Goddess of Death
Chapter Two
Confession
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Disclaimer: I own nothing. Don't sue, please.

*

Once again, Setsuna woke up with a headache. Light filtered in through the blinds, hurting her eyes.
Where am I now? she asked herself.
Using her hands as a visor, she got a good look around. Everything around her seemed white and sterile. She looked at her arm, and saw an IV in it. She was in the hospital!
She heard a creaking noise, and saw that it was the door opening. A nurse walked in, pushing a cart.
"Good to see you're awake, Miss Meioh."
"Why am I here?"
"Your friends went to see you and found you unconscious on the kitchen floor."
"Oh."
"Well, anyway, I've brought you some food. You need to eat well to regain your strength!"
She nodded. The nurse pushed the cart up to her bed.
"Thank you."
"Well, you just concentrate on getting better!"
With that, the nurse left. Setsuna poked at something that looked vaguely like creamed corn.
"Yech," she said to no one in particular.
There was a knock on the door.
"Come in."
Five teenage girls, one little girl, and a guy walked through the door.
"Setsuna! We were so worried! Are you ok?" said a blonde.
She nodded. "Yes, Minako. I'm just a little tired..."
"We won't be long," said the girl with auburn hair.
"No, that's OK, Makoto."
"How are you healing?" asked the girl with deep purple hair.
"Just fine, Rei."
"Did the doctors say what's wrong? Anemia, perhaps?" asked the girl with short, blue hair.
"They haven't said anything yet, Ami."
"Do you know when you'll be out?" questioned another blonde.
"Not yet, Usagi."
"Are you sure you're OK?" asked the guy.
"Yeah, Mamoru."
"I hope you feel better soon," said the little pink-haired girl.
She smiled. "Thanks, Chibiusa."

* * *


In the darkness, the strange girl sat, as always. A rope was in front of her, and she was staring intently at it. Several strands snapped at once.

* * *


Setsuna sat up, suddenly. She clapped a hand to her mouth, coughing. As she coughed, she felt something hot and moist on her palm. She didn't want to look at it.

* * *


There was a knock on Setsuna's door.
"Come in," she called from the hospital bed.
The door opened, and Mamoru walked in.
"Hello, Setsuna."
"Hi, Mamoru."
He sat down on the chair next to her bed.
"How're you feeling?"
"A little better," she lied.
A dizzy spell came over her, and she fell back onto the pillows.
"Setsuna! Are you OK?"
"Yes, just a little dizzy."
"You sure?"
She nodded the best she could, sitting up.
"Mamoru, I asked you here for a reason."
"And it is...?"
"I'm gonna stop with the lies."
She blinked back some tears.
"There are some things I need to tell you... I... l... l..."
She was shaking slightly.
Maybe I should tell him the bad news, first, she thought.
"I know that I'm going to die, and that I did a lousy job of hiding it."
"Now, we don't know that for sure..."
"No, the doctors just haven't figured it out yet. I am gonna die. The only uncertainty is when. There's more..."
He shifted nervously in his seat.
"I... I..."
Just be brave! she screamed at herself in her mind.
"I... love... you..."
Mamoru gasped without a sound. There was a look of utter sadness in his eyes. Tears fell from Setsuna's eyes, forming a puddle on the back of her hand.
"I..," he started, not quite knowing what to say.
"Please don't let this get between you and Usagi. Even if there was anything other than friendship shared mutually between us, it would be doomed, just as I am."
He began to chew on his lip.
"If... you want to go, I'll understand. This situation is rather awkward, isn't it?"
He stood up, obviously trying to maintain a cool attitude.
"I hope you feel better soon," he said, heading towards the door.
As the door closed behind him, Setsuna collapsed onto the pillows once again, coughing. She leaned over the edge of the bed, and began to cough again. Her blood splattered on the floor, forming a deep red puddle.

* * *


Cruel laughter echoed throughout the darkness as the strange girl stared at a mostly frayed rope.
"These last few strands are stubborn, but I haven't had a good challenge in centuries!"
She began to laugh again.

* * *


More of the hot, dark red blood splattered on the hospital room floor. It spread throughout the cracks in the tiles, making miniature streams.

* * *


One by one, the strands in the rope snapped.
"This last one is stubborn."

* * *


Setsuna fell out of the hospital bed, making it tumble over and land on top of her in an ungraceful display. Blood soaked into her hospital gown, staining it.
"Ma... m... moru," she said, gasping for air while coughing out blood.

* * *


"Come on and snap already!"

* * *


Setsuna's hand went limp.

* * *


The sound of a strand of a rope snapping echoed throughout the darkness, unnaturally loud. The sound was followed by shrill laughter that was without mirth.