10
"Souvenirs? Rei-chan, you shouldn't have!" Usagi attempted to fasten the pink-coloured coral necklace without much luck. Ami, already wearing a blue one, quickly offered her assistance.
Makoto fiddled briefly with her own bright green band before putting it on.
"How come yours is orange, Rei-chan?" she teased, sitting on the bed next to Rei's open suitcase.
Rei blushed, shoving a pile of dirty clothes into the laundry hamper. "Because Minako stole the red one I got for myself. She says it looks better on her." Rei had been hard-pressed to argue when Minako had taken it to try on, given that the necklace was the only thing the idol had been wearing at the time.
She extracted the package that held the rugby jersey for her father and was surprised to find the toy koala Minako had been given underneath it.
"Did she repack my entire bag when I wasn't looking or something?" Rei asked, removing the item. "Hey, Artemis, Minako sent you a playmate."
The plush cat raised his head from the pillow he and Luna were relaxing on. "Huh. I'm surprised she didn't try to smuggle a live one."
Smirking, Rei put the koala on the pillow beside him. "I told her she wasn't allowed."
"You really think that would stop her? Did you just say no to koalas or no to animals of any kind?"
"Er—"
"You're lucky she's not going to Tasmania then, Rei-chan!" Luna grinned.
Rei shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, suddenly feeling very tired. If Minako actually brought home a Tasmanian devil—
"You okay, Rei-chan?" Ami asked, picking up the koala to take a better look at it.
"Yeah. Just fine." Rei sighed and pulled one last item from her suitcase. "Have you guys ever tried vegemite?"
~O~O~O~O~
The others decided to stay and enjoy a late dinner of Chinese takeout with Rei, given that they were all rather hungry and the refrigerator was completely devoid of food. There were some strawberry popsicles in the freezer, but they would hardly suffice for a meal. Plus, Rei thought she might save them for Minako's return. They were both rather fond of the frozen treats.
They lounged around the living room in front of the TV, waiting for their order to arrive.
"I'm not sure anything but an open flame will kill the taste of this stuff." Makoto was on her fifth glass of water after trying the vegemite. "I can't decide if I should press charges or just off you myself."
Rei grinned, surreptitiously hitting the send button on her phone. Minako would probably laugh herself silly when she saw the photograph of their friends' expressions during the taste test.
"Sorry, Mako-chan. The devil made me do it."
Makoto scoffed. "Minako-chan did, you mean."
"Isn't that what I said?" Rei replied innocently. Ami nearly choked on the sip of water she had taken when she started to laugh. "Anyway, the plan backfired. I can't believe Usagi actually likes it!"
Usagi smiled proudly, patting Ami on the back to stop her coughing.
"I guess that means I get to take the rest home, Rei-chan?"
Rei nodded emphatically as the door buzzed.
Makoto cheered. "At last, hot and sour soup to wash this crud away!"
"That's kind of like an open flame," Rei couldn't resist adding. The place they had ordered from made their soup very spicy.
"Though a lot safer than lighting our mouths on fire," Ami said, wheezing slightly.
"Clearly you haven't tried Usagi's recipe."
"REI-CHAN!"
~O~O~O~O~
Rei collapsed gratefully into Minako's—their bed after her friends departed, with the promise that they would come with her to the Shrine the next day and pack. She had readily agreed to their offer, even though she didn't have a whole lot to move. Clothing, books, and a few trinkets, several of which had been given by Minako, were all that filled her room at the Shrine. What furniture she possessed would be staying behind. Most of it belonged to the Shrine anyway.
Artemis had declined Usagi's offer to bring him home with her and Luna, deciding he wasn't ready to leave just yet, and dozed quietly next to Rei's head, using the koala plush as a pillow. Rei's conscience had been bothering her from the moment the small cat had welcomed her into the apartment.
"Hey, Artemis?"
"Mm? Yes, Mars?" His voice sounded as sleepy as Rei felt.
"You—you're really okay with this?"
He yawned loudly. "You moving in, you mean? Why wouldn't I be?"
