Sailor Moon - The Order of Black

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Tough Love

Originally published 23/10/2015


Corey glanced around Usagi's bedroom, finally concluding it was very girly. Not the girliest he'd ever seen – that dubious honour belonged to Minako's old room – but certainly a very close second. Pink was the primary colour choice and it had been used liberally on just about everything. Usagi herself lay draped across her bed, head buried in her pillow with little apparent concern for appearance or decorum. Clearly, she was upset about something, probably Mamoru…and that tossed a wrench into his plans. I came here to confess my part in the deaths at the Sanctuary, but I can't just pile on when Usagi's already depressed. No, he decided, I need to be a good friend first and worry about my guilty conscience later.

He was mildly annoyed to find himself fidgeting again, a relatively recent habit only developed after coming to Tokyo…and meeting the Sailor Senshi. "So, your mom seems worried about you. She said something about 'regressing'…whatever that means."

"I'm not surprised." It seemed to take monumental effort on Usagi's part just to lift her head off her pillow, before finally pushing herself to her hands to knees. She wasn't typically much for make-up – she really didn't need it – but even the tiny amount she did wear was conspicuously absent. "I'll bet Minako's told you all about crybaby Usagi, right?"

"Uh, no, actually. She hasn't." Corey was having a difficult time just figuring out her mood. Was she sad, angry…or a little of both?

"That's a surprise. I figured she must have given you the entire collective history of the Sailor Senshi by now."

"Little bits here and there." He'd forgotten his own angst at this point; something was definitely off with her. "We really talk about each other more than anything."

"That must be nice." She swung her legs around and joined him in sitting on the edge of the bed. Up close like this he could see tell-tale dark circles under her eyes; clearly, she hadn't gotten much sleep since the last time he'd seen her. "Crybaby Usagi is who I was before I became Sailor Moon. Even the first year or so afterwards, if I'm honest."

Corey kept his mouth shut. He did recall Minako mentioning something about a 'piercing wail' but he certainly wasn't going to say so now. It took a few missteps along the way but I've learned my lesson!

"I was lazy, I barely studied, and I was always late to school. I pouted and whined if I didn't get what I wanted, I cried for almost any reason…" A heavy sigh slipped from her lips. "Mamoru made me want to become a better Usagi, Corey, a stronger Usagi. He made me want to grow up…and I did." A bitter little laugh interrupted her diatribe. "At least, I thought I did…but maybe I was wrong, because here I am regressing again. Just like Mama said."

Oh, damn it, he thought, I could really use some help here. Luna, or Minako, or…hell, anybody would do fine! "Hey now, that's not fair-"

"One week," she murmured, as her head slumped forward. One of her 'buns' wobbled with far more movement than usual, and for the first time he noticed they were slightly different sizes; even her hair was haphazard today. "It took me one week to completely fall apart. How pathetic is that?"

"Come on…" He placed his arm around her shoulders, despite his typical discomfort, sensing she was in dire need of a hug. "Don't you think you're being a little hard on yourself?"

She resisted his efforts, physically and vocally. "Am I? The last time I felt this bad, Mamoru had been gone for a month. I started fearing he'd dumped me without as much as a text!"

"But he hasn't dum-" Corey managed to catch himself in time, deciding on a gentler term. "The two of you haven't broken up. Mamoru's just trying to, uh, rediscover himself, like you told me the other day." He was trying his best, but after saying it out loud even he had to admit the man's reasoning seemed pretty flimsy.

"I don't even know what that means," she muttered, finally slumping against him. "It's getting harder and harder to believe he's coming back to me after this. He won't even return my calls or texts; what if he's-" The words seemed to catch in her throat as she thought better of them. "So, here I am, hiding in my room, dodging my responsibilities as Usagi and Sailor Moon. Some future Queen of Earth, huh?"

This part was familiar to him, at least, the venting. He gave her what he knew he would want; a little quiet and a sympathetic ear.

"Mamoru makes me a better person, Corey. He makes me feel like I can handle anything! I can't do this on my own. I can't move forward without him!"

It was a perspective he had a lot of experience with, that was for sure. "I know it hurts, Usagi, but defining yourself solely by your love for another is a slippery slope, believe me."

She sniffled quietly in response. "I just miss him so much."

Come on, McLeod, Corey told himself. Don't screw this up. "Mamoru loves you. I know it, you know it, and he knows it. But, I think he relies on you for his strength as much as you rely on him, and that scares him. You're afraid you're not ready to be Queen of Earth; is it so hard to picture him worried about the same thing?" So far, so good…now stick the landing. "He's going to figure it all out soon enough, and then? I'll bet he feels like a real idiot for ever putting you on break in the first place. He'll be beating down your door to get you back."

