When the Demon Stirs ~ An Escaflowne Fan Fic ~
By: H. Zane
It's so sad to think
It's so hard to say
I wished for so long
I wished for you today.
~ H. Zane
~ Chapter 02-Longing ~
His body was warm, and not just from the summer heat. Whether it was from excitement, embarrassment, or anger from being so close, yet so far from his only love. He didn't know. He sat up on the grass, with hands shaking; he ran one through his wild black hair. In that one moment all time had stopped for him, his soul had left his body and flew through space, and air and landed feet away from his true love. But in his mind he could not find the words that he longed to say. Feeling quite annoyed with himself he stood, brushed off his pants and shirt and mounted his horse.
"What's wrong with me? I had a chance to see her again, and I didn't…no…couldn't say a word. Not one word. She must think me a fool." He glanced up at the sky; the Mystic Moon was almost invisible in the sunlight. "Baka", he thought, as he signaled his horse to a trot. He headed back to his kingdom of Fanelia, back to his people, and back to his misery. "They're probably wondering where I've been" he huffed. "King of a whole country and I can't get five minutes to myself. Prepare yourself king, I'm sure they will have plenty for you to do when you get back." He laughed at himself and road the rest of the way lost in his own private thoughts.
The ride back wasn't terribly long, about an hour and a half, but it might as well have been five minutes. He could see the castle roof now, and hear the sounds of the townspeople scurrying about. Fanelia was once again a beautiful prosperous country. The townspeople had returned after the war and worked endlessly on rebuilding it. The king's own blood, sweat and tears played no small role either. The reconstruction left him very busy and worn and tired. A grueling schedule did have its advantages however; marriage had not become an issue yet. He cringed at the thought. He couldn't even begin to think about life without Hitomi. She was the only woman he had ever had feelings for and no matter how much distance separated them or how much time passed by he loved her, and always would. Marring a stranger and growing old with her because duty demanded it made him uneasy. Duty be damned and besides, he didn't want to think about that now.
Van loved his country, he built it up from ashes with his bare hands… but he wished, if just for one day, he could be light hearted and careless lying in the sun with the woman he loved in his arms. Instead of all of these kingly responsibilities to take care of. "Yes, to be free to bathe under the sun's warmth with her at my side…that would wonderful…" He broke through his own thoughts and shook his head trying to escape his daydreaming. "What am I thinking this nonsense for?" He thought to himself, "I'm King of all Fanelia, I have no freedom, no life. Although for only one day…"
"VVVAAANNN-SSSAAAMMMAAA…"
A young cat girl running through the cities' gates interrupted his thoughts. "Well," he laughed, "I've been spotted, there goes my peace and quiet."
The cat girl, now breathless, ran and met up with her king. "Van-sama where have you been the castle samurai have been looking for you for hours?"
"Oh they have, have they? And I suppose they sent you out to look for me." He had stopped his horse and got down so he could walk and talk with his friend.
"Van-sama where were you, and why did you leave? I was so worried about you."
"I know Merle, I'm sorry to worry you, but I needed a little time to myself. With all of this commotion going on for the festival I couldn't even hear myself think. I just rode through the forest for a while until I came to that clearing you like. And I sat there for a while, that's all. Just sat and thought."
His voice was sad, he grasped his pendent with his left hand tightly and as he walked he looked only at the dirt beneath his feet. That was a sign, as Merle knew all too well, that Van was thinking of Hitomi. "He thinks of her more and more lately," she thought. "And his depression is growing, I can see it in his every movement. But…maybe if he talked about it for once he'll feel better?"
Merle gathered up her courage, she didn't know how Van would react at the mention of Hitomi, but she knew she had to do something. She couldn't watch Van like this for another second.
"You went to think about her, didn't you?" She asked, her voice almost a whisper.
Van shook his head and frowned. "Merle…"
"No, you know you can't lie to me." Merle interrupted. "You can't hide things from me, I know you too well, and I care about you way too much to let you continue to feel this way…let me help you."
Van stopped walking and sat on the grass. A little smirk escaped his lips. "She's wiser than what I give her credit for," he thought to himself. Merle sat down quietly and leaned next to him with her arms around his, ears twitching and waiting to listen.
Without realizing a full-blown smile now spread across his lips.
"I saw her Merle, I saw Hitomi."
"What!" She yelled. She sat up straight. " You went to the Mystic Moon? But how, where, when, and why didn't you bring her back?" Her questions ran through one another. She just couldn't believe her feline ears.
"Whoa, whoa easy there, don't get so excited, Merle, let me finish okay." Van tried to settle the cat girl down. " I didn't go there, the pendent just allowed me a minute to look at her with my soul. Remember that happened last year too."
"Yes Van-sama I remember. Did it happen the same way?"
"Yeah, I was thinking of how much I needed to see her when the pendent started to glow. Before I knew it I was looking into her beautiful eyes."
A chill ran up Merle's spine. She still loved Van. Even though it was a brother-sister type love to her, she still got a little jealous of Hitomi. She knew Van would never love her, or at least not how he loved Hitomi. Merle sat back again, no matter how hard it got to hear, she would listen to him. She had given up on even the slightest possibility with him months ago and now her place was to ease his pain the best she could. Even if it meant to only listen to him, she would.
"Well…" said Merle "tell me…how is she? What did she say?"
"Oh Merle" Van sighed, "She looked exactly the same as when she left. She was sitting in some sort of field, with many young voices around her and I think she was crying. I didn't know what to say. I've often thought of what I wanted to say to her when we were together again, but my mind went blank. I could only stare into her eyes. Merle I'm a fool am I not?"
"No! Van-sama how can you say that about yourself, especially after all we've been through. The important thing is that you got a chance to see her again right!" Merle said cheerily. "Did she say anything to you or did she just stare with those big cow eyes of hers too?"
Van snickered at her comment and looked at the sky. "She told me she missed me and hoped I was happy." Van leaned back against a tree, arms folded behind his head. "At least I could have told her that much. She must think that I don't care about her."
"No, she doesn't think that, Merle said reassuringly, She knows you care. You are still connected right. I know she feels it every day. You two don't need to touch or to speak to see in each other's souls.
A wave of relief ran across the king's face. "You're right Merle, thank you, I feel much better now." He playfully tussled her pretty pink locks. "What would I ever do with out you? You are a true friend." Smiling a one-of-a-kind grin he stood and walked to retrieve his horse, which was grazing a little ways away. Merle smiled a sad smile of her own. She wanted Van-sama to cheer up…but why did she feel like hell?
Still smiling Van walked to Merle picked her up and placed her on his horse.
"Come on, Van said, we've got lots of things to do before the festival."
"Oh boy, are you going to hear it from Japheth when you get back to the castle." Merle laughed playfully. But her laugh was cut short when she saw Van clutching his pendent again. "Van-sama…" Merle started.
He looked up at her. "Hmm?"
"She'll come back to you soon Van-sama. I know she will."
Van blinked and took hold of the reigns. With a look of unspoken gratitude he pulled on them to make his horse walk faster. And they walked through the city gates to the castle in silence.
End of Chapter 02
**Disclaimer**
Escaflowne is owned by (c) Sunrise and/or their respective licensors.
No copyright infringement intended.
This fic and any original characters are owned by H. Zane
By: H. Zane
It's so sad to think
It's so hard to say
I wished for so long
I wished for you today.
~ H. Zane
~ Chapter 02-Longing ~
His body was warm, and not just from the summer heat. Whether it was from excitement, embarrassment, or anger from being so close, yet so far from his only love. He didn't know. He sat up on the grass, with hands shaking; he ran one through his wild black hair. In that one moment all time had stopped for him, his soul had left his body and flew through space, and air and landed feet away from his true love. But in his mind he could not find the words that he longed to say. Feeling quite annoyed with himself he stood, brushed off his pants and shirt and mounted his horse.
"What's wrong with me? I had a chance to see her again, and I didn't…no…couldn't say a word. Not one word. She must think me a fool." He glanced up at the sky; the Mystic Moon was almost invisible in the sunlight. "Baka", he thought, as he signaled his horse to a trot. He headed back to his kingdom of Fanelia, back to his people, and back to his misery. "They're probably wondering where I've been" he huffed. "King of a whole country and I can't get five minutes to myself. Prepare yourself king, I'm sure they will have plenty for you to do when you get back." He laughed at himself and road the rest of the way lost in his own private thoughts.
The ride back wasn't terribly long, about an hour and a half, but it might as well have been five minutes. He could see the castle roof now, and hear the sounds of the townspeople scurrying about. Fanelia was once again a beautiful prosperous country. The townspeople had returned after the war and worked endlessly on rebuilding it. The king's own blood, sweat and tears played no small role either. The reconstruction left him very busy and worn and tired. A grueling schedule did have its advantages however; marriage had not become an issue yet. He cringed at the thought. He couldn't even begin to think about life without Hitomi. She was the only woman he had ever had feelings for and no matter how much distance separated them or how much time passed by he loved her, and always would. Marring a stranger and growing old with her because duty demanded it made him uneasy. Duty be damned and besides, he didn't want to think about that now.
Van loved his country, he built it up from ashes with his bare hands… but he wished, if just for one day, he could be light hearted and careless lying in the sun with the woman he loved in his arms. Instead of all of these kingly responsibilities to take care of. "Yes, to be free to bathe under the sun's warmth with her at my side…that would wonderful…" He broke through his own thoughts and shook his head trying to escape his daydreaming. "What am I thinking this nonsense for?" He thought to himself, "I'm King of all Fanelia, I have no freedom, no life. Although for only one day…"
"VVVAAANNN-SSSAAAMMMAAA…"
A young cat girl running through the cities' gates interrupted his thoughts. "Well," he laughed, "I've been spotted, there goes my peace and quiet."
The cat girl, now breathless, ran and met up with her king. "Van-sama where have you been the castle samurai have been looking for you for hours?"
"Oh they have, have they? And I suppose they sent you out to look for me." He had stopped his horse and got down so he could walk and talk with his friend.
"Van-sama where were you, and why did you leave? I was so worried about you."
"I know Merle, I'm sorry to worry you, but I needed a little time to myself. With all of this commotion going on for the festival I couldn't even hear myself think. I just rode through the forest for a while until I came to that clearing you like. And I sat there for a while, that's all. Just sat and thought."
His voice was sad, he grasped his pendent with his left hand tightly and as he walked he looked only at the dirt beneath his feet. That was a sign, as Merle knew all too well, that Van was thinking of Hitomi. "He thinks of her more and more lately," she thought. "And his depression is growing, I can see it in his every movement. But…maybe if he talked about it for once he'll feel better?"
Merle gathered up her courage, she didn't know how Van would react at the mention of Hitomi, but she knew she had to do something. She couldn't watch Van like this for another second.
"You went to think about her, didn't you?" She asked, her voice almost a whisper.
Van shook his head and frowned. "Merle…"
"No, you know you can't lie to me." Merle interrupted. "You can't hide things from me, I know you too well, and I care about you way too much to let you continue to feel this way…let me help you."
Van stopped walking and sat on the grass. A little smirk escaped his lips. "She's wiser than what I give her credit for," he thought to himself. Merle sat down quietly and leaned next to him with her arms around his, ears twitching and waiting to listen.
Without realizing a full-blown smile now spread across his lips.
"I saw her Merle, I saw Hitomi."
"What!" She yelled. She sat up straight. " You went to the Mystic Moon? But how, where, when, and why didn't you bring her back?" Her questions ran through one another. She just couldn't believe her feline ears.
"Whoa, whoa easy there, don't get so excited, Merle, let me finish okay." Van tried to settle the cat girl down. " I didn't go there, the pendent just allowed me a minute to look at her with my soul. Remember that happened last year too."
"Yes Van-sama I remember. Did it happen the same way?"
"Yeah, I was thinking of how much I needed to see her when the pendent started to glow. Before I knew it I was looking into her beautiful eyes."
A chill ran up Merle's spine. She still loved Van. Even though it was a brother-sister type love to her, she still got a little jealous of Hitomi. She knew Van would never love her, or at least not how he loved Hitomi. Merle sat back again, no matter how hard it got to hear, she would listen to him. She had given up on even the slightest possibility with him months ago and now her place was to ease his pain the best she could. Even if it meant to only listen to him, she would.
"Well…" said Merle "tell me…how is she? What did she say?"
"Oh Merle" Van sighed, "She looked exactly the same as when she left. She was sitting in some sort of field, with many young voices around her and I think she was crying. I didn't know what to say. I've often thought of what I wanted to say to her when we were together again, but my mind went blank. I could only stare into her eyes. Merle I'm a fool am I not?"
"No! Van-sama how can you say that about yourself, especially after all we've been through. The important thing is that you got a chance to see her again right!" Merle said cheerily. "Did she say anything to you or did she just stare with those big cow eyes of hers too?"
Van snickered at her comment and looked at the sky. "She told me she missed me and hoped I was happy." Van leaned back against a tree, arms folded behind his head. "At least I could have told her that much. She must think that I don't care about her."
"No, she doesn't think that, Merle said reassuringly, She knows you care. You are still connected right. I know she feels it every day. You two don't need to touch or to speak to see in each other's souls.
A wave of relief ran across the king's face. "You're right Merle, thank you, I feel much better now." He playfully tussled her pretty pink locks. "What would I ever do with out you? You are a true friend." Smiling a one-of-a-kind grin he stood and walked to retrieve his horse, which was grazing a little ways away. Merle smiled a sad smile of her own. She wanted Van-sama to cheer up…but why did she feel like hell?
Still smiling Van walked to Merle picked her up and placed her on his horse.
"Come on, Van said, we've got lots of things to do before the festival."
"Oh boy, are you going to hear it from Japheth when you get back to the castle." Merle laughed playfully. But her laugh was cut short when she saw Van clutching his pendent again. "Van-sama…" Merle started.
He looked up at her. "Hmm?"
"She'll come back to you soon Van-sama. I know she will."
Van blinked and took hold of the reigns. With a look of unspoken gratitude he pulled on them to make his horse walk faster. And they walked through the city gates to the castle in silence.
End of Chapter 02
**Disclaimer**
Escaflowne is owned by (c) Sunrise and/or their respective licensors.
No copyright infringement intended.
This fic and any original characters are owned by H. Zane