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Acrucis sat on the edge of the camp just near the border worrying the hem of her skirt. Ashur… Head tilted upwards trying to calm her racing heart many many things went through her mind as to why he was late.

She had already lost both of her parents, one to a youma attack when coming home from vacation four years ago and the other just last year to a Captain of the Negaverse. If only she had been an Eternal Senshi at the time maybe… just maybe she could have done something to save them. Ashur… Tears began to fill the corners of her eyes blurring her vision Do not die too… It was hard, so very hard these days to not let one's mind wander to such grave thoughts; but far too many times this has become a startling reality.

The ethereal feather markings glowed a faint yellow hue as did her homeworld symbol on her forehead; a faint light in the ever darkening evening. Swallowing the growing lump in her throat she brought her hands up and offered a silent prayer.

“O’ Lord in heaven, I pray thee watch over him and keep him safe.” Acrucis’ heart clenched in her chest. How many times has she said that prayer, and how many times has it been left unanswered? Mom… Dad… Tristan… Arianne “I will not add another one to that list.”

With her mind made up Acrucis made a move to summon her personal item in hopes that if he was injured, she might be able to find him in time.

Curse his luck.

More than that, the world's luck, if he wanted to be especially grim and hateful and just downright frank and completely honest about what the hell had been going on these past five years. These thoughts, alongside the thoughts he so often buried deep inside him for most of every given day since he lost his family, always dominated his mind whenever he was coming home particularly in bad shape. Of all the things to run into, an ambush in broad daylight.

What scout -- the scout being him -- wasn't able to scout well enough to at least warn people about a frickin' ambush?!

He held his tongue, though a groan still escaped him as he hobbled toward the camp. It was slow-going, but he was alive. Everyone was, thanks to some people's quick thinking. He'd likely be off duty for a while, not only to recover physically but maybe reflect on how much he absolutely sucked today. Depression wasn't much his thing, but he was always hard on himself when he was at fault for putting others in danger. The Knight walked on, slow and easy, and there was an obvious limp in his gait, but soon enough he was in familiar territories and he tried to quicken his pace.

Ashur knew he was making someone worry.

He could make out her slight frame in the distance; the yellow hues that were evidence of her rank didn't hurt either. And he gave a soft smile as he touched an index finger to his signet ring, focusing briefly as he let his wonder fill him with just enough strength to run over to her. Uranus knights had something about speed on their side, and this wasn't the first time he'd been grateful for that fact.

Unfortunately, balance after suffering serious injury wasn't something his ring could help him with. He'd barely made it within ten feet of her before he had to tap out -- the amount of time he could use his Aspect was significantly hampered in his current condition. The knight collapsed then, awake but too tired to do much else besides lie down. Admittedly, the grass was at least soft underneath him; made for a great makeshift cushion for a soon-to-be Oasis admittee. He heard her though, and lifted a heavy hand in an attempt to wave her over. "No need to call on the Big Guy, He pulled through for you," he said, hoping to lighten the mood. He hated making her worry…

The once hopeful eyes at feeling his familiar presence quickly draw near was immediately replaced with dread and worry, despite his efforts to lessen the impact of seeing him in such a state. A fear that could only be compared to watching her father die in front of her eyes while attempting to shield her from an incoming attack. Gently Acrucis took his hand in her own and pressed it to her cheek. “It’s okay,” she breathed in a staggered breath “it’s okay, you’re here, you’re safe.”

Though they were not blood related, ever since the death of her parents both he and Phact, along with Maia and Shangri-La, were all that remained of her ‘family’. Tears fell freely from her red rimmed eyes as she tried to reign in her sobs. Glanced upwards for a fraction of a moment she offered a silent thank you for the answered prayer. Her faith in the light of all that has happened in the past five years had waivered many times but yet her hope remained.

So much did she wish to use her eternal attack but she knew better. Such an ability was meant to be used when in the company of many which is why she tried her best to save it for the Oasis and when she came out here to the camps; she only had one left for the evening and it was meant for their return. If need be she would expend all of her super attacks at least till they could make it back to their headquarters where she could personally see to his full recovery; physical at least.

