Okay, here it is, chapter one of my first completed fic.

	Author notes follow the fic. 

Notes:

	This fic is set in an alternate timeline of Sailor Moon S. The only
difference being Pluto deciding rather than have the outer Senshi refrain
from working with the Inners because they were immature,  that they need to
work with them for that exact same reason in hopes of maturing them a
little.
	All original char. in this story are property of M. Kinnison and
MiNK studios. If you wish to use them please let me know.  As always, Sailor
Moon and all related char. are the property of Naoko Takeuchi who is nice
enough to take all our stories in stride rather than sending Yaku...(sound
of two silenced gunshots and a body falling to the ground.)

C&C appreciated, flames ignored, MST's and other such ribbing taken in jest
and all good fun. (I pitty he who cannot laugh at himself.)

Having said that:

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Darkwolf productions in association with Wildfire Communications
and studio MiNK  present:
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Sailor Moon S

"Someone to love."



Chapter one: Eric.



	Ami Mizuno was not having a very good day.  It wasn't because it was
the first day of her sophomore year of high school; that didn't bother her
at all.  It wasn't that her classes where particularly hard; on the contrary
they were astoundingly easy.  No, what made this day so bad was seeing Ryo
with his new girlfriend Mai at lunch.  She could handle being dumped, every
girl went through it at least once.  But to just be dismissed, like some
serving girl.  He stated no other reason than that they were simply "No
longer compatible." Like their relationship had been nothing more than some
equation had been working on.  Even after two weeks, it still upset her to
no end and to see him today, happily accepting sashimi offered to him from
the robust little brunette made Ami want to cry out to the heavens.
	The class bell rang signaling the days end.  Ami closed her physics
book and once slowly headed for her locker.  She filled her backpack with
the books she needed along with her journal and prepared to go home. She
closed the locker door to find Minako leaning against the other lockers.
The blonde was looking at her with a wide Cheshire grin.  Beside her was
Usagi.
"I'm having a sleep over tonight, want to come?"  Usagi asked.  
Minako knew Ami was still feeling very down about Ryo.  That's why she
caught up with Usagi at lunch and mentioned it to her.  The sleep over had
been Usagi's idea though.  Minako had just wanted to talk to her and see if
she was okay.  She watched now as her Ami fidgeted.
	Ami put on her best smile, not wanting Minako or Usagi to know how
bad she was really feeling.  "Sounds great but, I have a lot of studying to
do tonight." 
	"Yeah, right." Minako said with a wink and a nod.  Ami felt someone
grab her arm.  She turned to see Makoto smiling at her.  Minako hooked Ami's
free arm while she was distracted.  Together the three girls began to walk
off with Ami hoisted aloft between them.  After a moment of struggling Ami
gave in to her kidnappers with a faint giggle. 
	"Alright, alright, you win. I'll be there."  She said smiling at
them.  She really didn't want to go.  Ami just wanted to stay in her room
alone.  But she knew they wouldn't let her do that.  No, the only thing to
do was to go along.  
	The four girls headed down the steps and towards the front door. As
they turned the corner Ami froze.  There in front of her, sweetly kissing
Mai beside her locker, was Ryo.  He smiled at Mai, then turned and walked
away. When he saw the girls he nodded and smiled, then continued on down a
side hall as if nothing was amiss.  The Girls turned to look at Ami, She was
standing as still as a statue in the middle of them.  Then, before anyone
could react, She turned and bolted away.
	
	Ami ran as hard as she could through the hall and away from the
scene. She fought to keep from crying. She didn't care witch way she was
running, she just knew that she had to get out of there.  Suddenly She felt
herself slam into someone.  She fell back on the floor, landing on her
bottom with a solid thump.  As she sat on the tiled floor, Ami heard a voice
apologize in very poor Japanese.  She looked up to see the blurry image of
someone holding out a hand to her.  She cursed herself for not wearing her
contacts as she picked up her glasses from where they had landed next to
her.  Ami accepted the hand up and, once she was back on her feet, took a
better look at the person she had bumped into.  
	He was tall.  Ami guessed almost six foot.  The dark blue uniform
blazer draped his athletic frame in an all-together attractive manner.  He
had a gorgeous smile that was set upon a face strait from the pages of a
shojo manga and framed with a crown of wavy, light brown hair that was
handsomely cut.  But what caught Ami's attention most was his eyes.  They
were soft, round and seemed to smile warmly at her.  Ami found herself
starting to blush lightly. 
	"I am, very, sorry."  He spoke in haltingly.  His Japanese was
thickly accented and caused Ami to blanch.
	"[It's ok.]" She replied in rather fluent English.   "[I should have
been watching were I was going.]"  
	He looked at her stunned. "[You speak English very well.]" Ami found
her blush deepening as she stared once more into his all too inviting eyes.
	"[Thank you.]" She replied.
	"[I have to get going, I don't want to miss my ride home.  Are you
sure you're okay?]" 
	"[Yes, I'm, fine.]" She replied.
	The young man bowed then turned to leave.
	Ami watched him as he walked up the stairs and around the corner.
She didn't even here her friends as they caught up to her.  As she shook
herself out of her daydreams, Ami turned around to find three very
mischievous looks aimed at her . 
	"Wow, he's a looker." Makoto teased. "Way to go Ami, you ran right
out there and snagged yourself a real hunk."   This made Ami begin to blush
a little harder, which in turn only made Makoto and Usagi laugh. 
	"Yeah how come you didn't ask him out?" Chided Usagi. She was
immediately swatted by Minako.
	"Usagi!  Giver the poor girl some time, will you.  It's only been a
couple of weeks."  As the girls headed back out of the school Ami relaxed as
she felt the awkwardness of the moment pass.  It returned soon after as Mina
turned her head and glanced over her shoulder.  "Although he was awfully
handsome, I wonder if he's single...better yet. I wonder if her likes
blondes?". The other three girls face faulted.

