Author's Note:
Yikes!!! Sorry that this took so long, guys!!!! I've been swamped in exams-- not that you wanted to know. You're just here to read, right? Okay, I'll stop my fingers from typing then. *sigh* Enjoy. . . and while you're enjoying, please note that I do not own Sailor Moon or anything of the like- -I'm just a thief with NO money--but lots of student loans.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~
Silvery golden hair fanned out over a long, white feather pillow. Rose- milk skin lay hidden beneath the rough, scratchy fabric of the red and blue patchwork quilt. Outside, the sky was masked by the dusty gray and storm blue clouds that rolled across the bleak dome in an angry torrent of random movement. Equally enraged winds ripped over the snow-covered ground in small whirlwinds of fury. The air would be cold, biting, cruel, but the sleeping occupant of the bed was unaware of the unforgiving day beyond the safe warmth of her small bedroom. Snuggled into the blankets and secreted from the outside world, Serenity enjoyed a dreamless sleep.
Ami watched the sleeping woman through bleak, tired eyes before her twin aqua orbs filled with salty, wet tears and blocked her vision. Her body was exhausted. Every fiber of her muscles stung and twitched as though someone had rammed a hot poker through the layers of her pale skin and sent sharp electrical shocks into the raw, bleeding wounds. Her eyes felt dry despite the constant flow of tears, and they felt heavy in her sockets, tired. Her long legs throbbed with the sore stiffness of pain gained from remaining stationery--without shifting once--for over an hour. She was too exhausted to wake Serenity. . .too exhausted to deal with any more emotions.
Serenity, however, did not seem to share the blue-haired woman's sentiment and stirred in bed. Ami inhaled shakily--a result of her tears-- and waited patiently for the other woman's crystalline eyes to focus. Time seemed to slither along at an unnaturally slow pace as they looked at each other, one not registering what she saw. Serenity pushed her hair away from her face; the unbound strands fell back into her face.
"Ami-chan?" she swiped at the sleep in the corner of her right eye, and she bolted upright in bed. "Shingo. . . . "
"I couldn't--" the woman's voice broke. "I stayed until. . .until I really knew. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Serenity."
The younger woman remained still at first, but eventually sat up in her bed. The headboard felt strangely cold and alien against her back. Even through the cotton of her pajama shirt, an unnatural chill radiated into her body. Suddenly, nothing felt natural, real. . .normal. Alive. What was it that Ami had just said? Something about being sorry? Something. . .something. . . .
Raw sobs echoed dully in Serenity's ears. She struggled to see Ami, to see if the blue-haired woman was the source of the crying, but her vision failed her as tears welled to meet her cheeks. She, herself did not feel sad, and she couldn't understand why she couldn't stop crying. It was not the same type of sorrow as her friend. Serenity felt no emotions attached to the tears, and no sobs fell from her soft lips. "Ami-chan?"
Ami came and sat next to Serenity on the bed. "H-he told me to tell you--" sobs broke her speech as she broke her feeble hold on her emotions. She was quick to regain some sign of composure and continued. "I-I let you sleep. . . . I didn't want to wake you. I didn't want to tell you."
Serenity just watched as her friend broke into another convulsion of weeping. Ami seemed so alone; she sat on the bed and hugged herself. Her position would make a hug from Serenity an awkward and uncomfortable feat. "What did Shi--" she paused and hugged Ami--despite the obvious lack of ease--after realizing that her friend was truly suffering. Serenity had not been with Shingo when he died--had not watched his last feeble breathes as his lungs shakily screamed for the air that made rasping noises as it poured down her brother's dry, hollow throat. But Ami had. Ami had been with Shingo. Ami had loved Shingo. "You don't need to explain anything to me, Ami-chan. Maybe you should just rest. Here, you can have my bed."
Ami began to allow Serenity to disburden her emotional turmoil and tuck her safely within the confines of the warm quilt, but realized that she could not break Shingo's trust. She had promised to tell Serenity. "No, Serenity. I need to tell you something first. You--you will not like them, but I promised I would let you hear what Shingo wanted to tell you."
**************************FLASHBACK***************************************
Shingo's eyes rolled from behind the closed lids and twitched as consciousness snapped into his seamless dream. He forced his dark eyes open to find Ami's aqua orbs close by. The young woman did nothing at first, too scared to move and frighten her hopes into oblivion. But gradually, she allowed her eyes to blink and the corners of her lips to ascend her face. Shingo was awake. Shingo's gaze was on her, and he was conscious.
"Amiko--"
"Shh, you should be asleep. You need your strength," she murmured into his palm before resting her lips on its callused exterior.
