Acts of Comfort: A Sailor Mars Romance

Author's notes: Greetings fanfiction readers/writers. This is my third foray into Sailor Moon Fanfic. This story takes place around the events of Love is Snowblind and before Love by a New Moon. Every effort was made to keep the stories compatible with one another as well as Sailor Moon canon. However, I am only a casual fan, there may be continuity errors.

Also, as with all my works with a strong romance element, I assure you that everyone is age of consent. Rei and Yuichiro are both at least twenty years of age at this point. As this is a romance story, the story will contain lemons/sex/smut in varying degrees. If that is not your thing, you are definitely reading the wrong story. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter One

"Flame, flame is light. Fire, fire is sight. Flame, flame is light. Fire, fire is sight," Rei Hino chanted as she made a hand seal before the sacred flames. In the years since the Galaxia Crisis, she had scaled back considerably on this ritual as the demands of high school and her priestess training took priority. The past few years had seen many changes: Usagi being diagnosed dyslexic and deciding to become a teacher for special needs children, Ami and Mamoru left for medical school in Boston, and Father was running for a recently vacant seat in the Diet – the Japanese legislature.

"Flame, flame is light. Fire, fire is sight." She chanted as she thought of the few things that hadn't changed since she was a teenager. The temple stood as it had for generations. Yuichiro was still here as an apprentice priest. She was still here as an apprentice priestess, and Grandfather was still here.

"Flame, flame is light. Fire, fire is sight." Rei concentrated on the flame as she contemplated a terrible change that had come over Grandpa – his health and his age. Even through his seventies, he'd been jocular and active, teaching martial arts and Tai Chi for all who would come. When he hit eighty last year, he began noticeably slowing down. Just after the new year, he'd contracted a severe respiratory infection and developed pneumonia. Even after clearing the infection, he hadn't been the same.

As she chanted, no image appeared in the flame. For a long moment, the empty flame swallowed Rei up, filling her with overwhelming sadness and foreboding. Rei froze, icy tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. No, please no! An image did appear, except it was not Grandfather, it was her. Her image portrayed her screaming amid flames in a level of agony Rei associated mostly with her death and near-death experiences in the past.

The imaged burned into her mind, and she began shaking violently. "Rei, Rei!" She almost flailed until her senses returned and all of her muscles went slack. "Rei, are you all right!" Firm hands on her shoulders rooted her back in reality. "Rei…"

Rei felt the room spinning, and she may have blacked out for a moment. When she finally regained her sense of being, her face was buried in Yuichiro's shoulder, and she was going to the waterworks. Gods, I've never fallen apart like this before, not since Mom died! The memory of her mom squeezed her throat. Mom died of cancer, a rare leukemia, when Rei was a little girl. Father had been so wrapped up in his career that he didn't even show for the goddamn funeral. "Yui…" she spoke breathless, unable to complete his name.

"Rei, are you okay?" he asked deep in concern. "You'd look like you had just seen a ghost!"

"You're not far off," she heaved, now aware that she was covered in sweat. "Yuichiro, what the hell are you doing here?" she wasn't indignant, but she made clear in the past that he was not to interrupt her while working with the sacred flame.

His normally happy-go-lucky demeanor was instead stone serious, "Your grandfather asked for you." Grandpa had been a mentor and borderline father figure for Yuichiro for the past six years. Grandfather's recent illness had drained Yuichiro almost as much as it had drained her. By the dark circles under his eyes, Yuichiro was losing as much sleep worrying about Grandfather as she was.

"What's going on?" she asked, cold all over.

"I'm not sure," he took his hands off her shoulders, "He said it was important."

Rei stood, straightened her hakama, and moved quickly from the shrine with the sacred flame. She wouldn't normally leave extinguishing the flame to Yuichiro, but for Grandpa to send for her, she knew it was potentially serious. She hurried across the grounds of the temple and finally reached the living quarters. As she reached Grandfather's room, she found him kneeling in front of a short table holding a tea service. "Hello, Rei," he poured a cup, "tea?"

She nodded, kneeling opposite him and accepting the cup. "Thank you," she bowed her head slightly and took a sip. As her eyes reached her grandfather again, Rei took in sight of him. His once-straight posture was now hunched, and his once bald, clean head was now splotched with liver spots. He got old, not that he was ever truly young when you were in his charge.

"How are things here at the shrine, Rei?" his voice came wheezy.

"The shrine is good, just a lot of spring cleaning is still needed."

