Chapter 22: Goodbyes
Hitomi stood once again on a grassy hillside. The serenity of the dream was a stark contrast to the battle she had just been in and she inhaled, feeling the peacefulness invade her senses. The children she had seen before were closer now and the sight of their joy made a laugh bubble up from inside of her. He swallowed it, though and looked around. Instead of many paths leading away from her this time, there were only a few. She turned to the man standing at her side and smiled. Folken gave her a gentle smile in return, saying, "Your path is becoming clearer to you. Don't worry. Your decisions, although painful now, will grow easier in time. But now you had better go. Someone is calling you."
Hitomi turned and saw Van close to her with a worried expression on his face. He was mouthing something, but she could not hear it. Turning back to Folken, she saw that he was far down the path he had taken before. She waved to him and stepped towards Van.
Van brushed Hitomi's face with his fingers. "Please wake up," he begged again. She stirred, and drawing in a deep breath, opened her eyes. She looked at him in wonder and her eyes traced the outline of his wings. She smiled and said, "I love your wings."
"I love you," said Van.
They smiled foolishly at each other before Hitomi abruptly came to her senses. Alarmed, she gasped "Van, your wings!" as she looked past him to where Yukari stood in shock, staring at them, the wings, and the white dragon that had landed between them and the flaming wreck of the enemy guymelef. Van glanced at Yukari, then shrugged and smiled at Hitomi. She laughed and hugged him close. He helped her to her feet and gazed at her, unable to find words to express how he felt now that she was safe. He was never good with words.
Unable to speak, he wrapped her in his arms, needing to feel her and convince himself that she was unharmed. She hugged him tightly, pressing herself to his chest. His skin was warm under her cheek and she felt the thrum of his heartbeat. They stood in silence, locked in each other's arms. Finally they parted, Hitomi staying in the warm circle of Van's embrace as they turned towards Yukari, who was still in shock.
"This is Van," Hitomi said as an introduction to Yukari. Yukari closed her eyes and rubbed them. When she opened them again, the wings had disappeared. "Have we met before?" Yukari asked cautiously, experiencing déjà vu yet again. Hitomi laughed at her and repeated Yukari's words for Van. He chuckled and grinned at Yukari, who smiled tentatively in return.
"Why doesn't she remember last time? How could she forget the dragon? Why was she here waiting for you?" he asked Hitomi.
"Um, this is when I left," She answered, looking around. "It seems I always come back near the time I left, despite how much time passed on Gaea. The first time I came back, it was the day before. The second time it was three days after. I don't know why she doesn't remember. Neither did Amano. The guy who was here last time," she amended at his puzzled look.
Van tried to reason it out, then gave up. He smiled down at the woman sheltered in his arms, happy for the moment just to be in her presence.
Hitomi smiled back at him, then swallowed hard and step away from the comfort of his arms. She steeled her heart against the protests to come and said. "Fanelia needs you. Your people are going to be looking for you after the attack."
Van's smile faltered and he felt his heart sink. "Viole is gone. You can come back with me."
Hitomi shook her head. "No. I told you, I couldn't leave my family and friends without an explanation. It wouldn't be right. How would you feel if I had done that to you? Left without telling you?"
Van stared at her, a pained expression on his face. He tore his gaze away and stared at the ground. Finally he said wretchedly "You are being so responsible. I'm supposed to be the strong one."
Yukari quietly interrupted, confused. "Hitomi, how can you understand him? He is not speaking our language. Why would you be leaving? What is going on?" She looked back and forth between them, struggling to comprehend the reason behind the despair on her friend's face.
Hitomi didn't respond, as tears formed in her eyes. She collapsed back into Van's arms, illogically wanting him to argue with her, to force her to go back. But he had accepted her decision despite the pain. Suddenly she looked up.
"Two years." she said firmly, her voice cracking.
Van looked confused, "What happens in two years?"
"That is when I finish my degree. It's not that long and by then I can tell my friends and family I am leaving. We have waited five years, what's another two? If you come back then, I will be ready, barring more dragonslayers returning from the dead to seek revenge."
