Disclaimer: The Vision of Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters.

A/N: Hehe, I apologize once again for the long delay. And I warn you, the chapters won't be coming out quick anymore. It's going to take me some time but I'll finish this story . . . one day. Haha. I hope you like this chapter. It's not much, though. Thank you for your reviews.

Chapter 11

Reminiscence

"What if we could bring Mommy back? I wanna hold Mommy's hand too," asked Miji, swinging Van's hand as she walked happily beside him. "Rione looks a lot like Mommy, doesn't he?"

"Shut up," snapped Rione.

Miji stuck her tongue out at him. "It's true and you know it."

"Shut up, Miji," he repeated, his soft voice trembling.

Van sighed and led them towards an ice cream truck. Even though they were vampires, the human side Van inherited from his mother and the human part of his children inherited from Hitomi enabled them to enjoy normal activities that humans found so much pleasure in. He bought them each a cone, green tea flavor because they knew it was Hitomi's favorite. And he himself...he wanted half of that and the other half with strawberry. Hitomi had always liked sharing her ice cream with him, always filling a bowl with half of each.

Miji finished hers in a flash and hopped off toward the playground. A child nearby screeched as Miji landed beside him, demanding that he share his toy with her. Van laughed softly.

Van noticed Rione slowly eating his ice cream. Something was wrong. Finally, Rione stopped eating and leaned against Van, burying his face in Van's sleeve. "I hate it when Miji says that," he said quietly.

"I know you do." Van ruffled Rione's hair, now back to its original length. It had grown back several hours after he had cut it. Van knew it would but it was the meaning behind the severed hair that upset him. It was Rione's intention for cutting his beautiful locks. It hurt Van that his son would do such a thing.

Rione stared out into the lush green scenery before them. "But I do wish we could see Mommy again."

Van was silent for a moment. "It's getting near, isn't it?"

Rione nodded.

Miji came running, her face flushed and eyes bright. "Look, I brought something for you, Rione."

"What is it?"

From her pockets, she dropped onto Rione's lap several crushed cherry blossom petals. She smiled. "They're blooming, Rione. Let's go look at them because you like them so much, right?"

"Really?"

"Yea," she grinned. She held out her hand and waited for Rione to take it before they ran off together. The sounds of their footsteps could hardly be heard. Several decades of experience taught them to walk with a sort of endearing grace. An outsider would see the two children as God's innocent angels, but anyone with the sense of an animal would detect the dark aura that graced their shadows. And really, if this was truly believed, how were they able to cast shadows onto the cool concrete? Was it not according to myths that vampires did not possess such things as shadows?

From where Van stood, he watched his children chase after the new, familiar scent of cherry blossoms—Rione running slightly behind Miji's quick steps.

He closed his eyes, savoring the sweet scent. It was only a light wisp but it brought Hitomi's face into his memory nonetheless. It always fascinated him to find that he could still remember her so clearly after all the years that passed him by. Perhaps, he would ask himself again when he had waited another century. Would the memory still remain as powerfully as it did now...?

She was tormented by a storm of grief. For reasons unknown, a dull aching pulsed inside her chest. A terrible longing griped her as never before. And yet, a soothing hand was smoothing down her hair, whispering words of comfort in her ears. Soothing, yes, but also very cold. It felt as though it burned her cheeks with its icy coolness.

It felt so real. So marble smooth, so delicate. It made her heart pound.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," whispered a low, clear voice. "I want to give you something."

Hitomi stirred in her sleep and opened her eyes to a dark—and freezing—morning. Her curtain flapped in the gentle breeze. Who in the hell had opened it? A figure seemed to glow brilliantly in front of her. Seconds later, she discovered the figure belonged to none other than Van de Fanel. He grinned almost impulsively down at her.

Hitomi yanked her blanket tightly around her. "Why are you in my room? And why are my windows open?"

"Oh, how you hurt me so. Where is my 'good morning?'" He walked to her window and peered out. He looked back at her with the smile still on his face. "It's lovely, isn't it?"

"It's cold," she muttered.

"You're cold?" he said with a touch of concern tainting his lilting voice. "My beloved is cold?" He suddenly loomed over her and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her neck.

"Agh! What do you think you're doing?" She violently pushed him away until he finally relented to budge. She watched him as he went back to the window, laughing silently to himself. She shot a venomous look at him. "How did you get in anyway?"

"My, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today! To answer your question, Millerna allowed me permission to enter your room. She did seem a little strange. She mentioned something about wishing me good luck and then she winked at me. Now, would you happen to know any reasons why she was so unguarded as to let me come in so easily? She was quite reluctant the last time I tried to come in." His eyes flashed, as if he knew but wanted her to tell him anyway. He strode over to Hitomi and sat himself on her bed, a somewhat solemn expression now on his face. "You know, I came here with a purpose."

Oh, no. Millerna thinks that we did it. Hitomi felt like sinking down into her bed and hiding herself under the blanket. Even if she was sure he didn't know what Millerna thought, it was embarrassing to think of. What if he really thought she actually wanted to do it with him? She couldn't even look at him without thinking about what she had said last night.

He touched his head against hers. "Won't you look at me?"

A rush of heat reached her face.

"You're so lovely when you wake up," he said softly, a lopsided grin appearing. He brought a hand to her face. "So flushed from the night's slumber with only the morning's chilling breath to cool the tender warmth away."

"Do you say this to everyone?" she asked just as softly.

He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Why, yes of course—but only to special people, Hitomi. Only special people."

