Chapter 14-
Visions Again
The weeks wore on slowly for the both of them. Hitomi was starting to recover from the losses she had experienced when she came back to Gaea. She passed her days often shopping in Asturia, sometimes buying things at outlandish prices without knowing. Her room in the palace was crammed full of little trinkets (junk, Dryden called it) that she had collected over the two months she had been there. She smiled often, to everyone's relief, and was always there to lend a hand when it was needed. It was a startling change in her, but no one questioned it since it was a great improvement.
She was true to her promise; she visited Van once a week since her arrival to Asturia and they talked about how they were doing and what was going on in their lives. The two usually parted with a 'see you later' or something along those lines. Sometimes Hitomi brought Merle along, and they still fought amongst each other, making Van laugh and declare that they hadn't changed a bit.
Hitomi and Merle were on one of those visits one day when something strange happened. It began in the dining room, as they took the dinner the monks had prepared for them. Van was allowed to go with them, and they ate outside underneath the tree near the stable. The trio did their usual bickering over who got the last pastry, getting even Van into it. Finally, Merle sneaked off with it, jumping into the tree to nibble on it gloatingly. Hitomi sighed, giving up on her, and sat down again beside Van.
They didn't talk much except for the unusual weather they were having. It seemed to change at least three times a day, from rain to sun to rain again. Hitomi looked up as some leftover drops of rain fell to the ground from the overhanging leaves. Hitomi thought of the first visit she had made to the monastery after she and Van had gone there together two months ago. He had been extremely surprised to see her there, and had spent the whole day in her company. They always looked forward to each other's visits.
Now here they were. Hitomi moved closer to Van, but not too close. Despite that she had accepted the road he had taken, this gesture on his part still irked her. He always moved away from her when she came too close. Hitomi settled for the small hugs they exchanged between each other when they met and parted. She didn't like silence between them for long, sometimes she felt that the silence just allowed them to think about what they had lost. So they kept talking, about anything and everything.
"Hitomi, can you believe that my dorm was flooded this morning? That was one huge downpour, wasn't it?" Hitomi laughed; she had travelled in that storm to visit him last night. Merle had been sleeping in the open air, and was she ever angry when she woke up soaked! Hitomi had to rub her fur and it got really puffy before she was done. Merle yelled over them to shut up as Hitomi described her matted fur to Van. Angrily, the cat girl jumped into the next tree so she wouldn't have to hear more.
Once Merle was gone, Hitomi stopped laughing, when a thought came to her mind. It was quite an obvious one, and she was surprised she hadn't thought of it before. Turning to Van, she asked him, "Van? Have you actually taken your vows yet?" When she said this, he stopped suddenly and turned to her as well.
"No, Hitomi, I haven't." he said quickly. Hitomi felt a little impatient with him. He's been so indecisive since I came back, she thought. Sometimes she just wanted to shake some sense into him, like she used to before. But Van was different now; he used to rush into things without thinking, and she would always be the one who thought things through. Now it felt like the opposite. After thinking about this, she spoke up.
"Why not?" He shifted a little, and moved into a different position before responding. "I don't know. I just can't think it through right." Then all of a sudden, he changed the topic. "Why don't I show you the pond? I like to go there to think sometimes." He took her hand, helping her to her feet, but as he walked away, she stayed where she was. Hitomi glared at him.
"Why don't you answer the question right? Why do you always do this to me?" He stopped, turning around. He answered, "Hitomi. Don't ask me that. Let's just have a good time while you're here, okay?" His words sounded soft; her anger melted away at them. Smiling, she nodded. "All right. Let's go. I'll beat you there." With that Hitomi, the track star, took off at an amazing speed. Surprised by her sudden burst of speed, Van could hardly catch up, and his robes kept tripping him up. When he got there, he bent over, trying to catch his breath.
"How did you know where the pond was?" he gasped. Hitomi stood there, her chest puffed out with pride. "I always pass it on the way here, but thanks for offering to show it to me anyway." She began laughing, and Van smiled at her trickery. He looked up at the sky. The sun was sinking quickly. He stood up and said, "It's getting late. Everyone in Asturia will be worried if you don't come back tonight." Hitomi nodded.
"I know. I guess Merle will have to have her nap cut short again." As she passed by him to get the cat girl, Van put his hand on her shoulder to stop her. She did, looking into his face. He was still smiling, but the smile seemed bittersweet, almost relieved.
"Hitomi, thank you for these visits; I look forward to them every week. I promise, when I decide to take my vows as a monk, I will tell you. All right?" he squeezed her shoulder as she nodded at him. "Don't worry, I believe you." she said, putting her arms around him in a quick hug. As she did, Hitomi looked up at the sky. The sun did seem to be setting quickly, and she had to leave. She didn't want to, but she knew she had to. So Hitomi parted from Van and said, "See you later." They waved as Hitomi walked under the tree, yanking on Merle's tail. The cat fell out of the tree and angrily started protesting. Hitomi didn't hear it though, even as she climbed into the covered wagon that Dryden had insisted they take until the danger of the bandits had passed.
