Starcrossed Lovers Chapter Fourteen
I don't own Escaflowne.
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"Where's the necklace?" Soare asked. "I know you have it, Van. Don't try to play games."
Now what was he supposed to do? All of his hopes were gone…or were they? Maybe there was something he could do to escape.
Finally, Van said, "Ok, but I want to know what you plan on doing."
"Well, letting you go freely, of course," said Soare. Van really doubted that.
"No, I mean, what are you going to do with the necklace?"
Soare smiled. "Add it to my collection of beautiful things."
What? That's it? For a collection? Van thought. No…that can't be right…he's trying to trick me.
Van…Hitomi thought. I really hope you can hear me…please…don't give him the necklace no matter what you do.
"No," said Van, "but I'm not giving it up freely."
Soare lowered the dagger and approached Van.
"What do you mean?" he asked him.
This was her chance! Come on…I have to do something to help Van! I can't just stand here and watch him die…I can't…Hitomi slowly used her right shoulder to pull out the gag.
Van gulped. Come on…it's not going to be as hard as it seems. I can do this…this is my second chance… This was his last chance to save Hitomi.
Chapter Fourteen: The Last Vision
"So, you're saying that this guy has captured Hitomi and now Van's going alone to fight him?" Allen stood up from his desk.
Merle nodded. "B—but he said not to go after him."
"Not to go after him?" Allen was angry. "Is he out of his mind?"
"Well, L—lord Van said that he knew how dangerous S—soare was, but he said he HAD to go alone. I'm sure there's some good reason."
"Good reason for what? Good reason to get killed? I'm not saying Van's a bad fighter—he's got excellent form and everything! He may be the King of Fanelia, but—I don't know."
Merle swallowed heavily. She didn't want to doubt Van, not at all. She believed in him and hoped with all her heart that he would come back safely with Hitomi. "Sir, well, Lord Van said that if he's not back by noon tomorrow, only then should you go after him."
"Well, maybe I should go now. I'm sure he's got everything under control—well…"
"No! You aren't going anywhere without me!" Merle said demandingly.
"No, you're going to stay here. It's too danger—"
"Isn't that what people ALWAYS say? It's too dangerous, you can't go! Well, guess what? I have every reason to go you have, and this time, no one's going to stop me!"
She stared at him defiantly, fire glowing in her eyes.
"All right," Allen said, giving up.
"WHOOHEE!"
"It's not a time to celebrate."
Merle slumped back down into her seat. "Sorry…"
"Van's a smart guy," Allen said, "and he's got a lot of determination. But sometimes he doesn't know what he's doing. Sometimes he does. I just hope that pure determination's going to be enough this time."
"Van'll do it!" cried Merle. "I know he will, just like he always has! I just know he will!"
"I hope you're right, Merle," Allen said. "I hope you're right."
(0) (0) (0) lalalalalala (0) (0) (0)
Hitomi remembered what had happened the last time Van had fought this man. Soare may have had a sick sense of humor, but he was not someone to be underestimated. She closed her eyes. Van…I love you…please don't do anything foolish.
"A duel," she heard her beloved say. "If I win…"
Hitomi heart began to ache. Was it possible? Did Van have a chance? She knew that he was thinking the exact same thing. Even if Van did win, it was highly unlikely that Soare would let them go. Soare wanted that necklace, and there was nothing that would stop him from getting it. No, Soare wasn't an honorable man. He wouldn't play fairly, and that was something that everyone knew.
Van breathing grew faster and louder. Soare could hear Van's heart beating…beating…and beating.
"So you're saying that one of us must die?" Soare finished.
Van glared angrily into his gray eyes. "That's right."
NO! Hitomi wanted to scream, but she knew she shouldn't. She knew what this battle meant to Van—what it meant to Gaea. He wasn't only doing it for her and for Gaea, but also for his own honor. But in this case, why did honor matter? A life was worth so much more than honor. What was it with men that they had to have that basket of pride? But maybe his pride alone would keep him alive.
Soare laughed. "Well, this will be fun, won't it? Of course it isn't fair for me to defeat you now that you've been so tired traveling all the way to Zaibach, right?"
Van didn't answer. He kept his eyes keenly fixed on Soare, knowing that Soare would soon pull something off very stealthily.
Soare continued. "I'll give you an hour." Then he turned and exited the room. Van could hear the door being bolted shut. Then he looked at Hitomi, and she looked at him.
"I'm sorry," they both said.
"I mean—"
"Van, I know things—" Hitomi laughed. Remembering that her hands were free, she bent down and untied her feet.
"So I'm forgiven?" Van asked.
"Of course not," she said, walking up to Van.
Van laughed.
"No, I'm being serious this time," Hitomi said, frowning.
"What?"
"Why'd you tell Soare you'd fight him?" she asked.
Van hung his head. "I had no choice. What else can I do? Am I supposed to hand over that pendant and say everything's over? Would he just let us go and promise not to do anything bad?" He was getting frustrated. "I'm always the decision maker, aren't I?"
Hitomi was speechless. "Don't be so full of yourself! It doesn't matter if you're some high and mighty king! You're the one who wants to make the decisions! You're the one that chooses to make the decisions!"
"I'm the decision maker because no one else can make the right decisions!" He blurted out. That was not something he had intended to say.
"Is that so?" Hitomi said calmly. "Well, maybe that's why you're the king."
Van knew where the argument would be going. Hitomi was right though, he did want to make the decisions. He wanted to end the argument.
"Look," he said, "why are we arguing? This is stupid, really."
Wow, Hitomi thought, for once he's come to his senses. She laughed.
"What's so funny?" Van asked.
Hitomi started to laugh harder. "Oh nothing—haha—nothing at all." Then a sudden sadness appeared on her face.
"Hitomi?"
"Van…I'm just worried about—what's going to happen." She put her hands on the bars that held Van in that cage and tried with all her might to pry them open. "It's—not—working!"
"Don't be worried," he said, taking one step closer to Hitomi, "I'll be fine. Leave the worrying for someone else."
"But, Van—"
His eyes were calm. Her heart was beating rapidly.
He extended his arms through the bars and locked Hitomi in a tight embrace.
"I should have done this long ago," he said.
Their eyes met for a second, and then their lips met.
She could feel his soft lips on hers. He kissed her with all the love he could give, and she kissed him back.
There wasn't time to think of other things. Not about Gaea, not about Soare, not about what would happen if they lost this last battle. Nothing…just their love.
Hitomi knew that Van meant this kiss. It was so much different than anything she had ever felt before. The only one who had kissed her before was Allen. (Well, Soare did too, but that was for his own enjoyment.) But Van's kiss was so much different—it was really different.
She ran her fingers through his loose dark hair. All her worries were gone. She felt as if she had finally found happiness.
Suddenly Hitomi stopped and fell down, her eyes wide with fear. A sudden image had flashed in her head. It was painted with blood, death, cheats, and murderers. She hadn't had any visions for a long time. Why now? Gasping for breath, Hitomi felt sick…really sick.
Flashback:
"Don't…you mustn't use the power of your wishes. Your desires are rooted in anxiety. Such wishes only make real those anxieties. You are the one who is making Van and the others suffer…your troubled heart chooses an unhappy outcome out of all the possible choices."
End of Flashback
The words kept running through her head. But so did the vision. She saw someone—he was falling, covered in blood—falling. What did that mean? Should she just forget about it? Or did it really mean something.
"Hitomi," said Van, "is something—what's wrong?"
Panting heavily with sweat rolling down her brow, she replied, "I—I don't know—it's nothing. I'm just—just seeing things." She tried to shake the vision out of her head. She looked up at Van with hopeful eyes. "Please, when you fight Soare—be careful—be very careful."
Van understood what that meant. "You saw something, didn't you? You saw the outcome? Isn't that what you saw? Answer me!"
"Van," Hitomi said. "Please, I can't…Van…" Exhausted, Hitomi fell back.
"HITOMI!"
End of Chapter.
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