Disclaimer: The Vision of
Escaflowne, Tenchi Muyo, Rurouni Kenshin characters and any other anime
characters who pop up later on are property of their respective owners. (I
will likely add in series titles here as the characters pop up, if they do).
Dimensional Chaos
"Premonition
03"
by P-Chan E-mail me! Puh leez! I
need some input! Or encouragement!
Author's
note: Wahhhh [sobbing
uncontrollably]!!!!! I had this file
all done and ready to be posted—I spent over an hour doing it—and it got
[hiccup] ERASED [wailing]!!! I was
preparing the next one and I accidentally saved over it—and EVERYTHING was
g-o-n-e!!!!! So unfair!!! Wahhhhhhhh!!!!
Ok. This chapter was pretty fun to write and I
hope you all will enjoy it. It's given
me some joy in this horrible day. My
day started off badly with certain actions from a certain teacher that I happen
to despise [argghhhhh]. But then I felt
a little better when I vented some of my frustrations during break with my
friend, making fun of the old witch-lady (my friend can do the best impression
of her—it was hilarious). Then I got to
see this fabulous jazz band from Tokyo, Japan play during music. It was ruined a little bit by some obnoxious
people sitting in front of me. Oooo—I
wanted to smack them [P-Chan with fist clenched, angry scowl] for being so rude
when people were performing. Well,
anyway, enjoy my little story (cuz it took so much work for me to do!). 0-o
Hitomi
eyed Keith warily from where he sat across from her at the dinner table. A boy at my house-for the next
year?! Well, at least Koji seems to be
having a good time. She sighed as she
watched her little brother talking excitedly with Keith about video games or
something. There goes my new sister,
the late night talks, manicures, trips to the mall...in come rowdy boy games
and another obnoxious brother. Oh well,
at least he's fluent in Japanese. Hitomi jumped as she realized that Keith had just asked her a question
and was now smiling expectantly at her for an answer.
"Uh-I-I'm sorry, my mind wandered a bit. Could you please repeat
your question?" she stammered.
Hitomi's father laughed. "That's my Hitomi--her head's always up on
some cloud. You'll get used to it, Keith."
Hitomi blushed and tried to make herself look as small as possible.
"Dad, you're embarrassing me!" she murmured. Unfortunately, her
family only laughed more.
Keith laughed as well, then smiled sympathetically at Hitomi. "Don't
feel bad, I'm like that too sometimes," he whispered.
"Thanks," Hitomi whispered back. "Oh--what was your
question?"
"I was just wondering what your school was like. I'll be going there
with you tomorrow, you know, so I just wanted to know about classes and
stuff. I'm rather nervous about starting in a new school, since I don't
think my Japanese is all that great," Keith replied.
"I'm sure you'll do fine, Keith, from what I've heard of your Japanese so
far. But if you want, I'd be happy to tutor you a bit, so that you can
practice, if you'll help me learn English," Hitomi offered.
"That would be wonderful. Thank you," Keith said happily,
grinning.
Hitomi smiled back, his grin contagious. "You're welcome."
* * *
"Hi-tom-eee!!!!"
Hitomi jolted out of bed. What time was it? She squinted at her
alarm clock, which blinked 5:45. Hitomi groaned and fell back onto her
bed. School didn't start until 8:00. Why was her mother calling
her? she thought, annoyed.
"Keith has to meet with the principal to double-check some of his
registration information, so you have to go to school early. Wake up,
Hitomi!"
Hitomi rolled slowly out of bed, groaning as she headed toward the bathroom to
brush her teeth.
* * *
Still a little bleary-eyed, Hitomi walked down the stairs to the kitchen for
breakfast. Her mother was busily preparing a meal for her. Keith
was already eating at the table, dressed in the suit-like school uniform,
looking a little anxious as he greeted Hitomi good morning.
"Good morning, Keith," Hitomi said as she slipped into a chair across
from him and picked up the newspaper. Hmmm...I wonder if there are any
good movies playing this weekend. Maybe Yukari and I can--" She
broke off her thoughts and looked questioningly at Keith.
"Um, I was asking you if you would be ready to leave for school
soon. My appointment's in, um, twenty minutes."
"Really?!" Hitomi gulped down the rest of her breakfast and
grabbed her bookbag. "Let's go!"
Keith nodded and stood to retrieve his bag as well.
