Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All rights to respective owners.

A/N: Welcome to my next "one-shot, sorta" adventure. Just like "The Most Beautiful Costume" this story was originally going to be one full one-shot but it just looked like more of a multi chapter to me. Anyway, this idea popped into my head a while ago and I wrote the first chapter but I didn't know if I should actually post it since I didn't really know if it was good.

But thanks to a certain friend of mine on here (COUGH CASSIERAVEN COUGH) I decided to give my little one-shot ideas a shot at being published. I was planning three parts of this little story on the side but I have no idea if I should write and post the two other chapters.

SO, this is where you guys come in! Just let me know if I should continue this story, a simple follow will give me enough feedback (though reviews are encouraged).

Some backstory really quick, this short story will mainly focus on Minako and her struggles but will most definitely include the other characters as well. I kind of got the idea after reading some stories about Minako and Mamoru (NOT AS A COUPLE BUT AS LIKE FRIENDS, USAMAMO FOR LIFE) and so I thought, maybe I should put a twist on that. Also, I tried to mix Manga Minako and Anime Minako in this story. So here you go (sorry about all the lengthy A/Ns I do)

Dedicated to CassieRaven who has given me the courage to put more confidence in my little one-shots.

The Speech

"I am so honored to be here today to witness this beautiful union between two close friends of mine. I am even more honored to able to make a speech that will be worthy in describing these two lovebirds. Funny story, the groom actually used to tease and call the bride very rude nicknames. He also was a huge jerk that made her cry, like A LOT! But I mean no one's perfect or even decent-"

"Okay too harsh," the blonde whispered to herself. She crossed out a few lines but quickly decided to whip out a new piece of paper since she ran out of room on the current sheet.

'Why can't I get this right? I'm not always the best with words but this is ridiculous!' She had been sitting in the arcade booth for the past hour, desperately trying to find the right words to the speech she had to give. 'Why is it so hard? Why is it-'

"Minako-chan!"

Looking up from her work, the twenty three-year-old gave a warm smile to the dirty blonde in the apron. "Motoki-san! What are you doing here?"

The man shrugged. "I'm helping out, my dad said they were short one today. I was off so I figured."

"So the big-time doctor still helps out the little people, huh?"

"They're not little people Minako, they're my family," the respected doctor laughed as he slid into the booth seat opposite of her. "What are you doing?"

Minako huffed out a sigh as she placed her head into her hand. "Struggling to write my toast speech thingy."

His green eyes widened in shock. "Minako, the wedding is in four days. You know Rei will beat, burn, strangle, and murder you, all at different times, if you don't have a speech ready for Saturday."

"Oh trust me, I know that Not-Bride Godzilla will hunt me down," the blonde beauty whimpered, remembering the priestess's near murder attempt when the caterer had forgotten to add crab legs in the appetizer menu. "What did you do for your speech Motoki-san? Please I need inspiration!"

"I mean mine's a little different since I'm the best man but here," Motoki brought out his smartphone, a document displayed on the screen. Snatching it away, Minako speed read through the words.

"ACK, this is too sappy and emotional for my taste," Minako spat.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't tell you how much it means to me that I'm your best man Mamoru. I have always dreamed of the day that you would find someone that would make you smile and see the good things about life since you tended to focus on only the bad things. Not only my friend but more my brother, I am thrilled that you found the love of your life and I'm even more thrilled that she's a close friend of mine. Just being near you two, I can feel the love that's radiating off of you. I'm eternally honored to see my best friend, my brother, so happy with my other best friend. I get misty-eyed just thinking about all the love you too share."

She looked up from the phone she was reading off of to give the dirty blonde an incredulous look. "What are you? A girl?"

"Hey, that speech came straight from the heart okay," Motoki defended with a hurt expression.

"I'm sure that's true honey. Did you also get manicures and facials after you wrote it?"

"Minako!"

"Oh god I can't even read it anymore," Minako blanched as she made gagging noises, tossing the phone in his direction. "I'm going to get diarrhea from how sweet it is!"

