Chapter Eight
Homecoming
It was early in the morning and everyone but one of the pilots were sound asleep, the rising sun was shining through the windows, enveloping the caskets in what almost looked like a divine light. "Too bright." Buttercup mumbled as she rolled over and buried her head in whatever she was laying on.
"What?" McGee mumbled as he opened his eyes at the feel of something pressing into his abdomen. He looked down and saw Buttercup trying to bury her head in his stomach. "Here, this'll help." McGee whispered as he slowly removed his jacket and draped it over Buttercup, completely covering her and shielding her from the light.
"What time is it?" Ziva asked as she opened her eyes.
"Ten to seven." Tony whispered as he looked down at his lap. Ziva looked as well and couldn't help but smile at what she saw. Bubbles had curled into a ball on Tony's lap and fallen asleep.
"Look at you Tony, I guess you can handle kids after all." Ziva chuckled as she lightly ran her hand over Bubble's hair.
"Thanks." Tony quietly said as he took Ziva's sweater and draped it over Bubbles.
"Hey, where's the third one?" Ziva asked as she looked around for Blossom.
"By her mom." Tony answered in a sad tone.
"Ami shouldn't have anyone laying with her right now, it could agitate her injuries." Ziva informed as she looked at Mercury, confused when she didn't see Blossom.
"Wrong mom Ziva." Tony quietly said as he pointed at Jupiter's casket. Ziva nearly cried when she looked at what Tony was pointing at. Blossom had laid over Jupiter's casket at some point and cried herself to sleep.
"Oh that poor baby, she lost her family twice. I can't even imagine the pain she must be in right now." Ziva quietly said as she walked over by Blossom "Come here baby." Ziva whispered as she gently picked Blossom up.
"Mama." Blossom said in her sleep as she cuddled up to Ziva.
"Be advised, we'll be landing in about ten minutes. Best wake everyone up." The pilot informed over her radio.
"Rodger that, thanks for the heads up." Vance replied as he stood up. "Alright everyone, can I have your attention please?" Vance said as he looked around the plane. Everyone but Mercury woke up and looked at Vance. "We'll be landing in about ten minutes, I don't know who or what is going to be waiting for us down there, but the first thing we need to do is decide who's going where in order to deliver the notifications." Vance informed as he looked around the plane at everyone.
"We've thought about this already director. Ziva will be delivering the news to Mr. Hino while I speak to the outer guardians. They all live at the same house if I'm not mistaken." Tony informed with a serious expression.
"Mr. Palmer and I will also be splitting up. I'll be delivering the death notification to Mr. and Mrs. Mizuno while Mr. Palmer speaks to Akiko-San." Ducky informed in a calm tone.
"Then that just leaves Ms. Tsukino. I will personally speak to the Tsukinos and deliver the news." Vance informed in a firm tone.
"What do you want me to do Director?" McGee asked as he looked at Vance.
"I want you to stay here with the bodies until they're picked up by the local coroner, as for you Ms. Sciuto, I'd like you to accompany Ms. Mizuno and her children to the hospital. Can you do that?" Vance asked as he looked at Abby.
"Absolutely Director." Abby replied with a serious expression.
"Alright, let's do it then. This is the hardest part of the job, but it's also one of the most important." Vance said with a serious expression as he looked down at the caskets.
"Attention everyone, please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for landing." The pilot's voice instructed over the radio. A few minutes later the plane landed at the airport and came to a slow stop.
"Let's go." Vance ordered as he opened the door. The hydraulic door slowly opened, and as it did it revealed more and more people who were standing in two long rows on either side of the plane, perfectly parallel and waiting for the deboarding of the guardians. "I guess the Japanese government admits their existence now." Vance quietly said as he looked at the people that were standing in front of him. There were military members and first responders all standing in two long lines, waiting for the guardians to be unloaded. At the end of the line was an Ambulance and five perfectly aligned hearses. "Let's get Ami into the ambulance and get her to the hospital." Vance ordered as he helped wheel Mercury's gurney off the plane.
"We've got her sir." The paramedic team informed as they carefully transferred Mercury onto their gurney and loaded her into the ambulance.
"Time to get up girls." Abby quietly said as she lightly shook the puffs awake.
"Are we there yet?" Blossom asked with a yawn as she slowly sat up.
"Yes, we're here Blossom. I'm gonna take you girls to the hospital with Ami, that way you can be right there with her if she needs you." Abby said with a small smile.
"Okay." Blossom said with a yawn as she and her sisters slowly floated off the plane.
"Why are all of these people standing in a big line?" Bubbles asked as Abby lead them over to the Ambulance Mercury was in.
"They're here to honor your mommy and aunties, and take them to the hospital." Abby answered with a small smile.
"Okay." Bubbles quietly replied as she rubbed her eyes a little.
"Come on, let's go see your mommy." Abby quietly said as she got in the ambulance with the puffs. Vance watched the ambulance drive away before having the rest of the guardians taken off the plane.
"Welcome home ladies." Vance quietly said as he put a hand on the first casket.
"Let's get you off this stuffy old plane." Ducky said with a smile as he and Palmer removed the first casket from the plane.
"Present arms!" One of the police officers shouted as he saluted the first casket, quickly followed by everyone else in the lines. Thirty minutes passed and all the guardians had been escorted off the plane and into the waiting hearses. "Escort team, prepare to move out." The officer spoke into his radio. Two police motorcycles started up and slowly started to pull out of the airport side by side. The hearses then fell in line behind the motorcycles and the remaining first responders formed a line behind them.
"Move out!" The officer ordered into his radio. With that the entire convoy began to drive forward towards the Juban morgue.
"Director this is McGee, requesting a radio check. Over." McGee spoked into the radio of his car.
"I hear you McGee. You copy Ziva?" Vance replied and asked in a calm tone.
"You're both coming through loud and clear, what about you Tony?" Ziva answered and asked in a firm tone.
"I've got ears on all of you, are you good Palmer?" Tony calmly replied and asked.
"Good as possible, you hear us Doctor Malard?" Palmer informed and asked with a small breath.
"Loud and clear everyone, let's get this underway." Ducky replied as he started the M.E van.
"Alright, all teams move out." Vance ordered as he drove out of the airport, followed by the rest of the team. While the NCIS team split up to deliver the news to the families, the ambulance was pulling up to Juban medical.
"Any idea if Doctor Mizuno's working today?" The first paramedic asked as she checked on Mercury's vitals.
"She's not, she's on family leave because of everything that happened with Aku and her girls needing to go fight him. She was struggling to focus at work." The second paramedic answered as he parked the ambulance.
"How do you know?" The first paramedic asked as she opened the back doors.
"I'm friends with Kazuto, the paramedic at the G.O.G. We play poker together on our off days. He and the rest of the team have been checking in on the families on a regular basis." The second paramedic answered as he got out of the ambulance.
"They must all be close if they've been doing regular checkins with the families." The first paramedic said as she started wheeling Mercury into the hospital.
"Come on girls, let's go with your mommy." Abby said with a smile as she got out of the ambulance, followed by the puffs.
"Okay." Blossom said with a sniffle as she and her sister followed Abby through the doors.
"Status?" A doctor asked as she and a few other people walked over by Mercury.
"Exact wounds and cause are unknown, she's been unconscious since before leaving the U.S." The first paramedic answered as she handed the doctor a chart.
