Collateral Damage Chapter one: Following the Hands of Time

** This takes place after a mix of a 'B' and 'C' ending. I thought it'd be interesting, anyway. I'm not sure about the title, but I couldn't think of anything else. So...

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"I want to go back, even if it means being alone."

Margarete pouted as she lay on her bed, fully dressed, staring at the ceiling. "It seemed like such a good idea at the time." She thought, rolling over and resting her chin on the pillow. "But now I'm beginning to regret my decision." She sighed and dragged herself into a sitting position; her head felt like it weighed a ton. She rubbed it as it slowly pounded, screwing up her eyes against its throbbing.

"So much had happened that night that I was afraid to stay any longer. I was so scared... But now, after four months I feel that strange pull towards the future that I felt when Eike came and told me those stories." She sighed again. "Eike... what have I done?" At that moment she chuckled, despite the pain in her head. She didn't know what she found so amusing, but it felt good to laugh for a change.

At that moment there was a light tap on her door.

"Oh. Come in." She stood up and attempted to smooth out her hair. Her aunt poked her head in.

"Margarete, I'm going down to the bakery. Would you like to come? I really think you could use some fresh air."

Margarete lowered her eyes to the floor and blushed guiltily. After watching her house fall in on Hugo, she had shut herself up in her room until recently. She could still hear Hugo screaming 'Mother!' in the moments before she woke up every morning. "I- I'm sorry..."

"There's no need to feel sorry, dear." Her aunt smiled sympathetically. "Not after what you've been through. The thing to do is pick yourself right back up and charge at life again. I'll be waiting downstairs while you clean up." She departed, and Margarete gave a small smile.

"Thank you." Margarete responded weakly before picking up her brush off her dresser and quickly running it through her hair.

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Margarete had to shield her eyes from the harsh light of the sun as she stepped outside with her aunt. She squinted as they made their way down the ever-familiar streets in silence.

Stopping outside the bakery door, Margarete's aunt slapped her right fist into her other palm. "Oh! I must have forgotten. Dear," she turned to Margarete. "Will you stop by the butcher and ask them if they could get me a rack of lamb ready by late afternoon? I'm not quite sure how busy they are..."

"Of course." Margarete set off at once, humming as she wound her way around houses and shops. She no longer had to cover her eyes, so she could enjoy the view much better. She had forgotten how beautiful everything was.

After making the order at the butcher's, Margarete bumped into Dana, who smiled brightly.

"Margarete! It's good to see you outside."

Margarete smiled in return. "It's good to be outside. What have I missed?"

Dana laughed and shook her head. "Nothing, unless you count the old hags in the square going at each other again."

Margarete still wasn't used to the way Dana spoke, but didn't really mind too much, considering she understood what she was saying in general. "Oh, I can only imagine what they've been saying about why they think I've been inside continuously."

"Not to mention the stuff they've been screeching about your father's and brother's disappearance." After saying this Dana quickly covered her mouth with a hand took a sharp intake of air; it was fairly obvious she had said a bit too much. "Oh, Margarete. I'm sorry- I-."

"No, no. It's- I... It's about time I got over it anyways. I've got to pick myself up and charge back at life!" She felt a little funny repeating her aunt's words, but they were true, and they gave her strength. She smiled again, and Dana returned it after a dubious moment.

"Anyways," Margarete continued, "let the old crones talk." She waved goodbye to Dana and continued to the bakery, slower this time. After a bit of thinking she walked over to the square, and watched the group huddled in heated conversation.

"If lightning strikes anybody down, it'll be those three." Margarete thought bitterly. "Loud dress indeed!"

Her eyes wandered a bit, and rested just south of the square. From where she stood she could see the door to her old house, and suddenly, she was walking, as if possessed, towards the ruins.

She stared at the unhinged door curiously. "What happened to Hugo that night?" she wondered. "I never heard a thing, but... did he actually see mother?"

Shivering slightly she tentatively pushed the door open, and carefully made her way through the debris.

"M- mother?" she called softly, feeling foolish. She heard something move around under her feet, and, in her excitement, ran down the basement stairs.

Margarete gasped slightly as a mouse scurried across her foot. "Just a mouse." She thought sadly. She shook her head angrily. "This is ridiculous! I'm acting like a fool! Mother is dead. They're all dead." As she made her way back up the steps, she halted suddenly. She turned slowly to look at what had caught her eye; the time machine Hugo had used to take them to the future. She walked over to it and brushed some of the dust off of the dials.

"It can only follow Eike's time machine." She recalled Hugo saying as he had dragged her down the steps.

"It's still here." She murmured. "Eike..."

She frowned and withdrew her hand. "No. I shouldn't. If I am Eike's ancestress, then I shouldn't put Eike's existence in risk by returning to the future." Margarete sighed, and closed her eyes for a moment. Then, realizing something, she snapped them open. "But I wouldn't be endangering it if I were just VISITING." She turned back towards the time machine. "All right, Eike. Let's see if I can remember how Hugo worked this contraption."

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Okay, now everybody can review and tell me what they think! Yes, yes. All you Homunculus fans can see him in the next chapter, however briefly. Like I said in the summary, it totally depends on my mood if this will be a romance flick or not. Who knows, I may even have the cutie killed off. Muahahahaha!

Here's an interesting fact, Homunculus means dwarf or runt in the dictionary. Hee hee. ^-^ Bet he was teased a lot in grade school for that one. (So that's what he meant by there's not much in a name. Right.)