Echoes of a Distant Demon

by Sailor Doc

~ Chapter Seven ~

Smoke.

All around her it billowed and rolled. The atmosphere here was heavy with it and mixed with the cold, damp haze of an icy fog. Together, the two seemed to cling and stick to everything they touched, including every inch of her skin not covered by her uniform fuku. As it was now, she could barely see six feet in front of her.

It had been a furious battle.

Luna and Artemis had detected a secret base of Queen Beryl's hidden on one of Jupiter's lesser moons, and Queen Serenity had sent her senshi here to annihilate its threat. They had responded immediately, and despite the fact that the youma stationed here had been tipped off and were waiting for them, had made short work of their evil menace. The senshi had come in hard and fast, giving no quarter and asking none in return. Venus had placed her soldiers to their very best advantage, and the effects had been devastating to the unwelcome inhabitants of this normally deserted moon. Now, all that was left was the infamous 'fog of war,’ in this case mostly courtesy of the combined attacks of Mars and Mercury. Venus, however, had a problem that was starting to leave a bitter taste in her mouth as opposed to the sweet taste of victory she should be enjoying right now.

One of her senshi was missing.

She took a deep breath. The air around her stank of brimstone, ozone, and the charred flesh of several hundred dead youma. She would probably have gagged at the stench if she could take time to think about it, but time was a luxury she couldn't afford. They had to get out of there in case whichever General had been in charge of this place returned with reinforcements. But, first, they had to gather what information they could from their computers, destroy the base complex itself, and most importantly, find their missing comrade. Venus had vowed long ago that no soldier would ever be left behind.

Not on her watch.

Even if that soldier wasn't...

"Reiko,” she whispered softly as her eyes strained against the thick, gray fog. "Where are you, love?"

Breaking up the assignments, they all went to work quickly, with Mercury on the computers, Jupiter on turning the complex into a heap of rubble, and herself on search and rescue. A task made that much harder by the fact that Mars would not answer her communicator.

Or could not.

Checking her compass once again, she continued heading blindly in the last direction she had actually seen Mars, her dark hair swirling around her as she turned to face yet another attacker, her brilliant eyes flashing a promise of fiery death as a column of flame erupted from her outstretched hands...

"Mars! Mars, can you hear me?" she called out periodically as she plodded through the slowly dissipating haze. "Mars!"

Reaching the spot she had last seen her partner, she began to search the area in detail, and then she felt a cold shiver sweep across her skin that had nothing to do with the lingering effects of Mercury's fog. Her face blanched white.

The ground here showed signs of a tremendous struggle, and there were several patches of blood scattered among the rocks. Youma didn't bleed.

But senshi did.

"Rei!"

She couldn't keep the fear out of her voice, and at that point, she really didn't care as she cried out the name again with all her might.

"REI!"

With desperate eyes, she began to trace the trail of blood, stumbling after it as it led off into the mist that continued to swirl and dive among the rocky hills. About fifteen yards out, she came upon Mars’ communicator, crushed and sticky to her touch as she picked it up with trembling fingers, now stained red with blood.

Rei’s blood.

Unable to speak, Minako could only stare at the broken piece of equipment in her hands. "No,” she whispered, her voice cracking on the word. Slowly, tears formed at the corners of her eyes, only to begin their sad journey down her bloodless cheeks and splash soundlessly against the blood stained communicator that offered her no answers. Only more questions that she feared the answers to.

In her stunned silence, she almost missed the beeping of her own communicator.

"Venus," she said as she answered the insistent tone, her voice a rough whisper at best.

"Mercury here,” came the brisk, business-like voice of the Princess of Mercury. "Sensors indicate a lifeform 25 degrees south, southwest of your current position. Please be advised that as we are the only known lifeforms on this moon, it may very well be Mars. Do you copy?"

Taking a tight grip on the rollercoaster ride of her emotions, she answered the senshi of wisdom. "Yes, thank you,” she said, her tone now more alert and hopeful. "I'm on my way."

