P.S. (25.12.01) Sorry I had to repost this guys, but I'm buying myself time. I really need to patch up chapter 17 (MANY errors in the first version, and in that chapter it's pretty crucial that you remember everything that happens in this chapter... things as little as the grocer. But I promise you, it will be worth the wait!
Van was awake early the next morning. He couldn't
believe his luck! Hitomi was not pining for the Knight Caeli, as
he had thought. So was it possible that she might hold slight feelings
for the king of Fanelia? He couldn't think about that right now. He was
going to apologize for his pigheadedness, and hopefully Hitomi would accept
it.
He glanced at her door while he passed her room
in the corridor. It was still tightly sealed, indicating that Hitomi was
dozing on.
In the dining room, Allen was waiting for him.
He had also awakened at an early hour, just so that he could see how things
were going with Van.
"You're certainly up at an ungodly hour," the
blond mused. "Eager to see Hitomi?"
Van didn't want to say anything, lest he spill
out his heart and destroy his male pride. All he answered was, "Do you
think she'll understand where to meet me?"
Allen smirked. "Your Majesty, I have done such
things to women before. I'm an expert on it. Trust me, she'll know."
An hour later, Hitomi turned on her side, very
groggy. Her eyelashes felt heavy from the tears that she had shed during
the previous night.
"Van..." she murmured, her eyes threatening to
water over again. "How could you?"
Today was her last day on Gaia, the machine had
been fixed. As much as Hitomi hated to admit it, she was anxious to get
back home. What was the point in staying? Van treated her like a piece
of garbage and now she had just discovered that he had lied to her.
She sat upright in her bed, and heard the soft
sound of something fluttering to the ground. She looked over the side of
her bed and saw a small piece of paper. She picked it up. There was a daisy
pinned to the top left hand corner. The note said, in carefully scripted
handwriting:
I'll be here.
I'll be here waiting... so.... if you come here,
you'll find me.
I promise.
The note had not been signed, and a location had not been given,
but the daisy was clue enough and Hitomi had an idea who had sent this
note, though it seemed completely out of character on his part. Little
did she know that the words on the paper were Allen's (Van wasn't used
to romantic messages, and pleaded with the older man to help him) but written
by the king of Fanelia's hand. The daisy had been Van's idea, however,
after he remembered that once, during a stroll in the Asturian garden with
Hitomi, she had pointed it out, saying that on the Mystic Moon they called
it a 'daisy' and was surprised to find that it held the same name on Gaia.
"I don't believe this." Hitomi shook her head
defiantly. "This is all just some beautiful dream. I'm going to wake up
and Van will be the grouchy guy he was yesterday. And even if this isn't
a dream, I won't meet him because this note doesn't change the fact
that he lied to me." That being said, she gingerly placed the note on her
night table and fell back asleep. After all, it was only about 8:30 in
the morning.
"Dryden was informed that Hitomi would
not be there until late this afternoon." Allen remarked calmly. "I know
you and Hitomi will be eager for a lot of time alone."
Van just glared at him. "She has to accept my
apology first."
"My friend, Ms. Kanzaki is head over heels for
you. Sure, she's probably still quite upset right now, but can you blame
her? You acted like an ass."
"Thanks for the bluntness. You sure don't waste
that gentlemanly charm on men, do you?"
"Well, it's true. But I'm sure Hitomi will forgive
you for your manner."
Van looked at the clock on the wall. 9:30.
"Hitomi will probably be up in another half hour."
the blond man said, as if having read Van's mind.
The young king stood. "I would wait all day for
her." he told his comrade. "Allen, thank you, again, for helping me with
this."
The knight bowed his head. "Majesty."
Van made a face at the royal title, knowing his
friend was just saying it to annoy him. But he didn't stay any longer.
He headed out to where he was to meet Hitomi and waited.
Hitomi, as Allen had predicted, was up and about at 10. She was scurrying
across the floor of her room, bathing in the tub and taking out the beautiful
dress that Merle had given her. It was summery, not too elegant, perfect
for such an occasion. She tugged it on. Was Van really going to be there?
Hitomi placed a hand over her stomach, hearing its desperate plea for food.
Mixed in with the sensation of anticipation, it was not a pleasant feeling.
