*Guardians of the Underworld*
Part 7

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

Yamato stumbled down, and landed on Minako's leg. He dropped his briefcase,
and she cried out in surprise, looking up at his face. His expression was
worried, and mouth twitched. Minako had an opposite reaction however, and
her eyes glittered. For once, she could see stars in the daylight.

"Gomen nasai!" he exclaimed, getting off of her. "Are you hurt?"

She opened her mouth to answer him, but Serenity interrupted. She was still
on her feet, without dust and dirt on her cloak. Looking behind him to the
stone mansion he came out of so suddenly, and then turning her attention
back to him. She raised one of her thin eyebrows. "Do you work with Ami
Mizuno, by chance?"

He chuckled lightly at the irrelevant question and replied politely, still
troubled by the girl he knocked over. "Yes, I do as a matter of fact. Why?"
Serenity hid a smile and pretended to twirl her hair like an average
empty-headed teenager. "No reason," She then looked back down at her fallen
friend and asked once more, "Daijoubu?"

The blonde blinked, but then tilted her head back fully. "Itai!" she sighed
dramatically, drawing her foot closer to her body.

Yamato looked in her watering blue eyes and and took her hand. "What's
wrong? Did I do something to you when we fell?" he said quickly. He wasn't
sure what she was going to say to him about his rude actions. But part of
him chanted that she was as harmless as a bluebird.

She sniffed. "My..my ankle.."

Gathering her skirts up, she revealed her injured ankle. It was reddening,
and had some scrapes and bruises on it. Minako seemed reluctant to actually
touch it, as if she would hurt it more. "It think it's sprained.." she
whimpered.

Yamato brushed his cool hands along the pale skin. The hair on the back of
her neck stood on end. Still looking closely at it, he concluded with a
sympathetic tone, "It's just a little banged up. But then again, it could
be more serious then it seems," He squinted, trying to see it more
intricately.

Offering a hand out to her, she made sure to keep her weight off of the
injured limb. Hopping on one foot, (and almost tripping again in the
process) she carefully made her way over to Serenity. She put a hand around
the princess's shoulders for support.

"What is your name?" he asked with concern, yet caution.

"Aino Minako. Pleased to meet you," She extended her free hand and he shook
it graciously.

His head turned towards Serenity. Her gaze was still upon the Venusian.
"And you, Madam? Are you Minako-san's older sister?"

She choked. "Um..." was all managed to say while her cheeks blushed.

"Yes!" Minako cheerfully beamed. "My wonderful Sere-nee-chan*!"

"As I thought," Yamato laughed as Serenity's face glowed crimson. He
straightened his coat and took one last look at the laboratory.
"Listen, why don't you come over tonight? Right over here? I'll take
another look at that ankle of yours, and we can have dinner maybe?" he
shyly suggested.

"I'd love that!" she grinned from ear to ear. "I-"

Serenity jabbed her elbow into Minako's stomach, making her pause. "*We'll*
be here around seven o'clock? It that good for you?"

"Excellent. Once again, I am sorry for what happened. Please excuse me," he
bowed, allowing his trimmed hair to fall into his face. It was Minako's
turn to blush, as he winked his right eye in her direction.

"I have to get going. I'll see you two later."

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

* = 'Older/big sister Sere'

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

Yamato walked calmly away through the crowd, and the girls hobbled along in
their same manner. Slowly, Serenity became adjusted to walking with her
body not especially balanced and graceful. But instead of a pair of wooden
crutches, she would have to do the job.

Minako crossed her arms, and started walking on her own. The path was
uneven, as was the one that same morning, but she didn't even wince as she
kicked a stone in front of her. "Unbelievable!" she huffed. "I get the
chance to find romance on vacation, and there you are ruining it for me!"

"Vacation? Do you know how importan-" Serenity blinked. "Mina-san! Your
ankle! What are you doing?!" she exclaimed.

She rolled her eyes. "You know very well what I'm doing."

"But you said you hurt it!" she was gesturing wildly with her hands, trying
vaguely to make in point through the actions.

Minako sighed heavily and sat down underneath a nearby tree. The scenery
had changed, and the path was replaced by a soft blue grass field and small
clear pond. In Kiri-zu, there was water where you would least expect it.
Even behind the old stone mansion. Minako continued to exhale loudly as she
settled herself.

"I was acting! And from the looks of it, I did pretty well to fool you
*and* that guy. I thought at least one of you would have caught on.."

The silver haired girl's expression was skeptical. Her arms were crossed
and she raised a thin eyebrow. "What were all those cuts and bruises on it
then?"

"I got those a few weeks ago, from wearing tight high heels too long. Those
things give you some nasty scars.." she looked at her foot once more, and
as surely as she said, there were many faded marks on them. Minako let the
wind blow her hair into strands and she looked down. Viewing her
imperfections saddened her. Not just because that meant one more flaw, but
it brought back images of how she received them.

