Quick Note: Just a brief note, this is the final installment of How We Came Together. Before, I might have hoped to continue this story, but that was long ago. I loved Escaflowne, but I will no longer write about it. It's not that easy to explain, but I have grown since I wrote this. To all the faithful readers of this story, if I buy the Escaflowne Movie on DVD then expect a new story coming out sometime this year. I noticed that there were a lot of mistakes my behalf on this story. Sorry about that, I was young, I was reckless. I haven't read my own story in a long time, so I'm just assuming what happened. I hope you all enjoyed my writing on this tale, and feel free to give reviews.

How we came together: A Dracolian's Tale

Chapter 11

Alian stared at the sight before her. It was disgusting down here. The dungeons they were called. More like a hell hole. Hitomi walked forward. The place reeked of death and the dying.

The ship swayed a bit and the two girls were knocked over towards the left. Alian gave a small scream as she fell against the wall of slim. Hitomi simply got up and walked towards the back of the dungeons.

Alian followed quickly behind, not wanting to be noticed or seen. How she had managed to get the key to this place was now just a haze. Folken had gotten into bed with her late at night, and laid his clothes on the chair near the door. After he was asleep, Alian got up and took out the chain that had several keys onto it.

The ring with the skull upon it was the one she wanted. She quickly took the key and hid it under her pillow. Hoping that Folken wouldn't find it.

Now that she was down here, it seemed more like a nightmare than a rescue mission.

Hitomi gasped as she saw a face through the barred gate. "Alian that's him." She whispered softly. 

The head snapped up from a corner, where a person sat. "Hitomi? Hitomi is that you?" The voice whispered.

"Who... Who are you?" She was close to tears now. Why couldn't she remember anything anymore?

"My name is Van, I'm your friend, don't you remember?" He said quietly. "We went through so much. Don't you remember?"

He walked towards her, and extended a hand out towards her. She grasped it, and as soon as she did, a flash of memories came back to her. It came so fast, that she was felt the room spinning around her suddenly.

"Oh Van!" She cried. A set of tears began to form, as she cried. He held her hand, through the bars, and watched as she cried.

 Finally, Alian spoke up. "I think we should leave, in case anyone finds us here, when we shouldn't even be here."

Hitomi nodded, and took the key and unlocked the door, allowing Van his freedom.  

He ran out and hugged her close. It had been so long since he had seen her face without that blank expression.

She smiled. "Now let's get out of here!" Van nodded as he gripped her hand and ran out.

Alian stood there for a moment, not wanting to follow the two, she knew she had done the right thing, allowing them to be together at last. 

A whisper brought her out of her trance. Folken stood behind her. "You did the right thing. Something I would have never done for my brother." He sighed as he touched her shoulder slightly.

She leaned into him. "It wasn't that easy. I feel weak." She fell against his chest. Folken knew her time on this planet was up. She was an angel sent down to free him from his destiny, to bring him to his knees.

He sat down, and cradled her in his arms. Crying his tears at the loss of his love, his life.

***

Van ran quickly through the narrow passages of the ship, hoping to get out. A sudden noise knocked him over towards the wall, causing his shoulder to bruise as he picked himself up.

"Allen must be attacking now!" Van yelled through the smoke that was coming from behind them.

 Hitomi nodded. "He wants to draw out the slayers!"

Van and Hitomi quickly ran through the passages until they were near the main command room. Van edged towards the entrance. Everyone was in frenzy. People were running around screaming about the fight outside. Van watched in horror at the screen facing him. They were nearing a cliff.

He pulled Hitomi forward as he ran across the room towards a door that allowed them freedom. No one noticed the two of them, for their own misfortunes were upon them.

Van and Hitomi emerged, but Hitomi gasped as she fell over the edge of the ship. Van gripped her hand. She was slipping from him again. 

"Van! Don't let me fall!" Hitomi yelled. She watched as Van tried to pull her over the ledge, but another noise startled him as the ship knocked over more, and Hitomi's grip lessened on his.

Van looked at her helplessly. Another noise knocked against the side, as his grip wavered and Hitomi fell down the cliff.

"Hitomi!" screamed Van, as he jumped down the cliff. He dived head in towards the darkness that would soon surround him.

Hitomi felt her body fall and she became weak. Her eyes closed as she fell through the darkness. A figure of white came down upon her. She looked closer... Van? Van!

She screamed his name, but he didn't seem to hear her, and in the meanwhile, she kept going deeper and deeper. Then all of the sudden, it ended.

