AN: Okay as you have read from the summary this a Hitomi/Van fic that is between Escaflowne the movie: A Girl in Gaea and Escaflowne the TV series. So this is your last warning if you do not want to see spoilers from either one. Oh yes, and by the way this is my first Escaflowne fic so please be nice. No flames unless they are constructive criticism. I alos dedicate this to all the Hitomi/Van lovers out there as well as my editor Shanis and her assistant lirpa.
Disclaimer: I do not own either the TV series or the movie.
_________________________________________________________________________________
As I Promised You: Prologue
Smoke was rising. Debris was scattered across the ground. Dead corpses littered the area where a peaceful village once stood. No one was left standing alive in the charred village, no one but a girl and the younger boy at her side, standing on the cliffs at the edge of the woods, next to the village ruins. Around them both were the graves of their loved ones. Though sadness filled the girl's heart, no tears fell from her eyes. As she laid flowers on the graves, her mind was concocting her revenge. But one look at the boy, her brother, and her twisted thoughts would vanish.
The sun had begun to set when she laid the last bouquet of flowers on a lonely grave. The boy was just standing there, staring towards the open sea below the cliffs. His sad eyes turned to the older girl, his sister.
"Why? Why did they do this? Why did they kill them? We've never done anything to them, nor did we ever harm anyone."
"I wish I knew, my brother. As long as people have the will to fight, killing will never lessen." The girl answered as she came up to join her brother.
"Do you think mother and father are looking down at us?"
"Maybe. But as I promised them and as I will promise you, never will something like this happen again."
"How will you do that?" The boy looked up curiously. The girl didn't answer. Instead, a column of pale blue light surrounded them before taking up to the sky. Then an ebony wave in the sky countered the light before drowning everything in darkness. A single silver dagger stained with blood, shot from the sky before plunging through a white feather. The feather ripped apart. A cry of agony followed.
Chapter 1: Lost Love
Hitomi woke up with a start. The dream was so real, just like one of her visions. But this couldn't have been a vision, could it? She hadn't had a vision since she came back from Gaea ten years ago. Suddenly Hitomi started crying. *Van…I miss you so much.*
For the first few years since Hitomi had come home, she was fine with being away from her winged warrior. It was because she had hope that one day she would return to him. Three years ago, she had finally given up. She knew then that she would never have a chance to go back again. Hitomi would have started to try to forget about Van and Gaea if it weren't for a promise made so long ago.
~Flashback~
"Van…I won't ever forget you, even when I am old. I'll never forget you, I promise." A 15-year-old Hitomi said as she hugged Van. They hugged for a while. Then, Van raised his energist and a pillar of light surrounded Hitomi once more as she floated towards the sky. "I promise, I'll never forget you."
"Hitomi." Van whispered as he continued to watch her float higher and higher.
"Good bye." Hitomi replied quietly.
~End Flashback~
But her hope was really a false dream. How stupid she was to have left him, and now she'll see him again. Many times had she tried to go back, but then nothing happened. No pillar of light, no Escaflowne, no Van.
Hitomi got up from her bed slowly. When she finally got to the bathroom she started to wash the tears away. *There's no use crying for a lost love you'll never see again.* She headed to the kitchen for a glass of water to clear her thoughts.
As she sat down drinking, Hitomi looked up at the kitchen clock. *3:59, I really have got to stop having these dreams. Why am I still having visions? I stopped fortune telling so long ago. Now how many years has it been? Nine, ten years? Are these horrible, sad visions here to torment me? To remind me of my loss?* She took another sip. *Yukari's right, I need to get out more often. I need to forget him.*
_*x*_
*The sky is so beautiful. It's even more beautiful with the Mystic Moon up there tonight.* Van sighed, *Hitomi…I loved you so much, why did you have to leave? Why did I let you go?* One of the stars seemed have sparkled back a response. *Oh right, I had to let you go and you wanted to go back home. I had no right to stop you.* Van closed his eyes in thought for a moment before opening them again, to forever stare at the sky, until his true love returned.
"Lord Van?"
Van turned around to find Merle staring at him with a worried look on her face. Ten rotations had calmed down the energetic kitten though; the cat woman still had a twinkle of mischief in her eyes. "Oh, good evening Merle."
"You still miss her, don't you?"
"I don't know who you are talking about."
"You're thinking about Hitomi, aren't you? Don't deny it."
"…" Van made no reply. How was he supposed to explain to Merle about his feelings? She didn't understand why he did what he did, but she was right about his love for Hitomi.
"If you miss her so much, then go to her."
"I can't. I just can't go there and force her to come back with me."
"But Lord Van…"
"No Merle, no more. I'm goining to go get some sleep. Good night." Vansaid softly as he spread his wings in order to maneuver down to his room, leaving Merle all alone to stare up at the night sky.
"I know you think that I don't understand, but it's really you who doesn't understand, Lord Van. Hitomi loved you with all her heart and maybe even more than that. And you loved her more than life itself." Merle whispered softly to herself, "I wish Hitomi was here to…" As if her wish was granted, a column of light sho from the sky to Gaea many miles away.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Review or I will leave you hanging there. Thank you for reading this story.
