Chapter 6

Revelations

True to her word, Juni had arrived at the Mizuno's residence at exactly 8:00 A.M. She was dressed in a black v-neck cardigan. It wasn't cut deep enough to show cleavage, but it did leave a nice bit of skin showing. A dark gray pair of slacks and practical but stylish boots completed her outfit. She had decided on wearing her hair loose, and had applied only the slightest amount of makeup. She made an extra effort to look good today, and it paid off.

Ami was in a similar mindset. She had decided on a light blue blouse, with a dark blue brooch pinning the collar together. Her outfit also included a mid thigh length dark blue skirt which matched her brooch, and a thin rope belt. Her look was completed with comfortable walking shoes and a small white purse. This was going to be a special day, and both women were very much looking forward to it.

It was late in the morning when Juni and Ami finally arrived at the National Science Museum. Thankfully it was Sunday, so neither of them had anywhere they needed to be. Unfortunately, it was the day before school started again. Neither woman was looking forward to the change in their routine that would bring. Both had come to enjoy, and in a sense even rely on the company they shared throughout the many weeks of summer.

Juni had kept a secret of where they were going from Ami up until the time they arrived. She had of course cleared it with Ms. Mizuno first. Wanting to make a complete day of it, the two women had started earlier than needed. Juni had decided to take Ami out to breakfast at a fancy restaurant. Both women thoroughly enjoyed that, but it was more from the company they shared then the actual dinning experience.

They had finished eating rather quickly, but kept talking for over an hour and a half. It took some time after that to actually drive to the museum. The ride was spent in pleasant conversation between teacher and student, who unconsciously left those titles and restrictions at home for the day. Today they were just two friends enjoying the last full day they would have together for a long time.

When they arrived, Ami's face had instantly lit up. The museum was something she had wanted to see for a very long time, but her mother's availability and their habit of moving all the time had prevented the trip. Ami had turned to Juni giving her a heartfelt thanks and a full smile. Juni smiled back at her friend who was already pulling her toward the entrance gates.

Ami had unconsciously grabbed Juni's fingers in a grip when dragging her to the entrance. Juni, equally oblivious, enveloped Ami's hand in her own as they continued into the museum. Both women became filled with a child-like enthusiasm, and were smiling from ear to ear.

"Juni, I am curious... You do not need to answer if you do not want to. But, how is it that you became so successful that you were able to build a school before you turned twenty-two?" Ami was a bit embarrassed; after all, the question could easily be interpreted as an insult, or a questioning of ones abilities.

"Simple, really." Juni and Ami were currently in the Midori-Kan building of the museum. They had remained hand in hand as they examined the display of rocks and fossils.

"A relative that I had no knowledge of while I lived in the orphanage had willed me an incredible amount of money. But I could not have access to it until I turned twenty."

Ami seemed a bit confused at the way Juni answered this, almost like she had gone into "computer mode". It was like this was a readily prepared answer that she had given many times before. Of course it could easily be that she HAD been asked this a million times and was just tired of answering it.

"I always had a passion for learning. I was always at the top of my class; any free time I had was spent in the pursuit of knowledge. So I decided to share what I have learned, and teaching just came natural to me."

Unbeknownst to her friend, Juni rarely ever went past the first part of her explanation. What she was telling Ami now was what would have happened if she really did have that money and her "companion" had never entered her life. As it was though, she could not let Ami know anything about her "companion", not until It said it was safe. Juni went on, wishing for a moment that what she was saying were true. She stopped her explanations after a short time, feeling bad about her deception, even if she had no choice.

"But enough about that." Juni awkwardly changed the subject. "You know, you have impressed me so much with your progress through out the summer. How is it that you were able to hide your genius before hand? It seems you would have had to have made a serious effort to do poorly." Juni blushed as she remembered the first way her companion had asked this question of Ami some months ago.

Ami also remembered the question, and the harsh manner in which Juni dealt with her on their first meeting. She also realized however, that Juni has changed a lot since they first started working together. And, it was "Computer Juni" who had addressed her those months before. Not the Juni that she had got to know, the "real" Juni.

"At first I had tried to just skim over tests and homework, but I still did really well. After that, I marked things wrong on purpose." Ami blushed thinking on how foolish that must sound.

"That must have been hard on you, feeling that you had to hide yourself just to fit in." Juni remained quiet for a moment. Her attention seeming to be drawn to the exhibit they were walking by. "Did it work?"

