Disclaimer: I'm not even going to bother this time…
To all who reviewed: OMG Thanks! You guys obviously know that reviews feed the author's soul…Not Chicken Soup:D Oh, I'm such an attention whore…(ha ha) Anyway, glad you like the fight scene where Van kicked some major ass. Finally! Some action!
Chapter Twenty Three
Shina, I'm home…Van frowned at his castle. Although it was not diminished to rubble yet, it no longer held the beauty it once did. Evil lives here now…
He knew that going through the front door would be stupid; she obviously kept most of her guards there to keep people out. Instead, he went around to the right side, where he and Merle once made a 'secret exit' when they were kids. Hopefully, I'll still fit…
Van walked as quietly as possible to where his entrance would be. She will never know my home like I do…I'll surprise her and do away with her quickly. Shina will not know what hit her…He clutched the handle of his stolen sword tightly. The handle itself was uncomfortable to hold; it had sharp curls of metal at the end and where the blade met the handle. The metal used had not been smoothed down, so it was painful but it could be used as another weapon.
As the thoughts of just exactly he would do to Shina with one of her own swords came into his head, Van did not realize that the pendant's pink light started to darken.
To a pinkish-gray.
"Ms. Kanzaki! Please! Calm down!" The nurses and other aides kept telling her that, repeating it like it was a broken record.
"Calm down? I can't calm down! Where is he? Where is Van?" Hitomi cried frantically. When she fell asleep last night, he was there…but when she woke up, he was gone.
Stay with me tonight
Van! Please! The moment she woke up fully from the morphine induced sleep, she knew that her pendant was missing.
And that only meant one thing.
He went back.
You belong on Gaea
Without her.
"I have to go! Let me go! I have to get out of here!" She continued to thrash in her bed, trying to get out of it and run. I have to be on Gaea with him! He can't fight her alone!
"Ms. Kanzaki! You mustn't strain yourself! It is not worth it!"
"No! You don't understand!" Green eyes pleaded with the eyes of the head doctor. "I. Have. To. Go." Hitomi said each word slowly so that they could understand her. "He can't do it alone!" She stopped moving around and waited for their response.
"Please, as your doctor, I strongly advise that you stay here under our care. You are not able enough."
"HE isn't able enough, Dr. Hedden! I have to go with him!" Hitomi struggled to find a way to explain herself without telling him about Gaea. He would think I was crazy and injured!
Dr. Hedden looked at her compassionately. "Who? Who else isn't able enough?"
Quietly, she answered, "Van, sir. Van Fanel. My roommate."
"Ms. Kanzaki, we have a search team designed to look for patients who leave the—"
"—You won't find him here."
"Then where?" He blinked. "Where is he?"
Hitomi looked at him sadly. "He's in a place far, far away…" And he will not be coming back…Oh Van…Please, keep in control of the situation…
But something deep in her heart told her otherwise.
The pendant was no longer with her but she could feel it. Usually, it was light, full of purity and goodness and it always wrapped around her like a soothing blanket. Up until now, she felt it getting heavier in weight and less comforting. His vengeance…is it creating a twin to Shina's pendant?
As the nurses and doctors lay her back down on the bed and tucked her in, Hitomi continued to think. If Shina is a destroyer, that must be why her pendant—that she stole from an Atlantian—turned black. The evil and anger in her soul beat out the goodness that the pendant originally stood for. There was too much of it…
The hospital workers, relieved that Hitomi had calmed down, started to shuffle out of the room, only leaving one nurse to check Hitomi's machines. Shina's pendant…It must be what gives her these possessive powers…She may have ruined another world before Atlantis, but she did not have the powers she has now; mind control…superhuman strength…and the ability to enter visions and be real. Shina must have been strong before hand, but this black pendant gives her more or enhances what she already has…
"Ms. Kanzaki?" The last nurse broke her thoughts. "Are you going to take it easy from now on?"
