Sailor Moon - Rise of the Exalted Knights

by Lisseas

Chapter Nineteen - An Interlude; Difficult Conversations

Posted: 08/11/2017

The confines of Juuban High School were familiar, even comforting; Usagi had spent a large chunk of her teenage years in this building and, in a strange way, it was nice to be back…even if it was only for a little while.

"That's it. Try to relax."

That was Doctor Mizuno, dutifully tending to another of her many patients. When first hearing about this 'clinic', Usagi had pictured something on a smaller scale, but Ami's mother had never really been one to settle. Their old school had been transformed into a small hospital, complete with two wards and a complement of doctors. Sure, it had an improvised feel and lacked many of the modern conveniences, but they were doing plenty of good regardless.

"You're safe here."

That made Usagi wonder. While the school building itself was fairly unassuming and built to last, the Senshi themselves made it a target. Can anyone ever truly be safe around us again?

"You okay?"

Just like that, with a gentle nudge from Rei, she was jolted back to reality. Ami's mother managed a weary smile as she passed by, off to see her next patient. And we have no shortage of those, thanks to Chaos. So many people hurt, or worse…

"Hey." The miko nudged her again, a little harder this time. "We are safe here. For the moment, at least."

Usagi wasn't so sure, but her own feelings on the matter weren't important. Every one of her friends was nursing an injury or two. The fact was they needed time to heal up, and, with Chaos' forces split, that time was now.

"You're spacing out like your old self, Odango," Rei noted, in a teasing manner. Concern slowly crept onto her face, though, as the seconds ticked by. "Seriously, are you sure you're okay? Maybe we should get Ami's mother back to take another look at you?"

"I'm fine," she answered hurriedly, shaking free from her contemplations. "Just thinking about what comes next. Chaos and its goons won't stay gone for long. As soon as we're all healed, we have to-"

Rei grabbed hold of her shoulders tight. "Just stop, Usagi. Take a break. I think we're all entitled to one after the last few weeks."

Usagi's gaze wandered across the makeshift ward. Minako sat on one of the beds, a doctor just now finished treating her burns. She offered a little wave, prompting a smile in return. Then she saw how far away Justice was standing, and her good cheer faded a little. I hope they can work things out.

At long last, she gave Rei a reluctant nod. "I suppose we could all use the rest." It seemed dishonest somehow, as she thought back to the shrine. We haven't earned this rest…and I'm not sure we can afford it. She scanned past Makoto, leaning against a wall a few beds down from Minako, and cringed at her numerous bandages. What will this recovery time cost us in the end?

It made her sound ungrateful, but she knew that wasn't true. She was relieved to have her friends at her side again, safe and sound. As much as she'd chosen to leave Mako and Minako trapped, it was a difficult decision…and one that left her feeling just a little residual anger. If Justice hadn't been so stubborn, if he'd come with us to the shrine…

No. Her own internal voice of reason was quick to stifle that particular fantasy. It all would have happened exactly the same way, except with Corey there to protest just like he did over London...and things would be even worse. He'd be gone again, and those people would still be dead. An unhappy sigh fell from her lips as she realised how truly pointless it was to second-guess herself. I can't put it off for long. I have to tell him eventually. I have to tell everyone. Even…

Rinjirou nodded thoughtfully as he strolled into the classroom-turned-ward, still clad in his one-size-too-big armour. "Not a bad setup for a civilian operation. You obviously had nothing to do with it."

Usagi fought the urge to snap back and wound up grinding her teeth instead. He was already getting on her nerves, as abrupt and abrasive as ever. No wonder Rei likes him. They're practically the same person at times…though the armour almost makes me laugh. Almost…

Her raven-haired friend didn't seem to be feeling particularly warm herself, as she skewered him with a trademark death-glare. "Now is not the time, you. We've been…"

She trailed off abruptly as the classroom door opened again. Usagi turned, confused by her silence, only to smile broadly at the sight of a familiar, stout old man.

"Grandpa!"

