Creeeeeak
Celeste opened the door just a crack and peered into the hallway. She glanced both ways, and from she could see, at least, the woman was pretty sure that they were in the clear (many of other members remained behind and continued on with the meeting). But for the sake of being extra cautious, she shooed a wisp of air down the two paths. Only until both streams returned with their reports did she finally give the go ahead and gestured for Minako to follow her away from the busy crowd.
“This way,” She waved.
“Mm.” Minako nodded.
Tup… tup… tup…
Tup… tup… tup…
The path that they were travelling along was quickly changing. Deeper into the servant headquarters was an underground maze of stone-made tunnels. It was significantly darker-- at times, the two women would come upon sections where they were forced to feel their way along the wall (well, Minako had to anyway. She could hear her guide breeze through without a problem, quite literally). Getting a little impatient as she watched her companion made distance on her, the Venusian stubbornly began to let go of the wall and decided to charge her way out. She may have gotten somewhere if she hadn’t tripped from the first step and smacked back into the wall.
The humming ahead of her stopped. “Lady Venus? Is everything all right?”
“Juuuuust peachy.” Minako mumbled as she rubbed her poor nose. It was always the nose, wasn’t it? She could feel her companion’s curious stare. “I’m fine, really!”
She heard the humming begin again. With a sigh, Minako forced herself to make a speedy gain on her composure. She had only been down here for a few minutes, but she was already getting sick of it. In fact, she chalked it up as one big disappointment. Where was the marble, the carpets or the portraits? Where was the scent of fresh air? Here, underground, there was essentially nothing. It was just a dark, dank, miserable place.
This place is almost like a prison. Is this really the servant’s quarters? But how can they possibly live down here? Minako’s gaze scaled the bare walls and traveled along the ground that they walked upon but it all looked the same to her. Everything felt so closed in and crowded.
“Hey, about earlier...? I’m really sorry about that…”
“Huh? W-What are you apologizing for?” Minako nearly jumped when the other woman suddenly spoke up. Celeste silently took a few extra steps forward before she turned around to face her guest.
“Well… For one, I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.” The third commander admitted slowly. Her gaze fell to the floor in mixed embarrassment and shame. “It’s exactly as Soren said-- I should have noticed that you were different. To be honest, I just assumed that you were one of our recruits because of your appearance. A mistake of that caliber on the battlefield could put people in danger! But it’s not like I’m unhappy that you got to meet Soren—I am! It’s just, the way that it happened. Do you kinda get what I’m saying?”
“Yeah, but we all make mistakes sometimes right? And it really wasn’t your fault. I mean, your people rarely receive visitors from Venus right?”
“That’s true. But that’s another reason why I wanted to apologize. I wish you didn’t have to see us like this-- cowering away down here in the midst of a civil war. Things weren’t always like this. If only you could have seen it before Sir Haruka had disappeared…”
“Hmm...Well, you could always tell me about it.” Minako suggested with a smile. She was glad to see the other woman start to smile back shyly.
“Actually, I know what I can do! I can just show you! You see, there’s a wind chamber further down below. Since it may take awhile before everyone’s ready, we can sneak down there for a bit to pass the time. They always take forever anyway. What do you think? Would you like to see it?”
“Well, I kinda do... but... didn’t Soren tell us to keep a low profile? Do you think it’ll be safe?”
“Of course it is! We’re pretty far down, so the chances of anyone finding us are pretty slim. Besides, it’s a lot better than this place.”
Oh.
“Okay. Well, when you put it that way, then sure, why not?” Minako gave a nervous laugh. At least she seems enthusiastic about it…
(Wind Chamber)
Minako wasn’t sure what to expect. When Celeste first mentioned the wind chamber, the first thing that came to mind was a giant tunnel filled with vicious, swirling winds. But the diplomat quickly found out that she wasn’t completely wrong-- it actually was a nicer place than the stone maze.
When both women exited one of the narrowing paths into the chamber, the first thing Minako noticed was how fresh the air was. It wasn’t heavy or damp smelling, but light and clean. If it were possible, she could have sworn it was purer than the air above the surface; her entire body felt alive and was tingling with energy.
Wooooooooosh…
“Oh wow…” Minako breathed. She had to briefly cover her eyes from the initial brightness. It wasn’t until her eyes adjusted that she was able to understand why Celeste was so insistent on coming to this place.
The wind chamber was a large, spacious room, whose ceiling arched so high up that one could not see the roof above. On the lower floor, a few steps down from where they stood, there were marble statues of various people Minako had never seen before. Some of the figurines resembled warriors brandishing swords and bows, while others took on more cultured and dignified poses. However, there were two in particular that really caught the diplomat’s eye; near the middle of the room, by a large, floating sphere there were two miniature figurines of very opposite looking women. One statue was shaped in the form of a long legged figure. She possessed wild, short hair and wore a suit of armor, while the one that sat beside it almost embodied a gentler, noble soul-- she was a woman with flowing, shoulder-length hair. Unlike her companion, she catered to a refined culture and wore a long, thin dress.
Perhaps it was because of the strange atmosphere, but Minako took a step forward into the room, almost mesmerized, and blindly stepped into something wet.
Sploosh!
“Ah!” She recoiled in surprise. “Wha-What is--?! O-Oh... It’s just water?” She splashed a handful aside, confirming her suspicions.
But what’s water doing in a place like this?
Against the white background, the liquid blended in perfectly. She knew that Rei would likely laugh at her if the woman ever found out, so it was a good thing that she never would.
“Oops, sorry...! I guess I should have warned you about that,” Celeste called out. She had already made it across the room and now stood by the floating orb. “That wasn’t always there, so don’t feel bad. I used to always fall into it too. You get used to it after awhile though.”
“G-Great…” Minako shivered. Not that I want to get used to it. She didn’t want to get soaked again anytime soon. “Umm… so, how do I get over to you without…?”
“Hold on, I’ll fix that in a sec.” Celeste momentarily turned her back to her guest and concentrated down on the floating orb. She held her palms out to the object and began to whisper incantations under her breath. The orb responded immediately. In a blink of an eye the white texture of the room was altered, and it now gave off a blue glow. The streams flowing around the hard floor were suddenly visible.
“There, that should do it. Can you see things better?”
“Yes, thank you.” This time she was easily able to cross the room. “So… what did you want to show me?”
“This.” Again the orb began to vibrate. “When you suggested about telling you what our planet used to be like, it hit me! Like I said, I can just show you! With this! While Mercury has their technology to tell them the on-goings of their people, and Mars has their soldiers (we used to do that too)… we now use the wind. Everything that happens on our planet is recorded by this system through the use of wind cycles. You see, there are certain mainstreams of air that circulate around our planet and they all cycle past the palace constantly. This machine here can show projections of the past by re-creating the same wind vibrations of the event during that day.”
With that, Celeste summoned an image. Before Minako’s eyes appeared a different view of the capital city of Caelus. The buildings appeared very much the same, but the streets were covered with troops in Uranus’s golden armor. It greatly reminded Minako of her visit on Mars.
