!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY suggest that you NOT read this unless you have read my other fanfiction, The Vision of Escaflowne: AU, because this story branches off of that one. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE turn back unless you don't want to be spoiled! Thank you! :D
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A/N: You know, I've begun to think about this, and I wanted to post it after I was finished with Escaflowne: AU, but then I figured that if I waited, I'd lose interest and not want to write it anymore, like what happened with my other fic, which I'm seriously considering discontinuing. So, here it. Here is Gatti's story. Enjoy, Gatti lovers. XD
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I can't really think of where to start. There are so many things that happened within the past year, and some of them…I've been trying so hard to forget.
But sometimes…sometimes you just can't forget. You just can't forget that smile, or those eyes. Or the love that you once shared. It's too hard. And it hurts…this is my story. A very painful story that goes so deep and so far.
Long before I was even a dragonslayer, (laughter) long long long before I had met Hitomi, and before the war over the power of fate had begun, there was a time where there was peace. Though peace for me was an old broken-down shack on the outskirts of the Zaibach slums, it was the life.
When I was three, my father walked out of the house one day. Expecting that would he be back for supper, he never came back. In fact, he never came back period. My father was gone, and he never returned.
Soon after, my mother died of unknown causes. The people around me said it was witchcraft, but I was far too little to understand what witchcraft meant at the time.
It was that I was sent to a poor orphanage and raised there by my teacher. From then on, life was good for me. I had learned to forget my parents, for I was far too young to really grasp their personality at the time. I developed like a normal child, and a passion for swords. I played nice with other kids. You know, it's not like I beat them up or anything…
…well, except for that one ki—err, that's not important…
As I was saying, as I grew up to be nine, I loved playing with wooden sticks, pretending that I was the guardian of the goddess from the mystic moon. How ironic, huh? My wooden stick was my sword, and I would pretend that I was slaying a dragon. Again, an ironic comment.
A year after I had grown out of playing with wooden sticks and such, I met my best friend the day he had come in from the rain. A boy with pale skin, blue eyes and fine cut brown hair had wandered in one day, looking for refuge. He had come in with a black eye and a bruise on his arm.
It was funny; all of the sudden, he came in and started to sleep and eat like the rest of the children, though he wasn't actually in the orphanage. Pretty soon our teacher just went ahead and added him to the rest of the list of kids, and soon he started to act like the rest of the kids.
No one really knew much about his past. No one except for me. He came and sat by me once when I was playing with the others kids. He never talked about his past, merely saying that he had just run away from home.
I had later found out that Dalet's father beat both him and his mother, which explained the black eye and the bruise, and his violent behavior. However, he never really was violent when I was with him, or when he was around children his age. But everything he did, he always thought it was good enough. He was always pushing to do something more, or to go the extra step during lessons.
This was because Dalet's father and continuously told him that he was a mistake; that he was never meant to be conceived; that he'd never be good enough, and that no matter how hard he tried, he'd always be a failure. That's what I think, anyway.
One thing was for sure; Dalet had a passion for music. Piano, and violin. Surprised? I was too, for a time. He said it was a way for him to express himself, and to block out the pain that his father had caused him. Dalet loved his violin the most, however. The music that he had played was…phenomenal.
I suppose sometimes his father would beat him for that, too. His father didn't like music; but his mother loved it. He told me that he used to like it when his mother would sit in the foyer and listen to him practice. But then he ran away, and after that, he said, he had never really played piano.
One day we decided to leave the orphanage and head out to start life on our own, together. The only thing that held us to life was each other. Dalet was like my brother.
We shared a dream. I wanted to be a soldier in Ziabach. And so did Dalet. Dalet never really tried to one-up me, it was always the other kids that he was trying to one-up. I was really his only friend back in the day.
We both wanted to be dragonslayers. So from that day forward, we had set out on that dream and planned to be slayers together, fighting side by side.
That is, until she came.
After we had left when we were 14, he stopped playing his violin. In fact, he never really played it much at the orphanage…you know that I come to think of it…the only time I ever heard him play his violin was when Azalea sang one time.
Azalea had the most beautiful voice…
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S L A Y E R X
Chapter One
Dream on, my Little Boy
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Gatti's trench coat covered him as he laid on his cot in a broken down room in an inn. A book, half open to a page held by his thumb was lying on his slowly moving chest, rising up and down. Curly bangs hung in his sleeping face.
The light from the sun covered by smog shined in the dusty windows.
"Get up."
