Rei mulled over everything Toshitada had blabbed out to Ami, sullenly watching him. He was doing a wonderful job of ignoring her, focusing entirely on Ami. While his story was not at all what she expected (because, really, who would have thought their volunteer partner was newly reborn from the dead?), it made sense as to why he was so perceptive, why he was always cryptic with his words, and certainly why he was so annoying. There weren't too many people out there who really put Rei on edge, and the second she met him, she knew he was trouble.

She just didn't expect he would be helpful trouble.

Rei looked away from him as he continued to explain the origins of the armors. While she herself had only caught glimpses of the men in armor, she knew enough about them from news outlets and social media. Minako was the only one who had made contact with them—years ago, when they were much younger, much bolder. As Venus, she had extended a hand of truce, one which their leader accepted gratefully.

"It's good to know we're not alone," she remembered Minako saying, reciting his words to the rest of the sailor senshi.

("Woah, he sounds so cool!" Usagi gushed, to which Minako pulled out her phone.

"Def, I totally recorded it without him noticing, here, watch!"

"How did you record this?" Ami asked as Usagi flailed over the video.

"With my boob cam, duh—ow, Rei!"

Makoto shook her head. "I'm not even going to ask.")

And so the two groups had somehow managed to coexist, separately and respectfully; what the senshi could not protect, the troopers took care of. They never had the need to meet before. And now, with giant birds flaming up the skies and rock turtles stomping around, their worlds were colliding.

"There is a lot of history to discuss later," Toshitada said, folding his hands in his lap. His gaze never left the screen; he could tell that Ami was a thoughtful young woman who chose her words carefully. "You have questions, I'm sure."

"Only the routine," Ami answered quickly. She nodded, though, hand at her lip in thought. "But if you'd indulge me—"

"Please, ask."

"How did you come back to life?"

Toshitada hadn't expected that. He fell quiet, and his expression betrayed none of his thoughts. Rei stared at him out of the corner of her eye, watching him think. And then, right when Ami was about to retract her question, he spoke. "A young woman broke the rules. I was supposed to rest, but somehow she managed to wake me up. That is all I know."

"That's all you know?" Rei's voice was cutting compared to his and Ami's. It jarred him from the calmness of his thoughts. "You didn't bother to ask this young woman why, or how?"

"She said she could not explain."

Rei's eyebrows scrunched up. For a moment, she looked as if she wanted to say more, but she held her tongue and glanced away.

"I'm leaving for Yokohama tomorrow," Ami finally said after a long silence. "Minako's on her way as well. Rei..."

"I'll have to figure out with the branch leader," Rei answered, understanding her unspoken inquiry. "I'm sure if I say it's an emergency they can give me a flight back. It might take a few days."

Ami nodded. "We'll keep in touch."

Rei closed the lid of the watch, letting out a slow sigh. Her insides continued to twist. She was so far away—just so far away, doing—doing what? The work she was doing for the village was peaceful, but something was still missing. And while she was focusing on trying to find that missing piece and fill in that gap, Usagi was still trying to carry the weight of the world.

Toshitada watched her, silent. This side of Rei, so unaware of her surroundings, was a sight he had never seen before. Then again, she had been nothing but wary of him since the moment they met. He remembered the guarded look in her eyes when he first met his volunteer partner; right away he could tell that there was something different about her. Different like his own self, like the troopers, like Kayura.

"Hino-dono," he said, breaking the silence. "I will accompany you."

"Don't bother," Rei said. Though she was unmoving, her voice was sharp. "We don't need your help."

"This involves my former comrades."

"Then don't get in my way," she grumbled. He was almost surprised at how easily she seceded. Rei got to her feet, brushing off her robes and picking up her straw hat. She gave him one last glance—accusing, probing and questioning all at once—before she sighed. "Come on, if we don't get back soon, there'll be rumors floating around."

"Rumors? About us?" Toshitada followed after her, placing his own hat on his head. Despite the situation—despite her reluctance to accept him as an ally—he couldn't help but smile when he felt the ire in her next words.

"I can burn you in your sleep, Koma. Don't even try."

"I wouldn't dare," he replied, and she gave him a scathing look over his shoulder.

