Chapter Three
Returning
- - - - Asturia - - - -
/Hitomi! Hitomi, can you hear me? / Van cried out in his mind. There
was no answer. He opened his eyed and looked around. "I can't reach
her. I haven't been able to for almost a year now." He sighed, and
looked around. Folken, Allen, Millerna, Merle, Dryden, and Chid watched
him. All the other representatives had left for their guest rooms. As
Van spoke, Folken's face fell. Everyone lapsed into thought.
Then Merle spoke up. "Hey! I have an idea! When Hitomi when Hitomi
was looking for Lord Van and couldn't find him, Allen and I helped her!
Maybe if we all try to reach her though the pendant, it'll work!"
"Perhaps." Folken stated, looking mildly hopeful.
"It's worth a shot" Van declared. "But how?"
"Gather around the pendant," Allen commanded. Everyone formed a
squished circle around Van. "Place your right hands together above the
pendant and focus on Hitomi." The pendant began to swing.
Suddenly, everyone found themselves in endless darkness. They could
see each other fine, but nothing else was visible, not even the ground.
The blackness seemed to extend forever in all directions.
"What happened? Where are we?" Chid cried out, slightly fearful.
"Hitomi?" Van called out into the abyss. His call echoed back to the
small group.
"I'm assuming that this has never happened before, has it?" Folken
inquired.
"No, I-" Van began, when a flash of light emanated from behind the
group. They spun around, and leapt back from the strange thing that had
appeared there.
It almost resembled a mechanical dragon. It was slightly larger than
any known guymelef, and its technology seemed advanced enough to put even
Zaibach to shame. It was pale blue and white, and its crimson eyes
seemed to see right through them. Its mechanical jaws opened, and it
spoke in a low growling voice.
"YOUR LONG DISTANCE CALL CANNOT BE COMPLETED DUE TO A POWER SHORTAGE.
PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE TONE AND TYPHOON INDUSTRIES WILL FORWARD
YOUR MESSAGE TO THE DESIRED RECIPIANT AND HAVE THEM REPLY ASAP. THANK
YOU AND HAVE A NICE DAY. BEEEEEEEP!" The monster closed its mouth and
spread its wing-like ears wide before it stopped moving entirely.
"Do we just.talk?" Merle asked. Everyone just stared at the thing.
Folken strode forward and spoke to the machine. The red crystal eyes
followed his movements as he stopped right in front of the massive
entity. "Hitomi, I hope you can hear me. Gaia is in trouble, and we need
your help once more. If there is any way that you can return to us to
aid us against this strange shadow-"
"BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!" The darkness shattered, and the seven people
found themselves back in the council chamber. Everyone had fallen to the
floor, and several guards and doctors had been trying desperately to wake
them. Merle looked at Van and spoke.
"I hope Hitomi got the message, because I don't think that we will be
making another one." Van held up the pendant. It was nothing more than
a piece of clear glass on a chain.
- - - - Cape Canaveral - - - -
"I can't find him!" Hitomi cried. She had been searching for Van's aura, and failing. "He could have something important to tell me!"
Kala tilted her head, as if listening to something. "I believe he does. Don't worry, though, because Typhoon is an excellent interplanetary answering machine."
"Typhoon?" Hitomi asked, confused.
"Yep! I made her! She's kind of like Earth's Escaflowne, except she's much more advanced. She's even got her own soul! Isn't that right, my little Typhoony?" Kala was practically squealing, and ran further into the dark room to hug a shadow. A mechanical whirr filled the room as the faint glow grew brighter. 'Little' was hardly the word that came to mind when Hitomi saw what her companion was hugging.
It was vaguely triangular in shape, and was hovering about two feet above the ground. There were three great engines at the rear of the strange 'craft' with several smaller maneuvering engines scattered along the hull. It was mostly pale blue and white. Hitomi was reminded of the when it had shot across the sky away from Zaibach. Its blue, blade-like wings seemed too small to support the craft's size, and looked razor sharp. What really surprised Hitomi were the six drag energists that were placed in the craft. There was one in each 'shoulder', one at the base of each wing, and two crimson eyes, that almost seemed to be watching her. Each wing seemed to be coming out of a folded arm, ending in a vicious set of curled claw. Kala was hugging two claws. A faint whirring sound came from the ships prow, which resembled a dragon head.
