Sailor Moon - The Order of Black
Chapter Four: Choices to Make
Originally uploaded 10/05/2015
"Please be there, please be there!"
Ami was well aware she was talking to herself. It was a trait she'd begun exhibiting with alarming frequency since arriving in Germany. She tried to calm down as she stared at her laptop, the little blue loading disc almost mocking her with its presence. It'll be fine, she told herself. Ryo knows I can get a little too focused when I study. He'll laugh about it…I hope.
Her morning study session, a refresher on the bones of the wrist and hand - along with the muscles and tendons that accompanied them - had stretched well past lunchtime. It was only because of her grumbling stomach that she'd noticed the time at all…and realised she was meant to video call her boyfriend a good hour ago.
"Come on! Hurry up!" She actually swatted her laptop impatiently as the panic mounted. That annoying, irrational panic that was so new to her, only rearing its head after she officially began dating Ryo. Why did I have to cram in an extra study session? Would it have been such a big deal to just miss one? Ami had always had something of a tendency to get caught up in her studies, a tendency she'd worked on since meeting Usagi and the rest of her friends. But it can still happen…especially in a country where I don't know anyone and there are no distractions. Not like Tokyo.
Her mind was racing, spewing forth countless implausible scenarios. What if Ryo thinks I'm avoiding him? What if he went out…or went to sleep? What if I don't get to see him? Oh, no…what if he thinks I met some German guy and…and…and what's wrong with me? After far too long, the logical part of her mind had finally caught up. Ami buried her head in her hands and sighed. "Oh, my…I'm freaking out like Minako would!"
"Well, I can't say I like the sound of that."
She glanced up at the screen and found Ryo's smiling face staring back at her.
"Don't get me wrong, Minako's nice enough...but I wouldn't want to date her."
Ami realised she was grinning like an idiot, but she just couldn't bring herself to care. "Hi…"
"Hi." Her boyfriend made a show of checking his watch, though his grin indicated more amusement than anything else. "You're a little late."
"Sorry," she murmured, as a blush crept into her cheeks. Somehow, he seemed different. It's only been a few days since our last call, but…did he get a haircut? He looks even cuter than normal today.
"Last minute study session?" he asked.
Ami's blush only worsened. "I may have gotten side-tracked, yes…"
Ryo laughed quietly. "Well, you wouldn't be my Ami if you didn't."
Her heart was racing for a different reason now; she couldn't stop staring at him. His hair, his eyes, his smile…he looked good. Really good. Long distance is proving much harder than I anticipated. All I want to do right now is reach into the screen and hug him. Or kiss him. Or both! She barely managed to keep from rolling her eyes, but was glad she did; there was no sense in worrying him. It's nothing but biology, she told herself. Plain, simple, infuriating biology! First, that completely irrational panic and now I'm acting like a schoolgirl with a crush! Why can't I control this?!
Thankfully, Ryo changed the subject for her. "So, what's happening in your program next week?"
"In-hospital learning from Wednesday!" she replied, surprising even herself with her enthusiasm. "I can hardly believe it, but we'll be spending one day a week in a real hospital, with a real doctor and real patients! We'll even be observing real procedures! It's going to be amazing!"
Ryo laughed, likely at her sudden excitement. "It sounds like it'll be a lot of fun."
"Oh, Ryo, you have no idea! The insights, the opportunities, finally applying all of that theoretical knowledge and-" She stopped abruptly, feeling another blush coming on as she spotted his knowing smile. "Uh, that is to say…yes, it'll be fun."
"Any other news to share?" he asked.
"Well, there is one thing…" She leaned in closer to her screen and smiled back at him. "I miss you. A lot."
"I miss you too," he whispered. "I know I said I wanted you to go, but it's just…long distance is a lot harder to handle than I thought it would be. These video calls are great, but they're a blessing and a curse! It's like you're here…but at the same time, they're a bitter reminder that you're not."
Ami found that more of a relief than she'd thought she would. It was nice to know she wasn't the only one struggling with the distance between them. It got her thinking, too. "Well, Corey does owe me a favour…and I was thinking I might ask him to blink me back to Tokyo for the weekend."