Van stared at her in disbelief tinged with hope. He opened and closed his mouth, finally replying huskily "I will be here. To the hour. I am holding you to that."
She laughed, forcing it over the lump in her throat. "You'd better come dressed in your best. I want to be married here before we go."
Joy filled Van's eyes. Smiling though tears ran down her cheeks, Hitomi said, "I will be waiting." He leaned down and kissed her, memorizing the feel of her in his arms and the taste of her on his lips.
Van released her and stood back, knowing that if he did not leave quickly he would not want to leave her at all. He jumped onto Escaflowne's back and the dragon leapt into the sky, circling around the field to grab the destroyed guymelef. He turned the dragon for one last look at Hitomi, her hair and clothes whipping around in the wind. Then he shot up into the sky, disappearing in a blaze of light. Hitomi strained her eyes to watch him until there was nothing left except the moon and stars just beginning to glow in the sky.
Yukari blinked her eyes to make sure she was not seeing things. "Convenient," She said, slightly hysterical. "Now no one will believe me when I explain how the track got all those holes in it." Hitomi laughed sadly at the comment and looked over the destroyed field. Then she turned towards Yukari, who was staring at her expectantly.
"You have a lot of explaining to do. And don't think you can get out of it like last time. Let us adjourn to the nearest dessert shop, where you can tell me every detail." Yukari ordered her. "And wherever did you get that dress?"
Hitomi laughed again, suddenly a lot happier. She walked over to where her scuffed and dirty bag was laying and grinned at the weight of the books in it. "At least I have some evidence!" she thought merrily as she slung the bag over her shoulder and turned to link her good arm through Yukari's. Leading Yukari away from the school, Hitomi said, "At least you remembered it this time. And if you hadn't just seen it, you wouldn't believe it."
They laughed together and walked away from the school as the coach came out of his office blinking from his unintentional nap and wiping the drool off his chin to stare in disbelief at the track.
Hitomi stood once again on a grassy hillside. The serenity of the dream was a stark contrast to the battle she had just been in and she inhaled, feeling the peacefulness invade her senses. The children she had seen before were closer now and the sight of their joy made a laugh bubble up from inside of her. He swallowed it, though and looked around. Instead of many paths leading away from her this time, there were only a few. She turned to the man standing at her side and smiled. Folken gave her a gentle smile in return, saying, "Your path is becoming clearer to you. Don't worry. Your decisions, although painful now, will grow easier in time. But now you had better go. Someone is calling you."
Hitomi turned and saw Van close to her with a worried expression on his face. He was mouthing something, but she could not hear it. Turning back to Folken, she saw that he was far down the path he had taken before. She waved to him and stepped towards Van.
Van brushed Hitomi's face with his fingers. "Please wake up," he begged again. She stirred, and drawing in a deep breath, opened her eyes. She looked at him in wonder and her eyes traced the outline of his wings. She smiled and said, "I love your wings."
"I love you," said Van.
They smiled foolishly at each other before Hitomi abruptly came to her senses. Alarmed, she gasped "Van, your wings!" as she looked past him to where Yukari stood in shock, staring at them, the wings, and the white dragon that had landed between them and the flaming wreck of the enemy guymelef. Van glanced at Yukari, then shrugged and smiled at Hitomi. She laughed and hugged him close. He helped her to her feet and gazed at her, unable to find words to express how he felt now that she was safe. He was never good with words.
Unable to speak, he wrapped her in his arms, needing to feel her and convince himself that she was unharmed. She hugged him tightly, pressing herself to his chest. His skin was warm under her cheek and she felt the thrum of his heartbeat. They stood in silence, locked in each other's arms. Finally they parted, Hitomi staying in the warm circle of Van's embrace as they turned towards Yukari, who was still in shock.
