"Let's just lay down for now."

Rei's mind raced as Minako guided her to rest on the mat below them. She was still dazed. When she awakened, from a nightmare that was slowly returning to her second by second, she was a blank slate. Her name, her past, her life: there was nothing inside of her.

She was frightened, at first.

Then she heard something. A noise. It stirred her chest. Made her feel unpleasant things. Mourning and pity, as if suffering a great loss that she couldn't remember.

Crying. That's what the sound was. But it wasn't her crying. She turned to face the sound, and saw a glowing goddess. This woman, Minako, she was too beautiful to cry.

Rei startled. How did she know that name? Minako… The flower in her ear, the perfume, Venus…

Yes, Venus was a fitting name for such a radiant beauty.

And when the goddess said her name, Rei, the memories began flooding back at an alarming rate. Rei felt paralyzed; and so she laid on the mat, focusing on the aster tucked behind Minako's ear, processing all the visions and sounds overwhelming her mind.

"What do you remember?" Minako asked.

The sweet sound of her voice was muffled in the crowded chamber of her consciousness, where hundreds of memories clambered for recognition. Rei closed her eyes, blocking out one sensory overload to concentrate on the others.

Her parents. Risa's murder. Takashi. The heat of the sacred flames. A hungry baby's wails. Betrayal. Guilt.

None of those nightmares were hers. Rei understood that now. The hell she had been living belonged to him. Not her.

Divorcing those painful memories from her own subconscious was liberating. But it still did not replace the holes in her memory.

Rei shook her head. She wasn't prepared to answer that question yet.

"Do you remember my name?" the goddess posed another question.

"Minako…" Rei tested the name on her lips. She didn't know which dark recesses of her mind the knowledge came from. There was no doubt in her mind she was right, and the beaming smile of relief from the blonde was infinitesimally reassuring.

That smile. Rei loved that smile, she realized. Realized? Or remembered? She wasn't sure.

"Oh thank God!" Minako reached across the small space between them and brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. "You called me Venus earlier. I was worried you were still confused."

Her touch was revitalizing. Affectionate and kind, like the blue eyes reflecting the flames back at her.

"I am still confused," Rei began, "but that was intentional."

"Oh." Minako blinked. Her cheeks turned red.

Her reaction made Rei uncomfortable. Was that the wrong thing to say? Minako didn't seem angry, but she didn't seem happy, either. By the kami, Rei felt like a lost child. She didn't remember herself, nor proper social etiquette, apparently. "Was that a… bad thing to say?"

"Huh? No, umm…" Minako giggled and shook her head. "It's just unlike you. To say something like that."

It was?

Rei was beginning to recall bits and pieces, but nothing to support and rebuild the essence of herself. Her own personality was a mystery. This immaculate stranger knowing more about her was unnerving beyond reason.

"Oh. Well… why?"

"Because, well…" Minako paused and stared up at the ceiling. "I'm no Hino Rei expert. But if you ask me, it's because you're a guarded, private person. You're serious to a fault. You have trust issues. Do you remember the things you saw?"

The nightmares. Rei shuddered. They were the only things she remembered with enough clarity to hold onto.

"I remember," Rei answered in a hollow tone.

"I think your father's betrayal and everything made it very hard for you to lean on and trust others. And you also feel like you always have to prove yourself to the other assassins."

Rei narrowed her eyes. The assassins. Her time in the sisterhood played through her mind, returning her memories of her training, her life at Hikawa Shrine, and her missions.

Then she remembered the target that changed her life.

"Are you okay?" Minako touched her forehead.

Rei instinctively recoiled before realizing what she was doing.

What reason did she have to shy away from Minako's touch? Why didn't she trust her? Why had she forced herself to be alone her entire life?

To punish herself for the sins of her father?

"How long have you been here?" Rei avoided her last question.

"This is the second night," Minako answered. "But they said you were out of it for even longer. I wish I'd known, I would've come sooner…"

"Where were you?"

Minako shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I'm here now."

Rei knew what she meant. She didn't want Rei to strain herself, to obsess over too many details and become frustrated over what she did or didn't remember. It would come back with time.

She hoped.

Feeling guilty over shying away from Minako's touch earlier, Rei took her hand and cupped it inside of hers. Minako seemed surprised at the gesture, but she smiled and sank her head further down into the pillow.

