Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners.

While JINX and Co are Fighting Hot Roderick…

"Just take a right, you can't miss it." A Koopa said.

"Ah, thank you. I thought I had passed it."

"Nope, you're almost there!"

"Thank you so much."

"You're welcome!" The Koopa smiled, watching the young lady disappearing from view. "What a nice young lady." He said with a smile and walked off, then reached into his pocket. "Huh? …That's odd, I could've sworn I had my wallet with me."

The young woman, who happens to be Emerald, chuckled to herself, holding the wallet in her hands. "Sucker." She smirked, hiding behind a dumpster and opening up the wallet to see what she'd find.

A coupon for Shy Guy Buffet, a bill from the dentist, some coins, his ID… that was about it.

"Mmm, not really useful." Emerald said, dropping the coins in her hands. She looked at them, flashing back to her days as a thief before Cinder picked her up. The woman who treated her well… well, kind of.

Emerald leaned her head back, her head hitting the dumpster. Deep down, she knew Cinder was just using her, and yet… there was nothing she could do about it. The woman was powerful after all…

"Don't think. Obey."

"…Yes ma'am, it won't happen again."

Picked up off the streets like a street rat… she was thankful for her and was glad she did, but even she knew that Cinder was using her like some pawn… she didn't even remotely care for her. Not to mention that Mercury even told her that while they were in space after Cinder's fight with Rosalina.

"You know Cinder is just using us. She doesn't even care about any of us."

"You don't know that, Merc."

"Come on, Em. When was the last time she's ever praised you? When was the last time she's ever done anything nice to you? Face it, as far as I'm concerned, she'll just throw us away the moment she no longer has a need for us."

"Merc, you know you're talking nonsense!"

"Am I, though? Am I? She may have picked us up at our weakest, but you and I both know that it was the best idea at the time because we were desperate. You think she cares about any of us? She's half of the Fall Maiden, Em. She's power hungry… and she won't stop for anything. As far as I'm concerned, Cinder will throw us out before we know it."

"Mer-"

"And you know damn well that she will never love you back, no matter how much affectionate smiles you throw her way. You need to move on, Em… Cinder will NEVER love you, hell, I don't think she even knows the definition of love anyway."

"Mmmph…" Emerald grimaced. As much as she hated to admit it, he might have had a point. She closed her eyes, wondering what she wanted to do. Her mind wandered to Cinder… she wondered what she was up to.

Her thoughts were diminished when her belly started grumbling. "Mmph…" She rubbed her belly, then looked at the coins. Surely, she could just get herself a snack at the grocery store but that wouldn't be enough to sate her appetite.

…Perhaps she could pick pocket someone and get herself a nice juicy steak. She got up and wandered around town, wondering who would be the perfect sucker to steal from. As she wandered around, something in the corner of her eye caught her attention.

She turned her head… and saw a meatball sub lying on the bench. Her eyes widened, nearly drooling at the sight of it and walked toward it. However, she failed to notice a raven made entirely out of ice standing on the bench as it proceeded to caw at her. "Wha?!" Emerald yelped as the Raven lunged at her, pecking at her. "Ow ow ow ow! Watch it! Ow!" She yelled as she ran off, as the Raven went back to guarding the sub.

"What the hell was that for…?" Emerald wondered as she hid in a bush.

"Ah, were you chasing away a potential thief?" A voice asked as she saw Esdeath sitting on the bench. "I can't believe I forgot my drink… how silly of me." She said as she dismissed the raven.

That was General Esdeath's?! Emerald thought, letting out a groan that she was this close to stealing from the general that she's heard so much about… how she quickly rose through the ranks and was nicknamed the Ice Queen.

She closed her eyes, her stomach growling. She drooled a bit over that meatball sub, watching her happily taking a bite. …She had to take it, she was starving.

Of course, she could take her wallet when she's not looking. A woman like her has to have at least a few credit cards, right? She looked both ways, seeing that no one else was walking by and with a deep breath, she stared directly at Esdeath.

Esdeath took another bite, then took a drink to wash it down after swallowing it… and then she heard sobbing. "Hmm?" She wondered as she noticed a kid crying in the corner of the street. Odd… she could've sworn that corner was empty just a second ago…

"Hey, what's wrong, sweetie?" She asked the "kid".

"I'm… I'm hungwee… Haven't eaten in… d-days…"

"Oh, you poor thing…" Esdeath motioned the kid to come to her as the kid did, then she broke apart her meatball sub.

Perfect. Keep it steady… She thought as she snuck over to the bench and reached for her pockets. Come on… almost there… She slowly grabbed the wallet and pulled it away from her. Yes! I didn't even know a skirt like that had pockets but who cares! She thought and then noticed half the sub on the bench.

She drooled a bit and slowly reached for it, while at the same time, the "kid" started to static.

