A/n: Gomen minna, I know it's been like ages since I last updated this
story. Please forgive me (=_=) I really have a rough schedule since the
start of the second term. I have lots of exams that I needed to take and
study for. Plus, I have a part time job thus I haven't had time to write
and update my stories. Again to my former readers, I'm terribly sorry...
Disclaimer: Don't own Escaflowne
Chapter 9: Repercussions
"Tell me this is nothing but a grave mistake Dryden," Van said in a dangerous tone as he shoved himself up out of his chair. He couldn't accept that. And he wouldn't. His mind went black just thinking about Hitomi having to die, having to sacrifice her life just to save Gaea and its people. 'How many times does she have to?' Van thought, remembering the past, the times when Hitomi had had close encounter with death. 'I could stand the distance between us, but not losing her forever.' He realized for the first time that he would give anything just to change that fate.
"I hope it was, Van." Dryden answered feebly.
"Is there not another way Dryden?" Millerna asked in despair.
"I really don't know, my queen."
"What if that book meant nothing at all," Allen commented.
Dyrden shook his head. "No, I don't think so Allen."
"Why? Why such things have to happen?" Millerna whispered in the air, her question ringing in the ears of everyone around her.
They were all engulfed in their own thoughts when the door burst open and a panic-stricken feline came rushing in.
"Lord Van!!!" Merle cried, hurriedly moving toward Van.
"What is it Merle?" Van asked, concern written on his face.
"It's Hitomi, I found her lying unconscious at the balcony of your chamber Lord Van." Merle was catching her breath. She had raced the palace grounds with such speed she hadn't known she possessed. She was so worried with Hitomi's condition that she barely noticed the stunned looks of the other people present in the room.
"Hitomi is here?" Allen spoke in shock.
"How come you didn't tell us Van?" Dryden asked.
Without further ado, Van ran past the others, ignoring their queries, his main concern at the moment was to attend at once to Hitomi. He turned to race along the palace corridors, his heart beating in wild fear that something bad had happen to her.
In no time, he reached his chamber and saw Hitomi on the cold ground of the balcony. Almost immediately, he closed the distance between them and knelt down beside her. Carefully, he lifted her up and held her securely as if he were holding the most precious treasure he never so much as wish to let go. He brought her inside and laid her frail body gently on the bed.
After a few minutes, he found himself staring at her and felt a sudden lump in his throat. He spoke to her with a voice lower than a whisper and tinged with gruff emotion. "You can't die Hitomi. You deserve to live your life the way you wanted to," Van whispered. "I may not be the one whom you will spend the rest of your life with but it's enough for me to know that you're alive and happy. I love you Hitomi. I will do anything to protect you even if it takes my own life..."
Van held her hand while Hitomi was still lost in obliviousness.
~*****~
"What was that Merle? Hitomi has lost her memory?" Millerna asked the feline who had explained everything of Hitomi's arrival on Gaea once again after she left since the Destiny War had ended.
"Yes. And she doesn't at the moment remember any of us including her experiences here in Gaea years ago." Merle answered.
"Now what do we do? She can't possibly fulfill her part in the prophecy." Allen turned to Dryden.
"We will help her one way or the other. We must collect and gather all the crystals before the start of the first phase of the New Moon. By then, we could only hope that Hitomi has already retrieved her memory to stop the havoc and doom that would befall on Gaea." Dryden spoke with trepidation.
"Hey! What are you talking about? What is this prophecy?" Merle butted in, confused.
"Merle, I'll explain everything to you later." Millerna offered. "Now take me where Hitomi is. I want to see her." She requested.
"Oh, alright." The feline agreed. She and Millerna left the council room with Dryden and Allen behind them.
~*****~
The three figures clad in black cloaks, Dornkirk's Sorcerers as they were once called. They were the ones whom Dornkirk asked to help him fulfill his dream of altering fate for the good of the present and future of Gaea and everyone living in it. They performed experiments, numerous trials of changing the natural flow of events and of improving the disability and physical limitation of man.
"Folken and Dilandau, they were only subjects, guinea pigs for the success of our mission. They weren't as powerful as Dornkirk and as we are. Even the girl from the Mystic Moon cannot surpass our abilities." The leader spoke.
"The pillar of light we saw a few days ago tells us that the girl from the Mystic Moon is in Gaea yet again. We must work on our mission as soon as possible and never give her the chance to stop us."
"Better yet, we could try to kill her and spare us all the trouble she would bring to the success of our plans." One of them suggested.
"Yes. That we must do before she brings in any complications. Call on Mortar and give him the order to kill the girl from the Mystic Moon." The leader commanded with an evil smirk on his face.
