A/N: I'm jumping up and down after finishing this chapter. I can't wait to hear your responses!

Snowflakes

By angelwings1

Chapter 26: Funeral Procession

Unknowingly, Ami counted each deep breath she took. Her eyes were set on the general, but her gun was aimed at the ground. Her arm and side were throbbing. She was lucky her left arm had been the one injured. If Greg had gotten a hold of her right arm she wouldn't have been able to grip her gun. 'Not that it matters. A gun won't work on this one. At least, I doubt it will.'

Ami swallowed anxiously. Her bad arm was pressed against her good hip. It felt awkward because her arm was three times thicker with the shirt wrapped around it. Plus, both shirts she was wearing was bothering her skin with the way the crusted blood kept scrapping along her abs. The bloody fingers attached to the tattered arm clenched and unclenched with each wave of pain. Ami tried to find signs of what the man was thinking. He had yet to move.

'This second wind won't last long,' Ami decided, digging her heels into the tiles. 'My first move has to be my last move. It has to work without fail or I'm royally screwed.'

Her fingers tightened on the gun. Malachite only blinked at the movement.

'What is he waiting for? For me to move first?'

Her fingers flexed against the bloody shirt. She had counted up to twenty.

'I have to let him move first. Whoever moves first looses the advantage. There's no way I can get to him by charging. He'll warp the floor like last…' An idea lit up in her brain. Her bloody fingers flexed against her jean pocket. 'There's a fifty-fifty chance. Well, actually the chance is more like eighty-twenty, but it will be tricky.'

"I'm not giving you the Crystal," Ami spoke harshly, egging his arrogance. His eyes darkened considerably.

"If those bloody clothes are any hint of your present condition, then I highly doubt you are in a position to deny me anything." His thumb caressed the heel of his holstered gun. "Least of all the Crystal."

Ami held back a second snappy remark. Her fingers ever so carefully inched towards her pocket, praying he didn't see the movement. She twisted the wrist that was connected to the gun, trying to divert his attention. It worked. His eyes darted down to her gun and she snuck her fingers into the pocket. Again she was lucky she had left the items in her left pocket, else she wouldn't be able to sneak a reach.

She blinked, and when her eyelids snapped back open she saw him charging straight at her. She bit back a scream as her fingers wrapped around two round objects. She shuffled back to stall the coming punch she saw. She bite down on her tongue and ripped her hand from her pocket. He caught the movement and she felt the ground rippled beneath her shoes. In seconds, her ankles were locked in tile cuffs, but it didn't matter. Smirking, she let the punch hit her square in the stomach.

Whether he had missed the smirk or not, the general towered over the hunched woman. He knocked the gun from her grip with growing satisfaction. She didn't mind. He had failed to see her other hand swinging forward. Something hot hit his lower abdominals, making his mouth part in an audible gasp of surprise. Ami forced her hand hard against his stomach and pressed the two stones left from Zoisite's box against the general. She felt one of the two stones begin to sink into his coat. Malachite looked down with expression rarely drawn on his face. He looked down with anxiety as the woman's hands peeled away from his abs and a jade stone dropped to the floor with a loud clink. The alabaster stone had disappeared into his body. A white-hot sensation stretched through his body and overwhelmed his senses. There was a sudden onslaught of flashes like cameras shooting off in his eyes. He never realized he was falling, even when his body hit the floor.

Ami sighed in relief when she saw the man's eyes roll into the back of his head. She glared down at the cuffs constricting her ankles, and angrily covered them in a thick layer of ice. Her teeth began to chatter when the harsh drop of temperature reached her tailbone. Bending down, she slammed her fist against the cuff, cracking the solid hold. Minutes later, she kicked off the ankle bracelets and stumbled over to the remaining jade stone and her gun. Picking them both up, she replaced the stone in her pocket and her finger on the trigger. She stepped over the unconscious figure with a heady air. "That was a little quicker than I thought it would be."

Ami jogged back to the circular desk. She had been willing to scrounge the halls, but raiding the computer archives for a floor map would be three times faster. She spun around the edge of the desk and dropped into the roller chair. The wheels slid her in front of the keyboard. She eagerly grabbed the mouse and began to dig through the computer. She pulled open a search program and entered the word: map. The software began to race through file names inside the computer's hard drive for the word.

As she waited for the search engine to finish scanning the files, Ami pull her pack into her lap. She shuffled through the contents for her true prize. Finding the Ziploc bags of dry chemicals, she froze. The significance of their presence made her mind retract to old memories.

-Flashback-

"Ami, what are you all dressed up for?" Rei gazed over the rim of her World Economics book. Three other heads popped up around the table, eyes lit with curiosity. Blushing, Ami froze in the kitchen archway.

