A full chapter of great happiness! Uhh.I think I wasted all my words on
the writing, hehe.Hope you enjoy the story!
XII. Halcyon Days
The sun set amid a palette of harmonious past and future. The final faith in everyone's heart is a festive spring in whose fields bloomed the immortal plants. The sky at morning is soft in the glory of a thousand hopes, rich at noon, and now, in the waning sounds of dusk it is bursting forth in holiness. The dark blankets itself in the stars and the universal light assuages everything with tenderness. A great quiet rolls over the kingdom like a wave on Serenus, until all that is left of the twilight is the perfect twain: Fanelia and the Night. Longing became intense and dreams powerful. If a dreamer happened to sing beneath such a sky, the song would not be ascribed to a human being, but to the land itself that sang passionately, urging out the treasures of its profound being.
It was in this Night that Van and Hitomi climbed onto the roof of the castle. In the garden below, Orion was picking flowers for Selena. He cheerfully sang a few lines from "Memory of Fanelia", a song that often colored his solitude: Here's a land where dreams come true, Where dragons fly on high, Where warmth of love will comfort you, And angels sing a lullaby. As Van and Hitomi ascended, the song soared also, and it rang forth as the veritable melody of the starlit land. They settled themselves on the slanted rooftop and sat shoulder against shoulder.
"We owe many things to Orion," Van said when the song became fainter.
"Yes. I think his death in that other past was an essential key. Of course, the other key rests in us," she blushed and Van smiled at her. "You know, I had a revelation. The power of Atlantis is more than the power of wishes. It's the power of Love to create new worlds, to control time even. I think our.physical bond.was a culmination of our Love and that's what made us so strong. I guess it is strange that Escaflowne just disappeared, so did my powers, but.it's really okay."
Van stroked her cheek and in his smile she saw all the answers and affirmation she needed. He pressed her hand on his heart. "Want me to tell you a Fanelian legend?"
"Yeah, I'd love to hear it."
"Okay. A long time ago, before Fanelia was fully developed, she was ruled by a weak king whose heart often wandered aimlessly in loneliness. He was angry at the world which gave him no love and no answers. But one day, a girl dropped down from the moon. She had a peculiar appearance, but an amazing visionary power."
At this moment, Hitomi pounded Van's shoulders and giggled. "Stop it! Stop it! I believed you! I thought it was a real story! You're making fun of me," she glanced at him with girlish defiance.
"Okay! Okay! I was just joking," he laughed. "I haven't done that for a very long time." He drew her into his arms and they settled into a stargazing mood. The night sky sank down and held them like a dream.
Suddenly, Hitomi's eyes widened and she pointed diagonally at the heavens. "Oh my God! It's Orion!"
"What do you mean?" Van glanced down at the garden.
"No, silly! Up there!" she drew Van forward. "See those three stars that are in a line, and there are two stars above the line and two stars below, so that the whole thing looks like an hourglass?" Van squinted his eyes and nodded. "That's the star system called Orion. I can't believe you can see it on Gaea! And it looks the same as it does on Earth. It's the only constellation seen above both planets. That's amazing. It probably looks this way everywhere."
"Fascinating. I'm sure it has a special meaning for Gaeans. I'm afraid I don't know much about it. I didn't even know it was called Orion. What does it mean for the people on the Mystic Moon?"
"Well," Hitomi snuggled up with enthusiasm. "Above Earth, it's the middle constellation that crosses between the northern and southern sky. It's the most conspicuous object in the night sky, so you can use it as a guide to find other stars." Her eyes gazed upward with a palmer's faith and awe. "Oh yes, when I was studying in Egypt, you know, that really ancient kingdom I told you about, I learned that the Egyptians made the pyramids, these huge triangular structures, in alignment with the three belt stars of Orion. The ancient kings of Egypt drew the power of birth and death from Orion. It's said to be the ruling constellation of Osiris, god of the dead and king of the gods. That's why all kings go to Orion after their death."
"Think I'll go there when I die?" Van asked with a grin.
"I'll go with you. See that reddish spot, a little below the belt and above the two bottom stars?" Van nodded. "That's the Orion Nebula, the birthplace of worlds to come. We'll go there, the place where stars are born." An auspicious serenity entered them both, as if Hitomi's words were uttered as prophecy.
"The birthplace of worlds to come." Van repeated the phrase with certain veneration and desire.
"You know, the word 'Orion' originally meant the union of three," Hitomi continued softly. "Isn't that coincidental? In the country where I came from, Orion is very important. We call it Mitsu Boshi, the three belt stars. They're the symbol of new beginning. My mother used to sing this ditty to us, 'When Mitsu Boshi are one fathom high, it's time to go to bed,' " a tremor broke into her voice. " 'When Mitsu Boshi are in the middle, it's the middle of winter. And when Mitsu Boshi lay, it's.it's time to wake up."
Van held her tighter as if inviting a release of tears. However, she talked on with the same ardent nostalgia for the discoveries and dreams of the Mystic Moon. "You know, Van, stars are the parents of planets. There must be a star in order to have a solar system like ours," she paused for a moment, "Stars depend on the conflicting forces of gravity and pressure, like how we have fate and free will. If there is balance between the two forces, there is security. Hopefully, that's the way with us."
He looked down at her fingers. "We have reached a balance for now. Fanelia may be the home we've always dreamt of. But.I don't know, can fate and time really disappear completely?"
She wondered at the stars as if imploring for an answer. "I.did you know that the starlight is from the past?" Van looked unconvinced. "No, I'm serious. We're looking back into time right now, because the light left those stars aeons before Gaea was even created. We can never know what the stars look like at this exact moment, because the image of what they look like now must travel millions of years before it reaches us. Of course, we won't be here to see it. So you see, time is fundamental. And as to fate, well, even the sun has a fate, let alone us. Millions of years from now, our sun will dim, grow cold and eventually, it'll become a massive diamond."
"A diamond? Like this one?" Van reached into his pocket and took out an exquisite little black box.
"What." Hitomi looked at him first and then beheld a magnificent green jewel cradled in his palm. "Oh my goodness! Is this." she touched it reverently. "A green diamond?"
"Orion dug it out of the Nerya caves. The color matches your eyes and Fanelia.where I hope you'll remain," she suddenly saw that faithful purity in his countenance and felt promises in his limbs. "Hitomi, however long we may live, be it eternity or just a few years, let's live it together," an unbearable redness dyed his face into the color of his shirt.
After one steady gaze at him, Hitomi bent over and began sobbing. In her muffles, he could barely discern the words, "You proposed."
"Hitomi, what's wrong? Does this not make you happy? I'm sorry I can't kneel here because I'll fall. But I thought you'd like a proposal beneath the stars. Last time in the prison was not exactly what you had in mind, I know. Or is it perhaps.because you don't want to marry me.Do you?"
She suddenly swung up and wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, yes, yes, a thousand yes!" Such passion and abruptness in Hitomi startled Van a bit. "I'm so sorry, I don't know why I cried. I've just felt so emotional lately and I couldn't hold it in," she fell dramatically into his embrace. "Oh, Van, how could you ever doubt I would say yes. I don't care where you propose," she now regained control and tranquility. "I have already resolved to make Fanelia my home for the rest of my life."
"R-really?"
