4.) The Lees of Laughter's End
Could it be that wisdom appears on earth as a raven, drawn by the faint smell of carrion?
- Friedrich Nietzsche
MICHIRU
I heard Rei groan as I approached the common room door along with Ami's soft laughter.
"Did you lose again?" I asked as I walked inside, I paused by the table on which Rei and Ami had been playing their game of chess.
"I don't think I'm even a challenge for her anymore." Rei muttered, looking the board over trying to see if she could have changed the outcome. I smiled at this, she almost looked like she was pouting.
Rei glared at me, sensing the amusement I got out of this. Ami was biting down on her lip as she tried not to laugh at us.
"What do you want to do now?" I asked. Ami looked up at Rei, an almost devilish look was gracing her features.
"Another game?" Ami asked. Rei groaned.
" I'm at my limit. I've lost four times in a row already." Rei protested. "And that was just this morning."
"This sounds familiar." I commented, remembering our younger days. "Though I'm not used to seeing you in this position, Rei. I'm used to you always asking for another game."
"Oh, you would enjoy this, wouldn't you?" Rei growled at me. This time Ami and I couldn't restrain our laughter. It only took Rei a few seconds before a few a smile spread across her face, only to be interrupted by a yawn.
It was only then I noticed how tired Rei looked. Ami and I shared a quick glance.
"Are you alright?" I asked Rei.
"I took the double shift last night covering the outer perimeter." Rei replied with a shrug.
"I was wondering who had to cover that last night." Ami stated. "Why would you volunteer for that job?"
"I've been having some trouble sleeping of late and figured if I can't sleep, I may as well do something useful with my time."" Rei replied with a shrug. I sighed at the nonchalant tone in her voice.
"Rei..." I started to express my displeasure, she seemed to sense this because she cut across me.
"What are you even doing here Michiru? I thought you and Haruka were spending the day together before the ceremony or whatever tonight..." Rei asked. I gave her a look.
"We were but Haruka's father needed her to attend to something beforehand. Something about the trade relationship between Jupiter and Uranus. My presence wasn't required so I decided to come and see you."
"Hm. So are you two seeing each other before the gathering or are you just getting together later on?" She responded quickly, giving me no time to question her further.
"You're not letting me talk Rei." I replied. "You only do that when you're trying to avoid talking about something."
Rei looked a little guilty upon hearing my words.
"What's going on?" I asked. She shook her head.
"It's nothing really." Rei told me.
"Fine but when you're ready to talk. I'll be here to listen." I told her. Rei swallowed looking even guiltier. "And to answer your question, Haruka and I are going to try and meet up before the gathering."
Rei nodded in response. I sensed that I'd pushed her a little too hard with my words. I knew that when she was ready to talk she would, but I didn't like her thinking that I didn't know something was wrong. I didn't like her thinking she had to go through everything on her own.
"What are you doing after the gathering?" I asked her, trying to get her to open up. Rei looked at me, her eyes told me she'd come to a decision.
"I don't know if I'm actually going or not. So I don't know if I particularly need plans before or after." Rei told me.
"What?" I asked hearing Ami echo my question. The two of us shared a looked of mutual confusion.
"Someone 'accidentally' let some information about me slip. I'm not exactly in good standing with the many of the nobles at the moment. My attendance at the gathering may be more of a hindrance than anything."
"But..."
"Michiru, think about it. Right now I'm seen as an imposter at best and as a spy and traitor in the worst case scenario. According to the noble's propaganda I'm here to spread discontent and incite rebellion. They think I'm here to over throw the current monarchies. My appearance at tonight's meeting and celebration could prove to be catastrophic if we're viewed as anything less than a unified front."
"What's going on?" Ami asked hesitantly. I'd almost forgotten that she was in the room with us. I wanted to question Rei more thoroughly but I wasn't sure if Rei was comfortable with Ami knowing everything.
"Someone let it become common knowledge that I'm not a legitimate child of Cycnus, I'm not exactly Royalty in the strictest sense." Rei said bluntly. I turned my attention from her to Ami and watched as evidence of her thoughts flicked across her face.
"But you're of the royal line?" Ami asked, clearly she was having difficulty wrapping her head around this. Everything became more complicated when you added politics to the mix.
"Well, yes and no." Rei replied. Both Ami and I rolled our eyes. Rei was being evasive, she was always hesitant to involve herself in politics of any sort. That was understandable though, as politics posed a deadly threat to her. Her life literally hung in the balance.
