1 A Guy in Gaia
1.1 Konnichi wa minna-san. This is based entirely on my thoughts and feelings on both Tenku no Escaflowne and Tsubasa No Kami, both glorious "visions" of Escaflowne. I thought about it and decided this was an interesting out take on this epic story. I know you'll enjoy seeing Van and Hitomi switch places. Many events, names, and places coincide with both the series and movie. Don't be confused or think I'm confused, just think of this as a new "Vision of Escaflowne." By the way…there are some things I apologize for in here. I was weirded out at the time.
1.2 Arigotou~Caritas.
1.3 CHAPTER 1
1.4 Van walked dejectedly up toward the roof. Third period bell rang, and then was silenced as students banged into their classrooms. He emerged out of the stairwell and onto the school roof. It was a beautiful spring day; the clouds were puffy, the sky blue. He loosened his uniform's necktie and reclined against the wall, letting the wind brush his hair around his face. He was tired and it was only ten in the morning. He closed his eyes and tried to enjoy the day, as his friends chided him to do. They complained he was no fun anymore. Van sighed, it used to be he was the most fun to hang out with; he was the envy of the school; good-looking, athletic, strong, tall, but with a temper. It was his temper that had gotten him into trouble. After his parents death in a tragic car accident at the end of junior year, he had tried living normally, but his nerves were frayed and one day after track practice, his temper got the better of him, he fought with his coach, got kicked off the team, and stopped being interested in sports. His grades dropped and he became reclusive and quiet. It was the end of senior year and his life was going nowhere. He didn't feel like going to university or even being part of the world anymore. It was too hard, too hard living. He still had a couple of close friends left, but they were caught up in being seniors. Van had slipped out of the track of life, fallen to where no one could reach down and pick him up. He flopped back down on the warm cement and felt tired, so he slept. And he dreamed.
It was a dream of his child-hood. He was young, perhaps three, and holding his mother's hand, swinging it back and forth. His mother's watch caught his attention; its diamonds glittered in the late afternoon light, and the second hand was making a gentle tick tick sound. He watched the second hand slow and then stop. A strange song swelled and filled the stilled train station: "You are the first dragon…her beloved. I've been watching you from atop the fairy stump." He turned to his left and saw a feral young man with light hair and dark eyes standing there. The boy smiled at Van. "Who are you?" asked the young Van. Time suddenly returned to normal and his mother tugged him onto the train.
He woke up suddenly, the setting sun glimmering over the buildings surrounding the school roof. And he heard the song again, this time in another, mystical language; "Win dain a lotica en vi tu ri si lo ta. Fin dein a loluca en dragu sei lain. Fi-ru les shuati am en riga lint." He sat up and then stood. The sky darkened and stars filled the sky, the half moon shining brightly. "Hello?" he called tentatively, "Konnichi wa?" A green light erupted from behind the moon and a looming planet filled his line of vision. "Earth?!" he whispered, his eyes widening. Suddenly, a dark cloaked figure appeared, apparently standing on top of the planet, and stretched out its hand, "Come with me, to my planet. Gaia. You are searching for the end of the world. I can feel your anger. Come home. God of War." Van watched in astonishment as the figure melted away and suddenly he was falling, melting away too. And everything turned black.
He awoke with a jolt. He was in a cramped space, surrounded by water. His need for air was suddenly answered as the water emptied around his feet. His suit was soaked. Van frowned in disgust, it would be a bitch getting this dry-cleaned. Suddenly he lurched forward and he cried out. Van braced himself against the back of his claustrophobic quarters and kneeled down. He closed his eyes and waited for the motion to stop. It suddenly did, throwing him against the front of his space. He winced as something cut his cheek and yelled as he started tilting forward. Whatever he was in crashed so he was horizontal and he crouched, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did for several seconds and he grew impatient, and angry. "Let me out! Someone!" He gasped as an opening appeared in front of his face. A sickening crack followed as a large opening spread out before him. Van glimpsed a surprised woman's face with dark honey colored hair across her eyes, and then he fell.
He landed heavily on top of her and he sat up quickly, hoping he hadn't hurt her. She sat up suddenly and then angrily scooted back, one hand straying to her waist. She hopped into a squatting position and demanded, "Is it you, God of War? Have you come with Escaflowne? To set this world free?" Van stared at her. Her hair was short but quite unruly, sticking up in the back and on top. It was partially held down by a leather wrap that crossed over her forehead. She had startling green eyes and an angry expression. He blinked at her outfit; SHORT shorts with a blood red piece of thin material wrapped around her waist, over the shorts and under the 'belt' was a slightly longer piece of dark leather that almost looked like a short skirt. Her stomach was bared, revealing muscular abs and her upper body was covered with a form fitting brown half shirt with hardly any sleeves. "Are you him? Have you returned?" she asked again, this time more impatiently. He whispered, "What…are you talking about?" He sat up and looked around him, "Who are you?" Suddenly, a greenish light flew about them, blowing both his and her hair around them. "Escaflowne!" called the young woman suddenly, and she stood up quickly. Van turned around to see what she was looking at and gasped; a huge ivory colored human-shaped machine was crouched over them. The greenish light seemed to be coming from the pink stone embedded in its right chest. The entire thing turned green and disappeared in the green mist. Van watched as a shining speck disappeared in the night sky and he cried out softly; the earth and moon hung heavily in the sky. "What is this place?" he breathed. Fading clouds were scattered over the deeply starred night. He slowly got to his feet and surveyed the landscape. Craggy brown mountains rose and fell to deserts. They were in a dead city, with crumbling buildings all around. He turned and saw the girl reach up and grab something from the sky. She looked at it and a puzzled expression crossed her face, but she turned to him suddenly. Her face was full of anger and hate. Van stepped back. The girl threw something at him and he caught it; it was a small pink stone. He studied it but she growled suddenly, "Was it you?! Did you make Escaflowne disappear?!" He heard steel being drawn and saw her crouching, a medium length, sharp, knife clutched menacing in her hand. He stepped back again and watched her nervously. "ANSWER ME!!" she roared and made to spring when suddenly another voice called, "Hold it Hitomi."
