Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story.
'Fanelia,' as the people called it, lay in ruins. The buildings' roofs collapsed inside the walls that would normally support them. Some remained more or less intact, but many were completely destroyed.
The surroundings, however, did not seem to affect any of the people that filled the streets. Happy chatter and laughter filled the air as children played in the ruins and adults conversed over their work.
Even the wagon train seemed surprised at the attitude of the refugees.
"What happened here?" Midori whispered aloud, stunned by the destruction she saw around her.
"I don't know," the driver replied. "Fanelia was just finished being rebuilt."
"We should go the palace and offer out assistance to the King," the trail leader said loudly, to many murmured agreements.
Even in it's destruction, Fanelia seemed beautiful. The sky was a clear blue, there was a light warm breeze drifting through the ruins, strangely, smelling not of smoke, but of waterfalls and green fields. Between the remains of buildings and shattered stones flowers grew abundantly. Any spare space of ground not covered by the cobbled roadways were blooming with hundreds of different types of flowers, their faces glistening with the morning dew still caught on the petals.
As they neared the ruins of the palace, the flowers seemed to defy physics, growing even on wooden beams and in the cracks of stone. They became even more varied in species and more vibrant in color.
"I've never seen so many flowers, Hitomi!" Merle exclaimed, looking wide-eyed over the ruins of the castle, which now seemed more like a hill completely hidden by the multitude of flowers growing abundantly out of it. There was not a single clear space to see the ruins underneath.
"It must be because of all the ashes from the fire," Van mused, his voice quiet but audible.
"I'm really glad we could find something better for you to wear Hitomi. What exactly WAS that thing you were wearing anyway?" Merle asked, her voice somehow managing to be insinuating and innocent at the same time.
"It was a running outfit," Hitomi said, ignoring the fight Merle had been trying to start, absently smoothing out the folds of the dress around her.
Her eyes closed in confusion for a moment, before a her lips graced a gentle smile.
"Van, some travelers are here," she said, still facing the flower- covered ruins. "They're here to help."
Not waiting for his reply, eager to greet the travelers, she climbed the blossom covered rubble easily. She came to the top and looked down upon the wagon train that was rounding the last bend of the road to where the palace was.
She smiled joyously, folding her hands up against her chest, clasping them expectantly for their arrival.
The wagon train rounded the last bend in the road and suddenly were faced with the largest mound of most beautiful flowers any of them had ever seen.
Atop the flower-strewn hill, stood a woman in a white flowing dress that rippled lightly in the warm breeze. The dress was split on the lower half, the shoulder straps extending into a cape behind her that rippled and waved like a greeting. Her hair, glowing as golden as a ripened wheat field shining in the summer sun, streamed around her. Her slim arms were brought up in front of her expectantly, clasped together slightly under her jaw, her face adorned with a dazzling smile of joyous and honored welcome. Her eyes met the train immediately, like she had been patiently waiting for them to appear.
Everyone present would have sworn for all the world that, at that moment, they felt like the most beloved of people in existence.
Three people came up behind her, two men and one girl. The man to the left of the girl was tall and regal, his jaw length golden-blond hair bright and clean, but lacking the glow the girls' seemed to emit. He wore a blue uniform that, although torn, still looked official with a sword at his side.
The man on her right was very young, looking eighteen, and very slim. He had black hair that seemed naturally unruly in an attractive fashion, a large strand falling over one of his eyes. The uncovered eye shone with more life than most would have expected of a boy his size and age. Determination, pride, compassion, and honor. It was a contrast to his clothing: a sleeveless red shirt with unused ties partway down the front, tan pants, brown boots, and a very official looking sword hung by a belt slung diagonally over his slim hips.
The girl to the right of him was younger than him, maybe sixteen, but acting very shy, peeking out from behind the man. Her hair was a strange pink, cut just a little longer than jaw length but curled at the ends. She wore a plain beige dress with white puffs at her shoulders. The Kanzaki family barely even noticed the girl's companions, their eyes riveted to the girl. Somehow, she seemed familiar, but also otherworldly at the same time. Her hair like spun sunlight that caressed her face and shoulders, her dress was woven clouds that wished only to grace her form. Impossibly, she seemed more like a divine being over earth and soul alike, than a mere human. Someone who knew the worst of mankind and their abilities for evil, but was the embodiment of all the hopes, dreams, and purity of every living thing in existence since time first began. She was. magical.
The Elder stepped forward slightly, gasping. "The Lady of Dreams," he whispered, his voice, though little more than a sigh on the breeze, carried through the entire group as clearly as if he had yelled it aloud. The group all gasped, staring for a moment, before, like a wave, collectively bowing before her. Falling onto one knee, their heads lowered to the ground in respect.
Even the Kanzaki's bowed to the girl. It somehow seemed appropriate, necessary even, to show her this respect.
Hitomi watched as the group came into view, and saw them all stare at her in something very like amazement and wonder. Somehow she knew she was the focus of the group and not the people whom had followed her up the wreckage, distinguished as they were. To her astonishment, the leader of the train gasped something, something that hung in the air like a pronunciation of divinity, and like a ribbon in the wind, they all bowed to her. She heard a slightly uneasy chuckle behind her. "Um, I kinda forgot to tell you. You're kind of a legend here," Van said amusedly. "Oh," was all Hitomi could force past her stunned lips.
