Ami and Taiki are sitting down in Ami’s living room. Ami has her Sailor Mercury computer and Taiki  with his laptop. Ami sits in the floor yawning. Taiki looks her with the corner of his eyes. "She looks so cute when she’s sleepy!," he thinks while blushing. He quickly turns his head back in the laptop.
        Ami turns to look at Taiki, who looks like he’s working intensely in his laptop. "He looks so cute when he’s… BLUSHING?!," she’s a little intrigued by that thought. Her thought started to drift as the work ran her down, she’s used to stay up late researching, but with the training sessions her energy was almost at zero. Her eyelids started to get heavier, she tried to stay awake. But she couldn’t fight in any longer and drifted into dreamland.
        Taiki didn’t notice (since he was to busy pretending to be working). Taiki was also a little tired from the workout earlier, he helped Ami with her fighting skills (almost non-existent, but she learns fast). His focus was diminishing, he was almost falling asleep. He yawned and looked around, finding Ami asleep.
        He just kept looking at her; she looked so peaceful and beautiful like that. He took her in his arms and lifted her up. He took her to her room, which was very organized, except for a map of Japan with Negaverse attacks pointed out, energy charts, and medical schoolbooks in her desk. He carefully put her in bed and tucked her in. He looked around the room.
        "She sure takes medicine and sailor business hard," he thought. He closed the books and organized the little mess she had and sat in her bed. He looked at her; somehow he couldn’t stop looking at Ami. He got up and got close to Ami and gave her a kiss in the forehead, "Sleep well," he said as he turned the lights off and left the room. Ami continued to sleep with a smile in her face.
        He went to the living room to continue to find info about the new bad force, until he also fell asleep in Ami’s living room.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
 
        Ranma ran until he found the place he was looking for, he recognized the tree in the photo, it was in the little forest outside of Nerima. He entered the little forest. There was a little clear area, with a big cherry blossom tree in the middle. He was what he was looking for. Akane was sitting by the tree; she had her legs close to her chest. The wind was blowing her hair in a way that mesmerized Ranma. In her face there was a sparkle which showed shaded tears.
        Akane didn’t move or acknowledge his presence. He stepped in front of her, but she didn’t even blink. Her face showed sadness, but none of her usual furry. Ranma had thought a million things to say to her, but now he couldn’t think of any.
        "Ranma," Akane didn’t show her usual conviction in her words, "Leave. I don’t want to see you right now."
        "Come on Akane," Ranma sat in front her, "I’m really sorry for what I did today!" Akane didn’t respond. There was a long silence. Ranma decided to
continue speaking. "Look Akane, you know I didn’t mean those things I said
today."
        Akane sighed. "Ranma," she looked at him for the first time, dried tears in her face, " Do you think I’m so mad for what you did today?"
        Ranma stood still, "Well yeah," he said a little dubious, "What else?"
        Akane snorted and got up. "Then I have nothing more to say to you," she started to walk away until she felt a strong hand held her back by her arm, she looked behind only to find Ranma with a look of desperation.
        "Look Akane," Ranma held her arm tighter, "We can work this now."
        Akane’s anger finally surfaced. "Ranma let go of me!" she screamed. Ranma was shocked and quickly let go. Akane’s anger went away and there was a peace in her. "Look Ranma," she looked at him in the eye, "We can’t work this out. Not now, not here. You see Ranma, it’s not about only today; it’s about our past. We’ve been fighting since the first day we met. I’d like to think things are getting better, but they aren’t. Every time we get closer something happens, our fathers, monster, fiancés, and even ghosts. Look, I can’t go on like this. You can’t even stand me! So I’ve decided to break up the engagement, for good."
        At this point Ranma was going to meltdown. "But…" he started before Akane took her hand and closed his lips.
        "Ranma," she said with a sad smile, "Until you and I know what WE want there’s not much you can do. Goodbye, Ranma." She turned around and left the forest, leaving an immobile Ranma.
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^

