Sailor Moon - Rise of the Exalted Knights

by Lisseas

Chapter Three: The Senshi Divided

Posted: 24/07/2016

The ceiling was far from perfect. Various shades of off-white blended into one another, struggling in a meaningless battle for dominance after years of repainting and touch-ups. Rei stared up in silence from her makeshift bed of coats, barely even blinking. She felt strangely numb despite the events of the past few hours, a dull ache from her right shoulder the only real sensation she remembered. The bullet was a distant memory, Ami had seen to that, but the hole in her shoulder remained. Rei would have preferred stitches, but her friend assured her it was best to let the wound drain and how could she argue with a medical student?

The miko had yet to really cry. She felt like she should, like she needed to, but the tears just wouldn't fall. Even knowing things could have been worse did little to help her mood. Any relief at her grandfather's absence was tempered with the dread of having to explain everything upon his return. How was she supposed to tell him the centuries-old shrine had been wiped from the face of the Earth?

Corey was her only company at the moment, slumped against the same wall as always. He had little to say, it seemed, remaining silent while Ami examined his wound and redid his stitches. Neither Senshi had felt like pushing him to talk after the tension of the past few days, and Rei herself felt no urge to try mending fences. Perhaps it was selfish, especially in their present situation, but the fault lay with Corey in her eyes. Let him be the one to make the first move.

No, she would save her concern for Usagi. Deep down inside, beyond her own grief, she worried for her friend. Usually so bright and vibrant, Usagi seemed almost broken after what had happened. As Rei thought about it, she found herself puzzled. Yes, she was obviously taking Michiru's death hard, but this was a near-total collapse. It broke her heart to see Usagi in such pain, even more when she considered there was probably little they could say or do to console her. A brief pang of guilt struck her own heart, owing to her own grief. I know I should feel something over Michiru, but I just can't. Perhaps my heart is at capacity? Does that make me selfish? Do I care even if it does?

She was startled from her thoughts by a sudden bang; the breakroom door. Ami emerged in a clear state of panic. "Rei!"

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's Usagi, she…" Her friend took a deep breath and tried again. "She's gone!"

Rei's shoulder ached in protest as she sat up far too quickly "What do you mean she's gone?!" A look at Corey revealed little to no reaction. He barely seemed aware of them at all.

"I mean she's gone!" Ami repeated, gesturing into the breakroom. "I didn't even notice at first, too busy treating Haruka's wounds, but Hotaru saw her take off through the window."

The miko felt her shoulders slump, ignoring the ache that came with it. Usagi…

"Rei? Did you hear me?"

She couldn't bring herself to answer with anything more than a long sigh. Once, a long time ago, she had slapped Usagi across the face in a similar situation. I demanded she act like our leader, tore right into her over checking out on us, but how can I fault her for disappearing this time? I'd disappear too, if I could. Hells, with the way things are going, maybe I actually can?

Ami dropped into a crouch before her, frowning deeply. "Well? Should we go after her?"

"Go after who?" Sailor Jupiter pushed her way through a clothes rack, an odd choice given she could have just gone around it. Her entire demeanour was off, though; she was clearly agitated. The rest of the 'recon team' followed behind: Chibi Moon, Pluto and finally Venus in the rear. "What's going on? What did we miss?"

Rei noticed it immediately; the tension. She'd always been quite well attuned to the emotional state of her friends, and there was a lot of negative energy between the tall brunette and Venus. What've they gotten into now?

"It's Usagi," Ami explained, hugging her own elbows uneasily. "She's gone."

"Gone?" Pluto repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You mean taken?"

"No." The blue-haired girl couldn't quite mask her distress. "She…left willingly."

Chibi Moon stepped forward, eyes darting towards the open breakroom door. "You mean she ran away?" Her own disappointment was palpable, dwarfing anything the miko felt. "Usagi..."