Van sat in a hard chair, his hands clutched on the rims, knuckles getting sore and white. He was facing a man a bit older than him, with knee length blonde hair tied at his waist, dressed in all black leather. A woman in a long pink dress and pink bow in her blonde hair stood a little to the side, on his left. Another, tall man, deeply tanned and with stubble on his chin, stood behind the blonde man. The blonde man leaned forward and said kindly, "Tell me what happened." Van glanced around and caught sight of the feral young woman whom he had landed on top of standing to his right, leaning against a window frame and scowling. He swallowed and said, "I…uh…woke up and I was in this little dark room. It started moving and then this…er…door opened and I fell on her"—he pointed to Hitomi—"…then this green light came and she started screaming and…yeah." He stopped as he saw Hitomi turn slightly towards him, her familiar face of anger erupting over her features. She suddenly walked quickly toward him and bent over, jabbing a finger in his face, "HE made Escaflowne disappear!" Van suddenly was fed up with being screamed at and yelled back at her, "What the hell are you talking about?! I don't understand at all. And you can just shut up with all your Escaflowne crap 'cause I really don't know what you're talking about!" The blonde man behind Hitomi chuckled and smirked, "I guess you lose this time, Hitomi." The girl gave a feral growl and swung around, her knife already drawn. The blonde man also drew a sword and they clanged together. Van watched, his anger dieing, as the small Hitomi was forced down and back, the strong man overpowering her. The man gave a final push and she flew back, Van raised his legs quickly and she hit the front of his chair. She gave a small grunt and he leaned over her, "Are you ok…?" he asked in disbelief. She snarled in his face and leapt up, then stalked out of the room. The man chuckled and turned away, "Don't worry about Hitomi. You must be tired. Gaddes, take Van to a room and give him something to eat and drink. Millerna and I must talk about this phenomenon." The tan man grinned said, "Sure, Allen." And took Van's arm, pulling him to his feet. Van followed Gaddes.
Van sat with a canteen of water in his hands and his back pressed against the wall. He was sitting on a small bunk, with an old blanket on top and an open window to the side. Gaddes was leaning against the wall facing him. Van took a sip of water and was startled when Gaddes said suddenly, "You can't mind her." Van looked up.
"Why not? Someone needs to teach that brat a lesson."
Gaddes chuckled.
"No, she's just full of anger. She's all alone you know. After her country was destroyed, she lived to fight. A queen at so young, and then her country destroyed. She lives to avenge her country and her family. If she could find Escaflowne, the God of War, then maybe she would stop fighting. I doubt it though. Her whole life is fighting. She's all alone and will remain that way for eternity. For Hitomi, there will never be an end to the fighting. Deep down though, I know there's a scared, kind, girl hiding from the world…waiting to come out."
Van stared into his water…alone. He said, "I'm alone too."
A bird soared high in the night sky, then dipped down and headed straight for the White Dragon Clan's caravan. Van saw Hitomi, suddenly, standing firmly on a rail. Van watched quietly as she stood for a few minutes, white feathers suddenly floating down from the sky. He stepped out of the shadows and said quietly, "Careful. You wouldn't want to…" Hitomi hopped down from the rail and walked away, slamming a door behind her. "…fall." finished Van as he watched the door.
The next morning, Allen, Gaddes, Millerna and Hitomi were gathered in the main meeting room that overlooked the outside terrain. Hitomi sat apart from everyone, leaning against the wall closest to the door. Her eyes were half closed, giving her the appearance she was half asleep, or drugged. Allen stopped talking with Millerna and Gaddes about Van and turned to Hitomi, "Hitomi. You will have to protect him. If he is really The God of War, then the Black Dragon Clan will be after him." Hitomi looked up and frowned, as if it wasn't important, "No. I don't need to protect him. He's nothing." Allen walked over, until he was towering over the short girl. "Are you afraid?" Hitomi glared up at him. "If he is The God of War, Escaflowne will come to him, and you will be needed." Hitomi looked down again and ignored him and the rest of her elders.
Van woke up in the same room he had been in. He groaned as the sunlight blasted him in the face. It was always sunny here. Wherever here was. He pulled his ratty blanket over his head and tried to go back to sleep. Maybe it would be a bad dream, and he would wake up in his nice warm bed. He scrunched his eyes tight as he felt a headache coming on. He always got headaches, everyday, every time he woke up. Sunlight made it worse. His door suddenly banged open and he sat up quickly, reaching for his white shirt and blue uniform jacket. It was the crazy girl, Hitomi, who threatened to kill him and walked on rails in the middle of the night. "Get up. Get dressed. We've arrived in Palas. Allen said I have to baby- sit you. Hurry up." She walked out of the room. Van pulled on his shirt and put his tie between his teeth as he tugged on his jacket. He sprinted after Hitomi. As he walked behind her in the hallways, he buttoned his shirt. "Why are we in--Palas did you say? Why are we here?" She didn't look at him but replied, "Allen wants to talk with Dryden about the Black Dragon Clan. Dryden may also give us new supplies. Also, the Dragon Slayers may be in the vicinity and we need to hide." Van stared at her. It was all so confusing, all this dragon nonsense. "What's so important about all these dragons, anyway?" She stopped walking and Van collided with her. She gave him an intense searching glance then turned and kept walking. Van sighed and followed.
Van sat nervously, wedged between Millerna and Gaddes. The three were sitting in a tavern, cluttered with traders and outsiders. They were waiting for Allen to come back with word of Dryden, to make sure it was safe, but he had been gone for over an hour and some were getting restless. He shifted as he thought of water. He was thirsty. Hitomi was nowhere around, so Millerna and Gaddes were to protect him. He sighed, and buried his head in his arms on the table. Bored. "Is something wrong, Van?" asked Millerna. He shook his head without looking up. Gaddes frowned, "Do you want something to eat or drink?" Van started to shake his head then said slowly, "I…uh…am kind of thirsty." Gaddes laughed and stood up. "I'll go find some sake." Van looked up quickly and replied, "No...uh…water is--" but Gaddes was gone. Millerna chuckled softly, "Gaddes wants sake. I better tell him you want water." She glanced down at him, "Don't worry, we'll be here. If you get in any trouble, run. Hitomi will find you. Or Allen. Or me. Promise." She smiled encouragingly and Van tried to make Millerna stop but then she was gone and he was in the middle of a bar in a world of dreams. He sat up nervously as he watched the people around him. Suddenly, a hand clamped down on his shoulder. He froze as he heard a harsh, young man's voice hiss, "You will come with us…The Abarhaki were unwise to leave you alone, Van-sama. We, the Dragonslayers, will take you back to Folken-sama." He hunched down and replied, "Who are you?" The person chuckled then said, "Your worst nightmare." Van heard a flutter of chuckles. He dared a look around and saw several cute young men, about his age, dressed in armor, with swords at their sides. "Dragonslayers?" he murmured. He was forced to his feet by the first one, who he could not see. "I am Dilandau-sama, as you will soon call me," muttered the one who was holding him, "Scream, yell, anything, and everyone dies. Everyone." Van swallowed and finally saw his captor; a young silver-haired youth who was taller than him, dressed in red armor and a white tunic. He slowly nodded, what did it matter if they found him? Why shouldn't he go with these guys? Was this the trouble Millerna had warned him about? He found his voice; "Okay. Take me to this Folken-sama character. Maybe he can get me back home." Dilandau chuckled, "He'll do more than that…Van-sama."
Van walked between Dilandau and Chesta, a blonde young man who looked shy and kind. He attempted conversation, "So…does the place we're going have any cute girls?" A round of appreciative laughter followed this question and was answered by Chesta, "Yeah right. With the Black Dragons, it's all about gay men. We try to recruit Allen Sheczar, head of the White Dragons, but he won't have any of it. Pfft. We are searching truly for Hitomi Kanzaki, who is not only Queen of Dragons, but one hot girl. We all know Dilandau-sama will--"
"Shut up, Chesta."
"Sorry commander."
"Yes. We are searching for Hitomi. She wouldn't happen to be with you, would she?"
Van started to say yes, but something made him shake his head no, "She disappeared after we arrived here. I don't know where she is." Dilandau threw him a searching glance and Van avoided looking at him, this kid was dangerous.
"You're sure?"
"Uh…yeah."
Dilandau nodded then said quietly, "She is following us, this very moment." Van stiffened, but didn't look around, would Hitomi attempt to take him away from these guys? Would she fight? He replied, "Well…I hope she…uh…" At that moment, she descended on them, from the roof-tops of Palas, a screeching mass of woman, knife drawn, mouth pulled back in a fierce grin.
Van was shoved out of the way by Chesta, who drew his sword to hold her off.
"No! Hitomi!" cried Van as she landed on top of Chesta. Another dark haired Dragonslayer charged Hitomi and she jumped off Chesta and faced the attacker. Next thing Van knew, the Dragonslayer was bleeding on the ground, a dead look in his eyes. Chesta yelled, "Dilandau-sama! Take the boy and go!" Dilandau screamed, "She's MINE!" He drew his sword and waited for Hitomi to finish with a blonde boy. She turned around, heaving, with blood splashed on her face and chest. "Chesta, take the remaining slayers and Van and go. We have a score to settle. Correct, Hitomi-sama?" She growled and lowered into a crouch. Chesta didn't move, but Van walked slightly towards Hitomi, "Hitomi…" he whispered as he saw Dilandau tense. Suddenly, a beam of psychic wind blasted from Dilandau and headed toward Hitomi. "HITOMI!" cried Van, but she was fine, she simply raised her arm to fend off the blow and she retaliated with one of her own. Dilandau stepped back where Hitomi hadn't even flinched and Hitomi was on Dilandau, hitting him repeatedly with her knife-sword, which Dilandau was blocking with his own long sword. Chesta watched, wide-eyed and didn't notice Van edging closer to Hitomi's side of the street. Hitomi caught sight of him and missed a blow by Dilandau, which pierced her chest. Van saw blood form a puddle around her feet as she fell to one knee. She raised her head and shot one final psychic blast and Dilandau went hurtling over the buildings of Palas. "Dilandau-sama!" Chesta and other Dragonslayers cried, and they raced after their beloved commander. Van turned to the kneeling Hitomi.
"Are you hurt?" Hitomi puffed as she managed to look up at him. He shook his head in wonder as she tried to stand up. Van grabbed her arm to assist her, but she shook him off. Van became frustrated: "Goddamn. Let me help you, Hitomi!"
"I'm fine."
"You can barely stand."
Hitomi sheathed her bloody knife and wiped away some blood from her face. Van stared as she stood shakily before him. She stared at him, her eyes sliding in and out of focus. And she collapsed. Van caught her and held her as she slipped into unconsciousness. "Hitomi?!" Van exclaimed as he gently shook her limp body. A misting rain started. She was so small.
They were sitting, huddled on a doorstep, under a small overhang to try to prevent some dripping rain. Hitomi was still unconscious, resting across Van's lap, her head resting on Van's arm. He was holding her as if she were a baby, cuddling her to his warm body. He had to keep her alive, so he had taken off his jacket and somewhat wrapped her in it. Her head was covered, and as she was curled up, so was most of her body except for her feet, which were clad in her soft leather boots. He had wrapped her wound in his tie, trying to stop the bleeding and his white shirt was horribly blood-stained. They had been sitting in the cold rain for over four hours, and Van didn't know what to do. He knew she needed a doctor. Anyone. He pressed her dry head to his wet forehead. His whole head was wet.
"Van…"
Van's head snapped up as he stared at the awakening Hitomi.
"Hitomi!"
"Van…we…need…Abarhaki…White Dragons. Help…" She closed her eyes again and her body relaxed.
"Hitomi! I'll help…someone help us…help Hitomi!" He stood up, Hitomi tight in his arms. He ran.
Van sat facing the open window. It had stopped raining, but his hair was still drying. His clothes were drying too, that's why he was wrapped in a blanket, which he had let fallen to his waist as he thought. Hitomi was supposedly safe now, they had told him. He had found a family that had taken him in, he looked so pathetic with a dying girl in his arms and a bloodstained shirt. The eldest girl, who was ten, popped her head in the door and watched Van as he thought, he looked so naïve and lost. "She's better." The girl called. Van snapped awake and turned to stare at her. He pulled up the blanket and walked to her, "Can I see her?" The girl stared up at him and blinked at his height, "She's naked." Van smiled, "So am I." The girl laughed and showed him the way. He peered in the bedroom; Hitomi was lying in a bed with a comforter to her chin, Van entered, the little girl left.
Hitomi turned weakly from staring out the window to face him. Van kneeled next to her bed,
aware of his blanket.
"Are you safe?"
Silence.
"Do you feel safe?"
"Van, I can never be safe. Where are the White Dragons?" Van shrugged, but stared at her until his eyes started filling. Hitomi's eyes widened as she saw his tears.
"What's wrong?"
"You're safe, for now. You're going to live."
"Yeah…I was always going to live…"
Van shook his head, bit his lip, turned away, turned back.
"I thought I killed you."
"How could you kill me? You'd be dead."
"I would have died, if you did."
"Yeah. The Dragonslayers would have gotten you."
"No…I would have died as you did…I would have gone with you."
Silence.
"I'm sorry Van."
"I am too."
Silence.
Van shifted so he was sitting next to the bed, facing away from her, kneeling was hurting his knees. His legs hurt again, he was tired. He let his head rest against the side of the bed. Hitomi's hand was next to his hair, he could feel it. She brushed his head as she moved her hand away. He sighed and said quietly,
"They think you're hot."
"Who?"
"The Dragonslayers."
Silence.
"I. Hate. Them."
"They want you."
"For more than one purpose."
Chuckle. Van leaned back, so he could see her face, she was seething as he grinned. She glanced at him, then smiled too, turning away. He reached up and lightly touched her hand, "I won't let them have you."
She said without looking at him, "I won't let them have YOU. We need each other, don't we?" Van closed his eyes as he smiled. Hitomi gently squeezed his fingers and fell asleep.
1.1 Konnichi wa minna-san. This is based entirely on my thoughts and feelings on both Tenku no Escaflowne and Tsubasa No Kami, both glorious "visions" of Escaflowne. I thought about it and decided this was an interesting out take on this epic story. I know you'll enjoy seeing Van and Hitomi switch places. Many events, names, and places coincide with both the series and movie. Don't be confused or think I'm confused, just think of this as a new "Vision of Escaflowne." By the way…there are some things I apologize for in here. I was weirded out at the time.
1.2 Arigotou~Caritas.
1.3 CHAPTER 1
1.4 Van walked dejectedly up toward the roof. Third period bell rang, and then was silenced as students banged into their classrooms. He emerged out of the stairwell and onto the school roof. It was a beautiful spring day; the clouds were puffy, the sky blue. He loosened his uniform's necktie and reclined against the wall, letting the wind brush his hair around his face. He was tired and it was only ten in the morning. He closed his eyes and tried to enjoy the day, as his friends chided him to do. They complained he was no fun anymore. Van sighed, it used to be he was the most fun to hang out with; he was the envy of the school; good-looking, athletic, strong, tall, but with a temper. It was his temper that had gotten him into trouble. After his parents death in a tragic car accident at the end of junior year, he had tried living normally, but his nerves were frayed and one day after track practice, his temper got the better of him, he fought with his coach, got kicked off the team, and stopped being interested in sports. His grades dropped and he became reclusive and quiet. It was the end of senior year and his life was going nowhere. He didn't feel like going to university or even being part of the world anymore. It was too hard, too hard living. He still had a couple of close friends left, but they were caught up in being seniors. Van had slipped out of the track of life, fallen to where no one could reach down and pick him up. He flopped back down on the warm cement and felt tired, so he slept. And he dreamed.
It was a dream of his child-hood. He was young, perhaps three, and holding his mother's hand, swinging it back and forth. His mother's watch caught his attention; its diamonds glittered in the late afternoon light, and the second hand was making a gentle tick tick sound. He watched the second hand slow and then stop. A strange song swelled and filled the stilled train station: "You are the first dragon…her beloved. I've been watching you from atop the fairy stump." He turned to his left and saw a feral young man with light hair and dark eyes standing there. The boy smiled at Van. "Who are you?" asked the young Van. Time suddenly returned to normal and his mother tugged him onto the train.
He woke up suddenly, the setting sun glimmering over the buildings surrounding the school roof. And he heard the song again, this time in another, mystical language; "Win dain a lotica en vi tu ri si lo ta. Fin dein a loluca en dragu sei lain. Fi-ru les shuati am en riga lint." He sat up and then stood. The sky darkened and stars filled the sky, the half moon shining brightly. "Hello?" he called tentatively, "Konnichi wa?" A green light erupted from behind the moon and a looming planet filled his line of vision. "Earth?!" he whispered, his eyes widening. Suddenly, a dark cloaked figure appeared, apparently standing on top of the planet, and stretched out its hand, "Come with me, to my planet. Gaia. You are searching for the end of the world. I can feel your anger. Come home. God of War." Van watched in astonishment as the figure melted away and suddenly he was falling, melting away too. And everything turned black.
He awoke with a jolt. He was in a cramped space, surrounded by water. His need for air was suddenly answered as the water emptied around his feet. His suit was soaked. Van frowned in disgust, it would be a bitch getting this dry-cleaned. Suddenly he lurched forward and he cried out. Van braced himself against the back of his claustrophobic quarters and kneeled down. He closed his eyes and waited for the motion to stop. It suddenly did, throwing him against the front of his space. He winced as something cut his cheek and yelled as he started tilting forward. Whatever he was in crashed so he was horizontal and he crouched, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did for several seconds and he grew impatient, and angry. "Let me out! Someone!" He gasped as an opening appeared in front of his face. A sickening crack followed as a large opening spread out before him. Van glimpsed a surprised woman's face with dark honey colored hair across her eyes, and then he fell.
He landed heavily on top of her and he sat up quickly, hoping he hadn't hurt her. She sat up suddenly and then angrily scooted back, one hand straying to her waist. She hopped into a squatting position and demanded, "Is it you, God of War? Have you come with Escaflowne? To set this world free?" Van stared at her. Her hair was short but quite unruly, sticking up in the back and on top. It was partially held down by a leather wrap that crossed over her forehead. She had startling green eyes and an angry expression. He blinked at her outfit; SHORT shorts with a blood red piece of thin material wrapped around her waist, over the shorts and under the 'belt' was a slightly longer piece of dark leather that almost looked like a short skirt. Her stomach was bared, revealing muscular abs and her upper body was covered with a form fitting brown half shirt with hardly any sleeves. "Are you him? Have you returned?" she asked again, this time more impatiently. He whispered, "What…are you talking about?" He sat up and looked around him, "Who are you?" Suddenly, a greenish light flew about them, blowing both his and her hair around them. "Escaflowne!" called the young woman suddenly, and she stood up quickly. Van turned around to see what she was looking at and gasped; a huge ivory colored human-shaped machine was crouched over them. The greenish light seemed to be coming from the pink stone embedded in its right chest. The entire thing turned green and disappeared in the green mist. Van watched as a shining speck disappeared in the night sky and he cried out softly; the earth and moon hung heavily in the sky. "What is this place?" he breathed. Fading clouds were scattered over the deeply starred night. He slowly got to his feet and surveyed the landscape. Craggy brown mountains rose and fell to deserts. They were in a dead city, with crumbling buildings all around. He turned and saw the girl reach up and grab something from the sky. She looked at it and a puzzled expression crossed her face, but she turned to him suddenly. Her face was full of anger and hate. Van stepped back. The girl threw something at him and he caught it; it was a small pink stone. He studied it but she growled suddenly, "Was it you?! Did you make Escaflowne disappear?!" He heard steel being drawn and saw her crouching, a medium length, sharp, knife clutched menacing in her hand. He stepped back again and watched her nervously. "ANSWER ME!!" she roared and made to spring when suddenly another voice called, "Hold it Hitomi."
Van sat in a hard chair, his hands clutched on the rims, knuckles getting sore and white. He was facing a man a bit older than him, with knee length blonde hair tied at his waist, dressed in all black leather. A woman in a long pink dress and pink bow in her blonde hair stood a little to the side, on his left. Another, tall man, deeply tanned and with stubble on his chin, stood behind the blonde man. The blonde man leaned forward and said kindly, "Tell me what happened." Van glanced around and caught sight of the feral young woman whom he had landed on top of standing to his right, leaning against a window frame and scowling. He swallowed and said, "I…uh…woke up and I was in this little dark room. It started moving and then this…er…door opened and I fell on her"—he pointed to Hitomi—"…then this green light came and she started screaming and…yeah." He stopped as he saw Hitomi turn slightly towards him, her familiar face of anger erupting over her features. She suddenly walked quickly toward him and bent over, jabbing a finger in his face, "HE made Escaflowne disappear!" Van suddenly was fed up with being screamed at and yelled back at her, "What the hell are you talking about?! I don't understand at all. And you can just shut up with all your Escaflowne crap 'cause I really don't know what you're talking about!" The blonde man behind Hitomi chuckled and smirked, "I guess you lose this time, Hitomi." The girl gave a feral growl and swung around, her knife already drawn. The blonde man also drew a sword and they clanged together. Van watched, his anger dieing, as the small Hitomi was forced down and back, the strong man overpowering her. The man gave a final push and she flew back, Van raised his legs quickly and she hit the front of his chair. She gave a small grunt and he leaned over her, "Are you ok…?" he asked in disbelief. She snarled in his face and leapt up, then stalked out of the room. The man chuckled and turned away, "Don't worry about Hitomi. You must be tired. Gaddes, take Van to a room and give him something to eat and drink. Millerna and I must talk about this phenomenon." The tan man grinned said, "Sure, Allen." And took Van's arm, pulling him to his feet. Van followed Gaddes.
Van sat with a canteen of water in his hands and his back pressed against the wall. He was sitting on a small bunk, with an old blanket on top and an open window to the side. Gaddes was leaning against the wall facing him. Van took a sip of water and was startled when Gaddes said suddenly, "You can't mind her." Van looked up.
"Why not? Someone needs to teach that brat a lesson."
Gaddes chuckled.
"No, she's just full of anger. She's all alone you know. After her country was destroyed, she lived to fight. A queen at so young, and then her country destroyed. She lives to avenge her country and her family. If she could find Escaflowne, the God of War, then maybe she would stop fighting. I doubt it though. Her whole life is fighting. She's all alone and will remain that way for eternity. For Hitomi, there will never be an end to the fighting. Deep down though, I know there's a scared, kind, girl hiding from the world…waiting to come out."
Van stared into his water…alone. He said, "I'm alone too."
A bird soared high in the night sky, then dipped down and headed straight for the White Dragon Clan's caravan. Van saw Hitomi, suddenly, standing firmly on a rail. Van watched quietly as she stood for a few minutes, white feathers suddenly floating down from the sky. He stepped out of the shadows and said quietly, "Careful. You wouldn't want to…" Hitomi hopped down from the rail and walked away, slamming a door behind her. "…fall." finished Van as he watched the door.
The next morning, Allen, Gaddes, Millerna and Hitomi were gathered in the main meeting room that overlooked the outside terrain. Hitomi sat apart from everyone, leaning against the wall closest to the door. Her eyes were half closed, giving her the appearance she was half asleep, or drugged. Allen stopped talking with Millerna and Gaddes about Van and turned to Hitomi, "Hitomi. You will have to protect him. If he is really The God of War, then the Black Dragon Clan will be after him." Hitomi looked up and frowned, as if it wasn't important, "No. I don't need to protect him. He's nothing." Allen walked over, until he was towering over the short girl. "Are you afraid?" Hitomi glared up at him. "If he is The God of War, Escaflowne will come to him, and you will be needed." Hitomi looked down again and ignored him and the rest of her elders.
Van woke up in the same room he had been in. He groaned as the sunlight blasted him in the face. It was always sunny here. Wherever here was. He pulled his ratty blanket over his head and tried to go back to sleep. Maybe it would be a bad dream, and he would wake up in his nice warm bed. He scrunched his eyes tight as he felt a headache coming on. He always got headaches, everyday, every time he woke up. Sunlight made it worse. His door suddenly banged open and he sat up quickly, reaching for his white shirt and blue uniform jacket. It was the crazy girl, Hitomi, who threatened to kill him and walked on rails in the middle of the night. "Get up. Get dressed. We've arrived in Palas. Allen said I have to baby- sit you. Hurry up." She walked out of the room. Van pulled on his shirt and put his tie between his teeth as he tugged on his jacket. He sprinted after Hitomi. As he walked behind her in the hallways, he buttoned his shirt. "Why are we in--Palas did you say? Why are we here?" She didn't look at him but replied, "Allen wants to talk with Dryden about the Black Dragon Clan. Dryden may also give us new supplies. Also, the Dragon Slayers may be in the vicinity and we need to hide." Van stared at her. It was all so confusing, all this dragon nonsense. "What's so important about all these dragons, anyway?" She stopped walking and Van collided with her. She gave him an intense searching glance then turned and kept walking. Van sighed and followed.
Van sat nervously, wedged between Millerna and Gaddes. The three were sitting in a tavern, cluttered with traders and outsiders. They were waiting for Allen to come back with word of Dryden, to make sure it was safe, but he had been gone for over an hour and some were getting restless. He shifted as he thought of water. He was thirsty. Hitomi was nowhere around, so Millerna and Gaddes were to protect him. He sighed, and buried his head in his arms on the table. Bored. "Is something wrong, Van?" asked Millerna. He shook his head without looking up. Gaddes frowned, "Do you want something to eat or drink?" Van started to shake his head then said slowly, "I…uh…am kind of thirsty." Gaddes laughed and stood up. "I'll go find some sake." Van looked up quickly and replied, "No...uh…water is--" but Gaddes was gone. Millerna chuckled softly, "Gaddes wants sake. I better tell him you want water." She glanced down at him, "Don't worry, we'll be here. If you get in any trouble, run. Hitomi will find you. Or Allen. Or me. Promise." She smiled encouragingly and Van tried to make Millerna stop but then she was gone and he was in the middle of a bar in a world of dreams. He sat up nervously as he watched the people around him. Suddenly, a hand clamped down on his shoulder. He froze as he heard a harsh, young man's voice hiss, "You will come with us…The Abarhaki were unwise to leave you alone, Van-sama. We, the Dragonslayers, will take you back to Folken-sama." He hunched down and replied, "Who are you?" The person chuckled then said, "Your worst nightmare." Van heard a flutter of chuckles. He dared a look around and saw several cute young men, about his age, dressed in armor, with swords at their sides. "Dragonslayers?" he murmured. He was forced to his feet by the first one, who he could not see. "I am Dilandau-sama, as you will soon call me," muttered the one who was holding him, "Scream, yell, anything, and everyone dies. Everyone." Van swallowed and finally saw his captor; a young silver-haired youth who was taller than him, dressed in red armor and a white tunic. He slowly nodded, what did it matter if they found him? Why shouldn't he go with these guys? Was this the trouble Millerna had warned him about? He found his voice; "Okay. Take me to this Folken-sama character. Maybe he can get me back home." Dilandau chuckled, "He'll do more than that…Van-sama."
Van walked between Dilandau and Chesta, a blonde young man who looked shy and kind. He attempted conversation, "So…does the place we're going have any cute girls?" A round of appreciative laughter followed this question and was answered by Chesta, "Yeah right. With the Black Dragons, it's all about gay men. We try to recruit Allen Sheczar, head of the White Dragons, but he won't have any of it. Pfft. We are searching truly for Hitomi Kanzaki, who is not only Queen of Dragons, but one hot girl. We all know Dilandau-sama will--"
"Shut up, Chesta."
"Sorry commander."
"Yes. We are searching for Hitomi. She wouldn't happen to be with you, would she?"
Van started to say yes, but something made him shake his head no, "She disappeared after we arrived here. I don't know where she is." Dilandau threw him a searching glance and Van avoided looking at him, this kid was dangerous.
"You're sure?"
"Uh…yeah."
Dilandau nodded then said quietly, "She is following us, this very moment." Van stiffened, but didn't look around, would Hitomi attempt to take him away from these guys? Would she fight? He replied, "Well…I hope she…uh…" At that moment, she descended on them, from the roof-tops of Palas, a screeching mass of woman, knife drawn, mouth pulled back in a fierce grin.
Van was shoved out of the way by Chesta, who drew his sword to hold her off.
"No! Hitomi!" cried Van as she landed on top of Chesta. Another dark haired Dragonslayer charged Hitomi and she jumped off Chesta and faced the attacker. Next thing Van knew, the Dragonslayer was bleeding on the ground, a dead look in his eyes. Chesta yelled, "Dilandau-sama! Take the boy and go!" Dilandau screamed, "She's MINE!" He drew his sword and waited for Hitomi to finish with a blonde boy. She turned around, heaving, with blood splashed on her face and chest. "Chesta, take the remaining slayers and Van and go. We have a score to settle. Correct, Hitomi-sama?" She growled and lowered into a crouch. Chesta didn't move, but Van walked slightly towards Hitomi, "Hitomi…" he whispered as he saw Dilandau tense. Suddenly, a beam of psychic wind blasted from Dilandau and headed toward Hitomi. "HITOMI!" cried Van, but she was fine, she simply raised her arm to fend off the blow and she retaliated with one of her own. Dilandau stepped back where Hitomi hadn't even flinched and Hitomi was on Dilandau, hitting him repeatedly with her knife-sword, which Dilandau was blocking with his own long sword. Chesta watched, wide-eyed and didn't notice Van edging closer to Hitomi's side of the street. Hitomi caught sight of him and missed a blow by Dilandau, which pierced her chest. Van saw blood form a puddle around her feet as she fell to one knee. She raised her head and shot one final psychic blast and Dilandau went hurtling over the buildings of Palas. "Dilandau-sama!" Chesta and other Dragonslayers cried, and they raced after their beloved commander. Van turned to the kneeling Hitomi.
"Are you hurt?" Hitomi puffed as she managed to look up at him. He shook his head in wonder as she tried to stand up. Van grabbed her arm to assist her, but she shook him off. Van became frustrated: "Goddamn. Let me help you, Hitomi!"
"I'm fine."
"You can barely stand."
Hitomi sheathed her bloody knife and wiped away some blood from her face. Van stared as she stood shakily before him. She stared at him, her eyes sliding in and out of focus. And she collapsed. Van caught her and held her as she slipped into unconsciousness. "Hitomi?!" Van exclaimed as he gently shook her limp body. A misting rain started. She was so small.
They were sitting, huddled on a doorstep, under a small overhang to try to prevent some dripping rain. Hitomi was still unconscious, resting across Van's lap, her head resting on Van's arm. He was holding her as if she were a baby, cuddling her to his warm body. He had to keep her alive, so he had taken off his jacket and somewhat wrapped her in it. Her head was covered, and as she was curled up, so was most of her body except for her feet, which were clad in her soft leather boots. He had wrapped her wound in his tie, trying to stop the bleeding and his white shirt was horribly blood-stained. They had been sitting in the cold rain for over four hours, and Van didn't know what to do. He knew she needed a doctor. Anyone. He pressed her dry head to his wet forehead. His whole head was wet.
"Van…"
Van's head snapped up as he stared at the awakening Hitomi.
"Hitomi!"
"Van…we…need…Abarhaki…White Dragons. Help…" She closed her eyes again and her body relaxed.
"Hitomi! I'll help…someone help us…help Hitomi!" He stood up, Hitomi tight in his arms. He ran.
Van sat facing the open window. It had stopped raining, but his hair was still drying. His clothes were drying too, that's why he was wrapped in a blanket, which he had let fallen to his waist as he thought. Hitomi was supposedly safe now, they had told him. He had found a family that had taken him in, he looked so pathetic with a dying girl in his arms and a bloodstained shirt. The eldest girl, who was ten, popped her head in the door and watched Van as he thought, he looked so naïve and lost. "She's better." The girl called. Van snapped awake and turned to stare at her. He pulled up the blanket and walked to her, "Can I see her?" The girl stared up at him and blinked at his height, "She's naked." Van smiled, "So am I." The girl laughed and showed him the way. He peered in the bedroom; Hitomi was lying in a bed with a comforter to her chin, Van entered, the little girl left.
Hitomi turned weakly from staring out the window to face him. Van kneeled next to her bed,
aware of his blanket.
"Are you safe?"
Silence.
"Do you feel safe?"
"Van, I can never be safe. Where are the White Dragons?" Van shrugged, but stared at her until his eyes started filling. Hitomi's eyes widened as she saw his tears.
"What's wrong?"
"You're safe, for now. You're going to live."
"Yeah…I was always going to live…"
Van shook his head, bit his lip, turned away, turned back.
"I thought I killed you."
"How could you kill me? You'd be dead."
"I would have died, if you did."
"Yeah. The Dragonslayers would have gotten you."
"No…I would have died as you did…I would have gone with you."
Silence.
"I'm sorry Van."
"I am too."
Silence.
Van shifted so he was sitting next to the bed, facing away from her, kneeling was hurting his knees. His legs hurt again, he was tired. He let his head rest against the side of the bed. Hitomi's hand was next to his hair, he could feel it. She brushed his head as she moved her hand away. He sighed and said quietly,
"They think you're hot."
"Who?"
"The Dragonslayers."
Silence.
"I. Hate. Them."
"They want you."
"For more than one purpose."
Chuckle. Van leaned back, so he could see her face, she was seething as he grinned. She glanced at him, then smiled too, turning away. He reached up and lightly touched her hand, "I won't let them have you."
She said without looking at him, "I won't let them have YOU. We need each other, don't we?" Van closed his eyes as he smiled. Hitomi gently squeezed his fingers and fell asleep.