In a past fic I offered a contest and this is the prize. This story is dedicated to JoJo who won the contest and this is brought to you by her. This is the longest one shot I have ever done and the first Escaflowne, probably my last for this anime, don't know enough. Thanks again for everything and have a great Valentines Day tomorrow.
Second Chances
Van stared out at the night sky and wondered what was to be in store for him. He was a king now, had been since the age of fifteen when he'd resurrected Escaflowne. His future looked far from inviting, as it had all those years ago. He hadn't been raised for this, he hadn't expected to wear the crown, that should have been his brother's burden to bear. But his brother was not alive to bear it and so now it rested on his own shoulders, weighing him down with its obligations and rules, but what was he to do? There was no one else to rule and he couldn't betray the memories of those who'd live before him by running away. He felt trapped in his present state but refused to try to wiggle free.
As they had often done since he'd officially turned eighteen his advisors were advising him to marry, something he had as yet to do when others his age, nineteen, had been at least engaged if not married. No matter how he tried he knew that he could not avoid the topic forever, that he must marry in order to keep not just the Fenal line alive but his mother's peoples as well. To the knowledge of even those who's travels had taken them far and wide the young King of Fenal was the last of the draconians. Therefore he must marry and produce heirs, but how was he to find a bride? Or if he was being true to himself he knew the real question was where could he find a bride that could compete with Hitomi.
"You look troubled my friend, supper not agree with you?"
Van turned his head to the side and watched his loyal friend Allan walk towards him, the sounds of people having a good time barely present as Van turned his head back to once again gaze into the night.
"I'm fine, just tired I guess." Van said softly, trying for a grin that failed miserably. He had been playing one role after another all day and the pretending was tiring. He wasn't meant to be cooped up in the castle all day, he was a soldier, not a scholar. And yet how often did he get to spend time outdoors doing nothing? How often did he simply have time to himself to enjoy what he'd fought so hard to preserve? Far from enough.
"And would I be wrong in assuming that your bad mood has something to do with the ball the advisors have pushed upon you?" Allan said with a knowing look. He'd known Van well enough to read him like a book despite the fact that Van would say differently. Allan knew that Van wasn't happy in his current role as king and that he longed for his old life, even if it had been during a war. The fact that it was a war with a certain someone in it had made all the difference.
"You're the one for parties, I'm just not comfortable in them." Van said with a sigh. "Besides we both know what'll happen. The fathers will have primped up their daughters so that they resemble stuffed peacocks and then throw them in my direction hoping that she's catch my eye. Then I'll have to spend the next few hours dancing and talking to them while they prattle on about things I could care less about. Worst of all will be the mothers who'll hunt me and hound me until they are assured I know their daughters' entire life story before throwing the poor girls at me again. I don't know who its more humiliating for, me or the girls!"
"I'd say you since they have the thought of being a Queen to inspire them." Allan said with a chuckle at his friend's description of his court. "You know they're not all that bad if you give them a chance."
"Oh really?" Van said giving his friend a long look. "Seems to me you're not one to talk. You like it when girls attack you and no one is trying to force you to marry. I'd gladly change places with you and let you have all their attention."
"Well if it were Hitomi thrown at you during the ball you wouldn't mind, now would you?" Allan said with a knowing look as he smiled at his friend teasingly but quick stopped when he remembered that he had come to cheer his friend up, not depress him more.
"Hitomi would never allow anyone to throw her at me." Van said with a smirk that died as quickly as Allan's smile. If Hitomi were to be thrown at him he'd catch her gladly and never let go. How ironic that it wasn't marriage he dreaded like everyone thought but marriage to someone that wasn't Hitomi that made him avoid women like the plague.
"Van, you know that you have to marry, you have to get over her." Allan said quietly, all trace of humor gone from his handsome face. "I of all people know how much you loved her but that was three and a half years ago, you need to move on from what can never be. She's most likely moved on herself, she might even be married now for all you know. You need to let your love for her go."
"I know that Allan, but I fear that the love I felt and feel for Hitomi is not the type to die, no matter the circumstances. Even a king cannot dictate or control what he feels, no one can."
"Hey Hitomi, heads up!"
