In to the light
Disclaimer: Again Escaflowne not not mine… clear on that good.. don't sue! Ahaha
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Chapter 3: Dragons gift
"So you're really going to do it? You're going to marry him?"
Hitomi looked at Yukari through the glass as she was combing out her long hair and was now sitting on her bed with her mother beside her. Seiji was on the floor sitting Indian style while her father sat on one of the chairs in the room while Amano leaned on the wall beside her window.
She smiled at her best friend and nodded. That evening, Van had announced at the dinner table that he had chosen his bride and announced that the marriage preparations to begin immediately. Everyone had been ecstatic at the news as Millerna, Merle and her other friends came and gave her a big hug and the men congratulated Van, her parents had only smiled as well as Yukari and Amano, Seiji, during this entire episode kept quiet.
"You do know, Hitomi-chan…. That when you do marry him, that would mean that you would not be coming back home with us?"
The young maiden looked at her mother and smiled sadly, "I know… 'kaasan…"
"But you'll be happy with him, am I right?"
Hitomi looked at her father and nodded, "In this world or our world, I will love only him…"
"And if you kept to our world, you'll only end up being miserable and alone, won't you, Hitomi?"
The young seer smiled sadly at Amano and looked back at the mirror and continued to brush her hair. "Even though you've endured so much hardship because of him, you still love him and will still stay in this world? You're willing to give up everything for him?"
All eyes turned to where the angry question had come from, Hitomi looked at her brother, sighed and laid down the brush. Standing up she went towards him and knelt before his tense form. "It is because of everything that we have been through together made me realize who I really am and where I really belong. It is because of him that I have truly meant how it is to love someone with all of your heart and to know how life can be without that other half of your soul. It is because I love him that I am willing to give up everything just to be with him."
Light brown eyes looked up to his sister, frowned and turned away, "Hnph."
Hitomi chuckled. "I'm going to miss you too…" an impish light appeared in her green eyes, "Although I have to say… you have been spending a lot of time with a certain cat girl… so… I don't think you'll really miss me that much." At her brother's embarrassed yelp, she laughed out loud along with everyone in the room.
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Hitomi was in the library reading some books when she heard a loud growling noise. Looking around, she noticed that she was all alone in the room since everyone was busy preparing for the wedding. She had once insisted to help but was shooed away by her own mother and best friend from the kitchens, when she went out to the main hall, she saw Merle discussing a few things with Millerna and Celena, but when she asked to help, she was again shooed away saying that they have everything under control. Van also seemed to be out in the country most of the time accompanied by her father, Amano, Seiji, Dryden and Allen. Since there was really nothing that she could do, she decided to spend the rest of her day inside the library.
Standing up, she looked around the dimly lit room and wondered where that growl could have come from. "Hello? Is there anyone there?"
Silence.
Hitomi frowned and looked at the book she was holding and decided to sit back down on the soft chair when she heard another growl, louder this time making her drop the book she was reading. "Hello, is there anyone there?" the young girl gulped and slowly made her way towards the door, all the while keeping an eye on her surroundings. Just before she could reach the door she saw a pair of golden eyes staring back at her,
"Wing Goddess…"
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As Van entered the castle, he noticed that everyone seemed to be in a rush or in better terms, in a panic. As he entered the main room, his eyes widened at the sight of Hitomi's mother in tears. Rushing up to them, he was met by Merle halfway.
"Lord Van!!"
"Merle!" stopping right beside his childhood friend, he saw his other companions rush in beside him. "What's going on?"
Merle's purple eyes was wide with fear, before she could speak Millerna answered for her, "There were dragons in the castle, Van."
"What?!" he stared at the princess then to his friend, "Merle, what happened?" the cat girl sniffled and looked at him with large fearful eyes, "We don't know exactly what happened, one moment we were preparing for the wedding, then one moment we heard the guards shout that there was a dragon inside the castle!"
Van looked around and saw nothing was actually destroyed but… "What happened?"