* * *
Hitomi walked briskly, occasionally checking to see that Keith could keep
up. Surprisingly, he kept up easily, taking long strides to match her
quick steps.
"So, how do you think you'll like being at my school?" Hitomi asked
cheerfully, attempting to break the silence.
"Huh? Oh-- I hope I'll fit in alright. I'm planning on joining the
track team, so I hope I'll meet some people from that," Keith replied.
"Track? I'm on the girls' track team, so we'll probably be staying
after for practice a lot. It's good that you're joining track--you won't
have to stand around waiting for me the entire time," Hitomi said excitedly,
grateful that there was at least one thing she could talk to him about.
"Really!? Do you think you could introduce me to some of your guy
friends? That way I won't, you know, feel so awkward," Keith asked.
"Sure, no problem." Hitomi answered. "Um, Keith,
we'd better hurry it up, or we'll be late. Do you want to run the rest of
the way?"
"Alright. Hey--why don't we race? Ready? One,
two--Hey! No fair, Hitomi! Not until three-slow down!
Cheaters never prosper, you know!" Keith yelled.
Hitomi laughed, not slowing down at all. She was glad Keith was so
friendly. Talking about track had broken some of the tension. Maybe
this won't be as bad as I thought.
* * *
Hitomi walked across the campus, her eyes searching the faces of those she
passed. It was now fifteen minutes after track practice, and Hitomi was
anxious to ask Keith how his day went. She had been scouring the halls
now for ten minutes, and she was getting annoyed. I'm sure I told him
that we would walk home right after practice, but then, with all the excitement
of his first day, he probably forgot, she reasoned. Hitomi hadn't
seen Keith since the period before lunch, since their schedules differed and
she had had a meeting during lunch. She hadn't had the opportunity to
remind him since then.
Ahead of her she spotted a large group of girls talking. Hitomi decided
to ask them if they had seen Keith. As she walked closer, Hitomi began
hearing bits and pieces of their chatter.
"Did you see him yet? He is sooo cute!" one girl
squealed. The others squealed in agreement.
"Oh, and that's not all. He's friendly, and sweet, and
charming. I heard he's a whiz in class, and a wonderful athlete,"
another girl simpered, a dreamy expression on her face.
"He's PERFECT!!" the girls crooned in unison.
Hitomi walked faster, curious. Who were they talking about? She
stepped up to them. "Hi! I was wondering if you had seen my
friend, Keith. Oh, I was also wondering--who were you talking
about?"
"KEITH?!!!" they all squealed. "You know Keith?
That's who we were talking about!"
"You--can't be serious...you are serious?! Well...um...have
you seen him? We were supposed to be walking home ten minutes
ago," Hitomi stammered.
"Yeah, he's over there, talking to some of the guys," one of them
said, pointing. "Why are you walking home with him? Is he your
boyfriend or something?"
"No!" Hitomi almost shouted. "He's an exchange student
staying at my house. Besides, I already have a...never mind. Thanks
for your help. Bye!" Hitomi walked away quickly, not wanting
the girls to ask any more questions. Especially not questions about her
supposed boyfriend.
Suddenly, Hitomi saw something flutter down out of the corner of her eye.
She turned, and was barely able to catch a glimpse of it before it
disappeared. It...it can't be...what I think it is...can it? But
why? Why?
With those thoughts fluttering in her mind, Hitomi found Keith, who apologized
profusely to, in his opinion, a rather absentminded Hitomi as they walked
home. Keith noticed her unusual silence and asked gently,
"Hitomi? Is something wrong? Are you mad at me for making you
wait? I'm really sorry, and it'll never happen again. Please don't
be mad, Hitomi."
Hitomi turned to look at him and forced herself to smile. "No, I'm
not mad at you. It's nothing. I guess I'm just a little tired, is
all. Don't worry about me, I'm all right. Hey, look! We're
home. Mom's probably worried."
Keith nodded, following Hitomi through the gate. He couldn't help
feeling, however, that everything wasn't "all right" with Hitomi.
* * *
Hitomi stared at the phone. She had just taken a bath and was preparing
for bed. But there was still something troubling her. What the
heck, she thought, I might as well get some of it out of my system.
"Hello, Uchida residence. Yukari speaking."
"Hi, Yukari. It's me, Hitomi. Can we talk?"
