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Chapter 5 - The Journey Within

Characters and Story copyright Katya Saint Croix

Original Concept copyright Lurking Dragon

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"How do you think they are getting along?" James took the pile of soiled laundry from Sally, tossing the whites into the washer.

"I'd say that they are interacting pretty well. Aside from Star's accident, she seems to getting along with Katie pretty well." Sally took the moment to wash her paws and fix herself a cup of coffee, "Want some coffee?"

"I'm alright. Have you signed her up yet?" James started up the washer and took a seat at the table once again, flipping through the datapad.

"Took care of it already. She'll be going in later today for it." She took a light sip of her coffee, "I wonder how she'll do..."

"Well, provided she can conquer her phobia, I think she'll do fine."

"It will be out of our hands tomorrow. You know there isn't anything we can do if she gets into trouble."

"I'm completely aware."

"And you aren't concerned? We're not talking about normal punishments here."

"I know, Sally, but who are we to try to stop the Judicials from punishing her?"

"..."

"So... How do you play Knights? Is there some kind of story line?" Katie twirled her meter stick in her paw and watched me with curiosity in her eyes.

"I just kinda go with whatever comes out, ya know?" I motioned at her with the ruler, "And one bad comment about my accident and we're done playing." I gave a pout, my ears turning a light shade of red.

"Fair enough, Crinkles." She chirred at me and giggled softly.

Giving her a glare, realizing that she was completely aware that I was wearing training pants, I decided to let her comment go this time. As much as I hate being made fun of, at the moment, I felt kind of... comfortable.

____________________________________________________

We had managed to avoid the few guards that came our ways, ducking into the shadows as they passed. We couldn't attack them, as any sign of trouble would make other soldiers look for us and ruin our chance to hide out and get some rest. I knew Kilgara Path fairly well, as my mother used to take me on walks through it's caves, and I would be fascinated by the multitude of colorations that decorated these old and beautiful passageways. Sometimes, a rare type of rock formation would occur along the walls, which my mother called "Aria's Heart", which radiated a beautiful spectacle of lights when a small amount of torchlight was shone through it. Aria was the Goddess of our kingdom, whom the people of Arania followed and worshiped with all their hearts. She was good to the Aranian people, bringing us bountiful harvests and fair weather. It was just then that I realized there would be no Aria's Fair this year, as my kingdom would no longer exist come the daystar's rising. Alas, perhaps Kouriya would hold an Aria's Fair just for me... Here's to wishful thinking.

"We'll rest here." Katie spoke, leaning against a small wall, holding up her lantern to examine the area, "We have a small spring in here, and the area is nice and open. Should make for good living quarters for the night."

"Shouldn't we be concerned with the fact that there is only one entrance? If they get a thought that we are hiding out in the mountains, they could fill these tunnels with smoke and we'll be in trouble." I took a seat near the spring and drank heartily of its refreshing waters.

"That is a possibility, but we shouldn't concern ourselves with that." She place the lantern on the floor by her side, opening her traveling pack and pulling out a few blankets, tossing a few towards me, "Catch. Make sure to rest near the spring. It's our best chance to keep warm and unnoticed if we do."

The spring's water was fresh and cool, but was rather warm to the touch. I guess it was only cool in my mind, as I have gone through a lot today. I was most likely on the brink of dehydration. I caught the blankets she tossed toward me and set them out on the floor, my gaze affixed on my paws... They were tainted red with the blood of many. I could hear their dying wails in my ears, and my face showed not a sign of sorrow or unrest.

"Don't know what to think huh?" Katie took a seat next to me and grasped my wrist lightly, running a digit over my crimson colored paw.

"I killed so many today... I've never killed anyone..." I sighed heavily, looking at my reflection in the water, "Why does my face not show how I feel...?"

"Well, today wasn't just about fighting and killing. You had no other choice. You fought to live." Katie dipped the tip of her tail into the water, twirling it around a bit before lifting it up and lightly wiping my paw with the wet fur, "It's hard the first few times you have to."

"You didn't answer my questi-"

"Because you are a warrior."

"What does that even mean...?"

"It means to fight, even if you know you'll lose."

