Title: Winter Snow
Author: Crystal Saturn
Rated: PG
Chapter: 19- Painful Nightmares

Last time on "Winter Snow"...

"Serena... Listen to me. It's NOT your fault. I told you, my feelings for you have changed. Nothing lasts forever... not even our love can last that long Serena. I'm sorry. I guess it just wasn't meant to be." Darien ended in a whisper. Serena looked at Darien with tears in her eyes. The pain in her heart was unbearable.

Crystal was at the Crown, busily bringing some dirty plates into the kitchen and wiping down the table. She was walking back to the counter when she felt a sudden sharp pain in her chest. At first, she thought she was having a heart attack, but then tears began to uncontrollably roll down her face. She was feeling someone else's pain


Crystal stalked up to the door of her apartment and inserted the key. She effortlessly turned it and opened the door, sighing loudly as she closed the door behind her. She saw Darien lying on the couch with his eyes closed.

*He's probably sleeping... I'll leave him alone.* Crystal thought to herself.

"Crystal?" Darien grumbled wearily as he rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked exhausted.

"Hey Dare!" Crystal plastered a smile on her face.

"What's up?" Darien asked, patting a vacant spot on the couch beside him, motioning her to sit next to him.

"Errm... well..." Crystal hesitated as she sat down beside her bigger brother.

"Come on Crys, you know you can tell me anything. What's wrong?" Darien asked, leaning back on the couch.

"Well, I've been having these really weird dreams and visions." Crystal began. Darien looked at his sister in interest. "But I can't really make out anything. Just black, white and a few orbs of color." Crystal described. "In the beginning, I can tell that it's happy because I can hear people laughing and giggling then something happens and there's a really loud noise, like a crashing rumble. Then...then..." The pain in Crystal's chest increased as she remembered her dream. Tears returned to her violet eyes.

"Shh, it's ok." Darien took his little sister in his arms and began to rock her gently back and forward. He knew that would happen next anyway. Screams or terror and pain would cut through the air and pain would run through their veins. Tears and blood would then be shed as Serena was torn away from him. It was the exact same dream that Darien had been experiencing except Darien's dream was so clear and detailed that Darien could feel the pain and it felt so real. Darien also heard a voice towards the end of his dreams. A deep male voice telling him to stay away from Serena. Yes, it was that same dream, night after night. That blasted dream that forced Darien to lie to Serena and tell her that he didn't love her anymore.

"Darien?" Crystal whispered, looking up.

"Hmm?" Darien asked, still hugging her.

"My chest hurts..." She sniffled.

"Oh, sorry." Darien loosened his grip a little bit.

"No it's not because of you. I think it's because of the dream. I feel like someone is holding my heart and squeezing it tightly or slowly tearing it apart." She frowned. Darien looked at the girl astoundingly. Her powers were rapidly getting stronger.

Darien found that they had a bond between them. It was quite similar to the bond forged from love over the millennia, between him and Serena. This bond was different since Darien and Crystal were related and were blood brother & sister. This bond was stronger in a sense that Crystal could feel anything and just about everything Darien was feeling and vice versa. Because of this bond, Crystal was also receiving the same nightmare that Darien was, but because it wasn't meant for her and Crystal received it through the bond then it was relatively weaker, making the dream seem blurry and distorted. The pain in the chest that Crystal was experiencing was also from Darien. It was the feeling of his heart being shattered into a million pieces. As Darien figured all this out his mind wandered off to Serena and his heart began to throb with aching pain.

"Aaaaahhhh..." Crystal groaned in pain as she clasped her chest.

"I'm so sorry..." Darien whispered as he slowly lay Crystal down on her back.

"You didn't do anything." Crystal smiled weakly.

"...But I did..." Darien sighed. He knew that she would find out sooner or later.

"Huh?"

"Crystal, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. These dreams you've been getting. They're because of me." Darien sat down on the floor next to the sofa, where Crystal was now lying down.

"I don't understand..." Crystal shook her head.

"Crystal, you're powers are improving and growing rapidly. You do know that right?" Darien asked. Crystal nodded. "Well because your powers are growing stronger, so is our bond. We are bonded by blood and because of your powers, we are bonded mentally and emotionally. Anything you feel I feel and anything I feel, you feel." Darien stated.

"But what does that have to do with this?" Crystal asked, the pain subsiding a little.

"Those dreams you're getting, they're my dreams." Darien paused and looked down, guiltily.

"What?" Crystal asked. The visions then flashed quickly past her eyes. They were different now. They were detailed and clearer. "What!" Crystal blinked as she came back to reality. A tear rolled down her cheek. She covered her mouth in horror.

