Multiversal Madness

by SailorGuardian9

A new threat has appeared from beyond the stars, the guardians and their allies must give everything they have to stop it! Failure is not an option, because if they fail, it will be the end of everything.

9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Aftermath

"Fire!" A soldier yelled in a forceful tone. A second later seven guns went off for the third time in a row. It had been less than a week since the guardians had returned home, and they were being honored as fallen soldiers by every government in the world.

"It's okay Ami, they're just blanks." Naru quietly comforted, seeing Ami flinch with every shot fired. It was her first day out of the hospital, and she was sitting in her wheelchair between Sarah and Naru with the puffs on her lap.

"Present arms!" The soldier ordered as he saluted the guardian's caskets. Everyone from N.C.I.S, the G.O.G, and first responders from all around raised their arms in salute of the fallen guardians. Even Jack had shown up for the funeral, and he hadn't been seen since he brought Mercury back from Mikasa's world. The N.C.I.S team personally folded each flag that had been covering the guardian's caskets and presented them to their families. Saeko lightly shook her head at Ziva when she was handed the flag that had been on Jupiter's casket.

"Today, we pay tribute to the fallen, and not just the guardians, but to all of Aku's victims. We pay our respects to the mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons, who gave their lives in defense of not only their countries, but their world and even universe. We also offer our condolences and gratitude for the sacrifices these brave individuals and their families have made. I know that no words could ever be enough to make the pain of these tragic losses bearable, but we still offer them. We offer them in the hopes that though they will never fill the void left by these fallen heroes, we hope that they can at least offer some peace to the fallen's loved ones. Now I'd like to invite Sailor Mercury to say a few words to her friends and family, and to receive the worlds gratitude for her sacrifices and bravery on that day." Vance spoke in front of the crowd of funeral goers, before looking at Mercury.

"Do I have to do this?" Mercury quietly cried as she looked at her mom.

"I know it's hard Ami, but Mako would want to hear your voice, they all would." Saeko quietly answered as she gently put her hand on Mercury's shoulder.

"Okay." Mercury replied with a sniffle as she wheeled over to the podium. "Um, hi everyone. Thank you for, for coming today. I... they, would've really appreciated your attendance." Mercury said with a sniffle and a few tears as she looked out at the crowd. "I'm not very good at this, I struggle with speaking to people sometimes. Especially crowds and reporters. I uh, I just... I don't know anymore. All I can say is that... I'm sorry. I'm sorry to their families for not being able to save them, I'm sorry to all of them for not saving them, and I'm sorry that I'm still here! I'm sorry that I left them, that I get to keep living when they don't! I'm sorry that the world is such a cruel and shitty place! I I..." Mercury started to ramble and break down.

"Alright, come on, it's okay. It's okay Ami." Vance said as he moved the microphone and started wheeling Mercury back over by her parents.

"No! No it's not okay! They're all dead and I'm still alive! Why am I so special?! Why do I deserve to live when they don't?! It should be them standing here, and me being thrown in a hole in the ground! Usagi should be the one who's alive! She was my princess, I was supposed to protect her! She died for me, it should've been me who got crushed! It should've been me!" Mercury screamed as Vance wheeled her off the stage and over to her parents.

"Is there anyone else who would like to say anything before we lay these heroes to rest?" Tony asked as he quickly took Vance's place at the podium. Silence fell upon the crowd as they all looked around to see if anyone would speak. "Alright. Then allow me to say thank you Sailor Guardians, thank you for protecting all of us. Thank you for fighting the fights that no one else could or even wanted to believe were happening, and thank you for, for just being the inspirations that you all were. This world will never forget the sacrifices the five of you made to protect it, and with these final words, we lay you to rest." Tony quietly said with a few tears as he stared at the caskets.

"Mr. police guy." Bubbles quietly said as she raised her hand.

"Yeah sweetie?" Tony asked as he looked down at Bubbles.

"Can, can I say goodbye to my aunties and mommy?" Bubbles asked in a sad tone.

"Of course you can." Tony answered as he stepped aside for Bubbles. Bubbles slowly floated over to the podium and looked out at the crowd in front of her.

"Hi. My name is Bubbles, and I wanna say that I love my mommies and aunties a lot. I'm gonna miss them very much, but I'm proud of my mommy and aunties. My daddy always taught me to be strong and fight the bad guys so that all of the nice people could be happy, and my aunties and mommy beat up the big bad guy and saved the world. I hope they get to be happy and see my daddy in heaven." Bubbles said with a few tears as she stared at the crowd.

"That was beautiful Bubbles, and I know that your daddy, aunties, and mommy are all listening to you right now from heaven. I know that made them very happy, they'd be so proud of you and your sisters." Tony said with a smile as he hugged Bubbles. "Would anyone else like to speak?" Tony quietly asked as he looked at the crowd. No one said anything, and this time it would stay that way. "Alright then." Tony quietly said as he looked at the soldiers and first responders.

"Present arms!" A soldier ordered as she raised her arm in salute once more, followed by all of the other soldiers and first responders. Once everyone was saluting the guardians, their caskets were slowly lowered into the ground, all of them side by side in one large plot.

"Goodbye everyone, I'm sorry that I failed all of you." Mercury quietly cried as she wheeled over to the hole and dropped a rose on each of her friend's caskets.

---

Ami awoke with a gasp and drenched in sweat. "Every night, every fucking night." Ami said with a sniffle as she looked at her clock. "Five forty-five a.m, it's about time for me to get up anyways." Ami quietly said to herself as she unfolded her wheelchair and slowly got into it. A week had passed since the funeral, and it was Ami's first day going back to school since Aku's defeat. "Come on Ami, you can do this. Do it for the girls, do it for the girls." Ami quietly said to herself as she lightly patted her cheeks.

"Ami?" Naru quietly said a she sat up and looked at Ami.

"I'm sorry if I woke you Naru, I didn't mean to be so loud." Ami apologized with a sad expression as she looked down at Naru.

"It's okay Ami, we have to get ready for school anyways." Naru replied as she unzipped her sleeping bag and stood up.

"Thank you for staying with me the past few days Naru, it helps to know that you're here. Plus the girls enjoy having you around as well." Ami thanked with a small smile.

"You don't have to thank me Ami, I'll always be here for you." Naru whispered as she hugged Ami.

"How are you doing, you've been so focused on me that I feel like I'm not asking about you enough?" Ami asked with a sad smile as she looked into Naru's eyes.

"To be honest Ami, I'm not sure. I've never felt this kind of loss before. I mean sure, you've all had close calls in the past, but everyone always pulled through. But this time, this time's different. I don't wanna believe it, but deep down I know that they aren't coming back, they're really gone this time." Naru cried as she sat down on the bed.

"I'm having trouble believing it to Naru. I keep thinking that I'm going to wake up with Mako in one arm and the girls in the other. But when I open my eyes I only see the girls, no Mako; and today not even the girls. They spent the night with Chibiusa and Usagi's family. I've enrolled them in Juban Elementary, they'll be going to school with Chibiusa. Thankfully their super powers allow them to comprehend multiple languages, including Japanese. So they won't be at any kind of learning disadvantage at least." Ami quietly said with a few tears.

"I'm glad the girls are okay, everyone would've wanted them to be safe and cared for." Naru said with a sniffle as she put her arm around Ami. "We should get going, we don't wanna be late." Naru quietly said as she stood up. "Alright, nice and easy." Naru quietly said as she carefully picked Ami up.

"Ah!" Ami yelped as Naru lifted her off the bed and held her in her arms.

"Sorry Ami." Naru apologized as she carried Ami out of her room.

"It's okay. Thanks for the lift Naru." Ami thanked as Naru slowly carried her downstairs.

"Any time Ami." Naru replied with a smile as she gently set Ami in her wheelchair. "It's quiet, your mom must not be home from work yet." Naru said as she wheeled Ami towards the kitchen.

"Probably not, and dad most likely left for work less than a half-hour before we woke up." Ami added with a sad sigh.

"What do you want for breakfast Ami?" Naru asked as she wheeled Ami to the kitchen table.

"I'm not hungry Naru, just stuff a granola bar or something in my bag please. I'll eat it later." Ami replied as she stared down at her hands. They were covered in cuts and scrapes from her battle with Aku, even her senshi gloves hadn't been able to withstand the force of the attacks.

"You need to eat something Ami, you've hardly eaten anything since you got home." Naru said in a sad tone as she set a bowl and some cereal in front of Ami.

"I'm not hungry Naru." Ami replied as she pushed the bowl away.

"I know you're not, but you need to eat so you can focus today." Naru said as she pushed the bowl back over to Ami.

"Please Naru, I'm not hungry." Ami said again as she pushed the bowl back over to Naru.

"Ami please, you need to eat or you'll get sick." Naru said as she started pushing the bowl over to Ami once more.

"I said I'm not hungry!" Ami screamed as she pushed the bowl off the table, shattering it into several large pieces. "Oh my god Naru. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me! Did I hurt you? God, what the hell was I thinking?! Stupid moron!" Ami shouted as she lightly hit herself in the head.

