"A dream…" Hibiki whispered, staring blankly at the ceiling, "Only a dream…" Yet he found little comfort in those words. "The place of the spirits" was not an illusion; he knew that much for sure… it transcended dreams, a reality as real as the bunk he now laid on, the very air he breathed.
Yet how could it be?
Dita was dead, and once you were dead…
What then?
He had always figured there was nothing at the other side of death. So how could she have been in his "dream"?
Growling, Hibiki punched the wall in frustration. It just did not make sense. And he couldn't just deny that the whole thing had ever happened, for he still heard her words, as clearly as he had in his dream…
"Red, the color of your very own soul…"
Once upon a Christmas Eve – A Vandread Fanfiction by KW
Disclaimer- Ok, you know how the deal goes… I don't own anything that is related to Vandread, or its characters, but I DO own this story and will not appreciate plagiarism.
AN: Italics represent memories/thoughts
Okashira – Boss = I used this term because it works better with the general feel of things.
"You keep that up and you won't be able to use your hands you know?" Gascogne said, having seen enough of Meia's assault on the wooden dummy. Her words got the desired result as Meia stopped, whirling around as she finally realized that she wasn't alone.
In the moment that followed, Gascogne saw something that she had not seen on Meia's features for a very long time. Yet in a heartbeat it was gone, so fast that she almost questioned whether she had seen anything. Almost.
"Is there anything you want?" Meia asked, her tone neutral.
"No, I just heard someone in here, so I came to look." Gascogne said, as she leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed in front of her. "You really should let Duero look at your hands you know; in a few hours they are going to be so swollen you won't be able to close your fists."
"I see. Thank you for your concern." Meia replied coolly before walking past Gascogne and out into the corridor. She stopped however as Gascogne grabbed onto her arm as she passed by, her grip firm.
"Running away will not solve anything, and you can only run so far." Gascogne quietly said, her face mere inches from Meia's ear, "Tell me, what happens when you run out of places to run to?"
"I am not running away." Meia icily replied, not even turning to face her captor. "Now, would you please let go of my arm?"
"What happens when you run out of road?" Gascogne repeated as she complied, but Meia did not reply. Rather, she walked away, not even acknowledging that Gascogne had said anything.
"Ara, ara." Gascogne sighed as she watched Meia's quickly disappearing form. "Life is never easy…"
*****
Magno stared out the window of her office, watching the stars twinkle, beacons of light through the inky blackness. Two days had passed since Christmas, and already she felt old, very old.
"A decision had to be made…" Magno whispered, trying to find solace in what she knew to be the truth, yet none was found. It did not change the fact that she had made a decision that could very well be their undoing, hundreds of lives lost because she had voted yes. Yet to have voted no could have led to even more bloodshed.
She understood, painfully well the burdens of a leader, and those she bore because she understood as well that should she not do it, someone less suited would have to; and that could very well be disastrous. Yet, to have to make a decision like this…
Magno sighed. Yes, she understood the burdens of leadership much too well.
"B.C., do you think we are doing the right thing?" She asked without turning from the window. She knew her second in command had been standing there for some time, watching her, "Are we all dooming ourselves?"
"Okashira, the council has decided, you have decided." Buzam replied in her usual professional tone, "Whether it is the right choice, or the wrong choice doesn't really make a difference now. It has been decided."
"I know. I know." She should have expected as much, Buzam's military training birthed an amazingly capable vice-commander, yet also made for too logical a person at times. And logic was a very cold thing. "If you don't mind I'd like to be alone for awhile"
Buzam nodded and turned for the door. ""Regrets are for when we've gone and done what we needed to be done, not before we've even begun our journey. Everything will work out in the end; have faith in him, he hasn't let us down yet."
*****
Pyoro floated around the halls of the Nirvana, silently observing the people that roamed its many halls. For the little Navi-robot, things were a lot different from what they used to be. Where once the population of the ship had been mostly women, now thanks to the reintegration effort that had been undertaken, the proportions of men was significantly higher, almost making one third of the crew.
