Ahhh...is this over? Find out!
~Broken Link~
~*Namida No Sora*~
The trip to Fanelia was long and uneventful. Dryden was courteous enough to hitch them a ride to Fanelia, where they would drop Van, Meruru and Hitomi off with Escaflowne. He and Millerna had been talking secretly in public, which Hitomi thought to be romantic. A love sewed on again after it had been savaged. Second chances.
She sighed as she looked out at the sky. She saw Van in the maintenace area, watching Dryden's men patch up Escaflowne once again. He had barely breathed a word at his direction for the entire duration of the trip, ever since Allan and she had a word about their impending friendship. She had never seen Van so devastated nor so unhappy in such a long time. She tried desperately to talk to him, but he would always find a way to avoid her or something; when she tried talking to him mentally, he would block her off.
He's angry at me, she concluded. But why?
"Hitomi?"
She turned around to see Allan standing by the door of the bridge balcony above the maintenance area. He was now clean-cut and in a pair of trousers and a white shirt. He had trimmed his beard and cropped his hair shorter... a lot shorter.
"Your hair, Allan---" she began.
He smiled softly. "I decided to go for a new look," he explained shyly before drawing himself up manly-like and changing the tone of voice. "What are you doing up here, Hitomi? Millerna has been going hysterical looking for you. She's asking for advice about what gown to wear."
She turned away from Allan and looked back down again.
"You're thinking about him, huh?"
She nodded bleakly.
"It's okay, Hitomi," he said calmly. "He's barely breathed a word to me, either. Every time I try to speak, he finds a way to get loose. He's acting like a mouse, and no matter how much you try to capture or outsmart him, he outsmarts the smart ones." He shook his head. "I don't understand---I tried to apoligize for earlier, but that didn't work either. It's like he's closed himself from the world---"
Van looked up at them. Hitomi's eyes locked with Van's dark eyes and for a moment, she felt a very intense connection with him. The moments stretched out towards eternity before he turned away harshly and stalked off the area, breaking the connection.
"I have to talk to him," she said softly. "Somehow."
"Thank you, Hitomi, for helping me with everything," Millerna said, hugging her dear friend. "It's a shame you can't come to the marriage ceremony---again. I hope you have a safe trip home. Remember us, okay?"
"Of course, Millerna."
She stepped aside and Dryden patted her on the head, for he was still a lot taller than her. He smiled down at her and said, "It's good to see you again, Hitomi," he said gruffly. "Yeah, as Millerna said, it is a shame that you won't be able to come to our wedding, but you have other things to worry. Many blessings, Hitomi."
"Thank you, Dryden. And congratulations."
He walked over to Millerna, leaving Hitomi was Allan. Allan embraced Hitomi, saying, "I will miss you, Hitomi," he said softly. "Why---I'm already missing you. I know that we can never be, but as friends, I must say that I wish you all the best. Talk to Van before you go; I think he really needs someone right now. Goodbye, Hitomi."
"Goodbye, Allan."
Van, Meruru and Hitomi watched as Dryden's ship went up and set course back to Asturia, Millerna, Dryden and Allan waving goodbye to Hitomi and saying thank you to Van for helping them stop the new Zaibach sect.
"Um---I have to go," Meruru said, rushing off.
"Wait, Meruru!" Van shouted after her.
"Meruru!" Hitomi yelled angrily at the same time.
But the cat girl was gone, and Hitomi was left standing with Van. I might as well give it a go, Hitomi thought as she turned to Van and said, "Van, please, listen to me, I---"
"I don't want to hear it," he grunted coldly, turning away.
"Van, listen to me," she pleaded, tears involuntarily spilling from her eyes and down her cheeks. "If you think there's something going on between me and Allan, you're wrong. I know that this may look like a get-on kinda thing, but it isn't. I don't love him despite the idea that he loves me is still some sort of revelation. I love you, Van, you, not Allan."
He shook his head. "You don't understand."
"Do I?" she countered back angrily.
