Sailor Moon - Rise of the Exalted Knights

by Lisseas

Chapter Two: Ghosts of the Past

Posted: 24/07/2016

Rinjirou shivered with a sudden chill and pulled his jacket tight around his neck. The cool, Welsh air was colder than he was used to, even after fifteen years in London, and its sting would only worsen with the setting of the sun. His uneasy partner in this endeavour, Mamoru, sat on their Landcruiser perhaps twenty feet away, taking a swig from this thermos. He seemed utterly unfazed by the cold, a source of much frustration for the former Paladin…though that was tempered by a grudging admiration as he realised the coffee Mamoru was drinking had to be stone cold by now. Still, there was no way he was admitting that to anyone.

As if sensing his gaze, Mamoru glanced over and held the thermos aloft. "Coffee?"

Rinjirou snorted in response, annoyed with himself more than anything. "From you? Please."

The thermos lowered immediately. "Well, aren't you just a ray of sunshine."

"Says Mr. Broody himself," Rinjirou countered, his scowl coming easily now. "Wait, scratch that. It implies you actually have a personality to begin with."

Mamoru just rolled his eyes and turned away again, effectively ending their little verbal scrape. The pattern was a familiar one. They were uncomfortably similar, even down to their penchant for petty sarcasm. In fact, much to Rinjirou's horror, he was learning of more and more similarities between them the longer he spent in his company. Mamoru was also an orphan, albeit under different circumstances. He'd been tight-lipped with any details, but Rinjirou had inferred an accident of sorts…and their similarities didn't end there. Both of them spoke multiple languages, English and Japanese common between them, and Mamoru actually came across as quite reserved despite the woman he was dating. Against all odds, he'd actually come to like the man. He had a certain charm about him, and that made Rinjirou decidedly uncomfortable. After all, Mamoru Chiba was far from just some random guy he'd partnered with out of necessity. He was the reincarnation of Prince Endymion, a traitor in the eyes of the Order of Black and purportedly Earth's future King.

If I knew then what I know now, he wondered silently, would my answer to Haim be the same? I had no idea I'd end up on a road trip with the Order of Black's most hated enemy, and I certainly didn't expect to like the guy…even if we're far from best friends.

"Ha!" A boisterous chuckle preempted the slap across his shoulders; the third and equally unlikely member of their team, Hino-sama. "You're a little green, my boy. Perhaps we should set up camp for the night?"

Rinjirou had struggled with travel sickness since childhood, a laughable weakness in his mind that he wasn't about to admit to now. Even if the old man knows I'm lying through my teeth. "I'm fine, Hino-sama. We rest when we reach Caer Denerdhing, as planned."

"Suit yourself," the priest said, with an indifferent shrug.

"I will," he replied stubbornly, folding his arms across his chest. The priest made for quite a sight, his outfit seemingly assembled straight from some surplus store clearance bin. Camo-jacket, rugged and overlong combat trousers, boots; his neck hurt from all the double-takes!

Instead, Hino chuckled to himself as he stared off into the distance. "Oh, if my younger self could see me now…"

"You weren't much of an adventurer, Hino-sama? I thought you were a Cleric of the Order?"

"A Cleric, yes." The diminutive old man snorted derisively as he rubbed his hands together. "But my calling was never really magic, or the field. I spent my days buried in books, young man, without the 'honour' of a Chaos Sliver to call my own. A blessing in disguise, as I would later discover."

Rinjirou blinked slowly. "You were a…librarian?"

An indignant 'harrumph' was his answer. "No, I wasn't some simple librarian. Why, as my time in the Order neared an end, I was leading my own team of Clerics! We revolutionised their record keeping, re-indexed every artefact in the archives by-"

"Sounds an awful lot like a librarian to me," Rinjirou said, unable to suppress a snicker.

Hino rubbed his face, the very picture of pained resignation. "You have your mother's sense of humour, I see. That's...unfortunate."

"Excuse me for needing a good laugh," he retorted, turning his neck until he felt a welcome pop. "This is all a little outside my comfort zone. Hyperion has us running around Wales on a fetch quest straight out of an RPG-"

The old man's brow furrowed quickly. "RPG?"

