Author's Note: This is just one of those one-shot song fics! Please tell me
what you think! I don't own Escaflowne or the song "Lonely Miracle" by
Vertical Horizon. But I do own the plot! So please don't sue me! It takes
place after the series ends.
Lonely Miracle
By: Lauren
Van looked across the grass field, his mind wandering just like his soul. Above him stars lit up the night sky, each one twinkling with a sparkle of hope. But it didn't give hope to his sorrowful heart, it just torn apart at it. Those stars, those were the stars he saw in her eyes. Yes. Her eyes. A melancholy sigh escaped his lips as he brushed back his hair. He couldn't sleep. He hadn't been able to since she left. Every night he was awake, wandering the city, the forests, any place that didn't remind him of her. But it seemed everywhere he went, he thought of her. All he had to do was look up to the sky and he could see her world. The world that was so blessed to have her and yet he was cursed, left with nothing. "Hitomi..." He whispered her name quietly. "Merle would kill me if she saw me like this." Van stood up, stretching out up towards the stars. His muscles relaxed as he pulled out his sword from its sheath and began swinging it, practicing. His body flowed with each movement, with every swing, every turn. Merle had been helping out rebuild the villages and she seemed to grow more distant from him every day. Van found the royal duties slightly annoying, it was his job and he did it well but he felt so alone sometimes. All he did was govern over things, sign papers, arrange meetings with nearby counties and more. It was a busy job and the black haired boy was glad it made him busy because it kept him from thinking about her. "I guess what they say is true, you never realize how much you love something until you lose it. I wonder what Hitomi's doing right now, what she's thinking, how she is. Does she miss me as much as I miss her? Does she need me as much as I need her?" Van collapsed back into the wet grass, letting the moist water be absorbed into his cotton shirt. "Nobody else is right for me...except you Hitomi...and now...we're worlds apart..."
~*~
It's taken much too long
To get it right
Would it be so wrong
To maybe find someone
A miracle...
~*~
Hitomi punched in the codes, pulling out a key at the same time. A black gate opened, allowing Hitomi inside a group of small white apartment buildings.
"Hitomi dear, can you clean up your apartment? I made you some dinner also." An old woman hobbled up to Hitomi.
"I'll do it tomorrow!!" Hitomi groaned, unlocking her door and letting herself into her apartment.
"You always say you'll do it tomorrow! That's all you ever say! Well, what if there is no tomorrow? What will you do then? You need to do some things for yourself! I know you've been through a lot but please!" The woman snapped. She had tried to be patient with Hitomi but she was to the point were she was ready to give up.
"Then I guess I'll die with a messy apartment." Hitomi chuckled. Her spirits dropped as the woman mentioned her being 'through a lot'. They said robberies were uncommon in their neighborhood. "They were wrong." The brown haired girl snorted to herself, lost in her own thoughts as the old woman babbled on.
"Oh you're so funny, not! If your mother was here...why she would!! I'm going to bed now. Good night." The woman gave Hitomi a quick hug and then disappeared, shutting the door behind her.