As she settled in next to the driver, she hugged herself against the sudden cold. The sun slipping out of sight behind the horizon must have made it chilly, she figured. But the chill seemed to sink into her bones as the cart lumbered away from the monastery. Van had disappeared into the building so she couldn't see if he had felt it either. Was she the only one? It was strange, and she pondered it the entire way back to Asturia. However, it was lost to her as she returned to the town that seemed to be always in the middle of all that happened, Herisia. Hitomi didn't want to stay here long; it just brought back too many of those awful memories.
But they were forced to stay here for the night. Hitomi cursed herself for not noticing that the sun had started setting earlier as the wagon driver rented a room for the three of them. Merle didn't share her feelings, Hitomi knew by the way she leapt on the bed she would sleep in that night. Cats, even cat-girls, were the same on any planet, it seemed. Hitomi put her handbag on her bed, which contained her things in case they did have to stay overnight, which she hoped they wouldn't, especially not in Herisia. She watched, embarrassedly, as their wagon driver stripped off his clothes, almost as if she and Merle weren't there, and got into bed. The man fell asleep almost immediately, and of course Merle did too, leaving Hitomi to stare into the darkness.
The moon began to rise, taking place of the sun that had once been there, and it shined on her sleepless eyes. She looked over at the moon, and smiled when she saw the Mystic Moon. It was eerie to see it there, since when she was on Earth, she always had gazed up into the sky, with hopes of catching a glimpse of Gaea there. She could never see it though. Now both moons shone brightly as Hitomi turned over in her bed, not used to the brightness the two emitted. She lay there, also unaccustomed to the silence of a night on Gaea. No cars honking their horns or people talking loudly into cell phones or the like. It was hard to believe that here nearly everyone went to bed at night, when on Earth, especially Tokyo, sleepless nights were the norm. She knew this; she had often had those sleepless nights during the previous year. Would tonight be like one of those nights? She hoped not.
Sleep did come to her though.
It seemed to sneak up on her, like Merle did when she was prowling about,
on occasion meeting Hitomi and scaring her. She was not afraid to sleep
however. She accepted it and her eyes did slip shut, when something else
sneaked up on her, and it was not sweet dreams.
She saw it. She saw it again. Again after all this time. The altar. It stood there, carefully polished by hand to look its best. She was approaching it slowly, as if she had agreed to meet someone there. It was an odd meeting place, she figured, but she kept walking.
As she came closer to the altar, she could pick up more details. It was adorned with flowers, hanging from overhead, and inside pots. Had there been a marriage, or a funeral? She shivered, remembering that she had both celebrated a wedding and mourned at a funeral recently, so she decided she would rather not know what was going on up there. But still, as in all her dreams, she kept walking despite her doubtful thoughts.
Hitomi gasped when she looked more closely at her surroundings. It was the same vision! The same vision she had had on Earth! Then that must mean that Van...
She looked back to the altar and, sure enough, there was Van, kneeling on that same altar. Hitomi realized that this must the altar in the monastery! Then what came next...?
The assassin! Van was going to die! No! She wouldn't let it happen! She ran as fast as she could to where Van was, even as she saw the shadow hidden man beside the pillar. She wouldn't make it! Van would die! Using all the force she had in her body, she fell forward trying to get to him, just short of where Van was kneeling. She looked up at the man who wielded the sword, and she screamed Van's name with all her might. Just as before, he turned around and saw her, right as the concealed sword came down upon his body. Hitomi knew she was again too late, but even with that thought swimming around in her head, she stood up and tried to stop the man who was murdering Van. But also as before she seemed to be drifting away from them. Hitomi became afraid; what had happened after this in the vision?
She soon received her answer.
Turning around, she saw the same man bringing the sword down upon her.
She didn't see it come down, rather she saw Van staring in horror at the
two of them. Hitomi remembered it fully now; it was either she was killed
or Van was. That was what the vision was telling her.
Hitomi sat up in bed, gasping for air. The night remained as quiet as it had when she had first gone to sleep, but for Hitomi, the night and her dream had changed everything drastically now. The vision had returned to her. It seemed more overwhelming and intense than when she had first experienced it, so that must mean something. Did it mean that it would... happen soon? After all, she had seen Van kneeling on the altar, and wasn't he in a monastery, probably doing that as she was here now?
She quickly got out of bed, slipping
on a coat over her nightgown and some shoes on her feet. The oddly clad
girl made her way down to the stable, seeking a horse used to swift travel.
Even as she did, she felt like she was overreacting; hadn't her visions
lost their meaning since she came here again? But a vision was a vision.
She had to at least see, even if there was no danger, how Van was.
