Aphrodite, the Goddess of love and beauty was also the ruler of the planet Venus. Her subjects adored her; the entire solar system adored her. She was often showered with praise, all of it attributed not only to her undying beauty but also for her seemingly boundless wisdom (the occasional offerings weren’t too shabby either). It was well known that the royal family resided within the great Cupid Palace, the symbolic core of Venus’s planet. It was built from the finest white marble, made to tower over the Capital city, Cytherea, from atop of the highest hill, and was supplemented by luxurious grounds which were decorated by large statues and exquisite fountains. Living as a Goddess should live, being the supreme ruler of her element and of a planet…while also being praised as any God or Goddess of her rank rightfully should…
This ruler was not happy.
There was a heavy, unsettling atmosphere in the throne room that was causing a stir amongst her audience. Queen Aphrodite sat with a deepening, furrowed brow as she gazed into the royal viewing orb. Past the red haze that clouded the crystal’s surface, the Goddess found herself standing amidst a bloodied battlefield and on that battlefield emerged a familiar figure adorned in magnificent, red armor. There was the lifeless, dead corpse of a woman in his arms; anger sparked deep within the Goddess’s bosom.
“Ares…” Aphrodite mumbled, fighting to quell the rage that she felt. He’s at it again! “One war after another, day after day! This is going too far, even if he is the God of War!”
Her subjects shrank at the sound of her powerful voice.
For what you have done...I will never forgive you! As the Goddess of love, I must do something about this…but with what and how…
The maids and servants in the audience chamber eyed their ruler warily; they were unsure of what to do or say that would please their ladyship. However, the truth was that many would rather say nothing at all; the conflict between Aphrodite and Ares was a fierce, on-going battle that spanned across many centuries or even millennia perhaps. They were both leaders of opposing elements and it was a ruler’s rightful duty to promote their own sphere of influence, whether it was Love or War.
“I have it! Bring me Minako immediately!” Aphrodite’s voice boomed.
A summons had been issued.
In no time at all, the large, grand doors of the audience chamber re-opened to reveal the appearance of a beautiful, slender girl who looked to be in her late teens. She possessed long, flowing strands of golden-blonde hair which fell down just past her waistline, and she possessed the most enrapturing cerulean blue eyes that any had laid eyes on. Those blue eyes twinkled with excitement of a mysterious kind as her reddish-pink, luscious lips curled up into a smile. Although she was not as well known as Aphrodite, the girl still had her share of admirers.
“You summoned me Mother?” She addressed the Goddess as she entered the room.
In the background, a servant announced, “Presenting her royal highness, Princess Venus Minako, the youngest of Her Majesty, Queen Aphrodite’s daughters!”
Minako spared a quick glance around the audience chamber, and was surprised by the unusually large crowd.
I wonder what’s going on... She was starting to get nervous. Was there some kind of scheduled event that I forgot about? Hmm…I know! Just smile and nod, it ALWAYS works! Yeah, that’s what I’ll do!
“That is correct,” Aphrodite nodded. She was pleased that her daughter had remembered to curtsy this time around after forgetting the last ten times consecutively (this formality was not required in their private gatherings but it served as a good show for the guests during social events).
“I have an urgent mission for you, one that I am unable to fulfill myself with the duties I need to uphold here.”
“A mission?” Minako repeated.
A mission? Did I hear what I thought I just heard?! A MISSION?! OMG. I’ve never actually gone on a mission before! Okay Minako, stay cool. You don’t want to blow this chance.
“What is it about, if I may inquire?”
“I was about to explain that.”
Fudge.
“Yes, of course Mother.”
“You are already aware of the circumstances surrounding Ares and myself, correct?” Minako gave a slight nod in response. Already she could feel a sinking feeling beginning to form in pit her stomach at the mention of the War God. “As of today, I’ve decided that I’ve had enough of his antics. I would like to settle things once and for all.”
The silence was instantly broken by a murmur of voices.
“Did you hear that?”
“I-I think I did…are you sure you heard what we thought we heard?”
“There won’t be a war with Mars will there?”
A war with Mars? Minako also found herself questioning her mother’s intentions. But we would be outclassed for sure if it came down to a physical fight.
“SILENCE!” Aphrodite commanded, and all obeyed. “I assure you, there will be no war with Mars. Instead, I was merely contemplating on negotiating with the God of War. Peaceful talk, nothing more...”