        The morning came to Japan and the day is bright and beautiful. In the Tendo Dojo everything seemed normal (of course their meaning of normal is a LITTLE different from the rest of the world).
        Akane and her sisters are in the table eating with their father. Meanwhile Genma was teaching (getting back at Ranma for making Akane angry) Ranma his morning sparing lessons. They finished and went to eat (fight each other for the food). Everyone was very quiet, especially Ranma.
        "Akane," said Kasumi in her nice and soothing voice, "Did you finish packing?" Akane just nodded.
        Soun Tendo got his face out of the paper. "Where are you going?" he asked.
        "To college," Nabiki always loved to give the killing blow, "In Juuban."
        "What!!!" Tendo’s head became the big purple demon, "why was I not informed of this?!"
        " I just decided it," said Akane.
        "What about what I have to say?!," said her father in tears, "And what about your fiancé? You have a duty to him!"
        "I didn’t tell you because I knew how you would react," she said calmly, "And no I don’t care if you don’t want me to go. And I have no fiancé." Everyone was shocked at Akane’s comment.
        "WHAT??????!!!!!!," wailed Genma and Soun. Ranma tried to make a hasty retreat, but was stopped by his father, who looked just about to kill him. "What did you do, boy?!," he yelled at him. Akane got up and pounded her cup in the table.
        "Hey!," she yelled at everyone, "Leave us alone! It’s our lives, we’re 18 years old! We can do anything we want. There’s no engagement, because I said there wasn’t any and I’m going to Juuban College because I have a scholarship and I want to go! And that’s it!"
        Nobody moved except Kasumi, who was clearing the table. Akane left the room and went to her room to get her luggage. Kasumi went after her. She closed the door behind her. "Akane," she gave her a package with a note, "Read it when you get there and keep it close to you, always." Akane nodded and hugged her sister.
        She finished to get her bags to a big car in the doorway. Inside the car are Nabiki and a messed up Kuno. Akane sighted as she saw Kuno, who took her luggage and put it in the back of the car. Akane sat in the back, while Kuno was at the driver’s seat and Nabiki was in the front passenger seat. Kasumi, Soun, Genma, and Ranma were in the gates. The car started to move and they quickly left the dojo and their occupants behind.
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^

        The sun touched Ami’s face making her get up. She got up and noticed she had the clothes she had yesterday she looked for a change of clothes. She went to the bathroom and took a bath. She exited the room for the living room.
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^

        Taiki got up and stretched. He looked around, the place was different from his apartment. It was well decorated, though. The door behind him opened, he turned.
        Ami entered the living room, she had a cute light blue, off the shoulder, long sleeve, and short thigh length kimono. He almost had a heart attack from the view. Ami noticed someone was there and screamed. Taiki was more nervous now.
        "Ami-chan," he said getting up, "It’s me, Taiki. Calm down." Ami calmed down and sat beside him.
        "What happened?," she asked, "I don’t remember going to bed."
        "Well," he sat down, "You fell asleep and I took you to your room. Then I continued to work and fell asleep."
        "Oh," she got up, "might as well make breakfast. What would you like?"
        Taiki got up and walked toward the kitchen. "I’ll do it!," he opened the fridge, "we’ll have pancakes!"
        Ami went to the kitchen. "I’ll help you," she said looking for the pancake mix.
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^

        Minako and Usagi were outside Ami’s apartment. They rang the doorbell.
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^

        Ami heard the doorbell ring, and heard Usagi’s high-pitched voice in the other side, and without thinking opened the door. "Hi Usagi-chan! ," she said cheerfully, "Hi Minako-chan! What’s up?" Minako and Usagi entered inside and smelled the aroma of breakfast.
        "Nothing," said Usagi, "We just wanted to see the new apartment. Hey, what smells so good?" She had the glutton mode on (as if it’s ever off, just like me ^_^!).
        "It’s just breakfast," she said, "that Tai…" She quickly saw what she was going to say. "What would they think if they found Taiki-kun in my apartment, early in the morning, and me in my night kimono…" she thought, "I’m dead!" Her face showed no color.
        Usagi was already in the kitchen. Ami ran to the kitchen to lessen the hit. She entered the kitchen, but only Usagi was there.
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^

