The following next day rolls around in school. Marley and Lucas are talking about how Bastian didn't come to school as they are walk into their class and sit down. "I called his house last night, and this morning. I even called his dads house." She explains. "Do you think he spent the whole night at the hospital?" Lucas asks. "Well I know I would if it was my mom." Marley replies. "I mean I still don't believe it, it didn't even seem like such a big deal, there wasn't even any blood or anything." Lucas says as they both set their things on the table. "I know but I mean, poor Bastian, first his parents split up now this." Marley says.
Just then, Mrs. Finnegan walks in. "Good morning everyone-" she pauses. Um, before we get started today I'd like to take a moment to talk to you all about Bastain's mother." Conner then elbows Fallon. "Told you she was a goner, you owe me." He whispers to her as he smirks. Fallon rolls her eyes as she raises her hand. "Is it true she died?" She expresses bluntly. "How could you say that??" Marley immediately asks. "Just asking, what's your problem?" Fallon replies. "Mrs. Bux was seriously injured in a car accident yesterday, and she will have to remain in the hospital."
Fallon gestures her head. "Whatever it's the same thing." He whispers. "So, it's important we stay supportive of him , and that we're thinking of him, and his mom during this difficult time. Okay?" She says to the class. "Maybe we should make him a get well card? Then everyone can sign it.." Marley says. "Oh that's a great idea there." Conner mocks. "Yeah like some lousy card is gunna make her better." Fallon adds. "Well maybe you should just keep your stupid mouth shut." Lucas says defensively. Fallon scoffs. "Fine, whatever, we'll make the card, like I care." She crosses her arms. "That's a nice idea Marley." Mrs. Finnegan says quietly to her before starting the class.
Time skips to nighttime. Bastian is resting in a chair, as his mom remains on the hospital bed with the oxygen tube still in her mouth. Michael then talks in and wraps a blanket around him as he sleeps. He then walks over to Laura's bed and puts his hand on hers. "Bastian and I…are by your side Laura.." He says as he looks at her with empathy one final time before leaving the room.
However, Bastian isn't just sleeping, he was dreaming too. He first saw clouds, then snowy mountains, more land, more places hes never seen in his life. This one place has tents, with people who looked like Indians, one boy is about to shoot an arrow, where a distant voice calls him, "Atreyu." Following that there are more voices, he then sees a lava-looking palace as there are many voices. A voice followed by a woman who seems to be an evil queen of that short of nature, as she states she's looking for a boy, along with a wolf-like man appearing in Bastian's image. Bastian continues to see things and hear voices of things and people he's never knew in his life. There were things like a flying machine, an unexplainable green substance, and more people hes never seen. Then there was this…necklace. Bastian then hears another voice. Not from his dream, but from directly in front of him.
"Bastian.." Laura calls quietly as Bastian slowly gains consciousness, confused. After looking around and remembering where he was, he looks at his mom who is lying in the bed, awake this time. "Mom?" Laura chuckle as she looks at him, relived. "Mom!" Bastian says again as he slowly walks over to her and hugs her. "Oh my sweet boy.." She whispers as she hugs her son back. Bastian leans back up. "I knew it, I knew you were gunna be okay." He says, also relieved. "Where have you been?" She asks. "Right here…I've been here all along.." Bastian expresses as he looks back at the chair. Laura shakes her head and chuckles again. "In your dream, where did you go in your dream?" She asks.
"I don't know mom…they called it Fantasia, and there was this wise man that put this thing around my neck…" Laura listens with intent. "Yes, the Auryn. Two snakes intertwined." Laura says. "Like on the cover of that book! Except I had this scary feeling.." Laura smiles. "Sweetheart, there's nothing to be afraid of." "How did you know..?" Bastian asks. "In time you'll understand. Follow your dreams sweetheart." Bastian looks puzzled. "How do I do that?" Laura smiles again. "The book will guide you Bastian, you have to get the book." Bastian looks even more puzzled. "But I-I don't wanna leave you.."
