Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN ESCA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A/N: OK, I just want to say THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! To all the people who have read my fic, all the people who have reviewed it, all the people who have added ME to their favorite author's list, and to all the people who added "Wings of an Angel" to their favorites list! You people are SO nice! I received a comment on Animeshack.com that I skipped ahead to much (Thanks Phantom angel, you inspired me to write these next few chapters! ^_^) so the next three chapters are flashback chapters after Van left for war, and before Daren (SO KAWAII!) was born, ENJOY! (After these next 3 chapters, we'll go back to the present!) Enjoy! R&R! ^_^
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Flashback Chapter 1(22): A Painful Past
Hitomi sat in the bay window, looking out on the city. She couldn't believe she was queen of all she looked out on. 'Who'd have guessed?' she thought. The sun was setting, casting bright beams of pink and purple across the sky. 'I wish Van was here to share this with me...' She sadly sighed. She felt like a part of her was missing, now that Van wasn't at her side. 'I'm being stupid, he has only been gone a little while.' She scolded herself.
"You can't sleep either?" Merle asked, as she stepped inside.
"No." Hitomi truthfully replied.
"I can't stop worrying about Van. Merle, what will I do if he dies?" She jumped right to the point.
"Oh Hitomi, you know I feel the same way about Lord Van. He's been my best friend since I was three, all I do is worry about him."
Hitomi hugged the catgirl who had been her enemy just a short while ago.
"I can't believe it has only been a few months since I left Gaea, now I'm back, and it seems like it was a decade ago."
"Yeah, I know how that is..." Merle uneasily replied.
"How?"
"Well... umm... I..." Merle stuttered, before she broke down crying.
"What's wrong Merle?"
"It... was... twelve... years... ago... that... they... died..." She burst out between sobs, as if every word tore a gash in her heart.
"Who died?" Hitomi asked, comforting her feline friend.
"My family, they're all dead..." She whispered as tears continued to roll down her cheeks.
"Oh Merle, you've lost so much..." She said.
* She placed her hand on her ex-rival's shoulder and was suddenly hurled back in time. It was black, and it was so very cold. It made Hitomi shiver, not just from cold, but from fear... *
"Hitomi?" Merle asked in a frightened tone. Hitomi had fallen backwards onto the bed, her eyes gray, she had stopped breathing...
* She was suddenly surrounded by dense woods.
"Where am I?" She wondered aloud. She ducked down as an arrow whizzed past her cheek. 'What the...'
A burly huntsman stepped out of the shadows. He had a shaggy beard, and it looked like he had not shaved in quite a while. He had ice blue eyes, they were cold, like they had never felt or cared for anything. He was taller than Hitomi with dark brown hair that he tucked under a cap, arrows slinged over his shoulder, bow in hand, he was indeed a frightening person to come upon. He scowled when he saw that his arrow had not met its mark, Hitomi turned around to see a deer fleeting away behind her. Suddenly, a savage roar was heard, that frightened Hitomi beyond all reason. Then, a red tiger leaped from the bushes... *
"Wake up you silly girl! Wake up!" Merle commanded, shaking Hitomi until her bow from her uniform jacket came loose.
"What is wrong with you?" Merle asked masking the concern in her voice. She got no reaction from Hitomi. She slapped Hitomi across her cheeks, which turned bright red, 'just like before...' Merle remembered from when Van had almost died. She dumped a pitcher of water that rested on the bedside table all over her face, but she didn't wake up, and she still wasn't breathing...
* The tiger had flames glimmering in its eyes, and it looked with ferocity at the hunter. The burly man looked pale, as if he was ready to stop breathing... He suddenly remembered his arrows and took one out to shoot at the tiger that was about to pounce on him. Hitomi looked at the tiger and could tell that it only meant to hurt the hunter and not her, she wondered why... His bow quivered as he aimed. He missed maiming the tiger, it hit the beast on the shoulder and it growled in pain. The huntsman, seeing a possible escape, dashed away before seeing the tiger start to glow... *
Merle knew that something was deadly wrong, she rang for the servants and they all ran in panting for breath.
"What is it Lady Merle?" The head servant asked.
"It's Queen Hitomi, something's wrong!" Merle had tears welled up in her eyes, pointing at the limp figure on the bed.
"My word!" The servant exclaimed, seeing the queen's state. He quickly picked up Lady Hitomi and ran out the door towards the healer's ward.