"I wish, I could help," he spoke solemn as he reached out with a now skeletal hand. His hands had been so strong when she was a girl, when she'd been a teen. To see him like this was an afront to the reality of her life to date.

"Grandfather, you're still not well," Rei treaded carefully with her wording.

"Rei," he set down the cup, "we need to talk about making arrangements for my end."

"Grandfather…" she protested only to be stopped by him holding up his hand.

"Rei, it's not easy for me to think of leaving you, but soon I won't have a choice in the matter. I know the shrine is in good hands, but I worry about you."

"Grandfather," she shook her head, "I'm fine," she lied.

"Are you," he stared with aged but gentle eyes, "I know you're ready to run the shrine, yourself, but are you truly okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"Rei, I'm happy that you have friends, happy that some of them stayed in Tokyo after growing up, and I'm glad you've just about got Yuichiro trained," he laughed and coughed.

"You're not worried about my father, are you? That ship sailed a long time ago!" Rei's heart burned at the memory of her inattentive and absent father.

"Rei, I don't expect you to make peace with him and suddenly be a family again," he shook his head, "but there is a reasonable chance he will come at some point to pay his respect when I pass."

"He can pay all the respects he wants, but it won't buy back the past."

"Quite true," he sighed, "the only good thing he ever gave me was you. Even then, I wish it had been under different circumstances."

Rei's stomach turned upside down, "Grandfather, do we have to talk about this now?"

"If not now, Rei, when?" he shook his head, "My twilight is already here. Every morning I wake is a miracle, and every night I close my eyes, I have no idea if they will open again."

Rei wanted to protest, to lash out, but she knew that was the selfish mind of a little girl in denial of reality – Grandfather was dying, and he had days or weeks at most. "I-I understand," her voice shook.

"Granddaughter," he wheezed, "I never want you to doubt how proud I am of you right now. I know the shrine is in good hands." He produced a leatherbound folder, "Rei, inside are my instructions regarding my funeral, as well as all the relevant contacts to settle the transfer of the shrine to you."

She reluctantly accepted the folder, its weight a black hole in her hands. "Is there anything else I can do?"

"Please," he finally poured himself tea, "sit with me like we used to do, just for a bit."

Yuichiro finished sweeping the temple grounds as the sun began to dip. For maybe the first time in his adult life, he struggled with how to process the world around him. His sensei was dying, slowly crumbling like a sandcastle being reclaimed by the sea. For all of Sensei's antics, he was a good man, maybe the best man Yuichiro had ever known. While he and his parents weren't exactly estranged, the past few years here had done more to make him a man than any fancy preparatory school had ever done. And now, a huge part of that is going away.

He softly walked to the shrine bell, gave it a solid ring, and began to pray. Whatever he was praying for eluded him. There was no suddenly making sensei well and young again. There was no one to guide him on what came next. In a few days or weeks, he would be truly alone. "Yuichiro?" Rei's voice brought him out of his introspection.

"Rei?" he turned, surprised to see her, "What are you doing here?"

"I heard the bell," her voice was soft, maybe not sad, but lacking her normal conviction. "I thought it might be you." She hesitated before speaking again, "Why are you here praying alone?"

"I…" he searched for a reason, "… I guess I was just feeling lost, hoping maybe some prayer would help me focus."

Rei knelt beside him, "I'm lost, too," in her current form, Yuichiro couldn't rule out the possibility that Rei was some goddess in human form. Despite her distress, her black hair shined like silk and her face was perfect as ever – no hint of makeup. "I know my grandfather is going to be passing soon," she shook her head, "And while I know what to do, I have no idea what comes next."

"I'm no different," he nodded, "your grandfather has been my mentor and father figure for almost six years. Without him…" he couldn't finish the sentence.

Rei nodded, bowing her head, "I guess we should pray for guidance for what comes next." Yuichiro nodded, also bowing his head. As much as he wanted to clear his head, Rei's perfect form was all his brain could think of. Dammit, now is not the time for that! When he'd first met her, he'd been infatuated with her beauty, a beauty that hadn't wilted in the least since that day.

He stole a glance from the corner of his eye, capturing her beauty despite her sadness at the coming nightmare. While there was no prohibition on them having a relationship, Yuichiro by now respected Rei's boundaries, knowing full-well that some past trauma with her father or someone near him had turned her off to anything beyond friendship. He has been in the dumps about being rejected a few years back. Her grandfather had pulled him aside and at least gave him the short version of what happened. Sensei insisted if Yuichiro truly loved Rei, he would need to accept that she might never love him back. After that conversation, he kept a respectful distance, even if she still turned his eye.

