Chapter 1. Just A Shadow

Love. It is nothing but a sappy word used by those who are afflicted by lust in a moment of passion. Well so I thought. But one cannot justify clearly this feeling unless they have been a subject to its undying onslaught on emotion. Not only is it an all consuming worship of the highest magnitude, it is a series of events conjured to test ones loyalties, passions and true dedication. It is also is as uncertain as a freak storm, as hash as a volcanos magma and as cutting as a razors blade. To find one who loves whole-heartedly as yourself is near impossible. To have the one you love to yourself is unheard of. Never will true love be fulfilled. Ever. As the probabilities of finding that one person in the whole world that reflects your feelings are too vast for one these day. Love is something to admire but not know the feeling as to love means to lose all and experience the tyrant everyone hears about. Heartbreak. So I write this to you my fellow readers who proclaim there in love ask yourself these questions before you proclaim it unthinkingly and ruin its meaning on a meaningless crush.

1- Can you imagine yourself without this person in your life?

2- does you liking run deeper than sexual attraction?

3- do you feel comfortable with this person yet feel a tingle on every touch?

4- could you die for them?

If your answerers were no, yes, yes. Than hold on to that person with all your might. Never let them doubt your intentions, never let them think your thoughts have swayed to any but them, hug them tight and kiss them softly but passionately and last but not least tell them you love them, that their your only one, there your light and your heart is nothing but a stone without there love.

-Venus.

The young blond laughed in a melancholy way at her addition to the school paper. Her alias was named after the god of love, which she thought quite fitting considering this weeks topic and her position as Sailor Venus among as certain group of friends. (AN. For the sake of a decent story Venus doesn't know the true identity of the other scouts, she just shows up and helps them in battles) As a whim two years ago she had wrote a heart felt piece similar to this one into the paper, it was the talk of the school. Everyone wanted to know who the mysterious writer was who spoke so freely and full of soul. The papers popularity soared though the roof, and soon a plea in the paper was made for the writer to ring the president of the paper to organizes a column that would be published every week under the title of "THE TRUTH". Minako had had some doubts about this whole idea that was slowly taking shape but with the reassurance of the president that she could write under a fake name so no one could afflict her ability to tell the truth she readily agreed. She would always relate the column to what she saw heard and inspired her around the school this is partly the reason in fact it was the sole reason her column was so popular. It was a new innovated approach that view the classic school stereotypes and showed them for what they are while at the same time casting the issues in a new light.

A new light indeed. One day Minako had noticed the higher arc of the school who had been placed in their position as the so called cool kids by the student body was harsh and to the point with any guy who decided to have a shot at these gorgeous beauties. Hastily she had pulled out her pen in order to write a comment about the attitude of these young women, then stoped when she realized they weren't just turning down the nerds they were turning down the most popular guy in the school as well. Interestingly enough she had crept closer for a peep in on one of the heated augments Rei the leader of the group was having with the captain of the football team. Once again she was surprised at what she heard. The guy was attacking her with verbally because she refused to go out with him. He had practically spat in her face that she would find no one better at this school then him. She had laughed and nocked down his pride with one single well-aimed comment. "Sorry darling I have, the head cheerleader" she had remarked coolly. Her minion who was the head cheerleader Makoto winked at him seductively. Then without waiting another second they moved of to their usual place in the library to read up on an unknown subject.

This one girl had captured her attention like none before. She was un-stereotypically refreshing, as much as the harshness was necessary as it keep the whole male population from taking up an unhealthy idolization her comeback had intended she was practically bisexual and was comfortable with it. And so she wrote that week congratulating the student body for picking their stereotypical cooler kids who where not stereotypical and who were in fact not that bad of roles models. She didn't want to say there were good as they were well know for flaunting their money around a fair bit.

Rei Hino's father was the head of an international computer company that produced billions per second in sales all over the world. So naturally Rei made sure her friends had the best of everything from cars to cloths to accessories. They even all had seemingly effortless jobs lined up for them upon the completion of school. Rei destiny was pre-determined, she would take over the business when her father retired.

Nobody had doubted that she couldn't. The girl was a natural gifted genius who had the cutting edge that allowed one to survive in the harsh jungle of the business world. Rei Hino was notorious for choosing her friends. As a result of her careful selection she only had three who she deemed worthy of her time. The first was Ami Mizuno, she was the smartness person in the world and boy did she have the trophies to prove it. Not only was it mathematical/physics smarts she had general knowledge smarts and could outtalk any professor in his field right out of his job.