“It looks like there’s some sort of celebration,”Minako wondered aloud.
“This was what it was like when our former ruler was in power.” Celeste pointed to the front of the crowd. One could see a younger version of Soren standing at the front with the former Uranus and the God’s young heir. The young heir however didn’t look very impressed with the festivities. In fact, she looked rather bored. “There’s Soren standing on his right, and our current ruler to his left. This was her in her younger days. Sir Haruka really doesn’t seem too happy, does she?”
“Haruka? She?” Minako thought she had heard people address Uranus’s ruler as female, but she usually brushed it aside due to bad hearing. After encountering the wind ruler in the battlefield, she swore she looked like a he.
“That’s our ruler’s name. And yeah, she’s a GIRL.”
Seriously?!
Celeste laughed a little at seeing Minako’s confused expression. “It’s hard to believe when you first see her, I know… but it’s another thing you get used to after awhile. I’ve known her for a long time now, since way back when we used to live on the streets together.”
“You used to live on the streets…?”
The images from the sphere began to change once more.
“Mm. Our former ruler had a war-thirsty attitude that could have rivalled Mars’s ruler, Ares. As far back as I can remember, our planet was always at war with the red planet and many of us were orphaned because of it. It wasn’t uncommon back then to see orphans joining the military or struggling on the streets…” In a quieter voice, she then said, “I remember how Haruka used to get so angry about it. She used to hate Uranus. Because of that... we would often get into fights with our own soldiers. But that’s probably why the former Uranus even noticed her. That man was very competitive and extremely prideful. He could never stand the thought of being outdone by Ares. I think… that’s why he took Haruka off the streets. Knowing him, once he heard the Martian ruler had picked up a girl from the streets and was raising her as a soldier from essential scratch, he wanted to do the same. It was like a challenge to him. When he first asked Haruka, she still hated him, but she only agreed to join him for my sake—I was… a very weak child back then. I was always tripping and falling down… If she hadn’t come along in the first place, I might not be here today. Honestly, that’s why it always made me feel guilty. She always said that it was her own choice, but sometimes I can’t help but feel like I forced her into it somehow...”
“But Haruka!”
“Don’t try to stop me
Celeste. I’ve already made up my mind!” The young girl shouted.
“…”
The scenery changed to show another section of the palace. It appeared to be the throne room, given its excessive decoration of furniture and jewellery.
“But I couldn’t bear to let her do it by herself. So I enlisted as well. Shortly after we were recruited into the military, we met Kali and Soren.”
...Kali. The name struck a bell to Minako. I think Soren mentioned that she was the other person who was third in command.
“You spoke about her earlier. If you don’t mind me asking, what is she like?”
“You mean Kali? Well, where to start? She’s is also a third ranked commander, we both share the position,” Celeste explained. “As for what she’s like… hmm… it’s hard to really explain. She was almost wild when we first met her, and extremely reckless. Kinda like Haruka! So, as you can imagine, we first met her she wasn’t very talkative or friendly. It really took awhile before we became friends.” Celeste sighed, and shook her head. The past was the past but there were still some things that really made her think. “I think the reason that she hated us... was because Uranus had initially chosen Kali to be his heir. Soren told us all about it in private later. Apparently, Uranus thought that Kali might’ve had potential since she was Soren’s little sister… but he soon grew tired of her and picked up Haruka instead. It might sound a little twisted, but I think he liked Haruka’s hate.”
“Are you serious?” What sort of person could be so twisted to enjoy hate?
Celeste nodded. “I used to worry about Haruka a lot after she agreed to become the heir. But strangely enough, after she started to attend the Planetary Meetings she began to change.”
“Change? Like how...?” She saw her companion smile.
“Well, whenever she came back, and we were alone, she would tell Soren, Kali and me about the cookies she got to ‘borrow’. We would all just laugh and laugh at her stunts... especially when she began to execute them here at home. Uranus wasn’t very impressed, but Haruka was pretty careful not to get caught. It made me so happy to see her like that, smiling and laughing… It was like she finally found something important to her.”
“Or perhaps a special someone?” Minako casually suggested.
“You know, we kinda thought so too. Soren and Kali would used to tease her about it so bad! The only thing that could shut them up was a threat to put them on clean-up duty.”
Clean up duty? That sounds like something Rei would do… Minako thought back to her visit in Mar’s palace. All those poor men were sent to clean up duty because…? Hmm… now that I think about it, what was the reason again? Nosebleeds...?
“But you know, one day she just came back and really surprised us all. Do you know what Haruka told us?”
“Someday…”
“Someday… I’ll become the wind!”
“She wants to become the wind…?”Minako blinked. “Is that even possible?”
Celeste merely pointed up to the new scene projected above their heads.
In the throne room, the former Uranus and his heir, Haruka, were now staring one another down. But Haruka looked different. She had considerably matured. Her dark green eyes possessed a new sort of intensity to them and her body had grown. The man who stood before her appeared to be in his mid-thirties. He was adorned in Uranus’s royal armor and carried the royal sword by his waist, unlike Haruka who had none. The woman only boldly approached him as she was, without armor and with her head held high.
…
“What is it girl? Why do you disturb me?”
“...”
“Speak! I am quickly losing my patience. This has better not be another one of your games; I am a busy man.”
“All right... I’ll tell you what’s up. I’m here to challenge you for the throne!” She declared.
Uranus laughed. “Are you saying that you wish to attempt the Rite of Ascension? It has never been done before and for a good reason! For a human to become a God, the human must first defeat a God.” His eyes gleamed dangerously. “You are still nothing but a mere child. Do you really not see the difference between us Haruka? If I so choose, I can kill you with a single sweep of my sword!”
A serious expression crossed Haruka’s face. The God took it as a sign that her faith was wavering.
“Hey...You said that your sword can control the wind right?”
“That’s right.” Uranus boasted.
“Heh.” Haruka suddenly flashed a grin. “What kind of Ruler of the Wind… needs a sword to control it?!”
“What? Enough games girl, you have already wasted enough of my time.”
But Haruka wasn’t about to stop.
“Are you going to run away? Maybe, all this time... the wind was just waiting for someone who was truly worthy!”
Snap.
“You dare mock me?!” Uranus drew his sword and pointed it towards Haruka. “Mark my words Haruka, I will not hesitate to kill you! But if you apologize now and beg for your life, I may pardon your actions just this once. Need I remind you that you can be replaced?”
‘I can’t back down now, and I won’t!’ Haruka thought to herself. ‘Because… I made a promise.’
“…You can be replaced too.”
“That does it!” The God thundered. “I’ve given you your warning, but you leave me with no choice! Regret your decision... in the afterlife!”
Foom… foom…
His sword began to glow.
“HaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAH!” Uranus swung the blade and hurled a strong wind against his heir.
FwooooooooOOSH!
But Haruka didn’t flinch. She didn’t even lift a finger to shield herself from the deadly blast. She didn’t have to-- the attack was easily overcome by a different surge of air. Wind currents from outside suddenly converged down towards the palace and smashed through the surrounding windows, raining glass shards down into the area. The guards all shouted and ducked down, covering their heads.
