~ DRAGONSUN ~
It is I, the magnificent, glorious, flame beast of the skies! (I already used this line…I know…) DragonSun here! How are you doing? How's life treating you? It's rainy here, rainy and warm, and I hate it. I like sunshine. Lots of spring sunshine. Ahhh…..Endless Rain, please, tell me where you found the spoilers because if I want to keep writing this, I have to know what else Miyu goes up against! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you made my day! Now, to the story!
Chapter Five: A Past Best Forgotten
Oh, oh, wait, let me interrupt! I really need some suggestions for this other story I've got…I don't know where to go from there. The Last Generation. It's got 2 chapters, but I dunno what to do for chapter 3, other than reveal Hitomi's past more. Where should they go? Should Allen and the group go with them? Etc. Helpful advice…would be appreciated GREATLY.
Now, Chapter Five: A Past Best Forgotten
"Fanelia is burning!" Van cried, his eyes wide and horrified. Pierre urged him on from behind, shouting, over the noise of the screams and the crackle of the fires, "Keep moving, Van, unless you want to die today!"
"I can't!" Van yelled, turning to face his friend, "this is my country—my people!"
"You will move!" Pierre roared. "Van, if you escape your people know their King is at least still alive!"
"But—"
"Now move!" Pierre shoved Van along.
"It's cowardice to flee!" Van said. "I have to return, I need to fight!"
"Fool!" Pierre bellowed, "get yourself killed fighting, then what sort of future does Fanelia have? As long as they have a people, and a King, Fanelia has a future!"
Van's eyes blazed, but he allowed Pierre's mount to shove his horse along. There was a huge creak, and the gates of the city crashed down, blocking their path. Soldiers wearing a strange blazon appeared, carrying spears. They were surrounded.
"We want the King. Hand him over and you may go free," the leader said.
"Never!" Pierre cried, and his horse reared, cracking the skulls of two as it came down. Van's sword was out in a flash, and he sliced and slashed. The men simply closed in, making it impossible for the two escapees to fight at a close range. The horses shied, and Van fell from his mount. "Van!" Pierre shouted. The soldiers were attempting to unhorse him as well, so he threw himself off and ran. Away. Leaving Van stranded there, surrounded by soldiers.
The next hours were a blur to Van; he dimly remembered being chained, and then beaten, kicked unceremoniously into a dank, stinking cell. Now the man came.
Van glanced up with pain-filled, half-awake eyes.
"Folken!?"
"Van."
"What the hell—" then everything clicked, and Van gasped. "Traitor!" he snarled. "You've destroyed your own kingdom!"
"I have destroyed your kingdom, not mine. It would have been mine, but I failed to slay the dragon and I had to flee. Now I have returned, Van, my brother, with the Zaibach. Fanelia is no more."
The words were like knives, thrusting themselves into Van's body.
"No!" Van yelled. He tried to rise, then fell back, weighted by the chains. "Folken, you'll pay for this! I swear! I will raise an army and return to destroy you!"
Folken laughed, prodding Van through the bars and watching as he seized up in pain. "Weakling, you're in no state whatsoever to even attempt to destroy me. You were always a weak demon."
"Demon…" Van whispered, as if the shock had made him lose his voice.
*Flash*
"Lord Van, don't do it! It's too dangerous!"
"You were the one who wanted me to do this in the first place, Merle!" Van yelled back. "Just watch me!"
They were standing on the roof of the palace. Van took a deep breath, and cracked his wings from his back. The villagers gasped.
Van threw himself from the roof and flew, laughing as he felt the wind rushing by. But he was young, and his wings were not strong enough yet. The right wing snapped to an odd angle and he plummeted with a cry. Queen Varie saw him fall.
"Van!" she cried urgently, and her own wings, broad, white and beautiful, emerged. She flew up into the sky and caught her son, ignoring the gasps and shouts from the villagers below.
"Van, you must never show your wings, until the right time comes. Promise me this, Van. Don't make your mother sad."
"M-Mother? I'm sorry, mother…" Van wept on her shoulder.
*Flash*
"I'm no demon!" Van yelled.
"Oh? And what are you, little brother? An Angel?" Folken laughed.
"I…" Van was silent.
"See, you yourself don't know! Halfing!"
Van banged against the bars. "No, Folken! No!"
