Chapter 3: Martian Champion
October 22, 8982
The Martian forced herself to her feet, hesitantly reaching out to take Minako's hand again. When the bond flared back to life, she smiled and allowed herself a moment to bask in the feeling of love and belonging that washed over her. "For now, I think you should congratulate all of the participants as you had planned to do, then we will return to my palace and figure something else out from there."
Minako nodded and closed her eyes, calming her racing heart as she turned to the large group of men who had fought for the right to request her hand in marriage. Rei fell into step behind the Venusian as the group of men noticed the princess returning, quickly forming themselves into something that resembled a line. Rei barked a command at them in Martian, and the line instantly straightened, all of the men at perfect military attention despite the blood on their uniforms and the irritation in their eyes. "Princess Minako of Venus, may I introduce your suitors?"
Minako giggled at Rei's serious tone, bowing her head graciously as she reached the head of the line. "It is a pleasure to meet you all. Please, introduce yourself when I take your hand. As a Venusian, I will be able to identify my soul mate by touch."
Rei groaned to herself at the words, knowing that she should never have let Minako's hand meet hers, especially after her mother's warning. Would Rikuriko know that her daughter had disobeyed, that she had managed to make the same mistake that the queen had decades earlier? Part of the young Martian wished that she had refrained from making contact with Minako, or that they weren't soul mates and her mother's fears had been unfounded, but looking at the gorgeous blonde dispelled all of her internal struggle. If her soul had to be mated to someone, at least it had picked a perfect woman.
Minako started with Akida, who had technically taken second place in the contest, her blue eyes warm as the taller man took her hand. "I am Akida, Lord of Harumeya, second son of Prince Ryuu, youngest brother of Queen Rikuriko."
Minako held his hand for a moment, letting her face show disappointment that she did not feel as she released him. "You fought well, Lord Akida, but you were not born with the other half of my soul."
Ishida stood in the second position, his dusty-orange eyes full of self-importance and certainty. Martians valued strength above all else, and he thought that winning second place in the contest meant that he had a higher chance to be chosen as the Venusian's soul mate than any of his defeated opponents. Rei smirked as she watched him, eager to let Minako crush his sense of self-worth. "I am Ishida, only son of High Lord Abaraki of Deimos, future ruler of that moon, and it is an honor to have fought for your fair hand."
Minako smiled gently as she pulled away, shaking her head at the pompous young lord. "I am glad to have given you the honor of the fight, but I cannot offer you anything else. I am sorry, Lord Ishida."
The dark-haired man clenched his fists in fury, clearly having expected to win the contest and the throne of Venus in one afternoon. "How could you not choose me? I have the highest rank of anyone here and I would have won that fight fair and square if Rei had not interfered! I demand that you choose me!" He reached out and grabbed Minako's arm, earning a sharp gasp from the young princess and a swift kick to his sternum from his own ruler. With a shocked grunt, he fell to the ground, releasing the Venusian's arm.
Rei stood over Ishida, fury in her eyes as ribbons of red fire danced across her skin. "If you ever dare to touch a Crown Princess in such a manner again, I will see to it that you are stripped of your title and your ability to father children and left to die in the Wastes. And I never want to hear you speak so informally of me or any other Royal ever again. Do I make myself clear?" There was a darkness in her voice that frightened even the hardest of those men, and Ishida had the good sense to tremble as he nodded, eyes trained on the ground at Rei's booted feet.
"Forgive me for getting carried away. And please forgive my rude manner earlier, Your Highness. You are certainly the champion among us."
The rest of the participants greeted Minako cautiously, each aware of the red-haired champion flanking her who was perfectly willing and capable of punishing them. A few of the men, like Jiishyo, were visibly relieved when Minako rejected them, but most let their disappointment show. It would have been a great honor for any of them to marry a princess, let alone the High Princess of Venus, and Rei found herself envious of them for the first time in her life. If she had been born in a lower station, perhaps third daughter of a minor lord, at least she would be able to have herself appointed to Minako's harem, but as High Princess they were doomed to be separated.
By the time Minako had spoken with and rejected every suitor, the sun was sitting low on the horizon. Rei noticed that her new friend—her soul mate—was exhausted, her aura dim and flickering. The poor blonde had been awake since dawn and had traveled to Mars after a strenuous ritual, so it was no wonder that she was barely able to stay on her feet. Minako stumbled while Rei was leading her back into the palace, but the Martian was standing close enough to catch her. "Are you alright?"
