Embodied in love and shadow

Ami felt the stinging fire consume her gown as she fell from the stairway . The intense flames from under breathing in her delicate form as her scarred, outreached hand pulled at loose ends. The Mercurian princess closed her eyes and readied herself to die a gruesome and consuming death, she choked on the fumes already poisoning her quick breaths. An unearthly cry triggered her tear-filled and clenched eyes to burst open; her body was shot into a frightful pain as it stopped in mid air and swung dubiously center of the ring of fire beginning to consume her. The scar tissue ripped easily from her damaged hand as a powerful force had clung onto it, tearing bone from the wrist to hand. Ami also gave out a cry but quickly renounced her tears to the quickness of thought and to take this momentous opportunity to safe herself from a fiery death.

The powerful extortion to stop the genius from falling was Makoto. Beyond any kind of comprehension to physics or strength, the brunette had swung herself from where she was hanging on the stairway and lowered herself with one arm, the other barely reaching to grab Ami's outreaching hand. The colossal cry had come from the tall girl when, despite the intense moment, she stopped Ami from falling to death against the power of the flames sucking her in. Such was the strain that both hands were torn by the skin by such a tremendous friction; the blue haired girl's scar, still unevenly healed, tearing easily but Makoto's fierce one did not let go.

"Mako-chan!" Ami shouted between the cries of others and the falling foundations of the hall which surrounded her to no end. Her saviour did not meet her eyes but clenched her teeth tightly as she tried to keep both arms tightly on the collapsing stairway and her friend's slipping hand. The smaller girl tried to pull herself higher, but her broken wrist would not work and she feared only damaged tendons connected her swinging body from falling.

"COME ON MAKOTO!" the brunette shouted into an explosion of pain and determination before she hoisted Ami's limp hand and flailing body from below and into her arm; the smaller girl, despite the very sudden and baffling moment, threw her arms around Makoto's neck and onto the remaining parts of the railing where they both hung. Such an erupt situation caused the stairway, which had still been holding on, to swing and begin to crumble under the fire and sudden dark mattered attacks coming down from the hall and entrance from the port.

Swift, cloudy shadows were flying all around. Their forms were unlike any, conforming a parade of floating demons containing the place, only to be drowned out by the fire which had reached dire levels. Still, terran soldiers were still fighting amongst the flames and their numbers were increasing from the entrance.

"Hold me!" Makoto urged and took her liberated hand and placed it on the railing so Ami was hanging on her back. The brunette growled before moving herself up the railing as quickly as she could. The two avoided the moving ledge where they hung and continued, at least the brunette did, to reach the safeness of the upper staircase. Every move made both girls flinch; Ami's broken wrist felt like it was bursting while she could feel on her forearm Makoto's dislocated shoulder stabbing her.

One last great cry by the brunette was enough to cross them over to the top of the stairway where they fell haphazardly onto a slightly warm floor. They didn't stop just yet and quickly scrambled by the closest corridor where they felt safest. Breathing heavily and moaning from pain, the two princesses were still captured by the incoming catastrophe.

"Mako-chan! Are you alright?" Ami demanded as she hovered over the taller girl and caressed a cut on her forehead. She trailed her fingers along the girl's strong jaw, feeling it tighten at the touch.

The brunette smiled before flinching "I think so. We should get out of here" she groaned as she laid on her burnt back and buried her bleeding fingers into the soft, silk floor below her.

The blue haired girl gingerly cupped Makoto's face in her bleeding hand before she placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of here" she promised before throwing herself over the injured girl as thousands of lunar soldiers dashed past her and towards the stairway which was almost completely destroyed and engulfed in flames.

Ami's sudden reaction obviously made the brunette cry out in pain. Before she could release the girl from her tight grip, the ground below them began to shake violently, making the movement even more painful. It took a fast moment of thought for Ami to let go and discover what was making things worse. She quickly ran behind the lunar guards fighting the fire at the top of the stairway; with a fast glimpse she saw several demon like shadows and terran armored clad men winning the battle, they laughed hysterically as they continued to push and pound against the foundations blocking the way to the main part of the palace.

As far as she could see, Rei was still holding a powerful stance against the circle of fire trying to attack her and Minako. Such a struggle was the only clear spot Ami could see between the flames and men in front of her. She suddenly doubled over, almost causing a soldier in front of her fall, as another fierce quake shook them all on the top of the stairway. An ear-piercing cry pulled her attention away to Makoto who was being subdued to pain in her burnt back from the shake.