She prudently opened the door to her room, her head darting around the
corner to make sure no one was there.
Why am I being so secretive? she asked
herself. It's not like I'm doing anything wrong. Gingerly
she touched the daisy that she had tucked into her hair earlier.
"I might go. Might, might might." she muttered
to herself. "Might. Not a definite yes. A might. He hurt me." a maid passing
by looked at her curiously, and she straightened, realizing how strange
she must have sounded.
She headed down towards the dining room, eager
to get some food into her impatient belly. Then a thought struck her: What
if Van was there? It would be awkward. She turned on her heel, taking a
quick left towards the side door. She could handle eating at the market
today. It would be a wonderful opportunity to get last glimpses of the
city around her... a last glimpse of this world. My world.
the words popped into her head and she brushed them aside quickly.
This was not her world. Her world hung over her head, the larger of the
two globes. Yes. she nodded approvingly. Earth is
my home.
The mental debate left her as quickly
as it had struck her. She spied the market dead ahead, and left in search
of food. She didn't notice the man in the shadows, watching her every move.
Hitomi wandered the streets of Asturia, wondering
where a proper place to grab a bite to eat would be. It was hard to pinpoint
just one place, as everyone seemed to be moving about swiftly and randomly.
Asturia on a weekday morning was not the best place to be if you were unfamiliar
with the city.
Finally, after about 45 minutes of desperately
shuffling through the crowds, and fighting the growing pain in her tummy,
Hitomi decided that whichever food vending booth next caught her eye would
be the place where she ate.
And then, there it was: a vision! A little
booth with loaves of bread piled onto a platter and fruit on the side.
Little tables and chairs made out of stumps of wood were set out in front
of the booth. It was, in a bizarre and primitive way, a Gaian version of
Earth's outdoor cafes.
Hitomi was unfazed. Quickly, she brushed past
the other pedestrians (what else could she have called the people in the
market? This area was designated as being "carriage-free") toward the quaint
"cafe".
"Mornin', miss!" the owner said as he slowly
chewed the blade of straw that was drooping from his mouth. "What can I
do you for on this lovely day?"
The tawny-haired girl's eyes never strayed from
the loaves of bread. She smiled and asked for a chunk of it, and then pointed
to the banana-like fruit nearby.
"Anythin' else?" the man inquired, noticing the
girl's starved gaze. "I've got a few dragon eggs here that'll really hit
the spot."
"D-dragon eggs?" Hitomi stuttered. She found
her thoughts drifting back to a certain raven-haired king, and blushed
slightly. Don't forget, you're mad at him! she told herself
quickly. "Um, no thank you." she replied to the man, who had cocked a brow
at her strange antics. She turned away and began to walk off with the food
when the shop owner called her back.
"Hey! Are you some kinda thief, girl? You hafta
pay for that!"
The 15 year-old froze. "I'm sorry, I don't have
any money."
"Then bring back that food! You want it, you
pay the price."
"Please..." Hitomi begged, her eyes large with
sorrow. "You don't understand, I'm so hungry..."
"Listen, kid. This is what I understand.
You sure as heck ain't some beggar with clothes like that! You look like
you just walked out of the palace, and you expect me to give you a free
meal? Forget it!" he reached out to snatch the food away from the frightened
girl.
"Excuse me, sir." a male voice interrupted sternly.
"I'll pay for it." he reached into the pocket of his beige pants
and pulled out 3 glimmering coins. He slammed them onto the counter and
selected a yellow pear-shaped fruit for himself.
"Let's go." he invited Hitomi, his amber eyes
burning with anger. "He has no right to talk to anyone that way. We do
not want to eat near such a curmudgeon. Come, I know of a nice spot just
outside of the marketplace."
The 15 year-old followed him out to a quiet area,
where a lovely tree outstretched its branches, protecting the grass below
it from the hot summer sun. The pair sat down beneath this tree, Hitomi
with her legs tucked neatly beneath her, and him lounging around like any
boy his age who didn't give a flying fig about their appearance.
After a while, the sandy-brown haired girl found
her voice. "Thank you... I'll pay you back somehow, I promise!"
The teen smiled at her. "It was nothing, Hitomi."