"I'm just tired," Minako whispered, her blue eyes paler than they had been when she entered the throne room hours earlier. "I was hoping I could rest before the evening meal." She was not interested in seeing any more false suitors now that she knew the terrible reality that she would eventually have to face.
"I understand," Rei whispered, waving one hand at a hovering servant. "Prepare Princess Minako's room. She will take a brief nap before supper. Assign five of my ladies in waiting and ten of my personal servants to her for the rest of her stay."
The servant nodded, dashing away, and Minako gratefully let Rei support her on the walk back to her room. "Forgive my weakness," she whispered.
"You are not weak, just tired. Even warriors are allowed to sleep." The Martian's voice danced with mirth, and the other princess managed to laugh as they reached her quarters. Rei released the blonde to her servants, bowing as she backed away. "We look forward to seeing you at supper, Princess Minako. Enjoy your rest."
"Thank you." They would have to talk later, but at the moment Minako couldn't think of anything other than the sleep she so desperately needed.
"How did the demonstration go?"
"It went well," Rei replied, playing with her knife as she stared at the empty table. Her father and brother were arguing emphatically about some report or another, while her sister was reading yet another marriage offer. "Ishida of Deimos and Akida of Harumeya were the final two combatants." She fervently hoped her mother would leave it at that, but Rikuriko knew her eldest daughter far too well.
"And who won, Rei?"
"I . . . I did."
"Rei!" Akaneiro glanced over at his wife's exclamation, raising one eyebrow. Rikuriko waved her hand in dismissal and pulled Rei closer, leaning close enough for only her daughter to hear her whisper. "Don't tell me you let your blood lust overcome you."
"I just didn't want one of them to win," the princess whispered, shame coloring her tones. "I interfered and defeated both of them. Minako named me her champion before testing all of the suitors. None of them were compatible."
Rikuriko leaned back in her chair and regarded her daughter for a moment, watching Rei take a sip of her drink to calm her nerves. "Did you touch her?" The princess closed her eyes and looked away, clenching her free hand into a fist. She couldn't answer, but her words were not necessary. "And?"
Rei's head shot up, her brilliant amethyst eyes burning with a power Rikuriko barely remembered. Somewhere between fury and desperation, Rei grabbed the queen's hand and sent all of her emotions and thoughts and confusion to her mother, leaving the older woman to sort out that mess.
"Do you love her?"
"I barely know her," Rei shot back telepathically, using her psychic powers in a manner that only a current or future Sailor Mars would ever be able to.
"Then you must find her a suitable mate before you do. The faster you move, the less likely you will develop feelings that will cripple you when she leaves." Releasing Rei's hand, Rikuriko closed her pink eyes and forced back her tears. "You will do your duty for the sake of Venus and Mars." It was a command from a monarch to her subject, and it was not an order the princess could disobey.
"Of course I will," she choked out, sighing in relief as a herald announced the arrival of Minako to the dinner table. The fiery princess straightened as her beautiful blonde soul mate entered the chamber, adorned in a dress of golden silk with orange accents and strings of fire opals in her loose hair. Her blue eyes danced with joy to see Rei again, and the princess knew that distancing herself from the Venusian might well be impossible. She rose from her seat, hearing her family follow her lead, as she offered their guest a polite bow.
"We are honored to have you join us for this meal."
Minako lightly grasped the sides of her skirt and offered the princess a perfect curtsy, her pale eyes taking in Rei's dark purple dress adorned with pale amethysts and rubies, flashing the other princess an approving smile. "Now that I am no longer so exhausted, I can appreciate your cuisine all the more. I thank all of you for the kind welcome I have received here on Mars."
The Venusian made a point to take Kazan's hand, holding it for a moment before shaking her head sadly and taking her seat. The servants began to deliver the meal, standing back as the royal family and their guest enjoyed the repast. Rei was careful to avoid looking at Minako or getting close enough to touch her, worried that her mother would think she was intentionally breaking the laws of the Silver Millennium, and Minako let herself flirt with all of the royals, showing her Venusian charm. Even Rikuriko managed to blush at one or two of the blonde's insinuations, and Momoiro spent the entire meal paying attention to their guest instead of reading her marriage proposals. By the time the meal was over, the Martian family had accepted Minako, welcoming her into their home with their hearts and not just their formality.
"How are you so good at that?"
