Surrounded by a circle of security guards, Minako marched to her dressing room. She stroked Artemis' fur more aggressively than she meant to. Ever since her meeting with Michiru, her stomach was in knots and her thoughts were scattered.
Michiru knew about the mask's powers. She knew it cast certain individuals in mysterious light, which meant she must know its brainwashing magic didn't work on them, either.
In retrospect, it had been naive to think otherwise.
Or just plain stupid, Minako berated herself for the thousandth time. From now on, it would be best to assume the Augur knew everything.
With that thought in mind, Minako couldn't stop from trying to figure out what Michiru was after, and why. She knew what her Piece of Eden could do, and wanted Minako to use it to discover the others who had strange, colorful auras.
Like herself. Like Rei.
To what end?
Minako couldn't begin to guess why, and the uncertainty made her stomach churn.
It didn't help that the fledgling templar couldn't let Michiru down again. She'd already failed to capture Rei multiple times, so any further sloppiness was ill-advised, to say the least.
When Rei practically invited herself to today's concert in the Tokyo Dome, Mina's heart sank. Instead of excitement, she felt dread. And when she replied, insisting Rei brought her friends and even supplying their tickets, she was disgusted with herself.
Sailor V could get away with not capturing Rei again, but she had to give Michiru something. Mina would have to report on the assassin's mysterious… coloring.
Michiru hadn't said anything outright, but Minako bet the senior templar knew the mask made her glow orange as well.
Somehow, Aino would have to figure out what it all meant without tipping Michiru off. She made a mental note to ask Ami about it the next time she spoke.
Minako and her security entourage reached the locked door of her dressing room, where two armed guards patiently waited. They nodded to the popstar as the man to the left, Lance, removed the keys from his belt.
"You received a, uh, shipment of flowers," he stuttered while unlocking the door.
Minako wiped the bangs from her forehead and tilted her head. "I get flowers all the time."
"Yes, well..." He tested the knob to ensure it was unlocked. Lance scratched his bald head. "This fan gift is, let's say, excessive."
"You could say that again," his partner named Kenji chuckled.
"Thanks for the warning, I guess." Intrigued, and relieved to have something to distract her mind from Michiru's mysterious plan, she let herself into her private dressing room. Minako stopped short just inside of her room, halted by the beautiful, aromatic invasion.
Vases of various sizes littered the entire expanse of her vanity, spilling out onto the floor and lining the wall adjacent to her walk-in closet. The lounge sofa was occupied with five more vases, all overflowing with the daisy-like flowers. Her entire dressing room was camouflaged in pastel shades of pink, blue and purple.
"...Wow." Minako squeaked after staring in frozen awe for five minutes.
Artemis released a matching meow before jumping from her arms and sniffing one of the floral displays on the floor beside her dresser.
"These are all from one person?" Minako wondered as her eyes searched for a card. This wasn't the first time she had received a frivolous gift from a fan. But it was the first time she'd been given her favorite flowers, asters.
Years ago, when becoming a world famous idol was but a dream, she stumbled upon them in a floral shop with her mother. The florist told her their name meant 'star,' and the impressionable wannabe had been hooked ever since. In fact, Venus was the only perfume she wore for the simple reason that it was the sole perfume on the market made with their bottled fragrance.
Was this a superfan who knew all those details of her life?
Minako supposed she mentioned that story, her favorite flower, or her favorite perfume in at least one interview over the last couple of years. She couldn't pinpoint exactly when, but she participated in so many interviews it seemed impossible for the topic of her favorite flower or perfume not to come up at least once.
Eventually, her eyes pinpointed the vase with the card. It was the large center display taking up the most space on her dresser; an eye-catching arrangement of aster flowers ranging from lavender to deep violet, accentuated with white baby's breath.
Careful not to walk into any of the vases on the floor, Minako tiptoed to the vanity and grabbed the card. It was a generic "Thinking of You" card from a local florist. She opened the greeting card, and her heart skipped a beat when she recognized the handwritten message inside.
"My crows didn't deliver this message."
Minako pressed the open card against her chest. Bewildered laughter rattled her chest.
"I-hah- Oh my god," Minako spoke between fits of laughter. Artemis watched Minako's reaction as he began chewing the petals from a pink flower. "Rei sent me all of these… ahah… shit."
Minako sank her face into the exuberant display to further appreciate its pungent scent. The extravagance of this floral gift was not lost on her. The monetary value of the surprise was extravagant, but paled in comparison to the abstract implications behind it.
These flowers were from Rei. Shrine Maiden Rei. Assassin Rei. The assassin who went from wanting to kill her a few months ago, to attending her concerts and sending her flowers.
