Ami rang the bell on Minako's front door and waited patiently. A second or so later, Artemis jumped from the balcony above, landing lightly on her shoulders and twining around her neck before hopping into the proffered crook of her arm. "Good morning Artemis!" Ami said, smiling. "How is she?" "On time, believe it or not!" The white cat replied. "She'll be down in a second. I gotta wonder what you did to her. I mean, this is the second day in a row she's woken up on her own...that's a first for this year!" A ball of paper sailed out from the balcony above and astoundingly connected with Artemis' skull. "I heard that!" Minako said indignantly. She leaned out over the balcony, smiling and waving. "I'll be right there, Ami-chan!" Ami nodded and waved back. It had been three days since Minako had agreed to help Ami study. On the first day, Ami had suggested that since they lived fairly close she wouldn't mind going a little out of her way to meet her in the morning. That way, they could walk to school together, and decide what they would do that day. Minako smiled ruefully at her reflection in the mirror. When she had agreed to help her friend, she didn't know it would be a daily event. She normally found studying to be such a chore, so the happiness with which she skipped downstairs was a little surprising to her. She did have to admit, helping Ami study was a lot more interesting that she thought it was going to be. She found herself in awe of the speed with which Ami processed information, stored it and came back with questions that sometimes Minako, the supposed expert, had no answers to. How was she supposed to know what syntax was? They were helping each other learn, Minako had finally realized. She knew how to speak English, but now she was even learning how the language *worked.* Again, a lot more interesting than she would have guessed. So there was that. But that wasn't all of it... She opened the door and her smile widened as she saw Ami standing there. "Good morning Ami-chan!" "Good morning Minako-chan." She replied. "Ready?" "You betcha." Artemis hopped out of Ami's arm and began to walk inside. "Wait a second Artemis." Minako said coldly. The cat stopped, not looking back. "Since you're so impressed with my lack of laziness, why don't you go over to Usagi's house and help Luna think up some ideas about how to deal with the enemy?" Artemis began to groan but Minako cut him off. "Go, cat! A rolling stone's worth two in the bush, remember?" Grumbling, Artemis hopped out of the yard in the vague direction of Usagi's house. Minako grinned and winked at Ami, who giggled softly in return. The two of them set out for school. Minako really enjoyed this development. Her home was just a little out of the way of all of the others, so more often than not she found herself walking to high school alone, at least for part of the way. It was a nice feeling to start out with a companion for a change. "So, Ami-chan..." She said after they'd been walking for a little while. "Yes?" "You don't have cram school today, so I was thinking that you and I could head to the park after school and study there." Ami smiled broadly and nodded. "That's a wonderful idea! It's such a beautiful day today." She looked over at Minako curiously. "Did what I showed you last night help with your math homework, by the way?" "Of course!" Minako waved her hand. "How could you have any doubts? You're a great teacher, Ami-chan." Ami smiled and turned her eyes back to the street. "How do you think Rei's doing?" The Senshi of Water asked after a moment. "She looked so tired yesterday." Minako made a small humming sound. "I don't know...I hope she slept tonight." Rei had met with little success in trying to find out something about their new enemy through the sacred fire, and it was beginning to tell. She was staying up all night, trying to find out something, anything that could help them. And, as with Setsuna, beyond a few half-seen images and sensations, she was getting nothing. "Anyway, I'm not going to try to tell her to rest." Minako continued. "She nearly killed Usagi yesterday...I think I'll wait until she's too tired to fight back." Ami laughed softly. "You're terrible, Minako-chan." Minako made a semi- ferocious growling sound in return, making Ami laugh even harder. It occured to Minako that Ami didn't really laugh all that often, and that was a shame. It was such a sweet-sounding laugh. "Anyway," The blue haired girl continued, "Even if we can't make her rest, we can still show her some support, right? Maybe we could visit her after we're done studying in the part? The Shrine is right near there." "That's not a bad idea." Minako agreed. "Rei gets a little obsessive sometimes." The two parted ways when they got to school, as they had a different homeroom. School seemed to drag on particularly slowly for Minako today...she was far too eager to meet Ami and head for the park. She chewed her eraser and gazed out the window, the voice of her math teacher fading into a distant hum. Minako was quietly amazed at how well she and Ami were getting along. Out of all of the Senshi, it had seemed to her that they would have the least in common. But that wasn't true...yes, they had very different interests, and Ami was obviously far, far more intelligent than her blonde friend, but that was just one tiny part of each of their personalities. Ami was sweet and kind and brave...and she really had kind of a devilish sense of humor once she began to open up. The memory of their dinner together three nights ago popped back into her head, and Minako giggled gently, wondering if the waiting staff there still talked about the two of them. "Aino-san." The teacher's sharp tone cut through her daydream and made her jump. She looked up. "Since you're finding my lesson so amusing, perhaps *you* could come up here and solve this equation." Minako stood and looked at what he had written on the blackboard. -Isn't math supposed to have more numbers than letters?