Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Time's Wheel ❯ Ch.16: Mercury Rising ( Chapter 17 )

Dragon Lady

Time's Wheel

Ch.16: Mercury Rising

Disclaimer: See previous.

Author's Note: Sorry this has taken so long to get out, school is driving me insane (advice to younger readers, under no circumstances should you take all AP and honors classes BAD!). The fact that the power source went out on my computer didn't help either (note: if you smell something burning and smoke is rising out of the CPU, that is not a good sign). This and other unfortunate events have delayed my writings, I'm sorry, but don't worry I have every intention of finishing what I started.

Dedication: This one is for Kristy, who left us far too early with a dark void in our hearts. We will miss you and although you are gone, you are not forgotten, friend, classmate, teammate, and rival, you shall live on forever in the hearts you have touched and I'm sorry that this is all I have to offer.

"The coward never started,

the weak was defeated,

only the strong survive."
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Ab andoned Base

Jedite passes back and forth across the shadowed room, his face twisted into a frown. His eyes are bloodshot and his hair disheveled, sticking up everywhere. The uniform he is wearing is wrinkled and several of the buttons are undone. Sleep hadn't come in days and his responsibilities are piling up, the stack becoming taller by the moment.

He kicks an old wooden chair across the room, sending it into a wall where it shatters, splinters of wood crashing to the floor. "Damn them! Those scouts are ruining everything! So much has changed, last I checked there where only three, and now suddenly, there's five more! Where the hell are they coming from!"

"You seem a little stressed," a voice from the doorway says casually.

Jedite whirls around and greets Amarad's mocking smile with a sneer. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing, it's just that you were shouting so loud, that I couldn't help but come by and see what is bothering you so."

"Why you…"

Amarad shrugs, "They're just a couple of girls Jedite, are you telling me that a general of the negaverse can't handle a few school girls."

"They happen to be a couple of school girls who have magical abilities that can be traced back to the Silver Millenium." Jedite grins wickedly, "You don't seem to be having much luck yourself. Those four boys are still loose and they don't even have those machines."

"Gundams, and yes, I know that they are still loose, but I can do nothing at the moment until you get rid of the sailors. The last time I went after them, the girls were with them, until they are gone; it is out of my hands. My men are highly trained, but they are no match for magical capabilities."

"So, in other words, you're just going to sit back and see how things play out."

Amarad nods. "Sure, why should I waste that kind of effort when I have a buffoon like you who can do it all for me."

Jedite's jaw drops; his piecing gaze fixed menacingly on the Red Wing leader. "How dare you! Do you have any idea what I could do to you for making a remark like that?"

Amarad turns around and begins making his way back through the hallway. "Do I care?"

"Damn it! I'll show that creep, I'll get rid of those sailors alright." Concentrating, Jedite begins to open a portal, reaching through the dimensional gate and encountering the aura he was searching for.

"Avatar of Death, I require your services."

A small chuckle comes from the gateway, sending an icy chill through the room. "So I hear." The form of a small woman steps through the gateway, her silver eyes glowing with a misty light. Black hair cascades down her shoulders and onto the floor, surrounding her in a dark halo. She is dressed entirely in black, her form fitting dress slit up both sides to her upper thighs, barely covering her thin, bony form. Her skin is pale, almost translucent, as if it hasn't seen the light of day in years. In one thin hand, she holds a human skull, its hollow eyes giving the illusion of life in death.

"For what reason do you summon death, although I must admit, I have a general idea."

"I need you to collect energy for my queen, as much as you can possibly gather."

The woman smiles. "Of course, and you want me to rid you of the Sailor Scouts too I presume?"

"Of course, that should go without saying."

"Consider it done. I shall attend to it immediately." She turns back to the portal, but hesitates before stepping through. "One more thing before we part. She isn't your mistress."

Jedite stares at her, the surprise on his face showing clearly. "I don't understand."

"She isn't your queen," the Avatar repeats. "I know death, and your queen no longer belongs to this world, she left when she was destroyed by the crystal."

"But…"

"She is not your queen, and that is all you need know. Serve your new mistress well, for she strives to bring about a similar end, and unlike Beryl, she will achieve it."

