"So this is your bedroom?" Rei's question came off as casual, hands in her pockets and all, but Minako knew better. She was feigning relaxation. After everything they just survived, it would be impossible not to be tense. As they crossed the threshold into her bedroom, Minako saw her shoulders tense and her frown increase.
"Ah huh." Minako unzipped what was left of her jacket. The white leather and trim was stained with blood and scuff marks. She tossed the assassin garb to the far corner. Determined to lighten the mood, or at least get something out of her taciturn lover, she sidled up to Rei and wrapped her arms around her neck. "Never thought you'd find yourself in Sailor V's bedroom, did you?"
Minako's suggestive question was met with a deadpan response. "Sure I did. To kill you, remember?"
"Hardy har." Her sarcastic laughter was met by a twinge of amusement in Rei's dark eyes. The slight crinkle in her expression was all Minako needed to know she was trying to be funny. "You're no comedian. You should stick to your day job."
To Minako's delight, Rei loosely wrapped both arms around her waist. "Shrine Maiden by day. Assassin by night. Secret Planetary Guardian twenty-four seven… I guess you're right. My career as a comedian would be dead on arrival."
Minako rolled her eyes and lowered her gaze to the tattered remains of Rei's jacket. It was too soon for jokes about death. The sinking spiral in her gut when she held Rei's lifeless body after dueling her father returned. This time it was accompanied by an ache in her chest and painful memories of Venus and Mars separating. The crystal was speaking to her. Telling her it understood her pain. It was a strange comfort, to wordlessly speak to the entity inside of her, that had experienced similar heartache with a similar woman. The same woman. Sort of.
Mina pulled Rei closer. Her firm body and equally strong heartbeat resonated through the burnt remains of her clothes. One of Rei's hands crept up her spine, resting on the back of her head. Beneath charred clothing, she still smelled like incense and sakura.
"Speaking of my day job…" Rei tentatively began, most likely disturbed by her uncharacteristic silence. "I have chores at the shrine I need to do."
Minako yanked her head back. Leave? Rei couldn't leave her now. "What? No way! We've been up all night. You need sleep!"
What Minako failed to mention was that she didn't want to be left alone. Her eyes drifted towards the chair where Takashi bound and threatened her. A prisoner in her own bedroom. Wild violet eyes… There were times Minako swore he crossed the threshold of his sanity, too far gone to remember his own nefarious plot against his only daughter. His threats were very real. It was only when she reminded him of his plan to trap Rei did he refrain from inflicting any physical injuries.
Fingers grasping her chin snapped Mina from her reveries. She blinked, temporarily erasing the image of herself gagged and bound in that chair. Upon locking eyes with Rei once more, they were laced with concern. "Mina. Did you hear what I just said?"
Zoning out already. Apparently Rei wasn't the only one who needed sleep. "No. Sorry."
Rei shook her head. "I said I'm going back to do more chores. Appearances and all. I'll stay with you until you fall asleep."
"You're lucky I'm too exhausted to argue." The crystal, while unable to speak, imparted emotions and visions to her. In this case, sleepiness. Now she had an annoying devil's advocate living inside of her. And it was impossible to argue. She was spent. She dozed off in the back of Michiru's car on the way to her house, and Rei had to practically drag her up the stairs.
Mina was going to have to accept the compromise. Except for one thing. "Just get rid of that damn chair."
Rei's eyes darted to the upholstered cage, back to her. She seemed confused, but too tired to inquire. After a curt nod, Mina was pleasantly surprised to find Rei undressing her without having to tease or coerce her into it. Rei pulled her cell phone and transformation rod from her pockets. Her index finger traced the symbol of Venus with reverence. Almost fealty.
"Strange. How one small item can exhume the very essence of a goddess."
"Like our crystals," Minako nodded in agreement. "It is amazing. I mean, everything we've gone through hasn't exactly been ordinary."
Rei handed the transformation wand to her, while turning towards Minako's cell phone. Minako sat on her bed, watching as Rei fiddled with it. "I think it needs to be charged. Where's your outlet?"
Give it juice just so it can ring and rattle against her dresser all day? That was the least appealing thing she could possibly imagine right now. "Fuck it. Just toss it over there for now."
Rei nonchalantly placed it onto her vanity dresser. It disappeared among the haphazard pile of makeup and skin care products. Rei gestured to finish helping her out of her battered dress, but paused when her hands hovered over the bloody slit where the Holy Sword pierced her heart.
"You were right. About dying," Minako started. Rei slowly moved the fabric away as she spoke, looking for a wound that wasn't there. "There was nothing. No heaven or hell or anything. Just silence and darkness." The sheer loneliness of it sent a chill up her spine.
"Until our crystals became whole. Then Serenity came for us."
"You had that too? She came in my dream or something… After Saturn wiped us out." Minako couldn't decide what that out of body experience was. A dream? An illusion? Or maybe it was some sort of heaven or nirvana.
"It wasn't only her," Rei started, but clammed up. Minako thought she might be imagining things, but her pale cheeks adopted a rosy hue. "But anyway. I think Serenity will always come for us."
"I think you're right…" Minako's thoughts trailed off with the implications of their supposed immortality. She couldn't be a young popstar forever. People would start to get suspicious after a while. "Do you think we're gonna have to go into hiding? Like vampires? Have false IDs and move every few years so people don't get suspicious?"
Rei smirked. "I guess so. Until the Princess' dream is realized."
"We'll make it happen." Mina lifted her arms above her head. The effort needed for the simple gesture left her lightheaded.
"No silver scar…" Rei's calloused hands spread across her chest, grazing the cups of her bra. The left cup was torn where the sword pierced her.
"And you have no burns," Minako countered. "Or are you hiding some underneath these scraps you call clothes?"
"I don't think so," Rei shrugged.
"Hmm… I'll inspect you. All over," Minako drawled while snaking her fingers around Rei's waist.
"Later."
"Is that a promise?" Minako saw flashes of raven hair between fluttering eyelids. She was momentarily weightless before settling down into the familiar comfort of her bed.
"I promise."
A blanket covered her prone form. Though half asleep, she heard her feline companion's soothing purr. "Hey buddy." Minako blindly raised a hand, knowing he would come to her. Within seconds Artemis was curled up on top of her stomach, beneath her hand.
True to her assassin heritage, Rei slipped into bed beside her quickly and quietly. Minako felt the smooth, unnaturally hot skin of her lover cuddled against her. Being too tired to open her eyes, she still allowed her hands to wander whatever parts of Rei they could find. And she was naked. Definitely naked.
As if reading her mind, Rei spoke. "Did you want me crawling into your bed with those dirty clothes?"
"I never want you clothed when you're in my bed."
Rei's sigh, half annoyed and half amused, was heavenly. Minako cuddled closer into her, keeping her eyes closed to avoid Artemis' annoyed glare. Rei's unnatural warmth was perfect for her; it was soothing and enticing. The soldier of fire's presence, combined with her fatigue, made it difficult to stay awake.
"I'll need to borrow something to wear back to the shrine. I can't wear those burnt things."
"You don't want to walk back naked?"
Rei scoffed. "I walked right into that one."
Minako couldn't think past Rei's warmth and her overpowering need to sleep. "Walked right into what?"
"Never mind. Go to sleep."
"But if I sleep you'll leave."
"Mina…" Rei's whisper held a slight growl. It reminded her of their sole night together. The similar sounds Rei made when Minako had her pinned beneath her. It felt like so long ago… The steamy visions of Venus and Mars the crystal insisted on showing her weren't helping matters either.
"Hey, Rei," Mina mumbled. "Is your crystal-?"
"Yes." Now Rei sounded as uncomfortable as she felt. "Try thinking about something else. It helps."
"You're lying naked beside me," Minako grumbled. Her mind instantly went to Takashi's distorted sneer. His hatred radiated from his body, equal to Rei's innate heat. An involuntary tremble overcame her.
Rei soothed and caressed her hair. The intuitive Shrine Maiden said nothing. Her silence was a blessing, for Minako had no will or ability to speak. Cathartic waves from the silver crystal, poignant memories overcoming her subconscious, soothed her. The infinite power of the Queen's crystal washed over her. Venus' calming memory and Rei's unwavering presence banished her worries and lulled her into a dreamless sleep.
Despite insisting that Minako get some rest, Rei did not find herself the least bit tired. Whether her newfound energy could be credited to adrenaline, or the mystical powers of her crystal, she could not say. After keeping her word of staying until Mina was adrift to slumber, she slipped out of bed and set about her routine. Or at least, she made a valiant effort to, anyway.
