Date. 06.22.2001
Time. 3.15 pm
Music. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Chapter 6
Copyright. I don't own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters, just all the ones that I created...so no touchie!
Author's Note. Whew! This chapter just dragged on and on. It originally was going to be two but I couldn't find a nice stopping place so I kept going and going. I have a couple more chapters to do before I go off traveling the world...or rather just New York and Arizona. Oh well. But I will remind you that I have a whole lot of plans for my little story. It's going to take me quite awhile to finish it so hang in there. For all those reviewers that wrote something more than once...*sigh* you guys are my heroes, my inspirations to keep going! I thank you from the bottom of my heart! Thank you! Now enjoy this while I enjoy some Coldstone mint ice cream with hot fudge since my teeth still hurt. Bye for now!
The Vision of Escaflowne. Rota Fortunae
Chapter 6. The End of Innocence
* * *
Tiny white blossoms drifted through the air as a gentle breeze landed upon the five young women as they sat by the fishpond. Hitomi, dressed in one of Celena's gowns that she had brought, was the center of attention for the others. She hadn't remembered a time before where others were so interested in her life. But Millerna, Celena, and Merle ceased with their questions: How did you get back? What have you been up to these past years? Are you here for good? That other girl, Kyia, the one that was friends with Merle, sat quietly.
"Well, Princess Millerna," Hitomi spoke up. "How long have you been pregnant? You're absolutely radiant!"
"It's 'Queen' now, Hitomi," Millerna corrected her as she placed a hand on her bulging belly. "And it's been about seven colors now."
"Queen?! When did this happen?"
Millerna chuckled. "A lot of things have happened since you went back to the Mystic Moon, you silly girl." She let out a sigh. "Father died a few years after you left. And since Eries had not been betrothed and I had, it was in the country's best interest that I should re-marry Dryden and become Queen. At that point, we reconciled and ended up falling in love anyhow."
"So is this your first child, then?"
Millerna smiled. "Yep," she said cheerfully.
"Do you know what it is yet? Boy or girl?" Hitomi felt so happy for her friend.
Merle stared at her, confused. "You don't know what you have until it's born," she said. "Why? Do you know the gender before the baby comes out on the Mystic Moon?"
Hitomi felt embarrassed. "Well, yeah. We use these machines called ultrasounds that let doctors see into the woman to determine the sex."
Millerna sounded the foreign word around her tongue. "Ultrasound?"
"What other things are there on the Mystic Moon?" Kyia piped up.
A relief of tension left Hitomi's body. She sensed comfort once that silent girl began to speak. "What do you want to know?" she asked kindly.
"Is it really cursed like everyone says it is?" Kyia's eyes were wide in anticipation.
Hitomi smiled and shook her head. "No, that's just a myth."
"But my mother used to tell me stories about silver ships that flew through the sky like leviships, but no stones aided them in flight. They just flew by themselves."
"Oh, you must mean airplanes. Nah, that's just one kind of transportation that we use." Hitomi reflected on the young servant's words. How would she know about airplanes?
"What other kinds of transportation are there?" Celena asked.
"Let's see...there's cars, boats, bikes, space shuttles..."
"Space shuttles?"
"Yeah, for space travel."
"YOU'VE been beyond the boundaries?"
"Well, not me personally. But the Americans have landed on the moon about 30 years ago or so." She gestured to the smaller, silver disc as she spoke of it.
The others gazed, following her direction. A soft murmur left their lips in awe. Hitomi secretly smiled to herself. She found it amazing that remarkable feats that were no longer an everyday discussion topic like the moon landing was still astonishing to these women.
"What has Hitomi done now?" a deep voice broke the solitude. Hitomi whirled around to see Allen and Van walking over to the fishpond.
"Good morning, Allen," Millerna beamed at him. "She was just telling us about the Mystic Moon. Did you know that the..." she paused, glancing at Hitomi for correct pronunciation. "...Uh-mer-ee-cans have been to the small moon?"
"No, I didn't," he said. "We will have to have her tell us more about the Mystic Moon later on." He gave a quick grin to Hitomi. "And my dear, how are you feeling now?"
"I feel perfectly fine, thank you." She glanced over in Van's direction. He seemed to be elsewhere, distant. "How did your meeting go today?"
"Oh, it was, uh, fine," he said quickly. He's lying, she thought. But she remained relaxed.
"That's good," she said aloud.
"So, Hitomi, have you seen the new palace grounds yet?" he asked, changing the subject off the meeting. Something happened there, something he doesn't want to talk about, she observed.
"No, I was waiting for you to show me," she said. "I think it's only fair that the person who should boast about his kingdom is the king himself."