"She probably went home," Rei murmured, rubbing her aching shoulder absently, "and can anyone really blame her?" A gentle but bitter sigh slipped out. "I'd go home…if I still could."

Silence followed as her friends digested it all. Then, Venus spoke up. "We should look for her."

Jupiter's reaction was immediate. "I'm not so sure she'd want to see you."

More silence; the tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Rei struggled to her feet with the wall's assistance and shook her head. "What's wrong with you two?"

"Someone thinks she's a better Sailor Senshi than the rest of us," the brunette snapped, thrusting an accusatory finger in Venus' direction. "We don't have a conscience either, apparently, and-"

"Enough!" Venus' abrupt snarl caught everyone by surprise. "I tried to apologise, Makoto, but you've completely shut me out, haven't you?"

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of all your excuses!"

The blonde slammed her fist into the support pillar beside her in a very uncharacteristic act. "I made my choice, and that's exactly what it was; my choice! Not Corey's, not anyone else's; mine!" Her hair whipped around her face as she shook her head, abruptly changing pace. "But that's fine. You're not listening, and I'm done trying to convince you. Any of you. Believe whatever the hell you want to!" A third prolonged silence followed as she stared them all down, then finally stormed off into the store.

"Wonderful," Pluto muttered, the first to speak as she took Chibi Moon's hand. "Come on. Let's see how Hotaru's doing."

The pink-haired Senshi shot Jupiter a dirty look as she followed, her jaw clenched tightly. Whether it was simple inability or unwillingness, Rei was relieved she added no jibes of her own to an already volatile situation. The breakroom door closed behind them with a soft click, leaving them alone.

Ami cleared her throat quietly. "Perhaps we should-"

"Who does she think she is?!" Jupiter demanded, gesturing after the long-gone Venus. "She doesn't get to be mad, not after what she did! Calling out Usagi like she was some Dark Kingdom creep bent on world domination…"

"You got into it again." It wasn't a question; Rei uttered a long, drawn out sigh as she massaged her now-aching temples. First Usagi disappears, and now this. After all the evils we've faced do we really end up imploding?

"I…" The taller woman paused a moment, running a hand through her hair with an exasperated sigh of her own. "Look, maybe I pushed her a little far, but I just…I just want an apology so damned bad! For me, yes, and for us…but for Usagi most of all. She may not have said anything, but Minako really hurt her. Friends don't do that!"

The weary miko bit her bottom lip gently in contemplation. "So what, we cut her out? She's not just our friend, Mako, she's a fellow Sailor Senshi. The leader after Usagi!"

"And we can't trust her to be objective."

She ran a hand over her face, realising in that moment exactly how tired she really was. "I guess not. Usagi's plan wasn't exactly her most inspired, or the cleanest, but she's our friend. We owed it to her to stick by her, no matter what. That's what friends do."

"Right," Jupiter agreed quickly. "It's not like we were planning on killing anyone. Going in there wasn't some automatic guarantee that people would die."

Ami finally spoke up. "I'm not so sure. Things are a little too complicated to say either way."

Rei frowned momentarily. "No, I get what she's saying. We've pulled our punches before. Who says we couldn't do it again?" A dejected sigh slipped out as she grimaced. "Right. I guess Minako does."

Jupiter sank onto a stack of unopened boxes, arms folded across her chest. "We've fought before, but I'm not sure I see a way out of this one."

"So that's it, huh?"

Rei jumped, Corey's long-silent voice catching her off-guard. I almost forgot he was here.

"To hell with almost six years of friendship, and the world right along with it?" He pushed himself up against the wall, grimacing in pain. "One disagreement, one refusal to toe the line, and Minako's out on her ass?"

Jupiter glared back at him irritably. "Thanks to your protest. If you hadn't gotten it into her head that Usagi was wrong, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

Corey met her gaze unwaveringly. "I didn't realise disagreeing with Usagi was such an affront to your sensibilities."

