WHATEVER IT WAS

By Shiroi Ryuu

Chapter One:  There's More Than What Meets the Eye

"Hitomi!  Are you there?!"  I was knocking so hard at her door, feeling jumpy and excited.  I almost held my breath when she replied, her voice muffled by the wall and door between us.  "Just a minute!!"

Good thing she was there, I thought.  I needed her help with something.

Hitomi opened the door, her eyes half-opened, and her hair was messy.  She was in her nightgown (the one Mil lent her) yet.  The moment she saw me, she quickly rubbed her eyes and opened them fully.

"What's up?" she asked, trying to suppress her yawns.

"You said you'd help me track down the enemy with my eyes closed, right?!"  I was excited to do it, because Zaibach was already gaining power over our forces with those super Meta Claws and Invisibility Cloaks.  I must admit they were really neat, even if they all worked for my brother.  Never mind.

Hitomi looked at me incredulously.  "Do you know what time it is?!"

Nope, I didn't.  But I guess when someone asks you that question, the automatic answer was:  It's too early.

"Er, okay, maybe later," I concluded, preparing to turn away from Hitomi.

As I backed away, I heard Hitomi giggling.  Why that little--!

"Van, I was only asking you the time!  I didn't say it's too early or something!  I just woke up before you even knocked, you know."

Wow, she is original.  They don't call her strange for nothing.

I whirled around.  Hitomi was still standing outside her door in her ankle-length gown, grinning at me.  I couldn't help but feel a smile tug at my lips.  "Yeah, right, Hitomi."

Hitomi's grin faded into a smile.  "Wait a minute.  I'll just dress up, okay?  I got this white dress from Millerna yesterday.  I think I want to try it out."  Then she disappeared and locked the door behind her.

A white dress?  It was hard thinking of Hitomi in it.  Anyway, I thought about Zaibach's hi-tech war apparatus while I looked at the Mystic Moon outside.

I waited only for a moment.  Hitomi was already in her white dress.  Maybe it would be useless to tell you that I felt my face grow hot when I saw her.  When she smiled, I thought my stomach did a swan dive and fluttered in my gut.  I never felt so different in my life.

"Well?  What do you think?"  Hitomi's smile reached from ear to ear, as if she was totally satisfied in making me blush so hard. 

"It looks different… for a change."  I said, trying to keep it on the safe side.  On the other hand, I really thought she looked like an angel in that dress.  She looked so simple and gentle and everything… geez.

Hitomi laughed.  "Well, you'll easily get tired of me in my school uniform."

"Right."  We went outside the castle and into the training room.

Allen and the others were there.  Merle was there also, laughing at Gaddes' (sometimes sick) jokes.  I glanced at Hitomi sideways as soon Allen came into view, and saw her blushing slightly.  I was annoyed.  I noticed how much she was taken to Allen lately, especially since the time we went to his fort (he kissed her in front of everybody.  And Hitomi thought it was for real) Oh, damn Allen to hell, I thought.  It was all I could do from ordering him out of the room, which I really can't.

I felt Hitomi tugging at my shirt.

"Omigod!  Allen's here!!"  She squealed in a tiny voice, her cheeks flushing harder.  I smiled limply at her.  There was nothing I could do about that. 

Fortunately, Merle came to us, still shaky from Gaddes' comic relay.  "Hi, Lord Van!" she greeted, eyeing Hitomi with disdain.  I never really got her to be nice to Hitomi.  "And what are you doing here?"

Hitomi frowned and said haughtily, "I'm going to help Van."

Merle looked at her suspiciously for a second, then her eyes grew impossibly round. "Oooh…!  I forgot you were a psychic!"

I looked sideways at Hitomi, but she looked back at me as if Merle's taunting never affected her at least.  Honestly, I think it really didn't matter to her.

"So," Hitomi took my hand, making my insides turn cartwheels, "shall we start now?"

Merle turned up her nose and declared, "I'm going where Lord Van goes!"  But I think she saw the look in my eye so she added, "Maybe later."  Then she scampered off.

And at that moment, Allen approached us, making Hitomi drop my hand and her cheeks turn pink.  "Hi, Allen," she said shyly.

Allen smiled at her, and I felt stupid for some reason.  What does he have that turns Hitomi on, anyway?!  But I didn't have time to think about that.  Allen had started talking to Hitomi.

"What are you doing up so early?" he had chivalrously offered a comfortable seat for Hitomi as he spoke. 

Hitomi sat down on the soft hay, blushing furiously. "I- I was going to help Van with his techniques and stuff."

"Such as?" he queried, and he turned to look at me with an annoying twinkle in his eye.

"You know how Zaibach had acquired Steal Cloaks, and I'm going to teach Van how to sense them, or to feel where they are."

Even if she was a strange girl, I could see she was human, feeling that she talked too much or something.  I'll say that, because she clammed up and sat quietly, her eyes directed to the floor.  It was up to me to save her from feeling that she was embarrassing herself.

"C'mon, Hitomi, let's go to the field."

