Standard disclaimer - I don't own Sailor Moon, or its characters. All OCs are mine.
- She is mine! -
Justice instinctively called forth his shield, the gleaming orb springing into existence above him and Rei. The Revenant Knight reached out, fingertips brushing against the shield…and roared angrily as it recoiled.
- Damn you! Give her to me! –
"No way in hell!" Justice retorted, moving closer to Rei and focusing all his energy into the barrier. It was holding up for now; the Revenant Knight didn't want to touch it. He remembered Selene's words of advice; 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. So…his shield was of justice, and the Revenant Knight didn't seem to like it very much. That was a good first step. But now what?
Rei cried out in victory as her right hand slipped free of its restraint, and she dropped down off the pillar. "Finally!"
- No! You will serve me, child of Mars! –
"Like hell I will!" she snapped back, making sure to stay beside Justice.
It swiped angrily at the shield; every blow felt insanely heavy to Justice. Slowly but surely, he was driven down to one knee under the force of the Knight's attacks. His shield began to dim, and a crack appeared in the translucent dish.
"Hey…that doesn't look so good," Rei observed nervously.
"Nope!" he managed through gritted teeth. "It's not!"
- Terror! –
Justice risked a glance to his right. The Shadow-Knight was pulling himself out of the wall he'd been knocked through. His chestplate was dented and cracked; it looked like the Outer Senshi had inflicted a lot of damage on him earlier.
"You will fall, brother!" He hurled two orbs of purple fire right at Justice. The Guardian Knight brought one hand down towards the attacks, and his shield followed, extending to protect him. The flames exploded harmlessly against it, swirling around Justice and Rei, but leaving them untouched.
"Not good!" Justice grunted. "I can't hold them both off for long!"
"We need to get back to the others," Rei said, glancing over at Sailor Moon. Justice followed her gaze; the blonde was on her knees beside Mamoru, trying to help him up. The battle was still raging around them, as the Senshi fought off more Constructs.
"Any ideas?"
She reached into her robe, producing another ward. "If my theory's correct, the Revenant Knight won't like this very much. Can you hold Terror off when we get a chance to run for it?"
"It's gotta be easier than holding them both off!"
"Okay…be ready," she warned.
He watched as the shrine maiden brought the ward up before her face. "Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!" She hurled the slip of paper up at the Revenant Knight's face. "Evil spirit, begone!"
The ward struck the evil creature and it howled, recoiling in pain, the black, smoky cloak around it warping and tearing.
"Go!" Rei shouted.
Justice redirected all his shield's strength towards Terror and began running alongside Rei, keeping himself between her and the Shadow-Knight. Fireballs exploded against the shield, but he was able to keep them safe.
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
"Space Sword Blaster!"
"Submarine Reflection!"
Four attacks sped out at Terror; he dodged the first but was clipped by the second, leaving him vulnerable to the final two. A brilliant explosion of energy surrounded him, leaving only his silhouette visible as he screamed. When the smoke cleared, he was gone.
"Rei!" Sailor Moon called, limping over and embracing the raven-haired girl.
"What took you so long, Usagi?" She sounded angry but wrapped the blonde up in a fierce hug all the same.
"Heads up!" That was Uranus, shouting a warning.
The Revenant Knight had apparently recovered and was drifting towards them. It fired a blast of red lightning right into Uranus' chest, sending her flying backwards into Neptune. Another attack followed it, but this time Sailor Saturn got between them.
"Silence Wall!"
Her own shield sprang into being, deflecting the Knight's attack.
- Fools! I will have the child of Mars…and your Princess! –
It maintained its attack, and gradually overpowered the Senshi of Death and Rebirth. She dropped the shield and rolled to the side, trying a last ditch attack.
"Death Reborn Revolution!"
Dozens of razor-like ribbons slashed out towards the Revenant Knight, slicing through it. Sailor Moon initially thought it was hurt, but she realised with increasing horror that they were merely passing through it harmlessly.
- Pathetic girl! I am beyond your powers! –
It reached out and gripped her around the throat with its black, ash-like hand, lifting her into the air. Red lightning crackled around her and she cried out, struggling against it. Her movements slowed, and finally stopped, as it dropped her to the floor. Neptune raised her mirror, but she was struck with another blast, collapsing backwards.
