Chapter 35
Minako screaming as she crashed through a window forty-three stories up was playing on a loop in his brain.
Around and around and around. Over and over.
Seiji cast a sideways look at Touma as Tenku flew them over the city. He'd known the Armor of the Heavens had flight capability, but hadn't realized, until today, what that actually meant. Minako was alive right now because Touma had literally plucked her out of the air before she hit the earth at a million miles an hour.
He looked down at her, lying unmoving in his arms.
Her eyes were open. She blinked occasionally. But her gaze was a thousand yard stare into nothingness. It wasn't just her body he needed to worry about. Minako Aino was in a very bad place, and Seiji didn't know how to help her. He wasn't sure how bad the physical wounds were. The way she barely moved, the way she trembled, the pallor of her skin all pointed to shock. She was very probably going into shock, and she needed some place safe, some place stable, right now.
Touma was probably saving her life yet again by flying them. Soaring in Tenku's sphere, moving smoothly along the most direct path ensured she wasn't jostled, and that they got out of here as soon as possible. Seiji looked back up at Touma again. Makoto was clinging to him like an octopus, her eyes squeezed shut tightly in blind terror, visibly shaking.
He had her to thank too, he realized. Makoto's strength, courage, and quick reflexes had probably kept Minako alive even after Touma had rescued them. He studied her, taking in the roughness of her appearance, and found himself reluctant to find out what the Senshi had been through.
Just looking at their world gave him enough of an idea, and he wasn't sure he'd want the awful details. Seeing Minako as she was now was hard enough. Almost too difficult. And it made him realize –
He didn't just like her.
He loved her.
At some point, his admiration and fondness had marinated into something more, something deeper, and he hadn't even been aware of it until he'd seen her struggling, watched her tossed carelessly through the window, and realized that if she'd died, if he'd lost her then, a part of him would have died with her.
He didn't understand how it'd happened. He'd known her so briefly. He didn't know if it had been their separation. If the separation had turned his like into something stronger just by virtue of having nothing but his fondest memories of her.
But he did know that she was like no woman he'd ever met. She was bubbly and cheerful. She was strong and determined. As a warrior, she was his equal. He was fairly difficult to impress, and she had impressed him. He'd found himself admiring her more than once. Her sense of duty ran deeply, and she took her role as leader seriously.
And he was very, very worried about where she might be mentally right now. Without thought, he pulled her closer, cradling her against him, trying to shelter her from…well he didn't know honestly. Something. Everything.
She blinked then, her gaze focusing on him, some of the distance in her eyes vanishing. She smiled at him weakly. "I'll be all right," she whispered. Seiji returned her smile with a soft one of his own.
"I'm going to make sure of it," he murmured back. Her eyes widened momentarily, her blue gaze studying him with a sharp intensity he might not have expected from her. And then her face crumpled, her eyes filling. She sniffled.
"I think that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me," she replied. Seiji closed his eyes then, and leaned down so their foreheads touched. He wanted to unburden himself – confess his feelings right here and right now.
He held himself back. It might be easy for him now, but Minako wasn't in the right place for anything big, and the last thing he wanted to do was dump something so heavy on her shoulders. So he took a deep breath, smiled at her genuinely and said "I've got you. I'm right here, and you're safe now."
She sniffled again, pressed her trembling lips together stubbornly until the tears stopped leaking from her eyes, and gave him a shaky smile. "Thank you, Seiji. I can't believe you're here. I don't know how you even got here, but I'm grateful. Things have been…" she trailed off, closing her eyes, furrowing her brow.
"…difficult," she finished.
Things had probably been terrifying, he amended. Painful. Heartbreaking.
Her gaze took on that distance again as she went back to looking over the cityscape they passed. "We lost," she said in a voice so low he barely heard her. "We lost, Seiji." He pulled her closer to him, resting his chin on her head as he tried to figure out what to say to something like that.
She wasn't wrong. They had lost. They hadn't been at fault. Someone had removed them from their own universe before attacking. But he imagined that didn't mean anything to someone like Minako. The pain of knowing that she hadn't been here to help the other Senshi – protect her family and friends – would echo inside of her always.
The pain of knowing that he hadn't been here when she needed him was echoing inside of him.
Even if it meant that their meeting had stayed brief, even if it meant that he never saw her again, Seiji would much rather that the Troopers had been here in time, to help, than coming in after the destruction to simply pull the Senshi from the wreckage.