She sat up straight, and imagined Van at that moment to have regressed back to the angry child who received excessive sorrow and so little love. But that tragedy, and all others, must end this night, because henceforth, no amount of hell can destroy Love's pristine creation, made at the dawn of the universe itself. She held out her hand. Van gingerly slipped the green gem onto her finger.
Though Hitomi's initial reaction had surprised him, Van could imagined it no other way. She is the great balance of all things. She justifies his entire being to life and death. She animates the world with a beautiful soul.
They sat arm in arm, and their eyes together entered the stars. The Mystic Moon newly hung over the Fanelian cliffs. An immaculate symbol of constancy, it never waxes or wanes. It is the single circle of purity amid the black, at once a haunting phantom and an ever present god. But beneath its wan, full periphery there existed a windy world of many tempests.
"I think the war on Earth, I mean.the Mystic Moon, has ended," Hitomi said quietly. "I just have a feeling. This way Yukari and Jason can be safe. It looks so peaceful from here, doesn't it?"
"Perhaps time was turned back on the Mystic Moon as well, so maybe the war never occurred," Van looked up with hope.
"No, you don't understand. Even if time were turned back, war would still be there, because our entire history is written in human blood. Only the dead have seen the end of war. It stops now only momentarily and it will start again, perhaps even more severely." Though she spoke of the dark truth, her voice was steady and her face majestic. Van acknowledged in her a courage he himself had never known. "Paradise is the state of nature for Serenus, as chaos is for Earth. It isn't so much fate as it is human cruelty and stupidity. People just can't see. As a result, they ruin themselves and others. There's something worse than death, and it's death- in-life."
"I think that exists on Gaea as well. It's a part of humanity, I guess. Sometimes it's as if love isn't there at all."
"But it is," she gave him a sad look, "It's just.hard to see sometimes. You know, I think I dreamt of my mother last night. She told me to be happy with you. She also said my little brother is still alive."
"W-what?"
"Don't worry, I'm not going to leave you. I know he'll be alright. He's almost fifteen now, he can take care of himself. I had not expected this. Our parents will watch over us. Perhaps one day, I'll return to the Mystic Moon, just to visit. I should like to see what he looks like when he grows up."
"Hitomi, I." Van appeared remorseful. "I know what it's like to lose a brother, so if you want to be with him, I."
"No, Van," she smoothed her palm over his chest. "Calm down. I want to stay here with you, always. Besides, I haven't lost my brother. I know I will see him again, just as I've come to you again. It's all in the missing."
Suddenly a birdsong drifted out of the sky and interrupted their thoughts. Van looked up and pointed, "Look, two white halcyon birds in the night. It's just like what we saw in Freid." The winged creatures encircled each other and formed an orbit in the shape of the infinity sign. Their starry flight and soothing melody inspired in Van and Hitomi a profound vision of an infinite future: children singing, perilous adventures, eternal woes eternally consoled, and a home they will always know.
All words were dissolved and all storms mollified. They sat together for another hour or so, until the night grew chilly. Hitomi inched closer to Van and placed a hand on his thigh.
"Hitomi, w-what are you doing?" he straightened his back uneasily. "Are you feeling weird again? Um.do you, do you need the healer? I'll um, go wake him up, okay?"
"No, I'm fine. Maybe it's just that my body feels kind of different."
"O-oh?"
"Let's not talk of war and the universe anymore. It'll all come to pass. Do you want a massage?" There was an unfamiliar affection in her tone.
"A m.oh, one of those! No!"
"Are you sure? You seem so tense," she tightened her grip. "Van, about that other night in the prison."
"Okay," he pushed her hand off his thigh and moved away a bit. He cleared his throat, "Um.yes, I.I hope I.did not hurt you or anything."
"Are you kidding?" she slid over and nearly climbed on top of him. "It was the most amazing night of my life. If only every night can be like that. Let's go to your room now."
Van gaped in astonishment. "Like that.every, every.night? R-right now?" He attributed her wild behavior to the inexplicable vicissitude of her emotions, for the Hitomi he knew would not act so otherwise. He smiled in embarrassment and stood up. They cautiously got to the top of the roof and walked along the ridge until they reached a large branch that overhung the roof and blocked further progression. Van placed one foot on the branch and made sure it was steady before he leapt up. He held out his hand for Hitomi and pulled her up. They continued their semi-perilous journey by walking on the branch. Eventually, they reached a large tree house cradled securely amid the foliage and masculine branches.
Van jumped onto the balcony and helped her up. "This is the tree house Orion and I built for Merle. I haven't been here for a long time." He opened the door and went inside. "Good, there's no moldy smell." He opened all the windows and swiped a finger across the sill. "A bit dusty though, plus there's no bed, only some cushions and quilt. Do you mind?"
She made no reply. Van turned and saw her standing by the window, looking at the spring leaves that hung just outside. The night wind ran its tender fingers through the foliage just as Van caressed Hitomi's hair. The whole landscape, with its curves of swaying grass and blossoms, moved with the zephyr, until the earth seemed no longer solid, but was softened under the wind's touch and became rivers flowing into the ocean. It was the illimitable ocean of Love and its feathery waves were like the almost tiptoeing softness of wind on the meadows. The low, singing rustling and Aeolian movements set the heart beating with formidable passion. But soon, the susurrus of the leaves was washed over by the sounds of lovers in the rippling night.
In the celestial sky above, the constellation of Orion blazed stupendously. It was the aperture opening into Love's creation. It enwrapped, under its wings of trinity, past-present-future, not three separate time zones, but one single entity of time, the half-luminous periphery that outlines the circle of Eternity. Space and time are replaced by the pulsations of Love. In Orion's center lives the birthplace of worlds to come. ....
Hitomi awoke to the refreshing scent of the meadows and the discomfort of the hard wooden floor against her skin. She glanced aside and saw Van still soundly asleep. For once, his brows were not locked. His eyelids trembled and she smiled upon thinking that he was engaged in aerial adventures of an enchanted dreamland. The sunlight, a little beyond dawn, was scattered by the leaves and fell exquisitely on Van's bare body. She ran her fingers down his torso which consisted of soft dunes, valleys and unseen depths.
Van was awakened by her touch. "Hey, you're up already? I'm so tired."
"It's morning. I want to figure out what part of your body I find the most intriguing."
"Okay," he grinned sheepishly. "What part is that?"
"Let's see," she turned him over and looked around. "Ah, here, the shoulder blades," she encircled one with her finger. "I don't know, I just find this bone so beautiful. Besides, it's where the wings come out, right? Do you think our children will have wings?"
"Probably. I take after my mother. Of course, we'll figure it out when we actually have a baby. Now, let me see what part of you I like best," he sat up. "If I said I liked your legs or your face I'd be too conventional, now wouldn't I? So.I think your hands are really poetic. Yeah.your fingers are long and pale, and see, your thumb is oval, kind of sharp at the top, while mine's fat and dull. Everyone's hands are unique I suppose."
"My grandma said my sharp thumb means I'm psychic."
"I see," he pressed her hand against his warm heart. "They're like sculptures."
"Van, how come you have so many little scars?"
