(Minako)
Ping…
Back at the palace, Minako shuddered. What was that? The vibe she felt had flickered briefly but her gut instinct was telling her that whatever it was, it wasn’t good.
The Venusian Princess nervously glanced over at her guardian, wondering if she had felt the ominous feeling as well. It appeared that she hadn’t; Taya’s blues eyes were locked on the sky in scrutiny. Unable to do anything else, Minako found her own gaze following in suit.
“I wonder what’s causing it.” She thought aloud. However, it appeared that her companion didn’t hear her. She was lost in her own deep thought.
Minako took a deep breath, and found herself reminiscing the first time she had actually seen the sky. In her memory, it had been a bright day. The sky was blue, and there were light, fluffy clouds in it that had comforted her on many occasions. But now, she hardly recognized it at all. The sky burned a deep shade of red, and it warped so much that she thought she could make out the individual swell of sections. Was this the result of war on Venus? She recalled what Rei once said back on Mars.
“These flowers grow in paths that almost look like rivers. In a sense, they ‘flow’ all around the planet. In Martian lore, it is said that they are the souls of fallen warriors because they flourish especially after battle.”
With her eyes still fixated on the sky, Minako had to wonder: It may not be flowers... but this is still the first time I’ve ever seen the sky like this. If only you could see it too. She thought sadly, but it was only a half-hearted wish; if the fiery-tempered woman were on Venus at this moment then she would surely be dragged into another battle that didn’t involve her.
Hah, what are you doing Minako? The woman shook her head. She felt like she had sunken to a new low. Your planet thrown into the biggest war in history, and you’re still thinking about her! While people are, my people are...
They were dying. It didn’t matter that they had ignored her existence for so long.
I was supposed to protect them. Isn’t that why I went on that stupid mission in the first place? So I could help them? “The wars...will stop.” It seemed like such a naive thought now. And what did I accomplish? Marie’s dead, and Eros, he’s out there fighting for his life. No. He’s out there fighting for everyone’s sakes...
She hung her head. It didn’t matter that he hated her now. He was still her older brother. It all made her wonder: If she had accomplished her mission could this tragedy have been avoided?
“If only I was stronger...”
“If only I was just a bit braver...”
She had thought that way once. Now, she wasn’t quite so sure. But as tired as Minako was and as heavy as her heart felt, somewhere inside the gloomy darkness there was a stubborn spark that refused to go out.
BOOOM!
“AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”
“W-What’s going on?!”
The sky overhead roared and the ground rumbled. Suddenly, there were people everywhere-- the servants were abandoning their posts in droves. Screams and shouts filled the air as the palace guard rushed out into the courtyard and pointed to the sky at the source of it all. Up in the sky, above the palace, a dark, spiralling shadow had appeared. Nothing had emerged since its manifestation, but the ground was beginning to quake more frequently now.
“What is that?” Minako breathed. Her attention was quickly drawn back to the sounds of a nearby quarrel. The soldiers were becoming swept up in the panic.
“What the Goddess?! No way! Your plan is too risky!”
“Hey! At least it’s better than yours!”
“Psh, you’re both just amateurs. You should let someone more experience lead.”
“Oh really? You might talk big, but I heard you only started a week before me! You’re just an amateur too!”
“What was that--”
“Hey!”
Ping…
They’re arguing?!
“Oh no, what are they doing bickering at a time like this?!” Taya had a good enough mind to march up to them and set them straight. But first, she needed to make sure Minako would be safe. She turned to her former charge. “Minako-- I hate to tell you this, but could you please stay here until--” Her words died off in the wake of her surprise. The air around the princess was humming? “...Minako?”
What are they doing? Can’t they all see how useless it is to be arguing with one another at a time like this?! She watched one of the taller men push a smaller soldier; three others immediately jumped in, while the others tried to suppress the shoving match before it got out of hand. Why isn’t anyone doing anything? Where are my sisters? ...My mother?! If the ruler won’t lead the people then who else can? Eros can’t do it all by himself!
Lubb dubb!
Eros-- if he were here, she would bet her playing cards that he’d be just as disappointed in them as she was. Compared to the soldiers from Mars, Uranus and Jupiter, their soldiers were a disgrace.
This is just ridiculous! The spark inside flickered again, and this time it transformed into a flame that was steadily gaining momentum. The air around Minako was becoming dense, and the humming had faded out into a low vibration. For a moment, the Venusian Princess stood there and felt her power coarse through her for the first time since she landed. Suddenly, it was all clear now. She finally understood what Taya was trying to tell her earlier.
So...that’s why. Perhaps after returning home so abruptly, she had reverted back to her previous way of thinking. She had been absorbed in self-pity and disappointment in her own failure to think about anything else. Taya and the others... Marie, Sapphro, and Eros...they didn’t have to fight, but they chose to. Despite the risks they did it, because they thought it was the right thing to do.
The thought struck a familiar chord within the young woman. Despite her heritage, Minako did not feel shame but immense pride. And the flame inside shone brighter with the emotion. Perhaps, that is also why she couldn’t let go of the past.
Rei is the same. If she were here, she wouldn’t stand around. Minako told herself. Knowing the stubborn woman, the Martian would have stormed into battle without a moment’s hesitation. She always did what she had to do, for herself and her friends. Maybe, that’s what I admired so much about her… that strength and dedication of hers…
It didn’t matter if that dedication didn’t include her.
That’s why—while everyone has been doing everything they can, I’ve been sitting in here sulking! It’s not right!
“Minako?!” Her guardian was startled when the Princess abruptly stood up from the bed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the bed sheets drift side to side as if there were a breeze in the room.
Wind...? Her tutor thought. But that can’t be! There are no windows in this room. Then that means, it can only be possible... if it’s generated from the inside? Her blue eyes widened.
Minako began to step forwards towards the door where the older woman stood.
I can’t wallow in here like a child anymore. I have to do something! And she knew just how.
“Minako, wait. What do you think you’re doing?” Her tutor was becoming increasingly concerned by the girl’s awkward behaviour. Why was she acting so calm? As she continued to watch the silent royal, she perceived something strange in the air that made her want to rub her eyes in disbelief. If her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her, the air around the princess was definitely fluctuating. It was vibrating.
What? A-Am I seeing things? The air around her couldn’t possibly be… but, but it is! It’s really vibrating! How can that be possible? Taya questioned. She recalled the rare occasions when she saw such an effect amongst the other members of the royal family. Among the younger siblings of the eight, it was an intermediate stage right before their true powers manifested. The individuals who inherited less Godly powers took longer to summon their spiritual energy. But...everyone thought that Minako had barely inherited any power at all! She shouldn’t even be capable of this much, and yet I’m seeing it with my very own, two eyes. How could this happen? If she wasn’t born with the potential, then did her powers somehow increase since she’s left home? Wait, increase...? No, that didn’t quite make sense. Is there even such a thing as an individual surpassing their natural born limits? Regardless of the cause, Minako was only positive for traces of the power; she shouldn’t be strong enough to materialize this much! For not even Queen Aphrodite’s sixth child could display such a feat!
