Title: Blue Flame Author: Viper Inferno E-mail: viperdvman@hotmail.com Rated: G Howdy, Sailor Moon Fans. Welcome to the world of Y2V, a world of action, adventure, comedy, tragedy, and romance. This is the fanfic y'all have been waitin' for. Due to requests from a numerous readers, and a certain critic, I've decided to release this fanfic. Guess what, I planned on releasing this fanfic after I finished my last story "Children of Fire" anyway. So, here're some more Y2V... Author's notes: This fanfic takes place in the first half of the Sailor Moon R season, somethin' new for y'all, after the scouts get their memories back. Just so y'all know, I set Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon R in the year 1997-1998. I'm still usin' the English dub names and plan on using the original Japanese names sometime soon; I'm uncertain which story I have planned that I'll be usin' them. As for the R Season, I'll go in a slightly different direction than the Anime. Enough of my Okie babblin', here's the Y2V... ...Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and most of the characters ain't mine. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi, and I thank that woman for creating such great entertainment for all of us with a lot of free time on our hands to enjoy. The English dub belongs to DiC Entertainment, and I thank them for bringing' it to America, even though they lost the rights. Finally the S season's in America, it sure ended with a bang, didn't it. Anyways, Russell Hino, Hino Kyodai, Tuxedo Inferno, and all his other identities are MINE (in a deep, dark, growling voice). Titanius is also mine. So, please don't sue me, I'm just a lonely college student who's barely got anything. Well, y'all enjoy this fanfic and e-mail me. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Blue Flame By Viper Inferno "Nice night, isn't it," a young girl comments. "Yeah," Russell responds, "So many stars, billions of miles away. It's wonderful how massive balls of fire could make the night sky look so beautiful from such a distance." "But, up close, it is just a burning mass of hydrogen and various other gases that gives life to all," she adds. "I heard from Darien the moon is a captivating site from Earth. With the water sparkling in the moonlight," says Russell "The Earth makes a beautiful site from here. The waters glisten it its light too," says the young girl. Russell looks into her eyes and sees the very sparkle he saw after their dance. "The Earth makes your eyes glisten beautifully." She slowly advances toward him, seeing the same fire in his eyes. Russell, in response, leans close to her. "More beautifully than Darien described the Moon," he softly and deeply says, then softly kisses her on the lips. She looks into his eyes, feeling the intense flames, "And the fires of the sky burn beautifully in your eyes." She wraps her arms around the tops of his shoulders and kisses him with passionate love. Russell takes the rose that Raye had given him, knowing it was for a special girl he'd find at the ball, and puts it in the young girl's hair. They sit together and watch on as the water glistens beautifully in the Earth's light. The sound of the alarm clock breaks the romantic scene, waking Russell up from his long, tranquil sleep. "If Luna restored all my memories, then why don't I remember who this princess is?" Russell asks himself as he gets out of bed. "She must not remember everything," he thinks aloud as he walks over to his wardrobe to look for clothes to wear. Thoughts continue to travel through his mind as he jumps into some rather fair clothes, black jeans, Azabu Tech soccer T-shirt, and his dark brown leather bomber jacket. He then walks out of his room and down the hall, where Raye steps out of her room in front of him. "Good morning, Russell," she says. "Hey, Raye," he says with little spunk. "What is it," Raye asks, sensing that something's on Russell's mind. He walks over to the living room table and kneels by it. Raye follows and takes her seat right across from him. "I had another dream of the same princess," he says. "Even after Luna restored all our memories?" Raye asks. "I still don't know who she is, nor if I ever found out who she was," says Russell. "It'll come to you, Luna might not have remembered everything. Yours and Darien's memories seem to be the hardest for Luna to restore. She had enough trouble restoring yours," she explains. "But she couldn't restore everything," Russell comments, "I remember Darien being Tuxedo Mask. He still remembers me as Russell, his best friend, I mean we were best friends in high school. But, he doesn't remember me being Tuxedo Inferno, heck, he doesn't even remember being Tuxedo Mask." "At least I remember everything," says Raye, "And I'm sure Amy remembers you being Tuxedo Inferno." "Yeah, Amy," Russell says as the princess thoughts become thoughts of the sad-looking Amy. He thinks of how her short hair waves effortlessly in the wind, how