"Van! Van?" someone was calling him, from a great distance away. He opened his eyes slowly.
"What—?"
"Van, are you all right? You were yelling," Hitomi said. She sounded genuinely concerned. Van shook his head, then gasped. His mask had fallen off, and his face was revealed for Hitomi to see. He bent his head.
"Where's my mask, Hitomi?" Van asked, running his hands over the ground, looking for it.
"Here," she lifted it and handed it to him. As he straightened, she gasped. She had never seen Van's face before (A/N: Just disregard chapter two)
Raven hair fell over a face that was rather young, he looked her age. She had always thought him to be much older, as his actions declared. His eyes, confused, were deep gray—serious and sad. He noticed she was staring, and hastily replaced the mask over his face. Hitomi did something strange then—she flushed and looked away.
"Van…who were you dreaming about?"
Van looked away. "My brother," he spat out finally.
"You have a brother?"
"I did. The man who destroyed my kingdom was not my brother, he was a beast! The brother I knew does not exist anymore."
"You were denying your demon blood," Hitomi said softly.
Van sighed. "I am a halfling."
Hitomi gasped again. "But—"
"My father was a full-blooded demon, but my mother was not."
"How?"
"She was a Draconian. Both demons and Draconians were despised by my people, so Father kept it a secret."
"Draconians…"
Draconians. The Winged People. Those of a cursed descent. Van was a halfling.
"They finally found out," Van said softly. It had been his fault—after the incident on the roof the rumors had flown. "Folken was my older brother. He left to slay the dragon, as part of the rite to become King. Even with his demon powers, he failed. I thought he had died, I thought he never turned his back on the dragon fought it to the very end…"
Van paused, and gave a bitter laugh. "I was wrong."
"Then it was my turn. I attacked the dragon with anger, because I thought it had killed the brother I knew. I won, and was proclaimed King. The people were mistrustful, they knew my heritage. At any rate, during the coronation ceremony, Folken returned and destroyed Fanelia. Pierre and I tried to escape. Pierre made it; I was dragged from my horse and taken to the dungeons. That night, Pierre returned for me, and we left aboard his ship, Light of the Sea. We sailed for some time, but I vowed that I would raise an army to avenge my people, so I came to Japan, hoping to conquer it."
"Does Fanelia still exist?"
"Yes."
"Your brother?"
"He's still there."
"Oh, Van…"
Van took her hand. "Mine is a past best forgotten," he said softly.
Hitomi looked up at him, and nodded. "If you want. But this time, if you're going to leave, I am going with you, no matter what you say."
"I'd like that," Van said, and smiled from behind his mask.
The moon beamed on them, casting its silvery light over the roof.
****************
"Van, why do you wear a mask?" Hitomi whispered. It was a sunny afternoon, and for once, Hitomi was not spending it alone. She was sprawled out by a stream, enjoying the sunlight, while Van sat beneath the shade of a tree, watching her.
"It is a symbol of my bondage," Van said.
"Doesn't it bother you?"
"I'm used to it, by now."
"Take it off, please," Hitomi said softly. Van's hand was halfway up to his mask when he stopped.
"Why?"
"I'd like to see your face," she murmured.
Van took his mask off, well aware that his face was red. Hitomi glanced at him, shyly, and blushed, too, for no apparent reason. Van stood, and walked over to her, sitting down beside her.
"Hitomi, do you have any friends?" (A/N: Well how blunt was that!)
"The humans consider themselves my friends, yes. Yukari, Myoshi, Arik, Kenji, Toroshino, and Amano."
"No others?" Van's heart sunk horribly.
"If you don't mind, I would consider you my friend as well, Van Fanel," Hitomi said, closing her eyes and feeling the sunlight on her face.
Van smiled. He snaked his hand towards hers, and she met it halfway with her own. They sat there together—Hitomi dangling her feet in the water, and Van sitting quietly beside her. Not a word was said between the two, there was only a mutual feeling of contentment.
The moment would not last.
Hitomi's human friends, Yukari and Kenji, followed now by Myoshi, came running. Van snatched his mask from the ground and scrambled into the shadows of a tree before vanishing. Hitomi sighed.
"Hello," she said to the three girls.