The giggles that had erupted from Hitomi's mouth subsided once the door shut. She threw on her pajamas and snuggled under her covers in her bed, her brown hair tickling her skin. She was the mistress of masks, hiding pain behind smiles. She remembered that day as if it was yesterday. It had happened only a month ago actually. Hitomi's mother had been running home to retrieve a pair of forgotten running shoes. That was when she walked in on it all, two men robbing their home. Taking their precious things. "Mom should have just ran, but no, she was so stubborn." Her mother called the police but then she spotted the men taking the things that meant the most to her. Her old wedding ring, a necklace given to her from Hitomi and more. She tried to stop them, but failed. They stopped her, stopping everything down to her heartbeat. Hitomi didn't have many living relatives willing to take her in so the police had been kind enough to allow Hitomi to live in an apartment accommodation as long as they were allowed to check up on her. "Sometimes I think everything is just a dream." Hitomi stated out loud to a white kitten that had found its way to Hitomi's bed. "Everything that happened in Gaea...maybe it all was a dream. And then this is a nightmare. Why did you have to go get those shoes for me mom? Why'd you have to let them kill you!!" Fresh tears filled her eyes but she refused to allow them to spill over. "I want to disappear..." The chestnut hair blocked her eyes, shading them with black shadows. Her emerald eyes shifted, staring out her window up at the stars. "Nobody needs me...mother's gone...father has been gone...Amano is in love with Yukari and she is in love with him. They are perfect together. I know they care about me but I just feel like I'm in their way. They try to include me with their activities but I feel like I'm just a third wheel. I'm just in their way. And to be truthful, it makes me only more lonesome when I'm with them. I miss him. Or is he part of my dream? Oh Van...if only I could be with you...but I can't even have that wish granted. I hope you're with somebody, happily in love. I don't belong here anymore, I don't belong anywhere. I want to be with you mom, dad, Van, Merle, Allen, everybody!!" Hitomi cried out, her broken voice now collapsing with sobs. Her breath heaved in as she tried to calm herself. "Every time I close my eyes, I see all of you. I'm all alone...I should just disappear..."
~*~
And all you really need
Is everything you could never be
And so you'd give it all
For a miracle...
~*~
Van reached out his hand, envisioning her smiling face before him. "I want a miracle." He smiled as he traced the outline of her lips, her eyes, her nose, her hair, and her cheek. "Stop it Van...you need to worry about your country...you have important duties! But...I can't forget about her..." He tried to lecture himself, attempting to make the longing and hurt inside of him disappear. But it was all in vain, for love is remembered but true love is...unforgettable. And she was unforgettable to him. He didn't care if she was with another man, he didn't care if she had forgotten about him, and all that mattered was that he knew she was happy. Yes, it might hurt if she was happy without him but if she was happy, so was he. Lord Van just wanted to see her smiling face, if only for a glimmer of a second. He was unable to move forward, even just a little bit. He knew everybody was a bit worried as he was seen less and less around the palace, more quiet and always keeping to himself. Van wondered if somebody was worrying about Hitomi, for sure though, he was. But he had no more thoughts, no more pain, and no more heartbreak for he felt as if his body had gone numb. He could do nothing except lie awake, waiting for some kind of miracle.
~*~
Is there a trace
Inside her face
Of a lonely miracle...
And so you wait
And lie awake
For a lonely miracle...
~*~
Hitomi pulled herself out of her bed, a look of determination in her eyes. A shiver ran down her spine as her feet touched the cold tile floor of her kitchen. She felt and was completely, and utterly alone. She was glad that her friends had found happiness, even if it was without her. "Thinking of you alone is enough to make the tears start flowing, even if my eyes are lifeless and parched. I want my fleeting thoughts to reach you and yet there is always some kind of barrier. I know all too well about pretending to be strong. There's definitely things I want to show you and so many words I want to hear. I want to see all sides of you, when you laugh and cry. So I'll stop waiting and seize my chance. I'll see your smile, even if it means I'm watching it from heaven." Inside Hitomi was a dark, bottomless pit that seemed to keep swallowing her up bit by bit. And day by day she felt herself slipping away. Away from reality, away from life, giving up on her dreams, her hopes, and...herself. Hitomi was now out in a nearby forest, her pajamas clinging onto her freezing body. She pushed past some bushes, walking through the foliage as branches scraped against her skin. Then she was there. And her feet were sliding out from underneath her. She was falling. "VAN!!!" His name erupted from her throat.
~*~
You never really know
What it is
Not until it goes
And if it comes again
It's a miracle
But what you miss is love
In everything below and up above
And could she bring it all
A miracle...
~*~
Van's head jerked up from his trance like state, his eyes opened widely. He shook his eyes, unbelievable to the thought, or voice, that had just entered his mind. And yet something told him it was her, no matter how much he denied it possible. He had heard Hitomi's voice, calling out his name. But how was it possible? Van didn't think about that though as he jumped up, looking around him. The dark night hid most images from his sight. "HITOMI?!" Van yelled, now wildly running around the wooded area. If any villages had been awake, they would have thought he was some crazy person, not their calm, collective ruler. Little did people know the acts Van and Hitomi could both put on. His jet-black hair flew around him as he heard her voice cry out again and suddenly he was hit with every emotion she was feeling. She was afraid, alone, scared, lonely, frustrated, hopeless, broken, angry, sad and she was calling out to him. Calling out just to see his smile.