Smoke curls up form beneath her and before the astonished general can get in another word, she vanishes within the smoke, nothing left to prove that she was ever there.

Tokyo Japan: Coffee Shop

Ami gently pushes up the rim of her glasses, trying to get the words on the page to focus. After blinking a few times, she gives up, knowing that the effort is futile, being too sleep deprived to read. She sets the book down on the table and leans back against her chair, reaching for the half empty cup of hot coffee that she had been drinking earlier. After taking a sip, she frowns at the taste of the cool liquid.

Raising her wrist, she glances at her watch and smirks. No wonder my coffee is cold, it's already 8:30 and I've been here since 4:00. I hadn't realized that I've been sitting here for so long.

Ami begins to gather up her things, throwing books, binders, and papers into her school bag as she came across them. Finally, after everything is put away, she grabs her cup of cold coffee and begins to make her way out of the shop.

She struggles to close her coat as the first blast of cold winter air hits her; her blue hair picked up by Old Man Winter's icy breath. The moment she has her coat zipped up; she adds a pair of mittens to complete the outfit. It seems as if winter came earlier every year, not that she cares the cold never bothered her and her senshi powers fed off of it hungrily.

Even though the sun has fallen beneath the horizon, the city is still alive with activity in the main part of town. People crowd the sidewalks, waiting for buses, looking through shop windows, or just simply standing around chatting, enjoying the evening despite the cold weather.

Suddenly, her attention is drawn to a crowed of people in front of a store shop, staring through the window at a wall of TVs behind the glass. Ami begins to walk past them, but pauses as her curiosity begins to grow. Squeezing past the onlookers, Ami makes her way to the front, her small frame easily sliding through the crowd.

The TV is turned on to a local news channel, a female anchor reading a report as the headline flash along the bottom of the screen. Behind her, the picture of a middle-aged woman with red hair and green eyes stares out at the audience.

"Kieko Nabashima disappeared around 4:00 yesterday afternoon after leaving her office at Tokyo Enterprises. She was reported missing around 2:00 this afternoon after her fiancé attempted to contact her, only to find that her apartment was empty and hadn't been used in over twenty four hours. The police have no suspects as of yet and no evidence of Nabashima's whereabouts has been found. The police are asking that if anyone has any information on this incident that they contact the authorities immediately."

Ami tuned her out after the last sentence, wading back through the crowd into the streets. The disappearance of someone in such a large city is no at all uncommon, and most people that disappear either don't come back at all or reappear within a week or so. It isn't something for her to worry about, the scouts preferred to let the police handle ordinary situations.

The night closing around her, Ami disappears amongst the waves of people, making her way back to her house, her hand unconsciously pulling out a book so that she can read while she walks.

Juuban High School

The bell rings with a resonating shriek as students move into their seats and begins shuffling around papers and books. Ami pulls out her calculus book and opens it to the page that contains the homework she had completed the previous evening. The door opens and her teacher walks in, stepping up to the front of the room, signaling for silence.

The noise dies down do a hum, only a few whispers here and there being heard. Clearing his throat, the teacher motions toward the door. A young girl walks in wearing a new school uniform. Her black hair is tied in braids that cascade down her back like a dark waterfall, nearly brushing the floor. The school uniform hangs loosely on her thin frame, her pale skin, blue tinged lips and hollow face making her appear sickly, like a walking skeleton. Ami feels a shiver run up her spine just by staring at the girl. The stranger has her eyes shielded by a dark pair of sunglasses, preventing anyone from meeting her eye to eye, making Ami's uncertainty strengthen. She doesn't know why, but she has a horrible feeling about this girl.

"Class, this is Jei Mickagi, she is an exchange student from Indonesia, please make her feel as welcome as possible." The teacher motions for Jei to take a seat and bowing, Jei complies.

The girl glances around the room for a moment, her eyes scanning the faces of the people in the room, as if analyzing them. Finally, her gaze rests on Ami and her bluish lips curve upward into an evil smile. She begins walking toward Ami and takes the empty seat next to her.

