Chapter Three
Rule Eight
"We're here girls." Mercury informed with a smile as everyone appeared at the top of the shrine steps.
"Yay, grammy and gramppy!" The puffs yelled as they all flew through the he shrine doors and towards the main house.
"Wait for us girls!" Mercury yelled as she and everyone else ran after the puffs.
"Grammy! Gramppy!" The girls cheered as they soared into the house and straight into Saeko and Hiroto's arms.
"Girls! Oh I'm so happy to see you all again! How are my favorite grand babies?" Saeko asked with a smile as she and Hiroto hugged the puffs.
"Okay." Blossom quietly answered as she snuggled with Saeko.
"Just okay? Is something wrong girls?" Hiroto asked with a small frown as he looked at Bubbles and Buttercup.
"That big mean monster destroyed our home, and Ami mommy said that daddy's dead!" Bubbles cried as she buried her face in Hiroto's chest.
"What?! Oh my god, is that true Ami? Is the professor really..." Saeko started asking as she looked at Ami, until Ami cut her off.
"I'm afraid so mom, everyone's gone; everyone but them and Maylyn." Mercury quietly answered with a few tears.
"I...I don't even know what to say. I'm so sorry girls, I'm so sorry." Saeko quietly said as she hugged Blossom.
"I'm sorry to sound so callous a the situation, but we need to get going. Did you all pack up?" Sailor Moon asked as she looked at everyone in the room.
"Yes, we're all packed and ready Usagi." Ikuko quietly answered with a straight face.
"Everyone outside then, we don't have a lot of time." Sailor Moon instructed as she started walking towards the back yard. Everyone quietly followed Sailor Moon out the back doors into the yard. "Gather around people, let's go, nice and close." Sailor Moon ordered as she waited for everyone to group together.
"What's going on sis?" Shingo asked as he looked at Sailor Moon.
"We're going somewhere safe. Luna, Artemis, Diana, get over here!" Sailor Moon ordered as she stared at the cats.
"Yes princess." Luna replied as she, Artemis, and Diana ran over to the group.
"Is everyone here?" Sailor Moon asked as she took one last look at the group.
"We sure are Usagi, now ya mind telling us what's going on?" Sarah asked as she looked back at Sailor Moon.
"I'll show you." Sailor Moon replied as she and the other guardians held hands. "Sailor teleport!" They all called out, vanishing just seconds later. With a bright flash they were in the middle of Sarah's yard, all the way in Texas.
"What the heck, we's all at my house! Why are we all here Usagi?" Sarah asked as she looked behind her at Sailor Moon.
"B-because it's...safer...here." Sailor Moon answered as she sat down on the ground, breathing heavily.
"Are you alright Usagi?" Naru asked as she knelt down by Sailor Moon.
"I've used...too much energy...in too short...a time. I fought...Aku before...coming to get...all of you." Sailor Moon wheezed as she laid face up in the grass.
"You fought with Aku?" Naru asked in a shocked tone as she gently took Sailor Moon's hand in her own.
"He...attacked the ship, and I...wasn't gonna let him...kill more innocent people." Sailor Moon replied as she slowly started to catch her breath.
"HEY! Who the hell's out there?! Y'all best get off this here property er I'ma come out blasting!" Jud shouted as he stepped out of the house with a shotgun in his hands.
"Fuzzy's alive!" Blossom yelled with joy as she started flying towards Jud.
"That's not Fuzzy Lumpkins Blossom, that's Sarah's dad! His name's Jud!" Mercury yelled as she watched Blossom fly towards Jud.
"Hold it right there ya flying vermin!" Jud shouted as he aimed his gun at Blossom.
"Don't you dare point that gun at my daughter! I don't care if you are Sarah's dad, I'll kick your ass if you don't put it down!" Mercury shouted as she ran over to Blossom and grabbed her.
"Ami? Hell, ya could've said somthang sooner ya know! What's going on here, are y'all okay?" Jud asked as he lowered his gun.
"No pa, we needs a place ta stay fer a bit apparently. Ami was light on details, but she don't want us staying in Japan right now." Sarah explained as she and everyone else walked over to Jud.
"None of them do." Naru added in a sad tone.
"It's Aku, ain't it?" Jud asked as he leaned his shotgun against the door.
"Ya've heard." Sarah quietly said as she looked at her dad.
"Yeah, yer ma and I wanted ta call ya and tell ya ta come home. But then we realized that the safest place ya could be was with yer friends, the Sailor Guardians. So we just prayed fer the best, and here ya are, all of yas. I'm glad ta have ya home sweetheart, why don't y'all come inside." Jud offered as he gestured everyone inside.
"I wish we could sir, but we have to get back to the Roosevelt. We just wanted our families to be somewhere safe." Sailor Moon quietly said as she looked back at everyone, who all nodded in agreement.
"Y'all are stationed on a battle ship?" Jud asked with a surprised expression.
"Yeah, we're with the N.C.I.S team, you probably remember Mr. Gibbs and the others." Sailor Moon explained with a sad expression.
"I do." Jud quietly answered as he stared at everyone. "Come on in folks, make yerselves at home." Jud said with a smile as he waved everyone inside. Everyone slowly and silently followed Jud into the house. "Y'all can just put yer bags in the guest room like ya did last time. There's coffee in the pot and food in the fridge and cabinets if any of yas need er want." Jud informed as he sat down on a chair.
"Oh my, who are theses adorable little gals? Hello there ya little cuties." Emily giggled as she stared at the Powerpuff Girls.
"Hi ma'am. I'm blossom, and these are my sisters Bubbles and Buttercup." Blossom introduced herself and sisters with a smile.
"Hi." Bubbles and Buttercup quietly said with a small wave.
"Y'all sound sad. Ya can't be sad in Texas sugar, it's against the rules." Emily giggled as she sat down next to Jud.