~*~
Is there a trace
Inside her face
Of a lonely miracle...
And so you wait
And lie awake
For a lonely miracle...
~*~
"VAN!!!!!!!" Hitomi cried out his name as it echoed around her and off of the trees. She hadn't seen it. She hadn't seen the cliff's edge. Her cinnamon colored hair was now stained with dirt as she tumbled down the cliff's rocky edge, falling down to her doom. It was all over for her now; she had finally lost it all. "VANNN...!!" Her voice strained as it screamed out his name once more. She could see the ground coming closer...and closer...Hitomi could only wait for the sickening impact when it would all be over, whether she wanted it to end or not. "Somebody...do something...I am useless, it should all end for me and yet I cannot bear to see him frown. I just need to be with him...please...let there be a miracle!! VANNN!!" And at that single second their thoughts reached each other. Their hearts and souls cried out for one another, reaching out for the other over the forbidden span of time. A pillar of light engulfed Hitomi, sending her light years through space, through the folds of time and into the arms of her one true love. This single action, this single desire had brought about a miracle. It had saved the lost, wandering souls of two lovers that were reunited once again.
~*~
All you wanted was a (miracle)
All you needed was a miracle
A miracle...
And all you wanted was a (miracle)
All you needed was a miracle
A miracle...
~*~
"HITOMI...I'M COMING!!" Van screamed as his angelic, gorgeous divine wings ripped out of his back, his red cotton shirt being torn to shreds. With three rapid pushes Van launched himself into the air, flying upward towards Earth. But the world around him suddenly flashed a brilliant white light, blinding him momentarily. When everything came into focus, he could see the slim figure of a falling woman. "Hitomi..." Her name escaped his lips as he flew towards her, his arms out stretched to catch her falling, limp body.
~*~
It's taken so long to get it right
Could it be so wrong
To maybe find someone
A miracle...
~*~
All at once the cold air stopped rushing past her. Hitomi felt two warm, strong arms grab onto her falling body tenderly. White feathers surrounded her as she was held tightly against his chest. It felt like a dream and yet, she could feel his shirt beneath her fingertips, feel his warmth tingling on her skin.
"Hitomi..."
She felt his voice rip through her, as if his memories had held it back within her, and it had finally broken free. Her own voice caught in her throat, her eyes filmed over but she blinked the tears away with a smile. "V-Van..." Hitomi tilted her head to look up and she started into his brown eyes. It really was him. And his eyes looked so peaceful. Van smiled, the expression on his face matching the shock she felt. He cautiously flew to the ground but kept his eyes on her and his arms tightly around her, almost as if he were afraid she'd disappear. It seemed so impossible and yet here it was happening. Van landed on the ground carefully, setting Hitomi down on her feet. The two stared at each other, unable to move or say anything. And then suddenly, without a second thought, Hitomi leaned forward and fell against his chest, arms hanging down, her face rested against his shirt, eyes closed. He stiffened, but then relaxed and wrapped his arms around her, stepping closer to hold her tighter. She pressed herself into him, her arms lifting and curling around his back, her fists clinging to his shirt. He smiled, his cheek and the side of his chin pressed against the side of her head. Van squeezed her tightly, part of him remembering the last time he had held her, like this, both of them in the clearing where rested his family's gravesites and Escaflowne, just heartbeats before the blue light had come for her.
"I let go of you once but this time...I refuse to...I refuse to let go of you again!!" Van stammered. "A-are you ok?" He pulled back suddenly, confusion filling his eyes from when he felt her sorrowful emotions. He didn't know what to say yet he wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to let her know how much she meant to him. What if the pillar came again, taking her away? This was his one chance and he refused to let it go.