"Let's see, Ami Mizuno. Why does that name sound familiar." The doctor said to herself as she looked down at Mercury.
"She's the daughter of one of your other doctors." The second paramedic answered with a small frown.
"That's why her name is familiar, she's Doctor Mizuno's daughter. Doctor Mizuno isn't working right now, I'll have them call her to come in." The doctor said as she started walking away.
"No. No she needs to stay at home right now, there's news that she needs to hear." The first paramedic informed as he and his partner brought Mercury onto the elevator.
"What kind of news?" The doctor asked as she, Abby, and the puffs followed them into it.
"The kind no parent should ever get." The paramedic answered as the elevator doors closed.
"Could you get that please honey, I'm working on my proficiency?!" Saeko yelled from her room as she flipped through some medical books.
"No problem dear!" Hiroto replied as he got up from the couch and walked over to the door. "Hi there, can I help you sir?" Hiroto asked with a confused expression as he stared at Ducky.
"Good afternoon Mr. Mizuno, pardon my unannounced visit, but there's something I need to discuss with you and your wife." Ducky said with a small frown.
"Well we're not technically married anymore, but uh..." Hiroto started to say, until Saeko walked into the room.
"Who is it dear?" Saeko asked before she even saw who was there.
"Hello Ms. Mizuno." Ducky quietly said with a somewhat sad expression.
"Dr. Mallard, what a surprise. Is everything okay?" Saeko asked with a smile as she stared at Ducky.
"I'm afraid not, I think we'd best sit down and talk." Ducky suggested as he gestured to the inside of the apartment.
"Oh, um, okay. Please come in." Saeko replied in a nervous tone as she stepped aside to let Ducky in.
"Thank you." Ducky thanked as he walked inside.
"So what's going on?" Hiroto asked as he and Saeko followed Ducky into the living room.
"You're going to want to sit down." Ducky quietly said with a sad expression.
"Wh-what's going on? Are the girls okay?" Saeko asked in a nervous tone as she and Hiroto sat down on the couch.
"Mr. and Mrs. Mizuno, I regret to inform you that your daughter Mako was killed while fighting Aku. Your daughter Ami is alive, but injured. She's been taken to Juban Medical for treatment. I'm so sorry for your loss." Ducky quietly said as he stared at Saeko and Hiroto.
"No. No that... that can't be true. Mako's ridiculously strong, nothing stops her." Saeko replied in a shocked tone.
"I'm sorry Ms. Mizuno, but I'm afraid that it's true. Mako was killed during the last confrontation with Aku, I'm truly sorry for your loss." Ducky quietly said with a sad expression. Saeko and Hiroto didn't know what to do, they just stared at Ducky with shocked expressions. But a moment later Saeko broke down in tears, and Hiroto tried his best to be strong for her, but he couldn't help but start to sob over the loss of his adopted daughter.
"What about her sister, Kaede? Is she alright?" Hiroto asked through his tears.
"I'm sorry Mr. Mizuno, your daughter Ami is the only survivor. She's been taken to Juban medical, your daughter Mako and her friends have all been escorted to Juban morgue." Ducky informed as he gently placed his hand over Saeko's.
"Has anyone spoken to Akiko-San yet?" Hiroto asked with a sniffle.
"Mr. Palmer is on his way right now." Ducky quietly answered.
"Wh-where are our grand babies?" Saeko asked as she looked up at Ducky.
"They're with Abigail at the hospital, she's watching over them until you're ready to go see Ami." Ducky calmly answered.
"We need to go to our grand babies." Saeko said with a sniffle as she slowly started to stand, being helped up by Hiroto.
"Please allow me to give you a ride." Ducky replied as he held his hand out to Saeko.
"Thank you." Saeko thanked with a sniffle.
"Is anyone home?!" Palmer yelled as he banged on Akiko's door.
"Hold on, I'm in the shower!" Akiko yelled back as she shut the water off and stepped out of the shower. "Nothing like perfect timing." Akiko grumbled to herself as she dried off a bit before throwing on a robe and some slippers. "I'm coming!" Akiko shouted as she walked out of the bathroom and towards the door. "Yeah?" Akiko asked as she opened the door a crack.
"Are you Akiko Kino?" Palmer asked with a straight face.
"No, that's the last name of my adopted daughter Mako. My last name is Yukimura." Akiko informed with a confused expression.
"Apologies Ms. Yukimura, my name is James Palmer, may I come in?" Palmer asked with a straight face.
"I can't talk right now, I'm getting ready for a shift." Akiko replied as she started closing the door.
"Please, this is important. Take whatever time you need to get dressed or whatever, but there's something I need to tell you." Palmer informed in a slightly nervous tone.
"Whatever it is can you just tell me, I really need to get ready?" Akiko replied as she stared at Palmer.
"Ma'am, you're gonna wanna take a seat for this news." Palmer calmly informed with a sad expression.
"Oh Jesus no, please no." Akiko quietly said as she backed away from the door and slumped into a chair.
"I'm so sorry to have to give you this news Ms. Yukimura, but your daughter was killed in battle." Palmer quietly informed as he stared at Akiko.
"Which daughter?" Akiko cried as she stared back at him.
"Both." Palmer answered with a sad expression.
"NO! Not my babies, oh dear God why?! My babies!" Akiko screamed as she grabbed Palmer and cried into his shoulder.
"I'm so sorry Ms. Yukimura." Palmer quietly apologized as he hugged Akiko as tight as he could.
"Where are they?! Where were they taken?!" Akiko cried as she looked up at Palmer.
"They were escorted to the Juban morgue, when you're ready I'll take you down there to see them." Palmer informed as he tried his best to comfort Akiko.
"Did anyone tell Mizuno-San?" Akiko asked with a sniffle.
"Yes, they've been told about what happened." Palmer answered in a sad tone.
"What about their friends? Ami, and Rei, and the others?" Akiko asked with a sniffle.
"We have people going to see their families now." Palmer answered as he gently rubbed Akiko's back.
"Hello?! Mr. Hino?!" Ziva shouted as she knocked on the door of the shrine house.
"Hello there young lady, how can I help you? Can I interest you in some prayer beads today?" Hino-Sama asked with a smile as he held up some beads.
"No thank you Mr. Hino, I was actually wondering if we could sit down and talk." Ziva replied with a sad expression.
"Need to confess something? I'm happy to listen young lady." Hino-Sama replied as he waved Ziva towards the main shrine structure.
"Not exactly Mr. Hino, it's something else." Ziva quietly replied as she stopped walking.
"What is it, are you alright?" Hino-Sama asked as he stopped and looked back at Ziva.
"Is there somewhere we can sit down and talk?" Ziva asked with a sad expression.
"I suppose we could sit on this bench." Hino-Sama replied as he sat down on a stone bench in the rock garden. "So what's troubling you so much young lady?" Hino-Sama asked with a straight face.
"It's not me sir, it's your granddaughter and her friend Minako. I need to tell you something, and it's not gonna be easy to hear." Ziva said with a small breath.
"What is it, has something happend?" Hino-Sama asked in a worried tone.
"Mr. Hino, I regret to inform you that both Rei and Minako were killed in battle while fighting Aku and his forces. I'm so sorry for your loss sir." Ziva said with a sad expression as she stared at Hino-Sama.
