As it was in birthdays past, Ami's kitchen is put to work preparing the bluenette's birthday cake. Post-Stars Arc. Mixed Manga/Anime canon. Written for Ami birthday 2022.
Rated: T - Friendship/Hurt/Comfort - Words: 3,274 - Ami M./Amy/Sailor Mercury, Usagi T./Serena/Bunny/Sailor Moon, Inner Senshi/Inner Scouts
A/N: This story is a gift for Jubbles and disaster_bi_jupiter.
This story is a sequel to 'Self-Sufficient. Ami Birthday 2021' so please read that before checking this fic out.
If you see text written like this it means the characters are literally speaking the English language in the story.
Also there is a portion of the story that uses monetary values and values to measure weight. I'm not entirely certain if the math there adds up lol. I basically used what would be believable in modern day England and then used a currency converter for Yen.
I would like to thank the following people who were pivotal in providing ideas, helping me to flesh this fic out and of course betaing it.
Jubbles
A_Reptile_Dysfunction
Heavenly_Pearl
Lin_Lamont
k8tj17
ReisPinkOveralls00
RiverLethe9
And SinJazz
You can find all their works on Ao3 and FFN under the same usernames and in some cases instagram too.
There was a small squeak as the tap was twisted open, followed by a loud yell as hands were shoved into the running water.
"AH! Hot, hot, hot!"
A second squeak emanated from the other tap.
"Argh! Cold, cold, cold!"
With a third squeak the sound of water intensified, accompanied by loud splashing.
The sound of splashing interrupted Ami as she looked up from her book. One of the blonde occupants of the lake was furiously throwing wave after wave at the others whilst the other blonde however was making her way out of the water, still ankle deep in sand and foam.
"Oh!" exclaimed Minako as she approached. The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.
"What was that?" Ami asked, utterly baffled.
"It's an English tongue twister," replied Minako, "I used it a lot when I was learning English with Alan and Katarina." Minako nodded towards the English language book in Ami's hands.
"Oh. I should make a note of that to help me practice later," Ami said, pulling her notepad closer and attempting to sound the words out phonetically as she wrote. The ran in span fell manly in the-
"Why don't I just teach it to you?" interrupted Minako, a slightly pained smile on her face. "Helping someone else learn English will probably keep me from getting rusty too."
A familiar icy tightness panged within Ami's chest.
"Thank you for the offer, Minako, but wouldn't it be more advantageous for you to study for your biology test?"
Minako waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about me. I feel hyper confident thanks to the amazing notes you leant me. Not that I needed much help on the sections about reproduction," she said with a wink.
Ami blushed slightly, before pressing on. "But then why not study something else?" She held up some cards and a small, rectangular device that were lying by her feet, "I have my flashcards and voice recorder." For the briefest instance, Ami's eyes glazed over, the chill returning to her chest. "I'm sure I'll be able to learn on my own."
"I know that," giggled Minako, "But it's a lot easier to learn a language when you actually use it to talk to someone. Didn't anyone tell you that in school?"
The cold clenched at Ami's heart once again. Although, the pain was ever so slightly less pronounced this time.
The faintest scent of burning began to fill the kitchen, followed by a small plume of smoke from the oven.
"No, no, no!"
Frantic steps carried her over to the oven where she began wildly adjusting the dials. A wave of heat emanated from the oven, swiftly followed by a larger, darker, plume of smoke.
As a beeping noise started up above the now sweltering kitchen, from within the smokescreen there was the sound of a latch being fiddled with.
"Come cough on, you cough stupid cough window!"
Coughing, sweltering, Ami knelt upon her bed and began fiddling with the window latch. It had been approximately two minutes and thirty-eight seconds since the rhythmic humming noise (accompanied by sporadic bangs and crashes) had started up outside her bedroom, so she felt confident that she wouldn't be overheard.
Typically, Ami would have no trouble with the stiff latch. However, her mental and physical strength had been rather compromised the past few days. Nevertheless, she still had enough sense about herself to keep her sleeve away from the potted salvias that stood upon the windowsill. Getting her nightgown dirty would likely reveal what she was trying to do and she really didn't need the lecture.
