Chapter 1:Meeting old friends.
By Gaean-Angel
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne.
Why does life have to be so cruel? Hitomi Kanzaki asked herself. She was walking to her old high school to meet Amano and Yukari. Five years had passed since he had traveled to the mystical land of Gaea. Five years since she fell in love with the arrogant, brash young King of Fanelia. In fact according to her calendar it was the exact day she left earth and landed on Gaea. She was now 20 years old and in her second year of college. As she turned the corner to her old school, she heard Yukari complaining on how Hitomi was never on time. Hitomi smiled at her best friend. When she finally made it to the school track, Yukari bombarded her with tons of question. "Where were you. Why were you late?" Yukari demanded.
"I'm sorry. My little brother would let me out of the house" Hitomi replied.
Tomaki, her little brother, who was now 15 years old. "Still the immature little brat?" Amano asked.
"Yes" Hitomi replied grimly.
She noticed Amano's arm around Yukari's waist. They loved each other dearly and were now engaged. They had set the date for December 25th. Yukari had always wanted a Christmas wedding and was now receiving one. Hitomi stared up into the sky. The sky was a beautiful blue, with puffy white clouds stuck in the sky. To her it looked like cotton balls glued to the blue background. "Hello, earth to Hitomi. Come back to reality" Yukari said.
Hitomi was shaken out of her trance. "I'm sorry. You know how I get around this time," Hitomi said.
When Hitomi had returned to earth, she couldn't bring herself to tell anyone. Not even her two best friends. No one knew of her adventures on Gaea. She was afraid that everyone would think she was crazy. Though Hitomi knew her mom would understand, she still couldn't bring herself to tell her. Hitomi spun her head. She felt something, though oddly familiar, it was a strange feeling. "What's wrong?" Amano asked. His face full of concern for his friend.
"Nothing. I thought I heard something," Hitomi said.
"Why are we here?" Yukari asked.
"I don't know. Amano called me out here this morning. I was going to go shopping for my summer vacation" Hitomi said.
"I think we need to talk. Hitomi, it's always hard for you around this time of the year. I think, we as your friends, have a right to know why" Amano said. Hitomi eyes widened. The last thing she wanted to do was tell them about Gaea; about Van. "Amano it's hard for me because I disappeared around this time. Actually on this date, five years ago" Hitomi lied.
"Hitomi, you and I have been best friends for almost all of our lives. I know when you're lying and you lying now," Yukari said.
"Why don't we take you to a party tonight. I can introduce you to some of my friends. Maybe you can actually get a boyfriend," Amano said.
"I don't want a boyfriend, I just wanna get on with my life" Hitomi stated.
"How can you get on with your life if you keep dwelling on the past?" Yukari asked.
"A lot happened to me when I disappeared" Hitomi said.
"We figured that. Maybe if you told us, we could help you. The last we saw of you, you were floating off into the sky with that boy" Amano said.
"Van" Hitomi said.
"So that's his name" Yukari said.
"Yes. He killed the dragon we saw for rite of succession to become king. We landed on the outskirts of Fanelia, his country. He was very arrogant, obnoxious, rude, and stubborn. But the day I left Gaea, I realized I had fallen in love with him" Hitomi said.
"So that's why you seem so down? You fell in love with someone you can be with" Amano said.
"In so many words yes" Hitomi said.
"Then we'll find some way to get you back to him," Yukari said.
"I don't know how. I don't have my pendant. I gave it to Van before I left, and he used the Escaflowne's energist to get me back to earth" Hitomi said.
"There's got to be another way," Amano said.
"I wish I knew what it was," Hitomi said.
"So foolish. You know nothing about fate" A voice said.
Hitomi turned to see an old woman standing ten feet behind her. "If this is fate, why is so cruel?" Hitomi said.
"To teach us what we need to learn" The old woman said.
"What did I have to learn?" Hitomi asked.
"You needed to learn that you fell in love with Van, and Van, though pigheaded and stubborn needed to learn that he fell in love with you" The old woman said.
"Who are you?" Amano asked.
"I am one of the three fates. You may call me Necessity" She replied.
"What do you do?" Yukari asked.
"I help choose destiny of those selected few that are put on a path," Necessity said.
"Why did you choose Van and I to be apart?" Hitomi asked.
"I did not choose that child. You did. You needed your parents and friends. You needed to be with them. You could have stayed with Van. He wouldn't have minded. But I think it was an experience that both of you needed" Necessity said.
