+++++ Minato, Japan. (Saturday + 7)

The limousine ride was, in Shinji's limited experience, the smoothest car ride he had ever taken. The vehicle itself seemed to float along the road without even the typical inertial changes he'd expect from turns. It was also quite likely the least comfortable he'd been outside of combat. He could set his feet on one end of the cabin, stretch out as far as he could go, and still not reach halfway to the dividing wall between him and the driver. People gawked at intersections and in slow speed areas, and even though he knew they couldn't see through the tinted windows, he still felt as if they were staring directly at him.

While it wasn't quite the romantic ride that Ritsuko had envisioned, she understood the nature of the beast enough to make the best of a hard situation. The overcoat she wore that covered her dress, the coat she'd put on in her room to get Shinji's reaction out in public while also allowing her to walk in the cold autumn air without feeling as if her nipples would cut through the fabric of the dress, had an overlong belt that she used to playfully bat at Shinji's wrist. "So, based on what I know about you, I'm going to make a series of educated guesses. One, this is the third largest vehicle you've ever been in. Only the Evangelion and a train of some form being larger. Two, the reason you dislike being the center of attention is that you're completely unsure about what you should or shouldn't be doing at any individual moment. Three, that's the most dressed up you've ever been and you're afraid you're pretending to be something you're not."

Writing on the notepad he'd brought along to communicate with the world, he corrected her, '…Fifth, actually.' He was becoming numb to how insightful his roommate was, but it still impressed him enough to make him chuckle ruefully at his own transparency. 'I've also been aboard a VTOL and two different military naval vessels. Everything else was right.' There was a bashful cast to his eyes as he favored her with a weak smile. 'Sorry.'

"No reason to be," she shrugged with a playful grin, "awkward is going to happen. I'm going to have moments where I'm awkward too, and I don't doubt for a second that you will do your best to not belittle me for it. This, hopefully, will just be the first of many dinner dates. Since you haven't done this before, that just means that it's a learning experience." She could feel him relaxing as she spoke, her voice giving him something to cling to. Slipping her hands around his, she put forth the joy she was feeling. "You, my good sir, are a Professor at Tokyo University. You are paid a salary worth far more than most everyone outside of this limo. You literally run towards danger instead of away from danger on an almost daily basis. Your talent with music deserves to be recorded professionally for posterity, and your good looks and unrivaled manners win friendships and break hearts. You are a burgeoning hero to everyone that might see you. You use your talents to do everything you can to keep them safe. You deserve to be pampered every once in a while, because you sure as anything aren't going to pamper yourself." With a slight shift of her hips, she placed her lips against his lightly enough that her lipstick wouldn't become mussed. Sitting back again, adoring his blush of innocence, she placed out her final point, "I promise, we won't do this all the time. Remember, I said my preferred date is a movie at home and an enjoyable conversation about themes and narratives."

There were worse fates than living with someone as brilliant and beautiful as Ritsuko Akagi, that was to be certain. 'I'll cook us something to eat tomorrow. Make a dessert too…if you don't make me go outside.'

"With one stipulation," she'd have given him that deal anyway, but she wanted to make him push his boundaries harder, "you also play a duet with me. Michiru-san is a lovely violinist, and my playing likely won't match up to her high standard, but I haven't had anyone to practice with or for in ages."

He, on the other hand, would walk naked into fire if she asked him to. 'S-sure. I'd l-love to.'

Further conversation was put on hold as the limousine slowed to a halt in front of an imposingly tall building. Despite what he might have wanted, it was Shinji's door that was opened first by the footman. Stepping out of the vehicle as if he'd been doing it his entire life, he looked around at the crowd with more irritation than anxiety now. Flashes from cameras were going off, people murmuring questions to one another about who he might be or what he was doing. It was all such a waste of time in his mind.

The footman gestured for Shinji to move towards the back of the limo so he could proceed to the sidewalk, whispering just loud enough to be heard over the crowd, "Open her door, offer her your hand, let her use your leverage to get out. Remember, she's the major target. You're just a hired hand that she fell for, right?"

