The ice is thin come on dive in
underneath my lucid skin
the cold is lost forgotten
hours pass days pass time stands still
light gets dark and darkness fills
my secret heart forbidden--
Ice (sarah maclachlan)

(Chapter One)

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Present---England-- a few weeks after
Jaedite is found to be alive.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Wearily, Greg climbed the stairs to
his apartment...it was late, and he was
tired from studying. The books he
carried felt like a ton, and he almost
felt like leaving them on the steps.

Exerting his will power, he pushed forward.
Why had he started to get fatigued so easily?
Maybe it was this English weather. Ever
since he'd come here he just hadn't been
the same. Of course, maybe the problem
was his heart. He kept thinking back
to the last time he'd seen her...his
Amy...in the park, as he explained
his visions. Those visions had stopped
now--in fact, he hadn't had a premonition
since he'd moved into his apartment.
Therefore, he had utterly no warning of the
visitor who stood patiently outside his
door, pausing in the act of knocking.

"AMY" Greg called, surprise making his
voice rise in pitch. The last person he'd
expected to see in front of his apartment door
was Amy. He dropped his books...and they
made a soft *thump* on the faded threadbare
carpet of the hall.

"Greg--" She spoke as if she could
barely get all the words out "we need to talk."

He opened the door, as if in a trance.

They were barely in before she started
" We can't give up on our future because of my past." Her
voice was firm. "I'll leave, if you think that's best,
but I think we should reexamine your interpretation of the
dream. I've found something out that make me
think--no, know that you are wrong."

Greg stared at her--she was here. Was it a dream?
If so he didn't want to wake up.

"Greg?" She said...She lightly touched his shoulder
with her hand "Is everything ok?"

"This must be a dream." He said. "Amy, are
you really here? Do you really mean this?"

"It's not a dream." She said. "I'm really here...and..
I won't give up on you because of some dream or because
of anything..."

"Amy, I love you, you know that..I've always
loved you...but I can't go back to being
your friend..."

"I don't want you to do that! I've probably always
loved you but I was too scared to admit it.
I'd also convinced myself I was too busy to
fall in love. That love was this glamorous
enchantment that I didn't need, didn't deserve
and didn't want. Because I thought that love
picks you and you have no choice when it happens!"

"What changed your mind...?" Greg asked.

"A friend of mine set me straight." She smiled.
"She told me that everyone deserves a chance for
love! But you have to work for it...and that its not
always some magical overpowering experience that sweeps you away--
Sometimes, love is the soft warm glow you get when thinking about a person
you care about very very much...a person you'd
like to spend every minute of every day with...
a person who makes you want to keep on living..."

"Just to see their smile?" Greg finished for
her... "That's almost a direct quote from Sailor
V's latest issue..." Their eyes met and they
laughed..

Amy blushed. "I was quoting Serena actually,
but I suppose I should have known Serena
wasn't that eloquent. But I mean it, because that's how I feel."

One of the doors in the apartment opened. A thin,
deadly pale, bespectacled figure emerged. He pushed
the strands of his impossibly black straight hair
out of his face, and blinked with eyelashes that
looked white in comparison, looking at the couple before
him. He stared longer than was polite at Amy.
Finally, he coughed to get their attention and said
"Hallo there Greg--you're back early tonight
aren't you? I didn't mean to interrupt, but.."
Suddenly he placed why the girl looked familiar....
Greg had a picture on his desk of her.

"Is this your Amy?' His roommate asked, looking at the couple.
The other two barely noticed.

They were too busy staring into each other's eyes.

"Yes." Greg said. "This is *my* Amy."

* * *
The two weeks Amy could spend with Greg
flashed by in an eye blink. Mina had spent
the time visiting her old haunts, giving
Amy plenty of time to spend with Greg alone.

The odd thing was, Amy usually ended up hanging
out with Greg's roommate EZ. Greg had
been busy doing his coursework. EZ, who had
just turned in his doctoral thesis, was much
freer and the two found quite a bit in common
to chat about. Even though she'd mostly
watched Greg study, Amy still wished she didn't have to go.