her sapphire blue eyes scan her books, and that sad look on her face, as if she has love in her heart, but no one to share it with. "Well, I'ma go with Daniel to Tour de Corse," he says as he gets up, "See 'ya, Raye." Tour de Corse Café... Rain begins to fall as Russell drives through the Tokyo streets on his way to the café. As the rain falls, he thinks of the princess in his dreams, of her fascination with water. Something about the rain also reminds him of her eyes, though he doesn't remember what her eyes looked like in his dreams. He then thinks about Amy, and Sailor Mercury, how they too are like the rain. Her sapphire blue eyes and short ocean blue hair make like the rain itself. The usual sad look in her face is like the depressing rainy day. Somehow, she reminds him of his princess in his dreams. It's almost as if Amy and the princess are the same person. "I gotta talk to Daniel about this," Russell says to himself as he nears the café. The rain picks up as Russell parks alongside the curb near the café. He jumps out, throws his jacket over his head, and runs to the café. He makes it inside, where it's a little quieter than usual. Only a few of the tables and a couple of the booths are occupied. At the bar sits two people, one of them being Daniel, in his black leather motorcycle jacket over an Azabu Tech soccer T-shirt and blue jeans, who waves Russell over. Russell walks over to the bar and takes his seat next to his soccer friend. The café seems to be a more depressing environment, just like the rain outside. Few people are talking amongst themselves, while others are sitting at the tables alone, drinking their coffee. "I'll have a cappuccino," Russell says to the waitress at the counter. "Ready for tomorrow's big game," Daniel asks. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be," says Russell, "Against our arch rivals, Ryoyo Tech, it's sure gonna be a packed stadium." The waitress turns in shock of what she overheard, "You guys play for Azabu Tech?" "Of course we do," Daniel replies, "9 and 1 this year, with this game and one more in the season." "You guys are goin' to the playoffs for sure," the waitress says as she hands Russell his cappuccino, "As they said on the news. Hope you guys do well." "Thanks," says Russell as he pays her for the cappuccino, then turns to Daniel. "The field's gonna be slick after this rain," he says. "Ain't nothin' new," Daniel comments. He then sees by the look in his friend's face that soccer isn't the only thing on his mind, "Russell, you sure don't act psyched up about tomorrow's game." "Yeah, had another dream about this beautiful girl," Russell replies. "The princess dream again?" Daniel asks. "Yes, but it's Amy who's on my mind," says Russell as he takes a sip of cappuccino, "She was at our practice yesterday watchin' us." "Really," says Daniel, "Funny I didn't see her there." "During break, I had this sense that someone other than Raye and Mina were watching me. I looked up toward the press box and saw her up there. She was fairly well hidden, like she didn't want to be seen there," Russell explains. "Sounds like she likes you, my friend," Daniel deduces "And then yesterday, at the park, I found her studying by the lake. I tell 'ya, the way she looks when she studies, how she wears her face when she reads. It's as if she's sad and lonely, wanting some companionship, someone to study with," Russell continues, then takes another sip of cappuccino. "And it sounds like you have a thing for her too," Daniel assumes, "You two are great for each other. You're both highly intelligent, you both enjoy your school work, and you both seem lonely, without someone to love." "You know, Daniel, about the princess in my dreams, she seems like the intelligent type. She's also a very romantic type person too. And she's beautiful too. The more I think about Amy, the more I think that perhaps she is the princess in my dreams," says Russell. "And how long have you been having these dreams," Daniel asks. "Hmm... years," Russell emphasizes, taking a sip of cappuccino. "For years you've been dealing with trying to find the right girl, the one in your dreams?" Daniel asks. "Well, I didn't dream that all the time. I had other dreams too, but this one tends to remain in my memory. It's a little different every time," Russell says, holding back the dreams of the Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask. Daniel lays a hand on Russell's shoulder, "You know what I think, Russell? I think you should look into your feelings, and not keep them inside you. Go for her, but be cautious. The shy types are some of the toughest game out there." "Thanks Daniel," says Russell as he takes a few more sips of his cappuccino. Amy Anderson's house... Amy sits by the windowsill of her bedroom and looks outside as the rain continues to fall. She takes in a breath of air, only to find it rather stuffy. She decides to freshen it up a bit with the rain cleansed air as she turns to her