The story from the previous morning refreshed itself in his mind. Nodding twice, he moved with a purpose to do as he was asked. She is the major target. I can fight. I can protect myself. She can't. Once he had her door opened, he bent low to offer her his hand with a tight smile. A smile that froze as he was hit with the full force of the dress she'd worn under the coat she'd removed in the time it took him to round the back of the car.

"Why thank you." Awkward wasn't a word that seemed appropriate for her as she accepted his help in stepping free of the vehicle. She was sexuality in motion. Grace, intelligence, beauty, and charm adorned with everything anyone could ask for in a lover. She knew it, the world now knew it, and the man she was aiming for couldn't have known it more if she'd carved it into his skull with a knife. Standing still long enough for people to admire how stricken he was, she lifted up onto the toes of one foot, the other foot hiked up playfully behind her, and kissed him once again in full public view. With her claim staked, she slipped his arm between hers, and made it seem as if he was guiding her into the building despite the opposite being true.

Waiting at the door, the pair of university students that had helped to arrange the reservation were holding the door open. Megumi, the young woman with heterochromia, had a huge smile on her face as she cheerily welcomed them, "Thank you both so much for coming tonight! It's so great to see you having fun, sensei!"

Yuko, on the other hand, spoke only to Shinji while her best friend prattled on. We've set up a section of the restaurant where other people will be farther away from you. They'll still see you, as Doctor Akagi wants, but they won't be crowding you or close enough to overhear without it being really obvious. After their guests were inside the lobby, and as Megumi practically skipped over to open the doors to the VIP elevator, she added the final words of caution, We have a number of…strong guests tonight. The news of your presence has spread through the community, and they're likely going to want to gauge your strength for themselves. I know you're not familiar with customs, but none of them will attack you here. This is neutral ground for everyone, and anyone who breaks that rule had better be able to kill all of Reliqui. And probably would pray that Reliqui killed them before Meg's mom finds them.

Shinji could feel the Foci doing their work, calming his anxiety and his temper. Anyone who breaks that rule will have more problems than Reliqui. I will not allow someone to threaten Ritsuko-san. She's being dragged into this nonsense because I couldn't convince her to leave well enough alone. As the elevator doors closed behind them, he looked directly at Yuko. If something happens, do whatever you can to get her and Hayashibara-san out. They don't have any protections.

As you wish. The young youkai recognized authority that was wielded through power and knew that anything but acquiescing was unlikely to yield positive results. "Did you have something special in mind for tonight, Sensei?" Her friend pushed the buttons to move the elevator to the top floor where the restaurant was located. "If not, we'd be happy to provide a sample of a number of different dishes for you both."

"Actually, that would be lovely." Ritsuko patted Shinji's forearm. "My colleague here apparently is something of a chef himself. I'd like to pick his brain and find his opinions on a diverse selection. If nothing else, it will make for excellent conversation."

"Conversation?" Megumi's head tilted to the side in confusion. "I thought Ikari-sensei couldn't speak?"

Yuko's eyes lifted to the roof of the elevator. "Idiot," she breathed out. "Considering how frantically you were copying the board, I'm going to assume you remember Ikari-sensei has an excellent writing style? Unless you've pickled what's left of your brain with the plum wine you drank last night, that is."

"Yuko-chan! I was hoping that he'd regained his voice." Megumi stamped her foot, leaning forward at the waist to snap at her best friend. "It took me years to get mine back, and it was only because I cared about you that I even managed that! Maybe Akagi-sensei is going to manage for him what you did for me."

It's…not that simple. Shinji's tepid denouncement of the idea accompanied a small blush at the intimate details of the two ladies' lives. I won't get my voice back until I figure out what my name actually is. The 'bing' of the elevator reaching the top floor stopped any further vocalized conversations, freeing him to metaphorically lean on Yuko for a few more moments to help him adjust to a social environment. Is Hayashibara-san often….

Flighty? Impulsive? Quick to find things fascinating? Taking up the rearguard position while her best friend guided the pair to their table, she issued a short mental giggle. Yes. But she's also the kind of girl to take strays to the no-kill shelter, or help lost kids find their parents. Whatever happened that caused her to lose her voice, and she won't even talk to me about it, she's used it to fuel a desire to make the world as bright and shiny as she can. I mostly flip her shit because she's easy to tease, and funny when she gets mad.

