Thank you to all who reviewed! There is so many who reviewed I can't really
thank all you separately! If I did... then I would be using time that I
could be writing my fanfic with! So thank you everyone! Let me warn you...
there won't be any DxH in the chapter... sorry but I'm building up on plot!
So you will have to be patient! But I promise later it will be a lot of
DxH! Sorry for any grammar and spelling mistakes I might not have caught
while checking it over! Well anyways, enjoy chapter 4!
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne... sigh....
"She went home... she went back to her own world... the Mystic Moon..."
But Van didn't know how wrong he was.
Chapter 4: Accept it
If one were to look in the dungeon of Zaibach's Floating Fortress, one would think that Zaibach is a bunch of murderers. But just because most of the cells that are supposed to have prisoners in them are empty doesn't mean a thing. In fact, most of them have never been used. Some even have doors that are rusted shut.
Though the dungeon appeared to be empty, a lone figure could be seen in the faint torchlight. Sprawled out on the cold metal floor, a young girl showed the signs of consciousness. Her eyes twitched and she scowled. Sluggishly Hitomi peered from under her eyelids to only find that it was the same sight as when her eyes were closed... only darkness. She didn't know how long she had been in the world of shadows, and slowly gained back her memory.
Falling... weakness... going unconscious... it was all coming back to her. Red eyes... silver hair... Zaibach... the battle... death...
With her head on the floor, Hitomi heard footsteps. They were coming closer and Hitomi started to feel the pain in her head grow. Her legs also felt sore from her landing when she was dropped.
Hitomi could feel fear well up inside. What would they do with her? Would she ever see her family or Earth again? Was this the end?
She felt like breaking down, but she kept telling herself that she had to keep it together. Whoever it was, she had to show that she wasn't afraid of them. That she was strong and wouldn't give up. Yes. She was going to look straight back at them without dread.
The steps got closer, and Hitomi tried to sit up. She then realized her hands were tied together behind her back. Trying to push herself up using her elbows, Hitomi lost all strength. She felt so weak and sore, just as if she had sprint a marathon without slowing her pace.
During her attempts to sit up, she didn't realize that the person that was walking closer to her was standing at the door of her cell. The light was so faint but she could make out that a candle was sitting on a tray.
The person took out some keys and unlocked the door. Picking the tray back up, the individual walked toward Hitomi. She could now tell it was a man by the way he walked and watched as he set the tray next to her. The faint smell of food filled Hitomi's senses. She then realized how hungry she was. How she was going to eat baffled her. Maybe she could crawl over to it and eat it only with her mouth.
Before she knew what was happening, the man walked behind her, and she heard the unsheathing of a blade. Feeling the binds on her hands come off, Hitomi felt her hands wash over in a prickly sensation.
'The circulation in my hands must have been cut off from the binds.' Hitomi thought.
The blood started to flow once again through her hands and the feeling came back. Bringing her hands in front of her, Hitomi once again tried to sit up. Still feeling faint and weak, Hitomi almost collapsed but then she felt that the man put his arm across her back and helped her sit up. Hitomi was just reaching for the food when an arm went under her knees.
The guy was strong and lifted her effortlessly... but one thing didn't feel right. His arms almost felt... furry. Going over to the nearest wall, the individual set her down with her back resting against the wall. She looked up and the man was a beast-man!
(AN: Got ya there didn't I? I'm so evil... ^_^; thought it was Dilandau? Think again!!)
Hitomi looked surprised but remembered Merle.
'I forgot there was beast-people on Gaea.' she thought to herself.
She watched him get the food and place it next to her.
He wasn't in any armor, and she guessed that he was just a servant. His black pants, which looked faded, were tucked into his boots, and he wore a t-shirt of an auburn color. His boots went about half way up his shin, and a coffee brown sash hung around his waist with a medium sized dagger attached to it.
He kneeled down next to her and looked at her soothingly. "Please don't be scared. I won't hurt you. My name is Jajuka. Eat the food and gain back your strength. I'll be checking up on you in a while."
With that he went back to the door and left, locking it behind him. Without a second thought, Hitomi went straight to the food. Her mouth was parched and body needed energy.
