Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Escaflowne or any of its characters.
Kuro Ryuujin
The Black Dragon King
Van slammed a tightly clenched fist against the arm of his throne. The veins bulged out on his hands and neck, near bursting with the anger that swelled within. "We just got Fanelia back together! Your proposals would tear it apart again! I'm not going to waste my time listening to your selfish ideas. This meeting is over!" Van shouted to the stunned faces of his advisors. He stalked past them seething in his disgust at their greed and malice.
+++
Still fuming Van slammed his bedroom door shut startling the catwoman who'd been sunning herself on the railing of the balcony.
"Van-sama! What's the matter?" Merle asked bounding in the room to meet him. Her tail twitched in agitation and her enormous blue eyes reflected her concern.
"Money-grubbing aristocrats," Van muttered, shuffling the things on Hitomi's nightstand around. "They don't care about Fanelia; only themselves."
Merle took Van's shoulders and forced him to sit down. Her strong hands began massaging his back trying to work out the tension. "You work too hard, Van-sama. You need to relax more, your necks in knots. You really should have gone to Asturia with Hitomi."
"I couldn't. There's too much to do here," Van sighed, his eyes still resting upon Hitomi's things. "I don't understand why Hitomi went."
"Hitomi," Merle repeated his wife's name slowly. "That's what is upsetting you, isn't it? Don't tell me your still worried about her and Allen."
"I just don't like it."
"She did marry you." She said it like it was something he'd forgotten. "Hitomi just misses her old friends. I know she loves you." Her fingers trailed down his spine, but she suddenly pulled back. "Wha...?"
Van looked over his shoulder at the cat-woman. "What's wrong, Merle?"
"Take your shirt off; something is ... odd." Before he could comply Merle had already pulled his shirt over his head. "Oh, Van-sama, your skin is all..." She paused searching for the right word.
Van rose and tried see behind his back.
"You really need to relax more, Van-sama. Even for a Draconian that can't be right."
Van looked over his shoulder at his reflection in the mirror. A patch of dark-tinted dry skin covered his lower back.
++++++++
She should have been back. Hitomi should have arrived that morning, but the sun was almost gone. Van lay in their bed watching the day's light fade. He'd spent the past three days in bed by order of Merle. Resting his body while his thoughts rested on Hitomi.
Over the past two weeks she'd been gone his mind had mostly rested upon her and what she might be doing without him. With Allen.
He let Merle worry herself about the strange patch of skin that had now spread itself across his whole back and down his upper arms and legs. She'd tried everything to stop it, bringing in every doctor in Fanelia to look at him. Nobody knew what it was, but all gave bottles of horrid smelling salves to smear on it.
In response the patches had turned almost black and begun to harden. Merle finally kicked the doctors out and sent Van to bed to get some rest. He'd suggested sending a message to Hitomi, but Merle reminded him she'd be home before the message even arrived in Asturia. Only she wasn't home yet.
Maybe she wasn't coming back. Van's eyelids drooped and he fell into an uneasy sleep, the bitter thoughts raging in his head.
++++
Hitomi slipped quietly into their room, but the light from her candle woke Van. He remained silent, wanting to watch her.
She smiled briefly at him, unable to see the dark scales beneath the bedcovers. Stripping her traveling dress she donned her nightgown. Static made it cling to her, outlining her slender body. Had Allen touched it? Strong, well-muscled legs carried her to the chair before her mirror. Hitomi still ran everyday and preferred to walk rather than ride in a carriage. Strange traits for a queen, but it had been those little things that had made him love her all the more.
The way she would gentle push his hair back from his eyes. He pictured her pushing a golden lock back from Allen's face.
The way her eyes lit up every time she smiled at him. He could see her smiling at Allen.
The way she never seemed afraid when his wings came bursting from his back. As if it was wonderful and exciting. Her love, her sweetness, her compassion. Had she given those things to Allen?
Hitomi sat before the mirror undoing the long braids in her hair and occasionally smiling. But he didn't know what she smiled at.
"How was your trip?" Van asked, pretending he'd just woken up.
"Oh, you're awake."
"You were supposed to be back this morning."
"I'm sorry, darling. Allen surprised us all the night before I left. He reserved the whole Seaside Tavern and everybody who'd gone with us on our old adventure was there. Well, except you and Merle. It was so much fun." She brushed the tangles from her hair and talked on about everyone in Asturia and Allen.
He hardly heard a word she said. His mind kept on flashing picture of Allen and his wife, Hitomi. Together.
A thin whisp of smoke rose up beside his head.
Hitomi blew out her candle and slipped beneath the covers beside him.
"You really should have come, Van." She leaned over and kissed him in the darkness. Her hand landed on his arm and she pulled away. "What's wrong with your skin, Van? You're so cold."
+++++++++
Morning's first light slipped into their bedroom waking Van from a less than peaceful sleep. He rolled over, wanting to see and confirm Hitomi's presence beside him. She was already awake and sitting the furthest distance possible from him on the bed, absolute horror in her eyes.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Hitomi!"