There would be no denying it. In the course of one night, I had become a cold-faced warrior. The world has no meaning of justice at all. That's why a warrior fights. They fight to make justices with their own sweat, blood, and tears, carving themselves a place in time. That's the entire world will ever have... one man's justice. How many hells have to be forged to create one man's justice? How many lives had to be thrown away for a blind ambition of one who thinks they are doing the right thing?

Katie dried my paw off with a corner of her robe, beginning to wash my other paw and dying it off as well. We didn't say anything for the rest of the night. As I curled up by the hot spring, my mind began to drift, my world becoming contorted and confusing. Up was down, left was right. It was as if the very fabric of existence was being torn to pieces around me, and I was to bear witness to its dismemberment.

"Star! It's time for Katie to go home!" Sally called up the stairs, causing my mind to switch back to reality.

"Aww... I gotta go home~... Wanna play again tomorrow?" Katie bounced about, collecting the toys and tossing them into the box.

"Yeah. You are fun to play with." I smiled at her and collected several other things, tossing them into the box as well.

It didn't take us but three or four minutes to clean up the room and return it to its clean state. Katie seemed rather pleased with her clean up job and patted me on the shoulder.

"Well, Crinkles, it looks like we did a good job." She gave me a hug and a pat on the rump, "Stay dry~~!" She bounced off happily.

I am starting to hate that nickname... I decided to see Katie off, and followed her down the stairs. Sally was there, waving goodbye to Katie as her mother Kathy, a young human whom I'd guess to be around the same age as Sally, walked off holding Katie's paw in her hand.

"Did she have to go so soon? It's only 4 PM." I gave a slight pout, somewhat disheartened as I watched my friend return home.

"Yes. I have to get you ready for your lesson." Sally patted my head and closed the door with her hindpaw.

"Lesson?"

"Yup. Your required swimming lesson."

The very word struck a cord in my mind somewhere and filled with such a fear that you'd think I was on a strange world and about to be raped by thousands and thousands of demons. I dislike water like you could only believe. I could handle a shower, but pools of water!? The vast containment of water with its dark depths that can claim the life of a child with a single gulp of water!? NO WAY!

"No! I won't do it!" I ran over to the closet and trapped myself within, "I'm not going swimming!"

"Star! Don't be difficult!" Sally tugged on the door, but I held it fast and was not about to give in, "Starlight-le Saint Mark! Open this door right now!"

"Give it up, Sally. She's obviously very scared about all this. What good is yelling?" James walked out from the living room, pulling Sally's hand away from the door lightly, "Let me handle this."

"Alright..." Sally threw her paws in the air in a fit of remorse and walked upstairs.

I could sense that I had made Sally very upset by refusing to cooperate. James didn't even try to open the door after Sally left the room; he just waited there in silence, knowing that the quiet containment of which I had entrapped myself would soon to get to me, as it would force me to think. Logic is the greatest punishment ever... If one truly stops to think about their actions, it rips at them like a thousands sharp claws lunging out from the darkness that we call our lives. My paws fell limply from the doorknob, my eyes closed and damp with tears. I was so scared... I didn't want to go, but at the same time, I didn't want to make Sally upset. She was working hard for me, so couldn't I at least do this one thing for her...?

"Is she still in there...?" Sally leaned over the railing from the bottom step, her gaze fixed on the door in front of her.

"Yes, but I think the silence is getting to her." James slowly walked over and opened the door. There was no resistance.

There I stood, my head hung in a defeated fashion, small blotches of tears covering the front of my tank top, nothing but the occasional sniffle or whimper resounding off the walls. Sally slowly walked over and picked me up into her arms, holding me close. James merely looked on and shook his head a bit before walking over, stroking my headfur lightly with his paw. I didn't say anything as Sally carried me upstairs to my bedroom. She took a seat on the edge of my bed, a lavender one-piece bathing suit sitting at her side.

"I'm afraid..." I wanted to resist her, but I didn't have the strength.

"I know, dear. Lets get you into your bathing suit..." Sally slowly pulled off my tank top and set it aside, slowly unzipping my skirt with her other paw, "You need to go to this lesson... It's the law. You need to get readjusted to your frame's functions once again. It's only this one time. You'll never have to do it again if you don't want to."

