Sailor Moon - Rise of the Exalted Knights

by Lisseas

Chapter Nine - A New Dawn Rises

Posted: 20/02/2017

"…Smythe…"

A cold sliver of fear worked its way through Mamoru's guts. The man should have been dead a thousand years or more, but there was no mistaking that clipped, not-quite-noble voice. This was the Paladin Smythe from Endymion's memories.

"It's been so very long…" Muscle and sinew continued to form, coalescing over the skull. "Yet here you are. Just as the creature said…"

"The creature?" he asked, stomach fluttering at the term. "You mean Chaos?"

"Yes. Chaos…"

Smythe sounded distant. Confused. Like someone waking from a deep sleep. Mamoru tried to ignore his discomfort, willing his reeling mind to focus.

"It's been a thousand years…yet you are Endymion…"

"I…" The words stuck painfully in his throat. He'd thought himself done with the guilt, the regret. He had accepted his past mistakes, hadn't he? Why, then, confronted with a literal ghost of that past, did he find himself scrambling to justify the opposite? "I'm not really Endymion. Not anymore. I was-"

"Semantics." Smythe's interjection was frustratingly calm. Almost matter-of-fact. "I'm dead, not stupid. You are Endymion, no matter what you choose to call yourself now."

"I…" Mamoru froze again, momentarily caught off-guard. It was true, though, and he reconsidered with a submissive nod. "Yes. You're right."

"Ahhh…" It came out as a long, protracted sigh. "Progress, at last." His form wavered a moment, revealing the bones beneath the façade. "And what is it you want from me? Why do you disturb my rest?"

Rest. It sounded like a line from an old horror movie; clichéd yet strangely fitting. Mamoru cleared his throat, an attempt to jump-start his vocal chords that was only partially successful. "Despite what you may believe…we didn't come looking for a fight. We came to talk."

The spectre spread his hands wide. "So, talk."

Mamoru ran a hand across his mouth pensively, wrestling with his next words before finally gesturing to Rinjirou. There was plenty of tension already without him inadvertently stumbling over a touchy subject. Better for someone else to do the talking, and who better than the former Order of Black Paladin?

He stepped forward with a curt nod. This was his time to shine; Mamoru only prayed he didn't mess it up. "Earth is in peril, Progen...er, Knight-Commander. Under siege. Chaos has taken control of the Order of Black. Corrupted it for its own purposes."

"Yes…" Bizarrely, Smythe sounded utterly disinterested. "Everything I built lies in ruins."

"So, you know what's going on up there?"

"I am not entirely blind to the world, no."

Rinjirou's confusion was readily apparent. "And…?"

Smythe's pauldrons rose and fell briefly in a shrug. "The Order is lost, and Earth will soon follow. Chaos has already won."

"Just like that?" Disbelief quickly gave way to burgeoning anger. "Don't you care?"

"This world is not the one I left behind. Nor is the Order of Black."

There it is. Disappointment washed over Mamoru like a cold ocean wave. This is the Smythe I first met atop that overlook. Bitter and angry; disenchanted. I knew the loss of his fellow Knights had changed him, but not to this degree.

Rinjirou was a little more direct in his response. "So, that's it? To hell with everything, just let the world burn? Don't you care?"

"I care." The spectral Knight spoke with just the faintest hint of emotion.

"So, show it! Help us!"

"I am dead," Smythe said, impassive. "I cannot help you now…even if I wanted to."

"Yes, you can." Rinjirou's eyes fell upon the scabbard hanging from his hip. "Help me save this world. Help us!"

Gauntlet-clad fingers shifted, wrapping tighter around the golden hilt; almost caressing the large amber gem embedded in the pommel. "I see. You didn't come for me, did you? No...you came for Solguard." There was a subtle shift in Smythe's tone, that same weary resignation now masking something cold, hard, even dangerous.

"We didn't even know you were here," Hino offered, perhaps sensing the same hardening of his voice. "How could we?"

"No…" Smythe met his gaze head on, head cocked slightly to one side. "How could you?"

"So..." There was an audible gulp from Fury. "Take it from me, boys. Skeletor's a few sandwiches short of a picnic."

Regrettably, Mamoru was forced to concur. This whole encounter had been thoroughly unsettling, and it was only growing more so as time passed. Smythe's entire demeanour felt off, his tone too. He was a walking, talking contradiction, alternating between apathy and almost...malice.

Rinjirou was able to maintain his composure, impressing Mamoru beyond measure. He was confronting a very real historical figure, someone he'd been conditioned to treat with near religious reverence, and doing a damned fine job of it at that. "I want to reform the Order of the Undying Sun."

"You do." It wasn't a question.

He swallowed nervously. "Yes. With the Order's fall, Earth needs new guardians. Guardians that work solely for the protection and betterment of its people." A faint hesitation. "The guardians it deserves."

"The guardians…it deserves?"

Mamoru shivered unconciously. Had the room just gotten colder? "Rinjirou, maybe you shouldn't provo-"

He must have spoken more softly than he thought; Rinjirou didn't appear to hear him. "Yes. The Order failed in its mandate, Progenitor. It turned to secrecy and murder, more concerned with self-preservation than its mission. That cannot be repeated. I won't allow it."

