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"Anywhere" -- Chapter 11: I See Right Through To You
By The Last Princess of Hyrule
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"I see right through to you,
It's not like I don't feel your mood,
What you have for me is different,
Than the rest that moves,
I'll be positive,
I know that I could be there too,
'Cause you have it all,
Have it all . . ."
-DJ Encore, "I See Right Through To You"
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Dawn in the Zaibach capitol was cold--colder than it should have been. Late summer covered Gaea with pleasant warmth just after the heavy heat finally broke, but Zaibach, though it bordered Asturia, seemed to be in a different climate altogether. A cold wind was blowing through the perpetually clouded sky on a morning that should have been comfortably cool, but had Hitomi shivering.
"Now that we're here, what should we do?" she asked, looking down on the dismal capitol of the empire.
"I was hoping you knew," said Folken. The Escaflowne banked, flying in a wide circle hidden in the thick fog above the city. "This was your idea, after all." There was a bitterness to Folken's words that made Hitomi feel ashamed that she suggested coming to the country.
"Well, we should find out where Celena went." They had lost track of the red guymelef when it flew into the capitol without hesitation, while they were forced to turn so not to be seen.
Hitomi looked up at Folken hopefully. His gaze stayed on the city. They made a few more circuits before he finally spoke. "There aren't many soldiers down there. The barracks and the docking bays seem very quiet. Even the repair bays are empty. Most of the army isn't in the capitol anymore."
"That's a good thing, right?"
"Not for those in their path, but for us it is. There will be less soldiers to ask questions." Folken pulled hard on the left cord and pointed the Dragon toward the ground.
"Less soldiers to . . . hey, wait a minute! We aren't just landing right in the middle of the city, are we?"
Folken turned around. "Do you want to keep circling all day? We certainly could."
"But what if someone recognizes me?"
"Why would that matter? You're already in the capitol. For all anyone else knows, I might be on my way to take you to the emperor."
Hitomi considered this as the Escaflowne glided to a stop in a wide, shadowy alley between two tall concrete buildings. She was already in the thick of the empire, having sauntered right in as if to challenge its power. Looking at the situation, things couldn't get much worse. She leapt down as the Dragon changed to a guymelef, then knelt and Folken climbed out.
"What are we going to do with Escaflowne this time?" asked Hitomi, gesturing up at it. "It's going to be kind of hard to hide."
"There isn't really anything we can do, except leave it here and hope no one notices."
Hitomi sighed. "This is hopeless. Someone'll find it for sure, and they'll try to take it apart again."
"If anyone finds it, they'll take it to the emperor, but the Sorcerers won't try to dismantle it." Folken looked around and led her out of the alley onto the street. "This time they'll study it and try to find a way for someone from Zaibach to pilot it in the war."
That's not much better, Hitomi thought, but at least Escaflowne will stay in one piece. Not only was it their only mode of transportation out of Zaibach, but it was also an Ispano guymelef with a blood pact to Van. When she was in Zaibach the first time, the Sorcerers had tried to dismantle it, and nearly killed Van. She still wanted to make sure her friends weren't hurt, and that made it one of her responsibilities to keep the Escaflowne safe.
The streets of the mechanical city were lined with white frost, and the only people out so early were wrapped in heavy cloaks and hats. Unlike Tenue and Palas, which were filled with colorful stalls and energetic merchants, those living in Zaibach were dark, reserved, and quiet. Folken passed them in the same manner, which he didn't even seem to notice, but Hitomi followed feeling conspicuous. No one seemed to notice her, or if they did, they didn't care. The solitude made her shiver.
"I don't like this place," she said, her voice a whisper.
"What?" Folken stopped and looked back at her.
Hitomi turned pink. She hadn't realized she'd spoken the thought aloud. "I, ah . . ." She hesitated. Folken had lived in Zaibach for several years. For all she knew, he might have liked the place. "It's just too cold for me." She chose her words carefully, hoping not to offend him.
He laughed quietly. The tone of his voice told her he knew what she was trying to do. "Really?"
"I d-don't mean just the weather." The chill in the air seeped through her uniform jacket, and her teeth began to chatter. "I mean the b-buildings, and the people, and everything. It's all just so . . . c-cold."
He gave her a contemplative look, and then smiled. "I can see this isn't going to be a pleasant trip for you."