"It isn't." Ami's normally soft delivery carried an undercurrent of coarse tension. "You're putting words in our mouths."

"Am I?" Corey asked, folding his arms across his chest. "Minako said she thought Usagi was wrong. Is that such a-"

"Do you really think that's why we're mad?" It was Rei's turn to wade into the fray, annoyed that he still didn't get it. "Minako was there the whole time. She agreed with us at first, and only flipped her opinion after she went home with you."

"Exactly," Jupiter added, with a disappointed shake of her head. "She wasn't standing up for love or justice, despite her claims. She was standing up for her relationship with you. She chose you over her friends!"

Corey's bitter laugh was the last thing any of them expected. "No, she didn't."

"Sure," Jupiter said, punctuating it with a disbelieving snort.

Ami's stare was an odd mix of accusation and apology. "That seems very unlikely."

"I wish she had," Corey muttered, turning to stare further into the store. "I'd love nothing more than to rub your smug faces in it, but I can't…because Minako didn't choose me." His shoulders slumped a little, his voice growing quiet. "She made that all too clear."

Rei studied him in silence, abruptly uncomfortable. She knew on some level that Jupiter was venting, and would likely regret her words in the future, but they were walking a fine line. Minako always had been principled in her own right. Were they doing her a disservice with their accusations? Corey was good at a lot of things, but acting wasn't one of them. She could hear the pain in his voice, see it with his movements; he really was hurt that she hadn't taken his side.

Jupiter, however, wasn't buying it. "You expect us to believe she just changed her mind on a whim?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" he countered, turning back around. "Can you honestly tell me that none of you questioned Usagi yourselves, not even for a second?"

"No." Rei didn't even hesitate, though her voice came out quieter than she'd planned. "I didn't. She needed me, needed us, and I was there." It was easy to admit. I love her, and I would do anything to keep her safe.

"So was I," Jupiter agreed. "How could you look at her fear, her concern for Chibiusa's safety, and be anything but supportive? How could you see it as anything but love? And how can love be bad?"

"Because it can lead a person to do terrible things." Corey's eyes lingered on each of them in turn, a strange note of almost regret in his voice. "Some overt, like Uranus and Neptune's turn, and others far less obvious…like a Guardian Knight's inaction."

The tall brunette Senshi shook her head emphatically. "That's bullshit and you know it. Don't try and compare Usagi to the Outers, or even your ownmistakes. She's stronger than that."

A long, weary sigh slipped from his lips. "God, you Senshi are never wrong, are you?" He shook his head bitterly. "Right, I forgot. You're the good guys; of course you aren't."

"You're the only one saying that," Ami said, with obvious irritation. It seemed even her patience was being tested today. "We've never claimed we're always right."

Corey shrugged in response. "And yet you shut down any dissent or debate, like it's unnecessary. Do you not see how arrogant that is?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jupiter asked, with fresh anger. "All Usagi wanted was to rescue Chibiusa, and you accused her of plotting on some Queen Beryl level of evil! Now you're saying...what? We're not good?"

"Who's twisting whose words now, Makoto?"

It was like she hadn't even heard him. "Never mind the fact you defended Titus just seconds prior to turning on Usagi."

Corey's expression tightened immediately. "Leave him out of this."

Rei shared his sentiment. They were headed down a dark path, one being fed by the fear and anger of their current situation, and if they didn't stop soon…well, she didn't want to see the result. "Hey, Mako, let's just take a breath and-"

"He actively lied, cheated and manipulated people to get his way, but as soon as Usagi decides to go after Chibiusa you get cold feet and imply she's a murderer in all but name? Why defend one type of bad behaviour and not the other, Corey? How does that make any sense?!"

"Everything Titus did, he did for the good of the team." Corey took an ominous step forward, looking every bit as imposing as his powerful six-foot-five frame implied. "He certainly never advocated such a happy-go-lucky approach to killing people, and there's a hell of a difference between that and lying! He…" The Guardian Knight seemed to falter, studying the floor at his feet intently. Several seconds passed before he spoke again, much quieter. "I don't know why I even tried. This is pointless."

