Epilogue.
Rei opened her eyes to the sound of the falling rain. Her head pounded, but two strong arms pulled her up to her feet. "What just happened?"
Sailor Jupiter answered grimly, "She's dead. Sailor Moon killed her."
"I was going to paralyze her, and then she batted me away. And then-" Her voice trailed away as she saw the fallen general at her feet. "He saved me."
A melange of emotions ran through her head, only stopped by the sudden aching pain that wracked her head. Sailor Jupiter held her arm again, motioning for Mamoru to deal with the bloodied body on the floor.
Mamoru moved forward silently and knelt beside Jadeite. A doctor's eyes analyzed the wounds. They were immense, far beyond what any mere mortal might have survived. Jadeite had harnessed the energy that Beryl had hurled at him, using his body as a conduit to defeat her last bid at escape.
Mamoru's fingers felt his bruised neck, and he could feel the faintest traces of a dying pulse, attributed to the general's barely intact heart. "He's alive....barely."
Usagi lifted her hands, "I can save him. Just wait."
Sailor Venus barked out, "No! It's too risky. You might kill him. Mamoru, is there anything that can be done?"
The doctor shook his head, "No. Even if we were in an emergency room right now, it would not help. There is too much damage to repair. It's Sailor Moon or nothing."
"Then what should we do? You're his friend."
He hesitated, "I can't make that decision. He's my friend, yes,
but I know someone who cares about him more than I."
Rei stared at her lover with an expression akin to tortured pain. Even the headaches could not stop the tortuous emotions which roiled beneath the surface. 'He lied. And I loathe him more than I could ever another human being'
She whispered, "Damn you, Jadeite. Damn you to hell!"
Rei walked over and tried to pull him to his feet, screaming into his face, "Damn you! On your feet, soldier! Get up!" She sobbed into her gloved hands, "You can't leave me alone. Not now, not now! I love you..."
"Then stand back." Sailor Moon's voice filled the air with hope. She closed her eyes and placed her hands in front of her, focusing her positive energies to the task at hand, "Moon Healing Escalation!"
The light that emanated from her hands shot towards Jadeite,
enfolding his body with warm strands of energy. Suddenly, something seemed to react as the light pulsated and strained, trying to heal the tainted vessel before it. And then, it began to expand as it never had before,
a bubble of light which grew from the top of the building towards the sky and outwards.
It was a glorious sight, an expanding curtain of light that fought against the darkness of the night and won for a moment. Those walking the streets might have thought it a rogue asteroid or comet or UFO. Yet the rushing curtain of light defied any sort of scientific explanation, merely aweing and blinding all those who dared look at it.
I awoke to the smell of her hair. I inhaled the glorious scent which wafted down to my nose. It was heaven. It must have been.
I had died a warrior's death, defending someone I loved with every ounce of strength I had available. I bore few regrets and little bitterness. It was my lot in life. There are few things better worth dying for than unrequited love.
I smiled slightly, and finally opened my eyes. 'Funny, heaven isn't really all that different from my room.'
I sat up, confused for a moment, before a pain in my chest forced me back into bed. I groaned and rubbed my chest gingerly. "I may not be dead, but I sure feel it." Curiously, I lifted my shirt, to see not a trace of a scar, nor any sort of blemish on my skin. Yet, I knew that I had died, for no doctor on earth could have repaired the damage I had sustained from that blast. And yet, there I was, at five thirty AM starring out at the summer sun, with a raven haired angel sitting in a chair by my side.
Her head lay delicately rested on one hand, sleeping lightly so that any slightest disturbance might wake her up. I smiled softly and reached out to grab ahold of her hand. She woke up immediately and then stared at me, "Kaitou-san...."
Smiling, I shuffled over a bit to make room. "Come to bed, Rei-chan. It has been very lonely without you." Rei smiled tiredly and slipped underneath the covers before savoring my lips with passionate kiss. Words were not needed as we fell asleep, blissfully tired from the exertions of the previous day.
