A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long to update. *dodges a tomato* Please let me explain! I had written the entire chapter on paper… *dodges another tomato* …but when I went on the computer to type it up, Microsoft Word wouldn't let me create a new document. So I tried re-writing another document but it wouldn't let me do that either. Three days later, I finally figure out how to fix it. So, hopefully, I won't get anymore trouble from Word anymore. By the way, THANK YOU ALL SOOOOOOOO MUCH FOR REVIEWING!!!!!!!!! Not even 24 hours after I posted my last chapter, I got 6 reviews!!!! I was so incredibly happy, that I didn't do my homework that day and I devoted the rest of the day to writing this chapter. If it wasn't for Word, this chapter would have been posted a long time ago. This just proves what I said earlier, THE MORE REVIEWS I GET (no mater how small or BIG) THE MORE INSPIRATION I HAVE = MORE CHAPTERS!!!! Pretty simple to understand, isn't it? Here are the responses to my wonderful, loving, I wish I could give them all a hug, reviewers!!!!!
Inda: Don't worry, I will continue the story. (I'm not about to stop now am I?) And as for killing the "Witch Queen", I haven't decided on whether or not I'm going to kill her in the end or not…. Any suggestions? Enjoy this next chapter, and please keep reviewing! They mean a lot to me.
Revia: THREE CHEERS FOR THE DILLY SONG *cheer cheer cheer* And as I said before, I don't think a fork is going to kill her, but Van's magical powers might! Or maybe Dilandou's flamethrower…. *evil grin* ….. sorry but I cant kill her…….. yet! I haven't quite decided if I want to kill her in the end or not. As for the "Politics" line, I got that from one of my favorite moves of all time, "Dune" and the sequel, "Children of Dune." Both of these movies are a bit long but they are sooooooo good!!!! I even have a huge Dune poster hung up in my room, right next to my Escaflowne movie poster….. *grin* …. Anyway, enjoy this next chapter. It was really nice to hear(read) from you!!! It made me very happy! *really big grin*
Japanime-jo: Thanks for the offer on the crossword puzzle, but I just finished it yesterday and……. I WON!!! HURRAY FOR ME!!! I won a really cool necklace that looks like something "Survivor" would use as an immunity necklace. I don't know if you watch that show or not but I do. I have NEVER missed an episode. By the way, I will try to read your storie(s) and drop a line as soon as I can. Enjoy this next chapter.
Darkfaerie: I will try to remember to e-mail you in the future, misa memory is a bit bad, but thank you for reading my fic. I'm glad you like it.
Kat-Tastrophe: YOU CAN'T FINISH MY STORY, THAT'S MY JOB. *clears throat* Yes I'm calm. But hey, that threat worked didn't it, I got more reviews from this chapter than any other. Which made me very VERY happy. A little too happy if you were to ask my friends…. I'll say no more, just read the story.
Kwaii-Canadian: I'm afraid that two things you listed are NOT going to happen. I'm not going to say which ones, just read and find out. Tank you for reviewing!
InuYasha/GF1889: Hi. Thank you for reading my story. I won't say your name on-line but I know who you are, my sister talks about you all the time. I'm glad you like my story. The necklace is a gift made of different colored stones, each one representing one of Hitomi's friends, and Van's feather. It's basically her new "pendent." The necklace will play an important part in future chapters. I will say no more. Here is the next chapter.
CinderellaxVan: You have no idea how loud I screamed "OH MY GOD!" when I found out you reviewed and LIKED my story. I was SO HAPPY. *grin* As for the "Politics" line, I got that from one of my favorite moves of all time, "Dune" and the sequel, "Children of Dune." Both of these movies are a bit long but they are sooooooo good!!!! I even have a huge Dune poster hung up in my room, right next to my Escaflowne movie poster….. *grin* Anyway, I will keep writing so long as YOU keep writing. LOL. Enjoy this next chapter.
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Escaflowne. If I did, all my ideas would be made into movies! (Ha, I stole it from you Haven! Pay back's a bitch…… baka!)
Chapter Seven: Running Out Of Time
Hitomi lie in bed, awake, gently stroking the pure white feather hanging around her neck. She tried to go to sleep, but sleep was evading her. She had a lot on her mind at the moment.
