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Chapter 8

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Ami walked down the stairs. It was the afternoon of the party, or ball, or whatever Quatre called it. Julliana had rushed to her room to get ready, 3 hours ahead. Ami suspected she was trying to really impress Quatre.

Ami wouldn't get ready for another hour or two. She was in no rush to make a fuss.

She read in the library for a while before going to get ready herself. She washed up and put on the light blue dress she had earlier bought.



On her wrist she placed her communicater, then reconsidered. It would look too odd and obvious. Instead she put in her sub-space pocket with her transformation stick and mini-computer.

She slipped the ring on her finger. The stone was disguised as a normal blue one, and the mercury symbol would appear on the ring and glow only when she was healing someone.

She placed a small whit clip to hold her hair back on one side. In here ears she placed her favorite gold earings with blue saphire in the center. Looking at her reflection, she nodded in approval. She was about to leave the room when she paused to take a second look. She ussually didn't wear makeup or anything, but...

She put a little bit on very lightly, not wanting to look like what she expected Julliana would look like.

Placing some white high healed shoes on her feet, which were covered by the dress almost completely, she left her room.

Everyone but Julliana was assembled in the front hall, waiting. Ami came down the steps quickly, not trying to make any sort of entrance and stood next to Quatre. He smiled at her. Come to think of it he did look very handsome in that new suit.

The ligts flickered for a second, and evryone looked around. Ami suspected Julliana's powers had something to do with it, and found she was right when the lights came back on and Julliana was standing at the top of the stairs. As Ami had suspected, she could hardly make out Julliana's face from all the makeup covering it. Still, as always, Julliana had an evil beauty to her. She started down the stairs slowly, swaying her hips from side to side in an attempt to catch their attention.

She FINALLY made it down the steps so they could go.

As soon as she got downstairs she stood next to Quatre, and as if naturally, smacking her hip into Ami's and moving her aside, so she could grab onto Quatre's hand.

She lead him to the limo, everyone following and Ami in front of the other gundam pilots, her hands clutched into fists.

Once they got into the limo, Quatre tryed to avoid discomfort by grabbing Ami and having her sit next to him, but Julliana just sat on the other side. She had her arms on his shoukder the whole time, talking a mile-a-minute and her face only about an inch away from his his. Quatre was blushing furiously, and he gently removed her hands. Julliana didn't let this bother her, until Quatre turned to speak to Ami, which made steam rise from her head.

"You look very pretty Ami," he told her. Ami blushed.

"Thanks."

Once they arrived, Ami saw that what Quatre had described as 'fancier' was not the word Ami would have used. It was a gigantic ball, reminding Ami of the ones given in the silver millenium, or at least what she could remember.

Someone opened the limo doors for them, Ami wasn't sure who because in a second they were rushed up teh steps and into the ball room. It was a little more modern than the balls from the silver millenium, but still very close.

"I'm sure you've been to something like this before Ami," Quatre told her.

"Yes, many times," Ami told him, looking around and flashing back to how her friends used to force her to dance. And there were always those formal introductions, good thing there weren't any here.

"Julliana, have you," Quatre asked.

"Unfortunately, several," Julliana said, briskly walking into the ladies room.

Ami felt someone grab her hand as the music started.

"Would you give me this dance," Quatre asked. Ami nodded, and he led her out to the dance floor.

They did typical ball room dancing, which Ami was accustomed to.

After a few dances, Ami was tired and sat down. Julliana stood up right away and dragged Quatre back on to the dance floor.

Ami sat with Heero, Wufei, Duo, and Trowa for a few minutes before they heard a screech.

"HEEERRRROOOO! It's Relena! Hey! I'm fashionably late, as always!"

Relena wore a fuscia dress that was v-necked ridiculously low and skin tight. She had so much make up and diamonds on, that it made Julliana looked like a very nice girl. Her hair was up in a style Ami really didn't care for, and she was giving a 500 watt smile, which scared a few people as she approached the table.

"Oh, hello Ami," Relena said in a snobbish tone, and then turnd back to Heero.

"Let's dance!" Before Heero could object, she had grabbed his arm and he was on the dance floor in less than a second.

