Bara stood floating over a endless sea, the waters rippling from underneath. The air was poignant with distilled energy, causing the hairs on her arms to shift on ends.
She looked down and reflected in shards was a glistening, golden city, of endless light and flowing waters that traversed continuously.
Watching still, she felt herself be tugged down into the waters, swallowing her whole as she touched the watery grave of the city. It was still shining, less brightly then when she was above. She moved slowly, gliding in the water, guided by the soft pull of the ocean currents until she came to a decaying temple, the stone walls overcome by moss and algae. There was no door as she touched a engraved symbol nearly hidden.
A dark blue tear drop, surrounded by three round aqua green gems, shone momentarily before the wall opened from the floor, sliding upward much like a futuristic door.
She moved quickly into the water, thinking of nothing but to follow whatever what was leading it. Be it feeling, the water, or the energy, she felt the insistent pull crying to her. She never even questioned how she was breathing or where her normal fear had deserted to.
She entered a rounded room, the walls curving up into a dome. There was no windows, no designs, merely that of silver white walls and a floor that shone. Her shadow scattered into pieces, only to reform again in front of her, as if now it would be her guide.
She came to the back, looking at the same symbol etched more strongly at face level. She touched it and it lit up yet once more and she heard something cracking behind and above her. The ceiling above was opening, the two halves of the top sliding away from the other, debris and dirt falling in a floating sensation to the floor. As it opened, a small round circle opened in the bottom, in the center of the floor.
And a tiny container pushed up, shaking slightly before it stopped. It ended at her chest as she peered at it. Then suddenly, the tiny container, dusty to the point that she couldn't see what lay in it, cracked loudly and the ensuring energy surge caused the water to fall back to create a nearly still air bubble.
She looked at herself, finding herself dry despite the previous conditions and turned to see a pearl be birthed from the contain, shining brilliantly before it dulled, floating there in offering.
Bara was, for the first time since her parents' death, since entering the waters, feeling something deep within her. This was not the fear she was used to, or the heartrending pain that had her cry herself to sleep. This was a peace, of something to come that would soothe her. She didn't hesitate as she grasped it lightly in her thumb and forefinger, bringing it closer to study it. It was dull and cool, whatever powers it possessed now sleeping again. But as she moved to closer to her eye, it erupted into light and disappeared from her fingers and she watched her hand become fisted, stunned. And she felt it, pain in her heart.
She covered her face in anguish, a sob breaking out.
The container crumbled to reveal a glass bowl, water glistening from it. And a thin line of water branched upward, opening into a view of a faceless, dark figure.
'Why do you cry?' The voice was echoing, filtering through as if through water, becoming muffled.
Bara stared at the indistinguishable figure before finding her thoughts. "I.. don't know."
'What have you lost?'
Bara stared at her hands, seeing them cupped together, the knuckles turning white. "Everything."
'Is that why you cry?'
Bara slowly shook her head, the memory of the sudden warmth of the pearl echoing dimly through her. "No.. it was feeling peaceful."
The figure seemed to study her. 'To be able to come here, you must be the one.. The one who will be the turning point.'
"Turning point?" Bara was starting to feel lightheaded.
'All that has been lost lay in you,' The voice came out softly, soothingly. 'All hope begins with you.'
"What am I supposed to do?" She was staring at the water underneath the vision, seeing the struggling image of decay and crystal.
The view began to drip down, as if melting. The voice came out but broken so badly that words were nearly incomprehensible save for two.
'Atlantis' Rising...'
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Bara started, rolling over and hitting to the floor face first. She winced, standing up groggily. "Oh.." Her head began to ache the moment she was up on her feet and straightened. She grasped it with both hands, her eyes welling up. She mussed up her hair even more then in the already worse state it had been in from the pillowcase.
"Are you all right?" A young girl about her age appeared from the doorframe. Her dark violet hair shone in the light, the shadow casting a black gleam. Her violet eyes were warm as she peered up at the taller girl. "My name is Tomoe Hotaru. You're in my family's home."
"Oh.." Bara tried to move and Hotaru reached up, touching her forehead with a bare glance of a feeling. She felt the pain ebb away as she pulled away. "My name is Tenyo Aounabara but I'm usually called Bara."
"Welcome to my home," Hotaru smiled. "You were asleep for a long time. You must have not been doing well for a long time."
"My.. parents died.." Bara spoke with difficulty, keeping her eyes averted. "I.. saw it.."
"I know how that feels," Hotaru murmured in agreement. "My father.. died in front of me as well."
"Really?" Bara asked, not in wonder or amazement, but suspicion.
"Yes but by that time, he was not my father anymore. I still blame myself everyday for it though," Hotaru looked up, her lashes catching the hint of tears. "It's all right to trust me, you know. We are.. alike."
"How so?" Bara was trying to keep a careful distance between the somewhat prophetic-like girl.
"We both share a similar destiny," Hotaru shrugged. "We have lost our loved ones, we both suffer for it."
Bara looked away for a moment before turning slowly. "You know.. about my special ability?"
"Setsuna-mama called it hydromancy. The ability to see things from a water's surface."
"I used to think, it was a joke. It only happened once in a while, barely enough to mean anything," Bara began desperately. "And then, it just kept coming, more and more until now, I can't see a single image, I get so many I cannot tell what I'm even seeing! I knew it, I SAW, my family, parents..." She was holding her hands, wrenching her fingers into her hair. "It was .. oh, god! Why didn't I do anything! I was useless! I was trying so hard to be worthy, to be of some help and I killed them.." Her voice came out as a tortured whisper. She was aware of the hot tears flowing down her face. "I..."