window and effortlessly slides it open, letting the cool air inside and gently toss her short hair about. It's odd, with it being late February and being rather warm for that time of year. It's a wonder why it isn't snowing instead of raining. But the weatherman said that temperatures for the next month are supposed to be above normal, along with the precipitation as a mass of warm air overtakes southern Japan. Amy leans on the windowsill and watches the rain fall, cleansing the air and the land of impurities. Such rainy days can be depressing to anybody, especially to the always sad-looking Amy. With the gentle breeze blowing through her window and the sound of rain striking the roof above and the ground below, Amy thinks about her loneliness. With Serena out with her family, Mina with Raye at the mall, and her mother at the hospital again on another long shift, she really has no one to talk to. Studying is out of the question since school is out today and she has already completed all of her assignments. A single tear streams down her delicate cheek as she thinks about being in this house all day, with nothing to do and nobody to be with. She then closes the window and makes her way to the bathroom. 'Maybe the water will comfort me a little,' Amy thinks to herself as she turns on the water and pours in a little bubble bath. It amuses her, the fact that the bubbles remind her of being Sailor Mercury, a protector of love and justice. After the water fills three fourths of the tub, Amy shuts the water off, takes her clothes off, and steps in. The sensation of the near hot water immediately overtakes her, causing her to jerk her leg back. A little more confident of the water, she quickly immerses herself in it, forcing her body to adjust to the sudden temperature change. With the water just right now, Amy closes her eyes and leans back to where her face just breaks the water. 'Ahh, this is so relaxing,' she thinks to herself as feelings of complete serenity overtake her. It's as if the water is putting her in a state of near sub-consciousness, where anything can run freely though her mind. She thinks about her loneliness, how few people are ever there for her, except for her friends. But they can't be there to keep her company all the time. And books aren't always a good escape from reality for her. With thoughts of loneliness in her mind, she begins to think about the memories Luna had returned to her, especially of one about Russell being Tuxedo Inferno. She remembers Russell being a star athlete and at the same time, being an academic achiever. She then remembers him being Tuxedo Inferno, a warrior who wields the power of fire and protecting the Sailor Scouts from danger. 'What's this? Me, Amy Anderson, thinking about a really cute guy, this is nuts. I never even admired Greg that much,' Amy thinks to herself, 'Yet, I wonder what he was like when he was at Crossroads.' With that thought in her mind, Amy climbs out of the tub and wraps a towel around her and drains the water. She then walks back into her room, where the cool outside air still lingers from her opening her window. The cool air sends chills up and down her spine as it comes in contact with her bare skin, leaving goose bumps. She decides to wear her something a little more casual, a light blue knit blouse and a knee-high dark blue skirt. 'The school has some old yearbooks in the library, maybe I'll check there,' Amy thinks to herself as she grabs an umbrella, throws on her white jacket and walks outside, making her way to the school. It's odd how a girl would want to go to school on her day off. The rain remains a gentle shower, much like that of a garden sprinkler, throughout her long, wet trip to Crossroads Junior High. After a long endurance of falling rain and being splashed a couple times by passing cars, Amy finally makes it to the junior high. She immediately closes her umbrella and removes her half-damp jacket. Luckily, she threw her umbrella in the way of that second splash or she would've had to go home and change, adding to the misery she is already feeling. She immediately makes her way through the empty halls. Only the janitors and a few of the teachers are even in the building, while others are either out celebrating a day without those noisy little brats to annoy them or trapped indoors by the depressing rainstorm. "Amy Anderson, just can't stay out of school, can 'ya," a voice says to her. Amy turns to see Jim Roland, the head janitor, waving at her. "Oh, hi Mr. Roland," Amy greets as she waves back. "Studying again?" Jim asks. Amy remembers that she has no schoolwork, no tests to study for. "Uhh, yes," she nervously answers, 'This cute guy who use to go here.' "Hey, gotta keep those grades at #1 somehow," Jim comments as he goes back to his work. Amy turns back around and makes a beeline toward the library, where the key to her type of guy lies. She remembers Raye showing her Russell's yearbooks and Russell's trophies, both