He could feel the eyes of entire tables worth of people on him, subtle and not-so-subtle implications in nearly every set. It's good she has a friend to watch out for her, like you. When they reached the segregated table, he politely pulled Ritsuko's chair out for her, then helped slide it back into place. Whatever she says…no alcohol for me, please.

Yuko was quick to alter several plans, improvising with the sudden piece of information she'd been given. "We have recently received some fantastic Italian sodas from one of our chefs, he brought the recipes back from his European trip to visit some family members. With everything we're going to be offering, instead of having you switch from red, to white, to rosé, would you be all right trying something a little more 'modern'?"

Without the benefit of hearing Shinji's mental voice, Ritsuko was left to translate his interested smile as an opening for her to score some points. "Sounds fun!" Sitting at the north end of the table, Shinji at her left, she made a solid effort at keeping a light, cheery, mood to the evening. "We'll place ourselves in your capable hands, ladies."

"Uh, great!" Megumi was completely lost as to why the plans had suddenly been changed, but was quick enough to read the mood of their two guests. "I'll be right back out with those drinks, then."

Scanning the room, she waited for their waitresses to depart, then asked her date, "How bad?"

Shinji pulled his small notebook out of his pocket, replying, 'Not really bad. Just different.'

"That's good." Giving him a flirty smile, she set her hand lightly on his wrist. "You'll let me know if things get too hard?" His quick nod set her at ease. "Good…good."

+++++ Minato, Japan. (Saturday + 7)

"You do know they're already watching him, right?" Lithion sat on the roof of a nearby high-rise, his back to the restaurant where the answer to many of his problems was enjoying the waning moments of a night of calm. "At least two of the less impulsive young ladies, no fewer than four dozen of our distant cousins. Any problems he faces this evening, he'll not lack for support."

Tungsram ignored the not-quite-subtle hint that they might be wasting their time. "I gave him my word. Several more of those disgusting Children managed to slip past the guards. Whatever the White Moon is planning, it will most likely fall on the poor man's head. It is the great one's fault that he was brought here instead of the chit. With the plans changing all the time, the one stable factor has been that we need the Silent One to have any chance of success."

"Are you certain that your interest in him is purely…utilitarian?"

Taking her eyes off of Shinji for a second to glare death at her colleague, she growled, "Are you implying that I am incapable of remaining impartial?"

Unconcerned by her displeasure, he continued to read along the page of his omnipresent book. "I'm implying that someone who is supposed to be watching for potential complications might want to look slightly to the southwest of the building, instead of directly at the man she's guarding." Waiting just long enough for her to locate the 'complication', Lithion added on the next reminder, "If you engage, you're just giving them another target. We are not fondly regarded by them, due to Osmius' inability to cope with the corrupting influences of our newfound energies."

Tungsram's grip on the cement balustrade around the edge of the building caused a spider's web of fractures to radiate outwards for several meters. Far below in clear view and shakily moving towards the restaurant, leaving madness in her wake, Ami Mizuno was clearly not in control of her own actions.

+++++ Minato, Japan. (Saturday + 7)

Thirty-five minutes into the meal, Shinji had been completely taken in by the evening. His 'date', he still steadfastly refused to call her anything more yet, had charmed him with wit, intellect, and soothing touches on both his arm and leg. Somehow knowing before even he did that the Foci weren't quite keeping up with his anxiety, Ritsuko defused any potential harm to the evening with gentle ease. Displaying a knack for ambidexterity, he ate with his left hand as he answered her question with his right, 'It's tart. I'm positive that's because it's aged.'

"I don't know, I think I'm tasting something in the undertones that might explain it." Ritsuko dabbed her lips with a napkin to make sure she didn't muss her makeup. "There are a few acidic compounds that are generally safe for consumption in trace amounts that might be in play. Chemistry, just as much as art, after all."

