Summary-After Mamoru turned to the dark side six months ago, Rei and Usagi got together. Rei's best friend Minako was incredibly jealous, but doesn't realise why. Trying to find true love, she encounters problems, and faces her inner demons. With Usagi jealous of the bond between the two best friends, will Rei be able to help Minako?

Pairings-Shoujo-ai, Rei/Usagi, Rei/Minako. (Better than it sounds)

Disclaimer-I don't own Sailor Moon. I am merely borrowing these characters, and I acknowledge that. Now don't sue me. Geez, there's a reason its on you know!!

WARNING-This contains Shoujo ai...as in f/f, girl/girl relationships. If the idea makes anyone uncomfortable then they shouldn't read. There's some Mamoru baka bashing up ahead as well. So, if you are homophobic or a Mamoru fan, you see that little back button on your browser? Press it!

SADNESS IN THE MIDST OF PARADISE

She was 18; she was the famous Minako Aino, Sailor Venus, more fondly known as Sailor V, or V babe. She had a mother and father who loved her, a best friend Rei, and three other close friends, Usagi, Makoto and Ami. She had a duty to protect her princess, which gave her life a purpose. What more could she want, you ask? Minako only wanted one more thing. Aino Minako wanted love.

Minako especially felt this in the presence of her friends. This was probably because all of them were so happy, especially her best friend Rei and their princess Serenity, or Usagi as she was called in this life.

Maybe looking at them together hurt because of the bond of love she felt flowing between them. It was so strong, almost as if it was an actual object, especially from the side of the fiery raven haired girl. Who more than she, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, knew the depth of Rei's feelings for their odango haired leader? After Mamoru's heinous betrayal of them all over six months ago, the senshi of fire had finally gotten her chance with their hime. No one deserved it more than she.

Yet, feelings of jealousy often coursed through her veins upon seeing them together. She had no one to love. Perhaps this was the reason she felt pain deep inside me, which intensified upon their entering the room. However, she did not get the same feelings upon seeing Haruka and Michiru together, and they appeared to have an even closer, more destined bond. It could possibly have been that Rei and Usagi were inners, just like her. It seemed unfair that they had found someone and she hadn't. Yes, that was the sole reason why she was jealous. Yet, why did her heart tell her that there was something more to it?

Shaking off the thought abruptly, she tossed her golden haired locks backward, and put a small smile on her face, a facade to fool the entire world. No one could know her secrets; no one could feel her pain, no one could read her heart… perhaps because even she did not truly understand it.

Turning back to her textbook and notes, she sighed, realising that she had read the same piece of information seven times without it penetrating her brain. Bah MATHS, whoever the baka was who invented numbers should be shot! This was not good! Their sensei would murder her if her marks for this assignment were not above the pass rate. Anyhow, fail? NEVER, she was still perfection after all, she was still Aino Minako.

Ami noticed the other girl's lack of progress in revising. The blue haired senshi had been watching Minako covertly for the last fifteen minutes, noting the long haired blonde's unusually subdued expression. Though most assumed that Ami was simply the bookish type, who could not decipher emotions, she was in reality, quite perceptive. After all, as Sailor Mercury, she found it was useful to be able to read her enemies emotions in order to be able to determine what move they would make next.

Recently, Minako had been quiet a lot, she had noticed, withdrawn from everyone, more and more so as time passed. Ami got up from where she was sitting, having finished helping Mako with her work, gaining an inquisitive look from the other girl. When she pointed at Minako, Makoto simply nodded. That was one good thing, the senshi of lightning understood without Ami actually having to spell it out. For someone who had been explaining things to others all her life, it made a nice change. It was one of the things that Ami loved… stopping her own thoughts forcefully, Ami felt herself blushing slightly.

Going over to where the blonde girl sat immersed in her own thoughts, Ami gently tried to gain the other girl's attention. Eventually, she settled for just sitting down next to her and tapping lightly on her shoulder. Minako looked up and already, her disarming smile was affixed on her face, the smile that said 'I'm fine', that could fool anyone apart from Minako's fellow inner senshi.

They had all been fighting together for years, starting just after the beginning of adolescence, at the age of fourteen. They had seen each others highs and lows and knew each other's weaknesses and strengths. They had protected each other. In doing so, they had all learned how to read the others' emotions, no matter how any of them tried to hide how they were feeling. Now, looking at Minako's eyes which were clouded and dim, Ami knew that something was very wrong. The bookish girl could also tell that this was not the time, nor the place to discuss such things. It was not her place to do so. She just looked down at Minako's book and then at the untidy mess of handwriting on Minako's writing pad. Seeing the error that the blonde had made, Ami picked it up and began to explain the problem, that in fact, although the basic principle Minako was using was right, the modulo was calculated by…

Minako just smiled and nodded as Ami carried on with what she was saying. She had actually realised her mistake before Ami had pointed it out, however, it was nice to have the girl's voice distracting her from the depressing thoughts flowing through her head. In addition, she had to appear interested in something so that a certain pair of lavender eyes, which for the last ten minutes had been eyeing her with great concern, would avert their gaze from her again.

