Chapter Three

The DreamWeaver

"Tell me. Everything. What you are doing here and if the others are here, too." Hikaru managed to say as she wiped her tears away.

"I... well, I'm not exactly sure where they are. That's the reason why Lantis and I are here in Hokkaido. We're sort of looking for them, if they are here. And well, there's another purpose..." Zagato said.

"And what might that be?" Lantis asked. He obviously didn't know.

"Well, I heard from a friend of mine back at Tokyo that..." Zagato managed to say before Hikaru and Eagle interrupted.

"You have a friend back in Tokyo?!" Hikaru started.

"I didn't even know you lived there!!" Eagle said.

"This is quite a shock to me." Hikaru mumbled.

"You said it, sister. Err... I meant, Hikaru." Eagle said when Hikaru gave him a look. A big chunk of sweat dropped from behind his head down to his neck.

"Erm... Okay, okay... That's enough! Ahem... As I was saying, I heard from my friend back at Tokyo that there was a dream decoder here in these parts." Zagato said.

"A what?" Eagle asked.

"A dream decoder. She calls herself the DreamWeaver." Zagato answered.

"Oh, you mean like some sort of fortune teller." Eagle said.

"Uh... Not exactly, but close enough anyway..." Zagato said.

"When did you go to this DreamWeaver? I don't remember you leaving." Lantis asked silently.

"Oh, you were asleep." Zagato answered, trying his best not to laugh.

"So, this person told you about your dream? Am I right?" Hikaru said.

"That's right. You see, I had this dream that everything around me was crumbling, and a light was shining ahead. I went into the light, and that's all I remember. I'm not really good at remembering dreams anyhow." Zagato said.

"And?" Hikaru asked eagerly.

"And she told me that it meant that my former birthplace was going to get destroyed, and that hope will not be lost because I shall be moved into a new place, living a new and somewhat improved live. In a way, reborn, I suppose." Zagato answered sitting by the bed beside Hikaru.

"You didn't tell any of this stuff to me." Lantis sulked.

"Why are you sulking? I told you I was going to tell you something important on the time of your chores but you just run away from your responsibilities." Zagato answered.

"Wait a minute. Chores? Are you telling me that you live here now? In Japan?" Eagle asked again.

"Yes." Zagato answered.

"But... So does that mean you're a citizen of Japan?" Eagle questioned.

"Yeah. I woke up one morning and everything was already in place. I had friends, a job, and a mighty large apartment which I share with my brother. And he's in college now." Zagato said, smiling.

"Wow..." Eagle marveled.

"Wait... Your birthplace- Sefiro- was crumbling? What? I don't understand? Do you mean to say that Sefiro is destroyed?" Hikaru suddenly became alert.

"Yes... Well, everything gets destroyed after a billion years, Hikaru. And it's just by coincidence that after you left, it was Sefiro's billionth-something year..." Zagato answered. "So I was thinking. Maybe we could ask the DreamWeaver to decode your dreams. If that isn't too much trouble."

"Yeah, I think that would be a nice idea. I need to clear my mind of that horror." Hikaru said, standing up. "But I should ask my teacher first. I'm pretty sure she'd understand."

"No. Absolutely not." Their teacher said.

"But, ma'am. We'll just be gone for a couple of hours. We'll be back. I promise. I'm gonna' take care of her!" Eagle said.

"Hmph! That's exactly what I was afraid of!" she grunted.

"Please, ma'am. I promise that we'd be responsible." Hikaru begged.

"I've got absolutely no problems with you. It's Koizumi I'm worried about." The teacher said, still unconvinced.

"Oh, he promises to be good. Right, Eag... I mean, Junichiro?" Hikaru said.

"Of course." Eagle said. Raising up his hands as if reciting a pledge.

"Don't do anything that you might regret. All right. Get going. And be back after 3 hours. Anymore and you won't get to go on the outing tomorrow. Oh, and here are your keys." The teacher threw their keys at Eagle.

"Thanks, teach. See you later!" Eagle said as the couple ran out of the main door of the hotel.

Outside, a van was waiting for them. Inside, was Zagato on the driver's seat and Lantis on the front passebger seat. Lantis rolled down the windows.

"Hop in." Lantis said.

"Cool van!" Eagle said as he slid into the car, "Where'd you get hold of this baby?"

"I rented it. Pretty sleek, huh?" Zagato answered, and away they went.

"I remember that the DreamWeaver's house had some sort of crest on the door. Let's see... Aha! Here it is! Come on!" Zagato lead the way into a shabby but dark house. A woman in black came out and told them to wait while her sister prepared for the decoding.

"I'm really nervous about this..." Hikaru said. She looked around her, blowing warmth at her hands and realized that she was curled up in a corner. Just like in her dream.

