Thanks to whomever reviewed the last chapter. I really need to finish this story, I've put off this epilogue way too long.
Last Time:
"No, I have nothing left to fight you with. For now. So go. But you just wait. A couple of months from now, I will skin you all alive. You've won the battle senshi, but not the war."
"We'll see about that," Mars said, as the group exited. Outside on the platform, Wufei, Heero, and Trowa ran to their Gundams, while the rest stood in a circle around the remaining pilots, Mamoru, and Mercury.
"What are they doing," asked Quatre.
"Once we teleport," Pluto said, "They're blowing the place."
"This wasn't a battle. It was the full war. And I am not dealing with this enemy a third time," Venus said.
"Ready?"
"Sailor Teleport!"
A minute after they teleported, three Gundams attacked the base full force, blowing it to bits, before flying down to Tokyo.
The black towers in Tokyo began to crackle with energy before shattering. The darkness began to lift, as the citizens of Tokyo saw the sun once again.
Chapter 16
"Be careful now," Uranus warned once the senshi re-appeared outside the temple. "Check her pulse, she's been un-responsive since she collapsed."
Behind them a smaller portal appeared, revealing Pluto and the other three pilots. "Moving through time has its advantages," Pluto said as she closed the portal. "You're never late."
"Hey everyone!" They turned to see it was Rini who shouted, looking excited and ready to pounce as she stood besides Sammy and Hotaru. Sammy looked more than relieved to see his sister alive.
"Do one last teleport- to the hospital," Mamoru said. "We're all injured. I'm going to drive Rini, Hotaru, and Sammy after checking out make sure Rei's grandfather is still asleep. I'll check myself in after."
"My mom is gonna kill me," Venus said, as the group held hands and kept the injured and those unable to telport in the middle.
"You," Sailor Moon said, before linking hands with Mars. "I'm fried!"
Duo stepped in the middle again, holding Ami and preparing for his head rush form the teleport.
"SAILOR TELEPORT!"
Duo saw blinding lights and suddenly had a headache. When he re-opened his eyes, they stood in a secluded part of the hospital parking lot.
"No one is looking right, everyone is still on lock down," Jupiter commented, looking from the closed curtains of the hospital to the deserted streets.
"Right," Moon said, "Go ahead and detransform."
Everyone did so, blinding the pilots once more, and Duo heard Pluto's voice from behind him.
"Duo, tap your fingers on the stone on Mercury's tiara."
He did so a couple of times, and half shielded his face as a light exploded from the tiara, fading and leaving a still unconscious Ami, who slumped down lower from his grasp.
All of the pilots couldn't help but notice how the senshi visibly weakened when this happened.
"Let's get Ami inside. Our story is- one of the youma attacks, like at the supermarket- and we were trapped in the building when the crystal tower came up and injured by the youma."
"Good one Sarah," Rei said, as she and Sarah exchanged smiles once they entered the doors, drawing the attention of people waiting and the woman at the reception desk.
She called for help immediately, and before Duo could utter a word, they were seperated.
The rest became a blur. A big blur.
Dr. Mizuno was banned from helping, since the case was personal. She had been screaming hysterically when they had finally restrained her.
They were all taken to seperate areas, split into rooms, examined, and thoroughly questioned.
Being the least injured, Duo was anxious for it to end, wanting to see where Ami was, how she was doing.
'She'll hate you. She doesn't know you were under their control. Even if they heal the stab wound and she survives, they'll see her butchered leg, and her head. Every injury was caused by you.'
Duo shook his head, his own thoughts haunting.
"You can go," a voice next to him said, but Duo didn't hear, lost in his own thoughts.
"Young man, you're free to go. You have nothing but a few scratches, we've patched you up. Maybe we should have checked him for head injuries," the nurse ended with, bringing Duo back to reality, who jumped of the cot quick as lightening, startling her.
"No no! Sorry, I'm fine! Thanks!" He ran out the door to his room, and began wandering the halls searching for his friends.
"Hey Duo," A voice from behind him said.
