Title: When I Talk To You
Author: Lady of the Ink
Pairing: V/H
Category: Action/Adventure/Romance, with some good angst thrown in for flavor.
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.

Chapter Four
When We Were Friends

Corey had spent the last hour pacing the floor of Hitomi's room, having slipped inside when his parents were otherwise occupied. He was hoping that something would come to him that would help with his current situation. Things were getting worse, if the dream he'd had the night before was any indication, and time was not a luxury he had to waste.

The fact that real people's lives were depending on him made this that much harder, but he refused to cave under the pressure. He'd always had the feeling that someday, something would happen that would change him. He'd no longer be just Corey Kanzaki, son and little brother. He'd be something more. What that something more would be hadn't been decided yet, but he could almost feel the potential within him. If this was his one shot to do something great, he was going to grab it with both hands and refuse to let go.

Mumbling softly to himself, he plopped down on the bed. He knew what he couldn't do; now he had to focus on what he could do. Take things one step at a time until a solution became clear.

The first thing was obvious; spring Hitomi from the Institute. She was the key to everything, and there was little he could do without her. Getting her out would be hard, but it was all downhill from there. He'd have to find somewhere to take her so that the drugs could wear off enough for her to think rationally. That was a ssuming she'd be able to get through the depression that had seen her bedridden in the first place. Then they could work together on the next step.

Taking deep, calming breaths, Corey began to plan the escape. An idea had started to unfold within his mind. And although all the details weren't clear, one thing was. He was going to need help.

Merle looked at the sky, trying to remember when the Mystic Moon had just been a legend used to frighten children into obedience and not the home of someone she'd met. It seemed like so long ago, although it had been less than three years. She guessed that what they said about hard times making a person old was true. She certainly felt far more aged than a mere sixteen years.

Sighing softly to herself, she slid from her perch on one of the boundary walls, landing silently on her feet. She'd come out here hoping to find Van, only to have just missed him. He'd spent most of the afternoon finishing this exact section of wall, a helpful worker told her. The man had seemed impressed that someone so young had managed to do most of the work himself, and still been able to walk home. Stupid men. Pushing themselves too hard, and patting someone else on the back for doing the same. Merle rolled her eyes in the dark, then frowned as her dark mood swung in again.

Lord Van hadn't gotten any better in the week since their talk. In fact, he was pushing himself harder than ever. He was doing so much in so many places that Merle had a hard time tracking him down, let alone corning him for another lecture. She was getting really worried. The last time he'd bothered to make an appearance at dinner, she'd been stunned by the dark circles that ringed his eyes and the pinched look about his mouth.

Kicking at a rock that lay in the middle of the path, she sighed again. There had to be something . . .

A small bit of shimmer caught her eye. Moving forward, her vision excellent in the dark, she quickly found what she'd seen. Hitomi's necklace. Lifting it in her hand, she watched it swing in a gentle arc; "One swing for every second," she could almost hear Hitomi say.

Clutching it tightly in her fist, Merle straightened. Lord Van must have dropped it sometime today while he was working. She didn't think he would have left it here on purpose, no matter how agitated he'd become. Running her fingers along the chain, she found a snapped link, adding credibility to the lost theory. She should probably get it back to him as soon as possible. If she could find him, that is.

That thought brought back the reason she couldn't locate him, and she felt her stomach tighten up again. If only Lord Van could hear from Hitomi again, just a little message to let him know she was okay, things would be so much better. He could slow down and rest until he got his strength back. Maybe he could return to that laughing, happy boy he'd once been. If only . . .

As she continued along the path, a little faster now, her eyes kept drifting upward. She had just reached the middle of the town when she saw them. Two lightning fast, brilliant flashes of blue light winked across the night sky. Merle blinked, almost sure it had been a trick of light. But as she stood there, the pendant in her hand seemed to hum, giving off the palest pink glow.

Her breath catching in her throat, Merle turned and ran to find Van.

Corey turned to look at Yukari, making sure she was ready. She nodded slightly, and they both began to walk slowly towards the Zymen Institute. They had to get inside without raising any suspicions, which seemed simple enough until you tried to do it with a flock of butterflies dive-bombing in your stomach.

Trying to boost his morale, Corey reminded himself of his successes so far. He'd come up with a sound plan, simple enough to be accomplishable. And though finding an accomplice had seemed like it might be really difficult, he'd lucked when Yukari agreed almost immediately.

"Hitomi and I may not be as close as we were, but she's still my friend," she'd told him on the phone. "I know that something is seriously wrong, and it's not anything that dumb place is going to help with. If you think you can bring back the old Hitomi, I'll do everything I can to lend a hand."

Which was how they both came to be signing in at the Institute, waiting nervously while the woman behind the desk unlocked the door. If she was surprised to see more than one visitor, it didn't show on her face. Corey could only hope her apparent indifference was real and would last for the next half hour or so.

The hallway was blessedly empty as they made their way to the end. When they had slipped inside Hitomi's room, Corey moved to the bed as Yukari removed her sweatshirt and loose pants to reveal another outfit underneath. As soon as Corey leaned against the mattress, Hitomi's eyes fluttered open. Giving her a small smile, he pulled her into a sitting position as Yukari handed over the sweatshirt. Putting it over her head, he tried to explain what they were going to try, even though he didn't know how much she would understand.

"You're going to have to try and walk for awhile, okay? As soon as we leave this room, you have to try and act like Yukari. We'll only have one shot at this, big sister, and we need to make it count." As she gazed up at him, he could have sworn he saw a spark of understanding kindle in her eyes.

Feeling slightly more confident, he helped Yukari finish the transfer of clothing. They had just assisted Hitomi from the bed when Yukari spoke.

"I'm not so sure about this hiding in someone else's room thing. I mean, what if they wake up and scream or something? I don't want to cause permanent damage to some poor person thinking I'm a robber, or a monster, or something."

"Everyone here is like Hitomi was. They're all in deep comas, so I doubt they'll wake up. It's the only way this will work without you getting caught. If you're in here, they'll find you for sure. At least this way, you have a chance of getting out without being identified."

Yukari sighed, blowing a lock of hair out of her eyes. "I understand, but still . . ." Grunting slightly, she shifted Hitomi's weight as they began walking her around the room. After five minutes, the other girl was beginning to take small steps with them, a good sign that this whole thing might work out after all.

Twenty minutes later, everything was set. Yukari had slipped into the room next door, crouching low to the floor "just in case." She'd wait for ten minutes, then find a way to slip out. Hitomi seemed more energetic than she had in the past month, actually responding when he said her name or took her hand. As they moved down the hall, he supported as much of her weight as he could as casually as possible. The hardest part would be getting through the door without getting caught.

Hitomi kept her head ducked so that the sweatshirt's hood shaded her face in the dark hallway. When the woman looked askance at him, Corey hurried to think of an excuse. "She's not feeling so well, and she hates to have anyone see her when she's sick. It's gotta be a girl thing, right?" Forcing a small laugh, he tried to look casual until the woman gave a nod and what could almost have passed for a smile.

He didn't breath again until the lock clicked and they were on their way across the lobby. The first brush of early evening air against his face felt as sweet to him as if he'd been locked inside for days. He could only imagine what it felt like for Hitomi, as she seemed to perk up even more.

As a great wave of relief washed over him, Corey laughed out loud, just enjoying the feeling of success. A quiet sound startled him until he realized what it was. Beside him, Hitomi was laughing too. It sounded a little rusty, but he didn't care. They'd done it! She was out! Sure, there were a million things that came next that could go wrong, but right then, in that instant, they didn't matter. The first step was over.

They were almost to the corner when Corey felt a strange sense of weightlessness assail him as everything slowly went black.