Gatti ignored the voice that was talking to him. Instead, his eyes remained shut. The hand of the voice reached down and snatched his book and smacked him on the head. Gatti's blue eyes instantly shot open and he got up, looking at the voice.
"What the hell was that for?"
"Get up, you lazy ass," Dalet growled. Gatti rubbed his eyes lazily and itched his nose, sniffling. Dalet walked over to couch and plopped down, his arms folded.
"What?" Gatti asked.
"Are we gonna go? I'm hungry, and you're taking too long."
Gatti grinned sarcastically.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, your highness," he grinned. Gatti folded the page of his book and set it on the table beside his cot. He swung his legs around on the bed and stretched, his trench coat serving as a blanket fell to the floor. He leaned forward on the window and rubbed some of the scum and dirt from his with the side of his arm.
Dalet picked up the book and flipped through the pages.
"You actually believe this?"
Dalet thought I was crazy. I believed in the goddess from the mystic moon. That book that Dalet had picked told about her and the legends of Atlantis, her power, and what was prophesized many years ago. I was interested in learning about her; I'd sometimes find myself looking at the Mystic Moon and wondering if Hitomi would ever descend in our time. I wondered what she was like...(laugh)…but you know, Hitomi was WAY off…but you know…it didn't bother me when I met her.
Gatit looked at him innocently, "What? So what if I believe in her?"
"You do know that isn't possible," Dalet started, "It's probably just a myth. The Mystic Moon is probably too cursed and deserted to support life, anyway."
"What little faith in ye."
Day had broken, and the alleyway below was filled with the poor merchants trying to sell their goods and make some sort of a profit.
Surviving on this side of the slums wasn't easy. Almost everyone was poor, and hardly anyone made a significant wage to survive.
…which is exactly why Gatti and Dalet always stole a good from the market fro breakfast. Stealing was a common thing in the Eastern Zaibach slums. No one had any money, and no could afford any food. Gatti never liked to steal; but he had to survive somehow.
He had to survive. As long as he could become a dragonslayer, he could die happy.
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Gatti whistled innocently. Dalet walked in front of him. At Gatti's carefree tune, Dalet rolled his eyes and looked toward their target for today.
Two loafs of bread and a pound of watermelon.
Gatti instantly struck up a conversation with the man behind the stand. As he and Gatti conversed happily, Gatti putting on a false act, Dalet snuck off to the side, looking around casually before hastily snatched to loafs of breath and hiding them beneath his trench coat.
"It's always cloudy, isn't it?" Gatti looked up, smiling.
"It's a shame. Sunshine would be nice, huh?" the man joked. Gatti smiled gingerly. Dalet walked behind Gatti and over to the watermelon stand. He looked around casually before stealing one of the watermelons as well.
Gatti grinned and leaned against the stand, sticking his leg out in back of him. Dalet came behind him and tripped, falling flat on his face. In the process, the two loafs of bread that he had snatched, and the watermelon, in which it splattered everywhere.
The merchants everywhere looked straight at the scene that had just been displayed in front of them. Dalet and Gatti looked at each other. Dalet blinked, looking around, smiling casually. Gatti looked at Dalet, about ready to string him up by his neck.
"THEIF!" the man cried, "I SAY, THEIF!"
"And now we run!" Dalet yelped and scampered away, Gatti falling behind. Gatti legs were pumping with strength, his feet moving fast. Dalet lead him down the alley, several angry merchants following them. Black trench coats flowing behind them, the both of them bolted away.
Gatti knocked over several trash cans for them, hopefully tripping them. Two of the merchants flew forward, hitting the ground. Gatti winced as he looked back at them. It was finally that they stopped, angry fists shaking at them.
"THEIVES! LOW LIVES!"
Gatti grinned and saluted, flying away with Dalet.
They had stopped in another slummy neighborhood right next to theirs. Dalet leaned against the brick walls. Gatti knelt down, huffing. Gatti started to laugh. Dalet grinned, and started to laugh as well.
"So much for breakfast," Gatti huffed, dusting himself off.
KABOOOOOOOM!
The building about a street over exploded, fire roaring in the midst. The top and blown right off, shingles and glass fell upon Gatti and Dalet, and they shielded their eyes from the harmful debris. Dalet looked incredulously at the inferno from where they were.
"What the hell was that!?" Gatti shouted.
"This has been an interesting morning," Dalet muttered.
"Yeah…yeah, it has," Gatti agreed.
Rapid footsteps came from behind them. Dalet and Gatti both turned around, watching several soldiers fly past them, drawing their swords. Dalet looked at the soldier and then back the explosion.