"Oh, yeah. I guess you can call them battle scars. This one here," he pointed to his right shoulder, "You saw how I got this one from the Firean soldier. The lash marks on my back are from that time we snuck into the Zaibach energist mine at the dragon's graveyard, remember? All the other little cuts are from all sorts of places. C'mon, let's go get some breakfast," he got up energetically. They slipped into their clothes and descended from the treetop by going down a slide.
A wooden veranda, standing since Van's birth, was nested in the back of the castle garden, next to the little pond. This picturesque arcadia used to be Folken and Van's favorite haunt. Hitomi was asked to sit in the veranda while Van went to bring some food. As she observed, she was reminded of the Japanese garden her mother used to keep, and the Garden Stellifer of Serenus. Both had an air of tranquility and philosophy that attempts to compose, with botanical symbols, a model of the universe. Compared to the awe-inspiring grandeur of alpine scenery, this garden demurely elicits the soul into a gradual enlightenment.
Van returned shortly, with an armful of fruits that he dumped onto the ground.
"What are these, Van?"
"They're piscus."
Hitomi suddenly laughed out loud. "I remember! The sour fruit from Asturia! You gave them to me when we were in that mill. Not these again! They taste weird," she stuck out her tongue.
"C'mon, they're good for the body. Drink the juice and eat the soft parts. They help give you freshness for the rest of the day," he handed one to her.
"O-kay, I'll try," Hitomi sighed submissively and cracked one open. A heavy odor of sourness flew out. She felt sick first but the repulsion was slight. As she pulled the fruit closer, an irrepressible nausea attacked. She dropped the fruit and ran out to bury her head in a shrub. However, she did not feel much better after vomiting. The queasy feeling she had detected the previous morning was intensified three folds.
"Hitomi! Hitomi! What's wrong?" Van ran over frantically and supported her by the arms.
"It's.I don't know. I just feel really weird. It's been like this for a few days. It's probably nothing."
"Why didn't you tell me? How can it be nothing? It looks serious. You're obviously ill. We have to go see the healer, right now! You must not jeopardize your health. If it weren't for the smell of the piscus, we might have discovered your sickness too late. Let's go!" he reached forth, ready to carry her.
She pushed his arms away. "Don't make a big deal out of this, Van! I'm fine. I get nauseous sometimes, everyone does. I just hate that smell. Look, I can walk by myself," she gestured for Van to step aside and she walked forward.
She staggered a few feet on solid ground, then she stopped. She felt the earth under her feet seemed to waver. The wind blowing the grass had dissolved the land into a stream, flowing pass her, splashing against her legs. Soon, she had the illusion that the earth was rising beside her. The water eventually came above her head and her consciousness was engulfed.
The second when Hitomi fainted backward, Van caught her and after a few desperate cries, he picked her up and sped into the castle. The court healer, a short and hunch-backed old man, was immediately summoned to Hitomi's room. Orion, Selena and the others gathered in the hall while the alarmingly distraught Van knelt by the bed, holding her hand.
The wise doctor exhibited a professional calm and nodded as he felt Hitomi's pulse. Afterwards, he placed a small drop of liquid into her mouth and again nodded reassuringly. But Van was not reassured at all. As soon as the doctor stood up, Van pulled him aside.
"So, what is it? How serious is the illness? Is she going to be okay?"
"You need not worry, Your Majesty." the healer smiled warmly.
"What do you mean by."
He suddenly picked up Van's hand and shook it. "Congratulations, King Van! The lady is not ill. She is with child! It's been almost a color!"
After hearing these words, all stopped for Van. His mind entered a tunnel that sped towards a new life. All that remained of his body were two incredulous yet sparkling eyes and an open mouth.
The doctor continued without noticing. "I've given her a few drops of crystal juice. It will help with the nausea and make things safer for the baby. She should wake up very shortly. Here, I have some herbs," he held up a sachet and looked up to see the king's dazed expression. "Your Majesty? Your Majesty?" he peered up curiously.
"Huh?" Van snapped back into focus. "Go on,"
"The herbs," he dangled the sachet to make sure Van saw it. "they must be cooked to make a soup which the lady must drink three times a day. She must not be in the sun too long. Don't let her carry heavy things or get too tired. No rigorous exercise. Give her anything she wants to eat so long as it is not unhealthy. I will tell all this again to Duchess Selena perhaps?" Van nodded dumbly. "Yes, she can help. I will come check on the lady tomorrow. We will talk some more later," he picked up his medicine bag and patted Van's shoulder, "There is nothing to worry about, Milord. By the way, the baby should be due in the beginning of the next lunar year." The old man nodded then wobbled out. He bowed reverently to the people outside but revealed no news to them.
Orion peeked in and called repeatedly to Van before the latter blinked and twitched his hand. Van walked out like a person who had just woken up from a long sleep. "Orion, Selena," he waved at everyone else, "It's um.Hitomi is fine. The healer said she's.Why don't you guys go about your own business? When she wakes up, we'll go see you."
"But what." Orion stepped forth, curious to know more.
"Just go!" Van pushed him back and impatiently waved everyone away. Merle whined, Selena asked gently, but eventually they left, glancing back uncertainly as they walked down the hall.
When Van made sure everyone had gone, he hurried in and carried Hitomi to his room. He cautiously made sure she was warm and comfortable. Then he searched his drawers for a candle which he lit and placed on the bed stand. Even though it was bright daylight outside, the phoenix glow of the steadfast candle was a life-giving force. He observed the flame and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting.
Gradually, Hitomi emerged from the waters of her sudden sleep and found herself on the dry homeliness of Van's bed. The nausea was gone but exhaustion still needed cure. "Van, what did."
"Shh." he quickly silenced her. "It's okay. The healer said you'll be fine. Want me to tell you a story?"
"It's not another joke is it?"
"No, no," he grinned. "I swear it's not. This is a Fanelian legend, a real one. My father used to tell it to us," he clasped her hands within his. "Near the beginning of Gaea's history, there were clans in Asopia which killed dragons as a way of proving themselves more powerful than nature. One day, a young poet named Valorick came to Asopia and saw the fate of the dragons. He thought they were creatures of the great sky goddess. He wept for them and burned their corpses. From the ashes of the dragons, a golden arrow was born. Valorick picked it out of the flame and shot it into the sky. The arrow pierced a star and magical light sprinkled down to restore life to the dead dragons. In joy, Valorick sang out his poems. The dragons listened to him and followed him to a new land where they may live safely. They came here. Valorick built Fanelia, which is why the dragons guard this valley. Of course, later on, the respect for dragons diminished with the subsequent kings' dragon slaying rites. But the memory of Valorick remains with the people. I heard them say the name of Valorick means 'Dreamer of Dragons' Soul'."
"What." Hitomi fluttered her lashes in agitation that impended joy. "That's a beautiful legend, but.what are you saying? Valorick.isn't that the name of." she sat up to wait for his answer.
An irresistible smile of bliss flashed across Van's face, no longer in shock or disbelief. He made no reply to her in words. With one hand that quivered at the gates of heaven, he softly touched her stomach. At once, the climatic apprehension of the one Truth returned to Hitomi. A tear slid down her cheek.
"Oh, my goodness, Van! Is it true? But how can it be, it's only been a few days?"
"No, dear, remember the time zones?"
"Ah, yes, so it's been.nearly a month?" she looked down and tried to see the new life that dawned within her own body. "Oh, Van, he's our baby," she laid a hand on top of Van's. "Valorick.my courageous little dreamer," the last phrase was painted with her first blossom of maternal love.
