…
Rei didn’t know how long she had been staring at that empty doorway. Minako’s footsteps had stopped echoing long ago, but it was only beginning to sink in that she had left. Her gaze lowered to the floor.
What in the name of Mars, just happened? Unconsciously, she raised her hand up to her lips.
At first, she was angry with the Venusian; how could this be all her fault? Minako was the one who barged into her room, into her private space, and then had the nerve to suddenly do that out of the blue. She was lucky that she hadn’t been closer to the bed when she was tackled-- otherwise, she could be been lying on the floor with a concussion at this very instant. And on top of all that, Minako bolted out of the room without even giving her a chance to speak.
Rei glanced around the room, finally taking notice at how cluttered it was, when she caught her reflection staring back at her from one of the armor pieces. Out of morbid curiosity, she found herself picking up the shoulder plate for a closer look. What she saw brought a frown to her delicate face. Her cheeks were still burning red, and her long hair was an absolute mess. And her lips—she didn’t even want to get started on that. Her heart skipped a beat as she remembered how it felt when Minako’s lips first touched hers, their softness and warmth. A loud crash resounded throughout the room when the shoulder plate destroyed a nearby lamp, and rolled to a stop somewhere out of sight.
“She keeps saying that it was my fault, but that can’t be true! She was the one who did THAT to me! She was the one who is always touchy-touchy. And I certainly wasn’t begging for it!”
“Look, you aren’t getting out of this that easily. What are you trying to hide from me? Obviously something bad happened and it was bad enough to make you cry. It doesn’t have anything to do with that phone call, does it?”
“Actually, it doesn’t. You don’t believe me? Well, believe it or not, it really doesn’t. This is all...your fault, you know?”
Rei felt like she was on the verge of screaming and pulling her hair out. What on Mars did I do?! Sure, she came in crying, but then she was joking around like everything was fine! So was she really fine or was she pretending to be upset, or...?
“Arrgh!!”
Regardless of what the answer was, it didn’t change the fact of what she did.
‘Slap!’
She drove her away; she hit her across the cheek, and it hadn’t been a light slap either. The memory made the proud woman cringe. Rei remembered the way her hand felt after she had slapped her. She had done it once before, back on Mars shortly before their confrontation with Uranus’s army, but it had felt different from back then. Now it was all sinking in. She came to grip that what she feeling was guilt. The shocked expression on her face--it still burnt vividly within her mind. Minako had looked genuinely hurt after she had pushed her away. Rei almost couldn’t understand it: How could a single action have so much impact on a person?
Rei wrinkled her nose at her hand as if it was dirty. “I made her cry...again.” She bit her bottom lip and squeezed her hand shut. “But why did she do that? Like, I know she’s an unusually affectionate person, but that, that was...” Was it some sort of bizarre Venusian custom? She recalled how Minako had been crying moments before that; her shirt was free from the tears that had been shed onto it, but it was still wrinkled in places where the woman had gripped it tightly.
“The last time we fought, I admit that I really never gave her a chance to speak what was on her mind, but she can be just as stubborn. Is that why she was upset?”Rei picked herself up and began to pace on the spot for a moment. No matter how she approached it, she wasn’t going to get an answer unless she directly asked Minako herself.
“Women are so bothersome...” She muttered under her breath. She then shook her head, “No, just the ones from Venus and Neptune. Heh, anyway, I guess I should go and see her. Better now than later...”
I don’t need Haruka or any of the others finding out about this. She was already starting to feel a little better. It has to be some sort of misunderstanding. I’ll just talk to Minako, and things will just go back to normal.
And maybe, she’ll laugh at me and tell me how good she got me with that joke.
Tup…tup…tup…
(Palace Corridors)
Creeeeak.
“Minako…?” Rei found herself staring into another dark room, but it also appeared to be empty. It didn’t look like she was here either. With a resigned sigh, she closed the door and stepped back out into the cool hallway where she was embraced by darkness once again. She had already searched half of the guest’s quarters but there was still no sign of the bouncy diplomat.
Where on Mars could she have gotten to?
“Minako?” She called again for good measure and cringed when her voice echoed louder than she had anticipated it to.
Okay, no more of that. The others must have re-activated the planet shield by now. Who knows where they’re wandering about? I mean, if Zen was here then he would have blow-
“Oh for!” Rei smacked her forehead. “What am I doing?!” She hissed at herself. In her urgency to find Minako, she had forgotten that she didn’t have to use the traditional ‘human’ methods.
Still grumbling “what’s wrong with me,” and mentally kicking herself, she began to release strands of her powers into the corridor. She was only a few seconds into the spell when she sensed something unusual.
That’s strange. Where is all of this spiritual energy coming from? As her powers continued to prod through the walls, she discovered broken clusters of aquamarine aura still floating about. They flickered like small orbs of light. Rei gasped. That’s-! No, that can’t be. But she’s been gone for years! She thought back to their encounter with the spectre earlier during their investigation. Her brow furrowed deep in thought. A ghost can’t possibly use their powers after they’ve passed away, could they? So then, could this be the remains of her spiritual trail? For people, the trail disappears fairly quickly, but perhaps it takes longer for a God’s to disappear?
In the background, Rei could hear the trickling of running water. One of her strands had penetrated into the gravesite; it appeared that the guest chambers weren’t far from the underground cavern as she thought they were.
We’re still deep underground. Since it was a huge fight, I suppose it’s not impossible that some of their aura was left behind. Still, the discovery had given her quite the scare. The young Martian Commander largely underestimated the task of staying calm in such a nightmare-ish place. Rei, by no means, was afraid of the dark-- it was just this one location that made her flesh crawl.
Tup…tup…tup…
It did raise an interesting question however. Why was Neptune’s ghost still haunting the palace?
Why is she still here? Rei continued her search, watching for any sudden leaps in energy. She passed away a long time ago. She should have moved on! What could be holding her back? Is she angry for what happened? Does Michiru know that she’s still here...?
She couldn’t imagine how the proud Goddess would react if she knew that her dead mother’s spirit was wandering the halls at night with the same, vacant expression that she wore as she walked to her death.
Tup…tup…tup…
Rei shrugged off the cold atmosphere, and instead decided to divert all of her concentration to her efforts. What she needed to do was find Minako. With the planet shield up, their shadow enemies should be unable to enter Neptune. However, in the Martian’s past experiences, nothing was ever guaranteed in life.
Where is that damn woman?! Rei was beginning to feel frustrated. How far could she have possibly gone?
…ping…
Hm? She felt her heart skip a beat at the sound. There was a large spiritual presence nearby. “Minak-” Rei was about to call out, but she suddenly bit her tongue. Wait a minute, that wasn’t Minako’s aura. She tried to hone in on it, but, to her surprise, the source suddenly flickered and fizzled out. It was on the move. Rei halted her area-wide search and threw her energies after the elusive signature. Was it the enemy?