The airline called her flight number.

Greg yawned. "Sorry, I didn't get to
spend as much time with you as I'd have liked."

Amy nodded, but he could see the disappointment
hiding in her eyes. "I understand...studying
is important. Besides, Greg, I know you really weren't
expecting me to show up like this." She
may be on vacation, but he wasn't. Two weeks
just wasn't long enough, she thought. She
wished she didn't have to go.

He still felt drained. Why in the world
had he'd picked an *English* school to
study medicine? He had to study twice as hard
as he would have otherwise. He sighed, knowing
that he'd done this to get as far away as he could
from Amy and the mystery man who Greg had thought
was destined to win Amy's love away from
Greg. "Look, as soon as I can, I'll visit you in Tokyo."
He managed a smile despite his exhaustion. "I have to
take a break sometime."

She smiled, . "Oh Greg! I'll write you
everyday...the time will pass quickly."
They'd agreed he would transfer back to
Tokyo at the year's end, pending
an acceptance in a medical school in
Tokyo. Though Amy's classes would
start a few days after she returned, Greg
had already turned down his seat in that
school. If he had not done so, he could
have just come with her now--but that was
not to be. Amy rationalized in her head--
you could be close to someone emotionally even if you were not
geographically close...but leaving bothered her anyway.

Greg's roommate EZ stepped in then, to hug Amy goodbye.
He'd come with them to the airport.
Though he was never standoffish, he also
wasn't genuinely gregarious...especially
with women, and he stood near to Mina, almost
ignoring her chatter. He didn't even make eye
contact, just kept watching Greg and Amy.

In a minute, EZ fell into a rather esoteric conversation
with Amy. Greg, bored by the debate
moved over to say goodbye to Mina, enjoying her
mindless lighthearted conversation. He was
too tired to think today.

For an instant, as he observed EZ's goodbye
to Amy, he felt a streak of
jealousy freeze through him--but he shook it off.
EZ never seemed to be interested in women...
Though, fairly, in all the years he'd known
him, EZ had never seemed interested in people
in general. Just chess, politics, studying,
and oddly enough martial arts.

"Your roommate is such a hunk! Too bad we're
leaving!" Mina gushed. "Why didn't Amy tell
me, I'd have hung out with you all then!"

Greg felt very uncomfortable at that. "Well,
he *is* moving back to Japan soon...."
He said as their seat numbers were called.

Not caring if Greg noticed, EZ kept his eyes on Amy's soft
ocean of hair, as long as he could as she walked
down the ramp. EZ watched Amy disappear into the plane.

He'd never met anyone like her. She seemed
so familiar to him...he felt a connection with
her that he'd never felt with anyone, except of course,
Greg. EZ frowned, and looked
away when Greg looked at him. Somehow, he
was glad Amy left--temptation is easier to resist
when its not before you.

As the days passed though, EZ had to admit that Amy's
face lingered on his mind. He'd taken to drawing
her face, and had even made a copy of Greg's photograph.
Furtively, he stashed these items away in a desk--fearful
lest Greg realize his secret.

Time didn't explain his connection with her, only
strengthened his conviction...
The feeling had washed over him, leaving him drenched with
guilt. She had to feel something too. EZ thought...
EZ's eyes would catch her's when Greg was pouring
over some problem. They'd both stayed up hours
talking to each other, or playing chess. Time she
should have spent with Greg. Of course, Greg was studying.
The problem was, EZ thought to himself, he should
have been studying Amy. EZ certainly had.
"I can't believe she left so soon." Greg said
sadly. "I miss her already."

EZ nodded, not wanting to agree for fear he'd
betray himself.

He'd known Greg forever it seemed..
But they'd met just after Greg had met Amy. So
he'd always known about Amy's place in Greg's life....he'd
just never met her, until now.

Funny that should happen in England, when they'd
all grown up in Japan. Yet life liked odd twists.
And EZ's life had been twisted. He tried not to remember
the strict, overly religious father who had all but
abused him. He'd run away at fifteen, suffering nightmares,
and then memory lapses. He awoke in a hospital, almost a year
and a 1/2 later...The state put him with a foster
family, and pushed him back two years in school.
The only good thing about that was he finally had
a more stable home life,and he met Greg,
who was somewhat younger.