"It's…oh, never mind, you're too old to get the reference." He ignored the priest's grumbled response as he gathered his thoughts. "He tasked me with reforming the Exalted Knights of the Undying Sun but, if I'm honest…I have no idea what I'm supposed to do after we actually get this stupid sword."

Hino chuckled quietly. "Yes, I can imagine it's all quite daunting."

Rinjirou waited several long seconds before clearing his throat. "This is the part where you tell me everything's going to be alright."

"Well…" The priest shrugged and laughed again. "It's certainly not going to be easy. You'll be the head of an army, at least eventually. Your Knights will need a base of operations for starters, plus food, armour and weapons. Transport too, which necessitates fuel, spare parts, support staff-"

His heart began to pound in his chest. "Now wait just a minute! You said you'd figured all that out already with your…your…like-minded contacts!"

"And I have," Hino agreed, "but it will be up to you as Knight-Commander to determine how best we use those resources."

The nausea returned, stronger than ever, and it wasn't simple travel sickness this time. "That's not really a role I'm comfortable with." He began toying with his sleeve as the sheer immensity of his task began to weigh on him. "The Order was simple. They trained me as a scout and I was the best scout I could be. I went in, surveyed the situation, maybe knifed someone if required, and reported back. Now, I'm just supposed to step up as some…holy Knight? More than that, the holy Knight?" He shook his head as it all became clear. "I don't think I have what it takes, Hino-sama. I'm no leader."

The priest made a particularly rude noise, reminiscent of a certain raven-haired miko. "Nonsense! If Hyperion didn't believe you were equal to the task he wouldn't have contacted you."

"But-"

"You told me once that Earth deserved better than the Order of Black. That you wouldn't allow their excesses, their crimes to be repeated in the name of the greater good. That is precisely what makes you perfect for the job. I believe in you, Rinjirou...and I know your mother does as well."

"Mother…" The former Black Paladin folded his arms across his chest as he considered Hino's words. She'd contacted him first, before he knew anything of gods and holy swords, or the true depths of the Order's treachery. If she truly served Hyperion in death, could this all be her doing?

Hino graced him with a faint, almost sad smile. "You just have to believe in yourself, my boy. The rest will fall into place in time."

Rinjirou remained silent a few moments longer before finally giving a reluctant nod in return. "We'll discuss this later. After we've retrieved the sword."

"Oh, alright. As you wish." The stout old man stroked his chin briefly, then leaned in with an evil grin. "I know! Let's discuss my granddaughter, then. Just what are your intentions towards her, anyway?"

Despite the cold, Rinjirou felt a bead of sweat begin working its way down his brow. "Mamoru! Pack it up, we're moving out!"

A thick fog began rolling in as they neared their destination, their headlights casting an eerie, otherworldly glow across the hilltop. It served as a chilling reminder of just how isolated they were out here. Rinjirou kept a careful eye on the GPS, and finally brought the Landcruiser to a stop amidst several large boulders. He killed the engine but left the lights on as he stepped out into the chilly evening air. "I don't see any fortress."

He could almost hear the frown in Mamoru's voice. "These are the right coordinates, though?"

"I know how to use a GPS." Rinjirou reached out for one of the boulders and ran his hand across its surface. Upon closer inspection, it was actually a large, carved block of stone…like a brick. Glancing into the fog, he could see several more continuing into the distance in a broken but recognisable line. Almost like a…

"It's a wall," Mamoru said wearily, beating him to the punch. "At least it was a very long time ago."

"Your talent for stating the obvious is truly incredible." The fog made any kind of detailed inspection difficult, but one thing was obvious even now; Caer Denerdhing no longer stood. What few remains they could see – a scattering of weathered stones and petrified wood – were barely enough to be deemed a skeleton; this corpse had crumble to dust centuries ago. "Perhaps it was destroyed by Beryl after the order crossed her?"

"It's possible," Mamoru agreed, with a disappointed grimace. "She certainly could be petty."

That piqued Rinjirou's curiosity. "You speak as if you knew her."

The other man went quiet, suddenly focused very intently on the ground. "I suppose I did, in a way."