"I'm not recognized as Royalty on Mars, or off it really, but I remain included in all the alliances and treaties."
"Why even bring you into all this? Wouldn't that just complicate everything?"
"I'm fairly certain they would have just left me to my fate, if not for the fact they had evidence that they couldn't ignore." Rei told Ami.
"She inherited the powers associated with the Royal blood line." I supplied, seeing that Rei was skirting around the issue still. "Her half-brother, Ephor Anax Prometheus doesn't display the blood traits to the extent that Rei does, even though he's recognized as royalty on Mars. It's a complicated issue. Cycnus doesn't want Rei around because he thinks she'll try to overthrow him."
"I think his views on me have been taken as truth by the Lunar nobility and of course it's grown over time. So instead of just being a threat on Mars, I'm now a threat to the entire Lunar kingdom." Rei put in looking both bored and annoyed at the same time.
I sighed, I was finally starting to understand Rei's reluctance to participate in anything remotely political. Rei had always managed to play the political games but over the last few years she had been withdrawing further and further... or so my mother had told me.
"You're saying that your attendance at tonight's gathering with the Terran representatives could show dissension and weakness in the Lunar Kingdom?" Ami asked. From a tactical stand point, we wanted avoid displays of weakness to our allies, as well as our enemies. If we were seen as weak by outsiders they could be drawn to allying themselves with our enemies.
"That's exactly what we want to avoid." I commented.
"And yet your absence would draw attention to the very same thing." Ami put in, looking towards Rei. This was turning out to be the worst possible time for this information to come to light. Tonight was our first meeting with the Terrans in almost fifty years. We needed to make a good impression if this was going to work out.
I sighed. My mind began to wander in the direction of Haruka again. Suddenly the events from earlier that day were displayed in a different light. Both Jupiter and Uranus had particularly rocky relationships with Mars due to the history of violence between them.
Mars, before it had been assimilated into the Lunar Kingdom had been violently opposed to outside 'interference' as they put it. The situation escalated through the years and resulted in a certain level of animosity between the three planets. I swallowed before being able to voice my thoughts.
"You don't think that the Jovians and Uranians are planning something, do you?" I asked Rei hesitantly.
Rei and Ami both looked at me.
"What, you mean like using this as an opportunity to cause instability within the Kingdom?" Rei asked. I nodded, hating that I was even thinking this, let alone voicing it. Rei meet my gaze and held it. She shook her head slightly. I was surprised. She obviously didn't agree with my line of thought.
"You trust her, she trusts you. Nothing else matters."
"Rei, you matter!" I snapped.
"Thanks princess." Rei replied with a laugh. I scowled at the revival of the childhood endearment "But that's not what I meant. She won't want to break that trust. Don't worry about it."
"I don't worry about it. I worry about you." I muttered in response. Rei shrugged and gave another yawn.
"So what are you going to do?" I asked Rei quietly.
"Hide." Rei replied with a wry smirk.
"Of course..." I muttered, rolling my eyes. "Politics scare you more than people trying to kill you."
"The worst they can do is kill me." Rei replied, stretching out on the couch and closing her eyes.
HARUKA
"Just think about it Haruka, we can put forward a motion to have the Martian removed from the Marriage agreement. It would be the most beneficial thing for the Lunar Kingdom. We have the opportunity to stop this threat before it takes hold." My father said. He may still have been Imperator but I had effectively been running Uranus for the better part of a year.
My father said he wanted me to gain some experience and practical knowledge before he died. A year ago I felt like he was throwing me to the dogs and I hated him for it, but now, in retrospect, I realized it was because he trusted me enough to make my own decisions. He thought I had learned enough from him to make an effective ruler. He trusted my decisions. Hopefully he would stand by me in my next decision.
I glanced around the room, three faces were turned in my direction, all waiting to hear my thoughts on the matter. I studied Makoto's face as well as her father, Marduk. Makoto met my eyes, I tried to decipher what she was thinking. Would she understand where I was coming from? Or would she try and start something?
Finally I looked over at my father, he trusted my decisions in regards to running the planet. He trusted me... and I trusted Michiru.
"Father..." I started. He looked over at me. I sighed. "Attacking her would be a bad decision. She isn't seen as Royalty on Mars, meaning Cycnus could probably care less about her..."
"Meaning we should kill her while we have popular opinion on our side." Marduk cut in.
