Troy Stanton sailormoonv@hotmail.com (Please put SMV*TN in the subject line.)


                                 Sailor Moon V
                                       *
                               Tales Of The Night

(Author's Note: While this series is based on my original "Sailor Moon V * The
  Dark Adventures Of The Sailor Scouts" series, and while it is possible to
  incorporate these episodes into SMV*DA, this is not the case.  SMV*TN is to
  be considered, for all intents and practical purposes, a separate series
  from SMV*DA.)


                                  Episode Two
                                       *
                                   The Dance


     Ami sighed heavily as she leaned forward and rested her head on the front
of the oddly-shaped piece of crystal that served as the mainframe computer for
the cathedral's internal systems.  Why won't you cooperate? she thought to
herself as the computer continued to display yet another error message.
     She blindly reached out for the can of juice she had sitting on the far
end of the table and managed to grab it on the second try.  She had it halfway
to her lips before she paused and gently shook the can, blinking in surprise
when she realized that it was empty.
     I drank that already? she thought as she set the can back down and rubbed
her eyes.  When did I do that?  This is not a good day.... she thought tiredly.
She sighed again as she briefly rubbed at a crick in her neck before she took
a deep breath and returned to her work.
     Okay, we'll try starting from.... there, she thought as she began to type.
Ordinarily her fingers would have been a blur across any keyboard, but since
the keys corresponded to the denizen alphabet and not the English alphabet, she
was reduced to the old-fashioned hunt-and-peck method of typing.  Fortunately,
her knowledge of the denizen language made translating the computer coding
somewhat easier.
     "Typo in the third line," said a soft voice behind her.
     "Thank you," she replied absently as she corrected the error and kept on
working.  She had written another five lines of code before something in the
back of her mind made her pause and look back up at the screen.  Typo? she
thought before something clicked in her mind and she turned around to look
behind her.
     "Boo," Mina said quietly.
     Ami fell out of her chair with a squeal of surprise.  "How many times do I
have to tell you not to do that?!" she yelled as she clutched her chest and
willed her heart to slow down before it exploded.
     Mina giggled.  "I know, but when you concentrate on your work like that,
an elephant could walk into the room and you wouldn't even notice.  What'cha
doing?"
     "Trying to continue breathing," Ami said dourly as she stood up.
     Mina giggled again.  "Before that."
     Ami sighed heavily and sat back down.  "There's some sort of software
glitch somewhere between the external weather sensors and the master storm
shield control.  The storm shields don't always close automatically when a
storm is in the area and I'm trying to fix that."
     The blonde smirked.  "Think Tolaris's lack of meterological control at
certain times has anything to do with it?"
     Ami gave her a patient look.  "Just because we get thunderstorms somewhat
frequently around here doesn't have anything to do with the auto-shield mode
not kicking in when it's supposed to."
     Mina nodded, her expression turning serious.  "What exactly sets off the
shields, anyway?  Barometric pressure, ambient temperature, wind speed, what?"
     Ami sighed and rubbed her eyes again.  "I'm still working on that.  As far
as I can tell, it's a combination between moisture sensors, wind speed, and a
light sensor array, believe it or not."
     Mina blinked.  "A light sensor?"
     Ami nodded.  "Sky darkening before a storm, sudden flashes of lightning,
that sort of thing."
     "Ahh, I get it.  Umm, where are those sensors?  I mean, could something
like a bird doing its business in the wrong place screw things up?" Mina asked.
     Ami blinked.  "Light sensor malfunction.... Hmmm...."  Without another
word, she turned around and started running a diagnostic scan on the external
ambient light sensor grid.  "No, all the light sensors are functional and
they're all reporting roughly the same light level."
     "What about the thingy that measures wind speed?"
     "Tolaris and Ra'vel are on the roof now fixing one of the anemometers."
     Mina blinked.  "Ane-what?"
     "Anemometer.  That's the thingy that measures wind speed," Ami mimicked
with a small smile.
     "Oh, so that's what it's called," Mina said with a nod of her head.
     Ami stretched, wincing as something popped in her shoulder.  "Anyway, one
of those was bad, but the others were compensating so it's not that."
     Mina shrugged.  "Just a thought."
     Ami smiled as she leaned back and tried to get the crick out of her neck
again.  "It's appreciated, believe me.  I just wish I could step on this bug as
easily as I could some roach."
     "Out of curiosity...."  She paused to let Ami finish groaning quietly
before she continued.  "Just how long have you been at this?"
     "Too long.  Umm.... since yesterday, I think.  Or was it yesterday?" Ami
said absently as she struggled to remember.
     Mina smiled softly.  "You need a break, girl," she said as she started to
gently massage the back of Ami's neck.
     Ami grunted.  "This needs to be taken care of and soon.  The meterologists
are watching a typhoon that's drifting this way and they think it's going to
hit us.  We need to have the weather shields working before then so nothing
gets damaged.  Granted we can close the shields manually, but we'd have to go
to each and every room to do it since nobody thought to program a master
override for the shields.  And since Tolaris seems to think that a few of the
rooms are hidden, we can't close them all manually.  Work a little lower?"
     Mina giggled and moved her hands down a few inches.  "Hidden rooms?"
     Ami sighed and closed her eyes.  "Yeah.  Tolaris said Dyvach got really
bored one day and made a map of all of the areas in the cathedral that it could
get in to.  Thing is, what it came up with and what the blueprints say are two
slightly different things.  Once we gave the blueprints to Dyvach, it nearly
went nuts trying to figure out where it went wrong."
     "Did it take into account rooms like the arsenal vault that it couldn't
get into without tactical nuclear weapons?" Mina asked softly as she continued
to massage Ami's shoulders.
     "Trust me, it did.  Whisper went with it and opened up the restricted
areas.  From what I understand, it still can't account for over five hundred
square feet of space," Ami explained.
     Mina blinked.  "How do you misplace that much space?"
     Ami shrugged and they both blinked at the sudden popping noise.  "Ouch.
Umm, no one knows, really, and now Whisper is getting mildly curious about the
whole thing.  Last I heard, she was still debating if she really wanted to try
phasing out walls and such."
     "Go figure," Mina said quietly.  "Is this doing anything for you?"
     Ami sighed softly.  "It's doing quite a lot, actually.  Thank you," she
said as she sat up.
     Mina frowned and pulled Ami back against the chair again.  "Where do you
think you're going?  I'm not finished yet."
     "Finished or not, I've got to get back to work," Ami replied as she tried
to sit up.  She sighed softly to herself when Mina refused to let go of her
shoulders.
     "When does that thing need to be fixed?" Mina asked.
     "As soon as possible."
     Mina sighed impatiently.  "Surely you have something more definite than
that, Ami."
     "Okay, we have until the edge of the typhoon gets within fifty miles of
the coast, but I don't want to wait that long," Ami replied.
     "And when will the typhoon get here?" Mina persisted.
     Ami sighed heavily.  "Best guess is three days, Mina."
     Mina nodded, a small smile creeping across her face.  "Good.  And since
you have three days to finish this task, you can surely take a half-hour break
to unwind and relax.  No buts, girl," Mina said sternly when she heard Ami take
a deep breath.  "I know how you get when it comes to working on a problem.  The
rest of us have to use a crowbar to pry you away from your work every now and
then because you don't stop for sleep or food."
     "I'm not that bad," Ami protested.
     Mina just sighed.  "Remember last year's science project?"
     "Well.... I'm getting better...." Ami replied sheepishly.
     "Half-hour, girl.  No buts."
     Ami sighed.  "Alright, already.  Hang on," she said as she saved her work
on the computer and powered down what passed for a monitor.  She sat back with
another sigh and said, "There, happy?"
     Mina laughed quietly.  "Trust me, Ami, it's for your own good," she said
as she started to massage Ami's shoulders again.  "Just out of curiosity...."
     "Nothing new around here," Ami muttered darkly.
     "Ahem.  Anyway, when was the last time you ate anything?"
     Ami waved her hand towards the empty can of juice.  "I think I had some
juice a few minutes ago, but I can't remember drinking it."
     "Ami, we have got to get you out more," Mina said with a giggle.
     Ami closed her eyes with a heavy sigh.  "You keep saying that.  Perhaps
you get out too much."
     "Perhaps.  You hungry?"
     Ami thought about it for a moment.  "Not really."
     "Mmmm...." Mina said as she starting gently rubbing Ami's temples with her
fingertips.  "And how are you set for blood?"
     "Next week," Ami replied with a grunt.
     "Not what I asked," Mina said in her ear, her voice barely a whisper.
     "What are you asking then?"
     Mina said nothing for a moment as her fingertips glided down the sides of
Ami's face to the base of her neck.  "I'm just asking how blood-hungry you're
feeling right now, that's all."
     "I'll manage.  Why am I suddenly getting the feeling that you're up to
something, Mina?" Ami asked guardedly.
     "What makes you think I'm up to anything?" she replied innocently.
     Ami sighed darkly.  "Because you only use that tone when you're being
asked if you're up to something and you really are."
     Oops, Mina thought.  "Okay, I'll admit that I'm up to something."
     "Now there's a first," Ami said dryly.  "So what are you up to?"
     "Trying to take care of a friend who has the bizaare tendency to not take
care of herself when she's troubleshooting a computer," Mina replied smoothly.
     Ami thought about it for a moment.  "Why am I not convinced?"
     "You're asking me?"
     "Rhetorical question, Mina."
     Mina just shrugged.  "Anyway, back to my original question."
     Ami just sighed.  "I don't need any blood right now, Mina, but thank you
for offering.  Could you get off of me now, please?"
     The blonde blinked and backed up.  "You need to loosen up a little...."
     Ami frowned lightly when Mina trailed off without any warning.  A dark
chill crept down her spine when she swore she heard something click behind her
and she turned around to look at Mina.  The chill deepened when she realized
that Mina was smiling oddly for no apparent reason.  Uh oh, now what....? she
thought.
     "Do your teeth hurt?" Ami inquired mildly.
     Mina was slightly surprised by the question.  "Umm.... no...."
     "Then why are you grinning like that?"
     Her smile grew wider.  "Oh, nothing, really.  I just remembered that you
had told us one day that you like to dance."
     Ami was really starting to worry about what Mina had in mind.  "Yes, I do,
but...."
     "And I also remember asking you to dance for us, but you said you didn't
feel up to it and promised that you'd do it later," Mina interrupted smoothly.
"Plus, I remember you telling Rei about how dancing helps relax your muscles
after rough days.  And after listening to your joints do their impression of a
bowl of Rice Krispies, I think you need it.  So why not kill two birds with one
stone and dance for a bit?"
     Ami sighed as the headache securely lodged itself in her forehead.  "Does
it ever occur to you to breathe when you talk for that long?" she said wearily.
     "On occasion, but I've learned to ignore the impulse," Mina replied.  "But
that's a side issue.  Anyway, I've always been interested by the way one can
create whole new environments with light.  Spotlights, shadows, infra-red and
ultra-violet lamps, the entire visible spectrum, they all can be manipulated to
produce the most unreal of optic environments.  Umm, are you alright?"
     Ami sighed and closed her eyes.  "Headache."
     "Mmm, we'll have to cure that in a bit.  Anyway, after I spent a month up
to my armpits in holographic landscapes down in the simulator, I asked Tolaris
if I could take over an empty room and turn it into a studio I could use to
play around with some of the ideas I've gotten.  I asked Dyvach to help me with
the fabrication of most of the equipment I needed since it was too expensive
for V to get on the gray market.  Besides, working with Dyvach has helped me
learn more of its idea of a language.  Ami, are you sure you're alright?"
     Ami sighed again and looked up at Mina.  "I will be as soon as you stop
talking long enough to take a breath every minute or so."
     Mina giggled.  "Alright, I get the picture.  What I'm saying is that I've
got a light studio that I want to try out.  I mean, I've got the acoustics for
my synthesizer all figured out, but I'm still working on the light matrix for
the laser array.  If you were to dance for me in there, I could use you as a
model to fine-tune the laser frequencies and get the studio completely set up."
     Ami gave her a wary look.  "I assume when you're talking about fine-tuning
the lasers, you mean the wavelength and color of the beams and not the output
power?"
     Mina nodded seriously.  "Of course.  Trust me, I want to keep them as low
power as possible so I don't accidentally start slicing through things."
     Ami blinked.  "How much power can your array put out?"
     "Enough to melt a three-inch hole in the hull of an old battleship in five
minutes.  Or at least in the deck plating," she added.
     "And you want me to dance beneath those lasers?"
     Mina sighed patiently.  "Trust me, Ami, it takes a great deal of power to
do that.  Remember that brown-out we had last month?"
     "You mean the one that probably caused this stupid computer glitch?" she
said as she looked over her shoulder to glare at the crystal computer.
     Mina's cheeks turned pink.  "Yeah, anyway, that was when I got curious as
to the maximum output of my array and decided to redline the power feed.  Had
all seventy-six lasers focused on a single point on a section of steel plating
from a decomissioned Navy battleship.  It started glowing in three minutes and
I had steel soup after five.  I had to shut it down after six minutes because
it was starting to overload the array, not to mention what the power drain was
doing to the cathedral's source of power."  Mina paused to take a breath and
gave Ami a curious look.  "What IS the cathedral's power source, anyway?"
     Ami gave her a look.  "You don't want to know."
     Mina blinked.  "I take it that you know?"
     "Unfortunately."
     "Umm, do I want to ask...?"