He turned around. Minako and Heero stood together. Minako was on crutches, and seemed to have been treated already, for a lot of injuries.
Heero stood next to her, his head wrapped as well as his shoulder.
"Wow, you guys got messed up way more than me," he joked.
Minako still seemed to have the strength to punch his arm. "You were lucky! No one fought you," she whispered fiercely, before laughing. "We're going down to the cafeteria, care to join us?"
Even though they were bandaged and feeling better, Duo could tell the two were still hurting and weakened from their injuries.
"Nah," he said. "I've- uh, got something I've gotta do."
"Suit yourself," Minako said, as the two turned and began to walk away.
"But they're not letting anyone in her room Maxwell," Heero said, reading Duo like a book as the two continued down the hallway.
"Yeah, not even her mom, and it's looking bad." Minako's voice cracked slightly at the end of her sentence and she tried to speed up, even on her crutches.
Duo stared after the two a moment, before running down the hallway.
"What's the hurry," someone called from a room had sped past. Slowing down, he saw it was Mamoru. He looked pretty bad, but he was smiling. Usagi was also pretty injured, and she was limping around the room, refusing to lie down as she gushed over Mamoru.
"Young lady, we've wrapped up your injuries as best as we could, but it won't help you to continue like this," a nurse said wearilly.
"Fine," Usagi said grumpilly, allowing the nurse to give her a chair as she took Mamoru's hand.
"I'm fine Usako," he said tiredly.
Stepping out of the room, he noticed Rini, Sammy, and Hotaru down the hall sitting on some chairs.
"You alright Duo," Rini asked unsurely.
"I'm fine," he said, giving a fake smile as he continued his search.
"I can't believe Minako went to eat without us! I told her we were hungry," he could hear Makoto saying a room down as she exited her room, limping. Trowa emerged, but he was pushing someone in a wheelchair. Sarah.
"Oh, hey Duo," Makoto greeted.
"Hi Duo," Sarah said. She looked better. Some color had returned to her cheeks.
"We're heading to the cafeteria, care to join us?" He turned back to Makoto.
"No thanks, I'm not so hungry."
"You will be," Makoto teased, as the group walked towards where Minako and Heero had, the elevator, Makoto linking arms with Trowa as he pushed Sarah's wheelchair.
"How's Ami," Sarah was asking as they moved.
In a room next door, Michiru and Haruka were talking in hushed voices. Haruka glanced up. Needless to say, he moved on.
Quatre, Setsuna, Wufei, and Rei were sitting talking in the next room. They were all seemingly treated. They waved, and he waved back apsently, ready to continue down the hall.
"Duo," Rei called. He turned back to the room.
"Ami's not on this floor, she's in the ICU."
"ICU?"
"Intensive care unit, that's why no one's allowed in the room."
"Not even her mom?"
"As a doctor, maybe. But only when she calms down, and she'll be wearing a mask on her face to prevent the spreading of germs." Duo turned to Setsuna.
"How long?"
"Time is out of my hands at this point Duo, I can reveal nothing nor do anything about the situation."
Duo slumped into a chair in the room.
"Suddenly I'm not feeling so good."
The next day, everyone checked out of the hospital. There was no longer a need to stay, and their families were worried.
"Time to face the music," Usagi and Sammy said in unision.
"We'll all take turns checking the hospital on Ami," Rei said, before turning back to Sarah.
"Where will you be staying?"
"She can stay with me," Makoto said. "I know you've got enough trouble at the temple anyways. Plus we can come visit Ami whenever we want, we certainly can't get grounded if there are no adults at home."
"Sure," Sarah said, looking taken aback by the kind offers.
"Pilots," Setsuna said, opening a portal and turning to them. "Before the week is done, I have to take you home." She stepped through and dissapeared.
Haruka and Michiru waved goodbye to everyone, taking Hotaru.
Everyone dispersed, the pilots heading home with Mamoru.
The next day, Usagi received a call from Ami's mother, now more calm and professional.
