~Remember I don't own Escaflowne or its characters!~
~This chapter deals with the finally markers spoken about in the 'Book of
Angels'!~
~Hope you enjoy this chapter! This chapter has a bit of fluff at the
beginning so I'm warning all you people who don't like it!~
The Fate of Two Worlds
By Angel Wings
Chapter 21 ~ Opening the Way
~Crusade~
The hour was close to midnight as two forms laid on the roof of the metal
sail ship. The ship soared through the diamonds eastward following the
constellation 'Draken'. The moon glowed brightly in the cloudless night sky
as stars twinkled down on a quiet couple. Sails of creamy white bulged from
the wind that blew silently as the lovers laid against the cold surface of
the ship while indulging in each other's warmth.
Hitomi wore a pair of light brown leather pants with mud ankle boots. A
light blue tee shirt covered by a leather jacket that was the same color as
her pants ran over her back. The young king's chest was clothed by a white
long sleeve shirt that was decorated with the golden emblem of Fanelian on
the right upper portion of the pale material. Beautiful chestnut pants
hugged his muscular legs as knee long black boots warmed his feet.
Van's arm hugged the young woman's shoulder tenderly to his side enjoying
her presence. One of Hitomi's hands laid behind his back while the other
rubbed his chest in circular motions affectionately. The young royal smiled
down at his adoring fiancé as her emerald eyes twinkled just like the stars
in the heavens. Her cheek laid on his chest listening to his steady
heartbeat so the raven king could not see her warm face. Smiling he placed
his cheek against the top of her dark locks and turned his fire eyes
towards the diamond filled sky.
The young king held his future-wife a little closer as his rubies carefully
searched through the sky. His tan hand pointed to the sky as he chuckled
lightly, "Now there's Draken."
The angel girl's eyes glanced towards the dark sky as she asked, "Where?"
Sparkles formed in his fire eyes as he spoke, "Do you see the four bright
stars above the moon?"
Hitomi eyed four glowing globes shining brightest amongst the cluster near
the moon, "Yes...."
His nostrils filled with her flowery scent causing him to drown in the
aroma, "Those four plus the three closest to them make the constellation
Draken."
Upon noticing the configuration of those seven gases the young seeress
smiled, "Hey! That's the constellation Draco!"
The king's eyes reflected the light of the stars as he asked, "Draco? Was
that what they called it on the Mystic Moon?"
Laughter filled his royal ears as the girl giggled to herself confusing the
dragon king. He lifted his head a little from the metal surface so he could
look her better in the face, "Why are you laughing?"
Hitomi smiled warmly into his rubies, "It's just that on the Mystic Moon
those stars also represent the constellation of a dragon..... The thought
of our two world having such close cultures just amazes me..... The only
thing is that our constellation consists of six other stars...."
With a pale finger she traced the imaginary line that formed from the
thirteen glowing gases as she spoke, "Those stars there make the
configuration known as 'Draco' or 'The dragon' as some call it."
The hansom man lifted himself onto an elbow and placed his head in his palm
so he could better look into her eyes that shined brighter than any star.
With a playful smile he asked, "And what do they say about 'Draco'?"
Pale fingers brushed away his ebony locks that blocked her view of his
gorgeous eyes before she turned her eyes back to the stars, "In Greek
mythology the dragon represented in the stars is Ladon. He was the guardian
of the 'golden apples' of immortality which grew in the garden of
Hesperides, beyond the River of Time, in the land......."
The young woman's crystal voice was drowned out as Van stared at her
glowing face. His fire eyes trailed over her features with cherishing every
attribute. Those brunette locks were like silk placed in the most beautiful
fashion. Although most women wore their hair in long flowing lengths her
style was far more attractive to his fire eyes. Her milky skin soft and
flawless like that of an infant made him want to drown in her beauty. Green
eyes that shone brighter than any light always captivated his ever waking
and slumbering thought. The very way her pale fingers move was like a
dance.
Was that what love was?......Not seeing the flaws in the one you cared
for?...... Or seeing the flaws as something special?......If that be the
case then he had to be more in love than anyone else......
"Van!" the voice rang through his thoughts startling him. His red fire eyes
came back into focus on his angel's face to see her smiling playful up at
him. Her eyes of green depths twinkled in mocked anger as she tried to
suppress a growing smile. The seeress desperately tried to hold back her
laughter, "King Van Fanel of Fanelia! You did not hear one word I said did
you?!"
The young king of ebony locks smiled down sheepishly, "Sorry....I didn't."
Her smile released from her pale lips as she tried again to hold down her
laughter, "And what, pray tell, were you thinking about when you completely
ignored your fiancé?"
The royal king looked down at his love and took another glance at her
beautiful features. How could he have been blessed to share in her
company?..... His tan fingers ran over her pale cheek in a feathery touch
causing her eyes sparkle with diamonds. Their eyes were locked in the same
gaze they always seem to hold. The way they looked at each other was like
they held something special between the two of them...... like love.....
Hitomi stared into his fiery pools that always captivated her heart and
listened to his rich voice answer, "I was thinking about how I am so
blessed to be able to be here with you......to be able to be call your
fiancé......"
The young seeress looked so deep into his eyes that she could have
suffocated in the sea of love pouring from his ruby pools. Within the ebony
pupil of his eye she could see a world of devotion. Whenever she looked in
those eyes she felt like she was looking at the other part of her soul.....
It was a mirror she looked into.......and when she looked into the glass
she saw her other half......her soul mate......
The king's hand cupped his dear lover's cheek as he whispered, "Hitomi.....
When I am with you......" His voice caught in his throat as a deep blush
fell on his cheeks. The young royal couldn't help, but turn his rubies away
for embarrassment. How could he tell her?....... He had confess his love
for her already,..... but there was so much more....... Every since this
adventure had started he had thought of nothing, but her...... Though his
last two years had been filled with her laugh..... her smile..... her
image...... it was nothing compared to the reality of her physically being
there...... and now with her by his side...... he wanted to tell her how
his soul ached for her..... how his love was like a cup overflowing......
He wanted to express his love through poetry..... but there were no words
to express 'such' love....... What words could he possible use?......
