Secrets of the Wind (C) By Amethyst Please read her "Author's Notes!" Disclaimer: I don't own the Dark Kingdom, Senshi, Metallia, generals, Endymion, or Serenity. (What, no Jeddy? DRAT!) I do, however own Aimee, Amethyst, the Guardians, Fiore, Liquinia, Gaia, the concept, this plot, and the accompanying characters, which are: Chris, Kali, Fiona, Elena, Debbi, Travis, Jon, Christine, Ted, and Bridgita. Purple Mists is MY eyeshadow I make, so I get that too. (I'm being greedy today.) If you want to borrow my characters, Go ahead, I'm not THAT greedy. I don't own "Moon and Back", or , "Break Me, Shake Me" by Savage Garden, "Tearin' Up my Heart", by N'Sync, "Smile", by Vitamin C, "Baby, One More Time" by Britney Spears, or "Une Noche Mas" by Jennifer Lopez. Or Time magazine. Or YM. Okay, I'm done with these #$%& disclaimers. Buy the soundtrack at Amazon.com! (j/k!) Oh, great, another one: I don't own any of Amazon.com Chapter One- A new school, a new start BRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNNGGG! The ever going shrill bell of a new stainless steel old-fashioned alarm clock tore through the warmth and safety of her sleep. Underneath masses of lavender sheets, a groan sounded, and a long, tanned arm appeared. A small hand connected to said arm groped around the nightstand, searching for the tormentor. When it finally found the culprit, the hand, skilled in many years of throwing tennis balls at her older brother, threw the alarm clock away from the bed, smiling as the clock hit the wall with a nice "THONK." 'Amazing how stainless steel is so easily broken.' The thought ran through the her head, and then continued to head back towards sleep. Unfortunately, God had realized that the girl had skipped Mass to sleep twice now, and decided to punish her. The girl suddenly became unbalanced, and rolled out of bed, taking her sheets with her. She didn't respond, already halfway back into the soft world of sleep. God must have sighed then. He realized that the only way to get the sleep deprived teenage girl up was to call in the big guns. Yes. That meant... "AIMEEEEEEEEE!!!" A brunette head popped in, the coffee high obvious. There was no reaction at first from the bundle of sheets on the floor. And then: "Go away, Kali." Miracles did happen. Aimee Marsh, 14 and known to sleep in 'till three in the afternoon, was awake and responsive at the ungodly hour of 6:45 am. The brunette came over, and looked down on her younger sister. A tousled blonde head was barely visible. Kali sighed, and ripped off the blankets. "Ai-MEE!" she huffed after nudging the figure slightly with her foot. "Have you forgotten? Today's the first day of high school for you! Aren't you excited?" Another groan came from the girl, whose long blonde hair had started to blow around, since she'd landed on top of an air conditioning vent. She opened an ice blue eye, which differed from her sister's brown eyes. "Kali, I was up late talking to my friends back home. I'm sick. I'm not going." Kali sighed. 'Back home' meant Laguna Beach, California, where they'd just moved from in July, despite Aimee's protests. Finally, the blonde started to sit up. The bleary blue eyes stared evilly at her older sister for a moment, who just turned on the radio in response. Seeing another alarm clock's ruins next to the wall, Kali sighed, leaving the room. She knew Aimee would get up, because if not, she'd get out the super soaker. And Aimee didn't want THAT to happen again! "Smile" was playing on the radio when Aimee stood up, locking the door behind her sister. She found a pair of khaki shorts and a lilac "American Eagle" shirt that was clean, and put them on, not really caring about how she looked. A dab of concealer there, a slip of eyeshadow here, ("Purple Mists", of course) and a spritz of Tommy Girl completed was her make-up. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail. And a cross necklace, made of rubies set in gold, was wrapped around her throat. Aimee smiled at herself before grabbing the red messenger bag next to her, on the floor, glancing at the boxes. She wished she was back home in California. Her friends were there, she wouldn't be the obvious 'new girl'. Josh, the hottie that she'd gone to the Spring Fling last year was also there. Her soccer team was there. And, Aimee realized while listening to the weather forecast, there wasn't all that humidity. She left the safety of her room, wondering if her older brother, Chris, was up yet. College classes at William and Mary didn't start until Labor Day, a week away. She realized that Chris wasn't up, he wouldn't be up for another five hours, and fretted. That would mean either Kali would have to drive her, or she'd have to take the bus. 'I'd rather take my chances with Kali than ride the bus!' Slipping downstairs, she glanced at the new house that her parents had bought, state of the art and huge, built in the more prominent section of Dominion City, a small city in the hills of Virginia. She didn't see why her parents had even bothered to buy it, they were never home anyway. Her mother was a business woman, and had only had "Christopher Michael", as she called him, to inherit the business, "Kalinne Marie" to accompany him, and adopted the youngest, "Aimee Meiou", to pay her debt to society. Her husband was an ambassador, and the kids would travel with him, if his wife didn't insist they stayed home. Aimee stumbled into the kitchen, where Kali was sipping her second cup of coffee. 'Maybe I should take the bus...' Aimee thought as she stared at her 17 year old sister, who was known for her sporadic coffee highs. Aimee also was, at least back home. She sighed again, on that attracted her sisters attention. Every couple years, her parents would build a new house, somewhere, and move their kids there. From Tokyo, to New York City, to Tampa, to Boulder, to London, and then to San Jose, before finally bringing them there. In fact, Aimee remembered, she'd been adopted in Japan. No known relatives, her parents had died in a car crash. She supposedly had an older brother, but Aimee never knew what happened to him. She wished she knew his name. 'Maybe I can hack into the hospital's mainframe later.' "Aimee! Let's go!" A raspberry Nutri-grain bar was jammed into Aimee's mouth, and before Aimee could even scream for help, a brown and pink flash dragged her out the door, throwing her into a blue Jeep. The Jeep then shot out of the driveway, speakers blaring, and whizzed down the street, all the meanwhile Aimee thinking one thing: 'The Lord is my shepherd, Hallowed be thy name...' As soon as Aimee could calm her breathing, she looked out of the front seat of the Jeep. A one story, but large school greeted her, with an rolling emerald green campus. She got out of the car, grasping her lunch and bookbag. Walking into the school, she realized how idiotic she must look, holding the map and schedule card given to her so tightly. Walking through the large, white halls, she finally found locker 650, hers. Aimee didn't even try the combination, she already knew hers was a deadbolt. Cramming in her binders, except for the one she'd need for first period, something hit her in the ear. "Oh! I'm sorry!" a cheery voice greeted her ears as Aimee threw the gum wrapper on the ground. "I was aiming for the guy next to you. I'm Fiona Birkman."Aimee turned to see a smiling redheaded girl with ice blue eyes that matched her own. And everyone always said Aimee's eye colour was rare... "It's okay, I'm Aimee Marsh." Aimee smiled back, and the girl giggled. "You must be Chris's little sister. My sister works with him at the Gap, and they'll be going to William and Mary together." Aimee nodded. "That's my brother." "You don't look a thing like him, though." "Yeah, well, I'm lucky." Aimee really didn't like to tell people of her dark past. She was afraid people would pity her, and Aimee hated pity. The girl giggled, and a flash of pain came on the other side of Aimee. "HEY!" Aimee turned. There was a cocky looking dark brown haired boy staring at Fiona. "Pass it on." he told her. "Oh, ignore him. Aimee, this is Ted," Fiona stepped over and smacked Ted on the back of the head, "the moron I was trying to hit." "I wouldn't be talking." "Shut up." "Why don't you?" "Because, people like to hear ME talk." the fiery redhead shot back. Aimee smirked, and at that point the bell tolled. The rest of the morning went by in a blur, the people Aimee met, however, stood out. There was Fiona, of course, the fiery girl who was friends with everybody, Ted, her mortal enemy, Travis, the funny guy, Bridget, the other otaku, Jon, the boy next door type, and Dan, the cool guy. There was one other girl that Aimee 'had to meet because she's SUCH a sweetheart', according to Fiona, was Elena, who they'd run into at lunch. So when the lunch bell rang, Aimee grabbed her lunch bag and walked with Fiona, who was concentrating on finding the others. Finally, a tall brunette, almost as tall as the redhead, slipped over in a blue slip dress that (surprise!) matched her ice blue eyes. "And this is Elena." Fiona introduced her. The brunette smiled, and Aimee soon found herself squished by a crowd of Seniors looking for "Freshman to initiate." They seemed to be leaving the three girls alone for now, but Fiona wisely pulled them over to the cafeteria, where they'd be safe. Bridget and Travis were already sitting there, Bridget with a packed lunch, and Travis picking at was supposed to be a "Chicken patty." Another dark-haired brunette was sitting at the table, who looked like a more feminine version of Ted. "Hey!" they both called. The brunette stood up. "'Lena, Fiona, you guys buying lunch too?" The two girls nodded. "I brought my own." Aimee smiled softly, thinking that God was good, since he'd blessed her with the ability to make sandwiches, which was about the extent of her cooking talent. "Oh, hi! I'm Christine." the girl smiled. "I'm Aimee." "She's Ted's older twin sister." Elena explained why the two looked so much alike. "Unfortunately." Aimee sat down next to Bridget. "Yo! So, where do you live in Dominion?" Bridget asked casually. Aimee balked. 'Should I tell them that I live in Keystone? But what if they think I'm a snob?' A sigh erupted from the blonde's mouth, startling Bridget and Travis. 