Notes: This is my first Sailor Moon story. I know Minako and Rei are the characters: the are the "puppet masters", say. Although the other Senshi make an appearance in civilian form: Usagi, Ami, Makoto, Hotaru, Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna. Also, Mamoru makes an appearance and Motoki and Reika are mentioned.
Even though I'm really more comfortable with the English version, the Japanese names really do fit better.
Anyway. Rei and Minako's friendship, really, is based after the friendship between my friend and me. I'm quite a lot like Rei and she's quite a lot like Minako, so I had a lot of fun writing this, sort of like if I was Rei and she was Minako. It was fun to write, and I hope you enjoy it!
Oh, and also, this is NOT a Rei/Minako love ship story. They are just best friends.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the characters/places/mangas/etc. mentioned, I am merely using them to write this tiny story!
Rei Has Usagi's Odangoes! Rei and Minako Bonding!
Hino Rei and her one of her best friends, Aino Minako, sat around a table at Rei's home, the Hikawa Shrine. Currently, they were in Rei's bedroom. Rei and Minako were seated close together, both crowded over a new Sailor V manga. Recently, Minako had become obsessed with making fun of the Sailor V mangas and completely teasing them for not making Sailor V to be nothing like her (the real Sailor V) at all.
Rei agreed thoroughly and loudly, which made Minako the slightest bit angry. Did Rei not think that Minako would be kind enough to risk her life for an old woman? How cold to Rei think Minako was?
Not that risking her life to save an old woman was exactly Minako's domain. Actually, that was more Usagi's.
Tsukino Usagi, a friend of Rei and Minako and the leader of the Sailor Senshi, also their Moon Princess, was Sailor Moon. She was lying on her stomach on Rei's neatly made bed, reading a manga that Rei and Minako had read weeks ago. Usagi was a bit behind. But maybe that was because Usagi had been spending a lot of time with her boyfriend, Chiba Mamoru.
Another friend of Rei, Minako, and Usagi was Mizuno Ami, who was currently sitting up straight in perfect posture while reading a book that lay flat on the table. Honestly, none of the girls had any idea how she did that. They all slouched over when they tried (much to Usagi's frustration).
The last of the five girls was Kino Makoto, whose was currently hunched over the table opposite from Ami, bent over her paper. She was scribbling down the answers hurriedly on a worksheet for her English class that had been due…yesterday.
Usagi turned a page in her Sailor V manga. She obviously thought it rather sad that this was all about Sailor V, and how she was managing to defeat youmas and the Negaverse all by herself…didn't the authors realize that not even Sailor Moon (who was now notably more powerful to the civilians) could completely defeat anything on her own? She always had help from the Senshi or Tuxedo Kamen. Sometimes even the Outer Senshi: who, Usagi remembered, would be making a 'famous appearance!' in about ten minutes here to Rei's Shrine, where ever single Sailor would be gathered.
Okay, so Usagi had planned it that way. But none of the girls had to know…especially Rei.
Speaking of Rei, she had suddenly burst into peals of laughter, pointing her finger at the Sailor V manga. "Minna, I appear in this one!" cried Rei, giggling, as Usagi covered her ears.
"No, Rei-chan! I haven't read that one yet!" said Usagi desperately, pushing her hands harder against her ears and burrowing her face in Rei's Sailor V book.
Minako, who had been behind Rei in the book (she liked to let the pictures and the words sink in before moving on, unlike Rei), quickly skimmed the rest of her page and looked at the page where apparently Sailor Mars made an appearance. Minako burst out laughing as well.
Makoto shot them an evil, agitated look. "What's so funny? Does Rei have a taco or something?"
Rei shot Makoto a look and then burst into more frivolous laughed. "Why on earth would I have a taco, Mako-chan? …No! You have to see for yourself!"
Interested and unable to contain her curiosity, Makoto went over to where Rei and Minako were sitting and peered at the manga from between their heads. Makoto soon burst into ringing laughter, too, and the three girls clutched their stomachs while poking at Rei as Ami and Usagi desperately tried to ignore their unceremonious laughter.