Shingo's palm moved to cup her cheek. His large hand seemed to emphasize Ami's petite and delicate features--a rose in the paws of some rough beast. "Amiko. . . you know I do not need strength from my body now."
Ami's eyes swam in angry tears. How could Shingo give up his life so easily?! Didn't he care for her at all. She tried to force her face out of his light grip, but found herself unable to tear away from his desperate, searching eyes.
"Amiko. . . ."
"No! You can't do this to me, Shingo! I need you! Don't you understand that at all?"
Shingo's hand moved to her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. Ami collapsed on his chest, inhaling the smell of him with muted fervor; it was close to being her only reassurance. "I need you to be strong, Amiko. I need you to help Sere. I need you to tell her the truth. It will help her when I'm gone. Maybe she will find her strength."
Ami tried to sit up, to question Shingo's decision, but the older man held her tightly, and she did not actually wish to part from him. "I don't think it's smart, Shingo. She could react very badly to it."
"At first, she will," Shingo acknowledged, brushing his lips against Ami's cool forehead. His voice faded as he continued. "But she will need to know now more than ever. When I am gone, father will see that she and Columbia are both married off. He might care for them, but he sees nothing but more expenditures when he looks at them. Their dowries will attract men immediately if their character doesn't. Give her the strength she needs to stand up for herself, Amiko. You already have that, I know you do. Your spirit is utterly impenetrable, Amiko. You know that, don't you? You know I love you. . . . Always love you. . . . No matter what. . . . You won't forget that, will you, Amiko? Even if you meet someone else, you won't forget that I love you, will you?"
"Shingo--" Ami sat up and pressed her fingers to his face in an attempt to keep him from drifting into sleep again. "Shingo?!"
"Amiko. . . ?"
Ami pressed her tear-kissed lips to Shingo's mouth lightly, gently. She withdrew, quivering and shaking in fear that he would really leave her. "Shingo?"
Shingo's brown eyes beheld Ami's angelic face once more in joy before they fell into fear. "Amiko. . . ," his voice was faltering as his last words fell from his lips. "Amiko. . . ? Amiko, don't leave. . . don't leave me. . . . I'm so scared to die. . . . "
Ami's mouth opened to promise him that she wouldn't leave, that he would be fine, but her tongue fell silent in her mouth. "Shingo?" she dropped her head to his chest. A small wail escape her lips. "No!!! Shingo!!"
************************FLASHBACK ENDS****************************
Yikes!!! Sorry that this took so long, guys!!!! I've been swamped in exams-- not that you wanted to know. You're just here to read, right? Okay, I'll stop my fingers from typing then. *sigh* Enjoy. . . and while you're enjoying, please note that I do not own Sailor Moon or anything of the like- -I'm just a thief with NO money--but lots of student loans.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~
Silvery golden hair fanned out over a long, white feather pillow. Rose- milk skin lay hidden beneath the rough, scratchy fabric of the red and blue patchwork quilt. Outside, the sky was masked by the dusty gray and storm blue clouds that rolled across the bleak dome in an angry torrent of random movement. Equally enraged winds ripped over the snow-covered ground in small whirlwinds of fury. The air would be cold, biting, cruel, but the sleeping occupant of the bed was unaware of the unforgiving day beyond the safe warmth of her small bedroom. Snuggled into the blankets and secreted from the outside world, Serenity enjoyed a dreamless sleep.
Ami watched the sleeping woman through bleak, tired eyes before her twin aqua orbs filled with salty, wet tears and blocked her vision. Her body was exhausted. Every fiber of her muscles stung and twitched as though someone had rammed a hot poker through the layers of her pale skin and sent sharp electrical shocks into the raw, bleeding wounds. Her eyes felt dry despite the constant flow of tears, and they felt heavy in her sockets, tired. Her long legs throbbed with the sore stiffness of pain gained from remaining stationery--without shifting once--for over an hour. She was too exhausted to wake Serenity. . .too exhausted to deal with any more emotions.
Serenity, however, did not seem to share the blue-haired woman's sentiment and stirred in bed. Ami inhaled shakily--a result of her tears-- and waited patiently for the other woman's crystalline eyes to focus. Time seemed to slither along at an unnaturally slow pace as they looked at each other, one not registering what she saw. Serenity pushed her hair away from her face; the unbound strands fell back into her face.
"Ami-chan?" she swiped at the sleep in the corner of her right eye, and she bolted upright in bed. "Shingo. . . . "
"I couldn't--" the woman's voice broke. "I stayed until. . .until I really knew. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Serenity."
The younger woman remained still at first, but eventually sat up in her bed. The headboard felt strangely cold and alien against her back. Even through the cotton of her pajama shirt, an unnatural chill radiated into her body. Suddenly, nothing felt natural, real. . .normal. Alive. What was it that Ami had just said? Something about being sorry? Something. . .something. . . .
