AN: Okay sorry about how short the last chapter was ^_^ I couldn't write anymore , and also sorry about not updating in a while I've been going to a lot of fencing tournaments recently and haven't had the time. This chapter was originally two short ones that I put together. They are both slow, but I promise more action is on the way ^,~
Disclaimer: No I am not one of those lucky people who own the rights to Escaflone.
Yukari read the lines about the dragon slaying again and again, but it didn't help. She still didn't remember anything Sighing she closed the diary to set it on the table when some papers fell out . Curiously Yukari reached down to pick them up. They were drawings, Yukari had no idea Hitomi could draw that well she thought as she looked at the fist two pictures.
One was of a tall elegantly armored man with long yellow hair, the title was: Allen Crusade Schzar. The next was of a cute little girl looking about ten, except she was half cat, She smiled michiviously. She was labeled: Merle.
Yukari flipped through the other pictures various things and people. Some of the titles were: The Crusade, Escaflone, Millerina, Gaddess, ect. . . Till Yukari came to one that seemed to stand out, it showed a proud boy, with wild black hair, and garnet eyes. She couldn't understand why the boy was so familiar till she read the name: Van Slazer Fenel
Then it came back in a wave like a river that's been dammed far too long. All the memories from the night when Hitomi disappeared. The memories of the arrogant prince, and the vicious dragon, and of the bright light that took Hitomi away. Yukari relived the night in her mind she felt the shock of the dragon appearing, the pain of her hurt ankle, and the worry when Hitomi left.
Then she woke in her living room. She had collapsed to the floor during the flood of memories. As she woke the bright light form the beam seemed to linger in front of her eyes. She rubbed her eyes forcing them to adjust to the light of the apartment. When they did she picked herself off the floor, bracing her still unsteady form against the end table. Her mind and body were still weak from the force of the flood, but they soon recovered.
Then Yukari remembered something she had read recently. She ran to the recycleable's bin and started going through the pile of news papers in side. Till she found the one she wanted. She pulled it out from beneath the huge stack, " Murphy's law," she grumbled under her breath.
The front of the paper showed a picture of a bright beam of light against the night sky of Japan. The caption read: Lights Over Japan. It was unmistakable, that was the same kind of light Yukari remembered taking Hitomi away.
Yukari felt the color drain from her face, ' Could it have happened again?' she wondered, ' and if so, will she come back this time?'
*~*~*~*~*~*
Hitomi still couldn't make heads or tails about anything, when she heard the door opening. Hitomi sat up on the couch and turned to see who came in. Hitomi felt she should have been far more suppressed than she was to see Alex walk in the room, but somehow it fit. How Hitomi couldn't quite figure out, but to her it did.
Alex silently walked over to the table and took Hitomi's dishes. When Hitomi stopped her by asking, " So I take it Alex isn't your real name?"
" No it's not, but it was easier to use it," she answered in a nonchalant voice.
" Well, what is it?" Hitomi may have been asking a question, but her voice was flat with no curiosity at all.
" If you must know Ry( AN: pronounced like the bread) Alea," she said as she made her way to the door. She revealed nothing about how she felt in either her face or her voice.
Ry Alea, as Hitomi now knew her, walked out the door closing and locking it behind her.
Hitomi laid back down on the couch frustrated, she had learned nothing but the name of her captor in that conversation. 'What am I going to do?' she asked herself, ' Yukari must have noticed I missing, I don't usually stay out all night,' she rolled on her side, ' This is so frustrating, I've got two groups of enemies, but not a single ally. Fate doesn't seem to like me right now,'
Hitomi pulled her pendent from around her neck, she looked at the pink stone, " Come on you've helped me before, please, please help me now," she begged as she closed her eyes and concentrated on the stone, but when she opened her eyes the only thing that happened was it glowed. Nothing more.
" Why you stupid stone!" she yelled at it and through it across the room. Immediately she felt guilty, as if she had hurt a person, and ran over to pick it up. " At least tell me which way to go," she begged and tried again. The pendant began to circle on the chain, Hitomi opened her eyes and watched it to see what it told her, but it just spun. It didn't tell her anything!
