Helping Hand

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon

Angel of Neptune

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DC: I do not own Sailor Moon

AN: Please take into consideration that this ficlet is not based on the anime, but the live action series Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. If you have not already seen the series, then I advise you to do so.

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With every step that the young idol took, she became ever so dizzier. Things began to blur in together un-expectingly. Minako quickly pulled out her cell phone to call anyone, anyone that could help her at this time of need. She brought the ringing phone to her ear, waiting for someone to answer. She staggered over to a random bench on the sidewalk to a nearly empty street. Her eyes then rolled back as her head hung lazily backwards. Her body fell limp as the phone fell from her hand and onto the floor.

"Minako?" Artemis's voice came from the fallen cell phone. "Minako-chan? Are you there?" His voice turned to panic. "Stay there, Minako-chan. I'll send someone who is near over. Mars-san."

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The white cat plushy pressed the speaker phone back on. He remembered Minako claiming to head over to the shrine for a bit of praying, so she had to be near Hino Rei. Artemis hinted that Minanko wanted just that; to be near Rei. It was not a shock to him. IN the past life, Venus and Mars had been partners, close partners. Venus was the leader and Mars her co-leader. It made complete sense that Minako and Rei would hold a bond between each other, even if it was a weak one.

Artemis waited as the speaker phone rang after he dialed the number. He felt rather jumpy knowing that Minako was out there, probably alone, maybe in trouble. "Mars-san." He mumbled, the phone still ringing, hoping that Rei would be able to help them in anyway possible. He should have gone with Minako. What was he thinking just leaving her alone like that in the first place with her condition?

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Rei looked up at the sound of her ringing cell phone. Instantly she thought of a youma attack, but she didn't sense anything at all. So that wasn't a choice. Whatever this call was, it was disturbing her rest from her temple chores. She did not approve of this, especially since the ID was flashing an unknown number. Normally, the miko wouldn't have bothered to pick it up, but, somehow, this felt different.

"Hello?" She said upon answering the phone. Her eyes widened at the sound of Artemis' worried filled voice on the other end.

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She took the steps two to three at a time. This was proven most difficult seeing that she was, indeed, in her miko outfit and those blasted sandals. She determined that her time was limited, so she had no time to change into something that would be considered proper for the situation. Rei pulled up her sleeves slightly, eyes quickly scanning for any form of life.

"Minako!" She shouted, cupping her hands over her mouth to produce an echo in her voice. "Mi-an-ko!" Her shoulders fell angrily. Why was she yelling in the first place? Artemis stated that there was a great chance that Minako was past out. This was most difficult. She didn't know to go left or right. Minako could be anywhere.

Rei took a deep breath to try to calm herself; to clear and put her mind at ease. With the aid of her supernatural powers, she should be able to find her, right? She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate.

The wind was blowing ever so slightly to the east. The birds were singing a song of disturbance. Cars were barely passing the street. That's when she felt a slight force pulling her over to the left. Her eyes snapped open as she then took off towards the left, praying that she was correct.

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Minako was still laying limp on the bench a far way from the temple. Her eyes fluttered every now and again, but that was about it. Luckily, the temple's rumors of being haunted lead to the fact that no one really headed this way. The street was close to empty, aiding in her safety against crazed fangs, but not for long, of course.

"Minako." Rei let out a breath that she held upon coming to the idol's side. She gently shook the young idol, but she didn't wake. Rei looked over her shoulder. Being out here was not what you would call safe. The miko carefully took Minako into her arms. Rei placed the limp body against her back and held onto her arms tightly.

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Rei had cleared her room and placed Minako upon her bed. She pulled up the blankets to Minako's waist. Why wouldn't she wake up? Why did she collapse in the first place? Rei placed a cold damp folded cloth on Minako's pale and clammy forehead. She didn't feel like moving from the bedside, at least, not until the idol would awake.

No, she wasn't going to step foot within another hospital ever again. Maybe it did seem rather childish, but even now, she blamed the death of her mother on the god damn hospital. It was untrustworthy. She didn't want to loose Minako to them, not their senshi leader. When Rei was younger, she believed that a hospital was a place where sick people go to get better and they would always get better so they could finally leave the hospital. When her mother died in the hospital, it was a big shock to her.

Senshi leader. That was the reason why she was doing all this… because Minako was their leader, correct? So why did it feel like it was much more than that? Of course it wasn't. She instantly dismissed the thought; the idea of it. They were nothing more but partners. She was merely a co-leader. Her co-leader. Her close partner. All of that was information about their past life. Everything seemed to be about the past life now of days.

She strongly disliked the past life for many reasons. Mainly because of the way Minako and the others obsessed over it. Why did they? Yes, they could use it as a guideline every now and again, but they shouldn't live their lives by it, not at all.

Rei replaced the cloth on Minako's forehead. The idol's eyes fluttered once again. Was it a sign that she was coming around? A cough escaped her as she shifted lightly, causing Rei to sit up straight. Minako slowly opened her dark colored eyes.