Raw sobs echoed dully in Serenity's ears. She struggled to see Ami, to see if the blue-haired woman was the source of the crying, but her vision failed her as tears welled to meet her cheeks. She, herself did not feel sad, and she couldn't understand why she couldn't stop crying. It was not the same type of sorrow as her friend. Serenity felt no emotions attached to the tears, and no sobs fell from her soft lips. "Ami-chan?"
Ami came and sat next to Serenity on the bed. "H-he told me to tell you--" sobs broke her speech as she broke her feeble hold on her emotions. She was quick to regain some sign of composure and continued. "I-I let you sleep. . . . I didn't want to wake you. I didn't want to tell you."
Serenity just watched as her friend broke into another convulsion of weeping. Ami seemed so alone; she sat on the bed and hugged herself. Her position would make a hug from Serenity an awkward and uncomfortable feat. "What did Shi--" she paused and hugged Ami--despite the obvious lack of ease--after realizing that her friend was truly suffering. Serenity had not been with Shingo when he died--had not watched his last feeble breathes as his lungs shakily screamed for the air that made rasping noises as it poured down her brother's dry, hollow throat. But Ami had. Ami had been with Shingo. Ami had loved Shingo. "You don't need to explain anything to me, Ami-chan. Maybe you should just rest. Here, you can have my bed."
Ami began to allow Serenity to disburden her emotional turmoil and tuck her safely within the confines of the warm quilt, but realized that she could not break Shingo's trust. She had promised to tell Serenity. "No, Serenity. I need to tell you something first. You--you will not like them, but I promised I would let you hear what Shingo wanted to tell you."
**************************FLASHBACK***************************************
Shingo's eyes rolled from behind the closed lids and twitched as consciousness snapped into his seamless dream. He forced his dark eyes open to find Ami's aqua orbs close by. The young woman did nothing at first, too scared to move and frighten her hopes into oblivion. But gradually, she allowed her eyes to blink and the corners of her lips to ascend her face. Shingo was awake. Shingo's gaze was on her, and he was conscious.
"Amiko--"
"Shh, you should be asleep. You need your strength," she murmured into his palm before resting her lips on its callused exterior.
Shingo's palm moved to cup her cheek. His large hand seemed to emphasize Ami's petite and delicate features--a rose in the paws of some rough beast. "Amiko. . . you know I do not need strength from my body now."
Ami's eyes swam in angry tears. How could Shingo give up his life so easily?! Didn't he care for her at all. She tried to force her face out of his light grip, but found herself unable to tear away from his desperate, searching eyes.
"Amiko. . . ."
"No! You can't do this to me, Shingo! I need you! Don't you understand that at all?"
Shingo's hand moved to her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. Ami collapsed on his chest, inhaling the smell of him with muted fervor; it was close to being her only reassurance. "I need you to be strong, Amiko. I need you to help Sere. I need you to tell her the truth. It will help her when I'm gone. Maybe she will find her strength."
Ami tried to sit up, to question Shingo's decision, but the older man held her tightly, and she did not actually wish to part from him. "I don't think it's smart, Shingo. She could react very badly to it."
"At first, she will," Shingo acknowledged, brushing his lips against Ami's cool forehead. His voice faded as he continued. "But she will need to know now more than ever. When I am gone, father will see that she and Columbia are both married off. He might care for them, but he sees nothing but more expenditures when he looks at them. Their dowries will attract men immediately if their character doesn't. Give her the strength she needs to stand up for herself, Amiko. You already have that, I know you do. Your spirit is utterly impenetrable, Amiko. You know that, don't you? You know I love you. . . . Always love you. . . . No matter what. . . . You won't forget that, will you, Amiko? Even if you meet someone else, you won't forget that I love you, will you?"
"Shingo--" Ami sat up and pressed her fingers to his face in an attempt to keep him from drifting into sleep again. "Shingo?!"
"Amiko. . . ?"
Ami pressed her tear-kissed lips to Shingo's mouth lightly, gently. She withdrew, quivering and shaking in fear that he would really leave her. "Shingo?"
Shingo's brown eyes beheld Ami's angelic face once more in joy before they fell into fear. "Amiko. . . ," his voice was faltering as his last words fell from his lips. "Amiko. . . ? Amiko, don't leave. . . don't leave me. . . . I'm so scared to die. . . . "
Ami's mouth opened to promise him that she wouldn't leave, that he would be fine, but her tongue fell silent in her mouth. "Shingo?" she dropped her head to his chest. A small wail escape her lips. "No!!! Shingo!!"
************************FLASHBACK ENDS****************************