TAIKI
Everyone is pushing to get on the bus for our class field trip to the Art Gallery. I quickly run to the back seat, in the hopes of being left alone. Still.. these girls are persistent. Soon, a small argument develops between two girls on who will sit next to me. I rest my forehead against the cold window and look out. Please… just leave me alone…
"Is this seat taken?" a gentle, familiar voice asks. I turn to see Ami Mizuno… aka Sailor Mercury.
"No… go ahead…" I say with a smile. Usually, I am uncomfortable around girls. But Ami is different. She is the only girl with whom I DON'T feel uncomfortable with.
"How are you doing with the English book?" she asks. "I read a few more chapters last night…"
I sigh to myself. Now she is even MORE ahead of me! "Um… I 'm not quite that far yet…" I reply out loud.
She shrugs, "Perhaps it's best if you're not… it gets confusing when reading ahead… you know.. when we have tests on just a few chapters, I accidentally put some information from future chapters into it. I have lost a mark or two for that…" she frowns. "I only received a 98 on the last test…"
I look at her. "Oh…" I only received a 97! But her comment gives me the motivation to do better next time. I am not trying to be better then her… just equal. She gives me a run for my money, so to speak. I enjoy that.
I notice the two girls who were arguing earlier are now looking at Ami rather fiercely. Ami notices it too, and looks at me "Did I do something wrong??" She asks innocently.
"According to them… yes," I say with a smile. She nods knowingly.
Soon, the teacher, Mr. Sakamoto, arrives at the front of the bus and makes an announcement. "Ok… I want you all to find partners. I'm going to give each group a sheet of where to go, and what to look for at the Art Gallery! There are going to be questions about each thing which I want answered on the sheet. Only one sheet has to be handed in by each group. Now, quickly. Find someone."
Ami looks at me, "Want to work together?" She asks.
"Sure…" I nod.
Another voice comes from the seat in front of us, "Sir… Ami and Taiki are working together.. that's not fair! They're both honour students. I think they should be separated!"
Sakamoto sighs, "Let me guess… you want Miss Mizuno to work with YOU."
The boy in front of us stumbles over his words, "Well… I mean…" he begins.
"Enough! Find your OWN partner!" The teacher snaps. The boy quickly shuts up, embarrassed. Ami blushes, and smiles. She is rather shy, and is not used to getting such attention.
Soon, we arrive at the Art Gallery, and the groups quickly split up. "Ok," Ami begins. "Let's start with the modern period," and she heads towards the modern art wing. I follow her. "Watch your head," she calls back. Too late.
"Ouch!" I mutter as I hit my head on the low archway outside the modern art wing. Ami isn't much more then 5'2". I am over a foot taller. I have often felt awkward because of my height. I am taller then my brothers, Seiya and Yaten. I am taller then almost everyone!
Ami turns and looks up at me, "Are you all right?!" she gasps.
I'm still rubbing my head, "I guess…" I reply.
"Bend down…" she asks. I do so, and she looks carefully at my head. Her hands are soft and graceful. She'll make a very good doctor.. which, I know, is her dream. "You're going to have a small bump there tomorrow. I suggest you put ice on it tonight so it doesn't swell too much,"
"Thanks," I say, and straighten myself up. Ami is lucky. There is still a chance for her dream to come true. My dreams, on the other hand, have long since died. They died when my planet was destroyed. Now all I have left is my mission… and my siblings.
"Taiki??" Ami says, "Ami to Taiki… hello?!"
I snap out of my thoughts, "Sorry," I say, "I was just thinking of something,"
"You worried me for a moment… I thought the bump on your head was becoming more serious.." She replies. But I see she's smiling.
I smile back, "No… I can't afford any brain damage right now. I have to beat you on the next test…" I say.
"Oh really?" She challenges, "We'll just see about that!"
"Yes… we will!" I reply, and we continue with our assignment. Soon, we come to a painting of two people drawn by a woman named Peggy Lanai. The painting is of a princess with long, blond hair… and a prince. The two are looking into each other's eyes, with a picture of the Earth in the background. It is entitled, "The Moon Princess…" And, for some reason, the girl in the painting looks like someone I know.
"Serenity…" Ami says softly as she looks at the picture.
"Pardon?" I ask.
She quickly looks at me, "Oh… nothing!" she says. "Uh.. they have a sense of serenity about them.. don't they??" she adds.
"Um… yes.. they do.." I reply. But the way she had said 'Serenity' the first time made it sound more like a name. I suppose I'm mistaken. I don't know of any Serenity that Ami would know of.
Ami looks back at the picture, "They look so much in love!" She smiles, "It's beautiful…" she whispers.
"Yes… it is…" I reply.