"I can't believe I'm going to become a father! I'm going to be the father of a little baby, isn't that the most amazing thing?" he rapturously picked Hitomi up and spun her around in the air. It was the dance of mirth. Together they weave the aerial whirlpool of the mystic future and in their spinning and their smiles, there waved the ocean of Love, into which a thousand streams of life poured.
After Van put her down, he knelt by her as if he were the new child. She patted his head and asked, "Will you love me even when I'm fat and ugly?" Van looked up blankly and tilted his head. Hitomi understood and pinched his nose, "Okay, okay, I know you would! I won't doubt you again! And you know that I'll love you even if you looked like Dornkirk, right?"
"R-really?" Van sniggered. "But let's hope that never happens."
An interval of contemplation followed the laughter, and Hitomi at last said," I think now we can understand our own parents better."
"I know.of course, we'll always be with our children. I wouldn't want them to suffer what we've been through. I can't be so callous with death anymore. I mean, I've been more careful since you came,"
"Not careful enough, dear," she pulled him onto the bed.
"Hitomi," he suddenly became serious. "I promise I will try my best to protect you and the children from any more wars. Folken wanted to see a world of peace with me, and now I want that same peace for my family. I swear."
"It's okay, Van," she interrupted him with a kiss, "I know. We will have peace but first you must be at ease," she lay him down. "I will be here to protect them as well. Our little Valorick is fortunate to be born in such a time of beauty, don't you think?"
Van smiled with his eyes closed. Hitomi released herself from further thought and cuddled up next to him. The fact that a new life was beating inside her made Van love even more the feeling of her body pressed against his own. Hitomi fell asleep only to wake up after an hour, then to get tired again. They casually talked of their wedding and their family. Van would get up sporadically to pace and mutter about the details of the wedding ceremony, the food, the cradle, then he would rush to write down any new concerns or ideas. In such plumed spirits, they passed the afternoon.
About two hours before dinner, a gentle knock came. Van quickly adjusted his shirt and walked into his study to open the door. Selena, all dressed up in an elegant gown, appeared like an incarnation of a goddess. She came in and apologized for her intrusion. "I have but one short question, Van. Orion has asked me to look for a painting of his which he has lost for some time. But you know how his room is, it is exceedingly difficult to find anything. I was just wondering if you have seen it anywhere. He said it was a picture of the starry sky."
"No," he glanced at Hitomi. "It's probably among his stuff. But a painting shouldn't be that hard to find. Did he say it was important?"
"Yes, but I can't see why," she frowned. "He specifically said that I must find it before dinner tonight. I really don't understand the urgency. He's off with his soldiers right now, and he'll expect the painting when he returns from archery practice."
"Don't worry about it. Even if you don't find it, he won't get mad."
"Okay then.Right, I've been meaning to ask," she walked over to the bed chamber. "Hitomi, how are you feeling?"
Before Hitomi answered, Van stepped in front of Selena. "Um, yes.uh, Hitomi is doing fine, but she needs rest right now," he turned Selena around and guided her out.
"But, Van."
"It's okay. We'll tell you at dinner."
"Oh, alright," she kept peeking towards the bed. "You take care of her then, and I'll go look for that painting. By the way, my brother and Millerna are coming back with Chid tonight. Hopefully, we'll see them at dinner," her face glowed temporarily upon remembering her brother's regained happiness. But after Van closed the door, she was once again drawn back to the elusive lost painting.
She walked down the hall, wringing her hands. In the opalescent faith for her love, she could not even think of being mad at Orion for sending her on this ridiculous hunt. There was only devotion and determination in her heart. Once again, she entered Orion's disorderly room and cleaned as she searched. By the end of the hour, dust had been woven into her ringlets and imprinted onto the rosy dress she had planned to wear to dinner. Tired and annoyed, she lay down on Orion's mattress and stared insipidly at the trees painted on the walls.
Just as her mind stepped on the threshold of dormancy, an approaching whistle woke her up. Orion appeared in the doorway and skipped in suavely and knelt down before her. He aspired to the voice of a tenor and sang a ballad to her in Poetics. But Selena only said indifferently, "I couldn't find it."
"That's okay, love," he wiped the dust off her face. "At least you cleaned my room with your pretty dress."
She punched him on the shoulder. "That's not funny! Is the picture really important to you?"
"I'd say it's important to you as well."
"To me? What do you mean?"
Orion stood up and looked pass her as if not hearing her question. "Were the curtains closed the whole day?"
"Y-yes. You told me to close them in the afternoon because you said the sun's too hot today. I've left the door open to let air in. Why do you even ask?"
"Get up and draw the curtains."
"What?" she looked at him wildly. "Stop this nonsense, Orion."
"It's not nonsense," he pulled her off the mattress. "Just go. You'll see."
She hesitated but at last decided not to walk away in anger. Orion stood as she went over and parted the curtains. An astonishing sight of singular magnificence was unveiled. She saw before her a painting the size of the entire window, gleaming as if it really were the landscape of night. The painted Mystic Moon, hanging above the grand peaks, gathered a celestial ring of stars around its white orb. Art equals, though not surpasses, the splendor of the real natural scene.
Selena gasped in adoration. "This looks so real! So ethereal! But you knew it was here all along?" she gave him a sharp glance.
Orion came up and held her from behind. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But wait a second, okay?" he then whispered into her perfumed hair, "Do you see that big star next to the moon? It's the evening star. Look closer."
She looked at him suspiciously then scrutinized the star. She realized that it was painted differently from the others. It appeared three- dimensional somehow, almost as if it were capable of flying out of the painting and sparkling beside its observer. Curiously, Selena touched the star - indeed it was solid, and its tip protruded from the canvas while the rest of it was embedded in the picture. She pulled on it a little. It fell out of the canvas and landed on her palm.
"It's a, it's a.gem," she faltered, "A ring?"
Orion embraced her. "It's a Fanelian diamond. But if you look closer, there are bits of gold floating inside. The gold dust makes it seem contaminated, but it's actually this imperfection of nature that makes this diamond more precious than the others. Hey, do you like this view of the starry night?" he tilted her head up so she gazed straight at the painting. "I feel I can look at this view forever. Would you like to." then he uttered the eternal words, "Would you watch this view with me.every night for the rest of our lives?"
A paralyzing ice froze over time itself. But Selena did turn around eventually, wiping the tears from her cheeks. She took out the Twin Souls card from her pocket and placed it into his hand. Without a hint of doubt or sadness, she said decisively, "Sei tu corai ansias."
As Orion rushed forth to embrace her, his knees nearly failed him. Such utopian happiness felt fragile so he held her tenderly. He did not even dare kiss her, fearing his kiss, at such a culminating moment, would be perishable. But the embrace itself was enough. It presented the image of wedded souls, who unlock the melodies of each other's hearts, and clothe themselves with the inner mists.
~ End of Part XII ~
Right now, you must be thinking AWWWWWW!!!!! Well, I hope you are! Ah.can't you just see it - the starry sky, the soothing voice, the comforting arms, ah.Darn, how come that can't be my own love life?!!!! Anyhow, if you want to make a comment, you know what to do ^_^
Note: You probably know this already - halcyons days mean the days of peace before the storm. In Ovid's Metamorphosis, halcyon birds are symbols of love.