Shinji nodded amicably. While she might not yet be able to have a true discussion with him regarding the artistry of food preparation, her knowledge of the sciences involved allowed her to enter a realm he was comfortable in on equal footing. Whether it was owing to duty, honor, or whimsy, he changed the course of the dialogue to inform her, 'I'm having a very good time tonight.' Setting down his pen, he took the chance to reach over and place his hand on her wrist for a change. His honest, simple, smile added anything else he might have used words to say, and struck the mark true.

At least fooling around, she thought to herself as she enjoyed the sudden affection. As few clothes as he's comfortable with, kissing and fondling, sleep in my bed. He's probably not ready for sex. I don't know that I'm ready for sex. Why the hell am I so nervous?! I have a wonderful man in the palm of my hand, for kitty's sake! "I'm having a rather pleasant evening myself." Tilting her head at a charming angle, she inadvertently drew his attention to a developing situation in that direction. When his smile went flat, she became even more nervous that she'd misstepped by underselling her happiness. When it faded rapidly away, replaced by the look of a combat veteran who was readying himself for action, she turned to see what he was seeing. "Oh…oh no."

The restaurant had a unique setup with the windows leading out to Tokyo. Each was built at an angle, allowing the patrons to view both a fantastic skyline and/or the city streets below at the same time depending on the time of day. Ingenious construction that, in this instance, allowed Shinji to take note of a battle beginning, and the few others present who had also begun to watch with concern. Motioning for Ritsuko to stay where she was, he stood and moved over to a trio of youkai that had congregated to observe with displeasure what was happening far below.

The eldest, a big bruiser of a man that would have been even more imposing in his prime, shifted to the side a step to allow Shinji to join them. "Another attack, Silent One. It appears that Reliqui and a few of those witches you've befriended are working with the humans to stop it. I doubt our veil will last much longer, to be truthful. A war between three factions, at the fewest."

Far younger than either of the other two, a pale, slender, woman wearing a beautiful formal kimono shook her head, answering the question asked before he'd joined them. "Whoever the aggressor is, they are not of my clan. This ice is unnatural, false." Her nail traced a circle on the glass, encompassing the central mass of the battle where a swarm of crystalline monstrosities were slowly cutting a path through a cluster of guards towards the entrance. "It does not move as ice should, it does not call to me. It is…wrong."

It wasn't indecision or timidity that stopped him from immediately breaking the window and joining the fracas below. Everything that Shinji was screamed that he needed to be down there to at least try to stop more senseless death. Instead, it was concern. Unlike the others present, he recognized the abominations. He'd fought them before, at Usagi's house. Only this time, they were made from living ice. You need to get everyone out of here. He couldn't kill her. He couldn't let her die. Get everyone at least-

The third of the watchers, a lithe man built for subtle action, placed his hand on Shinji's chest and urged him back. "Please, Silent One, allow Reliqui to handle this. You do not fight a typhoon with an earthquake. If you lose control, you might very well cause far more death and destruction than these animals."

Without an A.T. Field, Shinji removed the man's hand carefully, not wishing harm to him, they don't stand a chance. Get everyone at least a mile away. I'll do my best to keep her here, or if I have to, I'll take the fight out to the harbor. His eyes moved to the bruiser, taking a risk that the man was the best to appeal to regarding matters of honor. Please.

A heavy silence said a great deal regarding the man's thoughts. "Amaterasu guide you." Both he and the other man looked at each other before nodding and moving in opposite directions.

When Shinji turned back to the window, he saw Ritsuko standing by his side scowling down at the battle. She shook her head, cutting off anything he might have said. "This fucking day. I swear, it doesn't end, does it?" Her eyes shifted to his, her eyebrow raised in question.

"The Silent One must use a weapon unique to his presence to do battle." The pale woman gave a translation where Shinji could not. "He has asked that we ensure the safety of as many as possible, which I must presume includes you."

Ritsuko didn't take her eyes off of Shinji's. "And I'm asking him if he's intending on coming home tonight, or if I'm going to have to sit on my couch all night and worry about where he is." There was a petulant voice in the back of her mind that added silently, And who he's with.

'There aren't any guarantees in combat,' Misato's admonition rang through Shinji's head. As much as he'd love to say that he'd go home, he refused to lie to Ritsuko. He didn't know what to say, or how to respond, and each second he hesitated more lives were lost.

