A gentle breeze tickled her nose, carrying the scent of sakura blossoms and honey.
Rei moaned and opened her eyes.
The pastel colors of a magical sunset greeted her, the pinks and yellows and oranges making her head spin. Impossibly soft grass cushioned her body, and, briefly, the smell of lilacs teased her senses.
Paradise was the first word that came to her mind. Heaven was the second.
“Am I dead?” she murmured to no one at all.
“No, Otome. You are merely…in between…” Rei jumped, and cast her gaze to see the gorgeous woman whose lap her head was resting on. She was stunning, with brown hair that cascaded to the ground and drifted across her slender shoulders.
“Who are you?”
The woman chuckled, before she trailed a gentle hand across Rei’s right cheek, still tender from when her father had struck it. A sad look passed through the woman’s amethyst orbs—
Wait…amethyst? Rei’s eyes widened and she felt the familiar prick of tears at the edges.
“H-Hahaoya?” the miko stammered. The woman, her mother, gave a watery smiled and leaned down to press a tender kiss on Rei’s forehead.
“Hai, my little Rei-chan…” Rei smiled, a true, happy smile and hiccupped before she sat up and willingly went into her mother’s open arms.
“Hahaoya,” she whispered, “Hahaoya…” Her mother merely tucked Rei’s head underneath her chin and smiled into her daughter’s ebony colored hair. Rei cried, but not out of pain or sorrow or guilt, like she had done before. Happiness trickled from her eyes, and she knew that they would sting a bit afterwards, but the reincarnated princess of Mars didn’t really give a damn.
“My little Rei-chan,” Her mother whispered, “I’m so proud of you. My little Senshi.”
Rei stiffened. “H-how—“ Oh. Right. Her mother was dead…and maybe she was too…
“Rei-chan, I’m so sorry.” Rei blinked and pulled away, noticing that her mother was in tears as well. Never really good at the whole, comforting thing, she did what she had seen Usagi do before and cupped her mother’s face in her hands, wiping away the tears with her thumbs.
“What for Hahaoya?” she whispered.
“If I’d only tried a little harder to…then Takeda wouldn’t be so…it’s all my fault!” Her mother wailed. Rei froze, then she hugged her mother and began to rock back and forth, slowly.
“This was Destiny’s doing Hahaoya,” she cooed. “It was supposed to happen. And…if I hadn’t been sent to Grandfather’s…I wouldn’t have met my friends.”
“But you wouldn’t have had to go through what you—“
“Without pain, there is no pleasure,” Rei interrupted. “Without sorrow, there is no joy. Without hate, there can be no love. Yes, it was hard. I won’t lie to myself, or you, and say that it was just a little bumpy, when it was like crawling on thumbtacks naked.” Her mother blinked at her daughter’s odd analogy. “But then I met Usagi-chan and Ami-chan…Mako-chan and Minako-chan…Chibi-chan and Setsuna-san…Haruka, Michiru and Hotaru-chan…and Mamoru-san. They’ve all helped me live Hahaoya.”
“Some more than others.” Rei’s mother said with a knowing wink. Rei blushed and tossed her head to the side and grumbled an affirmative. Mother and daughter continued to cuddle, the warmth that Rei had never had surrounding her and making her smile.
“You can’t stay Rei-chan.”
The sad declaration brought Rei out of her thoughts. “What?” she stuttered. “I’m dead aren’t I?”
“Oh no Otome. You’re not. As I said before, you are merely in the space between. Your body’s alive and well but your soul is in danger. Even here.”
Mercury nodded grimly, her visor telling her that the man was telling the truth. He clearly didn’t know the name of his target.
“That fucking monster!” the assassin growled. Indeed, the man had more morals than all the other assassins in Japan combined, and Sailor Mercury was grateful for that. Jupiter had long let go of his neck and was pacing up and down the man’s hall.
“Let me guess-Rei Hino is a friend of yours?”
Mercury nodded again, too stunned to speak.
“I want to bring him down.” The assassin snarled. “I’ll help you two in any way I can. But, his assassination—I can’t do. My…license let’s me work, but I have a feeling the murder of a government official won’t be accepted.”
“Besides,” Jupiter hissed. “I want the pleasure of taking care of him. I’m sure Uranus would too.”
“Katai Hitogoroshi.” Katai reached out a hand. “My resources are at your disposal.”
Mercury and Jupiter shared a look. Yes, this was the man who had almost killed Rei, but he was willing to rectify his mistake; to repent. Plus, inside information would be a big help.
“Sailor Mercury and Jupiter.” Jupiter said, grabbing Katai’s hand in a firm handshake. “Superhuman abilities ready for revenge.”
Katai-Honorable
Hitogoroshi-Murderer
Hahaoya-Mother
Otome-Daughter (I think…)
The land between life and death was inspired by that Inuyasha episode that I’m too lazy to look up at this moment.
“Without pain, there is no pleasure, without sorrow, there is no joy. Without hate, there can be no love.” –This was partly inspired by kamikazecat’s ‘Just Happy? Or Happier?’ ReixUsagi series. If you haven’t read them, read them. Now. I command you!!
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