The sun set amid a palette of harmonious past and future. The final faith in everyone's heart is a festive spring in whose fields bloomed the immortal plants. The sky at morning is soft in the glory of a thousand hopes, rich at noon, and now, in the waning sounds of dusk it is bursting forth in holiness. The dark blankets itself in the stars and the universal light assuages everything with tenderness. A great quiet rolls over the kingdom like a wave on Serenus, until all that is left of the twilight is the perfect twain: Fanelia and the Night. Longing became intense and dreams powerful. If a dreamer happened to sing beneath such a sky, the song would not be ascribed to a human being, but to the land itself that sang passionately, urging out the treasures of its profound being.
It was in this Night that Van and Hitomi climbed onto the roof of the castle. In the garden below, Orion was picking flowers for Selena. He cheerfully sang a few lines from "Memory of Fanelia", a song that often colored his solitude: Here's a land where dreams come true, Where dragons fly on high, Where warmth of love will comfort you, And angels sing a lullaby. As Van and Hitomi ascended, the song soared also, and it rang forth as the veritable melody of the starlit land. They settled themselves on the slanted rooftop and sat shoulder against shoulder.
"We owe many things to Orion," Van said when the song became fainter.
"Yes. I think his death in that other past was an essential key. Of course, the other key rests in us," she blushed and Van smiled at her. "You know, I had a revelation. The power of Atlantis is more than the power of wishes. It's the power of Love to create new worlds, to control time even. I think our.physical bond.was a culmination of our Love and that's what made us so strong. I guess it is strange that Escaflowne just disappeared, so did my powers, but.it's really okay."
Van stroked her cheek and in his smile she saw all the answers and affirmation she needed. He pressed her hand on his heart. "Want me to tell you a Fanelian legend?"
"Yeah, I'd love to hear it."
"Okay. A long time ago, before Fanelia was fully developed, she was ruled by a weak king whose heart often wandered aimlessly in loneliness. He was angry at the world which gave him no love and no answers. But one day, a girl dropped down from the moon. She had a peculiar appearance, but an amazing visionary power."
At this moment, Hitomi pounded Van's shoulders and giggled. "Stop it! Stop it! I believed you! I thought it was a real story! You're making fun of me," she glanced at him with girlish defiance.
"Okay! Okay! I was just joking," he laughed. "I haven't done that for a very long time." He drew her into his arms and they settled into a stargazing mood. The night sky sank down and held them like a dream.
Suddenly, Hitomi's eyes widened and she pointed diagonally at the heavens. "Oh my God! It's Orion!"
"What do you mean?" Van glanced down at the garden.
"No, silly! Up there!" she drew Van forward. "See those three stars that are in a line, and there are two stars above the line and two stars below, so that the whole thing looks like an hourglass?" Van squinted his eyes and nodded. "That's the star system called Orion. I can't believe you can see it on Gaea! And it looks the same as it does on Earth. It's the only constellation seen above both planets. That's amazing. It probably looks this way everywhere."
"Fascinating. I'm sure it has a special meaning for Gaeans. I'm afraid I don't know much about it. I didn't even know it was called Orion. What does it mean for the people on the Mystic Moon?"
"Well," Hitomi snuggled up with enthusiasm. "Above Earth, it's the middle constellation that crosses between the northern and southern sky. It's the most conspicuous object in the night sky, so you can use it as a guide to find other stars." Her eyes gazed upward with a palmer's faith and awe. "Oh yes, when I was studying in Egypt, you know, that really ancient kingdom I told you about, I learned that the Egyptians made the pyramids, these huge triangular structures, in alignment with the three belt stars of Orion. The ancient kings of Egypt drew the power of birth and death from Orion. It's said to be the ruling constellation of Osiris, god of the dead and king of the gods. That's why all kings go to Orion after their death."
"Think I'll go there when I die?" Van asked with a grin.
"I'll go with you. See that reddish spot, a little below the belt and above the two bottom stars?" Van nodded. "That's the Orion Nebula, the birthplace of worlds to come. We'll go there, the place where stars are born." An auspicious serenity entered them both, as if Hitomi's words were uttered as prophecy.
"The birthplace of worlds to come." Van repeated the phrase with certain veneration and desire.
"You know, the word 'Orion' originally meant the union of three," Hitomi continued softly. "Isn't that coincidental? In the country where I came from, Orion is very important. We call it Mitsu Boshi, the three belt stars. They're the symbol of new beginning. My mother used to sing this ditty to us, 'When Mitsu Boshi are one fathom high, it's time to go to bed,' " a tremor broke into her voice. " 'When Mitsu Boshi are in the middle, it's the middle of winter. And when Mitsu Boshi lay, it's.it's time to wake up."
Van held her tighter as if inviting a release of tears. However, she talked on with the same ardent nostalgia for the discoveries and dreams of the Mystic Moon. "You know, Van, stars are the parents of planets. There must be a star in order to have a solar system like ours," she paused for a moment, "Stars depend on the conflicting forces of gravity and pressure, like how we have fate and free will. If there is balance between the two forces, there is security. Hopefully, that's the way with us."
He looked down at her fingers. "We have reached a balance for now. Fanelia may be the home we've always dreamt of. But.I don't know, can fate and time really disappear completely?"
She wondered at the stars as if imploring for an answer. "I.did you know that the starlight is from the past?" Van looked unconvinced. "No, I'm serious. We're looking back into time right now, because the light left those stars aeons before Gaea was even created. We can never know what the stars look like at this exact moment, because the image of what they look like now must travel millions of years before it reaches us. Of course, we won't be here to see it. So you see, time is fundamental. And as to fate, well, even the sun has a fate, let alone us. Millions of years from now, our sun will dim, grow cold and eventually, it'll become a massive diamond."
"A diamond? Like this one?" Van reached into his pocket and took out an exquisite little black box.
"What." Hitomi looked at him first and then beheld a magnificent green jewel cradled in his palm. "Oh my goodness! Is this." she touched it reverently. "A green diamond?"
"Orion dug it out of the Nerya caves. The color matches your eyes and Fanelia.where I hope you'll remain," she suddenly saw that faithful purity in his countenance and felt promises in his limbs. "Hitomi, however long we may live, be it eternity or just a few years, let's live it together," an unbearable redness dyed his face into the color of his shirt.
After one steady gaze at him, Hitomi bent over and began sobbing. In her muffles, he could barely discern the words, "You proposed."
"Hitomi, what's wrong? Does this not make you happy? I'm sorry I can't kneel here because I'll fall. But I thought you'd like a proposal beneath the stars. Last time in the prison was not exactly what you had in mind, I know. Or is it perhaps.because you don't want to marry me.Do you?"
She suddenly swung up and wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, yes, yes, a thousand yes!" Such passion and abruptness in Hitomi startled Van a bit. "I'm so sorry, I don't know why I cried. I've just felt so emotional lately and I couldn't hold it in," she fell dramatically into his embrace. "Oh, Van, how could you ever doubt I would say yes. I don't care where you propose," she now regained control and tranquility. "I have already resolved to make Fanelia my home for the rest of my life."
"R-really?"
