Together
The even rhythm of one set of heels echoed down the marble corridor and was accompanied with a slightly off paced click-clack-clunk of another.
“Is this… thing really necessary?”
“It’s called a dress, Rei. You can’t enter the throne room in those tattered robes.”
“Ch’.” The Martian cursed, even as she slightly stumbled in the awkward footwear the Venusian had forced her into. “Impractical.”
Minako hid an irrepressible snicker behind her hand. “Deal with it. At least you clean up well. For a barbarian.”
Amethyst eyes glared at the golden haired woman, but a comeback was not forthcoming as they entered a brightly lit chamber. The Martian’s forward momentum slowed to near a halt as she absorbed not only the ornate marble and gold decorations, but the beauty of the two women who sat on the throne.
Near mirror images with matching hairstyles, the woman with silver hair owned the larger throne while the one with blonde hair and a visibly younger appearance graced the smaller one at its side. The mark of the crescent moon on their foreheads signified them as Queen and Princess, and it was their presence that drew Rei’s eyes from the other things, the other people in the room.
The Priestess then felt a gentle hand on the small of her back and realized the Venusian was pushing her forward. “Step up, Rei.” She whispered in Martian before addressing the two women on the throne in a different language, “Queen Serenity, Princess Serenity, this is Rei, and-“
Rei stepped away from Minako and locked gazes with the Queen and the Princess. “And I am a Priestess of Mars.” The Martian declared this boldly, and she could feel the Venusian fuming beside her.
“You didn’t tell me you could speak Common!” Minako snapped.
Rei regarded Minako with amused eyes. “You never asked. I may be of a barbarian people, but I am not uneducated, Princess.”
The Venusian nearly growled. Payback, after all, was a bitch.
A melodic laugh broke the room’s tension and the younger of the two women, the Princess, rose from her throne. She descended the steps in a slow and measured gait until the very last step, on which the long hem of her white gown lodged under her delicate shoe, sending the woman sprawling towards the floor, her arms pinwheeling and long golden pigtails streaming out behind her.
Rei was the quickest of those that lunged forward, and without thinking, she soon found a teary eyed Princess Serenity in her arms. Watery, cobalt eyes peered up at her and the Martian couldn’t help but notice the young woman’s petite frame and apparent fragility. A slight blush dusting her cheeks, the Priestess righted the heir to the Moon Kingdom and shrugged off her clinging embrace.
That seemed to break the spell, and big, round crocodile tears began spilling down the Princess’ face. “I’m sorry! “ She wailed. “You’re just so beautiful, I had to get a closer look!”
Frowning, the Martian stiffened and backed up slightly, only to find herself surrounded. Minako stood at her back, and behind her, two other women stood at the ready; one was exceptionally tall with long brown hair tied into a pony tail, and another woman, much shorter, with loose, short blue hair; both had observant eyes trained not on the Princess, but on Rei. The Martian forced herself to relax her posture, for she could sense their mistrust and she was very aware that if she had to fight over an apparent misunderstanding, she was terribly outnumbered.
And only then did she realize that the Princess had never stopped her animated gushing and was addressing those very women behind her.
“Ne, Ami-chan? Mako-chan? Minako-chan? I can feel it.” Serenity’s voice was a whisper as she approached Rei once more. A steady hand reached forward and touched the flinching Martian’s cheek softly. “We’re all together now.”
“Serenity-chan?” Minako’s quiet, unspoken question hung in the air and was close enough to Rei’s ear to send a shudder down the Priestess’ spine.
“Serenity.” The quiet voice of the Queen was a gentle reminder and the Princess bowed to the Martian slightly and returned to her throne, thankfully with less trouble than her descent.
The Queen rose from her seat, her eyes trained on the Venusian. “Please, leave us. Brief the others on your mission. The Princess and I will receive it from the source.”
Bowing obediently, Minako nodded to her two companions and together, they turned to exit the throne room, but pausing at the door, she cast a glance to the Martian’s back and reminded herself sharply, ‘Serenity would treat a stranger no differently than she would a close friend, Minako. You know that.’
Yet, somehow, the click of the door latch sounded entirely too final in Minako’s ears as she hesitatingly closed the heavy doors behind her.
Queen Serenity digested Rei’s knowledge calmly and with grace. It was more than Rei could say for the Princess who had seemed thoroughly bored and more intent to simply stare and smile at the Martian. The hardened warrior would have mistaken the younger Serenity for a brainless twit were it not for the Princess’ next statement,
“You say you’re an orphan but you’re also heir to your planet, are you not, Mars Rei?”
The Priestess remained unaffected, unsurprised that these women would know such information. “I am.”
“Does anyone else know?” The Queen asked, commanding the conversation.
“No.”
