AN: This is becoming a reoccurring theme……I'm so sorry this took so long! I thought this chapter would be easy, but I got stuck so many times. But at least it's finally here…as the story comes closer to its end…that's right everyone, it's almost over! But I'll talk more at the end of the chapter. After all, I'm sure you're all anxious to see what happened after that horrible cliff hanger I gave you last time.

Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne or Fly Away Home or any music owned by the people who own those shows… what is it with me and birds…

Chapter Eleven: Farewell for a While

'Say something you idiot!'

Van stood aghast at Hitomi, unsure of what to say. He stared at her wings which shown brilliantly like they had been kept in hiding for too long. Her eyes were still swollen from the tears she had shed, but they glimmered magnificent green. At her sides, her arms dangled freely, not crossed or hiding her face in shame. Her entire countenance screamed "This is who I am. Please accept me."

'She's a Draconian too!'

The absurdity of the idea astounded Van. He had always believed that his family was the last of the Draconians in this part of Gaea. Yet there stood another right in front of him, and for some mysterious reason, Van couldn't seem to utter any words, so great was his astonishment. Later, he would look back on that moment and appreciate Hitomi's patience with him, for who knows how long he stood there, staring at her with a single, unwavering expression. Anyone else in that situation would have long fled into the night, full of despair, before Van managed to gain his bearings.

Thankfully, Van became right again and got a hold of himself.

He approached Hitomi and didn't stop till he was close enough to hear her breathing, though because of the incline, she still stood taller than him by an inch or so. She opened her mouth and started to speak but Van silenced her with a brief kiss and wrapped his arms around her, feeling her wings against his arms. Hitomi stood still for a moment but recovered from her shock quickly to return the embrace.

For a long while they stayed that way, clinging to one another in the night. Van let her stay that way, knowing what a relief she must be feeling to have finally told her secret to him. In the end, she had beaten him to the punch. He was the one who was supposed to agonize over how she would react when he exposed his wings but Hitomi had taken that burden upon herself.

'Now it's my turn…'

He turned his head and spoke in her ear. "Now I have to tell you something…" Van reached within his tunic and produced a white feather, which he had been carrying with him every day, and placed it in Hitomi's hands. "It's a Draconian feather."

She stroked it gently, examining, and spun it at the stem. "Yes, I see, but it's not mine…"

"No. It came from me." Hitomi stopped spinning the feather to look up in disbelief. "I am also a Draconian."

Silence crept in for a few brief seconds before Hitomi stuttered, "Wha…What? No you're not. You can't be a…" she looked down at the feather in her hand.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

She looked up at him again. "You…You too!"

"Yes." Van said with a smile.

Hitomi moaned and sank into him "All this time and I worried for nothing!" she laughed a little. "What a waste of energy."

Van laughed. "You could have told me sooner."

Hitomi jerked her head up. "Me tell you sooner? Why didn't you tell me? That could have saved me all this trouble!"

"I didn't want to pressure you like that! I wanted you to be clear-headed for tonight…"

"A lot of good that did. All I could think about up there was should I tell you or shouldn't I? I was a wreck!"

"Well, you did a great job at hiding it. You maneuvered Medli flawlessly."

"Thanks. I think King Daken liked it too, and it sounds like they really need my glider."

Van agreed. "It'll give them an advantage against Zaibach and help them to protect their borders."

Hitomi let her wings dissolve in the wind with a relieved sigh and picked up one of her own feathers which landed at her feet. She held Van's feather in one hand and her own in the other. Presently, she handed her own over to Van.

"Now I have yours and you'll have mine." Hitomi said with a smile. Van carefully placed Hitomi's feather within the folds of his tunic for safekeeping. However, as her dress did not contain pockets of any kind, Hitomi cradled Van's feather in her hand. "Can we sit for a while?"

They walked away from the edge and toward the trees, sitting down where the grass still grew and rested their backs against the wood and their arms intertwined.

"You know, I was almost certain earlier that you were going to jump. I was afraid I'd have to fly after you and that was not the way I was planning on telling you about my wings."

Hitomi hummed. "In that case, I should have gone with my second instinct and jumped. It would have made a good laugh."