"Pig," Rei huffed, and Toshitada's smile could only grow—until he saw the essence of a spirit starting to form right in front where she was walking. He opened his mouth to warn her, but it was too late. Rei walked straight through, and for a moment he saw the spirit flicker. She kept moving, her pace not faltering, her head still held up high.

Then the ghost materialized, and Rei stopped. Toshitada moved fast; he kept a wide berth around the ghost, approaching Rei. Her expression was calm, he thought—too calm, as if she had known and expected this. Had she seen the spirit, then, and knowingly passed through it? He knew her to be stubborn and a bit snobby, not foolhardy.

"Please," the ghost said once its mouth formed. The rest of its followed; a young woman, with striking red hair done ornately, reached out to Rei. "Warn them. They are in danger."

"You ask a lot from two mere humans," Toshitada said, smiling thinly. He felt her energy twist. It was complacent now, calm, but he could sense that the spirit had once been filled with vengeance and rage. "Why should we trust you?"

"You have Kaos's spirit," the ghost said. "You recognize me."

"I have never met you," Toshitada replied, his tone still light despite the warning in his gut. The ghost shook her head; the ornaments in her hair swayed slowly, almost entrancing.

"Your spirit knows me," the ghost said, and a barrage of images suddenly filled his mind. Kaos had fought this same spirit, long ago—and her thirst for revenge then had consumed her and almost overthrown him. Toshitada took a step forward, summoning his staff and planting it into the ground.

"Suzunagi," he said, and the ghost closed her eyes and nodded.

Rei narrowed her gaze. For a ghost to remember their own name was a rare occurrence... She had sensed power when Suzunagi was barely forming, but she hadn't expected it to this degree. "How did you find us?"

"I followed the fire."

Rei stilled. Toshitada's brow furrowed. "The fire?"

"It's not the same fire," Suzunagi said, meeting Rei's cautious gaze. "Rekka has a very distinct energy signature. But yours is very similar. Priestess, please... I can't find them. Your fire is the closest thing I could follow."

"She has nothing to do with you or your past," Toshitada said. He twirled his staff, and Suzunagi recoiled just the slightest. The rings chimed, and a quietness fell over them. "Your desire for revenge has been satiated, has it not? Why are you still in this world?"

"She has the fire," Suzunagi replied plainly, as if that was the answer to everything. She waited as the two mortals came to a decision, separate of each other—Toshitada looked as if he wanted to banish her right there, but Rei stepped forward.

Toshitada grabbed her sleeve before she could get too close. The ghost's energy was coiling now, winding around their feet. "Suzunagi," Rei said, feeling the ghost's name around her tongue. It was heavy, laced with strength and control. "How long have you been wandering?"

Suzunagi laughed bitterly. "Wandering? I've been searching, priestess. I was finally at peace, and I slept for so long, happy. But after all these years, I felt angry again—as if nothing had changed, as if the cycle would repeat. Something is making me angry against my will."

"What are you angry about?"

Rei's voice was gentle. Tears gathered in Suzunagi's eyes as she shook her head. The energy at their feet started to rise. Her breath was shaky, and her image started to flicker.

"They must be warned. I can't find them anymore." The tears slipped down Suzunagi's cheeks, painting her young and childlike. "They freed me, and I can't even find them anymore. There's something blocking me. Please, priestess—I wanted to protect them, to guide them, but they are lost to me!"

"You need to rest again." Rei held her hand up. Toshitada was still holding onto her sleeve, not daring to let go. Only Kaos's magic, chiming from his staff, was keeping them safe from the ghost's coiling energy. "Suzunagi... You've done all that you can. This is not your fault. We will find them, and we will warn them."

"And the energy blocking me?" Suzunagi hesitantly stretched her hand towards Rei. "You'll find that, too?"

"Of course."

Rei smiled, and Suzunagi's fingers clutched hers. Toshitada watched as Suzunagi's image started to blur, before she disappeared in a sudden burst of light. Her energy faded away slowly, lingering around Rei's hand. An ofuda lay there, one he hadn't noticed before. Against the softness of the sunset sky, the remnants of Suzunagi's spirit looked like stars, drifting toward the sky.

Rei dropped her hand, and the ofuda crumbled to ashes.

