Disclaimer: Don't own Esca! But all original characters are MINE! (Too hard to list them all!)
A/N: I am SO happy that ff.net is back up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH YEAH! YAY! Too bad I start school tomorrow, oh well it's only half a day, an afternoon of fanfics(yay!), and cleaning my room(yuck!)... We're back to the present by the way... Well enjoy! R&R! * Whistles a Fanelian tune * ^_^
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Chapter 22: Discovery
The kids found themselves on a hard black surface. Daren said, "I think we made it..." Everyone jumped in fright, when they heard a loud honking sound.
"What the hell!" Daren and Leo cried out in surprise. They turned around to see a metal contraption with an angry man inside. They moved over onto the sidewalk with a look of bewilderment on their faces. They started walking around, Daren and Leo still mourning over the loss of their swords.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I'm hungry!" Little Hope proclaimed indignantly.
"So am I!" Memory added, tugging on Varomi's blue skirt.
"OK, we'll get something to eat I guess..." Varomi said as they walked up to a strange looking building.
"M-Mc-D-Donald's..." Varomi stuttered out the strange name, Reading Mystic Moon language was not a strong suit of hers.
The group walked inside, and Daren went up to the counter to order, "I'll have two Yupins, with Cabasia nut dressing, Par on the side, and Piscus to drink..." Daren started.
The cashier looked completely confused, and Varomi took him aside.
"DAREN! These people are going to think we are complete freaks! First, you speak in Gaean, and even if they understood you, he'd have no idea what you were ordering... They don't have that kind of food here!"
"Well geez, I'm sorry, your highness, so what do you propose that we do?" Daren snapped in a sarcastic tone.
"Mother taught me some Mystic Moon language, I guess I'll try to order..." Varomi replied.
They turned around in shock when they saw Hope talking to the cashier in an unfamiliar tongue, Ria whispered in Hope's ear that she and Ruvan wanted the Fish Fillet, and Hope added this to the order.
"Hope? What did you just do?" Varomi asked.
"I ordered us food." Hope replied simply.
"How?"
"I don't know..." Hope said, looking unsure of herself.
"Oh, who cares how she did it, at least we won't starve!" Daren commented, handing the cashier some coins. If the cashier had been paying any attention whatsoever, he would have noticed that Daren had just given him some strange copper coins with the royal Fanelian seal embedded in them.
They went to sit at a table and just sort of stared at their plates. Ria looked at her sandwich, taking the top bun off, and asked, "Where's the fish?" Daren stared at his drink; it was a murky brown substance. He dipped his finger in it and tasted it, and started coughing and gagging, surprised at how sweet it was. Varomi looked at her salad, that appeared to be in a cup, and she looked at the packet of dressing in confusion. The twins however, didn't seem to care what it was, and were gulping it down ravenously. Eventually, they gave into hunger and ate.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After their meal, they started wandering around. They found themselves at what looked like a huge market, like what they were accustomed to seeing on Gaea. They looked around in wonder at what the Mystic Moon inhabitants sold. Ria and Ruvan drooled as they saw all the fresh fish. A man was tossing it around and people were laughing, Ria commented, "What a waste of good fish!" When the man tossed the fish to his partner, Ria caught it in midair and disappeared into the crowd. Ria and Ruvan munched on it contentedly as they walked around. Varomi thought the decorations were lovely, the blue and white china shone as they walked into a candy shop. The twins saw some rice candy and begged Daren to buy it for them, he did, and they started to argue over whose sticker from the candy was better. Varomi got some mustard covered pea pods, and the boys settled on Shrimp chips. The girls dragged the unwilling boys into a clothes shop, where they tried on many different garments, most of which they knew they couldn't afford.
The twins giggled as they tried on sunglasses that wouldn't stay on and slid below their eyes. Memory put her hair up in a ponytail with a ribbon and exclaimed, "I'm a wealthy merchant!" And gave them all a toothy grin. Everybody, except Leo, laughed, she sounded just like Dryden.
"Don't insult my father that way!" Leo protested in an angry tone.
"C'mon, lighten up Leo, you know it sounds just like him..." Varomi said as she put her hand on his shoulder and smiled at him.
Leo melted under her touch and Daren commented, "Looks like Leo's got a girlfriend!"