"We can't help it, you'd be sad to if you were us." Blossom quietly said with a sniffle as she sat down on the floor.
"What's wrong little lady?" Jud asked with a straight face as he stared at Blossom.
"I don't wanna talk about it." Blossom replied as she laid down and curled into a ball.
"Come on honey, talking will make ya feel better." Emily said with a smile as she looked down at Blossom.
"I said I don't wanna talk about it, now leave me alone." Blossom replied with a sniffle as she pulled her knees closer to her chest.
"Leave her be, they's been through a lot." Sarah quietly said as she looked down at Blossom.
"What about you two, either of yas wanna talk about why yer sis is so upset?" Jud asked as he looked at Bubbles and Buttercup.
"No." Buttercup quietly cried as she sat down on the couch next to Emily.
"We miss our daddy." Bubbles quietly cried as she floated over to Emily and sat in her lap.
"Why don't ya go and see him then, y'all can fly? I'm sure ya can get ta wherever he is pertty quickly." Emily asked with a small frown as she put an arm around Bubbles.
"We can't fly to the afterlife." Blossom quietly said with a few tears.
"The afterlife? Wait, ya mean that yer pa is... Oh you poor thangs, I'm so sorry fer yer loss girls." Emily quietly said as she gently hugged the puffs.
"We lost everyone! Our daddy, the mayor, Ms. Bellum, our teacher! Everyone's dead!" Buttercup shouted as she burst into tears.
"I want my daddy back!" Bubbles shouted as she buried her face in Emily's chest and clung to her.
"I hate you Aku! I hate you!" Buttercup sobbed as she held onto Emily.
"Aku?" Jud asked as he stared at the puffs.
"Yeah, that monster is the one who killed our daddy! We couldn't stop him, we tried! We really tried to, but he beat us with almost no effort at all, we were completely powerless against him. Now everyone's gone." Blossom explained with a sniffle.
"It'll be okay girls, we'll stop Aku no matter what it takes. He'll pay for what he did to the professor, his sins will not go unpunished." Ami quietly said as she picked all three puffs up and hugged them as tight as she could. "I need you girls to listen to me though, I have to go back to that big boat we were on with Mako mommy and your aunties, but you're gonna stay here with everyone else. You'll all be safe here, and I'll be back as soon as I can. Mommy loves you girls very much, and she's gonna miss you when she's gone, but she has to go beat up the bad guy. Be good girls, we'll be back eventually." Mercury quietly said with a smile and a few tears as she set the puffs in Emily's lap.
"Bye bye Ami mommy." All three puffs quietly cried as they cuddled with Emily.
"Please take care of them for me mom, take care of my babies." Mercury cried as she hugged her mother.
"We will Ami, we promise." Saeko replied as she and Hiroto hugged Mercury.
"Are we ready?" Sailor Moon asked as she looked at the rest of the guardians.
"Yes princess." They all replied as they walked over to Sailor Moon.
"Alright, then let's go." Sailor Moon quietly said as she lead everyone outside.
"Goodbye girls, we'll be back as soon as we can." Jupiter quietly said as she hugged the puffs goodbye.
"Bye bye Mako mommy." All three puffs replied as they hugged Jupiter back.
"Goodbye Mako, be safe out there." Saeko said with a sad smile as she held her arms out to Jupiter.
"I'll try my best mama Mizuno." Jupiter replied with a small smile as she hugged Saeko and Hiroto.
"Take care Mako, we'll be waiting for all of you to return." Hiroto quietly said as he hugged Jupiter.
"Thanks papa Mizuno." Jupiter quietly said as she let go of Saeko and Hiroto.
"Come on Mako!" Sailor Moon shouted from outside.
"Take care of the girls for us please, we love you guys!" Jupiter yelled as she ran outside and grabbed Mercury's hand.
"Ready sis?" Europa asked as she held her hand out to Jupiter.
"Yeah" Jupiter answered as she grabbed Europa's offered hand. "Let's do this." Jupiter quietly said as she looked towards the sky. "Sailor teleport!" Everyone shouted in unison. With a flash of light the guardians were gone.
"Good luck everyone, be safe." Naru quietly said with a smile as she looked towards the sky.
Back on the ship it was complete chaos, and everyone was wondering the same thing. "Where the hell are your guardians Gibbs?! We're taking heavy losses!" The admiral yelled over the chaos unfolding around him.
"If I knew don't you think I would've called them!" Gibbs shouted as he smacked another magazine into his gun.
"Sir, the main gun's offline! We're sitting ducks out here, what are your orders?!" A sailor yelled as she stumbled onto the bridge.
"We need to retreat, full throttle! Get us the hell outta here!" The admiral ordered in a slightly panicked tone.
"No go sir, the engines are FUBAR!" A woman shouted from a nearby seat.
"Orders sir?!" The sailor yelled again as she stood in front of the admiral.
"I don't know! I've got nothing! I'm sorry if that's not the answer you were looking for but it's the truth! We have no defense against this creature, no way of retreat, we're done for! Make peace with that soldier, we are going to die here today!" The admiral shouted as he shook his head in sorrow. "May our lord forgive our sins and welcome us into his kingdom." The admiral quietly said as he hung his head in absolute defeat.
"Damn it man, pull your head out of your ass! You're a sailor for gods sake, if we're gonna die then we're gonna do it fighting! Not on our asses with our heads hung in despair!" Gibbs shouted as he glared at the admiral.
"Incoming! Brace for impact!" A man shouted as he held onto his counsel.
"Ha ha! It's like squashing ants, you are no match for the all inspiring might of the great and powerful Aku!" Aku shouted as he slammed his hand on the deck, crushing soldiers and equipment alike.
"We've got a hull breach in section twelve! We're taking on water!" A man shouted as he stared at a screen with a flashing red exclamation point.