But Minako caught the mischievous gleam in her mother’s eye. It was the very same one reflecting in hers as well. Suddenly, it all became clear.
“Ahh…and I assume you would like me to do these ‘peaceful negotiations’ in your place Mother?”
“That is correct. Do you think you can handle such an important task?”
Minako answered her mother’s smirk with a hearty laugh. Her blonde hair swept to either side of her back while some strands came to lie over her shoulders.
“Yes, of course!” She answered. Her voice was bursting with confidence.
After all, there is no man that I cannot seduce! Minako inwardly grinned. One look of me and he’ll instantly be putty in my hands. The wars WILL stop. Just think about it. The Universe at peace, no more fighting... I never saw a point to the whole killing-for-the-sake-of-killing thing anyway.
“I will do it!”
“Excellent! I will expect good news from you, my child. You will depart later this afternoon. Do not let me down!”
“I won’t Mother!”
(Corridor in the Ram Palace, Planet of Mars)
“Sir, we’ve just received a report from Venus. It appears that a representative from Venus is currently on her way here.”
Several footsteps, accompanied by the loud clanking of metal echoed throughout the marble hallway.
“What a bother…” A commanding voice muttered in annoyance. “Who is it? Surely it cannot be Aphrodite herself.”
It must be some unimportant pawn.
“No. We have reason to believe that it’s her daughter.”
The leader’s footsteps momentarily stopped. “...Her daughter?”
“That is correct, Sir.”
How unusual. I wasn’t even aware that Venus had an heir.
“I see. Did the messenger state the reason of her visit?”
“No Sir. When inquired, the messenger said that the reason of the visit is to be delivered personally by the Queen’s representative herself.”
“Is that right? So they intend to keep it a secret until then...”
The man flinched as the commander brushed past him. When no blows were exchanged, he quietly let out a sigh of relief and then fell back into line with the others behind their leader.
Why would Venus’s ruler send her only child? Any normal diplomat should be more than adequate to deliver a simple message. Unless... is Aphrodite up to something? Ha, like I should worry about some a little girl.
“Sir, what shall you have me do?”
“...”
“SIR?” The man’s heart nearly leapt from his chest when his superior suddenly spoke up.
“Send the girl in the moment she arrives. I will meet with her in the throne room.”
“Uh…Y-Yes! Of course! Very good Sir.”
This should prove to be interesting…
Long raven hair whipped behind the superior’s back as they marched towards the throne room.
Very interesting indeed...
Tup, Tup, tup, tup…
(A time later, Courtyard of the Ram Palace)
Minako had finally arrived at her destination. She now stood directly outside the palace, reluctantly admiring its uniqueness.
Wow, Mars is far different than I had imagined it to be. She thought to herself in mixed awe and disappointment.
The scenery around her contrasted greatly with her memories of home; Mars was dry, dusty and environmentally harsh in its overall appearance. There was red sand for miles around without another, single building in sight. And the atmosphere, as soon as Minako had stepped off of the shuttle she immediately noticed the massive difference in temperature between her home planet and Mars. The intense heat continued to barrel into her, and, already, her throat felt parched. Her mother sent her to a bloody desert of all places.
Jeez... I really, really, REALLY hope this won’t take too long. I sure don’t want to stay here for too long if I can help it. What a time to forget my suntan lotion. She sighed and checked the time.
Where is that servant already?! They sure have crappy service over here.
In an attempt to distract herself from the discomfort, she glanced around at what sparse decoration there was in the Martian courtyard. To her luck, she found herself surrounded by statues, statues and more statues; worst yet, she couldn’t help but notice how they were all carved to resemble a sole warrior- it was of a man (she could feel the excitement already oozing out). He possessed short, curled hair, and a strong, muscular body that was shielded by a heavy, but well crafted suit of armor. In each of the statues he was presented in different poses. Many times the statues centralized on heroic idolization of the man. One statue showed the man brandishing his sword at an unseen enemy, while another depicted him striking a confident pose while he is surrounded by loyal subjects- and, Minako’s personal favourite, there was one where he had rammed a sword through a poor peasant boy’s chest.
She needed to do a double take when an attendant emerged from the palace’s front entrance (although the man was wearing a helmet, she had a funny feeling that he resembled the skewered peasant boy a little too much).