He grinned and offered his hand. She grasped it and the two went off into the courtyard. Celena watched after the two and sighed.
"All right, let's go back to the kitchen," she said cheery. "I want some more of Ky's stew."
* * *
"So that's my room up there, the one with the wide balcony," Van pointed to the open doors a few floors from where they stood. "And that one over there will be your room. It has a nice overlook of the city below. I put all your belongings in it already."
"My belongings?"
"Yeah, that gown you were wearing, the wings, your bag..."
"My bag!? I didn't bring one with me."
"We found a black bag beside you last night so we assumed that it was yours."
"That's really weird. I locked it in Naoko's car last night..."
"Naoko?"
Hitomi smiled at the sound of her name. "She's my college roommate. She may be kind of spacey sometimes, but she's a really sweet girl."
Van stared at her, his dark eyes never leaving her face. Celena's dress fit her perfectly, having chosen a pale green to match her emerald eyes. He glanced up to her light brown hair.
"You have some flowers stuck in your hair," he blurted out.
"Oh," her hand reached up to pick out the small blossoms that had attached themselves while floating by the fishpond.
He grabbed her hand, stopping her. "Don't," he said. "You look beautiful like that."
"Thank you," she said, never retracting her hand from his, wishing they could stay in that simple moment forever.
"C'mon," he pulled her towards the garden. "I want to show you something." They walked under the iron gates covered in forest green ivy. A pair of white doves with draping tails quickly flew by, dancing in the sky together. How perfect they are, she thought.
The garden was littered with hundreds of different kinds of flowers. Towering plants with hanging lavender garlands covered the walkway, leaving a cool and shadowed area blocking the bright sun. A darting creature resembling a hummingbird fluttered to and fro collecting pollen from the sacs.
"This is for my mother," Van said. "She loved flowers. She vowed to me that she wanted a garden just filled with flowers from all over Gaea. So when I was traveling around to all the different countries for the Act of Alliance, I gathered some seeds from their native soil and brought it back here."
"This is amazing, Van," Hitomi said, breathlessly. "I'm sure your mother is quite proud of you no matter what you do."
"I used to come here alone in the middle of the night..." he began, not sure if he wanted to finish the sentence he started. "...when we were able to talk to one another."
Hitomi looked at the ground. "Oh," she mumbled.
"One of us had to mention it."
"I suppose..."
He sat down on an ancient marble bench. She sat down next to him and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I've missed you," he whispered into her hair.
She played with his fingers. "I missed you, too," she said. "What do you supposed happened?"
"I think...I think that our lives got too busy for us," he uttered. "You had your schooling and I had Fanelia and her people. We took advantage of the gift we were given and lost everything."
"But we didn't lose everything," Hitomi protested. "I think we're still linked. I could still feel you inside me every now and then, like a faint whisper or something. I knew we would be together forever somehow. I know you could feel me, too."
He nodded. "I could sense whenever you were happy or..." he paused. "...or when you were sad."
"Close your eyes," she said, clasping his hand and placing it in her lap. He shut his lids obediently and so did she. She reached deep within her, searching for the bondage that let her connect with Van. She found it, buried down beyond her memories, her feelings, her desires.
"Van," she spoke to him, not letting go of the union.
"Yes?" She couldn't see him in the darkness, but his essence surrounded her, comforting her.
"You see, we are still together," she said relieved. "We just need to build it back up to what it once was."
"How do you propose we do that?" he asked.
Her eyes flew open in excitement. They still sat on the marble bench, Van's eyes still remaining shut tight. She gave him a playful slap to break him from the trance.
"Ow! Gods, what was that for?" he cried.
"Let's play Hide and Seek!" she shouted, jumping from her seat.
"How do you play that?"
"I hide, you find me!" She ran off into the field of flowers, ducking low so that he could not find her.
"Well, this seems like a rather stupid game," he muttered so that she could not hear him. Nonetheless, he smiled and started walking after her.
* * *
Hitomi's heart pounded within her chest, beating rapidly as she ran between each bush. She could hear Van coming from behind, so she hid once more under the sweeping brush. What am I doing? she thought. I can't hide from him, he's a trained hunter. She could see Van's boots tread slowly by as she crouched under the bushes.
"Hitomi! C'mon, it's getting late! We need to get back to the castle," he shouted at her. She tried to muffle her giggles as he disappeared from her sight. She jumped up and ran up a narrow path to a clearing with some delicately carved monuments.
Wait, I've been here before, she thought. She gazed at the sculptures surrounded by tumbling ivies. To her right, a bright twinkling jewel caught her attention. A familiar jewel...
