Chigiri, an escaflowne fanfic

Title: Chigiri

Author: A Navy Brat

E-mail: catnmouse90637@yahoo.com

Part: 1 of 1

Rating: PG for content

Warnings: Contains spoilers for those who have not completed the Escaflowne series.

Summary: What happens between the end of the Great War and the rebuilding of Fanelia? My personal take on what happens during that time gap in Episode 26: Eternal Adoration.

Disclaimer: All characters in this piece are owned by Bandai and whoever took part in the creation of Escaflowne. This is an original piece that does not intend to infringe upon their copyright and is strictly a non-profit endeavour. All characters are used without permission. Characters and stories are in no way affiliated with, approved of or endorsed by Bandai. All other materials copyright by A Navy Brat, 2002. All rights reserved. If you wish to post this piece at some other website, please inform me first at the e-mail address given above. Constructive criticism and reviews are appreciated. Personal criticisms should be sent to the address above. Thank you.

Author's Notes: "Chigiri" means "1) to pledge, vow or promise; 2) to share a destiny; 3) to share a bed and board."[1]

My thanks to: Jason, whose dedication is unparalleled and whose support is unwavering. Alicia, who is always so willing to beta-read for me.

Chigiri

By A Navy Brat, August 28, 2002

I slip quietly into the room, trying not to disturb Hitomi, who lies sleeping on the great bed that we now share. I turn, unbuckling my belt and carefully hanging it on the hook in the wall. When I turn back to the bed, I realise that she is awake, her eyes glimmering like candlelight in the night.

"I'm sorry I woke you," I say, crossing the room and settling down on the bed.

"That's okay. You were out on the roof again, practicing," she replies.

I nod and put on my shirt before sliding under the covers with her. She had somehow managed to find an old pair of trousers that I had long out-grown and now wore them, along with one of my old shirts. Her just washed uniform hangs over the cold fireplace at the other end of the room.

"You don't have to practice anymore." She rolls to face me as I tuck the blankets more securely over us.

"I wish I didn't," I say, "and hope that I will never have to use what I know of warfare again." Several stray strands drift down and brush her eyes. I reach over and tuck them behind her ear again. She blushes. Even after all this, after being forced to share the same bed for more than a colour, she still blushes at my touch. I smile.

"Go to sleep, Hitomi." A sudden impulse seizes me and I lean down and kiss her on the cheek. I sit back, embarrassed and apprehensive. She blushes more furiously than before, then, with a swift dart, sits up and kisses me on the cheek as well. She quickly settles back down and rolls over, turning away from me. I remain partially upright and gently brush the area with my fingertips. She kissed me. I grin even more broadly. Then I, too, relax into the bed and we lie there, spooned, my hand resting easily on her waist. Her soft sounds of sleep are already audible as I continue to beam widely into the darkness.

My chronic insomnia had sent me from the warmth of this bed yet again tonight. I crept to the rooftop, a shadow casting a shadow as I made my way to where I usually practiced. Sleeplessness drove me to practice but it was Hitomi that I reflected on while practicing. I always think of her now.

The peace treaty was signed half a colour after the unconditional surrender of the Zaibach. After we retrieved Escaflowne, Hitomi and I camped with the remaining troops on the Field of the Final Battle, waiting for the day of the treaty. I spent much of my time being dragged from dignitary to dignitary, bowing and paying my respects and making small talk and trying to get them to see reason about the peace agreement. Hitomi spent many of her days with the wounded, dressing their injuries, washing sheets and bandages, caring for the Allied and the Zaibach alike. She became beloved by all and was called "Lady Hitomi" or "Seeress." Some had begun calling her "Goddess" but she quickly put an end to that.

Many of the leaders wanted outright revenge on Zaibach. "Zaibach attacked us. Let us destroy them so that they cannot attack us again!" declared a general of Baslam at a meeting. The other personages nodded their heads in apparent agreement.

"No." I stood. The others were surprised. They had not expected a young king like I to object to whatever they proposed. "If we do that, all we guarantee ourselves is another war. Simply because they were our enemy does not mean we have the right to dehumanise them. They did some horrid things and those who ordered them ought to be culpable. But we cannot demonise an entire country of people simply because of the acts of a few."

The general waved me away. "How old are you? Fifteen turns? You are still young and idealistic. We have seen much more than you and know better. That is why we crush them now, so that they will never have an opportunity to rise again."

Hitomi was present at that meeting and stood up beside me to address the host of generals and dignitaries. The group murmured in surprise. The general blustered in confusion. "Who let this… girl… into our meeting? Who is she? Guards!"