Taya stood rigid in the doorway as her student’s face finally came into light. Minako’s blue eyes were blazing with a new emotion now—determination. The long time advisor hadn’t seen such strong willed eyes in the royal family since Lord Eleutherios and Marie, or, for that matter, since the Queen herself. Taking all matters into careful consideration the tactician wasn’t sure what to make of her Lady’s intentions. Surely Minako wasn’t suggesting that she would...
“I’m going to ask you this one more time. Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m sorry Taya... But I can’t stay here.”
Her tutor immediately dashed forward and gripped down on her shoulders. “Don’t--take another step. Please! Listen to me Minako, I had intended to take you far away from here before the battle escalated any further, but now, the situation has changed. You would be much safer if you stayed in here. It’s just too dangerous out there!”
For a moment, Minako was speechless. “You really think I’d be safer here.”
You just want to protect me...
There was an unfamiliar tone bordering her voice. It was Minako, and yet the older woman swore she was speaking to a different person entirely. Unknown to her, Minako hadn’t used such a tone since her experience on Uranus.
“Thank you. But...I’m sorry, Taya, I just can’t sit around and do nothing.”
“Please my Lady, don’t do this!” The tactician was about to say more to persuade her charge otherwise, but she found herself speechless when an invisible force began to gently pry her hands off of the Venusian Princess. She was in shock, yet she instantly knew that it was Minako’s doing.
“You see, I made a promise…” Minako quietly whispered. “...That I would become stronger.”
I’ll become strong enough that I won’t always need to be protected!
FOOOOOOSH!
With that, a warm gust of air blazed up around Minako. Her tutor stumbled back in surprise and covered her face with her arms. The wind was so powerful; it was a wonder that she wasn’t blown right off her feet. Through the element she helpless watched as her student walked past her without any further inference.
“Minak--”
Tup. Tup. Tup. Tup.
Minako strode out of the room and into the outdoors. She knew exactly what she needed to address first-- the group of bickering soldiers. In a sense she felt very disappointed that her people were this poorly disciplined.
The people that I met on Uranus... they never lost sight of what was important to them. That’s why they fought so hard, despite the odds that were against them. But these men...
“Stop this at once!” She called to them in a commanding tone. She didn’t make any effort to hide the annoyance in her voice. “Stop bickering like foolish children!”
The group of men immediately shut up just to see who was reprimanding them. That voice didn’t sound like Lord Eleutherios.
“A girl…?” One of them blinked back in surprise. He had been insulted yet he could only stutter back in shock. There was something strange about her that greatly reminded him about their prince. Although he could not see the pressurized air around her, his gaze was drawn to her eyes.
“You there, will you please report the situation.” Minako commanded a nearby soldier. The man momentarily exchanged glances to his fellow comrades, wondering if he had heard correctly. Was this woman trying to boss them around?
“Excuse me, miss... but I think it would be best if you headed back indoors now. I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but there is a war going on.”
Minako raised an eyebrow at this. “And leave everything to you I suppose? I’m sure that bickering and squabbling amongst yourselves will get you quite far.”
“W-Well, that isn’t our fault! Most of us are still new at this! We never expected a war to happen out of the blue!” The soldier shot back indignantly. “And who knows where the Captain went...? If he wasn’t gone this long we wouldn’t be--”
“Shss! You idiot! Don’t tell a civilian that!” One of his friends hissed and elbowed him.
Minako ignored the gesture. She wasn’t about to be dragged into their argument. They were running out of time as it was.
“Tell me, why are you fighting?”
“Umm, what...?”
She scanned the faces, and was satisfied that she now had their undivided attention. Without any hint of hesitation, Minako stepped forward and watched them all nervously part to the side to make room for her.
“This goes for all of you!” Her voice was the only one speaking. “Why are you fighting? Did you become a soldier to protect your family and friends? Your home...? For... pride?! Or did you join because of the Prince of Venus, ‘Lord Eleutherios’?” She paused. “Or could it be... that while everything was falling apart all around you, you thought that, as a royal guard, there was something that only you could do?” From the nervous expressions on the guards’ faces, Minako knew she was hitting it close. “Well, wanting to protect something and actually doing it are two different things! The way you’re all so disorganized right now is pitiful! You can’t help anyone the way you are now! So, I will only ask you this one more time... will you please report the situation to me?”
Minako patiently waited for their response. From what she could tell, there was a majority of indecisiveness but no definite ‘nays’.
Meanwhile the soldiers contemplated over the woman’s words. They all had their different reasons for joining. However, regardless how long it all took everyone, and despite their earlier disputes, they all arrived at the same sentiment: Right now, they felt inferior. A stranger that they’ve never met before, though she was a woman, knew exactly what was in their hearts that none of them dared to say. It was unnerving, terrifying, actually, when they remembered how lost they were within that moment of chaos. There were all still relatively new and inexperienced. Instead of trying to work things out, they tried to pin the blame of the group’s lack of productivity and inefficiency on individuals. That was where the shame quickly seeped in; fingers pointing in accusation, shoving those who were smaller than you, and the strings of harsh words that they would have never said to one another in any other situation; they were nothing but a bunch of lost sheep ready to turn into cannibal wolves.
A shadow behind the woman caught one soldier’s eye. When he turned to gaze up at it he felt himself become frozen to the spot in fear and awe. Behind the stranger he could see Lord Eleutherios staring back at them, smiling just as he had before they saw him off earlier.
Lord Eleutherios is with her? But, how can that be? He already departed for battle—Ah! Could...could it be, that... Lord Eleutherios has possibly? The man felt sorrow pierce his heart at seeing the compelling truth. All his comrades couldn’t deny it; she was no ordinary woman. Between Lord Eleutherios and the stranger, the determination and confidence in their eyes were the identical.
Having made his decision the man gathered his courage and gestured in salute.
“H-Her Majesty, Queen Aphrodite, and her daughters have taken shelter within the Audience Chamber. What soldiers are left on the palace grounds are what you see here... ma’am.”
“I see.” Minako took the information into special consideration. “Then we’ll--”
BOOM!
Rmm…rmm…rmm..
The moment was interrupted when a loud explosion rang in the air. The entire grounds shook harder this time, once again sending a surge of panic throughout everyone. Even Minako had felt it this time-- an undeniably, powerful signature had arrived. Its pressure was heavier, and greater than she had ever felt before.
Rei?! But that couldn’t be. The Martian Commander couldn’t possibly possess that level of power. Only a God--
“No.” Minako softly gasped. The stories that she had heard on Neptune came rushing back.
It can’t be Ares, can it?! Minako focused hard for a moment and picked up a growing number of foreign signatures in the area. The enemy had somehow breached the front lines and were closing in fast.
They’re coming!
The soldiers all looked to her with fear and uncertainty in their eyes. Seeing this, Minako reminded herself of her position and immediately wiped away any doubt on her features; a true leader, as she learned by watching her friends, should not show their own weakness to their soldiers.
“Give me a sword,” She ordered a nearby man. This time, he gave her what she had requested without hesitation. Okay, next… “I want the six of you to patrol the grounds for intruders. As you may already be aware of, our enemies are not human, but monsters.” She heard people mutter all around her. “They’re small and they look like shadows. Physical attacks are ineffective against them, so be prepared to use spells. If you see one, don’t hesitate to eliminate it! I am warning all of you, now, that they are lethally quick and nimble in their movements. Do you understand, or do I need to repeat that for any of you?”