Hitomi nodded, rubbing her hands briskly up and down her arms, trying to coax a little warmth back into them.
Folken's smile vanished. "Are you really that cold?"
She shook her head. "I'll be f-fine."
He looked still concerned. "Here, take this." He unclasped his black cloak and handed it to her.
"B-but you n-need it." Hitomi held it out for him to take back.
"For what? I'm used to this."
It suddenly dawned on Hitomi that because they were in Zaibach, he wouldn't need it to disguise himself. Considering the circumstances, it was much more beneficial for Hitomi to use its powers to hide herself. She took it and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling the hood over her head to stop the cold creeping down her neck. It was still warm.
"I'm only borrowing it," she insisted.
After that, walking along the streets was a little more pleasant, despite the cityscape and the atmosphere. Folken led her toward the barracks, which seemed like the obvious place to look for Celena. As they walked, Hitomi found it easier to focus on the things around her without the chill.
Zaibach had absolutely nothing in common with Asturia or Egzardia, except that all three were countries with people and a government. The biggest difference was the lack of activity, and though Folken insisted they were near the city's center, there was hardly anything going to make Hitomi believe him. There were a few stalls on the streets with just as few people looking around them, but for the most part, the city was empty. The buildings were gray concrete and plaster, each one designed exactly like the last. Everything in Zaibach had an order, a pattern--it was a country of standards and precision.
The barracks were just that, as Hitomi had come to expect. There were five of them, long rectangular buildings set in an orderly line across from the repair bays, each one barred with steel doors and bolted windows.
"Are you sure we'll find Celena here?" asked Hitomi.
"This is the best place to start looking," said Folken.
The first door they tried on the building nearest to them was locked. So was the second. There weren't any soldiers outside to see them struggling with the doors, and when Hitomi peered through one of the windows, there didn't seem to be anyone inside either. Where is everyone in this country? They can't all be soldiers fighting in the war.
"Where is everybody?" she asked no one in particular. She yanked on a third door around the back of the building. It wouldn't budge. "Oh, come on."
Folken took the handle and pushed. The door swung open. He didn't say anything as he went inside, but Hitomi was sure she saw him smile.
"I knew that."
They entered a large room cramped in every free space with file cabinets containing the registries and information of the soldiers in residence at that particular barracks. There was no writing on the files, and Hitomi wondered if there was any kind of order to them. Even if Celena was housed in this barracks, it would probably take a long time to find her registry.
A hall at the far end of the room led to the soldiers' quarters, and somehow Hitomi and Folken managed to squeeze through the spaces between the cabinets to get to it. Entrances to large bunk rooms connected to the corridor every twenty or thirty feet, and each room held two rows of ten beds, all clean, tidied, but empty. In the fourth room, however, a single soldier in a red uniform sat on a bed in the far corner with his back to Hitomi and Folken.
Dilandau turned and frowned as he heard them enter. "Well, I don't believe who it is. Took you long enough. So I see the Strategos finally managed to capture someone. Too bad it isn't the Girl from the Mystic Moon. I'm almost impressed." He sighed and rested his cheek in one hand. "So, what did you follow me here for, anyway? What were you doing in Fanelia?"
Folken scowled. "I could ask you the same thing."
"I don't think it really matters." Dilandau suddenly grinned. "No one will care that I was gone when they find you. Everyone's been wondering what happened to you after we heard about the Vione. I'm sure Emperor Dornkirk will be most interested in everything you've been doing," he said pointedly, flashing a look at Hitomi.
"You may be right, Dilandau. I'm sure he would."
Dilandau glared at Folken for a moment, then started to laugh. "Well, I guess we'll just have to arrange for you to meet him, then." He whistled, and two armored soldiers rushed into the room.
"Perhaps you have been gone too long to know, Strategos, but Zaibach is at war. Oh, we're doing well enough, but there have been some interesting movements by the Alliance armies." Dilandau had a knowing glare in his eyes.
"There are armies coming in from three sides of the country, but they've left the south empty," he went on. "Each day they push in over our borders and try to force us south." Dilandau grinned wickedly. "If I remember correctly, this is a technique Zaibach used against Fanelia several months ago. We, the unknowing victims, will expect a massive army to be waiting south in Asturia to surprise us, but when we find nothing, the enemies on all three sides will attack together."
