The quiet hum of the limo’s engine had lulled Minako Aino into a silent, almost trance-like state. It was a far cry from the roar of the crowd at the concert just hours earlier. Now, with her last tour date behind her, she was finally heading to the airport and back to Japan.

  She sat back in the leather seat and stared out the tinted windows at the late morning streets of Berlin. There was not much to see. The day was overcast; rain poured from the heavens.

  She considered her own reflection in the window for a moment; her long brown hair, her tall forehead hidden behind her bangs, her intense eyes. She had a serious face, one that magazines called “oozing with star power”.

  Minako’s fingers stroked the soft fur of her plush cat, Artemis, in her lap. She replayed last night’s concert beat for beat and note for note. She felt alive on stage; the rhythm of her music filled her with purpose. And yet…

  She sighed and leaned her head back against the seat. Her long brown hair spilled over her shoulder.

  “Why does it feel like something is missing?”

  Her voice was a whisper, but in the limo's silence, it almost sounded like a shout.

  Artemis stirred. He didn’t move his head or open his eyes, but Minako knew her loyal companion was awake.

  “Are you as bored as I am, then?”

  His voice was dry. He knew her too well.

  Minako laughed.

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  “Bored? No way. I’m an international idol, remember? There’s never time to be bored.”

  Artemis lifted his head and gave her a look that said he knew better.

  “You miss it, don’t you? Being Sailor Venus.”

  She looked away and once again focused on the thick, heavy raindrops outside.

  “Maybe.”

  She wouldn’t have admitted it to anybody else, but Artemis had been her friend and mentor for a long time.

  The plush cat sat upright and stretched in her lap.

  “Maybe we’re just lonely.”

  His words hung in the air, and Minako felt her chest tighten. Lonely? Maybe that, too.

  In the beginning, it had been just her and Artemis, back when she prowled the streets as Sailor V. Then, she had met the others. She had tried to keep her distance, play the role of the lone wolf, but they wore down all of her defenses. They became more than just a team. They were… a family.

  She thought of Usagi’s wedding. It had been the first time in what felt like years they had all been together. The memories of that day stirred up a longing within her, a longing for a time that could never return.

  “Family? Is that what we were?”

  Artemis could tell she was talking more to herself than to him, so he didn’t bother to respond. His silence felt like a confirmation of what they both already knew. Maybe they had been a family once, before life pulled them in different directions. Not anymore.

  Minako’s phone buzzed on the seat beside her. She picked it up and her heart skipped when she saw Rei’s name on the screen. She glanced at the message. Short and to the point. Very Rei.

  “See you soon.”

  Out of all the former Guardians, Rei was the one who still reached out, who still cared enough to keep the connection alive. It had been Rei’s texts that helped Minako get through those long nights on tour, when homesickness struck between shows.

  Lately, however, it had become something more. She needed those words. They were the first thing she looked for when she woke up and the last thing she clung to before she fell asleep.

  Was it loneliness that made her cling to Rei? Nostalgia? Or was it something else?

  Artemis, perceptive as always, watched her but remained silent. He could sense her confusion, but knew she had to find her own way through this dilemma.

  Minako set her phone back down. Once she saw Rei, things would become clear.

  “See you soon.”