A New Beginning - Chapter 6
"This is the second time she's disappeared!" Amano cried to Hitomi's mom. She remained in her position and remained emotionless. Too shocked and too grieved to lose the battle for sanity to it. She can't…she just can't…
"…second…" she repeated after the younger man as she absently stared out the window of Yukari's hospital room. She had arrived to tell him that Hitomi was missing, and it just happened that telling him turned out to be harder for herself than for him. Yukari laid upon the bed, while Amano sat next to it.
"Why does this happen?" He softened his tone. "Why do bad things have to happen?"
She didn't turn around he remained in silence behind her. She continued to stare out the window. There were trees outside…the middle of spring. Spring…the lucky and productive season, supposedly the beginning of hopes and goals. "…have to happen…" she parroted again.
"…why…" Amano faintly cried as he buried his face in Yukari's hand.
She couldn't stand it anymore. She quickly turned around, eyes full of rage. She walked over to Yukari's still form on the bed. Face full with disgust, she hit her face repeatedly, until Yukari's cheeks were full with pink. Tears quickly sprang to her eyes, and she knew the strong figure she was keeping up, the war she had fought against grief, was lost.
Amano quickly jumped up in surprise and grabbed her arm as she was about to slap her again. "Let me go!" she cried.
"What do you think you're doing?" He quickly restrained the woman, despite the fact he was in a wheelchair, and tried to tell her to stop. Eventually, the woman gave up and broke up into sobs. "She's not coming back this time…not ever again…" Quickly, her eyes shifted from grief to anger again. She turned back to Yukari, and screamed, "We're mourning. What're you doing? You're lying there doing nothing! Nothing at all! Hitomi's gone! Forever! And you have Amano beside you…what does an old woman do in this picture? She lost her daughter, husband…" She trailed off into sobs at the last word, and quickly, scarily returned to her odd still posture.
What is she doing? Suddenly, he realized her point, and grabbed while saying, "Yukari, do you hear us?! Wake up!" Amano yelled. Suddenly, out of the corner of the unconscious girl's eyes, a teardrop slid down. Amano's grasp on Yukari's arm felt a slight tinge of movement.
Amano rose suddenly, forgetting about his broken leg, and winced in pain. "Doctor!" he cried. Mrs. Kanzaki broke out of her blankness and stared at Amano for a second before realizing what happened. She stood up and ran out of the room, calling for the doctor at the same time. The door clicked as Amano sat back down, waiting anxiously for Yukari's eyes to open, silently praying to himself, clasping Yukari's hand.
*****
Hitomi woke from the dream, gasping for air. Why can I see what's happening on Earth? She wiped the sweat from her forehead and sighed. Turning her head to the window, she looked at the Mystic Moon again. With all the clouds covering the Earth, she could still see a few continents. Japan was too small an island to be seen… That couldn't have been real… But it was. It was too real an experience to be fake. She could feel their grief. A person's feelings will reach the other person… She stared at the pendant on her chest, and it looked red in the dark. At least now I know they're okay. She glanced at the watch on her wrist. It was nearly 5:00 in the morning, only a few more minutes to go. Deciding she wasn't tired anymore, she got up from the bed to cool off from the heat and padded back and forth in the room after she'd finished washing up until it was nearly 5:30 on her watch. She figured it was too stuffy in the room, and opened the door to go to the forest for a little walk.
*****
Merle had just gotten up, and decided to run outside to Folken's grave. Van should be there by now. She asked a servant to fetch her some water, and after washing up, she set out to search for Van.
*****
Haligre hadn't slept at all the night before. He had had to make a long journey concerning Fanelia's future queen. Yet having once made it back, he had to report to his superior to acknowledge the fact that he made it back without being discovered. He had to meet someone in some unknown place…deciding the forest is the most unroamed area early in the morning, he set out immediately trying to attract as little attention as possible.
