Hey

I'm back with Chapter 9 for you all whilst on the train to see family lol.

As always, feedback is appreciated but not expected.

I hope you enjoy xx

Chapter 9

She looked at the gates with apprehension and nervousness. She hadn't been back since the funeral and it was frightening coming back after finding out so much from her dad, Dilandau and even the twins last night, in such a short amount of time. After Naria and Eriya had finished up their show, they'd talked her into having some fun before leaving. They'd danced for an hour or two, with her taking to it quickly considering she hadn't ever danced before. When they eventually did leave with several bottles of alcohol and bags of clothes for the twins, the limo was still waiting for her. And she could have sworn she saw the driver smile fondly at them.

She had to admit it was strange having someone at the house with her but after finding the lounge decked out with cushions and bedding for sleeping on the floor comfortably, another surprise from her mystery caretaker, it was starting to feel more normal again. They sat up and talked throughout the night. Naria and Eriya had suddenly woke one day in a hospital 2 and a half years ago. They didn't know where they were for a day until they started remembering a life her on Earth.

From what the doctors had told them, they'd been in some sort of accident that left them in a coma for 6 months with no living relatives to wake up to. But they'd been left a huge inheritance as well as payouts on the life insurance for their relatives and 'parents' who had died in the accident. By the time they were let out of the hospital, their earth memories had fully integrated with their memories from Gaea and were putting both lots to good use. They sold their house, or more accurately mansion, as well as anything else they didn't need to add to the staggering fortune before packing up the lives they were still slightly reeling from, so they could travel. After 3 months of travelling from one country to the next around the world, they came back and settled down, opening the club as their way of trying to find others like them but it hadn't amounted to much so far. Their story had been relatively short and drink-free.

Hers, however, hadn't been. She had told them everything from when they died and when she came back to Earth, to the most recent stuff, like Dilandau, the void and Atorantisu. And with the questions they had asked, it had taken a while to get through it all and several drinks. She was surprised how angry they were for her but grateful at the same time. Even if the alcohol was fuelling the rather comical threatened they came out with. But the idea's they had about her dreams were good and she planned on trying it out when she was next in the void, whenever that was.

They fell asleep pretty quickly after they had moved onto planning and plotting Hitomi's return to Gaea. And her dreams that night…

"You okay Hitomi?"

She looked over to her right to see Naria with an uneasy smile and nodded as Eriya took her hand. They must have finished buying the flowers while she was in the own little world, thinking back over last night. She could see now, they each had a bouquet, but she still couldn't seem to move her feet.

"Scared?" Eriya asked softly.

"A little," she answered quietly.

"It wasn't your fault Hitomi," Naria stated with an easy smile, "Now, let's go say hi."

She nodded and led them in. She kept her eyes ahead as they walked through until she spotted the graves, going through the rows and looking curiously at the burnt ring of grass. She stood in front of the graves solemnly but remained stock still unsure of what to say. However Naria moved first, placing her bouquet on her brother's grave, with Eriya following suit to put her bouquet on her mother's grave.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Eriya stated.

"Though we wish it was under better circumstances," Naria continued, "Your daughter, sister, is an incredible person and if it wasn't for you and her father, she wouldn't be that person."

"We weren't very nice people back when we first met Hitomi and when my sister took her away from the people who were supposed to be protecting her, Hitomi still tried to help her, even caring for an injury instead of running. Where we were and what was happening at the time, not just anyone would have done that and we can't thank you enough for that. So instead, I will make a vow to you both. I'll protect Hitomi for the rest of this new life I have and to stay loyal to her for all the lives she and I are given."

"And I vow the same but I will treat her as my own sister. Her blood is my blood from this point forward."

"Hitomi's blood is my blood and the blood of my sister."

Hitomi felt something but it passed as quickly as it came, too quick for her to analyse it. She wiped the tears away that had spilled as the twins came back to her, each holding an arm of hers and resting their heads against her with the free hand holding the hand of the arm, they were holding. They stayed like that for a while before they moved to leave. They were back at Hitomi's and eating lunch before the mood finally lightened.

"We should go out on the town tonight, have some fun, dance with boys and really let loose," Naria suggested with a smile.

"I don't think I can do 2 nights in a row. Maybe you should ease me into the party girl life gently," she joked, "Not that I think I'll ever be one."

"Well I think you could be, with the right people of course," she teased with a grin.

