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"Anywhere" -- Chapter 6: Intuition
By The Last Princess of Hyrule
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"Feels like my past is a page I turn,
In the book of fate,
I lived and I learned,
I'm playing my own game now,
I'm making rules, I won't pretend,
When intuition conquers you,
You will win in the end . . ."
-DJ Encore, "Intuition"
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In her room at the Egzardian inn, Hitomi had made up the bed and sat cross-legged on top of it, her headphones wrapped around her ears and the music's volume up so loud it drowned out all other sound. This way, the music seemed to consume all of her, like the darkness that pressed in on all sides. The sun had set long ago and the storm clouds that had rolled in that evening blocked the moons and stars from sight. Hitomi hadn't bothered to light a candle or fire in the room. Everything was pitch black.
The music was dark as well, a fulfillment for a secret depressed side of Hitomi that not many people knew about. It was this side of her that controlled her taste in music, and it loved dark American rock. She downloaded it from the Internet onto CDs late at night in her room when she was all alone. No one seemed to approve of it, and it wasn't popular enough in stores, but she loved it all the same.
In her CD player now was a CD she finished only the night before she was taken to Gaea, a sad style of gothic rock that was perfect for when she felt depressed. Since her arrival on Gaea, she felt that a lot.
Hitomi uncrossed her legs and tucked them against her stomach, wrapping her arms around them and resting her chin on one knee. How bitter the entire situation was becoming. She went through all the trouble to get away from everyone she cared about so she wouldn't hurt them anymore, and yet she hurt someone else. Another person was suffering because of her stupid actions.
But Folken . . . there was something about him, something in the way she felt about him that was different from the others. It wasn't like the simple friendship she felt from Millerna, or the love she felt for Allen. It was more like being with Yukari . . . but different somehow. Hitomi felt Yukari's loyalty, trustworthiness, guidance, strength, and steadfastness when she was with Folken, but there was also something else--a sadness, a feeling so bleak it seemed like there would never be happiness again.
As the music played, Hitomi felt the same sadness inside her; so intense she wondered if there had ever been a time when she was happy. She felt like she did back in Palas; sad, guilty, sick, and alone. The feelings weren't anything new, but it had been almost an entire day since she felt them, but now they consumed her entire mind.
Hitomi sighed and drew her fingers through her hair. Why am I thinking about this? Thinking and analyzing the problem only guaranteed to make it worse, and in any case, it was selfish to always be thinking about herself. There are more important people to worry about than me.
"Like who?"
The voice came out of nowhere sounding both close and far away at the same time, somehow loud enough for Hitomi to hear it over her music. The voice was one she didn't fully recognize, but it left her with a feeling of dejá vu, as if she had heard it before somewhere.
"Who's there?" Hitomi called into the darkness, pulling off her headphones and draping them around her neck.
The owner of the voice, whom Hitomi could tell was female, snorted. "Hmph. I know our meeting was pretty slight, Hitomi, but I remember you well enough."
The recognition struck Hitomi. "Naria?"
Behind her, framed by an evanesce glow, was a silver cat-woman with sleek, gleaming hair and piercing, icy blue eyes.
"So you're the Girl from the Mystic Moon, are you?" A different effeminate voice sounded next to Hitomi. She turned and met two dazzling red eyes, their owner a cat-woman identical to Naria, save for the stunning golden sheen of her skin and hair.
"Yeah, I am," said Hitomi, only somewhat intimidated by her. "Who are you?"
"My sister, Eriya." Naria smirked. "Fancy seeing you in Death, Hitomi."
"Death?" Hitomi got up. "I'm not dead."
"Poor thing," Eriya whispered to Naria. "In denial."
"I'm not in denial. And I'm not dead!"
"Then what are you doing here in Death?" asked Naria.
"I'm not in Death. This is my room." Hitomi felt around on the floor and grabbed her bag, pulling it onto the bed. "What are you doing here?"
"Your room?" Naria and Eriya exchanged glances.