"E-everything is s-so wrong! I'm all alone..." Hitomi stifled a sob, even though she felt overjoyed, but part of her was afraid this was all some kind of cruel dream. "My mother's gone...everybody is gone...nobody needs me..."
"You're never alone....I need you! I want to be together with you, there's no way I can forget about you Hitomi. I think that...it wasn't by chance that you and I meant either. As long as there was happy times, I want us to smile often." Van brushed back a strand of her hair.
~*~
Is there a trace
Inside her face
Of a lonely miracle...
And so you wait
And lie awake
For a lonely miracle...
~*~
Hitomi felt warm tears sting her eyes again, and dug her face deep into Van's chest as she cried off her pain, layer by layer. He held onto her tighter, whispering soothing words into her ear. She was here with him and that was all that mattered. And he was going to make her smile, to make her happy, no matter what. "Shh...it'll be ok." Van brushed back a strand of her brown hair, now staring into her eyes, getting lost in their sparkle.
"V-Van...I want to stay! I want to stay with you here, forever! Please...let me stay! I don't want to go back...there is no one there for me....please l-let me..." But Hitomi was cut off as Van leaned down, covering her lips with his own for a brief moment. She felt something in her stomach flutter, as if butterflies were flying inside of her. Her heart was soaring with the wings of angels. This one tiny moment had made all the pain gradually lessen and one day, she knew their would be little left. She wanted happy memories. Hitomi wanted happy memories...with Van. They both had finally shed their masks.
"Of course you can stay." His face softened "I'll always be here for you. I will always want you to stay with me. I promise." Van smiled at her, feeling his dreams returning, his heart growing warm. She was really, truly back. This wasn't a dream, it was a reality. A miracle. His miracle.
~*~
Is there a trace
Inside her face
Of a lonely miracle...
And so you wait
And lie awake
For a lonely miracle...
~*~
Van had released Hitomi from her burden of pain. In truth, he hadn't said much....but he had stopped her from losing herself to agony, held her tightly, and promised to always be there and to stay with her forever. That's all she needed.... was a promise. Somebody there to tell her they care. A promise that gave her hope. A smile that made her world soar. And Van would hold onto her forever...for he had his miracle...and so did Hitomi...
Lonely Miracle
By: Lauren
Van looked across the grass field, his mind wandering just like his soul. Above him stars lit up the night sky, each one twinkling with a sparkle of hope. But it didn't give hope to his sorrowful heart, it just torn apart at it. Those stars, those were the stars he saw in her eyes. Yes. Her eyes. A melancholy sigh escaped his lips as he brushed back his hair. He couldn't sleep. He hadn't been able to since she left. Every night he was awake, wandering the city, the forests, any place that didn't remind him of her. But it seemed everywhere he went, he thought of her. All he had to do was look up to the sky and he could see her world. The world that was so blessed to have her and yet he was cursed, left with nothing. "Hitomi..." He whispered her name quietly. "Merle would kill me if she saw me like this." Van stood up, stretching out up towards the stars. His muscles relaxed as he pulled out his sword from its sheath and began swinging it, practicing. His body flowed with each movement, with every swing, every turn. Merle had been helping out rebuild the villages and she seemed to grow more distant from him every day. Van found the royal duties slightly annoying, it was his job and he did it well but he felt so alone sometimes. All he did was govern over things, sign papers, arrange meetings with nearby counties and more. It was a busy job and the black haired boy was glad it made him busy because it kept him from thinking about her. "I guess what they say is true, you never realize how much you love something until you lose it. I wonder what Hitomi's doing right now, what she's thinking, how she is. Does she miss me as much as I miss her? Does she need me as much as I need her?" Van collapsed back into the wet grass, letting the moist water be absorbed into his cotton shirt. "Nobody else is right for me...except you Hitomi...and now...we're worlds apart..."
~*~
It's taken much too long
To get it right
Would it be so wrong
To maybe find someone
A miracle...
~*~
Hitomi punched in the codes, pulling out a key at the same time. A black gate opened, allowing Hitomi inside a group of small white apartment buildings.
"Hitomi dear, can you clean up your apartment? I made you some dinner also." An old woman hobbled up to Hitomi.