'They'll find out anyway.' "I live in Keystone Manor." She looked at the table, finding her sandwich interesting while hoping they'd never heard of the upper-class sub-division. "Oh, you must be the new people on Cherry Hill!" Aimee looked at Bridget. "I live there too." "So, what's going on after-school today? Are we going to hang out or what?" Dan sat down next to the seat with Elena's bookbag in it. "Totally. I mean, Mickey D's is right down the street, and none of us have basketball or anything, right?" Elena kissed Dan's cheek before sitting down, slightly blushing. "Hey, we've gotta stop by that new store. I heard it had the awesomest stuff in there." Ted suggested. "Is awesomest a word?" Christine asked. "Nope. 100% Ted." the boy sat up proudly, puffing out his chest, only to have Jon punch him in the stomach. "So, are we going to the shop tonight?" Elena asked, trying to avoid a fight between the two, knowing that Christine and Fiona would get in on it too. "Sure. Aimee, you can come too." Christine offered. I smiled. "Yeah. It's either that or fight with my older brother over which movie to watch to complete our summer-long anime fest: "Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight", or "Slayers: Next!"." Sweatdrops appeared on Christine the others foreheads, except for Jon, Ted, and Bridget. "Do you have any DragonballZ?" Bridget asked. She nodded, reflecting on her brother's DBZ fetish. "What about Ranma?" Another nod. "Oh, that Pikachu is SO cute!" Christine squealed, and Aimee rolled her eyes. Her older sister had a Pokemon tape, and though, yes, Pikachu (and Snorlax) were major cuties, she wasn't that big of a fan. 'Personally, I thought that there was a bit of over merchandising, but I'd been swept up in the Sailor V craze, so I couldn't really talk.' Aimee thought, but then realized she'd spoken it. "Oh my Gosh! Sailor V is SO cool!" Christine squealed. "Did you hear about her latest victory?" Elena. "I wanna be like Sailor V!" Fiona declared. "What about Sailor Moon in Tokyo? She just appeared out of nowhere!" Bridget added. "I think that whoever they are, they both are hot." Ted said, and the entire table was silent. Then, "YOU PERVERT!" Christine pulled a rather large book out of her bag, and prepared to hit her twin over the head with it. "Hey, I wasn't the one drooling over Tuxedo Kamen last night!" he protested. Aimee and Bridget looked at each other with a smirk. 'Why does something tingle in the back of my mind whenever I'm reminded of Sailor V or Sailor Moon? And why does Tuxedo Kamen seem so familiar to me?' she asked herself. The blonde shook her head. 'I think last night's sushi was bad.' Chapter Two: Memories remembered "Look! Chocolate cigars!" Jon help up a pack of the brown sticks. They'd gone to the infamous store, which turned out to be a candy store. "Bubble gum cigarettes!" Bridget eyed them, while the others glanced around at the lemon heads, gummy worms, and millions of other candies. Normally, Aimee would have joined right in, but something was bothering her. The heavy atmosphere of the store, the strange tingling in the back of her spine. Something wasn't right. Aimee had always had very strong instincts, in fact, some would even say that she was psychic. It was true that Aimee sometimes could predict the future, or tell someone that maybe the key was under her bed and it'd be there, but Aimee had always chalked that up to coincidence. But right now she couldn't ignore the instinct for her to run for the hills, and stay there. Looking around, Aimee suddenly felt the need to get out of the store. "Hey guys? I forgot. My sister wanted me home by four. I gotta book it. See ya!" They barely noticed, too busy buying all the candy they could, which was strange. Aimee made it out of the store, ducking into the alley. Why were they all acting so weird? What was with that store. A woman in an apron, the owner, stepped out from behind a dumpster. A stray cat hissed and backed away. "Are you all right, Miss?" she asked. Aimee nodded. "I notice you didn't buy any candy. Girls as skinny as you are shouldn't be dieting." she frowned, and so did Aimee. 'That was weird,' she noted. 'Why does she want me to buy candy so much?' "I'm not hungry."she shrugged, and turned around to leave. A hand clasped on her shoulder, and spun her around. The lady was gone, and in her place was a lady in a ragged dress, with black hair that was dirty and stringy. Aimee screamed when she saw that where her eyes should be, there were only sunken pits. "Oh, but I am." the lady licked her lips, and tightened her hold on Aimee, slipping her hand up to her throat. Instinct kicked in for Aimee, who kicked up, knocking the lady in the chin. 'Who knew soccer would someday save my life?' The lady didn't stagger back at all. Still running on instinct, Aimee closed her eyes, and drew her hands together. Suddenly, she was only aware of the air around her, spread out. It whispered to her, instructed to her in what to do. She called the air to her hands, condensing it into a weak ball of condensed air energy. She then felt another power joining with her, dark and evil, but friendly and known to her. She took some of that power, and added it, making the ball grow stronger. Finally, Aimee pressed her hands into the lady '-youma. Wait, where did that come from?-' and let the energy surge out. The blast was weak, but the caused the lady to let go, flying back into a dumpster. Staring at her hands for a moment, which still tingled with energy, Aimee ran, a flash of blonde ducking into another alley. She leaned against the wall. "What was that?" she managed to utter before passing out on the cold brick ground. "Aimee. Aimee. Wake up, dearest." Aimee felt herself being shaken slightly. She opened her eyes, excepting to see Kali. Instead, warm blue eyes that matched her own appeared. Black hair framed an olive face. The Earth was on her forehead, like a symbol. It all seemed familiar... "Who are you?" she sat up, looking around. All she saw was black. "Where am I?" "Aimee, love, I am your mother. You think that you are simply Aimee Meiou Marsh, right?" The lady spoke in Japanese, and strangely enough, Aimee understood. And Aimee responded in the same tongue. "Hai. That's me." "You are not what you think you are, little one." The fond nickname tickled at her memories, tempting them. "Ever since you were a little girl, you liked to sit outside on your swings and play with the air, notice how the breezes came when you asked. You'd make dust devils appear in the middle of the playgrounds, am I not correct?" Aimee nodded. "You always knew how people were feeling, you could see their auras, and sometimes, into their minds." "I know this stuff. Who are you?" "I told you, Ame-chan, I am your mother." The fond nickname opened a floodgate of memories. "She the youngest of them all, and Endymion's favourite! Queen Gaia calls her the "Little one".." "She guards the Air element, and she's the most temperamental too..." "Did you see the Princess Amethyst yesterday with her cousins? My, she's grown!" "Endymion really is overprotective of her, isn't he?" "You have to be, with that bundle of trouble for a younger sister." "Princess of Earth, born of two powers, she will save one planet and destroy the other. The most loyal of all, will become the universe." "Ame-chan! Little one, what did you get into now?" Pictures and words tickled her mind. A tall, black haired young man with the same coloured armour smiled down at her. Two girls with red hair and brown hair tickled her. The woman before her kissed her forehead, tucking her into bed. They all had her eyes, the ice blue. More memories flooded her forehead. ~She was standing there, in a long lavender gown, that flowed out behind her. It was strapless, and silk like. A tiara was heavy on her forehead, but her blonde hair, normally in a ponytail, was loose. She was in a dark area with the blonde and brunette girls.. 'Triplets...' They were dressed like her, except in coral and periwinkle. One of them, Fiore, opened the door, her red hair shining in the dim light. "I hope Mother's driven them off by now. Don't you worry, Ame-chan! You know that Endymion and Serenity have probably come by now!" Aimee nodded, before a shocking bolt of energy hit her mind. Her cousin Prince Demando leaping forwards to protect Venus, his fiancee, and being stabbed into his death. Endymion was leaping forward, she was standing there... being sucked in by Metallia, the monster destroying her planet... Serenity screaming and following him. The Senshi falling one by one, Queen Serenity holding out the Silver Crystal... Beryl disappearing, and the Queen of the Moon falling, the Silver Crystal broken. Her mother on Earth, taking the Golden Crystal, separating it into three stones. One clear, one blue, and one red. They vanished, and four figures entered the room, one with auburn hair, another with silver, one with brown hair, and the final- the final one was blurred, like Aimee couldn't see it, she wasn't supposed to. They were the family Guardians, the traitors. The Auburn haired one stepped forward, and slittied Gaia's throat. She fell, dropping her staff, next to a jade throne, her blood staining her green dress. The visions flooded her head. Aimee leapt forward, pushing against the door with all of her might. It crumbled open, and they stepped out into the gloomy sunlight. The palace was in ruins already, pieces of marble and stone fallen on the ground. Soldiers bodies lay, but Amethyst ignored them. She ran, over into a large room, with pillars of emeralds surrounding an audience chamber, the jade throne looking regal. A lone figure lay in front of it, lying in a pool of emerald and crimson. Running over to it, she saw the ashen face of the Queen, bloodless and cold. 