STORY SETTING
Pairing : Wizard x Hikari
Main storyline :
After stumbling in on the wizard in one of his magic sessions, Hikari gains a weak fortune-telling ability, that pops up when she least wants it to. Distressed, she keeps to herself and avoids the townfolk, but she's plagued by painful dreams of.. her past.. And the Wizard.
"Okay, I'm almost done with my daily rounds!" Hikari chimed happily. Her dark hair bounced as she ran up the hill that led to the upper portion of Harmonica town. It was quiet today, as winter was nearing and a lot of people were busy buying supplies, or sitting inside, huddled up as if all energy was lost. She had gone to houses, and brought everyone the things that they loved most, tea, or a certain kind of cake, it made her happy to see the smile light up their faces.
A softly glowing mushroom sat in her hand, she was careful not to crush it. Blushing slightly, she stared at the white castle-like house in the distance; her destination. How could she not be nervous? SheT had only met the mysterious man a few times, so few that she could count them on one hand. Finn had already buzzed off to the Spring, as she was done with her farm duties. She liked to see his little chubby face light up as he anticipated seeing his friends, and the Goddess, who was like a mother to him.
The sky was dark blue, and she shivered when the a cold breeze brushed past her skin. She was walking slowly, and a feeling stirred in her stomach as she reached out for the dark door, with the intention of knocking on it. As she tentatively touched her hand to the dark oak, she felt a surge of warmth go through her, so intense that it shocked her, and she jumped back from the door, pulling back her hand, eyes wide.
"What… in the world.." she mumbled. She tiptoed away from the door when she heard a loud rumbling noise, that seemed to make even the ground under her feet shake. Shivering, she wanted to go back home, but, even though it was scary, her curiosity was irresistibly sparked. She walked over to the window, and noticed that it was slightly open. Leaning up, she touched her fingers to the cold stone, which luckily had resisted whatever was going on in the Wizard's house.
The room was bathed in blue light, and in the middle stood the wizard. His eyes were closed, as if in prayer, but his hands were lifted slightly by his sides, and his hair and robes were lifted slightly, floating as if weightless. A floating, glowing object seemed to be the reason everything was blue, as it glowed fiercily. Her eyes were still wide, though her body was telling her to close them and run. Her frame trembled as she kept herself lifted at the window, unable to stop watching.
The Wizard's low voice muttered inaudible words, and as he opened his eyes, the blue light became white and she felt her mind go blank. She remembered that she had to get out and away, before he would… Would what?
"Hika-chan.." Finn said softly, his beady eyes sad. Hikari rubbed her eyes over and over again, but they still were a different color! Since the day she had come home from the Wizard's house (she had left the Fugue mushroom near his door with a small note, unable to convince herself to knock and talk to him) her eyes were…
Two different colored eyes stared back at her, though the difference was subtle. Her brown eye was that same warm color, but the other eye was hazel, almost yellow, even, and it glowed slightly as she focused on it. Brushing her bangs over it, she rendered it unable to be seen. Sighing, she paced through the room, running her fingers through her silky hair.
"I have to go outside.. And do the farming.." she whispered. It was just past seven A.M, still early. She opened the door and peeked around it, hearing Finn sigh for the seventh time that morning. She headed over to her large field and smiled, seeing the pumpkins were ripening nicely. She caressed them gently, somehow knowing that they would grow to be beautiful and shining. As she headed to her barn, the breeze brushed through her hair, and she lifted her eyes to the sky, smiling slightly. A soft mewl distracted her, and she noticed her white cat brushing against her legs, nuzzling the fabric of her loose jeans. She smiled, and picked up the cat, wanting to pet it.
A storm of images blinded her, and she stumbled back. Images of baby kittens, a black cat. Was her kitty pregnant? How had she seen? Feeling a throbbing headache come up, she straightened herself up again. Even when she had touched Finn she had felt the images come up, and had stepped away before anything else could happen. She was seeing the future, she knew it, as a new storm of images blurred her vision. They were not as clear as the previous, but she could see her room, and cats rolled up around her. She saw a gentle smile on her face, and then she saw a figure storming into the room. Snow wet her carpet.
"Winter.." she mumbled softly, as she struggled to not drop Flurry, her cat. She set her down gently, and smiled slightly, hanging her head down. It was her own fault for peeking in on a wizard. She should have known that something like that would happen. And still she couldn't avoid people! She had shopping to do.. Groaning, she tended to her ducks, that hopped happily, making her feel slightly happier again. She didn't see anything when she touched them, since their lives were quite simple, and they were in the coop most of the time. The same counted for her cows and horse, and she stepped out of the barn, smiling at the constant breeze again. It made her head feel better.
