Gurren Lagann : Mecha Emperor

As Goro and the others settled into the war room, Mara kept her focus on the maps and reports, but her mind was elsewhere. Every time she glanced at Yoko, she saw the way she stood close to Goro, how he spoke to her with an ease that Mara had never shared with him.

Mara had always prided herself on being level-headed. She made decisions with precision, relying on logic over emotion. But when it came to Goro, that control was slipping.

It started with small moments, things she brushed off at first.

Mara had known Goro for a long time. She had seen him fight, bleed, and push himself to his limits. She had seen him at his best and at his worst. And in all that time, he had never looked at her the way he looked at Yoko.

A passing glance, a casual smile, the way his posture relaxed when Yoko spoke. Mara had seen those things before, but they had never been directed at her.

The first time she noticed, she dismissed it. The second time, she ignored the sting in her chest. The third time, she realized the truth: Goro cared for Yoko in a way he never had for her.

That night, after the briefing ended, Mara sat alone in her office, staring blankly at the mission reports in front of her. Her hands clenched into fists as Yoko appeared in her mind. Bright , confident, and so damn familiar next to Goro's.

"She's not even from here. She's just some village girl with a rifle," Mara thought bitterly. "And yet… he looks at her like she belongs here. Like she belongs with him."

She had fought beside Goro for years, planned battles with him, watched him rise as a leader. She had always believed that, in the end, they would stand together. But now, Yoko had appeared out of nowhere, effortlessly taking a place Mara had fought to earn.

Mara and Goro had always been in sync, a perfect balance of skill and strategy. But since Yoko had arrived, things felt… different.

He started seeking Yoko's input more often. In meetings, he'd turn to Yoko and ask for her thoughts, listening with interest. Mara told herself it was because she was a fresh perspective, nothing more.

He spent more time training Yoko personally. He had done the same with others before, of course. But this was different, more than just leadership. It felt personal.

When Yoko spoke, he actually laughed. Not just the rare, half-hearted chuckle he gave to most but genuine amusement. When was the last time she had made him laugh like that?

Mara hadn't meant to eavesdrop.

She had been on her way to the hangar, passing through one of the quieter corridors near the observation deck. It was late and most of the base had settled down for the night. The dim glow of overhead lights cast long shadows along the walls.

Then she heard their voices.

She stopped in her tracks, her pulse quickening before she even knew why.

The thought struck her like a slap in the face.

Mara had never considered that possibility. She had seen them talking together often. Always in some isolated corner, always standing closer than most.

But the idea of them actually acting on their obvious attraction had never even crossed her mind.

She couldn't see them. They were around a bend, just out of sight. But she could hear their voices loud and clear.

And they could hear her if she stayed here much longer.

Mara pressed herself against the wall, holding her breath as she strained her ears.

They were both talking at once. Their voices overlapped, so that she couldn't understand a single word.

Then one of them said something too sharply and the other went silent.

She could hear him, his breath coming faster and louder. And then a low groan.

Mara shivered as she listened. Then Mara's chest tightened. She felt a sick, twisting sensation in her gut.

But her feet wouldn't move.

The groans continued, and Mara bit her lip as she struggled to hold still. Her cheeks were burning and between her legs. She squeezed her thighs together, her breath catching. She could feel herself getting wet.

There was another groan, and a muffled gasp. Then silence.

After a moment, she heard their voices again. Still too low to understand, but their tone was softer. They were whispering to each other now. The whispers became kisses, and then another round of groans.

Mara felt like she was going to be sick.

Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms. She didn't need to see them to know what was happening. The softness in Goro's tone, the closeness in their voices, she could feel it.

She had fought beside Goro for years. She had been there in the worst moments, stood at his side through blood and fire. And now, in the span of days, Yoko had managed to slip into his world like she had always belonged there.

Mara turned away before she could hear anything else.

She walked quickly, her movements stiff, her stomach churning. The taste of bitterness was sharp on her tongue.

She had told herself it was nothing. That she was being ridiculous. That Yoko was just another soldier, that Goro would never.

But now?

Now, she wasn't so sure.

Mara didn't lash out openly, that wasn't her style. But the next few days, her interactions with Yoko had an aggressive undertone.

She questioned Yoko's tactics in meetings, pushing back harder than necessary.

She dismissed Yoko's ideas before reluctantly agreeing when Goro backed her up.

She corrected her in ways that felt more condescending than helpful.

"You've never fought in large-scale battles before, have you?" Mara said one morning after Yoko suggested an ambush tactic.

Yoko frowned. "I've fought my fair share of battles."

"Skirmishes, maybe," Mara countered, arms crossed. "But war is different. Stick to what you know, and let the strategists handle the rest."

Goro didn't notice the hostility, but Yoko did. And she wasn't the type to back down.

Mara's jealousy finally boiled over.

She and Goro were going over maps when Yoko entered, casually leaning against the wall. "Goro, you promised you'd show me the simulation room."

"Right, almost forgot," Goro said, rubbing the back of his head. "Mara, can we finish this later?"

That was the last straw.

"Are you serious, Goro?" Mara snapped.

Both Goro and Yoko turned to her in surprise.

"We're planning a war, and you're running off to play in a simulation room? With her?"

Goro frowned. "Mara, this isn't-"

"You used to be focused," Mara cut in, her voice sharp. "Before she showed up, before you started acting like this was all just some adventure. Maybe you should remember what's at stake."

Yoko narrowed her eyes. "What's your problem with me, exactly?"

Mara met her gaze, something unspoken passing between them. For a moment, she almost said it. He was mine first.

But instead, she simply turned to Goro. "Forget it. Do whatever you want." And with that, she walked away.

Little by little, she found herself making things harder for Yoko, whether she meant to or not.