"You typically taunt ghosts like that?" Toshitada fought to keep his voice even, though all he wanted to do was shake his fellow volunteer. That stunt had been dangerous. First walking through an unknown spirit, risking that it wouldn't possess her—then asking for it to hold her hand. Even he, with Kaos guiding him, was wary of letting a ghost touch him. They were too unpredictable, too haunted in their past.

"She didn't seem dangerous." Rei brushed her hair over her shoulder, unaware of (or ignoring) his inner conflict. "Who is she looking for?"

"Don't meddle in her business. She is dead now. You owe her nothing."

Gone was the teasing, flirting priest. Rei looked into his eyes, not surprised to find the level gaze of a man who knew the spiritual world. At that moment, he seemed untouched by age, unmarred by time. "She was crying, Koma."

"All ghosts cry, Hino-dono." Toshitada adjusted his hat and let his staff disappear. He almost missed the chiming at once. "Just because she had tears doesn't make her any different from any other."

Rei held his gaze, serious, thinking. Then she turned to make her way again out of the field. "Whatever. If you're going to be useless and keep all your secrets to yourself, then I'll find who she's looking for myself."

Toshitada didn't respond. He cast once last look at the spot Suzunagi had been standing. From the images she had shown him, Suzunagi no longer held a grudge against Kaos's armors. Rekka no Ryo and his comrades had assured her of their humanity, their hearts. So why was she back, searching for them?

He made his way out of the field, following after Rei. Not for the first time since his rebirth, he wondered if maybe life would have been simpler if he had stayed in the Youjakai, living as Shutendouji.

x

Touma found trains to be relaxing. There was a rhythm in the air that almost lulled his senses, calming whatever anxious thoughts he had about idiot students, scatterbrained fathers, or friends that hadn't responded to his messages in a week. He scowled; the thought of Ryo left him even more bothered than usual. Really, who did the bearer of Rekka think he was? If it wasn't for Nasuti letting them know that he was alright (because of course Ryo would answer Nasuti's calls and not theirs), he would have been taking the train into the Yamanashi mountains instead of Yokohama.

He let his gaze drift to Jun, sitting beside him, and he had to marvel at how much time had passed. Jun was taller than him now, with a sharp gaze and equally sharp jawline; he had finally grown into the maturity he had displayed as a child, and somehow had absorbed the best traits of each of the troopers.

"So," Jun said suddenly, stretching the syllable in such a way that Touma could not possibly ignore it, "are we stalking her?"

"What?" Touma gave the younger man a cross glance. "Who?"

Jun wordlessly motioned forward with his phone. Touma's gaze trailed along, utterly confused, before he spotted, out of all people, Mizuno Ami. He groaned.

"We've been following her?"

"Since we left the university." Jun unwrapped a lollipop and stuck it in his mouth. He leaned back, eyeing Touma's frustrated expression. "Ex-girlfriend?"

Touma gave him a dry look. "Please tell me you're trying to be funny."

"Jeez, just asking." Jun looked back over to the woman with a raised eyebrow. She was reading a book, unaware of their attention. He watched as she giggled at something she read before turning the page. "Why, what's wrong? She's really cute."

"Take her out on a date then," Touma replied, turning back to his newspaper. Jun huffed.

"You're worse than Seiji," he said, to which Touma did not bother to reply. The two of them continued to ride the subway in a comfortable silence; Jun pulled out his laptop, working on his research paper, while Touma eventually dozed off, the hum of the train soothing him to sleep.

Unfortunately, his dreams pulled at his subconscious, urging him to understand. There was so much to do, so much to remember. Touma swam through his thoughts, pulling an idea here, picking out another there. Giant bird—sailor senshi—Yokohama—how was it all connected? Why now, after years of peace?

Mizuno Ami was in his mind as well. He brushed his annoyance aside, focusing instead on the thought of the other troopers. The image of his armor flashed through his mind. His old armor—then Suzunagi's—then the Kikoutei, smattering into pieces.

He woke up with a start. Beside him, Jun was fervently typing away, headphones in his ears. Touma briefly checked his phone. Had he really been asleep for an hour?

He passed the rest of the train ride listlessly, staring out of the window, troubled by his thoughts. And, before he knew it, they had arrived.