academic and athletic. As she pushes the large swinging doors open and walks into the cavernous library, she thinks about her own collection of academic awards and trophies. Some of hers are nearly identical to some of Russell's academic trophies, especially her Brain Bowl and Academic Team trophies she had won this year. She walks over to the reference section and begins browsing through all of Crossroads' yearbooks. The Crossroads Jr. High yearbook section is rather large since it covers the school's vast history from 1948 to present. She figures, it being 1998, with Russell graduating last year, she immediately figures out which yearbooks he'd be in. So she grabs the '91, '92, and '93 yearbooks and begins browsing through them. She first looks through the Grade 6 pictures in the '91 yearbook, looking for Russell. It doesn't take long for her to find the name Russell Hino. She giggles at the sight of his picture, "He looked so silly when he was younger, but yet, so cute," she says to herself. After looking through all his soccer pictures and all his other pictures, she looks through the '92 yearbook. She finds that Russell had become very involved in school activities in Grade 7. She finds him in the Japanese Club, the Accelerated Reading Club, the Science Club, the Math Club, the Chess Club, and the Soccer team. "He must've crawled out of that shell of his and not looked like such a nerd in Grade 7," Amy comments. She then looks in the '93 yearbook at Russell's picture first. "He's starting to look more like the Russell I know," Amy comments. She then finds, throughout the yearbook, evidence of Russell's involvement in school and evidence of him winning his numerous trophies. She finds him to be president of the Science Club, as well as being highly involved in others, including the Spirit Club. Amy giggles at a picture of Russell with his hair died blue and his face painted white, rowling up the students at a pep rally. She then finds Russell to be the Science King, the escort of the Homecoming Queen, and class favorite for most spirited. She closes the book with thoughts of Russell being such an involved, spirited, athletic, and intelligent guy roaming through her head. She then finds another shelf with all of Crossroads High School's yearbooks, from 1943 to present. With her deductive mind, she immediately grabs the 4 most recent since the '98 yearbook isn't out yet. As she reads through all 4 yearbooks, she watches how Russell has grown from the young 6th Grader to a handsome senior. She looks at his soccer pictures, all the clubs and organizations he was in, the class offices he held, and even his achievements throughout high school. As she looks at how Russell has developed through the years, she sighs as she finds herself falling in love with him. "Oh my gosh, Amy, what have you done to yourself," she thinks aloud, "Now I definitely know these feelings are true." Then, something hits her mind, the cure to her loneliness, 'Hey, Lita's home. I can go see her.' She puts the yearbooks back, making it appear as if they have never been touched. She then walks out of the library, puts her coat on, and walks outside in the rain with her umbrella and toward Lita's. Lita's apartment... After researching Russell's past, and venturing out into the rainy world known as Tokyo, Amy makes it to Lita's apartment with so little as a drop of water on her. After closing her umbrella and thinking how great of company Lita would be, she knocks on the door. "Just a second," Lita's voice calls through the door. Moments later, the door opens, revealing the rather tall girl, wearing a forest green shirt and khaki pants, but no shoes. "Hi Ames, come on in, make yourself at home," Lita says as she waves Amy in, "You must've had a wild trip walking through that rain. But, you're Sailor Mercury, it's not like water is much of a problem to you anyway." "Yeah, but the rain can be very depressing," Amy comments, as that sad look fills her face again. Lita looks back at Amy and immediately notices the look on her face, as if she had a boring day. "Mom at work again?" Lita asks. "She called me after I had gotten up, saying that she won't be home 'til past midnight," says Amy, "With her at work, I thought about you guys, but Serena was out with her family and Mina and Raye were at the mall. I wondered what you were doing, but thought you too were out..." "Oh no," Lita says, cutting Amy off, "I was here the whole time. I've been here cleaning. If I wasn't cleaning I'd be with Mina and Raye right now." "At least you're here, and I could really use some company," says Amy. "I could use some too," says Lita, "I just finished cleaning before you came over. So, what's on your mind?" Amy thinks hard, trying to stay off the subject of Russell. 