It's Minako's birthday and she, Usagi and the gang are tearing up the town! Mixed Manga/Anime canon. Post-Stars. Written for Minako Birthday 2022.

Rated: T - Friendship/Hurt/Comfort - Words: 3,190 - Minako A./Mina/Sailor Venus, Usagi T./Serena/Bunny/Sailor Moon, Inner Senshi/Inner Scouts

A/N: This story is a sequel to my other fic 'Adolescent Ambitions'. The latter is a pretty short story and I'd recommend reading it first before checking out this fic.

Also I know I might be skewing the ages of some characters a little bit. Rest assured, my intention with this story is that everyone is over 20.

Many thanks to Sinjazz1327 for beta reading this fic for me! Check her out on Instagram under SinJazz1327.

Also thank you to silvermoon424 for permitting me to use her recolouring work as my header image.

The light golden liquid sloshed in the glasses, spilling slightly onto the table as the girls raised their hands.

"To Mina!" announced Usagi.

"TO MINA! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Minako positively glowed; and it had little to do with the wine.

"You guys realise you have to down these in one right?"

Makoto's eyes bulged. "Really?"

"What're you worried about?" chided Rei.

"Well, I've had less experience than you guys." Mako replied. "I've only been able to drink for less than a year."

Rei rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but you could probably take more than all of us. No offence of course," she added hastily.

"Of course," said Makoto through slightly gritted teeth.

"Actually," intervened Ami, "Some of it comes down to building up a tolerance."

Mina leaned in with a smirk "So, you're saying me and Rei are going to be the most sober tonight?" She threw a wink at Rei and, not entirely accidentally, brushed her foot against the shrine maiden's leg under the table.

"No. I'm going to be the most sober tonight."

All eyes turned to Usagi, who was refilling her glass after having spilt some of its contents.

"What?" She shrugged.

"Usagi," Ami began cautiously. "Do you really think that's a good idea? Remember Princess D's ball?"

"And Edwards' party?" Added Makoto.

"And any time you've even caught a whiff a drink on an empty stomach," chided Rei.

"Hey!" Pouted Usagi. "Me and Mina have drinks all the time at those… What're they called again, Mina?"

"Liquid lunches."

"Yeah, those!"

Rei furrowed her brow and shot Mina a quizzical look. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," replied Mina, taking up her glass again and locking eyes with her fellow blonde. "C'mon Usagi! Let's show them the fruits of our training!"

With that, the pair of them threw their heads back, the other three girls swiftly following suit.

"So, we are the STAR!

Star on Stars! Stars! STAR!"

By the time Rei and Mina finished their duet their cheeks were as red as Minako's ribbon.

Rei collapsed next to Ami and Makoto, both of whom were recovering from their own 'performances' with Mina.

"Aw, c'mon guys. We've got at least…" She checked the clock. It took a moment for her vision to focus. "At least another half-hour before we're kicked out of the booth."

"...Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaalriiiiiiiiiight Mi-!" Usagi hiccuped. "-na! It should be my turn now!"

"Uuuuuuusagi," slurred Makoto. "Yooooooooou need to sloooooooooooow… " Makoto scrunched her face up in confusion.

"Down?" Offered Ami, preparing glasses of water for everyone.

Makoto nodded slowly and solemnly at the blunette.

"You already had your turn," she continued before guzzling a glass of water.

Mina wagged her finger in the air, the gesture being far more exaggerated than she'd intended. "That was the solo round. Now we're doing duets! Soooooooo, eeeeeeeeveryyyyyyyyone has to sing with me!" She squealed.

"That's right, it's the rules" nodded Rei, clearly half out of it.

"Diiiiiiiiidn't Usagi already do a duuuuuuuuuuuuet too though?" Mumbled Makoto. "Or was that another blonde. Aaaaaaaami, there are two blondes, right?"

"Yes Mako, there are. Now drink this." Ami lifted the water to Mako's lips.

"Theeeeeeeeeeeen, I'll just have to sing ANOTHER-hic-duet!" Usagi cheered, unsteadily leaping to her feet.

