AN: Here's the next chapter, sorry for the cliffhanger, I couldn't resist!!
Standard disclaimers apply…~sigh~ I want to own Van…~sobs into her shirt~
" Think I'm gonna be sick." She muttered softly, clamping a hand over her mouth. Then a pillar of white light enveloped her. Forgetting her upset stomach, she let out a small yelp as she was lifted into the air. 'My mom is going to KILL me!' was her last thought, and then she passed out.
* * * * * * * * * * *
" Lord Van, are you having a good time?" Merle looked at him, head tilted slightly.
" Yeah." Van smiled. She raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing him.
" Come on, there's lots of people here! Allen and Millerna and Chid and Dryden, you should be having fun!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to their old 'gang'. Just then a strange feeling washed over Van, making him pause.
" What's wrong Van?" Allen looked at him. He shook his head, about to answer when there was a faint flash of light in a corner of the ballroom. They looked at him, and Van proceeded to shrug.
" Probably just a candle that tipped over…it's not near anything flammable so it should be ok." They nodded. Millerna smiled at him.
" So Van, see anybody interesting here?" Van sighed, knowing what she meant.
" Would you guys stop playing matchmaker? If I do see anybody I'll know. I'm not a child." He rolled his eyes as they laughed.
" It's for your own good Van. Your country is getting anxious about it." Dryden looked thoughtful.
" I know a couple people that could help set you up if you wanted." Millerna elbowed him in the side, frowning slightly. Chid laughed, now 10 years old and taller. Van noticed the similarity of Chid and Allen. Did Chid suspect anything? He looked questioningly at Allen, who just looked away. Guess not. Van sighed, looking around. The party was mainly populated with princesses, the council's attempts to get Van a queen. They were right though. Fanelia did need a queen, but he just couldn't find the right one. Some of the princesses spotted him looking around and giggled, talking to one another in rapid voices. He groaned, imagining what they thought he was doing.
" Lord Van?" Merle waved a hand in front of his face, looking at him.
" What? Oh, sorry Merle. What were you saying?" She glared at him.
" I was just saying how this doesn't quite feel complete. Like somebody's missing." Allen nodded.
" And we all know who that 'someone' is." The rest of them nodded. A glint of purple caught the edge of Van's eyes. He turned his head, blinking. A princess had just walked out of a crowd, looking bewildered. Her black looking hair was up in a strange style, and she looked like she was lost, and she also looked faintly annoyed.
" Merle, do you know her name?" Van stared at her as Merle hummed and turned her head.
" No…that's odd, I only invited ones I'd heard about or at least knew their names…" Merle shrugged.
" Only one way to find out!" Before Van could stop her, Merle headed off towards the princess.
* * * * * * * * * * *
When Rose woke up, the first thought that crossed her mind was 'Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore.' She looked around at the scene before her, in a corner of what appeared to be…a castle? What was going on here?? People in medieval clothing danced and mingled; however there seemed to be a large population of women here. She went to take a step forward, but heard a rustle of fabric that hadn't been there before. She looked down and nearly yelled.
" Whoever did this is gonna pay BIG," she growled angrily. She was wearing a light blue dress that miraculously matched her hair. It didn't have shoulders, and managed to stay on just below them. There was gold embroidery in a thick band at the top of the fabric, just below her collarbones. The sleeves split in two, forming small gossamer wing-like flaps. The dress reached the floor, whispering against the ground when she moved. Blinking rapidly, she moved experimentally. No shoes…oh well, she could do without them. It was then she realized that nobody seemed to notice that she had just suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
" Rrrr where am I?" She started walking slowly, looking around her. Just then a girl in a cat costume walked up to her.
" Hello!" The girl curtsied. Aw crap…
" Um…hello." She smiled nervously. 'If I curtsy I'm going to fall over,' she thought wryly.
" Come meet my friends, they want to see you!" The girl grabbed her hand, dragging her over to a bunch of guys and one lady. She was in BIG trouble now. She blinked, looking closer at the man with black hair. He reminded her of somebody…he walked over to her, looking slightly regretful.
