turning to where Sailor Venus lay sprawled on the pavement. "Prepare yourself." "SHABON SPRAY!" Mercury had been just a step behind Venus and had waited patiently for the right moment. Cold mist filled the area, but Venus could just make out the silhouette of the daeva. That was enough. "VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN!" The golden, heart-shaped links streaked out towards the creature in the mists. When the air cleared an instant later, Spinne had fallen on its side, its spider's legs bound tightly in the chain. It struggled, but was unable to reach its hands down far enough to free itself. "Remember me?" A voice from above said. On the roof of the bookstore, looking rather battered herself, was Sailor Mars, smirking. The creature froze for a moment, sensing the sudden onset of doom. On the street, Jupiter was smiling as well. "MARS FLAME SNIPER!" "SUPREME THUNDER!" The flaming arrow streaked towards the daeva, meeting the lightning halfway and bonding with it, detonating in a ball of fire and thunder when it made contact. Spinne shrieked as it took the full force of the combined attack, and continued to shriek as the flames faded. Black energy crackled around its singed and cracked carapace for a moment, then it seemed to somehow implode, falling into itself in an instant. And the daeva was gone. Sailor Moon ran up an instant later, just as the black goo began to slough off the trapped humans, evaporating the instant it touched the ground. The people fell after being freed, but immediately began struggling to their feet. "Is the fight over?" Sailor Moon asked, surprised. "Yeah, no thanks to you." Mars said, leaping from the roof to the sidewalk below. Sailor Moon stuck her tongue out at her. "We'd better go." Mercury said, looking at the people beginning to gather. That seemed like a good idea, so the Inner Senshi dashed off down a side street before anybody really noticed them. ------------------- In a dark cavern, illuminated only by the flickering light of an orb in the center of it, a figure stared into that light. He was tall, pale and handsome, and his waist length hair was a dark shade of midnight blue that had an almost metallic glint in the pale light. He wore a long robe, colored a shade of blue very similar to that of his hair. A saber was at belted at his side in a golden scabbard. His face betrayed no emotion save a hint of irritation. The orb's surface was displaying the last few moments of the fight between the Inner Senshi and Spinne. The figure frowned slightly as Spinne met its end, and two other figures entered the cavern at the same moment. The orb began playing the image of the fight from the beginning once again. "You see Lady Meson?" One said in an irritated tone. "It's as I said...he sent a daeva to earth without permission and now look! It's been defeated. A breach of security and a waste of resources like this cannot..." He fell silent as the other lifted her hand. "Enough Gluon." Meson stepped close to the orb and into the light. She was a picture of contrasts. Tall and slender, she walked with the deliberate grace of an assassin. Her costume hugged her form tightly, a bodysuit of some unreflective white material. It came down her arms, tapering off as it reached over her hands. It had a diamond shaped cut in the center of the torso, revealing an expanse of dusky skin. The shoulder plates were white as well, each a sharp, three-tiered triangle. A long, inky black cape hung from these plates, shimmering in the light. Her beautiful, dark face was set in a cruel smile, and her snow-white hair swept behind her head in a series of spikes. A symbol was tattooed on her forehead, three red disks arranged in a triangle, bound by fiery lines. She joined the other in watching the end of the fight play out. "Well Muon?" She asked in a brusque, no-nonsense tone. "What have you discovered?" "This was unsatisfactory." The other finally said in a voice of deep velvet. He gestured, and the orb flashed images of Venus, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter. "These were the only ones who actually fought." An image of Sailor Moon appeared. "She arrived late...we never saw her powers." A final gesture, and the images vanished, leaving only the orb glowing with a sickly greenish light. "As I said...unsatisfactory. There are ten of these warriors, these Sailor Senshi. Spinne failed to provide me even a glimpse of the other five." Meson nodded. "Nevertheless...we now know that they are powerful...for only four to take a daeva..." Muon made a noncommittal sound. "That knowledge is of use to you, not me. At any rate, we certainly knew that already. Many have fallen to these Senshi in the past. Thus far, I have seen nothing