He took one glance at her, one meaningful glance. Hitomi suddenly felt a rush of memories, overwhelming thoughts and sensations, as though her brain waves were linked with his. She felt fear, cold, lonliness. It was all over before she could grasp the meaning for he turning away.
"Van?" she asked, perplexed.
"You're going to go away again," he said sadly, the child within him stronger than ever. "I'll be all alone here again with nothing but memories and regrets and the whole bloody bunch. I don't want to...I don't want to live life like that." He sighed. "I can't ask you to stay...that would be selfish. It's your choice."
She felt sadly touched. "You're not telling me everything, are you?"
He sighed. "I guess you can tell," he said, remotely tired and on the brink of insanity. "Belgaus told me a long time ago, when you first came, about the Mystic Moon. He told me that somehow, we were destined to meet on your world, and that there was something strong about you. He told me that even if we were binded together as we are now, we can never truly be together because..." He trailed off.
"Van!" she pleaded, grabbing onto his arm. "Tell me!"
He looked down at her and touched her face. He gulped. "You're my equal and my opposite, Hitomi," he told her gently. "But it's important that you maintain the balance of your world with mine. Catastrophe...unspeakable catastrophe would occur if you stay here...let's say...forever." He sighed, much more heavier as the information got worse. "We're like a string connecting both worlds together...you're one end and I'm the other end. If I go to your world for a long period of time, Gaea will be lost. If you stay here for the same length, the Mystic Moon will be lost." He laughed harshly. "There's always a catch in things---now you know how important it is to stay in your world. Not for my sake, or your sake, or your family's sake, but for everyone's sake, both in this world and yours."
She looked away. Unspeakable catastrophe...
"I'm sorry," Van offered weakly. "I shouldn't have told you..."
She turned back to him. "No," she said softly. "It's okay...I'm glad you told me." She shrugged helplessly. "I guess there is no such thing as a happy ending in this case, huh? I stay, the world crumbles beneath our feet. I go, and we would never be together. It's a no-win situation." She choked back a sob in her throat.
Silence.
"M-Maybe, there's a way."
Hitomi looked up. "Huh?"
"U-Use your gift. Find someone on Earth that might have a gift, like you," Van said, each word becoming more and more confident. "The first time you came here, the Mystic Moon didn't fall onto Gaea...yes, I know that you didn't stay very long there...here...whatever...but I think there might be someone on the Mystic Moon who is also a reciever." He then gave a weak smile and a shrug. "It might work."
She bobbed her head and closed her eyes, swinging the pendant. Find me the one on the Mystic Moon that has the ability, she thought in her mind. Project me the image of the one that can help me maintain the balance...the end of the string...show me the line that connects the world...show me the one who can anchor the worlds...please...
Earth. Tokyo. The track where Hitomi had ran just days before...A girl with shoulder-length brown hair looking out, holding the stack of tarot cards as the wind blew on her face and played with her hair...
"Shuken?!"
Van blinked. "Who?"
"Shuken," she said breathlessly. "My classmate back home. She's the one that could maintain the balance! She must've been the one who had maintained the balance years ago, when I first came here!" She smiled happily at Van. "See Van?! As long as she remains on Earth, we can always be together! You'll never be lonely again..."
"Is that what you want, Hitomi?"
"It's what you want, right?"
"Yeah, but you'll have to leave everyone behind..." he stated softly.
She never thought of that, leaving her mother and her friends behind... did she want that? But I love Van, she reasoned. I don't want to lose him again...never again...She closed her eyes and swung the pendant once again, trying to make contact with Shuken.
Memories and sensations started to rush in as she began to take a journey through time and space. She felt time spin counter-clockwise as she saw a young girl of fifteen in a temple, dressed in traditional clothing. Hitomi went wide-eyed; it was Shuken. She watched as Shuken dropped to the floor suddenly, yelping. Hitomi could see a strand of blue light attach her to the sky...
...at the same time, Hitomi left with Van towards Gaea. Hitomi felt herself slip; the feelings were too strong. She shook her head and concentrated much more deeply.
Think of the tracks...
