Chapter 6: Return
The room hummed lightly. An eerie pink glow illuminated around the small quarters, its light cast by small light bulbs glowing behind rows and rows of pink crystals. The temperature quickly rose in the small vicinity as the old machine began turning itself on, the hum continuing in rhythm like sets. The four life forms in the room all stared at the loud piece of machinery; three in shock in confusion, the other in impatience.
Satoka
This is such a waste of time. I could be home doing something better; maybe destroying some worthless Invaders if they dare appear. I don't care anymore about Ayane's stupid gate. It has little importance to me. I should have let her die; at least she would have died fighting, just like I was willing to do that day…
But then…. then would have felt guilt for not saving her? Would I blame myself for her destruction? Why do I even care? Errr…. This, this is so agitating! Why do I care?
Reiji
This old thing takes too long to start up. I don't care how old it is, it shouldn't take so long. I've been standing here for who knows how long, and it still refuses to start. I wonder though, could it be possible? Could I have found that gate power? Could this thing truly be a human? A gatekeeper if so. I haven't felt true excitement in such a long time. I feel the dust lifting from myself, I want to know, I'm sure more than Ayane does.
Ayane
The machine finally finished booting up. It was old, a relic from his time. I still hate him. He left me. I should hate him. Or maybe, maybe I dislike myself for being like him.
Reiji nodded his head over to a band attached to a cord. He took the band; its fabric frayed, and played it over my right arm. To my surprise, it covered my fingers like a glove and reached around my elbow, sticking to itself on the other side. Reiji walked in his limping way over to the machine. I could tell he was constantly glancing back at me. Even with those sun glasses of his on, his cold gaze still cut through me.
He flipped a switch on the machine, and then continued by pressing a few more buttons. I waited, not quite knowing what to do. What was he to find in my gate? Was it that great? Why can't it be forgotten? If I can't use the gate, then the curse is lifted from me. It's forgotten. It's gone. Simple and easy. If only life were like that.
Miu
Everything was silent except for Reiji's constant fine tuning of the machine. He paused, looking at us all standing in a cloud of bored confusion. "It's old," he had said flatly, then, in a reassuring tone, "I'll have the software in tune with the current era in a second."
I believe him. That computer stuff confuses me. So I trust his word. Ayane seems unsure though. Does life seem like an unsure game to her?
Satoka
The suspense is now killing me. I don't care what happens to her, I just want to know what it is. Why does damn Reiji have to be so slow? The stupid idiot, why couldn't he have updated this old thing before we came?
He looked up again at Ayane, who was holding her hand out slightly, looked coldly at Reiji's hands, now both artificial. I felt odd, like I was staring at something I shouldn't be looking at, yet my gaze was to the machine's sleek corner, nothing more. Miu stood looking frightened, yet totally oblivious at the same time. She too seemed to be gazing at something that she wasn't supposed to be as well, then suddenly, a twisted look of guilt came over her face.
Ayane, almost at the same point that Miu's twisted gaze came about, pulled her arm away from her body. She stared at it in disgust, as her face became plastered with a look of confusion and discomfort. Her fingers on her right arm curled and it seemed as if she was attempting to mentally detach herself from that limb.
Then I felt it too; an odd pain. It wasn't sharp, yet it was annoying. I snuck a glance at Reiji, who seemed totally unaffected. His remaining leg seemed to have bent a bit, yet his gaze remained unscathed. I suddenly felt an urge to release my gate, to let it all out, all that power. I just wanted it to go, to be free, free like the bird Ayane always speaks of. My mind felt loose all of a sudden, and I swore I could feel a breeze blowing within my head. I looked over to Ayane again, whose eyes were filled with horror. She was almost in a paralyzed stance, something I've never seen her do. She is always so loose and sure. Then I heard her scream to Reiji, "Don't take me back there! I refuse to return!"