“No! W-We understand! Understood! ...Sir!”
Minako then pointed to a group of five. “As for you five, I want you to search the grounds and evacuate everyone within the vicinity. This area will shortly become the battlefield, so be sure to stay alert! Think you can handle it?”
“Ma’a—Sir!”
“And finally, you three... I’m going to leave the choice up to you. You may join up with any of the two parties I have just specified, or you may come with me. I will be going to the Audience Chamber to guard the royal family. If the enemy is after them, then they will surely strike there first.”
“Excuse me, Sir. But I have a question.” One of the three men asked.
“Yes?”
“Why are you giving us a choice in the matter? Are you doing it because you don’t think we’re adequate for the job?”
Minako thought about it carefully. She surprised the man when she told him, “I don’t recall saying anything of the sort.”
“Huh? But, you just said-”
She held up her hand and silenced him.
“You have never seen what these things are capable of, but I have. And I can tell you this... they will kill you without a moment’s hesitation if given the chance.” The man’s stubbornness wavered. “What I am saying is that regardless of your choice, there will always be some degree of danger. That just comes with your position. However, this particular mission is the most dangerous out of the three. That’s why... I’m leaving it up to you to decide whether or not you think you’re qualified.”
“...I see. But what if none of us decides to go? You just said it yourself that it was dangerous. Would you go alone?”
“Yes.”
Her firm response caught them all off guard.
The remaining three men exchanged glances, as if searching for a sign of commitment. If they chose to go along with this, there was a chance that some of them wouldn’t make it back alive. It would be all over: They would never see their friends or families ever again. However, as the woman had just mentioned, even if they didn’t go, there was always the risk of running into the enemy in the battlefield. Why had they joined the royal guard in the first place?
It was the man’s turn to surprise her. “Point taken. I’m going, Captain” he said.
“Me too!”
“Yeah, same! Don’t leave me out!”
Minako hid her surprise. “I can’t guarantee any of your safety.”
“We understand that,” A different man answered. “But... do you know why I joined the royal guard? It was so I could protect my home. I can’t be a coward now!”
“Same!”
Taya continued to watch the scene unfold from within the room, and was in awe when the three groups of soldiers were dismissed. She couldn’t believe that they listened to Minako. From the looks of it, none of them had recognized the Princess. How could they trust a total stranger?
The Princess’s tutor pondered over the thought for a moment. It all seemed so unreal, so unpredictable, so—Minako.
Heh, of course. The answer is so simple. Minako… has just, really grown. That was all to it she concluded. Her young charge had decided to find her freedom, herself.
But...this also means that she’s now beyond my reach. Whatever choice Minako makes now will be at her own risk. What she chooses to do, the path she chooses to follow, there will be consequences and some of them won’t be pretty. But, I suppose... life, wouldn’t be worth living if it were any other way...
Goddess, help us all.
Taya then stepped towards the open
door. After hearing the soldier’s plans, she would search the grounds and evacuate the
remaining staff independently. Until her skills were needed, as Minako had only
demonstrated, she would do what she could for now.
(Outside entrance, The Audience Chamber)
Tup! Tup! Tup! Tup! Tup-----tup.
Lubb Dubb!
DOOOOOOOM!
Minako brought her group to a halt just outside the large, double doors. The group of four made it to their final destination without a single enemy encounter, which was suspicious as far as their leader was concerned.
Minako glanced back at the men behind her. They appeared to be slightly out of breath, but they were quickly recovering. She then peered up at the red sky overhead-- the shadow was still there, but there hadn’t been any noticeable changes to it.
It’s still there... But that power that I felt earlier has gotten weaker. What does it all mean? Have we arrived early?
The woman diverted her attention to the large doors and began to examine it with a critical eye. She couldn’t be sure, but it appeared to be shut tight.
I-It’s still closed. She felt the ridges of the middle in disbelief. The discovery should have brought her some relief, but it instead added to the woman’s inner turmoil. Although her subordinates could not see it, for a moment there was pain in her eyes.
This is it. This is really the entrance to the Audience Chamber. Behind this door is my family. My sisters, who never paid any attention to me...and, my mother, who doesn’t even want to see me. They all took shelter here, leaving me behind. What would they say when they see me?
Minako gripped the heavy sword in her hand a bit tighter, not realizing that she was only holding it with a single hand this time.
No. I’ve already come this far. I can’t back out now!
“I’m going to ask all of you one more time. Are you sure you are ready for this?” She, again, questioned her team. “Because once we go in, there’s no backing out.”
And, again, she received the same answer. “We’re ready when you are!”
It hadn’t been an undying pledge of loyalty, but it was all that Minako needed to hear; she had their support.
It feels almost a little like, Uranus. This nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach, it’s like when I was about to lead a squad for the first time. Except, this time, instead of it being with Uranus’s unit two... they are people from my home. My people... Even though it’s a small number, they trust me.
She had told them that they were going do battle with an enemy that an army, alone, couldn’t entirely prevent from reaching their doorstep. It was a battle where they knew they might be obliterated, especially with their small numbers. But still, they were here with her. If anything should happen, she was going to remember this one feeling: Pride.
Minako felt herself smile. “All right...” With a shaky hand, she reached up towards the door and pushed it with all her might.
“Then here we go!”
Creeeeeeeeak.
Tup, tup, tup, tup…
(Audience Chamber, Inside)
The room was pitch-dark. They hadn’t expected that. Minako scanned down the center aisle as far as the light would allow; she then tried a shot at a detection spell, but, to her frustration, she sensed nothing.
...Nothing. Maybe that’s what they meant on Neptune. Maybe my range is too short. They had no choice to but to proceed with caution.
Minako shot a warning look to her team, and watched them all nod back in understanding before she waved for them to follow her. That was how they moved together; Minako took the lead in the front and tip-toed the group towards the nearest wall. As they groped their way towards the other end of the room, the other three watched the team’s back and side. Soon, their predicament began to gnaw at their nerves. They were all on high alert, listening and watching for the slightest movement, which was made harder by the dim lighting, and they could only venture a few steps at a time due to poor visual conditions; it was so dark that none of them could make much out than a few meters in front of them.
Something isn’t right...! It’s so cold! Minako shivered. It was never this cold when her mother was here.
They were about halfway through the room now, and still there was no sign of anyone. Minako was really beginning to think that her family wasn’t here.
We’ve made quite a bit of progress, but I still don’t sense anything. Could they have gone into the Queen’s Chamber?
Only known to the members of royal family and their servants, there was a hidden chamber behind the audience chamber that was called the Queen’s Chamber. Minako had never been back there herself, but, after some thought, it would make sense if that was the case. Her family would be far safer if they had hid there.
Ssss...
She heard a sound to her left and activated the detection spell. Her spiritual vision was once against met by darkness, and there were no signatures in sight.
Could it have been my imagination? She toned down the spell, but remained in place for a few more seconds. Although her spell was telling her that things were all right, her gut instinct was telling her that something was wrong.
The shadows… It almost feels like they’re closing in on us. It would be a huge disadvantage for us if we had to fight in the dark. We should pick up the pace.