She sat up straight, and imagined Van at that moment to have regressed back to the angry child who received excessive sorrow and so little love. But that tragedy, and all others, must end this night, because henceforth, no amount of hell can destroy Love's pristine creation, made at the dawn of the universe itself. She held out her hand. Van gingerly slipped the green gem onto her finger.
Though Hitomi's initial reaction had surprised him, Van could imagined it no other way. She is the great balance of all things. She justifies his entire being to life and death. She animates the world with a beautiful soul.
They sat arm in arm, and their eyes together entered the stars. The Mystic Moon newly hung over the Fanelian cliffs. An immaculate symbol of constancy, it never waxes or wanes. It is the single circle of purity amid the black, at once a haunting phantom and an ever present god. But beneath its wan, full periphery there existed a windy world of many tempests.
"I think the war on Earth, I mean.the Mystic Moon, has ended," Hitomi said quietly. "I just have a feeling. This way Yukari and Jason can be safe. It looks so peaceful from here, doesn't it?"
"Perhaps time was turned back on the Mystic Moon as well, so maybe the war never occurred," Van looked up with hope.
"No, you don't understand. Even if time were turned back, war would still be there, because our entire history is written in human blood. Only the dead have seen the end of war. It stops now only momentarily and it will start again, perhaps even more severely." Though she spoke of the dark truth, her voice was steady and her face majestic. Van acknowledged in her a courage he himself had never known. "Paradise is the state of nature for Serenus, as chaos is for Earth. It isn't so much fate as it is human cruelty and stupidity. People just can't see. As a result, they ruin themselves and others. There's something worse than death, and it's death- in-life."
"I think that exists on Gaea as well. It's a part of humanity, I guess. Sometimes it's as if love isn't there at all."
"But it is," she gave him a sad look, "It's just.hard to see sometimes. You know, I think I dreamt of my mother last night. She told me to be happy with you. She also said my little brother is still alive."
"W-what?"
"Don't worry, I'm not going to leave you. I know he'll be alright. He's almost fifteen now, he can take care of himself. I had not expected this. Our parents will watch over us. Perhaps one day, I'll return to the Mystic Moon, just to visit. I should like to see what he looks like when he grows up."
"Hitomi, I." Van appeared remorseful. "I know what it's like to lose a brother, so if you want to be with him, I."
"No, Van," she smoothed her palm over his chest. "Calm down. I want to stay here with you, always. Besides, I haven't lost my brother. I know I will see him again, just as I've come to you again. It's all in the missing."
Suddenly a birdsong drifted out of the sky and interrupted their thoughts. Van looked up and pointed, "Look, two white halcyon birds in the night. It's just like what we saw in Freid." The winged creatures encircled each other and formed an orbit in the shape of the infinity sign. Their starry flight and soothing melody inspired in Van and Hitomi a profound vision of an infinite future: children singing, perilous adventures, eternal woes eternally consoled, and a home they will always know.
All words were dissolved and all storms mollified. They sat together for another hour or so, until the night grew chilly. Hitomi inched closer to Van and placed a hand on his thigh.
"Hitomi, w-what are you doing?" he straightened his back uneasily. "Are you feeling weird again? Um.do you, do you need the healer? I'll um, go wake him up, okay?"
"No, I'm fine. Maybe it's just that my body feels kind of different."
"O-oh?"
"Let's not talk of war and the universe anymore. It'll all come to pass. Do you want a massage?" There was an unfamiliar affection in her tone.
"A m.oh, one of those! No!"
"Are you sure? You seem so tense," she tightened her grip. "Van, about that other night in the prison."
"Okay," he pushed her hand off his thigh and moved away a bit. He cleared his throat, "Um.yes, I.I hope I.did not hurt you or anything."
"Are you kidding?" she slid over and nearly climbed on top of him. "It was the most amazing night of my life. If only every night can be like that. Let's go to your room now."
Van gaped in astonishment. "Like that.every, every.night? R-right now?" He attributed her wild behavior to the inexplicable vicissitude of her emotions, for the Hitomi he knew would not act so otherwise. He smiled in embarrassment and stood up. They cautiously got to the top of the roof and walked along the ridge until they reached a large branch that overhung the roof and blocked further progression. Van placed one foot on the branch and made sure it was steady before he leapt up. He held out his hand for Hitomi and pulled her up. They continued their semi-perilous journey by walking on the branch. Eventually, they reached a large tree house cradled securely amid the foliage and masculine branches.
Van jumped onto the balcony and helped her up. "This is the tree house Orion and I built for Merle. I haven't been here for a long time." He opened the door and went inside. "Good, there's no moldy smell." He opened all the windows and swiped a finger across the sill. "A bit dusty though, plus there's no bed, only some cushions and quilt. Do you mind?"
She made no reply. Van turned and saw her standing by the window, looking at the spring leaves that hung just outside. The night wind ran its tender fingers through the foliage just as Van caressed Hitomi's hair. The whole landscape, with its curves of swaying grass and blossoms, moved with the zephyr, until the earth seemed no longer solid, but was softened under the wind's touch and became rivers flowing into the ocean. It was the illimitable ocean of Love and its feathery waves were like the almost tiptoeing softness of wind on the meadows. The low, singing rustling and Aeolian movements set the heart beating with formidable passion. But soon, the susurrus of the leaves was washed over by the sounds of lovers in the rippling night.
In the celestial sky above, the constellation of Orion blazed stupendously. It was the aperture opening into Love's creation. It enwrapped, under its wings of trinity, past-present-future, not three separate time zones, but one single entity of time, the half-luminous periphery that outlines the circle of Eternity. Space and time are replaced by the pulsations of Love. In Orion's center lives the birthplace of worlds to come. ....
Hitomi awoke to the refreshing scent of the meadows and the discomfort of the hard wooden floor against her skin. She glanced aside and saw Van still soundly asleep. For once, his brows were not locked. His eyelids trembled and she smiled upon thinking that he was engaged in aerial adventures of an enchanted dreamland. The sunlight, a little beyond dawn, was scattered by the leaves and fell exquisitely on Van's bare body. She ran her fingers down his torso which consisted of soft dunes, valleys and unseen depths.
Van was awakened by her touch. "Hey, you're up already? I'm so tired."
"It's morning. I want to figure out what part of your body I find the most intriguing."
"Okay," he grinned sheepishly. "What part is that?"
"Let's see," she turned him over and looked around. "Ah, here, the shoulder blades," she encircled one with her finger. "I don't know, I just find this bone so beautiful. Besides, it's where the wings come out, right? Do you think our children will have wings?"
"Probably. I take after my mother. Of course, we'll figure it out when we actually have a baby. Now, let me see what part of you I like best," he sat up. "If I said I liked your legs or your face I'd be too conventional, now wouldn't I? So.I think your hands are really poetic. Yeah.your fingers are long and pale, and see, your thumb is oval, kind of sharp at the top, while mine's fat and dull. Everyone's hands are unique I suppose."
"My grandma said my sharp thumb means I'm psychic."
"I see," he pressed her hand against his warm heart. "They're like sculptures."
"Van, how come you have so many little scars?"
"Oh, yeah. I guess you can call them battle scars. This one here," he pointed to his right shoulder, "You saw how I got this one from the Firean soldier. The lash marks on my back are from that time we snuck into the Zaibach energist mine at the dragon's graveyard, remember? All the other little cuts are from all sorts of places. C'mon, let's go get some breakfast," he got up energetically. They slipped into their clothes and descended from the treetop by going down a slide.