1 year later
The California sunset splashed golden light across the foothills, leaving the entire view ablaze with light.
The stars of the early evening sky twinkled like the now subdued lights of the city below him. The assembled gazed up at them, the names of stars and constellations soared through their mind, from Rigel to Sirius to Polaris, the North Star.
I even managed to glimpse at the misty band of the Milky Way and through binoculars, made out three small, but distinct shapes. The faintest was a galaxy known as Triangulum. It was either a spiral or a spherical galaxy, I could not. The next two were the two Magellanic clouds, large and small. The two, small irregular shaped galaxies seemed to travel in a pair, orbiting each other and the Milky Way at the same time.
The air started to turn dark and the first shadows fell across face. The autumn leaves spun like pinwheels, revolving around and around until they hit the ground. A gale whipped through the deciduous forest, throwing more and more leaves up into the air. The swirl of green and yellow and orange and red was a wonderful sight, and it never ceased to amaze. Looking up, a seemingly chaotic formation of birds flashed over me. I knew that the formation was not at all anarchy, but a carefully balanced and orchestrated formation that provided protection against aerial predators against which a single bird would not survive. It seemed like a symbiotic organism, moving as one fluid motion in a grace and beauty that only a few could appreciate.
And the strength of the formation was soon put to the test. A single raptor circled high above, awaiting a strike opportunity. The golden eagle suddenly dove at the massed birds. The formation didn't waver, but resolutely held its place. As the raptor screamed through the cloud of birds, they all suddenly scattered. Reforming at at a higher altitude, a momentary haven from the hawk's attacks. The eagle rode the winds again and gain altitude quickly.
Suddenly with another predatory cry, it dove down again. This time it caught up with one of the stragglers, gripping it with razor sharp talons. With a sharp twist, it broke the smaller bird's back and rode the winds down to the ground with its newly caught feast.
"This is some place you have here." Minako walked over, whistling in awe.
"A Man needs his castles. This is my fortress of solitude."
The assembled did not get the reference and I sighed, "Never mind. I'll have plenty of time to work on my jokes. I think I'll have a lot more time on my hands."
"I can't believe you're retiring already. How old are you.
anyway? Thirty?"
I shrugged and grinned at Mamoru, "A millenia or two give or take. But don't begrudge me my rest. Besides, I'm still going to be employed." I lifted a glass in salute to Mako, "We're going into business together."
"It won't be just a restaurant, it'll be an experience. It won't simply sample the tastes of Tuscany, it will be Tuscany...just in Japan."
Rei sighed, "You'll never stop will, you?"
"It's in my blood, Rei-chan."
Usagi grinned, "Would you actually want him to change?"
She thought about it for a moment, "No, I would not."
The senshi laughed at her mock seriousness and I kissed her on the forehead, "There is very little chance of that, love."
"I hope so." she nestled into my arms, "This is is my home now."
I chuckled and gazed at the others. "My home is always open to you. In case you ever need to get away from it all, or have a compulsion to see America, you only need ask for the key. Mi casa es tu casa."
I hesitated, then hoisted my glass high, "To everlasting friendship!"
"To friendship!"
I smiled, "To strength in the face of adversity, to life and love. For the future is always unknown. Thus we must live for today, and let tomorrow come what may," Ending the Silver Millenium toast, I felt tears well up in my eyes.
I wiped them away unashamedly and smiled out at the setting sun.
"Those sound rather important things to me." Rei wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into a fierce kiss, "I love you, Ryan Kaitou."
"And I love you, Rei-chan. With all my heart and soul.." My voice trailed away as I gazed at the red sun setting in the distance. After a bit, Rei followed my gaze, reveling in the sheer beauty of the world around us. And for a moment, just for a moment, I was no longer afraid of the perils and insecurities that might come, for I knew that would not be forced to face them alone ever again.