Hitomi calmly interrupted him. "My name is Kanzaki Hitomi and I am the girl from the Phantom Moon."

"Who?" The general squinted at her as the guards stumbled into the room and bowed.

"She is Lady Hitomi, Seeress from the Phantom Moon, my companion, advisor and equal."

The guards turned and faced Hitomi when they heard her name. "Lady Hitomi, we are very honoured to pay you our respects!" The guards bowed deeply again, foreheads almost brushing the floor. She blushed, unaccustomed to such attention, but slightly bowed in acknowledgement.

The general blanched when he saw the great respect that his own soldiers paid to Hitomi, even more respect than they paid to him. "General, sir, what are your orders?" The soldiers now faced him and he stood there, stuttering.

"N-nothing. You are dismissed," he said brusquely. With a resigned sigh, he settled into his chair, refusing to look at Hitomi.

She swallowed hard and with a wavering voice said, "Lord Van is right. To attempt to crush the Zaibach people now will only lead to further despair and another opportunity for another Dornkirk to rise to power. Grudge and fear cause war. That is exactly what happened on the Phantom Moon."

Everyone's attention was riveted on her now, even that of the reluctant general. Her voice grew stronger. "Eighty years ago, a great war, much like the one on Gaea, erupted. A country called Germany began attacking its surrounding countries. The war expanded until it involved almost all the countries in the world. The war lasted seven years and when it ended, Germany had lost.

"The countries that won were harsh. They tried to crush Germany to make sure it could never rise again. They forced Germany to pay for the damages and accept full responsibility for the war. The German people despaired and were forced to live in horrible poverty.

"Ten years after the Great War had ended, a new leader took over Germany. He was called Hitler. Hitler promised the Germans greatness again and they responded. Germany formed an alliance with my country, Japan. Twenty years after the Great War, another world wide war began, again started by Germany. Although this war lasted only six years, the devastation was much greater.

"It finally ended when another country called America used their ultimate weapon on us. They dropped two bombs, very much like the Energist bomb that Baslam used. The two bombs killed over 200,000 people. My great-grandfather was one of the ones who were killed. My grandfather lived with the scars from the burns for the rest of his life."

Hitomi glanced around the now silent room. "To try and crush Zaibach now only guarantees having to watch your children or your grandchildren die. On the Phantom Moon, there is a saying: 'The wisest of men learn from the mistakes of others.'" She blushed, suddenly aware of the many pairs of eyes fastened upon her. "I-… I-…" she stammered.

"You may be right." A man heaved himself up out of his chair. I recognised him as the Supreme Commander of the Deidalas Army. "My Lady, Lord Van," he bowed to us both, "we shall take into serious consideration your objections."

After two weeks of argument, the final terms of the treaty were signed by all countries involved, as well as by the Arbitrator, Kanzaki Hitomi. Its terms were unexpectedly gracious to the Zaibach. The head sorcerers as was the general of Baslam who dropped the Energist bomb were to be turned over to a war crimes court to be tried on "crimes against humanity." Serena was not to be tried for Dilandau's crimes and Dilandau was officially declared deceased. The Zaibach people were to appoint a monarch to rule them but were not allowed to convene a military for twenty turns. Their weaponry and melefs were to be handed over to various countries for temporary caretaking. The Atlantis Machine was to be completely destroyed. Zaibach would not lose any of its land or resources, nor would it be faced with immense debts to pay.

During our stay in Chezario, we—Allen, Hitomi, Gaddeth, the remaining Crusade crew and I—had camped out in the Crusade. The nights were bitterly cold, however, and there was a shortage of blankets that forced several of us, including Hitomi and I, to share a single blanket. Seeing the worry in her eyes, I objected and said that I did not need covering. Hitomi refused to hear of letting me sleep uncovered. The blanket was barely large enough to cover both of us so we decided to sleep back to back.

That first morning, I was first to awaken. I found my arm cradling her head and my hand at her waist. It was impossible to move without waking her. She awoke as I was frantically trying to think of a way to extract myself. She bolted up and flushed, throwing the blanket off of both of us.

"I-… I'm sorry Hitomi. I-… I didn't mean to…" I stammered, unable to meet her eye. I could feel the flush that coloured my own cheeks. She interrupted me mid-sentence with her own apology. She also drifted off, apology half finished, and we sat there, uneasily looking at each other.

Gaddeth's voice suddenly boomed and echoed from down the hall. "Hey you lug-headed sleepyheads! Come get your grub!" Kio's groan limply reverberated, trailing after Gaddeth's voice. Hitomi and I quickly got up and began folding the blanket. Gaddeth's head popped in moments later. "Your Highness, Miss Kanzaki, your breakfast is ready."