"Well," she sighed, "I guess that's all we can expect," she stood and bowed to the shrine before turning to leave. Don't even think about it, man. You know that ship won't get out of the harbor.

He stood and bowed before chasing after Rei, "Rei, are you hungry by chance?"

She stared momentarily in disbelief, as if suggesting they eat together was in some way vulgar, "I'm sorry…" she tilted her head forward, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"It's okay, Rei…" he tried placating her.

"No, I mean," she again stared at him, "I'm famished, and I have a real bad headache as a result – I haven't eaten since breakfast."

"That settles it, then," he said, "As friends, let me take you out for something to eat."

"As friends?" she cocked up an eyebrow.

"Just so there is no confusion," he raised his hands in surrender, "We can go to Makoto's new place. I'm buying." Rei's friend had just opened a restaurant nearby named Makoto's. Makoto's menu included a mix of traditional Japanese – udon, ramen, rice bowls – and America fare – burgers, fried chicken, and poutine. The décor was a mix of traditional Japanese blended with a 1950s themed American diner. It was a hit with both locals and tourists.

"Okay," she nodded, "let's change out to street clothes, and I'll meet you down by the gate."

"Sounds like a plan!" they hurried to the living quarters. Yuichiro went one way, and she went to the other. He wasted no time changing into jeans and a black button-down shirt.

As he walked into the hallway, heard Sensei calling, "Yui…" in a wheeze.

"Sensei!" he ran for the door, threw it open, and was thankfully greeted by a still very-much alive man.

"I'm glad to see you still have your spring in your step," he laughed and coughed.

"Sensei, you scared the devil out of me!"

"A good thing to scare out of you," he again chuckled. "You're taking Rei to dinner?"

"She told you?"

"I am her grandfather," he paused, "Yuichiro, you remember what we talked about some time ago."

"This is only as friends, sensei," Yuichiro bowed deferential to his master.

"You've been her friend a long time," the older man nodded.

"I have."

"My apprentice, promise me…"

"Sensei?"

"Promise you will look after her when I'm gone," Sensei shuddered but quickly composed himself, "Promise me!"

"I won't need to look after her," Yuichiro nodded, "Rei is strong like that, but I promise I will look after her, regardless."

"Good boy," he nodded, "now, enjoy dinner with her." The elder man cracked a wide smile.

By the time they reached Makoto's, the crowd was thick, and Rei wondered if Makoto's hospitality would extend out. "Good evening. May I take a name? The wait for tonight is approximately thirty minutes."

"Is the chef's table available," Rei asked in a code known to the hostesses, "Ms. Hino is here if it is."

The hostess immediately took out two menus and gestured for them to follow, "This way, Ms. Hino." They sat in a red leather booth and the server asked, "Can I interest either of you in a drink?"

"Hot green tea for me," Rei answered.

"I'll do a vanilla milkshake, please," Yuichiro smiled. The server bowed and took off to get the drinks.

"Milkshake?" Rei asked.

"I haven't had a good one in years," he replied.

"I never knew you liked them."

"When was the last time we had dinner together?" he asked. Yes, when did you last have dinner with this lovely oaf? Rei mulled the thought, guilty for having considered him an oaf. While Yuichiro could be clumsy, he was also compassionate and one of the humbler men she knew. He never once waved around the fact that his family was one of the wealthiest in Japan, probably more influential than father.

The drinks arrived, and the server took their order. Rei ordered traditional udon while her guest ordered the Americanized meatloaf. The orders they'd made seemingly cemented the differences between the two of them. Still, Rei had to admit the tall milkshake topped with whipped cream and cherry did look surprisingly appetizing on a night light tonight. Rei, nevertheless blew on her hot tea and sipped slowly. Yuichiro meanwhile sipped his drink through a straw, "This is amazing!"

"When was the last time we had dinner together?" Rei blurted out without thinking.

"I think it was when you were sixteen and I was eighteen, right before I went on that long trip with my parents."

Rei remembered that year; it had been the year of the Galaxia Crisis. Everyone except Usagi had died at some point. The memory of the void between life and death chilled Rei to her core to this day. "Rei, are you all right?"

She blinked, realizing she was squeezing her teacup. "Yeah," she lied, "I'm fine. That was a rough year!" After being resurrected and reunited with her friends, moving on hadn't been easy. The only saving grace of the situation was that youma attacks suddenly dried up – going from weekly or daily to instead monthly in a bad stretch. In the years since, Ami and Mamoru both got accepted to Harvard Medical School. The absence of the two still felt among the group. Then there was Minako, now a rising pop star and influencer; rarely did she put in an appearance with the crew anymore.

