Before I kick this off - I just want to thank Venusian Angel for your tireless reviewing. I often feel like I'm just throwing these stories into the void, and I'm super self-conscious about my ability to tell a good story, often feeling like I'm doing a terrible job and nobody even likes what I'm writing. Thank you so much for persevering through this very, very, very, very long story - and ALL my stories. And thanks for cheering me on. :) I look forward to your reviews a lot.

Chapter 71

"Please, come in."

Ryo scowled suspiciously at the pretty young woman with dark blue hair. She was wearing a lab coat and had a stethoscope around her neck, but underneath the coat she was wearing some sort of mini-skirted sailor's uniform. She was gesturing him into a room that looked remarkably like a normal doctor's office, but Ryo figured he had a lot of reasons to second guess her motives.

The least of which being the strangeness of the entire situation. She was the only other person he'd encountered since he'd landed here, and frankly, he wasn't positive she was actually a person. She could be an illusion. A monster in disguise. All the wandering around fending off demonic hell beasts had his back up, but he felt that was only fair here.

And if this wasn't some kind of elaborate deception set up to trap him?

Then he had to be dreaming. That had to be the explanation. She urged him in again with a sweeping gesture, indicating a strange exam table where she probably wanted him to sit. So she could murder him. The thing was made of blue crystal and shaped like a heart. No way that wasn't some kind of sacrificial altar.

He thought the heart shape was a strange choice for a sacrificial altar, but what did he know? He wasn't exactly familiar with how these kinds of things worked. He tried to sacrifice as few people as possible, a motto he was committed to. He'd sacrificed exactly nobody in his life, and he was proud of that track record.

The woman kept staring at him expectantly, smile in place, and Ryo kept standing in the doorway, staring back. They passed several moments locked in this strange, tense silence, and he started to panic when he realized that the longer he stood here with her, the less wary he felt. Part of him started nudging him into the room, promising him that the woman was probably friendly, and probably wanted to help him. It pointed out that she was dressed like a doctor. Ryo firmed his scowl and told that part of himself to shut up.

Nervous for some reason he couldn't define, he darted his gaze out of the windows in the room, looking at the hellish landscape outside. Instead of strengthening his resolve, the sight of it only made him want to enter the room more, and he was through the doorway before he realized that he was even moving. He stopped abruptly, trying not to let his internal panic show. The woman's smile had begun to fade, and now she gave him a blank stare as anxiety edged into her gaze.

Would a monster be anxious that he wasn't falling for her trap? Wouldn't she just...try to murder him then? The woman's lips trembled, and she put small, delicate hands over her mouth. Her eyes took on a glassy quality and her features melted into an intense sort of grief and frantic emotion Ryo didn't really understand. He was feeling less sure about his ideas that she was trying to kill him.

Maybe…maybe she might actually be here to help him? Either way, her sadness was getting to him, and he found himself obediently sitting on the strange crystal table in the hopes that it might stop any water works before they got started. It was just a table right? What would it hurt? He was surprised when a pleasantly cool wave of serenity washed through him as he made contact with its surface.

"You don't….know who I am, do you?" she whispered as he sat. Ryo frowned at her, but this was more a frown of confusion. Was he supposed to know her? If this was a trap it wasn't a very good one. Neither of them seemed to know what was going on here. Had she been trapped like him? Ryo found that he didn't like that option at all. Didn't like the idea of this woman being at the mercy of so many monsters.

"Uh. No? Sorry?" he said, feeling unsure now. Her eyes were wet, but she smiled in a friendly manner.

"Well, that's all right. I'm Ami Mizuno. I'm going to help get you out of here Ryo," she replied. Ryo jolted, his suspicions creeping back in when she said his name though he knew he hadn't given it to her.

"Lady, I've tried to get out of here already. No offense, but I don't think you're going to do any better than I did. And besides, I don't know who you are, but you know who I am. I can't remember anything about how I got here. I'm missing huge parts of my life right now. You could be the person who put me here in the first place," he snarled at her, feeling defensive and off-kilter. She knew him?! Something wasn't right here.

Almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth however, something inside of him let him know none too kindly that they had been the wrong thing to say. It was shocking how quickly he felt awful about it. The friendly smile on her face wavered, then came back stronger, steel behind it. Her eyes were dry when she looked at him, but they were shuttered and stoic.

Yeah. He was starting to swing back to thinking she was friendly. Maybe going on the defensive right away had been a bad idea. Ryo blamed all the monster related trauma.

"I certainly understand your reticence to trusting me. And that's fine I suppose. You don't have to trust me. But I'm getting you out of here Ryo Sanada, whether you trust me to or not. I would never abandon you in a place like this, ever. So we can do this the hard way. Or we can do this the easy way. But either way, you're leaving here. Right this minute."

The steel was in her voice now too, but underneath it Ryo detected a quaver. Still. He didn't like the threat behind her words, or the way she was demanding he do as he was told. He'd never really been good with following commands.

"Yeah? You and what army? I didn't let any of the other monsters around here get what they wanted, so I'm not going anywhere with you," he growled, the contradiction an automatic instinct. She shook her head then, and her expression was filled with a sad finality that made him feel edgy. He didn't like this strange anxiety he had around her distress. It made no sense. He barely trusted her, right? Why should he care if he hurt her feelings? Except that he did.

"Stubborn as always I see," she said affectionately. "I'm happy that some things never change." She raised a hand then and clasped at the brooch in the center of the bow on her chest. Closing her eyes, she furrowed her brow. "Helios! Please!" she cried out, her hair drifting upwards in an unseen breeze.

Ryo didn't know what he expected to happen but falling into the crystal he was sitting on wasn't it. Hell. He'd been duped anyways. He looked up, fully expecting to see the woman smiling at him with wicked triumph. His vindication disappeared like ice under the summer sun when he saw a look of anxiety on her face instead. As she dropped through after him.

"Hang on!" she yelled, reaching out and grasping his hand. A shock of cool energy, like sticking his hand in a fresh mountain spring, rolled through him from where they touched, and he realized that whatever space he was falling through felt just as refreshing. Like he'd just jumped into the pool at the bottom of a waterfall. Deep, clean, relaxing.

She intertwined their fingers, interlocking their hands together as if she were afraid she might lose him, her eyes closed, brow furrowed in concentration. Ryo felt himself hit bottom, but the landing was surprisingly gentle. He blinked again and the teal glow that had been surrounding him was gone. He wasn't sitting on a crystal anymore – just a regular doctor's exam bed. And the windows outside reflected a world that had been damaged but was somehow less dark. Less oppressive. He could see green. He could feel a faint pulse of life.

Had she actually done it? Had she rescued him from that awful place?

"Oh, thank goodness. I had no idea how that might work, but it looks like it worked just fine regardless!" the woman said cheerfully. She turned to face him again, and most of the cheer immediately evaporated from her expression, her face set into a careful neutral.

"Will you come with me?" she asked him tentatively. "I understand you don't trust me. You're here now, so you're safe, but I'd rather not leave you in an empty space on your own. You need rest. And time to heal," she said softly.

She was real. She might have just saved his life. At the very least, she seemed to have upgraded his accommodations. He figured cooperating might be a good idea at this point.

Ryo jumped up, standing beside her, and solemnly extended his hand. "I'll come with you, Ami Mizuno," he said. He was regretting his rash reactions to her now. It seemed like she really had come to help him. She smiled at him, relief lurking in her expression as she took his hand, and he felt even worse.

"It isn't far," she reassured him. "Then you can rest." Her fingers folded around his own as if she were afraid he might bolt. Ryo let himself be led, taking a moment to really look at her for the first time. Her profile was sweet. She had a quiet beauty that radiated from inside of her, a gentleness in her bearing. Just being near her made him feel calm and centered.

"Where is this?" he asked, though he couldn't bring himself to look away from her.

