The citizens of the upper lands rejoiced with the news of Baroach’s death. By dawn of the next morning, the civil war was officially declared to be over and a truce had been forged between Uranus and the Inner Alliance. In the light of the new day, civilians could be seen trudging back to their homes- all of them possessing golden hair and light coloured eyes. There was not a single person from the lower lands present. Baroach’s men had fled long ago, and what few innocents that had been unfairly caught up in the war had been forced to sneak out during the commotion of the previous day. However, many felt that it was not a time to brood on the past. By late afternoon, people had rushed into the streets and were singing and dancing. All four planets celebrated together- Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus- for the first time in years. The people were so caught up in it that no one even noticed that none of their leaders were present.
(Martian shuttle, infirmary)
Beep…beep…beep…
A pair of troubled amethyst eyes silently regarded the figure lying on the bed. How long had she been standing there? The room was cool, but she felt frigid. Minako was sleeping soundly despite the grating bleeps of the heart monitor-- as least, Rei found it aggravating; last night, she found herself woken up several of times when she thought the noise had stopped. It hadn’t, of course, but her imagination had gotten the best of her, even in dreams. It amazed even herself that she stayed the night. Since the Venusian had been admitted, the soldier had left the ward exactly once; she left early that morning to sign the peace treaty. But to her annoyance, she found herself back here right after. She couldn’t understand it; she knew Minako’s condition had stabilized. Ami had given her word and even attempted to explain the charts to her. But despite all the reasons she had to turn and walk away, she couldn’t. Not yet.
Why didn’t I do anything sooner?
In truth, if no one was able to intervene in time, even the Goddesses, then why did she think she could have? Rei didn’t know. All she could do was helplessly watch as the scene replayed itself slowly and painfully in her mind. Minako’s stunned expression at the exact moment the dagger pierced her prompted her to frown deeply.
For a moment, I thought we were going to lose her...
She recalled her moments on the battlefield where she had nearly lost herself due to bloodlust. It wasn’t right, she needed to leave NOW.
Beep…beep…beep…
In that instant, Rei reached out and hesitatingly held one of Minako’s hands. Unlike their first arrival to this planet, the woman’s hand was cold and pale. She wondered if Minako subconsciously knew the state she was in.
She sighed. “You really are unlucky, you know that…?” Rei muttered under her breath. The woman was about to leave when Minako’s hand twitched.
Wait, did she just---?!
Click.
The raven-haired woman instantly retracted her hand as Ami and Makoto entered the room.
“Oh, so this was where you were. Umm...so, how is she? Has anything happened since we were away? ” Makoto tentatively asked. She was met with a calm and collected stare. However, she had a strong feeling that her friend was forcing it this time.
Rei turned away; the Martian was famous for that sort of stubbornness, especially since the incident many years ago in their child-hood days. But ever since Minako had walked into their lives, Makoto sincerely thought that there was some kind of progress-- that Rei was opening up again. She turned her green eyes to the unconscious woman. When she was ill, Minako and Ami were there for her. It didn’t matter that none of them had known one another for very long, or the fact that the woman wasn’t at the Planetary Meetings in their early days, she was still, as far as everyone was concerned, a member of the group.
“Nothing yet...” Rei said bluntly. There was that forced tone again—trying to appear unaffected, but rather reporting and sturdy.
Ami said nothing as she circled around the bed and picked up a stack of papers sitting beside the machine. Even now, the occasional sheet would churn out and land atop of the pile. Rei’s heart skipped a beat when she saw her friend suddenly frown.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh... It’s nothing. It seems that she’s still making progress.” Ami smiled. Trying to avoid the suspicious gaze, she peered back down at the papers and flipped through them again as if everything was in order. However, after many years of practice, the woman actually was speed reading the reports with intense scrutiny.
That’s strange… According to these reports, Minako is healing much slower than I had anticipated. How can this be? As far as I know of, the regenerative powers of most Gods and Goddesses are roughly equal. But Makoto’s injuries on Jupiter were far worse, and yet she healed faster than Minako is. Could it be that Minako’s regenerative abilities are just weaker than ours are?
The woman was really beginning to feel as if Rei’s gaze was about to burn a hole through her, so she quickly replied,
“I’m serious Rei. Minako is fine. In fact, I expect her to regain consciousness by this evening.”
“Really?” Rei almost said too enthusiastically. Realizing her slip, the woman quickly tried to shove a calm mask back onto her face but failed horribly at the sound of Makoto cracking up with laughter.
“Geez Rei! What are we going to do with you...? You know, you don’t have to pretend that you’re not happy. I think we’re all glad that Minako will be okay. I mean... it really was a close call, after all. You shouldn’t take it for granted,” she reminded her friend. “Even though she’s going to heal physically, that doesn’t guarantee that she’ll be her usual self right off the bat. You heard what the soldiers said... She actually fought, so there’s a good chance that she may have killed some people. Considering where she’s from, it might be a huge shock to her system when she wakes up and realizes what she’s done.”
Rei was silent for a moment. She never actually considered it until now.
“Hey, can I ask you guys about something...?”
“Sure, what’s on your mind?”
“What do you think will happen to Minako... if Aphrodite found out that she might have killed someone?”
Oh. “Actually, I don’t really know.” She looked pleadingly to Ami for some help.
“We actually know very little about Venus,” Ami explained. “Since they’ve been absent from the Planetary Meetings and kept to themselves for so long, there’s no telling how Aphrodite would react if she knew. But... considering that she is the Goddess of Love, the chances are not very favourable. It would probably be for the best if Minako refrained from fighting for awhile.”
“Yeah, maybe staying low for awhile would be a good idea, at least, until we know what’s going on,” Makoto agreed. “When does she have to go back to Venus anyway?”
They both looked to the Martian.
“I don’t know. She never said,” Rei shrugged. “But anyway…I’m assuming that you two were checking up on Hotaru?”
Both Ami and Makoto noted the abrupt change in subject. However they decided not to press it. In fact, it was welcomed. Things were already awkward as they were.
“Hm? Actually, we were! How’d you guess?” Jupiter admitted bashfully. “She was fast asleep when we dropped by though. To be honest, I was a bit surprised that you asked Zen to bring her along. We were headed into a war zone after all.”
“There were reasons for it…”
“Such as…?”
“It was to look for Haruka, wasn’t it?” Ami interrupted.
“Nothing gets past you, does it? In any case, you’re right. I asked Zen to bring her along for two reasons, one of them being what you just mentioned. Since Haruka found Hotaru, there’s a good chance that there’s a connection between them. She might be able to sense her if we’re close by. After all, Hotaru is no ordinary child…”
“Actually, I just remembered something. Rei, does Hotaru have a family?” Makoto asked.
The Martian gave her a weird look. “No. Well, actually, I don’t know. Haruka never mentioned it. Why?”
“Because when we were on Mercury, she followed me, and called me ‘papa’. So...I was just wondering if she had a father or something.”
“Hmmm...” Without thinking, Rei blurted out, “Well, now that you mentioned it, on Mars she said something similar. She asked where her papa was, and then called me Auntie Rei so-”
Both Ami and Makoto snorted, earning a deep scowl from the red-faced Martian. They both apologized.
“Sorry.”