"Good!" Kala chirped. Her mood swings were quite strange. "Play it back for Hitomi!"
A deep, growling voice echoed through the hanger. "YOU HAVE ONE NEW MESSAGE." Hitomi jumped. A beep sounded, and there seemed to be muttering in the background. Then a voice rose. "Hitomi, I hope you can hear me." It began.
"Folken?" Hitomi cried in surprise.
"Shh!" Kala hissed. The message continued.
"Gaia is in trouble, and we need your help once more. If there is any way that you can return to us to aid us against this strange shadow- "another beep sounded, cutting Folken's voice off.
"Shadow?" Was that Folken? But isn't Folken dead?" Hitomi was getting tired of being confused.
"I do not know why that shadow, one of Yamiriku's corporeal forms, has appeared again. How ever, I do know what we have to do about it. As for Folken, that's my fault. Anyway, I advise you go tell your friend that that you ran into a relative, and that you will be absent for an indeterminate amount of time. Your parents and brother will know you're gone soon, I sent them a letter. We leave for Gaia in half an hour." Kala stated, looking at Hitomi. Her expressions had gone from curios to giddy to dead serious in a matter of second. Hitomi found herself getting used to the mood shifts, and reacted only to the words.
"Leave? I can't leave! Especially on such short notice!" She cried.
Kala's expression shifted into a glare that made Hitomi quite uncomfortable. "You can and you will. You are needed on Gaia, and you are going if I have to drag you. What do you care about such short notice, you knew more about the dig you're working on when you first started then scientists will know about it in a hundred years. If we come back and you lose your job, big deal. I'll get you one in the Air Force. Go on, that guy you ditched is wondering where you are." Kala grinned.
Hitomi sighed in defeat. "Alright, I'll be back soon." Hitomi turned to leave, paused, and turned back. "But when I get bock, I expect some more answers."
Kala perked up. "Sure thing, we'll have plenty of time for twenty questions on the way, 'Kari."
Hitomi did not notice her new nickname and headed out the door.
- - - - Josh was sitting in his car, wondering where Hitomi could be, and why she ran off like that. Just as he looked up, he saw Hitomi walking towards the car. He leapt out and ran towards her. When he reached her, questions blew out of him. "Where were you? Why did you run off? Are you okay? Did you run into anyone? Are you."
Hitomi held up her hand to stem the flow of questions. "I saw someone I thought I knew, and I chased after her. When I finally caught up to her, she told me who she was and we spoke. I knew her well long ago. I know that I'm being cryptic, and I'm not answering all your questions, but I need you to do me a favor."
Josh was getting uncomfortable, but was determined to help Hitomi in any way possible. "Sure. What is it?"
"I need you to mail all my stuff at the dig to my house in Japan. I'm leaving to a place few people go, and I don't know when, or even if, I'll be back. I know this is confusing, but you have to trust me. This is very important."
Josh opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again when he realized that Hitomi had made up her mind. "I trust you." he said.
Hitomi nodded. "Thank you." She turned and walked away once more. Josh stared after her. Eventually, he got in is car. Had he looked back, he would have seen the most advanced fighter craft in this world and the next lift into the sky and disappear into the clouds.