"Minako,” Mercury added gently. "Makoto is on her way in case you need her, okay?"

"Thanks," she said, suddenly even more grateful for her good friends. "I may,” she added, starting to move in the indicated direction. "I found her communicator and it's a mess."

"Hang in there!" came that calm, steady voice. "I'm sure she's okay!"

"Venus out," she managed, and, closing the communicator, broke into a cautious, watchful jog.

Arriving at the area indicated by Mercury's sensors, Venus came to a stop and scanned the area.

Nothing. Even though the fog was starting to lift, she could see absolutely nothing.

"Rei!" she called out again, her heart starting to pound in frustration and fear. "Can you hear me? Rei!"

Silence.

Then she heard it. Just the soft scrape of something as it moved against the nearby rocks, but she quickly turned in that direction, eyes straining to see through the swirling mists that roiled and played along the ground.

And suddenly, there she was.

Holding her obviously injured left arm closely against her body, Mars limped painfully out of the cloud of smoke and fog, blood still dripping slowly from her limp fingertips. Sensing more than seeing a presence, she looked up at her senshi leader and at first, scowled darkly. Then, seeing the worry on her lover's face, her expression quickly changed. Coming to a staggering stop, she straightened her stance, and with a nonchalant tilt of her bruised and soot-blackened face said gruffly, "Even a youma can get in a lucky shot every once in a while... but only once!" she added with a wicked flash of teeth and an almost evil grin.

Tears of joy and relief streaming down her face, Minako couldn't help but laugh as she ran forward and pulled Rei into her arms. Grunting at the force of Minako's welcome, Rei refused to let her know how much it hurt! Instead, she closed her good arm around her partner's back, and held her shaking form against her own.

"I'm okay, Mina,” she insisted. "Really, it just looks much worse than it is."

"I thought I'd lost you!" Minako said. Pressing her cheek against Rei's chest, she listened to the reassuring beat of her heart and refused to let her go. "I found your communicator and all that blood, and I..."

"Shh," Rei said softly, pulling her gently closer. "It's over now. I'm here, you’re here, and soon, we'll be going home together. That's the way you told me you always like it to come down, isn't it?"

Taking a deep, cleansing breath, Minako could only manage a nod, refusing to give up the comfort of her current position.

Smiling, despite her pain, Rei pressed a reassuring kiss against the top of her lover's head. "I'll always come home with you, Mina," she said. "Sometimes, it may take me a bit longer to get there than you may like," she added with a gentle smile, "but, I promise you... wherever you are is my home, and at the end of all my days, I will be with you.

Always."

_______________________________________________________

"Minako? What are you doing here?"

Rei stared in disbelief at the young woman standing before her. In her nondescript jeans and t-shirt, her hair covered by a ball cap and her eyes hidden behind dark glasses, Minako was still very recognizable to the shinto priestess, even in this 'stealth mode'. Recovering from her initial shock, Rei straightened up and quickly adopted an air of disapproving nonchalance. "What if the press had caught you? It would have caused a riot out there!"

"Why do you think I snuck in?" the idol singer asked with a mischievous grin.

"You're missing the point," Rei frowned, ignoring the irrational urge to answer that grin with one of her own. "They would have been all over you in seconds, and I wouldn't have been able to help you," she said, turning her head away.

"I knew they'd never catch me," Minako insisted with a confidant smile. "I have my ways."

Turning back to her, Rei cast a skeptical eye in her direction. "Seem awfully sure of yourself, don't you?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes actually, I am!" Minako insisted lightly. Seeing Rei's continued doubt, Minako said, "Have you already forgotten? I was Sailor V long before I ever knew who Sailorvenus was! How do you think I was able to get in and out of places so easily back then? On top of that, I've been a popular idol most of my life, and if I hadn't discovered how to get out and about on my own long ago, I would have gone crazy in that ivory tower my manager would have kept me locked away in. It's actually quite easy, once you get the hang of it!" she insisted.