"To an extent." Ami had thought for a moment before answering. "I was still ignored by everyone; I was just not specifically targeted for jokes and harassment. I still got a little of that anyways, just not as much as I could have."

Ami stopped looking at the displays and waited until she had her teacher's undivided attention. "You know, when you first asked me that I was shocked by your bluntness. I thought you were being intentionally mean, and the fact that you were in "Computer Juni" mode made it worse."

"Computer Juni?" Juni raised a questioning eyebrow at her friend.

"Sorry, I... It just slipped out." Ami instantly blushed, obviously not meaning to say what she had. The young genius quieted down and tried to change the subject by pulling her friend to the next part of the display.

"Hold on a second." Juni halted Ami's progress, with a gentle tug on her hand.

"I want to know what you meant by that. I'm not mad or anything, just curious." Juni hastened to reassure a very uncomfortable looking Ami.

Thinking now would be the perfect time for a break; Juni led Ami to a small rest bench where they took a seat next to each other. Their hands were still clasped, although at this point both women realized it, they just didn't care. As a matter of fact both kept thinking of excuses not to let go. That brought a number of questions to both their minds, questions that were better left for when they were alone and had time to think. Now was a time for enjoying their last, perfectly wonderful day together.

Ami, still embarrassed took a moment to gather her thoughts, so she wouldn't accidentally offend her friend. "With all the time I spend with you, I noticed that you have three VERY distinct personalities."

This time it was Juni's turn to look uncomfortable, Ami continued however. "Your school self, Computer Juni, and you."

Juni gave Ami a confused look. Knowing she needed to explain her observation, Ami continued. "When you are at school, you are... Well, cold, and very harsh. Everybody is either in total awe, or total fear of you. Mostly the latter."

"Where do you fall in that category?" Juni asked, somewhat nervous of the answer. She would feel horrible if her companion's personality had left Ami afraid at school.

Ami thought how to properly answer that question. She could tell That Juni was worried of the answer by the way she tightened her grip on their joined hands. "I think it makes me respect you more. I know what I hope is the real you, and I know you are like that only at work. Even when you are cold or indifferent to me, I tell myself it is necessary."

"I am sorry about that; I figured that you would have a lot of problems with your peers if you were seen as a teacher's pet." Juni's gaze shifted imperceptibly; if Ami hadn't spent as much time with her as she did she might not have noticed. "I won't play favorites at school, regardless of who you are to me."

Ami blinked a few times, it had seemed for a second that Juni's entire demeanor had changed for that one sentence. Her facial expression shifted completely, and even her voice became a slight bit deeper. As soon as Juni changed, she was back to normal. Ami's mind made a major mental note of this, especially the minor look of embarrassment that followed the abrupt comment.

"I understand." Ami made a conscious effort not to mention the little glances or touches that Juni secretly and perhaps even unconsciously gave her during class. She enjoyed the attention, and did not want to give it up if it was unintentional.

"And what of Computer Juni?" Juni asked with a slight hint of amusement in her voice, knowing Ami was referring to her companion. She was more than happy to let her companion feel a little uncomfortable. Especially since It thought Ami wasn't perceptive enough to notice anything.

"I usually think of you like that when you are teaching, or having a serious non-personal conversation with me. You get this cold or indifferent look in your eyes." Ami was having trouble describing exactly what it was, after a moment of trying to find the right word she gave up and moved on.

"When you are like this, it is almost like you are a computer. You know everything about the subject, but you show no emotion. Well. You show a little, but not much. You are a lot more harsh, and do not stray from any subject when you are like that either."

"Then there is you." Ami looked up and smiled shyly, a faint blush tingeing her cheeks. "The way you are now, happy, and caring, the first person that has ever wanted to seriously be my friend."

Ami gave Juni's hand a gentle squeeze, as she leaned into Juni's side a bit. That was the closest thing to a hug Ami could give without dying of embarrassment. Ami was very tempted though, at the very least to see how Juni would respond. She was very aware of how the two of them had been acting all day, and she liked it. More than a small part of her hoped that Juni did too.

Ami's hopes were bolstered when Juni responded to Ami by leaning into her as well and offering her a beautiful smile. "It is my pleasure Ami. The truth is... Well, you are my first friend too, and I value that more than anything."

Both women became lost in each other's gaze. They stayed like that for a brief moment, until a young boy's wailing broke the spell. Surprising to both of them, neither was horribly embarrassed about it. They were blushing, but that was more to the happiness that was flowing through each of them.

