+++++ Reliqui, Roppongi, Japan. (Thursday + 5)
"I believe it would be best that I speak here, as someone…with purer interests in the matter. Don't you?" Toyouke looked to Maria, with a slight hitch of her eyebrow.
Maria rolled her eyes and crossed her arms under her bust. "Oh, for pity's sake. I am perfectly capable of standing back and cheering him on if he finds comfort in another woman's arms, you know? Especially since, on a long enough timeline, I have plenty of chances to gain those affections for myself."
Ritsuko's unhappiness with her colleague's statement was evident in her tone, "I believe I can manage to compel him to stay until we're both old and grey, if he and I get along well enough."
"Until you're dead, you mean." Toyouke cut into the brewing catfight with firm conviction. "The Silent One is immortal, my friend. As is the Charmer. This, dear, is why I wanted a moment of your time." Her not-so-subtle glare silenced Maria for the moment. Turning back to Ritsuko, she resumed her gentle demeanor. "He cannot die of 'natural causes', only…misadventure. He will be young and virile for all time, drawing others to his flame through his nature and presence. I do not doubt, before you think my words have hidden meanings, that he will stay faithful to anyone he chooses until their time in this moment has passed. But you must ask yourself: do you wish to mate with a man that will forever look as he does now, knowing that your beauty will fade. Can you muzzle the jealousy it will inspire? Will you eventually allow bitter jealousy to harm a gentle soul?"
"I just met him." It was her turn to take the other two women to task, now. "Am I attracted to him? Absolutely. Does that mean 'forever and ever'? Absolutely not. Moving him in with me is a chance for me to learn from him, and for him to learn from me. There's intelligence hiding beneath that lack of confidence. There's guts hiding behind the fear of pain. There's a good heart dwelling under the anger at the world. If I've learned one thing here today, it's that hyacinthum exemplaris are primal beings that have their emotional state tethered strongly to their physical state. I have watched each of you lose your temper more than once. Only you," she pointed to Toyouke, "managed to keep it fully under wraps. What that says to me, is that he needs a human to help him find his place in the world. A human, me, who is aware of his other side and is willing to allow him to spend time with others like him without that nonsensical jealousy you're worrying over. Either we're compatible and willing, or we're not. I'm not some lovestruck seventeen-year-old looking for the missing half of her soul."
Maria's eyes nearly betrayed her concern. That…was far too accurate a descriptor of my sister's least favorite co-wife, she shared her thoughts with Toyouke alone. Can you sense something I'm missing? Does she share our heritage somehow?
"We are concerned, Doctor. Not judgmental." The Denmother herself wanted everyone gone so she could be about dealing with the chaos that had been unleashed over the past week. "He is one of a kind. We had thought the Elders lost after Elysium's weapon misfired. With one now walking about, there is a chance that we might redress a crime against the natural order. We'll be placing a great deal of trust in you, and doing so for just the reasons you stated. He needs to understand his humanity…or all he'll become is inhuman."
+++++ Reliqui, Roppongi, Japan. (Thursday + 5)
Mika and Shinji walked into the chamber where Hygieia was being held. The kitsune remained at the door, allowing her an uninterrupted view of the room itself. Shinji, however, walked straight over to where the healer was manacled to the table. Scowling down at the chains, he felt his temper begin to climb once more. Why did you have to restrain her? Was she a threat to someone?
"I am a prisoner, Silent One," Hygieia's response was calm and even, despite the bruise on her face and hints of blood from her hairline, "it is a sensible precaution to take when you are uncertain of someone's motives."
"It's policy," Mika added. "We would expect the same treatment, were the situations reversed." Gesturing to the table, she pointed out a few things that she knew would help him understand, "There is enough slack in the chains for her to rub her face. More than enough for her to make use of the water and cloths to clean her wounds. That she chose not to do either is on her head, not ours. We offered food, she declined. The three of us are not animals, and until she has had her trial we would not punish her given our freedom."
Hygieia nodded in agreement. "She speaks the truth. I allowed my wounds to remain as punishment for my…allowing my emotions to overcome my reasoning."
There really wasn't anything else he could think to do at this point, and so Shinji picked up one of the clean cloths and dipped it into the basin of water. As gently as he could manage, he began to wash away the blood and dust that had stuck to her skin and hair. That's stupid. He knew he was telling himself that as much as he was telling her anything, having done just this to himself more than once out of foolish anger. Hurting yourself is pointless. All it does is make things worse for you.
A tiny smile, a hint of awareness regarding the journey that knowledge had undertaken, accompanied her closing her eyes and allowing him to work. "As you say, Silent One."
Shinji spent several minutes quietly going about his task, thinking things through now that he could busy himself physically. He had always done his best thinking when engaged in chores, or music, or anything that demanded his body be in motion. Lying in bed and sulking only led to him spiraling uncontrolled through his own pain. Why can't you call me by my name? The topic had bothered him, the explanation he received not making much sense. It feels…wrong. I'm allowed to use your name. I can use their names, he tipped his head towards Mika, but none of you use my name.
"Permission to use someone's identity provides us with enormous capacity to harm someone," Hygieia's response was morose. "It's rare that we trust others to do so, and even rarer that we do not punish infractions. We are not forbidden from naming you appropriately, save for our desire to remain in your good graces."
He remembered Maria's reaction to Satou, and growled. I am not going to hurt someone for calling me by the name I've answered to for seventeen years.
"That might very well lead you, and those around you, to great harm." Mika leaned back against the door, her mouth bunching off to one side when he looked back at her. "Would you walk around handing a loaded firearm to everyone you meet? Would you tell them the secret of commandeering your mind, and making you murder people by playing around in your psyche?" One finger flicked towards Hygieia. "Ask her, if you doubt I'm being honest."
"There are rules, Silent One." The prisoner supported her jailer's statements without hesitation. "Few can ignore them. Mostly those like Her Majesty, some few others of her kind. Your spouse, or close family, should they truly hold your trust. Humans…they have no troubles. They have forgotten the Ways. They can't call upon them, no matter how learned they become." When he looked back to her with a thoughtful frown, she lifted her hands up to hold onto his wrist. "I would gladly call you by whatever you wished to be called by, save your true name."
