OoOoOoOo The Vision of Escaflowne: AU oOoOoOoO
Vision XXVI: Unraveled
O o 0 o O
"LORD VAAAAAANN!" Merle screeched through her tears, "LORD VAAAAAAAAAN!"
Escaflowne gallantly stood, watching them all like a god in the sky. Blood poured from the cockpit, like a never ending river of scarlet. Allen's eyes grew wide in panic.
"What the hell…?"
"Boss!"
Allen turned to Gaddess, who had run up to him, out of breath.
"What the hell happened?" Allen whispered frantically. Gaddess looked up at the cockpit of Escaflowne, and watched in horror as a puddle of blood formed below the cockpit. Each scarlet drip dropped consecutively, one after another. The sun was setting in the opening of the hangar.
"He came in and just…stopped," Gaddess spat, looking for words, "He wouldn't respond! Nothin'!"
"LORD VAAAAAN!" Merle sobbed. Millerna took a look at the guymelef, studying it carefully. After Gatti had taken care of Hitomi, she had left to see what all the commotion was over. There Escaflowne stood, as still as a rock.
"I don't understand…how could he just stop?" Millerna questioned to herself.
"LORD VAAAAAAN!" screeched the cat girl, "LORD VAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!"
The sound of the cockpit opening silenced all of them and caught their attention. Merle stopped screeching. The front door popped open and out came Van, hitting the floor and rolling a few ways. Merle and Millerna ran over while Allen jogged over, looking at the young boy king.
Millerna examined his condition.
Van had blood all over the place. He was bleeding from his arms, legs, head, and everywhere else on his body. Millerna looked at him in confusion, however.
"These wounds…they're different…"
Merle resumed sobbing and Allen looked at Escaflowne's cockpit. Blood littered all inside of it, making Allen furrow his eyebrows in confusion.
"Why is there…?"
"These wounds are coming from the inside…I've never seen a case like this before!"
Panicked footsteps drew closed behind them, causing Gaddess and the crew to look behind them at the running slayer.
Gatti caught his breath and looked at the damage, and then down at the passed out, bleeding Van.
"What happened?" he breathed.
"We don't know," Millerna said, frantically, "but he's losing too much blood, and—"
"I…can…still…fight…"
Silence. Van's hand slapped the ground, as the other hand did the same. Van lifted himself off of the ground and sat up. Millerna gasped, looking at him in silence.
"Van, you shouldn't—" Allen started, but Van ignored him, rising to his feet, wobbling a bit. Gatti looked at his condition. He stared, gapping that sight of the blood falling all across his body. Merle got up immediately and walked beside him, almost monitoring him.
"I…can…still…fight…those…Ziabach…bastards…"
Millerna shook her head. All of the sudden, his shoulder blades began to pop out slightly, causing Merle to scream. Everyone jumped at her sudden outburst.
"OH MY GOD! NO! VAN! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU"RE DOING! STOP! DON'T DO IT!"
Gatti blinked.
Why is Merle…?
"STOP!"
"I can…still…f…fight…"
His shoulder blades popped forward unusually, causing everyone to stare in horror. What was Van doing? Why was he acting so strange?
Immediately, a ripping sound filled the hangar. Van let out a loud grunt and his gigantic, brilliant, snowy angelic wings spread out before all of them, causing Millerna to take big gasp. Allen gapped. Merle screamed. Pieces of his red shirt fell fruitlessly to the ground like feathers. Millions of feathers swarmed around him. Everyone fell silent.
"NO! DON'T LOOK AT HIM!" she sobbed, "DON'T LOOK! YOU AREN"T SUPPOSE TO KNOW!"
Merle hugged his waist. Van gritted his teeth, trying to walk forward, but failed. Merle caught him as he fell, and Millerna rushed forward.
"SOMEONE GET ME MY BLUE BAG!" she shouted
"Dear god…" Gatti muttered, "he's a demon. He's a goddamn draconian."