A warm hand fell on his cheek turning his eyes back to her emeralds. Once
he caught sight of those glorious jewels that shined just for him he felt
himself lost within those sparkles. The beautiful seeress knew he was
having a hard time and she knew she also wanted to express her love......
so she gave in and spoke first. Hitomi's voice barely be audible, but the
young king did not miss a single word, "Van..... when I am by your
side...... I feel like there no one on this world, but us...."
The man's eyes danced with love as the girl swallowed the lump growing in
her throat. She wanted to get this out more than anything else. She wanted
to say this more than even accomplishing her task at hand. Taking a deep
breath she look back into his eyes and saw the stars, "I just want you to
know......I think I would die if I ever lost you..... The only reason I
ever lasted the last two years was because I believed I would see you
again....."
Tears welled in her eyes as she remember how many nights she would rise
from her bed because she couldn't sleep. She would walk over to her window
and look through the glass up at the moon envisioning Gaea right beside it.
Sometimes she thought she had even caught a glimpse of the invisible world
of fantasy. When she grew really depressed she needed only to look into the
reflections in the glass..... or in the water...... even in the swaying of
grass she could use her senses to create an image of her beloved..... Then
the pain would leave..... but only for a little while..... once the image
left the pain would fill her soul again and then depression would overpower
her...... The only thought of ever returning to that foreign world was what
kept her breathing...... kept her living her life...... She barely had
understood at the time that her longing for his presence was because of
love..... It took her over a year of denial for her to finally accept the
fact that she fallen in love with the boy king...... And now as she laid
there in his arms beneath the stars she knew that this had to be love......
Emerald tears slid down her pale cheeks as her voice filled with emotions
and whispered, "Van...... I love you......"
The young king could feel her devotion and love in the flood of emotions
pouring forth from the depths of her soul and at that moment......he knew
what he needed to say.....
"Hitomi..... I...." the boy's fire eyes locked with forest green and a
swirl of emotions filled the air. His voice spoke low with growing
emotions "Hitomi..... I love you....."
Just three words......just three words.....three words spoken in every
tongue and situation..... Those few words that were often abused and use
for one's own personal gain...... While other times they were sacred and
cherished..... That small statement was a life..... It brought joy..... and
it brought heartache...... That simple phrase could bring a war to an
end...... While it could tear different families apart..... Such small
words......but such power......
As Van looked into the eyes of the young seeress, Hitomi, they knew that
was all that needed to be said.....They needed no poetry..... They didn't
need actions to show their true feelings...... They only needed each
other.......
Slowly the raven king lend down and Hitomi brought her lips to his in a
soft kiss of affection. Perhaps the touch was short, but that made no
difference. It was not passion they were looking for..... they were looking
for love...... The two hugged each other in a warm embrace as their eyes
closed shut. They only wanted to swim in the swirl of emotions that played
in the air. Those few words spoken in the night with the stars as their
witness was something that would forever be remembered in their heart and
mind.....
After what seemed like eternity the two lovers rose and left the
comfortable spot on the sail ship to retreat their rooms for much needed
sleep. As the two figures made their way to the open door leading into the
bellows of the ship a shooting star streaked across the star finishing the
magical moment......
~Morning~
Five straight hours......they had been sailing five straight hours since
the sun's rays blew over the horizon.......The group was becoming agitated
with the whole situation. Hitomi was probably the most nervous of the
occupants of the ship. None of them knew what they were looking for.
They had decided to drive towards the east because that was direction the
constellation 'Draken' pointed to, but the travel had proved fruitless.
Even with them flying extremely low near the planet to watch for land marks
that might give a clue to the phrase 'where the sun meets the moon' they
had discovered nothing. There had seen nothing that proved to resemble the
mysterious phrase.
Allen in his old blue tunic stood in the commander's seat of the control
room staring intently out the window as he searched the landscape. He
wanted to console with Hitomi about the situation, but she was had so many
burdens on her shoulders already that he didn't want to bother her.
The brunette king pushed his glasses farther up his nose as he glanced at
the sun checking the time. Wasting time always got the king on edge and as
they continued to sail in blind hope for the marker he wondered if they
would ever find the spot.
The royal's queen in her pink dress was trying her best to keep friendly
conversation with Celena, but the tension in the air made communication
almost impossible. Neither were enjoying the situation for they could see
the group's distress growing in the air.
Chid stood against a wall and kept glancing towards the blonde knight as he
thought about their venture into the 'Spirit Trees'. His small fingers
played with his royal blue outfit as he continued to think about the matter
that the knight being his blood father. The time wasn't right to confront
the blonde warrior about the issue so the boy had remained quiet, but it
was driving him insane as he stared at his father commanding the large
vessel.
A map of Gaea was carefully being traced by tan fingers of the young angel
king as his foster sister leaned over his arm trying to help. Van was
trying his best to look at the wrinkled parchment for clues, but he could
find nothing that might relate to the annoying riddle. Merle noticed her
foster brother growing aggravation with the situation and rubbed his arm
with a bronze palm in hope of revealing his stress.
Hitomi stood next to the large window on the opposite end that Dryden stood
next to. Her pale fingers flipped through the pages of the 'Book of Angels'
as she glanced between the written words and the clear glass. As she
continued her search through the ancient pages the young seeress began to
notice how her friends were glancing at her ever so often. They were
looking for answers. Hitomi had always seemed to 'pop up' with the answers
to any situation and now they wanted to turn to her for information, but
held back because they knew she was aggravated as much as they were. The
young angel woman felt completely insufficient as a royal heir and savior
of Gaea. She was the sole person who could save this world from being
shadowed by the wings of the black angel yet she couldn't even find her way
to the Mystic Valley. She felt completely undependable and irresponsible.
With a deep sigh the seeress closed the leather book quietly. Searching
through the passages as been a waste of time. All the ancient words ever
spoke of was prophecy and phrases that were written like riddles that she
couldn't possible understand. Closing her emerald eyes she tried to clear
her mind. There had to be something that would lead her to the unknown
destination.....
