The dining hall of the ship was always a rather hectic place to be at around this time. Maybe it was because of the flood of other people who wanted to get seating before everyone else. Honestly, looking at the crowd of people around us as we made our way through the dining hall, I wouldn't have been surprised if that were the reason. The walls around us were red and gold, while golden lights hung over each booth that we passed by. The rich aroma of exotic foods filled my nostrils as the sounds of mass people talking filled the air. I reeled behind Beano as we made our way across the sea of filled-up tables.

I didn't like being around a ton of people. It made me feel... claustrophobic. I felt my chest begin to tighten as we made our way to a couple sitting at a table at the very back of the dining hall.

"It's about time! Any second longer and we might have lost our table!" Said the blond-haired gentleman known as Ricky.

His gray-blue eyes peered at us impatiently as we all sat down at the table. He was wearing a black business suit that was nearly identical to Beano's. A small pair of glasses rested on his nose, reflecting the bright light that illuminated our table.

"Sorry about that, Ricky. We weren't sure if you had already found us a table or not," Beano said.

"It's alright. I am rather surprised to see that Mireiyu was feeling well enough to come," Said Ricky's girlfriend, Samantha.

She had long red hair, with piercing emerald colored eyes. She dressed in a luxuriant green dress, which stopped right above her knees. Golden earrings dangled on both of her ears, reflecting the light in much the same manner as Ricky's glasses. She smiled at me.

"And here is our little trooper," She continued, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," I lied.

I really didn't want to be here. I wanted to get out of this hot, stuffy hall filled with people. As they sat and talked, I reached into my bag and shuffled around for my inhaler.

"You know, you're the talk of the ship, Mireiyu," Ricky said, "You were the only person out of the dozen or so that collapsed and didn't fall into a coma!"

"Yeah, I guess so...."

"How is it that you were the only survivor?" I'll be damned if I know....

"Just lucky, I guess...." I really needed my inhaler....

"Honey, please. The girl's been through enough. Let's just have a bite to eat and talk about that another day," Samantha interrupted, "Is that alright with you, Mireiyu? I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable or anything...."

"That's fine...." As I grabbed my inhaler, I got up from my chair.

"Excuse me...." I muttered quietly as I darted away from the table in search of a restroom. I didn't like using my inhaler around other people, not to mention how uncomfortable I was feeling. There was another reason as well. That eerie feeling within me sprang up stronger than ever, like a hawk swooping in on its prey from above. Nearly tripping on my way to the restroom, I ran inside and hovered over a sink. As a suffocating feeling overcame me, I took a breath from my inhaler. The awful taste waded through my mouth and throat as I nearly doubled over again and gagged. I looked back up at the mirror.

Well, I was slightly better than I was earlier.

I was wearing a red, asian-styled long dress convered in cherry blossoms and lotus flowers. My hair was cropped up to one side and pinned there with a lotus-themed hairpins. That feeling, however, drowned out all concern for my appearance as I began to feel nauseated. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block it out once again. This time, though, it did not recede. Seconds felt like eternity as it began to manifest itself stronger than ever. That was when it happened.

In my mind's eye, I saw a young man. He wore what looked like a long, green sock-like cap on his head. Blond bangs hung over both sides of his face. Long, tapered ears graced the sides of his head. What looked to be a green dress and a white undergarment convered his torso. Leather gloves covered his hands and forearms while matching leather boots covered his feet up to just below his knees. Across his chest was a leather strap. Hanging from that strap on his back was what appeared to be a scabbard and a shield, with the hilt of a sword peeking out of the scabbard. His eyes remained closed, giving him a serene apperance.

That was, at least, until his face contorted into an expression of pain mixed with confusion. He began to mutter something; whatever it was, I didn't know. His language was nothing like any on Earth. As he continued to speak, I made a startling realization. His language was similar to the language those three golden figures spoke...or perhaps even the same; I wasn't entirely sure. I felt a burning sensation on my left hand. I looked at the back of my hand, and nearly screamed. The three triangles shimmered gold, with the lower right triangle glowing the brightest. As I turned my gaze away from my hand, I looked at his hand...and saw the same mark shimmering just as brightly.

"...Mireiyu?"

I found myself jarred back into reality and saw Samantha standing in front of me. I glanced around and saw that I was not in a void, but back in the restroom. Her gaze was one filled with worry as I felt both of her hands on my shoulders.

"Are you feeling alright? You look like you saw a ghost...."

I laughed nervously.

"No... I was just feeling sick is all. I'm alright now," I lied.

I wasn't fine. Things were starting to get weirder and weirder by the minute.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Totally."

"Okay...."

She and I walked back to our table, and together with Ricky and Beano, we ate dinner.