Finally, Ami couldn't take it anymore. She neatly placed her bookmark in her thick medical textbook, and slammed the cover shut. Rei, Minako, and Makoto stopped laughed to look hesitantly at her. Ami stood up and walked over to the once giggling threesome. Ami raised her hand and…picked up the manga. She then followed to burst out laughing, dropping the book on Rei's head, which caused the other three to burst into more laughter.
There was now a foursome laughing, clutching their sides, on their carpet.
"Ami-chan, no!" cried Usagi, her hands still clamped over her ears. "How could you betray me like that? Leave me in the dust? AMI, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE SANE!"
She was now yelling over Rei's high-pitched outrageous laugh. Come to think of it, Usagi had never quite heard her laugh so hard. What was in that manga must…no. She would not be entranced by that Sailor V story! She would read all the other ones before it first, and get there gradually. It was the way she should take things…maturely.
Oh, thought Usagi, but I'm not mature!
Usagi threw aside her Sailor V manga (about six behind Minako's and Rei's) and joined her four friends on the floor to peer at the manga. Rei moved aside to let her in.
Usagi picked up the manga and looked at it.
She did not laugh, even though the girls' laughter increased as they caught the look on her face.
Standing there was all the Inner Senshi: Sailor V, obviously, along with Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Jupiter, and…a somewhat odd looking Sailor Mars.
She was, apparently, teasing Sailor Moon…because her black hair was currently drawn into Sailor Moon's customary hairstyle: odangoes. And Sailor V, the heroine, was laughing daintily behind a hand as Sailor Mars' speech bubble said: "Well, I was trying for something new, but look how awful my hair came out!" Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mercury were laughing shamelessly in the manga (well, in real life, too), and Sailor Moon, and Usagi, too, were both fuming.
Sailor Mars had stolen the customary odango-hairstyle. It looked really awful; one odango was higher than the other, and one was smaller. All the same, Sailor Moon was livid.
Usagi tossed the manga away, missing the trash bin by about a foot.
"I found them, Haruka-papa! And I found that crazy noise, too!" called a voice from the doorway.
This, of course, had a bad effect on Minako, Rei, Ami, and Makoto, since they were already spazzing. For a rare moment in Usagi's life, she was not laughing along with her friends. She was staring at Tomoe Hotaru, who had just appeared in the door of Rei's bedroom. Behind her, now gathered, was Tenoh Haruka, Kaioh Michiru, and Meioh Setsuna: Hotaru's 'parents' and Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, and Sailor Pluto were their alter-egos. Hotaru herself was Sailor Saturn.
"Oh, so the four crazy Inner Senshi are the ones making that weird shrieking noise," said Haruka knowledgably, as Michiru tried and failed to conceal a smile. "We thought something might be broken in your Shrine, Rei – terrible noise like that."
Even sullen Setsuna, whose face usually stayed straight, calm, and dignified had cracked a smile. Ami and Makoto had the grace to blush, but Rei and Minako kept on howling, no holding each other for support. When hyper, being teased was just even more hysterical.
Usagi gave the four girls at the door a crooked smile. "Konichiwa, Haruka-san, Michiru-san, Setsuna-san, Hotaru-chan!"
"Konichiwa, Usagi-chan," greeted Hotaru, and Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna nodded in agreement with her words. "How are you?"
"Fine, thanks," said Usagi, and Hotaru came and sat down next to her.
"Anxious for Chibiusa?" asked Hotaru, and Usagi blushed, thankful that Minako and Rei were too busy laughing to hear Hotaru's question. Haruka and Michiru were now looking confusedly at the giggling duo, a drop of sweat trickling down each of their faces.
"Um…no rush, really, Hotaru-chan," said Usagi. "I'm only sixteen! Mamo-chan and I can wait…"
Setsuna leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Men are only after one thing, Usagi-chan."
Usagi immediately turned red. Apparently, though, Rei and Minako heard whispers rather then normal voices, and their hysterical laughed died and was replaced by giggles, poorly hidden behind a hand. Usagi turned even redder.
"Mamo-chan isn't…! Mamo-chan…isn't…!" said Usagi desperately, but the room was already in chaos.
Usagi felt completely helpless. Today was not her best day. First Rei's alter-ego had stolen her hairstyle and ruined it in a Sailor V manga, and now the girls (all eight of them!) were saying that her Mamo-chan was after…was after…
Usagi felt like screaming.
