For all of you who are reading this, I want to thank you for being so 
dedicated (and consequently forgiving) to this story. I left you hanging for 
over 6 months, even though it wasn't really a cliff hanger. I just hope that 
the lot of you are still interested in this little tale. 
Man, it's been too long since I've written. I really have missed this. 
There's been over 500 hits to MAMC since I put Part 7 up! And you know what 
the worst thing is? I can't even promise that I won't leave you hanging 
again. Academics are too important to my everyday life. (Who am I, Ami? ^^;) 
I also want to thank Jaymie from LAR for reviewing this quite a few months 
ago, and giving me some inspiration, if only temporarily. Enjoy. I really 
hope that this is worth the long, long, wait.

*Guardians of the Underworld*
Part 8

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

Smoke has a way of making a rainy day seem even grayer. The air becomes 
thick where ever it blows; it hovers over unsuspecting heads. 

When confronted with a situation involving smoke, most would sigh quietly, 
and quickly busy themselves to find the source. The rain would continue to 
patter on the window pane, and all would be well once the fire was put out. 
Most people would then sit down, flush with embarrassment about being so 
careless as to forget about a food item in the oven, and then sigh again.

Yamato was not part of the group labeled as 'most people'. He let out a high 
pitched scream as soon as he saw the smoke coming out of his neglected oven. 
All of a sudden, the young man was flailing his arms in the air trying to 
wave the smoke away from his pale face. 

"No!" he yelled, "The bread! Oh GOD.."

He carefully took out the charred lump of dough; his hands clad in pink oven 
mitts. He let out another wail when the sound of a loud knock at the entrance
reached his ears. Putting the failed meal down with a look of defeat, he 
opened a dirty window on the south side of the kitchenette to make the hot 
air disperse. Shoulders slumped, he made his way down to the first floor to 
greet his guests.

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

"Serenity-! We've been wandering around for an hour! The guy's mansion has 
to be somewhere around here!" Minako complained as she flipped the wet 
bangs from her eyes. 

"It's only been about 15 minutes, stop whining!" the girl replied sharply, 
smacking her soaked companion. A light 'thud' was heard as the hand made 
contact with the waterlogged material.

The two suddenly stopped to collect their jumbled thoughts. Neither of 
girls looked happy. Minako was starting to sniffle due to the unpleasant 
weather. She wished her mother (or the woman she used to call 'Mother') 
was there. One look at her soaking little baby, and she would have been 
indoors, and by the fire. Never had she felt more home-sick.

Serenity was racking her brain trying to remember which way to walk. She 
wasn't used to her new surroundings, let alone weather. Inside, she was 
more scared than she had ever been before. She wanted to go back to the 
Fourth Dimension, where the reality was dull and quiet. She wanted to look 
at the shining ginzuishou. She wanted to forget her past had ever happened.

Both of them wanted to get out of the storm as soon as possible. 
Unfortunately, the roads ahead were quite muddy. Both girls looked wearily 
at their less than appropriate footwear, yet decided on plans of action. 
Serenity determinedly looked over her shoulder, and opened her mouth. 
"Let's-"

"I say we walk east," blurted out Minako, clearly interrupting what 
Serenity had been about to say. "It seems less filthy than the roads in 
the other directions."

The princess gritted her teeth. Minako raised a finely plucked eyebrow. She 
knew then that to continue her argument, she had to do so with more vigor 
than she knew she possessed. Dirt was definitely not her friend, and if she 
had her way, they would not even become acquainted.

"This isn't about which way is less filthy! We have to find that mansion, 
Minako! We're walking west!"

"You want to walk east and you know it! I saw you looking at your shoes, 
just like I looked at mine! Damn, those are nice," the blonde said, shaking 
her head while muttering something else under her breath.

"We're walking west! I have a good feeling about it," she repeated. Pressing 
her point, she began to walk.

