Standard disclaimer - I don't own Sailor Moon, or its characters. All OCs are mine.
Rei exhaled slowly, focusing on the warmth of the fire; the crackling of the wood as it burned. She felt herself falling deeper and deeper into meditation, reaching out with her mind, probing the fire for signs of their enemy. 'Lord Revenant'. She needed to know more. It was like some inextricable force kept bringing her back here, to seek for answers.
Suddenly, Rei realised she was not alone. The same cloud she had seen on that first day was here. It slowly twisted and contorted itself into the outline of a man's face. He had chiselled, noble features; not at all what she would expect a creature like him to look like.
- Greetings, Sailor Mars -
"How do you know me?"
- I am far older than you can imagine, Senshi, but I still recognise your kind when I see one. Our histories are intertwined, after all -
"Who are you?" she whispered.
- I am known by many names -
"What would you call yourself?"
- It is of little consequence…but if your tiny human mind needs to label me, so be it. To the people of the Moon Kingdom, I am the Revenant Knight; cursed by Selene and bound in Chaos -
"Revenant Knight…" she repeated slowly. It wasn't familiar to her.
- You are strong, to be able to reach out to me like this. Most humans would not have the strength to do so; their minds would snap if they were to ever truly touch my mind as you have -
She swallowed. The feeling of palpable dread pouring off this creature was almost overwhelming. I can't back down now, she thought. I have to get all I can out of this. "Why have you sent Terror here? Why do you attack us?"
- I hunger, Sailor Mars…I hunger constantly, and only the life force of lesser being can sate me. I sent Terror here to secure more energy, so I may continue my journey to Earth -
"That's monstrous!"
- I have no choice…I am what I am -
"What is it you want with us?"
- The Imperial Silver Crystal. I will take it from Serenity' heir -
Her eyes went wide. "What? Why take it? What do you intend to do with it?"
- I'm afraid the time for questions is over, Sailor Mars. You have company -
Rei opened her eyes. She was back in the meditation room at the shrine. The Revenant Knight was gone…but so was the Great Fire. Her eyes went wide – it was never extinguished! A sudden shiver ran down her spine – she wasn't alone here!
"Hello, Sailor Mars…"
She spun around to find Terror and two of his Constructs standing behind her.
"My lord Revenant has extended you a special invitation," he proclaimed. "You are to be granted the honour of becoming his vessel when he arrives on Earth."
Her blood turned cold. "Vessel?"
"He finds you…intriguing." The Shadow-Knight replied. "That, and you have a 'strong mind'…or some other vague nonsense. Now…I do hope you'll come with me quietly."
She backed away slowly, letting a ward drop from her sleeve into her waiting hand. "I don't think so." She hurled the slip of paper forward into Terror's face. "Evil Spirit, begone!"
He screamed in a reaction so violent she was actually stunned. The black, smoke-like cloak that surrounded him was torn open. Had the ward done that? It seemed he was particularly vulnerable to them. Oh, well, no time to dwell on that now, Rei! Not wasting the opportunity, she dashed past him, ducking under a swipe from one of his Constructs and flying through the door.
"Of all the days to leave my transformation wand in my room!" she gasped, running as fast as she could down the hall. Another Construct leapt from the shadows and tackled her to the ground. She struggled, but couldn't break free of its grip, not even to reach another ward.
"That wasn't very nice!" Terror growled, approaching slowly. "You'll pay for that, Senshi!"
She heard a door slide open behind her. "Rei? Is that you?"
"No, grandfather, go back inside! It isn't safe!"
"Rei! What's going on?" Apparently he'd seen the Construct.
"Flee, you old fool!" Terror sneered, hurling a ball of purple flame towards the old man. He fell back into his room, narrowly avoiding the blast.
"Damn you!" Rei screamed. "If you've hurt him-"
"You'll what?" Terror demanded, grasping her by the throat and lifting her into the air. "Empty threats, my dear…you will do nothing but sleep."
Rei could feel her strength failing her, as her energy seemed to disappear almost immediately. He's draining me, she realised, as her eyelids began to droop. Have to…communicator. He dropped her, and the last thing she heard as she lost consciousness was the thud of her own head hitting the floor.
"Slow down, Usako. I'm sure Rei's fine!"
"Mamo-chan, she's not answering her phone or her communicator! Something's wrong, I know it!"
"Maybe she's just busy around the grounds, and she left both in her room?"
Usagi shook her head. "No! She'd have answered by now!"
They reached the steps, and she froze. Two police officers were descending the steps.