"The Silent One cannot guarantee anything," with far greater physical strength than Ritsuko, the pale woman ushered her away from the window. "In matters of death, the only certainty is the same as the result." Clearly capable of handling the human, she looked back over her shoulder and added mentally, Fight well, Elder. Do not hesitate.

The weight of a new coin was obvious on the necklace he wore. The warm chill radiating from it speaking clearly enough of the yuki-onna that gave it to him. He pressed his hand against the reinforced glass that separated him from the night air, sighing with guilt and frustration. Yuko…please ask the owner to send me a bill for this window. His fist clenched, the pane shattered, and his course was set. One step forward led to more than a hundred meters down, rapidly approaching the gnashing teeth and slashing claws of a sea of proto-Angels.

Halfway down he was fully encased in Unit-01, the purple armor responding a bit more sluggishly than normal. With only gravity to impel him, and only the ground below to impede him, he did his best to aim for the center of the enemy forces. Skydiving hadn't been something he had experience with, and wasn't something he found himself enjoying, but this was now the third time he'd dropped from a great height in the past week and he was beginning to get the hang of it.

Along the broad avenue south of the building he'd exited, war raged on. To the west, a trail of mangled dead, the corpses mutilated beyond recognition. To the east, youkai and police forces were giving everything they had to hold the tide of death back. Closer to the center, dancing and twirling wherever the need was greatest, Michiru and Haruka proved themselves no neophytes in the arts of war. The entrance to the restaurant had been barricaded, youkai inside pressing magical wards outwards to slow the enemy advance. All throughout, the dead and dying alike helped the streets run red.

Shinji knew Michiru was aware of his approach. He knew that she would use his presence to aid her fight. He knew that they were nigh on unstoppable together…he only hoped that Haruka would understand.

"Haru, split!" Sailor Neptune took control of the fight, sending her love back and away in the opposing direction to clear room, a thrill caressing her spine as she felt a greater sense of completion. When Unit-01 smashed into an elephant-sized bear of flesh and ice, shattering the red core at the center, the game was on. "Cross through, stagger attacks to the entrance! We'll push them back!"

His job was simple, expose the cores. That's what it always was, always would be. His limitations were based around his lack of weapons other than his fists and Field; his partners could not remove the shielding of his enemy's soul. Balance was maintained by the necessity of each side. Slipping under a tentacle, he grabbed the tip and stretched it upwards. Michiru lanced the red heart with a blast. Using the corpse as a cudgel, he slammed an elk-shaped terror to the ground. Haruka sliced its head off, splitting the core in twain. A ballet of murder carved a path of devastation to the besieged entrance, his soul feeling a peace he couldn't explain.

With the pressure off of the doors and three fists worth of youkai taking advantage of the weakening of the proto-Angel's defenses due to Shinji's presence, Michiru kept them in motion. "Strike to the heart! We have to try and reason with her!"

Whoever 'her' might be, it wasn't Shinji's concern at the moment. He had two lives in his hands that superseded all other concerns. His every strike must be precise, his every motion in time with their own. Smash something to the ground, spin free to allow for a thrust. Send something heavenward, move onto the next as it's pierced through. Dozens fell against the might of their unity given form, hundreds more to the efforts of those forces allied in defense of life. The tide had turned and was now inexorably smashing back in on….

"Shinji-kun!" Ami's face was a contrast of emotions, her body swaying from side to side as the mass of teeth and claw emanated from the madness of her thoughts. An angry smile, a joyous frown, she was so miserably happy to see that it was him. "I knew I'd find you here…."

A blast of freezing pressure forced everyone and everything but him away, creating a dome of semi-translucent ice around them both. A-Ami? Fear overrode any other emotions: fear that another woman had been corrupted, that another ally might fall. You-

A few unsteady steps brought the corrupted Sailor for Mercury over to him, her balance off as she lifted onto her toes to pat at his face. "You don't need this, Shinji-kun. I'd never hurt you." Her voice sounded hollow, her tone swerving wildly from word to word. "Please…go back to being you. I want to show you how I feel."