She would keep her promise, somehow. Gingerly,
she pulled a small piece off her loaf of bread and popped it into her mouth.
She chewed slowly and thoughtfully, and then swallowed. Unable to bear
the stillness, she decided to make conversation. "So, how is Merle?"
The brown-haired boy laughed as he broke open
his piscus. "She was not happy about me leaving her in Fanelia, that much
I know. She was afraid that I'd be eaten by a dragon on my way here, or
worse: I'd find some other beautiful catgirl to fall for. However, the
counselors asked me to check up Master Van, to see why he has not yet returned
to his country."
"The fate-alteration machine hasn't been working."
Kayulo chucked, sipping at the piscus in his
furry hand. "I know." he replied casually. "That's your doing. You
want Master Van to stay, that's why you did it. And he stays because of
you."
Hitomi smiled weakly. "I used to think so. But
he lied to me, Kayulo."
"About Lord Dryden's letter?"
"Yes!"
The 14 year-old looked into her eyes, his own
burning with an integrity that was far beyond his years. "Have you ever
thought about why he lied? The answer is right in front of you.
Your subconscious realizes, but your mind and heart do not. Trust me, seeress."
he tapped his head. "I will not tell you what is to come and ruin the magic
of it, but I do hope that you meet Master Van. It will be beneficial to
both of you to both of your wary hearts." he paused and nodded to the banana-shaped
fruit in Hitomi's hands. "Are you going to eat that?"
"No thanks," she answered. "The excitement has
overruled my hunger."
"I understand."
Hitomi looked at him curiously. "Kayulo, you
certainly seem wise for someone who's only 14."
The man grinned, a cat-like smile. "Whoever said
I was 14?"
She cocked a startled brow. "15?"
"Nope."
"16?"
"No."
"17?"
He coughed loudly. "Just don't tell Merle, okay?"
She sweatdropped. "I think I'm going to go see
Van now." she said hastily. She jumped to her feet.
Kayulo nodded. "You won't regr--" he froze, his
eyes darkening at what was passing through his mind at the moment. It was
an image of the future, what was to come very soon. He frowned, shaking
it off. It was a fake, it had to be. He had only had one of those once
before, when he was Merle's age. There was no other explanation... unless...
"Bye Kayulo! And thanks again!" the girl from
the Mystic Moon shouted. She was off in the distance, determined to meet
her love and make everything right again.
Van Slanzar de Fanel twirled the stem of the daisy that was gripped
precariously in his hand. His eyes were closed as he stood amidst the beauty.
The late summer breeze wisped through his ebony hair and ruffled the plants
that surrounded him.
Hitomi. the one word had sounded so foreign
at first. And now, so familiar. It had idly run through his mind at least
a thousand times, the name of the girl he loved but denied his feelings
for her both to himself and others. But his companions saw right through
his fruitless attempts at concealing his emotions.
Van had never been in love before. Sure, he had
been in love with things--the fields, dragons, and sword fighting-- and
he had loved his parents and his brother, and his best friend, Merle. But
that was family. Never before had he felt something so deep, so utterly
overwhelming for someone--certainly not a strangely-clad, short-haired
female from the Mystic Moon, a land that was known to be cursed! She was
a demon, according to legend, simply because she came from another world.
But Van had his own demons within him, and he had revealed his curse, his
burden, to Hitomi, on that fateful day...
"What an unreasonable young boy." the man with the pink hair remarked
snidely. The girl in the pink dress with soldiers holding onto her arms
squirmed in vain to get out of their grasp. The green snake around his
neck slithered towards the helpless female as the pet owner introduced
the scaly creature.
"Stop!" commanded the black haired boy. "Leave
Hitomi out of this!"
Suddenly, there was a strange sound and the soldiers
were distracted. The young kind of Fanelia took this as a favor from the
Gods, for it allowed him enough time to maneuver himself out of the binds
and take possession of a soldier's sword. They were quickly disposed of,
along with the pink-haired man.
The boy in red instructed his best friend and
that strange girl from another world to go hide, he would take care of
the dragon mines. They did as they were told.
Up in the air, on his dragon-like guymelef, he
discovered something... the energists were resonating. But for what purpose?
He didn't have time to think about that, for he heard a large crack
as the ground below him tore open. Hitomi, the queer girl, and Merle,
his cat-like friend, were gripping tightly onto the wall of a gaping crack.