For once, there was no feigned anger or irritation; Rei simply rushed him, wrapping him up in the tightest hug Usagi could remember seeing in quite some time. There, in the moment, she couldn't help feeling envious. All she'd wanted since Tuxedo Kamen first dove from that helicopter was five minutes alone with him, but it hadn't happened. Now Rei had been reunited with all her missing loved ones...and she was left standing alone.

"I'm so glad you're back!" Recovering a modicum of her typical restraint, Rei pulled away, flashing a brief but honest smile towards Rinjirou. "Thank you for looking after him."

His surly façade faltered but a moment. "Well, I promised, didn't I?"

The old man was far less impressed. "By the ancestors, girl, I'm not some senile old fool. I helped too!"

"Of course you did, Grandpa."

"I did!"

Usagi turned away, actually laughing for the first time in a while…only to freeze at the sight of black armour and wild, blonde hair.

"Hiya, Moonbeam!"

Her heart skipped a beat as Sailor Fury – Faye, she reminded herself quickly – brushed past a visibly annoyed doctor and into the room. It was an unconscious reaction, of course; she knew Fury wasn't here to hurt anyone based on their earlier encounter on the street. Not that it explains how she came to be alive again, or why she showed up with Mamo-chan and Rinjirou.

"Fury?!"

Usagi cringed at Minako's shocked cry. There'd been little time for warnings or recaps after their flight from the shrine, and if anyone was entitled to be startled…

"I mean…Faye?! What…what are you doing here, and why are you wearing…that?" Minako leapt off the bed, tensing up noticeably as one hand disappeared behind her back. "Are you…feeling okay?"

Justice, still quiet, had already drifted to her side. The Guardian Knight was unreadable as ever under his helmet, but one gauntlet-clad hand dropped slowly to his sword...

"I'm fine," the Marauder cooed, shaking her head as if unaware of the contradiction. "I'm not all evil again, if that's what you're asking."

"Oh. That's…good?"

It was at that point that Usagi interjected, rushing between them to explain. "She showed up to save us with Mamo-chan and Rinjirou. I guess she's here to, uh…help?"

"Yep," Fury agreed, bobbing her head repeatedly. "What she said."

"And helping means killing more people?" Rei demanded, stomping over with a reluctant Rinjirou in tow. "I saw you back there, hacking your way through those soldiers without a care in the world!"

"Well, yeah, but it's fine."

The miko glowered back at her. "How so?"

Fury appeared even more confused than usual. "They were bad guys?" As if she'd just explained it all, her focus returned to Minako and she squealed excitedly. "Oh, it is so good to see you again!"

Minako practically jumped out of her skin as Fury went for a hug. The Marauder paused a moment, a confused glaze over her eyes before the proverbial light-bulb went off above her head.

"Ohhh. Right, I get it. I did try to kill you. A lot!" She backed up a step and made a strange, sweeping gesture with her hands, like she was wiping an imaginary table. "Say no more, sweetie. You take all the time you need, okay?"

"Uh-huh…?"

Usagi began backing up, mouthing 'sorry' to Minako as she went. The door opened a third time, and time itself seemed to slow to a crawl as two of Rinjirou's new Exalted Knights entered…followed closely by Mamoru. It hit her like a wave of heat, equal parts love and lust rushing through her very being in an explosion of overdue emotion.

The Knights barely had time to dodge as she quite literally flung herself at him. "Mamo-chan!"

"Usako." One arm came up around her, his fingertips tracing little circles over the small of her back.

Her eyes began to fill with tears of relief. "I…I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again."

"Hey, now…" He lifted her chin, gently guiding her gaze up to blue eyes sparkling with humour. "I'd never let a few ghosts or Hunters keep me from you."

She wasn't quite sure how to take that one. "Ghosts…?"

"I'll tell you all about it later," he said with a chuckle, planting a soft kiss on her lips. "Promise."

Usagi just about melted. After so long apart, after so many trials and tribulations, so much strife and turmoil and straight up pain, she felt utterly at peace in his arms. She could just let go a moment, let the last few weeks drift without consequence for a few precious seconds. I wish it would never end. Maybe we can just stay like this forever, and…

"Ahem."