“Lady Venus?” The soldier addressed her.
Finally!
“Hm?”
“I don’t mean to be impolite or a bother, but our leader is waiting for you patiently in the throne room. I’ve been ordered to bring you there first before all else… Please don’t hate me!” He blurted out and quickly begged forgiveness.
That’s the funny thing with people… it’s like no one has ever spoken to a Goddess before.
Minako sighed. “It’s no problem at all. Actually, I was hoping to speak with Mar’s leader as soon as possible. This is perfect.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes. Really. Now, if you would please show the way?”
“Ah, yes! Please follow me!”
Minako followed the soldier into the palace and walked behind him as he steered them down a series of long corridors made from a mix of red and white marble. She couldn’t help but inwardly groan at the sight of more statues of guess who?
She stopped the man in front of relatively harmless statue where the figure held a sword and shield in a prideful stance.
“Hey, if you don’t mind asking... I’ve been noticing that you guys have an awful lot of statues of this man. Who is he?” She asked.
The question seemed to greatly surprise her tour guide. “Y-You mean you don’t know who that is? That’s astounding! And you’re here as a representative? I-I mean, not that I mean you should have known or you would have known but… it’s no big deal!” He quickly corrected himself when he caught a glance from the blonde beauty. He then cleared his throat with a small cough, trying to keep his thoughts away from anything ‘distracting’. “The statue that you see before you is modeled after Ares, the God of War. He’s our leader and a great one at that! I can’t even begin to tell you what an amazing strategist he is; the casualties on our side are always kept to a minimum. And his fighting spirit, it is truly a sight to behold! In brilliantly, flashing red armor our leader charges into battle at the FRONT lines, bringing down his wraith on any poor fool that would dare stand up against him. Watching him is an inspiration to our troops!”
Great, an obsessed fan boy... Minako rolled her eyes. So that’s Ares, my target. Huh, he sure doesn’t look like much. If the rumours about him are true, then his lust for pleasure should be as great as his lust for war.
“Sounds like quite the guy. I can’t wait to meet him.”
“You will soon enough.” The attendant nodded approvingly, yet his face seemed a tad bit flush as he spoke to the woman in front of him. “L-Let’s continue shall we? The throne room isn’t far from here.”
Another several right turns, and a few wrong turns (Minako was convinced her guide was beginning to have some trouble concentrating), the pair had finally reached their destination. Before them was a large set of doors. They were very similar to the ones in Cupid Palace, but they instead bore Mar’s unique insignia instead of Venus’s within the metal frame. Long, thin lines of gold also danced intricate patterns around the core.
“This is as far as I can go. But in here is where you will meet our leader. She might be a bit scary at first but don’t let her intimidate you. It’s the best advice I can give you.”
“W-Wait a second, did you just say ‘she’?” I thought Ares was male!
“Well, I’ll leave you to your business Lady Venus. Please excuse me while I go put your luggage away. I do hope you that will enjoy your stay,” The man rambled, completely ignoring the previous question before running off.
“H-Hey! Ah…fudge, he’s gone! But… what was that about?” Minako crossed her arms in worried thought. “I’m pretty sure I heard him say ‘she’ but, oh, that can’t be right!” Right? “Gah, what-ever! All this thinking is making my head hurt... I guess I’ll just have to see for myself. But I know I must’ve heard wrong, that’s all.”
With little effort Minako pressed on the large, grand doors and opened them, allowing herself entry into Mar’s throne room. Inside there was a solid red strip of marble leading from the doorway up to the throne seat. The lustre of the marble material had caught Minako’s gaze for a moment; she was surprised at how reflective its surface was. It was definitely much more pleasing to the eye that some of the structures outside. There weren’t large statues in the room either, something she was internally grateful for; there were only so many statues of Ares that she could take. But with that thought, it made her wonder what it would be like to see the actual model in person.
Her eyes trailed up to the throne’s seat and immediately they connected with a pair of cold amethyst. Minako let out a small gasp.
What’s a woman doing here? And on the throne no less! Wouldn’t she get in trouble? Where’s Ares?!
