Sailor Moon - The Order of Black
Chapter Twenty: The Fall of Rinjirou Payne Part One
Originally published 27/07/2015
Sailor Moon stared down the masked woman before her, oddly calm despite her opponent. She was just a normal human in a costume, but there was something unsettling about her all the same. How was she supposed to fight without killing her?
She leaned in close to Grandpa. "I don't suppose she's conveniently possessed by some evil creature, and I can heal her?"
"Well, she could be," he admitted, "But she probably hates you regardless of any possession."
Moon let out a despondent sigh. "It was worth a shot. Get to safety, Grandpa, leave this to me."
"Yes, I do believe that's an excellent idea." He backed away slowly, heading for the shrine.
His cooperation was a relief. It wasn't so long ago that he might have insisted on joining her in battle or, worse yet, facing the Hunter himself. His encounter with the Sailor Marauders had actually done some good after all.
"Good," the Hunter murmured, watching him go. "I want no distractions, Senshi. You and I are going to battle as true warriors should." She lunged forward, her katana swinging for Moon's neck. "To the death!"
The blonde leapt back, cringing as the blade whished by mere inches from her shoulder, and began a familiar routine of ducks, weaves, and dodges. It was an old strategy that had served her well in the years since first becoming Sailor Moon. Her seemingly random movements were actually a carefully timed set of acrobatic manoeuvres, honed through years of practice. The fact that it left most of her opponents shaking their heads at her 'desperate, clumsy display' was just a bonus; in reality, she was simply biding her time and waiting for an opening.
Unfortunately, despite clear frustration at her inability to land a hit, the Hunter failed to present any such weakness. "You Sailor Senshi are supposed to be great warriors. Stand and face me, coward!"
"Why would I let you hit me?!" Moon countered. She span around another attack, but found herself facing the return cut almost immediately; her opponent was a lot faster than she'd anticipated. With that in mind she summoned the Eternal Tiare to give herself greater blocking ability. It was a magical item, and practically indestructible – at least, it seemed to be – but Moon still held no illusions about her chances in a straight-up swordfight.
The katana struck her Tiare repeatedly, forcing her into a quick retreat. She did her best to avoid the Hunter's blows entirely where possible, but the sword never stopped moving. An involuntary shriek slipped out as it whistled past her head and several strands of blonde hair fluttered towards the ground. That was the final straw. She had to open up some distance between them; most of her attacks needed a little range to build up steam. With that in mind, she leapt up and backwards, onto the roof of the shrine. As expected, the Hunter didn't follow; she was just a normal human under the mask, after all.
She made no move at all, in fact, and just continued staring up at Moon. "You disappoint me, Senshi. Do you really think me defeated so easily?"
"Not yet, no!" Moon thrust the Eternal Tiare forward. "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" She kept the intensity low, intending to cleanse the Chaos Sliver within the woman versus destroying her with it.
The Hunter began a dodge but stopped as the pink light enveloped her, her head darting around in apparent confusion. "What is this?!"
It's working, Moon cheered silently. She's coming around! Her celebration was short-lived, however; the masked woman showed no symptoms of being healed. She just stared at her until the pink blast faded.
"Now it's my turn." A faint glow began working its way along her katana, from the hilt to the tip, as she brought it up across her body. "Bureido…" The glow intensified as she launched into a spin, her blade swinging around in a backhanded arc towards the Sailor Senshi.
Moon had seen Justice do something very similar. "Uh-oh."
"Storm!" The katana shed its energy at the height of its arc in a violent blast that sped up at the startled Senshi. It was reminiscent of Justice's Crescent Blade Slash…until it split into several ragged beams that converged on her all at once.
Moon leapt into the air to avoid them but was dismayed to see them follow her, leaving her with no time to react before they struck. She focused her efforts on the Silver Crystal, trying to form a shield with its power, but two of the bolts made it through before she could mount a defence. A searing pain hit her side as the first blast tore through fuku and skin alike, while the second struck a moment later, grazing her shoulder and knocking her out of the sky.