The second friend was Usagi Tsukino. She was not known for her smarts in fact she was quite a ditz but when she wanted something she got it. She was one of those people where no mountain was too high. For example the day she had decided that dessert should be provided for on the school cafeteria lunch menu for borders (as they all were) she petitioned on and on until she got those desserts.

The third was as you guess the head cheerleader Makoto Kino who was known for being a bit of a rebel instead of the usual blond haired angel image associated with the head cheerleader persona. She was the athletic one who had taken up being Rei's personal trainer. They could be seen jogging around the school pitch in the afternoon with the late afternoon sun sending cool sweat down their shoulders and shudders down their admirers spines who sat in the grand stands pretending to talk to each other just so they had a chance to glance at the girls in their sexily sweaty state.

The thing that had puzzled her most was despite the fact the Rei Hino could have afforded to travel by private jet home every night after school she chose to stay in a small dorm that she had made the best of and decked out to look like a mini mansion. Her friends were always visiting and having wild parties after hours which resulted in them showing up looking very much under the weather when the time came to attend morning classes. Many found it remarkable they were able to get the grades they did due to there wild partying. Walking down the hall Minako pushed these thoughts aside as she came to her locker. Swinging open the door she quickly disposed of her offending books and headed to her dorm to pick up her surfboard.

Surfboarding was her secret obsession and the reason for her nice full tan. Everyday after class before dinner at seven she would strip down to her bikini top and board short and hit the waves hard. She was quite good a surfing and had even won the occasional competition but now it was mainly for fun. One day she planed to go pro and make a name for herself but it would have to wait as surfing interrupted study time already as it was. She frowned in thought. Her parents had already given her numerous lectures about skipping valuable study time for surfing, and once again she had to reassure them her grades weren't suffering and that it was healthy for her as it was her stress release. Why couldn't they let her be! They had sent her to boarding school so they could have a continuous holiday. They had never really cared about their daughter and she had had a hunch all along that though they never said it she was an unwanted child that had be born into an unprepared young family. It was like a unspoken truth among them and ever since she had come to the rebellious years of her life it became a burden as they always seemed to be continuously walking on egg shells whenever she would visit.

She breathed in the sea fresh air with a contented sigh. It was always refreshing after being couped up in a classroom all day. The wind changed and softly caressed the nape of her neck while the sun lapped at her skin gently. It was a fair hike to the beach but more than worth it, it always had been ever since she came to this school. Surfing was a surrogate for friends. She had never had good friends they were mere acquaintance who she knew and sometimes talked to in the halls about the weather. She knew the reason no one had gone out of there way to befriend her, they didn't realise she existed. She had always been the one to keep to the shadows while others rush aimlessly towards the limelight. That's the way it had always been and it hadn't ever changed, not even in the transition between schools had her need to seek companionship wavered from non existent.

Finally she came upon the beach its gentle tide reseeding. "WHAT" came her exclamation laced with anger of the highest magnitude. The tied was out! How could she had forgotten! Cursing herself she sank into the sand with a glum expression turning her vibrant blue eyes dark with disappointment. The weather was always a unknown. But these days it had become unpredictable due to the rapidly changing world. The weather report had said the tide would go out this afternoon, she had heard it with her own ears and yet she had still forgotten. Once again she sighed for what seemed the twentieth time that day while she looked over the sea wistfully. Today was one of those days where its not worth getting out of bed. It had started in the mess hall where they had served beans for breakfast and continued on to getting extra homework because the teacher wanted them to be ahead of the other classes. Then to top it all of she was put on library duty that month. Library duty was the pits, as it consisted of spending your free hours borrowing out books for people who would grab them rudely from your hands like it was your privilege to check out their books for them. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a low deep hum of a beach jeep. 'Why would someone drive on this beach?' she though while ducking into the shrub. The jeep stoped and two men clad in black suits jumped out. Opening the rear of the vehicle they pulled out to large garden spades and set to work digging a reasonable sized hole. Once the job was complete they put a black box in the ground, she had to squint to read the print on it but eventually she made it out, it read INFA RED HEAT DETECTOR. Mina racked her brain for a reason why they would put one up in this location. The only logical explanation was they were trying to protect this area. But why? Did they have a drug stash round here or maybe a secret hideout? Either way Mina was curious and quickly transformed into sailor Venus. Using her power she cast a spell almost like a tracking device on the jeep. After this was done she returned to her normal state and got the hell out of there to avoid being detected before she was prepared.