Standard disclaimer – I don't own Sailor Moon, or its characters. Any OCs however, belong to me.
Justice dropped out of the sky, landing on the roof with enough force to dent the concrete. He must have put on weight; he didn't remember cracking any rooftops the last time he was in Tokyo. Another crack of thunder above him signified the arrival of his travelling companion; he turned to watch Sailor Pluto land gently beside him. Somehow, she'd managed a perfect descent, while he'd been shot out of the time vortex like a cannonball. It figured; she was the Senshi of Time, after all.
He stepped forward, placing a foot up on the low parapet around the edge of the rooftop. It had been a long time since he'd seen Tokyo like this. It was quieter than he remembered. Peaceful. It made sense, of course. The Dark Kingdom was moving, of course…Sailor V was around here somewhere. His fingers dipped into the small leather pouch on his belt, taking hold of a familiar golden chain. The compass glistened in the sunlight – his wife had 'borrowed it' without telling him, just before their anniversary several years ago, and had it repaired; now it looked like new. He felt a momentary pang of loneliness; he missed her. It felt like forever since he'd seen her. Everyone was so busy back home…even before Pluto called him away to deal with this.
Justice wanted to be there right now more than anything, helping to defend the city and his friends from the evil they faced. But he couldn't be there. Pluto had explained why, and he had reluctantly agreed to 'disappear' for a while, to avoid any potential problems.
"Justice?"
He glanced to his right. "What is it, Pluto?"
She gave him a knowing smile. "You miss her, don't you?"
"It's that obvious?"
"From the way you were staring at that compass? Yes."
"Well…that can't be helped right now. I should focus on the task at hand." He held the compass before him, and let himself feel. The needle barely responded. It wasn't here yet.
"Nothing?" Pluto asked.
"Nothing." They'd beaten it here, apparently.
"Well…what do you suggest we do now, old friend?"
He smiled faintly under his helmet at her rare indulgence. She was trying to make him feel better, in her own way. "It's simple. We know where it's going; we just have to find Usagi first." He reached into the same pouch, retrieving a folded up piece of paper. "Luna gave me a list of all the places she used to frequent, before she became Sailor Moon. I suggest we assume civilian attire, split up, and search for her. The first one to find her buys the drinks."
Pluto actually chuckled. How unlike her. "Deal."
Corey walked through the streets of Tokyo, heading for the Crown Arcade. Somehow, he had a good feeling about that place. After all, it was where he'd discovered Usagi's true identity, beginning an entirely new chapter in his life. It was that day that he met Minako. A long sigh escaped his lips. He missed her most of all.
"Naru!"
He perked up. That voice…it was a little higher-pitched than he was used to, but still recognisable. And the other girl's name…Naru. It was familiar too.
"Yes," he murmured. "Her best friend, before she became Sailor Moon, at least."
Where was she? Corey scanned the crowd, looking for the familiar blonde hair buns. Ah. There she was, disappearing inside the Crown. It always seemed to come back to this place. It defined his life in Japan more than any other, and it was continuing to do so now, even after such a long time. He produced his compass once again. Still nothing.
He activated his communicator and called Pluto.
"You've found her?"
"I have. The Crown Arcade."
She laughed gently. "Of course. See you in a few minutes."
He sat in the Crown opposite Setsuna, downing a sizable swig of his coffee. She sipped her green tea slowly. He'd wound up paying despite their wager earlier, but he didn't really mind. The compass sat beside his cup, still dormant.
"It won't be long, now," she said.
"No. We're running out of daylight, after all."
Corey looked up as Usagi began crying about something. There it was…the infamous wail. He'd never seen it, at least not like this. The Usagi he knew was known to turn on the waterworks on the odd occasion, but it was never a torrent.
"It's almost hard to believe that she grew up into our Usagi, isn't it?" Pluto observed.
"I don't know…" he shrugged. "We're all different when we're young. Hell, somewhere across the Pacific right now, there's a skinny little fourteen year old me feeling sorry for himself." His voice grew softer. "Dad would have left about…three months ago, I think. I was angry all the time…at the whole world. I blamed my mom for driving him away. But what did I know? I was just some stupid kid, and I treated her terribly…"
She shook her head slightly. "She must have been an incredible woman to raise you."
"My mom was the best mom anyone could ever hope for," he chuckled. "I gave her so much grief over the years, but she never gave up on me, even when I deserved it. She always picked me up, dusted me off and set me on the right track again. No matter how many times I managed to derail myself." He stared out the window wistfully. "I miss her."
"She sounds wonderful."
He laughed again, softly. "She really was." A sudden movement on the table drew his attention. The needle of his compass was moving; their quarry was here.
"Showtime."
"She's leaving…" Pluto observed, gesturing towards the blonde girl.
"Damn. It would have been much easier to leave her in here while we went to fight this thing."
"Well, it can't be helped." She slid out of the booth. "I'll scout out our opponent. You follow Usagi."