	A war raged in the little room.  Usagi placed her back to the wall
and braced herself.  This was the worst opponent she had ever faced; one
that attacked her when she was alone and vulnerable, and attacked en-mass so
she couldn't mount an efficient defense.  With a howl, she gave up any hope
of defending herself and dove headlong into the middle of her foes.  Her
charge caught them off guard, an advantage that Usagi strove to use to her
favor.  It was an advantage that was short lived.   Usagi let out a muffled
scream as darkness enveloped her.
	Rei walked into the room. The smell of hot, fresh buttered popcorn
filled the air around the bowl she carried.  Across the room she saw a pair
of legs buried underneath a mound of pillows that looked suspiciously like
Usagi's.  Chibi Usa, Makoto, Ami and Minako each held one of the pillows
plus one more in their free hands.  From on top of Usagi's bed Haruka and
Michiru sat snuggled next to each other watching the spectacle before them.
Periodically the legs beneath the pillows would twitch from what sounded
like laughter. 
	The impromptu war was abandoned as Rei plopped down the steaming
bowl and picked up the VCR remote.  They all gathered around as the movie
started.  Ami grabbed a hand full of popcorn and leaned against the large
floor pillow that had been her weapon of choice moments before.  Her hopes
of getting through the night without thinking about Ryo were executed as the
movie started.  It was a love story.   She rolled her eyes and tried to make
the best of it.  After all, she hadn't seen a good romantic movie in a
while, not that she had been in the mood for one.  She watched as the
ridiculously over cute main character sweet talked the female lead into
posing nude while he sketched her with a piece of charcoal, her mind
struggling not to think about Ryo or the incident from earlier.  The more
she fought though, the more the image of his face came into view. 
	They had never done much together but she had enjoyed what they had
done.  An errant tear slipped down her cheek. * God, why do they make these
movies so long? * She asked herself as the second tape of the movie droned
on.  Finally, as her emotions threatened to get the best of her and bring
with it the torrent of tears she was forcing back with all she had, she hit
upon an idea that would allow her to step away long enough to collect
herself.
	"Usagi, do mind if I borrow your computer?  I need to see if anybody
replied to a post I placed Yesterday."
	"Sure." The blonde replied quietly, her eyes never moved from the
screen as she watched the heroine say farewell to the now dead leading male
as they drifted along on a piece of debris.
	Ami walked over to the far end of the room and turned the machine
on.  With in a few keystrokes she was at her mailbox.  She stared at the '0'
in her in basket, she knew it would be there.  Except for the girls in the
room and her newsletters, she rarely got mail.  Opening her files she began
to read the last post received from her science mailing list.  She digested
the words with a half interest.  Somehow, Professor Hawkins latest theories
didn't seem to interest her as they usually did.  Her heart just wasn't in
it. It was aching again from the loss of what she thought was one of the
stable points in her otherwise bizarrely chaotic life.  She failed to notice
that she had been on the same paragraph for twenty minutes, or that the
girls had all gathered around her.  Another tear managed to escape the iron
like grip she had on it and slipped down her face leaving a path as its
predecessor had. 
	"I don't think that a science-digest post warrants crying...what's
wrong Ami?" Usagi had pulled up a chair and was now sitting right beside her
with her arms folded over the back.
	"I...was... it was the movie, that's all." Ami replied lamely.
	"Somehow I doubt that." Chibi Usa replied.  She looked square into
Ami's eyes with an almost sad expression.  "It's him again, isn't it?"  She
didn't need to say Ryo's name.  They all knew.  Ami glanced around at each
of their faces. They all knew what was going on and they all shared the same
desire to help her.  She could see the emotions in their eyes, concern,
worry, all over-laid with a painful urge to help their friend.  She knew
they were there for her and would support her if she fell.  But part of her
still refused to give up her fight not to cry over Ryo.
The levy erected to keep her tears at bay began to crack when she felt
Usagi's hand come to rest on her shoulder.  Ami looked at her to see a soft
warm smile on her lips. 
	"It's okay Ami, we're your friends."  She said, shifting her head so
that her pigtails bounced lightly against her shoulder.
	Ami felt the levy begin to crumble further.  Haruka knelt beside her
and put her hand on Ami's neck.
	" Think of all we've been through together kid. Come on, you can
trust us."  A tear began to slowly slide down the top of her cheek.  It was
when Minako put her arm around her as well that it broke completely, carried
away in a flood of tears she'd held back for too many days.  Minako smiled
at her.  Ami wasn't sure why but it touched her.  Her last defenses
collapsed and she leaned her head onto Mina's shoulder and began to cry.
It was a hard cry; sobs wracking the young girl's body as emotions kept pent
up far too long escaped from hiding.  The girls gathered closer around her
as she cried.  Some among them shed a few tears of their own.  Usagi closed
her eyes and cried quietly. She knew what Ami was going through.  It hadn't
been all that long ago that she had lost her Mamoru.  It had almost killed
her, every time she saw him out, acting as if she had been nothing to him.
Her heart went out to her friend.  All the while Ami continued to cry.  It
would be long into the night before she stopped.