An ache in her head and piercing straight through her heart exploded in Ami as she heard and watched her brunette friend hurt. She screamed, turning the soldiers heads as well as Makoto's who tried to stand but couldn't. A glowing light radiated from her forehead, the bluest anyone had ever seen, until her cries exploded as she fell to her knees. With eyes wide and yelling uncontrollably, Ami's inner element collided into those in front of her, it's strange mist riding through the hall and out the entrance to the port.

Such a spectacle momentarily ceased all movement until a growing growl turned all heads towards the Mare. The blue, piercing mist Ami had created dove into the sea and grew until an enormous wave flickered dangerously towards the palace. The remaining soldiers, both silver and black clad, turned to watch the powerful watery threat bore down on them. It only took another shake from the terran soldiers inside the hall to wear Ami down to her last bit of rational thought.

The Mare Serenitatis, once a calm and peaceful sea, became a torrent of crashing water as it tore into the men fighting on the beach. The terran ships were torn in a matter of seconds as debris from them flew in every direction. The watery wave had a mind of it's own, striking terran soldiers who quickly turned into dust just as they cried out in agony. The lunar soldiers hesitated but were spared as they torrents avoided their fearful bodies and turned into the direction of the palace.

The remaining pieces of glass of the windows in the ballroom exploded as water shot inside and collided into the remaining terran soldiers. The floating black shadows stopped their destruction and panicked, they quickly soared away into the outsides of the palace and into the stormy night. Such an enormous amount of water drenched the place, quickly putting out the overpowering array of fire which had been minutes away from consuming everything.

At the top of what remained of the stairway, dozens of soldiers watched in awe as Ami continued to wail in pain as her power over the waters of the Mare healed the battle in the hall. The princess, no longer able to contain such power, gasped once more before falling to her side, the glow on her forehead immediately ceased as if it was never there. No one dared touch her as she heaved difficult breaths but smiled as she felt the air turn clear and cold.

"Go on then! They're still getting away!" a soldier near Ami cried as the men scared of her scattered down anyway they could. The girl could barely see several spirits, hidden between smoke and ash, soar out of the vicinity of the palace and into the stormy night.

When Rei could no longer feel her element threaten her, she felt an unbelievable urge to stop. But such was the power emanating from her that if it was a false alarm, it would crash into her and Minako like two flaming walls. It was so painful, she feared her brain would explode and her arms would tear off but she couldn't risk the faint feeling of safety that she felt so closely. The urge to let go began growing when she could begin to hear her name being called out more and more clearly as the power over her element was not so present.

"Rei-chan! Rei-chan! Stop!" Minako's voice became apparent as her own shouting died down into moaning. The fire was gone left with a very wet ballroom.

The miko noticed the transformation of red to dripping of water and she fell to her knees, wracked with relief and pain. Two delicate arms wrapped themselves around her waist as she leaned her head against a heaving and heart pounding chest.

Minako held the miko and soothingly caressed her frayed, black hair as she felt Rei slightly turn her head into her breast and felt her smile. "We're safe, don't worry" the blonde whispered before giving her a much deserved kiss on the head.

"I know" the priestess said. Satisfied with the heartbeat she felt and heard against her ear, the miko smiled before falling into an exhausted unconsciousness.

Minako, worried but seeing the damage was being cleared, found her Queen Serenity appear through a clearing of smoke where many soldiers were still trying to hold her back from the possible danger. The Venusian kept to her place, holding Rei in her arms, but called out to the older woman who was hysterically jumping and pushing her way through the massacre.

"Usagi-chan is safe!" the blonde princess cried when her Queen was nearest.

Serenity stopped and gave the pair of guardians a sympathetic glance "I know. Find Maiestas and have him take care of Rei-chan! Is she alive?" she cried in an unusual tone before giving the area a very disturbing and nervous glance. Such a display from Serenity only made Minako feign even more.

"I don't know where Maiestas is! What does it matter? Where can I take Rei-chan! She needs help!" the blonde protested to the older woman who continued to scramble between the mess and people protesting from the pain. There was still some kind of battle going on outside but it was too feeble and far to understand.

"Serenity! Serenity!" Minako yelled obnoxiously at the queen who was still ignoring her.

Finally, when it was enough, Serenity stood her ground "Minako-chan! Stop! You take Rei-chan to her room! This battle is far from over so please! Do something yourself! Act like a princess! Act like a guardian!" she shouted in her spot as she looked at the blonde with menacing eyes.

Minako nodded silently and very embarrassed before beginning to rearrange her position to take Rei to safety.

