Disclaimer: Not mine

Notes: Spoilers for up to Case 24

Since Sion slept only once a year, waking up after being knocked unconscious was almost as disorienting as, well, being knocked unconscious. The fact that his head felt like it was about to come off didn't help matters. For awhile all Sion could do was lie and wait for the pain to subside enough to pull himself into a sitting position. After he managed to do that, he tried to sort out the jumble of memories in an attempt to figure out how he'd wound up… wherever he was currently.

He could remember the battle in the park plaza, and the Londarz with the strange weapon-- that had been aimed point blank at Domon. He could also remember fighting back panic as he shoved Domon out of the way… and then waking up here.

Sion got up carefully, taking in his surroundings. No windows, no doors-- but also no walls. He was starting to wonder if the Londarz had sent him to a pocket dimension instead of a prison cell. Sion rummaged for his laser pen and took a few energy readings, and sure enough, it was a pocket dimension. At least now he knew where he was.

Now all he had to do was figure a way out.

Sion scanned the pocket dimension's energy signature again, hoping to find something from that. As he went over the readings, he was surprised to find that it was very similar to the one Genbu had trapped them in not too long ago… which meant he knew how to get out of here.

He gave his Changer a tap-- and to his relief, he could still henshin. Sion hoisted Vol Pulsar over his shoulder. This dimension was similar to Genbu's, but also simpler: one big blast should be enough to get him out, and then he could get back to helping his friends stop the Londarz.

One blast of energy later, Sion was back at the plaza… and he was all alone. Sion felt his gut twist in worry, but that eased the instant he spotted Tatsuya appear from behind a rose bed. He must've blended in with all the red. Ayase was there too, about a meter to Tatsuya's left.

"Tatsuya-san!" Tatsuya didn't turn-- he must've been too far away to hear. Sion waved as he ran up to Tatsuya, grinning so hard it hurt… but that quickly faded when Tatsuya fell next to the rose bed, horribly pale.

Sion knelt next to Tatsuya, doing his best to remain calm. "What's wrong?" Tatsuya was looking in his direction, making choked sounds, but Sion didn't think that he actually saw him at all. Letting the worry show now, he looked up at Ayase… but he looked even worse than Tatsuya. "Ayase-san, what's going on--" Anything Sion would have said after that was cut off by the boot to his gut.

"Lila!" Yuuri was towering over him, eyes hard as she got ready to strike again. "Your lackey already hurt us-- we don't need you mocking us!"

Sion was trying to speak, really, but it was difficult when he could barely breathe. "Yuuri-san… it's me… what're you--"

"You little…" Yuuri bent down, grabbing him by the shirt collar. "Damn it, Lila, you know as well as we do that Sion's dead!"

Sion felt something go through him as Yuuri let him drop to the ground. Something cold, hard. It kind of felt like when she'd kicked him, only much worse.

"Yuuri…" Tatsuya's voice was strained as he reached out to her. "Maybe we should--"

"You saw the explosion too, Tatsuya." There was a hint of sympathy in Yuuri's tone even as she kept her gaze fixed on Sion. "No one could have survived that."

"But I did survive it!" Sion fisted the grass, not sure what to say or do, only that he had to convince them that he was here, that it really was him, that it was going to be okay. "Except it wasn't really so much of an explosion as it was teleportation and I woke up and I found myself in something sort of like what Genbu had me and Ayase-san and Domon-san in and it took awhile but I figured the right frequency to get out, and I promise that it really is me and not Lila, why won't you believe me?!" Sion had to stop to catch his breath at that point.

They stared at him silently for what felt like forever… and then Tatsuya smiled. It wasn't much of one, but it was far preferable to the glassy-eyed panic earlier. "Only Sion could babble like that, Yuuri."

Yuuri eyed him warily, and Sion felt his hand automatically go to his stomach, but then she relaxed. "Agreed."

Fairly sure that they weren't going to attack him now, Sion decided to ask the biggest question on his mind currently. "But why did you think I was… you know…"

Ayase crouched near him. "Sion, do you know how long you were gone?"

"An hour? Maybe two?"

Ayase shook his face, expression neutral, but Sion could see his brow furrow. "You were missing for three days."

"The pocket dimension… time must work differently…"

"Takku scanned the entire city for your life signs-- five times. We didn't find anything." Ayase's lips twitched a little as he placed a hand on Sion's shoulder-- gently, as if he was afraid he might disappear again. "Until now, at least."

Sion took a breath. Time for his second question. "Then if you aren't still fighting the Londarz, what were you doing here?"

"We were looking for your body," Yuuri said flatly.

"Oh."

"Which I guess we did," Tatsuya said as he sat next to Sion, grabbing him and not letting go. Sion was about to say something, but he promptly forgot what it was when Tatsuya buried his face in his neck. "I-- I'm glad you're okay."

"I guess I'm glad I'm okay, too, Tatsuya-san." Sion stroked Tatsuya's back. He had one last question… but he wasn't sure if he'd like the answer.

"Where's Domon-san?"

Tatsuya pulled away just enough so he could look Sion in the face. "Sion-- maybe you should wait a bit until you see him."

"What do you mean?"

Ayase looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable as he rubbed the back of his neck. "You have to understand, Sion, he took, ah, what happened to you pretty hard, and--"

"And he went crazy." Yuuri's tone was direct, not cruel-- but Sion still felt a shudder go through him. "We've kept him from doing anything stupid, and he was finally getting some sleep when we left him." Yuuri looked away for a moment. "But he probably needs some warning before he sees you again."

Sion had heard enough. Gently, he pulled away from Tatsuya. "I'll be fine. And I can help Domon-san. But only if we go to him, now."

No one said anything.

So Sion stood up, dusting off his pants. "I guess I'm going home alone then--"

"Sion, wait." Tatsuya was next to him. "We'll go with you. We just want you to realize that he's not exactly… going to be himself, that's all."

"Then I'll bring him back to himself." Sion started back home, aware of the others close behind him. He could hear Tatsuya mutter something about how it was all very romantic, in a really depressing sort of way.

He would talk to Domon. He really had no idea why they were acting like this... but he would do whatever he needed to make Domon feel better. Things would be fine now-- he just needed to make the others realize that.