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 Posted: Fri May 02, 2025 11:00 am
The world had nearly ended. The thought itself was sobering enough for Sakura, but outright painful when she thought of seeing Kaga falling. She had almost lost the person who had so quickly become so precious to her, and it terrified her in a way she was wholly unfamiliar with.
Upon returning to Earth, Sakura had stayed immediately by her side, never letting her out of her (admittedly blurry) sight and asked her to come home with her, just needing to be close to her a while longer. This time, when Sakura woke beside Ei, the panic was gone and replaced with a feeling of relief and contentment. The fear that gripped her heart that last time had all but vanished, replaced by adoration.
Sakura smiled warmly over at Ei and softly traced over some of her tattoos. Part of her just needed to touch her, to be sure it was real, that they were both there, alive and well. To be sure that Ei hadn't fallen for good during that battle. Failing to protect her, as well as Chalcanthite and Melpomene, would weigh heavily on her in the days to come, but for now? She was content to allow herself to feel relief.
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Posted: Fri May 02, 2025 7:31 pm
They had fought. They had won. And Akaganeite and Ako had given everything of themselves to ensure the Negaverse's victory.
They had come through, and on the other side, fallen asleep together.
In the hazy morning light, Ei blinked, and was glad to find that her vision seemed to have returned to normal.
Moreso, she was glad to look up and see Sakura's beautiful face.
"Good morning," she said, softly, and she sat partway up, just enough to lean in and steal a kiss.
They had fought hard, to the last, the night before. As far as Ei was concerned, it was time to enjoy their victory, now that she was not so exhausted as to be near collapse.
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Posted: Fri May 02, 2025 9:05 pm
Sakura smiled and returned the kiss happily before wrapping her arms around Ei and falling back onto the bed with her, snuggling closer. "Good morning yourself, gorgeous. How are you feeling?" Her eyes met Ei's, satisfied to note that the lingering galaxy effect had faded. "I can make us breakfast if you'd like? Or we can just lay here forever and forget the rest of the world for a while?" In all honesty, she was perfectly fine to stay just like that with her til the end of time.
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Posted: Fri May 02, 2025 9:31 pm
Ei considered, for a moment. "A little longer, before breakfast? I suspect I'll be hungry soon enough, but for now....I'd like to stay here."
This was their little victory. to get to continue to have moments like this, to have a world where they could simply be, in each others' presence, and know that they would be safe.
"Daisuki da yo," she said, as if she hadn't just said it the night before. But it was different, here, in this moment of peace and quiet. Different than a whisper on the battlefield. Another sort of promise. "And I am...so glad that we made it home. Together."
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Posted: Fri May 02, 2025 10:12 pm
"Daisuki da yo, Ei." She stole another kiss and held her closer. "Me too....more than you can possibly imagine. I was..... I was so scared, Ei... I've never been that afraid before in my life, and I don't need my memories to tell me that. I've never felt this deeply for someone before .....and the thought of losing you is unbearable." It had felt like her heart had been ripped from her chest and set ablaze, seeing her fall, and it was something she never wanted to feel again. "I'm sorry I wasn't stronger....that I couldn't protect you in the end." Her voice was soft, nearly a whisper, but she knew Ei heard her.
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Posted: Sat May 03, 2025 3:25 pm
Ei exhaled, and leaned up to press another kiss, this time to Sakura's forehead. "You will not lose me," she said, softly. "I will do everything in my power to prevent it. And it will be in my power." The vast majority of the time, she was not facing world-ending monsters. Instead, wielding a sword and with the power to take a starseed, generally, Ei was aware that she was the more dangerous one.
And someday, she would be a General, and that would be even more true.
Her hand came up to gently cup Sakura's cheek.
"You were not responsible for protecting me," she said, "and so you did not fail. We were fighting a creature greater than all of us. That we fell is not a testament to our weakness, only to its strength. And I am as strong as you, so if anything, we failed each other and must simply cal, it even, no?"
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Posted: Sat May 03, 2025 7:29 pm
"I don't deserve you..." She held her tightly, pressing her face against Ei's shoulder. "I feel like I should have fought more fiercely, tried harder, done more somehow.... and I feel that I failed in that regard. But seeing you fall was worse than any of that. It terrified me, Ei. More than I knew it ever possibly could." There were no words that could accurately express the horror and fear that had gripped her heart, seeing her girlfriend fall before her, and she didn't want to try and come up with them either. "I want to get stronger...I want to be strong enough to never feel afraid like that ever again. And it wasn't even the damn snake itself that scared me....but rather the thought of being without you."Sakura took a deep breath before lifting her head to give Ei a small smile. "But for right now, all I want to do is be by your side, spend whatever time with you that I can. I love you..." The words came easily now, unhindered by fear or panic. They came as easily as saying the sky was blue, and she wanted to say it over and over until her voice ran out, though she would keep that much to herself. No need to become overbearing and burdensome, after all.
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Posted: Sun May 04, 2025 1:11 am
"Sakura." Ei's voice was firm and certain. "You did everything you could. We all did. We gave as much of ourselves as we had to give." She exhaled. "But yes. I, too, wish to be stronger, so that if there is ever a next time, ever again a threat so powerful, we need not fear it."
They could protect each other. But she felt, firmly in her heart, that neither of them had failed the previous night. They had fought their hardest, to what they had thought might be their last breaths. That was not a failure, not in Ei's mind.
"I love you too," she said, softly. "And we will enjoy the peace we have earned, for as long as we have it."
In a day, a week, a month, they might be back to fighting the White Moon again. They would return to being officers of the Negaverse. But now, in this soft, gentle morning...
They were at peace.
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