I DON'T OWN ANYTHING, BLAH BLAH

This was so hard to write. I'm traumatized. A few days ago, I shut down emotionally, but I had no idea how messed up I was until I found myself having to write this. Inspired by Breaking Benjamin's Anthem of the Angels.

Laughter rang throughout the room, making Minako smile. "Remember when you wouldn't even smile?" She laced her arm through the raven's own and rested her head on her shoulder, looking over the balcony at the palace gardens.

"Remember when you wouldn't stop talking?" Rei feigned smacking her own head. "My apologies, you still can't seem to stop talking."

"If only I could improve your manners," she mused, tapping a finger to her chin.

Rei huffed. "There's nothing wrong with my manners."

She covered her face with a hand, choosing to speak through her fingers. "Rei, do you remember how my mother found out we were together?"

The Martian woman tilted her head. "I told her."

Minako withdrew her arm to slap Rei's shoulder. "You growled," she laughed.

An uncharacteristic pout crossed the proud woman's features as she moved away from the balcony to lean against the stone of the doorway, completing the pout by crossing her arms over her chest. "She was practically shoving that fool at you."

"Oh Rei, you're so tactless." She turned to face her, leaning backward against the balcony. "That 'fool' was a polite, Venusian nobleman of high status."

"Are you interested?"

Minako gave her a devilish smile. "I think the answer is apparent, given our activities last night."

She felt a hot blush creep across her cheeks. "Well, what was I supposed to do?"

"Introduce yourself politely, perhaps."

"I was beyond polite. He left completely unharmed."

A laugh escaped her. "That's true." Her expression softened. "I love you."

"And I love you." Rei smiled. "Even if you are a bubbly headache."

Minako was about to give some retort or other, but whatever it was left her when Rei's smile was replaced with alarm that she had never seen before. She heard yelling somewhere behind her, but before she could question any of it, the Martian leapt forward and fiercely jerked Minako's arm, causing her to fall forward. She hit the ground, hearing Rei grunt. She looked up as an explosion shook the building and horror filled Minako's very being as time seemed to slow upon the sight of her lover falling backward with an arrow sticking out of her chest.

Rei's body made a solid, sickening noise as it hit the stone. Her choked voice brought Minako to her side. "You okay?"

Tears blurred her vision as she removed Rei's hand from around the arrow. "No, stupid, I can't lose you."

"I'm pretty sure I'd spontaneously combust if you died," Rei joked, forcing a smile.

"You selfish barbarian," she choked out, ignoring the yells and explosions around her. "It's too close to your heart; if I pull it out, you'll bleed to death."

Rei grunted at her lover's probing fingers, "Can I ask selfish things then?"

"Anything you want," Minako whispered, tears falling from her eyes and onto Rei's face.

She reached for Minako's hand, gripping it as hard as she could. "Will you help me," her words were interrupted with a grimace, "out there to fight?"

"Stupid barbarians and your beautiful deaths," she laughed sadly, shaking her head.

"I hate being right," came a hard voice.

"Ami," Rei ground out through her teeth.

Feeling a shred of hope, Minako tore her gaze from Rei to look at the kneeling genius, noticing her disheveled look. "Yes or no?"

Ami examined Rei, murmuring an apology for the pain her fingers caused and sighed. She rubbed the back of her hand against her forehead as she sat back. The genius squeezed Rei's other hand and swore, "I'll kill some for you." At the sight of Rei's bloody grin, she turned to Minako. Upon finding no words, she stood to leave.

"No wonder you looked so angry in my visions," Rei joked.

A sad smile twitched at Minako's lips. "Think I could pass for a Martian?"

Tears fell faster at the sight of Rei struggling to talk. "If you try hard enough. I think," she choked, "I promise…" A fit of violent coughs left her unable to finish.

"Rei, don't," Minako whispered, brushing the dark hair from her face with a gentle hand.

"I promise it'll be different next time."

"Next time," she echoed, her brow furrowing.

"Next life." Rei gave a pained smile as a few tears fell from her eyes. "You're as beautiful then as now," she laughed, though it was plagued with bloody coughs.

Minako couldn't help the bitter smile. "I'll give you so many headaches," she promised.

Rei's smile turned to a grimace and her grip tightened on the blonde's hand. "Pull it out."

Alarm flashed through her. "What?"

"Please, Mina." Amethyst eyes held the tear-filled blue ones.

Minako choked on a sob as she slipped her fingers around the arrow and stared into her love's eyes- eyes that were once so cold, harboring only hatred and disdain with boundless hopelessness. She couldn't count the arguments they had; Minako trying to get her to feel, Rei not wanting to feel. Some part of her knew she'd go through it all over and over again- the arguments, the pain, everything- if it meant she could experience the joy of a happy Rei that loved her. Even if it ended with them here, scorned by fate.

Rei smiled.

