Just FYI, this is my interesting attempt at a romance fanfic series. I’m not really used to writing this kind of story, but I think that it turned out quite well. If nothing else, I’ve bridged a gap and explored a new and interesting genre of story...all right; I’ll be quiet now and let you read. If you haven’t already guessed this is one of those Sen- shi/General romances. I plan to go in the following order: Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, and finally Venus. I’ll introduce a new one every so often. If I have enough requests, I might even try to use other first meetings (maybe Endymion and Serenity, Mamoru and Usagi, or how about Haruka and Michiru?) My rating for this issue, as most of my romances are, is a nice cuddly G. I can be reached for your comments/questions/concerns at my happy e-mail home address of gramarye@rochester.rr.com. Stay tuned for further meetings, and let the rhythm be your guiding light. The First Time I Saw Her... By: Gramarye ...We have lingered in the chambers of the sea By sea girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown Till human voices wake us, and we drown. -- T.S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” Some day you came And I knew you were the one You were the rain, you were the sun But I needed both, ‘cause I needed you You were the one I was dreaming of all my life When it is dark you are my light But don’t forget Who’s always our guide It is the child in us. --Enigma, “The Child in Us” Meetings 1: Zoisite To tell you the truth, to this day I really can’t remember ex- actly why I went into the library of the palace that afternoon. Every time I try to remember, I always think of an entirely differ- ent reason. Sometimes I am positive that I had to look at one of the maps of the Moon Kingdom that were kept in special storage in the library’s vaults. Other times I recall something about needing a copy of a certain document in a large file cabinet...but that’s beside the point. It doesn’t really matter why I was in there—what I found was more important. On that occasion, twilight was falling on the palace. I pushed open the heavy double doors to the vast library. Only a few lights were on, and the shadows they threw on the walls gave the place a hazy look in the fading light. The walls of the room were covered with thousands of leather- bound books; some that looked older than the room itself. They reached from the near floor level shelves to the heights of the vaulted cathedral ceiling. Long stepladders with wheels attached made it possible for an avid bibliophile to brave the dizzying alti- tude to find a good book. Thick crimson rugs covered the polished stone floor like small pools of spilled wine. A large fire was blazing on the marble hearth. I assumed that the fire was in place to keep the delicate tomes from being spoiled by moisture and damp heat. The room was as silent as only a library could be. I pulled up a massive armchair and sank blissfully into its overstuffed depths. The warmth of the flickering flames soothed my sore feet and weary limbs. The comforting, slightly musty smell of old book surrounded me. All I needed was a glass of fine Terran brandy and a box of liqueur chocolates to make the room a paradise. Not surprisingly, I must have drifted off to sleep. All I know is that I came to with a start in a softly lighted room. For a moment I panicked, unsure of where I was. It took one look at the walls of the room to ascertain my whereabouts. I then panicked for a different reason. It was completely dark outside. I did not know how many hours had passed, and our delegation from Earth was supposed to leave at midnight. If I had missed the proverbial boat, I would be in more trouble than I could imagine. Endymion would not like it if one of his four head gener- als suddenly went AWOL. I decided not to waste any more time, and sprang from the chair. Before I could walk two steps, however, I was aware that I was not alone in the room. A young lady was standing in the center of the library floor. The richness of the material of her long blue dress proclaimed her exalted status, and the regal carriage of her body was testimony to her birth and breeding. Her hair was the strangest color I had ever laid eyes on, even in a land where strange hair colors were the rule rather than the exception. It was a very dark shade of blue that looked almost black in the dim lighting. Her cerulean blue eyes showed no surprise at seeing a total stranger, but were silently sad and gentle. In her slender arms she cradled a large volume—it looked much too large for her to carry, and I was sure her fragile body would be hurt by the strain. She looked elegant, yet not quite there, as if a loud noise or sudden breeze would make her vanish. Two thoughts entered my mind. My first thought: She is exquisite. My second thought: She can’t be real. Perhaps I should explain. In my childhood, my old spinster nurse used to tell me stories about the Moon Kingdom and especially the palace. With ghoulish relish, she said that no palace was ever complete without a few ghosts and spirits, visible only at certain times and to certain people. Most of these ghosts, according to her, were long gone lovers sighing over their lost dreams. In fact, all of her stories were stuffed full of tragic loves, clandestine meetings, whispered promises, and secret vows—the old standbys. Her stories were romantic to say the least, some bordering on the sensa- tional and melodramatic. I found it hard to believe that such a scandal-ridden royal family (by my nurse’s account) could have sur- vived in its respectable incarnation to the present day. I suppose it was because of her foolish tales that I trained myself at a young age to harden my heart to all thoughts of romantic love. Of course, I had had my flings with women, but nothing that lasted beyond a few days and sometime less than that. Romance, to me, was improbable and overly emotional, something that a true man should avoid at all costs. Seeing Endymion and the young Princess Serenity together filled me with a pervading sense of nausea. In short, I had never thought of love. This girl was different. She had to be a ghost. Her beauty was too ethereal to be solid. Those sad, sad eyes... Like a dam breaking, all of the old stories came rushing back at me. She was the library’s ghost, a breath-taking lady who through no fault of her own was doomed to haunt this antiquated place for all eternity. I was instantly filled with a mad desire to wrench her from her prison, free her from the ties that kept her locked in this horrible archive. I had no other thought but to save her. Suddenly, I heard a rattling from the direction of the library doors. I started to walk toward them, but with a crash they burst open and a blonde whirlwind flew in. “Ami-chan! Ami-chan, are you in here? The meeting starts in five minutes, and we can’t find that stupid protocol book. Seren- ity-sama will have our heads if it’s not in here!” I was too stunned to move. I faintly recognized the young girl from the reception ball held in our honor last night. She was the Princess of Venus—the bright red bow in her hair was the obvious giveaway. From the looks of it, she was nearly frantic with worry. “Oh!” she cried, noticing that I was standing in front of her. She quickly curtseyed, and like an automaton I bowed stiffly in re- turn. “Gomen nasai, General Zoisite, isn’t it? Have you seen...?” Her attention was focused somewhere behind me. All of a sudden, her eyes lit up. “Ah, there you are, Ami-chan! Do you have the book?” “Yes.” I whirled around. The beautiful illusion was walking toward us, the book in her outstretched hand. “It took quite some time, but I found it behind one of the ethics manuals on the upper shelves.” She handed it to the Princess Venus, who seized it ea- gerly. “Wonderful!” She paused. “I hope I haven’t interrupted any- thing.” Her tone was innocent, but her face was crafty. Why the little wench— I managed to find my voice. “N-no, my lady, I was just....” Unfortunately, I couldn’t think of a thing to say. Nothing that would sound intelligent, at any rate. “Have you been properly introduced?” the Princess Venus asked. Before I could speak, she continued. “Ami, I would like you to meet General Zoisite from the Earth. General, this is the Princess of Mercury.” We exchanged the required formal bows, but I barely knew what was going on. It took a few attempts before I could speak. “It is an honor to meet you, Princess.” My voice was dry; the words seemed to stick coming out of my mouth. “The pleasure is all mine, General,” she said softly with a voice like a tiny windchime. Her delicate face flushed slightly, and she smiled. It took all of my composure to stop myself from melting under the radiance of that smile. The girl was real. She was beautiful. She was the Princess of Mercury, and her name was Ami. That was all I needed to know.