Smythe thew back his head and laughed, a cold, hollow sound devoid of any real humour. "You won't allow it. You?!"

"Yes, I-"

"You are just as much a murderer as any of those you once called brother."

Rinjirou looked as if he'd been slapped. "I am not a murderer."

"No? What of the pirates in Somalia?"

"That was a legitimate operation to recover-"

"Or something more recent, perhaps?" Smythe's eyes flashed with malicious intent. "The Hunters in Tokyo. Your fellow Paladins."

Rinjirou's voice was a low growl. "They weren't Paladins."

"Did they not take the same Oath you did? Did they not carry a sliver of the Oathstone within them?" A hint of cruelty entered his voice, somehow familiar. "You murdered two of your own in cold blood. Admit it."

The former Paladin faltered despite his earlier confidence. "I…that was self-defence, it-"

"Oh, come now…" Smythe's ebony plate gleamed under the torchlight as he moved closer. "I can see it in your eyes. You enjoyed killing them, especially the woman. She was a special case. She'd hurt you, and a whole host of others. She killed that poor, innocent man in the hotel. She tried to kill the girl. Rei…"

Uncertainty and fear were apparent on Rinjirou's face now. "How could you possibly know that?"

"I know everything about you…Rinjirou Payne."

The lingering fear in Mamoru's stomach hardened, forming into a cold ball of dread. How could he know that? He'd been trapped here for more than a thousand years; how could he know what had happened a few weeks ago, half a world away?

"Tell me..." Smythe's voice was suddenly stronger, no longer so distant and muted. "Why should I believe that you can lead the Exalted Knights anew? What makes you worthy of such an honour?"

"Because I…I…"

"Progenitor, with respect?" Hino moved to support his charge. "I have-"

"I asked him, not you!" The Knight-Commander skewered Rinjirou with a pointed glare. "Well, boy? What's the matter? Have you no words of your own?"

"I've been to Caer Denerdhing." He answered with a faint whisper, barely there at all. "I saw the destruction. I watched the order fall." His voice grew louder at Smythe's silence, his confidence returning. "I was there. I fought beside them against Beryl and her armies. We all did."

Fury raised an eyebrow. "I did?"

"Not you!" Rinjirou gathered himself, carefully locking eyes with Smythe once again. "Yes, Progenitor, I was once one with the Black. I killed in their name, in the belief I served Earth through my actions. Perhaps, if I could go back..." He trailed off, the genuine want and desire apparent in his voice. It lasted but a moment, however, as he took a breath. "But that isn't important. What matters is I saw something in that bloody field. Something I had seen before in my fellow Paladins." He smiled faintly. "Faith. Faith in something greater than individual glory. The desire to fight for what was right, with no expectation of reward."

Smythe didn't speak, but his fingers had loosened around Solguard's hilt.

"Even I judged the Order wholly evil, at first," Rinjirou confessed, "But I was wrong. That's on the Elders, the Council, and the senior commanders, like Harcourt. Many Paladins and Grunts, most even, they just wanted to serve the world they love. Be a part of something greater than themselves. Defend their world." He seemed to run out of words, an odd sight given his prior eloquence, but it had been an impressive speech nonetheless. "The Order of Black lost its way...and Earth deserves better."

Smythe studied him quietly for several seconds. "And better...is you?"

"I didn't say that," Rinjirou countered quietly. "The new Exalted Knights will-"

A bitter, almost sad chuckle emerged from the Knight's throat. "Do you really believe bringing them back will be that easy?"

"Not easy, no, but with Hyperion's help-"

Mamoru cringed, recognising the mistake as soon as Rinjirou uttered the god's name. "No, don't-"

"The Impotent One?!" Smythe's eyes blazed with an abrupt scarlet fury. "You're a fool to place your trust in his guidance." A single finger stabbed out at them like a knife. "You claim to have witnessed the fall of the order? Then you saw the ruin his neglect, his abandonment brought to us all! You would shackle a new order to his service so quickly?"

The odd speech patterns, the mood swings; Mamoru began to fear that Smythe was mad. There had been hints atop that overlook all those years ago, and they looked to have festered over the centuries that followed. Who knew how long he'd truly spent here in isolation?

"He's the only option I have." A hint of Rinjirou's usual stubbornness crept into his voice. "Maybe he is playing me, but I don't need to trust him; just his desire to destroy Chaos."

"Ever the pragmatist, eh?" Smythe straightened up as he began stalking around the sarcophagus. "What can't you justify?"

"What can't you?" Rinjirou retorted, growing angrier himself. "You made a deal with Chaos, Smythe, the ultimate source of all evil! Maybe I am a pragmatist, but what choice do I have? Someone has to clean up your mess!"

"My mess?!" Smythe's thrust a finger at Mamoru, his unexpected roar catching him off-guard. "This is his doing! He let us fall! He sold out Earth! First to the Moon, then Beryl!"

The accusation hit him like a punch to the gut. "What are you talking about?"

