Standard disclaimer - I don't own Sailor Moon, or its characters. Any OCs, however, are mine.

Earlier that morning…

Usagi blinked slowly. "You want to fake a split between you and the rest of the Sailor Senshi, complete with a real fight?"

Minako nodded cheerfully. "Uh-huh."

"Using our powers."

"Yep!"

Makoto leaned forward. "I'm gonna need you to explain that in a little more detail, Minako."

"Never mind the explanation," Rei muttered. "Just go ahead and have yourself committed, because you've finally lost your mind!"

"Now, hold on a minute." Ami held up her hands as she looked around at everyone else. "Let's give Minako a chance to explain her plan in a little more detail before we call her cra-" She coughed. "I mean, before we shoot it down."

"Thanks, Ami." Minako stifled a sudden yawn. Of course, she thought grumpily, now I'm tired, when I need to explain everything. Figures. "Okay. I couldn't sleep last night because I was literally sick with worry – yay, me – so I started thinking; how can we rescue Corey, if we don't even know where he's being held? The answer is simple. We can't. We need to find him first. That seemed hopeless, though; Ami's been trying to track these guys from the beginning, and she's still no closer to a solution after weeks of trying. No offence, Ami."

"None taken."

"So, you hit upon the plan you just presented us with," Setsuna said.

"Yes. We need Ruin or Wrath to take us to him instead."

"Us meaning you?" Haruka queried.

Minako nodded. "He's my boyfriend, and it's my plan. I thought it would be best if I took the risk."

"But someone like Haruka or Makoto is tougher," Michiru offered. "No offence intended, either."

"Toughness isn't important," Minako shrugged. "I'm not planning on fighting; I just need to stall them long enough for the rest of you to follow me in."

"How do we find you?" Hotaru asked.

"Easy," Minako declared, flashing a victory sign. "I'll trip and 'fall' on my communicator." She made quotation marks with her fingers as she said 'fall'. "It will break, and-"

"You don't need to break it!" Ami interrupted hastily. "Just press the bottom right button; it does the same thing!"

"Oh." Minako glanced down at her wrist and laughed abruptly. "I never knew that! See? The plan is already improving!" She blushed faintly as she saw everyone give her 'the look'; it meant 'are you crazy?' – she seemed to be getting it a lot lately. "So, I activate the emergency locator thingie-"

Ami sighed. "Emergency Locator Beacon."

"Emergency Locator Beacon," Minako repeated grumpily, "and you guys lock onto my signal and Sailor Teleport in."

Mamoru sounded surprised. "That actually makes sense."

"It does sound like you've thought it out thoroughly," Rei admitted. "But you mentioned three advantages earlier; that's only one."

"Oh, those are easy!" Minako scoffed. "One; it gets me into Ruin's base to find Corey. B-"

"Two," Ami corrected her.

"What?"

"You started with one, then switched to 'B'."

"Did I?" Minako frowned, and pulled a notebook from behind her back. "Let me check."

"Minako's Awesome Plan to Save Corey," Makoto read slowly, peering at the cover. "So many love hearts…"

"Where did you pull that from?" Haruka asked curiously.

"My space pocket."

"Subspace pocket," Ami sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Minako glared at her as she flipped through her notes. "Thank you."

"That is intended for your Sailor Senshi items only," Setsuna pointed out.

"Geez, Setsuna, you sound like Artemis," Minako muttered. "I only have my transformation wand in there, and mysubspace pocket's so big and empty; what's the harm in keeping a few extra things on hand?"

"You really are certifiable," Setsuna sighed, shaking her head.

"Definitely," Rei agreed.

Minako ignored them; she'd found the relevant page. "Aha! Into Ruin's base…find Corey…there it is! Two." She flipped it shut. "Okay, you were right, Ami, itis two. Sorry." She felt her cheeks heating up. "Anyway, two; it gives Ruin something else to focus on, which in turn buys Corey more time. Three!" She trailed off. "Uh, three was…" She scratched her head and opened the notebook again.

"Uh, Minako?" Haruka called. "Maybe you should go lie down? You're brain's clearly not working properly anymore."