Please, please no. He now agreed with Michiru, he had to try and reason with her, had to try and find a way to save her. This isn't you! You're not-

"I'm not going to be 'second best' anymore," she snapped at him. "I'm not going to let those bitches drape themselves all over you. You're not that kind of man! You want someone with intellect. Someone who will help you understand things!" Laying her hands against the sides of his helmet, she summoned more ice in an attempt to destroy the helmet to reveal the man inside. "You and I will…will create a…." An owlish blink only stopped her for a moment. "We'll create a new world. A world where you and I bring the truth of things to-"

It hurt to do so, but he knew he had to break free of her hold. She was being gentle, as far as an imbalanced powerhouse could be considered to be so, but if he lost his helmet there was no guarantee she wouldn't lose control and take off his head. Ami-san, please, I need you to stop…stop killing people!

Ami looked at him as if he'd gone daft. "What do you mean? I'm not killing people." Looking around past him, where the fight to contain the damage was still raging on, where Haruka was giving her best effort to break through the ice dome while Michiru protected their flanks, the light of realization dawned on her face. "…Oh." A small titter of laughter, on the edge of sanity, bubbled out of her lips. "Oh, Shinji-kun…those aren't people. They're abominations. Brood parasites. They steal the natural resources of this planet that should belong to…." Her eyes narrowed. "You're not alone in there." Shifting her attention from his helmet to his core, her hands alighted on his ribs. "One of those bastards snuck in!" Mania filled her gaze as she made several soothing motions. "It's ok, it's ok. I can get her out. But it's going to hurt." She nodded to her own statement. "But you're strong. That's why you're resisting me, because you're also resisting her. I'll fix this."

Before he could retort, or even brace himself, a host of icy tendrils stabbed through his armor and into his body. He had often wished he could speak aloud in this strange new world, now he simply wished he could scream.

+++++ Minato, Japan. (Saturday + 7)

Haruka had been striking down at the dome with as much strength as she believed she could muster. When she made out the vague outline of what Ami was doing to Shinji, she found another well of reserves to call upon in her desperation. "When did she become strong enough to pull a stunt like this?!" Every chip, rent, or divot she made in the shell of ice was swiftly repaired as if the structure was alive and aware.

"It's those bracelets." Michiru had to stay far too close to the dome while Shinji's A.T. Field had its range limited due to the interference from Ami's actions. "She's never worn those, not one for ornamentation!" Dispatching five more of the attacking monsters, she began to wonder if she should take a crack at breaking the barrier.

"Well unless we can get through this ice, we're not getting to those bracelets." Growling with increasing anger, she reared back and slammed her sword down with enough force that the concrete underneath would have vaporized…to no result.

"Look out below!" Giving enough warning that she was 'pulling a Shinji', the Sailor for Venus announced her entrance to the fight. When Haruka jumped out of the way, understanding that the teenaged hero couldn't manage to do much worse than she herself had, Minako unleashed, "Love and Beauty Shock!" Where the Sailor for Uranus had attempted pinpoint precision, she tried broad devastation. With the dome cracked and pitted by the series of golden heart-shaped explosions, it could not withstand her follow-on punch aided by all of her momentum. Tucking into a ball just before impact and then lashing out at Ami with her heel, she kicked her friend away from the man she was harming. Landing, latching onto Shinji, and jumping away, she hoped whoever the other two women were they'd understand what she meant when she shouted, "Keep her away from him!"

Haruka needed no motivation to act, and Michiru was a split second behind her. Both women had fought alongside one another long enough that they needed no overt communication to succeed against a single opponent. Quickly forcing Ami to deal with attacks on two fronts, they had her on her heels and pushed her in the opposite direction that Minako had carried Shinji towards.

Waiting nearby, Rei Hino was using her flame to clear an area of the icy monstrosities. "Yes, it worked. No, I don't approve of you pulling a stunt like that." Calm and focused, even in the midst of the anarchy of war, she chided her fellow as Minako set Unit-01 down on the ground to recover. "You could have killed someone."