Seiji steeled himself. The Senshi might be fleeing their own world right now, but Usagi had the starseeds, and as Seiji understood it, they contained the lifeforces of everyone in their world. They could rest and regroup. They could still give their world hope. This was just a place. It was a tragedy to lose it, but they hadn't lost the people.
"I know things look bad right now. But Usagi has the starseeds," he said quietly. Minako jerked in his arms, tilting her head up to look at him.
"How do you know that?" she whispered, her eyes wide.
"She showed up in our dimension. That's how we even knew how to find you, or what was going on," he replied. Minako closed her eyes for a moment, her face smoothed over with immense relief. She opened them and looked back at him, something in her expression at ease now.
"I might have known. It makes sense now, why you're suddenly here. I didn't understand it at first. I thought…I thought maybe this was still somehow the Underworld, and we were never home. For just a second…just a second," she trailed off, her eyes going vacant again. "I know that's not true. But I just…"
She sighed, closing her eyes, and leaning heavily against him, curling into his embrace.
"Seiji," she whispered. "I don't know what to do now." He tightened his embrace, tucking her closer and resting her head beneath his chin, against his shoulder.
"It's ok. We're here. I've got you. We're going to get you out of here, and for now, that's all we need to worry about," he murmured.
They passed another moment in silence, and then she stirred again, pulling back and looking up at him. Seiji met her gaze, not understanding the emotion he could see in her eyes.
"You found Usagi and then you just…came here? That was dangerous," she said softly, almost chiding. Seiji furrowed his brow. This might not be time for a confession, but he couldn't hold back the entire truth.
"Minako, when we found Usagi alone, I was frantic to get to you. I couldn't stand not knowing where you were – if you were ok. When she woke up enough to tell us what had happened? It was worse. I would have moved heaven and earth to find you. I promised to keep you safe, to have your back, and I take my promises seriously. And now? You're stuck with me. I'm sorry or you're welcome," he finished with a nervous chuckle, worried about how much he'd revealed to her.
She bit her lip, lowering her gaze, her eyes hidden by her bangs. Her shoulders trembled, and he didn't know how to read her posture. Was she uncomfortable? Had he made her sad?
"You risked your life to come here. You're risking a lot to bring me back to your world." Her voice was nearly inaudible. Seiji scowled.
"Yeah, I've been thinking about that part. I guarantee the others have too. And we're all probably going to reach the same conclusion. If this thing came after you, it was probably only a matter of time until it came after us. It pulled us into the Underworld too, remember? I would much, much rather have you with us when that time comes, if it comes, than stranded in ruin on your own. We're stronger together Minako," he said decisively.
"Seiji," she whispered, tangling her fingers in her bangs. "I really am lucky, huh?" She turned then leaning into him, wrapping an arm around his neck. "Thank you for caring so much. Thank you for coming after me."
Seiji blinked, feeling his face heat up a little. Looking around him, he was pretty sure luck wasn't the word to describe Minako's situation. Maybe luck had seen them all thrown together, but this situation was the opposite of what he considered luck. It wasn't luck that had given the Senshi the courage and strength they'd needed to send Usagi to safety. They'd done that on their own.
As for Usagi ending up in their dimension? Given their previous connection, Seiji didn't think that was very lucky either. He wasn't sure what had been behind it, but it seemed far too coincidental to just give over to the idea of luck playing into their hands.
And the Troopers managing to get here?
They'd have found a way. That wasn't luck either. Seiji hadn't been lying – he'd have moved heaven and earth to find her and get her to safety. It just so happened to have been more convenient than that.
But these sentiments weren't worth talking about right now. So he simply held her close. "I'll always care. I'll always come for you," he replied. She hiccuped then, and he realized she was weeping. He held her quietly, not sure how else to help her, until her shoulders finally drooped, and their shaking stopped.
"Sorry," she murmured. He shook his head.
"Don't apologize. You don't need to do or be anything Minako. Like I said. I've got you and we're out of here. That's all we need to worry about right now."
She nodded against him. "Seiji?" she murmured after a moment.
"Yes?" he answered her.
"I'm so tired. I just need to close my eyes for a minute," she continued. Seiji felt alarm stir his blood.
