Disclaimer: Escaflowne does not belong to me.
Reason Enough
Folken tapped his chin. "I'm bored," he said to no one in particular.
His mother appeared beside him. "How can you be bored?"
"I never do anything. I thought death would be a little more interesting. A new adventure."
"You had plenty of adventures living. Death is a time for resting."
"Resting for an eternity isn't very productive."
"Think of it as a vacation," Naria said, sitting behind him.
"Yeah, you need to relax. I'll give you a shoulder massage," Eriya said.
"That was what I was going to do."
"Too bad. I said it first."
"Girls, please don't fight. It's not making me any more relaxed."
"Sorry," the two cat-girls said together. But they continued squabbling anyway.
"Isn't there something I could do? I feel like my death has no meaning. I almost wish I could go back to living," he told his mother.
"Well, you could if there's reason enough."
Folken jumped up. "You mean I could live again?"
"I'm sorry I said anything. Only in specific circumstances. But I have yet to know what those are." She sighed. "If you really want to do something, check on your brother and Hitomi."
"All right. Anything to leave." Folken left right away.
Varie Fanel put her head in her hands. "Why did I say anything at all?"
* * * * * *
Van watched the pendent swing around in circles.
"Merle, put that down!"
"I was only playing with it. If you really want me to stop, get me a tether ball."
"A what?"
"Hitomi told me about it. It's a sphere attached to a string tied to a stick in the ground. I could bat it around all day."
"Maybe, someday. In the mean time, stop playing with that. It's not a toy."
"Okay, okay." She put it down. "I almost wish Hitomi was back. You're so grumpy."
"Merle, go away."
"Fine, be that way." She stomped out of the room leaving Van all alone.
Van looked at the empty chair next to him. It was meant for a queen or one of his heirs. He snorted. He didn't think he'd ever have either. He wished someone were sitting there, at least for a while. But Allen and Millerna were in Asturia and Hitomi was home and he'd probably never see her again. And Folken. He was gone too. How he missed him.
"I wish he was here now."
"The thing about wishes, little brother, is that they can come true."
"Folken, what are you doing here? Aren't you…"Van couldn't finish.
"Dead? Yes. But my spirit will never be at rest."
"You really don't need to worry about me."
"Oh, I'm not. I just can't stand it. It's so mundane."
"What is? Being dead?"
He nodded. "I was bored. So I decided to check on you."
"That's nice. But I'm fine."
"Hmm. I don't believe you."
"Well, I am," he said stubbornly, turning away.
"No you're not. Now I have to leave."
"Don't go. I didn't mean to insult you."
"You didn't. I have to go anyway. I have important things to do."
"But I thought…" Van turned back to look at him. He was gone.
* * * * * *
"Hitomi, are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Yukari asked.
"I'm sure. Go on without me. Have fun. I'll just bring you down."
"Well, if you're sure." Yukari hated to leave her friend like this, but she really wanted to go with Amano and it would be even better if they were alone. "Okay, but can I bring you anything? Candy or popcorn or something?"
"No, just tell me all about it later when you sleep over." Hitomi faked a grin. "Enjoy your date." She practically slammed the door in her face. Then she went into the kitchen and looked in the freezer.
"I thought you went to the movies with Yukari and Amano," her mother said.
"I didn't feel like it." She took out a carton of ice cream. "I'm going to eat this in my room."
"All right."
Hitomi almost broke a record just going up the stairs. She propped up a couple pillows and sat down on her bed. She opened the ice cream, but didn't eat any.
Hitomi sighed sadly. "I wish Folken hadn't made me realize that I love him."
"I know you don't mean that."
"Folken, what are you doing here? I really wish you wouldn't be. People think I'm strange as it is without me talking to a dead guy."
"I'm hurt. No one has to know."
"So, what are you doing here?" She repeated.
"You're the second person I heard that from?"
"Who was the first? Was it Van?"
Folken was sorry he said anything. But he couldn't lie to her. "Yes, it was."
