Soulmates.

[HuggieSunrise]

Within the Mindshare there exist many stories. They are not always written by words but they can contain them..

Susan was her grandmothers name. The matriarch of the Castillo familia. Though everyone called her Ninea her middle name whom was her great grandmother the original colonist of the Hispania.

The Castillo family broke with the original wave to Crete. Ninea was alone except for her two children. The sabotage claimed her husband and it was not known until the last of the colonists had landed.

A new and alien world felt like... less of a new country and more of a new reality. The Castillo family never pushed for great power, just great favor, the ability to conserve the family history was not so much a diversion as it was what was the evidence earth and humanity was ever real at all.

Librarians and archivists. This world drove Ninea mad.

Books were artifacts they could not be read, they couldent be touched. Her upbringing inside a cage of cathedral like stone walls.

Secret societies and coveted traditions existed deep in the legacy of the Hispania, during the colonization it was assumed the lodges that left for Crete were responsible or at least knew the ship wasn't going to make it.

The rivalries continued throughout the generations. Where familia and blood united to flee annihilation of their way of life their culture. Shadows now wrestled with demons and centuries old grudges. Mafia, societies, and Popes rose and fell in the dark ages of mankind.

This was what Ninea was tired of. It wasent about preserving the romantic history of man and the Mediterranean jewels and cultures, it was about keeping score. Her whole life was built up to keep the score of who had gotten influence, who killed who over what slight and perhaps the biggest hypocrisy of all.

They traded flesh on ancient earth and we still peddled flesh today.

What was worse? Forced to survive on some dead world or seeking to make the sector depend on Malta?

Ninea left her station... It wasent like no one was there to take her place after all her brothers Tito, Vito, and Jean Claude were vary well studied professionals, scientists all of them, still lived at home in the Abbey.

Life outside of Malta was more difficult however.. The air itself felt stale to Ninea... she would keep a tin of soil of home with her sometimes to calm her nerves.

Her first taste of house life was Kusari. The Golden Chrysanthemums, where vary supportive of her as long as she had credits and cardamine. She learned traditions and ceremonies at the feet of madams. The women were different then the socialites of Malta. The Don wives and huge families were often too loud and noisy for her. Kusari was quite reserved and the fact she was a more accepted form of foreigner kept her out of the direct sun.

All she knew was a counter culture... normal people were divorced from her universe. Her "friends" told her how she couldent go out into New Tokyo without a guide or the police would arrest her for not having the correct papers and passports. Her face was a giveaway but this did not dissuade her. The old dragon families were a beneficial friend to make at least on the lower levels and as long as she played by the rules the curiosity stopped at the doorstep of the dojos and shrines she visited.

Ninea had learned swordplay of a completely different kind on Malta, in fact duels were a civilized diversion there. The Kusari people had many martial disciplines that were both beautiful and effective.

A saber and a rapier were opportunistic tools but the martial arts of iaijutsu, battōjutsu, iaidō, kenjutsu, kendō, ninjutsu and Tenshin were each a different world. Permitted to study but not permitted to master any one she had taken as much of each before... as she dreaded the inevitable call home.

Ignoring messages only works so long... and it had been a year between the first communication. She could tell the difference since the message asked questions. When mother ran out of patience questions didnt get asked.

Father had also cut things short. Paying a great deal of favors to have her under threat of being nailed into a crate and shipped back to Malta the sisterhood brought her home. The Irony was... the patriarchy was perfectly fine as long as it could pay.

Ninea knew it wouldent last but her life was over... back to books and probably university panic attacks started to take thier toll.

Parents as they often do called these episodes "acting out" despite the doctors assuring them it was a serious affliction. Cardamine doesn't cure a crushed heart.

Thats when the old man appeared. A psycho therapist and doctor that had enough connections to the underworld to do business on Malta when the world was more of a far flung legend.

He knew cardamine wasn't a cure but it was a factor a possability. Ninea had never seen such a pasty skinned man before. His eyes were kind however this was a caring person... Caring was a luxury of the world around her. Behind a smiling face is a knife. Behind the knife was a promise to use it.

"Oracles?" She asked after Dr.McKenna mentioned them.

"Yes they are exactly like you.. misfits and they have a ... place were no one can find you a true sanctuary." He said.

He looked over charts and results of tests... tests he didnt need to run.

"The temple on Malta is a secret place. Ive met Bishop Aquintas i didnt know he rant the cult... people mistrust them saying they steal thier help." She was working from memory.

The Dr looked at her. "Well the Administrator wasent a fan. Listen Ninea.. I know whats wrong with you.. Your trying to run. " Matter of factly.

"Theres nowhere I can go. Word eventually gets here. I just want to be independent. I want to explore. " She confessed.

"There is... They call it The Shrine I can get you most of the way." Jim offered.

"Why... what do you get out of it. " She was skeptical well.. she knew better.

"I need everything about botanical study about cardamine.. the older the better. and if you can get to the starport with copies that should be fine." he handed her a list.

"Deal..." accepting.

The memory faded back.

Its favorite memory of her was when she decided to never return.

Its favorite "person" int he world where the Haog came from.

It ...wanted her. Or rather.. It knew her because it had felt the same way.

~ Its only a story As i Remember it ~ The Haog imparted.

::We feel longing... can we see her?::

~when you master this world you can see everything ive seen. ~

The hybrid was closer to an incubi. Jim/Haog was apprehensive... Ophelia or rather Ninea had been with the Oracles as long as his Brother had been... but their choice was not to be an ambassador to the light, to serve humanity.

The little one didn't even have a name often however it would ask him.. Ask him about this woman he knew.. the woman in the mask and the sword. Like a child getting high off of sugar... Jim knew hybrids could feel a type of puppy love.. but this was different.

Most beings within the Mindshare didn't bother with him... Many hybrids preferred the massive world they were born in.. but the way to the real world was closed from him..

Even if he thought it was a good idea he couldent guide the little one to the dream of stars and void.

Then again... that wouldnt stop him from trying.. or little one.

It wasnt so much about little ones love affair with the girl.. it was the love for that universe that colorful loud dream that was a cloud of memories within "The Haog".