The two of them filed out of the train, moving quickly through the station. Seiji had said he would pick them up; Shuu was tied up in a business meeting he had already rescheduled twice before. Shin, he knew, was still on his way. And again, Ryo—what the hell was that idiot doing? None of them knew if he was even going to show up.

Touma glanced around; with a grumble, he realized that they were right behind Mizuno. He ran a hand through his hair, resisting the urge to pull. What on earth was she doing in Yokohama anyway? As far as he knew, his father hadn't mentioned anything about his star not-student taking a vacation. Then again, it wasn't like Touma particularly paid attention to his father's ramblings.

"We're still following her," Jun unhelpfully commented, shouldering their bags.

"Shut it."

"Just saying," Jun said. He fished his lollipop wrapper out of his pocket and wrapped the half-eaten candy in it. "You sure she's not an ex?"

"Say it again and I will hurt you."

"Touchy," Jun muttered, sticking the lollipop in the pocket. "Anyway, Seiji should be around here. I haven't seen him in a year. You think he got a haircut?"

"The whole station would clear out if they saw his Kendo Stare," Touma said genially, remembering the time he had tried to cut Seiji's hair. Despite the nature of the situation, he was excited to reunite with the rest of the Troopers. Hagi wasn't too far from him, so he and Shin made it a point to meet up every month, but Seiji was on the other side of the country. Plus, the 'little master' was busy with running the dojo, which had recently expanded into another building.

Touma sighed inwardly, wondering if it was possible to get around Mizuno without her realizing it was him. Who was he kidding? His hair was blue.

Then, as if his thoughts summoned her attention, she turned around—scanned the crowd for something—and spotted them. Her eyes widened. "Hashiba-sensei?"

"Sensei," Jun mouthed to him, winking. He was looking far too amused. Touma nudged him irritably before he approached her.

"Mizuno," he said, trying to sound neutral. "Hello."

"Hello," she replied, still staring. It was as if she couldn't believe he was there.

"You're on vacation?"

"Oh!" Ami said, and her usual polite smile fell into place as she recollected herself. "Yes, a friend of mine lives here."

"Hmm," Touma replied, and his eyes trailed towards the skyline.

Jun glanced at Touma out of the corner of his eye—his friend was way too agitated, way too wary. In fact, Jun almost thought it looked like he was ready for battle. His amusement at the situation dropped at the realization as he glanced sharply at Ami. She looked normal enough, especially when she took off her glasses and fiddled with them. But while Touma was not nearly as intuitive as Seiji, he was still an armor bearer. Jun narrowed his eyes, this time sizing her up as he studied her.

"Well," Ami finally said, oblivious to Jun's musings. She tapped her red-framed glasses against her fingers, peering up at Touma. A nervous habit of hers, he had always noticed. "I should be going."

"Hmm," Touma replied again, this time looking at her. He tried not to glower, but he couldn't help it. This young woman just rubbed him the wrong way. She wore heels in the lab, seemed to be sweet on his father, and supported the Yomiuri Giants. Who in the world moved to Osaka and decided to support Yomiuri? Why couldn't she at least have been a Yakult Swallows fan? He remembered trying to ask her that before, but she was vague on her reasoning. Highly suspicious.

"Yoohoo! Ami-chan!"

Ami whirled around, her skirt frilling about as she did. Touma followed the sound of the voice to see a blonde young woman pushing her way through the crowd. She was dressed in paisley and lace, and her hair was done up in pigtails. He stared. Surely this wasn't Ami's friend?

"There you are!" the blonde said the second she was within hearing range. "We were looking all over for you!"

"Sorry," Ami said, gesturing around at the nearest shop. Touma blinked, realizing it was a used bookstore. "I got sidetracked."

"That's no excuse, you still could have replied to my messages," the blonde started to chide, when Jun suddenly cried out.

"Ah! Seiji!"

Touma quickly lost interest in the two, searching for his old friend in the crowd. It wasn't hard to miss Seiji; even in the crowd, he stood out. Regardless of his hair and eyes, it was his quiet calm that drew eyes to him. His shoulders were set back and he moved with purpose, though not ungracefully. Even outside of his armor, he was the very image of a warrior.