"Rei, are you not comfortable with this?" he asked, reminding her of the here and now.

"No, I'm fine; I just… I just have a lot on my mind."

"Talk to me about it," he said. The server returned and interrupted to take their orders – Meatloaf for him and Udon with chicken for her. "So, anything you need to let go?"

Rei almost opened her mouth to rebuke him, but she refrained. She bit her lip for several moments, staring at Yuichiro. Of all the men you've known, how many of them have actually tried asking you to vent? How many were there to listen? "I don't know," she shook her head. "I'm so confused. Grandfather has always been there for me; the thought of him being gone soon is… unthinkable!"

He nodded, "I remember when my grandfather died," he nodded, sounding the most serious she'd ever heard him. "I was only thirteen; he got stomach cancer." He shrugged, "I think it set me on a destructive pattern after that."

"You two were close?"

"Probably closer to him than I was with my father at the time," he said. Food arrived, but neither ate initially. "Losing him probably is how I ended up at the shrine. I was aimless throughout my teens, tried becoming a musician with no luck whatsoever."

"Losing my grandfather," she spoke with a solemn pause, "is like losing your grandfather all over again?"

"Something like that," he shrugged again. "Rei…"

"Yes?"

"Do you want me to leave the temple after he passes?"

His grimace betrayed how painful the question was. Rei, herself, felt her mouth drop at the suggestion. "I… no…" she searched for words, flustered. "… I couldn't… I can't ask you to leave!" Rei didn't know why, but the mere thought of Yuichiro leaving chilled her in a place she'd not felt chilled since dying at Galaxia's hand.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a reminder of him, a painful reminder."

"Yuichiro, cut the noble crap!" her ire rose, "We promised him we'd do our best, and we will damn-well do our best! If you want to run away, go right ahead!"

"Rei, I didn't mean to offend you," he raised his hands in protest. "I just wanted to be sure you want me to stay."

Rei stared at the man opposite her. Dammit, if he leaves, you will be alone. All your friends are moving on with life and you're right where you were when you were fourteen! "I didn't," she stifled tears, "I didn't mean… I'm sorry." Rei would never confess it, but she had and still did harbor feelings for Yuichiro – feelings she usually kept stoppered in a genie bottle.

"It's okay, Rei, he nodded, "I know this is a difficult time and the uncertainty isn't helping things."

"No, it is not," she shook her head. "Listen, Yuichiro, I'm not sure where anything goes from here." She paused, noting the nod of his head for her to continue. "And that scares the hell out of me."

"I'm scared, too, Rei," he unexpectedly took her right hand in his left. "At least, we'll be scared together on this one."

Every instinct in Rei's mind was to pull her hand back and slap him for such an overt gesture. Her father had burned her and her mother when she was a little girl. Her father's associate had burned her when he flirted with her, treating her like a geisha – something to be toyed with and eventually put back into a drawer.

Has Yuichiro ever burned you, even once? Rei squeezed his hand, feeling a reassurance she hadn't felt, ever. "I guess, we at least have that." She stared down at his hand holding hers. Some piece of her longed to keep holding his hand, but she soon withdrew. "Now come on, before dinner gets cold. Let's eat."

Usagi sat in the booth of Makoto's, waiting for Rei to meet for lunch. At least, today they were able to snag a normal booth without taking the chef's table. Usagi looked down at her phone, eyeballing Rei's text asking her to meet for lunch. After the Galaxia Crisis, Rei and Makoto remained the most frequently in contact. She and Naru still talked as well, but Naru was now busy as a saleswoman at her mom's jewelry store, studying to be a proper jeweler.

Of all things fighting evil by moonlight never prepared us for, adulting. She missed the relatively carefree days of junior high and high school. Even though she still lived with her parents, Usagi's schooling to become a teacher ate up most of her time now. Luna, however, insisted everyone who stayed behind should practice at least once a week. For someone who hated practicing anything as a kid, Usagi grinned at the irony of how much she looked forward to practice now – a break from the monotony.

"Hey," Rei said, her tone flat as she sank into the booth opposite her.

"Hey back," Usagi spoke with surprise. "You okay?"

"I—" Rei's face tightened into a wince. It was the same angry wince Rei had given to Usagi many times in their teen years. "I… I don't know." Her face relaxed in exhaustion.