Tomoe stared off into the darkness in front of him.   They were out there
somewhere. 
 "The senshi." 
 He knew that they had it or at least part of it.
"The Grail."
Eudial stood not too far away from her lord.  Mimete stood next to her.
They watched as he turned and walked slowly towards them, his eyes closed
and head lowered in contemplation. 
"Everything I have tried has failed.  What variable is keeping me from
succeeding?"
"I do not know Tomoe Sama.  Perhaps the objects you fused the Daemons to
weren't strong enough." Eudial offered up.
"Maybe a stronger daemon?" Mimete chimed in.
Tomoe stopped as if he'd walked into an invisible wall.  His eyes locked
onto her with an intensely cold gleam.  "My dear Mimete, you just gave me an
idea."  His lips parted in a smile that made Mimete wish that she'd kept her
mouth shut.
"Go," He said. "Bring me a Daemon egg."

Ami awoke to sunlight streaming through the partially cracked curtains
across the room.  The light had been on her shoulder and was now creeping
along the bottom of her face.  It was warm and somewhat soothing, like the
touch of a young kitten exploring an undiscovered ball of yarn.
Consciousness came to her in stages, slowly. After several minutes she sat
up and yawned, trying to stretch into herself.
Most of the girls were still asleep.  Rei was lying across Makoto's feet,
snoring quietly, and Chibi Usa was sprawled out along the bed. Over in the
window Ami could see Artemis's prone form asleep on the windowsill.  Now
mostly awake, Ami put her glasses on and headed down stairs.  She found Mina
sitting in the kitchen, still in her nightshirt, watching Michiru cook
breakfast. Off in the living room she could here Usagi on the phone with her
mom and Haruka watching highlights of last nights soccer game and scratching
Luna behind her ears. 
"Feeling better?" Mina asked as she saw Ami walk in.
"Yeah, a little bit."  She sat down as Mina handed her a cup. She sipped the
tea, quietly enjoying the peace that had settled on her consciousness.  She
was brought back to reality minutes later by the other girls as they came
in. Each in some varying stage of awake.  It wasn't long before the day's
agenda was planned out over a breakfast of pancakes and tea.  As it was a
day off from school and still summer there was only one thing to do...shop.
Ami smiled as she ate.  She was glad now that she hadn't been alone last
night.  She had needed this.