The class continues, the girl beside her seeming as normal as any other student in the school, but Ami knew, just by her presence, by the way that she moved and acted, that Jei was not an ordinary student. Even though a pair of dark glasses shielded her eyes, Ami could still feel Jei's gaze, boring a hole through her body, seeing everything that she wished to hide.

Juuban High School: Library, a few hours later

Jei walks amongst the rows of countless books, her lithe figure floating amongst them like an unnoticed shadow. As she reaches the end of the row, she remains in the shadow of the bookcase, staring at a tall, blond-hared boy she had seen earlier who is sitting at a table drinking a soda and reading a history textbook.

Silently, Jei slips behind him and stands at his side, looking down at him from her higher place. The boy looks up startled to see someone there.

The boy's eyes narrow, trying to place whom this strange girl is. "Jei, wasn't it?"

Jei nods, her face remaining totally void of emotion.

"What are you doing here, I thought you had class this period."

Jei's face finally breaks into a smile as her hand darts out and catches him by the neck, lifting from the chair until his feet are dangling in the air. As the boy struggles for air, Jei's grip tightens, blood rolling out of his mouth.

"Jei, what are you doing?" he gasps, trying to desperately to break her grip.

Jei leans in closer bring her mouth to his ear. "Sleep, forever, sleep." The boy's struggles cease, his body becoming limp, dead weight. Opening her clenched hand, she allows his body to drop to the ground.

Jei opens her hand and a human skull suddenly appears from subspace. With the other hand she touches the boy's fallen form and he sinks into the ground beneath her feet, being sent to her domain beneath the ground.

The skull disappears and Jei rises once more, her smirk being replaced with a look of worry and concern. Running out of the door, she goes to spread the alarm of Le Tengi's disappearance.

Trowa leans against the wall with his eyes closed, trying to relax after another dull day at school. I can't remember being this bored in a long time, I know it's important for everything to seem normal, but going to school holds no meaning for me.

Suddenly, the library door beside him swings open and a black-hared girl came running through it, her face creased with worry. She looks around frantically and then spots Trowa standing by the wall.

"Excuse me, but have you seen Li? I can't seem to find him anywhere. We were in the library together and he said that he was getting up to get a book, and well…I haven't seen him for almost an hour. Did he come out here?"

Trowa stares down at her, the features on his face well controlled from years of practice, but inside, his mind was reeling. The moment that girl had burst through those doors, every sense in his body had suddenly gone on high alert.

That was never a good sign.

"No, I haven't seen him," Trowa says quietly. "Are you sure he isn't still in the library?"

The shakes her head and Trowa sighs. "Sorry."

Pivoting on his foot, he turns away, heading in the opposite direction, he had other things to do, like figure out why that girl had suddenly made him feel so uncomfortable.

Jei watches as Trowa Barton moves away, her eyes behind her glasses icing over. Jedite was right, he is like ice. There is more to these boys than meets the eye. No matter, they are not my priority. It's time to begin my next move.

Ami sighs as she steps into the house, the familiar surroundings comforting at this late hour. The grandfather clock near the door chimes nine times, ringing the hour. Dropping her books by the door, she moves into the kitchen, putting a kettle of water on the stove. Opening the door to the cupboard, she pulls out a small mug and sets it on the table, followed by some tea.

She turns on the T.V and the weather channel appears on the screen. Satisfied, she goes back to the door and grabs her back, hulling it back into the kitchen with her. Looking up at the clock on the microwave, she frowns slightly. Nine ten, where is mom? She should be home by now on a Saturday. Oh, well, she probably just had a late call. No one ever said the medical field was an easy one. She pulls out a Physics book and begins reading one of the chapters, using this time to study while waiting for the water to boil.

Just as she gets to the second page, the phone on the counter begins ringing. Leaning over with a sigh, she picks up the receiver and places it to her ear.

"Hello?"

Ami listens for a moment, her face growing pale her mouth widening. A voice on the other end of the line, is speaking her name, trying to get her attention, but to no avail. Ami tries to speak, but is unsuccessful, word failing to come to her at a time like this. The phone falls from her nerveless fingers to the floor with a loud thud, pieces scattering over the linoleum, but she doesn't seem to care, she only stares blankly at the wall in front of her.

