Keep reviewing people! The more reviews I get, the faster I update! Thanks to those who did! Without further delay, here's the chapter. thanks to those who reviewed, but to those hwom only read without reviewing, that is very dissapointing. Please review this chapter, make it WORTH my time.


Chapter 9

Ami, Wufei, and Greg approached the sand just as the senshi Uranus and Neptne ran off, Uranus giving her a discreet nod, which was still noticed by Wufei. Lara and Josh ran out from their spot behind the plants on the pavement.

"Are you gusy alright," Lara called, running over with Josh at her heels.

"We had a few problems, but we're okay," Ami responded. Quatre came out of the forest with a still passed out Rei. Ami ran over, the others following. Quatre set Rei down on the sand gently, still holding her around her shoulders and back.

"Is she alright," Ami asked, getting down on her knees next to Quatre.

"She grabbed her bag when the youma attacked, and boom, out like a light. It looked like some sort of electricity had goen through her. I thought it was impossible, until I saw a small blue gem on the strap of her bag."

Ami nodded at Quatre's explanation.

"We had a similar experience," she said, not explaining for the moment.

She turned back to Rei. Placing her two fingers on Rei's wrist, she paused. Her pulse was fine.

"Rei? Rei wake up,"she said, toughing her arm gently and shaking her slightly.

"Come on now Rei," she said, shaking her a bit more. Rei shifted, and cracked her eyes open.

"Ames?"

"Good, you're alright. Quatre here was very worried," she said, winking at Quatre whom blushed and helping Rei up off of the sand, shaking some sand out of her hair.

"Do you need something to drink," she asked. Rei shook her head.

"Alright, let's find the others then." Rei gave a questioning glance at Quatre, wondering what exactly had happened to her before she blacked out. Quatre helped Rei walk, holding her up.As they walked, Rei and Quatre glanced at Wufei,Ami, and Greg. They all looked SO tired, and their breathing wasn't normal.

"You guys alright," Rei asked, eyeing the three.

"We'll be fine," Ami responded, running a hand through her wet hair to get it away from her face. In truth, she had been feeling deathly sick ever since she had arrived on shore with the boys. Was it because she had swallowed so much water...or was it something else? Her mind drifted back to the water, the blue light- that was around when she had this feeling. Shaking her head, she continued.

The group walked over past the juice stand, towards the locker room. Trowa emerged from behind the counter, startling Rei.

"You all alright," he asked. They nodded. Usagi and Mamoru were emerging from the locker room, the cats at their feet. Mamoru held Usagi back defensively when he saw someone about to enter, but quickly realizing it was them, relaxed and approached them.

"Hey, you all alright?"

At their nods, he and Usagi moved aside. Out walked Minako and Duo, glancing around right away.

"Wow, are you all okay? You guys look so sick," Minako said, indicating at the group, and walking over. She placed her hand on Ami's forehead.

"You're starting to get warm," she ocmmented, testing Greg, and then Wufei, who flinched away.

"You alright Rei? I saw you from a distance, but couldn't get to you," Minako said.

"I'm fine, Quatre helped me."

Last to emerge from the locker room was Makoto. She helped a very dizzy Heero walk out. He had been unconsious at first. He had been leaning against a tree, when he was electricuted by some gem, an dthen had been drained of a bit of energy by a youma as well.

Heero staggered as he walked. He had never had this feeling before. It felt like all of the energy had been drained from his body, but he felt weak being supported by the girl.

"I can walk by myself," he said, so Mako loosened up, and Heero fell forwards on his first step, dizziness over taking him. Minako gasped, Usagi gave a small shriek, Lara smirked secretly and Rei's eyes widened. Ami and Wufei grabbed hold of his arms, before his head hit the ground.

"Yuy, I'm going to probably pay for this later, but there is a tiem when everyone must admit that they need help," Duo said, stepping back as Heero looked up and glared.

"Look, I don't mind helping you. You were shocked and draned of some of your energy. That's a lot to handle," Mako said, grabbing his arm and draping it over her shoulder.

The group left the beach after gathering their stuff. Upon arriving home, the g-boys went to talk, Lara and Josh left, and the girls, and Mamoru left to go talk at the temple. It was 5:00, and Ami planned to be home by 6:00.

Greg was very tired and went home with Ami's persuasion.

At the G-boys apartment...

The group all sat in the living room, no one moving to change yet.

"That was pretty bad. None of us have been injured before," Quatre said.

Heero nodded, feeling better after he ate something.

"So what exactly happened with all of you. We need to know, it can help us with our information," Heero said.

