Lapse in Time
Chapter 5: Fields of Remembrance
As the large, wooden door of the Fanelian castle slowly creaked open, everyone nearby snapped their heads towards it and saw their King step inside; small droplets of rain were rolling down his drenched body. A servant quickly offered Van a fresh towel, which he took gratefully. Across the hallway stood Merle, but her expression advised the boy King to approach her carefully. The young cat woman was glaring at him with sapphire eyes that were shining with unshed tears. As Van advanced towards her, gliding as smoothly as a white swan on a moonlit pond, Merle turned her head away and lowered it so that her hair concealed her watering eyes.
"Please Merle," Van spoke; his voice was smooth and caring, and Merle couldn't resist looking into his unique chestnut eyes. "Don't be mad at me, I'm sorry for being so miserable." The boy King reached out and took one of Merle's delicate hands into his own gloved ones. She could tell, instantly, that he was being sincere, but her senses told her that he had much more to say, so she merely nodded and smiled in gratitude.
"Merle, I have made a decision," Van explained. "I have decided to find Hitomi, and hopefully aid her in regaining her memory."
Merle's instant embrace came as no surprise to him. No matter how much she grew and matured, the cat girl would always be emotional and would always have a warm hug ready for her friend. Van placed one hand softly on the crown of Merle's head as she wept in happiness. It was as if months of pain and sorrow were finally lost in the darkness of the past, and the future seemed so bright….
If only Van could make Hitomi remember him.
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Fanelia was a rather small country, at least when compared to Asturia. It existed mostly in a large valley surrounded my lush, green forests; however, there was a smaller area of flat land just outside the valley's boarders; this land had be acquired from Asturia in small amounts from the time when Goau Fanel was King until the present day. Few people lived on these lands, save for a few farming families trying to make a living in the serene countryside. Among these families were a middle aged woman and her young daughter. They lived peacefully in a quaint house near the border between Asturia and Fanelia, and they were known to the citizens as Enila and Ranna Marr.
Outside of their dwelling there was a large garden used to grow vegetables, and a smaller, yet exquisite flower garden, which grew around a miniature water fountain. The sound of continuously flowing water added to the tranquillity of the garden. Ranna sighed lightly as she watched it. The water fountain was a new invention that originated in Asturia; Ranna was pleased that her mother had decided to purchase one, for they were so very relaxing. She aimlessly dipped her hand in the water and found it somewhat cold to the touch. As she removed her hand, Ranna noticed that the water began to move in an odd circular motion, but she dismissed it as a ripple created when she extracted her hand from the cool liquid. Nevertheless, it the movement continued, and the circle became larger and larger until it appeared as though there was a black void opening in the center of it. Tears began to trickle from her eyes, but for no apparent reason.
Minutes, minutes that seemed like hours, passed by, and in the darkness Ranna could see faint images: a swinging pendant, the Fanelian crest, the mystic moon, and a strange figure with glistening white wings. And as these scenes played before her, a name penetrated into her mind.
V....V....Va....Va....Van?
"Ranna!" a familiar voice called out. The images in the pond instantly disappeared as Ranna snapped her head towards the sound. "Ranna, come to the house! Quickly dear!" Her mother's urgency had brought an end to the strange events, and for that reason, Ranna had become partially irate, and yet she rose to her feet and ran steadily to the house, leaving behind her flower garden, a tiny place that now held an air of mystery.
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The second that Ranna stepped through the back door, she could hear the voices of her mother and a strange man talking in the hall at the front entrance. She cocked her head gently to one side attempting to see the stranger, but her mother was still in the way, so she cleared her throat instead to gain their attention.
"Ranna, so there you are!" Enila said, her voice ringing like a small bell. "We have a guest. Would you mind taking his bags to the guest room?" Just as Ranna opened her mouth to reply, the stranger stepped past Enila, and she could finally see the strange man-and yet, he was no stranger.
"No, Enila, I am quite capable of taking my own luggage. I don't want to be a burden during my stay."
Stay? STAY? Ranna's mind screamed. "Well then, allow me to show you to the guest room." she said as sweetly as her mind would allow her. The man nodded, picked up his bags, and followed the young woman down the hallway to a small room with a bed pushed against the far wall and a large window with wood shutters.
It's very...quaint The man decided.
"I shall leave you to get comfortable, your Majesty," Ranna said solemnly. She then turned around and walked briskly through the hallway and out the front door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was near evening when Van finally heard a soft knock on his door. For a moment he did not answer, but a second knock urged him to do so.
"Yes?"
"My Lord," a soft voice answered him from the other side, "supper is nearly finished."
"I shall be out in a minute." The King responded. He listened as the sound of Enila's steps on the wood floor grew slowly weaker and then turned his head towards the window. The sun was now setting, and the sky looked so unbelievably exquisite that a small gasp escaped from Van's lips. Never before had he seen the sky change colors during a sunset! Perhaps he was too busy to notice. Streaks of orange and bright pink where strewn across the expanse of the evening sky, and he could even see the moon–and the Mystic Moon-in the distance. As he looked upon the strange planet, everything seemed to disappear, and he found himself in a black void where only he and the earth existed. And in the darkness he cried out her name….
Suddenly, Van opened his chestnut eyes and gasped for breath.
What happened? Was that a vision? The King laid his arms on the windowsill and rested his head upon of them. No wonder she appeared to be tortured. He raised his eyes and once again scanned the land surrounding the Marr household. There were many things to see: a vegetable garden, a wide open field with a lush, green forest in the distance, and a small, exquisite flower garden. And sitting among the flowers was none other than Ranna. No, not Ranna, Hitomi, he reminded himself. Van couldn't believe that he was actually forgetting who the girl really was!
For what seemed like hours, Van watched Ranna intently as she watered the beautiful flowers and ran her hand through the cool water of the little fountain which sit in the center. A wide, soft smile spread across his face from cheek to cheek; no matter what Hitomi was doing, she always appeared so graceful and beautiful to him. It was truly magic. Or maybe it was just his undying love for the mysterious girl from the Mystic Moon that clouded his mind and filled his heart with such adoration.
Suddenly Van found that he was no longer staring at the delicate form of Ranna but rather he was looking straight into her enchanting emerald eyes. The boy king jumped away from the window and fell off his chair onto the cold wood floor. His tanned face was now red with embarrassment. He prayed that she hadn't seen him.
There was a soft knock on the door, and a now familiar voice called to him.
"Lord Van, supper is ready. I suggest you come while it's still hot." Van licked his dry lips and brought himself to his feet. He took one last look at the tranquil and garden and was disappointed when he saw that Ranna was no longer there. She seemed so peaceful in that garden……the boy King shook pushed those thoughts into the back of his mind, and thought only of what lay ahead of him: a chance of getting Hitomi back.
AN: Sorry that I took so long to get this chapter out. Theo is lazy :P And yes, I have noticed that this chapter (and all my other chapters) are pretty short. I just hope that doesn't bother people because I know it bothers me sometimes. ^.^' I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible.