that warrants my attention." Meson smiled slightly. "I'm certain that you'll find something. After all, Tachyon did say that you would make your greatest discovery upon this world. And she has never been wrong." Muon turned to leave, his robe swirling about him as he faded into the shadows. "I hope for the sake of your master that the child is correct here as well...we have had a fruitful alliance, Hadron and I. I would hate to see it end because he has wasted my time." After the sound of Muon's footsteps had faded into echoes, Gluon joined his mistress in the light. Shorter than the other two, he was dressed far more simply than Meson. A simple green sleeveless shirt with a pair of black pants and boots, with a green streak of fire on the side of each leg. Around his neck was a golden pendant that bore the same symbol as that on Meson's forehead. His hair, a deep and vivid green, hung freely down to his shoulders. "Lady Meson..." He began. "Yes, Gluon?" Meson replied, still looking into the orb. "I don't understand why Lord Hadron insisted that he come...he has no loyalty to you or Lord Hadron, or to anyone else. He is...unpredictable, and that makes him a danger to our plans." Meson smiled a bit. "How little you understand him, Gluon. Muon is in fact very predictable...he feels nothing except curiosity. His life is devoted solely to the satisfaction of that curiosity. He will do anything our Lord asks of him, without regret or pause, because despite what he said, he believes in Tachyon's prediction. It has always been like this...he lends his considerable power and brilliant mind to Lord Hadron's conquest, and in return we preserve whatever Muon deems worth studying. He isn't loyal, true. But he is reliable and logical." She turned towards Gluon, a dangerous smile on her face as she stepped towards him. Gluon looked a bit shaken, but made no move. "In that sense, I trust in him far more than you." Meson followed Muon's path into the shadows of the cave, her voice fading gradually as she walked. "Prepare your minions Gluon...you will take charge of the initial phases of the invasion. You will be responsible for seeing the Sailor Senshi do not threaten our plans. You know what I expect...don't fail me." Those last words echoed in the darkness. Gluon looked after her for a long moment. "Muon." He finally whispered, and he clenched his fist. ------------------- A general meeting of Sailor Senshi seemed to be in order, and that evening they gathered in Mamoru's apartment. Michiru and Haruka were out of town for the week, but all the rest came to discuss the sudden attack. "So what did it do when it appeared Rei?" Mamoru asked, standing in the doorway to his kitchen. Rei shrugged a bit. "Nothing really...it just started shrieking and spitting that black stuff over everyone it could. There didn't seem to really be any kind of plan behind it at all. Just usual youma...daeva...stuff." Setsuna was sitting in an armchair, a lightly dozing Hotaru in her lap. She glanced up at Rei's comment. "Doesn't that seem odd?" Everyone turned to look at her. "How many monsters, of any kind, have appeared that didn't have any kind of plan at all? This one appeared intelligent, too intelligent to indulge in this kind of random desruction." "Don't you know Puu?" Chibi-usa asked. She was sitting on the floor next to the chair. "I know you couldn't tell us much...but you should know something, right?" The Guardian of Time frowned slightly. "No...I don't know anything." She closed her eyes. "There's...nothing about any of this in the timeline. A few little ripples...but absolutely nothing that would suggest any kind of danger." She winced and opened her eyes. "Paradox gives me a headache." Makoto frowned. "What do you mean?" Setsuna looked even more serious than usual. "When Pharaoh 90 and the Death Busters attacked, my vision was clouded because they came from outside of the usual timeline. This is different...I *still* can't see this afternoon's attack on the timeline. All I see is a peaceful, very ordinary day. Somehow these events have been masked from the rest of causality." "Could you do that?" Ami asked. Setsuna nodded. "It's an abuse of power, and sort of dangerous, but I could do it. Only someone who can perceive and manipulate the timeline could." "So whoever's behind this..." Ami's eyes widened as Setsuna nodded. "Has powers like mine." Everyone was silent for a moment as that fact sunk in. Usagi was the first one to speak up. "Hey, let's not get all depressed already!" She smiled. "Maybe Spinne was it...there's been random monsters before, after all." Mamoru was shaking his head. "I'm not so sure, Usako." He said. "It was intelligent, so we have to assume it had a plan." He thought