"I'm going to a study group at the coffee house," she replied smoothly. She turned slightly to give them a view of her backpack. Rei's eyebrow rose regardless of the bag.

"What class are you studying for?" Mina reached across the table for one of Lita's chocolate chip peanut butter cookies. The brunette quickly smacked her roommate's hand away from her treat.

"Advanced Calculus," she replied, reaching forward pass the brunette's shoulder and snagging the same cookie Mina had failed to grab. Lita tried to snatch back her treat, but Ami scrambled backwards out of her friend's reach. Ami hastily bit into the cookie right before Lita lunged and yanked the half-eaten cookie from her fingers. Ami grinned with her mouth full. "We have a midterm this Friday."

Rei placed her book down on the table. Ami grew nervous as the priestess gave her scrutinizing stare and put her chin into her palm. "Aren't those you're 'date' jeans, Ames?"

That really gained the faltering attention of her roommates. Mina leaned backwards in her chair and studied the nurse's jeans. "Those are!"

Ami bit the inside of her cheek. "My other jeans are in the wash."

The nurse inwardly cursed when she remembered Serena had folding laundry with her yesterday afternoon. The blonde waitress began to excitedly bounce in her seat. Her pigtails bounced with her. It was a rare day to catch Ami in a lie. "You did laundry yesterday."

Lita spun in her seat. Her green eyes were sparkling with a mischievous smirk. "Wait, isn't that guy Greg in your Calculus class?"

"Guy?" Mina chirped happily. Ami could already see the familiar twinkle of the matchmaker queen building in the woman's face.

Ami inwardly rolled her eyes. "It's a study group."

Mina tossed back her golden mane, "How many people will be there?"

Ami nervously shifted. "Two."

Lita's face split into a wide smile, "Including you?"

Ami didn't bother with that answer. She spun on her heel and hurried to the front door. She made sure to yell over her shoulder a loud goodbye. "I'll be back around eleven. And, no, it's not a date!"

The girls squealed with laughter inside the kitchen when they heard the front door close.

-Present-

Ami looked back into the dark room. She could vaguely make out the shape of the ice mass containing the same man she had sought to impress that night. She couldn't comprehend the man from back then becoming the man that had tried to kill her today. She was tempted to believe his gift had destroyed his mind. It made him still important in her heart, and not some traitor to her feelings. Her arm told her to forget him, but the soft ache meant only for him was still in her heart. It had been there since he had broke up with her.

'No matter what he still left you.' She turned her back to him. The computer was still searching the hard drive. Ami put her aching arm into a more comfortable position. 'Is it possible that since Greg is part of the NVerse that he was also in my past life?'

The memory of someone killing her in the past came to mind, immediately.

'Could he have been the one who killed me?'

She had never seen the face of her killer, but she was sure the person had been a man. The hand that held the hilt of the dagger had been too thick for a female. She remembered that much at least.

"Mainframe to security team 4. Move captured intruder to the top floor."

Ami was unhappy to her the radio request. It was going to be hard to get Zoisite out of the base if they put him on the top floor. 'As if it's not a tough enough task to get Zoisite to leave me behind. To get out of here, we'll have to go down nine floors.'

"Security team 4 to Mainframe, should intruder be presented to CEO?"

Ami couldn't believe what she heard. There was a CEO in the base. Not all representatives could be found at the base of operations for corporations. "Luna said there was a champion and a leader of the NVerse. Could the CEO be one of them?"

"To security team 4, confirm. Bring intruder immediately."

Ami shook her head with a weary frown. 'S—'

The computer abruptly finished its search and displayed a list of files. She hastily scanned the list with her eyes and began opening files. A few minutes later, she was studying a three-dimensional map of the entire base. She began to click on random rooms before she noticed a list of main rooms in the top, left portion of the map. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the word: Power Room.

She clicked on the icon and the map swiveled towards the designated portion. A large rectangle began to flash red, indicating the room. "Ground floor. Near the north end of the base."

Next, she scrolled the map up to the top floor. There were a limited number of rooms contributing to the level. Most were rather small and insignificant names save one that was situated at the center of the map. Her eyes quickly went to that room. It was the largest she had seen in the entire map. It was actually three times as large as the power room. It was also a circular shape with four doors built along half of the room. On the opposing half there was a huge black oval covering the room. She hadn't seen anything like it anywhere else on the map. Sadly, there weren't any symbols or words to indicate what the black shape meant. Confused, but not undone, she looked towards the room's title. She was daunted to see the title. Throne Room.

She pulled back. 'Is that some sort of joke?'

Whether or not it was, didn't matter. The room was the only possible place the CEO would be at a time like this. The offices surrounding the room had been for lower officials, including one of them that had the general's name for a title. The CEO wouldn't be in someone else's office. If he were on the top floor, he would be in one of the larger rooms. He had to be in the throne room.