By the time Hitomi was done eating, she felt alive again. She was aware that her body warmed up and she felt more awake. The food was giving her some much-needed energy.
Once again, the footsteps of Jajuka could be heard coming down the staircase to the dungeons. This time he held nothing but a torch. He placed it into a holster against the wall near Hitomi's cell and started to look through the loop of keys that hung off his belt. The keys jingled as he found the correct one.
Stepping inside, Jajuka walked over to Hitomi and picked up the tray.
"Can you stand?" Jajuka asked as he stood up.
Hitomi looked at him confused, but decided against asking why. She pushed her legs underneath her and used the wall for support. Slowly but steadily she found herself on her own two feet grasping the wall for support.
"Good. I can see you have some more energy than before. Now if you will please follow me."
Hitomi's look said everything and Jajuka assumed what she was going to ask. He quickly added "Folken-sama wishes to speak with you."
(AN: Folken never decides to go to Van's side... he is always with Zaibach)
Hitomi nodded her head and took a few unsteady steps forward. Jajuka watched her carefully to make sure she wasn't going to fall. They stepped out of the cell and Jajuka took the torch out of its holster. He started to walk forward but stopped when he didn't hear Hitomi behind him.
"Can you walk alright?" He asked.
Hitomi's voice came out in a whisper as though she were embarrassed. "Don't you need to tie my hands together or something so I won't try anything?"
Jajuka looked at her sympathetically. "To tell you the truth, I don't think you would want to try to escape. First of all, the Viona is floating as high as the clouds. There is no way to escape unless you can fly a guymelef. The smaller levi-ships we use need professional pilots to fly them. So unless you can fly, you wouldn't make it. The other thing is that pretty much everyone here is a soldier or is capable of using a sword. Someone may just use it on you. So I don't think escaping is a good decision."
With that said, they started to walk toward the floor above them. When they reached the top of the long spiral staircase, they walked into a hallway with windows along the one wall. The sunlight beamed in and lit up the hall. There was a barrel of water sitting by the door, and Jajuka threw the torch into it, making the fire extinguish instantly.
Hitomi just followed Jajuka and kept her eyes straight ahead of her. Every time someone walked by them, she could feel eyes upon her... staring at her... examining her.
They walked up two more staircases and went through many more corridors. The halls were beautifully decorated. Red carpet ran down the center of the floors and the granite walls were decorated with armor and paintings. Tapestries hung from the walls and ceiling, many with Zaibach's symbol upon them. Windows let sunlight in only along some walls while others were lit with candles and oil lamps. The walk continued for a few minutes until Jajuka stopped at a large redwood door. He raised his hand and knocked quite loudly.
"You may enter." echoed a voice behind the doors.
Jajuka pushed one door open and ushered Hitomi forward. It was a large room and had a huge circular window facing outside on the far wall. A fireplace stood to the right with chairs set around it. Folken stood by the window looking out into the distance.
Hitomi looked around nervously. She didn't know what to do or say. Folken then said "Thank you Jajuka. You may wait outside. Hitomi... you may come in and sit down."
She walked over to a cushioned armchair and sat down. Folken then walked over and took a chair opposite her. It was the first time Hitomi had ever seen Folken up close. She remembered seeing a glimpse of him when they invaded the Viona to save Van, but she didn't know who he was at the time and she had never spoken to him.
"I believe this is the first time we have actually met. I'm guess you know I am Folken... Van's older brother." Hitomi nodded her head. "I am giving you a room of your own while you are here. I do not want to say you are our prisoner. By what I have heard, you were on the battlefield and Dilandau stumbled upon you. I haven't the faintest idea of why you were there.
(AN: No, they didn't use the Fate Alteration Machine to send Hitomi there! Folken is telling the truth... he really doesn't know why Hitomi was on the battlefield. Remember what Folken said... "We don't know how to create the beam of light yet." That was in the episode when Hitomi does go back to Earth and everyone is wondering where she went and Van says "Home.")