"I know you met with the witch in Castle Terra. You surrendered, didn't you, and handed over power to her! Your friends, the Shittennou, enforced the surrender! We received reports from many fleeing Elysion that night." His eyes burned with an unsettling crimson light. "Do you deny it?"

Rather than the usual guilt, Mamoru felt only pity for his former friend. The events he was describing had technically occurred, but he was misinterpreting them through a haze of bitterness and paranoia. Endymion had met with Beryl, but only because she'd corrupted his best friends and infiltrated his home. She had gained control of Elysion, but not through a peaceful surrender. She'd murdered his father, the King, and taken the city by force.

But that's all meaningless to Smythe, he realised sadly. He can't see the facts for what they are. He's blinded by thoughts of a man too caught up in his love for the Moon Princess...and that is true, at least to some degree.

"For the love of..." Rinjirou actually smacked a hand into his face. "Don't you see? That doesn't matter anymore! It's a thousand years in the past, Smythe! We can't change it! We have to focus on the here and now, on saving this world before-"

The Knight-Commander dismissed him with a flippant wave. "This world is doomed. Save it from Chaos, and you only hand it to Endymion and that Lunarian whore."

Mamoru bristled at the insult, but held his tongue. A brief pang of loneliness followed at the mere thought of her name. Usako...

"No," the wraith muttered, abruptly sounding so very tired. "Better Earth burn free than limp on in chains."

Rinjirou did something next that surprised everyone; he snapped. "You're a damned hypocrite!"

"And what are you?" Smythe's wild eyes locked first on Hino, then Mamoru. "Look at those you would call allies. A washed up old Cleric who broke his Oath. The literal Prince of Lies in Endymion." He peered curiously at Fury, his nose slowly wrinkling in disgust. "And this one..."

"Hi..." She cleared her throat, considerably less cheerful than earlier. "I'm Faye...?"

"Such a broken creature. She's turned on everyone and everything she holds dear, twice over!"

Mamoru was surprised by Fury's response. She didn't laugh, or lash out, or insult him as he expected. No, she simply shied away, shrinking in on herself. Her eyes hinted at a deep-seated sorrow and, for the first time, Mamoru realised she wasn't quite as carefree about her past as she'd have them believe.

"You accuse me of hypocrisy," Smythe growled, with another step, "Yet stand with these wastrels and call them friends?" His image flickered again, revealing the grim, skeletal figure beneath. "How could I give up Solguard to you? How am I to believe you could reform the order?" His expression hardened, eyes narrowing to fine points. "You couldn't even save Megumi." Again, cruelty entered his voice. "Or your mother."

"Uh-oh," Hino murmured.

Rinjirou snapped bolt upright, grinding his teeth audibly. "Hand over Solguard, Smythe. Now."

"No." The ghostly Knight extended his arms, violet energy crackling around them. It flowed through his fingers and into the statues around him. "You will have to take it from me. If you can..."

It all happened so fast. There came a low, creaking groan...then another. They rose up, a slowly mounting symphony of tortured, shrieking metal. The cacophony reached its final, terrible cresendo, and the four brass knights lurched to life. One by one they tore themselves from their bases, bringing their swords to bear.

Mamoru studied them carefully, taking an uneasy step back. Just like their master, they were too clean, too polished. Too...new. There was little to no sign of wear or decay, no patina of any kind. That was all somehow familiar, too, but his mind was too frazzled to place it.

The tell-tale ring of steel on steel followed as Fury drew her katana. "This is somehow completely unsurprising."

"For once," Rinjirou said grimly, brandishing his tantos, "We're in agreement."

Hino spread his feet slightly apart, turning side-on as he gathered his hands before him. "I don't like it any more than you do, my boy."

The terrifying honour guard clomped towards them, fanning out in a loose wedge formation intended to surround them. They paired off as they neared, taking one target each in a classic display of divide and conquer. Mamoru readied himself, eyes darting to his own opponent…and that's when he saw it. Four pairs of feet working in unison. Perfect unison. Each knight had its own individual target, but they were moving as one to reach them. And then, the battle commenced.

Rinjirou moved with exceptional speed, bouncing off the nearest knight with a dull thud. He glanced down at the tantōs in his hands, offering a mild curse as he rolled. Immense by comparison, a huge broadsword cut through the air above his head with a heavy 'whoosh'. He barely had time to react before a second was upon him, slamming its own blade into the stone at his side. The lithe, smaller man swung around it and moved off, creating some much needed space.

Mamoru nodded approvingly. That was smart. He had no chance of deflecting attacks like those, not with his tantōs. They were just too heavy, too powerful. No, Rinjirou was far better suited using his speed and agility to his advantage. These brass knights appeared relatively slow so far.

The second took a threatening step in Hino's direction, perhaps sensing an easy kill, but Rinjirou was having none of it. He danced around a clumsy thrust and raked both knives across its flank, narrowly avoiding its retaliatory backhand. It was thoroughly ineffectual as an attack, but worked wonders as a distraction; both statues were now pursuing him.