After quietly staring into each other's eyes for a minute, Minako spoke first. "You should get some rest. Maybe after sleeping, you'll feel more yourself."

Rei decided not to admit that she wasn't sure she wanted to feel like herself again; not if "herself" was the type of person to shun the affection of someone who cared about her enough to hold vigil at her bedside for two days.

"I'm not tired," she said instead. "Tell me about you."

"Me?" She reached up to play with the flower in her hair. Rei thought she looked uncomfortable. "I feel like everyone is always talking about me."

"Humor me." Rei considered a starter topic. "Tell me about your parents."

Minako's bright eyes darkened. Her lip curled in disgust. "Sore topic, but okay. So… I've always dreamed of being an idol. Always. It's all I ever wanted. And all my mother ever wanted was money. She complained about my father's lackluster salary and how much she hated being a housewife constantly. She turned my dream into dollar signs. She signed me up for every pageant and modeling opportunity in Japan while I grew up… Hoarding and spending all of my winnings and earnings for herself."

Rei frowned. Thinking of a mother using and taking advantage of her own daughter like that disgusted her. "That's awful."

Minako nodded. "She worked me to the bone, nearly killing my dream of being a world famous singer. But I didn't give up. Instead, I swore that as soon as I was old enough, I would emancipate myself from my parents. And, long story short, once I had my first number one billboard single, that's what I did. I begged my father to leave her… I said I would take care of him for the rest of his life… But he wouldn't divorce her. So, I emancipated myself, and haven't spoken to them in years."

"Sorry to hear that," Rei consoled. She looked down, realizing she had been stroking Minako's hand. The inside of her palm was smooth; unlike her's, which were calloused and rough.

"Compared to your family history, I can't exactly complain," Minako quipped before catching herself. "Sorry, that was pretty insensitive of me."

Rei sighed. "Forgetting myself has been a blessing in disguise. I feel like I can see things more clearly now."

"Oh yeah?" She arched an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Rei adjusted the bed sheet covering her chest. Her crows hopped away, deciding to watch from behind Minako. Her heart skipped a beat as she contemplated her response. "Like you, for example."

"M-Me? What about me? What do you remember?"

Rei closed her eyes and concentrated. Her senses became washed in the scent of her perfume, Venus. Aster flowers, spreading as far as her eyes could see. The awkward stares. Minako moaning her name. An impassioned kiss followed by months of longing.

Sumberging herself in the Animus. Obsessing over her father to the point of completely losing herself. Anything to get her mind off of the templar idol who had stolen her heart.

"I remember running from my feelings," Rei admitted. There was little point in listing every word and touch flickering in her memory. The admission, along with her serious gaze, was enough. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too," Minako replied. She didn't elaborate on what she was sorry for, and Rei couldn't recall anything she'd done that warranted one.

"Thank you." Though Rei couldn't recall much of what she owed her, a weight was lifted from her shoulders.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Rei leaned closer to her face. The short kiss they shared was not enough. She wanted to taste more of this sweet, immaculate woman. She wanted to remember, with vivid clarity and yearning, their past physical interactions.

Just before their lips touched, Rei felt a palm pressed against her chest, holding her back.

"Rei. There's a couple of things I need to tell you."

"What?"

Minako took a deep breath. "I want to leave the templars. Become an assassin. I've thought a lot about it over the last couple of months. I've already made up my mind. I can't keep doing this… I've lost the love I had for my fans and what I do because I'm just a templar pawn now. I don't believe in the messages I'm spreading anymore. And I figured, well…" she hesitated, but Rei patiently waited until she was ready. "If I'm going to be subject to assassination attempts anyway, I'd rather take my chances with your team. This way, we won't have to be apart anymore."

Rei swallowed. She didn't know what to say. Her mind was still too muddled. They would have to discuss the logistics of Minako's plan later, when she had her wits about her and the others were here.

"It seems like the decision has already been made," Rei thoughtfully observed, to which Minako nodded back. "Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?"

Rei felt fingertips grazing her cheek. Fingers began absently playing with her long, soaked locks. Rei couldn't recall being touched in such an intimate, affectionate way before. Not from family, or from a friend. Chills danced along her spine. She felt her body coming alive beneath Minako's gentle caress, and the deep, serious gaze locked onto hers.