"My... No, no that can't be true. The sacred flame, it said they'd be okay. They were going to be okay. This can't be right, the flame doesn't lie, it can't lie! They can't... they can't... My girls, my girls! Noooo! My babies!" Hino-Sama shouted as he burst into tears and fell off the bench.
"Mr. Hino!" Ziva yelled as she quickly knelt down by him and sat him up.
"The flame doesn't lie, they can't be gone! They can't be!" Hino-Sama cried as he hugged Ziva.
"I'm so sorry Mr. Hino." Ziva quietly said as she hugged him tighter.
"T-take me to them, I need to see them." Hino-Sama instructed with a sniffle.
"Of course Mr. Hino." Ziva quietly said as she helped him to his feet.
"What about their friends?" Hino-Sama asked as he leaned on Ziva.
"I'm sorry sir, Ami was the only survivor." Ziva replied as she helped Hino-Sama to the steps, then slowly started descending them.
"Who's gonna tell the families?" Hino-Sama asked with a sniffle.
"We're taking care of it." Ziva replied as she continued helping him down the steps.
"Setsuna mama, there's a guy in a suit at the door." Hotaru said as she ran up to Setsuna.
"A suit?" Haruka asked as she and Michiru walked into the room.
"Yeah, a really fancy looking one. But not as fancy as yours papa." Hotaru replied with a smile.
"You're so sweet." Haruka giggled as she patted Hotaru's head while Michiru answered the door.
"May I help you sir?" Michiru asked in a sweet tone as she stared at Tony.
"Is this the residents of Haruka Tenou, Michiru Kaiou, Setsuna Meiou, and Hotaru Tomoe?" Tony asked with a straight face.
"It is, and who are you?" Michiru asked with a confused expression.
"More importantly how did you know all of that?" Haruka demanded as she walked over to the door.
"My name is Tony DiNozzo, I'm with N.C.I.S, a branch of the U.S Navy. I've been working with the inner Senshis as they're called and I have something that I need to tell all of you. May I come in?" Tony asked with a straight face.
"I guess, any friend of Usagi's or the others is a friend of ours." Michiru replied as she gestured Tony inside.
"Most of the time." Haruka said with a suspicious look as she crossed her arms.
"So what's so important that you came all the way from the other side of the world to tell us?" Michiru asked as she stared at Tony.
"You're all gonna want to take a seat for this." Tony informed as he gestured to a couch.
"Why would that be, Mr. world traveling government guy?" Haruka asked as she glared at Tony.
"I realize you don't trust me, and that's okay. But if you trust Usagi and her friends, then you're going to want to sit down before we talk." Tony calmly said with a straight face.
"Or what? Are you threatening our princess?" Haruka snapped as she grabbed Tony by his collar.
"No. I'm trying to tell you that... I'm sorry, but Ms. Tsukino and her friends were killed in battle against Aku." Tony quietly said as he stared at Haruka.
"What?" Haruka asked in a shocked tone as she let go of Tony's collar.
"Usagi and her friends were all killed by Aku. Sailor Mercury is the only survivor, I'm so sorry." Tony quietly repeated in a sad tone.
"What is he talking about Setsuna?" Michiru asked in a horrified tone as she looked over at Setsuna.
"I don't know Michiru, I honestly have no idea. I never foresaw any of this, I never even knew Aku would appear. The last thing that I knew was going to happen was that Ami was going to end up in that world where she met the girls. I don't know anything else about this." Setsuna answered in a shocked tone as she stared at Tony.
"So there's a chance he's full of it right? He's gotta be, there's no proof of any of this, Setsuna didn't see it coming; you're full of it! Get out of here you conman! Get out before we throw you out!" Haruka shouted as she she went to grab Tony again.
"He's not lying papa." Hotaru quietly said with a few tears.
"What?" Haruka asked as she and the others looked at Hotaru.
"He's telling the truth, I can feel it. The death in the air, the sorrow of the world. The universe weeps for them, the amount of chaos in the universe has drastically decreased. That thing on the news a few months ago, that evil creature called Aku, it's gone. They stopped him, and they gave their lives to do it." Hotaru quietly cried as she hugged Setsuna.
"Oh my god." Haruka quietly said as she stared at Tony. "Wh... where are they? Do their families know yet?" Haruka asked as she stared at Tony.
"The families are being notified and their bodies have been escorted to the Juban Morgue. I'll take you to see them whenever you're ready to go." Tony informed with a sad expression.
"Okay. Alright everyone, let's go, we're gonna go see them." Haruka instructed as she looked back at everyone.
"Okay papa." Hotaru replied as she walked over by Haruka, followed by Michiru and Setsuna.
"I can't believe they're dead, how could we let this happen?" Michiru quietly cried as she hugged Haruka.
"I don't know, I just wanna know how their families are going to be." Haruka said with a sniffle as she took Michiru's hand and walked with her to Tony's car.
"Coming!" Shingo yelled from the living room as he ran over to the door and opened it. "Hey, can I help you?" Shingo asked as he stared at the man in front of him.
"Is this the Tsukino residence?" Vance asked with a straight face as he looked down at Shingo.
"Yeah, why?" Shingo asked in a confused tone.
"Are your parents home?" Vance asked as he looked inside a little.
"Yeah, they're in the kitchen." Shingo answered as he pointed towards the kitchen.
"May I come in, I need to talk to them please?" Vance asked with a small frown.
"I don't know, I'm not supposed to let strangers in. I'm not even supposed to talk to them." Shingo replied in a nervous tone.
"Who are you talking to Shingo?" Luna asked as she came down the steps with Diana and Artemis. "Who are you?! Shingo get away from that man, where are your parents?!" Luna yelled as she ran over to Shingo and stood in front of him.
"What's wrong Luna?" Artemis asked as he followed Luna.
"There's a weird man here asking to come inside, go get Tsukino-San Artemis, and hurry!" Luna yelled as she puffed up her fur and stared at Vance.
"Kenji-San! Ikuko-San!" Artemis yelled as he ran into the kitchen.
"Artemis, is everything alright?" Ikuko asked as she looked down at Artemis.
"There's a man here who's trying to come inside!" Artemis informed in a panicked tone.
"I'm coming." Kenji said as he jumped up and ran towards the door. "Who are you and why are you trying to get into our house?" Kenji asked as he ran over to Vance and pushed Shingo behind him.
"My name is Leon Vance, I'm with N.C.I.S. There's something I need to talk to you all about, may I come in please?" Vance asked with a straight face.
"You're with N.C.I.S? That's the team that Mr. Gibbs was with right? The people who helped us in Texas?" Kenji asked with a small smile.
"That's correct." Vance answered in a calm tone.
"How can we help you sir?" Kenji asked in a friendly tone.
"Is there any place we can talk, preferably away from your son?" Vance asked with a serious expression.
"I guess. Come in, we'll talk in the kitchen." Kenji said as he gestured Vance inside.
"Thank you." Vance thanked as he followed Kenji inside.
"So what's going on, any news on that whole Aku thing? It can't be too bad if we were able to come back to Japan." Kenji asked as he sat down at the kitchen table.
"Aku's been defeated, Sailor Mercury personally delivered the fatal blow." Vance informed with a straight face.
