Sol III (Earth): Tokyo, Japan

Rei sat stiffly in her chair, forcing herself to maintain a neutral expression, while her hands clenched the red napkin in her lap. She kept her gaze on the mostly untouched food in front of her, refusing to eat it despite the grumbling of her stomach.

"Come now, Rei." She looked up from her food to glare at the speaker. "You really should try to look somewhat happy. I do have an image to maintain. The press loves to see a happy daughter. Especially when her father cares enough to bring her to a place as lavish as this." He gestured to the finery all around them. "Not every father can afford to treat his daughter so well on her birthday."

Rei felt bile rising in her throat, but pushed it down. It wasn't easy.

"You could at least say 'Thank You'," her father chided.

Rei forced herself to swallow her anger. He isn't worth it. "Thank you," she said flatly, gripping the napkin more tightly. She wondered, for a moment, if the wrinkles would ever come out.

"You're welcome." He took a bite of his steak. He chewed it almost thoughtfully before swallowing. "It's been hard getting the Press' attention since those damn aliens started attacking."

Rei winced slightly, but her father didn't notice.

"Fortunately Kaidou and his wife had a child recently. The press needed something a bit happier to focus on and they had a field day when he and his wife presented the child. It was an excellent opportunity to comment on the clear lack of current leadership and how we would have dealt with the aliens. Anyway, Kaidou is rising very quickly because of his marriage. For a few years we wondered if it was worth it, but it's really taken off."

Rei stared at her father in open disgust. He was too self-absorbed to notice. "Speaking of which, I've found a suitable future husband for you and-"

"No."

"At least be reasonable and hear me out. He's from a wealthy family with strong political connections and isn't half-bad looking. You'd be doing yourself a favor."

Rei's anger finally boiled over. "Reasonable? You're the one who refused to come to mother's side as she lay dying! You were too absorbed with your image and your power to care! And you have the… the gall to ask me to be reasonable?!"

Her father looked up from his meal to glare at Rei. "I did what I needed to. If I hadn't, I wouldn't be wealthy enough to send you to one of the best schools in Tokyo."

"Stop pretending it's for me!" Rei stood, causing her chair to topple over. She glared down at her father who continued to smile benignly at her. "Everything you do is to benefit yourself!"

"I have only ever had your best interests-"

Rei stormed off before he could finish. She could hear her father swearing and struggling to catch up with her. Despite her best efforts to outpace him, her father caught up with her before she got out the doors.

"Don't pretend my position hasn't benefited you," he said in a low voice.

Rei ignored him. "I'm going home."

Her father shrugged indifferently. "As you wish. Just try to look like you've enjoyed spending time with me."

Her father's face broke into a well-practiced, yet hollow, smile as he slipped her arm through his. Rei felt like her skin was crawling where he touched her and the bile rose in the back of the throat again. Just get it over with and quickly. Reluctantly, she took the bouquet of Casablancas he shoved into her free hand, gripping them hard enough that she could feel the stalks breaking, breaking like her heart had when she learned Kadiou was to be married to a stranger.

She forced herself to push it aside. It was years ago and there was nothing she could do to change the past. Some part of her knew she had to let it go. Still, his comment had opened a wound she thought had closed forever. Strange how emotional scars never truly heal. She shook her head to clear the thought away and forced herself to focus on the present.

Rei adopted a neutral expression and tried to look like she didn't completely despise her father as they stepped out the doors.

As usual, the assembled members of the press, though considerably fewer than usual, began taking pictures of them as they walked to the car waiting on the street. Rei threw open the door and scrambled inside while her father stood and waved cheerfully while his picture continued to be taken.

He answered a few questions before finally, though reluctantly, stepping into the car and shutting the door firmly behind him. Rei sat herself as far from her father as possible. He ignored her as he pulled a folder from his briefcase. He flipped it open and began to read. "Hikawa Shrine, then back to my office," he barked at the driver.

Rei was more than happy to have her father ignore her and she suspected he too was relieved that their yearly pretense of having a relationship was over. She opted to stare out the window at the city as they passed through it. They finally arrived at the steps that led up to Hikawa shrine and Rei was out the door before the car fully stopped.

"See you next year," her father commented, without looking up from his papers.

Rei slammed the door shut, not even bothering to respond. The car drove off as she turned and began climbing the stairs, her anger subsiding with each step. It was replaced with a feeling of peace by the time she reached the top. This was her home. Her refuge from the storm of the outside world.

She made her way across the grounds, enjoying the cool breeze that carried the scent of blooming flowers. When she reached the door, she slid it open.

"Happy Birthday, Rei!"

She had no time to react before she was forcibly pulled into the room, which had been decorated with balloons, streamers and a giant banner. Her friends, minus Mina, crowded around her, chatting eagerly as they herded her to the table.

After Rei was seated, Lita placed a large cake in front of her, followed closely by Charlotte who placed a bowl of what looked like brownish goo next to the cake. Rei stared at the bowl's contents in confusion. "What is it?"

"Snadage Pudding," Charlotte responded as she poured a large portion into a smaller bowl and pushed it in front of Rei. "It's a recipe from Lonsee-23 I thought I would try. Getting substitute ingredients was not easy. It turned out more liquid than I was expecting. Granted, they use thermonuclear devices to caramelize it. All I had to work with was the primitive microwave emitter."

Rei reluctantly dipped a spoon into the featureless goop. She raised it slowly, not comforted in the least that the 'Pudding' seemed unable to decide if it were a solid or a liquid, and took a small taste.

She dropped the spoon, gagging as the flavor of burned garbage filled her mouth. She spat out what she could then grabbed a napkin and made a futile attempt to wipe out the taste. It became stronger the more she tried.

She threw down the napkin and tried washing the taste out with water. It grew stronger and spread to her throat. Rei gagged again as bile began to rise. In desperation, she grabbed a slice of cake and bit into it, hoping the cake would overpower whatever it was Charlotte had given her.

The sweet blend of raspberries and chocolate drowned out the flavor of the pudding, but only as long as she had the cake in her mouth. "That's disgusting!" Rei growled through a mouth full of cake, spewing crumbs everywhere. "You're even worse at cooking than Serena!"

"My cooking isn't that bad," Serena insisted. "Right, Darien?"

Darien looked highly uncomfortable, but was saved from answering as Serena took a large spoonful of Snadage Pudding and eagerly popped it in her mouth.

Serena sat absolutely still for a moment looking confused. Slowly her face turned slightly green and her eyes bulged. She spewed out what she could and followed Rei's example of shoving as much cake into her mouth as she could. Frosting and pieces of cake went flying in every direction.

Serena's elbow went into the bowl of Snadage Pudding, sending it soaring across the room. The bowl struck Artemis' face while he was mid-yawn. He yowled as the pudding entered his mouth. He leapt across the room, joining Rei and Serena as they continued inhaling cake to keep the horrid taste at bay.

"I'm glad I made that second cake," Lita commented to Darien, Luna and Ami.

Charlotte frowned. "I can't imagine what I did wrong. I acquired all the food I needed from the receptacle."

"What receptacle?" Ami asked.

"The one that is next to the counter in Lita's apartment," Charlotte replied. "Occasionally she will carelessly toss food and other material into it."

Lita groaned. "Charlotte, that's trash. You're not supposed to use it!"

"You fed us trash?!" Rei shouted.

Rei, Serena and Artemis began shouting at Charlotte, their voices overlapping and impossible to distinguish.

Charlotte put her hands up defensively, looking embarrassed. "Sorry. Sorry. Really, sorry."

"You'll be sorry when I'm done with you, you worthless piece of scrap!" Rei bellowed.

"Take it easy, guys," Ami suggested. "Char meant well."

Rei gritted her teeth and kept her fists clenched. "Well meaning or not, I don't appreciate being fed garbage."

"Why don't you wash up, then we'll give you your presents?" Lita suggested.

"Wash?" Rei glanced at herself in the mirror. To her horror and embarrassment, her entire face was smeared with cake and frosting. Her only comfort came from knowing Serena, who was still complaining through a mouthful of cake, looked even worse.

Rei walked to the restroom where she quickly washed up before rejoining the others. As she was leaving, Serena pushed by her to wash up as well. When she had rejoined them, Lita brought out the second cake which she cut into seven pieces. Everyone took a slice before sitting around the table again.

Serena was the first to dig into her slice, eating it as if she were starving. "This is delicious," she mumbled through a mouthful of cake.

