Ancient Visions
Previously: Hitomi and Van discover that Newton was really Kasal in Atlantis (he wished to return). They begin to fight again but Shana makes Van realize who really loves him. Van kisses Hitomi in the rain. In the castle, Merle gives Hitomi a new set of (dry) clothes. Van receives a report of an attack. As they flee, they are attacked suddenly. Hitomi and Van disappear in a column of light. Shana saves the others and destroys the red guymelefs using her mysterious power. Van awakes in a dark place...chapter 11
Van peered into the darkness, trying to identify the crumpled figure a few feet away from him."Hitomi?" he whispered again.
The still figure didn't stir or make a noise. Van approached the slight woman's form slowly. He studied her form carefully. The woman's eyes were closed but her face was identical to Hitomi's. Van reached out a hand to brush her sandy brown hair from her face. With a start he pulled back his hand. The hair was long. He stared in surprise; the brown hair fell to the girl's shoulders. He reached out to touch the girl again, wondering if she was real.
The girl stirred softly. A whisper escaped her dry lips. "Ren?" she whispered.
Van drew back, unsure of himself. Was it Hitomi or wasn't it? She had the same green eyes, the same nose, the same colour of hair.
The girl slowly raised herself up from the ground, sitting up painfully. She looked up at Van, squinting into the darkness.
"Ren," she whispered again, "Ren is that you?" She suddenly reached out to Van and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her face into his chest. "Ren?" she whispered hoarsely, "Ren..." Van reached out to pat her hair, then once again realized that this girl's hair was long.
"You're not," Van stuttered, "You're not Hitomi?"
Suddenly the girl pulled back, staring at Van with wide eyes. Van stared back at her.
"Who are you?" she said , panicking, "Ren wouldn't ever wear..." She looked at Van's red shirt. "But you look just like him.."
"And you," Van said, gawking at her, "look just like her!"
The girl backed up fearfully. "How did you get here?"
"I don't know!" Van replied, "I just woke up, here!"
The girl relaxed a little. She exhaled. "That means," she said softly," that you're on our side."
Van stared at her blankly.
"side?" he asked.
The girl stared at him. "You don't know?" She gave him a puzzled look.
"Ummmmm," Van thought, "I'm kind of new here so -"
"Impossible," the girl cut in sharply, "Newton regulates the population."
"Newton!" Van exclaimed angrily, "He's here?"
"Who are you?" the girl asked, now wondering if the man was raving mad.
Van sighed, and admited, "I am Van, king of Fanelia. I arrived here because of a column of light. I don't know where I am."
The young girl gawked at Van. "You," she stuttered, "You are king of Fanelia? Don't you know that Fanelia was wiped out 15 years ago?"
It was Van's turn to gawk. "What are you talking about?"
"Newton destroyed Fanelia - and killed the young boy-king, Van Slanzar de Fanel! So who are you?"
Van's mind raced. Fanelia destroyed? Even more puzzling, Fanelia destroyed 15 years ago?
"So?"
Van looked back at the girl and pulled his sword from its scabbard, revealing the crest of Fanelia. The girl stared.
"The only way you could have that sword," she whispered, "is if you really are..." Her voice died. In a barely audible whipser she breathed, "the king of Fanelia!"
Van nodded. "And you?" he asked.
"I am Linea," the girl answered, "one of the rebel forces here against Newton." She paused, then continued softly, "You look so much like Ren."
"Ren?"
"My love," Linea said, looking down and blushing. Van thought quickly of Hitomi. Then he focused again. "Now," Van asked sternly, "Why is Newton here?"
Linea furrowed her brows. "Newton? He's always been here. He's been in power since he attacked and destroyed Fanelia. The other countries just got assimilated into his new society," she paused, "but how can you be here?"
Van clenched his fist angrily, not hearing her question. Newton in power. newton taking over Gaea. A sudden blinding light made both Van and Linea cower and cover their eyes. Van strained to look around him. He suddenly realized why it had been so dark and mysterious.