Mina threateningly pointed the microphone at the blonde bun-head "Usagi, it falls to you to pick the next song."

Usagi gasped. "I'm not-hic-ready for such responsibility!"

Minako closed her eyes, stood up straight and clutched the microphone to her. "Then everything rests on me."

She scrolled through the song select screen. "Do you know any of these ones?" Usagi peered at the selection screen, bracing herself on the supporting wall, before shaking her head.

Minako waved her hand in the air dismissively. Once again, it was far more exaggerated than she intended it to be. "Doesn't matter. We'll just sing this one and pretend it is a duet."

"YAAAAAAAAY!" Exclaimed Usagi. "Moon Music Power, Make-up!"

It took three attempts, but eventually Mina's finger hit the select button on the screen.

Soon enough, the pair of them were singing together. Though not very successfully.

"C'est la vie, as long as I am me

C'est la vie, I want to keep on being in love with you

C'est la vie, that's the reason I am me"

"Oh come on Usagi."

"No way!"

"Mamoru'd never know!"

"I'd know!"

"But you aren't really doing anything wrong!"

"It sounds really wrong!"

"Naaaaaaaaw you're just… You're my supporting player."

"Oh! Thanks a lot."

"That's not what I meant. I meant you'd be my… my wingman! My wing-woman!... Wing-lady… Winger?"

"Get one of the others to be your winger!"

Minako threw Usagi a withering look. "Who? Who on Earth would be able to help me out with this?"

"Ami."

"She'd be too shy."

"Mako."

"Too intimidating."

"Well, what about R-" Usagi stopped herself.

"Waaaaaaaay too intimidating," they chorused.

"Pretty please Usagi! It is my birthday after all." Minako clasped her hands together and batted her eyelashes a few times.

Usagi sighed in exacerbation. "I wish we hadn't sobered up," she mumbled. "Alright, fine! I'll do it. But don't make things more awkward than they need to be, okay?"

"Aye, aye Princess!"

Moments later the pair approached a group of men, Mina zeroing in on a particularly lean and handsome specimen.

"Hiya! Remember me from a little earlier!"

He flashed her a dazzling grin. "Absolutely. Mina, right?"

"Yeeeeeeuuuuuup. And this is…" she gestured to Usagi who tried to smile.

"Your sister? You were right, I can really see the resemblance. My brother is just over there by the way. Shall we hit the dance floor or what?"

As Minako strategically giggled and moved in closer she could practically feel Usagi's eyes boring into her.

By her own admission, Minako had been far too drunk when she'd selected the third night club of the evening.

At first glance, it had seemed like a nice place, complete with a swanky playing card motif. She'd danced. She'd sang. After more drinks she'd even gotten on stage, only half certain that was allowed even if you weren't part of the band.

But then she'd had an odd moment.

The cheap playing cards that littered the club seemed to impose themselves on her. They were everywhere. The Hearts were what had really gotten to her. And the sight of the Ace? She'd needed some air after that.

Ten minutes later she was sitting on the pavement outside, taking in the pedestrians and a flashing neon billboard across the street. It wasn't long before she sensed someone approach her from behind. For the first time that night, she found herself uninterested in the attention of yet another guy. She was even less interested in another drink and so initially winced when the glass was thrust in front of her face.

"It's just water. I think you probably need it right?"

Minako looked up and found Usagi leaning over her.

"Thanks," she said, unable to avoid sounding downcast.

"What's wrong?" asked Usagi.

"Just… Just a little drunk you know."

"First of all, it's not a little. And second of all, I've seen you drunk. This ain't it. You're upset. Haven't you been having fun tonight?"

Minako shook her head slightly. "Usagi, I know sometimes you can skip a beat or two, but did you really think I've been faking things all night?"

Usagi shrugged before taking a seat next to Mina. "Well, you are a pretty good actress. Part and parcel of your 'idol training', right?"

Minako felt slightly better. "Tonight's gone great. Honest. Being with you guys, it's been a total blast!"

"…Then… Why're you out here and not in there?" Usagi nodded back towards the club.