for a moment, a pensive look on his face. "If a monster shows up in town, and just starts making a lot of noise and attacking random people, what happens?" "We show up and kick some tail!" Makoto replied instantly. She blinked and started. "It *wanted* us to show up?!" Ami nodded. "I agree...someone sent it to draw us out...maybe just to see what we were capable of." She thought for a moment. "So thinking about it that way, I suppose we didn't fall right into the trap. Only four of us fought, and only five of us were there. They can't know what we can really do." Makoto clenched her fist. "Sending your servant to get killed just to spy is really low, even for a monster." Rei stood up. "Well, I have to head back to the Shrine...and I'm going to do a fire reading." She smiled. "Maybe I can see something even if Setsuna can't." Setsuna smiled at that. "I hope so." She said, in a voice that wasn't too hopeful at all. Makoto yawned. "In that case, I'm going too." She smiled. "I'm still a little wiped out from this afternoon." Usagi bounced up and leaned against Mamoru. "Can I stay a bit longer Mamo-chan?" She asked, blushing softly. Mamoru smiled. "Of course..." "Can I stay too?" Chibi-usa interrupted. Usagi bristled. "No you can't...!" Mamoru squeezed her shoulder lightly and Usagi coughed and closed her eyes. "Why don't you stay at Hotaru's house tonight?" Chibi-usa smiled up at Setsuna. "Can I Puu? Please?" "Of course." She replied, with a look of quiet amusement. Ami started chatting with Mamoru and Usagi, and Minako slipped out with Setsuna and her entourage. Stepping into the elevator, Minako rocked back on her heels, smiling as she listened to the chatter of the two young girls. When they reached ground level, Minako noticed Setsuna giving her a mysterious little smile. She tilted her head curiously in return, and the Guardian of Time just shook her head. "Do you need a ride home?" She asked. "No, but thanks. I think I'd rather walk." Setsuna nodded, as if she had just confirmed something. "Walk slowly." She advised, before saying goodbye and heading off towards the parking garage. Minako shrugged and headed down the street towards home, taking a little extra time to notice her surroundings. When Sailor Pluto gave advice, it tended to pay to listen. After a block or so, she heard footsteps approaching her from behind, quickly. She turned and saw Ami jogging towards her, waving. Minako waved back and waited. "I thought I could catch you!" Ami said, breathing heavily as she reached her friend. "I guess you were right!" Minako grinned. "What can I do for you, Ami- chan?" They began walking again, and Ami smiled brightly at Minako. "I just realized I never really had a chance to thank you." She blushed. "It was really hard for me to ask for help studying...thank you for being so kind." Minako smiled back. "Don't be silly Ami-chan...we're friends, aren't we? Besides, we've never spent a lot of time alone together...it'll be fun!" Ami covered her mouth and chuckled softly. "It will!" Her steps slowed as they reached the next corner and Minako followed suit. "Well, goodnight Minako-chan...I'll see you tomorrow." Minako nodded. "Sure...but I was going to get some dinner at the little restaurant down the street from here...want to join me?" "Well, I would but I have to study a little bit...I have a couple of practice English exams back home and I wanted to..." She made a tiny sound of surprise as Minako grabbed her wrist and started pulling her down the street. "Oh, no! No English tonight!" Minako declared. "If I'm going to study with you, you have to not study with me." She smiled back at Ami. "Fair trade, right?" Ami had regained her footing and was following along at her friend's brisk pace. She smiled back, still looking a bit dazed from her sudden change of plans. "I guess that's fair..." Minako slowed down to a more reasonable pace. When they reached the restaurant, a charming little American-style cafe, the greeter gave them a very strange look for a moment, then smiled and told them they could sit where they liked. As they walked towards a corner booth, Minako said quietly, "I wonder what her problem was..." "I'm not sure, but...oh!" Ami suddenly stopped and covered her mouth, laughing quietly. Minako looked at her oddly. "Ami-chan? Are you alright?" "I will be...as soon as you let me go." Minako's eye dropped to her hand, still holding Ami's other wrist loosely. She released it, blushing. "I'm sorry! I forgot!" Ami was still laughing. "It's okay, it's okay...well, I guess that explains the funny look." "Yeah..." Minako rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed. They found a booth near the corner and sat. In a moment, a waiter walked over with a