"Oh. We're in Elysion," she replied, her gaze watchful as they hurried across what appeared to be a desolate, empty city. Ryo frowned then, refocusing his thoughts.

"What is….Elysion?" he asked. He'd never heard of it before. Ami sighed.

"It used to be the land of sweet dreams for a different universe than yours. Now...it's a safe haven away from that…thing." she said in a low voice. "At least for now," she added, her tone nearly inaudible. Ryo furrowed his brow, trying to make sense of what she'd said. Land of Sweet Dreams? Different Universe?!

Ami pulled them up the stairs of what looked like a temple, its vast stone structure still in good condition. Once inside the grand entranceway, a tall, slim man with white hair tousled around his head and a golden horn growing from his forehead greeted them. Ryo wanted to say this was the weirdest thing he'd ever done, but honestly, he'd fallen through a big giant crystal to get here, and that was after being hunted down by packs of nightmarish demon monsters.

So the guy with the white hair and the golden horn was just another part of the landscape at this point.

"Princess Mercury. While I am overjoyed at seeing you again, the circumstances of our meeting give me endless sorrow," the man said, sketching a slight bow at Ami. Now that made Ryo blink. He'd been rescued by a princess?! …Actually, why not, right? Demons. Crystals. Why shouldn't the woman who rescued him be a princess?

Ryo was pretty sure he was high or dreaming now. It had been one long, very bad trip until this moment. He shuddered. It might be nice to wake up soon. Ami turned then, as if she'd felt him shake, giving him a concerned look. "I am so sorry that I didn't realize – " she began, but Helios put a hand up, shaking his head.

"There is no need for apologies. We don't have much time," he said gravely. Ami bit her lip, her eyes glassy again, before she swallowed heavily and cleared her throat. She straightened, resolved, and gestured toward where Ryo had been watching the spectacle.

"Helios, this is –" she began brusquely.

"Rekka," the lithe man interrupted with a nod.

Rekka.

The word seemed to bounce around inside him, lighting him up in the deep recesses of his mind.

Rekka.

Something from his deepest memories whispered. Of battles. Of monsters. Of armor.

His head started to pound.

"I'll get him a place to rest near the others. He'll be safe here Mercury. The others are waiting for you," the man continued, unaware of Ryo's sudden inner turmoil.

"Thank you, Helios. I'll join them now. We'll be back," she promised, tone firm. Ami turned, putting a hand on Ryo's shoulder and smiling up at him. "I expect you to behave and get some rest, Ryo Sanada. I'll be back as soon as I can to check in on you," she murmured. Then she stood on her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek. He blinked, putting a hand to the spot as a cool shock of energy radiated from it, soothing the ache in his body. And then the woman in the weird uniform under the doctor's coat was gone, like she'd never existed.

Ryo stared at the spot where she'd been, feeling inexplicably grief-stricken and panicked.

"What…?" he started to say.

"Rest," the strange man replied.

And then he was out.

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Ami blinked her eyes open and absently fought the urge to squeeze them shut again. She wanted to click her blue boots together like she was standing in the Emerald City instead of what felt like the heart of all darkness. In her hand, the small device she'd created to track…numerous things… beeped dully, as if it might be getting tired of repeating itself.

She was a little uncomfortable with how embedded Elysion seemed to be within the core of this monster. She had no idea how a place could exist inside a thing that was also both a place and a thing, but she was also used to physics often not making much sense. The laws of magic were much more complex and often defied all logic. Elysion might be a place within a thing that was also a place at the same time, but she'd also somehow just blinked herself in and out of the Golden Crystal if she understood things correctly, so place probably didn't mean as much in the physical sense here. Thingness probably also didn't mean a lot either. This entire situation had once again forced her to reset her ideas about the boundaries of magic, time, space, physics, and a number of other fields she'd always thought she'd grasped decently well. She was beginning to question if up was even an actual direction and whether red was actually red or if it was maybe more a shade of cyan.