"Anymore?" Makoto snickered.

The blonde flipped through pages quickly. "Where did I…oh, right. Here we go."

Rei uttered an exasperated sigh and began massaging her temples.

"Three; it may even convince Ruin that there's no point in killing Corey at all."

"How do you figure that?" Michiru asked.

"Think about it. He's going to see us fighting. Once the rest of you defeat me, and blast me off Tokyo Tower-"

"What?!" Usagi demanded, ending her silence.

"He'll see what you did to me, and realise you'll do anything to protect the Silver Crystal. That, in turn, makes killing Corey pointless because if you aren't swayed by his death, it's a useless threat. Don't worry, it's all in your script."

"Script?" Usagi echoed.

"Yeah!" Minako said enthusiastically. "After I'd worked out the basics of my plan, I still couldn't sleep, so I figured I'd come up with some basic dialogue and fight choreography. It's nothing fancy, but a little preparation never hurts, right?!" She reached into her handbag and retrieved four pink booklets. "Okay. Ami, that's yours. Mako, Rei, these ones are for you, and this one is yours, Usagi."

Makoto stared down at the booklet in disbelief. "You made these yourself? Last night?"

"You certainly used a lot of glitter," Ami noted. "And the illustrations are…interesting."

"Uh-huh," Minako replied. She placed a finger on her cheek as she stared up at the ceiling. "I did start to get tired about three AM, but by that point I was too busy to sleep, so I snuck downstairs and made a coffee using dad's machine. It was awful, but it woke me right up!"

"Gods help us," Rei groaned. "She's high on caffeine!"

"Here's a suggestion for the next time you find yourself in that situation," Haruka said. "Just go to sleep!"

The blonde gestured at her notebook and the scripts in confusion. "But then who would have finished all this?"

"Now I understand," Hotaru said suddenly, glancing at Setsuna. "Certifiable."

"Yes," the older woman agreed. "Very much so."

"Where are our scripts?" Michiru asked.

Minako grinned sheepishly. "Oh, I figured the plan would work best if it was just us Guardian Senshi fighting. It's nothing personal; I just don't think I'd stand much of a chance against all eight of you. We need it to last at least a couple of minutes if we're going fool Ruin."

"Hold on!" Makoto interrupted, looking up from her 'script'. "You've got me saying that you and Corey have only been together for three weeks, and you'llmove on? I'd never say that! That's horrible!"

"Of course it is," Minako agreed. "That's the point. We're so close that we could never actually fight; not without acting very differently from our normal selves." She shrugged. "But Ruin doesn't know that. So he should believe you as a bitch, no problem!"

"A bitch?" Makoto asked, her green eyes flashing dangerously.

"Oh, just for this little act!" Minako assured her, laughing nervously. "I don't really think that!" Her pupils doubled in size in an instant, and she dropped her lips into a pout. "Besides, I'm doing all of this to save Corey, and it gives me a great starting point for some serious angst!"

"Well, I guess I see your point," Makoto sighed. "If it helps you get motivated, or whatever…I can do this." Her eyes narrowed again. "Stop trying to use that look on me, I already agreed!"

"Why does my script have a unicorn on it?" Rei asked randomly.

"Oh." Minako peered over at the booklet and shrugged. "Um…I don't know. That was after the coffee; everything's a little fuzzy from there."

"I like the picture of Usagi and me on her script," Mamoru said idly.

Usagi just remained silent, reading through the booklet with a frown on her face.

"I thought you'd like that!" Minako cooed. "I got writer's block for a while and decided to draw instead." She looked back towards the Outers and found them staring at her in disbelief.

"You're the leader of the Guardian Senshi…" Michiru said slowly, clearly horrified.

Pluto frowned. "All jokes aside, I'm beginning to fear that you really are insane."

"Maybe I'm a little hyperactive," Minako admitted, "but I'm not insane. I still know what's real and what's not." She randomly raised her hand and waved at thin air. "Hi, how are you? Oh, not at all, don't even mention it. I'm glad you enjoyed the cookies!"

They all peered at the empty space in awkward silence.