Linea and Van were in a large metal cage. A pair of red-uniformed guards had just ripped a large heavy cloth away, exposing them to the bright sunlight.
"What's this?" one guard sneered, "A surprise visitor?"
Van glowered at them. Linea cringed, unconsciously grabbing Van's arm.
The other guard smirked at her. "Come my lady. Lord Newton requests an audience with you. You know he wouldn't let you be punished like this, right Nors?"
"Yeah," Nors, the first guard laughed, "The little girl still has to tell us her little secret." Linea only clutched Van's arm more tightly, shivering. The guard flung the cage door open, grabbing Linea's arm and dragging her out. Van lunged at the guard, but he was only forced back violently by the other. He rolled back onto the wood floor, cursing under his breath.
"Van!" Linea cried, as the guard roughly dragged her away.
Van jumped up. "Linea!" he yelled out after the retreating figures. He shook the bars in frustration.
"I wouldn't worry about her," the remaining guard said menancingly, "You are in for a little adventure of your own - but not a long one, I assure you."
Van leaned against the bars, gripping them angrily.
"Get out of there, you stupid boy!" a harsh familiar voice shouted. Hitomi looked up slowly, trying to focus her eyes. Before she could see properly, a rough hand grabbed her arm and dragged her quickly a few feet, saving her from being trampled on by a huge vehicle rolling down a dusty road. Hitomi looked up quickly and then shook the dust from her short brown hair.
"Thanks Van," she said gratefully.
"Van?" the familiar voice asked, "Who's that?"
Hitomi looked up again, startled. The man before her looked just like Van and yet...he was wearing no shirt, bell-shaped pants and metal armlets. Hitomi's eyes widened in surprise recognition.
"I am Ren," he said uncertainly, "who's Van?"
Hitomi gaped at the man called Ren, then looked down and blushed softly, "my love."
"I see," Ren smiled carefully, "You look so much like someone I know. I'm sorry I thought you were a boy -- it's just that your hair..." He looked down, turning red slightly.
"I came here with someone who looks just like you," Hitomi said cautiously, "Have you seen him?"
Ren's face suddenly clouded over and he looked up uncertainly. "Is that him?"
Hitomi jerked her head up. There, gripping the bars on the giant rolling cage that had almost crushed her, was Van. He stared at Hitomi and Hitomi stared back, her face widening in horror.
"Van!" she breathed.
Ren caught hold of her arm before she could run back out into the road. He shook his head sadly.
"There's nothing we can do," Ren whispered sadly, "That rolling cage is where Newton keeps the prisoners to be executed."
"Newton!" Hitomi yelped, "Newton?"
Red nodded and said, "He parades them here then executes them in front of his palace."
Hitomi's eyes grew frantic. "Can't we stop him? I mean, people must hate him! If we all just -"
Ren interrupted her by shaking his head and gesturing to the lifeless crowd of people around them. Hitomi looked around. Everyone had pressed in to line the road but they acted so vapid.Noone expressed emotion or even caring - they simply stood and watched.
"People here have lost all hope," Ren said, shaking his head again, "they just try to live out pathetic lives - not trying or helping. You might as well give up on your friend too - there's no way to stop it. I should know, my love was supposed to be in that cage too - but I don't see her now..."
Hitomi bowed her head. An idea began to tickle her mind. She whispered lowly, "Let's not be so rash about giving up...there's always a way." Hitomi looked at the rolling cage, noting that the wheels were not capped onto the rod that they were rolling around on. She smiled softly. "I might just have to pretend to be a boy again."
Van looked down from the cage. He saw the real Hitomi standing in the lifeless crowd. So she was here too. But who was the man? Van cringed slightly; the man looked exactly like him. Maybe Hitomi had thought that that other man was Van! But no, Van reasoned to himself, that isn't likely. She's not blind. Van sighed. He knew by Hitomi's frantic eyes that he was in for trouble. Then, as he watched her, he saw a mischievous smile light up her face. Van raised an eyebrow in interest. What plan could she be concocting? In anycase, he thought shrugging his shoulders slightly, he decided not to be rash and get in the way. He would just go along with the plan cooking in Hitomi's mind.