Futile attempts were made to find a pulse, or signs of breathing, the blonde Sailor of Love running squarely against the physics of the armor itself. "You said he sounded like he was dying." She, too, refused to allow emotions to ruin their battle plans. "We've all taken serious hits before, and if I managed to knock her unconscious it would have made this fight a lot shorter. Rescuing him was the top priority." Locking eyes with Rei as the other woman made to retort, she proved that she was still in control of herself. "Without his presence, we can't fight these supposed Angels. If he dies, maybe his ability to remove the shielding dies with him. We can't risk it."

Destroying another wave of beasts, she grumbled, "I hate it when you're right. Can he hear us?"

"He's not moving. I think he's unconscious, maybe?"

A new voice carried more than a little disdain as it announced its presence. "He is recovering from having his soul pried into and his mind torn open." Wearing a comfortable ankle-length dress, Maria knelt down by Unit-01 and motioned for Minako to move back.

Minako, however, had no intention of allowing unattended access to an unconscious Shinji. "Mercury can't do either of those things, so I don't think-"

"That, at least, is correct." Maria placed both hands on Shinji's chest, closing her eyes and feeling out what might have been done. "You don't think. You don't analyze. You don't even realize that 'Mercury' is no longer who that is." She could feel the holes in Shinji's soul, the trenches carved in his mind. "She, like 'Jupiter', is no more. An agent of the White Moon has claimed her, brocaded her spirit into a different tapestry with no regard for what made her individual." Pet, I truly need you to help me here. I can hold the pieces in place, but only you can put them together again. "If you have any love for who she once was, you will grant her a swift end. Not even I can disentangle the souls of those from the White. Only he can, and I would not look to him for mercy or clemency."

+++++ ? (Saturday + 7)

The pain had lessened. Shinji knew at least that much. It wasn't that it didn't hurt, because it did. It hurt. A lot. But it did not hurt nearly enough to stop him from regaining awareness of himself. The world was no longer a white-hot rod of agony being cruelly twisted between his eyes. Instead, it was a throbbing hedgehog resting between his ears. The next piece of information he garnered about his situation was that people were speaking.

"…not enemies. No more than any two of the mortals are enemies based purely on outward appearances." The voice was familiar, but he could not immediately place it. With his eyes still not functioning properly, all he saw through heavy lids were smears of color and form. "If we work together, we can give him control. Within you is the knowledge that I cannot speak false here, and to that end I will speak plain: I do not desire to control him or his destiny. He must make a Choice, else all will come undone."

Another familiar voice shot back, "And what if he chooses something you don't like?"

"Then I will abide by the Choice." He finally placed the first voice as Tungsram, the phraseology and calming tones matching with the odd coloration of the being. "Will I attempt to convince him of the rightness of my cause? Yes. Will I rely on lies and deceit? Never. A Choice that is not made freely can never truly blossom into Purpose. My cause and your own can coexist, can even thrive alongside one another! Allow me to help you hobble her, in return I will tell him your tale. I will pass along any message you wish, and should I say one word false will allow myself to be undone."

There was a heavy hesitation in the other woman present. After a long span of heartbeats, she blew out a weighty sigh of frustration. "Tell him that we aren't independent of one another. That we truly are one now." Her voice approached him as she spoke, eventually her hand alighted on his chest. "Tell him that we are not aware of the world outside except when he's wearing this monster…and that we love him, and will see him again once everything is done."

Relief colored Tungsram's tone, "He loved you as well, in his own way. I have seen in his actions as much, though he does not understand the concept itself." Her hand was lightly stroking his forehead. "I swear to you he will hear your words from my own mouth. Now, let us take advantage of the damage your former ally has wrought. She rests deep within his psyche, and if we hurry, we might give him a period of time to discover his truths."

His newest, though still unfulfilled, wish was that he could reclaim his voice or mind enough to tell those present that he heard them. That he heard them, and that he was sorry. If Makoto and Hygieia were truly fused within him, and if Tungsram didn't want to hurt them or stop them from saving people…he had to make their deaths mean something. He had to return to the real world, fight to save Ami, and find the greyish-white woman and allow her to fulfill her promise. He was in control. They had told him as much in this place where lies weren't permitted. If he was in control, then that meant he could leave whenever he wanted to. Victory was never possible to those who refused to earn it.

