A/N: Let's switch to Ami's POV here for a sec, okay? ^^

DISCLAIMER: They're not mine, but I like to fool around with ideas! .

Contemplation

Ugh. Why did I even go out to that pub last night? Well, except for the obvious reasons to get away from my responsibilities and my aunt, of course. Was it that I knew she'd be there? Why is this happening to me, that fast pitter-patter I feel, right near my chest.

This is insane.

What an insane idea, hiring some off-of-the-street woman who I barely know, only that she's a woman who I made think I thought she was male? Wow, good going, Ami Mizuno. The first out-of-this-world crush, and I'm making it into some kind of big adventure.

Well, at least the part of me wanting to get away from money is true.

I haven't lied. At least, not really.

Ami Mizuno stood at her window, looking out into the bustling streets of Tokyo in broad daylight. She had been under 'restriction' from her aunt, and with her mother working as much-needed doctor in Germany, well, Ami had coped as well as a seventeen-year-old could possibly cope.

She rebelled.

Ever since she'd found that magic henshin three years ago, Ami had done everything she could to get out of the big mansion she was supposed to call 'home'. Maybe because she felt guilty disobeying her mother's last orders before she'd went, to stay home, that she transformed just to help people in need.

People who had demons in every shape and form coming after them.

So Ami helped, found out that she did have something going for her other than her genius brains and over-the-top swimming skills, and made something of herself. Something she was proud of, something that built her inner strength, something that made her aunt question her like crazy if she had a boyfriend or something of the like.

To her surprise, she'd retorted an offhand 'yes'.

To her horror, her aunt wanted to meet him.

And, true to her genius mind, being cooped up since her mom had left for Germany, her brain cells went crazy and she came up with the crazy plan to find an actual guy and act out her aunt's biggest fears- being in a same-sex relationship with someone.

Ami could have sworn her old self would have fainted dead away at this wierd plan, but her current self had just smugly grinned and allowed her features to curl into something resembling 'love-the-person-I'm-with'.

Blergh.

And so, for the past few months she'd kept an eye out for anyone who could pass her careful eye. Someone who actually looked like a girl but still had the attributes of a powerful man. Ami wasn't very knowing at picking out some random guy off the street, but over those three years she'd developed almost a second sense for people's personal quirks.

With the added help of her Mercury Bubble Blast taken down about five-hundred eighty-six notches.

The attack wouldn't hurt the humans she'd set out her bubbles to spy, and she could manage to look for people who she found capable of handling her requirements but not be animalistic and pig-headed about it.

She needed to be in control when she presented her grand plan to everyone, and she needed someone who had enough self-control to not blackmail her when it was over.

Ami had about given up hope when one day, she'd practically fallen off the building she was on when she spotted the perfect candidate.

Tall.

Muscularly slim.

Dark.

And artistically enhanced in cooking.

So she was hungry when she'd spotted the tall, muscularly slim, dark, artistically enhanced in cooking mortal when she chose her pick. It had to be them. They had to be her partner.

The human was wearing a tight black belt around the curve of their waist, and their gi flowed loosely about them. Short-cut hair flowed like static but ran like a river down the sensuous curve of neck, and Ami about lost it when the scent of cookies and home-made bento flew into the bubble she had let loose earlier to her nose.

Perfect.

There was one question she had in her mind, well, maybe two, and then she'd set up the meeting. Somewhere where the person was currently familiar with, somewhere they were cozy and comfortable. . .

Then she saw it.

Ami narrowed her eyes and about lost one of her arms against the ax demon that she was holding off. Sighing, she let loose a simple ice beam towards the sharp edge and then nicked the blade with her elbow.

Being sadistically self-conscious, the demon had seen its own reflection of broken 'perfection' and had run off, squealing about misfortune and useless sharpeners.

Turning her attention back to the human at hand, Ami wondered why they were running like crazy in the early laments of day before the usual hustle and bustle and grinned quietly to herself when the human produced a pair of chopsticks from her gi.

What came next made her gasp.

"Special Delivery, a pair of special chopsticks from 'Andrew and Future Makoto's' restaurant and cafe! Glad to be of service, ma'am, sir, please enjoy, and don't hesitate to call again!"

Who knew you could hire a person to run to different places in the morning, clad only in a training gi and deliver 'special' toothpicks? Wow, what had the world come to?

Ami shook her head and jumped onto the ground, a mere fifteen stories or more from her precarious perch on the rooftop.

It was time for research.

