Disclaimers: We know the drill. I don't own Escaflowne, but it sure does own me!! Arrgghhh!!!
Dang. I've been checking the reviews (thanks a bunch- I'm so glad you people are reading and reviewing~!! But what's with the 'I hate Allen' angle? I think he's cyoote~!! Haanyaan~!! ^:^
Chapter Three: Burden
Hitomi couldn't take it anymore. She ran as far from the castle as her legs would carry her, and right now she could easily consider herself lost. Mother Nature must've been in tune with Hitomi's feelings- as soon as she ran out of the palace grounds crying, rain started to pour all over Gaia. Hitomi's dress was soaked and caked in mud, the sneakers she wore under her dress were soaked, and her feet were slowly getting numb from the cold. She shivered as strong winds pummeled tree tops and branches- she covered her face as the rain mixed with the wind, making every drop feel as sharp as needles. She walked blindly around the forest, praying that the rain and winds would die down soon.
Meanwhile, Allen and his crew were searching all over Asturia for Hitomi. Three hours had passed since someone had last seen her, and their fears grew as the skies became darker. Merle and Millerna waited in the castle, silently praying for Hitomi's safe return. Allen mentally cursed himself for making her so upset. Thoughts of Zaibach, robbers, killers and rapists ran through his mind. If anything happened to Hitomi, he would never forgive himself.
'Hitomi- where are you? I'm sorry. Please come back where it's safe.' He brushed the wet strands of hair from his face as he ordered his men to search harder. He looked above as Escaflowne's dragon-form loomed overhead. "Hitomi- I will find you, even if I have to search forever." (Sorry for that line... oh geez, I am retching now.)
'Hitomi- how can you be so stubborn?' thought Van, as he wove his way through the forest. He rubbed the water out of his eyes as he scanned the grounds of the forest. He had to find her and bring her back to the castle. There were reports that Zaibachian flying fortresses were nearby. With Allen and Van away from the castle, the Asturian army was vulnerable to any surprise attack. They had to find Hitomi and prepare to defend Asturia.
Hitomi hid under the branches of one of the trees, shaking violently from the cold. She ungracefully plopped herself on the floor- the dress, though very pretty, held water like a sponge, and seemed to weigh a ton. She buried her head in her hands and began to weep. She was torn. On one hand, she was Allen's girlfriend. The title made her loyal to him. He was brave, gallant, noble, gentle, caring, but overbearing and jealous. On the other hand, there was Van. Stubborn, at times aggravating, moody, impatient, but sensitive and something else... she couldn't quite put a finger on it. 'Beautiful,' she thought, thinking of his wings. She blushed- did she just think that? Instantly she wasn't cold anymore. The rain stopped pouring and Hitomi looked up to see the Mystic Moon shining directly above her. Then she noticed Escaflowne flying above. Her heart began to beat faster. "VAN!" she cried. "VAN!!"
Van looked below and found Hitomi waving her arms frantically. He looked for a spot to land Escaflowne as Hitomi ran towards him. Van was shocked when Hitomi wrapped her arms around his waist. "Hitomi..."
"Van," she whispered softly, her head against his chest. "I thought I..."
Her words were interrupted when Allen and his men raced out to the clearing. "HITOMI!" Startled, Van and Hitomi jumped out of each other's arms before Allen hugged Hitomi tightly. "Hitomi, I almost thought I would never see you again. I kept praying and hoping you would be safe. Just promise me you'll never leave me like that," he said, tears cascading down his face. "I don't know what I would do without you. Don't leave me, ever."
Hitomi looked stricken. Allen was crying, because of her. Worse yet, Van had a pained expression on his face from seeing Allen's arms around her. 'Why am I always hurting the ones I care about most? Allen... Van... I'm sorry. This is going to be for the best.'
With tears in her eyes, she gently pushed herself away from a confused Allen. Hitomi's pendant began to glow as a bright column of light descended upon the Asturian forest. As Hitomi was being pulled upward, she could see Allen trying to reach for her while screaming out her name. Van's wings tore out of his back as he flew towards Hitomi.
Van flew as fast as he could to keep up with her. "Hitomi," he panted, "Please." His wings flapped even harder. "Hitomi, I love you. I have always loved you. But if Allen makes you happy, I won't interfere. Please. I can't risk losing your friendship. Stay." It hurt Van to see Hitomi cry. 'Please, Hitomi- I need you. Even if you go back to Allen, I will love you always.' He stretched his arm out as far as he could, hoping that Hitomi would take it.
Hitomi looked at his hand, her heart turning queerly in her chest. And slowly, she reached out. Their fingers brushed against each other, and when Van saw that he could possibly lose her, his wings violently pushed against the air until he had a secure hold of Hitomi. They were locked in a tight embrace as the column evaporated.
As they came down, Hitomi could feel Allen's eyes burning through her. She pulled herself out of Van's embrace and looked at the two men. Before Allen could say anything, Hitomi asked if they could head back. She would talk to Allen and Van later, but right now, she wanted to put on some dry clothes and get some food.
