[mirage]
                                                     seen by Ducky



   mirage (mi räzh') n. an optical illusion, caused by the 
   refraction of light, in which a distant object appears  
   nearby 



       (Shaking hands covered her mouth.  Horror etched into her 
          face.  She stared at the body that hung before her.) 


                 i've always wanted to be like you, michiru-san.  
                    so elegant and poised ... 

                          you're the lady that i want to be.


   (Suspended.  Lifeless.)


                       ara, that is very flattering, usagi-chan.  
                 but now i must tell you something.


                            ('Michiru ...')


                          i've always wanted to be like you.


           (Anger flashed in her eyes, coursing through her, 
              pushing through the fog.  Pulsing, raging.)

 ('What did you do to her?!?')

                    (He glanced at her, unaffected by her sudden 
                        change in temperament.)

       ('I alleviated her pain.  She asked to be saved.')

                             (He brushed aside aqua curls.)

           ('I granted her wish.')

               ('You manipulated her!  You twisted her memories!')

('Ah, but the choice was hers to make.') 

           (His eyes darkened.)

                      ('As it was yours.')


                (And flashed red.) 



                                    [act 07: desperation // begin]



The sun felt so warm against her skin.

Michiru smiled, letting her body slowly waken as she breathed in 
the scent of the new day.  No worries, no fears.  

Only love.

     Perfect.

     Ideal.

A touch at her side caused her to squirm and giggle softly.

  'Hey, that tickles.'

She felt more than heard Haruka's answering laughter, their bodies 
pressed so close together they were almost one.  Michiru lifted 
her head to look into Haruka's bright eyes.

A mischievous sparkle had asserted itself into emerald eyes.  

  'I thought you said you weren't ticklish.'

Ocean blue met her squarely, daring her.

  'I'm not.'

A blonde eyebrow rose.  Accepting the challenge.

  'We'll see about that.'

The car swerved sharply, the tires squealing as the car struggled 
to compensate.  The daemon flew off its perch from the hood of the 
car and collided into the lamppost.  Haruka glanced back at her 
two silent passengers.  Both still sleeping.  

The attack had caught them all off guard.  The daemons had somehow 
combined their forces and ambushed them at Haruka's apartment, 
plowing in from the outside.  They had fought their way out, 
loading the still convalescent forms of Usagi and Michiru into 
Haruka's car and then separating.  

     Get them somewhere safe.  We'll hold them off.

Her instincts had screamed to stay and fight.

          Haruka, you're hurt.  Don't -

          No, I'm fine.  I can fight, Michiru.

But stronger still was her will to protect.  

          I'm tired of doing things I regret.

She gunned the engine.

     You promised me, Michiru.  

          Promise me. 

              |but deliver us from evil|

          I promise.

Mamoru saw the yellow convertible skid across the street, 
successfully dislodging the daemon that had attached itself upon 
it.  His heart was fixated upon the woman strapped in the back 
seat.

     Usako.

Haruka had been the obvious choice.  There were too many daemons.  
No one else could drive through them.  Usagi and Michiru had to be 
taken somewhere safe.  Haruka was the only one who could do that.

He had seen the indecision in Haruka's eyes.

  'Get them somewhere safe.  We'll hold them off.'

She had wanted to stay.  To fight.

He had looked at her.  Hard.

  'Go.'

Indecision disappeared.  

  'We'll be at Michiru's beach house.'

Deliberately saying "we".  

     I'm going to hold you to that, Haruka.

She nodded.

     I know.      



   (Pain exploded through her entire body, forcing her to give in.
       To give up.)

|o my god|
|i am sorry for my sins|
|with all my heart|
 
              (She had one last chance.  To right the wrong she 
                had committed.)

                                      i'm sorry, minna

|in choosing to do wrong|
|and failing to do good|
|i have sinned against you|

                      i thought i could do this on my own

                 ('You said ... you would give me everything ... 
                     everything that I wanted.')

|whom i should love above all things| 

        but i have only succeeded in making things worse

            (It was so hard to talk, even harder to breathe.)

                                (But she had to do this.)

|i firmly intend|
|with your help|

      (He stepped closer to her, eager.)

|to do penance|

                    ('And what is it that you want, Usagi?')

|to sin no more|

                         i am so sorry, minna

                ('Let them go.  I'm the one you want, isn't it?  
                   I'm the one you've been waiting for.')

|and to avoid whatever leads me to sin|

           ('You're hurting my friends ... You're hurting me ...')

|our savior|
|jesus christ|
|suffered and died for us|

                 ('Take away my pain.')

|in his name, my god|

          i'm sorry

                             ('Make my dream come true.')

|have mercy|



Mamoru fought desperately, forgoing flair for efficiency.  Killing 
was never meant to be pretty.  

His clothes were drenched in blood and gore.  Some his own.  Most 
of it not.  A quick check around him assured him that the others 
were still standing.  Whole.  Alive.  

But they were battered, bruised.  Ami could barely stand.  He had 
already lost sight of Hotaru.

They could lose this battle.

     We could die here.

The thought entered his brain with sudden clarity, gripping his 
heart with an earth shattering fear.  It cost him a blow to the 
head.

              |thus conscience does make cowards of us all|

Mechanically, he fought, his sword swiftly dispatching the daemon 
that had bowled him over.  His mind numbing.

     We could die here.

              |and thus the native hue of resolution|
              |is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought|

     I may never see her again. 

           Never hold her hand

                 Hear her say my name

                       Feel her breath against my cheek

              |and enterprises of great pitch and moment|
              |with this regard their currents turn awry|

              |and lose the name of action|

Haruka slammed on the brakes, but it was already too late.  She 
heard the tire explode as the spikes ripped through the rubber.  
The car skidded to a stop.

Then they came.

Quietly, from the shadows, predators advancing on their prey.  

Surrounding her.

Grimly, she drew her sword.



          (He licked his lips, tasting the moment.)

                  ('That is your wish?')

              (He waved a hand and an image appeared.)

                        ('It shall be done.')

       (Mamoru, covered in blood.  Ami leaning heavily on Makoto.
         Hotaru battling on her own. Rei and Minako barely 
          surviving.  Haruka, surrounded.)

                 (A gasp escaped her lips.)

     ('We will let Fate continue on its course.  Their suffering 
         will end then.')

          ('No.  They can't die ... you said ... you said you 
             would grant my wish!')

(He ignored her cries.  His eyes glowed and he grew, transforming, 
  and became ethereal.  God-like.  All powerful.)

                      (This was his true form.)

    ('I am the Dream Weaver.  I can grant your heart's desire.  
        You wish to end your suffering.')

             (His eyes flashed.)

                                   ('I will grant you your wish.')



                                      [act 07: desperation // end]





Ducky
March 4, 2004 - March 13, 2004