'Well who wouldn't after what you've been through this past week.'
It was true that the past seven days were…eventful. 'Is that even the right way to describe it? I don't want to say that it's been wonderful because being locked in a stranger's basement and being held hostage isn't exactly a holiday. However, the past week wasn't terrible either…' Hitomi lived her birthday present from Yukari and Amano, and seeing Van for the first time in… a long time gave her a new sense of hope that their love wasn't impossible after all. For the longest time, Hitomi feared that her experience on Gaea was nothing but a hallucination, but seeing Van proved otherwise. And now that she knew he really was real, she wanted to return to Gaea, to stay. The only thing that was holding her back was her friends and family. She didn't want to just desert them without them understanding why. But now, Hitomi knew that her friends did understand. And what's more, instead of begging her to stay, they basically are wishing her good luck.
"So, we just want you to know that, no matter where you go, we will always be with you. We will always be your friend…"
Hitomi was still absentmindedly stroking the necklace resting on her chest. It took her a moment to realize that it was glowing.
"What the heck?"
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Merle strolled down the palace corridors, staring in disbelief at the decorations hanging from every window and all along the walls. Curtains of flowing white and silver cloth, the Cyrce country colors, hung everywhere like the palace was turning into a white and silver cloud. However, it wasn't the decorations themselves that caught Merle's attention, it was the fact that they were there, and so quickly too.
'This whole wedding is happening too fast. Van agreed to this alliance proposal only two days ago, and now the wedding has already been organized for today! Millerna and Dryden's wedding didn't happen nearly as fast. They got a whole year to get to know each other before they decided to tie the knot. Ban hasn't even met this Princess Calypso, but they well be husband and wife before this day is over. Poor Van…'
Merle turned a corner and began walking down a new corridor that headed down to the gardens.
'If I know Van, and I know I do, he's trying to get away from all of this.'
Sure enough, as soon as Merle opened a pair of engraved wooden doors, she spotted him, sitting under a great tree. Merle slowly shut the doors behind her, careful not to make a sound. She tip-toed he way over to Van, hoping to catch him by surprise. Once she was only a few feet away and getting ready to pounce, Van spoke up.
"I know you're there Merle."
Merle sighed and a look of disappointment crossed her face. "Oh pooh! I was hoping to catch you off guard for once." Merle sat down at Van's side and her heart gave a huge leap when she saw a smile on Van's face. 'About time too!' she thought.
"I've been waiting for you."
"Really? How come?" piped Merle. Van held up an envelope and a letter. "Who's that from?"
"Allen. Apparently, he and Saria are expecting a child."
"Really!? That's wonderful news! But wait… why did they send a letter? Why couldn't they just tell you tonight?"
"They won't be here. Something came up and they won't arrive till tomorrow afternoon."
"Oh. I'm sorry." A few moments passed where neither of them said anything. Merle finally broke the silence. "So, is that all you wanted me for?"
"No. Actually, I wanted to know how your date went with Gaddes." Said Van with a mischievous smile as Merles cheeks turned beet red.
"That is none of your business!" Merle proclaimed stubbornly.
Van turned his face towards Merle and started tickling her side. "Oh come on. You can tell me. Please?" Van begged while Merle burst into fits of laughter.
"No…ha…ah…Never…I…ha…ha…won't…ha…tell…No…….OK!...ha…ha…I'll…tell…ha…you…ha…ha…STOP!" Van stopped and leaned back against the tree. "I win. Now, tell me everything."
"I'm not going to tell you everything!" Merle cried. Van raised his hands and formed claws in a threatening way. Merle spoke quickly. "But I will tell you that, well, I think it's safe to say that we hit it off…" As soon as Merle said this, Van jumped up and started dancing around the tree screaming, "Merle's Got A Boyfriend! Merle's Got A Boyfriend! Merle's Got A-" He never finished his third chant. Merle stuck out her leg and tripped Van when he came back around the tree and he went tumbling into a patch of ferns.
"DON'T MAKE FUN! I really like him!" Van stood up and brushed himself off."
