AN: *pouts* I know it's hard to think of original ideas now a days, and so I understand that some ideas are similar. But when you copy something so exact it's kind of discouraging. One of my old stories, "Over My Head", was about Van being threatened to be kicked off the hockey team, and his coach recommends he get a tutor, who turns out to be his love interest. Van also slams his stick down in frustration, his coach taunts him, saying did he still love hockey, and Van gets angry, saying that hockey is one of the rare things he likes. I found all these qualities in another story, thanks to a friend who pointed it out to me, saying it was familiar, and I was sort of bummed out. If you really do like that idea, you could at least run it by me, those who have talked to me on MSN know that I'm pretty lenient, as long as you ask. Anywhoo, don't go flaming that author, for all I know she/he could have never read my story, I'm just sort of shocked at the coincidence.
I've been picking at this chapter of "Nobody Said it was Easy" for quite some time, it's sort of a boring chapter, but it's necessary... Next chapter is going to be more interesting ^_^ But I don't think this is TOO shabby, and if it is, I blame my beta-reader XP
Hitomi was now sleeping soundly on the mattress, Van's hands clasped around one of her own, his thumb caressing the delicate skin of the inside of her wrist.
She believes in me?
He longed for her to open her eyes, so he could see her emerald green eyes, pure and strong. She shifted slightly, mumbling, and Van straightened up. Gently tugging the soft blanket from her waist over her shoulders, Van sighed heavily as the material covered the large white bandage on Hitomi's collar bone out of sight, tainted slightly with a dark red in the center. Guilt ate away at him, and his eyes hardened.
"I'm sorry, Hitomi," Van said quietly, and Hitomi fluttered her eyes open, as if on cue.
...Come up to meet you
Tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are
I had to find you
Tell you I need you
Tell you I set you apart...
The action startled Van slightly, and he found himself abruptly standing up, assuming she needed something.
"I'll get you water--" he began hastily, but Hitomi touched his arm lightly before he could walk away.
"Can you stay?" she asked softly, her lips pale and dry. She looked so weak. Like she was suffering.
"But your lips are dry and pale, you need fluids," Van reasoned kindly, and Hitomi shook her head, and she licked and pursed her lips, making them pink.
"See? Fine again," she tried smiling, but the blood cells eventually settled down again and her lips went to being pale, and now wet. Van dragged his teeth along the inside of his lip, nibbling slightly. She obviously needed water, and some food might not be too bad either, but he didn't want to leave her alone. After all, he had promised himself he would never leave her alone to fight her battles anymore.
"Hitomi..." he mumbled, the syllables of her name breaking over his lips like waves on jagged rocks.
"Please, Van, just for a bit," Hitomi pleaded, yet no strong emotion labeled her face, she was too weak to be exercised too much.
"...Alright," Van nodded, and sitting back down in his chair, Hitomi allowed her head to rest back on her pillow, as she turned her body to face Van. A small smile lifted the corners of her mouth, then dropped. So tired, Hitomi thought, but she wanted to talk with him. This might be her only chance for a while to come.
"So how was life... Back on the Mystic Moon?" Van asked, truly curious. The neutral expression on Hitomi's face tightened with pain, and Van frowned in concern.
"Are you okay?"
Hitomi just coughed slightly, and she averted her gaze.
"Hitomi, you can tell me," Van said softly, and Hitomi shook her head quickly. Reaching for her pendant like a security blanket, Hitomi ran her thumb along the cool, slender pink stone, a rush of dizziness engulfing her head. Van regretted his actions, as he saw a thin layer of perspiration appear on Hitomi's pale forehead, her eyes large and slightly frightened.
"Hit....Hito...." Van mumbled apologetically, when Hitomi cut him off, one of her hands shakily reaching for his. Her cold, clammy hand locked fingers with his warm, dry one, and she shut her eyes fiercely for a moment.
"I told someone... I..." Hitomi trailed off as her eye lashes fluttered open, "I told Darien. That was already very difficult. And things.... Things like this Van, until you heal, it's too painful to retell. I... I need to heal," Hitomi added quickly, feeling bad for the hurt look hidden yet so clear on his features. She wished she could tell him. But retelling him, remembering the indifferent white sheets covering the cadavers of her beloved, she knew that she wouldn't have the strength to go on.
She'd let herself go into the alluring lull of eternal sleep.
"I understand," Van replied shortly, looking down, and Hitomi exhaled sharply.
"Van, listen to me," she sighed, "I want to tell you. I trust you Van. But I'm not ready". Van heaved his broad shoulders, and gazed at her intensely.
"...Okay," he replied finally, and cocking his head slightly he willed his lips to curl ever so slightly.
Hitomi could now do nothing but to squeeze his hand tightly and roll her head back onto the softness of her pillow. They sat in silence, Hitomi's eyes heavy with fatigue. Not falling asleep, Hitomi warned herself. Any moment with Van alone was worth a moment less of the golden grace of sleep.
Heart in my possession or not, Hitomi added silently.
"Van? What's going to happen with the Dantele Empire?" Hitomi asked, her green eyes at half mast.
"Well," Van started, "The Hybrids apparently are just under the rank of a Knight Caeli. Hybrid rookies, that is. Hybrids of higher rank, probably excel the great samurai". Van felt his muscles tense slightly in anger. A swordsman wasn't meant to be altered in such an inhuman manner. They were meant to train, to become the best warrior they could be. Those Hybrids weren't swordsmen. Or even soldiers.
They were monsters.
"But with all the countries against the Dantele Empire, wouldn't--"
"That depends," Van interrupted gently, "Normally, what you say is true. But I don't think Emperor Garnaut is that stupid. He must have something, something powerful enough to make him have the ability to call an attack". Hitomi nodded, her brow frowning slightly, her chest rising and falling gently as she breathed. The hand not clasped around Van's was still making it's subconscious journey along the cool of her pendant, and she ran her thumb and index finger along the slender pink stone.
"Van," Hitomi said softly, her voice barely over a whisper.
"Yes?" Van asked, looking up from Hitomi's wrist that he was stroking. She swallowed the thickness in her throat, not sure if now was the right time to ask. She looked up into his questioning reddish brown eyes, waiting patiently. Pursing her lips again to a pinkish hue, Hitomi mumbled out her question before they could return to their pale pallor.
"Why did you sell my pendant?"
"Where is Van?" Aurelia asked, spotting Jade in black breeches and and a red tank top, running her thumb along the flat side of her sword. Her long, brown ponytail hung over one of her lightly tanned shoulders, not covering the 'Carpe Nocturm' on her arm.
"Tending," Jade replied, not looking up from her sword.
"Tending to what?" Aurelia huffed impatiently, her night robe wrapped around her snugly. Her ginger colored hair was hanging in loose curls over her slender shoulders, her make up washed off. "I'm worried for him," she added softly, her blue eyes dropping slightly. Jade pursed her lips slightly, which had been open before in concentration, her hand stopping it's course over the cold smoothness of her blade.
"He's tending to Hitomi who has been severely injured," Jade said finally, going back to her sword.
"Oh," Aurelia replied after a moment, "I hope she's okay". She stood for a moment, as if to go, when she gently walked over and pulled a chair beside Jade. "Is that a sword from Basram?"
Jade merely met Aurelia's eyes coolly, though her eyes held a defensive gaze.
"It's beautiful," Aurelia commented, "I mean, not to say I know anything about swords. But the craftsmanship is stunning".
Jade nodded, and continued checking her sword for nicks and scrapes. Aurelia sat uncomfortably, smoothing her robe slightly with her open palm. After an awkward silence, the only noise the gentle shifting of the sword, Aurelia stood up to leave. Flicking her blue gaze to the floor for a second, before returning her eyes to Jade, Aurelia whispered goodnight as she lifted her hand courteously. Jade made no move, didn't look up to say good night. Just kept running her thumb over the shiny blade of her sword.
Suddenly the warrior delved into her boot and threw a silver dagger at Aurelia, the point of the blade pinning Aurelia to the doorframe by her bracelet. The sharp blade of the dagger was millimeters away from cutting the Princess' skin. Aurelia peered closer at the tip of the dagger, and noticed it was notched perfectly in the latch of her bracelet like a puzzle.
"What--" she began, her voice cracking hysterically as she pulled at the bracelet, attempting to escape, when Jade interrupted her. Would Jade actually kill her? She wouldn't be able to escape in time, the latch of her bracelet hard to maneuver as now a blade was in the way. Still tugging her arm, the chain of the bracelet indenting a small mark on Aurelia's skin, and she let out a frightened yelp as Jade trained her tiger like eyes on her. This was it. Aurelia would die.
"Take it. It may come useful one day," Jade said simply, turning back to her sword. Aurelia's jaw dropped, her heart threatening to rip out of her rip cage as it began to slow down. So she didn't want to kill her.
Yet, that is.
