009: WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!!

Mika: somewhere with Sora. Namely a party.

002: where's Sapphire?

Mika: up your butt and around the corner.

009, Sora, 002: ewww... OO

Mika: I don't own the zero-zero cyborgs, but I own Diamond and the gem girls.

Sora: must be leaving! Writing calls! flies away

009: on with chapter seven!

"Dinner!" Garnet yelled. She had told Chang that if he didn't let her make dinner, she'd shatter his frying pans to shards. Chang had sprinted away, clinging to his favorite frying pan.

"Wow, you CAN cook, Garnet!" Britain exclaimed, grabbing for some sushi. "Where'd you learn to make sushi?"

"Somewhere." Was all Garnet told them. Aquamarine toddled into the room, dragging a pillow.

"What?" she asked, not seeming quite awake. "I was taking a nap."

Dinner was a good meal, with Chang nervously eyeing the kitchen. Garnet seemed to catch his glance every time. "Do you want a demonstration, 006?" she demanded after about the thirtieth time he looked at the kitchen.

"Here." Garnet said in an exasperated voice. She held her plate in her left hand and lightly placed her right palm on the main part of the plate. In seconds, it had become mere dust. "I told you I wasn't joking."

Sapphire didn't go to dinner. She had already employed Aquamarine to bring her something to eat later, after dinner was over. Without Jet discovering where she was, which was in an engine room, it was easier. Once, when the Dolphin had gone to the surface, she had climbed out.

That night had been beautiful. The constellations were bright, and the moon was full. As she gazed up at the stars, she saw the Seven Sisters. It made her smile, a rare event. When she looked over more, she saw the Milky Way. Looking at it made her burst into tears, why, she didn't know.

Letting the tears out was her best hope. Then, a jet plane flew overhead. Sapphire began to bawl. She felt awful, happy, angry, and insane all at the same time. Her mixed feelings for Jet were overpowering her. That night had been ruined then.

Tonight was particularly dull. Feeling in the mood to do something besides have a mental game of hide-and-seek with Aquamarine, she walked out of the engine room. Everyone was at dinner, except Diamond and Sapphire.

Well, maybe not.

Mika felt the need to go home. She'd feel when it was time to go and help the cyborgs, but it wasn't yet. Quiet and collected, she wasn't a big hit at home. Most of the time she spent was reading, writing, swimming or clarinet playing. Not like those made a huge impact on her life.

Best be getting back now, she thought. I'll feel it when it's time to help them. You can't miss that magical vibe.

Diamond had woken up with Topaz sprawled on her chest. Guessing she had done it in her sleep, she climbed off the bed. Looking at her surroundings, she panicked.

Oh god, she thought. I'm still in Black Ghost's lab. Diamond walked to the door, and it was unlocked. She walked outside and found a corridor. It didn't seem to go on forever, but rather a short distance. Following it, she reached a living room like place. Diamond began to hear voices.

"Can you contact Sapphire by any chance, 001? I want to talk to her." A voice said. Diamond then realized that she was on the Dolphin. Walking into the kitchen, she saw the team of gem girls she'd assembled: Garnet, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Emerald, Pearl, Ruby, Peridot, and Opal.

Opal? Where was Sapphire?

The room fell silent as Aquamarine began to stare out the door. Everyone's head turned to look at Diamond. One face walked forward from the living room to see why it had gotten so quiet all of a sudden. Then, she saw Diamond.

Hello, everyone. Especially you, Jet and Diamond. I'd like to say hi and sorry for the rude behavior. Sapphire thought, broadcasting it around the kitchen. Diamond turned and smiled. Smiled. Sapphire looked at her, and realized what Diamond would say if she knew.

Jet looked. He couldn't believe his eyes. There was Sapphire, apologizing to him. From talking with 004 earlier, he decided now was the best time to give Sapphire his gift. Or maybe not.

Sapphire walked in and seated herself next to Albert. She looked sad, like she was about to cry. She brought her knees up to her chest and buried her face in the folds of her sweatshirt. Letting her thoughts go on 'let everyone hear' mode, she told them something.

You guys, while we were looking for Diamond, I saw something weird. There was this person, you see, who was sitting underwater. No, 008, she wasn't a cyborg. She was human. It wasn't like she was scared or anything, she just sat there. I'm telling you, I think it's Black Ghost. It's fine you don't believe me, it's just a thought on the matter.

"That's a good thought, Sapphire." Albert told her. "I wonder if it is Black Ghost, and they've started to expand their enterprise."

Diamond walked meekly into the room, not feeling very welcomed. She sat between Garnet and Amethyst, who grinned. The others began to look at her with anxious glances. Diamond looked at what she was wearing. Great, she thought.

That hadn't all been a dream. It had all been real.

"You're on of us now, huh?" Joe asked Diamond sarcastically. "I guess Black Ghost needed..."

"Not now, 009. She hasn't realized what a huge impact Black Ghost had on her life." Albert told Joe.

"No, it's alright, 004. I think I'm going through shock now. Now I guess I really am one of you." Diamond said. Francoise felt pity. Diamond had had a whole life ahead of her, and Black Ghost had to steal it away before she got into her teenage years, even. "But I still think that I'm able to create cyborgs. Was anyone in the place where I was asleep recently, cause there's a new cyborg in there." Diamond announced.

Just then, a large flame shot through the kitchen, scaring Chang half to death.