'If mother is dead, then Demando... then Endymion....' The wail rang out from the princess's throat, one of pain and loneliness. Fiore and Liqunia bowed their heads, crystal tears running down their cheeks. Opening her crystal blue eyes, Amethyst spotted the Staff of the Earth. "Someday, one of you will use this Staff to help this planet. only the chosen one can, for it will destroy any one else.." Amethyst knew she wasn't the chosen one. But it would still work. Picking up the staff, she stood, her white dress stained with her mother's blood. Looking at her sisters, she raised her head. "It is time for us to fight. All our lives, our mother and our brother have done it for us, and the guardians were supposed to. But now the family guardians have been brainwashed, our mother and brother are dead. We must avenge their deaths! We must free our guardians, and protect our planet. If you don't, I will! I swear by this Staff that I will not die until I see Metallia gone with my own eyes! It is time for the new Guardians to awaken. AIR CRYSTAL... MAKE- UP!" A white crystal, shaped like a heart, flew onto the girl's forehead. A flash of white appeared, and her slender silhouette appeared. A gust of wind turned into a white ribbon, and it wrapped itself around her body. White high heels, then a white slip dress, not as short as the Senshi's but still pretty short. A choker of diamonds formed around her throat, just as the white gloves with silver trim on her arms. Her long hair hung in a ponytail, held up by crystal beads. "FIRE CRYSTAL... MAKE UP!" Fire surrounded Fiore, then grabbed her and became a dress, high heels, gloves, and a choker of rubies, the heart-shaped Fire Crystal on her forehead. At first, the clothes glowed like molten lava, but then turned into a silky dress. Her red hair was pulled back, held by a diamond clip. "WATER CRYSTAL... MAKE-UP!" A wave covered Liqunia, at least until she emerged out of the water in a blue dress, like Amethyst and Fiore's, sapphires around her throat. Her hair hung down, whistling in the wind from Amethyst's transformation. The Water Crystal was on her forehead. Still holding the Staff of the Earth, Amethyst, Fiore, and Liquinia each 'became' their element,and vanished. The Dark Kingdom was a quiet place, normally, but now, it was filled with the sounds of battle as the four Kings went up against the three Princesses, each fighting for their life. "TORNADO BLAST!" "TSUNAMI CRASH!" "FIRE FOUNTAIN SPRAY!" The three attacks shot into the men, who were knocked back, but, they were on home ground, which made them stronger, giving them the upper hand. The brown haired one, Nephrite, knocked Amethyst back with a blast of power, into what had seemed to be a black wall... "So, you've finally fallen into my trap, Little One..." the voice hissed as the wall's eyes opened up, blood red and cold. A mark appeared, as the black shadows reached around Amethyst, holding the struggling Princess to the wall. Metallia cackled. "The combined energy of the Nemesian Dark Crystal and the Air Crystal will finally free me forever... and I'll get rid of you in the meantime!"Amethyst struggled, and then stopped. Closing her eyes, the Staff of the Earth appeared in her hands, the jade rose on top of the golden pole glowing. Metallia dropped her. "Where did you get that? Give me that Staff, you stupid child! Give it to me now!" Amethyst looked up, into the monster's eyes. A slow smile spread across her rose coloured lips. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Metallia." She raised the Staff, the green rose sparkling with energy. Her sisters, behind her, nodded. "I call upon the Fires of Earth that formed this planet!" "I call upon the Waters of Earth that gave us life!" The sisters glowed in heir respective colours. "I call upon the Air of Earth, that protects us and nutures us... I call upon the Nemesian Dark Crystal, which gave the Dark Moon light. Come to my hand, powers of Earth, to defeat this demon that destroyed your children!" Amethyst couldn't feel her body anymore. She was suddenly the air, floating around everywhere, touching each and every thing, gentle and furious. She felt the air lending it's power, it's self. The tornadoes springing up, the hurricanes banging down, ravaging the planet, giving her the power... Fiore felt the volcanoes springing into action, their lava her blood, warming her soul. She no longer felt human, but flame, warm and full of energy, ready to give itself up to the Earth. Liqunia was the tidal waves slamming the coast, the coolness of it coursing through her, caressing her. She felt herself become less condensed, freer, and full of amazing powers she never knew she had. Nemesis was glowing, answering the cries of it's Princess. The entire planet was bright, like a miniature sun. And on the Moon, lying next to the body of his Princess, Prince Endymion's body gave off a golden-green light, giving his little sister the power she needed to finish it. Amethyst wasn't just the air anymore. She was the oceans, swirling in turmoil, cool and silk like. She was the burning lava, covering the Earth. She was a ball of purple light, causing a dark planet to glow. The final blast of power came, her brother's, giving his little sister the last of the strength he never used in life. She was the Earth, made of Fire, Water, and Air, warm and cold, dry and wet, air blowing around her, all at the same time. The power was building up inside her. In her mind's eye, she saw Kunzite reach forward, and snap her sister Fiore's neck. The surge of flame came at Amethyst, adding to the power inside her, causing her to stop breathing, she didn't need breath anymore. The power alone was keeping her alive. Zoicite stabbed Liqunia with his ice crystal, the sakura grinning as she fell towards the black floor. The water that surrounded Amethyst caused her to lose all of her senses. The generals watched, seeing her body, glowing green in the air there, no white, or blue, or purple, just green. Finally, the jade rose came into her hand, and flashed gold-green. The surge of power went through it, striking at Metallia, locking her away. It shattered into a million pieces, and Amethyst feel from the position she was floating from. Lying on the tile, she gazed up at the moon, it's warm glow shining on her. A memory flashed through her head. Oniisan, when will it be my turn to fight? Soon, Ame-chan, I promise. Do you think I'll do well? I know, imoutochan, that you will triumph. The smile of her older brother shone down on her, as her body disappeared in a gust of wind. The final Princess had fallen.~ Aimee looked at the figure. "Okasan...?" she nodded. "You were the Princess and Guardian of Air, my daughter. Metallia has finally freed herself, and you must find your brother and reunite him and the Princess Serenity! Stop Beryl and Metallia, before it's too late!" The Queen started to fade before Aimee's eyes. "OKASAN!" "Ame-chan, please, find your sisters to help you. And remember, you are the proud Princess Amethyst, of Nemesis and Earth." the lady's tanned hand, which you could now see through, touched the symbol on her daughter's head, of the Earth with a black moon wrapped half-way around it. Aimee suddenly felt her eyes shutting, slipping back into the safety of unconsciousness. Something hard was pressed into her hands. And then, it all went black. "Okasan..." she murmured before realizing the humidity kissing her skin. She opened her eyes, seeing the familiar setting of the alleyway before her. "What a strange dream." she rubbed her head and sat up, looking around, wild blue eyes filled with confusion. It felt so real.. the symbol on her forehead, the memory of her death, the powers flowing through her... how could that have been a dream? Something dug into the palm of her hand, and she opened it. It was the Air Crystal from her dream, the one that had attached onto her forehead. "The crystal..." "MEIRO!" The loud cry caused Aimee to look up. At the other end of the alley, the youma stood. Aimee knew for a fact that it was from Metallia. She held up the crystal in her hand. "AIR CRYSTAL... MAKE-UP!" The crystal vanished from her hand and onto her forehead, where it glowed for a moment, then a gust of air blew around her small figure, before turning into a silky ribbon that flowed over her slender curves. A white slip dress appeared made of light silk, with a silver empire waist. White pumps were on her small feet, and a diamond choker decorated her throat. White gloves with silver trim formed on her hands, and her hair was put into a ponytail, held by beads of white. Lavender fog filled the alleyway, causing the youma, Meiro, to not be able to see a thing. And then, a small figure appeared walking towards her, bathed in lavender fog. "A thousand years ago you destroyed my family and my planet. I will not let you succeed again!" A tanned face with a silver-coloured mask, a la Sailor V, was visible, long blonde hair in a braid hanging beside her. "I am the Crystal Guardian of Air, who stands for justice! You used these sweets to steal energy, and I won't allow it!" At that, Air struck a valiant pose. The youma had lured her back inside of the shop, where her friends lay, unconscious, their energy drained. The youma smiled. "MEIRO!" It blasted some energy at the Guardian, who dodged it, and counterattacked. "TORNADO...." she spun around, silver gusts of wind gathering at her hands that were raised above her head. "...BLAST!" A vortex of air shot out at the youma, who was hit slightly, but there wasn't enough power in it to do real damage. Air then remembered another move. She grabbed the crystal on her forehead, and it came off. "AIR TIARA..." Two silver blades came out of the sides, and Air prepared to throw the disc at her enemy. "SLICE!" The disc flew forwards, and the youma didn't have enough time to move. Her tiara smacked her in the middle of her stomach, slicing through. The youma crumbled, and the store clerk it had possessed lying on the floor unconscious. A groan snapped Air out of her glazed shock. "Who.. who are you?" Ted asked the figure, who was bathed in white. She just smiled, and put one white gloved finger over her lilac lips in a "shh" motion. "A friend." her soft voice cut through the air, and at that, she vanished, leaving a white rose petal behind. Air leaned against the wall, and waved a hand over her air crystal. Immediatley she was Aimee Marsh again, blonde hair in it's trademark ponytail. She glanced down, and looked at her socks. Sailor V stared up at her, with a smile and a V for Victory sign. 'Just this morning I was wishing I could be Sailor V, and how ironic, here I am, fighting evil, just like her!" Another sigh, and Aimee walked away, thinking, 'I need a nap.' Chapter 3- The End of the Innocence The loud thunder awoke Aimee from her dreamless sleep, causing the blonde to resist the urge to run and hide in her closet. She crept out of her bedroom as lightning flashed, lighting up the dark house. Thunder followed, shaking the frame of the house, and Aimee gave a small whimper. Creeping downstairs, she pushed open the door to the den, where she'd found Chris sleeping when she came in earlier. He was gone now, the chips and Coke cans littering the room, where the huge television showed MTV on mute. More thunder rumbled, and Aimee ventured downstairs, into the basement, where Chris could be. The computer was there, on, and Aimee shut it down, glancing at the pool, ping-pong, and foosball tables. Her cat was lying on one of the futons in "the pit," a part of the room that went down a bit farther than the others. Aimee checked the room with the hot tub as a last resort. Still no Chris. 