~*****~
"Hitomi, child, the time has come to fulfill your destiny...Don't run nor be afraid. You can do this. You can. Just trust yourself and trust the ones around you......Please do remember.."
"Grandma..."
She was running. Running from something she doesn't know of. She wanted to stop but then she couldn't. She could hear voices. So many voices...
"I, Van Fanel, having completed the Rite of Dragonslaying have returned with the Drag energist."
"Stay away from Lord Van!"
"I'm Allen Schezar, a knight of Asturia..."
"I've never seen clothes like yours before. What place are you from girl?"
"She's my new lover, Lord Dilandau. Her name's Hitomi from the East."
"You there girl, be a dear and carry Allen's luggage.."
"I'll never let you again Hitomi..."
It was dark, so very dark. And from out of nowhere pieces of paper encircled her it was if they were alive and trying to engulf her. She recognized them. Her grandmother gave them to her, they were her Tarot cards. One of the cards flashed before her.
La Morte. The Card of Death.
The cloak figure holding what seemed like an axe with an arch blade at the end. He was coming toward her. And she was stepping backwards, away from him. Until she felt there was no ground to step on anymore.
Falling.
Falling.
She was falling.
She was screaming but then no sound escaped her mouth.
It was futile.
Then a winged figure came, flying down to catch her. His face was hidden within the shadows. But something inside her, told her that he was the one she's been waiting for.
..."I love your wings Van. They're pretty. Like angel's wings."
..."An angel. You're my angel Van."
~*****~
"What do you wish me to do Master?" A tall, bearded man bowed and kneeled before the three cloak figures in front of him.
"Kill the girl from the Mystic Moon. Kill her with whatever means possible. Don't dare to come back unless you've taken the last draw of her breath. Is that understood?" The leader spoke. His words filled with disdain.
"Yes master. I will do as you command." The man answered. When he stood up and bowed for the last time, his eyes flickered with an evil glint which added to the fierceness of his face, features that resembled that of the once greatly renowned and respected samurai general of Fanelia.
Balgus.
~*****~
A/n: There you have it minna. I'm sorry if it was a little bit short. But that's all I can give for now. I hope it wouldn't take me months again to update the next chapter. (wheew, why do writers have to have writer's block?) Hope this chapter was good enough though. By the way I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Rebellerose, thank you for your patience and sorry if I've kept you waiting (v_v).
Anyway, dear readers (if anyone did read this stuff) please don't forget to review. I really need some bit of inspiration right now. My muses have gone so so far away, I don't know where to find them (^^;). Thanks for reading!
Disclaimer: Don't own Escaflowne
Chapter 9: Repercussions
"Tell me this is nothing but a grave mistake Dryden," Van said in a dangerous tone as he shoved himself up out of his chair. He couldn't accept that. And he wouldn't. His mind went black just thinking about Hitomi having to die, having to sacrifice her life just to save Gaea and its people. 'How many times does she have to?' Van thought, remembering the past, the times when Hitomi had had close encounter with death. 'I could stand the distance between us, but not losing her forever.' He realized for the first time that he would give anything just to change that fate.
"I hope it was, Van." Dryden answered feebly.
"Is there not another way Dryden?" Millerna asked in despair.
"I really don't know, my queen."
"What if that book meant nothing at all," Allen commented.
Dyrden shook his head. "No, I don't think so Allen."
"Why? Why such things have to happen?" Millerna whispered in the air, her question ringing in the ears of everyone around her.
They were all engulfed in their own thoughts when the door burst open and a panic-stricken feline came rushing in.
"Lord Van!!!" Merle cried, hurriedly moving toward Van.
"What is it Merle?" Van asked, concern written on his face.
"It's Hitomi, I found her lying unconscious at the balcony of your chamber Lord Van." Merle was catching her breath. She had raced the palace grounds with such speed she hadn't known she possessed. She was so worried with Hitomi's condition that she barely noticed the stunned looks of the other people present in the room.
"Hitomi is here?" Allen spoke in shock.
"How come you didn't tell us Van?" Dryden asked.
Without further ado, Van ran past the others, ignoring their queries, his main concern at the moment was to attend at once to Hitomi. He turned to race along the palace corridors, his heart beating in wild fear that something bad had happen to her.
In no time, he reached his chamber and saw Hitomi on the cold ground of the balcony. Almost immediately, he closed the distance between them and knelt down beside her. Carefully, he lifted her up and held her securely as if he were holding the most precious treasure he never so much as wish to let go. He brought her inside and laid her frail body gently on the bed.
After a few minutes, he found himself staring at her and felt a sudden lump in his throat. He spoke to her with a voice lower than a whisper and tinged with gruff emotion. "You can't die Hitomi. You deserve to live your life the way you wanted to," Van whispered. "I may not be the one whom you will spend the rest of your life with but it's enough for me to know that you're alive and happy. I love you Hitomi. I will do anything to protect you even if it takes my own life..."