00000000000000000000000000

Ami grinned to herself as she thought back on the incident a whole five weeks ago. She'd learned, then, that Makoto was of female sex and gender, but looking back on it, she had had no idea, until that certain hotspring incident when their school had been on a field trip.

So she'd stalked the girl a bit.

Ooh, shudders.

Not.

It made the whole stalking thing easier, that she was intrigued by Makoto, the way she did things. Okay, make it more 'attracted'.

Maybe it was the fact she was a loner like her.

Maybe it was the fact that, after all the time she'd spent stalking her, Ami still didn't know what she did at night, where she went. She knew she went somewhere with her friends, and even more, to Andrew's, where she worked diligently to earn her status as future partner.

It bugged her.

Makoto seemed to sense she was there, sense someone was watching her.

Maybe it had been mere shivers on the dark-haired girl's part, but Ami swore, every time she really focused in, focused on those soft lips, those startlingly forest-green eyes that saw everything in the karate room, Makoto would inwardly shudder, flinch, then relax.

Repeatedly.

So she'd tested a bit, experimented.

Yep.

The girl did the same thing, no matter where she sent the bubble, no matter whether she was asleep or not. So Ami had decided, finally, she was going to approach her. She wasn't getting anywhere fast, and if she kept this up, her future 'girl-friend' was going to lose it.

She set up the wallet-meeting.

000000000000000000000000000

So now what do I do? Ami put her chin in her hands and sighed.

Due to her mere genius capabilities of knowing certain facts at key moments called tests and classes during school and whenever she was asked questions, Ami was expelled from school because she was, quote, unquote, 'So damn smart.'

Feh.

So it was her fault she could memorize and do things the way a professional could. Big deal. If she was given free reign to DO it, THEN maybe she would 'show an interest' and could get around to saving people on the streets when they had seizures.

Which goes back to her 'Sailor Mercury'.

She came with powers, and with powers came with responsibility. Somehow she knew there were others out there, since she WAS part of a planet, be it linked directly or not. There were eight more planets out there, and she could feel their auras growing stronger by the night.

Where did that leave her?

Ami had shed her transformation many times and had tried to track down the other six life forces moving around in the city, and sometimes out, but whenever she'd gotten near any one of them, the spirit suddenly seemed to diminish and hide.

It was damn frustrating, and she'd more than once put a crater in the ground when she used it as a punching relief.

If that was the case, if she counted those vivid colors that moved around, herself included, there were only six. Where were the other three planets?

Shrugging, Ami wearily eyed the aquarium she kept in her room, the only thing she really wanted, other than Artemis and her bed. A closet was something she wasn't investing in, since her aunt never really allowed her to wear such 'inappropriate clothing' under 'her' roof, but then, in the next few weeks, with Makoto, she'd have to.

She didn't want to show up in public looking like an adolescent school marm with oversized glasses. No, she'd get contacts, see how they fit. She knew she'd look good, since she had no use for them when she transformed, but to wear no glasses in her civilian skin.

It would be invigorating.

Watching the small school of fish, all colors of tropical nature, lazing about in the tank, floating, diving, twirling, swimming, Ami fingered the glass and then took off the top . Instantly a bomb of deep-green projectile flew out and landed, rather smugly, in the cup of water beside her bed.

"You're going to call her, Ami-chan?"

Rolling her eyes in a grin, Ami turned and put her fingers to her lips, gesturing towards the sleeping cat lying in a heap near under her bed.

"You want for Artemis to go through the trouble of eating you, then puking you back up again, like last time, Ryohizu?"

The spiky fish grinned back, tail curling about him in mock horror.

"Oh, please, Ami-chan, I couldn't BEAR the thought of that furry beast putting his tongue on me ever again!"

Ami laughed, then, a slow chortle that stirred the waters in the aquarium as she dipped her hand in, then arm, reaching for the water-proof conch phone hidden under the aquarium's sand and small rocks.

"If you're trying to make me blush, Ryohizu, it'll take a lot more than that. Besides, I KNOW Artemis, technically, DID have his tongue on you. You bad, bad boy."

The green fish did a small backflip in the cup, then sighed as it catapulted itself back into the aquarium, not a second too late before Ami closed the hatch with a soft 'thud'.

"Aww, Ami-chan, I miss the old you- where you'd be rolling around on the bed fawning over that idiot man who left-"

"Ryohizu, please don't bring it up again. I'll give you extra nibbles if you don't."

