Even though I’m only getting to it now, the angst possibilities for this have been swimming in my head since you sent this.
—-
In the back of her mind, Haruka had always known herself to
be one of the weaker fighters of the team. She didn’t think things through, she
sometimes let her emotions get the best of her, she had her speed and the
powers granted to her as a sailor soldier and that was it. She’d always known
if someone was going to get taken down in battle, it would be her.
Maybe that was why her brain refused to believe this was
happening. Mina was going to get up again any second now. She was fine. Another
second, and she’d bounce up with a smile and give a monster hell for
landing a hit. She was just being dramatic, or it was a tactic, let them think
they’d started to overwhelm the girls, and then ha! Haruka blasted monsters
back and waited for the ha!
It still didn’t come.
She fought her way over. Her mind offered increasingly
absurd reasoning. Maybe it was a terrible little prank, and Mina would bring it
up next time Haruka said no to barhopping or karaoke or skinny dipping. Maybe
Mina had dropped an earring, down between the rocks, and wanted to find it
before coming back up. Maybe. Maybe.
Haruka ran a monster through and looked down the little
cliff. The rocks were splashed with red. An accident of nature, surely. And
Mina’s uniform… but her eyes were still open, moving. They found Haruka’s.
She slid down carefully.
“Hey buddy.” Mina’s voice garbled a little at the end. Blood
seeped from her lips. “You gotta help me get up, I can’t—“ She coughed. “I
can’t move my legs, there’s something on them.”
Her legs bore only cuts and bruises. Haruka swallowed hard.
“I… I can’t. There… there are doctors coming, they’ll know how to move you.”
She pressed her lips together. When had doctors ever come for them? Ami, she
should have said Ami.
“No, I can’t wait, we have to fight.” Mina’s hands struggled
to find purchase, something to pull herself up with. “Usagi’s out there, she’s
gonna—“
“It’s okay, we won. The monsters are gone.” Haruka prayed
none would come find them. “Everything’s going to be fine.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Haruka took her hand. The blood hadn’t stopped, she
should have called for Ami, why hadn’t she?
“Usagi’s fine?”
“Barely a scratch on her.” Maybe it wasn’t a lie, Haruka
hadn’t seen her in what felt like ages.
“And Rei?”
“Rei’s too stubborn to get hurt.”
Mina’s mouth turned up at the corners, but her breathing
grew shaky. “And me?”
Haruka lay down next to her and brushed her hair and blood
away from her face. “You’re gonna be okay. I need you to be okay.”
“I don’t know if I can, buddy.” Her eyes lost their focus on
Haruka’s. “I’m scared,” she whispered.
Haruka held her close. Maybe the pressure would stop the
blood, just long enough for someone to find them. “It’s okay, I’m here.” The
blood was warm as it soaked into her uniform; she could feel Mina’s pulse in
it. “I’m here.”
“I love you, buddy.”
“I love you, too. So much.” Haruka bit her tongue to hold
back her tears. “Now don’t talk, save your energy. Someone’s going to be here
soon.”
SittingOverHereDreaming 