"Well, we should continue on. There is still a lot to look at, and I'm getting hungry." Juni stood and helped pull Ami off the bench. Ami mock struggled for a second before getting up to continue the day. The rest of the exhibit was viewed with many laughs and smiles. This "field trip" was an excellent Idea, and neither woman wanted it to end.

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The rest of the day passed by in a blur for the two women. Lunch was spent in a little restaurant at the museum. There they talked about Juni's high school years and in turn Ami spoke of what led to her and mother's last move. Both were painful stories to relate. The comfort and support that each of the women brought to each other was enough to help them through the difficult memories.

They spent the lunch with hands clasped in the center of the table sharing tales and tears. The world around them had melted and no one else was their concern. Had it not been for Juni's companion making them less than interesting to look at, the two would have attracted quite a few unwelcome stares.

Before they knew it, several hours had passed. The rest of the afternoon was spent hurrying through the remainder of the museum, as it closed at six. Regardless of the rush, both Ami and Juni had a wonderful time. It was more the company than the exhibits though. Both women realized this at the end of the day, and neither wanted to see the other go.

Juni had already driven them halfway to Ami's home when she pulled the car over. Ami gave the hand that she held a gentle squeeze and looked up at her companion, who was furiously blushing and trembling slightly. Throughout the months that they worked together, Ami had seen many aspects of her teacher. Never though has she ever seen her blush this badly.

It took Juni a few moments to gather her wits. When she did she asked the most difficult question she ever had to ask in all her twenty-three years. "Would you like to come to my home for the evening?"

After both women blushed profusely, Ami took a moment to really look into her friend's eyes. She was happy to find everything she was feeling reflected back at her, embarrassment, uncertainty, attraction, and hope. She was nervous for a brief moment; the day was spent more like a date than an outing between teacher and student, or even two good friends. As far as the young genius was concerned the day HAD been their first date. Ami kept this in mind as she wondered over the possibilities that going to her friend's house might bring.

It had been a day of firsts for Ami, for both women in fact. After an excruciatingly long minute, Ami had made up her mind. Regardless of how inappropriate it might be. She was fifteen, Juni was twenty-three. Ami was a student, and Juni her teacher. Both Juni and Ami were women. Any one of these things made this "wrong" to the world at large; at the moment neither woman could care less.

"Yes." One word, one word was all it took to change the lives of two friends, regardless of what came to be.

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The ride to Juni's place was spent in silence. Both companions, hands intertwined, kept stealing glances and exchanging shy smiles. Anticipation was steadily building, however in a moment of rational thinking Juni realized that Ami still needed to be home relatively early. She wasn't questioning her feelings; she liked Ami, a lot. It would be a wonderful thing to spend the night with the cute genius wrapped in her arms.

Reality though prevented that, at least for a while. First and foremost Juni wanted to make sure she wasn't pressuring Ami into anything. During the months spent together Juni had pegged Ami as a highly intelligent individual, who was also extremely mature for her age. Besides, she was just as if not more inexperienced with these types of things than Ami was. The farthest she had ever gone in her sexual exploits was to kiss an autographed picture of her favorite Pop Idol.

No, this was definitely something she did not want to rush. For both their sakes, taking it slow was the safer route. Besides, her companion hasn't voiced it's opinion yet, and Juni needed to make sure she wasn't going to upset her fickle companion.

Upon arriving at her apartment, Juni already had a plan for the evening. Well, for dinner anyway. As they entered, Juni had Ami take a seat in the dinning room while she went to change. Ami, sat patiently looking at the table for about thirty seconds before she couldn't resist anymore, and started to glance around at her teacher's home.

Barren, that was the best word Ami could come up with to describe her teachers dinning room. She was not quite sure what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. Plain white walls with a light tan table with two matching chairs was the extent of the dinning room. There were no furnishings, knickknacks, pictures, or even a table setting, just totally plain. It was also immaculately clean, if it wasn't for the fact that she knew her friend lived here, she would think that this was an apartment that was for show to sell.

Juni was a flustered mess by the time she made it to her room. She had decided that taking it slow for the evening was the wisest thing, but there was still so much that could happen. So many things that Juni had never done before.