     Ami sighed.  "Let me put it to you like this.  After I found out, it took
me three days to get to sleep.  It's still slightly unsettling if I stop to
think about it, so I try not to."
     Mina paused to think about it.  If it's enough to rattle Ami, she thought,
then I probably don't want to know.  "Well, since you put it like that, I think
I'll skip finding out, if you don't mind."
     Despite her best intentions, a small smile started to spread across Ami's
face.  "What's the matter, Mina, your curiosity starting to fade?" she teased.
     Mina raised an eyebrow.  "Trust me, there are things in this life that I'm
not at all curious about.  Anal sex, for instance."
     Ami shivered.  "Ewww...."
     "You see my point?"
     "True.  Ick," she added with another shiver.
     "Now back to my original question.... Now what?" Mina asked impatiently
when Ami gave her a decidedly evil grin, something which slightly unsettled the
blonde.
     "Well, seeing how you've been talking for the past twenty minutes, all I
have to do is keep you talking for another ten and then I can get back to my
work," Ami explained cheerfully.
     "You're not getting away that easily, my friend," Mina said darkly.
     Ami sighed and closed her eyes.  "Let me explain something here...."
     "No, let me explain something," Mina interrupted as she took Ami's hand in
hers and used her other hand to grab Ami's wrist just behind the joint.  She
twisted gently and Ami's eyes doubled in size as the joint popped loudly.
     "Hey, what'd you do that for?" Ami said, still slightly stunned.
     "If your joints are still doing that, then you need to get them loosened
up," Mina explained.  "The whole point of taking a break was to rest up your
body, not just your mind.  And I promise you that you won't get rid of me until
you dance for me and help me tune my laser array."
     Ami sighed heavily when she realized that Mina had every intention of
doing what she had just promised.  "Stubborn wench," she growled beneath her
breath as she stood up.
     Mina just smiled happily.  "All that and more, too.  Come on, it's at the
far end of the hall," she said as she led Ami out of the computer room and down
the corridor towards the distant end of the residential wing of the cathedral.
     I hope I'm not going to regret this, Ami thought to herself as they came
to the studio door.  She paused and blinked when Mina opened a nearly invisible
panel and started poking at something inside.  "A security lock?" Ami asked.
     "Well, this stuff is somewhat delicate and sensitive, not to mention worth
a small fortune on the black market.  That's not to say I'm worried about it
getting stolen, it's just that I don't want anyone messing with it, even by
accident.  Ah, here we go," she said as she finished typing in a complex string
of alphanumeric characters into the miniature keypad.  The lights on the keypad
flashed a dark shade of green and there was the sound of a heavy bolt being
unlocked before the door swung open automatically.
     "Isn't that the same type of lock on the arsenal vault?" Ami inquired as
they walked into the unlit room.
     "That's what Dyvach said when I was helping it install the lock."  She
paused and a sly look crossed her face.  "Knowing a particular type of lock
inside and out makes picking it a lot easier.  Should the need arise, that is,"
she added hastily as Ami's expression darkened.
     "If I catch you even near the arsenal...." she started to say.
     Mina laughed.  "Calm down, Ami.  The arsenal is locked tight for a reason,
namely to keep curious people like me and trigger-happy people like Leda out of
it.  The locks are highly pick-resistant and are almost fully tamper-proof.  If
the lock isn't picked perfectly on the first attempt, and I know I'm not good
enough to even try, it'll set of a major alarm as well as flooding the inside
of the vault with a decidedly unhealthy gas.  That way, if you do manage to
pick the lock before the security force gets there, you'll have a nice surprise
waiting for you on the other side," Mina explained as she closed the door,
plunging the room into darkness.  "Watch your eyes," Mina cautioned as she
flipped a switch.
     Ami blinked as a single light came on, casting down a sharply defined cone
of light.  The light was centered on a simple stool which was surrounded by
Mina's synthesizer and several small control panels.  The overall effect was
that the stool was illuminated in such a way as to cast very deep shadows all
around it while everything outside the cone of light was lost in complete and
total darkness.
     Standing in the darkness, Ami suddenly felt alone.  She shook her head as
she tried to throw off the sudden feeling.  "That's.... interesting," she said
after a minute.  She turned to look at Mina and blinked when all she saw was a
vague shadowy outline.
     "Shielding the spotlight took almost a full day," Mina's voice emerged
from the darkness.  "But as you can see, I think the effect is worth it.  Just
out of curiosity, how do you feel?"
     "To be honest, it makes me feel.... alone."  Ami blinked as her vampiric
hearing heard the almost inaudible laugh in Mina's throat.
     "Just stay put and I'll turn the lights up," Mina said as she suddenly
became visible as a dark gray shadow at the edge of the cone of light.  She
slowly walked into the center of the light and sat down on the stool, her hands
quickly passing from one console to another.
     Ami blinked as the room suddenly went dark as she heard a soft whining
noise start up.  The whining grew louder until there was a series of popping
sounds as various spotlights warmed up and turned on.  Within a minute, more
than two dozen multicolored spotlights were active and randomly casting their
light around the room.
     "What do you think?" Mina asked as she continued to work on the various
control panels.
     Ami looked up at the complex network of tracks and rails that most of the
light systems were hanging off of.  "My goodness," she exclaimed.  "Do you have
enough lights?"
     Mina smiled.  "Depends on what you're trying to accomplish.  There are a
few optical special effects I can't pull off without a few more specialized
light sets.  Between myself and Dyvach, our best guess is that I'll need at
least another three dozen shielded and filtered spotlights before I'll be able
to have it all set up."
     Ami looked up with a bewildered look.  "But where are you going to put
them?  It's crowded enough up there as it is."
     Mina smiled.  "Easy.  Those will get put into the stage floor," she said
as she pointed to a small raised stage in the middle of the room.
     Ami blinked.  "What?"
     "Here, I'll show you what I've got set up now," Mina said as she turned
around to her consoles.
     Ami blinked again as the room was plunged into complete darkness.  A few
seconds passed before six pillars of light seemed to materialize in the center
of the stage.  The lights started to change colors for a few seconds before
they vanished and several spotlights lit up the room again.
     "Nice...." Ami breathed.  "And you said Dyvach constructed most of this?"
     Mina nodded.  "Yup.  It took it a few months to gather together enough raw
materials to do it, though.  Soda and soup cans only go so far."
     "So that's where they've been disappearing to.  You know, Mina, I have no
problem with Dyvach recycling them for its own purposes, but you really ought
to make sure it only eats the empty cans.  The rest of us might like to find
a can of chicken soup every now and then," Ami said gently.
     Mina laughed.  "I'll keep that in mind.  So...." she said as she flexed
her fingers and started cracking her knuckles.  "You might want to stretch out
first, Ami.  You know, loosen up a little before you start."
     Ami sighed quietly as she looked around the room briefly before she slowly
walked towards the small stage.  Might as well, she thought as she raised her
arms up and started to do some light stretches.
     While Ami was streching, Mina used the time to warm up her laser array and
to power up her synthesizer.  While her keyboard was running its series of
hardware diagnostics, she started to power up the full-length speakers she had
situated in each corner of the room.
     "Testing, sound test, alpha, bravo, charlie, one, two, three," she said
into a small microphone and listened as her voice boomed from the speakers.
     Ami gave her a mild look as she stretched her hamstrings.  "I think it
works, Mina."
     "Just checking," Mina said into the microphone before she switched it off
and set the speakers to idle.  She glanced up as her laser array's master panel
emitted a multiharmonic chime to signal it's readiness.  Well, that's ready,
she thought as she cast an irritated glance at her synthesizer.  So what's
taking this thing so long...?
     "Ami, we have got to get you out more," said an electronic voice.
     Mina blushed a dark shade of red and looked up in time to catch Ami's only
partially amused look.  "Remember what I said about taglines on boot-up?" she
said weakly.
     "What are we going to do with her?" Ami asked the light array above her.
     Mina's hand was a blur as it darted across the synthesizer's keyboard and
hit a small button, sending a preprogrammed command to the tagline program
wired into the console.
     "...And they stood face to face, vampire and vampire hunter.  Neither one
spoke as they gazed into each other's eyes, communicating somehow without word
or gesture.  After an eternity, the hunter said, 'Yield to me, vampire, and you
shall live, for we both know the outcome of a duel between us.'  Then the
vampire shook her head and said, 'I cannot yield, for we both know what shall
happen if I do.'  Then the hunter said, 'So now the question is what are we
going to do with you?'" said the synthesizer's mechanical voice.
     Both girls froze as they looked at one another.  After what seemed to be
an eternity, Mina slowly said, "That's not what it's supposed to say."
     Ami frowned lightly.  "What was it supposed to say?"
     "A recording of Maze saying, 'Target practice sounds like fun.'"
     Ami sighed.  "And how long have you been waiting for the chance to use
that little tagline of yours?"
     Mina smiled.  "Longer than you would want to know."
     Ami shrugged as she stood up and finished stretching.  "Where exactly did
that little whatever come from?"
     The blonde frowned and looked at her synthesizer.  "From a book on audio
tape I picked up not too long ago, but I could have sworn I never recorded it
into my synthesizer, let alone reprogrammed my macro."
     "Well, if it was locked in here, then it had to have been you," Ami said.
     Mina continued to glare at her keyboard for a few moments before she shook
her head and sighed.  "I'll figure it out later," she grumbled as she flexed
her fingers and started configuring her control panels.  "Are you all set?"
     "Pretty much.  What sort of light and music should I expect?" Ami asked.
She blinked when Mina gave her an evil grin.  Uh oh, she thought.
     "It'll vary from time to time.  I need to have a wide range of settings
tested and tuned, you know," Mina explained cheerfully.
     "Of course," Ami muttered.
     "Slow, easy pace with mostly visible light in the beginning and working
down to techno-strobes and lasers at the end," Mina said.
     "Techno-strobes?" Ami echoed.
     "You'll see," Mina said as she flipped a few toggles and started playing
her synthesizer.
     Ami blinked as the light level was cut in half and pastel-colored spots of
light began to drift across the room.  Okay.... she thought before she started
to listen to the soft music that came at her from all directions.  She took a
deep breath to clear her mind and let her body start to sway slightly in time
to the music.
     Mina watched as Ami's hips began to move gently and she nodded to herself.
She quickly set her synthesizer to auto-play mode and turned her attention to
her laser array.  Okay, for this sort of lighting, I'd need something rather
soft and muted.  Sooooo, let's try these frequencies.... she thought as she
began to alter the laser frequency matrix.
     She looked up as two dozens beams of light lanced out from the maze of
tracks and rails on the ceiling.  The lasers began to rotate and spin around
on their mounts, casting their beams of focused light around the room in a
random pattern.  Mina frowned as the harsh red beams clashed with the gentle
mood that the music and the rest of the lighting was producing.  Nope, got to
change frequencies, she thought.  Let's see what shades of blue and green I can
work with....
     She looked up again after a few minutes and noticed that the lasers no
longer clashed.  Great, she thought, although those blue frequencies could use
some more fine-tuning.  She played around with the frequency control until the
remaining lasers blended into the effect as well as a laser can blend in.
     Gotcha, Mina thought as she locked the frequencies into the memory slot
tied into her primary mixer console.  Now every time she used that particular
lighting pattern, the mixer would automatically retune the laser array to those
particular frequencies and colors.  Now for the next one.... she thought as she
pressed a button on her mixer console, telling both her synthesizer and her
master light matrix program to change to the next preprogrammed pattern.
     Ami almost stumbled as the sudden change in music threw her body slightly
off-balance.  Thanks for the warning, she thought darkly to herself as she
paused her motions for a few seconds to listen to the music, letting her hand
wave back and forth in the air in time to the rhythm.  Easy enough, she thought
as she started dancing slowly again.
     She looked up in time to see several bright red laser beams criss-crossing
in a two-dimensional pattern over her head.  Her mind flashed back to what Mina
told her about what those lasers could do and she started to worry slightly.  I
hope she knows what she's doing, she thought as she did a slow pirouette.  She
finished the movement gracefully and glanced up again.
     Even as she watched, the lasers started changing colors and moving up and
down slightly, constantly changing the points that they intersected.  The end
result was that instead of producing a flat grid of intersections, they began
to produce a series of three-dimensional waves in mid-air, looking like the
surface of a neon techicolor ocean.
     Nice.... Ami thought in awe as she continued to dance while watching the
strange visual effect.  However, the rest of these lights could use some more
work.... "Hey, Mina?" she asked over the soft music.
     Mina almost fell off of the stool in surprise.  "Whoa!" she squealed as
she struggled to retain her balance.  "Don't scare me like that.  What's up?"
     "I was just thinking.... That laser pattern looks like the surface of an
ocean, right?" Ami said, still dancing slowly beneath the pattern of light.
     Mina nodded.  "That was the general idea."
     "Well, why not make it look like we're underwater?"
     Mina blinked.  "Say what?"
     "I mean, you can flood the room with blue lights, right?  You know, how it
would appear to be if we were underwater?" Ami explained.
     Mina thought about the concept for a full second before her hands suddenly
became a blur over the light consoles, reconfiguring the light matrix as fast
as her mind and hands could work.  Okay, combo blue and green frequencies on
the laser matrix, I'll need mostly aquamarine spotlights here and here.... she
thought as she worked.
     Ami blinked as the room suddenly turned a light shade of blue.  Ouch, too
harsh, she thought as she winced in pain at the intensity of the light.  She
was about to say something when the light level dropped significantly and the
color tone started changing.  She noticed how quickly the color scheme was
fine-tuned and she nodded her head in approval.  She's good, Ami thought to
herself.  Now if she can just do something about the music....