What’s going on? Is it getting closer?! Dark amethyst eyes narrowed in frustration. As she tracked the one strand, she found other faint trails of a similar type converging into view. In her bewilderment she failed to detect the presence lurking in the shadows behind her. W-Where is it coming from?! She whipped her spiritual vision about the retreating strands. I don’t hear any footsteps, so it can’t possibly be a shadow assassin. No efficient killer is that clumsy. Then, could it be one of the others? Did one of them come back to check up on me? But... if that was the case, then why play this game of hide-and-go-seek?! It’s almost something Haruka wou-
She half-expected Haruka to come up from behind her and say ‘gotcha’.
Behind, the realization came too late when she took a wild guess at who it was.
Michiru?!
…ping… Shrooooooooooom
Tup…tup…tup…
Rei went absolutely rigid and felt the blood drain from her face. Her earlier ponderings of why the ghost still lurked in the palace flew back into her face when the spectre emerged from the shadows behind her. She swallowed hard. Slowly, Rei craned her neck and confirmed her worst fears. No, it wasn’t Michiru.
A long, aquamarine braid swishing side to side, and a blue dress…
Lubb dubb!
It’s her!
“W-What do you want?”Rei whispered and slowly backed away towards the nearby wall as if it were her lifeline. She hugged it tight, hoping she could be lucky twice in one visit.
Please, please, please go away… Rei silently chanted in her head. It occurred to her to run, but she wasn’t sure if she could possibly outrun someone who was already dead.
I-I wasn’t looking for you! So why are you here? Please don’t look this way, please don’t see me. I’m not here, I’m-
Tup…tup…tup.
The elder Neptune stepped forward but suddenly stopped in front of her, leaving only a short distance between her and the heir of Mars.
Rei sucked in breath and squirmed back against the wall in a futile attempt to create more distance. She could feel her heart pounding 100mph in her chest as the tall spectre slowly turned its head in her direction. Instantly, there was a cold, prodding pressure against her skin that made her blood run cold. It started from the boots on her feet and swept up to the hairs on her head, before trailing slowly back down. Rei couldn’t clearly make out her eyes through the darkness, but she knew the former Goddess was looking ather.
In the background, the Martian could make out the strands of energy fusing back with the spectre. As they returned to their master, the darkness around the spectre began to diminish. She was almost glowing now-- the remnants of her life energy surrounding her with a thin veil of aquamarine light.
It terrified Rei.
“Wha…what do you want from me?” Rei demanded once she had found her voice again. It sounded hoarse to her ears. Out of everyone that resided in the palace, why had the deceased ruler appeared before her?
“So she died trying to protect you?”
“I didn’t ask for it…”
“Rei! What would she say if she heard you say that?”
To the Martian’s horror, Neptune took a step towards her.
Tup---
“No! Stay back!”
Crackle!
CRACKLE!
Rei’s jaw dropped when her red aura was easily deflected by Neptune’s and was sent hurtling into a back wall behind the Goddess.
I-Impossible! How was she able to deflect my attack?! Her aura is so faint! She gasped. Or, could it be...?
She stumbled backwards, feeling suddenly lightheaded. The attack had done more than damaged her pride--it forced her back into a corner, into the past, where she found herself face to face with a painful reality. In the past, on Mars, no matter how hard she trained or pushed herself to grow up faster she couldn’t match up with the God of War. And now, when she thought she had made significant progress, had become strong enough to lead a planet and worthy enough to fight alongside her friends, she found herself facing surrender against a dead Goddess.
Is the reason that I can’t defeat her, is because she’s a Goddess? She almost wanted to laugh. Even a dead one, with such a weak aura... Is this the difference between us?
Am I that weak?
“What do you want?” Rei asked almost sulkily. She never knew how much she resembled her child-self at that minute. Still the ghost said nothing.
She felt shivers run down her back when the spectre began to reach out a hand towards her. What did she want from her? Rei’s pupil’s contracted as the glowing, transparent hand was inches from her face now.
“Neptune.”
Ping!
The name echoed throughout the corridor for a few seconds. It had started sounding so faint and weak at first, like a whisper in the wind. But as soon as the word left Rei’s lips, the name gained the strength of the individual it had represented. It gained power. By the time it reached the palace walls the name sounded very loud, commanding, and bore a royal tone to it. Even Rei was astonished; she never expected such a phenomenon to happen. The walls themselves appeared to acknowledge the name as well. Beginning like a ripple in a pond, one side of wall began to emit an aquamarine glow before spreading along the rest of the passage like a river.
W-What’s happening? Mars’s heir continued to gape in awe. Her breath had been taken away.
The young woman received her answer when the apparition stopped in its tracks. Neptune retracted her hand and began to step away. For some reason, Rei suddenly felt her heart ache. What was this emotion that filled the air now?
Sadness...? The word manifested in her mind. What? “H-Hey!” What the—her aura is getting stronger!
Rei braced herself into a defensive stance when she saw Neptune raise a pale hand from her side.
“AHH!”
Swish—FOOM!
A bright aquamarine light erupted in the area, covering the floor, the walls and the ceiling. What previous light there was beforehand was intensified so greatly that Rei could not see Neptune past the veil covering. Again a wave of uncertainty hit the young woman. Was the former ruler going to finish her off while she was blinded?
FOOooommm…
When the light
finally died down, Rei blinked back in wonder and surprise. She wasn’t dead. There was no
blood, searing pain, or the sight of her dead, lifeless body lying in the corridor. She
hadn’t been the one who changed. Instead, she was greeted by the sight of the once dark
corridor filled with glowing, floating spheres.
Rei tentatively reached out to touch one of the ghostly spheres that had drifted nearby. At first contact, strange warmth trickled through the woman’s fingers like a spill of warm water before the sphere broke and dissipated into a shower of blue powder.
“Ah…!” Rei pulled her hand back in surprise. She hadn’t been expecting that; not that she’d ever seen something like it before anyway.
She turned her head towards the rest of the spheres, eyeing them all with suspicion. From what she saw next, she knew the unknown entities were not there for leisurely idling. They began to part to both sides of the corridor until they created a path that was lit by two rows of these strange lights. What was Neptune up to? Was there somewhere that she wanted the heir to go? Momentarily Rei felt a stab of annoyance at the thought of being led around like some dumb animal, yet her logical side couldn’t stay quiet and instead refuted the childish anger with the logic that she had been planning on going down this corridor anyway.
Minako…
The reason why she had been wandering aimlessly all this time came back to her.
Although Rei was confused at why Neptune hadn’t sought revenge for her grudge, since the Goddess had haunted the Martian twice during her visit, she would rather not push it. With that in mind, she once again set off down the newly lighted corridor.
(Underground Cavern)
Rei came skidding to a stop just before she hit the water’s edge. This was where the trail ended, but the area appeared to be vacant.
Huh? Why am I back here?She couldn’t help but wonder why this place was so special. Taking a deep breath, and gulping hard, Rei did a quick check and dispersed strands of her power along the bottom of the cavern’s floor. There was the occasional obstruction by the uneven ground or a pebble but she could not sense anything unusual.