After waiting for Ami or Jupiter to speak up, Rei took a deep breath. "Look, we're all on edge. We-"

"Maybe we're just…incompatible?" Any aggression was long gone now; Corey just sounded tired. "It makes sense, doesn't it? Your number one focus is your friend, your Princess. You see everything in black and white, right and wrong. Good and evil." His eyes widened, as if in realisation. "But I can't go back to that world view. I promised Titus I'd see this through…"

The miko frowned, not liking where this was going. It's like he's talking to himself now. "Corey, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying…maybe I'm the problem? We keep going around and around in circles, but you'll never get past this while I'm standing here as a constant reminder of what happened." He ran a hand across his mouth, wide-eyed. "Luna was right. I need to step back, give you time to reflect. Otherwise, I'll just drive you further and further away. From me, from Minako, from…from everything." He took a deep breath of his own and nodded as if answering a silent question. "I do. I...I have to leave."

"What?" Jupiter abruptly lost some of her fire. "What are you talking about?"

"Minako," he said softly, almost sadly. "I won't be the reason your friendship falls apart. I won't be the reason the Sailor Senshi fall apart."

"And you think leaving will help prevent that?" Ami broke her own silence, practically pleading. "Yes, things have been a little strained of late, but we're still friends, Corey. We need your help, we-"

"No, you don't." A sad smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "You never have. All you need…is each other." He sighed again and extended his hand, summoning his sword. "Remember Minako's your friend too, and she was for a hell of a long time before I showed up. Talk to her, please. Make this right, find Usagi...and stop Chaos."

"Wait!" Rei reached out as if to grab him. "You're not thinking clearly! I mean…" Desperate to save the situation, she cried the first thing that came to mind. "What are we supposed to tell Minako?!"

"Tell her…" Corey's sad smile persisted. "No. She already knows." He raised his free hand in a faint, barely-there wave. "Stay safe. Despite everything that's happened, I mean that. Sincerely."

Rei instinctively brought a hand up to shield her eyes as his sword flashed with a blinding gold light. As it cleared, and she lowered her hand…Corey was gone.

"He really left," Ami murmured, as she sank down onto the stack of boxes behind her.

"Yeah." Jupiter shimmered briefly as her uniform vanished, leaving Makoto standing in her place. "I don't believe it…though I guess we shouldn't be that surprised after last time."

An uncomfortable silence followed, nobody really willing to say anything. Then…

"Bravo."

Rei wheeled about to find Sailor Pluto standing in the now-open breakroom doorway, applauding in an uncharacteristically sarcastic fashion.

"Tokyo burns around us, Chaos roams its streets, and you'd rather turn on each other than focus on our enemy?"

"This isn't our fault!" Rei argued, trying her best to ignore the sudden ache in her chest. "You know what happened, Setsuna, what Corey did! He broke our trust, and Minako…" She trailed off abruptly, uncertain of her own argument. "She changed her mind, she…she appeared to take his side." Maybe Corey was lying, she continued silently, but my gut says he wasn't.

"Rei's right," Makoto added quietly, with far less resolve than earlier. "How are we supposed to trust him or her after they hurt us?"

The Guardian of Time was difficult to read at the best of times, but Rei caught a hint of disappointment in her eyes. "You might remember the times Corey saved Usagi's life, or even your own. That he's a good man at heart, and if he saw a need to go against Usagi he must have had good reason." She gestured after Venus, though there was still no sign of her. "Consider how hard it must have been for Minako, what a terrible position she found herself in. Ask yourselves how difficult it must have been to speak out against you all, and what your younger selves might have to say about all this." She closed her eyes with a weary sigh. "I don't suggest they're entirely free of blame in this, but responsibility doesn't rest on their shoulders alone."