"Hey, stop that." Naru said as she grabbed Ami's hand. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't've been so pushy Ami. Don't beat yourself up over what happened." Naru quietly said with a small frown.

"I hate this Naru, I hate it. I feel so angry, angrier than I've ever felt in my life! I feel so much hate, and not just towards Aku, but towards myself! I'm ashamed to even say this, but I hate them to." Ami cried as she stared at Naru.

"It's okay Ami. Do remember our last week of psychology one oh one, we talked about death and the psychological difficulties surrounding it? This is all normal Ami, the five stages of grief." Naru quietly explained with a straight face.

"No it's not Naru, I should be in denial right now. But there's no denying what happened, they're dead. I watched them all die, I saw every death but Minako's with my own two eyes. I skipped straight to anger." Ami replied in a sad tone.

"Those stages are just basic guidelines Ami, the average reaction to loss. But it's not the same for everyone, some people experience the stages in the order described, but others experience the same feelings and reactions either out of order or even more than one stage simultaneously. Some people don't even experience any of the stages for months or even years after the loss. The stages of grief are unique to each affected individual. For example, when I heard what happened to Usagi I was so angry that I completely went off on Tenjin-San, I kicked him out of the house I was so angry. Then at the funeral I was overwhelmed with sorrow, and today I feel... I don't know what I feel right now, I can't describe it. The point is that what you feel is normal, it's okay to feel how you feel. We're all dealing with the loss in our own unique way, but that doesn't mean we're alone. You still have me, and I have you." Naru explained with a smile as she gave Ami a kiss on her forehead.

"I'm so grateful for that Naru, I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you. I feel like I need to hold it together for the girls, but every time they step way I can feel the pressure of these emotions building inside of me, to the point where I feel like I'm gonna burst. I'm so worried about what I may do in my current state that I gave my ODM rig to Tenjin-San and told him lock it up until I was more stable." Ami quietly said as she hugged Naru. "I'm scared Naru, I'm scared of what all of this is turning me into." Ami cried into Naru's chest.

"I'm scared to Ami, but we'll be okay as long as we have each other." Naru whispered as she cradled Ami in her arms. "Now let's finish getting ready for school. Are you sure you're not hungry at all?" Naru asked as she looked at Ami.

"I'm sure." Ami replied as she continued to hold onto Naru.

"Alright. Let's brush our teeth and get going then. Hopefully we'll be able to meet up with Sarah on the way." Naru said as she wheeled Ami into the bathroom to finish getting ready. Twenty minutes passed before Ami and Naru finished getting ready and grabbed their school stuff. "Ready Ami?" Naru asked as she hooked Ami's bag to the back of her wheelchair, before throwing her own over her shoulder.

"Yeah, thanks again for talking to me Naru. I feel a little more ready for today." Ami thanked with a soft smile.

"You're welcome, now let's get going." Naru replied as she wheeled Ami out of the apartment and onto the elevator. "Morning Mr. Fukumora." Naru greeted as she wheeled Ami past the building manger and towards the door.

"Good morning ladies, you want a hand with the door?" The man asked as he set his newspaper down.

"No thank you. Have a good day." Naru answered as she opened the door and wheeled Ami outside.

"Such a beautiful day. I don't remember the last time the sun was so high and the air was so fresh and warm. This is the most peace I've felt since I got home Naru." Ami quietly said as she closed her eyes and took a deep inhale.

"The smell of summer, there's nothing quite like it. The gentle breeze, the bright colors, the warm air. It's my favorite time of year." Naru said with a smile as she continued wheeling Ami towards the school.

"Would you be upset if I closed my eyes Naru?" Ami asked as she looked up at Naru.

"Not at all, rest as much as you need to Ami." Naru replied a she looked down at Ami.

"Thank you." Ami thanked as she closed her eyes and breathed lightly. The rest of the trip was quite and peaceful until Naru heard something strange. "Ami, Ami wake up." Naru whispered as she gently tapped Ami's shoulder.

"What?" Ami mumbled as she opened her eyes and looked up. "Hey Naru, are we here already?" Ami asked with a small yawn as she gently rubbed her eyes. "What's that sound? It sounds like a fight." Ami quietly asked in a confused tone.

"I was thinking the same thing. Come on, let's go see what's going on." Naru replied as she jogged Ami and herself towards the sound.

"Ya son of a bitch! Y're an ungrateful cock sucking mother fucking piece of horse shit!" Someone yelled as they viscously beat on a young man.

"I know that accent like the back of my hand." Naru said as she locked the brakes on Ami's wheelchair and ran down the sidewalk. "Sarah! Sarah what the hell are you doing?! Get off of him!" Naru screamed when she caught sight of Sarah, who was sitting on top of another student and mercilessly beating him.

"They died fer assholes like you! She died fer ya and all ya can think 'bout is that she weren't like you! She wasn't a straight normal every day gal! She was a lesbian super hero who ya don't think fit in with snobs like you! So ya think she got what she deserved?! Y're gonna get what you deserve right now ya sack of shit!" Sarah screamed as she continued beating the student to a bloody pulp.

"Sarah! Sarah get off of him!" Naru shouted as she came up behind Sarah and grabbed her.

"He's a monster Naru! An ungrateful monster!" Sarah cried as Naru dragged her off of the student.

"What are you talking about Sarah?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Naru shouted as she held Sarah down with all her strength.

"He-he said that Kaede and her friends ain't no heroes! He says they's glorified immoral fags that done got what was comin' to em! He sounds like tham damn McClain bros. I thought people over here were different Naru, I thought y'all were more accepting! But I guess there ain't no place that's untouched by hate." Sarah cried as she leaned back against Naru. Naru slowly looked up at the student. He was a prissily dressed young man that obviously came from a very traditional family, and he wasn't afraid to flaunt his wealth and status. Though that would be harder to do now that Sarah had knocked one of his front teeth out and painted his school uniform with his own blood.

"You're an animal, typical of a classless bumpkin like yourself. You can expect a call from my lawyers, I'll have you sent back to your bumbling slop farm before you can even say ye haw." The student said in a snobby tone as he stood up. "As for you you little red head, whatever your name is. Don't expect any favors for your assistance in removing this dreck from me." The student said as looked at Naru and dusted himself off.

"What happened Naru, is everything alright?" Ami asked as she wheeled around the corner.

"Sarah beat up some snob for his homophobic comments, not to mention lack of utter respect for our friends. The friends that died to keep people like him safe!" Naru answered and yelled as she looked at the student.

"Those magical pieces of fertilizer were your friends? I'm not surprised." The student replied with a smug look.

"I suggest you shut your mouth and move along while you can still walk." Ami said through gritted teeth as she stared at the student.

"Or what? You'll roll my foot over, or sick the bumpkin on me again? Grow up you crippled wanker." The student said as he pushed past Ami and kept walking towards school.

"Hold it right there you mannerless British wannabe." Ami said with her teeth still clenched as she slowly turned around.

"What did you call me?" The student asked as he turned around and stared at Ami.

"A British wanna be. I can read your sorry ass like a book. You watch shows like Downton Abbey on the world cultures channel every night, wishing you were wealthy and classy like them. But you're not, you're a nobody from nowhere; you're not even British, and I know that because the British have class and manners. Something you're sorely lacking. Now you apologize to my friends, both the living and the dead, then you take your sorry ass and get the fuck out of here before I put you on ice!" Ami screamed as she stared daggers at the student.

"Alright, I'm sorry the three of you weren't buried with the rest of them." The man replied with a smirk. That was it for Ami, she lost it after that. Ami thrust her arms forward and froze the student in place like a statue.

"Told you I'd put you on ice." Ami grumbled as she started wheeling away.

"Oh my God! Ami what the hell did you do? Is he dead?!" Naru yelled as she and Sarah ran after Ami.

"Of course not, call it temporary cryo containment. It'll thaw in about an hour based on the current temperature outside. He'll be wet and a little cold, but otherwise unharmed." Ami replied as she wheeled up to the school.

"Well uh, try explaining that ta them." Sarah said as she pointed at all of the other students who had been standing by the school, watching from afar.

"He talked bad about my friends, you don't say rude things about the dead. Especially not when they died protecting people." Ami said as she wheeled herself into school.

"Dead? What is she talking about?" One of the students quietly asked as she watched Ami, Naru, and Sarah enter the school.

"Maybe she hit her head again." Another student replied with a confused expression.

"Ami might be going a bit off the deep end, but I have to admit that I rather enjoyed seeing that snob get his rear handed to him by her." A third student snickered as she looked at the rude student. "Seems like he's been frozen out." The student chuckled to herself.

"Boo." Another student playfully teased as he gave her a thumbs down.

"Everyone's a critic." The student mumbled as she walked into the school.

"Will Ami Mizuno please report to the principal's office, Ami Mizuno to the principal's office please." A woman paged through the P.A system.

"Whatever. Guess I'll see you two later." Ami sighed as she wheeled her way towards the office.

"Do you want one of us to come with you Ami?" Naru asked as she watched Ami wheel away.

"No thanks, I'll see you two later." Ami quietly replied as she wheeled into the office.

"Goodness! What happened to you Ms. Mizuno, are you alright?" The office attendant asked with a shocked expression as she looked over her desk at Ami.

