Sailor Moon - The Order of Black

Chapter Sixteen: On The Side Part One

Originally published 17/07/2015

Ami stood outside Rei's campus, waiting for her to emerge. She'd had quite an eventful morning; an introductory chess match with Rinjirou followed with an attack by the so-called 'Hunters' of the Order of Black. After her appearance as Sailor Mercury, she'd circled back around to the shrine again in civilian garb, passed off the bump on her head as a 'fall down the hill', and excused herself to deal with her 'nerves'. Rinjirou offered to take her to a hospital, but she declined with a smile, diagnosing her own injuries as 'minor'. His offer was a good sign in the short term, but ultimately meaningless. After all, if he'd known she was really Sailor Mercury, would he have been as concerned? There's a great deal of Order programming at work in his head, she thought, and he certainly holds a low opinion of Usagi and the rest of us.

"Ami?"

She waved briefly as Rei approached. "Hi, Rei."

"I'm happy to see you," the raven-haired girl said, clearly wary, "But what's going on? Is something wrong?"

Ami fell into step beside her as they began their walk back to the shrine. "Not anymore, no."

"Okay, Setsuna," Rei said, her frown deepening. "Stop being so enigmatic and answer the question already!"

She blanched at the comparison. "Fair point. The Order of Black sent a pair of Hunters after Rinjirou this morning."

"What?! You-" Her friend jerked left abruptly, narrowly avoiding a streetlight. "You-"

"We fought them off," Ami assured her, "But I wouldn't exactly call it a victory."

Rei grabbed her shoulders and shook her furiously. "Why are you so calm about this?! Why didn't you call the rest of us for help?!"

"Please stop shaking me." It was an excellent question, though, one that prompted an immediate blush. "It all happened so quickly and, I suppose…I am a little rusty after all."

Her confession seemed to appease Rei for the moment. "You're okay though, right? They didn't hurt you?"

"One of them hit me with a blinding agent of sorts." She recalled the pain and terror she'd felt as her vision went black; it was still fresh in her mind. "It was excruciating at the time, but it doesn't appear to have had any lingering effects."

"And Rinjirou?"

"A little bloodied, but nothing serious." Ami noted something surprising in Rei's voice; concern. "I thought you didn't really care for him."

"Well, no, of course I don't," the miko said, avoiding eye contact. "I'd just hate for something bad to happen to him on sacred ground. It's, you know…bad karma. Anyway…" She seemed eager to move the conversation along. "You said we fought them off, as in together?"

"Grudging isn't really a strong enough word to describe Rinjirou's reluctance…but he accepted Sailor Mercury's help in the end. He did defend me while I was blind, though he claimed it was just about honour." She could still hear the bitter note to his voice. "One thing's for certain; he isn't exactly the merciless killer we originally painted him as."

"Look, Ami," Rei said, as she shot her a sidelong glance. "We've talked a lot and I don't get the sense he's some cold blooded killer either. He is full of Order of Black propaganda, and an unapologetic jerk...but he's a lot more principled than any of us thought. If we can break through his conditioning, he could even be a decent ally." Her eyes flared as she glared up at her again. "And if you tell anyone what I just said, I will never forgive you!"

"That won't be easy," Ami said, choosing to forget Rei's confession immediately. "He gave Usagi and the rest of us a less than stellar indictment, but it sounds like you may have built up a little rapport with him."

"I wouldn't say that!" she said hastily, glancing at the ground again. "We've talked a little, that's all."

"Okay, okay!" There was no point in pushing her harder on this. "That still puts you closer to Rinjirou than the rest of us."

"I wouldn't say that, either," Rei muttered. "He was incredibly nice to you the other day."

"Is that unusual?"

Rei sniffed indignantly. "He's always picking fights with me over the pettiest little things, and he was a complete jerk to Minako the first time they met. So, yes, it is."

Arguing over the pettiest little things? Ami refrained from pointing out the similarities to Rei and Usagi. After all, Rei doesn't exactly need any help getting angry. "Well, what if we work it out together, then? How does that sound?"

At long last, she got a smile from the irritable miko. "It won't hurt to try." Her eyes narrowed as she stared off at something in the distance. "Is that…Mako?"

Ami followed her gaze and spotted a familiar brunette as she stepped out of a grocery store a little ways down the road. "Oh, so it is. What's that she's carrying?" She finally identified it as a bottle of wine; Makoto slipped it into the bag with the rest of her groceries. She's not old enough to buy that, is she?

