03| Third Flame
[Private]
"What is this?" Hikaru muttered to herself. "This doesn't look like the apartment at all!". Rocky spires of solid earth towered above the shorter-than-average girl. The sky was cloudy, threatening to storm at any moment, lightning flickered every so often keeping her attention skyward.
"Why?" Pausing she looked for answers. "Why does this place look so familiar to me...?". That was when she heard it. The sharp laughter pierced through the air and sent shivers down her spin.
"Don't tell me that you've forgotten, Hikaru?" Another voice called. Although there was no one else in sight, the voice seemed to be all around her. "You've forgotten all about them haven't you?". Sweet, sacchrine, but with a tinge of malousy and hatred. That could only belong to one person.
"Nova," Hikaru nearly spat.
"That's right Hikaru," A slim figure of a girl with cotton-candy colored hair floated into view. "You've forgotten all about everyone still waiting for you in Cephiro... but .. I haven't.".
"What-- what do you mean?!"
"Isn't that obvious? I'm going to kill them! And there's nothing that you can do to stop me. You're trapped here in this City. Miles~ Away~". Nova strung out her words to the point of almost being lyrical. Hikaru clenched but her hands and teeth but wouldn't grant Nova the satisfaction of a response. She was just saying these things to get to her, wasn't she?! And... it was working... to an extent. Nova's features drew more serious, almost as if she was feeling sad,"Why did you leave me Hikaru? We were supposed to play with each other. Lady Debonair promised me that I could play with you... "
"I didn't come here by choice Nova..." Hikaru pointed out though the prospect of Nova's kind of playing didn't actually appeal to her.
"LIES. You left me alone... just like everyone else!! EVERYONE BUT MOTHER!!!" Her crimson eyes drew into cat-like slits, as barreled toward the knight, drawing her own weapon, and ready to end this once and for all. Raising the light sword high over her head, Nova swung downward with a terrible force.
No matter how much she willed herslef to move, Hikaru just couldn't. Raising her arms defensively in front of her, the last thing she saw was that bright blaze.
_________________________________________
[Private; Action]
Awaking with a jolt, Hikaru's eyes instantly flicked around looking for that other girl. Her breaths came fast in uncontrolable gasps. That light blade.. should have struck her by now!
Finally it began to make sense. "It .. it was just a dream. A horrible dream!," Since arriving in the City her dreams about Nova and Lady Debonair had almost completely stopped. So why now, what was prompting them to return now?!
Not feeling quite a awake she could have sworn she heard someone saying, " I'm coming for you Hikaru. I'm going to be there. Just for you". Impossible. She was awake now. And Unlikely to go back to sleep. Reaching for her device, she removed the piece of tape and hit record.
[Voice Only - To the Whole Network]
Is-- is anyone awake right now?
[There was nothing she felt like she could or would discuss, but hearing someone else's voice.. might help calm her down after the nights "events". Relates to the above section]
I know.. it's kind of late, I shouldn't be bothering you all like this. I- just couldn't seem to sleep.
"What is this?" Hikaru muttered to herself. "This doesn't look like the apartment at all!". Rocky spires of solid earth towered above the shorter-than-average girl. The sky was cloudy, threatening to storm at any moment, lightning flickered every so often keeping her attention skyward.
"Why?" Pausing she looked for answers. "Why does this place look so familiar to me...?". That was when she heard it. The sharp laughter pierced through the air and sent shivers down her spin.
"Don't tell me that you've forgotten, Hikaru?" Another voice called. Although there was no one else in sight, the voice seemed to be all around her. "You've forgotten all about them haven't you?". Sweet, sacchrine, but with a tinge of malousy and hatred. That could only belong to one person.
"Nova," Hikaru nearly spat.
"That's right Hikaru," A slim figure of a girl with cotton-candy colored hair floated into view. "You've forgotten all about everyone still waiting for you in Cephiro... but .. I haven't.".
"What-- what do you mean?!"
"Isn't that obvious? I'm going to kill them! And there's nothing that you can do to stop me. You're trapped here in this City. Miles~ Away~". Nova strung out her words to the point of almost being lyrical. Hikaru clenched but her hands and teeth but wouldn't grant Nova the satisfaction of a response. She was just saying these things to get to her, wasn't she?! And... it was working... to an extent. Nova's features drew more serious, almost as if she was feeling sad,"Why did you leave me Hikaru? We were supposed to play with each other. Lady Debonair promised me that I could play with you... "
"I didn't come here by choice Nova..." Hikaru pointed out though the prospect of Nova's kind of playing didn't actually appeal to her.
"LIES. You left me alone... just like everyone else!! EVERYONE BUT MOTHER!!!" Her crimson eyes drew into cat-like slits, as barreled toward the knight, drawing her own weapon, and ready to end this once and for all. Raising the light sword high over her head, Nova swung downward with a terrible force.
No matter how much she willed herslef to move, Hikaru just couldn't. Raising her arms defensively in front of her, the last thing she saw was that bright blaze.
_________________________________________
[Private; Action]
Awaking with a jolt, Hikaru's eyes instantly flicked around looking for that other girl. Her breaths came fast in uncontrolable gasps. That light blade.. should have struck her by now!
Finally it began to make sense. "It .. it was just a dream. A horrible dream!," Since arriving in the City her dreams about Nova and Lady Debonair had almost completely stopped. So why now, what was prompting them to return now?!
Not feeling quite a awake she could have sworn she heard someone saying, " I'm coming for you Hikaru. I'm going to be there. Just for you". Impossible. She was awake now. And Unlikely to go back to sleep. Reaching for her device, she removed the piece of tape and hit record.
[Voice Only - To the Whole Network]
Is-- is anyone awake right now?
[There was nothing she felt like she could or would discuss, but hearing someone else's voice.. might help calm her down after the nights "events". Relates to the above section]
I know.. it's kind of late, I shouldn't be bothering you all like this. I- just couldn't seem to sleep.