Sworn enemies turned… whatever the hell this was considered.
"What the fuck is wrong with me?" Minako slumped into the only vacant seat. Artemis wasted no time hopping onto her lap to comfort her.
Sailor V couldn't process her thoughts. She had to get ready to go on stage. She had to be there for her fans. She couldn't think about the playful-turned-serious flirting, or Rei's violet eyes, or Rei's flustered disposition whenever they got too close…
She had to concentrate. Not only for her fans, but to appease Michiru. To do her duty as a templar. She owed them that much; otherwise, she would be a forgotten cripple wasting away in a rehabilitation center somewhere.
This budding relationship between the two of them had to be snipped, for both their sakes.
Minako suddenly reached into her purse. She fished out her mask and put it on. A quick survey of her surroundings confirmed Rei wasn't hiding in the shadows.
Of course not. She was in the audience, waiting for the show to start.
Wading through the asters, Minako made her way to the massive wardrobe. She picked Artemis up and sighed.
"As they say, the show must go on!"
—-
Sailor V's concert in the packed Tokyo Dome was a vivacious, entertaining event. Once she stepped onto the stage, the crowd's energy washed away her inhibitions. She became absorbed by her Sailor V personality. The templars and assassins ceased to exist. She poured her heart and soul into her performance, not allowing herself to get distracted by anything.
When it came time for the first lull between sets, Sailor V's concentration wavered. First, she disappeared backstage to change while Artemis entertained the audience with cute feline tricks to the beat of her music. Minako donned a short yellow party dress with no sleeves, but plenty of ruffles sprouting from her waist. Two attendants secured her microphone and strapped her yellow heels in place while a hairdresser let her ponytail loose.
After securing her mask, Sailor V returned to the stage.
She swore she wouldn't search the crowd for Rei. She resolved to lying, telling Michiru there were no anomalies in the crowd if need be.
But the second she found herself staring at the sea of dancing bodies, Rei's burning thermal image emblazoned itself into her cornea.
And she wasn't alone.
Rei was sandwiched between two taller women, both of whom had glowing, colorful auras as well. One was bright green, the other deep burgundy. The green woman's ponytail bobbed back and forth as she danced to the lively beats filling the auditorium. The other woman was stoic and observant.
And Rei…
"Thank you so much, everyone!" Minako began her introductory speech with an energetic wave. The crowd erupted in another cacophony of cheers.
But not Rei. The Shrine Maiden was still as stone, not tearing her eyes away from the singer. After being told the Piece of Eden did not work on her, Rei no longer averted her eyes. She studied every gesture with unnerving dedication. Minako's skin tingled beneath the assassin's serious stare.
"Having you all with me tonight… It makes me so happy!" Sailor V exclaimed while Artemis pranced around her.
While she was grateful for every single one of her fans, tonight's special guest made her heart flutter. Thinking about the expensive, romantic, and completely unexpected surprise made her feel like she was falling in love for the first time.
Except she wasn't. She couldn't.
"Next, I'd like to sing my latest single, Sweet Denial. Admitting our feelings, even when we've already fallen head over heels for someone, is usually the hardest part. So if you're struggling with something similar, I hope this song helps you through it!"
The song's introduction burst through the speakers. Everyone cheered, excited to hear her newest single live. Everyone except for Rei, who narrowed her violet slits, and her older friend who gazed about the auditorium.
Minako pushed every distracting thought about the templars and Rei into the back of her mind, concentrating on her song. Every lyric was reminiscent of the assassin, after all, and she couldn't easily forget teasing Rei about her denial the last time they saw each other.
Sailor V channeled her own denial into the song. The subconscious confession fueled her performance. She engaged the crowd, pelting every ounce of energy into her notes. She bounced from one side of the stage to another, waving and inviting the audience to sing along.
Sailor V was floating with elation. This was her best performance of Sweet Denial to date, and it was in her home city of Tokyo, with the woman she couldn't stop fantasizing about watching from a few yards away.
Before delivering the final refrain, Minako turned towards Rei.
An invisible wall almost knocked her from her feet. The air left her lungs as if she had been punched in the stomach.
Rei and her friends were gone.
"Why am I letting it get to me?" Minako grumbled as she threw her purse on the floor beside her vanity. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Sweat dripped down her brow. Lines formed around the bridge of her nose where she had worn the mask, now concealed in her purse, for over two hours.
Artemis meowed an answer while slinking between the vases on the floor.
"I mean, I know I shouldn't care, but dammit! That song is practically our song now, and she didn't even stay for the whole thing!"
"Sorry," a demure voice interrupted from the other side of the room.
"Oh my god!" Minako almost leapt out of her skin when she realized she had company. Her head snapped to the source of the voice, where she found Rei standing among the lavender flowers. "What the hell, Rei?"
