Chapter 69
Shin stared hard at the water in front of him, trying feel something other than the dull meaningless void that seemed to have taken up residence inside of him since he'd woken up here. It throbbed like a wound, like something had been torn from the space there, but for the life of him, he couldn't understand what. He couldn't remember a single thing in his life that would make him feel this way if it had been taken away.
Carefully, he pulled the collar of his torn shirt down and examined his shoulder. The wound was getting worse. It was probably infected, but he hadn't found a useful way to treat it. He felt feverish and achy. He wished the heat of the fever would chase away the awful cold that seem to sit in his bones. He couldn't stay here. It was dangerous to be in one place for too long, and nightfall was coming. He needed to find a safe place to sleep.
He was starting to wonder what the point was of even trying. Eventually, these things would get him. He didn't know where he was, but clearly, there was no one else here, so it wasn't like anyone was counting on him being around to help. Or fight. Or do anything, really. Which begged the question - why was he the only person that had apparently survived armageddon?
Rising, he picked a random direction, and began to plod. The landscape was the same. It was always the same. Rotting skyscrapers, random garbage and detritus strewn about. It was depressing to look at. Worse to live in. And then, Shin felt warmth. He stopped walking and turned, looking in the direction he'd felt it radiating from.
And found himself staring at a shrine.
On the other side of its fence, verdant gardens seemed to thrive. Red-leafed, gnarly maple trees swayed gently in an unseen wind. He heard the caw of crows, something he hadn't heard in so long – the sound of life – and he followed the noise with his eyes. They hovered around a woman, standing at the top of the shrine stairs. She wore a white uniform edged with a short scarlet skirt. Her hair was a rich fall of sable that swept down past her knees and her face held the sort of beauty that went far past the surface.
The crows landed on her shoulders, and she greeted them lovingly, sadness in her eyes. She turned then, staring down at him with an intense, if troubled violet gaze.
"Shin Mouri. Will you come in?" she asked softly, gesturing towards him with an elegant hand. Shin looked down and realized he was standing at the gate. He hesitated, not sure if this was some kind of trick to lower his defenses.
"Why would I come in?" he asked, the wariness he was feeling present in his tone. She smiled again, that same terrible sadness reflected in her eyes.
"I understand," she said quietly, and began moving down the stairs toward him, the crows flying off to land at the top of a scarlet tori. She paused on the other side of the gate, and Shin realized she was even more breathtaking up close, but there was something about her, something about the sight of her, that made his stomach twist in the most wonderful of ways. Something inside of him recognized her, and was reaching for her. Shin held himself still, feeling torn. Wary, but wavering.
The woman held out her hand. "I'm real Shin. I promise," she whispered. He wanted to take that hand. He did. He frowned.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?" he asked, his hand raising of its own accord. Something flashed quickly across her face – too fast for him to understand what he'd seen – and then it was gone. She smiled again, that same heavy sadness hovering behind the expression, and kept her hand raised.
"My name is Rei. Rei Hino. You might not remember me, but please, trust me Shin. I would never hurt you. I want to take you out of this place," she said in a calm, warm tone.
She looked so sweet. The shrine looked like a veritable Shangri-la compared to what he'd endured, and if he was honest with himself, he wouldn't mind going out in a place like this, with a woman like her, if that's what was going to happen. If this was the end, he was ready for it.
Shin reached down, opened the gate, and stepped inside, snapping it shut behind him. She was still standing when he turned, holding up her hand, but there was a glassy quality to her eyes as she smiled patiently at him. Shin reached out and took her hand.
Immediately, warmth radiated through his entire body, easing his aches, soothing his bones. He closed his eyes, and let out a long breath. Their small patch of paradise rocked then, and he snapped his eyes open. The woman in front of him was still holding his hand, but she was wincing, her free hand curled over the brooch on her chest.
"I can't hold this open very long," she murmured. "Come on, we need to get out of here." Shin followed her obediently, taking strength from the hand clutching his own as she pulled them up the stairs at breakneck speed, the crows flapping overhead and cawing, as if they were sounding alarms.
She pulled him up onto the terrace and slid a door open before pulling him inside. They dropped their shoes and leapt up from the genkan, and he followed her down warm, serene halls – the light of sunset glowing through the shoji even though there wasn't a sun outside.
And then he realized.
The entire place seemed to have a warm red glow surrounding it.
Rei led him to a room in the heart of the shrine. She threw open the doors, and inside, Shin recognized a traditional Shinto altar, but instead of the yata no kagami, a large red crystal in the shape of a heart glowed and pulsed. There was a franticness to the way the light inside of it fluttered, and Shin didn't know what was going on, but the urgency was getting to him.
A tiny old man sat like a gnarled little guardian on the edge of the altar's platform. He smiled warmly at them both.
"Hurry Rei," he urged her. She turned then, and Shin didn't know what he expected, but she let go of his hand, and the sensation of losing that connection swamped him with grief. And fear. Something inside of him beat at him to get it back. Screamed at him that he could not lose Rei. Pleaded with him to get her out of here, even though he had no idea where to take her or how to leave.
