16- The Woes of Dreams
Trunks let out a sigh as he sat down on the edge of Pan's old bed. They were in her old bedroom in her parent's house. She was lying on top of the comforter, her head resting against the pillows. Around the room, candles were lit, and they were the only flickering light in the dim room. Kesai stood at the end of the bed, near where some incense was burning. Chi-Chi sat on the other side of the bed, her hands folded in her lap carefully. Kesai had told him and Chi-Chi that they could be in there since they would be used to keep Pan calm.
"Okay, Little One," Kesai began as she looked at Pan. "Let me tell you what to expect. You're going to be lulled asleep, and you'll start to dream. This time, you'll be able to lucid dream, but to do that, you have to remember that it's just a dream. It's just a dream, and you control it. Are you ready?"
Pan let out a deep sigh. She glanced at Chi-Chi, who smiled and gave her a slight nod of encouragement. Pan then looked at Trunks, who reached out and held one of her hands. He gave it a gentle squeeze to assure her that he would be by her side the whole time.
"I'm ready," Pan nodded.
Kesai raised her hands and let out a deep breath. Trunks watched with curious eyes as the smoke of the incense began to fill the room. Pan's eyes closed until her lashes rested against her cheeks. Trunks rubbed his thumb across her knuckles as her breathing began to slow.
It wasn't long before Pan was sleeping soundly. Her chest rose and fell slowly, and she looked peaceful, though the twist in Trunks' stomach reminded him that it wouldn't be for long.
They waited patiently. Kesai had her hands clasped in front of her and up to her chest. Her eyes were closed as she breathed in and out, meditating.
Trunks wasn't sure how many minutes had passed when Pan's hand twitched inside of his. Her dark brows were furrowing, a frown etching its way onto her face. Trunks turned and saw that Kesai had her brows furrowed, a deep frown on her face.
"It's okay, Panny," Chi-Chi took Pan's other hand. "Remember, it's just a dream."
Trunks let out a breath and raised Pan's hand to give it a gentle kiss. Her face seemed to relax, and she let out a small sigh.
Behind them, Kesai gasped loudly, and Chi-Chi jumped up just in time to catch her. "Kesai!" She held her.
Trunks tightened his grip on Pan's hand. She hadn't stirred. Her chest was still rising and falling. "Panna?" He called to her gently, but she didn't move.
"Oh," Kesai sat on the end of the bed, her hand coming up to her temple.
"What is it?" Chi-Chi asked with a trembling voice. "Is it him?"
"It is," Kesai confirmed, and Trunks felt his stomach dropping as a chill ran through him. "But, it's not the Axel from this timeline," she continued.
"What?" Chi-Chi's eyes widened.
Kesai let out a sigh, "I tried to search for him before I looked into Pan's dreams, but I couldn't find him. He was gone, as if he disappeared. Once Pan started dreaming, I could tell right away that it wasn't a dream- it was a memory of another Pan, in another timeline. Somehow, she and Pan are subconsciously contacting each other. In that timeline, Axel has Pan," her voice was quiet and sad. "He doesn't seem to want to kill her- I think-" her voice was becoming strained now. "I think he wants to procreate with her."
Chi-Chi let out a horrified gasp.
Trunks could feel his heart pounding against his chest. He leaned over Pan, gently grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. "Panna? Panna, wake up!"
"You won't be able to wake her up," Kesai sighed.
"Why not?!" Trunks snapped as he turned around to glare at her. "What happened?! She's not going to be stuck in the other reliving the other Pan's memories, is she?!"
He wanted her out of there now. He wanted to free her. He could only imagine what that monster Axel wanted to do with the other Pan, but Trunks needed to get his Pan awake and out of the memories.
Kesai let out a breath, and she looked drained. "The ritual I performed allowed the dreamer to lucid dream so that someone can peek into their dreams. If that had just been the case- if it had only been dreams, then Pan would have woken up when our connection broke."
"Then what happened?" Chi-Chi asked as she looked at Pan, tears in her eyes.
"Pan- I think she jumped."
"Jumped? What do you mean?!" Trunks nearly yelled. He barely understood anything that was going on, but one thing he did know- Pan was still unconscious.
"Her subconscious jumped in time. She- she time-traveled to that place in her counterpart's life."
Trunks' eyes widened, "you're saying, Pan's in the past?" He whispered.
"A part of her, yes," Kesai let out a shaky breath. "I've never seen anything like this. I've never seen anyone with the power to be able to cross timelines. Pan is more powerful than we could have ever imagined," her eyes found Chi-Chi, who was paling in color.
