Yay! I'm so excited about this chapter!! I've had this part planned for a long time, and I can't believe I'm actually to this point in the story!! Wow, this is exciting!! Okay, well, thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!!
Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne...Just borrowing them all for a little while. And I don't own the song either. I only have a claim to Hiko, Kanta, and Desiderius. Thanks!
An angel without wings can hardly fly
And love without a dream, it cannot survive
— "Angel Without Wings" by Vertical Horizon
Hiko slammed into the wall, and spots danced before his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he wiped the sweat out of his eyes, gripped the sword tighter, and struggled to regain his breath and his balance. Van tossed his hair out of his eyes and surveyed his student despairingly.
"Get up."
Hiko pushed himself back to his feet. He pounded forward, whipped the sword upward, and the loud clash of steel meeting steel jerked through the training hall. The men glared at each other across the crossed blades. Van whacked downward, forcing Hiko back. He stumbled. Van rushed at him, crying out triumphantly as Hiko weakly and desperately raised the sword in front of him. Van jabbed the sword point at Hiko's stomach. The man cringed.
"You can't leave yourself open. Watch every point of your body at all times."
Hiko shook his head, panting heavily. "I'm just not cut out for this kind of stuff," he gasped.
Van's eyes hardened even more. "If you want to survive the coming war, you'll keep practicing. Now go through the exercises I showed you. I want to see your form."
The sunset burned across the expanse of the sky. The red ball of the sun hung low in the sky, sending washes of pink, purple, and blue up into the clouds. Hitomi hugged her knees to her chest as she perched on the edge of the roof like one of the seagulls that floated through the air. She marveled at the brilliance of the colors; the ocean reflected the sky like a mirror. The seagulls swooped overhead, and Hitomi reached out her hand to catch one of the spiraling feathers. Its edges burned golden in the sunset. She twirled it through her fingers and listened to the wind whispering in the laundry behind her. The sheets billowed, and the scarlet reds and royal blues blurred until the swirl of color mixed with the rainbow of the sky.
"Hey."
She turned, and Hiko sat down beside her. His black hair hung limply in his eyes; he had clearly just taken a shower. Groaning slightly, he stretched out his legs and arms. She smiled.
"I hear Van's been running you ragged the past few days," she said laughingly.
He nodded. "I've never been through such intense physical training in my entire life," he declared. "Not even when I used to play soccer with Amano, and they'd make us run laps around the field." Stretching out his fingers, he cringed. "My whole body's sore. I've discovered muscles I didn't even know I had!"
Hitomi giggled. "Well, I guess it's a good idea that you learn. Since it doesn't seem like we're getting home anytime soon..." She turned her face back to the colors of the horizon and focused her attention on the Mystic Moon hanging beautifully in the sky. Hiko glanced at the pensive, peaceful look on her face.
"Do you miss it?" he asked softly. "Do you miss home?"
"Sometimes." She sighed. "But other times, I wish I could stay here on Gaea forever. It's so beautiful here."
"Yeah..." Hiko replied slowly. The gentle breeze lifted the honey hair around her ears, and the slanting sunlight gave her emerald eyes an amber tint and brushed her cheeks with red powder. He leaned closer to her as she started to lightly hum. Her soft song lifted on the breeze and joined with the shrieks of the seagulls. She twirled a white feather in her hands.
"Hitomi?"
She turned and jumped slightly at how close he was to her. Almost unconsciously, she scooted away. His wet hair fell into his face, covering and hiding his warm brown eyes.
"Hitomi, you probably know by now that I like you," he said evenly. She nodded mutely, stunned by his words.
"I should tell you that—" He took a deep breath, and she saw the light flash over his brown eyes. "That I love you."
Hitomi crushed her eyes shut. She could have cried at the hope she heard in his voice. Turning away from him, she drew a deep breath, searching for her voice. "Hiko," she chocked, "Hiko, I'm...I'm sorry—"
Her voice wavered, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. She could hear his shallow breathing behind her. "I'm sorry, Hiko. I care for you greatly, but I do not...but I do not love you..." she whispered. Her words floated ominously in the air between them, and she could not stand to see his eyes.