Eudial watched from across the street as the girls, whom she had deduced to
be the Senshi, wandered into a store.  She wasn't sure why Tomoe was having
her follow them.  She had already gathered every bit of data on them as she
could.  What else was there? She sighed and followed them down the street.  
	Ami judged the dress that Usagi held up to herself.  She was in the
middle of factoring in the blonde's skin tones when Minako tapped her on the
shoulder rapidly.
	"Hey, isn't that the guy you bumped into yesterday?"  She pointed a
few blocks down the street.  Sure enough, there he stood.  Looking confused
yet utterly handsome.  The girls collectively swooned as they saw the boy in
question.  He was dressed in tight fitting jeans that brought out the
details of his legs in very attractive ways. His white cotton dress shirt
was unbuttoned and untucked.  It flowed in the slight breeze revealing a
simple black T-shirt beneath it that was stretched taught over his
pleasingly built chest.  He was standing on the corner with a small booklet
in his hand.  A look of bemused confusion played across his face as he
glanced between the street signs and his book.
	"I think he's lost."  Ami pondered aloud.  "Maybe we should help?"
	"Better idea," Makoto chimed in. "You go help him." She patted Ami
in the small of her back, scooting her several inches forward. 
	"What, but I can't..." Ami started to replied, her voice began to
rise in panic.
	"Yes you can," Mina cut her off.  "It's easy, just go up, ask if
he's lost and let it go from there." 
	Usagi piped in cheerfully. "Yeah Ami, just be yourself." 
	"But..." She sighed and started walking.  All the girls had warmed
up to the idea so there was nothing she could do but go ask him. *But what
if he says no? * She added mentally.  Hanging her head in defeat she headed
down the block to where the young man stood.  As she neared him she
bolstered confidence as best she could and put on her best smile. "[ Hello.
]" She said in her lightly accented English.   His face lit up with
recognition when he saw her approaching.
	"[Hello again.]" He smiled at Ami and she felt herself relax a
little.
	"[You seem a little lost.]" 
	"[Yeah, a little bit.]" He replied. Showing her the map.  "[I'm
trying to get to Ajitso plaza but I think I'm on the wrong side of town. ]"
	"[No, you're in the right area, but a few blocks off. Here, I'll
show you.]"  She pointed down the block and started giving him directions.
The girls watched from up the street, trying not to look too obvious but
failing miserably.  After a few moments, they watched as Ami walked slowly
back to them with a slightly blank look on her face. 
	"Well?" Rei asked. The rest of the girls gathered around to here as
well. "What'd he say?"
	Ami spoke in a quiet voice.  She seemed somewhat in shock. "His name
is Eric, Eric Riley.  He just moved here from the States... and he just
asked me to tutor him in Japanese." Her lips curled into a small smirk.  The
girls stood stunned for a moment, then exploded in squeals and giggles.
None of them noticed Eudial across the street as she ducked into an alleyway
and disappeared.

	Ami stood in front of the doorway staring at the doorbell.  She had
been there going on ten minutes, just looking at the little softly glowing
button.  It had taken most of her courage and a lot of prodding from her
friends just to actually come here instead of calling it off.  Now here she
was, standing in front of the quiet two-story house Eric's directions had
led to.
	 It was set on a side street in a quiet little suburb.  With a
final, nervous swallow, she pressed the button. 
	
	Eric had just started to pull his shirt on when he heard the
doorbell's electronic chime.  In the living room, he could hear the dog as
it announced a visitor's presence.  He walked down the hallway, pulling his
shirt the rest of the way on.  He opened the door to a nervous looking but
rather attractive girl.
	"Hello." He said in Japanese.  Ami smiled and bowed politely trying
not to blush.  He was even cuter than she remembered.  Dressed in a darker
set of jeans than he had been wearing earlier, his light gray muscle shirt
displayed a hint of his midriff.  Ami noted, though trying hard not to show
it, that his stomach was well defined and that the muscles in his arms were
toned.  They moved sinuously under his skin as he motioned her in.  Despite
her best efforts, Ami found herself getting a little flushed at the sight of
him. She walked in and slipped off her shoes then stepped into the house.
It was decorated in a western style with a slight military motif.
	"[You'll have to excuse the place.  My parents are both out of town
right now so it's just me and Teddy]" Eric apologized as he scooped up the
Jack Russell Terrier that was examining Ami's sock.  It cocked its little
head to one side and let out a cute little whine then butted its head
against Eric's neck and tried to lick him.  Ami couldn't help but giggle at
the dog's antics.
Eric and Ami went into the living room.  He retrieved a couple of drinks
from the kitchen while she sat down and took out a note pad and a couple of
books.  She was halfway through writing out a small chart when Eric
returned.  For the next several hours Ami went over the basics, discovering
that he did have a grasp of Japanese fundamentals but seemed to get lost
somewhere in the more advanced application of the language.  She also
discovered through small talk that both his parents were military and
currently deployed at sea. 
	"[My mom is a Lieutenant in the Navy.  She's stationed on an
amphibious ship in Australia.  My father is a Gunnery Sergeant in the
Marines.  He won't be back for another 5 months.]"  Eric picked up another
slice of the pizza they had ordered earlier.
	"[Wow, you must see a lot of different places. ]" Ami replied.
	"[Yeah.  It's not too bad, but we never stayed anywhere very long.
]"
	"[My mother's always away on call, so I know what it's like not
having your parents around much. ]"  
	Having covered most of what Ami had wanted to do for the night, they
continued to talk for a while.  Ami eventually realized that it was starting
to get late.  With a smile and a bow she placed her books back in her
satchel and put on her shoes.  Eric thanked her for helping him and asked if
they could do this again. Ami thought about it as she stepped out of the
door.  "[Sure, I don't see why not. ]" She replied 
	"[Great, then it's a date, er uh, I'm mean.  That didn't come out
right. ]" Eric stumbled across the last of his words.  Ami giggled then
bowed once more.  Eric laughed and bowed back.  She left his house smiling
happily.  The smile stayed with her all the way home. 
	
