Ancient Visions
Previously: Balis falls to Newton. Newton kills the three last Draconian monks but they get a short message to Hitomi. Van contacts Hitomi in her vision and they both wake-up. Major plans are being discused but is something happening between Van and Shana?chapter 8
Hitomi's eyes were wide with hurt. Van, unsure how to react, simply stared at her blankly. Shana looked first at Van and then down at the floor. Hitomi, with a soft gasp, turned and ran down the hall. Van, even though he couldn't hear it, knew that she was softly sobbing. But why he wondered to himself. In three long strides, he crossed the study and reached the place where Hitomi had stood. He looked down the corridor; she was nowhere to be seen. Looking down, he caught sight of something red on the floor. He stooped down and picked it up."Hitomi's pendant," he said to himself, "but why would she drop it?" He stood, holding the pendant in his palm.Should I go after her? he wondered, Maybe I should go see her
Shana approached him from behind and placed an elegant hand on his shoulder. The young king turned to look at her, then turned back to the empty hallway. No, He thought, his heart hardening as he thought of Allen, She already has someone to comfort her. She's made her choice.
Hitomi ran straight to her room and flopped onto the bed. As she sobbed face down on her pillow, a soft purring noise tickled her left ear. Then the soft purring thing became a wet nose that lodged itself into Hitomi's ear.
"Ack!" Hitomi yelled, sitting up.
"Mrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr," Merle purred, sitting next to Hitomi's damp pillow, "Why are you crying Hitomeeeeeeeeeeeeee?"
Hitomi sniffed and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Nothing Merle."
"Baaaaaaaahhhhhh," Merle said, crossing her arms, "Why do you always lie to me?" She suddenly jumped up and shoved her face right in front of Hitomi's. "Is it," she said slyly, "because of Lord Van, Hitomeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?"
Hitomi eyes filled with tears and she flung the pillow at Merle. Merle laughed as she toppled of the edge of the bed. She continued to laugh from the floor. Hitomi leaned over the bed to see and consequently received a pillow in the face. She yelped and fell backwards onto the bed. Merle, lying on the floor, slowly got up and jumped back onto the bed. Hitomi was lying on the bed, the pillow still on her face.
"Hitomi?" Merle whispered, "Hitomi?" Merle inched her way closer to Hitomi's head. She gently took the tip of the pillow in her hand and began to lift it slowly.
"Raaaaaaaaaaah!" Hitomi suddenly yelled, sitting up and startling Merle.
Merle backed up laughing. She crawled back towards Hitomi and nudged her shoulder gently. Hitomi was now hunching over, hugging the pillow.
"Hitomi?" Merle asked softly, "Will you be alright?"
Hitomi sighed gently, letting herself deflate. "Oh Merle," she sighed, freash tears springing up, "I don't know how to feel."
Merle crept closer to Hitomi and sat leaning against her. "I know how you feel. I think that's how I used to feel too."
"You mean," Hitomi said softly, "I should just forget it and move on?"
"No," Merle answered thoughtfully, "No that's not what I think. With me, it was different. He never loved me. But..." her voice trailed off.
"What?"
"But," Merle continued in a whisper, "I think he loves you."
"Then why?" Hitomi asked, "Why would he-"
"Because he's a king," Merle cut in, "A king who doesn't know how to deal with duty. He's just like you, you know."
Hitomi sighed.
"You know? You should go for a walk," Merle said decisively, "A walk always cheers me up!"
"But it's raining."
"hmph, so? A walk is a walk."
"You cat people!" Hitomi said jokingly.
"Are you slurring my race?!" Merle jumped and grabbed Hitomi's ears.
"Ow! Merle, my ears aren't big and ugly like yours!" Hitomi cried, laughing.
Merle laughed and grabbed her hair instead.
"Where is he?" Rawlin asked Sayjin with a note of impatience.
"I don't know, sir Rawlin," Sayjin answered cooly.
"You don't know where your king is?" the other retorted.
"He is the king, not I," Sayjin replied.