     As if on cue, Mina switched her synthesizer to manual and started playing
short selections of music, searching for something that would suit the mood.
"Might want to stop dancing for a few while I get this straightened out," Mina
said as she continued searching for the right selection.
     "What about 'Arabian Dance' by Tchaikovsky?" Ami suggested.  She blinked
as the music stopped so quickly that the silence echoed.
     "Ami, you're brillant," Mina said as she reset her synthesizer and started
playing.  The mildly haunting sounds of one of Tchaikovsky's most famous and
classic music pieces began to drift out of the speakers and Ami nodded her head
in approval.
     Perfect, she thought as she closed her eyes and began dancing.  The music
was soft and gentle with a slow beat, the type of music she preferred to dance
to.  Moving slowly like an ethereal phantom in the semi-darkness of the room,
she danced across small stage in time to the music, not fully aware of how
graceful she looked under the lights.
     Mina glanced up from her keyboard and felt her jaw crack as it fell open.
My god, she thought as she watched Ami dance.  She quickly set her synthesizer
to auto-repeat mode and turned most of her attention to her light consoles.
This is simply unreal, she thought as she turned on the ultra-violet lamps.
     Ami blinked as everything suddenly took on a purplish highlight.  What is
that? she thought before she looked down at her blouse and blinked.  Her blouse
was now shimmering an odd shade of blue, a sight which unsettled her until she
was able to figure out the cause.  Ultra-violet, Mina? she thought before she
looked around her.  You know, that actually helps....
     Mina nodded to herself, pleased with the effect of adding the ultra-violet
lamps to the light matrix.  You know, now that I have those, I probably don't
need these.... she thought as she turned off a set of shielded aquamarine
spotlights.
     Her breath left her as the effect was greatly enhanced with the removal of
the spotlights.  This is.... is.... my god, she thought as she continued to
watch Ami dance in time to the music.  She had always had the suspicion that
Ami could be more graceful if she put her mind to it, but she never imagined
that she could dance like that.
     Mina shook her head.  One thing at a time, girl, she told herself as she
brought the rest of her laser array on-line and added them to the pattern.  The
surface of the 'ocean' promptly tripled in size and added more color to the
room.  Mmm, didn't think about that, she thought as she turned off another set
of blue-green filtered lights.
     The light level dropped more than she expected, but the illusionary effect
of being underwater was increased rather than decreased.  This is perfect, she
thought excitedly as she saved the entire light pattern into her master console
memory.  Now to add a bit of variety to the music....
     Ami paused momentarily as the music changed unexpectedly.  The pace and
the overall tone remained the same, only the musical score changed.  A small
smile passed across her face as she continued to dance.  Tchaikovsky might like
what she's doing to his music, she thought.  I just might have to get a tape of
her variations to dance to later....
     Mina carefully recorded several variations of the music into the memory of
her synthesizer and sat back before her hands started shaking too badly.  This
is simply unreal, she thought as she continued to watch Ami dance.  I can't let
an opportunity like this pass up.  I simply can't, she thought as she brought
the music to a gentle end and brought the light level up slightly.
     Ami looked more than slightly disappointed when the music ended and the
underwater effect was lessened.  She came to a slow halt and held her pose for
a few seconds before she relaxed.  "That was very impressive, Mina," she said
as she gestured to the optical illusions around her.
     "Look who's talking," Mina replied with a smile.  "You looked unearthly
dancing under that laser illusion."
     Ami smiled.  "Unearthly?  I take it that's a good thing?"
     "Very," Mina said.  "I've got a question for you.  Do you know how you
look when you're dancing?"
     Ami shrugged.  "Not really, since I rarely dance in front of a mirror."
     "Can I show you something?" Mina said as she walked over to her array of
consoles and hit a toggle.  There was a soft hum as a screen started to lower
from the ceiling while the stage started to split in two, each half moving away
on hidden tracks.  A small projector rose up from the center of the stage and
started to show a recording on the screen.
     Ami blinked as she suddenly saw herself dancing amid the laser-induced
underwater illusion.  The display split into nine different screens, each
showing her from a different angle and viewpoint.  "So.... where are the
cameras?" she asked as she looked around the room.
     Mina shook her head.  "You won't find them since they're smaller than a
Rubik's Cube and hidden among the lights."
     "So you got this on tape?" Ami said warily.
     Mina shook her head.  "Nope, this is only in the recorder's memory.  I
usually don't tape anything unless I'm producing something for someone."
     "Uh huh," Ami said mildly, not entirely convinced.  She watched herself
dance on the screen and couldn't help but notice how good she looked.  Too much
of this and I'd wind up with an ego problem, she thought with a small smile.
     "So what do you think of the effect?" Mina asked quietly.
     "I like it," Ami replied instantly.  She paused as something suddenly
seemed out-of-place with Mina's question.  It took her a few seconds to realize
that she was being unusally quiet for some reason.  "What are you up to?" Ami
asked warily.
     Mina blinked, caught off-guard by the question.  "What?"
     "You're too quiet, which means you're plotting something," Ami said,
carefully watching Mina's facial expression.  She saw her expression change
slightly and she added, "Plus you're nervous about something, which means I'm
probably not going to like it.  Why don't you just save us both a bit of time
and hassle and just spit it out?"
     "There is a way to further increase the ethereal effect of seeming to be
underwater, but it requires the cooperation of the dancer," Mina said quietly.
"I want to capture that effect on tape and I want your help to do it."
     Ami thought about it for a moment.  I don't think I'd mind being on tape,
she thought, but something is still definitely wrong....  "What's the catch?"
Ami asked cautiously.
     "You have to dance naked," Mina said, her voice almost a whisper.
     "What?" Ami said incrediously.
     "Well, I'd want to use fluorescent bodypaint to enchance the effect, plus
spray your hair with ultra-violet reflective hairspray...."
     "Back up, Mina," Ami said.
     "Ami, please," Mina said quietly, almost pleadingly.  "The virtual effect
is simply unearthly as it is, but I know it can be more.  You know how I am
with my music.  If I can get other people to feel what I'm feeling when I'm
playing, then I've done what I've set out to do.  And now if I can get them to
feel what I feel through the use of both music and optical effects...."
     "Calm down," Ami said quietly as she laid a hand on Mina's shoulder.  "I
understand what you're trying to do here, but I'm not sure I want to be taped
dancing naked."
     Mina took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.  "I won't tape it if
you don't want me to, Ami, but please, let me at least see if I'm right about
the visual effects."
     Ami sighed quietly and considered the situation at hand.  She had always
followed the controversial debates in the media about nudity in the performing
arts and was well-versed on the stands of both sides.  Well, she thought, I
did dance nude for Tolaris on several nights, but that's because we're lovers
and it never involved a video tape.
     Nude performance just for the sake of doing so, Ami thought.  I think
that's more of a personal choice as opposed to an ethical debate.  At least,
that depends on who you're talking to.  Asking a sixteen-year-old female if you
can video tape her dancing naked.  American Senator Helms would go ape.
     Mina blinked as Ami chuckled for no apparent reason.  "Umm, Ami, are you
feeling alright?" she asked hesitantly, trying to determine if Ami had lost it.
     "Just a bizaare train of thought, that's all," Ami replied.
     "So where does the train stop at?" Mina asked cautiously.
     Ami sighed and looked up at the maze of rails and tracks hanging off of
the ceiling.  "Alright, Mina, I'll do it.  But if I find out that you've taped
it, I swear I'll throw you into Rei's fire along with the video tape."
     Ami blinked as Mina lunged forward and gave her a bone-crushing bearhug.
"Thank you, Ami, you have no idea what this means to me!"
     "Just don't make me regret this," Ami muttered darkly, more to herself
than to Mina.
     "Okay, now.... Now where did I stash that stuff?" Mina asked as she looked
around the room for a few moments.  "Is it two-four or was it four-two?  Nertz,
I think I forgot...."
     Ami blinked.  "Nertz?" she echoed.
     "Figure of speech.  Or would you prefer I start cussing like Leda?"
     "That's quite alright.  Should I bother asking what it is you're doing?"
     "I'm trying to remember the mnemonic I used to remember where I stashed
the paint and stuff.  Don't ask me where I got it from," she added.
     "What, the paint or the mnemonic?"
     "The mnemonic.  The bodypaint I got from a catalog," Mina said distantly,
still searching her mind for the proper sequence.  Something clicked and she
smiled.  "I remember now, it is two-four.  Hang on a second...."
     Ami watched with mild curiosity as Mina went to the far corner of the room
and started counting off the yard-long square floor tiles.  She reached the one
she sought and knelt down, her hands prying up the edge of the tile.
     Ami blinked as the entire tile swung up on a hinge, revealing a shallow
pit beneath it.  "Do all of the tiles have stuff beneath them?" she asked as
she walked over to Mina and her hidden cache.
     "If they do, it's mostly electrical wires and cables," Mina replied as she
reached in and pulled out a pair of fairly large suitcases.  She set them on
the solid floor next to her and opened them, revealing quite a collection of
paintbrushes, spray bottles, and countless multicolored jars.
     "How would you like to look like a mermaid?" Mina asked as she started
sorting through her collection.
     Ami blinked.  "A dancing mermaid?"
     Mina nodded, her attention still on her collection.  "Yup.  I figure I'd
cover your legs with blue-greenish paint for that half-and-half effect and
paint you a set of seashells for your breasts.  You want aquamarine fingernail
polish?"
     "Why not real seashells?" Ami asked cautiously.
     Mina looked up at her with a strange look in her eyes.  "Two reasons.  The
first is simple: I don't have any seashells.  The other reason is it'll detract
from the effect.  I want everything to be an illusion.  You know, sort of like a
mind game on many levels."
     Ami smirked.  "Something along the lines of 'Are those seashells or is she
really topless?'"
     Mina smiled.  "I knew you'd understand."  The smile slid off of her face
as she tilted her head to one side and studied Ami carefully.  "You know, I'm
awful glad you have blue hair.  That way, all I need to do it lightly dust it
with neo-refractive hairspray."
     Ami blinked.  "You just lost me on that last one."
     "It'll make your hair glitter in both regular and ultra-violet light but
without having to put tiny pieces of glitter in your hair.  All you need to do
is wash it out," Mina explained.
     Ami shrugged.  "That shouldn't be too much of a hassle."
     The blonde snickered.  "That's because your hair isn't almost down to your
butt, like mine and Rei's.  Okay, let me check," she said as she set aside each
item she named.  "Hairspray, nail polish, blue-green for the legs, white and
blue for the seashells, eyeshadow, lipstick, firmer...."
     "Hold it," Ami said.  "What's with the make-up, and what exactly is that
last thing you just said?"
     "Well, the make-up is just an added touch to the effect, and the firmer
gets put on your breasts to keep them from bouncing around as much.  I'm not
quite sure how it does it, but it causes the skin to harden for a period of
time, making them easier to paint and all," Mina explained.
     Ami frowned.  "Let me see that?"
     Mina passed her the package and she stuided it for a few minutes, reading
the content list and instructions for use.  "Oh, I see," she said after she
re-read the whole thing twice.  "I don't have any problem with it," she said as
she passed the package back to Mina.
     "That's good," Mina said.  "Okay, I'm all set on this end."
     Ami sighed quietly to herself as she knelt down to remove her shoes and
socks.  I just hope I'm not going to regret this, she thought as she worked.
She finished her task and stood up, her hands carefully working the buttons to
her blouse.  She had just undone the last button when she felt Mina's hand on
the collar of her blouse, drawing it off for her.
     "I can do this by myself, you know," Ami said mildly.
     "I'll bet you have Tolaris do this for you all the time," Mina replied.
     Ami blushed.  "That's none of your business," she muttered.
     "Not unless I want to enjoy a sunny day," Mina said as she unhooked Ami's
bra and drew it off.  "Besides, haven't you ever noticed how much fun it is to
undress other people?"
     Ami closed her eyes and sighed.  "Mina...."
     "When are you going to learn to trust me?" Mina said quietly in her ear as
she reached around her to unfasten her skirt, letting it fall to the floor.
"Okay, under ordinary circumstances, yes this would be an attempt at seducing
you.  However, I'm very serious about doing this illusion dance, so you don't
have to worry about me pulling anything."
     "At least not until it's over," Ami muttered as she stepped over her skirt
and removed her panties.  She quickly gathered her clothes together and put
them in a neat pile before she stood up and looked at Mina.  "Okay, so what's
first?"
     "The firmer because it takes several minutes to set," Mina said as she
opened the package and removed the medium-sized jar.  "You know how to put it
on properly?"
     Ami nodded.  "I read the instructions," she said as she accepted the jar.
     "Good.  You work on that and I'll start on your legs.  That should be
finished by the time the firmer sets," Mina said as she sat down and opened one
of her bottles of blue-green bodypaint.  She dipped a finger into the paint
and was about to apply it to Ami's thigh when she paused and looked up.  "You
do trust me to do this, right?"
     Ami sighed quietly to herself.  "Yes, I do, Mina," she said as she opened
the jar of firmer and looked inside.  If I didn't know better, she mused, I'd
say it was some of that vapor-rub stuff.  She scooped some of it up with her
hand and carefully began to apply it to her breasts.  She blinked as her skin
started to tingle and go numb on contact with the firmer.  You know, this just
might work....