"Okay," Rei allowed, nodding her head. "So you got in here," she said, reaching for her broom and looking off over the gardens with feigned indifference. "Congratulations! That still doesn't answer the original question. What are you doing here?" she asked again, not turning to look back at the other young woman.

A little put off by Rei's cold manner, Minako's smile slipped a bit, and she cast her still shaded eyes downward as it became plain to her that Rei would not let her in as easily as she had hoped for.

"Be patient!" Artemis had said to her just before she'd left the penthouse. "Despite the fact that this whole debacle has totally disrupted her life, you know how she can be! My guess is that she's about met her limit. She's never been noted for her patience, you know!"

"But, Artemis," she'd started, thinking he was being far too serious, and barely able to keep her excitement under control.

"But nothing, Minako!" the white cat had insisted, trying to rein in her enthusiasm just a little. Afraid of seeing how hurt she would be if Rei rejected her, he'd tried to bring her back down to earth a bit. Closing his eyes, he said, "Just be honest, Minako! Nothing more, nothing less. She deserves that much, right?" he asked, his green eyes opening to look at her in honest appeal.

Looking at Rei now, her face in profile, her chin set at a defiant angle, and her eyes refusing to meet hers, Minako knew her work was cut out for her. If she could ever hope to establish, much less re-establish, any kind of a relationship with this proud young woman, she would have to be the one to take that all too important first step.

Removing her hat, she stepped forward to stand directly in front of the stubborn priestess, who turned to look at her in surprise. Removing the dark glasses that had kept her eyes hidden, she looked at Rei with all the honesty and longing in her heart, and simply said, "I came to see you, Rei. I had to see you."

Momentarily taken aback by the close proximity of the other woman, Rei was thrown by the openness of Minako's words. They were simple. They were honest. And for the first time since she had met the girl in this lifetime, there seemed to be no hidden meaning or agenda. Which begged the question…

"Why?" Rei asked abruptly, taking a couple of steps back from her.

With a soft sigh, Minako allowed Rei her personal space and looked down at the footpath a few moments before saying quietly, "Several reasons, actually. One, I was worried about you and wanted to see for myself that you were okay."

Nodding thoughtfully, Rei accepted that. "Thank you," she said, retaking her seat on the bench beneath the old tree. "I appreciate your concern." Watching as Minako started to fidget, she added, "I was sorry to hear about your bodyguards. Were you very close?"

Minako looked over toward the stone garden, determined not to let her emotions get the best of her. This was not the time or place, damnit! But, Rei had always had a talent for getting to the root of anything that upset or disturbed her, and that talent was obviously still in place.

Refusing to get upset or to look back at her, Minako cleared her throat and said heavily, "Yes. They had both been with me for several years, and had become more like family to me than employees. It's been... pretty bad."

"I can see that. Here," she heard Rei say with surprising gentleness.

Looking warily back at her out of the corner of her eye, she saw the handkerchief in Rei's outstretched hand. With a slight smile, she hesitantly stepped forward and took it, gratefully excepting Rei's silently indicated offer to join her on the shaded bench.

"It must have been hard," Rei said, as Minako settled onto the bench, the unused cloth held tightly in her hand.

"Yeah, well not as hard as it's been on their real families, I'm sure," she said, playing down her own pain in deference to theirs.

Nodding, Rei easily recognized what Minako was doing, and allowed the subject to gracefully slide away. "Regardless," she said seriously, "I'm sure they appreciate your concern, Minako, as I do. But, let me assure you. I am perfectly okay."

Looking up at her, Minako unconsciously allowed Rei to see her unguarded expression. "Are you sure, Rei? Are you really sure? I mean, you actually killed a man!"

Rei was shocked at the pain she could see laid bare in those lovely, caramel-colored eyes. She had not expected that! For the first time since Minako had gotten there, Rei could clearly see the stress, the lack of sleep, the over work, the suffering, and the naked loneliness this young woman had been enduring for she had no idea how long.