…Then why can I use yours? If he was 'like them', then surely it worked both ways.
"Because none of us have given you our true name." Hygieia let him go, allowing him to do what he would.
"We're very serious, Silent One." Mika had made up her mind about the 'prisoner', and approached to sit on the edge of the table. "I've never heard a single person actually utter the Denmother's true name. Even the man she most favored died without once speaking it."
Resuming his ministrations, once again needing the physical motion to prod his brain into gear, Shinji worked his tongue along his canines for further stimulation. What are they accusing you of?
"Of what I've done." The Mediterranean healer would not lie to save herself. "I said that I came here on your behalf to ask for assistance. By law, they could not approach you. You were 'neutral'. You had to approach them first, or everyone risked the Wars flaring up again." The matter-of-fact delivery of her words didn't prepare him for what followed. "I offered xenia. You accepted. I failed to properly provide xenia. You left. I came here. I violated xenia by speaking, and then striking, the…. There can be only two punishments for this. Coming here, lying to Reliqui…I chose my path."
I was told that I could decide your punishment. He set aside the damp cloth, then began to gently probe the skin to determine the extent of the damage. I have no idea what 'xenia' is, and so I can't really feel like you've failed to provide it. Coming here…. He trailed off, frowning towards Mika. Coming here at least showed me that I'm dangerous to the Sailors. Showed me that I need to be much more careful. I don't think you deserve a serious punishment for this. He turned his face back towards Hygieia. I'll take you back to the entrance to Elysium. I think the bruises and cuts were enough 'punishment', even if I don't like that Maria did it.
A new emotion overtook Hygieia's face: confused fear. "They…surely they did not give you the authority to decide my fate."
"The Matriarch did just that," Mika clarified. "In payment for the suffering he endured while in our home. You owe your life to him, Pergamonian. I recommend you remember that." When Shinji scowled at her, she affected the air of an instructor, "Sacred xenia left unfulfilled brings suffering upon the house of those who failed. By your own words, you have stated that no punishment is owed beyond what has already been incurred. Her gods will now no longer threaten her family for her transgressions. You forgave her. You gave her a third option. By honor and by law, she owes her life to you now. A blood debt, they call it."
Shinji growled in irritation, She doesn't owe me-
"I hereby swear fealty to your House! To serve, or not, at your demand!" The words were stated in a rush, as well as a shout, cutting through everything in the room. "My life and honor are yours to call upon, my body and spirit at your need!"
He felt a sudden clank in his heart, causing him to become lightheaded. I…w-what?
"First lesson of dealing with magic," Mika sighed as she helped steady him, "you break it? You buy it."
+++++ Kino Apartment, Azabu-Juban, Japan. (Thursday + 5)
Makoto admired herself in the mirror, looking at all of the small touches she'd made use of to ensure that all Shinji would think about upon his return was her. "He doesn't need anyone else," she purred, "I'm everything he could ever hope for."
Unbeknownst to the Sailor for Jupiter, a pair of kitsune had snuck into the front room to quietly take all of Shinji's belongings. Both young women looking worriedly at each other, before silently agreeing to hurry to be about their business and away from the apartment. Everything in the main room that belonged to him was efficiently scooped up and placed into a single oversized black canvas duffel bag. As they reached the door, they paused as one to offer prayers that whatever madness was overtaking the teenager behind them would not explode and kill people.
Just as the door closed behind her two guests, Makoto felt a compulsion to leave the apartment as well. "He's reaching out to me…." Her eyes grew wide with excitement. "I can feel him…he wants this!" The dazzling glint of her new earring fed her confidence. "Yes…it's going to be a wonderful evening."
+++++ Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park, Japan. (Thursday + 5)
"She asked that you think of her when you left Reliqui, Silent One." One of the pack of enforcers Toyouke and Maria had sent along with Shinji and Ritsuko held everyone up as they reached the Arisugawa-no-miya Park entrance to the cave system that would deliver Hygieia to Elysium. "I waited until we were closer, since I knew you wanted to get the Healer home safe first."
This left Shinji with something of a conundrum. Everything he had learned thus far that evening told him that seeing any of the Sailors couldn't be considered a good thing. As badly as he wanted to support them, given that he knew their fight was just beginning, he wanted to do so in a way that wouldn't kill them. His jaw worked, and his eyes turned to Ritsuko.
The brilliant polymath nodded, understanding his hesitation even without being able to hear his thoughts. "It couldn't hurt to let her know. If she's as worthy of respect as they're making it seem, she'll understand why you need to keep some space between all of you for the moment." She looked to the enforcer she believed to be 'in charge'. "You can keep her at a distance, yes? Close enough to speak without being overheard, but not so close that whatever he's got would hurt her?"
"Yeah, we can do that." The man shrugged. "Though, it'll be up to him whether he wants it or not. No offense, lady, but if the Elder wants her to stand close, she stands close. You're a good person, for a human. He's kin."
Hygieia quietly added her own point to consider, "I can also potentially help buffer any illness, Silent One. My oath to you supersedes everything else."
Shinji understood that once again, it was his choice to make. Hating himself for his weakness, he breathed in deeply and let his mind do what it would. Usagi-san.
+++++ Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park, Japan. (Thursday + 5)
Rei Hino and Ami Mizuno had chosen to stop at the scene of the battle against the Fourth Angel. The Sailor for Mars seeking more information regarding what they were facing, and the Sailor for Mercury taking the time to ponder just what had happened to change everything so violently in so few days.
"This doesn't feel right," Rei muttered to herself. Gesturing to the trees, she pointed out some spots that had begun to decay. "It's coming up on November, and these trees are looking like they've gone through the worst heatwave on record followed up by a pestilence." Black sores had formed on the bark, grey holes dripping through the leaves. "Whatever these things are, they are not youma. This isn't a spiritual sickness…it's a physical blight."
Ami leaned closer to one of the tree trunks, sniffing delicately. "It smells…sweet. But this doesn't look like any fungus I'm aware of." She considered the grass under their feet. "The grass looks scorched, which shouldn't be possible. I covered this area in frost, and Shinji doesn't use fire, he uses his fists."