- She thought with a sense of dread that grew with each step she took towards it. -This can't end well.- ------------------ Rather late, the Goddess of Love passed through the school doors with a groan. She cast around desperately, finally spotting Ami leaning against the school gates, a gloomy expression on her face. Minako quickly stepped over to her and slung an arm around her shoulder, grinning. "Why so gloomy?" Ami looked up at her, startled, but then gave her a small smile. "Minako-chan!" She said, sounding relieved. "I was starting to think...you had ditched me." Minako felt a little hurt by that and tilted her head. "Of course not Ami-chan...the teacher kept me after for a little while." She smiled and rubbed the back of her head. "I guess I was sort of daydreaming during math class." "Oh..." Ami smiled a bit more genuinely. "What about?" "Um...nothing important..." Minako said, feeling a blush climbing into her cheeks. -That's weird...why am I so embarrassed?- She thought. "Anyway..." She continued hurriedly. "We'd better head to the park if we're going to study and still have time to visit Rei-chan." Ami checked her watch and her eyes widened. "You're right!" She immediately started down the sidewalk at a brisk pace, and Minako scrambled to keep up. When they reached the park, Ami walked towards the nearest bench, but Minako lightly placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know a better place." Minako led her towards the lake. There was a small spot, a little wedge-shaped piece of land that lay between two hills right on the shore, so it was hard to find unless you knew it was there. The bottom was covered in thick grass, but the sides of the hills were dotted with patches of daisies and irises. Ami looked out at the lake and took a deep breath, breathing in the scent. She turned to Minako and smiled, and Minako was struck by how pretty her friend was, framed by the purple and white flowers behind her. "You're right...this is a better place." Ami agreed. They both knelt down and got out their books. A while later, once they were finished, Minako laid back and rested her head on her open English book. Ami was sitting close by, her knees folded under her chin as she looked out at the water. "Ami-chan..." Ami turned her head to look at her. "Why did you think I ditched you?" She asked softly. Ami turned her head back out to the water. It was quiet for a long moment. "It's not your fault." Ami finally said. "I just start thinking that way, sometimes." "Why?" "I just...remember what it was like, before I became a Sailor Senshi. I didn't have any friends my own age, none at all. I was way too shy...and nobody wanted to be friends with a stuck-up bookworm like me." She tossed a small pebble into the water with a 'plip.' "At least, that's why I heard all the other kids saying about me." "But you're not a stuck-up bookworm, Ami-chan." Minako said softly, but seriously, turning to lay on her side, her head propped up on her elbow. "You know that...and you know that I...that none of us...would ever treat you like that." Ami didn't turn, but Minako could sort of feel the sad little smile that was on her face. "I know. But it's very hard to let yourself really, really open up when you've been closed for so long. I know you and the others are my true friends...but sometimes, when it's quiet and I'm all alone, the old walls start coming back up. I hate it, because it makes me feel guilty for even thinking that you would act that way." Minako shifted position, seating herself just a few inches away from Ami, sitting in a way that mirrored the other senshi's. She felt very protective of her friend, suddenly, and had the sudden urge to wrap her arms around her, but she knew that would just embarrass the reserved girl. "I know exactly how you feel." She said, instead. She wasn't sure why, but she decided it was best not to explain. The Senshi of Water glanced over at her and studied Minako's face for a moment. Ami smiled and nodded, then turned back to the lake, a small pink flush on her cheeks. "I'm glad." She said simply. The two girls stayed that way for several minutes, not a word passing between them as they enjoyed the other's presence. It was only when Ami noticed how pink the water was becoming that she finally broke the silence. "We should go see Rei." She finally said. Minako nodded and stood, straightening her skirt. "Yeah." She agreed. The two left their little nook, still not saying anything. Minako felt that words would spoil what had happened, even though she felt an excitement building inside of her. Something had changed just now, but she wasn't at all sure what it was. She wondered if Ami felt it as well. ------------------ Twilight had fallen as Minako and Ami climbed the stairs up to the Hikawa Shrine. Yuichirou and Rei's grandfather were sweeping the courtyard, and they both looked up and smiled as they saw the girls approach. "Hi you two!" Rei's grandfather beamed as he waved. Minako waved back. "We've come to see Rei, how is she?" "Oh, she's home sick today...she's been spending way too