"I know, mommy..." I wiped my nose on my arm as she pulled the bathing suit onto me, checking to make sure that it was a good fit.

"There... Come on. We'll be late if we don't hurry now." Sally set me down and walked over to my closet, pulling out a pair of sandals and grabbing a beach towel from the hallway closet.

Slipping the sandals onto my hind paws, I slipped off the bed and walked by Sally's side downstairs and outside to the hover. Sally, once again, strapped me into the car seat in the back and took her place on the driver's side of the hovercar. Pushing a few buttons on the dashboard, the car's engine started up and soon we were in the air and off to my swimming lesson. I was still very frightened, and also realized that I was still wearing the training pants Sally had given me earlier!

"What about the trainers?" I looked at her, a little bit frightened and embarrassed about being seen in public wearing training pants under my swimsuit.

"Don't worry dear. They are waterproof." She giggled a bit and tilted her head toward me to flash me a smile.

"...You're enjoying this, aren't you...?"

"Maybe just a bit..."

I don't think Sally said that to be mean, but more of to make a point: I had an accident earlier today, and I had not yet been punished, so I guess this was her way of punishing me without having to hurt me physically. I understood this fact, but it didn't make things any easier to accept.

After what felt like forever, though it was only three or four minutes, the Hover landed in the parking lot of a large structure. Sally stepped out of the Hover and unbuckled me from the seat, placing the towel on my shoulders and setting me on the ground. Closing the door in her usual fashion, she took my paw and walked into this massive building.

The Aquatic Center was a vast building with six Olympic-sized swimming pools inside, as well as a fully furnished, top-of-the-line fitness area, four indoor tracks, and a huge cafeteria that could easily seat over five thousand people. Sally walked over to the main desk in the lobby, which was the size of one of the swimming pool areas, and talked softly to her. I couldn't hear her, as the sound of chatter echoed off the tall marble walls and resonated in the vast space. With a nod of her head, Sally looked down at me and gave my paw a soft tug. We resumed walking, this time down a large passageway with several doors marked with the letter S and a number one through four. Sally stopped before the door marked S3 and looked down at me. I knew we had arrived. As we pushed past the large swinging metal door, the smell of chlorine bashed my nostrils and caused me to cough a bit. The room was at least twice the size of the pool, with the ceiling at least 20' high. It was huge! The pool, as I mentioned before, was your standard Olympic-sized pool, with buoys forming walls that separate the massive pool into four different sections. I looked around a bit, finally adjusting to the strong smell in the area, trying to figure out why the pool was separated as it was. Dragomorphs at the far end of the room, with Draconian next to them, followed Rooians, and the section closest to the door were several assorted foxes, of Alluatran and Aspartian linage. From this, I could draw a few conclusions: 1. Humans were trained in a different area; and 2. The instructors specialize in a particular race, meaning there would be at least one instructor of each race in this class.

"Line up everyone!" Came the command from the doorway, as a loud whistle rang throughout the room, causing almost all the Foxes to cringe due to very good hearing.

With a proudly loud yelp, I tossed my towel to Sally and rushed over to the Fox section of the pool, taking my place between two Aspartian Foxes. Although Alluatran and Aspartian foxes are virtually the same race in appearance, other then the fur, there is something that easily helps one tell them apart. Aspartian foxes are more streamline then Alluatran foxes, taking on more of an appearance to their Earthly counterparts, where as Alluatran foxes almost look like white wolves, but our tails are too bushy to be wolfish. From the doorway emerged eight instructors: two Rooian, two Draconian, two Dragonian, an Alluatran fox, and an Aspartian Fox. It was rather apparent that the highest ranking of them all was a young Dragonian male, since he wore a whistle around his neck, whereas the other instructors did not. Each set of instructors walked to their respective cluster of students and introduced themselves. I just happened to be fortunate enough to be working with a Male Aspartian and Female

Alluatran fox.