"Hitomi, did we just see you with a young man?" Myoshi teased. Hitomi found herself flushing. Van, who was watching (A/N: Don't ask me how!), and he found the crimson on her cheeks very becoming.
"No…there was no one here," Hitomi said quietly.
"Hitomi, did you hear? It's terrible!"
"What happened?" Hitomi demanded.
"You know that field trip we were going to have to the springs?"
"Yes…?"
"Well, the people in that city—they've been vanishing! It's very strange; one day they're there, the next, they've gone, and all the people can find are their belongings, like a shoe, or a purse!"
"The police are on it," Kenji added.
"Snakes—an abnormal amount of snakes are migrating to that area," Yukari said. She shuddered. "Snakes! I hate them, ugh!"
Hitomi's eyes flashed green, thought none of the humans saw it. 'A Demon's shadow is attracting the snakes…' she thought.
"Are we still going there?" she asked.
"Yes, but I'm worried now," Myoshi said.
"So am I," Hitomi said out loud. 'But for different reasons,' she thought.
**************
"I'll be there, all you have to do is call for me," Van promised.
"Thank you, Van."
"Be careful," Van said.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Hitomi said, and she smiled! It was beautiful, her eyes smiled, and Van gulped. 'She's smiled! For me!'
"I'll see you there, Hitomi," Van said, his voice low. He smiled, too, but she couldn't see it, from under his mask.
Hitomi vanished to catch the bus, wondering why her heart was pounding like she'd just run a race.
Yes! They're falling for each other! Woohoo! *Laugh, laugh, laugh!* So now there's a demon in the area—but where? I must leave now, because it's time for breakfast (9:23 AM, Eastern Time) and I'm starved—I've been typing since 7:00 this morning. Let's recap, now, shall we?
Hitomi/ Van is starting…Demon who can control snakes is wreaking havoc in a nearby village…that's basically it. What will happen on the next chapter?
I HAVE NO IDEA!
But, oh well, ho hum. See you next chapter—chapter 6!
An Important question: Should I put some major V/H action in the next chapter?
a) Yes
b) No
Yoda
TELL ME PLEASE, I'LL SEE YOU NEXT CHAPTER! HAVE A GOOD DAY!
It is I, the magnificent, glorious, flame beast of the skies! (I already used this line…I know…) DragonSun here! How are you doing? How's life treating you? It's rainy here, rainy and warm, and I hate it. I like sunshine. Lots of spring sunshine. Ahhh…..Endless Rain, please, tell me where you found the spoilers because if I want to keep writing this, I have to know what else Miyu goes up against! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you made my day! Now, to the story!
Chapter Five: A Past Best Forgotten
Oh, oh, wait, let me interrupt! I really need some suggestions for this other story I've got…I don't know where to go from there. The Last Generation. It's got 2 chapters, but I dunno what to do for chapter 3, other than reveal Hitomi's past more. Where should they go? Should Allen and the group go with them? Etc. Helpful advice…would be appreciated GREATLY.
Now, Chapter Five: A Past Best Forgotten
"Fanelia is burning!" Van cried, his eyes wide and horrified. Pierre urged him on from behind, shouting, over the noise of the screams and the crackle of the fires, "Keep moving, Van, unless you want to die today!"
"I can't!" Van yelled, turning to face his friend, "this is my country—my people!"
"You will move!" Pierre roared. "Van, if you escape your people know their King is at least still alive!"
"But—"
"Now move!" Pierre shoved Van along.
"It's cowardice to flee!" Van said. "I have to return, I need to fight!"
"Fool!" Pierre bellowed, "get yourself killed fighting, then what sort of future does Fanelia have? As long as they have a people, and a King, Fanelia has a future!"
Van's eyes blazed, but he allowed Pierre's mount to shove his horse along. There was a huge creak, and the gates of the city crashed down, blocking their path. Soldiers wearing a strange blazon appeared, carrying spears. They were surrounded.
"We want the King. Hand him over and you may go free," the leader said.
"Never!" Pierre cried, and his horse reared, cracking the skulls of two as it came down. Van's sword was out in a flash, and he sliced and slashed. The men simply closed in, making it impossible for the two escapees to fight at a close range. The horses shied, and Van fell from his mount. "Van!" Pierre shouted. The soldiers were attempting to unhorse him as well, so he threw himself off and ran. Away. Leaving Van stranded there, surrounded by soldiers.