"The good news is," Kesai continued, "is that Pan most likely hasn't realized what happened. To her, she thinks it's a dream and will view it as such. All we can do is wait for her to decide to wake up."
Trunks let out a heavy sigh as he looked at Pan. She still looked peaceful, which was good. "Wake up soon, Panna," he whispered.
Pan let out a breath as she stared at the mansion in front of her. She glanced around, seeing the familiar path she often noticed and shuddered as her stomach dropped.
It's just a dream, she reminded herself.
And since Pan was in control of this dream down, she was going to do things differently.
She turned to look at the mansion. It was grand, with marble sculptures and columns. The front yard was paved with white stones and a large water fountain. Flowers of all kinds surrounded it, and Pan tilted her head slightly. She had never glanced around before, but the sight was quite beautiful.
She started walking along the side of the mansion, being careful not to start on the path through the gardens- the path she always ran through in her nightmares. She stayed hidden in the shadows of the holly trees on the side of the mansion. They were trimmed neatly, but Pan saw no gardeners or workers around.
The side of the mansion opened up to wide-open acres. Pan stared in wonder at the tennis court, pool, and horse stable. She blinked her eyes. It seemed like a dream house- a shudder ran through her, and she shivered. Something told her that it wasn't a dream house but more like a prison.
White marble stairs led up to two dark oak doors that were wide open. Pan could feel her pulse drumming in her ears. She had never stepped inside the mansion before.
It's just a dream.
She let out a heavy sigh and marched up the stairs and through the open doors. She expected to see maids or butlers, but the hallways were empty. The floors were a clear, white marble, and chandeliers hung from the arched ceiling. It was devoid of furnishings, other than the strange armored statues.
Pan passed the first suit of armor slowly, halfway expecting it to lunge forward and grab her. When it didn't, she couldn't help but think it was a weird choice for decoration. Pan padded her way through the empty hallways, her soft steps echoing through the quiet mansion.
There was a grand sitting room. The long table was bigger than the one at Brief Manor! Its dark oak color stood out proudly, the chairs, the same dark oak color with deep red cushions. There was a parlor room, cushioned chairs scattered about with coffee tables beside them and bookshelves off to the side. A white marble fireplace stood on the side, unlit.
Pan was sure there were other rooms to be seen, but she caught sight of staircases and felt something tug at her. She rushed to it and let out a gasp at the giant portrait that hung on the wall in the center of the grand staircase.
A handsome man was standing in the portrait. His dark hair was the color of soil after rain. His eyes were so dark that Pan couldn't tell where his irises ended and his pupils began. He had a confident, smug look on his face, and his hand- his hand was resting on Pan. Or the Pan in the portrait. She looked younger than she was now. Her dark hair was longer, nearly down to her hips. There was no expression on her face- just emptiness.
Pan walked up the stairs slowly and stopped in front of the portrait. Without having to ask, Pan knew the man in the picture was Axel. She wondered how he managed to look so young because he looked as if he was only in his mid-twenties.
Pan felt the same tug from earlier towards her left, and she turned and ran up the stairs to the left side to go up to the second floor. She followed the tug through more empty hallways until she stopped in front of a large door. Delicate designs had been carved into the door, patterns swirling together slowly. She wondered what would be on the other side of that door to greet her.
It's just a dream.
Pan touched the golden knob and pulled it down slowly. The door began to open, and before she lost any courage, she stepped inside quickly.
A surprised scream escaped Pan's mouth, and the person behind the door looked just as startled. A young woman with wild dark hair stood in front of Pan; a sword clutched in her shaking palms, the tip pointed straight at Pan. It was evident that she had been expecting someone else to come in.
It took Pan's mind several seconds to realize that the young woman standing in front of her was herself. She blinked slowly.
"Who- who are you?" The other Pan's eyes widened. If Pan had to guess, she would say she was around fifteen or sixteen.
Before Pan had time to answer, the mansion walls began to shake, and the other Pan gasped. "No," she whispered with eyes. She put her sword in its sheath at her hip before she grabbed Pan's hand and bolted out the bedroom door. "We have to get out of here! He can't see you! If he does - " she didn't finish as she dragged Pan down the hallways she had come up.
"Wait!" Pan called to her. "He can't hurt us! This is just a dream!"
Young Pan turned to look at her, her face twisted in confusion. "What are you talking about?" She shook her head.
