http://clampfix.fanworks.net/re-fix/bf4.txt </head><body><pre> Between Friends Part Four A world, green with blue oceans, stretched before Eagle's gaze, and he somehow knew it was Cephiro, even if he had never seen it before. This place *felt* like part of Lantis and somehow it felt like it belonged to Eagle too. That was ridiculous, of course, Eagle thought, shaking his head. He came from Autozam, and had never touched on this green sphere before. Still, the forests seemed awfully familiar.... :Lantis?: he tried to ask, stretching out with his mind. :Are you here?: :Hello?: a sweet voice asked him. :A woman?: Eagle thought. :Hello. Who are you?: :I am Princess Emeraude of Cephiro,: she answered him. :What are you doing here?: :I am Eagle Vision of Autozam,: Eagle thought back. :This is Cephiro?: :My Cephiro, yes. How can one from Autozam see into my mind and dreams?: the woman inquired. Her image appeared before Eagle, a girl with sad green eyes and long flowing blonde hair. :I had thought Autozam had no magic....: :Lantis said you were pretty...: Eagle thought, momentarily distracted by her appearance. :You know of Lantis, my Kailu?!: :He is my friend,: Eagle answered slowly. :He is well. Thank goodness. He left no word of his destination when he departed from Cephiro. I have worried over him.: Emeraude's voice held real concern. Eagle smiled. Lantis frowned. Something was brushing at his senses, the touch of a mind familiar to him, but none that he had met here. It was in contact with someone near him, close enough so that he could get the fringe sense of the connection... who? "Lantis?" Geo asked as he closed his eyes, pressing his fingers to his temple. "Someone is in contact with Eagle," Lantis said, suddenly finding the contact point. "Someone familiar to me. I don't know who, though...." "Is he in danger?" Geo asked, all traces of mildness suddenly gone from his voice. He was like a mother wolf protecting its cub when it came to Eagle, Lantis noted. "No," Lantis replied. "I want to know who it is, however...." Abruptly he stood and walked towards Geo's bedroom. "I need to be closer to Eagle to find out." Geo offered no protest, and didn't even follow Lantis into the bedroom, which might have surprised Lantis, except he didn't feel surprise. And if he did, he certainly would not have admitted to it. Eagle lay curled up on Geo's bed. His headset had been taken off, and lay on the bedside table. His cloak lay loosely on top of him, and in the dark room Eagle's cream-white hair shone with a pale light. He looked seventeen. Lantis sat down next to him and lightly ran his fingers through the soft hair. "Who are you meeting in your dreams, Eagle?" he asked. Lantis closed his eyes as he touched Eagle's cheek, letting his mind reach into Eagle's dreams. <Cephiro?> he wondered, looking around. It certainly looked like his world. He moved lightly through the trees, towards where he knew Eagle and the other were. The young Autozam man was standing in a clearing, facing away from Lantis. Before him floated the transparent image of Princess Emeraude. <Princess...> Lantis thought, stifling the immediate instinct to kneel before her. She who was the light and salvation of Cephiro.... Lantis remained hidden in the shadows of the trees, where neither dreamer could sense him, watching and listening. Emeraude's sweet voice questioned Eagle about himself and his relationship to Lantis. To Lantis' surprise, Eagle answered honestly, with no lies. Lantis had thought that only Cepherians were bound to tell the Princess all. It felt quite odd, hearing Eagle calmly say everything to someone else. <I didn't deal at all well with his confession,> Lantis berated himself. <The Princess is so much better at this than I.> Eagle was apparently able to tell her things that he hadn't even told Lantis and that Geo hadn't mentioned. Lantis had never known that Eagle wanted to do something great with his life, to make it all worthwhile. He had always assumed that Eagle would settle down with some pretty, quiet thing some day, and raise half a dozen children as polite and sheltered as he. <Eagle...> Lantis thought. The girl princess smiled when Eagle had finished telling her everything. :It's good that someone feels towards Lantis the way you do,: she said softly. :Maybe he will change because of that. Until we meet again, Eagle Vision of Autozam, farewell.: :Farewell, Princess Emeraude,: Eagle replied, bowing to her. :I hope we will meet again. You are even prettier than Lantis said.: She smiled sadly at him, then faded away. Eagle smiled reflexively and turned to look around him. These woods were so peaceful. Eagle wondered if it was true that if you fell asleep in a dream you woke up in the real world. :Eagle.: :Lantis?!: One of the shadows detached itself from the trees and moved towards Eagle. Eagle flushed as he realized that Lantis must have been listening to his conversation with the Princess. :Eagle,: Lantis said again, reaching to softly brush his cheek. :Did you mean everything you told to Princess Emeraude?: :Every word of it,: Eagle answered defiantly, looking into those wonderful amethyst eyes. :Would you rather I lied to her?: :Eagle...: Lantis thought again. Then he sighed. :I'm sorry that I don't love you the way you love me, Eagle. I didn't want to make you cry.: :I know. I'm sorry that I love you, Lantis, if it changes things between us.: :It doesn't,: Lantis replied. :It won't.: He softly brushed Eagle's cheek, and Eagle closed his eyes, smiling. :Thank you... Lantis.: ******** Questioner: This is it? Author: Well, if'n ya'll want a story that doesn't go too far off from what probably did happen before RayEarth 2 started, then yes. If you want to see more of my speculations on how far Eagle and Lantis' relationship might've gone, then read further. Questioner <suspiciously>: You just want everyone to read more of your yaoi writings. Author <sighing>: Where do you come from, anyway? My "devil's advocate" side? I haven't written anything overt in this story, YET, and if I go over the top, it'll have a [LEMON] warning on it.... Questioner: Hey, how do you know where I... uh, never mind. So you admit that you're planning lemon in here! Author: I plan nothing. I just write it. To date, I have only written kissing scenes in here. If you want more, you'll have to wait until I drag more of Crimson Variant out of the X cast. Questioner: What do you pay all these characters to make them put up with you, anyway? Author <shrugging>: Semi-decent stories to play, I hope, and occasional really good sex. Questioner: You mean you sleep with them? Author: I wish. No, they sleep with each other. My non-existant sex life is neither that varied, nor that interesting. Questioner: Where do you get all of this relationship stuff from, anyways? Personal experience? Author: Me? Heck no! I have very little experience with relationships, and like it that way. I get it from a knack with writing romances. Questioner: That's IT?! But that's boring! Author: That's the breaks. Questioner: But the college stuff. Surely the college stuff is from real life, right? Author: That's from my general impressions of my college career, so yes. Questioner: ARGH! Do you have nothing of scandal to say?! Author: I'm just doing this because I love driving you crazy. Questioner <sourly>: It's working. Author: Good. </pre><p><a href="./">Back</a></p><p><a href=http://www.dreamhost.com/donate.cgi?id=216><img border=0 alt="Donate towards our web hosting bill!" src=https://secure.newdream.net/donate1.gif></a></p></body></html>