Aurelia gently wrapped the handle of the dagger, and attempted to pry it out of the door frame with her free hand.. "Those jewels are sapphires. And the silver serpents entwined around the handle make it easier to grip in battle," Jade added.
"T...Thank you," Aurelia replied gratefully, though extremely nervous. Jade nodded slightly, not looking up. While Aurelia desperately tugged at the dagger, she cast looks at Jade, sending fierce mental messages for her to look up and offer to help.
"Step back slightly, turn the blade slightly and pull upward," Jade said, not looking up from her sword. Aurelia nodded, and to her surprise the dagger slid out like rippling silk.
"You have to learn not to rely on Van so much. Not on anyone for that matter," Jade added quietly, gazing at the blade of her sword intently, no longer checking it.
"...W-what do you mean?" Aurelia stuttered, her brow creasing slightly as she turned the dagger over in her hands, admiring the intricate detail of the snakes.
"You rely on others to protect you. First your family, now Van. You have to learn how to be alone, how to be independent."
"I am!" Aurelia replied indignantly, searching the caverns of her mind desperately for something that she did solely. "I... I..." Nothing seemed impressive. Taking the sheath that Jade had dumped on the table and sliding the dagger in, Aurelia sighed, her lower lip twitching slightly. "But I don't want to be alone."
"But if you're alone, you can't be hurt," Jade replied gently, still not looking up. "There's no one to make you cry if you're alone."
A shocked look crossed Van's features, and he could feel his cheeks sear with heat.
"I...I..." he mumbled, and Hitomi sighed.
"It's okay," she murmured, subdued. The small sliver of hope in her eyes burnt out, and Van gently extended his hand to turn Hitomi's cheek gently back towards him.
"Hitomi, I sold your pendant because..." Van trailed off. Hitomi gave him a patient look, her lips a ghostly white. Before he could stop himself, Van ran one of his fingers over her lips, feeling their silky yet firm texture.
"Sorry," he apologized immediately, retracting his hand as if he had committed a sin. His cheeks flamed red, and he looked away.
"It's okay," Hitomi whispered, blushing faintly, and Van exhaled sharply.
"When you left.... Fanelia... No, Gaea was in an economical crisis. Money was scarce, what with everything needing reconstruction. No loans could be offered, it was, at the time, every country for it self. Of course, we as Gaea provided moral support for each other, but in financial terms...." Van explained, Hitomi nodding. "We possessed nothing of value in Fanelia, because everything had been burned down. Crops were slow, and I couldn't sell Escaflowne because only a king of Fanelia can pilot that guymelef".
Hitomi's eyes widened. Did that mean...
"So the last resort I had was... Your pendant Hitomi. Apparently it was of great value, because it's supposed magical qualities, it's history, it's exoticness... I... Hitomi," Van said with a sudden gentle fierceness, "I'd rather sell Escaflowne then your pendant. I... It... I wouldn't sell it at first... But my people," Van stopped suddenly, and looked down, ashamed. "I was worried about my people. I know that was no excuse. And for you to find out that way... From... That monster".
Hitomi silenced him by placing her other hand on his, and smiled lightly. The knot that had been tightening inside Van slowly loosened, and he smiled back.
Running his scarred fingers over the smooth, cold glass, Garnaut smiled wickedly as the deep crimson liquid ran along inside. Gently removing the porous cork, he drizzled the blood over his fingers and sucked on the copper flavored liquid greedily, when suddenly the bottle dropped from his hands and a blood curdling yell emitted from his mouth.
As Van gently stroked Hitomi's side as she slept, he started as she suddenly snapped up and began to scream.
"Hitomi!" Van yelled, but she slammed back on the bed, and began tossing from side to side wildly.
"It hurts," she whimpered, before arching her back up, then slamming back down. Gathering her up in his arms, Van hugged Hitomi close to him, as if to absorb her pain. She shook violently, her green eyes rolling in the back of her head, as Van whispered words fiercely into her ear. Suddenly a flash blinded their vision, and they both arched closer together.
Black.
Red.
White.
A flurry of pastel petals flew past them, and suddenly they were falling.
AN: Well, do you like? ^_^;;; Please review! BTW, I'm going on hiatus ^_^;;;;;; Sorry, I plan to update "Every Moment Gets Better" one more time, and then I'm on hiatus... One reason is that I need to get some more inspiration, another is that I'm sort of bummed about the story thingy... And I think I need to spend some more time with my friends ^_^;; I'm sure you all know the feeling, so until next time! And Please review! ^_______^ *bows*