"I'll do it tomorrow!!" Hitomi groaned, unlocking her door and letting herself into her apartment.
"You always say you'll do it tomorrow! That's all you ever say! Well, what if there is no tomorrow? What will you do then? You need to do some things for yourself! I know you've been through a lot but please!" The woman snapped. She had tried to be patient with Hitomi but she was to the point were she was ready to give up.
"Then I guess I'll die with a messy apartment." Hitomi chuckled. Her spirits dropped as the woman mentioned her being 'through a lot'. They said robberies were uncommon in their neighborhood. "They were wrong." The brown haired girl snorted to herself, lost in her own thoughts as the old woman babbled on.
"Oh you're so funny, not! If your mother was here...why she would!! I'm going to bed now. Good night." The woman gave Hitomi a quick hug and then disappeared, shutting the door behind her.
The giggles that had erupted from Hitomi's mouth subsided once the door shut. She threw on her pajamas and snuggled under her covers in her bed, her brown hair tickling her skin. She was the mistress of masks, hiding pain behind smiles. She remembered that day as if it was yesterday. It had happened only a month ago actually. Hitomi's mother had been running home to retrieve a pair of forgotten running shoes. That was when she walked in on it all, two men robbing their home. Taking their precious things. "Mom should have just ran, but no, she was so stubborn." Her mother called the police but then she spotted the men taking the things that meant the most to her. Her old wedding ring, a necklace given to her from Hitomi and more. She tried to stop them, but failed. They stopped her, stopping everything down to her heartbeat. Hitomi didn't have many living relatives willing to take her in so the police had been kind enough to allow Hitomi to live in an apartment accommodation as long as they were allowed to check up on her. "Sometimes I think everything is just a dream." Hitomi stated out loud to a white kitten that had found its way to Hitomi's bed. "Everything that happened in Gaea...maybe it all was a dream. And then this is a nightmare. Why did you have to go get those shoes for me mom? Why'd you have to let them kill you!!" Fresh tears filled her eyes but she refused to allow them to spill over. "I want to disappear..." The chestnut hair blocked her eyes, shading them with black shadows. Her emerald eyes shifted, staring out her window up at the stars. "Nobody needs me...mother's gone...father has been gone...Amano is in love with Yukari and she is in love with him. They are perfect together. I know they care about me but I just feel like I'm in their way. They try to include me with their activities but I feel like I'm just a third wheel. I'm just in their way. And to be truthful, it makes me only more lonesome when I'm with them. I miss him. Or is he part of my dream? Oh Van...if only I could be with you...but I can't even have that wish granted. I hope you're with somebody, happily in love. I don't belong here anymore, I don't belong anywhere. I want to be with you mom, dad, Van, Merle, Allen, everybody!!" Hitomi cried out, her broken voice now collapsing with sobs. Her breath heaved in as she tried to calm herself. "Every time I close my eyes, I see all of you. I'm all alone...I should just disappear..."
~*~
And all you really need
Is everything you could never be
And so you'd give it all
For a miracle...
~*~
Van reached out his hand, envisioning her smiling face before him. "I want a miracle." He smiled as he traced the outline of her lips, her eyes, her nose, her hair, and her cheek. "Stop it Van...you need to worry about your country...you have important duties! But...I can't forget about her..." He tried to lecture himself, attempting to make the longing and hurt inside of him disappear. But it was all in vain, for love is remembered but true love is...unforgettable. And she was unforgettable to him. He didn't care if she was with another man, he didn't care if she had forgotten about him, and all that mattered was that he knew she was happy. Yes, it might hurt if she was happy without him but if she was happy, so was he. Lord Van just wanted to see her smiling face, if only for a glimmer of a second. He was unable to move forward, even just a little bit. He knew everybody was a bit worried as he was seen less and less around the palace, more quiet and always keeping to himself. Van wondered if somebody was worrying about Hitomi, for sure though, he was. But he had no more thoughts, no more pain, and no more heartbreak for he felt as if his body had gone numb. He could do nothing except lie awake, waiting for some kind of miracle.
