Never Alone

Draconian Chronicles:

Part One: Never Alone

Van sat against the tree and stared at the mystic moon. The cold night air blew his black hair as he remembered what had happened before…

A nine-year-old Van looked back at the small cat girl behind him. "You're the one who wanted me to do it."

She shrank back a bit. "I changed my mind now." She stated to the young prince.

He turned back to the city and concentrated. He could feel wings sprout out of his back, along with the pain. Immense pain erupted all over his shoulders and back. He cried out in pain, but it soon stopped.

What was done was done. There's no turning back. He braced himself and jumped off the rooftop. He began to soar above the city, leaving the cat girl, Merle, behind calling his name.

Soon though, something snapped in his wing and he began to fall. He saw the ground rush up at him, but felt warm arms catch him and slow his descent. He then slowly began to ascend once again.

He looked up to see the eyes of his mother. They were filled with sadness. "You must never let anyone see your wings. Never show anyone your wings until the right time comes."

Van brought out his sword and slashed the tree he'd been leaning on, leaving it with a large gash on the truck.

She knew. She knew what was going to happen.

Van let out a cry of frustration and hit the tree again. Why didn't you tell me?

After a few more strokes, Van returned his sword to its sheath and once again went back to gazing at the stars.

Little did Van know, was that Hitomi was watching him from behind another tree.

She looked at the sad look in his eyes and frowned. He seems so sad and ashamed. He has a special gift, very unique. Maybe that's why he's sad. He's all alone, for all he knows.

Hitomi slowly came out and tried to be quiet, but stepped on a branch. It cracked, alerting Van to her presence. He turned his head to look at her. She blushed. I'm doing that a lot aren't I?

He smiled, so she took it as an invitation to sit down. She looked at his back, and saw it was bandaged. "Does it hurt?" She asked. "When they come out?"

He nodded and seemed to feel pain just in the thought. "Every time."

Hitomi looked down at the ground. She remembered him coming down after her as his wings came out of his back. Then she realized something. "You put yourself though all that pain…for me?"

He seemed surprised by the question. He took both of her hands in his. His warmth over her hands sent shivers down her spine. "Hitomi." He looked him straight in the eye. "You've saved my life many times. I could do no less than to save yours."

"But your back…"

"It will heal. It only hurts at first, when they come out, and then once again when they go back in." He explained. "It was a small price to pay."

She smiled. He turned again towards the sky and Hitomi left him once again, to sort out his thoughts.

She walked back to the small fire they had made and sat down. Merle was asleep on the other side, curled up in a little ball. In spite of herself, she smiled.

At least Van had someone to be his companion. Though in this situation, he was truly alone. He was one of a few who were told to be demons, destroyers of a place called Atlantis.

But Hitomi saw no demon in Van. Quite the opposite. In him she saw an angel. Her guardian angel. All this time she thought it was Allen. But now she knew it was Van. Maybe that's why she loved him.

Hitomi gasped. What was she thinking? Love? Did she really love Van? She thought about all the times he'd saved her and smiled. It was true she loved him.

That's why she felt so badly for him. "No one should ever be alone." She said to herself.

Suddenly Merle got up and came over to Hitomi. She frowned at the cat-girl. "I thought you were a sleep."

Merle shrugged and sat down. "I was only taking a cat nap. I heard what you said."

Hitomi rolled her eyes. "I should've known you'd eavesdrop."

Merle growled, then composed herself. "You should be glad I did. I know how you can help him." She stated as a matter-of-factly.

Hitomi looked at her in shock. "How?"

Merle licked her paw, and brushed her ear before answering. "In the far West, there's a cave, called the Cave of Rebirth. Anyway, in it there's told to be a stone called the Rhinestone of Life."

Hitomi thought for a minute. "How will it help Van?" She asked.

"If he has the stone in his possession, the pain of his...transformation will vanish. He will feel no pain when his wings emerge." She explained.

Hitomi nodded. I have to get that stone. If it will help Van, it's worth it. Hitomi laid down and pretended to go to sleep. Soon Merle went to sleep too.

Later that night, when no one was watching, Hitomi got up and left camp. She looked back and walked back to a sleeping Van. She kneeled down and kissed him on the forehead. Don't worry. I'll come back with the stone. Then your suffering can end. She got up and heading West. Her form disappearing in the distance.

When she was gone, Merle got up and snickered to herself. With Hitomi out of the way, Van was hers. She'll never find the cave. Or the stone. It's only a legend.

Thinking happy thoughts about her and Van, Merle went back to sleep.

Morning came, and Hitomi watched in awe, as the sun rose above the Eastern Mountains. She kept walking and soon morning turned to afternoon, then night. Where could it be?

Back at camp, Van searched frantically all day for Hitomi. He dragged an unwilling Merle with him. They searched everywhere within a few miles radius.

"Where could she be?" He wondered out loud. He turned to Merle. "Are you sure she just left? She didn't say why or where?" He looked worriedly at her.

Merle shook her head. "Nope. I don't know why you're looking for her anyway. Maybe she went back to the mystic moon and…"

"Don't even say that! She couldn't leave. Not now. Not yet." He growled in frustration and bent down. Merle walked over to him and peered into his face. He was sad. Sad because he lost Hitomi?

"Why couldn't she leave yet, Lord Van?" Merle asked.

Van looked down in shame. "I never told her. I never got the chance." He said.

Merle was confused. Then it clicked. "You loved her?"

Van slowly nodded. "But now she'll never know because…because…"

Merle looked down at the ground. How could she be so selfish? Now Van was unhappy and it was her fault.

"Van…" He looked up at her hopefully. She just looked away, not being able to look at his face. " I know where she is."

Van opened his mouth in shock. "Where is she Merle?"

Merle closed her eyes against the tears that threatened to fall from her face. Van took her chin and made her look at him right in the eye. "Don't worry. I'm not going to get mad at you."

Now the tears fell freely and Merle hid her face in Van's shirt. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to send her away." She wept openly now.

Van pulled her away and looked sternly at her. "Where did you send her Merle?"

Merle wanted to move away, but her body didn't move. "I sent her to the Cave of Rebirth." She said.

Van looked at her in shock. "Why?" Then he knew and his eyes grew large. "The Rhinestone of Life."

"Yeah. So what?" She asked whipping away tears.

"Don't you know what effect it will have on her is she touches it?" He asked her.

"It relieves pain for Fanelians." She stated from the legend.

"But she's not a Fanelian is she!" He told her. "We have to go find her, before it's too late." With that Van started packing camp. Merle reluctantly started to help. She didn't want to, but he stupid guilty conscious made her.

What will happen to Hitomi? Will Van get there in time? Find out in chapter two.