Foreplay of War
Sonya Ekare walked down the hallway in a hurry. She had blond hair down to her shoulders, but it was done up in a tight, neat bun. Her eyes were almost a baby blue, but were angry, bloodthirsty, evil. She stood about 5'2" and wore black armour with a black cape that swirled around her, consuming light in the hall.
She was the Queen of Ekare. The throne given to her when her entire family died in the great war only six short years ago. She was 20, and despite her age, was bringing her once poverty stricken country to greatness, with no small help from her sister of course.
Hedaru Ekare, 15 years old. She looked almost identical to her elder sister, only her hair was dark brown and she always had it down in a braid. Other than that, they were the same height and everything. Hedaru was a genius, and for the last year was making the perfect tactical plan.
Sonya finally reached the door she was looking for and entering, her presence commanding all peoples attention. There, at a round table with a map of Gaea, sat three old Generals and Hedaru. They all wore the same black uniform, minus the cape. Hedaru smiled at her sister and stood up in greeting.
"Well?" Sonya asked in an almost Scottish accent, her voice impatient naturally, she wanted a report on what was going on. Their first army would go out this afternoon and everything had to be perfect.
Hedaru sat down again and with her head motioned to the chair in across the table from her and in front of Sonya, Sonya sat down quickly, without making a sound. Hedaru cleared her throat and placed on the table a map that showed a more concentrated region around Ekare, Fanel, Zaibach, Asturia and Freid all on the outskirts of the map.
"The armies will go through the small countries surrounding us," Hedaru explained as she used a black stick about a metre long to point the towns out. "They have little to no military and taking them over will be easy. Then, the second army will join them making outpost out of these countries."
Sonya nodded and smiled in anticipation. "Then Zaibach's only around the bend…"
"Yes," Hedaru replied shortly. "After the outpost are made the second army and half the first army will set out. Taking Fanelia, Zaibach and Freid by surprise."
"And Asturia?" Sonya asked plainly.
"Well, they have the biggest military threat to us, so once we've taken those countries, our third and second army will join together and attack Asturia while the first keeps outpost on the countries we already have."
"And you have backup plans?" Sonya asked, not thinking anything could go wrong, but she was like her mother, always having to make sure there was a way out. Pity for her mother, the advice didn't do her good in the long run.
"I've got to fight Sonya, me and your father. We have to destroy Zaibach, and then we'll come back. Take care of your sister."
"Well Generals," Sonya said getting back on your feet. "You know what to do, go inform your soldiers."
The three Generals got up, saluted, and then were out of the room. Sonya saluted back, and once they were gone sat down lazily on the chair, she took her hair out and smiled at her sister. Hedaru would never say it but she hated her sisters' smile. It wasn't happy; it was sad, sad and angry. Evil.
"You sure you want to go through with this?" Hedaru asked, looking at her sister intently in the eye.
"Of course I'm sure. We need this war for our people, for our countries economy," Sonya explained eyeing her sister oddly. Why wouldn't she be sure? What an odd question to ask hours before they raged war.
Hedaru nodded, she didn't have to pry into the matter anymore. Her sister was the Queen of Ekare. Nothing would change that. So, what she said went, and she could only question Sonya so much before she simply got up and left. Hedaru then got up and walked out of the room herself, she wanted to see Ekare once more before war broke out.
*
It didn't take long for the two to find the small country. The two, Hitomi and Dilandau had been traveling for about three days until they cam upon the small country, they recognized it as Kade, a small country very far away from Fanelia. Dilandau said that it would probably be a few months before they got to Fanelia, with transportation.
It had been around the second day when Hitomi had started to bug Dilandau about his hair. It was getting in his way all the time, so Hitomi suggested he either put it up or cut it. Dilandau refused to cut it for some reason or another; he didn't care to elaborate, so she had put it up in a braid for him.
"There, what do you think?" She had asked after putting it up. "It's out of the way… but it's not like I can see myself in a mirror," Dilandau had answered back looking away. Ever since the truth he acted rather shy around her, she guess it was because he couldn't kill her, so he'd rather avoid her as much as possible.
"Are we going to spend the night?" Hitomi asked, looking around the surrounding area to find a motel or something like that.
"Yes, but before we need to find transportation for the morning." Dilandau explained and began walking forward. Hitomi followed, trying not to loose him in the crowed of people.
It was nightfall when they had finally found a pub to spend the night at. In the morning they would be ridding on a cart over into the next Country, Coruta, about South East of Kade. The trip would take about two weeks. This was horrible, Hitomi knew something bad was going to happen and it would take forever to tell Van.
Hitomi stuck close to Dilandau as soon as they entered the pub, many men turned their attention, most ogling Hitomi, other who were very drunk, both. They walked up to the bar, Dilandau glaring dangerously at all the men in there.