"Van? But... your skin."
Van looked down at his arms. The problem had spread and now stretched down to the tips of his fingers.
"Oh, that. It's nothing. Hitomi, it's good to see you." He sat up trying to pretend there was nothing wrong. He reached one black hand out to touch her face and draw her close for a kiss, but Hitomi pulled even farther away not wanting him to touch her.
Van frowned, angry. Didn't she love him? Or was her heart now set on Allen? He closed his eyes, once more picturing his wife and golden knight.
"Van, your skin," Hitomi said again.
He looked at her again scrunched up on the other side of bed, staring at him like he was some kind of freak.
"Your... eyes," she whispered. "They're like a serpents."
"Shut up!" Van yelled, his rage breaking forth once again. "Don't you love me, Hitomi? Or has the Knight of Caeli taken your heart?"
"What's happened to you? Van, what's wrong?"
"Get out!" Van hissed. Hitomi obediently slid off the bed just as Merle entered the room. She stopped short in the doorway joining Hitomi in a look of horror.
"Van sama," she breathed.
"Get out of my sight! Both of you!" He grabbed his sword from his nightstand and Hitomi ran for the door pushing Merle out with her.
Once again Van thought of Allen and Hitomi. He would go kill that man, kill Allen. Van strained, wanting his wings to come forth. But something didn't feel right. No feathers scattered about him as his wings tore free from his back. The black scales, he could feel them as they came to life now, eating up the rest of his face, his hands, his wings.
It burned. It burned deep inside of him.
He screamed, he roared, in the pain and fury.
++++++
"What's happened to Van, Merle?" Hitomi asked. "What has happened to my husband?"
Merle shook her head. "I don't know. Let's get down to the courtyard. We can climb up to the balcony of his room."
The girls rushed down the steps to the courtyard, servants turning to stare at them. Their queen still dressed in her nightgown, being follow closely by the king's pet.
They emerged in the courtyard where two-dozen young soldiers were training. Redness crept upon their faces and their command ordered them to advert their eyes.
"We can climb up here," Merle said. Before she could even start her assent the sound of shattering glass was heard above raining tiny shards down on them. They looked back up to see a black dragon emerge onto the balcony above.
It spread its leathery black wings and took flight, jets of flame coming from its jaws. People stared and screamed as it circled above the city and then disappeared from sight.
Without saying a word to each other Merle and Hitomi knew. It was Van.
Kuro Ryuujin
The Black Dragon King
Van slammed a tightly clenched fist against the arm of his throne. The veins bulged out on his hands and neck, near bursting with the anger that swelled within. "We just got Fanelia back together! Your proposals would tear it apart again! I'm not going to waste my time listening to your selfish ideas. This meeting is over!" Van shouted to the stunned faces of his advisors. He stalked past them seething in his disgust at their greed and malice.
+++
Still fuming Van slammed his bedroom door shut startling the catwoman who'd been sunning herself on the railing of the balcony.
"Van-sama! What's the matter?" Merle asked bounding in the room to meet him. Her tail twitched in agitation and her enormous blue eyes reflected her concern.
"Money-grubbing aristocrats," Van muttered, shuffling the things on Hitomi's nightstand around. "They don't care about Fanelia; only themselves."
Merle took Van's shoulders and forced him to sit down. Her strong hands began massaging his back trying to work out the tension. "You work too hard, Van-sama. You need to relax more, your necks in knots. You really should have gone to Asturia with Hitomi."
"I couldn't. There's too much to do here," Van sighed, his eyes still resting upon Hitomi's things. "I don't understand why Hitomi went."
"Hitomi," Merle repeated his wife's name slowly. "That's what is upsetting you, isn't it? Don't tell me your still worried about her and Allen."
"I just don't like it."
"She did marry you." She said it like it was something he'd forgotten. "Hitomi just misses her old friends. I know she loves you." Her fingers trailed down his spine, but she suddenly pulled back. "Wha...?"
Van looked over his shoulder at the cat-woman. "What's wrong, Merle?"
"Take your shirt off; something is ... odd." Before he could comply Merle had already pulled his shirt over his head. "Oh, Van-sama, your skin is all..." She paused searching for the right word.
Van rose and tried see behind his back.
"You really need to relax more, Van-sama. Even for a Draconian that can't be right."
Van looked over his shoulder at his reflection in the mirror. A patch of dark-tinted dry skin covered his lower back.
++++++++
She should have been back. Hitomi should have arrived that morning, but the sun was almost gone. Van lay in their bed watching the day's light fade. He'd spent the past three days in bed by order of Merle. Resting his body while his thoughts rested on Hitomi.
Over the past two weeks she'd been gone his mind had mostly rested upon her and what she might be doing without him. With Allen.