During training exercises, Mara reassigned Yoko to the most grueling drills, claiming she needed to "catch up to the rest of the team."

In strategy meetings, she subtly undermined Yoko's suggestions, twisting the discussion until Goro had no choice but to side with her.

When Yoko requested resources to repair Enki, Mara conveniently delayed the paperwork, making her wait longer than necessary.

They weren't direct attacks, just inconveniences. little obstacles placed in Yoko's path. If Goro noticed, he didn't say anything. And Yoko? She was starting to see through it

The next evening, after a long day of training, Yoko stormed into the command center, slamming her rifle down on a table.

"Alright, Mara. What's your problem with me?"

Mara barely looked up from her reports. "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't play dumb," Yoko snapped. "You've been on my case since the moment I got here. Every time I try to help, you shut me down. What the hell did I do to you?"

Mara set her pen down, standing slowly. "You don't belong here."

Yoko narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me?"

"You show up out of nowhere, and suddenly, you're part of everything? Part of his life?" Mara's voice was dangerously calm. "You don't understand what we've been through, what we've built. You think because you can shoot a rifle and pilot a Gunmen that you can stand beside Goro? You haven't earned that."

For a moment, Yoko was speechless. But then, she clenched her fists.

"I don't have to earn anything, Mara. I'm here because I want to be, because I believe in this fight, just like you."

Mara scoffed. "You're just a passing distraction."

Goro walked in at that exact moment.

"What's going on?" he asked, glancing between them.

Mara stiffened but masked her emotions quickly. "Nothing. We were just discussing battle assignments."

—

At first, he thought it was just an adjustment period. New faces always took time to integrate. But this was different. Mara was colder than usual, her clipped words and side glances toward Yoko loaded with something Goro couldn't quite put his finger on. Resentment? Distrust?

Maybe both.

Goro wasn't blind. He saw how Mara pushed Yoko harder than the others, how she challenged her authority in strategy meetings, how she "forgot" to approve repairs for Enki until Yoko had to go through someone else.

The confrontation earlier had confirmed it. He had only caught the tail end of their argument, but it was enough. The look in Yoko's eyes, she was hurt. Angry.

Mara, on the other hand, barely reacted. That was the problem.

Goro sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair. He didn't have time for this. There was a war to fight, cities to protect, and humanity's survival was still on shaky ground. The last thing he needed was infighting among his own team.

This was his fault, wasn't it?

He had spent so long leading and fighting, that he hadn't paid attention to the people closest to him. Kamina had gone his own way, Simon had disappeared, and now Mara.

Maybe he had taken her for granted.

He always knew Mara was loyal, but was that loyalty more than just duty? The way she looked at him sometimes… had he missed something deeper? And if he had, was it too late to fix it?

And then there was Yoko.

She had followed him back from Littner, determined to be part of this fight, and somewhere along the way, he had gotten used to having her around. Her presence made him feel like things might actually turn out okay.

Was that what Mara saw?

Was she afraid of losing her place?

He had to do something before this got worse. If he let this fester, someone might do something they might regret.

Goro had enough.

it was affecting the team, the mission, everything. And if they thought he was going to sit back and let this nonsense play out like some petty schoolyard feud, they had another thing coming.

So, he sent a direct order:

"Mara. Yoko. Sit. Now."

The message was short, to the point, and left no room for argument.

The two of them looked frustrated at each other, They both hesitated but obeyed.

Goro leaned forward, resting his hands on the table as he looked between them. "Alright. I don't care what personal problems you two have with each other, but this ends now. You're both part of this team. I need you to trust each other. If you can't do that, then we have a problem. And in case you forgot, we already have enough problems without adding this to the list."

Yoko scoffed. "Tell that to her. She's the one who's been making my life hell since I got here."

Mara remained silent, but Goro saw the flicker of something in her eyes.

"Mara?" he pressed. "What the hell is going on with you?"

For a long moment, she didn't answer. Then, finally, she exhaled sharply, leaning back in her chair. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

Mara's gaze flicked toward Yoko, then back to Goro. "You brought her in like she belonged here from the start. No hesitation. No second thoughts. Just like that, she's in." Her voice was calm, but there was something else to it. "You didn't even stop to think about the people who have been fighting at your side this entire time. The ones who were already here."

Goro narrowed his eyes. "This isn't about Yoko, is it? This is about you."

Mara's jaw tightened.

Yoko shifted uncomfortably, as if suddenly realizing this wasn't just a rivalry.

"Mara, I trust you," Goro continued. "I always have. You're one of the most important people on this team, and I know I don't say that enough. But if you think I'm replacing you, or pushing you aside, then you're wrong."

Mara swallowed, looking away. "It sure as hell doesn't feel that way."

Silence filled the room. Goro glanced at Yoko, who was watching Mara carefully now, her frustration cooling into something more like understanding.

Goro sighed, sitting down. "Listen. We can't afford to be divided right now. If there's something I need to fix, tell me. But I need you both on the same page. Because if we fall apart from the inside, then everything we've fought for means nothing."

Mara took a slow breath, then finally met Yoko's eyes. "I still don't like you."

Yoko smirked slightly. "Feeling's mutual."

But the hostility was… different now. Less sharp. More worn.

Goro nodded. "Good. Then at least we're being honest."

He stood. "Now, I don't care if you two have to fight it out, yell it out, or drink it out. But settle this. Because the next time I see either of you undermining each other, I'm throwing you both into the worst training exercises I can think of. Together."

Yoko groaned. "Ugh, fine."

"That's cruel."

Goro grinned. "Then don't make me do it."

As he left the room, he could feel some of the tension finally ease. It wasn't fixed though, things like this never were overnight but it was a start. And for now, that was enough.