'Damn.' He was the only one that could manage to calm Aimee down during these things, at least halfway, with his jokes. She went back upstairs, and into the kitchen. On the bar was a note, which Aimee read while looking for her Oreos. "Hey sis, s'up? How's high school? I'm working until 8 at the Gap tonight, and Kali's going shopping with her buddies, so go ahead and get dinner. Oh yeah, I ate the rest of your Double Stuff Oreos. Chris." Aimee growled dangerously, and then began to search for Chris's Twinkies. finding the box, she just them out the window, into the rain, laughing as the cakes became soggy and fell apart. She then looked at the numerous take-out menus on the side of the fridge, and sorted out the ones that delivered. In her family, dinner meant take-out, since Chris and Kali weren't big on cooking, and Aimee... well... she once burnt down a microwave trying to make a TV dinner. She found Chen's Chinese, which was good and did delivery, and ordered General Tso's chicken and some fortune cookies for her lunch. Going into the den while waiting for the delivery man, she watched as Christina Aguilera did her Genie thing, and sighed. The power of air was the hardest, due to the spread out molecules, and Air was the most deadly, though the cost of making the attacks deadly could end up killing the user. The rush of battle was gone from her veins, and her head was cleared. "She's taking her time, making up the reasons To justify all the hurt inside Guess she knows from the smiles and the looks in their eyes..." 'Why me? Why I am I destined to be this Princess? Have this power? What makes me so special?' Aimee played with the Air Crystal, and then flung it angrily at the wall, where it crashed into the head of Jesus, or the statue of him, at least. "They're saying 'Mummy never loved her much' and, 'Daddy never keeps in touch, That's why she shies away from human 'fecction, yeah, '" "Why me, huh?" She stood up, yelling, angrily at the heavens. "What makes me any different? Have I not gone through enough pain and suffering? Is knowing each smile is a lie, knowing my parent's love is an act, is that not enough? What do you want from me? ANSWER ME, GOD! ANSWER ME!" By this time, Aimee had wandered outside, into the back yard. Aimee fell to her knees, which were almost instantly soaked with mud and water. Her blonde hair had turned brown, and hung in separated locks, sticking to her face. Her lilac shirt clung to her slender frame, and tears matching raindrops ran down her face. "What do you want from me?" she sunk to the ground, sobbing. The mud would stain her shirt, but she didn't care. Her parents would pay for it, that was one thing they were good for. "But somewhere in a private place She packs her bags for outer space And now she's waiting for the right kind of pilot to come And she'll say to him... I would fly you to the Moon and back if you'll be... If you'll be my baby Got a ticket for the world we belong So would you be my baby?" 'That's what I am, a poor little rich girl. What is it the newspapers call me? The Ice Princess? Yeah, that's me. The Ice Princess. Never knowing love or true friendship, never letting people get to close. A heart made of Ice, that's me.' Her blue eyes opened, filled with pain, and she slowly sat up, looking at her ruined shirt. Her muddied hands instinctively flew to her garnet cross that sat around her throat. "God, give me strength." That night, Aimee's dreams were haunted of an unhappy childhood. ~Flashback~ "Mother, Daddy, you wanted to speak with me?" she asked, curtsying in her pink dress that the nannies had dressed her up in. She was four years old, and mature for her age, being dubbed "The Darling Little Marsh Princess" by the press. Her mother was a famous ambassador, her father was the head of Marsh Electronics, making a salary close to Bill Gates. She was the child parents wished full, well-mannered, intelligent, vibrant, and sweet. "Aunt" Madeliene was indeed Madeliene Aubright, Uncle Steve was Steven Speilberg himself. She had the perfect life, until her mother broke it with one single shift. "Now, Aimee, you know that you're starting kindergarten soon, right?" the girl nodded, the blonde ringlets bobbing. "We want you to make us proud, Aimee. You owe us that gratification." Aimee wrinkled her brow in puzzlement. She had been taught at a young age not to question God, but the four year old didn't know her mother put herself up there next to Him. "Why?" Suddenly, the girl stumbled back, a slap ringing through the courtyard of their New York brownstone home. "Never question me, Aimee. You are lucky to even be here, wearing your fine clothes, and playing with your nice toys. You aren't my daughter, Aimee. You aren't even a Marsh, You are only a poor, pitiful orphan, whose parents died in a car crash, and we took you in out of pity." Her blue eyes brimmed with tears as they stared into cold, hard grey ones. "Aimee, we expect you to do well, if you want to stay a Marsh. We can always send you back to the orphanage, you know." The small girl's eyes widened in horror and shock at the threat. "Daddy, Mother...?" she looked into her father's eyes, and begged him silently to pick her up and hug her, like he did when the nice men with the cameras were around. His brown eyes only stared back, as unlovingly and barren as the moon. She gave a broken sob, and on that day, Aimee learned to hate. She hated her parents, who robbed her innocence, her childhood away from her. When she turned six, the once "Little Princess" became the "ice Princess," top of her classes, growing into a darling little lady, loved by her parents and family, according to the press. But that wasn't enough, for she showed no love or anything like that sort to the cameras. Or her relatives. or anyone. She was cold, and trapped her heart in a shell, swearing she would never be hurt again. Aimee never knew love, she didn't know how to. She didn't trust, she wouldn't let herself to. She was popular, she was "The Ice Princess". Just the fact that her face was on Time Magazine proved that for her. It was on there on her tenth birthday, reviewing the lifestyles of the "Ice Princess". In fact, the title of the article was called "Meiou No Kagami", or "Mirror of Secrets" in Japanese. It reflected on her change from the sweet girl giving a reporter a rose, to a cold girl, staring on a balcony, with her head raised like a princesses. "But somewhere in a private place She packs her bags for outer space And now she's waiting for the right kind of pilot to come And she'll say to him... I would fly you to the Moon and back if you'll be... If you'll be my baby Got a ticket for the world we belong So would you be my baby? She can't remember a time when she felt needed If love was red then she was colourblind All her friends, they've been trialed for treason And crimes that were never defined She's saying, 'Love is like a barren place And reaching out for human faith is like a journey I just don't have a map for' So baby's gonna take a dive Push the shift to overdrive Send a signal that she's hanging all her hopes on the stars What a plesant dream... I would fly you to the Moon and back if you'll be... If you'll be my baby Got a ticket for the world we belong So would you be my baby?" ~ This was Aimee, this was what she'd become. And she was scared for her life now. Because she knew that somewhere out there, there were two girls like her, that loved her like a sister, and a brother. There were people that cared for her no matter what, no matter how perfect she was or was not. They loved her for Aimee. No. They loved her for Amethyst. But, she realized, she wasn't the Princess Amethyst, who was sunny and bright, who's cheerfulness rivaled Princess Minako of the Venus Kingdom. This was Aimee, the Princess of Ice, the end of a dynasty of a famed family, the Marsh, who's rule was coming to an end with the Kennedys. What if she didn't meet up to their expectations? What if Aimee and Ame were too different? Aimee wouldn't let them hurt her too. Everyone must be kept away, and trusted as far as she could throw them. She couldn't make any exceptions. And again, her mind flashed back to a mind of a four year old's, going on twenty, standing on a balcony, gazing at the stars, and vowing never to be hurt again. "I will never love, never care, and never trust. I will not let myself be hurt again. Because that's what love is, pain." The four year old clutched onto her garnet cross that she'd found by her bed one day, never figuring out where it came from. The End of the Innocence. He stood on the roof, watching the girl standing on her balcony. Her slender figure was tantalizing, on he'd held in his arms many times. Her blonde hair fluttered in the wind, and her white robe swirled around her in the wind. He remembered seeing her earlier, crying into the rain. How much had he wanted to gather her into his arms,and kiss the tears away. True, this girl wasn't the same Amethyst, but they were so alike, both troubled in their own ways. He could hear her thoughts, feel her worry. Her fear of her newfound family not caring for her. "Aimee, they may stop caring for you, but I always will love you, my Ice Princess." His grey cape swirled, and his blonde hair waved gently in the wind. Despite the evil in his heart, he could not deny his love for the girl, engaged to him a thousand years ago. And now, the only solace he had to his heart's cries for her's, was spying on her like a stalker from the rooftops. Watching her pain from afar. "Soon, Love, I promise, we'll be together." And at that, he vanished, never noticed by the melancholy girl Chapter 4- A Challenge Issued Aimee yawned while walking down the road to Bridget's for a study fest with her, Fiona, Elena, and a sweet girl named Debbi that was in her drama class. Three days back in school and their evil science teacher was testing them on EVERYTHING they were have supposed to learn last year. And it was only her honours classes. Aimee wondered if she could keep up her studies this year. Aimee had always been a good student, which pleased her parents. Aimee only wanted to excel in school so she could leave America and go back to Japan to study animation, leaving her wretched family behind, and the pain associated with it. She reached the yellow house that was Bridget's and rang the doorbell, yawning again. 