That’s strange...I don’t sense anything here. She glanced around the cavern with her spiritual vision, finding nothing other than broken strands of aura. In this particular area, she could find both red and aquamarine traces left over from the fight long ago but there was still no sign of Minako. Well, wasn’t that peachy? She was tempted to just leave and scratch this whole escapade off as a waste of time.
Out of her peripheral vision, she noted that the spiritual lights had yet to fade. Rei turned around and attempted to step forward back onto the path, and, to her surprise, nothing happened. She took another shaky step before turning on the spot and returned to the water’s edge to ponder this.
She couldn’t quite describe the feeling, but there was a nagging feeling that she shouldn’t be so hasty.
Maybe, I’ll take another look around after all.
Inwardly shrugging, Rei pulled her consciousness back and cautiously tread into the water. As she waded to the center of the cavern, she could sense her powers complete their grid-like search; the entire bottom floor was now covered by a net-like grid. For security purposes, the soldier left it out as she continued her investigation.
Sploosh, sploosh, sploosh…
After approximately twenty minutes of ‘playing’ in the water and still finding nothing, Rei was becoming impatient. Several of times of slipping and falling, needless to say, she was soaked to the bone. She was beginning to wonder if this was Neptune’s revenge: if it was one thing that didn’t mix well, it was Martians and water.
“This is just so stupid! What am I supposed to be looking for anyway?” Rei grumbled under her breath. She sniffled and crinkled her nose, resisting the urge to sneeze. She had half a mind to go back to dry land and warm herself up when she heard someone bellow her name.
“REEEEI! Where are you?!”
Rei whipped her head at the sound. Minako?! She stood frozen for a moment, trying to identify the approaching signature. They had a similar coloured aura to the Venusian, but, no, it wasn’t Minako. She stared intently at the entrance until she saw Uranus Haruka come sliding to a stop, just avoiding an unpleasant plunge into the water.
“Rei? Is that you?! I’ve been looking all over for you!”
Rei stared at her friend for a moment longer, taking careful note of her dishevelled appearance.
She was looking for me? Well, isn’t that ironic. It seems like everyone is looking for someone today.
“...Haruka.” She curtly nodded.
“Hah…hah…whew… Jeez, you’re so hard to find sometimes! Why’d you go and bury yourself down here of all places?” She peered around, giving her eyes a chance to adjust to the dim lighting. While the woman was distracted, Rei’s dark eyes glanced behind her and dryly noted how the ghostly lights had vanished. Great, now she was back to square one.
Rei heard a splashing when Haruka stepped into the water and began to wade towards her. For a split-second she felt a breeze brush up against her and involuntarily shivered. Haruka was really beginning to test her patience with that trick.
“You’re soaking wet! What were you doing, taking a swim?”
“Of course not! I wouldn’t be down here if it weren’t for-”
“For?”
“Never mind. You said you were looking for me, right? Well, what did you want?”
“Ohh...I caught you at bad time, huh?” Haruka was a few meters away now. Rei had turned her back to her, subtly giving her the hint that she didn’t want to be bothered right now. “Well, that’s too bad, because I’m not in the best of moods right now either. I’m going to be blunt with you Rei. Minako’s gone-- did you have anything to do with it?”
“...Gone?”
“I mean, as in off of this planet gone.” Haruka crossed her arms and stared at the woman with a frown. “She took one of the shuttles and left before the planet shield was reactivated. Michiru’s gone to investigate it, but I thought there might be a faster way to get some answers.”
Rei could hardly believe it. “That’s why you’re here? You think it’s my fault that she left? Just what are you accusing me of?”
“I’m not accusing you of anything! It’s just, you two seemed close. I was just wondering if you knew anything about it. Like... did she say anything to you, like she was thinking about leaving or anything like that?”
“No. She didn’t...”
“Oh. I see.”
“I didn’t even know she was gone until you mentioned it.”
“Is that so? I’m sorry, I thought you knew.” Haruka turned her head away awkwardly. Now what was she going to say? No doubt Rei was going to have some questions, and she wasn’t about to be disappointed.
“So, you’re saying that she left the planet? Do you know where she’s headed?”
Haruka hesitated, but only for a moment. “The shuttle’s navigation path is set for Venus. She’s going home.”
Rei had half-expected that answer, but actually hearing it was an entirely different matter. She almost felt like laughing. It was all falling into place now; it was no wonder she couldn’t detect the Venusian earlier. This entire time, while she was rushing around like a clueless idiot, ignorant and guilt-ridden, Minako had already left Neptune’s orbit. She was going to be out of her reach forever.
But why did she leave? Did she finally open her eyes and see what she was? Or did she simply get what she came to Mars for and decided that she had enough? Rei didn’t even want to consider the third option. Minako had left without a word-- it was plain and simple.
“Well, doesn’t that just solve everything?” Rei whispered under her breath.
Haruka was starting to feel uneasy when Rei started to chuckle to herself.
“Rei...? Is everything okay?”
Just like that. She does that and then leaves without a word! Or...could it be that she leave because of that?
‘Slap!’
‘My fault.’ The words echoed loudly and deeply within her.
“...It’s nothing. Is that all you wanted to tell me?”
“Nothing?” Haruka was incredulous. “Is that all you’ve got to say for yourself?”
“What did you expect me to say?”
Haruka sighed. “Rei...you know I respect you for being a very logical person, and I know you’re probably a little bit sore about all of this... but are you really just going to let her go? If you do, you might regret it for the rest of your life.”
“Regret...?” There was some bite in her tone. “If she wants to go home, then why should I stop her?”
“Because you care about her.”
“...You don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
“Actually, I think I do. I’ve seen what you’re like when you two are together. Do you really expect me to believe that she means nothing to you, not even as a friend?”
“Heh, a friend? That’s a good one. I barely know her. She just dropped in on Mars one day and I’ve been stuck with her ever since.”
“You’re avoiding the question.” When Rei didn’t respond, Haruka tried another approach. “Back on Uranus, it sounded like you were pretty worried about her going home. In fact, you were so worried about her well-being that you stayed by her side in the infirmary until she woke up.”
“You were spying there too?” She growled.
“No. I heard it from two little birdies.” Haruka smiled. “I had my doubts at first, but it must’ve been true since you didn’t bother to deny it.”
This earned a scowl from the Martian. “That doesn’t mean anything. She was under my protection at the time, so why wouldn’t I be there?”
“So...you’re claiming it’s all for duty? In that case, why did you decide to stop protecting her?” She sensed Rei’s hesitation and pressed on. “There’s something that still doesn’t seem right to me. From what I know about her, she doesn’t strike me as the type to take off without a reason. Michiru thought so too. For instance, that call she got awhile back... Didn’t that seem odd to you?” She noticed that she had Rei’s undivided attention, and was pleased that she was making progress. “It might have just been me, but Minako looked almost scared to answer it. What if the call was from Aphrodite? What if Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, found out about what Minako did on Uranus? I mean, taking over a planet isn’t exactly small news. If her mother found out about her involvement, she could be in big trouble.”
“If that’s the case... Then she should face the consequences of her decision. Before we came to Neptune, she said she would when the time came.”