“No? But would it not be in your planet’s best interest to come forward and identify yourself? Unite your fractured nations into one and together you may have a better chance against your common enemy.”
‘Together?’ Rei asked herself. Self-sufficiency was the Martian way; first the self, and then the tribe. “I am no greater or lesser than the sum of my people. I do not wish to be differentiated. Even though I’ve known I’m the heir to the throne, I always thought I could do more good as a nameless priestess in the front lines of the battle against the youma than as a Princess.”
“But surely you could further your cause by becoming the rightful heir and ascending to the senshi position that the title of Princess would grant you?”
“Senshi.” Rei turned thoughtful. “Like Minako?”
“Yes. You’ve seen her skill in battle. By becoming a senshi, you would be able to tap into the powers of Mars. Think of how you could aid your planet, your entire solar system with that power. Perhaps it is time for you to become part of something larger, Mars Rei.”
The Martian’s clammy hands balled into fists, released, and then formed fists once more. The candelabras that lined the stone walls flickered as if disturbed by a gust of wind, regained their strength, and then flared brighter.
Princess Serenity stood, her hands clasped before her hopefully. “Please. Be one of my senshi, Rei-chan.”
Violet eyes met cobalt and somehow, she couldn’t help but feel protective of this young woman’s innocence. But she was getting in over her head here, wasn’t she? If she were to accept, she would be signing up not only for her planet, but for her Kingdom, for this Princess, and for the other guardians who protected her.
The younger Serenity laughed, and the room was filled with her warmth. “Don’t rush your decision, Rei-chan. For now, why don’t you get to know my senshi?”
Once again, the Princess descended from the throne, and this time, she kept her footing until she was standing in front of the taller Martian. Smiling, she laid a hand on the other woman’s shoulder. “In fact, I believe they’re waiting for you right now.”
“You mean Rei?”
“Exactly. What’s this ‘Rei’ business? You’ve known her for all of two days and you’re on such close terms?”
“Mako-chan…” The small blunette laid a warning hand on her companion’s shoulder.
“It’s okay, Ami-chan. Mako-chan’s right to be cautious.” Minako set her goblet down on a glass table and sat forward, crossing her legs. “We just… hit if off when we first met. The way we fought together… I don’t know. It just works.” She gazed at her friends. “All I ask is that you give her a chance, huh?”
The two women shared a brief glance. The taller of the two shrugged and the smaller nodded. They would trust their leader.
The door to the senshi’s courtyard swung open and an aide stuck his worried head in. “Ladies, the Priestess of Mars is…” Bushy eyebrows rose in a panic as the raven haired warrior strode right past him and entered on her own accord as though she owned the place, “here.” He finished impotently.
Makoto leaned in close to her leader. “I see what you like about her,” she half whispered, half teased.
In one motion, the Venusian stepped on the tall woman’s foot, taking particular care to grind her point of her heel into the other woman’s unprotected foot for good measure, all while nodding to the aide, who reluctantly shut the door behind their guest.
Despite the others in the room, the two women looked only at each other. It had been the longest they’d been apart since they’d met and the Venusian couldn’t help but notice the troubled look in the warrior’s violet eyes.
“I see our Princess let you go.” It was a simple statement, yet it was meant as a challenge, and Rei took Minako’s bait easily.
“She wanted me to get to know her senshi.” Her eyes wandered across the room’s luxuries, taking stock in the heavy, plush curtains that lined wide banks of windows, colorful tapestries depicting warrior women that hung from the stone walls, and the gold and silver accented furniture, none of which the Martian had seen the likes of before.
Rei didn’t care for any of it and her first impression of their courtyard left a bad taste in her mouth. Instead, she slowly advanced on Minako. ”So tell me, if being a senshi is about kicking back and eating bon-bons all day, where do I sign up?”
Minako remained unaffected. “Bon-bons are too rich for the savage palate, I’m afraid. I’m surprised you even have such a word in your vocabulary.”
“Now, now. You don’t want to challenge me on words and languages again, do you Princess?”
The Venusian smirked. “Touché.”
“I thought she said they hit it off?” Makoto’s whispered words to Ami didn’t go unnoticed and the smirks that Minako and Rei wore evolved to full fledged grins. The time for butting heads had passed.
“Rei,” Minako began, her hand reaching out to touch the Martian’s elbow, “These are my fellow senshi.”
The petite blunette bowed slightly to the Martian. “Mercury Ami. Nice to meet you.”
“Jupiter Makoto.” The tall brunette stepped forward, offering the Martian a wide smile and her hand.
As she had with Minako, Rei stared at that hand, hesitant to shake it. Things were happening all to fast for her, and although she didn’t want to join these women, she didn’t want to get on their bad sides either.
Finally, she met the tall women’s strength with her own. “Rei.” She said simply.
