Disclaimer: I don't own "The Vision of Escaflowne." Which means that I
don't own Van, Hitomi, Dilandau-sama, Folkie, Naria, Eriya, the
Dragonslayers, or anyone else I want… Lucky Bandai or Sunrise or whoever
has that pleasure… If you sue me, all you'll get is green donut and a BIG
hug… (That's for you Washu, Nagi, and Amie… Lol…) * Suers flee in terror *
A/N: Oh my gosh… Wow, I'm impressed, 17 reviews… To me that seems like a lot since I've only put up three chaps… Heck, even my friend Kiddi Chi chose to review, which says a lot since she and I always seem to ignore each other's fics until the other drives us insane to review them… Read her fic "Fire and Ice," it's a good GW fic… (Are you happy now Kiddi Chi? Now you can go review my fics and I'll finally finish reading yours… Ugh, this'll be a LONG night…) Anyways, I hope this chapter doesn't cause TOO many of you pain, I'm sorry if it does… It's how I originally planned it, but I may choose to write a sequel, you never know… At the moment, I just want to get this done so I can finish all my other fics… Thanks for the reviews and on with the show! ^_^
Chapter 4: The Truth is Revealed
He walked through the green door with the white sign in green lettering labeled, 'HITOMI.'
'I guess she likes the color green.' He decided to himself, comparing the coloring to that of her beautiful eyes that stole his heart so long ago.
This was a room entirely dedicated to her and her life, and he was eager to explore it. He wanted to know more about her and this strange world he didn't think he'd ever understand. He'd force Yukari to quit the small talk and tell him where she was, then fly over and retrieve her. Then he'd use the pendant to transport them back to Gaea, he'd ask her to be his wife, and they'd live happily ever after… He'd always read about that kind of ending in story books, but how long was ever after? Was it an eternity of bliss or when death rolled around was misery waiting? He didn't care. As long as Hitomi was by his side, he'd feel satisfied with life in general. For five years, it had been all he ever wanted. All he dreamed about was her, running towards him, leaping into his arms and spinning her around in fields of flowers by the sea. Sometimes he caught a whiff of her scent of lilacs and spring in his fantasies, but when he awoke, she was gone, and he was again alone.
He had fallen in love with her the first day he met her. At first he had thought it was simple infatuation, and it would go away when she returned to her home, whenever that would be. When she left and Zaibach was no longer a concern, he'd find himself a princess, marry her, produce an heir to the throne, then live the rest of his life in peace, training to become the best guymelef pilot and swordsman. But that girl from the Mystic Moon, that tomboy, that bizarre seeress, had changed his life forever. Her stubbornness surpassed his own, her pride was untouchable, she was so kind and willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of her friends.
He had been so cold to her; he didn't want to be hurt. He longed for her to look at him the way she looked at Allen. Although Sir Allen was an admirable knight and swordsman, he was a pure and simple womanizer. He had so many girls falling at his feet yet he persisted after Hitomi. Van knew from day one that Allen knew he cared for Hitomi, but he was relentless in his pursuit of her. How many times had he been heartbroken by seeing the two of them together? When Allen kissed her cheek, pretending she was his new girl so Dilandau would leave her be. That time she had started calling out the knight's name in her sleep. When she had been found in a storage room in his arms in their search for the Mystic Valley. Van's world was turned upside down when he witnessed them kissing on the bridge. Then he had heard of the knight's intentions to marry her. He had worn a mask of indifference, but inside he was breaking into millions of pieces.
He had then decided that if she were to ever be his, he'd have to fight for her, showing her who was the better man. He had vented out his fury on the enemy, killing with no mercy, driven by one thought, 'I'll protect her.' That was all that mattered to him, keeping her safe, it was all he cared about. He'd take his last breath fighting so she would live, no matter what the consequences were. Then, he realized how sickened she was by all the blood and she left him for the blue moon that hung in the sky above them. He retrieved her, and swore to himself that this time, he'd tell her how he felt, and she'd never leave him again. But she had interrupted his proposal with a hug, and he had never gotten to ask her to stay with him forever.
When she left, she had promised she'd never forget him. Had she? Did he matter to her anymore? Had she found a replacement for him in her long absence? All he could do was pray that it wasn't so, and wait for Yukari to explain.
Van walked over to her dresser, picking up her pictures and looking at them, all smiles. A photo of the track team, one of Hitomi with her family, another of her as a little girl sitting on her grandmother's lap, her graduation picture from High School which she had passed with honors. He was stunned at a painting hung above her bed. It looked like one of those angels she had once told him about, but it looked like him.