The evening felt heavy with anticipation. It wasn't the looming dread of a battle, or the momentous rush of a big decision. Instead, the air was thick with the tension of the unknown and unanticipated. "This doesn't feel right, Ami-chan." Rei's foot was tapping a rapid tattoo on the ground. "We're missing something vital here, and I can't imagine that it's going to go well for us."
+++++ Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park, Japan. (Thursday + 5)
It didn't take long for Usagi to arrive, as she was being guarded and escorted by the two she'd left Minako's house with. Hurrying across the grass, she was barely able to pull herself to a graceful stop when a phalanx of youkai formed between her and her target. Confusion, then worry, crossed her features. "Shin-Shin?"
"It's nothing personal, Your Majesty," Hygieia motioned for calm, "we've discovered that the Silent One might be carrying some form of spiritual ailment that is causing an illness amongst your allies. He wishes nothing more than to fight by your side, but until you are free of this illness, he doesn't want to have you unknowingly risk your health and safety."
Usagi frowned towards the healer, then looked to Shinji. "I would like to give you a hug. I know that something is happening because of your presence, but it is not you that's causing it."
Shinji knew he was a weak man. It shamed him to show it so plainly. Let her pass.
All but one of the youkai moved out of the path, the last holding his hand out in caution. "He really is just trying to make sure you're safe, Mother Moon. We all are."
"I appreciate that you are." Her bearing as royalty came out as she inclined her head in gratitude, and after he moved out of her way she crossed the distance between herself and Shinji with three more steps before jumping up and wrapping her arms around his throat. Her words were cinnamon honey, breathed into the crook of his neck, "I missed you so much. I was terrified you'd been killed."
He had no experience to draw upon, really. Standing there, holding Usagi up off the ground with his arms in 'as safe as he could find' places, he felt complete again. The sickly-sweet pain wriggling through his veins at her touch, the glorious agony of her mind against his own. I'm sorry. When I was inside the bubble, the youma pointed out Ritsuko-san. I had to choose between fighting him and saving her.
Her smile went unseen by him, though it carried through her tone, "You made the right choice. We save lives, whenever we can. Our victory will mean nothing without their survival." Kissing his neck, she pulled back and sat on his forearm to look up at him with aching sadness. "I agree with Doctor Akagi. You need to move into her apartment, and you need to stay away from Makoto." Glancing over to Ritsuko, she gave her a stern glare. "My Knight will require patience. His heart is good, his mind delightful, but it's this," she vaguely gestured to his aura, "that is causing him to suffer. There is something inside of him, something that is not him, and until he comes to terms with it or manages to excise it…he'll have troubles with his anger. Please," her glare died, shifting to pleading, "take good care of him."
With her fingers in her back pockets, Ritsuko tilted her head to the left a touch. Analyzing everything about the unnaturally beautiful woman sitting upon Shinji's arm, from her mannerisms to her shifting diction. Her first thought was that Usagi suffered from some form of dissociative identity disorder, but that was quickly dismissed owing to the continuity of the thoughts themselves. "I'll help him take care of himself. As his friend, it really is something I'm keen to do anyway."
Shinji spotted Ami and Rei, pointing the approach of both out to the others. They're up and moving! Are they badly hurt?
Hopping down from Shinji's grasp, Usagi walked over to Ritsuko and asked the taller woman to tip down slightly so she could whisper, "If things go badly…if we fail…do not let him give up. You have a chance to change the fate of the world, Ritsuko Akagi. Be his hero, so that he can be their hero."
Shinji waved to the two approaching Sailors, relief plastered all over his face. I'm really glad you two aren't injured. I'm so sorry that I wasn't there at the start of that fight. If he had to focus on me, I'm sure one of you would have managed to put him down. Turning to Hygieia, he put his hand on her shoulder with a hopeful smile growing. Would you mind taking a quick look at them before you go? Just to settle my nerves?
Ami sighed and Rei rolled her eyes as the two gave each other a knowing look. They had been getting their asses handed to them. If it weren't for him showing up, things likely would have-
Combat instincts limited the devastation that followed. As the first sound of the word 'sniper' began to emanate from one of the youkai enforcers, too many things for Shinji to prevent happened at once. Usagi, closest to Ritsuko, tackled the doctor to the ground. Rei and Ami turned to locate the attacking force. The youkai moved as a unit to begin clearing those they'd been charged with protecting out of the killing zone. A thick beam of coherent photonic plasma lanced just before Shinji's eyes, temporarily blinding him as Unit-01 flowed into position around him, the assault causing Hygieia's head and neck to sublimate from the top of her sternum out to the tips of her clavicles.
Now fully surrounded by armor, Shinji had a moment of confused disbelief. She…she's…. The back half of his mind, the part that dominated his time in combat, pushed aside everything except the fight. Using the optics on his helmet, he tried to find the likely position he needed to approach. Dense trees, winding paths, and tiered hills made it difficult to spot anyone. The split-second of indecision vanished and he charged towards where the attack had come from. How did they miss me? I was exposed out there! The Fifth Angel never missed. Never missed. Ignoring the cries of his comrades and protectors, he managed to clear the top of the hill to get a cleaner look at the surrounding high ground. With enough sense to use a tree for cover, he scanned the buildings on the other side of the broad street from the park.
"Understanding that you're not the type of person to exercise restraint in the face of overwhelming danger," Rei slid next to him, gripping his forearm to hold him back by social convention, "what exactly did you think you were going to do once you found the sniper? You don't have a long-range weapon, last I checked."
It will look like a diamond. Eight sides, two pyramids with the bases pressed together. He agreed that he had no weapons. He also knew that nothing they had would likely penetrate the Angel he remembered. When I killed this one before, it took a weapon using all of Japan's generated power, and two shots. The first shot, it used a counter-shot to distort the beam and cause me to miss. The second…. He remembered Rei Ayanami, hastily swallowing his pain to deal with later. They had someone use the base of a space shuttle to give me enough time to reload and fire. He looked meaningfully at her.
"Not the best plan," she grimaced, "are you sure that you can withstand that beam?"