Rei opened her eyes to the sound of the falling rain. Her head pounded, but two strong arms pulled her up to her feet. "What just happened?"
Sailor Jupiter answered grimly, "She's dead. Sailor Moon killed her."
"I was going to paralyze her, and then she batted me away. And then-" Her voice trailed away as she saw the fallen general at her feet. "He saved me."
A melange of emotions ran through her head, only stopped by the sudden aching pain that wracked her head. Sailor Jupiter held her arm again, motioning for Mamoru to deal with the bloodied body on the floor.
Mamoru moved forward silently and knelt beside Jadeite. A doctor's eyes analyzed the wounds. They were immense, far beyond what any mere mortal might have survived. Jadeite had harnessed the energy that Beryl had hurled at him, using his body as a conduit to defeat her last bid at escape.
Mamoru's fingers felt his bruised neck, and he could feel the faintest traces of a dying pulse, attributed to the general's barely intact heart. "He's alive....barely."
Usagi lifted her hands, "I can save him. Just wait."
Sailor Venus barked out, "No! It's too risky. You might kill him. Mamoru, is there anything that can be done?"
The doctor shook his head, "No. Even if we were in an emergency room right now, it would not help. There is too much damage to repair. It's Sailor Moon or nothing."
"Then what should we do? You're his friend."
He hesitated, "I can't make that decision. He's my friend, yes,
but I know someone who cares about him more than I."
Rei stared at her lover with an expression akin to tortured pain. Even the headaches could not stop the tortuous emotions which roiled beneath the surface. 'He lied. And I loathe him more than I could ever another human being'
She whispered, "Damn you, Jadeite. Damn you to hell!"
Rei walked over and tried to pull him to his feet, screaming into his face, "Damn you! On your feet, soldier! Get up!" She sobbed into her gloved hands, "You can't leave me alone. Not now, not now! I love you..."
"Then stand back." Sailor Moon's voice filled the air with hope. She closed her eyes and placed her hands in front of her, focusing her positive energies to the task at hand, "Moon Healing Escalation!"
The light that emanated from her hands shot towards Jadeite,
enfolding his body with warm strands of energy. Suddenly, something seemed to react as the light pulsated and strained, trying to heal the tainted vessel before it. And then, it began to expand as it never had before,
a bubble of light which grew from the top of the building towards the sky and outwards.
It was a glorious sight, an expanding curtain of light that fought against the darkness of the night and won for a moment. Those walking the streets might have thought it a rogue asteroid or comet or UFO. Yet the rushing curtain of light defied any sort of scientific explanation, merely aweing and blinding all those who dared look at it.
I awoke to the smell of her hair. I inhaled the glorious scent which wafted down to my nose. It was heaven. It must have been.
I had died a warrior's death, defending someone I loved with every ounce of strength I had available. I bore few regrets and little bitterness. It was my lot in life. There are few things better worth dying for than unrequited love.
I smiled slightly, and finally opened my eyes. 'Funny, heaven isn't really all that different from my room.'
I sat up, confused for a moment, before a pain in my chest forced me back into bed. I groaned and rubbed my chest gingerly. "I may not be dead, but I sure feel it." Curiously, I lifted my shirt, to see not a trace of a scar, nor any sort of blemish on my skin. Yet, I knew that I had died, for no doctor on earth could have repaired the damage I had sustained from that blast. And yet, there I was, at five thirty AM starring out at the summer sun, with a raven haired angel sitting in a chair by my side.
Her head lay delicately rested on one hand, sleeping lightly so that any slightest disturbance might wake her up. I smiled softly and reached out to grab ahold of her hand. She woke up immediately and then stared at me, "Kaitou-san...."
Smiling, I shuffled over a bit to make room. "Come to bed, Rei-chan. It has been very lonely without you." Rei smiled tiredly and slipped underneath the covers before savoring my lips with passionate kiss. Words were not needed as we fell asleep, blissfully tired from the exertions of the previous day.
