Chapter 7
He'd never done this before. The sensation was disturbing, as though he were sinking under water. There was pressure on all parts of his body, and he couldn't breathe. If it had lasted more than a couple of seconds, he would of screamed.
Suddenly, Kyou couldn't feel his body any longer. He didn't know if his eyes were open or closed, but colors of all kinds were spiraling around, swirving in and out of different unknown shapes. His mind was clear of all thoughts except for those colors, and all he could do was watch them.
Slowly, the ability to think came back, and he wondered if he were dead. He couldn't remember what happened to him, beyond a faint whisper in his mind. The only emotion he felt was as slight discomfort.
There was no way to tell how long he remained this way, with his thoughts and emotions slowly sneaking back into his mind. It wasn't enough to understand his situation, or to know himself beyond his own present thoughts, and as the time grew longer and longer, he felt himself become afraid. What if he was trapped in this place forever? If he were dead, shouldn't his spirit of passed on to whatever lay after by now?
Suddenly, he became aware of other voices. Kyou still couldn't feel his body, but somehow he was able to turn toward them. Two figures, floating in the colored light, were close to him.
"Hello," one said, a girl with dark hair flowing around her face.
"Hi," greeted the other, a boy also with dark hair.
Both of them seemed relaxed. Either they had no control over their body as well, or they were so comfortable that all signs of anxiety were absent.
"I'm afraid," Kyou said, again uncertain if he were even saying the words with his actual mouth.
The girl reached forward and touched his face, and he could feel her hand. "You don't have to be here."
"Where are we?"
"I don't know."
"And that doesn't frighten you?"
The boy smiled and came closer. "Are you hurting?" he asked.
"No," Kyou replied.
"Then why be afraid?"
"I'm in a place I've never been before. I can't feel my body, or remember myself beyond my name."
The two moved forward and held on to him. He could feel the contact of their bodies against his own, but he didn't understand.
"We have been here. A place where you forget. There is nothing but light and comfort and each other. Our bodies are another place, even they aren't permitted to enter. There are no boundaries, nothing to hold us back. Whatever you think can become."
Kyou shook his head, closing his eyes. "Hold us back from what? How is it even possible that such a place can exist?"
"Why is it impossible for this place to exist?" the boy asked as the two of them pulled away.
"But you don't remember anything?" Kyou asked.
"I remember that my name is Yuki."
"I'm Tohru."
"My name is Kyou."
"Do you want to play with us?" Tohru asked.
Kyou looked at her. "How can we play? We should figure out what is going on. I don't want to forget myself forever."
Tohru smiled and touched his face again. "You are Kyou. Even if you don't have the details, you have your name and your mind and your spirit. You won't be here forever. Let go of your fears and worries, take a deep breath, and relax."
"Will you stay with me?" Kyou asked.
"Always," Yuki promised. "Forever and ever, we can be happy and free. You never have to be afraid, or lonely."
Kyou smiled and took their offered hands with his own. He could see them, glowing and blurry as Tohru and Yuki were in the brightness. He let his fear subside, and let his questions be burried. They would be with him, and he could be happy. Why fight it? There was nothing to be scared of. He loved these two people, and they could do whatever they wanted.
Connected by their hands, the three of them suddenly moved. He could see the colors spiraling faster as they flew through whatever held them. Kyou's doubts vanished, and he laughed with the others as they darted around, chasing each other, playing a catching game which they made up as they went along.
***
Madako watched the display screens with a sense of awe as the three lights that symbolized the three Seekers danced around each other. It was amazing, and he wondered what it would be like to be there. Tamora shook his shoulder hard, breaking him from the thoughts, and shoved part of the readout sheet in his face.
"What?" Madako grumped, taking the paper.
"Look at the new numbers. Look at them!" Tamora shouted, and Madako was shocked to see him so disgruntled. He'd never seen Tamora lose his cool.
"What about them?" he asked as he scrolled his eyes down the sheet. They were perfectly normal.
However, as he read farther down, he saw the numbers begin to change, with small veriations. Higher and higher they went, until a sudden jump to a finalized, fixed number. More than he could of ever imagined. More than Tamora or Akito could of ever imagined. It just wasn't possible for human beings to rank numbers of this sort, there was too much working against them.
Unless....
"Disconnect them! I'm taking these findings to Akito now!" Tamora exclaimed, snatching the papers and already halfway out the door before he even finished speaking.
"Of course," Madako stammered, making his way over to the control panel. He was in a daze as he went through the motions what would disconnect the children from each other. What could these numbers possiby mean?
to be continued....