His face fell, and then he set his chin stubbornly. Hiko's chocolate eyes lost a little of their characteristic warmth, but a gentle smile curved his mouth as he stared down at his hands. "I...somewhat expected that. And yet I felt I still needed to tell you." He lifted his face to the fading light of the setting sun.
"It's Van, isn't it?" he asked softly.
She nodded gently. "Yes," she breathed. She clutched the white feather convulsively between her hands.
Hiko's face smoothed, and a sad but peaceful light shone behind his eyes. "None of us ever grow out of our childhood loves."
Hitomi jerked up and glanced over her shoulder at him. "What?"
Hiko leaned his head to the side and smiled wanly. "The things...or people we held dear as children or young adults never really leave us. They stay with us always, giving us comfort and strength. We never truly fall out of love with them. None of us ever grow out of our childhood loves." He shrugged. "At least, that's been my experience."
Hitomi stared numbly down at the soft curves of the white feather. Silently, Hiko stood, nodded respectively to her, and left her alone. Gently, she ran her fingers over the edges of the feather, dreaming about her angel and praying for Hiko to keep his strength and caring. The red sun slipped silently below the horizon, casting all the world in the cool blue of evening. In the silvery light of the Mystic Moon, Hitomi stood, released the feather, and watched it calmly drift on the breeze, soaring up to the twinkling stars.
With the spiral staircase rolling down below his feet, Hiko weakly descended, trailing his fingers along the rounded stone wall. Torches flickered and blazed on the edges of his vision, and the exhaustion from the day's training crept up behind him like his shadow. Wearily, he stopped and swayed precariously on the steps before leaning his temple against the cool stone wall. He sighed deeply, let his eyes fall shut, and listened to the rhythm of his own breathing.
I wish Hitomi the best, he thought languidly. But, of course, I should have known it wouldn't work out between her and me. I haven't exactly had the best luck with women lately... He opened his eyes slowly and leaned heavier against the stone, letting it support him. The flaming torches blurred and spun in his vision, and in their shadows, he could see them. He could see his memories...
Hiko ran a hand through his dark hair as he stepped off the subway. Pushing through the crowd of people, he slowly trudged up the stairs into the open air. Couples and groups of friends walked past, laughing and pointing at store windows. Hiko could see his apartment building towering in the distance, and he set off, eager to get home. He paused to look into the display window of a jewelry store and watched the lights glitter on diamonds and rubies. His mind instantly drifted to thoughts of long auburn hair, deep chocolate eyes, and smooth creamy skin. Hiko grinned boyishly as he pictured his girlfriend in his mind's eye. Naoko sat stiffly upright and gave him a small, tantalizing smile, a smile that revealed a softer soul beneath the severe, rigid sophistication.
He stopped abruptly. He watched his astonished reflection in the glass window of a restaurant. Small families and couples dipped chopsticks into bowls of soba and soup. One little boy eagerly stole a piece of shrimp from his sister's bowl. But Hiko continued to stare in disbelief. There was no mistaking the shine of light on auburn hair and her sharp posture. But she seemed softened; she laughed and gestured fluidly, gently. He had never seen her so happy, so free. He wanted to glow with happiness that she was smiling so easily, but her smiles were not for him. Naoko reached across the table to take another man's hand. He lifted her creamy skin to his lips and kissed the back of her hand.
Hiko's heart shattered, and each shard pierced the inside of his chest. He could not believe what he was seeing. Naoko and the man rose from their table and headed for the doors of the restaurant. Hiko started, jumped. The couple exited the restaurant, Naoko clutching lovingly onto the man's arm, and they headed straight for Hiko. He could not move; he could hardly breathe. Naoko laughed joyously, then stopped short. Her deep chocolate eyes widened as she and Hiko stared at each other.
"H–Hiko," she stammered. She straightened her posture and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Good evening, Hiko," she said evenly, as if they were only acquaintances.
Hiko could not take his shocked eyes off the couple. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. "Naoko—" he finally chocked.
"I'm sorry, Hiko. Everything is over," she replied coldly. She stood straight and rigid, a stern queen of ice. The man beside her remained impassive and distant. "I am happy with Yamato. Goodbye."