"Can she get back to him?" Amano asked.
"Only if her heart truly desires it?" Necessity said.
More than anything in the world. Hitomi thought.
"If you truly want to be with him.you know what you must do," Necessity said.
"I can't wish. I have no idea how destructive that could be. No one would" Hitomi said.
"Make your decision only after you see this" Necessity said.
Hitomi's world went black. Her body went limp and Amano moved quickly to catch his friend's falling body. "Hitomi, Hitomi wake up" Yukari pleaded.
~Vision~ Hitomi looked around. It was all so beautiful. Mountains lined the background. Chairs were seated in two groups with people sitting in them. Some of which she recognized. She saw Millerna and Dryden. And she also Merle and Allen with his sister Celena. She saw Van in his armor that he wore the day of his coronation. Hitomi looked down at herself. She was wearing a white dress. She was full of emotions. She realized that she was walking down the aisle. She was at her own wedding. She smiled. She stopped at the pedestal that the priest was standing behind. After the ceremony right as Van and Hitomi were about to kiss, something crashed the wedding. Hitomi turned around and saw a black dragon. He walked on all fours and his wings stretched to their maximum length. Its serpent like tongue flicked in and out of his mouth. Hitomi saw the dragon's tail. It was whipping back and forth. Its talons were big and sharp, like the teeth hidden within its mouth. On the end of the dragon's tail held a curved spear (think about the dragon that Van killing in ep. 1). Everyone ran in panic and fear. Hitomi and Van stood there paralyzed. In one shift movement, the dragon knocked Hitomi to the side, using it's long tail. Van tried to reach her, but the dragon stepped in-between the two. The tail's spear went to the side and stabbed Van in the back. Hitomi cried out as the dragon took off into the sky. She got up and ran over to Van. She cradled him in her arms. Blood covered everything. Her dress, and the ground. Tears slid down the seer's face. Hitomi pleaded with Van not to leave her. He apologized and wiped the tears away. Hitomi bent down and kissed Van. His mind was filled with happiness as he shared his last kiss with the woman that he loved so dearly. As his body went limp in her arms, she cried out again. She was filled with anger and grief, but more sadness and heartache then she could possible imagine.
~End of Vision~
Hitomi woke up gasping for breath. She breathed in and out, as her mind came back to reality. "Hitomi are you okay?" Yukari asked.
"Yes" Hitomi replied.
Amano helped her to her feet. Hitomi wanted to cry. She couldn't believe it. The vision was so real to her. Hitomi fell to her knees in tears. "Hitomi, what's wrong?" Yukari asked.
"That vision that I just had. I saw some sort of dragon kill Van" Hitomi said. She wanted to leave out the fact that it was on their wedding day.
"What are we going to do?" Yukari asked.
"I don't know" Hitomi said. "We have to find a way to Gaea. If not for your sake then for Van's. You may be able to save him," Amano said.
How I wish that were true. Hitomi thought. A long pillar of light came down from the sky. It engulfed Hitomi, Yukari, and Amano. It drug them up into the sky. They landed in the middle of a forest. The sun was shining in- between the trees. Hitomi stood up and walked around. "Where are we?" Yukari asked.
"I don't know. We need to find a clearing before we can do anything else" Hitomi said.
"It looks as though we're on a path. My guess is if we stay on the path it'll lead somewhere," Amano said.
"But where?" Hitomi mumbled.
"What?" Yukari asked.
"Nothing" Hitomi said.
They three started walking through the forest. It took them several hours before they reached a clearing. The came out into a meadow with rolling hills. Hitomi shielded her eyes from the bright sun. "Well, I say we keep going. We'll run into someplace sooner or later," Yukari said.
"Make it later" Amano said almost 2 hours later.
They were both dead on their feet. It was almost dark. Hitomi could see the last remnants of the sun setting in the west. Alone a mountain range. She could see the moons high in the sky. Though she was afraid to tell Amano and Yukari to look up, she decided that they were definitely on Gaea. "Guys look up" Hitomi told the duo.
The did. "That's earth and the regular moon!" Yukari shouted.
"Amazing. But how can we see earth from here. Does that mean that we're not on earth?" Amano asked.
So observant. He doesn't know how right he is. Hitomi thought. "We're on Gaea" Hitomi finally told her friends.
