Light shone in Rei's eyes and she attempted to blink, but her eyelids were stuck together and she had to rub them so they would loosen up. She sat up and leaned over her knees, blinking carefully a few times and then glancing up at the window, source of the light. She crawled behind her bed, out of the light, and curled up again. She couldn't sleep though. Her stomach hurt. When there was a knock on the door and she heard it open, Rei was relieved. She didn't have to keep thinking. But the door had opened by itself.
"Rei?" She heard Setsuna's voice, "Rei? Where are you? Why is the fire out?"
Rei climbed out from behind the bed. "I wanted to be alone."
Setsuna nodded, unfazed. "Since you seem to have alienated both cats I am required to fetch you for your... our first training session."
"Do I have to wear a dress?"
"You can stay in that for now. You will get a uniform eventually. Now follow me."
Setsuna led Rei down to a large courtyard, dirt, with blocks and mirrors and dummies.
Minako stood across the yard. She was staring intensely at the wall. Artemis sat at her feet talking at her deaf ears. He spared one glance for Rei, and it was a disgusted one. Rei's stomach started hurting again. He was just a cat. Why did she care what he thought? Why was everyone reacting like this? It was a stupid mistake, nothing more... why was everyone blaming her?
"Hey ya." Haruka walked in and mussed Rei's hair. She bent down and looked into Rei's eyes. "What's wrong with you?"
Rei barely glanced in Mina's direction.
"You didn't get into a fight, did you?"
Setsuna laughed, "actually Miss Rei here was doing the same as you last night. However, from your demeanor I would assume yours had a somewhat more profitable result."
Haruka looked at Rei, then she turned her head and looked at Minako. Then she slowly looked back. "That's what it was all about? All the catfights... the malicious glaring..."
"No!" Rei held her fists at her sides, digging her nails into the palms of her hands. "She's my enemy. I hate her. She makes me angry, all hot in my face, and I can't breathe."
Haruka tilted her head to the side. "You really like her, don't you?"
"I don't understand. I don't understand any of this. I don't see what you see, and none of it makes sense anymore."
"Don't worry." Haruka grinned sadly, "It won't ever make sense again."
Queen Serenity stepped perkily out of the door. She wore a whistle around her neck and blew a few piercing blasts to gather everyone's attention. Setsuna stalked out behind her, arms crossed, looking sullen. She didn't seem to approve of the short black skirt that served as exercise clothes.
"Everyone!" Serenity clapped her hands. Serenity Jr. edged out of the door behind Setsuna, tugging her skirt down. She caught sight of all the other princesses and stared. Haruka eased Rei towards Serenity, giving her a surreptitious pat on the back. Minako turned towards the queen, her eyes and face tinged with red, worse than usual. Makoto was avoiding her companions' eyes: the traditional armor of Jupiter resembling that of Xena.
"Everyone, this is our first training session. Begin running."
"Sorry I'm late," stares were prevalent. The princess of Neptune pulled her hair back into a tail, seeming unaware of the embroidered doublet, sailor's shirt, britches and boots that made up her athletic costume. Luna carefully eyed everyone's feet; then she ran to Ami.
"The only one without boots."
No one had started running. No one looked as if they had any desire to begin running. Serenity glared at them. "Run!"
Still no one moved. "Fine, you two." She pointed at Rei and Minako, "Stand here." She indicated a line, "you are going to race to the end of the courtyard and back."
Haruka pushed Rei toward the line. Artemis yowled and Mina approached stiffly.
"Ready," they affected nonchalance, "Set," Minako pawed the ground. Rei slouched. "Go!"
Minako started racing for the end. Rei watched for a moment, then crouched and leapt onto the first box. She flew from box to box like a cat. Then she pounced, hitting Minako in the back and knocking them both to the ground. Mina lashed out with her nails and they pulled apart, circling warily.