'Does she think of me as an angel?' He wondered to himself.
'My wings do lead one to wonder…' He then noticed Hitomi was in the painting to, with her arms wrapped around his neck, smiling that special smile she only had for him.
"I love her so very much." He whispered. He inhaled her sweet scent again, but this time it wasn't a dream. He picked up her Tarot cards that laid abandoned on the desk and paled a little when he noticed that the card turned face up was Le Morte, the death card that had caused them so many troubles.
'What does it mean?' He worried silently.
Yukari walked over to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"She loved you more than anything." She said softly.
"Darn it Yukari, TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!" He screamed, as he turned around and shook her.
"Please don't." Yukari pleaded timidly, a tear rolling down her cheek, her sunglasses removed, looking up at him with the saddest eyes he'd ever seen.
"I'm sorry." He said in regret.
"It's OK." She replied, wiping her face with her sleeve.
"Sit down, so I can tell you everything… Oh gosh, I don't even know where to begin… I wish Ms. Kanzaki was still here, I could really use her help with this one." Van plopped down on Hitomi's small bed in the corner.
'Well I assume she has no husband since it appears she still lives with her mom.' He reassured himself that Yukari wasn't about to tell him that Hitomi was a wife with two kids living in downtown Tokyo.
"I guess I'll start at the VERY beginning," She said more to herself then to Van.
"When Hitomi was 10, her parents split up, her dad moved to Tokyo and her mom kept this house. Before she left to visit you, she'd visit him with her brother every weekend. Unfortunately, Mr. Kanzaki had a drug problem, and it caused his death during the time Hitomi was on Gaea. Her Grandmother died when she was 13, leaving Hitomi the pendant you wear and her deck of Tarot cards that she had taught her to use. Hitomi was really good at it and at school, she was the most sought-out fortuneteller. She was in love with Amano as you already know, and when she returned he was still around, his plans were changed and we were a couple. We were so happy when she got home, Ms. Kanzaki most of all, she treated her like she was a little kid again. Then she went on and on about Gaea and her epic journey with a handsome king named Van that she had fallen in love with. Of course, we all thought something was wrong with her except Ms. Kanzaki, who still believed in the tales her mother had told her when she was a little girl. But then Hitomi kept trying to use her pendant to return, never succeeding, and was signed up for sessions with a psychiatrist. She obviously hated that…" Yukari chuckled softly.
"After awhile, she had convinced us all that she had been hallucinating from her traumatizing experiences and we were all immensely relieved. Things went back to the way they'd always been, but for some reason, she refused to use her Tarot cards since she came back. Something about giving up fortune telling. She was forced to take her brother to a movie about a year ago. Her mom said it would be good for her to get out of the house. She was really mad about it because we were supposed to go to the carnival with Amano, Sachiko, Takuya, Nao, and me, but did it because she knew he had his heart set on seeing it and her mom was too busy to take him. Amano and I didn't want her to have to take him alone, so we agreed to go along, which pleased her. It was really late at night and it was snowing. We probably should have told him we'd go tomorrow, but she just wanted to get it over with. We were almost there, when we spotted a truck coming straight down the road towards us. There was only 1 lane and a fence around it so we were obviously scared. She beeped the horn trying to get the trucker to stop, but he was drunk and didn't understand what was going on. The road was too narrow for us to pass him and he was going too fast for us to turn around and drive the way he was going. I think that's when we knew we were going to be hit. In a few seconds, his truck collided with Hitomi's car shattering the windshield and crushing the front seat.
I woke up several days later in a hospital, in a body cast covering all but my head which had the top wrapped in bandages. I couldn't move at all so I started screaming for some reason. A doctor came in and I asked him what was going on. He said we'd collided with a drunk driver and our car had been smashed to bits. I was so afraid… Then I asked him about the others. He looked so sad at that moment I wished I hadn't asked. 'Mr. Nekuchi and the Kanzaki boy died upon impact. I'm sorry.' 'And what about Hitomi?' I asked him, choking on tears at the deaths of my boyfriend and my best friend's kid brother all because of some drunk psycho. 'She's not expected to make it through the night Ms. Uchida.' The doctor told me solemnly. I asked to see her and she was wheeled in, definitely in worse shape than I was in. All I could see of her that wasn't in her cast were her eyes, nose, and an opening for her mouth. She could barely keep her eyes open, but seemed to perk up when she saw me.
'We look like real beauty queens, huh Yukari?' I detected a small grin but I wasn't sure since I couldn't see her face properly.