"…Yeah?"

"Yeah." He remembered his mother's stern but encouraging talks from his teen years, and gave it a shot. "Now, come on. You're better than this. Where's the real Usagi, the one who kicked Jerkface's smoky ass?"

After several agonising seconds of silence…she giggled. "Since when do you call him that?"

Corey couldn't resist a brief laugh of his own. "Minako's influence, I guess."

She pulled free of his half-hug with a weary sigh and sat up again. "Damn it, you're right!" She ran a hand over her face, lingering over her eyes. "What am I doing? This isn't who I am anymore!"

"Now there's the Usagi I've come to know and love."

For the first time since he'd arrived, he saw her smile. It was faint, just for a moment…but he had a pretty good idea she was going to be okay. "You know, Corey, you're a lot better at this than you used to be. Minako's influence again, I guess?"

He smiled himself. "Must be."

"Well, thanks. Luna gave me the same speech, but I guess I needed to hear it from someone else. She means well, all of the girls do, but…they've picked me up so many times it's almost clichéd coming from them. You were just the right person to give me a little tough love...and I'm glad you did." She bowed her head, took a deep breath, and looked up again. This time, Corey saw the Usagi he was familiar with. The leader. "Anyway, you didn't come all the way here just to give me that pep talk, did you?"

Damn, he thought, I almost forgot myself…but I can't chicken out now. Time to own your mistakes, McLeod. "Right."

Another faint smile played across Usagi's lips, reminding him just how resilient she really was. "Well, I'm all ears. What's up?"

The time had come for the truth. Usagi isn't hiding anymore, he decided. Neither will I. "We need to talk. About the Sanctuary."


"So, how did everything go?"

Ami couldn't keep a smile off her face at the concern in Ryo's voice. He's so sweet. "It couldn't have gone any better. I was able to clean up Titus' little 'sick brother' mess with Doctor Hauser, the head of the program. I had to tell a few more lies, which was unfortunate, but I've got a place waiting for me whenever I make it back to Germany."

"That's great!" She couldn't see his face through the phone but she had no doubt he wore an almost goofy grin on his face. "I'm so happy for you!" His enthusiasm waned a moment, as he pointed out a possible negative. "You'll fall behind, though, won't you?"

She ducked around an elderly man coming from the opposite direction, smiling politely as he waved in apology. "That won't be a problem. I don't mean to sound arrogant, but it might even make things a little more challenging."

Ryo's chuckled in amusement. "You're not arrogant. Just confident in your own abilities."

Ami allowed herself a rare giggle in response. "Careful, I just might get a swelled head if you keep that up."

"A swelled head isn't usually your problem," he teased huskily.

A flush rose in her cheeks at his not-so-subtle innuendo. "True, but then I've never really considered it much of a problem for you, either." Such public flirtation was still new to her, but she could hardly let him have all the fun. There is a time and place for it, though, and Rei's text sounded urgent...so I need to move this along. "Anyway, what's for dinner?"

"Spoilsport." Ryo was certainly feeling playful today. "I'm going to be a little late tonight, so I thought I'd pick something up on my way home. Maybe ramen from that place you like?"

Spoilsport? I can't let that go unpunished. You want to flirt, Ryo? Let's see how you handle this one. "How about teriyaki? I'm in the mood for something a little...spicy."

There was a very noticeable pause on his end of the call. "Uh, that works for me."

"I thought it might," Ami said, satisfied with his answer. Sure, I'm implying sex…but I really am in the mood for teriyaki. "Now, I can't keep flirting with you all afternoon, even if it is a lot of fun. I'm almost at the shrine, so I should go."

"Okay, then," he agreed, his tone suggesting another broad grin. "I'll see you later, beautiful."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

She ended the call and slipped her phone into her bag, darting across the street towards the familiar steps of Sendai Hill. Barely a minute later she walked under the torii and entered the courtyard, surprised to find Rei and Rinjirou sitting casually on the main porch…with Minako of all people!

"Ami!" The miko sprang to life as soon as she spotted her, uncharacteristically cheerful. "I wasn't expecting you to drop by today."

Given Rei had asked her here not forty minutes ago, Ami was immediately on her guard. "Oh, well, I was around and thought I might as well swing past and say hello." She turned to the man beside her and smiled warmly. "How are you, Rinjirou?"

