Disclaimer: Is this really necessary? I don't own any of the sailor scouts. So there.

My first fic! Yay me. Am I missing anything? Oh yes. The education system here mirrors Singapore's. But I couldn't bear to do away with the seifukus. The beauty of fanfiction. AU. XD

Both Rei and Minako are 16 going 17 in here.

Lenz's Law

by

LicketySplat

Prologue: Differentiation

'A.M.' were the initials etched onto the rim of the black, lightly padded laptop case she had rested securely on her lap, and were the initials she had been staring at while her mind took off to some obscure cosmic region in a bid to pass the time.

Minako traced the letters with the tips of her fingers with disinterest and released a tired sigh.

She had arrived at the subway platform just a split second late and had huffed in annoyance while watching the subway accelerate and whisk off into the darkness, metallic clanks gradually fading away. It would be a good fifteen minutes before the next one arrived. A good fifteen minutes for Lady Luck to decide whether or not to have mercy on Minako who would otherwise be late, for her first day at Junior College no less.

"Stupid mutt just had to relieve itself outside my stupid room door," Minako groused and strolled towards a bench that had definitely seen better days. "And stupid Minako had to step on stupid mutt's doodoo." Plopping onto the wobbly structure, she had then proceeded to allow innumerable forms of punishment for Misty to circulate within her sleep deprived brain.

Nah, little thing just didn't know any better. Minako nodded to herself. Benefit of doubt. Yes. Besides, I don't think I can withstand those eyes. Images of Misty's large hazel orbs came into focus in Minako's mind. Those are the reason why I chose her from the rest of the pups anyway. She put her utmost effort into forgetting the squishy, wet, squelching -NOT going there!- Minako squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head violently, blonde tresses swishing about with every movement she made. Never again!

The puppy had deemed it its mission to keep her awake through the night, howling and scratching at Minako's door till she opened it to allow Misty entrance. Just when sleep rolled in, the puppy had started its commotion once more, this time begging to exit her room. It was only after five times of the same episode that Misty had ceased her caterwauling and Minako had all but flopped onto her bed like a beached whale. Then the alarm went off. The damned thing took its last few ticks airborne before it slammed into the grass outside with a feeble ring. Then that had to happen.

Looks like a new alarm clock is in order, Minako mentally filed that reminder away in some vague corner of her mind. She fiddled with the scarlet ribbon she had used to pull her hair back into a high ponytail, absentmindedly twiddling the loose ends round an index finger. Heaving yet another defeated sigh, she straightened the black collar of her seifuku and brushed non-existent dust off the cream coloured scarf. Hopefully looking presentable will have its merits.

The platform was well-lit, with the only non-functioning light above some vending machines to the far left of Minako. More people started milling around as minutes flew by, shuffling about in their early morning fuzz.

An intensifying clamor that signaled the arrival of the train brought Minako's mind back from orbit. With a waning, high pitched squeal of its brakes, the train came to a stop. Rising quickly, she pranced towards the carriage closest to her and waited expectantly for the doors to part. A blast of frigid air hit her when they did, and she entered. Minako desperately zipped about people in search of a seat in which to sleep for the remaining half an hour till her stop and finally chanced upon one. She zeroed in on her target while her peripheral vision registered a portly man doing likewise. Success! Minako cheered inwardly and sat on the warm seat that betrayed the presence of another person seconds ago, ignoring the death glares El Fatso was cannonballing her way. With a jerk, the train started.

Seats lined each side of the carriage, parallel to and facing each other with people filling in the space that separated them. In that space were grab poles for standing commuters to cling onto when the train went on its erratic course.

Observing her surroundings was Minako's way of feeling at ease as the subway had the peculiar tendency of picking up people better off in a strait jacket. Like that man over there, Minako cringed. Who thinks he's doing a swell job at pole dancing with the grab pole. She shifted her attention away from the man who was now wrapped around the pole and grinding himself against it. Oh God save that brilliant soul.

The occupants of the seats opposite of Minako were blessedly normal, from what she could make out around the coats and paraphernalia of standing people. Man picking his nose, woman applying mascara, sleeping old man who looks as though he is about to pitch over and sprawl onto the girl beside him and…hold on. Back up a bit here!

Halting all further scrutiny of the rest of the commuters, Minako allowed her eyes to linger on the girl directly across from her. Sleep would definitely bypass Minako this time.

The girl's hair was a lustrous black which had been pulled up into a messy bun that was piled on top of her head, making her look effortlessly alluring. Minako found herself wondering how far those tresses would fall down the girl's back should she undo it. Tendrils of raven hair which had escaped their constraints framed her heart-shaped face and caressed her sculpted cheekbones gently. Bangs that fell past the defined arches that were her eyebrows, and into her line of vision, were swept to the side by elegant fingers in one graceful motion. Those said fingers then proceeded to push up the pair of maroon, thick-rimmed spectacles that had slipped from its perch on the strong bridge of her nose.

Minako sat transfixed as her eyes followed the movement of those lithe hands. Up to her bangs, a sweep, then down to her spectacles, a nudge. A moments pause, then back up to her bangs again. The tiniest of giggles escaped Minako's lips. Its like a routine! How cute…I wonder how her hair feels like…

The girl's fringe regrettably shielded Minako's view of her eyes which were riveted onto a tome-sized book that lay open on her lap. Crusty and brown around the edges, the massive volume that only resembled – oh, say - the thickest encyclopedia of the letter 'A', looked as though it could demolish a phone booth within microseconds of falling on it. That is highly disturbing, Minako eyed the yellowed book with repugnance, then with absolute horror when the pads of tapered fingers smoothed and unwrinkled a dog-ear…lovingly. And that, is total disturbia.