With such a change in the crew, things were bound to happen, and the part of Pyoro which was linked to the Pexis found it all very intriguing. For example, the time when he had witnessed the little argument between Paiway and Parfet concerning the affections of a certain long haired doctor. That little event had been greatly interesting. So to, had been the time where Barnette had to literally drag Jura away from some poor soul who had just arrived from Taraku. It was not his fault that he had been particularly good looking.
But as interesting the interactions been between the sexes, he still found himself constantly amazed by Pyoro-2, or as Ezra so persistently insisted, Karu. The child had been of much interest to the droid, and he greatly disliked the fact that Ezra had insisted the Karu spend more time with her parents.
Still, it had been a time of great learning, for Pyoro, and through him the pexis.
Then things started changing again. Following Dita's death, the crew had all been affected, and it really intrigued him that one person had been able to have such an effect on the many. Even he, a machine, had wished that it had not happened. Yet this event revealed a whole new side of human nature that he had not seen before. Humans grew from pain just as much as they grew from happiness.
It had been an interesting discovery for the last remaining Navi droid, and as he watched the faces of the people passing by him; from those who stopped and said Hi to those that simply ignored him, he wondered what new aspect of humanity he would learn next.
For the pexis felt it, and through it, he to felt it; another change was coming.
*****
Hibiki grumbled slightly as he polished his Vanguard.
"We will be leaving as soon as all preparations have been made; estimated time- two weeks from now. Until then all crew members except a skeleton crew will be given leave. Enjoy yourselves…"
Most of the crew had taken advantage of the impromptu holiday, and returned to their respective homes; the newer recruits being the most enthusiastic of them all. However, Hibiki did not join in their enthusiasm. By some obscure twist of fate, if you could call pulling some strings an obscure twist of fate, he happened to be included in the skeleton crew.
"Then again, it's not like I have anywhere to go…" He resignedly sighed as he studied his distorted reflection on the armour of his Vanguard.
*****
Misty looked nervously around as she stepped off the shuttle, feeling very much out of place While not being Mejerr, the pirate's main base was still a sight to behold. From the vantage point of the landing pad, the base seemed to buzz with life, a veritable lightshow of people getting on with their everyday lives. And to be honest, she found herself quite intimidated by it all.
The few times she had gone out of the Nirvana, whether it be to Mejerr or the base, Misty couldn't help but feel apprehensive towards being surrounded by so many strangers. True, on the whole, they were all very friendly; yet she still couldn't help but feel out of place. It had been the exact same feeling as when she had first arrived onto the Nirvana. The thing was, her greatest fear was to be alone, and when surrounded by people she didn't know, she could help but feel alone. But things change, and in her own way, so had she.
Misty turned away from the view to ask her travelling companion a question, only to find that Meia had already left. "Onee-san, wait up!" At least she wasn't alone...
*****
Meia sighed as she opened the door to her room. Finally she could be alone for awhile; Misty had gone to her allotted room for a quick rest. It wasn't that she did not like being with Misty, far from it. After all, over the years, a sisterly bond had developed between them; it was just that it was even harder to stay distant from someone who she did care about- even harder knowing that Misty realized her intentions, yet was not willing to be pushed away that easily.
Sighing, Meia looked around the room, a wave of nostalgia rolling over her. Simple, undecorated and functional in every way, this room was a testament to her character. She could remember the times, long before the Nirvana ever existed, when she had hid herself within the very same walls. Things had been simple then; she never let people know her heart, never got hurt …
Yet she knew that to be a lie. While others had not hurt her, she had hurt herself, slowly drowning in hatred at her very own being. So why have you gone back to the way you once were?
"I don't know…" Meia murmured, unable to answer her own question. She found that happened a lot in the past few days. The answers that once she would have been perfectly satisfied with, now rang false in her mind, and cracks had begun to form within the walls that she had raised. All because of one night., sitting by the lakeside with him, doing something as pointless as throwing pebbles into the lake. What's more, they had hardly spoken during the whole thing… yet for the first time since Dita died, she did not feel so alone. That she had not needed to bear the pain by herself.
It had felt nice.
****
*Plop*
Hibiki watched as the stone sailed into the water. For some reason, the simple act of throwing pebbles into the water always seemed to help him think; and considering he had nothing else to do BUT think at this point, this seemed the logical thing to do.
