Episode Twenty: Asking Questions

Escaflowne: Dreams of Destiny

Previously on Escaflowne: Dreams of Destiny

The purpose of the keys is revealed as Varie shows them an image of the Gateway. Destinies entwined, it is now up to the four to find the Gateway and defeat Goshem - all at the same time. The fate of Gaea rests in Hitomi's hands, but she is faced with a choice that could prevent her from going back to Earth - for good.

[AN: I can't remember the fate that I assigned to Hitomi's family, so for the duration of this fic, I'm saying they're alive. Also, I'm attempting the impossible (for me at the moment) and will start writing another fic alongside this one. I know, I know, I promised not to until Dreams is done, but I need to work out a LOT of details, so I figured I might as well start the other one...]

For the first time in six months, Hitomi Kanzaki felt lost. Before she had returned to Gaea, she had a felt a sense of loneliness after she had thought she lost Van forever. And then... then she had felt lost. Despite the urging of her best friend, Yukari Uchida, Hitomi hadn't been able to get over her loneliness. So she had pushed herself in her studies, the feeling of loneliness sometimes fading, but always there.

But now that I am here... thought Hitomi, why do I feel lost? Why is the loneliness still in me? I thought it was just because I was missing something in my life... that being Van but...

Was it something else now? She had Van in her life, and had been feeling content for a while, but now...

Was it because I thought I would always be able to go home? I knew I always wanted to stay Van, but knowing that I could go back made it perfect. But now...

Hitomi Kanzaki bowed her head, pulling her knees close. She wanted to cry - but the reason was only because she wasn't sure what to give up.

What am I supposed to do now?

***

Van had tactfully decided to leave Hitomi alone for a few hours. Something had happened before she had rejoined the others, and whatever it was had made her serious - not that she had been completely light-hearted before, but Hitomi had become... solitary. She had emitted an emotion that conveyed loneliness. And Van thought she should be left alone to think about at first.

But he didn't want to let her become sad. Or even more so, if she already was. But what could he do? How could he help?

In any case, Van knew he wanted to help. Even if he didn't know how to. But for now, he still thought Hitomi needed to be alone.

"So they failed." Adelphus' voice was devoid of any expression - and if you asked any of the soldiers under him, it was what scared them the most. One, on a daily basis, could never tell if he was angry or content. The only time he showed even the slightest bit of interest was when he talked about battles. But failure... in the Goshem army, that was unacceptable. And it was also the only event that could make Adelphus angry.

Perhaps memories of his humiliating defeat at the deciding battle in the last war had made him this way. Truth be told, he was just as emotionless before, the only thing unnerving him was the mystery of Dilandau Albatou. But at his defeat Adelphus himself swore revenge on those who had taken victory from his grasp. Fanelia's king... and that accursed girl.

Thinking of this, Adelphus remained silent still after that one expression, thinking of failure. It was unacceptable. The look on his face was passive, but his power over others still emanated a feeling of tension.

"Uh... my Lord General? Is there anything we should do? The sorcerors have said that the Destiny Prognostication Machine has shown the energy of the third key. They also said that-" The speaker was immediatley silenced with a glare. He began to sweat nervously.

"So nothing was able to be salvaged from that battle? No survivors?"

"No, my Lord General. The last transmission we recieved was of one of the sky-fighters saying that the bomb was about to explode and that they failed. Also, something about a white light and," the speaker gulped at the glare of impatience that was beginning to creep it's way onto his commander's face, and began to speak more quickly and to the point. "The enemy melefs disappearing just before the blast resulting in the..."

"I know what the result is. Failure. And with the sorcerors saying the third key's energy is being sensed it only means our time is at hand."

"But my Lord General we won't have any way of knowing when-"

"Do not question me. Dismissed." Adelphus glared.

The soldier very hurriedly left the room.

Kirei and Rallin were duelling, sparring with each other for lack of anything else to do. One might've thought it odd though, that although their match was indeed equal, and their techniques made the fight fierce, if you did not actually LOOK into the practice area, it would sound as if nothing was happening. Of course, the sharp clang of the swords hitting each other was also a hint.

After a few minutes, the simultaneously paused. There was no real need to continue, it would continue being a draw, as their skills were nearly equal despite completely different training. They grown up together, and had grown apart. But they still understood each other as soldiers, and that was more than anything could say.

"What do think? Should we continue?"