EZ rapidly made up the missing months of
school. On scholarship he went to England for college,
and then his Phd, having graduated
early from school. He never minded leaving Tokyo,
as much as leaving Greg. He certainly couldn't miss the
other student's who never talked to him but only about him.
Or his well-meaning foster-family....no,
Greg was the only one who realized that despite
all Ezekiel Spade's genius lay a fear of social interaction.
He saw the self-imposed isolation was just a
shield to protect EZ from hurt.
So Greg meant more than just a friend to EZ...he
was his *only* friend...so that was why, when he
felt this pull to Amy, that EZ felt his soul turn upside
down. Why did he have to hurt the one person
he cared about, in order to fall in love? Because
he couldn't think of any other word to explain the feeling
he had when he looked into her soft blue eyes.

As Amy entered the plane, she turned to wave.
Again as she saw Greg's roommate a feeling
of deja-vu poured over her...he was so familiar
to her somehow.
* * * *

Impatiently, Serena watched the passengers file
off the airplane. She kept hopping up
to see over the heads of the others around her.
"Where are they!?" She warbled.

Lita's worried expression
vanished as she spied her friends "*There*
they are" she said...subconsciously she'd
not believed they'd be safe until she saw them.
She could still remember waiting for two other
loved ones, at this very airport, who never came...
but this time, she smiled wistfully, things were different.

"It's about time." A little grandmotherly
looking woman said. "Did they have
to be the *last* people off the plane?"

"Oh Mina and Amy!" Exclaimed Serena, obviously glad
her two friends were back, as she hugged both
of them.

The girls smiled, returning the hug.
Amy replied "I'm so glad to be home...
But we had a great time in England" She couldn't
help eye the strange old woman who stood near them,
tapping her foot.

"Yeah, I showed her all the fun stuff, and
she showed *me* all those great historic things
I'd missed!" Mina said. "It's funny how I
lived there and never saw those things...oh
well, it's hard to know what's under your chin!"

"See what's under your nose." The old woman corrected,
sounding exasperated.

Serena smiled even wider, she was happy to see Mina
as her normal cheerful self again. After their memories
returned, Mina had spent a few nights feeling moody
and antisocial. "Darien's
getting the car..." She informed them. "We should
all be able to squeeze in for a short ride."

Suddenly Amy realized she recognized the
prickly old woman...
"R--" She started to say when Lita put her hand
over her mouth. "Shush....she's hiding."

"Hiding? Why?"Amy asked.

"Let's just say you missed some adventures
on your trip." Serena said. "So we" She lowered
her voice "used the Luna Pen on Raye.."

"why?"

Lita grinned. "We'll explain later.
Say, you two must be tired. It's a
long flight--do you want me to go get your
luggage?" The girls described their bags,
and handed their tickets to Lita. Who walked
away "Ok, a small blue case and a *huge* orange bag.
Got it..I'll meet you at the car."

On their way out, Amy asked them to pause while
she called Greg to let him know she'd gotten in ok.

"Isn't that sweet!" Mina cooed. "She even called
him *from the plane*!"

While waiting, Serena placed a
hand on Mina's shoulder, as Raye scanned
the rows of cars for Darien's car.

"Are you ok?" Serena said, quietly...."I
was worried when you left...Artemis told Luna
that you were really *down* because Malachite was dead
and we couldn't' heal him...."

Mina's bright facade dipped for a second. "I'm ok...
Now....this trip was perfect....
Let's just say that seeing Amy and Greg together
made me rethink whether the generals were our soulmates...
Maybe I have a shot to find happiness, you know?
But... Artemis will pay for having such a big mouth."

"Good, but I have *even* more good news..."
Serena said..

Amy returned from the phone as Mina added "Will
it explain that grin on Lita's face?"

"She's in love " Serena said mischievously. "Just like Ra--."

