Through The Moon Prism

Rei: Royally Steamed

"Take that BACK, you stupid bubble-head!"

The way Usagi stamped her foot against the tatami, reached up to her head and touched her odango in annoyance pissed Rei Hino off even more than she already had been. They were talking about something at least semi-serious and all that dumb blonde could focus on was her hair! Where did it end? When would she grow up and stop acting like a spoiled child instead of the leader of the Sailor Senshi?

"I'm not gonna take it back! You're a jerky, annoying jerkface!"

"It's not 'mean' to say you need to train harder, Usagi! God, maybe if you did we wouldn't spend half of our time scraping your butt up off the floor instead of actually fighting the Dark Kingdom!"

"Well, maybe if you didn't yell at me all the time, I would get better sooner! SO not helping!"

"Please don't fight," Ami interjected. She actually looked highly uncomfortable, which only made Rei's temper ratchet upward by several more notches. "This was only supposed to be a planning meeting, not an argument!"

"See?!" she flung at Usagi. "You're upsetting Ami!"

"No, you are! You're the one griping at me like I'm messing up on purpose! Seriously, I'm trying my best!"

A scoff erupted from her throat as she folded her arms over her white haori jacket. "Right. Like anybody would believe that someone stumbling around as badly as you do and screaming like a baby was 'trying their best'. Get a grip!"

Finally, Usagi had reached her limit. That was one thing she could never quite pin down: when Usagi would keep arguing until she was blue in the face, or when she would break down in a fountain of tears. The way she was doing right now.

"Waaaaahhh! Rei, why are y-you like this? Why are you so m-mean all the t- all the tiiiime?!"

"That's enough!" Luna interrupted brusquely, hopping up onto the table on her soft kitty paws. Ever the voice of reason compared to the girls, which Rei thought was pathetic given that she was an actual animal. "Usagi, dry it up! We have important Sailor business, and this outburst is absolutely not going to help us fight the Dark Kingdom!"

"B-but-"

"Rei, I would like to speak with you out in the hallway!"

That took them all aback. Blinking down at her furry head, Rei pointed at her own chest and asked, "Me?"

"Yes! Out you go, come on!"

As they stepped into the hall, she noticed Ami patting Usagi's arm gently as she sniffled and blubbered. What a pathetic mess. Sometimes, she really wished she were a mere miko and could continue her priestess duties without having to worry about the forces of darkness, and the annoying pigtailed nuisance that she had no choice but to assist in fighting them. Lately, she wished that on a daily basis.

Once they slid the shoji door closed behind them, she squatted closer to the cat and whispered, "What is it?"

"I know it's difficult, given her attitude," Luna began with a long sigh, slumping in such a human gesture that Rei had to suppress a laugh. "But... you might want to go a bit easier on Usagi."

"What?! But she's such a-"

"She's a girl. Barely old enough to be making her own decisions! I agree that she needs training, and maturity, but we can't expect them to come merely because we demand it. We have to help her mature. Do you understand what I'm asking of you?"

She thought she did. It was annoying, and she pursed her lips in an effort to keep from snapping back at Luna due to her anger with someone else. Then she finally said, "Alright, I'll try. But she doesn't make it easy!"