"It's just—you and Minako have been inseparable for so long, and with everything happening so suddenly, it feels kind of like we're booting you out and—"
"Mars, she told you she was planning on asking you after this tour anyway, right? She spoke to me about it ages ago." He stretched out and rolled onto his side to look at Rei's worried face. "It's just happening a bit sooner than it would have originally. I'm assuming you would have said yes had events unfolded differently?"
Rei nodded. "Of course I would've. But you're best friends. I—I don't want to come between you—"
Artemis smiled kindly, and shook his head. "You never could. Besides, I may be her best friend, but you... you are her soul mate. And I could never come between that." He patted her blushing forehead with his paw. "Now sleep. It's very late and you have a busy day ahead of you."
"Okay, Artemis." Her eyes slid shut. "See you in the morning."
Minako's former guardian was already snoring softly.
~O~O~O~O~
It was nearly noon before Rei regained consciousness. As she sat up and stretched, it occurred to her that she had no clean clothes with her. Everything was in the laundry basket. She glanced at Minako's sizeable closet. Rei grinned. They'd be sharing it soon enough. Although, knowing Minako, some of Rei's clothing was probably already there. The idol was forever showing up to the Shrine in the middle of the night, but never brought a change of clothes with her. Nor did she ever remember to return any of the things she ended up borrowing. Or—Rei spotted a blouse of hers that had been missing for several months—perhaps Minako had been hinting that she wanted Rei and the rest of her clothing to follow.
She found a pair of her jeans in the dresser and ducked into the bathroom for a quick shower. She was anxious to get to the Shrine and start packing, and more than a little nervous about speaking with the shrine leader to thank him for letting her keep her duties, and apologize for all the trouble.
Rei shut off the water, faintly amazed by all the fuss one kiss had caused. She didn't regret it in the slightest.
After towelling off and dressing, Rei heard the distant buzzing of her cell phone from the living room. She dashed out to grab it and glanced at the display before answering.
"Hey, you. Sleep all right?"
There was laughter on the other end. "Not as well as you, apparently. I've been trying to reach you all morning."
"Sorry, Mina. I was exhausted. The others stayed late and we ordered takeout. Running from reporters worked up an appetite, I guess. How was your interview?"
"Oh, the usual. 'Tell us more about your relationship,' 'Why do you keep trying to talk about your tour? We don't care about that! We just want to know about your woman!' It's quite possible that you're more famous than I am right now, Reiko."
Rei laughed at the jealousy in Minako's voice. "I highly doubt that. 'Your woman', eh?"
"Oh, shush. Those were their words, not mine—accurate though they are. Also, I loved that photo you sent. I knew you'd make them try the vegemite. Are you going to the Shrine soon?"
"After I eat something. Would leftover Chinese do for breakfast, y'think?"
"Go get some real food," Minako said sternly.
"I-I'm sorry, are you my Minako?" Rei joked. She had long ago lost track of how often she issued similar instructions to the busy idol.
"Reiko, you know I'm yours." Rei felt a huge smile appear on her face. "Dammit. I have to go. Shacho is beckoning."
"Okay, love. We'll talk later?"
"You have to ask?"
They said goodbye and Rei went to finish getting ready to head out to the Shrine. She was so nervous, she wondered if she'd even be able to eat anything at all.
"Mars! You're awake!" Artemis poked his head out of the kitchen. "I hope you don't mind—Jupiter knew there was nothing here and that you'd need something to eat when you got up, so I let her in to make you some breakfast. She'd have stayed longer, but she had to get back to her shop."
"Are you ever going to stop calling us by our Senshi names, Artemis?" Rei's stomach growled loudly at the mention of Makoto's cooking.
"When it stops annoying you, I will." Artemis pushed a covered plate towards her. Whatever it was, it smelled fantastic. "You'll want to heat that up, probably."
"I don't know what it is with you and Minako and the giving of nicknames." Rei slid the plate into the oven and turned it on. "I still wonder where 'Reiko' came from."