'Yeah.' I replied meekly.
'I'm going to die, aren't I Yukari?' She asked me.
'Whatever gave you that idea?' I asked nervously, afraid for her.
'My entire body may be broken, but my brain's still intact, I can still hear what these quacks are saying.' She replied. 'If I'm going to die, I wish they had just told me, it's not like they can keep it a secret.'
'Hitomi…' I began, not understanding where she was going, she couldn't die on me, not now.
'I had a hunch I was going to…' She continued. 'I can't feel my body, my pulse is weak, and I just don't think I have the strength to carry on.'
'Hitomi, don't die on me!' I commanded her.
'Yukari, you can't control fate, it lives by its own rules, nothing we do or say can ever change its course. I've often predicted death; I've had the feeling since that fateful day that it was prophesizing my own demise. I just want to thank you for always being there for me. You're my very best friend.' She whispered.
'No…'
'Yes Yukari, it's inevitable. Even now, I can feel my life force fading away; I have about a minute left I'd say. Tell my mom that I love her and take care of yourself…'" Yukari stopped at that moment, fighting back tears.
"She told me to tell you something too Van."
"What?" He asked, barely being able to breathe, knowing now what was wrong with Hitomi's friend.
"She told me to tell you she'd never forget about you. And… that… she… loved you more than anyone else ever would. Then she died." Yukari finished her heart-breaking tale and Van stared off into space.
'She's gone?' He refused to believe that the girl he'd cared so much for would never know how he felt, that he'd go through the rest of life alone knowing that he could never be with anyone else. He'd never know what it was like to love and be loved in person and his kingdom would die out, never having a queen. The Fanel dynasty would come to a sad conclusion. He began to cry for the first time in his whole life. He hadn't cried when his father died, he hadn't cried when his brother failed to return, he hadn't cried when his mother died, he hadn't cried when Fanelia burned to the ground, he hadn't cried seeing Allen and Hitomi kissing on that bridge, and he hadn't cried when she had left him twice. But now, here he was, unable to control his utter despair as he and Yukari let it all out, endlessly sobbing.
"Van…" An all-too-familiar voice called to him. His head sprung up instantly, he knew it wasn't Yukari…
A/N: Yet another cliff-hanger, who the heck is calling to Van, could it be who I think it is? Hmm… Anyways, review, the final chapter will come out when I have at least 5-8 more reviews… Thanks, bye! ^_^
~Trunks Gal~
A/N: Oh my gosh… Wow, I'm impressed, 17 reviews… To me that seems like a lot since I've only put up three chaps… Heck, even my friend Kiddi Chi chose to review, which says a lot since she and I always seem to ignore each other's fics until the other drives us insane to review them… Read her fic "Fire and Ice," it's a good GW fic… (Are you happy now Kiddi Chi? Now you can go review my fics and I'll finally finish reading yours… Ugh, this'll be a LONG night…) Anyways, I hope this chapter doesn't cause TOO many of you pain, I'm sorry if it does… It's how I originally planned it, but I may choose to write a sequel, you never know… At the moment, I just want to get this done so I can finish all my other fics… Thanks for the reviews and on with the show! ^_^
Chapter 4: The Truth is Revealed
He walked through the green door with the white sign in green lettering labeled, 'HITOMI.'
'I guess she likes the color green.' He decided to himself, comparing the coloring to that of her beautiful eyes that stole his heart so long ago.
This was a room entirely dedicated to her and her life, and he was eager to explore it. He wanted to know more about her and this strange world he didn't think he'd ever understand. He'd force Yukari to quit the small talk and tell him where she was, then fly over and retrieve her. Then he'd use the pendant to transport them back to Gaea, he'd ask her to be his wife, and they'd live happily ever after… He'd always read about that kind of ending in story books, but how long was ever after? Was it an eternity of bliss or when death rolled around was misery waiting? He didn't care. As long as Hitomi was by his side, he'd feel satisfied with life in general. For five years, it had been all he ever wanted. All he dreamed about was her, running towards him, leaping into his arms and spinning her around in fields of flowers by the sea. Sometimes he caught a whiff of her scent of lilacs and spring in his fantasies, but when he awoke, she was gone, and he was again alone.
He had fallen in love with her the first day he met her. At first he had thought it was simple infatuation, and it would go away when she returned to her home, whenever that would be. When she left and Zaibach was no longer a concern, he'd find himself a princess, marry her, produce an heir to the throne, then live the rest of his life in peace, training to become the best guymelef pilot and swordsman. But that girl from the Mystic Moon, that tomboy, that bizarre seeress, had changed his life forever. Her stubbornness surpassed his own, her pride was untouchable, she was so kind and willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of her friends.