"Anyways... since you are not a prisoner here, you may walk anywhere in the Viona. You may eat anytime and as much as you wish. Make yourself comfortable and if you wish to talk to me, just ask a maid to bring you to where I am.
"A place I don't recommend going is the hanger where all the guymelefs are. Big parts to repair the guymelefs are always being moved around in there and sometimes there is a lot of commotion. Just don't get yourself in the middle of it all. Do you have any questions?"
"Why are you going through so much trouble for me? I thought you were going to sentence me to death." Hitomi questioned.
Folken gave a slight chuckle. "We don't have a reason to kill you. I hate senseless slaughter, and maybe later you will be useful to us."
He stood up from his chair and Hitomi followed suit. Folken then walked to the door and motioned Hitomi to come forward. Opening the large door, Jajuka stepped into view.
"Take Hitomi to her chambers." He told Jajuka. "And Hitomi... I don't think those clothes will last you. I'll have a maid sent to get your measurements for some new clothes."
Hitomi gave Folken a slight smile in thanks and walked out the door. 'So I'm not going to die after all.' She then followed Jajuka through some more passageways and down the staircase they had gone up before. They stopped at the very end of a poorly lit hall in front of a large brown door.
"This will be your room from now on." Jajuka told her. "I have to leave you now, but feel free to ask for anything. I hope you find your room to be of your liking."
Jajuka then opened the door and let Hitomi in. Once she was fully in, Jajuka closed the door behind her. Hitomi could hear him walking all the way down the hall, leaving her alone.
A fire stood ablaze in its hearth directly in front of Hitomi. To her right was an armoire, and across from the fire sat a couch with cream-colored fabric. A little distance behind the couch was a large four-post bed. Midnight blue silk hung across the whole top of the bed and ran down the posts. The silk was thin and could be untied from the posts to drape around the entire perimeter of the bed, but only to act as a screen that could be seen through.
The floor was polished dark wood and reflected the fire's glow throughout the room, and the walls were of dark, rough-looking stone. The light from the fire made the room glow but Gaea's two moons could be seen very clearly from the giant window on the far side of the room.
Hitomi felt awed by it all. 'This is my room? It's all so beautiful.'
She walked over to the bed and sat down. Kicking off her shoes, she swung her feet onto the silky covers and soft mattress, falling the rest of the way onto the pillows that lay at that head of the bed.
For a while Hitomi just lay there... thinking. For all she knew, there was no possible way for her to escape. The only way she could think of is if Van or the Crusade rescued her. But then the fortress had a cloaking device. She did teach Van how to douse with his mind. No... he wouldn't be able to do it. It had taken Hitomi almost all day to find Van when he was taken by Zaibach. No way anyone could find it.
Then something came to mind. Did anyone know she had been taken by Zaibach? Everyone could be thinking that she ran away or even went back to Earth. With every thought, the hopes of ever escaping from Zaibach slowly diminished.
The whole time she was there, she never thought about her previous life. Now she had time to think about it, and now thought about her friends, her family, and her home. Would she ever see anything that she once loved again? She felt her heart break with every moment and felt tears fall for each memory. Destiny had a cruel way of changing your life completely.
Drifting off into a dreamless sleep, Hitomi was suddenly woken up by a knock on the door. She looked down at her pillow and found that there was a dry spot where her tears were shed. She got off her bed and went to the door, opened it a crack, and looked out. Seeing that it was one of the maids, she let her in.
She walked in very slowly and kept her head down. Her hair, a natural red color, was clean and pulled back into a neat bun. She wore a black dress that nearly covered all of her skin except for her face and hands. The end of its sleeves flared out like a bell and the neckline only drooped down far enough to see her collarbone. She wore a chain belt of copper that settled around her hips and the dress ended at her ankles. Her shoes looked like black ballet shoes but more like slippers.
"I have come to take your measurements for your clothing Miss Hitomi." the young girl inquired as she lifted the basket she was holding to show Hitomi her supplies.
She looked no older than Hitomi herself but Hitomi wished to ask the girl no questions. They might just bring back bad memories to the girl and Hitomi didn't want to upset her.
"Please just call me Hitomi. Since you already know my name, what is yours?"
