Between the sea and the end, Tuesday evening
She'd emptied every round she had into the Gone. Nothing. Not even the sound of impact.
Despite the fact that it was empty now, Blossom holstered her gun. Triela would be sore enough at her, but if she showed up without it, the lecture would be long.
The thought made her laugh. And then cry.
She only had one option left to fight this with. Nothing else had worked, so... but she wasn't even sure she manage it. The last time she'd done it, released all her White Light to attempt to seal something, she'd been with all the GirlsZ. And they'd used that crazy invention of the Professor's... which was in the Lab. Which, like the islands she'd once called home, was gone.
She floated in the sky over the ocean (and how weird it was that it didn't all rush out somewhere, with the edges gone and nothing to keep it in anymore) and prayed that her phone would still work for one last call before her 'last stand'.
Thanksgiving break was over, and Jaime hadn't been back to class at all. Not that it would have done much good since he also hadn't slept much over the past week, so he wouldn't have really been able to pay attention.
In fact, he was asleep when his phone rang. Which explained why his "Hello?" carried that too loud, too fast tone of someone who wasn't really awake yet.
Normally Momoko would have apologized and just called back later, but she wasn't sure that was going to be an option.
"Jaime, can you wake up for me please? It's important."
Momoko.
A sudden, panicked surge of adrenaline was enough to bring Jaime fully awake.
"Momoko," he breathed, oddly relieved to hear her voice. "I'm awake. What's up?"
Please have something he could do to help. He wasn't managing all that well feeling so useless all the time.
Oh, this was going to be so hard.
"I've totally tried everything, okay. I promise. My yo-yos and hair bows are just swallowed up and vanish, explosions don't even happen when it gets close, and bullets..." She gave a sharp laugh, wiping at a small tear. "I haven't fired that many since my first year of Gun club. It was so weird to hear them mixing with the sounds of the city just going on like nothing was happening, you know?"
She was beginning to babble, yes.
Jaime wasn't taking any notes on what Momoko was saying.
And when he realized what she was saying, he still didn't move to.
"No." No, no, no, no, no.
He didn't even realize he'd said anything.
Ah, so he had caught on.
"Hey, just because you have guns firing all the time in your world doesn't make it normal," she tried to play it off. Badly. "Some of us have more peaceful towns to live in."
...
"Okay, had." She choked a bit and corrected herself, flying backwards a bit to gain more distance. More time. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called, I know."
Jaime felt his throat clench. He opened his mouth, but couldn't manage to make any words come out.
He swallowed once. Twice. Tried again.
"No. I'm glad you called." Was he?
Yes.
"I'm..." He trailed off because he didn't know what to say. 'I still love you'? It sounded trite, not to mention inappropriate given the circumstances. 'I'm glad you're okay'? He could tell from Momoko's tone that she wasn't, and that it wouldn't be long before she was just plain gone.
Ah. Now the ocean's gone. Ryūjin-kami-sama will be angry.
"I just... America was gone last night. No more maps in my book. I wanted to hear your voice. Make sure you were still okay."
Just hear your voice.
"I'm fine." And while that was a lie, and he knew it, it was true in a way that mattered. He and his were alive, and looked to stay that way.
Jaime wasn't oblivious to the fact that his 'I'm fine' sounded a lot like one of Momoko's less convincing ones. But the realization only twisted his gut more. Because he'd never hear that particular familiar lie again.
"I wish you were here," he said, trying to stay positive. "You'd love the Watchtower. It's totally a space station."
It wasn't a lie, because he was alive. "Ah! You have a space station and you never shared?"
Backing up and turning to head for... what was that way again? Was there anything?
"I've got one more thing to try, you know. I don't know if it will work. It worked when we had to seal Him, but I'm all alone and I don't have the machine..."
No, there wasn't anything there. She stopped flying.
"Can I tell you a secret, Jaime?"
"I was saving it for your next visit," Jaime tried to tease. It just came out flat and choked.
He paused, taking a couple of deep breaths.
"You know you can tell me anything." She did know, right? Anything.
"I'm scared. Don't tell okay? Anyone?"
Jaime's hands twitched helplessly, and his vision blurred.
"It'll be our secret," he promised softly. He wanted to promise more. That he was there, that it would be okay, that they'd see each other over Christmas.
But he couldn't bring himself to lie. Here at the end (and he couldn't lie to himself, either, apparently, so he knew that's what it was), he didn't want anything else to pass between them.
"Our secret," he repeated, knowing that he'd go to his grave with that one. Haunted by it, but flattered and grateful that she'd shared it.
"Thank you." She felt better, stronger, for admitting that. Letting it go. "This... I'm going to try putting all of my powers into one last yo-yo. It... It's sort of what worked before, to seal Him, but..."
But it meant giving up all her powers. No longer being a hero. If she survived, that is.
"It'll work." It had to. Because if it didn't, well... It would.