"Okay. Be careful, Pluto. It might only be a projection, but it's still dangerous."
"As am I."
Corey shadowed Usagi from a safe distance. He had a feeling he didn't need to worry so much; she was hardly very observant. Still…it would be bad to let her see him before she was 'supposed' to meet him. That was what Pluto had told him, at least. That was the entire reason for his presence on this mission; so the Sailor Senshi's younger selves wouldn't run into him by accident while they were visiting 'the future'. Well…that, and his rather unique skillset. It was going to be helpful against the enemy they faced now.
The Revenant Knight. Somehow, one of its projections had gained access to the Space-Time Door – bypassing Pluto's defences – and travelled back here to kill Usagi. Obviously, it figured it would have an easier time killing her before she became Sailor Moon. It was a desperate move, really rather unbecoming of an entity once feared across the galaxy.
He kept his eyes moving, focusing on the blonde girl ahead of him, and the compass in his hands. The needle was stationary, pointing somewhere to his left. He hoped Pluto was alright. She was very capable, but the Revenant Knight was a dangerous opponent, even if it was only a literal shadow of itself.
"Justice!" Her voice rang out from his communicator.
"Pluto, what's happening?"
"I lost it…" she admitted. "It turned into a cloud of ash and disappeared into the sewers."
His eyes dropped to the compass in his hand. Yep…there it was. It was moving slowly but steadily in their direction; the Revenant Knight was closing in on Usagi.
"Alright…it looks like it's heading this way." Corey glanced around at their surroundings. Usagi was about to turn down a quiet backstreet, almost an alley. If it was going to attack her, this would be the place to do it. A familiar feeling of dread began building in the pit of his stomach. It was almost here. "It's happening."
"Protect her, Justice. I'm on my way!"
He increased his speed, and glanced around. Nobody in sight. Good. With a flash of light, Justiciar appeared in his hand, and he willed his transformation into effect. His armour appeared over his clothes, and he was Corey no longer. He turned the corner, and checked the compass. The needle remained fixed ahead; wherever the Revenant Knight was, it was almost right on top of Usagi. But how to get close without her seeing him?
In a whirl of smoke and ash, the Revenant Knight appeared from a manhole cover before the blonde girl. She shrieked…and fainted. That was helpful.
- You're mine, Princess of the Moon! –
He grinned – time to give the Revenant Knight a bit of a shock. With a flash of light, he teleported…and appeared right between the unconscious girl and the ash cloud.
- You! –
"Yeah, me."
- The Time Witch…she brought you here -
"She did."
- You will not interfere! Your power is no match for me alone, Justice…not without your precious Sailor Moon to help you! -
"I'm so sorry to disappoint you…" Justice said coldly. "But I'm not the Guardian Knight of Justice you're used to dealing with." He whirled about, a crescent blade of light lashing out from his sword. It cut right into the protective black aura around the Revenant Knight and through to the creature beneath. It roared in pain and backed off, coalescing into the familiar form he'd faced at Tokyo Skytree so many years before; horned helmet, spiked pauldrons, clawed fingers and those blazing red eyes.
- How are you so strong? –
"Time travel, genius. Think about it!" He leapt forward, swinging his blade at the knight. It dodged backwards and lashed out at him with a bolt of red lightning. He didn't even bother trying to block it with his shield, feeling a mild sting as it danced across his armour. A second blast followed, as he tried in vain to close the gap.
- You're from the future –
"Bingo," he muttered.
It summoned a sword made of black energy. It crackled with power, surrounded by red lighting.
- You still cannot best me –
Justice stepped forward, swinging his sword forward in a high cut. The Revenant Knight blocked the attack and swung its own sword in return. He blocked it easily, smiling beneath his helmet. This was the early stage of their dance…they were just feeling each other out. Testing responses…searching for weaknesses. The evil creature was fast…but now that it had committed to melee combat, it was bound by the same restrictions he was; reach key among them.
He feinted high, and slipped his sword lower at the last second, tearing into the smoky black cloud surrounding its body. It growled and drifted backwards, out of reach again. The pattern repeated several times, their blades crashing together as they fought over Usagi's very life. Justice parried another blow, slipped around the Revenant Knight's guard and buried his sword in its 'midsection'. Justiciar glowed a brilliant gold, reacting to the evil surrounding it, and the evil creature cried out in genuine pain as it was burned from the inside. But impossibly, even as it screamed, it gripped his blade and pulled itself further along, closing the gap between them instantly. Its blade lashed out, cutting through the armour over his ribs and drawing blood.
Justice yanked his sword from its body, withdrawing out of reach. That was a new move. The creature was desperate indeed to try something like that.
- I have tasted your blood, Justice…I thirst for more –
"That's all you get," he said flatly. "Your time is up."
- What? –
"Dead Scream!"
The purple orb of energy crashed into the Revenant Knight from the side, enveloping it in blazing purple fire. It was all the distraction Justice needed. He battered the Knight's guard aside and lashed out with his left hand, gripping it around its 'throat'.