Raye turned around, to see what they were talking
about--she hoped they weren't talking about
her and Jed, because she still didn't know
exactly *what* she felt, and she hated to think
of Serena---

Mina sighed.. "I knew that cute Joe and she..."

"It's not Joe." Raye warned, relieved the
subject was Lita. "Remember Lita's old boyfriend?"

"Freddy?" Amy asked perplexed.

"Turns out his real name is Maxfield Stanton..."
She whispered.

"NEFLITE?" Mina and Amy whispered back in unison.

Serena nodded. "Majorly heavy stuff huh? We
thought it was a fluke with Jaedite, but
guess not..."

Darien pulled up with the car. He
offered to take the two bags (which, from the
way Lita had carried them, he'd thought they
were quite light, but unfortunately were not,
so he hurt his foot as he dropped the large
orange bag, to which she shrugged a light "Whoops").

They had just pulled out of the loading zone, when
Mina slapped her hands to her head, and
screamed... "Where's Artemis!"

Darrien slammed on the breaks. " Don't
tell me you left him in England!?"

"OH No..he must still be in his cat carrier, running
around the baggage claim in circles!" She said horrified,
crawling over Amy to get to the door.

"Guess that's your revenge!!" laughed Serena,as the
car screamed to a halt. Mina flung herself out
the door, running to grab the small white cat carrier.

"I am not amused." Artemis growled out, forgetting
that cats aren't supposed to talk as Mina
rescued him. "Next time buy a seat for me...
And *you* fly cargo."

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"So that's why I'm in hiding." Raye explained
as they sat having tea at the Outer Scout's
penthouse.

"Are you sure its safe to be *here*?" Amy
asked worried. "From what you said, they
were observing Raye...they might have seen
you all together and found out who you
were."

"That's unlikely...since the attacks on Raye
started, we haven't seen her." Haruka
argued. "Are you sure you can trust Stanton?"

Lita swivelled to face Haruka "He's
not with them!" She said, stepping closer,
fighting stance adopted.

"Haruka didn't mean that!" Michiru
interceded, though Haruka shot her a look
(that's exactly what I meant, she seemed to say)

"It's just we don't know an awful lot
about him or his alter ego yet....and unknown
variables at a time like this..."

Amy nodded. "I see...so we should be
careful what we reveal to him..."

Lita frowned, glancing at Jed. "Then why
did we call Jed to this meeting--he's
still an unknown."

Raye snapped. "No. He's on *our* side now..."

"So is Freddy..."Lita complained...

Gently, Serena said "Yes, but he still
hasn't come to terms with his past life--"

Darien nodded. "We know that Jaedite was preserved
by Beryl, but we still don't *how* Nephrite
was reborn..."

"Hey..what about the Crystal?"Mina asked "Can't
it make them be reborn just like us?" She realized
now that was why Serena had been so excited to
tell her about Jaedite...the generals
could come back...

Setsuna stirred her green tea lazily. "Whoever
Queen Selenity touched with the crystal that day
can be reborn...as long as the holder of
the crystal wishes it."

The others eyed her-- "Why didn't you tell
us that *before*" accused Raye. "Why
do you hold things back?!"

"I didn't assume Queen Selenity touched the
Generals with the crystal. Therefore, it
was not relevant" She responded.
"And for Princess Serenity to use the crystal
to spell in such a fashion would disturb time.
I didn't want to encourage her."

"Then why did you mention this now?!"
Amy inquired.

"Jaedite and Nephrite's presence is
evidence that Selenity did include them." Setsuna
said. She turned to Serena. "Therefore, I don't
need to worry that you will bring them back
with the crystal....you already did."

"What?! What do you mean!? When did I do that?!"
Serena exclaimed.

"The second time you used the power, it was your own spell
to bring all of us back, but the first
time, you merely reinvoked your mother's spell.
I felt it during your battle with Beryl."

The others sat stunned, letting that little
revelation settle into their minds.