The assassin clutched one arm with the other and shrugged. Her eyes struggled to leave the floor. "It was the best time to sneak out."
Minako glared down at Artemis. "You really didn't know she was there?"
Artemis innocently tilted his head up at his owner. Rei precariously navigated her feet and legs through the maze of vases, careful not to knock any over. When she reached safe footing, she finally looked up at Mina's face and gestured to the vases lining the dresser. "The flowers. They mask my scent."
Relaxed and emboldened by Rei's shyness, Minako stepped closer. "I guess you're right. Now that you're closer I can smell body odor and pot smoke on you."
Rei didn't react to the joke. "Your fans. Not mine."
Minako rolled her eyes. "Is that the only reason you bought me all these flowers? To see if you could get by Artemis with their help?"
Rei simultaneously blushed and bristled in annoyance. She snapped her head away. "No."
Minako knew the young woman hated being teased, but she couldn't help herself. Her fingers absently stroked the closest flower's petals. "It's certainly a much more romantic gesture than I expected, seeing as how you want to kill me and all."
Rei sighed. "I'm not coming after you anymore."
The templar blinked in surprise. "What? Why not?"
Rei groaned as if she were in physical pain. Minako wanted to step closer, but she didn't dare. "I told Makoto I was done targeting you. I won't go back on my word."
"Okay…" Mina followed her baffled response with another question. "So why did you do that?"
"Because I've been compromised."
Minako bit her bottom lip to keep from giggling. She took a deep breath. In the most neutral tone she could muster, she spoke, "you've been compromised?"
Rei knelt down, bringing herself eye level to one of the vases on the floor. There was no assassin hoodie covering her upper body today. She wore form-fitting denim jeans and a cropped red tank top. The assassin's arms were exposed, showing not only her perfectly trimmed biceps, but also her bare forearms. Rei wasn't wearing the assassin's trademark hidden blade. Or any weapon, as far as Minako could tell.
In one fluid motion, Rei slipped a flower from the vase. She rolled the pink flower between her fingertips, studying how its petals rippled.
"I thought it was your Piece of Eden. Gradually chipping away at my consciousness, altering my perceptions and thoughts."
Mina was careful not to interrupt. Saying the wrong thing would almost certainly force Rei back into her shell.
"But after what you said, about your mask having no power over me, it gave me pause. After considerable meditation and prayer, I decided I believe you."
"You do?" Minako blurted.
In one silent motion, Rei returned to her full height. Her smaller stature, somehow more obvious to Minako when Rei wasn't wearing a hakama or trying to kill her, was adorable. Minako knew better than to give voice to those thoughts.
Holding the single flower close against her chest, Rei drew closer. She was an arm's length away; not close enough to infringe upon their personal space.
"Yes." Rei offered the pink aster.
Minako met her hand in the middle. She recognized the symbolic olive branch. A gesture of peace. Mina's fingertips lingered against Rei's hand.
On the surface, Rei's skin was unnaturally hot. Minako almost recoiled, but she held firm. The initial surprise turned to unexpected comfort. Rei's heat was alluring, but also reassuring. And her skin was soft around the callouses.
"So…" Sailor V awkwardly brought her hand and the flower to her own chest. "You really aren't gonna try to kill me anymore?"
"I can't promise no one else in the sisterhood might. But I won't, no."
"But you're killing other templars," Minako hesitantly pressed.
Rei's softer, almost kind expression turned to a scowl. "What about it?"
For someone who was so hot to the touch, Rei was impressively frigid. Her abrupt change in attitude made Minako stutter. "I, well, I guess it's hard. Picturing you as a killer. And I don't understand why you're sparing me."
"Me neither," Rei muttered. She turned insecure once more. "You've never killed anyone, have you?"
"No way! I'm just a messenger to them. I'm not—" Not a killer. But she didn't want to appear weak in front of Rei, so she changed course. "I haven't had to, yet."
"Before you judge me, at least take a look at who I've killed."
"Murder is murder," Mina scoffed.
"Says someone who hangs out with my father," Rei snapped back.
The popstar rolled her eyes. "I don't 'hang out' with him. In fact, I barely see him. And I'm not excusing that, either. What he did is disgusting. I don't know why any of the templars trust him."
Not having an answer, Rei shrugged. "All I know is that I'm killing him, too."
Remembering the flower in her hands, Minako looked down at it. The yellow center was bright and beautiful. She inhaled its fresh scent and shook her head. "I still can't believe I let myself get wrapped up in all of this."
"I understand." Rei's empathic response caught Mina off guard. "They took advantage of you in your most vulnerable moment."