Nineteen-year-old Hitomi looked up just as a snowball narrowly missed hitting her shoulder as she sat alone on the bench near the library steps. Looking over she gave her friend an annoyed look before turning her eyes back to the textbook in front of her, determined to ignore the challenge. It was a few days into February and snow was everywhere, which meant a lot of snowball fights had been taking place as of late; Hitomi had no intention of being dragged into another. Someone had been screwing with the thermostat in the library and had come outside to cool off, obviously not one of her better ideas. Sensing rather then seeing Hitomi looked up again to see her friend making another snowball in her mittened hands, an evil look on her face. "Don't even think about throwing that Umi." Hitomi said with a warning look, "I don't have time to have a snowball fight."
"Awww come on Hitomi, lets have a little fun, throw a few snowballs around with me; we'll go after the guys. They're planning an all out massacre in front of the dorms, we don't wanna miss it." Umi said, her dark eyes sparkling nearly as bright as the girl's red coat.
"I have to read this chapter today or I'm going to fall behind schedule, Umi. I'll throw snow around with you later okay?" Hitomi said with a pleading look as she absently pushed some stray strands of hair behind her ear. Umi had convinced her to grow it out a little and now her hair flowed down to her chin, which annoyed Hitomi slightly because it got in her way but good because it made her look older. Hitomi figured she could get away with cutting it off during the summer then growing it back for the fall.
"Oh come on Hitomi, don't be a stick in the mud. Mamatto is going to be there." Umi added as an added incentive but needn't have bothered. Despite the fact that Mamatto was gorgeous, athletic and interested Hitomi had no interest in him. He was great, but he wasn't Van.
"Thanks, but I already told you I'm not interested, Umi. You're only making things worse for the both of us by trying to throw us together." Hitomi said softly but firmly. She knew she was being foolish but that didn't change the fact that she felt nothing when she was with Mamatto or any of the guys her friends had tried to pair her up with over the years. She'd dated of course and had boyfriends but never serious or for very long, she always knew even before it started that it wouldn't end in happily ever after. There was only one ending she wanted and that ending would always be nothing more then a fairy tale.
"He must have been something to have gotten you so thoroughly hooked." Umi said as though she were reading her friend's thoughts. Flopping down on the bench beside Hitomi Umi looked at her friend curiously. "If you love this guy so much how come I've never met him and you're not together?"
"He lives very far away, on another world you could say." Hitomi said with a sad and far away look. "We were only fifteen when we met but even then there was always something about him, even when I thought I was in love with a friend of his. I only realized how much I cared when time and time again I almost lost him, knew that no matter what I'd lose him eventually. I haven't seen him in over three years, but I can't shake the feeling that it's always going to be him that I want, him that I'll search for and never find."
"That is so sad." Umi said looking like she was going to tear up at any moment. "You should call him, he sounds like the kinda guy worth giving up anything for."
"I would, Umi, if I had the chance." Hitomi said with a sad smile as she looked up at the clear, blue, sky overhead.
Allan figured this was one of the stupider ideas he'd had in all of his years, how many he'd never say. Pacing back and forth in the clearing he called himself many times a fool though he knew he was going to follow through with the plan. Maybe it was stupid and possibly dangerous but he knew that it was the only solution that could be found. Van was like family to him, had saved his life in battle, he deserved to be happy and if this is what it took so be it.
"So you wish to go to earth Sir Allan." A voice said from the shadows, the voice withered with age and too many years of use. The old woman was barely visible in the darkness of the forest but Allan still felt a chill despite her small size and appearance. He knew this was no weak creature and definitely not one to be trifled with if one valued their life.
"I do." Allan said in a clear voice, placing his hands on his sides, away from his sword least she think he meant her harm.
"Then follow me knight, and you shall receive your desire." The old hag said, motioning with a gnarled hand to follow her into the gloomy darkness of the forest. Taking a steadying breath Allan watched her walk into the gloom before following her into the unknown.
"Miss. Hitomi, Miss. Hitomi, look at me." A child cried out and with a warm smile Hitomi turned around to watch one of her students slide down the old plastic slide to go tumbling into the snow at the end.
