Chapter 3: No Holds Barred

Okay, simple enough. Concentrate on the target. Pull back this little string, and... Thwack! The sound was dull in the silence of the room. Two figures occupied a small amount of space upon its marble floor. The blonde stood tall, staring at one of three targets that were positioned about thirty feet from her. She eyed it critically, wondering where she'd went wrong. She'd been aiming for the red circle in the middle, but had went amiss, barely hitting the target itself at all. She felt someone come up beside her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Rei also looking at the target. Minako couldn't imagine what she was thinking, she hid it so well. But why hide it?

"You are too tense, Minako." She stated, handing the blonde another arrow from the quiver that was slung over one shoulder. "Relax, and take your time. Have you anywhere else to be right now?"

Minako sighed, "No. I don't."

Rei's smooth voice went on. "Then there is no reason for impatience. Breath evenly and clear your mind. This should not be a chore."

"You say so, but..." Minako took the stance that Rei had shown her earlier, and pulled the string of the bow. She held it for a few seconds before finally letting the arrow loose. The same thwack sounded, and this time, it was at the bottom of the target. Minako gave a frustrated grunt and held out a hand for another arrow.

Instead of receiving another arrow, however, she felt Rei move close behind her and the bow she carried suddenly became lighter. Rei held one hand over her's on the bow and brought her other hand to Minako's, letting the arrow fall into her grip. Minako could hardly breath as Rei's arms brought her own up, settling into the stance once again. They stood straight, Rei's arms against her own, both of them holding the bow and arrow together. "Now, relax." Rei's breath was warm against her ear, making her shiver in delight. She could feel Rei's skin, her whole body pressed against her so closely. It was almost intimate the way Rei held her, it was like an embrace. Her mind did clear, of all thoughts but the person with her. Rei's scent filled her head, intoxicating her, making her lean into the other woman.

A low laugh sounded in her ear. "I said relax. Not fall asleep." Minako straightened a bit, liking the sound of that laugh so close to her ear. As she pulled the string taught, so did Rei, adjusting her stance slightly as she did so. "Hold your arm straight, like this."

"Mhm." Minako managed. Unlike the first few times, she held the string longer. Watching the target at the end of the range, not really caring if she ever hit it. She wanted to stay like this forever. However, she wasn't so sure if she could stay like this without going mad. If she stayed in Rei's embrace much longer she might try something that she would surely regret later. So, it was with a sorrowful heart that she let the arrow fly. Again, that sound, but this time she looked on in awe. The arrow was in the center of the target, right where it belonged. "Wow." She breathed.

Rei's arms were now down around her waste, where she had lowered them with the bow. Minako felt them move up slightly, and this time, she felt a real embrace. Firmer, strong arms held her around her stomach, bringing her closer, if at all possible, to Rei. She felt her breath catch in her throat. "Good job, Minako." Rei's voice was even closer. "I knew that you could do it."

Minako's heart raced, she knew she was blushing, and she could think of so many good reasons to spin around in this embrace and catch Rei's lips with her own. She wanted her.

"HEY! Minako!" A voice penetrated the thick fog of Minako's desire-addled brain, bringing her crashing back to reality. A voice that she would have normally welcomed, she found herself mentally cursing. Rei withdrew most abruptly from Minako, walking away toward the target at the end of the range. Minako looked after Rei with longing in her eyes. What was about to happen there?

"Minako, you done in here? If so, come on, there's something I gotta show you. You'll love it!" Makoto was now beside her, excitement written across her flushed features. She had ran here, obviously, and found something so important that she had to show her now of all times. But really, what was wrong with now? It wasn't like she had anything planned. It was just some archery practice, that had developed out of a whim. Merely, she had walked in on Rei practicing and found the display fascinating. Makoto had become bored with it earlier on and opted to take her day outside, finding more physical entertainment, or something like that, she hadn't been clear. She rarely was.

"Makoto, what's got you so worked up? Did you do something to Usagi again?" Minako asked curiously.