After several minutes, Ami slumps to the floor, her body no longer able to support her own weight. A single tear slides down her cheek to the floor, followed closely by another. Before she realizes it, it has become a flood and a flood of weeping overcomes her.

Juuban District: Mizuno Residence, the next morning

Serena rests her head on her hands, trying to ease the weariness she was feeling. While she sat at the table in Ami's kitchen, Mina rested on the couch in the nearby living room after finally falling asleep several hours earlier, unable to stay up any longer. Lita has been pacing the floor for so long now, that Serena is surprised that she has not worn a hole in the floor. Michelle is seated on a chair nearby, her head resting on Amara's shoulder, her eyes red.

A comforting hand comes down over her shoulder and she looks up to meet Rei's eyes. Even though she has seen Rei at her worst, she always knew that the scout of Mars was her best friend and she showed it now, allowing her warm gaze to ease her friend's pain.

"Don't worry Serena, they'll find her. I'm sure that Ami's mother is okay." Serena nods. Ami had not come out of her room since the news of her mother's disappearance had been released. Every time one of them tried to speak to her, Ami would either tell them to go away or remain silent.

"That hospital has thousands of people in it, how can someone possibly go missing?" Lita exclaims angrily. "How can someone just disappear like that?"

"Calm down Lita, that isn't going to help," Amara says calmly.

"I know it's just that…"

A knock at the door interrupts them and the girls turn toward the entrance. The door creaks open and Trowa and Quatre step through the doorway. The two boys walk in and settle themselves around the room.

Quatre spies Mina asleep on the couch and walks over to stand beside her, gently shaking her awake. Mina smiles as she meets his sky blue eyes and sits up, stretching to get out the stiffness in her body.

Trowa, meanwhile stares at a closed door at the other end of the hall. He glances over at Serena and she nods. Slowly, yet with purpose, he makes his way toward the door.

Serena watches him leave without saying a word. Good luck Trowa; I hope you have better luck than we did.

Without hesitating, Trowa knocks on the door before him, but doesn't receive an answer, not that he expected one. He knocks again, more insistently this time. "Ami, it's Trowa, open the door."

No answer.

"Ami?"

"Go away! I don't want to see anybody just now!"

Trowa stands there a moment, debating upon what to do. Finally, making a desperate choice, he reaches for the doorknob and twists it, but finds it locked, again, not that he didn't suspect it.

Taking out a small piece of wire from his pocket, he slips it into the keyhole until he hears a faint click. Turning the knob once again, he opens the door.

Ami is lying on her bed, her head resting on a pillow. Her eyes are red and swollen, the remains of tears still evident on her face. Her hair is disheveled and her cloths wrinkled and creased, as if she had slept in them.

Trowa feels his heart wrench in his chest. It hurt to see her like this, more than he had ever thought possible. Feelings were swallowing him whole, most of which were strange to him and for the first time in a long time, he had no idea whatsoever as to what he was to do.

Taking another step forward, he reaches out a hand toward her still form, needing to comfort her.

"Stay away! I told you not to come in here!"

Trowa frowns, "Ami…"

Ami sits up swiftly, her eyes glaring at him, freezing him in place. Staring into her eyes, Trowa sees that Ami is more than upset, she is furious. Her eyes contain an element that he has never seen before. Her eyes are ice, cold and emotionless, concealing the great pain that burdens her soul. "Trowa, stop! Just please, respect my wishes and go, I want to be alone!"

He backs away, yielding to her. "As you wish."

Trowa leaves, closing the door behind him. Walking back through the kitchen, he doesn't so much as look at the others before he leaves the apartment.

Trowa follows the black-hared girl closely, waiting for his moment to confront her. It hadn't taken him long to figure it out, but he cursed the time that it had taken him, he should have been faster.

I know that it's you Jei, you were at every disappearance weren't you? You were with Li right before he was reported missing, and you were also the last of Mrs. Mizuno's patient's last night. I've got you Jei, and I will get you before you hurt anyone else.

