Disclaimer: I don't Escaflowne. If I did, things would've been different. And I would have a whole helluva lot more money, and I'd be a much happier person.

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A/N: This takes place after the end of the movie (which is, for all of you who haven't seen it: far, far superior art quality, and I like the story much better. Less whiney Hitomi, less falling in love with everything that walks by…and Millerna is a warrioress! Not a big skanky backstabbing ho!!! Go rent the movie if you haven't seen it. It's much prettier, much, much prettier.) Oh, and also, most people didn't notice this, but: in the series, Hitomi is fifteen, making her a freshman in high school. In the movie, Hitomi is a junior in high school—making her more about seventeen. I went with those ages.

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Chapter One: Home and Healed

Hitomi opened her eyes, her eyelids heavy.

"There you are Hitomi!" A familiar, comforting voice said.

"Yukari?" Hitomi sat up, glancing about her. She was atop the roof of the school.

"Of course it's me, silly. Who else knows you come up here to ditch class?" Yukari crouched next to Hitomi.

Hitomi brushed her hair back behind her ears. "Only you, I suppose," Hitomi grinned.

Yukari looked taken aback. Then she burst out laughing. "Oh, Hitomi!" She tackled Hitomi, pinning her in a hug.

"What?" Hitomi asked, returned the hug hesitantly.

"You smiled!" Yukari pulled away, her dark auburn eyes huge and sparkling with tears.

"Oh, Yukari…" Hitomi pulled Yukari into another embrace, this time deeper. "I just lost track of life…"

"Don't do it again, all right?" Yukari mumbled into Hitomi's shoulder.

"I won't," Hitomi smiled again, pulling away, looking steadily into Yukari's eyes to assure her best friend of her newfound confidence.

Yukari let of a breath of air, sighing happily. "Thank God…" she breathed falling back and lying sprawled out on the warm cement.

"Thank Escaflowne…" Hitomi whispered under her breath, pulling her knees up to her chest, longing for…

"Hmm?" Yukari interrupted Hitomi's thoughts.

"Oh, nothing." Hitomi smiled again. She refused to let herself get that low again. "I probably need to go back to class, hmm?"

"Yeah, you should." Yukari said softly. "Will you come back to track again?"

"Sure," Hitomi smiled, standing. She slipped her feet into her shoes, bending down to retrieve the letter.

She ran her fingers over it softly, slowly…

"What's that?" Yukari asked, sitting up, noticing the letter in Hitomi's hands.

Hitomi turned and smiled. "It was for you, from me, but…" Hitomi shredded the letter, remembering its contents. "Not anymore."

"What was it about?" Yukari asked, walking to Hitomi's side, watching her scatter the last shreds to the wind.

"I thought I didn't want to live anymore…"

Yukari wrapped her arms around Hitomi's shoulders from behind, the simple gesture comforting Hitomi beyond words.

"But…then I had a wonderful dream…"

"Did you dream about that boy you saw when you were younger?"

Hitomi only nodded. "He's grown up now…" she tilted her head to the side, remembering his face, the way his arms felt around her…

"Is he cute?" Yukari asked, lifting her eyebrows teasingly.

Hitomi slugged her best friend in the shoulder playfully. "Very," She said as seriously as possible before they both dissolved into giggles.

Yukari wrapped her arm about Hitomi's waist, and Hitomi's instinctively went around Yukari's. It was so familiar…so safe…so wonderful…

The two walked back to class, the friendship renewed. Yukari chatted away about a new boy on the track team. Hitomi looked up at the sky, where the moon hung…only now, the moon was not alone. There was Gaea pinned beautifully in the sky next to the moon. Hitomi knew Yukari couldn't see it…she doubted anyone could. Only her. It was her secret escape.

Hitomi silently thanked whatever God or Gods existed for letting her return before she had hurt Yukari.

She remembered whispering those words, those ever so devastating words, "How annoying…just fade away…fade away…just fade away…Annoying girl…just fade away…fade away…" and poor Yukari had thought she was speaking to her. Hitomi was only talking about herself. She was the, "Annoying girl who hurts her friends."

"Hitomi?" Yukari asked, suddenly stopping.

"Hmm?" Hitomi stopped with her, her mind snapped back to reality.

"Are you all right? You seemed…distant…" Yukari looked at Hitomi, as if trying to decide something.

"I'm sorry," Hitomi smiled, "I was just remembering my wonderful dream…"

"Will you tell me about it?"

"Not now…maybe later…"

"All right, Hitomi." Yukari sighed happily, thankful that her best friend was all right. "I love you Hitomi…I'm glad you're back…"

"I love you too, Yukari…"

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FINAL A/N: Well, should I continue or not? Should I? Should I? Review please! Please, please, please, please?