Crystal of the Heart

Act. 69 Shocking Memories

Unable to comprehend these new emotions and memories,Ritsuko fled from the home she shared with Helios. The man whom she had died for. The man whom she used her "final wish" granted by the "Golden Crystal ". A wish that could be granted with a mere blink of an eye. A wish that could have granted all upon God's green Earth peace. But instead Ritsuko had become selfish for a split moment. For the first time in her life she felt that she was entitled to something. That she deserved something. For that brief moment Ritsuko truly believed she deserved something. She deserved love. The love that she thought was rightfully hers. The love of Helios;the holy priest that had revealed time and time again his true feelings for Ritsuko's past self. Princess Rhea. Helios was desperately in love with her. And of course her counter part felt the same way. So much in fact that waiting for her beloved to return,she was murdered. Slaughtered like a lamb and left alone. To die.

Ritsuko could recall her final moments where she heard the sudden scream of a voice. A voice she could have sworn was Helios, but now it was no longer. Instead of Helios the voice was now higher,more feminine. Princess Rhea knew this voice. It was a voice belonging to somehow who she couldn't believe was there. Someone whom had broken her heart. And now was here to mend it. With her vision beginning to blur,Rhea held back her oncoming tears. Feeling the warm liquid which once sustained her life so easily. Now strained.

Feeling her body lurch up in pain,as a pool of crimson surrounded her being. Princess Rhea peered upwards towards the blinding light of the lamp above. Even breathing had become a chore,as her breathes were now shallow and uneasy. Rhea outstretched her hand for someone. Anyone who would help her. Someone to save her. Now unable to force back her tears Rhea allowed her tears to flow. She cried. She cried for her own death. She cried for the death of her mother,her father,her people. Her brother,and she cried for a love she could never obtain. Maybe she just didn't deserve love.

Slowly Princess Rhea felt her body weaken, she wondered if she surrendered herself to her fate. Would she no longer feel pain? Would she pass away peacefully? A weak smile was now plastered on her dry lips. This was her fate,to die without anyone to remember her? Blinking away more tears Rhea noticed a figure before her. Who released a pain filled scream into the air. It was then the figure ran towards Rhea's broken body,pulling her into a gentle embrace. The embrace was a shook to Rhea's now luke warm body. Who was this person?

And why did this person shed tears for her. With her vision continuing to fail her Princess Rhea struggled to center her remaining vision on the person who held her. And when she did, she couldn't help but to gasp mentally. It wasn't Helios whom had stumbled upon her. No it was Uranus. The Soldier of the Heavens,the woman whom had blown the Golden Kingdom away with her amazing fighting skills. Why was she here? Why was she the person holding her instead of Helios? Through her blurred vision,Princess Rhea reached up for Uranus. Watching as she eagerly gripped onto her hand. Begging her to stay with her. To live another day.

A weak smile appeared on Rhea's lips as she slowly noticed her vision was getting darker and darker. Yet even in her final moments Princess Rhea was concerned not for her safety,but for the safety of others. "H-Helios..."Rhea whispered before surrendering to the darkness. All the while gripping onto the corpse of the Fallen Princess,Sailor Uranus released a pain filled cry into the air. Why? Why did this happen? She didn't deserve to die. So why? Cradling the lifeless body in her arms Uranus turned to meet the stunned gaze of Helios. Immediately a wave of anger coursed through her as she screamed at Helios. "Where we're you when she needed you?! Where?"She screamed,catching the distraught man off guard as he too fought back tears.

"I-I-" "Your suppose to protect her! And you failed,you didn't deserve her!" Uranus spat in utter rage,this caused Helios to step forward bidding her to cease her accusations. For their priority at the moment was the preservation of the body. Rhea's body. Slowly Sailor Uranus rose to her feet, with the body of Rhea in her arms. She quietly peered down towards to deceased princess. It surprised Uranus how peaceful she appeared. It was almost as if she was sleeping.

A sleep that she would never be able to wake from. Seething with rage Sailor Uranus followed the priest Helios through the remnants of the Golden Kingdom. Where once it's people crowded it's streets conversing happily. Yet now what remained were remnants of buildings, and the corpses of its people. Biting her bottom lip to fight back tears Sailor Uranus pressed on. Blaming herself for this tragedy. If only she had fallen orders,if only she had ignored her feelings for Rhea. If only she had heeded Neptune's warnings then surely this all could have been avoided.

Maybe the kingdom would have survived. Maybe the King and Queen could have escaped. Maybe all the deaths could have been avoided. Especially Rhea's. With these thoughts in her head Sailor Uranus and Helios entered the cracked remains of a temple. But this wasn't just any temple. It was the temple that Princess Rhea would pray constantly to the Golden Crystal. On the outside the building appeared to barely be intact,but inside it was almost untouched. And the further the two walked the stronger the power from the Golden Crystal became. It's power seeming to swallow the entire temple from within.

Now blinded by the power of the crystal seemed to increase its glow at the very presence of Rhea. Helios peered upward towards the crystal watching as it along with Rhea began to pulsate. This greatly concerned Uranus before Princess Rhea's limp body now lay suspended in the air above Uranus. Her body giving off a brilliant gold light before slowly floating off towards the crystal. Sailor Uranus watched as Rhea now seemed to float behind the crystal which slowly began to embed itself into her body. Yet the moment the crystal was completly absorbed into her body,Rhea's body was slowly encased by Crystal. Preserving her body for all eternity.

After the aftermath, Sailor Uranus glared towards Helios. As the two struck a bargain. A bargain that had yet to be revealed.