'Fanelia,' as the people called it, lay in ruins. The buildings' roofs collapsed inside the walls that would normally support them. Some remained more or less intact, but many were completely destroyed.
The surroundings, however, did not seem to affect any of the people that filled the streets. Happy chatter and laughter filled the air as children played in the ruins and adults conversed over their work.
Even the wagon train seemed surprised at the attitude of the refugees.
"What happened here?" Midori whispered aloud, stunned by the destruction she saw around her.
"I don't know," the driver replied. "Fanelia was just finished being rebuilt."
"We should go the palace and offer out assistance to the King," the trail leader said loudly, to many murmured agreements.
Even in it's destruction, Fanelia seemed beautiful. The sky was a clear blue, there was a light warm breeze drifting through the ruins, strangely, smelling not of smoke, but of waterfalls and green fields. Between the remains of buildings and shattered stones flowers grew abundantly. Any spare space of ground not covered by the cobbled roadways were blooming with hundreds of different types of flowers, their faces glistening with the morning dew still caught on the petals.
As they neared the ruins of the palace, the flowers seemed to defy physics, growing even on wooden beams and in the cracks of stone. They became even more varied in species and more vibrant in color.
"I've never seen so many flowers, Hitomi!" Merle exclaimed, looking wide-eyed over the ruins of the castle, which now seemed more like a hill completely hidden by the multitude of flowers growing abundantly out of it. There was not a single clear space to see the ruins underneath.
"It must be because of all the ashes from the fire," Van mused, his voice quiet but audible.
"I'm really glad we could find something better for you to wear Hitomi. What exactly WAS that thing you were wearing anyway?" Merle asked, her voice somehow managing to be insinuating and innocent at the same time.
"It was a running outfit," Hitomi said, ignoring the fight Merle had been trying to start, absently smoothing out the folds of the dress around her.
Her eyes closed in confusion for a moment, before a her lips graced a gentle smile.
"Van, some travelers are here," she said, still facing the flower- covered ruins. "They're here to help."
Not waiting for his reply, eager to greet the travelers, she climbed the blossom covered rubble easily. She came to the top and looked down upon the wagon train that was rounding the last bend of the road to where the palace was.
She smiled joyously, folding her hands up against her chest, clasping them expectantly for their arrival.
The wagon train rounded the last bend in the road and suddenly were faced with the largest mound of most beautiful flowers any of them had ever seen.
Atop the flower-strewn hill, stood a woman in a white flowing dress that rippled lightly in the warm breeze. The dress was split on the lower half, the shoulder straps extending into a cape behind her that rippled and waved like a greeting. Her hair, glowing as golden as a ripened wheat field shining in the summer sun, streamed around her. Her slim arms were brought up in front of her expectantly, clasped together slightly under her jaw, her face adorned with a dazzling smile of joyous and honored welcome. Her eyes met the train immediately, like she had been patiently waiting for them to appear.
Everyone present would have sworn for all the world that, at that moment, they felt like the most beloved of people in existence.
Three people came up behind her, two men and one girl. The man to the left of the girl was tall and regal, his jaw length golden-blond hair bright and clean, but lacking the glow the girls' seemed to emit. He wore a blue uniform that, although torn, still looked official with a sword at his side.
The man on her right was very young, looking eighteen, and very slim. He had black hair that seemed naturally unruly in an attractive fashion, a large strand falling over one of his eyes. The uncovered eye shone with more life than most would have expected of a boy his size and age. Determination, pride, compassion, and honor. It was a contrast to his clothing: a sleeveless red shirt with unused ties partway down the front, tan pants, brown boots, and a very official looking sword hung by a belt slung diagonally over his slim hips.
The girl to the right of him was younger than him, maybe sixteen, but acting very shy, peeking out from behind the man. Her hair was a strange pink, cut just a little longer than jaw length but curled at the ends. She wore a plain beige dress with white puffs at her shoulders. The Kanzaki family barely even noticed the girl's companions, their eyes riveted to the girl. Somehow, she seemed familiar, but also otherworldly at the same time. Her hair like spun sunlight that caressed her face and shoulders, her dress was woven clouds that wished only to grace her form. Impossibly, she seemed more like a divine being over earth and soul alike, than a mere human. Someone who knew the worst of mankind and their abilities for evil, but was the embodiment of all the hopes, dreams, and purity of every living thing in existence since time first began. She was. magical.
The Elder stepped forward slightly, gasping. "The Lady of Dreams," he whispered, his voice, though little more than a sigh on the breeze, carried through the entire group as clearly as if he had yelled it aloud. The group all gasped, staring for a moment, before, like a wave, collectively bowing before her. Falling onto one knee, their heads lowered to the ground in respect.
Even the Kanzaki's bowed to the girl. It somehow seemed appropriate, necessary even, to show her this respect.
Hitomi watched as the group came into view, and saw them all stare at her in something very like amazement and wonder. Somehow she knew she was the focus of the group and not the people whom had followed her up the wreckage, distinguished as they were. To her astonishment, the leader of the train gasped something, something that hung in the air like a pronunciation of divinity, and like a ribbon in the wind, they all bowed to her. She heard a slightly uneasy chuckle behind her. "Um, I kinda forgot to tell you. You're kind of a legend here," Van said amusedly. "Oh," was all Hitomi could force past her stunned lips.