"I know Merle. I was just joking around." After picking some leaves out of his hair, he sat back down beside Merle. "I think it's great that you've finally found someone."
"Really?"
"Absolutely. I'm truly happy for you."
Merle blushed slightly. "Thank you Van. That means a lot."
For a while the two of them sat there, under the tree, just enjoying each other's company. High above them, a cloud shifted revealing the bright morning sunlight. The sun's rays cut themselves in between the tree branches and reflected off of the pendent hanging around Van's neck, catching Merle's attention.
"Have you heard anything from Hitomi?" Merle asked timidly.
At the mention of Hitomi's name, the familiar pang of guilt shot through his body. The guilt of loving one person but marrying another. Van took a few deep breaths and whispered his reply. "No." Van remembered his feeble attempts to return to the Mystic Moon, to see if Hitomi really was ok. He wanted to bring her back to Gaea, so he wouldn't have to go through with this stupid wedding, but, now it was too late. The wedding day had come, and in a few hours time, he would have to say "I do" to someone he has never even met before, while on the inside, he would be screaming "I DON'T!"
Merle, knowing exactly what he was thinking, interrupted him before he drowned himself in guilt. "Do you want to try to reach her again?"
"Yes…" Van unclasped the pendent and held it in front of him. Closing his eyes, he could see the pendent in his mind, swinging back and forth. 'Hitomi. Where are you? Please come back to me…'
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
'Shit, I lost him.'
She had been following Van for the past two days, since the wedding arrangements were made. Her mission: stop Van from being able to contact the girl from the Mystic Moon. But now, the very person she was supposed to be watching has managed to get away from her.
'I've checked everywhere inside the palace…that's it. He must be outside…' And with that, she quickened her pace down the corridors. The first place she would check is the royal gardens. Taking several turns left and right, she finally reached the garden doors. She carefully took a peek to see if anyone was watching her before opening the doors, slowly. As soon as she stepped outside, she spotted him, sitting under a tree with a cat girl and he was…
'…oh no! He's trying to reach her. Shit. Think…think…'
Making up her mind, she approached the King of Fanelia…
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Merle's ears twitched as she heard footsteps coming closer and closer. 'Damn. Why can't Van even get 5 minutes peace from these stupid wedding planers?' Merle put her hand on Van's and lowered the pendent. Both of them shared an exasperated sigh.
"We'll try again later, ok?" Merle said kindly while trying to give Van some hope to hold onto. Van nodded in reply. The both of them stood up to confront the servant girl from Cyrce. "What is it?" Van asked…
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
The servant girl, after informing King Van that the cook needed his opinion on something, watched him and his cat-girl companion leave the gardens and re-enter the castle.
'That was too close. I need to keep a closer eye on him.' The woman looked up at the sky, checking the position of the sun. 'Only a few more hours till wedding bells ring…' She thought with a smile.
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"No. Don't stop. Van, I'm here!" Hitomi cried. She was sitting on her bed, the necklace in her hand, yelling at it. "Van, I'm here! Please, answer me!" The feather was glowing so incredibly bright just a few minutes ago, and for a while, she could hear Van's thoughts. She could hear him calling out her name, asking for her to return to him. He was also apologizing for something.
'Why is he apologizing? He didn't do anything wrong. Was it for killing those men? But that wasn't his fault…Oh Van, why are you in so much pain? What's happening to you?'
Hitomi replaced the necklace around her neck and got out of bed. She started running around her room, grabbing her track bag and throwing things inside it.
'If he can't tell me what's wrong, then I'll just have to go to him…'
But then she stopped. 'What about my family, and my friends…Well, Amano and Yukari understand and they will be able to explain it to my parents.'
Hitomi sat down at her desk and wrote a quick note:
Dear Mom and Dad and Yukari and Amano,
I'm sorry I have to say goodbye like this, but I have to go to Gaea. Van needs me and I must see him. I doubt that I will return. I love you all so much. Don't worry about me. I will be just fine.