"Na, she's not in the Palace today, remember. Anyway, it's something that I'd totally forgotten about. I just remembered when...well, a little while ago." Grabbing Minako's hand, Makoto didn't wait for an answer. Minako glanced back at Rei as they left and found her watching them with an expressionless face. When their eyes met, Rei looked away. Minako frowned.

"Oh, and Rei, you can come too. You know what I'm talking about. Hurry up!" Makoto called back, right before they left. Minako did not hear Rei answer, and wondered if something was wrong. Soon, however, she was being pulled down hallway after hallway, in what seemed to be a downward direction. They descended stairways and went through doors that Minako didn't even know existed. At one point she was about to tell Makoto to give her a break, that she couldn't go on for much longer, but that's when they came to a stop. Makoto let go of her hand and motioned for her to follow. They made their way down one last stairway. In this one the climate and temperature changed as they went down and became warmer. When they reached the bottom, Minako was surprised to find that they emerged into a tunnel, one that had not been made by any architect. They followed the dark tunnel, leading downward once again. When finally they came to the end, it opened up into a large cavern. Minako gasped in delight at the sight of it.

"Amazing," she exclaimed happily. It was some sort of underground spring, and it was huge. Unlike the tunnel through which they had come, this room was manipulated with walkways and statues, adding to its beauty. The walls were left in their natural state, but the ceiling was high and tiled over with depictions of various celestial bodies. Statues of beasts and beautiful men and women were positioned in alcoves in the walls just below the ceiling and in certain places around and in the springs that filled the vast room. It looked like a place that you could explore to no end. There were paths between springs and even more tunnels led from the room that they were in. Gold lights glowed around them, emanating from crystals about the springs. They gave the room a mysterious and romantic glow. To call it a room was sounding wrong in Minako's mind. They had taken a cavern and manipulated into a huge bath! It was magnificent. She looked over at Makoto, who was studying her with a smile on her face.

"Like it?" She asked.

Minako nodded hastily. "It's just, I don't have the words. Why isn't there anyone down here? Who would have thought that such a place existed below the Palace!"

Makoto shrugged. "There aren't many who know about this place. It was a creation of Mercurian architects, and some Neptunian and Venusian artists. Once, it was abuzz with life and people came here regularly, but people just don't want to enjoy life anymore. I can't understand why. They're so stuffy, all of the residents of the Palace. They're worried about a coming war, about the end of peace. It's sad really." Makoto walked to the edge of a nearby spring. "I used to come here a lot when I first arrived on the Moon. I found it one day when I was being nosey." She paused and put one finger to her chin in thought. "Actually, that's a lie, I was trying to find a good hiding place after I'd slipped a frog into Usagi's bed."

Minako giggled. "Well, now both of us know about this place, right? It can be all ours! Who wants a bunch of people crowding it anyway?"

Makoto nodded. "Exactly. This way, we can do whatever we want down here." Makoto grinned and jumped headfirst into the hot spring.

Minako burst into laughter. "Makoto! You still have your clothes on." She laughed some more as Makoto resurfaced. Minako moved to sit down at the edge of the spring, letting her legs slide into the water, but nothing more.

"Fine then." Makoto shouted, laughing along with her. She came to a shallower part of the pool and took her tunic from the bottom, peeling it upward in one swift motion. Then it was off and flung to the side of the spring. Minako was finding it harder to laugh now, as she watched Makoto, now shirtless, struggle with the buckle of her belt, and finally pulling it free, it joined her shirt on the side of the spring. She bent to remove her pants, and Minako told herself to look away. Tried to ignore the beautiful woman, and not let her hungry eyes devour the sight before her. Her naked body, tan as it was, looked as if it were glowing gold in the light of the room. Minako swallowed, knowing that she was staring at the brunette, who seemed unaware of her attention. Makoto's auburn hair clung to her skin, the muscles beneath that skin highlighted, bringing out the magnificence of her form. Minako saw the results of hard training in Makoto's powerful, firm body. A feeling ignited within Minako in that moment, and she knew that if Makoto looked at her now, she would see desire in the blonde's eyes, unrestrained lust. Minako should have been ashamed of wanting her friend in such a way, to look at her in the way she was looking at her now, but she couldn't help it. Now, she understood those women that she envied. This is what they wanted.

