Chapter 4
It had been 3 months since Miaka arrived at Zaibach. She finally got her own room, in an effort from Dillandu to try and get to, as Folken put it, 'entertain her'. She had thanked him for the room and shut the door in his face.
" Why won't she like me!" Dillandu threw a glass of wine against a wall.
" You're wasting wine." Folken rolled his eyes. This was the 30 billionth time that Dillandu had done this.
" I just don't understand! She's so stupid! A prisoner, she should be doing everything she can to make sure that she doesn't get herself killed!"
" Why don't you kill her then?" If worse came to worse, he would help Miaka escape. She'd been like a friend lately. They'd been talking evenings at a time. He didn't want Dillandu hurting her. As Dillandu ranted on, Folken thought about the past few months. Slowly, but surely, he had come to think of Miaka as his little sister that he never had. Of course, this came with multiple kicks to the leg, and he'd often have to lick his wounds from her sharp tongue. Especially their latest argument. Man, she had a tongue like an arrowhead. But, in incidents getting more frequent, he found that when they argued playfully she reminded him of someone. Like deja vu. It had been 3 months, and she was still a mystery. It was like her eyes, all clouded over. Sometimes it felt like until her eyes cleared up, she would remain a mystery to everyone.
" Because, Folken, if I do, it'd be a waste of time. I'll just wait till she gets old, and then make it look like a heart attack." Dillandu smirked. Folken raised his eyebrows.
" Hello everyone!" Folken turned as Miaka stumbled in, hitting her foot on the wall in the process.
" Ouch." She grimaced, rubbing her foot.
" Hello everyone!" I stumbled through the door to Dillandu's conference room, stubbing my toe in the process.
" Ouch." I made a face and pretended to rub my foot. Since I was immortal, it didn't really hurt, but they still didn't know that. Well, at least I was able to get around by myself now. I sighed.
" Well, I have to go, Folken. Emperor Dornkirk wants to see me." I heard Dillandu's voice and sighed.
" Bye bye!" I waved in the direction Dillandu was, and smiled. As Dillandu walked by Folken, I heard a disturbing remark.
" See Folken, she's coming around." As soon as Dillandu left, I wrinkled my nose and groaned. Folken laughed.
" Hey, mister, you promised me that walk in the garden. Let's go!" I grabbed Folken's hand and pulled him out into the hallway.
" Ok, ok! I'll lead you there. I don't want to be dragged around like an animal."
Once out in the garden, Folken was guiding me around, telling me where the bushes were so that I didn't run into one that had thorns in it.
" Lord Folken, Lord Dillandu requests your presence." A guard had come up to give Folken a message. Drat, now I was going to be stuck in the garden with an idiot guard. I sighed.
" Of course. Miaka, do you mind staying here for a moment? The guard should show me where Dillandu is currently at, so you'll be by yourself." He had read my mind. I smiled in his direction happily, and I heard retreating footsteps as Folken and the guard left.
As I wandered around the garden, I started to sing again, because I was bored out of my mind.
"There are times
I swear I know you're here
When I forget about my fears
Feeling you my dear
Watching over me
my hope sees
what the future will bring
when you wrap me in your wings
and take me where you are
where you and I will breath together
once again
we'll be dancin' in the moonlight
just like we used to do
and you'll be smiling back at me
only then will I be free
when I can be
where you are
and I can see your face
your kiss I still can taste
not a memory erased
oh I see your star
shining down on me
and I'd do anything
if I could just
be right there where you are
chorus
so take me where your are
now baby there are times
when selfishly
I'm wishing that you
were here with me
so I can wipe the tears
from your eyes and make you see
that every night while you are dreamin'
I'm here to guard you from afar
and everytime I feel alone
I close me eyes and dream of
where you are
chorus
baby I still believe
oh I've got to believe
I will touch you that sweet day
that you take me there
where you are
I still believe...." Oh, how I missed Folken! I wish that I could find him!