"What can I do for you folks?" The bar tender asked putting both hands on the bar to lean in.
"We'd like a room," Dilandau asked; well, more liked ordered actually. He was very anxious to get out of there; Hitomi felt the exact same way.
"A room eh?" He looked them over, they were from out of town, and he could squeeze them for all they were worth. "It'll cost you."
"Hopefully not much, there is a pub down the street," Dilandau replied, not wanting to go through the whole hassling how. But damn this was depressing; he used to lead an entire army… now he was lead of nothing, practically a beggar, a beggar with no money, or hope.
"Pub down the streets a hell of a lot more, I assure you."
"Do we have to pay in money?" Hitomi asked, she knew she had no money, and she was almost certain Dilandau didn't have any money either. So maybe she could trade something, she had a few bracelets, rings, her watch maybe. She also had a key chain that could be mistaken as silver.
"What do you mean?" The man said looking her up and down, Dilandau just continued in his glaring not too sure what Hitomi was getting at.
"I could give you some things if you let us stay the night," Hitomi answered quickly looking through her pockets. She grabbed her key chain and put it on the table. There was her silver plated key and 'Hello Kitty' key chain. The man eyed them.
"Is that…?"
"It's silver," Hitomi lied.
"You don't say… what else you got?" The man asked, deciding that he might be able to trick them out of more. Hitomi took of her cheap watch and put it on the table, the man picked it up looking inspecting it. "What's this?"
"A watch, for telling time," Hitomi answered holding her breath, the man began to smile.
"Go, take a room," he said pocketing his knew found treasure. Well, that was about 1550 yen that could be easily replaced. She was the best. Dilandau looked at her in awe as they got up to their room.
"Where'd you get all that stuff?" He finally asked when the door was safely locked.
"The Mystic moon."
Dilandau said nothing and sat down in a corner, she looked at him for a second then surveyed the room, one bed, fireplace and a window. She was really starting to miss the good old hotels in Japan, T.V., bathroom, and mini bar.
"Do you want the bed?" Hitomi asked, trying to break the silence. Dilandau shook his head and lay down on the ground.
"You bought the room, it's your bed," he answered back silently. Hitomi sat down and looked at him for a bit, she could remember all the times she had fought with him, how he had tried to kill her, Van, everyone. How much could she trust him? He had changed a lot… maybe no war had really calmed him down.
As Hitomi fell asleep one question still remained on her mind. What had happened to Celena, more importantly, what had happened to Allen?
*
I'm from the Mystic moon. My name is Hitomi. I helped end the Great War. Van and me… we were… in love?
Nanashi thought the same thing over and over again. She had been sitting in her room now for a long time. Van had taken her aside and went through everything; he even showed her his wings. No memories came back though. Nothing even seemed familiar. After the story they talked things over.
She didn't want this, she was happy with her life. If she could remember none of this, then it didn't matter. It wasn't her life. It was Hitomis. She was Nanashi. No name. No memory. No past. No future. What Van was saying was ludicrous! Mystic moon, oh please.
And yet… it all made so much sense. The clothes she had been wearing when she had first woken up. When she woke up, the same time Hitomi left, and her knowledge of the objects from the Mystic moon. It was her life, and yet it wasn't. She was just so confused.
The door to her room suddenly opened as she lay down, she turned her head and saw Merle walk in wearing her elegant purple dress, her pink hair in a loose ponytail. She smiled at Nanashi, and Nanashi tried not to shudder. The cat-gril had gotten off to a bad start with her, though; she seemed to be fond of her.
"Can I come in Hitomi-Chan?" She asked, walking in before Hitomi could protest, or even invite her in for that matter.
"Make yourself at home," Nanashi replied reluctantly as Merle sat down at the end of her bed. She sat up resting against the bed frame. "What brings you to these parts?"
"I wanted to talk to you. It's been almost a year since I've last talked to you. I just wanted to catch up on things, I guess. Like, what have you been up to all this time?"
"Thieving," she replied back, not exactly wanting a conversation to begin.
"Well, I knew that. We caught you stealing," Merle reminder her.
"Oh… I know." She said glumly. "And soon I'll be on my way again."
Merle stared on confused. "Back to the Mystic moon?"
"No."
"What? Where then?"
"Anywhere. My home is Gaea, and I'll go from town to town, like I've always done."
"But… but you haven't always done that. You used to go to school… and jump… and," Merle was getting upset, why couldn't she be Hitomi again? Why didn't she want to stay or go back to the Mystic moon?
"And what? I used to, but I'm different now," Nanashi got out of the bed. She had to walk. "I don't remember any of this stuff, saving Vans life, saving countries! It's just so surreal!"
