Girl in Gaea: The Untold Story
By Brenli and AmetrineButterfly
Chapter 2
The man in red had little to no patience. "Dark Star! You know, Dark Star, Light Star?" His eyes smoldered in his annoyance. "Come here." He commanded Kitsune, but she had to do no standing of her own. The man heaved her to her feet and examined her wrist, and Kitsune was surprised to find a tattoo of her own there, but the star on her wrist was hollow, not filled in like Okami's. "I see, and you're the Light Star. Heh." The man in red tossed her hand away. "How's that for irony?"
Kitsune's eyes narrowed, but she dared not speak up against him. She wasn't stupid and didn't plan on mouthing off to anyone with a sword.
The man scoffed and turned away. "Dallet!" He barked, and an attractive young man with brown hair cut bluntly at the shoulders hurried forward.
"Yes my lord?"
"See that the Stars are taken to Lord Folken… I'm sure he is expecting them." With that, the rude commander stalked away, leaving everyone else behind.
Okami turned her wide, confused eyes to Kitsune. "Expecting us? What the hell is going on?" She kept her arms clamped to her chest, cradling her throbbing wrist with care.
"I… have no idea…" Kitsune said weakly, caressing her own wrist.
"Follow me." The young man known as Dallet motioned to them, and he began to walk off. After a few paces he stopped and turned. "… Are you two coming?"
Okami and Kitsune were crowded together, staring at him unsurely.
A couple of the other men in gray whispered to each other and began to snicker, but Dallet shushed them, sighing. "Look, we're not going to hurt you. Not if you're really the Stars we've been waiting for. So please follow me…"
At last the two nerve-wracked girls trailed after him, the fellow steel-gray men taking care to form around them. They were fairly sure it was for their own security that they did so… they just weren't quite accustomed to all the swords around them.
It seemed as though they were making their way out of a catacomb of underground caverns, the way only lit by various torches on the wall. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally emerged to find themselves on a deserted street, but a type of street that neither of the two women had ever seen, like an empty marketplace from a third world country. Neither had much time to ponder, before Dallet began to move off, and they followed suit.
Okami's head was abuzz. Confusion, along with an array of other strange emotions, were chasing themselves around inside her. The street was dimly lit by blue light from the moon. The moon, maybe it would be something she could actually find recognizable, a possible island of hope in a sea of the unfamiliar. She looked up, and was once again met with a shock. Hovering in the sky, was the same two moons she had been dreaming since she was a child.
She stopped in her tracks, staring, mouth slightly agape. "Kitsune…"
Kitsune paused, staring where Okami pointed. She blinked rapidly, then went wide-eyed. "The two moons… Oh my God, that's Earth and… Oh my God…" That was all she could say.
"The Mystic Moon looks brighter than usual tonight…" A gray man with blond, bowl-cut hair remarked. The whole group of them had stopped with the two girls.
"Blame it on them, Shesta!" Dallet laughed lightly, pointing at Kitsune and Okami.
The two girls stared blankly at him, and his laugh faded off and ended with a cough.
"Okay, well… let's get going." And he continued leading them onward to Lord Folken, whoever he was. Kitsune didn't know, that was for sure.
"Eh… anooo…" Kitsune spoke up quietly.
Dallet looked over his shoulder at her. "Yes?"
"Wh… Where are we? Who… are you all?" She asked shyly.
Dallet blinked, then shook his head. "Right… I suppose you wouldn't know would you?" Taking in a sharp breath, he continued. "We are a part of the Black Dragon Clan Army, our unit is the Dragon Cavalry, and we are commanded by Lord Dilandau. You met him earlier…"
"Yes, a charming fellow…" Okami muttered sarcastically, still partially in shock about the whole ordeal.
Dallet snickered, and continued. "And by the way, you're on Gaea. Why you're here? Lord Folken will fill you in on that."
Throughout their conversation, the group had continued walking, until they entered a large, foreboding black fortress. Finishing their escort, the Dragon Cavalry paused outside a large set of double doors. "Lord Folken is inside, he's waiting for you." Dallet said, and he opened one of the doors, flashing a light smile at Kitsune.
Kitsune found herself blinking rapidly… yet again… blushing, and offering him a short, quick bow before scurrying inside, Okami right behind her. The door shut behind them, and immediately Kitsune felt what little sense of security she had felt break away from her. She desperately wanted those men, the Dragon Cavalry, back in the room with her.
There was an exceptionally tall figure standing before them, a strange hairstyle of a pale blue shade being the most noticeable trait. The figure moved toward them slightly, and the two girls bowed, more so out of fear than habit. The figure began to speak.