"All non essential personal abandon ship! I repeat, all non essential personal abandon ship!" Gibbs ordered as he looked over at the man on the counsel.
"Yes sir!" The man replied as he pushed a button and leaned in towards a microphone. "Attention! Attention! We are going under, all non essential personal abandon ship! I say again, all non essential personal are to abandon ship!" The man ordered into the microphone.
"Where the hell are you going Gibbs?!" The admiral yelled as he watched Gibbs run towards the exit.
"To get my team!" Gibbs answered as he disappeared around the corner.
"Gibbs, thank god! We didn't know where you were and we thought that maybe..." McGee started rambling as Gibbs nearly ran past him.
"Where are Abby and the others?" Gibbs asked as he stopped and stared at McGee.
"Tony and Ziva are on the flight deck fighting, everyone else is in the med bay." McGee answered with a shaky breath.
"Get back to Ziva and Tony, I'll get the others!" Gibbs ordered as he ran towards the med bay.
"Oh god! Is this it, are we gonna die?!" Palmer yelled as he clung to a table for stability.
"Perhaps Mr. Palmer, but take solace in the fact that we are not dying without a fight!" Ducky yelled back as he held onto the same table.
"You're not dying at all! Let's go, follow me!" Gibbs yelled as he ran into the room.
"Gibbs!" Abby shouted as she stumbled over to Gibbs and hugged him.
"It's okay Abs, it's okay. I'm here, I'm not gonna let anything happen to any of you." Gibbs quietly said as he hugged Abby.
"I'm scared Gibbs." Abby cried as she clung to Gibbs.
"It's okay Abby, you're all gonna be okay." Gibbs quietly said as he gently rocked Abby. "Now come on, we need to go." Gibbs instructed as he took Abby's hand and started leading her towards the flight deck.
"Come Mr. Palmer, hope never dies so long as Leroy Jethro Gibbs lives." Ducky instructed as he quickly followed Gibbs.
"It's on life support though." Palmer replied as he ran after Ducky.
"Better it than us!" Gibbs yelled back as he lead everyone to the flight deck.
"AH!" A sailor screamed just as she was crushed by Aku.
"Don't look, just keep moving!" Gibbs ordered as he dragged Abby towards a helicopter.
"Gibbs!" Tony shouted as he looked over at Gibbs.
"Come on DiNozzo, you're not dying here!" Gibbs shouted as he waved Tony over to him.
"Come on you two, let's go!" Tony shouted as he gave Ziva and McGee a pat on their shoulders.
"Where?!" McGee asked as he and Ziva looked at Tony.
"Over there by Gibbs!" Tony answered as he pointed at Gibbs and the others.
"Don't have to tell me twice!" McGee replied as he ran with Tony and Ziva towards Gibbs.
"Where do you think you're going?! We're not done having fun yet!" Aku laughed as he watched the three of them run towards Gibbs.
"Oh we're just getting started!" Someone shouted from behind Aku.
"They made it." Abby said with a smile as she stared in the direction of Aku.
"Who dares to speak to the all mighty Aku in such a tone?" Aku asked as he slowly turned around.
"The crazy lady who shot you full of feathers!" Sailor Moon answered as she flew up to Aku's eye level.
"You won't be so lucky this time you pathetic little girl! For I have prepared for..." Aku started saying, until Sailor Moon flung several feathers at Aku. "Ye ow!" Aku yelled as the feathers pierced his body, disintegrating the parts of him they impacted.
"Have some more! Angelic feather barrage!" Sailor Moon shouted as she launched dozens of feathers at Aku, but he was prepared for the attack.
"Fool!" Aku yelled with a wicked grin as he used a telekinetic ability to rip part of the deck up and use it as a shield. "You see, I told you I was prepared! Now you will die!" Aku shouted with a laugh as he threw the deck chunk at Sailor Moon, knocking her out of the sky and sending her dive bombing to the deck.
"Usagi!" Mars screamed in horror as she watched Sailor Moon plow head first into the deck like a missile.
"Ha ha! Not so tough now you pesky bug!" Aku shouted as he laughed at Sailor Moon's unconscious form.
"Go Rei, I'll distract him while you grab Usagi!" Venus yelled as she looked over at Mars before summoning her love me chain. "Hey you! Yeah you, you ugly blob! I'm talking to you Aku!" Venus shouted as she smacked her chain on the deck a few times.
"Who dares to speak to Aku like that, did you learn nothing from your friend's lack of respect?!" Aku shouted as he turned towards Venus.
"Sure I did! I learned that you're a damn monster and that someone needs to put you down!" Venus shouted back with a rageful expression.
"Come on Usagi, I've got you." Mars quietly said as she threw Sailor Moon over her shoulders and started carrying her away.
"You insolent fool, speaking to Aku in such a tone will get you killed!" Aku shouted as he glared at Venus.
"Come and get me you ugly prick!" Venus shouted as she took a fighting stance.
"DIE!" Aku screamed in anger as he fired his eye beams at Venus.
"MINAKO!" Mars screamed in horror as she watched the beams soar at Venus.
"Return to sender Aku!" Mercury shouted as she formed a crescent shaped ice tube in front of Venus. The beams entered the tube and looped around before being fired back at Aku's face.
"Holly shit Ami! How did you do that?! Thank god for you!" Mars yelled with a shocked expression as she stared at Mercury.
"Give us some credit Rei, you didn't think I'd do something as stupid as taunting a monster of that caliber without a plan did you? Who do you think I am, I'm the leader!" Venus yelled with a big smirk.
"That should buy us a moment or two, let's get out of here!" Mercury yelled as she ran over to Abby and the others.
"I hope we can sailor teleport with this many people, especially since Usagi's out of commission." Jupiter said as she looked over at Sailor Moon.
"All of you, hold hands and brace yourselves!" Europa instructed as she held a hand out to Ducky.