Upon stepping outside, Merle saw a familiar figure, walking past the garden her room was close to. Haligre! What's he doing so early in the morning? Merle thought. Is someone after him? Haligre looked very pale, and peeked to his left and right before continuing his journey. Weird. Deciding to get to the bottom of it, she decided to play spy and follow Haligre.
Every now and then, Haligre would turn his head around to make sure no one is following, and that's when Merle's soft paws come in handy. The bushes didn't even rustle as she moved along them. Quietly, she followed him to a place far enough in the woods so everywhere around was nothing but trees and leaves. When she saw him stop, she crawled up into a treetop so no one could see her.
Haligre made some weird hand motions and whispered something to no one. Talking to himself TOO much there, Merle thought. She patiently waited for whom he's waiting for to come out, but there was no one. Suddenly, a light from the centerpoint of his forehead and the concentration of his hands pressed together combining startled her. She turned her head, almost forgetting to hide herself, and stared in shock. A red light, apparently fire-like in appearance, had appeared in his hands, seemingly coming from his forehead, creating a type of circle in front of him. He looked up at the circle, and a woman's face appeared in it. The circle rippled now and then, as if it was a puddle of water. Merle was within earshot of their conversation, and overheard.
"Returned safely." Haligre said with his eyes closed and head down.
"Already? Hmm, your skills are improving."
"Thank you, mistress."
"Contact me again tonight at midnight, same spot, and report the current situation. Until then."
"Yes, mistress."
The circle closed up, and the fire disappeared. Haligre kept his step firm, and Merle couldn't help but gasp. Haligre took note immediately, and by instinct closed his eyes and made some motions with his hands. Merle covered her mouth, but it was already too late. Haligre had discovered her hiding spot. From Haligre's forehead the fire spread like a laser beam to his hands, and he opened his eyes. Without even looking his hand went to the direction where Merle was, red fire following it. A line of fire shot at Merle, and she screamed at the sight of the fire nearing her. It burnt her skin, her clothes.
Haligre, recognizing the familiar voice, turned around to see who he had in his grasp. He let his spell go as he stared at the seared skin of the young catgirl.
"Who…are…you…?" Merle managed to choke through her pain.
For a moment Haligre stood in shock at what he'd done. And then a determined look came over him. He raised his hand in the same motion, a circle of red glowing on his forehead. His hand pointed at Merle, ready to finish the work. Merle's face changed from pain to fear, and her eyes arched up to a begging look. "N-no…" she whispered faintly, "you…can't…Hal…i…g-g-"
Merle coughed out blood as she tried to finish her last syllable. Haligre paused in mid-air, with the fire already in his hand. He looked at Merle's face. That face. I can't…I…can't! He suddenly held his hands to his head, and slowly rocked his head violently. Merle's face changed, and she tried crawling over to Haligre, but stopped without success, and coughed more blood upon the ground. Haligre, through his own self-battle, turned to Merle as if he had just discovered she was there. He quickly snapped out of his trance, running to help Merle up, almost forgetting that he was supposed to kill her. But it doesn't matter…as long as Circe doesn't find out. He helped Merle, and slowly examined the burns on her waist. It bared flesh so grotesque no sane being can stand without throwing up.
"Rotaerc stiyb dessel bebsd nuow esehty am!" His hand waved over her body once, and the wounds slowly healed, leaving seared cloth on her skin. Merle's eyes closed slowly until she was unconscious, and Haligre immediately picked her up and decided to return to the castle. He started running.
Halfway back to the castle, a thought struck him. Perhaps she should remain in the woods for a few days. He was afraid that she might tell someone what had happened if she woke up. He cast invisible ropes over her, which tied her to a nearby tree, and made a force field around her so she'd appear invisible to the human eye. He made a move to run back to the castle, when he turned once again and saw Merle's head hanging limp on her chest. His conscience fought his selfishness and made him stay with her for the night. Slowly, he stepped into the force field also, making himself disappear along with her.