"Minako," Usagi began, flipping through her own 'script'.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Minako laughed. "But you should have seen your faces!"

"That's not what I meant," Usagi said, her voice wavering. "I don't want to do this."

"Oh." Minako frowned. "Why not?"

"I don't want to get into an argument with you; even a fake one. I definitely don't want to fight you, it's too dangerous! You've got us using our powers and everything! What if one of us gets hurt?" She flipped to the next page. "You want me to use Silver Moon Crystal Power on you?! What if it kills you?!"

"It won't," Minako said confidently. "Because you'll be keeping the power low. I trust you, Usagi." She looked around the room slowly. "I trust all of you with my life. I know that if I'm hurt, it won't be intentional, and I'm willing to take the risk if there's even a chance it gets me to Corey."

"But we could think of something else. There's still time!" Usagi argued. "We already tried this idea against Kunzite, and it didn't work!"

"Because we didn't commit!" Minako argued. "There was never anything more than some angry words in play! If we take it further, we can convince Ruin; I know it!"

"Like what?" Haruka asked her. "I may be in the minority, but I'm actually starting to like this plan! It's bold, it's daring, and yeah, it's a little nuts…but most good plans are." She folded her arms. "At least Minako's got a plan, as risky as it might be. Can anyone else say the same?"

"If you do have a plan, please let me know," Minako agreed. "Mine isn't perfect, but it's all I have. Believe me, I'm not all that keen on screaming at you and fighting, either." She felt her determination rising. "But it's for Corey, and I'll do anything to save him." She laughed abruptly. "Except for, you know, turning on you and trying to steal the Silver Crystal; I wouldn't actually do that!"

"I don't know." Usagi was clearly still conflicted.

"Please, Usagi," Minako said, moving to kneel before her; she took her friend's hand in her own. "What if it was Mamoru in Corey's place? What wouldn't you do to save him?"

Mamoru squeezed Usagi's shoulder gently and smiled gently.

"I'd do whatever it took," Usagi admitted.

"Just as I would for Corey," Minako said, smiling faintly. "I know it's risky, and it's crazy, but it's our only chance at finding Corey in time."

Usagi sighed and nodded slowly. A small smile spread across her lips. "Okay, Minako. Let's do it."

"Okay!" Minako cried, clapping her hands together enthusiastically. "If you'll all turn to the first page of your scripts, we can give this a practice run…"

Now...

Venus stepped out of the portal into a large, empty chamber. Antique gas lamps hung on the walls, lending the room a dim, eerie atmosphere. Ami mentioned them in her description of Wrath's base. I guess maybe he designed this one, too? She nearly toppled over as a wave of nausea suddenly rushed over her, and as she leaned forward by reflex, her back erupted in pain again. Ami left that out of her description of portal travel! I really hope I don't have to fight anyone, because I don't think I'd last long in my condition.

She glanced down at her uniform, noting the small rips and tears in her gloves and skirt. Usagi really did a number on me with that last attack...and it was at low power! She suddenly felt a little bad for anyone on the receiving end of a genuine blast.

Venus heard footsteps, and glanced up to see a familiar redhead entering the room.

"What the hell?!" Sailor Pride swore. Her scythe shimmered into existence in her hand and she began stalking towards Venus. "I don't know how you got in here, Senshi, but-"

"Hold, Pride!" Ruin ordered as he emerged from the portal. "Sailor Venus is our guest, and you will treat her appropriately."

"Of course, Lord Ruin," Pride answered, lowering her weapon. "I didn't realise…"

"Be sure you keep Sailor Fury under control while she's here," he ordered, before turning to Venus. "She's quite obsessed with you, you know."

"I'd noticed," Venus muttered, trying desperately to mask how much pain she was in. "I'm not here for idle chitchat with your underlings, Ruin. Where's Corey?"

"An excellent point," Ruin agreed. "I'm glad to see we share a mutual dislike for wasting time. Follow me."

Venus followed after him, ignoring Pride's icy glare as they passed her and exited the large chamber. He turned right, down a long hallway; there were sets of doors periodically, but they passed all of them and continued, finally turning left. This place is a maze, she thought worriedly. This may present a problem if we get stuck in here.

