Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon so stop rubbing it in.............I also don't hold any claim to the song Reflection by Cristina Aguilera. It's hers and not mine so don't sue me.

Poor Ami- Part Two
Chinese Amazons

"Xi'an Pu!" the purple-haired girl repeated angrily.

Forgetting the champagne, Ami set down her glass and narrowed her eyes at the stranger. "Your name is Shampoo?"

"Hai."

"What do you want?"

"I look for girl name A'mee."

Her face left no expression on it except one of pure competence. Her mind raced with questions, answers, and lots of crazy words in a language she was sure no one knew but her. Apparently this new girl could speak Mandarin as well. The looks around them continued to be of sheer awe. They had never heard such a language before.

"I do not know of a girl by that name," Ami continued.

"You do too. Girl is you. Your name in Mandarin is A'mee. But in Japanese people say Ami."

Ami was confused. Her she was, having dinner and then a girl with beach balls burst through the wall claiming her name was Leilanie?!? "I don't understand."

"Shampoo tell story. Sit down first."

Alex interrupted for a second to say. "Do you think you could maybe speak in a language the rest of us would understand?"

"Shampoo apologize. Mandarin is home language of Amazons and that where Shampoo come from."

"And what does this have to do with Ami my lovely little wall-wrecker?" Alex grinned sleazily. (keep in mind...the boy's drunk!)

"She Amazon! Is mind of friend too stupid to pay attention and follow what Shampoo say?"

At the same time Ami & Alex answer "Yes."

"Oh well in that case Shampoo explain. Please sit." Everyone complies with her request.

"Long time ago in village deep within Chinese Amazon is village called Jokuzetsou. Queen of Amazon village have two daughters. Everything about them is same except hair. One have hair like ocean and other have hair like purple poof ball. Days later invasion from Japan threatens village status and all must fight. In end Amazons win. But Queen loose something. Loose one child with dark blue hair, almost black in color. Turn out Japanese take child mistaking for one of their own. Child is adopted by wholesome family and raise in Tokyo district Nerima. Girl is fighter like twin sister; great warrior of Amazons. Shampoo run all over Japan look for twin sister but never found. Not think to look in Nerima where own home is!"

Ami, long having guessed who the girl Shampoo is talking about is, says sarcastically "And who might this twin sister of yours be?"

"Duh Ami it's you. My gosh you'd think you'd be able to figure it out!"

"Alex I was being sarcastic you nitwit!" Ami retorted in a huff, borrowing one of Shampoo's bonbori and bopping him in the head with it.

"OW! That hurt!" he whined, rubbing the back of his butt (man you'd think the boy would at least be able to tell WHERE Ami hit him...)

"Well both is right. Girl is who you call Ami. Ami, you is Shampoo twin sister, great warrior of Amazons!"

"Well la dee da, but what does it matter?"

"Alex you moron shut up already!" Ami screamed.

"Shampoo agree with A'mee. Think drunken-baka-boy is big moron."

The two girls giggled at this proclamation. As the night wore on they eventually had to leave the stinking restaurant, seeing as though it was not only closing but was desecrated by a certain purple-haired Amazon. Alex went back to his apartment, having no clue as to what just happened since he was drunk and not very bright at the moment, passed out on the couch. He'll find out what happened in a few days when Ami calls him.

As for Shampoo and Ami they went back to her apartment to talk some more. They stayed up all night as Shampoo related story after story about the Amazons, how they act, dress, fight etc. Ami was also filled in on the ever-occurring weirdness that was the result of Ranma and company. Shampoo told her many things that only the mind of Nerimian dwellers and this author can conceive of. Ami, having experienced her share of odd things, related her life's story as she remembered it. Even the parts about being a Sailor Scout and what's it all about. By the next morning it was as if the two girls had grown up together and knew each other their entire lives.

"Shampoo think A'mee *cough* Ami look pretty with traditional family hairstyle."

"What do you mean traditional family hairstyle?"

"See Shampoo hair? Is done in traditional way. Want Shampoo do yours too?"

"Sure why not?" So Shampoo set to work on putting Ami's hair in the exact same way as her own hair was. Complete with those little balls in her hair and everything.

"Wow Ami look like real Amazon now. Look more like Amazon if wear dress like Shampoo."

Ami thought about for a moment. "Do you have one in blue?"

"Yeah Shampoo have all colors." Shampoo handed her one of her dresses in blue and Ami went into the bathroom to change.

When she got in she quickly stripped down to her underwear and pulled the dress on, soon finding out that wearing a bra with this dress was more of a nuisance than a help. So she removed her bra and then put the dress back on. She turned to the full length mirror to look at herself and gasped.

~*Look at me
You may think you see
Who I really am
But you'll never know me
Every day
It's as if I play a part
Now I see
If I wear a mask
I can fool the world
But I cannot fool my heart*~

She looked at her reflection a thousand times over and still couldn't believe it. The girl in the mirror couldn't be her. They were too different, from different worlds.

~*Who is that girl I see?
Staring straight back at me?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?*~

It was impossible. She looked so much like Shampoo now that they could be twin sisters. Duh we are twin sisters She didn't like hiding so much from everyone. But she couldn't tell them how she really felt. She just couldn't.

~*I am now
In a world where I
Have to hide my heart
And what I believe in
But somehow I will show the world
What's inside my heart
And be loved for who I am*~

She hated her reflection. It was a symbol of everything she should be, but couldn't. Not with the way the world is. She couldn't go back with Shampoo. Her life was here now. But still, he girl she saw was unrecognizable. She didn't know her and she might never be able to.