His smile confirmed she'd made the right decision. "I think that's a fantastic idea, Ami."
She was already crunching the numbers in her head, figuring out her schedule. I can do some extra studying over the next few days to make up for a break. Her studies were important, after all, but so was Ryo; Minako had made sure to remind her of that right before she left Tokyo…
"We'll talk every week, right?" Usagi said, with a sniffle.
"Of course," Ami assured her. "But in return, you have to promise not to slack off on your own course work. I won't be around to keep you on track anymore."
"Alright," the blonde agreed reluctantly, as she stepped back. "I guess…"
Minako was next in line. She smiled and wrapped her arms around Ami tightly. "Make sure you find some time for you and Ryo in between classes and study sessions, alright? You have a bad habit of losing yourself in textbooks, Ami. Don't lose Ryo in the process…"
Ami blinked, suddenly back in the real world. "So, she actually does get it right every now and then."
"Who gets what right?" Ryo asked, in confusion.
She laughed quietly. "Minako. I just remembered some advice she gave me…right before I left Tokyo. Relationship advice."
"That, uh…that's not as reassuring as you think," he replied nervously.
"Trust me," Ami said, with a giggle, "it was excellent advice that I'm eager to follow. I'll get in touch with Corey to figure out a time-" A sudden beeping cut her off; Ami glanced down at her wrist and sighed in frustration. Whoever you are, your timing couldn't be any worse!
Ryo managed a smile regardless. "You should probably answer that."
"Ryo, I'm so sorry-"
"Don't be," he said, with a comforting tone. "I knew all about the other you before we got together, and I love her too. Besides...I can handle it now that I know I get to see you in person soon."
Ami smiled, and once again considered how lucky she was to have him in her life. "You're amazing. You know that, right?"
"You tell me all the time." He smiled back at her as his eyes bored into her own. "I love you, Ami."
"I love you too."
His hand reached for something off-camera and he disappeared from her screen. Ami waited just a moment to compose herself and flipped her communicator open to reveal a familiar face. "Usagi?"
"Hi, Ami!"
"What is it?" Ami asked. "What's wrong?"
Usagi's brow furrowed quickly. "Why do you automatically assume something's wrong?"
Ami felt one of her eyebrows rise unwittingly. "Maybe because we're talking on the communicators? We only use them when something's wrong."
"Well, maybe I'm just trying to avoid all those high international call rates?" Usagi retorted.
"I can tell you're nervous about something, Usagi, and you did call me. So what's wrong?"
Her friend let out an exaggerated, irritable sigh. "Alright, alright, alright! Listen, everyone nominated me to tell you, but I didn't want to bother you because you've got your course to worry about, not to mention your relationship with Ryo and I know how hard long distance can be so I-"
"You're rambling, Usagi," Ami murmured, with just a hint of impatience. "What's happened?"
"Someone showed up at the shrine earlier today. He threatened Grandpa…and Rei."
"What?!" That wasn't what she'd been expecting to hear at all.
"He fought with these knives, and he could turn himself invisible…or something." A frown came over the blonde's face. "I didn't quite understand what Rei meant. She said you had to want to see him...?"
Ami was already packing in her head. "I'll be back as soon as-"
"No!" Usagi's vehement protest caught her by surprise. "That's not why I'm calling you. In fact, that's exactly why I didn't want to say anything at all!" Her voice softened quickly, however. "You're living your dream, Ami, a dream you've pursued for years…and you need to see it through. Luna, Artemis and Titus can cover the research side of things, and the rest of us will be fine. Really."
"But-"
"I mean it! If things get worse, I promise I'll let you know right away." Usagi suddenly couldn't meet her gaze. "If it was up to me, I wouldn't have said a thing, but the others figured you'd be pretty mad if we left you in the dark and you found out on your own."
"They were right," Ami said quietly. "Usagi, I don't like the idea of not being there for you."
"Well, you don't have to like it," she said, with a quick wink, "but I won't take no for an answer. Stay put, Ami. Consider it an order from your princess if it helps."
