Man, I feel wierd. I stop updating for two months, and now I'm practically updating every two days at the least. Maybe I could work on three stories at this rate...

Anyway, here begins the Sad Ending.

Purple Ghost Sausage: Thanks!

Velvet Panther: They're all actually pretty sad, but that one's the happiest. They'll be set free someday, and without a struggle. Just wait till you see these endings. They are nowhere near as...tame.

almostinsane: Thanks!

Ranma Higurashi: Okay!

Chapter 20b: The Sad Ending, Part 1

...Couldn't think fast enough.

The fireball hit her square in the face.

Numbuh 1 winced as he heard her scream. A bright flash of light filled the night, making the scream even more painful.

As the flash cleared, Amber came into view- but she didn't look like Amber. Her face was a mask of burns, her outfit was charred, but suprisingly hung on over her...well, you knows. She let out a wild howl and ran at Father. She gripped onto him, burning into his skin, showing no signs of letting go.

"Hey, stop it! STOP IT!" Amber wasn't listening. She just howled again and gave him a good kick in the stomach. Her long dirty-blond hair had caught fire, it was slowly creeping its way up to her skull.

"PLEASE, STOP IT!" Surprisingly, Amber did. She fell onto her knees, groaning with pain. "Yes...no..."

She screamed a final scream. A white light burst from her. Numbuh 1's vision went black...

"Man, he gave us a scare."

"Good thing that she brought us here, he wouldv'e died."

"Ssh, I think he's coming to." Numbuh 1's eyes opened, his vison blurry. It cleared. Numbuhs 362, 2, and 5 were standing over him. "Numbuh 1?" Numbuh 362 said, holding out her hand to him.

"I'm fine," Numbuh 1 said, leaping up. "Where's Amber? Where's Father?"

"I'll answer your last question first," Numbuh 362 said. "Father- and the rest of the Delightful Children, except Amber- have dissappeared. We can't find them on the radar. We have signs posted, though, and all the operatives are on the lookout."

"And...A-amber?"

"Amber..." Numbuh 5 hung her head. "Numbuh 5 didn't wanna be the one to break this to you, but Amber's been hurt bad. No no, she ain't dead, but she's pretty close. Only the MedOps can see her. Numbuh 3's one of them, so we'll get a report from her."

"Mmm." Numbuh 1 looked around. He was at Moonbase. He left the room he was in and headed toward Central Medlab. Amber- dead? He couldn't believe it. Maybe she'd pull through at the last second. Like on soap operas.

He smashed the door open- and saw a sight he didn't like. Twenty MedOps were crouched over a table with a bunch of tubes and such sticking out. Leaning in a corner was Cree, surprisingly, looking very worried.

A raven-haired KNurse spotted Numbuh 1. It was Numbuh 3. She ran over to him. "Numbuh 1!" she said. "You're alright!"

"Yeah yeah, how's Amber?"

"Not too good," she said dejectedly. "We can't find anything that'll save her."

Numbuh 1 sighed. "I'll wait outside then." He left the room.

A loud buzzer, a sob, and a shout of 'Clear!' ten minutes later told him more than he wanted to know.

I think you know what Numbuh 1 doesn't want to know. I do. -SP