"Why was I paged here, is it because I turned that punk into a snobcicle?" Ami asked in a detached tone as she stared at the attendant.

"If you're referring to the frozen student outside then yes. Tanka-San's waiting for you in her office, are you able to get the door?" The attendant quietly asked, stunned by both Ami's appearance and attitude.

"Not really." Ami grumbled as she stared at the door.

"Ami Mizuno, are you out there?!" Tanaka shouted from her office.

"No, it's the other blue haired girl with magic ice powers!" Ami shouted back in an angry and disrespectful tone.

"Excuse me!" Tanka shouted as she stormed over to her door and opened it. "I don't know what's gotten int oh my god what happened to you now Ms. Mizuno?!" Tanka yelled in a surprised tone as she stared down at Ami.

"The cesspool that is life." Ami mumbled as she stared at Tanaka.

"Okay, something's obviously bothering you Ms. Mizuno, so why don't you come into my office and we'll have a little talk." Tanaka suggested as she stood aside for Ami.

"Whatever." Ami mumbled as she wheeled into the office. Tanka lightly sighed as she closed the door, then walked over to her desk. "So what's troubling you so much Ms. Mizuno?" Tanaka asked as she sat down at her desk.

"Are you freaking kidding me? What do you think is bothering me?!" Ami shouted as she glared at Tanaka.

"I don't know Ms. Mizuno, that's why I'm asking. I'm trying to help you, but you need to remember who you're talking to Ms. Mizuno. I'm still your principal." Tanaka replied as she folded her hands and stared at Ami.

"You really don't know what happened, do you sensei? Did they not report it or something?! You'd think that those douchebag reporters would've put that interview on the air, I mean they wasted enough of my damn time with it!" Ami shouted as she threw her arms in the air in an overly dramatic fashion.

"Report what Ms. Mizuno?" Tanaka asked in a slightly more concerned tone.

"They're gone sensei, all of them. Aku... I'm the last inner guardian." Ami quietly said with a few tears as she stared at Tanaka.

"What do you mean you're the last inner guardian? Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Tanaka quietly asked in a horrified tone.

"They're dead sensei, Aku killed them all. I'm the last inner senshi, everyone else is dead." Ami cried as she laid her head on Tanaka's desk.

"What happened Ami? How did it happen?" Tanka asked as she fought back tears.

"Depends which one you're asking about. Minako was the first to fall in battle, she was killed in a catastrophic explosion when she destroyed Aku's drone factory. There wasn't even a body to bury. Then Rei died, she was killed in a completely different universe. Aku speared her with a piece of his body, she bled out rather slowly. Next to be killed was Kaede, and her death the worst of them all; we were in some odd parallel universe where we were all traditional soldiers in World War Two, but we were Americans for some odd reason. Any ways, Aku did something forbidden, he raised the dead. We were attacked by a bunch of Nazi zombies, one of them bit Kaede's arm and she started to turn into one of them. Mako had to shoot her own sister three times in the head to save her own life, Kaede literally tried to eat Mako's face. Then we followed Aku into the final world, he lead us to Mikasa's world, the world with the titans. I don't understand what it is I saw when I got there, there were thousands of colossal titans marching behind this humongous titan that looked like a giant fish skeleton. Mako, Usagi, and I confronted Aku face to face, we all knew it was the final showdown. We attacked him with everything we had, he threw Mako and I to the ground like rag dolls. This whole time those colossal titans were marching towards us, Mako rolled out of the way and narrowly escaped being crushed, but I wasn't fast enough, I couldn't get out of the way in time. That's when... that's when Usagi flew over and saved me, but I wasn't worth it. She took my place, that titan that was supposed to kill me ended up stepping on her. It crushed her, crushed her like a bug; and it was all my fault!" Ami shouted as she burst into tears. "I got Usagi killed, and then, as if that weren't bad enough, I could only stand there, watching as Aku killed Mako right in front of me. That coward shot two laser beams from his eyes, he shot them straight through Mako's chest! She fell face down in the dirt, and that was it, she was gone. I'd lost everyone, and that bastard was still standing, laughing about it!" Ami shouted as she slammed her fists on Tanaka's desk, leaving indentations in the metal. "I should've been the one who died that day, Usagi should be the one talking to you right now, not me! I failed as a guardian, I failed to protect my princess, my fiancé, and my friends! I failed them, all of them! I should be rotting in the ground with them right now, instead I get to keep living! Why?! What makes me so worthy of life when they're not?! Tell me sensei, why do I get to live when they don't?!" Ami screamed as she punched the desk again, splitting her knuckles on it and coating it in a layer of ice. Tanaka could only stare at Ami, horrified to not only hear what had happened to the other guardians, but shocked beyond words that Ami could ever fall to such a low state of mind. To Tanaka, Ami's current state was as terrifying as it was heartbreaking. "Well?! Aren't you gonna say something?! Yell at me, tell me how sorry you are, maybe ask if I hit my head again or something?! Are you gonna do anything other than stare at me with your mouth agape?! Answer me!" Ami shouted as she stared at Tanaka.

"I-I don't... I don't even know what to say Ms. Mizuno. It's no wonder you're so angry right now, I'm so sorry, I can't believe no one told me before you came to class today. All I was told was that you and your friends wouldn't be back to school for a while because of that Aku thing that appeared a while back. That's all the information I was given, and I just got it on a voicemail the day after break. I had no idea what had happened, none of us did; I'm so sorry Ami, is there anything I can do for you?" Tanaka quietly asked as she stared at Ami, still in shock over what she'd just heard.

"I just wanna be left alone sensei, just keep people away from me so I can get through my day and get the hell out of here. I've already demonstrated what I'll do if people cross me, and I'm not ashamed to say that I'll do it again if people screw with me. If you'll excuse me now, I have to get to class." Ami replied as she wheeled over to the door. "Stupid doors." Ami grumbled as she reached for the handle.

"Do you want some help Ms. Mizuno?" Tanaka asked as she got up from her desk. Ami lightly nodded as she looked down at her lap. "Do you need anything else Ms. Mizuno? Do want a hug or anything?" Tanaka asked as she opened the door for Ami.

"Another hug's not gonna bring them back." Ami replied as she wheeled out of the office and towards her first class.

"Whoa, what happened to yas this time Ami? If you looks like this then I'd hate ta see the other guy." A familiar voice said with a chuckle.

"I'm not in the mood Satsuki." Ami quietly said as she stopped in front of Satsuki.

"Jeez, what's got yer panties in a bunch. Ya bomb a test or something?" Satsuki asked with a straight face.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Ami replied as she started wheeling away.

"Hey, would all of yous mind if I came to the shrine and studied with all of yas for them upcoming finals? Yer gal Mako's really good at home ec right?" Satsuki asked in a friendly tone as she watched Ami wheel away. Ami stopped dead at the sound of Mako's name, even hearing her fiancé's name tugged at her heart strings.

"N-no, we're... we're not having any more study sessions. Just, just study on your own!" Ami answered as she started wheeling away again.

"Wait, what do you means we ain't having no more study sessions? Is it something I did?! Is Naru still angry with me fer all that mean stuffs I did in the past?! Ami! Ami don't go, I'm trying ta be better here! I thought yous gals were my friends, and now yer all just gonna abandon me! What the hell Ami?!" Satsuki shouted as she started following Ami.

"They didn't abandon you Satsuki, they abandoned me! They left me, they left me here alone! They left me on this mortal rock while they all went to heaven! They left me! They left me Satsuki, they all left me!" Ami shouted as she burst into tears.

"Ami, what in the world are yous talking about?! Y're talking crazy, y're talking like our friends is dead or something. They ain't dead er nothing, right?" Satsuki asked as she stopped walking and stood behind Ami.

"Yes Satsuki, they're dead! They're all dead! They died and left me here, they left me! They left me Satsuki, I'm all alone!" Ami shouted as she broke down and nearly fell out of her wheelchair.

"Hey! Careful Ami!" Satsuki yelled as she put her arm around Ami and held her in her chair. "What happened Ami, they's all so tough? How could they all be dead?" Satsuki asked in a shocked tone as she looked into Ami's eyes.

"I don't wanna talk about it anymore, I can't talk about it anymore. I see and hear them die every time I close my eyes, I don't wanna talk about it." Ami cried as she leaned her head against Satsuki's shoulder.

"I won't make yous. I'm so sorry Ami, I know that don't help nothing ta hear that, but I am sorry Ami." Satsuki quietly said as she held Ami close. "Come on, lets get yous ta class. You have a science right now, don't yas Ami? Was it astronomy or anatomy that yous has right now?" Satsuki asked as she patted Ami's back.

"Anatomy." Ami answered with a sniffle.

"Alright, let's go then. It ain't good fer a gal as smart as yous ta be late fer class." Satsuki said wit a smile as she wheeled Ami towards her anatomy class.

"Ami Mizuno. Ami Mizuno?" The teacher said as he looked around the room for Ami. "That's not like her to be absent without calling and letting the school know." The teacher said to himself as she looked down at his attendance sheet.

"Sorry she's a bit late sensei, she's uh, having a tough day. Hope yous can forgive her for that." Satsuki said as she wheeled Ami into class.