"What did he say? Did he say anything about me?"
"He said he's lonely and he misses you."
"Yeah, right. Van didn't say that."
"Well, not in so many words. He claims to be fine. I didn't believe it for a minute."
"That's Van. He should've have been married to Cleopatra. Then he could be 'King of de Nile.'"
"I don't get it."
"Never mind. So what brings you to the Land of the Living?"
"I was bored, so I decided to visit you."
"How sweet."
"Yeah, so, are you all right?"
"Yes…No… I don't know." Folken looked at her sympathetically. "Hey, if you're bored, I have a job for you."
"What?"
"Go to the movies and watch Yukari and Amano. Make sure their date goes smoothly."
"Okay." He disappeared.
* * * * * *
Folken looked around the dark theater. One perk about being dead: His night vision was better than it was when he was alive. He spotted Amano and Yukari sitting in the middle row. He went to get a closer look. People shivered as he past by, probably because he didn't bother to go down the aisle. He stood in front of them. They just watched the movie right through him. Another advantage to being dead: You only have to let people see you if you want them to, which was good for spying. Folken studied them carefully, first Amano. He didn't seem very thrilled to be there without Hitomi, even though he liked Yukari. Just not in that way. Yukari looked a lot happier about it and just watched him when he wasn't looking. But Folken noticed none of this. All he noticed was her.
Yukari had never believed herself to be pretty. But, to Folken, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Of course, he'd never seen many without some sort of fur. Folken knew that he would do anything to have her. But he didn't know how to come about it. He decided to go ask Hitomi. She would help him.
* * * * * *
"Has being dead damaged your brain?" Hitomi asked. "You can't be serious."
"I can and I am. So will you?"
"Of course not. This is insane."
"Tell me one thing that's insane about it."
"You…you have nothing in common." That was the best thing she could come up with without hurting his feelings.
"Name one thing we don't have in common."
"Okay. For starters, she actually has a heartbeat."
"That doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does. I don't believe you. You don't even know anything about her!"
"I know plenty about her." Folken replied.
"Like what? Do you even know her full name?"
"Yukari Uchida," he said promptly.
"Okay, that was an easy one. Um…what's her favorite color?"
"Lilac."
"Subject?"
"English."
"Her sister's name?"
"She doesn't have one."
"What did you do? Read her mind?" Hitomi said exasperated.
"I skimmed it a little."
"Then you should know who she likes."
"That Amano guy she was with that looks like Allen."
"Exactly. I rest my case."
"I can change that."
"How? She can't even she you."
"I thought you could help me."
"You need professional help. You're dead."
"I know I'm not the most lively person, but you don't need to be so mean about it."
Hitomi took a deep breath. "Folken, listen to me. I love you dearly, as if you were my own brother. But believe me when I tell you, Yukari doesn't want a boyfriend whom she can walk right through."
"Has she ever tried it."
"Maybe in your world it's different, but you're on Earth now. People don't normally talk to ghosts, let alone date them."
"Who said anything about dating?"
"If you think that…"
"Hitomi!"
"Oh, great, she's back. Time for you to go."
"But can't I…"
"No! Trust me, making her faint is not a good first impression."
"Well, maybe if you talk to her first…"
"Just go!"
"All right. But I'll come back." He disappeared.
"You'd better not."
Yukari came into her room. "Did you say something?"
"What? Me? No. You must be hearing things. How was the movie?" She asked, quickly changing the subject.
"Okay. But I kind of felt like someone was watching me."
Hitomi laughed nervously. "And you say I imagine things. You probably aren't getting enough sleep. Let's go to bed."
"It's ten-thirty on a Friday night."
"Well, you know what they say about early to bed. Go ahead, you can use the bathroom. I did already."
"Uh, okay, if you insist." Yukari started to go but turned back. "Is everything all right?"
"Oh, sure. Everything's great. Couldn't be better."
"You're acting kind of strange. Even stranger than before I left."
"Nope. Everything's normal. There's nothing strange or odd or out of the ordinary happening here."
