Chapter 24

"We all need more rest," Ami intoned firmly, addressing the group. Seiji watched the Senshi and Shin nod in reluctant agreement. Usagi sighed, turning, her lips quirking into a brief smile when she caught sight of the sprawled and snoring Shuu. She laid down near him, careful to keep him between herself and the zombies, and attempted to close her eyes. She looked anything but restful.

Rei folded her legs into a lotus position and closed her eyes. Her bearing seemed restful, but there was an undercurrent in her posture that suggested she was more meditative than restful. Shin laid down behind her, resting his head on his arm, but Suiko's eyes stayed open.

Ami laid down herself, but couldn't hide her alertness from anyone. Ryo hadn't moved from his position beside her, but Rekka's instincts were sharp, and Seiji was willing to bet his favorite katana that their leader was wide awake right now.

The only people here that might actually be asleep were Makoto and Touma, and Seiji was pretty sure that was only because the two of them had been pushed so far past their limits staying awake was too much of a challenge. They'd fought hard, to Seiji's mind, and deserved the rest.

Beside him, Minako wouldn't meet his eyes as she curled next to him uneasily in the grass again.

He couldn't help but watch her carefully, curiosity burning inside him over the conversation between she and Rei. She was like him, he realized. She was just like him. She carried her own burdens. Was haunted by her own past.

She'd died.

He cast a quick look at their guard and tried not to shudder.

She'd died more than once.

She was complex. She was light and darkness. Cheer and stoicism. She fought hard, was duty driven, and took her mistakes seriously. She was a warrior, and his equal.

And he found that made him want to know everything about her. He closed his eyes, and thought briefly of the relief of unburdening himself to someone else. Someone outside of the Troopers, who hadn't shared his own struggles or burdens, but was burdened none-the less.

Someone who might understand him – all of him – not just the parts he gave to the public or his family.

What would that be like? The mere thought of it sent a strong wave of…something through him.

She wouldn't be coming back with him though. After this was over, he'd probably never see him again. He needed to keep himself from thoughts of connection. He'd already let himself be much more involved than was wise.

He'd kissed her.

Seiji brushed his fingertips against his lips as the memory surfaced.

She'd told him that he was more than his armor. In a place where his armor meant the difference between life and death. In a place where his lack of power kept the odds swiftly in their enemies' favor.

She'd told him he was more than his armor.

He knew that. Of course he did.

But somehow, hearing her say that, after it had been her powers that had carried them through the nightmarish landscape…it had somehow bound him to her. She wasn't just a partner anymore. Not just an ally paired with him randomly on a quest to stop and uprising and get himself and his friends safely home.

Minako saw him. She saw him. And he needed to keep her safe. Needed to guard her wellbeing.

Needed to understand the burdens she carried.

Seiji closed his eyes as he sat, trying to block his own pain from his mind. Despite coming to terms with his destiny as a Trooper after Suzunagi had interfered with them all, Seiji still felt trapped in a world where battle was the only thing that made sense sometimes.

He'd realized some time ago that it wasn't just his armor that had been calling to him. After a while, his mind had been hyper-attuned to that side of himself. A place where life was an endless cycle of failures and atonements mixed between blood and rage. Where he felt like he might not ever be normal, let alone happy, but had started to believe that that was where he belonged.

Some awful, selfish part of him rejoiced at the idea that he'd found someone who could understand him completely, know his struggles inside and out, without him trying to explain himself. How messed up was that?

But still - Minako was a kindred soul. Used to battle, she understood the struggle that came with constantly being drawn into violent situations - ready to go at a moment's notice, unable to fit into a peaceful, oblivious world that benefitted from their vigilance. Carrying the weight of failure and loss around her shoulders. Carrying the weight of a world that had no idea what it asked of them.

He turned then, opening his eyes and looking down at her. Her own eyes were open, staring listless and lost at the barren landscape, her mind clearly still burdened with the nightmare of memories.

Seiji…gave in.

He let himself do what he'd been wanting to do since she'd looked at him so compassionately and told him that he'd undervalued himself. That he was more in her eyes.