Hitomi looked at the woman but turned away quickly, returning to her previous train of thought. Bringing her hands into her lap, she began to fidget with her fingers. If we take away the powers that her pendant bestows upon her, we may be able to stop her…She won't be as powerful…more manageable…
"Ms. Kanzaki?" She called again, concerned.
Van…I had so much to tell you… "Yes, I will." Hitomi responded quietly, lying through her teeth. I have to make it back there…To warn him…to tell him what to do…
Brushing the dirt and sand out of his pants and the hospital gown, Van stood upright and looked around. Everything was more or less the way he left it during the surprise attack. There were still some bodies laying around, but he pressed on. Some support beams were cut in half or splintering and all the carvings that were once there were totally cleaned off. For some reason, it looked darker, even though most of the windows were smashed open and were letting in constant streams of light.
A few fires were still smoldering, but they were not as devastating as they once were. Black smoke was still rising from the ashes and it was suffocating. Tears stung his eyes and Van refused to cough. I have to stay quiet!
The wooden floors creaked under his weight and Van silently cursed. He was trying to be as quiet as possible…So much for a surprise attack…Shifting his weight on either foot, he walked forward, praying that he would not be detected.
But, even if he was, he had his sword.
And even if he failed, the soldiers would bring him to her. That is, of course, if they don't kill me for her…He sighed at his logic. I'm pretty sure she would want to finish me off herself…She would have more guards patrolling these hallways. There was no one in the hallway he was in…If she wants me dead, she would have more people here…
Moving slowly and trying to keep the weight off his sprained ankle, Van kept close to the wall. He was arriving at the entrance of another hallway; it made a 'T' shape and he was at the disadvantage. He would be seen easily by anyone coming down the hallway facing him, and possibly even in the other direction if he stuck out too far. Gripping the awkward handle again, Van's breathing picked up. One…Two…He got as close to the edge as possible and looked both ways quickly to find that…
…no one was there.
Letting out a sigh of relief, he moved left. Maroon eyes scanned in all directions, but no one was hiding anywhere. Strange…Where is she? The more guards I find, the closer I will be to her…Obviously, she is nowhere near this place at all…Come on, where are you?
His free hand reached for the pendant around his neck and held it in front of him. Where is she? The pinkish-gray pendant glowed and swiveled around to point in the direction straight ahead…and up.
She's upstairs…Van's eyebrows knit together in a frown as he looked for the first flight of stairs. As he turned more corners, he finally made it. He knew that as soon as he entered the correct hallway, the stairs would be right there.
But he wasn't stupid.
Staying close to the wall on the adjacent hallway, Van peered in cautiously. Just as he thought, there was a guard standing there, in front of the doors. Hmm…I am getting closer…But how can I get really close? I have to get that guy out of there…
Remembering an old trick, Van turned around and spotted a medium-sized rock. This'll do it…Coming back to his previous position with the rock in hand, he tossed it to the ground, making sure that it echoed enough to distract the one guard there. He heard the man shuffle but nothing more. Come on…
He figured that the Yoshidarian man wasn't as stupid as he thought he was. I'll have to be the bait, I guess…Van quickly ran to the other side of the entrance frame and was happy to hear the solider move towards him. "Halt! Who goes there?"
As the man turned the corner where Van was hiding, the former King of Fanelia used the butt of the sword to knock the wind out of the soldier. A whoosh sound escaped the soldier's lips before Van landed a hefty punch to the man's face, making him fall to the ground.
Before he could get up or call for reinforcements against the intruder, Van squatted down to his level and held the tip of the blade near his throat. The other man's breath hitched in his throat as the intruder glared at him. "Tell me where your Princess is…and I swear, my face will not be the last thing you'll see."
The man stared at Van, lips sealed. Van's face twisted in anger. "Tell me!" He shouted at the man.
The pendant turned darker.
The solider did not say a word. "You leave me no choice…" Van dragged the tip of the blade across the soldier's neck quickly. If they have nothing good to say, they are of no use to me…I'll find her on my own…His heart pumped madly in his chest, fuelling his anger and adrenaline once again.