* Hitomi saw the tiger begin to glow and wondered what was wrong. Then the tiger seemed to change shape. 'What's happening?' She wondered. The glowing stopped, and a groan escaped from a catman with a bloody shoulder.
"Are you OK?" She asked in concern. The catman spun around to see a girl he didn't know was there. He tried to growl menacingly, but it came out as a pitiful moan.
"You're hurt." She commented seeing the wound as blood started to run down his arm.
"Know it's nothing." The catman replied.
"I just made a foolish mistake, it's nothing at all..." He gripped his shoulder tightly and started walking down a dirt path.
"Hey c'mon." She protested.
"You need help!" She unfastened her bow and walked over to the fleeing catman. Taking his hand off his shoulder, she bound it with the bow, ripping off a piece of her sleeve to tie it more firmly.
"Is that better?" She asked with concern.
"Yes, it is. Thank you." The catman replied, giving her a genuine smile.
"What's your name?" She asked.
"Toku." He replied.
"My name is Hitomi, sir. Hitomi Kanzaki." She told him.
"Well Hitomi, thank you for helping me, where are you headed?"
"Nowhere. I don't know where I am, or why..."
"Strange, strange indeed. You may stay with my family tonight until you decide what to do."
"Thank you very much. I humbly accept your generosity." She said, thinking of what Van would say under such circumstances. 'No need to tell him I'm queen of Fanelia, I don't even know if I'm on Gaea, although I probably am.' They came out of the dense forest and she looked up at the sky. 'There are the two moons, this has to be Gaea.' She breathed a sigh of relief.
"What are you looking at little lady?" Toku asked.
"Nothing, just looking up at the sky."
"Yes, it is indeed very pretty, the Mystic Moon is shining brighter than usual."
They walked for about an hour before they reached a small village. It looked very quaint and homey and Hitomi was glad to be there, even if she didn't know where "there" was.
"Excuse me Toku, where are we?" She asked.
"We're on the outskirts of Fanelia Lady Hitomi, and this is The Hitaru clan village."
"The Hitaru clan?"
"A village of catpeople who protect the forest from hunters, like you saw back there."
"Come," He told her, and led her down the path. Little catchildren ran about the streets, they were barefoot with simple clothing. 'They look like they're having fun, I remember when I was just like them.' She shivered, that had been so long ago, before she had come to Gaea, when she was just a naïve girl that thought that there were always happy endings in all aspects of life. The village consisted of many huts, made of stone and with thatched roofs. They walked up to one of the huts and a little catgirl ran out of the hut. She had pink wavy hair, a light complexion, and black stripes on her arms and legs. She looked vaguely familiar.
She squealed, "DADDY!" And jumped into Toku's arms.
"Hello Meru." He greeted the little girl.
'Meru? No it must be a coincidence, they're not even the same names.' Her conscious haunted her. //But they could have changed her name, like Naria and Eriya...// 'Shut up conscious!'
Her thoughts were silenced when the little catgirl asked, "Who is she?" Pointing at Hitomi.
"Looks like a foreigner!"
"This is Lady Hitomi Meru. Oh yes, I forgot to ask you Lady Hitomi, where do you come from?"
"Umm..." She was unsure of what to say.
"What's the matter, cat's got your tongue?" Meru asked slyly.
"Fanelia." She replied.
"Ah yes, you must be from one of the distant villages by the look of your clothes. Well come in. Is supper ready Meru?"
"Yes Daddy, mother is just setting it out!" Said the springy catgirl as she jumped around meowing with excitement at her father's return.
The group headed inside where a beautiful catwoman was setting some plates on a wooden table.
"Toku! You're back! And you've brought a guest." The catwoman observed, hugging her husband.
"Yes, I'm back Vaona." He said giving her a gentle kiss.
"This is Lady Hitomi." *
They had reached the healers ward. The healers looked worried when they saw their queen.
"What happened this time?" They asked, Lady Hitomi seemed to be unconscious most of the time.
"She collapsed and stopped breathing when talking to Lady Merle." He said, placing Queen Hitomi on a bed.
"This is indeed serious." The head healer replied checking her pulse.
"We will do everything we can to save her."
"What sad tidings it would be if Lord Van comes home to find his wife dead." The servant sadly replied.
"I'll send him a message telling him that Lady Hitomi is not feeling well." He told them, before scurrying away.
