So, when I said "early March"... I mean time is relative anyway.

But here we are! The big event! I will say, while you don't need to have read my first two stories to understand this one, you'll likely have a much greater appreciation for this one if you do. Especially The Calm Before The Storm, as that basically serves as the prelude for this story.

Anyway, please remember to leave a comment! I really want to know what you guys think!

And without any further ado, enjoy!

The cloaked figure descended upon the remains of what used to be known as Planet Nemesis. The planet, and the Malefic Black Crystal which it housed had both been destroyed in Death Phantom's bout with Sailor Moon, along with the Death Phantom himself. Most had assumed there was nothing left to fear from this planet, that any threat it posed had been neutralized by the combined power of two Legendary Silver Crystals… they were wrong.

The figure sifted through the rubble of the shattered world for some time, before they finally found what they were looking for: a shard of the Malefic Black Crystal, roughly the size of Sailor Moon's Silver Crystal, which contained the last of its power. The figure picked the Crystal up and held it in their gauntlet, feeling its dark energy surge through them. They cracked a smile underneath their cold metal mask.

"Oh… this will do nicely."

…

"What do you mean you liked the ending?!" Rei shouted indignantly at Minako, who had come to the Hikawa Shrine to return some manga she had borrowed from her raven-haired friend.

"Um… that I liked the ending?" The blonde said while watching Rei place her manga back on her shelf.

"But they completely botched it! Her best friend stood by her through everything, was her rock for the entire series, and then at the end they decide that she should end up with some boring guy who she has, like, no chemistry with instead of her?"

"I thought it was sweet. I really liked the wedding scene at the end."

"Oh that was the worst! " Rei complained.

"You just don't like it because your ship didn't happen." Minako shot back with a smirk.

"No, that's not it at all!" Rei refuted, a light blush crossing her face, "I'm just saying there was clear romantic tension between her and her best friend, and then at the end they decide to just throw alllll of that away to have her end up with a dude who's about as interesting as a piece of cardboard!" The miko finished with a huff, earning a giggle from Minako. "What's so funny?"

"You're cute when you get all riled up about this stuff." Minako replied with a smile.

The compliment caused Rei to turn a shade of red comparable to the skirt she wore as a Sailor Guardian, "Oh… um… thanks?"

"Anyways, I've gotta get going, are we still on for Friday night?" Minako asked as she began to make her way towards the exit.

"Uh, yeah, definitely."

"Alright, awesome, catch ya later!" The blonde-haired girl said before taking her leave.

After her friend had left Rei sat on her bed in contemplation. She and Minako had been spending a lot more time together as of late. The two of them had figured, with their other friends running off together so often it made sense for them to keep each other company. Since they started, however, Rei noticed something was different about Minako. While mulling over the events of the past few weeks, she was drawn into a memory of the aftermath of the first of her and Minako's escapades…

…

"Uh, hey Rei, what's up?" Usagi asked over the phone, clearly confused as to why Rei had decided to call her out of nowhere so late at night.

"Uh, well…" Rei began, nervously twirling her hair while sitting atop her bed, "... I have a… hypothetical, for you."

"You called me because you have a hypothetical for me?" Usagi questioned.

"Uh… yeah."

"Oh pipe down, the movie will still be here when we're done." Usagi said out of nowhere from the other end of the line.

"What?"

"Oh, Mamo and I were watching a movie when you called." Usagi explained, "Anyway, what's your hypothetical?"

"Well… let's say, again, hypothetically, that one of your best friends… I dunno, kissed you on the cheek out of nowhere, what would you think about that situation?"

"Well… it's definitely not something I've ever experienced personally." Usagi began, "I guess it would depend on the context?"

"Yeah, I uh… I guess that would make sense." Rei replied.

"How about you, babe, you and Motoki ever kiss?" Usagi asked before Rei heard a voice talking in the background, which presumably belonged to Mamoru.

"What do you mean you can't talk about it?"

"What do you mean you were sworn to secrecy?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE WAS ALCOHOL INVOLVED?!"

"Usagi!" Rei chided, "Can we focus please?"

"Right, sorry." Usagi apologized, "Anyway, it's obvious this isn't just a hypothetical so how about you tell me who kissed you so I can actually help you out?"

"Okay, okay, fine!" Rei conceded, "It was Mina." The raven-haired girl said in a whispered tone.

"Oh, why didn't you lead with that?" Usagi scolded, "Mina flirts with everyone, she probably just thought it'd be fun."

"Right, right, obviously." Rei said in agreement, "I just figured I'd get a second opinion to make sure that there wasn't… y'know… more to it than that."

"I mean… do you want there to be?"

"WHAT?! No, of course not!" Rei dismissed, blushing profusely, "Anyway, thanks for your help, gotta go, bye!" She finished before quickly hanging up the phone, Usagi's words still echoing in her mind.

"... do you want there to be?"

"... Do I?"

…

The question had hung in the miko's head ever since. Especially any time Mina would flirt with her which was… fairly frequently. Rei tried to heed Usagi's words and just write it off as Mina being Mina but something about it just felt off.

In general she had been acting weirder as of late, especially around Rei. And she had all but confirmed that she had feelings for someone (who was almost certainly a girl)... was it possible that those feelings were for Rei?

What further confused the situation were Rei's own feelings on the matter. She had never even thought about Minako in that way before, but now? She couldn't stop thinking about it. And as far as Minako's flirting, Rei would certainly be lying if she said she disliked it. Not to mention she had suddenly been noticing things about her friend that she had never paid much mind to before. Her long, flowing hair, her beautiful blue eyes, her lips…

Rei shook her head aggressively to get herself off of that train of thought, "Maybe I need to talk to someone about this." She thought. As she began to mull over her potential advisors, she quickly realized there was only one person best suited to give advice on this front.

*The "escapade" Rei is referring to can be seen in my last story, The Calm Before The Storm.

And that was chapter 1! As for when chapter 2 is coming, I know I said weekly at the end of The Calm Before The Storm, but it is more likely for these to come out on a biweekly basis. Apologies, but with college keeping me busy that's just kind of the way it has to be. There will likely be some times when I'm feeling generous and post two weeks in a row if I'm satisfied with the chapters, but don't expect that every time.

But please, let me know what you guys think! Comments are very much appreciated!

And come back next time for Chapter 2: Gathering The Pawns.