Hitomi stopped the pendant, and examined it. It brought back so many memories, both good and bad, of the living and dead. She remembered the last time she had seen it. The day she gave it to Van. ' How could anyone else have gotten it? Unless. . . . . . .," Hitomi shuddered at the thought, ' No no one could kill him,' she told herself, ' Then did he give it away? Maybe he decided he didn't love me anymore? Maybe he never did?' she felt hot tears running down her cheeks.
Hitomi was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Ry leaning on the doorjamb behind her. Ry shook her head sadly and left the room.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Hitomi woke up to the sounds of a loud argument. apparently she had cried herself to sleep. Hitomi walked over and put her ear to the door. Even though the people who were arguing were screaming Hitmoi could only catch snippets of the argument. Hitomi could tell it was Ry and her " brother" "Jake", but all Hitomi could catch were things about duty, and to stop something.
From the sound of it " Jake" was talking about upholding their duty, while Ry was telling him to forget duty, but what duty specifically Hitomi couldn't be sure.
Then there was silence, Hitomi pressed her hearing to catch anything, but there wasn't a sound. Suddenly the door opened pushing Hitomi backwards. She looked up hot faced to see Ry with a plate of food. Ry looked thoroughly annoyed at something, as well as somewhat sad.
Hitomi stumbled for words, " I. . . .uh, woke up and heard voices," she said hopefully. Ry's face changed, and she laughed at Hitomi's embarrassment. ' So she is human,' thought Hitomi.
Ry walked over with Hitomi to the table, and set down a plate pile with delicious-looking food.
Hitomi decided to try and make conversation, " So. . .uh. . . how's the weather?"
Ry looked sidelong at Hitomi then answered, " It's been fine I guess, too cold, but this is a colder area than I'm use to."
" Where did you grow up?" asked Hitomi happy she'd gotten Ry talking.
A shadow passed over Ry's face, the annoyance and sadness returned, "Yinth," was all she answered as she turned and quickly left the room.
" What did I do now?" Hitomi asked herself as she silently sat down to eat.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Yukari was amazed with all the troubles Hitomi had gone through while on Giea. Yukari had been sure that something big had happened during Hitomi's disappearance, but she would have never gotten close to how big.
It was still hard to believe that a place like Giea could exist, but Yukari herself had seen the dragon and the boy. It was just incredible.
She had read the diary front to back twice and had used the drawings as a visual aid. The amount of people Hitomi had met, the number of places she'd been and the number of things she'd seen. was mind blowing. Yukari could only catch some of the main people. She almost wished she'd been there with Hitomi.
Yukari knew Van though, Hitomi had written so much about him. The saddest thing was that on many of the pages describing him there were dry tear stains. Hitomi had loved Van that much was clear to Yukari. Now she almost wished Hitomi had gone back to him.
Yukari felt a twinge of jealousy, it was unfair that someone could fall in love like that. It wasn't that Yukari wasn't happy for Hitomi, it was more that she was sad for herself. Hitomi had found her prince charming(literally) but Yukari was left alone.
Both Yukari's parents had died in a car crash two years ago, and Amono was happily living on the other side of the country with his wife. If Hitomi left then Yukari would really be alone. Hitomi was all she had left.
It wasn't that Yukari didn't have other friends, its just that they were work friends not really close friends. Hitomi's mother had acted like Yukari's as well since her and Hitomi had been friends. It just wasn't the same though.
Yukari was depressing herself now, she needed a pick me up, ' I'll go see Jake,' she thought.
When she got to his apartment she knocked lightly, at first there wasn't a sound then the door opened to reveal Jake, " Yukari," he said happily.
" Hey Jake, I just came to see if you wanted to go get dinner or something?" she asked.
" Sorry, my sis already cooked something for dinner," he answered sadly.
" Oh ok," Yukari turned to leave.
" But my sis cooked enough for a whole city, and she and my Grandpa aren't going to be here tonight. So if you wanted to eat here that'd be all right," said Jake smiling.
Yukari turned back, " I'd love to."
Jake led Yukari to the dining room, " Milady," he joked puling out a chair for her. Yukari laughed as she sat down. Jake then hurried into the kitchen and returned with plates, silverware, and napkins. He quickly set the table, then went back into the kitchen to retrieve the food his sister had left for him. After he put it out and served Yukari and himself, the two talked long into the night.