Please let it work.
He knew what she was risking. What she was giving up. But he didn't care. All he wanted was Momoko. Powers or no. It wouldn't make her less of a hero to lose them, anyone who had ever met her knew that.
And that didn't matter. Momoko mattered.
So it would work.
She gave a small laugh, looking up as the quiet around her increased. "You're right. It will. It has to."
And the... whatever it was, was getting closer again, which meant she didn't have much time. And she didn't want this to be Jaime's memory of her.
"Jaime? I want to say..." She wanted to say a lot. So much. But... She'd told him everything before and he'd turned away from it. "Thank you. For being my number one reason to come home. Even if it was for only for a few months. Sayonara."
And she closed the phone.
She hadn't wanted to hang up. Which was probably evident by how she was clutching the phone to her chest. It took all she had, but she finally pocketed the phone, pulling out a yo-yo as she did. She stared a moment, screwing up her courage. She hadn't been really truthful with Jaime.
Her plan was indeed to put all of her powers into the yo-yo, but if she did that there was no way she could throw it. She'd have to carry it in close and then do it. Her timing had to be perfect.
She turned to face the advancing... well, Gone really was as good a name as any for the thing, right?
"Right. Let's do this, Gone!"
She flew straight, releasing her power more and more as she got closer, closer and then... releasing the now giant highly charged weapon!
"Ah ah." She watched it vanish as she fell. "I should have named the attack."
Jaime stared at his silent phone as his mind churned. Too many thoughts. Too much to say. Not enough time
After a couple of minutes (though he couldn't really tell how long it had been) he realized that he had to try. He couldn't not.
So he picked up the phone and called back. "Momoko, listen--"
Jaime's mouth snapped shut as his brain processed the fact that the female voice on the other end of the line wasn't Momoko, but was a recording politely telling him that the number he had dialed did not exist.
His phone was flying across the room before he really made the decision to throw it, and he didn't see it hit the wall. Even if he'd tried to watch the destruction, his eyes were too blurry to see anything.
Jaime slumped out of his chair, curling up on the floor with his arms wrapped protectively around himself.
She was gone. The only thing he had left was her final words.
"Sayonara," he whispered, voice so hoarse he didn't recognize it. "Sayonara, Akatsutsumi Momoko."
"Aishiteru."
[OMG BRB SOBBING FOREVER! Thanks and blame go to weldedtomyspine and his tiny phone internets for the assist! Delays in posting? Totally #PortalocityFail. NFB, NFI, BDE]
Despite the fact that it was empty now, Blossom holstered her gun. Triela would be sore enough at her, but if she showed up without it, the lecture would be long.
The thought made her laugh. And then cry.
She only had one option left to fight this with. Nothing else had worked, so... but she wasn't even sure she manage it. The last time she'd done it, released all her White Light to attempt to seal something, she'd been with all the GirlsZ. And they'd used that crazy invention of the Professor's... which was in the Lab. Which, like the islands she'd once called home, was gone.
She floated in the sky over the ocean (and how weird it was that it didn't all rush out somewhere, with the edges gone and nothing to keep it in anymore) and prayed that her phone would still work for one last call before her 'last stand'.
Thanksgiving break was over, and Jaime hadn't been back to class at all. Not that it would have done much good since he also hadn't slept much over the past week, so he wouldn't have really been able to pay attention.
In fact, he was asleep when his phone rang. Which explained why his "Hello?" carried that too loud, too fast tone of someone who wasn't really awake yet.
Normally Momoko would have apologized and just called back later, but she wasn't sure that was going to be an option.
"Jaime, can you wake up for me please? It's important."
Momoko.
A sudden, panicked surge of adrenaline was enough to bring Jaime fully awake.
"Momoko," he breathed, oddly relieved to hear her voice. "I'm awake. What's up?"
Please have something he could do to help. He wasn't managing all that well feeling so useless all the time.
Oh, this was going to be so hard.
"I've totally tried everything, okay. I promise. My yo-yos and hair bows are just swallowed up and vanish, explosions don't even happen when it gets close, and bullets..." She gave a sharp laugh, wiping at a small tear. "I haven't fired that many since my first year of Gun club. It was so weird to hear them mixing with the sounds of the city just going on like nothing was happening, you know?"
She was beginning to babble, yes.
Jaime wasn't taking any notes on what Momoko was saying.
And when he realized what she was saying, he still didn't move to.
"No." No, no, no, no, no.
He didn't even realize he'd said anything.
Ah, so he had caught on.
"Hey, just because you have guns firing all the time in your world doesn't make it normal," she tried to play it off. Badly. "Some of us have more peaceful towns to live in."
...
"Okay, had." She choked a bit and corrected herself, flying backwards a bit to gain more distance. More time. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called, I know."
Jaime felt his throat clench. He opened his mouth, but couldn't manage to make any words come out.