     Mina started at the top of Ami's hips and started to work her way down,
carefully spreading the paint around in an even coat.  This stuff is good, she
thought as she worked.  Nice color, easy to apply.... I might have to use this
stuff for Maze one night.  Dunno about a mermaid, though something like a cat
might work.... Hmm....
     "How's that stuff working?" Mina asked as she finished painting one side
of Ami's thigh down to her knee.
     "It feels weird going on, but I think it's starting to work already," Ami
replied.
     "Just try not to get too excited when you put that on your nipples, okay?
They might stay stuck like that and that would ruin the effect," Mina said in
all seriousness.
     "I'll try to keep that in mind," Ami replied dryly.
     I'm trying to keep that out of my mind, Mina thought in silent response as
she continued to work on the outside of Ami's leg.  Finishing this without
having to rape somebody is going to be a tough task, she thought as she glanced
up at the dark blue strip of blue hair covering Ami's sheath.  Yes, this is
going to be most difficult.... But hopefully, most rewarding....
     Good, Ami thought as she finished applying the firmer to her nipples and
no involuntary biological response resulted.  She waited until the tingling
sensation stopped before she carefully touched a nipple with her fingertip.
She blinked when she couldn't feel anything in her breast.  My, this stuff
really works, she thought as she resumed her task.
     "So how is it looking?" Ami asked.
     "See for yourself," Mina said as she opened another jar and started to
apply the paint to her ankle.
     Ami turned slightly and looked down, blinking in surprise at the sight of
blue-greenish skin from her hip down to her ankle.  "Nice," she commented.
     "Thank you," Mina replied as she carefully spread the bodypaint across
Ami's foot and down to her toes.  One side down, three to go, she thought as
she paused her work momentarily to flex her fingers.  "Could you turn around
for me?"
     "Sure," Ami said as she turned around so Mina could work on the outside of
her other leg.
     "You know, you and Serena have the nicest skin," Mina commented.
     "Thank you," Ami said with a faint blush.
     "You ever notice that what you do in life affects your skin quality?"
     Ami blinked and paused her work.  "Seriously?"
     "Seriously," Mina replied.  "Rei spends so much time near fires and all
that her skin is somewhat dry.  Leda's lifetime of martial arts has made almost
all of her skin slightly thicker and tougher than the average person's.  I
think all the dancing you do keeps your skin toned just the right amount, and
I'm still trying to figure out Serena's secret."
     Ami giggled.  "It's probably the same biological quirk that keeps her slim
despite the amount of chocolate and sugar she eats."
     "True," Mina replied with a smile.  "I wish they would have made bigger
jars.  This one's almost empty and I'm only down to your knee on this side."
     "Perhaps because they were only designed for spot work and not full-scale
painting?" Ami suggested.
     "I know.  You should have seen where the models in the catalog had the
stuff.  Umm, on second thought, maybe you shouldn't...." Mina added with a
faint blush.
     Ami sighed.  "Who's catalog was it, one of Darian's?"
     "Actually...."
     Ami sighed again.  "Which one, Playboy?"
     "Playboy offers that kind of stuff, but their ads are always done in line
with decent taste.  No, this was something else entirely and with very little
shame," Mina explained.
     "I'll skip it, thanks," Ami muttered as she resumed her tasks.  "And that
was in one of your catalogs?"
     "It was something I picked up at some convenience store near the edge of
the city limits, and I only got it because they were advertising a large sale
of their bed and bath collection."
     "Dare I ask what was in that collection?" Ami said warily.
     "I might have to show you after all," Mina replied.  "It's funny, really.
They offer some really nice bath oils and such.  The only catch is the models
are stark-naked.  If you made them all wear bathrobes and kept them out of
compromising positions, you could publish that catalog on the same rack as the
other department store catalogs.  Provided you ditch the last, oh, forty pages
of advertisements, that is.  That's the usual collection of 'toys' and such
you'd find in magazines on the top rack behind the opaque covers."
     "Ah, I see," Ami said neutrally as she finished applying the firmer to her
breasts.  "So they start off easy then work their way down towards the hardcore
stuff, right?"
     "Exactly, so if you're the squeamish type, you don't have to read any
farther than you have to for what you want," Mina said with a smile.
     "You make it to the end?" Ami asked cautiously.
     "Of course."
     "Of course," Ami muttered.  "Curiosity, right?  Wait, nevermind, that was
a stupid question."
     "You want me to show you the catalog after Rei's finished with it?"
     Ami blinked.  "Rei's got it?"
     "Yeah, she was interested in the...."
     "I don't want to know what she wanted," Ami interrupted quickly.
     Mina shrugged.  "If you insist.  Anyway, want to see it later?"
     Ami sighed.  "I'll think about it.  I'm finished with the firmer," she
said as she held out the jar.
     "Cool," Mina said as she took the jar and put it back in one of the large
suitcases.  She grabbed another three jars of the bodypaint and returned to her
work with a light sigh.  "Hold still and I'll be finished with this part in a
few minutes," she said as she opened another jar and resumed painting Ami's
lower leg.  "You have any objection to having your toenails painted?"
     Ami shivered involuntarily at the memory of the mess she made the last
time she had tried painting her toenails.  "Umm, I'm not sure.  I really made a
mess of everything when I tried it the last time."
     "You didn't do it right, that's all," Mina said.  "I'll do it for you as
soon as I'm finished with this."
     "Aquamarine nail polish?" Ami asked as she glanced over at the distinctive
bottle of nail polish.
     Mina nodded as she finished spreading the paint across Ami's foot.  "With
all of the blue-greenish coloring you'll be wearing, anything else would clash
badly.  Besides, I picked a shade that would go well with both your hair and
the paint since you probably wouldn't want to remove the polish for a few
days."
     "We'll see," Ami said, still glancing at the bluish nail polish.
     "Umm, how ticklish are you?" Mina asked cautiously.
     Ami blinked and looked at the blonde.  "Not overly so.  Why?"
     "Need to paint your backside," Mina explained.
     "Lovely," Ami grunted.
     "It gets better...."
     "I just thought of that.  Do you really have to paint that far up?"
     Mina sighed.  "I want the illusion to be as complete as possible, Ami."
     Ami sighed.  "Got a coin?"
     "Heads I win, tails you lose?" Mina offered.
     "Funny."
     "You can paint that part if you don't want me to...."
     "Just be careful, Mina," Ami said resignedly.
     "Thank you, Ami," Mina said as she began to apply the paint to Ami's
well-toned backside.  "Could you spread your feet shoulder-width apart?"
     Ami complied with a dark, quiet sigh.  "This is almost as bad as one of
those yearly doctor visits," she muttered after a few minutes of having paint
rubbed onto a sensitive portion of her anatomy.
     "Look on the bright side, Ami.  The paint only goes on the outside and
it's room-temperature," Mina said cheerfully.
     "True...." Ami admitted, trying not to think about it.
     "Okay, that's finished," Mina said as she finished her task and started
painting the inside of Ami's thighs.
     "This is probably a little late to be asking this, but how does the paint
come off?" Ami asked with a small frown.
     "Soap and warm water works just fine.  If I may make a suggestion, just
toss Tolaris into the shower with a scrubbie and jump in after him once we're
finished.  That might take longer than if you just take a hot shower and use a
wash cloth, but I guarantee it'll be much more pleasurable...."
     "Thank you, Mina," Ami replied darkly.
     "Always glad to help," the blonde replied cheerfully as she stood up and
moved around to Ami's front.  "Now hold still so I can finish this up."
     Ami sighed quietly to herself as she glanced down.  "You know, this is
starting to look like it'll work," she admitted.
     Mina glanced up at her, one eyebrow arched up almost to her hairline.
"What made you think it wouldn't?"
     "Have you ever done this sort of thing before?"
     "Well.... not really...."
     "I rest my case," Ami said.
     "Uh huh," Mina said quietly as she painted the inside of Ami's thighs up
to just below her groin.  "I've got a bit of a personal question for you."
     Ami blinked.  "Umm.... what?"
     "Do you trim your pubic hair or does it naturally grow in a strip like
that?" Mina asked quietly as she glanced up at the dark blue hair.
     "That's natural," Ami replied with a blush.
     "Just asking," Mina said as she finished up her task.  She glanced up at
Ami's pubic hair once more before she sighed and looked up at Ami.  "I'm all
done except for the really sensitive part."
     Ami debated the matter for a few moments before she sighed heavily.  "Go
ahead and finish it, Mina.  Just be careful."
     "Of course," Mina replied as she dipped her fingertips in the jar of
bodypaint and carefully spread it across Ami's sheath.  Both of them bit their
tongues, Ami to keep herself from making any noise and Mina to try to keep her
mind off of the idea of seducing Ami right then and there.  Mina finished her
task as fast as she could without seeming to rush.
     "All done execpt for one final touch," Mina said as she stood up.
     Ami breathed a silent sigh of relief.  "What's the touch?"
     "This," Mina said as she painted a line from Ami's hips to just below her
navel.  "There, that does it," she said as she stepped back.
     Ami stretched one of her legs out in front of her.  "Nice job," she said,
her eyes wide at the sight.  "If I didn't know better, I'd say that my skin
really was this color."
     "That's the whole idea, Ami," Mina said with a grin.  "Spin around?"
     Ami did a graceful pirouette so Mina could see the effect from all angles.
"Great.  Hold your legs together like this?" she said as she stood straight
with her feet pointed almost totally opposite from one another.  Ami complied
and she nodded.  "Perfect.  Like that, you really do look like a mermaid. Of
course, it'd be better if you were wearing a stocking to give the appearance of
having a tail instead of legs, but you couldn't dance like that."
     Ami nodded.  "I see what you mean.  Umm, now what?" she asked when Mina's
eyes suddenly brightened for no apparent reason.
     "I'm going to have to take pictures of you like this, Ami.  No, not now,"
she added when Ami started to frown, "But another time, perhaps."
     "Perhaps."
     "Okay, nail polish is next," Mina said as she collected the empty jars of
bodypaint and put them back in the suitcase.  She picked up the bottle of nail
polish and walked over to Ami.  "This shouldn't take too long," she said as she
knelt down and started to paint Ami's toenails an aquamarine color.  "Alright,
nice color match," she said after a few seconds.
     Ami wrinkled her nose at the smell of nail polish.  "A pity they can never
do anything about the smell."
     "A small price to pay for artificial beauty," Mina said as she worked.
     "How much did you pay for that stuff, if I may ask?"
     Mina shrugged.  "Same price as the nail polish you find in any store
around here.  I just had to order it through a catalog since most beauty stores
don't sell colors like this."
     "And do I want to know which catalog you got that out of?"
     Mina giggled.  "Same one as the body paint.  In fact, most of the stuff I
have in those suitcases came from that one catalog.  They have some really nice
stuff, Ami, despite the fact that their models are porn-star bait."
     "UPS must love you," Ami commented.
     "You have no idea.  There, how does that look?" she asked as she stood up
and took a step back.
     Ami glanced down at her toes and nodded.  "Looks a lot better than what I
did last time.  I'm not sure I'd wear this color on a day-to-day basis, but it
does look good with the paint."
     "Good.  Umm, how's the firmer?"
     Ami glanced down and tapped a finger on her breast, blinking at the hard
feeling.  "Goodness, it feels like a rock."
     "May I?"
     Ami gave her a mild look and nodded.  Mina cautiously rubbed her fingertip
on the bottom of Ami's breast and blinked.  "Whoa, they don't kid around."
     "I take it that's what you wanted?"
     Mina nodded.  "Perfect.  Listen, if you can do your nails, I can start
painting your back.  Your 'seashells' need something to hold them in place, you
know," she explained when Ami gave her a curious look.
     Ami giggled.  "Makes sense," she said as she took the bottle and began to
carefully turn her fingernails an aquamarine color.
     Mina went back to her suitcases and retrieved several bottles of blue and
white bodypaint as well as a pair of paintbrushes and a small mixing palette.
"Dark blue should work for the straps.  I'm going to make the shells white with
medium blue highlights and dark blue outlines," she explained as set everything
in a neat pile and opened up a jar of blue paint.
     "Why the paintbrushes if you're using your fingers?" Ami inquired.
     "Fingers are good for base coats or for large areas, but they're too big
to pull off any decent detail work.  And to make it look like seashells, I'm
going to need to paint a series of ridges, which is something I can't use my
fingers for," she explained as she began to paint a broad blue stripe across
Ami's back.
     Ami shrugged.  "Oh, ok," she said as she resumed painting her nails.  "You
know, this really isn't as bad of a color as I thought...."
     Mina giggled.  "Told you.  When are you going to learn to trust me?"
     "When you quit pulling various stunts like scaring the daylight out of me
when I'm working?" Ami said pointedly.
     "Touche," Mina replied with a laugh.  "Umm, can you lift up your arm for a
bit so I can paint under it?"
     "Hang on, almost finished," Ami said as she finished painting her nails.
"Okay, done," she said as she transferred the bottle of polish to her other
hand and raised her arm up.
     Mina carefully painted the line up to the edge of Ami's breast.  "Okay,
now for the other side.  Wait, let me get that from you first," she said as she
took the bottle of polish from her and returned it to her collection.  She
returned and Ami complied, allowing Mina to finish her task.
     "Okay, great.  Now I need to do the outline, and I'm going to need a brush
for that," Mina said as she retrieved a brush and dipped it into the jar.  "Let
me know if this starts to bother you or anything," she said as she began to
paint a dark blue outline of a seashell on Ami's breast.
