Chapter 64
As he answered the doorbell, Shin felt as if he'd been awake for at least 48 hours instead of the actual meager 12.
He hadn't wanted to leave the office and miss any planning – he didn't like where any of this was going and he wanted to be there as they strategized. The awe and amusement of a talking cat wore off quickly in the face of the news he'd brought with him.
This monster had, in fact, discovered a weak rift between the earth and the Youjakai, and it had been steadily exploiting that for an undetermined amount of time. But Artemis and Kayura both seemed to think that it had been trying to break into their world before Usagi had even appeared here.
Once Usagi and the Senshi had crossed over, it had been able to solidify its focus on breaking into the Troopers' world, making leaps forward in accomplishing its sinister task.
Ami was still trying to confirm this theory, though Shin had no idea why. What did it matter how long it'd been trying? The point was that it had made dangerous headway into the Troopers' realm, and they had very little time to understand how it had gotten into their realm and how they might get it back out.
Or just stop it. Permanently.
Shin didn't consider himself particularly violent or aggressive, but he liked that option above all. He wanted to end this monster and make sure it could never come back.
He pulled open Nasuti's stout front door to the sight of the two final and eagerly awaited members of their group, studying them shrewdly. They looked…exhausted frankly, and he wondered with no small amount of trepidation what kind of afternoon they'd had.
…Especially since they were holding hands, both of their expressions carrying a certain hint of peace despite the haggardness there.
Shuu looked….not triumphant exactly. He looked like someone who'd just won the hardest, longest battle he'd ever fought, and had finally come home. Usagi looked…rough. While he was pleased that she seemed too exhausted to try and pull her cheerful facade up, the open view of her pain and grief hurt.
But there was a quiet sort of contentment there too. She seemed….settled somehow. Resolved. In her free arm, she cradled a small black cat with a crescent moon bald spot on its forehead.
Shin gave the animal a wary look, wondering what to expect after their meeting with Artemis earlier in the day. He wasn't positive, but Seiji had looked fairly ready to come to blows with a cat. A cat. Shin was pretty sure if Artemis had been a lot bigger and had opposable thumbs, the feeling would be mutual. Hopefully, Luna was a little less...defensive.
Usagi moved forward then, tired, but let go of Shuu's hand to give Shin a gentle hug, smiling at him sweetly. Shin held her close, squeezing her affectionately before releasing her to give Shuu a solid and encouraging thump on the back as the man moved into the house with Usagi. Kongo returned the gesture, and they moved quietly towards the office to rejoin with the others.
As soon as he entered the room, Shin found Rei where he'd left her and resumed his place on the floor beside her, pulling her to sit between his legs, surrounding her with his arms, needing her to know she was safe despite the looming danger. Not that she needed it. Or at least would admit to needing it. But that didn't matter to him. She relaxed against him, settling in, and Shin felt himself ease again as everyone looked up to greet Usagi and Shuu and meet Luna.
Shin frowned, taking their group in with fresh eyes.
Seiji was seated on a sofa, Minako curled against his side, her eyes at half-mast, her face exhausted. She spent most of the afternoon and into the evening ppassionatley strategizing, but as Ami, Touma, and Nasuti had strayed into some of the more complicated, technical weeds of their planning she'd lost focus.
On Seiji's other side, Makoto Kino had expanded in sleep, and her head now rested against a small part of his knee. Despite the fact that she'd stretched out a bit, there still wasn't enough couch to accommodate her long legs, and she'd subconsciously used Seiji's knee as a pillow.
He didn't seem to mind. Korin trailed soothing fingers up and down Minako's exposed arm, probably in an unconscious attempt to comfort, his other hand set gently on Makoto's head. Seiji looked alert, his expression hard as he listened to Ami and Touma and Nasuti talking with the cats.