"I hope he is not with that girl. You should know that."
Sayjin picked up a fork and said quietly, "Even if he were with the lady Hitomi that would be his decision."
"Lady?" Rawlin smirked, "Since when is she a lady?"
Sayjin started to turn to Rawlin angrily but the sound of the diningroom doors swinging open stopped him. Allen, Rawlin, Sayjin and everyone else looked up. King Van, with the princess Shana on his arm, was entering the hall. He led Shana to her seat the the table and helped her sit himself. Then Van took his seat at the head of the table regally. Rawlin sat back and smiled smugly. Sayjin, with eye-brows raised, watched the young king. Allen scrutinized Van's unreadable face quizically.
"Why the stares?" Van asked casually, "Does it surprise you that I entered in such beautiful company?"
Shana blushed slightly and looked down. RAwlin's smug smile grew into a full-blown smirk. Sayjin's surprised eyes looked from Shana to Van and back again. Allen looked sharply at Van but said nothing. Dinner continued. Though the others began to converse again, Van did not look up from his food for the rest of the time. When everyone was retiring from the meal, Van simply took his leave to go to his study. The young king once again stood by the great windows and stared up into the sky. He leaned casually against the glass and sighed, his eyes still gazing up.
"She's not there anymore," Allen said entering.
"Who called you here?" Van asked rudely.
"She's not there on that moon," Allen stated, ignoring the remark, "She's here now."
"Who are you talking about?" Van retorted.
"Don't pretend, King of Fanelia!" Allen scolded angrily, "It doesn't suit you!"
Van stood angrily facing Allen, "Who are you - "
"I am the heavenly knight of Asturia -"
"oh don't give me that, you - "
" - who fought alongside you in battle against-"
"- you...fought beside me but you-"
"you against Zaibach and I-"
"-stole the woman I love!" Van shouted. Allen stopped suddenly. "Stole the woman you love...?"
Van turned away abruptly.
"Is that what this is about?" Allen asked, "your jealousy? You're willing to break her heart just because you think that-"
"Enough!" Van shouted, turning back around angrily.
Allen stood, silently watching Van. When he spoke again, his voice was calmly composed, "Van, do you think you are reacting rashly?"
Van smirked, "I'm anything but rash. Look I'm about to do what the whole country's been waiting for!"
Allen stared at him. "You can't be serious," he paused, "And if you were, you'd be a fool. That's not even what I meant. Are you being rash?"
"What?"
"Are you being rash?" Allen repeated.
Van turned back to the window and ignored the question. His eyes were stinging and he gritted his teeth angrily.
"Am I interrupting something?" a soft feminine voice asked.
The two men turned to see Shana standing in the doorway. She walked slowly into the study.
Allen looked at her a little scornfully, "I was just leaving." He walked out briskly, leaving the King and Shana alone.
Shana looked at Van, who was staring out the window. "My king," she said in her soft melodic voice, "Are you troubled?"
Van, without turning, said gently, "With nothing that is of your concern princess."
Shana approached him slowly. She stood beside him and placed her long slender hand on his arm. The young king glanced down at her, then turned back to look at the sky.
"What intrigues you so much about the sky, my lord?" Shana asked demurely.
"Princess," he said, not answering her question, "Do you know what rashness is?"
The young princess sighed, "yes I do."
"Tell me, what is it?"
Shana smiled, "It is acting on emotion without thought or planning."
"Princess," Van continued, "Is that all it is? I have a matter before me - and I have planned it and thought of it, though for a short time. Yet still, some call me rash."
The princess turned to look at the young king and said softly, "It's not only acting without planning. It's also following your strong emotions that you know won't last. Like anger, hate, jealousy. Rashness is acting without being true to yourself."
Van turned to look at the princess, a soft look in his eye. A loud knock on the door interrupted them.
"Enter!" Van called, swinging around.
A young messenger walked in. He bowed and said, "My king, there are reports of red-uniformed men ouside the country's borders, behind the castle."