First she had to find something to wear back to Hikawa shrine. Sifting through Mina's wardrobe for undergarments that didn't turn her face hot was a challenge. The sheer volume was staggering, even if she were not looking through the lens of a frugal Shrine Maiden. Eventually she settled on a pair she thought Minako would enjoy seeing her wear: mauve panties and a matching bra, both trimmed with lace. The cups were a little too roomy, so she resorted to tightening the straps. The underwear fit well enough.
Pushing away her lurid imagination, aided by her crystal's annoying habit of showing her provocative images she certainly wasn't asking for, she then tackled Minako's massive closet. Referring to it as a closet was a misnomer, for it was a room of its own. With a twisted grin, she recalled how she thought the closet in Minako's trailer was frivolous. This collection dwarfed it by far. Rows and rows of different styled dresses, blouses, pants, skirts, and accessories dangled from the ceiling in rows that seemed to stretch as far back as her eyes could see. Not wanting to waste too much time deciding on an outfit that she only planned on wearing to return to the shrine, Rei settled on a black leather skirt and the plainest shirt she could find, which was a silk blouse.
Then there was the matter of the chair Mina insisted she remove from her sight. Rei didn't catch why she wanted the pink upholstered chair, which was probably worth more money than she wanted to consider, out of her bedroom. It was bulky and not easy to carry down the spiral staircase, but she managed on her own, with Artemis howling at her the entire way down. Not knowing what to do with the furniture, Rei set it on the back deck. Minako would have to call whoever handled that sort of stuff for her if she wanted it off the property.
After depositing the chair, she picked up a furrier, much lighter load and carried him back into the house. At least the cat made her job easy by pointing her to his food stash and shoving his bowl against her feet. Finding his food was easy enough. Minako's kitchen had plenty of cupboard space, but aside from basic cookware and eatery, it was rather empty.
"Here you go," Rei whispered after filling his dish. While watching the snowy feline eat, she considered what else she could do for Mina before heading to the shrine.
Remembering the dead cell phone, she returned to the bedroom. Searching for the phone's charger took longer than it should have. It wasn't in the vanity; that appeared to be reserved for makeup. Rei breathed a sigh of relief when she found it buried at the bottom of Minako's sequined purse. By all accounts, it was large enough to be considered a duffel bag. She plugged it into the outlet by the nightstand lamp, watching as it powered on.
Loud rattling against the nightstand caused the assassin to jump. Rei snatched it before it could wake her sleeping Venus. Message notifications appeared, one after another, racking up an obscenely high number. Rei didn't receive that many phone calls or messages in an entire year. Or two. Or three.
When it finally stopped, Rei powered it down and gazed upon Venus' glory. Thick curls of golden sunlight spilled around her face. Her full lips carved into a slight pout, paired with a furrow in her brow. The expression had her wondering what she was dreaming of. Careful not to disturb her slumber, Rei planted a chaste kiss on her forehead and stepped away from the luxurious bed.
Rei had seen plenty of extravagant beds, but never thought she would spend the night in one. Now wasn't the time to fantasize about laying in the luxurious pink and white bed beside Minako. The reward would come later.
"I'll be back soon," Rei whispered before pulling herself away.
The longer she lingered, the harder it was to leave. However, curiosity got the better of her. The assassin gave herself a short tour of the extravagant home. Everything from the carpeting to the chandeliers was obscenely expensive. The living room had the basic furniture one would expect, a scratching post for Artemis that almost reached the ceiling, and an impressive home entertainment center.
But what it lacked was a sense of comfort. This house was not lived in. The floor was clean enough to eat off of. The couches did not look like they'd ever been sat on. There were no magazines, collectibles, or personal effects that signified anyone actually lived here.
The reasoning was obvious, but it didn't stop the pangs of pity. Minako was rarely here, and when she was, she had no time for hobbies. Nor did the Templars give any concessions to personal gratifications, she assumed.
After satisfying her curiosity, Rei walked to the shrine with Artemis in tow. The further away she was from Minako, the more difficult it became to concentrate. Mars was unhappy with their separation, and thought it fit to share all sorts of intimate memories with her to fill the time.
