Escaflowne of the Sky
Cynic X
"..."- dialogue
'...'- thoughts
..... - scene change
Chapter 4- Discovery
Hitomi awoke with a yawn, as the sunlight entering her room made her closer her eyes and squint.
"Morning already?" Hitomi asked as she got out of bed and got dressed. 'I wonder what was wrong with Van last night. He acted weird, but maybe I'll go apologize because I don't want him to be mad at me.' Hitomi thought as she exited her room and made her way down to get some breakfast. She saw Van who had already beaten her to the table.
"Hey Van." Hitomi said taking a seat next to him and helping herself to the food on the table.
"Hey Hitomi." Van said after he swallowed.
"I'm sorry." They both said at the same time. Hitomi blushed.
"Well I guess we know what was on our minds all night." Hitomi said with as smile.
"Yeah. I am sorry about the way I acted Hitomi. It was wrong of me to make you do something you didn't want to do." Van said playing with the food on his plate.
"No, that's okay Van. I have to worry about peoples feelings besides my own." Hitomi said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Let's forget it."
Van shook his head. "I agree. So, what are you planning on doing today?"
Hitomi thought for a moment. "Well, since I really don't have anything to do, maybe I'll go into town and kill time or go for a run."
"That's good." Van said with a smile.
"What about you?" Hitomi asked in between bites.
"Meeting with officials most of the day. Ever since this war started, I've had hardly any free time for myself." Van said with a sigh of defeat.
"I know your kingdom means everything to you, but you should take some time for yourself once in a while. It would do you some good." Hitomi said as she got up to leave.
"Catch you later Van." Hitomi said as she waved good-bye.
'Maybe I will go for that run.' Hitomi thought as she made her way back to her room to get her track stuff. She went over to her bag to get her track clothes when she remembered that none of them were clean.
"Damn! I have to go do the laundry...I totally forgot. Guess I know what I will be doing today." Hitomi said as she gathered all her clothes and went in search of where she could do her wash. 'I'm pretty sure they don't have washing machines, but they have giant fighting robots.' Hitomi thought as she rolled her eyes and caught sight of Merle down the hall.
"Merle!" Hitomi called as she tried to run and balance her clothes.
"What is it Hitomi?" Merle asked putting her hands on her hips.
"Could you tell me where I can wash my clothes?" Hitomi asked.
"Where everyone else washes them, down at the river of course." Merle said rolling her eyes.
"The river!" Hitomi cried. She knew they were lacking in technology, but this was unacceptable.
"Here, I'll go get you a wash board." Merle said as she went down the hall.
'The river!' Hitomi thought as she followed Merle.
Once Merle had given Hitomi the washboard, and directions to where the river was, Hitomi set off.
"I can't believe I have to do this!" Hitomi cried as she tried to carry all her clothes and the washboard at the same time. "This is torture!"
Finally she made her way to the river, which was set far back from the town and surrounded by trees. She threw her clothes down on the floor as she caught her breath. 'Hmm...' she thought as she looked at the area around her. It was pretty secluded, and she really needed her clothes washed, and since there was no way she was going to do this again tomorrow, she decided to strip out of the clothes she had on and only wear her undergarments which consisted of her underwear and bra. She picked up the first piece and the soap she had brought with her and began to wash.
"I hate this damn world!" Hitomi cried as she bushed her bangs out of her face as she moved the clothes over the washboard. 'I swear, the washing machine has got to be the best invention ever.' Hitomi thought as she finished her last piece. She decided to hang her clothes over a near by tree so that they could dry.
"Done at last!" Hitomi said happily as she hung up the last piece. "Now all I have to do is wait until they are dried and get dressed." She was just about to turn around when a blur of color went by her.
"Hitomi! You have to help me! He's after me!" Merle cried as she ran into Hitomi, causing her to lose her footing and fall head first into the river.
"Yikes, what am I going to do?" Merle asked as she eyed the tree. "Up we go." She said as she made her way into the higher branches and watched as she saw Van approaching.
"Merle, are you okay?" Van asked as he ran to the side of the river.
'Oh no, I saw a big splash. She must have slipped and fallen in. I have to go in and get her.' Van thought with worry as he drove into the river.