The sky was getting darker, and Serenity found it more comfortable sitting
next to her friend under the weeping willow. She was still confused, but
also filled with awe at Minako's abilities. Never could she pull off
something like that in so little time, and so much pressure. But she found
herself lucky that her ally could. But really, she was more amazed at the
combination of personality within Minako's heart and mind. A switch between
anyone of them could occur without a moment's notice, by pure decision.

"You should really be an performer, you know." she commented, staring into
the thickening clouds. "People would love to see someone with your skill!"

Toying with a loose thread on her finest dress, the Venusian smiled
lightly. "That was always my dream. To be loved and famous..."

"Dream?" Serenity repeated.

"Yeah," Minako laughed, "I tried my hardest every time there was auditions.
That's why I got those cuts on my ankle. It was a weekend, and some
merchant was looking for a dancer to draw attention to his shop. I wanted
to look taller, and more beautiful, than all the other older girls, so I
wore my.." She looked away. Her vision blurred. "My..mother's..high heels.
I couldn't stand up in them all that well, so I tripped. I really did
sprain my ankle that time."

"Gomen ne.." Serenity said carefully.

Minako seemed to cheer up. "Don't be! If I would've got that job, it
would've all be worth it. But I'll keep trying. And someday, it *will* all
have been worth it. I'll live my dream no matter what! I want to make
people as happy as I am!" This time, she didn't force a grin. Her face
gleamed with emotion.

"Ne, Sere-chan?" Minako continued. "What's your dream?"

She shrugged it off. "My dream? I don't have one," Digging the point of her
shoe into the ground, she bit her lip unconsciously.

"Why? Dreams are what keep us all going! Without them, we wouldn't have a
reason to wake up in the morning, or to even keep on living at all!" the
blonde was surprised and spoke out with enthusiasm. She had known her own
goal all through her life. Eternally reaching for it..

"What's your point?" Serenity asked bitterly, shifting the position that
she was sitting in. She didn't want to go into this conversation for fear
that she might lose control.

"You must have a dream! Otherwise...otherwise, you wouldn't be searching
for us! You would just let the Galaxy be taken over!"

"Oh, that," she gripped the golden key her tightest, and thought of the
reason she was doing this. Internally hoping that Minako wouldn't ask to
know more. "The Galaxy..I'm saving it because I was asked to. Pluto said I
had to, and that I was the only one who could. Besides all of you helping
me. So I suppose, the reason is that I have a responsibility, not a dream."

"But didn't you ever have one?" Minako pleaded to know.

"I did, when I was young," she confessed, although coerced by the tugging
on her heart strings. "But over the years, I just gave up on them. One by
one. I thought that everything would work out all right, but it never did
and never will.

"I used to think that everyone lived in a space like the Underworld. That
everyone lived in the Fourth Dimension, so dark and desolate. It was so
lonely. There was never anyone around for years upon end. Just emptiness.
But I finally realized that it wasn't like that everywhere. It couldn't be.

"I mean, on Earth alone there are billions of people living. They were
loved. Every last one of them. By at least one other person. And when I
realized that, I realized that I wasn't a normal girl.

"Normal girls aren't kept away from civilization, locked in a tiny box.
There must have been a reason that I wasn't allowed to leave. But I didn't
know what it was. So I put the puzzle pieces together, that I wasn't meant
to live life to the fullest possible. So I gave up my dreams. Let my
destiny rule."

The tears starting rolling out from under her eyes lashes. "But personally,
it felt horrible. Like my spirit was dying bit by bit. And I couldn't stop
it from happening. But that's what broken dreams and promises do. They only
let you down."

Serenity was crying openly now, Minako tried to calm her. She felt pity for
the younger girl. While she had played out in the sunlight, feeling it's
warmth in the bright afternoons, Serenity had been alone. No friends, no
love, nothing to cheer her up. But Serenity had been right. She hadn't been
a normal girl.

In between the worry, and the guilt of placing a heavy burden, the princess
wept. But with the weather decreasing it's current condition, it made it
seem as if the entire world was in sorrow with her. But as it always was,
her mother's message of love went out to her. Even on Earth.

"Who was Pluto? Wasn't she there for you?" she whispered.

Serenity shook her head numbly. "Hardly ever. She had a duty to for fill.
And it was more important than me. Sailor Pluto is the guardian of the time
gates, and she was the one who sent me here. She has great power, but it
still isn't enough to beat the evil one. I have power too, and so will all
of you later. We just don't know how to use it yet. But Sailor Pluto will
help us once we are all together. I trust her."

"Why?" Minako asked.

"She was one of my mother's advisors. I trust her soulfully because she
knew my mother," the princess said in a monotone voice. Even though parts
of the stories of the old kingdom Pluto told didn't always fit together
cleanly, she knew inside that she was telling her all she needed to know.
Pluto would always looks after her. Until the end.

The weather had shifted, and the wind became stronger. The frail branches
on the tree were rustling in a melodic rhythm. Both girls shivered, pulling
their dark cloaks closer and lifting their thin hoods. Silent air became
louder in volume. The sun was blocked by gray clouds.

"That was the first time I ever told anyone about how I really feel,"
Serenity looked up with her blue eyes, finally dry. Birds began to flap
their wings to find better shelter.

