Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Return To Innocence ❯ In Dreams ( Chapter 10 )

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

He was alone again. The night was peaceful save for the wind that was slowly picking up. He himself was calm inside, the sparring with Allen had done it's job. Now his only thought was to go to sleep.

He walked by the rows of tents, most were dark, save one. This tent he stopped at. The scene inside made him smile in amusement. There sat Dryden at a table, flipping through a book while writing on a loose piece of paper. Said papers were scattered all over. The scholar was mumbling to himself, seemingly stuck on a certain detail. His brow furrowed as he looked at the assembled pages questioningly.

"They're not going to answer you, Fassa." Van murmured to himself, smiling as he walked away.

Soon enough he arrived at his own tent. It was small, very modest. He had insisted to stay in the camp. As he walked in he took in the contents of the small canvas room. There was a small writing desk and chair to his right and his small cot in the far corner, his pack sitting right beside it. Yes, nothing compared to the enormous royal bed chamber at the castle, and he was glad.
Sometimes he felt like he was drowning, the bed was so large for only one person.

Van walked over to his cot, stripping of everything but his undershirt and trousers and kicking his boots off. He crawled under the heavy cotton sheets and tried to go to sleep. This night though, like many nights before it, sleep was elusive and wouldn't be caught without a fight. But when the unruly sleep settled in, so did the dreams.

***

There was grass everywhere, but somehow he knew that this wasn't near Adom. This was in Fanelia. This was when...

"Van, don't wander off. It will be my head if you get killed."

Folken. No, this was his brother, Dune, not the Black Dragon. Suddenly he could see himself; Little Van running around through the trees wildly. Dune shook his head, not able to suppress the laugh that was the result of his kid brother's antics.

"But Dune!" the child whined, stopping in front of the tall man, fist balled at his sides. "I want to go find dragons! Come on Dune!" Little Van grabbed his brothers large hands, pulling with all his might. "Let's go!"

Again Dune laughed. He loved his brother dearly, such an energetic and loving child, though stubborn and demanding at times.

"Ok Van, let's go find some dragons." He couldn't help but give in to the little tike.

"Yeah!" the little boy cheered, and began running off down the path. Dune ran after hi, not wanting even the slightest harm to come to the boy.

Van remembered that day. It was when he and his brother where still the best of friends, inseparable. Dune use to take Van for walks and picnics and Van's silly little dragon hunts all the time. The forests were always so beautiful, and they had always been so happy together.

Suddenly a fire broke out and raged through the forest, beasts and birds fled for their lives. Then the scenery changed. He was indoors now, though it too was equally engulfed in flames. Van knew this place too. It was the Fanelian royal palace, his home. He looked around the room he was in. It was the throne room. Oh no. Not again.

He could see bodies everywhere, but the one that pained him the most was that of his mother. Her blood was pooled on the stone floor, fire quickly surrounding her lifeless form.

"No!" Van looked over and saw a young boy, wide_eyed, absolutely horrified. It was him. Again he was watching his memories from a distance. He followed his young self's horror stricken gaze to the other side of a wall of flames. There stood his brother, Dune, turning to face him, a hairy, blood covered object gripped in his right hand. Van too looked on in terror, though he knew exactly what had happened. This was the moment that had made him the angry, vengeance-seeking young man he had been. This is what had made him a monster in his own eyes.

There in his brother's hand, was their fathers head, the eyes rolled back, mouth agape, blood soaking into the once beautiful silvery hair.

Van looked to his younger self, waiting for the cold and nearly emotionless question to be uttered from those lips.

"Dune, why?" The words seemed so empty. Van could remember how shocked and numb he had felt when he had witnessed these events.

"Don't call me that! I am no longer of this tainted blood! I will be king Van. I will kill you!" The now haunting figure of his brother stalked towards him, disrespectfully discarding the severed head of their father. Van, his fear once again surfacing yelled out, trying to reach the kind man that he remembered Dune to be.

"Brother! No!"

