And the Embers Die
Pain.
It was all she felt as Galaxia's energy disk ripped through her body,
making her cry out in sheer agony. She fell to the ground with a dull
thump as blood began to pool around her.
'No...' she thought as she felt her Star Seed leave her body. 'It, it's
not supposed to be end like this!'
According to fate, Rei Hino was supposed to live by her princess's side,
protecting her and guiding her to help her become the kind, graceul
ruler of Earth. She was supposed to live with all of her friends and
protect the grand Crystal Tokyo. She was supposed to see her princess be
happy with her prince, no matter how much it tore her heart to shreds.
Then, when fate deemed it so, she would die a peaceful death, knowing
that deep in her heart that her Usagi-chan would be safe with
Mamoru-san.
Not like this.
Not flat on her back in front of the one person she loved more than
anything else. Her last thoughts were supposed to be filled with happy
memories of years passed. Not filled with fear and hoplessness.
What happened to fate? What happened to the inescapable shackles of
duty, of destiny?
"Rei-chan!"
'Usagi-chan?'
Gentle hands lifted her body and she felt the light that Usagi seemed to
carry surround her broken body. That scent that held a hint of lilacs
and something that was uniquely Usagi filled her head and made her smile
in spite of the pain.
The woeld was fuzzy to her ears and she had troulbe hearing it. She felt
Usagi bury her face in her hair and felt hot tears on her neck. She
lifted her hand until she could feel the top of Usagi's head. The sobs
that had been tickling her ear stopped with a harsh hiccup.
'Good,' came her lazy thought. 'I hate it when you cry Usa-ko...'
Weakly, Rei opened her eyes and faintly whispered, "You are...too
sweet...be strong...for me?..."
"Rei-chan! D-Don't!" came the reply. Usagi's face was the only clear the
she could see, everything else was too fuzzy. "We promised to be
together until the end!" To Rei's dismay, Usagi's voice cracked and
tears ran down her cheeks. "Please don't go! Don't leave me all alone
Rei-chan!"
Rei coughed and moved her hand to cup the moon hime's cheek. She frowned
when she couldn't feel the heat from Usagi's face because of her glove.
"Usagi-chan," she whispered. "Please...take off my glove..." Usagi''s
eyebrows furrowed at the strange request, but she nodded. Carefully, she
took the fire maiden's hand in her own and peeled off the satin white
glove. Immediatly, Rei's hand cupped her cheek again and she sighed in
pleasure. Even when fading away, Rei was so...warm...
"Remember the first time this happened," Rei murmured. "the first time I
died?" Usagi clenched her teeth and winced at the painful memory of
seeing Rei lying in the snow, broken and helpless as her blood began to
turn the pure white substance a rusty red flashed through her mind.
"And the time my heart crystal was taken..." Usagi bit her bottom lip as
the horrofying memory of seeing Rei in so much pain, but helpless to
stop it made her already bruised haert scream in torment.
"But you always saved me..." she breathed, "You were always there to
bring me and the girls back..." A cry forced itself out of Usagi's
throat. She couldn't save them now...
Galaxia had their Star Seeds...
"But I," Rei paused to gasp for breath. "I could never save
you...Mamoru-san always did..."
'That's not true!' Usagi screamed in her mind. 'When he broke my heart
you were there! When I lost Chibi-Usa to Wiseman you were with me, not
him!'
"Except now..." the Fire Senshi smiled weakly. "I can die knowing that I
saved you...at least once..."
"Stop it!" Usagi shouted. "Don't say things like that! Don't go! I'll be
alone! I'll be lost without you Rei-chan..."
Rei continued to smile. "Usagi no baka. Don't forget, you
have...Mamoru-san!"
"But I don't want him with me now!" Usagi sobbed. "I want you! You Rei!"
She held the miko closer to her even as Rei's body began to dissapate.
"I need you Rei! I do! I can't do this by myself!"
Rei gasped as the agonizing pain of her wounds reminded her that she
only had a few minutes left. "I'm sorry...I couldn't...protect..." Her
eyes closed as she murmured the last few words. "you...koishi..."
"Rei-chan!" Usagi wailed as her best friend simply dissolved into small
gold bubbles. 'I love you too!' her heart screamed even as she tried to
catch the last little bubble, onlt to have it slip through her fingers.
A tiny little bubble suddenly passed over her lips and she knew...
Rei had said goodbye.
Forever.
"No," she whispered hoarsly. The world seemed to hold its breath as the
small string of her sanity snapped with an audible twang.
"NO!"
Back to Sailor Moon Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction