*Guardians of the Underworld*
Part 6

*****************************************************************************

The newly christened Princess of Venus stared into her mirror. The sun was
just coming over the horizon, and it gave off an amber gold light. But with
her locks of blonde hair flowing down her back, the woman didn't smile. Her
blue eyes held regret and sadness, despite the happiness she had showed the
night before. The crystal pendant was still around her neck, it's glow worn.
It hung loosely over her yellow sun dress, which was folded beneath her seat.
A single tear rolled out from behind her thick lashes..

"How could my whole life have been a lie?" she said quietly, staring at her
lonesome reflection. "All my life..with a false hope...But inside, I really
knew it couldn't be true..My fate wasn't to be normal human...it was to be a
Venusian..."

She closed her heavy eye lids, and sat still for a moment. A silence 
descended in the chilled air. When she opened them, her gaze was filled with
determination and control. Her full lips curved up and she looked at her
reflection once again.

"If this is my destiny, I'll make it through! I have friends with me! We can
surely win this Holy War!"

She stood up, and walked out her door. It was still early, the day not even
completed the first dawn, but she had confidence. Taking a last look around
her home, she closed the door to her present. The future was waiting for
her. A sign underneath her bangs glittered in response.

"I'll be proud to wear this insignia on my forehead."

**********************************************

Serenity was standing by Munashii's border. Before the dirt path that lead
into the small town, there was nothing but pastures and forests. She looked
out with unseeing eyes to the rising sun. A hand touched her on the shoulder.

"Sere-chan, I'm ready," she turned around to see Minako. Her friend was
wearing an identical black cloak, hiding the brightness within. In reality,
and metaphorically. Her dresses always consisted of cheerful shades, and her
inner aura also shone with happiness. It gave the princess a sense of
security to be around her.

"Venus..are you sure?" she asked with a bland tone.

"Of course! I'll help you however I can, even if it means giving up
everything. I trust you fully.." Minako nodded her head.

Although it was Minako's ultimate decision, Serenity was the one who looked
uncertain. It didn't seem right to her that someone could actually have that
much faith. That everything would work out for the best. A veil of secrecy
hung over the mission they were on, and even she didn't know what to expect.
Though Serenity didn't realize it, she had the same feeling as the lost, wise
Queen of Neptune. A feeling and premonition of deep destruction..

Minako, however, was looking differently than the way she felt inside. A
quivering child was deep within her, just yearning to get into the light. And
that was the only problem and question that had plagued her life. Where was
the light? Why couldn't she find it? But it was her inner child that had been
looking since she remembered the vocation. Just when she thought it was
hopeless, the light came to her in the form of a princess. Serenity.

Minako nodded her head once more to reassure the both of them. As the two
stepped out of the boundaries, an exhausted yell was heard in the distance.

It soon traveled closer, and the silhouette of a teenage girl was traced.
She had short, bouncy hair.

"Minako! Where are you going?!" the girl cried.

"Hikaru.." the blonde seemed shocked beyond words. This was her best friend,
who she had known ever since she could remember. "I don't know." she managed
a weak smile.

"But you can't go! At least say good-bye!" her panting had stopped, and her
voice held the pain of losing someone she cared for. Hikaru stood a few
inches shorter than the two, and she looked up with pleading eyes. She
looked frantic. Bags under her eyes from lost sleep, the odd speck of dirt
on her outfit from the sprint to get there in time. She repeated, 
"At least.."

"I can't say good-bye...that would sound like I would never see you again!
And I promise, we will meet again. Someday.." Minako pulled up her dark hood,
and looked at Serenity with a stern face.

Hikaru took a running leap and hugged her friend tightly. The sparkling tears
were rolling down her face, and Minako hugged her back with the same loving
regret. Hikaru let the smallest whimper escape from her mouth, then she
stepped back. "I'll be waiting."