Hitomi crouched by the bend in the road behind some citizens, waiting for the cage to arrive. She had run as fast as she could -- and now even she was out of breath. The good thing about these hopeless people was that they could be counted on to do nothing - either for good or bad. Hitomi gently eased herself to the front of the crowd. Ren had decided to go along with her plan reluctantly - and had run off to call his companions, members of some kind of rebel force against Newton. Hitomi smiled grimly to herself, hoping that Ren was just like Van in honor as well as in looks. She would be counting on him. Gradually, the rolling rumble of the cage grew louder. Hitomi strained her eyes to see it. The cage was rolling forward. Only one red-uniformed guard was present and he was standing on top of the cage, staring straight in front of him - obviously bored. The cage kept on rolling forward, it's giant wheels turning slowly on thin wooden rods. Hitomi played gently with a small round stone in her hand. Ren had given it to her. He had laughed when she had explained that she had wanted to try to push a wheel off of one of the rods. And then he had pressed the stone into her hand, telling her to put it directly in front of the wheel and then run away as fast as she could. Hitomi had looked doubtfully at the small thing but Ren had assured her that it would do the trick.
"I hope so," Hitomi whispered as she gritted her teeth and prepared herself. Now the trick would be to be believable. She sighed. "Okay, here goes nothing!" she breathed as the cage began to roll by. Squaring her shoulders she began to run alongside of the cage, waving her hands boyishly. The guard looke down for a moment, annoyed. Van watched her in worry but held his tongue, afraid of spoiling her plan. Hitomi ran around to several feet in front of the rolling cage. She stood and faced it for a moment. The guard tensed, showing a little bit of nervousness for the first time. Then Hitomi, trying not to exagerrate too much, raised her hands above her head and then bowed worshipfully down to the ground, her face to the ground. The guard relaxed and smirked. He looked up again, waiting for the bump that would mean the stupid boy had been crushed under the wheels. Hitomi stayed prostrated directly in the path of the wheel. Van held his breath and bit his lip, still resisting the urge to scream at Hitomi. She trembled as the wheel drew closer and closer. As soon as the wheel was two feet from her palm-down hand, she got up and ran straight under the cage and out the back, covering her head as Ren had instructed her to. Left on the ground, in the path of the wheel, was the small grey stone. The wheel passed over it slowly. With a sudden groan, the cage slowed. THe guard looked down in surprise. Van stared in back of him where he saw Hitomi running, hands on her head. A sudden explosion splintered the cage's wheel, casing the whole apparatus to topple to one side. Van crashed against the bars painfully as it fell on its side. The guard sprang cat-like on to the dusty road. hitomi was blasted forward and tumbled in the dust. the crowd scattered silently and speedily. And suddenly, a small band of men wearing armlets and brandishing swords swarmed around the cage - one running his sword through the shocked guard and another cutting through the cage's locks. Van sprang out, heedless to his rescuers, and ran for Hitomi who was lying in the dust. He scooped her up and shook her softly. hitomi opened her eyes and smiled up at him.
"Gotcha!" she whispered.
Without pausing, Van quickly planted a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you," he breathed.
Ren cleared his throat as he and his small band approached them. Hitomi and Van looked up quickly and regarded the group. There were about 6 young men and they all wore the same clothing as ren - bell-shaped pants and metal armlets. Ren smiled sincerely. He bowed slightly.
"A pleasure to meet you."
Van and Hitomi stood, facing them. Ren bowed again, trying to hide the shock of seeing someone that could have been his twin.
"Thank you for your help," van said regally.
Hitomi gestured to Ren, "Van, this is Ren. Ren this is Van Slanzar de Fanel."
Ren and the others suddenly stared open-mouthed at him. Van shifted uncomfortably.
"hitomi," He began softly, "There's a lot about this world that we don't yet. One this is that Fanelia - and me - are supposed to be destroyed by Newton."
hitomi gaped at him, "What?"
"Sir," Ren interjected quickly, "was there a girl with you before? A girl that looks almost exactly like her? Except with long hair?"
