Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, or any of the characters, except for maybe Amethyste, but I swear I've seen her in other fics before, so I may not be her original creator. Please do not sue me! With that said, enjoy the story!
"Maria…" Van looked at the stunning girl standing in front of him. "Maria…" His grip on her hand tightened, and his own dark eyes met her brilliant violet ones. A soft, crackling light spilled from his room and onto the balcony, and it made her eyes sparkle magically.
"Van, what is it? You look so nervous," she said in her strange, but beautifully musical voice.
"Maria Sue Ellen," he continued, "I… I..."
"Wait," Maria interrupted, "Before you go on, I need to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"Can you call me Amethyste?"
"Amethyste?" Van sounded a little confused. "I though your name was Mary Sue."
"Well, it is, but Amethyste is my inter.. err… I mean, Amethyste is my middle name," she answered.
"Very well then, Amethyste. Amethyste, I… I love you." He ran his hand through her silky, raven-coloured hair before continuing, "I want to know, Amethyste, will…will you please be my wife?" Van got down on one knee, visibly shaking, and presented to her not a ring, but a sparkling, ruby red pendant, and said, "I know you love this pendant more than any ring, so please, if your answer is yes, take it as a symbol of our engagement."
Amethyste's ruby red lips broke into the biggest smile of her life. 'Van, of course I'll marry you!" She let Van rather clumsily fasten the pendant around her neck before they embraced each other in a long, deep, passionate kiss.
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Hitomi Kanzaki woke up for the first time on a Monday morning without an alarm clock buzzing in her ear. Her first thought was that she was late for school, big time, but slowly the realization sank in. It was summer! She had half a mind to just hide under the covers and go right back to sleep, but she forced herself up anyway. She had something she needed to do today.
It had been two months since she had left Gaea, and adjusting back to life on Earth had been extremely hard for her. All she could think of was seeing Van again. Now, she was going to do whatever it took to get back to Gaea. She needed to see him again. And this time, she thought, this time when I see him, I'll kiss him. I should've done it before… Hitomi sighed as she combed her short, but fairly messy hair. I wonder what it'll be like? Will it be anything like when Allen kissed me? So she mused throughout the entire morning. She would get back to Gaea, she knew she could. All she had to do was wish hard enough. All she had to do was think of seeing Van again, and she knew she would be able to get there. Gaea was connected by people's emotions, right? It would be her love for Van that would get her back.
That evening, Hitomi took the same duffel-bag she had brought to Gaea before, and went to the place where she had first met Van, at the shrine near her school's track field. She had avoided it up until now, for fear that it would stir up too many memories. But today, she knew that the only place that could well up enough emotion in her to get her back to Gaea was that shrine. It was here that she, Yukari and Amano had run to escape the dragon. It was here that she had saved Van's life and then called him a jerk two minutes later. And it was here that she had first been transported to Gaea. As she approached, she could feel her heart beat faster. She grew worried. What if she couldn't get back? What if she wouldn't see him again? But as she got closer still, all she could feel was an overwhelming longing. She had to get back. She pictured Van's face, his voice, and how good it felt to be in his arms, and she did, a single, glistening tear fell from her eye and landed on the ground at her feet. Immediately, Hitomi was bathed in light, and swept upwards. Upwards to Gaia! Her heart raced. I'm coming back Van, she thought. I'm coming back!
When the blinding light had cleared, Hitomi found herself sitting on an amazingly soft carpet. She looked up, and there was Van, standing there, looking at her. He was exactly the way she had remembered him, except… her eyes shifted further to the left, and there, clinging onto Van's arm was… ANOTHER GIRL!?