“Just relax” she spoke softly, reaching forward to run her fingers through his hair the same way her mother did when she was younger. The motions of her attack were simple and often used many times throughout the day. Acrucis brought both of her hands together and whispered “Prayer of Healing” then place her hand on his shoulder and watched her magic take effect.

He really hated making her worry. Of course, there was little to be done about that when the world was crawling with negaverse and all that business. But he tried. Really tried. He'd certainly apologized enough times for it before, but over the years it's become more of a wordless apology. "It won't happen again" wasn't exactly a promise he could keep even before the world fell into Chaos, and it was even more of an impossibility now.

Ash cupped her cheek gently, a small smile forming. It was a small comfort, really, but definitely a welcome one. He nodded when told to relax, eyes closed as he let her magic run its course. He wasn't unfamiliar to it, and was grateful for the assist. The numerous shallow cuts and scrapes and bruises healed quickly, though the gashes and puncture wounds that ran across his back and chest and arms -- whatever wounds had been responsible for the deep blotches of red on his uniform -- he felt, didn't heal all the way. They were, however, a least numb when she'd finished. Ashur felt a bit of his energy slowly returning, though certainly not enough to do any serious heavy lifting. Not tonight...maybe not for a while.

"Thanks," he said as he sat up, then moved his hand from her cheek and pulled her into a hug. It, too, was a small comfort. But again still welcome. Maybe even needed. Their losses earlier were heavy for him -- any loss of an ally was -- and he felt it physically, mentally, and emotionally if he were to be totally honest. He said none of this though, felt he didn't need to burden her with that knowledge, and simply held his friend close for a moment before letting her go. "Sorry I couldn't make it. Got held up, you know how it goes."

Though he'd meant it as a joke, his tone of voice was anything but. Sorrow laced his words and he averted his gaze, looking past Acrucis toward the fields where it happened. The scenes replayed in his mind as his comrades scattered. He fought his hardest but couldn't keep track of them all. Couldn't shield them all. In fact, he couldn't do much of anything for them. At this point he could only hope they managed to escape…

Acrucis sat back up carefully positioning herself so he may, for now, rest his head on her lap. “I know. It’s okay.” she whispered softly “You’re here, you’re safe.” The words she kept repeating over and over were just as much for herself as it was for him. Too close for comfort as one would say.

Once the glow from her super attack faded she used a Prayer of Renew to take a bit more of the edge off so he could relax more fully. More than anything Acrucis wished she could ask him what happened, but she knew better. That far off look in his eyes was something she had seen time and time again from patients that arrived at the Oasis haven barely survived a battle or witnessed loss. It was the very same one she wore for several months after the death of her loved ones and just like how he had been there for her, she too would be there for him.

He wasn't too sure about her using so much of her power on him, though given the fact that it helped to relax him Ash didn't say so out loud. He did raise a hand when she was finished though, just a small gesture to let her know that he'd be fine without the magic now. It was, in a way, a wordless thanks. Offered, of course, with a smile. He rested his head on her lap and breathed deeply, allowing a bit more of energy to come back to him so he could be well enough to at least get up. There was no real way to tell how long that would take, but he hoped not long. They really weren't too safe outside the camp's gates, even if he knew there were probably Guards stationed nearby..

"Took us by surprise," he said slowly, eyes still closed as he replayed the events again. "Small lot of them, but they outnumbered us. ...I screwed up," and he paused, his brows furrowing at the admission.

Acrucis sat there quietly combing her fingers through his jet black hair listening, just listening. The turmoil that laced his voice was heart wrenching; but in truth what else could she do? It’s hard to not blame yourself when it puts someone elses’ life in danger; or in her case, if you’re unable to save someone elses life as they lay dying in your arms.

She knew first hand that with the war so much against them, it had become second nature for many to berate themselves in the wake of a loss. There would always be that lingering, taunting, voice in the back of a persons mind whispering ‘if only...’ Sleepless nights full of terrors and nightmares frequently follow and the only thing she could do was sit there beside him and hold his hand.