"Just take it easy, nothing is going to happen tonight. We are just going to enjoy the evening, and I am going to make sure that I'm not imagining things. We're both inexperienced at this type of thing so we'll take it easy and see how it goes." The young teacher talked quietly to herself as she changed her clothes. She had put on a rich brown v-necked sweater and a pair of black slacks. Finally finished, she double-checked her appearance before she went back out to join her guest.

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The night had progressed wonderfully for the two women. It started with a light dinner of steamed rice and vegetables that Juni prepared with help from her persistent friend. Cooking the meal was a tantalizing mixture of good conversation and casual, almost hesitant flirtation. A touch here, a look there, that was until they both were positive that the other was thinking the same thing. After that it was all smiles and sweet looks towards each other, both women reveling in the unexpected happiness that was suddenly being offered to them.

Dinner itself was shared from a single plate, Ami and Juni took turns feeding each other veggies and rice scoops. The women sat next to each other at one of the corners of the table, just close enough for their legs to touch. Not long after that their feet started to nudge against each other and quickly became intertwined. Shy smiles lit up their features. Even though no words were said, both knew without a doubt that the other wanted this as bad as they did.

The two friends knew that this was not some casual thing either; this was something that has been building within for some time now. All it took was a relaxing day of just enjoying each other's company for any barriers or misgivings they had about this to crumble into dust. It was like this was a perfectly natural progression in their friendship, the logical next step.

After dinner they had moved to Juni's living room, where they sat together on an extremely comfortable leather couch. The rest of the room was filled with shelves that contained an incredible selection of music in both records and compact disks. On the far wall opposite of the couch was a top of the line stereo, and an antique record player, an interesting combination to say the least. Before getting comfortable, Juni had put on the new Aino Minako CD, which both of them had thoroughly enjoyed.

Ami was lying on her back, with her feet propped up in Juni's lap. A casual mention of her aching feet had prompted the young teacher to offer a massage. Now Ami was relaxed and extremely happy. Juni had studied MANY things in her life, and those things that she didn't have the opportunity to study, her companion did. Between the two of them, Ami was getting a foot massage that combined the best techniques created over the last three thousand years.

"Ami, I've noticed something, and I have been meaning to ask you about it." Juni asked lazily while enjoying the sensation of massaging her friend's feet.

"Hmmm" Ami almost let out a coherent reply, her thoughts completely on the ministrations her teacher was giving her formerly aching feet.

Juni chuckled lightly at Ami's reply. "Why is it?" Juni put a little extra force into her massage, Ami let out a squeak in response. "Why is it that you don't use contractions when you're speaking?" Juni toned down the massage so Ami could think about and reply to her question.

Ami looked disappointed that the massage was winding down. She lay there for a few moments while she thought about the question. "I... I am not sure, I think when I was younger I always thought of contractions as a lazy way to speak. It was like wasting a group of perfectly good words by mashing them into one."

A contented sigh escaped Ami, as Juni finished her massage and began to unconsciously trace patterns on her bare legs. "Now it is just habit. Does it bother you?" Ami propped herself on her elbows to look at Juni while she was talking to her.

Juni's eyes were closed and her head rested on the back of the couch. "No it doesn't bother me at all. I was just curious. You know, contractions are valid words themselves and by not using them you're wasting them."

Ami smiled at her friend. "I know it's just a hard habit to break."

A lazy smile crossed Juni's face at Ami's conscious effort to use a contraction. She gently turned her head to gaze at the young woman who was laying half on top of her. The two just looked at each other, losing themselves in the eyes of the other.

Ami, against any rational thought slowly scooted up along the couch until she was practically sitting in her friend's lap. Juni blushed and smiled warmly at her friend, she found herself leaning down, but stopped herself.

"Ami... I... I just want to make sure that you are doing this because you want to. That this isn't done out of obligation or something." Juni looked almost ashamed, and scared when she spoke. "I... I just don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you into anything."

Ami responded by closing the space between them and gently pulling her teacher into a slow timid kiss. Juni was surprised at first, but after a second started to respond. This was a new experience for both women involved. Neither was sure what they were doing, but they improvised. A unique feeling of peace enveloped them, as they shared their first kiss.

This kiss intensified as the two friends marveled at the new experience. Eventually the need for air forced them to separate. Juni, who was a bit startled when they had first kissed took this break to lift Ami fully into her lap. Ami, who was a bit uncomfortable in her former perch, smiled at her companion. A visibly shaking hand reached up to remove the glasses that both of them wore. She set them out of the way before turning back to Juni and lightly kissing her in thanks.