The soldiers stirred uneasily. No one spoke, except Dilandau. "Now, how would the Alliance know such a ploy, to keep their tactics invisible until the crucial moment, or to arrange their armies in a way to make us expect something different? I'm sure the emperor would love to hear your insight on the situation. You are the Strategos, after all." He motioned to the soldiers. "Take the Strategos and his lady somewhere they can wait while I inform Emperor Dornkirk of their presence."
The soldiers nodded simultaneously and advanced on them. Folken stepped in front of Hitomi protectively, but he didn't try to fight. They could hear Dilandau laughing as they were lead away, and Hitomi looked back at him once, catching his gaze. For a moment an unspoken message seemed to pass between them, but it vanished as she was pulled out the door, and Dilandau fell silent.
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They were taken away from the barracks and into the bowels of a massive stone fortress Hitomi remembered all too well that stood in the very center of the city. People stared in awe throughout every floor they descended. And why shouldn't they? The Strategos of Zaibach was one of the most important and influential people in the empire. Seeing him escorted to the dungeons, and obviously not to see one of the prisoners, was something sure to cause a stir.
Folken did not seem to notice their stares, or if he did, he made no acknowledgement. He walked behind the soldiers cold and proud. It made Hitomi remember what he had been like when they first met, much like this, and she followed him feeling out of place. It was intimidating and in some ways frightening when she thought about how she had ignored this part of him while they were in Egzardia, trying to pretend it didn't exist. Seeing him in Zaibach showed her just how little she really knew about him.
The dungeons were dug very deep below, where the air was even more cold and stale than out in the open. Hitomi wrapped the cloak a little tighter around her as they stepped off the stairs, turned a few corners, and entered a hallway filled with empty cells.
One of the guards unlocked a cell adjacent the corridor they had entered through, and snickered. "There's been a rumor going around that the Strategos died in the wreck of the Vione, but I didn't think so." He gestured Folken inside the cell. "I've served under General Adelphos for fifteen years, and I knew he'd be trouble the moment I saw him."
His partner laughed. "You're a crazy old-timer." He grabbed Hitomi's arm and shoved her through the door. She bumped roughly into Folken and fell to the ground. "You been thinking about that for all these years?"
The first guard glared at him. "Emperor Dornkirk put too much trust in him too quickly." He grabbed the gate and threw it closed with a resonant clang. "Now, I don't know the whole story, but I do know they found him half-dead in a forest in Fanelia." He picked up the lock and latched the door again. "They picked him up and saved his life, but no one really knows why."
The younger guard looked from Folken to the older guard, raising an eyebrow, his visage doubtful. Then he laughed. "I think you're full of shit." He started back down the corridor away from the cell.
The older guard pocketed the keys and followed. "Are you discrediting your superior?"
"You're not any more important than me."
"Ingrate! I have seniority. I . . ." Hitomi could no longer hear their words as they walked away and their voices faded into the distance.
She stood up and brushed herself off, looking around. The cell was obviously designed to house a large amount of people. There were several cots attached to the stone walls on three sides and two long benches in the center. Unfortunately, not much else.
Folken sighed and sat down on one of the cots. "I'm so sorry, Hitomi. I should never have brought you here. I should have known they would be more keen to what happened to me than I hoped."
Hitomi straddled the bench across from him. "It's not your fault. I asked you to bring me here. Besides, how could you have known this would happen?" She tried to smile, but Folken shook his head.
"No," he said. "That isn't any excuse. I should have known Dilandau would set a trap like that. Elite soldiers are known for their ability to turn hopeless situations to their advantage."
"But how could Dilandau have even known we were heading to Zaibach?" Hitomi asked. "It was Celena who was flying the red guymelef."
"We don't even know who this Celena is. There might not even be a soldier in Zaibach by that name."
"But her uniform, what about that? I know she was wearing a red Zaibach uniform." Hitomi strained to remember the details. "It looked just like Dilandau's."
Folken slumped forward and rubbed his temples with one hand. "It doesn't make a difference."
"Why would he want to lure you back here anyway?" she offered.
"Because he knows I sought refuge in Asturia and told them valuable information. Because he's ambitious and tries to seize every opportunity to raise his prestige. There are plenty of reasons."