There was no longer any fire. Now the place he stood in was dark and cold, yet still familiar. He suddenly became aware of his surroundings and the people therein. He once again saw himself and his brother, though this time his name was Folken. He was on his hands and knees, dying from the deep wound to his chest.

"Brother!" he heard his past self yell, but Folken was gone, dead on the cold floor. His life-blood seeping out of him at an uncontrollable rate.

Van couldn't bare to watch this again. He looked away, not wanting to hear anymore, see anymore. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. It was just his luck that just when he had forgiven his brother and Dune too was turning back, he dies.

'Time was never on his side.'

Van lifted his head. Where had that voice come from. It was so haunting and sorrowful. He looked around him for the source. Suddenly he spotted a flash of white hair. He instantly followed.

Again he caught a glimpse of that flowing white hair, and it strengthened his resolve to continue in his pursuit. Through impossibly tall arched corridors he followed this wraith-like presence until he came upon someone in the distance. He hurried towards this person, only to find himself in a large room with floor to ceiling walls of windows. The moonlight shown upon the floor and spilled over this person standing with their back to him.

"Time was never on his side, Lord Van."

"What do you mean by that? Who are you?" he came up close behind the person. Then they turned around.

She was beautiful, though her large eyes and perpetual frown made her look sad and lonely. Her long hair fell neatly around her face and down her back, giving way to an equally flowing dress. Her hands were clasped in front of her. Then she turned those sad eyes to Van.

"You could not have done anything to save him Lord Van. Fate had already decided Lord Folken's end." she continued to stare into Van's eyes, giving him a chill. Then it all came back to him. This was the woman who had told them to leave the fortress after Folken had died.

"You. But you died when the fortress collapsed, didn't you?"

She blinked. This simple gesture too seemed labored and sorrowful. Everything about her did.

"I cannot die, Lord Van. But that is not important. You must go to the Holy City. You must find the Wing Goddess, for evil has once again risen and seeks to claim her power. You must do this Lord Van."

Van looked at her in shock, eyes widened with the surprise. The Wing Goddess?

"Hitomi." he breathed. Again the woman blinked, as if to affirm what he had just said. Van's mind was slowing, only concentrating on that name. But his mouth took up the reins and began to think for him.

"Where is this 'Holy City'? I have never heard of such a place."

"You know where it is, Lord Van."

"No I don't." he corrected her. Annoyed that she wasn't listening to him. But she continued on.

"You must go to the Holy City to speak with your brother."

Again Van's eyes widened. His brother? But...

"My brother is dead." he barely voiced. He had been so reminded just moments before when once again he had witnessed it.

"Go to the Holy City. You must. Otherwise we are all lost."

Then all was gone. The woman was no longer standing in front of him. There was no longer a stone floor. In fact, Van was lying on his back, but by no means was he alone. He could feel that there was someone else in the tent with him. He bolts up, pulling his sword from beneath his cot and jumps to a fighting stance.

There, by the door. A shadowy figure was just leaving. And what was that? A glimpse of pale blue. Van quickly ran after this mysterious intruder, but once outside, there is nothing. No one was out. The only things moving were the trees due to the slight wind. Van lowered his sword, confused.

Pain. Fear.

Van fell to his knees, crying out in the sudden pain, clenching his eyes shut. Suddenly though, his eyes were forced open and what he saw frightened him. There was Hitomi, huddled in a messy heap on the sand somewhere. She was drenched and fear was smeared over her once lovely face, contorting it. There's a shadow hovering over her.

"No! Don't you dare touch her!" Van yelled, trying to lunge at the unknown shadow, but only succeeding in falling on his face. He then realized it was only a vision. He wasn't there to save her. This didn't settle well with his heart. He began to weep horribly.

"Lord Van?" came a curious female voice. "Lord Van!"

Van was aware that it was Merle who now crouched at his side, trying to shake him out of his stupor, but he didn't care. All he could think of was that somewhere on Gaea, Hitomi was scared and about to be attacked, or worse.

He buried his face in his arms and cried while Merle tried in vain to comfort him.