The girl looked like she was getting less shy and looked Hitomi straight in the eye. Autumn gold and light lime green swirled together in the deep abyss of her eyes.
"My name is Masumi." she replied.
Hitomi nodded her head and Masumi took out a few items in her bag. Hitomi walked over to a more open space in her room where Masumi followed. She measured Hitomi in every which way and scribbled it down on a piece of parchment. It didn't take long before she was done and started to put the things back into the small basket.
"I'll give these measurements to the seamstress. Do you wish for her to make you anything specific?" Masumi said while standing up.
Hitomi didn't want to be a bother so she just said "A few pairs of pants, and shirts should be fine. Thank you."
Masumi gave a slight curtsy and left, closing the door softly behind her. Hitomi now looked out her window to the outside world and noticed just how late it was getting. The sun could only been seen on the horizon, its light fading and the two moons taking over to set an eerie glow on the planet. The fire was now only glowing from the dying embers.
Hitomi yawned and felt her eyes starting to droop. Her body called for sleep and she obeyed. She walked over to her bed and untied all the thin silk fabric from each post, letting it fall around the bed. Parting the screen on one side, she climbed in, pulled the covers down from under her mass of pillows, and slipped into their comfort.
Hitomi lay awake for some time and put together all that happened. Deciding on what she would do with her life her at Zaibach, she came to a conclusion that it wouldn't be worth killing herself over. She could learn a lot here. Maybe if she won their confidence, she could learn how to sword fight and become better than Van or even Allen. Then maybe she could even pilot a guymelef. If she could do that, there was a chance for her escape.
She smiled to herself and decided to just live. If she dwelled on the past too much and felt horrible every day of being in the Viona, she would go into a depression and might try to kill herself. If there was a way out, she would find it... even if it took years...
IMPORTANT: If anyone wants me to e-mail them when I update please just go ahead and ask!!! If you made your profile not show your e-mail when looked at, just tell it to me. Otherwise in the review just say you want an e-mail and I'll send you one once I update this fic with another chapter! I'll do this till the end of the story!
Warning... I may not be able to update a lot now... finals are coming up, I'm in a musical and we have practices starting 3 times a week and they get longer. I'll use a lot of my free time to write this... but I can't promise quick chapters... sorry! Please R&R!
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne... sigh....
"She went home... she went back to her own world... the Mystic Moon..."
But Van didn't know how wrong he was.
Chapter 4: Accept it
If one were to look in the dungeon of Zaibach's Floating Fortress, one would think that Zaibach is a bunch of murderers. But just because most of the cells that are supposed to have prisoners in them are empty doesn't mean a thing. In fact, most of them have never been used. Some even have doors that are rusted shut.
Though the dungeon appeared to be empty, a lone figure could be seen in the faint torchlight. Sprawled out on the cold metal floor, a young girl showed the signs of consciousness. Her eyes twitched and she scowled. Sluggishly Hitomi peered from under her eyelids to only find that it was the same sight as when her eyes were closed... only darkness. She didn't know how long she had been in the world of shadows, and slowly gained back her memory.
Falling... weakness... going unconscious... it was all coming back to her. Red eyes... silver hair... Zaibach... the battle... death...
With her head on the floor, Hitomi heard footsteps. They were coming closer and Hitomi started to feel the pain in her head grow. Her legs also felt sore from her landing when she was dropped.
Hitomi could feel fear well up inside. What would they do with her? Would she ever see her family or Earth again? Was this the end?
She felt like breaking down, but she kept telling herself that she had to keep it together. Whoever it was, she had to show that she wasn't afraid of them. That she was strong and wouldn't give up. Yes. She was going to look straight back at them without dread.
The steps got closer, and Hitomi tried to sit up. She then realized her hands were tied together behind her back. Trying to push herself up using her elbows, Hitomi lost all strength. She felt so weak and sore, just as if she had sprint a marathon without slowing her pace.
During her attempts to sit up, she didn't realize that the person that was walking closer to her was standing at the door of her cell. The light was so faint but she could make out that a candle was sitting on a tray.