Van stiffened.
"However," continued the messenger, "Others have said this is only the people's fear." he paused, then addded, "And Merle would like to speak to you."
"Of course!" Van said.
Merle leapt into the room and ran up to Van. "Lord Van," she said nervously, "I told Hitomi to go for a walk!"
"So?" Van said coolly.
"But the soldiers!" Merle squeaked.
"She doesn't need me."
Merle growled softly, "Are you serious? you're not going after her?"
"Why should I?"
Merle threw her hands into the air and bounded back out the room angrily. Van stood stiffly in the middle of the room. Oblivious to both Shana and the messenger. "What if she really is in trouble?"he asked himself, "No, she has allen to protect her. Van sighed, But what if.... He paced the room, letting his fingers touch the hilt of his sword.Why should I go after her? She doesn't need me. Van gripped his sword as Allen's words echoed in his mind
All this because you're jealous?
Van closed his eyes tightly, and thought, "..following strong emotions that I know won't last..
"Messenger!" Van suddenly called, opening his eyes, "I am going to look for the lady Hitomi!"
The young king rushed out of the study and out of the castle.
Hitomi walked slowly, wandering out in the rain. Contrary to what Merle had said, she didn't feel anybetter. The rain, soaking through her hair, her clothes and her shoes, was making her feel worse. She trudged out towards the garden. She wanted to see the fountain and the little stone benches. She walked slowly out in the direction, studying the way the water squished in and out of her shoes instead of looking up. A sharp voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Hitomi looked up, startled. It was a red-uniformed man.
"Who would've thought you'd just march right out here?" he said coldly.
Hitomi shuddered, and started to back up slowly.
"Oh no you don't!" he cried and came after her. Hitomi turned to run but her feet sunk into the wet muddy ground. The soldier caught her by the arm and flung her back. She toppled backwards, smashing into a tree. The soldier advanced again.
"Leave her alone!" a sharp male voice rang out.
The soldier turned around, drawing his sword. He was faced with Van, crouching angrily, sword drawn.
"Ah the young king," the soldier taunted, "I've no time for you."
Van rushed forward with a yell, slashing wildly at the soldier. The soldier's smirk faded as he concentrated on blocking Van's fierce blows. Suddenly, the soldier jumped out of the battle.
"I said," he panted, "I've no time for you." He took an envelope from his breast pocket and tossed it to Van's feet. Then the red-uniformed soldier turned and ran. Van was about to surge after the running figure but he stopped himself.
"Rage," he cautioned himself.
He stooped to pick up the letter. Opening it, he read the two lines out loud.
"Ask the girl who I am."
Van turned to Hitomi who was leaning, back against the tree.
"Who is he?" Van asked her, trying to hold the bitterness out of his voice.
Hitomi looked down. "I don't know," she answered.
"Then why would he write -"
"Look," she said looking up again, her eyes sharp, "I saw Newton in a vision. Except it wasn't Newton, it was a some man named Kasal from Atlantis. And he was killed. I saw the same man in different clothes in a different time - and I saw him die, okay?"
Van stared at her, dumbfounded.
Hitomi looked down again, her anger cooling, "His name was Kasal and he was the one who started the war in Atlantis."
Van shrugged. "Well, anyway," he said, "let's get back into the castle." He reached out a hand to Hitomi. Hitomi looked at him, startled, and reached out to grasp his hand. But as soon as their fingers were about to touch, red light exploded from in between their hands. Hitomi gasped. A man, Kasal, was dying in front of her. She saw that same long face, the same black hair and the same cold green eyes. He was lying face down on the pavement of Atlantis, blood dripping from his mouth. Slowly, he gripped a pendant in his hand. A soft dying whisper came from his lips:
"I wish, because I am defeated here, that all this city would be completely destroyed by fire. And," Kasal coughed dying, "that I would return to finish this in the new world."
The vision ended and the red light suddenly disappeared, leaving Hitomi and
Van staring wide-eyed at eachother.
