Hehe, this is a story I just HAD to write. I was watching the wonderful, heart-felt movie "A Walk in the Clouds" with Keanu Reeves (sp?) and I got the idea to cross it over with Escaflowne. Okay, I admit that not all of the characters are from Escaflowne since not all of them were able to fit all the roles. Who would play the grandpa and grandma? Certainly none of the characters from Escaflowne.
And I also know that I don't know all the names from the movie since I only saw it twice on ABC Family so I'll just describe which character each plays. Oh, and I'll be using their original names so Van won't be named "Paul" cause then I might as well write the movie script, which wouldn't make this an Escaflowne fanfiction obviously.
Oh yeah, small note. All of the characters are regular citizens. Van isn't the King of Fanelia or anything. They're all civilians. And the ages of Van, Hitomi, and Merle are 20.
Here's the list:
Van = Paul
Merle (human and as old as Van) = His wife who he came to see after the war
Hitomi = Victoria
Folken = Hitomi's dad and the owner of the farm (yeah, in the movie they have the grapes but I changed it to farm)
Naria (human) = Hitomi's mom (seems weird but I couldn't think of anyone else to play her
Dornkirk = Hitomi's grandpa (it'll seem weird to have him displayed as some "happy" character)
Hitomi's grandma from the series = Hitomi's grandma (^_^)
Dryden = Pedro Jr., Hitomi's brother and the human calculator (sort of)
Dilandau = I'll have to decide later
Allen = Van's friend from the war
Alrighty then, now that that's done, I can continue with the story. The plot is sort of the same and it takes place on Gaea but some parts from the movie will be different. I'm going to write it the way I want to so I think only the beginning will be like the movie.
Now I present to you…
A Walk in the Clouds
By HitomiFanel
Part 1: A reunion, a chance meeting, and a deal
The war in Melic had been long and tough. There was so much bloodshed and many tears for lost friends and companions. The air tasted like blood as many dragged bodies across the battlefield where they wouldn't get in the way of the fighting. The guymelefs fought till their pilot had no more strength and the soldiers fought to the death…unless they were the one's who won the bout.
Van was glad to leave it all.
He had to admit though that there was almost nothing left for him back home in Fanelia. All he had was his wife, who he had married before he left for the war. She was the only thing that made him survive the war. He loved her. Of that he was sure. Quite possibly she was the only one he would ever love. She was the one for him…his destiny.
All of his friends called him a fool for marrying some girl he had dated for only 2 weeks but he had told them how much he loved her, and how much she loved him. They weren't convinced. They said they saw the way she looked at him, as if he were still some man she was simply dating. He shrugged it all off and kept his thoughts on her, on how he had to survive so he could see her again.
The day seemed to have finally arrived.
After the long war, all the surviving soldiers went home after attending the funeral for all of the soldiers that had perished in battle. It was a long, sad day, with much crying and shattered dreams; dreams of friends growing old together, starting businesses, and just simply living their lives together.
But life goes on…
The boat ride had been a bore. Van didn't much like boats but it was the only way he could get back to Fanelia, back to his wife. His mind kept wandering back to the nights in between the battles in which he would write to her. The letters were always lengthy, filled with his thoughts on the war, and even some descriptions, but mostly they were about questions on how she was doing, if the money she sent him was enough to sustain herself. The problem was that his questions were never answered because she never wrote back. He waited everyday as the mail boy came by with letters for the soldiers, but everytime there was none for Van. He pondered over why.
When they arrived in Palas, the only city closest to Fanelia with a port, all the soldiers got out and greeted their loved ones. Van had been talking to Allen Schezar, his best friend who he had met at the Front.
"How does it feel to be back Allen?" Van asked as he saw his friend take a large breath of air. It was quite amusing the way Allen always exaggerated everything. Especially now. He was, however, grateful, because somehow, Allen was always able to turn a gray day into a bright one.
Allen turned to him and smiled. "You don't know how good it feels to be back home. Now I can see my little sister again. She's been pretty lonely without me, especially after our parent's died." Allen's face turned solemn.