* * *
"So they thought Keith was your boyfriend?! That's hilarious!"
Yukari laughed. "I don't see why that would be such a bad thing,
exactly."
"Yukari!"
"Well, he's smart, nice, and good at sports. Not to mention he's
really dreamy, with that chestnut colored hair and those intense blue
eyes. Hey, if I didn't have Amano, I'd go for him. Why don't
you, Hitomi? You don't have a boyfriend right now, and he's just
your type--into track and stuff," Yukari said slyly.
"Yukari, you've got a one-track mind. I don't even like him, at
least, not that way. I mean, he's just a friend. Besides, I just
met him!" As she said this, Hitomi thought to herself, Why don't
you like him? He's perfect in every way; everyone's dream guy.
Except mine. Hitomi bit her lip in concentration. What if I told
Yukari about him? She's my best friend. But---what if she doesn't
believe me? What if she laughs at me, or says that I should just get over
him? No. I can't tell anyone.
"Hitomeeee!" Yukari was singing over and over into the
phone. Apparently Hitomi had spent too much time thinking, and Yukari had
become impatient.
"Yukari, I'm sorry. It seems I can't concentrate on anything
recently. Like at dinner yesterday, and this morning, and..."
Hitomi began recalling to Yukari her absentminded antics, sending Yukari into
spiels of laughter. Soon after the two decided to end their conversation
and Hitomi went to bed, none of her concerns resolved, but feeling a bit better
anyway.
* * *
Keith was walking in front of her, his back towards her. Why was he not
answering her calls? Suddenly, figures appeared beside him---an armed
girl in black, a young man in blue, a dark-haired man in black, a cat woman, a
woman with light blond hair, a man dressed like a Knight Caeli, and a teenage
boy in a red shirt.
Hitomi gasped. VAN? She ran towards him, but a brilliant beam of
blue light came between them, growing until it engulfed him, her, and
everything around them.
She looked up. The earth and moon shone brightly in the velvet sky.
She was in Gaea. In the distance she could see....Escaflowne? It
towered above the trees, then---turned into a dragon and flew away. The
sky grew darker, and the earth and moon dissolved from the sky, only to be
replaced by a strange, frightening face bearing a grotesque, evil smile.
Hitomi was about to scream when a woman appeared, wearing a long, flowing white
kimono, with pale skin and silver hair. Hitomi sensed great power
emanating from the woman, but was unsure of what it was.
"My name is Achika, of the House of Jurai. The face you just saw was
Kain. He has come from another world through the gate of Atlantis in the
Mystic Valley, to Gaea. Kain seeks to tear apart Gaea, throwing it into
destruction." Achika showed Hitomi a series of images--Kain coming
through the gate, Kain finding his way to the defeated country of
Zaibach, Kain followed by troops of Guymelefs...
"Hitomi, you must stop this. Only you and your friends have the
power to defeat Kain."
Hitomi opened her eyes, she had closed them unconsciously after seeing the images
of Kain. There was Escaflowne in front of her once again, standing
between her and Zaibach troops. No, Hitomi thought, Van
doesn't want war. As Hitomi watched, Kain grew larger and larger, his
hate swallowing everything, including Escaflowne, changing it from white to
sinister black. NO!! Hitomi screamed. VAN!!!
Hitomi jolted up in bed, breathless and sweating. What was that?! she
thought. She closed her eyes, remembering the distorted, confusing
images. It was the sensation she had felt many times before, but had
thought was gone forever. Why? she thought desperately.
Why are my visions coming back now?
Author's
Note: Hehe! How do y'all like this part of the
story? It took me forever!!!!! I'm still working on getting her
to Gaea (which is inevitable, of course), but I am having difficulty getting
around to it. So many things keep getting in the way!! Oh--how do you
like Keith????? E-mail!!!!! I
would really really like some comments from people who are reading this fic
(just to boost my morale when I'm writing), so if you could write an e-mail
after you finish each chapter, I'd really appreciate it. You could write a really short one—"Great
Job!" (that is preferred) or "Ok story" or even "You suck!" or "Your story was
crap!" (even though I would like the first two better), just so that I know
what you all are thinking. Thanks! OH,
and since there are so many story lines going, I got totally confused for a
while and messed up the chapter order, which I'm still trying to figure out!!!
Oh well, all the story lines will merge soon enough… hopefully!