"Okay." Yukari left, still unconvinced.
"Perceptive, isn't she?" Folken reappeared.
"She knows when I'm lying to her." Hitomi explained. "Why are you back here?"
"I said I'd be. Did you mention me yet?"
"You're being awfully pushy. It's not like you."
"Are you going to?"
"Well, it's not easy working a dead friend that has a crush on you into the conversation."
"As long as you try. I appreciate it." He left again.
Hitomi shook her head. "Fanels. Just when you think you have them figured out they do something completely unexpected."
"Who are you talking to?" Yukari poked her head in the doorway.
"Oh, no one. Just, um, myself."
"Since when do you talk to yourself?"
"I've always done it. It's a nervous habit. I can't believe you didn't know. And you call yourself a best friend." Hitomi scolded cheerily.
"I guess I'm not." She gave her a look. "Are you sure you're all right?"
"Oh, fine. I just had a big sugar rush while you were gone. See?" She pointed to the ice cream.
Yukari looked in it. "It's barely been touched."
"I know. One bite and…whew. I'm bouncing off the walls. You should try talking to yourself. It's good conversation."
"That's what I have you for, isn't it? Or at least I did."
"Hmm. Wow, look at the time. It sure flies when you're having fun. Well, off to bed."
"But… never mind." Yukari wasn't in any hurry to go to sleep, but she needed to lie down and Hitomi needed to pull herself together. "Good night.
"Good night." Hitomi turned off the light. Inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief. Yukari might believe she was losing it, but she still didn't know about Folken. Hitomi knew that she didn't have much time to keep her from finding out. She decided that the best way to do that was to make Folken get over her. That was going to be far from simple.
* * * * * *
Hitomi sat up in bed and looked at her clock. It was nine in the morning. She glanced at Yukari. She was sound asleep.
"Doesn't she look so peaceful?" Folken said standing over her.
"Didn't you ever hear of a calling card? This is getting annoying."
"And it will get more annoying. You might as well just help me."
"Maybe you should think about this more. I mean, she's not all she seems."
"I read her mind, remember? I think I know what I need." Folken sighed happily. "I could just watch her all day."
"Okay, I think that counts as stalking."
"We prefer to call it 'haunting'."
"Stalking, haunting, it's all the same to me." Hitomi said crossly. "I don't care. I just want you to leave her alone."
"Sorry, I can't do that."
"Can't or won't?"
"Must you pick apart everything I say?"
"I'm going to say this for the last time: You're dead. Give up. No matter how much you claim to like her, it's not going to change anything."
"Hey, I didn't choose to die."
"Actually, you did choose. I was there, remember? I told you, you would. You didn't care."
"So maybe I made a slight miscalculation. But at least Van's alive."
"I think I would prefer it if he was haunting me rather than you haunting Yukari. Now, if he was haunting Yukari, that would be a problem."
"Well, my point is, dead or alive, it doesn't matter. Love will find a way, right?"
"I don't know if I'd call your strange obsession 'love'."
"Hitomi, you should be able to identify love better than anyone."
"And yet, I can't." Hitomi studied his expression. He did look pretty serious. "Maybe. Maybe I'll help. I'm not promising anything. But I doubt it's going to do any good."
"Do you really mean it this time?"
Hitomi didn't answer. "You'd better go before she wakes up."
"Okay."
Hitomi put her hand to her forehead. "What am I going to do? I wish Van were here. Maybe he'd be able to help me." A light breeze came through the window and something fell to her feet. Hitomi bent down to pick it up so she could throw it out. As soon as she did, she changed her mind. It was a white feather.
Suddenly inspired, Hitomi quickly dressed. She hurried downstairs.
"I'm going to the track, I'll see you later," She called to her mom over her shoulder.
"Now?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Well, don't you want to put some shoes on first?"
"Oh, right." She flew up the stairs, jammed her feet into her shoes without tying them and then ran downstairs and out the door. She didn't slow down until she got there.