	The next day at school, Mina, Mako and Usagi grilled Ami at lunch
for all the details of her tutoring of Eric.  
	"So what's he like?  Is he nice?" Mina asked, her eyes gleaming with
anticipation. Ami began to recount the night while making sure to leave out
her thoughts about him.  When she was done, Usagi rested her chin in her
hands and let out a sigh.
	"He sounds so sweet." She said softly.
	Minako looked at Ami.  "Go for him."  
	Ami choked on the sandwich she was eating. "Mina!  He just a
friend,"  She replied after regaining her composure.
	"Who's cute,  very sweet, cute, is a really nice guy, cute, sincere,
cute, loves animals, cute, can take care of a house..." Mina halted as Ami
glared at her. "Did I mention he was cute?" she added quickly.
	"Come on guys." Usagi stated. "Ami's still trying to get over Ryo.
Give her some time.  If she just wants to be friends then that's her choice.
If she wants to go farther then fine, but let her choose when." The
sincerity in her voice took the girls by surprise.  Ami thought it was odd
that Usagi was being the voice of reason.  Maybe all that they had been
through in the last little while had done something to mature her.  After
all, she had lost Mamoru for a while.  Usagi looked at Ami. "Keep in mind
Ami, guys like him don't come along everyday." 

	Days passed as they always do and soon Ami found herself heading out
the door for Eric's again.  She hadn't given it much thought this time.  At
least not as much as she had the last time.  He had bumped into her a few
times at school, though not like their first encounter, so she wasn't nearly
as nervous around him as she had been.  
	On the train ride over, a small twitch appeared on her lips.  It
grew wider, becoming a smirk, then a grin, until finally it was a full-blown
contented smile.  She liked him.  He was sweet and she liked helping him.
It made her feel good.  The way Eric treated her made her feel nice too.  He
was kind and very considerate.  He treated her like she was a friend, even
on their first lesson.  Ryo had been nice to her, even downright sweet
sometimes.  But he was always a little distant.  He never really opened up
to her.  Eric, however, seemed very open and friendly.  She knew more about
him after just their first tutoring session than she had ever known about
Ryo. 
	She found the idea of going out with him for more than teaching very
appealing, but in the end she shook it off.  She needed to be alone for a
while, be single, independent.  She headed away from the station with a
confident stride. "Viva la Bachelorette." She declared with a triumphant
swing of her arm.
	
	Ami pushed the doorbell without hesitation this time.  Inside she
could hear Teddy's claws on the floor as he trotted up to the door barking.
In the background she could here Eric acknowledge the bell.  He answered the
door with a wide smile.  
	"Hi." She announced. "Are you ready for another lesson?" she asked.
Eric paused for a moment then replied shakily.
	"Yes, I think that I, am ready." It sounded almost like a question. 
	"[Very good.  You've been practicing.]" She replied as she sat down
on the couch.  
	"[My friend Hasukawa has been helping me a little here and there.]"
He smiled and went to fetch his books.  "[Have you eaten yet?]"
 	"No" She said switching to Japanese as a test; she started playing
"Scratch the tummy" with Teddy.   When Eric returned he picked up the list
of translated numbers on top of the phone book and browsed down it.  
"[Anything you're in the mood for?]" He asked.
	"[No, not really.]" She replied. 
	Eric dialed the phone and a short time later A dinner of Ramen
noodles and stir-fry, was delivered by a cheerful, Chinese girl with
lavender hair.	
	The night went wonderfully. Ami and Eric worked away on his grasp of
the Japanese language; in between they talked casually about each other and
took turns placating Teddy, who was thoroughly enjoying the attention.  All
the while neither suspected their innocent tutoring lessons were being
monitored.
	