"At what?" Minako looked sideways at her guide as Rei posed the question, the pair strolling through the private Royal Gardens on the way to the guest rooms after the meal was concluded. For the first time all day, they were completely alone.
"Charming people."
"Venus is a planet of love and beauty, and we will give and receive both as often as possible. Flirting is almost a second language for us, and if you heard my native tongue you might understand. In Venusian, I could seduce you in less than five words."
Rei snorted. "Hardly."
Minako grabbed the taller woman's arm and spun her around, letting her pale blue eyes captivate the Martian for a moment. "Laorisa hainan'ha yo'usehnah." Rei felt a rush of heat fill her frame, the underlying desire she had felt for the smaller woman flaring up out of control and begging her to lean forward and claim Minako's soft lips for her own. The blonde grinned and touched two slender fingers to Rei's lips, breaking the spell. "See?"
"What did you say? I lost all control . . . and for a Commander of the Royal Guard, that is not a sentence I have ever uttered before in my life."
Minako shrugged as the pair resumed their walk to her room. "There is a power in every language, Rei. You know that Lunarian has the power to bind the soul, Uranian has the power to force a weakness, and Neptunian has the power to expose gentleness. Your own language has the power to strike fear in an enemy or entice a friend to greater heights of power in a time of need. Well Venusian has the power to influence emotions. If I speak a sentence harshly, with anger in my tone, you will become angry. All I said was, 'your eyes glow like gems in this light', but you responded to the desire in my voice. That is the power of my language."
"Do you desire me?"
The question silenced the blonde as the pair entered her guest quarters, thankfully free of servants and ladies for the moment. Rei walked over to the covered balcony and stepped outside, her eyes focused on the harsh Martian landscape as the night creatures began to call. She waited for Minako's answer, unsure what she herself would say if posed the same question, knowing that she should leave and not tempt herself.
"Yes."
The word hung between the princesses, giving each of them the opportunity to reply or ignore it, both knowing that the conversation had taken a dangerous turn. They could never dare become lovers, could never become close, but would they be able to remain friends with that passion pulsing unanswered between them?
"You shouldn't," Rei finally replied as her hands tightened on the balcony railing, forcing herself to contain her emotions. "Perhaps we should talk about something else for now. Tell me about the powers you will have as Sailor Venus." That seemed like a safe enough subject.
"Sure," Minako agreed, her cheerful voice unencumbered by her own turbulent emotions. Rei turned and smiled, joining the other princess on her plush couch and indicating that she should begin. "You know that my talisman is the Love Me Chain, but, like every other senshi, I have a secondary power. For Mercury, water and ice are her element, but her brilliance will always be her secondary power, giving her the ability to strategize in seconds and formulate plans that will allow her more offensive partners to decimate the enemy. For you, with fire as your element, your psychic ability and connection with the gods gives you an edge over most enemies and lets you see intent before your oppenent ever attacks. The senshi of Jupiter has lightning as her element and greatly enhanced physical strength as her secondary power.
"Sailor Saturn has the scythe and the powers of destruction and ruin, but her secondary power is knowing when she has to destroy in order to protect everyone. It is the power that frightens me the most, and I am glad that she is almost never called upon. Sailor Uranus has the power of the wind at her fingertips, and her speed and agility are her secondary power. I admit I have never seen that power in action since there is no current Sailor Uranus, but I imagine she could move faster than we could blink. Sailor Neptune has the power of the sea, and her mirror gives her the ability to see things that we cannot. It is not the same as your power, and sometimes the mirror has shown Sailor Neptune things she must see whether she wants to or not. She is certainly our best defense against enemies from outside the Solar System. Pluto has the power of death and time, and she has the ability to touch someone and see their future and their destiny. I am told that she also might have the ability to change her own appearance or alter someone's memories, but those are probably just rumors stemming from her habitual solitude."
"And you?"
Minako looked down at her hands nervously. The edge in the other princess's tone warned Minako that the question was not casual. Rei needed to know her power because she was afraid of the bond building between them. Nothing Minako could say would make this inevitable conversation any easier. "I have the power to project my emotions on everyone nearby." She sensed Rei tense up beside her, and she sighed as the Martian clenched her fists.
"Is that what you have been doing to me? Projecting your emotions on me? Making me feel things that I never asked for and can't understand?"