The male was the taller of the two, his body very well tone and shaped. His fur was very shiny and smooth, showing that he took a great deal of pride in personal grooming and even greater pride in his body. One could almost say that he resembled exactly what a body builder looked like, only as a fox. His brown eyes were a contrast from the tender reds and exuberant oranges that made up his fur.

As for the female... She reminds me a lot of Sally, only with white fur. She was very sleek, feminine, but by no means womanly. She looked very much like a tomboy, sporting glasses of black and silver, that made her look several years older without making her look like an old woman. They gave her the appearance of a woman in a seat of power, and if her look didn't tell you that, her stern, but tender, voice would be the biggest giveaway.

"Hello everyone. I'm Kevin, and this is my wife Dana. We'll be instructing you on how to swim today" Kevin gave us all a playful grin and hopped into the water.

"We know that some of you will have an easier time then others. As decreed by the government, we have special means of 'encouragement' to help those who have problems with swimming. Everyone please take a seat on the stairs and get ready to begin." Dana walked over to a desk near the door and picked up a clipboard, pushing her glasses up her muzzle a bit.

By 'encouragement', they mean punishment. The Penitatas System, though highly effective, is warped and twisted. When an adult, especially an Official, says they are going to 'encourage' you, they mean they are going to punish you something awful every time you mess up. As the nine foxes, myself not included, walked into the water and sat on the stairs, I remained rather hesitant about this whole situation. I stood on the top stair, clinging to the bar that ran along the stair's edge, my body quaking with fear, as I kept flashing back to that time on the beach...

"You are supposed to be sitting on the top step, little one..." Came a whisper from behind me.

Turning quickly, I found myself face to face with a young lady, her face tender and gentle, a pair of glasses of gold and silver frame adorn on her face, shielding her blue eyes behind their corrective plastic. She smiled at me and patted my head softly. I was in complete awe of her. I couldn't explain it... she just looked so familiar... so loving and warm, as if I knew her from somewhere. I don't know what was so special about her, but I felt a lot better knowing that she was watching me. With a look of pure joy across my face, I nodded to her and she smiled at me, turning and walking off, waving as to say 'I'll be watching you' as she vanished behind the doors. Reverting my mind to the situation at paw, I quickly plopped down on the stair, now immersed up to my waist in water.

"Well, now that everyone is seated, we'll begin the lesson." Dana took a seat at the edge of the pool, pen in paw, and looked at the clipboard for a moment, "This is how it will work. I'm going to tell you each a certain exercise you must do, then Kevin will demonstrate and show each of you how to do it. After that, I will call out a name from the list and you will swim out to him and do the said exercise. There are 4 exercises that you must complete. The water is only three feet deep in this area, so most of you will have to work to keep your head above water. Let's start with floating."

"Ok everyone. Floating is very simple, but you need to relax to be able to do it right. It's ok to sprawl out a bit while doing his, as you'll need to be completely relaxed to do it. Just relax and breathe normally, lean back, and let your body float in the water."

Kevin spread his arms out a bit and leaned back into the water, drawing a deep breath and holding it for a moment before his body floated up to the surface of the water. Turning his head towards us with a grin, he nodded and stood back up.

"Everyone got that?" Kevin asked, placing his paws on his hips with a smug look sprawled across his muzzle as if a clown painted it on.

"Yes sir!" Came a yipping reply from all the foxes in unison.

Dana looked down at her clipboard once more and sat there in silence. I guess she was thinking of whom of call on first. There were ten of us in total, so I would guess that the lesson would go rather smoothly. I just prayed that I would not be called on first...

"Saint Mark." I felt my heart sink as Dana looked toward the crowd of foxes, "Your up first."

There would no turning back now. If I tried to run, I would only get myself in really big trouble. If I didn't swim out to Kevin, I'd get in big trouble. Lose-lose situation. For now, I'd have to swallow my pride and attempt to swim toward Kevin. Slowly descending into the water, I felt my heart racing, and it became harder and harder to keep from panicking and flailing about. I did manage to suppress that urge, but I had to fight that much harder to keep my head above water. Being two feet nine inches tall means that you are short enough that you need a kiddy pool to swim in. Even though the water was only a few inches deeper then I am tall, it felt more like a few miles more, and needless to say, I thought I was going to drown. I succeeding to swimming out to Kevin, despite the wild snickers from several of the other students, Kevin also included in this mix, but Dana was not impressed. She seemed almost very angry at my lack of swimming talent. Kevin propped his knee up to give me a place to grab onto and catch my breath, a dull roar of laughter bellowing from the crowd of students until Dana flashed them an icy glare and scared them all half to death. I felt so mortified...