Tokyo, Japan, Earth
Shuken stood in front of the silent track field, looking towards the setting sun into the cloudy skies. The wind blew huskily as she pulled her track jacket closer to her, careful not to drop the stack of tarot cards in her hand, just like what had happened only days before.
She kept replaying the last moments when Hitomi was there...the channel from the sky shooting down...the whole world turning blue from the amazing energy that was being released...a thousand speckles of light surrounding Hitomi like a choir of angels lifting her towards Heaven...disappearing...
She also remembered the moments that had followed that. Amano and Yukari pulling into the track and demanding where the light had came from and where Hitomi was. She could remember Yukari's face streaming with tears and yelling at her for not stopping her.
Hitomi's mother, was a different story. She had such a calm face of understanding, of acknowledgement. As if she knew what her daughter was getting into and that she didn't need her help. Shuken never felt so helpless, so void since...since...
...since she collapsed in the temple years ago.
Shuken clenched her fist. "Dammit, Hitomi-chan! Why did you had to go?"
"Shuken..." came a weak voice.
"Hitomi? Why...I can see you!" she cried, suddenly seeing a ghostly picture appear before her. Shoulder-length honey brown hair, wide eyes..."What happened? Are you---"
"No," Hitomi replied. "I'm on Gaea, a world similar to Earth. Listen to me, Shuken. You are the only one who understands but you are part of a balance between the world you are in and the world I am standing on. You see, I'm not returning."
"But Hitomi! What about your mother? Yukari?"
Hitomi fought the tears. "Tell my mother," she said sadly, "that I love her very much and that I will visit her whenever I can. Tell Yukari that I'm sorry and that I wish her much luck with Amano. I'm so sorry I won't be able to stay with all of you, but this is worth much more..."
"But Hitomi---"
"Shuken, have you ever been in love with someone so much, you would risk everything in your life, everything you ever had, every moment of being successful or being promising just for that one person?" Hitomi asked, her voice breaking up slowly. "Have you...ever dreamed that you would be together, but could never be truly together because of a barrier? Then you have this chance to be with that person forever...would you go for it, or hang back because of a few small things?"
Shuken said nothing.
"Please," Hitomi begged. "If you are my friend...you'll do it. For my sake."
Shuken nodded empathically. "I understand, Hitomi-chan. Sayonara!"
"Until we meet again, Shuken-chan!"
Fanelia, Gaea
The wind blew across the sweeping landscape that stretched across the horizon before Fanelia. The sun was now setting dazily into the horizon, the colours streaming like an oil painting as the Mystic Moon hovered nearby, like two globes of silver.
Van caught Hitomi from collapsing onto the ground. He helped her up and maintain her balance before she stood up straight, gasping for breath, tears streaming down her face, still clutching tightly the pendant that Van had, that her grandmother had, that Allan's father had, that Van's people had forged from their skilled hands...
"I can't believe you did that, Hitomi," Van said softly, shaking his head. "I know you love your family there...and all over me...no, no, no...why did you do that, Hitomi? Why? Now you're here...what can you do? This isn't your world. I can't ask you to stay."
Hitomi smiled mutely before embracing him tightly. "But I stayed here by my choice, Van," she explained softly to his ear. "I love you enough to give up my life, my link, my future on Earth to be here. To live my life here. To finally rekindle the link here. For you to be part of my future."
The wind blew again, sharply towards them.
"I'm never letting you go again, Hitomi," Van told her. "Never."
"Aishiteru, Van," she told him earnestly.
"Aishiteru, Hitomi."
They looked at each other for a brief moment. In their eyes, they both saw their future, the future of Gaea, their future together, from the beginning to the end. With a strange feeling of rebirth inside them, they kissed before looking up towards the techni-colour sky as the sun dropped slowly into the horizon. There, amidst the feathery clouds accompanied by the twinkling stars, was the Mystic Moon.
***Now I just heard/
The news today/
It seems my life/
Is going to change/
I closed my eyes/
Began to pray/
And tears of joy/
Spring down my face***
~"With Arms Wide Open", Creed
~End of Story
I've enjoyed writing this---did u enjoy reading it? R&R and lemme know!