Before he could pursue that line of questioning, Hino staggered between them with an armful of their supplies. "It's been a thousand years. Perhaps it was picked apart by scavengers? Perhaps it simply fell down after centuries of this blighted weather?" He shoved his payload towards Mamoru without any hint of apology. "Now, instead of pointless speculation, how about helping this poor old man set up camp?"

It wasn't a particularly difficult process. Despite giving the impression he was somewhat delicatethe reborn Prince of Earth got their tent up in no time, while Rinjirou's survival training ensured they had a fire soon after. Hino volunteered to cook, preparing a simple meal of rice, beans and canned meat, though dinner was a somewhat quiet affair. Rinjirou had little desire for conversation, finding solace instead in the crackling flames between them.

Across the campfire, Mamoru pulled out his phone and began thumbing through the menus. He saw a glimpse of blonde hair and placed it as a photo of Serenity. Usagi, he told himself. Rabbit, right? An unassuming name for the future Queen of Earth. Especially for a potential tyrant. It was impossible to begrudge the man for missing his love, though, no matter who she was. Even Rinjirou found himself thinking of a certain annoying miko. What were his intentions? For that matter, what were hers? They'd declared a mutual 'like' for one another only a few days before he left for Wales, and the universe had thrown nothing but hurdles at them since. Not least of which, he admitted silently, is her blind faith and trust in her Princess. Perhaps I do care for her in some way, but this is for the best. I can't see us making it work.

Instead, his thoughts turned to another woman. Taller, with a more powerful build; long, black hair pulled back in a loose but functional ponytail. Megumi. Just her name made his heart ache, lingering guilt and regret gnawing at his stomach once again. She'd confessed to him as only Megumi would, in the middle of a battle…and he just stood there in silence. How long had she waited, suffering for his complete lack of awareness? She loved me, she said…and in the end she knew me not even as a friend, but as a traitor. She died thinking of me that way…and there's nothing I can do to make things right. His head slumped forward in contrition, a disappointed image of his childhood friend all he could see. I'm sorry, Megumi. I'm so sorry.

"Everything alright?"

He glanced up at Mamoru, immediately slipping into his now-default mood of surly. "Fine," he said, as he pushed his half-eaten food around his plate. "I'm just trying to get through this poor excuse for a meal." There was no way he was confessing his true feelings, especially now.

"Well, fine!" Hino called, from somewhere by the Landcruiser. "You two ingrates can just starve!" He continued muttering angrily to himself, nowhere near as loudly but still completely audible. "…youth of today…bad manners...don't appreciate good rustic cooking…"

Mamoru shook his head, clearly amused. "You just can't help yourself, can you?"

"With what?"

"Pissing people off."

Rinjirou allowed himself a disinterested snort. "I just tell it like it is."

"Oh, sure," Mamoru retorted, rolling his eyes. "You're a real paragon of honesty and virtue."

"I'll remind you he called you an ingrate too."

"Well…" Mamoru lost some of his smugness. "It was a little…chewy."

"I respect a lot of things about Hino-sama," Rinjirou admitted, "but his cooking skills are not one of them." They lapsed back into what was a comfortable silence for him…though it brought Megumi to the forefront of his thoughts yet again. All this won't be in vain, he vowed sadly. That monster Chaos will pay for its crimes, I swear.

"We need to find this sword," Mamoru murmured. "Tokyo is burning…" He tossed a loose twig into the flames as if to illustrate his point. "People are dying every second."

"It's not just Tokyo," Rinjirou reminded him sombrely. "London burns too, and there's no telling where Chaos will strike next."

"You're right," the other man agreed, his shoulders slumping dejectedly. "It's just…"

"The woman you love is there, and she's in danger." Rinjirou swallowed back his initial urge towards hostility and sighed. "I…understand." It wasn't a lie. Not really. He did worry for Rei's safety, after all, and even on some strange level Minako's. As daft as she is, she was nice to me…and there's not very many people I can say that of. Though I'd never admit that to her, of course. Or anyone for that matter. He clasped both hands together in his lap and recalled Hino's advice of earlier. Just believe in yourself. The rest will fall into place in time. "I don't know what we're going to find in the morning, Mamoru, if anything…but we're going to build this army and stop Chaos. That's all that matters."

"Right." Confidence returned to Mamoru's voice, emphasised with a sharp nod. "Whatever it takes."