Kisses were exchanged and passions grew, it wasn't long before both women felt the need for more. Juni's companion had allowed this to continue up to this point, but was not ready to let Juni take it any further. It was in fact enjoying the evening as well, however that didn't distract from remembering the potential harm of the situation. With a slight tinge of regret Juni's companion assumed control of their body and slowly broke away from the deepening kisses.

After a moment of disorientation, Ami looked up questioningly at Juni. "Are you alright?"

Juni, still under her companion's control, smiled teasingly at the woman seated in her lap. "More than alright Ami." Ami sighed in contentment while her teacher's hands slowly ran through her hair massaging her scalp. "I think that perhaps we should slow down a little. We have plenty of time for other things later."

Ami scrutinized her friend's gaze, and even in the state she was in, she was able to see the subtle shift that marked "Computer Juni". Ami was a little confused as to what made Juni's demeanor change, and worried for a moment that her friend was regretting this. Juni's eyes however, still shown with affection and a veiled look of desire. This surprised the younger woman, who had never seen more than one or two emotions from what she would call Juni's alter ego.

Computer Juni smiled and winked at Ami. "Besides, I am an upstanding woman. It wouldn't be proper to do more than kiss on our first date."

Ami laughed gently at Juni's comment before lightly resting her head on her friend's strong shoulders. "Alright." Ami hesitated for a moment a bit embarrassed by what she wanted. "Would you please hold me for a little while?"

"That..." Computer Juni smiled widely while pulling Ami into a cradling embrace. "...Would be my pleasure."

While holding Ami, Computer Juni couldn't help but start a gentle massage down her neck and shoulders. A small moan of pleasure from Ami caused the massage to suddenly stop. Juni's companion was hit with the sudden realization that perhaps things were starting to get just a bit more enjoyable than they should be.

"That felt great Juni, thank you." Ami emboldened by the moment reached up and started to trace tender kisses along her teacher's neck.

This time Computer Juni moaned, and quickly realized that something had to be done, or things were going to get a lot farther than should be allowed. Thinking quickly a sudden idea sprung to mind.

Ami let out a startled squawk as Computer Juni stood up lifting her in the process. Their lips met once again before the younger girl was set down upon the couch. "Wait here for a moment; I have something I want to show you." Juni's companion made a hasty retreat to a rarely used back room of the apartment. Ami remained seated, confused, but happy.

Once in the room, Computer Juni closed the door and walked to one of the many bookshelves that lined the wall. Using a bit of stored energy, the shelf, books and all, was pushed aside revealing a hidden door. This closet was Juni's companion's personal space. It was magically hidden from Juni when they first purchased the condo.

The inside was about eight foot by five with another small nook in the back. It was filled with many antique boxes and objects that were covered in cloth. Juni's companion immediately found what It was looking for, an exquisite hand crafted chess board and a box of equally magnificent pieces. It set up the figures in their proper order before covering the board with a cloth. Upon leaving the closet Computer Juni picked up an antique stand to set the board on.

Ami had been waiting for over twenty minutes until Juni finally returned. She was concerned at first, but then heard her friend putting something together in the kitchen. When Juni finally returned she set two fresh fruit drinks upon a small tray, then returned to the kitchen to get something. Ami's eyes sparkled with delight as her friend returned with a cloth covered board, obviously a chess set. Juni had promised Ami a game, and the younger girl had been looking forward to it for quite some time.

When they were both situated Computer Juni ceremoniously removed the cloth from the prized board. Ami was immediately taken aback by the beauty of the set. Everything was hand carved, the board from marble, and the two sets of figures from a stone, and a crystal that Ami had never seen before.

The skill of whoever made the set was beyond description. Each piece was a unique character, appropriately posed according to rank. The pawns on both sides were positioned on one knee as if in a bow. The bishops had their hands clasped in front of them as if in prayer. Beside them the knights held a shield and sword, while the rooks held a powerful-striking pose. The king and queen were easily distinguished by their size in relation to the other pieces.

Ami was entranced as she picked up one of the white rooks. Upon close examination she could see how incredible the detail was. Everything seemed perfect, like it was an actual representation of someone. "Juni, this set is beautiful."

Juni's companion was filled with a sense of pride, after all, it's hand had carved each of the pieces over nineteen hundred years ago.

Still examining the rook Ami's face took on a look of confused concentration. "I recognize this character from somewhere, what story are these from?"