She tumbled to the ground and landed painfully on her injured ribs, rising quickly to her feet despite the sting from her wounds. The Hunter was closing in on her again already; there was no time to feel sorry for herself. Fighting a human opponent with so much strength was a rarity. There was Mamoru during his brief stint as Beryl's pawn, but even he wasn't a typical human. She had to strike back, but with what? I have to risk hurting her. At this rate, she's gonna kill me! Her hand extended before her, mind made up. "Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"
It was smaller than usual – Moon was holding back – but the solid pink heart dropped from the sky towards the Hunter. Her katana flared purple again as she jumped into the sky and cut through it on her way back down to the blonde. Moon scrambled backwards in a panic and caught her foot on a raised tile, landing painfully on her backside.
The Hunter stopped above her and raised her katana. "This battle is over." A familiar rose flew out of nowhere and embedded in her shoulder, sending her reeling to one knee.
Sailor Moon looked up to see a familiar figure standing atop the shrine. "Tuxedo Kamen!"
"This battle is far from over," he called. "Not while I yet draw breath!"
It was a far cry from his usual brand of self-help slogans and, despite their recent difficulties, she nearly swooned. It could be our lack of time together of late, but he sounded so heroic just now!
"Excellent." Rather than the anger Moon had expected, the masked woman was almost eager. "Perhaps now you'll put up a little more of a fight!"
Tuxedo Kamen dropped to the tiles beside the blonde and extended his hand. She took it gratefully, a faint blush on her cheeks. "I'm glad you came."
"No matter what we may be going through," he said quietly, "I love you, and I will always be here for you when you need me." He raised his cane as he stared down the Hunter. "Now, what's the plan for dealing with her?"
Sailor Moon raised the Eternal Tiare and exhaled slowly, calmed by his presence alone. "Don't let her hit you. We'll figure out the rest as we go."
Sendai Hill was finally in sight…and Rinjirou couldn't be any more relieved. Rei hadn't spoken a word since his snub back at the safe house, and the tension was almost unbearable. Her offer meant a lot to him, but how could he accept knowing it would put her in even more danger? No, he decided, it's time for me to move on. That did nothing to ease his anxiety, though, and he finally reached his limit a few feet from the bottom step. Rei turned expectantly, waiting for him to speak.
"I'm sorry, but…I can't stay." It was all he could manage. "I just can't."
"Sure." She let out an angry huff and rolled her eyes. "You're so full of it."
Undeterred, Rinjirou carried on. "Every moment I stay here, I'm putting you and your grandfather at risk-"
"Oh, come on. At least have the guts to be honest with me!"
His jaw clenched unconsciously. "I don't belong here, Rei."
"Funny how you're the only person who seems to think so." Her violet eyes flashed as she closed in on him. "Wanna know what I think? You're actually starting to like it here, and that terrifies you…so you're running away."
"God, you really are annoying." He brushed past her and headed up the steps. "It wasn't so long ago I was calling you the annoying miko. Looks like it still fits."
"Keep that up and I'll push you back down these steps."
He snorted dismissively. "No, you won't."
"Fine, I guess not." Contrary to her tone, Rei actually looked amused. "You'd probably just cry about it anyway."
"Ouch." He couldn't suppress his smile. This felt more like their familiar dynamic…and she did have a point. I came to Japan wanting to hate it, but I don't. Not entirely. "So, you really want me to stay?"
"Well..." The miko continued staring straight ahead, but a hint of a smile played across her lips. "You aren't such a bad guy to have around. I guess."
"Gee, thanks. I'm not so sure-" The rest of his reply stuck in his throat as an odd purple light rippled across the sky above, casting a violet glow over them.
"The shrine!" Rei cried, tackling the steps two at a time as she dashed ahead.
"Damn it," he muttered. "Why are you so determined to get yourself killed tonight? Wait for me!"
What they found waiting for them at the top of the hill was unexpected. A Hunter stood opposite a blonde Sailor Senshi with wings…and a man in a tuxedo and top hat. Wow, he thought, stunned. Is it just me or are their outfits getting increasingly outlandish the more I see of them? Adding to the girl's odd appearance was a rather unique, impractical hairstyle. Twin ponytails hung from what he could only call dumplings, after the savoury bun they resembled. Such long hair was a weakness; grabbing it would be one of his first actions if fighting her.
Rei flinched as the Hunter sent the blonde reeling with a punch. "I've got to help her!"
"Are you insane?" he snapped, grabbing her wrist. "What the hell do you think you're going to do?"
She actually paled. "I, uh…my wards! Yeah, that's right! They stopped you in your tracks that time I hit you, er…accidentally."
"I may be pointing out the obvious," he retorted, gesturing to the Senshi, "But if she's having a hard time, what kind of chance do you have?!"