It didn't help at all. "Look, I was planning on visiting for the weekend anyway." She held up a hand quickly, anticipating Usagi's protest. "Just to see Ryo and catch up with everyone else, I promise. If I happen to get a little more of a briefing at the same time, though...it couldn't hurt, right?"
"Well, I suppose not." Usagi didn't sound happy about it, though. "Anyway…enough of all that doom and gloom stuff. How's Germany treating you? Is the program as amazing as you thought it'd be?"
Despite Usagi's abrupt segue, Ami couldn't help but be caught up in her friend's enthusiasm, even if their conversation weighed heavily on her mind in that moment. "It's still hard to believe I'm really here…"
Rinjirou stood at the bottom of Sendai Hill, staring up at the Hikawa Shrine above. All he had to do was climb the steps…but something was holding him back. The conflict still raged in his mind, never ending. On one side, the Order of Black; the only family he'd known for nearly ten years. All his friends were there. Megumi, his oldest friend, was there. Maybe it wasn't perfect, but it was where he belonged. Life wasn't fair; sometimes difficult decisions had to be made. Rinjirou had killed, when the mission demanded it. It wasn't something he revelled in, but the truth was sometimes you had to do unpleasant things for the greater good.
That was the one question he'd been unable to answer, though; were the Order's alleged actions really for the greater good? Hino's words had reached something deep inside Rinjirou's heart; the memory of his mother. He said that they killed her…that they hunted her down like an animal and murdered her, all because the Chaos Sliver they gave her drove her mad. It wasn't confirmed, of course; Hino could just as easily have lied to save his own life…but Rinjirou didn't really believe that. He tried to prevent the Senshi from attacking me. If he was truly my enemy, he wouldn't have done that. No, he's shown no hint of dishonesty…and it's simpler than that if I'm honest myself. He knew Mother…and I owe it to her to hear him out whether I like what he has to say or not.
His phone began to ring before he could commence his ascent. A quick glance down confirmed it; a blocked number. The third such call of the day, he thought. It has to be the Order. Perhaps even the Elder himself. It wasn't a conversation he wanted to have, but he couldn't avoid them forever. Better to get it out of the way before I carry on. If I continue up these steps, there's a good chance we won't speak again. He brought the phone to his ear and answered the call. "Payne."
"Are you alright, my boy?" It was indeed Haim. "I've been trying to reach you all afternoon!"
I'm pretty far from alright, Rinjirou thought sourly. "I am, Elder, but I encountered a…difficulty at the shrine."
"Oh? What manner of difficulty?"
"One of the Sailor Senshi interrupted my interrogation of the priest." He comforted himself with the fact that it wasn't a lie. Not really. "I was forced to retreat. Temporarily, of course."
"This is grim news," Haim replied, with a note of concern. "Are you injured?"
"Not at all, Elder. I'm just…rethinking my approach."
There was just the slightest pause. "Do you require reinforcements?"
"No!" Rinjirou regretted his response immediately; it was too fast. Too loud. Too insistent. He'll know something's wrong. "Uh, that is to say I wish the honour of completing this mission myself. I fought the Senshi to a standstill once, and I can do so again."
"Good. Confidence is good." Haim's voice hinted at a devious smile. "So long as it doesn't become arrogance. The Sailor Senshi are not to be underestimated, Paladin. Proceed with care, but know that your brothers and I trust in your abilities completely."
He ended the call, leaving Rinjirou unsettled. There was something in the Elder's voice that he hadn't heard before. A sinister edge beneath his calm, caring veneer…like a snake masquerading as a human in a skin suit. Just like that, he decided on a third option. The Order kept a safehouse in Tokyo; he'd been given its location prior to his arrival in the city. I can access the records from there and verify Hino-sama's version of events for myself. There'll be time enough to return for more answers later.
Rinjirou turned away from the shrine and allowed his Shadow Walker to shroud him in a cloak of obscurity. If the Order did take my mother from me…there'll be hell to pay.
Rei hesitated outside her grandfather's door, suddenly anxious. I have no idea if I'm going to like the answers he has to give, she thought. If he's even willing to give me any at all. She raised her hand and knocked. To hell with it. I'll never know if don't ask.
"Come in."
She slid his door open and stepped inside, pausing awkwardly in the open doorway. "Grandpa?"