"Things have um...have worsened. We think it'll be her last night, so I thought it would be okay if her friends came and saw her. Maybe...I don't know, you could help. I know she loves you all very much, and I just thought, well I mean-" Usagi heard her mother begin to sob, before hanging up the phone.
As the dial tone was heard through the phone, Usagi dropped it, coming back to reality as the seriousness of Ami's condition finally set in.
She and the scouts were not untouchable.
There wasn't always a way to save everyone after a big battle and have a happy ending.
They were not invincible, and never would be.
Immediately, she called everyone else, and they rushed to the hospital.
When Usagi, Rini, and Sammy reached the top floor, the intensive care, they found the waiting room filled with Ami's friends. The room felt stuffy and the air was oppressive. Usagi suddenly felt like she had to leave.
"We can only send one or two at a time," the nurse was explaining to the group. "Her situation is very serious and we can't risk her worsening anymore than she has."
Mamoru approached her, and she kissed him on the cheek and took his hand. Her eyes wandered around the waiting room, watching her friends.
Wufei was standing behind Rei's chair, looking around the room. Rei had her arms crossed, looking upset but still strong. Makoto had her head in her hands, Trowa's arm around her shoulder. Minako was crying, and Heero sat next to her somewhat uncomfortably as he gazed at her. Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna sat quietly. Setsuna' shand was laced with Hotrau's, and Hotaru's face reflected pain, indicating that Setsuna was squeezing her hand very roughly. Her eyes traveled to Duo, who was sitting alone in the corner, his eyes downcast and his body shaking as the reality of what he had done finally set in.
"Quit your crying Mina, Ami will be fine," Rei finally decided to say, looking away.
Minako looked up at her. "How do you know?"
"She's faced worse, she has to be fine, she just has to," Rei said defiantly.
"What if she's not."
Everyone turned to look at Usagi, standing at the entrance, Mamoru by her side and Rini in his arms. Sammy stared at Usagi as if she had lost it.
"What?"
Usagi sniffed, before continuing.
"What if she's not fine? What if she doesn't make it?" A long silence took over the room, before someone finally spoke.
"Stay positive Usagi, and she will," Haruka said from next to Michiru. Usagi shook her head.
"No." She turned to the nurse, who stood silently waiting. "Send Duo in. Alone."
Duo looked up, and she realized he had actually been crying. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve, looking at Usagi with awe.
"Really?"
"Are you sure that's a good idea," Haruka started, before Usagi responded to her.
"Yes. I'm sure."
Her tone ended the conversation immediately, as Duo stood, and with heavy steps followed the nurse.
The room was at the far end of the hall, and the walk seemed unbearably long.
"Here." He glanced over at the nurse, looking lost in his own world. She was unnaffected, and placed a small white oval mask with two strings attatched in his hands.
"Put it over your nose and mouth, and place the strings behind your ears. You cannot enter without it."
He nodded, doing as he was told, and she opened the door and let him in.
Looking behind him, he noticed that she didn't enter and just walked away.
He turned from the doorway, towards the bed, where Ami lay. She wasn't moving, seemingly still unconscious and her arm was hooked up to a large machine. Next to her was a heart moniter, where it showed an irregular heartbeat.
She looked small and weak, and he was unsure of what to do now that he was in the room.
Approaching the bed, he knelt down next to it and took her hand. It felt cold.
Rubbing her hand slightly through his fingers, he spoke.
"The only thing I could think of the past two days, was that I never told you I love you. From the moment I realized what I had done I was prepared for this. I just never realized I would feel this cold. "
"Let's go check on your daughter Doctor Mizuno," a nurse commented. "That boy's been in their quite a while. Probably over an hour."
Dr. Mizuno nodded, not hiding her worry as she headed towards the ICU. The nurse flew open the door and gasped.
The young man was sleeping, his mask only partially on his face and his face on the bed.
"Contamination," the nurse complained, approaching Duo.
Dr. Mizuno however ignored that, her eyes traveling from where Duo's hand was laced through Ami's, to the fact that she was definately grasping his back, and finally to the moniter which was reflecting a normal heartbeat and more stable condition.