"No. Cycnus may not care for her but killing her would still have a negative impact on the Planetary Alliance. Her father won't give a damn but Michiru will, as will her mother. Killing Rei or causing her death will both anger and alienate Michiru and her mother. Neptune would demand retribution and recompense. Rei is family to them and she should be treated as such even if she is a Martian." I paused.
"We can't act on this. Earth has reported attacks by mysterious creatures. If it comes to war, the Martians are our best fighters. The best warriors." I was slightly uncomfortable acknowledging what we all knew. Even though it was an obvious fact, this was the first time I admitted it out loud.
I let out a sigh.
"I may not like Rei but Michiru does. Michiru trusts her. We should do the same."
Marduk looked like he was about to say something.
"At least try to tolerate Rei. We can't afford to lose anyone from this Alliance." I put in with a sigh.
Marduk rose to his feet, glaring at me.
"She's broken you, made you weak. I thought we could count on you to make the right decision..." He grumbled as shouldered past me, spitting on the ground at my feet. Makoto grabbed his arm as he tried to exit the room.
"No, don't leave. We need to settle this matter here and now." Makoto said stiffly, moving from where she was leaning in the doorway. A feeling of apprehension filled me.
MAKOTO
"She made the right decision." I told my father.
"Not you too." My father growled at me. I met his gaze evenly. "Why are you defending the barbarian?"
"Dad, you're not seeing the big picture. Rei, despite her many flaws, will be useful later on. Haruka is right, if we reach the point where war is the only option the Martians will be a powerful ally. As for the Neptunians, we can't afford to have them abandon the Alliance." He jerked his arm out of my grasp. I refused to break eye contact with him, attempting to stare him down. "Also in the future I would avoid insulting our closest allies."
I did my best not to flinch as he tore his arm from my grasp.
I sighed as my father stormed from the room. He obviously didn't agree with what Haruka and I were saying. Haruka looked over at me, a small smile of gratitude on her face.
"Thanks." Haruka said softly, I met her eyes.
"Not a problem. What? Were you worried that I wouldn't stick up for you?" I asked in a joking tone. Upon seeing her face I realized that was exactly what she feared. I laughed. "Haruka, you're one of my better friends, one of my only friends on this planet. I'll support you no matter what."
Haruka's father, Caelus, was studying the two of us.
"Are you two sure about this?" He asked.
"Yes." Haruka answered. Caelus turned his gaze to me. I shrugged. Caelus gave a sharp nod.
"Fine then, we won't act on this." He said. "I'll try and talk to Marduk, make him see your point of view."
He gave a soft sigh as he exited the room. He seemed vaguely disappointed in the two of us.
"You didn't answer him you know. Are you sure about this Makoto?" Haruka asked.
"I may have to trust her, that doesn't mean I have to like her." I said, she smiled and laid a hand on my shoulder.
"That's exactly how I feel." She told me with a grin.
AMI
There were only two books on Martians in the entire Royal Library. I sighed softly as I perused the pages yet again, trying to see what information I could glean. After each conversation with Rei I would go over what I had learned about her and her culture.
"So how are things going between you and Makoto?" Michiru asked, breaking through my concentration. I looked up at her in surprise.
"Makoto?" I asked, wondering what possible relevance she could have to our current situation.
"Makoto, your fiancée?" Michiru prompted, a smile broke out on her face. "You know, tall, brown hair, greenish eyes?"
At her slightly sarcastic description I gave a sigh.
"Yes, I know who you're talking about Michiru. I just don't see how she's relevant."
"In what world is she not relevant?" Michiru asked. I rolled my eyes.
"What do you want to know?" I questioned in return, giving into her curiosity.
"How are things between the two of you? Are you resolving your issues?"
"What issues?"
"Your planets are like night and day. Are you really trying to tell me you've both become accustomed to each other's ways of life without incident?"
I looked away. The differences between our planets' ideologies were cause for many arguments between us. The value they placed on physical prowess baffled me though I could see she thought the same of my people's affinity for knowledge and learning. I viewed their mastery of the physical realm illogical, there was no thought behind the actions they took. They relied too heavily on instinct. On the other hand the Jovians thought our application of logic to everyday situations was impractical, especially since we talked more than we acted.
"Things are going as well as can be expected." I told her. "We're getting used to each other... slowly."
"So do you think your union will come to pass?" Michiru asked. I shrugged.
"It would be the logical thing to happen." I replied slipping back into my native tongue. Michiru laughed.