0 o O o 0
Hitomi tossed and turned. Her eyes fluttered, and her movement shifted rapidly. Somehow, she just couldn't get comfortable. And as much as she felt weak and helpless, she felt restless and unable to do anything.
Two hours passed.
"Hey."
A hand touched her arm. Hitomi shuddered. Gently, the hand began to shake her gingerly.
"Hitomi, get up."
Her eyes fluttered opened.
Frantic, scared blue eyes starred into hers.
"What happened? Where am I?" she whispered.
"I don't have much time to explain. We're in a lot of trouble."
"What's wrong?" she whispered. Gatti ran his hand through his hair and paced back and forth.
"You just need to come with me. I'm really scared…"
Hitomi looked at him. She sat up, watching Gatti pace restlessly across her bedroom floor.
"I'm scared…Oh shit I'm so scared…Oh god…"
"What's the matter? WHAT IS WRONG?"
Gatti rashly sprung out and clamped her wrist, pulling her to her feet and marching out of the door, down the hallway. A low murmur of voices caught her ear. Gatti burst open the door, causing everyone to look up. Millerna looked at Hitomi. A sad smile crossed her face, and then she looked down again. Merle's face was buried in her hands. Silent sobs escaped her mouth, as hiccups did as well.
Hitomi scanned the aura of the room.
"What's wrong?" she breathed, "Where's Van?"
Millerna looked up at the curious girl. She looked in front of her.
Van laid on a cot, blood stains and drips forming everywhere. Scars marked and crossed his upper and lower chest and all along his arms. They bled scarlet, Hitomi noted. Millerna starred at her for a few minutes and then looked down at Van's body. Hitomi crept over, her wrist escaping Gatti's gentle hand. Gatti watched her approach the hurting boy king.
Van grunted and gritted his teeth in pain. Agonizing noises escaped him as Hitomi looked over him, furrowing her eyebrows.
"What happened?"
"Van wouldn't come out of his guymelef," Gaddess said slowly, almost careful.
"Blood was leaking from the cockpit. We didn't know what the hell was going on. And then, the cockpit opened, and…well…"
Gaddess looked down at Van's body. Hitomi scanned it, tears welling in her eyes.
"WELL?" she raised her voice, which was quavering with an oncoming sob.
"We don't know," Gaddess said softly, "the cockpit was covered in blood."
"The wounds are different," Millerna said, "I tried but…I couldn't stop his bleeding."
A anguished sob came from Merle.
"SO?" Hitomi raised her voice.
"I'm sorry. I can't…help him…"
Silence. Hitomi shook her head.
"THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMEWAY YOU CAN SAVE HIM! ISN'T THERE!"
Silence.
"ISN'T THERE!" Hitomi screeched, tears flying from her face.
"He's…he's going to die, Hitomi."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Hitomi screeched. Millerna winced at the girl's hysteria. Rashly, she reached out and gripped her shirt, making Millerna panic, her eyes growing wide.
"YOU CAN'T JUST SIT THERE AND NO DO ANYTHING, DAMNIT! HELP HIM! HELP HIM!" Hitomi cried. Gatti grabbed her pried her off of the shocked princess, Hitomi fighting him in every direction. Gatti shook her.
"CALM DOWN!" he shouted. Hitomi abruptly stopped. The tears welled in her eyes as she began to sob uncontrollably. She covered her mouth, almost in deep though, contemplating on what to do. She studied Van's wounds, looking upon them as though she knew what they were coming from.
"How did he get these wounds?" she asked. Millerna shook her head.
"I don't know," she said softly.
Hitomi gasped, making everyone turn.
"Wait a minute."
Hitomi suddenly scampered out the door, zooming out of the threshold and bolting down the hallway, her destination lying in the guymelef hangar. Gatti swung out from the threshold, watching the girl rapidly flee down the hallway.
"Hitomi!" he called after her, but it was of no use. Hitomi was on to something.