"Hurry up, he's already regenerating!" Mercury informed as she watched the part of Aku that had been hit by the beam start to heal.
"Let's go! Sailor teleport!" Sailor Moon yelled as she closed her eyes. Nothing happened, everyone just stood there in the same spot. "Come on, sailor teleport!" Sailor Moon shouted again as she looked towards the sky.
"Why isn't it working? Why can't we teleport?!" Jupiter yelled as she looked at everyone around her.
"We don't have the energy necessary to transport this many people! We're too spent!" Mercury informed as she looked over at Sailor Moon.
"How many people can you transport?" Gibbs asked as he looked at Mercury.
"I-I don't know! In theory we should each be able to transport a minimal of one person, even at the brink of de-transforming due to energy loss!" Mercury informed with a panicked expression.
"How many of you are there, six?" Gibbs asked as he looked at the guardians.
"Yes." Mercury answered as she looked around at everyone.
"But there are eight of us, you don't have it in you to save us all." Gibbs quietly said as he looked at everyone.
"We have to try." Sailor Moon said with a breath as she stared at Gibbs.
"No. The longer you wait the more energy you'll loose. You need to go." Gibbs quietly said as he let go of Abby and Ziva's hands.
"No Gibbs, you can't stay! I'll stay, you get out of here!" McGee yelled as he stared at Gibbs.
"You have a family Tim, you all do. I don't have a family here, they're up there. It's okay Tim, you need to go." Gibbs instructed as he pulled his colt out of his holster.
"But boss..." McGee quietly said as he stared at Gibbs.
"That's an order, to all of you! It's my last one, let me go. It's time for me to go home Tim, home to Kelly and Shannon." Gibbs quietly said as he loaded a new magazine into his gun and chambered a round.
"Gibbs." Abby cried as she looked at Gibbs.
"Get out of here, all of you! That's an order!" Gibbs shouted as he looked at Sailor Moon.
"There's still one person too many though." Ziva quietly said as she started to let go of Tony's hand.
"No there isn't." Maylyn quietly said as she started coughing up blood.
"Maylyn." Mercury quietly said as she stared at Maylyn.
"I didn't realize she had internal injuries like this." Ducky quietly said as Maylyn fell to the deck.
"It's alright, I'm going to play at...the big rink in the sky." Maylyn chuckled as she spat out a ton of blood. "Take care...Aimlyn." Maylyn said with a smile just before she fell to the deck dead.
"Oh my god, I can't believe what I just saw. Maylyn." Mercury cried as she stared at Maylyn's body.
"We need to go Ami, we need to go." Sailor Moon instructed as she pulled Mercury closer.
"I don't think so! No one leaves alive!" Aku shouted as he started reaching for Sailor Moon and the others. A gun shot echoed over the deck, and smoke rose from Gibb's barrel.
"Not on your life! You want them then you deal with me first!" Gibbs shouted as he stared up at Aku.
"You are brave old man, but stupid!" Aku shouted as he grabbed Gibbs and lifted him to eye level.
"I may be old, but I've still got fight in me." Gibbs said as he pointed his gun at Aku's eye. "Semper Fi." Gibbs said with a grin as he fired his gun, hitting Aku directly in the eye.
"AH! Stupid old man!" Aku shouted as he crushed Gibbs.
"GIBBS!" Abby screamed in sorrow as she watched Gibbs die.
"We have to go! Sailor teleport!" Sailor Moon yelled as Aku started reaching for them. They were all gone in a flash, leaving their fallen hero and friends to go down with the ship. Moments later everyone appeared outside Sarah's house with a flash.
"Oh my god! I can't believe what I just saw, Gibbs is gone! He's dead! Gibbs!" Abby cried as she paced around in a flustered panic.
"I never-I never thought that Gibbs would...It should've been me." Tony cried as he shook his head in disbelief of what had just happened.
"No, it should've been me. I don't have anyone either other than all of you, I should've been the one to stay behind. I can't believe Gibbs is gone." Ziva quietly spoke as she collapsed to the ground crying.
"I never thought that anyone or thing could beat Gibbs, I can't believe he's gone." Ducky quietly said with a sniffle.
"Why didn't you save him Ami?! Why'd you all leave him behind?! I thought you were guardians, protectors?! Why didn't you save Gibbs?!" Abby screamed as she stared at Mercury and the others.
"I'm sorry Abby, I wish we could've done more. We did everything we could, but Aku's just too powerful for us. I'm sorry we let you all down." Mercury cried as she held her arms out to Abby.
"You were my hero! I believed in you Ami, I thought you always saved the day! But you guys let Gibbs die, you let him die!" Abby screamed as she rose her hand to Mercury.
"You're not the only one Abby! Maylyn died right in front of me! We all lost someone important to us!" Mercury screamed as she grabbed Abby's hand mid swing.
"I hate you Ami, you left Gibbs to die!" Abby she tried to hit Mercury with her other hand.
"That's enough Abby!" Tony shouted as he grabbed Abby's hand and pulled her into a hug. "I know how much Gibbs meant to you, I know he was like a father to you, but he wouldn't want this. He wouldn't want you to blame the guardians, they did all they could. Look at them, they lost one of their friends and they can hardly stand, they gave it everything they had. I'm sorry Abby, I know how close you and Gibbs were." Tony quietly said as he gently rubbed Abby's back.
"He was the only family I had left, the closets thing to a father I had." Abby cried as she clung to Tony.
"What do we do now Usagi? Aku's so much stronger than we realized, not to mention that he's adapting to your attack, the only thing that could harm him." Venus asked as she paced back and forth. Sailor Moon only sat in the dirt, gasping for breath.
"Hey, are you listen Usagi?! We're out of options here! Aku's unbeatable, we failed! The least you can do is say something, for gods sake your our leader! Give us some direction here princess!" Mars yelled as she looked down at Sailor Moon.