"Where am I?" She asked, sounding most rather confused at the moment.

"Ah, my temple." Rei answered.

"Mars Reiko." Minako said teasingly, not daring to sit up. She knew she wouldn't be able to anyways. That and she was pretty dizzy still.

"I see you are feeling alright." Rei remarked, inching closer to the bed. "What happened?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Minako questioned back. "I just fainted from dizziness due to the lack of sugar in my system-"

"Hai." With that said, Rei quickly dismissed herself to fetch something for her to eat.

Minako sighed heavily. She honestly hated being this weak. Why did this life curse her with such an illness? It was gravely distracting her from the mission of the past life which wasn't at all fair. She needed to complete that mission with her fellow senshi for the better of the Princess, Usagi.

Now that she thought a bit about it, why wasn't she at the hospital? Why was she at the temple instead? Surely Rei knew that her health was pretty much limited and she shouldn't be risking any of it.

Meanwhile, Rei was quickly preparing a snack for the idol. It didn't seem to be nothing at all what Minako was probably use to, but it was clearly better then nothing at all, of course. Rei took out the last piece of Matoko's homemade pumpkin pie and placed it on an empty plate. She then covered it with whip cream and topped it with, not one, but two juicy strawberries.

She wasn't what you would call a cook. Rei was considered a total beginner who was more likely to burn down the kitchen over make a proper meal. That gave her a reason to stay away from the oven, far away.

Rei poured a tall glass of milk and placed it on a serving tray with the pumpkin pie. She nodded to herself, feeling accomplished, as she picked up the tray and headed back towards her bedroom.

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Minako gazed around the room silently. Her eyes landed to a photo, a framed photo, on the nightstand near the bed itself. It appeared to be a family photograph, at least part of the family. She guessed the girl on the swing was Rei and the woman behind her was her mother. They looked so closely like each other it was unremarkable.

"That's my mother and me…" Rei answered as she placed the tray on the table upon entering the room.

"So your father is taking the picture?" Minako assumed judging by the fact that the man was missing from the picture.

Rei shook her head, "I wouldn't call that man my father." She remarked coldly. "He didn't show up when mother needed him the most. He worked even more when mother died, leaving me here with my grandpa to take care of this temple."

Minako felt like she tumbled onto something touching, something she had no business in, "Sorry." She stated softly.

Hearing Minako apologize like this was truly remarkable. This was Aino Minako, Sailor Venus, apologizing to her. She shrugged it off, "Can you sit up to eat?" Rei asked.

"My energy has feld me." Minako answered truthfully. "I cannot sit up on my own, most likely."

Rei nodded as she grabbed her strangely cold hands and gently pulled her up. She wrapped her arm around her to stop her form falling back over. The mio placed her sitting up, leaning against the wall and then held out the tray before her, placing it on top of her lap, "It's nothing special… Just leftovers from Matoko's wonderful homemade pumpkin pie."

Minako shrugged her shoulders lightly, "I'm sure it will do its purpose." She answered, offering one of the strawberries over to Rei who shook her head. Minako frowned. Fine, she wouldn't take the extra strawberry. "In the name of Venus, I shall punish you, Mars-san." She dipped her finger in the whip cream and tabbed Rei's nose before stuffing the strawberry in her mouth.

Rei coughed as she bit down into the strawberry. She held the other half in her hand, "So, this is the real Aino Minako without the presents of Sailor Venus. I'd have to say that I enjoy it."

"You and Mars have the same brat-like personality." Minako remarked. "Both hot tempered." She started to pick at the piece of pie on the plate. Rei frowned ever so lightly as she gazed towards the senshi of love. "I'm not hot tempered."

"And Usagi isn't a complete airhead." Minako commented, placing her strawberry at the edge of the plate as she pecked at the piece of pie.

"Why did you come to temple in the first place?" Rei asked, changing the subject for the state of not wanting to argue with her anymore.

"I wanted to buy a good luck charm." Minako quickly came to answer. "For my country-wide tour next month." She informed.

Rei nodded, "I'll give you one then. Give." She repeated before Minako could reply, the miko had left.

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Minako sat in silence on the bed, all alone, allowing her carefree eyes to wander about the room. She should really call Artemis and tell him not to worry, but she couldn't find her cell phone. Maybe she dropped it earlier? She pecked away at the pumpkin pie. She looked around for any other phone, but found not a single one, causing her shoulders to drop. She would have to ask when Rei returned from wherever it was she went off to.

The idol felt her eyes grow droopy as tiredness smacked her clear across the face; most un-called for. She placed the empty plate on the table before leaning back ever so slightly. She curled up under the blanket and rested against the fluffy pillow.

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Minutes later, Rei returned only to see Minako face asleep on her bed. She felt her heart skip a beat upon witnessing this as she smiled. Rei pulled the blankets up slightly.

"Rest, Minako-chan." She mumbled softly. "Rest."

End