"Well, it took you a little time, but let's see if you know how to float." Kevin patted my head and pulled his knee away quickly.

Having lost a place to grab onto, I began to panic for a second or two, having to shut out all my thoughts and think only about floating. If I failed to do so, Dana would surely tan my hide so badly that I wouldn't be able to sit down for a few months if I was lucky! Mimicking Kevin's actions, I closed my eyes and let myself fall over backward. Initially, I sunk down under the water about two inches, and needless to say, I was ready to begin thrashing about as if it was the last thing I would ever do, but I had to remain calm. Finally reaching the surface a second later, I managed to float for a few seconds, until Sally's voice cut into my focused mind and startled me. What a time to congratulate me! I lost control and sunk underneath the water, my hind paws touching the floor. In a frightened flurry, I began to thrash about wildly, startling Kevin to managed to grab one of my arms and pull me to the surface. Once again, the whole crowd of students began to laugh, though this time, it wasn't a dull roar. It was so loud that it disrupted all the other lessons and caused the Dragonian to become very infuriated. Stomping towards the crowd of students, he gave a sharp blow on his whistle, and everything fell silent, except for me, as I was busy coughing up water that I had inhaled from panicking while underwater.

"What's so funny here!?" He narrowed his eyes, his jade-colored eyes looking as if they were burning with the fires of hell, giving his hunter green skin an almost char-colored look.

"N-nothing sir!" The foxes immediately hung their head and sat quietly.

"Next person to laugh gets to spend a few minutes in my office! Do I make myself clear!?"

"Yes Sir!" I'm sure several of the students were on the brink of wetting themselves.

Ki'fah (Pronounced Keh-Foe) is a very intimidating person. I'm sure that fifteen years in the military does that to someone. Ever since Humans began their galactic migration to find new worlds, there have been serious issues between worlds. Altanis is no exception either. When the humans first came to Altanis, the elders, what Earthlings compared to their government officials, we very concerned. We had never made contact with Humankind before, and we were pretty well frightened. Things were very bad between them, and it reached a point where hatred from both sides was causing uprisings and violence to spread across our peaceful world. This would become known as the Galactic War for Altanis. Though we were peaceful, we studied many arts of defense. We were no match for Humans though, with their recently developed photon weaponry, our people were nearly destroyed. My mother and father were in that war... or at least caught up in it. Mom used to tell me story about how the humans broke into her home when she was a child, taking her and her sister prisoner, and murdered her parents. She and her sister were separated, and she never saw her again. As for her... she became their servant. It was either that or death. They killed the men, abused the women, enslaved the children... It's something I can never forgive humankind for... As for my father... He was an outsider to Altanis. No one really knows where he came from, but he was found severely injured in the forests outside the central village of Ashra. The mayor and her husband nursed him back to health. He apparently had amnesia and couldn't tell them very much about where he came from or why he was there. In any case, my father lead an underground of mercenaries, striking at vital parts of the Human Army. With their supplies destroyed or sabotaged, their landing zones destroyed, and their forces being decimated by guerilla fighters, the Earth Government arranged a meeting with the Elders and signed a treaty: If the humans promised to leave the home world, the Alluatran people agreed to not meddle in human affairs on other worlds. As an end result of the war, leaving the home world became a grave crime punishable by death or exile. Mom met Dad when his forces attacked the band of soldiers that held her prisoner. Needless to say, it was love and first sight and... well, you can guess the rest. Similar events occurred on other planets, but the home world of the Dragonian people, humankind met an opposition like no other in this or any galaxy. Dragonians are a very smart race, their knowledge exceeding that of the humankind. Prior to the Galactic War for Altanis, and I mean a LONG time before, Humans tried to take the Dragonian home world of Viisar III. Let us just say that Humans didn't get farther then their initial landing zone... It was pretty bad. The Dragonians, feeling pity for the inferior human race, decided to sign a special pact with them: In return for letting the Dragonian people move to Earth if they so choose, Humankind would be allowed to live on Viisar III. They would combine their technology to create the first Rejuvenation Chamber. This would later become more efficient and be implemented as a means to make the human race immortal. As I was saying, fifteen years in the military, especially the Dragonian Military, is enough to turn anyone into a very intimidating person.