Her pale fingers ran over the small red stone of her pendant. She wondered
if her pendant could help. With a frustrated growl the girl realized there
was no way to use the stone. The only way she could tell the direction the
marker could be in was if she knew what it looked like. If she knew what
the land looked like she could have easily seen it in her mind and the
pendant would have swung in the right direction, but never even having a
glimpse of the place wouldn't help. Keeping her emerald pools close she
decided what she had to do.....
Clenching her teeth she released the power running through her blood in
blind hope that she would sense the unknown landmark. With a rush her
senses ran across the land below searching desperately for the place. Her
powers ran over lakes,.... mountains,..... plains,..... and sand,.......
but could not even catch a hint of recognition from the land. Her pale
fingers curled into fists as sweat began to brim her brow. The young
seeress pushed her powers as hard as possible, but she still couldn't feel
anything.
Van suddenly felt the wave of familiar power swimming outside the ship. He
glanced up from the wrinkled map in his hands and spotted his fiancé
growing pale. The sweat on her brow and her white knuckles proved what he
thought. She was using her powers again!
Dropping the map the young royal rushed over to the young seeress. His
sudden movement woke everyone from their thoughts causing them to look up
towards the king. The man's tan hands clutched the brunette girl's
shoulders and shook her lightly as the bystanders focused on the two
lovers. His rich voice urgently called out to his beloved, "Hitomi! Stop!
Stop it!"
Unfortunately Hitomi was lost.....lost in her flow of power and unable to
hear the man of her life...... Her powers weren't out of control, but it
kept her mind completely focus on the flow. Luckily because she wasn't
using the pendant she wasn't in control of the situation. If the Power of
the Atlantians was released she would have completely lost the hold on the
situation, but just using the ancient power running through her Draconian
blood allowed her to keep from the power going into chaos. Perhaps if she
had more experience in using her powers in this manner it would not have
been so painful, but it was too late to turn back.....
The young angel woman struggled with her powers urging the ancient
abilities to stretch farther out. As her energy started to give out she
sensed the landmark...... about south-east fifty miles away she could feel
a tiny bit of a familiar awareness...... but just barely.....
Her head began to ache as she strove to push onwards even harder. In the
back of her mind she could feel the shaking of her physical body. She knew
her beloved was trying to stop this painful use of her powers, but she
couldn't stop..... not quite yet...... As a throbbing pain surged in her
head she tried desperately to hold back tears that were threatening to
fall. She groaned as she felt her senses surge into the area where the
landmark laid.
The group circled around the two lover's as the distress royal continued to
shake the young brunette violently. Van's eyes were filled with concern as
he noticed his efforts were useless. His beloved refuse to wake. That just
made his attempts all the more stronger.
'Don't do this, Hitomi!' his mind begged as his fire pools sparkled with
tears, 'You can't die on me now!'
While this was occurring the young seeress was carefully using her senses
to inspect the bit of land. The spot was in the center of a large plain
where the greenest of grass grew. Within the heart of the fields laid a
section of golden sand where a tiny pond laid. The crystal clear body of
water was in the shape of a crescent moon and because of its shape the pond
formed a sort of island in the center of the moon. The points of the
crescent moon nearly connected together and formed a circle of sand within
the water. If you looked carefully at the right angel you would be able to
see the sun reflecting in the water's crystal mirror...... 'where the sun
meets the moon'......
At the moment the seeress spotted the reflecting sun she felt her energy
fail and her senses rushed back to her. As soon as her powers were sucked
back into the blood running through her veins the girl crumbled and fell
into the warm arms of her lover.
The young king cradled the fragile bundle to his white shirt as his ruby
eyes checked over her features. Her silky locks were plastered to her
drenched forehead from her sweat and her skin was incredibly pale, almost
white. Her breathing was shallow and ragged as she weakly shook in her
holder's arms. All in all she just seemed drained of energy which gave the
raven king enough strength to breath....
Van took a much needed breath of fresh air steadying him. Just as the young
king exhaled the air from his lungs a strange thing occurred. The group
gasped in wonder as the beautiful maiden woke.
The young brunette woman's pale skin began to deepen in color. Her
breathing grew regular and the heart within her chest began to beat
steadily. Her pale fingers ran over tan skin until they fell on a warm
hand. Once the two set of fingers made contact the pale hand grasped the
tan hand firmly. The young royal's eyes turned to slowly opening emeralds
as a warm smile broke across the two faces of the young couple.
The first thing the girl saw was his ruby jewels...... and that made her
feel like the world was shining down at her.....
Hitomi glanced around at the crowd of faces looking down in concern at her.
They could barely believe she had waken in such a short amount of time.
Their wide eyes of wonder stayed locked on the girl as she spoke. With a
voice that seemed too strong for a girl who had just gone through a painful
experience she said, "Head south-east, Allen....."
It took the group of close friends to actually let the words sink in for
they were completely taken by the sudden change in the girl. Allen
swallowed down the fact of the amazing event and turned to the helmsman.
With a strong voice the knight commanded, "Head south-east at 30 knots!"
The young man at the wheel gave a firm nod and said, "Yes, sir!" Hands ran
over controls and the wheel turned in a swift motion. Slowly the sails were
turned along with the propellers and in a matter of motions the ship was
heading towards fields of green grass.
Slowly the group backed away allowing Van to help Hitomi rise to her feet.
The worried Merle pushed away from the group just as the brunette woman
regained her footing and took the her into a huge hug. The angel woman
smiled down at her future sister-in-law as the cat replied, "I was worried,
Hitomi! Don't ever do that again!"
Laughing lightly Hitomi said, "Don't worry, Merle. I don't really want to
strain myself like that again."
A huge cat-like smile ran across the bronze face of fur, but soon
disappeared as the young cat~girl's eyes caught sight of something. Bronze
paws took hold of one of the seeress's hands and held it closely to her mud
eyes. With a curious voice she asked loudly, "What's this?"