“Sorry.”
“Ahem.” Rei coughed. “The point is, she knew my name. Since Haruka was the one who left her there for me, there’s a good chance that she may have mistaken Haruka for her father. That is, if she ever had one.”
“That sounds reasonable to me.” Ami nodded. “Both physically, and mentally, Hotaru acts like a child. If she had no family before meeting Haruka, then it would be an honest mistake to make.”
No one wanted to say it, but Haruka did get mistaken for a boy several of times when they were younger.
“That’s right. But that’s also my other reason for bringing Hotaru with us. Even if she is, let’s say... half of the key, she still acts like child. If anything was to happen to her on Mars, we wouldn’t be able to get back there easily.”
“Good point.” Jupiter nodded. “When you guys put it that way, it makes perfect sense. But...I guess that just leaves us with just one question. Where do we go from here? We still don’t know where Haruka is. I mean, if she was on Uranus, she would have shown up by now don’t you think?”
“She’s probably on Neptune.” Rei answered.
“Huh? Did you just say, Neptune?”
Clearly, the news brought some discomfort to the three women in the room.
“Yeah... I don’t like it either, but I heard this from a reliable source and it’s the best clue we have right now.”
This perked Ami’s interest. “Who was it?”
“The former Uranus. But unfortunately during the war, he was killed.”
“I see...”
Rei recalled the strange creature she had fought in the prison cell. She hadn’t seen it since the civil war had ended, but she still felt somewhat uneasy.
“There’s actually one other thing that I have to talk to you two about. It’s very important.”
She thought this was the best time to tell her friends about the unpleasant discovery, especially since Minako was still sound asleep.
“What is it?” Makoto encouraged. Her green eyes were serious, signalling that she was steeling herself for the briefing. It was already apparent by Rei’s tone that this would not be good news.
“All right... I was there when Uranus died and what killed him was no ordinary soldier or assassin. It wasn’t even human. It was some shadow-like creature.”
“A shadow creature...? I’m not trying to be mean but are you sure you weren’t seeing things...?”
“I know what I saw-!” She was cut off when Ami interrupted her.
“That’s enough. This is still an infirmary, so we should try to keep our voices down.” She reminded them both. “In any case, you know Rei would never joke about such a thing, Makoto. You know that. And if she has already accepted this as a fact, then…”
The tall woman inwardly sighed. “Yeah, yeah, you’re right... I’m sorry. It’s just, after everything else that’s happened, fighting a war and looking for Haruka and Michiru, you mean we have to watch out for monsters on top of all of that? It’s kinda a lot to take in.”
“Well, if it makes you feel better, you didn’t have to fight it.”
“You actually fought with it? What was it like?” Ami asked.
“Small and deadly fast,” The Martian instantly replied. “It didn’t have any distinguishable features, other than having the shape of a child and bright red eyes. Yes, I’m sure it wasn’t human. There was no way an ordinary human could have that kind of speed or strength. Also, when I confronted it, none of my physical attacks could touch it. My sword went right through it, like I really was fighting a shadow.”
“A shape of child and a skilled assassin…” Ami took this information into careful consideration. She had already created a hypothesis for the phenomenon, yet she wasn’t sure if she could believe it herself. “I know this might be a bit of a stretch, but what if... what Rei encountered, was one of Apollo’s assassins?”
The air became suddenly tense. Makoto almost immediately turned away from the rest of the group and walked towards the exit.
“Makoto? Where do you think you’re going?!” Rei demanded.
“I was going to inform the pilot to set course for Neptune immediately. Someone has to do it. I assume that we’ll be making this trip alone?”
Makoto… Rei thought. So she’s still afraid of that place. But she’s still willing to go?
“Yes. I think it would be best to leave our armies here. There’s no need to break up their victory celebration for a quick mission like this.”
“Okay. Sounds good,” The tall woman left the room. Rei was considering leaving as well when Ami beat her to it.
“Actually, while Makoto is doing that, there’s something that I would like to look up before we leave. Do you mind?”
“Hm? No, not really... What do you need to look up though?”
“Well, I was just thinking. What you described today really may have been one of Apollo’s assassins. Do you recall that story that Lady Neptune told us once when we were little?”
Rei somewhat tensed upon hearing the name. But she knew what Ami was talking about; she had only told that story to Nozomi awhile back when they were on their way to Mercury.
“You mean... the one where the Sun King used children for his dirty deeds?”
“Yes. If I recall correctly, she said he used them for spying purposes and assassinations.”
“That’s pretty cowardly if you ask me.”
“He’s done worse.” Ami said quietly. Who else was responsible for forcing a few of the heirs to prematurely ascend to the throne? Rei had also fallen silent; a fleeting look of guilt crossed her face. “It’s all right. That’s all in the past now. What we need to focus on now is finding Haruka and Michiru. If Haruka went to Neptune, then there may be a chance that Michiru is with her.”
“Yeah... You’re right.”
“In the meantime, I’ll go research some of those stories again. You said that physical attacks didn’t affect them, correct?”
“Mm.”
“That’s interesting... because I don’t remember anything like that being mentioned in the story. Then again, what you described was shadows and not actual physical manifestations of people. Obviously something has changed here.” She paused. “Also, if the enemy is really that close, then it might be a good idea if we took Hotaru along with us to Neptune. If she really is the half of the key, Apollo may come after her. What do you think?”
“I hadn’t really thought about it.” Rei admitted. There were a lot of pressing issues on her mind and a make-believe Sun God really wasn’t one of them. “But when you put it that way, I would have to agree with you. If another one of those shadows show up, there’s no way any of our men would be able to defend themselves against that thing, let alone Hotaru. I guess we’ll have to take her with us after all.”
“All right, then I’ll let Makoto know about it the next time I see her. Oh, and before I forget... If Minako wakes up before any of us are back, could you please give her our best regards? Makoto and I really hope she gets well soon.”
Rei’s mouth nearly dropped in surprise. She really wasn’t going to do this to her, was she?
What...?
“Thanks Rei.” Ami smiled, and then left the room.
Click.
You’re making a big mistake. A voice inside Rei taunted as Ami shut the door behind herself. If you knew, you wouldn’t have left me alone with her. She was certain of it.
Rei refused to turn around and look at Minako’s sleeping face. The three of them, Rei, Ami and Makoto, not Minako, were going to leave for Neptune by themselves. Minako was going to stay here and get better. And in order for that to happen, to guarantee it, Rei couldn’t be there. The soldier knew better than anyone what she was capable of.
The woman thought back to early that morning. After signing the peace treaty with Uranus, Rei had handed over Mars’s sword to Zen for safe keeping in hopes of curbing the deadly temptation to kill.
“Zen.”
“Sir?”
“I want you to hold onto this for me.”
“Ah-B-But that’s... You know I can’t! Only the leader of Mars may carry that sword!”
“You’re worrying too much. I only said that I would like you to hold onto it for me. It’s just a temporary thing.”
“Oh... Well, in that case...I guess it’ll be okay.”
“Good. Now give me your sword.”
“I-What?!”
She had taken her officer’s sword in exchange of her own. But frustratingly enough, even without the weapon in her hands, her senses still tingled from the effects of the bloodlust.