Ami gently touched her forehead which still burnt a little. When her senses regained, she noticed how close she was to the edge of the melted second floor of the stairway she was. The heat was gone and only loose pieces of building were dangling and sometimes falling from her point of vision. She wanted to stay on the floor, despite her proximity to the edge, when a gentle hand warmed her heaving shoulder.

"You are the bravest..." Makoto's wheezed as she laid next to Ami as possible and touched her tense arm.

The blue haired girl gave a sad chuckle before turning towards the brunette who was able to give a crooked smile despite her pain. "That's not true and you know it very well, you're the bravest" she whispered, again cupping her hand against the brunette's jaw.

Makoto grinned at the gesture before falling to pain again. She winced, against her will, and grabbed onto Ami's unharmed hand. "Go find your mother, I'll be fine" she said knowing the girl had more important interests. The genius found the request odd since her friend was first on her mind and her kin had been practically erased from her thoughts. Still, the brunette was talking and breathing so the smart thing would be to find her mother, yet, Ami did not move from her spot and held onto the bleeding hand in hers. Before she could concentrate on her secretly loved one, fate had fallen into an obvious outcome.

"Ami-chan! Ami-chan!" a hysterical cry came from the chaotic, destroyed and massacred bottom part of the hall. It rang despite the hurried soldiers, still falling debris and fighting from outside the palace which grew further and further. Saeko, from the entrance to the port, was howling with tears in her eyes in search of her daughter, the queen had one arm reaching out and seemingly controlling a torrent of water from the Mare into the outsides of the palace where odd creatures of a shadowy form were fleeing through the forest outlining the palace parameter. Others, not damaged enough to lose their bodily forms, ran through the forest and escaped by the darkness of the storm. Sure, it was a winning battle for the moon, the enemy fled to the wherever they could, a fairly large horizon of town and caves where they could hide. The palace was won and the lunarians could only pursue the rest of the demons floating on their planet.

Ami was already studying the way to get down to help her mother, Makoto trying to get up and help her. The were trapped in safety. The genius was holding onto the railing, moments away from jumping as she looked at her mother who continued to use her power over the water to clear the firing woods and stop the demons. Saeko gave her a respectful smile, one she had never received, before the Jovian with incredible strength stood next to Ami and gave the Mercurian queen a reassuring smile despite her overpowering pain.

Saeko nodded back and straightened, her power growing fiercer "Ami-chan! Take the Jovian princess and heal her! We need her power soon enough, beside her, you'll be the greatest warrior!" she cried before launching herself out into the fray of lunar soldiers who ran towards the fleeing terrans.

Ami jumped at the remark, feeling a crack in her ruined wrist. But such a bold and approving speech from her mother made her burst into an emotional quake. Seeing Saeko run so fiercely into the battle, knowing she would be triumphant, Ami looked around excitedly and found no one to help her carry Makoto who was smiling weakly under her.

"Just hold me up a little" the brunette groaned as she took a deep breath and held herself against Ami who, also wounded and in pain, managed to get the taller girl up into a semi-standing stance against the sides of the corridor leading to their rooms.

After a relatively short stride, both limping and moaning in pain, Makoto and Ami reached the closest and safest room which was the genius's. The brunette, tired and in pain, leaned against the wall which made her cry in more pain. Ami was fast to hold her heavy body and lay her on her stomach on the bed.

The genius blushed, holding her broken wrist to a side, she tore with a small knife Makoto's shirt with her good hand, revealing a very burnt wound on her back. She could feel the girl under her burn in pain but not utter a single complaint, only her taught muscles contracted as the fabric tore at skin. Ami couldn't help but admire such formed tissue, noticing scars all around the powerful back of her friend. Of course, this was where her fear towards anyone noticing her body came from; she thought it was horrible due to the scars.

Ami was kind and she summoned her abilities and gentleness with her hand as he touched the wound on Makoto's back. The brunette bit into her pillow before she breathed in deeply and enjoyed the careful touch of Ami on her burning back.

"You're so cold..." the tall girl hissed as she felt further ministrations on her aching skin.

Ami got off of the bed and rummaged through her belongings "I've never been very warm to the touch but I have a feeling my element has much to do with it" she said softly before proceeding back and gently sitting next to the wounded girl.

"You saved us all, you know?" the brunette said before grimacing as she felt another piece of fabric tear from her burnt skin.

"I did no such thing. I simply released what comes naturally to all of us, with our element" - the blue haired girl replied as she opened a small vile filled with blue liquid - "This will be cold but it'll heal you and leave almost no scarring" she added before applying the miracle water on the red flesh.