'Maybe you should have taken a sip of Kali's coffee this morning.' The door, opened, to reveal a tanned brunette, flashing her pearly whites at Aimee. "Yo, you made it. I got Elena and Debbi lost!" she giggled happily, and Aimee laughed. Sliding in, Aimee was escorted to the basement. Savage Garden was pumping from the speakers of the stereo, the computer screen was lit up with AIM boxes, and food was littered around. Three girls stared up at the newcomer. "Aimee! You made it!" Fiona cried, her red hair flying as she came over to hug the blonde. "Yeah, considering my house is only a block away." Debbi grinned. "Bridget could get her own neighbor lost!" "HEY!" the roar came from the brunette who was perched happily at the computer, talking to 17 people at once. They laughed, and Fiona, being the strongest, grabbed "Bridgita" and pulled her over to the study area. "Hmm, now, what are the formulas for distance and velocity?" Debbi asked, and multiple sweatdrops appeared on the girls head. Except for Elena's. "Speed x distance= velocity, and speed divided by time equals distance*" She spouted off, before Aimee could look up the answer in her book. The brunette then blushed sheepishly. "I mean, I think it's that." Silence followed, and Aimee then verified the answer. "She's right." Aimee was still in shock. She'd been at the top of her science class, and she couldn't remember all of this stuff! Sweatdrops appeared on the others foreheads, and Elena blushed. "Football game Friday, who's coming?" Fiona suddenly asked, moving the attention off her intelligent best friend, and Elena silently thanked the redhead. "I know I am, and Christine and Ted said they'd be there." Debbi blurted. "Where is Christine?" Bridget asked. "She's at a lacrosse training sesh. I'm lucky I was able to get out of basketball practice today." Elena sighed. "Oh yeah, Dan and I will be there." "I'm gonna come, and Travis and Jon mentioned something to me about it." Bridgita noted. "Hey 'Mee, what about you?" Aimee thought. She really should be patrolling the city for youma, but she didn't want to miss the game! 'Besides, where else would a youma be but at a football game? Lots of people, lots of energy being used, it's perfect!' she thought, and then turned to them. "Definitley, count me in." "Attention Dominion Valley students! Tonight is the big game at Dominion County, our rivals! Today was a school spirit day, and we thank everyone who dressed up in Green and Gold! Tonight's game is the first of the season, at County, and everyone is asked to come! Let's show a little Viking PRIDE!!!!" Cheers erupted from the classes, as the announcer stepped away from the microphone. "And that concludes the evening announcements. See ya at the game!" the PA system shut off, and Aimee was immediately surrounded by Debbi, Fiona, and Elena. "This is gonna ROCK!" Elena cried. "I bought our tickets at lunch!" Fiona waved them. "I can't WAIT!" Aimee found herself squealing. Even she was psyched about tonight's game, and the excitement in the air was thick enough to be cut with a knife. Aimee smiled at them, her gold tank top going well with her green khaki shorts. Fiona had worn a yellow slip dress, claiming that is she wore green, it would make her feel like it was Christmas (due to her red hair). Elena had on a yellow t-shirt that said "American Eagle on it," with green khaki shorts, just like Aimee's. Debbi had a green Gap shirt, and no yellow. The four were part of a large group that had "DVHS" painted on their cheeks, and Aimee grinned. Tonight would rock, despite the tingling in the back of her brain "It's into overtime, with Valley and County tied at 21/21. Tonight's game has been chalk full of surprises, with the fact that Valley is actually playing well one of them." The announcer, obviously from County, was booed. His velvety voice was strangely familiar to Aimee, and gave her tingles down her spine. She sipped on her Coke as Elena and Fiona screamed their heads off. Her Coke vanished as Travis grabbed it, taking a long sip. She narrowed her eyes at him, and growled. ^^ The score was tied, with 2 minutes and 11 seconds into overtime. There was a blast of mist, and a youma stood on the field, where the County coach had been standing. It growled, and slowly began to suck the energy from the frightened crowd. ^^ Aimee gasped as the vision shot through her, and she looked at the clock. 2 minutes into overtime. She had 11 seconds. Standing up, she quickly muttered something about another Coke, and vanished, to a grove of trees. She heard the screams and looked at the field. He was there. "AIR CRYSTAL... MAKE-UP!" The crystal vanished from her hand and onto her forehead, where it glowed for a moment, then a gust of air blew around her small figure, before turning into a silky ribbon that flowed over her slender curves. A white slip dress appeared made of light silk, with a silver empire waist. White pumps were on her small feet, and a diamond choker decorated her throat. White gloves with silver trim formed on her hands, and her hair was put into a ponytail, held by beads of white. She stood, and lavender fog appeared on the football field. Someone yelled out, "She's here! It's HER!" the Air Guardian had become a legend since she appeared, first at the candy store, then at a Skate park, battling strange creatures. The familiar figure of the masked guardian appeared, and cheers erupted from the field. She basked in the glory for a moment, and then narrowed her eyes at the target. It was a football paying youma, and it launched a football at her. Aimee dodged at, and a blast of energy flew out when it was hit. Aimee realized that if she wasn't careful, someone could be hurt. "Everyone get out of here!" She yelled, and the football players cleared the field before the youma could hit again. She raised her arms, and summoned the air, feeling the energy coursing through her veins. The wind blew violently, surrounding it's mistress. "TORNADO BLAST!" she cried out, and the blast of air zoomed towards the youma, and it dodged the blast. "TIARA SLICE!" Aimee threw the bladed crystal at the youma, and it hit it's side. Instead of crumbling into dust, however, it groaned, and shot another football at her. Air was hit, and fell as the energy blasted her body. Suddenly, the string that held the football together wrapped around her, slowly draining her energy. Aimee screamed. 'No! It can't end now! Not yet! I haven't fulfilled my duty!' her panicked mind thought. Suddenly, a blast of energy flew at the youma, and engulfed it. The ropes melted away as the youma crumbled, and Aimee turned to see who'd just freed her, and destroyed her enemy. No one was there. Aimee shook her head, and then glanced at a folded piece of paper, lying next to a purple rose. The rose seemed familiar. She remembered how Endymion grew roses, but this wasn't one of Endymion's. She opened the folded piece of paper, and scribbled words confronted her eyes, the handwriting familiar and strange at the same time. Aimee~ There is a new teen club opening tomorrow night in Dominion Square. Go there, unless you want the patrons- your new friends included- to end up dead. ~J. Her blue eyes narrowed. This man who'd saved her was the enemy, a familiar one. He knew her name, her identity. And he had the nerve to threaten her friends. She crumpled the paper, balling her hand into a fist. The rose's sweet fragrance turned bad, and Aimee walked off the field to detransform. Aimee sighed, while walking through the luxurious new mall that she'd been dragged to by Fiona, Elena, Debbi, and Christine. (Bridget was there, but she'd also been dragged) The mall was large, and the six girls were there scanning for outfits for the new club opening. Last night, Aimee had made sure to try and discourage them from going when Christine announced that they were going, and the others had laughed when she said that "teen clubs were dangerous and full of drugs." Fiona had even told her that this was Dominion, and not LA. She sighed, and wished that she could somehow brainwash them into not going with her Air crystal. She knew her crystal was the one of psychic powers, but Aimee felt that she shouldn't use it on mortals. Besides, she'd be there to protect them. She looked around at the dress that hung around her, nose wrinkled. Aimee had never been one for dresses, and she hated the fact that she had to wear one for her duties as Guardian. At least her skirt wasn't as short as Sailor Moon's. Looking around, she heard Christine squeal upon finding a black dress that suited her perfectly. Aimee sighed again, and looked again at the dresses. None of the ones here fitted her, and Aimee wanted to look good for tonight. She didn't know why, for all she knew this guy looked like the Hanson brothers. (Which would be bad!) Aimee stepped over to another area, and something in the corner caught her eyes. It was a silver slip dress, a lot like her white Air Guardian uniform. It had an empire waist and lavender roses embroidered on the side. There was only one left, and it was a small. Aimee's size. She knew just by looking at it that this was "the dress". She snatched it before any of the others could see it, and turned to ask their opinion "Oh, Aimee, that's so pretty!" Elena said as she clutched her baby blue dress. Fiona nodded, holding her royal purple one. "Gosh, you have good taste!" "You HAVE to let me borrow it!" Christine commanded from where she stood at the register, paying for the black one. Debbi smiled. "We'll have to find you some shoes and stuff to go with it." Aimee and Bridget groaned. The trip at the mall wasn't over yet. Four long hours later, Aimee smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Her long hair was pulled up into a stylish bun, a couple curled tendrils lying next to her tanned skin. Blue eyeshadow accented her eyes, and pink lips smiled back at her. A choker, (diamond, and looked surprisingly like the one on her Guardian outfit) The dress clung nicely to her body, the hem ending at a reasonable, yet sexy place on her thighs. Silver sandals style heels were on her small feet, and silver roses fastened them on her slender ankles. 'Well, "J", eat your heart out." She grabbed her small purse, and grinned. She may look like a pretty princess, but the whole outfit was a weapon. The diamond choker extended into a whip/ chain. The silver roses turned into oriental throwing stars. Her hair clip was the air crystal. And inside her bag was a can of Mace. 