Trowa stops suddenly as Jei slows down. He has been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he had not realized that she had stopped. Looking around, he is shocked about his whereabouts.

Stone columns stick up from the ground, surrounded by flowers or over grown grass. A tall, black iron gate closes in the plot of land, as if trying to keep something out, or keep something in.

"You might as well come out Trowa Barton, I know you have been following me and you are now right where I want you."

Trowa moves out from the shadow of a willow tree and moves in behind her silently. "What are you?"

Jei turns toward him and smiles wickedly. Slowly she removes her glasses, sliding them carefully and off her delicate nose.

Trowa barely manages to control a gasp of surprise as he looks into her eyes. Her eyes are totally black, without irises or pupils, only black, bottomless orbs.

"What am I Trowa? I'm really surprised you haven't figured that out by now. You must be loosing you touch. I'm one of the Avatars boy. I'm Death and I shall be your end."

Trowa didn't have time to blink before the ground beneath him gave away, the darkness beneath the earth swallowing him.

Ami stares out the window of her room, watching Trowa as he walks away. Wiping away her tears, stares until she can no longer see him around the bend I the road. I am such a fool. He was only trying to comfort me and I turned him away. I can't believe I did that, it's not like me at all. And the girls too.

Getting up, she moves to the door and unlocks it, knowing what she must do. As she makes her way toward the kitchen, seven pairs of eyes lock on her, all of them looking worried.

"Hey, Ami, are you okay?" Mina asks from the couch.

Ami nods. "Yeah, it was just such a shock, I didn't mean to act that way."

"We understand," Michelle says, smiling at her from the circle of Amara's arms. "It is hard."

"Yes anyway, I think I should go apologize to Trowa too, did he say where he was going?"

"Unfortunately, no Ami," Quatre replies, "but I'm sure he couldn't have gotten too far."

"Thanks," Ami gives them all one last smile before she runs out the door. Once she gets to the street, she follows the trail Trowa had taken earlier until she gets to the bend. Pulling out her computer, she tries to find Trowa on her scanner. When a small green dot appears on the screen she smiles before placing it back into her pocket.

Dodging through the midday traffic Ami follows the Trowa's path, hoping that she can find him before he gets too far. As she nears the spot where her scanners last picked him up however, she freezes. She stares up at the large iron gate and forces herself to swallow the lump that is rising in her throat.

Why would he be in a cemetery?

Cautiously, she steps onto the cemetery grounds, ignoring the chilling feeling that grips her by the shoulders. "Trowa?" she calls out questioningly.

After a few moments, she pulls out her computer trying to pinpoint his exact location. It is near her position, and yet very faint. This makes no sense, it is like he is here, and yet at the same time, he is not.

A few minutes pass by and she finds herself beneath a willow tree, overshadowing a small plot near the north end of the graveyard, the exact spot where the computer says Trowa is.

Ami takes a step forward and feels the ground beneath her give away, the soil parting. Ami can not hold back a scream as her body falls into the black abyss beneath the cemetery grounds.

Groaning, Ami shakes her head, trying to get rid of the ringing that echoes through her skull. The soil beneath her fingers in cold and damp and the air around her is stale. Ami tries not to breathe through her nose, now wanting to smell the unmistakable sent of decay and rot. For the moment, Ami remains kneeling, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim light.

Ami begins to grope around for her computer, finally finding it a few feet away. Flipping it open, she opens up a map of the city. She zooms in on the cemetery and gasps at the results.

I'm in the catacombs that were built beneath the city. I thought this place was sealed up a long time ago, how did I get in?

A faint light glows from the next chamber, illuminating the dark corridor. Ami follows it until she reaches a small chamber embedded in the rock. Bile rises in her throat as she stares at the scene. Human skeletons lie in pieces in one corner of the room, the floor stained with blood. On the wall, four victims hang from chains, two of them immediately recognizable to her.

"Mom! Trowa!"

Two of the figures raise their heads.

"Ami, what are you doing here?" her mother asks with worry and shock. "No matter, Ami however you got here, you must go back, she will get you too."

Ignoring her, she throws her arms around her mother and holds her tight. "Don't worry Mom, I'll get you out, you and Trowa both."

