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*Disclaimer:

Alpha's Omega
Chapter
By: Kayla Chavi and The Rose Society
Rating: R
Email: kaylachavi@hotmail.com
	EtrlSlrMn@aol.com
http://www.envy.nu/kaylachavi/index.htm
http://www.wishing-blue.net/kii/


*Omega Cell Headquarters, Alphe One Enclave*

	Minako looked at the data link in front of her and just stared
at it blankly. When Serenity and the others had returned, it was
decided that a rescue operation would get underway as soon as it could
be managed. Now, their hasty planning was for naught.  Ami had died
within two hours of being captured.

	The captain of the cell slumped in her seat and wished with
all of her might that she didn't have to go deliver this news. She
wished that it wasn't true. Hell, she even wished that it was all a
dream and that any second she would wake up with Kunzite next to her.
Before that thought could continue any further, she shook her head to
clear it and stood.

	She went over to one of the consoles and prepared to make a
small announcement. With trembling fingers she pressed the intercom
button and took a deep breath. "Members of the Omega Cell, I regret to
inform you that Dr. Ami Mizuno has been taken, tortured, and killed by
the enemy. She was loved by all and will be sorely missed." She
quickly cut the transmission before she started to cry.

***

	Ryo sat in his quarters, relishing the complete darkness.
There was no one else in there, no one to witness his tears, his pain.
He had loved Ami Mizuno like no one else in his life. But he had
always known that his love was not returned. Her soulmate was a
general in the Inner Circle, a man who had betrayed her, left her
alone and hurt, forgotten. When she joined the Resistance movement and
came to Omega Cell to help on the Omega Project, Ryo had fallen hard
and fast. She was so intelligent, shy, demure, kind, with an
underlying strength. She had been so friendly and warm, one of the few
people who bothered trying to get through his own overpowering social
anxiety.

	He picked up the bottle, savoring the cold glass in his hand.
Alcohol was always best from a bottle, especially if one was looking
to get drunk fast. He tilted back his head and took a deep swig of it.
One thing about the latest technological advances, they really helped
out a drunk. The seemingly ordinary glass was kept at a precise
temperature and automatically refilled itself. Ryo was glad for it; he
didn't think he could get to the food dispenser without crashing into
something.

	The courtesy bell rang for his quarters; someone was asking to
come in. Paying no attention, he took another burning gulp of alcohol.
Hmm, did he always have ...seven? ...three? fingers on a hand? Some
how...that didn't seem quite right. His brow furrowed. Aw hell, who
cared, as long as he could keep holding his bottle.

	There was another incessant beep. "Fuck off, wanker," he
shouted, before tossing a nearby object at the door.

	Taiki ducked a flying object as he entered the quarters. It
stank to high heaven in there. "What the hell are you doing, Ryo?"

	"Having a drink," he grumped with a slurred voice. "I said
fuck off."

	Taiki wrinkled his nose as he looked at the filthy quarters.
"I'll do that later," he said goodnaturedly. "Maybe even get Yaten to
join me."

	Ryo just looked at Taiki like he was an insane pervert.
However, that thought didn't get too far as Taiki began to pile all
his dirty clothes in one corner so they could be cleaned later. He
also went and straightened the rest of his apartment. After the
hermaphrodite had finish that task, he went and knelt next to Ryo's
chair and looked at him seriously.

	"Ami wouldn't want to see you like this."

	"Ami's dead," Ryo growled and took another swig from his
magical, refilling bottle.

	"You're destroying her memory by doing this. She spent too
much time trying to get you out of this apartment that she would see
this," he gestured to the room, "as failure. And Ami always did hate
failure."

	"Stop trying to psychoanalyze me, Tai. I don't want to be
helped right now. I want to be alone." He tried to poke one of the
Taiki he saw in front of him with one of his...five fingers, but oddly
enough, he kind of tilted right through Taiki and landed on his side
on the slanted floor. Funny, he didn't remember things moving around
this much on a daily basis.

	Taking the bottle from Ryo, Taiki took a swig of the bottle
himself, then made a face. "How can you drink this stuff? It tastes
horrible."

	Ryo made a lunge for the bottle. "Get your own, will ya? I'm
trying to drink to the memory of a great," hiccup, "lady. Someone who
deserved a damn sight better than a death at the hands of a crazy
psycho-bitch." His hands were still empty. Damn.

	Taiki's face softened with shared sorrow. "I loved her too.
She was too damned vulnerable to be with a rebellion force. She should
have lived out in the sunlight, under blue skies, with a husband who
worshipped the ground she walked on and little children to tuck in at
night. She never should have been here, hiding in the shadows, fighing
a cause against impossible odds."

	Hot tears began to spill from Ryo's eyes once more. "Shut up,
just shut the fuck up." Sobs began to wrack his body, against his
will. He wished he could rip out his traitorous lungs at this moment.

	Taiki slung an arm around Ryo's shoulders and whacked him a
few times in an uncomfortable gesture of sympathy. They were both two
people not used to physical contact with others, but somehow, a shared
sorrow over unrequited love brought them together. "Just let it all
out, Ryo, let it all out," whispered Taiki as his own tears seared
twin tracks down his cheeks.

***

	He had trashed his laboratory after he scattered her ashes. He
asked that he be left alone for that one task and the others had
respected his wishes in that. Too bad they didn't respect his desire
to be left alone as he tore apart his quarters.

	Another unidentified object flew at her head. "He has to stop
sometime, you know," said Rose, even as she ducked.

	Nephlite shook his head. "I don't think he will, not until all
of Alpha One is destroyed."

	"Who knew he was this damn strong," asked Jedeite.

	"I did," Kalkia said offhandedly. She simply created a small
bubble around herself that didn't allow any of the thrown objects to
make contact with her. Nephlite shot a look at the redhead and then
looked back at where Zoicite was dismantling his bed.

	"This is getting him nowhere," Kunzite commented from where he
stood against the door. "If you notice, I didn't rip anything apart
with Minako died."