I don't have a choice. We just saw what it does to skin and bones. He gently freed his arm from her grasp. I'll draw its fire, just…please don't miss like I did.
"We," Usagi and Ami caught up, and after having overheard the last of the plan Ami stressed the importance of cooperation, "will draw its fire. Three moving targets beats one."
"Akagi-san is with the people who brought me," Usagi attempted to assure Shinji that everything would be ok, "they'll keep her safe."
Shinji choked back the angry retort that 'safe' didn't exist. Ok. On three.
+++++ Building above Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park, Japan. (Thursday + 5)
Makoto glared death down upon the crumpled form of the woman Shinji had touched so casually. "It's all their fault." When Unit-01 assumed its place, and charged towards her, she'd felt the thrill of victory. He was coming towards her, he was going to be in her arms soon.
Flay the oppressor. Free him from her grasp.
The moment Rei grabbed onto Shinji, Makoto's blood began to boil. "She's stopping him from reaching me!" Her new earring issued an ominous glow, sparking with killing intent as Ami and Usagi crouched down to block his path as well. "They're all stopping him."
He can be made to be yours, and yours alone. He will never abandon you.
She saw Shinji break from the trees, dashing straight ahead and directly towards the building she as standing upon. With her emotions careening all over the place, her lips parted in a mad smile at the sight, then shot downwards when Usagi began running behind him and to the side. "That bitch! She wants…." Lightheadedness swarmed over her head once again, images of Usagi laughing with her over a joke. Of the first time they met, when she'd caught the baseball flying towards the blonde. Of how she supported Shinji moving into her apartment.
This time, you will be the senpai.
The moment of lucidity shattered, her mind drowned in rage and abandonment, the nearly fully possessed Sailor gestured with her open palm towards the twin-tailed irritant that was taking what rightfully belonged to Jupiter. "Long live the Queen."
+++++ Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park, Japan. (Thursday + 5)
Time slowed for Shinji suddenly. A pair of visions crushing his conscious mind at once. The confused amalgam of thought left little by way of clarity. One half showed a world consumed in flames. Nations collapsing, people starving, sickness and pestilence swarming over anything and everything mankind had built. The other provided a glimpse of gilded towers soaring high into the sky, built on a foundation of human blood and bone. His next step would decide which path destiny would take. The choice was all his to make. He also had an increasingly smaller amount of time to make the choice as to where that step would be taken.
One offered a certainty of death, shared out equally amongst the people of the world.
One offered half of the universe up to an uncaring creator so that the other could live in gilded ignorance.
There were no 'good' choices available, only less bad ones. Shoving aside the option that mirrored the world he'd left behind, he launched himself towards Usagi as his right foot struck the ground. His A.T. Field raised, his jaw set, his path chosen. When the spear of light rocketed towards him, he remembered the agony he felt the first time the Fifth Angel had lanced him. Layers upon layers of armor melting away like ice cream in the heat of a dying star. A scream of torture that would not stop, would not end. Waking up in a hospital bed.
He heard Usagi gasp sharply as the attack struck him just beside his left pectoral muscle. He felt the fire, the sizzle, the fear. The beam had gone through him. His Field not enough, his mass not enough. Another Angel, another hole in his body. Agony flooded his soul as he crashed into an uncontrolled tumble across the grass towards the nearby pond. Panicked anxiety followed after as he hurtled into the water. He couldn't swim, he couldn't breathe, and he couldn't see if his sacrifice had actually managed to do anything at all. Darkness consumed him whole.
Rei Hino, on the other hand, felt time accelerate. Her motions clean, crisp, and practiced. She'd seen the flash of light begin to form and was already in motion to launch the strongest attack she had. Drawing back an invisible string, a bow of flame bending itself taut to send forth righteous justice, she aimed at the crest of a building featuring a statue of a golden human blowing a trumpet, a smaller and indistinct form hidden within the shadows cast by the spotlights of the pinnacle it rested upon. "MARS FLAME SNIPER!"
An enormous bolt of purest fire was loosed, more than large enough to eradicate the upper three meters of the building. The statue would be an acceptable loss, if it meant not having to see another person murdered by the monster attacking them from above. She spared nothing from the attack, charged everything into that one shot Shinji had purchased for her at a high cost. If this didn't work, she would have to join with Ami and Usagi in forcing the sniper to choose a target as the other two ran onwards to engage at close range.
The air sizzled and screeched as her volley blazed its path through the night. Trees and smaller structures flaring brightly, illuminating the fine details of creations both human and natural. When it approached the apex of the steepled building, the shadows left behind melted away. Offering the briefest glimpse of what she had fired upon.
It was enough.
+++++ Hiro-o, Japan. (Friday + 6)
There was a palpable panic present as the procession of Princesses preserved what pulse the palsied purple pilot possessed. Under the guidance of Ritsuko Akagi, aided by Ami Mizuno who kept everything packed tightly with pressure to stop as much blood from fleeing his form as possible. Usagi had tried, repeatedly, and failed, repeatedly, to summon any semblance of healing for the man she declared as her own knight.
It was, however, Rei Hino that surprised the other Sailors the most. Gesturing to a group of civilians arguing over something inane in the alleyway, she maintained their direction and velocity as she ordered, "Get them clear." Commanding the youkai that had accompanied them towards the apartment complex shared by the Mizuno family and Ritsuko, she spared nothing and no one in her efforts to see Shinji safely somewhere to be healed. It was her that made the decision not to involve hospitals, and her that had chosen their destination. In the madness of the moment, her mind was sealed tight to anyone else, save for what she spoke.
The elevator ride up was largely silent, with only instructions regarding triage breaking the drone of gears and creaking of pulleys performing their tasks. The doors opened onto Ami's floor, and several youkai were already standing in the hallway keeping an eye out for anyone that might be heading out in the middle of the night. Ami dashed ahead to open the door to her apartment, finding inside that her mother had already been awoken on her evening off to begin preparing for a field surgery.