She pulled Yamato along. They passed by Hiko in a whoosh of cold air. Hiko continued to stare numbly at where they had stood. He forced himself to stumble home. No thoughts flickered through his mind, only the image of Naoko's smiling face. Exhausted, he collapsed onto his couch, rubbed his eyes with one hand, and reached for the phone with the other. Placing the phone to his ear, he listened to it ring once, twice...
"Hello?"
Hiko sighed heavily and leaned his head back. "Miharu, everything's going to be all right?"
He could hear the smile in his sister's voice. "Yes, Hi-chan, everything's going to be all right."
"You promise?"
"Yes, I promise." She paused. "Thing's haven't been going too well?"
"No."
Miharu remained silent for a few moments. "Hi-chan, remember the fireflies," she breathed softly.
Hiko smiled weakly. When they were children, he and Miharu went to the park near their house in the summer to collect fireflies. When Miharu asked why they only collected fireflies in the summer, their father told them that during the winter, the fireflies returned to their own magical kingdom. But in the summer, they came out to share their magic with Hiko and Miharu. Their father smiled at his children. And no matter how hard life gets, the fireflies will always come back to share their magic.
"Thanks, Miharu," Hiko said softly.
Miharu chuckled softly as she picked up Hiko's plate. She moved gracefully to the kitchen and started washing the dishes, soap suds covering her small, delicate hands, and Hiko turned back to listen to his mother's story. He smiled genuinely for the first time in many weeks. Naoko's absence opened a hole in his heart, but the comfort of his mother and sister soon started to close the gap.
"So how's the job going, Hi-chan?" Miharu called.
"It's good. Busy. Someone accidently deleted a whole set of the company's financial files. It took me forever to retrieve them."
"Are they paying you enough?" Mrs. Munama asked sharply.
"Yes, Mother," he replied gently.
Miharu returned and sat next to him. "Yeah, Mom, you haven't seen his new apartment, have you? He has plenty of space!"
Mrs. Munama smiled. "Very good. Miharu, where's that husband of yours?"
"I sent him and Aiko to run some errands. They should be back soon."
"How is my granddaughter? And my son-in-law?"
"Aiko's doing fine. She's at the top of her class in school. And Kouichi just got promoted!"
Mrs. Munama beamed. "That's wonderful, Miharu!"
Hiko turned to his mother. "And you've been well?"
She nodded slowly. "Yes, pretty well. There's quite a bit of stress at work though..."
"Mother," Hiko asked suddenly, interrupting her. "Do you remember the fireflies?"
Mrs. Munama blinked confusedly, and Miharu stared at him. "Your father took you two to catch them, right?" she said softly.
"Yes."
"Before he died."
Hiko paused before nodding again. "Yes, Mother."
"Yes, I remember them. What about them?"
"Nothing. Just wanted to see if you remembered."
Darkness draped over them. Hiko adjusted his tie and smoothed his black suit coat. A door slammed, and when he pressed his ear against the wood, he could hear Miharu sobbing. Setting his face, he walked down the hall to join Kouichi and Aiko in the living room. Aiko swung her feet and plucked at her black dress. Her eyes drooped after paying such rapt attention at the ceremony. Hiko stood next to Kouichi.
"I'm sorry, Hiko," Kouichi said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Hiko nodded. "How's Miharu holding up?"
Kouichi's face fell. "She's devastated. She couldn't believe it when she heard the news—"
"No one could," Hiko said. "It was so sudden." He looked down and saw Aiko tugging on the corner of his suit coat. Glancing at Kouichi, he bent down to be eye level with the little girl.
"What's the matter with Mama, Uncle?" she asked, pouting prettily.
Hiko sucked in a deep breath. "Your mama's very sad, Aiko. She's going to miss your grandmother very much."
Aiko bobbed her head, the black hair ribbon flipping about her shoulders. "I'm going to miss her too!" she exclaimed, her brown eyes watering.
Hiko forced a smile. "We're all going to miss her, sweetheart."
Aiko rubbed at her eyes and sniffed. "How did she die?"