"Nice one Taichi." Hitomi called out as she watched him run to get into line to do it again. Almost done her third year of university Hitomi was glad she'd been able to do co-op here at the school as a student teacher, it was so much fun! She loved working with the kindergartners and since she doubted she'd ever have children they would fill the need for them. She'd started here in the fall and already she loved them all, would miss them terribly when she had to go away to teachers college.
"Miss. Hitomi, can you play hide and go seek with us?" Looking down Hitomi smiled at the four students, bundled up in their snowsuits and hats grinning up at her pleadingly. Soon her entire class, all twenty of them were bagging her to play hide and go seek and with a warm smile Hitomi nodded her head.
"Okay, you guys go hide and I'll count to twenty." Hitomi said knowing that with the fence encircling the play area they wouldn't be able to go anywhere they shouldn't. Plus they were a really well behaved class that rarely gave her any trouble least she cut off their stories. Counting out loud in a clear voice Hitomi kept her eyes shut and wondered where they thought they were going to hide. Reaching twenty Hitomi opened her eyes and scanning the area picked fifteen of them in their hiding places. "Oh no," Hitomi said looking frantically from left to right. "I can't see any of them." Instantly there were giggles and then the sound of giggles being smothered. Smothering her own smile Hitomi made a big show of walking around the play area, deliberately going near several children who apparently thought they were invisible given how easy they were to spot. "Oh no, I've lost the children, where ever could they be? What if something terrible has happened to them? What is Mrs. Fuu going to say when I tell her I lost all the children?"
"Here we are Miss. Hitomi, here we are!" They called as they all came scrambling from their hiding places. "Don't worry Miss. Hitomi, we're not lost!"
"Oh good," Hitomi said patting her chest for effect. "I thought I'd lost you all. Where's Darien?" Hitomi asked, realizing that they were missing one. When none of the children could tell her where he was Hitomi began to call him, the children joining in. What seemed like hours but was only really a minute later she saw Darien's familiar red snowsuit coming running over to her from the direction of a nearby snow bank that they weren't allowed to play on. "Darien, you know your not suppose to be on that snow bank."
"But Miss. Hitomi, there's a knight over there, a real one too with a sword and everything. He's awfully mad and covered in snow!" Darien said, too excited to realize he was in trouble as he made slashes in the air with an imaginary sword. "And he's got long blonde hair just like Sir Allan from your stories."
"Are you kidding, Darien?" Hitomi asked as she bended down so that they were eye to eye with each other. "You know its wrong to fib to get out of trouble."
"I'm not fibbing, promise. I'll show you." Darien said taking her mittened hand in his, tugging her in the direction of the hill. "He's sitting there talking to himself, he sounds really annoyed about something."
Looking at him closely Hitomi looked from the boy to the snow hill. It wasn't like Darien to make things up and if he was telling the truth then there was someone over there who shouldn't be there at all. "Okay class, I'm going to go check on this knight to make sure he's okay. Rei, take this." Hitomi said taking off her watch as she motioned to one of the little girl's who was very good with numbers. "If I'm not back by the time this number becomes a seven I want you to go get Mrs. Fuu and tell her where I am okay? Till I get back I want you to all go inside the school until I get back. And you're all going to be on your best behavior okay?"
After convincing the kids to follow orders and arranging for one of the elderly janitors to watch the kids Hitomi made her way towards the snow hill. After she'd gotten home from Fenalia she'd taken some self defense lessons and she was reasonable confident that everything would be fine. It was probably just someone lost or taking a break, nothing to worry about. Known the less Hitomi kept a good grip on her car keys in her pocket, just in case. Going around the hill as oppose to over it Hitomi rounded the corner and just barely managed to stiffly a scream when she saw who sat on the snow bank, emptying a boot of snow while he shook snow from his long, blonde hair.
"Allan!" Hitomi cried before racing across the snow to throw herself at him which nearly sent him into the snow bank, again. Catching her out of reflex Allan smiled as he hugged her back, surprised at the fact that she'd nearly thrown him backwards when he'd hit him. He'd watched her play with the large group of children near the large building but hadn't recognized her without the haircut and school uniform. But he would recognize her smile anywhere.
"You're well I take it?" Allan said with an amused smile when she finally pulled back to look at him, to assure herself that it was really Allan.