"It wasn't your fault," She looked down at Hotaru, her vision blurred with tears. She saw it then, an mere shadow of a vision cast by her tears of a soldier and a scythe, covered in darkening blood.
Her voice came out softly. "We are.. the same kind, aren't we? How can you stand it?"
"I've had many lifetimes to adapt. This is only your first try," but as Hotaru said that, her eyes turned dark before she waved her hand in front of her face, extinguishing whatever emotion she had been feeling.
"Hotaru?" Setsuna entered with a light step. "Haruka wants you to help carry in groceries."
"I'll be back," Hotaru promised.
"She's been lonely for a long time," Setsuna commented as she watched Hotaru round the corner. "I'm glad she has you to talk to."
"I should.. be going home.." Bara was mumbling to her feet again.
"Do you want to?" When she heard the question, she saw the home she had grown up in, a still photo of what had been.
"I guess.. home is no more. But my uncle.."
"We let him believe that the water swallowed you up."
Bara felt a sharp prick in her throat. "Why would you do that?" Her stage-whisper was grim.
"Because it would be best."
"Without asking me first, you mean!" She growled, anger growing rapidly.
"You took my hand," Setsuna reminded gently. "We need you."
"FOR WHAT!?" The dam broke again as tears flowed. She furiously rubbed her eyes, to make sure no vision would come. She wanted to gouge her eyes out, pain filling her until she felt like a balloon, one pin and she would erupt and fade into nothing more than a broken shell.
"You must help us save the world," Setsuna studied Bara, who was struggling to stop crying. "What did you dream of?"
"Atlantis.." Bara rolled her eyes, sniffling loudly. "The city, it was underwater but I could breathe. And a pearl, it was warm.. why did it disappear? I finally was feeling better than I have in months and it just..."
Setsuna interrupted her in the middle of the rant. "It probably went inside you. It happens," she shrugged at the raised eyebrows. "When you need it, it will resurface."
"Now, you can look around, if you like? I need to go talk to a friend. Make yourself at home," she nodded before she disappeared as well.
Bara stood next to the bed, unsure of what had happened, of what she was supposed to do. She sat down finally on the edge, watching her hands. She pressed them against her chest, for some type of reaction. It felt like nothing and then a tiny spark, shocking her as she pressed her hand harder. But nothing more happened.
She spotted the television set on the other end of the room. Now that she was alone, she was able to study the detailed walls, painted a brilliant cool yellow, the wallpaper along the bottom edges detailed in stripes and slashes of colors. The windows, to the front of her and the right of her, were covered in lacy curtains. One of them must have been open as a single curtain slowly shifted, a slight wind barely picking it up. She felt the wooly carpet, dark blue, against her feet and she started. She wasn't wearing her shoes and she wanted to panic for some reason. But she then saw them as she straightened and moved away from the bed, seeing them at the foot waiting to be placed back on.
The television was on a tall table, the legs thick while the rim of the table thinned outward and thickened inward to create a inner strength. The television itself looked a bit of a old version as she turned the knob and it flickered on, momentarily gray until it bloomed in color.
She turned the knob to a lower channel, searching out for a news casting. She found one that she thought was talking of the strange tidal wave.
"Scientists are scrambling around to find a way to slow down the process," a male newscaster spoke carefully, a image saying "Immediate dangers!" flashing next to him. "There is no logical explanation of the fast rising waters. The glaciers near Iceland and further upward are currently under scrutiny but there has been no sudden changes in the atmosphere to explain.."
She turned it off, her mind blank. The water rising, the tidal wave, something on Earth was being disrupted.
She looked out the window, seeing the far distance reach of a beach. She couldn't tell if there were anyone there but she decided to head out, to see if she could 'see' anything.
Getting out was easy, once she found the exit. She found the house oversized as she nearly ran out doubled over, hoping to not be spotted. It took her a bit longer to find the beach, having to had backtrack at least twice.
The beach was clear again, people apparently afraid to approach. She saw police tape telling her to stay out but she ducked under, oblivious to it all anyways. The water, once more, seemed to taunt her but she pushed forward resolutely, a grim set of her jaw and a hard glint in her eyes.
"Come on.." She spoke to the water, unsure of what she was expecting. She moved closer, before she realized she had her shoes on. She had put them on hurriedly, since it was easy as they were slip-on types. She now shook her legs vigorously, fuming at herself. "Come on!" Her voice out stronger. "What do you want from me? What is this 'destiny'? Just take me already!" She shouted.
Her voice echoed over the waters and she watched the water react suddenly, pushing away from her in a quantity that caused a temporary hole. But it sloshed back, spattering her with drops of ice water.
She didn't know what to do. She pushed inward, feeling the water climb up. The fear began to grip her again but she was frustrated to the breaking point. She cupped her hands together, clapping a small pool in her fingers as she peered down at it with a fixed stare.
"Come on.." She breathed before she saw it, a glimpse of the ruined city, the water bubbling around it. It was shaking as if it were responding to her and she frowned.
And then the sea erupted in front of her, a rather large group of men appearing. They were dark skinned, all varied in degrees but they had the same light blue hair shining amongst them. The one closest, wearing metal shoulder protectors attached to a metal chain vest and a rather large loincloth, his pants ending at his knees in bunching. He was barefoot and was heavily scarred, his eyes staring out coolly.
"My, my, is this what are ancestors have become?" His voice was like liquid, the water itself, cold and fluid.
"Who...?" She only got that one word out when he snapped his fingers, sending forth the group of men behind him toward him.
"Kill the traitor!" He shouted darkly, grinning manically.
Bara had no choice but to run.