He studied her silently for a few seconds. "I wondered when you'd come for answers."
"I've been trying to process the day's events," she admitted. "Finding out your grandfather isn't who he appears to be has a way of throwing you for a loop."
"I can imagine," he said, with a chuckle, as he knelt carefully and gestured to another cushion before him. "Come. Sit, and ask your questions."
Rei knelt slowly and took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll start with the obvious one first. How long have you known?"
"About?" he asked.
She glared at him impatiently. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Grandpa."
"Yes, I suppose I do. I've known from the beginning, Rei…or at least close enough to it."
Rei's angry glare became a disbelieving stare in an instant. "How?!"
"I'm not the simple old fool you take me for," he replied, "and you and your friends aren't as discreet as you think. With the way you and your loud blonde friend used to argue about things, I'm amazed more people haven't worked out your identities!"
She blushed unwittingly at his rebuke. "Well, Usagi does bring out the worst in me…"
"Just her?"
Rei hesitated, but settled on asking her next question anyway. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"I knew you'd tell me when you were ready," he said, with a shrug. "Besides…I was hardly one to judge. I have my own secrets, as you now know."
She found she was no longer confused, or curious; she was angry. "So you were faking the senile old man routine this whole time?!"
Once again, he shrugged nonchalantly. "It seemed the simplest way to avoid you asking me any questions."
"Never mind that!" Rei snapped. "You knew! You knew all this time, about everything! When I was lying, or making excuses…you knew! Hell, when the Sailor Marauders attacked the shrine six months ago you got your throat cut! You almost died! Why didn't you do something? How did you let yourself get caught by those psychos?!"
"Er, yes." He cleared his throat awkwardly as he glanced away. "I have something of a weakness for pretty girls in short skirts – that was no act." He held up his hands as she glared at him again. "I'm just a man, Rei…and the blonde one was really cute-"
She hit him hard on the arm. "You're disgusting!"
"Aren't there othermore pressing questions you want to ask me?" he asked irritably.
Perhaps his perverted side isn't so endearing after all, Rei thought, as she folded her arms across her chest. "Fine." She took a deep breath. "The creep at the shrine this morning. You knew his name, and you told him you knew his mother…"
"Yes," he agreed, with a faint smile. "His name is Rinjirou…and I did know his mother, Sawako. She was a bright, talented young woman…and a good friend. She used to train here, back before you came to live with me."
"This…Rinjirou," Rei said. "What is he?"
"A Black Paladin," her grandfather answered. "A warrior who stands in Earth's defence, wielding combat and magical abilities alike."
"And why does he feel so…wrong?" she asked, with an involuntary shiver. I can still feel the evil, like it stained me somehow.
"That would be the presence of his Chaos Sliver…a small piece of the entity known as Chaos. All Black Paladins carry one; it's the source of their power."
Chaos, Rei thought, alarmed. No wonder I felt ill! These guys are implanting themselves with bits of Chaos?!
"He was sent here to retrieve another such sliver. It's been in my possession since I left the Order."
Her eyes narrowed slowly. "What is this Order, Grandpa?"
The old man sighed heavily. "The Order…of Black. It was founded a thousand years ago, after the destruction of the old Golden Kingdom of Earth, with one purpose; ensuring that Earth would never be conquered again."
"And why did you leave?"
"I began to realise their goals were not so altruistic," her grandfather admitted. "They do stand in defence of Earth…but at all costs. And, five years ago…I found out about you."
"What difference does that make?" Rei asked, not seeing a connection between her alter-ego and his work with this 'Order of Black'.
"They oppose the Moon Princess, Rei, and all who serve her. Especially you Sailor Senshi."
"But why?" she demanded. "We're working towards the same goals, the protection of Earth!"
"No, you're not," he said, as he shook his head sadly. "They know that someday your princess will attempt to re-establish the Moon Kingdom…here on Earth. It was foretold at the founding of the Order, and that has been their priority ever since; preventing that future from coming to pass."
Crystal Tokyo, Rei realised. That's what they saw. But how? How could they possibly know about that a thousand years ago? Even we only found out about it four years back; who could see that far into the future?! She ran her tongue across her dry lips absently; she had one last question. "Why would any of that matter, though? Why leave?"