"Welcome, the Dark and the Light Star… I've been expecting you."
Kitsune could only offer a thin smile.
The tall figure they assumed to be Lord Folken smiled back, but it sent shivers through her. "You seem shaken… I hope that Dilandau hasn't frightened you in any way… He is a bit brash. Cocky, one supposes."
Kitsune remained still, while Okami shook her head. "I believe I have experienced worse…" The blonde young woman stated. Only after she fell silent, did she wish that she had never said anything.
Bearing an odd smile, Folken turned away. "I see." His boots clicked across the hard floor as the tall man made his way to his large windows, staring out into the dully lit night. "I suppose you are wondering… why it is that you are here?"
The two women shared a clipped glance. "I suppose you could say that, yes." Okami said, tone still gentle.
"The tattoos on your wrists… have you had them long?"
The two stiffened. "No." Kitsune said. "I've never seen it before now…"
"There is much you need to learn about this world, Gaea. Ours is a land of many legends, prophecies… But for over a thousand years there has been one prophecy that has struck fear into the hearts of Gaeans everywhere. This is the prophecy of the Escaflowne."
Again, Kitsune and Okami exchanged confused glances.
"… The Escaflowne is something greatly feared by all… because it can and will… destroy all of Gaea." Folken paused once more. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully, but the pausing only made the experience worse for the two girls. Even as he explained the prophecy, the girls couldn't swallow all of it. "But, the Escaflowne can only be summoned by the Wing Goddess."
"Wing… Goddess?" Kitsune repeated blankly.
"Yes. And she is in Gaea now." Folken paused again. Kitsune thought she'd go mad with the pausing. "That is where you come in. You are both very special people… Though I must admit you both seem very unaware of this. Do you understand just how powerful you both are?"
The girls stared back before Okami uttered a short, "No."
A short, haunting chuckle permeated the room. "I didn't think so, but you will know. Soon enough my little treasures… soon enough… The Escaflowne is powerful when activated, so powerful, it certainly will destroy the world. Your purpose on Gaea… is to stop it."
"Stop it?"
"Yes. The Wing Goddess is currently in the keep of an evil group of rebels, known as the Abaharaki. The Abaharaki will surely manipulate her power, to see the end of the world as we know it." Folken turned back to them. "You're tired from your journey, and I know this is a lot to take in. So please…" He gently escorted the pair back to the doors. "Feel free to think of my fortress as your temporary new home. Adjust, and we will talk more later."
Not knowing how else to respond, the two girls bowed politely, and followed two remaining Dragon Cavalry members to their rooms.
Folken shut the door with a snap, a broad, evil smirk contorting his features. A snicker followed.
"You lied to them." A soft, feminine voice stated from the shadows, and a woman with shock white hair and pale skin stepped out. A calm, yet worried expression clung to her beautiful features.
"Their true purpose may disagree with our cause, Sora, but the Spirit Stars can aid us… under appropriate persuasion of course…"
"The Spirit Stars will not take to being manipulated so lightly once they achieve their true powers. They'll destroy you, Lord Folken."
Folken could only laugh.
"… I can't do this. I just cannot adjust." Kitsune moaned behind the hands she placed over her face as she swayed in exasperation. "He makes it sound so… normal!" She moaned again and moved toward her window, opening it and staring out at the two moons in the sky… the Mystic Moon. "Mystic Moon. Makes the Earth sound so… magical." She snorted.
She couldn't take being in a room all alone right now. She was tired and her legs ached to collapse but she refused to fall into bed. It looked like a normal bed. It looked outright inviting. But she just couldn't do it. She was almost afraid that if she touched anything, the world would explode.
So she made a beeline for her door, and then promptly stopped, hearing male voices outside of her door.
"The Stars come by and suddenly lil Dalley's a mere delivery boy!"
"… Shut up, Shesta. Don't you have something better to do?"
The loud knock on her door made Kitsune jump and a high-pitched squeal erupted from her throat.
The gray-clad man with the light smile rushed in, not wearing his smile. "Light Star?"
"Yes?" She squeaked.
"You screamed. Are you all right?"
"… Uh huh!" She squeaked again.
Dallet smiled. "Okay. I brought you clothes to change into for tonight and more for tomorrow." He dropped the pile of clothes he'd been holding on her bed.
"… Ah… hai. Arigatou." She bowed awkwardly. "Anooo… I am going to visit Okami-chan…"
Dallet blinked.
"Oh, yeah, the, um, Dark Star…"
"Oh, I see." He nodded and laughed. "Very well. But I suggest you sleep. You seem weak." He held the door open for Kitsune to exit through.