"Fine, thank you." He wasn't wearing his fatigues or robe, dressed instead in a black-and-purple shirt and off-blue jeans, but he was still his typical reserved self. "And you?"

"Never better," she replied enthusiastically, matching Rei's tone and energy. "And you, Minako?" An odd silence followed as the blonde typed away on her phone. "Did you actually hear me, or…?"

The blonde waved distractedly without looking up. "Good, good. Sorry, Ami. Boyfriend."

"Okay…" Before she could ask Rei a follow-up question, her own phone beeped quietly. A text from...Minako? Don't react, it read. Order jerkfaces might be watching us. Play along with Rei for now. Ami hit delete unconsciously as she looked back up, resisting the urge to swivel her head around. The Order of Black might be watching us? When did that happen, and how?

"Problem?" Rei asked, gesturing to her phone.

"Hmm?" Right. Her silence was stretching on far too long. "Oh, no, just a message from Ryo. Isn't he the best boyfriend ever?" She felt her IQ lowering as she spoke, playing dumb making her feel dumb.

Minako coughed rather loudly into her hand. "That's debatable, don't you think?"

Rei dismissed her with an off-handed wave. "It sounds like things are really working out well for you two, huh?" She was positively chirpy, her enthusiasm maxing out as she snapped her fingers. "I almost forgot! Those charms I promised to make for you are ready. I just need to finish the blessings. Want to come and see?"

"Of course." Ami let the miko guide her inside the main hall, waiting for further hints. She wasn't left waiting long either; Rei mouthed 'computer' as soon as they passed through the doorway. The wall to her left provided cover from the courtyard and she quickly produced her computer from her subspace pocket.

"The bugs this time of year!" Rei grumbled, making a big show of flicking an invisible something from her robe. Her eyes remained locked on Ami's, though, an eyebrow raised quizzically. "Any on you?"

Looks good, she decided. "No, I don't see any. Now, I-"

"Are you sure?" Rei produced an unfamiliar smartphone from her robe as she mouthed something in silence.

Ami's brow furrowed as she concentrated on her friend's face, finally deciphering her lip movements as 'GPS and camera'. It was a simple enough task to disable both components; she even switched off the external microphone for good measure. "Done. I'm not picking up any suspicious signals or other devices. That doesn't mean the Order isn't watching us, of course, but if they are they're using a real pair of eyes. My computer doesn't detect Chaos Slivers."

"That's good to know." Rinjirou's voice came from over her shoulder, startling her; he moved with a surprising level of silence when he wanted to. "You're one, too."

She closed her computer slowly, settling on playing dumb. "All I am is very confused. One what?"

"He knows," Minako said meekly, as she followed them inside pressing her fingertips against one another in a tell-tale sign of guilt. "I, uh, kinda sorta slipped up and revealed myself. Sorry."

Ami felt another deep sigh building up in her lungs. It makes no sense. How can she be so smart and yet, at the same time, such an incredible ditz? "Minako-"

"Don't bother," Rei muttered irritably, with a dark glare towards the blonde. "I already told her off."

"I said I was sorry!"

Ami shared Rei's look of exasperation before turning back to Rinjirou and bowing slightly. "I'm Sailor Mercury." She waited expectantly, but got a blank look in return. "Really?"

"Never fails," Rei muttered grumpily. "The two blondes get all the attention while the rest of us get squat."

She sighed, almost disappointed by his lack of recognition. "The blue one."

Now she could see recognition in his eyes. "Then, that time the Hunters came to the shrine…that was you?!" They narrowed again in suspicion only seconds later. "Of course it was. How did I miss that? She, er, I mean you showed up as soon as Ami – you – left!"

Minako jumped in before she could reply. "It's all part of the transformation process. Somehow, the magic disguises our appearance, makes your mind think we're someone else. Even our own families don't recognise us up close."

"I see." Rinjirou was left looking almost dazed.

Rei leaned in and nudged him gently with her elbow. "You alright? I don't have to start worrying, do I?"

His walls came back up with an amused snort, just like that. "I'm surprised, that's all. You've no reason to fear me. I'm not exactly on the Order's payroll anymore, and you did help me against the Hunters." He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the wall. "I can give you a chance to prove them wrong."

"That will have to do," Ami said, satisfied with his answer for the moment. "It looks like you took a certain Sailor Senshi's words to heart after all."

Rinjirou was his typical unreadable self again. "We'll see what happens."

"Fair enough." She turned to Rei, focused on more pressing matters. "Now, I assume you have an explanation for all this cloak and dagger behaviour?"