"I think… I think I'm in love with you," Minako whispered. After the confession she winced, as if expecting Rei to argue or raise her voice.

The stunned Shrine Maiden blinked. How could this flawless beauty love her? Hino Rei, the stubborn, emotionally stunted, distant assassin? As hard as she scoured her memories, she couldn't pinpoint a single, likable trait. Rei was unapproachable and callous by design; she couldn't get hurt if no one wanted to get close enough to try.

Rei thought she must be missing something. There must be holes. Blips in her memory. Something escaping her that would explain how Minako could have possibly fallen for someone like herself.

"Me?" Rei blurted. "But I'm—"

"Distant and cold and stubborn?" Minako finished for her. Rei rolled her eyes, but didn't argue. "I know. But I also know why you're that way. And I want to show you that not everyone will betray or hurt you. I won't. You can trust me."

Rei's chest swelled with warmth, but her heart felt as if it were being pulled from her chest. It yearned for Minako's brightness. Not only her heart, but her entire spirit ached. She needed to soak, to be absorbed in Minako's bright light. A flame burst to life inside of her, filling her with adoration and desire and another sensation she'd never felt before.

Rei refused to deny her feelings any longer.

"I love you too."

This time, Minako did not hold Rei back. She pulled Rei into her, kissing her with an abundance of heat and energy that was intoxicating. Minako's body was warm, but cooler than hers, and Rei could feel it pressing through the thin bed sheet separating them.

Rei closed her eyes. The sensations of Minako's lips massaging hers, and her hands in her hair, felt nothing short of divine. The templar wasn't shy, but she was respectful. Rei noticed her hands roaming within her hair, and down her back, staying clear of more sensitive areas. The Shrine Maiden was using all of her willpower to keep her hands away from the pert breasts pressing against hers, but when Minako moaned into her lips she suddenly wanted Minako touching all of the erogenous zones she was avoiding.

Rei pulled her mouth away to catch her breath and gather her thoughts. "Mina, I… Can I call you that?"

Minako's sweet voice assumed a headier tone. "You can call me whatever you want, as long as I'm yours."

Rei's heart skipped a beat. Mina's forward reply left her speechless. Her stupefied reaction made Minako laugh.

Rei frowned as Minako giggled at her expense. "Sorry, sorry." Mina cleared her throat, assuming the same tone as before. "I just, well, given the circumstances, I couldn't help but think about how I originally hoped to spend our first night together."

The Shrine Maiden felt her face go red. She was nearly certain she had never kissed anyone before kissing the popstar; what she was suggesting now was an act Rei had all but written off.

She thought she should feel nervous. Or even turned off from the notion. Instead, part of her secretly hoped Minako would take the reins and lead her to the highest state of bliss together.

"We need food and a bath first," Minako continued in a teasing tone.

Rei thought that dismissive statement was the end of their physical intimacy for now, but Minako had other plans. She closed the gap between them once more. Rei parted her lips, but before their mouths met there was a knock at the door.

"One of these days we won't be interrupted," Minako grumbled as she sat up and straightened her hair.

Two tall women let themselves into the room. Rei scrutinized them as they entered, feeling their names on the tip of her tongue but unable to voice them. The woman with hunter green hair paused just inside the room, studying her like a science project.

The one with the brunette ponytail ran towards them. Before Rei could react, she was being smothered in a bear hug while listening to her bawl like a baby.

There was a sense of whiplash as she pushed her away. "Rei! What the hell were you thinking, you idiot!"

"Makoto…" Minako warned. The blonde had slipped out from beneath the sheet and stood back, watching the reunion. "She's not 100 percent yet."

"Some things are still fuzzy," Rei added. Minako said the woman's name was Makoto. As Rei stared at her concerned face, memories of their time together gradually returned.

Kino Makoto. The assassin who wielded lightning. They were partnered together the night Rei pushed Minako out of the line of fire, saving her life and ruining the mission. Since then, Makoto had drilled Rei about her feelings for Sailor V, to which Rei would always bristle and dodge the question.

"I'd like to check your vitals," the woman dressed in a lab coat stepped forward.

"Setsuna," Rei guessed.

