Title: Substitute
Summary: Fate's POV of the events of MGLN and its sequels. Perhaps slightly AU.
Paring: Onesided Nanoha/Fate
Spoilers: Follow the MGLN storyline. Spoilers Abound.
Disclaimer: Not mine!
Feedback: Feel free. I need to actually get concrit so I can write better.



When Fate first has dreams about her mother being happy, laughing with her, she barely notices that the name she was called in her dreams was not her own…

“Alicia”….

Yet still, she pays no attention, for dreams are merely memories, distorted by the subconscious. Besides, it is not important, all she wants is for her mother to smile at her like that once more.She wants her mother to smile at her once more in real life, and not just in her dreams.

So, she tries her hardest, works herself to death, trying to capture all the jewels with a desperate sort of energy, barely noticing her worried familiar watching her from the side lines. She is totally focused.

Somehow, it’s never quite good enough. The jewels slip through her hands somehow, leaving her floundering, unable to capture as many as her mother needs. When she gets home, there is no smile or happiness waiting. Instead, her body becomes riddled with red gashes and yet, for one moment, Fate is happy, because as it happens, her mother sometimes has a smile on her face, cruel and sinister. It is still a smile. Fate is finally doing something right.

Then, she suffers the ultimate failure. Who would have thought that the seemingly weak brown haired girl she met would be so powerful, able to beat her? It happened, however, and she has lost. Back they go, and as Fate listens to her mother rant, it all becomes clear.

Her name is not Alicia, but she is no longer confused.

After the battle, after she is adopted, while they grow up, Fate tries to forget that she is merely a copy of another, living a life not supposed to be lived. Yet, the thought haunts her late at night, when she is supposed to be fast asleep in bed.

She wonders, if Alicia had never died and had met Nanoha, they would have been friends. Best friends? Would Alicia have the same feelings for Nanoha that Fate has, the anxious fluttering in her stomach that she constantly feels if Nanoha is too close, the inability to concentrate for thoughts of the brown haired girl.

Riot Force Six is formed, and Fate has learned to live with the knowledge of who she is, what she is, and not to dwell on the fact.  Being close to Nanoha helps, for Nanoha has never seen her as anything besides Fate-chan, her dearest friend. Besides, it is still hard to focus when Nanoha is around.

Sometimes, the brown haired girl will drag her away from her duties to go have fun, picnics in the park with Vivio, Hayate and Yuuno, trips to ‘mega-super awesome death traps’ (otherwise known as theme parks, an addiction of Nanoha’s), and so forth. Sometimes on these trips, Nanoha's gaze meets hers and Fate knows it’s futile, but she hopes...Then Nanoha looks at Yuuno and for a moment, her eyes light up, mouth tilting upwards almost imperceptibly. Fate's heart clenches in her chest and she wonders when Yuuno will take her place, when Yuuno will be the one living with Nanoha and Vivio, laughing with them, sharing all their joys and sorrows.

For after all, Fate knows...she was made to be a substitute. She'll never be more than a substitute, not even for the one who makes her believe she could be.

I don't know who started this but people have been doing it for various fandoms. Why not Rei/Minako?

Rules:
1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.
2. Turn your music player on and turn it on random/shuffle.
3. Write a drabble/ficlet related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble; you start when the song starts, and stop when it’s over. (I cheated on a couple, sorry :S)
4. Do ten of these, then post them.

Title: Ten Songs: Music Playlist Challenge
Paring: Rei/Minako (focus), Ami/Makoto, Mamoru/Usagu implied
'Verse: All, some PGSM, some anime.
Warnings: Femslash, Character Death
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is not mine, will never be mine.
Feedback: Please :)

1. Secret Smile-Supersonic


"Dust to dust, ashes to ashes"

Rei closed her hands as the minister droned. Three days ago, the worst had happened and her grandfather had passed away.  Rei still remembered the horrible sensation that coursed through her upon discovering him, lying there, for all intents asleep, but in reality, dead. 

As she was still a minor, she would have to go live with her father after the funeral, which he insisted be done the catholic way. Suddenly, someone nudged her. Rei looked to her left. Minako smiled, although it was sad, and squeezed her hand, quickly, making sure no one saw. Rei squeezed back, leaving their hands entwined. Somehow the situation seemed just a little bit better.