Saeko Mizuno glanced over, calm and unflappable. "On the table, dear. Then go scrub up, I'll need another set of steady hands." Selecting from an array of tools on offer from a youkai that was nothing more than an enormous mouth, she picked through what she needed and spoke quietly to a being that would terrify most mortals.
Shinji was quickly carted into the room and positioned on the table to begin whatever procedures might need to occur. Usagi was ushered out of the way by Ritsuko with a stern warning to stay clear of the professionals. The Sailor for Mars, already moving away from the impromptu surgical room, continued to self-ostracize. The youkai, lastly, offered their talents, blood, or whatever materials they could procure for the woman in charge of saving the last remaining Elder.
"He's not healing like he did last time," Saeko muttered with a slight furrow of her brow. Taking note of Ritsuko's presence as well as the gloves she'd donned, her tone gained a hint of curiosity for the presence of the young woman she knew lived two floors above her, "Nine-A, correct?"
"Doctor Ritsuko Akagi, Ph.D.," the polymath replied without ostentation as she began working an I.V. line into place on Shinji's arm, "my doctorates aren't in medical sciences, unfortunately. I'm a qualified, but not licensed, nurse practitioner." With the line in place, she attached the saline bag and ordered one of the nearby youkai to hold it up for gravity to feed it into Shinji's body. "I'm sure you understand how time-intensive the licensure board is. It's something I haven't managed to get around to, which is now to my shame."
"I'll take a willing hand with knowledge over a certification without experience any day of the week." The medical doctor present motioned for her daughter to take up the position by the tools of her trade. "Ami-chan will handle instrumentation. I need you to monitor vitals and medications. We don't have any anesthetic, so be prepared to stand clear if he wakes up in pain or anger. The kitsune say they can bring him back down from aggression, so we'll allow them to do that and stay out of their way."
Rei Hino, over near the hallway to the bedrooms and bathrooms, motioned for one of the triplets to come closer to her. When Mika, who she couldn't identify with a gun to her head, sidled over with her eyes never leaving Shinji, the Shrine Maiden at last asked the question she'd been dreading, "Have they found anything yet?"
"Yes, Miwa is there with the others trying to prevent further tragedies." The cold nature of the Triplet's reply wasn't intended to be a condemnation of anyone present, nor was it meant to serve as an indication of callous indifference. Instead, it was a necessary action to prevent her from beginning to cry at the tragedy unfolding around them. "I believe you already know who your attack struck. You have our deepest sympathies."
Her back stiffened, her jaw clenched, Rei turned abruptly and walked with as much dignity as she could muster into Ami's bathroom before closing the door quietly and retching into the toilet. Unnoticed, she had been accompanied by the third Triplet, Misa, who took gentle control over her hair to prevent it from trailing in emesis or getting tangled around her mouth. After the fifth bout of reverse ingestion, a glass of water was presented before the Shrine Maiden's eyes. "Ugh…."
"We have experienced the joys of cleaning things best left unmentioned out of our fur," Misa took a nearby clean washcloth and tied back Rei's hair before continuing, "you have rather lovely hair yourself. It'd be a shame for you to have to deal with that, in addition to everything else at the moment."
The water inside of the glass began to steam as Rei's temper flared at the comment. "I just killed my friend, and you think I'm worried about my hair?!"
Misa, however, was neither cowed nor impressed. "I would expect you to need fewer burdens at a time when the Nameless Fear is attempting to rapidly eliminate your group." Her multi-hued eyes remained kind, her offer of solace not falsely stated. "You carry a heavy load as it is, Shrine Maiden. I urge you not to make it heavier by lashing out blindly." Weathering the continued storm of ire, she stayed the course. "He will blame himself. Your…locus, such as she is, will descend further into the depression that has begun to consume her. Would you trust either the Lover or the Prodigy with leadership? Do you believe them steadier hands during a crisis?"
"I may fight…ugh," looking around for a toothbrush she could borrow, she managed to locate one and begin to scrub the contents of her stomach from her teeth. After a few moments of cleaning, she spit out the toothpaste and cleaned the brush as she retorted, "I may fight with Usagi. I may even have lost my temper more than once with her decisions recently. I do not, however, believe that she cannot rise to the occasion. I've seen her pull off miracles. This is a rolling tragedy, yes, but she's much stronger than she pretends to be."
"She's also in love with the Silent One." The kitsune's mouth quirked into a sad grin. "The Rainbringer is well on her way there, and it is only the lack of a deeper connection that prevents Aphrodite from following suit. You, of all of your group, have remained aloof. Whether that's through willpower, distance, or personality is beyond me…still, you can make decisions that are unaffected by his presence, or lack thereof."
Rei frowned, in thought for the first time since the conversation began rather than in irritation. "He's causing them to-"
"He is reaching out for them, nothing more." Misa's eyebrow quirked with her own growing irritation at the irrational. "He is an empty vessel, devoid of hope, of love, of peace. Your merry little band personifies those very qualities that he resolutely lacks! You, all of you, bring hope, love, and peace to all the world around you. However," she sighed with frustration, "that was balanced out by the world itself not being empty of those things. He is, through no fault of his own, absorbing your gifts and unable to reciprocate the way anyone else might. Until he can find his Voice, his purpose for existing, being near him for extended periods of time is only planting the seeds of further misadventure."
The way that the kitsune had described his situation finally managed to sink through the layers of anger at years of abuse at the hands of men. There, in the next room receiving medical care to try and heal his injury, was a young man that she knew for a fact did not view her as a target for groping. Did not view her as a 'trophy' or a 'prize'. Did not even believe himself worthy of standing alongside her in combat! "…And it's all because the world he came from is just…evil." She ached in her soul for Makoto's death. She knew that once she had a moment to sit down and think that she'd begin to blame herself for not coming up with another way to stop the attacks. She couldn't add another tragedy onto an already full plate. "We'll need to investigate why Makoto was attacking us. Keep him away from us while we do that, and I'll explain to the others why it's necessary. Tell him…tell him to come find me at the Shrine if he has any questions."
+++++ Hiro-o, Japan. (Friday + 6)
Usagi sat on the back of the couch, staring with unblinking eyes as three women tried everything they could to stop her Knight from dying. He had been gravely injured, and it was her fault. A man sent by fate to ease her burdens, to pay her back for all of the suffering she'd gone through, to stop her from giving up on anything and everything….