"What...what do you...want me to...say Rei? That..." Sailor Moon stopped as she twisted to the side and leaned her head down.
"Usagi?" Mars asked with some concern as she stared at Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon's answer came in the form of a violent spell of vomit and a few pained gasps.
"AH! Oh my god, that hurt so bad!" Sailor Moon cried as she began coughing.
"Kaede!" Mars shouted as she looked over at Europa.
"I'm checking, stand aside Rei." Europa ordered as she activated her visor and scanned Sailor Moon. "Oh Usagi, you over did it. You used too much energy, you were starting to draw energy from your own life force. You need to rest, someone help me get her inside." Europa instructed as she deactivated her visor.
"I've got her." Tony informed as he carefully picked Sailor Moon up.
"Come on, let's get inside." Mercury quietly said as she started leading everyone else towards the house.
"Mr. Blouse!" Chibiusa yelled as she stared out one of the windows.
"Yeah?!" Jud shouted back as he sipped on a soda.
"There're people outside, but it's too dark to tell who they are!" Chibiusa informed as she continued to watch the silhouetted figures approach the house.
"We'll check it out." Blossom informed with a stern expression as she and her sister floated over to the door and opened it. "Who's out there?! You wanna a piece of us you creepers?!" Blossom yelled as she glared at the figures.
"If that's you Aku we're gonna make you pay for what you did to our daddy!" Buttercup shouted as she prepared to fight.
"It's us Buttercup! One of you come and get Usagi please, she's in bad shape!" Mercury instructed as she stepped into a better lit area.
"What do you mean Ami mommy?" Bubbles asked as she zipped out the door and up to Mercury.
"She's sick, she used too much energy. Please take her inside and lay her on the couch, but be careful with her." Mercury explained as she gently took Sailor Moon from Tony.
"Okay Ami mommy." Bubbles replied as she carefully took Sailor Moon from Mercury, then flew her inside and laid her on the couch.
"What happened to her Ami?" Saeko asked as everyone slowly walked through the door.
"She used too much energy, she started drawing power from her life force." Mercury answered as she let down her transformation.
"What happened after y'all went back ta the ship?" Jud asked as he looked at Sailor Moon.
"It was chaos, Aku was in the process of attacking the ship when we arrived. It was a blood bath, the people we have with us are the only survivors." Jupiter explained as she let down her transformation, then collapsed onto the floor.
"We need to call Vance and bring him up to speed." Tony quietly said as he pulled out his phone and held down a button.
"He's unbeatable, Aku's a monster." Abby cried as she slumped down to the floor. "Oh Gibbs. I always thought... I should've listened to you more, remembered rule eight. I should've said more to you, told you how much you meant to me!" Abby cried as she pulled her knees closer to her chest and rested her head on them.
"Never take anything for granted. We all should've listened closer to that rule, but I always thought that Gibbs would never be killed, I never thought anything could stop him. He was like Super Man, even the worst of people and situations couldn't stop or break him." McGee quietly cried as he slowly sat down by Abby.
"What are we gonna do now Tony, what happens next?" Ziva asked in a sad tone as she looked at Tony.
"We do what Gibbs wanted us to do, we survive." Tony answered as he put an arm around Ziva's shoulders.
"How? It's only a matter of time before Aku strikes again, and God only knows where that'll be." McGee replied with sorrow as he stared at Tony.
"He could strike anywhere in the world, I've never seen anything like it before. He just appears out of nowhere, for all we know he could show up here and finish us off at any moment." Palmer quietly said as he sat down. "It's hopeless, there's nothing we can do to stop him." Palmer quietly said in a frustrated tone.
"That's not gonna happen. We need to get in touch with your boss, what was his name again? Vincent or Vance, something like that. We need to speak to him, tell him what happened. We're not giving up, not after Gibbs's sacrifice, we owe it to him to bury Aku. I may not be a member of NCIS, but I still consider all of you my team and family, and I never abandon my family. So we're gonna do what Mr. Gibbs would want us to do, and we're gonna end Aku's terror and protect this world; or we're gonna die trying." Sailor Moon calmly said as she slowly sat up from the couch.
"You've gotta hand it to the girl, she knows how to make a speech." McGee said with a light chuckle as he stared at Sailor Moon.
"That's our leader for you, if there's one thing Usagi knows how to do it's inspire her team." Mars said with a grin as she gave Sailor Moon a gentle pat on her back.
"As our fallen leader and friend would say, oorah." Ducky said with a small smile as he looked at Sailor Moon.
"Let's call Vance and bring him up to speed, then we'll find a place to stay for the night and we'll take the next step in the morning." Tony informed with a straight face as he looked at his team.
"I'll call the director while you or Ziva look for a local inn or something." McGee informed as he pulled out his phone.
"Ain't no need ta be running ta no inn, y'all can shack up here fer the night. Then tomorra ya can go and do what yas gotta do." Jud said with a smile as he looked at everyone.
"Thank you sir, we really appreciate it." McGee thanked with a smile.
"Vance? You there?" Tony asked into the phone in a hopeful tone.
"I hear you DiNozzo, it's not like you to call me by my first name though. Everything alright?" Vance asked in a calm tone.
"No, no it's not." Tony quietly replied with a shaky breath.
"What happened?" Vance asked with concern as he leaned forward in his chair.
"The creature attacked the ship, the Roosevelt's gone, and her crew with it. We only survived because the guardians teleported us away at the last minute." Tony explained with a sniffle.
"The whole ship and her entire crew were lost?! Put Gibbs on the phone, I wanna talk to him!" Vance ordered in a shocked and angry tone.
"Gibbs... Gibbs is gone director, he's gone." Tony cried as he clutched the phone in a death grip.