"Really, Mina!" she said gently, trying to reassure the other girl, and wondering briefly why she had flinched as if she'd been struck when Rei called her that. Turning to face her, Rei impulsively reached out and gathered Minako's hands in her own. "I knew exactly what I was doing, and I have no regrets about it," she said. Tilting her head down, she tried to make eye contact with the idol, who kept her face averted, but Rei could clearly see the blush that lightly covered Minako's cheeks, and it was only then that she became aware of the small hands trembling within her own. Surprised, Rei felt her own cheeks began to color as she slowly opened her hands, allowing Minako to pull hers back into her own lap, and an awkward silence descended on the bench until Rei cleared her throat.

"So," she said, her fingers picking at the edge of the bench as she looked out over the grounds. "What else brings you here?"

"I beg your pardon?" Minako asked, more to buy a few more moments to recover from that one, brief disconcerting moment than anything else.

"That was just one reason," Rei explained. "You said there were several."

"Oh. Yes," Minako answered. "I also wanted to let you know that I've decided to take your advice."

"My advice?" Rei asked, drawing a complete blank as to what she could be talking about.

"I called my doctor," Minako said, looking at her with a slightly nervous smile. "I have an appointment to see him in two days."

"Minako!" Rei exclaimed before she could stop herself, a dark, yet delighted grin spreading across her face. "I'm so glad!" Four years ago she would have probably said something like, 'It's about time you showed some common sense and came around to reason, Aino Minako!' Now, with the passage of time and the still vivid memories of the other girl’s death, she couldn't contain her relief. "I know you can beat it this time," Rei encouraged. "We caught it early, and you can beat it. I'm sure of it!"

"I may need your help," Minako said shakily.

"Whatever you need, whatever you want," Rei said. "I'll be there for you. Just ask."

"Be careful what you say, Mars Reiko-san," the idol singer said softly, lowering her eyes once again. "I may just hold you to it."

That name again. Rei shivered. Why did she have to use it just now?

A soft breeze rustled the leaves overhead, breaking the silence that had fallen between them once again, until Rei gathered her courage and asked, "So, was there anything else you need to see me about, Minako?"

"Yes, actually," she said quietly. "We need to talk, Rei. I need to talk. It's time I was totally honest with you. Long past time actually, if you want to know the truth," she added tiredly.

"The truth about what?" Rei asked, almost afraid of the answer, yet oddly craving it as well.

"The truth about us and who we really were in the past life."

Rei felt an irrational surge of anger. "The truth? About the past life? Why is that so important now?" she demanded. "With you it's always been about the ‘past life!’ What does that have to do with here and now? The present day? That's what I'm interested in, Minako!"

Minako frowned. "Rei, you know as well as I do what a tremendous influence what happened back then has had on our lives. It still affects us! Even now it guides our thoughts, effects our decisions, shapes who we are, what we think, and... and..."

"And what, Minako?" Rei ordered. "Come on, spit it out! I love a good story, so don't stop now!"

Minako's eyes flashed as she reacted to Rei's tirade. "And who we love," she said glaring at her, and lifting her chin in challenge.

Rei answered the idol singer’s glare with one of her own. "I thought we were talking about ‘truth,’" she said, "so unless you intend to tell me the truth about someone you love, then I see no more point to this conversation!"

"Why else do you think I’m here?" Minako demanded.

"I'm not sure," Rei said. "I thought we were discussing truth. So, am I expected to believe you now, after all this time?"

"Rei, if you'd just..." Minako tried to begin in exasperation, only to be cut off by the angry priestess.

"I mean, how many times did you and Artemis lie to us anyway?" she demanded.

"We only did what we felt we had to, to protect you guys! To give Usagi and the rest of you time to awaken your full senshi powers and remember the mission from the past life!" Minako insisted.

"But you hadn't fully awakened yet either!" Rei stormed. "Why presume to take all of the burden on yourself?"

"Because not regaining your memories along with your powers was slowing you down and holding you back. It made you all more vulnerable!" she answered. "I already had a year's worth of experience fighting all alone and I had also regained all my memories."

"That still doesn't explain why you would take such risks!" Rei demanded. "Why do such a thing?"

"To protect Usagi!" Minako said patiently. "We knew they were after the Mystical Silver Crystal, and that it was hidden deep within her heart. We also knew that they didn't know that, so we decided to use that knowledge to our advantage. We hoped that as a mature soldier and without the complication of a relationship with Endymion, that she would be able to control the power of the crystal and restore peace to the planet."

"That still doesn't really answer the question!" Rei insisted. "Why take such risks? Alone? We may not have been as strong or as experienced, but we could have helped you!" Shaking her head, Rei continued. "All those risks you took! Pretending to be the Princess! Luring the Generals out in open confrontation! Inviting endless attacks from youma! What were you thinking, Minako? Were you out of your mind?"

"No. I was dying."

The quiet simplicity of the words left Rei speechless. Staring open mouthed at the delicate beauty sitting next to her, Rei couldn't help but marvel at her winsome frailty: A cunningly deceptive mask that nature had given her to hide the heart of a fiercely noble warrior.

Finding encouragement in the serenity of this place, with the gentle afternoon sun that filtering through the trees and warming her face, Minako continued, her voice quiet in deference to its sanctity. "I had just found out about the tumor maybe a day or two before Artemis first came into my life," she started. "They had told me that there was an operation, but that my chances of a completed recovery without a remission were pretty slim, and that the longer I waited, the slimmer they would get. I was already an idol by then, just at the beginning of my career, and I had no one around, really, to talk to about all this and help guide me through it. I had just turned thirteen that October, and all the possibilities seemed really bad to me. Then, Artemis appeared, and he provided me the opportunity I needed to push all those decisions I didn't want to face into the background. I never told my manager how serious my illness really was, and I convinced Artemis that it wasn't that bad."

She smiled as the memories came back to her. "It was great fun being Sailor V! Everything was really all so simple then. I wasn't just Aino Minako, pop idol singing sensation, or Aino Minako, terminally ill cancer patient with maybe a year or two to live. I was Sailor V! The mysterious and daring sailor-suited champion of justice! A jewel thief? No sweat! A bank robbery, you say? Not a problem! I loved it! And even better yet? I excelled at it!"

Rei couldn't argue with that. Stories of her exploits had made it even into the shrine itself, and she remembered she had been just as intrigued as the rest of Tokyo by the beautiful, young masked heroine.

"I've always loved the limelight," Minako continued. "Being center stage with all the world looking up to me! It's an unbelievable rush to share your energy with others, and when you feel the love you're receiving in return, it's just so easy to multiply that and give it back! Sailor V gave me the ultimate opportunity to give back to the world my love, my hopes, and my dreams! It was wonderful!" she enthused. "Until I couldn't hide my illness from Artemis anymore." Her tone change, subtly. "He was furious! But, by then, it was too late. Venus had awakened, with all her memories and responsibilities intact, and Sailor V was, to all intents and purposes, gone for me."

"When did you start to remember?" Rei asked.

"The night I first met a jewel thief called Tuxedo Kamen," she said, her eyes taking on a distant look.

Rei was surprised. "You met him way back then?"

"Yes," Minako said. "I was attempting to apprehend him one night, and it was during that fight that it hit us both pretty hard."

"The memories?" Rei asked.

"Yes," she answered. "In retrospect, I don't think he remembered quite as much as I did that first night. What I do know is that we were both shaken pretty badly by what we had seen. Suddenly, the whole world had changed again. I saw everything! My true self, the Moon Kingdom in all its glory, the senshi, all of us devoted to each other, our Princess, and her Kingdom. And I saw it all destroyed and why in graphic detail. It was made very clear to me that night just exactly what my true mission was. I had to do everything within my power to ensure that the devastation of before was not allowed to repeat itself. All of a sudden it wasn't just for fun anymore. In the blink of an eye it had become deadly serious." She sighed heavily. "And once again, I found myself alone, with only Artemis to help me, for though I knew you guys existed, you were nowhere in sight, and I felt more alone than I had ever been before."