"Excellent. Your stored memories are returning," Setsuna replied while revealing a stethoscope from beneath the collar of her coat.

"It sounds like you three have a lot of catching up to do. I think I'll go home for the rest of the night. Let you assassins do your thing."

Panic tightened every muscle in Rei's body. She felt a summons from the sacred flames, but when she stared at them, she saw nothing.

"But Mina, don't you want to tell them?"

"Tell us what?" Makoto asked.

"It can wait until the morning." Minako shrugged. "I have to go check on my cat. I've never left him alone for this long before."

"Your cat… Artemis?" Rei could see the unusual snow white cat. A stinging phantom pain haunted her hand, and she remembered the confrontation like it was yesterday.

"Yeah." Minako smiled when Rei remembered her cat's name. "I'll spend the rest of the night with him, and I'll come back in the morning. I hope you're cleaned up by then."

A pang of unease wrenched Rei's stomach, but she ignored her intuition and nodded. "See you tomorrow."

—-

Minako hummed to herself as she approached the rear entrance of her house after scaling the fence surrounding her enclosed back lawn. The in-ground pool shimmered in the moonlight.

Climbing the fence was more troublesome than it should have been, thanks to her pesky wound. Minako glanced up at her rear security camera that she had disabled before she left. Part of her felt bad for lying to the security about waiting on a replacement, but since they were all contracted help through the templars, she couldn't risk telling anyone what she was up to. Ami was the only person she trusted, and even then, she only told her half of the truth.

Minako sighed as she dug into her back pocket for her electronic card key. She was on cloud nine. The aster flowers, the memory of their time together in the dressing room, brought Rei back to life. She gathered the courage to confess her feelings, and Rei even reciprocated them. Mina could feel the difference in their most recent kiss. There was more than lust and curiosity; there was devotion and need.

She couldn't stop smiling. Yes, it was difficult to leave, but she needed to. Minako was an outsider at the shrine, still. Rei needed time with her sisters to heal. Minako could see their genuine affection and kinship; something she didn't share with nearly any of her fellow templars.

Before swiping her unique card to enter the door, Minako pulled her hand back in surprise.

It was already open.

Thinking one of the guards or Ami had neglected to fully close the door after letting Artemis in, she shrugged and pocketed her card key. Minako flicked the light switch on, pouring artificial lighting over her lounge area. The couches, television, and other furnishings appeared untouched.

"Artemis!" Minako called to her companion as she began ascending the spiral staircase to the second floor, where her bedroom waited. "I'm home!"

No reply. No meow, no padding of his feet as he ran to greet her.

"Okay, I'm sorry I left you alone for two days!" Minako rolled her eyes. Cats were so moody. "Will you come out now?"

Minako didn't have the energy to look for him. Tired as she was, the popstar was looking forward to crashing in her bed for a few hours before going to see Rei again. If Artemis wanted to join her, then that was up to him.

As expected, the bedroom door was closed. There was a small cat door installed so he could come and go as he pleased. Minako reminded herself to see about having another installed on her backdoor too; then she wouldn't have to worry about careless staff leaving the door open.

After letting herself into her bedroom, she closed the door behind her. Anxious to throw herself onto her king sized bed, she turned towards it and immediately froze.

Standing at the foot of her bed was Hino Takashi. In one hand he dangled Artemis by the scruff of his neck. In the other, he held a magnum pistol. The end of the barrel was pressed against her cat's small temple, ready to end his life if Minako didn't obey.

"Whoa!" Minako threw her hands up in a surrendering gesture. Her heart began pounding uncontrollably. Her eyes focused on the gun. She was feeling faint already, as the very real possibility that Takashi had finally snapped and was prepared to murder anyone he needed to get what he wanted clicked in her head.

But what did he want?

Minako forced herself to look at his manic, bloodshot eyes. His face was firm, rugged, and unshaven. His shirt was unkempt and dirty. Beneath the layers of gloss and crimson veins, Minako detected the grim determination in his violet eyes.

Minako immediately thought of the purple eyes she had fallen in love with. Her stomach sank when she realized what he wanted from her.

"Please! Please don't hurt him!" Minako begged as she watched the veins in Takashi's hand bulge when he squeezed Artemis' neck harder.

"Then be a good girl, and do exactly as I say…"