Disclaimer: I don't own Esca. It would be weird, yet kewl if I did… But it isn't going to happen anytime soon…
A/N: Wow, I'm surprised anybody read this at all… Thanks for the reviews; I'm glad you guys like it… There was confusion on Hitomi's age… It's confusing to me at times to… You see, Hitomi came back from Gaea like in the series, Amano and Yukari were together, blah blah blah… You know the story… Anyways, she stuck around for a few months and one day she vanished. No one had a clue where she went. She returned 5 years later and has no idea where she was all that time. It's been five years since she returned from her disappearance, so now she's 25 years old. We'll delve more into what happened a chapter or two ahead… Um… I hope you like this chapter, please review… Thanks! ^_^
Forever In Your Memory
Chapter 2: Coming Home
Where am I? What is this place? She looked around, stupefied. One minute she was with Amano and Yukari, the next minute she wasn't. She looked around. It looked so familiar.
Could it be…? Yes, it's Gaea… She looked off in the distance and saw a castle spire above the trees.
And I'm in Fanelia… She gulped nervously. She'd have to find Van. She began walking and after awhile, came upon the great palace.
"Excuse me." She got the attention of the guard manning the entrance.
"I'm Hitomi Kanzaki. I've come to visit Lord Van."
"How dare you?!" The guard sputtered.
"The king has been in mourn for years over the loss of that girl! How dare you try to bring more sadness upon this house?! Lord Van deserves to be around people better than the likes of you. Get out of here before I throw you in the dungeons!" He barked, pointing his spear at her, as she ran around back in fright.
"Wow… Fanelians were much friendlier last time I was here…" She muttered, sitting down on a bench behind the palace.
"What did he mean by that… Does Van really think I'm dead?" She looked to where she could see the two moons in the distance.
"I still can't believe I'm not on Earth anymore…" She mused aloud.
"But I'm alive… I know I am… I…"
"Excuse me, Lady. Are you looking for someone?" Hitomi looked down, blinking in confusion. A scrawny little girl stood before her. She had dazzling green eyes and light brown hair.
"Uh… Yeah… Kinda…" Hitomi admitted hesitantly.
"I've never seen strange clothes like yours before. Have you journeyed far?" The little girl asked, staring at her with wide-eyed interest.
"Yes. It's been a long time since I've been here." Hitomi replied softly.
"Would you like to come inside? My papa could help you." The little girl suggested.
"Does your papa work in the palace?" Hitomi kneeled down to be eye-level with the girl.
"Yes. He always has. We've lived here since I was born." The girl commented in a somewhat awkward tone.
"Then you must be very happy. The palace is very beautiful." Hitomi said quietly.
"How do you know? Have you been inside?" The girl asked, looking a bit shocked.
"Oh yes. I stayed here once, over ten years ago."
"Wow, you must be really special… Only really important people get to say in the castle…" The girl whispered in disbelief, looking at Hitomi with admiration.
"Will you show me where you stayed?" The girl asked in excitement.
"I don't know why'd you want to know, but sure, if it makes you happy. I think I still remember, are you sure no one will mind?" Hitomi asked hesitantly.
"No. Papa's in meetings all day, so he'll never know. Merle-sama is in Asturia right now, so she won't find out either. No one else would mind. Come on, let's go!" She grabbed Hitomi's hand and they ran through the fragrant gardens.
** "I want you to stay with me…" Van said, his backed turned away from her. She stared at him wide-eyed in confusion. Before those men had come, asking for help for Schezario. He'd asked and… she'd never answered. **
Why didn't I say "Yes"? Why didn't I reply? Why didn't I stay here… Like he asked…?
She barely noticed where they were going as they raced through corridors, her mind consumed with thoughts of what might have been.
"So why do you want to know where I stayed anyway?" Hitomi asked in puzzlement.
"You see, Tsuku-sensei is a big… Oh wait, I'm not supposed to say that… Sorry… I mean, Tsuku-sensei is a very hard tutor… He's been my teacher since I can't even remember… He makes me learn a lot of things… Some of them that Papa thinks are really stupid, but he doesn't object. Tsuku-sensei is like ancient… He taught Papa when he was my age… Papa says he's a good teacher… Mama never liked him…" The girl stared off into space a bit before continuing.
"One of the things he taught me was the history of the people who have stayed in the palace. I know everyone who stayed in every room in the entire castle."
"Wow… How can you remember all that?" Hitomi asked in awe.
"It's kind of like memorizing the Fanelian Constitution, y'know… You think it's hard at first but then you…" She looked up to see the lady's eyes widen even more. Apparently, Tsuku-sensei had been lying and not everyone had to learn the endless document.
"Never mind… Are we almost there?"
"Yeah… I hope I'm going the right way…" Hitomi said absently.
She then noticed that they were on the second floor and she slowed down. They walked down the hallway, before finally finding the right room.
"This is it…" She whispered. She pushed open the door, listening to the creaking sound it made as she entered.
"Lady! You mustn't go in there!" The little girl shrieked.
Hitomi turned back to look at her in surprise.
"Why?"
"This was my mother's room… Oh Mama…" The child curled up in a corner, sobbing intensely, shaking her head back and fourth.
Her mother… Hitomi felt an instant pang in her heart and walked over to the girl.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude." She put an arm on the girl's small shoulder.
"Mama… She died… It was all my fault… I asked her to… My fault… Mama!" The child wailed.
"What happened?" Hitomi asked softly.
"It was the night of the carnival… Papa told me I shouldn't go because I had an exam with Tsuku-sensei the next morning… But I wanted to go so much… Then Mama… She told me I could… Papa and I… We waited for her to come… But she didn't… We searched everywhere… But we couldn't find her… All we could find was… and it was my fault… She's dead… Oh Mother…" The child whispered, wide-eyed with the horrific experience.
"She must have loved you very much…" Hitomi whispered.
"Yes… But I killed her… I…" The girl veered off, not seeming to know what to say.
"It's not your fault… It was just fate… And it takes it's own course… For the better or the worst…"
"When Mother vanished, Father didn't speak to me anymore… He knew it was my fault… Tsuku-sensei beat me for missing my exam when I came in… But Father… He didn't say a word… Not a single word…" Fresh tears filled the girl's eyes.
"He has never let anyone enter this room since she died… He wanted it to be preserved… So her spirit, would remain… No one has set foot in this room for five years…" She whispered.
"Five years?" Hitomi asked in disbelief. She walked around; looking at the things the child's mother had left behind. It had the appearance of the room of someone expecting to return. Several outfits were strewn about, covered with a fine layer of dust. There was a necklace on the dresser and makeup still open on the vanity. A piano sat decaying in the corner and there were ashes in the fireplace which had been left from that very day. The window was open with the curtains fluttering lightly in the gentle breeze, the sunlight seeping through to cast shadows on the wall.
"My mother… She stayed in here during much of the day. She read and wrote. Mostly she played the piano. This was her get-away from the court. They watched her every move. Her sacred retreat. The servants and guards loved Mother. The court never liked her."
"I'm telling you… I stayed in this room, ten years ago. The day of Lord Van's coronation. The day he became ruler of Fanelia. I watched when they crowned him king." Hitomi's voice wavered, remembering the events that followed.
"You saw? Few who were there are still alive… Most of them died of old age or were killed during the war…" The girl whispered in surprise.
"Yes… It was a grand sight…" Hitomi said softly. She averted her eyes to the piano. It caught her eye somehow.
"That piano… Was given to my mother by my father… She used to play me a lullaby my grandmother sang her when she was a little girl…" She hummed lightly a tune strangely familiar to Hitomi.
"Hey… I know that song…" Hitomi whispered.
"Really?" The girl asked doubtfully.
"Yeah… I know it by heart…" Hitomi whispered. She sat down at the piano and began to play softly. The tune emanated throughout the room sweetly and the girl obviously recognized the tune because her eyes became bigger by the second.
"Dream away…
Dream away…
May the moon shine bright…
Dream away…
Dream away…
As I hold you tonight…
Dream away…
Dream away…
Please believe in me…
Dream away…
Dream away…
Please don't forget about me…
Dream away…
Dream away…
May you always be true…
Dream away…
Dream away…
Please just let me hold you…
I love you
I love you
Please just remember
I love you more
More than anyone else
I love you
I love you
So please just remember
And please just dream of me…"
The song ended and Hitomi's fingers stopped dancing across the keys.
"How did you know Mother's song?!" The girl cried out in a heart-wrenching sob.
"Who are you?! Why are you here?!"
"I'm just a nobody, and I am sorry for any pain I have caused…" Hitomi whispered, regretting she'd even mentioned that she knew the song.
"I apologize…" The little girl said softly, her head bowed.
"It's just that… I know she's gone and everything… But I still believe… That she's alive… I can feel it… I know it sounds crazy, but I do… Mother just vanished… Without a trace… We haven't an inkling where she went…" She stared out the window, apparently deep in thought.
"It must have been hard for you." Hitomi nodded in sympathy.
"But no one knows that she's still not alive… We have no corpse, no witness that saw her die… Nothing… But yet they just assume she's dead… They just gave up… Lady… I know my mother is alive… She's out there… Somewhere… She's just waiting for someone to find her…"
"I'm sure she is too…" Hitomi whispered, trying to be a comfort.
"Hey… That musicbox… It…" Hitomi looked at the item in question.
"It was a gift to my mother… When Queen Millerna died in childbirth, King Dryden gave it to her… They were the best of friends…" The girl whispered.
"Millerna… She died?" Hitomi asked in horror and disbelief.
"Yes… Before Mother vanished… King Dryden sunk into depression… He was found dead in the castle gardens the next morning…" The girl replied.
"He loved her very much…" Hitomi said softly.
"Yes…" The girl agreed in a soft voice.
"May I open it?" Hitomi asked, gesturing at the musicbox.
"Sure…" The girl said, pausing before answering.
Hitomi walked over and turned the key. A tune she knew played… But the funny thing was… She couldn't remember ever hearing it…
"What's going on?" Hitomi whispered, not attempting to mask the fear in her voice.
"That's what I'd like to know…" A figure emerged from the shadows.
"Merle!" The little girl squeaked in delight, throwing herself into the catwoman's embrace.
"Merle?" Hitomi whispered in disbelief.
"Who are you? If you've come for the princess, you'll have to get through me first!" The catwoman growled.
"The princess?! But I…"
"No! I won't let Lord Van's heart be broken! Not again! All he does is cry over her! Every day, Every night, Every hour!" Merle shrieked.
"He never thinks of anyone else! The queen is dead! Dead! Do you hear me?! DEAD!" She fell to the floor, sobbing.
"Who was the queen…?" Hitomi asked, afraid of the answer she'd get.
"Hitomi…" Merle whispered, drying her tears.
"Who?" Hitomi asked, thinking she'd misheard her.
"Hitomi Kanzaki… The girl from the Mystic Moon…" Hitomi's eyes widened as she froze before falling into the blackness.
A/N: Cliffy… I hope you liked it… I hope I get some reviews… I'll update again Monday if I get a few more… Thanks for reading!
A sneak peak at "Forever In Your Memory- Chapter 3:
"Nakanaide aishite-iru tooku hanarete'te mo anata to ikite yukeru Don't cry. I love you. Even though we're separated far apart, I can still live with you…" She didn't notice the boy behind her. Not even when she stopped playing the beautiful song. He hid in the shadows, trying to hide his smile as he heard her sing. She sighed, closing her eyes and standing up. "Hitomi…" He whispered, not knowing if she'd hear. She blinked. Obviously in surprise. She slowly turned around. "Is it…? Is it…?" She was finally face to face with the speaker.
"It's you…" She said softly in disbelief.
Heheheh… Guess you'll have to wait for chapter 3… Please review! Arigatou and Sayonara! ^_^
~Trunks Gal~