Van held her hand while Hitomi was still lost in obliviousness.
~*****~
"What was that Merle? Hitomi has lost her memory?" Millerna asked the feline who had explained everything of Hitomi's arrival on Gaea once again after she left since the Destiny War had ended.
"Yes. And she doesn't at the moment remember any of us including her experiences here in Gaea years ago." Merle answered.
"Now what do we do? She can't possibly fulfill her part in the prophecy." Allen turned to Dryden.
"We will help her one way or the other. We must collect and gather all the crystals before the start of the first phase of the New Moon. By then, we could only hope that Hitomi has already retrieved her memory to stop the havoc and doom that would befall on Gaea." Dryden spoke with trepidation.
"Hey! What are you talking about? What is this prophecy?" Merle butted in, confused.
"Merle, I'll explain everything to you later." Millerna offered. "Now take me where Hitomi is. I want to see her." She requested.
"Oh, alright." The feline agreed. She and Millerna left the council room with Dryden and Allen behind them.
~*****~
The three figures clad in black cloaks, Dornkirk's Sorcerers as they were once called. They were the ones whom Dornkirk asked to help him fulfill his dream of altering fate for the good of the present and future of Gaea and everyone living in it. They performed experiments, numerous trials of changing the natural flow of events and of improving the disability and physical limitation of man.
"Folken and Dilandau, they were only subjects, guinea pigs for the success of our mission. They weren't as powerful as Dornkirk and as we are. Even the girl from the Mystic Moon cannot surpass our abilities." The leader spoke.
"The pillar of light we saw a few days ago tells us that the girl from the Mystic Moon is in Gaea yet again. We must work on our mission as soon as possible and never give her the chance to stop us."
"Better yet, we could try to kill her and spare us all the trouble she would bring to the success of our plans." One of them suggested.
"Yes. That we must do before she brings in any complications. Call on Mortar and give him the order to kill the girl from the Mystic Moon." The leader commanded with an evil smirk on his face.
~*****~
"Hitomi, child, the time has come to fulfill your destiny...Don't run nor be afraid. You can do this. You can. Just trust yourself and trust the ones around you......Please do remember.."
"Grandma..."
She was running. Running from something she doesn't know of. She wanted to stop but then she couldn't. She could hear voices. So many voices...
"I, Van Fanel, having completed the Rite of Dragonslaying have returned with the Drag energist."
"Stay away from Lord Van!"
"I'm Allen Schezar, a knight of Asturia..."
"I've never seen clothes like yours before. What place are you from girl?"
"She's my new lover, Lord Dilandau. Her name's Hitomi from the East."
"You there girl, be a dear and carry Allen's luggage.."
"I'll never let you again Hitomi..."
It was dark, so very dark. And from out of nowhere pieces of paper encircled her it was if they were alive and trying to engulf her. She recognized them. Her grandmother gave them to her, they were her Tarot cards. One of the cards flashed before her.
La Morte. The Card of Death.
The cloak figure holding what seemed like an axe with an arch blade at the end. He was coming toward her. And she was stepping backwards, away from him. Until she felt there was no ground to step on anymore.
Falling.
Falling.
She was falling.
She was screaming but then no sound escaped her mouth.
It was futile.
Then a winged figure came, flying down to catch her. His face was hidden within the shadows. But something inside her, told her that he was the one she's been waiting for.
..."I love your wings Van. They're pretty. Like angel's wings."
..."An angel. You're my angel Van."
~*****~
"What do you wish me to do Master?" A tall, bearded man bowed and kneeled before the three cloak figures in front of him.
"Kill the girl from the Mystic Moon. Kill her with whatever means possible. Don't dare to come back unless you've taken the last draw of her breath. Is that understood?" The leader spoke. His words filled with disdain.
"Yes master. I will do as you command." The man answered. When he stood up and bowed for the last time, his eyes flickered with an evil glint which added to the fierceness of his face, features that resembled that of the once greatly renowned and respected samurai general of Fanelia.
Balgus.
~*****~
A/n: There you have it minna. I'm sorry if it was a little bit short. But that's all I can give for now. I hope it wouldn't take me months again to update the next chapter. (wheew, why do writers have to have writer's block?) Hope this chapter was good enough though. By the way I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Rebellerose, thank you for your patience and sorry if I've kept you waiting (v_v).
Anyway, dear readers (if anyone did read this stuff) please don't forget to review. I really need some bit of inspiration right now. My muses have gone so so far away, I don't know where to find them (^^;). Thanks for reading!