"Fine!" Rei snapped irritably. "Get in there, then!"
"Me? Why me?"
"You say you hate those Hunters," she said, "So go kick their ass!"
"I'm not all that fond of the Sailor Senshi, either," he countered. "This looks like a win-win situation to me."
She punched him. Quite hard. "Do not compare the Sailor Senshi to those bastards in my presence! I don't see them attacking innocent people, do you?"
Damn, he thought sourly. I guess she has a point. "Fine. I'll help…as long as you promise to stay back here where it's safe. Deal?"
"Yes, yes," Rei grumbled. "Deal. Now, go!" No sooner had he taken a step forward than she grabbed hold of his wrist. "Wait!"
"What is it?"
"Please, just be..." She glanced awkwardly at the ground. "Try and keep the damage to a minimum, okay?"
"I'll see what I can do," Rinjirou said, unable to resist a gratuitous eye roll. He began moving into the courtyard, keeping a careful eye on the battle raging before him. The guy in the tuxedo beat a hasty retreat after a vicious onslaught from the Hunter, warding off blows with a...cane? As he backed off the blonde Senshi switched with him, thrusting a pink and gold sceptre of sorts forward.
"Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"
An impressive blast of pink energy washed over the Hunter with little discernible effect. They moved out of the 'splash zone' with impressive agility and launched another rapid series of attacks. Rinjirou drew his daggers and leapt into action, closing on the masked figure from behind. Somehow, despite the mask and hood around it, they sensed him coming and blocked…with the katana he now realised was strangely similar to another blade he'd seen before. But it can't be hers. There's no chance she'd side with these murderers.
The Hunter retaliated with several quick blows of their own. Rinjirou managed to deflect or outright avoid them but it took considerable effort. There was a lot of power behind each swing, placing doubt on the katana's reputation as just a finesse weapon. In fact, fighting them was bringing on more déjà vu, and raising a possibility he really didn't want to consider. It can't be her. It just can't!
As he regrouped, he spotted Rei out of the corner of his eye, rushing towards the bathhouse. It's like she actually enjoys pissing me off, he thought sourly, and when I think about it…she probably does! A strange light drew his attention back to the Hunter; they'd withdrawn, and their katana was glowing with an unmistakable purple sheen. His eyes widened in shock. "No!"
"Bureido Storm!"
An impossibly powerful blast struck him in the chest and sent him sailing through the air. He landed in a painful heap beside the bathhouse, struggling to catch his breath as his mind tried to handle a new revelation. Megumi?! How can she be a Hunter?
As if that wasn't enough, the universe conspired to give him a second shock. A familiar voice spoke up from his left. "Mars Crystal Power..."
Rinjirou rolled to his feet, ignoring the pain in his ribs, and spotted a familiar raven-haired woman in the brush by the wall. She was holding a strange, cylindrical stick in her hand. "Rei?"
Her eyes widened in panic, even as she finished what she'd already begun to say. "Make Up!"
There was a brief flash of light that left him momentarily blinded, and when it cleared he was face to face with the red Sailor Senshi. She had the same violet eyes he'd seen a moment ago, though, with the same hint of nervousness behind them. A startled shriek from the courtyard snapped them both out of it, though, and her head locked on the distant Hunter as she raised her arm before her.
"Mars…" A flaming bow appeared in it as she nocked an 'arrow' with the other. "Flame Sniper!"
The glowing red bolt flew right at the masked woman – he couldn't bring himself to call her by name again – but overshot as she moved for the blonde again. 'Mars' glanced at him once more, impassive, then leapt into the fray without a word.
Rinjirou stayed right where he was, practically frozen in place. Megumi…is a Hunter and Rei…is a Sailor Senshi. The blonde Senshi and Mars regrouped to launch a joint attack, the latter unleashing a torrent of flame right into Megumi's path, cutting her off mid-dash. The blonde leapt over the flame, sceptre at the ready.
"Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss!"
An even more intense blast of golden energy erupted from the weapon, tearing into the stone tiles on its way to Megumi. She anticipated the attack yet again, though, and dove out of its path at the last moment.
Mars stared at the ruined section of courtyard in disbelief. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Sailor Moon?!"
The newly-identified Moon offered a sheepish grin in reply. "Oops?"
"The repair cost for those tiles is coming out of your pocket, Odango!"