Of course. Usagi pulled herself from Mamoru grudgingly, glaring daggers at Rinjirou. He didn't seem fazed, however, glaring right back with a familiar scowl.

"If you're quite finished," he muttered, "I should really be getting back to inspect our new facilities." With just a moment's hesitation, he extended his hand…to Mamoru. "I couldn't have made it this far without your help. It was…well, it wasn't all…I mean…"

Clearly sensing his struggle, Mamoru reached out and shook his hand firmly. "It felt good to actually get out there and do something. Make a difference. And it turns out you aren't so bad either...once I got to know you."

The new Knight-Commander actually laughed, much to Usagi's surprise. "Yeah. You too."

Now free of Rei's clutches, Grandpa Hino also shook Mamoru's hand. "I hope to see you again soon. All of you."

Usagi smiled hopefully at Rinjirou. "So, does this mean you don't think we're the bad guys any-"

"I'll reserve judgement," he answered quickly. "At least until all this is over. My main concern right now is establishing our presence in Tokyo, and saving as many people as possible from Chaos."

"Yeah, about that…" Makoto finally spoke up, limping across the room. "This is a pretty big target as it is, and now we're all here to boot." She gestured to Usagi and Rei in turn. "Can we really afford to stick around? We're putting these people in danger with our presence."

"What?" Rei sputtered, folding her arms across her chest. "Mako, they're far safer with us around to protect them than they are on their own!"

"It's us Chaos wants, Rei. Not them."

Sensing an impending explosion of conflict, Usagi intervened quickly. "Chaos wants to hurt us. If that means taking out this place, it will." She paused, suddenly uncertain of her own position. "I know we were talking about some sort of patrol at one point, but with so many of us hurt…"

"Don't worry about it." Justice pushed off the wall behind him, rising to his full, imposing height. She sometimes forgot just how tall he was in comparison to most of them. "I can look after the school. It is in my job description, after all." At their blanks looks, he sighed audibly. "Guardian Knight? Just let me do what I'm supposed to and guard. I'll keep these people safe."

Grandpa Hino nodded solemnly. "I'm sure you will, Justice-sama."

"Please don't call me that…"

Rinjirou summoned his compatriots with a quick wave. "You'll have two of my Knights on rotation as well. We'll maintain a regular presence here and protect these people. Unlike the Order of Black, we won't forget our first duty."

He span on his heel and strode out into the corridor, followed quickly by Hino. His Knights, a tanned, dark-haired woman and a bald – or perhaps simply shaved – man stepped further inside, apparently taking in the floorplan and layout. They paid Usagi and Makoto no mind, and ignored Minako too as they passed by.

"Friendly bunch, aren't they?" Makoto grumbled.

Usagi frowned at Rei's demeanour, seemingly torn with a strange, nervous energy about her. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go after him already!"

The miko delayed only a moment, glancing at the door then back to her, before rushing out of the room in a blur of motion.

For her part, Usagi just slumped back against Mamoru, sighing contentedly as his arms enfolded her once more. A brief flash of concern left her staring warily at Fury one last time before she closed her eyes. "She is safe, right?"

"I believe so," he said, holding her tighter to his chest. "All she's said since she first reappeared back in London is how much she wants to help."

"And the manner of her help?" she asked, recalling Rei's earlier point. Images of the battle with the Black Death and his forces flashed before her eyes, Fury and her katana featuring prominently. Guilt quickly followed as she thought of the bloody swath she had cut across the shrine's courtyard…and the Hunter's final massacre to end things. How am I going to tell them? Any of them?

"None of us are coming out of this with clean hands," he murmured, with a heavy note of regret. "It isn't what any of us wanted, but this is unlike any other fight we've ever been in. The enemy is made up of our own people, and…"

Usagi span quickly in his grasp, pressing her cheek against his chest as the tears threatened to flow. Her secret weighed heavy on her heart, a weight made all the worse by an all-too-serious question she had to ask. How can we possibly tell Rinjirou the truth? All his fears based on Order doctrine; it'll be a disaster! Her blood ran cold as another face popped into her head, one she'd forgotten all about until now; Chibiusa. The girl would be back from her grandparents' place soon. She was already so disappointed…

"I don't want to think about any of that right now," she whispered, banishing such thoughts for the moment. It was the truth, a fact for which she was immeasurably grateful. "I just got you back again after so long. Can't we enjoy a moment of peace before going back to war?"