“Is this what it’s about? Are you worried about what my mother would think?”
“...”
“Just so you know... it doesn’t matter.”
“...”
“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.”
“Brave words... I’m kind of impressed, but it doesn’t mean that she isn’t scared.” Haruka pointed out. “How many times have you had a God tell you you’re going to be punished and not feel even a tiny bit worried? Getting beaten up and left barely alive was almost like a relief, don’t you think?”
“It’s her mother.”
“And you think she’ll go easier on her because of it? Remember, she’s from a planet that looks down on murder the most, AND she’s a royal.”
“She’s the only heir.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“What?”
Haruka shook her head and ignored the questioning look. “Tch. So really don’t care what happens to her. You’re just going to let it all end like that, without a fight. That’s pretty cold, even for you.”
“A fight?” The comment struck a nerve. “Is that what you want from me? You want me to go and pick a fight with a God? Tch, what are the chances that a human could win a battle like that?” Her earlier run in with Neptune’s ghost left a scar on her pride. She couldn’t even beat a shadow of a God, never mind standing a chance against a living one. “All right... For argument’s sake, let’s say that I happened to win by a fluke. Then what? I’m sure that would go over well with Minako: Sorry, but I had to beat your mother up. Hope we can still be fr...friends...”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?”
Both sides came to a stalemate. Haruka had a good enough mind to just walk away and let the Martian sulk in misery, but that was also the reason why she couldn’t leave. Regardless of how infuriatingly, thick-headed the woman was, Rei was still her best friend and she knew that she was hurt. She never imagined that Rei would be the last one to find out; at the very least, she figured that Rei would be the one person Minako would say good-bye to.
“I’m leaving.”
“Wait a minute--” Haruka opened her mouth to say more, but she then sensed Michiru’s presence flood into the area. Judging by the haste that it came and left, Rei was getting bad vibes about it.
“What was that about?” Rei asked once the third party left. She didn’t like this uncomfortable silence. “...Haruka?”
Still, the other woman held her tongue for a moment. She wasn’t sure how to break this to her friend.
“That was Michiru. It looks like we now know why Minako left. Venus has been invaded...” She darkly muttered.
“What…? Invaded? By who? When?!”
“It’s bad. It’s Mars, Rei.”
Rei felt her blood run cold. “B-But that’s impossible! I didn’t give any orders to-”
“...Mars Ares.” Haruka finished. It was like a final blow to the Martian. “We can’t pinpoint his exact location at the moment, but apparently he’s on the move. Michiru says he’s already encountered the Venusian army, but they’re having trouble holding their own. Like I said, it’s pretty bad.”
Rei balled her hand into a tight fist. “Ares, huh?”
...Ares. Rei wasn’t sure if she was breathing anymore; the one she had been waiting for all of these years, the one who betrayed the Planetary Alliance, her mentor, was about to set Venus ablaze in flame.
But that’s where...
Was Minako aware of that?
As if she read the Martian’s expression, Haruka said, “He’s probably after Aphrodite’s bloodline. As much as I hate to say this, if you don’t go she’ll probably die.”
Lubb Dubb!
Why me? She was the one who said she didn’t want to be protected anymore. It was almost too ironic for words. If it wasn’t the heir of Mars that would be the death of her, it would be its ruler.
Haruka was quickly losing her patience. “Didn’t you just hear what I said? Forget the punishment from her mother! Ares is going to kill her if you don’t do anything!”
Rei gritted her teeth.
“Rei!”
“What do you want from me?! If you care about her that much then why don’t you go and rescue her yourself?!”
Crackle!
Rei was knocked off of her feet by a bolt of gold lightning. She fell back-first into the water and sputtered as she struggled for balance.
“Because... it has to be you.” Haruka’s aura had dimmed, but it remained as a thin veil around her body and partially lit up the chamber. She could somewhat make out her friend’s features now, and, she was right, Rei did look miserable. “I can help you. But I can’t do this for you. I just don’t understand. Why are you being so stubborn about all of this...? Tell me honestly...does she really mean nothing to you?”
“...It doesn’t matter. Regardless of how I feel, I can’t go after her.”
“Why not?”
“Because...” Rei sighed. “Let’s say that we do go to Venus. And we save her. What happens after that? For all you know someone else might kill her.”
“Like who?”
“Me.”
Haruka was shocked that Rei could ever suggest such a thing, but she forced herself to keep a stern face.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Hah!” Rei slowly picked herself out of the water, and fell silent.
“You’re hiding something from me, aren’t you?” Haruka watched her quietly. “It sounds like to me that there’s a lot more to this that you aren’t telling me.”
Rei took a deep breath, and straightened up. It was disgusting; just the thought of the battle from years ago, of all the blood spilt by Ares, was stirring her cravings again.
“It’s simple, really. She shouldn’t have let me live.” If she knew, then she wouldn’t have sacrificed herself.
“Who?”
“Neptune. Don’t you remember? She sacrificed herself for us. But if I hadn’t jumped in, she wouldn’t have had to.”
“Hey. I told you, that wasn’t anybody’s fault. It’s Apollo’s-- and isn’t that another good reason to go to Venus? Are you willing to let Ares take away someone else important to you?”
“I told you Haruka. I could kill her later...”
Haruka was ready to pull her hair out. “Grr...This is getting ridiculous! Stop talking all cryptic to me! What, exactly, are you trying to say?”
“I’m talking about...this.”
Haruka was forced to shield her eyes when a golden light erupted around the Martian. It wasn’t like her aura at all; it felt wild and violent, as if it were about to lash out at her at any moment. But as soon as it emerged out, Rei steadily reeled it in until it also surrounded her body in a thin veil of light.
A few seconds passed as Haruka struggled to recover from the shock. It wasn’t the crimson aura that she had always come to expect; there was something darker, and monstrous about it.
“Rei...?”
The Martian slowly tilted her chin up and stared her back in the face. There was something different glittering in her glowing eyes; Haruka wasn’t sure if her friend recognized her, or if she looked like a juicy piece of meat to devour.
“Get it now?” Rei winced as if she were in pain; every muscle fiber in her body was twitching as the instincts threatened to take over.
Haruka was at a loss. “Rei...what happened to you...?”
“You know why they call us barbarians? This is why.” Rei held her hand up and peered at the wild energy rushing around it. It was nearly bursting through her invisible restraints. But you wouldn’t know that. No one does, except Him and me. “If she stays near me... Minako will die. You will too...That’s why, you’re right. I need to leave, but not to Venus.”
I need to get out of here... The warning bells were sounding off loudly in her head.
“I see.” I kinda thought so. It’s just like on Uranus. “That’s why you’ve been keeping your distance... you were worried that you’d hurt us. But... so what?”To Rei’s surprise, Haruka merely shook her head and smirked. “Listen, I don’t know how this came about, but I know that you weren’t always like this. You aren’t a bloodthirsty killer, Rei; you’re better than that. You’re my friend.”
“Haruka...”
“And who do you think you’re talking to? You really think you can kill me? You’ve been trying for years, but I’m still here.” She shrugged.
“Hah. Gimme a break.”
“...Seriously. We’ll find a way to deal with this.”
“There isn’t a cure.”
“Are you sure about that?” She saw Rei avert her gaze. “See? You don’t know that for sure. But if we let Ami and Michiru know, I’m sure-”
“Not Michiru.”
“Huh?”
Rei shook her head. “Don’t let Michiru know. Promise me Haruka, that you won’t tell her...”
“...Okay. I won’t tell her...for now, at least.” She could somewhat understand where Rei was coming from. Rei was afraid of how Michiru would react. “But this little thing isn’t stopping us from making a trip to Venus, right?” She smiled.
“Haruka...” Rei growled.
“I think it’s a fair deal. Besides, if you’re really worried about Minako you’d go. You still have to try, but it doesn’t have to be alone. Don’t worry. If you lose control, we’ll be there to stop you.”
We’ll? That was when she noticed two other signatures in the area. Heh. How long have they’ve standing been there?
“Yeah, sure.” She almost smiled at that.
“You don’t believe me? I’m hurt.” Haruka stepped back as Rei’s power began to dangerously swell again. She won’t be able to hold it back for much longer. I better alert the others.
Rmm…rmm…rmm…
The place began to shake. Outside in the hallway, a green and blue aura joined together and formed a barricade that sealed off the area.
“Fine. See if you can!” The golden power snapped through the invisible restraints and flooded out into the area. The room was instantly bathed in the bright, golden light. “HARUKA!”
If you die, I won’t forgive you!
Haruka gazed at her friend with dead-serious eyes. She could feel all of it now. All of Rei’s pent up frustration and anger blasted through the chamber in waves of hot air and light. She took a deep breath. Through the light, she could make out Rei beginning to unsheathe the sword on her waist. This was it. She was going to fight her for real.
When a God or Goddess loses control over their emotions, their human side, they fall back onto their instincts, and leave behind a trail of destruction in their wake. But although she’s not a Goddess, Rei still has some serious power within her… Haruka whipped out her hand and Uranus’s sword materialized in her palm of her hand. This could get ugly if we don’t get it under control right away.
At the entrance of the cavern, Ami lightly touched Makoto’s arm. The taller woman appeared to be on the verge of being upset herself.
That’s what happened to me... Her friend was losing all control just as she had on Uranus. As much as it pained Makoto to see this, in her heart she knew this was the only way.
There was one thing that Rei needed to understand, to be convinced of first.
RMM…RMM…RMM…
Tup…
“Rei…” Haruka growled in a low voice, her green eyes flashed dangerously. “Come on! Show me what you got! I’m...right...HERE!”
Rei brandished her sword and charged forward; Haruka reacted in turn. The wind ruler swung her sword, unleashing a stream of piercing wind towards her opponent.
“HAAAAAA!!!”
Slash---BoOoOoOoOoOoM!
The Martian responded instantly and jerked to the side, narrowly avoiding the gust. A fleeting look of surprise crossed her face, just before her golden, glowing eyes narrowed in amusement.
Rei lunged forward, her sword raised, glowing with the gold energy, and took a swing at the tall woman. Haruka evaded the head strike, and found herself becoming a victim to the rhythm Rei was setting for them. She could barely take a swing at the Martian before she was forced to duck or jump back; Rei was giving her nothing.
She’s so fast! Haruka saw the tip of a blade come down and threw her sword up to block it. “RRG!” She heard it before she saw it; the sound of snapping metal, followed by her sword shattering into tiny, indefinable pieces. “Wha-?”
She could only blink back in surprise when she felt pain register along her right shoulder and a foot mercilessly swinging around and crashed into the side of her face.
Whomp!
“Oof!” She briefly spun mid-air before she hit the water’s surface and skid across it in a series of half rolls, limbs flailing, before she finally came to a stop. The entire world was spinning.
“S-Shit...” Haruka spat out a mouthful of water and shook her head. “W-When did she get so strong?”
She raised a hand up to her shoulder guard. At first she thought Rei might have hit the gap between the pieces, but it was far worse than that- she had cut straight through her armor like it was nothing.
Where is that power coming from?!
In the distance, she could hear fighting still going on. Someone else had stepped in.
Tup!
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Haruka finally spotted the source of the gunfire. Ami had climbed onto a higher ledge of the cavern and was raining bullets to keep Rei subdued. At the same time, she spotted Makoto materializing her spear at the side.
“Hey! What are you doing? I can handle this!” Haruka shouted to the pair.
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that!” Makoto shouted back. The blonde followed the direction where she pointed and came to a startling realization:
None of the bullets are hitting her! It was all starting to spell some serious trouble.
Haruka re-materialized her sword and jumped back into the fray. To the side, Makoto’s eyes met Ami’s above. The blue-haired genius had understood the predicament even before Jupiter hinted for a change of strategy; as Makoto went to join Haruka in the fight below Mercury’s current bullets were emptying the firing slot and were being replaced with a blue tipped brand.
Cha-chink—clatter
“HAAAAAH!”
Tup!
Slash---BoOoOoOoOoOoM!
“Damn!” Haruka cursed the miss. “I almost had her!”
This is really getting to be a pain in the ass. If only she’d hold still! The wind ruler thought. Rei was drifting farther and farther away from her usual fighting pattern-- there were a lot of wild leaps and jerks that she hadn’t seen before. It was like she had transformed into a sword-carrying, animal acrobat.
As she raced forward to re-engage in close-hand combat with Rei, the Martian shot back out of range once again.
“The hell?! Stop running away!”
Slash---BoOoOoOoOoOoM!
TUP!
Haruka fell back when Makoto charged forward, knowing full well of the change in strategy. She was very sensitive to sound; the wind informed her of Ami changing bullets before Jupiter had known. Without even looking, Haruka could see the blue symbol engraved into the new bullets with the blue aura.
So that’s it huh? But there was one thing bothered her. But... it still doesn’t make any sense! Where is that power coming from? She just keeps getting stronger and stronger, but what’s fuelling it? It’s like it’s a part of her, but at the same time it isn’t!
The Martian’s aura was still steadily flaring up, so much that the temperature of the room had begun to rise. As the fight persisted, the water level in the underground chamber continued to drop. Truthfully, Haruka was beginning to worry that they might actually need to bring Michiru in to stop her.
Makoto jumped up and caught Rei off-guard. She brought her spear down with a vertical slash so quickly that she forced the Martian to use her sword.
Tup! Tup! Tup! Tup!
“YAAAAH!”
Slash----Clash!
But the victory was short-lived once Makoto realized that she couldn’t out-muscle Rei. They were stuck in deadlock, sword against spear. In response Makoto planted her back foot down and pumped more of her aura into the duel, creating a higher swirl of wind. The Martian countered similarly, and soon a swirling column of air blasted all around the two combatants.
Rrgh...! C’mooon!
A backlash of their struggle scratched Makoto’s fingers, startling her and drew some blood. For a split-second, Rei’s gaze trained in hard on the red matter.