Minako let her own tears fall, and she grinned the slightest bit. "Matta ne,
my dearest friend..Matta ne.." And then she walked away.

****************************************************

The two wandering figures strode through a forest of multi-coloured foliage,
bearly letting the sunlight flow in. They walking in silence, neither one
daring to speak. Serenity couldn't help but feel an emotional gap inside of
her own heart as she watched Minako and Hikaru part. Growing up, she didn't
have anyone to share her secrets with. And her simple hopes and dreams.
Although Sailor Pluto was always there, she didn't confide in her all those
years. Serenity had kept it all bottled up within herself. Maybe it was
because she felt as though her dreams could never come true, or that she
wanted someone her own age to talk with. She just didn't know. So even though
Pluto claimed she knew the Princess, she really didn't have a clue. No one
did..

But she couldn't compare her feelings to Minako's. Minako had a choice given
to her, and even though she didn't have to accept, she did. She left her
friends, her family, everything. All for the sake of a memory. Serenity's
chest tightened with sorrow. Minako gave up everything because of her. And
she didn't have the strength to tell Minako that she might not get it back
again...

"Minako-san.." Serenity stopped in her tracks. "You can go back if you want.
You don't have to come just because you feel an obligation to."

Minako tried to look her princess in the eyes, but found that they were
turned towards the ground. The only sounds being emitted were the ones of
crunching leaves under the Venusian's heel.

"I'm coming whether you like it or not," she laughed. "The only obligation I
feel is that I *want* to help you. And to make sure that the past doesn't
repeat itself."

A motherly instinct surrounded the 18 year old blonde. She felt that she
should give some wisdom to the younger girl, although she couldn't place
Serenity's age. They looked they same, Serenity perhaps even older. The
Princess of the Moon Kingdom also had more experience than she, Minako told
herself. But she still wanted to direct the true 17 year old in matters she
didn't know.

Serenity looked up and saw the warm look in her friend's sapphire eyes. "I
may have been born the Princess of Venus," she continued, "But I'm still Aino
Minako. A daughter, a friend, a sister..And nothing will take that away from
who I am. Not even the greatest distance."

"Gomen ne. I didn't understand how you felt about that." the silver haired
girl explained. "I guess in that way, we're very different from each
other."

Minako shook her finger, like when the two first met..although that wasn't in
the best of circumstances. "You know, that's not necessarily a *bad*
thing."

****************************************

Their conversation carried on through the thick forest. The cloaks they wore
dragged on the ground, getting dirtier on the bottoms. Autumn scents hung in
the air, ones of spices and new age. Serenity marveled at the amazing
colours. Never imagining that such vibrant shades existed. She giggled
occasionally as Minako told her stories from her follied childhood. Her
light-hearted exploits didn't come as a shock to Serenity. More like some
forgotten times in the old Kingdom.

Suddenly, they both came to an abrupt halt. Minako swallowed audibly. They
overlooked a town from a high hill, and it looked more civilized than
Munashii. On the outskirts of town, there was a mansion with climbing vines.
A variety of sizes and shapes of homes were scattered in every which way.
And activity was just beginning to happen as the sun hung overhead.

"So you feel it too?" Minako clasped her hands around her pendant as it
glowed softly. Her eyes were closed, as if in a trance.

"Hai. Someone's here," Serenity opened her eyes. "Where are we?" she asked.

"If I'm correct, we traveled west. The sun was at our backs all morning. So,
we must be in the town of Kiri-zu." she guessed. There was a slight haze
covering the entrance. It gave a mysterious message to foreigners.

"Let's go," Serenity set her aims on the far side of the town. Some kind of
power was drawing her there. She followed it, letting it lead her senses.

As the two princesses descended, a light blue glow was just bearly visible on
a crystal pendant around Serenity's neck..

*****************************************

Behind a pair of thinly framed glasses, sparkling blue eyes went wide. The
woman's heart pulled in her chest, just as the clock in the corner of the
room chimed 12 o'clock. Her white coat was flawless, and the beaker in her
shaking hand crashed to the wooden table below it. Its liquid contents
spreading onto the rough surface.

