Once In A Blue Moon- Chapter 1
The room is empty
The lights are dim
And my heart wonders
If I'll ever see you again
My tears are hungry
For an open door
And your arms held me
I've never felt that way before
* Tokyo, Japan, Earth*
She stared out the sun filled window of her apartment craning her neck slightly, to get a better view tapping her new thigh high boots against the hardwood floor she turned and headed towards phone. Rehearsal for the wedding was in an hour and Mamoru still was no where in sight.
"Calm down honey, he'll be here" chuckled a woman around twenty-five she had shoulder-length red-brown hair pulled back in a sloppy bun with red and gold chopsticks holding it all together. She wore a pair of cut off shorts that she made out of her "lucky" jeans when they had gotten ripped. Her tank top was a midriff and was made out of some type of sparkly red material that played off her shining red eyes as she watched her friend pace frantically.
"Ya think, Kari?" the first woman asked gloomily as she began to fiddle with her own french braided mane of golden colored hair which went far down her back. Leaving her hair alone after a disapproving look from her friend she moved on to her forest green peasant blouse and then short jean skirt and boots. "Do you think this is a little much?" she asked her friend from the antique green armchair she had decided to settle in after, stepping away from the phone.
"Huh" started Yukari who was still on the Victorian sofa but was currently more interested in the fire in the fireplace in front of her than listening to her friend's insecurities.
"My outfit, do you think it's too slutty to go into a church in?" she answered slightly annoyed at her friend's ignorance.
"Dear firstly you look cute and secondly the ceremony is going to be outside, thank Kammi-samma, because the heat might give your relatives a heart attack, especially your Ojisan Kengi." Yukari said trying to stifle a laugh after her jab at her friends somewhat over weight uncle. "Besides its not like you don't like Dilandau, well you hated him at first but I think he grew on you. Didn't he Hitomi." This time Yukari poked her friend lightly in the side, it had been obvious that Hitomi had disliked Dilandau Albatou, when he had first mysteriously appeared in their town ten years previous around the tome Hitomi came back from her disappearance. Over time this changed and they had become friends and were soon to be related through the marriage that was about to take place at sunset that day.
Hitomi smiled at her friend "Yeah, I guess Dilly did grow on me a bit, but I wish Mamoru would hurry up! Have you seen Millie?" Hitomi suddenly turned serious at the fact that her little daughter wasn't anywhere in sight.
"No, Hun I haven't but then again she is ALWAYS running off, just like you, if I wasn't there when you adopted her I would think she was your biological daughter, like practically everyone else." Yukari responded dryly and returned her gaze to the flames.
"You hush, as far as I'm concerned she is my biological daughter!" which was close to true, Millerna or Millie as Hitomi preferred to call her was Hitomi's younger sister Tsuki's. When Tsuki had discovered she was pregnant, she had wanted an abortion but Hitomi's family wouldn't let her. They had also wanted her to marry the father, who according to Tsuki was impossible to find since it could be any number of people. After Millie had been born Tsuki had pretty much left her alone in a dark room of her crack house apartment, where Hitomi found her on a visit to her troubled sister. She begged for the baby and was given her after she paid her sister several billion yen that probably went straight to drugs. That was 4 years ago and she had never been happier, her writing career had taken off full force soon after the adoption and her name was now up with the likes of Rowling and Tolkien in the literary community.
And I'll be waiting
And I'll be watching
Under a blue moon
Taste of heaven
Only happens
Once in a blue moon
A car horn went off from the curb 15 stories below the penthouse suit that was Hitomi and her daughter's home. The car was a blue convertible that Mamoru had bought before he left Japan and moved to America where he worked in computers.
"He's here!" Hitomi squealed, after jumping out of her chair she walked over to Millie's room, rapping lightly on the door she called out to her daughter "Aino-chan, our ride is here Hayuku!"
"I'm here mamma" chirped the voice of an innocent 4 year old girl. The girl herself was small and tiny in size, but her hair and eyes looked a lot like her Aunts just slightly darker and her hair was covered in soft wispy curls unlike Hitomi's which was straight as a pin, she had adorable dimples on both her round cheeks. Her skin tone was a little darker then Hitomi's but other then these small differences they could have been cloned, let alone be mother and daughter.
The door flung open and Millie made a running jump at her mother, giving her a big hug. Hitomi smiled at her little girl and held her close savoring the moment. That is until the car horn decided to interrupt again, sending Hitomi back into the here and now. After a quick glance at her watch she realized they would be late if they did not leave now, she pulled away gently. And went to the closet to grab her and Millie's dresses which they would where to in the wedding at sunset. Until then it was nothing but practices and pictures, hell they'd have to get dressed over there.
"Come on Itooshi, we will be late" Hitomi said taking the little girl's hand she headed for the door calling over her shoulder to her friend. "I'll see you at the wedding alright, and for the love of Kammi-samma, get Amano in a tux or at least something nice!"
Do you remember?
When the wind blew free?
We fit together so naturally.
* Fanelia castle, Fanelia, Gaea *
The early morning sun flitted lightly down onto the roof where a young man lay looking out at the sky; in particular the illusory moon or phantom moon as it was often now a day since the destiny war. Propping himself up on his elbows he closed his burgundy eyes and let the wind brush through his already unmanageable black hair. He should be in a meeting right now but he couldn't think about anything today, he never could on this date.
"VAN-SAMMA!" he heard a shrill cry break his moment of silence come from the ground where his old playmate stood impatiently waiting for him holding her small daughter in her arms.
Groaning inwardly the young monarch stood up and walked over to the edge of the roof where Merle stood below waiting. "Yes Merle?" he called down to her.
"Get down here this second, its dangerous up there, besides Darien asked me to go for a ride with him without Emily and I need you to baby sit! It would give you an excuse to skip your meeting!" she yelled back
"I'm coming" he replied while removing his black muscle shirt, he closed his eyes and began to concentrate until a pair of white majestic wings sprouted from his back, jumping off the roof he floated down toward the young cat woman below. "Is Darien getting sick of her already?" he joked lightly.
"Never, what's wrong with a man wanting some alone time with his wife! Which reminds me, when do you intend to get married?" Merle retorted handing over the precious bundle in her arms to her best friend.
"Merle" Van voice deepened to a low growl, she knew better then to ask that.
"Van, it has been ten years, she isn't coming back! I know that, heck most of Gaea knows that and deep down I think you know that too!" She looked at him sadly she too missed Hitomi but it was time to face the facts Hitomi had moved on as she had every right too and now they had to too.
"Don't say that Merle, because if you do I'll have to believe it too and I just can't do that, you know that." He said sadly
"Van-samma, I'm sorry, please don't look at me like that!" Merle pleaded with him; she hated that look it always made her want to cry.
"Perhaps you're right Merle, maybe I should move on, but it's not that easy. Sometimes I want to but I love her too much I suppose." He sighed and sat down sullenly on a bench in the garden courtyard. " I just can't give up on her yet, not until she tells me to leave and she can't do that since we lost contact 8 years ago. Hell I don't know what to do, she could be married or she could be dead for all I know!"
" Go and see her." Merle said quietly sitting down next to her friend
"What?" Van looked over at the woman beside him somewhat confused.
"Go and see her Van, your still friends and all besides this has to stop. You have to move on with or without Hitomi. And according to you the only way to do that is to see her again so go and see her, end this, go get your life back!" the young feline told him again. She knew that his love for Hitomi would kill him if he stayed like this, recluse and miserable. Merle had always loved Lord Van, even now after she had been married for 2 years. And she hated him whither away like he was, moping around silent and brooding. Straining himself for Fanelia, perfecting and changing it so it would be perfect for his Hitomi when she came back. But Merle had known for sometime now that she would come back until Lord Van brought her there.
"You know what Merle! I think I will, send a message to Allen, Millerna, Dryden and Chid! Oh and Merle how would you like to see the Mystic Moon?" he practically shouted leaping up from his seat on the bench.
And I'll be waiting
And I'll be watching
Under a blue moon
Taste of heaven
Only happens once
In a blue moon
If the wind closes a door
It will open another
It had taken until lunchtime for everyone to arrive but everyone had finally arrived, Sir Allen with his younger sister Lady Celena and their royal highnesses of Asturia Queen Millerna Sarah Aston-Fassa and her husband King Dryden Fassa with her highness's nephew Duke Chid of Fried. Merle and her husband Darien Chiba with their little daughter Emily were also to come. All of these people knew and were friends of Hitomi except for Darien and Celena but they had heard the stories and had wanted to come to meet the clairvoyant from the Phantom Moon.
"OH, Dryden I'm so excited to see Hitomi again, she told me once about her world and from what I can remember from the conversation it seems very exciting!" Millerna prattled away with her husband as they walked toward the graveyard from which Van would summon the column of light using Hitomi's pendant that she left in Van's care before she left.
"Everybody join hands" Van ordered gruffly positioning himself as far away from Allen as possible. He was still jealous of him after all this time because of Hitomi's infatuation with him. He hadn't even wanted him to come along but he rationed that he was Hitomi's friend and had as much right to see her as he did. Even though deep down he hoped that if Hitomi still felt the same way as she did when she left, he could show up that stupid blonde man-whore.
Van slowly lifted the pendant in one hand the other was clinging tightly onto Merle's. As he did this a sparkling pillar of white light shot down towards them and then they were no more.
And I'll be waiting
And I'll be watching
Under a blue moon
Taste of heaven
Only happens once
In a blue moon
Once in a blue moon
A/N- Hi people this is my new baby… I mean fic. Anyway as you must have noticed I have used several Japanese words through out this chapter, so I'm going to put a mini-dictionary at the end of each chapter so you all know what each term in the fic means. Now this fic is also interactive, in other words I want you people to review and tell me what you think of this fic and I except flames very well too so don't not review just because you think it'll hurt my feelings, because you won't.
MINNI DICTIONARY OF JAPANESE WORDS USED IN THIS CHAPTER IN ORDER OF FIRST APPEARANCE:
Kammi-samma- God or spirit
Ojisan- Uncle
Aino-chan- Sweetheart
Hayuku- Hurry up
Itooshi- Beloved
Disclaimer- I don't own Escaflowne or the song used in this chapter which is by Sydney Forest. However I do own Millie (Hitomi's daughter not Millerna) and Tsuki (Hitomi's drug addicted younger sister) and Ojisan Kengi (Hitomi's fat uncle).