"Calm down, Usa-chan!" said Ami, coming from nowhere and putting a hand on Usagi's shoulder. "We're just teasing. We know Mamoru-san would never, ever hurt you…or pressure you."
"Who said he pressured me?!" cried Usagi, and Ami looked surprised (because she had just said he didn't and was now slightly confused). Stopping their laughter, Haruka, Minako, Rei, Michiru, Setsuna, and Makoto joined Ami and Hotaru's staring-at-Usagi activity. "Maybe I pressure him!"
This wasn't true, but it had gotten the desired affect. Eight mouths were gaping at her.
"But…but…Usagi-chan!" cried Minako in disbelief, "that's a dirty thing to do!"
Rei had a disbelieving look in her eye (that Usagi was not altogether comfortable with) and Rei slowly said, "Usagi-chan, I agree with Minako-chan." For some odd reason, Rei looked sadly disappointed. Then a sudden malicious look came into Rei's eyes, dissolving the disbelieving one, and she shot Minako a glance. Minako winked in return.
"MAMORU-SAN!" cried Rei, and she and Minako jumped up, running out of the temple. Seven people sat there in shock before Makoto yelled, "HEY! REI, MINAKO, HOW COULD YOU LEAVE US OUT?! THIS COULD BE INTERESTING AND DRAMATIC!" and ran out after them. Usagi, suddenly filled with an inextinguishable anger, yelled, after the three of them, "REI, MINAKO, MAKOTO, YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO PAY!"
As she chased her three friends, Ami sighed and said, "Oh, dear," before chasing after them.
This left four Outer Senshi, sitting there not quite believing what had just gone on. Suddenly, Hotaru turned toward Michiru, who was closest to Hotaru. "Michiru-mama," said Hotaru, tugging on Michiru's sleeve.
Turning to her foster-daughter, Michiru asked, "What is it, Hotaru-chan?"
"What do Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san do when she pressures him?"
As Michiru turned red and started stuttering, a sweat drop trickled down Haruka's and Setsuna's faces.
Meanwhile, Rei, Minako, Makoto, Ami, and Usagi were locked in a run towards Mamoru's apartment. Rei and Minako were in the lead, side-by-side, and were closest to Mamoru's apartment. Rei, fortunately, had remembered his apartment number from when she'd been dating him for a few short days when she was just fourteen. Makoto was gaining on them. She was determined to see Mamoru's face, and that helped her run faster. Usagi had tripped earlier, so Makoto was a dot on the horizon, and Ami was about one foot in back of her (she was only keeping her distance because Usagi was angry).
Rei and Minako had planned everything.
What they didn't expect was Mamoru to already be out of his apartment (well, really, they should have…It is a Saturday!). But that's what happened, and Minako ran straight into Mamoru, while Rei gave a surprised little, "Huh?" when Minako suddenly disappeared.
"Ugm," said Minako, "Rei-chan, I suddenly bumped into something very hard."
Rei gasped, and the slight pause gave Makoto just the amount of time she needed to catch up. She was breathing hard and her face was red, but she looked pleased all the same.
"Minako-chan?" asked Mamoru, sounding surprised. "Is that you? Is Usako okay?"
Minako giggled nervously, and Rei looked surprised. Rei, however, was never one for being held surprised – or at one emotion. Quickly getting herself together, Rei said sternly to Mamoru, "Usagi-chan told everyone she pressured you!"
"REI…! NO…!" came Usagi's voice. "YOU WOULDN'T…!"
Mamoru had turned incredibly red. "She…pressures…me?" He gave a hoarse chuckle. "When did that happen, Usako?"
Usagi fell, gasping and panting, and clutched onto Makoto's shoulders. Makoto had a surprised face at Usagi's appearance. Rei snickered into her palm and Usagi glared at her. Minako was shamelessly laughing; she had never quite been good at bottling up her emotions (especially around boys). Mamoru was looking positively confused. He was gazing at Ami; he expected Ami to have an answer just like she always did, but Ami looked just as mystified as Mamoru did. "Never…ever…trust Rei-chan, Mamo-chan…" said Usagi softly, and Mamoru looked very concerned. Her face was dramatically pale.
"Usako, are you okay?" asked Mamoru, sounding like a parental figure.