Ami's question immediately got Juni's companions full attention. It took a quick glance to see which piece Ami held. "That is Hyperion, former lord of Jupiter. All of these pieces are from a very old story. Are there any others you recognize?" Suddenly this diversionary game had turned from a fun distraction to a very serious test.

Ami picked up another figure, this time a white bishop. The young genius felt an extreme sense of familiarity when she saw the piece, but could not place it. "That is Merci, a lesser princess of Mercury." Computer Juni supplied when Ami lifted the figure.

The white king next caught Ami's eye. This time she released a startled gasp and snatched up the figure, trembling slightly while staring at the figure. Juni's companions eyes widened at the response of her protégé.

"I... I have seen her before, in my dreams." Ami stared intently at the figure, studying every detail, and finding an exact replica of the beautiful woman with the long silver hair that had visited her in her dreams many months before.

"What happened in your dream?" Juni's companion spoke, as she felt Juni's will prod her to sit behind her protégé. Juni wrapped her arms around Ami's waist to comfort the obviously distraught woman.

A little of the tension that was building up in Ami was released at the embrace. Still scrutinizing the piece Ami responded to her teacher. "She would come to me, always in the same place. I think they were some kind of ruins. I do not think it was on earth though." Ami took a moment to sort her memories of the dreams.

"She would hold me, and say that it was time for me to awaken, that my destiny was unwritten and I would have to find strong and true friends." Ami placed the white king back on the board.

Ami suddenly tensed up for a moment. "Hivial and her lover WaterLilly, two super warriors, they were the guardians of the outer rims. Radiance of Venus, and her consort Artemis." Ami began to point at each of the pieces naming them off. Already she named a knight and rook and their corresponding pawns. A confused look crossed her face as she skipped over the first bishop and her pawn.

"The Moon Princess Serenity and the Earth Prince Endimiyon. Queen Serenity, and Lunari, the feline general of her armies. Merci, and her bodyguard Bruna, Next to them is Revian, fierce warrior of Mars, and Vileal the moon warrior. Finally Hyperion and the Lord of Jupiter Hektor."

Ami looked over to the black side of the board, struggling for recognition. The two knights and one of the bishops and rooks are Endimiyon's comrades. The Queen is Beryl; she is also aligned to Endimiyon. The bishop Nephrite's pawn is Tetisu, Merci's sister, and the other rook is Lord JiJi of Mars." The young genius remained silent for a moment struggling to recall. "I do not know any of the others."

Ami turned around in Juni's embrace, looking into the face of her friend. "Why do I know all of this? Why is a person from my recurring dream represented perfectly on your chess board?" The young genius began to shiver slightly as a vision flashed in her mind. Her shivering increased as another vision, then another came to her. Juni, who had forcefully regained control of her body, wrapped her arms around Ami in a tight embrace.

"What is happening to me? I keep seeing things... so many things, please... please, MAKE IT STOP!!!!" Ami began trembling violently and tears began to stream down her eyes as a multitude of visions tore through her mind.

Juni threw a cloth over the board that caused this. She then pulled Ami tightly to her as she began to rub her back and whisper reassurances in her ear. Ami sobbed and sought to bury herself deeper into her Juni's embrace. The visions were too fast and too many, she could not sort them out and they were overloading her mind. Juni was a loss for what to do; she did not even understand what was going on herself.

::I can help her, but you need to let me take control of your body and her mind.:: The voice spoke with dire seriousness.

"Will she be alright, will it hurt her?" Juni mentally asked her companion.

::If I don't help the memories she is regaining could drive her mad.::

Upon feeling the urgency of her companion's message, Juni turned full control over to It. Juni's companion didn't hesitate, and instantly took control of Ami's mind and caused her to fall asleep. While Ami slept, It worked feverishly to rebuild the mental dam within Ami's subconscious that unintentionally broke when she saw the chessboard.

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"What did you do to her?" Juni asked her companion as soon as they left Ami with her mother.

::I made it seem like it was perfectly natural to drop her sleeping daughter off at two-thirty in the morning:: The voice wearily responded.

Juni felt more than a little sick as she squeaked out her reply. "You... you messed with Ami's mother's mind?"

Juni was about to start yelling when her companion calmed her with a bit of common sense. ::Would you have rather explained to her why we brought Ami home late? And, while we are at it why she was rumpled and looked like she had been crying all night?::

"No... no I wouldn't." Juni took in a calming breath. "Thank you, by the way. For helping her like you did." Juni sighed as she ran one hand through her black hair, the other fastened tightly around the steering wheel of her car. "Can you explain what exactly happened tonight?"

