A/N: Okay, So I just saw the anime recently and I loved it. But I got mad at the fifteenth chapter. They killed off Reina! Anywas, I don't know what possessed me to write this thing but I did it anyway. Don't know if you should enjoy this or not. But, here you are anyway.
Why?
"Stay here."
"Where are you going?"
"Just stay here!"
"...o-okay..."
"It's alright. I'll be back for you."
. . .
Rihoko shut her eyes tightly as she gripped on the leather-bound car chairs. She could hear distant sounds of fighting and she was scared. Her mommy left her all alone in her car. Even though she promised that she would come back...
Her grip became tighter and her small knuckles turned white.
She didn't know what she would do if she lost her mama. She was the only family she had. Masane had already given up on her. They couldn't be together. But her mama Reina took her in. That proves that she cared for her... right?
A loud bang echoed around the forest, despite the sound of heavy raindrops bombarding the car. Rihoko released her grip on the car seat and clamped her hands on her ears. She didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to imagine what could be going on now. She didn't want to think about her mother's condition. She knew she would probably fight with that girl from earlier. She saw it in her eyes when they drove out of the building.
But with the blasts she'd been hearing, she couldn't imagine what they could possibly be doing. They could be using guns but that wasn't enough to produce that kind of loudness.
Another bang sounded off and Rihoko ducked under the gap between the front seat and the back seat.
"Mama... Come back, quickly..."
"That's it? I'm honestly disappointed." Maria said as she stepped on Reina's head one more time, this time, with greater force.
Reina groaned in pain from the blow. She couldn't understand it. She was on the verge of unconciousness yet she still wanted to get up and make sure this Neo-gene would be stopped.
"Well... you're out of my way anyway. Now it's time for that thing to learn it's place. She doesn't deserve to be with you. I'm the only one for you, mama." Maria said as she gave one final kick to Reina. With that, she jumped up a branch and swiftly jumped from tree to tree, heading towards the direction of the car.
"R-Rihoko..." Reina groaned as she struggled to hoist herself up. It was strange. She was feeling dread. Was this part of the breaking down process? Or is it because of her daughter? An image of Rihoko popped up in her mind. She looked scared.
Reina's eyes quickly opened. 'I promised I'd come back for her...'
She hoisted herself up, despite her body's protests and leaned on a nearby tree. Maybe it was andrenaline or some other substance in her Neo-gene body, but the pain seemed to disappear as she thought of Rihoko being attacked by that girl.
She forced herself up and quickly made her way to the car. Anxiety was welling up in her stomach. She never felt this dreadful before. She never felt like this before. Was it part of the emotional state that she had to go through during her break down? Or was it simply her motherly instincts?
Mother...
The word burned like acid in her mouth. She took in Rihoko because she wanted to find out what being a mother was like. Did it bring joy? Or did it only bring trouble? She never expected their relationship to grow that much after only a few days.
She never thought she'd wanted to protect something this much. But... it was only natural, right? After all, she read about it in that book. But... she never thought it would feel like this. This feeling of dread was horrible. Knowing that there was a possibility that her daughter could be killed... it made her stomach churn.
She was nearing the road now. The car was just a few more meters away.
"R-Rihoko..."
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Reino's eyes widened. 'That... just now... that was...'
"RIHOKO!" she screamed as she quickened her pace. Her heart seemed to stop when she heard her daughter's bloodcurdling scream. 'Damn! That Neo-gene has gotten to her!'
Rihoko's screams rang out again and she felt her heart clench and her stomach plummet. It felt like knives digging through her body. The pain she was feeling had nothing to do with the wounds she acquired earlier. Was this how it truly felt? For a mother to feel so helpless? To know that she could never save her child on time?
She could feel tears prickling at the corner of her eyes. It felt so horrible. She wanted it to stop. Rihoko's screams seemed to multiply a hundred times over inside her head. She wanted to stop whatever pain that girl... that demon was inflicting on her.
"Rihoko! Rihoko!"