She reflected on the battle as she walked. I hope I didn't hit Ami too hard; I kept my Crescent Beam as weak as I could, but I'm sure I saw blood. Hopefully Mako forgives me for that punch, too…though she got me pretty good with that clothesline, come to think of it. Her burned arm and side reminded her that she hadn't been the only one to go off script. Rei really did a number on me. I was not expecting her attack at all! The same arm had given out as she tried to descend from Tokyo Tower; her back throbbed painfully as she remembered. It almost killed me when it came to the finale. She shook her head slowly. Me and my great ideas…

It wasn't just the attacks; Venus had gone off script with her words as well. I hope I didn't hurt Usagi's feelings too badly. That line about sacrificing us just flew out of my mouth before I even realised it. That concerned Venus. Do I actually resent her somewhere deep inside? I wouldn't have thought so before tonight, but those words had to come from somewhere, right? She sighed quietly. Please forgive me, Usagi.

"You seem distracted," Ruin observed.

Get your head back in the game, Minako! "I was just reflecting on what happened tonight. I can't believe what Sailor Moon was willing to do."

"Yes. She's a true leader, your princess. She understands that sacrifices must sometimes be made."

"You actually sound like you agree with her," Venus noted coldly.

"I do. She made the right decision in her situation. Just as you made the right decision in yours. After all, if you want something badly enough, you must be prepared to fight for it; even against all reason and logic."

Venus nodded mutely, surprised by his words. That was almost…philosophical.

"In here," Ruin announced, pulling open a nondescript door and stepping through. Venus followed, and found Corey suspended from the ceiling, unconscious.

"Corey!" she cried, rushing forward. He was covered in sweat. "Hey, you, come on! Wake up!"

His eyelids fluttered, but refused to open.

Venus felt a growing concern. "Corey?"

Corey wasn't sure where he was, but it was dark, and quiet; that suited him just fine. He'd been overwhelmed by the Revenant Knight's psychic attack; watching the woman he loved die repeatedly was quite unpleasant, and the strain on his mind had eventually caused him to pass out. Now, he found himself here, thinking about the rest of his time in captivity. Wherever here is.

The Revenant Knight was right about one thing, he admitted. I did fail. As Guardian Knight of Justice, as Elder Knight...I just wasn't good enough; I wasn't strong enough. When things got tough, I ran away and hid behind my love for Mina. I didn't want to see how bad things had gotten. I didn't want to see the warning signs that we were headed for disaster. I didn't want to accept that Garrod and Marus were drifting away...until it was all too late, and I had no choicebut to accept it. He sighed. How could I have been Corval? We're so different. I wouldn't have made the same mistakes; I know that!

He became aware of another presence, and looked up to see…

"Dawkins?"

The older man smiled as he looked down at him. "Hey, kid."

Confusion set in. "How…what are you doing here?" The likely answer came to him quickly. "Oh. This is just another of the Revenant Knight's illusions, right? What's the matter? Run out of ways to kill Minako so you thought you'd start on someone else?"

"I don't know who this Revenant Knight is…but I'm pretty sure I'm not an illusion." Dawkins sat down beside him, and slugged him gently in the arm. "It's been a long time."

Corey's eyes narrowed. "Am I dreaming, then?" He clicked his fingers. "You're my subconscious?"

Dawkins snorted. "God, I hope not. I love ya, kid, but if I had to spend any serious amount of time inside your head, I'd probably kill myself." He shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you. I was sitting up against the bar at the Forge, dying…and then I was somewhere else. There was a woman, in a white dress – a real looker, come to think of it. She told me that you needed 'a talking to'. I agreed, and then I was here."

Corey sat up. White dress? "This woman…did she tell you her name? Think carefully!"

"Serena?" He thought about it a moment longer. "No, that wasn't it…"

"Selene?" Corey asked cautiously.

"That's the one," Dawkins agreed. "A real classy lady."

What the hell is going on, Corey wondered. "And she told you I need…a talking to?"