"Alright! That's so good to hear, I knew they could do it." Ikuko said with a smile as she hugged Kenji.
"Yes, but unfortunately that's not why I'm here." Vance calmly informed as he stared at Ikuko and Kenji.
"What do mean? Why else would you come here if not to let us know that the girls won?" Ikuko asked in a confused tone.
"Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino, this is not going to be easy for you to hear, but I have to say it. You daughter was killed during the battle, I'm very sorry for your loss." Vance quietly said with a sad expression.
"What? This is some sick joke right? That's not possible." Ikuko replied as she and Kenji stared at Vance.
"I know you don't want to believe it, but I'm sorry, it's the truth. I'm very sorry for your loss." Vance quietly repeated in a sad tone.
"That's impossible, Usagi can't be dead." Kenji replied as he looked at Ikuko.
"I can't imagine how hard this is for the both of you, but it's the truth. I'm sorry." Vance quietly replied in a sad tone.
"No, you don't understand. I mean it's literally impossible for Usagi to be dead!" Kenji replied in a firm tone as he starred at Vance.
"How so?" Vance asked in a confused tone as he stared back at Kenji.
"Chibiusa!" Kenji yelled towards the stairs.
"What?!" Chibiusa yelled back from her room.
"Come down here please!" Kenji instructed in a firm tone.
"Okay!" Chibisua yelled back. Footsteps could be heard above them and coming down the steps, then Chibiusa walked into the room "What is it papa Kenji?" Chibisua asked with a small smile.
"This is why it's impossible sir, Chibiusa is still here." Kenji informed as he put a hand on Chibiusa's shoulder.
"I don't understand, what does she have to do with what happened to Usagi?" Vance asked as he knelt down and looked at Chibisua.
"Chibisua is Usagi's daughter from the thirtieth century, that's nine hundred years into the future. If Usagi's dead then Chibisua should've disappeared." Kenji explained in a calm tone.
"Well if that's true then who the hell is in that coffin at the morgue?" Vance asked as he stood up and pulled his phone out. "Excuse me for a moment please." Vance said as he left the room and made a call.
"Juban district morgue." A man answered on the other end of the line.
"I need a status update on a body that was just brought in, Sailor Moon's." Vance instructed into the phone.
"Authorization please." The man instructed in a flat tone.
"Leon Vance of N.C.I.S, joint operator with the local G.O.G." Vance replied in a forceful tone.
"Stand by." The man replied as he typed on a computer. "Sailor Moon, a.k.a Usagi Tsukino. Dropped off at 0730 and awaiting autopsy." The man informed in the same flat tone.
"Check the body, I need to know if it's really her or if something was messed up and she's still alive and missing." Vance quickly ordered.
"Hold on." The man replied as he walked over to a cold storage cabinet and opened it up, revealing Sailor Moon's body. "She's here, Tsukino Usagi, tag zero zero one one seven." The man informed as he closed the cooler back up.
"Alright, thank you." Vance thanked as he hung up the phone.
"So what's going on?" Kenji asked as he stared at Vance.
"I'm sorry, I don't know how to explain Chibiusa's existence here right now, but Ms. Tsukino's body arrived at the local morgue at seven thirty this morning. I'm sorry." Vance said as he put his phone away.
"This can't be right, there has to be some kind of mistake. This makes no sense!" Kenji shouted as he sat down.
"I'm sorry Mr. Tsukino, I don't know how to explain it. But Usagi was killed in the battle, I'm deeply sorry for your loss." Vance quietly said in a sad tone.
"No. No! This can't be real, I don't believe this!" Kenji cried into his hands.
"I can't believe our baby's dead!" Ikuko cried as her head fell against the table.
"My sister's dead? Usagi's gone?" Shingo said as he started to cry.
"My mommy's dead? That can't be right, why am I still here then?!" Chibiusa shouted as she looked at Vance with tears in her eyes.
"I don't know, but she's been taken to the local morgue. Whenever you're all ready I'll take you down there to see her." Vance quietly said with a sad expression.
"Come on, let's go." Kenji quietly said with a sniffle.
"Luna, Artemis, Diana, let's go!" Ikuko yelled as she started following Vance.
"We're coming." Luna replied as she picked Diana up in her mouth, then followed Artemis towards the door.
"Has anyone talked to Naru yet?" Kenji asked as he got in the car with Vance.
"Who's Naru?" Vance asked as he waited for everyone else to get in the car.
"Usagi's girlfriend." Chibisua answered with a sniffle.
"I'll have someone go let her know." Vance replied as he closed the door, then got in the driver's seat.
"Thank you." Luna thanked with a sniffle. Vance pulled out his phone and hit a few buttons before starting to drive.
"G.O.G headquarters, this is officer Tenjin speaking." Tenjin answered in a professional tone.
"Officer Tenjin, this is Director Vance of N.C.I.S, may I ask a favor of you?" Vance asked as he turned the car on and started driving.
"How can I help you director?" Tenjin asked as he grabbed a pen and pad.
"I need you to go to the Osaka residence and deliver a message please." Vance informed in a calm tone.
"What kind of message?" Tenjin asked as he wrote down some information.
"I need you to deliver a death notification to a Ms. Naru Osaka." Vance answered in a sad tone.
"Who died sir?" Tenjin asked in a shocked tone.
"Everyone but Mercury." Vance quietly answered in a sad tone.
"What? Wait, all of the Sailor Guardians are dead? Oh my god, has anyone told Akiko yet?" Tenjin asked as he set his pen down.
"Yes sir, everyone but Ms. Osaka and Ms. Blouse have been made aware of what's happened." Vance answered as he pulled up to the morgue.
"I'll take care of the remaining notifications. Thank you for calling Director. Goodbye." Tenjin quietly said as he hung up the phone. "Emiko, we've got a job to do." Tenjin said as he stood up and started walking towards the fire pole.
"What's going on Tenjin?" Emiko asked as she got off the couch and quickly followed him.
"The worst part of our job." Tenjin answered as he slid down the pole. While Emiko and Tenjin went to talk to Naru and Sarah, Vance had just arrived at the morgue.
"Tsukino-San." Saeko cried when she saw the Tsukino family exit the car.
"Oh Mizuno-San, I can't believe this is happening." Ikuko cried as she walked over to Saeko and hugged her.
"I can't either, this feels like some sort of nightmare. I keep trying to wake up, but I just won't." Saeko cried into Ikuko's shoulder.
"Let's go see if it is, maybe this is all a big trick from some kind of monster. They have fought some weird creatures with strange mind abilities before." Hino-Sama suggested, trying to bring some hope to everyone.
"Whenever you're all ready." Vance quietly said as he waited by the door for everyone.
"Let's go see if this is some kind of dark trick or not." Ikuko quietly said as she held Shingo and Chibisua's hands, then walked them inside.
"May I help you folks?" The medical examiner asked as he watched everyone walk inside.
"Is this real? Are they here?" Kenji quietly asked as he stared at the M.E.
"The guardians. You must be their families, please follow me everyone." The M.E quietly said as he gestured towards a pair of double doors. Everyone calmly followed without speaking a word.
"Hold up. Who are these people?" A man in a Japanese army uniform asked as he stared at everyone.
"My name is Leon Vance of N.C.I.S, I'm escorting the families of the guardians to their children." Vance explained as he held up his badge.
