A/N I mostly left this chapter as it was, because it didn't need too much editing. I did however change the timeline some, so Hitomi is 22, and it's been seven years since she has been to Gaea.

Merlegirl -thanks for being the 1st person to review and so quickly too! I wasn't sure if anyone was going to because some people have already read the prologue before. That and many people don't take time to stop and send support. Oh yeah that reminds me.

To all readers/reviewers: when you send a review you can always tell me about an escaflowne story of yours you want me to check out, because I tend to miss a lot of well-written ones without realizing it.

Disclaimer: I don't own escaflowne. yet. BUt I HaVe A PlAN!!!! (Evil laughter fills the air)

Chapter 1

Raw Wounds

"Hitomi, dear, why don't you come inside for a moment, so I can talk to you?"

The voice startled a young woman with shoulder-length dirty blonde hair who was sitting peacefully on a porch swing. Hitomi let out a sigh at the broken tranquility and turned to look at her mother who was starring at her from inside a screen door. The golden glow reflecting the sun's dying rays on her mother's face gave her a youthful appearance but Hitomi knew better. Her mother was looking older everyday. Her mother's once deep, rich, brown hair was turning to gray; her mother's face that once looked so happy and youthful had turned tired looking and old with each new wrinkle added.

Hitomi nodded slightly to her mother and returned to look out at the sun setting in the distance for a few more moments. It was Hitomi's favorite time of day. It was right around dusk and the sky was painted with colors of the rainbow. Pink dominated the colored sky, but its bright color met with the waves of orange, purple, and blue as it surrounded the setting fireball in the west.

After one last glance at the multicolored sky, Hitomi slowly rose from her comfortable position of laying on the porch swing to walk inside the old house where her family had lived for generations. Hitomi stepped inside the house and shut the door behind her. As she slipped off her shoes, her thoughts drifted off to the silence of her childhood home.

The house seemed bare and empty with everyone gone: everyone meaning the guests from the party that took place a couple hours before. Hitomi didn't like parties too much anymore. To her it seemed asinine to spend a week planning and a day cleaning just to impress people who you hardly ever see for a party that lasts only a few hours.

The party wasn't a total waste though. Hitomi was able to see a couple of her friends from her teenage years: Yukari and Amano. She hadn't seen either one of them besides a quick run in at the market every now and then for almost a year. Although, Yukari does manage to call every now and then, when she wasn't watching her little one-year-old, Angela, of course.

Yep, Yukari and Amano had gotten married a few years ago, around two years to be exact. Hitomi was just out of the hospital by that time and was delighted to attend the wedding. What Hitomi didn't realize at the time was both Yukari and Amano felt Hitomi should be in the wedding. So without her knowledge it was arranged and Hitomi was the bridesmaid.

Hitomi sighed; she missed those happy times with friends and with family. Life was so different now with everyone but her mother gone. Her father and grandmother had passed years before and her little brother was attending college in Europe, something Hitomi was still trying to get use to.

No wonder why it was so quiet now. Hitomi's brother was always restless, running from one place to another never stopping to take a break. Even though he was eighteen now, he still acted like an impulsive child. He had an attention span that only lasted for ten minutes at the most. Most people would think that he would have a hard time making lasting relationships, but truthfully, he had a charismatic nature that people loved.

"Hey mom where are you?" Hitomi called out glancing up the stairs. Her voice seemed dead in the air. Nevertheless, her mother must have heard it for Hitomi heard a voice respond.

"In here Hitomi," a voice answered from the small living room.

Hitomi looked to the direction the sound came from. She walked over and paused in the doorway when she saw her mother sitting on a rocking chair on the right side of the room. Her mother was looking at the pictures that hung on the wall decorating the room.

This was the "picture room" as her family often referred to it, because in order to decorate the plain white walls in the room, Mrs. Kanzaki hung almost all of the family pictures on the walls and each year would add a least one new one.

Hitomi followed her mother's gaze to a picture of her father that hung on the left side of the fireplace. Her mother had paid to have the portrait done professional after his death.

The artist had used a smaller picture to see what her father looked like then painted the background to make him look like he was sitting by a lake. He always loved to fish out on the lake a mile away from the house; it was his favorite place to go.

Slowly Hitomi's eyes focused again on her mother. Her father's death had hurt them all, but it hurt her mom the most and obviously the pain hadn't diminished any despite the happy face her mom put on for others. He had died while she was still in high school, shortly after her seventeenth birthday.

"What was it that you wanted to talk to me about, mother?" Hitomi asked causing her mother to halt her gaze at her late husband's picture.

"Sit down dear," her mother replied, gesturing to the couch across from her. Hitomi did as her mother bid her; curious about why her mom was being so serious and what it could be that she needed to tell her.

"Hitomi I have to ask you why you were being so rude to that Rafael boy who came to the party," her mother said bluntly getting right to the heart of the matter.

"I wasn't being rude!" she protested. "I just wanted to catch up about old times with a couple of my friends!" Hitomi exclaimed shocked at the accusation.

"Hitomi," her mother replied softly causing Hitomi to become very silent and still. "You may have not been rude tonight, but you still ignore and act fickle towards any man that takes a slight interest in you."

"It's not on purpose," Hitomi said ashamed looking down at the wooden floor.

"Yes, it is," her mother replied noticing her daughter's look of guilt. "And you know it," she accused further. Hitomi looked up at her mother in disbelief at her harsh words; her green eyes filled with shock. Mrs. Kanzaki looked at her daughter steadily and continued speaking. "You need to accept the fact that one day you have to get married and settle down. After all that's how life goes: you meet someone, slowly get to know them; fall in love; and get married. Everyone does it one day, so why…"

"Why!" Hitomi shouted interrupting her. She jumped to her feet while her mother sat stunned at her outburst. Hitomi ignored her mother's stunned expression and continued her rant.

"Why should I? I spent two long years in a mental hospital to recover from hallucinations about a man I loved, but never existed. Don't you see that I can't love again when I still can't forget?"

Mrs. Kanzaki's shoulders sagged and she weakly raised her arm to try to stop Hitomi from leaving, but it was no use. Hitomi ran out of the room crying. Mrs. Kanzaki jumped slightly in her chair when she heard the door to the outside slam. Hitomi would most likely be going to her old high school. It's where she always went when something was wrong.

Mrs. Kanzaki had found out when she followed her daughter the night they got the news that her father died. Mrs. Kanzaki saw her daughter curled tightly in a ball crying. Then she noticed something strange.

A faint blue light from the sky came down on Hitomi and her crying ceased. Then Hitomi began to look up and acted as if she was in a trance. It was as if she were talking to someone. A cold fear swept over Mrs. Kanzaki; she knew then that Hitomi might leave for good one day to return to that other world.

That same night she called St. Michaels' Care & Correctional Facility to arrange for Hitomi to stay there. After all if Hitomi didn't believe that the other world existed, she couldn't and wouldn't want to return.

Mrs. Kanzaki shook herself from her thoughts and went back to looking at her late husband's picture. She tried to assure herself that she was looking after Hitomi's best interest. 'After all,' Mrs. Kanzaki reasoned 'Hitomi belongs here on earth with me.' Mrs. Kanzaki sighed. 'Hitomi would get over it.' But a resounding voice in her head left doubt in her mind.

'It had been seven years and Hitomi still hadn't.'

End of Chapter

A/N So what did you think. I know its sad Hitomi's mother had her go to a mental hospital but she was scared Hitomi would leave her. That and its important in my plot. Don't forget…
PLEASE REVIEW!!!!