This is it, guys. Yup. Last chapter. This is basically the resolution of the fic, and I have to say I'm going to be sad to say good-bye TT sobs I know you might be a little disappointed with the ending, but like I've said before. This fic lost steam about halfway through on the 19th chapter. So, let's say chapters 8 thru 16 were the most intense. When I started it up again, it didn't really go where I thought it would, but I hope you enjoyed reading my little ficcie none the less.
Disclaimer: I had to write one more of these just for the heck of it. This is my story. These are not my characters. Escaflowne is not mine. (…that was bittersweet…;;)
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Aoki woke up gradually in a strange bed. He wasn't an early morning person. In fact, he had probably been lightly dozing for hours. It might even be passed noon. He sighed, gaining consciousness more quickly than he would have liked. This bed was really warm…
"Wake up! You've been asleep forever!" Somebody poked him.
"Go 'way," he muttered and turned over.
"C'mon! It's past lunch time! Wake up!" Suddenly, who ever was bothering him was jumping on top of him.
"Leave me alone!" Aoki sat up, angrily. He stopped. He was staring into pretty blue eyes…his gazed moved upwards to the girl---he gulped---cat ears?!
The strange cat-girl purred and licked his face. "My name's Merle," she said casually, blushing a little. "It's time to get up lazy. Don't you want to eat? Don't you want to see your friends? Hitomi's been really worried about you."
"Hitomi?" Aoki exclaimed. "Wait a minuet! Where the heck am I?" Merle rolled her eyes.
"You're the last one to get up. We already explained this a hundred times to the other foreigners. Just come on!" Merle tugged the seriously confused boy out of bed and into a sun filled ante-chamber.
"Aoki!" His best friend, Hajime Kanzaki, bowled him over. "I thought you were going to sleep till you died of starvation!" Aoki looked past Hajime's shoulder and saw the strangest gathering of people he had ever witnessed.
He saw The Kanzaki's, Hitomi's friends Yukari and Amano, Hitomi dressed in really weird clothing, and a blonde man arguing in a corner with a dark man in sunglasses. Beside Hitomi was a pretty blonde with short hair talking animatedly and gesturing wildly, an elegant woman with long blond hair checking Hitomi's pulse and an intense boy with dark hair that seemed way too familiar pacing in front of an empty fire pace…
Aoki looked outside for the first time through a window right to his left. "Oh my god! Is that the Earth?" he yelped. Everyone's attention in the room immediately fixed on him.
"Oh god, another one," the dark-haired man with sunglasses in the corner groaned. Hitomi tried to stand up, but six pairs of hands pushed her back into her seat.
Eventually, everything was explained to Aoki. He joined Hitomi's friend Amano however, in his reluctance to believe what he was hearing, even if the truth was in front of his very eyes.
"Hitomi-san…does that mean that you're staying here?" Aoki asked slowly. Hitomi quickly glanced at her mother and Yukari looked away. Hitomi turned hesitantly to Aoki and nodded.
"Why…why are you staying here? I mean… if all of us," Aoki motioned towards Hitomi's family and friends. "Are going home? Earth is your home too, isn't it?"
Hitomi shook her head, unable to meet the eyes of anyone in the room. "No, Aoki-Chan. My home…is here. I need to be here, in Gaea. I---I don't want to say good-bye, but…" She broke off, unable to continue. The hair on the back of Aoki's neck stood up on end when he received a scalding glance from the man with unruly dark hair and exotic red amber eyes. He could read that clearly. It meant "Back off or I'll hurt you. Bad." Tension increased in the room.
The man with sunglasses in the corner suddenly spoke up, "Well, I can't stand around here all day with you foreigners. I'm still an important ambassador with a lot of important things to do," Dryden said cockily. Allen snorted.
Selena grinned and piped up, "I'll come with you!" And with mock seriousness, offered her arm to Dryden to escort her out of the room. Allen opened his mouth in protest and step forward angrily to follow his sister's retreating back.
