Aftermath: Coming of the Dawn

[Whitakker]

*Dimitri whips around, only to see Whitakker in the doorway. Dimitri puts away his weapons.*

"Do you know who she is?", Dimitri asks.

"I know that she was brought in by Master Nicholi and Argis. I think its best that we not disturb her. She needs to rest. Now, let's go introduce you to Nicholi."

*The two head off to find Master Nicholi*

[Kimato]

Kimato awakes slowly, feeling as if she has been run over by quite a few large vehicles. She has no earthly idea where she is, but she can sense that there is someone in the room with her. Slowly, she opens her eyes, and sees that she is in a bed. At first, she wonders where she is and how she got there, but is immediately distracted by the sight of a man in a green overcoat, staring at the wall in a chair near her.

She sits up quickly, and regrets doing so just as quickly as a sharp pain runs through her from head to foot, reminding her suddenly of all that had transpired the previous night. Kimato cries out, and the man turns in surprise to look at her.

"Where am I? Who are you? How did I get here? What happened?" Her voice is hoarse, and her throat feels as if she's been eating knives.

The man comes to the bedside and looks down at her. He is tall, and a little intimidating, but his eyes are kind. He wears the look of a man who has seen too much, and isn't sure exactly how he is going to deal with it.

"Miss, you are inside the room of my colleague, Argis, in Anhelo Manor. I am Nicholi Anhelo, and I found you in a cabin on the outskirts of White Village, being attacked by the dark entity known as MASS. I brought you here for medical attention."

Kimato looks down at her hands. Swallowing, and wincing at her throat's reaction, she says, "MASS? That dark presence...is that MASS?"

"Yes," says Nicholi. "My colleagues and I are in the business of protecting people such as yourself from MASS. We seek to, someday, destroy it altogether."

How can you destroy something that can permeate the fabric of your very soul? She continues to stare at her hands...the pain in her body has quieted to a dull throb, except for her head. Her head is aching relentlessly. She rests it in her hands, closing her eyes tightly.

"What the..." Nicholi's voice is filled with surprise, and Kimato looks up, to see that he has backed away from the bed, and is staring at her in something between shock and suspicion.

"What is it? What's wrong?" The look on his face almost frightens her, but she is too concerned with the agony in her head to think clearly about it. She lifts her hand to brush her long hair back...and stops.

Before her own eyes, her skin is changing colors...not only colors, but forms. One second it is dark tanned, and pudgy, as if the hand of a child. The next second, the color fades, and her skin seems to wrinkle and spot with age before her eyes. Kimato's eyes widen in surprise and fear, and she opens her mouth as if to scream...but nothing will come out.

It seems ages that they stay that way...the man against the wall, eyes locked on her, and herself in the bed, staring at her hand and not knowing what to do. Finally, the silence becomes unbearable, and she speaks, with difficulty.

"What has happened to me? What...have you done to me?"

Nicholi gives no reply, and just then, two more men enter the room, and stop dead in their tracks.

[Whitakker]

*After a few minutes of searching the dorm halls, Whitakker and Dimitri return to the young girls' room. Inside they found Master Nicholi, but then, focusing their attention on the bed, the two witnessed something extraordinary. The young girl that they had left a few minutes ago was conscious. But her appearance was shifting every moment. At one moment, she would look normal, the next, as a foreigner from another region. The spectacle defied rational logic. Whitakker and Dimitri stood in the doorway, dumbfounded and shocked. Whitakker quickly composed himself, walked forward to Nicholi, and whispered:*

"If I'm not mistaken, that was the young girl you brought here earlier today, is it not?"*Nicholi gives a slight nod*
"She was assaulted by MASS, no doubt?"*another nod from Nicholi. Whitakker thinks for a moment, then whispers again:*
"Do you think that the MASS somehow caused her to manipulate her appearance when they touched her? That would explain her rapid changes in appearance, don't you think?"*Nicholi was silent, still not believing what he was seeing. Whitakker gathered himself, and then replied quietly:*

"I'm going to get Syrant, Kain, and Thanatos. I'll be back in a moment."*Whitakker heads down the dorm hall*

[Nicholi]

Nicholi looks quizzically at the young girl. He remains silent for awhile. In his mind he contemplates the situation. His newest house guest is experiencing severe abnormalities. She is in desperate need of medical analysis. Unfortunately, Nicholi lacks the adequate equipment for such analysis and it is unlikely that anyone within some thousands of miles does. Nicholi walks forward and lets out a small sigh.

