[Mentar]

To end the screencaps speculation on Aoi... this is what happened.

Spoiler:

Okay, this is SUNRISE and the Mai Universe, but - I don't think so. Aoi is gone.

This is how it led up to it: Mashiro is isolated from the others and traveling along with the homeless people she saw when she met Takumi. They have been fairly brutally thrown out of Windbloom by Nagi, and they're now crossing the desert to Airies (if I got that correctly).

The little runt who stole Nina's pocket watch before is caring for Mashiro, shares water in the desert, feeds her later on - very sweet in a way. However, both she (Mimi) and all the others feel a terrible hatred towards their evil former "queen" - but they don't know who Mashiro is. So, Mashiro gets a very cruel lesson of life.

In the night, there's a ruckus, because people have found and recognized Aoi. They're threatening her with torches to spill the wereabouts of Mashiro, to have them exact revenge. Mashiro sees Aoi and freezes in horror, because the torchbearers threaten to push her off a very steep (and definitely deadly) cliff. Aoi spots Mashiro in the crowd and sees that Mashiro is crying and trying to step forward in order to save her, struggling with her powerless legs. So she gives Mashiro a last smile and falls backwards off the cliff before Mashiro can compromise herself.

Ouch.

I'll say just this much: This scene had MUCH more impact on me compared to Erstin's death. It's not just that Kajiura managed to underline Aoi's sacrifice with a new, marvellous song. This was very, very, very ouch. Extrenely powerful stuff.

Oh, and one more thing. The accursed ED must go. Now.