(Earth, Usagi)
Usagi and Hotaru stepped out of their shuttle and made contact with the dirt ground. The place was entirely different than they had expected it to be; from the Moon, the Earth appeared to be a giant sphere of vibrant colours. But here, the place where their shuttle had landed, the land was dark and cold. There was a single, dirt path that appeared to disappear into the distance but it was shrouded by fog. There wasn’t a soul in sight; was this really where Earth’s royal palace resided?
“Hotaru...Are you sure this is really the place?” Usagi hesitantly asked.
“This is the coordinates that Setsuna gave us. So...I suppose that we have no choice but to check it out. If we’re wrong, then we can always come back.”
“But...”
“You want to know the truth, don’t you?” Hotaru returned a knowing look. She saw Usagi freeze. “Then let’s go...” She offered her a smile. “Everything will be all right. If anything happens, I’ll be there to protect you.”
“...Mm.” She finally nodded.
The two women travelled together along the path for some time, and discovered that the further they ventured into the area the thicker the fog became. Eventually, they had lost sight of the shuttle and everything else around them. However, they had been mistaken when they thought they were alone. From the moment they stepped off of the shuttle, Hotaru had noticed their presences.
…ping…
It appears that we aren’t welcome. Hotaru warily noted. In her spiritual sight, she could see red flames hidden within the fog. They were huddled by the ground, shifting every so often, and only crept forwards when they progressed along the path.
“Hotaru...”
“Don’t worry. I sense them... Just ignore them and keep walking.” However, their peculiar behaviour did fuel the annoyance that she felt.
That’s odd...Why haven’t they attacked yet? The path that we’re walking on is fairly narrow, so if they were planning on ambushing us, then this would be the perfect opportunity. She narrowed her eyes. Unless...
To their surprise, the presences hadn’t interfered with them even as they approached the gates. It appeared that there was a palace here. However, there were still no visible signs of life.
Their footsteps grew louder as they stepped off of the dirt path and walked onto the cement, tiled flooring.
Tup…tup…tup…
Tup…tup…
“Hotaru, can I ask you something?” Usagi whispered nervously.
“Yes?”
“What if… Suppose that the people of Earth are our people. What should we do if they don’t recognize us?”
What if they reject us?
“If they do not recognize us, then we will merely present ourselves as we are.” She replied simply.
“What? Just like that...?”
They past the towering, black gates and came to a stop within the palace courtyard. To their surprise, it hardly looked any different. As it had been in the outer world beyond the palace, it was within its inner walls; the place was dry, lifeless, and filled with the same accursed fog. It was as though they had never left the winding path and it unnerved Hotaru. The soldier of destruction found this scenery all too familiar: Majestic structures without any people to inhabit them. However, that wasn’t entirely the case and that was precisely why it angered sparked her ire.
“They’re getting closer,” Usagi nervously commented. She knew that Hotaru felt it as well. The energy signatures that had stalked them thus far had followed them right into the palace and were continuing to slowly close in. Judging from their surroundings, Hotaru would have bet her life that they were hiding behind the marble pillars along the borders of the court yard.
They must think that they are rather clever, thinking that they can camouflage themselves without detection. It makes me wonder... Do they greet all of their visitors in this manner? They do not know who we are and yet they choose to hide instead of inquiring. To think that these people may be ours... to have fallen this far…
How cowardly.
“Enough of this nonsense! Show yourselves!” Hotaru demanded.
The tense atmosphere was suddenly broken by visible signs of movement through the fog. Usagi stepped nearer to her sister as a number of soldiers stepped out into the open (as predicted they were hiding behind the pillars). Many of them were clothed in battle armor and wore disbelieving faces; was it that strange that the unidentified intruders were a pair of women?
Hotaru turned her cold stare to those who already held a weapon in their hands. The sight of the swords and spears, the very thought of them attacking Usagi with murderous intent nearly made her blood boil. Angry, resentment and rage—it was like a trail of fire within her that raked down into the depths of her soul and threatened to flick a forbidden switch inside. Hotaru’s face darkened and instinctively the restraints on her powers weakened. Her aura began to seep out. It coiled around her body like a black mist and began to pulse as if it were imitating a heartbeat. But in the eyes of Earth’s soldiers the rising spiritual flames resembled something of untamed beast that was barely restrained by its master. Waves of fear coursed throughout the area.
“H-Hotaru…?” The darkness was so strong that even Usagi almost stepped back in uncertainty.
If you touch her…I will not forgive you!
“W-What the hell is that?! Am I seeing things?!” One soldier yelped.
“You idiot! W-Who needs to see? Can’t you just feel that evil energy?!” His captain spat back.
…If you harm her…
A group of men dared to meet Hotaru’s furious eyes and gulped at the sight; they were narrowed and were glowing with an unnatural pinkish-red light. Fear drew them into a tempting embrace, and spoke of frightened impulses. Those who hadn’t drawn their weapons yet instinctively fumbled for their blades now, while those who had met Hotaru’s gaze straight on dared to rid themselves of this presence.
“It’s a monster! Take it out! HaaaaaAAAAAH!” The Captain and two others charged.
Hotaru’s eyes glinted menacingly and a spark of purple lightning surged up around her as they closed the distance.
“No, don’t do it!” Usagi cried out.
At the very same instant, another voice bellowed, “HALT!”
The charging forces nearly tripped over themselves at the voice and Hotaru, who had been so close to unleashing her power, blinked back and snapped out of her trance. The energy around the woman calmed down somewhat, but she still hadn’t dropped her guard. Both restless parties then turned their attention towards the presence standing at the palace entrance. There was a young, black-haired man standing there; his black armor differed from the soldiers surrounding the pair and was noticeably more decorated than the Captain’s, but the most defining feature about him, to Hotaru at least, was that he was the only one with his sword not yet drawn.
“Your Majesty! Please, you shouldn’t be out here! It’s too dangerous!” One of his subordinates protested.
The man raised his hand to the soldiers for silence and then calmly regarded Hotaru with his dark eyes. They both stared at one another in silence.
“...”
I had felt an unusually strong presence, and came to investigate it myself. However…I hadn’t expected to find the source of it to be from these two, young women. None of them look familiar, yet they both carry a strange aura to them.
Who are they?
“Please forgive my men for their rudeness. I understand how you may feel for our earlier behaviour but please, they were simply following guard policies. It is unnecessary for there to be bloodshed. If you have some business to discuss with Earth, then I am the one to speak with.”
The light in Hotaru’s eyes dimmed as she finally withdrew her aura, an action that brought her twin to sigh in relief.
“I see.” She said, finding herself somewhat calmer now. “Then may I ask who I am speaking to?”
The soldiers around them appeared to balk at her ignorance, but their representative didn’t appear perturbed in the least.
“I am King Endymion, ruler of Earth. Now, if you would not mind, would you please introduce yourselves and tell us who you and your companion might be?”
“Who I am is not important. However,” She said as she turned to face him, “the woman behind me is the rightful ruler to the Moon Kingdom!”
“The Moon Kingdom?!” Several others exclaimed.
Hotaru?! Usagi couldn’t believe how bold her sibling was being. Now, as a result, everyone was whispering. They were staring. The blonde woman felt like she was about to be sick, especially under the scrutinizing gaze of their leader; King Endymion’s eyes had darkened and become stormy. His regal appearance was no longer as welcoming as it had been before this declaration.
“…The Moon Kingdom… was destroyed centuries ago.” He finally replied. “As is it recorded in the history books, one day a black night descended upon our homeland and swallowed everything! Those who had remained there, family, friends… and the kind Queen Serenity and her entire family… they had all perished. We would have too, if not for the experimental migration to Earth before the incident.”
So, Setsuna was right. The people of Earth are actually descended from people of the Moon. Hotaru confirmed.
“Now, from out of nowhere, you strangers have shown up and expect us to believe that one of you is the heir of Queen Serenity? It is a serious claim!”
“Indeed. However, there appears to be something that you have forgotten.” She saw the King narrow his eyes.
“And that would be?”
“If the entire royal family had truly perished on that day, then would you not be something more?”
Lubb Dubb
“Such insolence!” The Captain growled.
“No, let her speak! I will hear her out...” Endymion silenced him. Now his interest had been piqued. “Please, continue…”
“King Endymion... although you claim to be a ruler, you are still human. It is known that if one can defeat a God or Goddess in contention for the throne, they will inherit their power and become a God themselves. The same could also be said that, if an accident has occurred, by default the God’s power will be passed down to their heir, and if not the heir, then another individual worthy of the power. Since it appears that the people of Earth follow you as their ruler, there is little doubt that you have strength… But… can you honestly say that your strength rivals that of a God? If neither you nor any other individual amongst your people possesses Her former Majesty, Queen Serenity’s power then where has it gone?”
For once, doubt began to flicker in the King’s eyes.