He laid beside her, curling himself around her, trying to shelter her from everything. Carefully, he draped and arm over her waist, wanting her to understand that he was here. That she could rely on him.

That he cared.

That he understood.

She stiffened for several heartbeats, and he waited for her to brush him away. To retreat back inside herself and refuse the comfort he tried to offer. But then, gradually, he felt her relax instead. Her body began to droop, and he watched as the exhaustion she'd struggled to hold back slowly overtook her face.

Her eyes closed. Her breathing evened.

She slept.

Seiji closed his eyes as silence settled around them once more. The weight of her beneath his arm felt fragile and precious, and he knew then that Minako was another person – a new person – that he would willingly sacrifice himself for.

Not that he hadn't been willing before – he had. She'd been an innocent in his eyes, someone that needed his protection. Now that he understood her – knew the kind of woman she was – it was different. Their bond had deepened. She was a partner, a teammate, a friend….and there was something else there, but he shied away from acknowledging it.

He wasn't ready.

But that didn't stop the knowledge from hovering near the front of his mind. He treated it warily, even as he let the rest of himself muddle over this new connection.

Seiji fell asleep as contentment and confliction warred inside him.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888

The ground was vibrating. Venus stirred beside him with a groan, and lapsed back into momentary slumber as the movement stopped. Seiji tried to remember where he was and why he was lying next to a woman on ground that was incredibly prickly. At least he knew who the woman was.

"Burning Mandala," a dry voice hissed, and the heat of flames exploded so close to his face Seiji panicked for a second, remembering that there were zombies, and wondering if the zombies were attacking at the same time. He shot up, wide awake, adrenaline a bomb in his system as he attempted to take in the scene, his memory now online and fully functional. They were in the Underworld, surrounded by zombie Senshi.

And apparently, battle had broken out.

The sky was the same dull, sulky grey it had been before they'd settled down indicating night had passed, so they must have been out for a while he reasoned.

Rei was already up, scrolls straight in her fingers, Shin standing next to her, battle-ready, even though his hair looked like he'd been caught in a typhoon while he slept. Another explosion detonated mere feet from their huddle, so maybe Shin's wild new look had a lot more to do with the warzone that had broken out where they slept.

Usagi was wailing, clinging to Shuu, who looked flustered as he tried to be on the offensive while Usagi hung off him like a bad tie.

Ami was looking around, attempting to analyze the scene like himself, while Ryo had his fists up, looking for a target. Touma was awake, but he was still on the ground with Makoto, covering her with his own body as he scowled and tried to take in the battle going on around them. He looked suitably refreshed, even if he was cranky.

Very cranky.

"Venus Meteor Shower," someone hissed, and a brilliant flash of orange light boomed overhead.

The zombies hadn't lied. The undead Senshi were defending them adamantly, and while they were on the defensive, it didn't appear that anyone was hurt any worse than they'd been before. Minako hopped up beside him, groggy, her hair in disarray, her face holding the hostility of someone who'd been woken from a sound sleep unexpectedly.

She looked cute, he decided, and tried not to smile at the thought. The musical notes of a harp filled the air and then they were both ducking from an Aqua Illusion. Minako put her hands over her head and watched as the attack sailed past them and into a crowd of...were those dogs? Whatever they were, they were going to end up in his nightmares.

Hairless but wearing dirty, torn rags, with five-fingered, claw-tipped hands in front and strange half-humanoid half-dog feet in the back, they moved with odd, stilted motions as they approached, teeth bared, eyes glowing white with reflective light. They had insanely long tongues that seemed to move around of their own volition.

"That is a whole lot of nope going on over there," Venus muttered with a shiver, flicking her fingers in the direction of the shadowy demons attempting to approach. She crossed her arms over her chest and hunched her shoulders. A Thunder Dragon decimated another pack of the things approaching from a different direction, and Seiji realized that they were surrounded by two kinds of monsters and he was rooting for the zombies. His brain was having a hard time processing their current predicament.