2. Season’s In the Sun-Westlife

When the result had first come through, they had both refused to believe it. Cancer? They were senshi for cripes sake, Rei couldn’t be dying. It wasn’t possible. Six months, and two bouts of chemo later, pained acceptance had set in. The cancer had spread to her liver and lungs. She would have weeks at most. 

Rei refused further treatment. Instead, she accepted the inevitable and chose to go with what dignity she had left, She spent her last days with her Minako and their daughter. Towards the end, on one of her good days, they went on a picnic in the back garden. Rei ate little, but it didn’t matter, the sun was shining, Minako and her daughter were playing together and for a moment, she could pretend she wasn’t dying.

3. Home-Michael Buble

She had travelled the world, seen the sights.  She had left right after the scouts were reborn, on her World Tour. The concert halls were packed with people. She was living the dream. Surrounded by fans and praise, Minako had never felt so alone. 

How many times had she picked up the phone to just ring Rei. The other girl would have been glad to know she was living her own life, living in the future, not the past. How many times had she put the receiver back down, unable to make herself dial the number. 

Now she was on the flight to Japan. She had phoned Usagi to tell her she was coming, and she knew the girl would tell everyone. All she could see was raven hair and amethyst eyes. All she could smell was jasmine and incense. She was going home, 

4.. Leave Right Now-Will Young

Rei sat in the Crown, waiting… waiting for that girl to show up. Her eyes were clouded. Today was the day Minako came back from her World Tour.  Her eyes darted between her watch and the door relentlessly. If she left now… it would be too late. Just then the girl in question entered the Crown. With an excited squeal, Usagi flung herself at her. Ami and Makoto weren’t far behind. Rei took in her features. The popstar had only grown more beautiful in the five year’s since she’d left.

Rei’s eyes met Minako’s. She knew she should leave; she wanted to leave before she got sucked in again but as she started to drown in the inky brown black once more, she knew she couldn’t.

5. Pretty Woman-Roy Orbison

Rei pulled a book out of her locker, it was time to go home, but it seemed to be stuck. With a rather large tug, it flew out and unfortunately, so did Rei, landing square on her ass.

Just as she got up though, a girl walked past. Rei took in her blue eyes, golden hair and overall general beauty. The only thing out of place was the sad aura that surrounded her. Suddenly, Rei wanted nothing more than to make the woman smile. She shook the thought loose as the woman walked by. At the end of the corridor the woman looked back for just a split second, and Rei could swore she was looking at her. As she headed home, Rei knew for certain that one day, she would make that girl smile.

6. Deck the Halls

“Come on Rei, let’s go!” Minako yelled.

Finally the other girl stormed down the stairs, frowning heavily.

Minako grabbed her coat from the chair where she’s slung it, along with Rei’s. 

“Don we now out gay apparel” Minako said cheerfully, giggling slightly, slinging her arm through Rei’s.

“In olden times, gay meant happy. I’m sure they didn’t mean it that way, pervert” Rei chided, her scowl still firmly in place.

“Ok, ok, geez, why so grumpy Rei?”

“Christmas is just a commercial holiday, only for the presents, it’s a fake holiday, carried on and getting more abs-“

Minako stopped Rei’s rant by kissing her fiercely. Rei didn’t seem to mind, returning the kiss just as fiercely.

“Besides, it’s not really the apparel that’s gay right?” Minako said mischievously.

7. Part of Your World-The Little Mermaid

Minako looked around and sighed. She was sitting in her home room, with her best friend Usagi, who was looking through her make up bag, squealing as she came across particularly thrilling colours or expensive products and their boyfriends, Motoki and Mamoru, who were heavily engaged in a conversation about football.

She looked across the hall, meeting the eyes of a beautiful raven haired girl who was sitting with a blunette and butch looking, tall, brown haired girl. Minako had everything, lots of money, good grades, friends, a handsome boyfriend, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted to talk to those girls, and in particular to that raven haired girl. One day, she vowed she would.

8. To the Moon and Back-Savage Garden

Rei had lived at the shrine with her grandfather since she was five years old. Her mother had died and her father just dropped her off there a month or so later. She had never seen him more than twice a year after that. It was something she never quite got over, and she grew up not trusting anyone. People lied, and people left. She trusted the other senshi of course, having to fight to the death with only them to watch your back did that, but she still found it hard to fit in, always a little bit out of place.
 

Minako though, right from the beginning was irrepressible and perky, and just kept touching Rei as if it was no big deal, on the shoulder, or back, or wherever. Most people were scared and stayed away, but not this girl. At first Rei had tensed up, but she now found herself accepting it, almost looking forward to and returning the contact.

