Dreams and Visions: Chapter 14

By mercy_angel_09

Rating PG-13

Disclaimers: I don't own Escaflowne and I'm certainly not making any money off of this venture, so it'd be sort of pointless to sue me.  (Besides, I'm a poor college student; you'd lose more money than you'd gain.)  The creative geniuses behind EscaFlowne are Hajime Yatate and Shoji Kawamori, Sunrise, Bandai, and I'm sure a few other companies that I'm forgetting or have no idea about.

~*~

            To say that surprise was the first thing that Hitomi felt as she woke up would be an understatement.  She had expected to find an open window with the curtains billowing gently in the soft breeze.  What she got was an alarm clock and her bedside lamp.  In the middle of the night she and Van had returned to Earth.  She immediately rushed out of bed, leaving Van to sleep away the morning, and went over to Hikari's room, and found her daughter blissfully asleep in her own bed.

            Since she was already awake, Hitomi thought it best to make a pot of coffee and think things over.  She walked to the kitchen, being careful to avoid the squeaky spots on the floor. 

            As the coffee maker brewed the morning drink, Hitomi sat and pondered her return to earth.  While it seemed like a logical thing for her, she wasn't sure how Van would react.  They didn't have cars or trains or electronics is Gaea.  In fact, Van had once explained how the Escaflowne worked like a giant clock.

            She glanced at the clock and groaned.  It was already ten AM and she had just barely woken up.  Realizing that she should probably call someone to explain her absence, she picked up the phone and dialed Yukari and Amano.

            "Good morning," a voice answered.

            "Hey you," Hitomi replied, "is your mom there?"

            "Oh, hey Aunt Hitomi," the voice answered.  "She's in the shower, do you want to talk to Dad?"

            "No, no, that's okay, I'll call back Keitaro.  So, how are you doing?"

            "I'm good.  Hey, what's Hikari doing?"

            "Sleeping, as usual."

            Keitaro chuckled.  "That sounds just like her.  Can you ask her to call me when she wakes up?  I wanted to ask her to go to the Kimono Festival with me."

            "Oh, sure."

            "Huh, Mom's out of the shower now.  It's Aunt Hitomi, Mom.  Here's Mom."

            Yukari was clicking her tongue angrily as grabbed the phone.  "The boy has no manners, no matter what his father or I say to him.  I'm so sorry about that Hitomi."

            "No, that's okay," Hitomi laughed.  "Keitaro's a blast to talk to.  Um, what's today?"

            "What?  You don't know that it's Tuesday?  I called you like five times yesterday to wish Hikari a happy birthday and no one answered.  Even at one AM!  What on earth were you doing last night!"

            "That's the problem Yukari.  It's not a 'what we were doing,' it's more of a 'where were we.'  We ended up Gaea and we were there for about a week.  I'm married now Yukari," Hitomi replied.  "And he's with me."

            "You're what!?" Yukari screeched into the phone.

            "Ow.  My ears," Hitomi moaned.

            "Have you told your parents?"

            "No.  I just woke up and I was here.  I called you first because I'm going to need all of the support I can muster before I face my parents," Hitomi mumbled.

            "Good idea.  I'm not worried about your mom, but your dad is a whole other story," Yukari agreed.  "I'll have Amano bring some of his extra clothes for him to wear."

~*~

            Hitomi was bracing herself for when Van woke, and rightly so.  A loud yelp followed by some crashes and bangs echoed through the apartment and Hitomi sighed.  When she reached the bedroom, Van was standing on the bed, every muscle tense in his body, ready to strike should he need to.

            "Van, get down," Hitomi instructed.

            Van eyed the room warily.  "I don't know."

            "Van, this is my world.  It's okay."

            "This place is-"

            "Not cursed.  Hikari grew up here and she's perfectly fine.  Today you're going to meet my parents.  You'll like them, I promise," Hitomi said, offering her hand.

            Van jumped off of the bed, ignoring Hitomi's outreached hand.  "I hope your right."

            When Yukari and Amano reached the apartment, Van had been sitting on the couch, watching the TV with mild interest.  He wasn't sure how all of those little people got into the box, but they were entertaining, and at the moment he would take anything to keep his mind off of being in a strange new world.

            "He's cute," Yukari hissed to her best friend and Hitomi rolled her eyes.

            "Van, this is my friend Yukari and her husband Amano.  He's going to get you dressed," Hitomi said, introducing the couple to her husband.

            Van eyed the wad of cloth that Amano held and sighed.  "If that's what you want."

            Amano ushered Van into the bedroom as Hitomi and Yukari took up their positions on the couch.

            "He's amazing," Yukari giggled.  "Hikari looks a lot like him."

            "I know," Hitomi sighed.  "Is Keitaro at home?"

            "Yeah, he said that he had some school work to do.  He still wants Hikari to call him though."

            "I figured as much.  Speaking of Hikari, I think that she's finally found romance."

            "Oh?  Who's the lucky guy?"

            "Well, guys, actually.  One is a prince and the other's a duke."

            "Go with the prince."

            "What?"

            "She'll be queen."

            "She'll be queen even if she doesn't marry.  She is Princess Hikari Fanel of Fanelia.  I know one thing for sure, no matter what she does, she'll be living comfortably," Hitomi replied.

            "My I present to you the new and improved Van," Amano said, dragging Van out behind him.  He wore a pair of khaki cargo pants and a button down, red, rayon shirt.  His hair had been combed and he was freshly shaven.

            "Great!  My parents will love him!" Hitomi bubbled as she walked over to them.  "Amano, you're the best!"

            "Are you sure I don't look stupid?" Van asked, nervously tugging on his shirt.

            "You look very handsome," Hitomi answered with a smile.

            "Gag me," Yukari groaned from the couch.

            "No comments from the peanut gallery," Hitomi snapped.

            Yukari merely grinned.

            Roughly an hour later after Yukari and Amano left, Hitomi's mother was embracing Van while crying as her father examined him.  "I don't like him."

            "Dad, you don't know him," Hitomi cried, exasperated.

            "He got you pregnant, didn't he?" Mr. Kanzaki barked.  "I don't like him."

            "This is Hikari's father and we're married now," Hitomi sighed.

            "Yes, and?  Where was he when she was born?  Tell me that," Mr. Kanzaki replied.  He was glaring at his daughter and son-in-law.

            "Dear, I think that Hitomi found a wonderful person.  They're in love, and I don't that we should take that away from them," Mrs. Kanzaki said soothingly. 

            "But he-"

            "Accident's happen.  Besides, I think that Hitomi is old enough to live her own life.  So, are you going to live with him?"

            Hitomi shrugged.  "If we can ever get back there.  Mom, do you want to explain this to Daddy?"

            "I think I should.  It might take a little time before it all sinks in though," Mrs. Kanzaki replied.

            "What are you two talking about?" Mr. Kanzaki growled.

            "Dear, I'll explain it when we get home," Mrs. Kanzaki answered.  "I love you dear.  And you," she said to Van, "welcome to the family."

            Hitomi's parents left, leaving Van wondering if they really were her parents.  "They're sort of strange."

            "Sort of strange?" Hitomi asked.  "You don't know the half of it."  She glanced at the clock and sighed.  "I think it's time we woke Hikari up.  She won't be happy about this at all."

~*~

            Hikari was already dressed when her parents knocked on the door.  She was obviously taking things better than her parents.

            "Are you doing okay?" Hitomi asked.

            "Sure, I'm fine," Hikari answered.  "Actually, I was thinking that I wanted to do a little shopping.  You know, pick up some art supplies and whatnot that I can take back to Gaea with me."

            "Sounds like a plan.  Have fun sweetie," Hitomi said, patting Hikari on the head.  "Oh, and Keitaro wants you to call him."

            Hikari nodded.  "Yeah, yeah.  I'll do that.  I wonder if he wants to go shopping with me?"

            "The only way to find out is to call him silly," Hitomi answered, tossing Hikari the phone.

            "What's that?" Van asked.

            Hitomi grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him out of Hikari's room.  "Come on, there are several things I need to explain to you."

            Hikari giggled as she dialed Keitaro's private line.

            "Hello, this is the number of the hottest guy in the junior class."

            "Dream on."

            "Hey there gorgeous!  What are you doing tonight?"

            "Nothing that I'm aware of.  Why?  What are you planning?"

            "A date, sort of.  The Kimono Festival is tonight you know."

            "Sounds like fun.  But there's sort of a Quid pro Quo."

            "Oh no.  What do you want me to do?"

            "Go shopping with me."

            "Fine, fine.  Do you want to me to meet you at the mall or do we walk together?"

            "We'll walk together.  I have a lot I want to tell you."

~*~

            "That's outrageous!" Keitaro exclaimed.

            "Not entirely.  For years I thought it was a bedtime story.  Then wham!  The next thing I know, I'm actually there and this prince that always saved the day in Mom's stories turns out to be my father."

            "Man, and I thought my life was exciting."

            "Your father is an Olympic runner.  That's exciting."

            "Oh, whoop-de-doo.  So I went to China when I was six.  That was about as exciting as it gets.  You go to a whole new world."

            "Yeah, real exciting."

            "So, are you going to get those art supplies or not?"

            "I'm getting them, I'm getting them."

~*~

            Later that evening, as they strolled around the park in their kimonos, Keitaro noticed that Hikari wasn't acting like herself.  "There's something bugging you."

            "Yeah.  My heart is torn at the moment."

            "So let me guess, he's about six foot with blond hair and blue eyes?"

            "Yup.   And the other one is about six foot with wavy light brown hair and deep green eyes.  And I don't know which one to chose."

            "If you're lucky, they'll do that for you."

            "And how do you know."

            "I am Dr. Love."

            "You wish you were Dr. Love," Hikari replied.

            "Ouch, Hikari.  Ouch."

            "Kaiden, one is a complete gentleman and he's always polite and sweet, and the other is obnoxious and conceited and rude."

            "Something of 'bad boy'?"

            "Exactly."

            "Hikari, I know you, pretty well in fact.  You're in love with the bad boy, but the gentleman charms you.  I think that you need to stop thinking about the matter and start listening to your heart."

            "Keitaro, you could be gay," Hikari sighed.

            "Yeah, I could.  And I would break every heart in the female student body.  I'm too nice for that."

            "You, nice?  Now that's pushing the envelope there."

            "Quiet you."

~*~

Sheesh!  It's turning into a novel!  I was reading though the reviews and I was happy to see that most people are leaning towards the Hikari x Kaiden pairing.  Props to the reviewer (sorry, I don't have names, but you know who you are) who said that the Hikari x Chid pairing would be weird.  It would be weird.  Poor Chid, he's going to have to stay a bachelor for the rest of his life.  Nah, I'm sure that I'll come up with the prefect woman for him.  Anyhoo, I'm stoked that I'm getting such rave reviews.  Even from you, Ryan.  (Bwahahahahaha!  I told you I was evil.) }=)

A special thanks to Stripes McKee, TnnyoAngel1711, and Yukari-Uchida.  You three are truly awesome in your support.

As always, R&R.  ^^

Mercy_angel_09