"Escaflowne?" she wondered out loud, recognizing the guymelef. She touched the cool metal with her fingertips, remembering when she and Van flew through the Gaean skies on it in dragon-form. Remembering how Folken wanted to see a future without the guymelef's aid. Well done, Van, she thought. You kept the sleeping dragon dormant.
A slight rustle of the leaves broke her concentration. "Van?" she called out.
No answer, only stillness.
"Van! This isn't funny! Answer me!" Still, nothing.
She shivered as a cool breeze entered the glade. Winter must be upon Fanelia, too. Our seasons must be on the same schedule.
Without warning, Hitomi found herself hoisted into the air with such amazing force. She saw the ground before her shrink as she was raised higher.
"Found you," a voice whispered into her ear.
"Van!" she shouted as she clutched onto his arm. He held her closer to his body as they climbed higher over the city. She could feel his muscles flex as his snowy wings beat against the wind.
"I wanted to show you Fanelia from a bird's-eye view," he said, smiling.
She looked down below her, seeing the tiny people wander through the streets, not noticing their king flying high above them.
"It's so beautiful, Van," she gasped. "You kept your promise. You finally finished it."
He snorted. "Took me long enough."
"But look at the results," she directed to the townsfolk below. "Your people are happy, Gaea is at peace. What more could you want?"
"Yeah, right..." he mind wandered back to Sekhmet earlier.
---"Then you leave me no choice. I wanted a peaceful conjunction between our countries but I am forced for a dominant takeover of this country."---
Hitomi sensed something inside of Van that bothered him. She had tried before to see what it was, but he pushed her away.
He shook his memory away. "C'mon," he said. "Let's go somewhere private." He scaled higher, reaching with every stroke.
* * *
"Damn it! Where's Van?" Celena shouted loudly. "It's not like him to disappear for hours."
"What are you talking about?" Allen said. "It's exactly like Van to disappear for hours."
"What do you think they have been doing?" Merle purred, feeling the baby kick inside of Millerna. "You don't think they..."
"Merle!" Millerna smacked her hand away. "Stop it, that tickles!"
Merle retracted her hand. "Sorry," she apologized.
"Don't worry, he'll be back soon enough," Allen said. "And he won't do anything to Hitomi. She's unlike any other person I have ever met."
* * *
Hitomi opened her eyes as she felt Van descending at a slight diagonal. The mountain city had disappeared. She found themselves flying towards a vast, glassy lake enclosed inside a forest.
"Are you all right?" Van asked her.
"Yeah, just a little sleepy," she yawned.
A glimmer of wildness flared in his eye. "You know what the best cure for that is?"
"What?"
"Some cold water."
"Cold water? And where do you get some of that from..." she glanced at the lake about ten feet below her. "Oh my God, Van. If you're going to do what I think you're thinking of, then you are going to be so sorry you ever met me!"
"What? If I did...this?" He dove lower and dropped her.
Hitomi free fell for a few seconds then hit the icy water. The initial shock snapped her from her drowsiness. Van was right, she thought. It is the best cure.
Van, satisfied that his spontaneous act of immaturity didn't go over board, retracted his wings into his back and dove into the water a ways from Hitomi.
"Show off!" she shouted once he vanished under the surface, only to appear by her side, grinning like an idiot. His long bangs fell into his eyes, making him unable to see very well. She splashed playfully, laughing.
"You ruined Celena's dress, you jerk," she said, giggling.
"I'll get her a new one, but as for you..." he embarked on chasing after her. She squealed, treading water as she pretended to be the helpless victim. It's about time, she thought. We've wasted so much valuable time together.
* * *
The candle flickered across the dining table in the Great Hall. Its dancing movements caught Celena's attention. There was something about it that was so captivating, she thought. What makes fire so beautiful? She stroked the right side of her cheek as if there was an itch. Or something else, perhaps?
"Celena!" Allen hissed at her, poking her in the ribs. "Snap out of it!"
She blinked, suddenly aware of her surroundings at the Fanelian Royal Hall. Merle, Millerna, Lady Ashira, Lord Sekhmet, and a few other nobles who remained for a couple days stared at her.
"I'm sorry, I was somewhere else," she mumbled.
"Do you know where His Majesty is?" Lord Sekhmet repeated his question.
"I am not aware of his current position, My Lord," she said, smiling sweetly. "But I'm sure he will not mind if we begin supper without him." She grabbed a fork and plunged it into a nearby roast. "Otherwise, its too bad for him!"
Slight chuckling came from the other nobles, knowing of Celena and Van's 'playful' friendship. Sekhmet glared at her while Ashira sat quietly.
"You don't suppose he has forgotten our arrangement, as he, Sir Allen?" Sekhmet growled.