"I can see that she's having a tough day, what happened Ms. Mizuno? Did someone do this to you?" The teacher asked as he stared at Ami, noticing not only her wheel chair, but the amount of cuts, scrapes, and various other wounds she had.

"I don't wanna talk about it, but I wasn't beaten if that's what you're wondering. At least not by any human." Ami grumbled as Satsuki wheeled her to her desk.

"Take care Ami, if yous needs me just have them page me. I'm here for yas." Satsuki quietly said as she left the room.

"Okay class, where was I? Oh right, so today we're going to be talking about blood cell types, how they're created, how they move through the body, and the difference between veins and arteries. Now to start we'll be talking about one of the most well known blood cell types, the red blood cell. Does anyone know what the purpose of a red blood cell is? Anyone? What about you Ms. Mizuno, you're always good with your anatomy. What's the purpose of a red blood cell?" The teacher asked as he stared at Ami.

"To take my friends and fiancé from me when they all come oozing out of their bodies." Ami answered as she blankly stared at the board.

"Um... I'm sorry, what now?" The teacher asked in a confused tone as he stared at Ami.

"The amount of blood that was left behind when she finally died after the suffering. It just oozed out of the wound like slime, slowly collecting into a puddle under her. When we sent her home there was this huge red spot on the grass where she'd died, Usagi was distraught. First Mina, then Rei, then Kaede, next was Usagi, then I lost Mako. All of them, gone like dust in the wind, and I was left behind to suffer." Ami quietly said as she continued to stare blankly at the board.

"What are you talking about Ms. Mizuno?" The teacher asked in a confused tone as he and the rest of the class stared at Ami.

"They're all dead, and now I'm all alone. Ha ha! I'm all alone, just like I was in the beginning! How poetic, I always had this aching worry that one day my friends would all leave me, but I never thought they'd leave in the way they did! I mean for fucks sake, Kaede turned into a zombie and Mako shot her three times in the head! I thought everyone would just get bored of me and find cooler friends, instead they all went and died on me! I don't know what's worse, the fact that everyone died or the fact that I didn't! Why is the world so cruel, why?!" Ami screamed as she broke down in tears.

"Are you having a stroke right now Ms. Mizuno, what in the world are you going on about?!" The teacher shouted as he stared at Mercury.

"That's it! I'm tired of people asking me that! How in the hell does no one know what happened?! Do any of you morons even remember Aku coming to our planet and killing all of those soldiers on live T.V a few months ago?! Has that just slipped all of your minds?! Who do you think they sent to deal with a supernatural threat?! They sent superheroes with supernatural powers, and if you haven't put it together yet, that meant us! The Sailor Guardians were summoned by the U.N to hunt down and destroy Aku! We did it without question, and it cost us everything! It cost me everything!" Ami shouted, with emphasis on the word me.

"Of course everyone remembers Aku, he killed all of those soldiers and scientists on live T.V a while back. The U.N sent you and your friends to stop him?" The teacher replied and asked in a slightly surprised tone.

"Yeah, they did! They sent us to destroy Aku, and after days of traveling on a U.S Navel vessel we were taken to the island he'd originally appeared on. Our first confrontation with him almost ended with all of us dying, thankfully one of Usagi's new attacks drove him away. Since then we'd been working with the U.N to stop him, we spent almost a month in a literal war zone fighting demonic forces and robots. We chased the bastard across the multiverse even, and I lost someone at almost every jump. Minako was the only one of us to die on this planet in this universe. Everyone else was killed in some horrible way in an alternate universe. I'm the last inner Senshi, everyone else is dead, and I couldn't do shit about it. All I could do was watch, watch as my friends, my family, were taken from me one by one. Leaving me alone, just like I was in the beginning." Ami quietly cried as she put her hands over her face. The room was silent, everyone was beyond shocked at what they'd just heard.

"I don't understand how none of us knew about this, I can't believe they didn't report it on the news." A student whispered to the girl next to her.

"I never did trust the media." The girl whispered back with a grumpy expression.

"That's so sad, Sailor Venus was my hero, they all were. I can't believe they're all dead." Another student quietly said with a sniffle.

"I don't know, it all seems a little fishy if you ask me. No offense to Ami or anything, but she has hit her head quite a few times in the past year. Maybe it was all just some weird hallucination." A fourth student whispered to his classmate.

"Which one of you assholes just said that?" Ami growled as she looked up from her hands and glared at the class.

"I-I didn't mean to upset you, it's just... you have had quite a few head traumas Ami-San, you've been knocked into the mental state of a two or three year old several times over the past year, not to mention you had a brain bleed at least once." The student quietly replied in a nervous tone.

"So because of something that happened over six months ago I'm no longer credible, is that what you're telling me? You think I'm some sort of crazy lady that doesn't know what she's talking about?! Here! Is this proof enough for you!" Ami screamed as she ripped one of her bandage wraps off, revealing a second-degree burn from one of the titans. "Still not enough?! Go down to the cemetery and look at their graves, the dirt's still freshly disturbed where four of them were buried! Unfortunately we didn't even have the option of burying Minako since she was killed in an explosion! They sent teams in to try and find remains of some sort a day later, and they found absolutely nothing! She was completely incinerated by the blast! We couldn't even bury a piece of her, they found an old picture of her and put in Rei's coffin! That was the closest to a burial Minako got, not that she needed one, the blast cremated her in a matter of seconds! So there, do you believe me now?!" Ami shouted as she stared at the student, seething with rage and sorrow. No one could speak after what they'd just heard, everyone, including the teacher, was in a state of stunned silence. "I don't even know why I came back today, I'm going home." Ami cried as she slowly wheeled out the door.

"Ms. Mizuno! Ms. Mizuno wait, you don't..." The teacher tried to say, but Ami was already halfway down the hall before the teacher could even walk over to the door. "Poor girl." The teacher quietly said to himself as he stared at the door.

"Should one of us try and talk to her sensei?" One of the students asked as he looked at the teacher.

"No, give her some space. If she needs help she'll ask." The teacher replied as he walked over to the phone and pushed a few buttons.

"Hello?" Tanaka answered in a friendly tone.

"Tanaka-San, it's Mr. Hajime, Ms. Mizuno's anatomy teacher. I just wanted to let you know that she just had what I can only describe as some kind of mental breakdown, she said something about her friends being killed and then she stormed out of the room; said she was going home." The teacher explained in a sad tone.

"Alright, thank you for letting me know Mr. Haijime. Goodbye." Tanka thanked as she hung up the phone. With a small sigh Tanaka pushed a few buttons on her phone and waited for someone to answer on the other end. While Tanaka waited for her call to go through, Ami was wheeling out of the building without any specific destination in mind.

'Where am I going, I can't go home, there's no one there. I don't wanna be alone, do I? Fuck it, I'll figure it out as I go.' Ami thought to herself as she wheeled down the sidewalk. Ami continued aimlessly wheeling down the sidewalk until she was startled by a quick double siren.

"Good morning ma'am." A police officer said in a friendly tone as she pulled up alongside Ami.

"Nothing good about it." Ami mumbled as she continued wheeling down the sidewalk.

"Shouldn't you be in school right now?" The officer asked as she slowly drove alongside Ami.

"Shouldn't you be eating a box of donuts right now?" Ami grumbled as she continued down the sidewalk.

"Excuse me." The officer replied as she stared at Ami with dumbfounded expression.

"Did you not hear me or something? Shouldn't you be eating a bunch of donuts right now instead of bugging an unstable crippled girl?!" Ami shouted as she looked at the officer.

"Stop moving and put your hands on your lap." The officer ordered as she stopped her car and opened the door.

"Why?! What are you gonna do if I don't, shoot me?!" Ami shouted as she glared at the officer.

"Of course not, but your behavior concerns me, so I'll be detaining you for both my safety and yours." The officer replied as she pulled out her handcuffs.

"Safety, there's no such thing. It's just a fleeting sense of temporary security, nothing's safe forever. I could break out of these things right now if I wanted to." Ami grumbled as the officer cuffed her.

"Well you'd be the first." The officer replied in a flat tone.

"Yeah, I guess I am." Ami grumbled as she froze the handcuffs, then shattered them.

"What the hell?!" The officer shouted as she pulled her gun out and pointed it at Ami. "Don't move! I don't know what you are but if you try anything I'll shoot! Don't move!" The officer ordered as she trained her gun on Ami's head.

"Do I look like I care, look at me! I don't give a damn what you do to me, shoot me, tase me, pepper spray me, nothing can hurt me anymore than I'm already hurting! So if you're gonna shoot just do it, otherwise I'm out of here." Ami quietly said as she turned around and started wheeling away.

"Freeze!" The officer shouted as she held her gun in a trembling hand. Ami ignored her and kept going. "Stop where you are or I will open fire on you! This is your last warning!" The officer shouted as she started to squeeze her trigger.

"117 B-20! 117 B-20, this is dispatch, please respond. Over." A man called over the officer's radio just as she was about to fire.