Love Always,
Hitomi
She placed the letter in an envelope and signed her name on the front and placed it on top of her desk. She stared at it for a moment and then began packing her track bag with clothes and personal items. She wasn't in a hurry. She made sure that everything was packed neatly and was all in its proper place. She paused for a moment, staring at some photos of her family and friends that she was about to put in her bag. She sat on her bed and took a look at each one. She was going to miss them so much, but she missed Van and the others even more. But still, she wasn't in a hurry to leave either. She didn't realize that she only had a certain amount of time to reach Van. She didn't realize that if she stalled much longer she would be too late…
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Hours flew by like minutes. And already, Van was dressed in his wedding attire, standing at the end of a large red carpet, about to make the worst mistake of his life.
'A mistake, yes. However, it's a necessary one, in order to preserve peace…' Is what he had been telling himself for the past hour. The hall was filled with hundreds of people from both Fanelia and Cyrce. Many women dressed in Fanelian attire were bawling. 'What do they have to cry about? They're not the ones who have to marry someone they don't love.' He glanced at the other women, dressed in silver, Cyrce's primary color, and noticed not a single one of them were crying. They were just watching. Cyrce was known for its tough women. In fact, the country Cyrce has always been ruled by a Queen and never a King. They are also known to bear only girls. A Cyrce woman bearing a male child is almost unheard of.
Before Van could dwell much on the culture of the Cyrce people, the wedding music began and people started coming down the isle.
'Here we go…' Van stole a glance back at the audience and his eyes fell on Merle. Silent tears streamed down her face, reflecting the emotion of Van's heart. It took all the strength he had to prevent himself from running down and hugging his lifelong friend and making her tears go away, because if he did, the ache in his heart would go away too. But he couldn't. The ceremony had begun, and already, the bride was walking down the isle…
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Once again, the feather was glowing brightly as ever, and Hitomi could hear Van's thoughts. She could hear his apology echoing in her ears and it tore at her very hear.
'Hitomi, I'm so sorry…please forgive me…there was no other way…'
"Van, I'm here." Hitomi screamed at the feather. "What's wrong, Van. You didn't do anything wrong."
With all Hitomi's might, she concentrated on Van, and only Van. 'Please, take me to him…he needs me…'
With every passing moment, the more she thought of Van, the brighter the feather was glowing…
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
"Do you, Princess Calyplso Siren, take Van Fanel to be your lofty wedded husband?"
"I do."
"And do you, Van Fanel, take Calypso Siren, to be your lofty wedded wife?"
'No! I don't. Don't you see? I love Hitomi. Not this woman. I don't want to marry her. No. No. No…'
"I do."
"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife, King and Queen. You may kiss the bride."
'I am so sorry, Hitomi…'
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
"Van!" With a last cry, Hitomi was saturated with light, radiating from the feather hanging around her neck. After a few moments, Hitomi felt her feet lift off from the ground, and her body soar through the air.
"Van, I'm coming!"
Little did she know that she was too late…
A/N: Ha ha, another cliffy… *dodges tomatoes*… OK, WHO KEEPS THROWING THE TOMATOES? *someone stifling laughter* SHOW YOURSELF!!! …………. *crickets chirping* ………..*pout*…… Fine. Well, anyway, I have an announcement to make…………… HARRY POTTER COMES OUT ON DVD IN 2 DAYS!!!! YAY YAY YAY……. Sorry, but I had to do that. Now, I have a question I must ask, and please forgive me for my stupidity, but I need to know, what is "angst." I see that word a lot on fan fiction but I have no idea what it means…… *someone from audience pulls out a gun and starts shooting tomatoes at Yugismpuzzle* ……… GOMEN GOMEN GOMEN…..oh, let's try a different language…… IM SORRY….IM SORRY…. *tomatoes are still coming* …..Ok, now I'm getting mad……OH DILLY!!!! *Dilandou appears with flamethrower and kills woman with tomato gun* …..So it was you, Princess Calypso. I'd let Dilly here take you out but unfortunately, I need you for future chapters.
OK, Here is my standard review plea………….. *takes deep breath* REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW…. *takes another breath*…….REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW….. *takes yet another breath*…REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW…… *Van is in the backround, looking at a magazine, completely oblivious to Yugismpuzzle's screaming. Van looks up and takes off headphones*
"You know, she'll only stop if you actually review. Please for my sake, do it now…" *replaces headphones*
…….REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW…..