Despite the calm, gentle nature of his body language and the comfort he was trying to give, his eyes were fierce as he followed along, likely trying to aid in the untangling of so many disturbing revelations. Occasionally, his gaze slid over Artemis where the cat sat next to Ami, looking with her at the computer screen. While Korin was hardly the only Trooper in the room still unhappy with the cat, Seiji's expression seemed to suggest that Minako was the only thing preventing him from tossing the feline out.
Shin agreed. While he understood that Artemis had known very little about what had happened, the cat had used some of the worst language to interrogate the Senshi. At least, based on what Touma, Ryo, and Seiji had said when they'd filled him in. Even unintentional damage was still damage. Shin flicked his eyes briefly over to the small black cat now, as she chatted with Touma, wondering how her encounter with Shuu and Usagi had gone.
Touma, for his part was being politely neutral – friendly enough for the sake of the Senshi and what they all needed to accomplish now, but still likely seething himself. Still. He'd devoted himself tirelessly to the issue at hand for hours now, pausing only to cover Makoto with a blanket and give her a gentle kiss on the head where she lay on the couch.
Ryo had copped an armchair, but had lost the battle with sleep as well, his chin resting in his hand, balanced on his elbow, which in turn was balanced on the chair's arm. Ami kept darting furtive looks in his direction, and Shin wondered how long it would be before her need to take care of Ryo would win out over her need to keep going with their planning.
Shin couldn't believe those two still hadn't confessed to each other. Their schoolyard crush had become so painfully obvious he wondered why random strangers hadn't commented about it. And speaking of schoolyard crushes and unrequited love, he focused his gaze over to Shuu and Usagi again.
The Moon Princess was making a valiant attempt to listen to what was going on, but it was clear from her face that she had very little clue as to what was actually being said. Shin could actively see her zoning out. For his own part, Shuu didn't even try – and that was something about Kongo that Shin greatly admired – He didn't put on airs or pretend.
He waited for Usagi to lose interest and then plopped himself on the floor. She dropped with him, making herself comfortable in his lap, leaning against his shoulder as the chatter continued. Seiji blinked at them but immediately pulled his gaze away. That was Korin for you – extremely private but also respectful of others' privacy.
Shin also raised his eyebrows, but stared directly. When Shuu caught his eye, he just smiled softly, shaking his head in a gesture that told Shin now wasn't the time, and then turned his attention back onto Usagi, who in turn was focused on the small cluster of people and animals still gathered around the desk.
Hmm. He was going to make it a point to get Shuu alone tomorrow. Clearly, something had happened.
He felt Rei's weight slowly going limp against him and smiled, running his fingers along her shoulder as she dropped off to sleep. He tried to keep his eyes open, but eventually lost the battle too.
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When Rei woke up, she expected to have a horrendous crick in her neck and to feel groggy and irritable after spending a night on the floor.
But as her eyes fluttered open and she peered sleepily around the room she realized she felt well-rested. Behind her, Shin's breathing was still deep and even, and Rei turned, looking up into his face with a smile.
He had leaned back fully into the corner at some point, his head resting against a wall on one side. His arms were still loosely around her, his legs still tucked up on either side of her. She'd been curled against his chest, she realized, and felt a little mushy that he'd enabled her to sleep so well. In slumber, his face looked boyish - sweet and peaceful. She resisted the urge to kiss him, wanting to let him sleep more if he were tired.
A quick look around told her everyone else had crashed in the office as well. Touma was sprawled out on the floor near the desk, Makoto draped on top of him like a blanket. An actual blanket was tangled around Tenku's legs, his limbs spread out save for one arm wrapped around Jupiter securely, and Rei grinned. It figured Touma would sleep like a starfish.
Sejii was still on the couch. He'd fallen asleep sitting up, his head tipped way back to rest on the couch cushions, and Rei winced, realizing that Korin might be in need of some aspirin when he woke up. In his loose embrace, Minako still curled against him, one hand resting near her face on his chest, lines of stress still evident in her expression.
Artemis was resting in her lap, curled in a ball as he snoozed. Ami was now curled in the armchair Ryo had been sitting in, Rekka sprawled on the floor directly in front of the chair, partially on Byakkuen. The white tiger lay on its side, snoozing.