A furious exchange rang out to their right. Fury had met her own opponent far more aggressively, driving its opening strike off with her katana and swinging at its legs. Sparks flew as she nicked the metal surface, but the knight was unfazed. It was a fine blade to be sure, but never intended to cut through solid brass. The Sailor Marauder was forced into retreat, hissing in pain as the knight cut into her reinforced shoulder guard and the flesh beneath.

Mamoru blanched as a shadow fell over him. The remaining knight loomed above, torchlight gleaming off its sword as it swung for his head. He barely caught it in time, driven to one knee by the impact. His arms ached with the strain, completely unprepared for just how hard these automatons were hitting. It swung at him again immediately, and again, completely unwavering in its assault. He had no time to react or plan a counterattack; just holding it off was taking all his effort!

Rinjirou was caught in a similar position, falling back before two of them. They slashed at him over and over, working almost as a single entity...

That's it! Mamoru channeled what little strength he had left into his arms, pushing the knight off him for just an inch of separation. He needed a moment to think, to put it all together. His left hand came up to unleash a golden blast into its midsection, staggering it just enough to allow for withdrawal. Unison. These statues move in perfect unison. I'm sure I've heard that before. Recently, in fact. A sudden bolt of inspiration struck as he circled the recovering knight. Setsuna! When she told me about Chaos' attack on the Space Time Door, she said it was accompanied by four Hunters. Only they weren't Hunters, they were Constructs. Chaos' imperfect attempts to replicate Constructs!

He risked a glance in Smythe's direction. The Knight-Commander's eyes flashed with evil intent, darting about the room as if trying to take in everything humanly possible. His fingers wriggled like those of a puppeteer, manipulating strings only he could see. Smythe was controlling the brass knights directly and, moreover, Mamoru now knew exactly what he was.

Unfortunately, he was out of time. His left bicep burned with sudden pain as the knight came at him again, a smattering of crimson now staining its massive sword. He was more embarrassed than hurt, truth be told. He'd allowed himself to be distracted, and considered himself lucky it hadn't taken his head off instead. Grimacing, he risked one more blast of Golden Crystal energy. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as it blew half the thing's face off. He was growing stronger, slowly getting the hang of it. All he needed to do now was handle...it.

Smythe was Chaos. It was the only explanation that made sense, but something nagged at his sense of logic. It didn't feel right. Mamoru had faced a multitude of aspects in the past, not to mention the creature itself, and they always exuded a certain unmistakable aura of evil. Awful, crushing, hopeless evil. So where was it? Why couldn't he feel it, and what did that make Smythe?

Maybe I'm wrong, he realised, as a new and especially unsettling possibility popped into his mind. Maybe it is Smythe, in a way? Maybe his bitterness and anger were so strong that they tapped into Chaos' power, anchoring him here in this place?

That would explain his remarkable longevity, not to mention his Chaos-like powers and abilities. Setsuna had described the Hunter Constructs as independent, acting without a visible signal from 'Thorn', but these statues seemed more...robotic. They were clearly being controlled by Smythe, in real-time. So he wasn't anywhere near as strong as Chaos itself. He probably wasn't even as strong as most of the aspects they'd encountered in the past.

No, Mamoru decided wearily, he really is a ghost of sorts...and that gives me an idea of how to level the playing field. He breathed out gently, trying to slow his racing heart. His thoughts turned to his own power, visualising a ball of strength within him. It flared, growing stronger, and he began to change. First, the mask. It melted away, followed by the rest of his outfit. Tuxedo Mask wasn't all that helpful here; there was someone else he needed to call upon.

"What are you doing?!"

He barely heard Rinjirou's cry, too focused on his own thoughts and emotions. For too long now, Endymion's guilt had weighed upon his shoulders. He'd felt shame, regret, even second-guessed his own decisions as Mamoru. Now, however, came an opportunity to change that. A chance to make things right.

There was an ominous groan above him as the brass knight positioned itself, bringing its sword down on his head. Its damaged face was calm, even peaceful, in unsettling contrast with its continued aggression. He took the hit on his cane, his fevered understanding driving him on with renewed vigour. Struggling, he managed to push off, driving the knight back a step. His cane extended with but a thought, pulverising what remained of its face with surprising ease. The entire head fell apart like brittle stone, chunks of brass crashing to the floor.

"No!" Smythe sounded surprised. "Impossible!"

The cane shimmered in Mamoru's hands. It flattened at first, then widened. Twin prongs sprouted from the shaft above his hands, forming a hilt. In seconds, he instead held a gleaming sword. His sword.

"I failed you. I know that, and I'm sorry."

He spoke softly as the transformation took hold. Any remnants of his tuxedo faded completely, revealing the torn, dirty fatigues beneath. The very air itself began to shimmer around him, like a thousand tiny fireflies. They melded, joining to form larger shapes. Leather straps, metal plates; sleek, black armour, trimmed in silver. His armour.

"I placed my trust in the wrong people. I wasn't there for you as I promised." Endymion lowered his sword with a slow, steady exhale. "I didn't want to see what was happening in Elysion. I didn't want to accept what I'd seen with my own eyes."