With his fists clenched and his jaw locked, Van made it up the spiral staircase on the lookout for other soldiers that would get in his way. Pausing mid way between floors, he looked at the pendant again, he proposed his question in thought. Where is she? Find her pendant to find her…
The pendant pointed straight up. She's higher up… Taking the stairs two at a time, he raced up, making sure that the pendant did not suddenly point to the floor that she was on. When he stumbled and hit his knee on the step, he cursed loudly at the sudden pain and disruption of movement. Closing his mouth quickly afterwards, Van waited for soldiers to find him. They must have heard that…
But the longer he waited, the more time he spent there alone.
Van's breathing got louder again. Why isn't anyone coming? At his pause, his thoughts moved to his next step. Where to? The pendant changed its direction and pointed to the door the next flight up.
Why is she up there? There isn't anything on that floor…Everything that relates to me or anything Atlantian for that matter in on the first or second floor… Regardless of his thoughts, Van continued upwards, keeping himself low on the steps in case any one was waiting for him on the other side. Tightening his grip on his sword, he moved cautiously to where the pendant told him to go.
From his viewpoint of the entrance of the floor where Shina supposedly was, he saw no shadows or anything. Van frowned in disbelief. Impossible…this woman—this thing—can't be this stupid…
Another thought popped into his head. …Unless she wants me to get to her…B—But it can't be this easy…Quickly going up the rest of the stairs, Van walked to the entrance way and looked left and right to confirm his earlier findings. It's totally empty…Still, he clutched his sword and held it out in front of him.
This floor is used for storage…Why is she up here? This floor seemed to be spared from all the destruction that he saw on the first floor. Turning the corner quietly, Van realized that it was only his breathing that was echoing off the walls. What is she doing? Pausing, he stopped and listened. He closed his eyes and waited for any indication of life on this floor. Am I too late?
Van's head snapped to attention when he heard the sound of something rattling and banging. Someone is up here! He walked forward toward the sound, back against the wall. The pendant pointed in the direction he was going, furthering his ideas that someone is indeed coming near him.
There were no fires in this area, so whatever light that came in through the windows was the only light source. Mostly everything was dark in this hallway and with only one good eye to see with, —since the other still had blood flowing over it—it made walking down difficult.
The darkness Van was experiencing was not comforting at all. She's hiding from me…His pupils adjusted to the darkness and finally, he came upon a door. However, he also dimly noted that two men stood in front of this door.
"Halt! Who goes there?" One man shouted to him before he could take refuge. Van heard feet being dragged on the floor as the two of them walked over to him.
"Speak!"
He gripped his sword, ready for another fight. "Attack!" The other man shouted. Van heard their running pace, but still could not see anything. Before he knew it, he felt the soldier's sword just nick his arm. They can't see me either…
Dodging blades to where he thought they would come, the blind battle continued for a little while. The Yoshidarian soldiers were shouting at him to threaten him, but they could not land any fatal blows. Other than one fist connecting smoothly on his face and another cut—this time on his arm, the soldiers were not accurate enough.
Van was not having much luck either; fighting in the dark was not his strong suit. He felt that he was being backed into a wall, but he tried to swing his legs out in hopes of tripping them. With no success yet, the sounds of whipping blades and limbs echoed with neither party landing much.
In the absence of direct hits, Van's mind started to wander off into logic. Wait…The pendant let me see through the Invisibility Cloaks of the Dragonslayers…I can use it here!
Picturing it in his mind, the pendant pointed to where the men stood: one straight in front and the other to his right. But, as he decided to take on the offensive by swinging his sword around in their general direction, he heard the men cry out and fall, landing with a sick thud. What?
The pendant, whose light only let Van see short distances, glowed only a bit stronger than before to allow him to see what happened. The two men who were battling with him in the dark were in a tangled heap on the floor; both unresponsive. He squatted down to look at them more closely but found nothing—no wounds, no weapons, no blood—to explain their sudden collapse. But, I didn't do anything…
His heart pumped a bit louder. Wiping the blood and sweat out of his face, he continued slowly towards the door that concealed the only sounds. Van still looked back to make sure that no one else was hiding and when he finally met up with the door, Van put his ear to it. There was definitely someone in there; the pendant was pointing in all directions now.