Ki'fah turned and ordered that all the lessons be resumed. Dana wasn't very pleased with my poor performance in floating, and waved her paw towards me, ordering me to swim over to her. Kevin saw this and rather then letting me swim over, her carried me over and sat me on the edge of the pool before wading back out into the middle of the water. While Dana was busy with me, Kevin made the others practice all at once to get the hang on it, and also so he could help them if necessary.

"Follow me." Dana got up and walked to the far end of the room, entering a door in the far corner that I had overlooked before.

Hanging my head in shame, I followed after her. I knew I was going to get it, and instinctively, I covered my still lightly padded tush with my paws.

Bear in mind that there is something very different about punishment from an official and a Penitatas parent. Officials are very brutal in their punishment, using special Judicial punishment gear which every Penitatas fears. Punishment gear is ranked in three levels: Parental, Educational, and Judicial. Parental would be what I have at home. Educational is a special variation of the Parental tools that are used in schools and other educational areas. As for Judicial... It's a league all it's own. They used paddles that would normally be used to put pizzas in and out of brick ovens, drilled with holes and covered in rough studs designed to tear into one's body (quite literally). They also have a thin Alloy switch, which blows all other switches away in terms of destructive force. There have been cases where the switch has actually induced fractured bones and damaged muscles. To add to the already painful mix was a new kind of tool... the Punishment Stool. After a Penitatas has been spanked to the brink of passing out from pain, they are strapped to a special stool that causes the torment to continue for an extended period of time. The seat of the stool is covered in small pyramidal spikes, which poke and stretch the already badly beaten rear and induce a pain all it's own. It's the ultimate Penitatas nightmare.

Dana closed the door after I entered and simply stared down at me with an empty face. I couldn't tell if she was disappointed, angry, or sad. Perhaps it was a mix of the three, but only time would tell.

"You have issues, child." Dana walked past me and sat upon the edge of the oaken desk, "Normally, I'd beat the living daylights out of you for your antics back there, but this doesn't seem normal. So, tell me, what's the deal?"

"I have a fear of water..." I lowered my gaze to the floor once more, pressing my ears tightly against the sides of my head, "I nearly drown when I was a child. My mom took me to the beach with someone and while playing along the coast, a strong riptide pulled me out into the deep water."

"I see... So you're fear is what is hold you back huh?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Never heard of anything like that before. However, Star, since I have a promise to keep, I won't punish you harshly. As a matter of fact, after we're done here, I'll take you to the private mini-pool in the back and work with you myself."

Wait a second... Promise? My mind began to process several answers about this simple curiosity. Perhaps Sally told her of my fear, and Dana understood? That didn't make much sense. Officials tend to do their own thing, so that couldn't have been it. Maybe someone higher up then her told her to go easy on me? That couldn't be it. I don't know anyone in Earth's chain of command. Who was it?

"Who made you promise?" I looked up at her once more, catching her off-guard with a question.

"I can't tell you that. That's another promise I intend to keep." She flashed me a toothy smirk, hopping off the desk and walking over to a cabinet in the corner of the room.

"You said you were going to easy on me right? You're an official..."

"I have my reasons." She pulled out the paddle and looked it over, then glanced at me briefly before putting it back, "I wish my gear wasn't so harsh..."

"Well, you are an official."

"Just because I have rank doesn't mean I have to like it. It's true that the Penitatas Cycle System has a 100% success rate in making a criminal into a benefit to society, but it's only a matter of mine before it becomes too much." She grabbed the switch and gave it a light flex in her paw, nodding slightly, "You might want to brace yourself. Don't bother disrobing. It hurts too much without some form of protection."