couple of menus. "May I get either of you something to drink?" Minako picked up her menu and ran her eyes across it. As she did so, she heard Ami say, "I'll just have an iced tea. What would you like...darling?" Minako did a double-take and looked across the table. Ami was looking at her, just a tiny smile on her face, but her eyes were shining with mirth. Minako was overcome with shock for a moment, but quickly decided not to be outdone. "Oh, tea sounds nice...in fact..." She looked up at the waiter with a sweet smile. "Why don't you just bring us a large glass with two straws?" The waiter, perhaps a bit more cosmopolitan than the greeter, just smiled and withdrew. As soon as he was out of sight, Ami and Minako held their menus up in front of their faces, shaking with silent laughter. "I almost choked when you called me darling!" Minako whispered, tears of laughter forming in her eyes. "I know!" Ami agreed, almost squeaking as she talked. "I hope he didn't notice...you looked like someone hit you in the head with a board for a moment!" Minako carefully wiped her eyes, still breaking into a fit of giggles every few seconds. "Well, how was I supposed to know you had a sense of humor like that!" Ami's smile suddenly melted off her face and she became intently interested in her menu. An awkward silence fell over the table, and Minako instantly knew she said the wrong thing. Just as she was getting ready to speak up, the waiter returned with a large glass and a pitcher of iced tea, along with two straws. "Are you ready to order?" He asked pleasantly. "We...need just a minute." Minako replied. The waiter, sensing the sudden change in the vibe of the table, nodded and walked off. Minako was quiet for a long moment, the only sound the clinking of ice cubes as she moved the glass in a little circle. "Ami-chan...I didn't mean that like it sounded...I know you have a sense of humor...it's just that..." "I don't really play jokes much. I know." Ami said softly, still staring at her menu. "And maybe it's silly to let it get to me like that...but I really don't like everyone to think of me as just a smart, mousey little bookworm." "Ami-chan..." Minako leaned forward earnestly. "I promise, I've never thought of you like that!" Ami lifted an eyebrow and Minako blushed. "Okay...maybe at the very beginning, when we just met...but I didn't know you, and you get so quiet around people you don't know. But I know better now...you're smart, but you're sensitive and artistic and kind and one of the bravest people I know." She chuckled slightly. "I hate to think what you all must have thought of me when we first met." Ami looked up and smiled. "Oh, we were all starstruck. You were Sailor V, you know. Usagi was the most blatant about the hero worship, but we all felt it a little." "Even you?" "Even me." Ami looked back down at the menu, still smiling. "I had a little scrapbook of all the newspaper articles about you I could find...part of it was because I thought you had to be the princess...or at least connected with us somehow. But a lot of it was just because I thought you were really cool." Minako felt her face flaming and she suddenly developed a deep fascination with her own menu. She hadn't really been expecting that, and it made her feel terribly self-conscious. "So...um...what made you decide to start the joke with the waiter, anyway?" She fumbled. "You, of course." Minako blushed even deeper. Ami covered her mouth with her hand. She knew she was embarrassing her friend, but she wanted to tell her the truth. -And maybe it'll make the foot in her mouth go down easier.- She thought. "It's true...I don't feel nearly as shy whenever I'm around you. You just bring people out of their shells, it's the way you are. You and Usagi are a lot alike in that." Minako smiled through her blush. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the waiter returning. She snatched her straw, pulled off the wrapper and began drinking. She glanced up at Ami and twitched her eyebrows over in the direction the waiter was coming from. Ami giggled softly and followed suit. The waiter came back to the table, glad to see whatever trouble there had been was gone now. The two girls were sitting closer, both sipping from their straws and looking into each other's eyes. The blonde one had a little flush in her cheeks and both were smiling around the straws. He felt very happy for them indeed. Happy couples always left better tips. Minako was enjoying herself immensely...pulling this on the waiting staff here was kind of juvenile, but that worked for her on multiple levels. It was just too funny! Ami really did have pretty eyes too...she'd never had a chance to look at them this closely. They were like icy pools