Hey! Second chappie! Review replies are right at the bottom!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Escaflowne!

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An Innocent Promise

The Last Day of Summer Vacation

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"Hitomi!"

Hitomi smiled at the two girl waving at her and Anelese. One had beautiful long blonde hair. She was beautiful and heads turned as she waved at the sandy-haired girl. The redhead next to the blonde was no different. She also made heads turn and her beautiful voice rang out as she called one of her best friends.

"Yukari! Millerna!" Anelese called, waving back at them, her smile wide.

The four girls smiled at each other when they finally got close enough for a conversation. They then went inside the small but homey cafe. They took their usual seats and a waiter went to them.

"Hey Yukari, Millerna, Anelese, Hitomi," he greeted with a smile. He had shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes. He was actually very good-looking. The four girls greeted him back.

"Hey Amano."

"So, what will you have?" Amano asked, pen in one hand, a small pad in the other.

"I'm on a diet," Millerna said with a frown. "Just a glass of water please."

The three girls frowned at her. Millerna was the oldest among them and she was also the most ladylike. In Hitomi's eyes, Millerna already looked perfect. She was slim with devastating curves. Her face was also fresh and her eyes sparkling. In other words, she was almost perfect. What did she need a diet for?

"What do you need a diet for?" Yukari asked, voicing out Hitomi's thoughts. Yukari was the friendliest among them. She was always so outgoing and eager to meet new people. It was basically because of Yukari why the four of them became such good friends. Even though they were all different, they got along well. Though Yukari wasn't as ladylike as Millerna, she was still very girlish and has a cool fashion sense. She was also the one interested in boys the most and Yukari always gets the juiciest gossips. "I'll have two of your huge star cookies please and a cappuccino."

The waiter turned to the next girl. "What about you Anelese?"

Anelese looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "Hmm... Let me see... I want a slice of tira misu cake please and a big strawberry donut with sprinkles! I would also like a milksh-" Seeing the looks of horror on Millerna and Yukari's face, Anelese changed her drink with an impish grin. "I would also like a glass of water I mean." Amano smiled at her, chuckling a bit. Anelese was the youngest among them. She was also the most childish. Millerna always dragged the girl into shopping was because she wanted Anelese to become more ladylike. Even Yukari thinks so as well. Even though she was the youngest, Anelese was far from being a weakling. She is, in fact, the best among the females in the kendo club in their school. She also never got fat no matter how much she ate. Most of the time, Hitomi wonders where Anelese puts all the food she eats.

"What about you Hitomi?" Amano asked, turning to her.

"Just a strawberry milkshake please," Hitomi said, smiling. Anelese's bottom lip curled and she had a pout on her face. Hitomi smirked at her. She knew that Anelese wanted a milkshake badly.

"I'll be back with your orders right away," Amano said and gave them one last smile before walking off.

Amano was Hitomi's captain in the track team. He was a senior and is pretty nice. Hitomi had a small crush on him before but it was all gone now. Now, she was helping Yukari catch the runner's attention.

Hitomi belonged in the school's track team. She was also the best. So far, the only person to have ever beat her in running was Amano and that was only once. Though Hitomi didn't think so, many guys in the school had crushes on her. Who wouldn't? She was nice, very smart, athletic, and very good-looking. Her soft sandy-brown hair reached to the middle of her back. Her emerald eyes were also beautiful, it's color like no other. Her complexion was also beautiful and her skin looked so soft. She never saw her own beauty though and was sometimes jealous of Millerna and Yukari's beauty though she had no reason to be. She had her own splendid natural beauty.

Yukari sighed as Amano walked off. Millerna and Anelese smirked at her.

"She's off to space again."

"Really? But isn't her mind always in space anyway?" The two snickered.

"Oh shut up," Yukari said angrily. She then had a dreamy look on her eyes again. "Oh Amano..."

"So when are you going to ask him out?" Anelese asked.

"Ann! It's not that easy!" Yukari moaned.

"Sure it is," the girl insisted. "You just go up to him and say, 'would you go out with me?'"

"Would you do that if you liked a guy?" Yukari demanded. Anelese looked thoughtful before looking grim.

"Good point."

"I'm doomed!" Yukari cried.

"You are not doomed," Millerna said, almost impatiently. "I think he likes you, you know."

Yukari eyed her friend warily. "What makes you say that?"

Millerna's eyes twinkled mischievously. She leaned closer against the table. "The fact that he's staring at you from where he's standing."

Yukari gasped and blushed hotly. She also leaned closer against the table. "And what makes you think that he's staring at me and not Ann?"

Millerna leaned back against her chair. "Easy. Who would ever stare at tomboyish Anelese?"

"HEY!" Anelese cried. "Millerna, you're so evil!" Millerna cackled and the two sweat dropped.

"I know," Millerna said, smiling devilishly. She then turned to Hitomi. "Hey Hitomi, why are you so quiet?"

Hitomi snapped out of her thoughts. She looked confusedly up at Millerna. "Huh? What did you say?"

The older girl frowned. "I said, why are you so quiet?"

"That's because she's thinking about Van," Anelese answered slyly. Hitomi blushed.

"I-I wasn't!"

"You became silent after I returned your ring!"

Millerna was frowning. "Van? As in that childhood friend of yours, Van? Hitomi, the last time you saw him was seven years ago! That's a long time. I can't believe you're still thinking about him."

Millerna and Yukari never met Van but Anelese did. Briefly. That was when Anelese was on a visit to Gaea when they were nine years old. After Van left, Anelese and her family came to Gaea to live with Hitomi's family. It was lucky that the Kanzaki household was big enough to accommodate Ann's family as well. Hitomi and Anelese then became closer after that.