It was working. The remaining statues were slower, less focused in their movements. Their attacks lacked the same strength of before. He'd drawn Smythe's attention, just as he'd hoped. The question now was how to keep it...and what he was going to do with it.

"I chose to believe Kunzite's lies. I could have spoken with the nobles regardless, even believing you'd been recalled. I could have tried to convince them, rally them. I could have done something, anything...but instead, I ran." It felt good, almost cathartic to confront his past like this. He just had to hope he could reach what remained of the real Smythe. "I didn't mean for any of it to happen like it did, Smythe. Please, believe that. Nobody else has to pay for my mistakes."

"Mistakes?!" His distraction appeared to be working; Smythe was furious! "You left us all to die! Not just my brothers and sisters, but everyone! The entire world!"

Endymion, as he truly considered himself at that moment, hadn't realised it until now...but he was angry too. He'd seen more than his share of death of late, and much of it could be laid squarely at the Order's feet. Indirectly or not, Smythe had to accept his share of the blame as well. "And that justifies your deal with Chaos? You can't put that on me."

"Oh, but I can. After Hyperion's abandonment, your betrayal, and Beryl's slaughter, what was left? I had nothing, Endymion! Earth was defenceless! There was no-one left to protect it, to ensure its survival! None brave enough or strong enough to stand against the Moon Kingdom." His anger faded and, for just a moment, there was a hint of who he'd once been. "When…it came to me and showed me what the future held, I was…dismayed. A world in chains, vassal to those who'd promised protection and guidance…yet shunned us in our hour of need." His eyes dimmed, very human in that moment. "I knew then I couldn't let that happen. I wouldn't."

The remaining statues stood motionless, the battle ceased. Rinjirou, Hino and Fury looked on warily, encircled but still very much alive. Violet energy swirled in Smythe's palm, crackling around his fingers as he spoke. He'd been distracted, yes, but he could send his brass soldiers after them again in an instant. They had to keep him talking.

"It offered a deal. Power, strength; enough to ensure my order would survive, at least in some form. Enough to ensure Earth would be protected, kept safe from the scheming of the Moon Princess and any others who might threaten it."

"But at what cost?!" Rinjirou snapped, very much irreverent now. "How many needed to die for your Order, Smythe? How many innocents? How many Paladins were murdered by their brothers?"

"It was never supposed to be like this." The spectre faded slightly, shrinking before their challenge. "The price was to be mine to pay, and mine alone. Such was our accord. One life in exchange for the future of Earth. It seemed more than fair."

There it is, Mamoru realised. The final piece of the puzzle. Smythe literally sold his soul to found the Order of Black. That's how he came to be here now! He belongs to Chaos. It allowed him to live on, perhaps as a sick form of torture. Trapped in this place, forced to watch as it corrupted everything he'd built. That would drive anyone insane, given enough time. It almost produced more guilt, but he was done accepting blame where there was none to be had.

"I'm sorry, Smythe, I truly am, but that was your choice. All of it."

"Yes," the Knight-Commander agreed bitterly, "I suppose it was…" His eyes flashed crimson once more. "But it was your choices that determined my path. Choices you'll only make again if I allow you to live."

"I'm not the same man," Endymion countered warily. "I've changed."

"No…" Smythe muttered, almost a growl. "No, how can I believe that? Look at Rinjirou, who despises you and those you care for." He gestured dismissively at Fury. "And this one! You've seen but a fraction of her true depravity, yet you trust her blindly, even forgive her!" Rinjirou met his challenge head on, staring back at him unflinchingly. Fury's response, however, was once again one of meek acceptance.

"I know exactly how Rinjirou feels about me." Endymion was calmer than even he expected. "But he's an honourable man. I trust him to make his intentions clear should we ever find ourselves in conflict." A faint nod from the former Paladin only bolstered his confidence. "And Faye has proven herself twice over, Smythe. I believe in her desire for redemption, and her right to a second chance." He gave her a gentle nod. "How could I not, knowing my own past?"

"Thank you," she said softly, with perhaps the first genuine smile he'd ever seen from her.

"Unacceptable!" The ebony-clad Knight stomped back and forth, never taking quite enough steps to be considered pacing. "The Order of Black is as much your legacy as mine, Endymion. Your hands are just as stained with blood!" He drew Solguard, but the rusty blade refused to shine, even under direct torchlight. "I may be damned, but you must share my fate. Let us both pay for our crimes!"

The statues snapped back into action, raising their weapons again. Hino grunted with exertion, balls of flame now gathering in his palms. Rinjirou and Fury exchanged a terse nod and moved to defend him. Endymion allowed himself a sigh, resigned to the fact there was no peaceful solution here. Smythe's long-gestating hatred simply wouldn't let him consider it.

"Very well."

The Knight-Commander lunged with a furious roar, thrusting at his chest with Solguard. The blade's tarnished appearance stood in stark contrast to the rest of him, his armour and bones remarkably well preserved beside its dull surface. Endymion had a theory and, remembering his old training, took the hit head on. Solguard skittered across his chest without doing any real damage, revealed as a thoroughly mundane weapon. Satisfied, he countered, taking a swing of his own that had just as little impact. Real sword weren't at all like their movie counterparts; they weren't particularly useful against plate armour.