She climbed down the stairwell and into the frost-bitten hangar, where she flew to Escaflowne's resting place, watching the gallant piece of machinery with caution. Escaflowne stood, the cockpit hanging open from where Van had fallen. She studied the damage down to Escaflowne.
There was a bad scrape in the left ankle.
There was a scrape in Van's ankle as well…I can't remember which ankle, though. I know Escaflowne has something to do with Van's condition…but what? How? Why?
Hitomi tried to think back to when she was tending to Van's wounds the night she had been poisoned with the Senna Iris, when she was lost in Kiri Forest. He had a nasty wound on his arm, one that she would never forget. She had wondered where it was from.
And there, right on Escaflowne's mechanical arm was gouge, just as deep and hideous looking as Van's. Hitomi scanned for all of the damage Escaflowne had taken. Three scratched on the face shield. She remembered seeing that on his face. A gigantic score of several dents ran up the left side of Escaflowne. She remembered seeing that, too.
I'm not just going to be in Escaflowne when I fight. I'm going to become it when I fight.
…become it when I fight.
…become it when I fight…
Hitomi's eyes snapped open.
"No…no, he couldn't have! How is possible…?"
She starred, horrified at Escaflowne's scars.
"How could this happen? How did this happen?"
She held her head.
"Van…"
A tear rolled down her cheek.
"Why didn't you tell me? We were friends, remember?" she sobbed to no one in particular, only herself.
"Why couldn't you tell me? I was right there! Right there Van! You kept it from me!"
A huge intake of breath escaped her mouth.
"YOU'VE MERGED WITH ESCAFLOWNE!" she screamed.
Her voice echoed throughout the hangar. Shaking, she tore back up the stairs and sprinted back down to the medical room where everyone resided.
0 o O o 0
Millerna starred out the window, watching the clouds gather in the sky. Another storm was coming. She swallowed hard, Allen watching her from the back. He shifted his weight, looking at Millerna in curiosity.
"It's Hitomi…" she whispered.
Allen swung his head in back of him quickly, to see if anyone was listening. Quickly, he grabbed the door handle and shut it softly, hearing the slight click.
"What's wrong with Hitomi?"
"Hitomi…something really bad happened to Hitomi."
"What are you talking about?"
Millerna struggled to find the right words to describe her actions. Hitomi had gone out into the battle field and began to violently fight, throwing her staff wherever she could, regardless of the people on her side or not. She remember the destroyed gates that Gatti pointed it to when she came to retrieve her. Obviously, Cesario wasn't the right place to reside, but like that mattered. There were more serious things at hand.
Millerna took a strand of her blonde hair and tucked it behind her ear, only to let another fall in her face again. Her dark blue eyes starred at the floor in contempt as she cleared her through, looking back at Allen again. Allen starred for a while, waiting for Millerna's response.
"Millerna…what are you talking about?" Allen repeated his question. Millerna closed her eyes, trying to blurt out what she had seen.
"Something's wrong with Hitomi. Something is very wrong with Hitomi."
"How so?"
Millerna bit her lip.
"I ran out, only to find that Gatti was starring in horror and the destruction of the entrance gates to the castle itself. At that point, I was trying to figure out why Gatti was just standing there and not chasing after her."
Allen nodded for her to go. Slowly, she looked down again.
"I ran to him. He looked at me, frightened. I asked him what was wrong. I asked him where Hitomi was."
"And…?"
"He told me to look at the gates. They had been completely blown off the hinges."
Allen's eyebrows furrowed, but motioned for her to continue. Millerna slowly rose her head to make eye contact with the gallant knight.
"He told me Hitomi did it. Hitomi blew those gates off the hinges."
Silence.
"Why?" Allen asked incredously.
"I don't know, Allen. I don't know…"
"Hitomi's behavior has been very strange, indeed."
"It's happened before?"
"According to Gatti. Not only that, but when we rescued him. Do you remember when she was throwing a tremendous tantrum? It happened then."
"But Allen…her eyes. They changed color."
