Love In Blue Eyes

Part One: Altered Destiny

Chapter Three: Saying Good-bye





The one from the past is present,

A love lost forever,

Only to be found by another,

Mingled blood brings new awakenings,

Of a race not found in all,

To quell the evil rising,

Before their feet, a child is brought,

To a world not his own,

And a destiny is realized,

Where others fear to tread.......

Van awoke with the words from the dream, floating in his mind. The whole thing had seemed so real, more real than any of his dreams. Perhaps it was a vision, like the ones Hitomi had had......."Van, what's wrong?" came a soft, melodical voice from off to his right. Turning, he locked gazes with Arra, his beautifull wife. Her long raven hair, not unlike his own, trailed around her as she propped her head on her hand. Arra's clear blue eyes were etched with concern, and Van, seeing her like that lay back down, entwining her fingers with his saying "Nothing, I'm sorry for wakeing you." She gave him a lopsided grin, replying "Don't go back to sleep. It's seven o'clock, time to get up." Van groaned sarcasticaly, then started laughing as he kissed her nose softly. "Well, the Queen of Fanelia has to be there when a peace-treaty is made. You have to sign it too you know." he said. Arra rolled her eyes then threw a nearby pillow at him as he got out of bed. Reacting quickly, he turned, caught it then threw it right back at her. A girlish squeel escaped her lips, and she stuck her tongue out. Laughing hysterically, Van returned the gesture, then blew a kiss as he slipped on his red turtle-neck shirt which sported the Fanelian emblem, black baggy pants and black velvet cape. While lacing up his brown boots, he tried(and failed) at combing his unruely hair. "Arra" Van called over his shoulder "Would you like to take a shot at trying to comb this rat's nest out?" "Of course" she answered happily, jumping out of the king sized bed. Grasping the comb, she began slow but forcefull movements through his hair. Within minutes, it was tangle-free and shining like his stallion's glossy coat. "Wow my dear, not only are you incredibly beautifull, but you work mericles!" he laughed.





A soft knock on the door at the far side of their master bedroom sounded, and a loud "Van! Are you awake yet?! It's time to go!" was called from the other side. Boudning over to the large oak doors, Van burst through them and jumped his cousin Miydan, who had summoned him. The towering aqua haired man was ready for him though, and with the smallest turn of his tanned arm, sent the young King soaring back into the room. "Still think you can jump me dear cousin?" he laughed. Van started laughing too, as he stood up, brushing himself off. "I keep trying. Someday I will though...." "Ha!" Miydan interupted patting him on the back "I'd like to see that!" Arra, now dressed in a soft blue dress, walked over to the hysterical duo and smiled "Oh Van, even at your age, you still love just playing around with dear ol' cousin Miydan, don't you?" "I'm not that old, am I?" Van whinned, pretending to be hurt. "I'm only twenty-six...." "Twenty-seven tommorow." came the icy voice of Van's high priest Paillarh. His flaming red hair was tied back in a tight pony-tail, and his cold silver eyes made him look almost evil. It seemed like he enjoyed following the King around, almost making a game of ruining all of Van's good moods, and slicing through even the most joyfull of events. "I suggest you get moving Your Highnesses." he hissed "You both are already late for your trip to Gwiniyr Wynd. The peace treaty between you and the country of Gerravia is much more important than some silly game." Van's dark red eyes flashed with anger at Paillarh's disrespect. But instead of breaking into a fitfull rage, he contained his distaste. " You're right Paillarh, I guess we should get going." He looked over at his cousin " Are you going to come too Miydan?" who nodded in agreement. It wasn't exactly his duty to be there, or to sign the treaty too, but he always felt a strange significance just being there to help the younger King. Miydan was, actually, the King of his own country, Vadclar. But during times when it wasn't dire for him to stay, he would come to visit in Fanelia. And Van loved having his company. On more than one occasion he had told Miydan that he resembled Folken so much, it almost seemed as though they really were biological brothers. Even the age was almost the same. Van was twenty-seven and he was thirty-one. Before the Great Gaean War, the young King hadn't even known about Miydan, and it wasn't until after it had ceased, that him and Van had been formally introduced. But now, their friendship and closeness had grown so much and Miydan hoped that it would never be broken.





