Author Note: And here is the second chapter =D

I don't own Sailor Moon and have tried to the best of my ability to site my references.

Takeuchi, N. (1991). Sailor Moon. Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan: Kodansha Ltd.

Chapter 2:

It was just another day. A day like any other before it.

And here she was. Sitting seiza-style in her usual spot at the chabudai, leaning forward slightly over her Biology textbook, holding the pages down with her left hand, aimlessly twirling her orange henshin pen in the other.

And just across the room from her was…her. And she was sitting in her usual spot on her bed, reading one of her latest mangas.

Or at least pretending to read, as usual, Minako thought as the smallest of smiles pulled at the corner of her lips. Though she made it appear as if she were intently reading her textbook, she had mastered the art of stealthily watching an upside-down image of the raven-haired woman of her dreams through a reflection that was cast by the face of her wristwatch on her left arm. Minako couldn't tell exactly due to a slight glare, but it almost seemed like the gorgeous senshi was eying her from above the pages of her manga. She squinted and tried readjusted her left hand subtly, sliding it slightly to the left then right over the pages of her textbook to see if she could get a better angle off her watch.

Out of the corner of her cerulean eyes, she caught Ami sending her questioning looks. Minako quickly made a show with her right hand of underlining a couple random sentences in her book with her henshin pen to make it appear as if she were intently reading rather than spying on the beautiful creature across the room. Crisis averted, Ami returned her gaze towards their princess, who was struggling with a particularly challenging Chemistry problem.

This was not something new. Ever since the team started coming to the shrine for their study sessions, Minako began noticing that her second in command was always the second person to finish her work (after Ami, of course). And while Ami would take to assisting their hopeless princess in finishing her studies, the miko would quietly migrate to her bed and read so as not to disturb the others while they continued their work.

At least…that's what it always appeared to be. Minako had a sneaking suspicion that the beautiful raven was up to something. Having attended TA once while undercover, she saw the amount of work the students had to endure just to continue their tenure at the school, never mind the exams they were subjected to on a weekly basis. She experienced first-hand how challenging TA could be academically. Yes, the Goddess of War incarnate was undeniably intelligent…but she would have to be as smart as…well, Ami…to finish her work as quickly as she did!

That's not the only thing Minako noticed. She knew the gorgeous woman could be private in her own way. But, throughout the past year, she began displaying small, subtle quirks every time she settled into secluding herself from the group after finishing her homework.

First, it was the pages. Minako used to hear them turn at what one would consider a reasonable pace. She would even get distracted by it while studying, but in a good way. She liked the idea of someone so statuesque being interested in something so common and normal as mangas. But gradually, as the months went by, the pages began turning slower and slower. Soon, they were turning painfully slow! Minako deduced that if the raven could finish what was about two to three hours-worth of homework in a little over an hour every day after school, she certainly didn't need ten minutes to read a few lines of text on a page of manga! Weren't they mostly pictures anyways?! This was, by far, more distracting than when the pages turned at a normal rate! Minako counted once how long it took the beauty to turn a couple pages while she was studying for her math exam. She smirked subtly at the memory of Ami's proud, beaming smile when she quizzed the blonde that day and found Minako was able to pick up the concept of averaging so quickly!

Second, it was the breathing. It was soft, almost inaudible, but Minako picked up on it. It was irregular, dotted with quiet sighs or puffs of air. Some sounded deep and depressing, others were drawn out and full of longing. She even heard some that were like short bursts like huffs of irritation. Those noises were usually accompanied by subtle fits of movement as the miko settled into a new position on her bed.

Eventually, the pages stopped turning altogether and the inconsistent breathing became more and more frequent. Minako concluded that these oddities couldn't have been due to the mangas the beautiful woman was reading. Of course not! The miko wasn't even turning the damn pages! There had to be something else. The raven was definitely either up to something or at the very least hiding something to the point that the stress of it was beginning to manifest itself in the usually stoic woman's mannerisms.

In fact, Minako heard something just now. It was one of those depressing sighs, followed by what sounded like a subtle 'humph' of sorts. She adjusted her watch again and was able to see that the secretive miko had lowered her head slightly, almost burying her face in the pages she was currently reading.