Van watched her leave. He wasn't very good at saying goodbye, he knew by the way Hitomi never really responded to them. However he waved, smiling to the both of them, Hitomi and Merle, before he went inside. When the wagon disappeared over the hill, he lowered his hand and started toward the monastery.
It was getting on toward evening, and Van still had a lot of chores to do. He was always slowed down when it came to chores whenever Hitomi visited, but he was still expected to do them. He went into the stable, trying to coax the animals toward him so he could feed them. It was simple work, but it was vitally important in his new life. Sometimes Van couldn't help but just be... bored with it all. He also thought about how Fanelia was under Gendas. In addition to his possessing a troubled heart, the thought of leaving his kingdom forever gave him a troubled mind. Either way, it seemed to be a loss for him, but it didn't matter now.
As Van began milking the goat, he came to a decision. It came so suddenly, that it seemed as if he had not spent all this time in the monastery thinking about it. He would take his vows the next day. It was as simple as that. If he ever felt doubt that Fanelia was being mistreated in a foreigner's hands, he would see to it right away. Not that it would be a problem, Gendas was a capable ruler. It was all mostly to ease his own mind. He sighed. When decisions were made, life just seemed a whole lot easier. He thought about this as he made his way up to the building, carrying the milk buckets across his shoulders. As he put the milk in the basement, he was surprised to see that someone was there as well.
"Hello?" Van called to the figure, who was mending the end of a robe in silence. The figure was Yourach, and he stood up when Van spoke to him.
"What are you doing down here?" he asked. Yourach showed him the robe, as if the fabric would answer his question. "It's just so noisy up there. I wanted to come down to the basement to get away from it." Van nodded, but this was strange. How could it be noisy in a monastery, especially when at this time the monks were all obliged to keep silent? Van was not, as of yet, expected to keep this pact of silence. He tried, and sometimes he could do it, but he often slipped and talked to someone, even if he only said 'hi'. Van began to wonder if Yourach was in training as he was, since he never kept the vow of silence.
"Well, all right." he said, as he cleaned out his pails. "Just remember, don't let the abbot hear you talking to anyone, okay?" Yourach nodded, turning his head back to what was in front of him. But Van knew his mind was not on his task when Yourach asked him, "How often does she visit?" Van turned from his work and faced him. The man still kept his face hidden, as he pretended to pluck some thread from the robe. Van didn't answer for awhile; he wasn't sure what he had meant. Then he knew.
"Oh, just once a week. And it's not just her, there's also Mer-" He was cut off by Yourach.
"You know, it's not just me who knows that. Everyone's been watching you, and they're getting suspicious that..." he trailed off, leaving Van to think about what he could have said to finish. But Van wanted to hear the end of it.
"Hitomi and I are just friends! I thought everyone knew that!" Van cried out in exasperation. Yourach looked up in surprise at Van's outburst. "I'm sorry." he apologized. "I just want you to know that if the others find you two romantically involved, you could be kicked out of here so fast, you wouldn't know what hit you. Just try to remember that." Van nodded, glad for Yourach's concern, but still a little annoyed. Why did he have to constantly prove himself? Did no one trust him? With these thoughts in mind, he said goodnight to Yourach and went upstairs.
As he walked down the hall, he met the abbot. Nodding to him in his supposed vow of silence, Van entered the room of worship. Everything had just been polished that day, so the altar looked as if it possessed some kind of holy light, more so than usual, in its cleanliness. Flowers from the wedding the abbot had celebrated that day still hung overhead. The moon was out now, and Van could see the Mystic Moon clearly hanging with the white moon. The altar room was practically empty, except for a few monks giving their last silent prayers for the night. Van took his usual spot at the front pew. Clasping his hands in front of him, he prayed for advice on how to calm the people of Fanelia's fears about his abdication. Would they accept it as he had?
As usual, Van seemed to lose himself in his prayers. The other monks left him, but he seemed not to notice, which was as usual too.
Lord, give me strength to face what's coming ahead of me, was the prayer he often used. The silence of night fell upon the monastery, which was immensely different from that of day. Van finally noticed that everyone had gone, so quietly he left the pew and went toward the altar itself, kneeling before it. For awhile, he had his head bent so far down that it dared to brush the floor. He remained thus, even as footsteps resounded through the wide room. Even in the silence, Van did not hear it, so lost in this thoughts was he.
The figure swept behind
the pillar, not far from where the young man was praying so prostrated
in front of him. The brilliance of the two moons showed on the blade of
the weapon he extracted from his belt, attached to his simple robe. The
King of Fanelia didn't even see him. Now was the time to take him, if any...
Trah-lah-lah... Since I know everyone loved the chapter, I can confidently make my way into the crowd. *goes skipping along unaware of the crowd's true intentions*
Hi everyone! Are you glad to hear about what has happened?
Kelly: Remember what I promised you? *beckons the crowd of V/H lovers*
Oh my god! Help me! I'm too young to die! *runs off with Kelly's group
after her*