much time in front of the fire again." The tiny old man made a sour face. "And like always, she won't confide in her own grandfather what's bothering her." "Rei-san's resting in her room now." Yuichirou added. "Usagi and Makoto came by earlier, but I'm sure she won't mind seeing the two of you as well." Ami smiled and bowed politely. "Thank you...we won't keep her long." When they knocked lightly on the entrance to Rei's room, she replied with a very irritated "What?" They opened the screen to find the miko tossing about restlessly in bed. A bowl of soup stood at a table near her, quite cold and obviously untouched. "How are you Rei-chan?" Ami asked politely. "I'm *FINE*." Rei said sharply. "Despite what Ojii-chan says, I'm absolutely fine." Her haggard appearance and the black circles under her violet eyes told another story, however. "You don't look fine at all." Ami told her crisply. "Have you gotten any sleep at all lately?" "I took a nap this morning..." Rei muttered evasively. "Did you take a nap, or did you pass out?" Ami returned. She was often the only one not intimidated by the Fire Senshi when she was in a bad mood, a trait which never failed to impress Minako. Rei sighed crossly. "I passed out, alright? But that's not important...I need to get back to the fire." Minako tilted her head. "Did you find something out?" She asked. Rei took a deep breath, and then let it out. "No..." She finally admitted. "Nothing useful. A few little flashes, but absolutely nothing we could use." She grumbled. "I've been talking to Setsuna, and she's seen the same things I have...but I didn't see anything at all last night. I think whoever's doing this is getting even better at hiding." "What have the two of you seen?" Ami inquired, sitting at the foot of Rei's bed. Rei sighed again, passing a hand over her forehead, as if just trying to remember gave her a headache. "A gold demon, covered in fire. Three red pillars tied together with red light. We each saw those once. But one thing we've both seen several times, whenever we try to get some hint of the future, is a little girl's face, laughing." She shook her head and pounded the sheet in frustration. "I know there's more! I just can't see any of it." She growled. Her eyes unfocused for a moment and she fell back against the bed. Minako picked up a cloth from a bowl of water on the floor and rung it out, laying the cool, damp fabric on Rei's head. The fiery miko tried to look irritated, then gave up and just gave her a grateful look. "If you can't see anything more, stop trying." Minako admonished. "The enemy's going to attack again, and we need you. You're not doing your duty to the team by killing yourself like this." Rei closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "You're right." She finally muttered. "Of course I am!" Minako said brightly. Behind her, Ami covered her mouth to hide a giggle. Minako looked Rei over with a critical eye. "You still look pretty bad Rei-chan...I think I'll come by tomorrow and take care of you for a while." Rei's eyes flew open. "No!" She almost shouted. "I mean...no...thank you." She smiled bravely. "I really just need to get some sleep..." She yawned dramatically. "I'll be fine." Ami winked at Rei so Minako couldn't see and placed a hand on the blonde senshi's shoulder. "I think Rei-chan is right, Minako-chan...she really just needs some uninterrupted rest." Minako smiled and nodded. "I think you're probably right." She stood and stretched. "Well, we'll let you sleep Rei-chan. Take care, okay?" She stepped lightly out of the room. Ami lingered for a moment. "You'd better rest..." She whispered, with a light threat in her voice. "If you don't, I'll personally make sure that you get Nurse Minako's undivided attention." Rei stuck her tongue out at her. "That's not fair." She said quietly, then smiled wanly. "You two have been together a lot these last couple of days, haven't you?" Ami blushed softly, "Yes, I suppose we have." "Any particular reason?" "No...no...just...getting to know each other a little better." Ami managed to stutter out. She made for the door. "Try to get better, okay Rei-chan?" "I will..." Minako closed the screen behind her, leaving a tired-looking miko with a curious and rather calculating look on her face. "I heard that last part." Minako said as the two walked down the steps of the Shrine and down the street. "You really could tell all of them, you know...nobody would think any less of you." "I know..." Ami said with a sigh. She smiled self-consciously. "It doesn't really have to do with that, though. I've never messed up my schoolwork like this before. And it really hurts my pride." She admitted. "So it's less about what they'll think of me, and more about...I'm not sure...just not wanting to think about it at all, I guess." "I think I understand." Minako said, smiling. "You always seem to understand." Ami said, lightly teasing. "Can't I be mysterious at all with you around?" Minako closed her eyes and shrugged helplessly, grinning. "What can I say? As the Goddess of Love, I have an innate understanding of human nature." She sighed dramatically. "It's a heavy burden to bear, but what can I do?" She grinned. "Even if you lead a zebra to water, you'll never change her spots!" Ami closed her eyes and smiled. "No, I suppose you won't." The two made their way home. Slowly, because the night was still young, and neither one wanted to leave the other's company just yet. ------------------ Several miles away, in an opulent office on the top floor of a high-rise