Cycle of Our Souls: Heart of Ice
Part I
M is for Mars

Disclaimer(s) and my always long-winded notes:
Hmmm... last time I checked I didn't own Sailor Moon. I'd check again, but I'm sure I still don't. Oh well.
Well, well, well... here we are at the last chapter in my Cycle of Our Souls series. It's been a long, long ride, but I'm actually kinda glad this is the end. I've enjoyed writing it, but it's been taxing!! Now I'll be able to concentrate on my other unfinished stuff!
For those of you who may be starting the Cycle of Our Souls series here, you're gonna be kinda confused. The order is Cycle of Our Souls: Heart's Fire (known just as Cycle of Our Souls on ASMR), Heart's Love and then Heart's Thunder. The text between lines of "*" symbols is Amy's thoughts in the present, somewhere between SMR and SMS; the text between "@-" symbols is Silver Millennium stuff; and anything else is just regular ol' narrative that takes place a few weeks in the past.Please write me!
Have fun!

The young man awoke with a gasp, the power of the dream grabbing him in the guts and twisting painfully. His blond curls were plastered against his skin, damp with sweat. His breath came in pants, and he sat up, throwing the covers aside desperately. What the hell...? Lately he'd been having strange, mind-bending dreams of a place that seemed familiar but wasn't... but never had he dreamt of sitting beside the fountain at Juuban park giving some guy relationship advice.
His own words in the dream echoed around inside his skull: "The princess will die... what will become of the prince? Of Small Lady? Of Crystal Tokyo?" He had no idea what he had meant, but vague memories from past dreams brought the image of a blond girl with a strange hairstyle to mind. He shook his head and stood up, heading to the bathroom.
He flipped on the light, blinking hard in the sudden glare, and turned on the tap to splash cold water on his face. He rubbed hands across tired, bloodshot eyes and stared at his reflection in the mirror. A girl with indigo eyes and hair only a shade or so paler seemed to stare back at him, and he blinked again. The image disappeared, but he knew it wouldn't stay away. Lately the girl had been everywhere he looked, and he had no idea why.
His head ached. Gods, he was going completely bonkers! Visions of blue-haired girls danced in his head... he smiled a little ruefully, remembering that as a child the idea of frolicking sugarplums had been terrifying, and went into the kitchen to grab something to eat. Perhaps a snack would settle his nerves a little, and he would be able to go back to sleep. Not likely, but there was always a chance.
He glanced out the window as he passed and saw that it was still dark outside -- or as dark as it ever got so close to downtown Tokyo -- and wondered vaguely what time it was. A peek at his watch revealed that it was only a little after one. Hopefully the early hour would give him plenty of time to go back to sleep. Hopefully... but, once again, not likely.
The sudden ringing of the doorbell was nearly enough to send him into catatonic shock in his wired, frayed state. Now who the hell would be coming to visit him in the middle of the night?! Ghosts, most likely... ghosts and goblins and ghouls. He shivered and hurried to answer the door.
A ghost was, in fact, waiting on the other side of the door for him, but not the type that was the spirit of the dead... no, this ghost was one from a dream. It was the blue-haired girl, and suddenly he felt as though he was going to be sick as he sank to the floor.
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I really didn't mean to scare the poor man half to death. I was knee deep in a very complicated theorem when I realized I was out of coffee. It was late, of course, but I had heard him coming in far later than one thirty in the morning! He lived only a few doors down from me, so I figured he was the best one to ask.
When he opened the door, the first thing I noticed was how tired he looked. His eyes were bloodshot, his skin pale, his long, curly blond hair tangled. Then he looked at me -- really looked -- and he nearly fainted. I could see it in the way his legs suddenly seemed unable to support him, the way he grabbed onto the doorjamb as though he were a drowning man and it, a life raft. His face turned several alarming shades ranging from chalky white to greenish gray.
I realized, rather incongruously, that under normal circumstances he would be quite beautiful. He was tall and slender, and the hands that gripped the doorjamb were elegantly formed, with long, sensitive fingers. (I always have noticed hands, capable hands, talented-looking hands... I guess it has something to do with wanting to be a doctor. A doctor must have good hands.) His eyes were bright green, the color of emeralds, and normally I'm sure they were quite alert and intelligent. Right then they just looked scared witless.
At the time I wondered what could possibly make a man so incredibly frightened of such a small, meek little thing as me. I know now, of course, but it would be quite a while before he would explain things to me. I have no idea why it never occurred to me that he, with his fey, angelic beauty, could possibly be the fourth. I guess it just wasn't something I wanted to deal with. I just wanted to get my coffee and go back to my own apartment. I wanted to finish the stupid theorem and go to bed and get up and go... to the temple... to Serena.
In that moment I saw in those wide, terrified green eyes a kinship between us. I saw that he feared sleep even as I did, only for different reasons. He was haunted by dreams... I was haunted by the morning to come, a morning that would bring more frustration and stupid, angry helplessness. I was supposed to be the "smart one," yet I couldn't find the solution to Serena's illness. Some connection was forged at that moment, and I knew it would take something pretty damn fierce to break it. I wonder if he felt it, too?
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"Are you all right?" she asked in a sweet, lilting voice. It wasn't at all frightening, wasn't anywhere close to the angry roar he expected to emerge. Strange... why did he just assume that the girl would be out to hurt him, that his dreams were a warning?
He brushed blond curls from his eyes and stared up at her. She was very pretty... milk-pale skin, indigo eyes, short, thick, dark blue hair that curled around her face... "Hai, I'm fine. I didn't mean to startle you," he said quietly.
She knelt down next to him and pressed a small hand against his forehead. "You don't have a fever, but you look like you haven't slept in ages!" Her eyes widened and a blush tinged her cheeks. "Oh, gomen, how rude of me!" she gasped.
He smiled for what seemed like the first time in weeks. "It's ok. You're right, anyway. Bad dreams."
She nodded knowingly. "I don't sleep much either," she said in a soft, confiding tone. "Not because of dreams, but for... other reasons." She held out a hand to him. "Can I help you stand?"
He accepted and they both straightened up, but neither let go. "I'm Zachary Sorenson, by the way. I don't think we've ever met."
"No," she said in a wondering tone, "I don't believe we have. I'm Amy Anderson. I live a few doors down."
"Oh, right... your mom's a doctor, ne? I think I may've met her before. What are you doing up so late?"
She dropped his hand and stepped back quickly. "It's only a little after one! I was busy working on something and realized I was out of coffee. I thought I might be able to borrow some from you. I didn't mean to disturb you."
She turned to go, and he panicked. That wasn't his intention at all! 'What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue'!?! he quoted to himself in rueful desperation. "Amy-san, matte. I didn't mean to be so rude... I just don't have many visitors, and apparently all my manners have dissolved into a pool of goo. Please come in. I'll make you your coffee and... and... you can tell me about what you're working on so diligently."
She hesitated a moment. "You don't have to make it. That isn't necessary," she said at last.
He relaxed and a genuine smile graced his handsome features. "It's ok. If you have the time, I would like the company."
Charmed in spite of herself, she returned the smile with one of her own, and the true force of his beauty caressed her with its warm glow. She tried to ignore it, but not even Amy Anderson, girl genius, was immune to its power.
At that moment his thoughts were very similar to hers. How could I have thought her some beast? She is like... like a goddess. No, nothing so grand; the comparison would make her blush; more like a sprite... a little water sprite. That decided, he stepped out of the doorway and motioned for her to come inside.

Raye Hino opened her eyes and blinked twice, three times. A glance at her alarm clock told her it was nearly two in the morning. What had awoken her so suddenly? She sat up in bed, stretching her psychic senses to the limit, searching for the source of her abrupt unease. Was this how it was for Serena when the Darkness came for her? she wondered suddenly, shivering.
She closed her eyes and listened, and the usual night-sounds of the temple eased her mind a little. Still worried, though, she pulled herself out of bed and tiptoed through the shrine until she came to Serena's room. She pushed back the rice paper screen and knelt there a moment, looking at her unnaturally still friend with a deep sadness.
"Raye?" a soft, trembling voice said from behind her.
She whipped around, dark hair flying, and stared at the vision with wide, frightened eyes. "Kami-sama!" she murmured fervently.
"I'm so scared, Raye," the figure said, moving closer.
The miko jerked back. "Nai! What are you?!" she cried.
"It's just me, Raye... just Serena. Please help me! I'm so scared... it's so cold... where am I?" The ghostly image of Serena leaned closer and said in a confiding whisper, "The fourth has been found, Raye. It's only a matter of time now. Tell Amy she must hurry! I'm dying... it's stealing my soul. I need my soul, Raye!" she said, her voice suddenly high and childish.
"Oh, Serena," she murmured, her dark eyes filling with tears.
"Don't cry, Raye, please don't. Just tell Amy to hurry. Please hurry."
"Hai, Serena, I'll tell her. Just hang on, ok?"
She smiled waveringly, and after a moment the image began to fade. "I've gotta go now. If I'm discovered..." She shook her head quickly. "I'll see you soon, Raye, see you for real! Do me a favor though?"
"Anything!" she cried desperately.
"Go to the Crown and get a double chocolate milkshake with chocolate chips, a double bacon cheeseburger and a large order of fries? Oh... and maybe a large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese? I'm so hungry!" she said plaintively.
Raye didn't know whether to laugh or scream, and before she could make up her mind the image was gone. A slow grin began to spread across her pretty face, and for the first time since the mysterious force took a hold of their friend, Raye felt some hope. Maybe they could win after all. Maybe everything would work out just fine!
Whistling merrily, the dark-haired miko returned to bed and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

"Amy! Hey, Amy!" she vaguely heard a voice calling from across the street. Shaking her head to clear it, the blue-haired girl waved to her friend as the tall brunette bounded across four lanes of traffic. "Are you ok, Amy?" she asked, concern etched in her emerald eyes. "I've been calling you forever! You seem pretty spaced out."
"Spaced out?" she asked, her voice coming from someplace far away. "No... sorry. I guess I'm just tired. I didn't get much sleep last night."
"Worried about Serena?" Lita asked with an understanding smile.
Amy's small teeth clenched together at the mention of the name. "Hai," she answered shortly, though it wasn't the reason for her lack of sleep the night before.
Lita stared at her friend curiously, wondering what secrets were hiding behind those deep, pained indigo eyes. Violet smudges marred the pale skin beneath them, and the girl's mouth was weighed down with tired lines. But at the same time... "Ahhh!" she cried, suddenly stumbling upon the answer to this particular enigma. "You've met someone, haven't you?!" she exclaimed, delighted.
"Nani?!" Amy cried frantically, wondering how Lita could know about Zachary. Oh Gods oh Gods oh Gods oh Gods! No! Lita and the others could not find out about him until... until when? Until... well, they just couldn't find out! "Met someone?" She laughed nervously, reminding the dark-haired girl painfully of Serena, and said, "Where would you get that idea? I never meet anyone. All I do is study, remember?"
Grinning triumphantly, Lita knew she'd hit her mark. "Yeppers, you got allll the signs of a girl on her way to being in love! So what's his name, huh?!"
"Being in love?" she echoed with a disdainful sniff. "Hardly, unless one can fall in love with theorems and sonnets. Though I do suppose the latter isn't too farfetched... and a good theorem can sometimes sound like poetry..." Lost in a daze of Shakespeare and Pythagoras, Amy wandered into the school building, not realizing that Lita was no longer at her side.
The brunette was standing on the steps of Juuban Junior High with her jaw hanging down almost to her shoes. Good Gods, this is worse than I thought! Not only is she in love, she's a complete nutcase, too!! This calls for some serious therapy... I wonder if I could talk her into blowing off class after lunch and hitting the arcade? She paused in her thoughts and shook her head slowly. Now I'm sounding like the crazy one. Amy blow off school? Sure. She'll do it in order to go ice-skating in Hell with the rest of us!!
The blue-haired girl was standing in front of her locker changing shoes when Lita finally joined her. "I was thinking maybe this weekend we could get the guys and go to the park for a picnic. We haven't done that in ages."
"A picnic without Serena?" Lita said, wrinkling her nose in confusion.
Amy shrugged. "Maybe it would be good for us. It would get us away from the temple, ne? And maybe it would distract Darien for half a second... he's beginning to look worse than Death warmed over. I'm worried about his health, and he can't afford to let his grades slip, either."
"Ames, look, I'm gonna ask you one more time and I want a straight answer. What the hell is up with you?! Talk to me, girl," she said, grabbing her friend by the shoulders and staring hard into her dark blue eyes.
"Lita! Let me go. Nothing's wrong!"
She said nothing, simply stared harder.
Amy let out a long sigh. "All right, all right. Last night I met someone. It's nothing like that, Lita! Calm down. He's just a nice guy. We talked for a while, and then I stayed up even later working on some stuff for class today. Does that make you happy?"
She let go and turned back to her own locker, pulling out her shoes with a thoughtful look. "What's this cutey's name, huh?" she asked at last, an irrepressible grin -- or at least it had been irrepressiblle since a certain auburn-haired man made his entrance into her life -- erupting on her pretty face.
Sighing again, Amy retrieved her school bag from the floor. "Zachary. He lives a few doors down from me. Now I'm going to class. Hurry up or you're going to be late."
Lita watched her go with a knowing grin, a sudden mischievous light sparking in her bright green eyes. Oh, Mina was gonna love this!
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I guess a picnic was a pretty dumb idea after all. Lita brought enough food for an army (or at least the one-woman eating machine known as Serena Tsukino, who, of course, was conspicuously absent), but no one ate much. No one talked much. No one laughed at all. It was more like a wake than a picnic, and I've never felt lonelier in my life -- at least not since meeting Serena and the girls.
And it was awkward too; Darien was there alone because of Serena's illness, and it's like a half of him was missing. The others had their boyfriends and I was... alone. No half missing like Darien; just alone. I worry about all of it sometimes. Was Zoisite resurrected? If he was, is he good or evil? Will he still be in love with Malachite? And what if Malachy decides that Zoisite is the one for him after all? What will that do to Mina? What if I meet Zoisite and he's a big jerk? What if I don't meet Zoisite? Is he my soul mate? If I don't meet him, am I destined to spend the rest of my life alone?
I guess the others would say I worry a little too much, but I can't help it. They all have someone. Serena and Darien know they're going to be King and Queen of Crystal Tokyo... or they are if we can figure out how to help Serena. We have to have Zoisite to do that, don't we? So that means I have to meet him... but where? How? When? What if I pass him on the street every morning and don't even know it? It was pure chance that Mina and Malachy and Lita and Neil met... so what if fate isn't working in my favor the day I happen to be running late?
I've just got to stop thinking about it. It'll happen because these things happen. I should know that by now, shouldn't I? Who, after all, would have put our little group together? But here we are, bound together by ties of fate and destiny and power. All right, then... everything works out in the end. Somehow.
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End I
Cycle of Our Souls: Heart of Ice
Part II
M is for Mars

More Breaking News from Disclaimer Land:
I do not own Sailor Moon. I know this comes as a shock to all of you, but it's true. Sorry to disappoint everyone. :)
Well. I was just reading over the author's note for the last chapter of Heart's Thunder and I said I hoped to have this finished over the summer. Here it is December and I'm not even done with Part II!! I'm so sorry, guys. :( I took the semester off from school in order to work at the Renaissance Festival, and that left me pretty much exhausted. Now I'm ASM for Little Women, and it's a three weekend show... we usually only do two weekends at my theatre. Once it's over, it'll be Christmas, but then I'll have another two weeks or so of winter break before next semester starts. Two weeks is plenty of time, right? :) Let's hope...
If you go back and read Part I of Heart of Ice again, you'll notice that my whole matchbox twenty rant is now gone from the author's note. Why, you ask? Because I decided not to use "If You're Gone" after all. When I wrote that I was hoping to have the story out before the song was released, but that didn't work. So I switched to a lovely Evan and Jaron song that will appear in either this part or the next one. I'm not completely sure yet. :)
I guess that's all I have to say for now. Keep the feedback coming; it really does encourage me!!

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Ami, Princess of Mercury and Senshi of Knowledge, stood before the mirror in her blue-toned bedroom and let out an exasperated sigh. "Why didn't I listen when Minako-chan told me to grow out my hair?" she demanded of the room in general. "What am I going to do with this mop?" She ran her hands through the thick, unruly blue waves of her hair and snorted in disgust.
"It's hopeless," she decided, flopping down on the bed. "No men are worth this trouble, Earthlings or not. They're just going to have to deal with at least one senshi who is less than perfectly groomed." But then she thought of how beautiful and perfect the Venusian princess would look, and she jumped up to stand before the mirror once again.
There was a knock on her door, and she recognized the pounding as belonging to no one but Makoto, Princess of Jupiter. "Coming!" she called, hurrying to hide the evidence of her vanity and rushing to join her impatient friend in the corridor.
"At least one of us is on time!" the tall brunette said with a huff. "Neither Minako-chan nor Rei-chan are ready yet. Can you believe it? And Rei-chan going on and on about how she's just so bored with hearing of the Earthlings. Come on, Ami-chan, you walk too slowly!"
She was practically running to keep up with the longer-legged girl, but she simply nodded and picked up the pace a bit. "Mako-chan, I really don't think we're going to be late," she ventured at last.
"That's hardly the point. I want to be there ahead of time, don't you? It wouldn't be seemly to be seen rushing through the palace corridors as though we're actually looking forward to meeting the Earthlings."
Which, of course, is exactly what they were doing. Ami decided it wouldn't be prudent to point that out at the moment, so she clamped her mouth shut and listened as Makoto continued to harangue their fellow senshi for their complete lack of consideration and punctuality.

An angel. He’s as beautiful as an angel. It was an absurd thought, of course, but the only one in her head when she first laid eyes upon Zoisite, Prince Endymion's youngest general. Ami dipped her head, hoping that the heat she felt in her cheeks didn't display itself in a bright blush. She managed a decent curtsy, but was more than a little relieved when Queen Serenity suggested a walk through the grounds. She loved the cool serenity of the palace gardens almost as much as the warm, dusty silence of the library.Ami frowned slightly as she watched her friends pairing up with the Earthlings: the Prince and Princess, Minako and Lord Malachite, Makoto and Lord Nephrite, and, warily, Rei and Lord Jadeite. With a start she realized that the lovely Lord Zoisite was at her elbow, smiling down at her kindly.
"You're Princess Ami, are you not? I've heard..." She was charmed by his blush, and smiled up at him encouragingly. "I've heard that you enjoy a challenging game of chess."
"I've heard the same of you, Lord Zoisite. Would you care to play?"
He grinned and nodded, his golden curls bouncing. "Most certainly, Lady Mercury." She accepted the arm her offered her, and they walked together in silence for a time. At last he said, "The Moon is more beautiful than I had imagined... as are her protectors."
She opened her mouth to murmur something polite in reply when she caught sight of his shy smile. Why, he was flirting with her! She blushed deeply. "The beauty of the Moon is... is quite different from that of Earth, I understand," she managed at last, taking comfort in a cool, logical approach: compare local ecosystems.
"Indeed," he agreed, his own tone becoming businesslike. "This is all sustained with Queen Serenity-sama's magic, is it not? On Earth we need no such magic to make the atmosphere hospitable to life."
"You should visit Mercury sometime, Lord Zoisite. It is similar to Earth, as is Mars. Jupiter and the outer planets are very different indeed, and Venus is so very hot!"
"And Mercury isn't?" he asked, amused.
She smiled up at him sweetly, and he felt his heart skip a beat. "No, it isn't. We keep our planet cool and pleasant; the Venusians prefer hot and steamy. It's something I'll never understand."
He cleared his throat, trying to keep his mind on the topic at hand and away from the depth of her dark blue eyes. "Your power involves water and ice, does it not? That's odd, considering your home planet is so close to the sun."
"Mercury is a very aquatic planet; we enjoy the water. Oceans and lakes are plentiful, for all that the planet is so small. Our magic sustains it, as Queen Serenity-sama's sustains the Moon. I suppose you Earthlings are lucky in that you may enjoy your planet without having to worry about all the effort that goes into keeping it the way you like."
He nodded slowly. "I suppose."
"You sound doubtful, while just a moment before you seemed to look down upon our magic."
"Oh no, Lady Mercury, not look down upon! It is impressive that Queen Serenity-sama and the rulers of each planet have such power. It's just that on Earth, our magic goes toward other things."
"Mmmm," she murmured. "What, I wonder, since it's our job to protect Earth?"
"I fear I've angered you," he said, deflated. Would he never learn to say the right thing? Malachite-sama was always chiding him for his thoughtlessness, and now it seemed he had upset the lovely Princess of Mercury. "Please forgive me, Lady Ami."
He sounded so sincerely contrite that it touched her heart. "There's nothing to forgive, Lord Zoisite. I'm afraid I must have misunderstood you; it is well known that Earth has looked upon the Moon with mistrust for many years, and it is my true wish that our relations with one another return to a state of harmony. I wouldn't want to risk that through a simple misunderstanding between you and I."
Oh. She was thinking of only the diplomatic relations between Earth and the Moon. Well. Naturally; of course that's all she was thinking about, and it was all he should be thinking about, as well. He bowed over her hand and pressed his lips lightly against her knuckles. "We forgive each other then?" he asked, looking up at her with bright, hopeful emerald eyes.
Ami felt her heart catch in her throat as she looked down into those eyes. They were so... she bit back a sigh... so beautiful. She managed to smile lightly and say, "Of course we do, Lord Zoisite. Come; I believe you promised me a game of chess!"
He straightened with a laugh. "I believe I did, Lady Mercury. Lead on!"

"Do you believe in such things as curses, Ami-san?" Zoisite asked her, contemplating the chessboard with a frown before moving his knight. It was the third day of their visit to the Moon, and this was one of many chess games the two had shared. He felt sure he could trust her, but he knew he must tread carefully.
"Curses?" She considered for a moment, capturing his knight with her bishop, and said, "I believe that it is belief in curses that gives them their power. The power of suggestion and all that... I believe in magic, of course, because I can see it for myself. But what power can a curse have unless there is someone to believe in it?"
He returned the favor by taking her bishop with his queen. "Check. So if my fellow shitennou and I believed that there was a curse on our Prince, we would be the ones giving it power?" he asked carefully.
She moved her king out of danger and met his emerald gaze with her indigo one. "Is there? A curse, I mean?"
Zoisite picked up Ami's recently captured bishop and rubbed the smooth crystal piece as he carefully considered his answer. "There are many different types of curses, Lady Mercury. Perhaps this one is more... wishful thinking than anything else."
"Wishful thinking on the part of whom?" she asked, careful to keep her voice cool and neutral. Whatever Zoisite had on his mind must be important, and she didn't want him dropping the issue before she knew everything there was to know.
He positioned a rook and tucked a golden curl behind one ear. "You've heard of the Earth woman, Beryl? The one who's been causing such mischief of late?"
"Indeed," Ami agreed, moving her knight to protect the king from the little obsidian castle.
"Apparently," he said, studying the board intently, "she has some twisted desire for Endymion-sama. She has made it known that any bride he chooses shall meet with a terrible end. I'm not saying it's an actual curse per se, but it is something to worry about, don't you think?" At last he raised his eyes to meet hers. "Check mate," he announced, knocking her remaining bishop aside with his queen.
"Shimatta," she muttered before turning her attention back to Beryl. "And you are worried for Princess Serenity's health, I presume?"
He shrugged easily. "It's no secret that my prince and your princess have grown close... I simply thought Princess Serenity-sama's senshi should be warned."
She twirled his bothersome queen in one hand, unconsciously mimicking his earlier gesture with her bishop, and said thoughtfully, "I don't believe that this Beryl poses much of a threat to our kingdom. Surely you Earthlings can handle her, ne? Unless she finds some advantage that we haven't previously thought of, I think Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion-sama are perfectly safe."
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"Amy-san? Amy-san, are you all right?" a voice, accompanied by a light poke in the arm, said, pulling Amy from her sweet daydream.
She blushed brightly and smiled up at the speaker. "I'm sorry, Zachary-san, I must have drifted off." What an idiot! Now he would think he was boring her... why couldn't she just keep her mind in the present, and not send it off gallivanting around in fantasy land?
It's his eyes, a bothersome little voice whispered; who could concentrate with those eyes staring down at you, all cool and green? She ruthlessly silenced the voice and met his gaze as neutrally as possible.
"Perhaps you could go over it again? I didn't sleep much last night, I guess."
"Maybe we should take a break for now," he suggested, meeting her smile with one of his own. "You do look pretty tired," he observed, reaching out and brushing her thick blue bangs away from her forehead.
The feel of his cool fingertips against her skin caused the blush to deepen. What was he saying? Something about a break? Yes, a break would be heavenly... but not as heavenly as a kiss... one small, sweet little kiss... Amy shook her head violently and returned to reality with a crash. "I'm sorry, Zachary-san, but I should go. I have a busy day tomorrow and..." She trailed off, unsure how to continue, and instead busied herself with gathering her things.
"Matte," he said softly, catching one of her small hands in his own. "Please don't go yet, Amy-san. Have I ever told you how much I enjoy our time together?"
His voice was soft, melodious, and she fought the urge to close her eyes and drown in the sound. "I enjoy it as well, Zachary-san; it's nice to meet someone who shares my interest in academics."
Academics? Was that the only reason she came, for dissecting theorems and sonnets? He'd much rather compose a sonnet to her... Suddenly he chuckled aloud, and she glanced up sharply. "Oh, I'm not laughing at you!" he said hastily, reading her pained expression easily. "Something just popped into my head... are you familiar with As You Like It?"
"Vaguely, yes. I prefer the tragedies, though I suppose they're just as silly in their own way. Why do you ask?" Her indigo eyes were wary, and he tried to set her at ease with a smile.
"'Then comes the lover, with sighs like a furnace and a woeful ballad made to his mistress'... eyebrow,'" he quoted. "You see, I was thinking of composing a sonnet to you, my little water sprite, but then I got stymied by what feature I would pick to extol the most."
Her eyes widened and a pink tinge crept over her pale skin.
"Ah, there you are," he said softly, brushing a finger down her cheek. "You prove my point exactly with your lovely dark eyes, such a contrast to your pale skin. But then there's your remarkable hair, such an unusual color, and so thick and soft."
She made a face. "It's too short. All my friends have lovely long hair, and I have a boy's style."
"It suits you. Too much hair would overpower your delicate features." He leaned in close, and she could feel his breath brush across her cheek as he whispered, "May I kiss you, Amy?"
The words stunned her, and she sat rigid and still for a long moment. "I--" she began helplessly.
"Shhh," he murmured, cupping her cheek with an elegant hand. "Please... just let me..." He touched his mouth to hers softly, like the brush of butterfly wings, then did it again and again, until her lips felt warm and lusciously soft. He pulled away and delighted for a moment in the heavy, liquid darkness of her eyes and heated flush of her skin. She smiled a little, shyly, and it was all the encouragement he needed.
Amy felt her body melt into his as he pulled her to him. Her arms came up and she felt her fingers tangle themselves in his golden curls almost of their own volition. Their mouths met again, but this time she was kissing just as much as he was. His tongue brushed against hers, and she tried to gasp before realizing that she couldn't; the kiss had robbed her of breath, but she didn't care at all.
Abruptly he pulled his lips from hers and pressed his forehead against the side of her throat. His arms were tight around her waist, and she ran gentle hands through his hair. His breath was coming in short, panting gasps, and she flushed at the feel of his mouth against the skin below her ear. "You're so beautiful, Amy," he breathed, "so sweet and so smart. You're everything I've always wanted... do you understand?"
Her heart froze at these words, and she realized suddenly what was happening. Oh Gods, she had let him kiss her! Had she lost her mind? Hastily she pushed him away. "I -- I have to go, Zachary-san. Gomen nasai," she said quickly, jumping up and grabbing her things.
"Amy, wait, please!" he called, but she was already gone. "Damn," he muttered, throwing himself back down onto the couch. How could he have been such a fool? Amy was clearly not the type of girl who could be rushed into anything, and here he'd practically dragged her down on the floor and raped her! He'd acted like a Neanderthal; no wonder she'd gone running.
Zachary let out a long sigh, wondering dejectedly how he was going to manage to extricate himself from this particular mess.
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I'm a total idiot. For all that my IQ is through the roof and my test scores are the top of the class, I’m a complete moron. Why in the world did I run from him? The kiss was fabulous, amazing, more wonderful that I thought a kiss could be, and then he all but tells me he's in love with me, and I run! Really smooth, Amy! Let's go over a very basic rule of thumb: when a gorgeous guy kisses you and whispers fabulously sweet things into your ear, you do not react by running away!But what else could I do? I panicked. I'm not the type of girl a guy like Zachary Sorenson needs. I'm too quiet and shy, and not nearly pretty enough. He needs someone strong and beautiful... someone like any one of my friends. But he said I was all that he wanted...
It was something he just said in the heat of the moment, that's all. He was caught up in the kiss and he just blurted out words he didn't mean. A man will say practically anything to get a woman into bed, right? But... Zachary didn’t seem like that sort of man. Who am I kidding? I hardly knew Zachary at all, and he hardly knew me! How could he know that I was what he wanted when he didn't even know me... or that I'm Sailor Mercury?Relationships are more difficult than they have a right to be. Why can't things just be simple? Boy and girl meet, fall in love, live happily ever after. I wish I believed in happy endings anymore. And I wish I knew then what I know now.
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End II
Cycle of Our Souls: Heart of Ice
Part III
M is for Mars

Even More Breaking News from Disclaimer Land:
I continue to not own Sailor Moon. I know this comes as a shock to all of you, but it's true. Sorry to disappoint everyone. :)
Aha! I bet you thought I wouldn't have this out any time soon, didn't you? See, I'm just full of surprises!! (I can hear Lyle and my mom in the background saying, "Yeah she's full of something!" Shut up, you two! :P ) Anyway... it's just a few days (12/11-12/15/00) since my completion of Part II, and here I am with III!! I always write these notes before the section is finished, though, so for all I know I may not have it completely done until next December! No, I'm just kidding... I wouldn't wait that long!!
So I finally use the song in this section. It is, as I said before, by those adorable twins Evan and Jaron Lowenstein, and I would never try to steal their song. Actually, this particular song is by Evan. No infringement is intended. Sorry, boys. :) Oh, the song lyrics are in italics to help you out.
Let's get on with things... email if you like it... or even if you hate it.