"What are those things?" Shuu growled, aggression rolling through his voice.

"Kuro bozu," Ami replied sagely. "They were probably attracted to us while we were sleeping. They feed on the breath of the living as they sleep."

"There's something I'll think about for the rest of my life," Venus muttered in reply, her body hunching into another shiver. Seiji nodded in agreement.

"They're normally around human cities and towns though. I'm not sure what they're doing here. There's technically nothing for them to eat," Rei added helpfully.

"Even better," Minako rolled her eyes and cast an unsettled look at the dwindling pack of monsters over her shoulder. "They're not actually supposed to be here, in the land of monsters, they hang out where I live."

Seiji couldn't help but agree with the caustic remark.

"Ohman Ohman Ohman. They live in human cities?!" Usagi's voice was more shriek than anything else, and Seiji winced as his eardrums vibrated with the noise. Minako sighed and gave Rei a bit of side-eye as the Moon Princess ratcheted up her panic.

"Love and Beauty Shock!" the ground trembled again as several bozu went flying before the expanding orange light of the after-blast caught up with them, incinerating them where they flew. Man. These zombies were serious.

He was starting to feel a little fond of them though. It was hard not to like someone - even if they were a monster - when they were keeping all the other monsters away from you.

Almost as soon as the battle had woken them, it was over. They all blinked into the haze, bewildered, as silence rang in their ears. Wow. Zombies were efficient. No shambling, drooling or groaning here. Seiji was impressed as he took in the carnage.

"I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that dead me might be more talented than living me," Venus grumbled next to him. He chuckled, and reached out, patting her shoulder.

"Not more talented. Just at full power," he reassured her.

She harrumphed but seemed pacified. They all meandered into a closer, tighter circle as the zombies made their way back across the cemetery.

"Is everyone all right?" Ami asked, plucking grass from her hair. They all grunted some sort of affirmative reply.

"Anyone else seriously freaked out by the idea that there are monsters out there eating their breath while they sleep?" a hoarse, familiar voice asked. "Because I'm pretty sure I'm never sleeping again."

They all turned to watch Makoto sit up slowly as Touma crouched beside her, flicking dirt and debris from his hair. They simply stared at her for a moment, but undeterred, she slowly, slowly, stood up. Touma rose, helping her, a hand at her elbow until she was stable. "I choose to believe I'm safe under the blankets," the archer snorted. "I like sleep way too much to give it up."

Rei and Ami both looked like they wanted to correct him, but Minako bent a sour look in their direction, gesturing with a discreet tip of her head towards Usagi.

"Mako-chan! Are you ok?!" Usagi's voice was equal parts joy and anxiety.

"I am. I promise. I'm kinda stiff, kinda sore, but that sleep was great! Well great until the part with the breath-eating monsters anyway. I might be a little slow getting moving, but I'm a lot better," Makoto vowed, putting her hands up, palms out. Usagi squealed, tackling Jupiter with a running hug.

Alarmed, Seiji reached out with Touma to steady them, but though she winced, Makoto caught the aggressive affection and stayed on her feet, returning the embrace.

"Sorry I worried you Usagi," she murmured. Usagi just wailed, keeping Makoto locked in her arms, and squeezing. "You can't do that to me again Mako-chan! You just can't," she finally cried, her embrace easing. "Who is gonna make me bentos when I forget my lunch, and who's gonna take my side when Rei's mean, and who's gonna hang out at Crown with me eve-" Rei knocked Usagi on the top of her head.

"Cut it out Odango brains!" she snarled. "Don't be so dramatic!"

"Rei-chan is so mean!" Usagi wailed, putting her hands on top of her head while water gushed from her eyes like a fountain. Minako sighed and rolled her eyes while Ami put a hand to her cheek and Jupiter simply grinned at the display. Rei turned on Usagi, but the rest of the Senshi tuned them out as Minako and Ami greeted Makoto. Ami reached out and tugged on Makoto's shirt, making Jupiter flush, her eyes wide.

"Ami!" she hissed, trying to yank it from her grip. Ami gave her a look.