A blush crept over the brunette girl's face as she realized the cat had
discovered the ring Van had given her the other night. Behind her blush
there was a hint of surprise though. She hadn't expected the others to
discover the ring so soon. Though she knew everyone understood the feelings
between her and the angel king she was still shy about announcing the whole
matter. She hadn't tried to hide the ring, but she hadn't tried to show it
off either. She had felt relief each time she past by her friends when the
ring decorated her pale finger. Now as she saw a knowing glint in those
brown cat eye's she knew the time had come for the group to know.
Taking a small gulp of air the blushing angel replied, "It's a wedding
ring, Merle...."
The blush on the girl's pale cheeks only deepen as the cat~girl gave an
excited squeal, "I knew it! I knew Lord Van~sama was going to ask you marry
him!"
A shy smile appeared on the flush face of the brunette girl as she saw
everyone smiling at her happily. Millerina rushed to Hitomi and took hold
of her pale hand. Blue eyes sparkled with joy as the queen spoke, "Oh,
Hitomi, I'm so happy for you!"
The young seeress bowed her head as she looked down at the glittering ring
and her voice held a hint of guilt as she spoke, "I was going to tell all
of you after this mess was over...."
The woman with golden locks smiling brightly, "That's quite alright,
Hitomi! We can understand. I'm just so happy for you!"
Celena along with the other two females huddled around the seeress happily
talking about what the wedding should be like all the while Van was also
overthrown by the two men. Allen brought his arm around the young king and
patted him softly, "It looks like you finally found your queen. I was
wondering how long it would take for you to get the courage to ask Hitomi"
The raven boy's face flushed red as Dryden also began to play in the game,
"Now King Van I think of Lady Hitomi as a daughter and I want you treat her
right."
A hand went to the older king's chin as he pretended to be in thought, "I
wonder Van how many children you will have...."
Red was surely becoming a regular color for the young angel king as he gave
a weak smile. The two men continued to bombard the youth with suggestive
remarks while the raven king looked through the group of faces at his
fiancé. Her emerald eyes locked with his rubies completely ignoring the
excited women as the noisy voices grew silent in their minds. All they saw
were each other amongst the laughs and smiles....... and that was all they
needed to see.....
~Mirror Moon Pond~
The group slowly walked off the large ramp and stopped where green grass
met golden sand. Allen, who stood at the head of the group, looking around
at the vast plain. There was nothing here except a pond so where was the
Mystic Valley?...... Carefully he remembered the last line and read through
it once more, 'when you reach the place where the sun meets the moon call
upon the angels and lite the sky'. Turning his head of blonde hair he
focused on the beautiful brunette woman who stood near the rear of the
group by the raven king. Her emerald eyes were focused on the scenery as
she thought of what she had to do.
Without saying a word she walked through the group of friends and soldiers
and made her way to the front of the people. Slowly the people parted
giving her path as she walked down to the sand with King Van close behind.
As she made her way down the opening in the group she looked regal and
determined....... like a true queen...... Although she still wore the
outfit from the previous night and seemed strange by the attire it made no
less a royal...... When she stepped away from the group Van stayed behind
and stood next to the hansom knight to watch what would occur next.
Quietly her mud boots crunched in the soft sand as she walked over to the
golden island. Her pale fingers went to the gold chain that hid beneath her
blue tee shirt and pulled out the red stone. As she grew closer to the pond
a red glow began to emit from the red teardrop. All eyes fixed on the
seeress as she halted on the tiny island's mound.
Turning her eyes to the cloud filled blue sky she wondered, 'What now?.....
What do I do?......'
A mysterious breeze swept through the grass causing her hair and leather
outfit to flutter. She could almost sense the presence of a million beings
all around her. Soft voices only her pale ears could hear played in the
air. Billions of voices of all sound and age spoke softly, barely audible.
They all spoke at once and no words could be deciphered. It didn't matter
though..... their words held no meaning....... except encouragement........
With a deep breath Hitomi took the pendant off her neck and held it in two
palms towards the sky. Closing her eyes she opened her senses to the world
around her. She knew not what she was doing except that she was going on
instinct alone. The wind picked up and lifted the back of her leather
jacket to reveal her blue shirt to the group watching behind her. A red
glow surrounded the amazing girl as her hair flowed in the wind. Her mind
softly spoke, 'Dear Joutei, please bring us to the Mystic Valley so I might
fulfill my destiny....."
The wind suddenly raged like hurricane all around them causing grains of
sand and water droplets to swirl around the girl with closed eyes. The tiny
objects sparkled in the red light as the pendant levitated from her pale
palms. Clouds within the sky swirled apart forming an opening as a red beam
of light shot from the ancient stone of blood. A thunderous sound hissed
through the air as the beam surrounded the unprepared group and metal
ship..... blinding them all......
~Dark Fortress~
The dark shadowy man watched the scene with gleaming eyes on his blue
sphere. The light flooded the view in the blue orb causing the dark room to
suddenly to be scared away of all shadows. With an evil smile the man
brought his pale hand to his demon's head petting it softly. His ice blue
eyes fell on the group of figurines littering the large map of Gaea. Each
small metal figure of his enemies dwelled on the parchment. With a knowing
smile dripped in evil he hissed, "Now the game begins....."
~Mystic Valley~
Hitomi opened her eyes to the familiar scene of a large valley. Green grass
and blue water trickled through the sacred land as the girl took a step
forward with her hands clutching the pendant. The group of people behind
her slowly moved about as they realized they had arrived at the destination
that they had strived to get to for the last week....... It was the place
they had all visited over two years ago........ It was a place sacred to
the Draconian race and well known..... It was place the young seeress
longed to see again for it was the root of her culture..... With an emerald
tear slipping down her pale cheek the brunette seeress whispered, "The
Mystic Valley......"
