Black Feather: Episode XXIX
"Dreamsaga"
???
???
Drifting... Never-ending... Blind... Lost... Forgotten...
What hope have I in this never-ending, never-existing dream of mine?
Love...
Who needs love...?
Pain... That was what love offered me... That was the ONLY thing love offered me...
During those countless years of empty existence, I managed to crawl my way out, up and out of that hole filled with hope, and here I am... A Raven...
Is that it...?
A Raven?
People see me as a Raven... Why can't they see me for who I am? Is it because they look down upon Ravens...? We Ravens give an attempt to eke out a seemingly comfortable living in this world... just like everyone else... even the Corporations...
Just trying to survive...
This world... it's...
Comforting...
So dark... so empty... this is... This world is... my mind... my heart... its memories tucked away in secret shadows... its emotions burned to ashes... its ashes burned to nothing...
This is my secret world...
A world I could retreat to...
A world I could seek refuge within...
Home...
A pitch-black realm...
A raven's...
Black Feather...
_____________________________
My life... where is it going...? I feel so empty... so useless... a dreg in a world of priceless possessions... possessions of those who are loved... and I... what am I...?
Who am I...?
Someone... please...
Tell... me... who I am...
Someone...
Iris?
She was lying on her side, flat on the pitch-black floor. I swam in the air down to her. My feet touched the invisible floor. It felt like an eternity since I've been able to walk.
I rushed over to her. My hand reached for her shoulder, but a limelight appearing ahead startled me. In the limelight was... Another Iris?
"Qastor, are you joking again?" She spoke.
"Qastor, how could you?" Another appeared.
"Qastor... You're so sweet..." Another appeared.
"Qastor, I get real pissed off when you make those faces..." Another.
"Qastor, get up! It's late..." Another...
"Qastor... Thank you..." Another...
"I love you... Qastor..." They all disappeared.
My eyes were wide... My mind was bombarded with messages and feelings... What's happening? Iris was still lying below me. I shook her shoulder.
"Iris...? Wake up... Iris...?" My index finger was moist. I withdrew my hand. It was tipped with...
Blood...
I held her shoulder and turned her slowly. Her left chest was red. The floor beneath her was stained with blood. I held her in my arms.
"Iris!? Iris!! Wake up!! IRIS!!!!"
Iris' head turned to me with fatigue. Her eyelids revealed a slit. A tear streamed from her ebbing eyes. Iris opened her mouth to say something, but her eyes closed again.
"No......" I held her close... "NO!!!" I quickly let go of her. "Love... you threaten to hurt me again!? I won't have it!!! I WON'T!!! NO MORE... pain... please... just let me be..." I walked away from Iris. She dissipated into the repressed depths of my memories... only to be crushed and processed into nothingness... I came to a corner... I sat myself there, burying my face in my arms...
"Iris... How am I supposed to live... without love...?"
"You won't have to."
"Why's that...?"
"Because... you have me..."
"You're not 'love'..."
"Oh, you'd be surprised..."
"If you really are 'love,' then stay away from me... You've torn off enough of my soul... aren't you satisfied? You were once hungry, so you sought me out... Now, aren't you full? Wasn't my empty soul enough to fill you up? Was it delicious? Was it bland? Don't tell me, 'cause I don't care..."
"...Not even for Iris...?"
"Keep away..."
"Iris..."
"I said keep away..."
"Iris..."
"No..."
"Iris..."
"No... No... NO!!!!"
_____________________________
"Iris... no... No... NO!!!" Reality blasted my eyes. Cold ovals of sweaty rime adorned my face. I was out of breath. My eyes were moist when I wiped them.
I found myself in a white room, sitting on a white bed, with white sheets, with a white pillow, with white raiments clinging to my body, with white flowing curtains, a white tile floor, a large white window shimmering with white sunlight, and a white breeze withal.
Cool, congenial air from the window chilled my sweat as I quickly rubbed them away. I felt lost energy returning to my dormant self. With renewed vigor, I swept the sheets off and made my way to the adjoining door.
"Ah, crap!!" I found myself on the tile floor since my legs wouldn't stand.
"*Gasp* You're awake!! He's awake!!" A young woman bursted from the very door I was heading for. She hollered with elation and helped me up to the bed.
"Where am I?" I inquired as I tried to remember what had happened.
"You're in the infirmary of the Laevaentteinn base." The golden haired lady proudly stated my location.
"La-what?" That name puzzled me like a monkey in a bush.
"Lae-vaen-tte-inn (la-vine-tee-in)." I felt like a toddler when she deliberately pronounced it for me.
"Whatever... How did I get here?"
"We found you in the smoldering remains of Sphere's detainment facility. You did one heck of a job kicking their bu-" She stopped when she saw me holding my head in agony. I suddenly remembered what was going on. Rey Vyn...
"Are you okay!?" Her hands flashed to my shoulders.
"Yeah... Just... how long... has it been?"
"You've been in a coma for a week. We seriously didn't think you'd survive that red AC's beating!" She was ecstatic as she spoke of this.
My eyes narrowed as I recalled Rey Vyn's AC beating me with its bare fists into a metallic lump.
"What's your name?" She took her hands from my tense shoulders.
"Ah, my name? It's... uh..." I remembered the dream. Iris... "It's Qastor."
"Qastor... Is it? Well, I'm glad you're awake. The doctor should be here soon." She helped me up on my feet. I was able to stand again, but my legs were trembling.
"You're legs must be asleep." She laughed as she said this.
"Huh... I guess you're right." I admit, I was amused at myself. All six- years of Raven training were finally paying off for once. I wanted to thank the nice lady, but her name was unknown to me. "What's your name? Sorry for not asking earlier." A forgiving smile curved on her lips.