She had no concrete basis for her analytics. She was making snap decisions as she went, and hoping her guesses were right. This monster was itself and numerous places all at the same time, and therefore she was beholden to laws and rules that applied to an interdimensional multi-faceted being that liked to eat entire universes for dinner. She was at its mysterious whims, and the thought was far from a comfort. She was a little too certain that the only thing between that monster devouring the Troopers and everything else, Golden Crystal included, was a slim man with a golden horn.

Maybe the realm of dreams had stood a better chance since dreams themselves could be so abstract and didn't necessarily abide by laws or rules she understood either. She shuddered. Too close. All of this was far too close for comfort, and they hadn't even gotten to the difficult part yet. Not really.

"There is no sign of the core on this device," Rajura's deep voice said from the darkness around her. Ami tried not to hunch her shoulders up defensively.

"Did the others come through?" she asked instead. The Gen Masho melted from the darkness, a shadow parting from other shadows. Thankfully, Makoto appeared near him. Rei, Nasuti, the remaining two Masho, and Kayura materialized next.

"We're all here. Except for Mina-chan and Usagi-chan." Jupiter sounded ill, Ami thought, but didn't hold that against her. She herself was battling queasiness. While it certainly wasn't helped by the oppressive environment, her anxiety lay solely to blame for the awful sensation. There wasn't any way they were getting a happy ending out of this. There couldn't be. Too many variables. Too many risks. Too many things that could go wrong. Would go wrong. The best thing she was hoping for was to destroy this thing once and for all, with Usagi, Kayura, and the Troopers alive on the other side of it. With the Troopers' world alive and out of danger.

And she knew that was hoping for a lot.

Mars and Jupiter seemed to share her sentiments if the looks on their faces were any indication. She met their gazes and nodded resolutely.

"No," she told Rajura. "The core isn't exactly a specific place. So this device can't get us there. But Mako-chan can," she continued, her voice strong. Makoto nodded back at her and then turned, closing her eyes and furrowing her brow.

"This way," Jupiter said in a heavy voice, gesturing into the darkness toward only more of the same. Ami couldn't tell the difference, but clearly, Mako-chan could. Just as Minako had known the way back out, toward the point where she and Usagi would be both distraction and offensive from the outside. They all moved behind Jupiter, Anubis falling into step beside her with a scowl on his face.

"I'm the one who knows the shadows," he grumbled, the complaint lacking any real heat. Jupiter clenched her fists for a moment, looking for all the world like she wanted to call his bluff, but thankfully, she merely grit her teeth and stomped forward, not bothering to respond. He smirked triumphantly at her, a small gesture, but infuriating none-the-less, even to Ami.

Rei followed next, Naaza thankfully behind her and next to Kayura and Nasuti. The Masho of Poison was clearly taking point near his Empress, regardless of whom he was supposed to be paired with. Kayura didn't look inclined to complain, and neither did Rei. Ami was grateful Makoto had the back up.

And then that left her, of course, at the rear of the pack. Cut off from her fellow Senshi by two masho and an Empress. "You are uneasy," Rajura commented blandly, as if he could hardly be bothered with the idea of her discomfort. Somehow, that made Ami feel better. His apathy was much more appealing than his interest. At this point, Ami was sick of interest.

"This isn't exactly a walk through the park," she snapped out, then blinked at her own bad behavior. He might set her on edge but really, he hadn't given her any reason to be so rude. "My apologies," she bit out stiffly.

He chuckled, the sound deep and rich in the dark. It was surprisingly….comforting. "It is not a walk through the park," he agreed after a moment. They lapsed into a silence that might not be comfortable but was less strained. They passed a length of time simply shuffling together, and she was starting to hope, foolishly, that they might reach their destination in one piece.

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than she was blindsided by something awful. It hit her hard, sending her flying through the darkness, lighting her up with a moment of terrible pain. Rajura's noise of surprise quickly grew distant, and then she felt isolated. Alone.

"At last," an awful voice hissed. Familiar but not. "At long last, you are mine," it growled. With a groan, Ami pushed herself up, rising on shaking arms. She looked up just in time to see Zoicite melt from the darkness, his face a mask of wicked intent. Ami forced courage she didn't feel into her limbs, and made herself stand and face him.