"Leave them alone!" Sailor Moon ordered, raising her Tiare high.
- So you challenge me, Princess…good. I shall enjoy feasting on you most of all! –
"No…" Justice said softly.
"Corey?" she asked cautiously.
"You won't touch her!" he declared, removing his helmet and tossing it aside. He stared up at the shadowy Knight through narrow eyes. "I know what you are, creature."
- Do you, Guardian Knight? – It laughed. – You don't even know who you are! –
"You are injustice in its purest form," Corey continued, feeling a strange calm spreading throughout his body. "An evil without end. You are a pestilence upon this world that must be stamped out." The calm became hot; a pure, burning fire spreading throughout his body. He spread his arms wide as he closed his eyes. He knew what to do. Selene had shown him. This was his domain. His responsibility. "I beseech the spirit of justice that resides in all beings. Here my call…"
- What are you doing? –
It lashed out with another attack that bounced harmlessly off Corey's resurgent shield. The Guardian Knight ignored it; he thought of Usagi, the girl who'd welcomed him with open arms even though she knew nothing about him. Minako…who'd helped him come to accept his possible past, and meant more to him than he'd first thought. Ami, Rei and Makoto…maybe he wasn't as close to them as the other two, but they were good people, deserving of his aid and protection. Even the Outer Senshi; personal dislike aside, they stood with Usagi in defence of this world. They were just, and worthy of saving. He nodded slowly. He had to save them all.
"Grant me the power to destroy this great evil before me!" He raised his arms high, and embers began drifting into the air from his gauntlets. "Let us cleanse it from this world, together!" Flames formed around his hands, dancing back and forth; building in strength.
- Stop! -
It struck at him again, this time dropping the Guardian Knight to one knee. Corey was unfazed; he opened his eyes and fixed the Revenant Knight with a pointed glare as he thrust his hands forward towards it.
"Judicial Flames!"
A torrent of fire erupted from his outstretched hands, washing over the Revenant Knight. They made contact with the black aura surrounding it…and ignited it, beginning to melt away the cloak of darkness. It roared in pain and anger, thrashing about as it was caught in the inferno. Corey turned to Usagi. "Now, Sailor Moon! Hit it with everything you've got!"
She closed her eyes and concentrated. The Silver Crystal floated free of her Tiare, and she grasped it in her hands, holding it up before her. "Silver Moon Crystal Power!" A brilliant white light erupted from the crystal, streaming out towards the shadowy knight. It roared in pain as it was engulfed by her attack, trying to flee but unable to escape the flames.
- This is not possible! –
Corey grit his teeth, grunting with the strain of his attack – he was firing it off for the first time, going off incomplete memories. Something told him he was nowhere near strong enough to keep this up for long; he was fading fast. But that didn't matter…as long as the Revenant Knight was defeated. As long as everyone was safe. It roared at him and struck him again and again, red lightning dancing across his armour. It burned, hot even through his chestplate, but he ignored the pain – all of his attention was focused on keeping the flames burning.
He heard Usagi cry out behind him; she was pushing herself too! Mercury, Jupiter and Rei were gathered around her, and as he watched, Venus crawled over, slowly rising to stand unsteadily with them.
"Mercury Power!"
"Mars Power!"
"Jupiter Power!"
"Venus Power!"
The symbols of their planets glowed brightly on their foreheads, and Sailor Moon stood tall, suddenly bolstered by their strength. She pushed the Silver Crystal forward, and a stronger blast pushed its way down the existing beam, heading right for the Revenant Knight.
- I will return, Sailor Senshi! You have only delayed the inevitable! –
The brilliant white light engulfed it, and with a final roar it was pushed back, shadow and ash breaking apart as it was completely disintegrated. Sailor Moon released the crystal, falling to her knees along with her fellow Senshi.
Corey let the flames die out, and collapsed forward, landing on his hands and knees. He glanced over to the Senshi - no, his friends - and shot them a weak smile. "See? Easy…"
"Is it really over?" Venus asked hesitantly, slowly letting herself fall backwards to rest on the floor.
"It sure seems that way," Jupiter agreed, pushing herself to her feet. "Hey, Uranus…you guys okay?"