'Let's go.' Aimee entered the club, flanked by Fiona and Elena, who immediately spotted the others. They too, looked stunning in their dresses of baby blue and purple. Aimee scanned the club, looking for possible traps, and found none. The Enemy was good, she concluded. Every muscle in her body was tensed, and ready for battle. Her face was the only relaxed part on her body, hoping the Enemy would become nervous at her confidence, and chicken out. She severely doubted this, but kept her hope up. Her friends immediately took to the dance floor, but Aimee stayed in the shadows, hidden by darkness in a corner, watching carefully. He spotted her, and wiped his blond bangs out of his eyes. She stood in the shadows, in a short dress that clung to her petite figure, catching the eyes of many men in the club. If one of them dared to ask her to dance, he'd kill them, in a second. Standing up, he smiled as Savage Garden began playing. HE waited 'till she glanced over at her friends, and then walked over. Her entire body was tensed, ready for battle. Her face was calm and confident. He intended to get that look to change into something entirely different. She looked up, sensing someone in front of her. Her eyes landed on a man with blue eyes and blond hair, familiar, yet strange. He smiled, and took her small hand. "J?" she asked, confusion burning into her. Who was this attractive man that was causing her stomache to turn around in violent circles with his touch? 'AIMEE!' her mind shouted. 'Stay calm. Remember, he probably just wants to hurt you. Play his game and beat him at it, you're the Ice Princess, you're good at this.' Aimee mentally nodded. "Miss Aimee, may I have this dance?" he asked. Aimee smiled softly. "If you wish." She took her in his arms, and pressed her close as "Break Me Shake Me" by Savage Garden started up. They stayed in their dark corner, her petite frame pressed to his. It was so familiar to her, like something she'd done before. His hands rubbed her back, and she felt herself starting to relax. 'AIMEE! NO!' her mind screamed as she felt the shocks of electricity go up her spine. It was a lost battle, the Air Guardian felt herself falling away. His breath was suddenly tickling her neck, and she wrenched her eyes open as velvet lips gently touched the bare skin. The gentle touch released a dam of memories that weren't supposed to be remembered. I never thought I'd change my opinion again But you moved me in a way that I've never known You moved me in a way that I've never known But straight away you just moved into position again You abused me in a way that I've never known You abused me in a way that I've never known" Chapter Five- A Lavender Promise She was standing in her dress, which flowed around her. It was the white one, which was getting her compared to the gentle Princess Serenity tonight, at this particular ball. She'd tried to convince her mother that she was deathly ill, and that she was in no condition to attend tonight's ball. The Queen of the Earth wasn't fooled, and managed to guilt-trip her daughter into realizing that her elder brother would be disappointed if she didn't appear. "Endy, you SO owe me." she muttered under her breath. She was standing on the balcony, after dancing with the fifteenth boring Prince of some place, wanting to marry Ame for her title and not for herself. Those kinds of men bored her. And the worst part of all, was that Amethyst was completely ignored by everyone. Her sisters were chatting happily away with the other Senshi, Jadeite and the other Guardians keeping an eye on things, the Senshi included. Endymion was dancing with his Princess, and Demando was most likely cradling the Princess Minako in his arms, while Saffiru and the other members of the Nemesian Court, which were forced to come, were chatting with other guests. Everyone was quite happy, except for the Princess, who was being ignored. Normally, Ame would happily use this to her advantage, and sneak off to ride her horse, Tenshi. But tonight, strangely enough, the Princess wanted attention, and she wanted it from one person. It wasn't her brother, or her cousin, or her sisters. No. Her best friend of 7 years was ignoring her. He was busy ignoring Sailor Mars, aka Princess Rei of Mars. The growl sounded from Ame's throat, and she decided that riding would make her feel better. Maybe she could stir up some trouble, Amethyst was skilled in that department. Lifting up her white gown, she stepped over the marble to the other side of the balcony, balancing on the slim piece of marble that hung over the courtyard 20 feet below. A tree was about 5 feet away, and that was what Ame needed to jump into to get to the ground. She crouched, getting ready to jump, when two strong arms encircled her waist, and pulled her back over to the balcony before any resistance could be summoned by the Princess. She turned angrily, expecting the angry blue eyes of her brother's to match hers. Instead, she met angry blue ones, but they were darker than her brothers. Jediete. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked angrily. "Kunzite ordered me to check on you, and make sure you weren't doing anything bad." Ame snorted. So someone finally noticed she was gone. And it had to be the silver haired control freak. "I wasn't doing anything bad." Yet, she mentally added. "You were going to. Don't try to deny it, Ame-chan." She huffed, blowing her bangs up for a moment before they fell back on the tanned skin. Jadeite had to admit, his best friend was beautiful, though she would never believe that. Her blue eyes were like cubes of ice, angry and resentful. He sighed, and looked at her chosen dress. It was white, with a heart shaped cut (AN: like the one Serena wears in "Worth a Princess's Ransom), and clung to her figure nicely. A choker sat around her throat, with a silver locket hanging off it, a rose design embedded in it. He smiled at the picture she made. So break me shake me hate me take me over When the madness stops then you will be alone Just break me shake me hate me take me over When the madness stops then you will be alone "How long have you been standing out here, Princess?" he asked, and Ame wrinkled her nose. "Jadeite-kun, you've never called me "Princess". He smiled. "True. But why don't you tell me how long you've been standing out here?" Ame shrugged. "Awhile. It was boring in there." Jadeite nodded, and a cool evening breeze blew around them, causing the blond tendrils to blow around her heart- shaped face. She shivered, and Jadeite instinctively gathered her in his arms, a surprising feeling of protection for the girl coming over him. She looked at him, blue eyes in confusion, and instinct took over. So your the kind that deals with the games in the mind Well you confuse me in a way that I've never known You confuse me in a way that I've never known So break me shake me hate me take me over When the madness stops then you will be alone Just break me shake me hate me take me over When the madness stops then you will be alone One minute he was holding her gently in his arms, and then, his lips were on her soft pink ones. The kiss was chaste and innocent, and they stood there for a long moment, before the pressure on her mouth became too great, and she opened it to his desires. They stood there, for a long moment, their kisses showing their true feelings for each other. And the Princess was no longer alone. Ame danced happily in her fianc駳 arms, leaning her head against his muscular chest. The war against the Dark Kingdom was becoming more and more costly, the Dark Kingdom warriors so strong, it surprised the Senshi and Earth's Guardians. The other day, also Zoicite had gone out for a walk, and not returned. Many feared the worst about the auburn-haired Sakura, but Amethyst could still feel his presence, which she used to reassure the others, especially Kunzite, who was feeling a bit guilty about neglecting Zoicite. Something tingled in Ame's mind, for when she tried to reach out to Zoicite, she felt darkness and hatred, though Ame couldn't tell towards who. She kept this information silent, not wanting to burden her family and friends. She would resolve the problems later, she promised herself, and let her mind drift to a contented state while dancing with Jadeite. He smiled down at her, and gently kissed the corner of her mouth, causing them to turn upside down in a pout. He smiled, and leaded down to kiss her when a cry erupted, and then an explosion. Instinct kicked in, and Jadeite shielded the Princess's body with his, while holding her in his arms. She screamed softly, and then looked to see what had happened. Where marble walls once were, there was a hole, looking onto the smashed courtyard of the Summer Palace. Dozens of youma stood there, and one small man stood in front of them, an evil smile lurking on his face. "Zoi-kun!" Kunzite's startled, anguished cry came from a corner of the room, and Ame paled. 'The feeling of darkness, it must have been betrayal!' She realized. 'The bastard!' She looked at Minako, who stood next to Demando,a nd they nodded in sync. The Princess, Prince, and two crystals were here, that must have been what they were after. "VENUS POWER.... MAKE-UP!" "AIR CRYSTAL... MAKE-UP!" The two cries were erupted, and flashes of light blinded the people in the room. "Ame-chan!" Jadeite whispered softly. Soon other cries erupted from the room. "MARS POWER... MAKE-UP!" "JUPITER POWER... MAKE-UP!" "MERCURY POWER.... MAKE-UP!" "FIRE CRYSTAL... MAKE-UP!" "WATER CRYSTAL... MAKE-UP!"The lights ended, and four Senshi, with three princesses stood there. Water's eyes brimmed with tears, they were fighting Zoicite? Her friend, guardian, teacher? Fire's face was one of shock, as she stared at the bishounen. Air's was one of hatred and anger. She stepped forwards, brandishing a sword. The crowd stared at her, the Air Guardian knew all truths. She would know what happened to the General. "So, you betrayed my family, that has given you love, food, and home, since you were a small boy for this, Zoicite. All because you feel that attention you desire is not provided? And you call yourself a warrior." Amethyst's disdainful voice stood out. She was not nicknamed "Ice Princess" for nothing, the Princess could be quite icy at times. "Well, Zoi-kun, get used to it. You think I get attention 24/7? No. I don't, and though I may not like it, I deal with it. You, however, decided to show them up, and join the Kingdom of Darkness? Normally, Zoicite, I would forgive you. I would think that Beryl had brainwashed you, ne?" she stared at him, head on, icy blue clashing with hard fleck of green. "I don't. I know you went there willingly!" the crowd gasped, and normally, Queen Gaia would step in to give the sentence, or the Prince, or even Princess Fiore. But the little Ice Princess continued. "You may turn back now, and we will forgive you. Or you may refuse my gracious offer, and you will pay with your death." Kunzite gasped, but he knew his loyalty lay with he Prince. Zoicite had dug his own grave. "Little Ice Princess, you speak of betrayal. I simply chose the winning