Merle shook her head, "Two dragons emerged from the forest near the library and…"
"Hitomi was in the library! She wanted to help with the preparations but we told her that everything was under control, she just then said that she'll be in the library in case we need her help so we agreed…" Yukari told them, tears falling from her eyes as well.
Fear clutched Van's chest, "Where's Hitomi now?" Allen asked them
"She was taken by one of the dragons…" Celena answered for them. "There were two dragons that appeared. One of the dragons prevented the guards from interfering while the other entered the library, a few moments later, it came out and before it reentered the forest, we saw Hitomi wrapped at the end of it's tail, unconscious,"
Akane sobbed in her husband's arms, "The guards tried to get to her but the other dragon was so fierce, it made sure that the other dragon was out of sight before following it in the forest, none could go near since it kept breathing fire at the guards and it's tail kept swinging side to side using it as a weapon…" she gripped her husbands arms tighter…"Heiji… they took Hitomi… those creatures took our daughter!!!"
Van gritted his teeth and clenched his hand on his sword. "Allen," the blonde knight looked at him, "I'll leave the palace to you, make sure that everyone is safe and sound and make sure to post guards all over the castle…"
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to get Hitomi back."
Dryden's eyes widened behind his glasses, "Van, I don't know if you're crazy or not, I understand that killing a dragon is part of your country's ritual in appointing the new king and all, but going into the dragon's lair, you're going to need some company for help!"
Seiji's eyes widened, "He's right, those dragons could end up killing you and my sister!"
Van glared at them, "I'll be the only one to go because I know my way around the dragon's nest…" he lowered his head and his voice, "I... also have a feeling that they want something from Hitomi… when I found her when you all got here, she was in the heart of the dragon's lair… I need to know what that is so that I can make sure that they won't come after her again."
Seiji looked at Van, so did the others, "It's too dangerous, Lord Van…" Merle told him.
"I'll be alright, Merle… besides… I'm not going to let them take her away from me…" his eyes hardened in determination, "not when I'm this close to keeping her forever…" he added softly, but not too soft that the other's overheard. They all looked at each other as the king of Fanelia rushed out of the palace to look for the seer from the Mystic moon.
"Don't worry, Akane… he'll bring her back…"
Seiji looked at his mother and his father and looked at Merle whose eyes seemed stretched and knew that she worried for their king and her childhood friend, he laid a comforting hand to her shoulder, "Don't worry. They'll be alright." The cat girl looked up to him and smiled tremulously before leaning towards him and sobbed on his chest, he stroked her back and hair in comfort but his eyes watched the palace doors in apprehension. Please bring her back safely, Van…
A young man in the age of mid twenties, rushed within the dark forest oblivious to whatever danger that might be lurking in its shadows, his only thought was a long haired maiden with expressive emerald green eyes. Hitomi… please be safe… Gods… what do the land dragons want with her? With that question in mind, the king rushed towards the center of the forest where he knew that the dragon's lair would be located.
Light filtered thought her eyes, blinking her eyes against the light glare, she groaned as she sat up… What happened? She gasped when she saw that she was in the middle of a forest, the same forest where she found herself when they were transported back to Gaea. Oh….Kami… If this is the same forest… then that means… as Hitomi heard a loud growl behind her, she whiled around and jumped back when she saw a huge land dragon eyeing her. Stumbling back, she found herself in the water of the small lake in the middle of the forest, she watched as the dragon eyed her quietly, as if sensing what she was going to do next. Remembering Folken's words, she stood calmly in the middle of the water and watched as the dragon moved back a bit but still did not leave the vicinity.
"What do you want from me?" she asked it quietly, unsure of what the dragon's intentions as to why it took her in the first place, but she clearly remembered before passing out, that it had called her wing goddess. "Can you speak?" she asked it tentatively, to her surprise, the dragon blinked and started to move its mouth.
"Yes… Wing Goddess, we can speak as much as you can…." Came the soft answer
Hitomi blinked, "Then can you tell me why you took me from the palace?"
The dragon moved its head and blinked one golden eye at her, "We have a gift to give to you, Goddess…"
"A gift?"