Sailor Moon sighed, relieved. A sudden pain shot through her leg, and she glanced down, noticing a nasty cut in her right thigh. When had that happened? Endymion sat down beside her, reaching his hand up to cup her cheek.
"Are you alright, Usako?"
She smiled. "I'll be fine…"
He leaned in and kissed her gently. "You were amazing today."
She laughed briefly. "You weren't so bad yourself, my prince."
A furious roar erupted from the back of the room – Terror blinked into existence, moving with impossible speed. He buried a fist in Sailor Uranus' stomach, and slammed her into the ground, following up with a blast of purple fire that engulfed the Senshi of the Sky. Neptune was next, desperately avoiding strikes until he simply dashed towards her and slammed his knee into her jaw, knocking her down.
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" The attack raced out towards Terror, but he simply slapped it out of the air, deflecting it into the wall behind him. His helmet turned towards Mercury, eyes burning an angry red, and he launched himself towards her.
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!" Dozens of green leaf-shards struck him, provoking a roar of pain but still he continued onwards, launching another ball of purple fire into Mercury. She screamed as she was caught in the blast before dropping to the floor, shaking uncontrollably. Jupiter was next, unable to hold him off after using so much energy in the earlier battle. Terror gripped her by the throat and slowly drained her of her remaining energy. He turned and blasted Saturn as she leapt at him from behind, a razor-like bolt of energy slicing out at her. She absorbed the first attack with her Silence Wall, but the second broke through and cut into her side, above her ribs. She dropped to the floor, her hand clasped protectively over the wound.
Venus - already out of the fight - tried a weak Crescent Beam from her position on the floor, but it just glanced off his chestplate. The Shadow-Knight responded by blurring towards her and burying a steel boot in her ribs. The blonde curled up in a painful ball, whimpering. He whirled about as Endymion leapt for him, sword drawn, and blasted him at close range, sending the prince flying back to land beside the Outer Senshi. Rei rushed to stand between him and Sailor Moon, a ward in her hand and a determined look on her face.
"Evil spirit, be-"
He backhanded her with his armoured gauntlet, viciously knocking her to the ground.
Terror pointed at Sailor Moon and screamed angrily. "You! Do you know what you've done?! The Revenant Knight doesn't accept failure! My life is void!"
"It couldn't happen to a nicer guy!" she shot back, pulling herself to her feet. Normally, she had compassion for everyone, but today…after everything he'd done, she was all out.
"You will all die," he growled, his gaze flicking from Sailor Moon to Justice. "I just need to decide who I want to kill first!"
Moon glanced at Corey. He was trying to pull himself to his feet, clearly wiped out by his earlier efforts. Rei wasn't moving; a hit like that without her transformation to protect her was tough to get up from. The Outer Senshi were down, and Saturn was actually bleeding. Mercury and Jupiter were unconscious, and Mamoru…he wasn't moving either. Usagi was exhausted, too…invoking the power of the Silver Crystal always took a lot out of her. Despite the damage done to the Shadow-Knight already, they were all just too exhausted and hurt to stand against him.
"Finally, Queen Serenity, your debt is paid!" he declared triumphantly, summoning another ball of purple flame in his hands, letting it spin above his open palm. "Die!" He hurled it straight at her. She tried to dodge, but her injured leg wouldn't respond, and buckled under her weight.
"Usagi!" There was sudden flash of light and Corey appeared in front of her, extending his Shield before them. The flame slammed into it and rolled over the shield, dissipating without harming them. Corey could barely stand, but he dug deep; he had to protect Usagi. He'd failed to protect everyone else…but Usagi was still standing. He wouldn't let her fall!
"A part of me still didn't believe you were really Justice," Terror mocked, hurling another fireball into the Shield. "Even after Mars told me the truth. But now…seeing you summon the Judicial Flames…it proves it. You really are him." His voice went cold. "I get to kill you all over again, brother!"
"Why?" Corey demanded. He needed answers. He was tired of blundering his way through this without knowing the truth. "Why did you do all of this? How did you become this…monster?"
"We were brothers, Justice!" Terror retorted, slamming fireball after fireball against his Shield, causing it to buckle. "Brothers in arms…brothers in spirit…until you betrayed me!"
"You keep saying that!" Justice roared. "How did I betray you?!"