~Broken Link~
~*Namida No Sora*~
The trip to Fanelia was long and uneventful. Dryden was courteous enough to hitch them a ride to Fanelia, where they would drop Van, Meruru and Hitomi off with Escaflowne. He and Millerna had been talking secretly in public, which Hitomi thought to be romantic. A love sewed on again after it had been savaged. Second chances.
She sighed as she looked out at the sky. She saw Van in the maintenace area, watching Dryden's men patch up Escaflowne once again. He had barely breathed a word at his direction for the entire duration of the trip, ever since Allan and she had a word about their impending friendship. She had never seen Van so devastated nor so unhappy in such a long time. She tried desperately to talk to him, but he would always find a way to avoid her or something; when she tried talking to him mentally, he would block her off.
He's angry at me, she concluded. But why?
"Hitomi?"
She turned around to see Allan standing by the door of the bridge balcony above the maintenance area. He was now clean-cut and in a pair of trousers and a white shirt. He had trimmed his beard and cropped his hair shorter... a lot shorter.
"Your hair, Allan---" she began.
He smiled softly. "I decided to go for a new look," he explained shyly before drawing himself up manly-like and changing the tone of voice. "What are you doing up here, Hitomi? Millerna has been going hysterical looking for you. She's asking for advice about what gown to wear."
She turned away from Allan and looked back down again.
"You're thinking about him, huh?"
She nodded bleakly.
"It's okay, Hitomi," he said calmly. "He's barely breathed a word to me, either. Every time I try to speak, he finds a way to get loose. He's acting like a mouse, and no matter how much you try to capture or outsmart him, he outsmarts the smart ones." He shook his head. "I don't understand---I tried to apoligize for earlier, but that didn't work either. It's like he's closed himself from the world---"
Van looked up at them. Hitomi's eyes locked with Van's dark eyes and for a moment, she felt a very intense connection with him. The moments stretched out towards eternity before he turned away harshly and stalked off the area, breaking the connection.
"I have to talk to him," she said softly. "Somehow."
"Thank you, Hitomi, for helping me with everything," Millerna said, hugging her dear friend. "It's a shame you can't come to the marriage ceremony---again. I hope you have a safe trip home. Remember us, okay?"
"Of course, Millerna."
She stepped aside and Dryden patted her on the head, for he was still a lot taller than her. He smiled down at her and said, "It's good to see you again, Hitomi," he said gruffly. "Yeah, as Millerna said, it is a shame that you won't be able to come to our wedding, but you have other things to worry. Many blessings, Hitomi."
"Thank you, Dryden. And congratulations."
He walked over to Millerna, leaving Hitomi was Allan. Allan embraced Hitomi, saying, "I will miss you, Hitomi," he said softly. "Why---I'm already missing you. I know that we can never be, but as friends, I must say that I wish you all the best. Talk to Van before you go; I think he really needs someone right now. Goodbye, Hitomi."
"Goodbye, Allan."
Van, Meruru and Hitomi watched as Dryden's ship went up and set course back to Asturia, Millerna, Dryden and Allan waving goodbye to Hitomi and saying thank you to Van for helping them stop the new Zaibach sect.
"Um---I have to go," Meruru said, rushing off.
"Wait, Meruru!" Van shouted after her.
"Meruru!" Hitomi yelled angrily at the same time.
But the cat girl was gone, and Hitomi was left standing with Van. I might as well give it a go, Hitomi thought as she turned to Van and said, "Van, please, listen to me, I---"
"I don't want to hear it," he grunted coldly, turning away.
"Van, listen to me," she pleaded, tears involuntarily spilling from her eyes and down her cheeks. "If you think there's something going on between me and Allan, you're wrong. I know that this may look like a get-on kinda thing, but it isn't. I don't love him despite the idea that he loves me is still some sort of revelation. I love you, Van, you, not Allan."
He shook his head. "You don't understand."
"Do I?" she countered back angrily.
