Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Escaflowne characters or the plot. I
do own Jewel, and if you wish to use her then please let me know!
Chapter Six: Sweet Dreams
Jewel stood in the dark training room waiting for her teacher. She was only ten, but her skill was that of a Zaibach soldier. She often wondered why she was being trained in the manner she was. She would watch others her age train; watching as they made any mistake they were severely punished. She wondered why she was not in those sessions, working with children her own age. And why she was not taught like that.
Jewel also noticed, with disgust, that the soldiers were first trained in the way of killing. She, on the other hand, was taught defense first. As she watched them she realized that there was so much more difference between them then she had first thought.
Trained differently, taught different ways of looking at the world, different futures. the list went on and on. But one thing that bothered her more then anything was they thought differently. She could look at an opponent and see their soul. She could then use that information as a weapon against them. Others would look at an opponent and just see someone challenging them.
"You should think like that, Jewel. You are young and naive, thinking that you are superior to them is not good for your training," a deep voice said.
Jewel bowed her head. "I am sorry, Sensai. I can't help but think it. I see things other do not."
"Yes, as you've already proved. But if you keep thinking that you are better then others, your way of seeing things will disappear. Keep your mind clean and pure, Jewel."
Jewel didn't know, but those were words that she would live by.
***
Jewel looked around the dark forest, searching for the lost trail. She was thirteen and her first mission had come. She needed to kill the adviser of the Fanellian king. Easy enough, she had thought. But what Zaibach hadn't told her was that this adviser was trained in the arts of hunting.
He could hide his trail as well as any animal of the forest. And he could easily kill her. That's what bothered Jewel, she could die easily. She could die as easily as an untrained soldier fighting in a war. But she wasn't an untrained soldier; she was the best trained soldier Zaibach had ever had. And she wasn't going to fail this mission.
Jewel bent down to the ground and listened. Deer grazed near by, a mouse came out of its hole, a squirrel looked for food and a bird looked for worms. No sign of the adviser. That bothered her even more.
She had been hunting him for hours, but he had long ago disappeared. Like he was swallowed by a dragon. Jewel hit the ground in frustration. She was failing!
Suddenly there was the snap of a bow string being released. Jewel didn't have any time to think. She jumped to the side right before an arrow embedded itself in the ground where she was. She whirled around and searched the ground. There wasn't an archer there. None in the trees either.
A rare smile appeared on Jewel's face. She always had a grim expression on, but when a smile did light up her face it meant she was going to do something unexpected. Another snap of the bowstring an another arrow hurtled its way towards her. Jewel jumped out of the way again. But somethin unexpected happened.
Just as Jewel started to move, another arrow was shot. This one was much faster. It embedded itself in her back, just barely missing her spine but penetrating her heart. She froze in mid-air, pain washing over her. She blinked once and instantly her heart stopped beating. There was no way to save her now. Jewel fell to the ground and lay there, her own blood creeping out of her wound and forming into a puddle of blood around her.
She had failed. She had failed and now she was dead. Shame, fear, anger, hate, sadness all washed over her. Even regret showed its face. Jewel felt tears stinging the back of her eyes. No! She wouldn't die crying! Crying was a sign of weakness! And she was nothing but weak!
Her vision went black and her eyes began to close. She was dead, passing from this world into the next. Nothing was left, nothing could save her. Her eyes shut and her breath stopped coming. But still, even though she was dead, a single tear escaped and slid silently down her face.
And hen the most amazing thing happened. Jewel couldn't remember, but she knew, in some way, that she was floating in darkness. And then a white light shot down and captured her. The light was warm, and she was cold. It slowly lifted her up, out of the darkness, warming her as it carried her.
***
Jewel awoke in a sweat. She looked frantically around her room. There was her pink walls, her pink bedspread, her Barbie clock on her bedside table, her desk, her backpack, her toy chest, she closet. Everything that she knew was here. "Nothing to be afraid of," she whispered to herself.
But the dream had done more then scare her. It had shaken her to her very being, her very soul. She had been having those images, training with a sword, watching others train, thoughts of how stupid things were, fighting people, getting flashes of them. Feelings flooded her. Hate, rage, anger, shame, fear, sadness, regret. What was happening to her?
What was this planet that she went to in dreams? Was it real? Was she real? Was she really on that planet? Who was she? What were these images? Memories, dreams? Ideas? A story that she had long ago read and was just remembering it in her sleep?
Questions too hard for a six year-old Jewel to comprehend or to even solve flooded her mind. She had never thought like this! What was this? She knew that she was Jewel, she lived with her family in a nice house with nice neighbors. She went to a nice school and had many friends. She was a sweet girl that everyone liked and loved.
But who was this other girl that looked like her, had her same name, but acted so differently? Who was she? Jewel hit the bed in anger. She didn't like thinking like this! She wanted to go back to her own way of thinking! She wasn't supposed to have these thoughts, was she?
Confused and angered, Jewel laid back down in her bed. She promptly feel asleep, but it was a troubled dream. Dreams about loosing herself plagued her mind, and she could do nothing to stop it.
***
TBC..
AN: Sorry guys, I have to leave the final part out of this. why? Cuz this will all make sense if I put it in with the beginning of the seventh chapter. Think of it as. as a cliffhanger. Thanks to all who have reviewed, and a VERY SPECIAL HAPPY BIRHTDAY TO CRIMSONFIRE!!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!