Makoto looked up, meeting her eyes, and Minako looked down, breaking the contact quickly. She heard a splashing noise, and brought her eyes up to find Makoto nowhere in sight. She sat in silence for a few moments, wondering what the brunette was up to, her breathing still a bit ragged. It didn't help that it was already warm in here, and her condition was adding to that warmth.

She jumped a bit when Makoto finally surfaced from the water, right in front of her. Much too close in Minako's opinion. Makoto came even closer to the blonde, her smile not changing. Minako couldn't tell what kind of expression she herself might be wearing, nor did she much care at the moment. All she knew was that when Makoto slid close, as she was now, letting her arms brush against Minako's bear legs, her senses exploded. She felt Makoto rest her arms upon the tops of her thighs. Minako felt feint as Makoto moved even closer, rising slightly out of the water. She looked down into emerald eyes that seemed to be laughing at her, and wanted so badly to lean closer as well. Makoto stopped moving, though, and just looked at Minako, almost like she was teasing her. "The water's nice and warm, wanna come in?" The invitation was irresistible, and Minako found that she could think of nothing better than to shed her own clothing and join Makoto in the steamy water. Just as she found herself leaning forward, however, her mind registered another presence in the room. She didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. Makoto pushed away from the side of the pool and back into the water, laughing as she did so.

"I would be careful if I were you, Minako. The trickster there may just pull you under." Rei's voice, as expected, came from behind her.

"I'm a big girl, Rei. I can take care of myself." She smiled back at Rei, who just arched one eyebrow and walked to stand beside her. She looked down at Minako and then out across the pool. Makoto was nowhere to be seen. Rei knelt beside Minako, by the edge, as Minako looked into the water, wondering where Makoto had gotten to.

"For the guardian of Thunder, she is quite partial to water." Rei gazed at Minako, who finally looked up at her, thoughts of earlier returning to her mind. Rei was, as always, calm and collected, not showing any signs that she was concerned about the compromising position that she had found them in. Minako didn't know why, but she felt slightly hurt by this fact. She looked back down into the water, and away from those serene violet eyes.

"When I first met Makoto, about two and half years ago now, she was soaked in water. I swear, she is very strange. I used to wonder why people were so fascinated by her." Minako could feel Rei's eyes on her as she talked. "But now, now that I understand,...I sometimes wish that I could be more like her."

Minako didn't know what to say, or how to respond to such a confession, so she just sat, dumbstruck, staring at the water. Rei didn't move, nor did she, they sat in silence. The silence was short lived though as a large shape exploded from the water in front of them, sending Minako scampering backwards in surprise. Rei, who had not moved in time, now sat with water dripping off of her and an annoyed expression on her face. Makoto had her arms around Rei's shoulders, laughing heartily.

"Come on Rei! The water's great!" She then grabbed hold of the front of Rei's red vest, pulling her fully into the water with a huge splash that managed to get Minako a bit wet too. She could still hear Makoto laughing, and she smiled when she saw Rei stand slowly in the shallow water. Rei leaned her head back, bringing her hair out of her face with both hands.

"You are so childish." Rei glared at Makoto, but soon a small smile crept onto her features. "If you thought that I needed a bath, then you could have just told me." She started to unbutton her vest. "I mean, I knew that you needed one."

"When your offensive aura turns to a more hygiene oriented state, I'll be sure to tell you, don't worry."

Rei laughed lightly at that, continuing to disrobe. Minako stopped laughing all together and tried to calm herself. She just couldn't let Rei undress, she'd go mad, and that was certain.

"Don't take your clothes off, Rei," she said quickly. That sounded great Minako.

Rei stopped at her command and looked over at Makoto in question. Makoto shrugged, "A few minutes ago she couldn't wait for me to take mine off."

"Oh, don't make it sound so risqué, you know what I mean." Minako huffed.

Makoto shook her head. "She really needs to make up her mind. On or off!"

Rei replied by putting her hand atop Makoto's head and dunking her firmly under the water.

Minako laughed lightly, but Makoto's words seemed to strike her a bit deeper than they'd meant to. She took them to heart in a whole other context. Make up my mind...She looked between the two, who were now splashing water at each other violently and throwing friendly insults back and forth. It wasn't something so simple.