Allen cringed. "No, I'm sure he knows, My Lord," he said. At least, I hope he remembers.
* * *
"So that one up there, the one with four making up the head and then a bunch making the body...that one is Draco the Dragon."
"Your dragons have serpentine bodies?"
"Huh? What, no! No, we don't have dragons on Earth...I mean, the Mystic Moon. That's what they looked like in the ancient stories and stuff."
"You don't have dragons?"
"Nope."
"Your world is so strange."
"You should be the one who's talking about weird worlds." Hitomi leaned back into his chest, snuggling for warmth. The small fire Van had provided for dinner was nothing more than crackling embers. They sat against the tree for hours, just simply talking about anything.
"I could watch the stars forever," she said. "My father and I used to sit out in the backyard for hours during the summer and watch the stars. He point out all the constellations and then he would let me make my own." She searched the skies, looking for a familiar cluster of glowing orbs. "That one is named after me...unofficially." She looked down at the ground, a tear trickling down her cheek. "Dad died two years ago...I haven't looked at the stars like this since then."
She curled up tighter, her head resting on his shoulder. He could smell the lake in her. "I'm so sorry. What happened?"
"Heart attack," she said, bluntly. "I guess it ran in his side of the family. We never saw it coming."
"I'm sorry, I wasn't there for you," he said quietly.
"But you were," she said. "You were always there...in one way or another."
He struggled a bit in order sit straight. Hitomi moved, allowing him to rise to his feet. She watched him kick dirt over the remainder of the fire. He turned his back to her, granting her the sight of his wings.
"Since when did you get comfortable about showing your wings in public?" she asked.
"It's been gradual," he said calmly as he swept Hitomi off her feet. "I think pretty much everyone knows about me, so they're more at ease. But it's not like I parade around with these things sticking out of me. And your one of the very few people that like them so I like being around you and not having to hide anything."
"You never have to hide anything from me, Van," she said, brushing the hair out of his eyes.
He smirked. "Let's get back," he said. "I think we've worried enough people."
* * *
The flight home continued to be reserved for the majority. She watched the miniscule lights in the city twinkle as they glided overhead. The only sound that filled the skies was the wings beating against the darkness and Hitomi's heart pounding. Why can't I spend eternity up here? she wondered. It's perfect.
He landed gently on her balcony, wings folding to his side. She jumped from his arms, landing awkwardly so that she fell back into him by mistake. Luckily, having not left so abruptly, he caught her easily.
"Thank you," she said breathlessly. "And thank you for tonight, too. I had a wonderful time."
"So did I," he said, smiling. "I'll show you the city tomorrow the boring way...on the ground."
She laughed timidly. "I can't wait." She hesitated. "Well, good night!"
"Hitomi!" he called after her.
"Yes?"
"Let me get those flowers out of your hair. They'll be a pain." His hand raised up towards the crown of her head. However, he stopped at her face, then traced the outline of her delicate cheek. He leaned in and lightly grazed her lips with a kiss. It lasted for a second or two, but to Hitomi, it seemed like for an infinite amount of time. He backed away, never leaving her gaze.
"Good night," he whispered, then leapt of the balcony, took wing, and glided his open doors.
Good night, Van, she thought.
* * *
She slept restlessly. Or rather, didn't sleep at all. She didn't dare blow out the single candle in her room. It gave her comfort knowing what her habitat looked like. Was that what bothered her? That she was alone in a foreign place? That she was no longer home on her own planet? Or could it be something else...
She wanted that feeling to extend, to go on, not end abruptly like it had. His touch on her, it was like magic. What's wrong with me? she thought.
I don't care what time it is, I need to talk to him, tell him what I feel.
She padded silently like a cat out of her door. Merle would be so proud of me, she thought. Tiptoeing past the sleeping rooms on her side, she managed to find Van's room. Not like it was hard, there were Fanelian seals on the old doors. This had to be the Royal Chamber. She lingered, then knocked on the wood.
At first, there was no sound. Her heart leapt when she heard footsteps making their way to the entrance. There was an unlocking, then they creaked open.
"Hitomi? Is something wrong?" his voice asked in a whisper tone.
"No, nothing's wrong," she said, squeezing her way into his room. "I just...didn't want to be alone tonight." She shut the doors behind her.
to be continued...
* * *
oh my, what's happening here? hitomi, my goodness! I wasn't in the mood to write all the graphic detail so I'll let everyone else's mind come to their own conclusion of what happens in the Master Bedroom. Hehe. This chapter is named after Don Henley's song. I love that boy. My fav song is the "Boys of Summer" but that one really couldn't fit. Oh well.