* After dinner, Hitomi had taken Meru outside. Toku was tired and Vaona wanted to talk to him. Meru's baby brother and sister (twins) had been put to bed earlier.
"So how long are you staying Lady Hitomi?" The small catgirl asked.
"Until I find a way to get home."
"Father can take you when he goes to fetch my grandmother to visit." Meru replied.
"How old are you?" Hitomi was curious and had a feeling of dread well up within her.
"I'm three years old, but I'll be four in June." Meru replied.
"Why do you want to know?"
"Oh just curious." Hitomi answered. She knew who this little girl was. The facts had played themselves out before her. The pink hair. The complexion and stripes. The age. The birthday. This little girl was a young Merle, and Hitomi knew that this peaceful little village would soon be destroyed... *
The healers hoped they wouldn't have to do this sort of thing for Lady Hitomi constantly. It seemed like every other minute she was unwell and was being carried to them in a trance or bleeding. Many of them had sighed when they saw her enter. True, they cared about their queen, but they wished she wouldn't get into so many of these predicaments that threatened her life. They ran many tests on her. Merle sat beside her, looking anxiously for a sign of life. All they could do is pray...
* It was dark out and Hitomi and Meru admired the stars. A group of stars fell and Meru looked concerned.
"An ill omen." She reported to Hitomi.
'It's predicting their downfall.' She thought sadly. 'Poor little Meru, she is going to suffer so greatly. I wish I could do something...' But she knew that nothing she did would help, so she sat with her little friend, grateful to be alive, for the present... *
The healers examined some test results.
"Interesting." A healer reported, eyeing his fellow healers.
"Very interesting indeed..."
* Hitomi took Meru in and tucked her into bed. Meru looked so content, and seemed to have forgotten about the "ill omen."
"Hitomi, will you sing me a lullaby?" She asked.
Hitomi agreed and beautiful song, as the girl fell fast asleep.
Somewhere else:
"So there it is..."
"There's the village."
"Our revenge is coming, beware beast men, you will not enjoy this tranquility much longer..." And there were a few despicable laughs, that echoed throughout the darkness.
A/N: I'll upload the next one now... THANKS AGAIN! * Smiles * Arigatou and Sionara! ^_^
~Trunks Gal~
A/N: OK, I just want to say THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! To all the people who have read my fic, all the people who have reviewed it, all the people who have added ME to their favorite author's list, and to all the people who added "Wings of an Angel" to their favorites list! You people are SO nice! I received a comment on Animeshack.com that I skipped ahead to much (Thanks Phantom angel, you inspired me to write these next few chapters! ^_^) so the next three chapters are flashback chapters after Van left for war, and before Daren (SO KAWAII!) was born, ENJOY! (After these next 3 chapters, we'll go back to the present!) Enjoy! R&R! ^_^
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Flashback Chapter 1(22): A Painful Past
Hitomi sat in the bay window, looking out on the city. She couldn't believe she was queen of all she looked out on. 'Who'd have guessed?' she thought. The sun was setting, casting bright beams of pink and purple across the sky. 'I wish Van was here to share this with me...' She sadly sighed. She felt like a part of her was missing, now that Van wasn't at her side. 'I'm being stupid, he has only been gone a little while.' She scolded herself.
"You can't sleep either?" Merle asked, as she stepped inside.
"No." Hitomi truthfully replied.
"I can't stop worrying about Van. Merle, what will I do if he dies?" She jumped right to the point.
"Oh Hitomi, you know I feel the same way about Lord Van. He's been my best friend since I was three, all I do is worry about him."
Hitomi hugged the catgirl who had been her enemy just a short while ago.
"I can't believe it has only been a few months since I left Gaea, now I'm back, and it seems like it was a decade ago."
"Yeah, I know how that is..." Merle uneasily replied.
"How?"
"Well... umm... I..." Merle stuttered, before she broke down crying.
"What's wrong Merle?"
"It... was... twelve... years... ago... that... they... died..." She burst out between sobs, as if every word tore a gash in her heart.
"Who died?" Hitomi asked, comforting her feline friend.
"My family, they're all dead..." She whispered as tears continued to roll down her cheeks.
"Oh Merle, you've lost so much..." She said.
* She placed her hand on her ex-rival's shoulder and was suddenly hurled back in time. It was black, and it was so very cold. It made Hitomi shiver, not just from cold, but from fear... *
"Hitomi?" Merle asked in a frightened tone. Hitomi had fallen backwards onto the bed, her eyes gray, she had stopped breathing...