"Gone? What do you mean Gibbs is gone, gone where DiNozzo?!" Vance snapped in a furious tone.
"He went home, home to Kelly and Shanon. Gibbs is dead." Tony quietly clarified as he broke down in tears.
"Dead? Gibbs is... I never thought... How are you all doing?" Vance asked in a kind and sad tone.
"Shaken up. Abby's distraught though, you know how much Gibbs meant to her. We don't know what to do director, we're lost without our leader. We know that Gibbs would want us to finish the job, but we have no idea how to do that." Tony explained through his tears.
"We need to find the sword." Ami quietly said as she sat on the couch and looked down at her feet.
"The sword? What sword?" Ziva asked in a confused tone as she sat down by Ami.
"I don't know. All I know is that when Usagi attacked Aku with her feathers he yelled something about the sword. That tells me that he's vulnerable to some kind of sword that's somewhere out there. The only problem is that we have no clues other than that, we don't know what it looks like, where it might be, or if it's even in this universe. The fact that Aku can travel through the multiverse means that that sword he fears so much could be in any of the theoretically infinite universes out there. Finding one sword somewhere in the infinite multiverse is gonna be like trying to find a specific piece of hay in a field of hay stacks, it'll be all but impossible." Ami informed as she rested her head in her hands.
"Maybe we don't have to find the sword, maybe we can make one." Kaede thought out loud.
"Make a sword that's powerful enough to kill Aku? How are we gonna do that Kaede, hold a handle to the sky and hope that divine light shoots down into it and forms a blade?" Minako asked in a sarcastic tone.
"Not exactly. I have an idea though. Remember how devastating Usagi's feathers were when they hit Aku?" Kaede asked as she looked at Minako.
"Yeah, they were the only things that could harm him." Minako answered in a flat tone.
"What if we find a way to build a sword or some kind of weapon out of Usagi's feathers. We could use it to just carve him up." Kaede explained with a thoughtful expression.
"It's a good idea Kaede, but there's just one problem. We don't know if my feathers will maintain their purity once they're removed, unlike with my attack where I control and launch them, you're talking about essentially plucking them from my wings. They may not hold their purity if they're forcefully removed like that." Usagi informed with a small frown.
"That's true, but we can test it when you're feeling better. If it doesn't work then we'll have to take the hard path and somehow find that sword Aku fears so much." Kaede replied with a straight face.
"What if we can't find it though, what happens then?" Ami asked with a nervous expression.
"I think you know what happens then, I think we all know what happens then. None of us are willing to say it though." Mako replied with a deep sigh.
"It's game over for us, right now these are the only cards we have to play." Rei said with a sad expression as she looked at Minako.
"Meanwhile Aku's got the whole damn deck. The odds are stacked against us, but nothing worth doing is ever easy." Usagi replied with a grin.
"Well said Ms. Tsukino, wise beyond your years as always." Ducky said with a smile as he looked at Usagi.
"You won't be alone, we'll do everything we can to help you all. Whatever the cost." Tony informed with a smile as he held his hand out to Usagi.
"Our hearts and souls to the cause." Usagi quietly said as she shook Tony's hand.
"Semper Fi." Tony replied with a grin.
"What does that mean, Semper Fi? I heard Gibbs say it right before he...you know." Usagi asked with a sad expression.
"It's short for Semper Fidelis, it's Latin for always faithful. It's a motto that every marine fights under, a promise to always be faithful to one's fellow Marines, as well as the communities and nation they fight for. Gibbs lived by the code of the Marines, he was always faithful, right to the end." Tony explained with a small smile.
"Now it's up to us to make sure his faith was well placed. Let's find the sword, destroy Aku, and restore peace to the multiverse." Usagi said in a stern tone as she looked around the room at everyone.
"Hell yeah Usagi, let's get this done and make sure our friends and family's are protected, and that everyone who died can rest in peace." Minako quietly said as she looked at the Powerpuff Girls, then at the N.C.I.S team.
"For Gibbs." McGee said with a smile as he held his arm out.
"For the crew of the Roosevelt." Tony said as he put his hand over McGee's.
"For our daddy." Blossom said as she and her sisters put their hands over Tony's.
"For everyone Aku's taken from this world." Ami quietly said as she and everyone but Usagi put their hands on the pile.
"For everyone he's taken from every world in every universe. This is for them." Usagi said with a straight face as she placed her hand over Rei's.
"Together we stand." Mako said with a grin as she looked at Tony.
"And Aku falls. Let's do it!" Tony replied as everyone threw their hands in the air.
"First, let's rest. We'll eat something and get some sleep, then we'll plan our next move. We'll find or make a weapon that can destroy Aku and bring peace to everyone. Sound like a plan?" Usagi asked as she looked at everyone.
"A mighty good one Ms. Tsukino, a mighty fine one in deed." Ducky chuckled.
"Our home is yer home folks, grab a bite ta eat then get some shut eye. I'd offer y'all a bed er couch er somethang, but we ain't got enough beds fer all of yas I'm sorry ta say." Jud informed with a straight face.
"That's alright, the floor of a cozy house is better than a patch of dirt in the wild. We really appreciate you letting us stay with you all." Tony replied with a smile.
"Y're welcome folks. Now let's get some grub in all of yas befere ya hit the sack." Jud said with a smile as he walked into the kitchen.
"Don't be shy y'all, come along." Emily instructed as she followed Jud.
"Yes ma'am." Tony replied as he and everyone else followed Emily into the kitchen.
"I'm not that hungry actually, I think I'm just gonna head to bed if that's okay with everyone." Usagi informed as she leaned on the counter.
"Ya sure? There's plenty of food fer yas." Emily asked as she looked at Usagi.
"I'm sure, thank you though." Usagi replied as she slowly started walking towards the living room.
"You need to eat Usagi, you need to build up your strength again." Kaede instructed as she walked over to Usagi.