Silence again, before Chibi Moon's voice called out from behind her. "Puu? Hotaru's awake."

Pluto turned, but hesitated. "Consider the future, my friends. Divided, we may not have much of one left." She stepped inside and the door closed behind her again.

Ami sighed and buried her face in her hands, looking utterly dejected. Makoto turned away, planting her hands on her hips as she kicked an empty box at her feet. For her part, Rei lay back and resumed an awkward stare-off with the ceiling. Instead of dozens of specks, however, she saw her younger self's face staring back at her…and she wasn't happy at all.

Come back, Usagi. We need you now more than ever.

Minako awoke with a start, very confused. A few seconds passed as she regained consciousness and placed her surroundings. "The store? Wow, I guess I was a little more tired than I thought." With the wall as support, she was able to make it to her feet with a minimum of pain. The dull throb from her knees was an unpleasant reminder of their battle with the Chaos Paladin, though, and her fight with Sailor Jupiter afterwards.

"Why can't Makoto get it through her thick skull?" She stretched carefully, grimacing as something in her lower back popped. "This isn't about Corey; it just looks that way! How many times do I have to say it?!" There was no answer, of course; she was utterly alone. That left one, singular truth as fact. "Like it or not, I suppose I can't hide from everyone forever. The world needs the Sailor Senshi; they're just going to have to get over it."

She trudged between racks of winter clothing, utterly oblivious. Next season's look was the furthest thing from her mind as she neared the Senshi's makeshift 'camp', preparing herself for more abuse. The blonde could be stubborn though, she accepted that. They were wrong and she was right. Mako had pushed her buttons earlier, but she knew she could keep her temper in check this time. The high road; that was the path she'd settled on.

"I'm back!" she called, as she stepped into the Senshi's makeshift 'camp'. Silence was her answer, an unexpected outcome. Rei's haphazard pile of coats lay empty, their makeshift box 'seats' likewise. A chill raced down Minako's spine as she turned in place, taking another look. "I wasn't gone that long, was I?"

A glance at her communicator proved fruitless. The 'watch face' was dark, along with the interior. "It was working on the way back here, I'm sure of it. How did it…?" A frown crossed her face as she took a step towards the breakroom door. "Hello?"

Still there was no response, and Minako began to worry. Had her friends left to find Usagi? Wouldn't they tell her? Had they tried and failed with her apparently broken communicator? Worse still, Makoto couldn't be so mad as to completely ignore her, right? What about Setsuna and Chibiusa? Had they left Hotaru and Haruka behind? Even more concerning, where was Corey? He certainly wouldn't leave without telling her! A dense, unpleasant ball of dread began forming in her stomach. "Did something else happen while I was asleep? Why didn't I hear it?"

At that moment, an unexpected sound fluttered through the air from the breakroom itself; muffled laughter. Minako crept closer, pressing her ear against the door as she listened intently for anything else.

"Got any twos?"

"Go fish."

There was an exasperated sigh. "This is stupid."

"You're stupid! Now quit your whining and draw a card!"

She pulled away in astonishment, even more confused than a moment ago. Both voices belonged to her. "But that's impossible. I'm me!" Curiosity won over caution and she reached for the door with a gentle push. It opened just enough for her to peer inside, and what she saw left her questioning her own sanity all over again. Four other Minakos sat around a small table…

V-chan, Princess, Other Me, and Goddess…

A series of long-forgotten memories flashed before her eyes, memories she'd long thought a dream. She realised her mouth was hanging open and promptly closed it, blinking in disbelief. "It was real?!"

Her doubles had all aged with her, it seemed, mirroring her own growth over the years between. The biggest surprise was Sailor V, given she'd looked thirteen when they last met. Perhaps it's not such a big surprise after all, she admitted, given I dug out my old pen not that long ago. She remembered a sense of wonder and even satisfaction with her older, more 'filled-out' appearance in the uniform, a thought she couldn't help but echo as she looked on. It's a classic outfit for sure, and I wear it now better than ever.