Minako waved to the men over her shoulder and they all increased their pace forward.
Tup. Tup. Tup. Tup-thud.
“Oof! What the--” One of the soldiers cried out.
“What is it?!” Minako hissed.
“T-There’s something on the floor!”
“Something on the floor...?” Did he hit a piece of furniture? She wondered. But we’re right by the walls, and I don’t remember hitting anything...
“What are you talking about?” One of his friends asked in a low voice. He walked over to where his comrade was and bent low to the floor. “I think you’re imagination has gone a bit too far this time. I don’t see anythin--” His hand hit something hard, and he suddenly went quiet.
“Ah…Oh…” The first man began to stumble back. He was clearly agitated about something, but the remaining party members didn’t understand what the fuss was about. They could barely make out his shadow never mind what was at his feet.
Suddenly, Minako was getting a bad feeling.
“Oh, for Goddess’s sake, just say it!” The soldier beside Minako growled. He just wanted to get out of here already.
“It’s a… it’s a bo--bod!”
A body!
“What did you just say?!”
The soldier was unable to finish the sentence when the doors to the audience chamber abruptly swung shut with a deafening noise.
BAM!
Ping!
Minako barely just saw the pair of red eyes behind him before she cried, “Look out!”
“Huh---?”
Stab!
“AHHHHHHH!”
“W-What the?!”
“Daniel?!”
Before any of the others could be affected, Minako shot out a stream of pressured air in the direction of the eyes.
WOOOOSH!
“SKRRREE!!!”
Shroom!
The man nearest to him crawled over to him and pulled him up. “D-Daniel! Are you all right? C’mon, answer me!”
“...”
“Daniel!” The man shook the body, but he still received no response. Minako knew instantly that it was already a lost cause.
“Forget about him!” The remaining of the pair shouted. He had already drawn his sword. “You should worry about yourself! If the Captain hadn’t killed it when she did, then it could have gotten you too--” He slowly turned to Minako and then realized something.
Wait a minute, how could she hit that thing from back there? There’s no way anyone could hit a target at that distance with a sword!
Awkward, he asked. “D-Did you see what it was?”
There was more scuffling heard somewhere in the room. Minako didn’t see it, but she was positive that she knew what it was and that they were all in grave danger.
“There’s no time to talk! It’s the enemy! You two-- hug the wall and climb your way up! Head towards the back chamber, I’ll try to hold them off!” She ordered.
“S-Sir!” Who is she really? “C’mon, stop sitting there! Let’s go!”
After some effort, the man was able to drag his friend up and together they made a break for the Queen’s Chamber. Minako stood her ground as their signatures faded from her detection, and furrowed her brow in concentration as the noises began to close in around her.
That’s strange. I can’t sense them anymore but I can still hear their footsteps. Could it be— She gasped. Is something blocking my spell?!
The enemy continued to close in all around her. One by one, their signatures stepped into range. She could clearly make out their eyes now. They were circling her.
Minako nervously widened her stance a bit and raised her sword up. If she thought they were scary on Neptune, it was worse being in a dark room with them. She could feel the weight of numerous, intent stares on her.
I almost wish that you were here right now Rei… If you were here, what would you do? She thought for a moment as the sounds of unsheathing metal rang through the air. They were going to attack soon.
‘Firstly…’ A voice within Minako called. She could already see the raven-haired woman’s face appearing in her mind’s eye, looking at her an annoyed expression. ‘What’s the biggest problem here?’
My biggest problem...? The blonde contemplated. Well...It’s not the creatures that I’m exactly worried about. It’s just that I can’t see! My detection spell is next to useless in here! As she braced herself, it hit her. Ah. Or maybe... that’s what’s holding me back. Maybe I’ve been looking at this the wrong way!
The answer was so simple, why hadn’t she thought of it before? She had seen many of the others do it many times before.
Whenever any of them use their powers, they give off a flash of light! But... can I really do something like that? The doctors said that kind of materialization was beyond my capability! Realizing what she had just thought, she shook her head. No! I can’t think like that! I’ve already gotten this far. So—I’ve just got to try!
Minako bit her bottom lip, closed her eyes and concentrated. There was no guarantee that she’d make anything but hot air, but it was still her best shot.
…Ping…
Fooooooooooooooooosh---
The air around her blew up. Her enemies momentarily froze in their advancement and narrowed their eyes warily at this display.
A little more…
FooooooooosssssSSSssssSSSssssSSSSssSS—
The nearby furniture began to rattle; a vase had fallen off of its pedestal and smashed into pieces on the floor.
I can do this! Come on, come on!
SssssSSSSSSSS---
“HaaAAAAAAAAAH!” Come ON!
SSSS--FOOO-------OOOOOOOOSH!!!
An orange spark lit the air around her, spreading through the rest of the medium like wildfire. Minako’s eyes shot open; the glow that surrounded her wasn’t particularly radiant, but it was enough--she could now see the creatures within three meters of herself.
I see them now!
Unhesitatingly, Minako lunged forward and swung at the nearest creature. “Hah!” It was struck down before it could even raise its dagger in self-defence.
SLASH!
“Craaaar!”
Shroom!
The remaining three creatures all leapt away from the sword-wielding woman in an attempt to create distance. However, Minako wasn’t about to let them get away. The Venusian royal powered up the detection spell again, but, to her surprise, this time she could see a rough map of the room in her spiritual gaze; she could make out the faint outlines of most of the structures in the area, especially the nearby row of columns that supported the roof
Minako heard a sound to her right and whipped her head towards the corner. The signature was moving quickly.
Over there! Minako made a beeline for the assassin, and swung her sword at it with everything she had. The monster glared back at her and dodged the first few strikes, before it shot forward as well. Minako blocked the dagger and heard the scratching of metal in her ear. It then did something she didn’t expect; the thing tried punching her.
Minako’s aura reacted instinctively and knocked it straight over her head. She turned with the movement and swung hard sideways at its mid-section. The creature brought its dagger up and tapped at it, but Minako noted that her attack had knocked it back by a few steps. She then switched angles and brought her sword down in a diagonal slash. “Yah!” The assassin, predictably, retreated in the direction of her attack. Minako then pressed it further, forcing it to block and step back with her unrelenting advance.
“Hah! Hah! Hah!”
Tinz! Ting!
Wham!
Tup!
That’s it, back up a little further---a little further—just a bit more--!
WHAM!
Thud!
“Crrraaa?” Its back hit one of the columns.
SLASH!
“CRAAAA!”
Shroom!
Minako panted hard for breath. After expending all of that effort to shine a little light, she felt a little more than exhausted from the sudden activity. But she knew her task was still far from over.
That’s one down. Two more go…! Huff, huff… Now, where are--
A quick movement caught her eye. Minako screamed when something grabbed her hair and yanked back, hard. The woman was thrown back first against a column and was forced flush against it. Her sword clattered to the ground. Squinting through one eye, she gasped for breath as she struggled against her captor’s strong hold-- it had lapped a chunk of her hair across her neck and pulled it tight around the column. She was being strangled. In its other hand, on the other side of her head, it raised its dagger.
Minako felt around to the black hand that was holding her hair and then called up a bolt of power. The golden light forced its hold loose; however, she caught the glint of metal a second too late.