Artemis looked surprised. "She's never told you?"
Rei shook her head. "Never asked. I always figured it was something from our past lives though."
"Well, you're quite right about that, actually. Venus once asked Mars if she ever had any nicknames as a child. Mars had several older brothers who liked to tease her. They called her Reiko because she was the youngest, and the only girl. Rei-ko." Artemis smirked. "Perhaps Mars should have thought twice before telling Venus how much the name annoyed her."
"If Venus was anything like Minako, I'm sure she'd have found out somehow." Rei felt a faint pang of loss at hearing the story. She was suddenly a bit jealous of her past self, thinking she would have liked having a brother or two, whether they teased her or not. Perhaps then she wouldn't have been so lonely as a child.
But then, perhaps she wouldn't have cherished her friends the way she did—her friends, who were like sisters to her.
Rei smiled as the jealousy faded away. She hadn't been lonely for a long time.
The scent of breakfast slowly filled the kitchen, making her stomach growl again in anticipation.
"Ahh, that smells lovely," Artemis commented, inhaling appreciatively. "It's probably safe enough to eat now."
Rei grabbed an oven mitt and pulled out the dish. "So long as there's no vegemite in it."
"No, just arsenic." The cat smiled sweetly.
"Oh, is that why Mako-chan's cooking is to die for?"
Artemis groaned at the terrible joke while Rei laughed and took her breakfast to enjoy on the terrace.
She needed to get used to the incredible view.
~O~O~O~O~
Hikawa Shrine's head elder was delighted to welcome Rei back from her trip. He had been at the shrine when she had been delivered to them as a small child so many years ago, and was quite sorry to see her moving out. He and Hikawa's other elders gathered in his office when Rei had arrived requesting a meeting.
"I just wanted to apologize for the trouble I've caused, Toshihiro-Sensei—and—and thank you for letting me keep my shrine duties. I—was worried that—the—um, nature of m-my relationship—" Rei tried desperately not to blush as she spoke. "I-I mean—what I mean is—"
"You feared we would expel you for it?" The leader of the elders shook his head. "Love is hardly a crime, Rei. As a matter of fact, I was quite pleased for you when I first learned of it, but I do understand why you felt the need to keep things quiet."
So the elders had been playing dumb since the broadcast after all. Rei's cheeks flooded with warmth.
"Y-you saw the news from, um, before, then?"
"Actually—" The Sensei's eyes darted to one of the younger members of the group, who reddened. "Some of us have known for quite a bit longer than that, Rei. I trust that Miss Aino's leg has healed sufficiently, thanks to your care?" His eyes twinkled with merriment.
Rei hadn't thought her face could possibly become any warmer. He had known for that long? She'd had no idea.
"I'm so pleased you want to stay here to work, Rei," he went on, mercifully distracting her from her embarrassment. "We would never be able to replace you. You're a brilliant young woman—hard-working, very intelligent. You've given so much to this Shrine—I could never ask you to leave completely. If not for your own and the Shrine's safety, it would never even have come into question." The other elders nodded their agreement, smiling benignly.
Rei was greatly moved by her Sensei's words. For much of her life, he had been the closest thing she'd had to a family. The Hikawa priests had been the first to encourage, rather than shun, her psychic abilities, teaching her to hone them as best as they could. None of them had any idea that those lessons ended up helping to save the world more than once.
The Shrine leader had watched her grow from a grieving, angry child into someone nearly unrecognizeable—save for her stubbornness, perhaps. He had been heard to remark when Rei was a teenager that her stubborn nature was just another gift she was born with, especially since no amount of discouraging seemed able to halt it.
She was going to miss seeing him every day.
"I—I thought there were rules, though—th-that—"
The half-formed question was waved away. "Rules are made to be broken, Rei. Surely you've lived here long enough to know that." The older man grinned. Rei grinned back. She would never be the prankster that Minako was, but she had learned her share of tricks from the older man through the years.