"Well, nothing too interesting happened with me and Minako. When the youma attacked, we ran to hide in the locker rooms. She's so hot man- I mean...she was worried about her friends. There was just that guy and a bunch of monsters," Duo said. Heero nodded after glaring and continued.

He glanced at Trowa.

"Nothing. I saw the monsters and hid behind the counter to see if the senshi would show up. Two of them came at the end."

Heero nodded.

"Okay. Quatre?"

"Rei and I didn't see much. As I said earlier to some of you, she grabbed her back and got zapped, so I carried her into the woods out of view and watched the senshi.You?"

Heero nodded. "Hn, well I can't tell you all much, sinceI was passed out. How about you Wufei? You looked beat when you arrived."

Wufei scowled slightly, not caring enough to share bout his ordeal, but knowing it was important.

"Well, that idiot Greg and I were racing on the jet ski's. Not officially, we just glared ta each other and sped up. I could here the onna Ami warning us as she sat behind Greg. Then we heard scdreams from the shore, and I felt like I was being electricuted, and looking over saw Greg in the same predicament.Thestupid onna was fine since she was in the back. Then I..." Wufei paused, trying to find a more masculine word for what had happned. "I...blacked out. I don't remember any more after that until I woke up..." Wufei said, stopping there.

"You passed out on a jet ski in the ocean? How did you get out of that," Heero said sceptically.

"Well, as I said I passed out. Greg was unconsious as well, but he told me what Ami told him happened before I was...revived," Wufei said the word as if it were poison. Trowa raised an eyebrow.

"You're very vague in your story,"�Quatre said.

"Alright alright! According to Greg, when we passed out, Ami told him the jet ski's hit oncoming waves and flipped. She was thrown off, and he and I sank, of course. So...theonnasavedus," he said quickly. Heero raised an eyebrow this time. Wufei sighed, he could already see a smile dancing on Duo's lips.

"The onna swam down and saved us. First she found Greg, brought him to the surface, then brought me up. According to Greg he became consious at this point. Of course, he was under a much shorter time, and he was weaker of course. He said Amiband himbwere coughing up water as they hopped on the jet ski's and drove to the shore, far from the public beach area. They pulled me on shore, where Greg says he collapsed onto the sand...the weakling...and Ami realized I wasn't breathing. Then I was revived."

Duo's smile was now full force, 100 watt as he looked at Wufei.

"Then what Wu-man? How were you 'revived'," he asked, already knowing the answer. To everyone's surprise, Wufei's cheeks turned a dark shade of red, and he tried to cover it with anger.

"SHUTUP MAXWELL!"

"How were you revived. You had taken in a lot of water," Quatre reasoned patiently. Wufei's face turned reder.

"It's not a big deal! The onna gave me CPR, it's what anyone would do!" At this statement, Duo burst into laughter.

"Yeah. SURE. Wufei's all RED! HA! He's embarassed cause he got kissed while unconsious! Mouth to mouth recesitation," Duo mocked, laughing. Wufei was on his feet chasing Duo with his katana in an instant.

Heero frowned.

"Wait," he said. Wufei and Duo stopped.

"You say that Greg told you that Ami swam down, got Greg, and then went down again, after being shocked - not at the brunt of the attack no, but the after shock, thrown off the jet ski, swallowing tons of water, and managed to save you as well before suffocating?"

Wufei paused. Duo stopped in his tracks, and turned to face the others.

"That is a lot for an ordinary person, no matter how good a swimmer she is," Duo said reluctantly Heero nodded.

"Yes, and then she drove to the shore, gave Wufei CPR, and after a moment of resting, came to look for her friends?" Wufei nodded, and Heero frowned.

Walking over to the board, he put Ami's name under 'Senshi', 'Hidden Strength', and 'Enemy'. Ami's name sat under Setsuna Meioh's for possible enemy, and hers was alone for hidden strength at the moment. Under senshi, he had only Ami. No one else made him that suspicious.

"She may be either one of those. Even if she's opposed to that general, no one ever said that enemies of one group work together."


At the temple, Ami and the girls + Mamoru and the cats sat around Rei's table, some on teh floor, others on the couches.

They had all exchanged stories of what had happened to them.

Ami retold her story about what had happened. When she was at the part aboutgetting Wufei, she toldthem about the strange light that had encircled her, enabling he to get to the surface. Then she rushed past the part about the CPR quickly, causing her friends to chuckle at her shyness, and described how she had gotten to them.