"But it all happened!" Merle got out of the bed, and followed in Nanashis stead.
"To you maybe, but not to me!"
"Do you know what your necklace is?"
"What?" Nanashi looked confused at the sudden change in subject, her necklace, the pink stone. The only thing she had kept with her.
"Your necklace…" Merle reached out and gently grabbed it. "It's magic."
"Magic?" She narrowed her eyes and the teen.
"You could use it… to remember."
Nanashi held her breath. Her necklace could make her remember? Then why couldn't she? Maybe she wasn't supposed to remember… maybe…
"I can do that?"
"Yeah, you could tell the future and find things that you couldn't see," the two were now sitting on the bed again. "You were a natural wizard."
"I can find things that weren't there… when I was out in the forest, I always knew what way to go and everything."
"And you could use it to remember."
"I could see the future?" Merle nodded. "The future… Nobody should know the future."
Merle looked off, hurt in her eyes. She didn't know what to do, what to say. But she kept on talking, because she didn't want to loose to Nanashi, she didn't want to loose Hitomi either.
"You don't want to remember… and you don't have to. But… you were Hitomi. Can't you at least say that?" Merle looked up hopefully.
Nanashi just stared at her, almost looking scared. Everything that they said, everything she knew, all pointed to her being Hitomi. She couldn't deny it, and she certainly couldn't deny exactly what she felt when first seeing Van. Like electric static running through her entire body.
"I can't deny being Hitomi," she finally said, Merle smiled a bit. "But, now, I'm not her. I'm Nanashi. I won't change that…"
*
It was the explosion that woke them up. Hitomi fell out of the bed in an attempt to stand, the shock wave just hitting them. Dilandau was luckier, and when he got up and wave had already passed. He looked around, then grabbed his katana and was out of the room. Hitomi was on her feet again following him. Outside cries could be heard, and the sinking feeling in Hitomis stomach grew.
The country was under attack.
They got outside and saw people running down the streets, trying to get far away from the enemy. Hitomi and Dilandau naturally looked right where the people ran from and saw several soldiers approaching. Dilandau had his katana out already waiting for the attack to come.
"We have to run!" Hitomi screamed. She figured their travelling arrangement had already gone, so she looked around for a cart.
"Are you kidding me? I haven't fought in almost a year!" Dilandau yelled, smiling deviously in anticipation.
Hitomi finally spotted a cart. It was full of hay. Beside it was a white brown horse and a dead man. The cart was closer to the army than to them, but if they ran… Making a quick choice Hitomi grabbed Dilandaus arm and began to run forward dragging him along.
"What the hell are you doing?" Dilandau asked trying to shake her off.
"We're getting out of here!" She yelled and finally reached the cart. "Cut the ropes!" She yelled as arrows flew around them. The screaming continued, and the killing became more.
Dilandau swung down on the harness cutting the horse loose, Hitomi grabbed onto the reins before the scared horse could flee and began to run towing the animal, and Dilandau didn't move from his spot.
"Dilandau!" She called after him; he looked on as the army approached. He looked at the corpses growing around them, and then he looked back to Hitomi. "Dilandau!"
He shut his eyes angered and turned following Hitomi. He grabbed the reins and jumped on the horse, then he grabbed Hitomis forearms pulling her on behind him, he kicked the side of the horse and soon the two were off. Going away from Kade and towards Fanelia.
*
The Crusade landed in front of Fanelias palace. Gaddes was the first out; Van was there to great him.
"Hey little King!" He greeted playfully. "Looks like we need you."
"What do you need me for?" Van asked curious, and confused.
"Well… we just got called over to Asturia, and we were told to bring you."
"Me? Why? What happened?"
"Well, looks like we have a war on our hands."
(Kwai! I'm done chapter 4, heh, this is what I do instead of studying for my damned exams. Hopefully I will pass. Pray for me! Well then, I hope Sony_Mouse reads this; I named the villain after her! How nice, and Hedaru is named after my sister Heather. Mind you, Hedaru is very different from my sister. Anyhoo, what do you guys think so far? Where are those damned reviews??? Nobody likes this story I'm starting to think, oh well, I love this, one of my favourites that I've written so far. I'm thinking it will be around 10 parts, but one is never too sure with me at the helm. Well, well. I've started a war. Mind you, there's no fate controlling masterminds on Ekares side, just a pissed off young adult. Now for some rants: Yay Dilandau! Ya know, the more I write this, the more I like the idea of D+H J, who knows? Well then, I really have nothing to say, but, as you read this, if you can, listen to 'lovers only' one of the Esca Soundtracks, because it's the one I listen to as I write. Ano, arigatou gozaimasu to sayonara!)