"Hibiki Tokai, but for what reasons have you called us to council?" Zed asked, looking bemusedly at his son who scowled at the condescending tone Zen used. To his credit however, Hibiki kept his calm as he gathered himself.
"I have called you all here to make a proposal." Hibiki announced, his voice firm even though he doubted his own capacity to speak. "I propose we make an offensive strike on Earth."
Murmurs of outrage rippled through the room as the implications of Hibiki's words set in, but Hibiki stood unfazed by this. He had come for a reason, and he was nt going to back down. This would be the proof of Hibiki Tokai, that he could once more defend those he held dear.
*Plop*
"Do we dare to risk an offensive?" Annie, otherwise known on Mejerr as Grandma asked, "Peace has finally settled between our worlds, and our reintegration between the men and women has been progressing nicely. To throw all that away at some invisible threat is sheer folly!"
"So what do you suggest we do?" Hibiki fired back, "Hide and pretend that everything is fine? Wait for them to bring war onto your doorsteps before you will even DO anything?
No danger?! Dita's dead thanks to those monsters! If we don't do anything this is going to happen all over again! I don't want to see that. Everyone, my friends, I don't want to see them die!!!"
The hardest part of the whole affair had been the council's reluctance to act. He had found himself having to defend against every single objection that they brought up, and they had many to raise. Still, vengeance drove him and anger gave him the words to say.
"Who are you to suggest such an insane proposition?!" Dagu, a balding man who had lost an eye in an accident on the original Ikazuchi, sneered. "You a mere child asking us to declare war? And for what? Just because the Earthlings broke your favourite toy!"
"DITA IS NOT A TOY!" Hibiki exploded. The meeting had pushed him to his limit and Dagu's comment had pushed him over the edge…
Thankfully relief came from an unexpected source.
"Enough." Jin, Hibiki's "grandpa" stood out of the shadows. Standing tall, he regarded Hibiki for a moment before speaking. "Hibiki, I think you've had to say enough today. Let others speak as well." Before Hibiki could cut back however, Jin placed a heavy hand on the younger man's shoulder, silencing him. He then turned to regard the others gathered. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm an old man and this seems to be taking much longer than it should."
"By no fault of ours. Hibiki is the one who refuses to relent." Zen retorted. He too was beginning to tire of this.
"Don't speak as if I am not here!" Hibiki bit back, about to explode once more. Before he could however, Jin gave Hibiki's shoulder a firm squeeze, motioning him to remain silent.
In hindsight, he was very grateful for that. That simple action had kept him from saying anything he probably would have regretted.
Zen continued, totally disregarding Hibiki's outburst. "Defending ourselves against the harvest is one thing… but to actually suggest we attack Earth? That is lunacy! Even if we could attack them hard enough to do any lasting damage, could we? To our own homeland?"
*Plop*
If he had a stone at the time he probably would have thrown it at the obstinate old man. If he had a couple more, he would probably have thrown it at the rest of them as well. But Jin's reply accomplished much more than what a mere stones could have.
"Homeland?" Jin retorted "True that was where we all came from, but Earth has stopped being our homes for a long time now. Home is where people are. It is not some piece of land floating in space. Tarak and Mejerr are our homes now. Homes we have built up with our own efforts, our own sacrifices. And now Earth has returned to threaten our homes once more."
Pausing for a moment so as to allow the maximum impact of his words, Jin continued, "We only really have two choices, attack or defend. Attack and perhaps we may catch them off guard. Defend and we'll eventually be facing a fully mobilized army. One that already knows ALL our strengths and weaknesses. "
In the end, it had somehow ended in a deadlock, and the decision put indefinitely on hold until the final vote was cast. Yet he did not begrudge Magno for withholding her vote; he understood that it was not an easy choice for her to make.
*Plop*
Idly, he wondered whether he himself had made the right decision by pursuing war.
*****
"Misty onee-san!!!"
Karu's voice interrupted Misty's train of thought; not that she really minded. She had been trying to make some sense of Meia's reluctance to meet Karu, today having been the second time she had avoided doing so.
"Misty onee-san!!!"