Ami exited the programs, and leapt from the desk. She would have to chance the stairs as her route to the next levels. It would take too long to get in and out the elevator like she had done earlier. She would just have to pray that she didn't run into too many guards.

"Security team 3 to Subject Cellblock. Repeat. Security team 3 to Subject Cellblock."

Ami started to run down the hall.

"Security team 3 responding."

-Flashback-

Lita and Ami looked up from their books when the lights blinked out overhead. Ami grimaced when she heard something crash upstairs. Rei had been cleaning her room, last she remembered.

"Serena, did you forget to mail the electricity bill, again?" Rei shouted.

"Um…"

"SERENA!"

Lita rolled her eyes while Ami held back a laugh. The brunette snapped her fingers and one by one the bulbs within the two-story home flickered back on.

"Serena, get on the phone right now and call the electric company!" Lita roared. "I'm not keeping the house lit. I going see a movie in a half-hour!"

"Sorry!" the girl yelled from her room.

-Present-

Ami flung the door open and spilled out onto the basement level one floor. After checking for guards, she scanned the wall for a vent duct. Seeing one, she raced over and began to quickly work the screws loose off the cover. Once that was done, she ripped off the cover and threw her bag to the floor.

"Security team 3 to mainframe. Subjects six, seven, and eight-of-nine have escaped."

"Crap!" Ami swore as she hastily placed the empty coffee cans upright on the floor. She next pulled the Ziploc bag of chemicals from the bag. "I thought I had a little longer."

Her hands were shaking when she mixed the dry chemicals in the cans. She was shaking so bad that some of the chemicals spilled onto the gray tiles. She ignored the spill for the moment and finishing dumping the last chemical: grounded fertilizer. Once that was done she shoved the self-made bombs into the duct. She swept up most of the spilled powder into the shadowy vent, but being pressed for time she did a sloppy job. Last, she replaced the cover, making sure to put the screws back into place.

"Alert level six! Full-scale search of all floors! Repeat. Alert level six! Full-scale search of all floors!"

She pushed off the floor and ran back to the stairwell. There was only the tiniest of brown fertilizer to indicate she had ever been there. As she went to open the door leading back into the stairwell, she saw a red switch with a glass panel cover. There was nothing to indicate it was a fire alarm. Hoping it was only a security alarm, she yanked off the panel and pulled the hefty switch. A small red bulb flashed under the switch and the screaming alarm overhead hesitated a second before resuming its blaring pattern.

Ami shoved into the stairwell. 'That should peak their curiosity long enough to give Amara and the others enough time to get out.'

Amara rammed a hard punch into the guard's stomach. He involuntarily hunched over, giving her the perfect target for a good kick in the chin. The guard soon crumbled to the pavement at her feet.

The racer rotated her shoulders. They ached from lack of practice. She stepped over the man and walked over to the heavy gate. Trista followed her with Hotaru in her arms, but Michelle diverted her path over to the guard's tiny post. She stepped inside and scanned the contents. A couple of televisions connected to outside security cameras and several stacks of papers. There was also a shotgun propped beside the door.

Amara didn't notice where her cousin was until she had pulled the gate open. She scowled upon spotting her. "Michelle?"

Her blue eyes darted up upon her name. "I don't like this, Amara. Something isn't right about all this."

Trista turned when she stepped outside of the gate. Her and Hotaru stared at the pair. Amara gave a sharp nod to her cousin. "I know Ami didn't tell us everything, but we still got to go."

Michelle bit her lip. "But she might need help."

The racer sighed heavily. "We're no help to her. Can't you feel how exhausted we are?"

Michelle knew she was right, but she didn't like leaving her friends. Her blue eyes narrowed when she spotted a radio sitting on the table. Her hand reached for it.

"We have to go now, Michelle!"

Her cousin's voice stopped her hand inches from the radio. She regretfully pulled away and stepped out of the guard post. Amara waved her forward. "Michelle, we've already used seventeen minutes. If we turn back, we probably won't find her or the others before the bomb goes off."

Michelle hesitated. She kept thinking of the way Ami had avoided her eyes, and the way the woman's smile seemed too bright for such a dark mission. Her instincts told her to turn around and find the shy girl. Or at least find the other girls and get them to confess what was happening. Reluctantly, Michelle forced herself out of the post and walk towards her cousin. Amara let the teal woman go first and followed her out of the gate.

As the group of women wearing scuba suits headed down the street, Hotaru pressed her face into her aunt's neck. Tears began to pour from her face as she thought of the nurse's sad eyes.

-Flashback-

"Do you believe we were meant for something great, Serena?"

"Are you asking because of what happened today, Ames?"

"Well, if we hadn't of been there when the earthquake had hit that woman would have died under the rubble. Doesn't it feel like we were meant for something?"

"I don't know. I really don't think in that way."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I often don't stop to think—"

"That's for sure."

"Shut up. What I was saying is I don't always stop and think 'that was meant to happen.' I just think 'I'm glad I was able to help' or 'I love having friends who are like me.'"

"How can you not think of destiny?"

"I just don't like the idea of not being in control. I know I'm not always in control of my life, but I hate to think my will, my soul is a complete puppet."

"I can understand that."

"That's why I don't worry about 'what ifs.' I hate to sound corny—"

"No offense, but you often do."

"Again, I'll repeat. Shut up. I don't like to think in 'what ifs,' but 'what is.'"

-Present-

Ami was racing down one of the halls on the ground floor. She had barely missed two security teams. Lucky her, she was next to an unlock door each time and was able to duck inside before they had spotted her. She was exceptionally lucky today it seemed, and she was beginning to worry that things were too easy for her. Were they leading her into a trap?

'There's no time to turn back,' she ran faster. Her hair slapped against her ears, making the wind snap. 'Just hurry.'

With each stride, her arm screamed in protest. The jostling wasn't helping her injuries. She gasped lightly when a particular jarring step sent a wave of needles through her lower spine. She stumbled and collapsed against the wall. There was an odd shudder in her chest. The sensation sparked a spot of fear in her breast.

She thought about what Hotaru had done to her spirit. The child said it wouldn't last, but it would give her time. Did that mean once her soul broke through the bond, she would fall down dead? Ami sucked in a deep breath. Using her good arm, she pushed back into a run. There was no point in thinking on the matter. She had to get things done. She needed to get it done before her soul broke through the bond or the bomb went off.

Taking a left turn, she spotted a pair of double doors guarded by two men armed with rifles. One of the guards swiveled towards her, gun rising.

Five minutes later, she was standing over a third and fourth figure inside the double doors. She had another luck of the draw to have found only four guards at her destination. She didn't have the stamina to continually toss waves and frost blasts.

The room was enormous as should be expected. The generators stretched up to the second floor's roof. What surprised the intern was the fact that there were seven generators filling the vast room. She had thought three or four would be plenty to fund the electricity throughout the base. On the right wall there was a series of small television screens revealing black-and-white views of numerous rooms and halls throughout the base. There was a main screen in the center, which was three times larger than the surrounding screens. It was the main work monitor. On the opposing wall, there was a line of dials and a switch panel. From where Ami stood, she couldn't read the labels. She guessed they were for various portions of the base and specific rooms.

She strode purposefully towards the tall generators. She could hear the turbines behind the cylinders and knew there were hurricane fans keeping the generators cool. Edging up to the row, she dropped to her knees and pulled her backpack to the floor. Five new coffee cans were removed along with several more Ziploc bags of dry chemicals. Again she mixed the chemicals in the coffee cans with shaky hands. When they were finished, she scanned the room. Choosing the spot in front of the generators, she began pushing the cans as close as possible to the metal cylinders. Even from a few feet away, she could feel the heat radiating from the colossal machines. Regardless that cool air was washing over the mass of heat, Ami felt beads of sweat sliding down her face. She pushed the cans in place.

Pulling back, she stood and grabbed her bag. She, then, moved to the panel of dials and switches. Her index finger ran across the labels as she sped read. When she read, "power room fans," Ami eagerly yanked the switches to the off positions. The fan blades slowed and with it her heart. She took deep even breaths, working hard to keep her tears at bay. The last groan from the fan made her want to break inside. 'Once the heat rises high enough the chemicals will react, and the explosion will take down the top floors. The heat from the explosion should reach the bombs in the basement and tear apart the bottom half. And I will…'

She pressed her arms against the dials. She told herself that she needed to keep moving. She needed to finish what she started. All she wanted to do though was curl up into a ball and cry. She wanted to give into all the hurt that had been buried in the depths of her heart since the first bad word spoken against her in grade school. She wanted to disappear right then. She wanted the bomb to swallow her.

'You don't want to take him with you.' She opened her eyes. 'He doesn't deserve this. You know he's a wonderful man. You don't want to hurt him. He has a chance at a sunshine life with the perfect girl.'

Ami blinked back her tears and resumed her determined, stony expression. She dropped her bag, letting it loudly hit the floor. She tightened her grip on her gun, making sure she still had it. As she turned to leave, her eyes stopped on a dial meant for the air conditioners. She narrowed her gaze before turning the heat on full blast on all six dials.

'Just to make sure.' Ami pulled the screwdriver out of her pack and broke each dial face off the panel. The screwdriver clanked loudly against the tiles once it was tossed aside. She marched out of the room. 'I've got fifteen minutes. Twenty if he's as lucky as I've been today.'