"Okay. Now where on Gaea are we?" Yukari asked.
"I wish I knew. But I don't and until we hit a town or something of that nature, I won't know" Hitomi said.
They kept on walking. By the time Hitomi even thought about stopping it was completely dark; their only source of light were the twin moons. "I'd really like to stop but we have no protection" Hitomi said.
"Protection from what?" Amano asked.
His question was answered by a loud howl from a wolf. "Beast-men" Hitomi replied.
"What are they?" Yukari asked. Her voice wavering.
Out of the corner of Hitomi's eyes, she caught a glimpse of a pair of glowing yellow eyes. "Stay close together" Hitomi said.
Four tall shadowy figures came out of the bushes lining the road. The all closed in on the trio. Hitomi saw what they were. Wolf-men. "Why are you afraid of us?" A voice asked.
Hitomi couldn't help but pick up on the familiar tone of it. "We're not. I just didn't want to meet up with beast-men at all hours of the night," Hitomi said.
"You don't look like you're from around here. How do you know of us?" The same voice asked.
"I've been here before. I've met a pack of wolf-men. They gave a friend of mine and I a ride to the capital of Fanelia" Hitomi said.
"Lady Hitomi? I couldn't be. She left Gaea after the Great War" The voice said.
"How do you know my name?" Hitomi demanded.
"My name is Rhum. And if you really are Lady Hitomi, you'll tell me who the friend that was with you that day" Rhum ordered.
"His name was Van Fanel. The current ruler of Fanelia" Hitomi said.
"Well, well, I'll be. It really is you Lady Hitomi. Though I must say, I never though you'd be back here," Rhum said.
"I know what you mean," Hitomi said.
"Why don't you stay with me and the rest of the pack tonight. Tomorrow morning, I'll personally take you to see Van" Rhum said.
"Thank you so much" Hitomi smiled.
They walked off of the road and sat down on the ground. Hitomi heard Yukari talking to Amano. She laid back and looked up at the stars. Hitomi closed her eyes and peacefully fell asleep.
~So what do you think? Does it have capability? I think it does, but that's all up to you. I update as soon as I finish a chapter. I'll update soon. I hope you enjoy the story or chapter which ever you read. Talk to everyone soon!~
Why does life have to be so cruel? Hitomi Kanzaki asked herself. She was walking to her old high school to meet Amano and Yukari. Five years had passed since he had traveled to the mystical land of Gaea. Five years since she fell in love with the arrogant, brash young King of Fanelia. In fact according to her calendar it was the exact day she left earth and landed on Gaea. She was now 20 years old and in her second year of college. As she turned the corner to her old school, she heard Yukari complaining on how Hitomi was never on time. Hitomi smiled at her best friend. When she finally made it to the school track, Yukari bombarded her with tons of question. "Where were you. Why were you late?" Yukari demanded.
"I'm sorry. My little brother would let me out of the house" Hitomi replied.
Tomaki, her little brother, who was now 15 years old. "Still the immature little brat?" Amano asked.
"Yes" Hitomi replied grimly.
She noticed Amano's arm around Yukari's waist. They loved each other dearly and were now engaged. They had set the date for December 25th. Yukari had always wanted a Christmas wedding and was now receiving one. Hitomi stared up into the sky. The sky was a beautiful blue, with puffy white clouds stuck in the sky. To her it looked like cotton balls glued to the blue background. "Hello, earth to Hitomi. Come back to reality" Yukari said.
Hitomi was shaken out of her trance. "I'm sorry. You know how I get around this time," Hitomi said.
When Hitomi had returned to earth, she couldn't bring herself to tell anyone. Not even her two best friends. No one knew of her adventures on Gaea. She was afraid that everyone would think she was crazy. Though Hitomi knew her mom would understand, she still couldn't bring herself to tell her. Hitomi spun her head. She felt something, though oddly familiar, it was a strange feeling. "What's wrong?" Amano asked. His face full of concern for his friend.
"Nothing. I thought I heard something," Hitomi said.
"Why are we here?" Yukari asked.
"I don't know. Amano called me out here this morning. I was going to go shopping for my summer vacation" Hitomi said.
"I think we need to talk. Hitomi, it's always hard for you around this time of the year. I think, we as your friends, have a right to know why" Amano said. Hitomi eyes widened. The last thing she wanted to do was tell them about Gaea; about Van. "Amano it's hard for me because I disappeared around this time. Actually on this date, five years ago" Hitomi lied.