"Maybe," she acknowledged, tipping her chin up at him, "But you've got a lot more Senshi to get through before you get anything else. And I'm not going to make anything easy on you."

The Zoicite that wasn't Zoicite tilted his head, the movement almost…alien. Ami shuddered. He smiled at her again.

"I rather hoped you wouldn't. I want you feel it when I win. When I overtake you completely. You belong to me, Mercury. That…glorious starseed belongs to me. I intend to devour my meal. To savor every bite. Starting now."

He leapt for her then, but Ami steeled herself. She'd already faced him, faced this monster, she reminded herself. Knew this darkness. And this time? She was Sailor Mercury, not just Ami Mizuno. This wasn't the Silver Millennium. It wasn't Point D. It wasn't the Underworld or even her own Universe. She had her powers. She was an adult now, not a kid.

"Touchimo!" an angry voice snarled from the darkness, and the Zoicite clone aborted the attack he'd been building as a cascade of blades and webbing exploded into the space around him. His focused turned to fending off the attack and Ami smirked.

Oh yes, that was right. She also, apparently, had a big, mean masho on her side.

She readied her own attack while her enemy was distracted. He let out a monstrous, inhuman shriek from where he landed a good distance away, and Ami smiled in triumph, standing beside Rajura.

Zoicite turned, a hand on his face, and the feeling of victory faded, replaced with revulsion when she saw a blackened skeleton beneath his skin, gaping at her. She'd torn away a good deal of his face, and he was still getting up. She refused to let it intimidate her. He was just a glorified skeleton then. Not even a decent clone. A mere shadow of the real Zoicite.

Ami snarled, and blasted him with an Aqua Rhapsody, following it up with an Aqua Illusion. She was pleased that when he – when it rose again, it looked nothing like Zoicite. Nothing but blackened bone and a fanged maw stared back at her. It roared at her, running towards her with footsteps that vibrated through the souls of her feet, but Ami faced the onslaught of rage calmly as she felt more than saw Rajura brace beside her.

This monster would have to throw a lot more at her than a crummy Zoicite clone if it wanted to take her out.

She wasn't going down without a fight.

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An empty suit of armor was watching him.

It didn't really have eyes or anything, so he wasn't sure how he knew that, but he was definitely being watched by an empty shell of armor.

Strangely enough, he wasn't particularly bothered by the fact. He sat peaceably on the side of an active volcano, enjoying the heat as he stared at the armor across from him. Idly, he wondered what strange thing was going to happen to him next. He was pretty sure he was dreaming. Nothing ached. He felt calm and relaxed.

"Ryo Sanada," a female voice called softly from behind the armor. And as he watched, a tall woman with red hair in ceremonial garb appeared from behind the hulking, empty armor. As far as strange things went, she'd definitely escalated the weird going on in this dream. Had she been hiding behind the armor this whole time? That explained the feeling of being watched. He should probably feel more threatened by all of this, but he simply took it in stride.

The woman regarded him with a veiled expression, a hesitance in her stance that he didn't quite understand. "This is the Rekka armor. You once bore this armor to keep a vow to protect the Earth. Will you keep your vow?" Ryo straightened, becoming more alert. This dream was getting more interesting by the second. He definitely didn't remember wearing a giant red and black shell of armor and saving the Earth, but why shouldn't that have happened? This was his dream right?

Right?

Finally feeling spooked, he hunched up his shoulders and cast her a sidelong glance. "I'm definitely dreaming this time, right?" he asked, needing to be sure. She smiled then, the slightest upward tilt of her lips.

"In a manner of speaking, yes, this is a dream. But the decisions you make here will still be real when you wake, so think carefully," she cautioned him. So…like a real dream? How did that even work?