"Ami, you don't always have to hide behind your science and knowledge. You're allowed to have an irrational opinion once in a while. Especially when it involves marriage." Michiru replied in my own language.
I smiled softly as she sighed.
"You two are both impossible, you know that?" She asked.
"You two?" I questioned.
"You and Rei. She's just as bad as you, worse probably. She never says what she wants. She just follows orders." Michiru muttered. "You both need to take a minute and think about what makes you happy or what you want to make you happy. Then you need to go after it with everything you have."
I nodded. I'd have to take her words into consideration at some point but for now I was content to just ignore them.
"Speaking of Rei, when she said 'hide' she really meant sleep. Is that a common occurrence?"
"What? Her saying one thing and then doing something completely different?"
I nodded. Michiru smiled again.
"Yes. It is a painfully common occurrence. When we were younger she said she would spend the day resting in bed but then we, my mother and I, would find her sneaking off to cause trouble. Eventually my mother just told her not to get herself killed while she was supposed to be healing."
I smiled at Michiru.
"Why the curiosity about Rei?" She asked me, glancing towards the couch where Rei was sleeping.
"It's just she's making me rethink a lot of my values. I knew that living with people from other planets would be eye opening. I just didn't think it would be like this."
"Culture shock would be the Mercurian term, correct?" I smiled. It was good to hear someone use terminology I was familiar with.
"What do you mean 'rethink your values'?" Michiru asked in Mercurian. She was one of the few people on the Moon fluent in my language.
"Well, you know how my people are. They wouldn't care that Rei's a warrior or, well...
"Illegitimate?"
I nodded softly, it was so hard to be delicate about this matter. Rei had been taking fire on all fronts. She had been outed as an illegitimate daughter of the Autokrator and the local nobles had scented blood in the water.
"They don't care where she came from yet they all lay such a premium on knowledge. They look at her like she's a barbarian merely because she's... from a society that doesn't value knowledge the same way we do." I explained.
Michiru gave a smile.
"Her society may not value knowledge but Rei, Rei has a thirst for it." Michiru replied softly, I watched as a fond light entered Michiru's gaze upon speaking of Rei.
"Really? I asked, a little surprised. I was under the impression that most Martians shunned then more advanced forms of learning. Though I had suspected Rei would be a different matter, a certain level of intelligence constantly shone in her eyes.
"Yes. Whenever she was on Neptune we would spend hours out in the gardens reading. Reading gave her peace, I think."
"So she can read?" I asked, I'd heard most Martians were illiterate but I hoping the question wouldn't be seen as offensive. I had the feeling Rei was more awake than she was letting on.
Michiru's laugh echoed through the room.
"Yes. I made sure of that." Michiru said.
"Hey!" Rei protested from the couch in a sleepy tone. "That's not the whole story."
"Oh, that's right, you were practically begging me to teach you. I'm sorry I forgot that detail." Michiru replied, a teasing tone in her voice.
There was a snort as Rei laid an arm across her eyes, shielding them from the sun coming in through the windows.
"I wasn't the only one begging that day." Rei muttered. Michiru's cheeks flushed softly. I fought down the urge to laugh. It was amusing seeing Michiru flustered, it didn't happen often.
"So you taught Rei to read?" I asked, genuinely interested in learning more about them. They were both fascinating people, especially Rei. Martians were rarely seen off Mars, making any information about them harder to find.
Michiru nodded but it was Rei who answered.
"Yes, she did. As you know we don't place an emphasis on written works on Mars unless it's for record keeping, most people on Mars are illiterate." There was a short pause. "Even the work we are most recognized for was transcribed by a Mercurian."
"The Art of War? Really?" I asked in disbelief.
Rei looked to me.
"You didn't know that?" She asked. I shook my head so she continued. "The Art of War was handed down verbally until a Mercurian historian decided it was worth copying down. They ended up introducing Lunar script to the..."
Her voice trailed off as Michiru tightened her hand on Rei's shoulder. I was missing something here. Something big.
"What?" I asked, letting my curiosity get the better of me.
"It's just Rei could get in trouble if people knew she was talking about this." Michiru said. My Mercurian upbringing inspired the rise of anger within me upon hearing of this censorship. Free speech was one the pillars of Mercurian society.
Rei and Michiru shared a moment of silent communication with one another. I was starting to become accustomed to them doing this.
"Only if you want to." Rei muttered, settling back into her position. I looked to Michiru in confusion. "I'm already in enough trouble."