"No it wouldn't!"

"Sure it would. Or maybe we would have seen each other's wings at the same time. That way both of us would find out."

"I still can't believe that you're a Draconian. I didn't think there were any left besides myself and my family."

"There aren't very many of us left. The remnants are scattered all over Gaea. There used to be villages where Draconians could run to, a safe haven for them to live, but I think most of those have been destroyed over the past hundred years. My parents grew up in one of those last few villages, just outside of Zaibach. They were both Draconians and grew up together. Luckily, they escaped when that village was burned to the ground. They eventually moved to Asturia where they bought a small farm and married. They had me and my brother, Mamorou, and we lived there happily for several years. But of course hiding a secret like ours was difficult. All four of us were Draconians. Eventually the Hunters found us."

Van's eyebrows raised in recognition. "Dragon Hunters?"

Hitomi gave a sad smile. "So you know about them too? Yes. That's why I moved here, to Fanelia, after my family was killed. I had hoped that the Hunters would think I was dead too and forget about me. But I think they're still looking. I see them sometimes, here in Fanelia. I think they suspect I moved here."

"I knew the Dragon Hunters came to Fanelia occasionally but I had always assumed they were after me."

"What do you mean?"

"When I was very young, I jumped off the roof and tried to fly for the first time. Lots of people saw my wings but my mother and father managed to keep my secret from spreading to the wrong people, or so we thought. The Hunters started appearing soon afterward and we assumed that someone released information about my family having Draconian blood. We usually hear word when the Hunters come to our country. During those times, I was confined to the castle grounds until the Hunters left or made a move against the castle to give us an excuse to capture them."

"Did you?"

Van shook his head and Hitomi slumped down.

"I moved here to live with my grandmother around that same time. Komali grows agitated when the Hunters are near. That's how I know they're in Fanelia. Komali and I either fly away to the mountains or I stay indoors and try to keep a low profile."

"We had always assumed they were after me, but the Hunters could have been after either one of us."

They pondered on this for a while, wondering if they would ever know the truth.

"Allen has known all this time, hasn't he?"

Hitomi nodded. "He was the one who found me and kept me safe. He found my grandmother and made sure I was taken care of. He even tried to find the people who killed my family, but he couldn't."

"You said the other day that you loved him…"

"I do, but not in the way you thought. He's been by my side most of my life, wishing only the best for me. He's like the older brother I never had. I will be forever in his debt for what he's done for me."

"But tonight, he tried to force you away from me…"

"…he thought he was protecting me…"

"…and he almost convinced you to marry him!"

"He only did that because he thinks by keeping me close to him, he can protect me. He's having trouble letting me go. Don't be too angry with him! He just doesn't want me to get hurt. He didn't think you would accept me for what I was and he was trying to save me from the pain of rejection. I know it must seem strange to you but this is just his way of protecting me. He cares about me."

"He has a funny way of showing it, using your secret as blackmail."

"I don't like what Allen did any more than you, and I'm not making excuses for him, but he did it with the best intentions. I can at least understand his reasoning."

Van looked away in disgust, furious at not only what the Knight had done but that Hitomi was not as angry with Allen as he was. Hitomi reached up and turned his head towards her and his anger visibly softened at her touch.

"He only made one mistake. He underestimated how much I trusted you and how much you trusted me."

Van removed Hitomi's hand and held it in his own. "Well, he'll find out the truth as soon as we return."

Hitomi shook her head. "No. He's pretty much convinced himself that he's the only one who'll accept me for who I am. He's expecting me to fly home and run away. He'll be waiting for me at my house."

"You can stay here tonight" Van said, alarmed that Hitomi appeared calm and collected. "I'll go with you in the morning."

"Thank you, but no. He needs to be told tonight and I think it would be best if we were alone. Please Van, I insist! I know he won't hurt me."

"I don't want you to be alone with him."

"I know, but trust me on this. I can handle him."

A period of silence fell in which Hitomi proved immovable in her stand. "Only if Komali is near."

Hitomi smiled. "Always."