Hitomi grabbed a lighter from inside her bag and pulled it out. Flicking the wheel, a tiny flame sputtered into life, which shed little light around the room, but enough for Hitomi to find a few candles and light them. A soft glow illuminated the room, pushing back the darkness with a warm hand, but it could not remove the chill Hitomi felt around Naria and Eriya.
"How can you be here in Life when you're . . . dead?" Hitomi asked, letting the lighter die.
Eriya gave a noncommittal shrug. "That'd be nice to know, wouldn't it?"
"Probably the work of those meddling Sorcerers," said Naria in disgust.
"Sorcerers?" Hitomi looked confused.
"Dirty Zaibach scientists that get their orders directly from Emperor Dornkirk," Eriya explained bitterly. "They're always doing something to ruin someone's life."
"What do you mean?"
"Like a few years ago, for example. They kidnapped a whole bunch of children from all over Gaea and did horrible experiments on them." Naria's eyes narrowed. "They were trying to change the children's fates."
"Oh . . ." Hitomi's visage suddenly turned sad.
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In the dim light filtering through the wreckage under which they hid, Hitomi's eyes caught it glimmer off the metal of Folken's right arm.
"You're just like Naria. Your bodies were changed." She didn't realize she'd made this observation aloud until he spoke.
"Naria? You . . . ?" Folken looked at her in surprise.
Hitomi crawled out from under the rubble and into the open air. "But Naria's dead," she said sadly. "Like all those people in Fanelia and Asturia."
Folken came out after her. "That is why we have to bring peace to Gaea," he said, straightening. "People thirst for blood-that's the fate of man that must be changed."
There was something defiant in his words that Hitomi didn't like.
"Dornkirk was wrong in his course of action, but not in his theories," Folken continued, more to himself than to Hitomi. "I will learn the laws of destiny and remake the world as I see fit, just like the people of Atlantis once did."
His words troubled Hitomi deeply, almost as much as the dangerous, challenging intensity she saw in his eyes. During her meeting with Dornkirk, the emperor had expressed similar views. "War is a destiny of which humanity can never rid itself," he had said. "One should forge their own destiny, rather than be ruled by it." He made it clear that he planned it to be he who ruled all of destiny. The thought of one person controlling others' lives like that was atrocious, and it made Hitomi shiver.
"But that's not how changing fate is supposed to work," she said. "Is it, Folken?"
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"No," Eriya frowned. "People aren't meant to mess with fate." Like Shesta, Naria and Eriya seemed to be able to hear Hitomi's thoughts and memories along with her spoken words.
"But you're already dead. Fate shouldn't be effecting you anymore, so how would altering fate have anything to do with you being here?" asked Hitomi.
"Everything!" Naria exclaimed. "Fate effects everything, dead or alive, and only a change in fate could have brought us here."
"That doesn't make any sense. What would the Zaibach Sorcerers have to gain from this?"
Naria and Eriya looked at each other, but neither had an answer.
Hitomi put a hand to her neck, her thumb and forefinger tracing the pendant's chain around her neck. "Maybe it isn't the Sorcerers," she suddenly said. She unclasped it and took it off. "Maybe it's something else."
The two cat-women's eyes caught sight of the jewel in her palm as it glittered in the candlelight. "That little thing can change fate?"
Is there anything it can't do? Hitomi wondered. Since her arrival on Gaea, she had discovered that there was much more to the pendant than its ability to beat perfect time. It wouldn't be very surprising to discover it had another power it hadn't yet shown her.
Eriya poked the stone with a long, claw-like fingernail. "It's just a stupid necklace. How much power could it possibly hold?"
"Magical objects aren't supposed to look like they're magical," said Naria. She looked down at pendant with wild hope shining in her icy eyes. "I think I believe her."
Eriya looked skeptical, but made no argument.
"Hitomi," asked Naria suddenly. "Can you control that thing's magic?"
"Well, yeah." Hitomi dangled it by the chain in front of them. "Most of the time."
"Show us."