"You sided with her!" Terror cried. "You stood by Serenity's side, and you fought against us! Your friends! Your brothers! You claimed to be some great paragon of virtue, but even after all the injustices Serenity allowed to happen, you chose her! You fought us…and you killed us!" He unleashed a steady stream of purple fire that hit Corey's shield and tore through it. "Now die all over again!"
The flame washed over Corey as his shield collapsed and he spun, wrapping Sailor Moon in a bear hug, using his armour to shield her. He felt the heat, cooking him inside his armour. It began to fail, and he cried out in pain. His looked down at the blonde beneath him, willing himself to continue. She had to survive. The assault finally ended, and his armour faded away into nothingness – he was completely spent. He dropped to his knees beside Usagi, struggling for breath. His back felt like it was still on fire...all his nerves tingled painfully.
"Faith!" he gasped. "You…you were a Guardian Knight…your duty was to the Kingdom…to your queen…but you turned your back on both. I may not…remember it…but if I was half the man I am now…there was no way I could ever…side with you!"
Usagi felt tears welling up in her eyes. The disparity between this 'Faith' and Corey was immeasurable. What had happened in this man's life to drive him this far from the path of good?
"You speak of betrayal...you speak of oaths, you speak of loyalty…what of justice, for my sister? For the countless innocents that went unnoticed and unheard? No, brother…you chose the wrong side, and I can never forgive you for that!" He turned his attention to Sailor Moon. "Now watch as your precious Princess burns!" He summoned another fireball and lobbed it at the blonde.
"No!" Corey yelled, summoning his last remaining strength and throwing himself into its path. The purple orb struck him in the chest and exploded, surrounding him in purple fire. He screamed in agony as every nerve in his body twitched like it was on fire, shaking incessantly as he felt the dark energy course through him. Finally, blessedly, it faded…and he exhaled one last ragged breath before falling to the ground.
"No…" Sailor Moon said. The tears in her eyes began to fall. It had happened, just like Terror's illusion. Another of her friends was dead because of…no. Not because of her. This was Terror's fault. Not hers. She began trembling, feeling a terrifying rage building inside her. "Why…why have you done all of this?"
"You honestly don't know?" Terror sneered. "Your mother failed her people…she betrayed them, selling them out whenever required to ensure her precious nobility didn't turn on her! They were disposable! Just another form of currency! My own sister was killed, Princess, and she received no justice until I found her murderer myself!"
"So this is about revenge…" she whispered, feeling her anger fade. Could that be true? Her mother…turning a blind eye to the suffering of her people?
"No!" His tone was furious. "You still don't understand! This is about justice! Justice for my sister…justice for all those who didn't get it a thousand years ago! Your mother is gone; she can't pay for her crimes! But you…you are of her blood. You can satisfy her debt, and all those she wronged will have peace at last!" He turned, taking in the fallen Sailor Senshi. "If I have to kill every last one of your friends to get to you…I will."
"No…more…" Usagi fought her way to her feet, feeling her sailor suit fade, replaced with the simple white gown of Princess Serenity. "No more! You will not hurt anyone else!" The crystal drifted free of her Tiare, into her hands, and she held it up high.
"Usagi…" she heard Rei whisper. "You can't use it again…you're too weak!"
But I have to, Rei, she thought determinedly. I can't allow this to continue!
"What are you doing?" Terror growled, unleashing another blast of fire that engulfed the Princess. It split around her, leaving her untouched; she was protected by the might of the Silver Crystal.
"Even after everything you've done…I still can't hate you," Serenity whispered. "If what you say is true…then my mother did fail you. And for that…I'm sorry."
Minako was moving, slowly crawling to Corey. Serenity watched as the blonde felt for his wrist, and awkwardly tore off her sling, pressing down on his chest. CPR, she realised, forcing herself to turn away. She had to be strong. She couldn't afford to fail now.
"Damn you! Don't you dare feel sorry for me!" Terror raged. "I don't want your pity! I want your fear…your hatred!"
"Yes…you are a creature of hate, and rage, and pain…but I won't feed you. I will offer you a choice. The choice to be redeemed. Everyone deserves a second chance, Faith…even you." She hefted the crystal before her. "Silver Moon Crystal Power!"
