Before we begin I'd like to thank Luiz Arts for the incredible picture of Anastasha, which I am now using as my profile and story image

Huge thanks to Luiz. If you'd like to see more of his art, feel free to check out his channel: luizartts, on deviantart.


What Dreams Are Made Of

A Witch From Mercury

Story

Chapter Four

The World I Love


"Stop it!"

"I don't wanna die..."

"You knew full well that this mobile suit was a curse."

This place again. This was the third time Elan had been here. And, just like before, the voices echoed around him. The last time he'd been through this, it had nearly traumatised him.

This time was different.

This time was worse.

"It hurts! Please make it stop!"

"If you can't carry follow orders, then we have no use for you."

"I'll kill you..."

The voices were louder, colder, angrier. Elan tried to block them out, but he had nothing else to focus on. He couldn't ignore these voices, when they were all that surrounded him. Worse, that last voice was getting louder. It wasn't just angry, it was furious, demented even.

"I'll make you pay! Everything you did to me, I'll make you pay! I'll kill you... I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!"

The others were bad enough, but this one was just plain psychotic! And it drowned out all the other voices. It was as if they were screaming into his ear. Elan could try to escape it, but he knew it would do him no good. He'd just have to grin and bear it, until...


"Mr Winston?"

He was suddenly dragged back to reality, looking up to see his teacher, staring down at him. Of all things, he never thought he'd be relieved to hear Nevola's voice. "Sorry, sensei." He said, "I don't know what happened there..." He glanced around an empty classroom. "Um, where is everyone?"

"They've gone home." She said, awkwardly, "It's the end of the school day."

"Right, of course..." He got up to leave, but she stopped him.

"Are you feeling well?" She asked, "Do you need to go to the nurse's office?"

"No." He said, "I'm probably just a little sleep deprived."

"Just try to get a decent night's sleep." His teacher sighed, "Even if it's for studying, you're just going to ruin yourself, staying up all night."

Elan almost smiled. He got a felt like he might really like Nevola-Sensei, if she didn't have the face of a demon. "Thank you." He said, bowing politely, "I'll see you next week."

He headed outside, into an empty schoolyard. Suletta and her friends were nowhere to be seen. Not that he could blame them, of course. He just hoped he didn't keep them waiting.

In the meantime, he had something more pressing to deal with.

"Alright, Ana." He said, "You can come out now."

The boy stood there, waiting for her to appear. Nothing. That shouldn't have surprised him too much. He hadn't seen her since their Serial Battle. Their last meeting did end a bit awkwardly. Perhaps she was avoiding him on purpose? Or maybe she just couldn't be summoned like this. It wasn't like she was a genie, or anything.

Seconds turned to minutes. Still no sign of her. This was getting silly. Why'd he ever think this would work? Feeling like a moron, Elan turned around to leave...

"Hey there!"

... And there she was, not two inches from the boy's face. He fell on his ass, almost as shocked as he was annoyed. "Jeez! Do you wanna try announcing yourself for once?"

"Well, you surprised me," She said, shrugging, "Thought I should return the favour."

"Surprised you?"

"By calling me like that." Ana clarified. "How'd you know that'd work?"

"I didn't." Elan said, as he dusted himself off. "But you seem to come and go as you please, so why not?"

She smiled at him. "So, you've been paying attention? I appreciate that."

"I did more than that." Said Elan, "I looked up your name. Found one or two Anastasha's in town, but they don't match your description."

"Well," she said, "Maybe I'm not from this town."

"Maybe you're not from this world." He replied, "But I did learn one thing."

"Yes?"

"Anastasha." He said, "A variation of Anastasia. In Greek it means 'resurrection' or, to others, 'She who raises the dead'." He stared her down, looking for any sign of nerves, or deflection.

But, she just smiled proudly. "Very well done!" She said, "I did think of calling myself Isis, but that was too on-the-nose."

