The sunlight felt warm on her skin. It cast a soft glow that chased the last remnants of the nightmare away. The sky was a radiant blue, the grass beneath her feet soft and inviting. In the distance, a bird chirped its joy toward the heavens.

  This feels real. This is real .

  A faint breeze tugged at Ami’s lab coat. It billowed behind her as she strolled through the grass. She focused on the sound of the wind as it whispered through the leaves of a nearby tree. She took a deep breath, savored the scent of earth and grass, then exhaled her fear and anxiety.

  A closer look at her surroundings caused her heart to sink. Neat rows of tombstones, polished and engraved, lined the narrow pathways. Of course, this was a peaceful, idyllic place. It was a graveyard.

  How did I get here? What was that door?

  Her analytical mind kicked into gear as she considered and dismissed a series of possibilities. Logic struggled to keep pace with these strange events.

  “Hello, Ami.”

  The voice cut through her thoughts, as familiar as the sound of her own heartbeat.

  Usagi!

  Without a second thought, she walked toward the voice at a brisk pace. If Usagi was here, they could figure this out together. When she caught sight of her friend, however, her steps faltered.

  There, standing in front of a grave, was Usagi. Her radiant presence looked diminished somehow. She had cut her long, vibrant hair down to shoulder-length. She stood slumped, heavy with an invisible burden. Then there was the visible weight she carried.

  She’s at least 8 months pregnant. How…?

  Ami’s chest tightened. Time travel. The door must have brought her forward in time, to when Usagi was expecting Chibiusa.

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  “I’m sorry I’ve not been here in a while, Ami.” Usagi’s voice was just shy of a whisper. “Things have been so busy.”

  Her fingers traced the edge of the gravestone in front of her.

  “The baby will be here soon. It’s a girl. Mamoru is so excited.”

  Her hands cradled her belly, and she started to cry.

  “I just can’t help but wish you were here, Ami. I’m so scared that I won’t be a good mother. You always knew just what to say. You always knew how to make me feel better.”

  That’s my grave. I’m dead. I’m already gone.

  The realization hit Ami like a physical blow. Tears streamed down her face. Usagi was in so much pain because Ami wasn’t there. The weight of the pain threatened to suffocate her.

  Ami forced herself to take a step forward, then another.

  “Usagi! I’m right here.”

  Usagi did not hear her.

  There had to be something she could do. The date of her death… maybe if she knew when she died, she could stop it. All it would take was one quick glance at the headstone.

  Before she could reach Usagi, a pair of powerful hands seized her from behind. Ami gasped as she struggled against the stranger’s grip. She kicked her legs as her attacker lifted her off the ground.

  Ami could feel her attacker’s body pressed against her back. A mane of long, dark-green hair whipped around her face. The faint scent of jasmine filled her nose.

  A woman?!

  The woman’s grip tightened as she dragged her across the graveyard. Ami’s breath caught in her throat; the gravestones blurred into a haze of gray.

  “Who are you? What do you want from me?”

  Her attacker remained silent. Ami caught sight of their destination: the same ancient door she had come through. Panic clawed its way into her chest.

  “No, please! Don’t send me back to that nightmare!”

  Still, the woman said nothing. She walked with measured, controlled steps, as if she had done this a thousand times before.

  When they approached the door, it creaked open by itself. Beyond it, Ami could see the dark corridor of the hospital. She knew all too well what waited there for her.

  Her attacker tossed her through the open doorway. She hit the ground hard. Ami twisted around to glimpse her attacker, but she was already closing the door. Still, Ami saw enough: high boots, white gloves, a skirt.

  She’s…a Sailor Guardian?!

  The door slammed shut with a force that reverberated through her body. From the other side, at last, the woman’s voice echoed, high and melodic.

  “Do not come back here, Ami Mizuno!”

  Her eyes shot open, her body drenched in sweat, her chest heaving with each frantic breath. She lay in the comfort of her bed, but her mind was a whirlwind of confusion.

  What... what just happened?