"But…"

Ami leaves her mother's embrace and moves over to Trowa. Tears threaten to escape her eyes as she stares at him. His face is scratched and blood runs down one side of his face in a tiny stream. His shirt is torn almost beyond recognition, revealing a nasty gash on his chest.

Ami reaches out a hand as if to touch him, but hesitates. "Trowa, I'm sorry, I…"

Trowa shakes his head, smiling. "Don't worry about it, I understand, I'm just glad you're okay."

"Trowa…"

"Ami, you must leave now!" her mother cries urgently, " the woman who through us in here is going to be back any moment!"

"Then I shall have to free you before that happens."

"But Ami, you don't have a key, that's impos…"

Ami lays a finger across her mother's lips, effectively silencing her. "Trust me."

Ami backs away a few steps, giving herself room. I always knew that it would come down to this one day, but I never expected to tell her this secret in a situation like this.

"Mercury Crystal Power!"

Ice covers her body, as she feels the rush of her power flowing through her veins, filling her with the Mercury's icy element. Her fuku appears from the ribbons of ice and her tiara follows soon after, leaving Sailor Mercury in place of the girl who was once Ami Mizuno.

Ami stares at her mother's shocked face and grins.

"Ami?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry I never told you, but I didn't want to worry you and I didn't know what the consequences of you knowing would be."

Moving to sit beside her, Mercury takes the chains in her hand, willing her powers to travel into the metal. She feels the metal grow cold in her hands, and then frigid. Before long the chains are ice and break off easily when she pulls them. After finishing with her mother, she moves to Trowa.

After freeing the two of them, she turns to Deaths other victims. "Are they still alive?"

"Li is, I think," Trowa says, "but the first one isn't."

Mercury nods and begins to free Li. Once the boy is free of his bonds, Trowa picks up his limp body and carries him in his arms.

"We need to find a way out and I don't think that the way I came in is one of them." Mercury pulls out her computer from subspace again and puts up her energy scanner. Mrs. Mizuno stares at her daughter in amazement, but remains silent. "I think we can go this way," Mercury states, pointing to a corridor adjacent to the one she had entered in.

The others nod and follow her lead. Mercury leads them through a dark corridor, which supposedly leads to another chamber and the way out.

The moment they reach the chamber, a set of bars rise up behind them blocking their way. A wicked laughter fills the air and Mercury puts away her scanner and computer, knowing full well what trap they have fallen into.

Near the exit, Death appears atop a pile of skulls in her true form, black eyes staring into nothingness, the exit at her side.

Mercury glances at Trowa and then Li, pointing her mother after. Trowa nods and turns to Mrs. Mizuno, placing Li in her arms and then pointing to the exit. Seeing that they understand, Mercury begins to put her hastily erected plan into action.

"Mercury Shapon Spray!" A thick fog fills the chamber, rising up out of no where. Mercury reaches over and grabs her mother by the shoulder.

"Head for the exit and when you get out, find Serena and let her know what has happened!" With that, she shoves her mother toward the exit.

Before long, the mist clears and Mercury is relieved to find that she and Trowa are now the only ones in the room with Death. Well, at least Mom made it.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

Mercury sends her attack toward Death, but her opponent dodges it easily. Mercury curses silently under her breath, realizing that her power may not be enough. She can only stall and hope for aid.

"Is that all you've got Mercury? I thought that the Sailor Scouts were powerful?"

Death sends a rain of knives in her direction, which she barely manages to dodge in time, rolling away from the attack.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!"

Death only waves off the attack like anyone else would a pesky fly. "If this is all you've got Sailor Mercury, you and I are finished." Before she can blink, Death vanishes in a puff of smoke.

Where did she…

"Mercury! Behind you!" A strong blow knocks her down, followed by a cry of pain.

"Trowa!" Mercury turns around, cradling Trowa in her arms, a large knife protruding from his arm.

"No!"

Death moves in and grabs Mercury by the neck. "You will be an excellent source of energy Mercury, I will enjoy this."

No, she hurt Trowa, and me. She wanted to kill my mother and she is going to go after my friends. I can't let her! I won't, I'll never…!

