Chapter 1 – Reunions

Disclaimer:  Me no own Escaflowne… Me REALLY wish I did, but then if I did, I would be writing a second a series and not a fanfic now wouldn't I? That and I would be very rich. I get no money from writing this, it's just to amuse people! YOU HOLD NOTHING AGAINST ME!!!!

-"Hitomi?"

Hitomi blinked at the tall black-haired man in front of her. It looked like Van… somewhat. But if she had changed than he had too.

-"Yeah it's me…Van."

Van reached over and hugged her. Hitomi hugged him back and inhaled his scent.

'Oh yes, it's definitely Van. The smell of summer and of a field of grass and flowers.'

Hitomi sighed with relief and pleasure, and then pulled back from Van.

-"I missed you a lot Van and I'm really glad that I'm back."

-"I'm glad you're back too… but are you here to stay?"

Hitomi's gaze lowered to the ground, and for those few moments Van's heart froze. Then Hitomi looked up again and Van saw tears in her eyes. One solitary tear slowly slid down Hitomi's face, and Van reached up to brush it away.

-"Hitomi it's alright, you don't have to stay…" Van's voice broke with emotion.

But Hitomi just shook her head and smiled at him.

-"It's not that. I'm crying because I'm going to miss everything I just left behind on Earth and because I'm going to be so happy to stay here with you."

Van looked at her and saw that her tears had dried. Van felt such love for her then that he could no longer resist. He leaned forward and gently captured her lips with his. Hitomi relaxed into the kiss and wrapped her arms around Van's neck. They stayed in that position for several moments until a polite cough from beside them broke them apart. The healer Rose stood beside them. Hitomi blushed, but Rose didn't say anything.

-"Well, you look ok to me Hitomi. You're free to go, but you have to come to me if you get any symptoms at all ok?"

Hitomi nodded and the healer returned to the back room. Van looked at Hitomi, and a thought suddenly occurred to him.

-"Do you want to see everyone again?"

-"Do I? Yes! I wish I could Allen and Milerna and everyone else as well, but there not here…"

-"Actually they are. We going to be holding a party here in 3 days, to honor the day that we won the great Gaian war together. So Allen, Milerna, Dryden, Chid, Celena and Merle, obviously, are all here in the palace."

-"Yay!"

Hitomi clapped her hands together in glee and Van just chuckled. Another thought came to Van and he grabbed a hold of Hitomi's hand, and led her out into the corridors. Hitomi sensed that Van had a surprise for her so she just followed him. Suddenly Van came to a stop, pushed Hitomi inside a doorway and was telling several seamstresses that Hitomi needed a dress for the party. They all looked at Hitomi then pulled her farther into the room, while some of them pulled out some pretty, but long unused half-finished dresses and material. One particular barely started dress caught her attention but the seamstresses tucked the dress away and before long Hitomi forgot about it… though she had the strange feeling that it had been started for her and that she would see it again soon…

A couple of hours later Hitomi left the room and wandered down the hallways of the palace until she found the main garden. She sat down of one of the stone benches, and closed her eyes. When she opened then a few seconds later, she found herself staring into a pair of cat-like eyes. Hitomi jumped back so far that she fell off the back of the bench. The cat-girl came around and sniffed at Hitomi.

-"You smell familiar…"

Hitomi's eyes widened and she looked at the cat-girl again. The cat-girl had curly pink hair to her shoulders. She was wearing a short yellow dress that allowed her tail to have free movement. She was also around Hitomi's age. Hitomi struggled to get up and then tackled the cat-girl to the floor.

-"Merle!"

-"Whoa! Get off me you crazy girl! Who are you?"

Hitomi unlatched herself from Merle and pouted, playing at mock sullenness.

-"You don't remember me? I'm so disappointed. Let me give you a clue. I'm a strange girl, wearing strange clothes and I come from a strange place… oh yeah! You've met me before."

Merle eyes widened and she rubbed her eyes as if she didn't believe them. Then she tackled Hitomi to the ground with such suddenness that Hitomi screamed then laughed.

-"Hitomi it is you! At first I thought that my eyes were playing tricks on me, but they weren't! I missed you!"

-"I missed you too Merle, I didn't recognize you at first either, you've grown up so much."

-"Well of course."

Hitomi just laughed. Just then Van, Allen and some royal guards came rushing into the garden.

-"What's wrong? I heard a woman scream." One of the guards said.

Hitomi got up blushing and brushed herself off.

-"Sorry that was me. I was just startled."

Everyone relaxed visibly and the guards went back into the palace. Van came forward and hugged her.

-"I glad you're safe Hitomi." Van whispered.

Hitomi blushed again. Allen was standing off to the side, watching the display between Hitomi and Van, while trying to figure out who she was. The girl seemed to wake out of a trance then and stepped towards him. She looked at him for a long moment, then walked over to him, hugged him and let go. All Allen could do was blink at her.

-"Hi Allen, how have you been?"

Just then the voice clicked with a face from his past, and he reconnected the voice to this new face.

-"Hitomi?"

-"Yup, you people are really having a hard time recognizing me aren't you?"

Allen just nodded. Then Hitomi suddenly bolted inside. They all ran after her and stopped when they saw where Hitomi had gone. She had run to the main lounge area in the palace where Milerna and Celena were at the moment. Hitomi was on her knees hugging the slightly pregnant Milerna.

-"Milerna I missed you! You're pregnant too! Who's the father?"

-"Allen, I married him shortly after you guys left."

-"Really?"

Hitomi's eyes widened and she turned to face Allen, and for the first time she noticed the gold wedding band around his finger. Hitomi turned around again and hugged Milerna again.

-"Congratulations, any idea if it will be a girl or a boy? Any preference? For either of you?"

-"Well I think it will be a girl, but Allen probably wants it to be a boy."

-"I've learned not to argue with you, it means spending a night on the couch."

Hitomi cracked up and she heard a light-hearted laugh behind her and she turned around. There she saw the girl she had seen with Milerna. The girl got up and glided over to Allen.

-"Well Onii-san, I saw that's a lesson well learned." She broke into laughter again.

Allen suddenly noticed the way that Hitomi was staring at his sister. He cleared his throat and everyone looked his way.

-"Hitomi, I would like to introduce you to my sister, Celena. She reappeared shortly before you left Gaea."

-"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you Celena."

-"Are you really the girl from the mystic moon that I've heard my brother and Van talking about? Oh I have so many questions to ask you."

Celena grabbed Hitomi's arm and led her over to the window, where they both commenced some girl talk. Van and Allen just looked at each other, and decided that now would be a good time to practice some sword moves, while Milerna continued on her piece of embroidery. However none of them were aware of the sinister person watching over them all.

** "Oh yes, the time will come soon. They will all suffer. Here I am locked in my eternal prison, and they dare to sit and laugh. Oh yes revenge will be sweet, little do they know that I am lying in wait, it is only a matter of time until the perfect moment arises and then they will all be out of my way… permanently.

Evil laughter resounded through the dark cave, as the very face of Death looked upon the unsuspecting people who now resided in Fanelia's Castle… **