“I understand that much time has passed since the Moon Kingdom’s destruction, however…should I remind you that Gods do not age? What I speak of is the truth.” Hotaru calmly pressed. Their eyes met and the tension between them wavered; after what he had seen and heard so far, Endymion was starting to re-think this.
Could it really be true? Their powers, from what I have felt earlier… There’s no doubt about it. At the very least, that one was enormous! But she said that the rightful heir was the woman behind her? Then...does she mean to say that her power is even greater than hers?
“Hmph, get real!” The Captain mocked from the sidelines. “Even if there was a one in a million chance that one of the heirs had survived, why would you show your face now? But more importantly…why would she be prancing around with the likes of you?!”
Usagi gasped, but this time Hotaru resisted the urge to turn the disrespectful dog into a scorch mark on the floor; since she had learned of her people’s fate from Setsuna she had anticipated this-- this confrontation that had once dragged her nights of peaceful slumber into the depths of Hell. Though it was true that she had lost some of her calm earlier, she could think clearly again. Everything about her challenger, the man’s eyes-- the disgust and anger swimming in those dark pools were exactly as she had imagined them to be. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t directly influenced his life or that he hadn’t been one of her slain victims; despite the resignation of her former identity Hotaru still felt a weak connection that bound her to her people. That alone almost saddened her. In another life, he would have been one amongst thousands who would have sought her protection.
“That dark aura you emit and you’re eyes! They’re the eyes of a killer! If anything, you must be a demon disguised in human form! There’s no chance in hell that someone as pure as an heir of the Moon would be in the presence of such a monster!” He spat.
“She’s not a monster!” Usagi protested. “Hotaru is a good person--!!”
“Usagi.” Hotaru raised a hand to her sibling for silence. The man hadn’t quite finished yet.
“If you want to live, then you better take your miserable hides’ and go! If not, we’ll kill you imposters on the spot! Or better yet... maybe we should do just that and do the whole solar system and rid it of your monstrous existences! Hahaha...and maybe His Highness will become a God if we kill you! Rules are rules, right? Isn’t that right, Sir?!”
King Endymion said nothing, a silence that his guards took as consent, and the soldiers prepared themselves to attack. All the while his stormy eyes became trained on Usagi, who in turn was anxiously watching her sister.
Is there going to be a fight? The blonde woman wondered.
“You’re right… I was a monster.” Hotaru muttered as she lifted her hand up and peered at her palm. “Because… the one who destroyed the Moon Kingdom... was me!”
“Hotaru?!”
The initial shock was brief, but soon many of the surrounding faces became contorted in hideous rage.
“GET THEM!” The Captain commanded. They were surrounded. “Demons! We’ll slaughter the both of you!”
What’s the point in hiding it? I am a monster, a murderer… Hotaru mused. She remained motionless against the closing footsteps. The roar of clanking metal drew furiously nearer, yet this time she resisted the urge to call upon her aura for protection. She listlessly continued to stare at her palm with a shadow over her eyes.
Before I knew it, I was starting to call upon that power again. It’s too dangerous. She still remembered the way Usagi shouted at her to stop. I almost couldn’t control it. That’s why... I won’t.
Tup! Tup! Tup! Tup!
Clank! Clank! Clank!
Clank!
What are you doing?! Usagi wanted to scream, but she couldn’t find her voice. Things were moving too fast. Why aren’t you doing anything?
Tup!
Tup! Tup! Tup!
Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank!
Move! Do something!
Swords and spears were drawn back, posed to skewer.
“HOTAAAAAARU!”
Ping!
FLAAAAAAAAAASH!
A golden crescent moon appeared on Usagi’s forehead and a white light flooded into the area. The guards were taken aback by its brightness and, as if time itself had been bewitched, their blades slowed.
Standing amongst the sea of white, Hotaru idly watched as her attacker’s movements nearly came to a standstill. Inch by inch the blades agonizingly approached her presence, completely oblivious that the woman was stirring between the distinct heartbeats.
“However…”
A spark ignited within the palm of her hand and a solid blade began to materialize.
…For Usagi…
Slash! Slash!
Slash! Slash!
Clank--- Tiiiiiiiiiiing!
In a blink of an eye the soldiers’ weapons had been dismembered and fell to the ground in a heap--destroyed--much like their shattered pride. The rash captain who had ordered the attack fell to his knees along with his broken blade in complete dismay.
“WHAT?!?!” He gawked. “No, my sword! She…she cut it clean into two?! AHHHH!!!! N-No, stay back!”