"We're ready for you." The woman in black appeared and guided her to a dark room, lit with four candles. It gave the room a soft atmosphere. Soft but creepy.

"Please, sit." The woman said and not long after, another woman came out from the opposite side of the room. A young woman with long golden hair and a veiled face. The woman in her dream.

She giggled. "Hello there, Hikaru. How are you?"

"Huh..." Hikaru trembled in her chair.

She giggled again. Her voice was soothing and gentle, yet there was a fierceness in her manners that told Hikaru that she was not taking this job for granted.

"Hikaru... Come with me. I want to show you something." She held out her hand for Hikaru.

"I... gasp I..." Hikaru was trembling violently now. She was scared.

"Don't be afraid. It's me. The woman in your dreams. Remember?" she said softly.

Hikaru did remember. But she was very afraid. A warm hand touched her shoulder. In that instant, Hikaru felt that she can be trusted. She decided to see whatever it was the DreamWeaver was going to show her.

The veiled woman led Hikaru to a small wooden door.

"Here..." she said as she opened the door carefully.

Inside, there were five women dancing around the room, and when they saw the veiled girl, they abruptly stopped and kneeled down. Speaking in an indefinable language. The veiled woman, in return, answered back. She led Hikaru farther into the room and shut the door behind them. Suddenly, something that wasn't in the room before appeared before Hikaru.

"What?" Was all Hikaru managed to say.

"We have been waiting for you, Chosen One." The veiled woman said and also kneeled before her.

"WHAT?" Hikaru asked sarcastically.

"You see that crest on top of the table? It is called the Dream Prophet. It is the decoder of dreams. My slaves have just performed the ceremony in time of your arrival. That crest was to be entrusted to the next supposedly righteous pillar to Sefiro. But the system has long been gone. And Sefiro, too." She said.

"And you are?" Hikaru asked.

"I am but a deliverer of the crest. Now that I have fulfilled my purpose, I shall disappear from this world forever." She answered.

"What? But wht?" Hikaru shouted.

She giggled. "I am not real. I was only created for the purpose of delivering that to you. I am what you might call... an illusion... And now it is time for me to bid you... farewell..." and with that she disappeared.

"But wait! No! Don't leave! I have so much I need to know!" she screamed, running after the disappearing ashes.

"The answer..." a voice said, "Lies in your dreams..."

"In my dreams..." Hikaru said to herself, a walked back to the table with the golden crest. She picked it up and examined it closely. It was a tiny golden crest. Carved with intricate designs, and at one corner, a small 'H' was engraved. Perhaps this was really meant for her. She held it as she opened the door and stepped out of the room to where Zagato and the others were waiting. With her head bowed down, she said, "Let's go home..."

"What happened?" Zagato asked. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Was her answer. Her voice was commanding and final. No one dared ask her anything else.

In the van, she was seated beside Eagle at the back. Eagle had his ears plugged with earphones. He was listening to music again. Hikaru was deep in thought beside him, though. She decided to think about it instead in the morning. After her head was cleared out of all the things that happened today. The sky was dark outside and the snow started falling.

Hikaru reached into her pocket to look and see if there was anymore space for her to put the crest in, along with the other stuff she carried. She took out everything that was in her pocket. Her cellphone, a pack of gum, some rubber bands for tying up her hair and Lantis' 'gift' to her. She all set them on her lap and picked up the gift from Lantis. The crest suddenly disappeared from her lap. Thinking that it dropped to the floor, she bent down to look for it and noticed that Lantis 'gift' was somehow different in appearance. Then she noticed a little 'H' by its side.

She gaped at it for a while. The crest and her ever treasured only gift from Lantis had merged together and formed a necklace like item. Hikaru decided to wear it, and she did.

Finally, they reached the hotel.

"We're here." Lantis said, turning around at the back.

Eagle was unplugging his earphones and he saw Hikaru's necklace. It looked so much like the gift he gave her. But that wasn't it because it looked different. Hikaru caught Lantis' sight and held her hand up to the necklace. Lantis was startled and looked up at Hikaru. Straight into her eyes and gasped. Hikaru was smiling at him.

"Good night, Lantis. Good night, Zagato. See you all in the morning." She said as she stepped out of the van.

Eagle stretched and yawned. "Yeah, good night." He said as he put his arms around Hikaru's shoulder and they walked into the Hotel door. It was indeed a very disturbing day for Hikaru. She wondered what surprises may be waiting for her tomorrow...

Author's Notes: Whew! This is the longest among the first three chapters. I hope you enjoyed it. I think this is better than the first two? Oh, well... It's up to you to say that isn't it? Review please! I wonder what's gonna happen next... Mwahahahaha...!