"Those were her words." Dawkins shrugged, leaning back. "So, what's bothering you, kid?"

Corey still wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but this didn't feel like any other illusion or trick he'd been caught in. He didn't know how it was possible, but it seemed Dawkins was real. And maybe that's just who I need right now, he admitted.

"I got my memories back," he said slowly. "Of my past life. They weren't exactly what I expected, though."

"How so?"

"Corval, my past self? He was just so…idealistic. Naïve, in some ways. He served the Moon Kingdom as Guardian Knight of Justice, but when shit got real...he couldn't handle it."

"Why do you think that is?" Dawkins asked.

"He wasn't ready," Corey admitted. "It felt like he was barely out of training himself when leadership fell to him. He had the knowledge, and he had the training, but he lacked the discipline, or the confidence." He bowed his head. "He panicked. He ran away and buried his head in the sand. He hid behind his love for…Mina. He was still bothered by the injustice around him, but he tried hard not to see it."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Dawkins countered.

"There's more," Corey muttered. "His fellow Guardian Knights turned on the queen, in the end…and he let it happen. I see that now. There were signs, early on, that something was amiss. Looking back now, with the benefit of hindsight? They're impossible to miss. But at the time, that same idealism I mentioned earlier blinded him to their turn. He wanted so badly to just believe that everything was fine; he couldn't believe that they would betray him, or their oaths. In the end, the Guardian Knights all died in a pointless struggle, and the Moon Kingdom was destroyed. Because of Corval…"

Dawkins shrugged. "It sure sounds like he screwed up royally, kid. My main question for you would be...so what?"

"So what?" Corey repeated. "What do you mean, so what? How am I supposed to ignore a screw up of such epic proportions? Corval was a failure, John. I'm a failure-"

"Hey!" Dawkins snapped. "Cut that shit out! You're not a failure!"

"How can you sit there and say that, after what I just told you?"

"How can you sit there and think it?" Dawkins retorted. "You're not a dumbass, Corey…so stop acting like one." He pushed himself to his feet and began to pace back and forth. "So you screwed up in the past. I get that it must hurt to have to admit-"

"You're not going to pull that pseudo-psychiatrist crap on me again, are you?" Corey groaned. "I've accepted the past-"

"No, you haven't! You've acknowledged it, but you haven't accepted it at all." He sighed, and shook his head slowly. "I can hear it in your voice; you're sitting here wallowing in self-pity, for god's sake!"

Corey actually felt a flash of anger. "I'm not wallowing-"

"Yes, you are! You can lie to me all you like, kid, but I got to know you pretty goddamn well over our time together, and right now, I can tell you're full of it!"

Am I lying to myself too, Corey wondered. I guess I am. The truth is…

"Talk to me, Corey. I'm here for a reason. Let's get you through this."

"I don't want to be Corval…" he confessed.

"But he's your past self. You already are him."

"Yeah."

"Don't hold back," Dawkins said softly. "Tell me what you're really thinking."

"Corval was an idiot!" Corey snapped. "A naïve, idealistic moron! He kept waiting for things to get better on their own, instead of taking action and making things better! Maybe I wouldn't have gone so far as to turn on Queen Serenity either, but for god's sake, he should have done something! I would have!"

"Look, kid, I understand you don't like the idea – in fact, that's pretty obvious – but lying to me won't help. Stop saying Corval, and him. You were Corval; it sounds like that's a pretty big part of your problem."

Corey sighed. "I know. I thought I'd come already come to terms with that, but as soon as I had to explain it to you, I fell back on 'him' and 'Corval' rather than 'me'. I don't know why. I guess, maybe, I was ashamed?" He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "But you're right; I was him. I made those mistakes. I know that. Talking about Corval like he was a different person doesn't make it true."

Dawkins nodded slowly. "Corey, I'm not gonna sit here and toss idle platitudes at you. You're a smart kid. You already know exactly what you need to do."

Corey nodded. "Yeah."

"Sitting here, wherever we are, feeling sorry for yourself? That's not helping anybody, especially not you. You need to come to terms with what happened back then. You can't change your past; you can only learn to accept it. Own those mistakes you made, and learn from them, so you don't make them again in this life."