Allen then stood up.  "Well, Hitomi, I guess I'll see you around."  And he bent down to kiss her hand.

I felt like kicking Allen.

Once we got out, Hitomi suddenly burst out, "Whew!  For a while there, I was feeling mighty uncomfortable."

"Even with the comfortable seat he offered you?"  I said shrewdly, giving her a half-smile.

"Well, he is a gentleman," Hitomi sighed melodiously (it was irritating, if you want to know.  But I kept my mouth shut.), leaning against a huge shady tree.  "Wasn't he so… beautiful?"

I could say Hitomi did get a thrill out of all that.  I didn't.  So I sat down on the grass and took out my sword.  Hitomi must've noticed that I did say anything, so she sat down on the grass and looked on the insignia of my sword.

"Nice sword.  It's really sharp, isn't it?  You said your dad gave it to you--," she hesitated, then said, "and not to your brother, right?"

I kept looking down on my sword, checking for sides that needed forging. "It was his in the first place," I said stiffly, "but then he died, anyway.  Or at least I thought he did.  He was a damn coward."

I looked up and saw Hitomi staring wistfully at the ground.  "Look, Hitomi.  What's the use of talking about him?  You said you're going to teach me, right?  Anyway, it won't do any good to any of us if we talk about it anymore.  Come on."  I stood up, offering my hand so she could stand up.  She took it.

Hitomi then took out the red pendant from inside her collar.  She held it out in front of her an arm's length, and closed her eyes.  "Come on, Van.  Hide anywhere near the gorse bushes.  I'll track you."

I quickly went behind her, as quietly as I could.  After five seconds, she whirled around and pointed at me.  "I see you."

"That was quick."

"Because that's too obvious.  Sometimes, enemies think like children.  I bet if Dilandau were here right now he'd also go behind me.  It's Rule Number One, I think."

"Go for the obvious first?"

"Right.  If you've noticed, I did it with my eyes closed."

"Here, you try it… but let's see you do that without the pendant and with your eyes closed."

I stared at her.  "That's hard."

"Don't say that.  Have you even tried it?  Now, close your eyes."

I shut my eyes tight, trying to hear all sounds at once.  All I heard were crows flapping their wings and cawing on the treetops.  My heart was beating nervously.  What if I mess up? 

I turned to the left.  "Are you there Hitomi?"  I opened my eyes.  She wasn't.  Hitomi was giggling, a foot away from me.

"You look so cute when your eyes are shut tight like that," she teased, covering her mouth to stop more giggles coming.  I exasperatedly cocked my head to one side and peered at her.  "Duh.  I am trying to get this okay?!"

Hitomi smiled.  "Close your eyes."

For a moment I hesitated, then closed it.  Hitomi began talking in a slow way, "The key to finding the enemy is the focusing of your heart to a certain thing.  It may be anything; a memory or a person you'll never forget.  Once you see it, and something distracts it, imagine that this new sensation is a person or thing that is trying to take that special person or thing away from you.  You will be suddenly hit with a pain and a light of recognition… then you would know where the enemy is."

I opened my eyes. "Is that effective?"  I noticed Hitomi grew quiet.  She was looking down on the grass, and I thought I saw a tear trickle down her eye.  But she looked up and smiled.  "Yeah.  It's surprising how it manages to work every time.  It is kind of fuzzy, but any way that works for me must also work for you."

"But why do you have to think so much?  I always thought you'd have to keep your mind clear all the time."

"Van, some things are more than what meets the eye.  There is always another way in doing things." Then she grew quiet again.  I nodded, letting her know I understood.

"And there are some things that you'd never know existed in a certain object, or person perhaps… you know, those things you never thought could be found in them, stuff like that."

"Hidden talents?" I watched the sun as it rose higher into the sky. 

"Sort of," Hitomi suddenly put a hand on my shoulder.  "But I have to warn you."

"About what?"

"Using the technique I told you.  Remember what you're seeing inside your head is not real… the pain can be so unbearable sometimes," Hitomi said, smiling sadly.

"And you've been hurt a million times?  By some thing that just runs inside your head?"

She nodded.  "But I have to do it, or else I wouldn't be of help at all.  At the same time, I'm teaching you this so you could have an easy time battling the Alseides.  I know you'll work hard, but I know you'll also overdo it."

"Are you worried?  I mean, I'll try not to overdo it or anything.  But what if I fail to concentrate enough?"

Hitomi didn't answer that one.  The silence permitted the smell of roast beef and peppered potatoes from the kitchen.

"It's almost time for lunch," Hitomi sniffed the air. 

"Race you to the castle." 

Hitomi snapped up from sniffing, and turned to me, grinning.  "If you're up to it."

"Well then—"

We raced all the way to the castle.

OWARI

A/N: 'Nuther Esca fic! How nice can life get?! Anyways, I've got everything planned out spontaneously in my mind… I hope you guys liked this chapter—it's been a deliriously crazy long time since I posted something… I had bouts of writer's confusion.  My feelings were sort of mixed-up.  Anyways, 'ope ya give a review to this crazy fic!! Hehe! Ü!