The latch began to steadily creak. Then Ami's thoughts were cut off as her sinuses throbbed, eliciting a low groan from her throat. The sensation was so horrible that Ami realised too late that the humming sound had stopped. And realised even later that her bedroom door was opening up.
"Hey, you okay? Sorry if the vacuum cleaner was making too much noi- Ami! Get away from there!"
Ami shrank, suddenly feeling five years old as she beheld Makoto's stern, reprimanding gaze.
"And just what do you think you are doing?"
"I was just..." Ami internally cursed her brain fog, "...sampling the scent from my flowers. I read that salvias can help clear your sinuses."
A second elapsed before Makoto uncrossed her arms. "Oh, well, then you go ahead."
In addition to her symptoms, Ami felt both relief and annoyance. Relief that Makoto had bought her story and annoyance that the Amazonian girl was crossing the room and bending over the plants herself.
"They are beautiful. But I didn't take you for someone with a green thumb."
Ami shrugged, the motion costing her some of her strength. "Having plants around is healthy and helps you to study."
Makoto gently reached out with an extended pinkie and touched the salvias. "They're so lush for this time of year. I presume you used your own custom fertiliser compound, right?
Ami's eyes widened. "How did you know that?"
Makoto shrugged. "I've been cleaning your place up. A fellow plant aficionado like myself is bound to piece things together. A few notes here, some potash there, a chemistry set with soil in it. Mind telling me your recipe when you get the chance?"
"Of course," replied Ami.
"Thanks, oh, and by the way..." Makoto reached her arm beyond the salvias. With what seemed to be the tiniest of pressure from her thumb, the latch clicked and the window opened up. "...if you want the window opened, you just need to ask." Mako smiled wryly.
A dull, familiar, icy sensation that had nothing to do with the flu hit Ami's chest.
"Mako, please, there's no need to trouble yourself over something so trivial. Or keeping my home tidy, for that matter. By my calculations, I'm eighty-eight percent recovered and will be back at school within forty-two hours." Ami's voice grew smaller and more mechanical. "I'm sure I can look after myself until then."
"I know that," said Makoto in a motherly voice, "But, by my calculations you could be back to one hundread percent in just twenty-four hours. That is, if you let us help you."
Then there was a loud CRASH from the next room.
"Oops," said an unseen voice.
"Of course, some of us might be more helpful than others," Makoto said red faced, before shooting out of the room.
As the door closed, Ami stared after Makoto, uncertain what to say or do when (or if) she continued their conversation.
A small cloud of flour filled the kitchen, eliciting a series of rapid fire sneezes.
Moments later, the process repeated itself, albeit with baking powder and a series of coughs.
When the coughing and sneezing fits relented, the kitchen countertop was blanketed in white powder.
Ami was so grateful for the warmth of the convenience store, she almost didn't want to conclude her shopping. Nevertheless, her basket fully laden, she checked her list for the final items and rounded the corner into the fresh produce aisle. As she entered, however, she spotted another girl with long raven black hair entering from the other end. The other girl wore a scowl as if the shelves of foodstuffs had personally offended her. The scowl softened however when she looked up and noticed she wasn't alone in the aisle.
"Oh, Ami!" exclaimed Rei, "I didn't expect to see you here today. I figured you'd be spending your Sunday studying."
Ami shrugged and switched her shopping basket from her left to her right hand. "Once every three weeks I get too busy to buy groceries during the week, so I come on Sundays instead."
"I usually shop during the week too," began Rei, "but during our last couple of meetings our 'mutual acquaintance' ate through most of my snacks. So I figured if I had to get more anyway, I might as well stock up on everything else. At least I'm set for instant curry for the coming week." She raised her left arm, emphasising the curry box and other foodstuffs within. "All I need now is some fruit for Grandpa."
"Oh, I need fruit as well."
In unison, the pair bent down in front of the assorted berries. Moments later, Ami picked out one of the medium sized blueberry punnets and put it in her own basket.