"He can't hurt me." Michiru replied confidently as if reassuring Rei. "He'd be breaking the treaty."
I could hold my tongue no longer.
"Who did the Mercurians introduce Lunar Common to?" I asked.
"The founders of the Bonehunters." Michiru replied.
"Bonehunters?" I asked, unfamiliar with the term. Michiru nodded.
"Did you hear about The Purge on Mars?" She asked. Rei was staring up at the ceiling, a distant look in her eyes. I shook my head. I'd never heard about this. There was very little known about Mars off-planet. Even rumours were few and far between and the ones we did hear all said the same thing. Savages. Blood thirsty. Warlike. Explosive tempers.
And from what I'd seen of Rei, she had broken every single stereotype we had.
MICHIRU
"Well, The Purge was a religious cleansing. The Mercurians introduced Lunar Common, the language of planetary unification, to the Bonehunters almost 1000 years ago, who were kind of the educators and teachers on Mars. The usage of Lunar common served as an early distinction between the two religious orders on Mars."
Ami looked towards Rei, I cleared my throat knowing Rei would want to avoid all questions as to her past at this juncture. She disliked thinking about the Purge, it brought back bad memories for her. I was fairly certain she still had nightmares about it...
I took a deep breath before continuing.
"The Bonehunters became what one could call the 'official opposition' on Mars. The Martian Autokrators tolerated them for a time, before the ideas and concepts introduced by the Bonehunters were deemed too radical. Too dangerous." I told Ami, she was drinking in every word. "The Bonehunters were pushed to the edges of society and, over time, withdrew completely. Eventually the Crimson Guard was deployed to eradicate the Bonehunters. Cycnus believed they posed too big of a threat to the Martian society to continue existing."
"The Purge..." Ami breathed.
"One of the bloodiest massacres in Martian history." Rei murmured, her eyes were dark. The first sparks of flame were visible within them. I reached over and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Ami looked over and met my eyes. I could see the faint flicker of apprehension in her eyes, Martians were known for their explosive tempers throughout the worlds. Mix that with their reputation for blood lust and... Well, people feared them.
"There was no battle, no war, just blood, death, and suffering." Rei sighed. I gave her hand another squeeze, trying to pull her away from that place within her mind.
Rei took a deep breath. The fire died from her eyes and the look of resignation returned. I could tell she wouldn't be saying anything for a while. Her attention had been drawn inward. To the pains of the past.
MINAKO
For some reason I couldn't get that kiss out of my mind. The tenderness of the moment between them, Michiru's hand softly trailing over Rei's cheek as if that would make the world disappear. It wasn't even the kiss that was so firmly rooted in my mind. It was what had come after. It was the first time I had seen Rei smile.
Her smile was like nothing I'd ever witnessed before, it was stunning in nature. She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. The heart stopping smile caused a feeling of disgust within me as I had to confront my inappropriate feelings towards Rei. How could I be attracted to her? How could I let myself feel that way for a Martian?
I threw an arm across my eyes as I lay in bed. I couldn't let myself feel like this. I was haunted by her very existence, each time I closed my eyes she was there. I hated her for it. I hated myself for it.
I wanted to possess her even as I never wanted to see each her again. Never seeing her again would allow me the peace of mind I craved with every fibre in my being.
I let out a long sigh. Why did my body want that which would only spawn blank despair? If I went after this lust I would hate myself. But if I didn't pursue her, my body would ache with want... with need.
There was a soft sigh, I looked over at the woman beside me. I felt worse now than I had beforehand. Something in my very soul wasn't letting me substitute her in place of what my body wanted. I rolled out of bed and walked to the bathroom.
Throughout the long cold shower I took Rei's fluidity on the dance floor pursued and plagued my mind.
I let out a frustrated groan as I slammed my hand against the wall of the shower. Why the hell was I thinking about the Martian like this? I didn't want to think about the Martian like this. Why couldn't I just forget about her?
I left my rooms in a foul temper, this day had not started out the way I wanted it to. I had wanted the one night stand to end in the feeling of release, not more tension.
I stalked into the common room, startling Michiru, Ami, and Rei who were lounging around on the couches. Rei and Ami seemed to be savouring the brief reprieve from their duties.
I was glad the week was almost over, seven days of security detail and keeping a close eye on the princess had left all of us drained. We were used to following a fairly sedate schedule, the excess of parties and celebrations we attended had thrown us all off balance. The only one who seemed unaffected by this was Rei. I scowled in her direction as she and the others looked towards me.
