Chapter 69

Shin stared hard at the water in front of him, trying to feel something other than the dull, meaningless void that had taken up residence inside of him since he'd woken up. The water was so dark it reflected his own distorted face back at him, and Shin thought the image a little too poetic for his tastes. The empty place inside of him ached, throbbing like a wound. Like something had been torn from the space there.

For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what had been torn away. He couldn't remember a single thing in his life that would evoke so strong an emotion aside from his family. And while he couldn't remember how he'd lost them; he knew they were gone. The knowledge that he'd failed to protect his mother and sisters while he himself had survived was killing him. Maybe that was why he struggled to remember. Maybe his mind was trying to shield him. As far as theories went, it was the darkest, but also the most plausible. Naturally, he wouldn't want to recall something so awful.

He just wasn't sure wandering around in a wasteland without his memories completely intact was any better.

Carefully, he pulled the collar of his torn shirt down and examined his shoulder as best he could. The wound was getting worse. It was probably infected, but he hadn't found a useful way to treat it. He felt feverish and achy, but the heat from his fever had done little to chase the chill from his bones. Shin surveyed the landscape. While the park had seemed like a good place to rest, he couldn't stay here. It was too open and staying in one place for too long was dangerous enough. Nightfall was coming. He needed to find a safe place to sleep.

He was starting to wonder what the point was of even trying. Eventually, these monsters would get him. He didn't completely recognize his surroundings, but there wasn't anyone else around that might be counting on his help. He seemed to be the only human anywhere. Which begged the question - why was he the only person that had apparently survived Armageddon?

Rising, he picked a random direction, and began to plod. The landscape was the same. It was always the same. Rotting skyscrapers, random garbage and detritus strewn about. It was depressing to look at. Worse to live in. Everything had been eating at him for a while now, and for the first time, Shin was starting to succumb to the darkness around him. He stopped walking for a moment, staring aimlessly at the sidewalk, trying to find the motivation to keep moving when he was just so tired. His mind remained a blank.

So maybe that was why he suddenly realized he was warm. Genuinely warm. The sort of warmth that came from gentle summer sunlight. The sidewalk beneath his feet was bathed in a soft reddish light, and Shin jerked with surprise. Had the sun come out? Hope beat in his chest as he whipped his gaze upwards.

Not the sun.

The hope dropped as he took in a pristine shrine surrounded by a small bamboo fence. On the other side of the fence, verdant gardens thrived. Red-leafed, gnarly maple trees swayed gently in an unseen wind. He heard the cawing of crows – the sound of life – and he followed the noise with his eyes. They circled above a building at the top of a hill, hovering around a woman who stood, watching him. She wore a white sailor style uniform edged with a short scarlet skirt. Her hair was a rich fall of sable that swept down past her knees and her face held a sort of calm elegance. Reserved. But he could see passion glowing behind her violet eyes.

The crows landed on her shoulders, and she greeted them with a strange sad affection, taking the time to run gentle fingers along their sleek feathers. She turned then, fixing that intense, somber stare in his direction.

"Shin Mouri. Will you come in?" she asked softly, gesturing towards him with a graceful hand. Shin looked down and realized he'd stopped in front of a gate. He hesitated, wondering if this might be some sort of ruse to slip past his defenses.

"Why would I come in?" he asked, fighting to keep his voice neutral. She smiled again; a terrible sadness reflected in her eyes.

"I understand," she said quietly, and began moving down the stairs toward him, the crows flying off to land at the top of a scarlet tori. She paused on the other side of the gate, so close to him now, and Shin realized she was even more breathtaking up close. As he took her in, he realized there was something about her, something about the sight of her, that made his stomach twist in the most wonderful of ways. Something inside of him recognized her, reaching for her. Shin held himself still, feeling torn. Wary, but wavering.

The woman held out her hand. "I'm real Shin. I promise," she whispered. He wanted to take that hand. He did. He frowned.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" he asked, his hand raising to meet hers of its own accord. Something flashed quickly across her face – too fast for him to understand what he'd seen – and then it was gone. She smiled again, that same heavy sadness hovering behind the expression, and kept her hand raised.