Rei lost the will to fight the visions. They were nothing short of heavenly, watching Venus at the height of passion, back arched and toes curled as Mars gladly serviced her. She daydreamed throughout the entire day, not realizing the time or what she was doing. Venus' pleasure saturated her thoughts, spreading from her mind to her physical form. She retreated to her private Sacred Fire chamber after hours of delectable torture, barely sliding the door closed before her knees betrayed her.
"Okay. I get it," Rei panted. Salty moisture dripped into her eyes, alerting her that she was sweating. "I don't need your help."
The lie was half-hearted at best. She couldn't lie to herself, nor could she lie to the immortal being inside of her. Whether it absorbed all of her memories, or was simply reading her emotions, she couldn't say. But it was painfully obvious that the crystal was trying to help her. Teach her. Calm her nerves.
Minako is Venus. Therefore, meeting her needs in bed would be the same. That line of reasoning might not be infallible, but any idea was better than staring at the goddess' naked body like a fool.
Mars as an ardent and eager lover came as no surprise to Rei. Mars was fire and war. Passion. Despite being subservient to Venus on the battlefield, she did not hesitant to grab the reins during intimate moments. Rei hadn't the experience to fortify such confidence, but she had the will, and now she was armed with the true essence of Mars.
Making up her mind to return before losing her nerve, Rei collected her wits and returned to her feet. "I'm going. Now stop tormenting me," she muttered to the crystal.
Struggling to ignore her frantic heartbeat and the pangs of desire welling within her, Rei pulled herself to her feet. Before opening the door, she heard two sets of footprints and heartbeats approaching.
"You okay?" Makoto arched an eyebrow when Rei hesitantly let her and Ami into the room. The taller woman was wearing a frilly apron and balancing a stack of bento. Behind her was the blue-haired Templar that Rei understood to be a friend of Mina's. Ami afforded her a short glance before returning to tapping on her tablet. Rei wondered if she ever put that thing down.
"Fine. I'm going back to Minako's."
Makoto rolled her eyes. "I figured as much. Take two of these. You haven't eaten anything all day, have you?"
Rei sighed. The poignant rumbling of her stomach answered on her behalf. They had a brief laugh at her expense. "Here. Take one for Aino-san too."
"How is the princess?" Rei nestled the lunchboxes against her chest. She had spent her working hours at the shrine inside of her own head, ashamedly not giving her liege much consideration. The crystal did not share her regret. It was busy reaching out to their crystals. Jupiter and Mercury took turns swapping cherished memories of the princess.
The three startled simultaneously. The truth of what transpired between their crystals hit them at once. They shared a timeless link. While Makoto was the closest to a friend Rei had in this life, Ami was a stranger until yesterday. In less than a day, she became as intimate a friend as Rei had ever had. Generations of comradery, laced with tense, confusing imagery Rei would have to sort out later, between Mercury and Mars helped Rei understand this introverted intellect.
"She has yet to leave Atlantis," Ami cleared her throat when the supernatural exchanges of visions seemed to be over. "Kaiou-san and Tenoh-san are with her. With Minako's blessing, I'd like to use Templar resources to secure top-side real estate for the Princess and King. Meiou-san and I will be scouting some places tomorrow."
"Mina will be more than happy, I'm sure." A thought came to Rei before she excused herself. "Minako has more messages and voicemails than she'll ever have time to sort through. Doesn't she have an assistant or something to handle that stuff for her?"
Ami's eyebrows stitched in concentration. "She did… Perhaps Kaiou-san reassigned her assistant after the recent revelation. We can't have any civilians stumbling upon our true identities. I'll handle it."
Rei nodded her appreciation. That would be a load off of Minako's shoulders. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be delivering this to her."
"How is she?" Ami urgently inquired. The concern in her cerulean eyes and the worry expressed by the slight increase in her heartbeat told Rei her question was of genuine concern.
"We haven't spoken much," Rei confessed. "I left her to sleep. I can tell she is feeling overwhelmed. But with our help, she'll be fine."
"She's really amazing," Makoto sounded as starstruck now as she did when they secured VIP tickets to assassinate Sailor V. Makoto gazed into the distance with puppy dog eyes before returning to the present. "You better take care of her."
