A/N: I GOT REWIEWS!!! YAY!!! Just so you people know, the more reviews I get, the more inspiration I have to write. *hint hint* Here are the responses to my reviewers for chapter two:

Yukina-chan- Yes, "life" was a typo. It was supposed to be "light." Thank you for pointing that out. Oh well, I haven't quite figured out how this computer thingy works. Don't feel bad about long reviews. I LOVE LONG REVIEWS! It made me feel so good that I had a sudden burst of inspiration and wrote a large chunk of Chapter Three. I was going to split this chapter into two shorter chapters, but because you asked for a longer chapter, I'm giving you one. It's all thanks to you. I know how it feels to be waiting for a new chapter so I'll be writing as fast as I can, as often as I can. *to hell with homework!* I will try to put Dilly in this story, somehow…Just for you. Thanks for the review and enjoy!

Daddyz-girl- Hello "baka," *wink wink* Well you begged for me to read it too you, so I let you get a preview of Chapter Two. But, this here chapter is one YOU HAVENT SEEN so, have fun! See ya in a few…Baka!

Japanimejo- I will continue. Thank you soooo much for reviewing. It's nice to know people out there actually like my story. Thanks for the hug!!!

Anime_luver- Sorry, kidnapper isn't Dilandau. I don't even have names for them! Oh well. You get the picture. They are evil men! Grrrr……

Ciao ^_4

Kat-Tastrophe- The guys in Hitomi's house were robbers. They kidnapped Hitomi, to answer your question. Thanks for the review!

Dilandau-is-My-Boyfriend- Hello girlfriend of Dilandau. I told you your teacher would like your project. Hee hee…As for longer Chapters, I'm trying to make them long, it's…just…not…happening…Ahhhhhh….Grr….Ya know its funny, us talking online instead of picking up the damn phone and punching a few numbers. Oh well. Se ya in 1 ½ weeks!

Revia- Your review didn't die! Yippee! I like your reviews. I'm glad you like my story. Yes, I thought guys in a basement would be creepy. And don't worry about Van, he is coming…Say no more here…Just read!

A/N: Well that's all for the reviews. *pout* I want more. One of these was from a friend of mine and another was from my sister. *Can you guess which ones?* Prizes to the one who answers this question in their reviews correctly. *See how desperate I am to get reviews* OK, no more staling. Here is Chapter Three, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne *HA! Now you can't sue me! Or da bunny!*

 ( \ _ / )

(= ':' =)       "Who…me?"

c(")_(")

Random saying: While finishing this chapter, my brother and I got into a fight. After a while, I hit my head against his knee. He then started complaining that his knee hurt. Honest to God, the first words out of my mouth were, "Yea? Well my head's fragile…I'm still a baby…" LOL!!!

Chapter Three: When Visions Become Reality

*Flash* Hitomi heard a loud, echoing explosion as she felt something rip through her chest. A pair of brilliant white wings flashed and disappeared, revealing a single, white glowing feather. The feather drifted downward and landed in a puddle of blood…

Hitomi awoke from her dream, eyes wide and breathing deeply. Taking a look at her surroundings, she could see more than she could the night before. The basement where she was being held captive wasn't completely empty as she thought. All along the walls were un-opened boxes, an old couch, a spare refrigerator, and a book case completely devoid of any books. Instead it was filled with sporting equipment. Directly above the book case was a small, rectangular window where light was flooding through.

Hitomi tilted her head slightly to the left to check her watch.

'11:45 AM' it read.

'Wow. I've been sleeping for a long time!' thought Hitomi.

Above her, she could hear the footsteps of her two kidnappers. She didn't know who they were, and she didn't want to know. More than anything, she wanted to escape and find out what her vision was trying to tell her. Something inside her told her it was important. The only thing she knew for certain was that Van was involved. She was positive about that now. He was the only one she knew of who had white wings like the ones in her vision.

The part that didn't make since was the blood. Whose blood was it? It couldn't be Van's. She knew that much. When the feather landed in the blood, it started glowing, so the blood couldn't be Van's.

So whose was it?...

Hitomi was so deep in thought that it took her a while to realize that voices could be heard beyond the window. Children's voices. They were playing, screaming, laughing.

'If I can hear them, maybe they can hear me!' thought Hitomi hopefully, 'But if the kidnappers hear me scream for help again…Oh well, I'll have to take the risk. It's better than just sitting here waiting to be killed.'

With her mind made up, Hitomi began her pleading.