of snowmelt in winter...cool and pure and beautiful. She woke from her little zone-out with a jerk when she realized the waiter had returned and was asking for their order. Ami smiled at her softly. After they had ordered, Minako smiled at her friend. "So you forgive me?" She asked softly. Ami smiled back. "Of course Minako-chan...sorry I overreacted." "Don't be!" Minako bonked her knuckles against the side of her head. "I can be such a ditz sometimes." She winked, and Ami laughed gently. The rest of the meal passed with simpler conversation and overt displays of affection whenever anyone glanced their way. When they stood to leave, Minako stepped close and placed her head against Ami's shoulder, and Ami slid her arm around the other's waist. Somehow, they managed to keep from breaking into laughter until they had left the diner. Minako leaned over, pressing her hands against her knees as tears fell down her cheeks. "Oh, that was so much fun!" "Yes it was!" Ami agreed, leaning against a wall covering her mouth as she laughed. "Thanks for thinking of it." Minako grinned up at the Senshi of Water, giving her a playful wink. Ami smiled and blushed. "Thanks for being around...I wouldn't have been brave enough to try that with anyone else." She stood straight and yawned a bit. "Well, I really have to get home now...Mother will start worrying about me." Minako made a sour face. "Yeah...mine will be worried about me too...or at least waiting around to scold me about being late." She smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" "Of course!" Ami walked down in the direction of her building and waved goodbye. Waving back, Minako walked in the opposite direction towards her home. ------------------- A short time later, Minako was laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. The only sound was her own soft breath and the purring snores of Artemis, sleeping curled at the foot of the bed. Her mother, thankfully, had already been asleep when she got home. Minako didn't think she had the energy to deal with her given the stress of the day in general. She sighed deeply. This was the sort of time she hated...she was too wound up to sleep, but she didn't have the energy to stop her mind from wandering. -So I bring people out of their shells?- She thought to herself. -That's sort of funny.- The truth was, she'd never really gotten out of her own. But she didn't know how to be any other way. First as Sailor V, now as the leader of the Inner Senshi, she had to be a little apart from everyone. She had her duty...there was always that, ever since she'd transformed for the first time. Was she happy? She was, she really was, all things considered. Her buoyant, energetic front wasn't really a front, at least not for the most part. She smirked at the thought. In public, the way she acted was the way she would act if she were free to act as she wished. A twisted thought, but it was true. If she were free, she'd really be her public persona. If she wasn't a Sailor Senshi. Not that she wanted to quit...in the past, from time to time, she had thought about it...even really wanted to. But she couldn't. Not just because of a sense of duty to a kingdom long destroyed, but because she couldn't live with the guilt of not fighting when she knew that she could. It just wasn't in her nature. Rolling over on her side, she continued to think. She was just lonely, that was the real problem. The others, they were her best friends, they would always be there for her, and she would always be there for them. But she still had to hold them at arm's length to a degree. She didn't know any other way. In all honestly, not a day went by that she could look back and really decide how much of what she did was really her, and how much was just an act...the mask was so close it was getting mixed up with her real identity. She closed her eyes and let out a muffled chuckle as she remembered the restaurant. No ambiguity there, that was all her. Ami's out of character behavior had caught her totally off guard. She never had time to slip behind the front. And it was *fun*...maybe the funniest thing she'd done in weeks. Ami...so, Minako brought the shy little senshi out of her shell, huh? And in return, Minako got shocked out of hers. Minako smiled as she snuggled down, finally ready to sleep. Spending more time with Ami really should be fun, she decided. It had been an interesting day. There was a new enemy, but for the time being that could only be dealt with as events unfolded. Right now, she was just going to be happy and go to sleep. And as she drifted off, the last thing she thought of was a cute furrowed brow, and eyes like cool winter pools.
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