* She was suddenly surrounded by dense woods.
"Where am I?" She wondered aloud. She ducked down as an arrow whizzed past her cheek. 'What the...'
A burly huntsman stepped out of the shadows. He had a shaggy beard, and it looked like he had not shaved in quite a while. He had ice blue eyes, they were cold, like they had never felt or cared for anything. He was taller than Hitomi with dark brown hair that he tucked under a cap, arrows slinged over his shoulder, bow in hand, he was indeed a frightening person to come upon. He scowled when he saw that his arrow had not met its mark, Hitomi turned around to see a deer fleeting away behind her. Suddenly, a savage roar was heard, that frightened Hitomi beyond all reason. Then, a red tiger leaped from the bushes... *
"Wake up you silly girl! Wake up!" Merle commanded, shaking Hitomi until her bow from her uniform jacket came loose.
"What is wrong with you?" Merle asked masking the concern in her voice. She got no reaction from Hitomi. She slapped Hitomi across her cheeks, which turned bright red, 'just like before...' Merle remembered from when Van had almost died. She dumped a pitcher of water that rested on the bedside table all over her face, but she didn't wake up, and she still wasn't breathing...
* The tiger had flames glimmering in its eyes, and it looked with ferocity at the hunter. The burly man looked pale, as if he was ready to stop breathing... He suddenly remembered his arrows and took one out to shoot at the tiger that was about to pounce on him. Hitomi looked at the tiger and could tell that it only meant to hurt the hunter and not her, she wondered why... His bow quivered as he aimed. He missed maiming the tiger, it hit the beast on the shoulder and it growled in pain. The huntsman, seeing a possible escape, dashed away before seeing the tiger start to glow... *
Merle knew that something was deadly wrong, she rang for the servants and they all ran in panting for breath.
"What is it Lady Merle?" The head servant asked.
"It's Queen Hitomi, something's wrong!" Merle had tears welled up in her eyes, pointing at the limp figure on the bed.
"My word!" The servant exclaimed, seeing the queen's state. He quickly picked up Lady Hitomi and ran out the door towards the healer's ward.
* Hitomi saw the tiger begin to glow and wondered what was wrong. Then the tiger seemed to change shape. 'What's happening?' She wondered. The glowing stopped, and a groan escaped from a catman with a bloody shoulder.
"Are you OK?" She asked in concern. The catman spun around to see a girl he didn't know was there. He tried to growl menacingly, but it came out as a pitiful moan.
"You're hurt." She commented seeing the wound as blood started to run down his arm.
"Know it's nothing." The catman replied.
"I just made a foolish mistake, it's nothing at all..." He gripped his shoulder tightly and started walking down a dirt path.
"Hey c'mon." She protested.
"You need help!" She unfastened her bow and walked over to the fleeing catman. Taking his hand off his shoulder, she bound it with the bow, ripping off a piece of her sleeve to tie it more firmly.
"Is that better?" She asked with concern.
"Yes, it is. Thank you." The catman replied, giving her a genuine smile.
"What's your name?" She asked.
"Toku." He replied.
"My name is Hitomi, sir. Hitomi Kanzaki." She told him.
"Well Hitomi, thank you for helping me, where are you headed?"
"Nowhere. I don't know where I am, or why..."
"Strange, strange indeed. You may stay with my family tonight until you decide what to do."
"Thank you very much. I humbly accept your generosity." She said, thinking of what Van would say under such circumstances. 'No need to tell him I'm queen of Fanelia, I don't even know if I'm on Gaea, although I probably am.' They came out of the dense forest and she looked up at the sky. 'There are the two moons, this has to be Gaea.' She breathed a sigh of relief.
"What are you looking at little lady?" Toku asked.
"Nothing, just looking up at the sky."
"Yes, it is indeed very pretty, the Mystic Moon is shining brighter than usual."
They walked for about an hour before they reached a small village. It looked very quaint and homey and Hitomi was glad to be there, even if she didn't know where "there" was.
"Excuse me Toku, where are we?" She asked.
"We're on the outskirts of Fanelia Lady Hitomi, and this is The Hitaru clan village."
"The Hitaru clan?"
"A village of catpeople who protect the forest from hunters, like you saw back there."