* * *
"Amy can you help me with--?"Serena broke
off noticing that Amy was not *really*
paying attention. They were still
hiding out in the Outer Scout's apartment,
investigating the leads Field had given them
on Stanton Electronics. Amy worked harder
than anyone, her computer blinking constantly.
She'd established that legally Field had
been declared dead, by his stepfather
Eris Sineheart. Sineheart, inheriting the company,
had created one of the most powerful
companies around. She'd found proof
that suggested Stanton Electronics was
attempting to monopolize a certain
portion of the electronics industry.

Despite this whirlwind of work,
Amy's mind was obviously elsewhere at the moment.

Serena put down the course selection
catalog for college. She'd not
gotten past anything but deciding
what she *didn't* want to take--that is
anything before noon.

"I can't STAY here Much LONGER"
Raye growled, as she stepped onto the terrace..she'd
been in the apartment for a week while the
others worked on leads. She hated feeling
so helpless.

She'd closed the shrine, and convinced her
grandfather to spend a few weeks at
a hot springs in the mountains...he'd not
wanted to go until Jed had mentioned how many
pretty young potential acolytes he could find.
Luckily for Jed, Raye hadn't heard him say that.

"Sorry--my mind wandered...here, the structural
study of the Stanton Tower reveals a hidden
space between two floors." She said handing
Serena a paper.

"This isn't the print out--hey, who's EZ?"
Serena said, and seeing Amy's fierce blush,
she grabbed the paper and attempted
to read it.

Amy grabbed the letter with the email and
hid it in her pocket. "Serena!" She chastised.
"What?! You told me to read it!"

Amy looked around the room. Raye was
leaning over the balcony, getting air.

"Not that...it's a letter from Greg." She
blushed...she hated love letters...but then,
this really wasn't one. "Greg wrote me
that his friend EZ is moving back to Japan
this weekend."

"Oh...Mina mentioned him..he sounds
really cute....Can't wait to see him"

Amy blushed..."Greg wanted me
to help him find an apartment..."

"Why are you blushing?" Serena asked
suspiciously, sensing a story underneath
with her uncanny instincts.

"His job is at Stanton Electronics."Amy
said...that was part of what bothered
her, but that was not what made her
face feel heated. "Could he be part
of this plot?"

Serena couldn't think of anything to say to
that. "You don't think..."

"We can't be too careful." Amy said. "He's
starting very soon...but even if he isn't
connected maybe we can use him to get
access to the building. He may be the
break we need."

"I hope so! Raye's going to be certifiable
if something doesn't happen soon." Serena
said... "And all this waiting makes me
nervous...and hungry" She grabbed another
sweet off the table.

"You're always hungry." Raye said coming
back in. "You're a walking stomach, dumpling
head...."

Eloquent as always, Serena sucked the sweet
down and stuck out her tongue at Raye.
Raye did the same after saying "Oh, great
comeback, Serena!"
"At least I don't act like a monkey!!" Serena replied.

"Oh? Who's a monkey?"

Amy shrunk back down behind her computer
screen, and began writing an email to Greg.
It started "Greg, you don't know how much
I miss you." Especially right then.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Moon Kingdom--morning before the shields are raised
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Princess Serena was wailing, wheedling to get the others
to let her go down to Earth.

"We're lucky we weren't discovered
the other times!" Lita exclaimed
"I want to go too, Princess. But we can't.
From what Jaedite sent Raye,
the new threat that started attacking Earth's
kingdoms is too unstable. We know nothing of it.
We at least need to wait until there is peace."

"Yes...you all were very lucky that you left before
the first attacks. The generals and Endymion will
be too busy fighting whatever it is."Amy said,
over the book she was reading. "This war
illustrates why the Moon kingdom has not associated
with those of Earth. You should all forget the
Generals....it is best and required by our honor,
and for the Moon Kingdom's peace."

Everyone stared quite shocked. "Don't tell me you
don't want to see Lord Warrior Zoicite again!" Lita exclaimed.

"What I want, does not have importance,
beside my duty." Amy said. "Zoicite and I have
gotten to be good friends......"
She blushed "But that doesn't change
that I am a member of the Moon Kingdom Court. I
cannot go against Queen Selenity's wishes." Inside, she
felt her heart turn over. With the raising of the shields,
she might never see him again. She had to forget him, because
her place was here on the moon, not by his side.