- - - - Hitomi returned to the hanger quickly. Kala was leaning against a wall with her eyes closed. As Hitomi shut the door, Kala's eyes snapped open and she looked at Hitomi with a smile. "'Kari! 'Bout time! Let's go!" Kala ran forward and grabbed Hitomi's hand. She then proceeded to drag her captive over to the hovering craft. "Oy, Typhoon! Open up!" Rib-like membranes on Typhoon's back slid apart, revealing a cockpit just behind the dragon head. Hitomi couldn't recognize any of the controls except for a pair of joysticks. Then, she noticed something else. "There's only one seat." "Ah, no problem. Typhoon, give me a co-pilot station." More of the back slid open, revealing what appeared to be a mess of tubes and wiring. As they watched, the inner workings of the craft writhed and shifted, creating a second seat behind the first. Hitomi's eyes widened. "How-how...never mind." She slid into the second seat, while Kala leapt into the first. Typhoons bock closed above them, and Hitomi found herself in pitch blackness. "Uh., Kala? It is very dark." Kala's voice filled her head. //Focus on the gathering energy several feet in front of you. // Hitomi closed her eyes and focused. When she opened them again, she was looking into the hanger. //Whoa!// //Neat, isn't it? You're looking through Typhoons eyes. You should also see two little crosshairs. There are two joysticks in front of you. Use the joysticks to control the crosshairs.//Hitomi found the joysticks and jiggled them, watching the crosshairs dart across her vision. Kala continued her tutorial. //Each button on the joysticks operates a weapon on that side of the craft. I will explain more thoroughly on the way what they do. // //Why are you giving me a weapons station? // //Because you'll need them. All righty, then, Typhoon! To Gaia!// Hitomi watched through Typhoon's eyes as they rose into the air. The hanger's roof opened up for them, and Hitomi felt a harness wrap around her torso. Typhoon lifted her nose and fired her engines. The sudden pressure crushed Hitomi into her seat, which immediately altered itself to make her more comfortable. She was finding it quite difficult to breathe. This suffocation continued as Typhoon shot through the clouds at mind-boggling speeds. Hitomi shut her eyes. Just when she thought she was going to die, the pressure lessened. She opened her eyes and gasped. The stars expanded as far as she could see. //Its.beautiful//. As soon as she 'said' that, her-Typhoons gaze shifted from the stars, and Earth filled most of Hitomi's vision. The sight took her breath away. Seeing it from Gaia or pictures in textbooks did the sight no justice in comparison to seeing it like this. Kala's voice entered her mind. //Yes. Beautiful. This is just a very, very small sample of beauty that this universe has to offer. And if the Balance is upset too greatly, all of it will be lost. I do not understand why Yamiriku has forgotten this, but it is something we must always remember.// //Remember.// Hitomi repeated, as the full weight of what could happen hit her hard. She lifted her head and narrowed her eyes. //Yes. And we must not fail to remind him. //
- - - - Unknown - - - -
"She is coming. She will pay. But the parasites will pay first. This is my planet. I choose who lives and who dies. And they will die. They will all die for disobeying me. And then She will pay. She will pay, just as He did. And then the universe will bow to me, and the Balance itself will bend to my will. AHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
..................................
OK, everyone, sorry for the delay, O ye few who care. With or without reviews, it still may take me another month or more to get out the next chapter, so I'm not setting a limit this time. However, more may inspire me to work faster. See you then!
Returning
- - - - Asturia - - - -
/Hitomi! Hitomi, can you hear me? / Van cried out in his mind. There
was no answer. He opened his eyed and looked around. "I can't reach
her. I haven't been able to for almost a year now." He sighed, and
looked around. Folken, Allen, Millerna, Merle, Dryden, and Chid watched
him. All the other representatives had left for their guest rooms. As
Van spoke, Folken's face fell. Everyone lapsed into thought.
Then Merle spoke up. "Hey! I have an idea! When Hitomi when Hitomi
was looking for Lord Van and couldn't find him, Allen and I helped her!
Maybe if we all try to reach her though the pendant, it'll work!"
"Perhaps." Folken stated, looking mildly hopeful.
"It's worth a shot" Van declared. "But how?"
"Gather around the pendant," Allen commanded. Everyone formed a
squished circle around Van. "Place your right hands together above the
pendant and focus on Hitomi." The pendant began to swing.
Suddenly, everyone found themselves in endless darkness. They could
see each other fine, but nothing else was visible, not even the ground.
The blackness seemed to extend forever in all directions.
"What happened? Where are we?" Chid cried out, slightly fearful.
"Hitomi?" Van called out into the abyss. His call echoed back to the
small group.
"I'm assuming that this has never happened before, has it?" Folken
inquired.
"No, I-" Van began, when a flash of light emanated from behind the
group. They spun around, and leapt back from the strange thing that had
appeared there.
It almost resembled a mechanical dragon. It was slightly larger than
any known guymelef, and its technology seemed advanced enough to put even
Zaibach to shame. It was pale blue and white, and its crimson eyes
seemed to see right through them. Its mechanical jaws opened, and it
spoke in a low growling voice.
"YOUR LONG DISTANCE CALL CANNOT BE COMPLETED DUE TO A POWER SHORTAGE.
PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE TONE AND TYPHOON INDUSTRIES WILL FORWARD
YOUR MESSAGE TO THE DESIRED RECIPIANT AND HAVE THEM REPLY ASAP. THANK
YOU AND HAVE A NICE DAY. BEEEEEEEP!" The monster closed its mouth and
spread its wing-like ears wide before it stopped moving entirely.