"Now, about your duties. Given the circumstances, some of them will be changing—"
Rei listened as he continued speaking. She would have more administration and paperwork to attend to than before, as well as being permanently in charge of event-planning for festivals, neither of which she minded doing. She would also be given as much time as she needed to meditate by the sacred fire. Visitors to the shrine would certainly be looking for her now and she appreciated the opportunity to keep out of the public eye as much as she could.
"Also, please be sure and thank your father for implementing the extra security measures he's provided. Things would have become very chaotic here otherwise." The elders shuddered collectively.
"I will, Sensei. And thank you. For—for everything." Rei's eyes began to well up, despite her best efforts. "You've always been so wonderful to me—I can't even begin to express my gratitude—" She swiped at her cheeks as the tears began to spill over. "Thank you." She took a tissue from the box that was pushed towards her and dabbed at her eyes.
"Is there anything else that we can help you with, Rei?"
Rei shook her head. "You've already been more than generous. But, if you don't mind, Sensei, I'd really like to start packing my things."
"Very well. You are always welcome here, Hino Rei. Never forget that."
Then to Rei's very great surprise, the Shrine leader stood and came around the desk to give her a hug.
~O~O~O~O~
Rei sat cross-legged in the middle of her old room, committing its appearance to her memory before she started packing. The elders had been kind enough to gather a few boxes for her after they had spoken with Makoto the previous week. Rei just hoped they would be enough. Her bookshelves suddenly seemed fuller than she remembered, and her closet too. At least Makoto was bringing Motoki's car. That would be a huge help.
Every corner reminded her of something. She turned her gaze to her window, half-expecting to see Minako pop into view and invite her out for some wild adventure, or onto the roof for some stargazing.
Rei smiled to herself. Perhaps on occasion she and Minako could still visit the Shrine rooftop and watch Venus herald in the sunrise.
There was a knock on her door. She turned her head towards the sound.
"Rei-chan?" Usagi slid it open and poked her head in. Makoto and Ami were right behind her. "Artemis told us you were here. Are—are you ready to start?"
She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yeah. I'm ready."
~O~O~O~O~
Although she had been moved and unpacked for well over a week, Rei still spent a great deal of time at the Shrine, even when she wasn't working. The apartment felt too empty without Minako there, especially since Artemis had decided to take his leave and moved in with Usagi and Mamoru. Surprisingly, he'd had a few things to pack before leaving—a few photographs he was rather fond of, as well as a favoured pillow from Minako's couch that he was accustomed to. His move was physically much easier than Rei's, but no less difficult emotionally. From the sound of it though, he was beginning to settle nicely into his new home. He and Luna stopped by regularly for visits when Rei was at the apartment, which she gladly welcomed.
She had discovered that it was quite easy to avoid attention from photographers and Minako's fans if she kept her head down when she was out, and had already made a habit of wearing a baseball cap whenever she went. Thankfully, Minako had plenty of them to choose from. As much as she liked the Sydney hat, she had learned her lesson after the near disaster at the bookstore weeks before, and never put it on. Perhaps that was partly why Minako had so many clothes—aside from the obvious fact that she also just liked to shop.
As per her promise to Minako, Rei frequently visited the koi pond to say hello to the fish. The one that liked to dance was usually found to be swimming around almost dispiritedly, as if he too missed the idol.
"She'll be home soon," Rei murmured one afternoon when she spotted the mottled orange koi circling slowly around. She had felt like taking a bike ride to the Shrine, and had made a quick stop at a pet food store on the way. No one recognized her there either, thankfully. Kneeling, she sprinkled some of the fish treats she had brought into the water.
"Rei?"
She nearly dropped the small container she held into the pond as she whipped her head around. Rei stood quickly, doing a double-take as she did.
"P-Papa?"
Senator Hino was nearly unrecognizable in the casual clothing he wore, including—Rei was stunned to see—the rugby jersey she had bought for him in Australia. She'd had it sent to him with her thanks for the airline ticket after getting settled into her new home. She had been unsure when he would next be available to meet with her, given his busy schedule, but wanted to get it to him right away because she was so grateful for his gift.
