1 Ah! I updated! Next up is…I don't know. We'll just see where this story
goes. I forgot to put a disclaimer on any of my stories so sorry! ^_^;
I DON'T OWN ESCAFLOWNE OR ANYTHING RELATED TO IT
I really love this story and I love escaflowne so much. God. anyway. Enjoy! Oh ya (tsubasa_no_kami@juno.com)
2
3 CHAPTER 3
The caravan was back together and heading towards Fanela. Van and Hitomi were sitting together on the top mast of the caravan. Below them, the Abarhaki strolled the decks or checked on the sails and animals pulling the caravan. Hitomi was lounging lazily and thinking about what happened over the last few days, and Van was sitting closley next to her, wondering if he would get anywhere in this relationship physically. "Hitomi," he said suddenly.
"Yes?" she replied as she sat up to face him.
"Tell me about your parents." He stared at her face and wondered if this was a good subject.
"My parents? I remember very little. I was really small when…when they were killed. I remember my mother; she was sweet smelling, like roses. And my dad…I can't really remember my dad. All I can remember about him is when I last saw him…before… EMthey/EM killed him. He was standing in front of the throne and there was fire everywhere. I remember the heat was so intense and I was all alone, hiding behind one of the court curtains. He stood up to this one man; a really tall dark man, and he said something like, 'you're a fool…'" Van watched Hitomi avert her face and saw a look of sorrow cross her expression. "That was the last time I ever heard him speak. The man killed him, there was blood everywhere…and that's all I remember about my parents." She took a shaky breath and brought her knees to her chest. Van quietly gazed at Hitomi and wondered if she would cry; he said sadly, "I'm sorry, that wasn't a good topic."
She turned to him quickly and smiled faintly then turned back to surveying the horizon.
"I just don't talk about them a lot. What about your family?"
Van snorted and Hitomi glanced at him, surprised. "My family? My parents are dead too. I have no family. No grandparents, uncles, nothing. I am alone. They died in a car accident. That's when my troubles at school started. I have no family. I…I can remember a lot about them but there's really nothing to remember. They were always away, at work or parties. I had the option of being with them, traveling with them when they travelled, but I never did. I don't really know why. It's like I didn't care. Now that I think of it, I…I don't think I really loved my parents." He stopped talking and thought about what he had said. It was true, he didn't really love his parents in the normal way. It was just a feeling of companionship, not mutual either.
"Van?" Hitomi asked slowly as she watched his expressions change rapidly as he thought.
He looked up at the sky and replied quietly, "Yes, Hitomi."
"You don't have to worry about them. You're here. Not…home."
Van smiled, closed his eyes, and flopped back on the warm wood behind him.
"Yeah, you're right. Why are you always right?"
Hitomi blushed and was glad Van couldn't see her face. She lay down beside him, their elbows touching, and watched the clouds and sky pass as they rode to Fanela.
Sometime in the next hour, the caravan stopped on the outskirts of Fanela. Hitomi left Van alone with Millerna as she went out with the first scouting party. Van watched her leave with the abarhaki and felt a tug in his inner regions. Hitomi turned around briefly, smiled reassuringly and gave a small wave. Van smiled, relieved she had felt it too. EM How can I miss her already, when she's just now walking out of the door? /EM He turned away and walked to the window, where he watched them all depart on horses. Hitomi was the only female among them and she looked so tiny.
"Watching?" said Millerna softly beside him.
"I am. I feel like I should be the one going out with her—them." He replied without even looking at her. Millerna nodded and patted him on the shoulder. "They'll be back soon enough." She assured him as she left the room. Van watched them pound into a grove of trees. And then he couldn't see them anymore. A headache came. He cringed and rubbed his forehead, then got up and went to his cabin, where he fell onto his cot. He tightly closed his eyes against the sunlight and pulled the small blanket over his head. And then it happened again.
EMHeat. Bright white lights. "Ototo-san! Where are you!" Pounding. Racing lights and sounds. Hurt, anger, fear. Where am I? A flash of pink to the right. A girl? A little girl running, crying. Hair in pink ribbons, school-skirt like back home in Japan. Hitomi?! Blood, fire, "Ototo-san!" /EM
Van blinked and stared at the blanket over his eyes. He hated these dreams, visions, whatever. Hitomi was fine, everything was okay now. He sighed and before closing his eyes again, noticed it was darker outside.
EMSmooth, soft hand caressing his face. Smells like rain. "Van?" "Hitomi?" What the hell? Is she here, is she back? Wind blowing through hair, soft rain smells./EM
When he woke up again, he was sweating and he smelled gross. He needed a bath and some food. He threw the dirty blanket on the ground and stalked out of the room in search of Millerna. Van took the stairs to the upper meeting room three at a time and entered the room with a thump. Everyone turned to stare at him. He froze.
"Heh…hey guys…when did you get back?" he asked nervously, assessing the somber expressions.
"Van. Good to see you're alive." Said Allen as he stepped forward. Van swallowed when he saw Allen's face. It had some deep cuts on it, with blood and crust forming around the edges of his lesions. There had obviously been some fighting. A hollowness settled in his stomach, as he realized he didn't know where Hitomi was.
"Where's Hitomi?" he asked, his voice cracking on the H.
Allen glanced behind him, but no one would meet his eyes. He took a breath and said softly, "She…ah…she's not here…uh…now….we ran into…ah…a bit of…bit of a--" Van didn't wait for him to finish, he turned and sprinted down the steps, taking them all at once.
Van was pounding along the hard, compacted earth in search of her. He headed in the general direction they had set off in that afternoon and hoped Hitomi was at least alive. His mind was set on doing nothing but getting her back, wherever she was. It was no doubt the Black Dragons. And he hated them, because Hitomi hated them. Once in the forest, he veered toward the light of what he presumed was the city. As he crested a hill, he stopped and gaped. The city was pretty much blazing on fire. He stared at the confusion around him and scanned the area for Hitomi. He wouldn't find her like this. He sprinted down into the inferno and serached as he ran. She wasn't in a side street, she wasn't in the charred tavern. He heard battle-cries ahead and the clang of swords. He sprinted faster. As he came around the corner, Van saw Hitomi struggling to fight Dilandau, who had her in chains with only her right arm free to fight him. Her face was dirty and bloody, as where the areas where she was chained; her wrists, ankles, stomach. Van bristled as he thought of Allen and the rest of the Abarhaki deserting her as she was caught by this maniac. If no one else would take Dilandau on, he would. Dilandau was watching Hitomi struggle to stand and laughing harshly. Van felt the heat around and within him and he wanted nothing more than to slice Dilandau's head off. He creeped around behind Dilandau until he could see Hitomi's face fully and waited until she saw him. When she did, her eyes widened and she looked horrified. Van was startled but angry and didn't think anymore. He rushed Dilandau from behind and was surprised when Dilandau gutted him in his stomach with the back of his sword.
"Damnit! Shit. OW." Heaved Van as he bowed inward. "Fuck…" he whispered as the pain shot through his stomach and up into his chest and head. His air was gone, he was about to thow-up and Hitomi was alive. He raised his head slightly and saw Dilandau laughing maniacally above him. He made a small sound in the back of his throat and charged him again. This time, Dilandau didn't have time to react. He was thrown back from the impact and Van followed him, lying heavily on top of him.
"Van, no! What the shit do you think you're doing?! Damnit." Cried Hitomi as Van lay motionless on top of Dilandau.
"Get off me you faggot!" squealed Dilandau as Van pressed deeper on top of him. He was blacking out and it hurt to think, move.
"DAMN. VAN help me!" screamed Hitomi as she watched him fighting unconciousness. He blinked unsteadily and tried to stand. As he succeeded, Dilandau tripped him and grabbed his ankle.
"You can't help her, cuz you're DEAD." Dilandau shouted as he bound Van to Hitomi with some spare chain. Van's head rolled heavily onto his chest and he whispered to Hitomi, "I dreamed about you."
He was cold and stiff and his head hurt like a bitch. "Van?" asked a familiar voice softly. He blink blearily and his eyes focused on dark, damp stone and chains. The voice said again, "Are you alive?" He smiled and closed his eyes, moving his hand to wipe his eyes and found he couldn't; first, it hurt to move, and second, his hand was tied down or something. "I'm alive." He replied quietly. He heard chains move and a cold hand touched his hand. "You're freezing," said the voice.
"So are you." He said and opened his eyes to see the voice. Hitomi's dirty face filled his view. EMTo see you when I wake up is a gift I didn't think could be real./EMHe smiled as he saw her, "Hey." She smiled too and then murmured, "You were dead for a long time." He smiled wider and tried to sit up. "Ow. Shit." He grunted as he pressed his back to the cold wall. He looked at Hitomi again and found she was bloody, dirty and looked like hell. He frowned and asked, "Are you ok?" She kept smiling but glanced nervously down and back up again, "Yeah…yeah I'm fine. I was worried about you though." He took her hand and tried to pull her closer. She could only move within a foot of him because of the chains. Van rubbed her hand and was rewarded with slight warmth and a frown. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to warm us up."
"I'm fine."
"No you're not. You're bloody, dirty, and we're locked in a dungeon."
Hitomi looked down and said, "It doesn't matter, we won't be able to get out, the Abarhaki left me and don't know where you are. We're going to die and there will finally be an end to the fighting." She removed her hand from his grip and stared at the wall next to her. Van studied her profile, a smudge of dirt on her nose, a bloody cut on her right cheek, dirt and crusted blood in her hair. He became very angry and very in love.
"You are so beautiful." He whispered throatily.
Hitomi turned her head and stared at him wide-eyed. Her features crumpled and tears slipped down her dirty cheeks. Hitomi had cracked.
"I am so sorry Van! It's all my fault you came after me. It's all my fault I couldn't save you! Gods…I don't deserve to live! I ruin everything, I can't fight, I'm queen of a fucking non-existent country…! Gods…" She stared angrily down into her lap as tears coursed down her cheeks, leaving trails of dirt. Van died again.
"Hitomi…" he reached for her hand. She snatched it away from him and cried, "Don't touch me! Just leave me alone, you don't understand! I should die." She turned away from him and held her hands tightly in her lap. The chains were cutting into his skin as he reached for her, but she turned away even more and faced the wall.
"Damnit Hitomi, let me in! Why can't I be your friend? Why can't you let people get close to you?! Are you afraid they'll leave you? Like your parents did?!"
"Leave them out of it! You don't understand!" she screamed at him.
"Is there nothing I can do to change your mind?! At least let me suffer with you, I can understand if you let me! I want to help...no, I don't care anymore, that'll come later, I want to be with you Hitomi, but I can't if you won't let me! We can help each other, be together…I don't care anymore about getting back home, there's nothing there for me…you are what I have Hitomi. You are the only thing. But if you…won't let me…love you…I don't really…" he trailed off and stared at the ground. Hitomi blinked at the wall. Had he really said those things? To her? She turned slightly and studied him the way that he had earlier studied her. His hair fell over his tilted head and he was the saddest she had ever seen him. Was he right? What did he know anyway? What did he know of love, and why did she care? Hitomi looked at his long eyelashes and unruly dark hair and finally remembered. And she knew she loved him.
"Gods I hate you so much." She cried and reached for him.
Dilandau threw open the heavy iron door and called, "Oh sweethearts! Folken wants the boy!" Hitomi and Van looked up and had different reactions to these cocky words. Van felt like blowing something up and Hitomi felt like crying; they had virtually switched minds and emotions. Hitomi clung to his hand as dragonslayers unchained him and took him away. Van struggled and tried to stay with Hitomi, because know he had a reason to stay away from the dragonslayers. "I'll be back Hitomi. I'll kill them and I'll be back." He growled as he was forced bodily out the door. Dilandau threw his head back and laughed, "I don't think so, because the Queen of Dragons is scheduled to be terminated this afternoon, and I have the pleasure of killing her!" Hitomi stared wide-eyed at him and shrank into her corner. Dilandau giggled as he shut and locked the door and went to Folken's meeting room.
Van sat opposite Dilandau. He stared hard at the albino boy; willing holes of flame to burn through his skull. Dilandau stared back with the same intensity, hoping the same would happen to Van. "Van. Van, van, van. The savior of the Abarhaki. The god of war. The one who is destined to destroy us Black Dragons. You are quite weak and useless without your warrior queen aren't you?" Van flicked his eyes in Folken's direction then returned to glaring at Dilandau. Dilandau's lips curled into the tiniest of smirks and Van narrowed his brows deeper and made a menacing sound deep in his throat. Dilandua crossed his arms and smirked fully, then sneered, "This little boy couldn't hurt a fly, let alone destroy us, Folken-sama." Van jumped up and fought towards Dilandau. He was blocked by Chesta and another brown-haired dragon-slayer. "Fight me Dilandau-chan, and see how weak I am!" he snarled as Dilandau continued sneering. "Enough!" roared Folken and shot a psychic blast at Van that left him stunned, face down on the marble table-top. Bleeding from the mouth and feeling too weak, Van slumped down into his chair. He glared at Dilandau. Dilandau sighed and said, "if you will not be needing me lord, I will go prepare for the queen's death." Folken nodded his dismissal and Dilandau left. Having nothing to distract him, Van had to listen to Folken.
"Do you even know why you're here?" asked Folken softly as he leaned over Van. Folken was an ominous creature, tall, dark with haunted eyes. He reeked of power and destruction. Van swallowed slightly and replied, "No. Yes. I am here to love Hitomi." Folken laughed loudly and cried, "Really?! How interesting! Because I thought you were here to destroy us! Or have you lost your powers for love?" Van frowned and replied as he stared straight ahead, "I don't believe I ever had any powers." Folken frowned too and growled, "You have powers. You are the god of war. Show me that power and I will give you whatever you want." Van sighed and closed his eyes. His headache was like an iron hand clamped over his head, "I told you, I DON'T HAVE ANY POWERS. I am fucking Van Fanel and I am from earth!" Folken threw his head back again and laughed long and loud. Van scrunched his eyes and kneaded his hands ino his forehead. Did this wacko ever shut up?
"Let me ask you something, Van Fanel from earth, who are your parents?"
"They're dead."
"Yes, but did you ever get they feeling they didn't like you?"
"Of course, all teenagers feel that way."
"Yes, you're right. Even I felt that way, once. But I did something about it. I killed my parents. I burned their castle and destroyed their kingdom. Do you know what that kingdom was called?"
Van shook his head, still massaging his forehead.
"It was called Fanela. The place my black kingdom was built upon is where the ashes of Fanela cindered. Fanela. Fanel."
Van stiffened and something clicked in the back of his mind. The headache intensified.
"Quite strange that your last name happens to be the naming of a great kingdom, isn't it? And how strange also that my real name is…Dune Fanel. Hm…same names! I guess that would make us…brothers!?" After this, he laughed evilly.
Van began hyperventilating. Brothers?! It couldn't be!
"That's not true! I was born and raised on earth!"
"Think Van!" laughed Folken, "What is your earliest memory? Is it heat? Fire? Blood? Crying?" He continued jeering Van as he watched him break out in a cold sweat.
Van stared at the wall opposite him and choked, "But that's Hitomi's story! She was the princess, her parents died in a fire, mine in a car accident. You're lieing!"
Folken shook his head and replied, "You were switched. You were born prince of Fanela. I grew angry and killed mother and father, I was to be king, but the phrophecy chose you! I loved you much then, but no more! Because I didn't want to kill you, I sent you to our sister planet, earth. I thought you were gone forever. Instead, a little girl replaced you, with honey-colored hair and schoolgirl clothes. Apparently, she thought it was her parents who died in the great fire, and grew up believing she was to avenge her country. She is not even royalty. She was a mere two-year old human girl. Nothing important about her. Except, I could not kill her. Some mysterious power saved her everytime I tried to defeat her. A pink light would engulf and shield her. To destroy her, I need you by my side. You can summon the legendary Escaflowne, because you are the true dragon king. Help me, brother."
Van was frozen in shock. Sweat trickled down his forehead and ran down his back. The headache was causing white flashing lights to dance before his eyes. Folken extended his hand in a brotherly way and said again, "Bring the destruction of Gaia, brother, fulfill your prophecy!" Van stared stonily at the outstretched hand as his thoughts reeled. He remembered everything. The fire, his parents, his mother in her long gown, his…brother. He raised his eyes to Folken and replied carefully, "I am from Earth."
I DON'T OWN ESCAFLOWNE OR ANYTHING RELATED TO IT
I really love this story and I love escaflowne so much. God. anyway. Enjoy! Oh ya (tsubasa_no_kami@juno.com)
2
3 CHAPTER 3
The caravan was back together and heading towards Fanela. Van and Hitomi were sitting together on the top mast of the caravan. Below them, the Abarhaki strolled the decks or checked on the sails and animals pulling the caravan. Hitomi was lounging lazily and thinking about what happened over the last few days, and Van was sitting closley next to her, wondering if he would get anywhere in this relationship physically. "Hitomi," he said suddenly.
"Yes?" she replied as she sat up to face him.
"Tell me about your parents." He stared at her face and wondered if this was a good subject.
"My parents? I remember very little. I was really small when…when they were killed. I remember my mother; she was sweet smelling, like roses. And my dad…I can't really remember my dad. All I can remember about him is when I last saw him…before… EMthey/EM killed him. He was standing in front of the throne and there was fire everywhere. I remember the heat was so intense and I was all alone, hiding behind one of the court curtains. He stood up to this one man; a really tall dark man, and he said something like, 'you're a fool…'" Van watched Hitomi avert her face and saw a look of sorrow cross her expression. "That was the last time I ever heard him speak. The man killed him, there was blood everywhere…and that's all I remember about my parents." She took a shaky breath and brought her knees to her chest. Van quietly gazed at Hitomi and wondered if she would cry; he said sadly, "I'm sorry, that wasn't a good topic."
She turned to him quickly and smiled faintly then turned back to surveying the horizon.
"I just don't talk about them a lot. What about your family?"
Van snorted and Hitomi glanced at him, surprised. "My family? My parents are dead too. I have no family. No grandparents, uncles, nothing. I am alone. They died in a car accident. That's when my troubles at school started. I have no family. I…I can remember a lot about them but there's really nothing to remember. They were always away, at work or parties. I had the option of being with them, traveling with them when they travelled, but I never did. I don't really know why. It's like I didn't care. Now that I think of it, I…I don't think I really loved my parents." He stopped talking and thought about what he had said. It was true, he didn't really love his parents in the normal way. It was just a feeling of companionship, not mutual either.
"Van?" Hitomi asked slowly as she watched his expressions change rapidly as he thought.
He looked up at the sky and replied quietly, "Yes, Hitomi."
"You don't have to worry about them. You're here. Not…home."
Van smiled, closed his eyes, and flopped back on the warm wood behind him.
"Yeah, you're right. Why are you always right?"
Hitomi blushed and was glad Van couldn't see her face. She lay down beside him, their elbows touching, and watched the clouds and sky pass as they rode to Fanela.
Sometime in the next hour, the caravan stopped on the outskirts of Fanela. Hitomi left Van alone with Millerna as she went out with the first scouting party. Van watched her leave with the abarhaki and felt a tug in his inner regions. Hitomi turned around briefly, smiled reassuringly and gave a small wave. Van smiled, relieved she had felt it too. EM How can I miss her already, when she's just now walking out of the door? /EM He turned away and walked to the window, where he watched them all depart on horses. Hitomi was the only female among them and she looked so tiny.
"Watching?" said Millerna softly beside him.
"I am. I feel like I should be the one going out with her—them." He replied without even looking at her. Millerna nodded and patted him on the shoulder. "They'll be back soon enough." She assured him as she left the room. Van watched them pound into a grove of trees. And then he couldn't see them anymore. A headache came. He cringed and rubbed his forehead, then got up and went to his cabin, where he fell onto his cot. He tightly closed his eyes against the sunlight and pulled the small blanket over his head. And then it happened again.
EMHeat. Bright white lights. "Ototo-san! Where are you!" Pounding. Racing lights and sounds. Hurt, anger, fear. Where am I? A flash of pink to the right. A girl? A little girl running, crying. Hair in pink ribbons, school-skirt like back home in Japan. Hitomi?! Blood, fire, "Ototo-san!" /EM
Van blinked and stared at the blanket over his eyes. He hated these dreams, visions, whatever. Hitomi was fine, everything was okay now. He sighed and before closing his eyes again, noticed it was darker outside.
EMSmooth, soft hand caressing his face. Smells like rain. "Van?" "Hitomi?" What the hell? Is she here, is she back? Wind blowing through hair, soft rain smells./EM
When he woke up again, he was sweating and he smelled gross. He needed a bath and some food. He threw the dirty blanket on the ground and stalked out of the room in search of Millerna. Van took the stairs to the upper meeting room three at a time and entered the room with a thump. Everyone turned to stare at him. He froze.
"Heh…hey guys…when did you get back?" he asked nervously, assessing the somber expressions.
"Van. Good to see you're alive." Said Allen as he stepped forward. Van swallowed when he saw Allen's face. It had some deep cuts on it, with blood and crust forming around the edges of his lesions. There had obviously been some fighting. A hollowness settled in his stomach, as he realized he didn't know where Hitomi was.
"Where's Hitomi?" he asked, his voice cracking on the H.
Allen glanced behind him, but no one would meet his eyes. He took a breath and said softly, "She…ah…she's not here…uh…now….we ran into…ah…a bit of…bit of a--" Van didn't wait for him to finish, he turned and sprinted down the steps, taking them all at once.
Van was pounding along the hard, compacted earth in search of her. He headed in the general direction they had set off in that afternoon and hoped Hitomi was at least alive. His mind was set on doing nothing but getting her back, wherever she was. It was no doubt the Black Dragons. And he hated them, because Hitomi hated them. Once in the forest, he veered toward the light of what he presumed was the city. As he crested a hill, he stopped and gaped. The city was pretty much blazing on fire. He stared at the confusion around him and scanned the area for Hitomi. He wouldn't find her like this. He sprinted down into the inferno and serached as he ran. She wasn't in a side street, she wasn't in the charred tavern. He heard battle-cries ahead and the clang of swords. He sprinted faster. As he came around the corner, Van saw Hitomi struggling to fight Dilandau, who had her in chains with only her right arm free to fight him. Her face was dirty and bloody, as where the areas where she was chained; her wrists, ankles, stomach. Van bristled as he thought of Allen and the rest of the Abarhaki deserting her as she was caught by this maniac. If no one else would take Dilandau on, he would. Dilandau was watching Hitomi struggle to stand and laughing harshly. Van felt the heat around and within him and he wanted nothing more than to slice Dilandau's head off. He creeped around behind Dilandau until he could see Hitomi's face fully and waited until she saw him. When she did, her eyes widened and she looked horrified. Van was startled but angry and didn't think anymore. He rushed Dilandau from behind and was surprised when Dilandau gutted him in his stomach with the back of his sword.
"Damnit! Shit. OW." Heaved Van as he bowed inward. "Fuck…" he whispered as the pain shot through his stomach and up into his chest and head. His air was gone, he was about to thow-up and Hitomi was alive. He raised his head slightly and saw Dilandau laughing maniacally above him. He made a small sound in the back of his throat and charged him again. This time, Dilandau didn't have time to react. He was thrown back from the impact and Van followed him, lying heavily on top of him.
"Van, no! What the shit do you think you're doing?! Damnit." Cried Hitomi as Van lay motionless on top of Dilandau.
"Get off me you faggot!" squealed Dilandau as Van pressed deeper on top of him. He was blacking out and it hurt to think, move.
"DAMN. VAN help me!" screamed Hitomi as she watched him fighting unconciousness. He blinked unsteadily and tried to stand. As he succeeded, Dilandau tripped him and grabbed his ankle.
"You can't help her, cuz you're DEAD." Dilandau shouted as he bound Van to Hitomi with some spare chain. Van's head rolled heavily onto his chest and he whispered to Hitomi, "I dreamed about you."
He was cold and stiff and his head hurt like a bitch. "Van?" asked a familiar voice softly. He blink blearily and his eyes focused on dark, damp stone and chains. The voice said again, "Are you alive?" He smiled and closed his eyes, moving his hand to wipe his eyes and found he couldn't; first, it hurt to move, and second, his hand was tied down or something. "I'm alive." He replied quietly. He heard chains move and a cold hand touched his hand. "You're freezing," said the voice.
"So are you." He said and opened his eyes to see the voice. Hitomi's dirty face filled his view. EMTo see you when I wake up is a gift I didn't think could be real./EMHe smiled as he saw her, "Hey." She smiled too and then murmured, "You were dead for a long time." He smiled wider and tried to sit up. "Ow. Shit." He grunted as he pressed his back to the cold wall. He looked at Hitomi again and found she was bloody, dirty and looked like hell. He frowned and asked, "Are you ok?" She kept smiling but glanced nervously down and back up again, "Yeah…yeah I'm fine. I was worried about you though." He took her hand and tried to pull her closer. She could only move within a foot of him because of the chains. Van rubbed her hand and was rewarded with slight warmth and a frown. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to warm us up."
"I'm fine."
"No you're not. You're bloody, dirty, and we're locked in a dungeon."
Hitomi looked down and said, "It doesn't matter, we won't be able to get out, the Abarhaki left me and don't know where you are. We're going to die and there will finally be an end to the fighting." She removed her hand from his grip and stared at the wall next to her. Van studied her profile, a smudge of dirt on her nose, a bloody cut on her right cheek, dirt and crusted blood in her hair. He became very angry and very in love.
"You are so beautiful." He whispered throatily.
Hitomi turned her head and stared at him wide-eyed. Her features crumpled and tears slipped down her dirty cheeks. Hitomi had cracked.
"I am so sorry Van! It's all my fault you came after me. It's all my fault I couldn't save you! Gods…I don't deserve to live! I ruin everything, I can't fight, I'm queen of a fucking non-existent country…! Gods…" She stared angrily down into her lap as tears coursed down her cheeks, leaving trails of dirt. Van died again.
"Hitomi…" he reached for her hand. She snatched it away from him and cried, "Don't touch me! Just leave me alone, you don't understand! I should die." She turned away from him and held her hands tightly in her lap. The chains were cutting into his skin as he reached for her, but she turned away even more and faced the wall.
"Damnit Hitomi, let me in! Why can't I be your friend? Why can't you let people get close to you?! Are you afraid they'll leave you? Like your parents did?!"
"Leave them out of it! You don't understand!" she screamed at him.
"Is there nothing I can do to change your mind?! At least let me suffer with you, I can understand if you let me! I want to help...no, I don't care anymore, that'll come later, I want to be with you Hitomi, but I can't if you won't let me! We can help each other, be together…I don't care anymore about getting back home, there's nothing there for me…you are what I have Hitomi. You are the only thing. But if you…won't let me…love you…I don't really…" he trailed off and stared at the ground. Hitomi blinked at the wall. Had he really said those things? To her? She turned slightly and studied him the way that he had earlier studied her. His hair fell over his tilted head and he was the saddest she had ever seen him. Was he right? What did he know anyway? What did he know of love, and why did she care? Hitomi looked at his long eyelashes and unruly dark hair and finally remembered. And she knew she loved him.
"Gods I hate you so much." She cried and reached for him.
Dilandau threw open the heavy iron door and called, "Oh sweethearts! Folken wants the boy!" Hitomi and Van looked up and had different reactions to these cocky words. Van felt like blowing something up and Hitomi felt like crying; they had virtually switched minds and emotions. Hitomi clung to his hand as dragonslayers unchained him and took him away. Van struggled and tried to stay with Hitomi, because know he had a reason to stay away from the dragonslayers. "I'll be back Hitomi. I'll kill them and I'll be back." He growled as he was forced bodily out the door. Dilandau threw his head back and laughed, "I don't think so, because the Queen of Dragons is scheduled to be terminated this afternoon, and I have the pleasure of killing her!" Hitomi stared wide-eyed at him and shrank into her corner. Dilandau giggled as he shut and locked the door and went to Folken's meeting room.
Van sat opposite Dilandau. He stared hard at the albino boy; willing holes of flame to burn through his skull. Dilandau stared back with the same intensity, hoping the same would happen to Van. "Van. Van, van, van. The savior of the Abarhaki. The god of war. The one who is destined to destroy us Black Dragons. You are quite weak and useless without your warrior queen aren't you?" Van flicked his eyes in Folken's direction then returned to glaring at Dilandau. Dilandau's lips curled into the tiniest of smirks and Van narrowed his brows deeper and made a menacing sound deep in his throat. Dilandua crossed his arms and smirked fully, then sneered, "This little boy couldn't hurt a fly, let alone destroy us, Folken-sama." Van jumped up and fought towards Dilandau. He was blocked by Chesta and another brown-haired dragon-slayer. "Fight me Dilandau-chan, and see how weak I am!" he snarled as Dilandau continued sneering. "Enough!" roared Folken and shot a psychic blast at Van that left him stunned, face down on the marble table-top. Bleeding from the mouth and feeling too weak, Van slumped down into his chair. He glared at Dilandau. Dilandau sighed and said, "if you will not be needing me lord, I will go prepare for the queen's death." Folken nodded his dismissal and Dilandau left. Having nothing to distract him, Van had to listen to Folken.
"Do you even know why you're here?" asked Folken softly as he leaned over Van. Folken was an ominous creature, tall, dark with haunted eyes. He reeked of power and destruction. Van swallowed slightly and replied, "No. Yes. I am here to love Hitomi." Folken laughed loudly and cried, "Really?! How interesting! Because I thought you were here to destroy us! Or have you lost your powers for love?" Van frowned and replied as he stared straight ahead, "I don't believe I ever had any powers." Folken frowned too and growled, "You have powers. You are the god of war. Show me that power and I will give you whatever you want." Van sighed and closed his eyes. His headache was like an iron hand clamped over his head, "I told you, I DON'T HAVE ANY POWERS. I am fucking Van Fanel and I am from earth!" Folken threw his head back again and laughed long and loud. Van scrunched his eyes and kneaded his hands ino his forehead. Did this wacko ever shut up?
"Let me ask you something, Van Fanel from earth, who are your parents?"
"They're dead."
"Yes, but did you ever get they feeling they didn't like you?"
"Of course, all teenagers feel that way."
"Yes, you're right. Even I felt that way, once. But I did something about it. I killed my parents. I burned their castle and destroyed their kingdom. Do you know what that kingdom was called?"
Van shook his head, still massaging his forehead.
"It was called Fanela. The place my black kingdom was built upon is where the ashes of Fanela cindered. Fanela. Fanel."
Van stiffened and something clicked in the back of his mind. The headache intensified.
"Quite strange that your last name happens to be the naming of a great kingdom, isn't it? And how strange also that my real name is…Dune Fanel. Hm…same names! I guess that would make us…brothers!?" After this, he laughed evilly.
Van began hyperventilating. Brothers?! It couldn't be!
"That's not true! I was born and raised on earth!"
"Think Van!" laughed Folken, "What is your earliest memory? Is it heat? Fire? Blood? Crying?" He continued jeering Van as he watched him break out in a cold sweat.
Van stared at the wall opposite him and choked, "But that's Hitomi's story! She was the princess, her parents died in a fire, mine in a car accident. You're lieing!"
Folken shook his head and replied, "You were switched. You were born prince of Fanela. I grew angry and killed mother and father, I was to be king, but the phrophecy chose you! I loved you much then, but no more! Because I didn't want to kill you, I sent you to our sister planet, earth. I thought you were gone forever. Instead, a little girl replaced you, with honey-colored hair and schoolgirl clothes. Apparently, she thought it was her parents who died in the great fire, and grew up believing she was to avenge her country. She is not even royalty. She was a mere two-year old human girl. Nothing important about her. Except, I could not kill her. Some mysterious power saved her everytime I tried to defeat her. A pink light would engulf and shield her. To destroy her, I need you by my side. You can summon the legendary Escaflowne, because you are the true dragon king. Help me, brother."
Van was frozen in shock. Sweat trickled down his forehead and ran down his back. The headache was causing white flashing lights to dance before his eyes. Folken extended his hand in a brotherly way and said again, "Bring the destruction of Gaia, brother, fulfill your prophecy!" Van stared stonily at the outstretched hand as his thoughts reeled. He remembered everything. The fire, his parents, his mother in her long gown, his…brother. He raised his eyes to Folken and replied carefully, "I am from Earth."