He swallowed once. Twice. Tried again.
"No. I'm glad you called." Was he?
Yes.
"I'm..." He trailed off because he didn't know what to say. 'I still love you'? It sounded trite, not to mention inappropriate given the circumstances. 'I'm glad you're okay'? He could tell from Momoko's tone that she wasn't, and that it wouldn't be long before she was just plain gone.
Ah. Now the ocean's gone. Ryūjin-kami-sama will be angry.
"I just... America was gone last night. No more maps in my book. I wanted to hear your voice. Make sure you were still okay."
Just hear your voice.
"I'm fine." And while that was a lie, and he knew it, it was true in a way that mattered. He and his were alive, and looked to stay that way.
Jaime wasn't oblivious to the fact that his 'I'm fine' sounded a lot like one of Momoko's less convincing ones. But the realization only twisted his gut more. Because he'd never hear that particular familiar lie again.
"I wish you were here," he said, trying to stay positive. "You'd love the Watchtower. It's totally a space station."
It wasn't a lie, because he was alive. "Ah! You have a space station and you never shared?"
Backing up and turning to head for... what was that way again? Was there anything?
"I've got one more thing to try, you know. I don't know if it will work. It worked when we had to seal Him, but I'm all alone and I don't have the machine..."
No, there wasn't anything there. She stopped flying.
"Can I tell you a secret, Jaime?"
"I was saving it for your next visit," Jaime tried to tease. It just came out flat and choked.
He paused, taking a couple of deep breaths.
"You know you can tell me anything." She did know, right? Anything.
"I'm scared. Don't tell okay? Anyone?"
Jaime's hands twitched helplessly, and his vision blurred.
"It'll be our secret," he promised softly. He wanted to promise more. That he was there, that it would be okay, that they'd see each other over Christmas.
But he couldn't bring himself to lie. Here at the end (and he couldn't lie to himself, either, apparently, so he knew that's what it was), he didn't want anything else to pass between them.
"Our secret," he repeated, knowing that he'd go to his grave with that one. Haunted by it, but flattered and grateful that she'd shared it.
"Thank you." She felt better, stronger, for admitting that. Letting it go. "This... I'm going to try putting all of my powers into one last yo-yo. It... It's sort of what worked before, to seal Him, but..."
But it meant giving up all her powers. No longer being a hero. If she survived, that is.
"It'll work." It had to. Because if it didn't, well... It would.
Please let it work.
He knew what she was risking. What she was giving up. But he didn't care. All he wanted was Momoko. Powers or no. It wouldn't make her less of a hero to lose them, anyone who had ever met her knew that.
And that didn't matter. Momoko mattered.
So it would work.
She gave a small laugh, looking up as the quiet around her increased. "You're right. It will. It has to."
And the... whatever it was, was getting closer again, which meant she didn't have much time. And she didn't want this to be Jaime's memory of her.
"Jaime? I want to say..." She wanted to say a lot. So much. But... She'd told him everything before and he'd turned away from it. "Thank you. For being my number one reason to come home. Even if it was for only for a few months. Sayonara."
And she closed the phone.
She hadn't wanted to hang up. Which was probably evident by how she was clutching the phone to her chest. It took all she had, but she finally pocketed the phone, pulling out a yo-yo as she did. She stared a moment, screwing up her courage. She hadn't been really truthful with Jaime.
Her plan was indeed to put all of her powers into the yo-yo, but if she did that there was no way she could throw it. She'd have to carry it in close and then do it. Her timing had to be perfect.
She turned to face the advancing... well, Gone really was as good a name as any for the thing, right?
"Right. Let's do this, Gone!"
She flew straight, releasing her power more and more as she got closer, closer and then... releasing the now giant highly charged weapon!
"Ah ah." She watched it vanish as she fell. "I should have named the attack."
Jaime stared at his silent phone as his mind churned. Too many thoughts. Too much to say. Not enough time
After a couple of minutes (though he couldn't really tell how long it had been) he realized that he had to try. He couldn't not.
So he picked up the phone and called back. "Momoko, listen--"
Jaime's mouth snapped shut as his brain processed the fact that the female voice on the other end of the line wasn't Momoko, but was a recording politely telling him that the number he had dialed did not exist.
His phone was flying across the room before he really made the decision to throw it, and he didn't see it hit the wall. Even if he'd tried to watch the destruction, his eyes were too blurry to see anything.
Jaime slumped out of his chair, curling up on the floor with his arms wrapped protectively around himself.
She was gone. The only thing he had left was her final words.
"Sayonara," he whispered, voice so hoarse he didn't recognize it. "Sayonara, Akatsutsumi Momoko."
"Aishiteru."
[OMG BRB SOBBING FOREVER! Thanks and blame go to weldedtomyspine and his tiny phone internets for the assist! Delays in posting? Totally #PortalocityFail. NFB, NFI, BDE]