"My name is Rei Hino. You might not remember me, but please, trust me, Shin. I would never hurt you. I want to get you out of here," she said in a calm, warm tone.

She looked so sweet. The shrine looked like a veritable Shangri-la compared to what he'd endured, and if he was honest with himself, he wouldn't mind going out in a place like this, with a woman like her, if that's what was going to happen. If this was the end, he was ready for it.

Shin reached down, opened the gate, and stepped inside, snapping it shut behind him. She was still standing when he turned, holding up her hand, but there was a glassy quality to her eyes as she smiled patiently at him. Shin reached out and took her hand.

Immediately, warmth radiated through his entire body, easing his aches, soothing his bones. He closed his eyes and let out a long breath. Their small patch of paradise rocked then, and he snapped his eyes open. The woman in front of him was still holding his hand, but she was wincing, her free hand curled over the brooch on her chest.

"I can't hold this open very long," she murmured. "Come on, we need to get out of here." Shin followed her obediently, taking strength from the hand clutching his own as she pulled them up the stairs at breakneck speed, the crows flapping overhead and cawing, sounding an alarm.

She pulled him up onto the terrace and slid a door open before pulling him inside. They dropped their shoes and leapt up from the entry, and he followed her down warm, serene halls – the light of sunset glowing through the shoji even though there wasn't a sun outside.

And then he realized. The warm red glow was radiating from the shrine itself. From the woman in front of him. The warmth was coming from her.

Rei led him to a room in the heart of the shrine. She threw open the doors, and inside, Shin recognized a traditional Shinto altar, but instead of the yata no kagami, a large red crystal in the shape of a heart glowed and pulsed. There was a franticness to the way the light inside of it fluttered, and Shin didn't know what was going on, but the urgency was getting to him.

A tiny old man sat like a gnarled little gargoyle on the edge of the altar's platform. He smiled warmly at them both.

"Hurry Rei," he urged her. She turned then, and Shin didn't know what he expected, but she let go of his hand, and the sensation of losing that connection swamped him with grief. And fear. Something inside of him beat at him to get it back. Screamed at him that he could not lose Rei. Plead with him to get her out of here, even though he had no idea where to take her or how to leave.

She scooped up the old man, hugging him so tightly his eyes bulged a little. He attempted to pat her comfortingly and Shin realized she was weeping.

"I know you're just a dream, but I miss you so much Grandpa! I'm so sorry!" she wept. The sight of her in pain did strange things to his insides. He wondered how he'd gone from treating her like a suspicious stranger to practically falling in love with her within a few breaths. Shin realized then that he trusted her completely. That fact didn't bother him as much as it should have, but he wasn't inclined to examine his feelings too closely. She was real. She was good. He didn't know why he knew that, but deep down, he did.

The shrine rocked again, and the red glow dimmed so low for a moment they were nearly cast in darkness. It came back up immediately, but the flickering of the red crystal seemed weaker, more urgent.

"Rei," the old man growled, "Go you silly girl!" Rei gasped and set him down. She clutched at her chest and doubled over for a moment. Shin reached a hand to her tentatively, unsure of what he should do to help. Rei turned then, taking his hand, and pulling him towards the heart, her face determined – lips pursed, eyes narrowed.

"I love you Grandpa," she whispered, blowing the old man a tear-filled kiss. Then she turned, smiling at Shin, an edge of fear in her gaze before she turned back to the heart, pulling them up to it. "Helios! Please help us!" she cried, pulling him forward. She leapt, her grip surprisingly strong as she pulled him up with her, and they dove into the heart. He didn't know what he expected to happen. It felt like nothing he'd ever experienced. Like walking into fire without being burned.