Corey glanced sidelong at his mentor. "You really think it's that easy, huh?"

Dawkins shrugged. "We're all human, Corey. We all make mistakes. We all fall down at some point. What's important is how we react. Are you going to stay on the ground, feeling sorry for yourself? Or are you going to pick yourself up and get back in the fight?"

Corey closed his eyes, and nodded once. "I'm gonna get back in the fight."

"Damn right you are!" Dawkins extended his hand. "Come on, kid; on your feet!"

Corey accepted his hand and allowed his mentor to pull him to his feet. "I still don't know how you got here…but I'm glad you came. I knew all of that, I guess…maybe I just needed to hear it from someone else."

"That'd make sense; since when do you ever listen to yourself?" Dawkins laughed. "Don't worry about it. I gave you a lot of pep talks over the years; what's one more?" He clapped Corey on the shoulder, serious again. "So, you're okay now, right? You know what your next step is?"

"Yeah. I have to take those failures, and use them as motivation. One thing I know for sure is I won't repeat the same mistakes again. I'll be the best Guardian Knight of Justice I can be; I won't let this world fall like the Moon Kingdom did."

"I am glad to hear it, my faithful servant."

Corey whirled about to find the familiar visage of Selene watching him. "Selene?"

"I have watched your talk with much interest, Corey. It seems you have finally come to an understanding about yourself." She turned to Dawkins and smiled. "I thank you for your help, John Dawkins. It is most appreciated."

"Hey," Dawkins shrugged. "Anything for Corey."

"I fear you must go now," she said apologetically. "I cannot keep you here any longer."

"Yeah," he sighed. "I figured you'd say that." He nudged Corey. "You'd better be taking good care of that Kanenaga for me!"

"I clean and polish it once a month," Corey retorted. "You were cleaning it too often; that's actually bad for the blade!"

"Bullshit," Dawkins muttered, before laughing abruptly. "It was good seeing you again, kid. It felt just like old times, didn't it?"

"Yeah. It did," Corey said, feeling a sudden tightness in his throat.

"I'll see ya around." Dawkins began to fade from view.

"Wait!" Corey called. "Listen, the last time…I never got a chance to say-"

"You never had to, Corey," Dawkins said softly, raising his hand in a mock salute. "Take care of yourself."

He disappeared from view, and Corey sighed. "Goodbye, my friend."

"He is an…interesting man," Selene observed. "You clearly care for him a great deal."

"I do." Corey turned to face her. "Not that I'm ungrateful, but why did you bring him here?"

"I could see that you were right on the brink of a realisation," she said softly. "You just needed that last, gentle push...so I reached into your mind, and found the man most likely to reach you." She gestured to him. "You understand, now."

"I do. I can't change the past. I can only accept it, and move on, ensuring that I don't make the same mistakes again."

"So at last your doubt is reconciled. Corey and Corval, working together as one. As it should be."

He frowned. "There's one more thing I have to do, though, isn't there? I have to retake my oath."

She smiled coyly. "How long have you known?"

"Well," he admitted, "I didn't know for sure until you appeared just now; I can't think of any other reason for your presence." He scratched at the stubble on his chin. "But I had my suspicions after a week of training yielded barely any improvement. I wound up reflecting on my oath one night, and realised the answer was hidden in the words, right in front of me."

"Until your final breath," she said softly.

"Yes. My final breath was taken on the floor of the Chamber of Prayer. I died, and was reborn as Corey…but I didn't take the oath in this lifetime; that's the problem, isn't it? I don't have your blessing. At least, not in the same way as before." He ran a hand through his hair. "That's what I can't work out. I've been transforming into Guardian Justice for over three years. I've even used Judicial Flames! If I didn't have your blessing, how was any of that possible?"

"Allowing you some power was necessary to ensure you made it to this point," Selene admitted. "I could not, however, coerce your oath from you; it would just be hollow words without any belief behind them. You must choose to take the oath of your own free will."