Slash---
“Ahhhh!” The blow intended for her throat ripped down her sword arm. In a rush of anger, she blindly threw out another bolt of her power and, luckily, made a glancing blow. The assassin somersaulted back into the darkness.
Minako felt her throat, taking a few deep breaths, and then cupped her hand over the bloody gash. She was partially in shock; there was a lot of blood and the wound didn’t just burn, but her arm becoming numb due to the pressurized air that was pushing against it.
She sensed the signature circling around and coming back in at an alarming rate. The same creature suddenly broke through the darkness and flung itself at her. Forgetting about the pain, Minako dove to the ground, missing the blade, and grabbed for her sword. The assassin followed after her, but was met by another weak bolt. It spun away from it and dove down at the woman, where Minako was waiting for it.
Slash—Tinz!
Minako winced as she threw her sword up with both hands and sent her opponent a short distance back. The wound on her arm had stopped bleeding by now, but she was too preoccupied to notice. She saw the greatly annoyed assassin growl at her. To its side, the other remaining assassin stepped forward as well.
My Goddess that was so close! …Uh-oh, c’mon legs, move, move, move!
Slash—Tinz!
Slash---Tinz!
Slash---Tinz!
Slash---Tinz! Slash---Ti-----iiinz!
Slash---TINZ!
Thud.
“Eh?” Minako felt her back hit something solid. Instantly she knew it was another one column (she definitely hadn’t seen THAT while she was fending off two opponents at once). Beside her, she noted a vase standing just out of reach at the side. Thinking she could use it to buy some time, she threw out a stream of air at it but in her excitement she accidentally stabbed it and shattered it herself.
“Ah-!” Her blue eyes flicked back to the charging beasts as they both leapt up into the air at once, weapons posed for vertical attacks. Minako instinctively ducked around the column and narrowly evaded the dual strike.
Slash-Slash ---Whomp!
Instead of slicing and dicing their target as planned, the shadow assassins felt their blades become stuck in the marble. In frustration the creatures immediately set out to free themselves from the nuisance of a pillar. As they were preoccupied, Minako wasn’t about to sit around and watch. Lady Luck was truly smiling upon her for giving her this opportunity, and all it required was the finish.
She had to work quickly.
Ignoring the pain in her injured arm, she brought her other hand up to her sword again and steadied herself. The orange aura surrounding her arms and legs traveled through her body and transferred itself to the blade as its sole medium. She was going to bet everything on this one last shot, and Goddess be damned if she was going to let a minor thing such a punishment stop her.
I hope this’ll be enough! Here goes! She lunged forward and swung the glowing blade hard at the pillar.
SLASH—slice, sliiiiiiiide---
The attack cut directly through the marble and the assassins. “CRRRRAAAAA!” Both creatures cried out in their demise.
Shroooom! Shroooom!
“…Huff, huff… huff…”
Clatter
“I--I did it...” Minako dropped her sword, freeing herself momentarily of its heavy weight. NOW she felt worn out. But at the same time she was secretly in awe with herself. “I really did it.” She found the energy to weakly smile. When she first started, this sort of fighting would have turned her muscles into jelly. But now, she had some stamina and some new power to boot.
I’m really getting stronger.
Throb.
The woman winced when her arm suddenly throbbed. Ouch...It still hurts! Well, I guess that’s what I get for being so careless. Rei would probably have a stroke if she knew. Minako could see a mini-version of the Martian going off into a rant. She would be waving her arms, going ‘RAWR!!! I told you to be more careful! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!’
I was lucky... But, some others weren’t. She then remembered the soldier of the three who went down at the start of the battle.
Minako reached out for her sword. With some concentration, she gathered the fragments of her power left in the sword and created a small glow of light at its tip. With it, she went to search for the man. She found him quickly; he was lying on the floor just up ahead. Minako had seen many corpses before, but this one was especially gruesome because she had actually known him-- even if it was only for a short time.
“I’m sorry,” She found herself saying. Even though she had warned him that she couldn’t guarantee his safety, it still bothered her.
A strange shape on the floor beside him caught her eye. What’s that? “Wait a minute... didn’t he say he tripped over something before--”
Minako gulped, and then shone the light over in that direction. She was startled when she saw a hand. The person was wearing a dress. Minako’s heart was really pounding in her chest now. Nervously, she shone the light a little higher and screamed when she saw their face.
“Ahhhh!!!!!”
FWOOOOOOOOSH!
Rmm...Rmm...Rmm...
She was startled when the room suddenly shook. Behind the throne where the Queen’s Chamber was hidden, a crimson red light was pouring out. It was so bright that Minako had to cover her eyes with her hands to prevent herself becoming temporary blinded by its intensity. While down at her feet, the light illuminated the source of her distress. It was one of her sisters. It was no wonder why the soldier had been so shocked.
W-What’s going on?!
“GAAAAAAAAAAH!”
“AHHHHHHHH!”
Oh no! The men!
Minako hastily snatched up her sword and bolted for the chamber. She was still badly startled, but the safety of her team was at risk.
Tup! Tup! Tup! Tup! Tup!
“Hah! Hah! Hah! Hah! Hah!”
As she rounded the corner and came face to face with the hidden chamber entrance, a hot gust of air barrelled out and forced the woman to hesitate in her advance. But this time she wasn’t going to look away. Instead, through the spread fingers of her hand, she stared stubbornly inside of the room and gasped at what she saw. Fire?! It was filled with a red, spiralling mist that howled with an inferno’s ferocity.
It’s so hot! Something’s burning...! She squinted hard and tried to detect her soldiers’ signatures, but her spiritual sight was being repelled by the red wall. The woman stumbled back at the setback, somewhat startled. It was only for a moment that she felt its power, but the contact had terrified her; every bone in her body was telling her to run, but she stubbornly held her ground.
C-Come on Minako, be brave! There are people relying on you! She told herself.“Erg…!” The blonde fought the wind, and brought her arm down from her face and held her weapon with both hands. She had to act before the strength of the wind would shove her away completely.
Pooling her energy back into the blade of her sword, she took another swing at the mist.
“Haaa-AAAAHH!”
Slash---
A portion of the woman’s power flew off the tip of her blade into the inferno, and was consumed.
“What?! I-It didn’t work?!” She stepped back. She had seen Haruka do it many times before, so why wouldn’t it work now?
Minako didn’t need to wait long before the fire took things into its own matters. In a matter of seconds, a definite ‘thud’ could be heard somewhere in the distance and the entire area was again engulfed in red light. A maniacal laugh echoed from inside.
“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
Minako thought her heart had stopped.
Rmm Rmm Rmm
…No… don’t tell me…
FWOOOOOSH!
“!”
The heat and fire were suddenly gone, gone in an instant that the Venusian had looked away. But why had it left?
Wordlessly, Minako stared upon the scene. She had been wrong. Her Mother and sisters had taken shelter in the Queen’s Chamber. And the two soldiers that she had ordered to go on ahead had also successfully found the royal family. However, in the end, none of them...
Lubb dubb! Lubb dubb! Lubb dubb!
“…Huh…Uh-uh…” Minako’s knees buckled beneath her and threw up. Now she knew where that stomach-lurching smell came from.