Van wrapped his arm around Hitomi as she settled against his chest. He stroked her arm in long slow sweeps while she listened to the beating of his heart. The cool night air breezed passed them in gentle waves carrying with it the scent of the forest and mountains. The night sky was clear and bright. It seemed to the two Draconians, it was a perfect moment in time. Van made sure to never forget it.

The sounds of the party had long faded away when Van bid goodnight to Hitomi as she started for home, insisting once again that she go alone. She promised to return the next day, "To pick up Medli," she said jokingly. When her dark silhouette disappeared in the darkness, Van finally turned to seek his family. It didn't take him long. He found them all in one of the rooms sitting at a small table and they looked up at him expectantly when Van entered the room. Van began to wonder if perhaps he had done something wrong or interrupted a secret meeting.

"Well don't just stand there," said Folken as he pulled out a fourth chair.

Van took it and sat down. He looked at his family, his mother giving him a warm smile, his father who was grinning proudly, and his brother who seemed to want nothing more than to burst out laughing. Van settled on looking politely puzzled.

"What's going on? Why are you all here?"

"We've been waiting for you, of course. We want to hear what happened."

Van launched right into what had happened that night, starting with the moment when his mother told him to follow Hitomi, but later in his re-telling, he had to backtrack and explain what happened in the hills when Hitomi first revealed that she would be moving to Daken. Folken raised the question about how he got to the hills and Van decided it was okay to tell them all about Komali. Both his mother and Folken grew excited at the knowledge that Dragonbirds still roamed the land and as Goau was out of the loop, Varie gave a brief explanation of what Dragonbirds were and of their origins. Once that was finished, Van resumed his tale where he found Hitomi and took her to the cliff where Varie previously charged him with taking her when it was time to reveal his secret lineage.

At this point, Van grew hot in anticipation of what he was about to tell them. He was careful how to phrase each event, eager for the looks of surprise and astonishment when he told them Hitomi was a Draconian. Even as he said it, amazement flooded through him. The truth still hadn't completely sunken in. Hitomi? A Draconian?

But much to Van's surprise, there was little if any reaction at all. Van wondered if they hadn't heard him properly so he repeated himself, which only earned him a half-suppressed chuckle from his father.

"What's wrong with all of you? Didn't you hear what I said?"

"We heard you, Van," laughed Goau, "But this time you've been left out of the loop. We already knew that Hitomi was a Draconian."

"What? What do you…"

"We've just been waiting for you to figure it out." Folken interrupted.

Shock and utter horror struck Van and he slumped into his chair, not even aware that he had stood up. "How…how…"

"We knew about it the first day you brought her to the castle."

Van's mind spun as he tried to understand. "But…she was with me the whole time. When we were with Folken and when she came over for dinner…"

"I took her away to talk for a while, don't you remember?" Varie asked.

Van frowned. "Yes. Do you mean that while she was with you, she showed you her wings?"

Varie laughed. "No Van. That was just so I could talk with her, but even before that, I knew that she was a Draconian. I could sense it. Your brother could too, though he wasn't certain, which is why he insisted I meet her myself. Once I knew for sure, I told your brother and your father." She paused for a moment to allow Van to process this new information before continuing. "We decided that it would be best if we didn't tell you or Hitomi that you two were Draconians. The both of you would have to discover it yourselves."

"And it was much more fun this way." Folken added, receiving a warning look from his mother.

"But why couldn't you just tell me. All of this trouble wouldn't have happened and things would have been easier."

Varie nodded. "Yes, it would have been easier but then you two wouldn't have formed as strong of a bond as you have, would you?"

Van was going to protest but saw the truth in his mother's eyes, even if he didn't know for sure, he'd trust her decision. "I guess not. But how did you find out? How could you know Hitomi is a Draconian if she hadn't shown you her wings?"

"Because I am a Draconian, I can sense other Draconians, just as your brother and you can. However, you will not be able to recognize your ability until you're around Folken's age. Even he is just learning how to sense those who have hidden wings."

"I was sure there was something strange about Hitomi when you first brought her here," said Folken. "I suspected that she was one of us, though hard as it was for me to believe at the time, so I told mother about it and she insisted on meeting Hitomi herself."