Rumble, rumble, rumble…
The palace shook as the wind barrier picked up around Haruka, effectively turning the tides of battle. Before the God could comprehend what was happening, his attack was flung back him with an unstoppable force.
“W-What? NO! It’s...Errrrg- Impossible!”
WOOOOO----------OOOSH—CrAsh!
“GaaaAAAAAAAH!”
As Uranus fell to his knees, the air around Haruka died down until it released the building from its thunderous grip. However it never completely faded; it stayed with its chosen master and pulsed as a thin layer around her body protectively.
“Game over, I win.” Haruka remarked.
“N-No…” Uranus gasped. But Haruka ignored him as she went to pick up the former God’s sword.
Almost immediately the wind leapt from her and swarmed Uranus, encircling him until it stripped him of his royal armor—almost instantly all of the magical metal was removed and replaced onto a more worthy individual. There was a bright flash of a light that lit the area before it finally faded and revealed Haruka, the former heir of Uranus, standing before the man not as a mere human any longer, but a Goddess.
“Damn you...! How could this happen?!” Uranus cursed. But he knew he had been defeated. His wounds were not healing, presenting further proof that he was now mortal. If he were lucky, time would soon ravage his body and turn him into an old, feeble man without any power whatsoever. If he was not, then the only option that remained was death. Facing these two possible outcomes made him wonder if there was any point in living.
“Geh… fine, I acknowledge that you’ve gotten stronger. Go ahead and kill me. But you better do it right child!”
“No.” Haruka turned her back and began to walk away from the man.
“What?! Come back here and finish the job!”
“You’ve lived as a God for your entire existence, cursing and ridiculing humanity for their weakness. Is death truly appropriate for you? Heh, I think you should give living a try. Experience the mortal life and see what your citizens see, feel what they feel, and for once, truly know vulnerability.”
“Haruka!!!”
…
The image faded to an overview of the city of Caelus, but it had changed once more. There were scarcely any soldiers on the streets. Instead, they were replaced by playing children. Whole families were outside helping one another with daily choirs and small outdoor classes were being held.
“After Haruka became ruler, she placed a minimum limit on our soldier recruiting age. No one under ten may even be considered. As a result, enrolment has gone down and the amount of wars we actively engaged in dropped in number. The way Haruka justified it was that we were people of the wind. We should be free, not shackled down by chains of war and bloodlust. From then on, we only entered a war to help boost our economy, such as the last battle against Mars. Other than that… well, it was what you saw before you.” Celeste waved her hand and the orb’s intensity died down, distorting the images until they disappeared finally. “Soren tried his best to cover for what happened after Haruka disappeared. I can only hope that she comes back soon, for everyone’s sake. If only we knew if she was all right…”
“Hey, I’m sure she is.” Minako tried to cheer the woman up. “She’ll probably come back soon and the civil war will be over. Then things can go back to the way they used to be.”
“The war…” Celeste finally sat down on the nearest marble step with Minako following close behind her. “Hey...Lady Venus? Can I tell you something?”
“Sure. And please, Minako is fine.”
“...Minako. All right, I’ll remember that.” She paused.
“So, as you were saying?”
“Well. Please don’t tell anyone this, but… this whole situation kinda scares me.” She admitted quietly.
“The war, you mean?”
“Mm.” Celeste nodded. “I can’t tell anyone else this, because I’m a third ranked commander-- I’m supposed to be strong when the people are weak, even when I don’t feel like it. But lately, I don’t know...for something reason, I’ve been feeling really scared. Ever since that night Baroach had betrayed us, I’ve been worrying that I might screw up. I really trusted him.” She shook her head. “First him, and then Haruka...I don’t want to lose Soren or Kali next!” All her held back emotions were coming to the surface, but she couldn’t hold them back any longer. “Especially Soren...”
“You really care about him, huh?”
“Wha—h-hey! I mean, n-not in that way!” Celeste quickly waved her arms. Her cheeks were burning bright red. “At least, he doesn’t see me that way …”
“Oh? Why do you say that?”
“He’s just always busy. He’s strong, loyal, trustworthy…I mean, everyone looks up to him. He’s the kind of guy who will sacrifice his life for his home and our leader. And I don’t want it to come to that. That’s why I sometimes wish I was more like Kali. She’s so incredibly brave and strong... It’s almost like she doesn’t worry about this sort of thing as much I do.”
“But if you were more like her, then you wouldn’t be you anymore.” Minako put it simply. “If someone really cares about you, then they’d love you for who you are. Besides, you are brave. You just have a different way of showing it.”
Although… I think Rei would probably wish that I was less klutzy and loud, and uhh…
“Do you have someone you like Minako?”
Minako blinked. “Wha-a-aaa? W-Well, you see-- it’s kind of complicated.”
“So you do! That’s great! What are they like?” Minako could only stare in disbelief at the smiling woman beside her. The spotlight had shifted so suddenly! “Please? I told you who I liked! Besides, you wouldn’t be ashamed to talk about them, are you…?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. But, hmm… but it’s kind of hard to know where to start.” She scratched her cheek a little.
“Anywhere is fine.”
“All right... Then, umm…First of all, they are VERY stubborn.”
“Stubborn?”
“Yeah, they have a very short temper. Or at least, when it comes to me they seem to anyway.”
“Oh wow. Don’t you ever get scared?”
“No. I laugh.”
Celeste tilted her head, looking confused.
“I told you it was complicated.” Minako reminded her. “You see, they make a bunch of funny faces whenever they lose their cool. So I laugh. Sometimes they would growl and tell you to stop, but the best way to deal with it is to give them a BIG hug! Then they would squirm and get all embarrassed! It’s quite cute actually.”
“Yeah...? Well, I guess I’d have to take your word for it.”
Though, I’m pretty sure I’d be scared! Minako sure is one brave woman. Celeste secretly thought.
“But underneath all that… they’re very kind-hearted. I think many people miss that part of them because they’re easily swayed by first impressions. Even when I first met them, I wasn’t sure what to think. But, as we started to spend more time together, I beginning to see sides to them that I couldn’t see before. They’re loyal, dependable, protective, caring… Whenever I’m with them, I’m happy! It’s like my heart feels like it’s going to burst! Especially when we hold hands…” She said quietly.
I don’t think it’s a simple love anymore. I think... I might actually be…
“How touching.”
Both women jumped. When they turned towards the voice, their eyes widened when they spotted the figure by the chamber entrance.
“Baroach?!”
Minako was stunned. Suddenly the room, the wind and the water, everything, had fallen
silent.
“Impossible!” Celeste leapt to her feet. “We’re deep inside the
servant’s quarters! How did you manage to get this far without anyone noticing you?” She
demanded.
“Tsk, tsk, my dear Celeste. Haven’t you learned anything over these last few years? Nothing is impossible for me” He walked forward to reveal a group of soldiers in black armor behind him. “Of course, perhaps… I didn’t quite make it without being noticed, but that’s another story.”
It was then that the noises of fighting drifted into the room. There was a fight going on!