"Here, let me see the assignment sheet for a moment…" she says, and takes the assignment from my hand. "Hmm… seems simple enough…" she says with a smile. We finish the questions for this section, and head on to the next.
"The next wing is downstairs," I say. And we head towards the escalator. I am facing her as we talk. Suddenly, the escalator stops… sending everyone off balance, and Ami right into me. I catch her quickly, and look at her. Normally, I would be extremely uncomfortable… but yet, I do not feel the least bit uneasy. "Are… are you all right?" I ask.
"Yes… thank you…" she replies. There's something about Ami. Something I can't quite explain. When I'm near her, I feel odd. But it's a good feeling. Suddenly, my thoughts are interrupted by the screams that begin a few feet away. "What is that?!" I say, startled. I quickly steady Ami on her feet, and we run down the rest of the escalator, towards the screaming.
"It's a youma!" She shouts when she sees the creature terrorizing the Art Gallery. "Quickly… we have to transform…!" Both of us hide out of the sight of prying eyes. She transforms first, "Mercury… Crystal Power… MAKE UP!" She shouts. I am somewhat blinded by a bright, but beautiful, blue light. And in a moment, Sailor Mercury stands before me. "Your turn…" she says. "I'm going to try to find it's weak spot…" and she runs off.
"Ami! Wait!!" I shout, but she's gone. I quickly transform, "Maker, Star Power… MAKE UP!!" And soon I feel the change. After the transformation, I am in female form, in a black leather sailor fuku. I quickly run after Mercury. When I find her, she is trying to hold off the monster… which has grabbed hold of her. "Hey, OVER HERE!!" I shout, and head towards the monster… taking it's attention away from Ami. As I am fighting the creature, a blue visor appears over Ami's eyes, and a small computer terminal appears in her hands. She is typing away furiously, trying to find a weak spot to attack the monster. Using my physical strength, I send the creature flying a few feet away.
"Not again!!" A voice says. I turn in the direction of the voice. There stands Lead Crow, "Yesterday I had to deal with Venus…. and StarHealer… now I have StarMaker, and Mercury!"
"It seems these Sailor Soldiers follow you everywhere, Crow!" A high pitched voice says. I don't know where this voice comes from… until I see a woman standing in shadow against a wall.
Lead Crow turns to the voice, "Shut up, Tin Cat! I don't need your comments right now!" She says. The woman comes out of shadow. She's a short woman, wearing a black leather cat-suit. Her eyes are green, with black slits. And on her head are two large, feline ears.
"No… but you need my help!" Tin Cat replies. "Mercury is taking care of your monster!"
I turn in the direction of Ami, and sure enough she is doing what she does best. "SHINY….. AQUA…. ILLUSION!" She shouts, and a wave of water is thrown at the monster, knocking it off it's feet. She finishes it off, "MECURY…. AQUA… RHAPSODY!!" A strange sound pierces the air… and a strong tidal wave of blue energy hits the monster… which quickly disintegrates.
"DAMNIT!" Lead Crow swears. Then she looks at Tin Cat, "Baka! This is your fault! You distracted me!!" she shouts angrily.
Tin Cat smiles, "But… you ARE so easily distracted!" and teleports away.
"Bitch!" Lead Crow shouts, and follows Tin Cat quickly. I do not get a chance to attack.
"Is everything ok?" I hear Mercury behind me.
I nod, "Yes… but I missed my chance to attack Lead Crow!" I said, disappointed in myself.
Mercury smiles, "That 's ok…" she says, "There will be other times…" Then, she looks at me, "Come now… don't look so glum! If it weren't for you, I would have been that monster's dinner! It was a good tactic to divert it's attention!"
A tactic, I think. That wasn't my intention. I had seen the monster hurting Ami… and I knew I couldn't let that continue. But.. yes… now that she mentions it… it WAS a good tactic. I smile in return. "Let's get out of here… before Sakamoto-sensei thinks his two best students have run off with each other…" I quickly close my mouth. It isn't until after I speak that I realize how that sounds. "I mean… I didn't mean that… um…" I begin.
Ami lets out a small laugh, "Don't worry… I've said things that I don't realize sound bad until AFTER I speak them. Just ask my friends…" she smiles. "But… you're right… we should change back and finish the assignment." Then she leans closer and whispers, "besides… I think that man over there is eyeing you strangely…"
I subtly look at the man she is speaking off.. and sure enough, he IS looking at me. I suppose that, in this female form and scant sailor fuku… I look somewhat attractive to him. "Let's get out of here," I say, "Before he decides to ask me out…" And we quickly jump into the air, and teleport away. In a few moments, we are back in our normal identities… and finishing off our assignment.
NEXT: Lead Crow