“You better get well soon…” Rei whispered. Again she heard nothing but silence. She then sighed and rubbed her eyes, feeling suddenly worn out. With her friends out of the room, she could finally relax and allow her posture to slump somewhat. She didn’t sleep very well last night.
I should get some sleep. Rei sighed again and shook her head. She should go to her room, but there were a multitude of reasons keeping her back: firstly, Ami had told her to stay put in a very subtle way (she didn’t want the woman angry with her). Secondly, she was also in charge of guarding Minako (a plan that she was unwillingly forced into when the two first met on Mars). At that moment, Rei could almost laugh. She had to admit--when it came to making up excuses, she was the best. Quite simply, she didn’t want to leave until she knew the Venusian was really all right.
If she wasn’t going to sleep, at the very least, then, she decided to settle on getting a drink of water. She didn’t have much of an appetite anyway.
“I’ll be right back.” She tried to step away from the bed, but was held back.
Tug.
“What?” Rei whipped her head around and froze. She found herself staring into drowsy, blue cerulean eyes.
“Minako…” Unconsciously she turned around and yanked out of the blonde’s weak grip. Minako was awake. Perhaps she was still somewhat out of it, but she was conscious as far as Rei could tell.
Breathing a little heavily, Minako swallowed hard and managed to gasp out, “…Please stay?” She tried to say more to convince her friend to stay, yet she had difficulty forming the words in her mind. “Rei…?” To her surprise Rei was shaking. The woman had her hands had balled up into tight fists by her sides as if she was fighting for control.
The blonde could only watch with concern as the Martian woman hesitatingly lifted her hand into the air, and…
SLAP!
Ah… Minako was speechless. All she was aware of in that moment was the burning of her cheek and Rei’s sudden words of anger.
“What were you thinking?!” Rei demanded angrily. She still hadn’t stopped shaking. “WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!”
“Rei, I---”
“But what?! You just charge into battle thinking you can handle it? People go into a battle with the intention to KILL Minako! You were lucky you didn’t die! And why didn’t you use your powers to kill him?! You’re a Goddess aren’t you?!”
“But I--”
“We’re going to Neptune.” The other woman instantly cut her off, darkly. Minako tilted her head to one side, appearing very confused and hurt.
“Neptune?” She was surprised that she even got one word in before Rei went off again.
“I want you to stay here and rest for the time being. Ami, Makoto, and myself, will handle the situation alone.”
“Huh? No, wait a sec! I’m coming with you!”
“Didn’t you just hear a word I said? I’m saying it’s too dangerous for you! You’re becoming too reckless!”
“Excuse me?!” Minako pushed herself up and threw her legs over the edge of the mattress.
“Now wait a minute--”
“NO--” The blonde found a surprising amount of strength and shoved Rei. The woman fell back against the floor in shock. “YOU wait. Just...What’s gotten into you Rei? Suddenly you’re treating me like I can’t handle anything myself! I’m not a little girl!”
The shocked expression on Rei’s face suddenly leaned into anger. “Yeah...? Well, you sure fight like one. It takes a lot of talent to get stabbed like you did... Princess.”
Minako threw her arms into the air with an exasperated sigh. “Yeah, ‘cause that’s very mature Rei. Look, if there’s something wrong, can’t you just tell me?” With some obvious effort, Minako lowered herself to the room and squatted down to be eye level with the other woman. “Are you just angry because I’m finally trying to stand up for myself? Have you ever thought, even once, that maybe, just maybe...I don’t want to always be protected? Rei, look at me!”
“What would your mother think if she knew what you did?”
The words just came out. Minako instantly fell silent with a stunned expression playing on her tense face.
“You didn’t think about that, did you?” Rei asked more quietly.
I guess if you hang out a murderer too long, you become one yourself eventually... She could see it now; the Goddess Aphrodite, in her full glory, banging down her front door for converting her daughter into a murderous fiend.
The Martian pulled away and stood up to leave. She was nearly at the door when Minako stopped her.
“Wait.”
“What is it now?”
“Is this what it’s about? Are you worried about what my mother would think?”
“...”
“Just so you know... it doesn’t matter.”
The comment drew a curious gaze from the Martian. There was no way in Mars that she heard what she just heard.
“You’re still in shock. I think someone needs to get more sleep.”
“I’m serious!” Minako was feeling so frustrated. Why was she giving her such a hard time? “Look, I know what I did. And yes, I killed some people. But, that was my choice. I chose to do that. I did, what I thought was right... If I’m going to be punished for what I did, then I’ll accept it when the time comes.”
Creak.
Rei turned the knob and opened the door.
“Rei, wait!” Minako pleaded. “Please let me come with you! We’ve already gone this far together, so why should we stop now?”
The Martian commander was silent for a moment.
“Makoto and Ami said that they wish you would get better soon... They were worried about you.” She paused. “The trip to Neptune won’t be a long one. So, I would rest as much as possible until then. Hotaru is coming along with us, and we don’t need a tired babysitter.”
The Martian didn’t wait to see the happy smile on Minako’s face before she left.
I’m sorry Minako... but I just can’t look at you right now.
(-Dark Chamber-)
In a dark, damp chamber, the sound of trickling water could be heard in the background. However, the noise was not the reason for one of its two inhabitants losing concentration. The taller of the two, dressed in a knight’s armor, was the first to return to reality. After holding the stance for a few more seconds, she suddenly gasped and released her pose as a backlash of wind filled the vast cavern.
“D-Damn it...!” The sandy-blonde haired woman shook her head as the wind brushed against her face. “It’s no good!” She growled in a low voice. Unconsciously, her eyes were instantly drawn to where she felt her companion’s presence.
In the distance, she could make out an aquamarine glow being reflected against an oval piece of glass. It was a mirror, and in front of it she could make out the silhouette of a woman with shoulder-length, wavy hair. Unlike herself, this woman appeared to be much more refined to the cultural ways of the court. The air in which she carried herself was calm, yet strong and determined at once—like waves of an ocean; one could almost feel a mysterious foreboding force lurking underneath that pretty, delicate expression.
“Michiru?” The knight tentatively called out to her. “Have you found anything yet?”
The impatient blonde was sorely tempted to step towards the alluring maiden, but she somehow suppressed the urge. The light that surrounded her companion was one that brought uneasiness to her alert senses; for up ahead, Michiru had completely immersed herself within a spiritual separation spell. It was a first rate spell that demanded the strictest of magic standards from its user-- the few that even knew of the spell’s existence would have also known that only a rare few amongst the God’s rank were capable of performing it.
The mirror pulsed several of times before the maiden finally regained consciousness. Her eyelids briefly fluttered before she turned her aquamarine eyes towards her companion. For some reason, the knight nearly stepped back upon seeing those faintly glowing eyes gazing at her; the feeling was electric. It was as if the maiden could see into the depths of her soul, despite the darkness, as if she were casting a different spell just for her.
“I’m afraid not…” She said in a melodic voice. “She is proving to be very difficult. Every time as I am about discover something new she stubbornly blocks my way.” Michiru regretfully informed her companion. “Hmm…? Haruka love, why do you stay in the dark?”
Haruka noticed how Michiru’s eyes danced with amusement as she said this. The blonde knew what her partner expected, but she wasn’t going to get it.