With tears stinging her eyes and her throat-burning, Minako looked to each and every one of the charred corpses.
Why...? Were those things just a diversion?
Why would anyone do such a thing? Was it all for nothing?!
She clenched and unclenched her hands, unsure of what to do, what to think. Suddenly, the pain of her arm felt insignificant compared to what she was feeling at that moment. The little bit of pride she had gained had been shattered, ripped apart into pieces, and those pieces into pieces. Over and over her emotions crushed her, twisting in agony with their sheer intensity. Everything had gone wrong.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way! She screamed inside.
“G--eh…” A painful moan caught her ears. Who was it? Minako anxiously scanned the grounds again and found the person-- no, the struggling Goddess on a platform up ahead.
“Mother!” Without a moment to waste she sped to her Mother’s side. “Mother! Please hang on!”
“Mina—ko…?” Aphrodite gasped out. Her garments had been ripped and stained with blood, large bruises and multiply gashes also covered the ruler’s body. And her eyes-- Minako was afraid to look at those once incredibly intense and loving eyes that were now becoming increasingly distant with the passing time. “Why are you here…?”
“Don’t talk! You need to save your strength!” Minako didn’t waste any time placing her hands over the gash on her Mother’s stomach, where large amounts of blood still continued to pour out of, and applied pressure in a desperate attempt to stop the flow.
I-I’ve got to stop the blood! I have to, but—there’s just so much! It’s everywhere! Even now she could still hear the haunting laugh of the murderer.
You silly child… Why didn’t you stay hidden? Aphrodite sadly thought. She knew she was dying-- it wouldn’t be long before she joined the rest of her children. Even Eros had... Yes, she knew that her only son and heir had perished in battle shortly before her own great battle had begun. His life was going to be snuffed out, like many of her precious children, before their time. Leaving only…
…ping…
It was then that Aphrodite sensed it. When did Minako’s power become this strong? Her eyes softened with indescribable emotion as she watched her daughter’s futile attempt to save her life.
Perhaps…this was meant to be…
“Minako… g-give me your hand,” Her Mother requested. The young princess stared at her in great confusion; couldn’t her mother see that she needed both hands to do what she was doing?
“To succeed me…”
“W-Wait a minute! What are you talking about? To succeed you? L-Look, Mother, you aren’t well... E-Eros is the heir. What we should do first, is make sure you get better. And then, we can wait for Eros to get back, together...! I know it’s going to be hard, but I’m sure we can all think of a way to get through this.”
“Minako...”
“What?” She was really shaking now. Why was her mother looking at her with such pity in her eyes? “Eros...is coming back isn’t he? You should have seen him. He’s really strong now. So, there’s no way that...Eros is...”
“...” The Goddess sadly averted her gaze.
“...No…” Minako whispered. A sharp pain pierced her heart. She suddenly felt very alone; everything was truly slipping through her fingers.
Eros is...? It had to be a dream, a bad nightmare. They all weren’t going to abandon her like this, were they?
Are you going to leave me too? You can’t!
“No! Mother, you can’t die on me! You can’t leave me alone! You’re going to get better-- I’ll make you better! So please…! Just tell me what to do! I’ll do it, whatever it is! Just say that you’ll stay!” As she sobbed, the tears were blurring her vision again.
This time Aphrodite did not request her daughter’s hand. The Goddess instead gathered all of her strength, and then raised her own to her shocked daughter’s forehead. As a glowing orange sphere of light formed within the woman’s palm, her own blue eyes swam with emotion.
Although I refused to see you, you still came… Such a kind child... maybe... a little too kind... Please, Minako... accept this truth...
Flaaash!
. . .
Minako found herself gazing into Venus’s throne room. It was still the way it had been before the battle; her mother was still sitting upon the throne in good health. However, nothing appeared as peaceful at it should have been. The Venusian Princess saw an expression of displeasure mixed with concern on her mother’s face. It looked like Eros, her beloved brother, was discussing a serious matter with the Queen.
“Eleutherios... Do you understand what you are asking of me? You are essentially asking a mother to condemn her own child to death! His presence is already gathering outside of our borders!” Aphrodite reminded him sternly.
Prince Eleutherios didn’t turn his eyes away despite the Goddess’s intimidating tone. “I know, Mother... But I can’t just stand here and let Sapphro take my place! I’m the one who’s supposed to be out there fighting, not him! I’m the one that our people have asked for! What kind of heir would I be if I couldn’t lead them when they needed me the most? Besides... other than you, I am the most qualified to go into battle. Wasn’t this exactly what you trained me for, Mother? If I fall, then it will be because of my own weakness. It would mean that only you would be able to stop Him.”
His Mother sighed sadly. “Marie is already gone.” The man could see the sadness dwelling in her eyes, but the call to duty in his heart resounded so much stronger.
“But Minako has returned,” He gently reminded her.
“Has she now?”
“Yes, and as you have requested, I had sent her to her room. She will be safe there, won’t she? Maybe...she’s the safest out of all of us. If the worse should happen, our enemy should mistake her for an ordinary human. Due to her limits that is…”
After a moment of silence, Aphrodite finally said, “You will go, no matter what my verdict is.”
“…Yes.”
“Will you say good-bye to your sisters before you leave?” His mother immediately understood his silence. “What about Minako?” The ruler then inquired.
“I’m afraid, I can’t do that,” Eleutherios slowly shook his head. There was a sad fondness in his eyes as he remembered his little sister. “If-- If I don’t make it back…then I would rather have her hate me, than to break her heart, mourning for me. She’s grown so much Mother. She’s a lot stronger now. I can feel it! If only you would see her!”
A weak smile formed on the Goddess’s lips. “You know He will come for me, Eleutherios... and as her mother, I wish to spare her from this terrible ordeal. It is for her sake, that I will not see her.” She paused for a moment. Although she opposed it, she couldn’t be prouder in her son if she tried. “Eleutherios... When this is all over, why don’t we both go see her together?” She proposed.
Eleutherios’s blue eyes lit up at this. “Yes, once I return… let us both see her! Together!”
“May victory be yours my child...”
“Farewell, Mother…” He bowed.
. . .
FWOOOOOOOSH…
The images vanished and left Minako finding herself being embraced by gentle warmth. Her heart sudden felt lighter; it was as if all of the frustration, anger and guilt she carried for so long had melted away into the light, and all she could do in that moment was close her eyes and let it flow throughout her. For some strange reason, she didn’t feel alone. It was as though many warm hearts were embracing her all at once.
Lubb dubb… Lubb dubb…
The sound of her strong heart filled her ears, indicating that she was still alive, but the sound of her breathing was drowned out by a strange crackling.
Fire...? She wondered. She was surrounded by a body of dancing, orange flames. It should have frightened her, but somehow she felt reassured that it wouldn’t harm her. It dawned on Minako of what was happening when she heard her mother’s voice speak to her through her thoughts.
“My dear child… my kind Minako, you have grown strong.”