After Juni's companion began to work on helping Ami, Juni herself was getting hysterical with worry and concern. Unable to concentrate, It ended up putting Juni's consciousness to sleep as well. Only after the work was complete, and Ami safe, did Juni awaken.

::I had to make Ami forget what she remembered today, it was too much too fast, and it would have driven her mad. As far as she is concerned you had a good evening talking about books and playing chess.:: Juni could scarcely believe what her companion was telling her. She had actually erased Ami's memories and replaced them.

::Her memories of tonight will return under my guidance only. So, when you think you are ready to help her deal with that let me know. In case my fail safes do not work, I also implanted your cell and home number into her mind. If there is any kind of emergency, she will have the urge to call you before anyone else.::

"Will she be alright?" Juni hesitantly asked, afraid of the answer.

::Yes::

Juni silently thanked any god that was listening. Soon after, another concern came to Juni which she decided to discuss it with her companion now rather than later. "Are... uhm... are you ok with what happened between Ami and myself tonight?"

::Yes::

Juni let out a sigh of relief, but she needed to make absolute sure of her companions feelings towards this. "I am in love with her." Juni blurted out, expecting a backlash from her companion. When It said nothing, the nervous teacher continued.

"I have been falling for her for sometime now. Tonight... tonight I just couldn't hold it in any longer." The voices silence was making Juni uncomfortable. "Are you mad at me?"

::No, your feelings for each other will help now that I know what she is.:: There was a pause, and Juni felt as if her companion was deciding whether or not to continue. ::I have also developed a certain fondness for her.::

"So that means?" Juni had a smile forming on her lips anticipating her companion's response.

::Yes, she is safe, and I will allow both of you to keep your memories, and relationship.::

"YES!!" Juni shouted her joy out loud. She went on flying high for a moment before she realized she was missing something important. "Hey, What exactly did Ami remember tonight, and where did I get that chessboard, and most importantly, what is she?"

::Just know that she is safe, as far as her memories go, I will deal with that. The chessboard is one of my personal possessions, you need not concern yourself with it.::

"B... But?" Juni stuttered, but her companion made it known that she was not going to go into any further detail.

The rest of the ride to Juni's home could have been spent in worried silence. Instead, Juni thought about Ami and the wonderful day they had spent together. When she arrived home, Juni was in very high spirits.

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Juni parked her car in her assigned spot when she arrived at her apartment complex. Still floating on cloud nine she almost tripped over a large mass that was lying next to her car. "Ah! What the..."

The young teacher let out a startled cry at the sight of a large dog that seemed to have been shriveled. It reminded her of mummies that she had seen. The next thing Juni knew, she was lying in her bed ready to go to sleep. "What the... Where? Damn, I must have really been tired. Maybe I'll skip my workout tomorrow." Sigh "Ami's not going to be there anyway."

Juni's companion was exhausted. All the memory changing and mind repair had depleted an extreme amount of their stored energy. The dog that Juni nearly stepped on was the price paid for those energies. Even the dog's life force, substantial as it was would not be enough to fully replenish them. They would probably have to harvest a little extra from their students tomorrow.

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Dear Diary,

Yesterday was the single greatest day of my life! I cannot believe I could ever be as happy as I am now. I think I am falling in LOVE!!! Oh where do I start?

First off yesterday morning Juni came to pick me up for my "field trip" that she had promised me. We started the day at a nice restaurant which served an extravagant breakfast. It was very delicious, although I think I enjoyed the fruit salad more than anything. We stayed there for over an hour just talking. I really enjoyed that.

We arrived at the National Science Museum a little late, but I did not mind. I had always wanted to go there, it was a wonderful treat. Poor Juni, as soon as we arrived I grabbed her hand and took off for the entrance. I am very happy I did that now. For some reason neither of us let the others hand go for the rest of the day.

I did not... didn't realize it at first, but when I did I decided to just go with it. I know I have had a fascination with Juni for some time now, and I am the only person Juni interacts with on a regular basis. I suppose, we were bound to develop some kind of feelings for each other. I am just very happy that they were friendly feelings... VERY friendly feelings. Oh, I am blushing while I write this. I just cannot believe how happy I am!