" Please excuse Merle's behavior. She tends to get a little excited at parties." He bowed, and she smiled nervously again, noticed the glares she was getting from the other women at the party. Oh man.
" I don't believe I know you, Princess…" he trailed off, waiting for her to give her his name. She blinked. Princess?
" You must be mistaken sir. I'm no princess. Talk to anybody I know, they'll tell you otherwise." He seemed taken back a little. She smirked inwardly.
" Oh. Well then…may I have your name?" She shrugged, confidence returning.
" My name is Rose, my friends call me Rose. At least they would if I had any friends," she said brusquely, pushing a strand of hair off of her shoulder. He blinked. Apparently he wasn't used to people like me. Didn't matter though. As soon as she found out where she was…
" My name is Van Fanel, and I'm pleased to meet you Miss Rose." His voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
" Whoa whoa whoa! THE Van Fanel??" She could feel her eyes widen. It wasn't possible…mother couldn't have…
" Y…yes. Is there a problem Miss Rose?" He had an eyebrow raised, and she felt a calm anger wash over her. He never came back for her. It was all his fault. Mother…a low growl escaped her throat. A shocked look appeared on his face as her eyes darkened angrily.
" You." She glared at him, fists clenching. The lady stepped forward.
" Um, excuse me miss…are you alright?" Rose nodded, smiling grimly.
" Oh yes I'm fine. Please excuse my behavior." She continued glaring at Van. Then an idea hit her…perfect revenge for leaving her mother behind.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Van stared uneasily at the girl. All of a sudden she had gotten angry with him, and he couldn't recall doing anything wrong.
" You." She glared at him, and he could see her fists clench by her sides. Millerna stepped forward.
" Um, excuse me miss…are you alright?" Rose nodded, smiling a smile that made him shiver.
" Oh yes I'm fine. Please excuse my behavior." What was going on? He watched her warily as she walked up to him, inclining her head slightly.
" I don't believe I've told you my full name. Of course, this is most important for a full introduction." She gave a rather clumsy curtsy, but he wisely didn't say anything. He had a feeling he'd regret this introduction.
" My name, as I've said, is Rose. Rose," pause, "Rose, Dawn," another pause, then a grin, "Rose, Dawn, Kansaki." She stressed the last word as his eyes widened. Hitomi…he felt his world come crashing down around him. No wonder why she wanted to be friends…she found somebody else…his throat constricted painfully. He saw a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes, which were now cold and like blocks of ice.
" K…Kansaki?" He asked weakly, eyes gaining focus again. She smirked cruelly. Did she ENJOY doing this to him? She nodded, a vapid look on her face.
" Oh, have you heard the name before? How silly of me!" Allen stepped forward.
" Just hold on a second, what proof do you have of that? And why are you acting so cruel?" She smirked.
" Proof. Ok. You." She pointed to Allen. "Are…Allen Shezar, Heavenly knight of Asturia. You had a crush on Princess Millerna but gave up after she got married to Dryden over here." Van watched in amazement as she pointed to Dryden.
" Dryden, merchant, saved Van by paying…5 million whatever to the Ispanos to fix Escaflowne AFTER my mother begged him not to go out and fight." Van winced. How did she know so much? After going through the most embarrassing moments of everybody's lives, she turned to him, eyes glittering.
" Your turn. Van Fanel, the most obnoxious jerk on Gaia, dragged my mother to this planet and risked her life many times, making her die twice, practically shoving her into the arms of Allen," here both Allen and him winced, " and then leaving her to go home, never trying to contact her." She spat the last part out bitterly, then whirled and stormed out of the ballroom, heading toward the gardens. Van shot a helpless look at Allen.
" Should I go after her?" Allen shrugged, looking just as lost.
" Hitomi…Hitomi has a daughter?" Merle looked crestfallen. He felt his throat constrict again.