"You know I've been thinking about some things," Eriya stated grabbing both their attentions, "Hitomi, you said Dilandau wants to make sure you know how to fight before you're dragged into another war on Gaea. Well he'd probably be focusing on sword skills and guymelefs."

"I assume so though I'm pretty sure he wants to build up my stamina first since I've mainly been a runner and I only know a few self-defence moves. So, I'm pretty sure he's going to teach me some dirty tactics as well."

"That's likely with Dilandau, crazy but brilliant somehow," Naria commented before turning to Eriya, "Are you suggesting what I think you are?"

"Yep," Eriya answered before looking at Hitomi, "What about if we also trained you? To fight like we do, with stealth and flexibility. We'll get you as close to a cat person in skill as possible and it'll fit with some of your ability or skills you have already not to mention give you an advantage to just a sword. You'd be able to do hand-to-hand combat and use knives. No one will expect it."

Hitomi thought about it for a moment before she got up to grab her laptop. She quickly found what she wanted on the internet and turned it around to show them. They watched with rapt fascination and awe which amused her greatly.

"Oh that awesome, what is it?" They asked.

"Vambrace. I remembered how easily you could manoeuvre and it made me think of a game my brother used to play. This is the main weapon," Hitomi explained.

"Are there any more videos to watch?"

They sat and watched for a while before the twins were called in by the club after being understaffed. They hadn't wanted to go but Hitomi mentioned they take a weekend off at some point as well as put in a new rule that no more than a certain amount of people was off at a time to avoid this in future. They decided to go with her suggestion, making plans to stop by in 2 days time. The door was barely closed when she felt something pulling in her mind. Something much harsher than when Dilandau pulled her into the void.

The pain behind her eyes and throughout her skull increased as she stumbled in an attempted to get to the lounge but she was losing control and the pain was blinding as she tried to fight. She was only able to get part way down the hall, just out of reach, when she slid down the wall and fell onto her side as everything when black. When she opened her eyes again, she came face to face with a man wearing a crazed and arrogance look on his face.

She knew the amour he was wearing was an old Zaibach one, but it had also been modified with clothing she'd only seen the Atlanteans wear in her visions during her time of Gaea. He stood tall, almost as tall as Balgus had and just as bulky, but he looked like he was in his late 20s with black, slicked back hair reaching his shoulders and 2 scars on his brow with a third scar wrapped around his neck.

"So you're the girl that ended the war with Dornkirk," the man cooed sarcastically.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"The one who cut you off from Gaea," he answered with a sneer before he quickly grabbed her and tackled her to the ground holding a knife to her cheek.

"Why? It's not like I can do anything from where I am," she retorted.

"You're the key to everything. And you only need to know that it doesn't matter where you are, I can still hurt you," he growled as he pressed the knife into her cheek to cut it, "Whatever I do to you here, happens to you for real. See?"

She scowled as her head was forced to the side as an image appeared of her unconscious at home and bleeding like she was currently as well as bruises from where she'd been pinned. She was helpless, like back then and she didn't like feeling like this. With a fuller glare on her face, she looked up at him.

"What do you want from me?"

"It's simple, I want your heritage little girl. I've cut you off from everyone so your only choice to save them is join me willingly."

"You'd just kill them anyway. You just want me as a weapon," she stated angrily, "I'm not yours or anyone else's god damn weapon."

She pushed until he went flying but she stayed focused on him as she stood whilst he looked shocked and confused.

"What you don't realise is I have the option to not join any side and fight my own side in this new war you started," she growled.

"You and what army little girl? I changed your fate when I attacked Atorantisu. I now control the Atlantean technology. You have neither an army or allies and your general no longer exists. I didn't learn to harness the power the Atlanteans left behind to be threatened!" he snarled, "You will join my side and unlock the full potential of your kingdom for me to control Gaea with you at my side to keep them in check."

"You haven't harnessed anything," she scoffed, "Only some of your wishes are being granted. Fate's just using you to steer things to the point they want them."

"Fate has no control over my wishes. I wanted…"

"My connection to Van broken. But your wish was only granted because is combined with someone elses wish. You may have changed my fate but making the same wish as someone else gave fate a chance to correct it at last," she informed, "Now what was your name?"

"I don't think so. I have plans and you won't be interfering with them. Since it was my wish that brought you here, you can stay here until you agree to join me."