	Jedeite rolled his eyes. "No, you just screwed every blonde
with long legs in the entire complex. Let him mourn, Kunzite."

	The silver haired general was about to retort when Kalkia
grumbled something under her breath and went over to Zoicite. She
stopped him with a touch to the back of his hand and looked at him
with more gentleness than she had shown anyone in a very long time.
Cupping his cheek she kissed him once on the mouth. The doctor was so
stunned that when she pulled away, he just gaped at her. Kalkia then
kissed his cheek and with a light touch to his shoulders, made him sit
down.

	"Let her go," she murmured. A warmth went through the room and
Zoicite collasped back on the remains on the bed, completely
exhausted. Moments later, Kalkia winced and shuddered a few times
before turning to leave the room.

	"What did you do?" Nephlite asked in surprise.

	"I used the Urge," she said through painfully clenched teeth.
"I have more control over it than any of you can guess. And it can do
more than you can ever dream of."

	Watching her friend depart, Rose shook her head. Kalkia was
getting sloppy, with all these hints as to her greater hidden powers.
Then again, ever since Sephiroth died, Rose could feel that Kalkia
didn't care that much anymore. Kalkia didn't even respond too much to
Jonathon anymore. She did some manipulations and the generals thought
that Kalkia had given Zoicite a sedative.

	"Come on, let's go. He'll be out for awhile," said Kunzite. He
grabbed Rose's arm. "You're coming with me." The other two generals
frowned as Kunzite half-dragged Rose out of there.

	"He hates himself for being in some way responsible for
Zoicite's pain. And after Minako's death, and I think, hidden deep
within him, Kalkia's pain over Sephiroth, this was just a little too
much," Nephlite reflected as he tossed a blanket over Zoicite's
sleeping form.

	"So, he's going to hurt someone else to make himself feel
better," Jedeite snorted as he made his way through the debris field.
He waited until Nephlite exited the room as well.

	"Maybe. Maybe he just wants to be near someone who still cares
about him, especially when he's hurting so much." Nephlite looked over
his shoulder at Zoicite's closed door.

	Jedeite shook his head. "Let's go get a drink. It's been
awhile since I've gotten nice and drunk."

	Nephlite raised an eyebrow. "You feeling down too?"

	"Yeah, and nothing beats that except getting into a nice
drunken brawl."

	Nephlite chuckled wryly. "Battle simulations and booze. Sounds
good. I'm game." The pair headed off to the eastern wing, looking
forward to some good old-fashioned destruction.

*Omega Cell Headquarters*

	"Because of our failure with the Eye of the Pheonix and the
loss of Ami Mizuno, we have been set back tremendously." Minako looked
at every one of her officers and gave a good impression of being
detached from the situation. Rei's eyes were still red from all of her
tears and Makoto still wasn't eating. Demando hadn't come to the
briefing, the loss of his coworker too immense and raw. Ryo had
managed to show up sober, but he still had the stench of alcohol on
him. Haruka and Michiru were as composed as ever, but then again, they
hadn't been as close to the small doctor. Even Serenity seemed
subdued. Unlike the others, she didn't know how to mourn for the loss
of a friend and it set her apart.

	It reminded everyone that she was a weapon and not truly
human.

	"I am open to suggestions," Minako said after a tense silence.

	"I suggest a blow to Alpha equal, if not greater, than the one
they gave us," came Serenity's low voice. "Death and the Guardian of
Time, if they can get close enough to one of the doctors or generals,
or maybe get me into the Alpha facilit--"

	"Un-fucking-believable! Do you even hear yourself," asked Ryo.

	Serenity narrowed her eyes. "What is your problem, Doctor?"

	"You! This! You think you can just waltz in there without
being detected? You think that either Hotaru or Setsuna can even get
through the front door of Alpha Headquarters without being killed on
the spot? Hell, why do you even think we would risk another one of our
members to help you? YOU'RE supposed to be Omega, the bringer of hope
and the end of Alpha. You're supposed to be the ultimate weapon, the
best we would have against Alpha and all its agents. Instead," he spat
onto the floor, "you're a failure, a complete and utter failure."

	Serenity tilted her head and was silent for several minutes.
"If you wish me to destroy the world, then I am quite capable of that.
I was under the impression that it would be more beneficial for there
to be survivors. I am the ultimate weapon, Doctor. But ultimate
weapons have a tendency to be uncontrollable. I am suggesting a
controlled strike, not the end of the world."

	Minako looked at the young blonde and then nodded. It seemed
that even though Serenity was having problems with her conscience, she
had taken to heart their desire for there not to be mass casualties.
When Ryo looked like he was about to start up again, Minako cut him
off. "You've made your feelings clear, Ryo. Unless you have another
suggestion for the mission, I will ask you to refrain from attacking
Omega."

	Again the room was silent. Finally Rei spoke up. "As far as we
know, Death hasn't been detected by either Rose or Metallia. Unlike
Setsuna, who's been compromised, Death hasn't. Perhaps if we get in
touch with Hotaru, she'll have a suggestion for us. At the very least,
she'll tell us if what we plan is possible or not."

	'I don't quite think so.'

	All in the room tensed. "You again," said Michiru.

	Rose's image nodded. 'I would suggest another course of action
for your group.'

	"Of course you would," growled Michiru. "YOU have a vested
interest in our failure."

	'Actually, not true. But making you believe me, that would be
a waste of time and effort. I've been monitoring you all quite closely
and anything that might jeopardize those that I love...well, it's my
job to see to it that it doesn't occur. I would suggest you all put
your efforts into bringing about Omega. You try to kill Kalkia, and,'
the image's eyes narrowed, 'I'll make you wish you never even
conceived of the idea.' The image disappeared.