Relena stood ridiculously close and wouldn't let him out of her grasp.

A young man with jet black hair and blue eyes asked Ami to dance, and she accepted, not wanting to be rude, but after one dance with him, another brown haired guy asked her to dance. So Ami decided to loosen up and have fun. She danced with him too, for two dances, before sitting out. She reached to take a sip of her drink, when a red haired guy who looked really nervous asked her to dance. Ami gave him a friendly smile, to ease his nerves, and accepted.



He stumbled a lot as they danced, but seemed more at ease after a few minutes.

This was the begining of a tiring night. Ami would just barely get to sit down, when she would be asked to dance again, and since she wanted to keep an eye on Julliana and Quatre on the dance floor, she would dance with those who asked and try to keep her and her dancing partners in view of Quatre, or rather, Quatre in clear view for Ami.

Duo decided to take advantage as soon as Ami was left alone for a minute, so he jumped up and grabbed her hand.

"Jeez, no one will leave you alone tonight," he said, as they began to dance.

"Yeah, I'm not used to that," Ami told him.

"You're not used to it? How can you not be?," Duo asked. Ami shrugged. He spun her out, and she felt someone grab her hand from behind. She turned.

"Heero?"

"Mind if I cut in Duo. i just barely managed to shake Relena," he told Duo.

"I guess not," Duo said in a wierded out voice. He soon forgot about that when a pretty blond tapped him from behind and asked him to dance.

Her and Heero started dancing, Ami feeling rather odd.

"How did you know about the daggar," he asked, as soon as Duo left. Ami really should have known.

"It caught my eye when i looked up, and I saw it cracking the chain," Ami responded quickly.

"Who put it there?"

"I don't know," Ami said.

"That's a lie."

"No, it's not."

"Ami, I'm not sure why you're here, but if you hurt Quatre-"

"I won't. Don't worry. I understand you're concerned for your friend Heero, but you really have to loosen up," Ami commented.

"Tell me the truth then," Heero insisted.

"Excuse me, I'm tired," Ami said, breaking from his grip.

"Just answer me," Heero called after her.

"Ther's nothing to tell," she responded, and continued. She sat down at their table, relief spreading over her face as she gave her legs a break. Quatre and julliana returned to the tabel, which was more of Quatre pulling Julliana to the table and her insisting they should dance more.

Soon all the g-boys, Relena, and Julliana were seated at the table.

Quatre sat down, looking tired and relieved to be sitting.

"Tired," Ami asked.

"Yeah. You should be too, I haven't seen you sitting since we arrived. How many men have you danced with?"

"I lost count," Ami said in a snobbish tone, sticking her nose in the air and looking away.

Quatre laughed, and Julliana seemed to be steaming, when they were interrupted.

"Would you like to dance miss?" Ami looked up to see who was speaking to her. `

Gregory Urawa offered Ami a strange smile. None of the gundam pilots recognised him yet, since they had seen him weeks ago and at a distance.

Ami frowned at him, but he stood stiffly, his hand outstretched and a plastic smile on his face. Ami looked at his pupils. Still tinted red.

He wouldn't pull anything in the crowd. Ami looked over at Julliana. She had a sadisfie smirk on her face. So she had ordered him to come and disract Ami. To get Ami out if the way. Maybe capture her and keep her in Julliana's base until she had Quatre.

But Julliana didn't know Ami could heal him.

She gave him a smile.

"Sure," and grabbed his hand and quickly took him to the dance floor before the g-boys had a chance to take a closer look at Greg.

They started to dance, Ami hoping greg had nothing up his sleeve while they were on the dance floor. They danced for two more dances, Ami not wanting Greg out of her sight. She remembered the crush she had had on him when she was 14. It was over now, but she considered Greg as more of a brother now.

It was now or never.

"There's a lovely balcony out those double doors, and there are steps that lead down to teh ground. It leads into a garden. Want to go for a walk and get out of this crowded room," Ami asked.

Greg nodded, possibly thinking that he could capture Ami once they were away from there. They walked out the double doors and started down the steps.

Menawhile...

Wufei, Heero, and Trowa had kept a halks eye on Ami and the strange guy she was dancing with. They saw him and her head outside to the balcony.