The next hours were a blur to Van; he dimly remembered being chained, and then beaten, kicked unceremoniously into a dank, stinking cell. Now the man came.
Van glanced up with pain-filled, half-awake eyes.
"Folken!?"
"Van."
"What the hell—" then everything clicked, and Van gasped. "Traitor!" he snarled. "You've destroyed your own kingdom!"
"I have destroyed your kingdom, not mine. It would have been mine, but I failed to slay the dragon and I had to flee. Now I have returned, Van, my brother, with the Zaibach. Fanelia is no more."
The words were like knives, thrusting themselves into Van's body.
"No!" Van yelled. He tried to rise, then fell back, weighted by the chains. "Folken, you'll pay for this! I swear! I will raise an army and return to destroy you!"
Folken laughed, prodding Van through the bars and watching as he seized up in pain. "Weakling, you're in no state whatsoever to even attempt to destroy me. You were always a weak demon."
"Demon…" Van whispered, as if the shock had made him lose his voice.
*Flash*
"Lord Van, don't do it! It's too dangerous!"
"You were the one who wanted me to do this in the first place, Merle!" Van yelled back. "Just watch me!"
They were standing on the roof of the palace. Van took a deep breath, and cracked his wings from his back. The villagers gasped.
Van threw himself from the roof and flew, laughing as he felt the wind rushing by. But he was young, and his wings were not strong enough yet. The right wing snapped to an odd angle and he plummeted with a cry. Queen Varie saw him fall.
"Van!" she cried urgently, and her own wings, broad, white and beautiful, emerged. She flew up into the sky and caught her son, ignoring the gasps and shouts from the villagers below.
"Van, you must never show your wings, until the right time comes. Promise me this, Van. Don't make your mother sad."
"M-Mother? I'm sorry, mother…" Van wept on her shoulder.
*Flash*
"I'm no demon!" Van yelled.
"Oh? And what are you, little brother? An Angel?" Folken laughed.
"I…" Van was silent.
"See, you yourself don't know! Halfing!"
Van banged against the bars. "No, Folken! No!"
"Van! Van?" someone was calling him, from a great distance away. He opened his eyes slowly.
"What—?"
"Van, are you all right? You were yelling," Hitomi said. She sounded genuinely concerned. Van shook his head, then gasped. His mask had fallen off, and his face was revealed for Hitomi to see. He bent his head.
"Where's my mask, Hitomi?" Van asked, running his hands over the ground, looking for it.
"Here," she lifted it and handed it to him. As he straightened, she gasped. She had never seen Van's face before (A/N: Just disregard chapter two)
Raven hair fell over a face that was rather young, he looked her age. She had always thought him to be much older, as his actions declared. His eyes, confused, were deep gray—serious and sad. He noticed she was staring, and hastily replaced the mask over his face. Hitomi did something strange then—she flushed and looked away.
"Van…who were you dreaming about?"
Van looked away. "My brother," he spat out finally.
"You have a brother?"
"I did. The man who destroyed my kingdom was not my brother, he was a beast! The brother I knew does not exist anymore."
"You were denying your demon blood," Hitomi said softly.
Van sighed. "I am a halfling."
Hitomi gasped again. "But—"
"My father was a full-blooded demon, but my mother was not."
"How?"
"She was a Draconian. Both demons and Draconians were despised by my people, so Father kept it a secret."
"Draconians…"
Draconians. The Winged People. Those of a cursed descent. Van was a halfling.
"They finally found out," Van said softly. It had been his fault—after the incident on the roof the rumors had flown. "Folken was my older brother. He left to slay the dragon, as part of the rite to become King. Even with his demon powers, he failed. I thought he had died, I thought he never turned his back on the dragon fought it to the very end…"
Van paused, and gave a bitter laugh. "I was wrong."
"Then it was my turn. I attacked the dragon with anger, because I thought it had killed the brother I knew. I won, and was proclaimed King. The people were mistrustful, they knew my heritage. At any rate, during the coronation ceremony, Folken returned and destroyed Fanelia. Pierre and I tried to escape. Pierre made it; I was dragged from my horse and taken to the dungeons. That night, Pierre returned for me, and we left aboard his ship, Light of the Sea. We sailed for some time, but I vowed that I would raise an army to avenge my people, so I came to Japan, hoping to conquer it."