Dillandu was an idiot. He couldn't even carry out the simplest of orders without checking it with me. As Folken made his way back to the garden, he heard a voice that sounded like a choir of angels. Surely no voice could possibly exist!
"...when you wrap me in your wings
and take me where you are
where you and I will breath together
once again
we'll be dancin' in the moonlight
just like we used to do
and you'll be smiling back at me
only then will I be free
when I can be
where you are
and I can see your face
your kiss I still can taste
not a memory erased
oh I see your star
shining down on me
and I'd so anything
if I could just
be right there where you are
chorus
so take me where your are
now baby there are times
when selfishly
I'm wishing that you
were here with me
so I can wipe the tears
from your eyes and make you see
that every night while you are dreamin'
I'm here to guard you from afar
and every time I feel alone
I close me eyes and dream of
where you are
chorus
baby I still believe
oh I've got to believe
I will touch you that sweat day
that you take me there
where you are
I still believe...
As Folken turned the corner, he met...Miaka! He'd heard her singing once before, but nothing like this! Folken turned to leave, hoping she wouldn't realize that she was with another person. Of course, the gods love jokes, and as he turned, he stepped on a twig. Folken winced as Miaka cried out a warning.
" Relax, Miaka, it's just me." Folken shook his head.
" Oh...how long were you standing there??" Folken grinned.
" Long enough. You have a very nice voice." Folken laughed as, even in the dark, he could see her turn a deep, deep red. " Well I was bored...mmmmm." She sighed.
" It sucks that I can't even see who's coming...I always wonder what you look like."
" Well, you can't really do that, seeing as you're blind." Folken sighed.
" There's more than one way to skin a cat!"
" You skin cats??" She drooped her head in exasperation.
" Of course I do...IT'S AN EXPRESSION!!!" Another sigh. She lifted up her head and tilted it to one side. " Although...I think...YES! There IS a way that I can know what you look like...at least, I could see what your face looks like." Her smile seemed to light up the garden. Folken shook his head. He was getting sentimental on himself.
" Really? And what might that be?" Folken raised his eyebrows.
" I could use my hands to see what your face looks like. Like, too feel out where your eyes are and stuff." Folken shook his head. He knew that she was gonna insist on it, so there was no reason to even start an argument with her.
" Fine...I guess so." She jumped up and down and clapped her hands. Folken reached out and grabbed her hands.
" I guess you'll need a little help. Just make sure you don't gouge out my eyes."
Folken slowly pulled Miaka towards him, guiding her hands up to his face. He placed one of his hands on her wrists while the other was on her waist. He then moved her hands from his forehead down to his eyes, to his nose, to his chin. All the while, he kept on thinking how familiar this was. He didn't know if it was her or the moment, but his thoughts went fuzzy, and all he knew was that he was leaning towards Miaka's face.
As Folken guided my hands from his forehead to his chin, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd done this before. I didn't know if it was the moment or if it was him, but all of a sudden my thoughts went all fuzzy, and I tilted my face towards Folken's. I felt that he was leaning towards her, and then we were kissing one another.
It seemed as then, all of a sudden, we realized what we were doing. We both sprang apart from one another, both going;
" Sorry, sorry, sorry!!" I knew without seeing, that we were both bright red.
" Ahem...well, I guess I'd better bring you back inside." Folken got my elbow and led me to my room.
" Ah, well, goodnight Folken...bye." I turned and practically ran into my room, embarrassed beyond belief.
After Miaka went into her room, she came back out again, looking very nervous.
" Uh, Folken? Promise you won't tell Dillandu? My real name...it's Embyr." She turned and ran back into her room. He knew that Miaka probably wasn't her real name. Although, the name Embyr did ring a bell. Folken frowned. Well, with this new discovery, he could kiss sleep goodbye. He turned and headed to his room. Once he got there, he went over to his desk and took out the pearl. Embyr...he remembered that kiss..how he felt...like walking on air... ah, who was he kidding...he probably didn't stand a chance. Folken put the pearl back in it's drawer and went to bed, where he lay awake all night, reliving that moment, until the sunshine peeked through his window.