Absence - By Kirika
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Chapter 3 - It's Your Own Funeral
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It was raining, the sky dark, grey and foreboding. Raindrops fell in a light drizzle on the small gathering, mixing with the tears on their faces. They were gathered around a casket, sodden flower arrangements sitting limply on top. The priests voice was sombre as he read the necessary prayers. A wind picked up in the cemetery, trying to pull the black-clad mourners' umbrellas from their grasps. Preoccupied with their grief, no one noticed a lone figure in the distance, partially obscured by a tall gravestone.
"How very clich�," muttered Rei, adjusting the hood of her raincoat.
Rei had meant to leave Tokyo as soon as she left the site of the fight, however things didn't work out that way. She had snuck back to her room at the temple so she could get a fresh set of clothes, and also pack a bag, but she did not take enough things to arouse any suspicion. She also took what cash she had stashed away. Thankfully it was still early and Grandpa and Yuuichirou were asleep. It was hard being stealthy with your arm in a sling and your ribs forever aching. When she was all set to go to the train station, she was struck with a morbid fascination of what her funeral would be like. Who gets to witness their own funeral after all? She ignored the nagging thought in the back of her mind saying that she just wanted to see Usagi again. So here Rei was, three days later. She had just checked out of the fleabag motel she had been staying at, and a taxi was waiting on her at the entrance of the cemetery to take her to the train station.
"Wonder what's in that coffin... obviously they never found my body," Rei continued to mutter as she watched the group.
They were all there, her friends and family. Well, almost all... her father hadn't shown up.
Probably doesn't even care thought Rei. She hadn't seen her father in a long time.
She continued to look at the group. There was Yuuichirou, bawling his eyes out. Her Grandpa was next to him, in no better state. Haruka and Michiru were there, no doubt cursing themselves that they hadn't been there to prevent this tragedy. Hotaru was with them and was holding hands with her friend, Chibi-Usa. Rei didn't dwell on the pink-haired girl too long. Minako stood holding Luna and Artemis, all three looking equally depressed. Makoto had her arm around Ami, her expression grim as the shorter girl cried on her shoulder. Finally, Rei observed Usagi... with Mamoru. Usagi sobbed and blubbered looking at the coffin as Mamoru rubbed her back with soothing strokes. Rei hadn't seen Usagi so distraught since Mamoru broke up with her.
Look at her... she's so sad and it's all my fault. What am I doing? ...I can take her pain away so easily if I just let her know I'm okay. Seeing her like this... I can't bare it Rei closed her eyes and turned her head away from the sight, tears stinging beneath her eyelids.
"I never knew this graveyard was haunted," said a voice behind her. A voice that Rei recognised, "but here is a ghost, right in front of me."
Oh no
Rei coughed, trying to disguise her voice, but only ended up hurting her ribs. "Umm... *cough* Urg! ...I don't know what you're talking about..."
"You should know that sort of trick never works on me,"
Damn, should of known... she always knows everything
Caught, Rei turned around and faced Setsuna. She was dressed for the occasion, in black and holding an umbrella.
"I guess you know everything... about the battle, Usagi... everything..." Rei trailed off.
"I know enough," said Setsuna.
Rei sighed and looked at the ground. "I suppose this means that you'll tell the others what's going on... tell them that I'm still alive and-" Rei glanced at her injured arm, "-fairly well,"
Setsuna looked in the direction Rei's funeral was being held. "I make it a point never to interfere with the timeline unless absolutely necessary," Rei looked up in relief, "though I am not completely adverse to giving advice."
Rei let out another sigh. "I know what your going to say... that I should just tell her how I feel. No. I wouldn't do that to her... she's my best friend, I don't care about Mamoru but I won't make her choose between me and him,"
Besides, he'd win every time Rei thought bitterly.
"She probably wouldn't feel the same way anyway," Rei continued, "and then our friendship would suffer. I wouldn't even be able to hug her without some implication being read into it... anyway, a princess needs a prince." Rei smiled without a trace of humour.
Setsuna looked at Rei. "But do you really think this is the right thing to do? Running away from your problems? You're causing her unnecessary pain, you're causing all your friends and your family pain... it could all be avoided,"
"You wouldn't understand, destiny has stopped whatever relationship I could have had with Usagi before it even began... have you ever felt that it was your destiny to always be alone?" Rei asked rhetorically.
Setsuna's eyes clouded over. "...sometimes," she whispered.
Rei looked at Setsuna in mild surprise. "Yeah..." Rei said quietly, "it really sucks."
Setsuna gave Rei a small sad smile. "Indeed,"
They stood together silently for a while, watching Rei's funeral take place, each lost in their own thoughts. Then Setsuna spoke once more.
"But destiny is not always certain, the future, not written. There are many threads in the fabric of time, each leading to many possible futures. The future you know may not be the future that will occur,"
"Are you kidding? Their child from the future is in this time for gods sake, I think that pretty much means that they'll be together!" Rei said angrily.
Setsuna ignored her outburst. "Just remember what I said,"
"Whatever," Rei replied irritably.
I think I've watched enough of my own funeral
As Rei started to walk away, Setsuna said, "And what of your duty to the princess?"
Rei stopped walking and turned her head back to Setsuna. "My duty?"
"You are part of her bodyguard are you not?"
My duty... my duty is to protect her... my princess
Rei felt her resolve to leave start to weaken. How could she leave if her princess needed her protection? What if she got hurt because Rei wasn't by her side?
"The others... the other senshi will protect her," Rei said unsurely.
Rei started to walk away again but then stopped. She turned once more to Setsuna.
"If -if there ever comes a time... when she needs me... really needs me... then you find a way to contact me and I'll come, no matter where I am or what I'm doing... I'll come," Rei swore.
"She needs you now," said Setsuna.
Rei looked over to her funeral, where Usagi was standing. She took a good long look at her beautiful princess, memorizing every detail of her, no matter how small. Rei looked back at Setsuna.
"She doesn't need me," Rei said, "she has him."
Rei strengthened her resolve to leave and walked back to the taxi.
Part two |
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