"I don't know what happened to the girl, but that old man clearly has dementia," one was saying.
"I'm not even convinced there was ever a girl there to begin with!" the other chuckled. "Oh, help, a demon abducted my granddaughter!"
Usagi's eyes widened in fear, and without a word she began sprinting up the steps.
"Usagi, wait!" Mamoru hurried after her.
She rushed into the main hall to find Grandpa Hino being interviewed by another police officer.
"Sir," the officer said tiredly. "I'm going to ask you to describe exactly what you saw, again. Please try to think hard."
"A demon! A demon in black who breathed purple fire! It took her. It took my Rei!"
The police officer just sighed. "We're not getting anywhere here."
"A demon in black," she repeated, going numb. She turned to Mamoru. "Terror."
"It sure sounds like him."
"Come on," Usagi said, tugging on his sleeve. "Let's check Rei's room for any clues."
The shrine maiden's room was clean, as usual. Even her manga was stacked in a neat pile; Usagi realised it was probably because she hadn't had a chance to raid it yet. She sighed. It was no use. There were no clues to Rei's whereabouts here.
"I'm going to check the meditation room," she said..
"Alright, I'll check around the grounds."
Usagi made her way slowly down the hall. She noted a burn mark in the wall next to Rei's grandfather's room. If the police would only listen to him, she sighed. The door to the meditation room lay ahead, half open. Something was wrong. It was never this quiet. Usagi entered and noticed it immediately; the Great Fire was out. That wasn't possible. It never went out. Rei had told her once that it would bring the shrine great shame if the fire were ever to be extinguished. They tended it at all times, to keep it lit.
As she stepped further into the room, she began to feel cold. It wasn't the absence of the fire – the room definitely got colder further she walked. A strong sense of dread began building in the pit of her stomach. The blonde didn't know why, but something felt incredibly wrong about this room. A faint movement in the corner of her eye drew Usagi's attention to the fire pit itself. She approached it carefully, peering into its depths. The ash started to move, gradually streaming up into the air and forming a man's smiling face. It was the smile of a predator, about to finally take down its prey.
- Princess Serenity…soon you too shall find yourself in my grasp -
She screamed and tripped over her own feet as she backed away, scooting back on her rear until her back hit the wall.
- How I will enjoy feeding on you – He advanced towards her, laughing mockingly. - I think you will taste…sweet –
A red rose flew through his face and the ash dropped to the floor, still once more. Mamoru ran over and dropped to her side, holding her close.
"Usako! Are you okay?"
She sobbed into his arm. "It was terrible…I could feel its hatred for me…
"Did it hurt you?"
"So much anger…" she whispered.
"Usagi!" he shouted, staring into her eyes. "Are you hurt?"
She jolted out of her panic. "No," she finally replied, trying to bring her tears under control. "It just…laughed at me…taunted me." Hey eyes went wide as she remembered its words. "It has Rei! What are we going to do? We have to get her back, Mamo-chan! We have to!"
"We will," he replied soothingly. "I know we will."
"So...why a tuxedo?"
"I'm not sure, really. Why do you wear plate armour?"
"I just don't have the legs for a miniskirt," Corey deadpanned.
He was sitting on a tree branch alongside Mamoru, overlooking Usagi's bedroom. He'd found Mamoru here when he'd arrived; evidently they'd had the same notion of keeping a watch on her house. Minako had filled him in via communicator. This 'Revenant' made an appearance…and it knew who she was. That has to be unsettling.
Mamoru laughed quietly at the image. "No, I don't imagine it's your style at all."
"Nope. Big, slow, heavy armour for me." Corey muttered ruefully. "So…Usagi was pretty shaken up by whatever it was she saw at the shrine, huh?"
Mamoru nodded, glancing down at her darkened window. "It knew who she was…it called her Serenity and admitted to holding Rei. Still, I don't think that's what really unsettled her. Usagi said being in its presence was almost like 'drowning in a sea of rage and hatred'."
"Poetic," Corey observed. "So…this 'Revenant' thing. What was it?"
"I don't know," Mamoru admitted. "Some kind of disembodied spirit, perhaps?"
"Perhaps."
Corey felt strangely at ease with Mamoru. The older man had been welcoming from the start, despite clearly knowing the same rumours about his past that the Senshi did. Correction…they aren't rumours anymore. Titus confirmed everything.
"Mamoru…can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Why were you so quick to accept me? Knowing what you do?"
