Exhale

we were five steps
from eternity
we were four steps
four steps past love
and three wishes
three wishes from touching the heavens above

The rain trickled wetly along the windows, reciting an endless song of silence. The drops left silver streaks across the glass, little tangles of water on a landscape of smoothness.

Mamoru turned his head at the soft knock from his apartment door. He got out of bed and walked slowly to the door and opened it to find Makoto standing there, crying and wet.

Her emerald eyes shot him a sorrowful look.

"Destiny's been broken…our destinies have been ruined. Sooner or later we will have to fight…and I'm not sure how we will…" Makoto's soft voice blended with the symphony of the rain, dripping off of her auburn hair in large drops.

"It's painful…painful for all of us…and with Minako…" Her voice became a dull whisper, a single splinter of sound. She reached down and pulled out the locket, a gleaming reminder, and held it out to him.

Mamoru simply stared dumbly at her, unable to move, unable to speak due to the overwhelming wave of sadness that had washed over him. It was so true, so unbelievably, profusely true.

Mamoru slowly stepped out of the apartment and looked down at the small, pink circle. Moonlight shot through the rain and dimly lit the black and dark night around them, casting eerie shadows about the small porch.

Mamoru looked sadly at Makoto. His eyes emanated so much pain and agony and sadness. He pulled in and tilted his head towards her's, kissing Makoto softly on the lips. She pushed back from him, his hand sliding down to her's. She closed her eyes and whispered ever-so-lightly, slightly pushing his hand away, his fingers locked within her's.

"Oh God, Mamoru…no…please, don't…" A tear slid down her cheek. "Please…" Makoto pulled her hand from his and ran into the heresy of rain, dropping the locket at his feet. He simply stared at her disappearing form as a chilling breeze came past, swinging cold mists of the rain in his direction.

Mamoru picked up the locket, cool to the touch, and went back to his apartment.

* * *

Minako looked around at her dark hospital room. Her thoughts scared her, everything did. One question would confront her in her dreams, when she closed her eyes, when she had nothing else to ponder.

Would Usagi still be here?

'She should be..' Minako weakly pulled the covers up to her chin, staring at the ceiling above her.

Usagi could have been saved. That was her sole purpose, the whole reason that Minako was brought back to the earth.

To protect the princess. And she had failed.

She sighed and thought of that brightness she had been so close to, that warm loveliness. So close, but she had been stopped.

Minako slowly dozed off, lost in all the might-have-beens, the present, the past, and the future…or lack thereof.

------------------------

A/N: Eep, rather short chapter, huh? I promise a longer one in Exhale, part 6! ^_^