The Goddess paused for a moment as images of Minako’s adventures became clear in the flames for both mother and daughter to see. The desert of Mars, the first battle against Uranus’s army, the trip to Mercury, and Jupiter... even as the war scenes during Uranus’s civil war were shown, the former Goddess of Love appeared unperturbed by her daughter’s actions. Aphrodite remembered how she sensed Minako’s heart struggling for courage despite the circumstances, how she endured sorrow for doing what she needed to do; she had also felt fierce determination towards a promise to become stronger and an unwavering loyalty for her newfound friends. And, although a certain scene was not shown on Neptune, unknown to Minako, her Mother was smiling knowingly now.
“Gaining the trust of new friends, learning the ways of other people, and finding the courage to lead others… With your heart and newfound strength... you, Venus Minako... are worthy of leading our people.”
Minako was momentarily startled when she felt the force around her begin to inwardly push against her. W-What’s going on? It was becoming harder to breath--the air was becoming hotter all around her; her entire body was tingling. The frightened young woman tried to ask her mother what was happening to her, but it was difficult to think as an orange mist had begun to cloud her mind.
Ping…
Aphrodite’s spirit sensed a dark, approaching power. More of Apollo’s henchmen... The Goddess realized. She would have to hurry for Minako’s sake.
Aphrodite gathered the energy around her and pushed the process to completion. Despite the consequences that may befall her daughter because of the child’s mental state, this was the only thing that she could do to give her child a chance for a future.
Ping…
The Goddess sensed another approaching signature. There’s another presence? The image of a raven-haired woman came to mind. Aphrodite instantly recognized the individual, and was secretly impressed by the determination set in their dark eyes. In their heart, she could sense a bright, protective flame.
The Goddess found herself smiling despite her fate. Every hesitance she had to depart this world had been washed away within an instant.
“The time has come… I bestow my power and my title unto thee… awaken, Venus Aphrodite, Goddess of Love!”
FWOOOOOOOSH!!!
The flames suddenly flared up and rose above her. The next thing Minako knew, they came crashing down on her like a tidal wave. Her vision went white. The spark of Goddess power within her lit up and built up into a powerful inferno as a surge of energy continued to flood into her. However, it was taking a terrible toll on her senses; as the warmth around her began to fade, and the whispers of goodbyes echoed distantly, only one sentiment prevailed: Now she was truly alone. The people that she had struggled to try and protect were gone.
The last coherent thought that came to mind as the tears fell down her face, was…
If this is the price for power… to become a true Goddess… I could have done without it.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!” Minako screamed.
Rmm…Rmm…Rmm…
(Rei, Palace courtyard)
Tup! Tup! Tup! Tup!
“Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!”
Ping!
What was that?! Rei skidded to a halt and honed in on the power surge up ahead. That power... It felt like a God, but that’s not Ares! Who could it be? Aphrodite...? She gritted her teeth when her spiritual sense came up with nothing else. She couldn’t sense Minako’s signature anywhere. Minako... Where are you?!
The Martian Commander was startled when a signature abruptly appeared from behind her. Rei’s whirled on the spot, expecting an ambush from enemy assassins that may have followed her, but to her relief it was the man that she encountered earlier in the battlefield. It looked like he had taken quite the beating, but somehow he had caught up to her.
“You again...! How did you catch up to me?” She tensed when the soldier walked towards her, but to her surprise Sapphro ignored her and continued to walk right past her. “Hey! I was talking to--” Rei stopped mid-sentence when she realized where his attention was. Up ahead, there was a small group of people. A strange, blonde woman in the lead had caught sight of them and was now coming this way.
“Taya!” Sapphro greeted her.
“Sapphro?! Is that you? But...W-Why are you back? I thought you had gone out to fight!”
“I--I did…” He looked away for a split second. “But there’s no for that now! Where is Lady Minako?”
“She was heading towards the Audience Chamber last I saw.”
The Audience Chamber? The blue-haired man thought. But isn’t that where the royal family took shelter?!
Rei carefully regarded the man expression, watchful of his reaction. The Audience Chamber...? Are they talking about the throne room? She thought back to that surge of power she felt only second before.
“The Audience Chamber, is it in that direction?!” She demanded from the pair. She was pointing further up ahead. Rei didn’t have to wait for a verbal answer. As soon as she saw the answer in their eyes, she bolted in the direction. It was all she needed to know.
If Minako is over there, then all I have to do is follow that signature!
As she rounded corners and sprinted down corridors, she felt that unfamiliar emotion of anxiety begin to well up within her once more. With every step she took, it got worse. Was it from anticipation? Worry? Fear...? In her mind she saw time running out; the ground was shaking more violently here. Whatever this force was, it was threatening to tear apart the entire area.
This power! It’s definitely a God! “Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!” But their energy is wild.
That can only mean one thing...! Whoever it is, they’ve lost control!
Despite her exhaustion, Rei pushed herself harder.
Just a little more!
Tup! Tup! Tup! Tup! Tup!
She rounded another corner and leapt into a massive corridor. She was very close now. Rei raced down the lone strip and came face to face with a large, double set of doors. She noticed that they had already been pried open. Someone has already been here! The Martian automatically took a step forward, but then remembered to use precautionary measures first. Staying in the doorway, she shot a stream of crimson aura down the center of the room; there were two bodies lying close together on the floor up ahead. One of them was a blonde woman.
Minako?! She raced up to the body and bent down to one knee, but to her relief it was not the Venusian Princess that she sought. No. It’s not her.
A strong vibe up ahead made the Martian raise her head. She squinted at the throne, but there was a golden light flashing off to its side. Slowly, Rei got back up and warily approached the wall. She was almost at its entrance when a loud ominous cracking from up above caught her attention.
Ping!
Crumble--
Rei whipped her head up just in time to see a section of the roof come loose.
“Grr--”
TUP!
The woman threw herself forward, tumbling through a somersault and leapt back onto her feet to realize that she had only narrowly missed being squashed by the slab of marble. The entranceway behind her was now partially restricted by debris.
Rei turned around, intending to proceed forward, and almost ran into a wall of marble. She peered at the edges, seeing a thin line against the wall. There’s supposed to be an entrance here. The woman stepped back, put away her sword, and raised her hand. “Hah!”
Crackle—Snap!
Her attack was rebuffed.
...A barrier! Rei frowned. An orange light danced around the wall a few seconds longer before fading away again. She narrowed her eyes. Out of frustration, and for good measure, Rei brought up both hands and unleashed a relentless attack against the barrier. After a few seconds the invisible field began to flicker orange. Rei was caught off-guard when an orange bolt shot out of the wall and sent her flying into the debris behind her.
Crackle-BAM!
“Auugh!” She slumped against the marble.
S-Shit! This can’t be happening! The signal is just beyond there! She staggered back up onto her feet. She couldn’t understand why there was a barrier there, but if it was in place then there was still time left. If blasting through it isn’t an option... Then there has to be another way!
Rei kept the location of the source marked in her spiritual sight, but she had begun searching for another pathway. The experienced soldier knew it was too dangerous to remain where she was now-- she had to get to some higher ground where less was likely to fall on top of her head and quick.
As if on cue, she turned her head and noticed a dark, narrow pathway to her right.
Tup! Tup! Tup! Tup! Tup! Tup!
“Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!”
After sprinting a good distance, the Martian nearly tripped over herself when she suddenly came across a short, spiral staircase that was just off of the path to her left. At the top of the steps, she could see an orange light shining through a small opening on the second level.