side! I refuse your offer, and I let you know that we have openings for people like you on our side." Amethyst glared, and Beryl chose that moment to plant unhappy memories in her mind. All the times she'd been too little, or known that she was the least powerful, the least worth, the youngest princess. All the times she'd been brushed off by her older, more important siblings, all the times she'd been snickered at as a child. All the times she'd been alone. Amethyst shook off the mental beckoning, the invitation, trying to distort her senses. Jadeite could feel her distress, and laid a hand on her shoulder. She looked into his blue eyes, and then back at Zoicite. "Never," she swore, and prepared to fight. Zoicite thrust his hand forward, and the youma surged forward, fights breaking out. It was a fairly matched fight, the Prince, Princess, Guardians, and Senshi fighting as a team, until Ame heard a bewildered yell. "Nephrite-kun!" the brown haired general vanished into thin air, a youma holding onto him. "What's going on?" Jupiter yelled worriedly. "Where did he go?" Another cry came, as the same thing happened to Jadeite. A glimmer of gold flashed in Water's eyes. "They're being teleported!" "I think they're being taken to the Dark Kingdom!" Mercury finished the sentence. A cackle came, and Amethyst turned. There stood Jadeite, a gloved hand wrapped around his neck. Zoicite's hand. "Little Princess, your efforts are futile. Soon you will regret your decision of not to come when you had the chance!" Zoicite vanished, taking the handsome blond man with him. "JADEITE!" Amethyst screamed, collapsing to the ground. Her outfit shimmered, and the lilac dress reappeared. She lay there on the ground, sobbing, before Endymion gently picked his youngest sister up. Fiore and Liquinia were immediately by his side, and Liquinia gave Ame a shot to calm her down. That was the day of the Betrayal. ~~ Her eyes wrenched open to gaze into his. "Jadeite?" His lips curved upwards into a smile, as they swayed to the music. By this time, Aimee had wrapped her arms around his neck, and, in return, his arms were comfortably wrapped around her slender waist. N'SYNC was playing, "Tearin' Up My Heart" being the song. She leaned into him, much like they did at the ball, celebrating their engagement. More memories came back. She says, "I can help you, but what do you say?" But it's not for free baby, you'll have to pay You just keep me contemplating, that your soul is slowly fading God don't you know I live with a ton of regret? 'Cause I used to move you in a way that you've never known But then I accused you in a way that you've never known But you hurt me in a way that I've never known... ~ His eyes were hollow, no longer their vibrant blue. Something flashed in them, if only for a moment, when he saw the Air Guardian. "Ame-chan!" one of her sisters yelled. The blonde man smiled. "You three girls are wasting your time!" he cackled, and shot a bolt of dark energy at them. They fell, and Ame whimpered. "Jadeite..." she whispered. She felt like someone had torn her heart out from her chest, and squished it, shattered it, broken it for good. "Ame-chan! He's not himself! He's been brainwashed!" Tears glistened in her eyes, and she stepped forwards him. The man looked confused, and she held up her left hand, a diamond ring flashing on her ring finger. He stared at it, and something flickered in his eyes. She then grabbed him, and pulled him into a passionate embrace, tears running down her cheeks. He kissed her back, for a moment, and then pulled away, confusion rampaging in his eyes. He looked at her, and then at the ring. Ame. Ring. Ame. Ring. He then vanished, his cape swirling in the wind. Ame sunk to her knees, staring at the ring, shaking. Break me shake me hate me take me over When the madness stops then you will be alone Just break me shake me hate me take me over When the madness stops then you will be alone ~~ "Why?" she whispered, and he smiled gently, looking at the lavender roses lying on her waist. ~ (AN: Last one, I promise! Please don't kill me!) He stood on the gazebo, darkness hiding his features. Here was the place where he had proposed to her, their place. It over-looked the sea at the now ruined Summer Palace, and Jadeite took her hand. "Ame-chan.." he whispered, and pulled her towards him. "You know I am not on your side, Ame. And I know that you will not come with me. But remember this, I will always love you." He pulled her to him, and kissed one last time, with allt he passion he had for the 16 year old girl in front of him. He pulled back when she whimpered in pain, realizing he'd bruised her tender lips. He smiled, and then was gone, leaving her clutching at a lavender rose. ~~ (AN: See, no more!) He raised his eyes back to hers, and seized her lips in his, kissing her hungrily, holding her petite frame against him. Electricity flowed through their veins, and they stayed happily in their corner, exploring each other's mouths tenderly. Listen, baby You'll be, you'll be alone Break me shake me hate me take me make me Fake me break me shake me hate me take me Break me She groaned, and he pulled back, mentally slapping himself. 'THIS IS A FRIGGIN' 14 YEAR OLD GIRL!!!! GET A GRIP!!! AND SHE'S THE FLIPPIN' ENEMY, FOR GOD'S SAKE!' Jadeite looked into her blue eyes, and kissed her forehead again. He had to stay away, he couldn't do this to her again. Within minutes, he was gone. Aimee stood there, and summoned the Ice Princess within her, blinking the tears away. She raised her head, haughtily, and walked over to the table where her friends were sitting, never noticing a thing. She slid into her seat, and smiled at them. "I'm feeling a little ill, I think I'll bail early tonight." The girls nodded, and wished her well. She crept out of the club, and began walking home. It was drizzling softly, and Aimee tripped in her heels, twisting her ankle painfully. 'Great, my fianc頩s evil, I'm soaking wet, and I have a sprained ankle. This is going to be a LONG walk home." She hobbled towards her house, walking close to the walls of the stores. Ten minutes later, Aimee realized that she was lost. Fifteen minutes later, her ankle gave out. Lying against the the brick wall, she reached for her purse, and took out a cell phone, keeping the can of Mace close to her. Aimee was in the bad side of town, most definitely. Glancing around nervously, she began to dial the number of her house. Five rings passed, and then, someone picked up. "Hello? You there? Oh, that's right, we aren't! You've reached the Marsh family, home of Kali, Aimee, and occasionally Chri-" Click. She sighed, and her wet bangs stuck to her forehead. A car pulled up, and Aimee held out the Mace, and reached for the Air Crystal. 'Let's see them try to rob the Guardian of Air!' the thought brought a smirk to her face, and a voice then cut through her homicidal thoughts, soft and worried. "Aimee?" She looked up to see blue eyes, framed by matted blonde hair, become wetter by the second. "Jadeite!" she gasped softly, and mentally kicked herself. 'Good going, blondie! He's the friggin Enemy!' she looked tiredly at him, and he smiled softly. "What happened?" she stared back at him, icy blue eyes masking her fear and pain. "Let's get you home." He reached down, and Aimee's hand, pushing against his chest, trying to keep him away. "I'm fine. Really. Just tired." "Aimee, don't argue! This is no place for a pretty, injured girl like you to be wandering around at midnight in!" He then picked her up, carrying her light body, over the threshold style to the car, buckling her in the front passenger seat. She leaned back, and bit her lip, prepared to hide her pain if it killed her. The car zoomed through the slick streets of downtown Dominion City, Britney Spears' "Baby One More Time" playing softly in the background. Oh baby, baby, how was I supposed to know, that something wasn't right here Oh baby baby, I shouldn't have let you go, and now you're right outside, yeah Show me, how you want it to be, tell me baby, cuz I need to know now, oh because! My loneliness is killing me, and I I must confess, I still believe. And when I'm not with you I use my mind, Give me a sign, Hit me baby one more time! Aimee had never been a fan of Britney Spears, but the words were hitting home for her. She sighed softly, leaning as far back into the leather seats as she hoped she could. Oh baby baby, the reason my faith, is you boy, you've got me blinded Oh baby, baby, there's nothing that I wouldn't do, but nothing that I can, yeah Show me, how you want it to be, tell me baby, cuz I need to know now, oh because! My loneliness is killing me, and I I must confess, I still believe. And when I'm not with you I use my mind, Give me a sign, Hit me baby one more time! Jadeite gazed over at the soaking girl. Her hair was matted and clung to her face, the dress was ruined, her shoes stained, and her ankle red and puffed up painfully. Her eyes were closed, almost like she was asleep. Well, that was good, since those eyes could hypnotize him, drown him... 