"No, Rei, listen to me, please. I can't do it yet, and even if I could I would never do it in peace times. It's a power that makes Sailor Venus the leader, since I can project my confidence or fury to everyone else. My strength becomes your strength, and the team fights better because of it. Not only that, but my love and devotion for the princess will inspire the team to follow and protect her. I can even use that power to force someone to believe that I am the princess, drawing the enemy away so the princess is always safe. As Sailor Venus, it is my job to not only train you and protect her, but also to sometimes act as her decoy. My power is the most useful in that situation."
Rei's voice was softer when she finally spoke again. "So everything I feel . . . it's just me? When I look at you . . . am I supposed to be so confused?"
"Can't you identify it?"
"Martians are trained to hide their emotions and anything else that would make us weak on the battlefield. In some ways, we are the opposite of you. We are expected to marry for advantage and learn to live with that person in peace afterwards. You are expected to find your soul mate and live with whatever failings they have afterwards."
Minako reached over and took one of Rei's tense hands in hers, smiling as the fiery princess looked up at her. The bond between them, which had been simmering all afternoon, began to glow in her heart again. It wasn't as overwhelming now, just comfortable and warm. She didn't know how she could learn to live without this bond. "We are trained to love, and you are trained to fight. But don't think that I am weaker than you because I fight for what I love; that's a strength by itself. When love is your motivation, your own abilities can be enhanced beyond what you thought possible. All senshi are trained to love the princess and she will always love us unconditionally, and that is when we are the most powerful. Hopefully, I can help you understand that while I am here."
"Perhaps. But my mother knows that you are my soul mate and she wants me to find you a suitable mate as soon as possible. I don't know how much time we will possibly have."
"It will be enough." Minako reached up and ran her fingers through Rei's crimson hair, smiling as the Martian leaned into the caress. As a warrior, how often had anyone touched her gently? "You should go get some rest. You will have another pack of eager suitors to defeat in my name tomorrow, my champion."
Rei smiled and stood from the couch, hesitantly leaning forward and kissing Minako on the cheek. "You and I might have to marry men someday, but I think someone as clever as you could devise a way for us to be together even afterwards." Hope sparkled in the depths of her amethyst orbs, and Minako found herself wondering if she could, indeed, think of some way to be with the future Sailor Mars.
Spring on the largest moon of Jupiter was always a dismal affair. Under the yellow light of the artificial sun, the plants on Io struggled to survive after a harsh, dusty winter, the tall trees reaching for the glowing gas giant floating serenely overhead. Makoto loved the early mornings in spring, walking slowly among the desperate plants and whispering words of comfort to them. When summer started, Io warmed considerable and the plants would explode into verdant growth as if to forget their humble beginnings. The princess liked to believe that her encouragement in the spring helped them.
"Are you out here talking to your plants again?"
Makoto looked up from the ascjira plant she had been singing to, brushing her long green ponytail over her shoulder. "Possibly. Is Father ready for the assignments?"
Her oldest brother, a tall Jovian with dark blue hair and muddy green eyes, smiled as he nodded. "All four of us have been assigned to a Mercurian study ship that will travel through the system to sample various plants from every planet. We will be protecting the royals on board. The trip is expected to take two or three standard months, then you will return here and challenge Mother for her henshin stick."
Makoto nodded, her emerald eyes worried. "I know that Mother thinks I am ready to be Sailor Jupiter, but I don't know if I want to go away and train on the Moon just yet."
"Hopefully you will be ready after this tour of duty. Eiki and Saiki are waiting for us in the throne room, so we need to be going."
"Alright, Ken'nin, I'm ready."
Makoto and Ken'nin entered the throne room of Io Palace, the princess nearly as tall as her brother, and the nobles gathered near the throne stood at attention. Their parents sat calmly on their thrones, smiling as all four of their children gathered at the base of their dais. The Queen and current Sailor Jupiter, Meika, had the same rich green hair as her second son, Eiki, and eyes only a few shades lighter than Makoto's. Her husband, Meisha, had been born on Neptune and displayed the characteristic aqua hair of his planet. His ice green eyes met Makoto as she stopped beside her brothers.
"So glad you could join us."
"I was in the garden," Makoto replied, grinning at her father. "Ken'nin explained the assignment to me a few minutes ago."