Other Minako, still clad in her same old white tee and blue overalls, sighed and tossed her cards into a pile. "I fold."

"For the love of…" V buried her face in her hands with a pained groan. "For the last time, ditz, we're playing Go Fish!"

"Indeed," Princess said, raising an eyebrow at her cards. "None of us even know how to play poker, dear. Do try to keep up."

Another Minako sat to her left, smirking beneath a raised eyebrow; Goddess. "Nothing says we can't give it a shot. I mean, I can't be the only one who thinks gambling looks like fun. We start out small-"

Her three counterparts turned to her in unison. "NO!"

"Ugh," she muttered, rolling her eyes disdainfully. "I'm surrounded by No-Funakos!"

It was such a surreal scene. Minako – the real one, as she reminded herself – leaned in closer, lost in long-forgotten memories. Every unpleasant image was coming back to her; especially exactly how close she'd come to losing her mind for real.

"This is boring," Other Minako whined, folding her arms across her chest. "Can't we go to the arcade instead? I hear they just got the new Speed Master 5000, and-"

"Those games," Princess retorted, using honest-to-goodness finger quotes, "will rot your brain."

"Whatever you say, grandma."

Minako clamped a hand over her mouth to suppress a sudden giggle. Unfortunately, she lost her balance in the process and tumbled forward, pushing the door open as she landed face-first on the floor. The pain was unpleasant, but it had nothing on the embarrassment she felt in that moment. "Ow…" With some effort, she managed to get herself up on all fours…and found herself looking up into four pairs of familiar blue eyes. "Um…hi?"

"It's about time," V growled, glaring down at her over folded arms. "We've been waiting."

"You have?" Minako asked, cringing at her squeaky tone.

"Yeah. I've got a bone to dig with you."

"I'm pretty sure that's not how you-"

"Quiet!" V was a little angrier than she remembered from her last...visit. Psychotic break? "You and I need to talk."

Minako scrambled to her feet, looking to the table hopefully. "Can I get a little help, girls?"

Other Minako grimaced apologetically. "Sorry, Me, but V has some legitimate grievances."

"Huh?" She stared back at her 'ditzy' self in disbelief. That was downright intelligent!

"Plus she's way scarier than you are!"

"Yes," Princess agreed, rising carefully from her chair. She wore the same resplendent gown, though it had been repaired after her impromptu tear-job. "I'm not exactly your biggest fan myself, either."

Uh-oh. What'd I do?! Minako took another step back, laughing nervously. "You, uh…you sound more like me this time out. Less, um…archaic?"

"You made me a caricature!" Princess Mina, as she now appeared to be, rolled her eyes and cleared her throat almost daintily. "Wouldst thou privy aid mine quest to regain mine ailing memory? Verily, the truth lies behind yonder wall, concealed by that most devious of ginger scoundrels." She finished with a very unrefined raspberry, making it very clear that the Princess of old was long gone. This really was the Mina she now remembered being.

"Well, of course it sounds stupid now," Minako countered defensively. "In my defence, I don't recall ever making you sound that bad."

Her regal self was shoved aside by an impatient Sailor V forcing her way between them. "We weren't finished, Minako!"

"Okay, V, okay. What did I do that was so bad?"

"You shut…me…out."

Minako felt her brow furrow in confusion. "What?"

"You said we were all equally important, all of us, but it turned out to be nothing but a bunch of pretty words!"

"I don't know what you're-"

V cut her off again. "Think about the last week or so, everything that led you here. When Corey was making his stand against Usagi and the others, I was right there with you. Your conscience, Minako, telling you exactly how you felt…and you ignored me! Heck, you tried to bury me just like Goddess!"