Then there were the minutest of movements that only Minako noticed. Confusion made its way across her face and delicate eyebrows drew together in a slight frown. In an effort to understand what had befuddled her before, she started nibbling on her pink lips that looked…

"Positively succulent…" Minako whispered in her stupor, and then gave a start upon realizing she had said that out loud. With a quick scan of the carriage, she eased herself back into her seat once more, secured that no one had heard her. Down girl, she shook her head lightly. No good will come out of this.

Having quelled the less than innocent fantasies that were rampant just a moment ago, she remembered the crucial reason for looking at the girl in the first place. Both Minako and the girl wore similar seifukus. It wouldn't take a genius, in this case, Minako, to come to the conclusion that they were going to attend the same school. Inundated by a rush of excitement and the giddiness that came as a package, Minako's face was split by the largest dopey grin ever.

Then her view of her schoolmate was shielded when a standing man in a tweed coat lurched forward as the train rounded a turn. Minako frowned. He wasn't done moving however, and stumbled off towards a vacant seat nearby. She was in sight once again.

Settling down, Minako noticed that grubby old man to the right of that girl was teetering precariously towards her in all his slumbering glory.

The girl tilted her head to the right, noted her predicament, and shifted to her left, eyes focused back onto her book. With a snore that passed off as a phlegmy snort, the man slanted centimeters more towards the increasingly distressed girl.

Minako watched the scene play before her with morbid fascination, and wondered how much more the unyielding girl would take.

Finally reaching an angle in which she would either crush the rail-thin woman beside her or pull a back muscle from the exertion, the girl tapped the man's shoulder gingerly with a slender digit.

No reaction.

She cleared her throat loudly and jabbed.

The man twitched, gave a few grunts and righted himself, before leaning the other way towards a petrified granny. Wrinkling her nose in distaste, the girl regained her ramrod straight posture and began chewing on her lower lip, much to Minako's delight.

An unplanned chuckle escaped from Minako and she could almost visualize the other girl's ears perking up. Ah crap, Minako braced herself. The girl looked up sharply, right into her startled eyes.

Violet.

The largest, most striking almond-shaped, violet eyes Minako had ever seen locked gazes with her. Stifling a gasp, Minako broke eye contact and glanced down at her laptop case. Cautiously raising her eyes once more, she wasn't surprised to find that the girl hadn't looked away.

A delicate eyebrow was raised, as if amused. Curious violet orbs studied the blonde in front of her silently, amidst the rhythmic clatter of the subway. She wasn't examining Minako with the expected disdain or contempt. Rather, her eyes were inquiring, and gaze unwavering. She either had no clue of Minako's shock, or was plainly disregarding it entirely.

Withstanding the raven-haired girl's scrutiny with slight discomfort, Minako forged a sheepish smile. The girl blinked once, thick lashes fluttering, and was done. Attention shifted back to her alarmingly thick book.

What in the most blistering nook of hell was that? Minako chagrined.

That was you making a complete arse out of yourself, the teeny voice in her head cackled.

I never asked you! But…what was with her looking at me like that? Those eyes…

…are not looking at you anymore. Probably won't ever, seeing as how you've certified your relation to the common mule within seconds of her paying attention to you.

Give me a break will you? It's not everyday I act like such an imbecile.

You can only fool yourself for so long. If my memory serves me well, you had that incident yesterday involving a lizard and a bread toaster.

Oh buzz off!

Vexed, Minako failed to notice the halt the train came to. Her head snapped up when the perplexing girl closed her book with an audible slap and rose abruptly, and with a few strides of her fair legs, was out of the carriage.

Ack!!

Scrambling her way onto the subway platform with scant seconds to spare before the train doors slid shut, Minako spied the girl with her book tucked under one arm and laptop case gripped in the other, disappearing among throngs of commuters.

She trailed after her quarry at a comfortable distance, weaving in and out of crowds to catch up. The girl started ascending the flight of steps that led outdoors and Minako had to jog to keep pace. Once in full view of the girl's gradually diminishing form, she all but rammed into the butt of the staircase railing at the sight of her liberating her raven hair from her bun swiftly with a flick of her wrist.

Hair that was confined a moment before now tumbled down like a raven waterfall, cascaded past feminine shoulders and ended at the small of her back, swaying in a mid-autumn zephyr. She raked her hands through her mane to dislodge possible tangles, and with a final swish of her dark locks, seemed to dematerialize into a deluge of people at the arrival of another train.

Wheezing and swallowing thickly to offset the otherwise imminent upsurge of her breakfast, Minako continued to clutch her belly in agony, living with the unreserved stares of surrounding adults and students alike. Doubled over, she let loose a string of choice swears.

Peachy. Just peachy. One would think the sky would rain fire and brimstone solely on me just for good measure.

Suddenly this first chappie looks puny. Ah well, I need to know if there are any amendments to be made to either a character's - well - character, or to anything that pokes you in the eye o.0 So, reviews! XP