Leo and Varomi blushed madly and Varomi said, "SHUT UP!" through clenched teeth.
"When's the wedding?" Daren asked mockingly.
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Varomi repeated starting to strangle her brother.
"Okay, Okay!" He choked out, and Varomi released his neck.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After a busy day of exploring, they needed somewhere to spend the night. They walked along the road and came across what looked to be an abandoned building. It was white with green shutters and it was probably once quite picturesque in Varomi's opinion. Untamed vines grew up the sides of the house, and wilted flowers were strewn about the dead grass. They paint was peeling, and the shudders had started to come lose from their hinges. A rusty tricycle was on the front sidewalk, and the bushes and lawn were overgrown. The five older kids were hesitant to enter, but the twins just ran up the path, and opened the front door, heading inside.
"I guess we should follow them..." Daren muttered just loud enough for them to hear, and they walked in.
It looked like it had been abandoned at the spur of the moment. Dishes had been set out on the table where wilted lilies rested in a vase, a robe lay strewn across the sofa, and toys were scattered across the floor. The electricity wasn't working, and Varomi noticed a bill on the counter that was dated three years earlier.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Varomi looked about the kitchen, wondering if there was anything usable. She found some bottled water in the fridge, but nothing else, apparently the family hadn't done their shopping before they left. She sighed and opened her bag. She pulled out some strange fruit and handed it and the water to her companions.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was late, (They had left for the Mystic Moon late in the afternoon) so they found rooms to retire in. The twins occupied what looked like a nursery, with pink wallpaper, and two matching cradles, that they had tried to squeeze into. The cat siblings found the couch pleasant and fell into immediate slumber. There was one room left, with twin beds. Leo said that Varomi and Daren should take this room, but Varomi insisted that she'd sleep in one of the chairs in the living room. She wouldn't let her decision be shifted, so Leo grudgingly complied and entered the room, Daren following close behind.
Unknown to everyone, Varomi received visions, and knew the past, present, and future. She supposed that it was a family trait or maybe a side effect of her Atlantis heritage, but the twins and Daren couldn't do it, or at least, she didn't think so. Her father had told them stories of how their mother had helped to win the Destiny War that had ended several years before they were born. She was always getting in trouble for her abilities, and they had caused a lot of suffering, so Varomi kept her talents to herself. She often wondered why she couldn't just be a normal person. She was a Draconian, a fortune teller, and a princess, not exactly your typical girl. She sensed a strange presence in this house, like a feeling of belonging, as if she'd been here before. But that was ridiculous, she'd never been to the Mystic Moon before. Her mother had enchanted them with the wonders of her homeland, things they couldn't comprehend. During her mother's time on Gaea, she had introduced Fanelia to a few new perks of technology, but they were still far behind the Mystic Moon and Zaibach.
She wandered up a rickety flight of stairs, creaking with every step she took. She emerged in what looked like an attic. It was very dusty, and it made her cough. She saw many old trunks, her curiosity got the best of her, and she opened one, inside was what looked like a wedding dress. It was a heavenly white, with peals stitched along the hem and neckline. Beneath it was a crumpled suit, a wilted carnation in the buttonhole. On top of the dress and suit was a framed picture of a handsome man and a beautiful woman in these clothes. 'They look so happy... I wonder if mother and father looked this way when they were wed...' She moved on to another trunk, she was disappointed to only see a bunch of dusty books inside. She opened a thin leather bound book and was surprised to see what looked like a diary...
'April 22nd, 1996:
Today is the beginning of my new life. I was married today. And no doubt, my husband is one of the greatest men alive. When I stare into his eyes, I know he is my soulmate. They are deep pools of green, and when he smiles at me, my heart melts. He has light brown hair and a boyish air about him. When I met him a year ago, I was hesitant to rush into a relationship. My boyfriend had been dating other girls behind my back, and when I discovered this, I dumped him immediately, wouldn't you? My father is abusive, I can't count the times I was slapped or beaten, mother just cowered in the corner crying she couldn't do anything. I earned myself a scholarship in high school, and left for college as soon as I possibly could. My little sister drowned a year ago. We were having a picnic in a favorite park of ours; she wandered into the lake, and drowned we suppose, for being a three-year-old, she couldn't swim. I blame myself, I was supposed to be watching her, I don't think I'll ever get over my grief for her. I am quiet, and he is so out in the open about everything, but now I know that we were destined to be together. The wedding was beautiful, we held it outside under the cherry trees, and the sunlight illuminated the pearls on my dress. As we kissed, an electric shock seemed to pass through me. But I am so afraid that he will discover my secret, he is a wonderful person, but I know he'd abandon me if... he found out what I am... How could he stand to be married to... a Draconian? I think my luck has finally turned around, now that I'm lucky enough to be with him forever...