"Whoa, hey – stay awake for me, ok? Don't go to sleep," he told her urgently. She didn't answer, and his heartrate rocketed inside his chest. "Minako?" he asked, pulling back to look at her.
Her eyes were closed. Her face looked peaceful, but she was so pale. He stilled himself, watching her carefully. Watching her chest rise and fall with her breathing. Against the inside of his forearm, he could feel her heartbeat through her back. It felt strong and sure. He tried to reassure himself that she would be ok, but she'd fallen asleep awfully quickly.
In her relaxed state, her trauma was even more evident, and Seiji turned his attention forward, tracking their progress. He could see the hill in the immediate distance where the Hikawa Shrine sat.
It didn't look any better from the air.
He blinked when he noticed the massive path of cleared trees and structures that sprawled out from behind the building, looking up at Touma at the same time the archer noticed it. A river of water was running away from the shrine, draining off to parts unknown.
"Wow. Uh. I guess Suiko got a little angry, huh?" Tenku muttered, looking impressed. Seiji nodded, raising an eyebrow. A little angry indeed.
He kept the knowledge Minako was safe and would recover circling through his brain like a mantra as she remained a dead weight in his arms, even as they began to descend, his stomach dropping with the sudden change. Makoto made a noise in her throat, and Seiji turned his gaze back up to her.
She was practically climbing Touma like a tree, her arms wrapped around him in a bear hug. Touma, to his credit, maneuvered them smoothly, one arm wrapped around her securely as he guided them to the ground in front of the shrine entrance. They landed, gently, and Toma looked exhausted but didn't say a single thing about it as he led them inside the building, urgency in his movements.
Ryo was sitting on the floor with Mercury in his lap, her eyes closed. Shin was standing beside him, one of Rei's arms around his neck as he shouldered her weight. The stubborn tilt to both their chins told Seiji that Shin had tried to get her to rest and Rei had refused to relax. Rajura had a watchful eye over the group while Kayura seemed to be meditating.
Her gaze snapped up as they entered, and she nodded.
"Excellent. Your timing is impeccable. We need to leave. Now."
In the distance, a terrible rumbling began to sound, shaking the entire shrine so hard that plaster started falling from the ceiling.
"What the hell?" Touma growled, attempting to keep a steady footing. Under his arm, Makoto jerked upright.
"It's coming," she gasped. Ami snapped awake and Rei looked alarmed. A massive, angry roar sounded in the distance and he felt himself pale a bit. Rei turned a fierce gaze on Kayura.
"Whatever your escape plan is, I suggest you put it into action. No one here is going to like what comes after that sound," she muttered. Near her, Rajura looked uncertain for the first time Seiji could ever remember.
Kayura nodded. "We're leaving. Troopers, join hands," she snapped.
Holding hands with anyone while his arms were full was a bit of a challenge, but he managed it. They formed a circle with the Senshi inside it. The moment all their fingers linked, the rumbling stopped. Everything went white, and he felt as if he were floating in nothing for a few, brief heartbeats.
And then he was standing in the bedroom they'd left at Nasuti's, staring out a window at the lake. The sun was still shining, but much lower on the horizon.
"Hey, you made it!" Shuu's quiet but cheerful enthusiasm grounded him like nothing else. They'd made it.
"Hey man! Anyone give you trouble while we were gone?" Ryo returned Shuu's cheerful greeting. Shuu shook his head.
"Nope. All quiet here." Seiji snuck a peek at Usagi, relieved to see that she'd given in to her exhaustion and appeared to be resting comfortably. Shuu's face looked unsettled as he took them all in, anxious as he studied the Senshi. He jumped up from his seat.
"What do you guys need? Is everyone ok?" he said, coming around the bed. Makoto, Rei, and Ami stared at Usagi where she lay in the bed, anxious looks on their faces. Shuu waved his hands, rushing to reassure them.
"She's fine! She had some tea and like a mountain of snacks and then fell asleep," he said. Rei huffed out a breath, closing her eyes for a moment.
"She's definitely fine," the priestess muttered, sounding put out. Seiji wasn't convinced. There was too much of a tremble in her voice for him to take her irritation seriously. Ami smiled, discreetly wiping at a corner of one eye.
"That's our Usagi. Very resilient," she said softly, looking incredibly relieved. Makoto nodded, a bit of air escaping her lungs in what might have been a laugh.
"If I start cooking now, I might be able to catch up with her appetite!" she said with a tearful smile. Ami bobbed her head, giggling a little.
"You'd better cook fast," Rei grumbled.
Ryo set Ami down, keeping a cautious arm around her as she attempted to get her feet under her. "Is Mina-chan ok?" the blue hair girl asked, wobbling over to Seiji. She peered at the blonde, taking her pulse, putting a hand to her head and furrowing her brow. Seiji held himself still as he waited for her to finish checking Minako.
"She's cooler to the touch than what's ideal, but her pulse and respiration seem strong. I'll need a closer look though," she said, pulling back a bit.
Right.
He'd forgotten Ami was some sort of doctor. Relief bubbled up in his throat.
"I'm Nasuti – I'm a good friend of the Troopers. I'm very pleased to meet you, welcome to my home. Let's get her down to the room I have set up and we can do that," Nasuti encouraged softly, managing to quickly introduce herself and manuver Ami towards another room where they could provide better care for Minako. Seiji didn't miss the way she looped an arm through Mercury's elbow – or how Ryo shadowed them closely, concern engraved in his expression as they moved toward the doorway. Dutifully, Seiji followed.
In the hall, Nasuti led them down a brief ways before turning left. Seiji followed her into the room and approached the bed, but found himself hesitant to put Minako down.
"She'll be just fine, Seiji." Gentle hands touched his arm, and Seiji discreetly took a deep breath through his nose, releasing it as he laid her on the bed and released her. Almost as soon as her body touched the cool sheets, she blinked her eyes open, body fighting to sit even as Seiji and Nasuti encouraged her to lie down with gentle hands.
"What? Seiji?" she slurred in a soft voice. He smiled at her as reassuringly as he knew how.
"You're ok. We're at Nasuti's. You're safe here, I promise," he replied, letting sincerity bleed into his tone.
"Hello!" Nasuti greeted her with a sunny smile. "Please relax. You need to rest."
"Mina-chan. I'm here. Let me look at you," Ami said in a soft, tired voice. At her elbow, Ryo radiated concern, though Seiji assumed the emotion was as much for Ami as it was for Minako. Mercury swooped in, giving Nasuti a grateful nod when the woman indicated a fully stocked first aid kit sitting ready near the bed.
It was difficult to stand by while Ami poked and prodded at Minako – especially when Minako winced or groaned – but Mercury was both fast and efficient. Seiji and Ryo both turned around to give the women privacy during the latter half of the exam, but things moved quickly.
"As far as I can tell, you'll keep. You need plenty of rest, and I can't tell if you've fractured anything, so you're going to take it easy for awhile, am I clear?" she said sternly, despite her exhaustion. "You may need stitches, but nothing is bleeding right now, so I think you'll be all right if you take care and don't move too much. I've cleaned and bandaged the worst of it."
Minako nodded, her eye lids already at half-mast. "Usagi?" she mumbled.
Ami bobbed her head. "She's sleeping right now, but I'll look her over too," she reassured the girl.
Ryo looked like he might protest, but Minako smiled and let her eyes close. It seemed to take mere moments before her body relaxed in slumber.
"Poor thing is totally exhausted," Nasuti said, voice laced with empathy. Ami nodded.
"Yes. We're all going to need some sleep, I think," she replied in a distracted voice.
They were going to need a lot more than sleep, Seiji thought, but sleep was probably a very good start. Ami rose. "I'm going to look the others over before they conk out," she said resolutely. "Please keep an eye on Minako. She really shouldn't be moving," she said.
And Seiji knew then Ami must be tired if she was straight up asking him to look after Venus without a trace of guilt or worry. He nodded at her, but knew it was an easy promise to keep. It would have taken the vast armies of the Youjakai to pull him away from her at this point.
And then suddenly everyone was gone, and he was alone in a room with Minako. He simply watched her breathe, relaxed in bed, bandaged and sleeping soundly - the sight the most calming in the world to him at the moment.
He reluctantly let his undergear fade away and paced to the window, tucking his hands into his slacks.
It felt strange to be wearing his normal daywear when he thought about where he'd just been. He flicked a glance at the setting sun as the last of its light vanished over the horizon, but the darkness of night didn't bother him right now. With quiet steps, he moved back to Minako's bedside and sank gracefully into the armchair next to it, taking up the start of what he assumed would be a very long vigil.
That didn't matter though.
He was home.
And so was Minako.