She scooped up the old man, hugging him so tightly his eyes bulged a little. He attempted to pat her comfortingly and Shin realized she was weeping.
"I know you're just a dream, but I miss you so much Grandpa! I'm so sorry!" she wept. It hurt him to see her in pain. Shin realized then that he trusted her completely. She was real. He had no idea who she was or where she'd come from, but she was real. And she was on the side of good.
The shrine rocked again, and the red glow dimmed so low for a moment they were nearly cast in darkness. It came back up immediately, but the flickering of the red crystal seemed weaker, more urgent.
"Rei," the old man growled, "Go you silly girl!" Rei gasped, and set him down. She clutched at her chest and doubled over for a moment. Shin reached a hand out tentatively, unsure of what he should do to help. Rei turned then, taking the hand, and pulling him towards the heart, her face determined – lips pursed, eyes narrowed.
"I love you Grandpa," she whispered, blowing the old man a tear-filled kiss. Then she turned, smiling at Shin, an edge of fear in her gaze before she turned back to the heart, pulling them up to it. "Helios! Please help us!" she cried, pulling him forward. They went into the heart, and it felt like nothing he'd ever experienced. Like walking into fire without being burned.
Shin felt the energy move through him, the red glow becoming so bright he had to close his eyes against it. Once the glow dimmed, he realized he felt peaceful for the first time since he'd woken up in no man's land missing huge chunks of his memories. Cautiously, he opened his eyes to find himself still in the shrine.
They were on the altar, but the old man was gone, and so was the heart. The red glow was no longer present either. Beside him, Rei was pale and quiet, a pinched look about her features. Unable to ignore the part of him that wanted to soothe her, Shin squeezed her hand gently.
She seemed to come back to herself, and gave him an uneasy smile.
"Come on, we need to get you to the temple," she murmured, leaping from the altar platform and hurrying them through the shrine halls and out of the structure. Shin gasped at the landscape beyond. It still looked war-torn, devastated. But there was green. The clouds were white and not that awful deep charcoal.
And the oppressive air seemed to have gone.
They didn't have far to wander. Shin stared up at the regal visage of what was clearly some sort of sacred building as Rei tugged them up the stairs. As they entered, a tall, slim man greeted Rei, bowing to her deeply from the waist. When he straightened, Shin noticed a golden horn growing from the center of his forehead.
"Princess Mars," he murmured. Shin snapped his gaze to Rei. She hadn't introduced herself as a princess. She'd introduced herself merely as Rei Hino. What was a Princess doing rescuing him from a wasteland?!
Rei returned the gesture, bowing low as well, and Shin followed her lead, realizing he was still holding her hand. He couldn't seem to let go of it.
"Helios. I'm so relieved to see you're ok," she breathed, moving them into the hall. The man nodded at her gracefully.
"I feel the same," he murmured. He gestured then, in Shin's direction. "There are other Troopers already here, resting. I have space prepared for Suiko to do the same."
Shin frowned. Troopers? Suiko?
The words seemed to resonate within him, tugging him sharply toward a foggy sense of rightness. Rei nodded. She moved forward, putting a hand on Helios' shoulder. "Thank you so much for looking after them. The others have been through?" she replied. Helios nodded.
"All but Mercury and Venus. The Moon Princess is out there, Mars. Please…" he implored her. Rei nodded, her expression hardening.
"I know. Please look after Shin," she said, bowing deeply again. She turned then, letting go of his hand to put a hand on his shoulder, rising to her tip toes, even in heels, to bring her face closer to his own. It looked, he thought vaguely, like she intended to kiss him. She might be a total stranger, but he couldn't say the idea was unappealing.
She leaned up a bit further then, and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Take care Shin. I'll be back," she whispered.
And then she vanished.
Shin frowned, putting a hand gently over his cheek. Warmth had spread from the spot and was rapidly flushing through the rest of his system, wrapping him in comfort.
"Suiko no Shin. Please follow me," Helios murmured, gesturing Shin towards a high, arched hallway. Shin hesitated. Something….wasn't right. It felt a bit like….deja-vu. Like he'd been in a similar situation before. His head began to throb.
A brief flash of Rei – wearing the tattered robes of a shrine maiden – her eyes wide, face startled as she vanished before his eyes. A sharp, terrible ache, a sense of panic.
And then the pounding in his skull reached a crescendo, tearing through the vision, and Shin sank to his knees.
He had known her.
Rei.
A bizarre ball of grief had lodged in his chest, full of heavy emotion he couldn't completely understand. Emotion he couldn't seem to connect to. Panic clawed at him, and Shin struggled to breathe. It felt wrong, but what was wrong?
"Easy. All will be well," Helios' voice intoned.
Sleep flooded his senses then, and Shin closed his eyes, unable to resist its pull. He hoped fervently that when he woke up, if he woke up, things would be better.