"Hitomi, are you running today?" A voice called out. She opened her eyes... Where was she? A girl ran up to her. "Hey are you feeling okay today? Coach said that you might not want to run today, but we were just wondering if you wanted to... You know for old time's sake?"

Hitomi stared at the girl. Where was she? Was she back where she started from? Still at the track field?

Her eyes adjusted. Where was Van? Was this a figment of her imagination? She had so many questions, yet not enough answers. 

A small breeze blew past her. And as it did, a white feather flew towards her. She picked it out of the thin air.

"Van..." She whispered. She had risked so much... for nothing in the end. Van could be anywhere. Her eyes brimmed with tears. Why did this have to end so tragically? Why wasn't he here with her now? Why couldn't she be with him? Now she knew her mistake... Not telling him she loved him when she had the chance.

***

Van stared down at the darkness that engulfed her. He had seen her disappear out of thin air. It was shocking... One moment she was there, and then the next she wasn't. He pulled his wings upwards... He had failed her; he had failed to protect her, and thus failed himself.

He watched the battle from a distance. Allen and his men were fighting the slayers with all their might. Van already knew the outcome... Allen and his men would eventually win. The ship had gone down, only a few minutes ago, slamming into a near mountain, there was no evidence of a fire, but people were quickly escaping.

He touched his neck to find that he still held Hitomi's pendant. She gave it to him, and he still had it. Still in midair, Van pulled the necklace towards his face so he could have a better look at it. He saw Hitomi... 

"Hitomi..." He whispered. He knew he had to start over, clean up his act, and get on with life. And hopefully someday he would see her again...

***

Three Years Later...

Van looked up at the clear blue sky. Someday he knew she was going to fall out of that sky again, and he would catch her. But that someday would be far away. Years from where he was standing.

He began to slowly walk back to the palace. After defeating the slayers and ridding themselves of danger, Gaea had begun to rebuild itself. Allen had his empire rebuilt, as well, but it just wasn't the same without her.

He knew she would have loved to see his empire rebuilt. She would have smiled at him, and laughed... No... he wouldn't dwell on these feelings. She was gone, maybe for a few years, maybe forever... He wasn't sure.

Van twisted his head away from the view and began to walk towards the city again. His hand touched the pendant that he had kept in her memory. No one would ever know how much he loved her. No one would share his pain, because he would not allow them to. 

Van took one last look at the clear blue sky and walked on, his life within his hands once again.

***

Hitomi stared at the field. Another track meet. She loved the thrill of running till she collapsed. It was her journey, her destiny to keep running. Because she knew that if she didn't... her memories would come back and haunt her. That face, those eyes, that expression... 

She shook her head. She couldn't think about that right now. It was too hard. Too much pressure. She smiled at the sky, hoping with all her might, that today would be the day when she ran so fast, that she would disappear fully once again.

A shot rang out, and she sprinted forward, pulling all her power into the run. Her eyes glued onto her target, that finish line. 

Then time stopped. Hitomi gasped. Was this what she wanted? To be back with the man that she loved? She screamed as her lungs were lost, a dark tunnel surrounded her and then...

***

Van stared at the direct point in front of him. He quickly drew his sword out, ready to strike whatever was going to come out of that large black tunnel. 

A scream echoed into his ears. He watched as a body limply fell out of the tunnel. He gasped. This was unreal. His eyes focused, as he ran forward with his sword, hoping that a demon had not emerged.

Hitomi gasped, and coughed, as she fell face down into the soft sand. A second later, and she noticed a sword pointing at her neck.

"Who are you?" A voice called out.

"My... My name is Hitomi... Where am I?" She whispered. Frightened for herself.

Van stared down at her. She had returned to him, like he had wished so many times before. But it couldn't be. This had to be his imagination. This was not possible...

"Hitomi..." The voice called back to her. She looked up to see a man, with dark hair around his face, wearing a cape and a clean white shirt. 

"You... You look different." Van said suddenly.

She smiled up at him. "My hair grew out since the last time we saw each other." 

Van smiled and lend her a hand, which she took. The instant she was on her feet, she reached forward and gave him a hug.

"I started over, gave Gaea a new look, a new perspective. I hope you like it." Van whispered.

"I know I will." 

***

The end of this story, the final installment. I hope you guys all enjoyed it while it lasted. I think I might want to reedit all the other chapters. I did a horrible job on the spelling from before. I noticed there were a lot of mistakes. Well I thank you all for reading this story, please feel free to review.