     Ami glanced down and blinked.  "I don't feel a thing."
     "That's good.  All I need is to be turning you on at this point," Mina
said with a giggle.  I, however, am already there, she thought silently.  She
carefully painted the outline on both of her breasts and connected them with
more dark blue paint to give the appearance of a strap. "When's the last time
anyone's told you that you're beautiful?" Mina said quietly as she worked.
     Ami blinked, startled by the question.  "Tolaris told me that yesterday."
     "When you two were getting ready to get busy?" Mina inquired.  She looked
up and saw the blush spreading across Ami's face.  "Nevermind, not my business.
Still, when was the last time he told you that when you two weren't snuggling
up or anything?"
     "Umm, I'm not sure," Ami admitted.  "I don't really remember each and
every time he tells me."
     "What about when someone else tells you that?"
     Ami blinked again.  "I really don't know, Mina.  Why are you asking?"
     "Just curious."
     Ami just sighed.  "Figures."
     Mina smirked.  "Well, I was just wondering, Ami.  You really are beautful
whether you realize it or not."
     Ami blinked, a light blush spreading across her face.  "Umm.... thanks."
     "You're welcome.  Okay, now for the base coat," Mina said as she set the
jar of blue paint down and picked up the white jar.  "You mind?" she asked as
she held her fingertips above the jar.
     Ami considered it for a few seconds before she shook her head.  "No, just
be careful."
     Mina nodded.  "Always," she said as she dipped her fingertips in the paint
and began to spread it across Ami's breast.  "Mmm, I'm not sure Maze's shoulder
muscles get this hard after his workouts," she commented.  "Paint's spreading
out easily enough, though.  You still don't feel anything?"
     Ami shook her head.  "I can feel the pressure of you touching me, but I
don't feel it on my skin."
     "You know who might like this?" Mina asked.  "Leda.  You know how she gets
when she's sunbathing.  Well, I can just imagine her painting herself a bikini
so she can get a full tan without attracting too much attention."
     Ami gave her a reproving look.  "Don't give her any ideas, okay?"
     "Now that I think about it, I just might try it myself...."
     Ami sighed heavily and shook her head.  "Just not at the beach, Mina."
     "Of course not.  I'd just drag a lawn chair up to the balcony and get my
tan there.  That way, I only have to worry about Darian, Tolaris, and Artemis."
     "Artemis?"
     Mina nodded.  "Yup.  You have no idea how many times I've caught that
furball trying to get a peek when I'm in the shower.  Fortunately, having a
mobile showerhead and a lot of water pressure usually deters him from making
many attempts."
     "Great, all we need around here is a perverted cat," Ami muttered.
     "Actually, that's all he's tried," Mina explained.  "He tried to sneak a
peek of Serena in the shower once and Luna almost killed him.  I don't think
he's tried anything since then, and that was several months ago."
     "That's comforting," Ami said acidly.
     Mina laughed.  "Relax, Ami, you're not his type."
     "Oh?" Ami replied with a raised eyebrow.
     "Nope.  He says he prefers blondes, for some reason.  Go figure.  Okay,
I'm finished with the base coat, so now it's time for the tedious part," she
said as she knelt down to pick up the rest of her stuff.  "Umm, could you hold
these for me?" she asked as she held out the jars of paint.
     "Is it me or has he been somewhat depressed since you fell in love with
Maze?" Ami asked cautiously as she watched Mina mix the paints on the palette.
     "I know," Mina sighed, "But he's just going to have to deal with it."
     Ami remained silent for a few minute while Mina started to paint the lines
on her breasts.  "He used to sleep in your room with you, right?" she said
quietly.
     "Yes, especially during cold nights," she said with a small smile.
     "When was the last time you let him do that?"
     Mina blinked and paused her work.  "Not since Maze came here."
     "This isn't really any of my business," Ami said cautiously, "But do you
think Maze would mind sharing the bed with him every now and then?"
     "I don't know.... I'll have to talk about it with him.  And Artemis."
     "Just a thought," Ami said as Mina resumed her work.
     Mina remained quiet as she carefully painted the illusion of seashells on
Ami's breasts.  Thank goodness for art classes, she thought as she used a
painter's trick to correct a mistake.  Otherwise, this would have been a lost
cause after the first three minutes.
     "Almost finished," Mina said several minutes later as she added a few
final highlights.  "Forgive me for letting my ego run rampant for a moment, but
god I do good work," she said as she stepped back.
     Ami glanced down and blinked.  "No kidding...." she breathed as she
carefully tapped the bottom of her breast with a finger.  "Mina, I swear, if I
didn't watch you paint it, I would almost think I was wearing seashells."
     Mina smiled.  "If you're saying that, then think about what anyone else
would say."
     "Mmm...." Ami said quietly, giving second thought to the idea of being
video taped.
     "Now for the easy part," Mina said as she put away her materials and came
back with a compact, a tube of lipstick, and a can of hairspray.  "Hold these,"
she said as she held out the compact and lipstick to Ami.
     Ami took them and gave Mina a curious look.  "Now what?"
     "Going to make your hair glitter," Mina said as she shook the can for a
minute before popping the lid off.  She held her hand over Ami's eyes while she
started to lightly spray her hair, moving the can back and forth to avoid a
build-up in any one area.
     "Ick," Ami said as she wrinkled her nose.
     "It's only the propellant, so don't get too bent out of shape," Mina said
as she stood behind Ami to spray the back of her head.
     "What is that stuff, sulfur dioxide?" Ami said, coughing lightly.
     "Tell you in a second," Mina said as she finished up spraying her hair.
She looked down at the can and shrugged.  "It's written so only those who know
anything about chemistry can tell you."
     "Let me see it?"
     Mina shrugged again and passed the can to Ami.  "Don't tell me you can
understand all of that."
     "Of course.  Oh, I see.... No wonder it stinks," Ami replied as she passed
the can back to Mina.
     "Ami, we have got to get out out more," Mina said with a sigh.
     "You just need to brush up on your organic chemistry," Ami replied.
     Mina shook her head.  "That's quite alright, I'll just have you translate
when I need it," she said as she sprayed some of the hairspray into her cupped
hand.
     "What are you doing?" Ami asked.
     "Eyebrows," Mina said as she dipped her finger in the tiny puddle and
carefully brushed it across Ami's eyebrows.  She repeated the process until
she was sure it was evenly spread across Ami's eyebrows and wiped the remaining
puddle of hairspray onto the back of her skirt.
     "Now for the eyeshadow," Mina said and Ami handed her the compact.  Mina
opened the compact and proceeded to carefully apply the eyeshadow.  "You know,
you should at least let me take a Polaroid of you like this," Mina said.
     "Trust me, I'm thinking about it," Ami replied.
     "Please do, Ami.  Things like this need to be preserved and remembered."
     "Don't push it," Ami said with a wry grin.
     "Okay, and now for the lipstick."
     Ami opened the tube and peered inside.  "Ick.  Blue lipstick, Mina?"
     Mina shrugged.  "It goes with everything else, right?"
     "I suppose, but this definitely comes off when I'm done," she said as she
handed the tube to Mina.
     Mina carefully applied the lipstick and stepped back.  "My god," she said,
her voice a bare whisper.
     "Got a mirror?" Ami asked.
     Mina frowned.  "Nope.  However...." she said as she went back to her cache
of stuff stored beneath the floor tile and pulled out an instant camera.  "Just
strike a pose and hold still," she said as she held up the camera and focused
it on Ami.
     "Wait a minute...." Ami started to say but fell silent when she heard the
loud click of the camera going off.  She sighed heavily and glared at Mina.
     "Sorry, Ami, but I couldn't pass this one up," Mina apologized as she took
the still-developing film out of the camera and watched it intently.
     Ami sighed quietly again and moved next to Mina, her attention also on the
photograph.  After a minute, the colors had stopped developing and the picture
was fully revealed.
     "That's me?" Ami breathed in awe.
     "You'd better believe it, girl.  Hang on," Mina said and pressed a button
on the camera.  There was another click and it spat out a second Polaroid.
"This model keeps a copy of the image in short-term memory in case you want to
produce a double," Mina explained.  "But the memory only lasts for roughly five
minutes, so you won't have to worry about another copy being produced.  Here,
this one's yours," Mina said as she handed Ami the developed photograph.
     Ami gave her a wary look.  "And I take it you're keeping the other one?"
     Mina nodded.  "Unless you have any objections.  You know I'm not going to
let anyone else see that.  It's just that I had to have a picture of you like
this.  You're simply too beautiful right now not to."
     "I'll think about it," Ami said as she took another look at the picture.
     "Do you feel naked right now?" Mina asked.
     Ami blinked at the question.  "You know.... No, I don't," she said as she
glanced down at her nude body.
     Mina looked at the now-developed Polaroid in her hand.  "Ami, if I didn't
know any better, I'd swear you were dressed in this picture.  See what I mean?"
     Ami glanced down at her picture and nodded slowly.  "Yes, I do.  You did
excellent work, Mina."
     Mina smiled.  "Thank you.  So now that you're ready, would you care to
dance for me for awhile?"
     Ami smiled back.  "After getting all dressed up like this, it'd be a shame
not to, especially after all that hard work you did."
     "Good," Mina said.  "Umm, about taping this...."
     Ami looked down at the photograph again.  Performing nude for the sake of
performing, she thought.  Is this something I would want someone like Tolaris
to see one day...?
     "Go ahead," Ami said quietly, "But if anyone finds it, even Tolaris, then
I'm going to introduce you to Rei's fire.  Understand?"
     Mina smiled.  "Perfectly.  Oh, and Ami?"
     Ami looked up just as Mina stepped forward and gave her a gentle kiss,
completely taking her by surprise.
     "Thanks," Mina said softly as she turned around and repacked everything
into her suitcases, leaving Ami standing there with a mildly stunned expression
on her face and the Polaroid still in her hand.
     Ami glanced down at the picture and started to wonder if she was making a
mistake or not.  If this is a mistake, this might be one of the few I'll enjoy
making, she thought as she set the picture on top of her pile of clothes.
     Mina finished putting the suitcases back in their hidden cache and took a
pair of video casettes out before she lowered the section of tile flooring back
down and made sure it was securely closed.
     "Two videos?" Ami said warily.
     "Just in case one fails," Mina assured her.  "You always use a back-up."
     Ami nodded her head in understanding.  "True."
     Mina gave her a small smile before she walked over to the stool surrounded
by the control consoles.  She opened the base of one of the consoles to reveal
a pair of video tape recorders inside.  She took the neon marker that was stuck
to the inside with velcro and labeled each of the tapes before putting them in
their respective recorders.  One for you, one for me, she thought with a small
smile.
     She quickly put the marker back in its place and closed the console door.
That finished, she quickly did a final double-check of everything to ensure its
readiness for the upcoming performance.  Cameras show green on all angles,
sound boards show green, mixers green, speakers green, laser array showing
ready, and green lights across the synthesizer board, she thought happily as
she checked off each item.  Alright, let's crank this party up....
     "I'm ready when you are," Mina said into the microphone.
     Ami nodded and made her way over to the stage.  "Any particular way you
want me to do this?" she called out.
     "Nope, it's your show.  Once the lights drop, I'll give the recorders
about thirty seconds to get past the feeder before I start the illusion and add
the music.  The rest is up to you, girl.  Break a leg."
     Ami giggled and nodded to her.  She took a few seconds to clear her mind
before she took a deep breath and stepped into the center of the stage.  The
lights went out and she knelt down, crossing her arms over her breasts and
bowing her head.
     The only thing Mina could see was the dim timer on her main mixer console,
every other indicator turned off while the timer counted down.  The room was
deathly quiet, save for the almost inaudible sounds of the laser array warming
up for operation and the whispering whirring sounds of the tapes in the video
recorders.  Mina watched the timer slowly click down to zero and she blinked
when her chest started to burn.  What? she thought before she realized that she
had been holding her breath.  She let it out as silently as she could while the
timer reached zero.
     She blinked as dozens of dim lights lit up on several of her consoles and
seventy-six lasers were set off, each individually colored beam lashing out to
intersect with the others in a pattern that was randomly determined just a few
microseconds ago.  The rest of the spotlights and lamps lit up, flooding the
room with a gentle aquamarine light.  Mina looked towards the figure in the
center of the stage and blinked.
     She appeared to be asleep, her eyes closed and her body reflecting the
serenity of those glimpsed in slumber.  The soft, ethereal sounds of music
quietly began to drift out of the speakers and she stirred slightly, as if she
were reluctant to enter the world of the awake.
     The music progressed and she slowly began to wake up, her body starting to
unfold itself ever so slowly and gracefully.  She moved up into a kneeling
position and stretched her arms out towards the surface of the ocean, a small
yawn escaping past her sapphire lips.  A small frown crossed her face and she
reached down to adjust the position of the seashells she wore.  The frown
evaporated like morning fog when the adjustment was complete and her features
returned to their usual unearthly splendor.
     She yawned delicately again as she rose to her feet, stretching her lovely
aquamarine legs one at a time.  She looked up at the rippling surface of her
home and she smiled, her face radiant with her contentment.  She did a slow
pirouette in place before she began to slowly dance around the stage like the
carefree ethereal mermaid that she was.
     Mina blinked hard.  My god.... she thought as she watched Ami dance.  And
I'm getting this on tape?  She's so beautiful and so.... so.... my god....  She
closed her eyes for a brief moment as her body's reactions finally caught up
with her brain.  Her nipples had hardened to the point of aching and she knew
that she would probably have to change her panties before this was over.