Mina swept in hurriedly. "Artemis just said that Earth Generals
Malachite and Zoicite transported here unexpectedly..." She
exclaimed... "They're seeing Queen Selenity
but asked to see me and Amy."

Amy stopped listening to Serena's wailing--
all she could think was *he* was here. Logic,
theory, sense forgotten, in the flood of happiness
that splashed through her. All her reasons why
she *shouldn't* see him washed away....
Thankfully the other's didn't notice her
change in expression...she thought. She
tried to compose herself.

"How's my dress look?" Mina said, as she looked
at what she had on. "I can't believe he's
here!!!"

Lita looked at Amy's face. "Maybe I'll
join you two."

"You were not requested!" Amy argued.

"So...I'd like to get to know your *friend*
better." She teased, as Amy flushed again.

Mina considered... "There is a *war*, Lita,
stay with Serena." She ordered.

"Yeah, on earth, and it's never going to
touch the moon kingdom! There's nothing to
fear *here*!" Lita said "ok, ok, if you're going
to be like that and pull rank, I'll leave
you lovebirds alone!"

"We're just friends!" Amy exclaimed, while
Mina just grinned with a guilty-
but-I-like-it expression.

Raye meanwhile had been saying something to Serena
that stopped the flow of tears. The two
wandered off. Amy didn't notice...she
all but ran to the gates of the gardens,
where the two generals waited.

"Amy!" Zoicite said. "We must talk." He led her away.
He looked as beautiful as he had the night
she'd met him--she couldn't stop staring at
his perfect features, soft curly red hair
spiraling down...Why did she always
feel so hesitant around him? He was so
gentle, kind, intelligent, she knew he'd
never hurt her... She managed a smile...

"Amy, if your suspicions are correct, this
enemy is but a distraction." He said.

She nodded...though they had not seen each
other since the ball, they'd taken to
communicating through magic...ostensibly about the
war, though often they drifted to other topics.

"From what you've told me, these monsters,
shocking as they are, could not be the real
intelligence...they're just pawns. You need
to find the power behind that." She responded.

"I'll keep that in mind for if, forbid it,
they should attack our kingdom rather than
just our neighbors. " He paused, swearing
under his breath "I'll blame Queen Selenity if ...

"Lord Zoicite--"She exclaimed shocked
by the vehemence in his voice.

"She refused to help our kingdom."He
said. "She's raising the shields on us--
and I won't be able to see you again."
He turned to her--she stepped back.

"Lord Zoicite...I cannot listen to you
abuse my Sovereign"

"You did it again...why are you suddenly
so formal?"

She sighed. "Lord Zoicite--we both know our
duties. Especially in the face of war--If
Queen Selenity decrees we will not interfere,
then we can't."

"I see. Where does that leave us?" He asked.

For once she feigned ignorance. "Us?"She blushed
shyly, as he took her hands in his.

"Amy, you must feel it too--when I'm with
you, I taste music...I feel flowers bloom,
with every breath I take in the poetry of your eyes..."

"Zoicite?" She asked, as his hand traced the planes of her face.

"You are the Queen, and I but the vulnerable
King in your way." He said kissing her cheek.

She pulled away, slightly embarrassed
and very red. "Lord Zoicite!" She gasped.

"I'm sorry..." He let her hands go. "I
shouldn't have. I've offended you."

"No.." She said quietly looking down, her heart
fluttering and dominating her mind. Before she could
stop herself she said "That's how I feel too--"

"Checkmate" He whispered. "You've had me
from the start."

He moved to kiss her then, but was surprised
when she wouldn't let him hold her.

"Amy?" He asked.

"But Zoicite! The timing is awful...
I have a duty to the Moon Princess..
And you have a war on your planet."
She said looking away. "We both
know how limited the pieces are in their motions..."

"And our emotions?" He snapped, losing his patience.