"I was told I would probably find you by the koi pond. I hear you've moved out of the Shrine?"
Rei nodded. "After everything that's happened, they were worried for my safety if I stayed. It's—different, but I'm getting used to it. What're you doing here, Papa?"
He tugged at his collar, looking oddly nervous. "I—I've cancelled my appointments for the afternoon. I was hoping that we, uh, might have lunch someplace. What do you think? ...Rei?"
Rei shook herself from her sudden daze. She knew her eyes must be wide. "You—you really—cleared your schedule so you c-could see me?" Her voice sounded rather small in its amazement. She could hardly believe what she'd just heard.
"Perhaps you could tell me about your trip. I understand if you're busy—"
Rei felt a tiny smile appear on her face. She would have to omit a number of details from her visit with Minako, but—
"Did you have any particular place in mind, Papa?"
The Senator wore a smile of his own as he and Rei left the Shrine together.
~O~O~O~O~
Minako could hear the screaming of countless fans already as she approached the arrivals gate. Her bodyguards flanked her as she walked, and Shacho chattered away on his phone, negotiating an interview with a high-profile journalist. She'd been bombarded with ever more requests from numerous magazines and networks for the last several weeks. There was no way she'd ever be able to talk to everyone—not if she planned on having any free time ever again—and so had suggested her idea of doing an exclusive to Shacho. Her manager had thought the idea was nothing short of brilliant and immediately went about setting it up.
The Adelaide show had been a phenomenal success. Minako very nearly lost track of how many encores she had performed at the concert, and it was almost two days before her ears stopped ringing with the echoing cheers and applause of those in attendance. It certainly made the post-concert interview she'd had interesting. She'd hardly been able to tell what the reporter was asking her.
Questions about her relationship with Rei, no doubt.
Rei.
Rei would be waiting for her at home. A pleasurable shiver travelled up her spine at the thought of their reunion. Minako grinned. When they'd spoken the night before, she'd told Rei that the airport crowd would probably be bordering on insanity when she got back, and knowing how Rei felt about being in the spotlight, said that she didn't have to meet her when she returned. Rei had assured the idol that she would receive a proper welcome. Minako shivered again.
She stepped through the gate and began waving to her fans. The screaming tripled in volume when she appeared. A number of barricades had been set up to keep the hordes of people from swarming her. Minako debated stopping to sign a few autographs, but she might never get away if she did. She needed to see Rei.
"MINAKO-CHAN!"
Her head swivelled towards the familiar voice. She knew only one person who could make themselves heard over such an ear-splitting din. "U-Usagi?" She felt her jaw drop when she spotted her driver standing inside the barricade, accompanied by Usagi, Ami, Makoto—and Rei.
Minako's heart began pounding at the sight of Rei's smile.
"Ah, good," Shacho said, leaning close so she could hear him. "They made it through all right. You should go say hello." He nudged Minako, who hadn't realized that she was frozen with surprise, and she broke into a run towards the small group. She was glad now that she had opted to wear her sneakers on the flight. Besides, heels would have looked rather odd with the rugby jersey she had on.
Minako practically leapt at Rei when they drew closer, hugging her with such force that they spun around on the spot. "Reiko!"
Rei's arms held onto her with a nearly bone-crushing strength. "Mina." Her mouth was at Minako's ear, speaking as quietly as the deafening noise around them allowed. "The, uh, others heard you were getting back today and decided I should come along—"
"Don't listen to her lies, Minako-chan!" Makoto hollered. "This was all Rei-chan's idea!"
Rei went pink and made a face at their friends before turning back to Minako. "Did you, uh, still want to go for ice cream?"
"In a minute." Minako cupped Rei's cheeks and leaned forward to kiss her. "This is the good part."
o~o~o~o
Author notes: Next week, the Epilogue! Thanks all for sticking with this story! Your kind words have been nothing short of delightful! I feel like there was some other comment I was gonna stick here... think I can remember it? Nooo!