"I understand," he said softly. "It's just like when Honour invited me to join the Divine Triumvirate in the first place. He offered the choice, but it was my choice to make."

"Indeed," Selene agreed.

"Then, just as before, I choose to take the oath," he decided. "But…I would alter it, if I may?"

It seemed it was the goddess' turn to be surprised. "For what purpose?"

"The Moon Kingdom is no more, and my mission has changed. The original oath seems…out of date."

Selene remained silent for a moment, before nodding. "Proceed."

Corey dropped to one knee and bowed his head. "I vow once more to serve you, Selene; justly, honourably, and faithfully. I vow to stand between the darkness and the light, eternally vigilant, in defence of my princess, my friends, and this world." He took a deep breath. "I vow to serve not as an exemplar, but as a defender of Justice. I will stand for those without a voice, who cannot fight for themselves; those who cry out in pain and suffering under the oppression of evil. That is my duty, and I will gladly carry it out…until my final breath."

"I accept your oath," she declared. "A most fitting alteration indeed, Sir Justice."

He felt a faint smile come to his lips. "You've never called me that. Not in this life."

"Until now, you were not a Guardian Knight; I simply allowed you the use of Justiciar to assume that form."

"Did Titus know that when he gave it to me?" Corey asked curiously.

"Titus is a faithful servant in his own right," Selene admitted. "He knew…just as he knew that he could not tell you any of this. No leading you to conclusions, and no coercion. It was difficult for him, I imagine; such actions come naturally to him."

"So when you said you couldn't tell me who had taken my memories because of a promise to another servant…you were referring to Titus?"

"Yes. He had his own thoughts on your training, as I had mine. I did not agree with his methods, but that does not make them any less valid. It simply took you longer to reach the end of the path, and arrive at the truth."

Corey frowned. "But surely you knew that his approach was wrong?"

"The training of a Guardian Knight is not quite as rigid as you both seem to think. His approach may have been wrong for you, Sir Justice, but it was entirely logical; knowing what you do now, can you really blame Titus for wishing you more detached?"

I was pretty blinded by Mina, he was forced to admit. Titus was there, in the end. He saw my struggle to choose a side first hand. I suppose it would be only natural that he'd try to limit my attachments in this life.

"You understand," Selene observed. "I see it in your eyes."

"Perhaps," he admitted. "I allowed myself to be blinded by Mina in the past; I think, on some level, I wanted to be blinded. Her insight was important to me, though…she was a caring and just woman, after all. Just as Minako is. And now, with my more…pragmatic viewpoint, perhaps her insight is even more important to me today. As long as I don't start taking her perspective to the exclusion of all others...including my own."

"You have learned your lessons well, Sir Justice; the title of Guardian Knight is rightfully yours." She raised her hands, enveloping him in a faint blue glow. "Now receive my blessing once more; use your power wisely, to defend this world, and my descendent…Serenity. You are the last Guardian Knight; I expect great things from you."

A familiar power was coursing through his body; one he hadn't even realised wasn't there until now. This was the blessing of Selene; this was his true power.

He bowed formally. "My thanks, Lady Selene."

Corey?

"Is someone calling me?" he asked, glancing around in confusion. Is that…Minako?

Hey, you, come on! Wake up!

"You must go now," Selene declared. "Your lady love has come for you, and you should not keep her waiting."

Corey?

"Thank you…for everything," he said. Corey closed his eyes, and felt a strange sensation of weightlessness. Suddenly, he was falling…and then…

…he began to wake up. Someone was kissing him. No, not just someone. Minako. He began to return her kiss as the fog in his mind lifted, revelling in the taste of her lips, and the strawberry lip gloss she was always wearing. He finally opened his eyes as she withdrew; her own familiar blue eyes came into view, and he felt a smile tug the corners of his mouth upwards.

"Minako..." he whispered.

AN: And just like that, Corey's development is pretty much concluded; welcome back, Sir Justice. He's right where he needs to be now, even moving into a future Act Three. The next chapter will kick off the final battle. Thanks for reading, everyone, and thanks for reviewing - I just cracked 100 for Act Two thanks you guys!