"Usagi-chan," Rei's approach hadn't gone unremarked, simply uncommented upon, "I…I need to-"
"She couldn't keep her anger under control. It was something she'd worked very, very hard on. If she were here, she'd tell you not to feel bad for doing what you had to, to stop her from killing anyone else." The speech might have had the effect of soothing the unease her friend had if Usagi hadn't delivered it in an emotionally dead monotone. "We have to find out what caused this. Find out if any of the rest of us are susceptible."
On the opposite side of the emotional spectrum, the Sailor for Mars had to fight to keep her voice from climbing in volume. "You could at least pretend that-"
"Once I figure out a way to do so, Shinji will go back to the world he came from." Her eyes snapped over to Rei's, empty and void of the life they'd once been filled with. "Until then, mitigating the damage is the best we can hope for. This is not his fault. It is not your fault. This is my fault. I agree, I deserve your anger. He does not."
Rei was caught flat-footed, not having anticipated Usagi blaming herself for something that none of them even knew the 'why' of. Her darker emotions dwindled in intensity as her training and temperament regained their place in her mind. "I doubt that this is any of our fault. I don't even believe it's Makoto-chan's. Something has been relentlessly stalking us, and it hasn't even waited a day between attempts." She waited a few beats, hoping that her statement would provoke something resembling the woman she knew. When all that happened was Usagi turning back to look at the surgery, she tried upping the ante. "I'm not sure that sending him back is possible, or even wise. Whatever he was facing alone-"
"I'll be going with him, this time." Her eyes grew dark for a brief moment, before falling back into lifelessness. "He won't be alone, and this universe won't be in danger." There was more than a hint of that seemingly antithetical emotion in her final statement on the matter, "This universe."
Any further discussion on the matter was halted as Maria materialized in the room, commanding the attention of everyone that wasn't wrist-deep in Shinji at the moment. "Negotiations have not gone swimmingly." Looking to the person in charge of the current protective detail, she motioned for him to come closer and issued a short stream of instructions. As the man nodded and began to relay orders to his team, she turned to Usagi and Rei. "You have my deepest sympathy for your loss this evening. A valued comrade, a good friend, does not pass without leaving a mark upon the souls of those left behind. I wish I could give you time to grieve, but I must ask that you meet with one of the Denmother's legal experts at your shrine," her eyes landed on Rei. "A full accounting of the battle from those involved may be of aid in stopping another war."
"I doubt they want to hear that one of our friends lost her mind, demonstrated abilities we didn't know she had, and removed the top fifth of a woman for reasons we don't know." Rei was uncertain as to whom she was speaking to, trusting to social convention to know what was happening instead. "She didn't appear Japanese, but I can't believe that wherever she's from is interested in war with Japan over the murder of a single citizen."
"She's from Elysium," Usagi stood up as she prepared to leave to do her duty, "they lost a war against the youkai in Japan before we were born this time around. Neither side has treated the other well, from what I've heard. Hygieia-san came to try and help Shinji, and died because of it."
Maria's temper flared slightly. "She came to help herself, child. No one else." She took note of a slender-armed youkai replacing Ami at the elder Mizuno's side, the bluenette heading to the kitchen quickly to wash off her hands. "I wouldn't expect you to know of xenia, and so I will give you a brief description."
"It was a sacred tradition intended to prevent random bloodshed throughout the Ancient Greek world," Usagi's tone remained lifeless. "As a host, you were expected to provide food, a place to wash up, and protection from the elements to those calling upon you. Both parties were expected to trade news of the world as they knew of it. The guest was expected to remain courteous, accept the hospitality of their host without belittling it, and reciprocate in the future should someone call upon them. Any failure to do so was to invite the wrath of Olympus itself upon you and your lineage." Rage bubbled to the surface momentarily, with more than a hint of self-reproach, "Prince Endymion was a Grecian from Elis when I first met him. I am quite familiar with xenia, and how he failed to uphold it."
Ami was drying her hands as she approached, worry and nervousness in her features. "He's stable…ish. I wouldn't declare that he's safe just yet, but unless something else attacks I think my mother will bring him through."
"She will." Maria's statement was not one of hope, it carried a certitude beyond fact. "He does not yet have my permission to die. Are you ready to travel? The four of us are needed at the Meiji Shrine sooner than later."
"After I give my Knight his orders," Usagi declared, moving past those who tried to stop her. Standing at his feet, well away from the site of the ongoing surgery, she gripped his ankle gently and closed her eyes in reverent prayer. You are not allowed to die, Shinji Ikari. There is much work to be done and I cannot do it alone. Fight, as you know you are able to. Fight, not for yourself…but for me. Squeezing three times in an effort to will her words to reach his heart, she turned and moved directly to the door. "Let's get this over with. We have an investigation to begin."
+++++ ? (Friday + 6)
There was a cold chill that rolled through the field of Shinji's perceptions. A pleasant tingle that momentarily beat back the inexorable anxiety that defined his entire existence. Slowly, subtly, it prompted him to begin testing the world around him again. The memory of being struck by the Fifth Angel once more, of tumbling through the grass into water, of forgetting that he didn't need to breathe long enough to panic and make everything worse through panicking.
Again, the cold chill washed over him. Just as strong as the first wave, just as potent, it pushed away the dark thoughts of failure and panic. He didn't fail. He knew he didn't fail, because if he failed there was less than no chance of him actually being aware of anything at all. There couldn't be a form of afterlife, because that would imply that some raging asshole was responsible for putting people through torture constantly and then punishing or praising them for dancing or not dancing to their demented tune. No afterlife plus awareness must necessitate that he was still alive.
The third wave crested, and awareness of another presence began to grow. Opening his eyes created a moment of extreme confusion, the world around him seemingly nonsensical and randomly evolving. Stairways became tangerines became green crayons became supernovae became- Slamming his eyes closed again, he felt his heart begin to painfully palpitate. I…where am I? Where is this? What happened?!