Enhanced Person Number Four shook his head. "So it's true. I really did die back there..." He sat down. He'd known it all along, of course. But it was one thing to know, and another thing to be told. "So what are you? The grim reaper? Are you here to help me come to terms?"

Ana shook her head. "You did that on your own." She reminded him, "Besides, you didn't really die. Your body was destroyed, that's all."

'That's all', she said...

"Most people would call that death."

"Most people don't know what death is."

Number Four stared at the girl. He hated when people were vague with him. "So, how am I alive?" He asked, "Did you bring me back?" She thought about it for a moment. "You don't know?"

"No, it's not that." Said Ana, "It's just hard to explain. I guess you could say I helped."

"Helped?"

"Well," She began, "A human body can be destroyed, but the mind can still go on living, under the right circumstances. And you have a very exceptional mind."

The boy almost laughed at that. "There's nothing exceptional about me."

"Oh yes there is." She told him, "You're exceptional by design, Elan."

"I'm not Elan." He said, "I don't even have a name."

"Now don't be like that." Ana said, as she sat down next to him. "You're whoever you want to be. If you want to be Elan Winston, you're Elan Winston. If you want to be Enhanced Person Number Four, that's who you are."

It hurt the boy's head to think about it. "So, my mind, or my spirit, or whatever it is... You brought it here?" He asked, "Why? What did I do to earn that?"

Ana chuckled, kicking her bare feet, without a care in the world. "You're still hung up on that?" She said, "This isn't a reward. It's a gift!"

"But then why give me that gift?"

Ana gave him a long, hard look. Those eyes, the colour of rubies, nonetheless made him feel at ease, as she gave him the most truthful answer she could.

"Because I love you."

His heart skipped a beat. It was the same feeling he had when Ms Winston said those words: happy, but confused. "You... love me?"

"That's what I said."

He took a moment to process it. "You don't mean romance, do you?"

"That's right." Ana told him, "I don't mean romance, or familial love, or friendship, or even good, old fashioned lust. I love you in a way you can't even describe, yet."

She was right. The young man had no name for the love she offered, but he knew it was real. "I feel it too." He said, as she pulled him into her arms. "Any time I'm with you, it makes me happy. Even when I'm feeling down, you make it a little better, simply being there. I can tell you things I can't tell anyone else, and know you'll understand, or won't judge me." He laid back, closing his eyes and, for a moment, forgetting the world around them. "It was you, wasn't it? Holding me in the dark, when I... left my world."

"Yes." She whispered, "I could feel the pain you'd kept buried. So I came to protect you."

"This feeling; it's wonderful. But why do I feel that way?"

"It's only natural." She said, "You are one with me, after all."

He didn't know what she meant. But he had been so weary. He just laid back and let her comfort him, until he felt a trembling in his pocket. A phone call. He checked the caller ID. Suletta Megumi. "If I take this, do you promise not to leave?" Ana just nodded her head. "Alright, I'll trust you." He said, picking up the phone, "Hey. It's me."

"Hey, Elan!" Suletta said, "You doing alright back there?"

"I think so," Said the boy, "There's just a lot I need to figure out."

"Is it about our Force?"

"Yeah." He lied, "I've asked all over school, but nobody wants to join in. Plus my cousin's supposed to be visiting soon, so I've got a lot to think about."

"It's ok." Said Suletta, "It's not like we're on a time crunch, or anything." She paused for a moment. "How about we skip Gunpla Battle for the night? Me and the girls are gonna go out to eat, if you wanna join."

The boy turned to Ana. "I still have so many questions."

"I know." She said, "But we have all eternity for that."

He returned to his phone. "Actually, that sounds good." He said, "Where are we gonna meet?"

"Toni's Pizza." Suletta told him, "The local mall, floor 3."

"I'll be there."

He hung up, and turned to the girl, one last time. "Suletta Megumi," He asked, "She's really my friend?"

"Yes." Said Ana.

"The woman waiting for me back home?"

"She's still there."

"All of this - this world, these people - they're all real?"

Ana stared deep into the boy's eyes. "Do you want them to be?"

