Summary: The harsh life at the orphanage brought these two love-hungry souls together. But time takes a toll and the innocence of their youth is shattered as they part from each other. Ten years later, they've moved on with their lives, or have they? Can Fate bring back these two soul mates, or was it a doomed love?

Chapter 1.0

Love is the immortal flow of energy that nourishes, extends and preserves. Its eternal goal is life.

--Smiley Blanton

            With each lash, more tears formed in her big green eyes. The young girl cringed, her golden-brown falling loosely about her in disarray.

            A crack of a whip gave a sickening sound at the contact of the body.

            No cry.

            Another one.

            Still no cry.

            Again.

            Again.

            Again…

            She could bear no more, not bear the youth being whipped mercilessly before her, his flesh scarred with the past beatings. Her heart wrenched and curled into a knot and with every sound of the belt meeting skin, not even daring to comprehend the pain that he was feeling.

            "No, open your eyes, Hitomi! Look at this boy—he's the one who's ruining your future! He's the one who's stealing your happiness! Look at him!" The prim woman called out sharply.

            Green eyes caressed the image of the tanned youth and a sudden resolve took over her. The spinster's arm rose to lash out again but with sudden swiftness, the young fifteen year old girl ran into the arms of the boy, covering him, protecting him and just as swiftly he whirled around and shielded her so that the pain was inflicted on the intended. On him.

            "Van—" her voice was torn with anguish as she was held securely in his arms.

Just watching the two children weakened the resolve of the formidable woman. She shook her head. "I swear to you, Fanel, one more time you scare off a potential family for Hitomi, you will be out of this orphanage before you can call out her name!"

His maroon eyes were glacial as he looked at her with unnerving scorn, his grip around Hitomi's waist tightening. "And I swear to you that if I ever find you thrusting out Hitomi like cattle to them, we will both leave and you'll have a hell of a time explaining it to the authorities."

            With a stiff, 'humph!' the middle aged woman departed. Hitomi was startled and managed to get a hold of Van as he crumbled down to the soft grass of the ground.

            "Van!" His eyes were sealed and there was a sheen of sweat. "By God, if she ever hurts you again I'll kill her!" 

I cry and you comfort me

I'm lost and you hear my scream

So its…

Hard to watch you fallin'

When you run so deep in me

You live in me

That passionate vow brought about a soft smile from the tired boy. His features were clean; dark eyebrows, a dark mop of hair, and skin that was a naturally tan color, and eyes of a reddish brown color. There was nothing extraordinary about his looks, but there was this unexplainable aura of attraction and power around him. This aura that was unnatural for a mere boy of sixteen. He had the body of a young man when his heart and mind was wise beyond his years. She gently rested his head on her lap and wiped his forehead with the scrap of the petticoat she had hastily torn.

"Oh Van, how she's hurt you. How that witch has hurt you!" She couldn't help the tears as they slipped down her soft cheeks.

He opened his eyes and found himself staring into shimmering verdant eyes. He pulled himself up painfully. "I'll be alright, Hitomi."

She quickly wiped her tears away as if suddenly realizing they were silly. "Oh, how stupid! I almost forgot I had this with me." She whipped up her little bag that she always carried with her—a little black tote. Purposefully digging through her bag, she produced a bottle of ointment and white bandages. His quizzical gaze met her's and she gave him a shrug of her shoulder. "The nurse gave it to me when I fell the other day scraping my knee." She regarded him with infinite tenderness and her eyes filled with such emotion that Van had to blink. "Remove your shirt, Van. Let me rub this on and bandage you."

Too weak to even do that, he tried to unbutton his shirt, only to become more frustrated as his fingers slipped. "Here, let me help." She neared him and gently unbuttoned them one by one, and ever so carefully pulled it over his head.

Gonna stand by your side now
Lemme kiss all your tears away
You can stay in my arms now
And I know I can make you believe
Again…

She gasped.

There were angry scars all over his back, and one slashing across on his chest—the one that he'd received to protect her. A lump formed in her throat as she hesitantly ran her fingers over the scars. He flinched reflexively at her touch and she drew back. With his back to her, she tenderly applied the ointment, making sure not to inflict any pain on him and then soundlessly she crawled in front of him. The image he portrayed nearly broke her heart. His eyes were shut tight, no doubt every moment he fought back the pain. Wordlessly, she gently applied the emptying bottle of medicine on his chest, drawing near to him to get better access. Reaching for the roll of bandage, she inched even closer to him and started to wrap it around his torso.