"But why?" Rei asked again leaning forward. Caught up in Minako's story, she really wanted to understand what had driven the lonely young girl to extending her isolation. "Couldn't you have started looking for us? Sought out the friends and comrades you knew would help you? I don't understand," she said, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What made you push us away?"

"Well," she started, with just a trace of hesitation, "two things actually. After Artemis found out just how seriously ill I was, we had to alter all the plans we had originally made. The fact that it was terminal put a time frame on us he hadn't been counting on, and we had to speed things up by forcing Beryl's hand. We may not have had time to wait for your powers to develop, so we came up with the idea of ‘Princess Venus, heir to the moon kingdom.’ It would draw them out, focus them on me, plus give us an excuse to remain separated from you guys while you were continuing to grow and gain strength. We both felt it was of the utmost importance that you all be at your full powers and skills when I..."

"Don't say it!" Rei said, cutting her off. "We all know what happened."

"Don't be so angry, Rei," Minako said, turning to look at her pointedly. She was not used to having to explain herself or her actions to anyone, and this was pushing her limit. "You were the one who insisted on knowing these things! Do you think I actually wanted to go through all of this crap by myself? Well, do you?" she demanded, and Rei flinched. "Of course, I wanted you guys with me! I was tired! So very tired of it all! I could remember how close we had all been! What good friends we were to each other! I was so envious every time I saw all of you together! I wanted to join in too! To be a part of all the times you spent together! I didn't know how I was going to be able to carry on without you all by my side! But, Artemis and I both felt it would be better for us all if we could avoid the emotional complications that would arise for everyone when I died."

"Well, that worked out really well," Rei said bitterly.

"We were wrong," Minako said softly. "Terribly wrong, and it was all my fault."

"What makes you say it like that?" Rei asked, curious at Minako's quiet admission.

"The second reason I tried to push you guys away, but couldn't," she admitted. "I remembered you."

Startled, Rei leaned back and stared at Minako, her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide. "What exactly do you mean?" she asked. "And what would that have to do with anything?"

Minako easily saw the sudden wary look in Rei's eyes and her own closed in silent pain as she stood and moved away from the stone bench. Holding her arms against her chest as if to ward off a sudden chill, she kept her back turned to the young priestess still seated under the sheltering arms of the ancient tree. They stayed that way for several moments. Minako trying to gather her thoughts and her scattered emotions. Rei silently waiting for an answer she felt she already knew in her heart.

Finally, Rei rose to her feet and walked up behind her. "Minako. Stop," she said gently. "You don't have to do this right now. Just let it go. We can talk about it later, when you've had more time to think."

"But, don't you see, Rei?" Minako said. "That's part of the problem! I've had way too much time to do nothing more than think about this."

"But, Minako," Rei started, unable to stand the amount of pain she could hear in the other girl’s voice.

"No, Rei," Minako said, cutting her off. Turning her head slightly she offered a brief smile before returning her gaze to the small orchard across the footpath. "You asked me an honest question, and I promised you honest answers, so then, this is the honest truth," she said, taking a deep breath. "I love you."

There it was. She had said it.

Though the answer wasn't totally unexpected, Rei still blinked a moment in confusion, her brain not quite able to wrap itself around the words she'd just heard. "It's okay Minako, I understand," she said, with only the slightest touch of a stammer. "I mean, you're my fellow senshi and I... I love you, too."

Minako closed her eyes and almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation. She had expected a bit more of a violent reaction from the hot-headed priestess. Clearly, she had not understood what she had just said.

"No, Rei," she said with infinite patience as she turned to face her. "I don't just ‘love you.’ I'm in love with you!" she said, looking directly into those beautiful, dark-brown eyes. "I think I always have been," she added with a soft smile.

Rei, to her credit, didn't panic. The moment she had secretly anticipated had come, just as she had hoped and feared it would, and here she was. All alone in what some people would consider a romantic setting, with one of the most beloved and beautiful young women on the entire planet. The only other person she had ever met who could make her own modest world tilt on its axis with a single word, and she had just told her she loved her, no! Was in love with her.