She knelt down into the sprinting position. "I hope this works," she said to herself. She took off.
A column of pink light came down and Van appeared. She ran into his arms.
"You are around when I need you!" She hugged him tight.
"Of course I am. What's going on?" he asked, bewildered.
"Folken is haunting my best friend."
"What?"
"Yeah, he thinks he's in love with her. He's driving me nuts. No matter how hard I try, he just won't except the fact that he's dead. Could you please talk some sense into him?"
"You know," Van said, "from generation to generation to generation to g--"
"I get it," she interrupted. "Get to the point."
"Well, really it can be summed up into one simple question: Have you ever been able to talk some sense into me?"
Hitomi frowned. "Hmm, you have a point there. Then what can we do? He's obsessed with her practically. Do you know what an incubus is?"
"No, what is it?"
"It's like a spirit that lies on top of people when they're sleeping and especially has sex with women at night. I'm afraid that's what he's going to turn into."
"I doubt he will. I admit that this is strange behavior for him, but he wouldn't do that."
"Maybe not, but I'm not so sure anymore."
"Has he even mentioned it?"
"Not exactly. He didn't come out and say it, but I don't know. It seemed implied from the conversations we had."
"I really don't think so. But I'll do something about it. I don't know what, but I'll stay here for as long as it takes."
"Even if it takes forever?" Hitomi asked hopefully.
Van smiled. "Even if it takes forever. Even after I die. That way, I could haunt you, too."
"Now I'm glad he's so obsessed with her."
"Me, too. Oh, I almost forgot. Here." He put something in her hand.
"My pendant!" She looked at it carefully. "Did it always have that chip in the side."
"No, Merle was playing with it before."
"She's always taking my stuff!" Hitomi said outraged. "Oh, well. Come on; let's go home. Oy, what am I going to tell Mom?"
* * * * * *
"Mom, this is Van Fanel. He's an exchange student from Finland. He's staying with us for a while. Thank you. You're the best. See you later."
She took Van's hand and they ran upstairs.
"Teenagers."
* * * * * *
"What is wrong with her?" Yukari said. "She's been acting so weird. First going on about some fantasy world and acting all mopey, and now she's just hyper or something."
"Mood swings."
"Who said that? I know I was talking to myself, but I didn't think anyone was supposed to answer back."
"Did you hear that?" Hitomi asked at the top of the stairs.
"Yeah, she sounded like she was talking to someone," Van remarked.
"Folken!" They raced into her room. Sure enough, he was there, although invisible to Yukari.
"I thought you wanted me to help," Hitomi hissed.
"Help with what?"
"Um, you said that's what you had me for when I told you to talk to yourself."
"Oh, right. Who are you?" she asked Van.
"Yukari, this is Van. Van, this is Yukari. Okay, we all know each other. Happy now?"
"Uh, whatever. Nice to meet you."
"Yeah, you too."
"Are you okay?" Hitomi asked, glaring at Folken.
"I'm fine. A little confused, but I'm okay."
"Good."
"I'd better get home. I'll talk to you later." Yukari left, casting them strange looks.
"What did you think you were doing?" asked Hitomi.
"Trying to make conversation."
"Were you trying to kill her?" Van said.
"I was merely pointing something out."
"Well, you don't point things out to people unless they know you are there."
"Hitomi, why are you being so unsupportive about this?"
"Because she's worried about her friend," Van answered for her.
"I realize that I'm dead, but don't you think I have as much right to being in love as you do?"
"Of course we do, Folken," Hitomi said a little more gently. "But there's really no way. I'm sorry. I can't help you."
"I guess you don't have much of a choice."
"No. We're sorry you never got to experience what we have," said Van. "But we can't do anything about it."
"What I'd give to be alive again."
* * * * * *
Yukari realized that she had forgotten her stuff and went back upstairs to go get it. She heard Van and Hitomi talking with that voice again.
"Hitomi, what's going on?" she asked. "And don't say it's nothing."
"It's a long story."
"Tell it to me."
"You wouldn't believe it."