More like hiding behind!, Minako scoffed quietly to herself. She chanced a proper glance up at her friend from across the room. Yep, definitely hiding something!

For all the fuss they made about how private the shrine maiden was, it actually wasn't all that hard to notice when something was truly affecting her. You just had to pay attention.

And when it came to the alluring Senshi of Fire, Minako was good at that. Why wouldn't she be? This wasn't the first time Minako had noticed her. Not at all. On the contrary, she had been watching (no pun intended) and reading the nuances of that adorable countenance for years now! Centuries even, depending on how you counted the time!

During her Sailor V days in England, Minako had a nagging sense that something was missing in her life. Or better yet…someone. The memories she was slowly regaining, snippets really, of her Silver Millennium days always contained a tall, long-haired figure who supported her, fought alongside her...loved her. She knew from these memories that this mysterious figure was her other half, her partner in all things. This person was someone she trusted, respected, and was her one, true love. Yes, Artemis was with her back then as well and was her closest confidant. But when she approached him about this person who eluded her memory, he couldn't recall anything specific so he was of no help in this department.

Memories of this figure haunted her months before she decided to come to Japan. She hoped that by finally being reunited with her comrades that they could help her piece together their collective, and especially her own, past. She half-expected for some of her memories to come back to her just by seeing them and being in their presence.

She certainly didn't expect all of her memories to come back to her like a torrent, flooding her mind with images of the Moon palace and ball-gowns and lessons and laughter and tears and fighting and death and fire. She wasn't prepared for how her heart ached with so many emotions the second she laid eyes on the four of them. She remembered them. She remembered her princess and her fellow senshi.

But, most of all, she remembered her best friend, her partner, her lover, the Goddess of War, the elegant and stunning Senshi of Fire. Gods, she looked exactly the same as she did when she was this age back then, just as breathtaking as she had been so many eons ago.

Minako was so overcome when her gaze landed on her missing half that she was frozen in place. Had it not been for their giddy princess tackling her, squealing about how much of a fan she was of Sailor V, and excitedly de-transforming so she could pull her phone out of her purse to take a selfie of them both, Minako would have probably stood there forever staring at those pools of amethyst that looked back at her with a kind and knowing gaze.

It didn't take long for Minako to realize that she had been the only one in the group to experience the rush of her memories being restored. Her comrades each remembered little things, nothing too detailed. But they all got the gist of what happened back then, how they came to be reborn now, and of their duty to the universe.

It wasn't Minako's place to tell them about the past. They were all so very different from each other, she was sure her experiences of the past by no means reflected the experiences they each had during that time.

On top of that, this was an entirely new life. Hell, this was an entirely new planet! She knew she herself wasn't the same person she was back then. Similar, but not the same. And that was mostly due to not having her past memories until quite recently. Didn't her comrades deserve the same chance? To live this life anew without the past weighing on them and their choices?

When she consulted her feline mentor, he agreed that she should allow the others the opportunity to remember their past on their own, if at all. It wouldn't be fair of Minako to take that away from them, confuse them, or possibly even impose her views on their own memories. No, she would be patient. It was for the best.

But that didn't mean Minako wouldn't try to rebuild her relationships with the girls in her own way.

Usagi was the easiest. Being practically twins, their relationship easily fell back into how Minako remembered it: endless conversations about fashion, pop-culture, and now video games for a touch of the current times. The one thing she tolerated, for her princess' benefit, was how boy-crazy she was. Usagi was just a regular teenage girl, after all. How was her princess to know that they had already met her Prince Charming in the form of a masked jewel thief? Minako figured it wouldn't hurt her princess to play the field a little before having destiny take its course so she encouraged Usagi in her pursuits of various, eligible boys at school.

Ami was next. Knowing how shy she was back then, Minako knew getting her to truly come out of her shell would go at a snail's pace unless they had an excuse to keep her out of the house and spending more time with them. She decided to appeal to the bluenette's passion for intellect by suggesting they have these study sessions as part of their senshi meetings after school every day. Ami immediately jumped on the idea and supported her whole-heartedly, even offering to help tutor them in any subject they needed assistance. These sessions allowed Ami to let her guard down and open up to them on her terms and in an environment she was comfortable in.