+++++ Minato, Japan. (Saturday + 7)

Shinji's reawakening was no more sane in the world outside of his body than it was within. The pain shifted pitch, becoming more a physical malaise to match the spiritual devastation. The voices changed from grudging cooperation to outright hostility. The temperature, however, was the most glaring difference. He wasn't inside of Unit-01 anymore, and the Tokyo pavement was very, very cold in the late Autumn air.

"…telling us that you think we should just-" Minako stopped what she had been saying as soon as Shinji convulsively sucked in a lungful of air. Grabbing him and yanking him out of what he belatedly realized was Maria's grasp, she radiated out a brilliant flare of perfect golden light. Her aura enveloped him, warmed him, and soothed his confusion. It wasn't Usagi's physical healing, or Rei's spiritual healing. It wasn't Ami's medical intentions and actions. It was, as most things with her were, love in its purest form.

There was a oneness offered to him that he couldn't understand. A light beyond the sickly-sweet joy that had come to define the touch of the Sailors. In less dire circumstances, he might even have figured out how to accept her offer. Might have swam across the other half of the ocean to reach for her hand. The situation was what it was, though, and he acted in the way base logic insisted he act. H-Hino-san, please tell Minako-san that we need to go save Ami-san. And…uhm…tell her thank you, thank you both.

Minako's eyes lit up with pleasure. "I can hear him!" A joy-filled kiss was the next item she checked off of her to-do list, before pulling back and yanking him to his feet. "Ok, let's go save Ami-chan. Can you fight?"

The whiplash of emotions caused him to stammer out a simple, Y-yeah.

"He is bleeding." Maria clamped a hand on Shinji's shoulder, pulling him away from Minako. "He is not wearing his armor. His mind may be functioning enough to speak and move at the moment, but his soul is still best described as 'tattered'. Exactly what do you believe he'll add to your futile attempts? Do you think his death would change the truth of things? She is no more, child. Her soul and body are fused with the spawn of White from his world, and only by killing her will you end her suffering."

Shinji's head slowly turned towards the raven-haired store owner. The celestial furnaces that power galaxies would have frozen solid in the presence of his stare, We are not killing another ally. Freeing his shoulder, he turned to face her fully. Note very carefully the object in that sentence and remember what happened the last time you pissed me off.

Unlike before, when she lost control over her own temper and therefore any chance to decide the argument, this time she heeded her sister's advice and tried a new tact. "She stopped being an ally when the Angel infested her essence. The tragedy that cost you your friend recently was not the arrow from the Warmaiden, it was the act of Ramiel at the behest of your antagonist from your old world. She was beyond salvation the instant he latched onto her vulnerability." Keeping her motions slow, she gestured towards where Ami was fighting Michiru and Haruka. "On its way here, it must have murdered hundreds. If it absorbs you, billions will die in seconds. Trillions in minutes. You have to choose: is the comforting lie that she can be saved worth living with the truth of the genocide you will enable? Will you allow the next Impact?"

Trust was not something he had in great quantities. Not for himself, not for anyone else. 'Within you is the knowledge that I cannot speak false here….' Tungsram's words, however, gave him a chance to not have to trust blindly. Can you stand in that place I've been sent to? My soul, or mind, or wherever that is?

Rei was quick to try and head that off, "Shinji-kun, don't. Just randomly letting things in and out of your soul is dangerous! I may not have started off on the best foot with you, but I'm really not interested in letting a good person launch themselves into danger for no reason."

"I can." Maria knew what he was doing, knew that she was being given a chance for more than convincing him of the truth regarding Ami. "It can be over and done with before the thought itself processes."

"Shinji-kun," Minako moved closer, gently rubbing his lower spine, "we have to try to save her. It doesn't matter if we can't succeed. If we don't try, what hope do we have of ever winning any fight?"

It changes our tactics. He wasn't going to give up on anyone. He was, however, going to make sure he had all available intelligence before he acted. If my being too close risks something terrible, I can act as a distraction. I can help us take this fight somewhere else by drawing her away. But I have to know the truth. She can't lie to me inside of me. Maria-san…do it.