Author's note: It's the third section of the Chaos Wars! To everyone who reads this, thank you so much for deciding to read my fanfic. I hope you like it! If the last section was confusing because of all the weird places, don't worry--this one is a bit simpler place-wise (no explanations on the nature of reality! Yay! -__-'''). And, since I can't put review responses to the last chapter of Section II in section II, here they are.
Serafinamoon: first of all, thank you so much for reading the entire story! ^___^ Heh, don't worry about typos…I'm a bad typist whether I can see or not! Yeah, Yami kind of…messes things up this whole section…gotta give him credit for trying, though. ^___^;;; Well, he really doesn't know what he's talking about—he only has a few years worth of memory, even less if you only count the time since he's been more personified. ….fighting? Well, I think there's a battle….it depends on what you define as "fighting." ^__^;;; Thank you so much for reading! I hope you like this section. ^______^
Chapter 1--Escape
Her bare feet pounded the barren earth, legs pumping like pistons. Her small size and slight, malnourished body were no indicator of her speed; a life of dodging and dashing had given her strong legs to sprint with. But this was no quick trip, no lightning-reflex escape. This was life and death determined by endurance.
This was a marathon with survival as its goal, and she could only pray her strength would not fail.
She had stolen the Gater from the communications room; it had been easy enough to think of an excuse to go there. Who would question someone like her, seemingly following orders? No one would think anything of it. She had gone in, externally calm even though every nerve in her body was on fire and her heart was racing so fast she thought it would burst.
That's how fast she had to be now--as fast as that heartbeat.
The hum of voices was always present in that room--harsh voices shouting orders, low voices of people mulling over a problem, tired voices of people working a double shift. It was where the new orders were received, where updates and information were downloaded, where ideas were shared. It wasn't somewhere she would normally go, but she was on her own mission now.
She could hear voices now, coming after her. Angry voices, voices that wanted to rip and tear. She put forth the last of her strength in a final effort to outrun them.
The Gaters had a special shelf all to themselves, along with the maps and lists of coordinates on the wall. Complex charts and diagrams glared down at anyone foolish enough to try deciphering them. The bin was usually locked, but on a busy day like that one, there was a good chance someone would forget to shut it. It was just such a chance she had been banking on, and it had come that day, after hours of waiting. Just before she was about to give up and go back, as she had on all her other attempts, it happened--someone turned away, just for a moment, and there they were. The Gaters.
A quick dip of the wrist, close the fist, not too tightly so no one would suspect anything, then dash off again on some fictitious errand. The others would create the diversion while she made for the exit. She had to get out of the base to use the Gater, and she needed time to figure out how to work it. She got only a few yards start before they had realized the truth and gone out after her. Now she was running for her life, her future, her freedom--running with everything she had so she wouldn't lose it all.
They were gaining on her. She had lived all her life in misery and squalor, not ideal conditions for developing athletic ability. They had trained day in and day out to be ready if a situation like this should arise.
In short, the odds were against her.
The odds didn't matter now; nothing mattered but to keep running, to keep moving her legs up and down, to keep going forward, to not trip, to not stumble. Every second counted now; she had to hurry. Nothing mattered but the goal. The goal was everything, blocking out all other thoughts in her mind but to run. To run and run and never stop running.
They were coming closer. Soon now she would be unable to run any farther. Soon now she would collapse, and they would drag her back, would make her wish to die before they were through.
Can't give up...must...keep running...!
She had to run; she had to live. She couldn't give up, couldn't let this plan fail as so many others had. This had to be the time--there would be no other.
Her legs were on fire, her breath scraped her throat like sandpaper. If she didn't hurry, it would all be over. She fell to her knees, unable to rise. Her fist unclenched, and the Gater clattered to the ground. Slowly, so slowly, she turned to look at it.
She had programmed it with the first set of coordinates she saw--they had been right at the top of the wall, under a large sign with many shapes she could not understand. She didn't know or care where it would take her--anywhere was better than here.
Her hand shook violently as she reached out to touch it, to press the button that would take her away from this nightmare. She could hear them coming, could feel the ground tremble with the pounding of their feet. The Gater was shadowed by her hand as her finger inched toward the button. Slowly, far too slowly, her finger pressed down with the last of her strength.
There was a brilliant flash of light, and she Gated out, unconscious.
*****
"Where did that little rat go!?"
"It must have Gated out--now we'll have to track it down before word of this gets around. Can you imagine what they would say?"
"Worse--think of the impact on the others. No, we have to catch it. There's no margin for error on this one."
"But where would it go? You don't honestly believe one of them knows how to work a Gating Device, do you? They can't even read!"
"Still...perhaps it somehow managed to swipe a Gater with coordinates already programmed in. That must be what happened...filthy little pickpocket."
They all stood in a loose circle around the spot where she had left that World. The were bloody footprints on the ground leading up to it, disturbed earth where she had fallen, but nothing more. She had gone, and they had no idea where. Only one member of the expedition remained silent, contemplating.
How much longer can I hold on? I don't know if I can take any more of this...
"Let's head back, everyone--we'll have to report this, I suppose..."
"Yes, well. It's not as if it's our fault, communications should get most of the blame."
"It won't matter who's to blame if we don't get it back--we'll all be in for it."
They trooped slowly back across the empty landscape, returning through the great gates and locking them behind. They had failed in the first run; now the long haul would begin.
*****
It was night in this World, a night very different from the one she had left. It was still here, but not the death-filled stillness of Dark World; this was a peaceful stillness, a stillness that told of calm and quiet. This was a good World to hide in--they wouldn't think to look for her here. Yes, she would stay here. Soon she must get up and find out where exactly she had arrived, and think of a way to blend in...but first she needed to rest a moment...just a moment...then she would go....
The cold, silent stars shone down on the sleeping child lying in a ditch beside the road.