Makoto was a natural transition. She was a kindred spirits of sorts in this lifetime, both of them being independent and living on their own: Makoto due to her parents' untimely passing and Minako due to her turbulent relationship with her parents whom she left in England to return on her own to Japan. The Jovian was the same as she ever was: observant, kind, an excellent cook, and quite playful. It was as if she had been transplanted directly from the past, sans memories.

She was the one Minako approached first when she was looking for validation for her concerns about the gorgeous raven's recent odd behaviors. As expected, Makoto had noticed their fiery friend gradually becoming more distant and more secretive than usual but the brunette paid it no mind, knowing it was probably best to show the stubborn girl that she cared by simply leaving her be.

To Minako's chagrin, Makoto also noticed that Minako was paying quite a bit more attention towards her second in command than what was considered reasonable for a mere friendly relationship.

Of course she would notice that! Damn Jovians and being one with their surroundings and all!, Minako groaned to herself. But, on the other hand, it was nice having someone to talk to about her unrequited feelings and Makoto was the best person for the job. Besides, Usagi had a big mouth and Ami would probably blush until her ears bled.

Which is also why it didn't surprise Minako when a small note was slipped quietly beneath her gaze, just next to her textbook.

She's doing it again, the note said, referencing the strange quirks their gracious host was exhibiting on the other side of the room. The smallest of smirks pulled at the corner of Minako's lips as she imagined the sing-song tone Makoto would have used for such a phrase.

The note brought her thoughts to the final woman in their tight-knit group. Of all her companions, the woman who was currently tucked away on her bed at the far-end of the room was the epitome of how different this life was from their past.

Back then, in their previous life, Minako had a tendency to wonder. She wondered how her lover would have turned out if she didn't have to grow up surrounded by death, destruction, and the constant need to battle for survival. Back then, the Martian was confident, brazen even, had callouses hands and scars that covered parts of her toned being to prove it. She was a hardened solider due to the constant wars on her desert-like, red planet. She had a harsh, abrasiveness to her with a strong dose of possessiveness, one that only came with having a life as tumultuous and cutthroat as living on Mars. Minako wondered if a life without all that would have ever suited her.

She also wondered how their relationship would have been different if that were the case. Yes, there was no doubt in her mind that the Martian loved her deeply. But she sometimes wondered whether Mars would have treated her with the same respect and loyalty if she didn't also happen to outrank her as commander of the Senshi. It was hard not to take that into consideration given how deeply-rooted military values were in the Martian culture, especially to the Goddess of War.

How ironic that Minako would be reborn to see her wonders answered firsthand in this new lifetime! The miko, the Goddess of War reincarnate, was moreso an angst-y, teenage girl than Minako could have ever imagined!

She had to admit, there were moments she missed the way her fiery lover used to be. Her Martian was fearless, even reckless at times. So much so that Minako once resorted to ordering her to at least try not getting herself killed or seriously maimed for fear of losing her! She remembered how the Martian pursued her, actively and aggressively. They both relished the chase, and Minako was happy and willing to eventually be the Martian's conquest after playing an extensive game of hard-to-get. Gods, they were so in love…

But surprisingly (paradoxically?), Minako found herself falling for the stunning woman all over again in this lifetime, mostly for all the ways she wasn't the same person. They were no longer superior and subordinate, they were equals and Minako liked that the raven treated her as such. Even if that occasionally meant that the obstinate woman would argue or outright disagree with her, she always knew where the miko stood. The woman just across the room from her was also kinder, had a softness about her, and, though it wasn't much, was more open to trusting and allowing others she cared for into her personal sphere which was a far cry from who she was just a lifetime ago. But with that came a more fragile, timid, and cautious personality.

Now, it was up to Minako to be the fearless one.

