Hey
So here's chapter 4 as promised. I'm still working on getting future chapters prepared but it's still looking like a very long story at this point so bear with me during the slow start.
Anyway, as always, any feedback you can offer is appreciated but not expected.
Hope you enjoy the chapter xx
Chapter 4
Hitomi sat on the sofa, her legs folded for her to rest her chin on her knee's, with her arms wrapped around her legs. Her dad was due to leave tomorrow, and he'd spent the last week making sure she'd be ok whilst he was away. She'd been able to fake it for him. Now whilst she was alone, she had her doubts. She'd already decided not to go to university. She'd already missed the start anyway, so she didn't see the need to. She wasn't sleeping well since her last visit to the Cemetery. Her dreams or rather her nightmares had her waking up often enough to know she was beginning to develop insomnia.
Some were of the incident in the city, some of people living on Gaea but mostly of the Dragon Slayers, Folken and the twins Nariya and Eriya. She'd seen them in different surroundings she'd never seen before on Earth or Gaea. But then she'd see their lives as if they had lived on Earth all their lives. She couldn't make sense of it all. Whatever they were trying to tell her she was doing her best to ignore it. She wasn't going back without a fight, not after having to pay the price for someone else's wish.
Knowing her mood was quick to anger lately she moved to the kitchen and stood by the table. She saddened at the sight of the empty table. Usually, they'd be sat or in the kitchen in some form, enjoying each other's company. Now the house felt as empty as it was. With her mother and brother's belongings packed besides a few keepsakes, it was like their personality was gone too. Her father had even taken to sleeping in the guest room permanently, using his former room for storage until a charity came to pick up the boxes in the morning before he was due to leave for the airport.
How was it fair that she had to pay their price? Her hands balled into fists as her thoughts consumed her. Her sight narrowed enough that she was blind to her surroundings as items in the kitchen beginning to vibrate, shake and then slowly move. Cabinets creaked as if they were about to break, and glasses and mugs rattled within them. Cutlery clanged together on the draining board and drawer.
"HITOMI!"
She snapped out of it at the sound of her father's voice, falling to her knees as tears streamed down her cheeks. She moved her hands to look at the drops before trying to wipe them away, but they wouldn't stop.
"Hitomi," she heard her father call out in worry before he was on the floor in front of her, holding her arms.
She couldn't reign it in, all the emotions she'd damned up broke out. She buried herself in her father's chest, crying as he tried to sooth her. She barely noticed when he shifted her to sit across his lap so he could rock her back and forth as she blubbered about how it was her fault, Gaea's, everything. He studied the kitchen quietly seeing it was a mess as if an earthquake had hit.
Looking down at this daughter, he smiled sadly. It was bad enough she'd had to suffer after her return, but then losing family and friends and now the after-effects of using her gifts on Gaea were starting to show. She wasn't going to survive this with her sanity intact at this rate. He continued to try sooth her until she finally calmed down.
"Are you ok now?" he asked softly.
"Yeah. Sorry dad," she answered.
He moved his arms to carry her as he stood up, using his foot to push a chair out. He placed her into it and crouched down in front of her.
"Don't be sorry. I was more worried before. It isn't healthy to bottle everything up," he stated.
"But it's my fault. If I hadn't ignored my senses, hadn't given up tarot reading, gone to Gaea. None of this would have happened," she argued softly.
"It's not your fault though. You paid a price from someone else's wish, right? So don't blame yourself," he countered.
"But…"
"No buts. I know you would have done something if you could but it's natural to fight your senses after what you've been through. It's almost like PTSD."
"PTSD?"
"Post-Traumatic Post Disorder. More commonly heard of for soldiers but it's not uncommon for anyone affected by a war either."
"Dad, I saw Varie," she said uneasily, looking down at her hands, "She came to me at the Cemetery. There's a new war starting and…"
"You think they'll take you back by force to help again?"
She nodded without looking at him, thinking he would be disappointed that she didn't want to help. He smiled as he stood and kissed her head gently.
"Then let's talk about it. Do you want tea to go with this?"