A boy with dark brunette hair turned his head at the sharp sound. His own
eyes widened, and he gripped his clear test tube tighter.

"Mizuno-san? Are you okay?" he asked, his voice concerned.

She sighed, beginning to realize what had happened. She internally cursed
herself for being so clumsy and grabbed a cloth. The red liquid was quickly
absorbed. "I'm fine," she said in a sullen tone. "Get back to work."

****************************************

Ami Mizuno was a woman with short, jewel blue hair. Her posture was straight,
and glasses rested upon the bridge of her slightly upturned nose. Pink lips
formed a half-hearted scowl, as she quickly moved her fingers to remove the
broken glass from her work area.

You see, she was not the most cheerful person. She was 18 years old, greatly
educated, well schooled, and took on an odd job from the guidance of her
father. She worked with a young man, only age 15, who's name was Yamato. He
often became nervous around her, due to his overwhelming crush on Ami. She
didn't welcome his feelings, but tolerated it. Her mind was completely
consumed by her work.

Her father had suggested that she work on a special project, that only
someone of her intellect in medicine could understand. Yamato, though young,
could gather the data needed for its research, and acted as an assistant. The
goal was always coming nearer to the teenage scientists.

An elderly woman in Kiri-zu had fallen ill. She was a client of Keichi
Mizuno, Ami's father, who was a respected doctor in the town. He had worried,
and had assigned her to finding out what exactly was wrong, and to find a
cure. If possible. And so far, things were going quite well.

*****************************************

Yamato pulled a lock of his hair out of his view, and continued to stare at
Ami. She had a hand to her head, and her eyes were winced. Hunched over the
tiniest bit, she made a painful sound.

"Honto ni..daijobu*?" Yamato walked closer, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged it off. "Will you quit asking me that? I'm fine."

He didn't believe it. Setting down his current experiment, he lead Ami over
to a chair. She allowed it, for a reason unknown. If she was truly how well
she said she was, she wouldn't have needed to sit down.

"Tell me what's wrong," he said lightly. "I'll listen."

Ami shook her head and sighed once again. "I guess the long hours have
finally taken their toll on me. I mean, getting up at dawn and working until
dusk..I just need some rest."

"Until dusk? Mizuno-san, you stay here hours after I leave for home!"
Yamato was surprised. He had never put two-and-two together. She had always
completed so many more theories than he did, but he had never given it a
second thought.

Ami looked down. "I just..want to get my father's approval. He's rarely at
home..and I thought that maybe if..I found a cure..that he would pay more
attention to me..I just want him to love me.." she whimpered. She really
didn't mean to sound so vulnerable and childish, but she needed to vent her
feelings somehow.

His eyes softened at the sight of her show of emotion. She had seldomly let
him know what she was thinking. "You should go home now, then. Get that extra
sleep that you need."

Her eyes snapped open. "But it's only the afternoon!"

"You deserve some extra time!" Yamato laughed. "You don't even have to go to
bed, just do whatever makes you happy."

Ami slowly took her glasses off, and rubbed her sore temples. She admitted
her defeat. "I suppose," she said quietly. "But I'm going to be here normal
hours tomorrow!"

They both stood up, and she took off her lab coat. She wore a plain lavender
skirt underneath, which was hemmed just above her knees. Neatly tucked into
it was a darker mauve blouse. Its pearl buttons were ivory, and complemented
the look.

She grabbed her tanned leather briefcase, a birthday gift from a colleague,
and made her way across the room. Her heels echoed in the long and empty
hall. Ami slipped out the door. "I wonder if Papa will be home.." she
whispered, intended her her ears only.

Yamato heard, and watched the wooden door shut. As the sunlight streamed in
through the window, he kept his gaze on the place she had last been.