"Hello? Is somebody out there? Please help me!"

Above Hitomi, she could hear the thundering of footsteps as the two men in the house rushed down to the basement. Hitomi began to panic.

"Somebody help me! Please! I've been kidnapped! Get me out of here!"

The basement door crashed open and the two men rushed down the stairs.

"HELP!" Hitomi bellowed.

"SHUT UP!" the men said in unison.

One man with fire in his eyes swung at Hitomi's face with his fist. Then again. And again, until the second grabbed the mad man's arm and restrained him.

"It's not time, yet." He said, his voice cold as ice.

The mad man turned to follow his companion back up the stairs, paused, then ran back and kicked Hitomi full force in the chest. Hitomi cried out as she heard several ribs crack.

"Filthy bitch." He spat and he turned and left, slamming the door behind him.

Hitomi was nothing more than a crumpled heap. She could taste blood in her mouth mixed with bile, both acidic and sweet. Hitomi took short, quick breaths to minimize the pain in her chest. She knew that she had a few broken ribs and that her face must resemble that of a plum after the blows dealt to her face.

Pain. Both physical and emotional. Despite the immense physical pain, she couldn't help but think about the emotional pain.

'Why…' she thought, '…why are they doing this? How could someone kidnap a person they don't even know and hurt them like this? Why…'

Hitomi curled up into a ball as tears flooded down her face.

"…help me…someone…help…" she cried in an inaudible whisper.

Little did she know that someone could hear her silent cry…

 (A/N: I was going to end the chapter here but I changed my mind thanks to Yukina-chan! See what happens when you *REVIEW!*) 

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"Van! Look!" Merle cried, pointing to the pendent hanging around his neck.

Van looked down and gasped at what he saw.

"It's doing it again." Van exclaimed, "It's glowing."

"Do you think Hitomi's in danger again?" Merle said in a worried tone.

"I'm not sure."

Merle looked around at the deserted field they were in. She was thankful that she and Van were alone; otherwise they would look very strange. The King of Fanelia and a cat girl looking very intently at a glowing stone on a chain which was now hanging between them.

"Wait a minute! I feel something!"

Merle's gaze returned to the pendent.

"Do you hear that?" Merle asked, her ears twitching.

"What?"

"That voice…" said Merle, ears still twitching periodically.

"…help…"

"Help!" Merle said suddenly.

"Help what?" Van asked, slightly confused.

"No, the voice! It's saying 'help'"

"I don't hear it."

"Just listen" snapped Merle.

Both Van and Merle closed their eyes and concentrated on trying to hear something, anything.

"…help me…someone…"

"I hear it!" Van said suddenly. "It sounds like Hitomi."

Van was suddenly struck with a sharp pain in his chest.

"Van!" Merle cried as she saw Van collapse onto the ground, clutching his chest.

"It's Hitomi. She's in pain. I can feel it."

"…someone…anyone…help me…"

The light of the pendent started pulsing, brighter then softer, then brighter again.

"…someone…help…" came Hitomi's voice again, except now it was severely muffled.

"Hitomi, come back!" Merle cried.

"Hitomi, hold on. Please!" Van said, hoping in vain that Hitomi could hear him.

The pendant's light began to grow dim. And with a last flicker, it went out.

The pain in Van's chest subsided and he was finally able to stand. He looked into Merle's eyes to see tears running down her face."

"Are you…ok?" Merle choked out.

"I'm fine." He said simply, "It's Hitomi I'm worried about."

Van looked up at the Mystic Moon handing in the sky. He wondered what could be hurting Hitomi so much. When he heard her voice, he could feel what she was feeling. Not just the pain. He felt fear. Where ever Hitomi was, she was frightened, and apparently alone.

'Why isn't anybody helping her?' Van thought.

"I've got to try to reach her." Van said out loud.

Van bent down to pick up the pendent that had fallen out of his hands. He held it in the air in front of him, the bright jewel glistening in the sunlight. Van closed his eyes and thought about one thing and one thing only.

'I want to reach Hitomi' he thought, 'Please, take me to where ever she is.'

Van and Merle stood in the field for over an hour, Van repeating one phrase over and over again, like a chant.

'Take me to where Hitomi is.'

But Van's wishing was in vain.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Hitomi remained alone in the basement for several hours. Her stomach ached from both hunger and the pain from getting kicked in the stomach during the first night she spent in her kidnappers' house.