"I need additional units to my location, I've got a suspect who's... I don't know what the hell she is dispatch. She froze my handcuffs and shattered them like glass, she's not human! I told her to stop and she isn't listening, I don't wanna shoot her, but I don't feel safe at all right now dispatch! I need backup before this escalates. Over." The officer said into her radio as she held her gun at Ami.

"Stand down! You are pointing your weapon at a Sailor Guardian, stand down now!" The man ordered in a frantic tone.

"Sailor Guardian?" The officer quietly asked as she lowered her gun slightly.

"117 you are to stand down and keep a safe distance between yourself and the guardian, she is not stable right now. Avoid contact and monitor her from a safe distance. Do you copy 117?" The man asked in a worried tone.

"I copy. Avoid direct contact and watch from afar, understood dispatch. Is someone coming to take care of her? Over." The officer replied and asked as she watched Ami wheel further away.

"No, but we think we know where she's going. We got a tip from her principal, just let her go and watch her from afar. Do not engage unless absolutely necessary. Over and out." The man informed in a soft tone.

"Out." The officer quietly replied as she continued to watch Ami.

---

"I don't understand this stuff! What kind of school is this?!" Buttercup shouted in anger as she crumpled her paper up.

"Yeah, Ms. Keane never made us do stuff this hard." Bubbles quietly said as she stared at her assignment.

"Even I don't know what I'm doing." Blossom groaned as she laid her head on her desk.

"I wanna go home, I wanna be in Ms. Keane's class!" Bubbles cried as she slammed her head on her desk in sorrow.

"How many times do I have to say it Bubs, we don't have a home anymore! Aku destroyed it and killed everyone!" Buttercup shouted as she looked at Bubbles.

"Stop yelling, our mommies wouldn't want us to be yelling and fighting!" Chibiusa said as she looked at Buttercup.

"It's not like they're here to stop us or anything! They're all dead, remember!" Blossom shouted in a sad and angry tone.

"Hey! Enough you four, please! Chibiusa, please sit at the desk on the far right side. You three on the other hand are staying where you are." The teacher instructed in an aggravated tone as she lightly rubbed her forehead with her middle and index fingers. With a huff everyone moved to where they were instructed to move to. "Okay, now then, where were we?" The teacher asked as she looked at her book.

"Sorry to bother you, but there's a Ms. Mizuno here to see her girls." A man suddenly said as he poked his head in the classroom door.

"Ami mommy!" All three puffs yelled as they dashed out of the room before anyone could even blink.

"Yay, Ami!" Chibiusa cheered as she ran after the puffs.

"I don't get paid enough to deal with all this superhero stuff." The teacher sighed as she lightly shook her head back and forth.

"Ami mommy!" Bubbles cheered as she and her sisters dashed up to Ami at the front door.

"Hi Bubbles." Ami quietly said as she hugged Bubbles.

"Ami mommy." Blossom quietly said a she and Buttercup hugged Ami.

"My babies." Ami whispered with a few tears as she hugged the puffs tighter.

"Hi Ami." Chibiusa quietly said as she looked at Ami.

"Hi Chibiusa." Ami cried as she patted Chibiusa's head. "You look so much like her." Ami cried with a small smile.

"I miss Usagi." Chibiusa quietly said with a few tears as she looked up at Ami.

"I do to Chibiusa, I miss them all." Ami replied as she picked Chibiusa up and hugged her.

"Why are you here Ami mommy?" Blossom asked with a sad expression.

"I'm going to visit an acquaintance of ours, I thought you girls might wanna come with." Ami replied with a small smile.

"Who are we going to see Ami mommy?" Buttercup asked as she sat in Ami's lap.

"He likes to repeat himself a lot." Ami giggled as she looked down at her transport watch.

"Can I come with?" Chibiusa asked with pleading eyes.

"Sure Chibiusa." Ami answered with a smile. "Now let's go." Ami said as she set the coordinates on her watch, then activated her portal.

"We're going home." Blossom whispered as she stared into the swirling portal.

"That's right girls." Ami replied as she wheeled through the portal with everyone.

---

"Are you gonna leave us here Ami mommy?" Blossom asked as everyone exited the portal.

"Never. I just wanted to see if he was around, if anyone could've survived this it would've been him." Ami answered as she patted Blossom's head.

"Him would survive a monster like Aku, they'd probably be best friends." Buttercup grumbled as she crossed her arms.

"What happened to this place Ami, it looks so different from when I last visited it?" Chibiusa asked as she looked at all the devastation around her.

"Aku happened." Ami said through gritted teeth as she started wheeling forward. "This is gonna take too long with my chair, Buttercup, could you give mommy a lift please?" Ami asked with a small smile as she looked at Buttercup.

"Yeah." Buttercup answered as she picked Ami and her whole wheelchair up.

"I've got Chibiusa." Bubbles informed as she picked Chibiusa up.

"I think you know where we're going." Ami quietly said as she looked at Blossom.

"Follow me everyone." Blossom said as she dashed forward. Bubbles and Buttercup quickly followed with Chibiusa and Ami.

"An observatory, it looks really cool." Chibiusa said with an excited expression as the observatory came into view.

"Wait until you see the inside." Ami replied with a grin.

"Hello!" Blossom yelled as she flew into the observatory. She was greeted with silence though, a dark and silent room.

"Yo Mojo! Are you here?!" Buttercup yelled as she and Bubbles entered the observatory.

"Could it be? Do Mojo's ears deceive him?" Mojo quietly said as he turned the lights on. To everyone's relief and joy, Mojo was standing there in the center of the room, alive and well. "You're alive, all three of you are alive. Mojo is so happy for that, it is nice to see you again puny puffs." Mojo said with a smile as he held his arms out to the puffs.

"Mojo!" The girls cheered as they flew over to Mojo and hugged him.

"Hello again Ms. Mercury, it's nice to see you." Mojo said with a smile as he stared at Ami.

"It's nice to see you to." Ami quietly replied with a smile and a few tears.

"Girls, why don't you go and play a game or something with your pink haired friend over there. I think your mommy and Mojo should talk." Mojo said with a small smile as he looked at the puffs, then at Ami.

"Okay." The puffs replied as they flew over to Chibiusa. "Come on Chibiusa, Mojo's place is really cool!" Blossom said as she picked Chibiusa up and flew away with her.

"To what do I owe the pleasure Ms. Mizuno?" Mojo asked as he walked over by Ami.

"I need something built, something only you could make. I've been thinking about how everything went down, and how I could do it better." Ami said with a stern expression.

"It's not possible, even with both of our intellects combined. It is impossible. To travel through the multiverse is one thing, but to travel through time is another thing entirely. The science doesn't exist yet, but even if it did, it would be unwise to attempt to create such a machine. I'm sorry, but I can't and won't." Mojo quietly said as he turned away from Ami.

"I understand, I figured it was a long shot anyways." Ami sighed as she wheeled away.

"You're welcome to stay, there's not much for entertainment since most of the T.V networks have collapsed, but I still have some music discs if you'd like to listen." Mojo politely offered.

"No thanks Mojo, I just need some quiet to be honest. Could you please watch the girls for me, I need to try and quiet my mind a bit?" Ami asked with a sad expression.

"Of course." Mojo replied with a smile.

"Thanks." Ami thanked as she wheeled over to the T.V and stared at it.

"So girls, who wants to help Mojo try and make a working oven so he can make cookies?" Mojo asked with a smile as he looked at Chibiusa and the puffs.

"We do!" All four of them cheered as they rushed over to Mojo.

"Excellent, let's go girls." Mojo said with a smile as he lead the kids into a different room. Hours passed as Mojo worked with the girls to build some sort of oven like machine, and the whole time Ami had been staring at a blank television screen. "Girls, I'm very worried about your mother. Is she like this often?" Mojo asked as he fiddled with some gears on his oven like contraption.

"We don't know, we've been staying with Chibiusa for a while. Ami mommy's been really weird lately, she gets really angry and sad for no reason." Blossom answered as she mixed some dough.

"Keep working girls, I'm going to check on your mommy." Mojo said as he left the kitchen. "Ami, are you alright?" Mojo asked in a soft tone. There was no answer, Ami just stared blankly at the empty T.V screen. "Ami." Mojo said as he walked over to Ami. Again there was no response, no sign that she'd even noticed he was in the room. "Sailor Mercury!" Mojo yelled in a somewhat low tone.

"What?!" Ami jumped as she looked around a little.

"I was worried about this. Are you talking to anyone?" Mojo asked as he sat down next to Ami.

"Talking? To who?" Ami asked in a confused tone.

"A counselor or something." Mojo replied with a straight face.

"Um... no, not at the moment. I'm still uh, I don't know, denying it I guess. I keep telling myself that it's all just a dream, you'll wake up soon. But then eventually I realize that it's not a dream, they're really gone." Ami quietly said as she lightly rubbed her engagement ring.

"They?" Mojo asked with a straight face.

"All of them. He killed them all Mojo, right in front of me for the most part. One after the other, like satanic dominoes, they fell one by one, until I was the only one standing. Standing against him, the worst evil to ever threaten the multiverse. Reaper was a part of Aku this whole time, no wonder he was so rotten. He was a rotten fruit that fell from a decaying tree, and that tree sucked the life out of everything before it finally died." Ami explained with a few tears.