"Yo," Touma said, finally breaking into a smile as Seiji neared. He felt his spirits lift, as if all his troubles were fading away. Forget Mizuno and her pastel-covered friend. He didn't come to Yokohama to bother himself with them. He came to reunite with his friends, eat good food and possibly save the world from overgrown birds and turtles.

"Oh, you found each other," Seiji said, and Touma had a sinking realization that maybe fate was playing a joke on him. His rubbed the bridge of his nose, not daring to look at Ami.

"Found each other?" Jun cleared his throat, his smile nervous. "Now, by that do you mean me and professor here, or—"

"Oh dear," Ami said, understanding at once. She actually cringed.

"Oh no way, these guys are your friends, Seiji?" Ami's blond friend beamed at them. Touma turned his stare to Seiji, who didn't even bat an eyelash at her casualness. Was he in a parallel dimension? That had to be it. There was no way Seiji would have been okay with that much pastel and the casual use of his given name. "My name is Chiba Usagi. What a coincidence! This worked out so perfectly. Let's see, you must be... Touma! And Ryo?"

Usagi leaned back, chin in hand, studying them with pursed lips. Seiji actually smiled and Touma stared.

"Close, but that's Yamano Jun, not Ryo."

Jun held up a hand in a baffled greeting. Usagi snapped her fingers. "Darn! Sorry, Jun, but your buddy Shuu is terrible with descriptions."

"That sounds like Shuu alright," Jun said, trying to salvage the situation. "So, then, you must be—"

"Shh!" Usagi clasped her hands over his mouth, ignoring his sputtering. Ami buried her face in her hands, embarrassed. "Not in public! Jeez, I didn't hide my identity for twelve years for nothing!"

"S—sorry," Jun managed to get out, backing away from her. Touma decided right then and there that this was a nightmare. He was still asleep on the train, he had to be.

"Usagi, please," Ami said, shaking her head. "Isn't Mako-chan waiting?"

"Oh, right, duh," Usagi said, and she looped her arm through Ami's. Ami mouthed a silent apology to Jun. "We'll let you guys settle in first, but we're meeting tonight at Shuu's. Can't wait to see you there!"

And just like that, she dragged Ami off, chirping about how handsome their new allies were, and wasn't Ami so glad that she now had friends in Osaka to hang out with once all this was over, and how come she never mentioned Professor Hashiba from OU?

"She is an absolute whirlwind," Jun finally said after a moment. Seiji shrugged in agreement, unbothered.

"She reminds me of Satsuki." He nodded at Touma. "Shuu's got the rooms ready if you two wanted to rest."

"Forget the rooms, he better have a five-course meal ready," Touma grumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets and trudging off. Seiji turned to Jun, eyebrows raised.

"Did I miss something?"

Jun snorted, adjusting his dufflebag. "Would you believe me if I said that blue-haired girl was his ex?"

"I heard that!" Touma hollered over his shoulder. Seiji looked even more perplexed.

"Oh yeah, we were basically stalking her on the way here." Jun grinned, ducking the book that Touma chucked at his head. Seiji caught it swiftly and decided not to ask.

x

Shin knew it had been too good to be true.

His journey from Hagi had started off fine enough; there were no delays in getting out of the station, and other passengers on the train seemed eager to mind their own business so early in the morning. He had his pillow ready, hoping to sneak in a nap before breakfast.

He had just closed his eyes when, without warning, the air turned cold and the passengers in front of him slumped forward. Shin felt his heartbeat slow, just a smidge, and as he stood, his movements felt sluggish. Despite that, his senses were on fire. He made his way to the window with slight effort, peering outside.

A dragon—dragon, Shin had to tell himself—was twisting in the sky, scales glimmering under the sun, whiskers like wisps of clouds. He didn't hesitate to swallow his disbelief and call his armor. Around him, everyone else seemed to drift off as the temperature continued to drop.

He felt his armor react and pulse with its own energy, protecting his body from the dragon's effects. Shin threw the window open and hoisted himself out, maneuvering his way on up. Outside, flakes of ice pelted against him. This was no coincidence, he thought, watching the dragon float above him. First the birds and turtles, and now a dragon...