She hurried into a jog and went straight for the main elevators with only a gun in her hand and a stone in her pocket. Ami punched the top button and impatiently stood in front of the metallic russet doors. She inhaled deeply and stretched her leg muscles as she waited. She glanced down at her watch, making sure to mark the time. Her second alarm would go off in less than a half hour. By that time, the sedatives would have worn off the girls. Amara and the others would be halfway to the house, and Zoisite would be walking out of the city. Ultimately, the Negaverse would be rubble and she would have completed her duty to her friends and her uncrowned princess.

'This is my honor,' she repeated. 'This is my choice.'

The elevator dinged and she took a step forward. Suddenly, a gun shot to her left and she heard a sharp whistle behind her. She even felt the subtle stir of the hair on the back of her scalp. Ami leapt into the elevator. She nearly crashed into the wall inside. Gripping the rail, she swung forward and pressed the button for the top floor. She heard shouts and feet stomping towards her. Her heart jumped in her throat and she began to viciously punch 'close doors' button. With each pound of a foot hitting the outside tile, her heart grew smaller. 'He has to live. I can't let him die.'

She gritted her teeth when the doors began to slide close. The feet were too close. They would get to her before the door fully closed. Ami stepped forward and dangled her arm out. She didn't dare peek for fear of getting killed, so she released a huge wave of sleet and ice blindly. She heard the rush of water, the crash of bodies, and angry shouts. Seconds before the doors hit her arm, she ripped her limb back inside and pressed her back to the wall. Her eyes closed with the doors and she let a shuddering breath out.

The elevator began to move upward. Ami bit her lip when she realized she was going to have a welcoming committee on the top floor. She flexed her empty hand. If there was any security guard near the elevator, all they had to do was press the button and the elevator would stop before she reached the right floor. She looked up at the top four-by-four door meant for maintenance workers. Pocketing her gun, she stepped forward and began jumping up and down to push the door open. Her fingers were able to push the door far enough to one side to prop it open. She prayed she didn't need to take the exit. It would be a difficult escape.

-Flashback-

"Ami, you're so smart. Why not become a doctor instead of a nurse?"

"Well, I…"

"You would be awesome as both I'm sure, but I would have thought a doctor would be far more interesting to you."

"Well, I don't know."

"Sure, you do. You had to have made a choice on which one you wanted to be."

"I use to want to be a doctor."

"Why not now?"

"I just don't think I would be a good enough doctor."

Silence. "You've got to be kidding"

"No. I'm very serious, Lita."

-Present-

She glanced at what level the elevator had passed. She still had three floors before she reached the top. Two floors. One floor. Her legs became tense as she readied for the worst. 'I'm coming, Zoi.'

The elevator dinged. The doors pulled open and she saw a screen of guns pointed at her. A wall of ice immediately mounted in front of the security team, separating her from the guns. With careful concentration, she warped the shape into a tall oval with two handgrips like a shield. Ami pressed all her energy to making the wall thick enough to withstand the bullets. It took three seconds. She was panting heavily from the amount of energy flushed out of her system. Unsteadily, she reached forward and slid her arm into place. As each bullet drilled into her shield, she forced the ice to reform and push out the obstruction. Even though she was able to protect herself effectively, it was a lot for her mind and body to handle.

Gritting her teeth, she extracted the water molecules from the air. With her energy close to depletion, she forced a mist to veil the mass of bodies blocking her way. The smokescreen was barely thick enough for cover, but she didn't have anymore time or energy to bother. She made a mad dash out of the elevator. Right before she darted down the hall, she threw the shield into the mist of bodies and clouding vapors and followed the throw with half a round of bullets. As she raced down the hall, she heard bullets and screams ring behind her.

'Don't look back. Keep running.' She pumped her legs harder, faster. 'Don't.'

She slid around the nearest corner, and kept racing. She ran with all she had. She put the image of Zoisite's face in front of her, telling herself he would suffer the longer she took in reaching him. In seconds, she came to a fork and without much thought she sprinted down the corridor on the right. As she continued to run, she saw the wall had begun to circle on her left. She had reached the throne room a lot quicker than she had expected. She was thankful because it meant she would be able to save Zoisite.

Her joy faded, however, when she heard the silence following her. Surely, the mist should have dissolved by now and the security team should be after her. She should have the dogs nipping at her heels. Reluctantly, she trotted to a stop and checked the path she had left. She couldn't see very far down the line since the hall curved, but she heard enough silence to know no one was actually following her.

The dead air instantly told her that something was wrong. It had been too easy. It had all been too easy. Sure, she was covered in blood and ready to fall over, but she had still made her way throughout the base without much of a fight. Artemis had spoke of an army waiting for them. She had only counted enough men to comprise a regime.

-Flashback-

"Rei, you said you dealt a lot with name calling in high school."

"Yea, it comes with my ability for fire readings and ESP. Its sort of a package deal."

"It's the same way with high intelligence."

"Serena told me you had a rough time in grade school."

"Did people ever call you…a freak, Rei?"

"Once or twice. Most of the time the kids preferred to call me a witch."

"Does it still hurt to hear it?"

"Not really. I got use to thinking karma would meet up with them or that they were simply brainless morons with nothing better to do."

"I wish I was more thick skinned like you."

"Does it still bother you when people call you names?"

"I keep thinking their right. That I wasn't meant to be here. That I was meant to be someone else, somewhere else."

"Ames—"

"But it isn't true, anyways? Normal people aren't meant for this type of power."

-Present-

Nervously, Ami swallowed. Her empty hand joined the one clutching her gun. She studied the path back in front of her. Experience urged her to run, but her instincts told her she needed to be wary of what lied at the end of her path. Carefully, she walked forward with her gun half-raised. Every nerve was on edge, twitching beneath her skin.

There was an odd crawling sensation also in the air, pressing against her body. It made the hair on the back of neck stand on end. It was the same feeling she had when she had seen that creature in the spiritual realm. She could almost hear the same scrap of metal roar behind the wall.

When she spotted the door, she was relieved and frightened. It meant a beginning and end to her journey. Her eyes trailed over the pitched black surface with a silver downturn moon crescent. Looking down, she saw the handle was a crystal knob with black metal twisting around its crescent moon shape. She gingerly faced the door and grasped the cold handle. Her thumb softly pressed down on the button atop the handle and, upon taking a steadying breath, she flung the door open.

She rushed inside with her gun high. The first set of figures she spotted she swung the barrel in their direction. It was three men with one of them kneeling on the floor. The two standing were Nephrite and Jedite. Generals were wearing the same long, dark coat Malachite had been wearing earlier, but Jed's was unbuttoned, showing off the heavy, bulletproof gear they wore underneath. Between them, they held Zoisite, whose head had been previously bowed in her direction. When the door had open, he had looked up and exposed his battered form to her eyes. Blood crusted his chin from his busted lip. There was a bruise forming at his temple and his eyes were clouded with pain. To top it off, his clothes were sliced and bloody. Those wounds didn't seem life threatening, considering he was conscience and there wasn't much blood covering the floor. But they did indicate, he had been in a knife fight.

Ami stepped further into the room when she realized the Generals' hands were occupied with holding the man in a submissive position. She leveled a glare down the length of her gun. "Let him go."

Her tone was firm. It was a direct reflection of all the times she had squared off with criminals on missions. There was no room for her opponents to doubt her threats.

She planted her heels and dared a scan of the room. There wasn't much to the throne room. In the center of the gray marble floor was a table made of solid, ebony marble. The thick legs of the table were like tree roots, blending into the floor in twisting lines. There was a hefty downturn crescent on all four sides of the tabletop with stars and clouds merging down the legs. She hadn't expected to see any sort of table within a throne room.

Beyond the table, there was a vast stage with three steps running alongside its full side and a charcoaled colored curtain covering the farthest wall. Upon its crown, there sat an ebony marble chair with a high back. The chair was definitely a sibling of the table with similar legs and decorative carvings. The downturn crescent was boldly displayed upon the head of the backrest. The hard cushions were blood red with black spiraling patterns of stars and clouds. No one was presently sitting in the chair, but she didn't doubt someone of worthy status of the seat was nearby.

Her suspicion was confirmed when a man wearing a familiar tux stepped into her vision. She narrowed her gaze on the man's devilish line of a smile. "I saw you that day in the forest."

"I wondered if you did," he stated loudly. His voice was silky smooth, echoing through the spherical room. The sound was like wrapping herself in a warm blanket on the coldest day in winter. She shook her head to shake off the dreamy feeling.

"I demand you release him," she commanded louder. She aimed her gun at the point between his smoldering, brown eyes. "It's me you want."

She had practiced the line countless times in the pass week. She had wanted it to sound hard and indisputable. She had to sound confident, yet yielding.

The man's lips ever so slightly drew upwards. She nearly missed the small indication towards his mood. Her eyes were drawn to his mysterious features and dark crown of silky hair. In another time and place, she might have been drooling over the man, but she was terrified by his silent indifference. Did he not see the gun she was pointing at him?

He casually strutted forward with his arms tucked behind his back in a regal posture. She scrambled back half a step. "Don't move."

He stopped, but his smile was more definite. She even noticed the brightness in his dark eyes. He let out a wry chuckle. "Why don't I keep you both? I'm in deep need of paying back this man for all my men he has killed and the trespassing he did on our property. Besides, you have no exit to leave. Outside are three teams of soldiers, waiting for your escape. You can and try to negotiate for this man's life, but what do you have to offer other than what we already have?"