The miko produced the smartphone Ami had disabled. "This. It was given to Rinjirou by one of their Black Paladins."

"Probably a Hunter too, now that I think about it." There was an odd, almost haunted look in Rinjirou's eyes. "They really can be anyone. Even friends like Curtis…or Megumi."

Ami didn't recognise the names, but she did spot the sympathetic glance he got from Rei as the miko handed her the phone.

"See for yourself. Check the gallery."

"Alright, but what am I even looking-" She froze, stunned as she found it. "How is this possible? How could they have Chibiusa?!"

"We don't know." Minako's expression was neutral now, a look Ami recognised well after nearly six years fighting beside her as her self-described 'game face'. The blonde folded her arms beneath her breasts, absently blowing a loose strand of hair off her face as she studied the horizon. "Chibiusa hasn't come back to our time since we defeated Jerkface, at least as far as we know."

"Right," Rei agreed, nodding thoughtfully. "There's no reason to think she wouldn't tell us if she did come back, either."

Minako matched her nod, as focused as Ami had seen her in some time. "Exactly. That leaves us with one possibility, however unlikely; the Order of Black somehow travelled into the future and took her from Crystal Tokyo itself."

Ami was forced to agree. Occam's razor seems to apply. "Sound logic, Minako."

Rinjirou was the next to speak, surprisingly, as he regarded the blonde warily. "You and I would have a much easier time getting along if you acted like this more often."

"Never gonna happen, Rinjerko. Life's too short to be serious all the time!"

He uttered a pained groan as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I really wish you wouldn't call me that."

"And I really wish you'd stop being a colossal jerk," she retorted, with a dramatic sniff. "Funny how that works, huh?"

"Anyway…" Rei's terse warning shut them both up quickly. "It sounds like we need Setsuna, but she isn't exactly at our beck and call."

The brief surge of hope Ami had felt began to wither, collapsing into disappointment. "She returned to the Space-Time Door."

"Who is this Setsuna?" Rinjirou asked, nonchalantly flipping an authentic Japanese tantō in his hand. Where it had come from, she didn't know.

Once again it was Minako who answered. "Another Sailor Senshi. Sailor Pluto, Guardian of Time."

"The Guardian…of Time?" The knife stopped moving, blade caught between his fingertips. "She's a Sailor Senshi?"

"Yes," Rei answered, staring back at him in confusion. "Why?"

"Something the cat told me. Titus, I mean, when I asked about your Princess' future plans for Earth." His eyes narrowed into thin slits as he stared off into the distance. "He said 'the future isn't set in stone' and invoked this Guardian of Time like it meant something…but she's a Sailor Senshi?"

"That sounds like something Setsuna would say." Minako shared a brief glance of concern with them before continuing. "Does it matter?"

"He said…" Rinjirou trailed off, obviously lost in thought.

An odd, uncomfortable twisting sensation began worming its way through Ami's stomach. Titus lied. It's hardly a surprise, but if Rinjirou's figured that out just now…shoot. The arrogant old cat may have ruined any chance at future cooperation between us!

"Rinjirou?" Rei nudged him again. "Still with us?"

His eyes darted up to meet her questioning gaze, unreadable again as he nodded. "Yes. Sorry. It isn't important right now."

"Alright," she said, nodding approvingly. "What's our next move, then?"

"That Paladin said the Princess needs to call the number in the phone and follow their instructions. If she doesn't, well, it's not like we have much of a choice." Minako grimaced, switching to English with infuriatingly little effort. "The ball's in their court."

Ami was all set to correct her…but Minako had spoken an English proverb, in English. I think I might just defer to her on this one. "We need to take this to her then. Quickly."

Rei turned to Rinjirou, her expression uncertain. "Will you help us?"

It was an interesting question, certainly; Ami wasn't sure how he'd respond either. He looked at Rei, almost studying her, then did the same to her and Minako.

"Please," the miko said softly, taking a step closer to him. "You say you care about me? Well, this is important. It matters to me. More than that, no matter how hard you try to hide it, you are a good person. I know that. I heard the disgust in your voice earlier. I know you don't approve of kidnapping a child, no matter who she is." Her hand came up hesitantly to rest on his shoulder. "Please, Rinjirou. Help us. Even if it's only for me."

He met her gaze head-on, the muscles in his jaw working silently as they stared at one another. After nearly fifteen seconds by Ami's count, he finally dipped his head in a faint nod. "Alright. I won't fight, but I can offer you information. I suppose it's time I met your Princess, anyway."