        Taiki heard the sound of Usagi’s voice. "Usagi-chan’s here," he thought calmly. "I’ll just make more." Then something in his head snapped, "I’m in Ami-chan’s apartment, in the morning, early in the morning, with the clothes I had last night, and she’s in that cute kimono!… She looks good in that kimono!… I’m dead! What will they think?!" Taiki quickly runs out the kitchen and hides in Ami’s room.
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^

        Ami almost had a heart attack. "Good ,Taiki-kun," she thought, "now we won’t have any problems!" It looked perfect until she heard Minako’s screams, quickly followed  by Taiki’s screams.
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^

        Minako entered Ami’s apartment. She was looking around when she heard some movements in Ami’s room. She entered the room to find a man’s back. She
screamed. The man screamed back and turned. It was Taiki!
        "Taiki-kun!!!!!!," she yelled unbelieving, "What are you doing here? In Ami-chan’s room, in the early morning… and she’s in that night kimono! Oh!" She started to blush and giggle a little.
        In that moment Ami entered the room with Usagi behind. To find Taiki in a MAJOR blush, Minako looking at her in a weird way and giggling.
        "Hello Taiki-kun!," she tried to lie, "What are you doing here? What a nice surprise?" It would have worked if Taiki and her weren’t blushing like that and looking very nervous.
        Usagi quickly organized her thoughts. "Did you guys have SEX??!!!!," she yelled as high as possible.
        Taiki and Ami wanted to die in that moment.
        "This can’t get worse," muttered Taiki. He believed that, until he saw what Minako did next.
        "Guys!," Minako talked to her communicator, "Did you hear?! Ami-chan and Taiki-kun had sex last night!!" Responses were rolling in.
        "We did not!!," Taiki and Ami yelled. They looked at each other.
        "Ami-chan… sex?!," he thought.
        "Taiki-kun…Sex?!!!" she thought. They both were blushing and smirking at the same time.
        Five seconds later, the entire scouts and lights teams were in the room asking questions. The lights were congratulating Taiki and the scouts were asking weird questions to Ami.
        "Who’d have thought you’d be the first one of us to get laid!," joked Yaten.
        "I didn’t know you were going out with Ami-chan," Seiya said, "I saw it coming a mile away, but I never thought you’d have sex?!"
        "I did not have sex with her!," Taiki defended himself, "I just fell asleep working last night."
        "Did he propose to you?," asked Mako-chan.
        "Ami-chan hentai!," joked Raye.
        "Yeah tell us who was on top," said Setsuna laughing between words.
        "We didn’t do anything!," said Ami, "And don’t play along Setsuna-san, you know the truth."
        "She’s right," Setsuna couldn’t stop laughing, "Nothing happened, sorry for telling you earlier, but it was too much fun."
        Ami and Taiki relaxed. Then the guys started to close their eyes with their hands.
        "Um… Ami-chan," Yaten laughed nervously, "Maybe Taiki-kun likes it, but could you change your clothes."
        Ami and Taiki flushed. Ami ran to the bathroom and put on a white blouse with short sleeves and a short blue skirt. They left for the university to matriculate in the classes.
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^

