The Embrace of Friendship
By: Ember
"I might need your help sometime."
Van flopped down on the soft grass beneath him and looked up toward the starry sky. Hitome smiled despite herself and began to finger her pendant that lay on her chest.
She began to think longingly about her friends Amono and Yukari, and tears stung her eyes.
"Who's Amono?"
Hitome sight heavily and looked over at the figure that lay on the grass next to her.
"He's a guy back home…"
"Your boyfriend?"
A faint red tint covered Hitome's cheeks.
"No…"
"But you liked him?"
Hitome growled and threw herself into a sitting position.
"What's it to you?" she snapped.
Van fished for words to defend himself, but when he looked at Hitome his throat closed up. Nobody knew how to get to him so well, not even Merle.
"Nothing."
Hitome sighed and ran a hand threw her short hair.
"I'm sorry I snapped Van, it's just…"
"You're homesick?"
Hitome nodded and lay back down.
"Yeah."
"I promise to get you back home Hitome."
She looked over at Van and smiled softly.
"Thanks."
Van just nodded, content to stargaze. The two stayed in companionable silence for a while, finding comfort in the other's presence.
"LORD VAN!!!!!!!!"
The two where on their feet in an instant, racing toward Escaflowne.
Merle's screams had startled them both extremely, considering the cat-girl's high-pitched screams.
"EWEWEWEWEWEWWWWWWWWWW!"
They tackled Escaflowne's height as if it were a foothill and found Merle perched on Escaflowne's head. A large snake inhabited the space on Escaflowne's shoulder that Merle had been catnapping in.
"KILLITKILLITKILLIT!!!!!"
Van sighed and looked over at Hitome, who was holding back giggles.
Scooping it up with the end of his sword, he dumped the snake over the side of Escaflowne.
Hitome managed to get off of Escaflowne before she collapsed in a giggling fit.
"And just WHAT'S so funny?" asked Merle, fur standing on end.
"You!" gasped Hitome.
"Why?!?!?"
"Cause we thought you were really hurt."
Hitome laughed out loud, rolling on the ground.
"That's not funny, right Lord Van? LORD VAN?!?!"
Van's face was contorted by a wide smile. Laughter was being held back and she could tell.
"ARG! I HATE YOU HITOME!"
Merle began to throw things at the giggling teen, growling when she dodged them.
"Merle, calm down." Van said, pulling the cat-girl against his chest. Merle calmed only enough to breathe softer.
"But-"
"Learn to take a joke Kitty Cat!"
Called Hitome.
"Why I oughta!"
"You oughta what?"
Merle jumped out of Van's arms and tackled Hitome to the ground. The two rolled around for a while before Van broke them apart.
"Grow up you two."
A fire roared softly as it bathed the three friends in an eerie glow.
"Sorry Hitome." Merle murmured from the right side of Van.
"Ditto." Hitome said, smiling softly. Merle snuggled down beside her friend and closed her eyes, a deep purr rumbling in her chest.
Hitome smiled brighter at the sound and curled into a tight ball. She shivered slightly and curled up tighter.
"Hitome?"
She looked up at Van as he patted his left side. She crawled toward him and curled up beside him, blushing slightly when his arm went around her shoulders.
"Good night Hitome." He said laying his head on hers.
"Good night Van." She replied, wrapping her arms around his waist.
The three friends fell asleep, content with the fact that when one awoke, the others would be there.
THE END