Disclaimer: I don't own jack, so cut me some slack and keep those lawyers back!
(A/N: Quick to update aren't I? Ah well, any way here's the fourth offering, hope you like. And thank you all for your great reviews.)
JustBy The Redundant Goddess…
(Last time)
Then suddenly, the little girl's eye's started to bleed. The blue of her eyes slowly bleeding down her snowy cheeks. Leaving small puddles and splashes on her gown and floor. Hitomi reeled back and gasped in shock at the sight before her. For as the blue bled from the little girl's eyes, all that was left was red. Then it happened. With all her might Hitomi screamed so loudly it filled the small room and soon the little girl was screaming too. Her red eyes piecing through Hitomi like a blade. But it wasn't her voice anymore that screamed along side Hitomi's. Instead it was Dilandau's
-{X Part IV X}-
Her Emerald green eyes blinked. Then she realised she was back. As they both screamed at each other at full force, Hitomi could feel the young boy's fingernails dig into her face. Their screams filled the barn as she tried to get him off of her, but it was no good. So in a last ditch effort with one of her long legs she kicked him in the chest, sending him flying backwards into stack of straw. Soon, the barn fell silent again as Hitomi panted for breath and beads of cold sweat ran down her aching cheeks. She felt her head throb again as she collapsed onto the stack of straw behind her.
Then silence, utter silence and the small ebbing beat of pain that resonated from Hitomi's aching head. Through out her close encounter with the demonic Dilandau she hadn't seemed to notice her injured head. She reasoned it was probably to do with that fact that Dilandau could have easily killed her and thus Hitomi was too scared to notice or care about her wound. But now, she could feel it's intense waves of agony and she welcomed it.
Even after she broke contact with the young silver haired boy the image of the bleeding girl's eyes remained in her mind's eye. As well as a flash of something sinister and cruel. A past that Hitomi never wanted to see. Not her past or even Dilandau's, but someone else's, perhaps the little girl. It frightened her, as she lay on the straw struggling with all her might to regain her normal breath, her hands becoming achingly numb from her weight. However the most worrying thing that strayed through her distraught mind was that Dilandau was right. There was someone there and she was real.
With that thought in mind, the young mousy haired girl slowly raised her head. It ached, but she didn't care. The emerald-eyed girl had to know what had happened to the distressed soldier of Zibach. As a large crick in her neck began to form, Hitomi discovered Dilandau slumped against the golden straw. He had passed out with his bottle of what she thought was wine slipping out of his still hand.
The tired and cold girl took a deep sigh of relief. As much as she would have loved Dilandau's mad ranting and ravings after her ordeal, Hitomi was glad of the sudden chilling silence. It gave her some peace before the eventual remembrance of what she had seen seeped in. The screams, the darkness, the bleeding eyes; she felt her whole body shudder. The memories of her vision rippled through her body like a foul poison. The silence, the darkness and that annoying pain of straw sticking into her bare flesh. Hitomi knew this situation was bad, but then again she knew it could only get worse from here on in.
Yet, the more she tried to dislodge the images that ran rampant in her mind, the more Hitomi couldn't help but think about who the little girl was. She knew now that Dilandau hadn't just been prattling on about some war-induced nightmare. The little girl with her blue eyes and that agonising sadness. They were real. Hitomi knew it. Deep down inside of her soul she knew and, even now, she could still sense the little girl's presence within the albino boy. A deep sense of sadness and pity filled her for both the little girl and Dilandau.
When the little girl's eyes had started to bleed, a gut feeling of terror and pain filled Hitomi, as if someone was about to die. It felt so real it scared her, but looking back on the whole experience the emerald eyed girl realised what that feeling was. Someone was about to die or would soon. Not only that she had a feeling it would either be Dilandau Alberto or the girl that dwelled within him.
She hated seeing death, especially the death of those who had suffered so much pain already only to die a death that Hitomi would never wish upon anyone. Even if the person who totalled the whole of Fanelia and slaughtered many people in the name of some crackpot old man. She really did feel for him.
Now, though, the silence was deafening. She couldn't take it. Her thoughts wouldn't leave her. The images of Dilandau's or the little girl's demise whirled around her head like a tornado of doom. She winced and groaned to herself as she rocked herself from side to side in an effort to shake herself out of her horrible trance. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, but she knew if she did Dilandau might wake up and when he woke he'd want his answer. Hitomi didn't want to tell him… she feared for him and what he might do to her.
However she was about to find out as a soft, grunting voice called out to her.
"Who were you?"
Hitomi lifted her body up at this. "Huh?"
"Who were you?" He repeated. " On the Mystic Moon I mean."
Her green eyes gazed cautiously at the young man, who lay slumped on the stack of straw in front of her. His stare drifting into hers in a very docile and heavy lidded fashion. This caught her by surprise, so much so she nearly jumped out of her goose pimpled flesh. Her breath caught in the back of her throat, making it very hard for her to reply. But not only that, she had never really been asked that question by any one. Not in that depth any way. Sure she had been asked where she had come from and what her world was like by Merle, Allen and even Van when he felt like it. But this… this was more personal and coming from a supposed enemy, it scared her.