Near Ryo, Shuu and Usagi had passed out on the floor. Kongo was sleeping with his head propped on his hand, Usagi's head laying on the part of his arm on the floor, her body curled into his as if seeking comfort. On the Moon Princess' hip, Luna had sprawled out, and as Rei watched, one small black ear twitched.
Usagi had seemed….very different when she'd come in last night, and Rei found herself hoping that her chat with Luna had gone a little differently than the one they'd had with Artemis. Usagi was taking everything so hard already, and she carried so much on her shoulders. She deserved a little peace.
Finally, Rei's eyes fell across Nasuti, who'd tucked herself into the make-shift bed she'd set up in her office. Rei frowned, feeling guilty then. The Senshi needed to figure out some better living arrangements so that poor Nasuti could have her own bed back. They'd tried, numerous times, to get her into one of the bedrooms after they'd recovered, but she'd adamantly refused. The woman was too sweet for her own good, and Rei was resolved not to take advantage of her generosity for too long. If things were coming to a head now, maybe they could really and finally put all this past them and move on - establish themselves here in a more permanent sense.
She tried to ignore the shadow that appeared on her mind as she thought about the enemy they faced. Never before had she known so little about an enemy - about what it did, what it wanted, and how it planned to get it. It was massive, and seemed infinite. It had abilities they'd never encountered, and Rei was just a little frightened about their odds this time. But, she'd been frightened about their odds plenty of times, and everything had worked out. Somehow, it always did. She cast a quick glance at the heavy pendant around Usagi's neck and tried not to think about it too hard.
With a sigh, Rei carefully untangled herself from Shin's sleepy embrace and rose, stretching. Quietly, she tiptoed around the bodies and let herself out of the office.
She'd had disturbing dreams again, and was hoping to sort some of them out with some morning meditation before the others woke and things got too chaotic. Sleepily, she prepared herself a cup of tea and took it outside, shivering in the early morning chill. The bite of fall hovered in the air, and Rei took a moment to savor the beauty of the morning – the crisp scent, the sapphire sky, the gold and crimson of the trees.
She made her way to the fire ring and carefully built up a new fire, flicking her fingers to light it. Within moments, a cheerful blaze was going. Rei parked herself on one of the downed logs that had been dragged over for seating, and finished her tea, warming up to her morning's meditation. Setting her cup aside, she tucked herself into a comfortable position, and closed her eyes. Regulating her breath, Rei allowed herself to slip into the meditative state, letting the sound of the fire surround her. She drifted through smoke, searching for guidance.
Instead of the usual vague visions loaded with symbols that she struggled to piece together, this time Rei found herself in a place. An edge of alertness crawled up along her spine, and she frowned, trying to take everything in.
"There you are. I have been waiting for you, Rei Hino," a deep male voice called out. Rei turned, looking for the speaker. A man, tall with reddish hair in monk-like garb approached, his wide-brimmed hat drawn low over his eyes. In his hand, he carried the staff that she'd seen Kayura use, and it clanged as he approached her slowly through the hazy landscape.
He stopped a meter away from her, simply staring, and she had the distinct and uncomfortable impression that he was seeing through her.
"Princess of Mars," he finally added to his greeting in a deep, serene voice. Rei frowned, wondering how he knew her, but nodded at him, tipping her chin up. His lips curved into an amused smile before the mirth left his face.
"Your enemy approaches. A great trial is set before the Troopers and the Senshi. You must be ready." He reached out then, and before Rei understood what was happening, he tapped the center of her chest, and she felt heat that began to build rapidly, sending her into a panic.
"Wh-what?" she gasped.
And then she was staring at the Mars Crystal where it floated in front of her and between them.
"You have a beautiful inner light Sailor Mars, but more than that, you are strong. Stronger than you know. The gods themselves have come to your door, seeking to take that which belongs to mortal men and their champions. So long as you remember who you are, so long as you have faith in the Troopers, and in each other, you will survive this trial."