Misty grinned as she saw Karu waddling towards her, pudgy arms outstretched for a hug. Laughing, she decided that some thoughts were better left for later as she scooped up the now three year old toddler, brimming with the boundless energy that children of her age seemed to possess. "Hello, Karu-chan! How are you today?"
"Fama got me ice-cream!! And it was so yummy, and I ate and ate, but then Ohma got grumpy because I got all dirty… it was fun!!!" The little toddler squirmed in Misty's arms, looking around as if trying to find something "Where is Meia onee-san? You said she would come today…. I want to see Meia onee-san!!!"
"Oh. She's busy today so she couldn't come, but she asked me to give you this!" Misty smoothly lied as she pulled out a lollipop from a pocket and placed into the eager hands of the child. Looking up from the now distracted child, Misty mouthed a sorry to Ezra, who nodded and gave Misty an understanding smile. Meia's introversion since Dita's death had not gone unnoticed by her and Ezra only hoped that Meia would come to her senses soon. For both her and Karu's. sakes After all, Karu thought the world of Meia and really missed her. Meia, on the hand, had almost made it a point not to see the child since Dita's demise.
"Come on Karu-chan… lets go play on the swings ok?" Ezra cooed as she took one of the toddler's tiny hands, before giving Misty another soft smile; one that Misty gladly returned. Karu giggled with excitement, oblivious to the communication between her mother and her blue haired "onee-san". After all, as she would put it, swings were her "favouritest" thing in the whole world, second only to mountains of chocolate chip ice cream.
*****
Dagu looked at the report before him. They had unanimously agreed, he would be the perfect candidate to carry out their objectives. General Kiros MacDonnell, head of the intelligence division of Taraku, his loyalty to the nation was unquestionable, unlike that traitorous Uragasumi Tenmei, the spy that they had sent into the Nirvana. He even continued his charade of being a woman after they had discovered him, calling himself by his alias, Buzam Calessa.
Still that was a minor thing compared to what Hibiki had done. In one day, he had totally destroyed the scenario that the elders had agreed on. All had been going to plan, back before the Harvest war; they wee long prepared for the Harvest and the third and second generations were ripe for harvesting. Of course when the Earth had left, those of the first generation who remained asleep would be awakened, to a world already prepared. It would have been that simple.
But Hibiki had come and changed everything. He had swayed the vote, and they had ended up fighting the Harvest Fleet. Thankfully they had won, but ever since they heard of the destruction of one of the special dreads, the council had realised that Earth would return. Seeking revenge, not organs. This had caused many hours of fretting for him and the others in the council who he collaborated with, the council within the council.
Then while they still found themselves without an answer, that boy had the gall to suggest something as foolish as attacking Earth first. At first they had been against it, after all it was utter foolishness to bait an angry bear. Yet, as they had deliberated during the final recess, it became clear that the fool's errand of attacking earth could very well be an opportunity that they could exploit. Indeed, the more they had considered it, the more promising it became.
Dagu chuckled, the boy probably thought that it had been his ineffective speaking or even Jin's monologue which had swung the vote. The fool would probably be shocked to know that it was them who had made it possible.
"Ahem" A tall man with shaggy black hair stood at attention at the doorway, his posture stiff. "Commander Kiros reporting for briefing."
"At ease, Commander." Dagu smoothly replied, absentmindedly smiling as he studied the man before him. This was the man who would ensure that this time the scenario would go exactly as they wished. "Please sit down, we have much to talk about."
A.n. AHHH FINALLY I'M DONE!!! And I could have it a lot sooner if SOMEONE had pre-red faster. *stares at nameless pre-reader* But anyway… hope you guys enjoyed this instalment. This story has actually taken a turn which I didn't actually plan, and for that I gotta thank ViolentS for his feedback on it. Either way, hope you guys still want to see my ugly mug producing chapters =D
P.s. Yeah I know I said there was going to be a battle scene this chapter… well I lied *grinz* sue me ! all joking aside, that's part of what I meant when I said this chapter took a turn I hadn't expected. I actually separated my original chapter into two… but more on that next time~
(Oh and I'll finally get the mush scenes out by next chapter… finally at a point where I can snap Meia outta the funk I put her in… how I'm gonna do that? You gotta read my next chapter to find out!)
Till LaterZ
K