"Hitomi, you and I have been best friends for almost all of our lives. I know when you're lying and you lying now," Yukari said.
"Why don't we take you to a party tonight. I can introduce you to some of my friends. Maybe you can actually get a boyfriend," Amano said.
"I don't want a boyfriend, I just wanna get on with my life" Hitomi stated.
"How can you get on with your life if you keep dwelling on the past?" Yukari asked.
"A lot happened to me when I disappeared" Hitomi said.
"We figured that. Maybe if you told us, we could help you. The last we saw of you, you were floating off into the sky with that boy" Amano said.
"Van" Hitomi said.
"So that's his name" Yukari said.
"Yes. He killed the dragon we saw for rite of succession to become king. We landed on the outskirts of Fanelia, his country. He was very arrogant, obnoxious, rude, and stubborn. But the day I left Gaea, I realized I had fallen in love with him" Hitomi said.
"So that's why you seem so down? You fell in love with someone you can be with" Amano said.
"In so many words yes" Hitomi said.
"Then we'll find some way to get you back to him," Yukari said.
"I don't know how. I don't have my pendant. I gave it to Van before I left, and he used the Escaflowne's energist to get me back to earth" Hitomi said.
"There's got to be another way," Amano said.
"I wish I knew what it was," Hitomi said.
"So foolish. You know nothing about fate" A voice said.
Hitomi turned to see an old woman standing ten feet behind her. "If this is fate, why is so cruel?" Hitomi said.
"To teach us what we need to learn" The old woman said.
"What did I have to learn?" Hitomi asked.
"You needed to learn that you fell in love with Van, and Van, though pigheaded and stubborn needed to learn that he fell in love with you" The old woman said.
"Who are you?" Amano asked.
"I am one of the three fates. You may call me Necessity" She replied.
"What do you do?" Yukari asked.
"I help choose destiny of those selected few that are put on a path," Necessity said.
"Why did you choose Van and I to be apart?" Hitomi asked.
"I did not choose that child. You did. You needed your parents and friends. You needed to be with them. You could have stayed with Van. He wouldn't have minded. But I think it was an experience that both of you needed" Necessity said.
"Can she get back to him?" Amano asked.
"Only if her heart truly desires it?" Necessity said.
More than anything in the world. Hitomi thought.
"If you truly want to be with him.you know what you must do," Necessity said.
"I can't wish. I have no idea how destructive that could be. No one would" Hitomi said.
"Make your decision only after you see this" Necessity said.
Hitomi's world went black. Her body went limp and Amano moved quickly to catch his friend's falling body. "Hitomi, Hitomi wake up" Yukari pleaded.
~Vision~ Hitomi looked around. It was all so beautiful. Mountains lined the background. Chairs were seated in two groups with people sitting in them. Some of which she recognized. She saw Millerna and Dryden. And she also Merle and Allen with his sister Celena. She saw Van in his armor that he wore the day of his coronation. Hitomi looked down at herself. She was wearing a white dress. She was full of emotions. She realized that she was walking down the aisle. She was at her own wedding. She smiled. She stopped at the pedestal that the priest was standing behind. After the ceremony right as Van and Hitomi were about to kiss, something crashed the wedding. Hitomi turned around and saw a black dragon. He walked on all fours and his wings stretched to their maximum length. Its serpent like tongue flicked in and out of his mouth. Hitomi saw the dragon's tail. It was whipping back and forth. Its talons were big and sharp, like the teeth hidden within its mouth. On the end of the dragon's tail held a curved spear (think about the dragon that Van killing in ep. 1). Everyone ran in panic and fear. Hitomi and Van stood there paralyzed. In one shift movement, the dragon knocked Hitomi to the side, using it's long tail. Van tried to reach her, but the dragon stepped in-between the two. The tail's spear went to the side and stabbed Van in the back. Hitomi cried out as the dragon took off into the sky. She got up and ran over to Van. She cradled him in her arms. Blood covered everything. Her dress, and the ground. Tears slid down the seer's face. Hitomi pleaded with Van not to leave her. He apologized and wiped the tears away. Hitomi bent down and kissed Van. His mind was filled with happiness as he shared his last kiss with the woman that he loved so dearly. As his body went limp in her arms, she cried out again. She was filled with anger and grief, but more sadness and heartache then she could possible imagine.