'What would Lita think of me, Amy Anderson, falling in love with Russell? What would my friends think?' Amy thinks to herself, 'Forget them, what would Raye think of me falling in love with her older brother? How would she look at me? I would always come over to see her, but with Russell in the picture, Raye may start feeling a little left out.' "Hey Ames, you okay?" Lita asks, seeing that Amy seems to have fallen into a trance. "Huh?" says Amy, breaking from her trance. "What'cha thinkin' about?" Lita asks, trying to make Amy spill her guts. Amy then decides to forget about it, don't tell Lita anything. "Nothing really," she answers. "Come on, Ames, I know something was on your mind," says Lita, "You have no big tests or any school work to worry about. You've got to have something on your mind besides school and books." Amy takes a deep breath, 'Okay, so maybe you can take the asking approach.' Then, she lets out a sigh and regains her composure. "Hey Lita, you've dated Russell. What do you think about him?" Amy asks. "Russell, like Raye's brother?" Lita asks, "Well, he admires a girl with great strength, which was what drew me to him. He's a very smart person, kind of like you. But I think his best quality is his athleticism. Even today, I still go to most of his practices and all his games, he plays the sport so well. He's a good cook too, quite good at making soups and other main dishes..." As Lita describes how Russell was, Amy begins thinking about him even more. 'His intelligence and involvement is drawing me to him,' Amy thinks to herself as Lita continues on, 'But after seeing him at practice yesterday, I admire his athleticism.' Lita stops as Amy lets out a sigh. She definitely notices what was really on Amy's mind, "You like Russell, don't 'ya." "I like the fact that he was so involved in school and was a star soccer player at the same time. I just think he's a cool guy," Amy replies, knowing she's about to be slain by her inquisitive friend. "Hey Ames, ever heard of that river in Egypt, what was it again... umm... oh yes, DE-NILE!" says Lita, "I know you better than that." Amy blushes a pure pink at the sound of Lita extracting her very feelings. Lita knows all to well. "Well, he's kinda cute," she vaguely replies. "Admit it, Ames, you're head-over-heels for this guy. I know. You were like this when Greg first came to our school," says Lita. Amy blushes again as she lets out a slight laugh, 'Might as well spill it, Amy.' "Yeah, but this is different." Lita's eyes widen a bit at the sound of that, "Really? Tell me all about it." "To tell you the truth, I find him to be quite an achiever. I looked at some old yearbooks from when he attended Crossroads Jr. High, as well as the high school yearbooks. It's like I've watched him grow up, and develop into the person he is now. I've seen his championship ring that Raye wears on her left finger. He's not only a genius like I am, he's a scholar athlete. And he's cute too," Amy explains. "Russell is a wonderful guy. Even after our relationship-ended months ago, I still admire his athleticism and think that he's cute," says Lita. "It's the way he wears his face when he's studying, kind of the way I look when I study. I never thought that kind of look could be so, saddening, as if he's looking for someone too, but like me doesn't seem to have the time for it. I've also been to one of his games and seen his face when he plays. He seems to be really into the game, and not just that, it's just about anything he does. And how he wields the power of fire as Tuxedo Inferno, it's like he's trained all his life in bringing out that kind of power from within," Amy explains. "Sounds like you see some things in him, very details, that I haven't seen since our relationship ended. A genius like you could probably notice such great things in a person, especially Russell," Lita explains, then leans closer to her and places her hand on Amy's shoulder, "He's a wonderful guy, Ames. Go for him." "Maybe after I think about all of this," Amy says as she gets up from the sofa and makes her way to the door. "Gotta crawl out of that shell sometime, Ames," says Lita, "Say, you wanna stay for dinner? I've got shepherd's pies baking in the oven if you want any." Amy stops and considers Lita's offer. This'll give her some company, cure her loneliness, and take her mind off Russell for a while. "Sure, I'd love to, especially if it's your cooking," Amy replies as she turns around and walks toward the kitchen. The Next Day, at Azabu Tech Stadium... Amy sits next to Lita as the Azabu Tech Jaguars make their way to the field, followed by the loudest roar either girl has heard as the sold out crowd yells and cheers for the home team, followed by the band playing the fight song. Amy remains rather passive and quiet, but stands with the rest of the crowd as Lita goes hog wild with her yelling and cheering. After the crowd settles down, Amy sits back down and concentrates on the game. After the game begins, Amy watches how the players on both sides play, how they wear their faces, how they are into the game. She watches as each player strives to gain possession of the ball and prevents the