"I apologize for not having things…prepared for your arrival." An unfamiliar feminine voice broke through the panic, offering a point to anchor to. "You can open your eyes, I've…tempered things."
Slowly unscrewing one eye, Shinji noted that the bedlam surrounding him had been relegated to a medley of colors changing in the distance, the horizon acting like a slowly twirling kaleidoscope. Opening the other eye, he pondered where he might be for a moment, before finally noting the patiently waiting entity seated before him. Propped up on one hip, her legs tucked delicately beside her to the other side, a slender, greyish-white woman with slightly elongated features smiled pleasantly. H-hello?
"Hello to you as well, Silent One." She inclined her head in greeting, as if between equals. "My name is Tungsram, and I have been asked to…discuss with you the particulars of the situation you have found yourself embroiled within."
A few things clicked into place in his mind. You're with that Lithion guy.
Before things could go too far, she calmly set both of her hands out into a soothing motion. "I am not 'with' anyone. I have been empowered by my employer to act independently of anyone else in his employ, and have only met a few others in passing. My duty is to be…flexible. You represent an opportunity for a great many parties, both beneficial and otherwise. I only wish to ensure that you understand more, before you travel too far down any one path." She gestured to where he was floating. "Could I not have simply attacked while you were recovering your strength? If my goal was to do you physical harm, I had more than enough opportunity before you solidified your spirit. If I wished you emotional harm, I might have simply allowed this place to remain as it was when you first opened your eyes. Instead," she gestured to where she sat, "I sit here. Well away from you. Where aggression is difficult, and peace might yet be maintained."
He couldn't deny the truth of her statements, and while he had a hard time reading people none of his combat instincts was telling him that she was an immediate threat. So…what do you want?
"To explain." Her hands folded in her lap, her thumbs gently running against one another. "Do you know what I mean when I say, 'The White Moon and the Black Moon'?" She accepted his brow furrowing as answer enough. "The White Moon is…empowered, so to speak, by one of two primal forces responsible for all life throughout the known universe. The Black Moon is responsible for the rest. The two 'families', to speak in a broad sense, are largely antagonistic to one another. You are of The Black Moon, as would be everyone you knew back in your native reality. The beings you fought against? The giants you termed 'Angels'? They are descended from The White Moon. I'm certain you know better than I would how well it went when the two species came into conflict."
Shinji seized on a seeming inconsistency. So, wait. How do you know about where I came from?
"Because my employer has access to vast networks of information sources." She pointed towards the sky. "Your arrival on this planet was fairly dramatic, for anyone who knew where to look for it."
It made sense, after a fashion. Where…uhm, where am I?
"Inside of your being. You are recovering from your battle, under the care of medical professionals. Without the hidden assistance of the woman of Elysium, you will find it more difficult to recover quickly. Not, of course, that you won't recover. Those who care for you now are quite capable, just not as specialized." She rolled her hands, drawing the conversation back to the course she desired it to follow. "This may surprise you, or you might have noticed it yourself already, but this world that you believe to be a copy of your own? It is, in fact, a mirror. The beings you believe to be…'your kind', such as it were, are in fact descended from the White Moon. Those, such as myself, are actually your kin. We are visibly different species, I agree, but we of the Black Moon are far more related to one another than you are with your…compatriots."
How…how can I be more related to you than someone who looks just like me? He shook his head in disbelief. Ritsuko Akagi is just a much younger version of the Doctor I knew! How can she be a different species, but still look exactly the same? They don't look like Angels. They breathe the same air I do, eat the same food. None of that matches!
"Because," she once more gestured for calm, "life follows certain paths more often than not. Features and abilities are selected for, or selected against, as they allow lifeforms to thrive in the environment they exist within. The White Moon, in this reality, desired to promulgate its essence and control over the Fruit of Knowledge upon this world. Through a series of controlled evolutions, it grafted a touch of hard-won material from the Black Moon to many of the beings of this world. What they believe to be magic, is simply awareness of the Fruit of Life." Her smile turned self-effacing. "But I do prattle on overmuch. Do you understand better why they would seem similar? There are, and will be, differences. Ages not aligning, for example?"
He remembered his own calculations regarding the age of the Ritsuko Akagi from this world when compared to the Ritsuko Akagi from the world he'd been born on. So…not everyone I know will be around?
"No. Certain pairings were more likely than others. One simple change, and everything that would…rely on the other path chosen changes with it."
His typical problems with understanding people's emotions had increased his capacity for picking up on verbal ticks to help him navigate the limited social situations he'd found himself in. You pause a lot. He frowned as he thought. I saw on the television that usually means people are hiding things.
"Ah, yes." Her head nodded twice in agreement. "It is a peculiarity of where we are at the moment. Lying, in a conscious fashion, is quite impossible here. My pauses are intended to ensure that I do not suffer a rather painful moment due to using a phraseology that might be perceived as providing a falsehood. I know much, and speaking of what I know would only serve to confuse you. By simplifying what I say, I hope to avoid us speaking in circles during our limited time together here today."
The thought struck Shinji as bizarre. I am a fe- His mind seized momentarily, an enormous vice crushing his head, driving his eyes shut and forcing the thought to stop entirely. After an eternity to his frame of reference, his mind relaxed enough to allow normal thoughts to proceed. With restored focus came a vast wave of pain. Before he could begin to even silently scream, he felt the light touch of nimble fingers running along his temples.
"I had not intended for you to experiment on your own, Silent One." Gentle, circular, massages worked the tension and pain free. "Though I do hope you now understand why I wish to avoid a similar fate. The loss of concentration caused by the seizure would break our connection, and the only reason I am able to speak to you now is due to your…passenger busying herself assisting the doctors in repairing you."
The being known as Tungsram did not give him the same nauseating bliss that Usagi or the others provided. She did, however, accomplish her goal and bring relief to his wounds. That…hurt. His breathing began to steady after another minute, his eyes sliding open after one more had passed. The humanoid before him showed what seemed to be genuine empathy and worry. He wasn't willing to testify in a court of law that he was correct, but he would willingly tell someone that he believed her intentions pure.