"I'll be sure to do that…" Kitsune replied weakly, bowing yet again as she passed him. "… What?" Dallet was laughing again.
"You bow a lot. Is this a Mystic Moon custom?"
Kitsune offered him a half-smile. "… In some places." To the grey-clad man's arched brow she let her smile grow a little more. "I can explain it later, if you'd like…"
"Sounds good. Sleep well, Light Star…"
"Ano… you too…" Kitsune replied, almost bowing once AGAIN, but trying to hold herself back. Dallet was laughing quietly as he moved off, and Kitsune finished the few steps to Okami's room. She burst in and shut the door behind her. "Okami-chan!"
Despite the sudden interruption, the curly headed female didn't even flinch. She remained in her chair, facing her window, and rubbing her fingers gently over her new tattoo. No matter how much she touched it, it wouldn't come off. "Kitsune-chan? Just what have we gotten ourselves into?" She muttered weakly.
"I… I just don't know Okami-chan… I guess I'm still in shock about this whole thing."
"I think we asked for it…"
"What?"
"Think about it." Okami stood from her chair, but kept her back to Kitsune as she continued to gaze out the window. "We were talking about how it would be nice to leave the earth… and we did. And all this talk about 'Dark Star' and 'Light Star'? I'm not a 'Dark Star'! I'm a painter! I'm not up to beating Escaflownes and saving the world!" Okami choked as her words became frantic.
"Okami-chan, calm down." Kitsune said gently, placing a hand on Okami's tremulous shoulder. "Something tells me we're going to be just fine." A part of Kitsune wasn't entirely sure about that statement, but she felt as though she needed to comfort Okami. After all, they were all the other had right now.
"I hope you're right… truly… But perhaps we should take everyone's advice and get some sleep?"
Kitsune nodded hastily. "Hai, I think we're going to need our rest. Good night Okami-chan, try to sleep." After a brief nod from Okami, Kitsune returned to her own room.
But of course, Okami lied once again about trying to sleep. She flopped down in her chair again, eyes wide and mind reeling. She couldn't seem to shake the building feeling of dread in her gut, and despite Kitsune's comfort, Okami never felt more alone.
Okami was awake for a few more hours before she had finally decided to go to sleep. Without changing into the nightgown she had been awarded, she collapsed onto her bed and was sleeping instantaneously. The rest was so deep she actually felt relaxed, in spite of all that she had been through. She had hardly registered how much she had slept when a knock sounded from her door.
"Wake up call…" A male voice drawled, and Okami got up to answer the door. A member of the Dragon Cavalry sporting brown hair stiffly bowed to her, obviously not expecting her to answer the door right away.
"… I see you didn't make much use of the clothes we gave you…" He commented.
"No, I didn't. I was too tired to change…"
"Very well." The man shrugged it off, and marched just a few more steps to Kitsune's door. "Wake up call…" He drawled again, and the door once again opened. Kitsune was fully dressed in the clothes they had offered her.
"Ohayooooo…" Kitsune said through a yawn, swishing the white skirt of her asymmetrically cut dress about her bare feet. Shoes were the one thing they'd forgotten to provide.
The man blinked, paused, and then turned to go down the hallway. "This way…"
"Go on ahead without me… I would like to change." Okami bowed lightly and retreated back into her room.
This left the brown-haired man and Kitsune standing awkwardly in the hallway for a short moment. "Well… follow me…"
She obeyed him, trailing him by a couple steps. They walked down the hall in silence until they came upon a large dining room where all the members of the Dragon Cavalry that they had seen the previous night were already eating. Food was already set out on the table for them. The man that had escorted Kitsune motioned for her to sit, and she did so, cautiously poking at the strange-looking food placed on her plate.
Across the large table and a bit off to the right sat last night's delivery boy, who smiled again as he watched her poke at a purple sphere. "… I promise the food won't bite back. Try it."
"If it makes you sick you can vomit on him." Her escort smirked.
"Shut up, Miguel!" The delivery boy retorted.
She picked up the purple sphere, but made no motion to eat it yet. She pointed to her escort. "Miguel."
"Yes?"
"No, I mean, your name's Miguel." She pointed to what she could only remember as "the delivery boy." "And you are… D…"
"Dallet." He offered shortly, nodding to her. He began pointing to the other men seated about her. "And here we have Shesta, Gatti, Ryuon, and Guimel. Also known as Sheep Boy."
The man known as Guimel scowled in Dallet's direction. "Thanks, Dalley the Delivery Man."
Kitsune smiled. As time went on, they looked less like strange men from a different world and more like men she'd see on a daily basis. She pointed at herself. "Kitsune."