"If it's about that weird world, I don't even want to hear it."
"It is," Van replied. "But you don't have to hear it from us. As a matter a fact, you shouldn't. Hitomi, you'll probably kill me for this and I know it won't help much except to get you to believe it, but… Folken?"
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, he is," Hitomi said. "And maybe he's right. I guess it should come from you. She deserves answers. Don't be scared, he won't hurt you."
"Who won't?" Yukari asked.
"I don't think so."
"Oh, come on. Be a man!" Hitomi exclaimed.
"Fine." Folken appeared to her.
"Who… who are you?"
"Yukari, this is my brother Folken."
"And your secret admirer," Hitomi added.
"How did you just appear like that?"
"Well, not to alarm you, but I'm dead."
"What? Is this some kind of sick joke?"
"No. It's real. Strange, but real."
"Okay, let me get this straight. You three are trying to tell me that this guy came all the way here from, like, the underworld, just because he had a crush on me?"
"Well, actually, I came here because I was bored and wanted to see how Hitomi was dealing with the separation. Then I had a crush on you."
"Separation? From what/"
"From me. You see, we're from that weird world, as you call it."
"Why? Are you like her boyfriend or something?"
"Actually, he is," Hitomi replied. "I know it's strange, but that's the way things are. At least mine's alive."
"Listen, what's your name, Folken? I'm flattered, but if you're dead there's really nothing we could do. I admit, you're kinda cute, but I'd prefer it if I couldn't see through you."
"Yeah, I know. That's what they've been telling me."
"I'm sorry though," she said sincerely. It wasn't every day a dead guy had a crush on you.
"It's not your fault. I blame those two."
"Are you going to make me feel guilty for the rest of my life?" Hitomi asked.
"Yeah, I didn't ask you to sacrifice yourself for me."
"You two are too sensitive. I guess I'd better get back. I wish they had books or something there. To pass the time," he explained.
"Well, it was nice to meet you. Too bad it wasn't under better circumstances."
"Yeah, too bad. One more thing before I go." He kissed her. Yukari backed away.
"Now look what you did," Van scolded.
"What's happening to you?" They looked at him. His transparent spirit was becoming an actual solid form.
"Oh, my god. You're alive again. How'd that happen?" Hitomi asked.
"I don't know." Van poked him. "Careful." Folken looked at his hands. "My arm!"
"It's real. Show me your wings," Van commanded. They were white again.
"Nothing surprises me anymore," Yukari commented.
"This is amazing," said Hitomi. "It's impossible."
"Not really. Mother said that I could live again if I had reason enough. I guess this was." Yukari blushed.
"What are we going to do now? Fanelia needs a king." Hitomi reminded them.
Yukari considered their options carefully. "What if you two go back to wherever it is you came from and we just visit during the summer? Then we could go there permanently when we graduate."
"That works for me," Van agreed. "Is that all right?"
Hitomi nodded. "It's the perfect solution. We'd be together, so we wouldn't be too homesick. The only problem is explaining it to our parents."
"We have plenty of time to convince them. And even if we don't, we'll go anyway."
"So, Van and I'll go back and you come later. Are we all in agreement?"
"Yep." Hitomi and Van hugged. "I feel much better knowing that this is just going to be temporary."
Van kissed her on the cheek. "Keep your pendant. You'll need it to come back."
"You really want to do this?" Folken asked.
She nodded. "Might as well go for it. If an opportunity presents itself you've got nothing to lose." He smiled.
"Take care you guys." Hitomi hugged Folken. "Say hello to everyone for me. And tell Merle that she'd better get all my stuff together that she stole."
Van laughed. "I will." The column of light came back and lifted the two brothers away.
They waved good-bye. Hitomi grinned. "Just you wait. And you thought this was strange."
*Note to American Escaflowne fans. *
Yesterday, I found this website with an article about Escaflowne. It said that, in January, Fox Kids probably revive the series and that there are going to be English version VHS and DVDs coming out I believe by the end of this year.