Minako cringed as she heard the mud bubble out from beneath Serenity's 
previously clean shoe. Although pouting, she listened to her superior. She 
silently wondered about what kind of 'good feeling' the princess had. All 
the other ways were just as depressing, yet the path in the west sent out 
friendly vibes? Or had she just been guessing, in a rushed sense of 
desperation? Minako sighed. She just wanted this night to be over.

The two trudged on in silence, keeping their eyes on the road in front of 
them. It wasn't until Minako wiped her dripping nose with her sleeve that 
she looked at the buildings around the them. Her pace slowed to a stop once 
more. She squinted her blue eyes, trying to see through the sheets of 
falling rain. The blonde appeared to be confused.

"Hey, didn't we pass that well already?" Minako asked, pointing to a nearly 
visible heap of stone. "Didn't we? Serenity?"

She looked beside her to find the silver haired young woman steaming from 
the ears. Cautiously, Minako took a step back to distance herself. 

All of a sudden, Serenity stomped her delicate foot down into a puddle. The 
water splashed the hem of her dark cloak, and she looked like she was on 
the verge of tears. The day couldn't get much worse.

She cried out, obviously frustrated. A blush crept over her wet features, 
and she looked to the ground. "I give up!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Minako grabbed her friend by the arm and started to drag 
her along. "We still have to try going east!" 

"Hai," she sighed, enthusiasm clearing missing in her voice.

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

Brushing the last of the ash off of his jacket, Yamato carefully opened the 
large door. Suddenly it didn't matter that he was a horrible, forgetful 
cook. Or that he could have burned down the second floor of a mansion, owned 
by a very rich group of doctors. Or even that he currently looked 
disheveled, malnourished, and smelled heavily of smoke. None of it mattered. 
He had two extremely beautiful women coming to see him for (a nonexistent) 
dinner. Putting on a brave face, he smiled.

"Good evening, ladies-" 

His eyes went wide. He realized that standing at the door was neither of the 
two women he had met earlier. Even more, he knew that he was in very big 
trouble. He suddenly wished he *had* burned down that kitchenette. The 
punishment would have been less cruel than what the Fates had planned for 
him tonight.

"Mi..Mizuno-san.." he stuttered, running a hand through his hair. His left 
arm went numb as he began to tremble.

She blinked. "Expecting someone else, Yamato-kun?"

"Of course..not.." he answered quietly. She stepped into the entrance, 
taking off her coat and putting it on a nearby hook. Yamato stood perfectly 
still, looking out the open door. The rain continued to fall from the dark 
sky, making puddles near his leather shoes.

"Are you sure?" Ami whispered, strangely worried by his nervous state. Had 
she come at a bad time? All she wanted to do was talk.. She desperately 
needed to talk to someone.

He snapped his head up, and closed the door. "Yes, I'm sure," Yamato said 
lightly, wondering when Minako and Serenity would come. His carefully laid 
plans were beginning to fall apart. The day couldn't get much worse.

Looking over at Ami, he could tell that she wasn't believing him. A 
thoughtful frown covered her face, and her eyes looked gently into his. 
Yamato's heart started to melt. He didn't want to lie to her. Truly, he 
didn't. But he knew that she would find out the truth soon enough on her 
own. It felt like he was cheating on her, even though they didn't even have 
a serious relationship. And the way it was going, he doubted that they ever 
would.

"Mizuno-san.." He gazed into her tearing blue eyes.

"Ami," she said softly. "Call me Ami," she repeated, her voice wavering. 
"We've known each other for a long time, and you're still so formal." A 
single tear slipped out from underneath her thick lashes. Her control broke.

He blushed slightly, but then rushed over to his friend. She began to cry 
into his shoulder, while he tried his best to comfort her. He wanted to 
confess his feelings about her right then and there. But in this fragile 
state, he was afraid of overwhelming her. Tightening his hold, he heard her 
talking lightly to herself.

"Papa didn't come home..Papa won't come home.." she cried underneath her 
breath. "He doesn't love me enough to come home again.."

