3. Which one outlives the
other, and how they cope

NO. (By which I mean, yessss.)

PGSM sort of covers one way
this could go, and in general I think Rei would handle it in more healthy ways.
So I’m going to go with Minako living longer. It’s what I tend to imagine
happening anyway.

How Minako copes depends a
lot on how Rei dies. If it’s in battle, she’d blame herself 100%. But she’s
also already prepared and compartmentalized for that possibility. She’d have
bursts of self-destructive behavior when she can’t hold it in, she’d probably
have a hard time getting into any sort of relationship again, but on the
surface she’d appear fine and seem like the same old Minako.

Illness is probably the sort
of death she’d handle best, especially a more drawn out one, because she’d have
time to come to terms with it while Rei’s still there. And she’d know Rei
fought as hard as she could, and there was nothing anyone could do.

The worst is an accidental
death. A car crash, or something sudden like a heart attack, anything unforeseen
that blindsides Minako is going to be the hardest to take. Because that hits on
things that are so much bigger than just Rei. Minako has made a lot of
sacrifices in her life. She gave up her childhood to be a soldier, and I think
in any non—PGSM continuity, she gives up her chance at fame, too (or sees it
that way). And it was all supposed to be worth it. She did these things, and
got her people in return.

But then Rei dies in a
completely unrelated way. Rei who she’s come to love in so many ways. Rei, who
she built a real relationship with, who gave her things she thought she’d never
have. So her belief in the whole exchange shatters. Nothing she did matters,
because the things and people she loves can be taken away regardless. She does still have guilt over not being
there when it happened and not having done anything to stop it, and she tries
to throw herself into that because then at least it has meaning. She as a few
months of being over protective of everyone. Usagi is not getting in a car unless she’s driving (nevermind that Ami is
the technically better/safer driver, Minako needs to be there). She throws out
all of Haruka’s junk food. She hovers in Mako’s kitchen at her restaurant,
watching everyone handle knives and hot liquids (Mako bans her pretty quickly,
because she gets in the way).

It’s only the knowledge that
Rei believed in their fight and would want Minako to keep going that holds
Minako back from acting out and spiraling down to the point of no return. Rei
would never forgive her for giving up. Rei would never understand.

So Minako keeps going. She
fights and loves harder than ever, but she never really moves on and she never
stops being angry.

Years after, she can joke
that her rage is Rei living on inside her.