"That happened as well," Allen quickly added, "They changed that eerie silver color, right?"
"Yes!" Millerna exclaimed, "Yes, yes! They did! We went out to find Hitomi, but she was lost in the madness…lost, Allen! Purely lost! We tried to call to her, but it was like she was so angry and full of…full of…full of hatred that she didn't listen! Gatti had wrestle her to the ground, Allen! Something is wrong."
Silence.
"It's never been this bad…never…"
"No doubt it was the seal."
"The seal?"
"Yes, the seal underneath Freid, remember?"
"Oh yes…" Millerna slowly felt the epiphany.
"Something got into her. Whether it was the true power of Atlantis, I don't know…but I'm getting feeling that it's exactly what Ziabach's after."
"Are you sure?"
"Millerna, I'm almost positive."
SLAM!
Millerna and Allen jumped at the sudden winding of the wooden door being swung open. Allen turned, looking at the intruder. Gatti huffed at the doorway, looking up at the two of them, Millerna starring in a mild panic.
"Hitomi's onto something."
"What?"
"Hitomi…she's onto something!"
Allen took a quick glance and Millerna before following the rushed, dirty-blonde boy out the door. The low, soft roar of another, more bigger airship passing beside her caught her attention. She turned around, looking out the window, watching the small droplets of rain hit the window and cascade down.
"Dryden…?"
0 o O o 0
"—at Escaflowne's damage, I'm telling you," Hitomi hastily said. Millerna caught the tail end of her sentence as she eased the door open to the medical room where Van was laying on the cot, in agony.
"It's too identical to be so coincidental like that!"
Allen and Gatti looked at her closely, watching her explain herself as she claimed going into the hangar and looking at Escaflowne's damage.
"Escaflowne has the same wounds as Van does!"
"What are you trying to say, Hitomi? He…He became one with the guymelef?"
"Exactly," Hitomi said purposefully.
Silence.
"That's crazy," Allen interjected, "How could that be? Hitomi, think about what you've just said—"
"Did you hear what he was telling me in the hangar back in Fried?" Hitomi desperately yelled to him, "He was telling me that he wouldn't just pilot Escaflowne when fought, but he would become it! It's just too weird that they have the same wounds!"
Gaddess walked in from the bridge, opening the door. Everyone turned, looking at Allen's right-hand man. His eyes scanned the room, a tint of hope lying in his pupils.
"There's a merchant airship passing over us. They want to know if they can help us."
"I knew it," Millerna hissed to herself. Hitomi quickly looked her head at Millerna.
"What?"
"Tell them we'll board," Millerna raised her voice.
Allen looked at Millerna in concern.
"A merchant ship? Does he give a name?"
"Mr. Fassa. Mr. Dryden Fassa, boss."
0 o O o 0
A disheveled looking man walked through a long corridor aboard the merchant airship. What appeared to be a five-o-clock shadow and small, thin rimmed sunglasses sitting on his nose, a rather sloppy tied tress held his long, unruly brown hair. A long, green robe tied with a wild-looking sash wrapped around his torso nicely as he took a step forward, towards the double doors in front of him.
Millerna stood waiting in the main lobby of the gargantuan airship. Nerves wracking and heart in her throat, she starred at the window, waiting for Dryden to make his appearance.
This would mark the first time in years she had seen him. Not that she at all looking forward to meeting him, but she went out of her way to cut all contacts from him.
Save the fact that her father went ahead and got her betrothed to this guy, but nevermind that. It was the least of Millerna's concerns.
Dryden was a well-built young man. A little older then Millerna, but intelligent none-the-less. He was a merchant, though, and merchants on Gaea usually didn't do well without a tremendous amount of intellect. If there was anything Millerna could remember, it was that Dryden loved books. In fact, Dryden was so into books that she could hold a conversation with him without him shoving his nose back into a page.
However, that was many years ago. What Dryden was like now was past her.
The creaking of the double doors slowly opened, causing Millerna to look around.