The request left her startled for a moment. "Umm . . . okay." Stiffening her arm, she closed her eyes and swung it.
What am I supposed to show them? A reading? A vision? What? Hitomi thought rapidly, hoping not to stall too long in case Naria and Eriya started to question her ability. Come on, tell me what I should do. She hadn't thought about it for more than a few seconds when her mind had the answer. Lead me to where Folken went.
Naria and Eriya stirred uneasily. Hitomi knew they had heard her thought, as well as all the ones before it.
The pendant beat only once before pointing to the door. "Follow me." Hitomi got off the bed and opened the door. As she stepped into the hall to ask the pendant for a new direction, the light filtering out of the room illuminated the contours of a shape sitting against the wall not a foot away from her. Folken. He was asleep.
Naria and Eriya looked out and saw him. "Lord Folken," they whispered. They looked from him to Hitomi, and she felt a slight tingle at the edge of her consciousness, the feeling of minds connecting. They were reading her thoughts, learning everything about the situation at hand by means Hitomi could not help, where she could not lie.
When they were finished, they knelt on opposite sides of Folken and looked up at Hitomi. Eriya's expression was calm, but Naria looked uneasy. "How do we know that it was really your pendant that found Lord Folken, and you didn't already know he was here?" she asked.
Before Hitomi could answer, Eriya cut in. "You're the one who believed she was telling the truth in the first place." She studied Hitomi thoroughly and smiled. "She's a lot like you, Sister. You both have the same dream . . ." The smile slowly faded. "But I don't know if she's realized it yet."
"Realized what?" Hitomi asked.
But Eriya didn't explain. She just went on, "But when you do, I hope your luck's a lot better than ours."
The two of them looked at Hitomi with matching expressions of thoughtfulness. "You know, you've got the power to make sense out of this whole messed-up world," said Naria. "But even with that, I don't think your heart is strong enough to do it right now."
"What do you mean?" Poor Hitomi was so confused. Why does everyone have to talk in riddles?
Naria smiled. "It'll all make sense soon, I'm sure." The smile became mischievous. "Just don't trip and fall or anything."
What?
"Since you brought us here," Eriya reasoned, "do you think you can send us back?"
I don't think it was me that brought them here . . . but I guess it would make sense. It would explain her encounter with Shesta very well. Hitomi closed her eyes, part of her mind still doubtful, and tried to concentrate on the pendant's power. Being distracted, she didn't notice the two cat-women lean in and place two kisses softly on Folken's cheeks.
"Take care of her," Eriya whispered.
"And don't be afraid anymore," added Naria. "It'll all come out this time, I know it."
Come on, Hitomi beseeched the pendant. Lines of concentration and mental strain appeared on her forehead. If it was really me that summoned them, show me how to send them back. A tiny spot of light appeared in the center of her mind. As she watched it with her mental eyes, the spot began to expand, the light growing brighter and brighter with a heavenly radiance. That's it! I just have to visualize an afterlife and focus all my thoughts on it.
Her focus created an ethereal glow around Naria and Eriya, just like the one that had surrounded them when they first appeared. They didn't disappear with a crash of lightening, or a whirlwind of smoke, or an explosion of noise; they simply faded away, as if they had never existed.
Hitomi fell forward on her knees, breathing heavily. Little beads of perspiration had formed on her face and neck, product of her intense concentration, but despite the exhaustion, she felt a small spark of triumph. It was at that moment that she suddenly realized she had the power to call souls to and from Life. The knowledge was both frightening and exhilarating at the same time.
Her collapse woke Folken, and he stirred, opening his eyes slowly. At the sight of her, the peacefulness that had covered his visage as he slept vanished and was replaced by worry.
"Hitomi?" He got to his knees. "Are you all right?"
She looked up at him and smiled. "I . . . I did it. I sent them back."
"Who? What are you talking about?" Folken stood and held out a hand to help her up.
"Come inside. I'll tell you all about it."
