~2 Years post Usagi and Mamoru's wedding~
Rei scowled as she walked past the giant billboard outside the secluded Kushiro shrine. She tried to calm herself by slowing her breathing, keeping her head and eyes down intent on preventing an onslaught of thoughts and memories before suddenly coming to a complete stop. Sighing to herself she turned and walked back until she was standing in front of the large advertisement. She looked up, breathing in sharply.
"A lonely life needs a touch of Love." The large pink letters were to the left of the huge image of pink kimono-clad pop star Aino Minako looking straight ahead. In her left hand she was holding a bottle of water which read "Strawberry touch" and at the bottom of the advertisement were the other flavoured waters: Lemon touch, Orange touch, Berry red bean touch and Veggie touch. On her face she wore a huge, delighted grin, one eye winking as though sharing a private, cheeky joke and one hand outstretched invitingly.
Rei looked up into Minako's animated face and rolled her eyes causing her to exhale a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. Rei didn't mask the hurt as she looked up again into poster Minako's eyes, memories washing over her, her eyes closed as she felt goosebumps begin to run up her arms, Minako pushed her back against the wall, her expression determined and her arm across Rei's chest preventing her from moving away, Rei closed her eyes tighter forcing the memory back, her hand instinctively moving to her pocket, reaching for the strip of paper that could protect her…
A loud crow's squawk brought her back to reality. She looked over her shoulder, and careful not to look back at the billboard, started walking back the way she was originally headed. "Protection?" she laughed unsurely. "Protection from what?"
Ghosts, came the quiet reply inside of her. Rei shook her head silencing her internal voice and sighing to herself once again. She breathed out and tried to get her tense muscles to relax, but she could feel the barrage of memories pounding to be let out. "No," she told them firmly and walked determinedly up towards the shrine. That advert had been there three days and every day walking past it left her with a pounding headache.
Rei pulled out her phone and looked at the last group chat entry between the senshi. Another photo of Usagi and Minako. As the feeling of how much she missed them all overwhelmed her she settled down in front of the flames.