The Dragon Priestess

AvalonReeseFanFics

A/N: So here we are, the next chapter, or well, the last part of Episode 2. It's going to be awfully exciting, lots of action in this chapter, I hope you enjoy it. If you're a reader and you enjoy this please tell me, I'd like to know if people still read this. Thanks and enjoy!

Chapter 6: The Girl from the Mystic Moons pt. 3

Van stood placidly on the stool as the court tailor measured him for his coronation robes. He yawned for the millionth time and lifted a hand to rub his sleep laden eyes. The dresser sighed aggravatedly again and pulled his hand down so she could continue to measure the length of his sleeves. He had been fidgeting all morning and driving the lady crazy. Balgus strode into the room and Van stiffened almost angrily and glared at his mentor.

He smiled stiffly at Van and handed him a goblet of water. "Tired?" he said in a mocking tone. "Well then maybe you should have thought of that before staying up all night with your new guest."

Van glanced to the tailor to see that the older man had large eyes of surprise and was biting his lips to hide his smile. Van colored a bit before glaring at Balgus. "You told me to be more hospitable towards her. She had a nightmare and I was up, we talked, that's all."

Balgus scoffed and said nothing but Van knew what he was thinking, he knew what this morning looked like. But even though that morning had landed him in some hot water he couldn't help but smile at it.

*Flashback*

Van woke up that morning, sunlight streaming in through the curtains he must have forgotten to close last night. He shifted in his bed and became aware that something was nestled close to him and an arm of his seemed to be draped over this something. He couldn't help but smile knowing who it was. He opened his eyes a crack and found Brooke's sleeping face not inches away from his. She looked so peaceful and happy and that he couldn't help but feel the same way. He had never felt like this before, he had never had someone like this in his life, someone he could actually learn to really like, someone he could trust not to leave him like everyone else he had loved.

He raised a hand and moved a single strand of her black hair, pushing it back behind her ear and she smiled absently. It was then that he heard a stern coughing. Van propped himself up on one arm and found Balgus in his doorway glaring down at him. And Van sighed. This was not going to end well.

*end*

Van pulled himself out of his memories and found that Balgus scowling at him. He waved the tailor away, and the man scampered off. He then sat down at the head of the banquet table and folded his arms over his chest. "I think we should find somewhere else for Brooke to live."

Van's eyes widened. "NO," he growled as sternly as he could. "As long as she wants to stay here, she's welcome here and I won't allow anyone to chase her away."

The statement came out a lot more possessive that he wanted it to be but he couldn't have cared at that moment. It was a weird feeling to suddenly want and need to protect her and keep her close and it sort of scared him but he figured he owed her. She saved his life so he was going to dedicate his to keeping her comfortable and welcome in his castle. It definitely helped that his coronation was today, no one could question him once he was king, and he'd be free to order Brooke around as he please. Not that she'd listen to him anyway.

Brooke had been alone two minutes before the cat girl was on her again. "I heard about this morning," the cat girl said with a growl. "I told you to stay away from him."

Brooke frowned at her. "Look, you may not understand this, but I'm not used to be all alone. I live in a house where there's more than thirty girls at one time," Brooke snapped. For some reason the cat girl seemed surprised to hear that. "I wasn't making a move, I was lonely and scared. I'm lost and no one knows how to send me home, and he's the only one I know."

The cat girl nodded at Brooke. "I guess I understand that," she said softly. "But I still don't trust you."

Brooke thought about that for a bit before saying: "Well maybe we just need to start again," she said, and then offered her a hand. "My name's Brooke Brillian, I'm new here, what's your name?"

The cat girl looked at the hand like she was confused before taking it and shaking it firmly. "I'm Merle, I'm Lord Van's only friend."

There were so many questions that Brooke had now but she settled on the first one. "Do you call him Lord Van because he's a prince?" she asked.

"No, I'm a cat," she said almost defensively.

Brooke realized that as a cat girl she must have been considered like a second-class citizen. She wasn't sure she believed in that, but a fifteen-year-old couldn't really change that… unless she convinced the soon-to-be-king to help her.

"Well you don't have to call me Lady or anything," she said.

"I wasn't planning on it," Merle growled and then looked away from Brooke with a pout. She glanced back to her and then added: "And if you sleep with Van again I'll use you as a scratching point."

Brooke made a face and colored. "It wasn't like that," she said. "I'm not interested in him that way."