Terror was engulfed in white light, recoiling as it reached out at him. But like the Revenant Knight, it couldn't penetrate the blackness surrounding him. "You lose, Princess!" He summoned one last orb of fire, larger and more powerful than anything he'd launched at them before.
"Evil Spirit, begone!" Rei hurled another ward right onto his chest, and he screamed in agony as his cloak of darkness was torn asunder, letting the light of the Silver Crystal wash over him. The shrine maiden collapsed on her hands and knees, a triumphant smile on her face.
"Be healed, Terror…you can be the Guardian Knight of Faith once more!"
"No!" he roared. "I won't give you the satisfaction!"
She could feel the crystal starting to waver, as he stubbornly held on to his anger and pain. "You'll be destroyed!" she begged.
"Then know that you destroyed me!" he snapped back painfully. "I curse your name, Serenity…yours and that of your mother!"
She grit her teeth and pushed herself harder, sending a brilliant pulse of light right at the Shadow-Knight. Terror screamed painfully and disappeared. She collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily. He'd been completely obliterated.
"One…two…three…four…five…six…seven…" Minako was frantically pressing down on Corey's chest. She reached ten, and leaned down to force air into his lungs. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she began the cycle again, counting up from one as she pumped on his chest. Blood was slowly seeping down her arm and chest from her shoulder, but she didn't even seem to notice; all her attention was focused on the task at hand.
Mercury limped over, looking more than a little the worse for wear herself, following by the Outers and Jupiter. Uranus was carrying Saturn, who was barely awake.
Uranus looked down at Corey's body. "So we were wrong…" she murmured. "Again."
"Yes," Neptune nodded slowly, putting her arm around the taller blonde. "We were…"
Rei crouched beside Usagi, putting an arm around her. "Are you okay? You didn't overdo it, did you?"
"No…" Usagi managed. "Just…tired…" She felt tears forming in her eyes. "But Corey…he…"
Mercury flipped her computer open, and shook her head sadly. "Minako…I'm sorry, but he's gone."
"No!" Minako shot back fiercely, looking up at her. "He's strong! He just needs a little help!"
"There's barely any heart activity…"
"That's why I'm doing CPR!"
"Minako…it's not enough to restore a normal rhythm…we'd need…" A faint beep sounded from her computer. "Wait!" She tapped a few buttons, and her eyes shot open. "Minako! Don't stop! I have an idea!"
"I wasn't planning on it!" the blonde snapped, leaning down to force another lungful of air past Corey's lips. She began her count once more.
"Jupiter! I need you!"
"What can I do?" the brunette asked, her voice raspy. Her throat was starting to bruise where Terror had grabbed her, and she was noticeably unsteady on her feet.
"I have an idea. It's a long shot…but we need a defibrillator."
Jupiter's eyes shot wide open. "Oh, hell no! No way! I can't control my power to that extent! I'll kill him!"
Usagi looked into her eyes sadly. "Mako…he's dead already. You…you can't hurt him any more than he is already…"
Tuxedo Kamen crouched beside her. "Usako…"
She buried her face in his shoulder as the adrenaline began to wear off, and finally let herself cry. It all came flooding out in stream of emotion as she relived their day.
"It's alright…" he said soothingly, wrapping her up in a tight hug. "Everything will be okay…"
"Please, Mako…if there's even a chance…" Venus begged. "We owe it to him to try!"
Jupiter sighed. "Alright Ami, what do you need me to do?"
"Start charging yourself up…slowly. I'll monitor the voltage and tell you when you're at the right level." She dropped beside Corey, lifting his shirt and pointing out two spots. "Place one finger here, and one here. Discharge when I tell you to!"
"Okay…"
"Stand back, Minako…"
The blonde reluctantly slid back, finally raising her good hand to apply pressure to her shoulder. She didn't seem to care all that much, however; all her attention was on Corey right now.
Mercury nodded thoughtfully. "Okay, Mako…keep going." The readout on her computer hit 200 volts. "Do it!"
Jupiter let the electricity flow through her fingers and into Corey's body. He shook, but nothing happened.
"Okay charge again…we'll go for a higher voltage this time."
"Come on, Corey," Minako whispered.
"Almost there…almost…now!"
Once again, Corey's body rocked as the current shot through it. Still nothing.