"I regret to inform you that I am unaware of what illness plagues you at this moment. I can also say that to the extent of my knowledge, I had nothing to do with it. I also have no way of curing this ailment at the present time. If there is anything I can do to help let me know. I only wish I could do more. It seems that I really have failed. I know you can never forgive me, but I am truly sorry. If I could have only found you a sooner you may not be in this current situation."

Nicholi lowers his head in shame and exits the room. He walks off in the direction of his lab. A door can be heard closing behind him, followed by the sound of a lock moving.

[Kimato]

Kimato watches him go, and then lowers her hand to her lap. She sits there for a moment, staring at her hands. All that has happened is swirling around in her mind...being chased by the MASS-possessed men, the look of surprise on the short man's face when she had pulled the trigger, the dark presence touching her, the white light that had saved her...and, "Hold on Miss." Who had said that? Had it been this man, Nicholi Anhelo?

She feels horrible for the man. Those eyes, full of self-hatred, and shame.

"If I had only found you sooner...

"But he did find me...perhaps not before MASS touched me, but he found me, and if he hadn't, I would be one more MASS-consumed vessel."

Slowly, carefully, she stands up and walks toward the door. Stepping cautiously out of the room, she looks both ways, wondering where he might have gone. Presently, a man comes around the corner. This one, she has not seen yet, but perhaps he can help her find Nicholi.

"Excuse me...I need to find Nicholi. Do you know where he is?" The man stares at her and steps back, his hand on the hilt of what appears to be a samurai sword. Kimato abruptly remembers that she is still changing.

"No...listen, please. My name is Kimato. Nicholi brought me here...he rescued me from MASS. I'm the one who was sleeping in the room of Nicholi's colleague. Argis...I think it was. Please...can you help me find Nicholi?"

As she speaks, the man looks more and more relaxed. At the mention of the name "Argis", a smile crosses his face briefly. When she is finished, he steps forward again.

"Miss, I am Argis, and I will gladly assist you. If I am not mistaken, Nicholi will be in his laboratory. Follow me." Obediently, Kimato follows Argis through the large house. As they go, her headache becomes less and less prominent, until it is almost completely gone. Finally, Argis stops, outside a large, heavy door.

"Here. I doubt he will let you inside. It seems he's bolted it shut. You can wait for him, or go back to bed and speak to him later. Or, you could try yelling through the door, but I wouldn't really recommend it."

She thanks him and tells him she will wait. Gingerly, she lowers herself to the floor, and leans against the wall.

I wonder how long it's been since laughter rang through these halls? I wonder...if it ever did.

Carefully, Kimato pulls herself up and speaks through the door. She can't yell with her throat so raw, and it would certainly be heard and cause everyone to think her positively mad...but she feels the need to say something.

"Mr. Anhelo...you probably can't hear a word I am saying. But I'm sorry...I did not mean to accuse you." She pauses, feeling slightly foolish for talking to a locked door, and sighs. There's still a chance he can hear me in there.

She continued. "And I would gladly forgive you, but there is nothing to forgive. You did what you could. True, had you been there earlier, perhaps I would not be in this condition. However, had you been there later, I would likely be dead, or under the control of MASS, and I would rather be a chameleon than a slave to such evil. You cannot always save the world. Sometimes, one life is enough."

Sighing, she leans back against the wall, and continues to wait for him to come out.

[Kimato]

Kimato stares up at the newcomer, unsure whether she should retreat down the hall or not. The man does not seem threatening...he has the look of one who has been without a meal one too many days, and he smells of dirt and foliage, as if he has been sleeping on it for many nights. The only element of his appearance that is out of place is the bug-eyed way he is staring at her. Sighing, she wonders if she will have to endure people gaping at her shifting features for the rest of her life.