"Yes..." He said, "So much..."

"Then yes. Yes, it is."

The young man gently pulled himself away. It almost hurt to leave her embrace, but he wanted to see them; his friends. He let Ana hold his hands in her own, for just a moment. And then he got up.

"Will I see you again soon?" He asked.

"I have a lot to deal with right now." Said Ana, "But yes, you'll see me again."

"Thank you." Said Elan, "This was... nice."

She smiled at him. "You're always welcome."

And with that, Elan Winston turned away, and went to be with his friends.


Toni's Pizza was not the best café in town. It was, in all honesty, quite bad. Pizzas were prepared first thing in the morning, with a fresh batch made every six hours. Anyone who didn't arrive at the right time would have to eat theirs microwaved, or stone cold. They were also very greasy, to the point the cheese could slide right off, if you held it the wrong way. About the only real positive was that they were absolutely huge, each slice bigger than a mans head. Of course that was just more of a bad thing.

Toni's Pizza was not the best. At least to most people.

For Elan, however, it was paradise.

Not that couldn't taste the grease, or tell that his slice had been reheated (possibly more than once). But they could have had stale bread in a back alley, for all he cared. This was his first meal with friends, and being with Suletta, Chuchu and the rest made this twice-cooked junk taste like pure, cheesy heaven.

"You're in a good mood." Said Miyuki, as he tore into a slice of pepperoni.

Elan swallowed, forcing a chunk of greasy bread down his throat. "What do you mean?"

"You're usually so quiet." Chuchu told him, "You treat everything like you just had your soul sucked out." Her face turned blank, and she spoke in a stilted, emotionless tone. "Hel-lo-Su-let-ta. How-are-you-to-day? Per-haps-we-could-go-on-G-B-N-and-see-if-it-gets-me-to-feel-anything."

He scoffed at that. "That was nothing like me!" He said, "You sound like a robot."

"Exactly."

"You do seem happier." Suletta said, "You're smiling a lot more, and you're going at that pizza like a starving dog."

"Personally, I think you're cuter when you were depressed." Said Nika, nibbling on a Hawaiian.

"Um... thank you." Said Elan, "But you're not wrong. About me being happy, I mean. I guess I just have a lot to be happy about."

"Like what?"

He smiled, knowingly, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Chuchu rolled her eyes. "Ok, smartass. Be that way."

"I do wonder where I should go from here." He said, "I mean, we've got that Force Battle coming up, but what do I do until then? What do I do after?"

"Try what I did!" His red-haired friend said, "Make a list. Write down all the things you want to do, and set out to do them."

A list. Suletta Mercury had done that too. Elan never bothered with such a thing. There'd been no point. His life was consumed by Peil Technologies. Duel for them, test the GUND format, pilot the Gundam, then quietly pass away from the after effects. That was Elan's "list", and it was one written by other people. Things had changed. It wasn't as if he had a life without restrictions, but he at least had some freedom. He could make his own decisions; real decisions. He could write his own list. "You know what, that's a really good idea." He told her, "Thanks, Suletta."

"You're welcome!" She said, beaming proudly, "Oop, just a sec..." The cheese slid off her pizza, as it was wont to do. She tried to fold the slice - to catch it - but she was too slow, and the toppings slopped right onto her face.

Elan tried not to laugh, but the others didn't share his self-control. Chuchu was first, then Nika. And as for him, laughter in infectious. "Sorry," He said, chuckling, "Couldn't help myself." The boy couldn't believe his ears. He never thought he'd catch himself laughing.

"That's not funny, girls." Said Miyuki, wiping cheese off her friend. "I told you not to get extra tomato sauce."

Chuchu snorted at that, "Jeez, you sound like her mother."

"More like her wife." Elan quipped, before he could stop himself.

Both girls turned scarlet at his suggestion. "Wh-wh-what are you t-talking about!" Suletta yelped, jumping back with her arms crossed, "I'd n-never marry someone like Mion!"