"Hold on Merle, I'm coming." Van screamed as he entered the water.
'Merle?' Merle thought from the top of the tree. 'I'm not in the river, Hitomi is, but Van thinks it's me. Oh this should be interesting!' Merle thought happily as she moved to get a better look.
"Merle! You are so dead!" Hitomi cried once she had surfaced. The water was cold, she was drenched, and she had to gasp to catch her breath since she had swallowed a lot of water.
"Merle!" Van cried as she came to the top.
"Merle?" Van asked as he opened his eyes and saw a very wet Hitomi practically wearing nothing.
"VAN!?" Hitomi cried as she folded her arms across her chest and sunk lower in the water.
"I...I was...I was..." Van stuttered as he closed his eyes.
"What are you doing here Van?" Hitomi asked in between clenched teeth.
"Well, you see, Merle kind of snuck into a council meeting and wanted to stay, and when we told her she couldn't she made disrespectful comments to the council, and ran off, and I ran after her to make her apologize, and then I saw a splash and thought that she feel into the river and banged her head and was unconscious, so I dove into get her." Van said breathlessly.
"Oh..." Hitomi replied.
"What are you doing here Hitomi?" Van asked still with his eyes closed. "I thought you were going for a run?"
"Yeah, well, I came here to wash my clothes."
"Oh...that explains why you are undressed." Van said as he blushed. "But why did you come to the river?"
"Because Merle told me that was where I had to wash my clothes." Hitomi said in frustration.
"The river? You should have just given them to a maid, she would have washed them for you." Van said with amusement.
"What? You mean I did this all for nothing? Merle you are so dead!" Hitomi cried as she saw something move in the corner of her eye.
"Eww...there is something in here with us!" Hitomi screamed as she tried to splash the dark object to get it away from her.
"What?" Van asked as he opened his eyes, only to get water thrown into them. "Don't worry, I'll save you Hitomi!" Van said as he made his way closer to her.
"Get it Van! It could be a water snake, or some other weird animal on this planet!" Hitomi cried as she looked for something to kill it with.
"I got it!" Van cried as his hand came in contact with something. "It's a ...it's a...a glove?" Van asked as he brought the object out of the water. Sure enough he was holding a glove that belong on his right hand.
'Shit!' Van thought as he quickly realized that somehow between diving in and looking for Merle in the river, his glove had come off.
"Let me see!" Hitomi cried as she made a grab for the glove. "I don't believe it...it is a glove." She said eyeing the item in her hand.
"Give that back!" Van cried as he made a grab for the glove, but Hitomi was too fast and pulled it away.
"Why? What's the big deal?" Hitomi asked as she dangled the glove in front of him. "If you want it, you'll have to come and get it."
Van growled in anger as he made another attempt to get the glove, but failed.
"Ha...you're too slow." Hitomi cried happily. "Come on King Van, can't get your glove away from a girl?" Hitomi replied as she taunted him with the glove.
"Hitomi, give it back to me now!" Van cried, as he dove again for the glove.
"Hey, what was that?" Hitomi asked in surprise. When Van had made an attempt to get his glove, she had seen something on the back of his hand.
"What was what Hitomi?" Van asked, casually moving his ungloved hand behind his back.
"This!" Hitomi cried as she dove for his hand and stared at a mark on the back of it.
"Hitomi! Let go!" Van commanded as he tried to pull his hand away from her, but it was too late. She had already seen the mark.
"What is it Van?" Hitomi asked as she stared at the strange mark on his hand. It looked like a pentagram surrounded by a design that looked like black fire.
"It's nothing for you to worry about Hitomi!" Van cried as he grabbed his glove from her and got out of the water, defeat written all over his face.
"Van wait!" Hitomi called as she tried to get out of the water to follow him, but she was too slow, and he took off running. Hitomi stood there until he was out of sight.
'What is he hiding? Why does he have that mark on the back of his hand?' Hitomi thought sadly, as she got out of the river and walked over to the tree to get dressed.
"You are so stupid Hitomi!" Merle said jumping down from the tree.
"Merle!" Hitomi cried with surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"Watching you humiliate Lord Van." Merle said with anger. "Haven't you noticed how he always wears gloves? Didn't you think there was a reason for it? You have to learn how to mind your own business!" Merle cried with anger.