Van's memory raced back to that day when he was upset that he couldn't be the one to tell his mother and father about Hitomi. Now he knew why…

"You said that I have this ability too," Van urged, "but I never knew that Hitomi was a Draconian."

"Van, think about Hitomi and how you felt the first time you met her," said Varie.

Van did so, remembering the piscus that fell from the tree and onto his head, the strange girl who weaved in and out of branches like nothing, who seemed to glow in happiness when she saw Komali approaching.

"Now think about how you feel about me."

He cared deeply for his mother, knowing she was a very wise and caring woman. She was the one he thought of first when he had a question in which he wanted a swift and precise answer.

"Now what about your father?"

Van started. Something felt different, though he had never noticed it before. Van looked up at his father. He held a great deal of respect for him and hoped to be even half the leader he is already. Van knew him to be brave and cunning and determined…but something was not quite right…

"And think of your brother, Folken." Varie finished with a smile, noticing the change on Van's features.

Whatever confusion Van had felt before when comparing his parents was now gone, and Van marveled. How could he feel so close to his mother, his brother, and Hitomi but not his father? Why hadn't he noticed it before?

"Something was different when I thought about you." Van said to Goau, and he nodded in return.

"You can sense those with Draconian blood because you are a Draconian," Goau said calmly. "You will forever be inclined to grow closer to those who have wings."

"Eventually that feeling will get stronger and you'll be able to recognize immediately what it is." Varie added.

"This also explains why you became so close to Hitomi so quickly," Folken said, thoughtfully. "You had never met another Draconian outside of our family before. You couldn't help wanting to be near her."

This statement from Folken did nothing to cheer Van up. Does this mean I only care for Hitomi because we're both Draconians? He voiced his worry to the table and neither Folken nor Goau could answer. Varie put her hand on her son's and drew him in with her eyes.

"You may have been inclined to like Hitomi simply because of your shared blood, but you fell in love with her on your own. The two of you being Draconians had nothing to do with it."

"Are you sure?" Van asked, not completely convinced.

"I'm positive." Varie smiled. "Trust me."

Van couldn't help but do as she asked.

Early the next morning, Van greeted Hitomi with an affectionate hug in the courtyard where Medli lay. Her cheerful demeanor was a relief to him as he had been worrying about her solo encounter with Allen the night before. Hitomi assured him that all was well with her, though not so well for the knight. She suspected that after Allen had left her house fuming, he banished himself in a nearby tavern. Hitomi expressed her confidence that Allen would eventually recover from his emotional blow and that he would leave her alone for quite some time.

Van decided to inform Hitomi about his discussion with his family the previous night. It was no surprise to Van when Hitomi showed the same facial expressions he had experienced when told that his family already knew about Hitomi's heritage. However, Hitomi was slightly relieved to hear that neither Varie nor Folken had learned of Komali before Van revealed it to them.

"I would have felt like we didn't do our job of hiding properly if they'd already known about both of us," Hitomi explained.

Van also tried to teach Hitomi how to sense other Draconians in the same manner his mother used for him. Hitomi was thoughtful. She said she would practice her skill alongside Van in hopes of finding other Draconians.

At this time a messenger ran out to Van and Hitomi, summoning the two of them to a meeting. Neither of them was surprised by the notice, though each wore a slightly somber expression. They knew what was coming. They had spoken at length about it the night before. The messenger escorted the Prince and the 'Lady Aviator', hand in hand, to a chamber where the Kings and military officials from both Fanelia and Daken were gathered.

Upon entering, Van seated Hitomi at one end of a rounded table before taking his place next to his brother, almost opposite of Hitomi. Those who were standing in the room also took their seats as the meeting began.

They spoke of the affairs of Daken, man power, supplies, weapons, and other goods. Schedules were made up of when reinforcements would arrive from other allied countries. Eventually, the topic turned to Hitomi and her glider. She told them where she got her materials, how much she would need for the number of gliders Daken requested, and the approximate amount of time it takes to build one. When asked how soon the materials could be shipped to Daken, Hitomi said within a week and about four before they arrived at their country. At this, the King made a comment that time was precious before moving on to other matters.

With the attention removed from Hitomi, she settled more comfortably in her chair, exhaling through pursed lips. Her eyes flickered up to meet Van's, seeking. Time was short.