She nodded again but sat still, starring at her hands. He frowned and started to move to make them both teas. She'd be in her own head for a while before she'd notice what was happening around her again. He'd managed to make their tea, grab snacks from the fridge and sitting down at the table on the chair closest to her before she moved at last.
"Did I ever tell you about your grandfather?" he asked.
"I know he was kind and I remember the angel story barely but that was cos he died when I was little."
"He's actually my adopted father. But only because he knew where I really came from. Until you told me about your adventures even, I thought I dreamed it all up. The story of Angels was written so I wouldn't forget by my mother."
"Really come from?" she enquired in confusion.
"Gaea. You won't have heard of the kingdom during your time on Gaea. It's probably a legend now but that Kingdom, Atorantisu, was created when Gaea was created. The Atlanteans that survived built it, but they stayed a hidden kingdom. Watching over Gaea to ensure they didn't make the same mistake."
"Hidden? Why was it hidden?"
"The other Kingdoms knew of us in their very early days, but they soon forgot. No one could find us on purpose. Lost stragglers roamed in when they searched for Atlantis. They either stayed as Citizens or left never able to find their way back. The kingdom would send out scouts to Earth and into Gaean Countries to monitor advances, incorporating both. The Kingdom was much more advance due to some Atlantis engineering anyway. We didn't interfere in the Gaean wars between each other, we only became involved when a country started to come close to the same ideals as Atlantis so we could stop it. There is still a way for each country to contact our kingdom but the lesson on how to do that, stopped being taught the more they believed we didn't really exist. It was peaceful."
"Was peaceful?" she asked sceptically.
"There are always wars. Look at Earth's history. We never got involved in them. So Atorantisu was peaceful, ruled mainly by a Queen who chose her own King. The Queen alone had the power to see the future, the King enforced it. We carried on like that for a while until that power weakened. My mother was the strongest after 6 generations of Queen's who could barely use it at all. She had some control, but it didn't help against Zaibach."
"You're a prince?" she teased.
"Not anymore, Princess," he teased back.
"So, what happened?"
"Zaibach," he stated gravely, "After he established it as an empire, Dornkirk used his science to find us, and he did. He sent his army to take us. Most of the citizens were killed in the attack but thanks to my mother the remaining escaped since she'd had some foresight to prepare the evacuation. If it wasn't for Dornkirk, we'd have had more time. My mother had seen my fate a long time ago but as she put the failsafe in place, she had a vision."
"What was it?"
"The failsafe? To bury the city in the ground under the mountain we were on top of. My mother's vision was my new fate as well as a fate that would be put into place if you were ever to end up on Gaea. The same for my adopted sister. Before the city was completely buried, she summoned two pillars of light. My sister was sent to the fates on Atlantis, where a new family in the future would take her and she'd meet her fated partner. I was sent to your grandfather on Earth who adopted me. She told us what she could without giving any details and of what our futures should have been so that we could move on but not forget."
"So, what was your future meant to be?"
"Well, that's harder to explain. I don't really remember. All I could remember is that no matter what I would always have you Hitomi as my first child. But your friends on Gaea would have been your childhood friends, had you been raised there."
"How do you know that?" she asked suddenly wary of her own father.
"I had a dream last night of my mother. The first in a long time and she explained everything. She told me not to say anything until you had been contacted so you weren't pressured into going back. So, you could make your own choice this time."
"What else did she say to you?"
"Because of Dornkirk, fate had to re-design everything to change Gaea onto a peaceful course. It pulled together those that needed to meet from different times, connecting wishes. Your grandfather had actually met my mother and had everything prepared for me to assimilate to life on Earth. A back up for all the royals of Atorantisu."
"So, my time on Gaea…"
"Was fate calling you to help the final piece to Gaea's future in place, to stop Dornkirk and bring peace back."
"The people who died…"
"It wasn't their time for some of them. They've been given new lives. When the Kingdom was buried, it acted like a time capsule of sorts. No one in that army aged but they found a way to hide they could get out and keep the time capsule in place. They made a wish that amplified another's that changed Gaea's fate towards a war again. Now fate it using it to turn Gaea's course back to its original course before Dornkirk. Fate shouldn't be pre-determined, but fate has several options you can take to several different ends."