~*~
Is there a trace
Inside her face
Of a lonely miracle...
And so you wait
And lie awake
For a lonely miracle...
~*~
Hitomi pulled herself out of her bed, a look of determination in her eyes. A shiver ran down her spine as her feet touched the cold tile floor of her kitchen. She felt and was completely, and utterly alone. She was glad that her friends had found happiness, even if it was without her. "Thinking of you alone is enough to make the tears start flowing, even if my eyes are lifeless and parched. I want my fleeting thoughts to reach you and yet there is always some kind of barrier. I know all too well about pretending to be strong. There's definitely things I want to show you and so many words I want to hear. I want to see all sides of you, when you laugh and cry. So I'll stop waiting and seize my chance. I'll see your smile, even if it means I'm watching it from heaven." Inside Hitomi was a dark, bottomless pit that seemed to keep swallowing her up bit by bit. And day by day she felt herself slipping away. Away from reality, away from life, giving up on her dreams, her hopes, and...herself. Hitomi was now out in a nearby forest, her pajamas clinging onto her freezing body. She pushed past some bushes, walking through the foliage as branches scraped against her skin. Then she was there. And her feet were sliding out from underneath her. She was falling. "VAN!!!" His name erupted from her throat.
~*~
You never really know
What it is
Not until it goes
And if it comes again
It's a miracle
But what you miss is love
In everything below and up above
And could she bring it all
A miracle...
~*~
Van's head jerked up from his trance like state, his eyes opened widely. He shook his eyes, unbelievable to the thought, or voice, that had just entered his mind. And yet something told him it was her, no matter how much he denied it possible. He had heard Hitomi's voice, calling out his name. But how was it possible? Van didn't think about that though as he jumped up, looking around him. The dark night hid most images from his sight. "HITOMI?!" Van yelled, now wildly running around the wooded area. If any villages had been awake, they would have thought he was some crazy person, not their calm, collective ruler. Little did people know the acts Van and Hitomi could both put on. His jet-black hair flew around him as he heard her voice cry out again and suddenly he was hit with every emotion she was feeling. She was afraid, alone, scared, lonely, frustrated, hopeless, broken, angry, sad and she was calling out to him. Calling out just to see his smile.
~*~
Is there a trace
Inside her face
Of a lonely miracle...
And so you wait
And lie awake
For a lonely miracle...
~*~
"VAN!!!!!!!" Hitomi cried out his name as it echoed around her and off of the trees. She hadn't seen it. She hadn't seen the cliff's edge. Her cinnamon colored hair was now stained with dirt as she tumbled down the cliff's rocky edge, falling down to her doom. It was all over for her now; she had finally lost it all. "VANNN...!!" Her voice strained as it screamed out his name once more. She could see the ground coming closer...and closer...Hitomi could only wait for the sickening impact when it would all be over, whether she wanted it to end or not. "Somebody...do something...I am useless, it should all end for me and yet I cannot bear to see him frown. I just need to be with him...please...let there be a miracle!! VANNN!!" And at that single second their thoughts reached each other. Their hearts and souls cried out for one another, reaching out for the other over the forbidden span of time. A pillar of light engulfed Hitomi, sending her light years through space, through the folds of time and into the arms of her one true love. This single action, this single desire had brought about a miracle. It had saved the lost, wandering souls of two lovers that were reunited once again.
~*~
All you wanted was a (miracle)
All you needed was a miracle
A miracle...
And all you wanted was a (miracle)
All you needed was a miracle
A miracle...
~*~
"HITOMI...I'M COMING!!" Van screamed as his angelic, gorgeous divine wings ripped out of his back, his red cotton shirt being torn to shreds. With three rapid pushes Van launched himself into the air, flying upward towards Earth. But the world around him suddenly flashed a brilliant white light, blinding him momentarily. When everything came into focus, he could see the slim figure of a falling woman. "Hitomi..." Her name escaped his lips as he flew towards her, his arms out stretched to catch her falling, limp body.
~*~
It's taken so long to get it right
Could it be so wrong
To maybe find someone
A miracle...
