Hey hey!!! How's it going??? I'm glad you all like my story so far!!! Oh, please, when you review my story, tell me if you've written any fanfics, and I'll go read them!!! Anyway, on with chapter 8…

1 Chapter 8: Merle, Breakfast and The Vision

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Krystel woke up early the next morning. She got up, went over to her wardrobe, and looked at herself in the mirror. She was in a state! Her dress was creased beyond imagination, and her hair ruffled, and slightly tangled. Krystel went over to her mahogany dressing table, sat down on a little white stool, picked up a brush, and started tidying her hair up. Although she had always had straight hair, as she brushed it, the curls stayed in, as if they were natural. Oh well, she thought, I like it better that way. Finally she finished, with beautiful golden ringlets framing her pretty face. She smiled, and went back over to the wardrobe. Opening it, she looked through the selection of dresses, spoilt for choice on what to wear today. In the end, she chose a floaty white silk dress, with a thick emerald ribbon going round the front, and tied into a bow at the back. It was a very large bow, and the two puffy bits hung to her bum (the bits that look like this { + } ) and the ends floated down to her ankles. She slipped Leon's white rose under the ribbon, at her side, with a bit of the stem and the rose bud peeking out the top. Then with Aria's flower in her hair, the pendant round her neck, and emerald high heels on, she set off for breakfast.

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She hadn't gone far, when Krystel remembered that she didn't actually know where the breakfast hall was!! She stood there, unsure what to do, when she saw someone cross the corridor opposite. Knowing she wouldn't get anywhere by staying where she was, she decided to follow. She ran up to where she saw the 'someone' and turned the corner. Ahead of her lay a very long corridor, with multiple doors along the sides. But the one she had been following had disappeared. Thinking that they must have gone through one of the doors, Krystel slowly started to walk on, ready to check each door for her mystery leader. She was just about to open the first, when she heard a voice behind her.

'Ah, Princess! Nice to finally meet you. My name's Merle' said a female voice, slightly feline in Krystel's opinion. She slowly turned to face the speaker. Krystel looked upon her face, and gasped, jumping slightly as well. The female was a feline!! The cat-lady looked about 31 in human years, but who could tell what she really was. Merle was tall and slender, orange in colour with brown stripes here and there, long red-orange hair, and purple tufts around her wrists, ankles, her neck and her tail!!. (think Eria or Naria in Merle's colours)

'Um, hi, um, Merle.' Krystel wasn't really sure what to say, so she just asked what she needed to know. 'Um, do you know the way to breakfast??' Merle giggled a bit.

'Sure, follow me. I forgot you haven't been here long.' she started walking, but turned round after a moment or so. 'Oh, and don't worry about me being a cat, I'm not gonna bit you or anything!' she laughed, and carried on, her tail swishing from side to side as she walked.

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'Well, here we are, Princess.' Merle finally stopped outside a tall mahogany door, engraved like the ones from the ballroom. 'I guess I'll see you later,' Merle shouted back as she continued walking, 'just go in, don't worry about knocking. Enjoy your breakfast Krystel!!' Merle turned the corner and disappeared, leaving Krystel to venture to breakfast alone. She was slightly nervous, but went in anyway. She opened the door, and found eight people sat around a large square table, with a ninth place empty, waiting for her. At the top end of the table sat King Van in the centre, Queen Hitomi on his right, and her place on the left. On the right hand- side, from top to bottom, sat King Laguna, King Dryden, and King Chid. And on the left hand-side, from bottom to top (me being awkward!!) sat Queen Millerna, King Allen, and, right next to Krystel's seat, (yes, you've guessed it!) Leon! Krystel looked over at him and smiled. He smiled back, and for a moment, there was no one in the room but themselves, gazing into each other's eyes. But King Van's voice cut in.

'Welcome, Krystel, nice of you to join us.' he said smiling, then, indicating to the empty seat next to him, he asked ' would you like something to eat??' Krystel nodded shyly, and walked across the hall. As she went she looked at the room around her. It was decorated with the usual emerald and white. White marble pillars, decorated with strings of emerald angels, stood on a green and white, diamond-patterned floor, holding up a white domed ceiling. Green silk curtains fluttered on a windowsill, making strange jade shadows on the floor.

'What would you like to eat??' her mother asked as Krystel reached the table.

'Um, anything. Please.' And Krystel had the most delicious breakfast she had ever had in her whole life!!

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Finally breakfast ended, and everyone got up to leave. Leon and Krystel hung back.

'Krystel, meet me at the castle entrance in 3 hours time. I need to talk to you.' he said, and with a short peck, they parted, with the prospect of a second meeting high in their hearts. Krystel walked over to the hall window, and sighed happily. So much had happened in these two days, she wondered what the rest of the week had in store for her. She turned round and headed back to her room, thinking all the while of Leon. After a few minutes she was at her bedroom door. She went in, closed the door, and sat on her bed. Suddenly her pendant began to glow. Krystel felt very weak. The room spun, and she swayed. Krystel fell back and fainted.

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*The Vision*

Krystel found herself standing in an unknown place. It was so hot, she couldn't bare it. All around her fires burnt, giving the night an eerie red glow. She looked round in horror. She could see now that it was peoples houses being burnt, their inhabitants running, screaming for help. Through the fires she saw metal giants, crashing around, fighting other giants. One stood out in particular. It was a white one, with two emeralds on its shoulders, a pink stone where it's heart should be, and a long red cape on it's back. It had an enormous sword in its hands, and was destroying the giants that were burning the village. A name echoed around her 'Escaflowne, Escaflowne, Escaflowne.' Krystel couldn't take it any longer, the burning, the pain of the people, the mysterious Escaflowne. What's going on, she thought, where am I? The light of her pendant shone through, swinging itself back and forth in her mind. And then she passed out on the floor in a glow of pink.

*End of Vision*

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Krystel woke with a start. What was that? she thought. But didn't have much time to think about it, as she glanced at the clock, and saw it was almost time for her to meet Leon. She had only 45 minutes to get ready. Had time really gone that fast?? Krystel couldn't understand. She looked down at herself, and decided immediately she should change. After all, she wanted to look good for Leon. The Vision floated out of her mind at the thought of meeting him again.

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Well, what do you think of this one??? Could this vision be the start of some terrifying war, or could it be an insight to Krystel's past???? Find out in the chapters to come. Next, Leon and Krystel meet again, and a family secret is revealed. All in Chapter 9: Angel wings!!! Out soon!!!! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!! ^_^ lol!!!!!