Chapter 8: Losing Their Reasons Like a Beast
Fighter was, simply put, a fighter. She balanced out Healer's unwillingness and Maker's hesitation with pure determination and guts. She had to be the strong one. Healer was weak and Maker was always, always double checking her. They followed Fighter dutifully of course, but that was it. They weren't really the best of friends. Maybe it was because Fighter wasn't really one to converse...She had seen how Maker and Healer immediately paired off on their off was left in the castle, resentment slowly festering.
Now, Fighter was nothing like Haruka, she still was loyal to her comrades and her princess, personal feelings aside. But there were some things that Fighter could not ignore. Healer was weak, it was against Fighter's judgment to split the group in two, but it had to be done. She had left Healer with the orange one, Venus? She was the leader, Mars had said. Besides their actual leader, but the leader was always the strongest. They always were. What good that did. Haruka was boasting about some murders or other, when she casually let it slip, that Venus and her comrade, Fighter's comrade, was dead. Now, in another place and time, they could have been friends. They were similar...so very similar. Haruka was a warning to Fighter; she was what would happen if Fighter had strayed from her path. When Fighter strayed.
Try as she might, Fighter could not love Odango like she loved her princess. She was a crybaby, a complainer. In another time, Fighter was sure she would have loved this girl more than her very life. Deep down, Fighter adored Usagi. But she was weak, like Healer. And she would die, like Healer. They would all die. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter(If Jupiter wasn't already dead, but Fighter doubted it). All that was left was to find Maker, retrieve what was left of Healer, find the princess and leave this doomed planet. Fighter didn't care anymore. Galaxia wouldn't attack the same place twice would she?
"Yes," Healer would say, always the pessimist.
"You never know, it wouldn't kill us to be prepared. Just in case," Maker would say. Fighter would agree with her.
"I believe she wouldn't. Let's have faith," Kakyuu would say. Her princess, the only reason Fighter kept waking up each morning. Each black, dreadful morning. How tired Fighter was. Oh so tired...
Dying sucked. That much she could tell you. Hearing your best friend go insane and not being able to stop it, that sucked worse. She was paralyzed, unable to see if that little girl was okay, to wrap her arms around her friend, to stop the pain. She couldn't do any of that.
"It's alright," Someone far away said. "Don't cry. It's not worth it."
"She's dead! She's left me all alone. What am I going to do without her?" her friend sobbed.
"She's never really gone you know," Another voice said, deeper than the first. "She'll always be with you if you never forget her."
I'm alive! She wanted to scream. I'm still here! I'm not dead! Help me! But she couldn't. She felt herself being moved, strong arms were carrying her. They carried her for a long time, until finally they stopped. She was put back on cold rock. She heard some shuffling and sharp cracking noises. What was going on? A while after the cracking noises stopped, she was being picked up again. She was put in something cold, unbearably cold.
"Is this for the best?" Her friend asked.
No, no it's not! It's cold! I'm still alive! I'm still alive! Can't you hear me screaming?
But they couldn't. They continued. The water got colder and colder until it wasn't water anymore. And it surrounded her.
And so she was put to rest in her frozen grave.
"Aren't you going to do anything with the body?" Kakyuu asked, poking Jupiter's still frame.
"Why should I? Just leave her here." Haruka said, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.
"She's your comrade. She helped you." Kakyuu stated.
"She was the Princess'. She wasn't one of mine. I had Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn."
"Neptune? The girl who abandoned you?"
Haruka looked away, as if in pain. "She wouldn't stay...She said she would always stay with me..."
Kakyuu frowned. "Don't think about her anymore. You're with us now. We won't abandon you."
Haruka scoffed. "You can't. You'd be losing your strongest player. Chaos knows that. That's why, no matter how many times I screw up, I always get another chance."
Kakyuu nodded. "I'll always be at your side, you know. I won't leave."
"Thanks Kakyuu."
Kakyuu smiled.