He had been so cold to her; he didn't want to be hurt. He longed for her to look at him the way she looked at Allen. Although Sir Allen was an admirable knight and swordsman, he was a pure and simple womanizer. He had so many girls falling at his feet yet he persisted after Hitomi. Van knew from day one that Allen knew he cared for Hitomi, but he was relentless in his pursuit of her. How many times had he been heartbroken by seeing the two of them together? When Allen kissed her cheek, pretending she was his new girl so Dilandau would leave her be. That time she had started calling out the knight's name in her sleep. When she had been found in a storage room in his arms in their search for the Mystic Valley. Van's world was turned upside down when he witnessed them kissing on the bridge. Then he had heard of the knight's intentions to marry her. He had worn a mask of indifference, but inside he was breaking into millions of pieces.
He had then decided that if she were to ever be his, he'd have to fight for her, showing her who was the better man. He had vented out his fury on the enemy, killing with no mercy, driven by one thought, 'I'll protect her.' That was all that mattered to him, keeping her safe, it was all he cared about. He'd take his last breath fighting so she would live, no matter what the consequences were. Then, he realized how sickened she was by all the blood and she left him for the blue moon that hung in the sky above them. He retrieved her, and swore to himself that this time, he'd tell her how he felt, and she'd never leave him again. But she had interrupted his proposal with a hug, and he had never gotten to ask her to stay with him forever.
When she left, she had promised she'd never forget him. Had she? Did he matter to her anymore? Had she found a replacement for him in her long absence? All he could do was pray that it wasn't so, and wait for Yukari to explain.
Van walked over to her dresser, picking up her pictures and looking at them, all smiles. A photo of the track team, one of Hitomi with her family, another of her as a little girl sitting on her grandmother's lap, her graduation picture from High School which she had passed with honors. He was stunned at a painting hung above her bed. It looked like one of those angels she had once told him about, but it looked like him.
'Does she think of me as an angel?' He wondered to himself.
'My wings do lead one to wonder…' He then noticed Hitomi was in the painting to, with her arms wrapped around his neck, smiling that special smile she only had for him.
"I love her so very much." He whispered. He inhaled her sweet scent again, but this time it wasn't a dream. He picked up her Tarot cards that laid abandoned on the desk and paled a little when he noticed that the card turned face up was Le Morte, the death card that had caused them so many troubles.
'What does it mean?' He worried silently.
Yukari walked over to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"She loved you more than anything." She said softly.
"Darn it Yukari, TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!" He screamed, as he turned around and shook her.
"Please don't." Yukari pleaded timidly, a tear rolling down her cheek, her sunglasses removed, looking up at him with the saddest eyes he'd ever seen.
"I'm sorry." He said in regret.
"It's OK." She replied, wiping her face with her sleeve.
"Sit down, so I can tell you everything… Oh gosh, I don't even know where to begin… I wish Ms. Kanzaki was still here, I could really use her help with this one." Van plopped down on Hitomi's small bed in the corner.
'Well I assume she has no husband since it appears she still lives with her mom.' He reassured himself that Yukari wasn't about to tell him that Hitomi was a wife with two kids living in downtown Tokyo.
"I guess I'll start at the VERY beginning," She said more to herself then to Van.
"When Hitomi was 10, her parents split up, her dad moved to Tokyo and her mom kept this house. Before she left to visit you, she'd visit him with her brother every weekend. Unfortunately, Mr. Kanzaki had a drug problem, and it caused his death during the time Hitomi was on Gaea. Her Grandmother died when she was 13, leaving Hitomi the pendant you wear and her deck of Tarot cards that she had taught her to use. Hitomi was really good at it and at school, she was the most sought-out fortuneteller. She was in love with Amano as you already know, and when she returned he was still around, his plans were changed and we were a couple. We were so happy when she got home, Ms. Kanzaki most of all, she treated her like she was a little kid again. Then she went on and on about Gaea and her epic journey with a handsome king named Van that she had fallen in love with. Of course, we all thought something was wrong with her except Ms. Kanzaki, who still believed in the tales her mother had told her when she was a little girl. But then Hitomi kept trying to use her pendant to return, never succeeding, and was signed up for sessions with a psychiatrist. She obviously hated that…" Yukari chuckled softly.