I walk but you can run though fire
I search for reasons and baby you inspire
But I … I know somebody hurt you
And I know you really need a friend
Well you can take my hand

As she firmly tucked in the last of the bandage securely, he finally opened his eyes. Enigmatic reddish-brown met her unwavering emerald ones.

With them a hairsbreadth away and his breath colliding against hers, he whispered hoarsely, his voice cracking uncharacteristically. "Hold me, Hitomi."

Her thin, childish arms snaked around him and brought his head to rest on the hollow of her neck. "I'm sorry, Van. I'm sorry." Her pain filled voice was barely above a whisper but he heard every word of hers.

Gonna stand by your side now
Lemme kiss all your tears away
You can stay in my arms now
And I know I can make you believe
Again…

            "Don't be, Hitomi." He said determinedly as she rested her back on bark of the tree pulling him with her. "That bastard won't ever hurt you now. I am happy."

            "I don't want you to go so far to make sure of my happiness—"

            "They weren't good people. I didn't like the way their son looked at you—as if you were some sort of treat that he could devour." His voice was gruff with emotion and she could feel the anger building.

            They were silent for a few minutes.

            Slowly, she started. "Van, there aren't many chances that we'll ever get adopted into the same family—and even if we did, I couldn't bear to think of you as a brother!"

When you feel like you can't go on
Don't you know you'll never walk alone
You live in me

            "I'd hunt the ends of Gaea for you if we ever parted." A wave of fresh tenderness bathed Hitomi and she found unexpectedly a small smile forming on her lips.

            "And I would do the same for you." I promise.

            He rested his cheek on her collarbone. "'Tomi, tell me about our home… talk to me."

            A loving memory of them planning an escape from this wretched excuse of an orphanage played in her mind. They had most carefully concocted a dream home that one day would own—just the two of them. "It's going to be big, a big home yet that has all the coziness of a small one. There's going to be this porch in the back where we'll spend summers and not far away there'll be a little glade and our backyard will have wildflowers growing. Surrounding the house, there'll be trees with leaves of all colors—orange, yellow, red, green… We'll take long walks and hike through the woods and we'll lie under the stars and look at the sky…" she trailed off as she observed the young man in a contemplative mood.

            "Van?"

Gonna stand by your side now
Lemme kiss all your tears away
You can stay in my arms now
And I know I can make you believe
Again…

            "It's nothing." He pulled away from her arms and met her eyes squarely. "I was thinking of how you could never leave me."

            Her eyes widened and they looked at him with faint confusion.

            "You and I can never be apart—you live in my heart and there you'll always be." The rough confession meant more to Hitomi than she'd ever like to admit.

            Her lips tugged upwards and she bestowed a genuine smile. "I never doubted that."

            "You shouldn't have."

            Their eyes met for one breathless second and she reached for him and they embraced, his palm running gentle circles on her back.

I'm gonna stand
Stand by your side  
Kiss all your tears (I wanna stand)
Away tonight (I wanna stand by your side)
I'm gonna stand (gonna look in your eyes)
Stand by your side
Make you believe (see ya smiling)
Again (see ya smiling)
See ya smiling again

            With uncertainty, crediting to their tender age, they pulled away and the emotion that played in both of their eyes could not be mistaken. With eyes shining, two young hearts soared. A slow, gradual smile spread across the young man's face as he beheld the girl in his arms.

I love you.

Author's Notes: Oh. My. God. I know you're going to pulverize me for starting yet another story, but it was either start this or not be able to work on any other story! I am really, truly sorry if you all expected an update on some of my other stories. T__T The inspiration for this story was highly unexpected—it came last night when I was listening to the radio (and I heard this Celine Dion song)  and doing some history reading and the sudden image of the first scene of the chapter played in my head and I just could not push it back! Do you know that feeling? *cowers from angry people* What can I say, I am thoroughly, yes, in love, with this story! I have it totally planned out!! At first, I thought I would make it a one-shot, but nah, it nagged my mind until I decided that this deserved the attention of a full-fledged fanfic.

Disclaimer: This is for the whole novel. This is purely fanfiction and not for the purpose of profit. Escaflowne belongs to its respective and I have no claim over this wonderful anime. Although, I thoroughly own the idea for this story, so don't dare to steal that right away from me! The song is called "Stand By Your Side" by Celine Dion, however and is owned by her.