Disclaimer: ESCAFLOWNE IS NOT MINE! But I do own Daren, Rune, Ruvan, Aryria, Leonzar, and Varomi! OK?
A/N: This chapter is going forward a few years, Enjoy! ^_^
Chapter 17: Hide-and-Seek
5 years later...
Van played with Varomi and Daren in the fields, he had went to a ton of meetings yesterday, so he could spend today with his family. Hitomi smiled cheerfully at them, as she ran over to join in on the fun.
'How can she act so normal?' Van wondered. They had just lost a stillborn child a few months ago, a son. They were still grieving. Daren was already ten, and growing into a fine boy. And Varomi got prettier every day, and was truly a sight to behold. Even when she was hurt, she never cried, she just smiled and kept playing. Daren had taught her how to fly, and she had taken to it quickly. Hitomi unpacked a picnic basket filled with Yunins, Cabasia nuts, Par, and many other foods. Van noticed that none of the stuff she had brought required cooking. He smiled knowing she was still no gourmet chef. Another interesting thing about Daren and Varomi was that they got along so well. Despite their differences in age, they were the best of friends.
"Did you bring some books kids?" Hitomi asked.
"Yes mother." They replied handing her their selections and she began to read Daren's book:
"Once there lived a hideous dragon and a brave king of Fanelia. The dragon had destroyed half of Fanelia by burning down the cities with its fiery red flames. The king knew he must kill the dragon, and protect his people. He challenged the dragon to a duel, and started cutting out at the beast. And as the dragon's blood flowed freely onto the ground, he began to strangle the king with his tail..."
"Ugh!" She said. Grasping her neck.
"Daren! I don't want Varomi hearing this!"
"It's OK mommy, I've already heard that one." Varomi answered.
"You shouldn't have stopped Hon, that's a good story." Van commented.
"It's too bloody and violent for a five year old." Hitomi stubbornly replied.
"Don't you have any 'happy' Fanelian stories?"
"I don't think so." All three replied at once.
Hitomi sighed, "Want to hear the story of how your dad and I met?" Hitomi asked.
"Sure." Varomi answered.
"Dad's already told us the part about how you got in the way of his dragonslaying, then he graciously spared your life and kindly took you back to Fanelia." Daren commented.
"Oh did he?" Hitomi replied, giving her husband an icy glare.
"Well, I may have stretched the truth a little bit," he muttered tugging at his collar.
And Hitomi told him "the real story." The family stargazed late into the night, pointing out familiar constellations. Little did they know that it would be their last time together.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next day, Prince Leonzar came to play with Daren, Ria, Ruvan and most of all Varomi. He had fallen in love with her, and was going to propose to her when he turned twenty. (A/N: He's sure planning ahead, isn't he?)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What do you guys want to do?" Squeaked the excited Ria as she jumped up and down.
"How bout hide-and-seek?" Daren suggested.
"That's a great idea, Lord Daren!" The excited catgirl exclaimed and all the friends agreed on Daren's idea.
"NOT IT!" Screamed everyone except Leo.
Everyone scurried off to hide as Leo started to count. He finally reached one hundred, and began his search. He found Ruvan first, his tail stuck out from behind a rock and he was out. He walked through a grove of trees and hearing a rustle, looked up to see Ria hiding in the branches above.
"Found you!" He called up to her.
"Darn it." She mumbled.
"You snooze, you lose kitty cat!" Leo smirked.
"Call me 'kitty cat' again and you're sushi." Ria hotly replied, flashing a claw dangerously.
Daren was much more of a challenge. Leo wandered over to the creek and was surprised to see a moving reed.
"What the..." Leo wondered, then it became obvious when a tuft of raven hair appeared above the water.
"You're out!" Said Daren in his loudest possible voice.
"Where's Varomi?" Daren asked as he emerged drenched.
"I don't know." Leo replied.
