Chapter 4: The Hearts and Souls of Lovers and Warriors, Part I
Standard disclaimer: I don't own the "Vision of Escaflowne" TV series. Please don't sue me!
Amano Susumu was could not possibly be any more happy and content with his life than he was right now as he drove up the off ramp away from downtown Tokyo. He shifted gears on his Mazda MX-5, a gift from his financially well off future father-in-law, as he sped away from the city, the top down on this bright and beautiful October day. He couldn't help but muse at his life in the passed few years since that strange day.
"I hope that Hitomi got the message we sent her via e-mail" the young woman snuggling against him complained. "It would be right for her not to be there, seeing as how we wouldn't be together without her and all."
Amano nodded in agreement. Shortly before he left for the U.S. as an exchange student, Hitomi Kanzaki, one of his closest female friends and track teammate, had disappeared under the damnedest set of events he or anyone else could've go through. To this day, his mind could not wrap itself around the fact that 3 ½ years ago, both a lightly armored young swordsman and a dragon of all things, appeared in front of him, Hitomi, and the young woman that would become his beloved fiancée, Yukari Uchida. After a brief chase and fight, the swordsman killed the dragon and both the he and Hitomi were swept up in a pillar of blue light. A couple of months later, she came back safe and sound. At least physically that was. Emotionally, she seemed sad and hollow inside, like something or someone had carved a piece of her soul and kept it as a souvenir. He didn't know what to think. He feared that one of his closest friends might have been tortured, molested or even raped, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do but see her looking cheery on the outside, but emotionally wounded on the inside.
His fears were put to rest when Hitomi made an almost frantic attempt to play matchmaker for him and Yukari. Little did she know that he already had feelings for the track team's manager, the only problem being that Yukari, normally outgoing, vibrant, and full of life and fun, was painfully shy when it came to her feelings, and he was afraid of scaring off the young woman by moving too fast. To make matters worse his trip to America was right around the corner and he wanted to make his feelings be known to Yukari before he left. It was Hitomi who saved the day by fixing them up on an impromptu date by inviting them to a day in the park before he left only to leave the two of them most of the day to have some private time together. Yukari later told him that before she did, Hitomi told Yukari that she knew of her felling for Amano and that she should let him know before he left. What followed Yukari's tearful and heartfelt declaration of her love for Amano and his grateful acceptance there of. They remained in contact with each other via e-mail, letters, and the occasional mp3 CD-ROM of her and home recorded via digital video camera. When he came back after his senior year in America, he'd been accepted into college on a full-ride track team scholarship and was even training with the Japanese Olympic Track Team as a possible alternate. Finally, Yukari had graduated from high school and after 3 years of love and devotion to her, he proposed. She happily and tearfully accepted, with their wedding planned for the summer after his graduation from college.
'I don't know why people make such a big deal out of marriage like it's something to be afraid of?' he thought. He then looked down at his lovely future bride as he drove while she snuggled against his arm. 'I Love Yukari and want to spend the rest of my life with her and raise whatever kids we have together', his thoughts continued, this time with a slight blush. 'I guess friends can be lovers, and much, much more.'
Unfortunately, in his "stroll down memory lane" as his American friends would put it, he forgot to pay attention to how fast he was going. By the time he realized he was going a bit too far over the speed limit, the lights and siren of a Tokyo Metro Highway Patrol motorbike was in his rear view mirror. He could only groan in annoyance at his own carelessness as he pulled to side of the road.
"Amano-chan, what's going on?" his half-asleep wife-to-be said, blinking at him.
"Nothing love. Your baka fiancée is finding out one way that memories can screw you over", he replied, irritated at himself.
"Nani?" Yukari asked.
He looked in his side view mirror and saw the Highway cop, a young woman he quickly realized, and athletic at that. He also noticed that she had honey blonde hair that went down to the bottom of her shoulder blades and was done up in a ponytail. As she strode up to his door, and waited for what ever came next.
"License and Registra." a strangely familiar voice said. "You've GOT to be kidding me?" she continued.
As he looked up, he saw that the officer had removed her mirrored sunglasses and revealed a pair of large, bright, beautiful emerald green eyes. He was looking at the face of a woman he hadn't seen in months, not since he announced his engagement to Yukari, the same woman who made his same engagement possible. His close friend and former track teammate, Hitomi Kanzaki, wearing the uniform of the Tokyo Metro Highway Patrol helmet, boots, and all.
"HITOMI-CHAN!!!" Yukari gleefully squealed, looking over at her best friend and the sister she never had. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you for months! I just sent you and e-mail telling you that I'd picked a wedding date and that I need to get you fitted for your dress. You are the Maid-of- Honor after all!"
Hitomi could only manage a somewhat forced smile, her left eyebrow twitching. She didn't need to say anything; the look on her pretty face said it all. 'Of all the people in the whole of the Tokyo Metro area who just had to be speeding,' she thought ruefully to herself, 'why in the name of all the Kami did I have pull over THEM!?!'
Authors notes: The Mazda MX-5 is sold in North America as the Miata, (for those of you who aren't car buffs).
The reference to "the Kami" is in reference to the gods of the Shinto pantheon. No one to my knowledge has been able to determine what Hitomi's religious beliefs are. Since the majority of Japanese are members of the Shinto faith, I've decided to make her one as well.