"You may proceed." The man said as he stood at attention next to the door of the cold storage room.
"Thank you." Vance thanked as he walked through the doors. Everyone walked into the room and all hope died when they saw what was in front of them. The casket of each guardian was arranged directly next to another one, they were each open so their families could see them.
"NO! Oh no! This can't be true, it's not possible!" Ikuko screamed as she rushed over to Sailor Moon's casket and stared at her daughter.
"Rei, Minako." Hino-Sama cried as he walked over to Mars and Venus.
"Mako! Oh my god, Mako! My baby!" Saeko cried as she stood over Jupiter's casket.
"Kaede." Hiroto quietly cried as he looked at the casket with Europa's symbol carved into it. "Why is her casket closed while the others are opened?" Hiroto asked as she looked at Vance.
"We thought it more respectful due to the horrific nature and after math of her death sir." Vance answered with a sad expression.
"More respectful?! How is not letting her family see her, respectful in any way at all?! She has every right to be seen by her loved ones!" Saeko shouted as she got in Vance's face.
"What's going on in here, I can hear screaming from halfway down the hall?" Palmer asked as he walked into the room with Akiko.
"Where have you been Palmer?" Vance asked in a slightly upset tone.
"Akiko-San needed a little bit of time." Palmer answered with a sad expression.
"Where are my babies?" Akiko asked with a few tears as she looked at Vance.
"Right here ma'am." Vance quietly answered in a sad tone. Akiko slowly approached the first casket and looked into it. "Mako. Oh Mako, no. No!" Akiko cried as she stared down at Jupiter's body. "What about my other daughter, where's Kaede?" Akiko cried as she looked at Vance.
"The closed one ma'am." Vance answered in a sad tone as he pointed at Europa's casket.
"Why is my daughter's casket closed while the other's are open?" Akiko asked in a slightly angry tone.
"We felt it more respectful to both her and her visitors." Ducky quietly answered.
"Open it." Akiko quietly instructed as she stared down at Europa's casket.
"Ma'am, with all due respect, you really wouldn't..." Vance started to say until Akiko shouted at him.
"I said open it! Now goddamn it!" Akiko screamed as she whipped her head to the side and stared holes into Vance.
"Open it Mr. Palmer." Vance instructed in a calm tone.
"Yes director." Palmer quietly replied as he slowly opened Europa's casket.
"Oh dear god! Oh my god! How?! How did this happen?!" Akiko shouted as she stared at Europa. As much as she wanted to look away from the horror in front of her she just couldn't. It was too shocking for her to even react in that way.
"We don't know ma'am, when she came home she was like this. We have no idea how though. I'm sorry." Vance quietly answered as he looked at Europa. The left side of Europa's head had several holes in it while the right side just above her ear had been almost completely blown off from when Jupiter shot her.
"You keep saying how sorry you are, but that doesn't change anything asshole! That doesn't bring our children back! So shut the fuck up!" Saeko screamed as she punched Vance in the face.
"I know it doesn't help at all, but I don't know what else to say. I wish I had more comfort to offer all of you, but all I can say is how sorry I am for your loss. Your daughters were the bravest soldiers I'd ever met, and they died fighting for everything they believed in. They saved more than any of us could ever comprehend. They protected not only our world, but an infinite number of other worlds. I wish I could offer more than my sympathies, but I can't. I'm sorry everyone, I'm truly and deeply sorry." Vance said as he rubbed his cheek a little.
"What about Ami? I don't see her here?" Hino-Sama asked as he looked at Vance.
"What, that's a bad thing or something?!" Saeko shouted as she glared at Hino-Sama.
"Of course not Mizuno-San, I'm just curious as to why she isn't here to see her friends and fiancé." Hino-Sama replied with a sad expression.
"Because she was wounded in the final battle, she needed medical attention." Ducky quietly informed with a sad expression.
"What about Sarah? Where's Sarah?" Akiko asked as she looked around for Sarah.
"Yeah, and where's Naru? They're gonna want to know about their girlfriends." Ikuko quietly said with some tears.
"They're on their way now, they should be here soon." Vance answered in a sad tone. A few miles away Tenjin was just arriving at the Osaka residence.
"Is anyone home?! This is officer Tenjin of the G.O.G!" Tenjin yelled as he pounded on the door.
"Hi Tenjin-San, what can I do for you?" Naru asked in a friendly tone as she opened the door.
"May I come in Ms. Osaka, I need to talk to you and your mom for a moment." Tenjin calmly informed as he stared at Naru.
"Mom's at the store right now, but you can talk to me if you need. What's up?" Naru asked as she opened the door for Tenjin.
"Thank you." Tenjin thanked as he walked inside. "You should take a seat Ms. Osaka, there's something I need to tell you." Tenjin quietly said in a sad tone.
"No! No this can't be happening! Any time a first responder shows up without being called and tells to take a seat it's bad news! What happened?!" Naru shouted as she stared at Tenjin, fighting back tears as she did.
"Ms. Osaka, I'm sorry to say that your girlfriend, Usagi Tsukino, was killed in battle. The rest of your friends were also killed in the line of duty. Sailor Mercury is the soul survivor of the inner guardians. I'm deeply sorry for your loss." Tenjin quietly informed in a sad tone.
"Get out." Naru quietly said as she pointed at the door.
"Please Ms. Osaka, at least let me stay with you until your mom comes back." Tenjin said in a sad tone.
"I said get out! Get out, get out of my house!" Naru screamed with rage as she pointed towards the door. Tenjin didn't know what to do, so he simply put his hat back on, tipped it to Naru, then left without another word. Naru stood in the middle of her living room for a second before collapsing to the floor in tears. "Usagi." Naru cried as she curled into a ball.
"You copy Emiko?" Tenjin asked into his radio.
"I copy. If you're talking to me I'm guessing it went even worse than expected at the Osaka residence." Emiko replied into her radio in a sad tone.
"She threw me out. I respected her wishes but I'm not gonna leave, she's home alone right now. I'll talk to her mother when she gets back from the store." Tenjin informed in a sad tone.
"Understood. I'm pulling up to Ms. Blouse's apartment, I'll call you back in a bit. Over and out." Emiko quietly said as she put her car in park and got out of it. Emiko slowly approached the door and knocked on it.
"Comin'!" Sarah shouted as she walked out of the kitchen to her door. "Howdy Emiko-San, what brings ya by?" Sarah asked in her usual peppy tone.
"May I come in Ms. Blouse, we need to talk." Emiko calmly informed.
"Uh, sure. Come on in." Sarah replied as she stepped aside for Emiko. "Ya want anythang ta drink?" Sarah asked as she closed the door and followed Emiko.
"No, thank you. May I sit?" Emiko asked as she gestured to a chair.
"Of course. So what brings ya here if ya don't mind my asking?" Sarah asked as she sat down across from Emiko.
"Sarah, I don't know how to tell you this. But I'll try and be gentle. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but Kaede was killed in battle. I'm so sorry for your loss Sarah." Emiko informed in a sad tone as she stared at Sarah.
"What the hell's wrong with me?" Sarah quietly said with a small sniffle.
"What do you mean?" Emiko asked in a confused tone.