"We might hold off on that," Ami said quickly, raising an eyebrow at Rei. "Let us break the news first, then we can bring her to meet you."

He gave no sign of interest or annoyance, just another impassive nod. "Very well. I'll be here."

Minako clapped her hands together with another weary sigh and began heading for the steps. "Yay us. We get to be the bears of bad news."

That was English again, but Ami was certain it wasn't quite right this time. She didn't have the time or energy to correct the blonde, though. Her focus was already on formulating a plan to rescue the innocent girl the Order now held. Hang tight, Chibiusa, she thought, following her friends towards the street. We'll bring you home. Of that I have no doubt.


"…and then I blinked Haruka out. We regrouped at the hotel, Hotaru took care of our wounds, and I headed back to Tokyo." Corey's voice was flat, almost monotonous. "I've been hiding myself for the past three days, out of guilt, I guess…but it was time to come clean. I messed up, Usagi."

Usagi was silent, digesting everything he'd just told her. She was conflicted, obviously relieved that none of her friends had been hurt but, on the other hand, saddened by the two deaths. Adding yet more uncertainty to her feelings was a hefty dose of guilt all her own, and a burning need to blame someone for the whole mess. Her target was easy enough to decide. "Haruka. Even after everything that happened six months ago, after I expressly told her I didn't want any injuries or deaths, she-"

"Don't be too hard on her."

She was more than a little surprised by his reply. "Come again?"

"I was angry too, at first…but it wasn't really her fault. We were in a terrible situation and, like her or not, it isn't in Haruka's nature to stand idle while her friends are being hurt."

Unless she's the one doing the hurting, Usagi thought, surprised by her own bitterness. I thought I'd forgiven them…

He bowed his head. "We were trapped, pinned down by a squad of Black Paladins. My shield was no help at all; their attacks punched straight through it like it wasn't even there. Our backs were literally against the wall, the door sealed shut behind us. They kept advancing, growing closer and closer. Hotaru took a hit, and I guess that set off some sort of protective instinct in Haruka because she fired a World Shaking into the ceiling above them. Maybe she was trying to collapse it between us and miscalculated, I don't know…but she brought it down on top of them. One died right away, a crushed skull."

Usagi swallowed painfully, her throat suddenly tight. "You say that but still defend her?"

"It was a shitty situation. I hate it, but the alternative was standing back and letting them hit us." Corey shuffled in place on the bed, hesitantly clearing his throat. "Once we were in there, under fire, it was too late; we had no choice but to fight back."

"I suppose…" She felt her own guilt mounting now. I was so eager to blame Haruka that I completely ignored my own part in this.

"If you're going to be mad at anyone it should be me. I told you to order the raid in the first place, to 'kick in their front door and set the pace'." Corey's tone was far more bitter than she was used to. "I should have thought about your question more, given a more measured response. I don't trust him, but we could have gone to Rinjirou again. Titus could have convinced him, maybe even Rei, to get us in quietly. Perhaps the Outer Senshi could have staged a diversionary attack outside, playing to their strengths." He sighed despondently as his head fell forward, almost defeated. "I was an idiot, caught up in war like some common soldier when I'm supposed to be so much more. Your mother would be ashamed of me. Honour and Lucius, too."

"Hey…" Usagi said softly, nudging him with her forearm. She had the perfect speech prepared; she'd just heard it from him, after all. "Don't you think you're being a little hard on yourself?"

"That was my line from before."

A sad little smile played across her lips. "But it fits, no?"

"I don't think so. I'm the one to blame for this whole mess."

"Oh, Corey…" Usagi had heard more than enough. "What about me?"

It took him a moment to look up. "Huh? You?"

"Yes," she agreed, letting a hint of authority slip into her voice. "Do you really think so little of me?"

"I don't understand…"

"Don't make the same mistake as Mamoru in treating me like a child, Corey. I've been doing this for six years, and I'm more than old enough to understand the consequences of my decisions."

His eyes widened in surprise. "No, I didn't mean it like that-"

"I know," she said softly, reaching out to pat his forearm. "I know. But this whole 'it's all my fault' thing you have going on? It needs to stop." Time for an admission of my own, she thought. "I knew the risks when I ordered you and the others into the Sanctuary. I knew there was a chance of injuries, or even deaths…and I gave the order anyway."

"But, Usagi, if I hadn't advised you to-"

"You gave me advice." She surprised even herself with the steel in her voice. "It was still my decision in the end, and I'm ultimately responsible. I'm the leader, Corey, it's kind of my job."