Mamoru answered by kissing her gently. "I can't think of anything else I'd rather do."

"Really?" Rei called after Rinjirou, as he neared the school's main entrance. "You're just going to leave without talking to me at all?"

He slowed down, allowing her to catch up. There it was again, the same stiffness she'd noted earlier. Not his typical uncomfortable state, but something else. For just a moment, he seemed almost pained…before a more familiar scowl covered it up. "I have a lot to do."

Her grandfather continued onwards, backing up to the doors. "I'll wait outside, my boy."

"No, wait!"

Rei fought her instincts, biting back a snarl in an effort to keep her cool. "So, that's it, then? Didn't you miss me at all?" Despite her best efforts, a hint of pain slipped into her voice, only adding to her frustration. "I can't believe…hey, what are you doing?!"

"Of course, I missed you!" he hissed, dragging her towards the nearest wall. His composure dropped, revealing a deeply conflicted expression. "I'm just not sure we…" He trailed off at a steady, rhythmic clomp, however, backing away as the two Knights from earlier marched towards them. "Ah. Let me introduce you."

She stifled a sigh of bitter disappointment. Back to business. What a surprise.

"This is Paladin, uh, Knight Edwards and Knight Martinez." He gestured first to the tall, clean-shaven man with a bald head, then the shorter, dark-haired woman. The golden armour would take a little getting used to, that much she was sure of. "Knights, this is my…friend, Rei."

Edwards nodded, seemingly amicable enough, but Martinez squared up to her, arms set across her chest in a standoffish pose. "Huh. Never thought I'd stand face-to-face with a Sailor Senshi like this. Not without sticking a blade in her chest, anyway." She flinched at Rinjirou's 'ahem' of disapproval, and took a very short step back. "But, as the Knight-Commander says…things are different now. We have a common enemy in Chaos, and that makes us allies. For now."

"Right." Rei met her stare dead-on. I'll be damned if I back down first! Their stale-mate endured for a few seconds longer, until Martinez turned crisply to Rinjirou.

"We'll secure the perimeter, Knight-Commander."

"Check in with the Guardian Knight," he added hastily. "There's no point doubling up on watches, is there?" Receiving a nod of understanding, he brought a fist to his chest in a familiar salute that Rei found quite…distasteful, all things considered.

"Charming new friends you've made," she noted sourly, watching them depart. "And an Order salute!"

"Old friends, actually." He ignored her second point completely. "Well, more like old acquaintances, really. Mamoru and I found them sheltering in an Order supply cache, and I…" He ran a hand through his unruly black hair, abruptly uncertain. "I couldn't just leave them behind, Rei. I had to save somebody after everything that's happened."

Try as she might – and to her immediate regret – she just couldn't let it go. "You sure fell back on old habits quickly, Knight-Commander."

"Someone has to lead," he retorted, defensive. "And old habits do die hard. For everybody." Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he nodded after his Knights. "Look, I'm not an idiot. I knew there'd be issues recruiting from former Paladins. The rhetoric's not easy to shake, believe me…but their training and discipline is already in place, and everyone deserves a second chance. Everyone."

Rei found her anger wavering. It's really hard to be mad at him when he's making so much sense.

"It'll take them some time to come around," he concluded, with a strangely solemn look on his face, "And see you're not necessarily the villains the Order of Black said you are. You can't expect them to reject a lifetime of training overnight."

It was then that the nausea really kicked back in. She'd been so focused on his treatment of her that she'd let herself forget what had happened that night, but it all came rushing back now in a mess of colour and sound…

…the fog began to lift, revealing the carnage left in their wake. Mars had always known the Senshi's powers were strong, but it was only now that she truly understood how strong. Her three opponents lay unmoving, twisted and mangled; burned almost beyond recognition by her magic. And then, she saw it: charred but intact, a melted piece of plastic secured his weapon to his wrist, and another his fingers to the barrel. Her stomach lurched as she began to realise the true depth of their mistake…

She backed up, fighting to keep the contents of her stomach down. I can't tell him. How can I? He'd never trust me again! "But you see it, don't you?" Belatedly, she realised she was squeezing his hand in her own. It just seemed immeasurably important that he believe in her…even as she accepted that she didn't deserve it.