"Not everything, for you're still here Ms. Mercury, your girls are still here. He didn't take everything." Mojo said with a smile as he put his hand on Ami's shoulder.

"I'm glad the girls are okay, but honestly, I wish I had died. I wish I had died with my friends, I feel like I'm being punished Mojo, punished for the horrible things I've done in the past year." Ami cried as she looked down at her lap.

"Oh Ms. Mercury, you are too hard on yourself. Mojo does not believe the universe is punishing you for the things you've done, sometimes life is just cruel like this. That being said, would you rather have died and left the girls alone? They already lost their father, imagine if they had lost their mother as well, it would've destroyed them." Mojo replied with a sad expression.

"They did loose their mother, they lost both of their mothers. Mako was killed and I... I died to, just not literally. But I feel dead inside Mojo, like I've lost everything that made me who I was. Now there's nothing but a swirling vortex of pain. I feel so alone Mojo, and guilty, guiltier than I've ever felt before. Why did the universe or God or whoever, see fit to let me live when they all died?! What makes me so special and worthy of survival when they weren't?! I don't understand Mojo, I don't understand!" Ami shouted as she burst into tears.

"Being worthy of life has nothing to do with what happened, all of your friends were worthy of life. Sometimes life just isn't fair, the wicked thrive and the innocent suffer, it's just the cruelty of life. Though Mojo believes in balance, for making the innocent suffer, Aku himself suffered and died for his actions. You fought for what was right, you fought to protect your loved ones and everyone else, you were rewarded with your life and the safety of your girls. It may seem as though the deaths of your friends is a punishment for something you've done, but in truth it is just a random tragedy. Just like what happened to the professor and so many others, unless you think the girls did something to deserve what happened, then all of this sorrow and death is just a random tragedy. They, like you, did nothing to deserve what happened, sometimes the world is just cruel like that." Mojo replied with a sad smile as he gently hugged Ami. "Now try and rest, Mojo will take care of the girls for as long as you need him to." Mojo said with a smile as he let go of Ami.

"Okay. Thank you Mojo." Ami thanked with a sniffle as she wiped her tears away.

"There are a lot of people who are here for you Ami, all you need to do is ask for help, and it shall come in great numbers." Mojo said with a small smile as he left the room.

"Look Mojo, we made cookies!" Bubbles yelled as she dashed up to Mojo and held out a cookie.

"Very good Bubbles, but how did you bake these? Mojo didn't even finish construction his oven." Mojo asked as he took the cookie and bit into it.

"Like this." Buttercup answered as she looked at some uncooked dough, then zapped it with her heat vision. "Tada! Instant baking." Buttercup said with a grin as she ate one of the cookies.

"Very ingenious Buttercup, good work girls." Mojo said with a smile as he sat down at the table.

"Is Ami mommy okay?" Bubbles asked in a sad tone as she floated over to Mojo.

"Your mother is... sick right now, but not like you would think." Mojo replied with a sad expression.

"Is it like when I tried to get her to play a shooting game and she got all scared? The professor said that the game made her remember scary things and that's why she got all angry and frightened." Buttercup asked with a small frown.

"Yeah, the professor said that she had uh, ppd or pted, I don't remember exactly what he said, but it started with a p." Blossom added with sad expression.

"Yes, your mother has PTSD, though it is more severe than when she first met you girls. She's going to need you three to be strong and brave for her, and she'll do her best to do the same for you. If she yells at you or says mean things though, don't take it to heart, for she may not always have control over her actions and reactions, at least not until she's recovered a bit. Do you understand girls?" Mojo asked with a smile.

"We understand." Blossom quietly answered.

"Good girls, now let's decorate your pretty cookies. Mojo has icing and sprinkles for you to use." Mojo said with a smile as he walked over to a cabinet and dug through it.

"Yay, sprinkles!" Bubbles cheered with excitement.

"Frosting!" Buttercup cheered as she flew over to Mojo.

"Do you have food coloring?" Blossom asked in hopeful tone.

"Of course Mojo has food coloring, what fun is plain white frosting on a white sugar cookie? Boring! Mojo has several shades of color wheels worth of colors! He has neon, basic, dark, light, and everything in between. Mojo loves food coloring." Mojo answered with a smile as he set sixty different colored droppers on the counter.

"Woah! That's gotta be almost every color ever!" Chibiusa yelled with excitement.

"Not even close little puffy haired girl, fun fact, there are over ten-million colors in the world. Even by mixing all of these in every possible combination, you wouldn't be able to make even a thousandth of the existing colors." Mojo said with a smile. "Now you girls have fun making pretty cookies, Mojo will be in by Ami while you all work. If you need Mojo just come get him. Have fun girls." Mojo informed with a smile as he left the room.

"I feel bad for Ami mommy, she's so sad and scared." Bubbles said with a small frown as she mixed up some pink frosting.

"I feel bad to, we're making cookies while Ami mommy's just sitting in the other room. Maybe we should ask if she wants to help us." Blossom suggested with a small smile as she looked at everyone else.

"Take it from me, the best thing we can do for Ami right now is to give her space unless she asks for support. I've seen her like this before, I saw all of them when they were like this in the past. You three never saw them after they came home from that scary world, I would hear Usagi crying in her room sometimes because of how scared she was, and sometimes I would hear her talking to Ikuko mama about what she went through. It was really sad and scary. Ikuko mama said that I shouldn't ask her about any of it, at least not often. She said the best thing I could do for Usagi and her friends was just be there for them when they needed me, but until then I should just give them space. I don't know why Ikuko mama said that, but it seemed to work, so we should do the same for Ami now." Chibiusa explained in a sad tone as she set her sprinkle cup down.

"Well I don't like just standing around while Ami mommy's so upset, she talked to me when I was sad and upset. If it hadn't been for her then our family may never have been the same again. I'm gonna talk to her." Buttercup said in a determined tone as she set her sprinkles down and floated towards the living room.

"Hello Buttercup, how are the cookies coming along?" Mojo quietly asked as Buttercup floated into the room.

"Good. Can I talk to Ami mommy please?" Buttercup asked as she sat down by Mojo.

"Soon, let her sleep for now though." Mojo answered as he draped a blanket over Ami.

"But it's important. I wanna know what's going on, I don't understand all of this. Ami mommy's so different now, everything's so different, and I'm... I'm scared Mojo, I'm scared! Everyone's gone, mommy's acting weird, and no one's talking to us about any of it! I don't understand it Mojo!" Buttercup yelled as she threw herself into Mojo's chest and cried.

"I wish I had the answers little puff, but even Mojo has run out of things to say about what has happened. But I don't blame you for feeling scared or confused, and I'm sorry that I can't answer your question or make you feel better." Mojo quietly said as he hugged Buttercup.

"I want my family back." Buttercup quietly cried as she snuggled with Mojo. Mojo didn't know how to respond to those painful words, so he just silently held Buttercup in his arms. Another hour passed and by that point everyone but Mojo was either asleep or falling asleep.

"We should get you all home to rest, Mojo will pack up your cookies so you can show everyone what lovely decorators you are." Mojo said with a small smile as he slowly stood up from the couch.

"Mojo." Bubbles quietly said with some tears as she looked at Mojo.

"Yes Bubbles?" Mojo asked as he looked at Bubbles. "What's wrong Bubbles? You're not supposed to cry, you're bubbly and happy, which is why you were named Bubbles, because you are happy and bubbly." Mojo rambled as he knelt down by Bubbles.

"I had a bad dream about the professor. He was all bloody and sad, he said that he was sorry that he left me. Then I saw my aunties and mommy, they were all beat up and bloody like daddy, and auntie Kaede had a big hole in her head! My mommy had a hole in her chest and my other aunties were all bloody or beat up! The only one I didn't see was auntie Mina! It was really scary!" Bubbles cried as she clung to Mojo.

"I saw them to Bubbles." Ami quietly cried as she looked at Bubbles from her spot on the couch. "I think they were trying to tell us goodbye." Ami quietly suggested with some tears.

"Why did they look like that mommy, why were they so bloody?!" Bubbles asked as tears poured from her eyes.

"Because that's what they looked like when they died. How they appeared in our dreams is how they looked on the battlefield when they took their last breath." Ami explained with her own downpour of tears.

"Where was auntie Mina, she wasn't in my dream?" Bubbles asked with a sniffle as she stared at Ami.

"She was there Bubbles, we just couldn't see her. When your auntie Mina was killed she uh... there was nothing left to recover. So she appeared as she died, formless. She had no physical form upon her death so instead her invisible spirit was there, right next to Rei. I'm sorry you saw your aunties like that Bubbles, but as sad as it may be to see, I'm glad you got to see them. They'll always be watching over you girls, and if you ever need them just speak and they will hear you." Ami said with a sad smile as she wiped her tears away. "Now grab some cookies, I think we should go home soon." Ami said with a sniffle as she slowly sat up.

"Okay Ami mommy." Bubbles replied as she hugged Mojo. "Bye Mojo, thank you for making cookies for us." Bubbles thanked as she snuggled against Mojo.