During the war, Allen had been sent a heart-wrenching letter from his little sister Celena that their parent's had died. Van had comforted him, saying that at least he knew them and loved them. Van himself had never known his parent's. They died when he was a baby and Van had only known the orphanage, which he finally left when he was 18.
"Cheer up Allen," Van said with a weak, comforting smile. He hated it when Allen was sad. He was rarely sad and it hurt to see the only light against the dark die out. "At least you still have your sister."
Allen grinned at Van as he patted his best friend's shoulder. "You're right Van. And you have your wife who's waiting for you."
Van didn't say anything. He turned his head and scanned through the many people who were greeting relatives and loved ones that they hadn't seen in months. However, instead of finding his wife, he found a girl running towards them. Well, more like running towards Allen.
"Brother!" Allen's sister Celena yelled at the top of her lungs as she held her dress up so she wouldn't trip on it. Her long, silvery (or is it gray?) hair trailed behind her in waves.
"Celena!" Allen happily greeted. When they reached each other, they hugged fiercely as though they were afraid to let go.
Van bid them goodbye and told them he wanted to go off and look for his wife. She was probably looking for him in the crowd.
What Van didn't expect was that she wasn't even there. Many people had found whom they were looking for and the crowd dispersed. With so little people left, Van had thought that he would be able to find her. But she wasn't in the crowd. He didn't see her shoulder length pink hair or her large, blue eyes. There was no one there that fit that description, or that yelled out his name.
He rode to Fanelia alone…
----
Fanelia was a small kingdom, smaller than the grand Palas, but peaceful nonetheless. You could never find a more peaceful city. The people enjoyed life to the fullest and were ruled by gentle rulers who they loved, despite the heritage of the queen.
Van shifted his bag onto his other shoulder and dragged his suitcase towards his apartment (they have those right? I mean, the buildings are large and people live in them so I guess Fanelia does have them). It was a pain having to lug all this things alone but he managed. He found his sort-of home and knocked. He didn't have his key out and he didn't really feel like searching for it.
The door opened after a while of knocking and his wife stood in the doorway, dressed in a dress he had never seen her wear before. Her hair was slightly lighter and longer, but to him, she looked as lovely as ever.
"Van!" Merle exclaimed, as if surprised to see him. Truth was, she was surprised. She hadn't expected him to come back so soon.
Van dropped his bag and went over to hug her. He hugged her with all his might, but he was disappointed that she didn't hug back with the same intensity. He pulled away and grabbed his things, following her inside the messy apartment.
"I didn't expect you back so soon," Merle confessed as she sat down on the sofa and took a drink from her glass. She seemed to be drinking water, since the substance was clear.
Van went over to her and took her free hand in both of his. "I missed you so much," he said with emotion.
Merle took another drink, then set it down on the table next to the couch. "I missed you too," she responded with a slight bored tone. Van didn't notice it since he was too caught up in drinking her in. She had definitely gotten more feminine. And she seemed to have more confidence in herself, something she had lacked when Van had first met her.
Van decided to be blunt with her. This question had been burning his mind for months and he didn't think he could take another moment of hesitation. "Why haven't you answered my letters?" he asked sadly.
Merle didn't answer him at first. Instead, she got up from the couch and went over to the window. She sat down on the edge and the light reflected off her hair, making it look a paler pink than it already was. She sighed deeply, deciding on telling him the truth. At least, he thought it was the truth. "I didn't write because the letters disturbed me a bit. I feared that the next letter you wrote would be the last one, and if I wrote, the letter would never reach you and it would come back to me. I didn't think I could bear the thought of that happening."
Van simply nodded in understanding. Fear was something he had experienced every day in the war. He didn't want to wish it on her too. He crossed the room and stood next to her. "But was the money I sent you enough? Did you do okay with me gone?"
She grinned happily. "The money was fine. It paid for the food and the clothes I needed. Thank you for that."