The taller girl paused a few seconds later to rummage around in her bag. Finally, she pulled out her phone and answered it with a wide smile.

"What's she doing?" Rei murmured. "You don't think she's got a date, do you?"

Ami considered the chances. "She hasn't mentioned a new guy..." Ahead, Makoto slipped her phone back into her bag and headed off down the street again. Towards her apartment. "It certainly looks like it, though."

"I wonder…" Rei's eyes sparkled with mischief as she pulled her own phone out. "Let's give her a call and see what she's up to." She pressed it to her ear and waited. "Hey, Mako. Oh, nothing much, just thinking we could catch up, maybe grab some dinner?" She smirked as she turned to Ami. "Oh, a late class? That's a shame, but not to worry. We'll do it another night. I won't keep you. You too. Bye."

"A late class?" Ami repeated. Makoto's presence before their very eyes seemed to catch her in a lie.

"I know, right?" The miko rubbed her chin thoughtfully, watching the distant brunette. "She's up to something, Ami, and I say we find out what."

Ami wasn't so sure. "Aren't we a little old to be spying on one another like this?" Plus, their escapades had a pattern of ending badly for all involved.

"Oh, nonsense! It's tradition!" Rei leaned in, a devious smile on her lips. "Besides, you and I both know you're just as curious as I am about what she's up to."

No, I'm not, she said silently. Unfortunately, actually saying so was nowhere near as easy. "I…you…" She bowed her head in silent shame and nodded. "Let's go."

"Atta girl," Rei said, with a victorious grin. "Come on, before we lose her!"

Usagi looked up at the Crown Arcade - what was left of it, anyway. The rebuild hadn't made much progress in the past six months; probably Titus' doing. Without the looming threat of the Revenant Knight – or any threat, really - her mother's former spymaster had gone a little stir crazy and begun obsessing over the command centre. His goal was to make it 'the base of operations they deserved' and cutting it off from the outside world was the latest phase of that plan. It wasn't a terrible idea, either. With Rinjirou camped out at the shrine, it was becoming a lot harder to hold Senshi meetings in secrecy. Corey and Minako's apartment – she still found it odd to say – was good enough in the short term, but the command centre was far more convenient for most of them. And having our own secret base isn't a bad idea at all.

Her thoughts turned to more personal matters. She was still upset after her 'talk' with Mamoru. She was the one to say she needed a break, that was true, but it hadn't been easy. Especially once she was in his apartment. It had to be done, though; it was about so much more than a simple marriage proposal at this point. It was about trust and respect, two key things he hadn't shown her much of lately. It killed me to do it, but talking about our feelings just wasn't working. I had to show him just how serious I am about this...and this was the only way I could think of. The only mature way.

There was no time for more serious reflection, though; she was here for a reason. Usagi slipped into the alleyway beside the arcade and looked about for witnesses. Seeing no-one, she flipped open her communicator and took a deep breath. This was her first time using the command centre's teleport function, and she really hoped it was less nauseating than Corey's 'blinks'. Here goes nothing. There was a barely noticeable flash, a hint of static charge…and she was standing on the pad, staring up at the command centre's main screen. Sorry, Corey, but I like this method a lot more than traveling with you!

Her relief faded as she spotted a familiar head of blonde hair; Minako was here too, seated at one of the small auxiliary consoles. The two of them hadn't spoken since their fight the morning before and her stomach was already twisting into knots just thinking about how her friend would react. What's she even doing here? Titus said he was going over the data he got from the Sanctuary; Minako's not interested in that sort of thing!

"Usagi," Titus called, from his perch on the main console. "How did you find the trip down?"

"Trip?" Oh, she realised, the teleport pad. "Very smooth."

"Excellent," he said, clearly pleased. "I presume you're here for an update on our progress?"

Usagi eyed Minako carefully. She glanced up, as if feeling her gaze, and waved…but quickly returned her attention to the screen before her. That was confusing in and of itself. Was she still mad, or not? "Uh, sure. Have you found anything helpful?"

"A few things," Luna said, joining the conversation. "The Order of Black is headquartered in London, but they maintain a presence on six continents."

Artemis leapt onto the console to join them. "They also field a rather sizable army, but it's comprised of mostly normal human soldiers. True 'Black Paladins' like Rinjirou are in much shorter supply, but if they were to get serious? They still outnumber the Sailor Senshi several times over."

