Chapter 3- Mina

AN: So I'm not going to do Rei's background story. I think it will be uncovered enough throughout the rest of it that it's not necessary. Endymion's... well there is one sentence I would love to write and it needs a certain scene to write it, but the sentence isn't that spectacular. So I don't believe I will write his back story either. That means that so far after this chapter we're 5/9 characters finished with this world. I'm not sure I'll do back stories on the other one. Probably not. Also something that will probably come out enough through the rest of the story to suffice. (Also a good sequel option, or rather prequel.)

AN2:Procrastination Fairy asked about the names, why there is Raye, Endymion, Makoto, Amy, Mina and others, etc. The answer to that is, they're all of the same world, but they live far away from one another. I talk of cities in their views, big cities but those are the ones that are close to where they individually live. I will probably clarify a lot of this in the story later on, or throughout, but for now, its on purpose. (The way I chose the names however as to where they live is personal preference as Raye and Rei are so close to the same name, that I'm not really changing it. Same for Ami and Minako as Amy and Mina. Neither Darien nor Mamoru would have worked so Endymion it is. So glad that there's three names for him to chose from. Moon only has 2 really. So she's Serenity in this story, though on the options for characters I picked /Serena because she's got more of a mix of personality and she's not the princess.)

AN3: Also commented on was the fact that she's with all males... that's on purpose. You'll see. It's not that she doesn't have any female friends, just that, those are who she's surrounded by the most and its not a lot, only a few. She's still the Serena/ity you love, just a bit more mature as they're all a bit older.

Hers was a life of glamor. As much as Amy wanted her perfect world, she hated the spotlight and pressure to perform a certain way. She was very much capable of it, but she preferred sitting alone. Mina while similar in status was opposite in personality but the end results were the same. She thrived in the spotlight, even the negative one. Though she might be ready for a change as it got a little too negative.

She was not an innocent.

Far from it in fact. It was a rumor that had been started with a great deal of fact behind it that had started to cause Mina a headache. The fact that she never hid it or her personality didn't mean much. People were still shocked and appalled. The men started lining up at her door.

Her mother thought her daughter might have to submit herself to a madam and work a different street if this kept up. Especially as Mina seemed to be giving it for free. Mina didn't want all of those men and so when she started to refuse it started to get a little dicey.

Before this though, she had been innocent. She had fallen in love. This was not a story of woe and heartache. She had not fallen in love with the wrong man. He had not promised her a relationship cemented in stone by marriage to get her into bed. He did not leave her afterwards a ruined woman.

No, this was not that kind of story. She was never one to fit a mold or do something cliché. This was a story of her falling in love with a man and having an intimate relationship without the promise of more. The relationship dissolved on its own when she fell in love with another man and him another woman.

The relations she had with men following that was either from love or lust and dissolved on their own or an outside force peacefully breaking them up. A few were not quite as easily broke. The worst had been when she had fallen out of love with a man just because she had and he had asked her to marry him before she could break it off. He became obsessive and angry, demanding who she could love more than him, why she thought he wasn't good enough to marry but everything else was all right.

He'd gone so far as to call her a name that the women were using in secret.

None of this really mattered too much for Mina though. She was well versed in keeping men at bay and the women despite their talk, couldn't help but like Mina to her face. It was what was said behind her back that annoyed her the most. By the women and then the men who were trying to please them. Most of them were blatant untruths.

If things hadn't started getting a little hairy for Mina, if she hadn't been put-up with the backstabbing and small-mindedness of her town, she might never have thought of leaving.

Still, it wasn't all that bad. She was showered in riches. She was lavished with attention. She was popular and she knew it too. She was pampered and adored. There wasn't a man in town that hadn't wanted to get with her, just once, and there wasn't a woman who wouldn't kill to be her.

Mina had even set her sights for a man a little higher up than all the ones that were around her. One that could offer her something no one else here could.

That was, until she met another man.

This time it was one she wasn't interested in, though he was devastatingly gorgeous. He just wasn't her type but he did offer her something she couldn't not get from anyone else either. A chance to start over, become someone new. Remove herself from the whispers and chains of the people around her.

He also offered her uncomplicated friendship.

She remembered their meeting well. He had been followed in to town with a sea of girls like a harem but he only looked at one more than once. She had thought maybe those two had a thing for one another. She was watching from her balcony longing to meet them. They could be anyone and she wouldn't know what was truth and what was false.

Frankly, she didn't want to know. She kind of enjoyed the mystery about them.