"This- this is nothing but a nightmare," Pan said. "And I refuse to let him-"
"PAN!" The voice that screeched throughout the mansion was like nails against a chalkboard. Pan clutched her ears, as did Young Pan.
"Yeah, it's a nightmare, alright," she hissed. "One I've been living for the last four years."
She retook Pan's hand and dragged her down the stairs. The mansion was shaking. The backdoor that had been open was now shut, and Young Pan let out a scream as she flung her arm out in front of her. An invisible force banged the doors open so roughly that they flew off the hinges.
The girls stumbled down the back steps and into the garden path. The scene suddenly became familiar to Pan. This was her nightmare - her true nightmare! This was where it always, always began!
"It's just a dream," Pan muttered to herself. Still, she clutched Young Pan's hand. She could feel her warmth in her palm, the frantic drum of her own heart as they ran.
And Pan could feel him- Axel. He was behind them, not far at all. Chills were rising up her back. The trees, as always, were drooping and sagging. Flowers were withering. Young Pan was panting; her eyes focused ahead.
Pan stared at her as her feet moved blindly. Was Young Pan supposed to be the version of herself in her nightmares? Is this how she always was? So young and scared? She had to do something. She had to protect this version of herself - this version which had suffered enough with countless nightmares.
"PAN!" The dark voice roared, and both girls jumped. "COME BACK TO ME!"
They turned a corner, and Pan already knew what would be waiting for them. A dead-end appeared, and Young Pan screamed in terror. Her dark eyes were wide as she shook. Tears were in her eyes as she choked on a silent sob.
"It's just a dream," Pan's voice shook. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. "It's just a dream," she said again, her voice growing firmer. She wiggled her hand free of Young Pan's grasp and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Listen to me," she said carefully. "This is a dream."
"You said that already!" Young Pan half sobbed, half spat. "Can't you say anything else?! If this is a dream, then I want to wake up!" She screamed.
"Okay," Pan nodded. It was just a dream, so she was in control. She had no idea how to work her enchanter powers, but she didn't think she needed to know how- not while dreaming. She felt a warmth elope her. "I'll send you somewhere he can't find you," she promised. Then, she shoved Young Pan. She screamed as she fell back, and then, with a small pop, she was gone.
Pan was left alone and panting after Young Pan disappeared.
Heavy footsteps pounded on the ground behind Pan, but she didn't turn around. "Pan," his dark voice came out in a hiss. "You've been very bad today," he said mildly. "You're starting to piss me off, Precious. Now come," he ordered as if he were speaking to an animal and not a human.
His voice made Pan's skin crawl. It's just a dream- a dream she had control over! She gritted her teeth, and for the first time, she turned to face him.
Axel looked a lot like his portrait. His dark hair seemed more loose and messy, and his eyes blazed with annoyance.
He narrowed his eyes at her, "you-" he took a step towards her. "Where is she?!" He demanded, his lips rising into a snarl.
Pan should have been scared, but instead, she smirked. She felt liberated. She had a name and a face to the man that had been haunting her dreams for years. It made him seem human.
"You'll never find her," she promised darkly as she glared at him. "You won't be able to suck magic away like you did everyone else's. You'll-"
Axel lunged forward, his hands grabbing Pan's arms. He squeezed them painfully, and she gritted her teeth to stop herself from crying out.
"Suck her power away?!" His voice boomed, causing her ears to ring. He shook her roughly, and Pan could hear her teeth rattling. "She was the key! The key to my domination! Only us- the last two could produce something strong enough to take over the galaxy. But you-" he spat, his grip tightening even more. "You're her, aren't you?" His voice grew low. "Older, more mature-" he eyed her breast. "You'd be ready, where she was not."
Pan felt herself gagging. The thought of another man other than Trunks touching her sent a shudder through her.
Axel threw her to the ground, and Pan screamed. For several seconds, it was all panic. Her arms were flailing about, her wrist being grabbed and pinned, her legs being locked to where they couldn't kick, and then - then Pan remembered.
She pressed her head against the dead grass as far as it would go before she rushed forward. Her head hit Axel's nose with a sickening crack. He let her go as he screamed in agony, and Pan stood up quickly. She was shaking, and she could taste the blood in her mouth from where she had bitten her lip. She panted as she stood over Axel and wiped her mouth.
"This is just a dream," she told him. "A dream that I will never have again," she promised. "You have no power over me," Pan announced.
She let out a heavy sigh. It was time to wake up. With that thought in mind, her world faded black.