That was concerning. "And that doesn't include these Hunters who attacked Rei?"

"No," Luna agreed. "There's no mention of them in any of the documents Titus retrieved."

He cleared his throat in an obvious attempt to draw her attention. "There is another matter, Usagi. The Sanctuary."

"What about it?"

"From a cursory examination of these files, it appears the Constructs I encountered are currently the only specimens. We may want to consider sending in the Outer Senshi to finish them off."

Usagi wasn't quite so sure. "That seems like a pretty aggressive move, Titus. I'd rather wait-"

"With respect, Usagi, waiting isn't an option. Rei's been attacked twice, and it's only a matter of time before the Order makes another attempt on Rinjirou's life. That places Rei and her grandfather squarely in their line of fire. Do you really want them coming to Tokyo with Constructs as reinforcements?"

No, she agreed, I've seen more than enough Constructs to last a lifetime! "Alright, you've made your point. I'll consider it." Minako still hadn't said a word to her. I tried calling her last night to apologise, but she ignored me. There was that wave just now, though, so is she mad at me or not?

"Talk to her, Usagi," Artemis said softly.

"What?" She looked away, suddenly ashamed. "You know what happened, Artemis?"

"I know you had a fight, and said some things you probably regret. I'm sure Minako did the same. But friends fight; it's how they deal with it afterwards that proves the strength of their friendship."

"We'll give you two some privacy," Luna agreed. "Come on, Titus."

As the cats wandered off towards the teleportation pad, Usagi took a few anxious steps in Minako's direction. "Hey. Could we talk?"

Her friend looked up at her with a neutral expression. "Sure."

At least she doesn't look angry. Not like yesterday. "I, uh…I tried to call you last night."

"I know, but I was in the middle of something, and I…" Minako glanced down at her hands. "I didn't want to fight again, so I let it ring." A touch of hope entered her voice. "Why were you calling?"

Usagi knew she could be stubborn on occasion, but now was not the time for it. "To apologise. I'm sorry, Minako."

"For?"

She's not going to make it easy for me, Usagi realised, dismissing the twinge of annoyance she felt. I guess she's entitled this time. "For all of it. For putting you in that position in the first place, and for putting down your relationship with Corey…again. All of it."

Minako folded her arms across her chest and sighed. "I won't lie, Usagi. That's what really made me mad." She followed with a sad, little sigh. "I don't get it. Why does it feel like you resent me for finally finding love?"

"I don't," Usagi said, shaking her head emphatically. "I really don't. I'm so happy for you, Minako, for both of you."

Her reply sounded more curious than anything. "Then why have you been taking every chance you can to put us down?"

"I know, I know...I've been a massive jerk." The truth then, she decided. "I guess, it's because…I was jealous."

"Of me?" Minako's blank stare became a glare in an instant. "But you've got Mamoru-"

"Not like that!" It was a typical Minako misinterpretation, but one she was used to by now. "Of you and Corey…and what you have with each other."

"But why? We've been fighting like crazy for weeks!"

"But no matter how much you fought, Corey was always honest about his feelings. He always talked things through with you. That's one of his most endearing qualities; he's almost brutally honest."

"It's not always such a good thing," Minako muttered. "Believe me."

"That aside, the truth is…Mamoru and I aren't as perfect as I thought." It wasn't an easy confession for Usagi to make, but it was out there now. "And the anger I felt towards him? I took it out on you, Minako. That was wrong of me, and I'm sorry. I truly am."

"I see." She studied her curiously for a few seconds, but finally nodded. "Alright, Usagi. I accept your apology."

"I'm glad-"

"Now it's my turn."

Usagi was more than a little confused. "Uh, Minako? You don't have anything to apologise for."

"Yes, I do." She went silent, staring off into space in silence as she tapped her forefinger against her cheek in a pose Usagi recognised as 'thoughtful'. Finally, though, she spoke. "If I'm honest, I made a real mess of that argument. I'm your friend. I should have recognised how upset you were and given my words a little more thought. Instead, I blundered ahead with my usual lack of grace…and set you off."

"Minako, that's really-"

"I've had a turbulent twenty-four hours, Usagi, and I need to get this off my chest. Last night, I kinda got it into my head I was psychopath. And when Arty proved I wasn't, I settled on a self-diagnosis of psychopathic tendencies instead."

