insert standard disclaimers here
~~~~
Van was staring out of the window at the Mystic Moon for the umpteenth time. Gods, he missed her. That strange girl from the
Mystic Moon. Hitomi Kanzaki, who turned his world upside-down and taught him to view life in a new light. The girl with the
weird clothes and weird hair who helped end a war that would have consumed Gaea if it had gone on unchecked. It had been five
years since the end of the war. Van smiled to himself and pulled the pendant out of the folds of his shirt, studying the stone as he
allowed himself to sink back into the comfortable familiarity of memories.
If you need a friend,
Don't look to a stranger,
You know in the end,
I'll always be there...
*~flashback~*
Quiet applause broke the silence, making Allen and Van jump. Millerna stepped out of the shadow, smiling. Van sighed inwardly
as he sheathed his sword, relieved that it wasn't Hitomi. Allen had already embarrassed him enough already with his
'high-and-mighty' airs that if Hitomi saw his defeat tonight just in sparring, he'd probably have to crawl in a hole and stay there
forever. He cast a sidelong glance at Allen, who was conversing with Millerna. More like Millerna was flirting voraciously with
the blond knight, making Van doubly glad that Hitomi wasn't there to witness it. He slipped away, heading for the stairs. Hitomi
was on the way up.
"Van! Did you drink too much vino, too?" She asked, puzzled.
Van slowly walked down the few steps between them, noting her slightly flushed cheeks and the fact that she hadn't bothered to
change out of her torn dress.
"You don't want to go up there."
"And why not? My head hurts and I could use the fresh air!"
He was on the same step now. Van looked into Hitomi's eyes, drinking in the richness of their color while trying to think of a
suitable comeback. No good. He broke his gaze, continuing down the stone steps, leaving a very confused Hitomi behind.
When he reached his room, he tossed his sword on a chair and flopped back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Soon after, he heard
the sound of running footsteps in the hallway and the door to the room next to his slam. Someone was crying. Van's heart began to
hurt.
But when you're in doubt,
And when you're in danger,
Take a look all about,
And I'll be there...
Those damn Geckos had to be around here somewhere! Van slogged through the waterways in Palas. He had to get to Hitomi!
"Over there!" Merle shouted from Escaflowne's shoulder, pointing. Van scanned the area Merle had indicated. The boat! He
moved as fast as he could in the waterlogged guymelef, slowly catching up. He smiled maliciously. He was gonna kill them if the
had done anything to Hitomi. His Hitomi.
His prey began to submerge. Van swore.
"Merle! Get to shore!" He shouted, catgirl responding quickly. Van took a deep breath and blindly went beneath the water. He
made a blind grab for the submersible. Miss. He tried again, lungs burning for air. He barely caught the renegade vessel. Van
surfaced, bearing his prize and gasping for air. The hatch opened, and the Gecko-men abandoned ship. Hitomi caught sight of her
savior, and yelled excitedly, cutting Van to the bone.
"Allen!"
I'm sorry but I'm just thinking of the right words to say,
I know they don't sound the way I plan them to be,
But if you wait around a while, I'll make you fall for me,
I promise you...
I promise you...
I will...
Van and Hitomi were stargazing as Merle slept. They had to flee Palas in order to escape Zaibach and had ended up in the middle
of nowhere. Van was still sore from the blow that Hitomi had dealt him back in the waterways. He could still hear the joy in her
voice as she called out to him.
'Allen!'
Granted he had confronted her later about Allen's lack of presence, but still...
It had hurt.
He had withdrawn from the world the only way he had known how, immersed in his training, only to be interrupted in his solitude
by the very same person that had pushed him into it. Hitomi. She had asked him about her pendant, and Escaflowne's energist, and
somehow they had gotten to the subject of their lives. For the first time in too long, Van Fanel revealed his life and his personal
pain. He would have laughed if someone told him that he would do that, but he told her. When he was with her, it just felt...right.
Van turned his head to look at the object of his thoughts. She had fallen asleep. He smiled and sat up carefully. She looked so
peaceful when she slept. Beautiful..He carefully brushed a strand of hair away from her face, and she sighed as she rolled over.
"mmmallen..."
He was gonna kill that knight.
When your day is through,
And so is your temper,
You know what to do,
I'm gonna always be there...
"Stop it!" Hitomi's voice rang through the air.
The fist flew again, making contact with Van's abdomen, knowing the breath out of him. Van painfully opened his eyes, made
difficult since one of them was almost swollen shut. The miner's pink-haired leader was walking to Hitomi, and he knelt in front of
her.
"Meet Nina. One bite from her and you're dead. Don't worry; she listens to me. Go ahead, Nina, say 'hello'." The snake began to
make it's way up his arm to her legs. It began to wrap itself around her torso. Van began to panic, trying to draw the man's attention
from her.
"Leave Hitomi out of this!" The snake had made it's way up to Hitomi's shoulder, and was nearing her face.
"Give her a kiss, Nina," the man crooned, "Put some love into it."