Ami opened her eyes, blinking to steady her vision before realizing she was in a hospital room.
"What happened?" She said the statement aloud, looking around.
"I stabbed you like the dumbass that I know I am."
She jumped, turning to her right, where Duo sat, a mask half on his face.
"Are we in the ICU?" He laughed and removed the mask.
"Not since yesterday night, when you finally stabilized."
"AMI!" She gasped when all of her friends came spilling into the room, some of them being restrained from leaping onto her. Duo stood immediately.
Her mother joined the crowd.
"Now now, she still needs a few days before she can handle all of you. Say goodbye everyone, you can come back to see her tomorrow. Visiting hours are over."
Everyone groaned, but said goodbye to Ami and headed out.
"You had everyone worried sick. I was practically tranquilized twice," her mother said with a laugh, sitting besides her.
"Sorry Mom," Ami said with a laugh.
"You know who else was worried? That young man. He sat by your bedside all of yesterday night, even after you'd stabilized."
Her mother patted her on the head and exited, leaving Ami to her thoughts.
She remembered now. Duo had stabbed her. But why? Had the medicine she and Sarah had given him been temporary? If so, how had they gotten him back to normal?
Since Ami was confused, she decided to sleep, and have someone tell her the whole story in the morning.
That morning, she was checked on, and doctor's were surprised to see how quickly she had healed.
"Wow. You can leave, just keep your whole waist and back wrapped a few days, and keep a patch on your forehead to avoid infection. Your leg should be fine now. This truly is amazing," a doctor mentioned to her and her mother.
"Alright then, let's go," her mother said to her energetically once Ami was dressed.
"Um...Dr. Mizuno." Her mother turned to glare at the intern whom was speaking to her.
"Our other doctors that do your rounds were attacked, remember? You're the only one in charge of the first 3 floors. Who will do your rounds if you go?"
"Oh my," her mother said, glancing at her.
"I can call a friend to pick me up Mom, don't worry," Ami said, heading over to her bag and pulling out her phone.
"What? I want to care for my daughter," her mother said, following.
"It's okay Mom," Ami said, turning to face her. "Your patients need you. They depend on you to be here. I'll be fine, I'll see you tonight." Her mother stared at her a moment, before nodding once, and kissing her forehead.
"Just make sure they drive carefully. You just left the hospital."
Mamoru slipped on his jacket as quietly as possible, however Duo and Trowa, who were watching TV, stopped him.
"Where are you going?" He glanced at Trowa.
"I'm meeting Usagi. I'll be back in an hour. Anything special you guys want to eat?" Everyone said no, and after waving goodbye to Quatre and nodding at Heero and Wufei, he left.
Climbing in his car, he hurried to the hospital, picking Usagi up along the way. Ami had called for a ride, but she had asked that he not bring anyone with him.
He figured she needed an explanation, which is exactly what he and Usagi provided before dropping Ami off at her apartment.
Then he headed home, grabbing pizza on the way for himself and the pilots.
At around 12:00 on Friday night, Duo was trying to get to sleep. It was his turn to sleep on the couch, and everyone else was spread out on cots in the guest rooms. He couldn't sleep though, because there was a tapping on his window every few seconds. Finally, curious as to what the sound was, he sat up and looked at the window.
Surprise, followed by joy, lit his eyes as he realized Ami was downstairs, small pebbles in hand and a grin on her face.
Duo threw on a shirt and rushed downstairs, trying not to wake the whole house in the process.
When he got down to the street, Ami was turned away from him, hands in pockets staring at nothing in particular as she waited. She turned at the sound of him arriving, her cheeks flushed slightly and a smile lighting her face. Duo didn't miss the wrapping on her head, and the remaining cuts that had yet to heal on her leg.
Seeing his smile fade slightly when he looked at her, Ami approached.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. Mamoru and Usagi told me everything this afternoon. I've just been trying to work up the courage to come and see you."
"Ami, I am so sorry," Duo said, ignoring her own statement of forgiveness and hugging her.
