Goddess of Death
Chapter Three
Cherry Blossoms
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Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Please don't sue. Also, please visit http://poison.tuxedomask.com where this story originated. Yes, I did write it. No, I did not steal it.

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Setsuna suddenly felt all the pain leaving her body. She tried to push the hospital bed off of herself, but her hand just went right through it.
"What's going on?"
The stood up, ignoring the hospital bed. Then, she noticed another thing: she could see through her hands. She looked down, and was greeted by the sight of her body lying it a pool of blood.
She buried her head in her hands and cried tears that just disappeared before they could hit the floor.
"What's going on?" she managed between sobs.
She opened her eyes, and dropped her hands to her side in surprise. She was surrounded by thick mist, every which way she looked.
"Where am I?"
She could barely make out a small figure walking towards her. It came through the mist, and she saw it was a little girl. She had pale skin, jet black hair, and icy blue-grey eyes. She looked... almost dead.
"I am Kodomo, Spirit of the Unfinished Lives."
"Where are we?"
"The Land of the Half-Lived Lives. More commonly known as Limbo."
"Why am I here?"
"Because you left something unfinished before you died."
"Do I get to go back and correct it?"
"No."
"Then what do I do?"
"Sit here in eternal boredom or watch the lives of your friends. Both have been known to drive people insane."
"Will you be staying here?"
"Of course. I am the Guardian of this land."
"Do I get to switch options every once in a while?"
"You get to do whatever you want of whatever's available."
"Well, I choose to watch them. For now."
"Follow me, then."
Kodomo began to walk, and Setsuna followed her. An area of mist cleared out, forming a hole. Slowly, something rose out of the hole. It was a TV!
"This is how you will watch them."
The TV slid onto the mist, and the hole disappeared. Setsuna sat down in front of the TV. She pressed the "POWER" button.
An image of an open coffin surrounded by people wearing black came onto the screen. She turned the volume up. She recognized everybody! They were her friends.
Gently, she touched the screen where Chibiusa's face was.
"Don't cry, little one."
The shot zoomed in on the little pink-haired girl. She was crying, and holding flowers. Setsuna touched the screen again, and it zoomed out. She touched the coffin.
It was made of cedar, and roses made of garnet were on the lid. The lining was red silk. There, she saw herself, blood-red roses lying all around her. She was paler than she had ever been in life, and it seemed the mortician had put blood-red lipstick on her.
She touched the screen again, and it zoomed out. She touched Mamoru's face, and it zoomed in. She couldn't read his expression. It seemed cold, filled with regret. That was all she could tell. There were no tears in his eyes.
"Mamoru, do you still feel at all?" she whispered.
She touched the screen again, and it zoomed out. She noticed three people she hadn't seen in a while. Haruka Tenoh, Michiru Kaioh, and Hotaru Tomoe. She touched an area of the screen near their faces, and it zoomed in on all three of them. They were all crying, even Michiru!
She zoomed out, again.
"Mamoru, you always wear a mask, even when times are peaceful."
After zooming in to several people, she saw that Mamoru was the only one without tears. She pressed the power button on the TV.
"I can't stand it! I'm gonna sit around for now..."
She turned away from the TV, blinking back tears. She poked at the mist beneath her feet.

* * *


Chibiusa walked through the deserted streets. She had wanted to walk home from the funeral alone. She looked up at the trees lining the street. Cherry blossoms were falling from them.
"Cherry blossoms are supposed to be romantic, but I guess the falling can be tragic," she whispered to herself.
The way Setsuna always looked when she was around Papa... None of the other Senshi looked like that around him, except for Mama. Maybe...? she thought to herself.
She shook her head and smiled sadly.
"Don't be thinking ill of anybody right now, Chibiusa."
She sighed slightly.
"I'm feeling a little dizzy. Maybe I should sit down..."
She stepped off the sidewalk and onto the soft, lush, green grass of the park. She pulled off her shoes and socks, and walked over to a tree. She sat down under it, leaning back against the trunk.
"Everything seems so deceptively peaceful..."
She was shook slightly. Unable to stand it any more, she buried her hand in her face and began to cry.
"Chibiusa?" said a familiar voice.
She looked up, wiping her tears away.
"Hello, Kyusuke."
"Are you all right?"
She nodded, forcing a small smile.
"Are you sure? What's wrong?"
"One of my oldest friends just died."
"Oh, I'm so sorry! Is there anything I can do for you?"
"No, it's OK. I'll be fine."
"Would you like me to walk you home?"
She nodded slightly.
"Yes, that would be nice."
She stood up, and got her socks and shoes back on. Chibiusa took him by the arm. He tried to hide his slight blushing.
"Kyusuke?"
"Hai?"
"Thanks."
He smiled. They walked towards her house, arm in arm. She leaned her head against his shoulder, glad for someone to comfort her.

* * *


Setsuna smiled a little, watching the two.
"Good luck, Small Lady."

* * *


"Well, Kyusuke, this is my house."
Reluctantly, Chibiusa let go of his arm. She stood on the tips of her toes, and kissed him on the cheek. She gave a small smile, and headed towards the front door. Kyusuke stood there, blushing and stunned.

* * *


Usagi sat in her room, a small food tray with a plate of dumplings and a cup of green tea in front of her. She picked up the teacup, and sipped.
"I don't like this silence. Even though there's no one here to make it awkward, it's still mocking me."
She set her tea down, and stood up. Her socks scraped against the carpeting as she walked towards the window. With a slight sigh, she sat down next to her window, and pushed it open.
"What a lovely spring night. Too bad I can't enjoy it."
The blonde noticed pale pink petals falling from the trees.
"Cherry blossoms. How nice. Now I know the world is mocking me."
She sighed once again, as she brushed a strand of golden hair away from her face.
"Why do I feel so strange inside?" she asked herself, looking at a cherry blossom on her hand. "I feel a strange peacefulness, and I feel guilt. Am I supposed to feel this way?"
A soft, peaceful melody began to play. It had many instruments, but Usagi could only recognize one: the flute.
"Hmm? Where's that music coming from?"
She was silent for a moment, enjoying the song while listening for its origins.
"Must be Chibiusa's radio."