Haruka felt a sad frown come over her features as she felt the aura of sorrow that radiated from the moon-hime, took in her dull blue eyes and the blank expression on her face. Mamoru was there, his face also contorted in pain, even though it was a fraction less than the blonde’s, but still, it was obvious that the prince of Earth was feeling as bad as the rest of the Senshi. There was a time, a very long time ago, when Rei and Mamoru had dated, although it was only for a short time. During the few days before the revelation that Usagi was the Serenity reincarnated, Mamoru had bonded into a brother-sister relationship with the miko. Things had been tense and awkward, but after a few weeks, that bond, completely platonic of course, had come back.
It was a crushing blow, to all of them.
Minako was curled up in her Puu-chan’s arms, sniffling into the Senshi of Time’s slender neck while the normally stoic woman murmured sweet nothings and rubbing her back in small circles.
Hotaru was fast asleep in Michiru’s embrace, a sad, worried frown on her angelic face. The little girl had nearly fallen apart when the news that Rei could be dead had reached the Outers home. Despite Michiru telling Hotaru that her healing abilities need not be used, the Senshi of Death and Rebirth had done so anyway.
The room was silent, save Minako’s sniffles, and the steady ‘beep’ from the monitor that showed Rei’s heartbeat.
“Usako,” Mamoru began, “Do you want me to drive you home or do you want to stay here?”
Usagi’s silence was her answer. Mamoru smiled, absolutely in awe at Usagi’s loyalty to her friend. He knew that Rei and Usagi were as close as friends could be, even though he was nearly driven insane by their constant bickering. He bent and pressed a kiss to her temple, sensing that that was all she could take at this point. He bid a farewell to the Senshi, getting soft good-byes in exchange. As he entered his car, another friend entered his thoughts, making him smile bittersweetly. A certain man with green skin and turquoise hair…
Rei’s mother closed pained lavender eyes. “I’m afraid so Rei-chan.” Rei frowned and hugged her knees to her chest. The miko found her thoughts drifting towards a blonde princess.
“Will I…be able to go back?” she whispered.
“Do you want to?” came the equally soft reply.
“What kind of question is that?” Rei snapped. She felt bad immediately after, and apologized. “Yes…” the Fire Senshi answered.
“Even if Usagi doesn’t feel the same?” Rei cringed. Biting her lip, she looked at the lush, green grass as her mother awaited her answer. Rei very much doubted that Usagi would be able to look at her, or stay in the same room alone. After what they had done-for over five hours, an annoying little voice that sounded suspiciously smug snickered in the back of her mind-she didn’t blame her.
But…will she stay my friend? It didn’t matter that Usagi would never feel the same-well, not that much. She simply needed the blonde’s friendship. After experiencing the wonderful, breathtaking friendship Usagi had given her, Rei never wanted to return to the despair filled days, full of whispered taunts and endless hours of seclusion and pain.
Well aren’t I a little bundle of sunshine? She spat in her mind.
It was the truth. She needed the princess’s friendship.
“I want to go back.” She whispered.
“To heartbreak? To days watching her laugh and love with someone else?”
Rei inhaled sharply. Usagi didn’t love her…in that sense. She was in love with Mamoru. The miko felt the sharp, acidic taste of jealousy sting her throat.
I wish he would just…She blinked and felt tears prick at her eyes. Was this what she’d been reduced to? She saw Mamoru as her brother! Was she truly that rotten? Wanting him to simply disappear? Leaving Usagi all alone, and worse, endangering an innocent little girl’s life?
Now she wanted to disappear.
And it would be easy…simply get up and walk away from her mother and, as terribly corny as it sounded, walk towards the light.
It was so easy that Rei didn’t notice that she’d stood up and was walking away.
“We said we wouldn’t talk about what if’s!”
Her eyes widened at Usagi’s voice.
“Wait, I know! I’ll kill them and Queen Beryl and so that you won’t have to die!”
“No one said I have to die,” she whispered automatically as the tears fell.
“Rei-chan, please! We said we’d be together to the end! Don’t leave me! Don’t leave me all alone!”
“But you’re not alone.” She hiccupped. Why? Why were these memories re-surfacing?! Was someone trying to get her to think twice?! Why?! She didn’t deserve to be saved! Didn’t she just wish for Mamoru to disappear!?
“If you die,” her mother said from her place on the ground. “then who will protect her?”
The other Senshi could do it. She was just another soldier who would gladly lay down her life for her princess.
“Think about it Rei. Don't you want to protect your special someone?"
No duh. Usagi needed protecting. But she wasn’t the one to do it. With her luck, someone would need to protect Usagi from her.
