Chapter 1: Bittersweet Reunion
Key:
Words in Italics – thoughts of the characters
{Words in these curvy brackets} - flashbacks
"Uncle Van!" Chid cried as he stepped off the levi ship and leapt onto Van to give him a warm hug. Van laughed and put Chid down on the ground, ruffling his hair as a form of affection. Van was a quiet king, whose emotions were expressed in subtle forms. To Allen, who had come to treat Van like a brother, he knew that Van's gesture hid great love he bore towards the young king of Freid
"I swear, he likes you better than he likes me," Allen kidded as he stepped off the ship and bowed lightly to the King of Fanelia, who returned the gesture respectfully. The crowd's cheers rose with the appearance of Allen. Who did not love the handsome gentlemanly knight who had become the royal advisor of Freid? Many young maidens found their hearts fluttering as they gazed at Allen's almost femininely graceful features. Still, Allen found that as Van had matured, the limelight was somewhat stolen from him. Van was the night, an enchanting enigma. As a fighter, he was a shadowy panther, silent and deadly, his blade weaving artful silver crescent arcs. As a king, Van was fair, like the moon, who shines her light on all and withholds none. As a person, Van's intellect went as deep as the night and he possessed a passionate spirit that was glimpsed briefly when he went out on the tours of his kingdom and talked with his people with an enthusiasm that was infectious and chattered with the children as if they were his own.
His people loved him and today was the anniversary of the day when Fanelia had regained her independence and rebuilt herself again. Cloth flags floated across the whole of the city, lighting up the city like aurora fire in the evening sky. Heady scents of fresh jasmine and roses intermingled with the peaceful daisies and forget-me-nots. As Van led his guests up to his castle, his eyes shone visibly with pride. For a city that had been razed to the ground, Allen could tell exactly how resilient Fanelians were, simply by looking at the majestic city that now stood before his eyes. The roads were straight and true. The stonework spoke of toil and sweat, precision and dependability. Fanelia did not become the fugitive hideout that most other countries expected, The 'backwater country' had evolved into a haven for all who seek a good honest life. Chid also gazed at the city in wonderment, knew that his own people had much to learn from the Fanelians.
Van was met at his palace gates by his chief cook.
"Everything is going well, my lord!" His chief reported, his apple cheeks a bright red. Preparing the annual feast for the entire Fanelian population was a lot of work. Van had started the tradition of throwing a feast for his subjects in the palace gardens the year after Fanelia declared her independence. It gave him the chance to interact even more with his subjects and to bring down the invisible barrier that always existed between royalty and the common folk. Little did he know, this tradition only made him more benevolent and saintly in the eyes of his adoring citizens. Most of the time, the citizens also brought their own contributions to the feast, they were more than glad to show their appreciation for the king's kindness.
Van clapped a hand on his cook's back.
"I knew I could always count on you Jentend!" His comment causing Jentend to beam even more brightly.
"Allen! Small one!"
Chid pouted and glared at Van who merely winked at Allen. "Alright, your majesty, this way… "
... Van paused in mid-sentence.
"Van-sama?"
Van?
"Van?! Snap out of it, what's wrong?"
... I'm frightened.
In a jiffy, Allen had grabbed Van by the shoulders and was shaking him. Van woke. Or did he? Fear was mirrored in his eyes like stark silhouettes of dark oaks.
"Hitomi..." he murmured her name like a reverent prayer. Van noticed numbly, Allen's eyes widening, Chid's mouth shooting forth questions. His vision was clear but someone had switched off the sound, except for a resounding echo: "I'm frightened."
The next thing he knew, there was a change in perspective, he seemed to be watching himself rise, far too slowly and clasping Allen's hands. He watched as incoherent words spilled out of his mouth and Allen struggled to comprehend. He watched as he sped off in the direction of the Sanctuary. He was puzzled how his body could move so slowly. He wondered if it understood the significance of what just happened. Hitomi just spoke to him.
{"Hitomi? I don't understand. What's wrong with continuing to meet like this? I mean…"
"NO!" She shouted at him, her fists were curled up into tense balls of flesh as they pressed against her side. Van felt totally helpless.
"Our meetings just serve to add onto the pain. The pain of knowing that all these meetings are mere illusions. We can never be together. The sun and moon were destined to follow their own orbit." She whispered.}
The lithe frame crashed through the woods.
{"And Van... no more voices too. Bury it."}
A silver crescent hung in the choking inky blackness. Slashes were on the youth's hands and face, itching pinpricks of pain that mattered little in the overflow of emotions. Slim openings that shone with glaring brightness, distracting you, weighing you down with their loudness. Like hope.
* * * * *
Hitomi awoke to Yukari's concerned face looming over hers.
"Wow. Pimple show," Hitomi deadpanned and received a whack from her dear friend, followed by a tight hug.
"You Idiot! I was so worried! You suddenly fainted like that! Thank goodness Mr James came in to check on us and carried you all the way to our hostel. He just went out to get some coffee. You've been out cold for 3 hours. I was panicking! I've never seen a guy panicking but Mr James looked as if he was going to have a nervous breakdown. It was all so horrible and then you go and make some smart aleck remark like 'pimple show'? PIMPLE SHOW? You ungrateful spoilt brat!" Yukari's ranting escalated into shaking sobs. Hitomi's grin dropped and enveloped her friend in a tight hug.