Dryden Fassa stood in the threshold, starring at Millerna. The long, black cloak with sleeves through him off somewhat; what was Millerna doing with a disguise? And her hair? What happened to her hair? He scanned Millerna's form. She was different from when he had last seen her.
Millerna's hair was tied back in a pony tail. Her royal gems remained on her head, but she looked like such a…such a…such a whore.
"Princess Millerna?" Dryden grinned slightly, adjusting his sunglasses upon his nose, "Well I'll be damned. What are the chances?"
"Not good, apparently," Millerna grumbled.
"What seems to be the trouble?"
Millerna looked downward. How to say this?
"I'm afraid we've got a boy near death. Well, I shouldn't say boy…"
Dryden laughed. Millerna glared at him.
"This is no laughing matter!"
"I'm not laughing at that, I'm just laughing because you're so…different…"
"Different? Dryden, it's a long story—"
"Oh, I've got time," he grinned flirtatiously.
"Well, I don't. So I'd appreciate it if we could get down to business. Please?"
"Oh, business? Hmm, you really like to rush things don't you?"
"DRYDEN!"
"All right, all right, I'll cut it out. So please, what troubles you?"
"Van Fanel…he's wounded. Very badly."
"…Wait a minute…" Dryden paused, "You wouldn't happen to be talking about the king of Fanelia, would you?"
"No, it's the same person. Van Fanel. He was hurt was he was piloting Escaflowne, see."
"…Esca-flowne? Oh my! That's that famous Ispano guymelef! Oh my! It sets my merchant blood aboil!" Dryden clapped his hands. Millerna smacked her forehead in frustration.
"DRYDEN. PLEASE."
"Well, what can I do to help?"
"We've got to find some cure. It's beyond my medical trivia and I was hoping…"
"Yes, alright, I'll take a look."
Millerna sighed, hands clasped over her chest.
"Thank you."
Dryden walked casually over to the window where Millerna was standing. He put a hand to the window and watched the storm slowly roll in. Removing his hand he turned to Millerna, shifting his weight as she looked down upon her petite figure.
"Hitomi says the damage done to Escaflowne corresponds with that of Van's wounds. It's strange…"
"Hit-Hit-omi?"
"Hitomi, yes."
"Who is Hi-…that person?"
Millerna's eyebrows shot up, realizing that she had spilled about Hitomi. Cursing, she bit her fist. Dryden cocked an eyebrow.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, I'm just a idiot…" she muttered.
"Who is he?"
"She," Millerna sighed.
"She? Oh, so it's a girl? Who's all with you onboard Allen's old wooden toy?"
"Van Fanel, of course. Myself, Allen and his men, Van's friend, Merle, and Gatti."
"You'll have to introduce me to the crowd. It seems like quite the party."
"It has been quite the party."
"How so?"
"We've been playing a game of cat and mouse, per say," Millerna massages her eyes, "we've been playing the role as the mouse."
"I see," Dryden cocked an eyebrow, "And who's the cat?"
"Zaibach."
Silence.
"I guess there's no point in hiding anything from you anymore is there?"
"What would you hide from me? The reason as to why Zaibach seems to take such interest in you? You do have an Ispano guymelef."
"Well, yes, but—'
Dryden hesitated, looking at her skeptically.
"Wait a minute…You don't mean to tell me…that Hit…Hit-toe-mee…"
Millerna bit her lip.
"Yes."
0 o O o 0
"This is bad…"
Van gritted his teeth, having sudden lapses of gasping for breath. Hitomi's eyes were blood shot from the crying. Gatti stood, watching over as she kneeled at Van's bed side. The Crusade crew and Allen stood out in the hallway while Merle remained inside with the three of them.
"She's up there talking with him right now, boss," Gaddess said softly as Allen made his way down the hallway, up to greet Millerna.
"Boss?"
"I heard you, Gaddess. I heard you."
Gaddess became silent as he watched Allen, walking in a fast pace forward.