“You certainly can’t protect her if you’re dead. Plus…don’t you think Usagi will be sad? Yes, the one destined for her might be able to protect her heart in most cases…”
Most cases?
“ But she needs you to protect her heart from all of it. Think; who was there when her heart was broken into tiny little pieces?”
“Don’t worry Usa; Chibi-chan will come back.”
“You think so Rei-chan?”
“I know so.”
“Thanks…thank you Rei-chan.”
“She may not be in love with you.” Mother continued. “But she does love you Rei.”
Things became a bit clearer. Rei began to turn and slowly shuffle back to her mother. Once she had knelt in front of the woman, Rei’s mother smiled.
“What made you come back?”
“Because, if I die…” Rei lifted her head and her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “I…I won’t be able to protect her.” Rei’s mother leaned and kissed her daughter’s forehead. Rei blinked as everything suddenly darkened. “Then, my sweet little phoenix,” the air whispered. “protect…”
But Heaven didn’t snore. Or drool. Or murmur something about pickled beets and how it wanted to eat the cotton candy mountain.
…. At least, she hoped it didn’t…No wait. There was only one person who snored, drooled, and dreamed of pickled beats and cotton candy mountains.
“Usa?” she croaked, feeling her tongue stick to the roof of her mouth.
Snoooooore.
“Usagi-chan…”
Snoooooore. Huh. De ja vue….
“Usagi!” With a small gasp, the blonde shot up, wiping away at the trickle of drool at her mouth. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes, still clueless to the change with her favorite miko. Rei hid her grin and sat up, slowly, so that she could surprise Usagi.
She forgot that a hospital johnny’s ties in the back were always, suspiciously, loose, and said gown was beginning to slip off of her shoulders.
She didn’t pay attention to it as she smirked, crossed her arms and laughed, “Sleepin on the job? And I thought I was special.” There was a second as Usagi stared in wonder at her no longer comatose friend.
“You’re alive!” Usagi cried out as she practically lunged at an unsuspecting Rei, wrapping her arms tightly around her friend’s neck and, accidentally of course, straddling her waist. Rei made a sound between a cough and a wheez as her air supply was cut off. Usagi continued to sob out “You’re alive!”.
“U…sa…gi...choking…not breathing…”
“You’re alive! Oh my God I thought you were dead or in a coma or pretending to be in a coma just to freak me out but you’re alive—“
“I…won’t…be…if…you…don’t…let me…breathe!”
“I can’t believe it because I saw the bullet hit you and you were falling and I was so worried because you didn’t breathe for a second—“
“Usa….seriously…you’re cutt…ing off…my wind pipe!”
“What’s a wind pipe? Is it that thing the doctors had to shove up your nose?”
“No…you stupid…idjit!”
“Well if you can still call me bad names—“
“Goddammit woman I’m suffocating! Stop hugging me!” Usagi jumped and undid her vice grip on Rei’s neck, in the process undoing the only string on the miko’s hospital johnny. The paper-like gown pooled at her waist, leaving the patient butt naked.
With Usagi still straddling the patient’s waist.
Not that they noticed. Rei was far too busy gasping in precious, precious , air while Usagi bit her lip.
“Okay,” Rei gulped, still unaware of their predicament. “You can hug me again, but,” She looked up at the blonde with pleading eyes. “Just don’t try to kill me again.” Usagi giggled, and slowly wrapped her arms around Rei’s bare shoulders—
Wait. Bare? Well, at least no one would see them. Rei smiled and snuggled into her friend's embrace. This was perfect. Nothing could possibly ruin it for her.
Somewhere, the evil twins Irony and Inconvenience laughed.
Haruka slammed open the door, brought in by Usagi’s screams.
“Usagi-chan what going—whoa!”
Setsuna and Hotaru entered next, only for Setsuna to shriek and cover the Senshi of Saturn’s eyes. “Not in front of the children!”
“Setsuna-mama, are Usagi-chan and Rei-chan gonna be like Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama now?”
“Look what you’ve done!” Michiru added, pointing an accusing finger towards to now blushing, and still embracing, duo. “You’ve corrupted Hotaru! You’re scarring her for life!”
“What’s scarring me for life? I don’t get it!”
Minako smirked somewhat roguishly.
“Wow, couldn’t you guys have waited until after Rei was healed until you acted like bunnies?”
Somewhere, the poor, poor, abused Pun was beaten until he or she bleed.
Kai: You’ve done it before.
Shiki: Shiki see Arashi-sama kill off Rei-sama before! Yes Shiki did!
…..Meet my muses. Yes. As in plural. Not only do I get tortured by having a male muse (who is a very smexah bishi) I get stuck with a crazy female one who refers to herself in past tense. –sigh- Woe is me.
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