Disclaimer: I love Esca, but I don't own it!!! But all original characters are MINE!
A/N: Last chapter threw some light in on Hope and Memory's history… well, Enjoy! * Dream * R&R! ^_^
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Chapter 23: A Crucial Meeting
Varomi couldn't sleep that night. Bewildering dreams filled her thoughts.
* Hope and Memory chanted, "We're not your sister, Varomi de Fanel, you have no sisters." She was taken to what appeared to be a hospital room.
The brown haired man whispered, "Take care of them, Hitomi, I'm counting on you…"
"I will brother, I promise…" A younger form of her mother replied to the dying man.
"Arigato…" He muttered, before his soul departed. The blonde haired woman weeped in the bed next to her husband's. A little while later, the blonde haired woman hugged her children, before passing on. Tears streamed down her mother's cheeks. *
Then, it ended, but even when she awoke, the dream haunted her still…
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning, Varomi just stared at the twins while they sat across the table from her at their "breakfast" That consisted of water and some wild berries Leo and Daren had found growing in the backyard. 'They're not my sisters, they're not my sisters…' She didn't want to tell everyone else, it would be a waste of time, they wouldn't believe her. She should let them go on thinking that they were Varomi and Daren's twin sisters, their illusion would continue, while Varomi's had ended.
Varomi sighed and Hope asked, "What's wrong sister?" With concern in her little blue eyes.
The word "sister" made Varomi want to cry, but she held back her tears, why ruin it for the twins that they didn't have a "real" family.
"Nothing Sis, nothing at all…"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Gaean group decided to leave this afternoon, they just didn't belong in this world. They decided to buy as many Mystic Moon items as they could, before they returned to their world. They all got cameras and shades. The girls went wild in the jewelry stores and boys' jaws dropped when they saw a swords shop.
"Maybe everybody here isn't as stupid as they seem!" Daren cried out excitedly, running through the doors. They pulled swords down from the walls and started sparring, the girls choosing sides to root for. They made quite a lot of noise and scared all the customers away, so after buying several dozen new swords each, (A/N: One can never have too many sharp pointy objects.) the owner kicked them out. Their arms filled with purchases, they went home.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The rest of the week passed uneventfully, when Van and Hitomi returned, they were pleased to see that everything had gone smoothly, and of course the servants weren't going to tell about the children's escapades, Daren and Leo had done some "persuading" for their silence earlier with their swords…
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~3 years later…~
Six-year-old, Memory stared at the portrait. The one painted three years ago. She and her sister looked so carefree, but now she realized that they just didn't fit in with the happy family, the Fanels. A year ago, Hitomi and Van had told them who their real parents were. The twins were upset to find out that their parents were dead, but relieved that it had been their parents' last wishes to see them safe with their aunt. The people did not know that they were not the King and Queen's "real" children, so they remained princesses and were not stripped of their titles. Memory just didn't know how she felt, her real name was Lori, but she refused to be called by that name. Although they weren't her real parents, she still thought of them like that. They had raised her and Hope since they were babies, and she knew that they loved them like daughters.
"What's wrong Mem?" Asked the small three-year-old. It was Aunt Hitomi and Uncle Van's son, Tion; funny how she no longer called them mother and father. He was a sweet little thing, identical to Van in every way, from his untamable raven hair, to his chocolate colored eyes.
"Oh Tion, it's nothing, I'm just looking at our picture."
"Oh, OK!" Replied the toddler as he ran down the hallway, his governess sprinting after him to keep up.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Varomi sat on the edge of her bed, deep in thought.
"I love Leo, so very much." She whispered.
She nearly fell off her bed in surprise when she saw Daren standing in the doorway.
"I love Leo, so very much." He imitated her, batting the eyelashes he didn't have, his hands clasped to one side.
"Oh, give me a break…" Varomi muttered, trying not to laugh.
"So, are you going to marry him Var?" Daren plainly asked.
"I probably will, once his training has been completed." Varomi replied with a dreamy look in her eyes.
"I'm glad, you deserve some happiness." Daren commented, before walking away and leaving Varomi alone to stew in her thoughts.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Daren spread his snowy white wings and flew away. He was tired of his father's generals pleading for him to take a wife. He was only seventeen, he had the rest of his life to get married, why rush into it? He knew his parents had married at an early age, and he knew the generals had wanted his father to get married sooner. Van and Hitomi loved eachother more than life itself, they were willing to die for the other. He had no lover, no one that he loved, or wanted to marry. All the princesses that the generals tried to betroth him too were idiots in his eyes, he couldn't imagine being married to one of them. His parents had said that he could be a bachelor the rest of his life if he wanted. The generals seemed horrified at this prospect, saying there would be no heir to the throne. 'Why do I have to be the oldest? Why do I have to be a prince? Mother and Father have other children, why can't they provide the heir?' Daren knew the answer. He was the firstborn son, he was the heir to the throne, there was only one other eligible person to take the throne and that was Tion, who was only three. He knew that Varomi would probably marry Leo and be future queen of Asturia, the twins would no doubt marry other rulers and go off to live in their countries, and Tion, well he'd be the second son, who'd have to remain in the palace unless they could somehow get him on the throne somewhere else. The generals, would continue nagging him until he was married and had a son, then they might leave him alone, and bug his son. 'It's an endless cycle of unwanted responsibility.' Daren thought to himself. The burden of the future of Fanelia rested on his shoulders.