"Minako I'm pretty sure it's diabetes you were talking-"

"I mean the thing is totally you Motoki-san, you know sappy and sweet," the rambling blonde cut in, "But that's not going to help me in this situation because that speech doesn't fit my personality, you know?"

"Yea I know-"

"How am I going to make a toast that fits my bubbly, charming, witty, and cunning personality?"

"Well-"

"I mean nothing will ever match me but still."

"I-"

"What you think Motoki-san?"

"I THINK YOU'RE RAMBLING!" The quiet blonde took in the arcade worker's reddened and annoyed face, taken back from his outburst.

Minako closed her eyes and scolded herself when she realized that she had been rambling, cutting him off multiple times in the process. "I'm sorry Motoki. I'm just stressed over this stupid maid-of-honor speech. It's just not coming to me and I hate it."

Motoki relaxed and cooled down as he gazed at the distressed woman. "It's okay. I get it, this role was kind of forced on you all of a sudden."

The love guardian could still remember the engagement party all those months ago when Usagi had announced that she would be the maid-of-honor at her wedding. Minako, not good with responsibility, desperately tried to give the position to Rei, who declined because the priestess was the wedding planner and didn't want the added stress of the whole thing. So the Venus guardian reluctantly accepted the position, a happy Usagi hugging her to death at the answer.

Almost a year later, the blonde was now struggling to write her toast speech for the wedding which was only four short days away. 'Stupid Rei and her wanting to be Wedding Planner!'

"I love Usagi but this whole maid-of-honor thing has been such a hassle," she complained. "I've had to go to every appointment of hers for anything, dress fittings, taste tests, dancing lessons, going to the florists, visiting venues, anything! And now this speech is just the spinach on the top of my vegan sundae."

"Why do you think it's so hard for you to write the speech," Motoki asked. "Do you just not know what to say or how to phrase it?"

"I don't know," Minako mumbled, head resting on her propped up arm. "Maybe I'm not inspired enough or something."

"Well, for me, I looked at some photos of me and Mamoru to get some inspiration to write my speech," he explained. "Maybe it'll work for you, look at some photos of you and Usagi together?"

The blonde's attractive face lifted a bit. "Maybe. I could try it when I go home."

A bell dinged as another customer entered the busy arcade, causing Motoki to look up toward the door.

"I gotta get going, you know job and all," the dirty blonde man joked.

"It's fine apron boy," Minako replied playfully. "Thanks for keeping me company. And somewhat sane."

"No problem." He stood from the booth. "I know you'll figure it out Minako, and it'll be a great speech."

"Thanks," she replied as he walked away, shooting her one last kind smile.

And so the ravishing blonde sat there for a while, twisting the skirt of the yellow sundress she was wearing in her hands, trying to beat her writer's block. She had swiped through some of the photos she had on her phone, taking Motoki's advice, but nothing inspired her.

Should she tell a story? Talk about their teenage years? Just flat out explain their crazy lives and get sent to the looney bin because she believes she's the goddess of love?

Or maybe talk about the love Usagi and Mamoru share?

Minako didn't know why but she gagged and grew mad at that last suggestion, a nagging feeling resonating deep within her. She pushed it down and tired to focus on other ideas, but the same thing kept happening, that nagging.

She chose to not know what it was and continued her wrecked train of thought. 'It's not because of that, is it?'

Breathing out heavily, Minako gathered her things, waved goodbye to a working Motoki, and took her leave to her apartment.

Upon her arrival, she decided that maybe looking at real photos would help unclog her brain block. After all, she had dedicated an entire drawer of her dresser to just photographs of everyone in her life. Might as well put them into use.

Shifting through the glossy prints, she found a batch of her and Usagi. She flipped through them, laughing, smiling, feeling warm at all the antics her and the other blonde had went through. All the situations they put themselves in (the situations Minako usually put them in), all their great memories.

Her princess, after the years, was no longer her friend, she was like a sister. And it wasn't hard to believe considering their uncanny resemblance sometimes. In truth, Minako's heart had swelled with warmth and love when Usagi had chosen her to be the maid-of-honor at her wedding.

That small blonde was truly a light to this world and Minako was once more reminded of that fact when the look of pure happiness had spread across her friend's face when hearing yes to the offer of being maid-of-honor.