"What happened there?" Dalet pondered.
"Was that a factory?" Gatti asked.
"Yeah, I think that's what it was."
"Whatever that was, it's gone now," Gatti shot a grin at Dalet who raised an eyebrow.
"There's been a lot of explosions lately," Dalet added, and walked past him, towards the direction of the soldiers. Gatti starred at him.
"Really? Where?" Gatti caught up with him, walking at his side.
"All over…mostly in the slums. It's been all factories, my sources tell me."
"Why factories?" Gatti asked.
"Pollution in the slums; 's located right next to the slum residences," he answered, still walking forward.
"Oh, that makes sense," Gatti looking to his side. Dalet cast a glance up to the burning inferno, looking in regards to the destruction.
"What a bad day," Dalet muttered.
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Explosions didn't really mean that much to me back then. Well…nothing really meant anything back then, just as long as we both survived enough to be dragonslayers. Dalet was a night owl. Every night he went out and hung around the city, sometimes getting himself into trouble – sometimes drunk, but not often. He only did that when he was around me. We both got drunk together. Of course, one night we had to stop doing that because we—
--well, nevermind…I'd rather not get into that.
This night…this night was different.
The sun began to set in the slums city. The city was bustling busily; people had places to go and people to meet before they returned home. Dalet strolled through the night time city, casually looking around and hoping to get something to eat.
A couple past Dalet. He turned around, looking at them stroll by through the city.
"They're wearing nice clothing…" he muttered to himself. He turned his head to the right. There, a girl stood, talking to a boy in a fine, white silk dress. He cocked his head.
"That's strange."
"Pardon me," a man brushed past Dalet. Dalet jumped, turning around, watching him walk away.
"He's dressed nicely, too."
"Didn't you hear? The nobles are holding a grand ball tonight," a woman giggled to her friend.
"Oh, how wonderful," the woman chuckled back, "I do wish I could come."
Dalet's blue eyes widened slightly at the news. His eyes returned to their normal shape again, as he began to walk further into the city. Silently, he began to come down on himself.
If only I could have two…Gatti and I could go. Just two…that' s all. Just once, I want to live like a noble, even if I don't get to be a dragonslayer.
Dalet looked up at the earth hanging in the sky, the moon at it's side. His eyes showed a simple longing. Silently, he stared in silent prayer.
I don't know if you're real or not…but…Gatti believe you're real. Can you grant us a luxury? One is all I'm asking.
A wind passed through, pushing the fur on the rim of his trench coat slightly. The strands of thin hair rustled against his face. And he continued to walk, knowing that no miracle would ever come to him. He looked down as we walked.
Father I—
SMACK!
You're a mistake, Dalet! An embarrassment to your mother and I!
You and your cursed music!
SMACK!
Father, that isn't true! Music is a—
SMACK!
Not another word, you maggot!
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
I'm sorry! …I'm sorry, father!
SMACK!
Dalet!
Dalet huddled in a corner, hiding from his father's wrath. His heart lifted up at the sound of his mother's angelic voice. His mother was coming to save him.
Don't hit him! Stop hitting him! Leave him alone, James!
SMACK!
His mother fell to the ground. Dalet hugged his mother. A huge black eye swelled in his right eye, his cheek swelled.
Dalet deserves to have sense beaten into him! He's nothing but a worthless—
NO HE'S NOT! LEAVE HIM ALONE, JAMES!
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
DON'T TALK THAT WAY WITH ME, WOMAN!
"Hey, you almost ran into the wall!"
"What?"
Gatti grinned, looking him straight in his face.
"How did you find me?"
"You're easy to spot out in a crowd," Gatti chuckled, "You'll never believe this."
"What?"
"There's a dueling competition…the winner gets two tickets to the noble's ball tonight!"
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I knew that night Dalet had been thinking about his father. However, the news of free tickets through a dueling competition really turned on Dalet's interest.
Little to known to me, one I went down that path, I would never return.
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A/N: What do you all think? Good? I hope so. Yeah, these chapters aren't as long as The Vision of Escaflowne: AU, but I thought I'd just throw it in there. And to those of you who –haven't- read the Vision of Escaflowne: AU, you guys are probably utterly confused and probably had some stuff spoiled for you. Hahaha. :D I'm not mad, though. I would HIGHLY suggest that you go and read it before you read the rest of this. Well, before I get the next chapter up, I should probably finish my chapter to Esca AU, eh?
Hehe! Until next time!
©FullMoonBunny - October 11, 2004