Escaflowne of the Sky
Cynic X
"..."- dialogue
'...'- thoughts
..... - scene change
Chapter 3- Premonitions
"Who are these people?" Hitomi asked, as images of people she had never seen filled her mind. "That looks like Van, only younger. This must be his family." Hitomi concluded as she observed them. Suddenly the picture changed and she saw feathers, pure white feather that seemed to be glistening. Hitomi reached her hand out to touch one, but as she did, it disappeared, and the sight before her was replaced by one of Zaiback guymelfs, and they were shooting right at her.
"No! Stop! Help!" Hitomi cried as she tried to get away from them, but ran into a man with a tattoo of a purple tear. 'He must be the leader of Zaiback.' Hitomi concluded as she continued to run. 'But I could sense...sense that his heart seemed heavy, like it was filled with regret.' Suddenly laughter could be heard everywhere.
"Who's laughing?" Hitomi asked, as she saw a man with long white hair in a machine. "Stop laughing! Do you think that the death of innocent people is funny?" Hitomi asked. As she approached the man, everything around her grew hot.
"I can smell...I can smell something burning." Hitomi said as she opened to her eyes to be greeted by fire.
"Burn...Everything BURN!!" The voice cried as the man's violet eyes went wide with excitement.
'He's enjoying this.' Hitomi thought, as the fire enclosed around her.
"Help me!" Hitomi cried, as tears filled her eyes and she was jolted awake. She sat up in bed, and did her best to catch her breath, as her body shook from the cold sweat she was drenched in. 'It was all just a dream, but it seemed so real.' Hitomi thought, as she tried to detangle herself from her covers. She was still recovering from the nightmare when her door was flung open.
"Hitomi, are you okay?" A breathless and shirtless Van asked as he stood in the doorway.
"Van!" Hitomi cried in surprise at seeing him in her room.
"I heard you scream out, and thought that something was wrong." Van said walking over to her and placing his gloved hand on her shoulder.
"I'm okay, just a little shook up. I had a terrible nightmare, but it seemed more like a vision of the future. Everything seemed so real." Hitomi said trying to fight back the tears that came to her eyes as she thought back to the dream she had.
"It's okay Hitomi, everything will be fine. I'm here, and I'll always be here to protect you." Van said with a smile, as he brushed some stray bangs out of her face. She laid her head against his bare chest and listened to his heart beating much faster than it should be. 'He was really worried.' Hitomi thought as she drank in his scent. 'He smells like an open field on a bright sunny day.' Hitomi blushed at the thought.
"Hitomi, would you like to try and get more sleep?" Van asked as he looked down at the girl in his arms.
"I guess I could try, but would you stay with me?" Hitomi asked with uncertainty.
"If you wish, I'll sit in the chair over there." Van said and pointed to a chair near her balcony. Hitomi shook her head "yes" in reply as she crawled under the covers for the second time that night.
"Good-night Van." Hitomi said as her eyes drifted closed.
"Night Hitomi." Van said from his place in her chair.
"Oh...and Van, Thank You."
"Anytime." Van said as he tried to get comfortable.
To Hitomi's surprise she didn't have any more nightmares for the rest of the night, and awoke the next morning feeling much better. She rubbed her eyes with a yawn and was startled when she didn't find Van in the chair where she had seen him last night. 'Did he leave after I feel asleep? Or maybe he got up earlier than I did.' Not bothering to get dressed, Hitomi exited her room and began to look for Van. She was barely down the hall when Merle ran up to her.
"Hitomi, are you just getting up now? What did you think you could sleep all day?" Merle asked putting her hands on her hips.
"Spare me Merle. Do you know where Van is?" Hitomi asked, hoping that Merle had seen him.
"Of course I know where Lord Van is. He had to meet with his advisors because we are going to be receiving visitors today from Astoria, so he had to get up early and make the arrangements so that everything is in place when they arrive. Hey, that reminds me, what was Lord Van doing coming out of your room this morning?" Merle asked with suspicion.
'Coming out of my room?' Hitomi thought, and then smiled. 'He did spend the whole night watching over me.'
"I had a nightmare last night and Van stayed to make sure nothing happened." Hitomi responded.
"Whatever. Anyway, Lord Van wants to see you down stairs. He says to dress acceptable, no pants today. Anyway, I have to go, I've got better things to do than stand in the hallway talking to you." Merle said as she stuck out her tongue and then took off down the hall.
'Just great.' Hitomi thought as she went back into her room. 'I have to dress presentable. What am I going to wear? I have like two changes of clothes! Guess I'll have to wear my school uniform since it's a skirt, and we all know how Van feels about pants, but if I ruin this outfit, Mom will kill me!' Hitomi thought with a moan and then put on her uniform. 'Eww...Guess I'll have to wash it tomorrow, along with my jeans and t-shirts since they are all dirty, and I need clean clothes.' Hitomi sighed as she ran her brush through her short sandy color hair. When she was done getting dressed, she went down to the main hall and found Van.
"Van, hey wait up!" Hitomi cried as she ran to catch up with him. Van turned around and once he saw Hitomi, he waited for her to catch up.