Hotaru hovered over him, her shadow casting itself over his trembling frame with her silence glaive tightly gripped within one of her skilled hands. No one could move; no one could believe the speed and power that they had just witnessed. Not only had their prime target effortlessly disarmed them but her companion behind her was blazing with a Godly light. The white flames were powerful, yet warm and gentle all at once. Her presence greatly contrasted to that of the other; it was as if they were staring at the mirror images of two extremes, both standing side by side. It was unlike anything the soldiers or King Endymion had ever witnessed.
The crescent moon on her forehead… The King’s eyes were drawn to it. But the other woman, she claims to be the one who brought about our homeland’s destruction? If that’s true...then why are they together?
I don’t understand.
“Please stop! We--We have not come here to fight!” Usagi insisted. Her aura and the crescent moon faded. “We’ve only come here to negotiate! King Endymion of Earth, please believe us!”
Endymion met her blue eyes, and found himself sighing inwardly. Either way, there wasn’t much choice. He, too, was also very curious to learn what he could from these strangers.
“...Very well. I will hear your story inside. Please, if you would... Come this way.” He gestured.
Usagi hesitantly made a few steps after the royal. The stares she was receiving from the unarmed soldiers were absent of the malice she had sensed earlier but it still made her squirmed inside. What did they think of her now? These people, her people…
“Good job Usagi. It looks like you got through to him.” Hotaru dismissed her weapon and went to catch up with her sibling. “But that power you used just now...What was that?”
“I...I don’t know.” She silently confessed. “I’m not really sure myself. When I saw you being attacked, before I knew it...I felt this burst of power inside of me.”
Hotaru thought back to how she felt when the light sprayed against her. She could never forget that familiar sensation even if she lived for another few centuries.
There was only one other time that I felt a light like that. Many centuries ago... In her mother’s final moments, she still remembered the way she looked at her when she died.
I think...we finally found out where Mother’s hidden power went.
“I wouldn’t worry about it.” Hotaru smiled. “It’s a good power.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded back. “You saved me, didn’t you? Doesn’t that count for something?”
“Hah...Well, I really didn’t do anything. You did most of the work.” She nervously scratched her cheek, but she was still happy for the praise nevertheless. “But...What about King Endymion?”
“What about him?”
“After we tell him our story... Do you think he’ll really believe us? What he doesn’t?”
“Then at least we’ve tried. As you already know, Usagi, it is best to be honest. We will tell him our story and then present our request to him. If he refuses to help us then we will leave. It is as simple as that.”
“Hmm...I hope you’re right.”
(Mars, Rei)
Rei was standing in front of the window of her shuttle room. Outside of the glass she could see her home, the blood-red planet, in plain view. One would think that she would be glad to return home after such a long and tiring journey, but, in truth, inside Rei felt downright ill. The calm demeanour she had put up for Minako’s sake back on the Moon was gone and was replaced by a grave expression.
She couldn’t get Haruka and Setsuna’s words out of her head.
“Uranus is right. It is a tradition amongst the planets that the ruler can only be one of God or Goddess rank...and one cannot achieve such a rank if they cannot find or defeat the current ruler.”
“Wha—But Rei! Becoming a God is a really big deal! And besides, if you want to become the ruler, you have to...!”
They had both said that... because,
“If that is the only thing holding us back...Then I will try for permanent leadership!”
Rei sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. The whole situation was beginning to make her head hurt. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was how Setsuna sometimes felt.
...What kind of sticky situation have I gotten myself into now? She thought to herself. If it had been anyone else, she might have actually laughed at the irony of it all.
I know that only a God can be a planet’s ruler. And I know that the only way to become a ruler is to defeat the current God or Goddess but...even though I said that I’d become Mars’s ruler, I don’t have any time to find him. This means that in order to grant Setsuna’s request, and gain the manpower that we need I have to tell the soldiers that I intend to become the next ruler without going through the proper trials. What I’d be doing is treason, and treason is punishable by death.
She thought about the case of her first officer. What he had been requesting back then was treason, the very same that she was intending to do, and she could have had him killed without fear of retribution. She knew that was why Haruka was upset with her earlier during the meeting. The very notion was essentially suicide for someone like her.
Just because I’m their commander it doesn’t mean that I’m excused from the law. Very likely...the moment I tell them, there’ll be a fight.
A fight to the death!
