The Dimension Keepers (A Sonic Boom Fanfic)

Chapter One

Chapter One

The first thing she was aware of was a searing pain in her temples. Kay cried out before she could stop herself, automatically rolling onto her side and bringing her hands up to grasp her head as the pain intensified. Every muscle in her body was screaming in protest, but she couldn't recall why. With another cry of pain Kay managed to roll over once more and get to her hands and knees, feeling dirt and twigs beneath her fingertips.

A hand rested on her shoulder, and she automatically spun around to push away whoever it was. She was in hostile territory now – that much was clear. Her arrogantly thinking she could handle whatever enemies came her way had gotten her into this mess in the first place. She wasn't going through that again if she could help it.

But the pain was enough to weaken her to the point where she couldn't even keep herself upright anymore. Her arms gave out beneath her and she fell back to the ground, moaning. The hand was on her shoulder again, clearly trying to keep her down. Once its owner was satisfied that she wasn't going anywhere, the hand vanished, but Kay's reflexes were quicker. She grasped the arm of whoever it was, holding firmly in an effort to keep them from getting away.

There was no struggle. Whoever it was stayed put, patiently waiting for her to let them go. Kay held on long enough for the pain in her head to reside so she could open her eyes and at least try to see a little. What little her eyes were able to take in came in blurs and shadows, and she was aware of a low murmur speaking in a language she didn't understand.

She blacked out again.

~

When she awoke once more, the pain was greatly diminished, though a dull ache still remained. Kay opened her eyes and saw that she was lying on her back, staring up through the branches of trees at a sky dotted with stars. She took a few breaths, remembering how much it had hurt to move last time she was conscious, and allowed herself a moment to consider her surroundings before trying to get up.

It was still dark out, so however long she was out couldn't have been more than a few hours at most, since the sun had been going down when she encountered the Yagyu. And that was another thing – she couldn't hear any chatter, and she wasn't bound in any way, so the Yagyu couldn't have captured her after all that. But there were sounds of a fire nearby, which indicated that someone had found her. Rescued her? She remembered the hand that had kept her down before. Whoever it was hadn't been forceful, just purposeful, and they didn't try to get away when she grabbed them. So they weren't afraid of her, but that didn't mean much when she clearly was no threat to anyone.

Well, I can't just lay here forever, she decided at last, and began her first attempts to sit up. She tried to be quieter this time around, but she couldn't help the few groans that slipped out as she moved her aching body from one uncomfortable position to the next.

Then suddenly the hand was there again, resting on her back this time while another gently took her arm and helped her into a sitting position. The murmuring was back, too, and though she couldn't understand the words, she could make out what they were this time. "Shita ni tomaru. Anata wa kizutsuite iru."

Once she was mostly stable on her own, whoever was speaking let go of her arm but kept a hand on her back, as if afraid she would fall over if she weren't supported. Kay took another few breaths, the dull ache in her head growing. She slowly turned to her left, where the newcomer was kneeling, but saw only shadows. No definitive form. "Who are you?" she rasped.

"Koko de machi nasai. Anata wa mizu ga hitsuyōdesu." The figure moved away slowly, until they were confident she wouldn't pass out again. There was some shuffling, a sound of liquid being poured, and then they were back, offering a tin mug filled with water to her. They placed it in her hands gently. "Dorinku."

Her hands were shaking, but Kay took the mug gratefully, managing to get it to her lips and take a few sips before pulling it away again. She blinked a few times, her senses slowly coming back to her. In the back of her mind she remembered one of the words Etsuko had taught her. She glanced in the general direction of whoever was with her. "Arigatō."

"Dōitashimashite." The figure waited for her to take a few more sips, then took her arm gently and pulled, indicating she should try to stand. Kay slowly got her feet under her and allowed them to help her rise. "Kuru. Hi ni chikai."

Kay let the newcomer lead her to a spot closer to the fire, taking the opportunity to try and see who it was in the faint light it provided. Whoever this was was clad head to toe in black, with a mask over their face, giving absolutely nothing about them away. But she could tell from the deep voice that it had to be a male, so for now at least she could think of him as a him.

He was speaking to her again, the lilt of his voice indicating he was probably asking questions now, but she couldn't understand a word of it. She frowned in confusion, but that didn't stop him. Finally, when there was a pause in his speech, Kay brought to mind the words she'd repeated over and over on the way out here, for just such an occasion as this. "Watashi wa seiyō no gengo o hanasu."

There was silence for a moment, and then he tilted his head at her. The next words he spoke she understood clearly. "You speak the western languages."

Kay let out a breath, relieved. "Yes."

"I suppose I should have known. There are very few hedgehogs in the Dragon Kingdom."

Told you, Amy, Kay thought wryly. But then she focused on the figure before her and frowned thoughtfully. "The Dragon Kingdom?"

"Yes. That's where you are. Do you remember that?"

The Dragon Kingdom! Finally, something she recognized in all of this craziness. She paused for a moment, then nodded. "I knew I was on Chun-Nan." Then, after a moment: "You speak my language?"

"I speak many languages." The figure moved to sit a few paces away from her, closer to the fire. Kay still could make out no distinguishing features, but in the firelight his eyes appeared to glow. "Now that we're on the same page here, who are you?"

"My name is Kay," she replied. "I've recently arrived from Bygone Island."

"From where?"

Kay couldn't help but smile a little. "It's a small island off the coast of this continent. Very small. I'm not surprised you haven't heard of it."

"You just arrived?" The figure asked. When she nodded, she could sense he was frowning beneath the mask. "Don't you know there's a war going on?"

"I've been informed, yes," she replied. "But I had to get off that island. I couldn't stay there any longer."

There was a pause. "Running from something?"

"No. No, it's...it's a bit more complicated than that."

"I see." The figure glanced at the sky, then around the forest surrounding them. "The sun will be coming up in about an hour. It will not be safe for us out here during the day. We need to move. Can you walk?"

Feeling much stronger after having been awake for more than a few seconds and getting some water back into her system, Kay nodded. "I think so."

"Good." The figure rose suddenly, using a pouch of water at his waist to douse the flames before throwing dirt onto the smoldering ashes. He offered her a hand again, and she took it in the now almost total darkness. "I know a place we can hide."

Kay followed his lead as he began to walk, but she still knew nothing about this mysterious stranger. "Hey, what's your name?"

"It is better for both of us if I don't tell you that."

"Did you rescue me from the Yagyu Clan?"

There was a pause in speech, but not in pace. At last the stranger said, "I did."

Kay felt a wave of relief at those words. She smiled a little. "Arigatō."