Getting to her feet, she holds out her hand to the man, trying to be cordial.

"It is forgiven, sir. My name is Kimato Ginzjou." He grasps her hand firmly and releases it, nodding politely, but his eyes never leave her still-shifting face. This is beginning to irk me.

"Sir, I do not mean to be offensive, but I would greatly appreciate it if you would leave off staring at my face." Her voice is quiet, somewhat low for a woman's, and very proper. Except for the "leave off" comment. She has a very strange habit of injecting such errors into an otherwise proper statements.

Leif is visibly taken aback by her statement, and promptly diverts his eyes.

"Now, sir, I regret that I must inform you of this, but this is not my house, so I am uncertain what I should do with you. You might try to find the other occupants and ask directions, or whatever else it is you came here for."

[Kain]

Erstwhile, Kain stood outside of the quarters provided to him, contemplating about the recent events while glancing over White Village from the balcony view.

The MASS have been succesfully held back from the manor for the time being, but it was only a matter of time before they engulfed the entire continent. Such was the nature of this creature, a foul aberration that its very existence is blasphemy upon God's works. Only mankind could ever breathe life into such a hideous beast...

Upon seeing the arrival of the yet another guest to the manor, Kain made his way back into the room. As he made his way to the door, he passed by the now tainted Aegisite blades on the side table, which were saturated with a deep red substance after the battle. A faint mist slowly emanated from them, producing a slight haze. Kain continued on his way to the door, not breaking his stride once.

Time to see how our new accomplice is coping with their ecounter... Kain thought to himself.

Upon stepping out into the hallway, he notices Whitakker to his right. Without the slightest hesitation, Kain responds:

"I take it the MASS still have their grasp upon the girl?" Whitakker nods. "Dammit... let's go get the others then. Lead the way."

*Kain falls in behind Whitakker*

[Thanatos]

Thanatos lounged unperturbed upon the roof of the Manor, held suspended high above the grassy grounds by little more than a few centimeters of smooth shingle. One black gloved hand lightly held a thick volume that reeked of age and wear, and to the assassin's left, almost a dozen more of these gigantic tomes were found neatly stacked. The titles that were visible on these truly ancient manuscripts suggested they were well over one hundred years old, and dealt in painful depth with all that encompassed humanity's strange and varied philosophies. A glossy black visor was quickly scanning line after line of the material, pages turned systematically every three seconds. Thanatos finally shifted, placing the finished text on top of the rest of the works.

"Human philosophy is so enticingly simplistic. Yet now it is time to delve once more into the fray..."

Throughout the several hours Thanatos had occupied this peculiar position, he had been acutely aware of a great deal of events that had been occurring, one after the other. His position had allowed him a perfect vantage point from which to examine the surrounding countryside, in particular the ruins of what had once been the lively White Village. This location had also granted him an excellent chance at scrutinizing the newcoming travelers, although nothing had moved him enough to cause him to terminate this moment of contemplation prematurely.

The time immediately following the attack on the Anhelo Manor had been unpleasant. After watching over the start of treatment for both Nicholi and Syrant, Thanatos had returned to the lower levels of the Manor and begun the long chore of cleansing it of human remains. For any normal individual, such close contact with dismembered corpses and bloodied floors would have been nauseating at the least, but even Thanatos' human side had long ago steeled itself against the sight of the fallen. Those Mass-possessed that had fallen at the Manor were now buried at the edge of the estate's grounds, a piece of wood marking the final resting place of each entity.

Thanatos felt regret and even some sadness at the loss of those possessed by the Mass. Unless deemed otherwise by fate or made impossible by Thanatos' own goals, he believed it vital that each and every living thing be granted its own unique chance at life. The fact that so many lives were ended prematurely--and the idea that even in their very death throes, these creatures were unable to escape the torture that possession brought--was difficult to assimilate. And yet Thanatos did, nontheless.