The rest of the meeting went by in a haze. Van came out of it at the mention of Hitomi's name. General Lark and a dozen of his men would accompany Hitomi to Asturia where they will make arrangements with Dryden to continually ship materials and tools to Daken. They would leave at first light the next day. King Daken and half his men would leave at the same time to return to Daken. The rest would follow in three days.

When the meeting was over, General Lark arranged a time and place for he and Hitomi to meet and bid farewell. As neither of them was needed anymore for the day, Van and Hitomi left the castle and walked down to Hitomi's house. Knowing that this would be their last day together in a very long time, they tried to make the best of it with cheery conversation and playful jests. He helped her close and lock down her house and shed as she packed for her trip. They traveled into town to give away extra food that Hitomi wouldn't be taking with her and to buy some supplies she needed.

At one point when Hitomi was within a shop being fitted for a traveling cloak and Van stayed outside leaning against the wall near the doorway, a familiar sight met his eyes. A small cluster of women in beautiful dresses walked down the road and stopped at the store opposite of Van. While pretending to examine different fruits from every angle, they snuck glances and whispered comments to each other. Van grinned to himself. Not so long ago, he almost feared entering the market because of these women. It suddenly struck him how childish he had been. Even now, as one of these women detached herself from her group to approach him, Van remained calm and relaxed.

"Good afternoon, Prince Van" she greeted with a deep curtsy.

Van dipped his head slightly in return. "Good afternoon."

"What, may I ask, are you doing in this humble part of town?" she asked with a bright smile.

"I have a few items I need to buy."

"Is that so? I happen to know some of the best places to buy almost anything. Perhaps I can show you?" She took the smallest step towards him and leaned forward slightly but Van's eyes never wavered from her own. Her smile faded into a sly grin and she winked. "What do you say?"

Hitomi stepped out from the doorway holding a folded bundle of cloth in one arm. Van deliberately turned from the woman and took Hitomi's free hand, asking if she was ready to move on. When she confirmed, Van turned to face the now stunned woman.

"I suggest you go pursue someone else. I'm spoken for."

Van could never recall being approached in that manner in Fanelia ever again.

Morning came all too quickly for Van, who did not sleep well if he managed to sleep at all. Mostly he sat on the edge of his bed, staring into nothingness. It seemed unfair to him that Hitomi had to leave just when they were finally completely open with each other, no more secrets between them. How long would it be until they saw each other again? How many months? How many years? How long would it take until her task is complete? Would it ever be complete?

Van wanted to go with her, perhaps serve as an ambassador for Fanelia but knew that the idea was impossible. He would never be allowed. The situation with Daken was too unstable to risk sending a Prince as a mere representative. The threat on Daken was too great. Daken's borders were still small and plagued by constant attacks by Zaibach. One large scale assault on the small country could destroy it.

'And that's where Hitomi is going.'

Hitomi was well aware of the danger and risk in going there but she showed a measure of bravery well beyond her years by agreeing to go. King Daken promised to do everything in his power to ensure her safety should she choose to accept his offer and move to Daken. Of course, she accepted. And now the day had arrived for her to leave.

Van looked up and out his window for the hundredth time. The sun was finally up. Down below, he could see wagons being assembled and horses being harnessed to them. Daken was preparing to leave. He changed into some clean clothes and made his way down to the courtyard at a leisurely pace. The sooner he got there, the sooner she'd leave. Long before he was ready to say goodbye, Van had arrived amid the hustle to leave. He saw a half a dozen men throw a large tarp over Medli. Ropes were thrown back and fourth to tie the glider down securely to one of the larger wagons. All around were the sounds of straining ropes and leathers and the stomping of hooves on stone. The horses knew a long journey was ahead of them and they were eager to get under way. A few of the carts were already finished loading and were preparing to leave. At the head of the mass, Van saw King Daken mount his horse and gesture for his men to follow. Immediately, a great heave sounded as most of the men, horses, and carts started forward to follow their King. The courtyard emptied considerably until there were only two carts and a couple dozen men left; General Lark and his men.