"Please stay alive," Hitomi whispered, her hands clasped, "Please stay alive…"
Millerna covered her mouth, the tears falling from her cheeks.
"You said it was Escaflowne?"
"Yeah," Hitomi breathed.
"Can you show me what you're talking about?"
"Yeah," Hitomi stood up. She regarded Merle with sympathy.
"Merle, look after Van alright? I'll be back soon."
Merle nodded slowly, and looked down at the fallen king. Merle put her head down and rested it ontop of her arms, her crying ceasing to stop.
Hitomi walked ahead of Gatti. There was a silence as the both of them walking forward towards the hangar with Gatti's curiosity of Hitomi's discovery. For some reason, Hitomi knew what Gatti was thinking.
"Did you know?" Gatti asked her abruptly. Hitomi stopped her tracks, blinking.
"Did I know what?"
"You know what."
"No, really, I don't…" Hitomi trailed off. She regarded him in such a fashion that she became skeptical of the secrets that had discovered while she had blacked out. She bit her lip, trying to read his mind but to no avail.
"About Van. Did you know about Van?"
Hitomi's eyes shot up.
"What?" she hissed, "Gatti, you aren't suppose to know what I think you know."
"So you do know?"
"Yes, I know he's a draconian, alright?" Hitomi continued her way down the hallway.
"You didn't tell anyone."
"Gatti, being a draconian isn't exactly something you advertise, alright?" Hitomi sighed, "How did you know he was a draconian, anyway?"
"He was thrown from the cockpit of Escaflowne after Merle yelled after him several times. He got back up and then we a heard a grunt and he just…produced wings from his back."
"…whoa whoa whoa," Hitomi stopped, "'we'?"
"I wasn't the only one who witnessed his heritage, Hitomi."
"Who was there?" Hitomi said, panicking.
"Allen, Millerna, and the rest of the crew. Merle knew, apparently."
"Yes, she and I are the only ones that were supposed to know. Van didn't want anyone else to know."
"Hitomi…he's a demon."
"Gatti, guess what? I don't care."
"Why?"
"He isn't cursed! He saved me life."
Silence. Hitomi presumed walking straight, Gatti following behind. A strange look crossed his face as he was trying to put things together in his mind. But one thing still baffled him. What got into Hitomi last night? Does she remember because she passed out? She didn't seem to.
I wonder if she even knows this exists inside of her. I wonder if she knows that it's happened multiple times.
He starred at Hitomi, watching her form quickly move in a pattern. One foot in front of the other. Left, right, left, right, left, right…
A draft caught them and they crossed the threshold of the hangar entrance way, gliding down the stairs towards the bloody cockpit. Hitomi stopped right in front of it, but Gatti moved closer more cautiously.
"Now, look at the damage."
Gatti studied the scrapes and nicks that it had.
"Yeah, go ahead, I'm listening."
"Take a look at the gash in Escaflowne's left ankle."
"Right, I see it."
"Do remember Van's left ankle?"
Gatti paused, his head turned to the side in thought. Slowly, it clicked. Now that he thought about it, Van did have a huge gash in his ankle. But was this all the evidence she was basing it off of?
"Now, take a look at it's right arm and the gashed along the stomach. Van has those same cuts!"
Gatti eyes scanned the damage done. Several large gashes spread across Escaflowne's chest.
"Van does have those nasty wounds, huh?"
"Well, looks like we've already got ourselves some company," came a low tenor voice. Gatti and Hitomi turned around. Approaching them was a slim figure and a more broad one.
Gatti instantly noted this to be Millerna, accompanied by this so-called Dryden. Dryden nodded his head slightly at the pair, as he stood in front of the couple.
Dryden stopped, starring at Hitomi in semi-awe. Lusturous, chocolate-brown hair falling down past her shoulders and stunning jade eyes as well. Hitomi shifted her ankles slightly; the purple, lace up shin-high boots were getting rather uncomfortable, as she had them on for several hours, even when she took a nap. A lace was undone, and Hitomi looked downward.