Shin felt her energy surround him and then move through him. The red glow became so bright he had to close his eyes against it. Once the light dimmed, peace settled in its place. They stilled, and he no longer felt as though he was floating. Cautiously, he opened his eyes to find himself still on the shrine's altar. The old man was gone, and so was the heart. The glowing had ceased. Beside him, Rei was pale and quiet, a pinched look about her features, but she hadn't let go of his hand. He felt comforted by the feeling of her warm grip in his own, and unable to ignore the part of him that wanted to soothe her, he squeezed her hand gently.

She turned then, focusing on him and giving him an uneasy smile.

"Come on, we need to get you to the temple," she murmured, leaping from the altar platform, and hurrying them through the shrine halls and out of the structure. Temple? Weren't they technically in a temple? The first thing that he noticed when they stumbled outside was that he actually had to squint against the daylight. The sun wasn't present, but the clouds were white and bright here. Shin gasped at the landscape beyond. It still looked war-torn, devastated. But there was green. The darkness was noticeably absent. Shin didn't know how he knew that he could just feel it.

Rei pulled him down the shrine steps, and Shin focused on his footing, so he didn't fall on her. He was reluctant to exit the gate, but Rei didn't give him much chance to stall, simply pulling them both through it and away from the shrine at a fast clip. She navigated through narrow streets, turning with purpose, guiding them both. They didn't have far to wander. Shin stared up at the regal visage of what was clearly some sort of sacred building. Rei tugged them up the stairs.

As they entered, a tall, slim man greeted her, bowing to her deeply from the waist. When he straightened, Shin noticed a golden horn growing from the center of his forehead and tried not to stare.

"Princess Mars," he murmured. Shin snapped his gaze to Rei. She hadn't introduced herself as a princess. She'd introduced herself merely as Rei Hino. What was a Princess doing rescuing him from a wasteland?!

Rei returned the gesture, bowing low as well, and Shin followed her lead. He was still holding her hand, but then, he couldn't seem to let go of it. "Helios. I'm so relieved to see you're ok," she breathed, moving them into the hall. The man nodded at her regally.

"I feel the same," he murmured. He gestured then, in Shin's direction. "There are other Troopers already here, resting. I have space prepared for Suiko to do the same."

Shin frowned. Troopers? Suiko?

The words resonated inside of him, tugging him sharply toward a foggy sense of rightness. Rei nodded. She moved forward, putting a hand on Helios' shoulder. "Thank you so much for looking after them. The others have been through?" she replied. Helios nodded.

"All but Mercury and Venus. The Moon Princess is out there, Mars. Please…" he implored her. Rei nodded, her expression hardening.

"I know. Please look after Shin," she said, bowing deeply again. She turned, letting go of Shin's hand and placed the hand on his shoulder instead, rising to her tip toes to bring her face closer to his own. It looked, he thought vaguely, like she intended to kiss him. She might be a total stranger, but he couldn't say the idea was unappealing. She leaned up further, and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Take care Shin. I'll be back," she whispered.

And as he watched, she faded away, vanishing into nothingness. Shin blinked and then frowned, putting a hand gently over his cheek. Warmth had spread from the spot and was rapidly flushing through the rest of his system, wrapping him in comfort.

"Suiko no Shin. Please follow me. Please be at ease, you are safe here," the man called Helios murmured, gesturing Shin towards a high, arched hallway. Shin hesitated. Something….wasn't right. It felt a bit like deja-vu. Like he'd been in a similar situation before. His head began to throb.

In his mind's eye, a brief flash of Rei appeared. She was wearing the tattered robes of a shrine maiden, her eyes wide, face startled as she vanished before his eyes. He felt a sharp, terrible ache, a sense of panic. The pounding in his skull reached a crescendo, tearing through the vision, and Shin sank to his knees.

He had known her.

Rei.

A bizarre ball of grief lodged in his chest, full of heavy emotion he couldn't completely understand. Emotion he couldn't seem to connect to. Panic clawed at him, and Shin struggled to breathe. It felt wrong, but what was wrong?

"Easy. All will be well," Helios' voice intoned.

Sleep flooded his senses then, and Shin closed his eyes, unable to resist its pull. He hoped fervently that when he woke up, if he woke up, things would be better.