"I'm…sorry to hear that?"

Minako didn't appear to have heard her. "Anyway, Arty and Titus pointed out I couldn't possibly be a psychopath due to all the love I have to give…or something like that-"

"You're mangling it even now!" Titus called irritably.

Artemis weary mutter followed. "Nothing new there."

"Quiet, you two!" Even her retort sounded pleasant. "Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is…I've been looking for something to explain my behaviour for so long that I missed what was right under my toes all along. Or is that nose?" Minako shrugged, and shook her head quickly. "Not important. I realised there is no reason, or excuse. It's just me. The silliness, the randomness, even my more, um, hyperactive moments. It's all me…and I need to stop looking for excuses and do a better job of being in control."

Usagi was left largely speechless. "Uh-huh?"

"So, for not doing that yesterday," Minako concluded, with a brilliant smile, "I'm sorry too."

The command centre was silent…and Titus was the first to respond. "That was the most long-winded and roundabout apology I've ever-" He ducked with a panicked yowl as one of Minako's shoes sailed through the air an inch above his head. "By Selene, be careful! I just upgraded that-" Her other shoe hit him in the face, knocking him off the console with a pained groan.

Usagi couldn't help but giggle, despite the situation. "I'm so glad we made up, Minako. I hate fighting with you."

"And I hate fighting with you," she agreed. "Hug?"

"Hug," Usagi agreed, wrapping her in a warm embrace. "Let's never fight again."

"There now," Luna said happily, "Isn't that better?"

"I'm glad you're happy," Titus muttered, as he pulled himself to his feet. "That hurt!"

"It serves you right," Minako cooed. "You said you wanted our relationship to stay this way because you knew what to expect."

"I didn't think I had to worry about a shoe to the face! I take it all back, you are a psychopath!"

Usagi relaxed her hug slowly, free to dwell on her other big problem now. "If only Mamoru could be as open as you, Minako, we wouldn't be on a break right now…"

"What?!" Minako pulled away immediately, her eyes wide with shock. "Explain, Usagi. Now!"

"Uh, well…you see…I saw Mamoru last night, and told him that until he was ready to be honest with me about his feelings, and treat me like an adult…we're on a break." It was odd, but when she put it like that she didn't feel so bad. It's for our future, after all. That makes it bearable. Barely.

"So, let me get this straight," Minako said slowly. "You took my little immature comment, thought it over, and decided instead of pretending to break up with Mamoru…you'd really break up with him?"

It did sound a little nuts when she put it like that. "Um…"

The shoeless blonde sighed in sheer exasperation. "And people call me crazy!"

Mamoru stared across the table at Corey and cleared his throat. "The apartment looks great." With the exception, of course, of the large, orange, heart-shaped armchair that now occupied the centre of the living room. "Is that a new, uh…throne?"

Corey sipped his coffee entirely too casually. "Oh, it just arrived. Minako's first big purchase for our apartment."

"Ah. Sorry." He honestly had no idea how Corey handled Minako's…exuberance. I think I'd have been driven insane in the first week.

"It's not so bad," the American said, with a shrug. "Sure, it clashes horribly with everything else here, but if Minako's happy, I'm happy."

"Where did she even get the money for something like that?"

"Her last gig. She kicked in two months' rent and still had enough left over to buy…that." Corey's tone made it clear he wasn't a fan of the chair, despite his earlier comments. "Commercials pay a lot better than I expected."

Mamoru managed a laugh. "Saving's not all that high on her list of priorities though, is it?"

"Not so much," Corey agreed. His mug hit the table as he polished off its contents in one long swig. "Now, not that I've got anything against a friendly chat, but I figured from your call you had a more important subject on your mind?"

Mamoru knocked back his own coffee and nodded. "It's Usagi. As of last night, we're…on a break."

Corey winced. "Ouch. Her idea or yours?"

"What do you think?"

"Yeah, stupid question," he admitted. "Marriage?"

"Yes and no," Mamoru replied, with a heavy sigh. "It's just a symptom of a much bigger problem."

"And that is?"

That was harder for him to admit. "Usagi feels like I'm not being honest with her about my feelings. That I'm treating her like she's still fourteen."

"Is she right?" Corey asked.