So much did the Senshi of Prayer wish to tell her friend, her brother, that things would get better… except that would be a lie. Two years had gone by since she last time uttered those words; there would be no sense in breaking that streak now. The war had long since broken her and stole from her the hope she held so dearly; a faint light snuffed out in the wake of this raging storm; which is why she could make no promise. Instead she reached over with her free hand and took his hand in her own.

“The only thing we can do now is hope that those in your party made it to one of the camps or back to HQ.” There were no accusations or blame pointed at him as her words came softly and spoke of understanding. “If not then we need the mainstay know and hopefully they will send a party out and try to rescue any survivors, if need be I’ll accompany them. But for now you’re my primary concern Ashur. Just relax for now, I’m not going to leave you, but once you feel ready enough we should get you either up the hill into the camp or back to the Oais” Worse case scenario Acrucis would call up Maia and request an additional escort or see if someone from the camp would accompany them back because staying out here too long would not be a very wise idea.

It was in the simple fact that she offered no promises about everything being "okay" and being "sure that the others got away just fine" that he allowed himself to share certain things with her, share his pain and his grief with her. It was a concession that he didn't have with too many others out of fear that they would either give him false hope or push him further into whatever guilt he was feeling by rubbing salt in the wound. Neither did him, or anyone else around him, any good.

He lay there with his eyes closed, and listened as she laid out just the facts and possible scenarios that could follow.

"Hope's a thing for civilians," he said rather grimly. "I'd rather not waste my time hoping and get a headstart with sparing a couple of the Mainstay to go out and search. I doubt anyone would be stupid enough to go to a camp anywhere in that immediate area; could lead those ba-- sorry -- agents straight to it and all. We all know better." He jerked his head a little toward the field he'd just come from. "I lost the one on my tail way, way back somewhere. Thankfully we Uranus knights have a gift with speed."

It wasn't that he was losing hope so that much that he found hope to be...crippling. To hope that a friend was still alive and well somewhere out there. To hope that things would get better. To hope that your own wounds would heal. It paralyzed you, kept you reminiscing and remembering and holding on to the everything you can about whatever or whoever it is that you're hoping for. It kept you from doing. No, he couldn't afford to really hope. Didn't allow himself to if he could help it. He just needed to go out and get things done. He needed to know that things were getting done.

He took a deep breath and let it out in a slow sigh, contemplated a moment on how long his recovery might take to see if he could join the others in a possible search party, then opened his eyes and looked up. Looked his friend, or his sister far as he was concerned, in the eyes and did his best to offer up a smile. He knew better than to bring up such an idea right then, of course. "You look tired. How long you been out here?"

“Only a half hour, maybe 45 minutes if that. I’m not really sure.” In truth she tried not to look at her phone if at all possible; she already worried enough as it was, no need to add to that by frantically checking the time every few seconds.

“I know I need to sleep to recharge my abilities, but every time I close my eyes I get startled awake. At that point there’s no falling back asleep, not for a while anyway” Memories of what has happened, ‘what if’ dream scenarios, worry, anxiety; all of it and more contributed to her insomnia. Where as it had become easy for her to stay beside others while they succumbed to exhaustion, to hold their hand till the terrors stopped, she had no such luxury. “It doesn’t help that I haven’t been back to my homeworld in some time. It’s just... I’m scared if I leave I won’t be available if something were to happen. But if I stay much longer...” her voice trailed off for she did not like thinking such thoughts.

The effects of those who transcended, like herself, lingering away from home took her back to a time several years ago when she relapsed; increased fatigue, prone to illnesses, high stress and frequent intense nightmares. All i want to do is sleep. Just sleep. I’d do anything to wake up and for all this to be some elaborate dream. Please…

Sleeplessness was something they all shared, though for some reason or another there were those that wore it well and others who just flat out looked exhausted all the time. Acrucis looked to be somewhere in the middle, and he frowned. He was familiar with the nightmares, the restlessness that followed being woken up by dreams that were more like memories in replay. If not that, dreams of the apocalyptic variety. It was odd how only the bad things seemed to come up.

Ashur did nothing to hide the worry on his face as he slowly sat up, groaning a little bit on the way but otherwise managing alright. "Double-edged, that," he said in reference to her lack of homeworld visits. It was a problem that all the transcended senshi and knights seemed to have; their outlets were limited, though he wasn't sure to what extent being that he wasn't among them. There were quite a few though, and enough he was familiar with on a personal level to know that it took its toll after a while. "You can siphon off a bit of that energy to me, though, seeing that I'm in a bit of a state. Might help with getting me back on my feet sooner?"

