Chapter 15

The new colonies are flourishing. Morgayne looks out over the seas at Kiara's distant face. A war was coming. One that she knew she would probably not win. Kiara had lost the 2 previous battles, this one that was coming, held all of her harbored anger at the very root.

She had been whispering in the ears of the colonists about freedom, and liberty. They had mindlessly listened and became agitated with Morgayne's people. Morgayne had only tried to keep them in line.

Now who knows what could happen.

Scully looked up at Morgayne. "I don't believe this. You mean to tell me that you two, you and Kiara, were at the heart of every major battle and war in the history of the world?"

"Yes. Well, most of them anyhow." Morgayne replied, lifting her left eyebrow a little.

Scully shook her head in agitation and confusion, and continued to watch the scenes play out on the opaque mists before her eyes.

The red-coated men walk in well-formed lines to the battlefield. Their weapons slung uniformly on their shoulders.

In the trees to their left, the ones seeking liberty are waiting. Waiting for the right moment to attack. The yellow skins had taught them this new form of war. They were using it to the best of their advantage.

The time to attack comes. The men rush out of the underbrush. The reds are surprised and unable to fire their weapons. They fall.

The freedom fighters win. A cry of victory erupts from the west.

Morgayne glances over to Kiara. She stands amidst her people, with a smug grin on her face.

"You have won this war, Kiara. You will not win again." Morgayne threatens.

"Perhaps." Kiara says and joins in on the celebration with her army.

Ewan watched as Mulder stood up and left the room. This man was close to finding out the reasons behind why Kiara had haunted Mollie all these years. He would soon understand that not everything was as it seems.

Ewan breathed a giant sigh as he let his mind wander back to his last meeting with his sister. It had been quite awhile since she had visited him in this realm. He usually had to wait to see her in dreams. The time must be drawing close. He only hoped that Mollie, and this Agent Scully, were ready for what they must face, for the battle being waged.

He closed his eyes and silently lulled himself into a deep sleep. The mists receded and he was able to make out the shores of the lake. He stood in a clearing, the lake in front, and the forest behind. He watched as Morgayne showed Danu` the many battles that had been forged in the name of his family. His eyes slipped shut as he heard a faint rustling. Trying to locate where the sound was coming from, he turned to face the forest. In his minds eye, he was able to travel into the forest to the source of the rustling. There, about a mile into the thick underbrush was Kiara, pulling his darling Mollie behind her.

Opening his eyes, he looked back out towards the lake. Morgayne better hurry. There wasn't much time left before Kiara and Mollie would be here, and the battle would commence.

Mulder made his way towards the room that Scully, and now Mollie, occupied. He had begun to put a hypothesis together, now he just had to think.

He gazed over at Scully peacefully resting in her bed. If his belief was accurate, her body posture belied what was really happening to her, and to Mollie.

He wasn't going to lose her. He wasn't going to lose either of them. He would find a way to bring them back. If only he could figure out the code, the key to assist them.

"Agent Mulder," a small voice behind him called out. He turned to see the young nurse, Tory, standing in the doorway.

"What is it" he asked, standing up and moving towards her.

She looked nervous as she gazed up and down the hallway. "Uh, I think you should probably come look at this," she stated and turned to walk down the hall, only gazing over her shoulder once to make sure he was following.

Mulder followed her without comment.

As they neared Ewan's room, he heard the ruckus of the hospital staff inside. The door opened and Dr. Simpson stepped out. Glancing at Mulder he shook his head and continued in the opposite way down the corridor. An entourage of nurses and doctors leaving the room behind him.

Tory stopped as they left the room, then signaled for him to precede him into the room. Mulder did and turned as she shut the door behind her.

She looked over at Ewan, who appeared to be sleeping again, then back at Mulder.

"I think I might know what is happening," she stated as her eyes once again locked onto Ewan's still form.

Mulder's eyebrows both shot up as far as they could go.

"What do you think is happening," he asked, perplexed as to how this girl knew what was going on.

Tory walked over to printout of his brain waves. Lifting up the paper, she glanced back at Mulder.

"His brain waves, they look almost like what brain waves look like in deep sleep, or meditation," she explained.

Mulder walked over to her and took the paper from her hands. The spikes on the paper did look more like a deep sleep form, but not entirely. There almost appeared to be sleep spindles in the mix of high and low spikes. He looked over at Ewan's eyes. They were still. No movement to suggest REM sleep. How curious. Everything that he had learned about dreaming suggested that most people dreamt only while in REM sleep, and occasionally in another stage, but usually not enough to show these pronounced spikes on the EEG.

"What do you know about meditation," he asked turning back to Tory.

"Not much. Only from what I've read. I'm very interested in it, and try to meditate everyday. It tends to calm myself and open up my mind," she explained. "From what I've heard, there are a few people that can actually meditate so deeply, that they almost appear to be in a coma. Since no one else can explain how or why these people have been slipping into comas so suddenly, it is my belief that perhaps, they are simply meditating. That perhaps their minds have gone so deeply into a deep like sleep, that they appear to be in a coma like state," Tory finished.

Mulder looked at this girl and then back at Ewan. If this were simply a form of meditation, or deep sleep, then perhaps anyone could go where Scully, Mollie and now, it appeared, Ewan had gone. Maybe he had found the key to get Scully back.

"You said that you practice meditation. Do you think you could teach me," Mulder asked. He smiled at Tory's affirmative nod.

The small nurses lounge looked even smaller with only the dim light from the candle in the middle of the room. Mulder had convinced the hospital staff to leave him and Tory alone in the room for at least an hour. He had gotten some suspicious looks from some of the staff, especially after he asked for a few candles, but he didn't bother telling them the reason. He just flashed his FBI badge at them and they nodded their consent. They would probably think he was even crazier if he told them the actual reason for the use of the room.

The candle shone brightly in Mulder's eyes. He looked over at Tory as she finished her preparations and sat down on the opposite side of the candle. She looked up at him and nodded that it was time to start the lesson.

"Close your eyes," she said and closed her eyes. Mulder followed her lead and slipped his eyes shut. "Now concentrate on steadying your breathing. Breathe slowly in and out. Keep at it until you feel completely relaxed."

The only noise in the room was their combined breathing. The soft intake and exhale mingling with the scent of the candle wax, lulling Mulder into a deep feeling of relaxation.

"Concentrate on what you wish to see," he heard Tory's voice say, but couldn't place where her location was. Slowly he formed up a picture of Scully in his mind. Her beautiful red hair and deep blue eyes were the first thing he saw. She smiled at him and he watched in amazement as her hair grew longer and longer, until it fell gently around her waist. Slowly her whole body came into focus and he saw the dark purple velvet dress that snugly fit her form. He gasped in surprise as she lifted her hand towards him and called his name...without opening her mouth.

"Mulder," he heard in his head. Her voice was the wind, gently flowing in and out of his mind.

"Mulder." This time harsher, more urgent.

"Agent Mulder!" Agent? She never called him agent.

He felt his body being shaken and widened his eyes as the vision of Scully faded.

His eyes darted open and he saw Tory squatting in front of him shaking him.

"You were really gone there for a while. Where were you?" She smiled and stood up, offering her hand to him to assist him up.

"Do you think this helped? Do you think you'll be able to find out what is going on," she asked as they moved to the door.

Opening the door, he turned back to her and smiled.

"Yes, Tory. I think I will be able to."

Still smiling he made his way towards Scully's room once more. Hopefully, being close to Scully would help him to see more clearly what was going on. He had a definite feeling this was the key to all the mystery.

Continued in Chapter 16