"I apologize for touching you without your permission, please do understand that I would not have done so under less dire circumstances." Her words accelerated despite her touch remaining sedate, "Again, I do apologize for my haste, but I sense our time grows shorter now. Asleep under the waters of this world is an entity of indescribable power. There are currently plans being forwarded to disturb that sleep. I do not believe I need tell you of what will occur should they awaken the slumbering giant, yes?"
…Second Impact. He remembered the briefing Misato had arranged with the Ritsuko he knew better. I can prevent it? I can stop them from killing billions?
"You can, and you must." Her hands dropped from his head, scooping up his own hands and squeezing them pleadingly. "My employer promises to gift anything within their power should you manage to prevent this. They intend to act to stifle further assaults by the entities you recognize as the Angels, freeing you to do what you must. I will add my own meager efforts, in any manner you find them pleasing, should you have need. If there is anything I might do to aid you in your endeavors, anything at all, be it large or small, I beg that you-" Her head snapped to the side, her eyes narrowing anxiously. "She comes. Sleep, Silent One. Sleep, and know that I do not desire your death."
His eyes grew heavy as her hands caressed lingeringly along his arms. When her lips touched his brow, just between his eyes, he collapsed back into the silent void of unconsciousness.
+++++ Mizuno Apartment, Hiro-o, Japan. (Friday + 6)
"It does not go well, Healer." The head youkai, a thick bruiser of a man, kept his attention towards possible avenues of entry into the house as the women he spoke to worked to heal the most important being he'd ever known. "There is every possibility of Elysium demanding that we turn him over to them."
Ritsuko's voice left no doubt as to the depth of her conviction, "He is not guilty of anything but being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We are not sacrificing an innocent man because a mob of grieving people demand it." Carefully swapping the mostly empty bag of saline for a full one, she looked at the man for a moment with her eyebrow cocked challengingly.
"Please, Instructor," the willowy youkai assisting Saeko Mizuno stepped into the misunderstanding quietly, "we would not acquiesce to such a demand. The Silent One is unique. Irreplaceable. If we are ever to restore the Elders to this world, he must live. His loss would squander a gift we never could have anticipated receiving."
"She's right," the man motioned for peace, "as far as handing him over goes. What we ain't got is the only vote. If Elysium attacks, it's going to get bloody. Neither of us is what we used to be, before the Academy Wars. Don't mean we won't tear the city apart faster than the Americans did back in the forties." His lip twitched with irritation as he resumed his scan of the windows and the doors. "We're gonna need an explanation as to why that mahou shoujou did what she did, and corpses don't do a good job of providing those. Just let us know if you need anything, yeah?"
Saeko finished the repair work on a major artery, asking without taking her eyes from the inside of Shinji's body, "What do you mean 'corpses', sir?"
"I mean the kind of thing you're working at stopping him from becoming. The tallest of the witches, the one with the red-orange-brown hair, she killed the healer from Elysium. Tried to kill the blonde witch too, from what I hear. If it weren't for the Elder jumping in front of that blast, knocking the blonde out of the way, she'd've died too." The man's scowl showed that the only reason he wasn't spitting on the floor in disgust was where he happened to be standing at the moment. "Far as I'm concerned, he's worth ten of them witches. Still respect a man willing to take a hit for an ally, though."
Her bearing and training were the only reasons that she kept working instead of grabbing the man by his ear. "Do they know?"
"The Archer does. I believe their leader does as well." The willowy youkai responded, glowering at the callousness of her fellow. "I do not believe your daughter does, or if she now knows it was because another told her after they left. They-"
Everyone was forced back by Unit-01 reasserting its place as the premier woman in Shinji Ikari's life. His A.T. Field solidified, then clenched tightly against the purple armor of Unit-01. The first tremor that rocked his body destroyed the dining room table he had been laid upon. The second and third were only narrowly prevented from destroying the floor beneath him as several youkai dove to intercept and coordinate their efforts in catching him and holding him off the ground.
Misa and Mika, in their fox forms, leapt up atop his chest and began to sing their song. Riding out the bucking and flailing, they pressed on with their efforts. As time crept on, they determined their song alone was not enough to quell the storm brewing and so they surrounded themselves and him in the jade green foxfire as well. When even that proved insufficient, several of the youkai present began to grow nervous themselves.
Fortune, however, seemed to have finally rediscovered their location that evening. Just as they lost their grip on him, the A.T. Field proving too slick to find sufficient purchase on, Unit-01 snapped back inside of Shinji. Where the attack from the Angel-infected Makoto Kino had gone through his body there was heavily scarred skin. The burn marks radiating out in a gruesome mockery of the sun's corona, the flesh raw and mottled. He had been healed, at least visibly. Contact with the floor did not rouse him, nor did the hasty repositioning of his limbs and torso away from the debris caused by the Evangelion's appearance.
Saeko took a deep breath, then another. "I do not believe I can do anything else for him right now." Kneeling down next to him, she probed the top of the surgery site with a deft touch. "This…should be fine. I would not recommend he take another blow to it for several days, for fear of reopening the wound." Shifting him to his side, she checked the exit wound as well. "More of the same. He will need pain reliever, help bathing, and a regular check-up with a qualified medical professional…as well as a therapist." She gained her feet and looked at the youkai that had assisted her. "Where do you intend to have him stay? To my knowledge, he was living with Makoto-chan. That clearly cannot continue any longer."
"Upstairs." Ritsuko had a lot coming at her all at once, though her nerves were only obvious on the inside. Her voice was calm and even, her hands and feet still and steady. She had the secrets of the world within reach, all she had to do was not trip. "I had discussed it with him before the unfortunate attack. He and I will live upstairs for now." Making eye contact with Saeko, she gestured with an open hand in offering, "I would be more than happy to have you visit to check up on him. You are clearly 'in the know', and a great deal more experienced than I am." Everyone noticed Saeko's face go flat.
"We'll be guarding the building, Doctor." The youkai in charge of security moved to smooth over what he believed to be her concern. "Ain't nothing going to reach him without going through us first. Everyone needs a few days of calm, and if we can't provide that by guarding him then there won't be calm for anyone in the surrounding ten thousand kilometers, I guarantee that."
