*Note: Escaflowne isn't and probably never will be owned by me. I do own my made up characters!

A/N: I apologize to those that have been reading my story before and have reviewed. I'm sorry it took me this long to even write a chapter though I promised that I would when people reviewed. Though I don't think you want to know my life's story let me just say again I'm sorry and appreciate those that did read my story before. Hopefully you will continue to read and review. Also, though I know you guys will be reluctant to read, this is a chapter by chapter story and wont be done probably anytime soon, depending on how inspired I am at finishing sooner than later. Lets just hope I can finish this story! Enjoy!





Chapter 2:



Hitomi shifted her gaze from the tranquil scenery before her to the back of the man she was clutching on to while they rode the black stallion.

'My knight and shinning armor.' Hitomi thought happily for a fragment of time before she switched back to the matter at hand. Hitomi suddenly realized that the mystery guy had said something while she was day-dreaming about him.

"What did you say? I'm sorry, I missed it." the guy chuckled.

"I said my name is Tsuke and I was wondering what yours was?" Hitomi thought about his name. Tsuke. Though it was strange, it seemed to be appropriate for such a man of his statures. Hitomi could already feel the way it felt when the word rolled off her tongue.

"Tsuke?" Hitomi tested and liked the feeling of saying it.

"My name is Hitomi." Tsuke didn't say anything for a while.

"Are you the same Hitomi that came to Gaea hundreds of years ago?" Hitomi's countenance twisted into shock. "The one that came from the Mystic Moon?"

"H..how.." Hitomi paused. "Actually yes I am?" Hitomi bowed her head in defeat. Before she could ask the other question, Tsuke spoke.

"There's a legend about you. Maybe when we get to the caste, I'll tell you…"

"No, just tell me now." Hitomi blurted out. Tsuke wanted badly to see the girl from the Mystic Moon, but reluctantly he could only look straight ahead instead.

"Many years ago, my great great grandfather, Van Fanel," Hitomi twitched when she heard the name that wasn't spoken from another's lips in ages, "fell in love with a girl that came from the Mystic Moon. When she left, he became very sad, but eventually he had gotten married and his wife bore him children. To his children, he would tell the stories of his adventures with his companions." Tsuke paused for a second. He took a deep breath and continued.

"Anyways, before Van died," Hitomi could feel her heart breaking in two. 'Van…died?' Hitomi thought painfully. Trickles of tears came down her face. "I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't continue on this…"

"No it's ok." Hitomi whipped the tears that had accumulated on the rim of her eyes and were forcing themselves to trail down her cheek. "Please go on." Tsuke mentally gave himself a kick for putting the girl into a freight full of tears. Tsuke hesitated for a second but finally gave in.

"Van made his son promise to pass down the stories of his time. As you'll guess, his son passed the story down to his son, who passed it on to his son, and so on and so forth." Hitomi smiled.

'I guess that's Van's way of showing me that he would never forget me by passing the story through his family.' Though the thought made Hitomi happy, the news of Van's death didn't subside an inch. Tsuke coughed to get her attention. "Eh?"

"Um, I was wondering… if you don't mind me asking. Why are you here?" Hitomi didn't know how to respond to the question. She herself didn't even know the answer.

"I really don't know…" The green eyed prince felt the girl's clutch hardening on the front of his shirt. He felt compelled to do something, anything to release her from this… this…Tsuke couldn't put it into words.

"When I was here before, it was to save Gaea from total destruction." Hitomi stopped. "You don't think that maybe…" her voice trailed off, not wanting to say what had came next.

"There's a possibility of that that's why you're here." Hitomi frowned at the idea. As if the prince could sense her frowning, he switched gears, "Or maybe you came back because of lost love." 'What am I talking about?' Tsuke thought with confusion. But to his surprise, Hitomi stifled out a giggle.

"Thank you for trying to cheer me up." Hitomi rested her head on his back and closed her eyes. Tsuke could feel the heat from Hitomi's face and hand radiating off of them and into him. Though he just met her, Tsuke felt calm and at peace with her. 'Maybe this was what made Van fall in love with her.' Tsuke put the thought aside and concentrated on getting back with the girl from the Mystic Moon to the palace…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hitomi stirred at her name being called.

"Hitomi. Hitomi wake up." Her face was buried into the stallion's mane. She raised her head slightly and turned to the person calling her name. Slowly Hitomi's eyes fluttered open and tried to register the face in front of her.

"Van?" Hitomi murmured but realized her mistake. She saw Tsuke growing sad at the name she had called him and felt bad. "Ah I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" Tsuke interrupted.

"I understand. Don't worry about it." Hitomi knew that the prince felt hurt that she would call him after her old lover and felt sorry for doing so. "Anyways we're here."

Hitomi became confused. But when she saw the familiar scene she realized what he had meant. She gasped when she saw the ancient castle once more. Though it should have looked aged and worn down, it still had its refine look.

"Wow." Hitomi couldn't help but exclaim. Tsuke smiled at her reaction.

"Let's go, Hitomi." Hitomi looked at Tsuke in the light. His eyes shinned a dark shade of green and an aura of light radiated off of him. For a second she could swear that she had saw angel wings flapping behind him but the vision just passed as he extended his hand out to hers and grasped it. Hitomi gasped at the contact but controlled herself from letting her unfamiliar feelings out in the open. Tsuke pulled her closer to him. When Hitomi tried to get up, she tripped on the foot rest of the saddle and stumbled into the prince's arm. Momentarily they held each other, reluctant in letting the other go. What broke their embrace was the gongs that repetitiously resonated in the air. Tsuke blushed at his reaction (or shall we say lack of reaction! Kukuku) and recovered. Hitomi was in no better shape.

"Um..ah…I guess we should…"

"Yea we should..um..get going…" Hitomi composed herself and started to walk in the direction of the castle.

Tsuke watched the girl from the Mystic Moon walk towards the castle, basking in he view before him. Hitomi turned around when she realized that he wasn't with her.

"Tsuke, let's go." Tsuke snapped back into reality and realized that Hitomi was waiting.

"…I'm coming!" Tsuke ran to Hitomi's side and they continued on to the palace…





*Arigatou gozaimasu no dokusho!!!!!!!!!