"Good, then I have less to do. The ship will begin its tour on Pluto and work its way back to Mercury. With the current planetary alignment, this mission should only take two or three months. You will be guarding the five royals who are conducting this experiment. I have no idea what they think they needed to be guarded from, but Queen Amami requested Jovian guards, and I offered the lot of you." Despite his dismissive tone, the four knew that it was a great honor for a Jovian to be offered as bodyguards for off-world nobles. Their prowess in unarmed combat was unmatched in the Silver Millennium, and their fame as inconspicuous guards was of immeasurable benefit to nobles who did not want to be noticed.
"Which royals?"
Meisha shrugged and glanced down at his data screen, his ice green eyes scanning through the information. "It looks like the research team consists of Duke Jurin, Duchess Haname, Duchess Lilia, Lord Kounin, and High Princess Ami."
"The High Princess is going on a research mission? Don't they normally leave that sort of work to dukes and lords?"
"I suppose so, Saiki, but the High Princess is studying for the final test to receive her henshin stick and she has chosen this research mission. You might as well make friends with her, Makoto; she will be joining you on the Moon for Sailor Senshi training in only a few months."
"I don't understand why your mother thinks we need security on a diplomatic mission to study the botanical riches of the planets. There should be nothing to protect from."
"I know, Lilia, but my mother leaves nothing to chance. Besides, she tells me that the princess of Jupiter needs a guard assignment before she can accept her henshin stick. Apparently protecting another princess is the highest honor."
"We are landing, ladies, if you would like to prepare yourselves to meet your guards for this mission." The deep voice of Duke Jurin, the pilot of their ship, filled the small lounge, and Princess Ami smiled and bowed her head.
"I believe we should obey your husband, Haname. He's not pleased that Mother assigned us guards for such a simple botanical study."
Haname smiled and ran her long fingers through her silver blue hair, gathering her data crystals and arranging them neatly in their case before leading Ami and Lilia to the door. They paused for a moment as the small ship landed on Io with a faint shudder, then Jurin and his cousin Kounin appeared in the doorway and led them to the airlock.
The other four Mercurians paused respectfully and let Ami step down from the ship first, the young princess raising one hand to shield her sapphire eyes from the brilliance of the simulated sunlight beating down on the parched landscape before her. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she noted two lines of guards dressed in rust brown and forest green flanking a paved walkway leading from the private landing pad to the palace proper. The dry landscape seemed incapable of supporting life, despite the plants struggling toward the light on the edges of the field, and she wondered for a moment if there would be anything to study when she reached Jupiter on her trip.
"There is never much to see in spring," a surprisingly strong female voice announced from the direction of the palace, as if in answer to Ami's mental query. Three tall men and an equally tall woman approached the ship, their regal birth evident in their stride. The woman smiled and bowed to Ami, her lightly armored suit lacking the skirt required for a curtsy, her emerald eyes meeting the Mercurian's as she stood. "When you return in the summer, everything will be in full bloom."
"I believe that our schedule will have us back here by Ganymede's summer," Ami replied smoothly, smiling as her Jovian equal glanced at the small ship and the four nobles slowly emerging behind Ami. "I am told that you have been assigned to join our expedition?"
"In a protective capacity only," the tallest of the men answered. "I am Ken'nin, High Prince of Jupiter. These are my brothers Eiki and Saiki."
"I am Makoto, High Princess of Jupiter. You must be High Princess Ami."
Ami nodded, already warming to the tall green-haired Jovian princess. "I am. How did you know?"
"Your mother visits here at least twice a year, and you look just like her."
Ami was a little surprised at that. It made sense for the queens to visit each other for diplomatic functions and perhaps even to train as Sailor Senshi, but she didn't know that her mother came to Jupiter so often. "Of course, that makes sense. Well, allow me to introduce my companions. This is Duke Jurin of Mintara and his wife, Haname, and this is Jurin's cousin Lord Kounin of Gaoren."
"And I am Lilia, Duchess of Urawa, daughter of Queen Amami's sister, Princess Ria." Lilia stepped forward to introduce herself, her silver eyes sparkling with interest as the Jovian Princess took her hand. "If we must have guards, at least you are all pleasing to look upon."
Kounin sighed and grabbed Lilia's free hand, pulling the flirtatious Duchess back into the ship as Jurin sighed and shook his head. "Forgive my cousin's forwardness. She never fails to flirt, no matter how inappropriate the situation. Despite my aunt's best efforts, Lilia remains single and often an embarrassment on long assignments."