~Alright another chapter has been completed. I hope you enjoyed this one. I
did my best to keep it interesting, but there wasn't really much going on
in this chapter. It's the next group of chapters is what is going to send
all you readers for a loop! What's going to happen next I hope none of you
even expect! I like writing suspense and mysteries in my stories. The less
you expect the more enjoyable my writing becomes!~
~Please remember to R&R! I know some of you missed my last updates because
of the site being off line for a few days, but I really want to know what
you readers think about chapters 19-21!~
~Thanks for reading and I promise Chapter 22 will be out by Wed!~
~This chapter deals with the finally markers spoken about in the 'Book of
Angels'!~
~Hope you enjoy this chapter! This chapter has a bit of fluff at the
beginning so I'm warning all you people who don't like it!~
The Fate of Two Worlds
By Angel Wings
Chapter 21 ~ Opening the Way
~Crusade~
The hour was close to midnight as two forms laid on the roof of the metal
sail ship. The ship soared through the diamonds eastward following the
constellation 'Draken'. The moon glowed brightly in the cloudless night sky
as stars twinkled down on a quiet couple. Sails of creamy white bulged from
the wind that blew silently as the lovers laid against the cold surface of
the ship while indulging in each other's warmth.
Hitomi wore a pair of light brown leather pants with mud ankle boots. A
light blue tee shirt covered by a leather jacket that was the same color as
her pants ran over her back. The young king's chest was clothed by a white
long sleeve shirt that was decorated with the golden emblem of Fanelian on
the right upper portion of the pale material. Beautiful chestnut pants
hugged his muscular legs as knee long black boots warmed his feet.
Van's arm hugged the young woman's shoulder tenderly to his side enjoying
her presence. One of Hitomi's hands laid behind his back while the other
rubbed his chest in circular motions affectionately. The young royal smiled
down at his adoring fiancé as her emerald eyes twinkled just like the stars
in the heavens. Her cheek laid on his chest listening to his steady
heartbeat so the raven king could not see her warm face. Smiling he placed
his cheek against the top of her dark locks and turned his fire eyes
towards the diamond filled sky.
The young king held his future-wife a little closer as his rubies carefully
searched through the sky. His tan hand pointed to the sky as he chuckled
lightly, "Now there's Draken."
The angel girl's eyes glanced towards the dark sky as she asked, "Where?"
Sparkles formed in his fire eyes as he spoke, "Do you see the four bright
stars above the moon?"
Hitomi eyed four glowing globes shining brightest amongst the cluster near
the moon, "Yes...."
His nostrils filled with her flowery scent causing him to drown in the
aroma, "Those four plus the three closest to them make the constellation
Draken."
Upon noticing the configuration of those seven gases the young seeress
smiled, "Hey! That's the constellation Draco!"
The king's eyes reflected the light of the stars as he asked, "Draco? Was
that what they called it on the Mystic Moon?"
Laughter filled his royal ears as the girl giggled to herself confusing the
dragon king. He lifted his head a little from the metal surface so he could
look her better in the face, "Why are you laughing?"
Hitomi smiled warmly into his rubies, "It's just that on the Mystic Moon
those stars also represent the constellation of a dragon..... The thought
of our two world having such close cultures just amazes me..... The only
thing is that our constellation consists of six other stars...."
With a pale finger she traced the imaginary line that formed from the
thirteen glowing gases as she spoke, "Those stars there make the
configuration known as 'Draco' or 'The dragon' as some call it."
The hansom man lifted himself onto an elbow and placed his head in his palm
so he could better look into her eyes that shined brighter than any star.
With a playful smile he asked, "And what do they say about 'Draco'?"
Pale fingers brushed away his ebony locks that blocked her view of his
gorgeous eyes before she turned her eyes back to the stars, "In Greek
mythology the dragon represented in the stars is Ladon. He was the guardian
of the 'golden apples' of immortality which grew in the garden of
Hesperides, beyond the River of Time, in the land......."
The young woman's crystal voice was drowned out as Van stared at her
glowing face. His fire eyes trailed over her features with cherishing every
attribute. Those brunette locks were like silk placed in the most beautiful
fashion. Although most women wore their hair in long flowing lengths her
style was far more attractive to his fire eyes. Her milky skin soft and
flawless like that of an infant made him want to drown in her beauty. Green
eyes that shone brighter than any light always captivated his ever waking
and slumbering thought. The very way her pale fingers move was like a
dance.
Was that what love was?......Not seeing the flaws in the one you cared
for?...... Or seeing the flaws as something special?......If that be the
case then he had to be more in love than anyone else......
"Van!" the voice rang through his thoughts startling him. His red fire eyes
came back into focus on his angel's face to see her smiling playful up at
him. Her eyes of green depths twinkled in mocked anger as she tried to
suppress a growing smile. The seeress desperately tried to hold back her
laughter, "King Van Fanel of Fanelia! You did not hear one word I said did
you?!"
The young king of ebony locks smiled down sheepishly, "Sorry....I didn't."
Her smile released from her pale lips as she tried again to hold down her
laughter, "And what, pray tell, were you thinking about when you completely
ignored your fiancé?"
The royal king looked down at his love and took another glance at her
beautiful features. How could he have been blessed to share in her
company?..... His tan fingers ran over her pale cheek in a feathery touch
causing her eyes sparkle with diamonds. Their eyes were locked in the same
gaze they always seem to hold. The way they looked at each other was like
they held something special between the two of them...... like love.....
Hitomi stared into his fiery pools that always captivated her heart and
listened to his rich voice answer, "I was thinking about how I am so
blessed to be able to be here with you......to be able to be call your
fiancé......"
The young seeress looked so deep into his eyes that she could have
suffocated in the sea of love pouring from his ruby pools. Within the ebony
pupil of his eye she could see a world of devotion. Whenever she looked in
those eyes she felt like she was looking at the other part of her soul.....
It was a mirror she looked into.......and when she looked into the glass
she saw her other half......her soul mate......
The king's hand cupped his dear lover's cheek as he whispered, "Hitomi.....
When I am with you......" His voice caught in his throat as a deep blush
fell on his cheeks. The young royal couldn't help, but turn his rubies away
for embarrassment. How could he tell her?....... He had confess his love
for her already,..... but there was so much more....... Every since this
adventure had started he had thought of nothing, but her...... Though his
last two years had been filled with her laugh..... her smile..... her
image...... it was nothing compared to the reality of her physically being
there...... and now with her by his side...... he wanted to tell her how
his soul ached for her..... how his love was like a cup overflowing......
He wanted to express his love through poetry..... but there were no words
to express 'such' love....... What words could he possible use?......