"No point to it Fanel, we know each other's attack abilities and technique."

"Yet there is nothing else to do, no one else to spar with."

Another voice echoed into the room where they were practicing. "I will spar with you. We can trade off. Who is first?"

Kirei shrugged in agreement, and Rallin nodded. "I will," said Rallin carefully, "but be warned Schezar - I don't hold back, even against allies."

"Whoever said I wanted you to?" Allen smirked. "Let us begin."

With a yell of challenge, the fight began.

***

A few hours later, Van went silently into the room where he and Hitomi were staying. She was crying, and the sight of her so sad and distraught wrenched his heart. He made his way over to her, quietly, and sat beside her on the bed, taking his gloves off and running a hand through her hair.

"Tell me what's wrong?" Van asked softly, brushing away the tears that stained her face. He gently tilted her face up so that he could look into her eyes. "Hitomi, what happened back there? What did my mother and brother say to you?"

She shook her head, looking down even as he pulled her closer to him. "I can't tell you," she whispered, "I can't make you worry, I can't make you sad..."

Van smiled. She had a loyalty to the feelings of her loved ones... it was amazing. She wouldn't burden anyone if she could help it. "Don't worry about me Hitomi, just tell me. I want you to feel better."

"But..."

"Don't worry," he repeated, hugging her close to him, "As long you feel better."

She took a breath, and nodded. Laying her head on his chest, she paused as she began to gather everything in her mind.

***

The duel was still going on. And consequently, had attracted a crowd. The whole chain of events had started when Celena Schezar left to find her brother (Allen, who had disappeared over an hour ago), and had encountered Chid and his advisors on her search. And so the chain continues, they passed Millerna and Dryden's temporary study and they decided to come along as well.

Meanwhile, in the practice room, trainees for both Freid's and Asturia's armies (where they all were were the annual training grounds) had amassed, amazed to see such skill and swordsmanship in their arena.

Of course this made the event much louder than it had been when it was Kirei and Rallin, but neither of the three cared. Kirei was watching with careful eyes at the duel. He himself had never fought Allen Schezar, but according to rumour (and his cousin) he was one of the best swordsmen on Gaea.

He remembered a past conversation concerning the knight.

:: Flashback ::

He and Van were duelling, as Lady Hitomi was asleep and there was no one and nothing else with which to do something.

His cousin parried the blow easily, pushing the sword away. Kirei in turn, tried to strike, but Van swung and easily disarmed him. "Good fight, cousin." he said, smiling.

"Yet you still beat me with what seems a lack of effort. Five years younger than myself and a better swordsman. What taught you?"

"The war," Van replied, walking over to one of the walls in the room to sake a cloth and sharpening stone to clean and sharpen his sword. "And Schezar."

"The Caeli Knight of Asturia?" Kirei quirked an eyebrow. He had seen Van duel with him before, and although at first they had been equally matched, it was clear that the King of Fanelia had more advanced skills than the older night.

"Yes." Van brought the stone along the edge of the blade. "When I first met him, I was a soldier who rushed into battles. He was always able to disarm me. And then at the end of the war... I came close to killing him."

"How so?" Kirei knew that they had been allies during the war, but he did not know the whole of the story. His cousin did have a temper, although only a year after Kirei had 'met' him, he kept in check.

Van blushed slightly. "Over Celena. And Hitomi." He continued to sharpen the blade, running the stone over once more on each edge then putting it down and picking up the cloth.

"Lady Celena? Why would she be an enemy?"

"Do you remember me telling you about Dilandau Albatou?" Kirei nodded, and Van continued, "Celena was him. A fate alteration. I was close to killing him/her, when Allen stepped in. The battle began, and by that point our skills were evenly matched. And then Hitomi... she was in Zaibach, but could see. Us battling, she tried to get me to stop, but being the fool I was at the time, I mistook it for protecting Allen and attacked him further. Just before I delivered the blow that would kill him I heard her..."

Kirei was tempted to ask more questions but his cousin's last comment stopped it. "Since then he has not been able to disarm me. And as for Hitomi... what she said is between us."

"But..."

"That's all you need to know for now, cousin."

:: End Flashback ::

Kirei continue to watch. His turn would come up, whenever one of the two decided to forfeit - or won.

***

"Are you ready to tell me now?" Van said softly, still holding Hitomi close, one of his hands absentmindedly stroking her hair.