"NO!"

Mercury's body arches as power rushes through her body, sending waves of cold ice through her veins. She dimly feels Death's grip on her loosen and then disappear all together. A ball of blue light surrounds her, engulfing her body. The symbol of Mercury shines brightly on her head, freezing. Her gloves shorten to wrist length and the bow at her back lengthens. Two more earrings appear on each ear and her lips suddenly become blue. The broach she is wearing shatters to form a crystal and as her tiara reappears, it turns from gold to silver.

Mercury is set down slowly, her power now nearly doubled. The air around her seems to freeze the temperature dropping quickly.

"I will not let you hurt those I love. I won't let you get away."

"And just what are you going to do? How are you going to attack me?"

Mercury smirks. "I don't intend on attacking you, it wouldn't do anything, however…" Mercury focuses on the skull at the top of the pile, the one she had always had in her hand.

"Shiva's Tears!"

Mercury reaches up a hand and a long shard of ice appears. Aiming for the skull, she hurls it at the object. The skull shatters, leaving nothing but dust.

"No!" Death screams, dark energy exiting her body. "My energy, you're taking it."

"That power wasn't yours," Mercury says quietly. "You stole it from the souls that you killed."

"Why you little… I'll get you for this!"

Mercury only sighs. Closing her eyes, Mercury calls upon her full power. Blue energy engulfs her. A ball of blue light appears in front of her and she places her hands around it, but doesn't touch the glowing orb.

"Absolute Zero!"

Mercury's hands fly outward releasing the ball. Light engulfs the room as the ball explodes and when the light dims, the whole chamber is covered in a sheet of ice, Death gone.

Mercury collapses to the ground her energy disappearing. Mercury disappears, leaving Ami in her place once again. For a moment, she is content just to stay there and breath, but the shaking in the chamber near the exit warns her that she should move if she wants to get out. A hand from beside her grabs her wrist and she is hulled to her feet.

Trowa pulls her toward the exit, but before they can reach it, it is covered by an avalanche of rocks, sealing its victims inside.

Ami's eyes had long since adjusted to the dark and she is sitting on the ground across from Trowa, who is leaning up against a nearby wall, neither wanting to say a word.

Ami stares at the boy across from her, his emerald eyes looking sad, even though his face was void of all emotion. As he lowers his gaze, she has an almost uncontrollable urge to reach over and hug him close, but is afraid to do so, not knowing what to say to him.

Finally, she clears her throat, "Trowa, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" Trowa is still studying the ground and Ami feels a sob rising in her throat. "Trowa, please, say something."

Trowa raises his head slowly and Ami gasps, hardly believing what she is seeing. Trowa's eyes glitter with tears that are falling down his cheeks and face. For a moment longer, Ami only stares at him, shocked. In all the time she has know him, she never seen him cry and from what she knew of him, he rarely had.

Before she can get another word out, she is in his arms, his strong embrace holding her close. His face is pressed into her hair and she feels tiny droplets of water falling down a few strands. Ami buries her head in his chest; her arms locked behind his neck, her fingers entwine in his brown hair.

Slowly, Trowa pulls away from her slightly and looks down into her eyes, his emerald eyes meeting her aqua blue. Gently, he raises a hand and places it against her chin, tilting her head up. Ami's eyes flutter closed, her grip on him tightening. In one breathless moment, his lips claim hers in a feather light kiss, barely there and yet full of promise. She feels his tongue brush against the bottom of her lip and sighing, she allows him to deepen the kiss.

The kiss goes on for what seems like eternity before they part, both of them slightly breathless and breathing hard.

"You know, I think that's the best apology I've ever gotten," Trowa says, his voice low.

Ami smiles sheepishly at him. "I was really sorry."

"I know." Trowa stops and then smiles. "Listen."

Ami moves away slightly. Voices can be heard from outside the rubble. "Looks like the Calvary has arrived; a little late."

"Ami!"

"Where here Serena!"

"We'll have you out in another twenty minutes or so!"

"Sounds great!"

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Author: That's it, I hope you like. Thnx and please r/r.