Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.

Final Words

I stood in the back of the large, crowded stadium, wrapped in the dark shadows that covered the wall at the back of the ground floor, obscured from anyone’s sight. I stood silently, arms crossed across my chest, my whole being captivated by the goddess on stage, flowing gracefully with the rhythm of her own music. Her sweet, sweet voice carried throughout the packed stadium, ensnaring me along with all others in attendance in its trap, like a snake rapping itself around its prey. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her, no matter how hard I tried, and truthfully, I didn’t want to.

‘Don’t be stupid!’

Her words hammered against the inner walls of my already aching head.

‘You’re just jealous, and that’s all it is!’

My right hand unconsciously flew to tightly grasp at the cotton material of my T-shirt where my heart was. The memory of those words, and how her usual angelic voice turned into a hateful sneer. They clawed viciously at my throbbing heart.

‘I hate you!!’

Her words dug its freezing, hateful hands into me, tearing my soul out and letting it crumble into so many tiny pieces in front of my dull, amethyst eyes.

‘It’s over Rei, leave.’

The end of her words was only the beginning for me as I let myself surrender to the darkness that was always there. The darkness that had finally won the war and was now victorious in claiming me, snuffing out the sole purpose of my existence and wrenching the light that always gave me hope away from me.

‘Slap!!’

I felt my right hand let go of its grip on my shirt and slowly rise to tentatively touch the cheek where her soft hands had left an ugly, stinging red bruise. My dull, shadowed, amethyst eyes followed her every move, never missing a step, a spin, nothing. She was the leader and I was the follower bending smoothly to her will. If she ever found out that I was here, then she’d have more than her guards ‘escort’ me out of her concert for sure. She may just have the police come and arrest me.

‘Don’t you dare come anywhere near me ever again! Don’t even think about attending any of my concerts ever again! You got that!? And that’s an order!!’

Her angry words painfully pierced through me like knives. If under any other circumstances then I would have listened to her orders without any thought at all. I’d do anything for her. My life is ultimately in her hands for I would follow her orders without care for my own safety, my own life as long as it was her will. I would do anything………….. Unless her life was threatened.

Finally able to take back control of my eyes, I forced them away from my beloved golden goddess, and turned to scan the arena, sharpened senses a boost to make sure that no threat was here. I had to make sure. She had to be safe. I had to prove to myself that my vision was wrong for once. That Minako wouldn’t die. Of course, even if my vision comes true, she won’t die. I won’t let her because I’m here, and I’ll protect her, whatever the consequence. A frigid, shiver slid its ghastly way down my spine as I felt the familiar dark presence, the same as in my vision, somewhere close by in the area. Dread clasped around my heart, and a finality washed over me. I knew without a doubt that it was time. That the moment of truth was here and what I decide to do could either save or kill, the shining goddess on the stage.

‘Click.’

It was but a muffled sound that only I could here amidst the roaring and cheering of the energetic crowd, but it was enough to make my heart stop for a moment and labor my breathing. But I shook myself out of it, pushing past the winding, constricting, cold fear and with a light sheen of sweat that began to form on my pale face, and ran. I just pushed off the wall and ran forward in an adrenaline stupor, the noises around me, including her angelic voice lost to the deafness in my ears. Everything blurred around me and thoughts of ‘Will I make it?”, and ‘Can I save her in time?’ ran through my panic filled mind. As of now, the only thing I could see, concentrate on was the beautiful goddess that still held my heart, whether she knew it or not, her clear, cerulean eyes opened wide. Her mouth hung in shock, and she stood paralyzed to the center of the stage, watching me run to her.

And just like that, time slowed down, everything just seemed so unreal as I leaped cleanly onto the stage, and continued to run straight to her, hearing a curse that belonged to the one hiding in the shadows and skidding around, protectively in front of her to face that looming shadow above.

A loud gunshot echoed off the high, round, tin ceiling above and around the now dead silent stadium.

A gasp.

Pain.

My body fell backwards, hitting the floor with a ‘thud’. Everything was silent as I laid there, a pale and shaking hand held to my profusely bleeding chest, my eyes clenched shut in a grimace of pain as well as to block out the world around me.

“Rei.”

A soft, angelic voice drifted to my ears like water to a man deserted in the desert. Two light steps could be heard from behind me before the sound of something dropping could be heard.

“Cough!!” I up some of the blood that pooled in my throat, and began choking on it as it spilled from my mouth. It stopped shortly, yet my breathing became even more shallow. Damn, it was getting hard to breathe.

But to my surprise and before I knew it, I felt the front my sore body being lifted off of the blood covered floor and brought into a warm, secure embrace. Those strong yet gentle arms tightened around me as I began to cough again, and then, something wet dripped onto my cheek, rolling down my pale, clammy skin, and urging my eyes to flutter open. My weary eyes took in the sight of my beautiful goddess above me, her fear stricken face flushed and marred by tears, long, soft golden locks brushing against my cheeks and being illuminated by the bright stage lights hovering above. It brought a strained, shaky smile to my face that only succeeded in breaking my angel down more.

“Rei.” she whispered shakily and with so many emotions filling her angelic voice.

I couldn’t bare to see her in such sorrow, and I knew I could do nothing to quell it, so I did what came naturally to me and tried raising left hand to cup her cheek. I was too weak though, and my hand began to drop, but to my surprise, another, slender one caught it and brought it back up, all the way this time so I could cup my angel’s warm face. I smiled gently when she leaned fully into the touch, sighing softly, contently if only for that moment.

“Minako.” I whispered hoarsely. She tried to sush me, telling me that I had to save my strength, that I could tell her what I wanted to later, but I shook my head knowing all to well that I wouldn’t make it, for the darkness began to creep into my vision at the edges of my eyes. I knew it wouldn’t be long, and before it claimed me, I had to tell her. She had to know before it was too late. So, with one last, deep, shaky breath that sent a blinding, burning sensation through my heavy form, I forced my final words out.

“I-I’ve al-always l-lov”

All my breath escaped me, regret tearing at me for not being able to finish my confession. I couldn’t feel anything, or even hear anything when my goddess threw herself onto me, crying, yelling, things I yearned to hear yet could no longer. I sighed, my eyes glazing before closing, to surrender to the darkness with a gentle smile on my face.

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The End

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