Perfect.
Tup!
Rmm... Rmm... Rmm...
Rei was halfway up the steps when the area shook violently again. She bent down low and stayed close to the steps. The vibrations shouldn’t last long. That was when she heard the ominous cracking again. Rei whipped her head up as chunks of marble began to rain down from the darkness above.
Crumble---
“Nng!!!!”
TUP!
Without any hesitation, Rei threw herself with everything her legs had through the opening. She had expected to hit hard rock immediately, but instead she was suddenly flying over an edge. Her body twisted in mid-air at a weak attempt to grab at the thin ledge, only to feel her fingers slip right off. Rei shouted as she dropped down a ways before she hit hard rock at the bottom.
“Ahhhh!!”
---Thud!!!
After a few seconds, Rei weakly stirred. She didn’t know how far she had dropped, but the wind had been knocked right out of her. Not yet to her knowledge, she had landed into an isolated, spacious chamber; at its center there was an elevated, circular platform. It dipped down to the main floor, remaining relatively even, before sloping back up a meter in height at the edges of the room. Much like the platform at its center, there was a meter wide ledge that circled around the room and was only stopped at this one section where the entrance to the chamber was marked. However, the entranceway, as Rei had earlier discovered, had been sealed off by a section of wall. With the wall up, from the inside, it appeared that there was no other entry available; the walls all along the chamber’s perimeter were designed to be vertical at a ninety-degree angle, and the small, rectangular openings were far too high for anyone to climb out (or in, from the inside view). But Rei had fallen through one of these openings and was now lying on the outer perimeter ring, just before the floor sloped down to the main ground.
“...G-eh...” In the Martian’s blurry vision, she could see a wall of marble that began to wrap around outside of her vision. For a moment, she forgot why she was here.
Ping!
Clash! Tinz—tinz!
Rei startled up into a sitting position. Is someone fighting? She caught a glimpse of a blast of orange lightning flying to her right side before the area was rocked by another explosion.
KABOOM!
“Rrrrrgh...!!” Rei shuffled back along the floor and hit the wall behind her. There was the sound of breaking rock close-by. Using the wall as her support, she inched back up onto her feet and winced as she covered her face. The light was so bright; she couldn’t see a single thing. When the intensity finally dimmed, however, she gasped. The section of wall to her upper, right side had a gaping hole in it now.
The Martian didn’t have to look far to see what had done it. In the middle of the room, standing on the central platform was…
“Minako?!”The Venusian woman was surrounded by a group of shadow assassins, all posed to strike. Rei gritted her teeth. “Minako, hang on!”
Rei was about to jump down to the main floor below when a very cold chill flashed through her body. She froze; there was something very wrong here.
Wait a minute. That surge of power that I felt earlier! It-- it can’t be...! But as far as she could tell, Minako and her were the only people in the vicinity. The raven-haired woman then blinked a few times, wondering if she was really seeing that orange, fiery energy around the blonde. The light radiating off of her was lighting up the entire room.
Back on Uranus, I wondered why Minako didn’t use her powers to take down Baroach. Granted, she never gave the woman much of a chance to speak. But that was beside the point. She could have saved everyone a lot of trouble and worry if she hadn’t been stabbed. But then, on Neptune, Haruka said that she was barely anymore a human than I was. If that’s true... then how in the name of Mars did she get this strong?!
She didn’t want to admit it, but the woman’s power now, definitely, surpassed her own. Rei was taken aback when one of the shadow assassins suddenly cried out and disappeared in an instant.
“CRAAAAR!”
Shroom!
“What just happened?!”The Martian hadn’t done anything, so why had the creature disappeared? She was fairly sure that Minako hadn’t moved. Her amethyst eyes trained on the woman, her gaze falling up and down, until it finally came to rest on the woman’s right hand. Why was it curled? After a moment, it suddenly became clear.
...So, that’s what did it. There’s some sort of aura chain in her hands! And it was long. No wonder she was able to reach that thing from that distance!
Rei in nervous silence as the onslaught continued. Minako was proving herself to be a ruthless fighter, perhaps more than any of her Martian subordinates. One after another, their enemies were falling like flies without so much as getting one strike in.
She’s so strong. Perhaps she should have been happy that Minako was holding her own, but the way that her friend was fighting brought her a sense of worry and doubt. Is that really Minako...? How could Minako-- the kind, cheerful and goofy person that Rei remembered her to be, the naive woman who almost needed to be protected before, who was crying her heart out during their last encounter, had become this ruthless?
The Commander was distracted when she spotted a nearby, charred body. …Bodies? The person had been burnt beyond recognition. She scanned the grounds towards the far wall and spotted five more. The four of the five hadn’t been burnt as badly as the others-- she could see that they were all young women.
Lubb dubb!
“HAAA--AH!” Minako swung her aura chain in a wide circle and caught another opponent. The creature had been wrapped about its middle and before it knew it, it had been sent hurtling into a nearby wall where it was dragged painfully through the marble head first.
“CREECH!” It finally broke.
Shroom!
What happened here? Rei finally spotted another body at Minako’s feet, partially concealed by the younger woman’s legs. Her eyes widened.
Ping!
Rei whipped her head around and spotted a shadow creature circling around the outside ring towards her as its comrades preoccupied the blonde’s attention. Was it going to try to ambush Minako from behind? Rei didn’t even have to think about it; instinctively she unsheathed her sword and rushed to meet. She didn’t bother going the full distance before she leapt up and attacked.
Oh no, you don’t!
“YAH!”
Slash----!
Shroom!
An awkward silence descended over the area as the last of the shadow assassins had been dealt with. For the most part the tremors had stopped, but the air remained dangerously tense.
“Minako!” Rei called to her. She hesitated to walk up to the woman. Now that she had finally found her, the words had trouble forming on her lips.
An apology did cross her mind, but that was before Minako slowly turned around and met her gaze. The cold chill Rei had felt earlier returned with a vengeance. Minako’s eyes were glowing with a strange orange light--they appeared to be devoid of emotion. Rei wondered if she should try calling out to Minako again, but her mouth felt dry. Something was changing in the blonde’s eye, but it wasn’t a good one. An emotion of hostility was beginning to replace the emptiness.
Minako suddenly gave the wrist of her free hand a flick, and a second chain of orange aura formed in it.
Does she want to fight me? Her earlier thoughts of sensing a wild energy came rushing back.
“This power! It’s definitely a God! But their energy is wild. That can only mean one thing...! Whoever it is, they’ve lost control!”
“Minako...” Rei narrowed her eyes, feeling torn inside. So, the God that lost control was... Her face twisted in pain. “C’mon Minako, snap out of it! Don’t you recognize me?!”
Through the blonde’s clouded eyes, all she saw was the shadow of a person and the red aura seeping out of them. The orange energy around Minako flared up dangerously. She recognized that aura all right; it belonged to the murderer that had taken her precious family away from her.
“Minako!” Rei called to her again, but she knew it was no use. She could sense that Minako was about to attack at any second.
Rei reluctantly raised her sword and crouched low into a defensive stance. Rei Hino, who had lived with the motto, “nothing in life is guaranteed”, found herself thinking, for once in a very long time, that life wasn’t fair.
...Minako.
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