     She opened her eyes again to watch Ami's unearthly form slowly dance from
point to point, ever so smoothly and gracefully.  Now I know why I never got
around to installing any microphones in here, she thought as her hands started
shaking.  Heavy breathing really messes with things when you're trying to
record anything with an audio background.  C'mon, girl, breathe easy.  I know
she looks hot right now, but that's a good friend and not someone who would
take kindly to being asked to hop into bed with you.
     Mina took a slow, deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves.  But god,
I want her so badly right now.... she thought silently as she closed her eyes
again.  I'm glad I'm getting this on tape, because I sure can't watch this now
without driving myself insane.  But despite her best efforts, she couldn't keep
her eyes off of the sight of Ami dancing for very long.  I know drugs that are
less addictive than this, she sighed as she watched and felt her blood burn.
At least I'm positive that I'm getting an emotional effect on tape, though I'm
not sure which one....
     Ami was totally oblivious to the rest of the universe outside of the small
blue bubble of light and sound she was dancing in.  All that mattered to her
was the flow of the music, the gentle glow of the lights, and the feel of the
stage floor beneath her bare feet.  She felt like she was clothed as the
mythical mermaid she danced to be, but the lack of physical clothing on her
body made the feeling of nudity all the more pleasant.
     Somewhere in the depths of her mind she remembered that this was being
recorded on tape, but she didn't care anymore.  For her, dancing nude would be
acceptable, and to some extent desired, from that point on.  She remembered the
thrill of Tolaris touching her when she danced nude for him before, and between
those memories and the feelings she had now, she would never again dance
clothed if she had a choice in the matter, modesty permitting.  Sighing ever so
silently, she closed her eyes and refocused her mind back on her dance.
     Mina was rapidly approaching a crisis point.  Twice she had already caught
herself unconsciously reaching for the buttons to her blouse.  This is not
good, she thought as she gripped the edge of her stool.  She glanced down and
saw her knuckles going white in the dim light of the studio.  Man, I need to
calm down before someone gets hurt, she thought with a silent but heavy sigh.
     She looked up at Ami in time to see the vampire trail her fingers from her
throat down across her breasts to the smoothness of her stomach.  Mina blinked,
not entirely sure of what Ami was up to.  As she watched, she noticed that
Ami's pattern of movements was slowly changing from those of a carefree mermaid
to those of a seductive siren.
     I will bet anyone five bucks that she doesn't realize she's doing it, Mina
thought with an even heavier sigh than before, and I'll bet anyone fifty that
she doesn't have a clue what it's doing to me.  She took a breath and tried to
let it out calmly, but it emerged shaky and ragged.  But with god and the
cameras as my witness, she's unbelievably good at it....
     Mina blinked as she realized she was toying with the buttons on her blouse
again.  Ohh, I give up, she thought as she slowly undid the buttons, her eyes
never leaving the unearthly vision dancing on the stage.  She managed to undo
most of them, but the final two were on the part of her blouse that was tucked
into her skirt.  Those can stay, she decided as the fabric parted and she let
her fingertips trail across her throat.
     Her touch was cool and slightly electric as her fingertips glided down her
bare skin.  Her hand wandered lower, taking with it the odd feeling until it
was abruptly interrupted by the soft cotton of her bra.  Almost of their own
volition, her fingers glided along the edges of her bra, caressing the exposed
curves of her breasts until they came to the point where the two halves met at
the clasp.
     Mina paused for a moment, a stray fragment of knowledge bubbling up from
the depths of her memory.  Strange how Serena is the only other one I know who
wears front-clasp bras, she mused.  Must be a blonde thing.  The thought gave
her a moment's amusement before she caught motion out of the corner of her eye
and looked up to glimpse more of Ami's now-seductive dancing.
     Her fingers worked at the clasp before she even thought about it.  Another
stray memory rose to her mind and she paused, remembering the first time she
had shared her blood with Ami.  More memories quickly followed, the feel of
Ami's touch on her breast as she drank her blood, and her first orgasm at Ami's
hand.
     Mina moaned softly as the fabric of her bra parted, exposing her breasts
to the cool temperature of the room.  Her fingertips slowly glided along the
ultra-soft flesh towards her aching nipple, causing her to gasp softly at the
sensation.  Her nerves were almost literally buzzing with anticipation before
her fingers finally reached her nipple and slowly began to tease it.
     She closed her eyes and sighed heavily at the feeling.  Her eyes suddenly
snapped open as she almost lost her balance and fell off of the stool.  The
sudden rush of adrenaline woke her mind up enough to allow her to adjust her
position on the stool so she wouldn't lose her balance again.
     Close one, she thought before she blinked as her body received a new set
of signals.  Her movements had caused her panties to catch on something inside
her skirt, putting tension on the cottony fabric.  That in turn was putting a
mild degree of pressure on her sheath, further adding to her problem.
     Mina whimpered quietly as she adjusted her position again, trying to take
some of the pressure off.  Her eyes nearly doubled in size as the tension began
to increase for a few seconds before the pressure abruptly faded and she felt
the elastic band snap sharply against the top of her sheath.
     A bizarre mix of pain and pleasure exploded inside her and she felt her
breath catch in her throat.  Yii-ai! she thought as she bit her tongue to keep
herself from screaming it.  I don't think I'll make fun of Maze getting caught
in his zipper again.  That.... that hurt, but it also felt.... good....
     She sat up straight on the chair, temporarily forgetting about her state
of arousal and focusing on the strange burning sensation centered on the top of
her sheath.  Could this be what Rei felt when Chad...? she thought, but let the
end of the thought remain unfinished.
     She carefully hiked up her skirt and tentatively rubbed the area with her
fingertips, blinking at the odd feeling it produced.  It still felt sore and
tender, but it also felt rather pleasant, the pain mixing with the pleasure to
produce a strange sensation.  Interesting, she thought as she continued to
lightly rub the area for a few moments.  Curious, she hooked a finger into the
elastic band of her panties, stretching it back slightly before releasing it.
     The resulting snap of elastic and cotton against her sheath almost brought
tears to her eyes.  This time, the feeling wasn't nearly as pleasurable as it
was a minute ago.  Okay, curiosity satisified, she thought as she bit down on
her tongue again.  She sighed heavily as the pain continued to linger for a few
minutes, producing a dull throbbing ache just beneath the skin.
     She glanced up for a few moments, watching Ami dance across the stage.
This time, she was positive that Ami's dancing had taken a seductive turn,
moving with the allure of a siren rather than the innocent charm of a mermaid.
The look of rapture on the vampire's face was more than enough to convince Mina
that she was thoroughly enjoying her performance.
     A blinking light on one of her consoles drew her attention.  She blinked
and leaned closer to get a look at it, blinking again when she realized it was
her synthesizer telling her that it was halfway finished with its task.  Ten
minutes already? she thought as she checked the tiny clock built into the main
keyboard.  Time flies when you're having fun....
     She closed her eyes and sighed softly as the throbbing sensation in her
sheath continued, capturing her attention like a persistent insect.  Will you
quit that already? she thought mildly as she absently rubbed the still-tender
area.  Her breath caught in her throat as a mild wave of pleasure ran through
her instead of the expected soreness.
     She acted without thinking about it, her hand slipping inside her panties
to touch the tender flesh of her sheath.  There was still some residual pain,
but it was more than compensated for by pleasure.  She sighed softly as she
felt her body start to become aroused again, her nipples hardening into rocks
and demanding attention.
     Mina sighed again as the wave of hormones suddenly washed over her and she
felt her body catch fire.  She knew from experience that once her body reached
a certain hormone level, there was very little she could do about it except let
it take its course.  With a small moan of pleasure and anticipation, Mina let
her head tilt back and surrendered to her body's impulses.
     Her handed darted towards her nipple and began rubbing it hard enough to
make her whimper in pain while her fingertips dipped into her sheath and began
massaging the pearl of her womanhood.  As the waves of pleasure began to build
up inside of her, she opened her eyes partway to watch the unearthly vision
still dancing across the stage.
     This..is..partly..your..fault, she managed to think through the haze of
pleasure, ..but..god..I..want..you..so..badly..right..now....  Her mind went
back to the first night Ami took her blood and accidentally introduced her to
the pleasures of the flesh.
     She imagined that it was Ami's hand on her breast, twisting and teasing
the swollen and aching nipple, and imagined that it was Ami's hand touching her
intimately once again, giving her the pleasure she sought and desired.  Mina
lost all conception of the outside world as her senses turned inward to relish
the pleasure.
     The sensation was somewhat short-lived as she quickly reached her peak and
her muscles responded, sending the rest of her body into a mild fit of spasms.
She bit down on her tongue to keep herself from screaming while she fought a
quick battle to retain her balance on the stool as the waves of pleasure swept
over her.
     Mina leaned forward to support herself on the edge of the synthesizer as
she waited for her senses to reawaken.  God, that was a strong one, she thought
as she glanced up.  Oh, now you stop, she thought dourly as she noticed Ami had
started dancing like a carefree mermaid again, innocent and playful beneath the
holographic illusion of the ocean.
     She blinked as her synthesizer chimed quietly again, telling her that the
program would be finished in three minutes.  She listened intently to the music
and noticed that the pace was starting to wind down and become softer.  With
any luck, Ami'll pick up on that and bring things to a close soon, she thought
as she adjusted her position and leaned over to the mixer console.
     Mina's blue eyes went wide as something made a slooshing sound and she
felt her panties become somewhat soaked.  Ewww.... she thought with a shiver.
She sighed quietly as she hiked her skirt up even farther and removed her
panties.  So much for this pair.  Reminds me, I should keep an extra set of
clothes in here, she thought as she carefully set the wet fabric down next to
the mixer console and readjusted her skirt.
     Mmm, she thought as she felt the fabric of her skirt rub her places it
usually didn't.  She had worn skirts without panties before, but those had only
been quick trips to either the kitchen or the bathroom, and only then when she
had deemed it impractible to put them on.  I'll have to work on this skirt
thing at a later date, she mused as she double-checked the settings on her
control consoles.
     She finished her checks and looked up, smiling to herself as she watched
Ami's dancing slow down in time with the music.  You're the best, girl, she
thought.  Let me think.... you're probably going to lay down and pretend to go
back to sleep after a full day of playing around, right?
     On stage, Ami's slow movements came to a halt as she stretched her arms up
towards the surface of the 'ocean' and yawned delicately.  She then shook her
head back and forth, running her fingers through her glittering blue hair.
With another mild stretch and a small yawn, she knelt down and got comfortable,
folding her arms across her chest and bowing her head.  She remained in that
position for several seconds until the last strains of the music faded away and
the lights slowly dimmed until only the light of the laser beams remained.
     Mina slowly counted to ten before her hands danced across the consoles,
turning off the mixers and powering down the laser array.  In her mild haste to
shut everything off, she neglected to double-check the switches to the video
recorders.  The first one was fully in the 'off' position, but the toggle for
the second one was caught halfway down, leaving the second recorder still in
the 'on' position. She turned on a few low-level spotlights and walked over to
the stage.
     Ami opened her eyes as the spotlights softly illuminated the room and she
slowly got to her feet.  That was.... she thought, but shook her head as words
failed to describe what she felt.  She heard a soft footstep and looked up in
time to see a mass of blonde hair descend on her as Mina gave her a hug.
     "Ami, that was absolutely wonderful!" Mina said cheerfully.
     Ami frowned as she immediately felt something was wrong.  She returned the
embrace for a moment before she stepped back.  Her face darkened slightly as
she gave Mina a reproving look.  "Ahem," she said dryly.
     Mina blinked. "What?"
     The frown on Ami's face deepened.  "Don't you feel a draft?"
     Mina blinked again.  Feel a...? she thought before she suddenly remembered
that both her blouse and her bra were still open.  "Umm.... I can explain...."
she said hesitantly as she felt most of her blood rise to her face, turning her
cheeks a bright red color.
     Ami just sighed.  "I don't want to know, Mina."
     "Can you teach me to dance?" Mina said impulsively, her words surprising
them both.  The blonde thought quickly and continued to speak.  "I mean, you
were truly stunning when you were dancing, Ami, and I want to learn how to
dance like that.  I know you can't teach me everything," she added as Ami
opened her mouth, "But you can at least help get me started by teaching me the
basics."
     Ami started to stretch out her legs.  "Let me rest for a moment before I
start thinking about it."
     Mina nodded in understanding.  "Want to see what the recorders picked up?"
     Ami smiled.  "If you wouldn't mind."
     Mina smiled back and returned to the recorder console.  She flipped the
necessary switches to open the stage, lower the screen, and have the projector
start showing the data temporarily stored in the recorder's memory banks.  She
pressed the buttons to rewind the tapes in the recorders and walked back over
to Ami, not noticing that the second recorder was still in operation and would
not accept the rewind command.
     Ami waited patiently for the projector to move into position, still trying
not to wonder about what Mina could have been doing.  To each their own, she
thought to herself, but why me?  She blinked as the projector turned itself on
and all thoughts of Mina went out the proverbial window.
     "Oh, my...." Ami breathed softly to herself.
     "Told you you were unearthly," Mina said softly in her ear, sending a mild
shiver of surprise down Ami's spine.
     "Are you sure you didn't run this through an edit filter or anything?" Ami
asked, still transfixed by the sight of her dancing.
     Mina chuckled quietly.  "I'm not the computer genius that you are, Ami.