"You girls did all the work Bubbles, and you can all come back and visit whenever you'd like to." Mojo replied as he hugged Bubbles with one arm and held his other one out to Blossom and Buttercup.

"Bye Mojo, we'll miss you." Blossom said with a sad smile as she and Buttercup hugged Mojo goodbye.

"Mojo will miss you all as well, but his door is always open to you and anyone else you want bring with. Goodbye girls, come back soon, maybe next time Mojo will have a working oven to make cake in." Mojo chuckled as he let go of the puffs. "Goodbye Ami, take care of the girls, but don't forget to take care of yourself as well. You're welcome to come and visit any time you feel the need to talk, Mojo will always be here for you." Mojo said with a smile as he hugged Ami.

"Thanks Mojo, I'll miss you to." Ami groaned as Mojo squeezed her in a bear hug.

"Mojo, you're crushing Ami mommy!" Blossom quickly pointed out with concern.

"Oh! My bad, sorry Ami." Mojo apologized with a smile as he let go of Ami.

"It's alright, it's nice to get a hug like that. It reminds me of how Mako use to hug me." Ami replied with a smile and a few tears.

"I'm sorry for the loss you all suffered, but I'm glad that you and the puffs are safe. Goodbye Ami, come back soon." Mojo quietly said as he took a few steps back from everyone.

"We will, thanks again Mojo." Ami thanked as she pushed a button on her watch and opened a portal. "Come on girls, let's go home." Ami quietly said as she gestured the puffs and Chibiusa through the portal.

"Bye Mojo, thanks for letting us come over and make cookies!" Blossom said as she waved goodbye.

"Bye Mojo!" Bubbles and Buttercup said with a smiles as they also waved to Mojo.

"So long puffs, see you soon." Mojo replied as he waved goodbye. With that everyone stepped through the portal, and with a flash they were all gone.

---

"I had fun with Mojo, it was nice to see that he was okay." Blossom said with small smile as she and everyone else exited the portal.

"Yeah, I never thought that Mojo would ever be a friend like that, but I guess after everything that's happened even he can change." Buttercup replied as she floated over to Blossom. "Um, Bloss?" Buttercup asked as she took in her surroundings.

"Yep, I noticed." Blossom replied as she looked around a bit.

"What is this place?" Chibiusa quietly asked as she looked at Ami.

"I don't think this is our home." Bubbles quietly said as she looked around, seeing that they were on the roof of building in the middle of a large city.

"It's not, but I've been here before. Stay close girls, this universe has some bad people in it. Then again, I'm sure you four could take 'em no sweat." Ami said with a smile as she looked around a little. "Yeah, I know this place for sure." Ami said with a grin as she looked up at a higher rooftop, seeing four pairs of eyes staring down at her. After a moment one of the figures leapt from the roof it was on and landed by Ami, followed by the other three.

"Ami, is that you?" The first figure asked as it approached Ami.

"Yeah, the last fight with Aku really hit me hard." Ami quietly replied as she stared at the figure.

"Oh my god! Ami, don't look now, but there are three floating children and a girl with cotton candy hair next to you." One of the other figures said as it pointed at the puffs.

"Yo numb skull, I think she knows that." A third one replied as it slapped the second one upside its head.

"Come on Raph, don't pick on Mikey like that." Ami chuckled as she stared at the four mutant turtles in front of her. "It's good to see you all." Ami quietly said with a smile as she let some tears fall from her eyes.

"What's wrong Ami, is everything alright?" Leo asked as he knelt down by Ami.

"Just seeing you all together is a little hard for me. Aku, he, he killed my friends, my fiancé, he killed them all Leo. I'm the last inner guardian. I lost my fiancé, my friends, and the girls lost their mom, their dad, and their aunts. I feel so lost right now, I don't even know what to do anymore. I took the girls to visit someone from their world and he talked to me a little, but I'm so lost without them, no amount of talking is helping. I'm scared and angry, I've hurt people with my words, and I froze some snobby punk in a block of ice! I look like me and sound like me, but that's just a shell; on the inside I'm shattered, I'm not me anymore. I thought that maybe by talking to Mojo it would help, but I'm still so angry and sad and confused! I just... I can't say it, not in front of the girls." Ami cried as she held her head in her hands.

"You know, when we feel unbalanced inside, we talk to Master Splinter, he always knows how to bring us inner peace and balance. Maybe if you talk to him then you can find balance again as well." Leo suggested as he put a hand on Ami's shoulder.

"Thank you, I actually would like to talk a little." Ami replied with a sniffle.

"Alright, we'll take you to see Master Splinter." Leo said as he looked back at his brothers.

"There's just one issue here Leo, how are we gonna get Ami off the roof? By the looks of her leg it needs to be kept elevated at a hundred and eighty degree angle." Donnie pointed out in a sad tone.

"Leave that to us." Blossom said with a grin as she picked Ami and her wheelchair up.

"Wow, she makes you look like a wimp Raph." Mikey laughed as he looked at Raphael.

"Even I ain't gonna deny that one, she is one tough kid." Raph said with a grin as he stared at Blossom.

"Follow us." Leo instructed as he jumped to another roof, then headed for the fire escape.

"Come on Chibiusa." Bubbles said with a smile as she picked Chibiusa up.

"After you." Donatello said as he gestured to the fire escape.

"Thanks." Blossom thanked as she flew down to street level, followed by Bubbles and Buttercup.

"I am so jealous, why can everyone fly when we can't? They've got flying squirrels, flying fish, even flying children; but no flying turtles! That's just cruel dudes." Mikey said with a sigh as he jumped down the fire escape.

"Yeah, but we're ninjas. How many fish and children can say that?" Raph asked with a smirk as he followed Mikey.

"Alright, let's go." Leo said as he landed on the ground, then lifted a sewer cover.

"Why are we going in the sewer, isn't that were all the poo poo goes?" Bubbles asked as she peered into the manhole.

"Not where we live." Donatello replied as he jumped into the hole.

"Don, Ami's chair isn't gonna fit unless we fold it. So I'm gonna hand her down to you, remember to keep her leg straight though." Leo informed as he slowly helped Ami up.

"Perhaps you should send the chair first so she doesn't have to stand on one foot while she waits." Donatello suggested as he looked up at Leo.

"That's why you're the brains." Leo said with a smile as he looked at Raph, who folded Ami's chair and handed it to Donatello.

"Thanks." Donatello replied with a grin as he took the chair and unfolded it. "It's all good, send her down." Donatello instructed as he looked up at Ami.

"Hey creepy turtle, eyes down, Ami mommy's in a skirt!" Buttercup scolded as she glared down at Donatello.

"I highly doubt he's looking at me like that Buttercup, but thanks for watching out for me. You're such a sweetheart." Ami giggled as she patted Buttercup's head.

"Here she comes Don, take it slow and easy." Leo ordered as he carefully lowered Ami down to Donatello.

"I've got her." Donatello replied as he gently grabbed Ami's waist and lowered her the rest of the way down before setting her in her chair.

"Thank you." Ami thanked as she positioned her leg rest so she could keep her leg elevated.

"Any time Ami, now let's get going." Donatello replied as he started wheeling Ami down the sewer drain.

"Wait, where are the girls?" Ami asked as she looked behind her for Chibiusa and the puffs.

"Right here." Blossom answered as she and her sisters floated into the hole with Chibiusa.

"Alright, now that everyone's here we can get going." Leo said as he started leading everyone towards their home.

"Wow, this place is pretty tidy for a sewer." Ami said as she looked around a little. The walls were made of brick and very few of them were cracked or eroded, she also noted the lack of garbage and other unsightly things that would be common of a sewer.

"Of course, it is our home after all, or part of it anyways." Donatello replied as he wheeled Ami to a large door.

"Woah. I know I'm not from your world and all, but that doesn't look like it came from earth." Ami quietly said with surprise as she stared at a large tan brick wall with a pentagon shaped door on it. The door was made of some sort of metal that had several glowing neon blue lights that were built into it in a very intricate layout.

"It actually did, it's Atlantean believe it or not." Donatello informed as he put a passcode in to open the door.

"Wait, Atlantean?! As in the lost city of Atlantis, are you saying that it exists in your universe?!" Ami asked in a shocked and excited tone as she stared at Donatello.

"It does, and we've actually been there." Donatello replied as he watched the door slowly open.

"What was it like?! Why did it sink?! Did it have citizens like merpeople or anything?!" Ami asked in a super giddy tone.

"It was incredible, like nothing I'd ever seen before; and it did have citizens, but not merpeople. As for the reason it sank, well it was actually sunk by an alliance of humans and other mythical creatures. You see, as their technology and knowledge grew, so to did their arrogance. They began to see themselves as the superior beings of the world, they enslaved many different specious and worked them to the bone to build their utopian city. Eventually the slaves revolted and in the fighting the city was sunk, it's remained there for several millennia, and still sits beneath the waves to this day." Donatello explained with a straight face.

"Wow, that's amazing. If it exists in this universe then maybe it exists in mine as well." Ami said with a smile as Leo wheeled her towards the center of the lair.

"It just might." Donatello replied with a smile as everyone stopped walking.