"I SAID LEAVE HER ALONE!" Van shouted. Suddenly, a strange beeping noise came out of nowhere, distracting the men. Van
took advantage of the lack of attention and used his legs to swing so he could reach the sword of a nearby captor. He hooked it
with his feet and flung it up into the air, and as it fell, it sliced through his confining ropes and landed perfectly in his hands. He
lunged forward, making short work of the men in his path, and cleanly took the head off 'Nina'. He landed in a defensive pose
behind Hitomi, facing the leader. The pink-haired man stepped backward, and slipped on the edge of the small cliff, breaking his
neck as he slid to the bottom.
"Hide!" Van yelled at over his shoulder and he ran off to find Escaflowne. He just had to destroy the energist warehouse, and the
war would be over much faster. Then he could concentrate his energies on keeping Allen away from Hitomi.
As he soared though the sky, the energists began to beat erratically, each set off as the others came to life. Van smiled grimly at
the ensuing explosion, and was suddenly on guard as he heard a scream. It was Hitomi. He quickly reigned in the dragon to her
voice. She was falling into a crevice formed from the explosion. He'd never make it in time on Escaflowne. He flung off his shirt
and jumped. He had to reach her!
She was holding out a hand to him, fear displayed plainly across her face as well as...expectation? Van closed his eyes in a
moment of concentration, and a pair of glowing white wings poured from his back, feather falling gently around him. He grabbed
her hand.
"You- You're an angel.."
Sometimes if I shout,
It's not what's intended,
These words just come out,
With no gripe to bear...
The windmill. Van was busy sharpening the blade of Escaflowne's massive sword, painfully aware of Hitomi sitting in the loft
behind him. He had finally built up the courage to tell her what he felt for her last night, but now it was fading fast. Well, he had
to start somewhere.
"Hitomi... I want you to stay with me... from now on that is.." He was suddenly very interested in his work.
He was afraid. Afraid to turn around, afraid of rejection, and afraid of losing her. He began kicking himself mentally.
"Van..."
He lost it.
"I WANT YOU!" He spun and faced her. He couldn't take it. He couldn't lose her. It just wasn't an option. He lost his nerve at
the look on her face.
"I WANT YOUR POWER!"
She had slapped him.
I'm sorry but I'm just thinking of the right words to say,
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be,
But if you'll wait around a while, I'll make you fall for me,
I promise you...
I promise you...
I'm sorry but I'm just thinking of the right words to say,
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be,
And if I had to walk the world, I'd make you fall for me,
I promise you...
I promise you...
I will...
Van ran along the streets, rain falling around him. He had to find her! It had started to rain after she had fled his company, and he
had gone out after her. Where was she?? He was coming to a bridge and he could barely make out the outlines of two figures
seeking shelter in the warmth of each other's embrace though the rain. He slowed down as curiosity got the better of him. His
blood ran cold as he watched Allen lean down to claim Hitomi's lips with his own. Van's Hitomi. He felt his heart shatter and his
body refused to respond to his orders. He stood rooted to the spot. When Allen finally broke off the kiss, Hitomi looked up.
Straight at him.
He finally snapped to life as he saw horror pour into her eyes. He turned and ran aimlessly through the streets.
Lost, tired, cold, wet, and heartbroken, Van finally stopped where he was, and leaned against the side of a building. The reality of
what he saw hit him, and he slid down the wall, scraping his back. He slammed his fist into the ground in frustration as the image
of Allen and Hitomi burned in his memory. He curled up into a ball, bangs casting a shadow on his face as he allowed his tears to
fall, mixing with the rain. He had lost her.
I gotta tell ya...
Van flew frantically toward the sickening beam of green light coming from Zaibach's capital. Hitomi was calling him! She needed
him!
I gotta tell ya...
Escaflowne began to buck under the stress. Van abandoned the controls and unfurled his wings.
I gotta tell ya...
He flew into the light, blinded in the intensity. The glass globe shattered. Hitomi was waiting.
I need to tell ya...
"Van!" Hitomi practically flew into his arms. Van clutched her to him possessively as he pulled them upwards with a powerful
flap of his wings. She had waited for him. For him. Not Allen. Him. She buried her face in his chest as they glided away from the
dark capital.
Van landed as gently as he could, trying not to disturb her when they reached the rest of their group. She lingered in his arms for a
moment before pulling away, reluctantly. Something caught her eye.
"Allen!" She ran to him, leaving Van hurt and very much alone.
*~end flashback~*
I'm sorry but I'm just thinking of the right words to say,
I know they don't sound the way I plan them to be,
But if you'll wait around a while, I'll make you fall for me,
I promise you...
I promise you...
I'm sorry but I'm just thinking of the right words to say,
I know they don't sound the way I plan them to be,
And if I had to walk the world, I'll make you fall for me,
I promise you...
I promise you...
I will...
Van smirked at the glowing stone. Her gift before the wedding. He could still feel her hands on his when she gave it to him. He
let the gem fall to hit his collarbone and sighed, returning his gaze to the twin moons.
It had hurt. To watch the woman who taught him to love run to the arms of another man. It still hurt.
He unclasped the necklace and stared at it. He bit his lip and held it up, letting the gem dangle to catch the light.
"Hitomi Kanzaki..." He murmured, purposely leaving off her acquired last name.
I will...
He brought the stone up to his lips, kissing it gently.
"I love you." He flung the chain out the window as hard as he could, watching as the darkness swallowed it from sight.
I will...
~~~~
A/N: *radio announcer's voice* That was, 'The Promise' by When In Rome. Stay tuned...