Time. 3.15 pm
Music. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Chapter 6
Copyright. I don't own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters, just all the ones that I created...so no touchie!
Author's Note. Whew! This chapter just dragged on and on. It originally was going to be two but I couldn't find a nice stopping place so I kept going and going. I have a couple more chapters to do before I go off traveling the world...or rather just New York and Arizona. Oh well. But I will remind you that I have a whole lot of plans for my little story. It's going to take me quite awhile to finish it so hang in there. For all those reviewers that wrote something more than once...*sigh* you guys are my heroes, my inspirations to keep going! I thank you from the bottom of my heart! Thank you! Now enjoy this while I enjoy some Coldstone mint ice cream with hot fudge since my teeth still hurt. Bye for now!
The Vision of Escaflowne. Rota Fortunae
Chapter 6. The End of Innocence
* * *
Tiny white blossoms drifted through the air as a gentle breeze landed upon the five young women as they sat by the fishpond. Hitomi, dressed in one of Celena's gowns that she had brought, was the center of attention for the others. She hadn't remembered a time before where others were so interested in her life. But Millerna, Celena, and Merle ceased with their questions: How did you get back? What have you been up to these past years? Are you here for good? That other girl, Kyia, the one that was friends with Merle, sat quietly.
"Well, Princess Millerna," Hitomi spoke up. "How long have you been pregnant? You're absolutely radiant!"
"It's 'Queen' now, Hitomi," Millerna corrected her as she placed a hand on her bulging belly. "And it's been about seven colors now."
"Queen?! When did this happen?"
Millerna chuckled. "A lot of things have happened since you went back to the Mystic Moon, you silly girl." She let out a sigh. "Father died a few years after you left. And since Eries had not been betrothed and I had, it was in the country's best interest that I should re-marry Dryden and become Queen. At that point, we reconciled and ended up falling in love anyhow."
"So is this your first child, then?"
Millerna smiled. "Yep," she said cheerfully.
"Do you know what it is yet? Boy or girl?" Hitomi felt so happy for her friend.
Merle stared at her, confused. "You don't know what you have until it's born," she said. "Why? Do you know the gender before the baby comes out on the Mystic Moon?"
Hitomi felt embarrassed. "Well, yeah. We use these machines called ultrasounds that let doctors see into the woman to determine the sex."
Millerna sounded the foreign word around her tongue. "Ultrasound?"
"What other things are there on the Mystic Moon?" Kyia piped up.
A relief of tension left Hitomi's body. She sensed comfort once that silent girl began to speak. "What do you want to know?" she asked kindly.
"Is it really cursed like everyone says it is?" Kyia's eyes were wide in anticipation.
Hitomi smiled and shook her head. "No, that's just a myth."
"But my mother used to tell me stories about silver ships that flew through the sky like leviships, but no stones aided them in flight. They just flew by themselves."
"Oh, you must mean airplanes. Nah, that's just one kind of transportation that we use." Hitomi reflected on the young servant's words. How would she know about airplanes?
"What other kinds of transportation are there?" Celena asked.
"Let's see...there's cars, boats, bikes, space shuttles..."
"Space shuttles?"
"Yeah, for space travel."
"YOU'VE been beyond the boundaries?"
"Well, not me personally. But the Americans have landed on the moon about 30 years ago or so." She gestured to the smaller, silver disc as she spoke of it.
The others gazed, following her direction. A soft murmur left their lips in awe. Hitomi secretly smiled to herself. She found it amazing that remarkable feats that were no longer an everyday discussion topic like the moon landing was still astonishing to these women.
"What has Hitomi done now?" a deep voice broke the solitude. Hitomi whirled around to see Allen and Van walking over to the fishpond.
"Good morning, Allen," Millerna beamed at him. "She was just telling us about the Mystic Moon. Did you know that the..." she paused, glancing at Hitomi for correct pronunciation. "...Uh-mer-ee-cans have been to the small moon?"
"No, I didn't," he said. "We will have to have her tell us more about the Mystic Moon later on." He gave a quick grin to Hitomi. "And my dear, how are you feeling now?"
"I feel perfectly fine, thank you." She glanced over in Van's direction. He seemed to be elsewhere, distant. "How did your meeting go today?"
"Oh, it was, uh, fine," he said quickly. He's lying, she thought. But she remained relaxed.
"That's good," she said aloud.
"So, Hitomi, have you seen the new palace grounds yet?" he asked, changing the subject off the meeting. Something happened there, something he doesn't want to talk about, she observed.
"No, I was waiting for you to show me," she said. "I think it's only fair that the person who should boast about his kingdom is the king himself."