"You wish, Pyro!" Moon actually stuck out her tongue like a grade schooler!
What the hell is wrong with them, Rinjirou wondered, aghast. How can they joke around like that in the middle of a fight?!
Megumi was on the move again, heading right for Mars. Another Bureido Storm took Moon and the Tuxedo Guy out of the fight, at least momentarily, leaving her free to focus on the miko. Rei started with an admirable display of agility, dancing around cut after cut, but she began to wear down quite quickly; Megumi was no slouch herself. One particularly close call cut the bow from her chest, while another opened a thin cut in her shoulder.
"What the hell do I do?" he wondered aloud. "Megumi's my friend…but she's also a Hunter. And Rei is my…what? Acquaintance? Friend? Something more, something less? For that matter, who the hell am I talking to?!"
Megumi had gotten in close to Mars and it was clear who the superior combatant was. Two quick hits from her free hand left Rei reeling, a third knocked her off-balance completely…and then she swept the leg. It was a move Rinjirou was familiar with; Megumi had used it on him in practice more than a few times. He was in motion before he realised it, not really sure what he planned on doing but sure he had to do something. Rei wasn't moving, clearly dazed after the fall.
He realised that, from behind, Megumi looked like any other Hunter. He didn't know why she had joined the Watchful Eye, or even how long she'd been a member, but he couldn't let her kill Rei. He had to stop her! His fingers clenched around his daggers tightly as time itself seemed to slow down. The katana began to descend towards Rei's neck. Just a little faster. Just a little closer. I can almost…
Two rapid clangs echoed through the courtyard as Megumi's sword struck his daggers. If she knew it was him, she didn't let on; her katana glowed purple again as she swung for him. The blade struck his daggers and continued on through them, shattering them with little effort. If I can just reach her, maybe explain what happened... In a move born of utter desperation, he tossed a ruined dagger aside and tore his mask off. "Megumi, stop!"
Her eyes went wide behind her mask…and her katana slowly lowered. "Rin…?"
He glanced back at Rei momentarily to confirm she was okay, and found her staring back at him with an unreadable expression. Is she concerned, worried…or something else? With a nervous sigh, he let his eyes return to Megumi. "Yes, it's me."
"But Harcourt said…he said you were dead. Killed by…" She stared down at Rei, her eyes narrowing. "You saved her."
"What?" Rinjirou had a terrible feeling she was missing the point. "Yes, but-"
"You saved her," Megumi repeated acidly, "From me. You defended a Sailor Senshi. The enemy!" It was a rapid transformation, her disgust clear as she took a step away from him. "You didn't die. You joined them!"
A brief flash of light to their left signalled the arrival of Justice, the orange Senshi clinging to his side. He drew his own sword immediately as his passenger stepped away and raised her right arm, index finger pointed right at Megumi. Damn it, he cursed inwardly, not now! I just need time to reach her!
She glanced about, apparently noting her sudden disadvantage…and fled into the trees with a quick burst of speed.
"Wait!" Rinjirou took a step after her but found Mars blocking his path. Rei.
She raised her hands slowly, clearly trying to keep him calm. "Please, Rinjirou, just let me explain-"
He sidestepped her without a word and rushed into the trees, following Megumi down the hill and into the city. I can't deal with you right now, Rei. I'm sorry. I have to reach Megumi, convince her of the truth. I have to show her we're still friends!
She finally slowed a few blocks from the shrine and allowed him to catch up in a quiet alleyway. Her mask kept her expression hidden, but she was clearly hurt. "I wish I'd never come back here. Better to think you dead than a traitor. Your mother would be ashamed of you!"
Her cold, disconnected tone hurt, and the mention of his mother made him freeze. Is that true? She refused to join the Watchful Eye, but... "I'm no traitor, Megumi. The Order turned on me because-"
"And you ran right into the waiting arms of the Sailor Senshi?" This wasn't the Megumi he knew. Her quiet, rational anger was a far cry from the fun loving, playful woman he knew back in London. "How could you? You've turned your back on everything you stood for!"
"Me?!" Rinjirou found his own anger mounting at her hypocrisy. "Look at you, Megumi, wearing that mask with pride! The Watchful Eye are murderers!"
"They do what must be done-"
"Does that include taking innocent lives? Because I saw one of your brethren do just that, all because the poor bastard had the misfortune of seeing her mask!"