Usagi rubbed her forehead blearily. "I don't think I should run so far so fast…I'm just not fit for it…"
Rei and Minako had stopped snickering/laughing-like-a-mad-hyena. When it came down to their Princess, they really were supportive and would fight, if it came to that, till their deaths. Their Princess was their destiny, really, and their goal was to protect her. They were the Sailor Senshi; they had been reborn to protect her, and she had been brought back to be protected. Rei may seem like the tough fighter, the one who doesn't give a care to others' feelings, and does what's selfish…and then seem completely hyper when she wants to be, completely un-self-controlled, and a total mess. But Rei was either just being protective or silly. She really cared, and sometimes caring was a hard thing for her to show, or admit to. But she cared as much as the others, and would protect her Princess to her wit's end; because she was determined to. And determination got her everywhere.
Minako was different. She didn't like to argue: she liked everyone to get along in sync, work together as one and complete the task without much bickering or silly quarreling. It was easier to get along with people if you don't fight, she thought. She was blonde; most people's immediate reaction to her was that she was silly, unserious, and slightly stuck-up and full of herself. But Minako really had quite the big heart. Her friends were her life; they were important people to her. And she, like Rei, would risk her life for important people. That was one thing she had in common with Rei.
"Are you okay, Usa-chan?" asked Rei concernedly, and Minako put a hand on Usagi's shoulder to say she was asking the same.
Usagi ignored them (which ticked off Rei, to say the least), and instead turned to Mamoru. "Mamo-chan, it was a lie!" she began, and Mamoru opened his mouth. But Usagi quickly cut him off. "I said I pressured you to tick them off, I–"
"Usako, I know!" Mamoru cut through Usagi's pleading voice, and he ran a hand through his dark locks. "I'm pretty sure I'd know if you were pressuring me or not…and I don't think I'd respect you as much if you were pressuring me."
"…Respect?" Usagi asked confusedly, and sweat trickled down Makoto's, Minako's, Rei's, Ami's, and Mamoru's faces.
"Forget I mentioned it," said Mamoru, waving his hand as if it was nothing, and he took Usagi's hand, pulling her away from her friends and to the direction of the park.
Rei snorted. "Real discreet," she murmured, but if Mamoru heard her he didn't show it, and instead he waved without turning around. Usagi, however turned around a flashed a brilliant white smile. Makoto groaned.
"I'm going to see Motoki," said Makoto, determinedly strutting off to the arcade where Motoki worked. Motoki was a boy that Makoto had a long-time, not-so-secret crush on. Even though she'd said she'd given up on Motoki once he seemed so set on his long-time girlfriend, Reika, Usagi had given up; but deep inside, Makoto hadn't. And now, since the long-distance relationship wasn't working for Motoki or Reika, they'd decided to date around. But Motoki was still feeling really down about it – and Makoto felt she was just the right person to cheer him up (especially when she was feeling lousy).
Ami shrieked suddenly as they watched Makoto's retreating back. "We left Haruka-san and the others behind!" she cried. "I…must…go…!" Ami rushed off back the way they had come, to the Hikawa Shrine.
Rei and Minako exchanged surprised looks. They hadn't expected everyone to disappear so fast.
Rei clicked her tongue. "Well, that did work nice, Minako-chan. Can't say I expected Usagi to say that 'pressuring' bit, but it was a nice twist! And I really wasn't expecting Mamoru to be out, because we knew she would come chasing after us to Mamoru…"
Minako giggled. "But, really, Rei-chan, it was definitely your drawing that put Usagi over the edge! Who knew you could draw so well?"
"Well, the messy odangoes of Sailor Mars' were hard…but, well, if I concentrate, I accomplish things! Anyway. Makoto and Ami were in on it, but they seemed so sincere…!"
"I don't think they quite expected what you drew," Minako reasoned.
"Hai…" said Rei, "but it was an awesome prank, Minako-chan!"
The girls' hands met in a quick, enthusiastic high-five.
"Imagine the expression on Usagi's face," laughed Rei, "when she realizes that the Senshi don't appear in the fourteenth manga of Sailor V!"
End notes: Well, that was extremely fun to write! I enjoyed it, and I hope you did, too! Thanks for reading and review if you like.