"I'm really alright. I can't feel anything anymore," she protested, and Duo couldn't resist raising her t-shirt slightly, Ami attempting to swat his hand down before he noticed her wrapped midsection and back. Tears immediately sprang to his eyes, and she sighed and shook her head.
"Stop it Duo. It's behind us now." She raised her hand to wipe a few stray tears from his cheeks that he had let fall.
He laughed.
"Now I'm acting like a girl. Just- can you ever forgive me?"
Ami smiled, and spoke. "Well, I'm here, aren't I?"
A smile washed over his features as the two leaned in to kiss one another, this time both of them wanting to.
After Duo had walked Ami home that night, he headed back to Mamoru's apartment with a spring in his step, not caring how late it was or who he was disturbing as he hummed, arriving at the apartment.
From the kitchen door, Mamoru stood hidden, smiling as Duo hopped onto the couch and fell asleep. Finally, there felt like peace.
That morning, while the pilots and Mamoru ate breakfast, a knock on the door was heard. Duo got up to get it, but once he realized who it was, tryed to shut it again.
Sestuna was quick though.
"Not so fast Duo," she said, catching the door and prancing in with a smile, "You knew this was coming."
"Hello Setsuna," Mamoru said. "Care to join us?"
"I think I shall," she said, taking a seat next to Quatre, who blushed slightly and passed her a plate.
"So," she said, never one to linger around a subject. "I have to take you home tomorrow."
There was a collective groan across the table, and she looked shocked.
"I thought you would be unhappy," she said, "but not this much, Don't you miss home?"
Another long silence fell over the table.
"Well, we were talking a few days ago," Quatre began.
"We have had a profound influence on our world and time," Trowa said.
"But- we're sick of being pilots, and preventors, and we kind of want to be normal," Duo said.
Sestuna looked at them, shcoked.
"And what will be do, Duo? To be normal?" They looked to Wufei, who said this rather angrilly.
"We can go to college. Get a degree. Get good jobs. Finally start to enjoy ourselves," Duo argued.
All looked at Heero, waiting for him to speak.
He gave a detesting sigh, before beginning.
"Would it be possible for the pilots to retire- permanantly- very far away?"
A collecting understanding passed through the table.
Setsuna stopped, eyeing them carefully.
"Possibly. I have to ask."
She was smiling, as if she had been waiting for one of them to say this.
"However, you would still have to go back to your world, once a month, to show everyone you're alive. The papers would say that the famed ex-pilots and preventors were retired in an unknown location. You would just go back immediately before to organize your private affairs."
They all looked to Setsuna.
"You've thought about his," Mamoru said with a laugh.
"A bit. For now, let's finish breakfast."
The next day, Setsuna arrived with a positive answer. They left with her immediately, hoping to surprise the scouts.
"What is this? The pilots called a scout meeting at my shrine," Rei was sayign as she brought in tea. The senshi all sat around the table, looking confused. Sarah and Mamoru were aslo there, keeping quiet.
"Maybe they're leaving," Makoto said sadly. Everyone shrugged, now depressed.
"Aww, why the long faces?" They looked to the door, where the pilots stood with Setsuna.
"We thought you guys were gone. We haven't heard anythign in three days," Minako said, revealing her worry.
"You won't have to worry about that any more," Quatre said.
"What?"
The pilots explained everything, including the new apartment they were living in, the part-time jobs they were applying for, and the colleges in Tokyo they would be attending.
"This is- amazing," Rei said, gettign to her feet and hugging Wufei, who hugged her back without protesting. Heero sat next to Minako, who took his hand. Makoto and Trowa headed outside, and Quatre sat next to Sarah and Setsuna, talking more now. Usagi and Mamoru smiled as they surveyed the room, watching Haruka's glare go down a notch as she eyes teh pilots, Michiru's hand resting on her shoulder.
Ami and Duo shared a look, before both broke out into a laugh, the ease of the situation filling the room with a peace like the temple had not had in years.
Again, sorry I took SO LONG to update. I know I'm bad.