Besides, the only thing close to a computer that I have is my synthesizer, and
you know that's not even remotely capable of handling graphics or anything of
that nature."
     "Oh, my...." Ami repeated as she continued to watch the recording of her
dancing.  "What happened to the sound?"
     "The audio playback of the recorders isn't wired into the speakers, but it
will be on the tape," Mina said softly, still right behind Ami.  Watching the
recording was starting to arouse her again and she was seriously debating on
whether she wanted to say anything to Ami about it.  "Just out of idle
curiosity, does watching this make you feel anything?" she asked slowly.
     Ami only partially heard her.  Her mind was focused on the incredible
image of her dancing on the screen, slowly moving back and forth just like the
carefree mermaid she had been painted to be.
     She blinked as she suddenly remembered that she had been naked when she
was dancing earlier.  She quickly looked up at her image on the screen, not
believing how easy it had been for her to forget.  But it all look so.... so
real! she thought to herself as she continued to watch herself dance.
     Something clicked in her mind and she started to pay more attention to her
immediate surroundings.  A sense of unease crept down her spine when she
realized that Mina was starting to breathe slightly heavier for some reason.
Not quite sure why she did so, she glanced over her shoulder to look at what
the blonde was up to, then immediately wished she hadn't.
     Mina was surprised by the sudden movement and froze for a moment, her hand
still gently teasing her hardened nipple.  "I.... uh.... Ami, I.... umm...."
she stammered out as she dropped her hand and struggled to recover from the
shock.
     Ami said nothing, only sighing softly to herself.  "Am I that good?" she
asked quietly as she glanced back over towards the projection on the screen.
     "You have no idea," Mina said quietly.
     Ami continued to watch herself dance for a few moments.  "Perhaps I do
now," she replied.  She sighed quietly again and turned back to face Mina.
"What exactly is it that you want, Mina?"
     Mina hesitated for a moment, unsure of what exactly Ami wanted to know.
"Honestly, Ami?"
     Ami cringed inwardly at the words.  Things about your friends you really
shouldn't have asked about but did anyway.... she thought.  "Yes," she said
after a moment's pause.
     "I want to find out what happens if I were to seduce you and you were to
go with it," Mina said softly, her gaze sliding down to the floor.
     Ami was hardly surprised at Mina's words.  She sighed softly to herself
and turned her attention back to the recording of her dancing.  She blinked
when she saw that her style of dancing had changed from what it was when she
first started.  When did I do that? she thought as she watched, captivated by
her own movements.
     "Ami?" Mina said quietly from behind her.
     "Tell me, when was the last time you seduced Leda?" Ami asked, still
entranced by the seductiveness of the unearthly vision on the screen.
     Mina blinked and looked up from the ground.  "Umm.... Not since Maze came
to Earth with us," she said cautiously.  Her attention was briefly caught by
the motion on the screen and she sighed quietly to herself, still unable to
completely throw off her body's reactions to what she saw.
     "And what does Maze think?"
     "We've already talked about this, Ami," Mina said softly.  She looked back
over at Ami and noticed how her attention was captivated by her own dancing.
"Tell me, what do you feel when you watch that?"
     "She's beautiful, whoever she is," Ami said softly.  "I know that's me,
but that's not me dancing."
     Mina paused as she thought about Ami's words.  "Then who is it?"
     Ami thought about it for a moment.  "I'm not quite sure, Mina."
     "Could it be someone you've always wanted to be?"
     The vampire shook her head.  "No, I've never wanted to be anything that I
know I'm not."  She chuckled briefly and added, "I know I can be rather sexy if
I put my mind to it, which any woman can be, but not like.... that."
     Mina looked towards the screen for a moment before a new thought occured
to her.  "Ami.... could that be your darker side?"
     Ami blinked and looked over at her.  "What do you mean?"
     Mina thought about it for a moment.  "I mean, could that be something that
your vampirism is doing subconsciously?"
     Ami blinked again and looked back towards the screen.  You know.... she
thought for a moment.  What would I be if I were a sea siren instead of a
mermaid?  She continued to watch for several seconds, still captivated by the
seductive beauty of her dancing.
     "That just might be it, Mina," Ami said softly, her voice a bare whisper.
     "Ami?" said the quiet voice in her ear, sending a small shiver down Ami's
spine.  "That's who I want...."
     Ami's breath left her in a silent rush as she felt Mina's lips brushing
against the edge of her ear, sending another small shiver down her spine.  She
tried to speak but couldn't seem to summon enough willpower.  All she could do
was stare at the visage on the screen while Mina gently breathed into her ear.
     Fingertips brushed across her shoulders and glided down her back, sending
another set of shivers racing down along the length of her spine.  "Show her to
me," Ami heard softly from behind her as Mina's lips brushed lightly across the
back of Ami's neck.
     The sensation caused her to shiver and a soft noise escaped past her
sapphire-painted lips.  Mina's fingertips slid around Ami's waist to caress the
smoothness of her belly as she pressed herself against her, her nipples like
rocks as they brushed across Ami's bare back.  Her lips continued to lightly
roam across Ami's neck, sending a dark chill throughout Ami's body.
     Ami's breath caught in her throat as she suddenly found herself fighting
the urge to go vampiric.  Why now? she managed to think as she struggled to
control her body's responses to Mina's attentions.
     Mina smiled softly as she sensed rather than felt Ami's reaction.  "Don't
fight it," she whispered softly in her ear as one hand came up to caress Ami's
throat.  Her other hand continued to caress Ami's abdomen in slow circles, ever
so slowly working her way downward.
     "Mina.... why?" Ami breathed, her eyes closed and her breath ragged as she
continued to struggle to retain control of her vampiric nature.
     "That's who I want, Ami," Mina replied softly as she kissed the side of
Ami's throat.  "Show her to me...." she whispered as her teeth gently clamped
down on the tender skin of Ami's neck.
     The sensation of being lightly bitten shattered Ami's control like a rock
thrown at a pane of glass.  She growled softly as she felt her fangs emerge
from her gums and the desire for blood started to overwhelm her.  Mina's wrist
brushed across her lips and she acted instinctively, her hands grasping the
offered arm as her fangs pierced the skin and drew blood.
     Mina moaned softly and hugged Ami tightly, her lips roaming across the
back of Ami's neck while her free hand slid down to lightly toy with the narrow
strip of dark blue hair.  The feeling of her arm starting to grow cold and numb
as the blood was drained was arousing her even further, causing her nipples to
throb with desire.
     Ami allowed the blood to trickle down her throat for a few moments before
gently withdrawing her fangs.  So that's what she wants, Ami thought as she
tasted Mina's desires in her blood.  She felt the darkness inside her soul
calling to her as it often did before, but this time Ami decided to let it show
temporarily.  Well then, if that's the way she wants things.... she thought as
her mind turned inward and released her dark nature.
     Mina opened her eyes as Ami turned around, still holding her wrist in an
iron grip.  The blonde gasped involuntarily at the look of coldness in the
vampire's steel-blue eyes.  "What...?" she breathed as a sudden chill descended
around her.
     "You wanted to see me, so here I am," Ami whispered.  Her tone was dark
enough to frighten Mina, but at the same time it aroused her even further.
     "Ami...." she pleaded softly.
     "Remove your blouse," Ami commanded in a tone cold enough to make ice seem
warm by comparison.  Mina hesitated for a moment, unsure of the sudden change
in Ami's demeanor.  An eerie glint appeared in Ami's eyes and Mina suddenly
found herself unable to control her actions, her hands slowly drawing off her
blouse despite what her mind was telling her body.
     Ami released Mina's wrist so she could finish her task, her eyes never
leaving the blonde's.  Mina's hands were trembling slightly as they released
the blouse, the fabric landing silently on the floor.  "Ami, what are you
doing?" she asked, a note of fear beginning to creep into her soft voice.
     "Giving you what you want," the vampire replied icily.  "Now your skirt."
     Mina blinked in confusion and hesitated again, now seriously concerned
about the situation at hand.  Ami snorted quietly and took control of Mina's
body again, forcing her hands to undo the clasp in the back of her skirt.
     The cotton fabric fell to the floor, leaving Mina standing naked save for
her shoes, socks, and the unclasped bra hanging off of her shoulders.  Ami's
frown deepened ever so slightly as she blinked once, her only visible reaction
to the discovery of Mina's lack of panties.
     "Ami, stop it," Mina said quietly, still completely transfixed by Ami's
hypnotic vampire eyes.  She was afraid now, her pulse echoing loudly inside of
her head and threatening to overwhelm her.
     "Now your shoes," Ami said, her dark tone causing Mina to shiver.
     "Ami, please...." Mina whimpered even as she felt herself lose control of
her body once more, kneeling down to remove her shoes.  They were quickly taken
off, but Mina blinked in confusion when her body remained kneeling down.  Now
what? she managed to think coherently, the rest of her mind too occupied with
the prospect of Ami suddenly going ballistic to be able to function properly.
     Ami slowly walked up to Mina, her cold expression seeming to have been
carved from ice.  Her hand was in the process of reaching out to touch Mina's
cheek when she found herself fighting the urges of her darker nature.  No, she
thought forcefully as she fought an internal struggle to retain control.
     Mina blinked as she saw something flicker briefly in the depths of Ami's
steel-blue eyes.  What is going on? she thought before she saw the coldness
reassert itself in the vampire's gaze.  She felt Ami's fingertips lightly
caress her throat and she closed her eyes, mentally preparing herself for the
worst.
     Ami slowly walked behind her, her fingernails lightly scraping the tender
skin of Mina's throat as she moved.  She knelt behind the blonde, her hand
still caressing her throat while her other hand slid around Mina's waist to
glide across the blonde's smooth stomach.
     "Ami...." Mina whispered almost inaudibly, her voice shaking with fear.
     "Silence," the vampire breathed harshly in her ear.  Her hands grasped the
edges of Mina's bra and began to draw it off of her shoulders, her fingernails
slowly and deliberately raking across the soft, tender skin as they moved.
     The blonde whimpered as her blood seemed to catch fire from the pain on
her shoulders.  The sensation moved down across her arms and she bit her lip to
keep herself from moaning out loud.  She was more confused now than frightened,
but she wanted to know what Ami was planning to do with her.
     The bra eventually fell free from Mina's body and Ami causally tossed it
in the direction of Mina's other clothes.  She leaned forward and brushed her
lips across the back of Mina's neck, her hands cupping Mina's breasts and her
thumbs teasing the hardened nipples.
     Mina was unable to suppress the moan that Ami's attentions elicited from
her.  The moan changed to a gasp as Ami pinched her nipples hard, sending an
electric shock of pleasure and pain shooting throughout her body.  Her body
arched involuntarily, pressing her back against Ami's chest.  She could feel
the hardness of Ami's still-firm breasts against her shoulder blades and felt
the points of Ami's fangs pressing lightly against the base of her neck.
     "A.... Ami, p-please.... s-s-stop...." Mina whimpered.
     "You told me what you wanted," Ami hissed in her ear, the cold and dark
tone sending another shiver down Mina's spine.  "Now that I'm giving it to you,
you want me to stop?"  She laughed softly for a moment, sending another series
of dark chills down Mina's spine.  "I don't think so.  You asked for it, Mina,
so now you're going to get it."
     Her hand released its vice-like grip on Mina's nipple and glided its way
across Mina's abdomen and down to her sheath.  Her legs moved almost of their
own accordance, sliding apart and giving her access to the most sensitive part
of her.  Ami laughed quietly again and nuzzled Mina's throat as a finger slid
past the folds of Mina's sheath and gently glided inside.
     Mina moaned at the sensation, her body succumbing to the assault of pain
and pleasure on her nerves.  The finger began to move in small circles, slowly
searching for something while Ami's lips roamed across her neck, the points of
her fangs gently scraping across her tender skin.  Her breath caught in her
throat, first in pleasure as Ami's finger found the sensitive pearl of her
womanhood, then in surprise as Ami's fangs bit into the side of her neck.
     Ami tried to suppress the urge to moan and failed as Mina's blood washed
across her tongue, tasting strongly of her passions and her fears.  Her dark
nature relished the taste of the dark emotions in Mina's blood, urging her to
take action to increase the power of those feelings.  A second finger slid
inside Mina's sheath, teasing her for a few moments before lightly pinching the
ultra-sensitive nub between her fingers.
     The resulting explosion of pain and pleasure within her almost threw Mina
over the edge.  Her whole body was trembling from Ami's attentions and her
lungs felt like they were on fire.  Every breath was a struggle as she fought
to keep herself from losing control while her brain dealt with the onslaught of
raw pleasure.  The feeling of Ami's fangs in her throat and draining her blood
only made her problem worse and she knew that a massive orgasm was imminent.
     Almost there, Ami thought through the haze of her own pleasure.  The taste
of Mina's impending orgasm in her blood was starting to intoxicate her and she
knew that her own body would be responding shortly.  Her dark nature was now in
full control of her and she knew that resistance at this point would only be a
wasted effort.  She closed her eyes in anticipation as her fingers stopped
their frantic motion long enough for her to draw a fingernail across Mina's
tender and sensitive flesh.
     Mina screamed as the pain sent shockwaves rippling throughout her entire
body and she orgasmed, every single muscle spasming at once in a mad rush of
pleasure.  The sudden flood of raw nerve impulses overloaded her brain and she
collapsed in Ami's arms, her mind teetering on the brink of unconsciousness.