~End of Vision~
Hitomi woke up gasping for breath. She breathed in and out, as her mind came back to reality. "Hitomi are you okay?" Yukari asked.
"Yes" Hitomi replied.
Amano helped her to her feet. Hitomi wanted to cry. She couldn't believe it. The vision was so real to her. Hitomi fell to her knees in tears. "Hitomi, what's wrong?" Yukari asked.
"That vision that I just had. I saw some sort of dragon kill Van" Hitomi said. She wanted to leave out the fact that it was on their wedding day.
"What are we going to do?" Yukari asked.
"I don't know" Hitomi said. "We have to find a way to Gaea. If not for your sake then for Van's. You may be able to save him," Amano said.
How I wish that were true. Hitomi thought. A long pillar of light came down from the sky. It engulfed Hitomi, Yukari, and Amano. It drug them up into the sky. They landed in the middle of a forest. The sun was shining in- between the trees. Hitomi stood up and walked around. "Where are we?" Yukari asked.
"I don't know. We need to find a clearing before we can do anything else" Hitomi said.
"It looks as though we're on a path. My guess is if we stay on the path it'll lead somewhere," Amano said.
"But where?" Hitomi mumbled.
"What?" Yukari asked.
"Nothing" Hitomi said.
They three started walking through the forest. It took them several hours before they reached a clearing. The came out into a meadow with rolling hills. Hitomi shielded her eyes from the bright sun. "Well, I say we keep going. We'll run into someplace sooner or later," Yukari said.
"Make it later" Amano said almost 2 hours later.
They were both dead on their feet. It was almost dark. Hitomi could see the last remnants of the sun setting in the west. Alone a mountain range. She could see the moons high in the sky. Though she was afraid to tell Amano and Yukari to look up, she decided that they were definitely on Gaea. "Guys look up" Hitomi told the duo.
The did. "That's earth and the regular moon!" Yukari shouted.
"Amazing. But how can we see earth from here. Does that mean that we're not on earth?" Amano asked.
So observant. He doesn't know how right he is. Hitomi thought. "We're on Gaea" Hitomi finally told her friends.
"Okay. Now where on Gaea are we?" Yukari asked.
"I wish I knew. But I don't and until we hit a town or something of that nature, I won't know" Hitomi said.
They kept on walking. By the time Hitomi even thought about stopping it was completely dark; their only source of light were the twin moons. "I'd really like to stop but we have no protection" Hitomi said.
"Protection from what?" Amano asked.
His question was answered by a loud howl from a wolf. "Beast-men" Hitomi replied.
"What are they?" Yukari asked. Her voice wavering.
Out of the corner of Hitomi's eyes, she caught a glimpse of a pair of glowing yellow eyes. "Stay close together" Hitomi said.
Four tall shadowy figures came out of the bushes lining the road. The all closed in on the trio. Hitomi saw what they were. Wolf-men. "Why are you afraid of us?" A voice asked.
Hitomi couldn't help but pick up on the familiar tone of it. "We're not. I just didn't want to meet up with beast-men at all hours of the night," Hitomi said.
"You don't look like you're from around here. How do you know of us?" The same voice asked.
"I've been here before. I've met a pack of wolf-men. They gave a friend of mine and I a ride to the capital of Fanelia" Hitomi said.
"Lady Hitomi? I couldn't be. She left Gaea after the Great War" The voice said.
"How do you know my name?" Hitomi demanded.
"My name is Rhum. And if you really are Lady Hitomi, you'll tell me who the friend that was with you that day" Rhum ordered.
"His name was Van Fanel. The current ruler of Fanelia" Hitomi said.
"Well, well, I'll be. It really is you Lady Hitomi. Though I must say, I never though you'd be back here," Rhum said.
"I know what you mean," Hitomi said.
"Why don't you stay with me and the rest of the pack tonight. Tomorrow morning, I'll personally take you to see Van" Rhum said.
"Thank you so much" Hitomi smiled.
They walked off of the road and sat down on the ground. Hitomi heard Yukari talking to Amano. She laid back and looked up at the stars. Hitomi closed her eyes and peacefully fell asleep.
~So what do you think? Does it have capability? I think it does, but that's all up to you. I update as soon as I finish a chapter. I'll update soon. I hope you enjoy the story or chapter which ever you read. Talk to everyone soon!~