"Now that you're here this day is a great day." Hitomi said with a huge grin. "But what on earth are you doing here, who'd you get here, why are you here?"
"I'm here to do Van and you a favor, how I got here is a long and painfully story that revolves around being sent here with a crash after being whirled around in a hurricane for what seems like hours." Allan said shaking some melted snow from his long, blonde hair while brushing snow off of his clothing. Falling into a snow bank headfirst was not something he wanted to repeat anytime soon. " So please tell me those children are not all yours, you wear no ring." He added as he pulled off her left mitt to reveal her naked hand.
"They're my students, I'm helping to teach them their ABC." Hitomi said with a laugh at the thought. "Besides, I'm too young to have had them even if I was capable of having all twenty of them at once. I would have had to have been 14 when I had them in order to me their mother."
"And you are not promised to anyone, involved?" Allan asked with relief. So far so good as thing went. Except of course for the hag having him dropped into this snow bank; that he had to complain about.
"No I'm single, why?" Hitomi asked, hoping that he hadn't come to ask her to marry him again. She loved Allan dearly, but only as a good friend.
"If you had a chance to be with Van again, forever this time, would you take it?" Allan asked gripping her shoulders tightly as he looked deeply into her eyes. "Would you give up everything to be with him once more?"
"Allan……..why are you asking me this? It isn't possible." Hitomi said weakly.
"But if you could? Would you?" Allan said seriously.
"Yes but….Allan, what's going on? Why are you asking me these questions?" Hitomi asked, looking at him just as intently as he regarded her.
"Then you will be together. If you wish it." Allan said standing up, holding out his hand to her. "If you're willing to make the sacrifices it would entail. You must leave this all behind, earth behind, possible your family for periods of time. Are you willing to do all that for him?"
"Yes." Hitomi whispered having asked herself the same question to many times to count. "Yes I would."
"Then we have work to do." Allan said with a grin that made his normally stunning face even more beautiful. "Tell me Hitomi, do you have a dress suitable for Fanelian court?"
Van had to agree that it was a nice party, more so because no one could recognize him and therefore hound him. The advisors had had a costume made for him but he had ordered another made, not trusting the advisors not to tell certain eligible women what he looked like. He'd chosen the clothing of a knight, simple and easy to blend in. He now stood off to the side by a balcony, just barely in the room that was full of people. Of course he'd had his share of female attention but as a whole he'd been able to avoid it. Looking into the sea of dancers he saw Allan waltz by with a beautiful redhead who was looking at Allan as though he were a gift from god. Strange but Van had noticed that Allan had brought an escort with him yet was dancing with her only rarely, leaving the poor girl to her own devices. Scanning the room for her Van couldn't see her and wondered what had become of her. It wasn't like Allan to be so rude and the girl had looked quite pretty from a distance. Unlike the other girls that swarmed the dance floor her dress had been nice and simple, the only real decorations small hoop earrings and a simple chain around her neck. She'd rather reminded him of an angel which is what she was probably portraying given that her dress was virginal white with a pair of golden wings sewn into the back.
"Do you mind if I join you sir?"
Turning his head to the side Van saw precisely the person he was looking for. Because of the required masks he could see little of her face and was surprised to note that unlike other girls she'd chosen to keep her hair short, why it barely went past her chin. Hitomi had preferred her hair short as well, kept in out of her way. " Feel free." He said when he realized she was waiting for his permission.
Moving closer Hitomi smiled weakly at him from behind her mask. Unlike Allan she had recognized him easily when they'd first entered into the crowds after they had arrived. Not that he looked the same, especially with the mask but her heart knew what her eyes didn't. They could have filled the room with Van's look alikes and would have still been able to find him. Now here she stood, mere feet from him and her heart was beating like a drum. "Thank you for allowing me to stand here, I'm not much for crowds."
"Neither am I." Van said with a tired smile. "You came in with Allan didn't you? Won't he be looking for you?"
"Doubtful, Allan's just a friend, I imagine he'll spend the whole night dancing the night away without even realizing I'm gone." Hitomi said with a smile. "Which is good because I've been on my feet a lot lately, it will be nice to take a break."
"If you're tired then why did you come here tonight, if you don't mind me asking that is." Van said quickly least she take offense. The last thing he needed was a crying female on his hands.