Then he had looked up at her and their eyes had locked. This wasn't any kind of fairytale moment between them. He still seemed disinterested in her but there was also a curious look entering his features. He said something to the woman next to him, the one that rode at his shoulder rather than behind or in front like the other two. A clear give-away that he was important, she noted dimly, wondering how important. This other woman looked up and a smile slowly spread across her face and she said something back to him quickly and almost excitedly.

The other two took turns to look up at her. The one girl in front, she seemed entirely uninterested, looking up and then peering once more across the crowd in front of her.

When they requested an audience with her later that day, she told them that she would only accept one. The way they handled this would share with her exactly who they were and what they were after. This would tell her whether or not they were even worth her time in fantasy. Also tell her how much they knew about her and what they wanted.

They sent the man in. "I chose to come alone." He told her after he gestured to the chairs, she was about to offer the same thing so it was a little amusing to be beat to it. Then when she lifted an eyebrow, not in curiosity. He grinned at her charmingly. "Not for that. I believe that there is a future for you that is far greater than what you have right now."

"I am not getting married."

"I am not here for that either." His elbows were on the arms of his chair and he tented his fingers as he looked over them at her. "The set up we have is rather quite innocent in a way. I will never look at any of you that way and will never capitalize on anyone having feelings towards me in that way."

"You cannot promise that, for you've already broken it."

"All right, well I still will not have a relationship with any of you other than the formal and friendship. I am not allowed and I haven't found I am interested in except one case."

"I have seen that. There is something between you and the black haired one." Mina called him out on it. "I am curious to what you are talking about."

Endymion held her gaze for a long moment and he nodded. "All right. I shall speak frankly. I will not keep secrets from my comrades."

"It sounds like you're off to war."

"We have been every day." Endymion countered softly. There was no reason to be loud or tense. He wouldn't have been anyway. Too many people were so mysterious and that just caused problems in the end. He knew, was told, that he could trust these women and so he would. He would not put up a wall or hold back, but he would treat each of them how they needed to be individually. "I will not lie to you, this is tough, it is little to no sleep and you will have to fight. You will have to get dirty."

She laughed a throaty laugh and he could see where many men would pursue her. "Honey, that is not something I have any problem with."

"You will get bloody and you won't be scratch free." She had a shrug, but she she was listening intently. "I am looking for certain women to take on the calling, to be my arms in battle and help lead the good fight."

"Against who?"

"Against all that are not for peace. Who would harm innocents in their quests for control."

Mina nodded along with his words. "What does this have to do with me?"

"We need a free thinker like yourself. We need whatever skills you can bring. At first I thought it would just be women who were all battle hardened and ready to go to their deaths the moment I walked in a room. That has not been the case at all. You all have unique attributes and so far only half seem to have any kind of combat skills. I have not been able to choose the women who I will trust with my life, but I would have, had I caught onto the plan earlier. Though if you choose not to join, I cannot replace you and you might mean the difference between a win or a fail."

"Won't my history be a problem?"

"Nobody will judge you. You might not be the same, but you are who you are. There is not one that is among us that is perfect, but no one is horrible. You will like it, I think."

"I shall see, if I deem it necessary to have a showing with them. Now tell me more."

And so he told her more. What he told her was rather interesting, and it seemed like something she would be interested in. In the end, this is what really mattered. The rest would follow and she'd face it head on, it was all part of what needed to happen. "I extend my friendship to you and that's all it will be between us. I will never judge you or shun you in anyway. I will give you complete loyalty as I expect yours in return, if you ever decide to leave us, you are free to go, nobody will force you to stay, though they might try to dissuade you as they won't want to see you leave. You will be listened to and your opinions will be acknowledged and taken into account. It might not always go your way, but I will not disregard anything you say without a full review as long as it is pertinent and I have time to make a decision."

Mina was impressed, he was promising her everything she always wanted but he admitted that there would be times that he wouldn't be able to do as he said because he couldn't. "I won't lie, it is harrowing, I already told you it will be bloody, but that blood might be yours and it might not just be a little. It might be a lot. In fact, so much so that you might not make it away from the battle." He wanted to be very clear with her so she knew what she was getting into. Each of those before her, he accepted and pushed but they were different. He would like Mina to join them and he wanted to persuade her to come, but she seemed the most delicate so far. One would think Amy, but her mind was sharp and dangerous. If you crossed that woman the wrong way, you'd be sorry. If you lived long enough to know you were in for it.

"You are already treating me differently." Mina noted. She had no clear way to tell, but if he talked like this to those with him, well, she doubted they'd have all joined. Some, sure, but not all.

"I do not mean to. I just imagine that your life here is a little less..."

"It's not in anyway, allow me to reassure you. It is just more subtle and just as turbulent."

"All right, I can appreciate that. I have never had to deal with high society like yourself."

Mina tilted her head and her long blond hair fell over her shoulder like a waterfall, he didn't even blink twice at her. A secret smile formed but he didn't see anything but a blank mask that was slightly inquisitive. "Perhaps it is not my open mentality that you need, but rather my in to high society. Teach you how to mix with them and not be caught as an outsider."

"I would like that." He was earnest with her even then and she could see this working out.

"I am thinking about joining you. There is one last thing-"

"What is that?" He cut her off and this time she really was going to say more, rather than leave it as a question to be confirmed that it could be asked.

"Did you really think that I would be a fool enough not to know who you are? Not only the looks but also the fact that you are gathering up female followers as the prophecy has stated."

He grinned at her. "I think I'm going to love your addition to our group." The others, even Amy, hadn't figured it out until he told them, most just jumping in without thinking. "Though I didn't know there was even a prophecy."

"That's a bit of too high of praise. I am well educated and I listen to those in my circle who are always on the look out of a return to the way things used to be. Not all are for it."

"Any information is good information. I would be interested to hear more of what has been said. I have only a piece. The puzzle is not yet quite clear."

"You are right in almost everything you've said to me. There are a few things that I will have to watch out for. Nobody else will be able to spy it if they don't know or are trained for it. One more thing though, I want to meet with the others."

"That can be arranged."

–

Mina met with the others that day and she sent most of them away, except for Raye. She had the dark haired one stay behind so she could talk to her woman to woman and Raye admitted freely in a weepy, long drawn out pouring of her feelings. Mina had said just the right word to unlock her guard and when it was finished, Mina found herself in an unfamiliar position, she was comforting the other girl who now had her head in her chest. Neither thought much of it, there wasn't anything to think of as they were both females.

"You realize that he has told me that there can never be anything between you? The prophecy-"

"Prophecy?" Raye clearly didn't know anything about it, though she knew enough from Endymion.

Mina decided not to say anymore on the technical piece. "I am good at sussing out love matches. You two would do well for awhile, but you'll never be as happy as you could be. He knows this, he can't because of who he is and what has been laid out for him."

"I know, he's told all of us. But it's hard because we're both interested. But maybe-"

Mina shrugged. "I would at least tell him how you feel. See what he has to say. Though I would be prepared to have it hurt when he cannot."

Raye nodded and hugged Mina one more time, feeling the weight lifted slightly now that someone else knew and cared.

–

Mina had joined them several weeks previous and so far things were going well. They were at a party trying to find more of the ones that they needed. Endymion was dancing with Raye and Mina was impressed the other girl was holding up so well after being rejected so finally. He'd told her in no uncertain terms that they could never be.

Her heart went out for the other girl. That kind of pain was never easy to deal with and Raye had a temper like no one else. However her one weak spot was always Endymion. With him, she reacted differently.

Mina found herself being brushed against at her elbow and she glanced up to see Makoto grin down at her. The tall girl was easily amused and whatever it was this time had the broad smile in place once more. Mina smiled back up at the brunette. Amy was on her other side and was also encompassed into the smile. A small one, forced, but trying, flashed across her face.

Mina was suddenly struck by a revelation. It was a nice one and one that surprised her thoroughly. She had friends now. Male friends she had, though they were often more than that and always ones she could manipulate with her charm. Endymion never even looked at her twice, treating her just like the others, and she had no feelings towards him like that. Her hormones still kicked up a notch though when other attractive males entered her vision so she was rest assured that what she had with him was only friendship and would never be muddied by anything else.

The one thing that she didn't have before or even something remotely like it, not even with a diluted reflection was female company that didn't hate her. That didn't smile to her face and talk about her behind her back. They might share stories if they weren't all together, but they wished her no ill will.

For the first time in her life she had female friends. Her life in that regard was uncomplicated. She had friends and through that for the first time in her life she felt safe and loved. They took her in unconditionally from the first moment they embraced her into their team.

That's also when she saw something that sent off warning bells. Though she wasn't sure why. She had wanted them to beat the odds and get together. But when she saw them lean in, their feelings getting the better of them, something felt off and she had to stay true to her self-professed superpower. She was the goddess of love and this couldn't be that.

What surprised her was her words as she forced herself between them and pushed them apart. "You'll hate yourselves if you do this to her!"