"This is a race, not a fight!" Serenity shouted, blowing her whistle frantically. But the Princess of Venus placed her hand on her sword hilt; she drew and cut. Rei blocked with her hunting knife, and spun with a kick. Mina jumped back, then thrust. Rei leapt up onto a box and crouched. Mina tripped and fell forward, sword out. The sharp weapon sliced into Rei's cheek. Rei slashed, pinning the offending weapon to the wood of the box. She swung her legs out and hitting with a double kick into her stomach. Rei landed in a crouch on the ground, face bleeding. Mina stepped backwards, gasping for breath, her rapier landing in the dirt. Rei dropped her knife. Mina stuck out her hand. Rei stared at it.
"Shake, you ingrate," Artemis hissed. Rei quickly took her hand. They shook. Neither let go. Everyone else walked up to them.
Serenity looked worried. Serenity Jr. was gasping at the blood, wobbling as if she was about to faint at the sight of blood. Makoto put her hand over her eyes and grinned in Rei's direction. Haruka whistled and sauntered up with the med kit and began to tape Rei's face.
"Fine." Serenity gave a small stamp with her foot. "If this is how were going to start, so be it. I want all your weapons here now." She pointed to her feet, then glanced back at Setsuna. "We're postponing the operation. These girls don't need more power."
Makoto retrieved her spear from where she had leaned in against the wall and dropped it at Serenity's feet. Then she unstrapped her serrated machete and it followed the spear into the burgeoning pile.
Michiru removed her baldric and her saber joined the pile. Ami threw a battery powered taser onto the pile. Haruka, having finished bandaging Rei's face unbelted her sword and added it, gently to the pile. Then she fetched Rei's knife, and Mina's rapier. They still hadn't let go. Artemis hissed at them, and they dropped hands.
"Now we are going for a nice jog around the courtyard, everyone, follow me." Serenity led by example and the group of individuals, though reluctant, followed.
There was much rolling of eyes while Serenity led stretching exercizes, but they dutifully stretched.
"Let us start with archery, a fine, ladylike sport."
Servants dutifully set up targets and brought out equipment. Queen Serenity caught up a bow, and belying her apparent strength, sent an arrow firmly into the center ring of the target. She handed Rei the bow. Rei eyed it and tested the pull and tension.
"I want my own."
"Use this one for now." Rei pulled an arrow from the ground and sent it in closer to the center than Serenity's. She looked at the queen. Handed her the bow and walked away.
"Well that just made us all feel good about our abilities," laughed Haruka, who took the bow next and sent an arrow tolerably close to the center.
"You'd have some trouble hunting rats," commented Rei. Haruka nodded sagely.
"My family goes bluejay hunting quite often, but I used a sling when I was younger and a falcon now. Archery was for stags, or humans."
Serenity Jr. shuddered and took the bow. She stung her arm on the first try and her arrow went into the dirt.
"Have another go," urged her mother. But she shook her head furiously and huddled in the corner, rubbing her arm.
Minako got the same ring as Haruka. She gave Rei a dirty look, "I don't hunt rats."
Michiru sent the arrow in so that the point touched the point of Rei's. "All part of a ladylike education."
Makoto eyed the bow askance. She had the strength to draw back quite far, but something got in the way. The arrow pinged off the building, narrowly missed a servant, and embedded itself in the wall behind the target. She passed the bow to Ami, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I don't think my armor is really designed for archery."
Ami handled the bow like a novice, after a few attempts that went wild of the target, she grit her teeth, dropped the bow, spun and grabbed her taser off the pile of weapons, and in one smooth motion that would have done any gunslinger proud, cocked it and blew a hole right through the center of the target, taking out both Rei and Michiru's arrows.
"Vicious," muttered Minako. Ami looked guilty.
"I didn't think I had it up so high."
"Um," Queen Serenity looked nervous, "Now that you have all demonstrated proficiency with some ranged weapon, except for Serenity, and um, Makoto-"
"What do you want me to do?" She went to the weapons pile and pulled out her spear, then threw it to the center of an unsullied target. Then she found her machete. It was an odd bent shape, and a very wide flat knife. She threw it, it arced down low and then rose chopping through Minako's and Haruka's arrows then it came back and she caught it.