Standard disclaimer: I don't own the "Vision of Escaflowne" TV series. Please don't sue me!
Amano Susumu was could not possibly be any more happy and content with his life than he was right now as he drove up the off ramp away from downtown Tokyo. He shifted gears on his Mazda MX-5, a gift from his financially well off future father-in-law, as he sped away from the city, the top down on this bright and beautiful October day. He couldn't help but muse at his life in the passed few years since that strange day.
"I hope that Hitomi got the message we sent her via e-mail" the young woman snuggling against him complained. "It would be right for her not to be there, seeing as how we wouldn't be together without her and all."
Amano nodded in agreement. Shortly before he left for the U.S. as an exchange student, Hitomi Kanzaki, one of his closest female friends and track teammate, had disappeared under the damnedest set of events he or anyone else could've go through. To this day, his mind could not wrap itself around the fact that 3 ½ years ago, both a lightly armored young swordsman and a dragon of all things, appeared in front of him, Hitomi, and the young woman that would become his beloved fiancée, Yukari Uchida. After a brief chase and fight, the swordsman killed the dragon and both the he and Hitomi were swept up in a pillar of blue light. A couple of months later, she came back safe and sound. At least physically that was. Emotionally, she seemed sad and hollow inside, like something or someone had carved a piece of her soul and kept it as a souvenir. He didn't know what to think. He feared that one of his closest friends might have been tortured, molested or even raped, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do but see her looking cheery on the outside, but emotionally wounded on the inside.
His fears were put to rest when Hitomi made an almost frantic attempt to play matchmaker for him and Yukari. Little did she know that he already had feelings for the track team's manager, the only problem being that Yukari, normally outgoing, vibrant, and full of life and fun, was painfully shy when it came to her feelings, and he was afraid of scaring off the young woman by moving too fast. To make matters worse his trip to America was right around the corner and he wanted to make his feelings be known to Yukari before he left. It was Hitomi who saved the day by fixing them up on an impromptu date by inviting them to a day in the park before he left only to leave the two of them most of the day to have some private time together. Yukari later told him that before she did, Hitomi told Yukari that she knew of her felling for Amano and that she should let him know before he left. What followed Yukari's tearful and heartfelt declaration of her love for Amano and his grateful acceptance there of. They remained in contact with each other via e-mail, letters, and the occasional mp3 CD-ROM of her and home recorded via digital video camera. When he came back after his senior year in America, he'd been accepted into college on a full-ride track team scholarship and was even training with the Japanese Olympic Track Team as a possible alternate. Finally, Yukari had graduated from high school and after 3 years of love and devotion to her, he proposed. She happily and tearfully accepted, with their wedding planned for the summer after his graduation from college.
'I don't know why people make such a big deal out of marriage like it's something to be afraid of?' he thought. He then looked down at his lovely future bride as he drove while she snuggled against his arm. 'I Love Yukari and want to spend the rest of my life with her and raise whatever kids we have together', his thoughts continued, this time with a slight blush. 'I guess friends can be lovers, and much, much more.'
Unfortunately, in his "stroll down memory lane" as his American friends would put it, he forgot to pay attention to how fast he was going. By the time he realized he was going a bit too far over the speed limit, the lights and siren of a Tokyo Metro Highway Patrol motorbike was in his rear view mirror. He could only groan in annoyance at his own carelessness as he pulled to side of the road.
"Amano-chan, what's going on?" his half-asleep wife-to-be said, blinking at him.
"Nothing love. Your baka fiancée is finding out one way that memories can screw you over", he replied, irritated at himself.
"Nani?" Yukari asked.
He looked in his side view mirror and saw the Highway cop, a young woman he quickly realized, and athletic at that. He also noticed that she had honey blonde hair that went down to the bottom of her shoulder blades and was done up in a ponytail. As she strode up to his door, and waited for what ever came next.
"License and Registra." a strangely familiar voice said. "You've GOT to be kidding me?" she continued.
As he looked up, he saw that the officer had removed her mirrored sunglasses and revealed a pair of large, bright, beautiful emerald green eyes. He was looking at the face of a woman he hadn't seen in months, not since he announced his engagement to Yukari, the same woman who made his same engagement possible. His close friend and former track teammate, Hitomi Kanzaki, wearing the uniform of the Tokyo Metro Highway Patrol helmet, boots, and all.
"HITOMI-CHAN!!!" Yukari gleefully squealed, looking over at her best friend and the sister she never had. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you for months! I just sent you and e-mail telling you that I'd picked a wedding date and that I need to get you fitted for your dress. You are the Maid-of- Honor after all!"
Hitomi could only manage a somewhat forced smile, her left eyebrow twitching. She didn't need to say anything; the look on her pretty face said it all. 'Of all the people in the whole of the Tokyo Metro area who just had to be speeding,' she thought ruefully to herself, 'why in the name of all the Kami did I have pull over THEM!?!'
Authors notes: The Mazda MX-5 is sold in North America as the Miata, (for those of you who aren't car buffs).
The reference to "the Kami" is in reference to the gods of the Shinto pantheon. No one to my knowledge has been able to determine what Hitomi's religious beliefs are. Since the majority of Japanese are members of the Shinto faith, I've decided to make her one as well.