He kneeled so he could be eye to eye with her. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her close, breathing her sweet scent in. "You don't have to thank me. We're husband and wife. I'm supposed to support you."
She pushed him away gently. That last comment had disturbed her. He could tell. "You don't HAVE to support me. That part I can do myself," she responded gently, though seriously.
Van could tell his Merle had grown into an independent woman while he was gone. No longer did the image of the shy girl stay in his mind. The woman before him was a stranger. The girl he loved vanished, replaced by someone who could stand on her own two feet. He didn't know what to think. Nevertheless, he still loved her, for she was the woman he had fallen in love with.
Van stood up and said something that (in his opinion) didn't seem to bother her. "I've been accepted to work in Freid, the city beyond Palas. The job they gave me pays well, and I can send you more."
Merle glared at him softly. "I told you. I can take care of myself." She didn't like to be considered weak. She wanted to show everyone, especially overprotective Van, that she was strong.
"I know you can," Van said as he went over to his bags. "But it would still be nice for you to have some extra money for little pleasures like jewelry and things like that."
The glare turned into a frown and Van wondered if she ever smiled anymore. "You don't have to do that." She shook her head. "I'm not interested in things like that."
Van took only his bag as he headed out the door. "Yeah, well, you might not want to, but I'll send it to you anyway. You never know when extra money will come in handy." He was about to leave, but he paused and walked back to her. He had almost forgotten the goodbye hug. "I'll be back soon."
With that said, he went back to the door and exited, shutting the door with a small 'click'. Merle let herself fall on the couch. 'This is too much for a girl' she thought as she drank more water.
----
The cart ride to Freid was long and boring. All he could do was sleep or read a book Allen had given him. Van had to admit that it made time speed up a tad. He was quite intrigued with the story of far away lands not discovered until a pair of explorers stumbled upon it. He wasn't the type to read such fantasies, but he decided to give it a shot.
Van's reading was interrupted when the cart stopped, and a boy in a dress tried to climb on. Van narrowed his eyes against the sun to get a better look and to his astonishment, the boy was actually a girl. There was no way a boy had eyes as clear green and as beautiful as this girl's. There was also no way a boy had legs as shapely as she did or a face as feminine. She had high cheekbones and full, pink tinted lips. The only thing that seemed to Van to belong to a boy's was the young lady's hair. It shone in the sun but it was too short. Van never cared for short hair on girls, at least not THAT short. His own wife had short hair but it went to her shoulders so she didn't look like a boy. Van broke away from his thoughts as he saw that she seemed to be having trouble getting a huge box onto the cart with her. Being the gentleman that he was (for this fic he is nice all the way), Van stood up to help the young lady.
"Can I help you miss?" he asked politely as she tried without success to get the large box into the cart.
She turned to look at him with a questioning gaze. Behind that, there was gratitude. She smiled lightly, some sweat pouring down her head from the effort, making some of her hair cling to her head. "Yes, thank you," she answered shyly.
With the both of them, they were able to get the large box onto the cart. Van sat back down in his spot and realized that the girl would have to sit next to him since the rest of the spots were taken. She sat, and began to fan her head.
"T-Thank you again," she responded as she looked straight ahead. She seemed like the shy type and Van didn't really want to force her into anything, although he couldn't help but notice that she seemed shocked by his actions, as if she never expected him to be so nice.
"No problem," Van responded softly as he went back to his book. He didn't expect the conversation to go any further anyway. And he definitely didn't expect for…
The young woman gave a quiet sob, so quiet that only Van heard it. He was sure he was the only one because he looked all around at all the people riding with them, and they seemed undisturbed. He turned to see what the problem was. She seemed on the verge of tears and she was even clutching her stomach carefully, her hands roaming all around.
"What's wrong?" Van whispered so she would be the only one to hear him. "Does your stomach hurt?"
She shook her head, her short hair flying around her head. "N-No, it's nothing. At least nothing you can help me with."
Van was concerned for this girl for some reason and he didn't know why. She seemed to have a problem that she THOUGHT Van couldn't help her with. "You never know until you try," he responded earnestly.