The museum is just a blur to me now. I think that I paid way more attention to talking and holding hands with Juni, than I did the exhibits. Especially after lunch, we spent the whole time talking about some rather difficult topics. Juni being there for me was wonderful, she was very supportive and I was able to work through some issues I had regarding moms and my last move. She also told me a little more about her high school years. I wish I had been her age and in her class back then. She sounded so miserable; I wish I could have saved her from some of that pain.

Before we knew it, several hours had already passed and we had to hurry through the rest of the museum. In all honesty, I do not remember a single exhibit after that, I was too busy talking with Juni. I will have to ask her to take me again later. After all, I will always remember it as the place I had my first date.

That is what it was too. For some reason, when the day started off, it felt like we left all our doubts and insecurities at home. We arrived as two friends, and left as something more. I wonder if this would have happened sooner had we spent a whole day just hanging out. Well, no use wondering about that. We are together now, and that is all that matters.

When Juni asked me to go to her house for the evening I was a little nervous. At that time, heck by lunchtime, I knew where we were headed, I just had to make the decision when I wanted it to happen. I was a little worried about people's perceptions, but in the end the only people it will affect are Juni, my mom and I. Juni was obviously ok with it, or she wouldn't have asked me to come over, and mom... Well the only thing I believe mom will have a problem with is our age difference. At least I hope so.

Juni actually did seem a bit nervous. From what I gathered in our previous conversations, I think this was her first date as well. She had blushed so bad when she had first asked me to come over, it was very cute. I am surprised I was not... wasn't (I will sneak a few in every now and again.) beet red myself. I had all kinds of thoughts running through my head. I never thought I was ecchi before.

The beginning of the evening was interesting, I think testing the waters is the best way to describe it. While we were cooking we kept flirting or trying to get a read on each other, just to make sure we both wanted the same thing. By the time dinner started there was no question. We shared a plate and took turns feeding each other. That made me feel really good.

While we were eating we were actually playing footsie. Oh my! I cannot believe it, if you would have told me yesterday that I would have the courage to play footsie with anyone without dying of embarrassment, I would have laughed. But, for some reason, doing these things with Juni feels comfortable. It helps knowing that she has the same experience in these things that I do. Which is exactly none.

After dinner was when things were really starting to get interesting.

0000000000000000

Ami paused in her writing, suddenly turning a dark red. ::Oh my Gods!! What if someone, what if mom ever read this?::

When she went back to her writing she made sure to do it in a language that her mother would never learn.

::Chinese should do nicely.::

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First of all, Juni gives an incredible massage! Granted I have nothing to compare it to, but it felt wonderful. She was very sweet to do that for me. We talked a little during that, and for some reason I found myself wanting to be closer to her. I do not know where I got the courage to do what I did. But, the next thing I know I was sitting on top of Juni practically begging her to kiss me. I didn't (see) actually say anything. It was more what I was trying to convey with body language. If I had to actually say anything I would have definitely died of embarrassment. I surprised myself tonight, because I am the one who kissed Juni first. Who knew I could be so bold?

I really do not know what came over me. I am always so shy and embarrassed about a great many things, and yet I am the one who initiated our first kiss, and if she did not stop us from going so fast, I think I would have gone all the way with her. As it is I tried to keep her distracted even after she tried to slow things down. I guess I am just a very passionate person. Or perhaps, it is that I never had anyone to show any kind of affection to.

Now I have all this tension built up. Honestly though, I think it is because I am worried that this is too good to be true, and it will end at any second. That is why I am acting as bold as I am, because tomorrow I might not have the chance.

It is not like Juni has not done anything to make me believe that, I guess it is just stupid little insecurities. I do feel bad for Juni though; I must have tested her will power a lot last night. Things are going to be a little difficult for us. With school, I will not have much time to see her except on Sundays, and during cram school. That is too sad to think about. We will find some way to work it out, I am sure of it.

Speaking of school today is my first day back. For some reason, I just cannot be excited about it in even the slightest bit. All my new teachers are excited, because they will have the student in their class that scored top in Japan on four separate exams. That will just lead to problems for me though. The smart students are always treated different by the teachers, and especially the other students.

At least I can use the school library again. It is much more convenient than going to the city one. I can pick up that book on Astronomy that Juni recommended during our chess game. Which I lost!! I have never lost a game of chess before. It was a very close game though, and I had a lot of fun.

Goodbye for now, I need to start getting ready for the day. Wish me luck!

August 25, 1992