"What does that mean for me?"
"If Varie's contacted you, it's possible its fate calling the new Queen back to Gaea to stop Dornkirk's army because their ideals match Atlantis," he answered, "But you won't have to do this alone. I'll be going with you."
"You want to go to Gaea? To be involved in a war?"
"I want to see what became of our kingdom, your heritage."
"What if I don't want to revive it?" she asked sadly.
"Then we come home & move somewhere quiet until you feel you're ready to start again. Your future is yours to decide as much as fate like to intervene Hitomi. I will do whatever you need me to, but I've given you a lot of information. Why don't you use the time I'm away to think of some questions and I'll do my best to answer them?"
"Ok," she muttered, "Thanks dad."
"For what?"
"Being honest and not hiding this from me."
"The only times I won't tell you something is when it's to keep you safe or for your own good. But I will be honest if you ever ask. I won't purposely hide anything."
He hated keeping up the presence that he was stuck here, by coming back to watch the spectacle of Celena's life. After his last stint in the void lasting 3 days, he had to stick around with Celena for a few to make up for it. It was amusing at first to watch Van and Celena's disastrous flirting. Now it was just tedious. They weren't getting any better at it either. But luckily, she was on her own for the time being and she'd been willing to take the easy memories from Zaibach. And his plan was still hidden to put the sugar on top of it.
'You're being awfully quiet,' he heard Celena say.
'Between yours and Vans disastrous flirting and my being stuck here, I'm bored out of her skull,' he answered nonchalantly.
'On I'm sorry. I figured you'd be happy for me at least,' she stated sarcastically.
'I already told you he's not good enough for you. And it could just be sexual tension for all you know. I doubt he's ever been laid,' he sneered.
'Van isn't like you. He'd be faithful. You couldn't have a meaningful relationship with anyone. Let alone love someone,' she sneered back.
He was stunned she fought back. He thought there's was at least a little meaningful. He hated that she now spurned his existence like everyone had.
'Fuck you Celena. You're just like the rest of them,' he spat out with vengeance.
'Dilandau I'm sorry I didn't mean it,' she stammered.
'Sure, you did but you can have it. I don't care. I'll check in when I feel like it. Enjoy your time with Van.'
He disappeared before Celena could come back to him with some spiel about regretting what she said. He'd had enough anyway. Van and Celena would go on dates when she wasn't helping Dryden research in the library now that Allen and Millerna had left for Asutria. When he appeared in the void, the man in the cloak and mask was waiting for him.
"So how are you Dilandau?" the man asked with amusement in his voice.
"I've been better. Why are you here?" he asked back with a growl.
"I was thinking it might be time for you to make contact with Hitomi."
"I was already planning on it; I've been waiting for her father to leave so her long hours of sleep won't be noticed."
"You already figured out how?"
"I spent a few days and every night stopping her nightmares trying to at first."
"Well, I guess I'll leave you to it. Try not to contact her when she's in public unless you've figured out how to get into her head like you do with Celena."
"Yeah, done that already. Just leave it to me."
"I plan to. Just a tidbit you need to know when you speak to her. Tell her, her dreams were right and they're waiting for her to find them."
The man vanished before he could ask about the cryptic message. But at least he's surprised the man. Clearly, he was moving quicker than the plan the man had. He'd only found out he could stop her dreams when he wanted her nightmare of her mother and brother's deaths to stop. He'd actually got her to wake up. There were only a few dreams he couldn't see or got kicked out off.
For now, he was going to calm down before catching up with Hitomi's memories. He wanted to be ready before he made contact with her since she'd likely be scared of him at first.
That's it for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.
Any feedback is great feedback in my book but again it's not expected, just appreciated if given.
I'm also working on preparing other stories as well as the future chapters for Return to Gaea, so updates will be every 3 weeks for a little while longer. But if you're a Beyblade fan, feel free to check out my older stories and my writing style from way back when.
Anyway, I'll be uploading the next chapter on July 31st
Until next time xx