Van nodded. "There was. Her name was Linea."
ren rushed forward, "Where did they take her?"
Van shook his bowed head. "They took her. I couldn't stop them."
Ren looked down, hopelessnes filling his face. Hitomi bowed her head also, sensing his sadness. The pendant began to glow softly. Hitomi and the rest looked at it in surprise. Its warmth envelopped Hitomi and she stared into a red haze. She saw a strange familiar vision - a girl holding up her arms to shield herself from blows. "Rebel! Tell me your secret!" he yelled menacingly. When no sound came from the frightened girl, the man struck at her with his sheathed sword, causing her to fall clutching her arm in pain. Tears dripped from her face and her mid-length brown hair was matted and stringy. "I won't," she said, biting back the pain in her voice, "I won't tell you -ever!"
Hitomi's eyes snapped up, her face set with determination.
"I know where she is," hitomi said flatly. Ren and Van stared at her. but they followed her silently as she began to run towards the palace.
Hitomi slowed, allowing the softly glowing pendant to guide her. A sudden unexpected pain brought hitomi to her knees, clutching her side. Ren and Van ran up in concern.
"Hitomi!"
She gritted her teeth as another invisible blow struck the side of her head. "I'm feeling her pain," she whispered painfully. Struggling to rise, Hitomi pointed feebly to an alley a few blocks away. Ren ran frantically in that direction, letting loose a battle cry. A red-uniformed guard walked out from the alley and, seeing Ren, took off at a run. Ren was about to chase the guard but Van called out to him, supporting hitomi.
"No Ren," He said, "Linea."
Ren nodded and entered the alley just as Hitomi and Van reached its entrance. Lying in rivulets of blood was Linea. Hitomi stared as she saw a repeat of her vision, only this time she knew who they were. Ren walked slowly and fearfully towards the body of his love, who was lying face down on the stone street. Ren lifted Linea up in his arms carefully and exited the alley, a despairing look on his face.
"To the base," he whispered, his eyes never leaving Linea's face.
They all nodded and followed silently.
At the rebel forces base, a small stone house in the city, Hitomi, Van and ren were sitting in a sparsely furnished room. They were talking in low serious voices. Hitomi and Van's eyes were filled with horror as Ren described how Newton had taken over Gaea and transformed it into a society of fear. And how Newton ruled as a tyrant - killing without mercy any who dared to oppose him.
"Linea," Ren said sadly, "had a secret which Newton wanted to know. She used to be our inside operative, gathering information for us. That is, until Newton found out and practically beat her to death. I found her just outside the palace gates - and took her here. We've been together since then."
"Why didn't he just kill her?"
Ren sighed. "Newton fathered Linea. Linea lived in his house as a prisoner-
even though she was his daughter. She told me that he started to try beating
information out of her because she began to develop some kind of clairvoyant
powers.
"Just before I found her outside the palace gates," Ren continued,
"she had apparently told her father, Newton, that his end was coming. I don't
know why she would do that. It's suicide. But she had some kind of information
she said, that would bring Newton down. I never understood what she was talking
about."
Ren paused, collecting his thoughts. "I can only suppose that's why newton had her kidnapped again. And why she was beaten again."
Van put a protective arm around Hitomi, who was staring at the floor. Somehow, all of this, though bizarre and unbelievable, was feeling familiar. It was frightening Hitomi. Ren looked at Hitomi.
"Hitomi?" Ren said uncertainly, "How did you know where she was?"
Hitomi whispered, "I saw it before."
Van and Ren exchanged puzzled glances. Hitomi suddenly stood.
"Ren," she asked, "May I see her?"
Ren nodded and gestured towards a closed door. hitomi walked over and eased herself into the small room, trying not to disturb Linea, who was lying on a cot. Linea's breaths were rapid and shallow and the effects of the beating were obvious. SHe was bruised and cut all over. It wasn't obvious now that they looked exactly alike since Linea was so badly cut up. Hitomi approached her softly, staring down at the girl. She reached out a trembling hand. It hovered over Linea's face uncertainly. Then, for no apparent reason, Hitomi placed her fingers on Linea's cheek.