"That's right!" Miyuki said, "We'd... Wait, what does that mean?" She turned to Suletta with fury in her eyes, "Am I not good enough!?"

"WHAT!?" Suletta shrieked, her arms crossed, as if in self-defense, "I-I-I didn't mean..."

Elan just laughed. One life or another, some things never changed. They laughed together for ages, until they were thrown out for being disruptive.

"God, that was awful..." Chuchu groaned, holding her stomach, "Gonna be tasting that again soon..."

"It was pretty bad," Said Elan. "But that's ok. I'm just glad I got to spend some time with you all."

"You hang out with us all the time." The pink-haired girl said, dismissively.

"True. But, it felt different tonight."

"Elan?" Suletta asked, "Are you feeling alright?"

He turned to them, a smile on his face. "I feel great."

She smiled back. "Well, do you wanna hang out a little longer? It's only seven PM."

He thought about it. It was a Friday. Perhaps they could spare a couple hours. Except... "I'd like that," he said, "But Mom said she needed me back by eight. Unless..."

The girls caught on quickly. "Bringing home four girls in one night?" Nika asked, "Why Elan, I never imagined you could be so devious!"

The boy shook his head. Girls had such weird imaginations.


"Elan..." Ms Winston said, calmly, "I understand you're a growing young man. You're nearing adulthood now, and its only natural you'd start to have, certain feelings."

Elan felt a hint of dread, as she spoke. His relationship with her was awkward enough, without having The Talk. "Um, Mom? I'm not sure where you're going with this."

"Well," She said, "I'm just a little concerned about these girls." His friends stood in the doorway, just as confused as her. "I mean, I'm glas you're taking a girl home to meet me like this, but four at once!? I'm just a little worried you'll turn out like..."

"Mom. Stop. Please." He said, desperately. "I promise we don't have that kind of relationship. These girls are just my friends,"

"Oh." Said Ms Winston, almost disappointed, "Well, that's not so bad, I suppose."

After that bit of awkwardness, they finally made their way upstairs. There was a ton of stuff to do up there. They read manga, they played games and, of course, they watched some Gundam. But most of all, they seemed to take particular interest in his Gunpla.

"The Phantom looks beautiful!" Suletta said, as she looked over the finished piece, "I can feel the love and respect you put into it."

"Thank you." Said Elan, "It was actually a lot of fun to build. Different from a lot of mobile suits I've seen."

"There is a lot of cool stuff in there." Miyuki said, "You've got a transforming beam pistol, beautiful flame effects, and it can even transform." She picked it up, gently twisting it into a shape that resembled some weird mix between a bird and a dragonfly. Mirage Bird Mode, it was called.

"Of course, this one still tops them all." Suletta told him, as she held Pharact in her hand. "I still can't get over how cool this is. Like, where'd you even get the idea for it?"

Elan thought about it. He did have some memories of building it (even if they were false), but they were still vague. "I think I was inspired by something called Dangaioh."

Chuchu looked up from Shoko Komi's awkward adventures. "The hell's a Dangaioh?"

"Some giant robot anime from decades ago." He said, "I think my Mom must have watched it or something. It was a non-Bandai kit, so I couldn't use it for Gunpla Battle but, I found some parts that fit the look."

"It is beautiful." Said Nika, "Have you thought about how you could improve it?"

"Huh?"

"Well long time players are always working on their Gunpla." She said, "There's always room for improvement, after all. Some spend years tinkering with their models. Some even make new ones, with their own strengths and weaknesses."

"Hmmm..." Elan had never considered the idea. Pharact was supposed to be his creation, but it wasn't really. It was a gift, handed to him by Ana and based on something built by Peil Technologies. Gundam Pharact was not his own creation. But, couldn't it be? After all, this wasn't the only thing Ana gave him. He also been gifted with innate knowledge of building and painting. If he put his mind to it, maybe he could make a Pharact that was his own. "Well," He said, "I could do with some more options. Pharact's been working great so far, but it tends to struggle when at mid and close range."

