The Dream Shifter

Chapter 217

Ignoring the stillness of the room, Simonides walked in strict silence with each step filled with purpose. It made the tension in the tent increase, as none of them knew his reasons to enter the tent at such a late hour. He saw the looks in their eyes that followed him, while trying to maintain their discipline. Their unease did not surprise him. While they all trusted him, he knew, taking actions without notice made questions surface. The entire mission was one big question for them. He was not acting like the Captain that they knew. He knew all of this too well, but had too few answers for them. Confusion in questions was preferred to confusion in comprehension.

A gap in the even line appeared in his march. It stopped him, but not for the reasons the rest of the men thought. Simonides turned to look down at the man wearing a white military uniform. The blonde haired man with dark blue eyes, almost black, lounged in his cot with one leg crossed over the other. A book, with a thin ribbon bookmark dangling from the spine, covered the lower part of the man's face. "First Lieutenant Vangelis…" he spoke with the expectation of getting his attention.

The man's legs shifted a little acting as a response and signal of life. "…hmm…" uttered the man, still not acting in attention.

"You have new orders. Follow me."

Vangelis' book shifted a little acting like a twitch. "Oh? You don't sound like a messenger. Since when did the Captain start going around speaking to the men directly?"

Simonides restrained his annoyed mood. He always had to deal with the man in such a frustrating manner. "Since when did lower officers not give the due respect to their Captain?"

"The same time I got stuck in this backwater posting."

"This posting is important to the safety of Atlantis and you know that."

"A bunch of pathetic researchers. It's a waste of my talents to deal with lowly humans."

Narrowing his eyes a little, Simonides prepared for the finish. He hated having to provide motivation to Vangelis. "Then you should be pleased with your new orders. I want you to gather a team of MPs and go deal with the rebel MPs."

The book closed with a punctuated thud to accent the change in mood. Vangelis' interest piqued. He lifted himself up from the cot to lean forward with his arm resting against his knee. An excited and pleasure seeking grin drew across his lips widened with his new attitude. "Oh? Tell me more, Captain!"

The sudden change in atmosphere finally reached Yumi. It pulled her around, curious to know what the others were talking about. Once she saw the same thing, her eyes widened and pupils shrank in disbelief. "A camp? It can't be!" She staggered back unable to hide her surprise.

"Yes, and judging by the size there are more than a hundred camped there."

"How's that possible?" asked Fumiko, taking a step back as well. "We would have seen something this big!"

"My brother's in there? How are we supposed to get him out of there?" Despair fell back into Yumi's lap dropping her to her knees. The sight grew more expansive in her mind. Her brother stretched out of her reach. 'How will I save him?' She did not expect to see such a sight when she came so close to rescuing her brother. Only a few attacked them, she thought that they would still be holding him. Yet she found something worse.

From their view, only so much was visible. The night made it difficult to see everything clearly. However, the fires around the camp put the scale into perspective for everyone. Small pools of light cast shapes and shadows around painting a rough scene. Numerous tents lined the field spreading out far. Moonlight only gave highlights to everything with its warm bathing glow.

Yumi feared their chances of finding her brother and getting out. 'So many soldiers…Yori's in there…' She closed her hands and pressed them against her chest. The shaking in her muscles returned as a familiar companion.

"Yumi?" said Fumiko, a little worried. She noticed that Yumi disappeared from her sight. Turning around with the others, Fumiko found her on the ground. 'She's shaking…I'm not really sure what I expected to find, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised…' Fumiko leaned down to meet Yumi. "Yu—"

"Already losing that empty confidence of yours?" interrupted Chiharu. She almost stood between the two girls, but made it clear that she did not want Fumiko's aid. Chiharu crossed her arms staring down over them at Yumi.

Amongst the blanket fear threatening her, Chiharu's words cut through to Yumi. When she heard Chiharu speaking, everything else in her mind ran blank. She forgot about the fear that already began to shackle her. "What?"

Fumiko pulled up her arm trying to get in front of Chiharu, but she protested her. "Chiharu! What do you thin—"

"Silence." Her voice did not even rise above the tone, but still had the same impact. She noted the hand that pulled away with unease, but kept her gaze fixed downward. "Don't act oblivious. You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

Yumi did not know what felt worse the penetrating words or the piercing stare. Both baked her under pressure. She knew what Chiharu talked about in her words. It made her turn her head away. Nothing managed to come out of her mouth.

"Can't say anything? You know it's the truth. You're just going to keep repeating this act over and over again."

'I really am all just talk, aren't I?' As much as she wanted to deny the words, the truth could never be covered over. She saw it all too well. Yet her fear was too strong for her to resist. She could not stop it. '…it's too heavy…'

"This as far as you go? The impossible is the impossible. Otherwise it wouldn't be called impossible." Chiharu turned away from Yumi. Before she could continue, she found Fumiko and Seiji stared down at her. Their glares made her raise her eyebrow a little curious to their purpose. However, she did not let it stop her. "There's nothing you can do. I knew you couldn't do it."