May 15th, 1997:
I am sorry, I guess I'm not a writer, but so much has happened in the last year. I became a mother. A mother of two beautiful little girls. They have blonde tufts of hair and blue eyes the same colors as my own features. We love the children dearly, they are so sweet. I can't believe they're mine. My sweet little Celia and Lori. I must go, they're crying.
May 20th, 1997:
This is not how my life was supposed to turn out. It seems that my bad luck has caught up to me once again. Maybe the legends are true, perhaps I am cursed...We were off to buy groceries, leaving the twins with a babysitter... Then, a truck ran into the front of our car in a head on collision. My wonderful husband, he... he... is dead... And I am next to go, I am using my last few moments in this world to write this so my precious children, Celia and Lori, will know what happened, what brought us to our ruin. Live happy lives my children, I love you...with all my heart...
~Aria Kanzaki~
'Kanzaki?!' Varomi thought. 'That was my mother's last name... No, No, it must be a coincidence, it can't possibly be true...' She cleared her mind of this thought, and opened a photo album. ON the first page was a lovely woman, with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was smiling at the man beside her, who had his arms wrapped around her. He had light brown hair and green eyes. 'He looks... he looks... just like mother...' Varomi thought. Sweat trickled down Varomi's forehead, when she saw the next picture, a picture of two little blonde-headed girls, that stared at her through the same blue eyes as Hope and Memory...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Well, my fingers are out of practice that took FOREVER to type. Hope you liked it, I'll start typing the next chapter! Thanks again to all of you who reviewed, couldn't have done it without ya, keep reviewing! Arigatou and Sionara! ^_^
~Trunks Gal~
A/N: I am SO happy that ff.net is back up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH YEAH! YAY! Too bad I start school tomorrow, oh well it's only half a day, an afternoon of fanfics(yay!), and cleaning my room(yuck!)... We're back to the present by the way... Well enjoy! R&R! * Whistles a Fanelian tune * ^_^
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 22: Discovery
The kids found themselves on a hard black surface. Daren said, "I think we made it..." Everyone jumped in fright, when they heard a loud honking sound.
"What the hell!" Daren and Leo cried out in surprise. They turned around to see a metal contraption with an angry man inside. They moved over onto the sidewalk with a look of bewilderment on their faces. They started walking around, Daren and Leo still mourning over the loss of their swords.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I'm hungry!" Little Hope proclaimed indignantly.
"So am I!" Memory added, tugging on Varomi's blue skirt.
"OK, we'll get something to eat I guess..." Varomi said as they walked up to a strange looking building.
"M-Mc-D-Donald's..." Varomi stuttered out the strange name, Reading Mystic Moon language was not a strong suit of hers.
The group walked inside, and Daren went up to the counter to order, "I'll have two Yupins, with Cabasia nut dressing, Par on the side, and Piscus to drink..." Daren started.
The cashier looked completely confused, and Varomi took him aside.
"DAREN! These people are going to think we are complete freaks! First, you speak in Gaean, and even if they understood you, he'd have no idea what you were ordering... They don't have that kind of food here!"
"Well geez, I'm sorry, your highness, so what do you propose that we do?" Daren snapped in a sarcastic tone.
"Mother taught me some Mystic Moon language, I guess I'll try to order..." Varomi replied.
They turned around in shock when they saw Hope talking to the cashier in an unfamiliar tongue, Ria whispered in Hope's ear that she and Ruvan wanted the Fish Fillet, and Hope added this to the order.
"Hope? What did you just do?" Varomi asked.
"I ordered us food." Hope replied simply.
"How?"
"I don't know..." Hope said, looking unsure of herself.
"Oh, who cares how she did it, at least we won't starve!" Daren commented, handing the cashier some coins. If the cashier had been paying any attention whatsoever, he would have noticed that Daren had just given him some strange copper coins with the royal Fanelian seal embedded in them.
They went to sit at a table and just sort of stared at their plates. Ria looked at her sandwich, taking the top bun off, and asked, "Where's the fish?" Daren stared at his drink; it was a murky brown substance. He dipped his finger in it and tasted it, and started coughing and gagging, surprised at how sweet it was. Varomi looked at her salad, that appeared to be in a cup, and she looked at the packet of dressing in confusion. The twins however, didn't seem to care what it was, and were gulping it down ravenously. Eventually, they gave into hunger and ate.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After their meal, they started wandering around. They found themselves at what looked like a huge market, like what they were accustomed to seeing on Gaea. They looked around in wonder at what the Mystic Moon inhabitants sold. Ria and Ruvan drooled as they saw all the fresh fish. A man was tossing it around and people were laughing, Ria commented, "What a waste of good fish!" When the man tossed the fish to his partner, Ria caught it in midair and disappeared into the crowd. Ria and Ruvan munched on it contentedly as they walked around. Varomi thought the decorations were lovely, the blue and white china shone as they walked into a candy shop. The twins saw some rice candy and begged Daren to buy it for them, he did, and they started to argue over whose sticker from the candy was better. Varomi got some mustard covered pea pods, and the boys settled on Shrimp chips. The girls dragged the unwilling boys into a clothes shop, where they tried on many different garments, most of which they knew they couldn't afford.
The twins giggled as they tried on sunglasses that wouldn't stay on and slid below their eyes. Memory put her hair up in a ponytail with a ribbon and exclaimed, "I'm a wealthy merchant!" And gave them all a toothy grin. Everybody, except Leo, laughed, she sounded just like Dryden.
"Don't insult my father that way!" Leo protested in an angry tone.
"C'mon, lighten up Leo, you know it sounds just like him..." Varomi said as she put her hand on his shoulder and smiled at him.
Leo melted under her touch and Daren commented, "Looks like Leo's got a girlfriend!"
Leo and Varomi blushed madly and Varomi said, "SHUT UP!" through clenched teeth.
"When's the wedding?" Daren asked mockingly.
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Varomi repeated starting to strangle her brother.
"Okay, Okay!" He choked out, and Varomi released his neck.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After a busy day of exploring, they needed somewhere to spend the night. They walked along the road and came across what looked to be an abandoned building. It was white with green shutters and it was probably once quite picturesque in Varomi's opinion. Untamed vines grew up the sides of the house, and wilted flowers were strewn about the dead grass. They paint was peeling, and the shudders had started to come lose from their hinges. A rusty tricycle was on the front sidewalk, and the bushes and lawn were overgrown. The five older kids were hesitant to enter, but the twins just ran up the path, and opened the front door, heading inside.
"I guess we should follow them..." Daren muttered just loud enough for them to hear, and they walked in.
It looked like it had been abandoned at the spur of the moment. Dishes had been set out on the table where wilted lilies rested in a vase, a robe lay strewn across the sofa, and toys were scattered across the floor. The electricity wasn't working, and Varomi noticed a bill on the counter that was dated three years earlier.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Varomi looked about the kitchen, wondering if there was anything usable. She found some bottled water in the fridge, but nothing else, apparently the family hadn't done their shopping before they left. She sighed and opened her bag. She pulled out some strange fruit and handed it and the water to her companions.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was late, (They had left for the Mystic Moon late in the afternoon) so they found rooms to retire in. The twins occupied what looked like a nursery, with pink wallpaper, and two matching cradles, that they had tried to squeeze into. The cat siblings found the couch pleasant and fell into immediate slumber. There was one room left, with twin beds. Leo said that Varomi and Daren should take this room, but Varomi insisted that she'd sleep in one of the chairs in the living room. She wouldn't let her decision be shifted, so Leo grudgingly complied and entered the room, Daren following close behind.
Unknown to everyone, Varomi received visions, and knew the past, present, and future. She supposed that it was a family trait or maybe a side effect of her Atlantis heritage, but the twins and Daren couldn't do it, or at least, she didn't think so. Her father had told them stories of how their mother had helped to win the Destiny War that had ended several years before they were born. She was always getting in trouble for her abilities, and they had caused a lot of suffering, so Varomi kept her talents to herself. She often wondered why she couldn't just be a normal person. She was a Draconian, a fortune teller, and a princess, not exactly your typical girl. She sensed a strange presence in this house, like a feeling of belonging, as if she'd been here before. But that was ridiculous, she'd never been to the Mystic Moon before. Her mother had enchanted them with the wonders of her homeland, things they couldn't comprehend. During her mother's time on Gaea, she had introduced Fanelia to a few new perks of technology, but they were still far behind the Mystic Moon and Zaibach.
She wandered up a rickety flight of stairs, creaking with every step she took. She emerged in what looked like an attic. It was very dusty, and it made her cough. She saw many old trunks, her curiosity got the best of her, and she opened one, inside was what looked like a wedding dress. It was a heavenly white, with peals stitched along the hem and neckline. Beneath it was a crumpled suit, a wilted carnation in the buttonhole. On top of the dress and suit was a framed picture of a handsome man and a beautiful woman in these clothes. 'They look so happy... I wonder if mother and father looked this way when they were wed...' She moved on to another trunk, she was disappointed to only see a bunch of dusty books inside. She opened a thin leather bound book and was surprised to see what looked like a diary...
'April 22nd, 1996:
Today is the beginning of my new life. I was married today. And no doubt, my husband is one of the greatest men alive. When I stare into his eyes, I know he is my soulmate. They are deep pools of green, and when he smiles at me, my heart melts. He has light brown hair and a boyish air about him. When I met him a year ago, I was hesitant to rush into a relationship. My boyfriend had been dating other girls behind my back, and when I discovered this, I dumped him immediately, wouldn't you? My father is abusive, I can't count the times I was slapped or beaten, mother just cowered in the corner crying she couldn't do anything. I earned myself a scholarship in high school, and left for college as soon as I possibly could. My little sister drowned a year ago. We were having a picnic in a favorite park of ours; she wandered into the lake, and drowned we suppose, for being a three-year-old, she couldn't swim. I blame myself, I was supposed to be watching her, I don't think I'll ever get over my grief for her. I am quiet, and he is so out in the open about everything, but now I know that we were destined to be together. The wedding was beautiful, we held it outside under the cherry trees, and the sunlight illuminated the pearls on my dress. As we kissed, an electric shock seemed to pass through me. But I am so afraid that he will discover my secret, he is a wonderful person, but I know he'd abandon me if... he found out what I am... How could he stand to be married to... a Draconian? I think my luck has finally turned around, now that I'm lucky enough to be with him forever...
May 15th, 1997:
I am sorry, I guess I'm not a writer, but so much has happened in the last year. I became a mother. A mother of two beautiful little girls. They have blonde tufts of hair and blue eyes the same colors as my own features. We love the children dearly, they are so sweet. I can't believe they're mine. My sweet little Celia and Lori. I must go, they're crying.
May 20th, 1997:
This is not how my life was supposed to turn out. It seems that my bad luck has caught up to me once again. Maybe the legends are true, perhaps I am cursed...We were off to buy groceries, leaving the twins with a babysitter... Then, a truck ran into the front of our car in a head on collision. My wonderful husband, he... he... is dead... And I am next to go, I am using my last few moments in this world to write this so my precious children, Celia and Lori, will know what happened, what brought us to our ruin. Live happy lives my children, I love you...with all my heart...
~Aria Kanzaki~
'Kanzaki?!' Varomi thought. 'That was my mother's last name... No, No, it must be a coincidence, it can't possibly be true...' She cleared her mind of this thought, and opened a photo album. ON the first page was a lovely woman, with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was smiling at the man beside her, who had his arms wrapped around her. He had light brown hair and green eyes. 'He looks... he looks... just like mother...' Varomi thought. Sweat trickled down Varomi's forehead, when she saw the next picture, a picture of two little blonde-headed girls, that stared at her through the same blue eyes as Hope and Memory...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Well, my fingers are out of practice that took FOREVER to type. Hope you liked it, I'll start typing the next chapter! Thanks again to all of you who reviewed, couldn't have done it without ya, keep reviewing! Arigatou and Sionara! ^_^
~Trunks Gal~