Keen hearing picking up traces of Whitakker's heavy footfalls as he searches for the remainder of his comrades, Thanatos shifts once more, this time slowly rising to stand overlooking the courtyard that looms innumberable meters below him. Gathering the dozen heavy books under the crook of one arm, Thanatos steps off the roof, plummeting nonchalantly for several seconds before landing skillfully on his feet, shock absorbed by his powerful exoskeleton.

Stepping soundlessly through the rather noisy Manor, the android enters the library, carefully replacing each of the books precisely where they were found. It is only after this task is deemed suitably completed that Thanatos sets off once more, this time to join the sizable congregation that has formed around the newcoming girl. Any trace of remorse and sadness that might have earlier covered the assassin's features is gone; for Thanatos, submission and acceptance of emotion is his only viable option. It is only then that feeling is truly one with the soul, no longer painful or unbearable--only a simple memory.

[Kimato]

Kimato stares in silence as the two men do their battle of wits. Despite her desperate circumstances, she is quite amused by this man, Leif's, clumsy handling of the situation. Apparently, this man has spent little time in the company of warriors. She, herself, hasn't had much experience, but even she knows enough to never expect that the weapon seen is the only threat posed.

Leif turns to her, clearly a little embarrassed. She smiles, something she does not do very often.

"Perhaps you would prefer to wait with me for Mr. Anhelo to emerge from his study. Or would you rather go in search of the kitchens?"

The man looks at her a moment, realizing that the first invitation is not a sincere one. Taking the hint in her last statement, Leif Greenman turns on his heel and heads off, in the direction of what, neither he or Kimato really knows.

Left alone once again, Kimato sits with her back against the wall, hugging her knees to her chest and resting her chin on her arms. She is glad to be around other people...and, although some of them seem quite dangerous, she has never felt so secure. And so she sits there, patiently waiting for Nicholi to come out of his laboratory...and wondering what other interesting people might come across her before he does.

Staring at her hands, she notices a slight difference...the changes are slowly decreasing in speed. Reaching up, she pulls a strand of her hair in front of her face. It is a hideous shade of blue at the moment, and shows signs of staying that way...just barely the hue of the strands is shifting, and before her eyes her hair curls ever so slowly.

I wish you would stop it, she thought angrily. To her surprise, the hair's color and texture froze...half way between curly and straight. It wasn't back to "normal," but it was something.

I wonder... Kimato stared at her hands, which were currently very old and ever-so-slowly growing younger. She waited. Many minutes passed...the changes were slowing down, no question about that...and finally, her hands looked like her own...at least in age. Stop changing. Stop changing, please. Her hands kept changing. Frustrated, she slumped down...Great...too much to hope for. Kimato moved to rub her hand over her eyes...her headache was coming back somewhat...and stopped. Her hand had stopped!

Looking up at the high ceiling, Kimato breathed a deep sigh of relief. At least now, perhaps, there was a chance she could control this curse of MASS that was upon her.

[Whitakker]

*Whitakker and Kain proceed down the hallways of the manor, seeking out the new arrival. The pair finally found her at the doors of Nicholi's laboratory. The young woman was sitting against the wall with her knees drawn up close to her. Her appearance was much more stable than the last time Whitakker witnessed it.*

"Hello, there, ma'am. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Whitakker, and my feathered friend on my shoulder here is Skye. My colleague beside me is Kain. How are you feeling?"*Whitakker whispers to Kain, "It seems she is now able to control what the Mass did to her..."**Turning his attention back to her*

"Have you had a chance to speak with Mr. Anhelo yet?"

*Whitakker suddenly became aware that there was a figure in the corner of the hallway near the trio. The man is cloaked, and has apparently been there for a few minutes. Whitakker approaches the man.*

"Hello there, sir, who might you be?"*The man uttered only:*
"My name is Greenman, called Leif by my kind. I came here to find Mr. Anhelo."

"Very well. My name is Whitakker, and my eagle here is Skye. But judging from your mood, you've probably been here ever since I met the young lady, eh?"