There’s just no other way. I could use my authority as the acting ruler and command them to follow me into the war and they would do it, but Ares is now our enemy. If we ran into him on the battlefield things would get complicated. Between choosing to follow the God of War or a human girl...there’s no competition. After all, Zen wasn’t his only fanboy. There were many others in the ranks that continued to praise and worship Ares even after I became the substitute leader. For awhile, I really hated it. Every order that I gave out, they did it on Ares’s behalf. It didn’t matter what I did. They always compared me to him, even after he was gone. So if we met him on the battlefield, and if my soldiers betray us, then our forces would be trouble.
But...at the same time I can’t do nothing. Everyone is depending on me. Somehow I need to find a way to convince them to follow me.
The shuttle lights flashed overhead.
“It looks like we’re landing...” Rei muttered and then peered out the window again. The uneasiness in her stomach intensified. It was so bad that she was tempted to call Minako, but she was sure that the other woman was dealing with problems of her own at that moment.
Ares...I wondered if he really intended to make me his heir or if he did it just for kicks. Because the moment he taught me this ‘power’...
Rei heard the overhead intercom inform the woman that they had docked near the Ram Palace. She stood and moved for the door.
...He sentenced me to death.
(Courtyard, Rei)
Rei stepped out of the shuttle to find the courtyard empty. She peered around in confusion.
“That’s strange...” I told Zen that I would be coming back today... Where is he? If her first officer was too busy to greet her, then he should have sent someone else in his stead. Or at the very least, she expected Nozomi to greet her. However, Rei had a funny feeling that this wasn’t a simple matter of forgetfulness. Something was wrong.
The Commander walked into the palace and eventually arrived at the great doors that bore Mar’s insignia. Without hesitation, she threw them open. Inside, she found her first officer, Zen, and an unusually large number of soldiers in full gear awaiting her arrival. The man was holding the royal Martian sword; the very one she had given to him for safe keeping while they were on Uranus.
That’s strange… She scanned the faces. All of the people here are squad captains. If they were going to greet me, then why didn’t they come outside and do it?
“Zen.”
“Welcome back Sir Rei. We’ve been expecting you.”
His attitude was polite enough, but Rei wasn’t quite convinced. “Why are all of the squad captains here? Aren’t all of you supposed to be carrying out your training sessions for the day?”
“...Well...We all missed you so much that I couldn’t keep them away. Besides, there was something that we all wanted to ask you.” He saw the woman narrow her eyes. “Why did you decide to come back? You were gone for quite some time, so we were wondering what might have happened to you. Did you come back for...this?”
“That’s ridiculous.” Rei retorted. “I didn’t come back here for some sword.”
“Then why are you here?” There was a strange light in his eyes as he asked this.
Rei took a deep breath. She was never more aware of the sword sheathed against her side. This was now or never.
“I have come to claim the throne... as the new ruler of Mars!”
There was an uneasy silence that fell over the room as the words left her mouth. However, Zen hardly batted an eye at the declaration.
“Commander... Do you understand what you’re saying? If you truly intend to do this, then you must defeat Ares in a match. Otherwise, it would be considered as treason. Even you would not be exempted from the law.”
His words irked the woman. Yeah, like you’re one to talk! Weren’t you the one who wanted me to take over in the first place?
“If you haven’t noticed, Ares has been away for some time now. I hate to break it to all of you, but he isn’t coming back! He isn’t the same ruler that you all knew! Listen, at this very moment, there is a war going on. A war that is even bigger than the invasion of Uranus! And Ares is the enemy. If you encounter him on the battlefield he would kill all of you without a second’s hesitation.”
“Is that so? And you think you’re suddenly entitled to become the new ruler because of this? Why should we follow you? You know, even if you self-proclaim yourself to be the ruler, you won’t become a God. You won’t suddenly have his power.”
Her answer was about to surprise her subordinate.
“I don’t need it.” She said. “I’m already more than powerful enough to lead!”
“Then prove IT!”
Zen lifted up the Martian sword and charged forward at his Commander. Rei calmly watched him close the distance and stepped back as he swung down. Zen kept swinging hard at the woman, but Rei seemed to be dodging each other the strike with considerable ease.
“Hah! Hah! HAH!”
Slash—
Slash—
“...Hah!” He swung down but this time Rei countered. She booted the sword straight out of his hands, making him turn his head to watch it slid across the room in shock. He was about to be more shocked when she shoved a hand in his face. There was a dangerous red energy crackling in her palm.
Zen’s eyes widened and she could clearly see the fear in his eyes.
“I don’t have time for this.”
“Huh--”
CRACKLE!
BAM!
“GaHH!!” Zen was catapulted across the room and hit the room. As Rei began to walk over to the man, she could hear the squad captains whispering to one another.