"If it even matters...*I* love you.."

************************************************

*'Honto ni daijoubu' = "Are you truly okay?"

************************************************

The streets were crowded with people making their way to various places.
Serenity and Minako were searching through the mass, trying to find the one
who's power alerted them. But with every one, they were let down. It was
warm out, with the energy clearly being spent in the midday.

"Ara!" Minako exclaimed, letting her hood fall to her shoulders. "Look at the
jewelry over there!" She pointed to a small stand, glittering with
gemstones on golden chains.

Pushing their way to it (and with Serenity apologizing to the people they
knocked), the 18 year old's eyes lit up like a small child. She clasped her
hands in front of her chest, marveling over everything.

"Kirei..*" she said under her breath. "And they're so cheap! But I don't have
any money.." her lower lip trembled.

The man behind the counter stopped polishing some necklaces and smiled. "Why
would you want such common stones when you have such a unique one around your
own neck, Madam?"

She looked up and matched a face to the voice. Minako batted her eyes coyly.
"You know the old saying. 'You always want what's too expensive'!"

She heard Serenity cross her arms and growl behind her. "Baka ne**..Mina-san,
it goes, 'You always want what you can't have'!"

"Gomen, gomen!" she turned around to face her.

A girl brushed past them, her face reserved and almost sorrowful. Both their
eyes went wide. The Mercury pendant shone, but it wasn't detected by any
other people. Serenity whipped her head around. But by the time she saw the
girl, it was already too late to reach her. She looked to a young brunette
standing at the adjacent merchant, and asked quickly, "Who was that?"

The brunette rolled her eyes. She put down an item she had contemplated
purchasing, and spoke. "Geez, why would you want to know? Mizuno-san would
never talk to you anyways. She's a total snob. Never coming out of her
lab.."

"Mizuno?" Serenity repeated.

The woman blinked. "You've never heard of her? She was the talk of the town
a couple years ago. Her supposed 'father' is the region's best doctor and
surgeon.

"But the weird part is, she doesn't have a mother. She never did. And
when gossip started to go around, no one had even seen her before she was 3
years old. It was like she just fell out of the sky."

"*That's* sure different," the silver haired princess raised an eyebrow.

"Tell me about it," She flipped her hair back. "Ami's different all on her
own. She spends all her time in that stone mansion. So isolated. But it's her
own choice. I don't pity her in the least. I'm actually surprised to see her
out in this time of day."

Serenity grabbed Minako nonchalantly, who had currently been flirting with
the man to get a discount. Her gaze looked confused. "Nani ga?" she asked.
Minako looked down at the tight grip the 17 year old had on her cloak.

"C'mon. We gotta go," Serenity hissed into the blonde's ear. Her expression
changed instantly when she met the older woman's face. "Thank you so much,
but we have to get going." The look on her face was torn between suspicion
and gratitude.

Finally pulling Minako away from the stand, she pointing in the direction of
the mansion again. "I got a clue. Let's see what it leads us to."

*******************************************************************

Yamato walked out the gate, and saw the clouds begin to roll in from the
south. "A storm is coming," he concluded.

When he moved his foot out to take his next step toward his home, he stumbled
forward. And he fell head long into the equally clumsy Venusian princess.

*******************************************************************

*'Kirei' = "Beautiful.."
**'Baka ne' = "How silly/stupid!"

- Well, my block is over! I'll be writing steadily for a while, and hopefully
get my other work done too. ^^; I'll see you are at Part 7, which is due by
the beginning or mid November. I hope to get it done before then though. Oh
well!

** Disclaimers = I don't own any of the characters in this fanfic. Most are
owned by Takeuchi Naoko, Toei, TV Asahi, Koudansha, and plenty others. Don't
sue. This fanfic is copyright MinaP Aino, October 2001. **

Ja-! MinaP (MinaP_Aino_hime@yahoo.com)

3:57 PM 10/14/01