"That's strange Ami, we'll keep an eye out," Usagi said. Ami nodded and shivered. Ever since they had left the beach, Ami's fever had gotte worse.

Upon entering the temple after trudging up the steps, Ami had barely made it to the couch by the table before getting dizzy and nearly collapsing. Makoto and Mamoru had been by her side in an instant. Rei was instructed to sit, since she had also been hurt, while Minako had gone to get a cold cloth for Ami's head to slow down the fever, and Usagi had helped Rei sit down, and had prepared tea herself for everyone, pleasing Rei.

Once they decided the meeting had gone on long enough, Rei checked her watch tiredly.

"Oh crappe it's 6:30." Ami's eyes flew open.

"I was supposed to be home at 6:00. My mother wanted to have 'a talk'," Ami groaned, sitting up.

She went to stand, and got dizzy again as she staggered a few steps forwards. Feeling her head rushing and a blinding pain, she grasped her head before actually hitting his floor, Minako making a mad dash to get a pillow beneath Ami's head. Ami tried to stand, Makoto helping her and Mamoru standing beside incase Ami passed out again.

Rei sighed.

"What's here temperature?"

Minako got the thermometer.

After a moment, she spoke, removing it from Ami's mouth.

"103.5."

Usagi looked at Mamoru. "What's hospital temperature?"

"103 to 105, depending on age," he said.

"I don't need a hospital," Ami said, "I just swallowed too much water and used too much of my energy swimming, and then didn't dry myself off and got chilled," Ami concluded with a groan as she tried to free herself from Makoto's steel grip.

"It can't just be that. You've been in situations with water like this before, and never got sick enough to be disoriented or dizzy," Usagi pointed out.

"I'm fine, I really have to get home," Ami insisted.

"Geez, and she called Heero stubborn," Makoto said as Ami tore from her grip and attempted to move away, before the same feeling of nausea and dizziness took over. Mamoru grabbed Ami's arm as she steadied herself.

"Ami, what exactly are you feeling," Rei asked.

"Just...dizzy and nauseous, a lot of headaches."

"Have you been that way since you saved Greg and Wufei, since you saw that blue light around yourself and had that burst of energy," Minako suddenly asked. Everyone looked at her, then looked at Ami, as realization dawned on all of their faces.

Ami nodded. "It's nothing. I probably just used�too much of my power."

"Yes Ami, but since when have any of us ever been able to access our powers while untransformed," Makoto pointed out. Everyone grew silent.

"Are you all still having those nightmares we discussed at the beginning of the year," Usagi asked suddenly.

Everyone nodded. "Why Odango," asked Rei.

"Nothing...just wondering," said Usagi, as they all grew silent again.

"I can't stay, I have school, and I have a nice pile of unfinished homework to do," Ami said, sitting down with some help for a moment.

"Aww Ami, that can wait until you feel better," Minako said. Ami sighed in frustration.

"What's the point anyways? If everything keeps going this way, there'd be no point in my studying or taking exams at all."

Everyone stared at her, amazed.

"Now you're talking crazy Ames. Your temperature MUST be higher than 103," Usagi said, fanning Ami with her hands.

"It's true, and you ALL know I'm right. Why should I even bother having dreams or trying to succeed, when i'm just going to get pushed down again. I mean, my last test score was a low B, because I didn't have time to study." Makoto and Usagi's mouths fell open at the same time at this point, Rei sighing.

"Ami, that's ridiculous! Everyone needs a dream and something to strive for. And since when did YOU get a low B," Minako said. Ami frowned, looking broken at this point.

"I didn't want to tell any of you...I was ashamed...there's nothing special about me without my grades," Ami said this so faintly, it was almost a whisper as she directed her gaze to the floor.

This time it was Mamoru who's mouth fell open.

"Ami, that's crazy talk! You know you have a lot more to offer to this world than just your mind! You are a kind, beautiful person who always puts her friends before herself and wants to become a doctor so that she can help people. I can't believe you've fallen into this depression!"

Ami was silent, before speaking.

"See, I'm a freak too. I can't believe I'm so depressed when I have so many people that care about me, but I can't help it. I'm just depressed."

This time, Rei spoke. She had been watching silently the whole time, but now a couple of tears wre stinging at here eyes.

"You're not a freak Ami. I've been depressed too," Rei said, her voice quivering, "I've been majorly depressed."

"Why," Usagi asked.

"Everything. The slightest things that happen make me remember my mom and Dad, makes me remember peaceful times, makes me remember carefree happiness." Rei sighed, "just forget it."