“We’re sorry we advanced on you earlier in the throne room,” The Jovian said, an anxious hand rubbing the back of her neck before her hazel eyes hardened. “but we had to make sure our Princess was safe.”
“We don’t expect you to understand, but… Serenity is our everything.” Ami said in a very quiet voice.
Minako smiled softly at her soldiers. In the Venusian’s cerulean eyes, Rei could see that same devotion that the others had expressed. And although she wanted to question that seemingly blind devotion, the Martian quickly found that even given the short amount of time she’d known the Princess of the Moon Kingdom, somehow, she could understand how her senshi felt.
The Venusian chuckled, a thought seeming to catch her. “Even Ami-chan said it.” The others turned to her in question. “Barbarians don’t understand much.”
“I didn’t mean it like that!” Ami exclaimed, hands splayed out in front of her and a blush on her cheeks.
The Priestess simply rolled her eyes. She’d let the Venusian take that point on their running tally if it were so important to her. Besides, she didn’t want to upset the fragile Mercurian, and the look the Jovian was throwing in her direction for upsetting the petite woman didn’t go unnoticed, either.
Minako released an overly dramatic sigh and headed for the door. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have an audience with the Princess shortly.”
Feeling violet eyes on her back, the Venusian looked back to the Martian, and suddenly, the confident smirk Minako wore slipped. Her lips parted, as though there were words on the tip of her tongue, as though she didn’t want to leave the Martian’s side, even for her Princess, but then her jaw shut with a click. Turning, she only shut the door behind her.
Ami’s nervous chuckle made a desperate attempt to ease the tension. “I know she can be brash, Rei-san, but Minako really is a great person.”
The Priestess merely shrugged, her eyes still trained on the heavy, wooden door. Her voice was quiet when she spoke.
“I need to get some air.”
The Priestess let herself out of the room, careful to head in the direction opposite the one the moody Venusian had taken.
The Venusian crossed her arms smugly. “I know she’s not the type to like a good prank. That’s why I want to do it!”
“Minako-chan!”
The Venusian reveled in her Princess’ excited giggles and when the door swung open, revealing the devil herself, a smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth.
“My apologies.” The Martian barked. “I thought this room was vacant.”
“Rei!”
The door the Priestess was too eager to shut stopped closing a hair’s breadth from its home. “Yes?” The Martian growled her response, opening the door only wide enough to meet the Venusian’s tempting gaze.
“Would you do our Princess a favor?”
Entering the long, galley kitchen as noisily as possible was difficult given her small shoes and quiet dress that didn’t clink and clank with the comforting sounds of leather and metal, but Rei made due by shouting into the busy room.
“I’ve brought an order for the chef!” She declared.
Somewhere in the middle of the stainless steel clad room, an unattended pan of oil sparked to life, erupting in flame, and all eyes turned to the Martian Warrior.
“Heezabig Loozer!”
The Martian froze as the words caught up to her and the name of a food that had sounded like it was in a foreign language wasn’t so foreign at all. ‘Minako… damnit!’
First it was a snort. Then a lone chuckle. There was a wheezing gasp, and then the entire room caught the bug and erupted into hysterics. All except for one, large man boasting a white apron and a very tall hat that was very quickly making his way towards the red cheeked Martian.
“Crap.” Rei muttered, and ran for it.
“That wasn’t a very kind thing to do.” Ami scolded, though the hand she held before her smile was telling.
Serenity elbowed the leader of her guardians. “Especially to someone you like, Mina-chan.”
The Venusian choked on what had been wicked chuckle. “What!?”
Makoto bent slightly to scold her leader with hazel eyes. “I think you’re trying a little too hard, Mina-chan.”
The golden haired warrior sighed.
“Crap.” She finally muttered, and took off in pursuit of the Martian.
She sat at the tree’s base, sitting awkwardly in her foreign dress that the Venusian had forced her into, yet she was content to draw on the comfort of what little of the natural world she could find, the natural world that she’d missed so dearly since being pulled into this crazy world of people and politics, this crazy world of unpredictable, confusing women.
The Sea of Serenity stretched into oblivion and the blue orb of the Earth was reflected in its rippling golden waters that caught the light of the sun. Closing her eyes, she assured herself that she’d found the solace she so desperately needed when her body suddenly went rigid and stiff, her breath hitched in her throat, and her vision faded to black before transforming into a nightmare scene that was far beyond her control.
The basalt pavers of the courtyard were torn and broken; the marble walls of the palace were shattered and toppled. The tree which she had sought solace under was charred and blackened.
In the courtyard, amidst jagged chunks of stone and upturned concrete, three warriors faced off against too many youma, and in the courtyard’s center, one other warrior; a golden soldier, faced off against a red haired woman. But it was the force behind that woman, a shapeless, dark energy that towered over all.