~*Who is that girl I see?
Staring straight back at me?
Why is my reflection
Someone I don't know?
Must I pretend that I'm
Someone else for all time?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?*~

I wish I didn't have to act the way everyone wants me to and live up to their expectations. I want to be free from their constraints

~*There's a heart that must be free to fly
That burns with a need
To know the reason why
Why must we all conceal
What we think
How we feel?
Must there be a secret me
I'm forced to hide?*~

I don't want to have to pretend anymore. I don't want to pretend that everything's alright and that I'm going to be fine. It's too much for me to handle on my own. It's just all too much...

~*I won't pretend that I'm
Someone else for all time
When will my reflection show
Who I am Inside?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?*~

But I can't be that girl. I can't go back to being that little girl that was so vulnerable to everything. I don't want to feel that pain and sorrow anymore. But then, could I ever be me?

~*When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?*~

A small tear trickled down Ami's cheek as she turned towards Shampoo. "Something wrong?" Shampoo asked.

"No. I'm okay," Ami replied somewhat drearily.

"Then why is crying?"

"It's just so cold in hear that it's making my eyes water. I'll just go and turn off the air conditioning," Ami lied, walking across the room to lower the thermostat.

"Sure is okay?"

"Yeah I'm sure." Ami faked a small smile. The two girls hugged and then soon fell asleep.

A few days later Shampoo had to go back home. After all, being the greatest warrior in her village, she is very important. As she was packing up she noticed Ami wasn't packing too.

"Why Ami not packing? Is going with Shampoo back to village yes?"

Ami was in total shock that Shampoo had even to ask that question. In mid-thought the phone rang and made Ami jump. She ran to answer it.

"Hello?" Ami said into the receiver.

"Hey it's Alex. Can you come over right now? I need o talk to you."

"Uh....I really can't right now. I'm in the middle of........business. Yeah that's right. I'm in the middle of business."

"Later then?" he said hopefully.

"Yeah. Later maybe. I'll call you." And she hung up in a daze. Then she turned to Shampoo. "Shampoo...as much as I love you to death, I just can't go back with you. As much as it pains me to say it, finally finding my real family after all these years too, I just can't leave everything I have." She sniffled.

Shampoo's bottom lip began to tremble. "B..b..but why not? Shampoo is real family. Not people here."

"Yes but this is where I grew up. I can't leave the Sailor Scouts. They need me. Just like your village needs you."

"This what Ami really wants?"

"Yes it is. I can't leave."

"Then...then Shampoo leave and you stay here. Both go and protect villages," Shampoo almost giggled.

"Come and visit me okay?" Tears flowed.

"Shampoo promise. Cross heart and hope to die." They ran together and hugged one another fiercely. Although knowing each other for such a short time they became close as could be for sisters. After much tears and goodbyes Shampoo left.


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


A while later Ami called Alex. "Hello Alex?"

"This is him. Ami?"

"Yeah it's me."

"Let me get right to the point I wanted to make a few hours ago. Can you PLEASE come over I really need to talk to you about the purple-haired nut ball that crashed through the restaurant the other night."

"SHE IS NOT A NUT BALL! SHE HAPPENS TO BE MY TWIN SISTER OR WERE YOU TOO DRUNK TO EVEN NOTICE?!?"

"Gee Ami you didn't need to yell like that. You almost blew my ear drum out," Alex complained, holding the phone arms length away.

"I'm sorry. Anyway I'll be right over okay. See you in a bit." Ami hung up quickly and was soon on her way to Alex's apartment.


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


The two sat their with cups of sake in front of them. "Now what the heck did you mean that the purple-haired nut ball is your twin sister?"

"She's not a nut ball....actually she is. Anyway that's not the point."

"Well would you mind telling me what is going on here?"

"Okay here's the short version. The village she came from had a great war and one of the Queen's twin daughters was taken by accident. That little girl was me and Shampoo is the other daughter."

Alex's jaw dropped down to the floor. Mostly because Ami was wearing a low-cut shirt and she just bent over but that's beside the fact. "It's...um...uh...well...and then...but...why...how?"

"Do that for about an hour and you'll understand."

"Okay."


{an hour passes}


"Oh okay I got it now," Alex finally says.

"I told you in an hour you'd get it."

"Why didn't you go with her if that is your real home?"

"I didn't want to," Ami said simply.

"But being the Queen's daughter......"

"I'm needed hear. The Scouts need me. Every one of us is important to the group. We can't function without one. So I had to stay. It doesn't matter anyway. I love this town and the people in it. I want to be here."

Alex leaned in a little closer. "But your real family must......"

"I know they must miss me terribly. But I couldn't go. I HAVE to be here. I can't explain but I had a feeling that I couldn't leave." She scooted a little closer to hear him.

"Well if it's fate then you're destined to stay here." Alex scooted closer to hear her.

"Fate?"

"Yeah fate. As in if something is destined to happen then it will no matter what anyone else does....like the kiss we're about to have," Alex managed to say before the sake took power of both him and Ami. She pushed away from him.

"No. I won't be hurt again," she whispered to herself as Alex fell asleep in her lap. She looked at him and smiled. "At least I have my 18th birthday to look forward to in a couple of weeks," she thought warmly.

A/N: This is mostly just filler space to set the road for what's going to happen in the next few chapters. Hope you enjoyed. BTW if you want to join my mailing list email hellsangel013-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Please please pretty please R/R.