The sun had set below the horizon before she dared to move. One of her kidnappers had left about 20 minutes ago to get a pizza. She slowly stretched out her legs, trying to hold back the scream of pain that was tearing at her throat. Once her legs were outstretched, she took several small, quick breaths.

'After what happened earlier, they're probably going to kill me soon' thought Hitomi, 'I wonder of those kids heard me screaming earlier.'

As if to answer that very question, Hitomi heard the doorbell ring upstairs.

*Ding Dong*

Hitomi remained as still as she possibly could and tried to hear who was at the front door this late at night. She heard the door open.

"Hello?"

"Hi, I'm Diana. I live across the street and my son was playing around outside with his friends earlier over here."

"Ok…"

"Well, he told me that he heard someone screaming for help inside this house. I wanted to know if anyone was hurt or anything."

'Someone did hear me!' Hitomi thought.

She tried to scream "I'm down here!" but it came out as a soft whisper. She couldn't speak.

'No, not now. Please…' she thought, cursing herself.

"Oh, that!" the man upstairs continued, "That was my younger sister earlier. We were playing around and I was tickling her when she started yelling, 'No, please…stop.'

"Oh…"

"You know…We were just playing around. We didn't mean to worry anyone."

'Bastard!'

"Oh, ok. I'm sorry I disturbed you. I just wanted to make sure nobody was hurt or anything."

"It's no problem."

"Oh, well. Goodnight to you."

"'Night."

Hitomi heard the door shut and then she heard footsteps as he approached the basement door.

'Oh God. He's going to kill me now. I just know it!'

The basement door opened revealing the silhouette of a man.

"You're mine!"

Hitomi panicked.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Van was in his bedroom with Merle, listening to her tell him about her trip to Asturia, in an effort to cheer him up. Merle thought it was working when in reality, Van was feigning interest. His thoughts were on Hitomi. Hearing her voice for the first time in two years, and hearing how small and frightened she sounded was like putting an arrow through his heart.

"Van!" came Merle's voice.

"I'm listening!" was Van's automatic response.

"No you weren't. Anyway, that's not what I meant. Look at the pendent!"

Van looked down to see the pendent glowing again.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

As the man with the mad eyes approached Hitomi, she painfully retracted her legs in anticipation of the oncoming blows. The man took a few running steps and kicked Hitomi's legs with all his strength. He smiled as he heard her cry out in pain.

"You like that? How about some more?"

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

"Van!" cried Merle as she watched Van collapse onto the ground, clutching his legs.

"Not again…" struggled Van, "…please…Hitomi. What's happening to you?"

'Why isn't anyone helping her?' Van thought desperately as he felt her pain, fear, and loneliness.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

After kicking Hitomi several times, leaving her legs bleeding and badly bruised, the mad man finally stopped. He smiled at the work he had done. Hitomi was nothing more than a broken body.

"I don't care what he says," the man thought aloud, "I'm going to end this now!"

The man walked over to the book shelf filled with sporting equipment and carefully picked out an aluminum baseball bat.

Hitomi looked up when she heard him walk away. She saw him pick up his choice murder weapon. Fear gripped all her senses.

'Oh God. This is it. I'm going to die…'

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~*

The pendent began to glow brighter than ever. Merle couldn't even look at Van because of its intensity. Then, out of nowhere, an echo of Hitomi's thoughts could be heard coming form the pendent.

"…oh God…this is it…this is the end…He's going to kill me…"

"Hitomi!" Merle cried, "What are we going to do Van?"

Van did some fast thinking. 'I was able to reach her before by flying towards the Mystic Moon. Maybe it will work again.'

"I've got to save Hitomi." He said firmly. With that, he grabbed his sword and headed out onto the balcony. Van stepped onto the railing, took off his shirt, and spread his wings. He was preparing to take off when Merle held him back.

"How are you going to reach her? We tried earlier to bring her here. What makes you think you can go there?" said Merle with fearful eyes.

"All I have to do is believe that I can reach her, and I will." He gave his companion a soft smile, "Don't worry. I will be back, with Hitomi." And with that, he took off into the night sky.

With the pendent glowing as brightly as it was, Merle thought that Van did look like the angels Hitomi used to talk about. Merle watched Van fly towards the Mystic Moon when suddenly a pillar of light engulfed him.

'Hitomi. I'm coming.'