Eudial watched the two carefully.  She wondered if the others were having
any success.  With a shrug, she faded back into the shadows to make her
report to Professor Tomoe.
	She slowly materialized next to Tomoe. 
	"Your report?" he stated blankly.
	"It hasn't changed since my last report.  The probability hasn't
changed; it's still a 50-50 chance.  But I think that this is still our best
shot considering how heavily guarded the other one is. 
	"Is that your personal opinion?" He asked.
"Based on my observations, yes." She hesitated slightly.  The eggs in front
of Prof. Tomoe moved slightly.  They didn't look like normal Daemon eggs.
The where slightly larger than normal, pulsing from within with dark
enrgies.  She turned and left quickly.  Once alone, Tomoe smiled slightly.
He foresaw no problems with this new plan.  He picked up one of the eggs and
examined it.  
*Almost ready.* He thought to himself. *Almost ready.*

	 When Ami walked through the door of her house, the smile on her
face couldn't have been any wider.  Three weeks, four visits and Eric's
Japanese was coming along wonderfully.  She saw her mother sitting on the
couch.  She looked very tired, almost asleep. Ami decided to leave her be
and head upstairs.  
	"So how did it go?" Her mother asked.
	Ami sat down next to her mother. "Well it's only the fourth time
we've met but he's progressing nicely."
	"And that's why you're smiling?" Ami realized her mother knew
something else had happened.  She was on very good terms with her mom and as
such kept little from her, except her alter-life.  It had gotten to the
point that there wasn't much Ami could hide from her.
	"He, asked me out."  She said barely able to keep from squealing.
Her mom smiled.
	"Oh honey, that's wonderful." She was happy to see her daughter
getting out and living a little.  She had been worried after Ryo had broken
up with her.  She knew how painfully shy her daughter was. "So when do I get
to meet this Eric?" She teased.
	Ami turned red. "Mooooom!" Ami protested. "He just asked me out for
dinner.  It's not like we're going together or anything...yet." She added
the last with a sheepishly guilty look.  Both burst into laughter.  Ami
secretly hoped that this would turn into something more.  She was starting
to grow rather fond of Eric's company. 

	The next day at lunch, Ami watched as the girls raced over to her
with all the subtlety of a freight train.  She had told Usagi about the date
that morning as they met in the hallway.  She knew it would reach the others
ears before she had even sat down in her first class.  The flood of comments
and questions hit her before the girls did.  
	"It's just a date you guys," she said after they died down a little.
"We're not going steady or anything."  
	"Yet." teased Rei. "Face it girl, he likes you."
	Haruka gave a sly grin. "Looks like you're getting pretty sweet on
him too." The girls laughed as Ami turned a bright shade of red. After the
good natured ribbing was over Usagi gave Ami a pat on her shoulder.
	"We're all behind you Ami." She said with a smile.  The other girls
agreed.  They may have teased her about it but they all really did want her
to be happy.
	"Thanks guys, I really appreciate it."  Ami was glad she had friends
who cared enough to get behind her like this.   The bell rang, signaling the
end of lunch.  With a few last well wishes the girls all broke off in
different directions and headed off to their classes.

Ami stood in front of the mirror and looked over her outfit again.  It
didn't look too bad.  The dark blue slacks hugged her hips quite nicely.  A
white button-down blouse hung loosely off of her shoulders and was tucked
shallowly into her pants.  She tied a black silk scarf around her waist.
All in all she thought it was a really nice outfit.
	She glanced down at her watch and saw that time was quickly running
out.   Looking back up she turned at Usagi and Luna. "Well?"
	"Looks good to me." Luna replied.  Normally she didn't get too
involved in this part of the girls lives but Usagi had mentioned that Ami
needed as much of a confidence boost as she could get so she felt she should
lend a hand, or paw as it where.  Usagi stood up and walked over to her
shorthaired friend. 
	"Relax Ami, you look great.  Just have fun and be yourself."  Luna
was about to add to Usagi's compliment when she heard the doorbell ring.
Ami looked at her two friends.
	"Wish me luck," she said with a grin.
	"Break a leg," came Usagi's reply.
 
   	Ami raced down stairs, Usagi followed shortly.  She found Eric
standing in the living room talking to her mother who had answered the door.
He smiled as she came into view.
	"Ready Ami?" He asked. His Japanese had improved greatly since they
had started.  
	She nodded and said goodbye to her mother and Usagi.  They watched
as the couple drove off. 
	"He seemed nice."  Ami's mom stated.  Usagi nodded.  Luna however,
had an oddly curious look about her.  Something about the boy didn't sit
with her.  He felt...different, familiar somehow.  She began to ponder the
sensation she had felt.  It was a strange tugging, like the one that told
her when she was near one of the Senshi but it was so faint she could barely
feel it.  It hovered on the edge of her perception, like the fluttering of a
moth's wings in the darkness.  It was a thought that would bother her the
rest of the night.

