Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Bloody Hands ❯ Vinyl Gloves and Orchards ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

** Author's Note (yes, I know it's supposed to go at the bottom, but...what the hell): I changed the paragraph text a little by putting in spaces. I figured it would be easier to read this way, but that's why it looks longer than it is. Oh yah, and it'll kinda look like this is the last chapter, but don't worry cuz it's not! ^_^ Thanks to everyone who's reviewed this story, I've never gotten so many reviews on like, the fourth chapter! I've had this story in my head for a while, but I just kept putting it off 'cause I didn't think I could pull off the mood and stuff, plus I had all those other shounen-ai stories that I couldn't resist... But anyway...sheesh... better than The Sixth Sense? I dunno about that! Heh. Haley Joel Osment is so much cuter than Van, eh? **

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"Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane."
--Morgan Freeman, 'The Shawshank Redemption'--

___________________________________________________________________________ ___________

Celena's stomach crawled up to her throat.

"That's not funny, Van," she said quietly.

"Listen to me. That's what's wrong with me. They're driving me mad, Celena."

"They're dead, Van," Celena snapped.

"Please believe me, Celena. Please don't turn away from me. Please....please help me," Van whispered.

Celena looked into his garnet eyes, darting slightly as they looked into hers.

"Dilandau-sama," Mercutio was wailing, rocking back and forth on his knees. "Dilandau-sama, please come back. Whatever I did, forgive me, Dilandau-sama. Please....please come back."

"You're the only one who can help me. Please, Celena. Please don't leave me like this," Van grabbed her arms and pulled her face close to his. "Please, Celena. Please.... I can't tell the difference between what's real and what's in my head anymore."

"Van...."

"Mercutio was loud and vulgar," Van said suddenly.

Celena stared at him, not knowing what to believe.

"He had to take medication because he was so hyper," Van continued.

"Mercutio..."

"Dilandau-sama?" the Dragonslayer on the floor whimpered hopefully.

"Chesta was kind-hearted. Almost too kind-hearted to be a Dragonslayer. You told him he was too gentle," Van said.

"Chesta..."

"Dilandau-saMAA!!!" Mercutio shrieked, and his voice was raspy and hoarse from all the screaming.

"Oh god...," Celena whispered. She suddenly squirmed in Van's grasp. "Where are they?!"

"DILANDAU, I'M HERE!! I won't ever leave you alone again, Dilandau, I'm here!!" Mercutio cried.

Van pulled Celena's face close to his again.

"Mercutio...he's right behind you," he whispered.

Celena cut her eyes backwards, hoping to see her former subordinate.
"There's no one there, Van," she whispered back.

Van released her and backed away.

"Van...Nani-?"

"Shh!" the raven-haired boy hissed.

Just as Van had predicted, Mercutio started crawling toward Celena.

"Don't you hurt her," Van threatened.

"Dilandau-sama," the brunette whispered, crawling slowly.

"Van?"

"Shh...he's right next to you."

"Dilandau-sama...."
Mercutio brushed Celena's left cheek with the back of his hand. Her blue eyes widened.
"Dilandau-sama...."

"Oh GOD!" Celena's sapphire eyes brimmed with tears. "Oh god, oh my god...."

"Please come back, Dilandau-sama. Whatever I did, I'm sorry. I'll never leave you again. I'll be strong this time, Dilandau-sama, I promise. I'll fight harder....I'll be strong....just come back, Dilandau-sama."

"Van!" Celena wailed. She reached up and put her hand over Mercutio's. "Van, I can feel him."

"Where are you, Dilandau?" Mercutio whispered, bringing his face so close to Celena's that his careless brown locks brushed her temple. "Are you in there, general? Can you hear me?"

"Mercutio...," Celena whispered, "I can feel you. Van, can he hear me?"

Van nodded.

"Mercutio," Celena continued, "Mercutio....brave Mercutio....you were the fearless one. You were so.... so aggressive....so full of life...."

"Yes!" Mercutio shouted, delighted. "Yes, I would do anything for you, Dilandau-sama! Dilandau-sama, my Dilandau-sama, COME BACK TO US, DILANDAU-SAMA!"

Celena bent forward, covered her face with her hands, and sobbed.

Mercutio looked up at Van. "What did you do to him?"

"That's not your commander anymore," Van said.

"Where is he?!!?" Mercutio stood up, fetched his boot, and held it threateningly over his head. "WHERE IS HE?! IF YOU'VE HURT HIM, I'LL KILL YOU, NO MATTER WHAT THE GODS SAY!!"

Celena lifted her head and stared into the room, past Mercutio.
"Don't hurt him!! Leave Van alone!" she shouted, not knowing in which direction to call out.

Mercutio lowered his boot slowly.
"You're not Dilandau-sama," he mused. And then he faded, until there was nothing left in the middle of the floor but an empty space.

Celena moved her head around the room in stiff jerks, eyes wide, realizing that Mercutio was gone.
"Where is he now?" she asked.

"He's gone," Van answered quietly.

"Where?"

"I don't know. I don't know where they go when they're not here."

Celena looked up with her saline blue eyes narrowed in pity, staring at the marks on Van's face.
"They did that to you? That's why you always look like you just fought a pack of wolves?"

Van looked away.