"It's Diana."
"Dreamsaga"
???
???
Drifting... Never-ending... Blind... Lost... Forgotten...
What hope have I in this never-ending, never-existing dream of mine?
Love...
Who needs love...?
Pain... That was what love offered me... That was the ONLY thing love offered me...
During those countless years of empty existence, I managed to crawl my way out, up and out of that hole filled with hope, and here I am... A Raven...
Is that it...?
A Raven?
People see me as a Raven... Why can't they see me for who I am? Is it because they look down upon Ravens...? We Ravens give an attempt to eke out a seemingly comfortable living in this world... just like everyone else... even the Corporations...
Just trying to survive...
This world... it's...
Comforting...
So dark... so empty... this is... This world is... my mind... my heart... its memories tucked away in secret shadows... its emotions burned to ashes... its ashes burned to nothing...
This is my secret world...
A world I could retreat to...
A world I could seek refuge within...
Home...
A pitch-black realm...
A raven's...
Black Feather...
_____________________________
My life... where is it going...? I feel so empty... so useless... a dreg in a world of priceless possessions... possessions of those who are loved... and I... what am I...?
Who am I...?
Someone... please...
Tell... me... who I am...
Someone...
Iris?
She was lying on her side, flat on the pitch-black floor. I swam in the air down to her. My feet touched the invisible floor. It felt like an eternity since I've been able to walk.
I rushed over to her. My hand reached for her shoulder, but a limelight appearing ahead startled me. In the limelight was... Another Iris?
"Qastor, are you joking again?" She spoke.
"Qastor, how could you?" Another appeared.
"Qastor... You're so sweet..." Another appeared.
"Qastor, I get real pissed off when you make those faces..." Another.
"Qastor, get up! It's late..." Another...
"Qastor... Thank you..." Another...
"I love you... Qastor..." They all disappeared.
My eyes were wide... My mind was bombarded with messages and feelings... What's happening? Iris was still lying below me. I shook her shoulder.
"Iris...? Wake up... Iris...?" My index finger was moist. I withdrew my hand. It was tipped with...
Blood...
I held her shoulder and turned her slowly. Her left chest was red. The floor beneath her was stained with blood. I held her in my arms.
"Iris!? Iris!! Wake up!! IRIS!!!!"
Iris' head turned to me with fatigue. Her eyelids revealed a slit. A tear streamed from her ebbing eyes. Iris opened her mouth to say something, but her eyes closed again.
"No......" I held her close... "NO!!!" I quickly let go of her. "Love... you threaten to hurt me again!? I won't have it!!! I WON'T!!! NO MORE... pain... please... just let me be..." I walked away from Iris. She dissipated into the repressed depths of my memories... only to be crushed and processed into nothingness... I came to a corner... I sat myself there, burying my face in my arms...
"Iris... How am I supposed to live... without love...?"
"You won't have to."
"Why's that...?"
"Because... you have me..."
"You're not 'love'..."
"Oh, you'd be surprised..."
"If you really are 'love,' then stay away from me... You've torn off enough of my soul... aren't you satisfied? You were once hungry, so you sought me out... Now, aren't you full? Wasn't my empty soul enough to fill you up? Was it delicious? Was it bland? Don't tell me, 'cause I don't care..."
"...Not even for Iris...?"
"Keep away..."
"Iris..."
"I said keep away..."
"Iris..."
"No..."
"Iris..."
"No... No... NO!!!!"
_____________________________
"Iris... no... No... NO!!!" Reality blasted my eyes. Cold ovals of sweaty rime adorned my face. I was out of breath. My eyes were moist when I wiped them.
I found myself in a white room, sitting on a white bed, with white sheets, with a white pillow, with white raiments clinging to my body, with white flowing curtains, a white tile floor, a large white window shimmering with white sunlight, and a white breeze withal.
Cool, congenial air from the window chilled my sweat as I quickly rubbed them away. I felt lost energy returning to my dormant self. With renewed vigor, I swept the sheets off and made my way to the adjoining door.
"Ah, crap!!" I found myself on the tile floor since my legs wouldn't stand.
"*Gasp* You're awake!! He's awake!!" A young woman bursted from the very door I was heading for. She hollered with elation and helped me up to the bed.
"Where am I?" I inquired as I tried to remember what had happened.
"You're in the infirmary of the Laevaentteinn base." The golden haired lady proudly stated my location.
"La-what?" That name puzzled me like a monkey in a bush.
"Lae-vaen-tte-inn (la-vine-tee-in)." I felt like a toddler when she deliberately pronounced it for me.
"Whatever... How did I get here?"
"We found you in the smoldering remains of Sphere's detainment facility. You did one heck of a job kicking their bu-" She stopped when she saw me holding my head in agony. I suddenly remembered what was going on. Rey Vyn...
"Are you okay!?" Her hands flashed to my shoulders.
"Yeah... Just... how long... has it been?"
"You've been in a coma for a week. We seriously didn't think you'd survive that red AC's beating!" She was ecstatic as she spoke of this.
My eyes narrowed as I recalled Rey Vyn's AC beating me with its bare fists into a metallic lump.
"What's your name?" She took her hands from my tense shoulders.
"Ah, my name? It's... uh..." I remembered the dream. Iris... "It's Qastor."
"Qastor... Is it? Well, I'm glad you're awake. The doctor should be here soon." She helped me up on my feet. I was able to stand again, but my legs were trembling.
"You're legs must be asleep." She laughed as she said this.
"Huh... I guess you're right." I admit, I was amused at myself. All six- years of Raven training were finally paying off for once. I wanted to thank the nice lady, but her name was unknown to me. "What's your name? Sorry for not asking earlier." A forgiving smile curved on her lips.
"It's Diana."