On that day, Ami found her husband at the cemetery.

“I thought you might be here,” she said in a soft voice, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Mamoru craned his neck around and gave her a small, sad smile before turning his attention back to the Tsukino family grave. “It is the anniversary of her death,” he said, placing a conjured rose in front of the tombstone. “It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years already. We were supposed to have so much more time together. Crystal Tokyo and Chibi-Usa…”

“I know.”

Everything had changed that day one decade ago, when Usagi had sacrificed her life to save the world from a threat no one had seen coming. The moment she had died, the future they had all taken for granted had disappeared, leaving Mamoru, Ami, and the rest of the senshi to struggle to pick up the pieces of their broken destiny.

Ami twirled the simple platinum band on her left hand, contemplating the strange twists their lives had taken since then. Sometimes Ami felt guilty, as if she had somehow stolen Mamoru away from Usagi, but she knew Usagi would have wanted him to find happiness again. She only wished the others felt the same.

“Has anybody else stopped by?” Ami asked as Mamoru stood back up and kissed her cheek.

“Rei was here when I arrived.” He grimaced. “She wasn’t exactly thrilled to see me.”

Ami frowned, unsurprised. “Do you think she will ever come to accept us?”

“I don’t know. She was Usagi’s closest friend. In her eyes, we’re betraying Usagi’s memory.”

She sighed. “I wish Rei could understand that we can‘t keep living in the past, that life goes on. I miss her and the others so much...”

“I know, Ami. So do I.”


DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko Takeuchi.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Any comments or criticisms can be sent to me at ElysionDream@aol.com. Third place winner of the “Disregarding Destiny” challenge at the “sailormoonland” community at Livejournal