"Hmm?" Esdeath tilted her head before she shifted her eyes behind her.

Almost there… almost!

She touched the sub. Got ya! She thought… and then a hand touched hers. Huh?!

"And just what do you think you're doing?"

Emerald started sweating nervously, blushing a deep red as she stared at Esdeath. "Um… uh…" Oh crap! She thought.

"Trying to steal from me, are you?"

Immediately, Emerald scrambled in her mind to have something appear to distract the ice queen. So she disappeared in front of her eyes as Esdeath would find herself surrounded by towers of Meatball Subs.

"Oooh, an illusionist, are we?" Esdeath smirked as she stood up and then clapped her hands together before placing them forward and shot off an icy mist.

"Aaagh!" Emerald yelped, the illusion disappearing as she had backed away several feet and held on to half of the Meatball sub, her legs were frozen over, preventing her from moving.

"Now then, could you care to explain why you tried to pick pocket me?" Esdeath asked, aiming her rapier at her.

"Um… well… you were just an easy target…"

"Uh-huh… but why was I an easy target?"

"I… I don't know! You were just there and I was hungry and on top of that… I… I don't know! You just happened to be very pretty and I couldn't help but think you were the perfect target!"

"Hmph, flattery will get you nowhere."

"I… well… um…" Emerald sweatdropped. Where was Mercury when you needed him?

"Who do you work for?"

"I'm not telling you who I'm working for, but I know she would be able to kick your butt!"

"Oh, a woman, eh? Tell me… has this woman ever treated you fairly?"

Crap… come on, Em, you're better than this! Emerald scolded herself. "…That's… debatable. Depending on who you ask!"

"I see…" Esdeath smirked. "You have a name?"

"Emerald Sustrai, what of it?"

"Well Emerald… I think you'd hate to say this, but I think you'd be better off with someone else."

"Yeah right, I'd rather die than leave my boss just like that! She picked me off the streets and treated me well!"

"You'd rather die than leave? How noble… if not very reckless. Very well… I shall give you the death that you wished for."'

Mmmph! Emerald paled a bit. She had heard rumors that Esdeath was a sadistic psychopath… and due to her hunger, she just flat out granted her death wish to her. She saw Esdeath get into a stance and rushed at Emerald as she let out a small scream and closed her eyes…

…And felt a warm embrace wrapping around her body.

"At least, that's what I would say… but I'm not some psychopath that some people think that I am."

Emerald opened her eyes, seeing Esdeath giving her a hug. "Wh-what…?"

"I can tell that deep down, you don't want to be with your employer, whoever she may be… but you have no choice since she saved you from the streets. It's kind of like Stockholm Syndrome… you love this person, but they don't love you back…"

"I…"

"Be honest with yourself… is this the path you truly want to go?"

"I'm… I'm not sure… I don't even know if it's possible to get out of it… I don't know if I have the strength to pull out of this nightmare… deep down, I love her but she's never returned the affections that I've given her nor has she ever praised me for anything I've done…"

"Hmm, perhaps we can get you out."

"I don't think it's possible…"

"Perhaps it is. You doubt yourself of your strength because of this woman… maybe you just need a little push. I can tell you have potential to be a great illusionist… and deep down, I can tell you're a wonderful person."

"I'm… I'm a thief, I've always been one…"

"Perhaps that ought to change too."

"Maybe… but I doubt it…"

Esdeath smiled, pulling away from Emerald and dismissing the ice around her. "You have potential, Emerald… you just need a good push. Someone who's better than this employer of yours…"

"I… guess you're right."

"If you ever want to run away and want a better life… come and find me, I'll be around."

"A-are you sure?"

"Positive!" Esdeath smiled.

"O-oh… okay." Emerald nodded. "Uh, here's your sub back."

"Oh no, keep it." Esdeath said. "You said you were hungry, didn't you?" She winked at her. "Take care!" She said, walking off with a hum.

"Th-thanks…" Emerald quietly said before she ran off to find a good spot to eat, where she would find herself underneath a tree just outside of town. She immediately took a bite… when her eyes welled up with tears as she tried to wipe them away but more kept coming as Emerald continued to eat, thinking about how Esdeath's kindness was far better than how Cinder had treated her.

More tears fell to the point where she couldn't continue eating as she silently sobbed to herself.

Esdeath picked up her drink as she started to walk around town. "That girl… I can tell she's had a difficult life with this woman… perhaps all she needs is a little love." She said to herself. "…I wonder if we could have someone like her in the Winter Ops… hmm… maybe I'm just dreaming."

Once she finished her drink, she threw it in the trash. "Although, I'm sure Sheele would be happy to hug someone like her." She said, giggling at the thought as she continued to walk, smiling as she did so.

Emerald's had it rough...