"I've been having them for quite some time now." Darien confessed.

"Oh Darien! That can't be true! It just can't!" Crystal repeated.

"That's what I thought at first but they came back every night stronger and stronger, more persistent until..." Darien paused and blinked back a few tears. Pain seared through Crystal's heart and she yelled out in agony. She breathed deeply.

"Until?" Crystal persisted, her voice quivering, yet strong.

"Until I finally gave up."

"You what?! No! You can't give up Dare!" Crystal put a hand on her brother's shoulder.

"I'm sorry Crystal... I just couldn't. I couldn't risk Serena's life." Darien closed his eyes as he lowered his head.

"The pain.... You..." Crystal asked. Darien nodded.

"Yes... I broke it off. I couldn't stay with her!" A tear fell from Darien's deep blue eyes.

"The pain is unbelievable!" Crystal moaned. "You still love her." She looked at Darien

"Of course I do. With all my heart, but I couldn't risk her life. I just couldn't." Darien closed his eyes tightly. He was clearly in pain.

"Well, why don't you go take a shower and I'll make a little something to eat." Crystal offered "Come on Dare, you look like Death!" She added, trying to smile warmly. Darien chuckled and nodded before getting up to go shower.

Later that night, Darien lightly knocked on the door of Crystal's room.

"Come in..." Crystal hollered.

"What are you doing?" Darien asked cautiously and quietly as he slowly opened the door half way and peered in. Crystal had her back to him and was facing her balcony. She was sitting on the floor with her legs crossed in front of her. The lights were turned off and she had the faint glow of 5 candles that surrounded her lighting up the room. Darien slowly tip-toed in, closing the door behind him, and sat down on the bed. He watched his little sister. Her face was illuminated by a soft deep purple and forest green color radiating from a gem stone that sat just in front of her.

"I'm transferring my pain, which is actually yours, into a power resource and I'm storing it into the gem for safe keeping." Crystal opened her eyes and blinked a few times. She yawned and stretched, standing up. She re-arranged the candles into a bigger circle and patted the empty space in front of the gem. "Take a seat. I'll teach you something." Crystal smiled.

"Do you think you could teach me to store my pain away?" Darien frowned, sighing deeply as he sat down in front of Crystal.

"Sorry." Crystal shook her head slowly. "But I can teach you something that can temporarily calm you down and sooth the pain a little"

"Sure, go ahead." Darien nodded.

"Alright now, breathe deeply and concentrate on just your breathing, nothing else." Crystal instructed soothingly. Darien followed Crystals' instructions and began to breathe deeply. "Great. Now clear your mind and erase all thoughts. Every single thought you have. Just throw it out the window then concentrate on your breathing again." Crystal informed, also doing as she said. A few moments passed in silence as they both concentrated on nothing. "Now, Dare. Think about the past. Think about what it was like before you had all these dreams. Think about how it was with Serena and how much you loved each other. Focus on these memories as a whole, then day by day. Start from when you two first met. Remember all the happy times." Crystal's voice was soothing and cool. A small smile crept across Darien's lips. It was working.

"You know, I feel so relaxed. I feel warm and peaceful." Darien sighed.

At the exact same moment, Serena was sprawled haphazardly on her bed, crying herself to sleep. A wave of soothing calmness overwhelmed her whole being. Her tears stopped and her sobs subsided. She felt so warm and tranquil. So peaceful and serene, it was a feeling of comfort and nostalgia. The feeling was familiar, so familiar that she totally forgot about Darien and the incident earlier that day. She felt the feeling of love and smiled. It was Darien's love. It was so gentle and peaceful that her eyelids grew heavier and she slowly drifted off to sleep, surrounded with the feeling of love filling her.

"Remember, this is not permanent. You won't always feel like this, Dare" Crystal reminded.

"I know" Darien sighed.

"But while you're still feeling calm, we better try to find out where these dreams are coming from before you get all somber on me again." Crystal smiled. Darien nodded, showing that he agreed.

"Alright, what do I have to do?" Darien asked.

"Just relax, close your eyes. Focus on your breathing and repeat the exercise once again." Crystal instructed, letting a short amount of time pass before continuing. "Now, visualize a bubble forming within your mind. Let the formations of your nightmares unfold within this bubble, and only the bubble."

"Okay, I can see it." Darien did as he was told. He envisioned the dark bubble within his happy area. His nightmare began to play back in his mind. When Crystal was convinced that it was safe enough to peer into his mind and soul without disturbing anything, she closed her eyes and began to sift through all the memories for an answer to why this was happening and where it was beginning.


Crystal Saturn