Yet, most surprisingly of all, it took a Hitomi awhile to remember what she had been on the mystic moon. A schoolgirl. Yes, a schoolgirl at a school near water, a river, a sea. She wasn't the brightest student there, but she was a good one. Friends, family, even what she loved the most, running, took a while to come back to her. It seemed like an eternity since she had been back on earth with all those who loved her when really it had been less than a couple of days.
With a raise of a silvery brow Dilandau managed to snap Hitomi out of her trance, still starring at her in that paralysed way. The girl from the mystic moon, having recovered all memory of her life before Gaia, shook her head and looked back at him. With a soft grunt she had cleared her throat of any doubt and began to speak slowly, albeit shakily.
"Well… I was a schoolgirl in a country called Japan. It's a small island/s and it's near…"
" Yes, yes!" The former commander snarled and waved his hand dismissively at Hitomi, who just "Hmmfed" And continued on.
"… Any way, like I said I was a schoolgirl. That night at Allen's fort, I was in my school uniform. In fact you've probably seen me in my uniform all the time, apart from tonight…"
"… And that time I tried to assassinate Van with a crima claw blade…"
"… Okay and that." She blushed slightly remembering that torn dress that showed off a lot of leg. "But, this is my running gear. I was a really good sprinter for my school team. Hitomi Kanzaki: Ace on the track. That's what people, especially my friend Yukari, always used to say."
She paused for a moment. Her emerald eyes glazed over at the memories of her best friend back on earth. A sigh escaped her lips and created small wisps of mist in the night air of the barn.
The silver haired boy shifted slightly against his prickly backrest, while his eyes continued to drill into Hitomi's.
"So you were a happy little school girl?" He drawled. " With friends, family and you could run fast."
Dilandau snorted and chuckled all at once towards the tied up girl that sat opposite him. Hitomi frowned. But she continued any way. She didn't know why, but she just did.
"Yes. I was a normal Japanese school girl attending a nice Japanese high school with nice friends and family."
He raised an eyebrow again.
"Okay, maybe semi normal. I read peoples Tarot cards on my world too. People just thought it was just a bit of fun. So did I. My grandmother taught me. She's the one who also gave me my pendant… but… but when I read peoples fortunes on earth. It was nothing like this. Here it's always serious and, and awful. That…that's all they…"
"Want from you?"
Small silence hung in the air as Hitomi gave a surprised yet understanding look towards the young man.
"Yeah… that's all they want from me. Whether it causes good or terrible misfortune."
Another silence. Only this time it wasn't as nice as the last. That understanding air between them. Instead it was one in which both pondered what the other had said. Until Dilandau broke the silence.
"I saw that."
"Saw what?"
He rolled his eyes and shook his silvery head.
"You, your past, everything you were before you came here. Before you became Schezar's little woman…"
Hitomi cold face flushed bright red at the albino's brash statement.
"HEY! I am nobody's " little woman"! I am NOT Allen's OR Van's for that matter! I am me, my own person! Hitomi that's who!"
A dark chuckle filled the darkened barn again.
" That's who you were on your own world." He sighed and took a moment to stare at her annoyed hers. " But are you the same here?"
Hitomi's face fell. She hated to admit it, but the Albino had a point. What with all the battles, death and the horror her relationship between her, Van and Allen had changed. But to what she didn't know. However she didn't dwell too much on her half realisation as Dilandau had started to speak again.
"I saw that. I saw it all. In your eyes…"
The young girl's body chilled as the young ex commander's garnet eyes glassed over in thought. She knew what he was talking about and didn't want to go over it. She knew from what she had seen in him he wouldn't like the answer she would give him. She didn't want him to continue. It made her quake with fear, but he continued on regardless.
"… I saw it. That strange land you call Japan, your mother, your father, that little brat of a brother even your grandmother. I saw it all. The school, the track, the way running made you happy. I saw it. I saw it all when you looked into me. I don't think you meant for me to see it all, but I did. I saw it all. Even if I didn't mean to. But like I say. I did…"
"…Dilandau…" She pleaded silently. She knew what was coming and she begged all the gods known to creation that she wouldn't have to face it. But like a massive tidal wave, it just kept coming and coming. Wave upon wave of guilt, fear and pity rolled over her until she thought she was drowning in her own gentle tears that rippled slowly down her face. Her strength seeped out of her. Yet the big wave hadn't even hit yet, but she knew it would and soon. Too soon.
"… So now I have to ask, what you already knew I would ask. What did you see?"
(A/N: Another chapter out of the way, nearly done writing the whole thing now. Well I say that, but trust me it'll hopefully be good and keep in time with the series *she says*. Any way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and still understand what the hell is going on. Lol. So what do you think Hitomi will do now? What will Dilandua's reaction be? Who knows, apart from me. So until next time pies and thank you very much for all your positive reviews ^_^)