Shin steadied himself on the top of the moving train, using his yari to balance. The wind whipped at him and his eyes watered, but he forced himself to stare up at the dragon. It reeled its head back, taking a deep breath, and the air around him chilled again. More ice gathered in front of it.

He spun his yari, aiming; he had to get the first move, before the dragon got to him first. He slipped and spun a bit before regaining his footing and taking aim again. The dragon opened its mouth.

"Cho ryu ha!"

The dragon unleashed a blast of ice at him, and his attack solidified in the air as it met the cold current. Shin used it as a makeshift ice cover, aiming again. He attacked with another wave of water; this time, it smashed into the dragon, causing it to whirl about in the sky. Relentless, Shin attacked again, not daring to let up. He knew water against ice would not hold, but if he was persistent, maybe sheer force would knock it down.

"Whew, it's cold!" he heard a voice exclaim, before a figure flipped up from the side of the train and landed near him. Shin, bewildered, could only stare as Sailor Venus beamed up at him. "Nice armor. Kind of jealous."

"Thanks," Shin said faintly. He had met her once, long ago, but Ryo had done all the talking. Had she been a passenger on the train? They had just left Hagi and hadn't made their first stop yet. A thought occurred to him that she was familiar, in the back of his mind, but he didn't have the focus to acknowledge it. "How are you?"

"Just great," Venus said, crouching next to him behind his makeshift ice shield. "Not every day I get to see a real live dragon."

Shin couldn't help but laugh. "Trust me, the awe fades when he tries to freeze you."

The two of them peered over the ice shield, watching as the dragon regained its balance in the sky. Its eyes glowed, and though it was far away from them, they both felt the temperature drop again.

"So," Venus said, looking at Shin. "This is a bit tricky. I haven't done stunts like this in a while."

"I haven't done stunts like this ever," Shin chose to reply. The dragon was opening its mouth again. "I don't mean to sound useless, but my powers are water-based."

"Oh shut up, you were doing fine, dude!" Venus cut him off with a bright smile. "But let's aim together, shall we?"

She held up a hand, and a bright chain of lights materialized. Shin felt its warmth through his armor. That was handy, he thought, and he stood up. "After you."

Venus slowly started to spin her chain, rolling her shoulders as she did so. Her eyes never left the dragon; she followed it as it weaved through the sky, up and down, as if it knew what she was planning. The chain in her hands glowed, and then she threw her arm up. "Love-me chain!"

She missed. Cursing, Venus pulled back and started winding up again. Shin nodded at her. "Take your time."

"Well if this damn thing would just quit moving—"

"That would be too easy, no?"

"Can you stun it for me?" Venus gave him a wink. "Pretty please?"

That wink was too familiar. Shin readied his yari, focusing all his energy into the attack. With a little more flair than usual (and definitely not because he wanted to show off), he released his sure-kill again. It hit the dragon in the tail; at once, Venus threw her chain out again, roping it around the mouth.

"Got you, you—giant caterpillar—" Venus tightened her grip on the chain, one foot against the makeshift ice barrier to steady herself. The dragon was starting to recover, swaying again. "Okay, go!"

"Cho ryu ha!"

The power of the sea smashed into the dragon, and the chain burst into bright light as the dragon reared up. It gave a deafening roar, flailing about in the sky, before it shot up into the clouds and disappeared. Shin shielded his eyes, squinting against the bright sky. Beside him, Venus suddenly grabbed ahold of his arm as her balance slipped.

"Oops, sorry—"

"How about we get off the top of the train and head back down, before everyone wakes up?" Shin let his armor subside, smiling. "I imagine we're both travelling the same way."

Venus looked stunned for a moment. And then she threw her head back, laughing. "Mouri Shin! No way!"

In an instant, the glamor of her transformation also faded away, and Shin's eyebrows shot up. "Aino Minako, I should have known."

"Should have known?" Minako leaned forward mirthfully. "You mean, you sensed that we were fated together?"

"I sensed that city-girl aura," Shin shot back as he helped her down the side of the train. Minako easily found her footing, leading him to think that maybe she did do 'stunts like this' quite often. He tumbled back into the train to find her messaging someone with rapid-fire speed. She received a response, giggled, then turned to him.