"Er, Ami?" Rei said, cocking her eyebrow.
"Yes, Rei?"
"You did see that these blueberries," she pointed to one of the larger punnets, "are half-price, right? You picked out the most expensive one."
"Oh, I know," Ami said nonchalantly. "But given the quantity of berries in the packet and the significant price reduction, I reasoned that the store must be invested in moving the product as quickly as possible. In observing the various punnets, I noticed that, whilst there are more berries, they are approximately 20% smaller than the other brands, and have a 5 to 1 average ratio of ripe to rotten berries per packet. By contrast, the brand I picked had an approximate 15 to 1 ratio and the nutritional information on the back indicated that it has maybe 10% less sugar and saturates too, which means it's both healthier and more conducive for concentration."
Rei's jaw was utterly agape.
After a few slow blinks, she closed her mouth, formed her lips into a thin line, and looked down at her own basket.
"Um...do you think you could help me pick out some strawberries?"
"Sure," Ami chirped.
The pair bent down again, Rei mostly just watching Ami in amazement.
"Well, this brand of strawberries are on special offer as well, three packets for the price of two. So you'd only pay ¥775.26 instead of ¥839.86, plus each berry seems to be pretty healthy."
Rei's eyes lit up.
"But," interjected Ami, causing Rei's face to fall, "each packet is only 150 grams, whereas this brand," Ami picked up another punnet, "is 600 grams at ¥807.56."
Rei stared blankly back at Ami.
"Put simply," Ami continued, "this second brand is more value for money, even with the special offer."
"Excellent," Rei said, taking the punnet from Ami. "Are you done yourself?"
"Yes, I am," nodded Ami.
"Alright, then let's go to the checkout before the line gets too long."
Ten minutes later, both girls were packing their shopping into plastic bags, Rei into three and Ami struggling with six.
"Here." Without another word, Rei took two of the bags Ami had finished packing.
"Oh, thank you but you really don't need to do that, Rei."
Rei cocked an eyebrow, a somewhat incredulous look on her face.
"I've done this plenty of times before. I know how to arrange the items in accordance with the tensile strength of the bags to distribute the weight more evenly to minimise discomfort."
Rei narrowed, then pointedly rolled her eyes before about-facing and marching out the store.
Ami, taken aback, followed her outside. "Rei, what are you doing? I told you I can carry the weight by myself!" Ami asked, slightly distressed, concerned that she'd upset the shrine maiden.
"I know."
"But then-"
"Jeez, Ami," Rei said somewhat sharply. "All those brains and you can't figure this out? Even the blonde bun-head gets this. Now, c'mon before the weather gets any worse."
For several moments, Ami stood quite still. Then, almost tentatively, she began to follow. And, as she caught up with Rei, she noticed something. She noticed how, despite the ice and snowy powder had blanketed Juban, no part of her, without or within, felt cold at all.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
"Oh, no, I don't believe this!"
Three utterly destroyed eggs oozed out across the countertop, not even a shard of shell inside the bowl they were supposed to be in.
"Why did I do this to myself!"
"From what little I could decipher when you barrelled in here, it was something about proving to the others that you could be self-sufficient," said Ami from the living room couch, giving away that she had only been pretending to read the whole time.
"Guess all I proved was that they were right. I should have just bought you a birthday cake like they told me to," sniffled Usagi.
"Not that I am ungrateful," began Ami, "But why didn't you guys just do that in the first place?"
Usagi shrugged. "We figured it would mean more if we made you a cake ourselves." Something distinctly not icy throbbed within Ami's chest. "But now," she took a despondent look around the kitchen, "I've ruined everything."
"Don't be silly," Ami said soothingly, trying not to observe the full carnage of the kitchen as she got up. "Look, you're about half-way through the instructions, it's still salvageable."
Usagi's eyes darted between Ami, the cookbook, the messy bowl on the countertop, and then Ami again.
"Well, if you say it's salvageable," Usagi gripped her own bicep and flexed, a fiery determination returning to her cerulean eyes, "then in the name of the Moon, I will bake this cake!"