"I will always be with you…that's a promise." Laura says as she warmly strokes Bastian's cheek. "Now go on, I have to get some rest." Bastian nods and kisses her on the cheek. "Bye..see you." Bastian says. "It has to be even." Laura jokes. Bastian chuckles and kisses her other cheek. "Love you." He says before looking at her one more time and running off. Laura looks at her son run out the door, for what she knew might be the last time.
As the ultrasound keeps, it turns red as the lines straighten out. Laura is then seen again with the hair cap still on and the oxygen tube in her mouth. It turns out Bastian's brief conversation with his mother was actually his imagination.
Bastian pants as he runs back to the old man's bookshop. It was dark outside. Bastian knocks on the door. "Mr Coriander?" He calls but no answer. After calling his name again he just decides to walk in. As he walks through the shop again scanning the books and shelves up and down, he talks to himself while looking for it. He then finds Mr. Coriander snoring in a chair. "Mr Coriander..?" Bastian says as he taps him awake. "Oh it's you, what to you so long?" He asks. "What do you mean?" Says Bastian. "Well figured you'd be back, so what will it be? Treasure Island?" "Read it." Bastian replies quickly. "Oliver Twist?" Bastian hesitates "I-" "Moby-Dick, a Whale of a Tale?" "Another time." Bastian replies again.
"Then it must be…the Neverending Story." Mr. Coriander says as he walks over to pick it up. "How did you know?" Bastian asks. "Oh let's just say..that I had a hunch." He says as he shows it to him. "But this book, is not for everybody. Did you ever spend the whole day reading, forgetting the world around you forgetting to eat or sleep?" Bastian thinks. "Yeah, it really bugs my dad." "Did you ever have to go back to the beginning because you'd come to the end of a wonderful story..and have to leave the characters behind..?" Bastian thinks again. "I used to make my mom read the same story, over and over again."
Mr. Coriander then looks up at Bastian in a trustworthy glance. "Then this must be for you. A story that never ends." "Well it's actually not for me, my mom told me to get it, but I don't have any money so-" Mr. Coriander interrupts. "Money? This is a mysterious mystical adventure, you can't put a price on it." "Oh, well…can I borrow it then? Please, I don't wreck it, I swear!" Bastian asks. Mr. Coriander hesitates. "Okay, okay, take it. But this is a great book. Remember, it lacks a wallop." He says, handing it to him. Bastian thanks him twice and walks out.
Bastian then runs out of the bookstore and goes to sit on a bench. Little does he know, the dark wolf-like dog in the alley way is watching him walk by. A dark swirly aura then surrounds the dog, flashing with green lights as it morphs into a man. The then scary looking man starts to follow Bastian as Bastian examines his book in unbelief. As he sits down starts to open it up. 'The childlike empress had sent Cairon, her trusted physician, to find the woodland boy, Atreyu.' Bastian reads to himself. "Atreyu? that's the name in my dream." Bastian says out loud to himself as he continues reading. 'The woodlanders gathered as Cairon waited for Atreyu.'
•••
"And to think he lives here, among you, in this humble community." Cairon says to the woodlanders. "Naturally until today he just seemed like everyone else- but perhaps we have been blinded by his greatness." Obseki adds. "Hello. I'm here, you sent for me?" Atreyu asks as he walks in through the group of woodlanders. "This- is Atreyu-?" Cairon asks with a judgmental look.
"This is what we've been trying to tell you." The lead woodlander explains. "It's perhaps there are other Atreyu's of which we are unaware?" Cairon looks back at the boy. "Yes, that must be. A grown man, an experienced hunter, a great warrior." Obseki speaks up again. "I'm afraid not. he, and no one else, is called Atreyu." Cairon sighs and looks up at the fourteen-year old and what seems to be naive boy.
