DON'T TELL ME
Chapter 9- Irony and Pondering
I found it hard to sleep that night. The wind eerily blew in through my window. The candlelight flickered the shadows on the ceiling. I had been tossing and turning for the last half- hour, trying to find a comfortable spot on my bed. Disturbing thoughts had invaded my mind, making it harder to sleep.
It was a night that I feel so alone.
I decided to get up. Better have a walk around the castle, or go to the tower. Or do something that will make you sleepy, or at least have a peace of mind. Closing the creaking wooden door behind me, I quickly padded my way to the tower. The air was getting tight and suffocating, I need some fresh air.
I reached the tower without anybody seeing me. Stepping out from the tower to the castle roof, my eyes diverted to a lone figure looking at the Mystic Moon. Van turned to face me, a smile turning up his lips. I immediately went and sat beside him.
"Hey, Hitomi," he said. "What are you doing here?"
"Just went out to get some air," I replied, "It's getting stuffy in there." I jabbed my thumb against my shoulder. "How 'bout you, getting some air, too?"
"Yeah, and to think. It's hard to concentrate down there."
"I see." Then after that everything was silent for a while.
"So," Van began, his face still directed to the sky. "Tell me more about the Mystic Moon. I've always wanted to see the land where my mother was born. Sadly, I cannot. She died too soon, as you well know." His voice lowered at the last sentence.
"Must have been hard for you." I said sympathetically.
"Yeah. But let's talk about something else. You didn't answer my question earlier." Van's eyes turned to penetrate through mine.
"Us? Well, it's very much the same yet it's different." I couldn't find words.
"In what way?"
"Oh, you know. Animal people, guymelefs, we don't have that on Earth." I shrugged. "Only pets, cars and computers. But just the same, we run our lives very normal. We eat, we work, and we sleep…"
Van looked at the Mystic Moon again. "Are there wars in your place?"
"Yes, but that phase in history is over now."
"Phase of—what?"
"Oh, never mind. We have some customs and traditions, too. Some are weird stuff…"
"We have those 'customs' too." Van smiled. "Like the dragon- slaying ritual."
We exchanged smiles as we recalled the first time we met.
"It's the thing I'm most likely to remember forever." I laughed.
"Hey, I'll never forgive you for slapping me in my face. That hurt." Van said, making a face.
"Yeah, right. As if I'd slap you if you didn't act like a jerk." I giggled sarcastically at him.
"I was only doing my duty!" Van said, half- serious.
"Of being a jerk? Come on, my dear friend, let us stop this foolishness." I said dramatically, adopting a serious face.
We were both laughing hard now, at the irony of the situation before us. We didn't very much imagine we would become friends. Or maybe something more than… that…
What am I thinking?
Van stopped laughing and asked, his voice serious now. "What did you think of me when we first met?"
Might as well say the truth. "You were a jerk. How 'bout me?"
"I thought you're really amazing." Van simply answered me, his eyes directly staring at mine.
"Oh, really? Er—what made you say that?"
"I wouldn't have slain the dragon if not for you."
"But that's not what you said."
"I didn't want to say it. I was too—proud and selfish… and a jerk, like you said. But if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here right now—alive… and with you." His face was flushed pink.
I don't know, but tears suddenly sprang at my eyes without any reason at all. Maybe because I was touched at his confession—that he was grateful I helped him and I didn't know all this time.
"Thanks…"
"Me too." Van got up and offered his hand. "Come on, let's go."
"Yeah," I gripped his hand and pushed myself up. "I'm catching cold already. But if it wasn't too balmy out here I would have talked to you for hours."
Van smiled. "Yeah, me too."
We walked slowly to our rooms, silently so as not to wake anybody up. When we reached my door as was about to go in, Van hauled me into a big, warm bear hug.
"Good night, Hitomi. Sweet dreams," he whispered in my ear.
He didn't let go for a quite a while, about three minutes or so. I was getting out of breath with him cutting my air supply short.
"Er—Van, I can't breathe." I wheezed out. Van immediately pulled away.
"Oh, yeah, sorry." Van said, quite shamefacedly. He looked like he was about to say something else, but he turned back and ran into the darkness.
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A/N: Wasn't that just soo cute? What was he going to say, anyway? BTW, I wrote this while listening to 'Sora' on my Win amp player. Her voice is just so… mystical. Sorta like Atlantean in vibe… I love it! Especially the 'La la la la la la la la la' part, it sounds so 'ethereal' or something sort of like that. Anyways, hope to catch ya up!
Ja ne, minna- san!
Wd10 © 2001 all rights reserved.
I do not own Escaflowne.
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