I've never seen you this miserable, old friend. "Something you want to talk about or not talk about?"

"Talk, I need to talk," Rei sighed.

"I'm listening."

"Usagi, my grandfather…"

Shit, that! Usagi knew he was ill lately. Usagi wasn't sure if she was ready for offer support for a friend facing an end-of-life scenario. "Go on," she nodded.

"He- he doesn't have long, Usagi," Rei shook her head and let tears flow. "He took a turn for the worst yesterday; he won't be longer than a week now."

"I see," Usagi wished she could come up with something better, "Rei, I'm so sorry."

"Usagi, what the hell is there to be sorry for!" Rei screeched, "He's not dead yet, and it's not like this was unexpected!"

"That doesn't lessen how much it must hurt," Usagi took her friend's hand. "Rei, do you need anything?"

"Usagi, I…I need you to be there at the funeral, along with Makoto!" Rei cried.

"Of course!"

"Usagi, you two are the only friends I have left," she shook her head, "You don't understand what it means to me!"

"What about Yuichiro?" Usagi asked, curious at the omission.

"He's already helping me with the arrangements."

"I mean, he's still a friend, too?"

Rei paused several seconds, searching, "Yes. How silly of me to forget."

"Are you and he planning on carrying on at the temple when your grandfather passes?"

Rei sighed, "I didn't tell Yuichiro, but a land developer was offering to buy us out."

"Rei," Usagi gasped, "it's been your home!"

"I know, and that is why I turned down the offer," she shrugged, "I probably wouldn't need to work again had I taken the offer." Rei shrugged again, "The land has been in the family since before the imperial restoration; we're one of a handful of shrines on land that is technically privately owned. No one counted on it one day becoming prime real-estate in the middle of Tokyo."

"It must have been difficult to make that call."

"The offer was for a billion yen," Rei gave huffed laugh, "Even I felt pain turning down that much."

"Rei, I know you're not ready to lose him, no one is…"

"Yes?" Rei asked.

"Are you ready to take care of the temple?" Usagi asked.

"Usagi…" Rei's mouth gaped open.

"Rei, I mean, do you think you'll be able to handle the workload?" she explained. "I know you've been essentially running the temple for the past few years."

"I…. I don't know," she shook her head, "I guess I'll find out sooner rather than later…" the buzzing of Rei's phone cut off her words, eliciting a look of dread. She answered, "Yes?" Rei's eyes tightened in, fighting the tears back, "I'll be there as soon as possible!" Rei hung up, "I have to go, Grandfather is passing sooner than I thought!"

"Then I'm going with you, too," Usagi said without hesitation as she stood to join Rei.

"This isn't going to be pleasant."

"That's what friends are for," Usagi replied, grabbing her purse, "Let's catch the bus."

The ride back to the temple soured Rei's stomach, curdling what little she'd eaten all day. Part of her hoped Grandpa would pass before her arrival to spare her the misery of watching him die, and every fiber of her felt like an awful granddaughter for entertaining such a thought. Each stop of the bus took agonizingly long, but they eventually reached the stop near the temple and took off running to Grandfather's quarters.

As they reached his room, Yuichiro came out. "Rei, if you have anything to say, you might want to say it, quickly." Her normally carefree friend stared with a haunted, serious mask. "I'll call the ambulance!" He bolted past her and Usagi.

Rei ran into the room followed by Usagi. "Rei," Grandpa's breathing was labored, "come closer, please." He beckoned with a skeletal finger.

Rei and Usagi dropped to their knees at his bedside, "I'm here!" Rei struggled to restrain tears.

"Rei, don't feel obligated… to carry on… on my behalf…"

"Grandpa, I'm keeping the temple! It's part of our family!"

"Sir, it's in good hands!" Usagi added, tears dripping from her eyes.

"You've always been a good friend to my Rei," he smiled at Usagi, "please, she'll need you more than ever now!"

His breathing turned shallow and rapid. Rei realized it was now or never, "Grandfather, I need you to know…" she paused, weighing the consequences of revealing what she was about to, "… I'm Sailor Mars! I've been since I was fourteen! I…."

Grandfather gave his last smile, "I've never been prouder of you…" his voice trailed off with a shallow gasp and his head flopped back on his pillow.

"Grandpa," she shook his lifeless form, "GRANDPA!"