"Maybe I's bad luck. Maybe I ain't meant ta love. Ya know that my first girlfriend died in my arms two years ago taday? What are the odds, the odds of me loosing two of the women I loved, on the exact same day? Exactly seven-hundred and thirty days apart. What are the odds of that, huh?! Tell me the fucking odds of that!" Sarah screamed as she punched her table, splitting both it and her knuckles as she did.
"Come here Sarah." Emiko quietly said as she held her arms out to Sarah.
"I don't need no hug! I need ta stop falling in love, I bring death ta everyone I love! Like some kind of curse, I'm left here while the ones I love die all around me! What did I do ta deserve that kind of punishment?! Tell me!" Sarah shouted as she stared at Emiko with tears pouring from her eyes.
"Sarah you didn't do anything to deserve this, you need to know that. Kaede wouldn't want you to blame yourself for anything that happened, and Jenny wouldn't have either. You have done nothing wrong Sarah, the world is just cruel sometimes. I so sorry Sarah." Emiko quietly apologized as she took a step towards Sarah.
"My poor Kaede. I can't believe she's dead. Does Mako know? Does her ma and Mizuno-San know yet?" Sarah asked with a sniffle as she hugged Emiko.
"They know. Come on, let's get going. She's waiting for you downtown." Emiko whispered as she walked Sarah out of her house.
"At the morgue." Sarah quietly said as she looked down at the ground.
"Yes. She's at peace." Emiko quietly said as she opened the door of her car to let Sarah in.
"What about the others, are they alright?" Sarah quietly asked as she looked at Emiko.
"I'm sorry Sarah, Ami was the only survivor. She's been taken to the hospital with several injuries of varying degrees." Emiko answered as she started driving.
"And her girls?" Sarah asked with a sniffle.
"They're with Abby at the hospital, they're waiting for Ami to wake up. They don't know how long it'll be though." Emiko replied as she pulled up to the morgue.
"I hope she's okay, Kaede would've wanted her ta be okay and happy. Ya know Ami was her first crush." Sarah said with a smile and a small sniffle.
"Yeah, I remember hearing her talking to her mom about the cute blue haired girl who would come into her work and order the same thing every time. She gave her the nickname sandwich girl." Emiko chuckled as she turned the car off and got out.
"That sounds like Kaede." Sarah quietly cried with a smile as she followed Emiko inside.
"Sarah." Akiko quietly said when she saw Sarah walk in.
"I'm so sorry Akiko-San, I'm so sorry fer what happened." Sarah cried as she walked over to Akiko and hugged her.
"It's not your fault Sarah, I'm so sorry that you have to go through this a second time." Akiko quietly said as she hugged Sarah back.
"Can I see her please?" Sarah asked as she looked into Akiko's eyes.
"No. I don't want you to see her in her current state, it'd be too much for you. It was too much for me." Akiko answered as she squeezed Sarah a little tighter.
"Okay." Sarah whispered as she cuddled against Akiko.
"Where's Naru?" Ikuko quietly asked as she looked at Emiko.
"She should be here soon, Tenjin was waiting for her mom to get home. Ms. Osaka's too distraught to travel here right now, she actually threw Tenjin out when he told her what happened." Emiko explained in a sad tone.
"I'll go see her." Ikuko quietly said as she looked at Sailor Moon's casket.
"It's okay ma'am, we can handle it." Emiko quietly replied.
"I wasn't asking. Usagi loved Naru, she meant everything to her, and that means she means everything to me. Usagi would want her here, now you either take me to my daughter in law or I'll go myself." Ikuko demanded as she glared at Emiko.
"Yes ma'am." Emiko replied as she started leading Ikuko out of the room.
"Stay with Usagi, Naru and I will be back soon." Ikuko instructed as she looked at the rest of her family.
"Would you like Artemis or I to come with Ikuko-San?" Luna asked with a sad expression.
"No, just keep Usagi and her friends company. If you really wanna do something Luna you can go see Ami at the hospital, I'm sure she'd appreciate it if someone she knew was there with her, especially since the girls are probably alone with her right now." Ikuko instructed as she left the room.
"Yes Ikuko-San." Luna whispered as she looked up at Ziva.
"I'd be happy to take you Luna." Ziva quietly said as she picked Luna up and carried her away. While Luna and Ziva went to the hospital, Emiko was speeding to Naru's house to check on her and Tenjin.
"Any word on Ami yet?" Ikuko asked as she stared out the window.
"No ma'am." Emiko answered in a sad tone.
"After we see Naru we need to go check on Ami, Usagi cared a lot about her, she cared about all of her friends and their loved ones. I'm sure the girls are having a really tough time as well. First their father and now their mother and aunties, I can't feel bad enough for those poor babies." Ikuko quietly said as some tears slid down her cheeks.
"Understood ma'am." Emiko replied as she pulled up to Naru's house.
"Emiko." Tenjin quietly said as he walked over to Emiko's car.
"How is she?" Emiko asked as she put it in park.
"Not well, she threw me out so I have no idea how she's doing in there." Tenjin replied in a sad tone.
"I'll talk to her." Ikuko quietly said as she got out of the car and started walking towards the front door. "Naru! Naru it's me, it's Ikuko! Can I come in please?!" Ikuko yelled as she knocked on the door. A few seconds later the door slowly opened revealing a heartbroken Naru. "Oh Naru. I'm so sorry." Ikuko quietly said as she grabbed Naru and hugged her.
"I can't believe she's gone. I'm so sorry Tsukino-San, I can't imagine how you must feel. If I feel this bad then you must be falling to pieces inside. I'm so sorry Tsukino-San, you must think I'm so selfish for needing you to comfort me. Especially since Usagi was your daughter." Naru sobbed into Ikuko's shirt.
"Yes, she was my daughter. But she was your girlfriend, your angel. I know how much you loved her Naru, and I'm so sorry that she was taken from you. Taken from us. But she'd want to see you Naru, it would make her so happy to see you." Ikuko quietly said as she gently wiped Naru's tears away.
"Okay. I'll come with you Tsukino-San." Naru quietly said with a few more tears.
"That's my favorite daughter in law." Ikuko replied with a smile as she walked Naru to the car. Afterwards I'd like you to do something please." Ikuko said as she and Naru got in the car.
"Anything Tsukino-San." Naru replied with a sniffle.
"Take Chibiusa and Shingo to go see Ami please, she's in the hospital and it sounds like she's hurt pretty bad. She'll need someone to watch over the girls for a little while, and I know how good you are with kids. Especially those little rascals." Ikuko said with a smile as she hugged Naru.
"I will, I'll do it for you and for Usagi. She'd want the puffs to be taken care of, and Ami to." Naru replied as they pulled up to the morgue.
"Thank you Naru, Usagi would be so proud of you." Ikuko said with a smile as she opened the door and got out.
"Come with us Ms. Osaka, we'll take you to Usagi." Emiko said in a soft tone as she stepped out of the car.
"Thank you." Naru replied as she followed Emiko into the building.
"Ms. Osaka, we're terribly sorry for your loss." Ducky said as Naru walked into the room.
"May I see them please?" Naru asked with a few tears. Ducky lightly nodded before lifting the first sheet, revealing Sailor Moon's body.