What to say, what to say?

"I know."

"Excuse me? What did you just say?" Minako asked, turning to stare in confusion at the priestess who now stood quietly beside her.

Gathering her courage, Rei turned to face her. "I said, ’I know.’ I remember, Minako. I remember who we were in the past life. I remember how close we were then, and I remember what we meant to each other."

"Rei," Minako said, looking at the young woman standing next to her. She wanted to be happy! She wanted to throw herself into Rei's arms and know that everything would finally be okay again. But, as she looked at her standing there, a gentle breeze blowing long strands of hair against the side of her cheek, she could tell it was still too soon. Instead, she took a deep breath and asked, "How long have you known?"

Turning, Rei moved back down the footpath a couple of steps before she answered, "Just a few days." Coming to a stop, she couldn’t help but ask the question, as she appeared to study the edge of the path at her feet. "Do you really still feel all those old emotions from way back then? I mean, come on, Mina!" she said as she turned to face her again. "That was how long ago? Do you really expect me to believe you still feel that strongly about me?"

"Yes actually, I do," she said. "And why do you keep calling me that?"

Rei stared at her blankly before she remembered the private nature of the pet name.

...'my Mina,' she whispered into the delicate ear beneath her lips, her fingers trailing over warm, supple flesh that quivered at her touch...

Blushing fiercely, she snapped her head back to the orchard and mentally scrambled for a comeback that didn't sound totally lame. "I, uh, I'm sorry, Mina... I mean Minako!" she grimaced. "I didn't mean to um..."

"It's okay, Rei," Minako said, rescuing the other girl from her own gaffe. "I understand, but I really wish you wouldn't call me that unless you mean it."

"Okay," Rei said, relieved that the idol was willing to let it drop. The vision that had come into her head along with the memory of that name had left her feeling a bit warmer than she should have at this time of day in the shade of the old tree. "I do seem to remember that I called you that on more than just ‘special occasions,’ Minako."

"True," Minako conceded, "but only when we were alone together... 'Reiko-chan'."

‘...I've missed you so much, Reiko-chan,' Minako said, as she allowed the robe to slip from her shoulders and fall silently to the floor. 'Welcome home, love…’

Rei gulped. "Point taken," she said.

Minako frowned. "Look, I know this has all come on you rather suddenly. I totally understand how confusing it can be to have a bunch of memories from a former life crammed into your head all at once. It's hard to grasp it all, Rei. You can't do it overnight! It's going to take some time."

Rei looked up gratefully at the other girl. "Thanks, Minako! Actually you're right. I have been having trouble trying to come to grips with all this, especially where it concerns my feelings for you."

Minako looked up hopefully.

"I still only have bits and pieces of what happened back then,” Rei said. “And I do remember sharing my life with you. I get the feeling you'd like for us to pick up where we left off, but... I don't think I'm ready for that just yet," Rei confessed. "I'm not saying I won't ever be!" she quickly added as she saw the disappointment in the other girls face. "You said it yourself, Minako! I just need some time. Are you willing to give me that?"

"Does that mean we can't at least be friends?" Minako asked, afraid of the answer.

"Of course not!" Rei reassured her. "We still have a battle to fight! Have you already forgotten?" Rei gently prodded her. As Minako shook her head, Rei said, "Good. You'd better not." Turning again toward the bench, Rei guided them both back toward it. "Besides, I could really use a good friend right now," she said, taking a seat.

"What do you mean," Minako asked, glad of the distraction Rei had so kindly provided as she sat down beside her.

"All that press out there," Rei said, indicating the front of the shrine. "I need to try and find a way to get all this pressure off the shrine. It disrupts the daily routine, upsets the people trying to come here for help, and it's all my fault!"

"Well, if you'd care for the advice of a veteran of the press wars," Minako started.

"Please," Rei scoffed. "I'm willing to listen to anyone at this point, especially someone with your experience."

"Okay, there are two things you can do to get them off your back, and allow the shrine to return to its normal routine," Minako began.

"I'm listening," Rei said.

