A/N: I have not seen the end of Escaflowne yet so if my story differs in
any way from the series, please ignore it or pretend it's another
dimension. O.o; Arigato.
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Escaflowne, any of the characters, or any of the episodes (poor me), or Van (poor, poor me). **Drags Van off to some secluded spot** Heheh! Arigato again.
1 Back to Gaea
Chapter 1
Explanation
Hitomi sat on the grass near the track. She absentmindedly swung her pendant back and forth. Yukari came up behind her. "Wow, Hitomi. That's becoming a habit of yours." She indicated the pendant.
"Yukari," Hitomi started. She glanced at her pendant and stopped swinging it. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She smiled and stood up. Looking up, she brushed her hair back. She had let it grow out so that it was now shoulder length.
A single star shimmered in the sunset. Hitomi wondered if one of the stars that would come out tonight was Gaea. It had been five years since she left that world; since she left Van. Since she left all her friends at that place. After Zaibach was defeated, the white column of light had pulled her back to her own world. But Hitomi recalled that she had promised everyone, especially Van, that she would come back someday. For five years she had tried to summon that column of light to take her back to Gaea. For five years she had tried and failed. She had stayed in track just in case she was pulled back. And, just in case she was pulled back, she had taken up kendo. She would need to learn how to be useful other than to predict the future.
Hitomi shivered. It was autumn and the days were getting shorter and colder. Yukari poked Hitomi in the back. Hitomi shrieked and jumped. "Forgot I was here, Hitomi?" Yukari asked, a little perturbed.
A big sweat drop appeared on the back of Hitomi's head. "Actually, yes," she said a little shyly.
Yukari sighed. "You've been acting so strange for the last few years, I'm surprised I'm not used to it." She grabbed Hitomi's arm and pulled her away from the track and started running.
"Wait!" cried Hitomi. "Let me get my bag first." She pulled away and picked up her blue duffel bag and wrapped up kendo stick. Then she ran off after Yukari. "Where are we going?"
"To see Amano!" Yukari called out to Hitomi, who was trying to keep up.
Hitomi flinched and stopped suddenly. Amano, though still friends, had seemed like he was trying to avoid Hitomi. Ever since she had told him about Van and Gaea, he had stayed away from her. He probably thinks I'm crazy, Hitomi thought. But she hadn't told Yukari about Gaia for fear she would get the same reaction.
Yukari was going out with Amano. She had noticed that he and Hitomi, her best friend, had been drifting apart, but she didn't know why. So she had asked Amano to the school dance and dragged Hitomi along to try to get those two back together. It didn't work all that well and Hitomi stormed home after she saw them kissing outside. After that first kiss at the dance, things just started heading for the better. For Yukari at least. She stopped and looked back at Hitomi. "Don't worry, Hitomi. I'm sure you and Amano will become friends again. I'll make sure of it!" She pounded her chest for emphasis.
Hitomi looked up and forced a genki smile. "Yeah! You're right! No need for me to worry! Just because he's been trying to avoid me for the past few years, I don't need to worry." Tears started to form in her eyes. "I don't need to worry because he probably thinks I'm crazy. Because of what I told him so many years ago, he's been avoiding me." She broke out crying and crouched down to the ground. "Just because…" Her sentence ended in sobs. Why? She thought, why? Why doesn't he want to be near me?
Yukari came up and patted her on the back. "What? Why do you think he thinks you're crazy? What did you say?" She frowned. "What could you possibly say that would make him avoid you?"
Hitomi reluctantly looked up. "Well…I haven't told you because I thought you would avoid me as well. But…" and she told Yukari about Gaea.
Yukari listened, and when her friend finished, she laughed. Hitomi looked confused. Yukari explained. "It doesn't sound like Amano thinks you're crazy, it sounds like he's jealous!" Hitomi still looked confused. "If this Van person really does exist like you said he did, you made it sound like Amano was no competition! Young, great bod, wings of an angel, total devotion, what more could a girl possibly want?"
Hitomi laughed; a genuine laugh this time. "You're right. I do love Van. More than Amano you could say. But that was a long time ago. Amano doesn't need to avoid me." Her smile faded. She looked up. The sky was getting darker and more stars were appearing. Hitomi stood up and turned toward Yukari. "Yukari, I'm going home. You can see Amano without me." Then she turned and ran off toward home. She spotted a small blue star. A vision of a smiling Van standing next to guymelef Escaflowne appeared in her head. I found it! She thought joyously. I found Gaea! As if the conversation between her and Yukari never occurred, Hitomi ran home, happier than ever.