“Did you see that?”
“She took him down so fast, and without even drawing her sword...”
“And that’s supposed to be the number one medic?”
“...What a joke.”
“If I seem to recall...there was one other rule on Mars that was held above all else,” Their commander said as she passed by the Martian sword and came to stop in front of him. He shuddered when their dark eyes met. “Strength is everything.” She looked up and peered around the room with a piercing gaze. “Is there anyone else who thinks I need to prove myself?”
Her question was met by silence.
“Let me make something clear. I could beat all of you in this room, and the entire Martian army but that won’t stop Ares! Now, the choice is simple. Do you all want to live, or will you let yourselves be destroyed?”
Rei thought she heard a sound from the floor, and turned her attention to her first officer. “What?”
“Geh...K-Kill me.” He struggled up onto his knees but remained bowed low. Rei turned around to face him. “...You’ve won. I’ve disgraced myself and my rank, so just end it. All I can ask is that you make it quick.”
“Why should I kill you?”
“Because, it’s exactly what Sir Ares would--”
“I’m not Ares.” Rei said firmly. Her words were met by shocked gazes from everyone in the room. With utmost seriousness in her eyes, she then added, “I’m better.”
For a moment, no one said anything. In one of the rows of soldiers, one of the men looked to his commander and then briefly glanced around at his comrades. There were serious looks on their faces, but no one was doing anything. A little nervous, the man then stepped forward. All eyes were on him as he approached the woman. When he began to draw his sword out, some of his comrades gasped and gaped as this display of brazen courage. That or he was a downright fool; if the top medic was defeated in less than fifteen seconds, then someone of their rank had no chance.
Rei steadily stared the man down as he continued to hold his sword up against her. When it felt like a fight was about to erupt, the soldier suddenly lowered his arms and dropped his sword to the floor in front of her.
Clink.
The other soldiers looked around at each other. Soon another followed up and also dropped their sword in front of her, and then another. Eventually all of them had offered their swords to her.
Rei turned her head when she felt a tap at her shoulder. Zen had gotten up sometime during the display and had retrieved the Martian sword. To the woman’s amazement, the man got down on one knee and offered the sword up.
“I believe this is yours...Your Majesty...”
Without hesitation, she reached out and took it.
(Sometime later)
After the squad captains had left, Rei and Zen were left alone in the throne room. Rei had fallen quiet in deep thought. The Martian sword was lying to one side of her, while Zen was sitting to the other side.
“You know, I knew you could do it.”
“What?” Rei shot him a look. When she saw the happy smile on his face, she had to ask, “You don’t mean... you were trying to get on my nerves on purpose, were you?”
“It was pretty good, wasn’t it?”
“You idiot! I could have killed you! What, with the way you were begging like that...”
“Yes, and I’m very grateful you didn’t. But you know I was able to do it because I knew that you wouldn’t.” This earned an annoyed expression from the woman. “You could have killed me a long time ago, but you didn’t, even though you had every right to. In any case, I think you’d make a great ruler...Your Highness.”
You were right. Strength used to mean everything on Mars. But, did you know that it wasn’t the reason why they continued to follow you...?
The former Commander sighed. “Please. Your sentimentality is killing me Zen...”
“Ahahaha!! Well, that won’t do! You just became a ruler! So, what’s going to be your first command?”
Creeeeeeak.
The doors to the throne room suddenly opened and revealed Nozomi looking a little out of breath. The girl caught sight of the first officer and looked positively livid.
“You!” She marched up to Zen, grabbed him by the collar of his armor and began to shake him vigorously. “You. Stupid. IDIOT!!!!!! What in the Mars were you thinking?! I’m surprised that you’re actually still alive! And for locking me up like that ooh!! I’m going to make you wish you were dead! Oh, and hi Sir Rei.”
“A-A-A-ct—ual-ly...she’s the r-ruler now...”
“What?” She girl stopped shaking him, and then shot Rei a questioning look. “So...what does that mean?”
A thought suddenly came to the Martian, and her lips curved up into a smirk.
“...Babysitting.” Rei finally said at last. Zen’s eyes widened at the implication.
“No...Oh no! You can’t mean that!”
“Ta ta...Have fun you two.”
“W-Wait! Sir Rei! Your Majesty!” He was stopped when Nozomi dragged him down to look her in the eye.
As Rei walked out of the throne room, she could hear Zen’s girly screams all the way down the corridor. She didn’t know why, but for some reason she was in a good mood today.
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