Having finished her explanation, Ami handed Minako back her pad. Getting up, she stretched slightly. She looked around the room. Usagi had fallen asleep on top of her books where she was lying next to Rei, who with one hand was absentmindedly caressing her hair. Usually, the raven haired girl would have had a conniption fit at the fact that they all had to study and Usagi had fallen asleep. Today however, she appeared to be preoccupied. Her gaze was affixed to Minako, and Ami saw the look of concern lingering in her eyes. Of course, Rei was more worried about the pony-tailed blonde than even she was; the pair had grown very close over the past two years, almost as close as she and Makoto were. Speaking of Makoto, at that precise moment, the green eyed girl let out a pathetic whimper, proclaiming how utterly stuck she was with the terrible physics assignment she had been set.

Ami sat down next to Makoto. As Ami reached for the book, the senshi of wood and lightning gathered her courage and moved closer to the smaller girl, 'til their knees were touching. Ami looked at her, surprised, but Mako studiously kept her head down until the other girl assumed what had happened had been an accident. Not moving away however, she instead just shifted slightly to make herself more comfortable. Content, she began to look over Makoto's work to see what the problem was. Both were unaware of the small smirk on the face of someone who had watched what had happened.

A small, real smile graced Minako's face as she saw Ami at Makoto's side, and the way in which the taller brunette looked down at her fondly, though surreptitiously. As the Goddess of Love, she could almost see the bond between the two, a seemingly thin; though secure thread of pink, the colour of true, though unacknowledged love. Soon, if her expectations were correct, each would see how the other felt and the bond would thicken and become stronger and deeper, a blood red colour, such as Haruka and Michiru's, or Rei and Usa's. A small twinge of pain stabbed at her features and her heart ached slightly

The pair of amethyst eyes she had felt on her earlier still had not left her, but unfortunately she could no longer ignore them. Looking up; her eyes locked with Rei's, not even bothering to try and pull up a façade around herself, her best friend would see right through it. The raven haired girl's forehead furrowed for a moment before she averted her gaze.

Throughout the study meeting Rei had watched Minako, even while concentrating on her own studies. To begin with, Minako had appeared lost in a daydream. In the past this would never have been strange. Usagi and Minako were notorious for slacking off from work back whilst they were all in school. Take, for example, the time they had skipped a study session to spy on Haruka, trying to ascertain whether the perfect 'guy' was with Michiru. Of course, later, they had learned that Haruka was actually a girl. Rei grinned as she remembered the look of shock on Minako's face when they found out the truth. Now, however, the two blondes of their group could buckle down to work if they really needed to.

OK, Usagi still fell asleep over whatever she was studying…

Rei looked at her girlfriend, who was making a soft burbling noise as she began to drool on her history book, before poking the peacefully sleeping girl into wakefulness. Of course, she began to complain almost as soon as she realised where she was.

"Why didn't you let me sleep Rei?"

"You were beginning to drool on your books Usagi and you were snoring really loud."

"Yeah well you don't usually complain!"

"I'm trying to work Usagi! I generally have to get earplugs just to sleep if you stay over."

"Waah…Rei-chan, you're so mean to me…"

The other three people present just sweat dropped. It seemed some things never changed.

The rest of the study session passed fairly quickly, and soon it was time to go home. However, Rei was determined that Minako would not escape so quickly. The minute their eyes locked, Rei had looked into her azure blue orbs and realized what the blonde was feeling. How alone she felt. It wasn't as if she hadn't noticed Minako's depression before now, but today she realized with an almost painful clarity just how bad Minako really felt.

She placed a gentle hand on Minako's arm, requesting her to stay behind. Minako looked at her fearfully. The blonde of course knew exactly what it was that Rei wanted to talk to her about. They had had similar talks before, though something had always interrupted them in the middle of their discussions. She agreed to stay though and Rei let out a breath that she had not even realized she was holding. None of the others looked concerned; after all, it wasn't uncommon for Minako to stay a bit longer after the meetings. A few months ago, it was a regular occurrence, Rei and Minako used to hang out together a lot. Used to…Rei felt a jolt of guilt as realization hit with regards to how small the amount of time was that she had been spending with her best friend recently.

Rei gave her a girlfriend a quick kiss before telling her she's see her tomorrow. The odangoed blonde had looked at her oddly, almost as if debating whether or not she should say something, before turning and walking over to where Ami and Makoto were standing. For a split second, the raven haired girl wondered about what her girlfriend was thinking. She couldn't know that Usagi had been debating staying the night, since Shingo was having some of his annoying friends over. It wasn't as if she couldn't now, it was just that she got the feeling that Rei wanted to talk to Minako alone. Oh well, she would have to put up with annoying teenage boys for a night.