"Come," He told her, and led her down the path. Little catchildren ran about the streets, they were barefoot with simple clothing. 'They look like they're having fun, I remember when I was just like them.' She shivered, that had been so long ago, before she had come to Gaea, when she was just a naïve girl that thought that there were always happy endings in all aspects of life. The village consisted of many huts, made of stone and with thatched roofs. They walked up to one of the huts and a little catgirl ran out of the hut. She had pink wavy hair, a light complexion, and black stripes on her arms and legs. She looked vaguely familiar.
She squealed, "DADDY!" And jumped into Toku's arms.
"Hello Meru." He greeted the little girl.
'Meru? No it must be a coincidence, they're not even the same names.' Her conscious haunted her. //But they could have changed her name, like Naria and Eriya...// 'Shut up conscious!'
Her thoughts were silenced when the little catgirl asked, "Who is she?" Pointing at Hitomi.
"Looks like a foreigner!"
"This is Lady Hitomi Meru. Oh yes, I forgot to ask you Lady Hitomi, where do you come from?"
"Umm..." She was unsure of what to say.
"What's the matter, cat's got your tongue?" Meru asked slyly.
"Fanelia." She replied.
"Ah yes, you must be from one of the distant villages by the look of your clothes. Well come in. Is supper ready Meru?"
"Yes Daddy, mother is just setting it out!" Said the springy catgirl as she jumped around meowing with excitement at her father's return.
The group headed inside where a beautiful catwoman was setting some plates on a wooden table.
"Toku! You're back! And you've brought a guest." The catwoman observed, hugging her husband.
"Yes, I'm back Vaona." He said giving her a gentle kiss.
"This is Lady Hitomi." *
They had reached the healers ward. The healers looked worried when they saw their queen.
"What happened this time?" They asked, Lady Hitomi seemed to be unconscious most of the time.
"She collapsed and stopped breathing when talking to Lady Merle." He said, placing Queen Hitomi on a bed.
"This is indeed serious." The head healer replied checking her pulse.
"We will do everything we can to save her."
"What sad tidings it would be if Lord Van comes home to find his wife dead." The servant sadly replied.
"I'll send him a message telling him that Lady Hitomi is not feeling well." He told them, before scurrying away.
* After dinner, Hitomi had taken Meru outside. Toku was tired and Vaona wanted to talk to him. Meru's baby brother and sister (twins) had been put to bed earlier.
"So how long are you staying Lady Hitomi?" The small catgirl asked.
"Until I find a way to get home."
"Father can take you when he goes to fetch my grandmother to visit." Meru replied.
"How old are you?" Hitomi was curious and had a feeling of dread well up within her.
"I'm three years old, but I'll be four in June." Meru replied.
"Why do you want to know?"
"Oh just curious." Hitomi answered. She knew who this little girl was. The facts had played themselves out before her. The pink hair. The complexion and stripes. The age. The birthday. This little girl was a young Merle, and Hitomi knew that this peaceful little village would soon be destroyed... *
The healers hoped they wouldn't have to do this sort of thing for Lady Hitomi constantly. It seemed like every other minute she was unwell and was being carried to them in a trance or bleeding. Many of them had sighed when they saw her enter. True, they cared about their queen, but they wished she wouldn't get into so many of these predicaments that threatened her life. They ran many tests on her. Merle sat beside her, looking anxiously for a sign of life. All they could do is pray...
* It was dark out and Hitomi and Meru admired the stars. A group of stars fell and Meru looked concerned.
"An ill omen." She reported to Hitomi.
'It's predicting their downfall.' She thought sadly. 'Poor little Meru, she is going to suffer so greatly. I wish I could do something...' But she knew that nothing she did would help, so she sat with her little friend, grateful to be alive, for the present... *
The healers examined some test results.
"Interesting." A healer reported, eyeing his fellow healers.
"Very interesting indeed..."
* Hitomi took Meru in and tucked her into bed. Meru looked so content, and seemed to have forgotten about the "ill omen."
"Hitomi, will you sing me a lullaby?" She asked.
Hitomi agreed and beautiful song, as the girl fell fast asleep.
Somewhere else:
"So there it is..."
"There's the village."
"Our revenge is coming, beware beast men, you will not enjoy this tranquility much longer..." And there were a few despicable laughs, that echoed throughout the darkness.
A/N: I'll upload the next one now... THANKS AGAIN! * Smiles * Arigatou and Sionara! ^_^
~Trunks Gal~