Usagi entered the small bedroom and gently closed the door behind her. She saw Luna, her plush cat adviser, lying motionless on the bed and her heart sank.

  Artemis, Minako’s own plush cat adviser from the Moon Kingdom and Luna’s old friend, was sitting nearby. He had not left Luna’s side since the monster had attacked Usagi’s apartment and injured her companion.

  “How is she?”

  Usagi’s voice was soft but seemed much louder in the small, quiet space.

  Artemis looked at her.

  “No change. She just won’t wake up.”

  Usagi sat next to Luna on the bed and ran her hand through her fur. They had been friends for years in this life, and although she couldn’t remember much about it, even in her previous life. She couldn’t imagine a life without her.

  “I promise you, Artemis, we’ll find a way. She’ll come back to us.”

  He looked back at Luna.

  “I know.”

  They sat together and guarded their sleeping friend for a long time, each hoping that she would survive.

  ***

  Ami sat on the hospital rooftop, alone, her uneaten lunch beside her. The bento box filled with rice and vegetables looked delicious, but Ami had no appetite. Instead, her eyes wandered across the cityscape, unfocused.

  As the afternoon gave way to the evening, the sun painted the sky in hues of orange and pink. The sounds of the city below drifted up to her, distant and muffled. The world felt far away.

  She would die soon. In her dreams, she had glimpsed her future, her own grave. How and why would she die? Who was the mysterious Sailor Guardian who had sent her back to the present? Was she strong enough to carry this weight, to unravel these mysteries?

  She looked around. She had done this before, had hidden on the roof as a student at Juban Public Middle School. It was an unhealthy pattern, this self-imposed isolation. Still, she couldn’t help but retreat.

  Ami’s mind went back to her nightmare, to the patient she failed to save. She could see her pale face, hear that voice like gravel as she proclaimed that Ami, too, would be dead soon.

  Ami shut her eyes against the memory, but it lingered.

  The soft sound of footsteps pulled Ami from her thoughts. She turned to find a young woman standing near the roof entrance. Her bright blue eyes radiated a nervous energy.

  She wore the white coat of a doctor. Her long, white hair lay in a braid over her shoulder. A pair of black crystal earrings hung from her ears and gleamed in the sunlight.

  “Do you mind if I join you?”

  Ami blinked. She remembered when Usagi had joined her on the school roof to seek her friendship. She gestured at the empty space beside her.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Be my guest.”

  The young woman sat down beside Ami. She was graceful, almost regal in her movements.

  “I’m Doctor Berthier. Today’s my first day. It’s been…overwhelming. I just needed to get away for a bit.”

  Ami nodded, but said nothing. She had sunken too deep into her own thoughts. Usagi would have known what to say, how to coax Ami out of her own head and back into the world. Still, something about Doctor Berthier seemed familiar. Ami decided to make an effort. She cleared her throat.

  “You don’t look like you’re from around here.”

  Berthier smiled. There was something knowing, something enigmatic in that smile.

  “You could say that. I’ve been traveling for so long, it’s hard to say where home is these days.” She paused. “This place is beautiful, though. I think I might like it here.”

  Ami offered a warm smile.

  “I spent some time studying in America. Coming home can be a big change.”

  Berthier nodded.

  “A big change.” She glanced at Ami. “You seem very young to be a doctor.”

  Ami laughed despite herself.

  “You don’t seem that much older yourself.”

  It was Berthier’s turn to laugh. It was a warm, melodic sound that put Ami at ease.

  “So here we are, then, a couple of prodigies, hiding on the roof.”

  Their laughs faded.

  “I lost a patient.” Ami did not know why she said that, but once the words left her mouth, the rest spilled out as if a dam had broken. “It hit me harder than I expected. I keep thinking about what I could have done differently, but…I think I did all I could.”

  Berthier listened, her eyes fixed on Ami.

  “It is a heavy burden to carry the healing waters.”

  Ami looked at Berthier and raised an eyebrow. Something stirred deep inside her chest. The healing waters?

  “How do you manage?”

  Berthier seemed startled at the question, as if Ami had caught her in some way. She looked at Ami and smiled.

  “Oh, I’m still very new to this. I have a lot to learn.” She gestured at Ami. “Do you have friends, Dr. Mizuno? People who can help you carry your burden?”

  Ami nodded. Her eyes wandered over the cityscape below once more.

  “I do, but…Minako has her career and Rei is busy preparing for the priesthood. Makoto is running a business. Then there’s Usagi…she’s my best friend, but she has enough problems.”

  Berthier’s gaze sharpened as she leaned toward Ami.

  “Don’t you think they would make time for you? Minako and Rei and Makoto and Serenity?”

  Ami’s head whipped around, her eyes fixed on Berthier.

  “What did you say?”

  Berthier returned her gaze, puzzled.

  “What? Minako and Rei and Makoto and Usagi?”

  Ami stood.

  “That’s not what you said. How do you know her name used to be Serenity?”

  For a moment, Berthier maintained the innocent, wide-eyed look on her face. Then the facade dropped and a wicked little smile played over her lips.

  “Oh, my. I overplayed my hand there, didn’t I? Can you blame me, though? I mean, who names their kid Usagi ?”

  Ami stared at Berthier, transfixed. Now that she wasn’t pretending anymore, she seemed even more familiar.

  “Who…are you?”

  Berthier stood.

  “I know you don’t remember me, Mercury.” Her voice was low and filled with sadness. “But I remember you. I was sad to hear you were dead when we arrived on Earth.”

  Berthier took a handkerchief from her lab coat pocket and wiped it over her forehead. As she cleaned away a thin coat of make-up, a black crescent moon stood revealed. She sighed.

  “You may not believe this, Mercury, but it’s good to see you again. You haven’t changed a bit. Still too smart for your own good. Too good-hearted, too.”

  Ami’s pulse quickened. She took on a fighting stance.

  “You can’t have Chibiusa.”

  Berthier shook her head and chuckled.

  “Even powerless, you would fight me? Oh, Mercury. Things have changed. I’m so much more than you could handle now.”

  She reached out toward Ami, as if to touch her, then thought better of it and dropped her hand.

  “Just do me a favor. Whatever happens next, please…stay out of it. I don’t want to kill you.”

  Ami opened her mouth to speak, but before she could react, Berthier turned and ran toward the edge of the roof. In one fluid motion, she vaulted over the edge and disappeared.

  Ami held her breath as she rushed to the edge of the roof and looked down. Berthier was gone. Only her lab coat remained as it fluttered in the wind and glided toward the ground.

  Ami stared down at it. An icy chill crept through her veins. She found herself at the center of a maelstrom, one that threatened to swallow her whole. It was time to get some answers.