"Right." Rinjirou stifled a yawn and glanced at the small kettle above the fire. He needed more coffee."You should turn in. We'll get an early start tomorrow."

"Good thinking."

He nodded and stood slowly, stretching to loosen a back weary from sitting in a car all day. "I've got first watch."

"No, I'll take it."

Rinjirou frowned. "I just said I've got it."

Mamoru matched his intensity with ease. "And I said I've got it."

"Well, I said it first and I'm the future Knight-Commander of the Order of the Undying Sun, so I'll-"

Mamoru folded his arms across his chest. "Prince trumps Knight-Commander any day. Go to sleep."

Rinjirou grit his teeth. "You're acting like a child."

"Me?! What about you?"

He took a step forward and poked Mamoru in the chest. "So help me, I will-"

"By the ancestors!" Hino's voice thundered across the campsite from the tent. "Just let Rinjirou take the first watch so I can get some sleep!"

Rinjirou smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Goodnight."

For his part, Mamoru just rolled his eyes. "Fine. Wake me in-"

"Four hours." Their impromptu disagreement over, Rinjirou allowed himself a faint smile. "Get some sleep. I'll wake you, I swear."

"Very well." Mamoru raised his finger in warning, though. "Four hours."

"Yeah, yeah." Rinjirou watched him amble towards the tent before refilling his mug from the kettle. "Stubborn bastard."

"I heard that!"

He raised his hand in mock apology and settled back down on his makeshift stone seat, shaking his head in disgust. "I must miss Rei more than I thought. I'm chomping at the bit for a good argument!"

Hino's voice called out again, this time coloured by mischief. "And I heard that!"

"…damn it."

Three hours passed uneventfully. There was little wildlife around these parts, and that seemed especially true of the ruins themselves. The fog persisted, lending them a quiet, isolated quality that Rinjirou found quite peaceful. It had been a long time since he'd last camped under an open sky, and he was only now realising how much he missed it.

Such wistfulness didn't last, however. A dull, bluish glow sprang up on the hill above them, Rinjirou's eyes deciding the closest match was a torch of sorts. But I didn't hear any vehicles approach, he told himself, and we're a hell of a long way from the nearest town. Was it the Order, come to drag him back to Chaos? Who else would know to come here? Barely any trace of the castle remained; it was hardly going to be tourists at this time of night.

He crept over to their tent carefully and ducked inside, nudging Mamoru awake. "We have company."

The other man awoke immediately, producing a rose of all things from his jacket. "Who are they?"

"I'm not sure. The Order, perhaps? I-" His eyes widened as a shimmering blue blade slashed through the side of the tent, diving to catch it on his tantōs before it could cut into Hino's sleeping form. "Get him up!" He dove through the newly-formed flap without a second thought, crashing into a very solid person in the process. The hit was hard indeed, sending him tumbling to the ground. He managed to roll as he hit, though, coming back up in a crouch and looking up at... "What?!"

The pale, washed out figure before him was semi-transparent and clad in full plate. They wore a helm that obscured their face, the T-shaped slit dark and seemingly empty, with a longsword in their right hand. Rinjirou found the ensemble incredibly familiar but, in his shock, just couldn't place it.

It was a problem Mamoru didn't share. "An Exalted Knight?!"

Another ghostly figure rushed Rinjirou from the side, swinging a one-handed axe at his neck. He took the blow on his tantōs, barely able to deflect the heavy axe-head away from his flesh. Sure enough, a second look confirmed it: the armour was identical to what he'd seen in the Order's archives. He had never truly believed in ghosts but, after his mother and now these Knights, he was rapidly changing his mind. Avoiding a second blow, he managed to dance in close and land a strike but his daggers just skittered across the side of the chestplate. Hurting these Exalted Knights would prove quite difficult indeed.

The first 'ghost' approached Mamoru, his sword at the ready. "You'll find no riches to plunder here, villain, only the cold embrace of death."

"We're not grave robbers," Mamoru replied, with admirable calm. He kept his hands raised before him, careful not to make any sudden movements. "Nor are we your enemy. We were sent by-"

"All who trespass where the honoured dead lie must be destroyed." The Knight spoke in quiet, clipped tones with an air of grim finality. "Defend yourselves!"