Dang. I've been checking the reviews (thanks a bunch- I'm so glad you people are reading and reviewing~!! But what's with the 'I hate Allen' angle? I think he's cyoote~!! Haanyaan~!! ^:^
Chapter Three: Burden
Hitomi couldn't take it anymore. She ran as far from the castle as her legs would carry her, and right now she could easily consider herself lost. Mother Nature must've been in tune with Hitomi's feelings- as soon as she ran out of the palace grounds crying, rain started to pour all over Gaia. Hitomi's dress was soaked and caked in mud, the sneakers she wore under her dress were soaked, and her feet were slowly getting numb from the cold. She shivered as strong winds pummeled tree tops and branches- she covered her face as the rain mixed with the wind, making every drop feel as sharp as needles. She walked blindly around the forest, praying that the rain and winds would die down soon.
Meanwhile, Allen and his crew were searching all over Asturia for Hitomi. Three hours had passed since someone had last seen her, and their fears grew as the skies became darker. Merle and Millerna waited in the castle, silently praying for Hitomi's safe return. Allen mentally cursed himself for making her so upset. Thoughts of Zaibach, robbers, killers and rapists ran through his mind. If anything happened to Hitomi, he would never forgive himself.
'Hitomi- where are you? I'm sorry. Please come back where it's safe.' He brushed the wet strands of hair from his face as he ordered his men to search harder. He looked above as Escaflowne's dragon-form loomed overhead. "Hitomi- I will find you, even if I have to search forever." (Sorry for that line... oh geez, I am retching now.)
'Hitomi- how can you be so stubborn?' thought Van, as he wove his way through the forest. He rubbed the water out of his eyes as he scanned the grounds of the forest. He had to find her and bring her back to the castle. There were reports that Zaibachian flying fortresses were nearby. With Allen and Van away from the castle, the Asturian army was vulnerable to any surprise attack. They had to find Hitomi and prepare to defend Asturia.
Hitomi hid under the branches of one of the trees, shaking violently from the cold. She ungracefully plopped herself on the floor- the dress, though very pretty, held water like a sponge, and seemed to weigh a ton. She buried her head in her hands and began to weep. She was torn. On one hand, she was Allen's girlfriend. The title made her loyal to him. He was brave, gallant, noble, gentle, caring, but overbearing and jealous. On the other hand, there was Van. Stubborn, at times aggravating, moody, impatient, but sensitive and something else... she couldn't quite put a finger on it. 'Beautiful,' she thought, thinking of his wings. She blushed- did she just think that? Instantly she wasn't cold anymore. The rain stopped pouring and Hitomi looked up to see the Mystic Moon shining directly above her. Then she noticed Escaflowne flying above. Her heart began to beat faster. "VAN!" she cried. "VAN!!"
Van looked below and found Hitomi waving her arms frantically. He looked for a spot to land Escaflowne as Hitomi ran towards him. Van was shocked when Hitomi wrapped her arms around his waist. "Hitomi..."
"Van," she whispered softly, her head against his chest. "I thought I..."
Her words were interrupted when Allen and his men raced out to the clearing. "HITOMI!" Startled, Van and Hitomi jumped out of each other's arms before Allen hugged Hitomi tightly. "Hitomi, I almost thought I would never see you again. I kept praying and hoping you would be safe. Just promise me you'll never leave me like that," he said, tears cascading down his face. "I don't know what I would do without you. Don't leave me, ever."
Hitomi looked stricken. Allen was crying, because of her. Worse yet, Van had a pained expression on his face from seeing Allen's arms around her. 'Why am I always hurting the ones I care about most? Allen... Van... I'm sorry. This is going to be for the best.'
With tears in her eyes, she gently pushed herself away from a confused Allen. Hitomi's pendant began to glow as a bright column of light descended upon the Asturian forest. As Hitomi was being pulled upward, she could see Allen trying to reach for her while screaming out her name. Van's wings tore out of his back as he flew towards Hitomi.
Van flew as fast as he could to keep up with her. "Hitomi," he panted, "Please." His wings flapped even harder. "Hitomi, I love you. I have always loved you. But if Allen makes you happy, I won't interfere. Please. I can't risk losing your friendship. Stay." It hurt Van to see Hitomi cry. 'Please, Hitomi- I need you. Even if you go back to Allen, I will love you always.' He stretched his arm out as far as he could, hoping that Hitomi would take it.
Hitomi looked at his hand, her heart turning queerly in her chest. And slowly, she reached out. Their fingers brushed against each other, and when Van saw that he could possibly lose her, his wings violently pushed against the air until he had a secure hold of Hitomi. They were locked in a tight embrace as the column evaporated.
As they came down, Hitomi could feel Allen's eyes burning through her. She pulled herself out of Van's embrace and looked at the two men. Before Allen could say anything, Hitomi asked if they could head back. She would talk to Allen and Van later, but right now, she wanted to put on some dry clothes and get some food.