It had to be the switch... Makes me wish I got the paddle instead. With a heavy sigh, I walked to the side of her desk and place my paws against its finely polished surface, closing my eyes and trying to relax. It hurts less if you try to relax and not clench up. Dana walked to my side and gave the switch another flex, looking down at my nearly cowering form.

"Come them aloud." She bent the switch and let it go, a loud CRACK echoing around the room as the tip found it's mark in the middle of my rear.

"O-one..." I clenched my teeth tightly, determined not to scream, my knees quaking, causing me to have to fight to keep from falling to the floor.

Again, the switch reeled back and was brought down on my frail form, this time finding it's mark just about my tail, my eyes breaking from their light covering as a surge of pain rushed through my body. Above the tail is the weakest part of any Fox's body. Strike there and we're done. I barely managed to cough out the word 'Two'. Even with the light layer of padding of my trainers and the material of my bathing suit, I still felt as if the switch was striking my bare flesh! CRACK! Time after time, the switch reeled back and found a new home on my backside, causing me to slowly lose feeling in my lower extremities. By the time the tenth and final blow landed, my cheeks were already drenched in tears, a small puddle of them forming on the ground beneath me. Dana set the switch against her shoulder and simply stared down at my battered form. I took ten blows from an Alloy switch without screaming, which I guess is something she had never seen before. Padding around to the cabinet, she placed the switch back into its holster and walked back to my side, softly petting my head with her paw. Neither of us had to say anything. She could have taken my lack of screaming as a sign of resistance and continued a vicious beating on my already broken body, but I think she took it as a sign that I didn't want to make noise.

"T-t....ten...." My voice cracked slightly, the pain welling up through my vocal cords.

"Well, that was a first. I would have pictured you to be a howler." She cocked a grin and massaged my right ear in her left paw, "Come on. The water will make you feel better." She then turned and walked out the backdoor of the office and down an open corridor.

Sniffling and slowly regaining my composure, I followed after her, limping lightly since it was rather painful to move normally. The walk wasn't very long, as the corridor was only ten feet in length. Behind a steel door rested a small pool, maybe about a quarter of the size of the pools in the main swimming area. The water's soft blue coloration accented the fair marble edges of the pool. It was very apparent that this pool was meant for the official's personal use.

"Well. Lets get started. I won't retest you on floating. You managed to do that pretty well. Let's try the backstroke." Dana hopped into the pool and floated on her back, twirling her arms a bit and kicking her legs slightly.

I stood waist deep in the water, watching her swim around. For some reason, this felt familiar to me, though I can't remember why. I never learned to swim, even as a real child. After she swam a lap, she stood up and looked at me. She gave me one of those, 'come here and try; I'll help you' kind of gazes, the kind that most people give their own children. Was everyone viewing me as a child now...?

I waded out a bit, slowing slightly as the water level rose up to my chest, making me feel very uncomfortable. If I think I'm going to be submerges, I can't help but freak out. Dana realized this and picked me up, holding me in her arms with my back resting on the water's surface.

"Well, it looks like we have to conquer this fear of your before we can get any work down. Hold your breath and try to relax. I'm going to submerge you for a little bit. You need to get used to that feeling if you want to conquer your fear." Dana gave me a nod, and I obeyed, drawing a deep breath into my lungs and holding it, pinching my nose closed.

When Dana saw that I was ready, she slowly pressed me under the water, submerging me completely. When she did, everything became black...

Where was I now? This empty darkness wasn't warm, nor was it cold. It was like I had just been swallowed up into nothingness. Screaming began to echo from around me. Whirling around, I kept trying to find the source, only to find endless darkness around me.

Help!

Whoever it was, they needed help, and they need it now. I didn't know where the voice came exactly, but I had a good idea and sped off to find it. In the distance was a faint glimmer of light, like light peaking through the cracks of a closed doorway. The screaming was getting louder, and now there were other voices as well. They were all yelling and screaming, chattering and yapping, like a cacophony of epic proportions. I actually had to close my eyes and cover my ears to drone out the noise. It was like my own sight was an amplifier for the noise and my ears were just the receptors. WHAM! I probably should have stopped running before I did that, since I just ran face-first into a closed door. However, the impact, despite the fact it bloodied my nose, caused the door to fall over, revealing a vast beach, with no one in sight... No one except a little girl screaming and flailing around as the current swept her out to sea.