Minako ripped out the arrow, feeling Rei's grip on her hand tighten, knowing the woman didn't want to cry out in front of her. The arrow clattered to the side as she pressed her hand over the wound, feeling the blood flow over her fingers. She stared into those always expressive eyes until Rei's hand went limp in her own. That slight smile that she'd never see again, those eyes that would never narrow at her for her stupid antics, the delicate touch she'd never feel again, the silence left by the only voice that could truly banish her fears.

Minako gripped the front of Rei shirt, cursing the woman for saving her life, for leaving her.

However, her mourning was interrupted by footsteps. She looked up to see a Terran soldier with his sword out. A wicked smile played at his face as he tilted his head, staring with completely black eyes. He stepped forward, his body jerking awkwardly and he laughed. "She made me miss," he hooted.

Realization dawned on Minako. She clenched her jaw, her insides practically freezing. Turning to ash. Distantly, she felt a tingling at the back of her head. It didn't even occur to her that she had no weapon, that it was one of those rare times Rei had been without even a dagger. Rei.

She stood as the soldier laughed again, stepping closer. "I heard Martians were the fiercest people, but I see that's a lie," he cackled.

"You're lucky."

"And how is that?"

"I'm not half as fierce as she is."

The Terran soldier's sadistic glee vanished as the buckles on his armor came apart. Minako watched him panic, indifferent, as his armor betrayed him. He lunged forward to swing at her, but the plates of his boots shot up and through his shins, sending him to his knees.

She flung her wrist out to the side, a chain forming in her hand. "You're not worth dying near my Rei," she stated in a soft undertone. Minako willed the chain to wrap around the Terran soldier and wrenched her arm backward, sending him flying over the balcony. His scream ended when he met the ground.

With a parting glance to her dead lover, Minako exited the balcony. Lunar soldiers were falling under their Terran attackers. She walked past them all, sending plates of their armor into their own chests. It didn't matter who it was. For what reason should she care? No one was going to survive this and everything good in the universe was already dead.

Rei was dead.

Dead for the Lunar princess.

The only thing stopping Minako from finding the princess was the fact that she'd likely kill her- something that would upset Rei and render her death pointless. She exited the castle, willing the swords of the fallen men and women to spin in dangerous circles around her. The scene before her was nothing but death, yet it didn't faze her. Minako was already living in her personal hell. A gut-wrenching scream filled the air, followed by a crack of violent thunder that shook the very ground. She looked in the direction of it, seeing Makoto act as a hurricane of lightning and death. Ami was dead too, then.

Minako willed a particular piece of metal to come to her. A Terran soldier approached her while she waited, but she simply sent one of her swords through his heart. A slight whistling of metal flying through the air greeted her ears and she held up her hand. Rei's sword. She gripped it and descended the steps.

Wave after wave of Terran soldiers fell to her, only adding to her personal armory. It seemed to have caught Makoto's attention, as she appeared nearby.

Murder shone in the tall brunette's eyes as she spat out two syllables. "Beryl."

The tilt of a head answered her friend.

Together, the two charged forward. In their wake, only death. It wasn't long before they encountered four men, guarding one woman, that were superior to the standard soldiers. The Terran generals.

With their lovers dead and nothing left to fight for but vengeance, Minako and Makoto were immune to their jeers. There was an obvious lack of honor, not that the two expected any, as they were attacked by the generals and the other soldiers as well. Minako took wounds that caused her to fall to one knee when she killed the first general, but they felt distant as if they were someone else's. Screeching laughter filled the air when Makoto fell, taking a general with her, along with over two scores of soldiers.

The soldiers stopped when the last general raised a hand.

"You're too wounded to defeat Kunzite," Beryl gloated.

"I don't need to," she called out. Blood flowed down her arm and onto Rei's sword.

"Then why do you bother?" She asked, descending the stairs she so cockily had her soldiers create. The general, Kunzite, moved in front of the vile woman.

Minako looked to the sky before focusing her gaze on Beryl. "Because I only need to kill you." She pushed herself up and flung Rei's sword directly at Kunzite. He charged at her, but she dedicated her strength to willing the thrown sword around him. Just as Kunzite's blade ripped through her abdomen, Rei's sword buried itself in Beryl's chest.

The Terran general tore his blade out of her with a snarl of rage, though it only made her smile as she began to fall. His mistake. Before she hit the ground, Kunzite's blade's jerked, cutting his throat wide open.

She felt the blood gushing over her own hands, mingling with Rei's, as she looked up at the fiery sky. Through it all, Minako could just barely make out Mars and Venus. She made a noise something between a laugh and cough. A smile graced her face despite the raging soldiers around her. Minako smirked. "Martian enough… for you?"

Alright so here I worked well out of my comfort zone. I tried to have smoother narration and dialogue that worked together much better and I don't know if I succeeded. I also never wrote a character death before and I originally intended for Minako to die. Spent quite some time thinking about which one afterward. -cries- still traumatized. Next one is fluffy. Drop me a review?

Also, did anyone catch the Versus reference I made...? No...? Okay.