"I find her attitude refreshing," Makoto countered, following the three Mercurians back onto their ship as a flock of her servants loaded the vessel with sufficient supplies for the nine men and women to complete their journey without needing to restock again. "Most Jovians don't have the courage to even look at my brothers or myself, let alone flirt with us. I was worried that this journey would be all science and formality."
"Not with Lilia and Haname around," Ami chuckled, showing the new passengers to the guest cabins. "Jurin and Haname have this room, and this one is Kourin's. If one of you could bunk with him, the other two can have the room across the hall." Ken'nin and Saiki nodded and entered the empty chamber, gesturing for the trailing servants to bring what few belongings they were taking, while Eiki followed Kourin into his room. Ami led Makoto to a slightly larger room at the end of the corridor, pointing at the single empty alcove. "Lilia and I share this room, but there are three beds if you don't mind bunking with us."
"Of course I don't mind." Makoto grinned as she tossed her small bag onto the empty bed and turned to her charge. "This is amazing. I've never been on a ship so small that I had to share a room with anyone. Your research vessels are incredibly efficient."
"We don't believe in wasting space or resources. Even Mother's flagship is cramped compared to the other flagships I have seen." Ami regarded the taller Jovian for a moment, sensing that the other woman was genuinely pleased with the accommodations. "I must admit that I thought you would be upset with the cramped space."
Makoto shook her head as she turned to rummage through her bag, removing a small arsenal of weapons before choosing a few discrete ones to wear and readjusting her armor. "It's so much nicer than having huge, echoing corridors filled with servants and guards just to hop from Ganymede to Pluto on some minor diplomatic visit. This is more . . . intimate."
"That's the word Lilia used. You two will get along well, I think."
"Well, I'm here to guard you, Princess, so I'm most concerned about you and me getting along. To that effect, my brothers and I need to set up a duty roster. How long is the trip to Pluto?"
Ami reached into her pocket and produced a small computer, tapping a few keys and nodding as the result of her query scrolled across the screen. "The cargo ship that brought us here will carry us to Pluto in less than two weeks, then we will be on our own to get back. We have much smaller engines than the cargo ship, so we will take at least thirteen weeks to stop on every planet and major moon on the way back to Mercury." She hoped Makoto would not wonder why they had booked passage with a slow cargo ship instead of taking one of her planet's courier vessels. Mercurians were efficient, and her mother did not want to waste one of her fast ships for a research mission that was already going to take months. It made more sense for them to ride with a ship already going to the edge of the solar system.
Makoto did not seem to care at all. "Very well, I will make the duty roster based on that." Makoto offered a quick bow and marched out, her boots ringing on the floor and her voice echoing as she called for her brothers. Ami stared after her, oddly entranced by the green-haired warrior, listening as the four Jovians began to argue about guard rotations and security precautions.
"Well, it looks like my cousin Ami finally has a crush."
"A what?" Ami spun to glare at Lilia, sapphire eyes narrowed in confusion. "I don't have a crush on anyone."
"I see the way you're watching Makoto. I would never have pegged you for someone who liked busty women, however."
"Busty?" Ami blushed and turned away from her cousin, fiddling with her computer to hide her embarrassment. "I wasn't looking at that."
Lilia grinned as she pulled the pins out of her silky black hair, tossing them on the dresser beside her bed before grabbing her brush. She watched Ami out of one sparkling silver eye as she continued to tease her blue-haired cousin. "At least you picked an attractive one. I can limit myself to the boys if you want to go for it with the princess."
"Lilia! You know that princesses are not allowed to marry other women."
"Who said anything about marrying her? We're on a three-month journey with the Jovians and I have never seen you take any kind of interest in anyone before, man or woman. There's nothing stopping you two from enjoying this trip together." She separated her hair into three sections and began to braid it as she measured her cousin's response to her teasing. "You can, at least, admit that you find her attractive?"
Ami looked up from her blank computer screen, staring at her cousin before looking back into the hallway. Makoto had just crossed her arms over her—as Lilia had pointed out, rather large—chest as she stared her youngest brother down, the other two having already agreed to whatever she wanted. Saiki sighed and raised his hands in defeat, walking toward the bridge and leaving the green-haired woman leaning against the wall alone. She turned at that instant, catching Ami's eye and winking before she sauntered off after her siblings.
Damn she had a cute ass.
"Oh Serenity," Ami whispered, mortified. "I do find her attractive."
"And I thought this trip was going to be dull."
TBC