"Wait... that's....me!" I realized that this beach was the same beach where I nearly drowned!

Something didn't seam right though. I remember someone saving me, but I had blacked out before I could see them. Where were they now? I felt the icy chill of the seawater washing over my body, and I feel to my knees, paralyzed with icy fear, my eyes turning white from impending shock. Why was I being forced to see this...?

Som-won! Ani-won!

Was this my own memory playing a joke on me? I can't swim... not even to save myself from impending doom. What was I to do? Sit and watch like a useless person...?

You are starting to realize everything, right Star?

Another voice!? What was going on here?

I am you. We are the same.

"You aren't making any sense!" I snapped to my senses, finding myself once again in darkness, but this time, I felt angry and not concerned.

Only you can save yourself. This world, though it has its handful of good people as you've seen, will never be fair to you. It is ours not to ponder what were fair in life, but finding what may be, make it fair up to our means.

"What do you mean...?"

You aren't afraid now are you? I saved you once, but this time, I am not there to protect you. You have to take care of yourself till our paths cross again.

"Again... wait. You said you are me, and that we're the same, but we're obviously not. Who are you!?"

Time will reveal all the answers you seek, sweet Starlight. For now, make Aika proud of you. She still watches you, just as I do.

"You knew my mother!? Wait... please! Just tell me your name!"

This time, there was no answer, and the darkness melted away. I found myself on that beach once again, my bloody nose no longer blood and looking as if it wasn't even hurt. There was that child, slowly sinking beneath the waves. It was now or never.

I saved you once...

Running into the water, I dove in immediately, twirling my arms just as I had seen Dana do, swimming out against the current as it picked up in its intensity. The clear sky was quickly overrun with storm clouds, the sound of distant thunder echoing throughout the area.

You have to take care of yourself...

Reaching out, I left myself at the mercy of the treacherous waters. I couldn't fail now! Seizing the young fox's paw in my own, I pulled her close to me and held her tight. Swimming back, the current's force having changed direction as if to simply mock me and test my willingness, I was determined to not give in.

Until our paths cross again...

"Well done, Star!" Dana pulled me back up to the surface and looked down at me with a broad smile stretched across her lips.

Opening my eyes and seeing her form staring down at me, I didn't really know what to say. I felt strange. I guess I didn't freak out. I was busy trying to make sense of that weird daydream of mine. My nose ached, but it wasn't hurt. I can't really describe it. In any case, Dana was very pleased with me. I grinned up at her and pulled away from her grasp, backstroking around the pool without her assistance. She was amazed! Her eyes lit up like a lighthouse beacon, radiating a happy warmth, feeling as she had managed to do just as she set out to.

She pulled me out of the water and gave me a hug before setting me back down into the water. We spoke not a word for the rest of the lesson, preferring to let our actions speak for us. In the span of five minutes, I conquered my fear of water, and mastered both the backstroke and breaststroke.

"Well, that's it for the lesson." Dana hopped out of the pool and picked up her towel from the rack, toweling down.

"Aww... that's it?" I climbed out as well and looked around for my towel.

"Yeah. You passed with flying colors." She smiled and tossed me a dry towel, "A souvenir."

"Thanks." I beamed a delightful grin and toweled down myself.

We walked side by side out into the office once again, Dana retrieving the towel from the desktop and placing it on my shoulders. Sally was waiting in the doorway.

"Well, how did you do?" She seemed curious, and worried. Just like her to be concerned of such a fickle event.

"She's a great swimmer." Dana placed a paw on Sally's shoulder, "I'm rather pleased with her."

"Really? She's not afraid of water anymore?"

"Nope!" I chippered and jumped into her arms.

Sally held me close and nuzzled my forehead in delight. Dana simply nodded to us, looking rather pleased with herself. Sally turned and walked off, and I gave a wave goodbye to Dana, my swim teacher, hoping that our paths would someday cross again.