Immediately Celeste whipped out her twin daggers from her side pouches. “I’m warning you, Baroach, stay back! Don’t make me fight you!”
Tup… tup…
“You’d dare raise your weapons against an old friend? I also see that you’ve decided to drop the formality. That’s rather rude of you, considering that you’re speaking to a superior.”
The woman tensed. “Stop it. You stopped being my superior from the moment you betrayed us. Why did you do it Baroach?! You always told us that it was your dream for the people of the upper and lower lands to live together in harmony! Isn’t that why you pleaded with Sir Haruka to let you stay?”
The man was silent.
“I thought we were all friends! We trusted you! Didn’t any of that mean anything to you?”
“...Hmph. I really thought that you were more competent than this, but it looks like I was wrong. You should see yourself right now. You’re so emotional...! Even without Soren around, your head is still in the clouds. Is that really any way a commander should behave?” He heard the woman gasp. “To put it simply... if you still don’t understand then you never will. But that’s enough chit-chat, soldier. If you wish to leave this place unharmed, then I strongly suggest that you stay out of this. My business is with Mars’s servant, not you. Something’s come up and I require her assistance.”
“Where’s Rei…?” Minako whispered. She couldn’t see the Martian anywhere.
“Rei...? Is that her name?”
“Where is she?!”
“What are you planning to do with her?” Celeste had recovered and resumed a defensive stance.
“Well, you see... the Martian ruler is proving to be a little difficult. So I needed something to convince her otherwise.”
“...You want to use me as bait.”
“That’s right.”
At first, Minako was at a loss for words. But then to everyone’s surprise, she flipped a handful of hair over her shoulder and chuckled.
“Well, good luck with that. Remember Sir Baroach, I am only a maid. What value am I to a ruler? I can be easily replaced.” She gave a convincing laugh, and received a strange backward glance from Celeste. Though a part of herself couldn’t help but wonder how much of it was true. How much did she mean to Rei?
“That’s what the Martian said as well. I had almost believed her… But when I revealed my plans to the stubborn fool, look what happened.” He lifted the sleeve of his left arm and unravelled a large bandage to reveal a long, deep gash that extended from the base his hand, up to his elbow. “Apparently it appears that you actually do mean something to her.”
Rei… You mean, I actually…?
“That was right before she was easily subdued. It wasn’t much of a fight.” He laughed.
Minako gasped. Her whole body was suddenly shaking.
“Don’t listen to him Minako! It’s just another one of his lies!” Celeste shouted to her.
“Celeste my dear, you wound me. What would Soren say if he knew--”
“SHUT UP!” In a blink of an eye she shot forward with killer intent. “I’ll take you down right here you traitor!”
I can’t be afraid now!
TUP!
As she anticipated, many of the soldiers raced forward to cut down the approaching threat. Yet each and every one of them was met with a surprise; a dagger, a kick, or their own comrade’s sword!
“Hold still!”
Slash!
“Gaaaah!”
Whop!
“Oof!”
“Why you---eh?”
Clank!
“Idiot!”
“Hey-! Hit her, not me!”
Baroach narrowed his eyes as she closed the gap. “Uhh---!”
TUP!
Celeste had leapt up and was spiralling down towards him, daggers posed. He’s not moving?! Time suddenly seemed to slow down. The wind howled in her ears as she twisted her upper body and whipped her daggers at him, one to his head and one aimed at his upper chest. To her astonishment, neither attack contacted the target-- in fact they both went right through the man as if he was composed of air.
What?! Oh no, it’s an illusion?!
“Celeste! Watch out!” Minako cried.
The commander barely turned her head in time to see the guard directly behind the image holding the device. But it was too late. The woman fumbled to recover, narrowly evading the soldier’s blade as she felt it skim across her cheek. She grunted, alarm bells sounding in her head. She was already falling backwards when a metallic boot crashed into the back of her skull from behind and knocked her straight into the nearest waterway.
Crack!
“AHH!”
Roll----
Splash!
“Ahahahaha!” Jeers of laughter followed.
“Celeste!” Minako screamed, but the other woman lay motionless.
She isn’t---! No, she can’t be dead! A thin trickle of blood ran down the side of Celeste’s face and dripped into the clear water beneath her, discolouring it.
“What was that?” One of the guards huffed, trying to appear under control. Only three of the group remained standing.
“The third commander I think,” answered the man holding the projector device.
“No matter, she’s now out of our way.” Baroach pointed out. “Now, let us resume our conversation before we were so rudely interrupted.” His image stepped towards Minako once more.
“Stay back!” Briefly her blue eyes flashed back to Celeste’s downed form. “I have no interest in hearing anymore of your lies!”
“Oh? So you’re saying you’d rather not know what has become of your precious master?”
She’s so much like Auranos. Baroach mused. Stubbornly loyal, and so… noble. Ha! She even has the same look in her eyes. It’s a shame that the child won’t join me.
“What did you do...?”
“All I did was introduce her to our leader.”
…
(En route to the ‘Meeting Room’)
Tup… tup… tup…
Rei and Baroach had left the large gathering room via the left path. For the longest time, the man led her in silence across the palace-- nothing suspicious as far as Rei was concerned. However, they soon came to a stop within a peculiarly, empty wing. Baroach stepped forward and activated a hidden switch, instantly revealing a small, hidden doorway in the wall. Judging by the color camouflage and its moving mechanisms, Rei had to admit that she had never seen this secret passageway before (it came as a shock because she thought her and Haruka had already discovered them all). Regardless, she found herself staring at a staircase that headed somewhere underground.
“After you...?” Baroach offered.
“The guide should always walk ahead.”
“Yes, as you wish, your Majesty...” He gave another slight bow.
The Martian cautiously tread behind her guide, watchful for any sudden movements. The tunnel was too narrow, and dim lighted for her liking. She could barely make out Baroach’s back, let alone the next step.
As the two people continued to descend they soon encountered the faint fragrance of a putrid stench in the air, followed by an unshakable cold. Rei’s first reaction was to cover her nose with her hand—what was down here? It smelt worse than blood, and more vulgar than hundreds of rotting corpses on a battlefield. It if were plausible, she would have guessed that it was a combination of both.
‘How can that be…?’ She questioned herself. They were getting closer to the smell, but all she could make out was the rock all around them. For a moment she considered challenging Baroach of his intentions, yet it irked her how unaffected the man appeared. Didn’t he smell it too? Didn’t he feel the cold? She decided to endure it for now. She had no intention of appearing weak now.
Tup… tup…
‘It’s getting stronger…’ Rei tried to hold her breath.
Wooooooooooosh…
Tup.
They had finally reached the bottom. Yet to Rei’s surprise, the air was surprisingly clean down here. The smell was practically non-existent.
“Sir Uranus is waiting just up ahead.” Baroach informed her.
“Why is he down here?” Rei replied crossly.
“Hm? You mean you really have to ask? Well, I’m sure that you are familiar with the concept of assassination, correct? Unlike Sir Haruka, Sir Uranus is no longer a God. He is mortal, just like myself. If he were to die at the hands of the rebels, a civil war would surely break out. That’s why, when he is not attending to public matters he retreats to this underground hideaway.”