members of the opposite team from scoring. She remains rather observant of the game, but stands along with the crowd as Azabu Tech draws first blood by scoring the first goal of the game. The band plays the fight song as the crowd and the cheerleaders fill the stadium with the sounds of a highly competitive game. The crowd settles down after the rally and Amy takes her seat. "Hey Amy, you want something?" Lita asks. "Sure, ice blue snow cone and a Pepsi, please," Amy replies as Lita gets up and walks over to the concession stand. The referee tosses the ball in and runs for dear life, knowing these archrivals slam the ball, and themselves, into each other. Amy begins concentrating on Russell, looking for something unique in the way he plays. She watches as Russell gets a hold of the ball. She watches the look on his face as he strives to move the ball toward the goal. She sees the ambition in his face, how he wants to get that ball into the goal, for his team. She notices his head turn, right before he passes the ball to one of his teammates. He gets it back seconds later, then Russell passes it to Daniel. Amy notices a vivid look on Russell's face as he passes the ball to Daniel, like he has total confidence in his team. 'He must really care for his teammates,' Amy thinks to herself as Lita returns with drinks and snacks, 'It's the same way that we as Sailor Scouts care for each other.' "Amy, your snow cone and drink," Lita says, trying to get Amy's attention. When she realizes that Amy hasn't even twitched, she looks to see what Amy is so in to. She then notices that Amy is watching Russell, seeing that look of admiration on her face. "Now you're really hot for this guy," Lita says, "Here, snow cone and Pepsi should cool you down a bit." Amy looks at Lita and smiles as she takes her snow cone and Pepsi, "Thank you, Lita." "No problem," says Lita as she sits down and begins munching down on her nachos. At the half, as all the players head to their locker rooms, Russell looks up toward the stands. Lita is quite easy to pick out as she's jumping up and down with that brunette hair of hers bouncing. He sees Amy standing next to her, rather inactive. She only smiles at him and gives him a slight wave. Russell smiles and waves back as he follows the rest of his teammates to the locker room. Amy smiles as she walks over to the concession stand for a big lunch, with thoughts of her feelings for Russell constantly on her mind. A few days later... Amy sits in the cavernous Tokyo library, where numerous people have found refuge from the noisy outside world to engage in their studies. She's wearing her usual blue and white school uniform, bringing out the sapphire blue in her eyes and the ocean blue of her hair. Amy sits alone with only a novel and a notebook, trying hard to make sense of Charles Dickens. Sure, he tends to take pages describing a particular place, but such description could take a person off the subject at hand. 'Did Mrs. Matsui have to give us an assignment on Charles Dickens, and did she have to make it so hard?' Amy thinks to herself as she struggles to find the answers to some of the questions. With no end in sight, rests her head on her arm and shakes her head, 'Come on Amy, you're a smart girl, you should be able to do this. But this is Charles Dickens, made hard. Mrs. Matsui sure knows how to kill a brainiac with a certain type of work,' she thinks to herself. Meanwhile, Russell sits at a table some distance from where Amy is sitting. With a Beginning Particle Physics book open, and a notebook beside it, he reads through the textbook, gathering all kinds of knowledge on the various particles found after sending a particular atom through a particle accelerator. This subject seems rather interesting to Russell as he jots down all kinds of notes, and a chapter or two ahead of the class too. 'Dang, I like this subject,' Russell thinks to himself. Then, something in the distance catches his eye and breaks his concentration. At a distant table sits Amy, all alone and working on her own project. The sight of her studying brings admiration to Russell, especially for the way she wears her face as she does so. But this look is a little different, it's as if she's not enjoying what she's studying. 'Wonder what's with her?' Russell thinks to himself. Then, Amy rests her head on her arms, then lifts it back up a few seconds later. That look answers his question right there, 'I know that look on anybody, she must be struggling with something.' Russell closes his book and notebook, gets up, and walks toward Amy's direction. Meanwhile, Amy finally gets one answer down after a long search through the book. 'Alright Amy, get a hold of yourself. It's not as bad as you think,' she thinks to herself as she begins searching for another answer to the next question. "Looks like you're having a little trouble with something," a voice says, grabbing Amy's attention. She looks up from her book to see Russell's face, looking right into hers. 