" I'm going to go after her…maybe get more information." He finally found his voice again, and headed outside.
" Think I'm gonna be sick." She muttered softly, clamping a hand over her mouth. Then a pillar of white light enveloped her. Forgetting her upset stomach, she let out a small yelp as she was lifted into the air. 'My mom is going to KILL me!' was her last thought, and then she passed out.
* * * * * * * * * * *
" Lord Van, are you having a good time?" Merle looked at him, head tilted slightly.
" Yeah." Van smiled. She raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing him.
" Come on, there's lots of people here! Allen and Millerna and Chid and Dryden, you should be having fun!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to their old 'gang'. Just then a strange feeling washed over Van, making him pause.
" What's wrong Van?" Allen looked at him. He shook his head, about to answer when there was a faint flash of light in a corner of the ballroom. They looked at him, and Van proceeded to shrug.
" Probably just a candle that tipped over…it's not near anything flammable so it should be ok." They nodded. Millerna smiled at him.
" So Van, see anybody interesting here?" Van sighed, knowing what she meant.
" Would you guys stop playing matchmaker? If I do see anybody I'll know. I'm not a child." He rolled his eyes as they laughed.
" It's for your own good Van. Your country is getting anxious about it." Dryden looked thoughtful.
" I know a couple people that could help set you up if you wanted." Millerna elbowed him in the side, frowning slightly. Chid laughed, now 10 years old and taller. Van noticed the similarity of Chid and Allen. Did Chid suspect anything? He looked questioningly at Allen, who just looked away. Guess not. Van sighed, looking around. The party was mainly populated with princesses, the council's attempts to get Van a queen. They were right though. Fanelia did need a queen, but he just couldn't find the right one. Some of the princesses spotted him looking around and giggled, talking to one another in rapid voices. He groaned, imagining what they thought he was doing.
" Lord Van?" Merle waved a hand in front of his face, looking at him.
" What? Oh, sorry Merle. What were you saying?" She glared at him.
" I was just saying how this doesn't quite feel complete. Like somebody's missing." Allen nodded.
" And we all know who that 'someone' is." The rest of them nodded. A glint of purple caught the edge of Van's eyes. He turned his head, blinking. A princess had just walked out of a crowd, looking bewildered. Her black looking hair was up in a strange style, and she looked like she was lost, and she also looked faintly annoyed.
" Merle, do you know her name?" Van stared at her as Merle hummed and turned her head.
" No…that's odd, I only invited ones I'd heard about or at least knew their names…" Merle shrugged.
" Only one way to find out!" Before Van could stop her, Merle headed off towards the princess.
* * * * * * * * * * *
When Rose woke up, the first thought that crossed her mind was 'Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore.' She looked around at the scene before her, in a corner of what appeared to be…a castle? What was going on here?? People in medieval clothing danced and mingled; however there seemed to be a large population of women here. She went to take a step forward, but heard a rustle of fabric that hadn't been there before. She looked down and nearly yelled.
" Whoever did this is gonna pay BIG," she growled angrily. She was wearing a light blue dress that miraculously matched her hair. It didn't have shoulders, and managed to stay on just below them. There was gold embroidery in a thick band at the top of the fabric, just below her collarbones. The sleeves split in two, forming small gossamer wing-like flaps. The dress reached the floor, whispering against the ground when she moved. Blinking rapidly, she moved experimentally. No shoes…oh well, she could do without them. It was then she realized that nobody seemed to notice that she had just suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
" Rrrr where am I?" She started walking slowly, looking around her. Just then a girl in a cat costume walked up to her.
" Hello!" The girl curtsied. Aw crap…
" Um…hello." She smiled nervously. 'If I curtsy I'm going to fall over,' she thought wryly.
" Come meet my friends, they want to see you!" The girl grabbed her hand, dragging her over to a bunch of guys and one lady. She was in BIG trouble now. She blinked, looking closer at the man with black hair. He reminded her of somebody…he walked over to her, looking slightly regretful.
