Escaflowne: Dreams of Destiny
Previously on Escaflowne: Dreams of Destiny
Despite Hitomi's doubts, she still goes after the golden key amid the battle of Freid. After getting hit by the blast of fire, Hitomi is sent to a realm of peace - where she should be if she was dead. Not wanting to lose her, Van follows her into the realm of the dead, which strangely, looks like an empty Tokyo. Professing his need for her, they head back into the realm of life, golden key in hand.
"Van, you can meet with the others. I'll be fine. Honestly." Hitomi smiled at Van, reassuring him that she was going to be fine, staying in their room.
"But Hitomi you're still..." Van said this worriedly. Hitomi had only been resting for a few days, after the healer had, well, healed her, (Hitomi explaining afterwards to Van that she DID know how to do that to), and Van didn't want her to get hurt. In ANY way. Hitomi had begun to suspect that he was becoming overprotective. At the moment, though, she didn't mind at all.
"Van, I'll be fine. No one is going to attack me now. Besides, you are wearing the keys, just as you wanted." Hitomi smiled at him again, blue-green eyes twinkling in the morning light. "Honestly, Van, I NEVER remember you worrying this much over me before."
Van allowed a small smile to grace his lips, bending down so he was looking her cool eyes, his own the color of hot coals. "You never had to listen to me while you were asleep," he said, gazing at her, "Merle groaned at the force of the worries."
"Oh you!" Hitomi picked up one of the MANY pillows surrounding her and threw it into the face of the laughing king. "I'll be fine. Now go to your meeting, Van."
Before he could utter another 'are you sure you'll be alright,' Hitomi kissed him, then, laughing, pushed him towards the door. He smiled at her, and answered in response to her kiss, "I won't be long, love."
"I know, Van."
"Get well, Hitomi. I'll be back in a few hours." With that, Van finally left the room, taking care to shut the door. Somehow, he knew that she needed to be alone.
Hitomi closed her eyes, resting against the headboard of her bed. It had been a long trial, but she was here again, on Gaea. With Van. But she still missed her friends on Earth...
If only I could see them, without leaving Van...
Hitomi had an idea. Taking out the cards, and her pendant, she closed her eyes, and pictured her two best friends. Amano, Yukari, you have no idea how much I miss you...
Van met Kirei in the adjoining hallway, just outside his and Hitomi's room. He still felt a sense a apprehensiveness at leaving Hitomi there. He had promised himself, when they found each other again, that he would never let harm come to her. And then...
He was shaken out of thoughts when he heard Kirei's voice, "How is she doing, cousin?"
Van looked at Kirei in surprise. Lately, it had seemed his cousin was lost in memories that were his alone... and perhaps someone's whom they shouldn't be. But, Van had to remind himself again that Kirei's memories were his alone - unless he chose to share. And Van knew it would take something drastic to do that.
"She's feeling better. The burns are healing nicely, and she's resting in the room until the meeting is over. I think I'll take her for a walk then." Van had many ideas on how to keep Hitomi happy while she was recuperating, not wanting her to feel depressed. At any rate -
"Van, we should be going. The sooner we finish discussing the past battle, the sooner we can get back to our..." Kirei blinked, pausing. "duties." Van nodded, and they set off down the hallway.
To all appearances, it looked as if Hitomi was taking a nap, but in truth she is in a half-trance, half-sleep, both dreaming and seeing what was happening on Earth.
:: On Earth, Hitomi's Vision ::
"I wonder how she is, Amano." Yukari's voice had a tinge of sadness in it, her eyes sorrowful as she rocked her baby.
"So you think she is there too, Yukari?" Amano looked at his wife. Hitomi had been their friend thoughout schooling, and then through their entrance into parenthood, and marriage. "That place...?"
"She has to be. She would never leave to go anywhere else. I just wish we could know if she was happy."
Hitomi had tears in her eyes seeing this, as if on a television screen. Whispering in her dream, she said very soflty. "Don't worry, Amano, Yukari. I'm with the one I'm meant to be with. I happy now. And I'm safe. I'll miss you both so much... please, never forget me. You will be in my hearts always. Goodbye, my dear friends."
It was as if they had heard her. Both looked around confused, thinking, no, knowing they had heard Hitomi's gentle voice. They knew she would be alright. But they would always miss her.
::End Vision::
Hitomi then fell into a deep sleep, a peaceful look gracing her face. They were alright, her two dear friends. And she would be alright too.
The meeting had been a long one, with discussions of the history of Goshem, though they still had no notion of whom their leader could possibly be, repairs on the guymelefs, and the issue of Freid's damage. When it was all said and done, they still knew who their enemies were, and talking about it didn't change a thing.
Van looked at Chid. "Is there anything else we can do aside from waiting for their next attack?"