He let Merle worry herself about the strange patch of skin that had now spread itself across his whole back and down his upper arms and legs. She'd tried everything to stop it, bringing in every doctor in Fanelia to look at him. Nobody knew what it was, but all gave bottles of horrid smelling salves to smear on it.
In response the patches had turned almost black and begun to harden. Merle finally kicked the doctors out and sent Van to bed to get some rest. He'd suggested sending a message to Hitomi, but Merle reminded him she'd be home before the message even arrived in Asturia. Only she wasn't home yet.
Maybe she wasn't coming back. Van's eyelids drooped and he fell into an uneasy sleep, the bitter thoughts raging in his head.
++++
Hitomi slipped quietly into their room, but the light from her candle woke Van. He remained silent, wanting to watch her.
She smiled briefly at him, unable to see the dark scales beneath the bedcovers. Stripping her traveling dress she donned her nightgown. Static made it cling to her, outlining her slender body. Had Allen touched it? Strong, well-muscled legs carried her to the chair before her mirror. Hitomi still ran everyday and preferred to walk rather than ride in a carriage. Strange traits for a queen, but it had been those little things that had made him love her all the more.
The way she would gentle push his hair back from his eyes. He pictured her pushing a golden lock back from Allen's face.
The way her eyes lit up every time she smiled at him. He could see her smiling at Allen.
The way she never seemed afraid when his wings came bursting from his back. As if it was wonderful and exciting. Her love, her sweetness, her compassion. Had she given those things to Allen?
Hitomi sat before the mirror undoing the long braids in her hair and occasionally smiling. But he didn't know what she smiled at.
"How was your trip?" Van asked, pretending he'd just woken up.
"Oh, you're awake."
"You were supposed to be back this morning."
"I'm sorry, darling. Allen surprised us all the night before I left. He reserved the whole Seaside Tavern and everybody who'd gone with us on our old adventure was there. Well, except you and Merle. It was so much fun." She brushed the tangles from her hair and talked on about everyone in Asturia and Allen.
He hardly heard a word she said. His mind kept on flashing picture of Allen and his wife, Hitomi. Together.
A thin whisp of smoke rose up beside his head.
Hitomi blew out her candle and slipped beneath the covers beside him.
"You really should have come, Van." She leaned over and kissed him in the darkness. Her hand landed on his arm and she pulled away. "What's wrong with your skin, Van? You're so cold."
+++++++++
Morning's first light slipped into their bedroom waking Van from a less than peaceful sleep. He rolled over, wanting to see and confirm Hitomi's presence beside him. She was already awake and sitting the furthest distance possible from him on the bed, absolute horror in her eyes.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Hitomi!"
"Van? But... your skin."
Van looked down at his arms. The problem had spread and now stretched down to the tips of his fingers.
"Oh, that. It's nothing. Hitomi, it's good to see you." He sat up trying to pretend there was nothing wrong. He reached one black hand out to touch her face and draw her close for a kiss, but Hitomi pulled even farther away not wanting him to touch her.
Van frowned, angry. Didn't she love him? Or was her heart now set on Allen? He closed his eyes, once more picturing his wife and golden knight.
"Van, your skin," Hitomi said again.
He looked at her again scrunched up on the other side of bed, staring at him like he was some kind of freak.
"Your... eyes," she whispered. "They're like a serpents."
"Shut up!" Van yelled, his rage breaking forth once again. "Don't you love me, Hitomi? Or has the Knight of Caeli taken your heart?"
"What's happened to you? Van, what's wrong?"
"Get out!" Van hissed. Hitomi obediently slid off the bed just as Merle entered the room. She stopped short in the doorway joining Hitomi in a look of horror.
"Van sama," she breathed.
"Get out of my sight! Both of you!" He grabbed his sword from his nightstand and Hitomi ran for the door pushing Merle out with her.
Once again Van thought of Allen and Hitomi. He would go kill that man, kill Allen. Van strained, wanting his wings to come forth. But something didn't feel right. No feathers scattered about him as his wings tore free from his back. The black scales, he could feel them as they came to life now, eating up the rest of his face, his hands, his wings.
It burned. It burned deep inside of him.
He screamed, he roared, in the pain and fury.
++++++
"What's happened to Van, Merle?" Hitomi asked. "What has happened to my husband?"
Merle shook her head. "I don't know. Let's get down to the courtyard. We can climb up to the balcony of his room."
The girls rushed down the steps to the courtyard, servants turning to stare at them. Their queen still dressed in her nightgown, being follow closely by the king's pet.
They emerged in the courtyard where two-dozen young soldiers were training. Redness crept upon their faces and their command ordered them to advert their eyes.
"We can climb up here," Merle said. Before she could even start her assent the sound of shattering glass was heard above raining tiny shards down on them. They looked back up to see a black dragon emerge onto the balcony above.
It spread its leathery black wings and took flight, jets of flame coming from its jaws. People stared and screamed as it circled above the city and then disappeared from sight.
Without saying a word to each other Merle and Hitomi knew. It was Van.