"Ami-san," the young man could feel his own tears slipping out, blurring his 
vision. She continued to hug him closer, taking comfort in his warmth. He 
looked down to see her tear streaked face contort as she sobbed painfully.

"Yamato-kun!" she shouted, burying her face into his already wet shirt 
collar, "Why doesn't he love me? Why doesn't anyone love me?!"

"Ami-san, I..I.." he stuttered, lifting her chin up so that she would look 
at him. Her wet eyes widened expectantly, urging his words on. He smiled.

"*I* love you.. Don't be sad," he confessed, his deep voice filled with 
emotion. She gasped as he leaned in to kiss her soft lips, like he had been 
imagining for years. Slowly, she closed her tired eyes and waited.

And at that intimate moment, there was a loud knock at the door.

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

"Didn't I say to go east, Serenity? Actually, I recall my exact words were, 
'I say we walk east'. And look where we are now! At the guy's front door.."
 
Minako babbled, obviously pleased with herself. It hadn't taken them long to 
find the large, stone mansion once they went in the right direction. Even 
more, the clouds were beginning to clear, and the blonde thought she could 
see light blue sky underneath. Things were looking up for the two traveling 
companions.

Hearing loud footsteps coming from the other side of the door, Minako made a 
surprised sound and put an arm around Serenity's shoulder. Looking over, the 
soaking princess narrowed her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, having been in a less than cheery mood 
since Minako had started to gloat. 

"My ankle!" she exclaimed, trying to get her balance while standing on only 
one leg. "That's the reason we're here, remember!"

Serenity sighed. "No, it's not. We have to get information on that 'Mizuno' 
girl. And since we couldn't talk to her in person, her partner is the next 
best thing."

"Whatever," Minako rolled her eyes.

The wooden door opened quickly. Yamato stared back at them, a scowl marred 
his tanned face. Reluctantly, he motioned for them to come inside and then 
slammed the door as best he could. Serenity and Minako could tell that they 
had become a bother the second they entered.

"Yamato, who are they?" asked a small voice from across the room. 

Serenity felt a spark of recognition at the back of her mind. Her eyes 
immediately flew to where the voice had come from. A blushing girl stood 
silently in the corner of the room, her fingers nervously tugging a loose 
sting on her red sweater. Smiling, Serenity introduced herself to the girl 
she now remembered.

"People call me Serenity. And this is my 'sister'," she gave an odd look 
towards the blonde, "Minako. Pleased to meet you." She offered her hand.

Ami took it, shaking lightly. She suddenly felt so inadequate. The two 
sisters were beautiful, wearing expensive jewels around their necks. She 
knew these two ladies were here for Yamato. Stealing a look his way, his 
eyes did not deny the fact. She wondered what was going on.

Yamato snapped out of his angry disposition, and walked over to where the 
three were making acquaintances. 

"Where are my manners? You're soaked to the bone! I'll get you something to 
dry off with. Ami, could you please make a fire?" he requested, hurrying up 
the staircase. The sound of his footsteps echoed throughout the empty 
building.

Nodding, she went to where the extra wood was kept. She tried to keep a 
watchful eye over their guests. She couldn't remember ever being jealous 
before. Her heart ached. She had seen the way Yamato looked at them. That 
shy gaze, it was the same one he had given her when they had first met. She 
regretted brushing him off all those times. In truth, she didn't mind being 
the object of his affection. She loved the way he made her feel special, 
like she was his one and only. But she never told him that. She was afraid 
that he would leave her. Like her father.

She didn't know why she was being so petty. Of course he would start to like 
someone else. It was *his* life, it didn't revolve around her. She had never 
returned his feelings. It was only a matter of time that he would lose 
interest, and something like this would happen. However, she couldn't help 
but remember only minutes ago, when he had told her he loved her. She had 
felt like a princess at that moment. She also wanted to believe that she was 
the only one he had said that to. But now she couldn't be sure.

A small, orange flame lit the room. It grew as Ami carefully placed more 
logs on to feed it. She stilled when she heard Yamato coming back down.