He took one glance at her, one meaningful glance. Hitomi suddenly felt a rush of memories, overwhelming thoughts and sensations, as though her brain waves were linked with his. She felt fear, cold, lonliness. It was all over before she could grasp the meaning for he turning away.
"Van?" she asked, perplexed.
"You're going to go away again," he said sadly, the child within him stronger than ever. "I'll be all alone here again with nothing but memories and regrets and the whole bloody bunch. I don't want to...I don't want to live life like that." He sighed. "I can't ask you to stay...that would be selfish. It's your choice."
She felt sadly touched. "You're not telling me everything, are you?"
He sighed. "I guess you can tell," he said, remotely tired and on the brink of insanity. "Belgaus told me a long time ago, when you first came, about the Mystic Moon. He told me that somehow, we were destined to meet on your world, and that there was something strong about you. He told me that even if we were binded together as we are now, we can never truly be together because..." He trailed off.
"Van!" she pleaded, grabbing onto his arm. "Tell me!"
He looked down at her and touched her face. He gulped. "You're my equal and my opposite, Hitomi," he told her gently. "But it's important that you maintain the balance of your world with mine. Catastrophe...unspeakable catastrophe would occur if you stay here...let's say...forever." He sighed, much more heavier as the information got worse. "We're like a string connecting both worlds together...you're one end and I'm the other end. If I go to your world for a long period of time, Gaea will be lost. If you stay here for the same length, the Mystic Moon will be lost." He laughed harshly. "There's always a catch in things---now you know how important it is to stay in your world. Not for my sake, or your sake, or your family's sake, but for everyone's sake, both in this world and yours."
She looked away. Unspeakable catastrophe...
"I'm sorry," Van offered weakly. "I shouldn't have told you..."
She turned back to him. "No," she said softly. "It's okay...I'm glad you told me." She shrugged helplessly. "I guess there is no such thing as a happy ending in this case, huh? I stay, the world crumbles beneath our feet. I go, and we would never be together. It's a no-win situation." She choked back a sob in her throat.
Silence.
"M-Maybe, there's a way."
Hitomi looked up. "Huh?"
"U-Use your gift. Find someone on Earth that might have a gift, like you," Van said, each word becoming more and more confident. "The first time you came here, the Mystic Moon didn't fall onto Gaea...yes, I know that you didn't stay very long there...here...whatever...but I think there might be someone on the Mystic Moon who is also a reciever." He then gave a weak smile and a shrug. "It might work."
She bobbed her head and closed her eyes, swinging the pendant. Find me the one on the Mystic Moon that has the ability, she thought in her mind. Project me the image of the one that can help me maintain the balance...the end of the string...show me the line that connects the world...show me the one who can anchor the worlds...please...
Earth. Tokyo. The track where Hitomi had ran just days before...A girl with shoulder-length brown hair looking out, holding the stack of tarot cards as the wind blew on her face and played with her hair...
"Shuken?!"
Van blinked. "Who?"
"Shuken," she said breathlessly. "My classmate back home. She's the one that could maintain the balance! She must've been the one who had maintained the balance years ago, when I first came here!" She smiled happily at Van. "See Van?! As long as she remains on Earth, we can always be together! You'll never be lonely again..."
"Is that what you want, Hitomi?"
"It's what you want, right?"
"Yeah, but you'll have to leave everyone behind..." he stated softly.
She never thought of that, leaving her mother and her friends behind... did she want that? But I love Van, she reasoned. I don't want to lose him again...never again...She closed her eyes and swung the pendant once again, trying to make contact with Shuken.
Memories and sensations started to rush in as she began to take a journey through time and space. She felt time spin counter-clockwise as she saw a young girl of fifteen in a temple, dressed in traditional clothing. Hitomi went wide-eyed; it was Shuken. She watched as Shuken dropped to the floor suddenly, yelping. Hitomi could see a strand of blue light attach her to the sky...
...at the same time, Hitomi left with Van towards Gaea. Hitomi felt herself slip; the feelings were too strong. She shook her head and concentrated much more deeply.
Think of the tracks...
