Title: The Fanels - Varia
Author: Ashley
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne or any of the characters therein. But you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and the course it takes.
Dedication: Again, this goes to anyone who takes the time to say anything. Thanks!
Chapter Four
~*~*~*~*~*
Varia lay in bed, propped up by half a dozen pillows. Her journal was on her lap, and she had just finished recounting everything she could remember. She paused for a moment, then turned to a fresh page. It really had been enlightening, going over everything step by step. She now knew a few things that hadn't been clear before she began.
Carefully labeling the page "Things About the Dream", she began to write. First off, it had seemed very real, maybe too real for it to have been a dream at all. She had felt cold, not just gotten the impression of it. The bruises around her neck were real, and she hadn't given them to herself, no matter what she had told the others.
But the biggest clue that Varia had come across was the realization that there had been not one, but two people with her in that world of cold darkness. The one who had called to her, and the one who had tried to strangle her. She thought it was safe to assume that the second one was trying to keep her from reaching the first.
But, since the second one had had an aura of evil, did that mean that the first one was to be trusted? Or was it a trick? What was going on?
With an aggravated sigh, Varia flung down her journal, sending it sliding across her blanket-covered lap. There were too many questions and not enough answers. Retrieving the journal, she shoved it under her pillow.
She had just finished making sure none of the edges showed when someone knocked softly on the door.
"Come in," she called. The door opened to reveal her brothers. They stepped inside, quickly shutting the door behind them. Only then did they move further into the room.
Kenny pulled a chair from the writing desk up beside her. Drake simply plopped himself down across the foot of the bed. They didn't speak; they didn't have to. Since they were young, they had always been able to tell what the others were feeling. It had come in handy more than once.
Varia knew they wanted a full explanation on what had happened earlier. She spoke quickly, outlining the dizziness, the voice, and the hands in a calm manner, finishing up with her own thoughts.
"It didn't occur to me until just a little while ago, but I got the strong impression that there were two . . . beings, I guess. One was calling me, and the other was trying to keep me from her."
"Her?" Drake questioned.
"I just got the feeling that it was female. It was like I could feel these two. . . groups of energy. The first one felt safe. Warm. The second was cold, oily, almost. The feelings were very clear."
It had been understood that, besides their link to one another, the siblings each had additional gifts. Kenny could sometimes pick up on other people's thoughts, Varia could sense what her mother said were people's auras, and Drake, when he concentrated very hard, could plant an "urge" in people's minds. Nothing too far from what they would willing do on their own, but a useful trick, at any rate.
"The first one seemed almost familiar to me. Like something I just barely remembered." Varia told them, leaning back against the headboard. "I don't know how to explain it."
"At first, I thought you'd had a vision," Kenny said softly, speaking up for the first time. "Only, it's not the same kind of thing that Mother described."
"I was thinking the same thing. But she also said it might be different for everyone." Varia pointed out. "Whatever it was, I get the feeling this isn't the last we'll hear of it."
Contrary to what the Fanel's thought, someone had noticed their silent exchange. And that person was planning to find out what it meant.
Alecs sat in the library, in the same chair he'd occupied just a few hours earlier. One elbow was propped on the chair arm; his hand cupped his chin. As he sat there, waiting for one of his friends to appear, he let his thoughts drift back over the events of the morning.
An image of Varia, pale and trembling as she lay sprawled on the ground passed through his mind. A shudder coursed through him as he recalled the awful possibilities that had occurred to him. If any of them had been true . . .
He jumped from the chair and began to pace. Normally, a morning like this wouldn't faze him. But it had reminded him so much of the dream. Nearly every night for the past few months, it was same dream.
Alecs would find himself standing a couple of dozen feet from the edge of a cliff. Two figures, barely visible in the darkness, struggled on the edge. Suddenly, one shoved the other a few feet away. As they both turned in his direction, he recognized Varia. She was dressed in a white dress that fluttered in the slight breeze.
As he stood there, she raised one hand to him, a look of pleading on her face that tore at him. From somewhere behind her rose a dark shadow. It started to grab Varia just as Alecs took his first steps forward. Arms wrapped themselves around her, pulling her ever closer to the edge.
Alecs leapt forward, struggling through what felt like thick mud pulling at his feet, trying to reach her in time. One hand was stretched before him, and he managed to pull her free from the shadow's grasp. But his momentum kept him going forward, and when the muck released him suddenly, there was no way he could stop. Seconds later, they were both plummeting over the cliff.
Then, there was only the sense of falling, the night sky above him, and the knowledge that the ground was rushing up to meet him.
Then a face appeared before him, seeming to glow in the dim light. It was a woman, beautiful and wearing a determined expression. She smiled softly, and he could feel her wrapping her arms around him. There was a whooshing sound, and it seemed as though they were falling slower than they had been moments before.