1 year later
The California sunset splashed golden light across the foothills, leaving the entire view ablaze with light.
The stars of the early evening sky twinkled like the now subdued lights of the city below him. The assembled gazed up at them, the names of stars and constellations soared through their mind, from Rigel to Sirius to Polaris, the North Star.
I even managed to glimpse at the misty band of the Milky Way and through binoculars, made out three small, but distinct shapes. The faintest was a galaxy known as Triangulum. It was either a spiral or a spherical galaxy, I could not. The next two were the two Magellanic clouds, large and small. The two, small irregular shaped galaxies seemed to travel in a pair, orbiting each other and the Milky Way at the same time.
The air started to turn dark and the first shadows fell across face. The autumn leaves spun like pinwheels, revolving around and around until they hit the ground. A gale whipped through the deciduous forest, throwing more and more leaves up into the air. The swirl of green and yellow and orange and red was a wonderful sight, and it never ceased to amaze. Looking up, a seemingly chaotic formation of birds flashed over me. I knew that the formation was not at all anarchy, but a carefully balanced and orchestrated formation that provided protection against aerial predators against which a single bird would not survive. It seemed like a symbiotic organism, moving as one fluid motion in a grace and beauty that only a few could appreciate.
And the strength of the formation was soon put to the test. A single raptor circled high above, awaiting a strike opportunity. The golden eagle suddenly dove at the massed birds. The formation didn't waver, but resolutely held its place. As the raptor screamed through the cloud of birds, they all suddenly scattered. Reforming at at a higher altitude, a momentary haven from the hawk's attacks. The eagle rode the winds again and gain altitude quickly.
Suddenly with another predatory cry, it dove down again. This time it caught up with one of the stragglers, gripping it with razor sharp talons. With a sharp twist, it broke the smaller bird's back and rode the winds down to the ground with its newly caught feast.
"This is some place you have here." Minako walked over, whistling in awe.
"A Man needs his castles. This is my fortress of solitude."
The assembled did not get the reference and I sighed, "Never mind. I'll have plenty of time to work on my jokes. I think I'll have a lot more time on my hands."
"I can't believe you're retiring already. How old are you.
anyway? Thirty?"
I shrugged and grinned at Mamoru, "A millenia or two give or take. But don't begrudge me my rest. Besides, I'm still going to be employed." I lifted a glass in salute to Mako, "We're going into business together."
"It won't be just a restaurant, it'll be an experience. It won't simply sample the tastes of Tuscany, it will be Tuscany...just in Japan."
Rei sighed, "You'll never stop will, you?"
"It's in my blood, Rei-chan."
Usagi grinned, "Would you actually want him to change?"
She thought about it for a moment, "No, I would not."
The senshi laughed at her mock seriousness and I kissed her on the forehead, "There is very little chance of that, love."
"I hope so." she nestled into my arms, "This is is my home now."
I chuckled and gazed at the others. "My home is always open to you. In case you ever need to get away from it all, or have a compulsion to see America, you only need ask for the key. Mi casa es tu casa."
I hesitated, then hoisted my glass high, "To everlasting friendship!"
"To friendship!"
I smiled, "To strength in the face of adversity, to life and love. For the future is always unknown. Thus we must live for today, and let tomorrow come what may," Ending the Silver Millenium toast, I felt tears well up in my eyes.
I wiped them away unashamedly and smiled out at the setting sun.
"Those sound rather important things to me." Rei wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into a fierce kiss, "I love you, Ryan Kaitou."
"And I love you, Rei-chan. With all my heart and soul.." My voice trailed away as I gazed at the red sun setting in the distance. After a bit, Rei followed my gaze, reveling in the sheer beauty of the world around us. And for a moment, just for a moment, I was no longer afraid of the perils and insecurities that might come, for I knew that would not be forced to face them alone ever again.