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Escaflowne, any of the characters, or any of the episodes (poor me), or Van (poor, poor me). **Drags Van off to some secluded spot** Heheh! Arigato again.
1 Back to Gaea
Chapter 1
Explanation
Hitomi sat on the grass near the track. She absentmindedly swung her pendant back and forth. Yukari came up behind her. "Wow, Hitomi. That's becoming a habit of yours." She indicated the pendant.
"Yukari," Hitomi started. She glanced at her pendant and stopped swinging it. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She smiled and stood up. Looking up, she brushed her hair back. She had let it grow out so that it was now shoulder length.
A single star shimmered in the sunset. Hitomi wondered if one of the stars that would come out tonight was Gaea. It had been five years since she left that world; since she left Van. Since she left all her friends at that place. After Zaibach was defeated, the white column of light had pulled her back to her own world. But Hitomi recalled that she had promised everyone, especially Van, that she would come back someday. For five years she had tried to summon that column of light to take her back to Gaea. For five years she had tried and failed. She had stayed in track just in case she was pulled back. And, just in case she was pulled back, she had taken up kendo. She would need to learn how to be useful other than to predict the future.
Hitomi shivered. It was autumn and the days were getting shorter and colder. Yukari poked Hitomi in the back. Hitomi shrieked and jumped. "Forgot I was here, Hitomi?" Yukari asked, a little perturbed.
A big sweat drop appeared on the back of Hitomi's head. "Actually, yes," she said a little shyly.
Yukari sighed. "You've been acting so strange for the last few years, I'm surprised I'm not used to it." She grabbed Hitomi's arm and pulled her away from the track and started running.
"Wait!" cried Hitomi. "Let me get my bag first." She pulled away and picked up her blue duffel bag and wrapped up kendo stick. Then she ran off after Yukari. "Where are we going?"
"To see Amano!" Yukari called out to Hitomi, who was trying to keep up.
Hitomi flinched and stopped suddenly. Amano, though still friends, had seemed like he was trying to avoid Hitomi. Ever since she had told him about Van and Gaea, he had stayed away from her. He probably thinks I'm crazy, Hitomi thought. But she hadn't told Yukari about Gaia for fear she would get the same reaction.
Yukari was going out with Amano. She had noticed that he and Hitomi, her best friend, had been drifting apart, but she didn't know why. So she had asked Amano to the school dance and dragged Hitomi along to try to get those two back together. It didn't work all that well and Hitomi stormed home after she saw them kissing outside. After that first kiss at the dance, things just started heading for the better. For Yukari at least. She stopped and looked back at Hitomi. "Don't worry, Hitomi. I'm sure you and Amano will become friends again. I'll make sure of it!" She pounded her chest for emphasis.
Hitomi looked up and forced a genki smile. "Yeah! You're right! No need for me to worry! Just because he's been trying to avoid me for the past few years, I don't need to worry." Tears started to form in her eyes. "I don't need to worry because he probably thinks I'm crazy. Because of what I told him so many years ago, he's been avoiding me." She broke out crying and crouched down to the ground. "Just because…" Her sentence ended in sobs. Why? She thought, why? Why doesn't he want to be near me?
Yukari came up and patted her on the back. "What? Why do you think he thinks you're crazy? What did you say?" She frowned. "What could you possibly say that would make him avoid you?"
Hitomi reluctantly looked up. "Well…I haven't told you because I thought you would avoid me as well. But…" and she told Yukari about Gaea.
Yukari listened, and when her friend finished, she laughed. Hitomi looked confused. Yukari explained. "It doesn't sound like Amano thinks you're crazy, it sounds like he's jealous!" Hitomi still looked confused. "If this Van person really does exist like you said he did, you made it sound like Amano was no competition! Young, great bod, wings of an angel, total devotion, what more could a girl possibly want?"
Hitomi laughed; a genuine laugh this time. "You're right. I do love Van. More than Amano you could say. But that was a long time ago. Amano doesn't need to avoid me." Her smile faded. She looked up. The sky was getting darker and more stars were appearing. Hitomi stood up and turned toward Yukari. "Yukari, I'm going home. You can see Amano without me." Then she turned and ran off toward home. She spotted a small blue star. A vision of a smiling Van standing next to guymelef Escaflowne appeared in her head. I found it! She thought joyously. I found Gaea! As if the conversation between her and Yukari never occurred, Hitomi ran home, happier than ever.