"Well I was hoping to see someone here tonight." Hitomi said with a faint blush on her cheeks. "That's why I asked Allan to bring me here and let them dress me up in this thing." She added as she motioned to the dress.
"Well then why aren't you with him?" Van asked curiously, something about this girl drawing him closer. For some reason she reminded him of Hitomi which was stupid since they'd just met and he didn't even know what she really looked like.
"Because it's been a long time since we last met and I don't know if he still feels for me what I feel for him. He could have any girl here tonight and I'm afraid I'm quite close to talking myself out of letting him know I'm here." Hitomi said softly, looking into his familiar brown eyes, eyes she had thought not to see again. Yet here she stood and she was too afraid to let on who she was or why she'd come.
"I'm sure you should, you obviously care deeply for him and love should never be wasted." Van said sadly, turning his head to gaze over her head to the midnight sky which was just visible.
"You sounds as if you know what you're talking about, why aren't you with your lady if you don't mind me asking." Hitomi said cautiously, afraid to hope that it was she that had put that look upon his face.
"I'm afraid she cannot be by my side, milady. I would that she could but we are worlds apart. She wouldn't fit in with the world I live in and I could never fit in hers, even if I didn't have obligations here." Van said looking down at her. "But if we could, if there was a chance I'd take it to be with her, alas, there is none. Go talk to your gentleman, you'll regret it if you don't."
"What was her name, this woman who hold's your heart?" Hitomi asked, her heart beating so loud she was surprised he couldn't hear it.
"Hitomi."
"A nice name." Hitomi said, a brilliant smile taking over her face as she looked up at him, blinding him with his radiance. "And I have a favor to ask you sir."
"And what's that?" Van said with a smile that was really unlike the many he'd forced all during the evening.
"I know that were not suppose to take our masks off until midnight but I have something to say to you and I'd prefer to say it to your face." Hitomi said, shoulders straightening and heart calming down now that she knew her love would be accepted.
"All right." Van said and with his left hand pulled the mask covering his face from view. It was strange how she looked at him Van thought, almost as if she were memorizing my face. "What is it you want to say?"
"Miss me?" Hitomi asked as she removed her mask to reveal her face, her eyes shining up at him brilliantly, love clearly in their green depths.
Staring at her as though he'd never seen her before Van's eyes took in her face feature by feature, mind slowly accepting what his heart was telling him. How could he have missed it and yet had he? He would never have spoken as he had to just anyone, especially not a stranger that he'd never met till tonight. A part of him had known and now slowly every part of him was rejoicing in the realization of who was standing before him. "Hitomi."
"In the flesh. And thanks to your advice I'll tell you what I came to tell you. I'm back, for good if you want me too." Hitomi said stepping closer so that they were nearly chest to chest. "I love you Van Fenal and Happy Valentines Day tomorrow."
"And I you Hitomi Kanzaki, I will until the day I die." Van said pulling her into his arms, wrapping them around her tightly as though he had no intention of ever letting her go. "And Happy Valentines Day tomorrow to you too, whatever it is. Wrapping her own arms around his waist Hitomi hung on tightly, snuggling into his chest. Raising her head with his right hand Van smiled at her before lowering his head to gently brush a kiss across her lips. In full agreement Hitomi lifted her own hands to cup his face, returning the kiss with her love shining more brightly in her eyes if it were possible.
"There's only one other thing I need to tell you Van." Hitomi said as she opened her eyes to look into his. She'd been waiting so long for this, and now everything was falling into place. There was only one more thing she had to say.
"And what's that?" Van said as he gazed into her eyes as well, their foreheads touching as they forgot everything else around them as they unconsciously moved onto the balcony where they could be free of the yes that were now staring at them in shock.
"Allan expects us to name our first born after him for all the trouble he had to go through to manage this. That okay with you?"
Well that's it for this fic, it is and way suppose to be a one shot, I will not be continuing this so don't count on it. Also there's an anime convention coming up near me and I might enter this or another story by yours truly. If you think this is good enough please review and say so, I'd really appreciate it. Also any suggestions, errors and such that you have please let me know, I really want to make this a good piece. Thanks again and have a great day.