She looked at him,a slightly wounded and worried
expression in her enormous blue indigo eyes....
"What I feel doesn't change what must be." She said.

"Amy, this isn't a game." He stared at her
for a second, everything written in that gaze,
and then turned to head for the portal.

She looked stricken "Don't--don't look at
me like that--!I" She blushed "Zo--Lord Zoicite,
"If I were not a SailorScout or you not a General...
I would--" Her whole face and neck grew red.
She looked away. "but I'm not...and
you're not. We're not free."

"If we controlled our own fate you mean?"
He said, pausing "You would what?"

"I would say I love you." she said quietly.
"But you see, I cannot say that...and as
long as there is war on your planet, and we have
our duties, I have no right to say that." She turned
and fled for the palace, hoping he didn't hear the
embarrassing onslaught of the tears that betrayed
her inability to control her emotions. She couldn't
do this.

He felt a confusing swarm of thoughts--she loved him.
He didn't even tell her he loved her.

He ran after her, catching her arm. She swung around,
her skin as pale and frigid as ice.

"Amy, don't give up on us, like this!" he pleaded.
He felt as if he were staring at an eclipse, afraid
of the dark, and unable to stop it.

"Zoicite, I haven't a choice." She didn't meet his gaze.

Perhaps it was only seconds that passed, but it felt
like hours or days, or as if time itself had stopped
its gentle ebb and flow. Zoicite's world stood still.

"Amy?" He whispered at last, tilting her
head up . "Don't...don't do this
my angel. Don't take your light away from me."

"Zoicite...It's not forever. We just have to wait."
She said, looking down. She whispered the words, lying
to both herself and him. For all she knew, this *was*
forever. How could she promise to be with him, if the
shields were raised permanently?

He tightened his arm around her. As if holding her closer
might break the sheet of ice that had slid over everything.
"Amy, I love you. I want to be with you. If you
wanted, I'd stay with you now....and fight and die
by your side, if that was necessary!" It was as if
he'd guessed her secret, that this goodbye could be their
last.

"Your duty to Endymion?" She asked, her eyes
filling with tears. Why was life torturing them with these
choices? "Your honor!" She couldn't say the same.
She could never leave Serena. "You're a general!"

"And that does not mean as much to me as you do." He said.
His voice wavered slightly, betraying that he wasn't
being entirely honest. Images of earth's cool green hills flitted
before his eyes, the lakes and the rivers. Could he really
stay in this world of Magic and Crystal? Or would he rather
have Amy with him, swimming in the Ocean, gazing up at
the moon? Whether to convince her or himself
he continued "No matter what happens, what the others say,
that means nothing to me now. In your eyes I've seen all I've ever wanted.
I need no one else but you. We'll make our own world, Amy.
Say you'll come with me, that you'll stay with me?"

"I can't leave." She said trembling a little. She was afraid
of this feeling washing over her, this compulsion she
felt as she looked into his bright green eyes. "I would
have nothing to give you if I left. And you would have nothing
to offer if you stayed. Without our duties, and our beliefs
what are we? We can't make our own world, and I wouldn't
want to--there are too many people I care about in
this one."

He jerked as if she'd slapped him. "I know you don't
mean this. I'm not giving up Amy. Stop fearing love,
and stop fighting our fate. I knew you were the one,
the moment I saw you." He paused. "This isn't
over, Amy, but it's your move."

He bowed slightly, turned and left.

He headed to the outer gates,
and seeing Malachite walking towards him,
he waived and disappeared in a shower of
heart-shaped petals.

The Master Engineer watched the scene, jealousy
melting the away the numbness he'd felt upon first seeing
them together. He almost went after Amy, to shelter
her in her sorrow. But he put that thought away.
He didn't have that right, nor would he ever.
He turned back to the reason he'd been in the garden--
the creation of the permanent shield. His science
would be his solace, his reason to exist, his destiny.
Without her love, he had nothing else, and through it
he could claim a small place in her life. He fingered
the small blue crystal he wore around his neck. This
way, they were linked forever in destiny if not in their
hearts.

END OF CHAPTER ONE