"Um, just Serenity then-"
"What about me?" Setsuna stepped forward. "If I'm just another princess I should be able to have some proficiency with arms."
Makoto went and retrieved her spear. Setsuna picked up the bow and knocked an arrow to it. she carefully aimed, and all present were very glad they were not the target, fearing the glare more than the arrow. She shot and it went wild.
"I suppose you need some extra training along with Serenity, then."
"No, let me try again, if I can't hit the target I'm not a princess, I wasn't raised like a lady."
"Setsuna! Do not have a scene. I'll speak with you later." Dismissing her, Queen Serenity turned to the other princess. "We shall now asses your proficiency at close combat."
She ran her eye over her class. "You and you, sit out." She indicated Rei and Minako. "I've already assessed your proficiency."
Rei scowled, not an exceptional difference to her usual expression. Minako scowled too. They sat at the edge of the courtyard watching the rest of the group. Minako glanced over and looked at Rei, at the bandage on her cheek, at the tension in the muscles of her back. Then she looked away and grimaced.
Makoto thrust the butt of her spear into the dirt and threw her machete to the side. Haruka stepped up opposite to her and pushed up her shirtsleeves.
Dirt flew; fists and feet flew. Queen Serenity stepped back in surprise at the ferocity of it. Rei could see the volley of actions that ended the fight. Makoto punched toward an open target, she finally went for it, Haruka had over balanced and couldn't protect. But she didn't try to, she attacked faster, a low kick at Makoto's shin. Mako's fist clipped her shoulder and she was falling forward, her feet knocked from under her, Haruka tried to get out but they crashed to the ground together. She quickly headlocked and pinned Makoto.
"Hold!" she shouted.
"Stop! Stop!" exclaimed Queen Serenity, "Please, get up, you are both more than proficient."
Haruka got up and helped Makoto up, giving her a slap on the back. "Good fight. The imprints of your armor will stay on my knuckles for a good long time."
"Yeah, that was a good finishing move. I need a rematch out of this armor though. My flexibility is somewhat constrained."
"It doesn't seem to constrain much."
Makoto glanced down and grimaced. "It's ceremonial."
Queen Serenity now looked at the remnants of her fighting force. Setsuna was slouching against the wall. Michiru was inspecting her nails. Serenity looked faint, and as she looked closer it appeared that Ami was doing a math problem on one of the boxes.
"Pluto and Neptune."
Michiru sauntered up to the line and gave Setsuna a short nod. Setsuna sighed and levered herself off the wall. She approached the line.
"Begin."
Neither opponent moved. Their eyes intently focused on each other's. Then Michiru smiled. Setsuna's eyebrows raised and she was on the ground in three moves. Everyone stared. Michiru glanced around and smiled at everyone.
"It's psychological."
"Um, I'm not quite sure about the results of that..."
"Neptune knows what she's doing." Rei spoke up, and then removed herself from the conversation.
"Um, all right. Ami and Serenity."
They looked at each other, somewhat nervously.
"Begin."
Serenity flew at Ami who was too surprised to block. However the punch was not excessively powerful. Ami retaliated, and though her punch was just as untrained, she made a bit less of a hash of it and clocked Serenity in the face so she sat down crying.
"Um."
"Serenity has enthusiasm and Ami has untrained potential," said Makoto. Haruka nodded at Mako's prescription.
"Ah, certainly." Queen Serenity again inspected her troops. "I think one of your largest difficulties is going to be teamwork." She eyed Rei and Minako in particular. "You are going to have to learn to support each other and not succumb to your petty rivalries. We have the perfect adventure planned to get you working together. Tomorrow you leave for the wilds of earth. You're going to have to live, work, and fight together for whole week. You're also going to have to choose a leader. Some of you are already showing leadership potential." She looked at Haruka and Makoto, who glanced at each other somewhat incredulously. "But tonight there's going to be so much fun! The ice rink is finally finished and it's time for our first Ice Ball! So you have the rest of the day to clean up and relax and get ready for the best time. Then tomorrow you leave for Earth."