	Ami sat back in the seat of the dark blue Honda beat.  She wasn't
sure of where they were going but Eric said it was a nice place that his
parents had taken him to when they first moved here.  So far things were
going pretty okay.  Relaxing a little, she looked over at Eric.
	"[So, is this your car? ]" She asked, making idle conversation. 
	"[Actually it's my mother's.  She said I could use it if I needed
to, but I don't very often.  Everywhere I usually need to go is either in
walking distance or short train ride away. ]"
	Ami smiled.  This wasn't so bad.  She began to wonder why she had
been so nervous as her fears took a back seat to her growing confidence.
This wasn't so bad at all.
	Eric was feeling a little more at ease.  He had been quite nervous
when Ami's mom met him at the door.  Once he got to know her though, he saw
where Ami got her warm and friendly nature.  He had found himself quite at
ease around Mrs. Mizuno.  Almost like he was with Ami, something that still
perplexed a small part of the back of his mind.  He had never become this
close to a girl this fast before.  He had always been aware of his ability
to attract female attention, due in no small part to his looks, but he
always went slowly.  It had taken him a month to ask a girl out the first
time.  But Ami was different.  He felt comfortable being around her, like he
had known her all of his life.  With a shrug he passed the thought off and
looked for the road sign.

	Luna sat on Usagi's bed next Artemis.  Mina and Usagi sat on the
floor studying for their history test, but Luna didn't notice.  The feeling
still bothered her, gnawed at her conscience.  She felt she should know what
it meant.  Turning to Artemis she asked him if he knew.  He sat up, deep in
thought.  After a few moments he looked back at her.
	"To be honest I have no clue Luna.  I know we could locate the
Senshi when they were disguised and that the same feeling allowed us to
locate Prince Mamoru.  But I don't know of anyone else that we should be
able to sense.  Nobody else form the kingdom is here, are they?"
	" I don't know Artemis.  I don't think so but..." She trailed off
not sure what else to say.  The two pondered for the greater part of the
evening.  Each tossed up suggestions and possible theories, none of which
seemed likely.  He wasn't a youma, of that much they were sure.  He didn't
have an evil or malicious aura about him.  He couldn't be palace guard; they
had all died when the castle fell and even if he was, Luna would have sensed
it.  Yet neither could deny that Luna's feeling was not a fluke or a
coincidence.  Both cats began to have an uneasy feeling about Ami's new,
bishonen boyfriend.


	Ami enjoyed the last of her miso soup while Eric finished his final
piece of sushi.  The restaurant was very quaint, nestled in a quiet ward
just outside Tokyo proper.  The owner was a small man in his mid forties who
spoke decent English.  He had recognized Eric when they first came through
the door.  He was an acquaintance of Eric's father and was happy to see his
friend's son.  
	As dinner progressed, so did the small talk.  Ami told Eric about
her mother and father, and about growing up in Japan.  Eric told her of
traveling with his parents from one base to the next and being a military
brat.  They laughed and chatted, neither knowing that their date was being
spied upon.  	
	
	From across the street, a shadowy figure watched them through the
window.  A smile crept its way across thin, tight lips.  Soft, red eyes
began to glow menacingly.  It shifted its position on the fire escape and
leaped its way up the side to the top of the building.
	
	Ami noticed movement through the corner of her eye.  She glanced up
quickly, looking out the window to see a shadowy figure skitter over the
edge of the roof next door.  It was only vaguely humanoid.
	*Daemons?! * She thought to herself.  Her training kicked in and Ami
went to work.  Eric didn't notice Ami's smile as it faltered for a fraction
of a second.  She looked and acted exactly as she had been all evening; yet
below the surface she was hard at work, already analyzing the situation.
Looking around, she took in the surroundings.  Nothing moving outside now,
maybe two more with the one she saw.  They always traveled in small groups.

	The restaurant was empty save the staff and two couples.  She noted
one was a boy with black hair pulled back and braided and a girl with
charcoal hair cut short and close to her face.  The second couple consisted
of a young man with short red hair and a girl with long black hair.  Her
eyes looked overly serious for a girl so young.  The jacket beside the
redheaded boy said "dorm president."  Ami took in and processed all of this
without dropping her outward appearance.  She smiled at Eric and answered
the question by translating a difficult kanji on the menu for him.  She
excused herself and went to the restroom.
	Once inside, she reached inside her purse and took out her mini
computer.  She scanned the room beyond and the surrounding area.   The boy
with his hair in a tail radiated a lot of power but it was normal power,
chi, probably a priest's son or a martial artist but not a daemon. Eric,
however, registered as a faint blue.  This confused her.  She did an
in-depth scan of him.  After a moment the computer spit back a series of
numbers witch seemed far more than humanly possible to read.  Ami glanced at
the evaluation and translated its data into usable terms.  Eric's glow was
form lunar energy.  It was extremely faint * It's there but just barely. I
wonder if he's carrying part of the grail? * She pondered.
	Closing the computer back she placed it into her purse.  As she did
her hand came to rest on her Senshi compact.  It made her feel better, like
a security blanket on a cold night.  She opened the door and returned to
Eric. She smiled and tried to go back to enjoying her evening with him. 