He grinned and offered his hand. She grasped it and the two went off into the courtyard. Celena watched after the two and sighed.
"All right, let's go back to the kitchen," she said cheery. "I want some more of Ky's stew."
* * *
"So that's my room up there, the one with the wide balcony," Van pointed to the open doors a few floors from where they stood. "And that one over there will be your room. It has a nice overlook of the city below. I put all your belongings in it already."
"My belongings?"
"Yeah, that gown you were wearing, the wings, your bag..."
"My bag!? I didn't bring one with me."
"We found a black bag beside you last night so we assumed that it was yours."
"That's really weird. I locked it in Naoko's car last night..."
"Naoko?"
Hitomi smiled at the sound of her name. "She's my college roommate. She may be kind of spacey sometimes, but she's a really sweet girl."
Van stared at her, his dark eyes never leaving her face. Celena's dress fit her perfectly, having chosen a pale green to match her emerald eyes. He glanced up to her light brown hair.
"You have some flowers stuck in your hair," he blurted out.
"Oh," her hand reached up to pick out the small blossoms that had attached themselves while floating by the fishpond.
He grabbed her hand, stopping her. "Don't," he said. "You look beautiful like that."
"Thank you," she said, never retracting her hand from his, wishing they could stay in that simple moment forever.
"C'mon," he pulled her towards the garden. "I want to show you something." They walked under the iron gates covered in forest green ivy. A pair of white doves with draping tails quickly flew by, dancing in the sky together. How perfect they are, she thought.
The garden was littered with hundreds of different kinds of flowers. Towering plants with hanging lavender garlands covered the walkway, leaving a cool and shadowed area blocking the bright sun. A darting creature resembling a hummingbird fluttered to and fro collecting pollen from the sacs.
"This is for my mother," Van said. "She loved flowers. She vowed to me that she wanted a garden just filled with flowers from all over Gaea. So when I was traveling around to all the different countries for the Act of Alliance, I gathered some seeds from their native soil and brought it back here."
"This is amazing, Van," Hitomi said, breathlessly. "I'm sure your mother is quite proud of you no matter what you do."
"I used to come here alone in the middle of the night..." he began, not sure if he wanted to finish the sentence he started. "...when we were able to talk to one another."
Hitomi looked at the ground. "Oh," she mumbled.
"One of us had to mention it."
"I suppose..."
He sat down on an ancient marble bench. She sat down next to him and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I've missed you," he whispered into her hair.
She played with his fingers. "I missed you, too," she said. "What do you supposed happened?"
"I think...I think that our lives got too busy for us," he uttered. "You had your schooling and I had Fanelia and her people. We took advantage of the gift we were given and lost everything."
"But we didn't lose everything," Hitomi protested. "I think we're still linked. I could still feel you inside me every now and then, like a faint whisper or something. I knew we would be together forever somehow. I know you could feel me, too."
He nodded. "I could sense whenever you were happy or..." he paused. "...or when you were sad."
"Close your eyes," she said, clasping his hand and placing it in her lap. He shut his lids obediently and so did she. She reached deep within her, searching for the bondage that let her connect with Van. She found it, buried down beyond her memories, her feelings, her desires.
"Van," she spoke to him, not letting go of the union.
"Yes?" She couldn't see him in the darkness, but his essence surrounded her, comforting her.
"You see, we are still together," she said relieved. "We just need to build it back up to what it once was."
"How do you propose we do that?" he asked.
Her eyes flew open in excitement. They still sat on the marble bench, Van's eyes still remaining shut tight. She gave him a playful slap to break him from the trance.
"Ow! Gods, what was that for?" he cried.
"Let's play Hide and Seek!" she shouted, jumping from her seat.
"How do you play that?"
"I hide, you find me!" She ran off into the field of flowers, ducking low so that he could not find her.
"Well, this seems like a rather stupid game," he muttered so that she could not hear him. Nonetheless, he smiled and started walking after her.
* * *
Hitomi's heart pounded within her chest, beating rapidly as she ran between each bush. She could hear Van coming from behind, so she hid once more under the sweeping brush. What am I doing? she thought. I can't hide from him, he's a trained hunter. She could see Van's boots tread slowly by as she crouched under the bushes.
"Hitomi! C'mon, it's getting late! We need to get back to the castle," he shouted at her. She tried to muffle her giggles as he disappeared from her sight. She jumped up and ran up a narrow path to a clearing with some delicately carved monuments.
Wait, I've been here before, she thought. She gazed at the sculptures surrounded by tumbling ivies. To her right, a bright twinkling jewel caught her attention. A familiar jewel...