Tokyo, Japan, Earth
Shuken stood in front of the silent track field, looking towards the setting sun into the cloudy skies. The wind blew huskily as she pulled her track jacket closer to her, careful not to drop the stack of tarot cards in her hand, just like what had happened only days before.
She kept replaying the last moments when Hitomi was there...the channel from the sky shooting down...the whole world turning blue from the amazing energy that was being released...a thousand speckles of light surrounding Hitomi like a choir of angels lifting her towards Heaven...disappearing...
She also remembered the moments that had followed that. Amano and Yukari pulling into the track and demanding where the light had came from and where Hitomi was. She could remember Yukari's face streaming with tears and yelling at her for not stopping her.
Hitomi's mother, was a different story. She had such a calm face of understanding, of acknowledgement. As if she knew what her daughter was getting into and that she didn't need her help. Shuken never felt so helpless, so void since...since...
...since she collapsed in the temple years ago.
Shuken clenched her fist. "Dammit, Hitomi-chan! Why did you had to go?"
"Shuken..." came a weak voice.
"Hitomi? Why...I can see you!" she cried, suddenly seeing a ghostly picture appear before her. Shoulder-length honey brown hair, wide eyes..."What happened? Are you---"
"No," Hitomi replied. "I'm on Gaea, a world similar to Earth. Listen to me, Shuken. You are the only one who understands but you are part of a balance between the world you are in and the world I am standing on. You see, I'm not returning."
"But Hitomi! What about your mother? Yukari?"
Hitomi fought the tears. "Tell my mother," she said sadly, "that I love her very much and that I will visit her whenever I can. Tell Yukari that I'm sorry and that I wish her much luck with Amano. I'm so sorry I won't be able to stay with all of you, but this is worth much more..."
"But Hitomi---"
"Shuken, have you ever been in love with someone so much, you would risk everything in your life, everything you ever had, every moment of being successful or being promising just for that one person?" Hitomi asked, her voice breaking up slowly. "Have you...ever dreamed that you would be together, but could never be truly together because of a barrier? Then you have this chance to be with that person forever...would you go for it, or hang back because of a few small things?"
Shuken said nothing.
"Please," Hitomi begged. "If you are my friend...you'll do it. For my sake."
Shuken nodded empathically. "I understand, Hitomi-chan. Sayonara!"
"Until we meet again, Shuken-chan!"
Fanelia, Gaea
The wind blew across the sweeping landscape that stretched across the horizon before Fanelia. The sun was now setting dazily into the horizon, the colours streaming like an oil painting as the Mystic Moon hovered nearby, like two globes of silver.
Van caught Hitomi from collapsing onto the ground. He helped her up and maintain her balance before she stood up straight, gasping for breath, tears streaming down her face, still clutching tightly the pendant that Van had, that her grandmother had, that Allan's father had, that Van's people had forged from their skilled hands...
"I can't believe you did that, Hitomi," Van said softly, shaking his head. "I know you love your family there...and all over me...no, no, no...why did you do that, Hitomi? Why? Now you're here...what can you do? This isn't your world. I can't ask you to stay."
Hitomi smiled mutely before embracing him tightly. "But I stayed here by my choice, Van," she explained softly to his ear. "I love you enough to give up my life, my link, my future on Earth to be here. To live my life here. To finally rekindle the link here. For you to be part of my future."
The wind blew again, sharply towards them.
"I'm never letting you go again, Hitomi," Van told her. "Never."
"Aishiteru, Van," she told him earnestly.
"Aishiteru, Hitomi."
They looked at each other for a brief moment. In their eyes, they both saw their future, the future of Gaea, their future together, from the beginning to the end. With a strange feeling of rebirth inside them, they kissed before looking up towards the techni-colour sky as the sun dropped slowly into the horizon. There, amidst the feathery clouds accompanied by the twinkling stars, was the Mystic Moon.
***Now I just heard/
The news today/
It seems my life/
Is going to change/
I closed my eyes/
Began to pray/
And tears of joy/
Spring down my face***
~"With Arms Wide Open", Creed
~End of Story
I've enjoyed writing this---did u enjoy reading it? R&R and lemme know!