Mamoru nodded reluctantly. "I'd like to deny it, but if I'm honest…yeah. She's right. It wasn't what I intended, but…" He trailed off again, at a loss for words. What was my intent? I knew I couldn't keep stringing her along forever without an explanation, but I underestimated Usagi's persistence.

"Okay…" There was note of frustration to Corey's response. "So, forgive me if I'm missing something here, but if you know she's right, where's the issue? Just be honest and treat her like an adult."

Mamoru laughed with just a hint of disdain. "It isn't that simple, Corey."

"It sure sounds that simple."

It does, but he doesn't have the background. "I take it this conversation is just between us?"

"Of course," Corey agreed. "Hand on my heart."

"Right." Mamoru breathed a heavy sigh and got started. "You know how Usagi feels about becoming queen of Crystal Tokyo, right?"

"Yeah. She's nervous as hell."

"Exactly. I'm meant to be there for her, Corey, to pick her up and carry her when she can't go on. I'm supposed to be strong enough for the both of us, but the truth is…I'm just as terrified as she is."

"That's understandable," Corey said. "I mean, becoming king and queen of an entire planet is a big change. I'm still not really sure how you're going to pull it off, for that matter."

"Neither am I," Mamoru muttered, rapping his knuckles on the table. "That's what's makes it all so frustrating, the lack of knowledge. We know what's coming, but we have no idea how we're meant to get there." He allowed a little of the bitterness he felt inside to escape. "I wish we'd never found out about any of it."

"There's more to it, though, isn't there?"

Corey's much more perceptive than I realised, he thought, with a slow nod. "I've been…dreaming. Only they're not dreams; they're memories. Endymion's memories."

Corey's eyes narrowed quickly. "And that's why you wanted to speak to me."

"It's not the only reason," Mamoru protested. "I can hardly ask one of the girls for advice, can I?"

The American sighed. "Yeah, I see your point. Alright, so these memories...they're not pleasant, are they?"

"No. I've known for a while now that things weren't as idyllic as we thought, on Earth or the Moon, but these dreams are different." He tapped the table impatiently as he struggled to find the words. "It's difficult to explain, but it's as if I know subconsciously what I'm afraid of...but I can't explain it to you."

"You don't have the whole story yet?" Corey asked.

"No. It's coming piece by piece, a little at a time. I've seen Endymion heal a young girl who was trampled. I've seen Golden Paladins, the original iteration of the Order of Black. I've seen..." He let another heavy sigh slip through his lips. "I've seen my father, the King of Elysion, turn a blind eye to his people. Maybe that's a part of it; I fear becoming him. All I know is, I was hoping you might have some advice for me, given what you went through with your own memories."

Corey stared into his empty mug, his expression unreadable. "I'm not sure I do, Mamoru. My path was different from yours. I knew I'd screwed up right away...I just refused to accept it. All you have is a vague notion that you did something wrong."

"There's more to it than that," he admitted. "I died on the moon, Corey."

Finally, some sort of reaction. "What?"

"I don't remember my motivations, but I died up there, defending Serenity. I was the Crown Prince of Earth, I should have been there...but I fled to the arms of the woman I loved." A cold sense of shame began to fill his heart. "I think that alone makes it pretty clear I failed as a ruler."

"Now, that, I can sympathise with." Corey stared at him in silent contemplation for a moment, finally nodding slowly. "How can I help?"

Mamoru had one pressing question that seemed bigger than the rest."How did you get past it?"

Corey shrugged – entirely too casually in Mamoru's eyes."It was hard. You remember what I was like, right? I was in denial, desperate to believe I wasn't Corval. I wouldn't believe it." His eyes dropped to the table again as he reflected. "In the end, though…I had little choice. I was Corval, and his mistakes were my mistakes. I had to accept that."

"Just like that?" Mamoru asked.

"It wasn't easy at all," Corey said, with a bitter laugh. "It took a torture session with our old pal Rev, and some string-pulling by a goddess for me to finally come around to the truth." His emerald eyes flashed as he locked eyes with Mamoru once again. "You want advice? Here it is. Accept that what happened is the past. Accept that you can't change it, no matter how badly you might want to. All you can do is learn from it. Embrace the shame, and use it as a motivator to ensure you don't make those same mistakes again. I know I won't."

He makes it sound so easy, but how do I learn from my mistakes when I don't know what they are? "I don't have the whole picture yet. I need more. More memories!" He rubbed his face and sighed. "It's why I'm so reluctant to move forward with Usagi; she's relying on me to be strong. I've been looking out for her for so long, putting on a brave face, and if I reveal the truth now, that I'm just as terrified as she is-"

Corey snorted dismissively. "That's bullshit and you know it."