A warm hand fell on his cheek turning his eyes back to her emeralds. Once
he caught sight of those glorious jewels that shined just for him he felt
himself lost within those sparkles. The beautiful seeress knew he was
having a hard time and she knew she also wanted to express her love......
so she gave in and spoke first. Hitomi's voice barely be audible, but the
young king did not miss a single word, "Van..... when I am by your
side...... I feel like there no one on this world, but us...."
The man's eyes danced with love as the girl swallowed the lump growing in
her throat. She wanted to get this out more than anything else. She wanted
to say this more than even accomplishing her task at hand. Taking a deep
breath she look back into his eyes and saw the stars, "I just want you to
know......I think I would die if I ever lost you..... The only reason I
ever lasted the last two years was because I believed I would see you
again....."
Tears welled in her eyes as she remember how many nights she would rise
from her bed because she couldn't sleep. She would walk over to her window
and look through the glass up at the moon envisioning Gaea right beside it.
Sometimes she thought she had even caught a glimpse of the invisible world
of fantasy. When she grew really depressed she needed only to look into the
reflections in the glass..... or in the water...... even in the swaying of
grass she could use her senses to create an image of her beloved..... Then
the pain would leave..... but only for a little while..... once the image
left the pain would fill her soul again and then depression would overpower
her...... The only thought of ever returning to that foreign world was what
kept her breathing...... kept her living her life...... She barely had
understood at the time that her longing for his presence was because of
love..... It took her over a year of denial for her to finally accept the
fact that she fallen in love with the boy king...... And now as she laid
there in his arms beneath the stars she knew that this had to be love......
Emerald tears slid down her pale cheeks as her voice filled with emotions
and whispered, "Van...... I love you......"
The young king could feel her devotion and love in the flood of emotions
pouring forth from the depths of her soul and at that moment......he knew
what he needed to say.....
"Hitomi..... I...." the boy's fire eyes locked with forest green and a
swirl of emotions filled the air. His voice spoke low with growing
emotions "Hitomi..... I love you....."
Just three words......just three words.....three words spoken in every
tongue and situation..... Those few words that were often abused and use
for one's own personal gain...... While other times they were sacred and
cherished..... That small statement was a life..... It brought joy..... and
it brought heartache...... That simple phrase could bring a war to an
end...... While it could tear different families apart..... Such small
words......but such power......
As Van looked into the eyes of the young seeress, Hitomi, they knew that
was all that needed to be said.....They needed no poetry..... They didn't
need actions to show their true feelings...... They only needed each
other.......
Slowly the raven king lend down and Hitomi brought her lips to his in a
soft kiss of affection. Perhaps the touch was short, but that made no
difference. It was not passion they were looking for..... they were looking
for love...... The two hugged each other in a warm embrace as their eyes
closed shut. They only wanted to swim in the swirl of emotions that played
in the air. Those few words spoken in the night with the stars as their
witness was something that would forever be remembered in their heart and
mind.....
After what seemed like eternity the two lovers rose and left the
comfortable spot on the sail ship to retreat their rooms for much needed
sleep. As the two figures made their way to the open door leading into the
bellows of the ship a shooting star streaked across the star finishing the
magical moment......
~Morning~
Five straight hours......they had been sailing five straight hours since
the sun's rays blew over the horizon.......The group was becoming agitated
with the whole situation. Hitomi was probably the most nervous of the
occupants of the ship. None of them knew what they were looking for.
They had decided to drive towards the east because that was direction the
constellation 'Draken' pointed to, but the travel had proved fruitless.
Even with them flying extremely low near the planet to watch for land marks
that might give a clue to the phrase 'where the sun meets the moon' they
had discovered nothing. There had seen nothing that proved to resemble the
mysterious phrase.
Allen in his old blue tunic stood in the commander's seat of the control
room staring intently out the window as he searched the landscape. He
wanted to console with Hitomi about the situation, but she was had so many
burdens on her shoulders already that he didn't want to bother her.
The brunette king pushed his glasses farther up his nose as he glanced at
the sun checking the time. Wasting time always got the king on edge and as
they continued to sail in blind hope for the marker he wondered if they
would ever find the spot.
The royal's queen in her pink dress was trying her best to keep friendly
conversation with Celena, but the tension in the air made communication
almost impossible. Neither were enjoying the situation for they could see
the group's distress growing in the air.
Chid stood against a wall and kept glancing towards the blonde knight as he
thought about their venture into the 'Spirit Trees'. His small fingers
played with his royal blue outfit as he continued to think about the matter
that the knight being his blood father. The time wasn't right to confront
the blonde warrior about the issue so the boy had remained quiet, but it
was driving him insane as he stared at his father commanding the large
vessel.
A map of Gaea was carefully being traced by tan fingers of the young angel
king as his foster sister leaned over his arm trying to help. Van was
trying his best to look at the wrinkled parchment for clues, but he could
find nothing that might relate to the annoying riddle. Merle noticed her
foster brother growing aggravation with the situation and rubbed his arm
with a bronze palm in hope of revealing his stress.
Hitomi stood next to the large window on the opposite end that Dryden stood
next to. Her pale fingers flipped through the pages of the 'Book of Angels'
as she glanced between the written words and the clear glass. As she
continued her search through the ancient pages the young seeress began to
notice how her friends were glancing at her ever so often. They were
looking for answers. Hitomi had always seemed to 'pop up' with the answers
to any situation and now they wanted to turn to her for information, but
held back because they knew she was aggravated as much as they were. The
young angel woman felt completely insufficient as a royal heir and savior
of Gaea. She was the sole person who could save this world from being
shadowed by the wings of the black angel yet she couldn't even find her way
to the Mystic Valley. She felt completely undependable and irresponsible.
With a deep sigh the seeress closed the leather book quietly. Searching
through the passages as been a waste of time. All the ancient words ever
spoke of was prophecy and phrases that were written like riddles that she
couldn't possible understand. Closing her emerald eyes she tried to clear
her mind. There had to be something that would lead her to the unknown
destination.....