On her forehead, the sign of Venus began to shine a bright orange color, the
light mixing oddly in the blue shadows of the filtered spotlights.
     Ami moaned softly as the aftermath of Mina's orgasm hit her bloodstream,
bringing with it the super-sweet taste of her hormones.  She reflexively bit
deeper into Mina's throat, drawing as much blood as she could for a moment.
The rush of pleasure caused her own body to respond, stirring desire within her
and putting a mild strain on the firmer still applied to her breasts.
     Her dark nature was still in control despite her efforts, her one hand
withdrawing from Mina and coming up to massage the blonde's breasts while her
other hand released the vice-grip on Mina's nipple and darted down to her own
sheath.  Her fingertips started to work in slow circles, sending shivers of
pleasure through her body.
     She basked in the feelings of pleasure, her mind gaining enough control
over her body to withdraw her fangs from Mina's neck.  She leaned against the
comotose form, her lips idly roaming across the thin rivulet of blood from the
puncture wound while her hand continued to gently twist and tease the blonde's
nipple.  Her other hand continued to tease her sheath, bringing her closer and
closer to orgasm with every passing moment.
     Ami surrendered to the sensation, letting it build until her body was
unable to withstand any more and responded with a powerful orgasm.  She moaned
as her body twitched out of control for a few moments before the wave of
pleasure passed, leaving her exhausted but quite satisfied.  She wrapped her
arms around Mina's waist and held her, her breath still coming in gasps and her
heart pounding at an incredible rate.
     Mina stirred slightly as a soft moan escaped past her lips.  It took her
three tries before she was able to take a deep breath and force her eyelids to
open.  "Mmm...." she murmurred as she tried to reorient herself.  She glanced
up and squinted when all she could see was the vibrant blue light of the sign
of Mercury glowing on Ami's forehead.
     Ami drew in a ragged breath and tried to calm herself.  "You awake?"
     "Merk," is what Ami heard as Mina tried to speak.  The blonde gathered her
strength together and tried to sit up.  Ami released her and helped her into
a sitting position.  "Ami?" Mina said fuzzily after she was sure she could
retain her balance.
     Ami reached up and brushed a few strands of blue-tinted hair out of her
line of vision.  "Yes?"
     "Will you turn that light out?  It's giving me a headache...." Mina said
as she rubbed her eyes.
     "You're one to talk," Ami replied. "At least I'm not clashing with the
rest of the decor."
     Mina held her hand up to her head and saw the orange glow being reflected
off of her skin.  "Not my fault it's orange," she muttered, more to herself
than to Ami.  She looked up at the vampire and frowned.  "Just what exactly
happened a few minutes ago?"
     The corner of Ami's mouth twitched as she looked down at her aquamarine
legs.  "You said you wanted to see my darker side, so I showed it to you."  She
sighed softly to herself and looked up at Mina.  "Just don't ask me to do that
ever again, okay?"
     Mina shook her head.  "Trust me, now that I've seen her, I don't ever want
to meet her again.  I don't ever want to fool around with you again, either,"
she added with a glare.
     Ami blinked, not sure if she should be insulted or not.  "Oh?"
     "Don't get me wrong, Ami, you are very beautiful and sexy when you set
your mind to it, but...."
     Ami raised an eyebrow as Mina trailed off suddenly.  "But what?"
     Mina sighed and gave her a dark look.  "Your fingernails need trimming
something fierce, girl," she said dourly.  "Are you that rough with Tolaris?"
     Ami smirked at her.  "That's none of your business, Mina.  Besides, I
thought you were curious about what Rei goes through every time Chad comes home
for a few days."
     Mina made a face.  "Trust me, my curiosity is satisfied."
     "Well then, if this means I won't have to worry about you pulling any more
of your stunts...."  She blinked and frowned lightly when Mina burst into a fit
of laughter.  "Now what?" she said slowly when Mina was finished.
     "I'm sorry, Ami," the blonde said as she wiped a tear out of her eye, "But
playing with your mind like that is simply too entertaining to pass up."  She
looked up at Ami and blinked, the smile slowly fading from her face.
     "What is it now?" Ami asked warily.
     "Hold still," Mina said as she reached out and rubbed her fingertip over
Ami's nipple.  "You feel anything?"
     "No, and neither will you if you don't move your hand," Ami said quietly.
     Mina blinked and moved her hand, moving instead to rub briefly along the
length of Ami's thigh.  "This is some serious bodypaint...." she said in awe.
     Ami blinked in confusion at Mina's actions.  "Girl, what are you doing?"
     "Well, look.  The firmer is still working and none of the paint as so much
as smeared even slightly," she explained.
     Ami glanced down at the seashells painted on her breasts and blinked.  She
carefully scratched at an area with her fingernail and only partially succeeded
in scraping any paint off.  "Huh," she said.  "You're sure that soap and water
will take this off?"
     Mina nodded.  "I think the paint didn't rub off because it had the chance
to dry out.  Once you get it wet again, it should come off as easily as I put
it on."
     Ami nodded her head in understanding.  "Well, I think I'm going to go give
that a shot.  If nothing else, I'm going to get this lipstick off."
     Mina smirked.  "So that's what this sticky feeling is," she said as she
ran her fingers across the back of her neck.  She took a closer look at Ami's
sapphire lips and frowned lightly.  "Mmm, blue lipstick and red blood don't
make the prettiest shade of purple," she commented.
     Ami blinked and reflexively ran her tongue across her lips, making a face
at the taste of dried blood mixed with lipstick.  "Ick, this definitely comes
off."
     Mina chuckled and rose somewhat unsteadily to her feet.  She stood up
straight and paused, a faint look of disgust on her face.  "That reminds me,
you going to keep the nail polish?"
     Ami looked at her fingernails.  She was about to say yes when she saw the
faint traces of blood on two of her nails.  She knew that they needed to be
scrubbed, which would remove the polish.  "That's okay, Mina, this really isn't
quite my shade of blue.  Although it looks good on my toenails...."
     Mina smirked.  "Whatever," she said as she gathered her clothes together
and made her way over to her array of control consoles.  If those videos aren't
finished rewinding by now, she thought, then something is definitely broken.
She paused to put her skirt on before she stepped over to the console and
opened the panel.
     She froze in place as she heard the distinctive whirring noise of a video
being recorded.  What the...? she thought as she looked up at the panel, the
color draining from her face as she saw the 'record in progress' light still
lit on the second recorder.  No, she thought as she reached out and flipped the
toggle, listening to it click solidly in the off position.
     Mina thought about the new development.  That means that everything got
recorded, including what Ami and I did....  She bit her tongue as she thought
about what to do, absently putting her bra back on and rehooking it closed.
She paused as a thought occured to her and she debated on the merits of going
through with it.
     Worst that could happen is that I'll die a horrible, painful death, she
thought as she removed the first tape from the recorder and started to rewind
the second.  After all I've been through, it should be worth it, she thought
with a small smile as she closed the panel and carried the tape over to Ami,
her free hand working the buttons to her blouse as she walked.
     "Here," Mina said as she handed the tape to Ami.
     Ami gave her a blank look for a moment before she remembered that she had
been taped dancing naked.  "Oh, the tape.... Thanks," she said as she accepted
the tape.  "Umm, what about the second one?"
     Mina sighed and shook her head.  "Bad connection.  Tape didn't record."
     Ami looked at the tape in her hand.  "Lovely things, backups," she said.
     Mina nodded her head.  "You're telling me.  Ewww...." she said, making a
face as she looked around the area.
     "What?" Ami asked as she looked around.  "Oh...." she said as she saw the
tiny puddles glistening on the floor.  "There should be a mop in the closet
next to the bathroom...."
     "I'll get it," Mina said.  "You just go ahead and take your shower.  Which
doesn't sound like a bad idea at this point."
     "Can't imagine why," Ami muttered as she gathered her clothes together in
a pile and scooped them up in her arms.  "I shouldn't have to worry about
anyone between here and my room, right?" she asked worriedly.
     Mina thought about it for a moment.  "No, not really.  Darian is at work,
Maze should be in his room for his nightly workout, and Artemis is out hunting
for mice with Dyvach.  I don't know where Tolaris is, however."
     Ami shrugged.  "Trust me, I'm not worried about Tolaris," she said as she
walked towards the door.  Mina just shrugged to herself and followed her out,
briefly stopping by her console to power down everything and to turn out most
of the lights.
     They both moved quickly, Ami because of her state of undress and Mina
because of her self-consciousness about her missing panties.  They only made
it halfway down the hallway before Leda came out of her room and stopped dead
in her tracks at the sight of Ami.
     "Whoa...." she breathed as she looked Ami up and down.
     "Umm, I can explain...." Ami said, her cheeks burning a bright red.
     "What is that, a swimsuit?" Leda asked as she stepped closer to get a good
look at the vampire.
     Mina smirked.  "In a sense.  She was doing a bit of dancing to unwind and
I just thought I'd help her dress up.  You know, sort of like a costume to go
with a role."
     "Nice seashells...." Leda said as she boldly tapped her finger against the
outside edge of Ami's breast.  "Firm enough to hold your tits in place, but
without the rough edges of most seashells.  Can I borrow them when you're
finished?"
     Ami exchanged a mildly stunned look with Mina and it was all the blonde
could do to keep herself from bursting out laughing.  "I'll see what I can do
for you one of these days," she managed to say with a straight face.  "Now if
you'll excuse us, she needs to change and I need a shower.  Umm, is dinner
going to be ready soon?"
     Leda smirked.  "Not for another hour, girl, so don't get your panties in
a wad," she teased as she reached out and tugged on the edge of Mina's skirt.
     "Maybe I can have you undo them later," Mina replied sweetly, causing Ami
to sigh quietly and Leda to shake her head in mild amusement.
     "You don't change, do you?" Leda said with a gentle sigh.
     "Of course not," Mina said cheerfully.  "Catch you later," she said and
walked swiftly down the hall.
     Ami gave Leda a slightly embarrassed smile.  "It's Mina.  Go figure."
     "I'd rather not," Leda said as she glanced down the hall.  She turned her
attention back to Ami and shook her head.  "You really look stunning like that,
Ami."
     "Thank you.  I'll see you around dinner time," Ami said and walked down
the hall as fast as she could without seeming to rush.
     Leda watched her go, a frown crossing her face as something seemed odd for
some strange reason.  That bodystocking or whatever looks awful tight on her,
she thought.  Almost looks like she wasn't wearing anything.... She blinked and
paused as the thought worked its way around her mind for a few moments before
she dismissed it.  Ami?  Naaaah....
     She turned around to head towards the bathroom and paused when she saw a
Polaroid lying on the ground.  Oops, guess it fell out of Mina's pocket when I
was playing with her skirt, she thought as she picked it up and flipped it over
to look at it.
     Leda remained motionless for a full minute, barely even breathing as she
studied the picture.  Ami...? she thought incrediously.  Great Zeus, she's hot
looking like that.  Who would have thought she could ever look so stunning?
     She blinked as something seemed out of place in the picture and she took
a closer look, trying to figure out what it was that was bothering her.  What
am I looking for? she thought.  The way her hair glitters like that is utterly
amazing.... Lipstick is a nice touch, though I'm not sure I'd wear that on a
day-to-day basis.... Seashells must be a snug fit.... Seashells....
     Leda's eyes nearly doubled in size at it hit her.  At this angle, she
thought, you should be able to see the edge of the shells, but there isn't any
edge, which means there's nothing there....  Ami, topless?  No....
     She glanced lower at the aquamarine coloring on Ami's legs and tried to
find any sign of an edge or a shadow that would signify a stocking of some
sort.  Nothing, which means it's probably only bodypaint, she thought.
     She straightened up and glanced down the empty corridor, towards the
direction Ami had gone.  Ami wearing bodypaint only? she thought again, unable
to completely grasp the concept.  Our little Ami, the Crossroads Junior High
School bookworm from hell, posing nude?  Impossible....
     Leda looked down at the Polariod once again and shook her head.  But if
that's impossible, what's this? she thought.  She continued to stare at the
picture for several minutes before she shook her head in wonder.  This is too
unreal.... she thought before she returned to her room with the picture.  This
needs to be put in a safe place, she thought as she dug through her dresser
drawer for the small photo book given to her by Jenni.
     She dialed in the combination and the lock popped open with a quiet click.
She quickly flipped through the pages in search of a blank page, pausing every
few moments to glance over various pictures.  Most of them were pictures of
either her or a beautiful young girl with emerald-green hair in various stages
of undress, a legacy of mischievous moments with an instant camera.
     She paused when she came to a blank spot and studied the picture on the
opposite page.  You were a very naughty girl on that night, she thought as the
memory bubbled to the surface of her mind.  Not that I minded in the least, she
thought as she slid the picture of Ami into the empty plastic jacket, but you
were still a very, very naughty girl.
     Leda let her gaze linger on the picture of Ami for a few moments before
she closed the photo book and snapped the lock shut.  The book was replaced
back in its hiding place in her dresser and she nodded to herself, mildly
pleased with herself for no apparent reason.
     Things like that need to be safeguarded and preserved, she thought.  She
looked around the room and frowned when she got the feeling that she was
forgetting something.  What was I doing? she thought before a sudden heavy
feeling in her bladder reminded her.
     She shrugged and headed off towards the bathroom again, idly wondering if
she really wanted to ask Ami about the picture at a later date.  Just when you
think you know a person, they do something totally off-the-wall and start you
wondering all over again, she mused.
     Still, she thought, the future is always full of surprises.



                                * THE END *