Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, blah blah blah, you get it, and you've read the disclaimer a million times. The only thing I own are the characters I make up. This story begins after Hitomi is sent back to earth.
Chapter 1 - llusions
She took in a sharp grasp, and sat up in a cold sweat. Looking over at the alarm she saw that it was three in the morning. Hitomi sat on the edge of her bed. She put her hands up to her eyes to rub them. Her nightmares were getting worse, very time she would wake with a start early in the morning. Hitomi stood up and went to the glass sidling doors and looked to the sky. The stars as always were shining brightly in the inky black sky, shedding their light upon the world. How ironic, such a beautiful night and it brings out the worst me. And the worst part... the worst part is me. Hitomi looked down at the floor, to ashamed to look at the stars with their brilliant pureness. Hitomi opened the glass doors and light breeze flowed in pasting her in its wake and rustling the curtains that framed the doors. Hitomi looked the end of the earth known as the horizon, a line that disappears as you approach it. Sort of like the desires of my heart. Hitomi thought When I head for them, they disappear. Hitomi turned her heel and headed back inside and shut the doors. The world would be waking up in a few hours and she would have to wake up with it. Turning the radio on at a low volume so that she could only hear it, Hitomi went back to sleep.
The buzzer rang loudly. Hitomi scrunched her eyes brows together and hid her head under the pillow. Her hand fumbling around the night stand to shut the buzzer on her alarm clock off. Success! The buzzer shut up and Hitomi again begin to drift under the veil of the only happiness that was obtainable, sleep, even though she was plagued by confusing and perturbing dreams of darkness and panic. Not long there was a pounding on the door. "Hitomi, get up! This is the last time I call you for breakfast! Hitomi? HITOMI?!" Hitomi cringed at the voice beyond the door, the voice of an overbearing mother that was not her own. Hitomi was being forced to stay at a stranger's house while her mom was away, was temporally, but felt permanent. "I'm getting up" Hitomi called though the door, then thinking to herself, You old hag, why can't you leave me alone? Why was I put under your roof to endure the things that haunt me remorseless? Why am I always forsaken?
Hitomi surrendered to the light of day, tumbled out of bed, dressing in her school uniform. She combed her hair, which was shoulder length now and she held the ends and smiled My hair is just as long as Yukrai's when I went to Gaea with Van. Her eyes snapped to the mirror, seeing the reflection, her delicate face hardened and she threw the brush down. Placing the palms of her hands on the edge of her glass and black iron framed vanity table and getting a grip, she leaned forward to the mirror and closed her eyes There is no Gaea, it was all just a dream, Van does not exist, all he is was a figment of my imagination. Van does not exist, VAN DOES NOT EXIST!! With that her eyes flew open and Hitomi tipped the glass vanity table over in a rage she couldn't control. A moment later the door violently swung open and the owner of the voice that disturbed Hitomi earlier rushed in. "Hitomi, what has happened are you all right? Oh no, your vanity table, did it tip over?" the woman stepped closer to inspect the broken glass. Hitomi interjected "Yeah it tipped over, but I fine, I'm hungry" the woman looking startled mixed with relief looked once more over at the dismantled vanity table, then back to Hitomi. "Alright, don't worry about it" the woman placed a loving arm around Hitomi's shoulder and said "I'll have it cleaned up before you get home from school, Okay?" Hitomi forced a fake smile and allowed herself to be lead away by the woman.
Hitomi stepped outside with an umbrella under her arm and her school bag over her shoulder. There were great big thunder clouds approaching and it looked like heavy rain was going to fall soon What a perfect day to express the way I feel today, everyday. I wish it was like this everyday, then perhaps I wouldn't feel so alone. Hitomi started off to school with head down, looking at the sidewalk as she went.
Hitomi sat in math class looking out the hugh windows. The rain was unrelenting as it fell to nourish the earth. The bell that signaled the end of class rang with a sharp alertness, and as the other students began to get and hurry to their next class, Hitomi sat fixated, watching the steams of water run down the window pane. Her catatonic state was interrupted by the sound of a male voice "Hitomi, you are no longer bond to that desk, you can leave now." Hitomi shifted her gaze to the teacher at the front of the classroom. He was young and handsome, with soft black eyes and untamable black hair, his teacher's uniform made him seen imitating at first glance, but after a little conversation only highlighted his inexperience as an instructor of young minds, that of which only time would correct. Hitomi smiled lightly and got up from her desk, "Sorry Mr. Ling, I remember for next time." Picking up her books, she rushed to her locker.
By lunch time, the rain flew at a drizzle and Hitomi went down to the track to find some solitude. Plunking herself down on the metal bleachers, Hitomi pulled out a sandwich and began to eat. Letting her thoughts drift here and there, trying refrain herself from thinking about Van and the others. She pulled out a book that she had to read for her English class to prevent any risk of it. She read the intently, the characters were so interesting, far from anything she knew, yet strangely familiar, oddly enough.
A brilliant light flashed. Dread took over Hitomi as she looked up and huddled to herself. Lightning had struck one of the school's antennas and the power went out over a blocks radius as Hitomi could see the lights of homes all around the school go out. "Hitomi!" Hitomi looked to the person whom hade called upon her. Her eyes widened with disbelief. Is that who I think it is? Is that... "Van? Van!" Hitomi called back to him reaching out. She hurriedly gathered her things and quickly stepped down the bleacher steps, but when she reached the ground Van was gone. Hitomi twirled around desperately searching Van out, but failing. Realizing that it had been an illusion, Hitomi dropped her possessions, sank to her knees, placed her face in her hands and began to cry uncontrollable.