"We all need to vent our feelings sometime," Minako smiled. "I'm glad you
told me. We can become even closer friends now."

A droplet of rain fell deep into the pond. More descended, falling one
after the other simultaneously. The soil around them dampened from the
moisture. They stood up, brushing off their skirts.

"Hey! Why don't we go look at that necklace again? I'd love a souvenir from
this place if we have a mission to complete!" the blonde ran ahead into
center town.

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

Shadowed under his dark umbrella, Yamato walked calmly back to the mansion.
Evening had come unexpected, the rain didn't cease. It seemed as though the
dark clouds had gotten darker still, although he was unsure if that was
possible. He was right with his premonition mere hours before. A storm did
come. And by the looks of it, it would get worse.

He unlocked the rusting metal gate, and walked into the building. His steps
echoed in the hollow entrance way. The girls had yet to arrive, leaving him
with his thoughts. Yamato didn't know what had possessed his to invite them
over. He had felt something for the blonde. But, as he reminded himself, he
felt more for Ami. Minako was open with him, giving him the attention he so
desperately needed. It had taken weeks for the blue haired scientist to
even say something to him not work related. But he was determined to show
her the brighter side of life. Not theories and research.

A small kitchenette was on the second floor, dusty and dirty from lack of
use. Looking in through the doorway, he stopped in his tracks. This was all
he had to work with? No more than about 10 filthy pots and pans. And all to
impress strangers...

Yamato gingerly picked up a tarnished spoon, and made a frustrated sound.
He seriously wondered if there was even any food in the fridge for him to
make a half decent diner with. Beginning to shuffle around the items, he
sighed.

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

"That was worth it!" Minako admired her brand new garnet ring, although it 
wasn't the necklace she had been hoping for. It didn't ideally shine in the 
overcast light, but never the less, she was content at the moment.

Serenity shook her head. "Was it really? I feel sorry for that man, even if
he was easily persuaded by a pretty face. Besides, it couldn't have been
worth more than a couple coins."

"A couple coins or not," Minako stated, "I got it for free. That proves my
useful abilities in more than one way."

The rain relentlessly showered down on the two, wandering figures. Neither
of them felt discomfort, but both were soaked to the bone. The cloaks clung
to their shapely forms, leaving little to the imagination. Not a single
person braved the stormy weather except them, giving them room to rant
without feeling embarrassed. Minako continued to boast about skills, while
the princess just nodded with boredom.

"Ara, shouldn't we have gotten to that place by now?" Minako flipped her
wet bangs out from under her hood. She looked down irritably at her muddy
shoes.

Serenity slowly turned around to face her. "What do you mean 'shouldn't
have'? You did know where we were going, right?"

She tried not to sound nervous when she laughed, but it was still apparent.
"I was just following you.." she faded off.

"So we're lost?!" Serenity exclaimed, obviously troubled by the mere
thought. "What will he think if we don't show up on time? At the least, he
would think that we were two ladies who couldn't bother ourselves to be
grateful as invited guests! That's certainly not my personality, and I
won't have people thinking that!"

Minako rolled her eyes. "It's really not that big of a deal.."

"To you!" she yelled into the silent, damp air. "Now let's go try and find
that place for real!"

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

In a small, country cottage, Ami sat down. Her deep eyes stared out into
the world, weary of the dull colours. The droplets of rain streaked the
window pane with blurry trails. She rested her head on her outstretched
arms. Right now, she was reflecting the sky. The young girl felt very
unhappy.

Her father wasn't at home. It seemed like he had to work late every night.
Only coming home at dawn, and leaving immediately after. Yesterday, she had
tried to convince him that it was an unhealthy lifestyle, especially for
someone in the medical profession, to get such low levels of sleep. But
really, she shouldn't had judged him so. She often kept her research going
on minimal hours of rest as well. The whole ordeal had just been for the
purpose of spending more time with him. They were so distant to each other
as it was.

The thin blanket she had covering her legs got tossed carelessly aside as
she stood up. Brushing off her skirt, and putting on a warm, woolly red
sweater, she prepared to go back to the mansion.

"Maybe Yamato will cheer me up.." she whispered, closing the door. She
pulled her jacket tight around her, and locked the door behind her.

To be continued..


- Finally! I wanted to get this done before I put up my new layout, so
that's why it took..uh..about a month to update. ^^; I've had tons of
homework (with tons more to come, I'm sure) so I'll be updating once every
2-3 weeks. Don't hold me on that though. Someday I will get a more definite
schedule, but don't expect it before about Valentine's Day. I have major
projects I have to devote a good portion of my time to, so you get the
idea. And I *did* correct the all the spelling mistakes in my previous
chapters. ^^; Gomen ne..
Next update should be around middle to late December, hope to see you there
(with lots of comments)! Seriously, I'd like to see what you think about my
stories! All two of you! (If there's more than two, email me!)

** 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, November 2001. **

Ja-! MinaP (MinaP_Aino_hime@yahoo.com) 8:59 PM 11/22/01

http://www3.mb.sympatico.ca/~holig