Ami's eyes darted to Zoisite. Their gazes met, sharing the anxiety that enveloped them. Zoisite hadn't expected her to arrive so soon. He had barely been conscious for more than five minutes when she marched into the room. To see her after hours of worrying had made his heart soar, but upon seeing her battered condition he had been swallowed with guilt. If he had been here, she wouldn't have a scratch on her.

As it was, the left side of her face was covered in dry blood. The arm underneath was wrapped in a drenched shirt. He could make out torn flesh hiding underneath. Another shirt was tied around her waist, but it was apparent there was extensive injury on her right hip, due to the fact that her jeans was stained red underneath the location. He imagined she had been wearing the two shirts before hand and had been forced to strip down to a thin, short sleeve shirt. Where her coat or jacket was, he had no idea. He saw his double holster strapped onto her, but she only had one gun in her hand. Surely, she had been smart enough to bring two guns, but some how lost one. Had she come into the base only with two guns? She couldn't have gotten this far with just two mags of bullets.

His worry mounted when he saw her dangerously sway on her feet. Ami hastily regained her statue composure and glared back at the nameless man in the tuxedo. Zoisite caught the way her eyes had faltered. She had to be exhausted. It was evident in how pale her skin was against her sweat and blood matted blue hair. Also, she was breathing as if she had run a three-day marathon.

Ami abruptly made a move that made his heart come to a complete halt. She yanked back her gun and dug the muzzle into the skin beneath her chin. He felt the men holding him become very still. Tears dribbled from the corner of her eyes as she frowned at the man in front of her. She hissed as a sob pushed through her clenched teeth. "You don't have the Crystal yet. I'm ready to blow out my brains to protect it."

Gun felt so strange against her skin. She could feel the dangerous tickle in her heart in having the muzzle pointed at her brain. The tuxedo man studied her while his infuriating smile didn't falter to her immense displeasure. He should have been somewhat concerned about his prize. She should see some indication unless he was an experienced poker player. She tightened her finger on the trigger to further her point. "You either let him go, or we can all just wait another thousand or so years when the crystal and I are reincarnated again to start this whole d— circle of life all over!"

"AMI!" Zoisite couldn't believe it. He had read her letter, but he thought she hadn't been serious about how far she was willing to go.

Ami flinched when she heard a gentle chuckle. The man stared at Zoisite's amusing attempts to break free from his captors. His suspicions about the man's attraction to the girl had been confirmed. His eyes returned to the suicidal woman. Confidentially, he said, "Go ahead."

She might as well have been socked in the stomach. "W-What?"

"Kill yourself," he said louder, taking a firm step into her direction. He signaled her to pull the trigger with an encouraging wave. "Go ahead."

Ami's wide blue eyes darted between the man and the other two generals. Nephrite and Jedite didn't appear to understand what their master was doing. They were staring at him with unsaid questions in their scowls.

"Do you think I won't?" Ami exclaimed, her voice wavering. She no longer felt in control. She felt small and at the mercy of a charging avalanche. 'Keep calm. Don't show your bluff. In their minds, you have the Crystal. If they figure out otherwise, everything you've down today is worthless.'

She straightened her back into a solid board. "I would suggest you let him go before I blow away all your chances at the Crystal."

A loud, thunderous clap followed her last words. She jerked when a second clap echoed. The man gave one last clap before letting his hands drop. Ami's muscles tightened.

"I must congratulate you on your amazing performance," he laughed dryly. Her heart was sinking rapidly. She heard the tone, saw the sharp edge of his gaze, and knew that she had lost an important piece of information. Involuntarily, her gun began to lower from its precarious position.

"We had expected only the highest of successes from the Senshi," he wordily jabbed. She was drawn into his eyes. "We knew when you came, you would make it far inside, but we thought you would be stopped long before this point."

A few narrow feet were left between the pair. Ami barely noticed. She was too caught up in his words. "I surely did not expect such a theatrical display from a girl of such cold caliber."

Ami instinctively pointed her gun at the man, stopping his approach. Frightened tears blurred her eyes. Her knees swayed again, making her stomach clench. "This is no act."

His facial expression did not change. "Then go ahead. End your life before I rip the Crystal from your chest."

He started towards her. Ami lurched back, gun returning to the spot under her chin.

"Release Zoisite!" she cried, digging the muzzle into her skin.

"Dead or alive, the crystal will come out." The man ignored her demand and reached for her. Ami tried to escape his hands, but it was difficult walking backwards while she was dizzy. It wasn't long before his hand had wrapped around one of the holster straps. He yanked her towards him, his second hand going for the gun.

Ami squeezed her eyes shut. She felt the last thread of her confidence disappear. With its quick retreat went all her hopes. The last phase in her plan had completed. Her one regret was that she had been unable to save her second love.