But…how!? When it came to romance, Minako knew it was a balancing act with this version of the Martian. This version was wounded, fearful, needed coaxing and constant reassurance that she was safe and no harm would come to her. Being too aggressive would scare the miko and have her running for the hills. Too little, and the miko would miss the nuances entirely! Minako was thankful enough as it was that she was able to reclaim her title as 'best friend' to her secret crush.

Why, just look at what happened when Yūichirō confessed to her! Minako didn't know how she would deal if the beautiful raven began avoid her as she did to him! Never mind what Minako would do, how would the future of the universe fair if the stubborn woman was unable to bring herself to fight alongside her comrades because of it!? They might as well kiss Crystal Tokyo goodbye if that happened! No, as the head of the four guardian Senshi, she had a duty to her princess and to the world to see that they continued to be a strong, united front towards a peaceful future. So, if being best friends was all they could be for now, Minako wanted to keep at least that! She couldn't lose her again, not after losing her so violently the first time and being blessed to find her again this time.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sound. This time, a huff of sorts. Minako snuck a quick glance up at the object of her affection as the miko turned to the side and began, what appeared to be, at least to Minako…like she was pouting?

She felt a pair of forest-green eyes burning playfully through her from her right-side. Minako returned a knowing glance towards that direction and saw a flash of humor in Makoto's eyes. The smallest of smirks appearing briefly on the taller woman's lips before the Jovian forced it away quickly with a soft clearing of her throat, returning her playful green gaze back down towards her notebook to continue reviewing the History notes she had taken from the day's lessons.

Minako had to bite her tongue to keep from giggling. She glanced back down at her watch to continue spying on her pouting crush. The alluring miko was absolutely adorable when she pouted. Well, she was adorable all the time, but Minako found it especially endearing when the miko was grumpy. She could tell by the way she was pouting that it was probably due to some sort of frustration. It was the same, cute pout she had when Minako visited just the other day.

She knew the gorgeous raven would probably be moping in her room, stewing over whatever secret was ailing her and making her upset. So Minako decided to invite her out for some fun. She was just doing her duty, really. How could she call herself a leader if she didn't try and cheer up her second in command and get to the bottom of her frustrations? It was pure selflessness, honestly. The fact that her plans would also entail hanging out with her beloved crush one-on-one was really just a pleasant happenstance!

As she walked towards the shrine that morning, her plans began to change. She knew the stubborn miko too well. The raven would not be happy if she knew Minako had noticed something was bothering her. She hated being a burden to others. She would hate it even more if she thought the invite was out of pity.

By the time Minako got to the top of the epic staircase of the shrine, she had decided she would just demand her best friend take her out to The Crown. Why? To cure her of her own boredom. Better to make it about herself than focus the attention on the stubborn woman.

When her plan failed with the miko flatly rejecting her, even after a good bit of whining and begging, Minako became worried. Whatever was bothering her gorgeous crush must be serious if she was so determined to sulk and hide in her room. Minako knew she had to bring out the big guns and play her trump card: Grandpa Hino.

Minako had to admit, bringing him into the situation was a bit of a low-blow. But how else was she going to cheer up her brooding friend if the raven wasn't willing to even give her a chance? Plus, it seems Grandpa Hino had also noticed his granddaughter had become moodier than usual and was more than willing to kick her out of the shrine for the day to blow off some steam.

She glanced up at the object of her affection sitting on the bed and felt butterflies in her stomach. Thought she wasn't able to get to the bottom of her best friend's angst that day, she delighted at the memory of seeing her best friend smiling and even laughing during their time together. If that was all she could have, just small moments seeing her darling Martian happy, knowing she was able to bring a smile to that lovely face, she'd quell her feelings as best she could to keep it that way!

So here she was, sitting in her usual spot…again...spying on her crush who was sitting just across the room from her…again...trying to be satisfied with being so close to the one she loved and yet so far away…again.

This is how it was, how it always was. And, as far as Minako was concerned, how it always…

Another note was slid into her line of vision, Ok, this has gone on for long enough! I can't study if she's going to continue pretending to read and make pouty noises about whatever it is that's eating her! You're our leader, do something!

Author Note: We'll see how this goes...

Constructive feedback/reviews would be greatly appreciated.

(updated 08/2017)