"That'll never work. Fate's on my side and I don't want you here again," Hitomi stated angrily.

He looked at himself, shocked to see himself disappearing but he quickly looked at Hitomi and smirked.

"We'll see. Until next time Winged Goddess."

With that last sentence he disappeared at last, leaving Hitomi in the void alone and currently unable to leave until Dilandau stopped in. She sighed and sat down wondering what to do and thinking back to how she'd thrown the man off her. She hadn't used physical strength and she'd seen the burnt ring where she'd first spoken to Varie at the Graveyard. And there was that incident with the 3 girls at the temple where one of them had burnt wrists after.

She remembered how her father had said it was the Queen who held the power of Atorantisu. Was it possible she had other abilities because fate had changed yet again?

"Do I have other abilities besides my visions?" she asked aloud.

Gaea

Celena was sat on the settee in the library reading, not that she was able to concentrate for long. Her thoughts kept going back to what she'd seen of Hitomi, thanks to Dilandau. Even when she had a rare moment of focus, Dilandau proved to be too distracting too ignore, like now.

'You can't ignore you're guilt forever.'

'I'm not ignoring it. I just refuse to share my misery with you.'

'But I enjoy it so much. I bet Hitomi would too.'

'I doubt that. She doesn't sound like…'

'Because you know so much from Allen and Van's view of her. Think for yourself for once. If you was in her position, how would you feel?'

'Angry. Betrayed. I wouldn't find some satisfaction unless someone else felt as miserable as me but I wouldn't revel in it.'

'Grief changes people. Hitomi's no exception. She's not the same girl anymore.'

'What do you want with Hitomi anyway?'

'Nothing I'm the only one who doesn't want anything from her. Oh would you look at that, it's the ones who would use her as a weapon.'

She looked up to see Van and Allen approaching, each with a determined look. She knew Van hadn't told her brother about Dilandau but avoided them for so long already, she was surprised this was first time they'd tried to talk to her. She placed a bookmark in the book and set it down on the table next to her, whilst Van sat beside her and Allen pulled a chair over to sit in front of her.

"Celena, the other day…"

"You want to know what I saw," she stated quietly getting a nod from them both, "I saw Hitomi on the Mystic Moon after she left Gaea. What happened to her when she went home."

"She went home to her family," Allen said, "I imagine she was happy…"

"But she wasn't. Gaea had an effect on her, too much I think," Celena explained, "She stopped reading fortunes and she became an outcast on her own world. She was diagnosed with something called post-traumatic stress disorder. It's normally associated with soldiers and we've seen it ourselves. Soldiers after the war were traumatised and acted out. But she didn't have anyone to talk to and she wasn't like the girls on her world anymore. She was miserable."

'At least we finally have a name for it,' Van thought.

"What else Celena?" Allen asked.

"She taught herself some self-defence but she started talking to her dad and her friend Yukari. They were the only ones who fully believed her. But then her mother and brother died in a horrific accident, her friend Amano too," she stated looking at the floor and missing Allen's slight recognition to the names, "She was angry."

"Anyone would be," Van offered.

"She's not the same person anymore. She's still learning self-defence but she's vengeful."

'Go on! Ask them why they never taught her to protect herself,' Dilandau cooed.

"I'm sure that won't be the case once she moves past her grief," Allen stated.

"If she returns to Gaea, we'll help her. She can stay in the castle away from people until she's ready," Van added

"And what if she doesn't agree to stay in the castle? If she comes back during the war, will you teach her to fight and defend herself?"

"She will. If we tell her it's for her own good, she'll do as we ask and we won't need to teach her. She'll be protected."

Celena spotted Merle behind the shelves with a scowl and her tail fluffed out in fury. She sighed and stood, moving away from the men.

"You don't' understand, Hitomi's changed. She won't join your side in the war, she's not interested."

"She won't be part of it at all. But with her gift, she can warn us of any attacks and locations of the enemy. She wouldn't have to be on the front line and the enemy won't expect us or know to look for her," Allen advised.

"We'll keep Hitomi off the battlefield and if we explain she needs to stay hidden, she'll listen."

"And if she doesn't?" Celena challenged.

"We'll keep her hidden so only us 3 know she's here."

"You'd make her a prisoner so she'll help you?" she asked incredulously, "Neither of you even taught her self-defence. She went through that war unwillingly and neither of you seem to understand the affect that had on her."

"How could we? She seemed to take it all in stride and her gift meant she could avoid it."