He flew over a forest, but was surprised to see a burst of flames through the treetops. 'I wonder what a dragon's doing so close to the castle?' And he flew down to get a closer look. Blood squirted out of the dragon's yellow eye, and Daren knew that someone was trying to slay it. He saw a lone figure covered in slimy green dragon blood. The dragon then turned his focus on Daren. But Daren stabbed him in the back with his trusty sword. The figure took advantage of this moment and sliced through the dragon's stomach. It fell over dead and the mysterious person cut out the drag-energist. It glowed a bright pink as the dragon disappeared in a cloud of smoke. The person pulled down the hood of their cloak and long hair dropped past their shoulders.
"Y-You're a woman?" Daren stuttered.
"Darn right." She replied, spitting out dragon blood and placing the energist in her satchel.
"Why do you men think you're the only ones who can slay dragons?" She unfastened the heavy armor she was wearing and it made a thud when hitting the ground.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"I am D…" He almost said "Daren Sidan de Fanel," but stopped himself just in time.
"What, catgirl's got your tongue?" She asked mockingly.
"I am… Tao. Tao Durei."
"Where ya from?" She asked, cleaning the guts from her sword.
"Outer Fanelia." Daren replied.
"And you?"
"Zaibach."
"What are you doing here?"
"What's it look like?"
Then in a sadder tone she said, "That dragon killed my younger brother, I had to avenge his death."
"I'm sorry."
"It's alright, it was a long time ago." She was pretty with silver hair, bright blue eyes, and she wore all black.
"What's your name?"
"Mira. Mira Albatou."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Cliffhanger, sorry, that's just how I wrote it… Well, this adds a new twist to our already twisted tale. What do you think's gonna happen next? MWAHAHA! Guess you'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out! Arigato and Sionara! ^_^ * Walks away grinning evilly *
~Trunks Gal~
A/N: Last chapter threw some light in on Hope and Memory's history… well, Enjoy! * Dream * R&R! ^_^
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 23: A Crucial Meeting
Varomi couldn't sleep that night. Bewildering dreams filled her thoughts.
* Hope and Memory chanted, "We're not your sister, Varomi de Fanel, you have no sisters." She was taken to what appeared to be a hospital room.
The brown haired man whispered, "Take care of them, Hitomi, I'm counting on you…"
"I will brother, I promise…" A younger form of her mother replied to the dying man.
"Arigato…" He muttered, before his soul departed. The blonde haired woman weeped in the bed next to her husband's. A little while later, the blonde haired woman hugged her children, before passing on. Tears streamed down her mother's cheeks. *
Then, it ended, but even when she awoke, the dream haunted her still…
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning, Varomi just stared at the twins while they sat across the table from her at their "breakfast" That consisted of water and some wild berries Leo and Daren had found growing in the backyard. 'They're not my sisters, they're not my sisters…' She didn't want to tell everyone else, it would be a waste of time, they wouldn't believe her. She should let them go on thinking that they were Varomi and Daren's twin sisters, their illusion would continue, while Varomi's had ended.
Varomi sighed and Hope asked, "What's wrong sister?" With concern in her little blue eyes.
The word "sister" made Varomi want to cry, but she held back her tears, why ruin it for the twins that they didn't have a "real" family.
"Nothing Sis, nothing at all…"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Gaean group decided to leave this afternoon, they just didn't belong in this world. They decided to buy as many Mystic Moon items as they could, before they returned to their world. They all got cameras and shades. The girls went wild in the jewelry stores and boys' jaws dropped when they saw a swords shop.
"Maybe everybody here isn't as stupid as they seem!" Daren cried out excitedly, running through the doors. They pulled swords down from the walls and started sparring, the girls choosing sides to root for. They made quite a lot of noise and scared all the customers away, so after buying several dozen new swords each, (A/N: One can never have too many sharp pointy objects.) the owner kicked them out. Their arms filled with purchases, they went home.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The rest of the week passed uneventfully, when Van and Hitomi returned, they were pleased to see that everything had gone smoothly, and of course the servants weren't going to tell about the children's escapades, Daren and Leo had done some "persuading" for their silence earlier with their swords…
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~3 years later…~
Six-year-old, Memory stared at the portrait. The one painted three years ago. She and her sister looked so carefree, but now she realized that they just didn't fit in with the happy family, the Fanels. A year ago, Hitomi and Van had told them who their real parents were. The twins were upset to find out that their parents were dead, but relieved that it had been their parents' last wishes to see them safe with their aunt. The people did not know that they were not the King and Queen's "real" children, so they remained princesses and were not stripped of their titles. Memory just didn't know how she felt, her real name was Lori, but she refused to be called by that name. Although they weren't her real parents, she still thought of them like that. They had raised her and Hope since they were babies, and she knew that they loved them like daughters.
"What's wrong Mem?" Asked the small three-year-old. It was Aunt Hitomi and Uncle Van's son, Tion; funny how she no longer called them mother and father. He was a sweet little thing, identical to Van in every way, from his untamable raven hair, to his chocolate colored eyes.
"Oh Tion, it's nothing, I'm just looking at our picture."
"Oh, OK!" Replied the toddler as he ran down the hallway, his governess sprinting after him to keep up.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Varomi sat on the edge of her bed, deep in thought.
"I love Leo, so very much." She whispered.
She nearly fell off her bed in surprise when she saw Daren standing in the doorway.
"I love Leo, so very much." He imitated her, batting the eyelashes he didn't have, his hands clasped to one side.
"Oh, give me a break…" Varomi muttered, trying not to laugh.
"So, are you going to marry him Var?" Daren plainly asked.
"I probably will, once his training has been completed." Varomi replied with a dreamy look in her eyes.
"I'm glad, you deserve some happiness." Daren commented, before walking away and leaving Varomi alone to stew in her thoughts.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Daren spread his snowy white wings and flew away. He was tired of his father's generals pleading for him to take a wife. He was only seventeen, he had the rest of his life to get married, why rush into it? He knew his parents had married at an early age, and he knew the generals had wanted his father to get married sooner. Van and Hitomi loved eachother more than life itself, they were willing to die for the other. He had no lover, no one that he loved, or wanted to marry. All the princesses that the generals tried to betroth him too were idiots in his eyes, he couldn't imagine being married to one of them. His parents had said that he could be a bachelor the rest of his life if he wanted. The generals seemed horrified at this prospect, saying there would be no heir to the throne. 'Why do I have to be the oldest? Why do I have to be a prince? Mother and Father have other children, why can't they provide the heir?' Daren knew the answer. He was the firstborn son, he was the heir to the throne, there was only one other eligible person to take the throne and that was Tion, who was only three. He knew that Varomi would probably marry Leo and be future queen of Asturia, the twins would no doubt marry other rulers and go off to live in their countries, and Tion, well he'd be the second son, who'd have to remain in the palace unless they could somehow get him on the throne somewhere else. The generals, would continue nagging him until he was married and had a son, then they might leave him alone, and bug his son. 'It's an endless cycle of unwanted responsibility.' Daren thought to himself. The burden of the future of Fanelia rested on his shoulders.
He flew over a forest, but was surprised to see a burst of flames through the treetops. 'I wonder what a dragon's doing so close to the castle?' And he flew down to get a closer look. Blood squirted out of the dragon's yellow eye, and Daren knew that someone was trying to slay it. He saw a lone figure covered in slimy green dragon blood. The dragon then turned his focus on Daren. But Daren stabbed him in the back with his trusty sword. The figure took advantage of this moment and sliced through the dragon's stomach. It fell over dead and the mysterious person cut out the drag-energist. It glowed a bright pink as the dragon disappeared in a cloud of smoke. The person pulled down the hood of their cloak and long hair dropped past their shoulders.
"Y-You're a woman?" Daren stuttered.
"Darn right." She replied, spitting out dragon blood and placing the energist in her satchel.
"Why do you men think you're the only ones who can slay dragons?" She unfastened the heavy armor she was wearing and it made a thud when hitting the ground.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"I am D…" He almost said "Daren Sidan de Fanel," but stopped himself just in time.
"What, catgirl's got your tongue?" She asked mockingly.
"I am… Tao. Tao Durei."
"Where ya from?" She asked, cleaning the guts from her sword.
"Outer Fanelia." Daren replied.
"And you?"
"Zaibach."
"What are you doing here?"
"What's it look like?"
Then in a sadder tone she said, "That dragon killed my younger brother, I had to avenge his death."
"I'm sorry."
"It's alright, it was a long time ago." She was pretty with silver hair, bright blue eyes, and she wore all black.
"What's your name?"
"Mira. Mira Albatou."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Cliffhanger, sorry, that's just how I wrote it… Well, this adds a new twist to our already twisted tale. What do you think's gonna happen next? MWAHAHA! Guess you'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out! Arigato and Sionara! ^_^ * Walks away grinning evilly *
~Trunks Gal~