Her pale fingers ran over the small red stone of her pendant. She wondered
if her pendant could help. With a frustrated growl the girl realized there
was no way to use the stone. The only way she could tell the direction the
marker could be in was if she knew what it looked like. If she knew what
the land looked like she could have easily seen it in her mind and the
pendant would have swung in the right direction, but never even having a
glimpse of the place wouldn't help. Keeping her emerald pools close she
decided what she had to do.....
Clenching her teeth she released the power running through her blood in
blind hope that she would sense the unknown landmark. With a rush her
senses ran across the land below searching desperately for the place. Her
powers ran over lakes,.... mountains,..... plains,..... and sand,.......
but could not even catch a hint of recognition from the land. Her pale
fingers curled into fists as sweat began to brim her brow. The young
seeress pushed her powers as hard as possible, but she still couldn't feel
anything.
Van suddenly felt the wave of familiar power swimming outside the ship. He
glanced up from the wrinkled map in his hands and spotted his fiancé
growing pale. The sweat on her brow and her white knuckles proved what he
thought. She was using her powers again!
Dropping the map the young royal rushed over to the young seeress. His
sudden movement woke everyone from their thoughts causing them to look up
towards the king. The man's tan hands clutched the brunette girl's
shoulders and shook her lightly as the bystanders focused on the two
lovers. His rich voice urgently called out to his beloved, "Hitomi! Stop!
Stop it!"
Unfortunately Hitomi was lost.....lost in her flow of power and unable to
hear the man of her life...... Her powers weren't out of control, but it
kept her mind completely focus on the flow. Luckily because she wasn't
using the pendant she wasn't in control of the situation. If the Power of
the Atlantians was released she would have completely lost the hold on the
situation, but just using the ancient power running through her Draconian
blood allowed her to keep from the power going into chaos. Perhaps if she
had more experience in using her powers in this manner it would not have
been so painful, but it was too late to turn back.....
The young angel woman struggled with her powers urging the ancient
abilities to stretch farther out. As her energy started to give out she
sensed the landmark...... about south-east fifty miles away she could feel
a tiny bit of a familiar awareness...... but just barely.....
Her head began to ache as she strove to push onwards even harder. In the
back of her mind she could feel the shaking of her physical body. She knew
her beloved was trying to stop this painful use of her powers, but she
couldn't stop..... not quite yet...... As a throbbing pain surged in her
head she tried desperately to hold back tears that were threatening to
fall. She groaned as she felt her senses surge into the area where the
landmark laid.
The group circled around the two lover's as the distress royal continued to
shake the young brunette violently. Van's eyes were filled with concern as
he noticed his efforts were useless. His beloved refuse to wake. That just
made his attempts all the more stronger.
'Don't do this, Hitomi!' his mind begged as his fire pools sparkled with
tears, 'You can't die on me now!'
While this was occurring the young seeress was carefully using her senses
to inspect the bit of land. The spot was in the center of a large plain
where the greenest of grass grew. Within the heart of the fields laid a
section of golden sand where a tiny pond laid. The crystal clear body of
water was in the shape of a crescent moon and because of its shape the pond
formed a sort of island in the center of the moon. The points of the
crescent moon nearly connected together and formed a circle of sand within
the water. If you looked carefully at the right angel you would be able to
see the sun reflecting in the water's crystal mirror...... 'where the sun
meets the moon'......
At the moment the seeress spotted the reflecting sun she felt her energy
fail and her senses rushed back to her. As soon as her powers were sucked
back into the blood running through her veins the girl crumbled and fell
into the warm arms of her lover.
The young king cradled the fragile bundle to his white shirt as his ruby
eyes checked over her features. Her silky locks were plastered to her
drenched forehead from her sweat and her skin was incredibly pale, almost
white. Her breathing was shallow and ragged as she weakly shook in her
holder's arms. All in all she just seemed drained of energy which gave the
raven king enough strength to breath....
Van took a much needed breath of fresh air steadying him. Just as the young
king exhaled the air from his lungs a strange thing occurred. The group
gasped in wonder as the beautiful maiden woke.
The young brunette woman's pale skin began to deepen in color. Her
breathing grew regular and the heart within her chest began to beat
steadily. Her pale fingers ran over tan skin until they fell on a warm
hand. Once the two set of fingers made contact the pale hand grasped the
tan hand firmly. The young royal's eyes turned to slowly opening emeralds
as a warm smile broke across the two faces of the young couple.
The first thing the girl saw was his ruby jewels...... and that made her
feel like the world was shining down at her.....
Hitomi glanced around at the crowd of faces looking down in concern at her.
They could barely believe she had waken in such a short amount of time.
Their wide eyes of wonder stayed locked on the girl as she spoke. With a
voice that seemed too strong for a girl who had just gone through a painful
experience she said, "Head south-east, Allen....."
It took the group of close friends to actually let the words sink in for
they were completely taken by the sudden change in the girl. Allen
swallowed down the fact of the amazing event and turned to the helmsman.
With a strong voice the knight commanded, "Head south-east at 30 knots!"
The young man at the wheel gave a firm nod and said, "Yes, sir!" Hands ran
over controls and the wheel turned in a swift motion. Slowly the sails were
turned along with the propellers and in a matter of motions the ship was
heading towards fields of green grass.
Slowly the group backed away allowing Van to help Hitomi rise to her feet.
The worried Merle pushed away from the group just as the brunette woman
regained her footing and took the her into a huge hug. The angel woman
smiled down at her future sister-in-law as the cat replied, "I was worried,
Hitomi! Don't ever do that again!"
Laughing lightly Hitomi said, "Don't worry, Merle. I don't really want to
strain myself like that again."
A huge cat-like smile ran across the bronze face of fur, but soon
disappeared as the young cat~girl's eyes caught sight of something. Bronze
paws took hold of one of the seeress's hands and held it closely to her mud
eyes. With a curious voice she asked loudly, "What's this?"