She nodded. "When you left, Varie told me to stay for a moment. That she had to tell me something about the gateway." Hitomi took in a shaky breath. "About the after-effects, besides Gaea's peace."

Van had a sinking feeling that whatever Hitomi was about to say would affect their being together. Or that it already had. But even so, Van knew in his heart he would do anything to keep Hitomi with him. "You can tell me, Hitomi."

She whispered the next part so softly that Van had to bend his head to hers to hear it. What he heard nearly made his heart stop. "If I open the gateway... I lose everything in my world. I close the link."

After that... he could only hold her in silence.

***

Allen Schezar was beginning to tire, and he knew it. So far in the match, neither he nor Rallin had really gained an advantage, each man's strengths and weaknesses being used to their opponent's advantage. Certainly, Allen had speed and technique, but his greatest weakness was that you could always tell what his next move would be. He had grace, but he could not hide his movements. One of the greatest swordsmen in Gaea? Maybe. But stealthy when it came to duelling? No.

But Khristos on the other hand, and come to think of it, the Fanels, had that ability. It was what made Van such a formidable opponent all those years ago. From being the rash king that would go headfirst into battle and not think of the aftermath, but by the time Van Fanel had turned sixteen years, Allen could not disarm him. At first it had been easy to read his moves. But as the Fanelian king matured, so did his skills. He had grace, speed, and skill. And above all, stealth. His cousin too, seemed to have that.

And so did Rallin. With a silent charge, he went forward, quick as a blink, and held the tip of his blade at the knight's throat, the hilt blocking Allen from retaliating. Allen was surprised. He had not been expecting that. He yielded. There was no way he could escape that.

***

They stayed silent for a moment. Van moved to brush a stray strand of Hitomi's golden-brown hair, and doing so, said for softly, said, "Why must the gateway close the path between our worlds?"

"Foreign influences are the source of conflict here on Gaea. Like Dornkirk. Gaea's first Great War mightn't have happened if he hadn't come. The Dragonslayers would not have happened." Hitomi paused. "I'll miss my family, surely. I was worried about my intentions in life, if coming here was the choice that would make me happy."

"Hitomi..."

"Please Van, let me say this. I need to. I was lonely before I was with you again, a place inside my heart missing, no matter how much my family might miss me, or I might miss them, I know what I need to make me happy."

"Hitomi..." Van said softly, holding her closer, "then what is that?"

"It's you Van Fanel," she said softly. "Only you. My wish was to be with you. I love you too much to sacrifice everything just for my sake."

Van was stunned. She loved him. Loved him. His dearest and greatest wish had come true. And as if sensing that now was the right time for it, he decided to do it. "Hitomi," he said slowly, "I love you so much as well. I want you to stay by my side, through this war, and anything else that might happen." Van moved off the bed to kneel in front of her. "Hitomi Kanzaki," he said again, the love shining brightly inside the ruby depths of his eyes, "will you grant my wish, and honour me and all Gaea by becoming my partner in life? Will you stay by my side... and become my Queen and my wife?"

Dear Readers,

I know, I know, I'm mean. ^_~. But oh well! I got it in, didn't I? I'm addicted to cliffhangers, I admit it, I love writing them, and I love reading them. Of course, I wasn't even planning on Van asking Hitomi in this chapter, but my mind (and my fingers) kept typing, so here we are!

Okay, Allen-lovers, I'm SORRY for not keeping him as the best swordsman on Gaea, but, (1) At the end of the series, Van COULD'VE defeated him, (2) Over the years everyone's skills had to improve and Van's went further than Allen's, and (3) I like Van and Kirei and Rallin a whole lot more. I suppose I don't like Allen since the ENTIRE series he was a player and Hitomi was infatuated with him and that justs make me shudder.

I don't really think my fluff paragraphs are that good, but this IS a romance (well, it's supposed to be!) so I'll leave them be. For those who wonder how I get chapters out this fast (is it fast?) it's because the ideas or concepts get stuck in my head, and I dream what they would look like, which is WHY this fic is called "Dreams of Destiny". On that note, it's called Dreams of Destiny, (1) because Destiny is what starts this conflict, and (2) because it's how a lot of this story came to be. In my dreams. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter (and please don't kick me because I didn't put Hitomi's answer in)!

Angelic1090
04.20.2001
Read and Review!!! (I haven't been getting that many lately... -_-)