"Do we just.talk?" Merle asked. Everyone just stared at the thing.
Folken strode forward and spoke to the machine. The red crystal eyes
followed his movements as he stopped right in front of the massive
entity. "Hitomi, I hope you can hear me. Gaia is in trouble, and we need
your help once more. If there is any way that you can return to us to
aid us against this strange shadow-"
"BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!" The darkness shattered, and the seven people
found themselves back in the council chamber. Everyone had fallen to the
floor, and several guards and doctors had been trying desperately to wake
them. Merle looked at Van and spoke.
"I hope Hitomi got the message, because I don't think that we will be
making another one." Van held up the pendant. It was nothing more than
a piece of clear glass on a chain.
- - - - Cape Canaveral - - - -
"I can't find him!" Hitomi cried. She had been searching for Van's aura, and failing. "He could have something important to tell me!"
Kala tilted her head, as if listening to something. "I believe he does. Don't worry, though, because Typhoon is an excellent interplanetary answering machine."
"Typhoon?" Hitomi asked, confused.
"Yep! I made her! She's kind of like Earth's Escaflowne, except she's much more advanced. She's even got her own soul! Isn't that right, my little Typhoony?" Kala was practically squealing, and ran further into the dark room to hug a shadow. A mechanical whirr filled the room as the faint glow grew brighter. 'Little' was hardly the word that came to mind when Hitomi saw what her companion was hugging.
It was vaguely triangular in shape, and was hovering about two feet above the ground. There were three great engines at the rear of the strange 'craft' with several smaller maneuvering engines scattered along the hull. It was mostly pale blue and white. Hitomi was reminded of the when it had shot across the sky away from Zaibach. Its blue, blade-like wings seemed too small to support the craft's size, and looked razor sharp. What really surprised Hitomi were the six drag energists that were placed in the craft. There was one in each 'shoulder', one at the base of each wing, and two crimson eyes, that almost seemed to be watching her. Each wing seemed to be coming out of a folded arm, ending in a vicious set of curled claw. Kala was hugging two claws. A faint whirring sound came from the ships prow, which resembled a dragon head.
"Good!" Kala chirped. Her mood swings were quite strange. "Play it back for Hitomi!"
A deep, growling voice echoed through the hanger. "YOU HAVE ONE NEW MESSAGE." Hitomi jumped. A beep sounded, and there seemed to be muttering in the background. Then a voice rose. "Hitomi, I hope you can hear me." It began.
"Folken?" Hitomi cried in surprise.
"Shh!" Kala hissed. The message continued.
"Gaia is in trouble, and we need your help once more. If there is any way that you can return to us to aid us against this strange shadow- "another beep sounded, cutting Folken's voice off.
"Shadow?" Was that Folken? But isn't Folken dead?" Hitomi was getting tired of being confused.
"I do not know why that shadow, one of Yamiriku's corporeal forms, has appeared again. How ever, I do know what we have to do about it. As for Folken, that's my fault. Anyway, I advise you go tell your friend that that you ran into a relative, and that you will be absent for an indeterminate amount of time. Your parents and brother will know you're gone soon, I sent them a letter. We leave for Gaia in half an hour." Kala stated, looking at Hitomi. Her expressions had gone from curios to giddy to dead serious in a matter of second. Hitomi found herself getting used to the mood shifts, and reacted only to the words.
"Leave? I can't leave! Especially on such short notice!" She cried.
Kala's expression shifted into a glare that made Hitomi quite uncomfortable. "You can and you will. You are needed on Gaia, and you are going if I have to drag you. What do you care about such short notice, you knew more about the dig you're working on when you first started then scientists will know about it in a hundred years. If we come back and you lose your job, big deal. I'll get you one in the Air Force. Go on, that guy you ditched is wondering where you are." Kala grinned.
Hitomi sighed in defeat. "Alright, I'll be back soon." Hitomi turned to leave, paused, and turned back. "But when I get bock, I expect some more answers."
Kala perked up. "Sure thing, we'll have plenty of time for twenty questions on the way, 'Kari."
Hitomi did not notice her new nickname and headed out the door.
- - - - Josh was sitting in his car, wondering where Hitomi could be, and why she ran off like that. Just as he looked up, he saw Hitomi walking towards the car. He leapt out and ran towards her. When he reached her, questions blew out of him. "Where were you? Why did you run off? Are you okay? Did you run into anyone? Are you."