He'd never done this before. The sensation was disturbing, as though he were sinking under water. There was pressure on all parts of his body, and he couldn't breathe. If it had lasted more than a couple of seconds, he would of screamed.
Suddenly, Kyou couldn't feel his body any longer. He didn't know if his eyes were open or closed, but colors of all kinds were spiraling around, swirving in and out of different unknown shapes. His mind was clear of all thoughts except for those colors, and all he could do was watch them.
Slowly, the ability to think came back, and he wondered if he were dead. He couldn't remember what happened to him, beyond a faint whisper in his mind. The only emotion he felt was as slight discomfort.
There was no way to tell how long he remained this way, with his thoughts and emotions slowly sneaking back into his mind. It wasn't enough to understand his situation, or to know himself beyond his own present thoughts, and as the time grew longer and longer, he felt himself become afraid. What if he was trapped in this place forever? If he were dead, shouldn't his spirit of passed on to whatever lay after by now?
Suddenly, he became aware of other voices. Kyou still couldn't feel his body, but somehow he was able to turn toward them. Two figures, floating in the colored light, were close to him.
"Hello," one said, a girl with dark hair flowing around her face.
"Hi," greeted the other, a boy also with dark hair.
Both of them seemed relaxed. Either they had no control over their body as well, or they were so comfortable that all signs of anxiety were absent.
"I'm afraid," Kyou said, again uncertain if he were even saying the words with his actual mouth.
The girl reached forward and touched his face, and he could feel her hand. "You don't have to be here."
"Where are we?"
"I don't know."
"And that doesn't frighten you?"
The boy smiled and came closer. "Are you hurting?" he asked.
"No," Kyou replied.
"Then why be afraid?"
"I'm in a place I've never been before. I can't feel my body, or remember myself beyond my name."
The two moved forward and held on to him. He could feel the contact of their bodies against his own, but he didn't understand.
"We have been here. A place where you forget. There is nothing but light and comfort and each other. Our bodies are another place, even they aren't permitted to enter. There are no boundaries, nothing to hold us back. Whatever you think can become."
Kyou shook his head, closing his eyes. "Hold us back from what? How is it even possible that such a place can exist?"
"Why is it impossible for this place to exist?" the boy asked as the two of them pulled away.
"But you don't remember anything?" Kyou asked.
"I remember that my name is Yuki."
"I'm Tohru."
"My name is Kyou."
"Do you want to play with us?" Tohru asked.
Kyou looked at her. "How can we play? We should figure out what is going on. I don't want to forget myself forever."
Tohru smiled and touched his face again. "You are Kyou. Even if you don't have the details, you have your name and your mind and your spirit. You won't be here forever. Let go of your fears and worries, take a deep breath, and relax."
"Will you stay with me?" Kyou asked.
"Always," Yuki promised. "Forever and ever, we can be happy and free. You never have to be afraid, or lonely."
Kyou smiled and took their offered hands with his own. He could see them, glowing and blurry as Tohru and Yuki were in the brightness. He let his fear subside, and let his questions be burried. They would be with him, and he could be happy. Why fight it? There was nothing to be scared of. He loved these two people, and they could do whatever they wanted.
Connected by their hands, the three of them suddenly moved. He could see the colors spiraling faster as they flew through whatever held them. Kyou's doubts vanished, and he laughed with the others as they darted around, chasing each other, playing a catching game which they made up as they went along.
***
Madako watched the display screens with a sense of awe as the three lights that symbolized the three Seekers danced around each other. It was amazing, and he wondered what it would be like to be there. Tamora shook his shoulder hard, breaking him from the thoughts, and shoved part of the readout sheet in his face.
"What?" Madako grumped, taking the paper.
"Look at the new numbers. Look at them!" Tamora shouted, and Madako was shocked to see him so disgruntled. He'd never seen Tamora lose his cool.
"What about them?" he asked as he scrolled his eyes down the sheet. They were perfectly normal.
However, as he read farther down, he saw the numbers begin to change, with small veriations. Higher and higher they went, until a sudden jump to a finalized, fixed number. More than he could of ever imagined. More than Tamora or Akito could of ever imagined. It just wasn't possible for human beings to rank numbers of this sort, there was too much working against them.
Unless....
"Disconnect them! I'm taking these findings to Akito now!" Tamora exclaimed, snatching the papers and already halfway out the door before he even finished speaking.
"Of course," Madako stammered, making his way over to the control panel. He was in a daze as he went through the motions what would disconnect the children from each other. What could these numbers possiby mean?
to be continued....