"Hitomi, there you are. Did you get some sleep last night?" Van asked with concern.
"Yeah, I actually did. Thanks again." Hitomi said with a smile.
"No problem, I just hope you didn't get mad when I left early. I have guests coming from Astoria to discuss the war, and I had to get up and make sure everything was in order.
"Don't worry Van, I understand." Hitomi said widening her smile.
"Thanks for wearing a skirt today too Hitomi. I might be busy most of the day, so I guess you have to entertain yourself." Van said.
"Do you think I could watch? I know I'm not really involved with the war or anything, but I'd like to help out." Hitomi said, studying her shoes out of embarrassment.
Van thought for a second, and then responded. "I don't see why not. But I must warn you, it does get really boring."
"Don't worry." Hitomi said. "I'll be good."
"Let's go then, they are waiting for us." Van said as the two started off towards the main hall where they were to greet the visitors.
"King Van of Fanelia, how are you?" A dashing young man with really long blonde hair said as he approached the two.
"Allen Schezar, Knight of Astoria. How are you?" Van said extending his gloved hand as they shook.
"Fine." Allen said with a smile.
"Though I wish our meeting would have been under better circumstances." Van said with a frown.
"I agree." Allen said, noticing the girl with Van. "And who is this?"
Hitomi blushed. 'Wow, he has gorgeous hair, and is really good looking.'
"This is Hitomi Kanzaki." Van said, pointing to Hitomi.
"Please to make your acquaintance Hitomi." Allen said, kissing the back of her hand, which caused Hitomi to blush even more.
'This guy is definitely too suave for his own good.' Hitomi thought once her senses had returned. 'I'm gonna have to watch him.'
"It's very nice to meet you Mr. Allen Schezar." Hitomi said bowing.
"Allen will be just fine." Allen said with a smile.
'Oh brother." Van thought as he rolled his eyes. 'There he goes again, trying to flirt with everything with that has two legs and wears a skirt.' Van thought, as she returned to the matter at hand.
"Come, we must discuss battle tactics and means of attack, since I have gotten reports that Zaiback is getting closer." Van said, and turned to a different door where they were going to hold a war council.
"Yes Van." Allen said following the King. "Are you coming with us Hitomi?" Allen asked looking back at her. Hitomi shook her head "yes", and followed the two into the room.
"So where are you from Hitomi?" Not any where around here right?" Allen asked, as the two took their seats.
"No I'm not." Hitomi replied, looking at Van for help as to whether she should tell him where she was really from.
"She's from the Mystic Moon." Van said, taking his place at the head of the table.
"The Mystic Moon, really, I'm sure there is a long story that goes with this. You'll have to tell it to me later Hitomi." Allen said as he sat down.
"Umm...sure Allen." Hitomi said taking a seat next to Van.
The rest of the day passed without any excitement, since it was mostly spent planning how to attack Zaiback. Hitomi learned a great deal about the history of Gaea, and that Zaiback was originally a peaceful country, until it was over run by a rebellion, and the radicalists in power now wanted to destroy Gaea and awaken the power of Atlantis. When the council was over, Hitomi decided to go outside and get some fresh air since she had been in the same room for the majority of the day.
The sun had just started to make its decent in the sky when she decided to look for Van and Allen. They had left after the meeting and muttered something about guymelfs. Hitomi made her way back to where Van had first shown her Escaflowne, and found Van and Allen looking like they were sharpening huge swords.
"Hey guys." Hitomi called, making them stop their conversation and look up.
"Hitomi, so nice to see you again." Allen said with a smile. Van shook his head in agreement but didn't say anything.
"What are you guys doing?" Hitomi asked walking closer to where they were.
"Sharpening Scherazade's and Escaflowne's swords." Allen said, brushing away the hair that had fallen in his face as he moved the metal file along the swords edge.
"Looks like fun." Hitomi said sarcastically.
"Yeah, well, we have to make sure our guymelfs are in top fighting condition just in case Zaiback attacks." Van said, moving the file along the sword faster than Allen.
"How do you guys fight with them exactly?" Hitomi asked, looking at the two giant guymelfs before her.
"Here, I'll show you Hitomi." Van said, jumping up on Escaflowne, and putting his hand over the red jewel in its chest. With a loud hiss of steam, the top of Escaflowne opened.
"You mean, you go inside them?" Hitomi asked in surprise.
"Of course." Allen said as Van jumped into Escaflowne, and the chest closed the same way it opened. A portion of the face slid open to reveal Van.
"See Hitomi?" Van asked as he made the guymelf stand and move forwards.
"Wow, so that's how you guys are going to fight Zaiback?" Hitomi asked eyes still fixed on Escaflowne. Van made Escaflowne move and pick up is sword. He placed it back where it belonged in its holder on Escaflowne's back.
"Yes, but unlike Zaiback's guymelfs, ours can't fly or go into stealth mode." Allen said.
"Or shoot liquid metal." Hitomi said remembering from her dream the metal that shot out of the arm of the Red Guymelf.
"How did you know that?" Allen asked.
"I...I saw it in a dream." Hitomi said.
"Can you see other things?" Allen asked as Van placed Escaflowne where it was and got out.