"This is Van," Hitomi said as an introduction to Yukari. Yukari closed her eyes and rubbed them. When she opened them again, the wings had disappeared. "Have we met before?" Yukari asked cautiously, experiencing déjà vu yet again. Hitomi laughed at her and repeated Yukari's words for Van. He chuckled and grinned at Yukari, who smiled tentatively in return.
"Why doesn't she remember last time? How could she forget the dragon? Why was she here waiting for you?" he asked Hitomi.
"Um, this is when I left," She answered, looking around. "It seems I always come back near the time I left, despite how much time passed on Gaea. The first time I came back, it was the day before. The second time it was three days after. I don't know why she doesn't remember. Neither did Amano. The guy who was here last time," she amended at his puzzled look.
Van tried to reason it out, then gave up. He smiled down at the woman sheltered in his arms, happy for the moment just to be in her presence.
Hitomi smiled back at him, then swallowed hard and step away from the comfort of his arms. She steeled her heart against the protests to come and said. "Fanelia needs you. Your people are going to be looking for you after the attack."
Van's smile faltered and he felt his heart sink. "Viole is gone. You can come back with me."
Hitomi shook her head. "No. I told you, I couldn't leave my family and friends without an explanation. It wouldn't be right. How would you feel if I had done that to you? Left without telling you?"
Van stared at her, a pained expression on his face. He tore his gaze away and stared at the ground. Finally he said wretchedly "You are being so responsible. I'm supposed to be the strong one."
Yukari quietly interrupted, confused. "Hitomi, how can you understand him? He is not speaking our language. Why would you be leaving? What is going on?" She looked back and forth between them, struggling to comprehend the reason behind the despair on her friend's face.
Hitomi didn't respond, as tears formed in her eyes. She collapsed back into Van's arms, illogically wanting him to argue with her, to force her to go back. But he had accepted her decision despite the pain. Suddenly she looked up.
"Two years." she said firmly, her voice cracking.
Van looked confused, "What happens in two years?"
"That is when I finish my degree. It's not that long and by then I can tell my friends and family I am leaving. We have waited five years, what's another two? If you come back then, I will be ready, barring more dragonslayers returning from the dead to seek revenge."
Van stared at her in disbelief tinged with hope. He opened and closed his mouth, finally replying huskily "I will be here. To the hour. I am holding you to that."
She laughed, forcing it over the lump in her throat. "You'd better come dressed in your best. I want to be married here before we go."
Joy filled Van's eyes. Smiling though tears ran down her cheeks, Hitomi said, "I will be waiting." He leaned down and kissed her, memorizing the feel of her in his arms and the taste of her on his lips.
Van released her and stood back, knowing that if he did not leave quickly he would not want to leave her at all. He jumped onto Escaflowne's back and the dragon leapt into the sky, circling around the field to grab the destroyed guymelef. He turned the dragon for one last look at Hitomi, her hair and clothes whipping around in the wind. Then he shot up into the sky, disappearing in a blaze of light. Hitomi strained her eyes to watch him until there was nothing left except the moon and stars just beginning to glow in the sky.
Yukari blinked her eyes to make sure she was not seeing things. "Convenient," She said, slightly hysterical. "Now no one will believe me when I explain how the track got all those holes in it." Hitomi laughed sadly at the comment and looked over the destroyed field. Then she turned towards Yukari, who was staring at her expectantly.
"You have a lot of explaining to do. And don't think you can get out of it like last time. Let us adjourn to the nearest dessert shop, where you can tell me every detail." Yukari ordered her. "And wherever did you get that dress?"
Hitomi laughed again, suddenly a lot happier. She walked over to where her scuffed and dirty bag was laying and grinned at the weight of the books in it. "At least I have some evidence!" she thought merrily as she slung the bag over her shoulder and turned to link her good arm through Yukari's. Leading Yukari away from the school, Hitomi said, "At least you remembered it this time. And if you hadn't just seen it, you wouldn't believe it."
They laughed together and walked away from the school as the coach came out of his office blinking from his unintentional nap and wiping the drool off his chin to stare in disbelief at the track.