"I need some fresh air," Wufei said, standing up.

"Yeah, me too," Trowa said, and Heero nodded.

"Ok, let's go for a walk. We'll be back in a few minutes," Wufei said.

They walked off.

"That's odd. They were very polite," Duo said.

Relena sighed. "That Heero is so hot. Why doesn't he love me?"

Everyone got big sweat dropps on their heads. Quatre offered a nervous laugh.

---

Ami and Greg were walking in the garden, when Greg suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"Alright, enough. Time to finish what I came here to do," he said, forming a blast of energy in his hand, 'now you come peacefully to the base or come in pieces."

"Sorry, but I was planning it a little differently," Ami said, kicking his hand off her wrist. She jumped back.

"Fine, it was your choice," Greg said, attacking her. He shot black lightning at her. Ami was impressed and wondered just how much power Julliana granted her minions.



She rolled out of the way, frowning when she was close to getting a grass stain on herself. She couldn't let herself get dirty, people would get suspicious. She raised her transformation wand, making sure no one was watching, and transformed.

She was much faster in this form, and was able to dodge all of his attacks.

He was fed up, and formed a large one he figured she couldn't avoid.

She rolled to the side, nearly hitting into a tree. She rushed her bangs from her face and opened up her visor. Where was he? Her visor sudenly picked up something, and she spun around. He hit her from behind, and knocked her to the floor. She struggled to stand.

"Enough of these games." Her eyes went blank, and her transformation dissapeared, back to her dress.

Meanwhile, Trowa, Wufei, and Heero had rounded the corner. Ami stood still, her eyes blank, and a small light coming from the ring she had been recently wearing. She was chanting something they couldn't recognize, and then the ring errupted in light and hit the man in front of her. Smething black came out of him, and he started screaming.

Ami ran over to him, just as he looked up at her.

"I didn't see that coming," he said, before he hit the ground. Ami winced when he did. She felt drained, but ignored it and got down on her knees next to him.

"Greg?" She shook his shoulder. He shifted, then sat up.

Then time stopped. It was only her, Pluto, and Greg that were moving.

"Ami?"

"Do you remember what happened?"

"I do. I'm sorry. I knew someone was after you, but I couldn't contact you in time," he explained.

"It's alright. It's too late for apologies now. I should have seen it coming, I mean, we haven't spoken in nearly a year," Ami said, helping him to his feet.

"It's time to go Greg. Say goodbye to Ami," Pluto said. He nodded.

"Goodbye Ami. Be careful, I predict a battle is about to happen," he said, giving her a hug, and stepping through a portal with Pluto. Pluto gave her a mysterious smile as the portal was closed.

Tiem returned to normal.

"Ami," someone called from the path.

Ami turned to look at where the voices came from. Heero, Wufei, and Trowa stood at the edge of the steps. How much had they seen?

Heero frowned. Ami had used a strange ring, had chanted in a strange language, and it seemed like she had killed that guy. He had fallen on the floor, and then he had been gone a second later.

They all ran over to her.

"Enough onna, start talking," Wufei bellowed.

"Ami! Wufei! Trowa! Heero! The party's over, come on, we're leaving," Quatre called from the balcony. Ami took this opportunity and ran towards the balcony.

"Wow, I'm tired, let's go," she said, grabbing Quatre's hand and heaidng to the limo. Julliana glared at her, probably knowing greg was free from her power.

They piled into the limo, Ami receiving glares from 4 people.

She was silent, and looked out the window.

The ride home was very quiet, and as soon as they got through the door Ami wished everyone good night and ushed up to her room.

"What's with her," Duo asked. Everyone departed the room angrilly.

Heero slammmed his fist into a table and went up to his room, Trowa silently stomped up to his room, Wufei's knocked a chair over in frustration and also stormed out if the room, while Julliana simply scowled at everyone and walked up the stairs. They could hear some foul language coming from her mouth.

Quatre and Duo blinked and looked at each other. A long tense minute passed, before they went up to bed as well.

-------

Julliana was sure of one thing. Ami was a pest in the way, and Quatre was obviously not falling for her on his own. She would have to take action....

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