"It's not that easy!" he protested, quite literally wringing his hands in guilt. "How am I supposed to just let myself off the hook? Two people died, Usagi! I'm the last Guardian Knight, of Justice no less. I'm supposed to be better than this!"

Time for a little tough love, Usagi decided, just like he gave me before. "Then be better. You say you gave me bad advice? Don't do it again. You say you were thinking like a soldier? Then stop and think like Corval would have. Learn from this and make sure it doesn't happen again!"

Corey was still avoiding her gaze, fixated on a particular spot on her floor. "Maybe I got too used to reacting instead of thinking, of being a soldier when I should be a leader. I'm supposed to study the facts, from all perspectives, and determine a balanced and fair outcome for everyone involved." He rubbed his eyes wearily. "I've failed miserably at that so far. I'm right on track to crash and burn for the second time in as many lives…"

"Oh, come on!" She shoved him almost angrily, fed up with his self-pity. Is this what I sounded like before? "Are you serious right now?! Corey, you have this incredible ability to do exactly what you just described. You take an argument, break it down into its key points, and hammer out a solution that works for everyone. You've been doing it since we met you! I mean, sure, sometimes the whole thing blows up in your face but I think what you just did for Haruka proves my point."

He was finally looking at her, perhaps shocked out of it by her outburst.

"I got angry because I needed someone to blame and you defended her…even though I know you're not exactly on the best of terms." Her voice softened, hopeful she'd made her point. "You did it for her because you thought it was right. Just, even. If that's not a true Guardian Knight of Justice, then I'm not sure what is."

This wasn't the strong-willed Corey she'd come to know. He reminded her more of himself when they first met; tentative and uncertain. "Do you really think so?"

"I know so." Usagi leaned in and hugged him. It was a spur of the moment decision but, surprisingly, he didn't resist. "I'll make you a deal. You do your best to forget the Sanctuary, and I'll do the same about this whole break situation with Mamoru." She realised belatedly, as she spoke, that her next piece of advice was perfect for her as well. "We can't change the past, Corey. All we can do is learn from it and work harder to realise the future we want to see."

She watched him carefully for almost thirty seconds as he thought it over, his emerald eyes locked on the floor at his feet. At long last, though, he allowed his head to dip forward ever so slightly in a gentle nod. "Alright, Usagi. Deal."

"Great!" She bounded to her feet, wincing as her back and shoulders protested the sudden move. "I suppose, if I'm going to honour my half of our arrangement, I should get off this bed and out into the world again, huh?" She peered into the mirror on her dressing table and cringed at her disheveled appearance. "Ugh, I'm a mess! You could have said something!"

There was fear in his eyes now. "I, uh…you…I didn't…"

"Relax," she said, with a giggle. "I'm only teasing you. If you had said something I might have burst into tears…and we both know you wouldn't have handled that very well."

"No," he agreed, a faint blush in his cheeks. "That would have been…unpleasant."

She reached up to untie one of her lopsided buns, smiling faintly as she began brushing out her hair. "Regardless, I'm glad you came by. It's not so easy to wallow in self-pity when someone else is around to tell you how things really are."

"No, it isn't." He smiled back at her in the mirror, a taut smile she thought was still a little forced…but better than no smile at all. "Thanks, Usagi. For the vote of confidence…and for being my friend."

She grabbed a handful of bobby pins and began the somewhat mammoth task of fixing her hair. "There are a lot of things I'm no good at, Corey, but being a friend is what I do best." Of course, she still missed Mamoru - that hadn't changed - but she also meant what she'd said. She couldn't afford to be selfish anymore. The Order of Black was still out there, a looming threat, and her friends needed Sailor Moon ready to confront them if they came to Tokyo. And I will be ready, because I'm not crybaby Usagi anymore. I'm strong, confident Usagi…and I'm done hiding.


AN: More of a friendship chapter than anything, but it felt like we were a little overdue for Corey's talk with Usagi. That, and this sets up the rest of the story nicely. Perhaps I could have cut some lines from the middle scene but Ami and Ryo's flirtations were a nice bit of fluff, IMO, and the rest of the scene served to set up the next chapter while providing (hopefully) a little comedy to break up the Corey/Usagi angst. Big thanks to metalgear for helping me brainstorm and organise Corey's thought process for this and the next chapter! Back with more soon, guys. Oh, and big thanks to the couple of people who favourited since last chapter, it's appreciated as always. Thanks for the support!

Lisseas