The person took out some keys and unlocked the door. Picking the tray back up, the individual walked toward Hitomi. She could now tell it was a man by the way he walked and watched as he set the tray next to her. The faint smell of food filled Hitomi's senses. She then realized how hungry she was. How she was going to eat baffled her. Maybe she could crawl over to it and eat it only with her mouth.
Before she knew what was happening, the man walked behind her, and she heard the unsheathing of a blade. Feeling the binds on her hands come off, Hitomi felt her hands wash over in a prickly sensation.
'The circulation in my hands must have been cut off from the binds.' Hitomi thought.
The blood started to flow once again through her hands and the feeling came back. Bringing her hands in front of her, Hitomi once again tried to sit up. Still feeling faint and weak, Hitomi almost collapsed but then she felt that the man put his arm across her back and helped her sit up. Hitomi was just reaching for the food when an arm went under her knees.
The guy was strong and lifted her effortlessly... but one thing didn't feel right. His arms almost felt... furry. Going over to the nearest wall, the individual set her down with her back resting against the wall. She looked up and the man was a beast-man!
(AN: Got ya there didn't I? I'm so evil... ^_^; thought it was Dilandau? Think again!!)
Hitomi looked surprised but remembered Merle.
'I forgot there was beast-people on Gaea.' she thought to herself.
She watched him get the food and place it next to her.
He wasn't in any armor, and she guessed that he was just a servant. His black pants, which looked faded, were tucked into his boots, and he wore a t-shirt of an auburn color. His boots went about half way up his shin, and a coffee brown sash hung around his waist with a medium sized dagger attached to it.
He kneeled down next to her and looked at her soothingly. "Please don't be scared. I won't hurt you. My name is Jajuka. Eat the food and gain back your strength. I'll be checking up on you in a while."
With that he went back to the door and left, locking it behind him. Without a second thought, Hitomi went straight to the food. Her mouth was parched and body needed energy.
By the time Hitomi was done eating, she felt alive again. She was aware that her body warmed up and she felt more awake. The food was giving her some much-needed energy.
Once again, the footsteps of Jajuka could be heard coming down the staircase to the dungeons. This time he held nothing but a torch. He placed it into a holster against the wall near Hitomi's cell and started to look through the loop of keys that hung off his belt. The keys jingled as he found the correct one.
Stepping inside, Jajuka walked over to Hitomi and picked up the tray.
"Can you stand?" Jajuka asked as he stood up.
Hitomi looked at him confused, but decided against asking why. She pushed her legs underneath her and used the wall for support. Slowly but steadily she found herself on her own two feet grasping the wall for support.
"Good. I can see you have some more energy than before. Now if you will please follow me."
Hitomi's look said everything and Jajuka assumed what she was going to ask. He quickly added "Folken-sama wishes to speak with you."
(AN: Folken never decides to go to Van's side... he is always with Zaibach)
Hitomi nodded her head and took a few unsteady steps forward. Jajuka watched her carefully to make sure she wasn't going to fall. They stepped out of the cell and Jajuka took the torch out of its holster. He started to walk forward but stopped when he didn't hear Hitomi behind him.
"Can you walk alright?" He asked.
Hitomi's voice came out in a whisper as though she were embarrassed. "Don't you need to tie my hands together or something so I won't try anything?"
Jajuka looked at her sympathetically. "To tell you the truth, I don't think you would want to try to escape. First of all, the Viona is floating as high as the clouds. There is no way to escape unless you can fly a guymelef. The smaller levi-ships we use need professional pilots to fly them. So unless you can fly, you wouldn't make it. The other thing is that pretty much everyone here is a soldier or is capable of using a sword. Someone may just use it on you. So I don't think escaping is a good decision."
With that said, they started to walk toward the floor above them. When they reached the top of the long spiral staircase, they walked into a hallway with windows along the one wall. The sunlight beamed in and lit up the hall. There was a barrel of water sitting by the door, and Jajuka threw the torch into it, making the fire extinguish instantly.
Hitomi just followed Jajuka and kept her eyes straight ahead of her. Every time someone walked by them, she could feel eyes upon her... staring at her... examining her.