A sudden blast of flame lit up the tomb, sending a wave of heat pulsing outwards. Fire streamed from Hino's hands, engulfing the hulking figures that threatened Rinjirou. They continued their advance, pushing through his assault, but the magical flames were taking a toll. Rivulets of molten brass dribbled down their forms; their legs seemingly bowing under their own weight. The old man probably couldn't keep it up for long but, with luck, it would be enough.

Fury broke from her own opponent, dashing towards them with a shriek of pure, primal rage. Her katana began to shimmer, wrapped in the same scarlet energy of her attacks. It continued to expand, a crackling mass of, well, fury that surrounded her form. She blew by the first knight without slowing, sparks flying in her wake. It wobbled in a moment of indecision then collapsed, sliced neatly in two at the waist.

She turned her gaze on Smythe, lips curled back in a vicious snarl. "You're next, Skellington!"

Endymion couldn't help but be intimidated. True, she was on their side - and she wasn't exactly textbook 'insane' anymore - but her Fury persona was no less terrifying for it!

Whack! A sudden impact against his armour staggered him. Smythe had seized his moment of distraction like any seasoned fighter would, landing a solid blow to his chest. The blade hadn't cut into his flesh, but he was sure to be bruised later. If he survived. Cursing his lack of focus, Endymion ducked under the follow-up swing and launched an attack of his own. The clash of steel rang out in rapid succession as Smythe repulsed him with consistent ease. He had the clear advantage in a straight up fight. He'd always been the superior swordsman, and Endymion hadn't exactly kept up with his training since being reborn. That does it. If we make it through this, I'm asking Corey for regular practices!

He feigned a high cut, 'aiming' for the Knight-Commander's head. Smythe responded as expected, exposing his torso in the process, and Endymion struck. He drove a palm up into the spectre's armoured stomach and 'pulled the trigger', so to speak. Pure, golden light lanced out, the Golden Crystal making short work of the ebony cuirass and bone in its path. Smythe tore away with a feral snarl, clutching a protective hand over the smoking 'wound'. His armour's flawless finish was now tarnished around the damaged piece, as if it had aged a thousand years in seconds.

"So, I can hurt you." His confidence was rising. All he needed were a few more good hits. If he could just keep Smythe off-balance...

It wasn't meant to be. Smythe batted his guard aside with a single swing and drove an armoured fist into his gut. Endymion retched as his armour collapsed inwards, pressing into his flesh. Another hit caught him in the chest, driving any remaining air from his lungs along with it. He managed to duck under the next hit, aimed for his neck, only to fall in a gasping heap on the floor. Instinct kept him going, his fingers searching blindly for his weapon, but a boot to the face ended that endeavour quickly. Stars danced before his eyes, a strange, high-pitched whine ringing in his ears.

"And so, it ends." Smythe's ghostly countenance stared down at him, impassive. "You are dead, and I am free to return to this world. Free to continue the good fight."

"The…good fight?"

A skeletal grin showed through his features; a literal death's head. "I have removed one threat to this world in you, but another remains. Your precious Moon Princess." His grin turned decidedly cold. "Or should I say...Usagi?"

Endymion flinched at the screech of tearing metal yet, strangely, he felt no pain. His eyes opened slowly to see a shimmering red blade protruding from Smythe's chest. Fury's grinning face popped out from behind him, decidedly murderous.

"I can't let you do that, sweetie."

Smythe responded with a wordless growl. He wrenched himself forward, tearing the sword from her grasp, and span to face her. She fired a thin red beam from her finger that went wide as he struck, backhanding her hard. Fury hit the far wall with a sickening crunch and fell, unmoving, to the floor.

"I don't recall asking your permission, creature." He tore her katana from his back, tossing it aside almost carelessly. "You are nothing to me! An ant beneath my boot!"

"An ant?" Endymion's burning lungs protested fiercely, but he carried on regardless. "Do you even hear yourself? This isn't you, Smythe. It never was!"

It was enough to give the Knight pause. His human features were fading now, revealing a skull far more decayed than he remembered. Empty, black eye sockets glowed with an unnatural red light.

"You were never high and mighty," he added, with another wheezing cough, "And certainly never cruel. That's not you, it's Chaos!"

Solguard's blade quivered slightly as Smythe's grip wavered. "That's not true."

"I finally understand what happened to you." Endymion struggled to sit up, his ribs aching painfully. "Chaos took your soul, as promised. It consumed you. Ate you! And that's how you came to be here." He shook his head in disgust. "You're nothing but an afterthought. A memory! An insignificant little piece of Chaos that thinks it's Paladin Smythe!"

Louder, now. Angrier. "That's not true."

"Then where is Smythe's fire? His passion? It's not gone; you just never had it!" He had to keep him angry. Off-guard. That was their only chance. "You speak of the Order's failures, call them a lost cause, but the Smythe I remember would never give up so easily. He'd own his role in events and he'd fight!"

"Shut up..."

"But you just want to sit here feeling sorry for yourself." Endymion took as deep a breath as he could manage and unleashed his final blow. "You just want to watch the world burn. Just...like...Chaos!"