"Does Fanelia still exist?"
"Yes."
"Your brother?"
"He's still there."
"Oh, Van…"
Van took her hand. "Mine is a past best forgotten," he said softly.
Hitomi looked up at him, and nodded. "If you want. But this time, if you're going to leave, I am going with you, no matter what you say."
"I'd like that," Van said, and smiled from behind his mask.
The moon beamed on them, casting its silvery light over the roof.
****************
"Van, why do you wear a mask?" Hitomi whispered. It was a sunny afternoon, and for once, Hitomi was not spending it alone. She was sprawled out by a stream, enjoying the sunlight, while Van sat beneath the shade of a tree, watching her.
"It is a symbol of my bondage," Van said.
"Doesn't it bother you?"
"I'm used to it, by now."
"Take it off, please," Hitomi said softly. Van's hand was halfway up to his mask when he stopped.
"Why?"
"I'd like to see your face," she murmured.
Van took his mask off, well aware that his face was red. Hitomi glanced at him, shyly, and blushed, too, for no apparent reason. Van stood, and walked over to her, sitting down beside her.
"Hitomi, do you have any friends?" (A/N: Well how blunt was that!)
"The humans consider themselves my friends, yes. Yukari, Myoshi, Arik, Kenji, Toroshino, and Amano."
"No others?" Van's heart sunk horribly.
"If you don't mind, I would consider you my friend as well, Van Fanel," Hitomi said, closing her eyes and feeling the sunlight on her face.
Van smiled. He snaked his hand towards hers, and she met it halfway with her own. They sat there together—Hitomi dangling her feet in the water, and Van sitting quietly beside her. Not a word was said between the two, there was only a mutual feeling of contentment.
The moment would not last.
Hitomi's human friends, Yukari and Kenji, followed now by Myoshi, came running. Van snatched his mask from the ground and scrambled into the shadows of a tree before vanishing. Hitomi sighed.
"Hello," she said to the three girls.
"Hitomi, did we just see you with a young man?" Myoshi teased. Hitomi found herself flushing. Van, who was watching (A/N: Don't ask me how!), and he found the crimson on her cheeks very becoming.
"No…there was no one here," Hitomi said quietly.
"Hitomi, did you hear? It's terrible!"
"What happened?" Hitomi demanded.
"You know that field trip we were going to have to the springs?"
"Yes…?"
"Well, the people in that city—they've been vanishing! It's very strange; one day they're there, the next, they've gone, and all the people can find are their belongings, like a shoe, or a purse!"
"The police are on it," Kenji added.
"Snakes—an abnormal amount of snakes are migrating to that area," Yukari said. She shuddered. "Snakes! I hate them, ugh!"
Hitomi's eyes flashed green, thought none of the humans saw it. 'A Demon's shadow is attracting the snakes…' she thought.
"Are we still going there?" she asked.
"Yes, but I'm worried now," Myoshi said.
"So am I," Hitomi said out loud. 'But for different reasons,' she thought.
**************
"I'll be there, all you have to do is call for me," Van promised.
"Thank you, Van."
"Be careful," Van said.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Hitomi said, and she smiled! It was beautiful, her eyes smiled, and Van gulped. 'She's smiled! For me!'
"I'll see you there, Hitomi," Van said, his voice low. He smiled, too, but she couldn't see it, from under his mask.
Hitomi vanished to catch the bus, wondering why her heart was pounding like she'd just run a race.
Yes! They're falling for each other! Woohoo! *Laugh, laugh, laugh!* So now there's a demon in the area—but where? I must leave now, because it's time for breakfast (9:23 AM, Eastern Time) and I'm starved—I've been typing since 7:00 this morning. Let's recap, now, shall we?
Hitomi/ Van is starting…Demon who can control snakes is wreaking havoc in a nearby village…that's basically it. What will happen on the next chapter?
I HAVE NO IDEA!
But, oh well, ho hum. See you next chapter—chapter 6!
An Important question: Should I put some major V/H action in the next chapter?
a) Yes
b) No
Yoda
TELL ME PLEASE, I'LL SEE YOU NEXT CHAPTER! HAVE A GOOD DAY!