Makoto recalled the effect of the medicine, one Maiestas had already applied before, and the coolness certainly helped as she could feel her damaged body begin to regain strength. The fragility she could feel on her back had now turned into a tightness only a healing wound could feel like, the pain already dulling so she could easily move without ache.

"We're very proud of our treatment on Mercury. If it's used in time, the scarring is minimal" Ami tried to reassure as she put away the vile, she contemplated her own scarred hand which had not been handled in time. But she was glad to see Makoto lifting herself on her elbows, testing her muscles.

"I don't think I worry too much about scars anymore, as you can see" - the brunette chuckled sadly and only turning a bit to look up at Ami who was sitting at her side - "I suppose I was spared for now, a disappointing wedding night will have to wait" she said laying herself back down against the pillows.

Only the faint cries of fighting could be heard, surely soldiers now far from the Palace and chasing the fleeting terrans and demons who retreated. Outside the room was strangely quiet, except for the odd sounds of heavy boots trotting from one end to the other.

Ami could feel tears fall down her cheeks. She hadn't noticed and quickly cleaned them away. She took her shaking hand and placed it gently on Makoto's strong, tattered back. The girl didn't recoil but instead relaxed under the touch. The blue haired girl felt completely invited as she leaned over and gave the brunette a soft kiss on her barely scarred back. The gesture made the tall girl tense up but Ami did not move too far away.

"You're very sweet..." Makoto whispered as she slowly turned over, bare-breasted, and faced the girl beside her. Ami breathed heavily before she lowered her head and met the brunette's eager lips.

The kiss was gentle, almost frightening as they slowly eased into each-other's body. There was a single moment when a powerful feeling could no longer stop Ami from containing herself. she immediately kissed Makoto passionately, tears falling from her eyes as she held the taller girl's face intensely.

The Jovian was startled for a moment but quickly held Ami tightly against her as the smaller girl rearranged herself on top. The kissing continued fiercely, the force coming stronger from the shy girl. As the height of her happiness increased, she stopped and immediately began crying.

"I'm sorry..."

Makoto held the blue haired girl's head until they were touching foreheads "It's okay..." she whispered before receiving a nod which allowed them to continue kissing in a much more loving manner. Ami began to shudder in an urgency she had never experienced before; she could feel herself burning and without a single rational thought took Makoto's hand and led it slowly down in between her legs.

"Please..."

The brunette was confused but certainly felt euphoric to feel something so beautiful and to satisfy the person at this moment she cared for the most. Her hand lifted the already shortened gown and she carefully placed it on Ami's warm thigh. Makoto was scared but could not deny what her lover wanted. She slowly placed her fingers lightly on the genius's wet underwear. This caused the smaller girl to shudder and tense, releasing her lips from Makoto's to bite her own and hold a scream.

The tall girl could feel Ami's heart collide against her as she slipped two fingers under the underwear where she was met by soaking flesh. She had barely begun to explore the area when the blue haired girl could hardly breathe, she was shuddering uncontrollably and muting her cries into Makoto's collarbone. The tall girl was careful to touch the girl gently but no matter how slow or lightly her finger's grazed she could not stop Ami's powerful and intense pleasure.

"Oh Makoto...!" the Mercurian princess cried as she quivered and shook against the tall girl under her. She lost her breath for several seconds before she collapsed into heaving pants and a warm sweat.

The brunette was very surprised by what had happened and how quickly Ami had achieved something so tantalizing to her. She took her hand away and placed it on the smaller girl's heaving back.

"I'm sorry, I've never felt like that...I couldn't help it" the blue haired girl groaned as she rested her burning face on Makoto's bare chest.

"It's alright, I hope you feel better..." the brunette said giving Ami a kiss on the forehead.

The smaller girl breathed in relief as she nodded and finally felt the wave of pleasure leave and her body finally fall into a sudden collapse of exhaustion. She only wished to sleep against the strong and comfortable torso under her. She was happy feeling Makoto's heart beat calmly and soothingly against her ear.

"I'm glad..." the brunette whispered before falling to sleep immediately. Her breathing was slow and even and she wore a placid smile on her face.

Despite all that had happened and what battle continued far from them, Ami was extremely happy. She couldn't imagine how a girl like Makoto could feel any less than perfect and she suddenly felt the urge to make the brunette happy and to take care of her no matter what. She lowered herself over the taller girl's body, contemplating her large breast before touching the scar under it and giving it a gentle kiss.

"You're so beautiful..." Ami whispered before placing her head back on Makoto's warm chest and falling almost instantly asleep.

Please read and review! As you can see, Ami/Mako is now officially on! Again, anything confusing please let me know. have a good one!