"I would rather that we didn't wait, but we have no notion as to whether they have the same technology as Zaibach, so we will not know until they let us where their base is, or when and where they are. We can do nothing but wait." Chid's voice was tired and mature beyond his years. He was only 10 years of age, and he had already had to deal with the pressures of two wars on his heart and mind.
"I am sorry for bringing this upon you, Chid. Fanelia's troubles are not Freid's."
"Do not worry Van, with the... object in Freid, we would have been attacked in any case. Speaking of which where is-?"
Van patted close to his heart, the two keys around a necklace there. "They are safe Chid. Do not worry."
"How is she Van?" asked Chid, obviously referring to Hitomi. "Did the healer help?" Chid, who had been shocked when he had been given word of Hitomi's run in the middle of crossfire, had sent his best healer to help her. She was one of his dearest friends, and he wouldn't let anyone close to him be harmed - or worse, killed. He remembered his father, and Boris...
"Hitomi is doing fine Chid. She is feeling better... In fact, she was the one who told me to come to this meeting. She wouldn't let me shirk anything just to stay with her." Van smiled, remembering what had happened only a few short hours ago.
Kirei cleared his throat. "Cousin, Duke Freid, I have... something that needs to be taken care of. Please excuse me." With a nod, Kirei left the room.
Rallin threw the dagger at the wall of his chamber, not caring where it landed. They had lost. Again. That damn Keeper must have the protection of the gods, thought Rallin furiously, every time one of us gets a good shot off, the key or whatever it is sends us away. Adelphus will punish me for this. Rallin walked over to the wall, calmly dislodged the knife, walked back to where he was, and sent it flying again. This time, he didn't pay attention to where it was heading.
Hikeshi laughed as he caught the dagger while coming in. "Looks like you're losing your aim, Lord Rallin."
Rallin looked at Hikeshi, leader of the opposing Warrior clan to Rallin's, but equally aggressive - or even more so. "Be quiet, Hikeshi. I don't need to hear anything from you."
"But, Rallin, as a fellow commander of Ebony Clan Warriors, I feel I need to talk to you about your recent... failures." Hikeshi smiled cruelly, making Rallin long to put a dagger right where that smirk was on Hikeshi's face. "The General Adelhpus is not happy."
Rallin was stunned. "Y-You knew who he was? Who he is?"
"Of course Rallin. The General trusts me. In fact, he has appointed me the full leader of the Ebony Warriors. You, are dismissed from your post as commander." Hikeshi smiled. "Your soldiers have already been executed."
Rallin was shell-shocked. Woarin, Venti, Joalm, the others... All dead. At the hands of Adelphus. Of Hikeshi. Of Goshem. With a start, he looked at Hikeshi, his now sworn enemy. "You will pay for their deaths at your hands. I'll never let you win, Hikeshi."
"But I already have, Rallin. Unless you wish to become a traitor, you dear boy, are under MY command." Hikeshi smiled cruelly at Rallin. He knew that that headstrong Warrior would rather die than become traitorous... just like any other Clan member.
But Rallin surprised him. Getting into his guymelef with a cool expression on his face, he looked at Hikeshi and said, calmly, "Then I guess I'm a traitor Hikeshi. See you on the battlefield." Without a backwards glance, Rallin launched his black guymelef, the Minuit, and flew to anywhere that wasn't their foretress. Or rather, Hikeshi's.
Kirei had long left the meeting and went in Ikari to search for... he wasn't sure. Ever since he found out Rallin had truly betrayed Fanelia, he had been unsure of what to think. Of how to attack. How would he fight for Fanelia when one of the greatest in the oppostion had once been Fanelian too? True, 7 years ago Rallin had disappeared without a trace. But still...
Suddenly, Kirei felt startled, although nothing had appeared, and nothing had sounded. It was almost if... If something had just flown above him, in a burst of speed. Something that a familiar air about it... Almost when Kirei had that thought, he saw a black shape, of a bird, appear where he had felt the chill of rushing air. And then it hit him. That black shape... it had been the Goshemin guymelef. It had been Rallin.
Hello!
Please forgive me if this chapter isn't as exciting as all the others (were THEY exciting??) but I needed to lead up to a LOT of things for chapters to come. Even if the focus in this chapter was swinging between Kirei, Rallin, and Van/Hitomi, I still managed to squeeze a TINY bit of everyone in but Asturia. This chapter is REALLY short, only 'cause I couldn't resist leaving you guys with a cliff hanger. *grins*
But the next chapter, tenatively titled "A Changing Destiny" is going to be out within the next two weeks or so, which is GREAT 'cause I'll be on spring break soon enough. Hope you liked this chapter, however short it was.
Don't Forget to Read and Review,
Angelic1090
03.19.2001
*smile*