She watched Makoto a little closer. Maybe, just maybe, there was something there. She had almost compelled Minako into, into, well...she didn't know what she may have done, but it wasn't something that friends usually did. It was always Makoto who showed any remote sign that she may want to be something more than mere friends.

Later that night, the thoughts still plagued her. Today had by far been the largest display of any sort of affection from Makoto, and for that matter, Rei as well. Though, with Rei it was difficult to discern wether it was a want of true intimacy, or just a friendly congratulations. Maybe Minako had blown it out of proportion due to her own feelings. That had to be it. Rei would never be the one to make a move on Minako. That just wasn't Rei at all. Minako shook her head and rolled onto her side, her thoughts settling upon Makoto again. Those eyes. They had held more than playfulness. They were daring her. Wanting her to want, while laughing at her helplessness. So, did that mean that Makoto wanted her? Could it be? It was all so confusing.

Minako was impatient about it all. She needed someone. Someone to hold her and love her. Love. Her element. One that she had yet to master. She was told that it was a fickle thing to harness. There were so many things that could effect it. The feelings she herself held, being one of them. Her understanding of love was limited as well. How could you control something if you were not completely familiar with it? And what about mistaken love? And doesn't love change? Would she have to fall in Love to master her element, and what if she mistook something else for Love?

She just didn't know. She was too young yet to know. Where was this Love that she needed so badly? What path should she take to get to it? Then again, if she didn't know where she was going, wouldn't any path do?

- + - + - + - + - + - + -

He's still bothering her? What's wrong with that idiot? Makoto narrowed her eyes, looking across the expanse of the practice yard, toward one of the arch ways of the Palace. There, Minako leaned with her back against one of the white pillars, smiling in that beautiful way that only she could smile. Beside her, leaned a tall man with long pale hair, one arm lazily propped against the pillar over his head. He was talking to her lowly, and making small gestures with his free hand. Minako was only nodding and continuing to smile. Doesn't he see that she finds him boring.

At least, that was what Makoto was hoping. She found herself disliking the man more and more as the minutes passed. Minako had been resting from her own training, while Makoto continued a few matches with some of the more challenging opponents, though there were few who could come close to matching her strength and speed. The man had engaged Minako in conversation about twenty minutes ago, and Makoto was beginning to feel aggravated. She knew why, but she wouldn't admit it to anyone. She was jealous. She had no right to be, but that didn't change the fact that she was, and there wasn't a damn thing to do about it. Her irritation caused her to go a little rough on her current opponent, who did not last long at all. As the woman hit the ground, Makoto found herself glaring in the man's direction again.

Minako was laughing? Why? He was making her laugh. But I usually do that. Shit, I'm doing it again. Makoto had been having this battle with herself for the past few months now, ever since the day she took Minako to the underground hot springs. It had hit her hard that day, so hard that she'd almost broken a few of her own rules. The truth was, she wanted Minako. She wanted her more than anyone she'd ever met before now. Never had she considered pursuing someone until the day they'd met, and never had she believed that she might actually find Love. But was it Love? Minako was beautiful, kind, funny. She had all of the characteristics of the woman that Makoto had imagined she might Love. Still, she hesitated in approaching Minako. Her pride would not let her chase after a woman. Sure, she could flirt and taunt, but she'd never initiate anything further. Whenever a woman wanted Makoto, they came to her. Unless Minako wanted her, which Makoto was pretty sure the attraction was there, she would keep her distance and wait.

Makoto glared one last time at the man and then, noticing that she had no practice partner, she got an idea. Her mouth turned up in a smile as she walked a little closer to the Palace. "Hey, Minako!" She yelled, clearly cutting off what the man was saying. "How long were you planning on taking a break? Come on." She beckoned with a motion of her hand. Smiling slyly. She loved playing with the blonde.

Minako laughed. "I didn't know you missed me that much. Have I gotten so good that you're wanting to partner with me regularly now?"

"You should feel honored," Makoto replied arrogantly.