A blush crept over the brunette girl's face as she realized the cat had
discovered the ring Van had given her the other night. Behind her blush
there was a hint of surprise though. She hadn't expected the others to
discover the ring so soon. Though she knew everyone understood the feelings
between her and the angel king she was still shy about announcing the whole
matter. She hadn't tried to hide the ring, but she hadn't tried to show it
off either. She had felt relief each time she past by her friends when the
ring decorated her pale finger. Now as she saw a knowing glint in those
brown cat eye's she knew the time had come for the group to know.
Taking a small gulp of air the blushing angel replied, "It's a wedding
ring, Merle...."
The blush on the girl's pale cheeks only deepen as the cat~girl gave an
excited squeal, "I knew it! I knew Lord Van~sama was going to ask you marry
him!"
A shy smile appeared on the flush face of the brunette girl as she saw
everyone smiling at her happily. Millerina rushed to Hitomi and took hold
of her pale hand. Blue eyes sparkled with joy as the queen spoke, "Oh,
Hitomi, I'm so happy for you!"
The young seeress bowed her head as she looked down at the glittering ring
and her voice held a hint of guilt as she spoke, "I was going to tell all
of you after this mess was over...."
The woman with golden locks smiling brightly, "That's quite alright,
Hitomi! We can understand. I'm just so happy for you!"
Celena along with the other two females huddled around the seeress happily
talking about what the wedding should be like all the while Van was also
overthrown by the two men. Allen brought his arm around the young king and
patted him softly, "It looks like you finally found your queen. I was
wondering how long it would take for you to get the courage to ask Hitomi"
The raven boy's face flushed red as Dryden also began to play in the game,
"Now King Van I think of Lady Hitomi as a daughter and I want you treat her
right."
A hand went to the older king's chin as he pretended to be in thought, "I
wonder Van how many children you will have...."
Red was surely becoming a regular color for the young angel king as he gave
a weak smile. The two men continued to bombard the youth with suggestive
remarks while the raven king looked through the group of faces at his
fiancé. Her emerald eyes locked with his rubies completely ignoring the
excited women as the noisy voices grew silent in their minds. All they saw
were each other amongst the laughs and smiles....... and that was all they
needed to see.....
~Mirror Moon Pond~
The group slowly walked off the large ramp and stopped where green grass
met golden sand. Allen, who stood at the head of the group, looking around
at the vast plain. There was nothing here except a pond so where was the
Mystic Valley?...... Carefully he remembered the last line and read through
it once more, 'when you reach the place where the sun meets the moon call
upon the angels and lite the sky'. Turning his head of blonde hair he
focused on the beautiful brunette woman who stood near the rear of the
group by the raven king. Her emerald eyes were focused on the scenery as
she thought of what she had to do.
Without saying a word she walked through the group of friends and soldiers
and made her way to the front of the people. Slowly the people parted
giving her path as she walked down to the sand with King Van close behind.
As she made her way down the opening in the group she looked regal and
determined....... like a true queen...... Although she still wore the
outfit from the previous night and seemed strange by the attire it made no
less a royal...... When she stepped away from the group Van stayed behind
and stood next to the hansom knight to watch what would occur next.
Quietly her mud boots crunched in the soft sand as she walked over to the
golden island. Her pale fingers went to the gold chain that hid beneath her
blue tee shirt and pulled out the red stone. As she grew closer to the pond
a red glow began to emit from the red teardrop. All eyes fixed on the
seeress as she halted on the tiny island's mound.
Turning her eyes to the cloud filled blue sky she wondered, 'What now?.....
What do I do?......'
A mysterious breeze swept through the grass causing her hair and leather
outfit to flutter. She could almost sense the presence of a million beings
all around her. Soft voices only her pale ears could hear played in the
air. Billions of voices of all sound and age spoke softly, barely audible.
They all spoke at once and no words could be deciphered. It didn't matter
though..... their words held no meaning....... except encouragement........
With a deep breath Hitomi took the pendant off her neck and held it in two
palms towards the sky. Closing her eyes she opened her senses to the world
around her. She knew not what she was doing except that she was going on
instinct alone. The wind picked up and lifted the back of her leather
jacket to reveal her blue shirt to the group watching behind her. A red
glow surrounded the amazing girl as her hair flowed in the wind. Her mind
softly spoke, 'Dear Joutei, please bring us to the Mystic Valley so I might
fulfill my destiny....."
The wind suddenly raged like hurricane all around them causing grains of
sand and water droplets to swirl around the girl with closed eyes. The tiny
objects sparkled in the red light as the pendant levitated from her pale
palms. Clouds within the sky swirled apart forming an opening as a red beam
of light shot from the ancient stone of blood. A thunderous sound hissed
through the air as the beam surrounded the unprepared group and metal
ship..... blinding them all......
~Dark Fortress~
The dark shadowy man watched the scene with gleaming eyes on his blue
sphere. The light flooded the view in the blue orb causing the dark room to
suddenly to be scared away of all shadows. With an evil smile the man
brought his pale hand to his demon's head petting it softly. His ice blue
eyes fell on the group of figurines littering the large map of Gaea. Each
small metal figure of his enemies dwelled on the parchment. With a knowing
smile dripped in evil he hissed, "Now the game begins....."
~Mystic Valley~
Hitomi opened her eyes to the familiar scene of a large valley. Green grass
and blue water trickled through the sacred land as the girl took a step
forward with her hands clutching the pendant. The group of people behind
her slowly moved about as they realized they had arrived at the destination
that they had strived to get to for the last week....... It was the place
they had all visited over two years ago........ It was a place sacred to
the Draconian race and well known..... It was place the young seeress
longed to see again for it was the root of her culture..... With an emerald
tear slipping down her pale cheek the brunette seeress whispered, "The
Mystic Valley......"
~Alright another chapter has been completed. I hope you enjoyed this one. I
did my best to keep it interesting, but there wasn't really much going on
in this chapter. It's the next group of chapters is what is going to send
all you readers for a loop! What's going to happen next I hope none of you
even expect! I like writing suspense and mysteries in my stories. The less
you expect the more enjoyable my writing becomes!~
~Please remember to R&R! I know some of you missed my last updates because
of the site being off line for a few days, but I really want to know what
you readers think about chapters 19-21!~
~Thanks for reading and I promise Chapter 22 will be out by Wed!~