 Sometimes, Rei saw a look in Minako’s eyes, a look of longing. With anyone else, ot would have scared her, but she found herself thinking that with Minako, it might not be that bad.

9. Goodbye My Lover-James Blunt

Minako knew she was only ever a substitute. Rei would never care for her the way she cared for Rei. No, Rei held someone much close to her heart than Minako, someone who was almost her identical twin. And now with Mamoru out of the picture...

 Minako sighed, she knew what was going to happen. She watched the other girl sleep, giving into the urge to touch her, even if it was just to hold her hand, or even gently spoon her from behind. She would just take what she could until Rei said those final words, and tried to say goodbye the only way she could.

10. It Must Have Been Love-Roxette

Rei woke up, and reached out. The other side of the bed was cold, like it had been for the past two weeks when she woke up. Ever since Mamoru’s funeral Minako had been getting up earlier and earlier recently, pulling away from Rei.

The raven haired girl didn’t even know what she had done wrong. Sometimes she imagined in her sleep that Minako was holding her, watching her sleep. What foolishness. They had been together for two years, but obviously Minako didn’t love her anymore. Still, Rei wouldn’t be able to break up with her, and so she resigned herself to live with the knowledge that the other girl didn’t love her, praying and hoping against hope that the other girl wouldn’t break up with her.

Overall I think it was an excellent movie. It was an thrilling comedy packed action movie. The jokes made me laugh so much I nearly fell out of my chair! The opening scenes were awsome (I can't tell you bescause you might not have seen the movie) and

Title: Five Important Milestones in the Life of Rei Hino
Paring: Rei/Minako 
Spoilers: A lot, especially for the Stars and Beryl arcs. 
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is not mine, will never be mine.
Feedback: Would be love

Being Born

Rei can’t remember being born of course, but her birth certificate tells her she was born Rei Hino, on April 17^th 1986 in Japan, more specifically Tokyo,  the daughter of Senator Takato Hino and his wife Yumi.

She probably weighed in at around six pounds, maybe less as she was born slightly prematurely. She was probably red in the face and looked slightly flattened, not to mention squalling her lungs out.

Really, though, those are surface things. Rei likes best the details of her birth that her granddad gives when he starts to reminisce, about how her mother held her close to her, laying soft kisses all over her face as tears of happiness flew down her own, or how her grandmother, who was still alive at the time could not stop grinning until it looked like her head would split near in half.

He leaves her father out of his story but Rei can put him in easily, how he would rush in wearing his business suit still, hours after she’s been born, when everything was over. Then he would take over and pretend he’d been there for the whole thing, strutting like some overgrown peacock.

Mostly though, Rei ignores his part in it. Instead she imagines being cradled in her mother’s arms, as her grandfather and grandmother sat in chair in the background, softly bickering about what name she should be given. The image lingers and Rei knows…she was loved.

Dying

Rei remembers dying. Strange, that’s a sentence that no one should be able to say, because well, once you’re dead…you’re kind of gone, you know? Finished, nada, zip, done for…

Yet, Rei can remember dying. Twice.

Both times she has died; Rei has done so to save Usagi, to save the world. It sounds heroic, but at the end of the day, it is what she was born to do, to protect the princess till the very end. Just like the rest of the sailor senshi.

She remembers knowing what was about to happen, knowing that she would not survive the attacks that would kill her both times. Jumping into the fray, sometimes literally, a split second where the attack is hurtling towards her, images of friends and family flashing through her mind, blinding pain and agony as she was struck and then nothing, no meeting with long lost relatives in the Garden of Eden, no visits to the pearly white gates, just…death.

Living

Most people cannot tell you the very moment that they realised that they were alive, simply knowing that they were somewhere at the back of their subconscious. For Rei however, the knowledge that she is alive has come twice. Both times it has come has been the day after she has died.

The first time, she shot up in bed in the morning, gasping for breath. Eyes, wild, panicked, travel her room and as she felt her heart beat wildly in her chest, shed tears of joy. The second time, the panic was more intense, for Rei knew that that time, she had lost a part of her very soul. Closing her eyes, she had concentrated and deep within herself, sensed her star seed glowing, had felt the warm burning glow that Rei connected with Sailor Mars and her tears had flowed once more.