"No Rei," Makoto said, "no forgetting it. It's good that we're bringing this up, because I've been horribly depressed as well, thinking of my parents, my breakups, my school work, the youma, the memory of my parents...it...it all weighs down on me until my shoulders feel so heavy that I can barely stand."

"I know how you feel, sometimes I feel like we're creating stereo types of ourselves. I always think I'm just a stupid ditzy blonde that can't commit to anything. I feel worthless sometimes," Minako said, "and thinking about England and fighting here- it makes me miserable- I mean, I try to hide it...but," Minako stopped there.

"The thing that scares me the most," Usagi said finally, and everyone looked at her, "is...is losing all of you. Losing the people I care about. It haunts me in my dreams, it's in the back of my mind everywhere I go. I fear for all of you guys and my family so much, I wonder if anything is going to happen while I'm not around, if I'm going to let everybody down and be the big screw up I know I am."

"You're not a screw up Usagi," Ami said, "and Minako, you're not worthless. None of us are," Ami wiped tears from her eyes, "but this is our burden. Fighting. I know it doesn't make any of us happy, but we have to keep doing it," Ami finished.

Mamoru sighed, and spoke up after listening to each one of them.

"I'm scared of losing all of you to a youma, I mean, I think about Usagi all the time-" he paused, "but what's scaring me right now is losing all of you to your own insecurities and fears. You can't get over taken with depression like this! You all have to talk to one another any time you're feeling sad, you can't bottle all of your anger or fears up, it'll kill you. It'll just kill you." He looked at them, before approaching Ami. "What happened to the girl who wanted so much to be a doctor, to follow in her mothers foot steps, to help people so much, and excell at everything she did no matter how hard it was or who stood in the way?"

He approached Rei. "What happened to the fiery priestess I first met, who was so alive and opinionated and cared so much for others even if it meant being brutally honest? What happened to that natural leader? And you Makoto, what about the cheery but tough chef that always defended others and had a smile on her face? Minako, what about the happy, athletic, energetic, worthwhile person I was introduced to, who always had a smile on her face?"

He turned finally to Usagi. "And Usagi, you know I love you, but I never again want to see that beautiful happy, truly happy smile dissapear from your face. You've never let anyone down, and I bet most anyone in the room would trust you above many others with their lives because you are so dependable when it comes to your friends. You care about everyone, even those who hurt you. You all have different qualities, different, but when it comes down to it, past the details, all of your feelings are the same. You are all alike, but in different ways. You all love each other, and can be hurt by one another or other people, and care deeply enough to give your lives for your causes and each other, and you have. Don't be ashamed to tell each other anything or give up on anything in your lives because of this. I mean, Minako, if you love volley ball, join the team, you don't have to quit because of these stupid enemies. You all understand what I mean?"

A few shocked nods met Mamoru. The calm,�reasoning voice had been present during his long lecture, it just had an edge to it.Ami replied.

"Thankyou Mamoru. I think we all needed that." Luna, Artemis, and Diana stared at the group.

"All of you girls work so hard, perhaps you should think about your own happiness for once," Luna said.

Rei nodded. Mamoru smiled.

"I'm leaving now, does anyone need a ride home," Mamoru asked. Rei shook her head.

"Nope. These guys are all spending the night here. You guys all do have spare uniforms and pajamas anyways, and Ami certainly can't head home the way she is." Mamoru nodded, understanding, and after kissing Usagi and waving to everyone, he left.

It was true. They always kept a spare set of pajamas and a uniform in the closet in Rei's guest room. After arriving late after a battle, the senshi usually spent the night there to re-cooperate, and headed to school the next morning so it wasn't unusual.

Makoto passed Ami the phone.

Ami dialed and�paused.

"Hello?"

"Hi mom," Ami said.�Ami heard a loud sigh from the other end of the phone.

"Mizuno Ami, you're late!"

"I know, I'm sorry. We were studying, and we got really carried away. Can�I spend the night?"

"But I wanted to talk with you," her mother protested.

"tomorrow, I promice," Ami lied.

Her mother sighed again.

"Fine. Goodnight." Ami have the cordless to Minako who put it back on the receiver.

�"Look Rei," Mako said, "we'll stay, but you're still hurt, so after we help you to bed and get Ami situated on the bed in the guest room, we'll spread out sleeping bags and change. Then in the morning, we'll all have breakfast together before school."

"Ooh," Usagi suddenly piped up, "can you make chocolate chip pancakes Mako-chan?"


I know this chapter took on a couple of very different moods, but I hope it's okay. I tried.

PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE! -gracedangel1854