**So rather than the end of Seeking Salvation, this is set at the very beginning. I would love to eventually write out the entire story, but for now, you can have a few of my ideas**

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-Hinata and Riku were given a mission to survey new worlds and unlock the paths to them. It was a life they had always dreamed of and finally got to have as a reality. They lived out of their gummi ship that was built as a home, rather than just a simple transport. Each world brought on a new adventure and discovery. That was until they found a remote planet on the outskirts of the outer rims where they were allowed to explore.

-The world was beautiful, yet there was something unsettling about it. They discovered a village within the forest. The villagers themselves were quiet and rushed away when they tried to speak to them. But the priests in the village welcomed them, allowing them to stay within the church. It wasn't a religion either of them were familiar with and it felt wrong somehow, but they couldn't pinpoint what.

-They reported back to Master Yen Sid through their gummi phone once they were alone, and he sensed there might be darkness involved somehow. He instructed them to stay low and gain the priests' trust. Perhaps then they could find the root of the issue and snuff it out… if only it had been that simple.

-Days passed and the villagers gradually began opening up to them. They were kind enough, but would shy away the moment a priest so much as came into view. It seemed as if Hinata and Riku were making little to no progress and the longer they remained, the more uneasy they felt. They discussed the possibility of leaving quite a few times, especially since they had to shy away from using their powers. Something told them that would only make things worse. But in the end, they would decide to stay and figure out the truth, they owed the villagers that much.

-Hinata began researching in the church's library. Learning more about the world and the village's history. She learned about forbidden lands and a creature called Dormin that caught her attention. She brought it up to Riku, showing him the passages about the shadow creature that was locked away in the forbidden lands. It was said to be a powerful demon that could even bring people back from the dead. There were illustrations of a cursed, Dormin blade inside the pages that needed to be wielded by a mortal if they were to call for aid, but such acts were forbidden.

-One night after Riku had gone to sleep, Hinata stayed up reading. She continued researching the Dormin. Despite it sounding like a myth, she sensed something in her gut that it was part of the reason for everything feeling off about the village. The part that caused her to pause was the mention of human sacrifices. The humans had to be deemed to have a cursed fate, before they were brought before the village and sacrificed. People with cursed fates had the ability to communicate with Dormin in a way mere mortals weren't able to, and that alone was a cause for sacrifice.

-It was shortly after reading that, that there was a knock on their door. She answered it, only to be greeted by a village elder wearing an old, worn mask. He put his hand up, his fingertip touching her head as he muttered something under his breath. In an instant, Hinata's eyes rolled back and she fell unconscious.

-Hinata awoke to the sound of drumming. She saw flames from torches and villagers gathered in the square. She tried to move, but she was tied down. She looked around frantically, demanding to know what was happening and where Riku was. The moment her eyes found him, it was already too late. He lay lifeless on a pedestal, sacrificed with a glowing blade in his chest.

-Everything was a blur after that, as she unleashed every power inside of her and broke the bindings tying her down… She cornered the priests, tying them up and demanding to know what they did and why… Even if she knew the answer. They were deemed to have cursed fates, and as such, were chosen as sacrifices.

-Despite the pain, she looked back to Riku and recognized the blade in his chest. It was the same cursed blade illustrated from the books she had been studying. She didn't strike the priests down, but left them there in bindings, allowing the villagers to have their way with them as she gathered Riku and brought him back to their ship. As she laid him on the bed, she stood there beside him, staring at his body before she finally broke.

-Hours passed before she pulled herself together enough to think rationally. She remembered the book about the Dormin, everything she learned and where they were. There was no doubt in her mind that they were real and if the books were to be believed, Riku's soul wasn't lost, it was trapped in a shadowed purgatory where only those with cursed fates were kept. The only way to free them was to call to the aid of the Dormin… And she was going to do just that.

-She wrapped Riku in blankets and sheathed the cursed blade at her hip. She was about to leave without telling a soul, before her gummi phone rang. She had completely forgotten about the others.

-She let it go to voicemail before she picked up her phone and sat along the edge of the bed. There had to be one person she told. Just one… But she had to be careful of who, or they would follow or try to stop her. And with what she was about to do, she couldn't be stopped.

-Letting out a breath, she called Isa. He was the only one that wouldn't make things worse. He'd listen to her, he'd understand and discuss it rationally. And she also knew he wouldn't tell a soul if she asked him to. If everything went to plan, she could have Riku back as if nothing had ever happened… except, deep down she knew that wasn't the case.

-She put in her headphones and talked to Isa as she gathered Riku and made her way back to the village. Hearing Isa'a calming voice as she walked through the dark forest with the love of her life lifeless in her arms, somehow helped her focus and remain calm, when all she wanted to do was fall helpless and weep until there was nothing left.

-He reluctantly promised not to tell anyone what had happened for at least a day. Even though he told her that the others deserved to know. And deep down, she knew that, too. But she wasn't ready to admit to herself what happened and she definitely wasn't ready to admit it to anyone else. So instead, she poured her heart out to her childhood friend, and focused on her new self-given mission.

-Hinata bid him farewell as she made it back to the village. A few villagers that she and Riku had begun befriending recognized her and expressed their sorrow over what had happened. Hinata didn't pay much attention to their sympathy, only because it would have caused her to break. Instead, she told them she needed supplies. They knew what she was planning, but helped her regardless.

-They gathered her food and one of them gave her a cloak they had made themselves. Before she left, one of them brought her to the graveyard where all the sacrifices had been buried. It was hidden from the village, but many of them still knew where it was. Brothers, sisters, wives, husbands, each of them had lost someone dear to them due to the priests deeming seemingly anyone with cursed fates. Although they didn't know what was to truly come of the Dormin, they hoped Hinata could bring an end to it all.

-It was there that a horse approached Hinata. The villagers told her that horses occasionally remained at the graves of their masters that were sacrificed, so it wasn't uncommon to see them there. The horse rested its head against Hinata's hand when she raised it and she asked if she could take them with her. Of course the villagers agreed, saying they planned on taking her to the stables before she left.

-She was urged to rest there until the morning, but she refused. She couldn't stand remaining in the village for longer than she had to. The villagers understood and helped her saddle up her horse and pack away her supplies. She carefully strapped Riku in, resting her head against his and promising that she would set things right. Then she mounted her new horse and was on her way.

-The glow of the blade led her way through the forest and then the mountains. Days of travel passed and she couldn't help but notice that Riku's body hadn't changed. His skin had paled, but his body remained pristine and preserved. It was as if the sacrifices were never truly killed. Or, at least, she hoped that was the case. As nights passed, she forced herself to take a rest, if not for her own sake, but for her new steed's.

-The horse was a silent, but needed companion. Hinata had turned off her gummiphone, unable to bear the thought of facing the others. She knew it was selfish. Isa was right, they all deserved to know what happened. She just couldn't face it yet.

-After a couple nights, she found herself talking to the horse. It responded well to her voice and swayed side to side whenever she spoke. She eventually named them Nia.