" Please excuse Merle's behavior. She tends to get a little excited at parties." He bowed, and she smiled nervously again, noticed the glares she was getting from the other women at the party. Oh man.
" I don't believe I know you, Princess…" he trailed off, waiting for her to give her his name. She blinked. Princess?
" You must be mistaken sir. I'm no princess. Talk to anybody I know, they'll tell you otherwise." He seemed taken back a little. She smirked inwardly.
" Oh. Well then…may I have your name?" She shrugged, confidence returning.
" My name is Rose, my friends call me Rose. At least they would if I had any friends," she said brusquely, pushing a strand of hair off of her shoulder. He blinked. Apparently he wasn't used to people like me. Didn't matter though. As soon as she found out where she was…
" My name is Van Fanel, and I'm pleased to meet you Miss Rose." His voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
" Whoa whoa whoa! THE Van Fanel??" She could feel her eyes widen. It wasn't possible…mother couldn't have…
" Y…yes. Is there a problem Miss Rose?" He had an eyebrow raised, and she felt a calm anger wash over her. He never came back for her. It was all his fault. Mother…a low growl escaped her throat. A shocked look appeared on his face as her eyes darkened angrily.
" You." She glared at him, fists clenching. The lady stepped forward.
" Um, excuse me miss…are you alright?" Rose nodded, smiling grimly.
" Oh yes I'm fine. Please excuse my behavior." She continued glaring at Van. Then an idea hit her…perfect revenge for leaving her mother behind.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Van stared uneasily at the girl. All of a sudden she had gotten angry with him, and he couldn't recall doing anything wrong.
" You." She glared at him, and he could see her fists clench by her sides. Millerna stepped forward.
" Um, excuse me miss…are you alright?" Rose nodded, smiling a smile that made him shiver.
" Oh yes I'm fine. Please excuse my behavior." What was going on? He watched her warily as she walked up to him, inclining her head slightly.
" I don't believe I've told you my full name. Of course, this is most important for a full introduction." She gave a rather clumsy curtsy, but he wisely didn't say anything. He had a feeling he'd regret this introduction.
" My name, as I've said, is Rose. Rose," pause, "Rose, Dawn," another pause, then a grin, "Rose, Dawn, Kansaki." She stressed the last word as his eyes widened. Hitomi…he felt his world come crashing down around him. No wonder why she wanted to be friends…she found somebody else…his throat constricted painfully. He saw a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes, which were now cold and like blocks of ice.
" K…Kansaki?" He asked weakly, eyes gaining focus again. She smirked cruelly. Did she ENJOY doing this to him? She nodded, a vapid look on her face.
" Oh, have you heard the name before? How silly of me!" Allen stepped forward.
" Just hold on a second, what proof do you have of that? And why are you acting so cruel?" She smirked.
" Proof. Ok. You." She pointed to Allen. "Are…Allen Shezar, Heavenly knight of Asturia. You had a crush on Princess Millerna but gave up after she got married to Dryden over here." Van watched in amazement as she pointed to Dryden.
" Dryden, merchant, saved Van by paying…5 million whatever to the Ispanos to fix Escaflowne AFTER my mother begged him not to go out and fight." Van winced. How did she know so much? After going through the most embarrassing moments of everybody's lives, she turned to him, eyes glittering.
" Your turn. Van Fanel, the most obnoxious jerk on Gaia, dragged my mother to this planet and risked her life many times, making her die twice, practically shoving her into the arms of Allen," here both Allen and him winced, " and then leaving her to go home, never trying to contact her." She spat the last part out bitterly, then whirled and stormed out of the ballroom, heading toward the gardens. Van shot a helpless look at Allen.
" Should I go after her?" Allen shrugged, looking just as lost.
" Hitomi…Hitomi has a daughter?" Merle looked crestfallen. He felt his throat constrict again.
" I'm going to go after her…maybe get more information." He finally found his voice again, and headed outside.