A/N: So this one was finished sooner, it's mostly the end, end for the whole Rei/Usagi thing. Thus its shortness. As you can see. Which I apologise for as it's the second shortest chapter of this story. On the sad side, we are slowly winding down to the ending. Though I might have some more in-store for this series. Maybe I'll write something for Makoto/Ami, you know, try my hand at that. But that will come later, much later! As this story is still going on and I've never been really good at multitasking stories. So sorry for the shortness, the next chapter will hopefully make up for it. As for all that, love the reviews guys! Keep them coming! More to come!

Disclaimer: I still own, nothing, suprised? Really?

Act XX.

Sometimes it ends where it begins.

Which would be ironic, if one really cared much for irony. Rei Hino did not.

But with some clever hard-headed advice from Haruka, and a rather bad ending to what she had hoped would be a new beginning. Rei Hino would almost want to say she was back to the beginning. Which is sort-of ironic, when she thinks about it.

Of course, however, Rei remembers the second most important thing.

For something to begin anew, something else must end.

Surely the Senshi of Time, Setsuna would know this best, but the realisation isn't left with the serenely stoic Setsuna, its instead dropped onto the lap of one Senshi of Mars. Who has never quite been serenely stoic, she's a bit more blatantly obvious.

Which brings her to the present, where she is quietly seated across from the Moon Princess, Usagi. In her bedroom at the Hikawa Shrine.

This normally wouldn't be a terribly uncommon thing to find. But Rei is determined to fix Minako's annoying though albeit understandable, state of mind.

'No girl ever wants to be second best, pyro.'

No, they do not.

So, where it begins, it must end in order to begin anew. Or at least that's what she's hoping for, with all this.

"So…what's wrong Rei?"

It's a fair question to ask, Rei hasn't spoken since Usagi got to the Shrine. Mostly because of her distracting thoughts.

"Nothing really. Though…nothing's right either."

Usagi nods softly in response, and Rei fidgets with her tea-cup. Thinking of how to begin.

And if Rei had been anyone else, anyone else who knew how to use words so much better. She might not have taken the route she had, to begin with, maybe. Or maybe she would have, and instead would used pretty words to get her out of tough spots…or…or…

"We have to stop being like this."

Rei of course makes a gesture with her free hand to clarify what's she's talking about. However it only makes Usagi frown.

"What?"

The raven haired girl sighs.

"This. You and I. Being close, but never too close…"

The blonde's eyes widen at the implication, but Rei is already on her way to back tracking.

"No, I don't mean that! I-I don't mean we go back…to…that. I mean…I mean I need to stop being around you so much."

"I'm not sure I understand Rei…"

With her hopes fleeting, surprisingly fast. Rei digs deep, grabs onto that flickering resolve and makes one last attempt to make everything comprehendible. For both of them.

"We've always been good friends. But that's the way it should have stayed, a-and I know I said I'd never regret it but…I'm…I'm starting too. We've betrayed our friend's trust, and I've hurt Minako to the point its almost…unrepairable and…"

"You don't love me anymore?"

And Rei is forced to stop then and there. Her amethyst eyes widened in surprise. But Usagi's clear blue seem sure, and maybe wistful, something Rei might have wished for, before.

"I…I'm always going to love you, Usagi. But I might have gotten it wrong the first time..."

"So it's always been…Minako?"

Usagi makes sure not to miss a single beat, Rei, however isn't horrible deterred by the questions. Thankfully.

"No, I can't honestly say that, either. You were my first friend, first best friend, first…first love. No, that part isn't wrong, Usagi. I just mean, we…shouldn't have. The first time shouldn't have happened. But…we can't go back in time, now can we?"

Usagi doesn't say anything to that, but there is silent agreement in her eyes.

"I understand Rei."

The raven haired girl blinks, almost confused, but more surprised then anything.

"You do?"

The blonde nods, smiling wistfully at the Senshi of Mars.

"I was your first…Minako's your last, right?"

Rei opens her mouth, ready to speak, say something to that. But the words settle in her mind, they sift in and out of all her other realisations. They make her silently think on beginnings and endings.

And Usagi's words somehow fit, perfectly, almost.

"Yeah."

She mumbles, slightly speechless, but sort of at peace.

It's kind of ironic that Rei Hino finds her new beginning at the end of the beginning.

"I guess all you have to do now is convince Minako you feel the same."

Unfortunately, new beginnings are, that, exactly.