"So if I say yes to putting on this armor then what? Does it come with me into the real world or do I run around this volcano slaying demons?" he muttered, trying to process what was happening. He wasn't feeling nearly as calm now. Something about the armor, about being told he'd worn it, that it was his, was hitting him strangely. His chest felt tight, and he studied the silent and empty shell, all traces of humor gone now.

"If you agree to bear the mystical armor of Rekka in the dream then you agree to bear the armor in life. Once you accept, the armor is yours, and the bond cannot be undone," the woman answered him somberly. Ryo furrowed his brow at the armor. She sounded serious for something as simple as wearing some armor. He tried to think his way around the situation.

"Uhh. Is there a reason I wouldn't want to wear this armor and protect the earth?" he asked carefully, wondering if this was some kind of trick. The woman sighed, moving to stand beside the armor now. She rested a pale hand on its shoulder and leveled him with a heavy gaze.

"You do not remember, which leaves you at an unfair advantage. To bear the Rekka armor is to also shoulder the burdens of battle, and the hardships that come with them. If you could remember these, you might choose differently," she explained in crisp tones.

Ryo cast her a sharp glance then, shifting his focus momentarily. "And who are you, again?" he asked. She gave him a sad smile, her head dipping in a small, brief bow.

"I am Suzunagi. We were once enemies, but you saved my very existence. I created this armor for you when we last parted," she replied. Ryo blinked at her with round eyes, seeing her in a whole new light. She'd made this armor? For him?

"What…what happens if I don't? If I don't take the armor?" he asked hesitantly, knowing he wouldn't be able to leave it. It was calling him. How could he give up on the power to save the world?

She nodded, as if his question were perfectly reasonable.

"The armor is part of you, and linked to the memories you're missing. You can choose to leave the armor, but the memories will stay gone as well," she replied.

Well, that seemed a little unfair. Naturally, Ryo wasn't really a fan of option B. He wanted those memories back. And since he'd already been leaning toward accepting the armor anyways…He reached for the armor, only to have his hand pass right through it. He shot Suzunagi a puzzled look. She gave him a final, warm look, and said "Ryo Sanada, arm yourself, taking on the mantle of the Mystical Armor of Rekka once again."

The knowledge found him then, filling him with a wild joy – exploding like a firework inside of him. He held out his hand, took a deep breath, and cried out "Busso, Rekka!"

Everything blurred for a moment, but when the blossom petals faded, he looked down to see hands – his hands, clad in crimson armor. Ryo couldn't help it – he was so ecstatic he laughed as vibrant heat zipped through his blood. How had he forgotten being so warm?! It felt amazing. The power coursing through him…

But the feeling didn't last long. Almost as soon as the joy flooded him, it was replaced with a kind of heavy sorrow. And the memories he'd been missing.

He understood now, what Suzunagi had meant, as he remembered all the battles. The terror, the pain. The uncertainty. The triumph. Kinship with the other Troopers. Ryo started, straightening to his full height then.

The Troopers.

Where were they? Where were his brothers in arms? Were they all right? Were they hurt? Did they need him? He remembered wandering alone. Had they all been lost? He hadn't seen anyone else but –

Ami.

Ryo's heart lurched hard and then kicked up a furious rhythm against his rib cage. His mind's eye replayed every detail of his rescue then, merging past memories with the most recent. Everything took a few moments to settle and make sense, but once it did, he put a hand over his heart as he remembered her. She'd rescued him. She hadn't given up on him, even when he'd been stubborn and wary.

And she was out there now. Ami was out there somewhere, in the darkness, fighting without him. Ryo snarled, the heat of Rekka moving through him.

"How do I wake up?" he growled.

Suzunagi reached out and touched his forehead. And Ryo felt himself fade away.

Only to blink his eyes open, wide awake, in a giant fluffy bed he didn't recognize. Ryo threw the blankets aside and leapt from the bed, pausing only to wrap a hand around Rekka, now safely hanging on a chain around his neck. He ran for the door, summoning the armor as he went. Ami was out there, and he'd vowed that they'd do this together. That he'd be there for her.

He was done sleeping. The world needed saving. And Ryo Sanada always kept his vows.