He lunged forward, bringing his sword around in a horizontal cut intended for Mamoru's neck. With impressive speed of his own, Mamoru leapt back beyond his reach and extended his hand. A blur of red lashed out and burst against the Knight's helm in a cloud of petals; a rose. Seconds later, a flash of light marked the appearance of an even stranger weapon…

"A cane?!" Rinjirou called, as he dodged another swing from his own opponent. "Who brings a cane to a sword fight?" He had suspected Mamoru was the tuxedo-clad warrior from the shrine, but this seemed to confirm it. He actually threw a flower at him?!

Mamoru launched into his own series of strikes, actually driving the Knight back a few steps. "I'll guarantee this cane has seen more combat than you!"

Rinjirou was too busy dodging his opponent's axe to retort, much to his frustration. To make matters worse, the Knight held a large shield on his other arm. Combined with the axe, it was a difficult match-up; he found himself lacking in striking power, reach, and defence. They have the edge here. I can't get in close enough to strike and, even if I could, my tantōs aren't getting through that armour. Instead, he was forced to put almost all his energy into avoiding each swing of the axe. Not exactly a winning strategy.

Then, before he knew it, he slipped up. A simple overextension on one of his swings left him wide open and his opponent was quick to capitalise. One of his tantōs sailed into the sky, hooked by the axe, as the shield slammed into his face with a wet, painful crack. Rinjirou hit the ground hard, eyes wide and full of stars. His nose poured blood like a faucet, obviously broken, and his remaining blade was far out of reach. The squelch of a boot on wet dirt drew his attention, and he looked up to see another empty helm staring back down at him. A moment passed in silence before the axe rose, ready to descend…

"Stop this madness!" Once again, Hino's voice echoed across the hilltop. The short old priest stood in the open flap of the tent, one leg in his pants and the other…not. His briefs practically shone in the bluish hue of the ghost light, an overwhelmingly comical sight if not for their precarious situation. "Have the Exalted Knights fallen so far as to attack humble pilgrims to Caer Denerdhing?"

Rinjirou swallowed nervously as the Knight above him froze, then slowly backed away. It seemed the old man had gotten their attention, at least temporarily. He used the distraction to scoot backwards, searching the dirt around him for his weapons. Mamoru joined Hino's side, cane at the ready. It's still a ridiculous weapon.

The priest bowed slightly, clasping his hands before him. "These men follow the path of the Undying Sun. He-"

"The Undying Sun." The first Knight to speak practically spat his words. "The Impotent One no longer holds any sway here. We curse his name!"

Rinjirou couldn't help but snicker. "I'll have to remember that for our next chat."

Hino cleared his throat loudly, locking a pointed stare on him. "You're not helping."

Mamoru glanced over just a moment. "It is pretty good…"

"Enough!" The second Knight stepped forward, levelling his axe at Rinjirou again. "You claim to be pilgrims? State the reason for your journey, and quickly!"

He raised a hand in surrender, concealing the single knife he'd managed to recover behind his back. "Hino-sama speaks the truth. Hyperion sent us here to reclaim a sword. The blade he granted to the first Knight-Commander of your order upon its founding."

The two Knights exchanged an impossible-to-read glance from beneath their helmets, but made no moves to lower their own weapons. The tension grew with every passing second of silence…

"Speak up!" There was a youthful energy to Hino's voice that Rinjirou hadn't heard before. Here, in the face of danger and death, he was more confident than ever. "These men are here to reclaim Solguard, to forge the Order of the Undying Sun anew. Is your hatred for Hyperion so strong that you would deny your order a second chance at life?"

Solguard, Rinjirou echoed silently. I knew the old man was holding back.

Yet again, their ghostly opponents seemed to communicate silently. This time, though, the first gave a nod as both withdrew and lowered their weapons. "If you would claim Solguard, your mettle must be tested by those who came before."

"Prove your worth," the second agreed, clearly not a fan of the whole idea. "Face the Trials or die. It is your choice, pilgrim."

Rinjirou accepted Mamoru's hand, letting the other man help him to his feet. He raised his eyebrow in a silent question, and received a curt nod in reply.