"I want to, Rei, I really do, but London? The Order's headquarters? Some of the things you said back before I left? They don't make it easy." He sighed heavily, clearly feeling troubled. "Just keep being the Senshi you say you are. Show us we can trust you. The rest will come in time." Gently tugging his hand free, he pulled away. "We'll talk again later."

She watched him go, completely at a loss for words as the events of the day replayed over and over again in her head. If you only knew…

"Shit…"

Tokyo's darkened skyline stood as a grim reminder of the uphill battle ahead. Corey sighed sombrely at the sight of several lingering fires still burning, and wondered briefly what Titus would have to say about all this.

"We're in it now, buddy. Chaos has enlisted some mad preacher or cult leader, and together they're tearing the city apart. Rinjirou's a Knight now, if you can believe it, and…" He shook his head slowly, staring off the rooftop of the school without really seeing much of anything. "And I've screwed it all up with Minako." Feeling a little silly, especially looking up at the sky, he focused on the moon instead. Yeah. That seemed appropriate. "Any advice for me?" The glowing orb began to fade from view, obscured behind an ever-growing cloud-front...or perhaps just more smoke from one of the fires. "Yeah," he muttered, with a self-deprecating snort. "That's what I figured."

The roof-access door opened behind him, creaking painfully on rusty hinges. He turned, not startled at all, to see Minako emerge with Artemis in tow. A dozen different ideas of what to say popped into his mind, all at once, but none seemed really appropriate in the moment.

He took so long, in fact, that she beat him to it. "Hey…"

The silence broken, Corey slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans and nodded curtly. "Hey."

Just like that, the awkwardness re-established itself. Several arduous seconds of furtive glances and aborted attempts at speech passed before Artemis cleared his throat.

"Should I give you two some privacy, or…?"

"No!" Minako said quickly, shaking her head. "Please stay." Perhaps spurred into action, she stepped forward, finally coming to a stop a few feet from Corey, holding her elbows in a loose self-hug. "So…I know we haven't really had much of a chance to talk, but…I am glad to see you. Really."

"Me too," he assured her, with a faint smile.

"There's just…" She hesitated, clearly searching for the right words. "There's something I have to get off my chest. I just don't know if I can move past all this until I do."

"Yeah. Yeah, of course!" It made sense to Corey to jump on the chance to clear things up. "You know you can say whatever you need to-"

Her slap caught him right on the cheekbone. It hit hard, harder than perhaps anyone or anything not blatantly evil had ever hit him before. She stepped into the swing too, adding even more 'oomph'; more than enough to whip his head around and leave his cheek burning.

Even Artemis seemed taken aback, wincing beneath impossibly wide eyes. "Ouch…"

"Okay," Corey murmured, trying his best to shake it off. "I probably deserved that…"

"How dare you," Minako growled, with a seething anger he'd never heard before. "How dare you! A phone call after the fact?! After all your little digs at my selfish decision making, you just run home without so much as a word first?!"

"Yeah, I…" Feeling a little shell-shocked after the slap, he stammered his way through the confusion. Clearly, he'd underestimated just how angry she was. By a great deal. "I thought I was helping…?"

"I don't care what you thought!" she snapped, both hands planted firmly on her hips. "I don't! It was you who got all mad the last time, and that was over some stupid stuffed panda, you…idiot!" Almost immediately, she held up a hand in a classic 'timeout'. "I'm sorry, that's not fair. Take-chan isn't just some stupid stuffed panda."

Corey's first instinct was a snarky retort but, as she continued, he thought better of it. Minako was in the middle of a classic vent and, just like him when he was angry, it would be best to let her finish. As if I needed another reason to hate that stupid panda, though…

Finally, she just…stopped. The anger in her eyes seemed to cool as she turned away, ambling over to the edge of the roof with her arms crossed once more. "You hurt me."