Just when she was beginning to like him a bit he had to go and say something like that. But there was honesty in that. It would have been a lie if he had told her it wasn't so. His powers of seduction were almost hard to resist. It was as if he knew every trick, every word, every way of capturing someone's senses without even a strain of effort. His wily confidence floated around him like a second shadow, trampling everyone else's in his wake.

"Close your eyes," said Van.

She did and waited. How long she waited she could not tell. For a few seconds, she had the feeling that she was completely alone in her room and that he'd left her to sit like a fool. But a faint scent reached her nose.

"Not yet. You can't open them yet," he teased.

Hitomi wondered why she trusted him so much like this. He wasn't even human. He could do anything to her . . . but this need to trust him overwhelmed her. He emitted this alluring aura that seemed to ask her to trust him because he had gotten this close to her. It was almost as if he craved her trust. And in some way he had reached out and grabbed a hold of it with an iron grip because she had already trusted him this far. He wasn't going to let it go so easily. What was the use of going back now anyway?

Van took her hand and slowly closed them around a thin, smooth stick like thing. Hitomi guessed it was the stem of a flower. As her index finger moved along the slick stem, a sharp pain jolted down her finger. A warm tongue licked her finger. She opened her eyes to see Van staring curiously at her, with her hand held palm up in his. A rose lay strangely heavily on her lap.

Finally, he spoke. "It's a different taste."

His comment startled her so much that she pulled her hand away from his grasp. "What do you mean by that?"

He ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. "I can't describe it but, like I said, it tastes different. I don't crave for more of it though."

"Is that a good thing?"

He laughed. "I suppose so."

Then, he leaned in close, smiling that crooked smile of his. His unmatched beauty was magnified by the clouded morning glow. Her heart beat faster. Come to think of it, she didn't mind being so close to him. She actually sort of liked it.

"You enjoy my company, don't you," he said coyly. His hand slowly reacher over and tucked a tuft of Hitomi's hair behind her ear.

He had discreet ways of making her shiver inside, ways in which she seemed to yearn for him like she had before. But underneath that finely chiseled face, was there really a human conscious lurking there in the shadows of his immortality? Hitomi studied his calm, expressionless face. Not a crease of impression marred his sculpted features. He looked so human.

"You have that look on your face," he pointed out rather bluntly.

She jerked her head. "What look?"

He leaned back and tilted his head. "It's a look telling me that you're doubting yourself. That you want to act without thinking but think without acting. You're being very indecisive, love. Anyway, I only meant to drop something off but instead I've stayed much longer than I originally intended. I'll be leaving now."

Hitomi stared down at the rose. He had meant to get on her good side with honeyed language and discreetly bribe her into agreeing to the terms that he and the other two had established. She didn't want to do it but she didn't really have much of a choice. If she did not agree, she would not receive their protection. And if she did . . . things would change. The things she dearly wished to remain the same would certainly change. But what was more valuable? Her life or the things she sentimentally valued? Of course she would choose her life but if the situation wasn't so grave she would willingly choose the latter.

Van squeezed her hand. "Please do think about it. I'll come everyday if I have to until you give me an answer."

After he left, Millerna rushed in with a beaming smile and an almost wild look in her eyes. "Did he propose to you?"

"What the devil made you think that?" Hitomi asked, a little bewildered. Her heart raced at how close Millerna's inquiry was.

"He looked so charming this morning with a red rose held elegantly in his hands. And after what you two did, I'm sure that would be the next step. I never imagined you would marry before me," she grinned. "I wonder what my father would say if he found out?"

"Found out what?" rumbled Mr. Aston's deep voice from behind Millerna.

Millerna's eyes darted to Hitomi and back to Mr. Aston. "Well . . . Father. I was just talking to Hitomi about a surprise we have for you. Isn't that right, Hitomi?"

"Yes, of course we were." Hitomi eyed Millerna, who smiled back at her.

Mr. Aston looked as if he didn't know whether he believed them or not. "And what is this surprise?"

"Oh, Father!" Millerna laughed, looping her arm around his. "If we told you now, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore, would it?."

"Ah, yes. When are you going to show me this surprise?"

Millerna bit her lip and stared at Hitomi. Mr. Aston saw this and turned to Hitomi. "Well?"

Hitomi hesitated, "Um, well, we . . . uh—"

"How about tomorrow?" Mr. Aston suggested, a gleam almost reflecting in his eyes. "I'm having a gathering tomorrow at the house and I think I would like to see the surprise then. That isn't a problem, is it?"

Millerna flashed a dazzling smile, motioning with her eyes for Hitomi to look happy too. "Oh, no. It isn't. I think you're going to love it!"

"Well, then, it's settled. Tomorrow evening it is. Now excuse me. I have a little bit of business to attend to." Mr. Aston smiled at them before leaving the room. His loud footsteps left the marble floor exhaling loud thuds.

Hitomi waited until she was sure Mr. Aston was quite a distance away before she blurted, "Millerna! How are we going to get this 'surprise' for him?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "How do we always get into these messes?"

"Don't ask me," Hitomi muttered. They couldn't embarrass Millerna's father like that. Especially in front of all his business partners. He would probably put Hitomi under a torturous labor management to make up his lack of punishment for Millerna. Hitomi certainly didn't want that.

"Hitomi!" Millerna grabbed Hitomi by the arms. "You can get Van to help you!"

"What? You're crazy."

"He'll do anything for you, won't he? After last night . . ."

Hitomi felt herself redden. "Millerna, it's not like that."

"Don't be silly, of course it is. Now, don't forget to ask him for his help! I'll let him know you're coming over." Millerna dashed out of the room with light, soft steps, her dress swaying delicately from side to side.

Hitomi groaned and buried her head in her pillow, accidentally crushing the rose Van had given her.