Level 4 + The Stillness And The Scream
Sublevel 1 + The High Council Lives



When the darkness that filled the periods between the so-called "levels" vanished, Hikaru found herself wrapped in a gentle embrace. She realized that she felt a complete peace, an absolute security that she had never known before. Her heart was calm and quiet and filled with a gentle, soft kind of joy. She sighed, closing her eyes, wishing to remain as she was forever.

"Hikaru."

The redhead opened her eyes reluctantly, looking up into the woman's soft blue eyes. "Yes?"

The small woman, who was not much taller than Hikaru herself, released the girl from her arms. "Do you remember?"

Hikaru furrowed her brow, concentrating. Then, slowly, it returned to her --- her meeting with Saffron and Eagle, and the others... the men in brown coming for her. "But... I should have died," she whispered. "They should have killed me."

"I saved you." The woman held Hikaru's gaze with her own. "I heard your plea, and I knew you could not die without knowing the fate of your dearest friend."

The woman stepped back a little, and Hikaru saw that she wore a long white dress. Hikaru's eyes widened, and she interrupted, gasping, "You are the White Lady."

"Yes. Hikaru, listen." The White Lady's eyes were somehow very sad. "Nova is safe with me. She has a duty to fulfill, and she cannot come back to you until she has done what she must do."

Even though she had been told this before, Hikaru now could believe it completely, hearing it from the White Lady's lips. "O-okay." She nodded, understanding.

The White Lady smiled. "Good. Now go, Hikaru, and meet your destiny."

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In the large hall where Fuu and Hikaru had been presented to Lantis before, a small group of people sat upon the floor in front of the platform where the five chairs stood. There were ten of them in all.

Each person wore plain robes. Two wore black, and two wore dark gray. The other six were dressed very, very pale gray. The hoods that normally covered their faces were down, falling over their shoulders, for they were in the presence of themselves only. Nobody would interfere. Nobody would see their faces.

"You should be careful, Eagle," said Presea tartly. "You must not grow close to any of the... ah... players."

Eagle stared at the carpet beneath them. "But if all goes according to plan, won't she be staying anyway?"

"You know what her destiny is," Zagato interjected. "You know what will happen."

"But the other girl..."

"Eagle." Ferio's voice was sharp. "It is... difficult, indeed, to not grow fond of the young ladies." His amber eyes clearly said what he would not speak. "But it is not allowed."

"Oh, don' pick on Eagle," Caldina shot back. "He's jus' as human as you."

"But we have obligations!" Geo protested.

"That is true," Lantis agreed. "It's forbidden to give our loyalty to anyone but the Light and the White Lady."

Eagle cast his gaze away.

There was silence for a long time. Then, a thin figure in light gray spoke.

"Maybe we've been wrong." Ascot peered up at the others through his bushy bangs. "Maybe the High Council shouldn't be as restrictive as it is."

"Ascot!" several hushed, astonished voices murmured.

"No, just listen." He stood up; in his taller form, he towered over the others who sat. "The White Lady has been telling us for a long time that we won't be on the Council forever. But we all know that once someone becames a Council Member, that position is permenant."

The rest nodded slowly. He was making sense.

"Maybe what she meant is that the duties of the High Council won't always be the same. Maybe we're due for a little reform."

There was silence for another short period. Then, the smallest Member and most recent addition to the Council spoke.

"I think Ascot's right," Aska said softly, playing with the folds of her pale gray robes nervously. "I think we need to be a little more human."

The only person in the circle who had not yet spoken, the oldest and wisest of the Council, now took the floor. "The truth has been spoken," Clef confirmed. "The White Lady has indeed been hinting at this for a very long time. We, as the High Council, have restricted ourselves to the point of barely living. We eat, sleep, and breathe the White Lady. I believe this is not what she wants. I believe she does, in truth, want us to be our own selves as well as her servants."

"But why?" Presea pleaded.

A hush seemed to fall. Clef's voice was softer now. "The White Lady herself has so little freedom. She must devote all her time to the well-being of our country and the people in it. Perhaps she does not want that for her Council Members. Perhaps she wants us to live the lives she cannot."

As his speech ended, the familiar silence of contemplation settled over the High Council. It was a long moment before anyone spoke again.