“I see.”
“Please, it just this way...”
As the dark-haired man led Rei further into the maze, the woman thought she glimpsed movement in the cell beside her. Was it a strange reflection of the light perhaps? She highly doubted it as there wasn’t much lighting down here to begin with. None of the candles lining the walls were lit. Her thoughts drifted back to the moments on the cliff and in the Great Hall earlier. There was that same, watchful feeling. Vaguely she knew that Baroach was slipping farther away from her, obviously he didn’t appear too worried if she got lost, so she decided to overlook it for now but to remain on guard. If something should happen, she would deal with it then.
It wasn’t too much longer before Baroach abruptly halted in front of another door. With one smooth motion, he had taken a key out of his armor and unlocked the cell door. The door swung aside with a groan of protest, opening the way to what Rei presumed to be her final destination.
“If you will...?” He gestured inside.
The raven-haired woman silently approached the area and waited just between the gate and the room. Her amethyst eyes swept across the darkness, but nothing could be clearly made out. As far as she was concerned, it was empty.
“Sir Baroach... There seems to have been a mistake. It appears that this room is empty.”
‘Hmph.’
“…Gotcha.”
Flash--
A glint of metal flew Rei’s way but she was ready for it. The woman sprung into action and unsheathed her sword. She parried the attack and sent the force flying upwards. The sound of their clashing blades could be heard echoing all the way down the corridor.
Tzing!
“I knew it! HaaaaaaAh!” The Martian swung her sword again, forcing him back into a nearby wall. “This was another one of your lies!”
“A lie you say? What makes you so sure of that?!” He rolled along the wall as the woman’s sword narrowly missed him.
“Don’t give me that! Haruka would never allow herself to be kidnapped! You really expected me to believe that her people would plan a mutiny? If anyone would betray her, it would be you!”
Crash!
“So... you knew all of that, but you still decided to come with me anyway? Alone? Maybe the real fool is you!” Baroach grinned back despite the assault. Their swords met once more, but Rei became alarmed by the man’s awkward movements. For some unknown reason, Baroach was doing everything in his power to avoid stepping into one corner of the room.
“Raaaaar!”
Tzing!
Ting!
Crach!
Sssh!
Rei spun around and roundhouse kicked the man in the side.
WHOMP!
“GaaaaaaH---!” He bent over to the side of the injured area. As soon as the pain hit him, he knew it hadn’t been an ordinary attack-- the blow had broken through his armor and directly struck him in the ribs. “P-Pretty good.” He clutched his side and wobbled back. “But... I think that’s enough fun for me. You can keep going if you want though. That is, if you don’t value the life of your servant.”
‘Minako?!’ Rei froze mid-strike and instead, restored the distance between them.
Tup!
“That’s right, your precious maid, your Majesty. We are holding her and your diplomat comrades captive. So I would strongly suggest that you put down your sword and get down to the ‘negotiating’.”
Rei stood there in silence, listening carefully to everything Baroach was presenting to her.
Baroach, on the other hand, struggled to read his opponent. The lack of light made it nearly impossible for him to see if his words were actually having any effect on the Martian Ruler. She was a barbarian after all. All Martians were.
“What we want is the Inner Alliance’s cooperation. If you help us to wipe out the rebels, then we will return your comrades to you, unharmed.”
He was surprised when she started to laugh.
“Hahahaha... And you were planning to use WHAT again, to persuade me?” Rei suddenly smirked. The man could have sworn that there was madness in that intimidating, hard smile. It was enough to wipe the smile away from his. Yet the next thing the woman said did a lot more than wipe his smile off his face. It nearly made his heart stop.
“This is a joke, right? None of them mean a thing to me. In fact, I find it absolutely hilarious that you thought you could bribe me with that useless, nitwit for a girl! Don’t you understand that a maid to a Martian, is just another commodity to be bought and sold? They are human slaves. Disposable, and can be easily replaced. If you were to kill her, then I would just simply just go and get myself another. However... if you are you really that keen to watch out for your best interests, I think negotiating with the diplomats would be a wiser choice. I’d pay them a ‘visit’ if I were you.”
“Wha---” He barely muttered before Rei’s aura surged. He was at a loss for words. “Y-You must be bluffing! You mean to tell me that you have no concern for your comrades at all?! Then why in the name of Uranus would Mars join an alliance?!”
“Hm? You mean you have to ask?” She said, mockingly. “It’s for convenience of course! There’s a lot of power involved with these alliances! Isn’t that the very reason why you want our help?”
Oh no, Baroach wasn’t about to let her get the best of him quite yet. There was still one thing that he hadn’t tried.
“Heh…I see. So I should have just skipped the barbarian and asked the diplomats instead. But since we’re on the subject...since you don’t seem to care for the maid, why don’t you allow me to buy her from you? You said it yourself-- if she died, you could always get another. But I think killing her would be somewhat of a waste. She has quite the body. She could probably reach her full potential by bedding with a man, instead of slaving away for you. What’s your price?”
“...”
“Actually, now
that I think about it, where did you find
her?”
Vsh!
“Huh?” Baroach had barely blinked when his opponent vanished from sight. The next thing he knew, an ominous hissing sound filled his ears.
SLASH!
SssssSSSH!
Blood suddenly sprayed into the air, followed by an injured howl.
“AAAAAAAAH!” Baroach held his injured arm. A long, deep gash ran along from the base of his hand up to his elbow. Blood spilt everywhere but he had received his reply. “Ah—ha….hah…hahahaha! So... you do care.” He painfully turned around to face the barbarian who dared to injure him.
“Say it again,” She said coldly. “…And I’ll kill you.”
DOOOOOM!
Baroach staggered back into one of the brick walls with a victorious smile beaming on his face. Without hesitating he slammed his fist against a certain brick and sent it crashing to the floor. Instantly an alarm went off. The lights above flashed a menacing red amongst the howling beckon as the series of clanking footsteps drew nearer to where they stood.
“You can try and fight them if you want, but I would advise against it.”
“Oh?” Rei’s eyes flashed.
“I said I was a man of my word, and I am. You wanted to meet our ‘leader’… so there he is!” He pointed to a dark corner. Rei felt her eyes widen at the sight. “That’s right. Until you get your act together, consider him as company.”
(Wind Chamber)
“She’s still there. It’s rather unfortunate that it came to this, but until she comes to her senses and agrees to our terms… Hm? Oh dear, are you about to cry?”
“You just left her there...?”
“That’s right. Isn’t that what I just said? I can repeat it for you if you want. I left her in a dark, smelly prison cell.”
“Both Celeste…” Minako could still see her and Celeste sitting together, talking about her crush on Soren. She could still see the kind-hearted smile on the commander’s face, her sadness, her worries and fears, and her last attempt to protect Minako from the intruder. “And Rei…?”
…Ping…
“How dare you…”
Ping!
Ftzz…ftzz..zzz….
“Hm?”
WoooOOOOOOSH!
The three remaining soldiers yelped as a blast of hot air kicked up.
