Haruka and Michiru stood in the small audience room. Queen Serenity, having not yet made an appearance at her ball, paced before them, crossing the breadth of her dais again and again.

"I don't want to put you into that kind of danger."

"We can handle it," said Haruka.

Michiru stepped forward, "We only wish to preserve our lives for as long as they are of service to you."

Serenity met her eye sharply, "Is that so? Why do I deserve such loyalty?"

Michiru turned her head away for a moment, but then she faced the glare. "My life is worth nothing otherwise. I have failed in my other attempts to preserve my people, and I would be ashamed to survive in safety while they perish. But I would be proud to die so that they would not have to."

"And you?" Serenity turned her sharp gaze on Haruka.

"My honor tells me I must not run and hide. I would rather risk everything in one desperate sally than hide in a hole and wait for them to come hunting."

"Then I give you permission, but I charge you, do not lay down your lives unduly, fight wisely for the highest success, not the most noble martyrdom."

They bowed in recognition of the wisdom of the words and were dismissed.

They paused in the empty hallway and Michiru took Haruka's hand. "So, we have severed our ties with the Princess's guards."

"And we must move quickly if our now independent action is to have any effect."

"You wish to behead them."

"The Dark may prove a hydra, but it is likely to be one of the few actions we can perform that will be effective."

"We must prepare."

"Yes."

Minako came down the hall towards them.

"The team is going to Jupiter tomorrow."

"We are no longer affiliated with the team," said Haruka, wincing a little at the look of surprise with a hint of betrayal that crossed Minako's face. "We're still protecting the princess, just a bit more actively. We're going after Queen Metaria."

"You're just going into the Dark Kingdom, how…"

Michiru shook her head slightly, "We don't expect to come out again."

"I see." Minako looked down. She started to head down the hallway. Haruka caught her and pulled her back.

"Are you okay?"

"I, I killed someone. I killed the prince who was going to marry Michiru."

Michiru looked surprised. "No wonder the Dark Kingdom wouldn't accept an alliance."

"It wasn't all your fault," said Haruka.

"Was it worse?" asked Minako, "Was it worse than just killing someone?"

Haruka looked at her. "You did what you had to do."

"But we weren't even fighting. I shot him. He didn't even see me."

"You did just what I told you to do, just what we are going to do, cut straight to the heart."

"But I took someone's life. Am I allowed to do that? I'm no goddess, how can I choose if it's someone's time to die?"

"Anyone can make that decision. You always have the right to kill. You cannot take away their right to kill you, can you? You just have to live with it, live with the fact that you took everything away from them, and live until they do the same to you. Take as much pleasure while you can so that your killer will have less to feel guilty for, and hope that those you kill did the same."

"But why does anyone have to kill anyone?"

Haruka shrugged, "They do. You can't live in a fantasy world. Deal with the way things are, not how you want them to be."

Minako stared at her for a few moments before nodding.

"Where are you off too?"

"To see Rei."

"Are you going to take advantage of your opportunities before someone takes them away?"

Again Minako was silent for a moment before nodding.

"I know I'm wasting time."

Haruka grinned, "good kid." She pushed her charge down the hall, then turned back to Michiru. "Serious planning and discussion of impending martyrdom, or…"

Michiru arched an eyebrow, "You have an interesting philosophy of live in the moment. It is very representative of humanity's ability to entirely ignore thoughts of the coming apocalypse."

"Would you rather endlessly dissect inevitable doom?"

"I think not." She caught Haruka's collar and firmly led her down the hallway.

…………………………………………………………………………

Unfortunately, as Rei soon realized, pulling the covers over one's head was not an effective barrier against thought. In fact it was about as effective as climbing a tree is against a Roc. Huddled in the dark warm enclave, Rei didn't ask herself why she fainted. She knew her body well enough to know when she was pushing too far. It didn't stop her pride from forcing her to try, but back on Mars she would have protected herself. Trusting someone else was showing you were weak, showing that you were a child, and if she was still a child now she didn't deserve to survive.

Why her? Why did she make herself a child in her hands? She was her rival. If anything she should be more proud, more strong in her presence. She had to gain her respect. How stupid was in to throw herself into the monster's claws? She would injure herself to protect her rival, and then beg the same for safety. She had lost all of Minako's respect. How could she have any if she dared to kiss Rei like that and then leave. It was too easy, too thoughtless. She wasn't afraid of her, not in the slightest. She had shown herself weak too many times, and she was nothing. Well Rei would show her. As soon as she was healed, they'd fight, and Rei would hurt her, and the next time she was stupid enough to let herself get into danger, she wouldn't save her, she'd…

Rei buried her head under her pillow and attempted to smother herself. She'd jump into danger to protect her; she knew she would. It wasn't something she could control. It was family.

She remembered it suddenly. The pillow pressing against her face had reminded her of all the times her brothers had attempted to suffocate her, or had beaten her up, pinned her down and spit on her, dominated and humiliated her, and protected her from anything. They had made her strong enough to take care of herself, but they were always there, ready to save their little sister when she really needed it, but not when it would be an insult to her pride.

Well, they had been there. They had been there until she was sent away from the fire, until she had been marked as different. Then she had to take care of herself. She had gotten used to it, proved her ability, proved her strength, so they would see it too and take her back, though she would never admit that reason, even to herself. She told herself she liked to be alone. But lying here alone showed how untrue it was. She had a pack again, not her brothers, but a new pack, and she would fight for them as her brothers would fight for each other, and used to fight for her. She glowered down at the bandages around her stomach. She wanted to fight, but she was stuck here.

But did she want to fight? She wanted to jump out of bed and run down the halls after Minako, catching her, and doing what? She wanted to yell at her, and hit her, and crush her close as tightly as she could. How could you do that to me? How could you make me feel like I'm not alone anymore, and then just leave? It felt worse than before. Before she had managed to be whole on her own, but now she felt cold again, like a dismembered arm, dead and useless without its owner, without its place. She was angry at Minako for leaving her alone, when she finally realized that she didn't want to be alone anymore.