By ~
Umi-Chan
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Escaflowne characters or the show or anything used in the show such as weird places and weird names.
PART IV
The next morning cam much too early for Hitomi's liking, she would have liked to have her last night in Gaea to be a little bit longer than the rest seeing as she may never some back. The sun shone as bright as ever into the room, waking Merle up first. She stretched and then went over to Van and woke him up.
"Wake up," she said groggily. "I heard you and Hitomi talking last night. I know something important happens today but I didn't hear what." She sat down on the bed and fell asleep again. Van tucked her in and hoped that they wouldn't make the man angry when only Van and Hitomi showed up in the market. Merle was half dead with sleep and Van did not like the idea of taking a knight with a hangover out into public.
"Hitomi," Van gently pushed her arm to wake her up. "Wake up, it's the big day and we have to leave for the market soon." The pair sat and stared at each other, memorizing the features of one another's faces in case they would never see each other again. "Come on," Van said after a while, "Get out of bed." He stood and went into the other so that Hitomi could get dressed.
She was ready to go in a few moments but she didn't go into the other room. Instead she woke up Allen and said goodbye. The poor knight could barely open his eyes because his eye hurt so badly. Hitomi gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead and he said to write them before he dropped back into the arms of sleep. Merle looked too asleep to ever try and wake up so Hitomi just sat and mentally said her goodbye to her. When Hitomi had gotten her duffel bag together and felt like she was ready to leave forever, she went and got Van.
"I'm ready to go now Van." Hitomi muttered. She didn't want to leave at all but something told her that she had to. The odd thing was thought that another part of her told her to stay because van would need her later on. Hitomi wanted to stay so that she could help Van when he needed it but at the same time, she didn't belong here. She sighed.
Van seemed to read her mind. He laid a hand on her shoulder and looked her strait into the eyes and told her that she was doing the right thing. "You managed to get here in the first place." He said to comfort Hitomi as well as himself. "I'm sure that you'll find a way back. You always find a way to get what you want." He smiled and pulled Hitomi close. They didn't kiss but the embrace was so full of passion that Hitomi could barely breathe.
"Please remember me and that I love you Hitomi," Van whispered. "I love you so much." He squeezed her tight and then let go. His eyes looked so sad that Hitomi almost threw down her bag and declared that she wasn't going. But some little voice in her head told her not to be silly, so she stood still.
"There is no way that I could forget you Van," Hitomi told him. "You'll be the first thing on my mind when I wake up in the mornings and the last thing on my mind when I go to bed at night." They smiled at each other, knowing that it was true for both of them.
"Well, we should be going." Van slipped Hitomi's arm through his and lead her down the hall and out of the inn.
The walk to the market seemed shorter to Hitomi, it was as if this world wanted her to be gone, time seemed to be moving so much fast than it had been. Hitomi sighed, she wanted to stay; she had just found out that Van loved her and that she loved him too and now she had to leave for home? It wasn't fair, why couldn't Hitomi have her way for once? No matter what Van said about her always finding a way, it didn't seem like there was once to be found in this situation.
It didn't take them long to find the vendor that the letter had talked about. They stood there with their arms linked waiting for the man to arrive with Millerna. Just as Hitomi thought she'd loose her mind if the fish vendor yelled his line one more time, the pale white man with the red scar turned the corner with Millerna next to him.
It looked like they had stopped to get something to eat along the way. Millerna was smiling and laughing as she walked, it seemed like they were talking and getting on rather nicely. Van and Hitomi exchanged glances, was this man a nice kidnapper or some sort of enchanter that had cast a spell on Millerna to get her to act like this. Did she know what was going on? Did she know that the man had used her to get to Hitomi?
As soon as Millerna spotted the pair, she left the man's side and ran to give Hitomi a hug and then one to Van as well. "Where is Allen?" She demanded as soon as she noticed that he wasn't with them. Van and Hitomi glanced at each other again but before they could answer Millerna rushed on. "It doesn't matter, I knew that he was lazy anyway. It's just like him to want to wait for me back at the inn." The man caught up at last and stood next to Millerna, a big smile on his face.
Millerna held out her arms and made sweeping gestures with them, "This Fred Smith. A magician from the Mystic Moon who has the power to come and go as he wishes and can take anyone he wants to with him." She stood next to Van as Fred cleared his throat.
"Hitomi, and Van, the reason I took Millerna was so that I could get you to come to me with out any fighting back. I don't handle that kind of stuff very well. I'm so sorry for the sorry I know that I caused you but as Millerna will tell you, I took good care of her." He looked Hitomi in the eye, "I knew that you would manage to get a hold of my instructions with or without the box tops but I wanted you to know that I was from earth and not some crazy guy off of the street who came and kidnapped your princess." Millerna giggled a little but was cut off as the vendor behind them started to yell again.
"Hitomi, I am sure that you have already guessed what why I wanted to find you. I learned that you were trapped here from my little network of spies that cover the planet. I thought that I would offer you my services and if you wish, I will take you back home, free of charge." Fred finally stopped and took in a deep breath. Hitomi had thought of one question and before she had a chance to ask it, Fred answered it.
"I will not bring you back however, so this is your once chance. It is now or maybe never. Think about it deeply and be sure that you want what you choose, you could be spending the rest of your life living with the result." He pause for effect and then continued in his rushed, out of breath voice. "Please keep in mind my dear that there are others like me and you may happen to run into some of them but I would not count on it. Be sure pf your decision my dear, I am begging you."
Hitomi looked at Van and knew what she wanted. She wanted to go home and see her family. She stepped forward and told him what she wanted. The look of surprise was shared on all of their faces. Hitomi smiled and knew that she had done what she had wanted and was ready to live with the results for the rest of her life.
*~*
Hitomi's full white skirt billowed out behind her in the country wind. She walked down the isle; the face of her husband to be was smiling at her from what seemed like a million miles away. Her heart soared, as she knew that she could reach him a few steps. Merle and Millerna looked stunning in their low cut white gowns that matched Hitomi's. Merle was crying but trying to hide and Millerna was space out, staring at Allen and remembering her wedding day not all that long ago.
Fred and Allen stood on the other side of Van and both of them looked happy to know that Hitomi was truly happy at last. Van's grin was slitting his face in two and the look of the 12 year old he had pretended to be was creeping back into his eyes. No Van, she silently commanded him, I do not want to play the part of your mother anymore.
The preacher kept it short and in no time the wedding part was standing outside, talking to Fred and waiting for the carriages to come to take them back to the village.
"I'll be sure to send your letter the minute that I get back Hitomi. If I get a reply I'll be sure to find you the next time that I am here so that you can read it." Fred waved and walked over to an empty field across from the chapel. There was a huge ball of light and then an empty field again.
The dull ache in Hitomi's chest had left for good, she knew. Sure, she would miss her home but at least she was with the man that she loved. Hitomi felt even better knowing that her mother would be able to know that Hitomi was safe. Maybe the letter would help to ease some of her worry.
The carriages arrived at last and the balling Merle crawled in with Allen and Millerna in the plain carriage. Van opened the door of the other carriage that had been draped with white fabric for Hitomi and offered her his hand as she struggled into the tight place with her huge dress. Van stuffed in what Hitomi didn't take in with her and then hopped in next to her.
"How about next time I wear the tux and you can wear the dress?" Hitomi grunted as she tried to get her dress to sit on her body comfortably.
Van took her hand and pressed his nose to hers. "OK," He whispered. They kissed and hit their heads together as they bounced along the dirt road on their way to a life that ended happily ever after.
~The
End~