He offered the girls some soft towels, while they removed their dark hoods. 
Ami stared at Serenity. A crescent moon? How odd. Minako also seemed to have 
a strange marking on her forehead. What were they..?

"You can place your cloaks by the fire to dry them. It shouldn't take long, 
it's getting warmer in here by the second," Yamato said.

Minako grinned. She would feel better once she wasn't dripping wet. Peeling 
the black cloth off, she blushed when she realized that her dress underneath 
was just as soaked, and also just as clingy. The yellow sun dress was now 
skin tight, and hugged every one of her curves. How embarrassing!

Serenity seemed to be having similar problems. Her face had already been 
flushed because of the temperature; now it was burning. 

Yamato couldn't help but look away. The sight was almost indecent.
"A..Ami, could you please put some more logs on the fire? I think we need it 
even warmer in here.."

She agreed whole heartedly. She was also happy that Yamato had the decency 
to look away. Most men wouldn't have.

Going to the fireplace, she looked one more time at the girl with the long, 
silver hair. Another necklace caught her eye. This one was blue, twinkling 
more than the others near it. She suddenly didn't feel so good. Her temples 
began to throb. She felt dizzy. Her hand continued to near the fire; she 
didn't even notice. 

"Mizuno-san!" Serenity cried out, sprinting towards the blue haired girl. 
Finally jumping back, Ami cradled her hand to her chest, wincing because of 
the pain. Her skin was red, even though it wasn't in the fire for long. The 
burn wasn't overly bad. However, it would take a long time to heal.

As the princess neared, the necklace brightened. It was soon glowing, 
shinning an eerie light over Serenity's white dress. 

Minako raised an eyebrow. "Mercury.." she whispered to herself.

Ignoring her injured hand, Ami was mesmerized by the light. She heard it 
calling out to her. A feminine voice beckoned, telling her to remember her 
past. Why did that voice sound so familiar and caring? A tear slipped down 
her cheek. Why was she starting to cry again?

Serenity knew what was happening. From the moment she saw Mizuno Ami, she 
knew that the timid girl was an ally. Ami's awakening had begun once they 
had entered the small town of Kiri-zu. Although her memories were not yet 
regained, they would be soon enough. Taking the Mercury pendant off, she 
placed it around Ami's neck. The light intensified further still.

Yamato could only watch as Serenity, as well as Ami, went into a trance like 
state. His scientific mind wouldn't comprehend what was taking place before 
his naked eyes. Serenity raised her hands to cup Ami's burnt one. From 
underneath the limbs, he could see a bright white light be emitted. It felt 
as though time had stopped in the mansion. 

As quickly as the light had appeared, it dissipated. Ami blinked, and looked 
down at her hand. It was completely healed! She held it out at various 
angles and views; she couldn't find a single scratch. She almost questioned 
that the accident had ever occurred.

She thought back, trying to make sense of it all. When Serenity's power had 
surrounded her, she was filled with a calm, loving feeling. Like she was 
being embraced by a higher power that was comforting her. She could still 
detect the traces of energy in the room, and she was still wearing the 
crystal necklace. Ami shook her head wildly, this couldn't be!

"Who are you?!" she demanded, her voice raised. Serenity and Minako didn't 
look surprised in the least. Their expressions remained tranquil.

Stepping forward, Yamato smiled. If this heavenly girl could heal injuries, 
then maybe she could even cure severe illnesses. 

"She's the answer to our prayers.."

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

- After 9 months, there's Part 8! *ducks to avoid flying objects* Yes, I 
know. It's more of a cliffhanger than Part 7, but I really should be able to 
write another chapter before Christmas rolls around. In fact, I promise that 
Part 9 will be up before the holidays. I don't know when exactly, but trust 
me on this. See you all again soon!

(Email would probably give me more encouragement, people!)

** 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, September 2002. **

Ja-! MinaP (MinaP_Aino_hime@yahoo.com) 10:06 PM 9/1/02

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