"Have you heard about the legend of the Wing Goddess?"
Hitomi nodded. "Then you already know about the legend of why she was brought here?" at the question, she merely nodded again. "but did you know that there is a second part to that legend?" at that question, Hitomi's eyes widened.
The dragon laughed. "Oh yes, Wing Goddess… there is a second part to that legend. It is said that the wing goddess will come back to Gaea to complete its destiny. She shall be wed to the King who has awakened Escaflowne with dragon blood in his veins on the eighteenth day of the fifth moon, and once the Mystic moon shines on the goddess on this night, all of Gaea will see the wings that she has and will forever hold Gaea's destiny in her hand.'
Hitomi blinked… wait… "Eighteenth day of the fifth moon?" her eyes widened, "that's the exact date as to when Van and I will be married!"
The dragon blinked again. "Exactly… and you have once chosen Gaea's destiny towards salvation…once the cycle is complete, enduring peace shall befall on Gaea…"
Hitomi smiled happily. "So all that needs to complete the cycle is our wedding… why did you bring me here? Just to tell me that?" she asked the dragon curiously.
"As I have once told you, Lady Kanzaki, we brought you here to give you a gift…"
"What gift?" she asked again
The dragon moved back to the shadows, "Wait!" Hitomi called to it but before she could even lift her feet out of the water, she felt herself being lifted from the water. An orb surrounding her body before the process began, she heard the dragon speak again, "This is our gift my lady… only we would have to apologize… this is going to be… very,,, very… painful." At the dragon's words, the orb that engulfed her body shone brightly and Hitomi clutched her arms around her body, feeling the pain that laced through her. As pain intensified, threatening to split her body in half, Hitomi let out a scream that reverberated throughout the entire forest.
Van skidded to a halt when he heard the piercing scream, he closed his eyes trying to gauge where the scream had come from, his heart pounded loudly in his chest when the scream reverberated within the forest one more time. Eyes snapping open, he rushed towards the middle of the forest, remembering the lake where he first found Hitomi. Please, let me not be too late…
Drawing his sword as he came nearer, he nearly dropped his sword when he saw Hitomi in the middle of the lake, her body curled up in the middle of an orb that kept her floating in the air, her arms were tightly wrapped around her body as she convulsed and let out another piercing scream, tears falling freely from her tightly shut eyes. "Hitomi!!" gripping his sword tighter in his hand, he was about to rush towards her when a huge tail appeared and blocked his path. Whirling to the side, he glared at the dragon that had appeared. Its golden watched him closely, it's large body moving forward, completely blocking his way towards the maiden from the mystic moon.
Van growled low in his throat and moved to an offensive position, but before he could lunge at the dragon, the creature opened its mouth and spoke to him, stopping him in mid stride. "Van of Fanelia…"
The king blinked and looked at the dragon in shock, "You can talk?"
The dragon nodded, "I know that it is hard for you to stand watch while your lady suffers, but please we are begging you to bear with us…"
Van's red eyes darkened in anger, "What do you want with Hitomi in the first place?"
"We dragons have kept watch over Fanelia for a long time, we also have made sure that the right king would be appointed on the throne with the rite of dragon slaying."
Van then lowered his sword. "Rite of dragon slaying? "
The dragon nodded and seemed to wince when the young woman behind it screamed louder this time. Van breathed in deeply, trying to control his raging emotions, "What does it have to do with Hitomi?"
"The rite of dragon slaying has nothing to do with her, but she has everything to do with the destiny of Gaea."
"Didn't she suffer enough during the war that you'd make her suffer again?" he yelled out
The dragon then laid before him, "This is to complete the cycle and to ensure Gaea's everlasting peace."
At another piercing scream, Van lifted his sword, "Enough! I don't care with what cycle you're saying but I cannot let you make Hitomi suffer like this!"