"Escaflowne?" she wondered out loud, recognizing the guymelef. She touched the cool metal with her fingertips, remembering when she and Van flew through the Gaean skies on it in dragon-form. Remembering how Folken wanted to see a future without the guymelef's aid. Well done, Van, she thought. You kept the sleeping dragon dormant.
A slight rustle of the leaves broke her concentration. "Van?" she called out.
No answer, only stillness.
"Van! This isn't funny! Answer me!" Still, nothing.
She shivered as a cool breeze entered the glade. Winter must be upon Fanelia, too. Our seasons must be on the same schedule.
Without warning, Hitomi found herself hoisted into the air with such amazing force. She saw the ground before her shrink as she was raised higher.
"Found you," a voice whispered into her ear.
"Van!" she shouted as she clutched onto his arm. He held her closer to his body as they climbed higher over the city. She could feel his muscles flex as his snowy wings beat against the wind.
"I wanted to show you Fanelia from a bird's-eye view," he said, smiling.
She looked down below her, seeing the tiny people wander through the streets, not noticing their king flying high above them.
"It's so beautiful, Van," she gasped. "You kept your promise. You finally finished it."
He snorted. "Took me long enough."
"But look at the results," she directed to the townsfolk below. "Your people are happy, Gaea is at peace. What more could you want?"
"Yeah, right..." he mind wandered back to Sekhmet earlier.
---"Then you leave me no choice. I wanted a peaceful conjunction between our countries but I am forced for a dominant takeover of this country."---
Hitomi sensed something inside of Van that bothered him. She had tried before to see what it was, but he pushed her away.
He shook his memory away. "C'mon," he said. "Let's go somewhere private." He scaled higher, reaching with every stroke.
* * *
"Damn it! Where's Van?" Celena shouted loudly. "It's not like him to disappear for hours."
"What are you talking about?" Allen said. "It's exactly like Van to disappear for hours."
"What do you think they have been doing?" Merle purred, feeling the baby kick inside of Millerna. "You don't think they..."
"Merle!" Millerna smacked her hand away. "Stop it, that tickles!"
Merle retracted her hand. "Sorry," she apologized.
"Don't worry, he'll be back soon enough," Allen said. "And he won't do anything to Hitomi. She's unlike any other person I have ever met."
* * *
Hitomi opened her eyes as she felt Van descending at a slight diagonal. The mountain city had disappeared. She found themselves flying towards a vast, glassy lake enclosed inside a forest.
"Are you all right?" Van asked her.
"Yeah, just a little sleepy," she yawned.
A glimmer of wildness flared in his eye. "You know what the best cure for that is?"
"What?"
"Some cold water."
"Cold water? And where do you get some of that from..." she glanced at the lake about ten feet below her. "Oh my God, Van. If you're going to do what I think you're thinking of, then you are going to be so sorry you ever met me!"
"What? If I did...this?" He dove lower and dropped her.
Hitomi free fell for a few seconds then hit the icy water. The initial shock snapped her from her drowsiness. Van was right, she thought. It is the best cure.
Van, satisfied that his spontaneous act of immaturity didn't go over board, retracted his wings into his back and dove into the water a ways from Hitomi.
"Show off!" she shouted once he vanished under the surface, only to appear by her side, grinning like an idiot. His long bangs fell into his eyes, making him unable to see very well. She splashed playfully, laughing.
"You ruined Celena's dress, you jerk," she said, giggling.
"I'll get her a new one, but as for you..." he embarked on chasing after her. She squealed, treading water as she pretended to be the helpless victim. It's about time, she thought. We've wasted so much valuable time together.
* * *
The candle flickered across the dining table in the Great Hall. Its dancing movements caught Celena's attention. There was something about it that was so captivating, she thought. What makes fire so beautiful? She stroked the right side of her cheek as if there was an itch. Or something else, perhaps?
"Celena!" Allen hissed at her, poking her in the ribs. "Snap out of it!"
She blinked, suddenly aware of her surroundings at the Fanelian Royal Hall. Merle, Millerna, Lady Ashira, Lord Sekhmet, and a few other nobles who remained for a couple days stared at her.
"I'm sorry, I was somewhere else," she mumbled.
"Do you know where His Majesty is?" Lord Sekhmet repeated his question.
"I am not aware of his current position, My Lord," she said, smiling sweetly. "But I'm sure he will not mind if we begin supper without him." She grabbed a fork and plunged it into a nearby roast. "Otherwise, its too bad for him!"
Slight chuckling came from the other nobles, knowing of Celena and Van's 'playful' friendship. Sekhmet glared at her while Ashira sat quietly.
"You don't suppose he has forgotten our arrangement, as he, Sir Allen?" Sekhmet growled.