Minako said her goodbyes to the man and joined Makoto in her practice. The man's reaction to all this surprised Makoto a bit, for he had no negative reaction at all. He merely said goodbye and left, never once glaring in Makoto's direction. She felt somewhat annoyed and disappointed.

"Jealous?" Minako asked, seeing the direction in which Makoto was looking. "You've been glaring at Kunzite for the past half hour."

So that's his name, eh. Makoto threw her wooden practice sword to one side, and motioned that Minako should do the same. "I wasn't glaring."

"How about glowering or scowling then?" Minako threw her practice sword away as well, and took a defensive stance.

Makoto rolled her eyes. "Let's work on holds."

"Can't wait to get those arms around me huh?"

Makoto grinned and ran at Minako. The blonde managed to elude her first attempt, but was totally bewildered when, in the next instant, she found herself sitting on the ground with Makoto's legs firmly around her waste and her arms pinned behind her back. Makoto pressed forward against her back, causing several muscles to protest in pain.

"Who said anything about arms?" Came an amused voice next to her ear.

"What the hell kind of hold is this!" Minako protested.

"I just invented it," Makoto answered in a matter-o-fact tone.

"Well, it won't work."

"Oh, why not?"

Minako answered by lunging her head forward and then directly back, knocking against Makoto's right temple. Both women cursed in pain from the impact, but Makoto did not loose her grip on Minako.

"You have such a damn hard head!" Minako quipped.

"What the hell was that supposed to be?" Makoto grunted, resisting the urge to rub her right temple. She felt something warm crawling slowly down the skin there, but ignored it. "It'll take a lot more than that to get me to let go." Makoto adjusted her legs a bit, getting into a more comfortable position behind Minako. She had to admit that she liked having so much contact with the blonde.

"Okay, Makoto, I concede. You win." Minako sighed heavily, the sand on the ground stirring beneath her breath.

"That's no fun," Makoto frowned. "You really shouldn't give up so easily you know. It's more of a negative quality in a guardian."

"You sound like Luna, and it's late, that's why I'm conceding."

"Boooorring." Makoto teased.

"This has got to look weird," Minako said from beneath her blonde vale of hair.

"Yes, actually, it is a bit amusing," a voice answered, causing both women to freeze. It was Rei's voice. "Makoto, what happened to your forehead?"

About that time, Makoto noticed a red spot on Minako's back. She was just wondering what it was, when another spot joined it. Shit, I'm bleeding. Without thinking, she reached up to cover her temple. The second Minako felt her hand move away, she was pushing herself forward onto her hands and bringing her legs back from in front of her. In an amazing show of flexibility, she quickly clenched her legs around Makoto's neck before the brunette could react. By the time Makoto realized what was happening, she was lying on her side, head firmly held in place. It was hard to breath and she felt lightheaded, though through all this she couldn't help but have some more positive sensations run through her.

Someone coughed, it was Rei again. "Minako, I do believe that Makoto is bleeding. Excellent move though." Rei smiled softly.

Minako released the hold on her immediately, then suddenly she was hovering over Makoto. She had something in her hand, and was dabbing Makoto's forehead with it. "You should have said something, Makoto, you open your big mouth any other time. You can be so reckless sometimes." She dabbed some more before speaking again. "I'm sorry." She finally apologized.

"You should be," Makoto frowned, "I think I would have rather enjoyed having my head between your legs a little longer."

Minako rolled her eyes, "I hope you bleed to death," then threw the cloth she'd been using on Makoto's temple onto her grinning face. Minako rose, dusting herself off, then looking over at Rei, who was holding a wooden practice sword rather loosely in one hand, she found a welcome distraction.

Minako grinned. "Come on, let's see what you've got." Rei inclined her head in acceptance and followed Minako into the center of the yard.

Makoto lay there a little longer, thinking. She'd liked having Minako hover over her like that, those blue eyes filled with worry and concern. She felt like someone gave a damn about her well-being for the first time in a long while. Having someone take care of her like that. She didn't really know what it felt like. She'd always taken care of herself. She wanted Minako even more than ever now. She'd still wait, though. Things would change, and Minako would hopefully want her as well. She'd wait for Minako to come to her.

Continued...