        Akane arrived to the university, Kuno took her bags to the dorm, and Nabiki came along. They entered a room, it had pretty decorating. Kuno left the bags in the room.
        "I will miss thee Tendo Akane," he left with tears in his eyes, "A piece of my love I leave to thee."
        Akane and Nabiki shrug it off. "Well Akane," Nabiki hugged her, "I’ll see you in winter break or sooner. Bye!" She left.
        "Bye Nabiki! I’ll miss you," Akane turned away and looked inside her purse. "I guess I’ll go matriculate," she thought. She went by the door when she bumped into a redhead.
        "Sorry," said the girl, "I’m Molly, your new room mate."
        "It’s ok, Molly," Akane bowed, "I’m Akane."
        "Hey want to go to matriculate?," Molly asked.
        "Sure!," Akane got her little backpack and left with Molly.
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^
        Usagi, Seiya, Taiki, Ami, Yaten, Minako, Makoto, Ken, and Rei were in the administrative building to matriculate. Molly and Akane entered the building and took their number. They entered the waiting room.
        "Molly!," Usagi waved her arms, "Here!" Molly found Usagi.
        "Hi Usagi!," Molly sat on the empty seat by Usagi, "Hi guys!"
        Greetings were given. "Hey guys, this is Akane, my new roommate," Molly gestured to Akane, "These are my friends, Akane. These are Usagi, Seiya, Taiki, Ami, Makoto, Minako, Rei, Ken, and Yaten."
        "Nice to meet you!," Akane bowed. They all did the same.
        "Tsukino Usagi," the receptionist called, "Your turn." Usagi got up and entered the room. This process repeated itself until everyone was called. They waited until the last person, Akane, finished.
        "Hey let’s go eat something," suggested Usagi. Everyone accepted and they went to the Crown Café.
 
        "Hey guys," Usagi was having one of her ideas, "Why don’t we join a club together! I know, the drama club!"
        The three Lights were a little disturbed by her idea, since their last experience in movie making wasn’t very good. They all accepted for different reasons. Ami liked helping out, she wanted to help in the script. Taiki accepted because Ami had. Minako always wanted to be a star. Yaten wanted to keep his hearing (since Minako would have left him deaf with her wail if he didn’t accept). Makoto wanted to cook for the drama club. Ken accepted to help out Makoto in the catering. Rei wanted to write the music. And Seiya accepted because he wanted to be with everybody. Molly wanted to design the costumes. There was only one person missing, Akane.
        "Do you want to join?" asked Seiya to Akane. Akane looked like she wasn’t even in her body. "Earth to Akane," Seiya snapped his fingers and Akane paid attention. "What were you thinking about?," asked Seiya.
        "I was thinking about the last time I was in the play," Akane took a big sip at her soda, "It was the weirdest thing ever."
        "We also were in a weird play," Makoto commented, "Ours was attacked by a monster, but the Sailor Scouts saved the day!"
        "In mine there was no monsters," Akane stopped to think about that, "well only one, my parent’s master, Hapossai."
        "What happened," asked Ami, "Sounds like it was a disaster."
        "First of all there were three Romeo," Akane took another sip to the soda, "The evil perverted master, Happosai. The weird self-centered rich Tatewaki Kuno. And Ranma. They fought in the stage for the role, then Kuno’s servant tried to take the part and was busted by Ranma. But sadly Ranma didn’t know his lines. My father ‘helped’ him through it. And after fights, brawls, drinking, and perverted attempts we finished it. We even won first prize at the interscholastic competition." Everyone had sweat drops on their foreheads.
        "Some how normal people are scarier than negaverse monsters," muttered Makoto.

        Everyone finished their food.
        "Well," Usagi yawned, "Tomorrow we got to get up early and we got to sleep." She started to walk away, " See you tomorrow, nice meting you Akane!"
        "Good bye," Akane waved her hands, "Nice meting you too!" After that they all went to their dorms.
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^

        Akane and Molly returned to the dorm, Akane ended unpacking and sat in her bed. She opened her purse and took out the little package Kasumi gave her. She opened to find a henshin wand (the one described on the prologue). It had a note by it, it said:

My little princess,
This will guide you through the darkness, it will be your beacon. The sunshineand the moonlight will guide you. Always follow your heart. Keep this with you at all time everything will be reveled when the time’s right. The answer lies in love.
I’ll always love you,
Mom

"Mom?!" Akane read the letter again, "What does this mean?!"
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^
Next Chapter: Sunrise

What’s this power? You probably know already. There’s going to be a new arrival and you don’t want to miss it!

C&C welcome at sailor_a_akane@hotmail.com
Home