Her grandfather reached out and took hold of her hand gently. "I'd been working for change in secret, from within the Order itself. Sawako served as the original catalyst for my changes in belief, but…when I discovered your secret, it brought me into direct conflict with the Order and I had to make a choice." He smiled faintly. "I chose you, Rei, and it was the easiest decision of my life."
"Oh, Grandpa…" She leaned forward and hugged him tight. "This side of you is much easier to love than the disgusting old pervert you can be!"
"I object to that label," he grumbled. "Although, your tall brunette friend is quite cute-"
"Finish that sentence," Rei growled, "and you'll regret it!"
He flashed another smile. "I'm just kidding,"
A sudden insistent beeping caused her to freeze. My communicator? "Oh, um…that's my watch alarm. I guess I forgot to turn it off-"
"Rei." The old man looked almost annoyed. "I know. You don't have to keep making excuses for everything."
"Oh. Right." Rei was irritated herself to feel a blush coming on. "I forgot." She flipped the watch-like device open and was surprised to find nobody staring back at her. A blank screen? Is it some kind of glitch?
"Rei?" The familiar, clipped tones were unmistakable.
"Titus?" She'd never heard the cat use the communicator before; she hadn't even realised he could. "What…why are you calling me?"
"This 'Rinjirou' you encountered this morning, what does he look like? Japanese descent, black hair, blue eyes? Approximately five-eleven?"
"Yeah, that sounds like him." Her eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"Because he's been standing at the bottom of Sendai Hill for the past three minutes."
A chill ran down Rei's spine. He's come back to finish the job, I knew it! "Titus-"
"One moment. He's answering a phone call."
She waited several anxious seconds for a reply. "Titus?"
"Let's see…something about difficulty…and a Sailor Senshi. Ah, I suspect he's speaking with a superior."
Her grandfather sighed. "They must be wondering why he hasn't reported in about my death yet."
"What?!" Rei snapped. "What about your death?!"
"Oh, Rinjirou was sent here to kill me. Didn't I mention that?"
"No! I think I'd remember something like that!" She rolled her eyes at his casual response and lifted her communicator again. "Titus, what's happening? Is he coming up here?"
"No…" There was another pause. "He's moving off. Heading back towards the city and...he just vanished. I'll attempt to shadow him and keep an eye on his movements."
Rei frowned. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"I'll be fine, my dear." The cat sounded almost excited. "This was my life, once. Let me help in the way I know best."
"Well…" She trailed off momentarily, before letting out a reluctant sigh. "Alright. Let us know if you get into any trouble though, okay? You're a dishonest little sneak, Titus, but I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."
"I appreciate your concern," he replied, with a laugh. "I'll keep you informed." The little display went dark as she closed it again.
The old man gestured to her wrist. "Your friend seems like an interesting sort."
"He's a pain in the butt," Rei muttered, "but he has his moments, I guess." She glanced into his eyes and hesitated again. "Where do you think this Rinjirou guy is going?"
"I'm not sure," he admitted quietly, "but he's wavering, Rei. He just needs one, last little push towards the truth. Wherever he's going...I hope he finds it."
AN: Not really an action-oriented chapter, but we got an important conversation between Rei and Grandpa that needed to happen, and the official introduction of Ami to Order of Black! I thought long and hard about her scene and decided I wanted to give her a little character development - something I don't feel I did a great job of in Last Guardian Knight. It may prove to be a polarising decision but I liked the idea of Ami getting a little silly now that she's in a steady relationship - she had her moments in the anime, so hopefully you didn't find it too out of character. I tried to balance her 'freak out' with her usual logic and tendency to ramble off big words, fingers crossed it worked!
I had a different plan in mind for the rest of the chapter but that all changed about halfway through to focus on Rin and Rei after Corey and Minako stole the spotlight in chapter three. I'm already envisioning an action sequence next chapter to make up for all the talk this time around, too! I hope you enjoyed it, anyway, and as always many thanks to everyone who's continued to read, review and/or favourite. Back with more soon!