“We’ve got company.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yeah, more than one I’m afraid.” The hairs on the back of Haruka’s neck were standing up.
“Haruka… It wasn’t your fault that he’s…”
“But if I had only gotten to that thing sooner! Then just maybe…!” She shook her head. After a moment, she finally said, “No, I know. You don’t even have to say it. What’s done is done, right? He was already gone long before that thing even showed up. But, I swear... I won’t let that kind of thing happen again! This time, with this power…”
Michiru calmly watched Haruka’s golden aura flare up, its energy was flowing throughout the room and overlapping hers.
It’s different now. She calmly analyzed. I can only pray that she will be able to handle this newfound strength.
“I’m going now.”
(Inner Alliance, Neptunalia, Night)
Wooooooooosh…
Ami, Makoto, Hotaru, Minako and Rei now all stood before Neptune’s palace, Neptunalia. The royal structure looked completely different at night. In the dark, it almost looked like an ancient, long abandoned tomb. Beyond the non-existent gates, the courtyard was completely deserted. The open windows within the towering structure bore no glass, or light to illuminate the shadows (once or twice, the women half-expected a candle light to flicker off in the darkness or to see a pale face staring at them through a window). They all had to wonder: is this what a palace transformed into during the absence of a rightful ruler? Or did it merely reveal its true face when the light of the day could no longer hide the ugly history, forever etched within its walls?
Minako nervously looked around with Hotaru sleeping peacefully in her arms. No noise could be heard except for the soft, eerie whispers of wind, and the faint sound of running water in the background.
“What’s that noise?” She whispered.
“Don’t worry about it,” Ami whispered back. “You’re just hearing the water from the waterways in the city.”
“So you mean, they actually have running rivers here?”
“Mhm.”
Rei scanned the grounds ahead of them once more and narrowed her eyes. “Something’s not right.” She mumbled under her breath.
“What is it? Do you sense something?” Makoto asked.
“Is it just me, or did anyone else notice how ridiculously easy it was to get here?”
“Actually... I was wondering about that too.” The ruler from Jupiter slowly agreed. “The planet’s defence shield was already lowered by the time we got here. For a moment I thought something might’ve happened here, like on Uranus, but it looks like they’re fine.” They didn’t have to look any further than the peacefully, sleeping citizens the city far behind them to attest to that. “Do you think it’s a trap?”
Ami was typing at her computer again, already having taken the possibility into account.
“Actually, Neptune’s planet shield was up just moments before we hit their orbit,” she corrected her friend.
“You mean...?”
“Yes. Someone must have known that we were coming and intentionally dropped it.”
“Then the only question is who.” Rei quietly muttered.
Ami’s computer screen cross examined many sections of the palace, forming a small, but temporary, map on her face visor.
“I think we all would like to know the answer to that question. The problem is, my computer is detecting nothing.”
…Ping…
Sometimes you rely on that mechanical bunch of bolts a bit too much! Rei was sorely tempted to say it, but instead she opted for, “Remember, Ami, it’s just a machine. There are probably some things that it can’t detect. Besides, I know something is here. Didn’t either of you just feel it?”
Silently, both Makoto and Ami relaxed the restraints on their powers and concentrated.
…Ping…
“...Yeah, I hear it too.” Makoto was the first to mutter. Ami nodded beside her, but the woman didn’t put away her computer. Instead she had the machine hone in onto the signal and used a thread of her aura to track its general direction.
“I have it.” She reported. “What will we do? Should we go and investigate it?”
“That’s what we came here to do.” Rei told her. She did realize that this meant that they would have to enter the accursed place. “If we want to be sure whether Haruka is here or not, we have to exhaust every clue we can get.”
The Martian Commander looked to Makoto, back to Ami, and then at her two charges. Minako looked incredibly nervous, which was to be expected in the Martian’s opinion. Yet it was the sleeping Hotaru that held her gaze the longest; the child’s innocence was almost surreal in this gloomy atmosphere. How could she look so calm and peaceful while the rest of them were practically shaking in their boots?
She just looks like a normal little girl. Rei thought. Can someone really be capable of so much power…? Huh. A dark thought crossed the woman’s mind. I don’t know whether or not I believe in all of this. Dark assassins, the key, Apollo… but what I do know is this- Makoto, Ami, myself… and now, Minako—none of us are exactly innocent anymore. At some point or another, we’ve all shed blood. We’ve all caused some destruction on our own accord. If we ever go into another war in the future, then this is nothing in comparison.
We can do this.
With that decided the group all nodded to each other and silently followed Mercury’s lead into the palace.
(Neptunalia)
Following closely behind their friend, the group quickly found themselves treading through an empty maze of corridors. Tiny steps were taken as each and every individual was on their guard; the night had eerily shrouded the building, casting its shadows into conspicuous shapes between the rows of columns; what little pale moonlight they had to guide their way through the dark created a ghostly effect, so much that Makoto, Ami and Rei felt like they were all about to relive a dream--a nightmare.
Tup… tup… tup…
It’s so cold… Makoto suppressed the urge to shiver. Although she was dressed head to toe in warm clothing, she couldn’t completely fight off the icy atmosphere. She could already see her breath.
Tup… tup.. tup…
Oooh… I really don’t like this. Ami occasionally glanced behind her to make sure that everyone was still there. She hated the thought of being separated from her friends, especially if it was in a place like this. But remembering Rei’s words her eyes trained back onto her computer screen. It feels like we’re going nowhere. The map keeps growing bigger, but the signal is still far out of reach. And I’m not picking up any heat energies or-- anything! Could Haruka and Michiru really be here? I hope they’re all right...
Rei kept on guard by dispersing some of her aura at every intersection the group encountered; the shadows wouldn’t let her forget what happened on Uranus, and that day.
I won’t make any more mistakes... She swore to herself.
Trip
“YIPE!”
Everyone jumped and whirled towards the sound, only to see that Minako had accidentally tripped herself.
“I-I-I’m sorry, I’ll try to be more careful,” She promised. The Venusian briefly considered flashing them a reassuring smile, but her friends’ pale faces froze her in her tracks. Ami, Rei’s and Makoto’s eyes, all of them, within that one split second, were filled with intense fear and apprehension. If she hadn’t been who she was, Minako was sure that they all would have struck her down without any hesitation.
“ I’m sorry…” She repeated again, sincerely. Hotaru made a small shift in her arms and gave a content yawn, clearly showing no signs that she was aware of what was going on.
This time Jupiter and Mercury relaxed, silently pardoning their comrade. Rei, on the other hand, was too preoccupied with her racing thoughts to say anything.
“It’s all right. No harm done,” Makoto finally shrugged. “We didn’t mean to scare you either. I guess we’re all a little afraid.” She muttered the last part.
“It’s not because of the dark, is it?” Minako questioned aloud. She turned around and glanced down the hallway behind them, where its end lay somewhere in the shadows, and then back in front of them where they could not see their immediate path; each end was a mystery of its own. “This place feels so strange… It’s darker somehow, nothing like any of the other palaces that I’ve been to. It’s just so cold, and every step we take it’s like there’s an echo. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not getting good vibes from this place.”
The three childhood friends all averted each other’s gazes and looked down at the floor, each alone in their own thoughts. From one look Minako could obviously see that she wasn’t the only one who felt that way. But she had a feeling that she was missing out on something; they knew something that she didn’t.
“Did… something happen here?” She cautiously asked.
Rei sighed, and then walked around her and gently pushed the woman forward until she stood in the middle of their group. Meanwhile, Makoto had stepped up until she stood side by side with Ami; Rei took her back.
“Guys?” Minako nervously asked again. She nearly dropped Hotaru when Ami suddenly spoke up.
“Minako… Do you remember when Makoto was telling you about the Planetary Meetings back on Jupiter?”
“W-Well...Yeah, kinda? Why?”
“Eight years ago, Neptune was designated to host the Planetary Meeting. As you now know, the purpose of the event was to gather the heirs together so that they could become acquainted with one another. It was meant to be an ordinary get together, but…”
But...?
“But what?”
“Think about what happened on Jupiter.” Rei gently nudged her forward. The woman’s eyes went wide, and a gasp left her lips.
No...
“Y-You mean something like that happened here?” Judging by the other’s silence, Minako knew she had hit it dead on. “Someone died here? A Goddess died here?” In that moment she could’ve sworn that she felt a cold breath on the back of her neck.
…ping…
“It was a murder, yes.” Rei bluntly informed the woman. The images in her mind began to swirl as she forced herself to keep her voice steady. “It happened when Ami, Makoto, and myself were still only children. That day, we ran into the Goddess of Neptune while we were looking for Haruka and Michiru, almost like we are now. There was something wrong with her. She was… walking like she was in a trance. So we decided to follow her. We stayed far behind her and followed her for the longest time… We just kept walking, and walking, until she suddenly vanished. And then, the next thing any of us knew, we were running. Even now, I don’t know how to exactly describe it. Something definitely felt wrong, like… something was calling out to us. That was how we came upon the scene.”
. . .
The trio bolted down the staircase and ran straight into the lighted room. Rei was the first to appear on the other side. The change was instantaneous. As soon as the Martian heir had charged into the room she was rebuffed by an intense wave of light and heat. She yelped and squinted her eyes shut, unconsciously bringing her hands up to cup her ears. There was a loud crackling all around her--it flooded into her ears and sent all of her sense onto the alert; fire! She realized. Before she knew it, a backlash of hot air burst across the room and nearly knocked her over. The girl grunted, and had somehow held her ground. When she was finally able to open her eyes, she was met by a wall of flame. The element was not red and orange, like she was accustomed to seeing, but it was a bright blue; the flames danced with a menacingly air to them before her. But it was what she saw behind those flames that made her eyes widen in petrified shock.
“Ah… W-What is...?” For the first time for the longest while, she felt afraid.
The ground suddenly quaked with a loud boom. Her balance dangerously waned until two pairs of arms gripped down from either side of her body and steadied her. Ami and Makoto had caught up and were now beside her.
“Ami! Makoto! I---” Rei tried to describe what she was feeling, but she failed horribly. She felt them both huddle closer to her as they finally saw what she saw. Together, the three friends laid their eyes on the two figures behind the wall of fire. It was Ares, and the elder Neptune-- their powers were fiercely clashing against each other.
“Why…” Rei whispered. ‘Why is he doing this?!’ She thought to herself. She was shocked, and was quickly becoming angry.
Ares swung his sword towards his opponent and released a blast of hot, red fire!
Swish!
Whup!
KABOOM!
Neptune deflected the blast and someone screamed. However, it was not the Goddess who had cried out, but rather a younger voice behind her. Rei then noticed something odd about Neptune’s position. She could have easily avoided the blast if she chose to, but for some reason the woman refused to budge from her position.
“Mother! I’m scared!”
“Look! It’s Haruka and Michiru!” Makoto spotted them and pointed them out.
The two girls were huddled together on the ground behind the Goddess. Haruka had wrapped her arms protectively around Michiru, holding the smaller girl close and tight as the ground continued to shake beneath them. Unfortunately, it appeared that the pair hadn’t noticed their friends amidst the sounds of explosions that continued to rattle the room.
“Rei?! What are you doing?!” Makoto felt Rei pull away from her and Ami. But the girl brushed her off and shocked them all when she suddenly ran towards the blue flames. “Don’t!”
“Rei!” Ami was about to burst into tears.
Mars’s heir ignored her friends’ pleas, and stubbornly closed in on the fire. When she neared the inferno, instead of shying away she gained speed and jumped headfirst towards it. For a split second the blistering heat was on her skin, but as quickly as she had felt it she was through and rolled to a stop on the other side. She could definitely feel the heat now. The temperature within the ring was so hot-- she was having some difficulty breathing.
Behind her, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Makoto attempt to charge the flames as well, only to be sent flying back. That was strange, but Rei paid it no mind; there were more important things to take care.
“STOP IT!” She shouted at Ares. The girl grabbed for something nearby, a rock and hurled it at the God. The attempt was laughable-- it bounced off his thick armor without even leaving as much as a scratch. “What do you think you’re doing?!” She yelled and threw another rock.
Tink!
This time Ares took notice of her and turned slowly around. Rei felt her heart skip a beat when his gaze finally took her in. Behind the God of War she could see an orange energy manifest behind him. The entity turned with the man and together, she saw them both grin at her; the God of Mars wore a plastered sneer as the entity burst out into crackling laugher.
“What is…?” Rei felt her eyes widen. Her legs were paralyzed with fear.
‘That thing?!’ She wanted to shout.
“Rei! Watch out!” Haruka bellowed.
“Huh?”
Before Rei knew what was happening, both her mentor and Haruka were racing running towards her. Haruka made it to her first and tackled her out of harm’s way.
“Oof!”
BOOM!
The ground split apart behind them.
“Haruka--!” Rei tried to say more, but she was stopped by a looming shadow. She slowly turned around. Towering over them both, with his sword raised, the God of War stared down at them with his eyes drowned in bloodlust.
“Damn it!” Haruka growled under her breath. She tried to stand up and move in front of Rei, but a smaller figure jumped out in front of them.
Tup!
“Michiru?!” The two girls cried incredulously. Michiru was visibly shaking, but she stubbornly stood there with her arms spread out in an attempt to stay brave.
Before either Haruka or Rei could move, the sword came down.
“MOTHER!”
SLASH!
Time seemed to slow down as the events persisted to agonizingly inch forward. A tall figure with long, braided aquamarine hair was falling diagonally-- a long gash ran down from her front through her back. Blood splashed to the ground and onto the heirs, drenching them with the remains of her life. No one could utter a single word to describe how they felt just then, amidst the fire, heat, or blood; no one could find the words even as Ares and the entity disappeared in a storm of maniacal laughter.
No one could say anything… Until Michiru realized what had happened.
“EYAAAAAAAAAAH!”
. . .
“So she died trying to protect you?” Minako quietly asked.
Rei immediately turned her head away and bit her bottom lip. She didn’t want to admit it; that the Goddess died because of her, so she instead said the first words that came to mind.
“I didn’t ask for it…”
“Rei! What would she say if she heard you say that?” Ami scolded, appearing to be very shocked. But Rei didn’t reply.
What would she say? I--I don’t know. I barely knew her.
The guilt that she felt inside was slowly eating away at her, even after all of these years. It had greatly intensified ever since she knew she would be returning to this place, ever since she first stepped foot within these palace walls. If she hadn’t interfered, perhaps Lady Neptune would still be alive today. There was always the reasoning that the result could have been the same, regardless of what she did, yet now they would never know. All they knew was what had happened. Neptune had died.
Tup…tup…tup…
Everyone felt their blood ran cold. They all looked at each other with startled eyes and questioning gazes; none of them were moving. So then, where were the footsteps coming from?
The temperature seemed to plummet all around them.
…ping…
Tup…tup…tup…tup…
Rei jumped when she caught a blue light from the corner of her eye. She turned on the spot with her arms up, ready to defend herself and her companions if necessary. But instead, she caught her heart in her throat. They all did.
Lubb dubb! Lubb dubb! Lubb dubb!
No. It can’t be…
A semi-transparent figure was walking towards them. At a first glance, she was a young woman perhaps just reaching her late twenties. The former heirs felt their hearts pound harder as the figure’s long, braided aquamarine hair waved occasionally swung into sight from behind her back as Minako remained obvious. The Venusian calmly observed her as she drew nearer. The stranger wore a long dress and slip on dress-shoes as if she were about to attend a high class social gathering. But there couldn’t possibly be any parties going on at night, could there? Something did seem strange, however; it was in the way she moved. It was almost mechanical.
Tup…tup…tup…
Who is she? Minako wondered. The blonde couldn’t quite make out the stranger’s face due to the woman’s bangs over-shadowing her eyes. She turned to her friends and was ready to ask the question when she noticed the same fearful expression in their eyes from before. They had all gone deathly white, almost as white as the stranger.
Rei backed away until her back was made flush against the nearby wall, as everyone else did, and held her breath as the figure neared them. A few infuriating seconds passed, followed by a stunned silence as the woman walked right by them and continued down the corridor in silence. Had she even seen them?
“What?” Rei breathed.
“It’s like that time...” Makoto breathed.
It’s like she’s walking in a trance, but… she should be dead! What’s going on here?
Fttzt!
Ami yelped and dropped her computer; the screen had suddenly sparked as though some invisible force touched it. Or rather, something tampered with it. The woman had only blinked when the screen died. It abruptly sprung back to life after a few seconds, but the areas they had cleared had been erased from its memory. Worse yet, she found that she could no longer pick up the signals from her previous aura paths. Everything about their position, how to get back, where they were going, it was gone. The only thing they had left was the single, yellow point that was slowly moving on Ami’s computer screen. It trailed with a blue line behind it, lightning up a small area of the map as it continued along its way.
“What wrong Ami?” Makoto automatically asked, but she was afraid to hear the answer.
“The screen…” Mercury mouthed. The dot was in close proximity.
But the only thing that is moving is… Ami looked up and her eyes fell onto the ghostly figure of Neptune. She quickly checked the screen again, but she was not mistaken; the trail was being marked by the former Goddess.
“The map is gone. All we have left is this. She’s...She’s showing us the way.” The blue-haired woman finally told her friends.
Rei did a double take and glanced down at the computer. “Wait, you mean we have to FOLLOW her? Are you out of your mind?! How do we even know it’s her?”
“Wait, who? You mean that woman?” Minako stepped in. “Who is she?”
“Be quiet for a minute.” Rei snapped. She heard Minako gasp.
“Hey, cut it out you two.” Ami sternly told her. “We have to figure this out. We don’t have the time to be fighting amongst ourselves.”
The three women all began to discuss their next plan of action, and Minako quickly found herself left out of the conversation. To say the least, her feelings were mildly hurt.
“Look, what other choice do we have? Ami’s map is gone.” Makoto pointed out uneasily. “I don’t like it anymore than you do, but without it we could be stuck in this maze for Goddess knows how long… And if we’re still here when morning comes, we’ll risk being caught.”
“Tch.”
…ping!
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Huh? Oh no, what’s wrong Hotaru?” Minako tried to hush to the little girl, but she wouldn’t stop crying. “I-I don’t know what happened, she just—started crying!”
ping!
“Maybe for a good reason!” Rei withdrew her sword and faced the direction where Neptune first emerged. In the darkness she could make out a slight movement; it triggered something in her memory, from the time she spent within Uranus’s prison cell. It was the very same feeling she sensed right before they had been ambushed by the shadow creature.
Oh no!
“You’ve all got to run! Now! Get Hotaru out of here!” She ordered.
“But---” Makoto began.
“I don’t care what you do! Even if you have to follow her! Just GO!”
“Geh. All right...” Jupiter finally relented at her friend’s insistence. “Come on!” She pushed Ami and Minako forward. Minako looked like she was hesitating, but when a dark figure shot out of the darkness and Rei countered it she beginning to have second thoughts.
“I’ll catch up later!” Rei cried. She swung her sword against the small dagger the creature wielded, and threw her opponent back. The sound of scurrying footsteps behind her told her that her friends were following her advice after all. There was some relief in knowing that she could fight without worrying about Minako or Hotaru being hurt; after all, this time she knew that her childhood friends were with them.
“Now as for you…”
The creature narrowed its red eyes and held up its dagger, indicating it would face her.
Physical attacks don’t work on it. The soldier reminded herself. So then….
“What about this?!” Rei swung her sword up over her head, and a fierce red aura ignited and swirled about it blade. “Taaaake...THIS!”
Swish!
ShroooooooooooM!
“GrAAR!” Her opponent cried out. Its posture was now bent over, appearing as if it were struggling to re-position itself back into its fighting stance. It came as a surprise to the Martian that her spiritual power could inflict that much pain on the monster.
“I see.” Rei analyzed. Perhaps this is their drawback to having a physical immunity!
She charged herself up for another attack and launched forward, this time bringing the blade down and through the creature; she wasn’t about to let it recover like the one back on Uranus.
This is for Uranus! “HaAAAAAH!”
SLASH!
“RaaaaaHahHh!” It let out its last inhumane cry and transformed into a glowing sphere of light before shooting away.
Woooosh!
Tup…tup…
Another one?!
Rei whipped around and pointed her blade towards the shadows. She was ready for anything, except this.
“You figured it out. I’m impressed...” Short, blonde hair came into sight from beside one of the columns. Rei was especially startled to see a pair of familiar, dark green eyes staring straight back at her.
“…Haruka.”
(Corridors, group)
Tup! Tup! Tup! Tup!
Minako, Ami and Makoto all sprinted down the dark corridors after their supernatural guide. Ami for one was just astonished at how fast the woman was suddenly moving; when they had encountered her for the first time, she was walking at a leisurely pace. But if the yellow dot on her head visor was of any indication, the Goddess of Neptune could very well be flying.
The--The signal is moving so fast! What’s going on here? Mercury gasped between breaths, “Is there anyone behind us?”
“I-I don’t think so!” Makoto yelled back. She couldn’t sense anything behind them, but the darkness still seemed to be closing in. Where was Rei?
I just hope Rei is okay! Jupiter thought to herself.
“Huff! Huff! Huff! H-How much farther do we have to run?!” Minako wheezed.
“I don’t know!”
Minako felt like she was dying. She had gotten some rest during the trip, but it still hadn’t been enough. She was clearly struggling to keep up with the other two women. On the bright side, though, Hotaru had stopped crying by now. But if the three women had the luxury to slow down and rest, they would have found the girl to be too quiet; Hotaru’s dark eyes were sharp and critically observant of the passageway ahead of them, as if she was staring at something that none of them could see.
“If she’s getting heavy, I can take her!” Makoto offered.
“No, that’s okay,” Minako automatically turned down the kind offer. “Rei… huff, huff, told me to watch her!”
I should be able to do this much, at the very least!
“Well, all right! But if it becomes too much, feel free to ask!”
“’Kay!”
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Ping!
The trio reached another intersection when a black figure suddenly launched out of the darkness at them.
“Wha-the?!”
“HAH!!” Makoto reacted instinctively and blasted it with a portion of her power.
CRACKLE!
“Graarh!”
The attack had managed to stun the monster long enough for them to unanimously opt for a new direction.
“This way!” Ami shouted.
Again they were on the move, following their only signal.
Tup! Tup! Tup! Tup!
The three of them finally reached a familiar area that both Ami and Makoto quickly recognized. Minako nearly ran into the two women when they abruptly skidded to a stop.
What’s going on? “Hey, why did we stop?”
Minako peeked over their shoulders and saw that they were standing in front of a long spiral staircase heading downwards. And at the very bottom, an eerie light shone out from the entrance of a room.
“Do we have to go down there?” Minako nervously asked. The negative vibes were very strong in this area.
“Kreeeeh!” Another shadow-creature came barrelling at them from behind with a dagger posed.
CRACKLE!
“GraAAarH!”
“It doesn’t look like we have much of a choice. I say we go for it!” Makoto grunted. Beads of perspiration were now glimmering on her brow. Both Ami and Minako weren’t fairing much better; they were all getting tired. If they didn’t find a safe place soon, then sooner or later they would be forced to fight.
Without sparing any more precious time, the Goddesses all charged through the opening below and cried out in surprise when they all slipped upon entering the room. None of them could have possibly anticipated the ankle-deep puddles of water within the cavern; since their last visit, it appeared that water had seeped through the walls and penetrated into the underground chamber. They hardly recognized it.
“O-Ouch...” Minako grimaced. She tried to get up, but nearly slipped once again until Makoto caught her.
“Careful there! This floor is made out of rock so it’s very slippery!”
“Y-Yeah... I kinda figured that out.”
Ami splashed through the water to find her computer. It was a shame, but when she finally found it the machinery had already short circuited-- they were lucky that it didn’t electrocute them all.
“Oh no... Ami, your computer!” Makoto and Minako both noticed it as well.
“It’s fine. I can always rebuild it later.” The ruler of Mercury said in a calm voice. She nimbly pocketed it in her jacket. After all, if she was helpless without her little computer then she wouldn’t be qualified to be the leader of her planet. Ami then scanned the grounds and spotted higher ground a distance away; it appeared to be the only relatively dry place remaining. “We should head for high ground,” she advised. “If we’re having difficulty walking through this water, then perhaps those creatures will as well.”
That was what they did. Ami led the way in front, followed by Minako, with Makoto lagging behind at the end. The water was cold and it soaked through their footwear, but they didn’t dare to stop. After encountering two assassins in such a short time, there was a high chance that more would appear soon to finish the job.
This is just crazy! Makoto silently contemplated. She could feel her feet becoming numb from the cold. Why are they chasing us? They really aren’t after Hotaru are they?
“Raaaar!”
To everyone’s surprise, a third shadow assassin had appeared at the doorway they had entered from only a few minutes before. It glared at them with its red eyes, noticing the water but hesitating to make a move.
It stopped! Makoto thought. But before the tall woman could breathe a sigh of relief, the monster dove into the water and began running at them with inhumane speed. The water wasn’t slowing it down in the slightest.
“Makoto!”
“Damn!” Makoto threw out her hand and tried to call her power, only to find it incredibly weakened and slow to come to her command.
Oh no! I’ve used too much, too quickly! The Goddess from Jupiter realized. “HaaAH!”
Crackle!
The small bolt of lightning collided head on with the creature, but it barely slowed it down. It manoeuvred past the woman before she could stop it.
“No!”
Ami stepped up and was about to try her luck when, without warning, the monster hurled its dagger at her. She was caught off-guard.
SHK!
“AHH!” Ami yanked back her hand and gripped it tight with her other hand; the small blade had ripped through the outside of her arm, cutting a red trail from her hand right up through her right shoulder.
“Ami!” Minako cried. She eased her friend down onto her knees as she attempted to assess the wound. Honestly, Minako didn’t know what to do. All that came to her mind was to try to stop the bleeding, so she pressed her hands over the long gash as best as she could. As she did that, Ami struggled to summon up a portion of her power again but it wasn’t fast enough. The assassin was upon them in an instant.
“MINAKO!”
“Look out!”
Time seemed to slow down as Minako turned her head and stared up at the falling figure. Her blue eyes widened in fear, and a trickle of sweat fell down one side of her face. All she could do was remember her promise to Rei, that she would protect Hotaru, so she wrapped her arms protectively around the girl and bent over her to shield her. However, Hotaru remained unperturbed. She looked their enemy straight in the eye as the dagger came down, and uttered a single word,
“Papa...”
A strong voice then pierced the area, followed by a bright flash of golden light.
“World…SHAKING!” A golden sphere in the shape of a planet burst forth at the enemy.
WrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrRrRrRRRRRR-----CRASH!
In an instant the creature had met its end. There wasn’t even time for it to cry out before its life been exterminated.
Makoto and Ami couldn’t believe it.
“H-Haruka!”
They almost didn’t recognize the woman. The ruler of the wind was wearing a rather strange, revealing sailor suit instead of her usual suit of armor.
Minako was the only one of the three who noticed the other figure beside her. “Rei!” No sooner had the name left her mouth, was Rei by her side. “Who is she---”
“Don’t celebrate just yet, there’s a lot more of them coming!” The Martian Commander warned.
“What?”
“Ami, Makoto! Listen! You can only hurt them with spiritual attacks!”
“Yeah... we kinda figured that out,” Makoto said grimly. She could sense their presences now. “Get ready. Here they come!”
Six shadow creatures had already spread themselves out along the perimeter of the chamber, and had escaped detection until now. Escaping was no longer an option; the moment the women had entered the room, they had fallen into an elaborate trap. There was no way out except to fight their way through the enemy.
“Whatever happens, don’t let anything happen to Hotaru!” Haruka ordered.
“Papa!”
“Shhh...” Minako held the girl more tightly in case she tried to make a dash for the woman.
“That’s why they’re here. That’s who they’re really after!” Haruka boldly stepped forward until she was positioned firmly between the assassin and its target. It glared up at her in defiance with its crimson eyes. “But we can’t let them have what they want!”
“I agree! But don’t worry Haruka, there’s no way they can beat all of us.” Makoto found herself grinning. A green aura sparked in the air around her--her powers had recovered and she was ready for some payback. The tall woman had positioned herself by Ami’s side and was now facing the enemy on the opposite side of the room to Haruka’s. She had taken the backside.
Carefully noting where her two comrades stood, Rei stepped forward and occupied a position to Minako’s right.
“Rei…?” Minako tilted her chin up to get a better look at the woman. She thought about standing up, but a firm hand on her shoulder silently told her to stay put.
This time I will protect you.
“Take care of Hotaru.”
“But---”
“Fighting isn’t always the best way to be ‘useful’. Only fight if you have to.” She advised.
“Ah.” Behind her, Ami was struggling by Minako’s side. The woman’s breath was still coming out in short, pained pants, and her eyes were burning with tears. Her entire body was trembling. “Ow…I-I have to fight too…” Based on where everyone was standing, she saw a dangerous gap to Minako’s immediate left.
“No! You can’t even think about fighting! You’re hurt!” Makoto tried to convince the woman.
“HERE THEY COME!” Haruka abruptly bellowed.
The enemy all launched at once, each headed attacking from different directions. It appeared that they possessed some intelligence after all; none of the Goddesses could attack all of them at once. Haruka and Makoto managed to confront a total of three assassins, while Rei countered the one that struck at her head on. The two remaining across the Martian’s backside abused the remaining gap and barrelled directly at Minako.
“Rei!” Minako tried calling out to the woman, but she continued on fighting the creature. Wasn’t anyone going to help her?
Tup! Tup! Tup!
Tup! Tup! Tup!
The two creatures leapt up, and Minako instinctively tightened her hold on Hotaru.
“Heh.” Haruka smirked. Gotcha!
Not even a second after her reaction, someone else joined in the fray. An aquamarine aura thundered across the room and blasted the two assassins face-first into a cavern wall on the other side of the room.
CRACKLE!
THUD! THUD!
While the other three friends continued to engage with the enemy, a mysterious stranger emerged from the darkness and calmly walked into the last gap of the circle. Now there were no easy openings for the enemy to exploit.
Minako was still in a bit of shock, for more than one reason.
She looks like that person we saw in the halls not too long ago! The blonde noted the stranger’s same aquamarine hair color, her intense aquamarine eyes and the flowing blue dress that she wore. As far as the Venusian could tell, the biggest difference between the two people was their hair length--this woman’s wavy hair was shoulder length, and it was not tied back.
“That is enough.” The stranger told their enemy. However, the two shadows that she had recently knocked down stubbornly staggered back up onto their feet. Obviously they didn’t agree. In fact, they appeared more angry than afraid, a foolishness that was not about to be forgiven by the woman who dared to raise her hand against them.
I see… Michiru silently concluded. She then raised a hand in the air and cried,
“Neptune Planet Power, Make-Up!”
FWOOOOOOOOSH!
An aquamarine light engulfed the woman and illuminated the rest of the chamber. All movement suddenly came to a halt in the wake of this power. Rei and Makoto, who were still struggling with the enemy, held their positions while Haruka just recently knocked her opponent down. Everyone else could only squint against the light until it faded away to reveal the stranger now dressed in a similar costume to that of Haruka’s. She didn’t waste any time making her move.
“Deep…” A sphere of blue energy rose up into her raised arms. “SUBMERGE!” With that, her power was unleashed unto the two unfortunate assassins.
WrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrRrRrRRRRR--- KABOOM!
Two down.
Meanwhile Rei and Makoto were rushing to try and eliminate the last two that remained. They had each taken down one apiece, but these last two were far stronger than the other four. It was really starting to push their patience.
“Hold still!” Rei swung her sword at her target, but it leapt back before quickly sending the woman on a series of evasions of her own.
“HA!” Jupiter unleashed another attack and forced Rei’s opponent to back off. “These things are so stubborn!”
Across the room Michiru and Haruka’s eyes met in understanding. Both raised their arms.
“World…”
“Deep…”
“SHAKING!”
“SUBMERGE!”
WRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR-KABLAM!
When Minako finally opened her closed eyes again, she found the room completely cleared of their pursuers. They had won.
“Oh wow…” She found herself seeing the strangers in a new light. “That was amazing!”
What did they do exactly?
Haruka walked up to the enthusiastic, child-ish woman and chuckled. “Of course. What else would you expect from someone like me?”
“Who are you?”
Michiru rolled her eyes behind her. “You’re so full of it, Haruka.”
“What she said.” The sandy-blonde grinned.
Minako opened her mouth again, but was slightly startled when the woman with aquamarine hair bent down near her to examine Ami’s arm.
“Ami dear, please let me see it.” Michiru coaxed. The younger, blue-haired woman meekly nodded, still clearly in pain. Neptune quickly administered a portion of her aura onto the wound, coating it to stop the bleeding.
“Thank you Michiru.” Ami thanked her gratefully.
“Michiru?” Minako squeaked. Oh wow, she’s so pretty! The older woman looked very different up close, even prettier than she had imagined. But for some reason… I can’t quite put my finger on it, but she ‘feels’ familiar. There’s just that air about her, and I know I’ve heard that voice before!
Michiru finally turned her attention to Minako and offered her a warm smile. “I’m sorry, please pardon my manners. I wasn’t trying to ignore you... My name is Neptune Michiru. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
It suddenly clicked. EHHHHHHHHHH?????
“It was you! When I was stuck in floaty space, you were the one who showed me the way back! Oh! I’m so sorry for pointing, but, gosh... that was just… wow.” Minako dropped her gaze, appearing thoroughly embarrassed. Her face couldn’t have gone a darker scarlet.
The other woman giggled. “Yes, that would be me. I’m happy that you remembered. I must say though, you are even more energetic in person.”
However the happy moment wasn’t about to last for much longer. Rei had walked up with a very serious expression upon her face.
“Michiru.” Rei stated the name more than anything. There was hardly any warmth in her voice.
“Rei.” The other woman returned the gesture.
They both met each other’s eyes with a great intensity, almost daring the other to mention something that rubbed them both the wrong way.
Sensing the tense atmosphere, Haruka was quick to say,
“C’mon, cut it out, the both of you! This is no time to argue. We should just be happy that we’re finally all together.”
“Like you’re one to talk!” Rei was instantly all over Haruka. “You think you can just disappear without saying a word to anyone?! We were all worried about you! We even went through a civil war on YOUR planet looking for you!”
Haruka turned her head away. “My absence was necessary. There was something that I had to do.”
“Like what?” Rei challenged.
“Like learning how to tap into Planet Power dammit!” She shot back. “Try looking at the bigger picture here! The strength we have now isn’t good enough for what we’re going up against! You saw what they were capable of! Against Apollo’s henchmen only our spiritual attacks will work, so what do you think it’ll take to take Him down? Unless we can tap into Planet Power, we won’t stand a chance! As for Uranus, I know what’s happened, and honestly, I think it’s all turned out for the best. All of these useless, false alliances are finally being put to rest and we’re finally forging one that matters. We all have to work together. Do you understand what I’m saying? This is no time to go blaming each other for something that none of us were at fault for. Now, if you were looking for an apology then I’M SORRY. Happy now...? We seriously have some bigger issues on our hands, more than you can ever imagine.”
The Martian Commander was rendered speechless. Everyone was.
“…Fine.” Rei reluctantly dropped the subject. “Then tell us what you know about Apollo and the key…”
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