Hiko glanced up at Kouichi, then faced Aiko again. "She was driving in her car, and she tried to cross the railroad tracks. She thought she could slip across before the train came, but—" His voice faltered. He pulled his niece into his arms and held her tight. A few weeks ago, his mother's laughter had filled the room, but now only his sister's broken sobs filtered through the empty and darkened hallways.
Hiko looked up wearily from the paperwork. Sighing deeply, he picked up the ringing phone. "Hello?" His face instantly fell, and his jaw dropped. "I'll be right there, Kouichi."
He rushed down to the hospital. Aiko tugged on her father's hand, bouncing up and down in her favorite pink outfit, and Kouichi stared numbly at Miharu in the hospital bed. A nurse monitored several beeping machines. Miharu remained extremely still.
"Daddy? Daddy?! What's happening, Daddy?!"
Hiko hurried over to him. "Kouichi, what happened to her?"
Kouichi blinked out of his reverie. "She—she—" He took a deep breath and squeezed Aiko's hand tightly. "After the funeral, she couldn't handle it. She started drinking. Heavily. I tried...I tried to stop..." He shook his head. "Tonight was worse. She drank and drank until she collapsed—" Kouichi's voice faded, and he looked at Hiko with lost eyes. "She said the fireflies aren't coming back," he breathed confusedly.
Hiko's eyes widened, and he turned fearfully to his sister's still body. The nurse motioned for Kouichi. Hiko picked up Aiko and took her outside the hospital room. He whispered in her ear, bounced her on his hip, and sang softly to her. After awhile, she fell asleep against his shoulder, and he ran his fingers through her soft dark hair. Squeezing his eyes shut, he promised himself that he would help Kouichi look after her. Like the fireflies, her mother was not coming back.
Patting her hair, he set his face determinedly. For Aiko, the fireflies would always come back. He would make sure of it.
The torches blurred before his vision, and Hiko slowly pushed himself away from the wall. Within the past year, he had lost his sister, his mother, and his girlfriend. But a smile still tugged at his lips because he knew he still had Aiko. He always had Aiko, and he would be sure to find a way back to her.
Hitomi sat perfectly still on the blue sofa. She wiped at her eyes, Hiko's confession burning on her ears. The shadows swarmed around her, but she did not have the strength to return to her room. Presently, she heard voices creeping down the hall, and she lifted her chin slowly. Small teardrops slipped the rest of the way down her cheeks. She could not remember when she had started to cry.
"Did the meeting go all right, Lord Van?"
"Yes. The arrangements are being made."
Van and Merle emerged from the shadows. Van stopped abruptly, staring at Hitomi's still form in surprise. Merle glanced up at him, then bounded over to the girl.
"Hitomi? Hitomi, are you all right?" she asked.
Van stepped closer, and he heard her sniff. Merle's blue eyes glowed. She poked Hitomi's shoulder. "Hitomi? Are you crying?" she asked, still poking her. "What's the matter, Hitomi? Why are you crying?"
"Merle," Van reprimanded. The cat-girl instantly fell silent and drew back. Worriedly, Van knelt before her. A pair of dull green eyes met his gaze.
"I'm fine," she whispered. "It's Hiko you should be worried about."
"Hiko?" Merle questioned.
Van's maroon eyes clouded, but he ignored the comment. "Come on, Hitomi. You need to rest." He pulled on her arm and lifted her from the sofa. She weakly rose to her feet and swayed precariously. Van wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her. With Merle helping, he slowly guided Hitomi back to her room.
"I think I hurt him, Van," she whispered to him. "I didn't want to hurt him, I really didn't. And I'm so sorry for the way things have turned out...I'm so very sorry..."
"Merle, make sure she gets to bed all right," he said gently. Merle nodded and took Hitomi from his arms. "And pack her things for her. Allen offered to let us stay at his home for the next few days. We'll be going there tomorrow."
Van headed down the hall, then paused and looked over his shoulder. He caught the last sight of Hitomi's honey hair before the door shut behind her. He sighed deeply. He hated to see her depressed. He wanted to see her smile again.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read!! Please review?? I hope you liked it!!