"I...I didn't mean anything by it. I was just playing around...how was I supposed to know that he wears gloves to hide that mark on his hand?" Hitomi said sadly.
"You should have just given him back his glove when he asked." Merle said and ran off.
"Van...I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you." Hitomi sighed in defeat. She gathered her clothes and walked back to the castle, knowing that tonight she would be by herself.
'Me and my big mouth.' Hitomi thought miserably as she walked back. 'How was I to know that he had that mark and that he hides it?'
"...He wears them all the time!..." She recalled the words Merle had said to her, and she knew that she as right. Aft first she thought he just wore the gloves for sword fighting since he always carries around his sword with the crest of Fanelia to show that he is King, but then she remembered her first night here. When Van ran into her room to comfort her, he had his gloves on then as well. 'He must never take them off, or if he does take them off, he always puts them back on when he is going to be around people.' Hitomi thought as she walked to her room and put her clothes away.
'It's still early, maybe I'll go see if I can find Van and apologize.' Hitomi thought as she ran out of her room and down the hall to search the castle for Van.
"Van!" Hitomi called as she went down a corridor she had never seen before. She could see an open door ahead of her and hoped that Van would be in there.
"Van!" Hitomi called as she turned the corner into the room and stopped.
"Allen!" Hitomi said with surprise as she saw him sitting at a desk in the room.
"Hitomi." Allen said as he looked up and saw her standing in the doorway. "Come on in."
"I...umm...didn't know that you were here. I was looking for Van. I'm sorry if I interrupted you."
"Nonsense." Allen said as he motioned for her to come closer. "I was studying my father's journal."
"Oh..." Hitomi replied as she came closer and saw the opened book on his desk. "Is that it?"
"Yes, I never really knew my father since he died when I was little. He disappeared and never returned, and this is all I have from him." Allen motioned towards the journal. "It deals with Atlantis." He said holding up the book for her to see.
"What is all this fuss about Atlantis?" Hitomi asked, remembering the time Van tried to explain what Atlantis was.
"The people of Atlantis were known as Draconians, they were decedents from the Mystic Moon. They had great power, their people were fit to surpass the Gods, and they grew wings upon their backs. They built a machine that turned human thought into energy. However, their world did not last due to their foolish mistakes, and in their final wish, they created Gaea." Allen said summarizing what was in the book.
"They created Gaea?" Hitomi asked with confusion.
"Yes, Gaea, a land embraced by the heavens, loved by the water and cradled by the land. What few Draconian that were left lived on Gaea until they practically all died out. People are afraid of them because they feel that, like Atlantis, they will destroy Gaea too." Allen said slowly.
"That's terrible..." Hitomi said looking over Allen's shoulder and at the book on his desk.
"You mean all the Draconians are gone?" Hitomi asked, turning some of the pages in the book. It was written in a language she had never seen before, but there were some pictures and diagrams that she stopped to look at.
"No one is sure, but it has been hypothesized that they are extinct, if not, they are very close to it."
"Oh...hey Allen, what does this symbol mean?" Hitomi asked with heightened excitement. 'It looks exactly like the one on Van's hand.'
"This?" Allen asked pointing. "I always thought that it was strange that my father never mentions what it means." Allen said looking at he the symbol.
"Oh, that stinks." Hitomi said staring at the symbol. 'I wonder why Allen's father doesn't explain what it is. This symbol must be very important; it seems to show up all over. Maybe it is a symbol of Fanelia, or Gaea, or Atlantis, or maybe it means that Van is the one who is going to save Gaea?' Hitomi thought of the possible meanings of the symbol, but none made sense.
"I wouldn't worry about it too much Hitomi." Allen said placing his hand on her shoulder. "I must not be that important if he doesn't explain what it is."
"I guess you're right." Hitomi said, but thought differently. 'It must mean something if he took the time out to draw and record it.'
"Anyway, why don't you get some sleep? It's pretty late. Come, I'll walk you to your room." Allen said getting up and walking to the door. Hitomi followed him back to her room where they parted and said good night. Hitomi feel asleep that night thinking about the symbol, and how she could make it up to Van for the way she acted.
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