Allen cringed. "No, I'm sure he knows, My Lord," he said. At least, I hope he remembers.
* * *
"So that one up there, the one with four making up the head and then a bunch making the body...that one is Draco the Dragon."
"Your dragons have serpentine bodies?"
"Huh? What, no! No, we don't have dragons on Earth...I mean, the Mystic Moon. That's what they looked like in the ancient stories and stuff."
"You don't have dragons?"
"Nope."
"Your world is so strange."
"You should be the one who's talking about weird worlds." Hitomi leaned back into his chest, snuggling for warmth. The small fire Van had provided for dinner was nothing more than crackling embers. They sat against the tree for hours, just simply talking about anything.
"I could watch the stars forever," she said. "My father and I used to sit out in the backyard for hours during the summer and watch the stars. He point out all the constellations and then he would let me make my own." She searched the skies, looking for a familiar cluster of glowing orbs. "That one is named after me...unofficially." She looked down at the ground, a tear trickling down her cheek. "Dad died two years ago...I haven't looked at the stars like this since then."
She curled up tighter, her head resting on his shoulder. He could smell the lake in her. "I'm so sorry. What happened?"
"Heart attack," she said, bluntly. "I guess it ran in his side of the family. We never saw it coming."
"I'm sorry, I wasn't there for you," he said quietly.
"But you were," she said. "You were always there...in one way or another."
He struggled a bit in order sit straight. Hitomi moved, allowing him to rise to his feet. She watched him kick dirt over the remainder of the fire. He turned his back to her, granting her the sight of his wings.
"Since when did you get comfortable about showing your wings in public?" she asked.
"It's been gradual," he said calmly as he swept Hitomi off her feet. "I think pretty much everyone knows about me, so they're more at ease. But it's not like I parade around with these things sticking out of me. And your one of the very few people that like them so I like being around you and not having to hide anything."
"You never have to hide anything from me, Van," she said, brushing the hair out of his eyes.
He smirked. "Let's get back," he said. "I think we've worried enough people."
* * *
The flight home continued to be reserved for the majority. She watched the miniscule lights in the city twinkle as they glided overhead. The only sound that filled the skies was the wings beating against the darkness and Hitomi's heart pounding. Why can't I spend eternity up here? she wondered. It's perfect.
He landed gently on her balcony, wings folding to his side. She jumped from his arms, landing awkwardly so that she fell back into him by mistake. Luckily, having not left so abruptly, he caught her easily.
"Thank you," she said breathlessly. "And thank you for tonight, too. I had a wonderful time."
"So did I," he said, smiling. "I'll show you the city tomorrow the boring way...on the ground."
She laughed timidly. "I can't wait." She hesitated. "Well, good night!"
"Hitomi!" he called after her.
"Yes?"
"Let me get those flowers out of your hair. They'll be a pain." His hand raised up towards the crown of her head. However, he stopped at her face, then traced the outline of her delicate cheek. He leaned in and lightly grazed her lips with a kiss. It lasted for a second or two, but to Hitomi, it seemed like for an infinite amount of time. He backed away, never leaving her gaze.
"Good night," he whispered, then leapt of the balcony, took wing, and glided his open doors.
Good night, Van, she thought.
* * *
She slept restlessly. Or rather, didn't sleep at all. She didn't dare blow out the single candle in her room. It gave her comfort knowing what her habitat looked like. Was that what bothered her? That she was alone in a foreign place? That she was no longer home on her own planet? Or could it be something else...
She wanted that feeling to extend, to go on, not end abruptly like it had. His touch on her, it was like magic. What's wrong with me? she thought.
I don't care what time it is, I need to talk to him, tell him what I feel.
She padded silently like a cat out of her door. Merle would be so proud of me, she thought. Tiptoeing past the sleeping rooms on her side, she managed to find Van's room. Not like it was hard, there were Fanelian seals on the old doors. This had to be the Royal Chamber. She lingered, then knocked on the wood.
At first, there was no sound. Her heart leapt when she heard footsteps making their way to the entrance. There was an unlocking, then they creaked open.
"Hitomi? Is something wrong?" his voice asked in a whisper tone.
"No, nothing's wrong," she said, squeezing her way into his room. "I just...didn't want to be alone tonight." She shut the doors behind her.
to be continued...
* * *
oh my, what's happening here? hitomi, my goodness! I wasn't in the mood to write all the graphic detail so I'll let everyone else's mind come to their own conclusion of what happens in the Master Bedroom. Hehe. This chapter is named after Don Henley's song. I love that boy. My fav song is the "Boys of Summer" but that one really couldn't fit. Oh well.