She felt bad lying to Merle about her interest in Van. Honestly, she didn't know what was going on with between her and Van, there might have been feelings developing but those feelings could also be a side effect of all the traumatic things she had gone through with him in such a short amount of time. Like fighting a dragon, and getting taken to this planet against her will, to everything with Merle. She knew better than to talk to Merle about it though.

Merle sniffed the air almost disinterestedly. "So what are you doing anyways?" she asked.

Brooke looked around the room she had been rearranging. "I was trying to make this room a little more alive, but I don't have enough to do that and it's not like I can really ask Van to help me redecorate. I guess I'm going to have to find myself a job," she said.

Merle laughed. "Like Lord Van would let you do that!"

Brooke scoffed. "Well he can't boss me around."

"He's the king, he can boss everyone around!"

"He's not King yet! I have four hours of defiance left!" Brooke shot back.

"Well it's good to know that your defiance has an expiration time," Van said from the door and both girls turned around quickly. "Come on, you have a dressing to go to."

Brooke got up quickly and skipped over to where Van was waiting. "And for your information my defiance is a pretty solid part of my core being," she told him.

Van narrowed his brown eyes at her with a smile. "We'll worry about that after the coronation," he said and then swept her out of the room.

*Flashback*

Van and Brooke had been silently watching the stars, a single sentence running loop in his mind. "You know, it's perfectly normal to have not kissed someone before."

Brooke turned to him surprised. "I didn't say it wasn't. I was just saying, a cute boy like you, with a royal title and all, shouldn't have had such trouble finding someone that would want to kiss you," she explained. "I can kind of see why no one wanted to."

"What does that mean?"

Brooke shrugged. "Well, you're kind of a grouch."

Van frowned. "I am not!"

Brooke put a hand to his and squeezed it comforting. "It's okay, I've been pretty grouchy recently too."

Brooke's hand didn't move as her eyes went back to the stars. I wanted to tell her that she wasn't grouchy, she had actually been really brave throughout this whole ordeal, he just didn't know how to say that to her without sounding ridiculous.

"Uh... Brooke..." he said suddenly, her eyes were on his and he lost his nerve. "How did you know that I hadn't kissed anyone before?"

Okay, so that wasn't what he wanted to say but that was something he wanted to ask anyways. She giggled softly. "Well, I guess cause you just froze, and you didn't do anything. Most guys I know would have taken advantage of that situation."

"Oh? So you're insinuating that you don't think me a gentleman?" he asked.

Brooke her head quickly. "No, I'm insinuating that I opened my eyes and saw the fear on your face." Van snorted softly and shook his head, grinning like an idiot. "That and the kiss was pretty bad."

Now Van was frowning, that was something he had never considered. The kiss was bad? Well that sort of made sense, he had never kissed anyone before, there had been no previous practice for him. Then it dawned on him, how many other men had there been before him to make her the expert. "So you've kissed a lot of people?"

"No, no, you know a few. Two or three… three with you. Yeah, my first kiss was kind of like yours. Guy wouldn't take no for an answer. But that's not important. I know I'm not an expert but girls have expectations you know," she said.

Van stiffened. "Someone made you kiss them?" he asked through grit teeth.

"Yeah, but I also bit him pretty hard, so he learnt his lesson," she said with a shrug.

Van smiled wryly and he felt the anger melt away from him. Silence descended upon them once again and while Brooke watched the sky, he watched her. She reminded him of his mother, soft and kind and yet brave and forceful. But Brooke was definitely stronger, she wouldn't abandon their children if Van were to die.

Van stopped that thought before it could go any further. This wasn't right, he barely knew her, but he knew enough to know that he was going to marry a princess and not her. That should have stopped the next question from coming out but before he knew what had happened: "Did you want to help me practice?" was hanging between them like a cloud.

Brooke was staring at him surprised, and honestly Van was pretty surprised himself, he had never been that forward with anyone before but something about her made him braver. What was more surprising was that when Brooke started to lean forward so did he. This time when their lips met he wasn't scared or nervous but excited and suddenly very warm. This time, he let the kiss go where ever Brooke wanted it to go, there was no one there to stop him and he was going to relish in this feeling.

*end*

"What do you think Van?" Brooke asked and Van jumped slightly. He looked up and saw that she was in a lovely green dress, one that looked almost exactly like one his mother used to wear. The dress was a deep Fanelian green with red accents. "Are you sure I don't look like a Christmas Tree?"

"What's a Christmas Tree?" he asked before he realized that it was something from her world and they probably didn't have that here. So he shook his head and told her: "No you look lovely."

"Don't have Christmas here huh?" Brooke said ignoring his compliment. "Well I'mma make that tradition right here right now. December 25th is Christmas, we put up a tree, decorate it with stuff, drink eggnog, sing Christmas songs and give each other presents."

Van laughed. "Alright, after the coronation you can teach me all about Christmas and December," he said.

Brooke's smile faded. "No December either? Oh boy, this is going to be a lot of learning I can tell," she said with a sigh.

The dresser bowed to her before leaving the Van and Brooke alone. Brooke was suddenly frowning nervously. "Uh, not to be rude, but are you sure it's a good idea to let me come to your coronation?"

"Why wouldn't you be there?" Van asked. "Do you not want to come?"

"No, I mean, it sounds amazing. I've never been to anything like it, but are you sure your people will be okay with me? I am technically an alien," she said.

Van didn't know what that word meant either. Well to him alien meant new and strange, and while she was those things, he had a feeling that wasn't what the word meant to her. Evidently, he would be learning a lot from her as well. "I am their King. I am okay with you, so they will be as well."

Brooke nodded sharply and stepped off the stool towards him. "I hope you're right, because it would be a shame to spend so much money on a dress if I'm not allowed to attend."

Van smiled. "You'll like the party afterwards as well."

"Oh are we going to dance together?" she asked.

"Yes, I hope you know how."

"Not at all, you're going to have to teach me," she said with a smirk.

Balgus cleared his throat making his appearance known to the two teens. Van turned a glare to him while Brooke merely took her hands off of Van's arm and looked away sheepishly. "My Lord, you have to get ready for the ceremony," he said.

Van nodded and turned to Brooke. "We'll go over the customary dance steps before the banquet, alright?"

Brooke nodded and he had he left her rather reluctantly, but then again his kingdom would always come first. He had a feeling that Brooke knew that.

As soon as it was time to go down to the town square for the ceremony Brooke was rightly nervous. As she was going down the stairs she caught sight of Merle in the shadows and she quickly grabbed onto her. Merle yelped but allowed Brooke to pull her along.

"What's the big idea?" she hissed to Brooke as they filled in with the crowd that were going to watch Van.

"I've got prime seats, kitty, and I figured if Van's bending the rules by allowing me to come, you should be able to come too," Brooke said, tugging Merle along.

"Huh, that's actually really nice." She said it as if she didn't believe it even though she was witnessing it.

Brooke shook her head and allowed the guards to usher them into the right spot to stand. One guard turned to them and Brooke held onto Merle a little tighter and narrowed her eyes at him almost daring him to say something to her. But he didn't.

Once he was gone Brooke let Merle go and the two stood in silence waiting for it to start. For some reason Brooke was uneasy, like something was going to happen. She felt it in her chest, in her very bones that something bad was going to happen. She couldn't shake the images of all of Fanelia was on fire and she tried to remind herself that she was at a joyous occasion and should be happy.

"Oh look the priest!" Merle said pointing at a man in robes and suddenly a hush fell on the crowd. Brooke watched as Van came up the steps in his own robes, he looked so silly with his helmet and dark black dress like robes. It looked like he should have been going trick-or-treating. But he also sort of looked handsome.

She thought about last night again. She knew it was wrong, that it looked bad and made her look even worse. When he offered to be the stand in for the girls who usually crawled in with her when they had their nightmares she couldn't refuse. Just like she couldn't refuse when he asked her to help him practice her kissing technique, it was just all so strange to her.

That feeling in Brooke's chest multiplied, so hard that she nearly gasped. Van had been in the middle of receiving some awesome sword as proof of his ascension, he was addressing the crowd but Brooke was seeing nothing but the flames and hearing something pounding towards them.

Merle had a hold of Brooke's arm. "What's wrong with you?"

"They're here... they're here!" Brooke whispered.

Suddenly there were shouts and cries for help and when Brooke looked out at the city she saw the first of the black plumes rising over the houses. It was starting. Guards were pouring out of the castle and rushing towards the gate, the townsfolk were screaming of an unseen attack, an invisible enemy and then the stampede started.