These feelings and memories of happiness were soon wiped away when she came to a picture of her and Usagi…...and someone else.

It was taken at Usagi's 18th birthday party, the said moon guardian ecstatic that she was officially an adult. Eighteen-year-old Minako was standing to the left of the blonde, her slim arms wrapped around the giddy birthday girl, a huge smile painted across her face for the camera.

What ruined the picture for her was the tall person that had slung his arm around Usagi's tiny waist, a joy-filled smile on his handsome features.

Minako began to burn holes into the photograph, her eyes focused on the eye sore. Before she could stop it, that nagging authoritative voice came through crystal clear in her mind.

'He's the reason that everything was ruined. He's the reason you failed your duty. That man destroyed her life, your life. All your hopes and dreams were crushed because of his stupid actions. He should be dead!'

The serious blonde shook her head, trying to find fault with the voice's words. 'No! He's not an enemy. He's a friend, family to us! I don't hate-'

'Yes you do! Just admit it! He's broken our princess's heart multiple times and you try to become friends with the man, the monster! Admit it, you would be happy if he died. Just disappeared forever.'

Tears glistened in blue eyes as her mind flashed her horrible images of things she wanted to forget, to never remember.

The trickle of blood that stained the pure white shirts of the gown, the small river of red running down the pale arm as well. Blood-covered sword resting next to the two royal bodies, both forms having a stab wound through their chests.

One wound from a murder. One that was self-inflicted.

'Please stop,' Minako pleaded. The dead look in once vibrant blue eyes, staring at her. She couldn't save…..she couldn't protect…...she failed…...because of one person.

The water streams smeared her eye makeup as she began to clench the photograph of her, Usagi, and Mamoru.

All three people looked happy.

When in reality, only two of the vibrant smiles in the picture were true, and the other one was forced for the picture.

It was her smile.

Makoto was taking a picture of just Minako and Usagi, but the latter had spotted her boyfriend, practically dragging the dark-haired man next to them. Minako's genuine smile instantly fell when he joined the group shot, but she refused to let it be shown and went through it for her princess.

'He didn't deserve to be in the picture,' her treacherous mind echoed.

That nagging feeling returned, the same nagging feeling that had increased over the years, little by little. Minako had attempted to ignore the feeling, attempted to ignore the fact that the feeling would always come when someone mentioned the upcoming nuptials, the couple, more specifically the dark-haired groom.

Anything that made Mamoru pop into her mind.

The photo fell from her hands as the blonde fell to her knees, landing on the floor of her bedroom. She closed her swollen eyes as she gave into the strong and loud voice that was bellowing in her head over and over again.

'We both know why you can't write the speech Minako,' Venus stated in the crying woman's head. 'And it's also why you get knots in your stomach when someone mentions the wedding. We both have the feeling, I just accepted it centuries ago while you're still trying to fight it. Still trying to convince yourself that he's a good person, that he would never hurt our princess. You still try to be his friend, when in reality he is our enemy.'

"No, no, no," Minako whispered through sniffles. "He's not. He loves Usagi, I know he does. He'll treat her right-"

'Like he did when he broke up with her? When he tried to kill her while being brainwashed? Or like the time when he got her killed in Silver Millennium? You know he'll hurt her again in some way.'

"I-I," she was at a loss of words. The voice was right, her alter ego was right. The hatred spread in her heart as Minako finally accepted the fact why she couldn't write her speech. Why she couldn't get excited for the wedding like the other guardians could. Why she always forced smiles in their group photos. Why she always avoided anything that involved the wedding.

It was because she couldn't give her blessing on the marriage, on the love.

It was because Minako truly hated Mamoru more than anything else in the world.

Not the best, I know I know, but I've been on an angst writing binge so sue me. So hate it or love it, tell me in the REVIEWS! If you guys actually think it's decent writing and a good one-shot I'll continue the story for two more parts! I only want to provide the stories that you guys want so if I should continue, drop a review or favorite or follow. Any kind of feedback is much appreciated! Hopefully, I'll see you guys again! :)