"Shut up!" Smythe's eyes blazed with crimson fury. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" He landed a stiff kick to Endymion's face that left blood dribbling from his nose. "I'm through listening to your lies, Endymion. I should have killed you a long-"

He lurched as a familiar tantō was jammed into his unprotected neck. Its twin was thrust up and under Smythe's armpit, a classic and effective killing blow if he were still alive. Rinjirou wasn't waiting, though, seizing upon Smythe's brief lull to dive for Solguard. He snatched the Knight's wrist in both hands and dropped, pulling his whole arm down on both knees. The bone gave way with a terrible snap, and Smythe's fingers relaxed...dropping their prize right into Rinjirou's waiting hand.

"No!" he howled, with a hint of desperation. "How?!"

"You took your eyes off the prize. Got a little distracted with Endymion here." Rinjirou nodded towards a pile of brass slag in the corner. Hino stood by it, breathing heavily but otherwise unharmed. "Forgot to move your toy soldiers."

"You insignificant child!" Smythe advanced on him, a crazed look on what remained of his features. "I'll tear you apart! I'll-"

Rinjirou raised Solguard before him in a guard position, and it flared to life. A blinding light rippled down the blade, burning away the tarnished surface to reveal pristine, golden metal beneath.

Smythe recoiled, arms shielding his face. His armour dulled in a reverse display, now looking every bit as old and worn as thousand-year-old metal should. "Solguard is mine!" Gone was the grim, authoritarian presence of the Progenitor; in its place, the petulance of an angry child. "It is-"

"IN WORTHY HANDS ONCE MORE!"

Endymion flinched in spite of himself. Doubly annoyed, he looked about for the source of the voice and finally saw it; an abnormally tall figure comprised entirely of fire. It's arm stretched out towards Smythe, abruptly burning even brighter.

"BEGONE, DEMON. I'LL NOT SUFFER YOUR PERVERSE EXISTENCE A MOMENT LONGER!"

Solguard's aura intensified and Smythe began to quite literally disintegrate. Armour, ghostly flesh, and bone alike flaked off, drifting into the air around him like ash in an updraft. He let out a horrible, gurgling cry as his lower jaw hit the floor, yet still managed to draw a small knife from his belt. "I'll destroy you!"

Rinjirou stumbled out of his way, barely avoiding the thrust. He lashed out with Solguard, a wild and clumsy swing that struck the stone at his side. Smythe laughed, now little more than a mass of ash inside his armour, and lunged again. Rinjirou grit his teeth, growling with effort as he got the blade up and drove it into Smythe's ebony chestplate. It was over in an instant; with nary a scream or anguished cry, Knight-Commander Smythe of the Order of Black exploded, leaving behind but a few faint wisps of smoke.

Endymion sagged, suddenly exhausted. It was over. Smythe, whatever small part of him might have remained, at least, was finally at rest.

Hyperion's flaming avatar studied them in silence, a brief moment of respite before the walls shook with his voice again. "IT IS DONE. YOU HAVE RETRIEVED SOLGUARD FROM CHAOS' GRASP, AND PROVEN THE STRENGTH OF YOUR FAITH."

"...my what?" That was all Rinjirou managed before Hino whacked him across the arm. "What?!"

"Bow your head, idiot!"

"LIKEWISE, ENDYMION, YOU HAVE FOUGHT THE DEMONS OF YOUR PAST AND PREVAILED. YOU ARE NOW READY FOR WHAT IS TO COME."

He didn't bother with a reply. He suspected it didn't matter what he said at this point.

"I GRANT YOU THIS BOON, AS A REWARD AND A SYMBOL OF MY POWER."

With a brief flash of light, Rinjirou was clad in the familiar armour of an old Exalted Knight. After getting used to seeing him in tight, form-fitting armour or fatigues, it looked almost comically large on him.

"THE UNDYING SUN DAWNS ONCE MORE, AS IT SHOULD BE." The burning entity straightened, an act Endymion took as pride. "NOW GO FORTH. REBUILD MY ORDER, AND RESTORE THEM TO GLORY. ACT ALWAYS WITH HONOUR AND VIRTUE, RINJIROU PAYNE. I SHALL BE WATCHING."

The flames died away until he faded from view, and Solguard finally dimmed. Rinjirou himself seemed dumbstruck, glancing down at his new armour in stunned silence before spreading his arms wide. "That's it?" He directed his cries to the ceiling, in the classic manner. "How the hell am I supposed to sneak around in this?!" His efforts to pace only produced several loud, clanking footsteps, prompting a fit of laughter from Hino.

It was amusing, no doubt, but Endymion had more important things on his mind. He struggled to his feet, fighting off a wave of dizzying nausea, and limped over to Fury. She lay on her back by the wall, conscious and even calm. Blood marred her forehead, pooling slightly between her left eye and the bridge of her surprisingly dainty, upturned nose. He'd never really seen her up close like this before, and she wasn't quite as...rugged as he'd expected.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine." Her familiar London accent was almost a relief. "That Smythe guy hits like a girl." She sat up slowly, with some help, unable to mask the wince as she did so. "I hope that hit didn't knock me loopy again. I'd hate to have to gut you in a homicidal rage, especially after you were so nice to me before." She managed a brief, aborted giggle at his wary retreat. "That's a joke, Tux. I don't think it works like that."

