09-13-2007, 07:29 PM
"Wait!" Riley cried, flinching at the change in Hotaru's appearance. "You'd kill all those people and all this?" she spread her arms wide. "You can't do that!"
Hotaru sighed, growing increasingly irritated. "What would you have me do then, Riley? I told you how difficult it'd be and you insisted. So now I'm relenting and going to try it and you're saying no now? Humans are so fickle!"
"No we're not," Riley said. "But you can't sacrifice so many people plus yourself just to save one person."
"What happened to I don't believe anyone should lose their souls?"
"No one should," Riley said. "But neither should innocent lives be taken."
Hotaru exhaled slowly. "Riley Claro, you're turning out to be a big headache. Do you know that?"
Riley put her hands on her hips. "I could say the same thing about you!"
"Uh, Riles," Monohan said in a low voice. "I wouldn't get on her bad side." But Riley ignored him.
"So you would rather be included in those out there facing their fates?" Hotaru pointed toward the radiation cloud. "Because where would you be if you weren't here in this Eden? You'd be there, breathing in the same poison as the rest of them."
"Humans are not slatrommi's playthings!" Riley cried, her voice growing louder and more agitated. "You end life here as if it's nothing important!"
"And what have humans done to this planet?" Hotaru shot back. "Look at all the life you've ended...plants, animals, even each other. Everything you guys touch eventually turns to ashes. You're killing this planet as well as everyone on it. It may not be as quickly as I would, but it's happening nonetheless." She changed back into her normal appearance, but her eyes blazed with her temper. "If you think you could do things better, then go!" She pointed. "Walk away. But I can guarantee, you won't have six years left. You won't even have six days!"
Riley glared at her and the others just stood there in silence. Only Monohan spoke up. "You're not seriously thinking about it...where would you go? Look around! Only death awaits you out there. Riles!"
"That's not my name," Riley snapped and she turned her back on the others and started to walk away.
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