He seemed young for a General and he held himself as if he hadn't a care or worry in the world, but he held the respect of his men. Every command he issued was followed with swiftness and without hesitation. Every time Van had seen this man, he had been dressed as if a battle were on the horizon, always carrying his sword and wearing at least minimal armor. He must have been a Knight before being promoted to General, thought Van. At this, General Lark caught Van's eye, gave a final command to one of his men, and approached the Prince.

"It's time for us to leave, Lord Van." He bowed.

"I know. Just take care of her."

The General smiled. "Don't worry, she's safe with me. We've all got to watch out for our own, after all."

"Our own…?"

"I'll let you two say goodbye." General Lark focused somewhere behind Van. "Don't be to long, we're in a hurry." He bowed once more and walked away.

Van turned and saw Hitomi standing beside him. "How long have you been there?"

"Not long, just a few minutes. I'm sorry; I thought you knew I was here."

"No, you walk to quietly, like a cat."

Hitomi stuck out her tongue. "I never liked cats. Well, Merle is okay, I suppose."

"You never told me you didn't like cats."

Hitomi looked thoughtful and touched her finger to her lips. "You're right, I didn't. I guess I'll have to write you some time and tell you why. And you'll have to write me back what you don't like."

"Okay, I'll tell you why I don't like birds. Well, Komali is okay."

"How can you not like birds! Of all things to not like, you chose birds! Why?"

Van looked away. "I'm not telling now! You'll have to wait for my letter, which will only come once you write to me first."

"Oh come on! You can't just drop something like that on me and leave me hanging here. What if something happens and I'm not able to get a letter to you…" Hitomi stopped and put her hand to her mouth. "…I…I'm sorry…I…"

All lightheartedness that had been was gone. Only the truth remained. Hitomi was leaving him to someplace dangerous and Van couldn't follow. He would be left behind. If something bad happened, he wouldn't be able to…

"Van, listen to me! Don't zone away like that. Look at me!" He did. "I'm going to be just fine."

A whistle sounded. The men were ready to leave. General Lark issued a shout for everyone to get under way.

"Have a safe trip, Hitomi. I'll write every week but not until after you have first."

Hitomi smiled. "That's more like it. Can I kiss you now?"

Van laughed. "You're asking me?"

Hitomi pulled Van's head down to meet hers. Immediately, they could hear the sounds of some of the men whistling and hollering at them. They grinned in spite of themselves. With their foreheads still touching, Hitomi broke away long enough to say, "They're never going to leave me alone after this."

Van shrugged. "Not my problem."

…

AN: Yay that was fun! Although, to be honest, I'd be humiliated…maybe. I don't know, it's funny in my head… still grinning

Okay, just so you all know, the next chapter may be a bit short, and the chapter after that will probably be the last…at least that's the plan. I'm not sure. Plans change.

About the chapter title, I took it from a song I heard in the movie "Fly Away Home", the one about the geese. Those of you who've seen the movie know what I'm talking about. For those who don't, the lyrics go something like this: Fare thee well my own true love. Fare thee well for a while. I'm going away, but I'll be back, though I go ten thousand miles. Ten thousand miles or more…the rocks may mend and the seas may burn…and I may not return… or something to that effect. I don't know who sings it or what the real lyrics are, but this is what's in my head and I think it goes well with this chapter.

So, now it's time for you all to REVIEW POST HASTE and then leave your computer and watch Fly Away Home...

Ja!

Yugismpuzzle

Random thoughts from the author: …

This has nothing to do with Flying High, but since it's my chapter, I'll write whatever I feel like. I LOVE FRUITS BASKET! I saw the anime a long time ago, but didn't read the manga, and then for just under two years, I got away from it. But now I'm back in! I've read all the books, up to 13 anyway, and I'M SO MAD THAT IT'S TAKING SO LONG! The books only come out every four months. That's not fast enough! I hate Akito. I don't trust Rin or Shigure. Momiji is adorable, as always, and so is his little sister. Yuki's hilarious and I applaud him. Kyo is stupid and I feel sorry for him.

Oh, and I started watching Wolf's Rain. I'm halfway through the series, so don't tell me anything, but I just felt like making that announcement.