"Maybe you could give her some more melee weapons?" Suletta said. "There's a ton of close-combat mobile suits, even your Phantom has some good melee options."

He mulled it over, as he examined the kit, still in its Mirage Bird form. "I guess I could do something with this." He said, "I'm just not sure what."

"It's not like we're in a hurry." Nika said, "Pharact's still working ok for you, isn't it?"

He supposed so. His gunpla wasn't perfect. In fact, its offensive power was a little less than the real thing. Then again, GBN was just a videogame. It's not like he could expect it to obey the laws of the real world.

"Plus, we still need one more for our Force." Chuchu reminded them. You got any ideas?"

"Elan said his cousin was coming over." Suletta said, "Does he play GBN?"

"He might do." The boy said, "I can't really say. I haven't seen Aaron in years." He hadn't seen his cousin at all, in fact, but that would likely sound suspicious.

"Let's not think too much about it." Said Nika, "We're having a good night. Let's make the most of it."

They hung out together, until the clocks neared midnight, and the boy's eyes grew heavy. While the others played, he'd made a start on his bucket list (or, post-bucket list).

1. Make some guy friends

2. Build my own custom gunpla

3. Learn to cook

4. Start a Force in GBN

It was a pretty anaemic list, for someone his age. But it was a start. The rest he could fill in as he went along.

By the time the girls finally went home, he felt like he would pass out. So he bid them goodnight, and then collapsed on his bed, blissfully unaware of what was to come tomorrow.


The night's sleep was one of the most peaceful ones he'd had. No nightmares, no visions of torture or screams of hate, just peace and warmth. He knew now, who it was that kept him company in the dark. All night, she held onto him, sheltering from those horrible thoughts. Why she cared for him so much, he still did not know. And he did know those nightmares would come back eventually. But none of that mattered for now. He just laid back in her ethereal arms, and rested, and rested to his hearts content. In fact, he might have rested a little too well.

He woke up in the morning to no alarm, no call from Belmeria, he just woke up naturally. Usually that meant he'd got up late. Just as he thought. 10:37. Wasn't he supposed to do something today? Something about a visit? That was it. They were supposed to pick his cousin up at 9.

At 9AM.

And it was past 10:30.

He got up in a hurry, ready to charge through the door like a battering ram.

And then Ms Winston opened the door.

"Oh, you're awake!"

"I'm sorry!" He said, "I didn't mean to get up so late. I thought I set an alarm, and..."

"Shhhh, it's alright." She assured him, "I know your friends probably tired you out last night, so I just let you sleep in."

"So, what about Aaron?"

"I picked him up myself." She said, "He was a little disappointed you weren't there, but he said he was looking forward to meeting you. He's downstairs right now."

Elan followed her down. He'd have to share his bedroom with a stranger for a while. But who knows, maybe he'd be a nice person. He was hoping to find some guy friends, after all. Maybe he'd be a GBN player, and they'd have a fifth member for their force.

"Aaron?" The woman said, as she came down, "You're cousin, Elan is here to see you."

"Good morning." Elan said, trying his best to be friendly, "It's nice to see you..." The words died in his mouth, as he stepped into the dining room, and found his "cousin" waiting for him. "...Again."

This was no stranger. If anything, it was someone he knew all too well.

"Yo! Good to see you again." The boy said, in a tone that was trying a bit too hard to be friendly. He was just as Elan remembered him. That same dirty blonde hair, those same, piercing green eyes, and that same superior look on his pretty face.

"It's been a while... cousin."


To Be Continued


After one week of my weekly upload schedule, I've quickly discovered that it's not for me. I just found myself finishing this chapter very quickly and feeling really wrong sitting on this for the next days. Plus, a whole week is a long time to wait for a more straightforward chapter like this.

From now on, I'm going to go back to uploading each chapter as they're finished.

Also, I've started a series of short side chapters called Dream On, which you can find on my profile. The first chapter is already up, and is told from Belmeria's perspective.