"You could say that." Mina caressed her cheek with the flower petals while Rei watched with an unreadable expression. "Anyway, as you probably know, I'm beginning another world tour tomorrow. It's not as long as my previous one, but I'll be gone for four months. I don't suppose you plan on following me abroad again?"
Rei shook her head with a slight grin. "No, I better not."
"In that case, I'll miss our, um, messages."
"Me too," Rei confessed. Her pale face took on a hue reminiscent of the pink flower Minako held. "Be careful. You're a high profile target to assassins around the world now."
"I will."
Minako thought about saying goodbye. It would be appropriate, after all. She was set to travel again. They would be apart with no method of communicating. And in all honesty, cutting ties would have been the best thing for both of them. Even if their weird mutual attraction could develop into something more, they couldn't allow it. Rei was promised to her sisterhood of assassins, and she had signed her life away to the templars.
Instead of gracefully letting Rei and all that could be go, Minako pulled her closer. Throwing caution to the wind, she kissed the fiery assassin.
Rei's lips were fire made flesh; hotter and softer than her hands. Minako only allowed herself a brief taste of fire. The short, chaste, tentative kiss made her crave more.
But Rei was unresponsive, so she forced herself to pull away.
The Shrine Maiden's deep eyes were wide. She wasn't frowning, but she wasn't smiling, either.
Why the hell did she have to be so difficult to read?
Given the long, uncomfortable silence that followed, Minako half-expected Rei to break a vase over her head.
She didn't expect to be pulled in for an encore.
Rei drew Minako's face down into hers, for a passionate kiss that outpaced anything Minako had ever experienced. She felt her lips searing from the assault, but she didn't care. If Rei was finally going to give herself up, Minako wasn't going to turn away the rare offering.
Hungry lips devoured each other. Curious hands wandered. Rei forced all of her inhibitions into her, becoming an aggressive, yet satisfying lover. Rei's hands traveled from the back of her head down the front of her chest. The heat radiating from her fingertips was too much to bear, so Minako forced herself to focus on the feeling of Rei's body against her own.
Minako had been with women before, but never one as muscular as Rei. The trained assassin was sturdy beneath her deceptively soft skin. The effortless way Rei pushed Minako's hips against hers was such an enticing display of need, she couldn't stop the moan bubbling deep in her throat.
Lusty haze overcame the popstar. She found her hands creeping up the inside of Rei's shirt, but she didn't care. They wouldn't see each other for months, or possibly ever again. Minako was determined to imprint as much of Rei's body and passion into her memory as possible.
"Rei…" Mina whispered, further stoking the flames.
In another unexpected display of strength, Rei pushed Minako against the dresser. Too enthralled in their passionate embrace to pay attention to their surroundings, they had forgotten about the vases. Three vases crashed to the floor, filling the charged atmosphere with shattering ceramic.
Cold water pooled around Mina's butt, then trickled down the back of her legs.
A loud pounding on the other side of her door snapped both women from their heady stupor.
"Sailor V! Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine, Lance!" Minako shouted to keep them from breaking down her door. "I just dropped something!"
"Okay. Your limo is here. You ready to go?"
Mina closed her eyes and sighed. "Give me five minutes!"
The pair disentangled their limbs. Minako glanced down, realizing she had Rei's waist trapped between her thighs. The Shrine Maiden in question was staring through her, seeming perplexed at her own behavior.
Minako giggled at Rei's expense. Too flustered to frown, Rei stepped away from Mina and the swelling pool of water and petals at their feet.
"Just when we were really getting to know each other, too…" Mina stood and straightened her dress. Artemis leapt onto her shoulder and joined her in staring at the dumbfounded assassin.
"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Minako teased before bending down to fetch her purse. She could feel the mask's magic reverberating through the fabric.
"It did a second ago," Rei answered in a subtly suggestive tone. Minako balked. She still wasn't used to the serious Shrine Maiden making jokes.
Artemis batted at Minako's ear, snapping her from her trance.
The popstar shook off the remaining vestiges of desire fogging her brain. "I've gotta go. I assume you can sneak out however you snuck in."
Rei nodded. The couple stared at each other, both hesitant to leave or say goodbye.
Finding her resolve, Minako reached out to Rei. The assassin shuddered as she brushed a stray raven lock behind Rei's ear. She tucked the aster stem she had been holding behind Rei's ear and smiled, even though she felt like crying.
Without another word, Minako and Artemis turned their backs to the assassin, leaving Rei standing in a small field of flowers. With a heavy heart, Sailor V shut and locked the door behind her.
Minako leaned against the closed door. Ignoring the inquisitive eyes on her, she stared up at the ceiling and groaned.
"Shit."