A smirk, and then, smugly, "I'm going to get fat. Every time I bring that up, you entice me with nibbles, and I get more. C'mon, he wasn't so bad. Remember, if he hadn't spilled that dumb 'chemical XXZ' or whatever into our system, then you wouldn't be able to talk to us."

Ami snorted, then tapped the small pads of the underside conch. Placing it to her ear, she reveled in the ocean's soothing whisper before closing her eyes and murmuring,

"And that's a good thing?"

Smiling at the rows of fish faces peering out at her in various shades of amusement from the tank, Ami walked over and slowly tapped a couple nibbles into the water. Laughing as they all dove to compete for the food, Ami gave them a 'thumbs-up-she's-there-but-hush' when she heard the ringtone pick up.

"Hoi, Makoto here. How may I help you, Andrew's restaurant and cafe?"

". . . Hello, Mako-kun, this is Blue here. Do you usually pick up with work on your mind?"

"! Oh, hey, Blue. I'm sorry- I usually give out my number to clients whenever they want it, which is kind of neat, since they order more. So, how have you been?"

Ami smiled over at the interested eyes and perked gills of the curious fish, and she sashayed away, twirling the small antennae on the conch as she adjusted the mere steps away from the tank.

"Oh, pretty good. If you don't mind, let's settle the conditions for the job, eh, Mako-kun?"

Ami heard the distant shuffling of clothes and knew for a fact that Makoto was changing from her gi to her street clothes or just into the apron Andrew had used for his workers showing their names. She wanted convenience when she called, so perfect time when her soon-to-be 'girlfriend' was changing and off work, right?

"Yeah, Blue, about that. I'll be right, umph! Over! Okay, open your window up, and tell Artemis not to scratch my eyes out or anything, okay?"

Blue eyes blinked in confusion when the line went a bit crinkly, and then Makoto's voice faded, only to screech back an indignified, "I don't need TWO scratchers for me, Luna, now stop it! You'll like the other guy, okay? Don't WORRY!"

Looking over to her window, Ami about dropped the conch she was holding.

Makoto had a leg slung over the high fence and railing about her two-inch 'balcony', and her short hair was an unruly mess. Sweat made her face shine, and clinging to the nape of her neck was a small child that had the dark aspects of violet eyes and a snarling pack of feral teeth.

"LET me GO, Makoto-ch- OW, what the HECK?"

"Shh, Luna-chan, if I let you go, now, won't Usagi-chan be sad that I dropped her precious li'l kitty who is supposed to be watched over by her UNCLE?"

Ami smiled slightly at the force put behind 'uncle' and decided to open the window. It had to be windy outside, and if any past experience told her, it was hard to hold onto the sill with only your fingertips and a demonishing Artemis inside, shaking his head in disapproval at midnight antics before opening the window.

She'd never tried it with a child on her back before, either.

"Well, Mako-kun, what a nice surprise. Do come in."

"Thanks, Blue. There's only so much I can take, hanging around with this She-Cat from the Moon. Blue, this is Luna. Luna-chan, Blue here is my future employer-"

"LUNA?"

"A-Artemis. .!"

"Um, Artemis, you two know each other. .?"

"LUNA, where is DIANA? Where is she?"

"A-Ah, um, Luna-chan, you MIGHT want to leave me, er, us out of this."

"Makoto-k-kun, don't worry. Artemis, let's go and leave these two for a bit, shall we? I'm sure Minako will love to hear from you."

Ami watched with confused eyes as her guardian jumped to his paws, fur bristling uncontrollably as he sprang over to Makoto and the new 'Luna'. They changed before their eyes and jumped out the window, cat tails waving erratically as they disappeared.

"W-Well. . Um, your day going good?"

She turned to smiled crookedly at Makoto. Gesturing to a nearby chair rolling around in the sparse room of light blue, Ami jumped on her bed, flipping the conch back into the aquarium where Ryohizu swam around it, placing it back carefully under the hidden niche in the sand.

"Sure. Now, let's settle the pay."

"Fine with me. Name away, Blue."

Ami smiled, then. Makoto was sitting as boyishly as she could in the chair, straddling the back, and though she was tomboyish in nature and the way she consciously spoke, Ami knew this was pushing it a bit.

The taller one would usually relax in the seat, dominating the whole space and spreading herself over it in a 'mine' posture, smiling lazily as she took in all the actions going on around her. It was mostly obvious during school hours, in her leather casings and jeans.

"Relax, Mako-kun. Because from now on, I want you to change your entire being. For a price, of course. Which is why I'm going to make it worth your while."

A/N: ^^