"Zoisite, forgive me," she stated before she pulled the trigger. The blonde man yelled her name.

Click. Nothing.

She pulled again.

Click. Nothing.

Her eyes flew open as she felt the man's hand grab her gun. She wrestled frantically against his strong grip and pulled the trigger a third time.

Click. Click. Click.

Ami stared numbly as the tuxedo dressed man ripped the gun from her fingers. 'That's impossible. It can't be empty. I barely used any bullets in that clip!'

His dark eyes met her with cold triumphant before looking pass her shoulders. "Thank you, Malachite, for the intervention."

Hands from behind gripped her forearms, yanking them backwards and locking them into a vice. Ami weakly fought against her captor. Swinging her face around, she met the white haired general's furious glare. The hollowness in her chest stretched throughout her body.

"It was a small feat," the general proclaimed, tightening his grip.

'He used his gift to ruin the gun's mechanics?' she realized.

The man tossed the worthless gun aside. Zoisite fell against the generals' hands, feeling suddenly exhausted. His mixed fear and relief had stolen all his strength. Breathing harshly, he tried to catch the intern's eyes. He wanted to look at her face. He wanted to see the life radiating in her beautiful blue orbs. 'Ami.'

"Don't celebrate too quickly," she snapped abruptly. "There are two sets of—"

"Bombs?"

There was a loud clatter behind her. Looking back, she counted a handful of coffee cans spilling her dry mix concoctions across the floor. Her eyes found the feet beside the coffee cans and trailed upwards to see Greg's bruised, disgruntle face. The hollowness in her chest changed into utter defeat.

"Did you fail to notice cameras watching the halls? Didn't you see the television screens watching the corridors?"

Ami screwed her eyes shut. She couldn't believe it. How stupid could she have been? How could she have overlooked something so important?

"Bring her forward!"

Ami's head snapped to the side. She knew that voice, and she inwardly kicked herself for not thinking of the person sooner. Her eyes found the red head standing alongside the black throne. 'How could I not consider her being here? Wherever Greg is, she would be.'

The woman pushed back the black curtains behind the chair and sauntered into the intern's view. Cold, violet eyes met the girl's disbelief. Beryl pressed a fist onto her hip and gently brushed the edge of the throne. She looked as treacherous as the first day Ami had met her. Beryl was wearing another black evening gown that revealed a great deal of her pale flesh. This one was, however, distinct from the dozen Ami had ever seen her wear. This one had thin straps and a low neckline like all the other, but the bottom half was the distortion. Instead of a short, scandalous skirt, the fabric spilled down pass her ankles and trailed behind her in five-foot long train. Her usually dangerous look had taken an elegant turn.

Her long, scarlet hair spilt out over her model worthy shoulders and curled into cresting waves. A black tiara of dark gemstones drew the long curtain of red back from her oval face. The dark crescent, upside down moon hung down from the tiara, covering her forehead. She bore the image like one of the Senshi's planetary symbols.

"Present her properly," the woman commanded with a sneer.

Malachite pushed the intern forward. Ami fought against his hands, but it was a futile attempt since most of her focus was situated on the red head. She had long given up wrestling against the man's hands by the time she had reached the foot of the throne. With her mind spinning, her feet took a will of their own and lifted her frail figure onto the vast stage. Ami could feel all her dignity crumbling as Beryl lorded over her.

The idea that the red head was the mastermind of the organization was impossible for the intern to fathom. The woman was manipulative, to be sure, but Beryl did not have the ability to coordinate such a complex feat. The mathematics of the idea was all wrong. Beryl's skull had a little more air than most people. She had spite and viciousness furthering her effectiveness, but it only got a person so far. There was a missing variable to the equation.

Ami's mind shifted gear as the general pushed the intern pass the haughty red head. Ami turned her head to keep the woman in view as she was pressed forward. Her confusion only grew when the red head dropped to her knee once the intern was pass her. In the corner of her eye, Ami also saw the rest of the group solemnly dropping to their knees.

There was a loud growl ahead and the nurse swung her gaze back to the front. The black curtain shivered before her. Ami suddenly realized she wasn't staring at a fabric curtain. She was staring at a wall of pitch-black vapor. It was just so dark that she couldn't see through the thinnest thread of smoke. Ami's blue eyes grew wide as she was forced closer to the twisting cloud, pressing against the edge of what resembled a black hole. Her gaze was lost in the vivid black depths. Her mind was sinking into its clutches. Her breathing began to slow and her limbs went dead. Ami only started when two sparkling, ruby eyes opened within the heart of the black cloud. She held back a scream up until a mouth of jagged, ebony daggers flashed.

A/N: Anyone surprised? Anyone excited? Tell me please! Review! Review! Review!