"You are no threat, creature. Your plan has failed." He leaned in close. "In my time, I remember you well…as my greatest victory!"
- You lie! –
"If that thought consoles you…so be it."
"Finish it, Justice."
Pluto was right. He was in danger of crossing the line from confidence to arrogance. He took one last look into the Revenant Knight's eyes, seeing something he had never seen before; fear. "Judicial Flames!" His left hand erupted in an inferno, surrounded by the cleansing flames of justice. They began eating away at the evil creature almost immediately. They existed for one purpose – to burn away evil and injustice from the world…and the Revenant Knight was pure evil. It was a match made in heaven – or hell, from its point of view, he supposed. Slowly but surely, it was completely consumed, not even a speck of ash left behind.
"And justice is done," he said solemnly. Usagi…she was still lying unconscious on the ground. He crouched beside her, slipping his gauntlet off and feeling for a pulse. Nice and strong. She'd be fine.
"She's alright?" Pluto asked, concern in her voice.
"She's fine. Not even a bump on her head. She just fainted from fear, I think." He chuckled. "How odd to think that in just a few months, she'll be facing off against her first youma."
"And so begins the next chapter of her life," Pluto agreed, a faint smile on her face. "Well…I do believe it's time for us to leave."
"Farewell, Usagi," he whispered. "I'll see you in about five years."
Pluto held the Garnet Rod above her head, and a swirling vortex of cloud began to form over her. Justice stood beside her, and closed his eyes. He always hated this part…a faint sensation of weightlessness, followed by dizzying disorientation as the world spun around him.
Pluto smiled, as she stared through the Space-Time Door. It appeared the Sailor Senshi of the twenty-first century had defeated Shadow-Knight Terror, right on time. It was a shame that other events had necessitated her absence, but they'd won on their own, as she always knew they would. Justice was alive and well, albeit severely confused. His journey was only now beginning; there was a lot of growing for him to do before he became the man she called 'old friend'.
"…is it over?"
Ah. He assumed she was looking forward, to Crystal Tokyo. She reached out, through Time itself, and smiled. It was a welcome sight indeed.
"Serenity has woken from her sleep, and the Death Phantom is no more. The Senshi's younger selves have returned to their own time. Crystal Tokyo is safe."
"Then I can go home?"
She laughed softly. "Yes, Justice…you can go home." She inclined her head in a slight nod. "I thank you for your help with this matter. We have revenged the Revenant Knight's trespass, and the timeline is restored. All is as it should be." She gestured to the great gate, as it shimmered, revealing Crystal Tokyo. "Now go, Justice. Go and see your wife."
"Until next time, my friend." He bowed formally, and stepped through the portal.
"Until then," she repeated softly. She raised her hand to the Door, and it shimmered once more, revealing Hotaru. At long last, she was free to leave her post, and re-join her friends.
Corey closed the door to his apartment quietly, slipping his boots off and stepping down into the main hall. Something smelled delicious. Ramen. Of course…her favourite dish. Their apartment was clean and spacious, only a few mementos decorating the walls and cupboards. His fingers traced the Kanenaga sword – a dying gift from Dawkins…his old sword-master. Would it surprise you to see how I turned out, old friend?
As he approached the kitchen, he could hear his wife singing softly to herself. A goofy grin slowly spread across his face; the same one she always seemed to give him. He paused in the doorway, to admire her from afar. Her hair was tied back in a rare French braid, still long enough to reach the small of her back. She didn't wear it that way very often, but it suited her. Who was he kidding? She was beautiful no matter how she was wearing her hair. Even if he was still quite fond of a certain red bow…
"I'm home…" he said softly.
She turned, blue eyes sparkling in the light. God, she was beautiful. It felt like forever since he'd last laid eyes on her. When the Dark Moon first attacked, he'd led the defence of the city, maddeningly absent when the Death Phantom struck Serenity down. Upon his return, his love was already gone, locked away with the other Senshi, using their powers to defend the palace from attack. But none of that mattered anymore. He was here, with her now.
"Corey…"
A brilliant smile lit up her face. The spoon she'd been using fell from her hands, and she dashed forward into his waiting arms. He wrapped her up, never wanting to let her go again, and dipped his head to capture her lips in a deep kiss. He could stay in this moment forever…feeling her warm body in his arms…the sweet taste of her lips on his own. Everything was right with the world again; he was home, with his Mina. His love. His goddess.
AN: I hope you enjoyed this strange little story. The idea just popped into my head as I was working on chapter one of the second act; hopefully it serves as some kind of an explanation for what Sailor Pluto was doing up to and during the events of act one. It was an interesting experience, thinking so far ahead and trying to visualise the kind of person Corey would become. Pluto's a little more...omniscient for the sake of the story. Wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey and all that. For those who asked, yes - as teased at the end of the story - Sailor Pluto will indeed make an appearance in the second act. More of that shortly!