From time to time, when the shrine is quiet, Rei remembers. She presses a hand right above her heart, hearing it beat in the near silence of her surroundings and takes long, deep breaths in and out, simply listening to their rhythm and the very music of life which they represent. It is at this moment that Rei again realises that she is alive.

It is afterwards, when she argues with Usagi, or laughs with her friends when they all gather at the Crown for sundaes, that Rei realises that she is living.

Falling in Love

As a child, Rei remembers being tucked into bed at night, a woman with long black hair much like her own bending over her, kissing her cheek gently before switching off the lights. On rare occasions when he wasn’t at the office, she remembers her father sitting on the edge of the bed reading her a story book, generally about some princess and her handsome knight. When the story ended, Rei would generally be almost asleep, but just awake enough to hear her father tell her he loved her before creeping out of the room.

Then, her mother died and her father abandoned her. Then and there, Rei had decided that everlasting, unconditional love was a load of crock, much like the stories herfather read her. For many years, she isolated herself from the world, erecting a fortress of ice so thick that none would ever be able to enter…apart from one person.

Strange, that even though fire is Rei’s element, this person was so easily able to melt the walls that surrounded her. Stranger still, that this person was not the one that she suspected it would be.

.

So busy was Rei arguing and squabbling with Usagi, making sure the odangoed blonde never broke through her defences and saw who she really was, that she totally failed to notice an attack on them coming from another direction.

When she finds herself wanting to phone Minako about her day or simply to hear her voice, Rei understands what has happened. When she talks about her latest date and a pang of jealousy shoots up Rei’s spine, the raven haired girl realises the mistake she has made.

Yet, every time the blonde slings a hand around her shoulders as they walk into the shrine, her golden hair shining in the sun, pale pink lips parting as they chatter excitedly about her day, utterly oblivious to how Rei feels, she finds herself making it over and over again.

…And being loved in return

When school ends, the senshi are going off in mostly different directions. Ami is going to America, a university there having offered her a full scholarship. Usagi too has gone to America, to stay with Mamoru until he finishes his degree. Makoto is going to the TSUJI Culinary Institute in Osaka. Minako and Rei both end up at Juuban University, the irony not lost on her that she, who has never been to school with any of the others in all the time she’s known them, is now at the same university as Minako while the rest are going their separate ways.

Rei knows that they will all keep in touch and of course will all be together again when Crystal Tokyo is formed but in the meantime, she can’t help feeling sorrowful that the first friends she has made for years are going so far away. Still, Minako is staying and Rei is thankful for that, not sure quite how she would cope if the girl who she has grown close to and secretly fallen in love with after Galaxia’s defeat left too.

The first year of university only brings them closer. Minako doesn’t want to live at home with her parents, but they won’t allow her to live at the dorms. Rei allows Minako to move into the jinja and soon it becomes no big deal for one of them to kiss the other on the cheek when they leave for their separate lectures and tutorials, Rei’s in business, Minako’s in music.

One day, Minako turns her head by accident and Rei ends up kissing her on the lips. Breaking apart they both begin to laugh. For a few days an awkward tension hangs around in the air but eventually, things go back to normal…or at least, almost normal.

Rei soon notices that Minako begins to go out with less people and that she has started to pull away from her slightly. She looks on, concerned, as the blonde isolates herself, but what can she say?

“Why won’t you talk to me anymore? Is it about that kiss?”

Yeah, that would go down about as well as a lead balloon. So for a few months, she watches, more and more concerned, before eventually she does blurt out the question point blank.

Minako tries to turn away, as Rei always expected her to, but the raven haired girl does not allow her to, instead making her look Rei in the eyes. What she sees stuns her, for behind the copious amounts of confusion and panic, Rei can see desire and…love.

Minako must have seen the same emotion in her own eyes, for they both lean in at the same moment. Their heads bang together sharply and they break apart, only to laugh before coming back together.

This time, their lips meet and Rei is startled at the tingling feeling of warmth that spreads through her body. A few minutes later she pulls away.

“Anata ga daisuki desu, Minako.”

Minako’s eyes light up, before she pulls Rei into another hug, burying her face in Rei’s shoulder. Rei’s eyes close gently, she’s known for a long time that she’s in love with Minako…

“Aishiteru Rei”

And now she knows Minako loves her in return. A quote she learned from her professor comes to the forefront of her mind.

“The most important milestones in life are the ones we never expected to happen.”

As she kisses Minako again, Rei finds herself agreeing completely.