She bit her lip and cast her gaze straight ahead. Van could see much pain in her emerald eyes, as well as fear. But of what? What could she possibly be afraid of? Was it he? Was she uncomfortable around him?
She sighed and met his gaze again, looking at him with pleading eyes. "Perhaps you can help me, if it isn't any inconvenience."
Van hesitated, thinking about his new job in Freid. They were expecting him very soon and he certainly couldn't let his wife down. He had always dreamed of showering his wife with money and fine things, things fit for a princess. However, this girl seemed to really need his help. If there was one thing Van liked, it was helping other people out. He shook his head. "It isn't any inconvenience at all. What's the problem?"
The young woman didn't answer at first and Van began to think that she was going to change her mind about asking for his help. Perhaps that was for the better…
"I'll tell you at my stop, alright?" she asked, eyes cast downward, refusing to meet his gaze this time. She really was afraid of something, although Van couldn't tell what. It didn't seem to be him. He was 90% sure of that.
There was no more talking between them throughout the rest of the trip. It had never occurred to Van until they stopped and got off the cart that he didn't even know her name. He dropped his bag on the road as the cart moved on towards Freid. "I never even got your name."
The young woman stopped pacing and nibbling at her nail to look at him. "Oh, sorry. My name is Hitomi Kanzaki."
"And I'm Van."
Hitomi gave him a questioning look of puzzlement and wonder. "Just 'Van'?"
"Yeah, you see, I'm an orphan. I was never adopted so I never had a last name."
Hitomi looked like she was going to panic for a second before her eyes widened in acknowledgment. "What about Fanel? It suits you. Van Fanel," she whispered the name over her tongue to get the full feeling. "Then I'd have to be Hitomi Fanel."
Van's eyes widened farther than he's ever let them in his life. They looked like two round plates. "W-What? What's this got to do with your problem?"
Hitomi sat down on the large box she had been carrying and wept. It was quite unsettling and embarrassing for the both of them. Van only stood there as she poured her heart out. "T-The truth is, I'm going home to my family, only that my father is expecting me to come home with a husband. The man I was dating in Arzas dumped me after he learned I was pregnant. If my father finds out I am with child, while not having a husband, he'll kill me, literally." She broke down and wept once again.
Van was faced with a tough situation. This was something he really didn't want to get involved in; however, he couldn't stand the sight of seeing this lovely young woman cry. And her father seemed like a dangerous man. He couldn't just abandon her to his wrath. Van sighed. "All right. I'll help you with your problem."
Hitomi's eyes widened in surprise. She was truly amazed that he had accepted. She ran over and hugged him. "Thank you! Thank you! You don't know how much this means to me!" She pulled away when the lighting bolt of 'idea' hit her head. "You could pose as my husband for a day, sneak off during the night, and in the morning I'll just say you abandoned me. My father will be angry, but you'll be long gone by then. That will make sure he doesn't get angry at me."
"All right then," Van agreed, slightly doubting that this plan would work. "I accept to help you and you don't even have to do anything to repay me." He brought his hand out for Hitomi to shake.
She smiled lightly at him and shook his hand, sealing the deal. "Deal!"
~**~
Yay! First part done! Did you like it? Or was it too boring? I hope I'm right so far one what goes on that happens in the movie. Since I only saw the movie one and a half times (one time seeing it fully and the other seeing it at a certain point), my story will be slightly different on some parts, yet it'll show the forming bonds between Van and Hitomi as they face her family who have no idea that Van isn't really the husband. So anyways, please review! I really want to know how I did. I feel like I did a fairly good job. I'm really proud of how well I described everything. So please review! I'd love to hear from you! I'll try to get part 2 of this fic done soon, as well as part 5 of "The New Kid" and part 4 of "Amnesia". Ja ne!
~HitomiFanel
"Fighting to put an end to fighting? There's no such thing!" –Van Fanel, ep. 6 (My fav. Quote ^_^)