"Did you just wake up?" Ami asked, looking as though she was trying to break the tension that had formed in the room.
"Sort of." I replied, she raised an eyebrow. She was probably wondering how that statement could exist in a logical world.
I took a seat at the table, doing my best to ignore the books scattered across it. It seemed Ami had been researching things again... I caught sight of the titles and scowled again.
"Where's Makoto?" I asked, trying to distract myself from the annoyance that welled up inside me. Last night, with High Queen Serenity, I had arranged for the Palace Guards to take over the security detail today so we could all go over tonight's strategy. I had only asked for a single shift of reprieve but the High Queen had insisted that we spend the day as we pleased. "It's well past noon, shouldn't she be here by now?"
"She and Haruka had some things to discuss." Ami informed me.
"What things?" I asked. The other three shared a look. I got the nasty feeling this conversation wasn't going to end well.
Just then the door burst open. Eros was framed in the doorway, looking ready to kill something. My eyes were drawn to his waist where is his sabre hung. I'd rarely seen him wear it unless he was out looking for a fight.
"You!" He snarled advancing on Rei. Michiru raised to her feet, stepping into his path, a thin rapier resting at her side. My eyes widened in surprise. I hadn't thought that she would be carrying a weapon. I had expected Rei to be the one armed and rising to his challenging tone.
"Watch what you do Venusian." Michiru warned, her hand settling on the hilt of her sword. Eros glared at her, then turned his angry gaze back to Rei. "You start a fight here and it won't be with her."
"Step aside, Princess. My quarrel is not with you." He told her as he advanced, looking ready to draw his sabre at any moment.
"No, but it will be soon." Michiru stated. Her eyes were cool, almost icy, as she watched Eros. Rei hurriedly got to her feet, placing a hand on Michiru's arm.
"Michiru, I've got this." Rei said, as she made to step in front of Michiru, who cast an arm out, blocking her path. Rei stopped short.
"Damn right you've got this, Martian." Eros snarled, his hand twitching towards his blade. I could see that things were escalating. I stepped in.
"Eros, what's this about?" I asked, stepping between my brother and Michiru. He gave a harsh sounding laugh.
"You mean you haven't heard yet?" He asked sounding amazed. "The Martian isn't royalty. She's a bastard child, illegitimate. She had no right to be here, let alone be the one to take your hand in marriage."
His words came out as a snarl near the end of his explanation. I was at a loss, startled beyond words. If she wasn't royalty, how come I was betrothed to her? I turned to look at Rei. In my surprise I was barely aware of Eros pushing me out of his way as he drew his sword.
Eros thrust wildly at Rei, who was still unarmed. Her whole body was tensed as if she were preparing to defend herself but with a flash of Michiru's sword, Eros' blade was knocked aside. I hadn't even seen her move, yet her sword was level at my brother's chest.
"Why are you protecting her?" Eros demanded, recovering his position. Michiru kept her rapier pointed in my brother's direction as she stepped in front of Rei again. I wanted to warn her against this. While my brother was no warrior, he knew how to handle himself in a duel. I didn't want Michiru in the middle of this. Hurting her could cause catastrophic results.
"Michiru..." Rei murmured lowly. I moved to stop Eros but before I could, the doors burst open again. Artemis, Makoto, and Haruka all paused as they took in the scene.
After the brief second of hesitation, Haruka lunged forward, placing herself in front of Michiru protectively, glaring at Eros. She wrapped her hand gently around Michiru's, pushing the tip of the sword down until it was pointed at the ground.
Artemis had moved at the exact same time, pulling Eros away roughly. He yanked the sword from my brother's grasp.
"I specifically said to avoid confronting Rei." Artemis stated, I could feel his anger washing off him in waves. "We were well aware of the situation, Eros. Your mother was fine with it, beyond fine!"
I stared at Artemis in disbelief.
"What?" I asked sharply at the same time Eros did.
"Your mother not only accepted your marriage to Rei, she was the one who proposed it. Now grow up, both of you." Artemis said, his eyes flicking between Eros and I as if daring us to challenge him.
The bottom seemed to fall out of my world again. Not only had my mother allowed me to be roped into an arranged marriage, she had been the one to set it up. It was a betrayal of our culture, but even more, she had betrayed me. She had taken away my free will.
I must have been broadcasting my emotions for Artemis's rage softened into a gentle feeling of concern.