Chapter Six: Sweet Dreams
Jewel stood in the dark training room waiting for her teacher. She was only ten, but her skill was that of a Zaibach soldier. She often wondered why she was being trained in the manner she was. She would watch others her age train; watching as they made any mistake they were severely punished. She wondered why she was not in those sessions, working with children her own age. And why she was not taught like that.
Jewel also noticed, with disgust, that the soldiers were first trained in the way of killing. She, on the other hand, was taught defense first. As she watched them she realized that there was so much more difference between them then she had first thought.
Trained differently, taught different ways of looking at the world, different futures. the list went on and on. But one thing that bothered her more then anything was they thought differently. She could look at an opponent and see their soul. She could then use that information as a weapon against them. Others would look at an opponent and just see someone challenging them.
"You should think like that, Jewel. You are young and naive, thinking that you are superior to them is not good for your training," a deep voice said.
Jewel bowed her head. "I am sorry, Sensai. I can't help but think it. I see things other do not."
"Yes, as you've already proved. But if you keep thinking that you are better then others, your way of seeing things will disappear. Keep your mind clean and pure, Jewel."
Jewel didn't know, but those were words that she would live by.
***
Jewel looked around the dark forest, searching for the lost trail. She was thirteen and her first mission had come. She needed to kill the adviser of the Fanellian king. Easy enough, she had thought. But what Zaibach hadn't told her was that this adviser was trained in the arts of hunting.
He could hide his trail as well as any animal of the forest. And he could easily kill her. That's what bothered Jewel, she could die easily. She could die as easily as an untrained soldier fighting in a war. But she wasn't an untrained soldier; she was the best trained soldier Zaibach had ever had. And she wasn't going to fail this mission.
Jewel bent down to the ground and listened. Deer grazed near by, a mouse came out of its hole, a squirrel looked for food and a bird looked for worms. No sign of the adviser. That bothered her even more.
She had been hunting him for hours, but he had long ago disappeared. Like he was swallowed by a dragon. Jewel hit the ground in frustration. She was failing!
Suddenly there was the snap of a bow string being released. Jewel didn't have any time to think. She jumped to the side right before an arrow embedded itself in the ground where she was. She whirled around and searched the ground. There wasn't an archer there. None in the trees either.
A rare smile appeared on Jewel's face. She always had a grim expression on, but when a smile did light up her face it meant she was going to do something unexpected. Another snap of the bowstring an another arrow hurtled its way towards her. Jewel jumped out of the way again. But somethin unexpected happened.
Just as Jewel started to move, another arrow was shot. This one was much faster. It embedded itself in her back, just barely missing her spine but penetrating her heart. She froze in mid-air, pain washing over her. She blinked once and instantly her heart stopped beating. There was no way to save her now. Jewel fell to the ground and lay there, her own blood creeping out of her wound and forming into a puddle of blood around her.
She had failed. She had failed and now she was dead. Shame, fear, anger, hate, sadness all washed over her. Even regret showed its face. Jewel felt tears stinging the back of her eyes. No! She wouldn't die crying! Crying was a sign of weakness! And she was nothing but weak!
Her vision went black and her eyes began to close. She was dead, passing from this world into the next. Nothing was left, nothing could save her. Her eyes shut and her breath stopped coming. But still, even though she was dead, a single tear escaped and slid silently down her face.
And hen the most amazing thing happened. Jewel couldn't remember, but she knew, in some way, that she was floating in darkness. And then a white light shot down and captured her. The light was warm, and she was cold. It slowly lifted her up, out of the darkness, warming her as it carried her.
***
Jewel awoke in a sweat. She looked frantically around her room. There was her pink walls, her pink bedspread, her Barbie clock on her bedside table, her desk, her backpack, her toy chest, she closet. Everything that she knew was here. "Nothing to be afraid of," she whispered to herself.
But the dream had done more then scare her. It had shaken her to her very being, her very soul. She had been having those images, training with a sword, watching others train, thoughts of how stupid things were, fighting people, getting flashes of them. Feelings flooded her. Hate, rage, anger, shame, fear, sadness, regret. What was happening to her?
What was this planet that she went to in dreams? Was it real? Was she real? Was she really on that planet? Who was she? What were these images? Memories, dreams? Ideas? A story that she had long ago read and was just remembering it in her sleep?
Questions too hard for a six year-old Jewel to comprehend or to even solve flooded her mind. She had never thought like this! What was this? She knew that she was Jewel, she lived with her family in a nice house with nice neighbors. She went to a nice school and had many friends. She was a sweet girl that everyone liked and loved.
But who was this other girl that looked like her, had her same name, but acted so differently? Who was she? Jewel hit the bed in anger. She didn't like thinking like this! She wanted to go back to her own way of thinking! She wasn't supposed to have these thoughts, was she?
Confused and angered, Jewel laid back down in her bed. She promptly feel asleep, but it was a troubled dream. Dreams about loosing herself plagued her mind, and she could do nothing to stop it.
***
TBC..
AN: Sorry guys, I have to leave the final part out of this. why? Cuz this will all make sense if I put it in with the beginning of the seventh chapter. Think of it as. as a cliffhanger. Thanks to all who have reviewed, and a VERY SPECIAL HAPPY BIRHTDAY TO CRIMSONFIRE!!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!