"I'm not hungry Kaede, I don't feel good at all. I feel really woozy." Usagi informed as she took a few more steps before almost falling over.
"I've gotch ya." Kaede said as she grabbed Usagi and held her up. "Come on princess, let's get you checked out." Kaede quietly said as she helped Usagi to the couch. "There you go, just lie down nice and straight so I can scan you." Kaede instructed as she helped lay Usagi down.
"Thanks Kaede, I don't know how we ever made it so long without you." Usagi chuckled as Kaede transformed.
"You had different enemies, and a lighter load on your shoulders. That's why I never awoke before Reaper, you guys didn't need me." Kaede replied with a smile as she held her wand up and transformed, then activated her visor and scanned Usagi.
"How bad is it? Can the best darn medic fix me up?" Usagi asked with a chuckle.
"Nope. The only thing that can fix you is a lot of rest, water, and food. You used way too much energy today Usagi, you burned through so much energy that your insides are literally eating themselves just to get the energy they need to keep you somewhat stable. If you exert yourself to this degree again it could be the last thing you do, you were drawing power from your life force today Usagi, the consecutive use of your feather attack was killing you. You need to be more careful when using it, it may be powerful and it might hurt Aku, but it's a double edge sword Usagi. Use it too much in a battle and it'll do as much damage to you as it does to your opponent, maybe even more." Europa warned as she let down her transformation. "Please don't forget that princess, we can't afford to loose you Usagi. The world can't afford to loose you." Kaede quietly said as she grabbed a blanket and draped it over Usagi. "Sleep tight Usagi, let us know if you need anything." Kaede instructed as she left the room.
"How is she?" Rei asked as Kaede walked into the kitchen.
"Not good Rei. That new attack she's been using against Aku, the angelic feather barrage, it's hurting her." Kaede informed as she sat down on Sarah's lap.
"Okay, guess I'm a chair tonight." Sarah said with a smile as she put her arms around Kaede.
"Hurting her? How so?" Ikuko asked as she looked back at Kaede.
"She over used it, and an attack of that caliber takes a lot of energy to conjure. She was drawing on energy that she shouldn't have drawn from." Kaede explained with a sad expression.
"What do you mean, if she has the energy to use it then why shouldn't she call on it?" Mako asked in a confused tone as she stared at Kaede.
"I'm no expert, but I have a theory. As guardians we have two kinds of energy that we can use, we have our magical energy that we use to conjure our magical attacks such as my igloo or your supreme thunder; then we have an energy that's found in every living thing, life energy. Life energy is the energy that our bodies use every day, the energy they need to walk, breathe, digest, to do anything that's typical of human function. Every living thing uses this energy, however, as guardians we have the unique and dangerous ability to draw power from that energy in dire circumstances, it's typically a last resort thing. It's like an upgraded version of the fight or flight response, except in us it's more of a fight or unleash hell response. It gives us all a major boost in our physical, mental, and magical capabilities, enough so to boost our powers to almost god like levels. However, it typically only lasts for a couple of minutes, and we can't consecutively use it like Usagi was today. For most of us we'd be burned out within five, maybe ten minutes; and when I say burned out I mean on the ground completely spent, probably unconscious. Usagi on the other hand though, her spirit is so strong that instinct doesn't trigger the guardian fight or flight in her, she calls upon it through her own will, she commands it like a pet. When she summons it the power comes, and it won't leave until she either let's it leave, or it takes everything she has to give it. Including her life energy." Kaede explained in a sad tone as she looked towards the living room.
"You're kidding. I knew Usagi was very strong willed, but to defy her own nature through nothing but sheer force of will is on a whole other level." Rei quietly said in a shocked tone.
"It is, but there's a reason we have the nature we all do, the limits we all have. Defying those limits and natures is like playing God, and that never ends well for mortal beings. No matter how strong Usagi is, she's not a god, she has limits that she needs to stay within. If she treads too far beyond those mortal boundaries she'll learn all too suddenly just how mortal she is." Ami quietly said with a sad sigh.
"True, but I would argue that one's strive to surpass his or her limits is what defines our mortality. Unlike a god who is already all powerful or all knowing, mortals like ourselves are constantly learning, growing, and adapting. To tread beyond one's mortal boundaries and natural limits may just be the most natural thing one can do." Ducky explained with a small smile.
"That may be Ducky, but most mortals can't sprout wings from their backs and shower enemies with hundreds of blessed feathers." Ami replied with a straight face.
"I suppose that's true, but still, Usagi wishes to surpass her limits in order to better protect the people she cares the most for. Though I see where your concern comes in, it's not necessarily anyone's place but hers to determine how far she can push herself or how fast she can do it." Ducky calmly added with a straight face.
"But it's not her job to protect us, she's our princess and we're her guardians. It's our job to protect her, and if she pushes herself too far and ends up defenseless, that puts us all in danger. Like I said, it's our job to protect Usagi, no matter the cost." Mako quietly said with a sad expression.
"No matter the cost?" Tony asked with a confused expression.
"We would lay down our lives for our princess, not just because it's our duty as her protectors, but because she's our friend and we care about her. She'd do the same for any of us as well, we're a family who has each other's backs, and we'd gladly die for each other." Minako explained in a sad tone.
"I see. I think I understand now why you don't want her to push herself so far, even for the sake of the world. You're a family as you said, but you're also knights tasked with the protection of your princess. Should something happen to her, even if it's her own doing, you'd all feel responsible for that misfortunate incident. You would have failed in your duties to your princess." Ducky quietly explained with a sad expression.
"Yes, and a failure to do our jobs is not only a failure towards our princess, but towards everything she stands for. Letting something happen to her, letting her die, would be letting hope, love, and peace die. She's prophesied to one day be a queen who will lead our world into a time of world peace and prosperity, one that will last for a millennia or longer. Usagi's death would mean the death of peace in this world, the future would be forever altered, and not for the better." Ami explained with a sad expression.