The golden warrior charged her opponent, sword held high, and the red haired woman launched herself forward.
Rei knew her body was shaking, but she couldn’t stop the tremors. For above the din of battle, what frightened her the most was not a fear not of death, but a fear of loss.
“Rei! Rei!”
And then there was a warmth, a gentle sensation that somehow eased the fear she’d felt, and her senses that had been captured by the nightmare vision slowly released the fear she felt.
“Rei!”
The Martian’s amethyst eyes opened slowly and her body that had somehow relaxed instinctually went rigid once more, for she found that her fingers were twined in golden hair that could only belong to one person, and sure enough, her nose was buried in the crook of Minako’s neck. She was sure the Venusian was responsible for their embrace, but was she to be held accountable for returning it while unaware of her actions?
Minako held her tighter. “Rei, what was that?” Her voice was confused, desperate.
The Priestess pushed the slightly smaller woman away from her. “Don’t touch me!” She snarled. There was a reason that she didn’t want anyone to touch her while in the throes of a vision. But when the Venusian seemingly wilted from that impulsive action, the Martian instantly regretted her words.
Minako reeled, not understanding the emotions and imagery she’d experienced by touching the other woman, but she vaguely remembered that she did in fact, have a purpose for tracking Rei down. It was the only thing she could cling to given what she’d seen and felt, and given the Priestess’ vehement rejection of her. She turned, tearing her gaze from the wild eyed woman.
“I’m sorry.” She nearly barked her apology as she pushed herself to her feet. “I’m sorry for teasing you earlier, and I’m sorry for disturbing you now.”
Rei stumbled to her feet and managed to grab Minako none too gently by the wrist before she fled. “No, wait!” She barked, somehow relieved when the Venusian paused.
“Stay.” She repeated distantly, as though she hadn’t been aware that she would even make the request at all.
The two women sank back down to the ground, leaning their backs to the rough bark of the massive oak. An awkward silence settled between them, and the Martian found herself doubting the soundness of her impulsive decision after all.
“We’ve planned to head to Jupiter.” Minako said quietly, making conversation her duty in order to fill the uncomfortable void between them. “Ami-chan, Mako-chan and I.”
“Ah.”
“We’re going to the pole. We think we may find more clues there the way we did on Mars.”
“Hmm.”
The Venusian sighed angrily and scooted to the side, forcing the Martian to look at her. Rei found herself relieved to see that glimmer of aggravation back in those cerulean eyes.
“We could use your help, Rei. The four of us together will have a better chance for success, don’t you think?”
‘Together. There’s that word again.’
“Will you come with us?”
“Be one of my senshi, Rei-chan.” Princess Serenity’s voice echoed in Rei’s ears, and she had to ask herself; if she were to go, whom would she be going for? Serenity or Minako? The Princess or the warrior?
She found the answer easier to come by than she expected, and she leveled her confident gaze on Minako.
“I will.”
Rei’s answer seemed to appease the Venusian and the golden haired woman nodded and leaned back into the tree once more. This time, the silence between them wasn’t so awkward. And when Minako reached out and covered Rei’s hand gently with her own, she wasn’t quite so surprised when the Priestess didn’t draw away from her gentle touch.
I know this chapter was a little slow, but now the plot’s been set. Expect much more action in the next chapter. You know, all kinds of action. wicked chuckle Okay, I guess that was mean of me.
OOO
Preview, Chapter 3: On Jupiter, Part One: Man Overboard
She’d only been unconscious for a moment, but she’d faded in and out of darkness since. She’d been vaguely aware of Minako shouting commands in a stressed tone. She’d been pretty certain it was Makoto who had picked her up and carried her into one of the two tents she’d set up, and she’d been fairly sure she’d seen Ami’s small form darting around the tent’s small footprint, laying out a bedroll and arranging supplies.
But Rei wasn’t fully aware of her surroundings until the only thing she could hear was the howling winds and the rain as it drove against the tent’s walls, and the only person left in front of her was Minako.
“Take your clothes off.”
“What!?” Rei’s already shaky legs threatened to give out beneath her.
“You’re soaked and you need to dry off. Now don’t make me repeat myself or I’ll do it for you.”
Minako couldn’t tell if the Priestess’ hesitation was borne from her exhaustion or something else, but finally, Rei began to strip.
But she was so very weak, and her arms were getting stuck in the clinging, wet material of her shirt. And so, she took the situation into her own hands.
“I didn’t make you repeat yourself!” The Martian snapped as she felt Minako’s hands take the hem of her shirt.
“Don’t worry. I won’t take advantage of you.” The Venusian said, her tone light and teasing. “Not unless you want me to, that is.”
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