Disclaimer: No I am not one of those lucky people who own the rights to Escaflone.
Yukari read the lines about the dragon slaying again and again, but it didn't help. She still didn't remember anything Sighing she closed the diary to set it on the table when some papers fell out . Curiously Yukari reached down to pick them up. They were drawings, Yukari had no idea Hitomi could draw that well she thought as she looked at the fist two pictures.
One was of a tall elegantly armored man with long yellow hair, the title was: Allen Crusade Schzar. The next was of a cute little girl looking about ten, except she was half cat, She smiled michiviously. She was labeled: Merle.
Yukari flipped through the other pictures various things and people. Some of the titles were: The Crusade, Escaflone, Millerina, Gaddess, ect. . . Till Yukari came to one that seemed to stand out, it showed a proud boy, with wild black hair, and garnet eyes. She couldn't understand why the boy was so familiar till she read the name: Van Slazer Fenel
Then it came back in a wave like a river that's been dammed far too long. All the memories from the night when Hitomi disappeared. The memories of the arrogant prince, and the vicious dragon, and of the bright light that took Hitomi away. Yukari relived the night in her mind she felt the shock of the dragon appearing, the pain of her hurt ankle, and the worry when Hitomi left.
Then she woke in her living room. She had collapsed to the floor during the flood of memories. As she woke the bright light form the beam seemed to linger in front of her eyes. She rubbed her eyes forcing them to adjust to the light of the apartment. When they did she picked herself off the floor, bracing her still unsteady form against the end table. Her mind and body were still weak from the force of the flood, but they soon recovered.
Then Yukari remembered something she had read recently. She ran to the recycleable's bin and started going through the pile of news papers in side. Till she found the one she wanted. She pulled it out from beneath the huge stack, " Murphy's law," she grumbled under her breath.
The front of the paper showed a picture of a bright beam of light against the night sky of Japan. The caption read: Lights Over Japan. It was unmistakable, that was the same kind of light Yukari remembered taking Hitomi away.
Yukari felt the color drain from her face, ' Could it have happened again?' she wondered, ' and if so, will she come back this time?'
*~*~*~*~*~*
Hitomi still couldn't make heads or tails about anything, when she heard the door opening. Hitomi sat up on the couch and turned to see who came in. Hitomi felt she should have been far more suppressed than she was to see Alex walk in the room, but somehow it fit. How Hitomi couldn't quite figure out, but to her it did.
Alex silently walked over to the table and took Hitomi's dishes. When Hitomi stopped her by asking, " So I take it Alex isn't your real name?"
" No it's not, but it was easier to use it," she answered in a nonchalant voice.
" Well, what is it?" Hitomi may have been asking a question, but her voice was flat with no curiosity at all.
" If you must know Ry( AN: pronounced like the bread) Alea," she said as she made her way to the door. She revealed nothing about how she felt in either her face or her voice.
Ry Alea, as Hitomi now knew her, walked out the door closing and locking it behind her.
Hitomi laid back down on the couch frustrated, she had learned nothing but the name of her captor in that conversation. 'What am I going to do?' she asked herself, ' Yukari must have noticed I missing, I don't usually stay out all night,' she rolled on her side, ' This is so frustrating, I've got two groups of enemies, but not a single ally. Fate doesn't seem to like me right now,'
Hitomi pulled her pendent from around her neck, she looked at the pink stone, " Come on you've helped me before, please, please help me now," she begged as she closed her eyes and concentrated on the stone, but when she opened her eyes the only thing that happened was it glowed. Nothing more.
" Why you stupid stone!" she yelled at it and through it across the room. Immediately she felt guilty, as if she had hurt a person, and ran over to pick it up. " At least tell me which way to go," she begged and tried again. The pendant began to circle on the chain, Hitomi opened her eyes and watched it to see what it told her, but it just spun. It didn't tell her anything!