Millerna caught his arm. "Allen, why don't you come with me instead? I need some help in the hospital." Allen looked like he still wanted to make sure his sister had more than 10 feet of breathing room, but one pleading look from Millerna broke down all of his resistance.
As they walked out the door, Millerna smiled apologetically at Allen. "I'm sorry, but Hitomi hasn't seen her family in a really long time. It would be nice if we could give them some time together. Besides, I doubt Selena would appreciate you baby-sitting her like a child whenever she's around Dryden." Allen looked indignant, but reluctantly nodded.
"So…how are your patients doing at the hospital?" he asked.
Millerna sighed, "I don't know what they'll do when I have to leave. Too many people are still injured from the battle, but Sister and I have been away from Asturia longer than we should have."
"What will you do when you get back to Asturia, Princess?"
Millerna frowned at the title. "I really don't know." She looked away. Allen clenched his fist, then suddenly grabbed Millerna's wrist. Her exclamation was suddenly cut off when he brought his mouth down on hers.
"Millerna…I…" Allen couldn't seem to find the right words. "…Your eyes are beautiful. They're so blue," he said as if in afterthought. "You're the most independent woman I know, but… why can't you…" Allen growled in frustration. "No! I said that wrong! I didn't mean that the way it sounded. ---I---I cared about Marlene. I care about Hitomi. But, I just can't seem to be the same without you. I've missed you so much since the Great War. And I…" Allen looked away, his frustration and discomfort evident is his sky blue gaze. "I just want you to rely on me, because---because I love you. And I swear as a knight of Cealie that I'll never let Dryden take you!" When, Millerna didn't say anything, Allen gave a small sigh and a pathetic little smile.
"My apologies, Princess. It was unchivalorous for me to bring up such an indelicate matter…" Allen was cut off when Millerna reached up to touch his cheek.
"I've been waiting for you to say that for a very long time. It was very rude of you to keep me waiting." Allen's gaze snapped to hers in disbelief. Then, slowly a blinding smile made his expression exuberant.
"My most sincere apologies, Princess."
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Yukari couldn't seem to stop the tears. So much had happened to Hitomi that she had had no idea about. And…she really didn't want to leave Hitomi, now that she knew. It all seemed too radical to believe. Hitomi swore that Yukari had witnessed her being taken the first time into Gaea, but all Yukari drew was a blank. Hitomi also said that they had met that boy, who was supposedly a king, before. She had said he had even been inside their house!
Aoki was the only one who even had foggy memories of Hitomi's young king, and it didn't seem like they were good memories.
The king, "Van", said that he thought that the "Draconians" had the power to cover and erase memory. He suspected that they might have had something to do with the fact that no one around Hitomi remembered anything that had happened to her.
Yukari turned to Amano and buried her face in his shoulder. He put a comforting hand on her back. Yukari couldn't believe that she was saying good-bye to her best friend…forever. She had always just assumed that she and Hitomi would fall in love together, get married together, have kids and still be great friends. Yukari realized that she had to accept that Hitomi wasn't the person she knew three, four years ago.
No. No, she should be happy for Hitomi. It was obvious that Hitomi couldn't be happy on Earth any longer. Every other minuet Yukari caught Hitomi checking over her shoulder for Van. She saw the small smiles, saw them "accidentally" brush past each other. It was obvious that Hitomi was head over heels in love and everything else had moved to second place on her priority list. Yukari felt bad for Hitomi's mother. She would have to loose her daughter. She would never know her grandchildren. Yukari sighed. Saying good-bye was going to be one of the hardest things she was going to have to do. But Yukari knew that she had to go back to Earth. Hitomi might be able to stay here, but Yukari still had family, Amano, and education ahead for her. Besides, she thought bemusedly, she probably wouldn't be able to cope without indoor plumbing.