Minako's lips formed into a thin line for a moment. Then, possibly due to the alcohol, she decided to Hell with it.

"Those playing cards in there… they sort of… they sort of reminded me of my crappy love life."

The neon lit ads changed again, the light illuminating the confusion on Usagi's face.

"…Come again?"

Mina let out a long, deep breath.

"Hearts with numbers by them? I dunno. It was like the universe was reminding me of just how many people I've gone through. And not one of them has stuck…"

"Mina," Usagi began, "You know there's nothing wrong with that, right?"

She nodded nonchalantly. "I know. And I enjoy it most of the time."

"Yes. I've noticed." Usagi replied dryly.

Minako huffed in amusement. "But it's like... Like…"

"…Like you want something more permanent? Like what I have with Mamo-chan?"

Minako tilted her head slightly and squinted her eyes in concentration. "No, not exactly. And besides, I don't think anyone could be as 'permanent' as you two."

Usagi gave a little titter, Mina promptly joining her.

Quieting down, Mina attempted to press on."It's more… Alright… I never told anyone this but… a while before I joined up with you and the others, there was someone who I… who I liked and he… he…"

"You're talking about Alan?"

"No, Ac-" Mina stopped herself, then simply shook her head. "...An acquaintance you never met. He told me I was, like, fated to be hopeless when it came to love."

Usagi raised an eyebrow. "So what if some jerk told you that? It doesn't mean it's true."

Mina's eyes narrowed and she looked away from Usagi. "He wasn't some…. He wasn't an ordin-… Look it doesn't matter what he was. The point is, I never forgot what he said. I grew to live with it because I had… Well I had bigger priorities."

"Like what?"

The billboard changed again, this time advertising a sale at a jewellery store. Mina's eyes drifted back to Usagi and focused intently on her, their bodies briefly bathed in silver and orange lights from the screen . Drunk as she was, Mina could nevertheless tell her friend didn't catch her meaning.

"Oh, you know… school, becoming an idol. Stuff like that."

"But you never really gave up, Mina."

"I dunno about that. I kind of bounced between rejecting what he said outright or accepting it and just trying to turn it into a positive."

"A positive?" repeated Usagi, a bemused expression upon her face.

"I know that might be weird for you to understand because you have Mamoru but… Some of the time I insist that I don't need men at all,"

"Like that time with you and Rei told Yaten-"

"Exactly. But then the rest of the time, to be honest most of the time, I figured if I'll never find anyone long term then I was free to just have fun and play the field. And I really do enjoy that, it's just… I hate to think there is something out there I'll just never have you know?"

"Mina you can't give up. For goodness sake, you still plan on becoming an idol. Compared to that, finding real love is pretty easy if anything." Minako chuckled at that, but Usagi pressed on. "I'm serious!" she finished, her voice laced with sincerity.

Minako sighed. "An idol. I'm twenty-one. Maybe I should grow out of that dream."

"Oh, for the love of!" Usagi very audibly clicked her tongue, "You realise you are just being a downer because of the booze now, right?"

Minako shrugged. "I dunno about that…"

Laughter echoed from across the street, drawing Minako's attention. It was a young couple, both laughing at a cheerful white puppy a few feet away, its owner having stopped to observe the billboard. A quick glance upwards revealed the ad to be featuring the latest singing sensation, some girl straight out of middle school.

"... When I first turned thirteen I had all these ambitions for my life as a teenager. Becoming famous was one of them of course and that didn't exactly pan out. Now here I am, two years out of my teens and I'm still just Minako Aino."

"Oh, so what!" exclaimed Usagi. "You were late to school every day of your life and you still graduated just fine. It stands to reason you'll be a little late to achieve your dream!"

Minako felt the tiniest spark of cheer in her chest.

"And besides, you kinda did become famous as a teenager anyway."

Minako's cheer gave way to confusion. "Huh?"

"You were famous as Sai-…" An anxious look came over Usagi as she got ahold of herself and looked around her shoulder. A moment later she raised her middle and index fingers in a 'V' gesture. "You were an idol to plenty of people. Me included! I used to dream about being as athletic as you were!"