A wooden veranda, standing since Van's birth, was nested in the back of the castle garden, next to the little pond. This picturesque arcadia used to be Folken and Van's favorite haunt. Hitomi was asked to sit in the veranda while Van went to bring some food. As she observed, she was reminded of the Japanese garden her mother used to keep, and the Garden Stellifer of Serenus. Both had an air of tranquility and philosophy that attempts to compose, with botanical symbols, a model of the universe. Compared to the awe-inspiring grandeur of alpine scenery, this garden demurely elicits the soul into a gradual enlightenment.
Van returned shortly, with an armful of fruits that he dumped onto the ground.
"What are these, Van?"
"They're piscus."
Hitomi suddenly laughed out loud. "I remember! The sour fruit from Asturia! You gave them to me when we were in that mill. Not these again! They taste weird," she stuck out her tongue.
"C'mon, they're good for the body. Drink the juice and eat the soft parts. They help give you freshness for the rest of the day," he handed one to her.
"O-kay, I'll try," Hitomi sighed submissively and cracked one open. A heavy odor of sourness flew out. She felt sick first but the repulsion was slight. As she pulled the fruit closer, an irrepressible nausea attacked. She dropped the fruit and ran out to bury her head in a shrub. However, she did not feel much better after vomiting. The queasy feeling she had detected the previous morning was intensified three folds.
"Hitomi! Hitomi! What's wrong?" Van ran over frantically and supported her by the arms.
"It's.I don't know. I just feel really weird. It's been like this for a few days. It's probably nothing."
"Why didn't you tell me? How can it be nothing? It looks serious. You're obviously ill. We have to go see the healer, right now! You must not jeopardize your health. If it weren't for the smell of the piscus, we might have discovered your sickness too late. Let's go!" he reached forth, ready to carry her.
She pushed his arms away. "Don't make a big deal out of this, Van! I'm fine. I get nauseous sometimes, everyone does. I just hate that smell. Look, I can walk by myself," she gestured for Van to step aside and she walked forward.
She staggered a few feet on solid ground, then she stopped. She felt the earth under her feet seemed to waver. The wind blowing the grass had dissolved the land into a stream, flowing pass her, splashing against her legs. Soon, she had the illusion that the earth was rising beside her. The water eventually came above her head and her consciousness was engulfed.
The second when Hitomi fainted backward, Van caught her and after a few desperate cries, he picked her up and sped into the castle. The court healer, a short and hunch-backed old man, was immediately summoned to Hitomi's room. Orion, Selena and the others gathered in the hall while the alarmingly distraught Van knelt by the bed, holding her hand.
The wise doctor exhibited a professional calm and nodded as he felt Hitomi's pulse. Afterwards, he placed a small drop of liquid into her mouth and again nodded reassuringly. But Van was not reassured at all. As soon as the doctor stood up, Van pulled him aside.
"So, what is it? How serious is the illness? Is she going to be okay?"
"You need not worry, Your Majesty." the healer smiled warmly.
"What do you mean by."
He suddenly picked up Van's hand and shook it. "Congratulations, King Van! The lady is not ill. She is with child! It's been almost a color!"
After hearing these words, all stopped for Van. His mind entered a tunnel that sped towards a new life. All that remained of his body were two incredulous yet sparkling eyes and an open mouth.
The doctor continued without noticing. "I've given her a few drops of crystal juice. It will help with the nausea and make things safer for the baby. She should wake up very shortly. Here, I have some herbs," he held up a sachet and looked up to see the king's dazed expression. "Your Majesty? Your Majesty?" he peered up curiously.
"Huh?" Van snapped back into focus. "Go on,"
"The herbs," he dangled the sachet to make sure Van saw it. "they must be cooked to make a soup which the lady must drink three times a day. She must not be in the sun too long. Don't let her carry heavy things or get too tired. No rigorous exercise. Give her anything she wants to eat so long as it is not unhealthy. I will tell all this again to Duchess Selena perhaps?" Van nodded dumbly. "Yes, she can help. I will come check on the lady tomorrow. We will talk some more later," he picked up his medicine bag and patted Van's shoulder, "There is nothing to worry about, Milord. By the way, the baby should be due in the beginning of the next lunar year." The old man nodded then wobbled out. He bowed reverently to the people outside but revealed no news to them.
Orion peeked in and called repeatedly to Van before the latter blinked and twitched his hand. Van walked out like a person who had just woken up from a long sleep. "Orion, Selena," he waved at everyone else, "It's um.Hitomi is fine. The healer said she's.Why don't you guys go about your own business? When she wakes up, we'll go see you."
"But what." Orion stepped forth, curious to know more.
"Just go!" Van pushed him back and impatiently waved everyone away. Merle whined, Selena asked gently, but eventually they left, glancing back uncertainly as they walked down the hall.
When Van made sure everyone had gone, he hurried in and carried Hitomi to his room. He cautiously made sure she was warm and comfortable. Then he searched his drawers for a candle which he lit and placed on the bed stand. Even though it was bright daylight outside, the phoenix glow of the steadfast candle was a life-giving force. He observed the flame and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting.
Gradually, Hitomi emerged from the waters of her sudden sleep and found herself on the dry homeliness of Van's bed. The nausea was gone but exhaustion still needed cure. "Van, what did."
"Shh." he quickly silenced her. "It's okay. The healer said you'll be fine. Want me to tell you a story?"
"It's not another joke is it?"
"No, no," he grinned. "I swear it's not. This is a Fanelian legend, a real one. My father used to tell it to us," he clasped her hands within his. "Near the beginning of Gaea's history, there were clans in Asopia which killed dragons as a way of proving themselves more powerful than nature. One day, a young poet named Valorick came to Asopia and saw the fate of the dragons. He thought they were creatures of the great sky goddess. He wept for them and burned their corpses. From the ashes of the dragons, a golden arrow was born. Valorick picked it out of the flame and shot it into the sky. The arrow pierced a star and magical light sprinkled down to restore life to the dead dragons. In joy, Valorick sang out his poems. The dragons listened to him and followed him to a new land where they may live safely. They came here. Valorick built Fanelia, which is why the dragons guard this valley. Of course, later on, the respect for dragons diminished with the subsequent kings' dragon slaying rites. But the memory of Valorick remains with the people. I heard them say the name of Valorick means 'Dreamer of Dragons' Soul'."
"What." Hitomi fluttered her lashes in agitation that impended joy. "That's a beautiful legend, but.what are you saying? Valorick.isn't that the name of." she sat up to wait for his answer.
An irresistible smile of bliss flashed across Van's face, no longer in shock or disbelief. He made no reply to her in words. With one hand that quivered at the gates of heaven, he softly touched her stomach. At once, the climatic apprehension of the one Truth returned to Hitomi. A tear slid down her cheek.
"Oh, my goodness, Van! Is it true? But how can it be, it's only been a few days?"
"No, dear, remember the time zones?"
"Ah, yes, so it's been.nearly a month?" she looked down and tried to see the new life that dawned within her own body. "Oh, Van, he's our baby," she laid a hand on top of Van's. "Valorick.my courageous little dreamer," the last phrase was painted with her first blossom of maternal love.
