Return to Gaea from the Mystic Moon Chapter 8: Memories, an escaflowne fanfic

In case you forgot what happened already! If you forgot just read it.

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Memories

At the palace, Van was sitting in at a desk and got up, deciding to take a short break. He had already gotten most of the important papers out of the way and needed to get out for a while. It had worried him that Gariad was against his marriage, but then again Gariad was also against his mother's marriage but ended up loving her as the queen after he had got to know her. He knew that Hitomi had said that it was fine that he hadn't gotten her a ring yet, but it bothered him since his father had gotten his mother one: and since the wedding was suppose to be a secret to whom he was marring until the end of the week, he would be questioned to where ever he went. