*~Summoner of Escaflowne's Mystic Eyes~*
Chapter 7
Five of Cauldrons- Preoccupied with misfortune and regret. Disappointment.
Was it all just a dream or maybe a vision? ...No it was real . . . I was rescued from my death in the cave by Allen and the others. The powers of the knightly protector revealed themselves in him and we discovered that Yobi was the prophet. Then when we next looked out the windows, of the castle, we saw a terrifying sight.
The winds whipped into the room and knocked everything onto the floor. Then in a flash of lightening unlike any of the others before it, Yobi saw it. He saw a sight that sent a chill down his body.
From the windows of the palace of Fanelia one could see the funnel. It was a tornado!
As Van watched his people suffering, he felt responsible for their pain. *I have to find someway to help them. * He then called his messenger and ordered him to send the people to the mountain top.
*Oh no this is all my fault. If I hadn't come back here then the Fanelians wouldn't be caught in the middle of this*. These thoughts raced through Hitomi's head as she watched the 'sky's fury' descend upon the earth.
Yobi looked from Hitomi to the tornado, unable to figure out the connection between the two. He could have sworn that he just heard Hitomi say something, yet her lips weren't moving!
Allen and Celena held onto each other like frightened children. This time they were facing an enemy that a sword could not harm.
"King Fanel! King Fanel! You must leave at once! The storm is headed this way!" was the distant cry of the councilors echoing through the palace?
Merle stood beside Van watching her home, since the day she was orphaned, being destroyed. As the storm approached the palace she was frozen to where she stood, unable to run from it.
Seconds before the storm hit the palace, Hitomi, Yobi, Van, Allen, and Celena all realized the danger they were in and tried to escape it. Allen was still weak from his previous display of power and Van was trying to help Merle leave the palace, but the cat girl didn't move an inch.
Soon Van could hear Merle muttering something underneath her breath. It must have been some kind of prayer but Van didn't understand a word of it. Presently an eerie silvery glow emerged from her and her words were no longer muttered but shouted. When she opened her eyes, they too were glowing that same eerie silver and her iris' were lost in them.
As Merle finished her prayer or chant the winds died down and the sky began clearing. Shortly afterward she stopped emitting the light and turned back into her normal self. So exhausted was she that she collapsed in Van's arms, unable to hold herself up.
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In a wood area not far from Fanelia stood an altar. Upon it was a figure who resembled the Greek goddess Eris, the goddess of discord. Surrounding this altar were Sou, Seiji, and many other odd creatures, most of which were the last of their kind. The two triclopes' opened their eyes simultaneously and glanced at each other.
"We have finished our task at the present moment and shall camp here tonight!" declared Sou with a falsely triumphant smile upon her face. *These creatures know nothing of what is coming. No need to tell them our efforts failed. *
"Sometimes I wonder how you know exactly what I am thinking. Then I remember that we both are one and my thoughts are your thoughts.", stated Seiji, approaching Sou from behind.
"What happened to the spell dear brother? It was a success until that cat decided to get in the way!"
"I realize that, my dear sister, but don't fret! It is obvious that some of our spells are now useless upon them. Don't forget that it is written that we shall be joined by a stranger to Gaea who is not a stranger to Gaea. We shall be triumphant when the Savior joins us. After all it has to be she. Who else has come to Gaea before yet is not from Gaea?"
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On the abandoned frontier area of an ex-empire wandered an old man. His clothes torn by the strong winds and his beard filled with the grime of many months. He leaned heavily upon his right leg and had a cane in one had. In the other hand was a canteen of water.
The old man limped over to a nearby stream and filled his canteen. When he gazed at the reflection in the water, he was disgusted. He splashed handfuls of cold water on his face and looked at himself again.
"Look at you now! You were once a great man! The ruler of the most powerful country in this wretched planet! Now see what you've become! A wandering old fool who can't even afford a meal to fill his belly! You had to want it all! You had to throw everything you had away for what you thought was the future! I laugh at you now! You could have been someone great if you had just stayed home and never gotten involved in this whole damn mess! I laugh again! I laugh at what you have become!!" the old man declared as he looked at his own reflection in the stream. He then cackled maniacally and limped away from the water in contempt of what he had seen.
To any common person this man would have appeared to be another eccentric that had escaped from the asylum. Few would be able to guess that he was once a great man whose purpose was the most noble, in his own eyes. A man who had at one time ordered legions of men to attack others and had held the fate of thousands of lives in his hands. Few would realize that this man, this crazy old man was in actuality the one and only . . .
