AN: Well this is it. The moment of true! How far can I go 2 make this half interesting? Or any interesting for that matter. I'm 2 stretch this as far as I can go. I'm not sure how long it will take me 2 get some chapters out though. Evil work gets in the way. Grrr.....WORK SUX!!!! Neways, read and enjoy!
Chapter 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~FANELIA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You're up late."
"Couldn't sleep."
"Thinking of Hitomi?"
"Yes and no."
"How can you think of her and not think of her Van? Be more specific."
"How can I be more specific Allen? She's there not here. Besides, I have other things to think of now."
The Asturian knight looked up at the giant guymelef known as Escaflowne as they stood in front of it. Van turned to look at him as he sighed.
"Do you think she's happy there? Or, do you think she's moping around trying to hide what she feels?" Allen asked.
"Are you implying something of me Allen?" Van asked as he turned his eyes to look at the guymelef in front of them.
"There was a saying that I once heard Hitomi use and I think it would work in this situation. If the shoe fits, wear it." Allen said. Van cocked his head to the side, about ready to ask what the knight was getting at when a familiar blue light engulfed them and the Escaflowne.
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"Sir! The light brought something back with it! It's quite large and it appears to be in three!"
"Where did it go?"
"The fields right outside the lab."
"Good work!"
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The light faded leaving two men in the middle of a track unknown to them. Van stood and observed his surroundings.
"I can't believe it." He breathed.
"Can't believe what? Where are we Van?" Allen asked.
"The Mystic Moon but, how?" Van asked himself.
"Good question. Are you sure you weren't thinking of Hitomi?" Allen asked.
"I didn't wish us here Allen! I...wait a minute, Escaflowne." Van said.
"What?"
"Where did it land?" Van asked.
"Did it come?" Allen asked.
"Yes, I saw it lift up with us. I have to find it now." Van said as he started walking away.
"Wait a minute Van! We don't know where it is or where we are. We should think about this before we go running into something we can't handle." Allen said.
"What do you suppose we do Allen, sit here?" Van asked sarcastically.
"Stop being so stubborn and listen to me. We're on the Mystic Moon right? Who do we know that lives here and knows the place well?" Allen asked.
"Hitomi but, she could be anywhere..."
"Let me see it!"
"What was that?" Allen asked. They peered from behind a tree and watched as two young women ran along the track. One ran swiftly like the wind as she held something unknown to the to Gaeans up in the air.
"Why Yuki-san? I thought it wasn't that important to you?"
"I lied! Stop running and face me you coward! You know I can't run as fast as you!"
"I'll think about it."
"Kanzaki! You had better stop!"
The other girl laughed as she spun around and jogged backward. Van watched her in silence as she laughed. He knew it was her just by the sound of her voice.
"Hitomi! Please?"
"Oh, alright Yukari. Take it."
A few moments later the red-headed girl they discovered was Yukari jumped up and hugged Hitomi, knocking her to the ground. Both girls laughed and sat up. They watched as Yukari got up and left Hitomi sitting on the ground. They said there good byes and Hitomi stood to dust herself off.
"No time like the present to make yourself known Van." Allen said as he step out meet Hitomi.
"Wait!" Van hissed as Allen left their hiding spot. Hitomi looked over at the approaching figure and started backing away.
"Hitomi!" Allen called. She cocked her head to the side and listened for the voice again.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"Don't tell me you forgot my voice already. It's Allen." He replied.
"A-Allen? How... Are you alone?" She asked. Allen smiled lightly and shook his head..
"No, there's someone else with me." Allen replied motioning his hand for Van to come forward. After a few moments he finally stepped out. Hitomi couldn't quite see them so she slowly walked toward them.
"Allen, it really is you!" Hitomi said as she hugged him. She released him to look at the person behind him.
"Van." She breathed.
"Hello Hitomi."
"What brings you two here?" She asked unable to look directly at Van.
"That's a good question. We were talking when the light pillar carried us away. We have a slight problem though. Escaflowne was lifted with us and seems to have fallen in a different direction." Allen explained.
"Well, it's a good thing you found me. I'll help you find Escaflowne. It's a good thing it's sleeping now." She said. Van gasped as a thought went through his mind.
"What is it Van?" Allen asked.
"We've got a problem." He replied.
"What?" Hitomi asked.
"I had to move Escaflowne to a safer place." He said.
"You mean..." Allen started.
"The energist is still inside? This can't be good." Hitomi said.
"That's one of the reasons why I was outside." Van said.
"Let's go back to my place. We'll search for it in the morning. There's nothing for us to do right now." Hitomi said. They walked in silence as Hitomi thought of places where Escaflowne could be.
"Are you ok Van?" Allen asked as he watched Van rub his neck.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He replied. Hitomi turned to eye him as well. Just as she was about to inquire about the asked question, Van dropped to his knees.
"Van! What's wrong Van?" Hitomi asked as she knelt beside him.
"I...I...can't...breathe..." He answered while gasping for air.
"We have to help him Allen!" Hitomi said as she placed her hand on Van's shoulder. Her vision clouded over and saw what the cause was for Van's sudden attack.
"Oh no." She muttered.
"What is it Hitomi?" Allen asked as they looked at Van.
"Van's in serious trouble. Someone found Escaflowne and they aren't pleasant. They're trying to load Escaflowne onto a transport with a giant chain. That's why Van can't breathe! If he can't hold on until they load it, he'll die." She explained.
"This is just prefect!" Allen shouted. All they could do is watch while Van struggled to breathe.
"Hang on Van. It'll be over soon." Hitomi said as she rubbed his back. He reached up and grasped her arm. His face went white and his eyes bulged before he collapsed.
"Van! Help me Allen! He's not breathing!" Hitomi said as she placed Van on his back. Tilting his head back, she pinched his nose closed and began to breathe into his parted lips. Allen waited for her then pumped Van's chest attempting to help him breathe. After a few minutes, he began to breathe on his own. Coughing and sputtering, he looked up at Hitomi with thanks in his eyes before he passed out again.
"Come on, grab him and we'll go to my place until I can figure out what to do." Hitomi instructed. Allen hoisted Van over his shoulder and followed Hitomi through the park.
"K, we've gotta keep quiet because I have very nosy neighbors and I don't feel like answering all sorts of questions." Hitomi said. Allen nodded and followed her up the stairs to her apartment.
Once inside, Allen was directed to a place where he could put Van down. Hitomi had begun her pacing in the living room trying to figure out what they would do. She had so many things going through her mind that she didn't even notice the blonde knight venture off to explore her apartment.
Allen noticed that there wasn't much to the place she called her home. One small room she claimed was her bedroom. Van had occupied that leaving Hitomi pacing back and forth in the larger of the rooms which she had said was the living room. He walked back down the hall toward her door and looked in the small room with a table and some strange looking devices that he had never seen before. He assumed it was her dining area after seeing some dirty pots in the sink.
"You should sit down Hitomi. Pacing won't do anything." Allen calmly stated. This didn't stop her angry pace. Not only were her thoughts on how to get Escaflowne back. They were also set on the dormant form sleeping in her room. She was angry with him for returning to her after all those years of shoving her away. Six long years was too long to expect her happiness.
Van came walking out of her room when Allen tried to approach her again. Her hand shot up to indicated that she was in deep thought and she didn't want to be disturbed.
"How long has she been doing that?" Van asked, sitting down on the couch beside the blonde knight.
"Ever since we got back here." Allen replied.
"How long have I been out?" Van asked.
"About and hour or so. I'm starting to worry about her though. She's been pacing and she seems quite angry." Allen stated. Van stood and walked toward her.
"Hitomi." He called. She ignored him and kept pacing. He reached out and grabbed her arm to make her stop but, she pulled away from him, glaring daggers at him. He backed away and sat with Allen again.
"Guess we wait." He said.
After about fifteen more minutes of constant pacing, Hitomi looked at her watch. She had reached a decision in her mind about the two things that placed themselves permanently in her mind.
She would distance herself away from Van until he came to talk to her with the reasons for his behavior over the past few years. There was no way she was going to get wrapped up in some stupid excuses this time. She had undergone way too much pain to welcome him with open arms.
"Don't worry about Escaflowne, I have a plan. You guys can sleep in here for the night." She said, grabbing some spare blankets and pillows from a closet.
"What do you plan on doing Hitomi?" Van asked.
"I said not to worry about it. I'll explain it in the morning after we've all gotten some sleep." She said, walking toward her room. Van looked at Allen then back at Hitomi's door which had just slammed shut.
"Maybe you should go talk to her." Allen said.
"Me? Why me?" Van asked.
"She's obviously upset Van and I doubt it's because we can't find Escaflowne. Maybe it has to do with..."
"Fine, I'll go talk to her but, if she's that upset she won't want to talk to me." Van stated.
"How do you know that? Go talk to her." Allen said. Van sighed and walked toward Hitomi's room. He tapped on the door and opened it slowly.
"Hitomi?"
"What Van?" She asked. Her back stayed to him as she looked out the window.
"Can we talk?" He asked.
"I'm listening." She replied. He stepped in and closed the door behind him.
"What's wrong Hitomi? I know there's something wrong." He said.
"You should know." She muttered.
"What? Look at me Hitomi. Please?" He begged. She swung around and stared at him with icy eyes.
"Don't look at me like that. Like you don't know. Answer me this one question, why?" She asked.
"Why? Hitomi, I can't answer that..."
"Then we have nothing further to discuss. I'll help you find Escaflowne then, you can go back to Gaea and leave me alone." She said, turning away from him. Her words shot daggers through his heart and he quickly walked toward her retreating form.
"Hitomi wait! You don't understand!"
"No Van, I don't understand! Did you expect me to run up and throw my arms around you like nothing ever happened? After months of trying to figure out what I did to drive you away. Six years of trying to get you out of my mind and now, here you are without an answer to my question. What did you expect?" She asked.
"You didn't do anything wrong Hitomi. I... can't tell you why."
"Then why are you even in here wasting my time? You should go now. I need some sleep and I don't feel like hearing your excuses anymore." She cooly replied.
"Please don't do this Hitomi."
"Do what Van? You pushed me away remember? I'm only finishing what you started. Please leave before things are said that aren't meant to be said." She replied, walking past him to her bed.
"Fine, if that's how you really want it Hitomi, I'll leave." He said walking to the door. The soft click of the door closing told her that he had left her. She crawled into her bed and cried herself to sleep.
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TBC.....
AN: Aren't I evil? No, just crazy. I really made Hitomi moody huh. Ever heard the saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder"? Well, it's not the case here. Don't worry though, It will get better. *grins evilly as lightening flashes behind her.* I'll try 2 get the next chapter up as soon as I can. I'm going 2 the fair tomorrow after work and then I'm staying at a friend's place. No time there. Hopefully by this weekend, or sooner, I'll have the next chapter up. Hope u like! Review please. ^__^ I'm off 2 the world of dreams! Yes, sleep! Thank u!
DISCLAIMER: Yes this would be a good thing 2 have I guess. *clears her throat.* I do not own the characters from Escaflowne nor will I ever. *wipes away tears* What a tragedy!!!!