"Sometimes." Hitomi said, deep in thought. "I had a dream last night, there were so many faces of people I didn't know. I saw...I saw a man with a purple tear, and fire...fire all over." Hitomi said, still in a trance like state.
"What does it mean Van?" Allen asked as Van joined them.
"I don't know." Van said as he watched Hitomi.
"Hitomi are you okay?" Van asked as he saw she was no longer blinking, and that the necklace around her neck was glowing softly.
"I see it." Hitomi said softly. "A big flying fortress. The man with the tear is there, and the one who brings fire. They want to destroy everything. They are going to baptize the world with fire. They are taking their orders from a man in a machine. The sword...They are going to use a sword to awaken the power of Atlantis." Hitomi said, and then blinked.
"Hitomi." Van said placing his gloved hand on her shoulder. Tears had filled her eyes.
"Don't let then Van. Don't let them control destiny!" Hitomi said as tears made their way down her cheeks.
"I won't Hitomi, I won't." Van said softly, looking to Allen for help.
"The sword, I heard something about a sword in Freid that has something to do with Atlantis." Allen said. "Van, you should get her back to the castle."
"Right." Van said. "Hitomi, do you think you can walk?" Van asked as he grabbed her under her shoulder.
"I'm fine Van, really, I just have a headache." Hitomi said.
"Okay..." Van said, untangling himself from her. "Come on, let's get you back." The two walked back to the castle and up to Hitomi's room.
"Do you want me to stay with you until you feel better?" Van asked as they entered.
"If you want, it's nothing two Advils won't cure." Hitomi said as she walked over to her bag, and rummaged through it until she found the travel pack of Advil.
"Van do you think I could have a glass of water?" Hitomi asked as she opened the packet. Van nodded his head "yes" and left the room, only to shortly return with a glass of water.
"Thanks." Hitomi said as she swallowed the two pills and drank from the glass.
"What are they supposed to do?" Van asked after she was done drinking.
"Well, they make minor pain go away." Hitomi said.
"Wow, are they magic from the Mystic Moon?" Van asked as he looked inside the empty packet.
"Umm...yeah sure." Hitomi said as she walked over to her nightstand where her tarot cards were.
"Hey...Van, I found my cards, do you want me to do a reading for you?" Hitomi asked motioning for him to sit next to her on the floor.
"I guess...but what is a reading?" Van asked as he sat down and folded his legs.
"A reading is when someone asks the cards about their future." Hitomi said as she placed the cards in his hand.
"You are supposed to shuffle them." Hitomi said.
"Huh?" Van asked as he looked at the pile of cards in his hand.
"Like this." Hitomi said, demonstrating how to shuffle the cards. After Van was done shuffling them, he placed them on the floor and Hitomi drew cards so that they formed the Celtic Cross.
"Hmm... Let's see," Hitomi said analyzing the cards before her.
"The Chariot...war. The Ace of Serpents...the dragon, maybe Escaflowne." Hitomi said looking up at Van who shrugged. "The High Priestess...mystery, maybe because you don't know the outcome of the war." Hitomi said as her fingers moved to the next card. "The Ace of Birds...it means that..." Hitomi said as she stopped speaking. Her eyes went wide, as she reached out to touch something. 'It's a feather.' Hitomi thought as her fingers went to make contact with it. Just as she did, the feather disappeared.
"Hitomi, what's wrong?" Van asked as he stared at her. She was speaking one minute, and then next her eyes had glazed over, and it looked like she was staring into space.
"A feather...there was a feather right in front of me, and when I touched it, it disappeared. Weird." Hitomi said as she broke out of her trance like state and looked at Van.
"A feather?" Van asked, his eyes going wide.
"Yeah, a pure white feather. Just as I laid my finger on the card, it appeared." Hitomi said deep in thoughts. 'What can it mean?'
'Does she know?' Van thought as he looked at the cards on the floor. 'I have to stop her.'
"Why don't you stop the reading Hitomi? You said you had a headache, why don't you lie down and get some rest." Van said standing up.
"No, it's okay Van really, I want to go on." Hitomi said, her eyes looking back at the cards in front of her.
"Hitomi, I have to insist that you stop." Van said, anger making its way across his face.
"Why Van? What's the big deal?" Hitomi asked looking up at him.
"I just think that you should get some rest, now if you'll please stop and lay down and get some sleep." Van said as he bent down and picked up the cards.
"Van stop, I didn't finish!" Hitomi cried as he placed the cards back in the deck and mixed them up.
"Get some sleep." Van said as he placed the cards where she had them. "Good night Hitomi." Van said as he exited her room.
"Van! Wait, what's the big deal?" Hitomi called after him as he closed her door on his way out. 'He sure is acting weird. At first he seemed into the reading, but after I spaced out, it was like he was forcing me to stop. What could the problem be? I didn't even say much of anything.' Hitomi sighed in frustration as she went over to her bag and got changed.
"I definitely have to wash my stuff tomorrow, I'm running out of clothes to wear." Hitomi said as she went over to her bed and laid down, thoughts of how Van acted filled her mind as she feel asleep.
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