"Usagi." Naru quietly cried as she walked over to Sailor Moon and looked at her. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you Usagi, I promise to watch over Ami and your family for you." Naru quietly said with some tears as she leaned over and kissed Sailor Moon's forehead. "Chibisua, Shingo, I'm so sorry for your loss." Naru quietly said as she knelt down and hugged them both. "Wait a minute! Chibisua how are you here?! I thought you were Usagi's daughter from the thirtieth century! You should've disappeared when Usagi died, how is this possible?! Does this mean that Usagi's not actually dead or something?! I don't understand how you're here!" Naru yelled as she stared at Chibiusa.
"None of us do either." Haruka said as she looked down at Chibisua.
"I might be able to explain." Setsuna said as she looked at Chibiusa. "Since Chibiusa's been living in our time for as long as she has she's been integrated into it in a way. As far as space time is concerned Chibiusa has become a part of this time period, that or something else happens in the future that still allows for her existence in the thirtieth century." Setsuna explained with a straight face.
"How will we know which one it is?" Michiru asked as she looked at Setsuna.
"Only time will tell." Setsuna replied as she looked at Sailor Moon's body. "Only time will tell." Setsuna quietly repeated.
"Naru, I think it's time to go see Ami now." Ikuko quietly said as she looked at Naru.
"Yes Tsukino-San." Naru replied as she started walking away with Luna, Artemis, and Diana.
"Naru." Kenji said just before Naru left the room.
"Yes Kenji-San?" Naru asked as she turned around and looked at Kenji.
"Why so formal sweetie, call us mom and dad. You're still family, it's what Usagi would've wanted." Kenji said with a smile.
"Thank you daddy Kenji." Naru thanked with a small smile and a couple of tears.
"Now go see Ami, she needs someone tough like you right now." Kenji instructed with the same smiling face.
"Sure thing dad." Naru replied as she left the room.
"Oh darling. I wish I could see yas, but yer ma says that it would hurt too much. I always trusted yer ma, so I'll just stay with yas till ya tell me ta leave." Sarah lightly chuckled as she put a hand on Europa's casket.
"Sarah sweetie, you know where you need to be right now." Akiko quietly said as she put a hand on Sarah's shoulder.
"I know, but I just can't bring myself ta leave her." Sarah whispered as some tears fell on Europa's coffin.
"It's what she would've wanted Sarah, she'd want her friends and nieces to be cared for. Especially in this dark time." Akiko said with a small smile as she gently squeezed Sarah's shoulder.
"I understand Akiko-San." Sarah whispered as she took her hat off and set it on Europa's casket. "This'll help shield yer eyes from that pertty light yas be living in now darling. I hope ya find Sasha and yer pa there, and if ya see Jenny tell her I says hi; and make sure the four of yas take care of each other. I'ma miss ya darling." Sarah quietly cried as she walked away, leaving her hat on Europa's casket.
"Are you ready to go ma'am?" Tenjin asked as he looked back at Naru and Ikuko.
"Hold on, I think we have one more passenger." Ikuko said with a smile as she looked towards the doors.
"I figured she come." Naru said with a smile as she watched Sarah run towards the car.
"Sorry I'm late, I was talking ta my darling." Sarah said with a sad smile as she hugged Naru and Ikuko.
"I'm sure she was happy to hear your voice Sarah, we've never met anyone quite like you before." Naru giggled as she hugged Sarah back.
"Hopefully ya never have ta again." Sarah replied as she continued to hug Naru.
"Let's go." Ikuko instructed as she looked at Tenjin.
"Yes ma'am." Tenjin replied as he started driving. While Tenjin drove to the hospital, Mercury had been set up in a room and kept company by Abby and the puffs.
"Got any threes?" Abby asked as she looked at bubbles.
"Go fishy." Bubbles replied with a smile.
"It's go fish Bubbles." Blossom grumbled as she stared at Bubbles.
"I like to say go fishy!" Bubbles yelled as she looked at Blossom.
"Well that's wrong! It's go fish!" Blossom yelled in an angry tone.
"You're wrong! I can say what I want to!" Bubbles shouted back as she threw her cards down and got in Blossom's face.
"Not if it's wrong and stupid!" Blossom replied as she pushed Bubbles.
"Don't push me!" Bubbles snapped as she got back in Blossom's face.
"What, you mean like this?" Blossom asked as she pushed Bubbles again.
"No, like this!" Bubbles yelled as she pushed Blossom back.
"I didn't push you like that, I pushed you like this!" Blossom shouted as she pushed Bubbles again.
"Girls, girls! That's enough, no pushing of any kind. Your mommy's wouldn't want you to fight right now. So please, be nice to each other for them." Abby instructed as she stared at the girls.
"Sorry Abby." Blossom and Bubbles apologized as they looked at Abby.
"How are you doing Buttercup, do you want your snack yet?" Abby asked as she tried to hand Buttercup a small bag of pretzels.
"I'm not hungry. I just wanna go home." Buttercup quietly said as she stared out a window.
"We have no home Buttercup, Aku destroyed it. Just like our family." Blossom replied in a sad tone as she looked down at her lap.
"That's not true, remember what the professor always said. We'll always have a home as long as we have each other." Bubbles said with a small smile.
"Yeah well I don't see the professor anywhere, do you Bubbles?" Blossom asked as she looked at Bubbles.
"No." Bubbles quietly answered in a sad tone.
"That means we don't really have each other anymore, so by that logic, we have no home!" Blossom shouted in a furious tone.
"Of course you do girls, you'll always have a home with us." Naru quietly said as she, Sarah, and Ikuko walked into the room with the cats.
"Auntie Naru." Bubbles quietly said as she looked at Naru.
"Hi Bubbles, how are my favorite little nieces?" Naru asked as she walked over by the puffs.
"We're sad. Our Mako mommy's dead, our aunties are dead, our daddy's dead, and Ami mommy won't wake up." Bubbles cried as she hugged Naru.
"It's gonna be okay girls, Ami's gonna wake up soon. I can feel it." Naru quietly said as she hugged Bubbles.
"How do you know Naru?" Blossom asked with some tears as she looked at Naru.
"Call it an auntie's intuition. Ami's gonna be okay girls, just give her some time." Naru said with a smile as she sat down next to Mercury's bed and gently took her hand in her own.
"Nng. Uh, oh my chest. I feel like I got hit by a damn train." Mercury groaned as she slowly opened her eyes and looked around. "Where am I? What happened to Aku and all the titans?! Oh my god am I dead?! I can't be dead, my babies need me! I can't be dead, I can't die yet!" Mercury began to panic when she woke up.
"Ami! Ami, it's okay. Look at me, it's okay." Abby quickly said as she rushed over to Mercury.
"Abby? Abby where am I, where are my friends?! What happened to Aku and Jack?! What's going on?!" Mercury panicked as she frantically looked around.
"Calm down, calm down Ami. You've been unconscious for a little over thirteen hours, you're in a hospital in Japan. Juban Medical to be precise." Abby explained as she gently grabbed Mercury's hand and squeezed it.
"Where're the others? Where's my fiancé and princess, and my friends?" Mercury asked as she stared at Abby.
"What's the last thing you remember Ami?" Abby asked as she squeezed Mercury's hand a little harder.
"Uh, I don't know. Let me think. I was in Mikasa's world and Aku was there, I was fighting him with Mako and Usagi. Then..." Mercury stopped as the rest of the memories became clear in her mind.
