Disclaimer: Disclaimed.
Trials
"Ugh!" Venus let out as the Martian threw the door open and stormed out. She rose from her chair quickly, casting an apologetic glance to her Commanders. "Meeting adjourned, for now. I've got to attend to her. Excuse me."
Venus wanted to scream. Not only had the Martian ruined her briefing, but the girl had also decided to leave and cut the meeting short. Did the girl forget that Venus had to watch her? That Venus was in charge of her for the afternoon? Venus bolted out of the room, barely making it out before the door had closed. The Martian was down the hall, shoulders hunched, arms crossed.
Uncomfortable. Good. She screwed up my meeting, Venus thought angrily. The Venusian stormed down the hall, and Mars turned, surprise flashing across her face upon noticing the blond.
"What, did you think I wasn't going to follow you?" Venus snapped.
"I had hoped," Mars said dryly, having recovered from her shock. "Go away."
"You don't even know where you're going," Venus pointed out.
"I'll find my way."
"You'll get lost. The palace is huge."
"I said I'll find my way. On my own."
"As long as you're under my watch, I'm coming with you."
Mars glared at the blond. "Why do you always do that?" she asked, exasperated. Venus was taken aback by the unexpected question.
"What? Why do I always do what? You're not making any sense, Mars. You're angry and upset, and I sympathize, but—"
"That," Mars said, waving her hand at Venus and interrupting her. "You can't just let someone end a conversation. You always have to take over. You have to be in control. You can't leave anything alone. You always have to make things about you."
Venus frowned. "I…" She was at a genuine loss of words. "I…"
"See? Even now, you're still trying to make some kind of comeback, all about you." Mars glared. "Why won't you mind your own business and let me mind my own?"
Venus resisted the urge to throw her arms up in exasperation. "I can't let you mind your own business. It's my job to mind other peoples' business! I have to mind your business because you're under my care! And, as a future Senshi, you're under my command. I'm supposed to mind your business. Believe me, if I didn't have to watch you, I wouldn't!" The Martian Princess was too stubborn and uncontrollable and goddamned temperamental. If not for her Senshi powers, Venus would gladly let the girl return home on the first space shuttle available.
"What if I don't want to be under your care or under your watch? What if I don't want to listen to you and let you control me?" Mars retorted. Defiance was emanating from her, from her curled fists to her narrowed eyes.
"Then I guess we have a problem," Venus stated sourly. "Because I'm the Leader of the Senshi, not you."
Mars' eyes narrowed. "And why are you the leader?" she spat.
Venus glared at the Martian girl. "Because I know more than you," she said. This is absurd! she thought to herself. This Martian was getting on her nerves. Venus had learned to keep a certain emotional distance from things; with her job, it was an invaluable skill. But this girl was somehow able to bypass all the walls she had thrown up and get under her skin. Her careful guard was always torn down by the Martian. And it frustrated Venus to no end.
"I doubt that," Mars said stubbornly, turning away and glaring at the ground. Venus sighed.
"Mars, look. I know we got off on the wrong foot. But can't we at least… cooperate?"
"I don't want to cooperate with you," Mars said. "I don't like you, and I think you're ill-fitted to be in the prestigious positions you've been given."
A tense minute passed between them, the silence bearing down on their shoulders. Then the Martian sighed. "But I have to live here with you, and I'm here to be a Senshi." She glared at Venus. "I'll cooperate only as far as it's in my best interest. Right now, it's best to cooperate with you because I'm living on the same planet and we'll be working together. That's the only reason I'll work with you. Not because you asked."
Venus sighed, frowning. It wasn't what she wanted to hear. But at least it was something. And at least it meant that the tension between them would be muted, as the outright antagonism the Martian had been sending out in waves would finally cease. "That's fine," Venus said. "As long as we're able to work together, I don't care what your feelings are towards me."
"Good," Mars said. Venus opened her mouth to reply, then shut it. She wasn't going to give the Martian the satisfaction of being right. I don't need to have the last word, Venus thought stubbornly. Venus turned and began walking towards the palace, feeling the Martian's presence following her.
After travelling through winding staircases and lengthy hallways, the pair finally arrived before an ornate door, engraved with carvings depicting various scenes from Lunarian mythology, from the time before the Silver Millennium. Depicted were scenes of battle, of valiant warriors fighting to their last, of courageous fighters rising victorious over enemies. War.
"This is your room," Venus said, opening the door and gesturing for Mars to enter. The Martian narrowed her eyes and walked in guardedly. Venus followed, closing the door behind her.
Inside, several servants were unpacking Mars' belongings. Most of the pictures the girl had brought had been hung on the walls, and a few tapestries had been hung along the walls. Venus blinked in surprise. The room, unlike most rooms in the palace, was paneled in mahogany. It was darker than the rest of the palace, with only a few windows set with drapes, drawn back at the moment to allow light into the room.
"Hello, Princesses," a familiar voice said, and Venus turned to see Artemis rising from a slight bow. She inclined her head, greeting him in turn.
"I see your work is going well, Artemis."
"Yes. We're just about finished unpacking your belongings, Princess Mars," he said, directing his gaze towards the raven-haired Martian. Mars nodded mutely.
"Venus, Princess Serenity has requested that you introduce her to the Princess of Flames in a private meeting. Just the Senshi, the Princess, and the Queen."
Venus nodded. Of course Serenity would make it private. Venus marvelled at the Moon Princess' intuition. Perhaps the girl had latent magic within her; it would make sense, after all, since the girl was the daughter of the most powerful Queen in the universe, the bearer of the most magical object known since the dawn of time—the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou. Whatever the case, Serenity had always known the best course of action to take when it came to the wellbeing of others. Even without having met the Martian Princess, Serenity somehow knew that the girl would be feeling uncomfortable, and that private setting would be best for their introduction.
"Very well," Venus replied. She turned to Mars. "Let's go meet them."
A/N: Sorry about the long wait. Like I said, finals were approaching. They whacked me over the head and sent me flying. Seriously. Cal ii not in a bad way (i actually did super well on that one). But physics. College physics=/= highschool physics. Nobody warned me. So be warned.
Anyway, sorry it's not a very long chapter. There's some good stuff here, though! I promise. The tension is still very thick, but they've agreed to tone it down. It's not going away-they just recognize that, in order to work together, they need some sort of compromise.
Anyway, Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Happy whatever! Hope y'all are enjoying yourselves. :)