"I can't believe I'm going to become a father! I'm going to be the father of a little baby, isn't that the most amazing thing?" he rapturously picked Hitomi up and spun her around in the air. It was the dance of mirth. Together they weave the aerial whirlpool of the mystic future and in their spinning and their smiles, there waved the ocean of Love, into which a thousand streams of life poured.
After Van put her down, he knelt by her as if he were the new child. She patted his head and asked, "Will you love me even when I'm fat and ugly?" Van looked up blankly and tilted his head. Hitomi understood and pinched his nose, "Okay, okay, I know you would! I won't doubt you again! And you know that I'll love you even if you looked like Dornkirk, right?"
"R-really?" Van sniggered. "But let's hope that never happens."
An interval of contemplation followed the laughter, and Hitomi at last said," I think now we can understand our own parents better."
"I know.of course, we'll always be with our children. I wouldn't want them to suffer what we've been through. I can't be so callous with death anymore. I mean, I've been more careful since you came,"
"Not careful enough, dear," she pulled him onto the bed.
"Hitomi," he suddenly became serious. "I promise I will try my best to protect you and the children from any more wars. Folken wanted to see a world of peace with me, and now I want that same peace for my family. I swear."
"It's okay, Van," she interrupted him with a kiss, "I know. We will have peace but first you must be at ease," she lay him down. "I will be here to protect them as well. Our little Valorick is fortunate to be born in such a time of beauty, don't you think?"
Van smiled with his eyes closed. Hitomi released herself from further thought and cuddled up next to him. The fact that a new life was beating inside her made Van love even more the feeling of her body pressed against his own. Hitomi fell asleep only to wake up after an hour, then to get tired again. They casually talked of their wedding and their family. Van would get up sporadically to pace and mutter about the details of the wedding ceremony, the food, the cradle, then he would rush to write down any new concerns or ideas. In such plumed spirits, they passed the afternoon.
About two hours before dinner, a gentle knock came. Van quickly adjusted his shirt and walked into his study to open the door. Selena, all dressed up in an elegant gown, appeared like an incarnation of a goddess. She came in and apologized for her intrusion. "I have but one short question, Van. Orion has asked me to look for a painting of his which he has lost for some time. But you know how his room is, it is exceedingly difficult to find anything. I was just wondering if you have seen it anywhere. He said it was a picture of the starry sky."
"No," he glanced at Hitomi. "It's probably among his stuff. But a painting shouldn't be that hard to find. Did he say it was important?"
"Yes, but I can't see why," she frowned. "He specifically said that I must find it before dinner tonight. I really don't understand the urgency. He's off with his soldiers right now, and he'll expect the painting when he returns from archery practice."
"Don't worry about it. Even if you don't find it, he won't get mad."
"Okay then.Right, I've been meaning to ask," she walked over to the bed chamber. "Hitomi, how are you feeling?"
Before Hitomi answered, Van stepped in front of Selena. "Um, yes.uh, Hitomi is doing fine, but she needs rest right now," he turned Selena around and guided her out.
"But, Van."
"It's okay. We'll tell you at dinner."
"Oh, alright," she kept peeking towards the bed. "You take care of her then, and I'll go look for that painting. By the way, my brother and Millerna are coming back with Chid tonight. Hopefully, we'll see them at dinner," her face glowed temporarily upon remembering her brother's regained happiness. But after Van closed the door, she was once again drawn back to the elusive lost painting.
She walked down the hall, wringing her hands. In the opalescent faith for her love, she could not even think of being mad at Orion for sending her on this ridiculous hunt. There was only devotion and determination in her heart. Once again, she entered Orion's disorderly room and cleaned as she searched. By the end of the hour, dust had been woven into her ringlets and imprinted onto the rosy dress she had planned to wear to dinner. Tired and annoyed, she lay down on Orion's mattress and stared insipidly at the trees painted on the walls.
Just as her mind stepped on the threshold of dormancy, an approaching whistle woke her up. Orion appeared in the doorway and skipped in suavely and knelt down before her. He aspired to the voice of a tenor and sang a ballad to her in Poetics. But Selena only said indifferently, "I couldn't find it."
"That's okay, love," he wiped the dust off her face. "At least you cleaned my room with your pretty dress."
She punched him on the shoulder. "That's not funny! Is the picture really important to you?"
"I'd say it's important to you as well."
"To me? What do you mean?"
Orion stood up and looked pass her as if not hearing her question. "Were the curtains closed the whole day?"
"Y-yes. You told me to close them in the afternoon because you said the sun's too hot today. I've left the door open to let air in. Why do you even ask?"
"Get up and draw the curtains."
"What?" she looked at him wildly. "Stop this nonsense, Orion."
"It's not nonsense," he pulled her off the mattress. "Just go. You'll see."
She hesitated but at last decided not to walk away in anger. Orion stood as she went over and parted the curtains. An astonishing sight of singular magnificence was unveiled. She saw before her a painting the size of the entire window, gleaming as if it really were the landscape of night. The painted Mystic Moon, hanging above the grand peaks, gathered a celestial ring of stars around its white orb. Art equals, though not surpasses, the splendor of the real natural scene.
Selena gasped in adoration. "This looks so real! So ethereal! But you knew it was here all along?" she gave him a sharp glance.
Orion came up and held her from behind. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But wait a second, okay?" he then whispered into her perfumed hair, "Do you see that big star next to the moon? It's the evening star. Look closer."
She looked at him suspiciously then scrutinized the star. She realized that it was painted differently from the others. It appeared three- dimensional somehow, almost as if it were capable of flying out of the painting and sparkling beside its observer. Curiously, Selena touched the star - indeed it was solid, and its tip protruded from the canvas while the rest of it was embedded in the picture. She pulled on it a little. It fell out of the canvas and landed on her palm.
"It's a, it's a.gem," she faltered, "A ring?"
Orion embraced her. "It's a Fanelian diamond. But if you look closer, there are bits of gold floating inside. The gold dust makes it seem contaminated, but it's actually this imperfection of nature that makes this diamond more precious than the others. Hey, do you like this view of the starry night?" he tilted her head up so she gazed straight at the painting. "I feel I can look at this view forever. Would you like to." then he uttered the eternal words, "Would you watch this view with me.every night for the rest of our lives?"
A paralyzing ice froze over time itself. But Selena did turn around eventually, wiping the tears from her cheeks. She took out the Twin Souls card from her pocket and placed it into his hand. Without a hint of doubt or sadness, she said decisively, "Sei tu corai ansias."
As Orion rushed forth to embrace her, his knees nearly failed him. Such utopian happiness felt fragile so he held her tenderly. He did not even dare kiss her, fearing his kiss, at such a culminating moment, would be perishable. But the embrace itself was enough. It presented the image of wedded souls, who unlock the melodies of each other's hearts, and clothe themselves with the inner mists.
~ End of Part XII ~
Right now, you must be thinking AWWWWWW!!!!! Well, I hope you are! Ah.can't you just see it - the starry sky, the soothing voice, the comforting arms, ah.Darn, how come that can't be my own love life?!!!! Anyhow, if you want to make a comment, you know what to do ^_^
Note: You probably know this already - halcyons days mean the days of peace before the storm. In Ovid's Metamorphosis, halcyon birds are symbols of love.