Hitomi bit her lip, trying to think of some solid way that their capture wasn't entirely his fault.
"And probably to get you," Folken added.
She rubbed the fabric of her cloak between her fingers and suddenly remembered something. "Wait a minute. How could he even know I was with you? I was wearing this." She held up part of it. "He shouldn't have been able to see me, should he? Or does it only work for you?"
"No, it will work for anyone who knows how to use it properly, and you know how to use it."
"Yeah, well." Hitomi looked away. "Sort of."
"You must. Dilandau would have recognized you if he saw you."
"Could you see me?"
In all honestly, he hadn't been looking. "No, not at all."
Hitomi beamed.
"So it was entirely my fault you're in this mess. Your presence had nothing to do with it." Folken sighed. "I said I would protect you and I've already failed. I brought you right into the hands of your enemy again."
"This isn't your fault. If I hadn't asked you to follow Celena, we wouldn't even be here," Hitomi insisted, trying in any way she could to take the blame. If she could do that, maybe she could start taking away all the horrible things she said before. It was just as much her fault that they were in trouble as it was his.
Suddenly, the answer was right in front of her. Hitomi stood up and reached around her neck, feeling for the clasp of the pendant's chain. "We shouldn't be here. We should be anywhere but here." Folken looked up as she pulled it off and held it in front of her.
"Hitomi?"
She closed her eyes. Two nights ago, she called a pillar of light down from the heavens to take her out of trouble in Egzardia. The power was within her heart to do it again. "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." Naria was wrong; Hitomi did have the strength to use her power. In her mind's eyes, she tried to visualize a place outside Zaibach where she wished to be. "You can go anywhere," said the roseate guide from her dream, "but you will know where you want to be when you get there."
The room at the inn in Tenue was the first thing to come to Hitomi's mind. Mentally, she walked inside and looked around. There was the bed, the chairs by the wall, and the blankets on the floor. There was the open window with fresh yellow sunlight beaming in, warming her all over, and Folken standing beside it, smiling.
Why did everything have to get so far away from that peace? I miss it. I miss being able to wake up in the morning and not be worried about what I might do to someone. I miss not caring that there was a war going on, and that for once it didn't concern me. Why did fate have to take that away?
I wish I could change it. Hitomi focused her thoughts at the pendant's power. Please, take me back to that place. I miss it so much. Take me back there, please . . . The pendant began to glow, and for a long time it colored the drab walls with its deep crimson light, but nothing happened. A pillar of light did not descend to take her away. When she finally opened her eyes, she was still locked inside the same dingy cell without a hope of escape. Nothing had happened.
Hitomi slumped back down on the bench in defeat. Why hadn't it worked? She wished with all her heart to go where she wanted to be. Why was she still here?
"Hitomi?" asked Folken after a moment, his voice full of concern. "Are you all right?"
She looked down at the fabric of the cloak and pulled a corner of it into her lap. "You never told me exactly how this thing works."
Folken's eyebrows knit together. "What made you think of that all of the sudden?"
"Please, just tell me."
"All right. A Fanelian cloak works when the wearer uses their mind to project the image of another person to hide their own. It isn't particularly difficult, and it tends to work almost every time."
"Almost?"
Folken hesitated. "It's said that a person in tune with the wearer's heart will be able to see through it, but I don't know anything about that."
Hitomi rubbed the fabric between two fingers. Carefully, she focused her thoughts to picture Millerna in her mind, and then tried to project the image. "Who do you see when you look at me now?" she asked.
Folken turned away and didn't dare look at her. He wasn't sure what he thought he would see, but he didn't want to see anything. He didn't want his eyes to tell him his feelings were wrong. But more than anything he didn't want to admit whatever he saw to Hitomi. She didn't need his affections mixing up her life.
Hitomi looked up. "Please?"
His heart filled with reluctance and regret, Folken raised his gaze and met hers. The short brown ringlets of hair that framed her face weren't Millerna's golden waves. Her gentle face was not so delicate as the princess's, and her lips were not parted in a perpetual smile. They weren't bluish-lavender eyes that looked back at him, but a pair cool green, and those sad eyes were filled with crystalline tears that threatened to trail down her cheeks.
"I see you, Hitomi."
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"Forget this life,
Come with me,
Don't look back,
You're safe now . . ."
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"
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TO BE CONTINUED . . .
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