//00 the dream :: version 2.0
She slept.
The memory of fire burned in her stomach, but before she could do more than gasp at the pain it had burnt itself out, shrinking to hot embers that glowed red for a moment then turned cold beneath the frigid winter wind that suddenly swept through. It turned to her then, wrapping itself around her like a living thing. She was cold, but not uncomfortable; of all things, she felt protected.
Opening her eyes, she saw what looked like...herself, carrying a small baby. She barely looked at the child, as if she'd forgotten it was a person, until she finally set it down beside an abandoned building, waited a moment, then ran off. The baby began crying.
Time passed, though it seemed she wasn't waiting at all. The baby's cries grew quieter as it grew tired.
The world flashed in ice before her.
As if she'd gone back in time, she saw herself again, much younger. She was leaning over a steep river bank, filling a bucket with water. Even as she tried to shout a warning, she lost her balance and fell in. It wasn't the fastest river in existence, but she was small and think. Things seemed to go blurry, but when they cleared, she was in the arms of a red-headed boy whose long hair covered his face. She was safe again; he'd saved her.
Ice again.
The scenes began flashing fasting and faster now. She was dressing in black, and a monstrous creature with a head much bigger than she was was biting down on her; she was dressed in white and facing a bird of fire, and this, this she knew; it was night somewhere, and a man with blue hair had shoved his hand into her gut, reigniting the burning there; she was indoors and impaled on a long weapon as mad laughter echoed around her. Each time, she thought she was witnessing her death; each time, she managed to survive.
Or maybe she hadn't--but then how was she here now?
The images swirled around her, moving so fast they seemed to be cutting off her air. She gasped for breath, and the world changed again, but not ice this time.
Snowflakes fell gently, all around her. Blinking, she stepped forward onto solid ground. The landscape was pure and white around her, except for a dot in the distance. Moving towards it, she found a pile of junk, with the handle of a katana sticking out the top. It wasn't especially impressive, but to her, it seemed the only thing worth taking.
Now you'll remember, a voice whispered. Now you'll learn. And together, we'll never fall again.
The memory of fire burned in her stomach, but before she could do more than gasp at the pain it had burnt itself out, shrinking to hot embers that glowed red for a moment then turned cold beneath the frigid winter wind that suddenly swept through. It turned to her then, wrapping itself around her like a living thing. She was cold, but not uncomfortable; of all things, she felt protected.
Opening her eyes, she saw what looked like...herself, carrying a small baby. She barely looked at the child, as if she'd forgotten it was a person, until she finally set it down beside an abandoned building, waited a moment, then ran off. The baby began crying.
Time passed, though it seemed she wasn't waiting at all. The baby's cries grew quieter as it grew tired.
The world flashed in ice before her.
As if she'd gone back in time, she saw herself again, much younger. She was leaning over a steep river bank, filling a bucket with water. Even as she tried to shout a warning, she lost her balance and fell in. It wasn't the fastest river in existence, but she was small and think. Things seemed to go blurry, but when they cleared, she was in the arms of a red-headed boy whose long hair covered his face. She was safe again; he'd saved her.
Ice again.
The scenes began flashing fasting and faster now. She was dressing in black, and a monstrous creature with a head much bigger than she was was biting down on her; she was dressed in white and facing a bird of fire, and this, this she knew; it was night somewhere, and a man with blue hair had shoved his hand into her gut, reigniting the burning there; she was indoors and impaled on a long weapon as mad laughter echoed around her. Each time, she thought she was witnessing her death; each time, she managed to survive.
Or maybe she hadn't--but then how was she here now?
The images swirled around her, moving so fast they seemed to be cutting off her air. She gasped for breath, and the world changed again, but not ice this time.
Snowflakes fell gently, all around her. Blinking, she stepped forward onto solid ground. The landscape was pure and white around her, except for a dot in the distance. Moving towards it, she found a pile of junk, with the handle of a katana sticking out the top. It wasn't especially impressive, but to her, it seemed the only thing worth taking.
Now you'll remember, a voice whispered. Now you'll learn. And together, we'll never fall again.