"Name your trial," the reborn Prince called, with no hint of quiver to his voice.

That was good. Despite the unexpected nature of this encounter, he remained steady. What little respect Rinjirou held for him was beginning to grow, in spite of his personal feelings.

"If you wish to be, you must face those who came before you." The lead Knight sheathed his sword and began fading into the fog. "Fight with honour, or die well. Claim the blade…if you can."

They both vanished, swallowed up by the fog as it swirled around the campsite. It grew thicker, blocking out even the stars above. It began to flash, giving the appearance of lightning inside a cloud as it grew more and more intense.

"I don't like this." Rinjirou backed up as the clouds stretched towards him, wrapping around his arms with a very tangible presence. Mamoru swung at it with his cane but soon found himself caught as well, the cloud now engulfing all three of them fully. It was increasingly difficult to breath, and soon all Rinjirou could hear was the rushing of blood in his own ears. His chest rose laboriously as Mamoru swung yet again, hitting nothing before finally falling on his face, unconscious.

"Just…try to…stay…calm…" Hino's strained voice followed before he too succumbed, collapsing limp in the fog's hold.

Rinjirou tried to take one final, ragged breath, then fell to his knees, coughing furiously. The fog grew dark as his vision failed him, but that wouldn't deter him. He would go out on his own terms! With all but a few moments of consciousness left, he turned to Mamoru and shook his head. "A cane is…a really…really…stupid choice…for a weapon…" With that, his eyes rolled back in his skull as darkness claimed him...

"Wake up!"

Rinjirou groaned irritably as someone slapped his face. It hurt; a lot more than it should, in fact. Not just his cheek but his whole face, centred around his nose. Oh, right, he recalled. That wispy bastard broke it with his shield!

"Come on," another voice said, more gently. "We need you awake."

He tentatively placed it as Mamoru and gingerly opened his eyes. Sure enough, his favourite person in the whole world was staring down at him. He sat up slowly, grimacing at the taste of copper in the back of his throat…and froze. "Where are we?"

He sat on the cold floor of a large stone hall. Sconces flickered with flame, casting dancing shadows across the room. Thick, woolen tapestries adorned the walls around them, containing depictions of golden-armoured knights and various hideous beasts. The ceiling stretched high above, crisscrossed by large wooden beams that seemed to support the whole thing, banners and heraldry hanging from them in clear patterns.

Mamoru shrugged helplessly. "You're not going to like it, but we seem to have stepped into the past."

"What?" Rinjirou's eyes widened immediately. "You mean…?"

Hino nodded sombrely as he stepped forward, spreading his arms wide. "Welcome, Rinjirou, to Caer Denerdhing. It seems your Trial has begun."

AN: Well, this took a whole lot longer to finish that I'd planned but such is real life, right? In all sincerity, I am sorry for keeping you all waiting but writing time has been increasingly difficult to find of late. I really wanted to polish it off this weekend, though, because I'm at work for seven days straight from tomorrow and I didn't like the idea of taking a month between chapters. Hopefully, it doesn't come across as rushed because of that.

Some of you expressed a desire in your reviews for Ch. 1 to catch up with Rinjirou and Mamoru, and I hope it was worth the wait. I tried to match the banter from their earlier chapters together while showing they don't hate each other completely. Likewise with Grandpa Hino. It's been a lot of fun adding some additional layers to his character beyond "pervy old priest" and I hope you all feel the same.

This was originally a longer chapter - yes, yes, it's another cliffhanger - but by the time I finished polishing to this point it was already on track for five thousand words. One thing I was conscious of when planning RotEK was keeping my word count down, so I cut it. I actually feel it was a more natural break than my original draft, but I can understand if some are frustrated with the tease. We'll check back in with these two shortly. I plan to alternate chapters between Tokyo and "Team Rin-moru" until they eventually meet up again; it seems fairest to everyone and the plot.

Anyway, I hope the wait was worth it. Please let me know what you thought and whether or not you're enjoying the different dynamic in Wales. I always look forward to the feedback; it's how I know I'm on the right track...or not. Thanks as always for those of you who've read, reviewed, followed and/or fav'd since last chapter. I'll try not to keep you waiting so long for the next one!

Lisseas