'My goodness, he's talking to me,' Amy thinks to herself, surprised that her studying happened to attract someone. Usually, people tend not to bother her while she studies, since most are engaged in their own studies. "Oh, hi Russell," Amy meekly says. "Charles Dickens, he was a very complicated man. I had trouble with understanding this particular novel, until I read it again the very next year," says Russell. "Yeah, Mrs. Matsui gave assigned my us Charles Dickens. Of all the authors out there, why Charles Dickens? Why not J.R.R. Tolkien?" says Amy. "Now I had fun reading J.R.R. Tolkien. One vast imagination that author had," Russell replies. Then, an idea comes over Amy, "Wait, don't you have your own studies to worry about?" "Actually, just Particle Physics, and I'm 2 chapters ahead of the class," Russell replies. "Particle Physics?" Amy asks, surprised, "I thought you were in Astrophysics." "I was last semester. Got an A," Russell replies, then goes back to why he came to Amy in the first place, "You need help with that?" Amy nearly hides behind her book at the sound of that question. 'Whoa, he's offering help to me? Well, since he knows a thing or two about Charles Dickens, maybe he can be of help,' she thinks to herself. "Thanks, I could really use your help," she replies. Russell takes his seat as Amy hands the book to him. 'What am I doing? Me, Amy Anderson, letting someone help me on my schoolwork. If anyone hears about this...' she thinks to herself, with thoughts of the great genius, falling to the level of needing help from another. 'But this is Russell we're talking about. Studying with someone like him who has already been there could actually do me some credit. He is cute though. I'll do it,' she thinks to herself as she begins to assert herself a little more, but keeping her distance at the same time. "Oh, this one's easy," Russell says as he finds a couple solutions to the questions and discusses them with Amy. 'Wow, he sure knows his stuff,' Amy thinks to herself. After a 2-hour study course, Russell and Amy cover a lot of ground. Sure, Russell helped her out, but it was mostly her work. So the grade is somewhat hers. After they completed their work, Amy shows interest in some of Russell's Physics work, since she has a Physics class herself. So Amy borrows Russell's Particle Physics textbook and looks through a few chapters. 'Particle Physics, this will put me far ahead of the class. And I study Astrophysics in my free time. Maybe I should add this to my list of studies too,' Amy thinks to herself, 'If it hadn't been for Russell, I would never have had this opportunity to further expand my knowledge of science. Hope he's into something higher than Trigonometry.' Russell gets up and walks outside as Amy continues looking though his textbook. The night is rather beautiful as Russell gazes up into the stars, with his long black bangs flowing effortlessly in the wind. Then, a thought comes over him, almost putting him in a trance. Russell walks through the dining hall towards the open balcony. "How was your dance with the Princess?" Raye asks, who was already on the balcony. "She's a great dancer. I enjoyed dancing with her," Russell replies. "She's a great girl once you get to know her," Raye says, then pauses for a moment, noticing the passionate look in Russell's eyes. "You like her, don't 'ya?" Russell opens mouth in attempt to respond but is interrupted, "C'mon, I know you like her. I've lived with you for 13 years, I know you too well." "Yeah, she's really something," Russell modestly replies. "Well, I'ma go find Mom. Go get her tiger," Raye says as she winks at him walks off. Russell rests his arms on the balcony rails and stares up at the night sky. Then, the princess walks out onto the balcony and right next to Russell, "Nice night, isn't it." "Yeah," Russell responds, "So many stars, billions of miles away. It's wonderful how massive balls of fire could make the night sky look so beautiful from such a distance." "But, up close, it is just a burning mass of hydrogen and various other gases that gives life to all," she adds. "I heard from Darien the moon is a captivating site from Earth. With the water sparkling in the moonlight," says Russell "The Earth makes a beautiful site from here. The waters glisten it its light too," says the princess. Russell looks into her eyes and sees the very sparkle he saw after their dance. "The Earth makes your eyes glisten beautifully," he says as his princess advances slowly towards him, seeing the same fire in his eyes. Russell leans close to her. "More beautifully than Darien described the Moon," he softly and deeply says, then softly kisses her on the lips. She looks into his eyes, feeling the intense flames, "And the fires of the sky burn beautifully in your eyes." She wraps her arms around the tops of his shoulders and kisses him with passionate love. He takes the rose Raye gave him, knowing it was for a special girl he'd find at the ball, and puts it in her hair. As he places the rose in her hair, she begins noticing various features on her face, quite familiar, like someone he knows in the present. "Nice night, isn't it," a voice says, breaking Russell from his trance. Russell opens his eyes and finds Amy walking outside, with Russell's Particle Physics textbook in her arms. "Particle Physics is very interesting, I need to find a book on it," she says as she hands Russell his textbook. As he takes the book, he notices a slight sparkle in her sapphire blue eyes. Russell turns back to the sky, watching the stars as Amy walks up next to him, but also keepin' a little difference. 