Things would always start to get fuzzy at that point. There was just the impression of coming to rest safely on the ground. The woman vanished, replaced by the sound of heartbreaking sobs. Alecs turned in every direction, trying to find the source of the sound. But he seemed to be alone . . . until his eyes landed on the huddled mass a few feet away. He tried to go to her, but she seemed to be drifting further and further away by the second.
He always woke up then, covered in sweat. Never had he made it to the girl's side, never had he found out who was crying so sadly. Alecs paused in his pacing, one hand raking through his shoulder length hair. Maybe that was why the dream kept coming back; he needed to see it to the end.
"Easy enough," he muttered to himself. "I just have to find a way to stay asleep longer. Then I'll reach the girl, find the woman, and figure out where Varia fits into it the situation."
"Usually wherever she wants," a voice from behind him said. Alecs turned to see Kenny standing in the doorway. "Varia," he explained, coming further into the room.
Alecs smiled wryly. "That sounds about right."
"Want to talk about it?"
"Not much to talk about. Just a recurring dream that I can't seem to shake." He shook his head. "I think I might spend too much time with the females in the family. I'm starting to think it's more than just a dream."
Kenny laughed. "You should count yourself lucky that that's all you have to worry about. In my family, a dream is never 'just a dream'. They always think it has to have some hidden meaning to it."
Alecs hesitated, unsure whether to ask his next question. "Have you ever, you know, had a . . . a vision? Like your Mother did?"
Kenny's brow furrowed for a moment. "I think it's different for us. Drake, Varia, and me," he clarified. "It's like . . . this morning, they didn't tell us where they were going, but I got the feeling it had something to do with family. Nothing definite, just a feeling. It's like having a string intuition." He shook his head. "It's hard to explain."
"I thought all the family on your father's side was dead?"
"They are. So that means, if I'm right, it has to be the other side of the family."
"But they live . . . "
"Yeah. On the Mystic Moon."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: I prefer Mystic Moon to the other two options, so that's the one I use in my stories.
I know it's been a long time since I updated this, but I warned you. I hope this extra long (for me) part makes up for it. But . . . this story is the one that's getting the least reviews of the 3 I'm writing. I can only take that as this is the one that the least amount of people are enjoying. So if I drop one, it would be this one. I'm not saying that to get reviews, just giving warning. Even if I do drop it, I will pick it up again later on. It just might be awhile.
Author: Ashley
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne or any of the characters therein. But you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and the course it takes.
Dedication: Again, this goes to anyone who takes the time to say anything. Thanks!
Chapter Four
~*~*~*~*~*
Varia lay in bed, propped up by half a dozen pillows. Her journal was on her lap, and she had just finished recounting everything she could remember. She paused for a moment, then turned to a fresh page. It really had been enlightening, going over everything step by step. She now knew a few things that hadn't been clear before she began.
Carefully labeling the page "Things About the Dream", she began to write. First off, it had seemed very real, maybe too real for it to have been a dream at all. She had felt cold, not just gotten the impression of it. The bruises around her neck were real, and she hadn't given them to herself, no matter what she had told the others.
But the biggest clue that Varia had come across was the realization that there had been not one, but two people with her in that world of cold darkness. The one who had called to her, and the one who had tried to strangle her. She thought it was safe to assume that the second one was trying to keep her from reaching the first.
But, since the second one had had an aura of evil, did that mean that the first one was to be trusted? Or was it a trick? What was going on?
With an aggravated sigh, Varia flung down her journal, sending it sliding across her blanket-covered lap. There were too many questions and not enough answers. Retrieving the journal, she shoved it under her pillow.
She had just finished making sure none of the edges showed when someone knocked softly on the door.
"Come in," she called. The door opened to reveal her brothers. They stepped inside, quickly shutting the door behind them. Only then did they move further into the room.
Kenny pulled a chair from the writing desk up beside her. Drake simply plopped himself down across the foot of the bed. They didn't speak; they didn't have to. Since they were young, they had always been able to tell what the others were feeling. It had come in handy more than once.
Varia knew they wanted a full explanation on what had happened earlier. She spoke quickly, outlining the dizziness, the voice, and the hands in a calm manner, finishing up with her own thoughts.
"It didn't occur to me until just a little while ago, but I got the strong impression that there were two . . . beings, I guess. One was calling me, and the other was trying to keep me from her."
"Her?" Drake questioned.
"I just got the feeling that it was female. It was like I could feel these two. . . groups of energy. The first one felt safe. Warm. The second was cold, oily, almost. The feelings were very clear."
It had been understood that, besides their link to one another, the siblings each had additional gifts. Kenny could sometimes pick up on other people's thoughts, Varia could sense what her mother said were people's auras, and Drake, when he concentrated very hard, could plant an "urge" in people's minds. Nothing too far from what they would willing do on their own, but a useful trick, at any rate.