He gestured, and the Mars Crystal began to spin idly.
"You will need to rely on your Sailor Crystals to win the day. Trust that the Troopers will give you the strength you need. You'll know what to do when the time comes. Do not lose faith. Do not lose hope. The Troopers will need a good deal of both." His voice sounded grave.
Mars gasped again. "What do you mean?!"
The man smiled sadly. "They have been through so much. But a warrior never knows peace. This time, the Senshi will guide them home. Your light is steady and bright. Your passion gives life and warmth. Only you can remember who you are. Only the Senshi can unlock the memories," he said.
Rei scowled at him. "That doesn't make any sense either," she gestured, feeling exasperated. Why couldn't any of these stupid premonitions be less confusing? Why couldn't spirits or whoever just come right out and say what they meant? "Remember what?!" she snarled.
The man touched the brim of his hat and sketched a brief, short bow. "You'll know when the time comes. Be strong, Rei Hino. The Senshi must be strong. The Troopers are counting on you."
He faded into nothing beneath her glare then, and she raised her arms over her head in exasperation and impatience as she stared at the place he'd been moments ago. She could feel the burn in her chest again, and as Rei watched, the Mars Crystal slowly sank back inside of her, its heat nearly overwhelming. It flared there as the shadows rose around her, huge and terrifying, growing and growing and growing as a distant and familiar echo of maniacal laughter sent her skin crawling.
What had moments ago seemed merely like a mysterious place now looked more and more like the setting of a horror movie, the darkness creeping in around her, creating a defined edge between the warm glow she seemed to radiate and utter blackness. Her blood burned like fire in her veins, the Mars Crystal throbbing frantically inside her like a heartbeat as the shadows circled closer and closer. She searched frantically, trying to figure out how on earth to get out of this place, but something seemed to be holding her here, cutting off her escape.
A monster loomed in the smoke and the darkness, hovering for a moment before it lunged for her, huge and unstoppable, arrowing in on the place inside her where the Crystal rested. Rei tried in vain to protect herself, placing her hands over her heart, despite knowing that she could do little to actually stop it. She tried to summon her fire, summon her transformation, but both were cut off from her, and this felt terrifyingly familiar now.
Had she been captured? Her heart throbbed in her chest.
She'd fight. She'd fight with everything she had.
And then without explanation, the shadows were pulled violently away from her, creating a small but precious pocket of space. Her body calmed enough for her to think a bit clearly, but no solution was coming to mind.
"It has broken the barrier! RUN!" the man from earlier yelled, though she could not see him.
Rei screamed, turning and following the narrow thread of path now illuminated behind her. She bolted like a deer, not understanding what was happening, terror taking her as the monster hit her hard from behind. It felt awful. The breath seemed to flee her lungs as she sank down, down into a dark and icy miasma of toxic energy. She clutched frantically at her chest, feeling something ripping at the Mars Crystal, and knowing, somehow at that moment, that if she lost her crystal here, everything would be over for her.
Rei thought of Shin, of Usagi, of her sister Senshi and the Troopers, and tried to draw air into her lungs, choking instead on foul-tasting liquid. She fought with everything she had in her, even as she felt herself weaken, felt her grip slacken. No. She wasn't giving up. Not this easily.
Rei pushed back, struggled to free herself, managing to move, to pull herself through the darkness, startled when a pair of hands grabbed onto her and tore her away from the shadows.
"It is no longer safe for you here, in this space. Do not return. Remember Rei. You must remember what I told you." Rei found herself back in the light, staring at the monk from before only briefly before she slammed back into her own body and woke up gasping.
She hurled forward and gagged, a river of oily sludge leaving her body as she shook and tried to understand what had just happened. She coughed as the remainder of it left her lungs, swiping a sleeve over her mouth as she panted, struggling to breathe normally again.
"Rei!"
Her head snapped up and she realized then that Shin had his hands around her shoulders and was desperately trying to get her attention.