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The rain outside beat down in a steady rhythm atop Dilandau's head. He trudged along the soaking streets of Tenue in frustration, his hands clenched at his sides and his body tensed with aggravation. Each drop of water that struck his head practically sizzled. There wasn't an inn anywhere in the entire city with any vacancy, or even a willingness to let Dilandau stand inside for a few minutes to dry off. The situation had snapped his temper a long time ago, and his patience drained away like the rain off his face.
Every room in every inn was packed to the brim with soldiers. Word that Egzardia had entered the war against Zaibach was spreading quickly throughout the small country, and the chance to fight for their home attracted soldiers from all over. Dilandau could hear their brawling voices booming prowess and victory inside each inn he entered. He had little faith that more than a third of the soldiers would live for long once they arrived at the front. This war was shaping up to be a long, bloody one, and Dilandau was looking forward to it.
With as many soldiers as were inside the inns, there were none out in the streets. Even if there were, they probably wouldn't have recognized him. About the time he reached the city, Dilandau remembered that Zaibach had fallen out of terms with Egzardia, and the people probably wouldn't take kindly to an enemy soldier in their midst. Fortunately, one foolish merchant had abandoned his stall when the rain began, leaving Dilandau with a stock of free clothing to disguise himself in.
It was completely dark when he arrived at a small, derelict inn with no receptionist in its tiny waiting area. It had been only a last effort to find somewhere to sleep that wasn't under a scaffolding, and it was a stroke of pure luck that Dilandau entered the inn to find it the way it was. Quietly, he crept past the desk and up the stairs behind it.
Dilandau stopped short at the top. He could see the stairs led to a dimly lit hallway, and coming from it, he heard voices. Very familiar voices.
"Since you brought us here," said one, "do you think you can send us back?"
Dilandau peered carefully over the top of the last stair, and he couldn't believe what he saw. Standing at the end of the hall with her back to him was none other than the Girl from the Mystic Moon. In front of her were three seated shapes that he could not clearly distinguish, but resembled the Zaibach Strategos, Folken, and his two cat-women servants, Naria and Eriya.
As Dilandau watched, the Girl from the Mystic Moon held something out in front of her and paused. She stood perfectly still, and then the two cat-women disappeared. He rubbed his eyes with one hand and looked again. It wasn't just some trick with the light; they were actually gone.
The Girl from the Mystic Moon collapsed on her knees. He could hear her panting loudly as Folken spoke, and it was difficult to hear what he said over it.
"I . . ." said the Girl from the Mystic Moon between breaths. "I did it . . . I sent the back."
Folken helped her up. His response was inaudible again.
The Girl from the Mystic Moon went inside her room and Dilandau couldn't make out her next words either. Folken followed her in and closed the door.
Taking interest, Dilandau crept up the stairs and toward their door. There was something odd about that Girl from the Mystic Moon, and it wasn't just her origins. He had come face-to-face with her on several occasions. Each time their eyes met, Dilandau had the feeling that she was looking right past him into the depths of his soul. When she focused on him, her haunting eyes seemed to say she'd seen his deepest secrets, and was going to tell the next person she met.
Dilandau reached the door and stopped. He could hear the quiet murmur of voices on the other side, but it was difficult to tell what they said. Dilandau pressed his ear to the door and, praying no one would come down the hall to find him like this, the muffled voices became clear.
" . . . magic or something. I don't know," the Girl from the Mystic Moon was saying excitedly, "but I brought them out of Death and they were right here in this room with me. I could see them and hear them and talk to them and everything. It was just like they were alive."
"Slow down, Hitomi," said Folken. "You aren't making any sense. Just start from the beginning and take it slow."
The Girl from the Mystic Moon took a deep breath and began to explain. As Dilandau listened, he started to understand why Emperor Dornkirk was so interested in this girl. Her power, used correctly, had the potential to do great things. In the right hands, she was a great tool, and Dilandau was already plotting how to get her.
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"I dreamt so long,
I cannot dream anymore,
Let's run away,
I'll take you there . . ."
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"
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TO BE CONTINUED . . .
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