"I can never forget Van," Hitomi said quietly. "He was my childhood friend." Hitomi never told them about Van's promise to come back and marry her. They were just ten! Hitomi was sure that Van was now very much happy in America, with a beautiful girlfriend at his side. She knew he would not forget her but he may have forgotten about the promise already. Surely, he doesn't intend to keep his promise? He was young and that was just impossible!

Silence reigned the table. It was Anelese who broke the silence.

"So... What are we doing today? The last day of summer vacation?"

Millerna and Yukari looked at each other then at Anelese, smirking from ear to ear. Anelese suddenly knew what was coming and she shook her head.

"Oh no... No..."

"SHOPPING!" Millerna and Yukari cried simultaneously. Anelese groaned and buried her face in her arms. Hitomi was smiling at her friends' antics.

Even if you're gone... At least I still have these three with me.

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"I'm dying!" Anelese cried, carrying four paper bags on each hand. They were all full of clothes that Millerna bought for her.

"I should pity you but somehow, I don't," Hitomi said with a thoughtful look on her face. Anelese scowled.

"Some help you are." Hitomi laughed at her cousin's tone. She loved making Anelese pout. She looked adorable when she did.

"Oh Ann, stop moping," Millerna said sternly. "You have to get better outfits to attract guys."

"I don't want to attract guys!" the girl cried. "Just because you have a boyfriend, Yukari has a crush and Hitomi's always thinking of a boy doesn't mean I have to be interested in guys!"

The three glared at her full force. Anelese sweat dropped and laughed nervously. "But then again, there is, of course, nothing wrong with having a boyfriend, a crush and always thinking about a guy. I mean, they're all normal."

"Speaking of boyfriends, how is Dryden, Millerna?" Hitomi asked curiously. Millerna blushed.

"He's okay. He just finished making a business deal with another company so he has a lot of time in his hands right now." Dryden Fassa was as rich as Millerna. Dryden's parents are dead and he is now running the company on his own. Dryden is a genius and graduated from university early. He was older than the girls by five years but he and Millerna didn't care about the age gap. Dryden was protective of Millerna but not to the point of suffocating her. Millerna adored her boyfriend as well and is obviously deeply in love with him.

"Which company did he make a business deal with?" Hitomi asked, not really interested. She just wanted to be polite and continue the conversation.

"I don't exactly remember the name," Millerna said thoughtfully. "All I know is that whoever owns that company is really rich. That company is one of the leading distributors of computers and silicon chips. But for the last few years, they have been on the mining business. The rich just got richer. Anyway, it's really good that Dryden was able to make a deal with that company."

A limousine stopped in front of the girls. Millerna opened the door.

"Come on Hitomi, Anelese, Yukari. I'll take all of you home."

"Thanks Millerna." The three got in. It was always nice to hitch a ride with Millerna's limousine.

The ride was fairly quiet. Everyone seemed tired. Soon enough, the limousine was in front of Hitomi and Anelese's house.

"See you tomorrow," Millerna said. "Bye!"

"Bye Millerna!"

"See you tomorrow at school!" The limousine then drove off. The two girls went inside the house.

"Ann! Get the mail please!" her mother said suddenly. Anelese placed her bags down and went outside to get the mail.

"Bills... bills..." She then spotted a letter for Hitomi. Anelese frowned. "Who's it from?" She read the name on the envelope. It was written in elegant cursive writing. "Folken... Fanel... Who's that?" She shrugged and went back inside. She gave the bills to her mother who muttered under her breath. She then went up to Hitomi's room and knocked.

"Hitomi? You in there?" She opened the door and found that Hitomi wasn't there. "Hitomi! You in the shower?"

"Yes!" a yell came from another door within the room. "What?"

"You have a letter!"

"Just put it on top of my drawer!" Hitomi yelled. She wasn't really paying attention to what Anelese said though. She was in deep thought and just instinctively answered.

"Okay," Anelese whispered, placing the letter on top of Hitomi's drawer. She then left the girl's room.

Unfortunately, Hitomi left the window open and the window was right next to the drawer. A wind came into the room and blew the letter off the drawer and under the closet.

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Review Replies:

Fruity-writechick - Thanks for reviewing! You're my first reviewer. I know it's a bit clichéd but I wrote it just the same.

Inda - I'm glad you like my fic. I hope you like the first chapter!

f-zelda - You think my fic is great? Aww, shucks, you're making me blush! Stop it! Hehe... Anyway, I can't really reveal how things will happen, right? Just continue reading!

daisy31 - I know it's quite young but that's nothing. I was always getting paired up with a boy by our neighbors ever since I was six! Anyway, I thought it was going to be cute so I wrote it. I'm glad you think it's adorable and I hope you like this chapter!

Aka V-Chan - I'm glad you think it's cute! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Spirit0 - You're not feeling well? I hope you get better! Thanks for reviewing and reading my fic! I'm honored you're putting it on your favorites, this is my second fic ever! I wish I were a kid again as well. Many young children also break their promises, that I know all too well. I hope this chapter answers your question. Thanks!

reLLik-o6 - Here's the update!

Annie - This chapter is what happens next. Do you think this is a cliffy?

kmmgirly - I'm glad you think it's cute! I lot of my reviewers think so too. To answer your question, read the upcoming chapters!

I'm glad I have this much reviewers for the prologue! I hope my reviewers increase in number!

People who want Van to appear should watch out! smiles secretively

Chisakami Saiyuki