We awoke like that every morning, spooned together. Attempts at apology did not become less awkward but they did become less frequent. I began to take an illicit joy in waking like that, enjoying the feel and smell of her yet guiltily unsure of if she felt the same.

Once the treaty was signed, we left for Asturia to pick up Merle. Hitomi, Merle and I arrived back at Fanelia and found it much the way it had been left: a swath of blackened and charred destruction, prominent against the greenery that surrounded it.

The Imperial Palace still stood, but its outer walls were breached, as were some of the inner structural walls. Structural integrity, thankfully, was not compromised, most likely on Folken's orders, although almost everything of value had been taken. All that had been left was my parents' bed, some tapestries, too large and bulky to carry, and the book of our family history, hidden in a panel in the wall. The rest of the building had been left bare. Most of what was lost was never returned, doubtlessly destroyed in the war.

Hitomi, Merle and I spent several days in the mountains gathering the Fanelian people. Despite their physical isolation during the war, they were very familiar with the events that had taken place. Whatever news they were lacking they clamoured for and it took several days more before the people were content with knowing what had happened.

We set to rebuilding our city. I never realised houses could be built so quickly. Within five days, foundations were laid and frames were being built. The ash was mixed in with dirt and used to plant gardens. I used Escaflowne to help clear away some of the rubble but the work was mainly done with shovels and wheelbarrows.

Hitomi, Merle and I stayed in the castle. The people had wanted to rebuild that first, but I told them to first build shelters for themselves before worrying about the castle. We discovered on our second search that, amazingly, the attics above my parents' room and my room had been left intact. Nothing much was in my parents' beyond old clothing and several rusty knives and swords.

The search in my attic proved more fruitful. Merle's old bed—more of a basket, really—was up there as were some heavy blankets. Merle's bed was only large enough to fit her and so Hitomi and I were again forced to share a bed. Merle preferred to remain in the attic.

Hitomi and I spent most of our days apart, I helping the men with the rebuilding, Hitomi assisting their wives with cooking. It was not until we retired each night did we have time to talk. It was there, in the comforting warm darkness of that large bed that we could put into words things that had been hidden so long. She talked about her family, her father and mother and brother, of leading the traditional happy life. I must admit that I was more than a little jealous. I told her about my father and mother, how I remembered Folken being so kind, how Merle and I grew up.

More importantly than the past, we talked about the present, and the future. It was during then when I stumblingly asked her what she thought of me.

"What do you mean, how do I think of you?" She blinked in surprise.

"I- I mean," I stuttered. "We've been through so much together. We- we even share a bed now. I was wondering if you mind that." The words came to an abrupt stop and hung there, unanswered. I cursed myself. That wasn't what I meant.

"Well…" I could hear the blush in her voice. "This isn't exactly what I would have looked for, but I don't mind. I trust you," she ended simply.

"I guess what I'm trying to say," I started once again, hoping for the right words, "is that I care for you, a lot. And… and I was hoping that… that you felt the same way too." I could feel her eyes train on me and hoped that the dim moonlight was not bright enough for her to see my face.

Her answer was unexpectedly gentle and firm. "I care about you a lot too, Van. And I think I feel the same way about you as you feel about me." Her voice blushed again. "And I really don't mind waking up the way I do. I kind of like it, really."

I rolled over and saw that she had spoken the truth. "Is what we feel then love?" I asked hesitantly.

"I- I don't know. I think so."

We lay there, looking at each other in the glimmering light, the quiet occasionally broken by the cry of a night bird. "May I touch you?" I asked softly. She silently nodded. I reached up from under the blanket and gently stroked her cheek with my roughly padded thumb. "Thank you," I breathed and she smiled in response. Then, forehead to forehead, we fell asleep.

Things didn't change much after that. We still spoke openly to one another although that word was never used again. We both understood what we felt, and that was enough. My insomnia still woke me three nights out of five and more than once I slipped out to the roof to practice. As I did tonight. If she ever awakens while I am gone, she knows where I am.

I know we don't have much more time together. Each day we spend could easily be our last in a long time. Somehow though, I don't mind as much. I know that she has to leave, that Gaea isn't her home and truthfully, it pains me. But I know that despite our distance, our understanding of one another will let us always be together. Hitomi belongs with her family now. I understand that and I accept it. Perhaps one day, when we are both older and wiser, we can see what will become of us. For now, I am content to hold her and dream about today.

[1] Courtesy of EVA from the Poet's Project at Kyoto Notre Dame University. http://poets.notredame.ac.jp/cgi-bin/jedi-inon.