They walked up two more staircases and went through many more corridors. The halls were beautifully decorated. Red carpet ran down the center of the floors and the granite walls were decorated with armor and paintings. Tapestries hung from the walls and ceiling, many with Zaibach's symbol upon them. Windows let sunlight in only along some walls while others were lit with candles and oil lamps. The walk continued for a few minutes until Jajuka stopped at a large redwood door. He raised his hand and knocked quite loudly.
"You may enter." echoed a voice behind the doors.
Jajuka pushed one door open and ushered Hitomi forward. It was a large room and had a huge circular window facing outside on the far wall. A fireplace stood to the right with chairs set around it. Folken stood by the window looking out into the distance.
Hitomi looked around nervously. She didn't know what to do or say. Folken then said "Thank you Jajuka. You may wait outside. Hitomi... you may come in and sit down."
She walked over to a cushioned armchair and sat down. Folken then walked over and took a chair opposite her. It was the first time Hitomi had ever seen Folken up close. She remembered seeing a glimpse of him when they invaded the Viona to save Van, but she didn't know who he was at the time and she had never spoken to him.
"I believe this is the first time we have actually met. I'm guess you know I am Folken... Van's older brother." Hitomi nodded her head. "I am giving you a room of your own while you are here. I do not want to say you are our prisoner. By what I have heard, you were on the battlefield and Dilandau stumbled upon you. I haven't the faintest idea of why you were there.
(AN: No, they didn't use the Fate Alteration Machine to send Hitomi there! Folken is telling the truth... he really doesn't know why Hitomi was on the battlefield. Remember what Folken said... "We don't know how to create the beam of light yet." That was in the episode when Hitomi does go back to Earth and everyone is wondering where she went and Van says "Home.")
"Anyways... since you are not a prisoner here, you may walk anywhere in the Viona. You may eat anytime and as much as you wish. Make yourself comfortable and if you wish to talk to me, just ask a maid to bring you to where I am.
"A place I don't recommend going is the hanger where all the guymelefs are. Big parts to repair the guymelefs are always being moved around in there and sometimes there is a lot of commotion. Just don't get yourself in the middle of it all. Do you have any questions?"
"Why are you going through so much trouble for me? I thought you were going to sentence me to death." Hitomi questioned.
Folken gave a slight chuckle. "We don't have a reason to kill you. I hate senseless slaughter, and maybe later you will be useful to us."
He stood up from his chair and Hitomi followed suit. Folken then walked to the door and motioned Hitomi to come forward. Opening the large door, Jajuka stepped into view.
"Take Hitomi to her chambers." He told Jajuka. "And Hitomi... I don't think those clothes will last you. I'll have a maid sent to get your measurements for some new clothes."
Hitomi gave Folken a slight smile in thanks and walked out the door. 'So I'm not going to die after all.' She then followed Jajuka through some more passageways and down the staircase they had gone up before. They stopped at the very end of a poorly lit hall in front of a large brown door.
"This will be your room from now on." Jajuka told her. "I have to leave you now, but feel free to ask for anything. I hope you find your room to be of your liking."
Jajuka then opened the door and let Hitomi in. Once she was fully in, Jajuka closed the door behind her. Hitomi could hear him walking all the way down the hall, leaving her alone.
A fire stood ablaze in its hearth directly in front of Hitomi. To her right was an armoire, and across from the fire sat a couch with cream-colored fabric. A little distance behind the couch was a large four-post bed. Midnight blue silk hung across the whole top of the bed and ran down the posts. The silk was thin and could be untied from the posts to drape around the entire perimeter of the bed, but only to act as a screen that could be seen through.
The floor was polished dark wood and reflected the fire's glow throughout the room, and the walls were of dark, rough-looking stone. The light from the fire made the room glow but Gaea's two moons could be seen very clearly from the giant window on the far side of the room.
Hitomi felt awed by it all. 'This is my room? It's all so beautiful.'
She walked over to the bed and sat down. Kicking off her shoes, she swung her feet onto the silky covers and soft mattress, falling the rest of the way onto the pillows that lay at that head of the bed.