'Concentrate of the road, boyo.' he reminded himself. Oh baby baby Oh baby baby Aimee opened her eyes and glanced at him. He was concentrating on the road with rapt attention, but Aimee would notice his blue eyes flicker towards her every few seconds. Oh baby baby, how was I supposed to know... Oh baby baby, I shouldn't have let you go.... His eyes caught hers and for a moment they just stared at each other. I must confess, that my loneliness, is killing me now... Don't you know I still believe, that you will be here, and give me a sign Hit me baby one more time! Jadeite turned into the neighborhood Aimee lived in, Keystone something-or- other. His eyes were still on hers, and he forced himself to concentrate on the road. My loneliness is killing me, and I I must confess, I still believe. Jadeite pulled up next to her house, the wheel of his sports car bumping against the curb. There were no lights on in the large house, and no cars in the driveway. And when I'm not with you I use my mind, Give me a sign, Temptation gave in, and he leaned forward, seizing her lips in his. They stayed in that position for a while, until he drew back and looked at her, tanned skin flushed from lack of air, eyelids coated in silvery blue, covering her blue eyes... and then they opened, gazing into his, saying a hidden message. Hit me baby one more time! "Ooooooooow!" The painful groan escaped her lips, which had been previously held together by her clenched teeth. Jadeite looked worriedly at her, and touched the ankle again. "OW!" she shrieked, and he frowned even more. "Ame-chan, I think you sprained your ankle." "It's your fault," she spat and Jadeite rolled his eyes. A thousand years, death, and rebirth and Ame hadn't changed. "How is it my fault?" Jadeite asked with a raised eyebrow. "Because, if YOU hadn't left like that, I wouldn't have gone running off!" she raised her head with a "hmmph." Yup, she was still 100% Princess. "Aimee, as long as you believe that, that's all that matters." "I know that!" They turned to look at each other, and laughed. "Yep, YM was right." He gave her a questioning look. "Oh, they had this funny article, which element matches your birthday. Surprisingly, Air and Aquarius is a match. Air is supposedly the element that is most likely to get into a fight with their best friend over the last cookie crumb." "I believe that you and Fiore did that once." Her face fell, into one of sadness. "Aimee, what's wrong?" "Jadeite... never mind, you wouldn't understand." "You'd be surprised." They stared at each other for a moment, and he then began wrapping her ankle, her face twisted in pain. "Would you understand about your dreams being wreaked?" He looked suddenly at her. She took the hint to continue, and sighed. "I wanted to go to Japan, or become an animator, or even stay in America and practice law or become a journalist. Get away from this family, change my name. I have a hefty trust fund waiting for me when I turn 18, you know. My original parents, who died in a car accident when I was only two, weren't exactly peasants. I was going to use this money, and leave this wretched family." Tears were now forming in her eyes. "Do you know what it's like going to the grocery store on your 10th birthday and seeing your face on the cover of TIME Magazine, titled 'What happened to the Princess?'" He shook his head, and a tear ran down her cheek. "I didn't think so. I'm the Ice Princess, Jadeite, which is the result of never being loved for me, not being wanted. I don't know how to love, how to care. I never have had any of these things. And now, I find out that a thousand years ago, I had a brother, two sisters, and a fianc鿠Jadeite, I hate to disappoint you, but Princess Amethyst is dead. I may look like her, and I may have her memories, but I'm not Ame. I'm Aimee Marsh, the Ice Princess, the last of a dying dynasty, and secretly, the Guardian of Air. So don't expect me to be the bouncy, troublesome, always happy, carefree Princess, with a terrible temper, and the reason Queen Gaia was going grey!" Another tear ran down her cheek, and Jadeite brushed it away. "Aimee," she looked at him. "In many ways, you are the Princess, but you're right, in many ways, you aren't. Aimee, ever since I saw you morph in that alleyway, I loved you." she looked away, holding back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. He lifted her chin so that her eyes were staring into his. "Do you know what your name means in French, mi amore? Aim饠 means to be loved. And you are loved, Mee," he called her by one of her pet names. "I will always love you, and your brothers and sisters will love you no matter what."He leaned down, and they kissed passionately, with her hands threaded in the hair on the nape of his neck, and his finger-combing her long, damp tendrils. ------<@ ~Fin~ @>------- AND IT ENDS! Wait, one more song! You know about me and songs. He he he. NEway, comments, questions, flames, and feedback are required at amethyst@tuxedomask.com To get the full dish on the Guardians, I'm putting a page up with my site, once it's "redone". ^_^ Peace and Love be with you, Amethyst ݍ "Tears of Pearls" By Savage Garden And we stare each other down like victims in the grind Probing all the weakness and hurt still left behind and we cry The tears of pearls We do it. Oh we do it. Is love really the tragedy the way you might describe? Or would a thousand lovers still leave you cold inside? Make you cry... These tears of pearls All these mixed emotions we keep locked away like stolen pearls Stolen pearl devotions we keep locked away from all the world Your kisses are like pearls, so different and so rare But anger stole the jewels away and love has left you bare, Made you cry... These tears of pearls Well I could be the tired joker pour my heart to get you in Sacrifice my happiness just so I could win Maybe cry... These tears of pearls All these mixed emotions we keep locked away like stolen pearls Stolen pearls devotions we keep locked away from all the world We twist and turn where angles burn Like fallen soilders we will learn That once forgotten, twice removed Love will be the death... The death of you All these mixed emotions we keep locked away like stolen pearls Stolen pearls devotions we keep locked away from all the world ******************* Secrets of the Wind- C Author's Notes. Hi, I'm Amethyst. You may know me from past fan-fictions such as "Unfinished Business", and "A Break from Reality". Well, I'm writing a completely different story. It's an alternate reality, with *new* characters. You may be groaning, saying, "Oh, joy, another badly written Jendra-wannabe fic." Au contrare, mes amies, je n' pas Universal. For example, this won't take place in the middle of the third season, where a group of girls in Senshi outfits pop up and kick ass. No. First of all, these girls are NOT Senshi. They are Endymion's little sisters, and you may want to read "Bedtime Stories" first. Second of all, The Guardians starts off first season, in Virginia, with a girl named Aimee Marsh. There are NO Senshi in this, except in flashbacks, and news reports. You will see youma, you will be the Dark Kingdom Endymion's name pops up a lot, but other than that, screw the Sailor Senshi. They aren't here. When I started this fic 6 months ago, Aimee was Circe, and it was set in the middle of Sailormoon R, since I have a thing for the Black Moon. However, I decided I was tired of having these people just *pop up*, kick ass, and explain their painful pasts, which takes half the story. I thought, "what if a bunch of teenage girls, were like the Senshi, but not." This tells the tales of three girls, Aimee, and her sisters (who's names will NOT be revealed at this time), and live lives while saving the world. They are the Protectors of Endymion, and guard his power. This series follow their lives, and they won't be meeting the senshi until M season. Music plays a MAJOR part in my stories, since I love music with all my heart, next to Jeddy, of course. So, you will find quite a few songs thrown in there. *.* Aimee, in fact, IS modeled after me in many ways. Her attitude, her secretiveness, stubbornness, that's all me, baby. The others are modeled after my friends, named Christine, Ted (not twins in real life), Debbi, Jon, Travis, and Dan, Well, I made up Dan. Bridgita is someone that many of my online buddies know of, he he he. Fiona and Elena will play major parts later on, and they're modeled after my "sisters", or, oneesans, Caroline and Kira. The C is this story stands for Crystal, since they are the Crystal Guardians. I have three "mini-seasons" planned out, one being first season, one being (R) Rose, aka Second season, and one split season, with half of it (M) "Meiou" which is, according to Pluto Planet Power, JA for Secret, and the other half is Eternal, (E) and this is the ending one. If you're expecting these stories to be happy, they aren't. These are REAL girls, with REAL problems. They are a bit more dramatic, but they are real. The series are episodes of "Friends", "Buffy," and "Dawsons' Creek" rolled into one. THANKS to: "Darian"- You're my oniisan, (to heck with that whole "we're not related stuff, I've adopted you ;) so I stuck you in here for just being there for me. This summer has been tough, and you made it better. I couldn't have gotten through this past month without you. Caroline- You are my sister, and you've stuck with me for 4 years. You've supported me through all of my phases, and you helped me through Writer's Block. This wouldn't be here without you. Kira- My other sister, who has gotten me in trouble for 14 years. 14! Can you believe it?!? Neither can I. I hope we don't grow apart, chica! Bridgita- Girl, you're my official muse, got that? You've supported me, and cheered me on, made me laugh, and let me live with you when my life fell apart for that week in August. You're my fellow otaku, and you made me laugh instead of cry. I love you guys, and Aimee wouldn't be here with out you. AND who could forget: Saint Ethyros- You've encouraged me from the beginning, giving me Beta reads, and helping me through it. Thanks so much. Zarah- You helped me plan this out, without even knowing it. Love ya girl! Jessie, Uni, Jenny, Celeste, Andrea, Oliver, and all of the others who gave me feedback. Thank you. Genni, Debbi, and the others who saw my drawings at school and said they were good. I'm going to leave, with a song that I love, and pops up in the story. It's called, "Moon and Back", and is by Savage Garden. Feedback is necessary, people! If I don't think anyone likes this, I might not continue it :( I now sign off, and I hope you like my story. Love, Chocolate, and Peace be with you. Amethyst September 22nd, 1999 amethyst@tuxedomask.com "She's taking time, making up the reasons To justify all the hurt inside Guess she knows from the smiles and the look in their eyes Everyone's got a theory about the bitter one They're saying 'Mamma never loved her much' And, 'Daddy never keeps in touch That's why she shies away from human affection' But somewhere in a private place She packs her bags for outer space And now she's walking for the right kind of pilot to come. And she'll say to him I would fly you to the moon and back if you'll be? If you'll be my baby Got a ticket for a world where we belong So would be you my baby? But somewhere in a private place She packs her bags for outer space And now she's walking for the right kind of pilot to come. And she'll say to him I would fly you to the moon and back if you'll be? If you'll be my baby Got a ticket for a world where we belong So would be you my baby? She can't remember a time when she felt needed If love was red then she was colorblind All her friends they've been tried for treason And crimes that were never defined She's saying, 'Love is like a barren place, And reaching out for human faith Is like a journey I just don't have a map for' So baby's gonna take a dive and Push the shift to overdrive Send a signal that she's hanging all her hopes on the stars What a pleasant dream I would fly you to the moon and back if you'll be? If you'll be my baby Got a ticket for a world where we belong, So would be my baby?"