She reached up and removed her own. "Why should I believe a word you say? You fight with the Senshi now." A brief flicker of pain crossed her features. "With her."
"No, I'm not! Please, just let me explain…" He trailed off, suddenly ashamed of himself. Rei asked me to do the same, and I ran.
"I loved you, you know." Megumi's admission was a quiet one, almost defeated. "I loved you for the longest time…but you only ever saw me as a friend." A note of bitterness slipped out. "And now we don't even have that left."
"You…you loved me?"
"When I thought you were dead, Rin, I was devastated. I didn't know how to come back from it. In the end, all I could think to do was come here and take vengeance in your name. I could strike down your murderers, and keep Earth safe from the tyranny of the Moon Princess...all at once." More bitterness emerged now. "But instead I found you, alive and well…defending the very people I thought had killed you in the first place. The man I loved...a traitor."
"Megumi, please. If you'll just listen to-"
"I saw the way you looked at her. The red Senshi." A hint of something unfamiliar coloured her voice now; jealousy. "You have feelings for her, don't you?!"
He didn't want to consider that right now. "What?! I-"
"Don't lie to me!" It was almost a screech. "Tell me the truth, Rinjirou. You owe me that much!"
"I'm trying to tell you the truth," he argued, "But you're not hearing me!"
She wasn't listening, instead staring at the mask in her hand. "I understand now. The Council, Harcourt…they knew word of your betrayal would hurt morale, so they lied. They told us you'd been killed by the very Senshi you now protect."
"They turned on me, Megumi, sent Hunters to-"
"Hunters?!" she repeated incredulously. "Do you even hear yourself, Rinjirou? We are the Watchful Eye, and we alone are strong enough to make the ultimate sacrifice…for the good of the Black."
She actually believes the rhetoric, he realised. She's a willing member! Even with the mask, I didn't want to believe it. I thought she was being coerced, or lied to, but this…this isn't the Megumi I used to know. That's why she's not listening to me.
"We're done here." Her whole demeanour shifted in an instant, becoming cold and distant. "Walk away, Rinjirou. Walk away now, and forget you ever saw me." There was another all too brief flash of regret in her eyes. "I'll do the same."
"I'm not going to do that," he said, unwilling to give up. "We're friends, Megumi-"
"No!" she snapped. "I was friends with a proud Paladin of the Black. Not the traitor I see before me now." She swallowed hard, unable to make eye contact "You broke my heart, Rinjirou Payne…now walk away."
"Please-"
She punched him the face. Hard. "Shut up!" When he didn't move, she punched him a second time. "Just walk away, damn you!" She struck him a third time. "I hate you!"
"I don't believe that." How could he? Damn it, I don't want to lose you, Megumi!
"You want proof? Fine!" Her katana shimmered again as she leapt back and span through the air. "Bureido Storm!"
This blast was even more powerful than the first. It tore into his armour and through it to burn the flesh beneath. Rinjirou staggered backwards, struggling to breathe. "You don't want to do this-"
She swept his leg, just as she had Rei's, driving him down into the asphalt. The tip of her blade came to rest at his throat. "You are a traitor, Rinjirou Payne, and I should end your life right now."
As he lay there, his head throbbing, struggling for air, Rinjirou finally began to realise what a fool he'd been. I couldn't even convince my best friend to listen to me. What hope did I ever have with the rest of the Order? What hope is there at all? "So do it."
"What?" Despite her cold words a moment ago, the katana shook ever so slightly in her hand.
"Go on," he said, his voice cracking roughly. "Finish it." Everything seemed so pointless. Megumi was lost to him. Rei was probably gone too. His mother was long dead, and so was his father. The Order thought him a traitor. What was he even living for anymore? "Kill me."
The katana wavered, the shaking becoming more pronounced...before she finally withdrew. "No. For the friendship we once shared, and the feelings I held for you…I won't kill you." She slipped the blade back into its sheathe and replaced her mask; Megumi disappeared behind it, replaced by just another Hunter. "Be warned, though, Rinjirou. The next time we meet will be as enemies…and I will not hesitate again. Unlike you, I know where my loyalties lie!"
He watched her go, leaping up to a waiting fire escape and clambering up to the roof until she finally vanished from sight...and from his life, presumably for the last time.
"Megumi," he whispered, as rare tears welled up in his eyes. "I'm sorry…"
AN: Without any further ado, please continue on to Part Two.