“AhhRRgh!”
Makoto...? The red haze over her eyes flickered. When did-? Instead of lunging at the woman, she parried the spear, one-handed, and then drove the sword into the ground. A blast of flame leapt up and blocked the taller woman’s path for a precious few seconds more.
What‘s she doing--?! Haruka heard Rei’s heart-rate leap. Why did she throw her sword away?
Not to be the one to back down, Makoto threw her spear aside and immediately chased after her.
“Oh no, you don’t!”
Ami was quickly becoming frustrated as the two women began to engage in close hand-to-hand. She did her best to aim at Rei from where she was positioned, but she found that she couldn’t get a clear shot; Makoto was just too close.
Whup-Whap! Whap-Whap! Whap! Thud!
Tup!
“Don’t get too close!” Makoto heard Haruka call over to her. She was tempted to yell back and retort that her yelling was more distracting, but she was cut off by a light pressure hovering over her neck. The tall woman slightly shifted her weight, pushing Rei’s hand off center and instead grabbed at it. Her second hand clamped down hard on her friend’s shirt about her collar, feeling the weight for a brief second atop of her shoulders before she slammed her opponent into the watery floor.
Rei gasped.
Makoto swung her arm around and immediately dove, elbow-first. Rei twisted on the floor, taking advantage of it slipperiness, and kicked Makoto’s forward leg. The tall woman slipped. As she fell, Rei dragged her down and then tossed her up and over with her momentum. She had nearly slid into the opposite wall from the sheer strength of Rei’s throw.
“Hah…hah…” Makoto tried to catch her breath. She couldn’t believe how insanely difficult this was. “She just... keeps going and going! Doesn’t she get tired?”
But for a second there, I actually caught her. Even though her power keeps going up... Is it just me, or is she slowing down?
“Do it now!” Haruka shouted.
Mercury took aim and pulled the trigger, but the bullet just grazed Rei’s arm. She was back on the run.
“I knew it! She’s slowing down!” Haruka whispered to herself. “But her power is still going up. Why?!”
Something’s seriously wrong!
Rei’s vision had darkened considerably since the fight began. It had started like a transparent veil over her eyes, and then became bolder in colour as she caught the scent of blood. But now, as the fight carried on, it just started to fade altogether; it was almost as if a shadow was beginning to sit over her eyes. All of her senses were dulling. Or was it just her mind?
From the side, Haruka raised a hand and tightly grasped a stream of air left over from Rei and Makoto’s initial encounter; Rei yelped in surprise when the air encircled her and momentarily stopped her in her tracks.
“Ami, can you do a quick scan?!”
“I can’t! My computer is still broken!”
“Tch!!” With no other choice, Haruka boosted her hearing abilities as the wind continued to circle around the Martian. And what she found, she didn’t like at all.
Shit! Her body—it’s breaking down! Never mind about killing us, you’re going to kill yourself first! Haruka gritted her teeth. It was no wonder she was slowing down. Just what kind of technique is that?! It’s giving her a crazy huge boost in power, but it’s killing her! If we don’t stop her soon, she’ll be--
Her concentration was becoming punctured by Rei’s furious roars. She needed to think fast. Rei was still a tad too fast for Ami to hit. They needed a distraction.
I got it.
Taking her sword, Haruka grunted and cut deeply into her hand. She intently studied the Martian’s reaction as her blood hit the water and began to permeate through it. It was driving Rei’s bloodlust to new heights.
Blood! The single word rang out in her mind. It felt like her body was going to die if she didn’t have it. With a possessed bellow, the Martian broke Haruka’s wind binds and blindly chased after the scent.
“Haruka, look out! She’s coming straight for you!” Makoto shouted.
That’s right... “Come on!” Just a little closer! Haruka stubbornly waited for the shorter woman.
Once she was within range, her opponent lunged straight for her hand. Haruka moved at once; she pulled her injured hand back, luring her opponent forwards, then simultaneously knocked Rei’s head down with the other hand, hard, as her knee drove up into the woman’s abdomen. Rei grunted, but she wasn’t given the chance to retreat again. Haruka spun her around into a tight hold.
“Ami!”
Bam!
“G---AAAAH!!!!”Rei felt something pierce her left leg. She felt the bullet’s effects instantly: It was a cold, seeping feeling. The golden aura was being eaten away--Ami’s bullet was draining her of her strength.
Rei glowered up at the sniper who was trying to uphold a brave face. Despite their distance, Rei could discern the trembling of Ami’s hand. Her friend didn’t want to shoot her, but unconsciously they both knew it was necessary.
After a few seconds, Rei slumped slightly in Haruka’s grip-- suddenly her knees were beginning to feel weak. The red haze over her eyes was starting to lift.
W-ha...?
“These battles against Gods and Goddesses…
I won’t become one and be forced to fight against my friends!”
Her words rang
back loud and clear.
What am I doing? Where am I?
Haruka sensed the sudden change in Rei’s condition. It’s working! Up above, she could see Ami taking aim again. “Do one more!”
Bam!
But Rei ripped out of Haruka’s grasp and evaded. As she scurried towards the outside perimeter of the cavern, she was gradually regaining her self-awareness. The first thing that registered was that her body was in a great deal of pain. Was she injured? She hit a slick patch of rock and stomped down on her left foot for balance; a sharp pain shot up her leg.
“Ouch! Wha-the?!” Rei’s whipped her head around and scanned the area, but her blurry vision refused to focus. The only thing she could clearly discern was the scent of blood in the area; her sense of smell magnified the scent greatly, but for some reason it was becoming too powerful. Why was it coming closer--
The smell of blood was suddenly in her face; another hand wrapped around and grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulling her close. “Is this how you want to live your life?” Someone hissed into her ear. Her head was forcibly shoved into the water.
Splash!
If you’re going to do something, whatever it is, you have to do it with everything you’ve got! Especially you, Rei… people with a limited lifespan don’t have time to waste!
The hand atop of her head shoved once more for good measure before releasing her. Rei immediately broke the surface and coughed. Haruka then grabbed her shirt from behind and threw her several meters ahead.
“Let me tell you something Rei. Do you know how we knew about Venus? Michiru received a transmission from Venus, that Venus needed help…And do you know who it was from? It was from a royal, a prince.”
Something flickered in Rei’s eyes, but Haruka wasn’t about to let her rest. Not yet. She watched the stubborn soldier stagger up to her feet.
“Remember our earlier discussion? Why a God only has one child? Well, as it turns out, Minako isn’t actually the heir. She’s has siblings. She’s the youngest of eight! Do you know what that means? Well, do you...?”
Rei weakly lashed out at the woman, to which the blonde easily knocked her back down.
“Sloppy,” Haruka brushed off the attempt as desperate. It wasn’t even a contest anymore. “It means that she’s no more a Goddess than you are! But who’s real coward here? Even after she found out that you were human, did she hold it against you? No. She stayed with you; she accepted you for who you were! And you’re telling me that meant nothing to you? What about what happened on Uranus? She’s willing to go back and accept her punishment, fine, but who dragged her there in the first place? Even though she’s practically powerless, she isn’t running away. That’s more than what I can say about you. All you’re doing is making excuses and sulking in self-pity! That isn’t like you at all!”
Unknown to everyone else in the area, the aura net Rei had laid earlier began to re-awaken beneath them.
“SO, when you go to Venus, is that the power you’re going to fight with?” Rei could sense the woman approaching, and, this time, she could place a name to that face. “Are you going to let Minako see you like this? And what would Michiru say?”
“Haruka, that’s enough!” Makoto hissed. “You’re going to make her...”
...Angry. Oh!
Haruka watched the raven-haired woman intently from a short distance away. Rei hadn’t even twitched at the comment; she was simply sitting there, quietly. While her appearance almost begged for a ‘wet puppy’ comment from the blonde, she wasn’t about to push it.
In Haruka’s peripheral vision she could see Ami ready with another bullet if it was required. She held her hand up, asking Ami to wait a bit longer.
“You promised...” Rei began to stand up, “...that you wouldn’t tell.”
I am making excuses, aren’t I? She’s right; this isn’t like me at all. But the truth is, as much as I hate to admit it... I haven’t been the same ever since she stepped into my life. Minako... because of her, everything started to change. Maybe, just maybe...I’m a little afraid of that-- change. She thought back to the kiss. I still don’t know why she did that but, at the very least, I think... I’d rather have her in my life than not at all...
That much is your fault.
A smile came to Haruka’s face when the golden aura around Rei suddenly burst into crimson. The Martian threw out a strand of her power and snagged her sword at a distance. With that she ripped it straight out of the ground and back into her waiting hand.
Now we’re talking! Rei’s amethyst eyes met Haruka’s green ones. There was no trace of the red haze anywhere.
“Hah, you can barely stand up. Do you really think you can stop me?”
Rei placed one foot forward and raised her sword. Even if you are a Goddess now... “Not a problem.”
Haruka was momentarily confused when Rei suddenly raised a hand and snapped her fingers.
RMM…RMM…RMM…
The cavern began to shake once again.
“N-Now what?!” Makoto was desperately trying to keep her balance but was finding it extremely difficult.
“Makoto, look down!” Ami warned.
“Huh?!” What the-?!
Haruka held her breath when a bright crimson aura lit the floor below the watery surface; there were threads of Rei’s aura snaking all across the floor in a grid-like pattern.
When did that happen?!
“Oh, you just noticed?” Rei saw the woman’s head shot up. “A little sloppy, wouldn’t you say?” A rare smirk lit Rei’s lips as the threads flashed brightly, engulfing the whole room in their light.
As the light reached Haruka and Makoto, all the wind ruler could do was smirk back.
“It’s about time… you idiot!” The blonde released the restraints on her power and they clashed one final time.
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
(Minako, Space Shuttle)
Minako awoke when a strong vibe suddenly hit her. “Rei?” For a moment, she could have sworn that Rei was with her- just like the woman always was between the long flights. But this time, there was only her face staring back at her in the window glass.
“It must’ve been my imagination...” That, or my mind is going. Heh. Everything seems to be slipping away from me these days… She bit back a bitter chuckle.
On the dashboard a warning window popped up, indicating that she had reached Venus’s orbit. Minako reluctantly returned her attention to the clear window as the space craft passed into a swirl of cloud.
There were many things that were weighing heavily on her mind-- being away from her favorite teddy-bear was, sadly, amongst the largest. Ever since she met Rei, life had been a struggle; for an obligation to the family, her mother sent her far away—all of the preparation that went into the mission, the tedious, pain staking plans, she couldn’t imagine how much effort went to waste. And then, to top it all off, she ended up being dragged off to one planet after another, and was even passed off as a ‘maid’ once. She could almost giggled at the memory if it didn’t break her heart so; even after all of the tears, the self-delusions and practiced goodbye speeches- she still felt like she was never really ready to part ways with her. Not yet.
Minako sighed to herself and whispered, “Why do I still miss you?”
I mean, you’re loud, stubborn, short-tempered...not to mention, a tad bit anti-social. You’re infuriatingly difficult to deal with sometimes... But at the same time, you have a good heart. You really care about your friends. The thought brought a sad smile to her face. I wonder, did she ever consider me as a friend too?
Their last meeting replayed itself through her mind, reminding her of her bittersweet victory and defeat.
The times I spent with you were some of the best times of my life. I’m never going to forget it, ever... She vowed.
The shuttle initiated the landing sequence and the speakers came on overhead. Minako unstrapped herself from the chair, and briefly felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter. Though she had put on a brave face back on Uranus, admittedly, she was somewhat afraid and apprehensive about the meeting. But she had already come this far, and had made a promise to a special friend.
Gathering a little courage, Minako took that first step out of the room, out of the shuttle, and made her way towards the palace grounds.
Tup…tup…tup…
(Cupid Palace)
A gust of hot air hit Minako’s face the instant she stepped onto fresh soil. That was strange; the grounds were empty. No one had come to greet her.
It’s just like on Mars. Mars... The word brought back a few memories again. No, I can’t. She shook her head.
“I’m home.” She told herself.
Minako took a few steps towards the main entranceway, but she suddenly remembered something. After debating it silently for a minute she glanced around to either side, confirming that she was indeed alone, she then changed course and stepped around the palace towards the back.
Tup…tup…tup…
It wasn’t long before Minako found herself standing in front of a small gate. To either side of it, wrapped closely to the green fence, were tall bushes of red roses. Minako eyed them fondly for a moment before she slipped inside. Within the rose-lined fencing, there was a greater assortment of flowers within the numerous plots. The blonde obediently followed the bricked pathway, making her way all the way down to the far end.
I wonder if it’s still here...
Finding herself lost in a moment of silence, the Venusian Princess wandered until she found the plot and fondly exclaimed, “Aha! There it is!”
She had found it. Near a back corner amongst the prized flowers, there was a smaller plot. But compared to the flowers around it, it made for a shabby display at best; these flowers were still seedlings that had only begun to sprout. It would be awhile yet before they would reach their potential-- it happened every season. They were always the last ones to bloom.
“Hmm... I think they grew a little since I left.”
It looks like Marie has been taking after them while I was away. The woman bent down and grazed her knuckles against the soft soil. Already Minako found herself becoming lost in her thoughts.
Haruka, Ami, Michiru, Makoto, and Rei… they were all heirs. I wonder what that must be like. My mother had eight children, me being the youngest. Eros, my only brother, and the oldest of us eight is the heir to my mother. I remember when I was a kid, he was always busy. He was always constantly training and taking lessons from Mother.
Eros...I…even though I’m his little sister, I hardly know him at all. I’ve only spoken to him once in my entire life, and it was when we first met. But from what I do know, he seemed so kind, strong and brave. I couldn’t think of a better person to be the heir. But after meeting Rei and everyone else... I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t even a little jealous. They all knew each other since they were little. And even if they hadn’t, they would still have one thing in common; they’re all going to rule their planets someday...