Hitomi stopped the pendant, and examined it. It brought back so many memories, both good and bad, of the living and dead. She remembered the last time she had seen it. The day she gave it to Van. ' How could anyone else have gotten it? Unless. . . . . . .," Hitomi shuddered at the thought, ' No no one could kill him,' she told herself, ' Then did he give it away? Maybe he decided he didn't love me anymore? Maybe he never did?' she felt hot tears running down her cheeks.
Hitomi was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Ry leaning on the doorjamb behind her. Ry shook her head sadly and left the room.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Hitomi woke up to the sounds of a loud argument. apparently she had cried herself to sleep. Hitomi walked over and put her ear to the door. Even though the people who were arguing were screaming Hitmoi could only catch snippets of the argument. Hitomi could tell it was Ry and her " brother" "Jake", but all Hitomi could catch were things about duty, and to stop something.
From the sound of it " Jake" was talking about upholding their duty, while Ry was telling him to forget duty, but what duty specifically Hitomi couldn't be sure.
Then there was silence, Hitomi pressed her hearing to catch anything, but there wasn't a sound. Suddenly the door opened pushing Hitomi backwards. She looked up hot faced to see Ry with a plate of food. Ry looked thoroughly annoyed at something, as well as somewhat sad.
Hitomi stumbled for words, " I. . . .uh, woke up and heard voices," she said hopefully. Ry's face changed, and she laughed at Hitomi's embarrassment. ' So she is human,' thought Hitomi.
Ry walked over with Hitomi to the table, and set down a plate pile with delicious-looking food.
Hitomi decided to try and make conversation, " So. . .uh. . . how's the weather?"
Ry looked sidelong at Hitomi then answered, " It's been fine I guess, too cold, but this is a colder area than I'm use to."
" Where did you grow up?" asked Hitomi happy she'd gotten Ry talking.
A shadow passed over Ry's face, the annoyance and sadness returned, "Yinth," was all she answered as she turned and quickly left the room.
" What did I do now?" Hitomi asked herself as she silently sat down to eat.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Yukari was amazed with all the troubles Hitomi had gone through while on Giea. Yukari had been sure that something big had happened during Hitomi's disappearance, but she would have never gotten close to how big.
It was still hard to believe that a place like Giea could exist, but Yukari herself had seen the dragon and the boy. It was just incredible.
She had read the diary front to back twice and had used the drawings as a visual aid. The amount of people Hitomi had met, the number of places she'd been and the number of things she'd seen. was mind blowing. Yukari could only catch some of the main people. She almost wished she'd been there with Hitomi.
Yukari knew Van though, Hitomi had written so much about him. The saddest thing was that on many of the pages describing him there were dry tear stains. Hitomi had loved Van that much was clear to Yukari. Now she almost wished Hitomi had gone back to him.
Yukari felt a twinge of jealousy, it was unfair that someone could fall in love like that. It wasn't that Yukari wasn't happy for Hitomi, it was more that she was sad for herself. Hitomi had found her prince charming(literally) but Yukari was left alone.
Both Yukari's parents had died in a car crash two years ago, and Amono was happily living on the other side of the country with his wife. If Hitomi left then Yukari would really be alone. Hitomi was all she had left.
It wasn't that Yukari didn't have other friends, its just that they were work friends not really close friends. Hitomi's mother had acted like Yukari's as well since her and Hitomi had been friends. It just wasn't the same though.
Yukari was depressing herself now, she needed a pick me up, ' I'll go see Jake,' she thought.
When she got to his apartment she knocked lightly, at first there wasn't a sound then the door opened to reveal Jake, " Yukari," he said happily.
" Hey Jake, I just came to see if you wanted to go get dinner or something?" she asked.
" Sorry, my sis already cooked something for dinner," he answered sadly.
" Oh ok," Yukari turned to leave.
" But my sis cooked enough for a whole city, and she and my Grandpa aren't going to be here tonight. So if you wanted to eat here that'd be all right," said Jake smiling.
Yukari turned back, " I'd love to."
Jake led Yukari to the dining room, " Milady," he joked puling out a chair for her. Yukari laughed as she sat down. Jake then hurried into the kitchen and returned with plates, silverware, and napkins. He quickly set the table, then went back into the kitchen to retrieve the food his sister had left for him. After he put it out and served Yukari and himself, the two talked long into the night.