Chapter Four

"We have to get out of here."

Sora paced back and forth across the room as her little brother followed her, turning his head every time she passed him.

"We have to get out of here," Sora repeated for the billionth time. "But how?" she asked herself. Her mind calculated... they could simply pack and leave now, or wait 'til it was night to sneak out and risk getting caught and punished for... whatever fugitives get punished for doing.

But... just leaving may get them into trouble with Third and whoever else who were making them stay.

Hell, either way we're going down, so we might take the easy way.

"Pack up Thor. We're getting out of here today."

Riyuna opened her eyes. Somehow, as per usual, she could sense the stirring of the seeds below the surface, their branches rapidly climbing... climbing up into the surface, ready to break through and allow them all to enjoy them in all their shady glory.

Above them, she sensed two figures heading out on foot, going... aimlessly. Following the path that has been laid out before them.

Whoever they are, Riyu thought, snuggling deeper into her blankets, enjoying the rest, they should know better than to walk around while those things are about to explode from the ground. People have died when that happens.

That being her last thought, Riyu slipped back into a restless sleep.

As she slept, she dreamt of Thor racing between the rising musas, his sister lost – he screamed her name, and was thrown into the air by a plant that had just reached the surface. He flew high into the sky, like a free bird, his blood arcing up into the air as the thorns tore into him...

And his scream tore through her heart, mind, and hit her ears with a terrible force.

She awoke again with a scream that alerted everyone within a fifteen meter radius.

"Run! Thor, run! It's an earthquake!" Sora screamed, grabbing her brother's hand as the ground around them shook and heaved. The water rippled in distress. Sora shot forward, her long legs eating up ground much faster than her brother.

Another heave.

Their hands, slick with sweat, parted.

Sora screamed again as the planks beneath her gave way, and she fell through the hole they had created for her.

Thor heard a splash, and his heart stopped. No, no, not Sora too!

As he attempted to race over to where she had fallen, he could only think, I already lost Rai, don't let me lose Sora as well.

"Thor!"

Tiz! What was she doing out here?

He whirled around to face her. "Tiz!"

And then, he was thrown into the air with a gasp as a plant caught him unawares, Tiz with him. Almost instinctively, he threw out a hand and caught Tiz's. In his other hand was his beam blade. How did that get there?

He activated it and slammed it into the nearest plant he saw.

And then... there was the strangely loud sound of something tearing – sickening, breaking, ripping apart.

Pain.

Hot, wet...

Blood.

And then, everything else was drowned out by the sound of something humming, a whirring engine... The dead weight – Tiz – was gone – no, she wasn't dead.

"Thor! Hold on, Thor!"

It's just a dream, Thor thought fuzzily as strong arms caught him, as gentle hands pulled him out of the sky. Just a dream. I'll wake up, and mom and dad and Rai and Sora will be there...

Darkness encompassed him, and he vaguely remembered thinking, I'll wake up, and everything will be just fine.

Sora remembered swimming.

Arms slicing quickly through the water, the feeling of moving forward, almost flying. She remembered screaming inwardly for her brother. The water around her had been stained with blood – but was it hers, or Thor's?

She felt no pain, but she felt that she must be hurt.

Everything was strange – clear, clean, different.

She remembered the machines of Juno, the computers. Clean, precise, blunt. That was how she felt. It was as though she was a machine herself as she swam through the water, almost instinctively avoiding the plants as they shot around her.

And it was as though she did not need air. She merely kept swimming, drunk yet sober, delirious yet lucid. Contrasting. Feelings, faces... people... voices. Around her. Talking in low murmurs. She couldn't hear them. And she didn't want to.

At long last, the sense of precision faded away, and Sora's arms grew heavy. She couldn't find her brother. It was useless. At least the plants have stopped growing...

She allowed herself to stop, to float there as a corpse. Her lungs started to ache – they wanted air, needed it, but she ignored it. Human sensations, she found herself thinking dismissively, ignoring even the jolt of surprise that followed that thought. Who needed them?

A hand grasped the back of her shirt, and she was pulled out of the water as a zombie – alive, but not breathing.

She vaguely recalled someone thumping her chest and feeling irritated. The voices had ceased, but so had the rest of the world. No sounds, no faces... Just the sensation of floating along, and the occasional hit of the chest and the gentle, almost loving touch of someone's lips on hers.

A final thump brought her back into reality, and she shot bolt upright, coughing, water streaming from her nose and mouth. Someone helpfully thumped her on the back.

Air.

She wanted it, but couldn't get it as the water kept flowing. Fear struck her – am I going to die?

But eventually the water ceased and she was able to gulp down what her entire body had been screaming at her for. The air was fresh, sweet, beautiful...

"Are you all right?"

Third's face was surprisingly pale. Sora blinked at him, and nodded. "Yeah," she muttered, and attempted to stand – but her traitorous limbs shook and caused her to collapse.