Hitomi, however, lost her grip and began to plummet towards her death.
Van watched this from above, and screamed out
her name. There was no question in his mind about what he had to do, what
he wanted to do. He would save her if it killed him.
"No!" he cried as he watched her fall, and he
tore off his shirt. Without a second thought, he jumped from the guymelef.
He reached the crevice and suddenly, pure white feathers burst from his
back. He watched her eyes widen at the sight of him, at his horrible hideous
secret. The curse of his heritage. With a flap of his beautiful wings,
he reached out to her, tightly clasping his hand over hers.
"You're... an angel..." she whispered, before
her eyes rolled back into her head. Van wasn't surprised. She had almost
lost her life, and then saved by a man who held the blood of a Draconian?
That was trauma, alright.
He lifted her limp body up into his arms, his
left hand around her back and the other beneath her knees. Slowly, they
drifted upward. At the top, his discovered Merle had also passed out. Women.
he thought, with a roll of his eyes. He let Hitomi down for one moment,
and scooped up his "sister". He carried her over to the Escaflowne (which
had, of course, landed perfectly intact) and gently placed her at the front
of the cockpit. Then he returned to the other fainted female, and held
her with so much care it surprised him. He set her in front of him on the
Escaflowne and they flew away to a secluded area. Van got out and set the
women down gingerly, before setting down to his thoughts.
The first thing that entered his noggin was that
he was surprisingly cold. He had left his shirt at the site and had no
will to go and retrieve it. He had a couple of spare ones in a compartment
on the Escaflowne, but he didn't want to climb up the cliff and make a
lot of noise, causing Hitomi and Merle to wake up. Hitomi. That was the
2nd message to intrude his brainwaves. What was he going to do? If she
woke up and saw him here, with his wings hidden neatly in his back, she
might think she dreamed everything. She wouldn't care that he was half-Draconian,
that he was a curse.
Wait! he halted himself, plopping down
on a rock. Why do I care that she'll shun me? She's just some weird
girl from the Mystic Moon. He watched the fainted figure as her chest
rose with each breath.
"A...mano..." she whispered in her sleep, and
the king felt a strange pang go through him. She had mentioned this "Amano"
character at least a dozen times, and Van could have cared less. So why
now, when she spoke aloud her dreams, did it bother him the most?
Cautiously, he made his way over to her, to see
her better. He looked down at the girl, who, for some odd reason, looked
suddenly beautiful to Van. Her sleeping form was so serene, so innocent,
so... captivating. He found himself mesmerized by watching her, for the
first time getting a really good look at her. Short sandy-brown hair (Odd
fashion, Van mused, For a woman.) and delicate eyelashes. Her
lips weren't as pronounced as a princess's, such as Millerna's, but there
was the humble aura about her. She was slim, but not a twig, and she was
wearing a dress that enhanced her physical features. But the most noticeable
thing about her was her emerald eyes that would stare into you, as if searching
your soul. Van found himself wanting her to awaken, just so that he could
see her eyes.
Who am I kidding? he asked himself in
disgust. I am not falling for this girl from another world.
She abruptly began to stir, and Van made a decision.
With a grunt, his wings unfurled from his back. He originally hadn't planned
to show her that what had happened had been the truth, that he was of the
accursed kind. But some strange mentality inside of him had to show
her, show her that he had saved her, that he had revealed his deepest
secret in order to protect her. He needed to show her what lengths he would
go to protect her.
Hitomi woke up.
He remembered how she had told him that
she thought his wings were beautiful, and he had replied that probably
only she and Merle were the only ones who would say that. It had been a
lie. Merle had never said that his wings were beautiful... she was just
protective of them, of him. She didn't want his means of flight to make
him cast out.
He sighed, letting go of the past. He opened
his eyes and wondered if Hitomi was actually going to come. He twirled
the daisy between his fingers, knowing full well that he would wait all
day for her if he had to.
A sudden movement behind a nearby bush provoked
his attention and his eyes sprang open. "Hitomi?" he called out hopefully.
"Van?" came the inquiring reply. The 15 year-old
girl stepped out of her hiding place, her eyes sparkling. Van's, however,
had lost their luster.
"A maid told me she saw you heading for the gardens...
so I decided to follow you. I have to talk to you."
"About what?" Van asked, trying to hide his disappointment
at the silvery-blonde-haired girl who stood before him. Tentatively she
stepped toward him.
"About last night, in your room."
The raven-haired boy crossed his arms over his
chest, waiting for an explanation. She had, after all, tried to kill him.
"I thought you said he was gone." he growled.
"I lose control sometimes." she admitted quietly.
"Part of him is still with me, and sometimes he manages to take over..."
"If Dilandau tries to kill me again, I won't
be as hesitant to destroy him first."
Celena ran her hand up and down her arm nervously,
somewhat stricken by his words. But still, with the wind ruffling his hair
in such a way, he was so indescribably attractive. Her heart thumped in
her ears.
"You'd be willing to sacrifice me for the sake
of killing my other half?" she finally asked.
The king realized his mistake and he let his
guard down, allowing his arms to flop to his sides. "Look, Dilandau has
to be gotten rid of of. Maybe the Asturian healers can help you free your
mind of him. He isn't real anyway. Just a character made up by Zaibach
sorcerers.
Ha ha, what an idiot! the maniacal
voice in Celena's head cackled.
"You shut up!" the Schezar snapped, holding her
head. Van took a cautionary step back.
"He's come back, hasn't he?"
Celena closed her eyes tightly, willing her pyretic
self to leave. When she opened them again, she saw him, concerned
about her well-being and... something else? Love, maybe?
"Van..." she whispered pleadingly.
What's wrong, little girl? Are you afraid?
sneered the voice in her head. Don't you remember the rule?
Want, take, have.
No, I won't! she shouted in her mind,
not wanting to alarm the Fanelian more than he already was. It's
wrong.
Want, take, have. the words
echoed throughout her mind and body, seizing her, taking control. As if
on cue, the sunshine faded away and the clouds above darkened.
Want, take, have. she licked her
lips as her once baby blue eyes turned an unmistakable burgundy. It only
took her 3 strides to be directly in front of Van.
Want, take, have.
He was clearly fearing for his life, with
his left gloved hand dwindling on his scabbard. Celena reached out and
gripped the sides of his head tightly in her hands.
Want, take, have.
Without warning, the girl, transformed
by the voice's chant, brought her lips to meet the raven-haired man's in
a crushing kiss. Van's first.
Want, take, have.
She was ready to face him now, she had
decided. The catguy's gentleness had seen to that, and she was grateful.
She stood at the edge of the garden, checking her dress for unnecessary
creases, and adjusting the daisy in her hand one last time. Everything
was raring to go. Perfect.
Not quite, Hitomi frowned as she
felt occasional pellets of water against her skin. Oh well,
she brushed it off. I'll meet Van and we can find shelter
together... her cheeks grew warm. But of course it will be
cold and I'm so skimpily dressed, so Van will have to find a way to warm
me up... she envisioned Van with his arms around her waist and hers
behind his neck, bringing them closer into the embrace. Her face flushed
with a higher intensity and she let out a nervous giggle.
The sound of a snapping twig interrupted her
daydreaming. Was it Van? Quietly, she moved forward a few paces and then
hid behind a row of tall bushes. She knew it had to be Van. She chose to
stay hidden and surprise him by jumping out.
Snap. What on earth is he doing?
wondered Hitomi. Tentatively, she peeled back the few leaves blocking
her view. There was no mistaking what she saw. There, a few feet away from
the unnoticed Mystic Moon girl, was Van and Celena, locked in a passionate
kiss. Her hands were on his face as he clutched her shoulders. Tears began
to well up in Hitomi's eyes.
Van was suffering under his own torment as "Celena's"
tongue forced him to open his mouth. She had bruised his lips already,
which lowered his defenses considerably. He tried, in vain, to wrestle
out of her steel-like grasp as her sickening tongue found its way into
his mouth. He could only be thankful that Hitomi had decided not to come.
The rain was coming down faster now, but Van
could still make out the sound of a stifled sob. Hitomi's sob.
The bushes nearby rustled and the sound of foreign footwear against a cobblestone
path could be heard.
Hitomi. Damn it!