She knew what she had to do. She had to go and speak to the Wizard. But somehow the idea of telling him that she had looked in on him frightened her a lot, and she was at a loss. He would be mad, right? That had to be.. She had had no right.
But still she had no choice.
She took out her snow-white horse, Prince, and saddled her. The horse neighed softly, staring at her with her big eyes, as if understanding what she was going through. Hikari smiled, before climbing onto her, leading her to Harmonica town.
Town was peaceful, and her eyes first met Luna, who was arguing with Gill outside of Town Hall. She was fond of them both, but she didn't want to butt in, and she attempted to brush past them while smiling politely. Luna had other ideas though, as she took a strong hold on Hikari's hand, tears in her big eyes.
"Hi..ka..ri…. Please take me away from this idiot!" she sobbed. Hikari became dizzy as images hit her, but she managed to ignore a part of them, smiling a forced smile which quickly became genuine as she felt the girl tremble in her arms. She knew that she and Gill had a future, but then, everyone knew that.
"Just talk to him.." Hikari whispered. Luna shook her head, sobbing, but came to terms with herself, straightening herself up. A very downcast Gill stood near the door, about to lock himself inside. He was stopped by Luna, and they continued their quiet conversation. Hikari continued her way, trying to forget the images she had seen.. Images of their future together. She felt like an intruder, and it gave her a headache again.
She brought Maya a cake, and grinned when the girl's eyes lit up happily.
"It's no problem~" Hikari mused, almost skipping out the door. She loved giving others happiness, and her day was good, as she brought Jin his daily Herbal Tea with a smile. He looked up at her, took the tea, and started to speak. Their hands brushed and Hikari winced, knowing that he was about to ask her about her new look. The image faded and then became reality.
"Your hairstyle.. Why did you change it? You can't see properly this way, it's bad for your balance." he noted. "And thank you for the tea.. I appreciate it.." he added, blushing slightly as he realized he hadn't thanked her yet. Hikari flushed, looking away. How was she to avoid that subject? "I… Felt like a change.." she said, rubbing the back of her head. Jin eyed her critically. She swallowed nervously. Maybe it wasn't bad to ask Jin about it? No, it was magic.. He would be frightened. Everyone seemed to be afraid of the Wizard..
"Well then.. I have to get to my next patient. Thank you for the visit." Jin interrupted her, standing up. He seemed to sense her distress, as a small smile curved his lips. He walked her to the door, leaving her with her thoughts once again. Harmonica town seemed more lively than usual, but she felt sad, knowing that she had the ability to see everything; even the things she didn't want to know. It made her sad..
"Hikari! Did you speak to the Wizard yet?" Finn asked energetically when she closed the door behind her, just having finished her daily visits. She shook her head, biting her lip.
".." Finn fell silent and perched himself on her shoulder, pressing himself against the side of her neck in somewhat of a hug. Hikari swallowed, feeling tears come up. Did Wizard feel like this too when he saw the future? Surely not. Was he always alone because he could see everything? She wanted to understand, to know how he dealt with this..
That night her dreams were vivid.
"Hika-chan! Before it's too late, we have to save the animals!" Finn shouted. She was outside, and the door to her coop was broken, scratch marks on the doors.
'Dogs..' flitted through her thoughts as she ran for her beloved chickens and ducks. When she burst through the door, it was a horror sight, and she felt herself tear up, trembling with sadness. Hadn't she secured the doors enough? Why did it have to happen, why now? Sobs racked her body as she felt herself float away again.
It was dark where she was, except for the stars that floated around her on all sides. Kicking with her legs, she realized that she was weightless. Her eyes opened wide, and she realized that she could see, see the galaxies in the distance, with her right eye. Focusing, she felt herself go farther and farther, and farther, until a bright light hit her, and she was in the middle of a grayish area. She forced herself to stay calm as she turned around, looking for something, anything. There was nothing, just that grayness, and she looked down to see her feet, needing something to confirm her.. Existence.
The Wizard floated in front of her, his bicolored eyes wide. "You're.." he started, his voice deep but concerned. There was no anger in his eyes, but she was sobbing, and he touched his hand to her face, sparking a warmth inside of her. "The new .. Farmer…" he mumbled.
"What happened to you?" he whispered, before she was pulled away. Her hands reached for him, knowing that he was the only one who could save her from her situation..