	There was a moment of silence. "She does have a point," Minako
said. "They aren't responsible for what happened." Michiru made a
gagging noise and made to interrupt, but Minako cut her off. "No, they
are pawns in this, just like all of us are. Even the generals are just
tools of Metallia. We have to concentrate on our mission; they'll, on
theirs. Our next step will be getting another artifact. That will be
a significant enough coup against Alpha, and our best logical move.
Any attempts at revenge will just be a strategic mistake, no matter
how much our emotions might push us to desire it. Hatred won't get us
anywhere."

	"Ami was always one for logic and planning," Makoto said
softly. In a louder voice, "We need to plan for the next artifact. We
need to plan and work towards Omega. Keep our eye on the goal. Minako
is right."

	"And find a way that Rose can't stick her ass in our business
anymore," Haruka added calmly. "I'm getting tired of her being the one
who dictates who we can and cannot kill." She looked over at Serenity
and pondered something for a minute. "While you are quite the
impressive, destructive weapon, Sere, do you think you might be able
to work on shielding us from her?"

	Omega bit her lower lip and thought about it for several
moments before nodding. "I'll do my best. I would really like to find
a way to get the Eye of the Pheonix. Ami said that if I absorbed it,
that it would help with my mental control. At least, that's what she
thought, given the documents we researched on it."

	Minako nodded and once more felt anger rise in her that they
hadn't been able to get the artifact. "And practice your
teleportation. The next time we go in for an artifact, I want to be
able to get in and out without them even knowing."

	"What about Serenity's connection to Endymion?" Rei asked and
couldn't help but notice the way Serenity winced at his name. "Is
there anything we can do to weaken that?"

	"Not unless Omega improves her mental control," said Ryo. He
seemed lost in thought. "Demando has said that Omega and Alpha would
always be connected. Since Alpha has Nakazaki training him, his
ability to shield is far superior to Serenity's. That's why we never
get a hit off of him while he probably has a pretty good look into
Omega's mind. As for the rest of us, we won't be able to block out
Nakazaki, only Omega can, once she learns how."

	"Do what you can, Ryo. Serenity is going to be a security risk
unless we can dam up her leak in information." Minako looked at
Serenity. "Sere, you need to leave while we plan. We can't have you
knowing what we're going to do beforehand." She looked around the
room. "I want all the best mental warriors to gather in the lab and
teach all they can to Serenity. Be ready to move in the next few days.
Dismissed, those of you who need to leave." Serenity, Ryo, Rei, Luna,
Artemis, and a few others left.

	When the door closed, Minako looked at her remaining people.
"Haruka, Michiru, Mako? Let's come up with a plan."

*Alpha Headquarters*

	Endymion stepped into the meeting room right after the two
doctors. They sat at their respective seats, waiting for Kunzite to
begin the briefing.

	"After what happened with the attempt on the Eye of the
Phoenix," Kunzite looked over briefly at Zoicite, "we're going to step
up plans for a final showdown. Metallia is tiring of all the break-ins
at Alpha facilities. She has ordered that Project Alpha absorb the Eye
and the Krystal Moonlight artifacts." He opened two large cherrywood
boxes, revealing velvet interiors and two large gems. One was the Eye
and the other resembled a large diamond. It was the Krystal Moonlight.

	Zoicite looked at Endymion carefully. "Can you handle taking
two artifacts at such close intervals?" His face was etched in harsh
lines and it was really time for him to be resting, but he had
insisted in being included in all mission-related briefings.

	 Before he could answer, Kalkia did it for him. "It's going to
be one hell of a shock to his system and he might be useless for a few
days. If it becomes too big of a problem he can use me as the physical
shunt of the over draft and Rose as his mental. Although, by now he's
surpassed her."

	Kunzite blinked at her, clearly surprised that she offered the
information. However, it was Nephlite that responded. "Thank you,
Endymion."

	Kalkia had enough grace to blush and Endymion just smiled
inwardly. It was a comforting sight for him to see her so active.
After Ami's death, she had gone back to the darkness of her quarters
and had to be ordered here. "What she said," he said when Kunzite
looked at him for clarification.

	"Although, quite honestly, I doubt he'll have a problem,"
offered Rose. "He's surpassed most of our expectations and this really
shouldn't be a problem for him."

	Kunzite nodded. "Fine. Once assimilation is complete, we'll
leave on a new mission. The Midnight Sky is the only artifact that has
never been completely unearthed. It's been located somewhere near the
North Pole, under quite a few tons of ice and rock, in one of the
ancient underground caves there. With Endymion's boosted power, we can
probably teleport into one of the caves and have him sense the power
of the artifact, but we'll have to use conventional means to get to
the area. There is just too much interference for teleportation
devices. In addition, the intense temperatures and pressure precludes
non-augmented personnel from entering."

	"As for the last artifact, the Heart of the Forest is being
transported to Alpha Prime from its secure location," said Jedeite.
"Hopefully, it will reach Alpha Prime's Headquarters by the end of the
week. It will be in a heavily guarded convoy once it leaves Oceana One
and reaches land."

	Nephlite had the last word. "This mission will hopefully be
the last. Once all artifacts are assembled and assimilated, Metallia
has ordered that we prepare for a final battle. Alpha versus the
rebels, with the artifacts that Endymion has absorbed as bait. All of
us are to report to Alpha Prime so that we can begin the mission. Any
questions?"

	No one said anything. Kunzite nodded in approval. "Let's move
then. Everyone to the teleportation chamber, with all supplies that
will be needed, in an hour. Dismissed."

	As everyone was filing out, talking quietly amongst
themselves, Kunzite said, "Kalkia, wait a moment."

	Surprised at actually hearing her name from this general, she
did as she was asked without any argument. Minutes passed as neither
of them spoke. Kalkia didn't know why Kunzite wasn't just telling her
what he stopped her here for. Finally, the door opened. Once more she
was surprised when Esmerade entered the room, a smirk on her lips. The
Enforcer didn't say a word to Kalkia, instead opting to slowly look
her over with lustfilled eyes. Kunzite waited for the door to close
before speaking again.

	"Metallia has ordered me to hand you over to Esmerade--"

	"What?" Kalkia's voice caught on the word, betraying not only
her astonishment, but a trace amount of fear. He had put her so
offguard that she didn't bother to hide the trace amount of fear that
went through her. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Kunzite, I
haven't done anything wrong. I haven't argued with anyone. I haven't
even played around with the Urge. Why are you--"

	"I did not request this, Kalkia," he didn't look away from her
and his eyes were still the same cold green. "But your work load has
decreased since the Enclave Six Incident."

	"I lost my fucking lifemate, Kuznite! I lost probably the best
friend I have ever had. Your production slowed after I killed Minako
and I didn't see you in Esmeraude's playroom."

	"This isn't up for debate," he snapped. "These orders come
directly from Metallia herself."

	"Fine, we won't debate it. I won't go!" Her voice was just as
clipped and short. "I won't go in there. Hell, I'll throw the Urge
through the entire Enclave before I go in there."

	"You don't have the power to do that," he said impatiently.

	"Are you willing to bet on that?" Kalkia glared at him
hatefully and prepared to at least shove it through both him and
Esmeraude when she felt a light prick on the back of her neck. A
second later she fell to the ground and was completely unconscious.
Esmerade grinned, very pleased with herself. She leaned down to fondle
the redhead but Kunzite grabbed her wrist to stop her.

	"I don't know why Metallia is ordering this but I do know that
if she is permanently damaged, I will kill you. Metallia's orders have
allowed you to take her, not kill her."

	The Enforcer raised an eyebrow and actually laughed at him.
"You don't lie very well, Kunzy. If I didn't know you better, I'd say
you were pretending to care for the Slut."

	"Project Alpha is still dependent on her and I will need her
functional if something goes wrong when he absorbs the other
artifacts. If she is permanently damaged, I will kill you," he
repeated. Esmeraude rolled her eyes and then signaled for two guards
to pick up Kalkia's body and take her away.

	"I think you're just disappointed that Metallia is going to
let me fuck her before you get a chance to."

	Esmerade was surprised when Kunzite let out a loud, booming
laugh. He threw his head back, showing more amusement at her statement
than he had in a very long time. "You really are a sick fuck,
Esmeraude," he said after an attempt to stifle his laughter. She
snorted and crossed her arms over her chest, put out at his mockery of
her. Without another word, she turned and left.

	Alone, Kunzite returned to his typical stoic state. He looked
at the data pad in front of him and could only hope that both Rose and
Endymion wouldn't notice the lack of the third member of their group.
Hopefully, by this time, Endymion was in the middle of the
assimilation process and both he and Rose were too preoccupied to feel
that anything was amiss. Luckily, Esmeraude had disabled Kalkia fast
enough to prevent any messages from leaking out. If either of them
knew that Kalkia was in Esmeraude's hands, the Enclave Six Incident
would like like a spark compared to what could happen.

*Omega Cell Headquarters*

	Minako looked at her dwindled staff. "Ok, from what reports we
have from the cell in Oceana One, there has been a flurry of activity
near one of the Alpha sites. There are also reports that the port for
Oceana One is experiencing a large build-up of Alpha troops, possibly
for a convoy."

	Looking at the maps, Makoto frowned. "Do you think that
they're sending it to Alpha for assimilation?"

	"There is no other reason for moving it from its secured
location," replied Michiru.

	"I concur." Haruka brought up some reports from rebel spies.

	Michiru looked at her comm link. "There is a top-secret report
from our observation posts. The entire Inner Circle will be at Alpha
Prime." Frowning, Michiru tapped her index finger on the table. "What
are they up to? If they were going to set a trap for us at Oceana One,
shouldn't they be there?"

	"Maybe they're protecting the artifacts or Alpha while he
absorbs them. If that's the case, worst case scenario, the Oceana One
artifact is the only one they still don't have. We HAVE to get that
one," said Haruka.

	"Then we have to strike before it reaches Alpha Prime. Better
to strike while the Inner Circle is occupied with other duties," added
Makoto.

	Minako nodded. "We're looking at a scramble, people. Things
are winding down to the last few seconds. Ready the cells and tell
them to make preparations."

*Alpha Prime*

	"Where is Kunzite and Kalkia," Rose asked as she kept one eye
on Endymion's assimilation process.

	Zoicite shrugged. "Who knows?"

	"Who cares," added Jedeite. "If they're fighting about
something, I'd rather they do it there, than here. They're one hell of
a distraction some times."

	Rose rolled her eyes and was about to make a mental jab at the
blonde general, when Endymion interrupted her. "I just lost my
connection with Serenity." He sounded incredibly annoyed. Working
silently, he tried to reconnect himself with her. It had to be an
accident. There was just no way that she could have learned how to
block him without Ami. After several minutes of trying to establish
another backdoor link with her mind, it eventally became a fruitless
attempt.

	'Stay out of my mind, Endymion.'

	'Serenity?'

	'Yes. I don't eavesdrop on your thoughts and you shouldn't be
listening to mine. It's rude.' Then she cut off all communication with
him. It was then that he realized he had several people looking at him
expectantly. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair in irritation.

	"She found my connection to her and cut it. I'll see if I can
reestablish it after I absorb these two artifacts."

	Nephlite frowned and looked over at Zoicite, almost to make
sure that the other doctor wasn't going to attack him for his next
statement. "I thought that since we had Mizuno, she shouldn't be able
to progress like that. The Eye was the only artifact that progressed
as the user progressed."

	"It doesn't matter, in any case." Rose looked at Endymion. "If
you do manage to secret a connection to her, I don't think that the
Rebellion leaders will allow her to be privy to any vital information,
not until it's too late, anyways. If they've already know about the
link now, they won't chance it again." She paused to rub her temples.

	"Are you alright," Endymion asked, concerned.

	"I'm fine. I'm just tired after spending time with Kunzite,
having Zoicite force the healing, and such. My headache should go
away," Rose replied. She crinkled her nose. "Soon, hopefully."

	Frowning, Jedeite looked at the time. "Hurry up and grab the
two artifacts. We need to leave for the Arctic Circle as soon as
possible. You can assimilate them in transport, after we teleport to
the vehicle pick up point."

	Picking up their supplies and gear, the five left. Rose
crinkled her nose as they loaded onto the transport. Her headache was
worse than it should have been and there were so many people around
her at the moment that it was hard to get a lock on exactly what was
the source of it. In the back of her head she felt like she should be
worried about something, someone other than the mission but....

	Shrugging, she dismissed it. Kunzite joined the group a few
minutes later for final orders, then they were on their way for the
North Pole.

*Delta Cell, Alpha Prime*

	"Hey, Serenity, are you ready to go?" Makoto poked her head
into the blonde's quarters and blinked in surprise. Serenity was
sitting cross-legged in the air with her eyes closed and her hands
lightly on her knees. Makoto watched in interest as small objects from
around the room teleported into her hand whenever she raised it. A
lamp. A pillow. A book. All came to her and then went back to their
original location.

	Serenity stopped a few moments later and smiled briefly at her
fellow resistance member. "I can do it in battle simulations too," she
said proudly. "It's easier this way, but I've practiced so if we get
into a situation like last time, I can call the artifact to me and
immediately absorb it."

	The brunette smiled and couldn't help but be happy for the
young woman. "Minako will be happy to know that."

	"I was also able to get Endymion out of my head." Serenity
began to get together the last things she needed for the mission. "I
don't know about Nakazaki yet, but as far as Alpha Project is
concerned, he's not there." She looked down at the floor but it wasn't
quick enough. Makoto caught the painfilled glint in her blue eyes that
told her it was killing something inside the blonde to have done that.

	"I remember when Neph cut our link," Makoto said in a
conversational tone. She too was repressing her own pain. "It doesn't
stop hurting, Serenity. It never really does. But I know if he hadn't,
then it would have been worse."

	"How do you know?" Serenity's voice was quiet and unsure, like
that of a child's. "How do you know that this pain is less than it
could be?"

	"Because." Makoto's emerald eyes darkened and glistened for a
moment, but with a blink, they were as before. "With all the things
that have happened over the intervening years, the decisions, the
battles, the deaths, the hurt...to know the betrayal and pain that I
have caused him first hand through our link, it would have killed me.
He too. I know it in my heart that he would have felt the same. We
would have ended up losing our ability to fight and end up dying from
a stupid mistake." She shook her head. "It's easier this way, to be
able to put our heart and soul into our respective causes without
knowing and feeling what the other feels...Trust me, this is much
easier."

	Serenity nodded as she slowly understood what the brunette was
saying. She swallowed her pain and forced a smile. "After...after the
Enclave Six Incident I wished that there was no fight. That there was
no Alpha and no Omega. That he and I could just be together without
hate or death. But then," her voice caught on the word and she had to
force the tears back. "Then I realized that if that were true, he and
I wouldn't exist. Kind of ironic in a way."

	Makoto was quiet for a moment. "I used to think the same
thing," she said after a moment. "But if Alpha hadn't existed I would
have never met Nephlite. It's incredibly rare for someone to be with
their soulmate, Serenity. The world is too big and there are just too
many people in it for it to be possible. Alpha brought us together,
the school, the training, everything. My only regret was not saying
goodbye."

	She was about to say more, but Serenity's door beeped and
Minako came in. She looked between the two girls. "Ready?" At their
nods she turned to lead them out. "Let's do it."

*North Pole*

	The large conveyance vehicle had landed somewhere near true
magnetic north. With a thud, they had landed, the vehicle's
stabilizers sorely tested by the gale-force winds ripping around them.

	"Why isn't Kunzite and Kalkia with us?" Rose frowned and
continued rubbing her temples. The painkiller from earlier hadn't been
much help.

	"I don't know," replied Jedeite. "I'm going to contact him."
He pressed the booster activation button and began sending out a
relayed, confidential mental message to Kunzite.

	'Where are you?'

	There was a pause, then came the reply, 'In the Alpha facility
for Oceana One.'

	'Aren't you joining us,' asked Zoicite. 'You're making us
wait, Kunzite.'

	'I'm not joining that mission.'

	Nephlite frowned. 'We need you on this mission. All four of us
have to be there to allow this to work.'

	Kunzite sighed. 'Orders from Metallia. Not to be questioned. I
am as completely in the dark as you guys are.' He shielded carefully
his knowledge about Kalkia. Metallia's orders were for the head of
the Inner Circle ONLY. 'All I know is that I'm being ordered to lead
the team to protect the Heart of the Forest. You guys will lead the
mission for the Midnight Sky. That's why Rose is with you. She'll act
in my stead and help bind you to Endymion enough to siphon some of his
power to reinforce your ties with the planet. That should get you guys
through this. Dismissed.'

	Shutting off the booster, Jedeite briefed the group on the new
set of orders.

	Nephlite frowned and shook his head in irritation. "I'd feel
more comfortable doing this with both Kunzite and Kita," he said
bluntly. "Her telekinesis is good enough to protect us from the wind."

	"Not to mention she can keep us from freezing to death,"
Zoicite grumbled irritably. Everyone looked at him oddly and he rolled
his eyes. "With the right circumstances, she could make us..." he
searched for a polite word and couldn't come up with one. "For lack of
a better word, hot."

	"Why aren't they here?" Endymion asked as the vehicle doors
began to open.

	Jedeite shrugged and looked annoyed. "Kunzite's in Oceana One.
Kalkia is probably with him. Metallia's orders so arguing about it
won't help." He looked pointedly at Rose, who looked ready to start
something. Jed relayed the rest of the orders and then nodded to
Nephlite to lead them out.

	Immediately, a gust of wind threatened to knock them over.
Rose grabbed ahold of Endymion's arm before she got lifted off her
feet. After all the environmental damage that had occurred over the
years, the weather near the polar regions were a lot harsher and
unpredictable than before. Even though there were a lot of scientific
efforts being put into repairing the damage, there was still a lot of
work to be done.

	As soon as possible, Nephlite, Jedeite, Zoicite, Rose and
Endymion assembled in a circle, holding each others hands through
their thick gloves. The suits covered everyone's face; it was like a
circle of over-stuffed cloth dolls.

	Endymion shut his eyes, concentrating on the task before him.
He was to teleport everyone to an underground ice cave. From there,
they would start tracking the signal. Even this far though, something
was pulling at him. The two artifacts had tremendously improved his
powers. He frowned.

	'The artifact isn't in the ground,' he sent on a wide band, so
that everyone could hear him.

	'What do you mean,' Zoicite grumbled.

	'It's not in the ice caves. The signal is here, yes, but...'
Endymion tried to form words, but figured the idea would work better.

	'What do you mean, it's in the lava?' Nephlite couldn't mask
his disbelief. 'That defies logic, science, hell, everything.'

	Zoicite thought a moment. 'Actually, that is possible, since
the Midnight Sky and other artifacts aren't gems. They might look like
it but are actually physical manifestations of power. So, it could
survive the immense heat, pressure and magnetic forces.'

	'But how the hell are we supposed to get it,' Jedeite asked.
'I don't think we have the power, even augmented as we are and with
our ties to the planet.'

	'Endymion can do it,' Rose replied. 'His power is great enough
to protect us.'

	'Theoretically, yes, but...' Nephlite frowned. Gambling was
not his favorite pasttime.

	'Let's get going then. It's better than staying out here and
freezing our asses off. Antarctica be damned, this is worse than even
that post,' groused Zoicite.

	All four men, using Rose as a center, tied their powers
together. In a flash, they disappeared.

***

	If there was one thing that Kunzite hated more than paperwork,
it was the slow moving, practically indefensible, agravating
management of a convoy. Even though this particular convoy was smaller
than most, and less conspicuous, it still was too large of a target to
miss for the Resistance.

	So, against all protocal, he made his office the small,
cramped room right next to the artifact. It was the closest he could
get to the room before the scientists had a fit and started screaming
contamination. 'Where the hell did they find this stupid thing
anyway?' he grumbled to himself. 'I'm tired of all the tantrums about
ruining my health.'

	It had appeared that the artifact was just as polluted as a
great deal of the planet. The Heart of the Forest had been in such a
hazardous pocket of earth, that no one had been able to come into
physical contact with it. The only good thing it did was ensure that
they'd have a little bit of a warning before the Resistance made an
attempt to steal it.

	Kunzite was going over some mundane report when he felt the
faintest hint of an aura against his shields. He slowly smiled and
stood before contancting the Captain of the Convoy. "Highten the
security, Captain. We're about to have visitors."

***

	This was intense. And freaky. VERY freaky. All around him,
enveloping him, was lava. It was like he was swimming in it. Only,
oddly enough, he wasn't bursting into flames or anything. Jedeite said
the only thing that came to mind. "COOL!"

	Zoicite snorted. "'Cool' would not be the word I would use to
described our present situation. 'Impossible,' 'illogical,' those, I
think, fit the situation better."

	Nephlite intervened before some petty bickering could begin.
"How come we aren't boiling hot in these suits? Check that. How come
I feel completely normal in an environment I've never been in? It's
like I'm taking a walk in any sort of normal place, not floating in
the lava of Earth's molten core."

	Endymion smiled, proudly. "It's the power I've used to protect
us in this environment. Basically, we can move, speak, and interact
as if it were normal."

	'Endy, we don't have too much time. Between the links for this
mission and keeping Metallia ignorant of my true power level, I don't
have the energy or mental capacity for much else.' Her brow crinkled
some more. "We need to hurry. The pain is getting worse."

	Nodding, Endymion looked around. "Your instruments won't help
here, but if the generals would kindly use their powers to look for a
high energy reading, it would speed things up. We could split our
individual foci into different directions and hopefully we'll be able
to find it without moving a muscle."

	"Agreed," said Zoicite. With Rose in the center, the four men
stood as if each a directional point of a compass and began to search.

***

	Kunzite frowned from his observation post inside the large
room where the artifact was being kept. He had made the Captain send
him all reports directly and the general definitely did not like what
he was seeing. It was definitely Omega and at least one other who had
come to attempt to steal the jewel. He was almost annoyed by this
silly endeavor from them. Even with the lack of technology surrounding
the convoy vehicle, the toxicity of the air around the artifact would
bring it all to a stop. Was their intellegance that bad?

	He was about to continue with his annoyed and frustrated
thoughts when the door opened behind him. He briefly looked over and
was surprised to see Esmerade standing there. He was under the
impression she was supposed to be having her fun with Kalkia. However,
at the moment, she looked most disgruntled and rather exhausted. He
raised an eyebrow in question when she glanced over at him. It was a
silent demand for an explanation. He hated surprises as a general
rule. The Enforcer scowled.

	"I had forgotten why I didn't actively pursue the Slut," she
grumbled.

	"She forced the Urge through you when she woke up." Kunzite
was trying his hardest not to grin or be amused. "I bet she wasn't
nice about it either."

	Esmuerade snorted. "I thought she had to be touching you in
order for it to work offensively."

	"Not always," Kunzite chuckled and gave into the urge to
smile. "Why do you think I avoid making that even an issue with her?
Even Kalkia has her limits."

	"I hope Metallia kills her," the greenhaired woman growled and
then leaned over the console.

	Kunzite just shrugged and continued to laugh under his breath
as they made the final preparations. They were prepared for anything
in this room. Anything and Everything. They had anticipated all
contingencies.

	Well, almost every contingency. They hadn't expected Serenity
to just walk in.

***

	The pain was blistering now. As the generals and Endymion
remained fixated on the task at hand, Rose really had nothing to do.
It wasn't as if she could help the search. It was something that was
supposedly beyond her powers, especially if she were busy with being
a centerstone. Didn't matter in any case. Her head hurt too much and
she wasn't too keen doing anything except keeping her neurons from
shorting out.

	She had been using her powers too much. That was probably the
reason for the headache. With all the commotion and things coming to
a head, Rose had been using powers at levels low enough to avoid
detection, but still able to get the job done. It had strained her.
Now, being so deep in the Earth's core, with so much interference
messing with her powers, in addition to being a centerstone, she did
not have the reserve strength to remain connected with those above.
That did bother her. She felt strangely lost without hearing the noise
of those crucial to the final battle.

	Suddenly, Endymion's voice interupted Rose's thoughts. "I've
found the Midnight Sky, but there's something wrong. The generals
don't have enough power to direct the forces to reveal it to me
completely. I can't do it and keep all of us protected and I can't
get the artifact without the help of the generals."

	"So what the hell are we going to do," asked Jedeite. "We can
not fail this mission. You know the consequences."

	"Can you contact Kunzite then, Endymion?" Zoicite looked
around at the group. "Are you powerful enough to break through the
interference?"

	Endymion frowned. "I don't know. I can try, but I really don't
think that it's possible."

	Rose mulled over the problem. "Well, you could try getting in
touch with the planet. Get in tune with the flows of energy and you
might be able to use the planet's own energy channel to convey your
message."

	"Think that will work," Nephlite asked with a frown.

	"Can't hurt to try," replied Endymion as he set out to work.

***

	Kunzite's attack had been immediate, but even then, Serenity
felt it before he actually launched it. She was able to prepare enough
to defend against the large energy burst coming from the First General
of the Inner Circle. It knocked her back and away from the artifact
and broke her concentration. Makoto was trying to disable and
hopefully kill Esmerade but that was much more difficult than they had
anticipated.

	Swearing softly under her breath, Serenity try to force her
power under the general's impressive shield. She felt it waver a few
times, but it was never enough for her to be very effective in her
assault. Clenching her jaw, she decided to try to find the cause of
the fluctuations and exploit it.  Getting rid of Kunzite would make a
great deal of her job easier.

	However, this all had to be done while in close, personal
combat.

	Kunzite was even less pleased with the way the battle was
progressing. He also let that be known to Nephlite, who kept
distracting him. 'We need you! We can't get to it without you and Rose
is fading fast from the effort its taking. Finish up there and get
your ass over here.'

	'This is just a little too hard to just simply finish!'
Kunzite growled over the link. 'Omega has gotten stronger.'  He tried
to calm himself a little. There was another outside force other than
Omega that was weakening his ability to shield himself and the
artifact. It wouldn't be long until he would be forced to let one go.
'I'll be there when I--'

	'Oh, is that what this is?' A quiet and almost childish voice
sounded in the link. He looked at Omega's face and saw that she was
smiling--almost smirking at him. 'This is almost too easy.'

	Serenity tilted her head and then cut the link Kunzite had to
the other generals. With another thought, she broke through the other
static she could feel around his mind and what she found made her
smile grow even more. 'Makoto, are you free enough to contact our team
leader?'

	'Why?'

	'Just do it.'

	Kunzite narrowed his eyes as he felt the conversation between
the two resistance fighters. Omega had meant for him to feel that they
were discussing something, but not actually hear the topic. Supremely
annoyed, he raised his hand for another attack.

	A glint of gold caught his attention out of the corner of his
eye. Ignoring all training and reason, he turned towards it and came
face to face with two, large eyes of blue. His breath caught in his
throat as he realized she was close enough to touch. He reached out
and brushed the tips of his gloved fingers over her cheek.

	"Minako?"

	Then came the gut wrenching feeling of an uncontrolled
teleportation. Just has he had seen her again, she was gone. When his
eyes cleared and he could breathe again, he found himself sprawled on
the ground next to a pair of booted feet. Rose looked down at him,
confused. "How..."

	"Omega," he said quickly and stood. "She got the artifact and
sent me here."

	Endymion's eyes widened. He didn't have the ability to
transport those he didn't personally know yet. "How?" he demanded.
Kunzite shook his head and joined the interlink.

	"It doesn't matter. Let's get this so Metallia doesn't freak."
He appeared much more calm that he felt. The only thought that settled
was: 'I am going to kill Kalkia.'

	On a private connection, Endymion and Rose shared the same
sense of panic. Rose knew what kind of punishment Kunzite could be
capable of inflicting when this furious. However, he was not only
angry, but shocked, betrayed, saddened, and bewildered, to mention a
few of his emotions. While the generals and Endymion retrieved the
artifact, Rose stared at the broad back facing her. She could
practically see the anger boiling off of his body. This would mean
very bad things for Kalkia. Her and Endymion, at this point, could
only hope that they could warn Kalkia and maybe help soften Kunzite's
anger before he got his hands on her.

***

	"What did you do to him?" Panicking, Minako resisted the urge
to choke Serenity or beat the truth out of her. Her hands were
practically itching with the desire to do so. "He just disappeared!"

	Serenity arched an eyebrow as they made their way back through
the secret back tunnels, artifact in hand. "Why do you care?"

	Minako paused, confused. Why did she want to know? Why did she
even care? After all, it was a boon to the Cause to have Kunzite out
of the way. But why did her mind rebel at that thought? She wanted to
deny it. She wanted him to be safe...no matter what had happened
between them, she wanted him safe.

	However, she couldn't just go and tell Omega that she wanted
one of their enemies alive. She was about to answer Serenity with some
blithe remark when instead, Makoto interrupted her. "Serenity, it's
always a good idea to know where you're putting your enemies. Is he
dead?"

	The young girl blinked and then shook her head. "I didn't
transport him," she admitted after a moment. "But I did know if he saw
Minako that there would be enough of a shock for me to be able to call
the artifact and then transport us out." She paused and looked over at
her Captain. "He was happy to see you," she said softly. "And then
very, very angry at someone."

	Minako just nodded and stayed quiet for several more minutes.
"Probably Kalkia. She told him I was dead."

	"Do you think we should warn her?" Makoto asked, sounding
faintly worried about the doctor. Serenity frowned in confusion and
stopped walking.

	"Why would we?" she asked when they stopped to look back at
her. "It would be helpful for Omega to occur if Doctor Skye was
weakened. Project Alpha...Endymion is still dependent on her."

	The other two women exchanged a look. It was getting more and
more difficult to explain human concepts to their charge. Finally
Makoto just sighed and then turned to go back along her course.
"You're right, Sere. Let's not worry about it."

*Alpha Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave*

	"Think about what you're about to do," Nephlite hissed at his
friend. Kunzite was purposely stalking towards Kalkia's quarters, his
anger still radiating off of him in waves. "She probably did it just
to see you react like this. You're giving into what she wan--"

	"Don't try to psychobabble me out of this," Kunzite growled.
"I'm going to kill her. Just like I should have a long time ago."

	"You're making a mistake!" Jedeite insisted. He and Rose were
desperately trying to keep up with the other two generals and
Endymion. No one knew exactly where Zoicite had dissapeared to once
they had arrived back at Alpha Prime. Rose had tried to contact her
friend in an attempt to warn her, once they had reached the surface.
However, she had been completely blocked by someone or something
powerful. The line hadn't been severed or destroyed, but she still
couldn't get through.

	"I don't care," Kunzite snapped and with a few quick security
codes, he was in Kalkia's room. The sight that met him wasn't exactly
what he expected, even after giving Kalkia to Esmeraude.

	She looked like a child sleeping in the arms of her father or
brother. Jonathon was holding her gently and obviously had just
returned to her rooms. There were tears in the large man's eyes and he
glared hatefully at Kunzite.

	Her entire body was still covered in bandages and open wounds.
All were clean, almost surgical marks on her pale skin, and some were
still bleeding. Zoicite was there as well, and how he beat the
silver-haired and enraged general, would never really be known. He was
furiously racing to close all of her injuries.

	When Jon saw Kunzite, he placed Kalkia on the bed and then
went to him. The general had no time to block the punch that sent him
across the room. "You bastard," he growled. "I don't care why you want
to kill her now, but you will not touch her ever again." Feeling fell
off of him in waves, nearly choking the room's inhabitants. "I can't
believe you gave her to that monster."

	"God, oh god," Rose gasped. She ran immediately to her
friend's side. Her violet eyes roamed quickly over Kalkia's wounded
frame and tried to figure out where she could touch Kalkia to comfort
her without hurting her.

	"What happened," asked Nephlite. He took in the scene before
him incredulously. "What the hell happened?"

	Jedeite stuck out a hand to help Kunzite up, but Kunzite
shoved the blonde's hand away and stood on his own power. Kunzite's
aura pulsated and began glowing, anger obscuring his features.
"Nothing she didn't deserve," he spat.

	Jonathon made another move to kill Kunzite, but Rose laid a
restricting arm on his. "Go to her and comfort her. She needs to know
that you're nearby, not out there beating Kunzite to pieces." She
waited until the taller man moved to Kalkia's side. She bent over
Zoicite and asked, "How can I help?"

	Endymion's hands clenched before he began to glow with his own
augmented aura. "I can help heal her physical wounds." He stepped
nearer to the bed and began to push his golden power over Kalkia's
body. Almost instantly, the blood flow began to slow. Unneeded, Rose
and Zoicite stepped back to let him work while Jonathon sat there,
tenderly brushing his fingers across Kalkia's pale cheek.

	"What happened, Kunzite?" Nephlite stood next to his fellow
general and frowned. Shock kept him from processing all the
information before him.

	"Metallia ordered her to be given a private session with the
Enforcer." Kunzite sneered. "I didn't think that Esmeraude had that
much time to inflict that much damage, but obviously, she's been
improving her skills. Well, that or Kalkia is a lot weaker than I
thought."

	Jedeite shook his head. "How long did Esmeraude have with her?
An hour? Two? It doesn't take that long for her to do a lot of damage
to a person's body."

	"Right after the briefing, Metallia ordered Kalkia to be
handed over to Esmeraude. I left shortly thereafter and Esmeraude
joined me at the convoy about an hour later." Kunzite waved a hand
unconcernedly. "I suppose Esmeraude had her locked up until just a
short while ago."

	"An hour," replied Nephlite in disbelief. He turned horrified
green eyes towards Kunzite. "After an hour with Esmeraude, even we
were greatly damaged and we've been enhanced!"

	"At least we received immediate medical attention," replied
Zoicite. He looked at his medical report. "It says here that she was
only released a short while ago. She spent at least seven, eight hours
without medical attention. I was notified of the emergency as soon as
we returned."

	"Why didn't you tell us," asked Rose in a quiet voice. All
four of the generals turned their attention to the slight woman but
she kept her gaze firmly fixed upon Kalkia's face. Endymion was making
rapid progress, but there was still a lot of damage. Her body shook
slightly.

	Kunzite softened, somewhat. His voice lost some of its jeering
quality and he averted his gaze from Rose to the floor. "It was top
secret orders from Metallia herself."

	"You betrayed me." Rose's quiet comment could be barely heard,
but all in the room turned at that. Only Rose's gaze was still on
Kalkia. "You turned from your family, turned from your soul's mate,
and sold your soul to Metallia, but I still loved you. You were my
heart-brother and you raped and tortured me, but I still loved you.
You gave Kalkia the Urge and ordered the death of hundreds, but I
still always loved you." A tear hit the silent room's floor, soon
joined by another. "I have shed blood and tears because of my love for
you, but I always gave them freely. But no more. Those are the last
tears you will ever get from me, Kunzite." She paused and turned to
look Kunzite right in the eye, her expression resolved, her eyes dark.

	"I hate you."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO