Once again, it is 11:20 at night. I should be studying for my chemistry
exam, but instead I shall entertain you with the next chapter in the story
of Van and Hitomi. You lucky people you!
Thanks to my WONDERFUL reviewers: wingedgoddess, MysticalDreamer, Ruby, Rogue, kittykat, Firebird Phoenix, and Fate!!
Note: Wow, Firebird Phoenix, your review surprised me, but you guessed right! Hitomi does manage to give Van the slip this time.
Disclaimer: Escaflowne comes before chemistry, and I own no property within it.
A Silent Moment:: Chapter 5
"Where are you keeping this thief?" Asked Van, torn between apprehension and excitement.
"In the gatehouse, Your Highness." Answered the guard who had helped to capture Hitomi.
"Alright, I will go with you to see this intruder."
"Hai, Your Highness."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ugh. my head hurts.
Hitomi painfully opened her eyes and winced in pain. Immediately her vision became blurry and all she was aware of was the acute pain all over her body.
The guard upon noticing her consciousness, warned in a deep, growling voice, "Don't even think 'bout trying to escape, His Highness will be here shortly to deal with you. And trust me, I don't envy you one bit."
Hitomi groaned, the last thing she needed was a criminal record to hinder her journey. Sighing resignedly, Hitomi decided to try and sleep away some of the pain.
L..ady of the Mystic Moon. Listen to me!
Hitomi opened her eyes, but to her surprise, she was no longer in the gatehouse. Instead, she had been transported to the dream plane where she and Balgus had trained, and straight in front of her was the man afore mentioned.
You must escape now!
Yeah! I know, but how do I do that?! .. And why the hell did you give me stolen swords, Balgus!!!!
Balgus shook his grizzled head, the stupidity of youth never failed to amaze him.
The swords you carry were not stolen. However, this is not important. When the young lord comes, you must be ready to flee! An opportunity will present itself, but it is up to you to take it! Do you understand?
Hitomi took the information in, a disbelieving look printed on her face.
H..hai.
Now, you must go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hitomi opened her eyes then quickly shut them against the bright sunlight streaming in from the half-open door. She shifted from where she was leaning against the wall, but something stopped her from moving.
Craning her head to look over her shoulder, Hitomi noticed that the bonds that tied her wrists together were caught against a sharp-looking piece of metal protruding from the wall.
This is it! I can't fail this time.
Turning her body fully towards the door, Hitomi vigorously rubbed the ropes against the metal piece. Soon, she could feel the fibers of her bonds begin to fray and loosen.
Shutting her eyes in concentration, Hitomi wrenched her hands apart. With a sharp crack, the last of the rope fibers snapped, showering Hitomi with small, itchy pieces of straw.
Knowing that she could not afford anymore time, Hitomi struggled to stand up. Her bruised body and cracked ribs protested angrily.
Oh, shush up!
Hitomi groaned in pain as she leaned against the wall. All at once, voices began filtering in from the door. Her heart beating wildly in her throat, Hitomi inched towards the doorway and cautiously peeked out.
The lord, whose wedding she had interrupted, along with a whole squad of guards were riding towards the gatehouse.
Okay..okay. Think Hitomi! Don't panic. but that's something we can definitely save for later!! Fine..fine. the distance between here and the gate is roughly thirteen yards. I can run fifty feet in nine seconds. It will take the horses at least another thirty seconds to reach here. ten if they gallop. I've got no choice.
Hitomi braced herself as she mentally counted down from three. two. one. GO!
Hitomi surged upwards as she sprinted for the gate, hoping against all odds that there were no guards in front of her.
Nine. the lord had noticed her escape and was encouraging his horse to a gallop.
Eight. Hitomi could see the edges of the gateway approaching.
Seven. the young lord's horse is awfully fast!!
Six. Her aching body screamed in pain, demanding her slow down.
Five. The way that girl runs is oddly familiar.
Four. Just a little more, push yourself! You're the star of the track team!
Three. Realizing that the thief was exhausted, the lord pushed his horse on to higher speeds.
Two. No!! He'll catch me!!
One. Hitomi burst into forest, and looking back, noticed that the lord and his guards had reigned in their horses.
Hitomi kept on running until absolute exhaustion came over her, and not caring where she landed, sunk to the ground unconscious.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Crickets chirped, happy that night had fallen once again. The twin moons hung high in the sky, casting an ethereal light upon the sleeper nestled among the woodland shrubs.
Curious little creatures had at first questioned this mysterious lump in their paths, but upon determining the lump's quiet, motionless state, proceeded to ignore it as they continued upon their nightly tasks.
The night's cold air soon sunk itself into Hitomi's skin. Shivering slightly and alarming the little creatures that had been swarming over her, Hitomi slowly woke up. Stretching her sore body, she sent the creatures scurrying for cover.
The moons are so beautiful. I was too distracted my first night here in Gaia to notice.
Hitomi placed her hands behind her head and continued staring into the night sky.
The Mystic Moon. my home. I wonder if I'll ever be able to go back? . Van. where are you?
Tears slid down from the corners of her eyes, leaving shining traces as they glided down her dusty cheeks. Unbeknownst to her, the drag-energeist in her pocket had begun to shine brightly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Van was exhausted. He had failed his wedding and had failed to catch the thief that had made off with his clothes and the royal swords.
Massaging his temples, Van let his mind blank completely. He was slumped in a leather-covered couch next to a roaring fire. He had dismissed his advisors for the night and was relishing his time alone in his room.
In the darkness of his closed eyelids, he could make out the shining orange blotch that was the fire in front of him.
Smiling, Van focused in on the friendly warming blotch. It did not shun him or push him, instead it welcomed him as he was, and it loved him for what he was.
A tear squeezed itself out of Van's tightly shut eyes. The fire. Hitomi's smiling face as she called to him. the fire. Hitomi. roaring, raging flames. the pendant. flames surrounding him. the pendant shining.
Van yelled as he woke from his dream. Then realizing where he was, hoped no one had heard the king wake up yelling from a nightmare like a baby.
Van was afraid to close his eyes. the last image he had seen before he had woken up. was that of Hitomi crying and cradling a broken and bloody body.
Hitomi. you looked like you were in such horrible pain.
Suddenly Van stood up, and upon impulse, walked over to his mahogany desk. Running his hands under the desktop, he pressed the knob disguised cleverly as a small knot in the wood.
A secret drawer popped out of the desk to Van's left, and reaching into it, Van pulled out a gilt box the size of his palm.
Pulling off the lid, Van turned the box upside down, spilling its contents onto his outstretched hand.
Hitomi's pendant. Van smiled sadly as he looked upon his only reminder of her.
It was shining. the pendant. Van looked on in surprise as the pendant suddenly released a flash of pink light, drawing him into a vision.
Deep in the forest outside his kingdom. by the lake. a person enshrouded in the darkness lounged upon a bed of shrubs. The twin moons hung high in the sky. two hilts protruded from the person's side. a similar, pinkish light glowed from the person's thigh. He knew where this person was!
Rushing over to his wardrobe, Van shed the heavy fur and velveteen cloak of royalty. As he threw the doors of the wardrobe open, he was only mildly surprised that his red shirt and pants were still there, along with his old worn and dusty boots.
Pulling the rest of his symbols of office off, he pulled on his pants and donned his red shirt. Stooping down, he buckled his sword to his waist and pulled on his boots.
Walking calmly back to his desk, he pulled opened another drawer and retrieved his brown dragon-leather gloves. Pulling these on, he stretched his fingers as the worn leather cracked and gave way to the warm, lithe movements of his hands.
Satisfied, Van walked out of his room and proceeded down the hallway towards the stairs.
The moons shined brightly, throwing his shadow onto the sandy grounds of the training arena. The sand crunched lightly as Van made his way out of the palace.
Staying in the shadows as to avoid the guards, Van made his way into the city. He was used to this; he had often slipped out for midnight walks among the sleeping denizens of his kingdom.
Van loved his people, they were like family, and he strove to make them happy. Normally the peacefulness of the night shrouding his kingdom gave peace of mind.
However, that night Van felt something blaze up within him.
A passion that he had not felt since the war awoke and licked hungrily behind his eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Something's wrong. I can feel it. Something odd is coming here.
Hitomi shifted uncomfortably in her little nest of soft moss and shrubs she had collected earlier. The crickets had gone silent and that was never a good sign of anything.
Suddenly Hitomi shrieked as she jumped up onto her feet. There was something beating. like a heart! Looking down, Hitomi calmed somewhat as she noticed the drag-energeist in her pocket glow.
Pulling the energeist out from her pocket, Hitomi could feel its heartbeat. The pink glow within the crystal shell was screaming.it wanted to be released from its prison.
~Thump~Thump~Thump~Thump~
What should I do? The thing's pulsing like crazy! And.something bad is still coming.
Worried, Hitomi strained her eyes against the darkness as she strove to make out any movement in the pitch-black forest.
Hitomi sat down warily, her eyes still on her surroundings, but her legs had started to ache once again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Van was no longer himself. He had given himself willingly to the passion, and it had consumed him. He walked purposefully towards where Hitomi was worriedly looking about for the "something bad" 's approach.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was coming; Hitomi could no longer deny this to herself.
I've got to fight!
Using a nearby tree trunk as a brace, Hitomi pulled herself up on her wobbly feet.
My legs. they feel like jelly.
Pulling her left sword from its sheath, she jammed the blade deep into the ground. Hitomi held on tightly to its hilt as she pulled her right sword out and into a semi-ready stance.
Hitomi knew she looked awkward, her feet were splayed outwards, and she was leaning upon her one sword with the other out in front of her.
Soon the crunching of dried twigs and leaves could be heard. Hitomi's heart sped up, and she forced herself to take deep breaths as she pulled the blade of her sword out of the ground.
O..okay. I'm okay.I'll survive.I hope.
The approaching shadow halted, just outside of Hitomi's little glade.
Van licked his lips in anticipation of the imminent battle. He couldn't see who his opponent was, but that didn't matter to him!
Hitomi licked her dry lips in apprehension. The dark wraith was covered in shadow, and for some reason, the twin moons had chosen to hide themselves behind a fortress of clouds.
Something was definitely wrong, the hairs at the nape of her neck were standing straight up.
"D..da..dare?" Hitomi asked in a shaky voice, betraying her fear to the stranger.
A deep, guttural voice [AN: if you've seen the Escaflowne movie, think of Van's voice in the beginning when he says, "I'll kill all my enemies."] answered her pitiful question.
"Who I am is irrelevant. who you are is irrelevant."
Silence reigned and Hitomi could feel beads of sweat begin to form on her brow. She started to bring her hand up to wipe the sweat away, when.
"Stop! Do not move!"
Hitomi stopped, her arm halfway up, still clutching her sword. "Wh.what?"
Van had begun to recover, and his eyes cleared. Softly he whispered.. "H..hitomi?"
Unfortunately, his question was lost upon the breeze that whistled past. The beast. the passion refused to give up this easily and Van felt himself once again, in the grip of hatred.
Van roared angrily, in his flaming eyes, the shadow, in the forest glade with its arm still stopped halfway to its face, flickered.
He needed to fight! He needed to kill this person; this person in the red shirt and pants identical to his own. He saw... himself.
Author's Note: ::phew:: That's it! I'm done, now I can return to my Humanities essay, which I was suppose to be writing. Blah, I'm tired, what does anyone know about Florence during Renaissance period?? Hehe, I'm kidding, I'll figure this out somehow. Once again, any questions will be answered in reviews. WHICH MEANS YOU MUST REVIEW TO POST A QUESTION, RIGHT???!!!! Sad note, my workload has finally caught up with me, so it'll be harder for me to write. I need 8 ~ 10 reviews to update, ::haha:: that'll give me plenty of time to write the next chapter.
My own personal goal and delight: to write the wedding of Van Slanzar de Fanel to Hitomi Kanzaki. Now you know where this story is going to go!
Thanks to my WONDERFUL reviewers: wingedgoddess, MysticalDreamer, Ruby, Rogue, kittykat, Firebird Phoenix, and Fate!!
Note: Wow, Firebird Phoenix, your review surprised me, but you guessed right! Hitomi does manage to give Van the slip this time.
Disclaimer: Escaflowne comes before chemistry, and I own no property within it.
A Silent Moment:: Chapter 5
"Where are you keeping this thief?" Asked Van, torn between apprehension and excitement.
"In the gatehouse, Your Highness." Answered the guard who had helped to capture Hitomi.
"Alright, I will go with you to see this intruder."
"Hai, Your Highness."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ugh. my head hurts.
Hitomi painfully opened her eyes and winced in pain. Immediately her vision became blurry and all she was aware of was the acute pain all over her body.
The guard upon noticing her consciousness, warned in a deep, growling voice, "Don't even think 'bout trying to escape, His Highness will be here shortly to deal with you. And trust me, I don't envy you one bit."
Hitomi groaned, the last thing she needed was a criminal record to hinder her journey. Sighing resignedly, Hitomi decided to try and sleep away some of the pain.
L..ady of the Mystic Moon. Listen to me!
Hitomi opened her eyes, but to her surprise, she was no longer in the gatehouse. Instead, she had been transported to the dream plane where she and Balgus had trained, and straight in front of her was the man afore mentioned.
You must escape now!
Yeah! I know, but how do I do that?! .. And why the hell did you give me stolen swords, Balgus!!!!
Balgus shook his grizzled head, the stupidity of youth never failed to amaze him.
The swords you carry were not stolen. However, this is not important. When the young lord comes, you must be ready to flee! An opportunity will present itself, but it is up to you to take it! Do you understand?
Hitomi took the information in, a disbelieving look printed on her face.
H..hai.
Now, you must go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hitomi opened her eyes then quickly shut them against the bright sunlight streaming in from the half-open door. She shifted from where she was leaning against the wall, but something stopped her from moving.
Craning her head to look over her shoulder, Hitomi noticed that the bonds that tied her wrists together were caught against a sharp-looking piece of metal protruding from the wall.
This is it! I can't fail this time.
Turning her body fully towards the door, Hitomi vigorously rubbed the ropes against the metal piece. Soon, she could feel the fibers of her bonds begin to fray and loosen.
Shutting her eyes in concentration, Hitomi wrenched her hands apart. With a sharp crack, the last of the rope fibers snapped, showering Hitomi with small, itchy pieces of straw.
Knowing that she could not afford anymore time, Hitomi struggled to stand up. Her bruised body and cracked ribs protested angrily.
Oh, shush up!
Hitomi groaned in pain as she leaned against the wall. All at once, voices began filtering in from the door. Her heart beating wildly in her throat, Hitomi inched towards the doorway and cautiously peeked out.
The lord, whose wedding she had interrupted, along with a whole squad of guards were riding towards the gatehouse.
Okay..okay. Think Hitomi! Don't panic. but that's something we can definitely save for later!! Fine..fine. the distance between here and the gate is roughly thirteen yards. I can run fifty feet in nine seconds. It will take the horses at least another thirty seconds to reach here. ten if they gallop. I've got no choice.
Hitomi braced herself as she mentally counted down from three. two. one. GO!
Hitomi surged upwards as she sprinted for the gate, hoping against all odds that there were no guards in front of her.
Nine. the lord had noticed her escape and was encouraging his horse to a gallop.
Eight. Hitomi could see the edges of the gateway approaching.
Seven. the young lord's horse is awfully fast!!
Six. Her aching body screamed in pain, demanding her slow down.
Five. The way that girl runs is oddly familiar.
Four. Just a little more, push yourself! You're the star of the track team!
Three. Realizing that the thief was exhausted, the lord pushed his horse on to higher speeds.
Two. No!! He'll catch me!!
One. Hitomi burst into forest, and looking back, noticed that the lord and his guards had reigned in their horses.
Hitomi kept on running until absolute exhaustion came over her, and not caring where she landed, sunk to the ground unconscious.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Crickets chirped, happy that night had fallen once again. The twin moons hung high in the sky, casting an ethereal light upon the sleeper nestled among the woodland shrubs.
Curious little creatures had at first questioned this mysterious lump in their paths, but upon determining the lump's quiet, motionless state, proceeded to ignore it as they continued upon their nightly tasks.
The night's cold air soon sunk itself into Hitomi's skin. Shivering slightly and alarming the little creatures that had been swarming over her, Hitomi slowly woke up. Stretching her sore body, she sent the creatures scurrying for cover.
The moons are so beautiful. I was too distracted my first night here in Gaia to notice.
Hitomi placed her hands behind her head and continued staring into the night sky.
The Mystic Moon. my home. I wonder if I'll ever be able to go back? . Van. where are you?
Tears slid down from the corners of her eyes, leaving shining traces as they glided down her dusty cheeks. Unbeknownst to her, the drag-energeist in her pocket had begun to shine brightly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Van was exhausted. He had failed his wedding and had failed to catch the thief that had made off with his clothes and the royal swords.
Massaging his temples, Van let his mind blank completely. He was slumped in a leather-covered couch next to a roaring fire. He had dismissed his advisors for the night and was relishing his time alone in his room.
In the darkness of his closed eyelids, he could make out the shining orange blotch that was the fire in front of him.
Smiling, Van focused in on the friendly warming blotch. It did not shun him or push him, instead it welcomed him as he was, and it loved him for what he was.
A tear squeezed itself out of Van's tightly shut eyes. The fire. Hitomi's smiling face as she called to him. the fire. Hitomi. roaring, raging flames. the pendant. flames surrounding him. the pendant shining.
Van yelled as he woke from his dream. Then realizing where he was, hoped no one had heard the king wake up yelling from a nightmare like a baby.
Van was afraid to close his eyes. the last image he had seen before he had woken up. was that of Hitomi crying and cradling a broken and bloody body.
Hitomi. you looked like you were in such horrible pain.
Suddenly Van stood up, and upon impulse, walked over to his mahogany desk. Running his hands under the desktop, he pressed the knob disguised cleverly as a small knot in the wood.
A secret drawer popped out of the desk to Van's left, and reaching into it, Van pulled out a gilt box the size of his palm.
Pulling off the lid, Van turned the box upside down, spilling its contents onto his outstretched hand.
Hitomi's pendant. Van smiled sadly as he looked upon his only reminder of her.
It was shining. the pendant. Van looked on in surprise as the pendant suddenly released a flash of pink light, drawing him into a vision.
Deep in the forest outside his kingdom. by the lake. a person enshrouded in the darkness lounged upon a bed of shrubs. The twin moons hung high in the sky. two hilts protruded from the person's side. a similar, pinkish light glowed from the person's thigh. He knew where this person was!
Rushing over to his wardrobe, Van shed the heavy fur and velveteen cloak of royalty. As he threw the doors of the wardrobe open, he was only mildly surprised that his red shirt and pants were still there, along with his old worn and dusty boots.
Pulling the rest of his symbols of office off, he pulled on his pants and donned his red shirt. Stooping down, he buckled his sword to his waist and pulled on his boots.
Walking calmly back to his desk, he pulled opened another drawer and retrieved his brown dragon-leather gloves. Pulling these on, he stretched his fingers as the worn leather cracked and gave way to the warm, lithe movements of his hands.
Satisfied, Van walked out of his room and proceeded down the hallway towards the stairs.
The moons shined brightly, throwing his shadow onto the sandy grounds of the training arena. The sand crunched lightly as Van made his way out of the palace.
Staying in the shadows as to avoid the guards, Van made his way into the city. He was used to this; he had often slipped out for midnight walks among the sleeping denizens of his kingdom.
Van loved his people, they were like family, and he strove to make them happy. Normally the peacefulness of the night shrouding his kingdom gave peace of mind.
However, that night Van felt something blaze up within him.
A passion that he had not felt since the war awoke and licked hungrily behind his eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Something's wrong. I can feel it. Something odd is coming here.
Hitomi shifted uncomfortably in her little nest of soft moss and shrubs she had collected earlier. The crickets had gone silent and that was never a good sign of anything.
Suddenly Hitomi shrieked as she jumped up onto her feet. There was something beating. like a heart! Looking down, Hitomi calmed somewhat as she noticed the drag-energeist in her pocket glow.
Pulling the energeist out from her pocket, Hitomi could feel its heartbeat. The pink glow within the crystal shell was screaming.it wanted to be released from its prison.
~Thump~Thump~Thump~Thump~
What should I do? The thing's pulsing like crazy! And.something bad is still coming.
Worried, Hitomi strained her eyes against the darkness as she strove to make out any movement in the pitch-black forest.
Hitomi sat down warily, her eyes still on her surroundings, but her legs had started to ache once again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Van was no longer himself. He had given himself willingly to the passion, and it had consumed him. He walked purposefully towards where Hitomi was worriedly looking about for the "something bad" 's approach.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was coming; Hitomi could no longer deny this to herself.
I've got to fight!
Using a nearby tree trunk as a brace, Hitomi pulled herself up on her wobbly feet.
My legs. they feel like jelly.
Pulling her left sword from its sheath, she jammed the blade deep into the ground. Hitomi held on tightly to its hilt as she pulled her right sword out and into a semi-ready stance.
Hitomi knew she looked awkward, her feet were splayed outwards, and she was leaning upon her one sword with the other out in front of her.
Soon the crunching of dried twigs and leaves could be heard. Hitomi's heart sped up, and she forced herself to take deep breaths as she pulled the blade of her sword out of the ground.
O..okay. I'm okay.I'll survive.I hope.
The approaching shadow halted, just outside of Hitomi's little glade.
Van licked his lips in anticipation of the imminent battle. He couldn't see who his opponent was, but that didn't matter to him!
Hitomi licked her dry lips in apprehension. The dark wraith was covered in shadow, and for some reason, the twin moons had chosen to hide themselves behind a fortress of clouds.
Something was definitely wrong, the hairs at the nape of her neck were standing straight up.
"D..da..dare?" Hitomi asked in a shaky voice, betraying her fear to the stranger.
A deep, guttural voice [AN: if you've seen the Escaflowne movie, think of Van's voice in the beginning when he says, "I'll kill all my enemies."] answered her pitiful question.
"Who I am is irrelevant. who you are is irrelevant."
Silence reigned and Hitomi could feel beads of sweat begin to form on her brow. She started to bring her hand up to wipe the sweat away, when.
"Stop! Do not move!"
Hitomi stopped, her arm halfway up, still clutching her sword. "Wh.what?"
Van had begun to recover, and his eyes cleared. Softly he whispered.. "H..hitomi?"
Unfortunately, his question was lost upon the breeze that whistled past. The beast. the passion refused to give up this easily and Van felt himself once again, in the grip of hatred.
Van roared angrily, in his flaming eyes, the shadow, in the forest glade with its arm still stopped halfway to its face, flickered.
He needed to fight! He needed to kill this person; this person in the red shirt and pants identical to his own. He saw... himself.
Author's Note: ::phew:: That's it! I'm done, now I can return to my Humanities essay, which I was suppose to be writing. Blah, I'm tired, what does anyone know about Florence during Renaissance period?? Hehe, I'm kidding, I'll figure this out somehow. Once again, any questions will be answered in reviews. WHICH MEANS YOU MUST REVIEW TO POST A QUESTION, RIGHT???!!!! Sad note, my workload has finally caught up with me, so it'll be harder for me to write. I need 8 ~ 10 reviews to update, ::haha:: that'll give me plenty of time to write the next chapter.
My own personal goal and delight: to write the wedding of Van Slanzar de Fanel to Hitomi Kanzaki. Now you know where this story is going to go!