Suddenly, Grage, one of Van's advisers came crashing down the hall towards them. "Your Highness!!!" he yelled, skidding to a halt. "The ship Crusade has been spotted heading this way!" "Send a telegraph out asking why they're here" Van said as emediately as he started walking swiftly down the main staircase towards the front doors of the pallace. "Already been done." Grage replied, following close behind. "Lord Van, we can't attend to this right now." came Paillarh's harsh voice from the top of the stairs "Gwynir Wynd is waiting......" "Shut-up!!" Van exclaimed, turning on his heel to face the defiant Priest. "The treaty can wait!" A low growl of protest started to rise in Paillarh's throat, but he quelled it, slicing through the King with his icy stare instead. Resuming his swift pace down to the main floor, Van was met with an exstatic servant, waving a return telegraph from the Crusade in her hand. "Your Higness, you won't believe who's coming in Lord Allen's ship!!" she said, almost keeling over with excitement. Snatching the paper from her hand, he read aloud, still walking out the doors, with Arra, Grage and Miydan at his heel, eager to hear what it said. "Your Highness, King Van Slanazar deFanel, we are happy to inform you.... yadda yadda yadda......" he trailed off, reading the rest in his to himself. Suddenly, his head snapped up, and he gaped, wide eyed at the Crusade as it came to land. "What does it say?" Arra asked softly, taking his hand in hers. Not answering, he pulled her down the front steps of the pallace and half ran, half walked towards the ship. The front hatch opened with a small hiss, slowly descending to the ground. The familiar face of Gaddes, and the rest of the crew could be seen as they filed out one by one, into two neat lines on either side of the hatch. And then, Allen Schezar, his long time friend, and rival walked out, bowing respectedly. "Van" he said gazing at him with a stern look "There's someone here who wants to see you." "Who-?" Arra tried to ask the knight, but was cut off as she heard a strangled gasp come from her husband. Turning her clear blue eyes, she watched as a beautifull woman, with shoulder length sandy brown hair slowly make her descent from the Crusade. "Hitomi?" she heard Van choke, and emediately knew who it was.





Hitomi's green eyes glistened with tears as she saw him, standing there with his wife. She was incredibly beautifull, and her raven hair matched that of Van. They were too perfect of a couple, and it hurt Hitomi so much to see it. She couldn't bring herself to meet gazes with her long- ago-love. Because she knew if she did, she would most certainly start crying. Hitomi could hear him call her name, almost gasping as he did so. Her heart wrenched horribly, and a giant knot of sorrow suddenly buried itself deep inside her. "Van." she finally said, it was all that she could say. And she saw him start walking slowly towards her, detaching himself from the woman beside him. "Hitomi." he said "I'm so sorry." Then he started crying, tears streaming down his face like small waterfalls. Van lifted out his arms to embrace her, but she pushed him away as she started to cry too. "I can't do that Van. You know I can't do that now." He breathed in quickly, and he looked so hurt, so small and lonely. "It's been too long Van. We've grown too far apart." Hitomi murmured, looking past him to his wife, longing to be where she was, instead of being the one who had to leave Van. "I'm so sorry Hitomi." he said again, his beautifull red eyes glistened. Swallowing hard, she replied "I just came to see it. Somehow I didn't believe what Allen told me was true. But now I have seen it for myself, and now I must go...." "No!" he cried out, grasping her arm "Before you leave, please Hitomi, just stay one night. I know we can't even be friends anymore, but please stay. I can't let you out of my life again so soon, before you tell me what you've been doing, these long twelve years. At least if you do, I'll have something to hold on to when you're gone." Hitomi's heart wrenched again, and more tears streamed down her face. Why was he doing this to her? Why was he making this even more hard than it already was? But something inside her told her that she should. She knew that after this, she could never see him again, so she had to do this one last thing. For Van's sake, she would do it for Van. "I guess I could." she mumured "But only for one night. This is already making things harder for me Van. Just for one night." And for the first time, in twelve years, Hitomi saw him smile. It was small, but it was there. Then she smiled too, happy that even if things with them would never work out, she could share this last moment with him. "Come on, come see the palace. We have much to talk about." he said, lending his hand for her's. Hitomi took it lightly, then let him guide her to the beautifull white bricked palace in the distance.







