Disclaimer: I don't own the Vision of Escaflowne or any of the characters in this fic.
Author's note: This fic is pretty much the same as Cruel Fate, only it's in Hitomi's POV, once again it's written in third person. If you're looking for action then I wouldn't recommend this story. This part just gives a little idea of how Hitomi's been getting along those 5 years.
Cruel Fate: Hitomi
It was night in the picturesque city of Kamakura. The stars and the moon shone brightly high up in the heavens giving the city a dreamlike quality. The silence of the night was disturbed only by the dull sound of footsteps striking against the pavement. A young woman of 20 years was running, she didn't know where she was going and yet she knew she couldn't stop. Though her body screamed at her to stop she knew she couldn't give in, lest it catch up to her, no, she wouldn't let it catch her.
Five years ago she had left Gaea, the mystic world that hung amongst the stars, unseen by the people of Earth. She had left behind her friends and the boy-king she had realized, perhaps too late, that she loved. Her duties and responsibilities remained here with her family but her hopes and dreams remained on Gaea. Every night she asked herself if she had made the right decision, should she have stayed? She knew it was too late for regrets but she couldn't help wondering.
Ever since she had returned home her life seemed so empty. She lost her interest in track and dropped out of the team much to the surprise of her friends and peers. She was such a promising athlete, why had she done that? She supposed her heart just wasn't in it anymore. Ever since she was a little girl she had dreamed of becoming an athlete, she had pursued her dreams all her life. Her ordeal on Gaea changed all that; her love for her sport was gone.
There wasn't a moment that passed when he wasn't on her mind, everything around her seemed to remind her of him. She began to put her feelings on paper, soon she had written several songs and a novel about her journey on Gaea. Her novel was an instant bestseller and her songs all became hits. She had everything a girl could ask for, beauty, fame, fortune, yet none of it mattered without him.
Their souls would meet almost every night at their spot, a sanctum deep within the bastions of their subconscious. Untouched by the winds of time, an island in the sea of eternity, common ground that bound two souls together. Here, with him, she would find solace for her troubled spirit, respite from her silent battles. Here, they would let down their guard and open their hearts to each other... and yet, he had never told her how he felt. Could it be that he didn't...no she didn't want to think about that, she wanted be optimistic, she prayed that he would, one day, completely open up to her.
Her hopes and dreams were like butterflies, beautiful and yet so elusive and fragile. She was afraid of pursuing them for fear that they would crumble in her hands, all she could do was wait, and hope that they would one day come true.
It had been five years now, her hopes and dreams still eluded her, it was time to let them go, it was time to let him go. She couldn't spend the rest of her life waiting for him; she had to move on. So why couldn't she let go? She couldn't live in the past anymore she had to let go. Yet she still clung to it as a child clings to its mother. Her life was like a labyrinth and she had hit a dead end. The future had nothing to offer yet going back would only bring her grief, what was she to do? She wanted to go back, go back to him but would he want her back?
He was calling out to her, reaching for her, should she go to him? No, if she held on too tight, her dream would crumble, it was time to let go. Was she doing the right thing? It didn't really matter, too late for regrets now. She had to keep running, she had to get away.How long had she been running? How far had she ran? Where was she? She didn't know, didn't care, all she knew was that if she stopped, it would catch up to her. Her body couldn't take anymore, it gave away under her and she collapsed. She stood up and analyzed her surroundings. What was this place? Why did it seem so familiar? She remembered, she was in the North part of Kamakura, on the track of her old High School. This was where she met him.
She collapsed onto her knees and began to sob. Why wouldn't it let her go? Why couldn't she let it go? Her past had caught up to her, it wouldn't let her forget, wouldn't let her forget him. Did she really want to forget him? She didn't know. She looked up; it was the dawn of a new day, the dawn of tomorrow. She didn't care, tomorrow only brought her back to yesterday.
So, how was it? Please review. Flame me if you think the story sucks or you just need to vent your anger, both fine by me. For those of you who are interested, if I do decide to make this a series then it will be a very short one and centered on Van and Hitomi.