Hitomi finally came to get them. She looked sad, but also…at peace. At first, it startled Yukari. She hadn't seen Hitomi look content or even truly happy for a long, long time.
"It's this way," Hitomi said softly. She picked up her mother and her brother's hands and led them through the palace gardens. Eventually the came out behind the palace of this strange world to a small graveyard. It was beautiful. The sun filtered through the deep green trees, and glanced off a huge mecha, the Escaflowne, sleeping peacefully. Van was already waiting there, with another older woman that Yukari didn't know.
The dark-haired boy approached them. "This is where my father and my brother are buried," he told the small group. "The Escaflowne rests here. We can send you back through here. Lady Aronic will help us." Van nodded towards Aronic. She gave an elegant bow.
Yukari saw a deep glace pass between Hitomi and Van. She smiled ruefully. Approaching Hitomi, she said, "You sure got it bad, huh?" like nothing had ever changed between them. Hitomi's eyes became bright with tears.
"Yeah," she nodded then fell forward into Yukari's embrace.
"Name your first daughter after me, okay?" Yukari whispered in her ear, the wind tugging on the long but light Fanelian dress she wore. Hitomi nodded again.
Amano said, "Keep practicing! I'm sure they have a track team around here somewhere!" Hitomi rubbed the tears out of her eyes and kissed him on the cheek.
When Hitomi approached her mother, the woman looked past her daughter to the Draconian King behind her.
"Please take care of my daughter," she said and bowed. Van was forced to stare deep into her eyes, then he bowed back very low.
"I swear on my brother's gave."
While Hitomi was hugging her brother, a shadow crept up behind them. Merle pounced. She grabbed Aoki's hand and whispered shyly in his ear.
"Don't leave forever, okay?" Aoki blushed and turned to her solemnly.
"I promise I'll come back. Truth is…I don't really want to leave. This whole world…it's too amazing for me to forget."
Aronic cleared her throat. "Hitomi. It's time." The tawny haired girl straitened her shoulders bravely and walked over towards the wise healer. Van followed. They didn't even have to look at each other. Van squeezed Hitomi hand and his wings cam bursting from his shoulders. Amano gave a strangled shout and several people gasped. They had been told about the Draconians, but it was a completely different story to actually see wings growing out of someone's back then hearing it.
"Just breathe and concentrate," Van instructed Hitomi firmly, but his hands gently cupped her shoulders. Hitomi's forehead creased in intense concentration and with a strangled cry, her own wings, larger, brighter and more awe-inspiring than Van's flowed up behind her.
"Good girl." Aronic ruffled Hitomi's soft hair affectionately. "You only have one try at this, so don't lose concentration." Aronic placed one hand on Hitomi's shoulder and one hand on Van's shoulder. In a heartbeat, Aronic's wings rose up majestically behind her. Hitomi touched Van's mind tentatively. A bright overwhelming feeling of happiness buoyed her up. The pendent burst out in a rose colored light and the feather around Hitomi's neck burned and flickered with an answering light. The crystal tear embedded in the stem of the feather remained opaque and absorbed the light, but was hot to the touch. The light that now radiated through the clearing was blinding.
Almost there, Van whispered into Hitomi's thoughts.
We're going to make it, Hitomi replied resolutely, with the optimism that was just as much a part of her as her light hair and green eyes. She could feel him smile.
Suddenly, a pillar of light pierced the sky and surrounded Yukari, Amano, Aoki, Hajime and Hitomi's parents. And in a heartbeat, they were gone.
Hitomi stood, looking up into the sky, staring up at the life she was letting go long after it had disappeared. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Oh! Van…" she said a little sheepishly. Aronic and Merle were gone. Hitomi didn't even remember them leaving. Van looked away. His expression was closed off.
"What's wrong?" Hitomi asked, leaned up towards him a little too cheerfully.
"You don't have to pretend." Van muttered, walking past her. He leaned casually against the Escaflowne.
"What do you mean?" Hitomi asked, a little hurt by the abrupt dismissal.