At his words the dragon growled and whipped its tail at him, completely throwing him towards a tree. As he hit the ground, the dragon whipped its tail again and threw him to the side. Van coughed and groaned, but before he could move, the dragon knocked the sword from his grip and wrapped its tail around his body lifting him high in the air. Struggling to free himself from the dragon's grip, he was stunned when it growled at him, it's golden eyes seemed to pierce straight at him, much like when his mother's. The draconian blinked as the dragon spoke up again. "Do not be so hard headed little one, we would not do anything to harm the Wing Goddess." At Van's mutinous glare at Hitomi's scream, the dragon shook its head. "I know it hurts… doesn't it hurt when you spread your wings, Van of Fanelia?"
"What does my wings have to do with this?"
The dragon seemed to smile at him and moved until they both faced the squirming maiden. "Just a little more… and our gift will be complete…"
His dark head swiveled towards the dragon, "Gift? What gift?" at the dragon's nod, he turned his attention back to Hitomi, the pain seemed to have stopped and she was merely lying on her side, her arms limp by her side, sweat dripped from her forehead to mingle with the tears that fell from her tightly shut eyes. Her face crumpled up in pain and with a gasp, her eyes snapped open as she arched her back magical pearly white wings sprouted from her back. Red eyes widened in shock when he saw the wings that have sprouted from her back, feathers falling around them and onto the water. As the orb dissipated, and her body slowly floated down towards the water, the dragon also slowly let the King down from the air and removed its tail from his waist.
Van hurried towards her and caught her in his arms, careful not to touch the wings that sprouted from her back. "Hitomi?"
The young maiden moaned and lifted her head from the crook of his neck and looked at him in confusion, "Van?"
"Are you alright?" he whispered
She merely moaned and craned to see behind her, her eyes widened when she saw the wings that was now behind her and pushed herself from his embrace, stumbling backwards, he caught her fast and gripped her waist, "What… what's going on?" she whispered, her eyes wide in shock, "Van?" but before he could answer, a huge tremor made both of their heads swivel to the sound, his arms wrapping around her protectively as the dragon stepped forward and bowed its huge head towards them.
"I apologize if it caused you so much pain, my lady… but those wings so much suit you… does it not, Van of Fanelia?"
The King blinked and looked down at the young maiden and looked at the wings behind her, "It does… Wing Goddess… that it does…" he whispered, slowly stroking her hair.
She flushed pink at his sincere gaze and looked up at him in wonder, "How do you hide it?" she asked him in a whisper.
Van tilted his head and looked at her and her wing in consideration, "Hnn… well… in my case I just will it do disappear, same goes when I want it to appear…"
She looked at him and closed her eyes, slowly the wings receded and vanished from her back, but in its place were small trickles of blood on her back, slowly staining her white robes red. She then leaned towards him and moaned softly, "Are you alright?" he asked her in alarm when he saw the red on her back, unable to speak due to exhaustion, she merely nodded.
He then bent and lifted her in his arms, enjoying when she had cuddled in his arms. He then looked at the dragon who now faced him with his sword in its massive jaws and slowly laid the sword in Hitomi's hands. "Take great care of her, Van of Fanelia…"
The King smiled at the dragon and finally understood what it had meant when it said that they were giving her a gift. He nodded at the dragon in silent thanks and closed his eyes, letting his own wing spread out before finally lifting them to the air and finally up in the skies. The dragon watched them with its amber eyes before turning to look at the spirit behind it, a woman with long raven hair stood in the waters, her hands clasped before her as she smiled softly at the dragon, her own wings folded behind her.
"Thank you for your help…" came the soft whisper
The dragon nodded, "Would that be all, Queen Varie?"
Queen Varie smiled at the dragon and nodded. "Yes…" she then looked up to the sky and watched as the figure of her son slowly disappeared in soft evening light. Take care of my son… Wing Goddess… as she slowly turned her head, she smiled at her husband who she gave her hand to and smiled at her son. "They'll be fine, Folken…"
Folken smiled at his mother, "I know… Hitomi will take good care of Van… that I know of." He smiled at his parent then at the two panther girls beside him. At one last look at the dragon, all of the spirits slowly disappeared only to leave the land dragon behind in the shadows of the forest.
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