Third caught her before she hit the ground. She shrugged him off angrily and looked around.

Where were they? Clearly nowhere she'd been before... how'd she even get here? Maybe she swam here without knowing...

Hah. And pigs can fly.

"Where are we?" Sora murmured, holding a hand to her head. It felt light – too light, as though it was full of air... Her limbs were too heavy, and everything started to swim before her eyes... Third caught her arm as she swayed.

"We're in the Ochre ring fields," he told her calmly as he swept her gallantly off her feet – literally – and walked away with her in his arms, bridal style. "Go to sleep, Sora. You need to rest."

Her eyelids flickered.

"Not... my... father..." she murmured. Third opened his mouth to answer, but she was unconscious before she caught his reply.

Riyuna awoke to Third talking quietly to someone.

She swung her legs off the bed, ignoring the twinge of pain in her side, and padded out her room.

Thor was getting bandaged.

"There," Third said, satisfied, stepping back to admire his handiwork. "That should do it." He grinned at Thor. "Y'know, you're gonna be a real handful," he remarked, propping one hand on his hip.

Riyu padded closer to them. Thor looked at her briefly, and she smiled at him. He looked away again, but not before Riyu caught the look of despair and sorrow in his eyes.

"Thor?" It was Tiz speaking this time, and for once she sounded mature. "You come from the colonies, right?"

Thor looked at her in disbelief, and answered, "I saved you to save my humanity. Where I come from," here he looked straight ahead, not meeting anyone in the eye, "has nothing to do with it."

No, Riyu agreed, where one comes from has nothing to do with what one does.

I'm not an animal. Not like the rest of them.

Sora's imagination was running wild.

But she was almost absolutely sure that she had never, ever been here before. Never.

Because surely she would remember the luminous blue water surrounding her, some of her wild hair floating around her head as a halo, several locks framing her shapely form? And she would definitely remember the various needles in her body, the tubes full of strange red substance that she had a suspicion was blood. Other tubes were green, and they glowed – or were they reflecting the light from the blue water?

She peered through the depths, and saw... Odin.

Prime Minister Odin?

What was he doing here?

He was staring at her, the bastard. He turned suddenly to talk to someone else – a short, bearded man in a lab coat. The man's reply seemed to please him, because he smiled, briefly, and turned back to look at her. This time, without taking his eyes off her, his mouth moved, talking again...

Someone else stepped into view.

Why couldn't she see his face? All she could tell was that his hair was as blond as hers... and his smile. It looked so familiarly mocking that...

Oh.

Third.

But Third had long black hair, and his skin was tanned. As far as she could see, this man was blond and had skin as fair as Rai's.

It didn't stop her from staring at him, however, trying to see his eyes, wondering if he would recognize her, wondering if he was looking at her...

She caught herself. Why am I thinking that?

Because you like him? The same voice spoke in her mind.

Oh, go away!

The voice faded, and the dream faded with it.

Riyu took the warm cloth from Sora's forehead and dunked it into the cool water again. She rinsed out the excess water and placed it back on the older girl's forehead.

Sora's eyes were flickering madly back and forth beneath her lids, and often her lips would move soundlessly, as though she were talking to someone else in her dream. Riyu hoped that her dreams were pleasant – she herself hated nightmares.

"How is she?"

Third placed a hand on Riyu's shoulder, staring at Sora's face curiously. "She looks kind of flushed still," he observed, answering his question. "Is the water cool enough?"

Riyu shot him a look of amusement. "I know what to do, Third." She took another cloth, dunked it in, rinsed it out, and then wiped Sora's neck and arms.

"Hey Third?" Riyu said.

"Yeah?" His gaze was still fixed on Sora.

"How come you didn't tell Thor where his sister was when he asked?"

Third shrugged. "He needs to recover."

"But he thinks she's dead!"

"It'll help him grow up and take it like a man."

"Third!"

He looked at her, a small smirk of amusement on his face. Riyu propped one hand on her hip – ow, rib – and frowned at him. "You should tell him."

"Tomorrow," Third promised with a grin. "Now, I'll take over for a while. You go on and play with your friends. Just keep them away from my stuff."

"Yes Third." Riyu hopped to her feet and ran off.

Third seated himself beside the young woman and stroked her face and neck with the cloth. Her skin was still too warm, but not as bad as before.

I wonder if you would remember... the time I had spent by your side, just like this? But then again... you probably won't.

They would've seen to that.

Oooh draaaama...

Riyu's kinda baffling me D'x I don't know how to give her more drama... she's the kind of kid who doesn't really give a damn –emo-

Anyway, what's Third talking about? :O And what does Sora's dream mean? Answer in your reviews! [Because you know you're going to review ;)]

So... see you at the next update! –waves- I don't know when it's going to be, I still plan on finishing Eclipse first.

Review!