"It's not the same thing," Minako argued, as her smirking double gave her a little finger wave. "I mean, I did listen…eventually…"

"But not because it was the right thing to do," Mina observed, gown swirling around her as she took a step closer. Her eyes held sadness and disappointment; not a nice thing coming from your former self. "Not at first. You knew it was a dangerous path from the beginning, but you bowed to pressure after one long look at Serenity. It was blind love and loyalty leading you that day, not your heart."

"I just…I froze up, alright? I've never had to even consider going against my friends before!"

"You remember Corval's devotion, don't you? I would never have asked him to compromise what he believed in for me, yet you did so for Serenity without a second thought. She didn't even have to ask you."

V took over again in a clear two-pronged attack. "Then you flipped on those beliefs again after Corey confided in you. Is it really so hard to see where Mako and the others are coming from?"

"But…Mako was…" Being told off by one version of her was difficult enough to argue with; two made it all but impossible. Maybe I'm the one who's been unreasonable? Am I…am I the bad guy here?!

"You even backed everyone against poor Titus," Other Minako agreed, no longer quite so cheerful. "I know he could be a real jerkface at times but he always looked out for Corey, and the rest of us." She folded her arms across her chest, about as upset as she'd ever looked. "He deserved better, Me, and you know it."

Mina nodded gently, her disappointment clear. "I thought you were better than this, but it seems you still have much to learn about leadership."

"And now you're paying the price," V agreed bitterly.

Minako felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. She stared back at V, now her equal in age, as a tear slid down her cheek and the floodgates opened. It wasn't easy taking such shots from yourself. "I've really made a mess of things, haven't I?"

"You really have." The Senshi wasn't easing up just yet. "Be mad at Mako for pushing you, sure, but don't act like you're innocent in all this. It was your indecision that led to this divide. Ami, Rei, Mako, even Usagi; you agreed with them first, then went off with Corey and came back the next day with a completely different opinion. What were they supposed to think?"

"That…I caved." Minako slumped against the doorframe, utterly dejected.

"Then, you talked at them instead of engaging in discussion." Mina wasn't quite as aggressive in her delivery, but her criticism hit pretty hard regardless. "You lacked empathy and respect, dismissing their concerns without truly addressing them. Is it any wonder they eventually stopped listening?"

"You're right," Minako admitted, wiping her eyes absently. "All of you. I brought this on myself. If I'd been strong enough to say no in the first place…"

"Well…don't be too hard on yourself." V squeezed her shoulder before pulling her into a full-blown hug. "They were still wrong, after all, and Mako pushed you way too far out there. I'm okay with a little righteous anger as long as it's deserved."

She almost laughed, but the shame was too strong. "I'll...keep that in mind."

"YAY!" Other Minako joined their embrace, positively beaming. "I'm so glad we're all friends again!"

"Not all of us," Mina countered haughtily, with a dramatic sniff. "Honestly…old English and a shoddy short-term memory. Was that really the best you could do?!"

"Are you serious? That's what you're mad about, not me tarnishing your legacy or anything?"

The Princess shrugged indifferently. "I'm proud, what can I say?"

"I knew zip about your life at the time," Minako argued, raising her hands in surrender. "No Corval, not much Serenity, just…little snippets. It was how I thought I might sound!"

"If the Silver Millennium had been produced on a Hollywood backlot, perhaps." A moment passed as her regal counterpart studied her, then finally relented. "I suppose, if you're truly ready to start acting just a little more like me, I can forgive your earlier…indignities."

"Ooh, now that was Princess-like! The haughty tone, the 'I'm doing you a favour but not really' line; it's-" Minako froze as V began waving her hands in a frantic 'stop' gesture. "I mean...I really am glad I finally remember some of my time as you. The real you. Um…me?"

Other Minako nodded in agreement. "God, Corval was dreamy in that Guardian Knight uniform. The armour too, of course, but that was harder to get him out of…" She shrieked in surprise as V clipped her across the back of the head.

"Cut it out, perv. Now's not the time!"