"So we protect her by any means necessary, and we'd make any sacrifice that her safety and survival would require." Rei informed with a small frown.
"You're all noble and brave protectors, and I believe I understand your situation a little better now. It may be her life to live, but when she puts it on the line, she puts everything on the line with it. Including the world's hope, and without hope, there's no point in anything. So you protect her with everything you have, and in exchange she protects hope." Ducky said with a small smile as he looked at all of the guardians.
"Does that mean you would die for Usagi to Ami mommy?" Bubbles asked as she stared at Ami.
"Yes, I would die for her without hesitation." Ami quietly answered as she looked at Bubbles.
"But...we don't want you to die. We don't wanna lose our Ami mommy!" Bubbles cried as she jumped into Ami's arms and hugged her.
"Hey now, Ami mommy's not going anywhere Bubbles. I'm just telling you that it's my job to protect Usagi, but Usagi's not an idiot. She can handle herself pretty well, and nothing can stop us when we all work together, not even Aku. I'll be here for you girls for a long time Bubbles." Ami said with a smile as she lightly poked Bubble's nose.
"Promise?" Bubbles asked with a sniffle as she looked up at Ami.
"I... Yes, I promise." Ami quietly answered as she hugged Bubbles.
"Well y'all, dig in. It ain't nothing fancy, but it's edible." Jud said with a smile as he gestured to the dinner he'd prepared.
"Looks great sir. Pasta, beans, salad, and meat. The perfect home cooked meal to warm your soul after a bitter day." Tony quietly said as he started eating.
"I still can't believe he's gone. Gibbs was..." Abby quietly said as she fought back tears.
"I know Abby, I miss him to. He was like a father to all of us in a way, so wise and kind, while at the same time tough and strict. Let's make sure we honor his memory and bring Aku down." Ziva quietly said as she hugged Abby.
"I have faith in all of you, and I know Gibbs would to. He knows we can do it, just like he somehow always knew when we'd found somthing on a case. Remember how the second we'd have anything he'd just show up before we could even call him?" Abby asked with a chuckle.
"Yes. I swear he had the bull pen bugged or something." McGee chuckled to himself.
"But that wouldn't explain how he always knew when I had something down in the lab though. Trust me, I've checked every nook and cranny of the lab multiple times and never found anything. I think he was just like the Superman of investigators." Abby giggled as she ate some of her dinner.
"You know what we should do for him when this is all over? We should build a boat in his name, you know how he loved to build those boats." McGee suggested with a smile.
"I think that's a wonderful idea Tim, and we can call it the S.S Jethro." Ducky suggested with a smile.
"What about the S.S Gibbs?" Abby asked with a chuckle.
"Why not combine them into the S.S Jethro Gibbs." Palmer suggested as he looked at Abby and Ducky.
"Nah, that's too long. It should be short and catchy." Tony replied with a small smile.
"You know, I think the S.S Gibbs would be a good name for a boat. It pays tribute not only to Gibbs, but to Shannon and Kelly as well. Gibbs would've wanted that." Ducky informed with a smile as he looked at Abby.
"You know what Duck, when you put it like that the S.S Gibbs is a perfect name for a boat." Tony replied as he picked his cup up. "To Gibbs." Tony quietly said as he held his glass up.
"To Gibbs." Everyone else said as they all did the same thing. "Tonight we rest and remember our friend, and tomorrow we fight like hell for him." Tony instructed as he took a sip of his champagne.
"Him and everyone else that Aku's hurt and taken away. We make a plan, we track him down, and we end him! Oorah?" Minako yelled with a stern expression.
"OORAH!" Tony yelled back with a grin.
"Semper Fi!" McGee added as he looked at Ziva.
"As they say in these parts, let's getter done." Ziva said with a grin as she looked at Sarah.
"Hey, we do say that! Y'all are a fun batch of folks. But enough giggles, let's eat then get y'all a spot ta crash fer the night." Sarah said with a chuckle as she continued eating.
"Thank you for dinner Mr. and Mrs. Blouse, I'm gonna head in by Usagi and check on her before going to bed." Naru informed as she stood up from the table.
"Alright, ya have a good night Naru. Holler if yas need anythang." Emily replied as she watched Naru walk away.
"We should get to sleep as well, god only knows what tomorrow will bring." Minako instructed as she finished the last of her dinner.
"Agreed. Come on girls, time to get your jammies on and get some sleep." Ami said with a smile as she walked over to the puffs and scooped them into her arms.
"Thank you for letting us stay here Mr. Blouse, if there's anything we can do to repay you just let us know." Tony thanked as he looked at Jud.
"Y'all ain't gotta do nothing fer us, we military folk stick tagether. Our home is yer home, if ya need anythang just say the word." Jud replied with a smile.
"Thank you sir, you all have a good night." Tony thanked as he and everyone but Abby left the kitchen and went to go rest.
"Ya need somthang honey?" Emily asked with a small smile.
"I know it's not an appropriate question but, do you have bourbon? Gibbs use to drink it when he worked on his boat and I thought that I'd have a glass for him." Abby asked with a sad smile.
"Sure thang, just a sec." Jud replied as he walked over to a cabinet and opened it. "Ya want it on the rocks?" Jud asked as he pulled a glass out.
"No thank you." Abby answered with a small frown.
"Here ya go young lady, and don't be afraid ta have a glass fer yerself as well. I know it's been a really bad day fer yas. If ya need anythang else we'll be upstairs. The guardians'll probably sleep in Sarah's room and their family's will be in the guest room. Ya have a good night now." Jud quietly informed as he left Abby alone with her drink.
"This is to you Gibbs, may you finally find peace." Abby quietly said as she gulped down her shot, then poured another one.