Hitomi held up her hand to stem the flow of questions. "I saw someone I thought I knew, and I chased after her. When I finally caught up to her, she told me who she was and we spoke. I knew her well long ago. I know that I'm being cryptic, and I'm not answering all your questions, but I need you to do me a favor."
Josh was getting uncomfortable, but was determined to help Hitomi in any way possible. "Sure. What is it?"
"I need you to mail all my stuff at the dig to my house in Japan. I'm leaving to a place few people go, and I don't know when, or even if, I'll be back. I know this is confusing, but you have to trust me. This is very important."
Josh opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again when he realized that Hitomi had made up her mind. "I trust you." he said.
Hitomi nodded. "Thank you." She turned and walked away once more. Josh stared after her. Eventually, he got in is car. Had he looked back, he would have seen the most advanced fighter craft in this world and the next lift into the sky and disappear into the clouds.
- - - - Hitomi returned to the hanger quickly. Kala was leaning against a wall with her eyes closed. As Hitomi shut the door, Kala's eyes snapped open and she looked at Hitomi with a smile. "'Kari! 'Bout time! Let's go!" Kala ran forward and grabbed Hitomi's hand. She then proceeded to drag her captive over to the hovering craft. "Oy, Typhoon! Open up!" Rib-like membranes on Typhoon's back slid apart, revealing a cockpit just behind the dragon head. Hitomi couldn't recognize any of the controls except for a pair of joysticks. Then, she noticed something else. "There's only one seat." "Ah, no problem. Typhoon, give me a co-pilot station." More of the back slid open, revealing what appeared to be a mess of tubes and wiring. As they watched, the inner workings of the craft writhed and shifted, creating a second seat behind the first. Hitomi's eyes widened. "How-how...never mind." She slid into the second seat, while Kala leapt into the first. Typhoons bock closed above them, and Hitomi found herself in pitch blackness. "Uh., Kala? It is very dark." Kala's voice filled her head. //Focus on the gathering energy several feet in front of you. // Hitomi closed her eyes and focused. When she opened them again, she was looking into the hanger. //Whoa!// //Neat, isn't it? You're looking through Typhoons eyes. You should also see two little crosshairs. There are two joysticks in front of you. Use the joysticks to control the crosshairs.//Hitomi found the joysticks and jiggled them, watching the crosshairs dart across her vision. Kala continued her tutorial. //Each button on the joysticks operates a weapon on that side of the craft. I will explain more thoroughly on the way what they do. // //Why are you giving me a weapons station? // //Because you'll need them. All righty, then, Typhoon! To Gaia!// Hitomi watched through Typhoon's eyes as they rose into the air. The hanger's roof opened up for them, and Hitomi felt a harness wrap around her torso. Typhoon lifted her nose and fired her engines. The sudden pressure crushed Hitomi into her seat, which immediately altered itself to make her more comfortable. She was finding it quite difficult to breathe. This suffocation continued as Typhoon shot through the clouds at mind-boggling speeds. Hitomi shut her eyes. Just when she thought she was going to die, the pressure lessened. She opened her eyes and gasped. The stars expanded as far as she could see. //Its.beautiful//. As soon as she 'said' that, her-Typhoons gaze shifted from the stars, and Earth filled most of Hitomi's vision. The sight took her breath away. Seeing it from Gaia or pictures in textbooks did the sight no justice in comparison to seeing it like this. Kala's voice entered her mind. //Yes. Beautiful. This is just a very, very small sample of beauty that this universe has to offer. And if the Balance is upset too greatly, all of it will be lost. I do not understand why Yamiriku has forgotten this, but it is something we must always remember.// //Remember.// Hitomi repeated, as the full weight of what could happen hit her hard. She lifted her head and narrowed her eyes. //Yes. And we must not fail to remind him. //
- - - - Unknown - - - -
"She is coming. She will pay. But the parasites will pay first. This is my planet. I choose who lives and who dies. And they will die. They will all die for disobeying me. And then She will pay. She will pay, just as He did. And then the universe will bow to me, and the Balance itself will bend to my will. AHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
..................................
OK, everyone, sorry for the delay, O ye few who care. With or without reviews, it still may take me another month or more to get out the next chapter, so I'm not setting a limit this time. However, more may inspire me to work faster. See you then!