Hearing the words from Chiharu sent Yumi into shock for a moment. Her eyes widened and pupil's shrank at having her words returned to her. It felt like a slap in the face. The sting still lingered even after the attack even though Chiharu did not touch her. Yumi subconsciously touched her cheek as she stared at Chiharu's back. '…the impossible… I said I wanted to do it…but…Chiharu…' The tall and imposing back made Yumi's blood boil a little. 'Don't look down on me…I stumble, but I'll stand back up!' Yumi forced her legs to push herself up, still a little wobbly.

"Yumi?" questioned Fumiko, leaning over Chiharu a bit.

Yumi's head tilted forward a little not quite hanging from her shoulders. Her forehead cast a shadow over her eyes blacking them out from sight. "…I-I…I-I…" She could not stop the shaking in her arms.

A verbal tick came from Chiharu's lips. "Got something to say?" She kept her back to Yumi and faced ahead towards the camp. "Just because you stand doesn't mean anything. You're still weak."

Seiji grabbed up a free piece of Chiharu's ninja garb she wore to get her attention. He had enough of the kid mouthing off to everyone. He hated listening to her a***e, but he could take it. However, he had his limits when it was directed to another. "I've had enough of you! Just stop—"

"Chiharu!" shouted Yumi, interrupting Seiji. The volume on Yumi's voice surprised Seiji and Fumiko. Yumi's face ran red and her breathing shallow. Even after her shout, it felt like it drained everything from her.

Chiharu flicked her hand against Seiji's fist to bat him off. His distraction with Yumi made it easier for her to free herself. She tilted her head over her shoulder to Yumi. "What? Going to actually say something?"

"Yes!" Yumi fought to reign in her body's shaking. She needed to keep standing on her feet. The dominating presence of Chiharu would not allow anything else. She needed the strength. "I'll show you! I'll show you that my way will work! So just watch!"

"Oh? And how long will that confidence last you before you lose it again? I'm not fighting with someone that wants to run away once things get serious."

Each shard of truth thrown hurt in its own way. Her weakness turned into a weapon to s***h her down before she took a step. It was all used against her. Yumi knew it. She knew she could not let it keep hurting. She stepped up to Chiharu desperately holding on her strength. "I won't forget it. I will make the impossible happen."

The confidence in Yumi's words warmed to Chiharu. She heard them before too easily from her. It was not enough. Chiharu turned to face Yumi fully. "You always can speak with conviction, but that won't last. You'll fall—"

"I won't!" She stopped Chiharu before she continued her a***e. "You think I'm weak. I am weak, but I can find strength in it still." Yumi hardened her expression and faced the rest of her friends. They all supported her and depended on her. She had to start trusting in their faith. "You put me in charge, right? I'm the leader!"

Chiharu threw her hand back behind her pointing her finger at the two others. "They did, I haven't. You have to prove it to me."

Yumi stepped ahead of them looking from the small hill they stopped at before. The camp reflected back in her eyes. Their goal stood in front. She did not need hesitation anymore. "We need to find out the situation in there, right?" Her words bounced back at them with an intended recipient, even though not made expressly clear.

"That is the first objective for anything like this," replied Chiharu.

"Then go in and find out what we're dealing with. We'll need information to make a plan."

"Using me to satisfy your emotions isn't wise."

She turned back from the hill to look down at Chiharu. A clear and calculating almost cold look shined from her eyes. Her strength resurfaced. "I'm not sending you because you made me mad. I'm sending you because I know you're the best suited this job. You can use your shadow ability to remain out of sight while gathering the information."

A twitch flicked along Chiharu's eye. 'This is her strength that I saw before…however…' Chiharu took a step forward bothered by something Yumi said. "What do you know about that? I've told no one what I can do."

"I've seen you use it enough recently to figure out how it works. You can do it, right? Not going to back out."

"Of course," snapped Chiharu, "This is too easy." Chiharu disappeared from sight already on the move. She looked forward to an interesting challenge.

Fumiko smiled a little realizing what took place. Yumi already started walking towards the camp. Even Seiji, confused as he was, began to resume following Yumi. However, he turned back to Fumiko when he noticed she did not move. He raised his hand up pointing at her with a flat expression. "What's with the smile? You scheming something?"

"Hardly. Chiharu already did everything that I might have needed." Fumiko laughed a little to herself. After she felt pleased with the situation, she moved on to catch up to Yumi.

Seiji felt lost with her response. The way the situation turned out bothered him. "Hey! What just happened?"

Inside the camp, Athene stumbled out of the medical tent. She woke up recently and waited for the doctor to leave. They refused to allow her to leave, but she had something more important to do. She tripped over the cords that held up a tent. The fall threw dirt up into her mouth and rubbed over her face. She tightened her hands in the grass. 'Damn you…taking my sight!' Athene staggered around the camp until she made it to the tent she desired. Her powers confirmed it for her when her sight could not.

Using her powers, a new tent flap appeared in the back of the tent. Directed by the new laws her made in her field, Athene guided herself to the tent. Her hand pushed through the tent separating the flaps. She knew he was near. "I'll have my answers, Yori Mizuno!"