A huge gust of wind blew through the trees and she could hear the sound of a helicopter. She couldn't hear Rihoko now. As quickly as the copter came, it left again. Reina strained her ears for her daughter's screams.
Silence was the only thing that greeted her.
"R-Rihoko... RIHOKO! RIHOKO!"
Reina quickly ran past the gap of the trees and she found herself in the middle of the muddy trail in the forest. However, she stopped in her tracks as she took in the sight in front of her. The blood drained from her face and her eyes widened to their extent. She lost her voice. She couldn't let herself produce a single sound. She couldn't say anything.
Her car was reduced to bits and pieces. Parts littered the muddy ground and scraps of metal were haphazardly thrown about. But amidst all the junk and metal, splatters of blood were sprayed on the ground and on some of the scrap metal.
Her knees felt weak and she felt her strength go away. She clamped a hand to her mouth as she took a look at the monstrosity that that girl had done. She could feel her tears welling up in her eyes.
"R...Ri...Rihoko..." she said weakly. "N-No... No... NO!"
On top of what seemed to be the remains of the car's roof, was Rihoko's body. Her neck seemed like it had been slashed and her stomach looked like it had been pierced. Blood was still seeping through her wounds. An expression of horror was stuck on her face. Her eyes were wide open and there was no mistaking the pain in her features.
"Rihoko! RIHOKO!" Reina screamed as she ran towards her daughter's body. Tears streamed freely down her face as she gently picked her up and placed her in her arms.
This feeling was truly horrible. She never imagined she would experience this too. How could she cope with this? There was never anything about this in the book. She didn't know what to do. For the first time, she was at a loss.
"Ri... Rihoko!" Reina sobbed as she gently placed her hand on her daughter's cheek. How could that Neo-gene kill her?! Her daughter! Her own flesh and blood!
She felt her heart shatter inside her. She always thought that Rihoko would outlast her. She had already envisioned her future where she would be happy and in good care. She knew she didn't have much time left and she wanted to spend her time with her daughter as much as she could. But she never thought... she never thought...
"Rihoko... I thought we made a promise..." she pulled her daughter's body closer to hers. She never thought she'd be the one to break their promise. "What do I do now, Rihoko? I don't know what happens if you'll be gone! I won't be a mother anymore, will I?! What's the use of all the research I've done?!"
She just became a mother... Why would she be stripped of that title so quickly. It was so unfair. It was against all of her plans and her previous arrangements and research. Was this how it felt like to lose a child? Why did she even treat her own daughter as a science experiment? Why didn't she try and get to know her?
She gazed at Rihoko's bloodstained, horror-stricken face and she felt her stomach churn unpleasantly. She couldn't bare to look at her. It was all her fault. It was all her fault! If she could've fought harder against that Neo-gene, she wouldn't have gotten to Rihoko.
Her tears dropped on Rihoko's face and Reina quickly tried to wipe it away. She shouldn't ruin her current state. Although, she looked at Rihoko's disturbing features, maybe she should close the eyes.
With gentleness that only mothers could ever posses, Reina lifted her hand and slowly slid her child's eyelids down.
The tears were never-ending. She couldn't stop them even as she tried. She didn't know which felt worse, looking at her daughter's horror-stricken expression with her eyes wide open, or gazing at her peaceful-looking features with closed eyes, symbolizing that she was truly... gone.
"Rihoko... why? I came back for you... why?" Reina cried as she hugged her close. "Why? I kept... I kept my promise... Why? W-Why couldn't you keep yours? I thought... I thought you'd be waiting for me..."
Her shoulders shook as flashes of Rihoko ran throughout her mind. Her precious smile, her caring attitude, her comforting presence... all gone...
"Rihoko... why?"
'I like it, mama!'
'Whoa! That's great, mama!'
'Can I get you anything, mama?'
'I want to talk to lots and lots mama!'
'I wanna get to know you better.'
'I wanna spend more time with you.'
"Why?"
A/N: So, there we go... Reina's a bit out of character... or a lot... But, really, I just wrote this down real fast. Like I said, I dunno what came over me. Oh well, please tell me what you think. Onegai! Please!