"Sh-Shin-n?" she murmured through chattering teeth, still trying to understand what was going on. She was so cold. Everything felt confused and chaotic. When had Shin gotten here? The sun was so much brighter now. So much higher in the sky. A heavy breath of air left Shin's lungs and he pulled her close, hitting the ground hard and yanking her against him as she tried to get her limbs to stop convulsing.
"Gods. Are you all right?! What the hell happened? Your skin is like ice," he panted, cupping her head against his chest with an unsteady hand. It took her a few more moments to realize that he was rocking them both, his own body shaking. She was too terrified to comfort him, her breath still coming in quick, tiny gasps.
She splayed a hand against the metal-clad chest beneath her cheek, realizing that he'd donned his sub-armor, but she could somehow still feel the frantic thrum of his heartbeat beneath her ear. It was disconcerting to be with a Shin that was panicking and trembling. He always seemed so steady and at ease.
"I don't – d-don't kn-know," she managed to stutter out. "Meditation went b-bad." Her other hand curled reflexively over her chest, where the Mars Crystal still burned, thrumming frantically. "T-Tried to take m-my c-crystal."
"The Mars Crystal?" Rei dimly recognized Ami's voice, carrying a frightened quality she'd never really heard before.
"Nothing should have been able to take your Star Seed in a meditation! That shouldn't be possible!" Artemis' voice didn't sound confident at all, despite his assertion.
Rei forced herself to calm, trying to think, taking slower, deeper breaths. Gradually, the shaking in her limbs slowed to trembling. Then ceased, leaving her exhausted in the aftermath.
Awareness filtered in.
Rei opened her eyes to find herself the focus of several panicked gazes. She blinked, and huffed out a breath, closing her eyes again for a moment as she tried to banish the awful experience from her consciousness. "I'm ok," she said quietly, still unable to remove the protective hand she'd placed over her heart. Even remembering the feeling of having the crystal ripped out of her made her want to scream.
"Could have fooled me. Holy shit," Ryo flopped backwards, landing in a sitting position with his legs folded in front of him. Rekka scrubbed tiredly at his face, also in his subarmor, shoving his hair out of his eyes as he sent her a haunted look. "I have never heard someone scream like that Rei. What the hell happened?!"
Rei frowned, pursing her lips together as they trembled again momentarily. Shin cradled her closely, as if he might be trying to tuck her safely inside of him. She smiled sadly, one side of her mouth curving up in the tiniest of motions.
"I think….I think something was able to get to me while I was meditating. I ended up in a space I've never been to before. I don't know where it was or how I got there." A shudder ran through her again, briefly, before she raised a frightened gaze to take in the other Senshi. "It tried to take the Mars Crystal," she said, her fist tightening over her chest. She closed her eyes, furrowing her brow and trying to will away the sensation of the icy cold, the terrible pain of the Crystal being torn from her chest.
There was a gentle touch on her leg, and Rei felt a warm flush of light course through her system. Usagi, she thought. "Rei-chan, are you really ok?" The Moon Princess' voice sounded small and afraid. Rei took another deep breath, trying to shore herself up. It was hard. She wanted to curl under a heavy blanket and just shake for a while.
When she opened her eyes again, she tried to feel steadier. The Senshi were all staring at her with wide, teary eyes, the Troopers looking disturbed. Everyone had crowded in around her anxiously. Usagi still had a hand on her leg, trying to give comfort, and Rei soaked in the light and warmth of her touch. Nasuti reached out then, putting a hand to first her forehead, then her cheek.
"You're still much too cold," she fretted. Shin pulled her closer, one of his hands rubbing her back. Rei tried to smile at her.
"I'll be all right," she rasped. The woman gave her a doubtful look, but pressed a glass of water into her hand. Shin shifted her so that she was closer to the fire as Rei drank greedily, passing the empty glass to a waiting hand when she was done.
She took a moment, settling deeper into Shin's unsteady embrace. She wished she knew what to say to settle him, but the truth was that Rei still felt she was on shaky ground.
It had attacked her in her meditation. Had very nearly stolen her Star Seed. Rei took a deep breath, and forced herself to remember details that might be important.
"There was a man there at first. Tall. Dressed like a monk. He had long reddish hair and he was wearing a takuhatsugasa. He was carrying a staff just like Kayura's. He was speaking to me, but he disappeared suddenly and then…", she trailed off here, rubbing at her breastbone, swallowing hard. "He helped get me free afterward," she whispered.
"That sounds a hell of a lot like Sh'ten," Touma said, casting an unsettled look at the small pool of sludge that was still sitting in the grass nearby.
"Enough of this for right now. You need to come inside and lie down," Nasuti said in a no-nonsense tone. "I'm going to make you some tea. When you're rested, you can give us the details. You look like you're in shock, Rei."
Rei figured she probably was in shock.
Shin rose then, carrying her as if she weighed nothing, the Senshi and Troopers following in a quiet and subdued group. Rei cast a glance up at his face, biting her lip at the darkness that masked his expression. Rage burned quietly in the depths of his eyes, but beneath it, Rei could see stark terror.
She hadn't been the only one frightened out of her mind. He carried her into a small sitting room, and dropped onto the sofa, still holding her. Without looking, he reached behind himself, pulling a blanket off the couch and cocooning her in it tightly.
"Your skin is still freezing," he said in a low voice, chafing her arms through the blanket.
"It was so cold," she replied without thinking. The darkness returned to his expression, shuttering his gaze. Rei let herself sink into the warmth of the blanket and his embrace, trying to calm herself in the presence of both. The sound of the others shuffling into the house, lingering in the kitchen to make subdued conversation made soothing white noise for her senses. Beside her, Shin was still breathing heavily, muscles tense.
"I'll be ok, Shin," she finally said into the heavy silence, pulling a hand out of her blanket to pat his chest.
"Will you?" he asked in a low voice. He lowered his head so they were forehead to forehead, closing his eyes, his brow furrowed as if in pain.
"You were screaming Rei. I have never heard anyone make a sound like that. It sounded like the soul was being ripped from your body…..Because it was being ripped from your body. Do you have any idea what that did to me? Hearing that? Do you have any idea what it was like to find you like that? Your skin was blue. You weren't breathing. And you looked terrified." He was panting now.
"Something hurt you. That monster hurt you Rei, and I was right here, and I couldn't do anything to stop it." He shook now, holding her tighter. "You were suffering and I couldn't do anything to help you."
Rei kept her hand resting over his heart, feeling its frantic beat thrumming beneath her palm. She smiled sadly. "It's ok Shin. The monk said I shouldn't meditate any longer. Not right now. He said it was no longer safe. This won't happen again."
Shin shuddered around her. "It shouldn't have happened the first time. How am I supposed to sleep now, knowing something can get at you in a place I can't be like that?" he groaned. Rei sighed, feeling exhausted.
"I don't know Shin," she murmured, not sure how to answer that concern. Especially since she had no way of controlling what happened to her when she was sleeping.
She was reluctant to admit that she might be afraid to sleep now.
"I need to stay with you. I don't care if I miss class or anything else. It's not important right now," Shin said, voice firm. "I don't care what I have to do, but I'm not leaving your side," he vowed. Rei patted his chest again, fighting the exhaustion that tugged at her eyes. He couldn't put his life on hold just to follow her around, and in fact, she was pretty sure that would drive her nuts pretty fast, but she didn't have the energy to argue right now.
And she didn't want to sleep. Was afraid to sleep. She could admit that she was afraid to be alone. She clenched her fist against his chest, trying to be strong even as sleep pulled her under.
"I'm so tired," she moaned, hearing the edge of fear in her own voice.
His face firmed then. "I have you. Rest. I'm going to be right here. If anything happens, I'll wake you." Rei wanted to fight it. But she felt so weak after what had happened, her energy sapped. She had nothing left inside of her.
And couldn't stop herself from slipping into unconsciousness.