"Just what are you getting at Celena?" Allen asked.

"She's trying to point out you're both talking about Hitomi like she's a weapon to be controlled," Merle growled as she came out from her hiding spot to stand with the blonde, "You won't even listen when Celena's trying to tell you Hitomi isn't the same Hitomi we knew. You're no different from Zaibach right now."

"Merle!" Van rebuked.

'The cat girl has more spunk. And the looks on their faces are priceless,' Dilandau cackled.

"No Lord Van. You might not notice it but you talk about Hitomi like she wasn't our friend or your first love but a pawn instead."

"It's not like…"

"It is," Celena interrupted strongly, "Hitomi's angry. She's lost her friends, family. She's not going to help yu because you fail to see she's someone completely different now. It's been 3 years, even you aren't the same person anymore."

"That's not true," Van argued.

"You are Lord Van," Merle responded, "Back then, you were a King in name only, fighting for survival and revenge against what happened to Fanelia. Now you're a King in every sense with the confidence and manners behind it. You think before reacting. You're not a boy anymore."

'I couldn't have said it better myself,' Dilandau cheered.

'SHUT UP!'

Hitomi growled in frustration. She couldn't get the void to answer her about any other abilities she might have and she'd lost count of how many tricks she'd tried to escape the void. She'd checked on her real body routinely so she knew no one had stopped by to check on her. Not that she was expecting any one to stop by. She was annoyed to say the least at the situation. So she tried to see what Dilandau was doing, though that hadn't worked like she hoped it would.

"Why is it so hard to get the answers I want?" she whined out loud, "I just want to see what Dilandau's seeing."

Her surroundings changed to a library and she saw Celena reading. She could hear Dilandau and Celena talking, despite her mouth not moving. She listened as Celena told Allen and Van what she saw after they came in and as the arguing started. The more Van and Allen tried to defend themselves and appease the blonde, the angrier she got. Without thinking she stepped into the scene completely letting her anger flow out of her.

Van was arguing his and Allen's point of view when Celena caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Glancing over she saw a woman by the fireplace, looking angrier the more Van talked despite Merle's arguments. But strangely, she looked faint, like she was a spirit instead of someone who was actually there.

'Hitomi,' Dilandau whispered in shock and confusion.

'That's Hitomi?' Celena asked.

'Yes. And only we can see her,' Dilandau answered.

"Why won't you listen to us?" Merle shouted in frustration.

"Because we know what's best for Hitomi. If she won't listen to us, we'll keep talking sense into her," Allen argued backed firmly.

Celena could feel a rage that wasn't hers or Dilandau's as the fireplace exploded reaching only for Van and Allen, with books flying around the room hitting the 2 men and any caught by the fire, dispersed around the room, starting to set the room alight.

"What's going on?" Van shouted.

Celena couldn't bring herself to panic. She was so transfixed by the image of Hitomi as she smiled gleefully despite the inferno erupting around her and castle staff rushing to put the flames out. She watched as Hitomi studied the chaos with a look of satisfaction before looking directly at her. The terror that consumed her, seeing the anger and vengeance in her eyes, was unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

"Celena!" Allen yelled grabbing her attention and arm, "Where's your head at?"

Celena blinked and looked back to where Hitomi stood and saw nothing.

"Celena, did you see something?" Merle asked cautiously.

"I saw Hitomi, she was here," Celena answered, "It was like she was a ghost."

"Hitomi was here?" Van asked, "Like she could see and hear us?"

She wanted to ignore how excited he seemed at the prospect of Hitomi being close to him again. Though considering their argument, he was probably thinking in terms of she'd already heard him but still it sent a strong pulse of jealousy through her.

'Ah, he's so excited and he has no idea how furious she is,' Dilandau cooed sarcastically, 'And that was only a taste of her fury.'

"She could hear everything and she was angry. Angry enough to cause the fire," Celena stated, "Now do you see Van? You speak about her like she's a weapon and now she knows it too."

The room went deathly silent but Celena could hear Dilandau's manical laughter as it faded like an omen of something disastrous to come.

So that's it for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.

For anyone who's a beyblade fan, I've uploaded my latest chapter for my new Beyblade Story, 4 Queens - another slow burner but I'm partial to long stories lol

As always, any feedback is great feedback, but it's not expected.

I'll be uploading the next chapter on 13th November.

Until next time xx