"Kitsune the Light Star." The all echoed.
"Please, just Kitsune. I don't want to sound like an oracle…"
"Kit…sune." Dallet tumbled over it a bit, but smiled in the end. "Kitsune it is, then!"
Okami stared at herself in her vanity mirror, fixing up her hair as best she could. It was a curse of curly hair, a hairbrush does nothing but make the existing problem worse. And without a shower, it was hard to make her hair look just the way she wanted it to. Sighing and settling for what she had, Okami smoothed out her black satin dress, pulling the sleeves over her wrists. She glanced down at her naked feet, frowning. "Oh well. Bare foot's cool, I guess." With that, she put the last few adjustments on her messy waist-length hair, and stepped out into the hallway.
She glanced out in the direction that Kitsune and her escort had left, again she frowned. "I guess I should have followed… Way to go, Okami, another genius point for you!" Shaking her head, she started off down the hall, having no idea where to go.
"Hey, you!" A voice echoed behind her.
Okami slowly turned around, recognizing that voice, and not really liking it. The man called Dilandau was coming up the hall towards her. His silver hair flashed in the dim light, and his ghostly skin almost glowed. If Okami wasn't so afraid of him, she would have thought of him as good-looking. "Yes?" Okami said, trying her best to keep her voice steady.
"You should be with the others." He said, stopping before her. "Why aren't you?"
Okami dropped her gaze. "I'm sorry, but I think I'm a bit lost." She dared to steal a glance at his face. His brow furrowed.
"Come with me." He said shortly, and headed off down the hallway.
What happened next actually surprised Okami. He didn't walk in front of her, like she was expecting, but beside her, never looking at her. Dilandau struck Okami as the type who liked to be the leader ALL the time, and thought of himself as better than everyone else. So why was he walking beside her? Was he afraid of her?
"In here." Dilandau opened a door, and the sound of several people talking and laughing flooded into the hall.
Okami paused before entering, knowing Dilandau wouldn't be following after. "You're name's… Dilandau, right?" She asked, daring to look at him in the eye. He stared back with narrow eyes, and gave a single stiff nod. "Thank you…" Okami lowered her gaze again and walked into the room. The door snapped shut behind her, and she stared at it, curiosity pounding her brain.
"Ah! Minna-san, this is Okami. Okami, meet Gatti, Shesta, Miguel, Guimel, Ryuon, and Dalley the Delivery Man." Kitsune greeted, finishing off the purple sphere that tasted strangely like bananas.
"What makes you think you have the right to call me that, Oracle?" Dalet replied, rolling his dark eyes and wearing a light smirk.
Okami bowed awkwardly to them. "… Ohayo."
The rest of the men nodded back and resumed their meals. She couldn't help but notice that the room was much quieter now. All of the men had become at least slightly reserved. Okami took her seat next to Kitsune, tossing her a questioning glance. Kitsune could only shrug back, not knowing what had gone wrong. Kitsune prodded something green on Okami's plate with a fork. "Try that… It tastes like strawberry pancakes…" She murmured quietly. A slight smile crossed a few of the Dragon Cavalry's faces.
Somehow, Okami had completely lost her appetite. She scanned across the table only to see those who were staring at her, look away quickly. Frowning, she jabbed at the green substance with her fork, feeling more and more unwelcome by the second.
Dallet, noticing the tension in the poor young woman, tried to make conversation. "So, uh… Okami? How long have you and Kitsune known each other?"
Okami pulled her eyes away from her plate. "Um… about two months, maybe?"
An awkward silence followed, and Kitsune found the urge to end it. "We're going to school together, we were assigned to share a room."
"So… you two never knew of each other before then?" Dallet pointed with his fork, his face confused. Almost too confused, like he didn't quite believe it.
"No." The two girls stated in unison, eyes wide.
"But that doesn't make any-"
Dallet was interrupted when the door swung open, and Dilandau, fully armored stepped inside. "Dragon Cavalry!" he barked, and every person sitting at the tables, save Okami and Kitsune, jumped to attention on their feet. "The Abaharaki have been spotted in a canyon not far from here. Everybody is to armor themselves and prepare your horses, now!"
There was a scramble as all the men scattered out the door, Dilandau stepping calmly to the side. When the room was empty, he approached Kitsune and Okami. "Folken has ordered that you come along too. Can you ride a horse?"
Both girls nodded.
"Good. Armor has been made for you, we leave in twenty minutes." With that, Dilandau stalked out of the room.
Kitsune turned to Okami. "Did he just say 'armor'?"
Okami just shrugged, eyes wide.
To be continued…