"One more time," Mercury declared. "If this doesn't work…"
Minako leaned down, whispering in his ear. "You still owe me that date, cutie. Please…come back to me…"
"Do it, Mako!"
He seized…
A few minutes earlier…
Corey opened his eyes. He couldn't see...was he blind? No…he could see his own body, so his eyes were working. But wherever he was, it was dark. A deep, impenetrable blackness that surrounded him on all sides.
…one...two…three…four…five…six…seven…
Was someone…counting? He listened carefully. Yes. It was a woman's voice…counting up from one. She reached ten, and he reached up to brush a fingertip over his lips. It was the strangest sensation, like someone had kissed him. No…not a kiss. There was no passion behind it, just the pressure of someone's lips against his.
…one…two…three…four…five…six…seven…
She'd begun counting again. Was that…Minako? He smiled as he recognised her voice. But why was she counting? That was a strange thing to do, at a time like this. His eyes widened. A time like this…where had he just been? A building…high above the city…the Skytree! Terror! He'd lost his transformation…utterly exhausted his power. And…he'd done something. Something really stupid…what was it? He felt the same feathery brush of her lips on his. It was Minako…she was…oh, god. She was giving him CPR. But why? You only performed that on someone if their heart had…stopped. He froze. Another flash of memory popped into his head; he was screaming, surrounded by burning purple fire, energy coursing through every nerve in his body at once. No…it wasn't possible. He was…dead?
Wasn't there supposed to be a bright light? Where was he now? It slowly dawned on him; was this his own, fading mind? Was he was trapped inside his body…waiting to die?
…no! He's strong! He just needs a little help…
…that's why I'm doing CPR…
…I wasn't planning on it…
She just wouldn't give up on him. She hadn't when everyone had thought him a traitor…and she wouldn't now. Minako…he was going to miss her.
…one…two…three…four…five…six…seven…eight…nine…ten…
He couldn't help but smile ruefully. God, she was cute, even counting aloud during CPR. It was a damn shame he was dead. He'd really been looking forward to that date.
…please, Mako…if there's even a chance…
That caught his attention. What about Mako? What chance? What were they…?
…DO IT…
His surroundings flashed white, and he opened his eyes, stirring slowly. Where was...oh, of course. He recognised his surroundings immediately. These were her chambers. Where else would he be? His gaze turned to the open window; the Earth hung suspended in the sky, amidst an ocean of stars. Tomorrow…there'd be war. But tonight, there was nothing on his mind but her. He turned his head, smiling as he absently stroked her long, golden hair. She sighed contentedly and snuggled closer, pressing her warm body against his. By Selene, he loved her. His goddess…his Venus…
…come on, Corey…
Corey? Who was that? Something vaguely familiar tugged at the corners of his mind. This wasn't right. He wasn't supposed to be here…was he? But where else would he be? Where else would he want to be, other than right here, in this moment? The blonde stirred beside him, drawing his attention back to her.
"Good morning, my love…"
She looked up at him with a gentle smile, her blue eyes sparkling with the same love he felt for her.
"You are so beautiful…" He leaned down and kissed her lips gently, revelling in their sweetness.
"My, my," she giggled. "Someone's feeling rather amorous…" She returned his kiss with a passion that left him almost dizzy. Her scent was intoxicating…the feel of her skin against his, electric.
He smiled down at her, feeling her fingertips grazing his chest…circling, slowly tracing their way downwards. "I love you, my goddess…"
…NOW…
He doubled over in pain, his world flashing white again. Faith had battered aside his guard and plunged the spiked tip of his halberd right through his armour. He felt the cold steel digging into his chest, tearing flesh and organs alike. His former comrade leaned in, helmet inches from his own. Slowly, the wounded knight reached down, for the dagger on his hip, slipping it free of its sheath.
"You chose the wrong side, brother!" Faith barked. "You betrayed me! You betrayed us! Your stupid obsession with morality always was your greatest weakness!"
