A/N: This story is a gift for my friend ReisPinkOveralls00, although I've also included it in my anthology to celebrate the friendship between Usagi and Rei in the original anime.
Many thanks to my and Rei's good friend Lin_Lamont for betaing this fic for me.
Please try to check out Rei and Lin's phenomenal fanfics on FFN and Ao3 under the same usernames, and let me know what you think of this fic!
This chapter references Sailor Moon 1992 episodes 11 and 43 from Sailor Moon Classic.
Usagi hung her head in shame. Sitting here now, listening to Luna's stern reprimand, the delight she had felt moments ago riding the merry-go-round felt like it belonged to another life.
"I'm sorry, I was wrong."
To her annoyance, another younger, less familiar, (and decidedly uninvited) voice assaulted her ears, drowning out the surrounding fun and cheer of the amusement park.
"Be more responsible!" Ordered the raven-haired shrine maiden to Usagi's left. "And you call yourself a Sailor Senshi?!"
A hot anger flared within Usagi. She'd been a Senshi for well over a month. Rei had only been one for like five minutes. What made this girl think she knew better than her, let alone to boss Usagi around?
Although…a teeny weeny part of Usagi had to acknowledge that Rei's words weren't so different from Luna's reprimands. And since Luna knew what she was doing and only wanted Usagi to be better…could Rei perhaps-
WHAM!
As Usagi flew forward from the force of Rei's 'back pat,' the truth became abundantly clear to her:
Rei was at least as bad as any Youma and never to be trusted!
Rei fixed her features into a neutral expression as she entered Usagi's bedroom.
The blonde bun-head hadn't mentioned why she'd asked to meet her privately of course, but Rei thought it could only be about one thing: Usagi's big plan.
She'd been surprised enough that the bun-head had even dreamed up a plan in the first place, let alone such a risky one. But then, Rei had heard that love made you do crazy things. Perhaps the fact that she herself hadn't even considered joining the Dark Kingdom to rescue Mamoru was proof of how shallow their relationship had really been.
Still, she was at a loss as to why Usagi had wanted to talk to her individually rather than the whole team. Could she want to back out? If that was the case, Rei supposed it might be easier for Usagi to confess that to just one person rather than six. But then why her and not Luna?
As Rei took a seat, she wondered, wildly, if perhaps Usagi was playing a more subtle game. Could she be trying to coax someone into talking her out of this plan so it wouldn't look like she was chickening out? That would make sense. And who better to tell her that her plan was crazy and stupid and unfathomably dangerous than the Senshi who was never afraid to be brutally honest?
Then Rei realised she had just seriously considered the prospect of Usagi being subtle.
She shook her head, as if to banish such ludicrous thoughts from her mind, and fixed her gaze upon the blonde teen across the table.
"So, what's up?" she said bluntly. "We don't have much time to waste if you're going to meet the Dark Kingdom tonight."
Usagi seemed to inhale slightly, causing Rei's eyebrow to cock. "Well, it's about the meeting tonight," began Usagi. "Obviously, it's a huge risk."
Rei's eyebrow travelled higher and she gave a small nod. Maybe things would go the way she'd imagined after all.
"That's why I want you to hold onto this."
Rei's suspicions were swiftly banished as she beheld the item Usagi had produced from her lap and placed upon the table.
The fire Senshi shivered as she drank in the sight of the pink and gold wand, her eyes naturally zeroing in on the argent crystal nestled at the crook of the crescent moon that topped the item.
"Whether the Dark Kingdom takes the bait or not, they're going to try and take the crystal from me. If that happens, Mamoru and the Earth will be lost forever. I'm willing to risk my life for him. But I'm not willing to risk the whole world. So it's better if I don't have it at all. That way they can't take it from me. And," she gave Rei a tiny, nervous smile, "I guess I also can't be tempted to give it to them no matter what they do to me. You know how much of a weak crybaby I am." Usagi's hands clenched upon her knees.
Rei's stomach went cold. She wanted to tell Usagi this was insane! This plan would surely never work. She'll be killed! What came out, however, was something quite different. Something brutally honest.
"You're not weak, Usagi."
Usagi looked up. Rei remained silent for a moment before taking the wand, standing up and moving to the door. As she opened it to depart, she looked over her shoulder, her violet eyes boring into Usagi's cerulean orbs.
"You are a true Senshi."
With that, Rei left the room and headed out of the Tsukino household, not trusting herself to remain a moment longer.