"Then what Ami?" Naru asked as she stared at Mercury.
"Oh my god. It's all my fault. It's all my fault! They're dead because of me! I got Usagi killed! She shouldn't've saved me, I wasn't worth it! I wasn't worth it!" Mercury began to scream as she grabbed the sides of her head.
"Ami! Ami calm down, what are you talking about?!" Ikuko asked as she stared at Mercury.
"Usagi sacrificed herself for me! I should've been the one to be crushed by that titan, not her! I deserved to die, not Usagi! I failed my princess, I blew it as a guardian! I fucked it all up!" Mercury screamed at the top of her lungs in anger and sorrow.
"Ami listen to me, Usagi wouldn't want you to think like that. You were family to her, family takes care of each other. You would've done the same for her Ami, don't say things like it should've been you. Usagi never would've wanted that. Please Ami, don't blame yourself for what happened. We all know that you did everything you could for them, you made their sacrifices worth something. You stopped Aku and saved the world, the multiverse even. They would be so proud of you Ami." Ikuko quietly cried as she hugged Ami.
"I never could've done it if hadn't been for Jack, he gave me his sword so I could finish what they all started." Mercury quietly said with a sniffle. "Oh my god, where's Jack?" Mercury asked as she looked at Ikuko.
"I don't know, no one's seen him since the ship. He didn't even fly with you guys on the plane back." Ikuko answered in a sad tone.
"I'm scared Ikuko-San, I want my mom and dad." Mercury cried as she held her hand out to Ikuko.
"They're with Mako right now, I'm sure they'll come visit when they're ready Ami." Ikuko replied as she hugged Mercury.
"I'm so scared." Mercury quietly said as she hugged Ikuko as tight as she could.
"I know sweetie, just try and rest though. You'll need it to heal." Ikuko whispered as she gave Mercury a kiss on her forehead. "Luna, why don't you stay here with Ami tonight, I'll take the girls home with us so they can spend some time with Chibiusa." Ikuko quietly said as she looked at the puffs.
"Wait! Chibiusa's alive? That's impossible! How can she be here when Usagi isn't?!" Mercury asked in a surprised tone as she looked at Ikuko.
"We were all wondering the same thing, maybe we can still hope for a bright future." Ikuko said with a smile as she started leaving the room. "Come on girls, let's get some dinner in you and get you a nice bed to sleep in. Usagi would want you girls to be cared for." Ikuko said with a smile as she looked at the puffs.
"Okay." The puffs replied as they floated over to Ikuko.
"Get some rest Ami, and call if you need us." Ikuko instructed as she left the room with the puffs.
"I can't sleep after this, I still keep waiting to wake up." Mercury cried as she rolled her head to the side and closed her eyes.
"Sorry I's late y'all, I figured Ami might want a snack er somthang." Sarah said with a smile as she walked into the room with an arm full of junk food.
"With that stuff you'd think she wanted diabetes." Naru chuckled as she grabbed a cream filled sponge cake from the pile.
"Sorry, I eat sweets when I'm sad. Why do ya think I's got a figure like this, I didn't get it at no gym." Sarah giggled as she sat down by Naru.
"Kaede loved that figure of yours Sarah. Don't ever change." Mercury said with a small smile.
"You either sweetie." Sarah quietly said as she gently rubbed Mercury's head. "How're ya feeling by the way, are yer injuries bad?" Sarah asked in a sad tone.
"I don't know, I just woke up shortly before you came. Check the chart at the bottom of my bed." Mercury instructed as she pointed at a clipboard in a little slot on the frame of her bed.
"Let's see. Damn girl, ya take a lick'n and keep on kick'n. Nineteen broken ribs, a crushed sternum, and a broken left femur. They use ya as a crash test dummy fer a multivesral car?" Sarah asked with a smile as she put Mercury's chart back.
"No, just a weapon." Mercury groaned as she slowly closed her eyes. "I'm so tired, but I don't know if I can sleep." Mercury quietly said as she put a hand on her chest.
"Try Ami, we'll be here if you need us." Naru said with a smile as she put a hand on Mercury's arm.
"Thanks Naru. I hope I don't keep you up with nightmares, I keep seeing their deaths play over in my head every time I close my eyes. I still remember the look on Mako's face, when she shot her sister. It was horrible Naru, the worst thing I'd ever seen." Mercury cried as she thought back to what happened to Europa.
"Mako killed Kaede? That's how she died? Why would Mako have shot her own sister?!" Naru shouted in a horrified tone as she stared at Mercury.
"We were in a universe that was in the middle of World War Two, Aku brought a bunch of dead Nazis back to life. The weren't actually alive though, they were zombies. They tried to eat us Naru, they tried to tear us apart! One of them bit Kaede and took a chunk of her arm off, she started convulsing on the ground, then her skin turned grey and her eyes began to glow this dark yellow color. She sat up and just charged at Mako, she tackled Mako and was trying to eat her face! Mako put her gun to Kaede's head and then BANG BANG BANG! She shot Kaede in the head three times, then Kaede just dropped down dead." Mercury cried as she pictured Kaede's death in her head. "I will never forget the things I saw and did during my trip through the multiverse, they will haunt me for the rest of my days." Mercury sobbed as she pulled Naru closer and hugged her.
"Th-that's how my darling died? Her own sis had ta shoot her? Oh my God, oh that's horrible. Poor Kaede, poor Mako, she must've been devastated ta have ta kill her own sis like that. Oh Kaede, darling." Sarah quietly cried as she slowly sat down.
"Oh my god Ami, I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that. We're here for you Ami, we're here." Naru quietly said as she held Mercury in her arms.
"Thank you Naru, I don't know what I'd do without you!" Mercury cried into Naru's shoulder as she squeezed her tighter.
"Try and rest Ami, Sarah and I will be here with you for as long as you need." Naru quietly said as she gave Mercury another kiss on her forehead.
"Thank you." Mercury whispered as she tried to fall asleep.
"We should rest to Naru, no telling when Ami might need us." Sarah quietly cried as she crammed a cream cake into her mouth. "I'm gonna be so fat by the time I'm done grieving. I still ain't lost all that chunk from my last grief induced snack fest." Sarah sobbed as she opened another snack cake.
"We'll wear our flab with pride then." Naru said as she picked up a small packaged of donuts from the pile. "Here's to women with some volume." Naru said as she hugged Sarah, then held her donut pack up.
"Good riddance ta tham arrogant skinny bitches." Sarah said with a sniffle as she held her snack cake up.
"Here here." Naru giggled as she bumped her donut pack against Sarah's half eaten cream cake. "Are you gonna be okay Sarah?" Naru asked as she took a bite of her cake.
"I can't believe Kaede died like that, but it didn't sound like she suffered fer long at least." Sarah replied with a sniffle. "Do ya mind if we just sit and fatten up in silence fer a while Naru?" Sarah asked with a few tears.
"I'm totally fine with that Sarah." Naru answered with a sad smile as she finished her donuts and reached for a cream cake. Sarah lightly nodded before grabbing a chocolate peanut butter wafer stick and opening it.
"This is fer all of yas up there, thank ya fer saving us." Sarah quiet said as she looked up at the ceiling and held her candy bar up.
"Thank you, we love you all." Naru whispered with a few tears as she put her arm around Sarah.