"First, you need to give a press conference," Minako said.

"No way!" Rei said, recoiling in horror at the very thought.

"I know you hate that sort of thing, but sometimes it can't be helped. In this case, I believe it will actually help. Trust me on this!" Minako said as she encouraged the disapproving young priestess. "I promise I'll help! I'll even be there, and that will help divert some of the attention off you! Rei," she said forcing the priestess to look at her. "They just want to hear your thoughts and share them with the public."

"But, my thoughts are my own! What if I don't want to share them?" Rei argued.

"You don't have to tell them your life story," Minako teased. "Just give them a few basic facts and then clam up in your usual charming fashion," she said, the old twinkle back in her eye. "They'll be fascinated by your brooding crypticness and you'll be done with them, for while at least anyway."

Not entirely happy with that suggestion, Rei still grudgingly accepted the wisdom of it. What Minako said did make sense, and if it would help the shrine, she would endure it. It did make her reluctant to ask what the second thing was though.

"So," she grumped, "what else did you have in mind?"

"Move in with me."

"What!" Rei exclaimed. "How is that supposed to help?"

"If you're not here," Minako explained patiently, "they have no reason to stay here either."

"Well..." Rei stalled. "Why your place? Why not go to the country, or even my father’s place?" she asked, cringing even as those last words left her mouth.

Minako hesitated before she answered. "Well, for two reasons actually."

"Here we go again with the reasons," Rei mumbled under her breath.

"I'm sorry? What did you say?" Minako asked, not quite catching that.

"Nothing," Rei said, with a sigh. "You were just saying there were two reasons."

"Yes," the idol singer said, back on track. "First off, security. Even if the press finds out where you're staying, they know there's no way they can get into that building to see you unless you allow it."

Rei nodded, liking that idea a lot. "Okay, I can see that," she said. "So, what's the other reason?"

Again, Minako hesitated before she started to speak, her voice suddenly softer. "Because... well, because..."

"Because what, Minako?" Rei asked, a bit annoyed.

"Because I can't go through this alone again," she whispered, and Rei had to strain to hear it.

"Minako?" Rei said, disturbed by the tone of her voice.

Clearing her throat, Minako stood and straightened to her full height before turning to face her. "I know you need time Rei, and I swear I'll give you all the time and space you need! I promise you! But I... I..." she paused and swallowed loudly. "I want you with me this time. Please! Help me get through it! I need you, Rei."

Rei studied her as she stood there, and took the measure of the person she was. She was strong, she was proud, she was a leader and she possessed a brilliant mind and a beautiful, giving, heart. But now she was wounded in both body and spirit, and she was asking for her help. How could she say no? She had never been able to deny her anything anyway, and she knew it, so why start now?

...I'll always come home with you, Mina...

"Whatever you need," Rei said, walking forward slowly. "Whatever you want," she said, coming to a stop in front of her. "I'll be there for you," she promised, as she looked into her eyes. "Just ask."

...Sometimes it may take me a bit longer to get there than you may like...

Secretly cursing her damnably fragile emotional state, Minako couldn't stop the trembling that started to shake her slight frame as Rei stood there with her, and her eyes dropped to the ground as she fought with herself for control.

"You do remember me saying that to you today, right?" Rei asked.

Minako nodded her head.

As if reaching out to hold a bird, Rei gently cupped Minako's chin, lifting her eyes to meet her own. "I do need time, Minako. I don't know how much, but I do know this," she said, reaching forward and deliberately taking her hands. "I want to try." Looking up from their hands through that thick, dark fall of bangs, she smiled gently as she squeezed the delicate fingers she held in her own work-worn hands. "I do want to try. Just be patient with me, okay?" the dark brown eyes beseeched her.

...wherever you are is my home...

Minako felt her heart constrict as she looked into that earnest face. "Okay," was all she could manage, a blush she made no attempt to hide coloring her cheeks.

Rei smiled. "So," she said, tucking one small hand into the crook of her arm. "It's getting late. Don't you think we should go home now?"

END PART SEVEN