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When Merle looked up into Van's face she saw gratitude in it, for she had done what he couldn't. She had protected Faneila. Soon she heard the voices of everyone else around her but she didn't turn to look at even one of their owners. The only face Merle saw at that moment was the one before her. Van's smile was all she saw.
Hitomi watched the group gather around Merle who had just done something miraculous. She then quietly slipped away hoping no one would notice her absence. She wandered into a room that looked like a conservatory. She sat down on one of the few chairs scattered around the bushes of strange wild flowers. She was finally alone with her thoughts for the first time since she had arrived at Fanelia.
*I can't believe this is happening again. All I wanted was to see him again. To be able to get over him and move on! Worst of all Yobi's been pulled into this mess too! I won't let anything happen to him though. I'll never be as naive as I was before! I'll protect him. I don't care if he is a prophet. I won't let Gaea ruin the world for him...he doesn't deserve this! At least I know he won't make the same mistakes I did. We're different people and this time I'll also be here to help him. To make sure he doesn't fall in love with Gaea or one of its people.*
Looking to her side Hitomi spotted a small creature. A caquirrel was what Van had called it. A strange cat squirrel like creature with the head and upper torso of a cat and the tail, legs and lower body of a squirrel. It was kind of cute after one got used to its apearence. She picked up the creature, placed it on her lap and began stroking its soft fur.
*This caquirrel is an odd color. Blacker than night, blacker than a raven. It's the same color as Van's hair. I bet his hair is just as soft. I wish I could...No Hitomi! Snap out of this! You are not going to fall for him all over again!*
"Hitomi, what happened? Are you ok?" queried a familiar voice from behind her.
Hitomi turned around to see the same person that dominated her thoughts standing behind her with a hand on her shoulder. She saw the concern in his eyes and merely smiled at him. He hadn't changed much but he had learned to think more then act.
"I'm fine Van. I guess we're all just a little tired with all that's happened. I was just thinking about everything."
"Such as?"
"Such as if Yobi was the person you needed then why am I here? Why did those two things attack me? And-"
She was cut short by Van. "Hitomi, you're tired and need rest. Tomorrow we'll think about all that. What matters now is that you're here and you're safe. I need to go see the courtiers now so if you'll excuse me..."
"Sure Van, you go do your king stuff and all. We'll find a place to stay."
"Ask Merle to show you some rooms...oh and Hitomi?"
"Yea?"
"I'm really glad you came back. I couldn't have gotten this far without you."
Not long after Van left Allen entered the room and sat beside Hitomi. He started petting the caquirrel on her lap as she was doing. For the first time all day Celena wasn't with him.
"Hitomi are you alright? You are very quiet and unlike yourself. I thought you would be happy to see us, and Van, again. You know you can tell me if something is wrong."
"Oh Allen! I don't think I can do this anymore! Not again! And I definitely will not let Yobi get dragged into this mess!! I've haven't really told anyone but everything that happened here spoiled the world for me. I wasn't happy to be at home leading a normal life anymore. I won't let that happen to Yobi. He doesn't deserve that. He should enjoy our world even if I can't."
"Its ok Hitomi. Someday soon you'll find a way to enjoy life again. Don't give up yet. Your life has just begun. Savor the moments while they happen and don't think about it."
"I'll try to Allen. Thank you for listening Allen. I have to say I think I would have liked having you as an older brother rather than having my younger brother."
"Thank you Hitomi. You have no idea how much that means to me."
It seemed like people had suddenly made up their minds to talk to Hitomi that day because just as Allen was leaving Yobi came in to see his cousin.
"Hey um...Allen, I just left Celena in the garden. She's looking for you."
"Alright, Thank you Yobidasu."
*Now I can figure out what's happening here. There's something Hitomi isn't telling me and I want to know what it is.*
A/N: OK ok I know everyone out there wants to kill me! I'm sorry! I don't have any excuses this time! I was just too lazy. Every time I brainstormed for ideas I got ideas for other new fics but don't worry! I'll try not to do this again! Ok well I understand if u don't review so I don't care anymore although it would be nice to know if this sux.
SO DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?? WHAT WILL YOBI TALK TO HITOMI ABOUT?? AM I GETTING ANNOYING OR WHAT? Oh and I tried to make Allen seem more like a brother in this. DID IT WORK??
Well Nuriko I am STILL waiting for the epilogue I was supposed to get LAST MONTH!! :(....^^*...umm.....just don't make me wait any more pls!?...that's all for now people!...See YA! :)