As Ami, Makoto and she herself began the walk home; Usagi found herself thinking about Minako and Rei. Her girlfriend and the senshi of light and love were very close, a friendship having formed of a depth that Usagi envied. Rei and she had had an even deeper friendship. After getting together, however, it wasn't the same. After all, you couldn't exactly run to your best friend with all your relationship problems if aforementioned best friend was the one you had the relationship with. Sometimes, it felt strange to not be able to turn to Rei and complain about some small thing that Mamoru had done or said. Of course, Mamoru wasn't around to complain about and even if he had been, after what he did…Ami turned to talk to her, and Usagi threw her previous thoughts off.

Back at the jinja meanwhile, though Rei wanted to speak to Minako straight away, there were still chores that needed doing around the shrine. The raven haired girl sent the blonde to her room, while she attended to a couple of visitors who had come up to Hikwana Jinja requesting charms. With an ominous sense of foreboding, Minako turned back towards Rei's bedroom, going to sit on a futon. She looked up at the purple walls and breathed deeply, inhaling the smell of the incense that enveloped the room. Soon, despite herself her body relaxed and she closed her eyes. Mere minutes later, she felt a fiery presence close to her. Even though Rei was the one who was most adept at this art, years of being a senshi had taught all the senshi to be able to sense when their closest allies, their friends are near; and she had no better ally or friend than Rei.

The raven haired girl spoke, her voice soft, asking what was wrong. Inwardly, Minako's mind groaned. Of course, Rei would not just forget or let it go. After all, Minako hadn't let Rei off when she had been depressed over her seemingly futile love for the 'odango atama', whom she loved to tease, had she? At that point, her powers of perception were not great enough to fully pick up on the full depth of Rei's feeling for Usagi. So, when Rei finally told her how deeply she loved their leader, Minako felt shocked, saddened that the other girl could never have what she desired. Never had she been as happy as when the pair finally announced they were a couple. Hime-chan needed someone trustworthy after the deception Mamoru had put her through, and Rei...well, Rei deserved nothing but the best. Even then, however, pain had coursed through her for a few seconds.

Suddenly, she heard a loud clicking noise, and came back to the present to see an irritated Rei snapping her fingers in front of her face.

"G-Gomen nasai Rei chan" Minako stuttered. "I zoned off for a second."

"I noticed." Rei replied wryly, adding with a small smirk "Ditzy blonde."

Then she asked her again what the matter was. Affixing her smile to her face once more, Minako said in the happiest tone she could muster, that nothing was wrong. Mars's whole face suddenly drooped, eyebrows furrowing and her face saddening. Minako was lying to her; her best friend was keeping secrets and refusing to let Rei in. She wanted to scream out her frustration. Still, counting to ten she calmed herself, a useful trick she had learned in order to be able to survive a relationship with Usagi.

"Minako chan, I wish you would not lie to me."

The blonde was about to splutter out a denial but she saw Rei's face darken and realised that there was no point. She thought her act fooled everyone else, except perhaps Artemis and her parents, but the miko could see right through it.

Instead, as Rei kept her piercing gaze upon Minako, she felt herself opening up. If she did not put on the whole act, she could not put on a partial one, and slowly the blonde let sadness overwhelm her, as she started to sob. As soon as her tears fall, She felt soft arms, Rei's arms envelop her, and warmth suffused through her body. She sobbed, telling Rei all about the jerks who had recently asked her out, how they only appeared interested in one thing and bemoaning that she could not find her own true love anywhere. How ironic. She, the goddess of love, was the only one without a love.

Although shocked at the torrent of tears coming from the other girl, Rei was happy she was finally releasing her true emotions. The senshi of fire let out a small breath as she felt that she now understood the source of Minako's pain. The raven haired girl did not let go of Minako however, instead hugging her tighter, reassuring her that one day she too would find true love and happiness, such as she and Usagi had. Minako winced slightly at the contentment in her tone, but Rei misunderstood, thinking that sadness at being alone, not jealousy of Rei's own happiness was the reason. The raven haired girl kept murmuring soothing words, nonsense words of comfort and reassurance.

Tension ebbed away from Minako's body and her mood lightened

"After all what can't be cured must be thrown off right?" She asked Rei.

In response, she got an

"Its 'What can't be cured must be ENDURED' baka."

In a loving tone of voice. She shrugged, no matter how hard she tried; she never got those sayings. Rei ruffled her hair, and Minako wrinkled her nose, before giving her a genuine smile.

Rei smiled back, and as Minako walked away from the shrine, the blonde realised that as long as her life was filled with even one person like Rei, perhaps it wasn't so bad after all.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

So there you have it, the first chapter of my first ever fan fiction rewritten to third person POV. Ja ne minna.