He wasn't sure if it was his own concussion, or if he was just finally getting used to having her around, but he began to laugh with her. Fury smiled as he offered her a hand, her own laughter strangely subdued. Until she saw Rinjirou, that was, and burst into a fit of howling, manic laughter all over again.

"What?" he grumbled, caught somewhere between embarrassment and an angry scowl.

"No offence," she managed, wiping tears from her eyes, "But you look like a little kid playing dress-ups!"

"Oh, shut up." His attempt to sheathe Solguard met with near disaster as it caught on the scabbard and nearly cut into his leg. The man was obviously not experienced in the use and care of swords. "It's not like I asked for this!"

Fury finally quietened down, wincing as she dabbed at her forehead with the back of her hand. "I said no offence, Cranky Pants. Geez!"

Endymion only managed a tired smirk as he finally let his transformation fade, reverting back to plain, old Mamoru. A wave of pain followed, no longer held in check by magic, but he didn't care. Even knowing the truth behind Smythe's appearance, he didn't feel much like being his former self right now.

"I have to get out of this." Rinjirou began fiddling with his pauldrons, but he clearly had just as much experience with full plate as he did with swords. As in, not much. "Uh..." He shot Fury another dirty look as she brayed like a hyena, but left it at that.

"Where to now?"

The words slipped from Mamoru's lips before he could stop himself. Worse still, he knew where he wanted to go, but he could hardly say so. Smythe had been right about one thing: his alliance with Rinjirou was tenuous at best, founded on convenience and circumstance over any true camaraderie. It was true they shared a mutual respect for one another, and their abilities, but the other man was still very much wary of him and his motives.

And I can't blame him, he admitted silently. All I want after this ordeal is to see Usagi's face. To hold her in my arms and pretend, for just a little while, that the world isn't going to hell. I want that more than anything right now…and that is dangerous.

He'd done the same thing before, during his first life as Endymion, and it had cost the world dearly. Maybe it was egotistical to believe his presence would have made all the difference, but he could have tried. Instead, he'd taken the first chance he got to abscond for a night with Serenity; Smythe hadn't been wrong there.

I can't afford to fall into old habits again, he told himself. Falling to pieces over Usagi isn't helpful, no matter how much I miss her. And so he decided to stay quiet.

Rinjirou shrugged, his expression darkening briefly at the comical clank that followed. "We regroup." He glanced at Hino as he took a deep breath, nodding faintly at some silent exchange. "I expect you might like to check in on your girlfriend, and I wouldn't mind seeing if…" He bit down on his bottom lip, trailing off again. "That is to say, a bunch of powerful allies sound pretty good right about now. Although I would like to take another look around the city for any surviving Paladins..."

"You are in need of recruits," Hino agreed, with a weary smile. "And they're certainly qualified."

"And if we smash a few more of those Paladin monsters while we're at it," Fury quipped, "Then all the better!"

"Alright, then. There must be some safehouses and arms caches left. Any survivors would likely head there. I would, anyway." Rinjirou gestured to the tomb's large, iron doors, rolling his eyes at another metallic clank. "For god's sake, how does the Guardian Knight manage?!"

"Maybe he's just better than you?" Fury offered slyly.

"I will murder you."

She grinned cheerfully. "No, you won't."

"…No," he admitted tiredly. "I suppose I won't."

"I knew it. You're warming up to me."

"Oh, god, just shut up."

Mamoru followed wordlessly, smiling at their exchange but truthfully bleak on the inside. Corey was the last person he was thinking about. Instead, he saw the smiling faces of Usagi and Chibiusa. He'd been away too long already…but they knew how to look after themselves. Didn't they? Yes, and they had everyone else there to protect them. He had to believe that, because the alternative was…well. It just wasn't pleasant.

Hold tight, everyone. We're coming. It may not be today, or even tomorrow…but we're coming, and we're bringing help.

AN: And, after much delay, so ends Act 1 for Rinjrou, Mamoru, Grandpa and Fury. God, I wanted to get this out earlier SO BADLY but real life decided to kick me in the face and leave me for dead. It isn't worth going into here, though. Suffice to say, I finally got the time and headspace I needed to polish this chapter off, and I think I'm happy with it.

I'm a little drained - call it twelve or so hours straight of working on this today! - so I'm not going to go into my motivation and thought process like I usually do. You probably don't care anyway, right? ;-) I just appreciate you all so much. Those who read, who review, who have favourited or followed; all of you! Thanks so much for your continued readership, even after huge breaks like this one; you keep me motivated when I get all frustrated and wonder if I should even finish this ridiculous epic!

Anyway, I hope it was worth the wait. I look forward to your feedback, critical or not, and I'm going to do my absolute level best to avoid another lengthy delay like this one. I'm trying, guys, I really am! Until next time!

Lisseas