"Minako..." He started. I stepped past him, shaking my head.
"No. Not now Artemis." I told him as I exited the room.
MICHIRU
I shared a look with Rei as Minako left the room with Eros and Artemis not far behind. The look on Rei's face showed a mixture of emotions, she clearly wanted to follow Minako but knew that was the worst thing she could possibly do. I watched as Rei pulled back into herself, disguising her emotions once again. I frowned. That was always hard to see, I was still used to a younger Rei who would laugh often and freely.
Suddenly Haruka released me from her protective embrace and turned on Rei.
"What the bloody hell did you think you were doing?" She demanded, shoving Rei back a step. I grabbed Haruka's arm before she could do it again.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, Haruka ignored me as she kept her gaze on Rei.
"If you let Michiru get hurt, I'll do worse than kill you, you piece of shit." Haruka swore. I pulled Haruka around to face me.
"You, shut up." I told her sharply. "I intervened on my own accord. Rei had nothing to do with my decision."
"But she didn't step up and stop it either." Haruka shot back.
"Oh yes, because gutting her fiancée's brother would really help the situation." I retorted.
"No Michiru. Haruka's right. I shouldn't have let you get involved like that. These are my problems, I should have dealt with it."
I whirled on Rei.
"Dealt with it how? By getting yourself killed?" I demanded. "Rei, I've told you before, I'm not going to just sit by and watch you die!"
Rei gave me an odd look.
"You should." She told me, not meeting my eyes. Horror passed through me at her words. I opened my mouth to protest but she cut across me. "Michiru, you can't keep putting yourself in danger over me."
"Finally we agree on something, Martian." Haruka stated. I let out a groan of frustration. These two were going to be the death of me, one way or another.
"You know what? I can't talk about this right now. You two are just... such idiots." I said, leaving the two of them standing in the common room together.
REI
I let out an exasperated sigh, I had just managed to piss off the one person who truly cared about me. That was just perfect. I stalked from the room, slamming the door behind me. Today was just not going my way.
I went to my rooms and gathered my weapons, deciding that getting some training in would allow Michiru time to calm down before I went and attempted to talk to her. I didn't feel like getting yelled at again right now.
I made my way down the stairs and out on to the training grounds, making my way to the archery range.
I sat on one of the benches and restrung my long bow before looking it over carefully. I ran a finger down the string, noticing that it could use some attention. I settled down and pulled out a small tin of wax. I lightly ran the wax up and down the string before working the residue into the thread. When I was satisfied with the job I had done I stood up and adjusted the bracer I always wore.
When I felt I was ready I drew out my first arrow and notched it. I smoothly drew back the string, sighting down the arrow.
HARUKA
"You're asking me to spar?" Rei questioned, looking a little disbelieving.
"Well she's mad at the both of us, so I figure we've each got some tension to work off. You game?" I asked. She shrugged.
"Fine." She replied, gently removing the string from her bow and gathering her archery gear. I had to admit, I was impressed by her skill with a long bow. It was something I never had the patience to master, much preferring to fight hand to hand with my opponents.
Once the Martian had set aside her archery things, she drew her sword.
"How do you want to do this?" She asked.
"We'll start with not killing each other." I replied before beginning the match. She parried my tentative thrust with ease, I smiled. The Martian would probably be a good match.
Minutes later we were locked in a deadly dance of flickering blades and complicated footwork. When she caught her hilt against mine, I pulled her closer.
"I don't like you." I told her, doing my best to keep my tone civil.
"I know that." She replied, forcing me back a step as she freed her sword. This time she went on the offensive.
"And while I may not like you, Michiru does." I continued on with what I had been saying as I blocked her attacks. She gave me a look. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... I'll tolerate it. You and her, I'll tolerate it."
My words seemed to take Rei off guard because I nearly got through her guard but she recovered at the last second.
"Likewise." The Martian muttered. "You may not be what I think is best for Michiru but she loves you. So I'll have to put up with you. I guess."
I allowed myself a faint grin. It seemed we were on the same page. I decided it was time for the tables to turn again. I pivoted, bringing myself close enough to Rei to stop her next assault. I caught her by the arm, holding her sword arm steady, before swinging my sword at her body. I turned my blade so that the flat would catch her instead of the edge.
To my surprise, she merely dropped her sword and when I jumped back to avoid the falling point she drew her long-knife. I smirked as I went on the offensive.