'Alright, keep your distance, Amy. Don't want to look like you're flirting with him. But he is such a smart and handsome guy," Amy thinks to herself as she puts a little distance between herself and Russell. "...you see some things in him, very details, that I haven't seen since our relationship ended. A genius like you could probably notice such great things in a person, especially Russell," Lita's voice echoes in her mind, "Gotta crawl out of that shell sometime, Ames." "This is one reason I studied Astrophysics," says Russell, "The stars have always interested me, since I was young. Actually, it was from back in the Silver Millennium." "I've always loved the stars too," says Amy, "It's odd how they are like the moonlit sea, in that they glisten beautifully when the conditions are just right. That and my interest in Physics got me interested in Astrophysics." "Yeah, I remember stargazing with this girl back in the Silver Millennium," says Russell, "I often dream of it. And still dream of it, even after Luna returned out memories to us." 'You have feelings, Amy,' she thinks to herself, 'The time couldn't be better to share them. Once the moment's gone, it's gone.' Amy takes a deep breath as her heart begins palpitating and a burning sensation inside overcomes her. She backs up a little, anticipating a mess up. 'Okay Amy, you will not hold back, you will not hold back, you will not hold back,' she thinks to herself. She relaxes, takes a deep breath and takes a step closer to Russell. "I've often wondered who what girl was back in the Silver Millennium," says Russell, "I'm surprised that Luna doesn't even remember her. 'Cause I sure don't." "Russell," Amy says, getting his attention, "I've often wondered if I ever loved someone like you did back in the Silver Millennium. But now...", Amy hesitates, trying to figure out how to spill it. She drops her head and draws circles on the concrete with the toe of her shoe, trying desperately to fight her nervousness. Russell looks at her, seeing she's definitely nervous about something. When she looks back up, and their eyes meet, Russell notices that her eyes begin to glisten in the moonlight. As Amy looks into the dark purple eyes of the scholar athlete, she notices a fire burning in her eyes. Feelings of joy begin flowing as a memory hits her. She had seen that fire in one's eyes only once in both lives, in the Silver Millennium. She then gains confidence at the sight of that fire as the butterflies begin to flee from her stomach. She smiles at the sight of the flames in his eyes. "You were quite a student in school," says Amy. "Oh?" says Russell, surprised, "How so?" "You became so involved in school over the years. And on top of that, you are an excellent athlete, I've seen you myself," Amy explains. "That sparkle in your eyes, somehow, it's so unique. It's the same one I saw in the Silver Millennium," says Russell. Amy leans a little closer to Russell at the sound of that compliment, "And your eyes sparkle with fire, just like the stars. It's an Astrophysicist's dream," says Amy. They lean closer to each other. Then, all memory returns to them as their lips meet. Russell looks at Amy's delicate face, smiling as he realizes the truth. "You are the princess in my dreams," says Russell, "The one I loved back in the Silver Millennium, and the one I have fallen in love with." Tears begin to stream from Amy's eyes. "Oh Russell," she says as she throws her arms around him, pressing her lips against his with all the love she had bottled up all these years in her present life. ---------------------------------the end------------------------------- Well, the moment y'all have been waiting for. Russell and Amy finally remember their pasts as a long awaited romance takes center stage. A different approach than that of the Silver Millennium, but now the dream couple, destined to be together since the Silver Millennium, finally get together in what has the potential to be an everlasting love. Let's just see in future fanfics how this newly found classic romance integrates itself into the epic storyline. With Amy and Russell together, I'ma start on my next anthology. Y'all e-mail me with comments, a'ight. OOOOOOO O O O U O U BOOMER O U O U SOONER! O U O U OOOUOOO U U U UUUUUUU Have fun Sailor Moon fans, Viper Inferno (Y2V)