"After awhile, she had convinced us all that she had been hallucinating from her traumatizing experiences and we were all immensely relieved. Things went back to the way they'd always been, but for some reason, she refused to use her Tarot cards since she came back. Something about giving up fortune telling. She was forced to take her brother to a movie about a year ago. Her mom said it would be good for her to get out of the house. She was really mad about it because we were supposed to go to the carnival with Amano, Sachiko, Takuya, Nao, and me, but did it because she knew he had his heart set on seeing it and her mom was too busy to take him. Amano and I didn't want her to have to take him alone, so we agreed to go along, which pleased her. It was really late at night and it was snowing. We probably should have told him we'd go tomorrow, but she just wanted to get it over with. We were almost there, when we spotted a truck coming straight down the road towards us. There was only 1 lane and a fence around it so we were obviously scared. She beeped the horn trying to get the trucker to stop, but he was drunk and didn't understand what was going on. The road was too narrow for us to pass him and he was going too fast for us to turn around and drive the way he was going. I think that's when we knew we were going to be hit. In a few seconds, his truck collided with Hitomi's car shattering the windshield and crushing the front seat.
I woke up several days later in a hospital, in a body cast covering all but my head which had the top wrapped in bandages. I couldn't move at all so I started screaming for some reason. A doctor came in and I asked him what was going on. He said we'd collided with a drunk driver and our car had been smashed to bits. I was so afraid… Then I asked him about the others. He looked so sad at that moment I wished I hadn't asked. 'Mr. Nekuchi and the Kanzaki boy died upon impact. I'm sorry.' 'And what about Hitomi?' I asked him, choking on tears at the deaths of my boyfriend and my best friend's kid brother all because of some drunk psycho. 'She's not expected to make it through the night Ms. Uchida.' The doctor told me solemnly. I asked to see her and she was wheeled in, definitely in worse shape than I was in. All I could see of her that wasn't in her cast were her eyes, nose, and an opening for her mouth. She could barely keep her eyes open, but seemed to perk up when she saw me.
'We look like real beauty queens, huh Yukari?' I detected a small grin but I wasn't sure since I couldn't see her face properly.
'Yeah.' I replied meekly.
'I'm going to die, aren't I Yukari?' She asked me.
'Whatever gave you that idea?' I asked nervously, afraid for her.
'My entire body may be broken, but my brain's still intact, I can still hear what these quacks are saying.' She replied. 'If I'm going to die, I wish they had just told me, it's not like they can keep it a secret.'
'Hitomi…' I began, not understanding where she was going, she couldn't die on me, not now.
'I had a hunch I was going to…' She continued. 'I can't feel my body, my pulse is weak, and I just don't think I have the strength to carry on.'
'Hitomi, don't die on me!' I commanded her.
'Yukari, you can't control fate, it lives by its own rules, nothing we do or say can ever change its course. I've often predicted death; I've had the feeling since that fateful day that it was prophesizing my own demise. I just want to thank you for always being there for me. You're my very best friend.' She whispered.
'No…'
'Yes Yukari, it's inevitable. Even now, I can feel my life force fading away; I have about a minute left I'd say. Tell my mom that I love her and take care of yourself…'" Yukari stopped at that moment, fighting back tears.
"She told me to tell you something too Van."
"What?" He asked, barely being able to breathe, knowing now what was wrong with Hitomi's friend.
"She told me to tell you she'd never forget about you. And… that… she… loved you more than anyone else ever would. Then she died." Yukari finished her heart-breaking tale and Van stared off into space.
'She's gone?' He refused to believe that the girl he'd cared so much for would never know how he felt, that he'd go through the rest of life alone knowing that he could never be with anyone else. He'd never know what it was like to love and be loved in person and his kingdom would die out, never having a queen. The Fanel dynasty would come to a sad conclusion. He began to cry for the first time in his whole life. He hadn't cried when his father died, he hadn't cried when his brother failed to return, he hadn't cried when his mother died, he hadn't cried when Fanelia burned to the ground, he hadn't cried seeing Allen and Hitomi kissing on that bridge, and he hadn't cried when she had left him twice. But now, here he was, unable to control his utter despair as he and Yukari let it all out, endlessly sobbing.
"Van…" An all-too-familiar voice called to him. His head sprung up instantly, he knew it wasn't Yukari…
A/N: Yet another cliff-hanger, who the heck is calling to Van, could it be who I think it is? Hmm… Anyways, review, the final chapter will come out when I have at least 5-8 more reviews… Thanks, bye! ^_^
~Trunks Gal~