"VAROMI! VAROMI!" All four of them called out worriedly. They searched for hours, but there was no sign of the brown haired girl. She was gone.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Mysterious... R&R! Arigato and Sionara! ^_^
~Trunks Gal~
A/N: This chapter is going forward a few years, Enjoy! ^_^
Chapter 17: Hide-and-Seek
5 years later...
Van played with Varomi and Daren in the fields, he had went to a ton of meetings yesterday, so he could spend today with his family. Hitomi smiled cheerfully at them, as she ran over to join in on the fun.
'How can she act so normal?' Van wondered. They had just lost a stillborn child a few months ago, a son. They were still grieving. Daren was already ten, and growing into a fine boy. And Varomi got prettier every day, and was truly a sight to behold. Even when she was hurt, she never cried, she just smiled and kept playing. Daren had taught her how to fly, and she had taken to it quickly. Hitomi unpacked a picnic basket filled with Yunins, Cabasia nuts, Par, and many other foods. Van noticed that none of the stuff she had brought required cooking. He smiled knowing she was still no gourmet chef. Another interesting thing about Daren and Varomi was that they got along so well. Despite their differences in age, they were the best of friends.
"Did you bring some books kids?" Hitomi asked.
"Yes mother." They replied handing her their selections and she began to read Daren's book:
"Once there lived a hideous dragon and a brave king of Fanelia. The dragon had destroyed half of Fanelia by burning down the cities with its fiery red flames. The king knew he must kill the dragon, and protect his people. He challenged the dragon to a duel, and started cutting out at the beast. And as the dragon's blood flowed freely onto the ground, he began to strangle the king with his tail..."
"Ugh!" She said. Grasping her neck.
"Daren! I don't want Varomi hearing this!"
"It's OK mommy, I've already heard that one." Varomi answered.
"You shouldn't have stopped Hon, that's a good story." Van commented.
"It's too bloody and violent for a five year old." Hitomi stubbornly replied.
"Don't you have any 'happy' Fanelian stories?"
"I don't think so." All three replied at once.
Hitomi sighed, "Want to hear the story of how your dad and I met?" Hitomi asked.
"Sure." Varomi answered.
"Dad's already told us the part about how you got in the way of his dragonslaying, then he graciously spared your life and kindly took you back to Fanelia." Daren commented.
"Oh did he?" Hitomi replied, giving her husband an icy glare.
"Well, I may have stretched the truth a little bit," he muttered tugging at his collar.
And Hitomi told him "the real story." The family stargazed late into the night, pointing out familiar constellations. Little did they know that it would be their last time together.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next day, Prince Leonzar came to play with Daren, Ria, Ruvan and most of all Varomi. He had fallen in love with her, and was going to propose to her when he turned twenty. (A/N: He's sure planning ahead, isn't he?)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What do you guys want to do?" Squeaked the excited Ria as she jumped up and down.
"How bout hide-and-seek?" Daren suggested.
"That's a great idea, Lord Daren!" The excited catgirl exclaimed and all the friends agreed on Daren's idea.
"NOT IT!" Screamed everyone except Leo.
Everyone scurried off to hide as Leo started to count. He finally reached one hundred, and began his search. He found Ruvan first, his tail stuck out from behind a rock and he was out. He walked through a grove of trees and hearing a rustle, looked up to see Ria hiding in the branches above.
"Found you!" He called up to her.
"Darn it." She mumbled.
"You snooze, you lose kitty cat!" Leo smirked.
"Call me 'kitty cat' again and you're sushi." Ria hotly replied, flashing a claw dangerously.
Daren was much more of a challenge. Leo wandered over to the creek and was surprised to see a moving reed.
"What the..." Leo wondered, then it became obvious when a tuft of raven hair appeared above the water.
"You're out!" Said Daren in his loudest possible voice.
"Where's Varomi?" Daren asked as he emerged drenched.
"I don't know." Leo replied.
"VAROMI! VAROMI!" All four of them called out worriedly. They searched for hours, but there was no sign of the brown haired girl. She was gone.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Mysterious... R&R! Arigato and Sionara! ^_^
~Trunks Gal~