The American's blunt answer snapped him right out of his rhythm. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Corey pushed back his chair and slipped around behind it to stare down at him. "I gave you advice as your friend, and now I'm going to give you some advice as hers."

"Okay…"

"You need to pull your head out of your ass. Usagi already has plenty of protectors. What she needs you to be is a partner, someone she can trust to always be honest with her. Someone who'll always be there for her, no matter what."

"But-"

"Your whole argument is flawed," Corey said. "Either you really do think of Usagi as some immature little fourteen year old – which makes you an asshole – or you're using it as a crutch to avoid having a difficult conversation with her."

It was strange, but hearing it from someone else made it much easier to accept. "And why would I do that?"

Corey shrugged. "Hell if I know. Maybe you've got a hero complex, and you need her to need you? It could be any number of things...but my guess is you're scared of what Usagi's gonna think when she finds out you're scared...just like her. Like she'll lost respect for you, or something."

Mamoru remained silent a moment, digesting Corey's rather tactless diatribe. "Wow. You don't hold back, do you?"

"We all need a little tough love now and then, Mamoru. I just hope you got something out of it."

"I'm not sure yet," he admitted, "But I suspect it helped." He rose from his chair, almost on autopilot as he headed for the door. "Thanks, Corey."

"Uh, sure. Anytime."

In a strange way, Corey's rather blunt 'advice' had helped. Mamoru had a lot of thinking to do, but he was already clear on one thing. The flaming figure in my dream was right; I need to learn more. About Endymion...and about Earth.

Ami glanced up at the sun and frowned; it was noticeably lower in the sky than when they'd first arrived outside Makoto's building. "I don't think anyone's coming, Rei."

"We've only been waiting for an hour. Come on, this is nothing compared to some of our stakeouts!"

Rei did have a point, and really, what else did she have to do? Ryo wouldn't finish work for another hour at least. "I suppose a little more time won't hurt."

"There!" Rei snapped, grabbing her arm abruptly. "Is that…?"

"Corey?" Ami's eyes widened in surprise. "What's he doing here?" It was impossible to mistake him for anyone else; the six-foot-five American stuck out in Tokyo like a sore thumb. He paused by the intercom, obviously waiting to be buzzed in. And who else does he know in this building besides Mako? The door opened a moment later and he disappeared inside.

"I wonder why he's here? I was sure Mako was on a date. Wine, groceries...it doesn't make sense unless..." Rei froze, a look of horror on her face. "Unless she is on a date. With Corey!"

"What?!"Ami sputtered. "Do you really think Corey's capable of that? He'd never cheat on Minako!"

"You haven't been around for a while, Ami. They've been fighting like crazy for weeks. Maybe their latest argument was the final straw?" The miko stared up at Makoto's window, as if trying to figure out what was going on inside, and finally fished her phone out of her bag. "I've got an idea."

"Who are you calling?" Ami asked.

Rei held up a hand. "Hi, Minako. Yes, everything's fine. I was just wondering if you and Corey wanted to grab dinner. It's been a while since we caught up, just the three of us." Her smile faltered, as she turned to Ami again. "Oh, he's stuck at a lecture? That's a shame."

"What?!" Ami hissed. "He told her that?!"

"Sorry, Minako, can you hold on just a sec?" She muted the call, suddenly serious. "Ethical dilemma, Ami. What should we do?"

"I don't know. I've never really been in this sort of situation before." Strictly speaking, there was that time with Mamoru and his mechanic…but this was different.

"We have to tell her, right? I mean, we can just give her the details and let her draw her own conclusions."

"But what if we're wrong?" Ami asked anxiously. "Corey doesn't really strike me as the kind of guy to cheat."

"I know," Rei agreed, biting her bottom lip, "But we're Minako's friends, and this is way too weird to ignore. I have to tell her!" She raised her phone and took a deep breath. "So, Minako, listen. There's something I need to tell you…"

AN: Mild cliffhanger, sorry guys. The next chapter is pretty much ready to go, I just need to tweak the formatting. With that said, it's nearly 12:30 AM as I write this, so I think I'll head to bed and post the conclusion in the morning after a good night's sleep. Full notes for both chapters at the end of the second part!