office building, a daeva stood waiting. Her body was sleek and smooth and utterly featureless, despite having the basic curvature of a female. She shone like quicksilver, and indeed, her body almost seemed to ripple like liquid as she moved. She had no hair, and her facial features consisted solely of two black holes for eyes, and a slit for a mouth. At long last, the air before her began to pucker inwards, finally collapsing into a swirling black vortex. Gluon stepped through it, and it closed up behind him. The daeva bowed slightly at the waist. "Master Gluon." She said, her voice sounding vaguely musical, but also hollow, as if heard from a great distance. "Everything is as you wished it. The ten uppermost floors of this building belong to us, and the humans are none the wiser. In time, we may be able to take the entire building for our own." Gluon toyed with the golden pendant around his neck as he surveyed his surroundings. "Good, but let's not worry about that for now...as long as the humans remain ignorant of our presence here, this should be a sufficient base of operations." He sat gracefully, leaning back in the leather chair resting his feet on the broad, polished surface of the desk. "And what about the rest of our preparations, Gylax?" "The portal system is acceptably stable...we can begin bringing in other daeva whenever you desire. We have selected several key sites in which to begin opening a permanent portal between this world and ours, and one device to do so is already here." Gylax concluded her report, leaving a pregnant pause behind. "Was there something else?" Gluon asked, his hands folded behind his head and his eyes closed. Gylax looked as nervous as her featureless face would allow. "Master Gluon...Muon is here as well." Gluon slammed his feet on the ground and his palms on the desk simultaneously as he sprang to his feet. Gylax cringed backwards a few steps. "He arrived several hours ago...he didn't speak to anyone. He...he's taken a suite of offices three floors down and barricaded himself inside." Gluon turned and faced out. The windowed wall provided a breathtaking view of the nightscape of Tokyo. "Master Gluon?" Gylax finally asked hesitantly. "What should be done about Muon?" Gluon sighed deeply, his fists clenched as he swallowed his anger. "Nothing...he has carte blanche from Lord Hadron, so there's nothing we can do." He turned back, a smug smile on his face. "Besides, this way I can keep an eye on him." "Master?" "I don't trust him...and I don't like him. If I can prove his unworthiness to Lord Hadron, my reward will be great indeed." He nodded. "Let him continue his 'research' but keep him under as close watch as you can without being obvious." "Yes Master Gluon. And if he does discover something useful?" Gluon laughed. "Then we'll take advantage of it first, and take the credit, of course. Either way, I win." He returned to the desk and leaned over, tenting his fingers below his chin. "Now...I assume you have a map of the areas you mentioned." Gylax extended her hand and a three dimensional map of Tokyo appeared on the surface of the desk, a handful of sites shining red. The barrier between worlds was very thin in this city of Tokyo, making it the key location to Lord Hadron's conquest of this planet. Faultlines in the dimensional barrier could be identified, and devices could be set in place that would permanently join Earth with Hadron's other worlds. This had been done many times, long before Gluon had pledged himself to Lord Hadron. This pathetic blue orb would be no different. "We make the first strike tomorrow." He said decisively. "Tomorrow Master Gluon?" Gylax was surprised. "We have only the one device...if something should happen it would be days before..." Gluon cut her off with a chopping motion. "You heard about Spinne." He said flatly. Gylax made no denial. "Spinne was weak, and Muon *is* a fool. As long as we move quickly, we can have the device in place before the Sailor Senshi even arrive. With Tachyon blocking us from scrying, they'll never be able to predict our attack. And you know as well as I that once one of those things are placed and activated, no force in existence can destroy or deactivate them." He smiled cruelly. "As long as we move carefully and quickly, we may be able to open the portal before the Senshi truly understand what has happened to them." He smirked, speaking mostly to himself. "Though I hope one or two manage to show up...it's been too long since I've dealt with such attractive prey." "Master?" "Never mind." He surveyed the map, trying to decide which fault to attack first. One site in particular caught his eye. As he looked at it, a sense of...destiny...came over him. The more he looked at it, the more sure he was. Somehow, this location was *meant* to be attacked. "Here." He said, pointing. "We strike here, tomorrow." He looked up at his second. "Summon two daeva, and choose carefully. I don't want to take chances on our success." Gylax bowed deeply, her liquid form twisting slightly as she did so. "Yes, my Master." Without another word, she collapsed into a silver puddle and streaked out of the room through the crack beneath the door. Gluon remained, looking at the map and the building he had just doomed to destruction. His cheek rested in one hand and he lightly stroked the shimmering image with the other. "Osa-P Jewelry..." He mused. "You now belong to Lord Hadron."
Back to Power Transcendent Index - Back to Sailor Moon Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction