Empire of the Dark Ami

by amiwakawaiidesu

(Based on characters and situations from "Sailor Moon", created by Naoko Takeuchi and not owned by myself.

This is the final chapter of this story, so I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has read and commented on this project. I'm sorry that I didn't finish the story more quickly, but I am glad that it's come to a stopping point more-or-less the way I expected. This project was fun to work on and I suppose I might re-visit this world again someday; but in the meantime, I do appreciate all the readers who helped me with questions, suggestions and encouragement. I thank you very much.)

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN

On the morning of Friday, August 18, six Sailor Senshi and one cat teleported from the backyard of the Tsukino residence to the Sea of Serenity; somewhat less than two days later--in the wee hours of Sunday, August 20--thirteen Sailor Senshi, one baby and two cats teleported back, leaving only one of two Sailorsaturns behind.

Holding hands to form their teleport circle, the Senshi were largely friendly now, but their first meeting on the Moon had been anything but harmonious. The Outer Senshi of this dimension were stunned to see their counterparts [the Outer Senshi1] walking away from the Moon Palace with Sailormoon1 and Sailormercury1, as well as two Senshi [Sailormars1 and Sailorjupiter1] whom they knew only as enemies in their own world. Still smarting from the loss of Sailorsaturn2, Sailoruranus2 braced for battle as she assumed the worst from these newcomers, but Sailorneptune2 quickly sensed that the newcomers meant them no harm.

"Don't leap to conclusions," Sailorneptune2 advised her lover; "these are probably Ami's friends from her own world."

"That's right," said Sailormoon1; "Luna…our Luna…figured out a way to come here and rescue us."

Luna2 stared at Luna1 in wonder.

"Are you...me?" Luna2 asked.

"In a manner of speaking," Luna1 replied. "I was concerned you might be evil like the Artemis from this world, but Ami tells me you were loyal to the Sailor Senshi all along."

"You've met the Artemis of this world?" Sailorpluto2 asked.

"Our Sailorvenus has him under guard," Sailorpluto1 replied--eliciting a gasp from the Outer Senshi2.

"You must forgive our surprise," Sailorneptune2 said. "In our world, Sailorvenus was a great villain, as were Sailormars and Sailorjupiter."

Sailormars1 and Sailorjupiter1 both smiled.

"I can assure you we're no villains," Sailormars1 said. "We only want to bring our friends home, that's all."

Only then did the Outer Senshi2 seem to notice Hoshi.

"Did one of you bring your baby along as well?" Sailorneptune2 asked.

"Oh, no," Sailormercury1 said, "this is Hoshi. Sailorsaturn--*your* Sailorsaturn--brought him back to me, before she left."

"You spoke to Saturn?" Sailoruranus2 exclaimed. "What did she say?"

"Not much, really. She only said that she couldn't stay here now that she'd used her powers, and asked us to take Hoshi back home to our world."

"Oh."

All eyes turned to Sailorsaturn1, who seemed surprised to be the center of so much attention.

"What?" she asked, looking at herself. "Do I have something on my fuku...?"

"No," Sailormoon1 said. "But you were very loved here, in this world."

"Ah, sou."

After these introductions, the combined group then moved to speak with Usagi2 and Ami2--the former Kuroiami. Ami2 was still in a daze from what had happened, but Usagi2 spoke on her behalf, agreeing with the other Senshi that it was best to return to Earth as soon as possible. Then the group--now even larger with the addition of Usagi2 and Ami2--spoke to Queen Galaxia, who was just about to leave the Solar System with Kuroiami's former youma and generals in her care.

Since there were several hundred ex-youma to teleport, Galaxia had called in the help of several powerful Senshi (namely SailorIronMouse, SailorAluminumSiren, SailorLeadCrow and SailorTinNyanko) to help herself, SailorChi and SailorPhi manage a group teleport efficiently. Although these Galactic Senshi were as polite as could be, Sailormoon1 was more than a little overwhelmed to see so many 'villains' in one place at one time, and actually hid behind Sailormercury1 when they spoke with Galaxia.

"Your friends were all villains in our world," Sailormercury1 explained to Galaxia.

Galaxia smiled.

"Your world must be very strange, if all of us were villains there. I hope we weren't too much trouble for you."

"No," Sailormercury1 lied, "not at all."

"Well, we should be going," Galaxia said, turning to Usagi2. "But you are always welcome to visit us at the Sagittarius Castle any time you like--you and your friends here. And perhaps I shall come visit this system again; I should especially like to visit your blue planet Earth, which looks so lovely there in the lunar sky."

"You honor us, Your Majesty," Usagi2 said to Galaxia.

Galaxia smiled, turning to address all the Senshi as a group.

"Keep well," Galaxia said, "until we meet again."

Galaxia then withdrew to the company of her fellow Galactic Senshi, who had taken up positions on the perimeter of the group of ex-youma and generals. Nodding to Galaxia, the Galactic Senshi then lifted their hands to join their power to each other and--in a colossal flash of light--Galaxia, the Galactic Senshi, ex-youma and generals disappeared from the face of the Moon.

Though unintended, a secondary effect of the teleport was a mighty gust of wind that blasted over the Senshi and crashed up against the remains of the Moon Palace, toppling what was left of the structure in a cloud of dust.

"Perhaps we should be going," Usagi2 said to her fellow Senshi.

The other Senshi nodded, and moved to form their own teleport circle. Apart from being extremely large, this circle was also peculiar because it included two cats and a baby, but Sailormercury1 calculated that the total teleport energy would still be sufficient (even with Usagi2 and Ami2 remaining in civilian form). A larger problem was where to put Ami2 in the circle; though the Outer Senshi2 didn't vocalize their disdain for her, it was clear that all of them were watching her suspiciously.

"Here," Sailormoon1 said to Usagi2 and Ami2, "come stand between me and Mercury."

"Arigatou," Usagi2 said, moving to join hands with Sailormoon1 and Ami2. Ami2, in turn, joined hands with Sailormercury1, who also had Hoshi and both Luna's at her feet.

"I haven't really had a chance to talk to you," Sailormercury1 said to Ami2, "since the battle, I mean. How are you feeling?"

"Everyone seems to be asking me that," Ami2 replied, taking her counterpart's hand. "Are you afraid I'll turn back into Kuroiami?"

"Well…maybe a little. You were very scary as Kuroiami."

"I'm afraid I can't remember any of that, but I suppose it must have happened. I'm sorry; I never wanted to hurt anyone..."

Sailormercury1 smiled at Ami2.

"I know; I believe you."

A moment later, the Sailor Senshi nodded toward each other to indicate they were ready, and looked at the two Luna's.

"Sailor Teleport!" the two cats exclaimed, and--in a second flash of light--the Moon was alone once again.

* * * * *

Given the noise they made--settling into the Tsukino residence and looking for places to sleep--the Senshi were lucky they didn't invite a police citation for disturbing the peace in the middle of the night; but this block was still unoccupied except for the Tsukino house, so this was one peril at least that they managed to dodge.

Naturally, much commotion attended the comfort of Hoshi; Ami1 (who quickly de-transformed along with the other Senshi) wanted to look after him, but she simply didn't have as much experience looking after an infant as Michiru1 and reluctantly agreed to let Michiru1 supervise Hoshi's care instad. Working alongside Michiru2, Michiru1 then enlisted the aid of the less-maternal--but no-less-dedicated--Haruka1 and Haruka2 to obtain diapers, formula and other essentials from the nearest all-night convenience store. Ami1, meanwhile, tried to take notes on childcare from Michiru1, but--more tired than she knew--she fell asleep at the kitchen table as soon as a quiet moment presented itself.

The other Senshi, meanwhile, crashed wherever was convenient; Usagi1--after covering Ami1 with a blanket--invited Rei1 and Makoto1 to join her in the master bedroom, Usagi2 took Ami2 upstairs to her bedroom (where they exchanged their formal gowns for Usagi2's bunny pajamas), and Hotaru1 unwittingly chose the same couch that Hotaru2 had rested on when she first came to this same house several days before. After most of the other Senshi were asleep, the two Michiru's, two Haruka's and two Setsuna's settled around the sleeping Hotaru1 and Hoshi where they lay asleep on the couch.

"What is she like in your world?" Haruka2 asked Haruka1, looking at Hotaru1. "Ami says that you're like a family in her world."

"You could say that. Hotaru calls me 'papa' and Michiru 'mama', and she's very sweet."

"You're very lucky. Even though she was our enemy, I cherished our time with our Hotaru."

"We may yet see her again," Setsuna2 said, cryptically.

"What do you mean?" Michiru2 asked.

"A Senshi's star seed does not die," Setsuna2 replied, "even in death. That's why Sailorsaturn came back to us in Tokyo, even after we thought she was killed by Kuroiami. And she may yet come back to us again, just as Venus, Mars and Jupiter may be reborn when they are needed again in this world."

"How long will that be?" Haruka2 asked.

Setsuna2 opened her mouth as if to answer, but she paused after noting a meaningful glance from Setsuna1.

"It is not my place to say--nor can I say for certain, since the future is always in motion. But old friends may yet meet again."

* * * * *

The next morning, the Outer Senshi2 finally had their chance to meet Minako1; Luna1 had previously arranged to send a signal to Minako1 after they found Usagi1 and Ami1, and Minako1 then came through a dimensional portal opened up by Luna1, bearing the miscreant Artemis2 in a very-securely sealed cat carrier.

"Let me out of here!" Artemis2 squealed. "You bitches! I'll get you for this!"

"I believe this is yours," Minako1 said, setting the carrier down on the Tsukino kitchen table in front of the Outer Senshi2; the Outer Senshi2 were much more intrigued by Minako1 herself, though, than the squealing white cat.

"Are you really Sailorvenus?" Haruka2 asked.

"You seem so nice," Michiru2 added.

"Um...thanks," Minako1 said, "I think..."

Minako1 leaned over to Usagi1 and whispered in her ear.

*"Why are these people all staring at me?"* Minako1 asked.

*"Because you're really scary,"* Usagi1 replied, *"in this world."*

*"Oh."*

Minako1's other friends, meanwhile, were finishing their preparations for the journey back home to their own dimension. None of them had really brought any baggage--and no other clothing than what they wore after they transformed--but Rei1, Makoto1, and the Outer Senshi1 were all intrigued by this strange other world, and reluctant to leave it too soon. Strangely, even Usagi1 and Ami1 felt that way, though both had suffered grievously during their seven days there.

"You must come back and see us again sometime," Usagi2 said to Usagi1. "Now that your Luna knows the secret of the gate, you won't have any excuse not to be sociable."

"Maybe I'll take you up on that," Usagi1 replied. "But Usagi...aren't you worried about your future? You've been hiding it well, but Mamoru is gone. What kind of future can you have without Mamoru...or Chibi-Usa?"

"I do miss Mamoru," Usagi2 admitted, "but nothing can bring him back--nor can we bring back our Rei, Makoto and Minako. But we will endure as best we can, Ami-chan and I."

Ami2 herself, meanwhile, was saying her last good-byes to Ami1 in the master bedroom.

"I wished I could have had more of a chance to talk with you," Ami2 said; "as myself, I mean."

"That's all right," Ami1 said. "You were a victim of Kuroiami, as much as the rest of us; you needed time to get your bearings, after all you went through."

"Actually," Ami2 said, suddenly crying quite openly, "I was thinking of killing myself last night, after Usagi told me all the things I'd done...

"She told me I had to live, though...to live for all the people that I killed..."

Ami1 stood there awkwardly for a moment, looking at Ami2, then finally reached out to hold her.

"It's all right," Ami1 said. "It's all right. The truth is, any one of us can do evil--if we're pushed far enough, or bad things happen to us. You've given me a glimpse of what I could become myself, if I ever let darkness win me over."

Ami2 nodded, though she was too choked up to speak.

"I'm no better than you are, Ami," Ami1 said. "A different roll of the dice, and I could have been the one who became Kuroiami. But don't let this destroy you; you're still a good person, and you can still work to make the world a better place."

"Thank you," Ami2 said, softly. "I'll try..."

For a long moment, Ami2 continued holding Ami1, then the two of them heard Setsuna1 calling from the living room; Luna was ready to take them home now.

"You brought me here," Ami1 said to Ami2. "Will you watch me go?"

"Certainly."

The two Ami's then walked out to the living room where Luna was using Ami1's old minicomputer to open up the same dimensional portal that Minako1 had just stepped through a few minutes earlier.

"There's only room in the portal for two people at a time," Luna1 said to Ami1 and Usagi1, "so we'll let you two go back first."

"Where will we end up?" Usagi1 asked.

"Mamoru's apartment," Luna1 replied. "That's where I set up the portal generator."

"Oh, how cool!"

"Why Mamoru's apartment?" Ami1 asked.

"We needed a secure place to build the generator--where we wouldn't have parents poking around asking a lot of nosy questions--and that seemed like a logical choice. Plus Mamoru knows more about science than Makoto, so he could actually help me build the machine."

"How exciting!" Usagi1 said, holding Ami1's arm. "Do you think he'll be happy to see me?"

"I'm sure he will," Ami1 replied.

Shortly thereafter, Luna finally opened the portal--which appeared as a gaping hole in a side wall of the living room--and Ami1 and Usagi1 were ushered into position. As their fellow Senshi looked on expectantly, Ami1 and Usagi1 then prepared to step through the portal--though Ami1 paused as she remembered one last thing she'd forgotten to do.

"I almost forgot," Ami1 said to Ami2, reaching into the pocket of her sundress and fishing out another minicomputer; "I believe this is your minicomputer, Ami, which I've been borrowing."

"Are you sure you don't need it?" Ami2 asked.

"No, I have one of my own. Besides, Sailormercury should have her own minicomputer."

Ami1 glanced at Haruka2, who was still staying some distance away from Ami2.

"Wouldn't you agree, Sailoruranus?" Ami2 asked.

Haruka2 lifted an eyebrow, as if weighing her debt to Ami1 on the one hand against her lingering suspicion of Ami2 on the other hand. In the end, the scale tipped in favor of the debt.

"I suppose you're right," Haruka2 said, stepping closer to Ami2 and Usagi2 along with Luna2 and the Outer Senshi2. "If you can't stay, we'll need Ami here to take your place."

Ami1 smiled slightly, perceiving the start of a gesture of reconciliation. Haruka2 then walked forward to Ami1, intending to shake her hand, but ending up embracing Ami1 instead.

"Farewell, Ami," said Haruka2. "You will always be welcome here, as our friend."

"Arigatou," Ami1 replied, smiling up at Haruka2. Then, after a long moment she stepped away from Haruka2 and bowed to the Outer Senshi2, Usagi2 and Ami2.

"Perhaps we will meet again some day. Until then...sayonara."

Then, turning back to Usagi1, Ami1 stepped through the portal with her friend, and at last they were on their way home again.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, in the apartment of Chiba Mamoru, Mamoru and Artemis1 were watching the portal mechanism on the wall of Mamoru's apartment with nervous anticipation. Outside Mamoru's apartment, it was a cloudy Sunday afternoon, but man and cat alike were focused exclusively on the gateway that was their only link to their friends in an alternate universe; cobbled together primarily from old TV, stereo and computer components, the mechanism consisted of a toroidal ring about two meters in diameter attached to Mamoru's old computer, a high-voltage capacitor and a portable gasoline generator purring away on Mamoru's patio (since Mamoru didn't want to risk a power outage shutting down the portal).

"Shouldn't they be back by now?" Artemis asked, nervously. "Minako has been gone for almost a half hour!"

"I'm sure she's fine," Mamoru replied. "Luna sent back the all-clear note through the portal, and she said she'd only do that if she found Usagi and Ami, and it was safe for Minako to go through the portal with Artemis2."

"But why wouldn't Minako let *me* come with her? We've always been a team!"

"I think she was worried about getting you and Artemis2 mixed up accidentally in the portal," Mamoru said, glancing at his watch. "But if we don't hear word soon, I'm going after them myself--plan or no plan..."

"No need for that," Artemis said, noting the sudden blinking of the red status light next to the portal. "They're coming through!"

A moment later, the gateway opened, and out stepped Usagi and Ami.

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi exclaimed, hugging and kissing her fiancé. "Oh, I've missed you!"

"I missed you too, sweetheart," Mamoru said, pausing to look up at Ami. "And how are you, Ami?"

"Just fine," Ami replied, smiling at both Mamoru and Artemis, then turning back to the portal as the remainder of her friends followed through in groups of two; Rei and Makoto came next, then Haruka and Michiru (with the infant Hoshi), then Setsuna and Hotaru, and last of all Minako with Luna.

"A baby?" Artemis said. "I don't remember you leaving with a baby..."

"Indeed," Mamoru said, looking closely at Hoshi in Michiru's arms. "And he looks just like Ami."

"He's my son," Ami replied, "from the future."

"Oh. Do you know...?"

"...who the father is? No."

"Pardon me for interrupting," Michiru said, "but we do need to think about what to do with Hoshi. He is a sweet child, but your mother might be surprised, Ami, if you show up at your home with a newborn baby."

"Oh my God!" Usagi said; "you're right! Dr. Mizuno would freak!"

Ami was keen to agree, and indeed she felt her knees go weak just imagining what her mother would say; she'd been so focused on getting back home that she hadn't even thought about what she would do with Hoshi when she got there.

Then--as Ami contemplated the horror of trying to explain her baby to her mother--the terror of a second horror overcame her; if it was now November 23 in this world--as indicated by the calendar on Mamoru's wall--she and Usagi must have missed a whole week of school!

Together with the problem of her baby, that was enough to make Ami's knees buckle and she fell to the floor in a heap.

"Oh my God, Ami-chan!" Usagi said, dropping to the floor next to Ami; "are you all right?"

"I was just thinking..." Ami said, now pale with shock, "we've missed a whole week of school! We'll be suspended for sure...!"

"Actually, you don't have to worry about that," Hotaru said. "Michiru and I have been impersonating you for the last week."

"You have...?" Usagi replied.

"They sure have," Haruka confirmed. "Although it wasn't easy. Hotaru had an especially hard time impersonating you, Odango-atama, since she isn't as good at failing tests as you are."

"Well, that's understandable..." Usagi started to say, before she realized she'd been insulted.

"Hey!"

Ami, for her part, was too shocked to comment; like a marionette with its strings cut, she collapsed against Usagi on the floor.

"Thanks, Michiru," Ami said. "But, why didn't you tell us before?"

"We didn't want to make you worry," Michiru replied, bringing forth a bottle for Hoshi, "in case we couldn't get back through the portal. But now you and Usagi can go back to being yourselves again."

"Oh great," Usagi muttered. "Back to school..."

"Actually," Minako noted, "tomorrow is a holiday--Labor Thanksgiving Day."

"Hey, that's right!" Usagi said, glancing at the calendar again. "Sweet!"

"That still leaves the problem of Hoshi, though," Setsuna noted. "He will need a home somewhere."

"I can't really ask you to look after him full-time," Ami said to Michiru, pushing herself back up to a seated position. "You've already done so much for us--and for me especially!"

"Oh, that's all right. It will be fun having another baby around the house."

"Actually," Setsuna said, "it might not be wise to keep him here in this time. Kuroiami disrupted the flow of history by abducting the infant Hoshi, so the only logical way to restore the flow of history is to take him back home--to the future."

"Can you *do* that?" Ami asked.

"I can. But you are his mother; I think it's your place to say where he should be."

Ami thought about that for a long moment, glancing around the room at the many friends now gathered around herself and Usagi. This week had been hellish in some ways--between being beaten to a pulp, imprisoned, shot at and tortured--but was it not worth it to realize how many friends she and Usagi had in their own world, who would work so hard to bring them home? To say nothing of keeping them out of trouble for cutting school for a week?

"I think Hoshi should go back to his real home," Ami said, finally. "But Setsuna, can I be the one to take him back there, and put him back where he belongs?"

Setsuna thought about that for a long moment, doubtless weighing in her mind the damage to history that might result if Ami met the future version of herself in Crystal Tokyo. But eventually she agreed with Ami.

"All right, Ami; I will open the Door of Time, but you will be the one to carry Hoshi through the doorway."

* * * * *

Since Ami was reluctant to carry Hoshi outside Mamoru's apartment building in the middle of the day (lest she invite awkward questions from anyone she might know), Setsuna agreed to open the Door of Time inside Mamoru's apartment. Ami and Setsuna both transformed into their Senshi forms, then Michiru handed Sailormercury the infant Hoshi to carry in her arms.

How strange, Sailormercury thought, looking down at Hoshi; it was just a week ago I first met you, and yet it seems like a lifetime...

"Are you ready, Mercury?" Sailorpluto asked.

"Hai."

"Then follow me," Sailorpluto said, using her staff to open the Door of Time. Pausing only a moment to look back at her friends, Sailormercury then followed Sailorpluto into the time portal...

...and emerged in Crystal Tokyo, 10 centuries in the future. The portal opened into a chamber with transparent crystal walls, and Sailormercury could see the gleaming towers of Crystal Tokyo through one of the exterior walls. A child's crib in the middle of the room commanded Sailormercury's immediate attention, though; it stood empty, though toys and blankets suggested the crib had been in use very recently.

*"Is this Hoshi's room?"* Sailormercury whispered.

*"In the Crystal Palace,"* Sailorpluto confirmed, *"yes. Princess Mercury just stepped out a moment ago to speak to her husband, and that was all the time it took for Kuroiami to steal her son."*

*"Kuroiami was *here*?"* Sailormercury asked.

*"Indeed, just a moment ago. But we have a moment before Princess Mercury returns; if you return Hoshi to his crib, she may not realize he was gone at all."*

Ami was boggled by this situation; even as she carried Hoshi to his crib and laid him down there, she found it incredible to realize how much had happened to Hoshi since he last laid in this crib. To Princess Mercury, only a moment had passed; but in the space of that moment, Hoshi had lived more than six years, fallen in love and even died twice.

*"Will Mercury see his clothes are different?"* Sailormercury asked Sailorpluto.

*"Yes, you should change him. And his diaper too, just in case."*

*"Do we have time for all that...?"* Sailormercury asked, pulling off Hoshi's bedshirt.

*"Yes, but hurry. His mother will return shortly."*

*"But I am his mother,"* Sailormercury said--pausing just long enough to locate Hoshi's future bedclothes and diapers--*"which reminds me, won't I remember having done this in the future? If I know Hoshi will be kidnapped, won't I change what I do to make sure Hoshi isn't abducted...?"*

*"Happily for the sake of the time-space continuum,"* Sailorpluto said, *"no. It may be hard to believe--since you've just lived through an amazing adventure--but your memories of the past will soon fade. By the time you are married and your son is born, this adventure will be only one of many vaguely remembered from a long-distant past...

*"Nor do you know what day this is, in the future which I have brought you to. Even if you do remember the danger that Hoshi is in, you can't watch him every minute of every day. Even if you don't plan to, this moment will come when Hoshi is unguarded and Kuroiami will spirit him away. It is not your fault, and it doesn't mean you're a bad person. It is simply your destiny."*

Sailormercury--who had been busy changing Hoshi--listened to all these words with curiosity. She knew it was not her place to pry into Sailorpluto's realm, but still she found it amazing to realize that all this would come to pass, even though--as a mother--she would never want her baby to be hurt.

But only less amazing was the corollary to Hoshi's very existence; in the future, Ami would be married!

*"I don't suppose you can tell me who this husband of mine will be...?"* Sailormercury asked Sailorpluto. *"I mean, just so I know not to tell him to get lost when I meet him..."*

*"I don't think you have to worry about that,"* Sailorpluto said, smiling slightly. *"He is someone you already know."*

"He is?" Sailormercury said--suddenly forgetting to whisper. "Who?"

"Someone who loves you," Sailorpluto replied, "that's all I can say."

Suddenly, the Senshi heard a sound--footsteps approaching down a nearby hallway.

*"We must away!"* Sailorpluto said, quickly reopening the Door of Time. *"The princess approaches!"*

Sailormercury hesitated; as she pulled back from Hoshi, Hoshi reached for her and started to cry.

"Hoshi..."

*"His mother is seconds away,"* Sailorpluto said, taking hold of Sailormercury's arm; *"trust me, Ami."*

Sailormercury bit her lip--reluctant to abandon her son--but she realized Sailorpluto was right; Sailormercury would have to let the future take care of itself.

"All right," Sailormercury said, pausing just long enough to snatch up Hoshi's old bedshirt and diaper before Sailorpluto pulled her into the Door of Time.

"Sayonara, musuko!" Sailormercury cried out, with tears in her eyes.

Then Sailormercury was gone, vanishing through the Door of Time just as Princess Mercury opened the door of her son's bedroom...

* * * * *

"I was only gone for a moment," Princess Mercury said, sweeping into the room in her long blue gown and scooping up Hoshi from his crib. "Did you miss me that much...?"

Hoshi stopped crying at once.

"You're probably poopy; it's been a while since I changed you..."

But curiously, Hoshi wasn't poopy. Nor was his shirt dirty, though Mercury remembered him spilling some food on himself (and his father) earlier in the day.

*"Oh my God..."* Mercury thought, suddenly feeling faint. *"Pluto was right...!"*

Thankfully for Mercury and Hoshi, Mercury's husband was just a step behind her in the hallway and ran forward to catch her as she swooned..

"Ami, are you all right?" he asked. "You look white as a sheet!"

"Yes, I'm all right," Mercury said. "I just had a little shock, that's all..."

"A shock? About Hoshi?"

"No, Hoshi's fine. I was just remembering something that just happened…a long time ago."

"What is it?"

Mercury thought about responding, but then she realized that her husband might not believe her even if she told him. That their baby had just been abducted from his own home, raised by the wicked ruler of an alternate universe, killed twice, brought back to life and then brought back to his own home by a younger version of herself? Even Mercury scarcely believed it, though the memories suddenly came flooding back to her of Kuroiami and that other world.

"It's nothing," Mercury said after a moment. "Just memories. Our baby's really very lucky…to be loved by so many people."

Mercury's husband gave her a curious look--then suddenly thought he guessed what was troubling Mercury.

"I know what's bothering you!" he said. "It's that last chess game with Serenity, isn't it?"

Mercury smiled, turning back toward the door with Hoshi in her arms.

"No," she said, "Serenity was bound to win a game sooner or later."

"Maybe so, but she could have been more diplomatic about it. Honestly, the way she carried on afterward--running around the palace hooting and hollering…that wasn't very nice."

Mercury laughed.

"That's all right. She worked hard for that win, and I'm glad she enjoyed it."

Mercury's husband embraced her.

"You're very special, Ami, you know that? I'm very lucky to have you."

"I don't know about that," Mercury replied. "I'm just glad I didn't tell you to get lost when you first asked me out."

"Was that your initial reaction to me?"

Mercury smiled.

"No, that's just the evil Ami in me talking."

Her husband looked at her curiously.

"Didn't you know I have an evil side?" she said. "Well, I suppose we all do...

"Anyway, why don't you get a bottle ready and I'll grab Hoshi's diaper bag. Then we can go to Her Majesty's chambers and see if she'll give me a rematch..."

THE END