Disclaimer:
Did you actually think I owned them? *snigger*

Authoress Note: Winter Break ends on Monday. *sob* I don't wanna go back to school!! I don't wanna!!

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Elements of Destruction: Chapter 4

Strange Encounters

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Heero walked into the small guest room where Sally had put the girl. They had taken her to Sally's house, who welcomed them with a worried face. She reported that the girl had only fainted, and was still not awake. All Sally could say was that she was not wounded, malnourished, or dehydrated, so she must have fainted from shock.

"I'm a field medic, not a doctor." she said. "During the war, my job was to keep people alive until a doctor could help them."

Heero sat down next to the bed, and waited. She should be awake soon.

True to Heero's conclusion, she soon stirred, and then shot straight up, gasping for breath. The girl, Hitomi, looked around with wide eyes, instantly alert. Heero reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, steadying her. He could feel her trembling beneath his fingers. She looked straight into his blue eyes, and did not flinch under his unyielding glare.

"Who are you?" she asked softly, completing her earlier question.

"Heero Yuy." he answered. Hitomi nodded, although the name meant nothing to her.

"Where are we?" Gaia, please say Gaia, please say Gaia.

"A safe place." his answer was short, to the point, and offered her no useful information whatsoever. Now it was his turn to ask questions. "How did you get here?"

"The light...?" she offered a weak answer. He nodded, expecting her to continue. "I don't know how it works...or why." she finished lamely, knowing that he was not satisfied. "But I know it didn't work this time."

He contributed an inquisitive grunt to the conversation.

Hitomi drew herself together, and put her legs over the side of the bed, preparing to get up. He stopped her, standing up. He wasn't very tall, Hitomi saw, but imposing all the same. An impassive mask had covered his face throughout the entire conversation, but now was beginning to crack. Hitomi saw twinges of pain and barely controlled anger in his face.

"The light took someone from you." she said. It was not a question. he did not require an answer, and so he did not provide one. Suddenly Hitomi knew that she could trust him. He had seen her and the light. He had seen someone dear to him with the light, and now she was the key to returning that loved one.

After a long silence, he spoke. "You don't know how or why." he said. Again, it was not a question, but she nodded anyway. "Do you know what?"

"What the light does?" she replied. A small smile graced her lips. "Yes. It sends people to other worlds." She didn't know why she was being so open with him, but it felt like the right thing to do, and she did not fight it.

"Other worlds?"

"Other planets. Like Gaia."

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Kaoru kept his arm around Sakoto's waist, holding her close to him and supporting her as they trudged through the mountain forests. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were splotched from the tears rolling down her face. Kaoru refused to cry, he had to be strong for Sakoto, and for his mother.

He'd never been very close to his mother, but he had loved her dearly. She had always taken special care of him when he should have been deferred to a caretaker. She never let her responsibilities as an elder of the tribe interfere with those of a mother.

Until now.

She'd given up her life, and the entire village burned, while they escaped. Kaoru only knew that he had to run. What he did not know was the all important 'why.' Why were they important enough to save? Why did everyone have to die for them?

His thoughts were interrupted by a startled gasp from Sakoto. He looked up sharply, his protective arm about her waist tightening. Through the foliage before them stood a great temple, obviously abandoned and worn with age. As they approached it's huge marble base it only seem to grow larger. It was gigantic, built up of green marble inlaid with intricate designs of pink and white marble. There was no viable door or entryway.

Sakoto broke away from Kaoru, her face full of wonder. She dashed up to the wall, touching her fingers to the patterns. One section caught her eye, were there was no pink or white accents to the green base. Rather, the design was carved expertly into the marble. Running her fingers through the grooves, she recognized the design as not a pattern, but a picture. She admired the engraving as she traced the ridged back, webbed arms, and powerful jaws of a land dragon. As her finger reached the point where she had started, she uttered the ancient word for it.

"Senarida."

The engraving flashed, the grooves glowing green. The light flooded out of the carving and engulfed her. Sakoto flung her hands up, as if to ward away whatever the light portended.

"Sakoto!" Kaoru yelled, rushing to her side. The marble slab with the dragon moved, slipping off to the side, opening a door for them. Kaoru grabbed her tight about the waist and pulled her away from the door, and whatever dangers lie within. She wrested herself from his grasp, and did what she was best at: she threw caution to the wind, and dashed down the passage. She was unsure of what was compelling her to enter, but at the moment, didn't much care. Kaoru was left with no choice but to follow her into the dark passage.

The small passage was lit evenly and dimly from an unknown source. It seemed as if the walls themselves were glowing. They walked no more than thirty paces when the passageway suddenly became a huge room, lit the same way as before. Everything was bathed in the green glow, casting a eerie light everywhere. The walls were not decorated as the outside was, and were all very plain, save the green hue. Sakoto's attention was drawn to the dais in the center of the far wall. There were several steps leading up to the platform. In the center was a pedestal, made of the same material as everything else. Floating above the pedestal was a small golden object. Behind it was a white statue of a girl, reaching out to the object as if to protect it.

Sakoto found herself walking towards the dais, her eyes fixed on the golden artifact. Kaoru, who was searching the stone walls for another exit should their entrance close, reached out to grab Sakoto's hand. He grasped only air. He looked around and saw her walking towards the dais as if in a trance. He ran after her as she climbed the first step. When he reached the small step, he rebounded back, landing on his back. Getting up, he pounded at the invisible wall which had formed. Sakoto was oblivious to it, and to him.

She stood in front of the pedestal, and cupped her hands beneath the golden ball floating there. The ball then split, the gold peeling off and vanishing. A green jewel sparkled, hanging in the air. It's levitation seemed to falter and then it fell into her hands, a silver chain trailing it.

All the lights went out.

Kaoru, who was leaning against the wall he could not see, fell forward and hit his head on the marble. Sakoto turned at his grunt, and gasped. She ran to him, helping him up.

"Are you OK? Kaoru?" she asked, healing his cut almost unconsciously. He nodded, and they made their way out of the temple. Sakoto slipped the jewel into her pocket. As soon as Sakoto and Kaoru were safely outside, the door ground shut of it's own accord.

"Kaoru, what do you think this place is?"

"Just a temple to some old god." he said, eager to forget the place. Sakoto sensed this, and said no more. They continued on their way to Fanelia, the country protected by land dragons.

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" 'Just a temple to some old god?!' " the Goddess raged, stomping around the temple chamber. "One hundred generations of chosen come in here for that stupid pendant, and each one has to drag along an overprotective, egocentric male!" she huffed, and threw her hands up in exasperation. The Goddess opened a door in the wall, and stalked out.

"See you next time!" the statue called out cheerily as the Goddess left.

"Screw you!" the door slammed shut.

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Hehehe, beware of All Powerful Goddess on PMS!! You must placate her with virgin chocolate bars (no nuts please), an endless coffee mug, and reviews!!

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-Ayanami_Chan
mailto:ayanami_rei@softhome.net
http://homepage.mac.com/ayanamishrine