"It's been so long, I thought I'd never see you again...." Van murmured as they sat together by Folken's grave, the ever silent Escaflowne looming in the shadows. There was a slight breeze, refreshing on the considerably humid day in Fanelia. Hitomi sat with her back slightly turned away from him, and she twirled her sandy brown hair around her finger. "I thought I'd never see you again either." she replied, glancing sideways a moment, then returned her gaze ahead, down over the large hill the grave rested on, into the suburban city below her. "Fanelia looks so beautifull since the last time I saw it. Infact, it was in ruins then." she laughed a little, hearing him cough sarcastically. There was an awkward silence before Van broke it "Tell me Hitomi, when I left you for good after the cut off, did you find someone else? Like I did....?" "Yes." she responded almost emediately "What is his name?" Van asked. Hitomi swallowed hard, and he could vaguely see small teardrops forming in the corners of her lush green eyes. "His name was Sirus." she mumbled. Again Van asked "Do you have any children?" Hitomi nodded, then said "His name is Gavin. He's six." Slightly taken aback, Van didn't quesiton Hitomi further. He supposed she would like to ask some things of him too. But she didn't, so, after waiting a minute, just to be sure he asked "Hitomi, why are you going to go back to Earth? I mean, your husband is there for Gavin...." "Sirus is dead." she replied harshly, getting to her feet. "And further more, who said I was going back to Earth?! I'm perfectly happy here. I'm sure Allen would love to have me live with him for the time being.!" Van gasped at her sudden outburst, and felt slightly hurt, but mostly sorry for her loss. "I'm sorry for bringing it up." he mumbled "But what about your son?! You can't just leave him there on Earth alone! He needs protection, food, shelter, and you!" Hitomi turned sharply on her heel, and locked gazes with Van. There was so much sorrow and grief in her normaly sparkling green eyes. "I can't go back. And I can't get him here. I don't have the pendent, you do." she said "I've already risked enough just getting her in the first place. Even if you gave me the pendent now, I wouldn't have the heart to do it. To bring him here, or to take me back to Earth. Doing that could bring on the horrible visions again, and even possibly threat the survival of Gaea." her skin crawled, remembering the vision on Earth. She didn't know how it had happened, and she didn't want to find out. Leaving the pendent alone, would make everything alright. Anyway, she was sure that Gavin would be ok. He would've figured out already where she had gone, and most likely have gone to his friend Ida Yomori's house, and explained his dilema."Um Hitomi." Van murmured "I don't even have the pendent. I gave it to Arra, my wife, and she gave it to her mother in her home country Gerravia. We're going to sign a peace treaty there tommorow, so I could get it back....." "No" Hitomi said bluntly."I don't want it." Turning on her heel again, she began to leave. She had had enough. Van had changed too much, he wasn't anything like he had been. Hitomi just wanted to get out of Fanelia and go back to Asturia and see all her other old friends. Hopefully, they hadn't all changed for the worst. "Hitomi wait!!" Van shouted running after her. "I know you want to go. But before you leave now, I want to give you something." He grabed her hand and unsheathed his Fanelian sword. She cried out thinking that he was going to hurt her, and started wriggling trying to break free of his grasp. "Hitomi stop." the harshness in his voice suprised her, and she inwardly cursed herself for ever thinking that he would hurt her. There was obviously more to the gift than what she could see. "Hitomi, for the longest time, since you first saw my wings, every time I flew, I could see a yearning in your eyes to be in the sky with me. I have been doing some extensive research, and have discovered a way for you to have wings like me and the Draconians from the past. Just give me your wrist..." she extended her arm, eyes shining, finally knowing what he was giving her. He took the sword, and sliced a deep gash in it. A great pang of pain shot through her entire body, but she didn't cry out. Then doing the same with his wrist, he rubbed both of them together firmly. Looking closely, Hitomi marvelled at the way his blood shone a slight tinge of silver, and then looking at her own wrist saw that the his blood was spreading throughout her own and all of it was soon the same as his. "Oh Van...." she whispered, almost crying. But he touched her lips with his finger, silencing her. "Hitomi, I know you're not the only one who would take great pride in being part Draconian. If you wish, you may give it to your son if you ever see him again, and no one else, unless you firmly believe they are worthy of it." Then, suddenly spreading his beautifull white wings he said "Now Hitomi, show me yours." She took his hand, then focousing all her thoughts, let them free for the first time. They burst through her back, creating the oddest feeling she had ever experienced. And she laughed, laughed for sheer joy, soaring into the sky with Van, hands entwined together. "Oh Van thank you!" she shouted. "I've never felt so happy in my entire life!" He smiled back then descended to the ground, waiting for Hitomi to finish.







When she landed, Hitomi folded her wings in, though not totaly puting them away. As Van looked at her, she could see nothing in his eyes besides happiness and pride, like a father, watching his child take their first steps. "I can't believe this is actually happening." Hitomi sighed, suddenly slumping to the ground in exhaustion. She had never thought that flying would take so much out of you. "I'm just so happy Van. Even though you're leaving me forever now, I'll always feel like a part of you is with me." Tears suddenly stung her eyes, but she pushed them back, not wanting to cry, spoiling her whole afternoon with Van. Inwardly, she just couldn't believe that she had decided to never see him again. But she knew also, that it would be perhaps better that way, for both of them. Somewhere deep inside of Van, tucked away is the deepest part of him, she knew that his feelings for her were still there. And if she kept coming back to Fanelia, those feelings might arise, jepardizing his marrige with Arra. The same thing might happen to her too. There more she would come, the harder it would be to say good-bye again. It would just be better to never see each other again. Even though it was so hard to do it, it was the best thing for them at the moment. She knew that he wouldn't give up his six year union to Arra just to be with her. "You'd better get going Hitomi. Allen will be looking for you, it's getting late." Van said. The sun was sliding over the west mountains, lowing in the sky creating a purple hue. It was a beautifull sight, and Hitomi was glad this is where she spent her last moments with Van. Tucking her wings away, she gave him one final hug, and suddenly he pulled her closer and their lips met. Parting he murmured softly "That was the kiss I never gave you twelve years ago." Hitomi smiled, the tears from earlier now sliding down her cheeks. "Good-bye Van." she whispered, then turned, and started running down the hill, not wanting him to see her cry. "Good-bye Hitomi!!" he yelled, tears streaming down his face too. He watched from the hill as she boarded the Crusade, and seeing him, waved her last good-bye. "Good-bye, Hitomi....." he whispered, as he clutched the silver ring she had slipped from her finger into his hand only moments earlier. Turning it over slowly, he read : Sirus and Hitomi.