"Hello. I'm Topaz."

"Sir, Diamond has moved." Takegara told Black Ghost. He was so pleased with himself for planting that tracking device on Diamond.

"Good. Prepare to send 0016 after them." Black Ghost returned, feeling pleased himself. That tracking device had been a stroke of genius. It wasn't often you got to watch rebels try to escape your empire.

Mika had gotten back home. She retreated to her room, flopped onto the bed, and surveyed her room.

All over the walls were pictures of anime characters, including 009. this is true for the real me too! Mika put on her headphones and listened to what CD was in there.

(Oh, you know I have seen, a woman of means and rags on begging for pleasure. Crossed, a river of salt, just after I rode a ship that's sunk in the desert. And I have seen, darker than ebony. And now it seems, that I, without your eyes could never live.)

Mika felt like singing, but knew her dad would hear. She decided against it and started to play Poke'mon Sapphire Version.

Topaz and Aquamarine weren't getting along very well. Since their powers were opposite fire and water, they felt the need to fight. Peridot felt the need to stop them, so she became invisible and jumped on Aquamarine's back. This didn't do any good. Aquamarine shot a huge waterspout at Peridot, who sided with Topaz.

"ENOUGH!" Amethyst screamed. "You guys need to settle your differences. Right now, you need to go to sleep."

Aquamarine sent yet another waterspout at Amethyst for this. It never did reach her, though. Sapphire stood there, eyes aglow.

"You guys had better stop, or I swear I'll lock you outside." Sapphire yelled. She was mad.

Sapphire hoisted Diamond clearly into the living room. Diamond stood there puzzled. Then she saw a flame shooting after her. From there, she didn't waste any time. Diamond neutralized all of their powers. Pearl wandered in, looking for the source of noise. Her powers, too, were temporarily stopped.

"No more fighting. If there is anymore, you know what will happen." Sapphire told them. Diamond let them have their abilities back. Both walked out of the room, feeling good.

008, can we surface for a short while? Sapphire asked, waltzing into the control room. Mostly everyone else had gone to bed.

"Sure thing, Sapphire." Pyunma told her. He had learned from 002's mistake: never mess with Sapphire. The Dolphin surfaced. Sapphire looked outside. It was another perfect night.

Creeping into 002's room, Sapphire found him. Thinking that a large amount of firecrackers were going off inside 002's head, he woke up. She grinned as he looked up at her. "Come with me." She ordered. Jet followed, feeling very puzzled.

Sapphire hauled him up to the top of the Dolphin. The stars shone brightly, and there was a full moon. When she looked again, the Small Mangelic Cloud was there. Sapphire boosted herself up onto the highest part she could get to. She beckoned 002 to join her there. Still puzzled, he followed.

"I'm sorry, 002. I got you something to make up for what I did." Sapphire told him, pulling a black crystal out of her pocket. "This is jet, a crystal with fossilized forms of animals in it. I hope you like it."

Jet stood there, stunned. First, she didn't talk to him, then, here she was. She had given him a priceless gift. "I...uh...errr...have a gift for you too." Jet finally managed to say. Sapphire blushed.

He unsheathed a necklace. It was a silver chain with a sapphire at the end shaped as an 'S'. Sapphire positively glowed. "Jet, how can I thank you?" she asked.

"By telling me what's in the middle of this." Jet told her.

"Oh, that's corundum. It's the raw material that sapphires are made from." Sapphire said.

Jet looked at her. She stood there, glancing at the stars. Her indigo hair flew out behind her, making her look wild and calm at the same time. If only she didn't wear all that black, he thought. "Sapphire? I'm going in now." He said, disappearing into the Dolphin. Sapphire stood there, clutching the necklace. She would wear it, even though he'd given her spinel instead of a sapphire.

But no matter, she thought. Closing her hands around it, it shone. Soon, it had become a sapphire. She smiled at it, then put the necklace on.

"So? How did it go, 002?" Albert asked as Jet reentered the Dolphin.

"It went great." Jet told Albert with a very large grin and an even larger amount of blush. He pulled the slab of jet out of his pocket. "She gave me this."

Albert grinned at Jet. He finally had gotten himself somewhere, instead of arguing. This was a large step up. "So, 002, did you give her the necklace?" he asked Jet.

"Of course he did." Sapphire said, climbing down the rungs of the ladder. "I love it." And Jet saw that she did. She had begun to wear it. It looked so much better on her. "Well, have a good night."

Then, Jet reached out and kissed Sapphire.

Albert smiled. Sapphire kissed him back.

"0016, are you ready?" Takegara asked to the 0016 girls. They didn't respond. It looked like they still needed to develop more before they could be sent after those irritating cyborgs. There wasn't just one 0016. There were two.

Twins, like the ten twins. Black Ghost had ordered replicates of 0017 made, but they had been altered. The ten twins had dismally failed. But now, with someone on the rebel team with two of themselves on the opposing team, how could they compete?

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO REVIEW! throws large amounts of candy at dishrag1313 and wolfwood11

You guys are all so very awesome! It's the people like you who make me want to stay home all day and write. Reading your reviews makes me think that I NEED to get the next chapter up right away! And if you're one of those people who sends flames.. pulls out a large flaming torch you'll have this to answer to plus, an author block! HEHEHEHE!!

-Until next wacky, insane and downright strange chat,

Mika Shirizawa