"And your arrogance…is yours!" he snapped, driving the dagger up under Faith's helmet. His fellow Guardian Knight made a strangled, gurgling noise as he tried to pull away, blood spurting from his jaw. Justice held him tight, gripping the back of his neck as he lurched, until finally, he stopped moving. With a pang of regret, he let his brother fall, watching as the former Guardian Knight of Faith collapsed backwards to the floor, dead. His gaze shifted to the body of his other fellow knight…Honour. Damn him. Why had he forced him to fight? Faith, he could believe…it saddened him to admit that he should have seen this coming. Honour, though…never in a thousand years would he have considered him capable of such a betrayal. He reflected on his brother's final words; what do I care for any of this world anymore? Without my love…my Liara…my life is meaningless!
His thoughts turned to his own love…Venus. He lowered his hand to his belt, seeking a familiar chain. With considerable effort, he pulled his compass from its pouch and held it before his eyes. "Show me my goddess," he whispered. He was vaguely aware of Queen Serenity kneeling beside him. She was speaking…but he didn't care what she had to say. He needed to see her.The needle span slowly, seemingly searching…but stopped after several agonising seconds, returning to its resting point. He felt his heart break. She had fallen too. His love…was dead. All the warmth seemed to be draining out of him, pouring through the hole in his chest alongside his blood. He understood Honour's words all too well now; life indeed seemed meaningless without Venus to light his world.
"Sir Justice…" Serenity said gently, rousing him from his reverie.
He turned his head slowly, reaching up to fumble with his helmet. She reached forward, and carefully removed it for him.
Tears sparkled in her eyes; the Queen was crying. "I thank you…"
"Their actions were…unjust. The choice…was easy." he murmured. It was suddenly very difficult to talk.
Her eyes fell to the compass, before rising again, to study his eyes. "Venus…?"
He nodded slightly, too numb to shed tears of his own. "She's gone. Blessedly…I won't linger in this life much longer either…"
"Do not mourn for her, my faithful knight…your sacrifice is not in vain. My daughter, her friends, you and your love…you will all live again." The Queen rose to her feet. "It is not the life I had wished for my Serenity…or any of you. But it is life, nonetheless. Be at peace. You will see your love again."
"I…I hope so."
"Sir Justice…I beg of you one last favour." She paused, searching for the right words. "Find my Serenity, in this new world you will awaken in. Find her…and watch over her." A single tear slid down her cheek. "Guide her on the path of righteousness. Ensure that she becomes a better queen…than I was."
"As you wish, so shall…it be…your majesty…" His eyes closed for the last time…returning him to the darkness.
…you still owe me that date, cutie. Please…come back to me…
She was alive…his Venus was alive…
…DO IT, MAKO…
Corey's eyes shot open, and his back arched as he sucked in a huge lungful of air. "Venus!" he cried, collapsing again, coughing and gasping breathlessly. His whole body hurt…and he couldn't stop shaking.
"Corey!"
He turned his head to his left, to see…her. Her sling was gone, and blood stained her uniform, seeping slowly from her shoulder. Her hair was a mess, filthy and matted. Dirt and tears stained her cheeks. Despite all these things, she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
"Venus…" he whispered happily, reaching a trembling hand up to brush her cheek. "My goddess…"
She looked confused for a moment, before smiling gently and pressing his hand to her cheek. "I'll take it."
Corey's head was spinning; his mind was filled with countless images and words he'd never seen or heard before. He coughed again. His chest felt like it was on fire. Every breath was a struggle. But slowly…he was regaining control. Understanding who he was. Who he'd been.
"How do you feel?" Mercury asked, leaning over him.
"Like crap…" he groaned.
"That's understandable," Usagi cut in, her smiling face coming into view. "You were dead…"
His eyes widened. "Terror…"
"He's gone," Rei assured him. "Usagi dusted him, just like I knew she would!"
Corey knew he should feel relief…but instead a crushing sadness swept over him. "He was a good man, once…"
"Corey?" Venus - no, Minako, that was her name now – leaned in again, looking wary. "Is everything alright? You seem…confused."
"He just got shocked back to life," Jupiter sighed. "Give the guy a break!"
He gripped the blonde's hand tighter. "No, that's not it…"
Minako frowned worriedly, leaning closer. "What is it, then?"
"…I remember."
AN: And there we have it. The final chapter of Act 1. That is without a doubt the the longest continuous scene I've ever written. I hope it delivered! I have a short-ish epilogue to add in, which is almost finished, just to set us up for Act 2 - and because we need some fluff after all this intensity! Look for it shortly!