“Yikes! W-What’s going on?!” One of them cried. But before he could utter another word, the man’s knees buckled under a sudden crushing pressure. “Agh!”
THUD!
“D-Damn it!”
The second soldier launched himself out in front of the man holding the projector, making a last stand against the strange force. He too, was quickly disposed of.
“Grrrrr----AHHH!” He slammed into the back far wall and collapsed, unconscious.
Thud!
“Sir, w-what should I do?! Should I retreat?!” The remaining soldier begged his superior. His entire body quaked with fear. He’d never felt another presence quite like it. The air! It’s getting so hot! I-I c-can’t breathe…!
Yet Baroach’s projected image remained mute against his subordinate’s pleas. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. In the center of the room the ‘maid’ was radiating some abnormal spiritual pressure around her. Even from afar, where his real body stood, he could sense its magnitude. The man deeply scowled.
What in the name of Uranus is going on here?! How can a mere palace servant possess such power?! His dark blue eyes narrowed in thought. As absurd as the predicament was, he knew he had felt this kind of power before. It only question was, how could an ordinary human—? The man froze.
Unless...!
“Haaaaaaaah!”
Fwoooooo—CRACKLE!
“COMMANDEEEEERR!!!!!” The last soldier crumpled to the ground and the device with him. Baroach’s form flickered and disappeared just as resistance members stormed into the chamber.
Tup!Tup!Tup!Tup!
Soren and a handful of his trusted soldiers rounded the corner and balked at what they saw. A strong spiritual pressure disguised as a wind current fluctuated wildly within the chamber. With all of its targets already rendered helpless, there was nothing left to redirect its wraith at. So instead, it curled like a fist and blindly rammed into the side walls. The room shook and shuddered against the unnecessary violence. Even the machine at the center of the room, which had withstood strong currents for years threatened to collapse. Soren and his followers found themselves staring transfixed at the source of it all. The diplomat from Venus stood at the center of the room, her hair whipping around wildly and becoming soaked by the nearby splashing waves. She was a furious force of nature.
“Wha—Lady Venus! Please, that’s enough! They’ve all been defeated!”
The wind continued to howl a moment longer before Minako realized that the enemy had indeed been defeated. The moment her concentration broke, the pressure died away. It had been the only thing supporting her throughout her emotional outburst, so when it disappeared she fell to her knees and coughed for air.
Ah! What did I just? Her blue eyes appeared unfocused as she tried to catch her breath. What just... happened? I remember feeling angry and then... something welled up inside. I don’t know what it was, but it just kept building up. The more I thought about my friends, how useless I was, and then…Rei. I wanted to see her again. I wanted to hold hands with her again. And then, she was locked away because of me...?
I couldn’t stop myself! It felt like something inside just snapped!
“Lady Venus! Are you all right?” Soren was already halfway across the room when he spotted Celeste. His eyes widened upon seeing the blood. Was I too late? “Celeste! Celeste, can you hear me!” He immediately rushed to her side. Within seconds he slid into the water beside her, shaking her motionless body. “Celeste!”
“She took a blow to the back of head. She was trying to protect me...” Minako explained quietly. She wanted to go to her friend’s side as well, but she felt somewhat ashamed and responsible for this incident. Besides, if Celeste wanted anyone to be by her side it would be Soren. “Will she be okay?”
Soren placed two fingers on Celeste’s neck, checking for her pulse and then he checked her breathing. Once that was done, he felt at the back of the woman’s head.
“Yes, I think so,” he finally said. “She does seem to have a bit of a bump at the back of her head, but other than that, there doesn’t appear to be any serious injury. But I can tell you one thing for sure. It won’t do her any good staying in the water,” He then carefully slipped his arms around her slim figure and grunted as he lifted her from the pool.
“Sir!” Another man rushed into the room. “Ah—Sir Celeste?! Oh no! What happened? Please Sir, allow me to take over. I can take her to first aid wing for you--”
“No. That is all right, I will handle this myself.”
“But--”
“Tell the troops that I will be there as soon as I tend to her. I expect the wounded to be taken care of and those willing to fight to be mentally prepared when I arrive. Do I make myself clear?”
“S-Sir!” The recruit saluted as the second commander past him to the exit.
“Lady Venus... will you please follow me?” Soren quietly requested over his shoulder. “I would like to hear what has happened.”
“All right...”
Tup… tup…tup…
(Rei Prison)
In the dark prison cell, Rei sighed heavily. A portion of her aura was just returning from the outside hallway, bringing with it another headache.
Great... She thought, unconsciously making her signature frown. It looks like I’m not the only one who’s stuck here. As she thought this, images of her investigation came to mind. As far as she could tell, her cell happened to be at the very end of this miserable place. The other cells that lined the labyrinth were not here for decoration either. Earlier when she had set foot into the place she remembered glimpsing movement—now she was confident that she knew what it was.
They’re keeping people prisoners down here, and a lot of them at that! All of them seem to have blonde hair and light coloured eyes, but hardly any of them are soldiers. They’re all civilians!
Somewhere in another cell a child’s cries could be heard. Unknown to Rei, stationed at the front of the cell row was pair of red eyes. The slitted eyes turned in the direction of the crying, as if contemplating what to do about the strange noise, that was, until it sensed a familiar confrontational presence from earlier before. In alarm it leapt into the shadows when a breeze closed in. The crying suddenly stopped.
…Ping…
Rei turned her head and peered into the darkness. Was something there? “Again…” The Martian darkly muttered and shook her head. I don’t have time for this. She then turned her attention to her only cell occupant. His dark form twitched for a moment, and then shivered almost convulsively.
“…Erm…eh…ah…”
Rei narrowed her eyes, hardly reacting to his strange speech; Baroach had essentially explained it all. Their interesting conversation was still clear as day in the Martian’s mind.
…
“Uranus? He’s in here?” Rei spun in her cell, eyes wide in apprehension. “You’d lock your leader in a prison cell? That’s hardly what I’d call ‘in hiding’.”
“Hmm… yes, well you see that first transmission title was actually… CORRECT.” Baroach grinned. He spoke more boldly now that his wound had been attended to.
“A figurehead.” It suddenly made sense. Why didn’t she think of it earlier? “You used his reputation and popularity to gain support from his former subjects. Uranus was never in charge was he? You were!”
“Very good. You now have it all figured out. That’s pretty impressive.”
“Do your ‘people’ know about this?” Rei growled.
“No.”Baroach had to chuckle at that. “Many of them still believe that Sir Uranus is giving them their orders through me. It is rather convenient, though rapidly becoming unnecessary. The old man is quickly outgrowing his usefulness. He’s going to die soon. And once he does, all we have to do is show his body to the people and claim that the resistance has murdered our beloved leader. That will leave me, the second in command, uncontested for the position. After all, who would be better qualified? Hah, look at it this way Mars—I’ll inherit the throne legally!” He once again laughed.
“You damn backstabbing--”
But Baroach was no longer intimidated by the Martian’s growing rage. There was a set of bars separating them, and he had a tight grip on the fate of her comrades.
“I wouldn’t finish that if I were you. After all, once the alliance negotiation is settled you’ll be working for me.”
“I’d rather…”
“Die first? That’s quite noble of you your Majesty, but let me tell you something. Between us, being noble only gets you so far. You’d do well to remember that.” There was a bitter tone in his voice as he said this. “Why don’t you ask what happens to people who defy us for too long, hm?”
“What are you talking about?”
“When I said that Uranus was here, I meant that he’s in YOUR cell! Haven’t you sensed him yet?”
“!” ‘What…?’ Rei slowly turned when a slight throbbing in her head started up.
…ping…
She caught sight of the form and recoiled back in shock. The man before her was not what she had expected at all. She had known that he was mortal now and was alive through their investigation, but the state he was currently in-how could one really consider him ‘alive’?
His blonde hair appeared unkempt-- it had grown very long, and in some places there were balding patches where it started to fall out. Further down, his once fair face was marred with wrinkles and sullen cheeks whereas the rest of his figure was dangerously thin. However, Rei feared more for the man’s mental health. There were dark bags under his eyes. Uranus’s eyes were sullen and hollow, taking on a distant, glazed appearance. What little speech that left his lips were ramblings of unknown conversations that no one knew of. And his smile (?), it was twisted and borderline insanity. The trail of drool falling down one side of his face existed as another compelling reason to believe in that argument.
“He refused to tell us where his heir had run off to. Someone heard she had made a visit before her disappearance and well, we were forced to torture him.”
The comment enraged her. “How are you so sure that he knew where Haruka went?! For all you know, it could have been a simple visit.”
‘Haruka would never have spared him so he could experience this!’ Rei thought angrily.
“Well, I guess when you put it that way, we don’t. But if he did know, he would have surely told us by now. Isn’t that right Sir Uranus?” Baroach addressed the man. The former Uranus twitched and began to mumble again between coughing fits of laughter. “At any rate, it appears that you require more time to think about your decision. Please remember that your comrades are depending on you. I’d give it some careful thought.” He turned to leave. “Oh, but there’s no need to worry… we will not torture you like we did with HIM. You’re still useful as you are.”
“Why you…!”
…
“…Hehe… young heir, will beat Ares… for sure haha! War…must schedule next war soon…”
“…”
What did Haruka tell him? Is it possible that he really knows where she went? It was a long shot, but Rei decided to take it. She had already gone through enough trouble as it was to find him (though she did feel some pity for him in his current condition).
“Sir Uranus? Where is Haruka? Do you know where Haruka went?”
“H-Haruka…” A strange light flickered in his dead eyes, giving Rei some hope.
Wait. He responded to her name?
“Yes, Haruka. Your heir.”
“Haruka… heir…” His speech became clearer for a moment.
It suddenly occurred to Rei.
What if the people who tortured him didn’t know Haruka’s name? What if they only referred to her as Sir Uranus or Ruler of Uranus? Is it possible that they weren’t asking the right question?
“Do you know where Haruka went?” Rei repeated with forced patience. She was taken by surprise when the man suddenly burst out into laughter.
“HAHAHAHAHA! Yes Haruka, go do that.” He bellowed. “Neptune is a perfect place to conquer! Ahahaha! A weak ruler, perfect and easy.”
“She went to Neptune? Are you sure?”
“Neptune!” He snorted. The rest of his speech died down to random incoherent mutterings once more.
So Haruka has gone to Neptune? Rei pondered. But to conquer it...? No, I seriously doubt it. She would never do that. If there was one reason that she would go there, it would be for the same reason that she spared this man’s life. Still...it doesn’t explain what happened to Michiru. The report was that they both disappeared around the same time. Could it be that something happened on Neptune and Haruka went to investigate?
Rei finally stood up, but her eyes never left the delirious man. His words sounded strange and empty for some reason, but it couldn’t mean anything right? For a moment she continued to watch him, silently contemplating her own course of action. If she wished to, she could escape right now. There was no doubt in her mind that she could. However, regardless of what she chose to do, she still left with a decision of what to do with Uranus. He was clearly out of his mind and incapable of thinking rationally, his body had already deteriorated greatly. If she left him here, there was the off-chance that Baroach’s minions would return and continue to mercilessly interrogation.
I guess there’s no other choice… Rei slowly drew her sword.
“Listen up Sir Uranus. Haruka… never spared you so you could live like this. She never wanted this.” Rei began.
Again Uranus’s eyes flickered strangely. Haruka… His mind was trying to recall something. As he struggled, both strange and familiar voices reached him.
…
“Hey, old man! This time, I will beat you!”
“Haha, do you think so? You have yet to beat me. What makes you think this time will be any different?”
“Because--!!!”
“Then come Haruka! Let us see what you have learnt!”
…
Ping!
The Martian’s head shot up at the noise. The familiar coldness that had haunted them all day had returned and with vengeance. It was stronger than before and was so very close.
Immediately Rei let loose her aura and searched for it. This time, she resolved that was going to find it.
The shadows! The woman felt like the darkness was closing in all around them.
“Show yourself!” She cried. The raven-haired warrior was so concentrated in this presence that she allowed herself to become blind to the approaching wind.
Meanwhile Uranus’s body began to convulse again, stronger than Rei had ever seen. Although the woman had no clue of what was happening (and neither did Uranus himself), his body seemed to remember.
Haruka… Again Uranus’s mind tried to retrieve something very important. It had been recent. Something very important to the former God; it were as if he had left a piece of his true self back there. Could it be that because his body sensed the impending danger that he worked so hard to retrieve it now?
“Fine. If that’s the way you want to play it, then I’ll just have to force you out!” Rei boosted her power. The shadows were quickly disappearing in the presence of its light.
“Haruka?” Uranus heard his voice ask. That was it. What was so important, he finally remembered. It was the last time that he had spoken to his successor; he had been watching the sunrise on the lower lands when she had approached him.
…
“Haruka? What are you doing here?” He inquired the woman. She had come without her battle armor, just like the last time they had fought. The mere memory rekindled a twinge of resentment that he used to harbour for her, yet it hadn’t been as strong as it was back then. No, for the warmth of the sunset was enough to melt the ill feeling away.
“You’re still angry, aren’t you?” It really wasn’t a question.
Woooooosh…
A cool, gentle breeze flew by.
“No.” The man finally replied. “Rather perhaps, I think I should be grateful.”
“Grateful?” Haruka arched an eyebrow. It was the last thing she had expected to hear from him.
“I hate to admit it, but you were right. Because I’ve always lived as a God…I never truly realized what life was about. I had come to believe that pleasure was the only thing worth pursuing in life, whether it was for the battles or the materialistic trophies. But even long before I adopted you, I came to realize that neither really made me happy. There was always this restlessness that I felt inside, and it continued to eat away at me. Perhaps Ares felt the same way, I cannot really say. But...even though I was unhappy, I never bothered to change my ways because I just assumed that I had all the time in the world to figure it out. You changed all of that, Haruka. After I was stripped of my immortality, I finally saw that it’s the simplest things that life that are the most precious.” He allowed his gaze to fall back at the sunset. “I doubt that’s why you’re here though. Why did you come to visit me?”
A slight pause followed.
“I’m going to Neptune.” She finally answered. The former Uranus quickly turned his head in her direction. “I don’t know when I’ll be back, so…”
“...You wish to ask about Apollo.”
“Heh. I see that your senses haven’t dulled a bit.” ‘But that wasn’t the real reason I came…’ Haruka silently thought.
“Then listen carefully Haruka…he is not a mere legend that exists to frighten naughty children. He existed and, the original Gods and Goddesses who ruled the planets such as myself were the ones responsible for overthrowing him.”
“Why? What happened?”
“We grew tired of his tyranny. So we fought along-side each other during the ‘Battle against the Sun’. Mercury… Mars… Jupiter… Neptune… myself… and even Venus Aphrodite… Together we overthrew the ruler of the Gods. However, it appears that even in death his spirit is seeking revenge. Hmph. Although I no longer possess the power of a God, I have yet to become senile. He is coming for us…the original rulers who took his life. Already Mercury, Jupiter and Neptune have met their fate. ”
“But you’re no longer a God!” Haruka protested, understanding what he was implying.
“It does not matter. I have lived a long life… perhaps, too long.” The man cast a longing look towards the warm sunset. He did not know how many more he would get to see, if only he had appreciated this sort of thing more when he had the chance. “I do not know why you are going to Neptune, Haruka. However, it is your choice. You are the ruler now. And…you are the wind. You are free do whatever and go wherever you please. But if you should ever remember something from this old fool… never take things for granted. Never let power and immortality corrupt you. ”
“I understand. Thank you for the advice.” The woman gave one last look at the sunset and turned to go. “But I will return again…and you better be here when I do! So, until then…stay well.”
…
“Good-bye…Haruk—AH!”
STAB----SPLOOSH!
Rei spun towards the man upon hearing his cry.
“What the--?!”
Her power had now lit up the entire cell, displaying everything in clear sight. Yet she wasn’t prepared for what she was about to see. There was a small glint of metal protruding from his front where his heart was positioned-- blood was gushing out uncontrollably in her general direction, splattering all over the floor and walls. Rei inwardly cringed when the dead man’s body shuddered one last time as the blade was withdrawn, and snarled as his murderer was revealed at last as his corpse collapsed to the stone floor. Behind the man there stood a shadow. From what Rei could see, it had the shape of a child and possessed the red eyes of a demon.
Emotionlessly it retracted its blade. In one swift motion it then swung the stained metal towards a nearby wall and ‘cleaned’ its weapon of the evidence.
“So it was you.” Rei felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. “You were the one stalking us all this time!”
Yet the creature took no notice of her. It seemed rather uninterested in the woman.
“Don’t ignore me!” Rei roared, and rushed it.
Tup!Tup!Tup!Tup!Tup!
With her sword posed she swung down against the intruder...
“HAAAAAH!”
…only to see her weapon fall through it!
What…? No! It’s impossible!
The shadow, who hadn’t moved once during the Martian’s attack, now turned to face the soldier. From the narrowing of its crimson eyes one could see that it was having an apparent a change of heart. It lifted its weapon and began to step towards its new opponent with its intent perfectly clear.
“Damn…!” What do I do now? Physical attacks don’t work on this thing!
Wooooooooosh…
Wind…? A breeze suddenly kicked up violently within the cell. It spun and twisted, instantly shooting out and, this time, successfully capturing its prey off-guard. The monster struggled and squirmed, desperately fighting for freedom, yet freedom appeared to be out of its grasp this time. As if someone had silently commanded it, the wind crunched down with an iron fist and exterminated the shadow-being. Its black form glowed momentarily before it turned into a ball of light. The sphere then immediately dashed through the nearest cell wall and disappeared.
This wind… The presence in it feels so familiar! Ah!
“Haruka?!” Rei shouted. The name had barely left her lips when a loud rumbling took a hold of the area.
Rmm…rmm….rmm!
“Great! W-What now?”
KABOOM!
Rei dove to the side as cement and debris was sent flying everywhere. Behind her where a solid, impenetrable wall once stood was a large gaping hole. As a result, bright sunlight from outside immediately that flooded into the dark prison. Many people squinted back in pain.
What was that just now?!
The prisoners around the Martian leader became bold enough to mutter to one another. Was it another attack? Though there were many startled faces, they all soon lit up with joy at the sight of one in particular.
“Look!” Someone cried.
Rei squinted at the newly created entranceway, her eyes nearly adjusted to the light. What she saw almost made her heart skip a beat; there stood a short-haired blonde, with blazing green eyes.
Haruka...? No, wait. It’s not Haruka! Rei realized. But then, who is she?
“This is it! Today we will take back what is ours!” The woman called to her people. “Those who can fight, come with me. The rest of you, ill, weak, wounded, too young or elderly, our troops will move you to a safe location until the battle is over.”
“And you are?” Rei questioned.
“Hm?” The woman finally took notice of the Martian, and gave her a long, hard stare. For a moment it appeared that she was drawing a blank, but then her eyes suddenly lit up in recognition. “Say… you wouldn’t happen to be the leader of Mars, would you?”
“What’s it to you?”
“Nice to meet you! From here on out, we’ll be working together.”
“W-Working together?” Rei sputtered. She barely noticed that the other prisoners around her were already being escorted to their new destination. The blonde woman began to walk back towards the entrance, but Rei wasn’t about to let her walk off just like that. “You just come barging in here and--and I don’t even know who you are!”
“Kali Auranos, third ranked commander under Uranus Haruka. Or if it’s easier for you to remember, you can refer to me as a commanding officer of the ‘insurgent’ army. Anything is fine, as long as it’s not short.”
“This is…” Unbelievable…! How can she be joking around at a time like this? It’s exactly something-- that Haruka would do...
“To put it simply, I received word from the second commander that our group has established a pack with the Inner Alliance. Apparently it was agreed through the consent of a diplomat of Venus. My sources told me that she goes by the name of Minako, and that she is currently in the care of our other squad. Does her name sound familiar to you, Sir Mars?”
Minako… so she’s safe! Rei couldn’t describe how relieved she was.
“Yes. She is indeed a diplomat of Venus and was accompanying us.”
“I see. Then I suppose there’s only one more question that I would like to ask you. Since it was one of your fellow comrades who agreed to this deal, and not yourself, do you have any particular problem with this arrangement?”
Rei took a deep breath. This was all going by her so fast. She had so many questions, but they weren’t going to get answered if she just stood there. She needed to concentrate at the task at hand.
“No.” She replied in a formal tone. “If Venus consented to it, then I will honour the agreement. I have faith in all of my comrades’ judgement. Welcome to the Inner Alliance.”
Kali smiled. “Great! I’ll fill you in on everything along the way. Oh, and I hope you’re up for a fight because there’s going to be a lot of it.” She cheerfully added.
Oh I’m more than ready for a fight. I have a score to settle! Rei nodded, and followed the third commander’s lead.
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