"Oh Van..."
She crawled over to where he was sitting; his slender legs all carelessly sprawled out. His hair looked careless, his clothes looked careless, his eyes... his garnet eyes were hooded, dripping with hurt and shame. Celena reached out and gently pulled him against her. Van didn't protest. He fell into her arms and let his head nestle in the crook of her soft, slender neck. And he suddenly felt guilty.

'Hitomi....'
<have the courage to follow your heart>, Migel had said.
"Celena..."
Hitomi...
(she left you. She left you here to fight these demons all alone. Celena's here...Celena's here)
'Celena's here...'

For once, the two voices agreed.

"Don't leave me, Celena," Van whispered into her ear. He wrapped one arm around her waist and cradled her head with his other hand, feeling her soft pale blonde hair, pressing himself against her. The sweet feminine smell of the little world that was Celena engulfed him, and he suddenly felt as serene as he had when Migel had come. He buried his face in her neck, breathing her in. Her hair, her perfume.... She smelled like the orchard that used to be behind his house. He remembered it clearly now. Butterflies lighting on bright pink flowers, tall, lush green grass that stretched on forever. He remembered lying down in the middle of it; the long, green grass surrounding his small body; reaching up to touch the flowers, giggling when a butterfly tickled his nose. He remembered feeling as if the world were gone, and he was in another land. A land of bright pink, yellow, and lavender flowers and vividly-colored butterflies, and air that smelled so sweet that it was good enough just to be able to breathe.

<i can't tell the difference between what's real and what's in my head anymore>

The line between Celena and the memory of the orchard blurred, and Van was lost inside of himself, surrounded by a fantasia that was so glorious that he couldn't remember if he was in the orchard or if he was with the girl.

"Celena..." the beautiful name rolled off of his tongue, and it was almost as if he could taste it.

"I won't leave you, Van," she whispered, hugging him against her body.

"It may be wrong... in the face of all that's happening....," Van said dreamily, "but I just want you to hold me like this forever."
The feeling of hope swelled up inside of him and pressed against the inside of his skin. It nestled in the middle of his chest, and tingled in his cheeks. Van couldn't tell where the orchard ended and Celena's body began, and if it was insane, it was a wonderful insanity.

"I won't let them hurt you, Van-sama," Celena whispered.

"No.... don't... try to stop them. You've done enough. You've given me.... peace."

'And hope,' he thought.

(no... no... not hope.... don't say that)

'Why not?'

"I'll set you free of them, Van."

(NO!!!!!)

I hope.... I hope.... I hope

Deliver me Deliver me Deliver me Deliver me Deliver me Deliver me

(NO!!!!!!!!!)

Part of Van Fanel curled up against Celena and got lost in the fragrant dreamscape. Part of Van screamed and clawed against her.

(DON'T PROMISE ME ANY HOPE, DON'T PROMISE ME ANY HOPE, YOU BITCH!!!)

'Oh Celena.... deliver me....'

"I've been... down here... so long, Celena," Van heard his distant voice whispering. "I don't know what's real anymore. I don't know what I feel.... I don't even know what I'm feeling..."

"Shh...," Celena said, "Just lay still. Just lay quiet and still. I won't let them hurt you anymore..."

***

"Van-sama?" Meruru said quietly, licking his bruised cheek. She was straddling his stomach, paws on his chest, looking down at him with big, concerned eyes.

"Meruru," Van smiled with his eyes closed.

"Celena-sama said you needed rest. She won't tell me why. You're so tired lately, Van-sama. Why are you always so tired?"

"I'm fine, Meruru. Don't worry about me," Van said, opening his eyes.

"But I do worry, Van-sama! Please tell me what's wrong," she whimpered. "Is it Hitomi? Do you miss Hitomi? Because if you're lonely, I'm always here for you, Van-sama..."

(ha. Hitomi. Wouldn't it be nice if that were the reason you were so upset? Wouldn't it be nice if you were merely lovesick instead of being tortured by dead soldiers?)

"Arigatou, Meruru. Arigatou," Van said quietly, holding his best friend against him. Good, trustworthy Meruru. How could he tell her the truth? How could he involve her in this as well? Oh, he wouldn't for all of Gaia have them hurt his Meruru.

"I'll always be here for you, Van-sama. Don't you forget it, alright?" Meruru purred and nuzzled his neck.

"The cat in the hat came back," Mercutio was chanting, sprawled in his little corner of Van's room. "The cat in the hat came back, came back. The cat in the hat came back."

'Don't you dare touch her,' Van thought.

"I learned that Mystic Moon rhyme," Mercutio said proudly. "I learned if from a book from the Mystic Moon."
He bit down on his fist and giggled wildly, as if he'd just heard the most hilarious joke on Gaia.
"THE CAT IN THE HAT CAME BACK!!! THE CAT IN THE HAT CAME BACK, CAME BACK THE CAT IN THE HAT CAME BACK THECATINTHEHATECAMEBACKTHECATINTHEHATCAMEBACK!!!"

'So that's what they do when they're not here? Learn nursery rhymes from the Mystic Moon?' Van thought. He stole a glance at Mercutio from over Meruru's shoulder. He was looking out the window from the floor, pulling on his earring, the gold hoop one.

The vinyl on Mercutio's glove made a soft stretching sound as he sunk his teeth into his left knuckle and giggled up at the ceiling.

<look at me>
<look at me>
look at me
look at me
look at what you've done to me