"So what's the deal between you and Michiru?" I asked, between pants for breath. She was holding up surprisingly well against my attack with that knife.
"There's nothing between us... not anymore."
I gave a faint snarl.
"I know that, you two are just friends... now. I want to know what was between you." I gritted out. In an instant I was on my back, staring up at the Martian. She sheathed her knife and offered me a hand up. I took it grudgingly. How the hell had she done that?
"You know what we were... or at least you've suspected. We were each other's first loves as you would call it." She replied with a shrug. "There's not much more to it than that."
"There is." I exclaimed. The Martian raised an eyebrow. "There has to be. The way she looks at you..."
The Martian laughed. She actually laughed.
"We're best friends. We've know each other for years. That's all that is."
I glared at her, trying to pick up some hint that she was lying. I couldn't find it.
"You're a fucking bitch, you know that?" I told her, annoyed with how or fight had ended. Rei smirked.
"So I've been told." She replied, picking up the sword she had let fall.
"Is this a private catharsis or can anyone join?" Makoto's voice asked, sarcastically. I looked over to where she was leaning against the boundary post. Her spear was rested at her side.
"If you're looking for a sparring partner, it's going to have to be the Martian. I'm done." I replied, sending one last glare in the Martian's direction before heading on my way.
MAKOTO
"What in the name of Hades have you done now?" I asked of the Martian. She rolled her eyes.
"She didn't like what I had to say." Rei replied. "So, are you here to spar or just pick fights?"
"Picking fights is your job, savage." I retorted angrily, adjusting my grip on my spear. The Martian sighed and shook her head. She turned to face me as I prepared to face her.
"You think it's going to go better this time around? Fine." Rei muttered, drawing her sword. I lashed out before she properly had time to draw her weapon. She blocked it, with the half drawn blade, pivoting as she sent a reverse roundhouse kick to my chest, forcing me back. She finished drawing her sword and promptly attacked.
I started to say something but bit it back as the Martian slid her sword along the shaft of my spear. I jerked back moments before her sword sliced into my hand. That was the one issue I had with my weapon of choice, it lacked a hilt or hand protection of any kind.
"You seem distracted." Rei commented as she sidestepped my next attack. I gritted my teeth, knowing it was true.
Lately I'd been keeping a closer eye on the Martian. I'd noticed something a month, or so, ago. I'd begun to notice the way she looked at Minako. It worried me. The Martian was dangerous already, anything could happen if you added lust to that already volatile mix. I met the Martian's eyes. I wouldn't let her harm Minako, or any of the others.
REI
"You had better keep your hands off her." Makoto spat out.
"Keep my hands off whom?" I responded, parrying a particularly violent thrust with ease. I was totally confused as to what she was talking about. All I'd done was mention she seemed distracted...
"Minako. I've seen the way you look at her." Makoto snarled. I smirked at her.
"Takes one to know one, I've seen how you look at Ami." I replied, not seeing the point in denying my feelings. A look of raw pain crossed Makoto's face.
"I am nothing like you!" Makoto snarled, launching herself at me as she tossed aside her weapon. I rolled with her first punch, using the raw power in her attacks to my own advantage. I was taken off guard by the rage behind her assault and barely managed to protect myself.
I didn't particularly wish to injure her, whereas that was the only intention she had. I wove myself away from her heavy blows. If one managed to connect I'd be unconscious... or worse.
"I will never be anything like you." Makoto growled. I could practically feel the disgust radiating off her in waves.
"You know nothing about me." I retorted, doing my best not to lose my temper with her.
"What's to know, murderer?" She spat. "You're nothing but a..."
Something inside me snapped as the anger, frustration, and pain I had been holding back for the last few months tore its way out into the open.
I had done everything I could in the last few months to try and convince them to see me differently. Nothing I had done had changed anything. Nothing I did mattered, none of it meant anything. To them I was just an animal, something undeserving of life or love. And I was getting sick of it.
My actions were didn't seem like my own as I sent a quick blow to Makoto's stomach, the force of which cause her to double over. Before she could recover I had landed four more hits to her ribs, relishing in the feeling of bones bending under my assault. I finished the attack with a single shot across the face. The final punch left Makoto sprawled in the dirt, nearly unconscious.
The raw anger faded as quickly as it had come. I was left shaking as every last shred of hostility faded from my body. I picked up my sword carefully, blood dripped steadily from my knuckles as I passed Makoto, leaving her laying in the dirt.