Stooping low, her skirt fluffed up as she came down to tie her boots back up again. Gatti extended his hand forward to greet Millerna's fiancée.
"It's a pleasure to meet you sir," he spoke. Hitomi lifted herself back up again, looking at him.
"Here she is," he murmured gingerly, "In the flesh. I can hardly believe it."
No hand was extended towards Gatti, making the gesture seem awkward and out of place. Shakily, he drew his hand back in and put it to his side and watched as Dryden starred at Hitomi.
"You must be Hitomi," he smiled.
Hitomi smiled, and put a hand forward.
"Hitomi Kanzaki, sir," she spoke politely. Dryden took her hand gingerly and shook it, letting it go. He stopped, just starring at her for a few minutes. Hitomi began to grow slightly uncomfortable.
"So this is the goddess from the Mystic Moon."
"Yes," Millerna confirmed the statement. Hitomi nodded slightly.
"Amazing," Dryden smiled curiously, "I never thought it would happen in our time. It's no wonder Zaibach's been throwing a manhunt for you all."
Dryden smirked. Hitomi smiled awkwardly.
"Well, forgive my rudeness but—OH MY GOD!"
The three of them jumped at Dryden's sudden outburst. Hitomi turned around to see what Dryden had shouted about. In back of them stood the legendary Ispano guymelef. Like a little boy in a candy store, he began to mutter, 'oh my' several times and rushed forward to see the beauty of the guymelef. Hitomi sweatdropped.
"Um, Mr. Dryden?" Hitomi shouted. Dryden was too busy whipping around everything to pay attention to Hitomi's words. Millerna sighed.
"Dryden, you cease to amaze me."
"Oh my oh my oh my! Oh no! What horrendous condition this is in! How could you do something so awful?" he screamed in agony.
"It's not our fault!" Hitomi pleaded, "Van—I mean the pilot—he's been hurt really badly. We think it has something to do with---Dryden?"
Hitomi had lost him again. Dryden was nothing like Hitomi had imagined. He was an interesting character with quite the one track mind. Confused, Hitomi cocked her head in curiosity. Once he was distracted, there was no way back for him. A grin spread over his face as he looked all over Escaflowne.
"Dryden—" Millerna sighed. Gatti watched in awe as the merchant scanned Escaflowne.
"Where is it? I know it's here. I've read about Ispano guymelefs! I've read I've read I've read and I know so so so so much so where could the damn thing be!"
"AHA!"
Silence.
CLICK.
The three of them were blinded by a shimmering green light that spread throughout the hangar. The green light emitted a high-pitched noise that stung their ears. The light was emitted from Escaflowne's top head plate. Hitomi covered her eyes, as Gatti and Millerna did as well. Dryden laughed maniacally.
"What the hell did you do?" Hitomi screamed. Dryden smiled.
"I called 'em!"
"CALLED WHO?" Gatti shouted.
"The Ispano people!"
"The Ispano people?" The three of them chorused.
"You said you wanted Escaflowne to be repaired, didn't ya?" he laughed, "Well, here ya go!"
Hitomi gasped.
Suddenly, a whirl-pool like circle formed in the sky. A noise so loud, even more louder then the high-pitched noise emitting from Escaflowne, thundered over them. Hitomi felt the ground shake, in anticipation of another, more larger airship. Hitomi ran forward to the opening of the hangar.
A large, odd-shaped appeared before their eyes, decending from the strange whirl-pool phenomena in the sky. Hitomi watched in awe as it descended downward upon them.
"There it is!" Dryden shouted, "I knew it would work!"
Hitomi turned to face Dryden, but was too panicked to compute in her mind what he was saying.
"What the…?" Gatti whispered. Millerna could only stare in an odd fixation.
Hitomi clenched her fists.
Hold on, V an. We're going to repair Escaflowne. Maybe if we repair it…
Gatti and Millerna watched the girl from the Mystic Moon watch in child-like curiosity of the ship that was bestowed from the sky.