The world suddenly rushed around Hitomi, spinning and contorting. In a red haze, she could just make out a figure approaching her. hitomi recoiled in fear. But the figure still approached and, suddenly, the face was clear. Hitomi gasped. Was she looking into a mirror? hitomi stared into green eyes that could have been her eyes. It must be a reflection, Hitomi thought, reaching out a hand. but the reflection moved, causing a cascade of brown hair to fall over her shoulders. Hitomi's mind reeled. A name formed itself in her mind.
"Mia.." she breathed.
The woman nodded softly. hitomi stared into the woman's green eyes and images took shape within them. Hitomi strained closer, now seeing and hearing the scene in the other woman's eyes.
"You little fool," an older looking Newton said fiercely.
"Papa.." a
crying child whimpered, turning green eyes to her father.
Newton smirked.
"Tell me your little secrets."
The child, who Hitomi could now see clearly,
whimpered and cowered. Newton swung his hand across the brown-haired child's
face and sent her reeling into the wall.
"Tell me," he growled
dangerously.
"I," the child stuttered, "I know you killed my
mother."
Newton laughed his cold laugh. "So," he snarled, "you have already
attained the gift of sight. And so early! Very well, this will serve my purposes
well. You will be my little clarivoyant"
"I don't want to hurt anyone," the
child whimpered.
Newton snarled at her, "you have no choice. You are nothing
but my tool, just like your mother was." Newton turned and headed for the
door.
The scene suddenly rushed away, leaving Hitomi still staring into Mia's eyes. Tears streamed down from both their faces.
"Father..." Hitomi whispered.
Mia reached out a slender hand. "Our pain," she whispered.
"Ours?" Hitomi asked.
Mia bowed her head, her fingertips touching Hitomi's cheek. "Our pain."
Hitomi's body began to ache and sting as huge welts and cuts began to form themselves on her body. She writhed, looking at Mia who was also developping the same wounds on her body. Hitomi's pained eyes suddenly widened as she realized that these cuts mirrored Linea's.
"Save us," Mia whispered, "Your future is..." The wounds began to heal, the process reversing. Cuts and bruises graudually and painfully disappeared. Mia's hair shortened suddenly to shoulder length.
"Linea? Or Mia?" Hitomi whispered.
"Both." was the reply. A pendant, that Hitomi hadn't noticed was hanging from the other woman's neck, began to glow. hitomi's burned in response. The glow became unbearably bright. A series of images flooded Hitomi's mind: burning wings, green eyes reflecting fire, green eyes reflecting a Zaibach floating fortess, green eyes relfecting alkemis, and a red pendant slowly falling to the ground and slowly turning black and useless. Hitomi felt nothing but the urge to scream.
Ren and Van started suddenly at the sound of two female voices screaming. They barged into Linea's room and stopped suddenly at what they saw. Hitomi was leaning back against the wall clutching her pendant, her wide green eyes staring at Linea. Linea was sitting up in her cot, her wounds had disappeared, her wide startled green eyes staring at Hitomi. She was also cluthching the chain of a red pendant that was dangling around her neck. The two men stared at the two women.
"Linea," ren whispered, "Your wounds?"
Linea ignored it, or didn't hear it. SHe raised a shaking hand and pointed to Hitomi. "I know you," she whispered shakily.
Hitomi stared back. Van approached hitomi slowly.
"Hitomi?"
Linea looked at them sharply. "What?" she demanded, "What is your name?"
Everyone stared at her, dumbfounded.
Hitomi ignored the question. "Where did you get that?" she demanded, pointing to Linea's pendant.
"My father."
"That's Newton's?"
"No," Linea growled, "It was my mother's!"
"Your mother?" Van demanded suddenly.
"Who was your mother?" Hitomi asked, fearing the answer without knowing why.
Linea lifted her chin arrogantly. "Hitomi," Linea said haughtily, "My mother's name was Hitomi Kanzaki, seeress of the mystic moon."
to be continued...