~*~
All at once the cold air stopped rushing past her. Hitomi felt two warm, strong arms grab onto her falling body tenderly. White feathers surrounded her as she was held tightly against his chest. It felt like a dream and yet, she could feel his shirt beneath her fingertips, feel his warmth tingling on her skin.
"Hitomi..."
She felt his voice rip through her, as if his memories had held it back within her, and it had finally broken free. Her own voice caught in her throat, her eyes filmed over but she blinked the tears away with a smile. "V-Van..." Hitomi tilted her head to look up and she started into his brown eyes. It really was him. And his eyes looked so peaceful. Van smiled, the expression on his face matching the shock she felt. He cautiously flew to the ground but kept his eyes on her and his arms tightly around her, almost as if he were afraid she'd disappear. It seemed so impossible and yet here it was happening. Van landed on the ground carefully, setting Hitomi down on her feet. The two stared at each other, unable to move or say anything. And then suddenly, without a second thought, Hitomi leaned forward and fell against his chest, arms hanging down, her face rested against his shirt, eyes closed. He stiffened, but then relaxed and wrapped his arms around her, stepping closer to hold her tighter. She pressed herself into him, her arms lifting and curling around his back, her fists clinging to his shirt. He smiled, his cheek and the side of his chin pressed against the side of her head. Van squeezed her tightly, part of him remembering the last time he had held her, like this, both of them in the clearing where rested his family's gravesites and Escaflowne, just heartbeats before the blue light had come for her.
"I let go of you once but this time...I refuse to...I refuse to let go of you again!!" Van stammered. "A-are you ok?" He pulled back suddenly, confusion filling his eyes from when he felt her sorrowful emotions. He didn't know what to say yet he wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to let her know how much she meant to him. What if the pillar came again, taking her away? This was his one chance and he refused to let it go.
"E-everything is s-so wrong! I'm all alone..." Hitomi stifled a sob, even though she felt overjoyed, but part of her was afraid this was all some kind of cruel dream. "My mother's gone...everybody is gone...nobody needs me..."
"You're never alone....I need you! I want to be together with you, there's no way I can forget about you Hitomi. I think that...it wasn't by chance that you and I meant either. As long as there was happy times, I want us to smile often." Van brushed back a strand of her hair.
~*~
Is there a trace
Inside her face
Of a lonely miracle...
And so you wait
And lie awake
For a lonely miracle...
~*~
Hitomi felt warm tears sting her eyes again, and dug her face deep into Van's chest as she cried off her pain, layer by layer. He held onto her tighter, whispering soothing words into her ear. She was here with him and that was all that mattered. And he was going to make her smile, to make her happy, no matter what. "Shh...it'll be ok." Van brushed back a strand of her brown hair, now staring into her eyes, getting lost in their sparkle.
"V-Van...I want to stay! I want to stay with you here, forever! Please...let me stay! I don't want to go back...there is no one there for me....please l-let me..." But Hitomi was cut off as Van leaned down, covering her lips with his own for a brief moment. She felt something in her stomach flutter, as if butterflies were flying inside of her. Her heart was soaring with the wings of angels. This one tiny moment had made all the pain gradually lessen and one day, she knew their would be little left. She wanted happy memories. Hitomi wanted happy memories...with Van. They both had finally shed their masks.
"Of course you can stay." His face softened "I'll always be here for you. I will always want you to stay with me. I promise." Van smiled at her, feeling his dreams returning, his heart growing warm. She was really, truly back. This wasn't a dream, it was a reality. A miracle. His miracle.
~*~
Is there a trace
Inside her face
Of a lonely miracle...
And so you wait
And lie awake
For a lonely miracle...
~*~
Van had released Hitomi from her burden of pain. In truth, he hadn't said much....but he had stopped her from losing herself to agony, held her tightly, and promised to always be there and to stay with her forever. That's all she needed.... was a promise. Somebody there to tell her they care. A promise that gave her hope. A smile that made her world soar. And Van would hold onto her forever...for he had his miracle...and so did Hitomi...