Shina's in there…My pendant has found her pendant…Conflicting powers…Unlocking the door easily, he pushed it open. This room's only window was slightly cracked, but it faced the east so the setting sun and rising moon would offer no light. There were a few wooden crates and most of the food and seeds had been pushed to one side to make room for something else. The room used to store grain and wheat had an entirely different purpose now.
It made his heart stop.
To the right, bars had been erected to make a prison cell and in them were Merle, Allen and Millerna. Their hands were bound in thick chains that hung above their heads, their bodies slung forward, and their clothes tattered. It looked like they hadn't eaten in days. Their clothes hung too awkwardly on their slimming forms. Their heads dangled near their chests and their breathing was slow.
They sort of just hung there…each of which were sleeping peacefully.
Too peacefully.
Van's eyes could not stay on that image for long as someone else, standing a few meters in front of the door caught his attention. Something with bright blue eyes, white hair and a dress that never seemed to get dirty.
"Oh, my King…Did you really think I was going to let you die at the hands of my men? I prefer to do my business hands on…"
"Mama, do you understand now? Do you get why I have to go?" Hitomi whispered, head bowed. As she waited for her mother to arrive for visiting hours, she had tried three more times to get out of the hospital. After the third failed attempt, she forced herself awake to think of a plan. All of which needed the pendant back in her hands in order to work.
Before any progress could be made, Hitomi's mother had come and had heard the news of her daughter's close breakaways. Demanding an explanation, Hitomi had finally decided to tell her. Her doctor would not believe her, but her mother would. She knew about the strange trinket from before and she needed to learn the whole story…
…to possibly help her get out of this place.
Hitomi's mother stayed silent, deep in her own thoughts. "Well? Mama! Please, say something!"
She was thinking over all the things that Hitomi had just told her and trying to make sense of it all. That man…who was here…He is from that place…Gaea; the other dimensional earth. Where different things are from: machines and creatures…and angels…Angels that were bestowed with very special gifts of wishing magic—held in those pendants.
Being a descendant of those angels, that man, Van, was being hunted down by an evil creature…A creature that made him do very horrible things because it didn't like his predecessors. She's out to destroy his world…and Hitomi needs to get there to tell him something…She does not want to see his world become destroyed…
But, she can't get there without the trinket that my grandmother gave her…which is with the man…Her thoughts were cut off as Hitomi interrupted again. "Mama?"
The kind eyes of her mother looked back at Hitomi. "We need to get you out of here."
"Yes! Yes! Mama, you have to sign the release forms to get me—"
Hitomi's mother stopped her. "—No, no…Honey, is there any way you can get your grandmother's pendant back to you?"
Green eyes gave brown ones a questionable look. "I—I…" Hitomi thought hard. There must be a—…Her thoughts froze. That time…That one vision…With her memory reeling backwards to the time where Van was telling her everything that she had forgot and to her own muddled visions, she remembered. That one time...when she was in the bath tub on Gaea…
…where the pendant had come to her rescue.
"Hitomi, is there? Because, there is no point in getting out of this hospital if you can't get back to Gaea…" Her mother continued.
Smiling, Hitomi nodded. "Yes! Yes, there is! It happened once before…I don't know how, but Iwill make it happen again!"
BLAH.
Hope this chapter meets up with everyone's standards. Sort of a filler, but, it had to be done. Suspense is good.
FYI: The doctor's name that was mentioned is the same name as the doctor that did that surgery on me about 7 months ago. He's a good man, that Dr. Hedden...I LOVE YOU!
Yup, everything's gonna go down in the next chapter! The story is almost done! Not many more chapters to go! See ya guys! (sorry for the lateness...school and work suck majorly)
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