He shifted a bit in his seat as he started speaking again, trying to get comfortable with his injuries and barely succeeding. "I know how bad the nightmares can get, but you need to rest. If not here, visit your homeworld. Make it a two birds sort of thing, y'know. Rest and deal with that transcended thing you gotta deal with." Ash paused and regarded her, brows furrowed and his expression clearly that of concern. "I.. I don't mean to nag, but…"

He gave her hand a squeeze, knowing that she likely knew what it was he was worried about for her sake. How he found out about her condition and what happened after her relapse; just knowing that he found out after the fact and she was already in recovery had somehow made him that much more protective. "Healers," he started again, though his voice was soft. "That's you and Ida and anyone else around here with medical training. We need you guys more than ever and I know you guys have a neverending sort of job, but it won't help anyone if you pass out and can't work for days on end."

“I know,” Acrucis smiled softly knowing his words to be true. There was no need to divert attention onto herself should she blackout all of a sudden, people relied on her and the other healers to be well enough to continue performing their duties. At least he, unlike some of the others, had the decency to say it in such a way that didn’t leave her feeling guilty.

With his hand in hers, the Senshi of Prayer closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder. So focussed on the physical mending aspecting of her abilities it was easy to overlook the energy portion. Where as the Negaverse could take it, and did so frequently with their required donations, she had the ability to give willingly. him to take whatever surplus energy he needed. “After we get back to the Oasis I’ll take a short leave of absence and head back to my homeworld for a bit.” It’s as much of a promise that she’d be comfortable giving him. Others were always on the forefront of her mind that it was almost too easy to forget about taking care of herself first.

Ashur returned the smile with a small one of his own and gave her hand another squeeze, a small bit of relief in hearing some sort of confirmation from her that she was acknowledging what limitations she had and how she ought to be handling it. When she rested her head on his shoulder he could feel his own energy building again, though the injuries weren't healing any faster but by the time she was done he had enough to get to his feet. They couldn't hang around out here for too long, after all; he needed to go and get stitches, maybe even grab a bit of rest for himself before volunteering to go on that search.

"Good," was all he said when she shared her plans. "Take a day at the very least, alright? More would be better, so you're as close to 100% as you can get. If something happens," and he paused and raised his other hand, the one with his signet ring, "I'll get a message right to you."

From there he moved to stand up, wincing and grunting a bit as the movement stretched the wounds on his body. Not that he wasn't used to the sensation, but pain was pain no matter how often you feel it. He was thankful for the simple ability to get up after his endeavor though, thanks in no small part to Acrucis's abilities. From a standing position he tugged up playfully and waited for his friend to follow after him. "C'mon, we should head inside. I'm sure we're within the field the Mauvians are dampening, but just to be safe…"

Acrucis rose to her feet with an amount of grace, despite how tired she was rapidly becoming, that could only be attributed to a ballet dancer; silent yet fluid; one might think those transcendent wing markings on her back helped lift her up off the ground. Nodding her head, the Senshi of Prayer carefully lifted his arm and draped it over her shoulders so he could use her as a crutch if need be. “I’ll take you over to one of the infirmaries and use my Eternal attack, just stay in it the entire duration this time and you’ll be fully mended.” She glanced up at him with a raised eyebrow. There really was no need to step out of it before the magic wore off it. The number of people standing, or laying in it, had no effect on how much it drained from her.

Ashur helped her up, surprised that despite how drained she must have been right then, using as much energy as she had just then, not to mention her lack of sleep, she managed the movement in a fluid motion. He welcomed her offer to use her as a crutch and adjusted himself so he wasn't putting too much weight on her, then nodded at her plan before they started off. "Fine, fine," he said with as much of a grin as he could manage. "Long as it means you'll get some rest right after, I'll stay put."

“Deal” Acrucis said with a soft smile knowing he was good for his word. She had no reason to believe he would take off should she take a quick nap after she finished helping him first.