The energetic blonde shot her a deep pout. "It's never the time as far as you're concerned…"

The Senshi rolled her eyes and turned back to Minako. "We need to wake you up."

She nodded as everything suddenly made sense. "So I am dreaming. I was beginning to worry about my head again…"

"You mended the schism last time," Mina reminded her gently. "None of us are truly here, at least not in the same way. You needed guidance, so your subconscious brought us back to life."

"Wait, so I was mad at myself for getting you so wrong last time?"

Her Silver Millennium counterpart smiled wryly. "Well, I am inside you somewhere. Is it so difficult to believe?"

"Focus, please," V said, with a snap of her fingers.

Minako nodded quickly, feeling a blush rising in her cheeks. "Right, right. I guess it's time to wake up. I need to fix things with Mako and the others before it's too late."

"Atta girl."

"One last question, though, before I go." The real Minako, as she reminded herself, turned to the table...and her final self. "Nothing to add, Goddess?"

Her double yawned. "Nope. I couldn't care less about any of this."

There was a loud smack as V's palm hit her forehead. "You are the absolute worst sometimes!"

"Why? Minako has you three goodie-goodies to guide her here. I'm concerned with more personal matters, our future as an idol among them." Goddess' eyes flashed angrily as she pounded a fist into the table. "Have you even stopped to consider how hard it's going to be to find work now that Chaos has trashed the city?"

"Oh, god!" Minako cried, eyes widening in abject horror.

"Damn right!" Goddess agreed. "We worked so hard to get back into the industry, suffered so many humiliations-"

"That tampon jingle was the worst," Other Minako muttered acidly.

"-and now we're busy cleaning up that monster's mess instead of chasing our dream!"

Minako was beside herself. "All that hard work, all those auditions and small-time resume jobs. All of it, right down the-"

"Oh, no, you don't!" V growled, grabbing her forearm with an evil grin. "Sailor V…Pinch!"

"OW!" Minako awoke with a start, pinching her own forearm. She rubbed the sore skin irritably, her mind whirling with various oddball imagery. "A dream…and the meaning was all too clear." Any traces of her anger were now a thing of the past, replaced with a curious mix of guilt and shame. All of this is my fault, caused by my indecisiveness…and I need to fix it. She scrambled to her feet, ignoring her aching knees, and headed back towards her friends. "My conscience may have laid it on a little thick, but I know what I have to do. I have to make this right before it's too late!"

AN: Phew, finished this one off a little quicker than I anticipated. Under two weeks from my last update, haven't managed that in a while. The joys of the real world, am I right? I was going to resolve the Senshi conflict all in one chapter, but after my second round of polish I realised things were already stretching out and I liked the idea of a little more suspense beforehand. Therefore, we'll visit Mamoru and Rin against next chapter as planned before popping back to Tokyo in Chapter Five to see how our favourite Moon Princess is doing. The second half will probably resolve the leftover angst from here instead.

The Head Trip callback was something I wanted to do, just sort of confirming it IS Lisseas-canon, lol. Plus, I was interested to see how "Princess" might act after getting her Silver Millennium-era memories back and it was fun to have her mock Minako's "old English" visualisation. Goddess didn't have as big of a role as I planned, but she seemed right at home continuing to reflect some of Minako's darker, more selfish impulses. Considering gambling, ignoring the inter-Senshi squabbling in favour of their idol future...Minako might have realised she needs her but it doesn't mean she's going to change completely.

Anyway, this was a difficult chapter to write - writing the Senshi REALLY fighting feels like it goes against their characters sometimes - but I feel like I got there in the end. I tried to show neither side here is truly right or wrong. Thanks so much for your continued readership, and for any reviews, favs or follows since last chapter. I'm pumped to get back to the Exalted Knight storyline and see what comes next for Rin, Mamoru and Grandpa - even I'm not 100% sure on everything until I write it! I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll be back with more soon.

Lisseas