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Hitomi watched the man take a few practice swings in the air. It was obvious that one hit to her head would kill her instantly. The man, satisfied that he would pack enough punch to kill someone, slowly walked toward Hitomi. The whole scene seemed to happen in slow motion. Each step he took echoed in the dark basement. The grin on his face, the fire in his eyes was enough to give anyone nightmares for a week. When he was three feet from Hitomi, he stopped and pointed the bat in the direction of Hitomi's head.

"Please…Don't do this." Hitomi pleaded.

The man took one more practice swing in slow motion towards her head. "One…" he said, tauntingly.

"Please…Don't…"

"…Two…"

"Someone…help…" she whispered.

In an instant, the entire basement flooded with light, blinding both Hitomi and the man. When the light dimmed, Hitomi could see the silhouette of a young man with large wings protruding from his back, a sword at ready.

'It couldn't be…Van?'

The bright light flickered out revealing a man with raven black hair and blood colored eyes holding a sword bearing the Fanelian crest. He only needed one glance to see that the man in front of him was the cause of Hitomi's pain. Van's eyes filled with rage.

The mad man took a bold step forward, "Who the hell are you-" He never finished his sentence. Quick as a flash, Van raised his sword and charged at the man, decapitating him. Instant death. 'More than he deserved.' Thought Van. He cut the restraints on Hitomi's wrists and allowed her to fall forward onto him. He was startled when he could feel the broken bones in her chest. He gave Hitomi a firm but gentle hug.

"Please, tell me this isn't a dream." Hitomi requested as she allowed the familiar scent of the field engulf her.

"It's not a dream." Van said gently, stroking the small of her back. "You're safe now, with me."

Hitomi wrapped her arms around his strong chest, ignoring the pain, and absorbed the warmth radiating from his body. 

How long they sat there, embracing for the first time in a long time, neither of them knew. All Hitomi knew was when she finally opened her eyes, she saw something that made her heart jolt. Standing in the basement doorway was the second kidnapper, back from his errands, staring in disbelief at Van, gun pointing directly at him.

"Van! Look out!" she yelled, pushing him off to the side.

Hitomi heard the explosion echo off of the walls and felt the bullet rip through her chest. Van, not aware of what had just happened, sent a wave of energy in the mans direction, tearing his flesh apart. (A/N: Just like in the movie when Van killed the horse.) When he turned back to face Hitomi, he nearly collapsed at what he saw. Hitomi was lying on the ground, her own blood gushing out of her chest. Fear was in her eyes.

"NO!" Van yelled as he ran to Hitomi's side, cradling her limp body in his strong arms.

"Hitomi, say something!" Van cried, trying to hold back the tears.

Hitomi looked strait into Van's pain stricken eyes.

"…lo…u…" she tried.

"What is it?" Van said leaning in closer.

"…I…love…you…" she whispered.

"No…please Hitomi. Hold on. I'll get you to a doctor. Everything will be alright."

"…I'm…sorry…" she whispered as tears fell down her face.

"Hitomi! Please fight it. Just let me get you someplace safe…"

Van was cut off when another pillar of light engulfed his body. As he began to lift off of the ground, he panicked when he realized Hitomi wasn't coming with him.

"No! I'm taking her with me!" Van called out. To whom he was speaking too, he wasn't sure.

He tried to grasp her hand, but the more he tried to hold on, the more he lost his grip. Van reaching for Hitomi's hand was like trying to connect two positively charged magnets, they repelled each other. Hitomi too tried to hold on with what little strength she had, only to get the same effect as Vans body was rising up and away.

Tears finally fell down Van's face when he saw Hitomi's arm go limp and her eyes close. Then his entire being was engulfed in light as he was carried away.

When the light in the basement disappeared, all that was left was a single, white feather as it drifted downward and landed in a puddle of Hitomi's blood.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

"Hello? 9-1-1? I think I just heard gun shots across the street. You might want to send an ambulance to check it out…"

A/N: That is it for chapter three. At least it is longer. I was going to split this chapter into two chapters but I decided not too. That is why this update took a little while. Don't worry. Hitomi isn't dead. I'm not going to kill her this early in the story. Hee hee!!! *grins mischievously* It may take a while for the next chapter. Don't worry. I'll try to get an update within the next week. Review Or I WONT POST ANY MORE CHAPTERS!!!!!! And all of you will have to use your imaginations to find out how this ends. This is probably going to be a long fic, so you are in for a real treat. Until then!!!

Adios!!!

P.S.

If any of you know of any Japanese words, please tell me them in your reviews!!! Muchas Gracias!!!