"Of course I will!" Rei was more put off by her offended reaction to the jest than the words themselves. Slightly embarrassed by her overreaction, she sighed. "Now if you two will excuse me, I'll be going now."
"Please tell Mina I will call her tomorrow," Ami requested.
Rei agreed, and after exchanging temporary goodbyes, she disengaged herself from the fellow warriors. She spared a minute to seek out Artemis and her crows. They were preoccupied with harassing the koi fish.
"Artemis!" Rei called to the feline. He afforded her one annoyed glance before returning to his quarry beneath the surface of the water. Phobos flew to her and treated Rei's outstretched arm like a tree branch. Beady eyes explained they would be perfectly fine at the shrine, allowing their masters to have some alone time.
"Suit yourself," Rei stroked her slicked, wet feathers. The crystal imparted both dumbfounded and impressed emotions upon her. Evidently, with all of the vast technological advances the Isu had, they were so far divorced from the natural world, a connection with beasts to such a degree was unheard of.
It was a small comfort, to know there were aspects of her personality not credited to her predecessor. Things belonged solely to her and her alone.
Thoughts like these, among others, occupied Rei's thoughts as she trekked back to Minako's house. There was far too much information to sort through. After having seen glimpses of Mars' time with Mercury and Jupiter, Rei kept circling back to one disturbing fact: Mercury created humans. Isu, with fathomless technological capabilities, to the point where they were considered gods, fashioned humans in their image.
In their image, but lesser. Created to be slave labor. No, not slaves. More like machines. Not intended to be sentient. But Mercury's infinite ambition and skill proved to be too much for her own good, thus giving birth to humanity. More advanced than machines, but less advanced than Isu.
Then the princess went and fell in love with one of them.
Mars was a pragmatic sort. She didn't blame Mercury for their eventual uprising, nor did she particularly give any concern to humans or their feelings. She cared only for Queen Serenity and Venus, so when the uprising turned violent, she did what had to be done. The princess' lover, Endymion, was the only mortal who sided with them to protect the queen. He saw her intent, her desire to give humans their freedom, but it was too little too late.
Mars slaughtered humans. Scores of them, in order to protect their creator, the Moon Goddess. Venus stayed her hand and flames to only act in self defense or defense of Serenity. For a war that waged for years, that amounted to many bodies. The emotions stemming from this realization did not make her feel anything concrete. Waves of nostalgia for a life she technically did not live, guilt for people she technically did not kill, and grief for a Queen she technically did not know.
Conflicting, half-hearted emotions that would take the rest of her long lifetime to sort through, if such a thing was possible.
There was at least one constant, unwavering emotion that carried over from her previous life. One that dwarfed all others. One that filled both the crystal and her heart with meaning. One that did not leave her with more questions than answers. One that gave every high and every low meaning. An emotion that told her, despite all her questions and uncertainties, everything would be okay.
When Rei returned and stood at her bedside, the object of her affection and the source of love and beauty herself, her crystal throbbed. It felt like a ball of fire expanding in her chest, consuming every doubt and insecurity she had.
Even those insecurities.
Any inclination she had about vanquishing her fears and seducing Minako temporarily vanished when she made herself comfortable in bed beside her. Fully clothed, she snuck beneath the sheets and curled up beside Mina.
"Ngh…" Minako groaned and drew closer into her. Rei held her breath, afraid to awaken her and ruin the perfect moment. When it became clear Mina was still asleep, Rei nestled her arm around the dip in Mina's waist. She felt cool, even through the layers of Rei's hakama. They fit well together.
A flashing image from Mars told Rei they fit better together naked.
Rei scoffed. Her crystal was about as insufferable as the goddess of love herself.
Then she was shown a memory mirroring their current predicament. Mars and Venus. Torn battle uniforms, mercurial bloodstains, embraced as intimately as the previous vision. Perhaps more intimately; enthralled in exhaustion and most vulnerable in healing sleep. Shut off from the remainder of the galaxy.
Rei's eyelids went heavy. Keeping them open so she could continue staring at the slumbering goddess in her embrace proved to be a losing battle. There was too much left to sleep. Too much to plan, too much to say, and far too much to do.
And still, after everything, Rei still had a lot to prove.
Her eyes refused to open. Minako's golden light permeated her darkness. A bright, infinite light that crossed planets and lifetimes to guide her to where she belonged.
Here.