Hitomi…Gatti thought, I don't know what's changing about you but I hope you're aware. Whatever it is, I'll figure it out.
Millerna placed a hand over her mouth in thought.
Don't have another fit, Hitomi. Not now. Hang on, Hitomi. We'll figure out what's wrong with you.
Hitomi bit her lip, holding her clasped hands to her chest.
Hold on, V an. We're going to repair Escaflowne. Maybe if we repair it…
0 o O o 0
A/N: Hmm, so it seems I get the award for the LONGEST UPDATE EVER. But guess what? I got the chapter done! Hope I didn't make anyone pee in their pants while waiting. :3 This chapter didn't have action, but it did bridge us, and the next chapter will be more exciting. Please stay tuned! The plot unravels.
Next: With Dryden helping them out and Millerna's awkward situation, it doesn't help much with Allen in the picture. Now Millerna's got her OWN set of troubles to deal with. A notebook that Hitomi seemingly finds in Allen's belongings may clear a path for the group.However, Hitomi seeks to discover the truth behind Van, as the others are seeking to discover the truth behind Hitomi. What's wrong with her? Why do her eyes change to a mysterious silver mist color? The ultimate goal is to uncover the secrets of Atlantis and the connection between it and Hitomi...and possibly Van as well...that is, before Zaibach does.
0 o O o 0 Reviews 0 o O o 0
Jossi-31: I'm VERY proud. 20 pages can be a pain in the ass to write, but I think it's worth it and I've started something, so it'd just be really lame for me to all of sudden start writing lame 10 page chapters. Tis sucketh! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one! Thanks for reading!
Inda: I'll keep writing; I promise you I will. :3 I've got to keep going. The problem with most of my stuff is that I always start things, and then I just never finish them. But this fic...this fic I'm going to PLAN on finishing. :) I'm afraid Van won't tell her for a while...but in the meantime you can cuddle the fluff. :3 Thanks for reading!
Chase: Wow! I'm glad I got your attention! Hahaha. A new reader! Woo! I'm glad you read through all of this even though it's so far in! Usually readers don't take the time to trudge through a long fic like this one; at least that's what I can conclude. LOL Thanks for reading!
Macky: Still haven't worked out anything for Gatti/Merle yet. I was thinking about some interesting stuff for Gatti/Azalea if you're interested, but you know, Azalea isn't a cat girl. (Though...you know, she's dead, I know. LMAO)LMAO Nariya and Eriya will indeed be in this fic, and I do have some things planned for them. However, as to their death, I have yet to decide. Thanks for reading!
Cherry Dragon: Yeah, I'm a spoiled bitch. I ended up getting a new ipod. I felt really bad, too, but hey! I'm not complaining, am I? LOL I hope you enjoyed this chapter -- sadly, the scroller DID stop here. LMAO Stay tuned!
Laser Crusaders: I like responding to feedback given by my reviewers. :) Alas, I'm afraid I made you wait quite a while. But, I'm glad I didn't rush to do it--or else it wouldn't be as good, would it:) Thanks for reading!
Paranoid Raven: Hey! Another new reader! I'm so happy you took the time to read this! Thank you:) It's a happy day to see my readers glued to the computer screen.:3 Thanks for reading!
loveable-M: WHOA. Did you review or did you review? A new reader! YAY! LMAO I'm really glad you liked this! That's the problem! I just CAN'T make Gatti stop doin' stuff for Hitomi! Can't help but make him the cutie that he is! However, I'm glad you liked it. VxH is in store pretty soon. Thanks for reading!
Thank you to all who reviewed! It does help, I promise, but I've got something called school, and I'm sure some of you know how that is. Sorry for the delayed update, but now I can rest easy for a few days before planning and beginning the next chapter. Thanks everyone! PSSTGOREADSLAYERXPSST
FullMoonBunny, April 25th (And about time!) 2005