	The next day the girls met after school at Usagi's house.  Ami told
Usagi and the others of the daemon she saw.  Luna and Artemis traded dark
looks at each other.  First Eric and now Daemons, something was up.  After
listening to everyone they all agreed to keep on their guard for the next
few days and see if anything turned up.  After everyone left Ami went to
take a shower.  Her mind worked busily while she washed. Something wasn't
sitting well with her, but for the life of her she didn't know what it was.
She stepped out of the shower and dried herself off.  
	*Does Tomoe know who we are?  Or was it just coincidence that one
was there? * She wrapped the towel around herself and went back to her room.
Turning on her computer, Ami sat down and began searching her databases for
anything that might help her figure out what was up.  After half an hour her
mind began to wander.  This was new for Ami.  Usually when she sat down to
do something she was almost single-minded in her effort to do it. Now,
however, she found her mind wandering to Eric.  As hard as she tried, Eric's
face would slip into her mind, smile beaming brightly on his lips.  She
blinked and shook herself out of her daydream.  
She returned to her search but found nothing really useful.  Giving up, she
turned the computer off and went to bed.  In her dreams she saw Eric,
floating before her, smiling as sweetly as always.  Around her, she saw her
friends, sitting on the ground looking quietly off in different directions.
All of them seemed surreally out of place compared to the vast fields of
carnage on which they sat.  Before her lay the massive remains of an epic
battle.  All around, the ground was covered with the dying and the already
dead.
Daemons lay twisted and broken, Youma torn to shreds by some monstrous,
unseen hand.  Ami glanced around and saw agents of Beryl, the minions of the
Dark Moon Kingdom and creatures she had never seen before.  All of them
dead, some mangled beyond recognition, their blood soaking into the ground.

She looked at her friends. Not one had a single mark on them, not even so
much as a scratch.  Feeling worried she looked back to Eric, who now stood
beside her.  In the back of her mind, she could hear him reassuring her that
everything was all right, that he'd protect her.  His image faded from view
like a reflection in a disturbed pool.  Ami was watching as the last traces
disappeared when she noticed an enormous shadow grow from behind her.  She
turned herself to face the newcomer.  
	Ami awoke with a start.  Cold sweat covered her.  She sat up and
looked around.  The clock on her nightstand displayed 2:15 am.  She felt a
shiver of fear run up her spine causing her to shudder for a moment.  The
darkness of the room felt oppressive and frightening.  She reached over and
tapped her lamp.  The warm glow of the small table light dispelled the
darkness to the far corners of the room as it flickered to life.  She went
to her desk and picked up her mini computer and scanned the area for any
signs of daemon activity.  Three scans later, the computer still showed
nothing.  She turned it off and went back to bed, but the feeling of dread
refused to leave her.  She hugged her Totoro plushy tightly to her chest and
tried to go back to sleep.

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

Author's notes:

	This is a fic I have had in my head for years.  Originally it was
set in R and was a lemon between Ami and Minako.  I hated the finished
product so it never saw print.  About a year and a half ago as I was
wrestling with writers block on my ranma fic (admit it, we all have at least
one ranma fic, it's mandatory.) when my friend Sarah (Kitty_Cat_Luna)
suggested I start on something new to take my mind off of it.  I did and
this is the result. I took my old story and stripped out all of the things I
hated. Once done I realized that I had the decent makings of a story.  With
prompting from kitty I started writing for no other reason than to see were
the story was going to go in my head.  I hope you enjoy it.  My marriage and
my career in the Military have made for some slow writing every now and
again but here it finally is, ready for mass consumption. (Though Antacids
may be required.)
	I chose to break up Ryo and Ami because after the two episodes I saw
with him in it I decided somebody as sweet and adorably cute as Ami does NOT
deserve to have such a neglective boyfriend. But then again this is just
chapter one...
	Thanks to all of my pre-readers for helping me out with my hidious
grammer (espec. My wife Christy and Larry F for being the "grammer Nazis"
that they were).  This story wouldn't be half as readable without you guys.
	Big thanks to Kitty_Cat_Luna for keeping me driven to write as well
and to AZ2 Donald Hederson for allowing me to steal off with his laptop so
many times. Thanx guys. You all were a huge help.  And last but absolutly
not least, Naoko Takeuchi for providing us all with such a rich and
wonderful story in wich to let our imaginations wander.
	
NK.

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