"The first one seemed almost familiar to me. Like something I just barely remembered." Varia told them, leaning back against the headboard. "I don't know how to explain it."
"At first, I thought you'd had a vision," Kenny said softly, speaking up for the first time. "Only, it's not the same kind of thing that Mother described."
"I was thinking the same thing. But she also said it might be different for everyone." Varia pointed out. "Whatever it was, I get the feeling this isn't the last we'll hear of it."
Contrary to what the Fanel's thought, someone had noticed their silent exchange. And that person was planning to find out what it meant.
Alecs sat in the library, in the same chair he'd occupied just a few hours earlier. One elbow was propped on the chair arm; his hand cupped his chin. As he sat there, waiting for one of his friends to appear, he let his thoughts drift back over the events of the morning.
An image of Varia, pale and trembling as she lay sprawled on the ground passed through his mind. A shudder coursed through him as he recalled the awful possibilities that had occurred to him. If any of them had been true . . .
He jumped from the chair and began to pace. Normally, a morning like this wouldn't faze him. But it had reminded him so much of the dream. Nearly every night for the past few months, it was same dream.
Alecs would find himself standing a couple of dozen feet from the edge of a cliff. Two figures, barely visible in the darkness, struggled on the edge. Suddenly, one shoved the other a few feet away. As they both turned in his direction, he recognized Varia. She was dressed in a white dress that fluttered in the slight breeze.
As he stood there, she raised one hand to him, a look of pleading on her face that tore at him. From somewhere behind her rose a dark shadow. It started to grab Varia just as Alecs took his first steps forward. Arms wrapped themselves around her, pulling her ever closer to the edge.
Alecs leapt forward, struggling through what felt like thick mud pulling at his feet, trying to reach her in time. One hand was stretched before him, and he managed to pull her free from the shadow's grasp. But his momentum kept him going forward, and when the muck released him suddenly, there was no way he could stop. Seconds later, they were both plummeting over the cliff.
Then, there was only the sense of falling, the night sky above him, and the knowledge that the ground was rushing up to meet him.
Then a face appeared before him, seeming to glow in the dim light. It was a woman, beautiful and wearing a determined expression. She smiled softly, and he could feel her wrapping her arms around him. There was a whooshing sound, and it seemed as though they were falling slower than they had been moments before.
Things would always start to get fuzzy at that point. There was just the impression of coming to rest safely on the ground. The woman vanished, replaced by the sound of heartbreaking sobs. Alecs turned in every direction, trying to find the source of the sound. But he seemed to be alone . . . until his eyes landed on the huddled mass a few feet away. He tried to go to her, but she seemed to be drifting further and further away by the second.
He always woke up then, covered in sweat. Never had he made it to the girl's side, never had he found out who was crying so sadly. Alecs paused in his pacing, one hand raking through his shoulder length hair. Maybe that was why the dream kept coming back; he needed to see it to the end.
"Easy enough," he muttered to himself. "I just have to find a way to stay asleep longer. Then I'll reach the girl, find the woman, and figure out where Varia fits into it the situation."
"Usually wherever she wants," a voice from behind him said. Alecs turned to see Kenny standing in the doorway. "Varia," he explained, coming further into the room.
Alecs smiled wryly. "That sounds about right."
"Want to talk about it?"
"Not much to talk about. Just a recurring dream that I can't seem to shake." He shook his head. "I think I might spend too much time with the females in the family. I'm starting to think it's more than just a dream."
Kenny laughed. "You should count yourself lucky that that's all you have to worry about. In my family, a dream is never 'just a dream'. They always think it has to have some hidden meaning to it."
Alecs hesitated, unsure whether to ask his next question. "Have you ever, you know, had a . . . a vision? Like your Mother did?"
Kenny's brow furrowed for a moment. "I think it's different for us. Drake, Varia, and me," he clarified. "It's like . . . this morning, they didn't tell us where they were going, but I got the feeling it had something to do with family. Nothing definite, just a feeling. It's like having a string intuition." He shook his head. "It's hard to explain."
"I thought all the family on your father's side was dead?"
"They are. So that means, if I'm right, it has to be the other side of the family."
"But they live . . . "
"Yeah. On the Mystic Moon."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: I prefer Mystic Moon to the other two options, so that's the one I use in my stories.
I know it's been a long time since I updated this, but I warned you. I hope this extra long (for me) part makes up for it. But . . . this story is the one that's getting the least reviews of the 3 I'm writing. I can only take that as this is the one that the least amount of people are enjoying. So if I drop one, it would be this one. I'm not saying that to get reviews, just giving warning. Even if I do drop it, I will pick it up again later on. It just might be awhile.