"Rei?!" she and Usagi turned with a shocked look at the doorway. Yuichiro stood there, staring at both of them like he was seeing something he shouldn't have, "Is… that… true?!" Oh no! The girls had made a pact at a young age to never tell their families, much less their friends. "Oh god," he sank against the doorframe, coming down to his knees, "It is true, isn't it!"

"You can't tell anyone!" Usagi exclaimed.

"Yuichiro, please…"

"I won't tell," he shook his head, "I feel so blind. It all makes sense now!" He ran his fingers through his long brown hair. "But…" he looked at Usagi, "No… you are Sailor Moon!"

Rei and Usagi exchanged a troubled look. "No sense in denying it," Usagi said, turning back to Yuichiro, "Please, you can't tell…"

"You secret is safe with me!" he smiled through tears. "I should have seen it years ago."

"We didn't give ourselves away, did we?" Rei asked in a panic.

"No, but I always knew it was odd that you'd disappear when youma attacks happened. I was always imaging you as one of the Sailor Scouts," he shrugged, "I guess, I wasn't imaging things!"

"Yuichiro," Usagi spoke again, "You have to promise you won't tell anyone else, under any circumstances."

"On one condition."

"What's that!" Rei demanded.

"Tell me the truth, are the others in your circle of friends?"

Rei bit her lip. She and Usagi were outed, but she had no idea how Ami, Minako, or Makoto would take it if she let it slip. "Yes," Usagi answered for her.

"I don't believe it," he shook his head.

"Our transformations make it difficult for people to recognize us, even people we know," Rei explained.

"Rei," he turned serious again, "the paramedics are on the way. I… I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize," Rei's eyes snapped shut and tears spilled, "Don't… just… let me have a minute with Grandpa!"

Usagi placed a hand on Rei's shoulders, "We're here if you need us. We'll wait outside." Usagi stood and left the room with Yuichiro.

Rei turned back to her Grandfather's remains. "I'm so sorry that I never told you." She took his lifeless hand, holding it. She continued to hold his hand and cried until the paramedics took him away.

Yuichiro hated funerals. His first brush with death had been his maternal grandmother when he was only eight. After that, his grandparents passed one by one until there were none remaining. He thought as he got older that it would get easier, but funerals never did. Saying permanent good-byes was always painful, even if the death was long in coming.

Unfortunately, it was the living he was most worried about. Rei, Usagi, Makoto, and Minako were all present, wearing black dresses for the occasion. Rei in particular wore dark circles under her eyes, and the whites of both eyes were bloodshot from endless crying. The walls of their quarters were paper-thin, and even her best efforts to muffle tears the last few nights had been futile.

He turned to the portrait of his master and teacher, beside his funerary urn. He has four superheroes at his funeral, what better tribute could you think up? He felt the note cards in his pocket. While normally a memorial speech was given by a family member, Rei was in no condition to give a speech. Every attempt had resulted in her breaking down crying. Lacking other options, he had volunteered for the deed in her place.

Another presence made the task all the more odious – Rei's Father. Up until today, Yuichiro had only ever seen Takashi Hino in photographs in the news or a magazine. Rei kept no photos of the man. Even if she had been the sentimental type, he doubted Rei would have kept her father's picture. Yuichiro knew the story from his sensei: Takashi Hino had been married to Risa Hino and abandoned her when she was dying of cancer while he was running for assemblyman for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Rei's hatred of the man was worsened when one of his protegees feigned romantic interest in her to score points with Mr. Hino. How does a man do that? How do you profess your love for someone, marry her, have a kid, and then abandon her when the going gets rough? What the hell happened to: "In sickness and in health!"

"Hello everyone," Yuichiro stood before the portrait and urn, "I thank you for coming here. It would mean a lot to my sensei to see so many pay him tribute." Yuichiro paused, throat constricting. "Today we say good-bye to one of the noblest men I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was not a perfect man but…" Yuichiro's throat clamped against the words as tears slowly leaked from his eyes. He locked eyes with Rei's violet eyes, also stained with tears. Be strong, if not for yourself, then for her! "… but he was a man that never gave up, and always tried to do the right thing – even when that was not a simple affair."

He paused, wiping tears and clearing his throat. Just like when you were a musician, you're now on stage. Don't choke! "He leaves a strong legacy and big shoes to fill. It is altogether fitting that the granddaughter that he loved as much as his own daughter carry on his legacy and continue to serve her community at the shrine. Everyone," he stared at Rei, Minako, Makoto, and Usagi, ready to kick himself for not seeing them as heroes sooner, "please, I ask that you lend her your full support in this difficult time of transition. Thank you!"