"Aren't you regretting not going back?
Ah, thought Hitomi. So that was it. Hitomi walked up to Van and sank down cross-legged into the grass beside him.
"No way. I'm never going to make that mistake again. I don't ever want to leave you, Van. Even if I had to give up my life on Earth to do it." She smiled up at him. "I mean, I'm sad I had to say good-bye to my friends…and my family. But I don't think, even if I had decided to go back with them, I could have just kept going on like nothing had happened. I---I put them in a lot of danger…Another person like Rianne might have come and tried to hurt them again." Hitomi's gaze fell back to the soft grass she was sitting on. "But…I wouldn't have it any other way. I could never regret being here with you, Van." Van was silent. Then he slid down to sit next to her. Hitomi rested her head against his shoulder.
"So…will you stay and…and help rebuild Fanelia?" Van asked, not quite looking at her. Hitomi nodded.
"It's going to be a lot of work. Somehow the people in Gaea will have to get used to living with the Draconians. They're still just legends to most people, you know. And…and they only really listen to you, Hitomi."
"But they have a lot of respect for you, Van." Van slipped his hand into his pocket.
"I..uh…" he stuttered. "Will you----could you…I mean, I know that I was supposed to….Fanelia needs a political marriage, but… the castle could really use…if you stay, the castle's really big…" He played nervously with something in his hand.
Dismay suddenly filed Hitomi's heart. Oh, no. She thought. A political marriage? Would there never just be a happy ending for her?
"Would you please…marry me? And be my queen?" Van looked away, his face bright red. He thrust out his other hand towards her. In his roughly gloved palm lay a gorgeous, ancient Draconian ring. It was made of gilded silver wrought into beautiful pictures of the moon and a feather. A clear stone sparkled in one of the moon shapes. The stone was inlaid deep, sparkling with the tiniest hint of blue from hidden depths.
"It was my mother's," Van muttered.
Hitomi threw her arms around Van's neck, toppling them both over, "Yes!"
Van laughed and let himself tumble backwards, careful to cushion her on top of himself.
"But what about the nobles in Fanelia that wanted a political match?" Hitomi asked worriedly.
Van grinned mischievously. "Aren't you willing to fight for me?" he teased. He sobered up a little and said more seriously, "I guess I'm my father's son. He married for love. I will, too."
I love you, Hitomi whispered to him, to overcome to speak. Van couldn't even answer. He brought Hitomi close and kissed away her tears.
Van knew fighting against the old traditionalists wouldn't be easy, but he would never give up fighting for her. They had come this far, right? Hitomi had come back, Fanelia had reaffirmed in everyone's mind that this new country fought for peace, they solved an ancient conflict with the Draconians and now they were willing to try and live with the people of Gaea in peace. They had even somehow changed Hitomi into a new kind of Draconian, fixing the "unbalance" in her, allowing her to stay in Gaea.
Hadn't they already proved that they would go through anything to be together? What could a bunch of old men on a council do that a horde of angry Draconians or an alliance army hadn't already accomplished. He loved Hitomi more than he loved life and he wanted the whole world to know!
Bring it on, he thought.
More than anything, more than rebuilding Fanelia, more than Gaea's peace, Van wanted…a son.
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FIN
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Hey guys! I always wanted to end a story with "Fin" ! It's so a graceful way to end! Well, that was it, guys! I know it didn't turn out exactly how I had planned it, but that's what happens with stories sometimes, ne? (Or what happeneds when you abandon it, then pick it up after half a year or so.) I just wanted to thank all of my reviewers, my beta-reader, Nachtmusik. Especially B and K for finally convincing me to pick this back up. (Yeah, I love you guys. Give me a cookie.) Thanks to Kya77 and Cloudygirl. Thank you Rhapsody's song for keeping with me! And everybody else that I don't have room to fit on this page. Thanx a bunch, and if you haven't REVIEW!