Bishoujou Senshi Sailor Moon : Shadow Plays
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Vignette 4 : Butterfly Dreams


	The flames of the sacred fire crackled quietly in the stillness 
of the temple, tongues of red-gold light leaping in the grate.  The 
walls of the room were a chaotic shadow-play of coloured light and 
flickering shade, the wooden floor glowing softly in the firelight.
	Rei sat, motionless, before the fire, the tiny reflections of 
the flames glimmering in the darkness of her eyes.  Alone, she watched 
the ghostly images that drifted amid the blaze, each one a memory of 
things to come, a hope for days long past.  Through them all, two 
figures, a man and a woman, danced slowly through the scenes of a 
thousand ages.
	And always, the shadows danced with them, mute guardians in the 
darkness.
	The images wavered slightly, nearly slipping away in a fleeting 
moment of distraction.  From the back of the room came a soft, dull 
tapping, fingers on wood beating a delicate double rhythm.  The sound 
nagged at the fringes of her mind, slipping through the carefully 
constructed calm of her thoughts.
	Curiosity rose, almost threatening the balance of her 
concentration. The tempo increased slightly, teasing, whispering in her 
ears.  Rei closed her eyes, seeking to regain her centre, focusing on 
the slow sighing of her breath, the steady beat of--
	Her eyes opened once more, the hint of a smile flitting across 
her lips, making no outward sign that she was even aware of her 
visitor.  The rhythm slowed, became stronger, more regular.  In 
silence, she waited, feeling each beat flowing through her body with an 
almost sensual thrill.
	At last the question came, strong voice echoing minutely in the 
quiet room.  "What do you see when you look into the fire, Rei-san?"
	Rei sat silently for some time before replying, her voice soft 
and distant.  "Many things... the future... the past."  She paused for 
a moment.  "Myself."
	"And what is the future?"
	"Our princess.  Her happiness... our happiness."
	"How can you be so sure?  The future is always unwritten, always 
changing.  Even I cannot see so clearly."
	"Because I will fight to make it so", she replied, a hint of 
steel in her tone.
	"But at what cost?"
	"My life, if that's what it takes.  I would die for her, 
Setsuna-san."
	"So why are you afraid to tell her?"
	Rei gasped in shock, the images amid the flames vanishing in a 
roaring gout of fire.  Her calm demeanour slipped, shattered, a riot of 
emotion flickering across her face for the merest instant before it 
vanished amid a haze of anger.  She spun around, pain in her eyes, 
desperate to confront the other woman.
	The room was empty, save for the crackling of the flames and the 
shivering ache of her tears.


FIN