"I wonder where sensei is, he normally comes to greet us when we get back." Leo said as he looked around a little.

"Master splinter!" Raph shouted as he looked around a little bit.

"Sensei!" Mikey yelled as he walked towards a room with a Japanese style sliding door.

"Something isn't right." Ami quietly said looked around a little.

"That is something we can agree on!" Someone suddenly shouted. Before Ami even had time to look, there was something soaring towards her.

"AH!" Ami screamed in fear as an almost five foot tall rat in a brown robe landed in front of her and pointed a walking stick at her throat.

"Who are you and how did you find this place?! Where are my sons?!" The rat shouted as it pressed the stick into Ami's throat.

"Get back!" Ami shouted as she instinctively fired an icicle at the rodent. The rat easily dodged the projectile, despite it only being a foot away and fast traveling.

"What have you done with my sons you witch?!" The rodent shouted as it grabbed Ami by her collar.

"Let our Ami mommy go!" Blossom yelled as she and her sisters dashed at the rodent.

"Sensei don't! She's a friend!" Leo yelled as he and his brothers all converged by the rodent.

"Friend? I was not aware that you had another human friend apart from Ms. O'Neal and Mr. Jones." The rat replied as he stepped back from Ami.

"Master, this is Ami, she's one of the women we told you about. The magical ones who defeated Shredder." Leonardo explained as he gestured to Ami.

"Forgive me, I hope I didn't hurt you. After everything that's happened I'm a bit cautious right now, no telling if that thing will return." The rat replied in a kind tone. "Forgive my rudeness, my name is Splinter, may I ask what to call you?" The rat asked as it bowed to Ami.

"A-Ami, Ami Mizuno!" Ami answered as she began to hyperventilate.

"What's wrong Ami mommy?" Blossom asked as she looked at Ami with some concern.

"I...can't...b-bre..." Ami tried to answer as her breathing became even more erratic.

"What did you do to our Ami mommy?!" Buttercup shouted as she dashed up to Splinter and grabbed him, then lifted him into the air.

"S-Stop...Butter...cup!" Ami yelled as she continued to hyperventilate.

"What did you do to her?!" Blossom yelled as she and Bubbles flew over to Buttercup and glared at Splinter.

"P-put...him...down!" Ami demanded as she started lightly gasping.

"I think I know what's going." Donatello said as he rushed over to Ami.

"What's wrong with our mommy?!" Bubbles yelled as she flew over to Ami.

"She's having a panic attack, we need to get her to slow her breathing and calm down a bit." Donatello informed as he gently took Ami's hand in his own. "Ami, Ami it's Donatello. It's okay, just try and breathe easy, you're okay. Just take some slow deep breaths, nice and easy Ami." Donatello instructed as he gently squeezed Ami's hand.

"I...can't...breathe!" Ami gasped as she squeezed Donatello's hand.

"Yes you can, just close your eyes and focus on my voice. Slow breaths, slow breaths." Donatello calmly replied as he continued to hold Ami's hand. After a few seconds Ami's breathing began to slow and return to normal. "There we go, nice and easy Ami. Good job." Donatello said with a smile as he continued to hold Ami's hand.

"What happened to Ami mommy?" Buttercup quietly asked as she stared at Ami.

"She had a panic attack, I've seen it happen to Usagi before. It happened when she was jump scared as some call it, they all had that issue for a long time. I remember Rei having one just a few weeks before Aku showed up. She was helping me study when a chunk of melting snow fell off the shrine roof and a big piece of ice that fell with it broke on the ground. It made a loud bang and Rei almost jumped out of her skin, then she started breathing like Ami was a moment ago. Mina came in and helped her calm down, then she explained to me what had happened. It was scary, but it's not dangerous if you know how to help them calm down." Chibiusa explained with a sad expression.

"Thank you...Donatello. Thanks for talking me through that, I've had a few attacks since everything happened, but you were one of the first to help me calm down so quickly, normally it takes several minuets. I think the longest one I ever had lasted fifteen minutes from start to finish. Thank you." Ami quietly cried as she hugged Donatello.

"You're welcome Ami." Donatello replied as he hugged Ami back.

"I apologize again for frightening you so much Ms. Mizuno, I hope you can forgive an uniformed old rat for his over protective actions." Splinter apologized as he bowed to Ami.

"It's okay sir, I would be the same way if my girls brought home some random stranger. Come to think of it, their dad was similarly hostile towards me when the girls first brought me to meet him." Ami chuckled in response.

"So Ms. Mizuno, what brings you to our home, if you don't mind my asking?" Splinter asked as he stared at Ami.

"Honestly sir, an accident. I meant to bring the girls and myself back to my universe after visiting theirs, but I either mistyped the coordinates or something went wrong with my transporter's mechanics." Ami answered as she looked at her watch.

"Perhaps it was no accident that you and your children ended up here." Splinter said with a thoughtful expression.

"What do you mean sir?" Ami asked in a confused tone as splinter slowly began to walk in a circle around her.

"I sense great darkness in you Ms. Mizuno, a darkness that can easily consume a person. You are troubled, angered, and hurting inside." Splinter explained as he stopped circling Ami and stood in front of her.

"I won't deny that." Ami quietly replied as she looked down at her lap.

"Do not hide your pain Ms. Mizuno, tears are not a weakness, even in front of the children." Splinter said with a smile as he gently tilted Ami's head upwards, revealing streams of tears sliding down her cheeks.

"I don't like for them to see me crying, I'm supposed to be strong for them." Ami said with a sniffle as she wiped her tears away.

"True strength comes from admitting one's weaknesses, and one's pain. To ask for help is the toughest thing a person can do Ms. Mizuno, it is those who let their pain out that are truly strong." Splinter said with a small smile as he dabbed at Ami's tears with his robe sleeve.

"I'm lost Splinter, I'm so lost right now. I feel alone, angry, hateful even. I want so desperately to do the impossible and change the past, I feel like I could've done more to save them! Aku killed everyone, he killed my friends, my princess, my fiancé; he took them all away! The worst part is that I was helpless to do anything about it, the only thing I could do was avenge them and finish the bastard off! But even that didn't stop the pain, I'm so so lost! I don't... I don't even wanna keep living!" Ami blurted out through her tears. This was a shock to everyone in the room, especially to Chibisua and the puffs. "I know how selfish and cruel that is, and I'm sorry for that, but I honestly don't wanna live like this anymore! I've lost everything and everyone I love with the exception of the girls, but without Mako and my friends, my life is just falling to pieces. I'm miserable, I'm so miserable without them. They were my family, and I couldn't protect them." Ami quietly cried as she looked up at Splinter.

"I am truly sorry that you feel so much pain Ms. Mizuno, but self harm is never the answer to our pain. Think of the people you would leave behind, the kind of pain your death would cause them. Would you want to put them through the same pain you're feeling now?" Splinter asked in a sad tone.

"Of course not, but everyday is just becoming harder and harder. To the point where I just don't care anymore, where the only thing I care about is ending my own suffering. I know it's selfish, but I just don't care." Ami cried into her hands.

"The pain you feel is normal, the pain of loss. But you must remember that death is only a temporary inconvenience for those truly in love, your fiancé is watching over you right now; and though I never met him I know that he would be heartbroken to hear you say these things." Splinter said with a sad expression as he put a hand on Ami's shoulder.

"Her." Ami quietly said with a sniffle.

"Her?" Splinter asked in a confused tone.

"You said him, but my fiancé was a woman. Her name was Makoto Kino, but everyone called her Mako for short. I use to call her my lighting bug though, because she would always light up my world, even on the darkest of days." Ami explained with a sniffle.

"She sounds like a wonderful woman Ms. Mizuno, and I know that she would want you to keep living." Splinter said with a smile as he gently hugged Ami.

"I know that she would, but I just don't want to anymore. I'm angry, and lonely, and I just don't have the strength to keep this up. I'm sorry." Ami quietly said with a sad expression.

"You have more strength than you realize Ms. Mizuno, you just need to look within yourself to find it." Splinter quietly said as he hugged Ami.

"No, I don't." Ami said as she backed away from Splinter, then activated her transport watch. In the blink of an eye, Ami was gone, leaving the girls, Splinter, and the turtles with frozen faces of shock.

"Where did Ami mommy go?" Bubbles quietly asked as she looked back at Splinter.

"I don't know, but you must find her, and fast! Go, find your mother, protect her as she protects you!" Splinter instructed as he looked at Bubbles.

"He's right, come on girls! Ami mommy needs us!" Blossom yelled as she activated her own watch.

"But how are we gonna know which universe she went to, there are literally infinite possibilities?" Chibisua asked with a worried expression.

"Our watches are all linked together, I opened a portal directly to Ami mommy's current location." Blossom answered as she stared into the swirling portal in front of her.

"Then what are we waiting for Bloss?" Buttercup asked as she dashed into the portal, followed by her sisters and Chibiusa.

"Come on guys, let's go!" Leo yelled as he started following the girls.

"No my sons, this is something they must do on their own." Splinter said as he held his walking stick up, then watched as the portal slowly closed. "Good luck girls, you are her best hope." Splinter quietly said as he watched the last remnants of the portal vanish.