As Minako approached the throne she couldn’t shake the uneasiness she felt from the amethyst eyes that observed her every move. She also couldn’t help but, in turn, unconsciously evaluate the figure before her; silky, long raven hair, a perfectly shaped face and a nearly perfect complexion. Her imagination took one step further and predicted a muscular and well shaped body underneath all of that armor as well. Minako was captivated. Out of all the things she found on Mars, this being sparked more curiosity in her than any of Ares’ statues. For one, the woman was before her in flesh and blood and she couldn’t very well ignore the fiery quality in her eyes. She possessed a strong, dominating spirit. Minako was certain of it. But where had she felt something like this before?
She surely couldn’t be an ordinary soldier. Her aura… it feels too strong for that. Minako’s observations were briefly postponed as she came to a halt.
In the most formal tone she could muster she then stated, “I am a Princess of Venus, Venus Minako. I came here to request an audience with Ares, the God of War.”
“Ares?” The raven-haired woman looked slightly amused. “Well, as you can see... he’s not here at the moment.”
“Oh. Well, yes, I can see that. So then, where is he? Or do you know when he will be back?”
“I cannot reveal his location nor do I know when he will be back.”
“Wow, that’s helpful…” Minako whispered in frustration under her breath.
If the other woman had heard her, she chose to ignore the comment. “My name is Mars Rei. For the time being, I am the acting leader. So if you have some business with Mars, I’m sure I am more than adequate. Please state your business now, Princess of Venus.”
What kind of attitude is that? Minako inwardly grumbled. She making it sound like I’m the kid and she’s the grown up! Yeah… right! We look like we’re the same age!
“So basically...what you’re saying is that anything you say goes, Rei?” The blonde asked for clarification.
Minako’s use of her name seemed to actually had Rei taken aback.
“Ahem, that would be Sir to you. Now, if you would please state your business.” The woman quickly said more forcefully.
Is this girl brain-dead or something? I can’t believe I had to ask twice! How incompetent; any soldier would have answered without asking any questions at all. Or maybe she didn’t understand a word I said? Maybe if I said each word slowly…
Minako ignored the cold stare she was getting from the substitute Martian leader. She was too busy wrapped up in her own thoughts.
So let’s see…if this woman says something goes then that’s as good as getting Ares to agree on something? I cooooould wait until Ares gets back but then again I just want to go home from this icky place and since I DON’T KNOW when Ares will get back!
“Then I guess I have no choice,” Minako sighed aloud.
“No choice about what?” Rei narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“I uhh…I came here to inspect your planet. You know, spend time with you, learn what sort of things you do, that sort of thing. To uhh… improve the relationships between our planets! Aha…hahahahaha….ha…”
Yeeeeeah right. They both simultaneously thought.
“Is that so?” Rei finally replied with a raised eyebrow. “Well then, I suppose you can stay.”
“Really?!”
“Yes. But if you insist on observing our daily activities then you will be forced to participate in a few as well. Also you must stay close to the guard duty that I assign to you. Do you agree with these terms-”
“Wait! Hold up a sec! Can’t I just stay with you?”
“E-Excuse me?” Rei stuttered. She had barely blinked an eye when the blonde had already swooped up beside her and was leaning suggestively into her side.
“I mean, I am a Princess of Venus. And I assume you’re the strongest warrior on this planet since you were chosen to be the substitute leader. Wouldn’t I be safer with you guarding me?”
And when Rei thought about it, as infuriating as it was, it was a perfectly, logical statement. “I suppose…” Yet she couldn’t shake the foreboding feeling that this woman was up to something.
“Great! So you can call me Mina and show me to my room!”
“Mina?” Rei repeated as the energetic girl began to drag her away out of the throne room. What was going on here? This wasn’t supposed to be happening!
“Yup! And I’ll call you Rei. Sound good?” Minako then interlocked her elbow with one of Rei’s despite the armor that separated their flesh.
Rei silently groaned. What am I getting myself into? She concluded it was partially due to shock that she was putting up with all of this. From one minute she was staring down a formal representative and the next, the official was acting like a child.
“Whatever. Let’s just show you to your room, all right?”
“Aww… don’t be like that.”
“Hmph.”
Okay, so no big deal...all that changes is that my target is a girl. Easy as cake, Minako tried assuring herself. In fact, it might even be easier! No one is going to question two girls hanging out all the time. Besides, I think I just know how to do this.
A grin then lit her face.
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