"I need to check your bandaging," the girl intoned. Makoto remained bright red as Ami poked and prodded the bandaging while Minako wolf-whistled, laughing. Makoto growled at her and took a half-hearted swing in her direction, which didn't stop her from grinning at Makoto's expense. Seiji met Shin's eyes as the two of them attempted to look away and give Makoto privacy along with the other Troopers.

"Hmm. It looks improved, but I'm going to say you still need to take it easy. No running into battle." Ami admonished her, pulling her clothing back into place. Makoto's posture slumped into one of relief as she tugged self-consciously at the tattered remains of her blouse and skirt.

"Aww c'mon Ami! I'm fine!" she attempted to argue, a hint of redness still dusting her cheeks. "I can definitely help."

"Let us take the brunt of the impact," Touma interrupted, echoing their earlier conversation.

"With no powers? Are you nuts?" Makoto yelled at him. Minako rolled her eyes as Seiji turned, ready to argue. They'd meant what they'd said earlier. Minako beat him to it.

"Mako-chan, stop trying to be an over-achiever. Let some of the rest of us get a punch in." She kept her tone light, laughing as Makoto flushed with embarrassment. She looped Jupiter into a loose hug, and gave her a sweet smile that made Seiji's own heart feel a little warm.

"I know you're stubborn, but you can't do everything. Leave some of the fun for the rest of us," she encouraged, releasing Makoto. She made a face, wrinkling her nose then. "Also, there are zombies now," she added.

"I remember the zombies for sure," Makoto nodded, casting a wary look around at the undead closing in around them. Venus put her pointer finger on her chin and looked up in mock thought, mischief lurking in the expression.

"Besides, your beau there already figured out how to use his armor without actually putting it on. Pretty sure he's got you covered…in more ways than one," she grinned, tossing her hair and twirling away from a now blushing and wide-eyed Touma and Makoto, her lips curved up in a cat-like grin.

Her bubbly, cheerful demeanor was infectious, and Seiji felt fond affection well up inside of him when he looked at her, unable to ignore the way she made him feel light – as if he might be weightless and could catch the wind like Touma. She made him feel warm. As if standing near her might be like standing in the sun on a summer afternoon when everything was lush with life. Vibrant. Joyful.

The feeling hovered around his brain idly, but then swung back around like a baseball bat as its significance hit him full in the face.

Wait a minute. What was this? Did he….like Minako?

He barely knew her.

Right?

He felt himself stop breathing as he took her in, laughing now as Makoto growled something at her, face still red. Venus hopped out of punching range and said something else Seiji's brain couldn't grasp in its shocked state, grinning at Makoto as she easily avoided the girl's half-heated attempts to seek retribution.

Usagi was laughing, looking delighted, Rei looked irritated, and Ami looked embarrassed for all of them, putting her hand on her forehead and letting her head drop. Minako simply tossed her hair. And then gave him a conspiratorial wink.

That same warmth flooded his system with a vengeance, and he was light and joyful all over again.

Holy shit.

He had feelings for Minako Aino.

Strong feelings.

Really strong feelings.

Even if he couldn't name them. Not even in his own head. Somehow that seemed like a step too far. Too much to process right now, that label. But even if he wasn't acknowledging it, he knew it was there.

Heaven help him, the feeling was there. Waiting to ambush him.

It was way too soon. How long had they even been together? A day? Two?

He had no idea when it had happened. But it had.

Thank the Gods that Yayoi wasn't here. He went a little green as he thought about his siter and felt an unwholesome gratitude in that moment that Minako and his family would never, ever meet.

Then depression hit him full force.

Minako and his family would never meet. Because she was from an entirely different dimension. She had a life there, just like he had a life in his own dimension. He was probably never going to see her again after this battle was over.

The first woman he'd ever actually liked, and she was completely out of his reach.

The zombies closed in around them.

"It is time to take this battle to Suzano – O," a Venus zombie hissed.

Seiji felt the walls closing in around himself.

The timer was counting down.