Mamoru glanced down at Usagi's bedroom window, a faint smile on his face. "Well…I know what it's like to have everyone treat you with fear and suspicion. I'd much rather judge someone on their actions than their reputation."
"It's not quite that simple, anymore…" Corey muttered.
An awkward silence began, as he tried to find the right words. Mamoru, for his part, waited patiently for him to continue.
"I found out that everything the Senshi were afraid of was true. I did betray the Moon Kingdom. I broke my oath and tried to murder Queen Serenity. I'm a traitor…just like the Outer Senshi said."
Mamoru regarded him coolly for several seconds. "And?"
"What do you mean, 'and'?"
"And you're wondering whether you're really the person you thought you were – knowing that those things actually happened."
"That's…uncomfortably close to the truth," Corey admitted. "You're pretty perceptive." He sighed heavily. "I'm just worried I'll hurt someone I care about." Like Usagi…or Minako.
"Corey, can I give you some advice?"
"Sure…I seem to be lacking in good advice right about now."
"Years ago, when I'd just met Usagi and the others, I was kidnapped by the Dark Kingdom. Metalia brainwashed me and turned me into a weapon; a weapon she turned on Sailor Moon. I did…terrible things while under their control. Things I still have to live with to this day." He turned to face Corey, a solemn expression his face. "I learned to accept that those things happened. It wasn't easy, but I didn't let them define my life…who I was as a person."
"It's not the same thing, Mamoru. You weren't in control of your own actions." Corey spread his hands apart, staring down at them. "I have no reason to believe that in my own case."
"It doesn't change anything. You, Corey, aren't that man. He's dead. He's been dead for a long time now. You may look like him, you may have his abilities, and perhaps even some of his memories. But you're your own person. None of us are exact copies of our past selves. The choice of who you want to be lies in your hands – you don't have to continue to let Justice define who you are."
Is that true? Can I really just bury the past and move on? No…it's not that easy. "That's…good advice. I'll think it over."
Mamoru placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes you just need to reach out and talk things over with somebody."
What? Something both strange and familiar at the same time stirred in Corey's mind. "What did you just say?"
Mamoru frowned, confused. "I said, sometimes you just need to reach out and talk things over with somebody…"
Corey's eyes widened. Of course! She'll know how I can help! Without another word, he dropped out of the tree, landing on the grass below.
"Hey!" Mamoru called down. "Are you alright? Where are you going?"
"The shrine!" he replied. "To find that somebody to talk to!"
Corey stepped off the cobblestone path and into the treeline. He'd returned to the Hikawa Shrine out of necessity; it was the only really spiritual place he was familiar with in Tokyo. He wasn't sure if that was important or not for what he had in mind, but it couldn't hurt. If anyone can give me guidance, it's her, he thought. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned his sword to his hand and willed his transformation into effect. His view of the world changed, peering out from beneath his helmet. It always felt lonely…like a wall went up and separated him from everyone. It was quickly removed, and placed upright on the ground before him. It felt like he was on auto-pilot, being guided by an unseen hand.
Corey raised Justiciar before him, admiring the beauty of the blade for just a moment. "Here goes," he murmured, flipping the blade around and stabbing it into the ground. He released it, and the sword remained upright, the large gem in the pommel sparkling in the moonlight. The Guardian Knight dropped to his knees before the sword, and reached up to wrap both his hands around the hilt. He bowed his head and closed his eyes, taking slow, deep breaths as he tried to calm himself.
"I come before you, Selene, your humble servant Justice, of the Guardian Knights. I beg an audience with you." After several seconds of silence, he looked up. Nothing. That's how I remembered the words…did I do something wrong? "Please…I don't know what I should do. I need your guidance." After several more seconds with no response, realisation set in. "Of course. You don't want to talk to me," he said bitterly. "I broke my oath and betrayed everything I stood for." He stood, letting his transformation fade. "I wouldn't want to talk to me either." He turned, looking up at the moon. Titus had been right, yet again. Knowing the truth really had only brought him pain.
"Could I really choose to just forget about it all?" he wondered aloud. Mamoru seems to think so…but if Usagi doesn't actually trust me, how can I trust myself? She's a far better judge of character than I am.He turned to stare at Justiciar, still embedded in the ground. Life would have been so much easier if I'd never accepted that damned sword. I should have just laughed in Titus' face that night, when he told me I was 'special', and thrown him back outside. Maybe my life wouldn't have been exciting, or fulfilling…but it would have been my life. Not this farce.