"I'm sorry," she murmured as she stroked her friend's back. There was a knock on the door, before it was pushed open to reveal a bespectacled young teacher, Mr James. His tense shoulders loosened visibly when he gazed into Hitomi's calm emerald eyes.
"Thank goodness you're alright," he said as he moved closer. "Here, have a sip." Hitomi gratefully gulped down a little coffee. By this time, Yukari had subsided into gentle sniffles and sobs. She lifted herself off Hitomi's shoulder but remained seated on the bed.
"You're fine?" Yukari asked finally. Hitomi took her time replying. Her eyes strayed to the misty windows, turned frosty by the air-conditioning. She looked absolutely unperturbed, chest rising and falling in a peaceful relaxed rhythm. Yet, Yukari could not shake off a nagging worry.
"It's not the first time I've had a vision," she replied at last, eyes still on the windows.
"Vision?" Mr James asked curiously. Yukari's sniffling stopped abruptly, leaving his question to echo throughout the silent room.
"I used to be able to see into the future. It was more of a curse actually. Life lost its element of surprise. My power didn't really go away even though I wanted it too. I had to kill it in the end," Hitomi's voice softened. "Only, it came back."
"What did you see?"
Rain was falling and it slowly wiped away the mist touching the frosted windows. Hitomi turned to face Yukari.
"I've always been good at archaeology because I could sort of sense the meaning of the scrawls on the slabs but this time the meaning leapt out at me. It was a jumble of images… of worlds, guided by a kind of epic destiny... I...I... ...couldn't and still can't really understand it," She drew up her knees and buried her head in them.
"Hitomi..." Yukari whispered and touched her friend's hand. Mr James' eyebrows creased as he pondered his brilliant student's special gift.
"I'm going off to check that stone. Yukari carried it back to my room. Yukari, you stay with Hitomi..." Mr James ordered before slipping out of the room.
"... Let me take a look at it again." Hitomi raised her head, her face, resolute.
"NO! HITOMI!" Yukari grabbed Hitomi by her shoulders and stared into a shifting wilderness, new thoughts springing up like fresh leaves, in time with the pattering raindrops.
"I need to read it soon. I can't explain why... but there's not much time left. Please Yukari, trust me."
Yukari nibbled her lip, before nodding. What could she do? Hitomi was unstoppable when she made her mind up on something. She experienced a vague sense of unease as they made their way to their teacher's room at the end of the corridor. The same unsettling feeling that came to her the night Hitomi disappeared for the second time.
"Did you see him? In this vision?" Yukari blurted out, before she could stop herself. Hitomi halted in her footsteps, her controlled demeanour cracked slightly. They were almost at his door.
"It looked like him..." she murmured.
* * * * *
"Escaflowne! Hear my voice and remember!" Van shouted in between gulps of air. Escaflowne had remained undisturbed for a long time. To seal Escaflowne, Van had purposely called upon the Lady Jashyra, Guardian Fairy of the Forest, to erect a natural barrier of brambles, which would only open to his voice and the agreed password. Now, the barrier creaked and parted to reveal the silver dragon, still kneeling to pay homage to his king. Van bowed in return, wet bangs falling over tired eyes, before he bent low and dug for the precious pendant.
* * * * *
"Yukari! Hitomi! You should rest! What are you doing here?"
"She insisted... I believe we should trust Hitomi."
"But I don't think it's a good idea."
Their conversation was a distant murmur in the background as she edged closer and placed her hands on the runes. The stone was quiet this time round, allowing her to examine it, to trace the ancient writing.
* * * * *
Lady Jashyra walked out from the dark, her glowing white wings providing the light needed for digging the pendent. She could sense Van's anxiety as he flung out the soil like a wild animal. She liked the king, she genuinely did. They shared a common bond, both beings of magic. It was little wonder then; that she would agree to his requests. He had come to her twice, the first time to seal Escaflowne, the second time, to seal his heart...
{She heard his call that day and had come immediately, only to find him standing in front of the bramble prison of Escaflowne. As he handed her the pendent with the request to "Bury it. Please protect it with Escaflowne", she had wanted to weep. His face had seemed so cold and detached, like a barren wasteland devoid of dreams. She had the ability to read one's heart to a small degree and she knew what had passed between Hitomi and Van. Still, she cautioned him.
"If you bury it, you will die. "
"I'm already dead," His voice cracking as he stroked the pendent one last time before turning away, from his own heart.}
At long last, his tired fingers scrapped against a slim chain.
* * * * *
All of a sudden, the slab glowed white, enveloped Hitomi who screamed with chilling fear and left, as quickly as it had come. Yukari and Mr James gazed in shock, at the empty space which Hitomi had occupied seconds before.
* * * * *
Before he could pull it out, the pendent flared and pulsed with renewed life. A column of light shimmered in front of him. Van stopped breathing for a second.
He knew he could be dreaming but right then, he didn't give a damn. He jumped and caught Hitomi in his arms. Hitomi's in my arms. The light faded, leaving the two of them hovering in the darkness. Van was only dimly aware that he had unfurled his wings in order to leap up to catch her.
"She's back," He whispered to Lady Jashyra and to himself. He took in her sleeping form slowly. She had changed slightly, her features more gentle and mature, her eyelashes darker and more lengthened, casting longer shadows on her cream cheeks. Still, she remained who she was. Hitomi. She's back.
"She's back! She's BACK!" He cried in jubilation before speeding back to the castle, his wings whistling a happy tune in the warm night sky.