For a while Hitomi just lay there... thinking. For all she knew, there was no possible way for her to escape. The only way she could think of is if Van or the Crusade rescued her. But then the fortress had a cloaking device. She did teach Van how to douse with his mind. No... he wouldn't be able to do it. It had taken Hitomi almost all day to find Van when he was taken by Zaibach. No way anyone could find it.
Then something came to mind. Did anyone know she had been taken by Zaibach? Everyone could be thinking that she ran away or even went back to Earth. With every thought, the hopes of ever escaping from Zaibach slowly diminished.
The whole time she was there, she never thought about her previous life. Now she had time to think about it, and now thought about her friends, her family, and her home. Would she ever see anything that she once loved again? She felt her heart break with every moment and felt tears fall for each memory. Destiny had a cruel way of changing your life completely.
Drifting off into a dreamless sleep, Hitomi was suddenly woken up by a knock on the door. She looked down at her pillow and found that there was a dry spot where her tears were shed. She got off her bed and went to the door, opened it a crack, and looked out. Seeing that it was one of the maids, she let her in.
She walked in very slowly and kept her head down. Her hair, a natural red color, was clean and pulled back into a neat bun. She wore a black dress that nearly covered all of her skin except for her face and hands. The end of its sleeves flared out like a bell and the neckline only drooped down far enough to see her collarbone. She wore a chain belt of copper that settled around her hips and the dress ended at her ankles. Her shoes looked like black ballet shoes but more like slippers.
"I have come to take your measurements for your clothing Miss Hitomi." the young girl inquired as she lifted the basket she was holding to show Hitomi her supplies.
She looked no older than Hitomi herself but Hitomi wished to ask the girl no questions. They might just bring back bad memories to the girl and Hitomi didn't want to upset her.
"Please just call me Hitomi. Since you already know my name, what is yours?"
The girl looked like she was getting less shy and looked Hitomi straight in the eye. Autumn gold and light lime green swirled together in the deep abyss of her eyes.
"My name is Masumi." she replied.
Hitomi nodded her head and Masumi took out a few items in her bag. Hitomi walked over to a more open space in her room where Masumi followed. She measured Hitomi in every which way and scribbled it down on a piece of parchment. It didn't take long before she was done and started to put the things back into the small basket.
"I'll give these measurements to the seamstress. Do you wish for her to make you anything specific?" Masumi said while standing up.
Hitomi didn't want to be a bother so she just said "A few pairs of pants, and shirts should be fine. Thank you."
Masumi gave a slight curtsy and left, closing the door softly behind her. Hitomi now looked out her window to the outside world and noticed just how late it was getting. The sun could only been seen on the horizon, its light fading and the two moons taking over to set an eerie glow on the planet. The fire was now only glowing from the dying embers.
Hitomi yawned and felt her eyes starting to droop. Her body called for sleep and she obeyed. She walked over to her bed and untied all the thin silk fabric from each post, letting it fall around the bed. Parting the screen on one side, she climbed in, pulled the covers down from under her mass of pillows, and slipped into their comfort.
Hitomi lay awake for some time and put together all that happened. Deciding on what she would do with her life her at Zaibach, she came to a conclusion that it wouldn't be worth killing herself over. She could learn a lot here. Maybe if she won their confidence, she could learn how to sword fight and become better than Van or even Allen. Then maybe she could even pilot a guymelef. If she could do that, there was a chance for her escape.
She smiled to herself and decided to just live. If she dwelled on the past too much and felt horrible every day of being in the Viona, she would go into a depression and might try to kill herself. If there was a way out, she would find it... even if it took years...
IMPORTANT: If anyone wants me to e-mail them when I update please just go ahead and ask!!! If you made your profile not show your e-mail when looked at, just tell it to me. Otherwise in the review just say you want an e-mail and I'll send you one once I update this fic with another chapter! I'll do this till the end of the story!
Warning... I may not be able to update a lot now... finals are coming up, I'm in a musical and we have practices starting 3 times a week and they get longer. I'll use a lot of my free time to write this... but I can't promise quick chapters... sorry! Please R&R!