"This is so cool!" exclaimed Sailor Moon. "My hero, Sailor V, is standing before me!"

Sailor Venus barely hesitated before striking a pose for her fellow Senshi. "Ta-dah!"

The spark in Mina's chest returned.

"And you know what else? You lived more in your teenage years than a lot of people do in a whole lifetime! Hell, we all did, but you especially. You were out there fighting all alone for like a year before we even met you! And! We might've all gone to the Moon, and even the future, but you? You've been to China!. You lived in England when you were only like thirteen or fourteen! Me and the others have barely ever left Japan!"

A fierce look of determination adorned Usagi's face as she stared up at the sky. "I've decided that I want to be even a little bit closer to where my lovely Mamo-chan is right now!"

All the girls looked both confused and scared. But none more so than Mina when Usagi fixed her gaze upon her.

"Minako, you're great with English, right?"

'Why?' Mina asked silently, sweat beginning to form on her brow. 'Why me?'

Mina's spark grew brighter.

"And… Um…" Usagi struggled to continue, "I wish Artemis was here. He'd know what to say since he's been your friend the longest."

Minako fiddled with her hands and observed the other idol contestants. "Everyone looks really cute," she muttered nervously.

"Yeah, but you have to win this," replied the carrier basket to her left. The lid opened up revealing an alabaster feline within. "You need to do it for Usagi and the others for sending you out to realise your dream."

Minako's features brightened up. "Yeah." she nodded.

Mina's spark flared again.

"Look, my point is, you've done so much already to be proud of. And if that's your track record then I'm sure you will find someone to be with if that's what you really want."

Their eyes locked for a moment and everything else seemed to fade away. Everything except for the light of the billboard that was casting a faintly silver illumination upon them.

Exhausted from her birthday party the thirteen year old lay upon her bed.

She dreamed up impossible ambitions for her future.

They all seemed impossible to her. Even the one that was the least impossible.

And so she'd finally drifted off, comforted only by the silver light that shone from high up in the sky...

"… Hey Usagi...?"

"Yeah?"

"You know when you helped me out back at the other club?"

Usagi rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me!"

"Right, but… That lie came real easy because in a way… In a way you are like my sister…"

Usagi smiled gently at Minako. Minako smiled back in kind. The two young women embraced one another.

Once they broke apart Minako found that much of her former verve had returned, practically jumping up from the pavement into a standing position.

"Alright!" She exclaimed, raising her arm and pointing to the sky, "The night's still young and so are we. Let's get back in there before we hit up club number four!"

"What!?" Usagi's return to standing was equally swift, but she wasn't nearly as positive. "We're going to another club! We've already been to three."

Mina made a dismissive gesture with her hand. "Naaaaaaaaw… We're going to two other clubs!"

Usagi's eyes began to well up. "B-b-but, I'm already exhausted!"

"Sorry Princess, but tonight is my night. And when you party with this idol," she made a 'V' gesture with her hands, "Five is the magic number!"

Together, with Mina dragging Usagi behind her, the two blondes ran back inside.

A/N: I know Mina's characterization here might be a little weird to some people. My intention with this story was to liberally mix the anime and manga canon. But since they can sometimes be really different and because I personally prefer the anime I wound up using the anime as my basis and then kind of integrating bits and pieces from the manga. So this is a version of Mina who had a thing with both Alan from the 1992 anime but also Ace from the Codename: Sailor V manga.

Oddly enough I wrote this story so long ago, reading it myself before publishing it was simultaneously a fresh yet nostalgic experience as I'd forgotten almost all of it. Of all the birthday fics I've done for the Inners I think I like this one the most, at least in so far as how it pays off the birthday fic from last year.

Also, just to let you know I am involved in a discord called 'Moonlight Legends' which is dedicated to sharing all sorts of Sailor Moon fanworks, including other fanfics. If you would like to join so you can share your own work, get help with your current projects or just connect to other fan creators shoot me a PM and I'll send you an invite. All are welcome!