[She flies, with those same great, black wings he's seen before. She shows no surprise at being in space or being able to breathe here; she was born here. Sailor senshi are born from stars and planets. Such a grandiose setting suits her, and this is the air of home. She is not awed by it, though she lets herself watch it before she finally turns away.
Mercury doesn't take too long to watch the starscape with that distant, impassively quiet expression before she turns to go towards the man, who she recognizes. She lands gracefully a short distance away. The feathery wings wrap around her as though to keep her warm in the cold of space; but the cold is equally something that doesn't trouble her. She greets Zack blandly.]
I didn't think a human would also make it this far. [Without a ship or spacesuit, at any rate.]
[She's not used to that sort of smile, and it says something that her first thought is to wonder what he's up to. People aren't glad to see her. She gets down to business instead.]
It's easy to tell just by looking that we're in space. So, just where is it?
[The voice comes, more from inside her own head rather than his own, physical being. It's soft, and still weakened slightly, not sounding very much human at all.]
We're in a place nobody can get to. Not unless they're under... special circumstances.
[This much, he doesn't need to explain. A hand gently comes out, to wrap around her wrist.
[It's the truth. No matter how listened-to, no matter how respected for her power, no matter how much she's accomplished, no matter how many times she refuses to be the slave, she is not free. She cannot take her life into her own hands when it's already been put into someone else's.
She knows it. She nods.]
Sometimes... I seem to feel more dreaming than awake.
Don't talk as if you understand anything about it. I've accepted what's real.
This is my future. One day, I'll return to the galaxy cauldron to be reborn in my next incarnation. Don't think what scares a human is the same for me.
[She's slightly cold, in that arrogant way that looks down at him somehow despite being the shorter of the two.]
I'm learning everything here. More than what should be possible. About the Planet. About other Planets, and this Planet's past life. It's just... hard to hear sometimes, since it's in so much pain.
[And because the Planet's in pain, so are its residents here in the Lifestream. It's why he's been slow to immerse fully, and why he's here, still building his own personal world.]
We're all reborn someday. And we all get scared even though there isn't much to be scared of.
I don't think my spirit'll be here forever, either.
[In her world, only senshi have that assurance of a 'next time' and bear the burden of a 'past life'. She doesn't speak her fear that this is no longer true for her, that the corruption of her body when she gave it over to Metalia has stopped that. That she, and her comrades, could have a much worse fate.]
You intend for your spirit to leave this place and return to one of these worlds?
[She, who's seen not just humans, but their kingdoms and civilizations rise and disappear, is unimpressed, though she doesn't take the step of mocking.]
Mercury doesn't take too long to watch the starscape with that distant, impassively quiet expression before she turns to go towards the man, who she recognizes. She lands gracefully a short distance away. The feathery wings wrap around her as though to keep her warm in the cold of space; but the cold is equally something that doesn't trouble her. She greets Zack blandly.]
I didn't think a human would also make it this far. [Without a ship or spacesuit, at any rate.]
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He's Asleep here, in this world. This is his own personal Promised Land. He just hasn't built on it yet.
His eyes open.
The glow eminating from his irises is all but gone now, replaced with a dull glaze of death. He can see, he knows where he is...
He knows Mercury, the woman he'd encountered when he was yet alive.
And he smiles fondly.]
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It's easy to tell just by looking that we're in space. So, just where is it?
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[The voice comes, more from inside her own head rather than his own, physical being. It's soft, and still weakened slightly, not sounding very much human at all.]
We're in a place nobody can get to. Not unless they're under... special circumstances.
[This much, he doesn't need to explain. A hand gently comes out, to wrap around her wrist.
Zack Fair has no pulse.]
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Or she's also dead. Mercury listens for the sound of her blood rushing through her ears.]
You already gave up your life, then.
But I haven't. Why am I here?
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When people are asleep, they're very closely in tune with the Lifestream. Dreams open up a door we can't access if the person's awake.
[He laughs softly, the tone lacking any life - the bounce it had before.]
You've got nothin' to worry about. This is all just one big dream.
Maybe we're only really living when we're asleep, yeah? We have a lot more freedom.
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She knows it. She nods.]
Sometimes... I seem to feel more dreaming than awake.
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[The question is a serious one, with eyes still so hollow and yet full of the life they once held locked on her form, waiting for an answer.]
What're you feeling right now? How would you have felt, if I told you this was your future?
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This is my future. One day, I'll return to the galaxy cauldron to be reborn in my next incarnation. Don't think what scares a human is the same for me.
[She's slightly cold, in that arrogant way that looks down at him somehow despite being the shorter of the two.]
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[And because the Planet's in pain, so are its residents here in the Lifestream. It's why he's been slow to immerse fully, and why he's here, still building his own personal world.]
We're all reborn someday. And we all get scared even though there isn't much to be scared of.
I don't think my spirit'll be here forever, either.
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You intend for your spirit to leave this place and return to one of these worlds?
Or, do you intend to disappear?
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One day, I won't have a choice. The cycle of life's gotta go on, and I did my time.
[And he swore, he wouldn't have any regrets about it. His last moments were spent protecting a friend, just the way he wanted it.]
But I know one thing - I'm never gonna disappear.
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We'll see, in the end.
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Whether we stay there, that's up to the Planet.
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They just change.
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