Ami giggled as she crossed over into the kitchen, nonchalantly rolling up her sleeves and picking up another egg from the carton.
Usagi gasped. "Ami, no! I told you when I came in here, you just sit back and relax." Ami well remembered the cheery, yet irresistible forcefulness of 'Hurricane Usagi'. "I can handle this on my own. Really, I can!"
Ami locked eyes with Usagi, and, with a smile as gentle as the summer rain, said, "I know. But you don't have to do it alone."
For the most fleeting of moments, Usagi's eyes narrowed, as if trying to weigh up if Ami was being sincere or not. When the truth became apparent to her though, her features bounced back to their typical bunny-like cheer.
An hour later Ami beheld a misshapen, sugary lump covered in blue icing and over a dozen candles poking out of the confectionery at almost every angle.
"…Alright, I admit maybe I shouldn't have insisted that I handle the finishing touches. But I really, really, really promise you it won't taste… well… I mean… I'm pretty sure it'll be edible…" Usagi trailed off. Shoulders slumping, she looked up apologetically at Ami. "Look, Ami, I know today has been less than ideal, what with everyone catching the flu last minute. If it was up to me, Mako would've made a proper cake for you last night or I would've made it in Mama's germ-free kitchen. But I promise as soon as everyone is better we'll do something extra special."
Ami looked from Usagi's bright, earnest face, down to the deformed cake then over to the fridge. As usual, her father's picture postcard and her mother's equally annual apology note were affixed to the fridge door. This year, though, a third item joined them. An (admittedly amateurish) drawing of five girls arm in arm, one with blue hair right at the very centre.
"Usagi..." Ami looked back at her beloved bun-headed friend, then spoke somewhat softly, "today has already been extra special."
Without another word, Ami inhaled and silently formed a wish within her mind. She wished for the same thing she'd wished for every month, every week and every day for the past three years.
"I wish that my friends will never leave me."
As a comforting warmth and certainty gripped her chest, Ami blew out all seventeen candles.
A/N: So, as you can probably guess from this and 'Dinner with Daughter', all the Inner Senshi 2021 birthday fics are getting follow ups in 2022. I wrote the sequels immediately after the originals. That is to say, I wrote 'Dinner with Dad' and then immediately wrote 'Dinner with Daughter', and the same was true for Ami, Minako and Makoto's birthday fics. However, my original beta for this story advised I change up a few things for this story. Originally the flashbacks were honestly just anime episodes where Ami was hanging out with the gang, e.g. the lake episode from Stars, the study session in Mamoru's apartment in S and the end of the skiing episode in Classic. I put revising the story on the backburner for the better part of a year whilst I worked on other fics. By then when I decided to return to it I asked someone else for their view. They felt the fic didn't need to change the story up all that much, just add more introspection. Alas, the anal so and so that I am, the fic kept bothering me. But between a lot of sleepless nights (I sleep badly in the summer) I just couldn't figure out what to do or say to add more introspection and kept coming back to the idea that the problem was the flashbacks themselves. They said nothing beyond 'she isn't lonely anymore, isn't that nice'.
Then in speaking to someone else, they made the brilliant observation that the flashbacks should exhibit things Ami could do herself but is better with her friends. I.e. "Yo. idiot, maybe your sequel should actually explore the central theme of the story it is a follow up to! *smacks back of head*"
Talking with yet more people finally got me to the point where I selected the scenarios and worked out the structure for each of them. Which was harder than you might think because it had to be stuff Ami had been doing for herself before she had friends and could still do alone but benefits her friends and her friends in turn help her. See? I'm confused just explaining it!
Anyway, it proved a STRUGGLE to write, which is funny given how Ami is the most non-confrontational of the Senshi, but she seriously kicked my ass here lol.
Also just to let you know I am involved in a discord called 'Moonlight Legends' which is dedicated to sharing all sorts of Sailor Moon fanworks, including other fanfics. If you would like to join so you can share your own work, get help with your current projects or just connect to other fan creators shoot me a PM and I'll send you an invite. All are welcome!