"Sometimes the decisions of the Childlike Empress are hard to fathom, but it seems shear madness to ask you to accept this mission. What choice do I have?" Cairon expresses bluntly. "Mission?" Atreyu asks. "Yes, the Childlike Empress will explain. Do you accept?" Atreyu hesitates. "Oh, uh, that depends-" He then looks around at the woodlanders who look at him intently, expecting him to say nothing but yes. "I will. I acce-." "Good. Come closer." Cairon interrupts. "Isn't that-" Atreyu asks before Cairon interrupts again. "Yes, the Auryn. The symbol of the Childlike Empress herself. It will guide you, and protect you."
"But I still don't know what I'm supposed to do." Cairon, who is started to get tired of the boy's concerns, still answers calmly. "That will be revealed by the Childlike Empress. Now you must hurry. She is very frail, and on the brink between life and death." Atreyu bows as the necklace around his neck glows.
The boy is now on his horse as the crowd of woodlanders surround him on his horse to wish him goodbye. "When you've said goodbye to your family, you must be on your way." Cairon informs. "I have no parents. The Woodlanders found me in the forest and raised me as one of their own." Atreyu says. "Atreyu…son of all" Cairon says as he looks back at the woodlanders. "I'm beginning to see why the Childlike Empress chose you." Cairon says, seeming a little more sympathetic. Atreyu looks down. "I'll try to be worthy of her trust." He sighs and grabs a hold of the reins. "Which way to the ivory Tower?" Cairon points ahead of him. "Thank you." Atreyu says as he rides off. All the woodlanders waved goodbye as he did so, including his best friend Tartus, whom was a bit envious that he was the one chosen.
Bastian continues reading; 'As Atreyu set off for the Ivory Tower, he realized this was the first time he'd been alone since the Woodlanders had found him as a baby. His solitary journey across Fantasia spanned so many days and nights that he eventually lost count.' "Come on Artax, we can't give up now." Atreyu says as he and his horse continue their journey through various places in Fantasia. 'Cairon had entrusted him with the Auryn, which meant that he would be acting in the Empresses name. Atreyu knew that his condition was very serious, and was determined to prove himself worthy. Then one morning, as Atreyu slept, that Auryn glowed, to warn him of unseen dangers.' Bastian reads as the Auryn glows the same bright shinning gold as earlier.
Artax drags his hooves, in attempt to awake Atreyu as well. "Hey what is it boy?" Atreyu asks him as he gets up. He then hears this low growl and snarling coming from behind the trees. Atreyu hurried as he grabbed his bow and arrow, slowly walking out further to aim. After a few moments, the creature showed himself. It was none other than the same wolf-like dog, Gmork. Jumping out from behind the trees he lunges at Atreyu, with glowing yellow eyes. Atreyu then shoots his arrow right at the same time, causing him to not only fall over, but disperse into many black birds that flew into the sky.
Atreyu looks up at all the birds, the arrow left on the ground. 'Atreyu didn't know that the dark forces had begun their campaign to destroy Fantasia, and with it, the Empress herself.' Just as Bastian is reading. The unsettling man has now found him, and walks over to sit next to him on the bench. He looks over at Bastian, who now seems tensed up since he sat there. "Good book?" The strange man asks as Bastian looks back over at him and gathers his gloves. "Um, my dad's waiting for me..I-I have to go…" He says nervously before standing up and running towards the direction of the hospital.
When Bastian arrives back to the hospital, he confidently walks out of the elevator, excited to tell his mom he got the book. A nurse then talks to him through the front desk. "Can I help you?" She asks. "Oh um I just want to see my mom for second." She looks back at her computer. "Oh just a minute, um, you can't go there-" Bastian, who is too excited and ignores this, continues walking to the room his mom was in, only to find the bed empty.
"Where's my mom?" He asks as the nurse hurried over to him. "I'm sorry Bastian, come with me." She says, leading the saddened boy out of the room. "I'm sorry." She says to Michael as he approaches Bastian. Michael brings Bastian into a hug. "Bastian…I'm so sorry."