"Hey, let's take a selfie! My friend wants to know if you're cute."

Without any other warning, Minako grabbed his arm, snapped a photo and sent it. Shin blinked a few times, sitting down in a daze. This was the same girl who had just lassoed a dragon, right? She flopped down next to him, eyebrows raised at the response she received.

"Ooh, she says your friends are just as attractive as you."

City girls, he thought as Minako showed him a photo of Seiji grimacing next to a blonde girl in pigtails.

x

Helios had been to the Four Bridges bar many times before, but this was the first time he realized that he stood out. It wasn't a particularly dingy place, but it was dark enough that he could take an uninterrupted nap if he wanted to. The smoke lingering in the air didn't bother him, either; it was more like incense and, oddly enough, calmed him. He had first arrived there at Hotaru's request, but over the years he found himself going to that bar even when they weren't meeting up.

He just never noticed that his eyes, gold and bright as ever, glittered. He caught a glance of himself in the reflection of his glass. Was he really this showy? It had to be the dim lighting. There was no way he lived all these centuries and didn't realize what his own face looked like.

"Something wrong with the drink?"

"No, it's fine, thank you." He glanced down, trying to somehow hide his bright gaze. The bartender only winked at him. He noticed that the bartender's eyes didn't seem to glow in the dark. Maybe it really was him, all his life, unaware of how piercing his stare was.

"Hey," Hotaru said, sliding into the seat next to him. She was dressed in all black, nearly blending in with the shadows. Helios heaved a sigh.

"Why didn't you tell me about my eyes?"

"Your eyes?" Hotaru, in the middle of flagging down the bartender, turned to him. She tilted her head and peered at his face closely. "What do you mean?"

"They're—flashy," he said with a grimace. Hotaru blinked.

"You used to have a horn," she said slowly after a moment. "You realize that, right?"

"That's different." Helios sipped at his drink, fighting against another sigh. "My eyes draw attention to me."

"You're being dramatic."

"You know," Helios chose to respond, "you are the only person who would ever say that."

"I'm the only person who ever talks to you." Hotaru hid her grin in the tall draft the bartender passed her. Helios couldn't even argue; he chuckled, shaking his head.

"I suppose that's better than sitting in Elysion listening to the Maenads recite poetry all day."

Hotaru patted him on the back, but he was sure she was very unsympathetic to his plight. "Did you find anything?"

"Well, no," Helios admitted. He tapped the countertop, though, choosing his words carefully. "It's a bit difficult. The books here have all the information, but nothing specific. It's like a big well-kept secret that everyone knows about. All hints, but no specifics."

"Hmm." Hotaru idly spun her glass around. Then she nodded, more to herself. "I'll start asking around then."

Helios actually snorted. Hotaru looked faintly alarmed. He raised his eyebrows at her. "What are you going to do, ask the closest villager why Crystal Tokyo never came around?"

"Of course not." Hotaru slapped his arm. "I'm offended. You think I'm that obvious?"

"I think your energy is," Helios countered. "You're going to leave traces of your signature everywhere."

"I'm learning how to be discreet."

"You underestimate yourself."

The two of them sipped at their drinks, falling into silence. How many worlds had they searched now? How many lands did they go to looking for answers? And how many beings told them they were in the wrong place, the wrong time, the wrong space? Crystal Tokyo did not exist in any manifestation on all of the worlds they had searched so far. This world that Four Bridges existed in was the closest they had gotten, but the hints were almost as frustrating as nothing.

"Hotaru," Helios asked, "if we've been meeting here for years, why have we only just started searching this world?"

"I've been wondering that myself." Hotaru frowned, sipping her beer and furrowing her brow at the counter. "I thought at first this world was fairly neutral, but now I sense that there's actually strong magic here. Someone is hiding something."

"That's all the more reason not to poke around, isn't it?" Helios raised his eyebrows. "If someone is hiding something, it's probably dangerous."

"I am dangerous," Hotaru said plainly. "Besides, the magic's gotten weaker. It's as if the secrets want to be found."

"You do remember," Helios added, "the last time you poked around, Setsuna said your energy was left in traces so large that the world nearly imploded."

"Setsuna was exaggerating," Hotaru protested lightly, remembering the world that lived in the clouds. "And this world is different! It has an actual foundation."

"It seems too dreamy to have a foundation," Helios said, glancing around. Smoke curled around their feet, slowly moving, as if it had a mind of its own. A speckle of dust winked at him. For a second, it seemed sentient, drifting towards him; then the doors opened, and it whizzed out of sight. A man stepped in, taking a seat at the bar a few seats down from them. "When I first came here, I thought it was the bar. But the libraries all have smoke, too."

"Yeah, it's a vibe alright."

While Helios was quite unsure of this bar and the land and all the dim lights, Hotaru seemed to thrive in it. In fact, sitting where she was, smiling over her beer, peering at the crowd, she seemed like she belonged. Not for the first time, he wondered how she discovered the place. He had asked once, and she shrugged him off and said she just asked a friend.

A friend in another world, he remembered thinking. Of course Saturn would have acquaintances across dimensional lines. If Pluto regularly had tea with other Time Keepers in other Spaces, why shouldn't Saturn have a friend or two as well?

"Well, be careful. I overheard that the beautiful Empress caught the last outsider who was here."

"Beautiful, is she?" Hotaru's smile was sly this time as she leaned towards him. "What else did you hear?"

Helios didn't take the bait. "That she is just as ruthless. We're in risky territory, Hotaru. I was just kidding before, but we really need to be careful."

"We're in a bar, not a fight club."

"You know what I mean." He fixed her with a pointed stare. "They have their own guardians here. I placed some mirrors around the palace—"

"Did you, now?" Hotaru raised her eyebrows, impressed. With the mirrors, Helios could monitor the reflections from Elysion. They were small, however, and meant to be unnoticed unless one had a high amount of spiritual energy.

"Yes, I did, because I knew that despite my warnings, you're still going to sneak around. At least I can keep an eye out and warn you of anything. The guardians here are not to be taken lightly. They are powerful, and you should stand down if you ever meet them."

"How do you know this?"

Helios sighed. "That outsider that the Empress caught. They erased his existence—completely, from both this world and his own original world. I don't know how they have the power to do that, but all traces of him are gone."

"Well," Hotaru said after a moment, "I'll just have to try harder than him, then."

The light caught her gaze, and Helios was suddenly aware of the glimmer of gray in her irises. Her focus was elsewhere; he followed her line of sight to see the man sitting near them. Unruly hair, with wild eyes staring into his glass of whiskey, he seemed nothing like the type Hotaru would be drawn to. Something about this man beckoned, though—something hinted that he, too, did not belong here.

The man looked up at them both. Helios was caught unawares by how blue his eyes were—inquisitive, defensive, and yet not unwelcome. Smoke passed in front of his vision, and yet the man's eyes still seemed to gleam at him, burning like the last embers of coal in the night.

"Maybe my eyes aren't the only conspicuous ones," he murmured. Hotaru turned back to him, distracted by the man still.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing," Helios said. He stood up, placing a few bills on the counter. He bowed to her, grasping her hand for a quick kiss before straightening up. "Thanks for the company."

"Have a safe trip back," Hotaru replied, aware that she was blushing. Helios, courteous as always, said nothing of it. He knew that despite years of friendship, Hotaru was still unaccustomed to his mannerisms. It was in his nature to be charming, and he tried not to overdo it. Still, there was maybe just a small part of him that enjoyed that he could make the infamous Solider of Ruin blush.

He stepped out of the bar, taking in a deep breath. The air here felt dusty, and yet at the same time clear. Everything about this place was an anomaly, but it didn't somehow bother him. His eyes traced the skyline, where the moon was starting to hang amongst silvery clouds. The stars here seemed infinite, as if this world was made for dusk.

With a flick of his hand, a human-sized red tori appeared in front of him. Without a second glance back, Helios stepped through, leaving the Youjakai behind him.

an i was actually trying to update clarity and this happened oops. i'm pretty sure i had ships set when i first started writing this, but now everything is up in the air bc i don't remember anything.

also, yeah, def said this was gonna be serious but guess what it's not! sorry mako and ryo fans, i promise next chapter is all about them.

anyway the eternal movie has me in a mood so let's go!