*Whitakker walked back toward the girl.*

"If you can remember, why don't you tell me what happened? I'm curious to know."

[Kimato]

Kimato sighs. She is feeling somewhat exhausted, not to mention overwhelmed, by all these new appearances. This particular man is at least very kind, is apparently supposed to be here, and hadn't stepped on her, which is more than she can say for Greenman.

"I am a traveller. I have been moving from place to place since I was fifteen. I left the area of my homeland when I was sixteen, and journeyed northward, here. The...dark presence, the being Mr. Anhelo refers to as MASS...it took my mother, and my father. I've been searching for it, to take my revenge. Or to find a way to get them back...I'm not even sure what I was looking for." She looks down at her hands, her brown eyes troubled.

"Perhaps," says Kimato in a very small, very young voice, "I simply wanted it to take me, too, so that I could be with them again."

Here she stops, but the man called Whitakker urges her to continue. She swallows hard, and starts again.

"I had been living in that cottage for a little more than a week when the MASS came. I went into White Village one day, and it was just...chaos. There were people killing each other, and being attacked by these things...I was terrified. I started to run away, and some of the people who were...possessed, I suppose, by the MASS...they followed me. I killed one of the men, but I couldn't get away. They cornered me in the cottage, and..." Here she stops. The details are so hard to remember...she can't seem to get them all straight in her head.

"I am sorry. There was a darkness...it felt as if something was trying to lock me away inside myself...I realized I did not want the creature to take me...I do not remember much after that...except a light, and someone speaking to me, telling me to hold on."

[Whitakker]

*Whitakker took this all in, crossed his arms, and fixed his gaze upon Kimato. She's been through a h*ll of a lot, Whitakker mused. Though I'm still curious as to what exactly the Mass did to her. I'm willing to bet that a small portion of Mass still resides in her, although it is most likely dormant. Let's hope it stays that way.*

"There is no need to worry any longer for the moment. You are among friends now. We are all united by one purpose: to destroy that which destroys us."

*Having a sudden shift in attitude:*

"Do you feel hungry at all? I'd imagine that at least Mr. Greenman must be hungry, judging by his looks. If you'd like, I could lead you both to the kitchen. What think, eh?"

[Kimato]

Kimato looks at the door to Nicholi Anhelo's laboratory. She feels the need for food...but she also wants to talk to Mr. Anhelo. She is certain by now that he hasn't heard anything she said to him through the door...and she still wants to tell him. He had looked so hopeless...she wants to try and give him some hope.

Whitakker speaks beside her. "There's no telling when he'll come out of there. You might as well get something to eat while you wait."

Looking up at Whitakker, Kimato nods.

"Yes...I agree, sir. I admit that I am a tad hungry." Again with the countryside interjections into otherwise perfect speech.

Getting to her feet, Kimato follows Whitakker and the other men on their way to the kitchens. Just before she rounds the corner, she turns back doubtfully, to stare at the door, which still shows no sign of opening. Then, she turns and continues on her way.

[Syrant]

Syrant walks into what appears to be a Living Room with a lit fireplace. Syrant sits in a nearby chair next to the fireplace. He pulls out one of his guns and takes out a rag. Now enjoying the temporary silence Syrant begins to clean his gun thinking about what has happened. It will all be over soon enough. You're coming back I know you are and when you do I'll be ready. Syrant leans back and appears to dose off.

[Nicholi]

Nicholi sits at a desk looking through various volumes. He then moves over to a table, cluttered with papers and lab equipment. Nicholi begins to jot down a few notes on a piece of paper and then folds it and sticks it into his jacket pocket. With a sigh, Nicholi stands to his feet and walks over to a table with a circular box. He stares at it nostalgically for brief moment, and then moves over to the lab door. Nicholi turns the lock and opens the door. He walks downstairs to find Thanatos exiting out of the library.

"Thanatos I would like to have a word with you and our guests, Mr. Dimitri and Miss Kimato, in my lab when it’s convenient."

Nicholi makes his way back upstairs and closes the lab door behind him.