For an instant, the red-eyed girl was
distracted by the sound. The hindrance was broken slightly, but it was
all Van needed to shove her off and away from him. She fell to the ground,
her spiked silver hair returning to its original blonde coloring and setting
back into place. Her eyes flashed purple once before they became as blue
as the sky had been before the dark clouds had conquered it. She brought
her hands up to her face and her knees up to her chin. She sobbed quietly.
"I'm so sorry Van, I'm so sorry Van..." her muffled words were repeated
over and over.
But the man paid no attention to the female sitting
on the ground, crying. He had to find Hitomi. Damn.
Allen Crusade Schezar glanced out the window of
Dryden's large new study area. "The rain is coming down at an alarming
rate." he commented, thankful that he was safe and warm.
Millerna bit her lip. "I hope that Hitomi and
Van aren't caught in the downpour. I don't think they made it back to the
palace.
"Relax." Dryden said as he sat at his desk, his
head resting on his palm in a lazy manner. "I'm sure they found shelter
somewhere. Hell, knowing those two, I wouldn't be surprised if we discovered
them getting on with the smooches. God knows that those two are taking
a damn long time to confess."
The blondes in the room turned and gave him disgusted
looks, sure, he might have been correct about Van and Hitomi's whereabouts,
and what they were doing, but the way he had put it was unnecessarily crude.
"Has anyone seen Celena?" Allen asked. He wasn't
really too concerned about the topic in question; Dilandau had been gone
for over a month and his sister was showing no instability. Still, her
whereabouts was a good excuse to change the topic.
"Sorry," Dryden shrugged, "haven't seen her."
"Maybe she went home?" Millerna offered.
"Most likely." the Heavenly Knight agreed.
She was still running, but she couldn't really
see more than 2 feet in front of her. She was soaked to the skin, but to
her it felt more like she was soaked to the bone. The rain came down in
heavy sheets that clouded Hitomi's vision. She was desperate for shelter,
somewhere dry where she could pull herself into a little ball and just
fade away. Away from Celena, away from Van, away from this whole damned
world. She began to regret what she had done to stop herself from returning
home.
She let out an inaudible sob as she remembered
WHY she had done it. It had all been a mistake. She had put off going home
for him, but in the end he gave his heart to Celena.
She shivered, feeling weak from the cold. She
had to find shelter. But in the blinding rain, how could she? She ran faster,
as if something inside her told her that she could outrun the rain, and
her misery.
Before she knew it, she could make out the darkness
of a structure in the near distance. She didn't give it a second thought
as she ran towards it.
The inside of the building was dark and smelled
of hay and... steel? The girl wandered in the large abandoned area. Her
running show his something large that made a metallic scraping noise against
the floor. Cautiously, she crouched over and picked up the heavy object.
She knew instantly what it was.
~
Scrape, scrape, scrape. "If you go around
with that nervous look on your face, something bad is gonna happen to you."
~
The file was dropped to the ground with
a loud CLANG. So, that's where I am. She looked at
her surroundings, which were suddenly clear despite the lack of light in
the barn. The elevation loomed before her, presenting more memories. Without
hesitation, she climbed up and sat on the hay. Reminiscences flooded her
without restraint.
~
He's trying to make me feel better. the
thought struck the girl.
"Hitomi..." he began, allowing his dark hair
to fall over his eyes as he hesitated slightly. "I want you to stay with
me. Stay with me from now on, that is."
The sour fruit that Hitomi had been clutching
so tightly fell to the ground, its juice spilling over the floor.
"But, Van..." she stuttered, her cheeks pink.
What was he trying to say?
"I WANT you!" he shouted, unable to stop his
words from echoing through the windmill.
~
She remembered, of course, that afterwards
he had added on that he wanted her power. At the time, she had been so
stunned that she hadn't bothered thinking 'the obvious' through.
"There was a time," she spoke her thoughts aloud,
"when he truly did care something for me... wasn't there? And now... I've
lost my chance. I've lost my chance!" the tears came back then , streaming
down her cheeks. She sobbed quietly but greatly and lay down on the hay
in the rafters, curled into a tight ball. She would be going home soon...
and this time, she decided, she wouldn't tamper with the pillar of light.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
11.06.01
(St.late09t)