Brooke tried to keep hold of Merle but in the chaos she lost her and then she was crying out for the only person she knew could help her. She called Van's name twice before Balgus' large scarred arms were around her. He lifted her above the crowd to a staircase where Van pulled her from him. "Go to the temple My Lord, I will meet you there."

Brooke turned to Balgus. "I lost Merle! She's probably scared!"

Balgus was already threading through the crowd. "Don't worry, just follow Van, he'll keep you safe. I'll find Merle."

Van took a hold of Brooke's hand and without a second thought Brooke let him pull her away.

The temple was massive and completely empty. Van, out of his coronation robes approached the altar. Brooke let him do his thing, looking back at the pathway they had used to see if Balgus was coming with Merle or not. There was a rumbling that shook the ground and when Brooke turned around the massive stone in the ceiling that she could have sworn was just for decoration had shattered and a massive suit of armor descended and knelt in front of Van.

"You have a transformer?" Brooke asked. She was pretty sure that was just an anime and a series of ridiculously CGIed movies by Michael Bay, but this place was full of surprises and she had no idea how else to describe the thing that had dropped from the temple ceiling. She watched Van place his jewel from the dragon's chest in a jewel in the robot's chest and a light blinded her briefly

"This is a guymelef, my guymelef, Escaflowne," he said. The cockpit opened revealing a chair.

"Oh, that's cool. So you like pilot it from inside? That's cool," Brooke said with a shrug trying not to show just how freaked out she was. The cockpit closed and the guymelef stood up. "Wait! Where are you going? Don't leave me alone!"

Van's voice must have been amplified somehow but she could clearly hear him say: "I'm going to go fight, stay off to the side where it's safe."

Brooke opened her mouth to argue but that same feel of utter dread came over her. She heard the thudding before she saw the dust kick up and instinctively she moved closer to Van and his guymelef. "Van!" she called up to him. "I think they're inside!"

Van withdrew a large sword from god knows where but before he could do anything a weird looking arm appeared and shot streams of what looked like liquid metal at Van. He barely had any time to block. The arm disappeared and then there was no trace of the attacker.

"Where are they?" Van snarled to himself.

Brooke glanced around. They had to be somewhere, but where? She held onto her pendant tightly desperate to find any trace of the guymelef in the room. Oh please, oh please, show me where it is!

Almost like a compass the necklace in her hand jerked to the right and an absolute certainty overcame her. "There Van!" she said pointing to a blank spot. "It's there!"

Suddenly the strange arm appeared again but when it shot its liquid steal again Van not only managed to block the attack but he managed to land a blow that severed the liquid steal. The invisibility shield went down and an ovaline looking blue guymelef was revealed. Brooke was somewhat surprised, she had been right?

From behind Van a second arm appeared and aimed it at him. "Van look out!" she cried, but it was too late. The second hidden guymelef shot the liquid metal at Van but before it could pierce him, Balgus, with his own large sword, appeared, fully armoured and on Van's head. Where the hell had he even come from?

He launched himself off of Van's head to attack the guymelef he had pinned while Van stumbled back. "We have to flee Lord Van!" Balgus cried going after the second one.

"But... but... I can fight!"

Balgus flew at the other guymelef thrusting the sword through its chest and knocking it outside. Van paused just long enough to pick up Brooke and then he too joined Balgus outside. Just like Brooke's dream Fanelia was up in flames, the streets ran red with blood, and other guymelefs lay in lifeless piles. Her nightmare was coming true.

Van was standing in shock, staring at his beloved country and what had been done to it. Brooke hadn't noticed the other guymelefs until a stream of liquid metal pierce through Balgus and knocked him off the guymelef he had conquered.

Both Brooke and Van stared down at him as the blood leaked from his body. "Go Van," he croaked. "Escape this place, rebuild Fanelia!"

Brooke was reliving something else at that moment, a memory she had repressed. A four-year-old her alone in the street, watching the car she had just been in as it burned, screaming for her family.

Mommy! Daddy! Kaydence? April?

It was all happening again. She put her head in her hands to block it all out. She wasn't aware she was screaming until it was echoing back at her but even then she couldn't stop. "I don't want to see it! Don't make me remember! Make it all go away!"

Suddenly they were enveloped in a beam light like when she was taken to this place. She didn't fight it this time and neither did Van, the beam took them up into the night sky leaving the carnage behind.