Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I only own Desi in this story, none of the actual characters.

I opened my eyes to sunlight the next morning, streaming in through the window. Something else had happened to me in the night, although it wasn't bad dreams. I pulled off the heavy comforter and looked at the sheets. They were plastered to my legs like molding - I had been sweating a ton, I guessed.

Despite the sticky feeling, I pulled on a robe from the wardrobe and went into the large kitchen. Alone at a table, Des-Edri was sitting, in a robe herself, only hers was purple. She was drinking a brown liquid from a mug and reading a book. I smelled an aroma in the air that reminded me of sugar, and something that smelled like... Well, who knows. It was from the drink in her cup.

I pulled out a chair and sat, hands hanging at my sides, watching her.

Awkward position. Awkward, awkward position.

It took her a while to notice me, or at least for her to care. She looked over the rim of her cup as she was taking a sip and I saw her eyes flash in a grin. Yes, when she put down the cup, she was smiling. She rested the book on the table, parted in the middle.

A smile. "Anakin... Thought you'd never wake up."

I forced a laugh. I was to hungry to laugh. The kitchen smelled wonderfully, but pardon me for acting stupid, I couldn't see any food at all.

She didn't notice that either. She picked up the book again, sipping her drink while never taking her eyes off the pages. It was only about ten minutes of another awkward silence when my stomach rumbled loudly.

She looked up, and her face flashed at least six emotions.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

She looked at me suspiciously for a moment, before asking, "Something wrong?"

I shrugged. "Nothing, it's just..."

"Just what?"

I clasped my hands on the table. "Just... pardon me for being rude, ma'am, but I was wondering where the food is."

A silence, and I watched her comprehend what I had said, as if she'd never heard those words before. Then, her face cracked into a grin.

She pointed to a cupboard. "Everything's in there. But just be sure not to let the dishes fall out."

I went over to the cupboard and opened it.

BONK, and a plastic bowl fell on my head.

I rubbed my head, laughing. She laughed, too. For a split second, we looked at each other, our eyes locked. I had the familiar feeling again.

But Desi quickly broke contact as she picked up her book again.

We ate a cheerful breakfast, me eating a slice of bread with poured honey on it, and she drinking what she called, 'coffee.' I was in such a good mood that I almost forgot about the previous night. Almost.

But Des-Edri had to remind me of it. Washing her mug in the sink after breakfast was done, she said, "About last night..."

My voice, as usual, was low. "I... don't know what happened."

A silence, and the feeling in the air was something I haven't felt before. It was heavy. Des-Edri leaned against the kitchen counter, watching me intently. Suddenly, she came over to me and grabbed my face, making me watch her. Her voice was almost a whisper as she searched me with her vibrant blue eyes.

"Oh, but I think you do."

I pulled back a little, uncomfortable. If I didn't know better, I'd say she was about to kiss me. But her tone said otherwise.

"I honestly don't know," I said.

There was a silence. "Come with me," Desi ordered. We went outside.

We marched past... hills. There was really nothing else out there, unless you considered grass and air. We reached a hill, and standing at the top of it, you could see a long forest below. I was amazed. The chatter of birds coming from it was incredibly loud, and hearing them up-front left me no doubt that they could echo on for miles.

We trotted down into the trees, and soon we were being smothered by them. I tripped a few times and splattered mud on my boots, but didn't care much. The forest was dense and the underbrush was thick, but we had to go where we had to go.

Des-Edri stopped, and I peered over her shoulder to see what she was looking at.

Amongst the trees there was a small circle of stone tile, cut perfectly. There was a creek gently rolling around it. I studied the stone. It was built into the ground, and was about six inches off of it. The creek had evidently changed it's path over time and washed over the stone, but the stone was maybe four inches higher than it. Only large splashes of water could get it wet.

Desi apparently didn't care about her shoes either; she splashed straight through the creek and stood on the stone. "You gonna take all day, Anakin?"

I came after her, and we sat on the circle. It was cold - and wet. It was more than wet. The creek kept sloshing over, and flecks of water were smacking me in the face.

"This is the only place I can tell you the full story of Earthia where it is not considered a sin," said Des-Edri, as though she had recited this many times. "Except for last night. I didn't reveal to you any information that was valuable last night."

I nodded.

"Anakin," she leaned over, "Do you know your subconscious mind?"

I didn't know what she meant, so I said, "Yes."

She smiled, almost evilly. "Then you do know what happened last night."

So that's what she was getting at.

"No, I don't. I heard voices, had terrible nightmares, and that was it," I said, trying not to make myself sound like a fool, "Could happen to anyone."

"No, it couldn't. Or, at least, not the type you encountered. You weren't going crazy, Anakin."

She paused.

"That was real."

I looked at the water lapping around me. Desi snapped her fingers, drawing my attention back to her.

"Earthia is a Phantom planet."

I looked up.

A Phantom planet.

Some of the most dangerous planets in the universe. They were invisible to the naked eye, and even robots or pilot ships couldn't pick them up. And unlike other planets, who stayed in their orbit, Phantom planets drifted - Not out of their galaxy, but in whatever position they wanted.

And anyone who went there never came back. Like a phantom, they were not solids, nor liquids, nor gas.. You could fly a ship right through one without hitting anything.

A phantom planet.

I was lost.