His gaze remained locked on the sword. "Maybe I could just leave you here…get on a plane and fly home?" Now there was a thought. Nobody would ever have to know what had happened. He could just…disappear. Usagi…Minako…the others. They'd all be safe from him. He felt an instant pang of sadness in his heart as he considered never seeing Minako again. Dammit Minako…I really like you, too. No matter how I'm feeling, you always manage to cheer me up. Your laugh…your smile…they make me happy. Maybe it is just some silly little crush, but I'd miss you a lot.His thoughts turned to his other friend. And Usagi…it's funny, but you may be the best friend I've ever had, and I've only known you for a week. You managed to make me feel like a normal person again…if only for a little while.
As he toyed with the idea of just giving up his sword, an odd feeling of heat began to build in his chest. He paced back and forth, lost in thought, as a new feeling began to replace the doubt in his mind; anger. "No…what the hell am I thinking? I can't just run away! Rei is missing, and Usagi's in pain! How can I even think about abandoning her right now?" It felt like a wave of fire was spreading out from his heart, burning away his doubt and despair. "I can't do that to her. I won't! It wouldn't be right!" He turned back towards his sword and grabbed it by the hilt, pulling it free of the earth. "I don't care what Titus says. Usagi's my friend, and I won't abandon her in her time of need!" He stared up at the sky, lost in though. "What was it Mamoru said before? 'Justice doesn't have to define my life'." A confident smile slowly spread across his lips. "He was right. Whatever I did in the past doesn't matter anymore. Starting right now, I'm going to be the person that I want to be. I'm not Justice! I'm Corey McLeod, and I will not abandon my friend when she needs me!"
A brilliant white light began to shine from the gem embedded in Justiciar's pommel. The visage of a tall, beautiful woman faded slowly into view. Her long hair hung about her, framing her face, complimented by the simple yet elegant gown she wore.
"So…you've finally stopped wallowing in self-pity and rediscovered your own sense of justice. Good. That means we can begin at last."
"You're…Selene," he whispered.
"Indeed. And you are Corey McLeod, the reincarnation of my last Guardian Knight of Justice." She reached up to brush his cheek with a ghostly hand. "It has been a long time, my faithful servant."
Faithful…why would she call me that? "Thank you…for speaking with me."
"I had thought to confer with you once before…but you were not ready. You were too young, too cynical. This time, I am confident you will actually listen to my words, rather than just hearing them."
"I don't understand…"
"Yes, I know. There is much you do not understand, and much more still that you do not remember."
He nodded. "My memories of the Moon Kingdom, of being a Guardian Knight…they're lost to me."
"Not lost. Stolen. Hidden away, deep inside your mind, where you cannot find them."
Corey's eyes narrowed. "Stolen? By who?!"
"That, I cannot tell you. I am bound by a promise, made long ago to another of my servants."
"You are maddeningly cryptic," he muttered, almost by reflex. His eyes shot open as he realised what he'd just said. Pissing off a goddess is probably not smart. "Oh! Uh…no offense intended!"
"You are not as different from your past self as you think, Corey McLeod." There was a hint of amusement in her voice. "It is true. I cannot give you the answers you seek…but I can offer you some advice. Do with it what you will." She leaned in. "A wise man makes decisions based on what he sees for himself. Not on the word of others. Only a fool trusts blindly."
"What do you-" he began
"Shhhh," she hushed, placing a finger on his lips. "Understanding is not required for the moment. Keep an open mind and the answers will come to you in time."
He finally began to comprehend. "You're talking about my past…" He frowned. "You called me your 'faithful servant' earlier…"
"Did I?"
"Yes…you did. But if what Titus told me is true…I broke the oath I swore to you. Which means…" It finally dawned on him. "One of you is lying to me." And it isn't hard to work out who!
"Tread carefully, Corey. The path you are on is long and twisting. Many dangers and distractions await you."
He was finally getting a handle on her enigmatic speech. "Where is this path leading me?"
She shook her head slowly. "I regret, I have spoken out of turn. I cannot say anymore." The goddess turned and studied the city of Tokyo, just visible over the trees. "Now…you summoned me here for another purpose. You wish to know of this enemy you face…this 'Shadow-Knight Terror'."
Corey could have sworn she sounded amused. "You know of him?"
She sniffed indignantly, and for a moment she reminded him of Usagi. "Terror is but a puppet…the true threat you face is the one pulling his strings."
"Lord Revenant…" Corey murmured.
Selene seemed to grow angry. "It is Lord Revenant, now, is it? The arrogance of the Revenant Knight, to call himself a lord! He is a worm…but a worm with great and terrible strength."