"It's rude to talk with your mouth full, meatball head," Rei grumbled.

"Like you weren't talking with your mouth full earlier."

"Why don't we give our presents to Rei?" Luna quickly suggested.

Various presents were pushed onto the table in front of Rei. Eagerly, she reached for the closest one. As her fingers wrapped around it, a knock at the door caused her to pause.

Lita, being closest to the door, slid it open.

Mina stood in the doorway, looking wary. The others remained frozen where they were. Serena was the first to move. She slowly approached Mina who remained unmoving and looked uncertain.

Mina kept her eyes turned downwards. "I'm back if.. . you still want me. I understand if. . . it's too much to-"

Serena engulfed Mina in a hug. "Of course we want you back!"

Ami nodded. "We've been through so much together, why wouldn't we take you back?"

"I wasn't sure of myself," Mina said softly. "After what I did…I couldn't bear to face you."

Lita placed her hand on Mina's shoulder. "We all suffered with it. But we had to accept it and support each other to move on. Our planet needs us, not just most of us, but all of us. Whatever we've done and whatever happens, we're in it together."

As Lita spoke, Rei stood slowly and walked to Mina. From her pocket, she pulled out Mina's transformation stick and communicator.

Rei remained impassive as she regarded Mina. Slowly she pressed the transformation stick and communicator into Mina's hand. "I'm glad you're back."

Mina's gaze was drawn to Artemis as he approached her. Without hesitation, Mina scooped him up and hugged him. "I'm sorry for everything I said. Can you forgive me?"

Artemis' tail flicked slightly as he purred. "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?"

"Enough talk!" Serena interrupted. "Lita made the most amazing cake and you gotta try it!" Serena dragged Mina towards the table, chattering about Lita's cake. Mina visibly relaxed as Serena kept talking as if nothing had happened.

"What's that?" Mina asked, pointing at the pudding.

"Charlotte's attempt at killing us," Rei replied.

Serena nodded. "It's disgusting."

"Oh, really?" Mina looked dubious. "Serena, when you say 'disgusting' what you usually mean is 'It's delicious and I don't want to share." She picked up a spoon, and dipped it into the pudding.

"You really don't want to eat that!" Serena insisted.

"Hah!" Mina scoffed. "I'm not falling for that act!" Mina plopped a large glob of the pudding in her mouth.

"Told you," Rei said as she began to slide the door shut. Her eyes were drawn to the red dot of Mars and a feeling of unease washed over her.

She was interrupted by Mina's shriek of horror. "Are you trying to poison me?!"

Rei turned in time to see Mina hitting Charlotte with a spoon in one hand while shoving the cake Lita had hastily offered her into her mouth with the other.

"I'm going to make you eat all of it!" Mina screeched.

"I cannot taste," Charlotte replied, holding up her arms to ward of Mina's spoon.

Serena picked up one of Rei's pillows and whacked Charlotte with it. "What do you mean you can't taste?!"

Lita grabbed another of Rei's pillows and hit Serena with it. "Lay off my cousin!" she laughed.

The room descended into chaos as pillows began flying in every direction. Rei opened her mouth to protest. She was rewarded with a pillow to the face.

Growling, she snatched up another and started hitting back. Only Darien, Luna and Ami remained out of the fray, looking bemused.

"You'd think they would grow up," Luna sighed as a pillow soared over her head and hit Ami.

"They deserve to enjoy some downtime," Artemis commented as he left the fray, looking happier than he had in weeks. "They've all fought really hard."

Luna's tail flicked slightly. "I'm just worried, Artemis. All these new enemies showing up suddenly and so close together? Something has happened, but I don't know what. I don't like it. Ever since Charlotte showed up, it seems like the Universe got bigger and more menacing. We don't have any idea what's out there or what it can do. They barely beat Galaxia and what if there's something even worse out there?"

"Relax, Luna," Artemis replied. "As long as the scouts are together, nothing can defeat them. They've never let us down before."

"I suppose you're right," Luna admitted. "Still, I can't help but worry."

"Luna," Artemis chided. "Relax. We can't worry about what might be. All we can do is watch, listen and hope nothing comes our way. And if something does, I'm confident the Scouts will defeat them."