She shook the thought away.
Besides Eros, there’s Marie, the second eldest of us eight. None of my other sisters ever paid attention to me… but Marie did. I’m not really sure why she did, even now… But she seemed to care enough because we planted this garden together.
Minako reached out to gently touch one of the nearby samplings.
. . .
At the entranceway of the garden, a thirteen-year old Venus Minako innocently reached out to touch a nearby rose. Too caught up in her curiosity though, the girl mistakenly grasped one of the thorns with it.
Prick
“Ow!” She leapt back in surprise and fell to her knees to stare at the small wound. There was already a trickle of blood appearing on her fair skin. “Ow, ow, ow, ow!”
“Minako? Is everything all right?” A voice called to her. When the teenager looked up, she found herself face to face with her elder sister; she was a beautiful woman who appeared to be in her early twenties. Long, wavy blonde hair cascaded down her back, complemented by her white dress.
Marie’s gaze fell to the girl’s clutched hand. Instantly seeing the problem, she bent down with a concerned expression and began to clean the wound with material from her dress.
“H-Hey!” Minako squeaked, her face immediately going red. She tried to pull her hand away but it was to no avail.
“Now really, what’s wrong?” Her sister giggled at the younger girl’s attempts to free herself. “You’re acting like I’m a monster about to goggle you up.”
“N-No! It’s not like that, really…!”
“You know, Mother would disapprove if she heard you stuttering,” Marie teased.
Unsure of how to react, Minako could only rudely stare. She had become entranced by her sister’s long hair, how it moved whenever the woman laughed. She had such a warm voice. And her blue eyes, although Minako knew that all her siblings shared a common hair and eye color, the girl decided from the moment she first met Marie that her sister had the prettiest blue eyes she had ever seen.
“Now, tell me... what’s the problem? What’s bothering my little sister?” Marie encouraged. She had just finished tending to the younger girl’s ‘injury’.
“… I only met you, and I’m already making a fool of myself.” Minako bashfully admitted. She wasn’t sure how her sister would react to such a confession, but, for some reason, she felt like she could trust her.
The look in Marie’s gaze softened in understanding. “Oh, sweetie…Minako, this might be hard for you to accept right now, but I’d like you know that you have absolutely nothing to be ashamed about. Some people... just start later than others. You’ll get used to being out here with time...”
“You know about that too?” Minako’s face flushed a crimson red. Her hands fumbled with themselves on her lap nervously; she never realized how easily she could be read.
“Hmm…Taya and Sapphro may have mentioned it.”
“WHAT?!” ‘How could they? My life is over!’ The teen thought. She never had wanted her sister to know how she felt about… that.
“There, there… The past is the past Minako dear… What happened is done. Why don’t we focus on the present?”
“But… what ARE we going to do?”
Marie held up a packet of seeds, and smiled. “I thought, perhaps... you would like to try gardening. So what do you say?”
. . .
Minako pushed herself up to her feet, and began to walk away from the garden.
Perhaps I can request to see Marie again before Mother punishes me. I would love to see her smile again; it’s just been too long since I began my lessons as a princess. There’s so much that I want to tell her! I’m sure she’d love to hear all about Rei and the others... all of the adventures we went through… But I should probably leave out the killing part or she might scold me for that. Come to think of it, I don’t remember if Marie ever left Venus before. Maybe I’ll ask when I see her.
Tup… tup… tup…
Clank, clank, clank
Minako’s ears perked up when she heard the sound of armor.
That sounds like armor...? What’s going on?
Immediately the sound resonated with Rei’s image. Minako felt her heart speed up and she ran towards the noise in anticipation.
Tup! Tup! Tup!
However, when she rounded the corner she almost ran straight into two lines of soldiers in orange armor. Venus’s symbol, which was painted onto their shoulder guards, was the first thing to flash in her line of vision.
“What?” She whispered. There were never soldiers on Venus. Their planet never went to battles to her knowledge. So why were some of her people dressed up in battle armor?
Seeming to have recognized her presence, the marching men stopped. Their leader, who stood at the very front, slowly turned around and met Minako’s gaze head on. He was a tall, handsome young man who appeared to be in his late twenties; the suit of armor that he wore also bore Venus’s crest, however it had a cape attached to its back and appeared to be an upgraded version of what the others wore. A sheathed sword was attached to his side. As crystal-clear blue eyes met Minako’s swirling cerulean, the younger blonde’s heart skipped a beat. She knew that gaze. She knew this man.
“Lord Eleutherios! Is something the matter Your Highness?” The soldier behind him appeared to be slightly agitated by the abrupt halt. In response, their leader held out his hand for silence. Then, very deliberately, his attention shifted back to Minako.
Eros… Minako’s eyes widened.
“Minako.” Eleutherios nodded. The tone in which he said her name made his younger sister shiver uneasily. There was hardly any warmth in his voice-- it was hard and almost cold. Was this really the brother she met all those years ago?
Minako gathered her courage and asked, “Eros, what’s going on? Why are there people dressed up in armor? Is there going to be a fight?”
The man’s blue eyes flashed. “I’m afraid that is none of your concern. Besides, isn’t there something more important that you should be concerned about? Mother has been waiting for you.”
“Mother…?”
“Yes, but unfortunately there are some matters that we both need to attend to first. Until then, Mother has instructed that you should be taken to your ‘room’ until she is ready to see you.”
“What?!” Minako gasped, having caught the implication in his voice. A horrified expression plastered itself over her normally cheerful features. She couldn’t believe it. Was he really serious? They were going to put her back there?
No! Her mind screamed. I don’t want to go back there!
“Why?!” She demanded. “What sort of matters are you both so preoccupied with?”
“...You’ve failed your mission. That is all I have to say to you.” Eleutherios said coolly.
Minako felt her knees go weak; disappointment was far worse than anger. It was true that she had failed her mission, but out of all the possibilities that had crossed her mind this was the one punishment that she never expected. Already she could feel her body trembling in anticipation. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, hear it in her ears; it was growing louder and louder as the image of a door came to mind. It was a large door, but this time it was opening.
“Wait. Can I please see Marie before I go?” There was a hint of desperation in her voice. They would grant her that much at least, wouldn’t they?
“I’m afraid that is not possible...”
Minako’s heart sank. “I don’t understand. What do you mean it’s impossible...?” Suddenly she was afraid, more afraid than she had ever been. She was terrified to hear that her sister didn’t care about her anymore. She didn’t want to hear that Marie, too, was disappointed with her for not finishing her mission.
Eleutherios turned his back to his younger sister. For the first time in the conversation, there was some emotion in his voice.
“…Because… Marie is dead.”
DOOOOOOM!
Minako’s mind instantly went blank.
“You there,” Venus’s heir pointed out a nearby soldier.
“Yes Sir!”
“Take Lady Minako to her room. After you’re done, catch up with us.”
“Sir!”
Minako felt numb, never noticing the man’s strong arms steadying her against his side. She didn’t realize she was being led away to that place--she suddenly didn’t care.
…Marie… was dead.
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