Revenant Knight? "What is he?" Corey asked, curious at her rather sudden reaction.
"He is…a mistake," she sighed. "My greatest mistake. He once served me…long ago. He was the greatest of my champions…until he broke his oath in the most unimaginable way." Her voice fell to a whisper. "I cursed him…sentenced him to an eternity of isolation and suffering. But in my arrogance, I…miscalculated, and he became the creature he is today." She bowed her head. "The Revenant Knight is a blight upon the stars themselves. He is a sickness…decayed in both body and mind, feeding on the living to continue his own wretched existence. You will need to become much stronger if you hope to best him!"
"I'm not even strong enough to protect myself," he admitted, "let alone my friends or my Princess."
"No," she agreed, "you are not. But you can be, with patience."
"What must I do?"
"You are the Guardian Knight of Justice – you were chosen not for your skill in battle, or your physical prowess, but for your inner strength. You must learn to focus your own sense of justice. It is the source of your power, and as you gain control over your feelings, so shall your strength and power grow." She stepped back. "Justice is calm…unbiased by emotion…it is serenity."
"I think I understand," he said slowly. "I need to calm myself…fight for peace, not from anger."
"You begin to understand," she said, smiling. "You have a difficult road ahead. What you learned once through years of training you must rediscover alone, and without much time. Remember this; the Revenant Knight is your polar opposite – he is a being of injustice, anger and hatred. You hold the power to defeating him. You need only remember it."
"I'll do my best," he promised. "Thank you…you've helped me in more ways than you know."
"I know all," she reminded him, a small smile on her lips as she began to fade away. "I leave you with a final gift…for your years of dedication and loyalty…"
Corey was suddenly overcome with a burning pain in his skull. It felt like his brain was on fire, and he collapsed to his knees, screaming. Images exploded in his mind; a compass that didn't seem to work; flames engulfing his hands without burning; words, on the tip of his tongue. The onslaught ended as quickly as it had begun, and he rolled onto his back, not sure when he'd toppled to the ground.
"Judicial Flames…" he whispered. That's the key… "Thank you, Selene…"
A faint rustle of leaves came from behind him, and he looked up – down? – to see a familiar blonde emerging from the bushes.
"Corey!" Minako scrambled over, dropping to her knees beside him. "What happened to you?"
"Memories," he managed, running his tongue across his suddenly dry lips. "Had a nice chat with Selene."
"Selene," she repeated, eyes slowly widening. "As in, the goddess, Selene?"
"Yep. One and the same." He squinted, confused. "How did you know I'd be here?
"I couldn't sleep…I was worried about Usagi. I headed over to keep an eye out at her house, in case that thing came back, and Mamoru told me you'd run off like a crazy person, saying you were coming here." She frowned. "Did Selene beat you up or something?"
"No, but it feels like it. She meant well though, I think. Help me up, will you?" With Minako's help, he was able to get to a sitting position. He cursed under his breath; his head was really throbbing. There was something hanging around his neck, as well, that hadn't been there before. He reached up and pulled a small compass from beneath his sweater. It looked old, hanging on a tarnished gold chain, but it still seemed to work.
"What's that?" Minako asked curiously.
"I…don't know," he admitted. "I've never seen it before."
She leaned in to peer more closely at the compass, and he caught the faint scent of strawberries from her hair. Oh, yeah. That 'little crush' is still going strong, alright.
"It's not pointing north," she observed. "I know that because the street the shrine sits on runs east to west. So north would be…" The blonde pointed. "There. Your compass is pointing away from it though…into the city…"
"Yes…how odd. That's…Tokyo Skytree?" he asked, gesturing at a large building that eclipsed everything else around it.
"Yes," Minako nodded. "It's pointing there? Why?"
He glanced at the compass, as the little needle remained locked on the distant building. Why would it be pointing there? The reason suddenly occurred to him. Oh, yes…thank you, Selene! Keep an open mind and the answer will come to you, indeed! He grinned as he turned back to Minako. "We need to get everyone together. Even the Outer Senshi."
"Right now? Why?"
He winked. "We're gonna go get Rei back!"
AN: Okay, phew, that took a while to tidy up. That's about it for big, dialogue heavy chapters now. We've got one more group discussion at the start of the next chapter, and then we're into the final stretch - also known as the big battle! Thank you to my reviewers, you're positive feedback actually helped me get through this chapter quicker than I thought I would. I'm glad everyone's enjoying the ride!