He already knew that, but actually hearing her say it hurt more than the slap. "I know."

"When I needed you most, you…you weren't here." The pain was taking over her voice now, making this a far more difficult conversation to hear. "You did the one thing I thought you never could..." The words caught in her throat, and it damn near killed him. "You left me all alone. You abandoned me."

"I was…" Corey's defence fell apart before he could mount it. She's right. I thought she needed me to go, but…that's what I needed. There was nothing noble in what I did. I ran away, just like Jess said.

"We're supposed to be equals," she continued quietly, her voice now gaining strength. A note of the same anger crept back in. "Partners. That's what you said, after my freak outs." An odd clarity came over her, and for a moment he was reminded of her past self, Princess Mina. "I love you, I do…but I refuse to be treated like this. Like I'm some…afterthought. Like I don't matter!"

"You know I don't believe that…"

"Do I?" she retorted. "You'd better start thinking of ways to prove that to me, then...and if you ever pull something like this again, Corey McLeod, we are done...no matter how much it would hurt. Do you understand me?"

Her blazing stare bored through him, deep into his heart. Her expression hardened as she waited for an answer, unconsciously tapping her foot impatiently. Corey knew he could fight back, make a case that he'd taken plenty of similar treatment from her in stride, but…he didn't. After everything that'd happened, from London to Titus and now this…he just didn't want to fight anymore.

And no matter what she's done to you, he reminded himself, there's no way it beats abandoning her in this Chaos-infested hellhole. Mind made up, he simply nodded. "I understand, and…for what it's worth? I'm sorry."

It seemed Minako had expected a more drawn out argument herself. She stared back at him, several rapid blinks communicating her puzzlement. "Oh. Well…good." Her arms swung back and forth in an odd display, perhaps bleeding off any pent-up nervous energy. Before long, though, she was inching her way forward into a tentative hug. "I missed you…"

"And I missed you." Corey brought his arms up around her, resting his chin atop her head. It smelled of…earth and sweat and maybe even blood, with no trace of the usual fruits and shampoos. Not that he was about to ruin the moment by saying so. Especially not when he had something else he had to say. Wish me luck, Titus.

As if sensing his stalling, she pulled back a little to look up into his eyes. "What? What is it?"

"Shit…" Summoning his courage, he took a deep breath…and committed to his future. "Listen, I…it's impossible for me to promise I'll never walk away again. Not from you, and not from the Senshi. Not after London, and everything else that's happened since. I'm a different person. I've made promises, and…" Never really all that eloquent to begin with, he just trailed off into a frustrated sigh and spoke from the heart. "What I can promise is, if it comes to that…you'll know about it. No more running away."

Her bright blue eyes studied him in silence a moment before she relaxed into him again, something he took as tacit acceptance. Even Artemis offered his own satisfied nod before turning to leave. That's when it all hit at once, and Corey realised he had no idea what state their relationship was really in, or even where to go from here.

"So, I…what do we do now?"

Minako stirred, her voice muffled as she talked into his shirt. "Just…hold me for a while, okay?"

"You got it." He tightened his hold on her and closed his eyes, content to just exist here in this rare moment of peace. The rest would take care of itself. In time.

AN: Hey, so I beat my month deadline again! Work's really been eating into my time of late, and the polishing process for this chapter took longer than I expected, but I'm fairly happy with the finished product. It occurs to me that I didn't manage to squeeze in Luna, Ami, Haruka, Hotaru OR Chibiusa, but they've had their moments of late and these were the conversations I really wanted to see. Hopefully you found this chapter a good read, even if it didn't actually lead to a lot of main plot progression.

Many thanks as always to everyone who read and reviewed the last time out. It's been great seeing such a positive reaction to the fic, and you've really helped to keep me motivated after what was a rough couple of months. Thankfully, the outlook seems good from here and I'm back to enjoying my writing. We still have a ways to go before I can call this one finished, but I'm really feeling optimistic about my ability to get there now.

Now, if you'll excuse me...I'm going to go collapse into bed. Back with more soon!

Lisseas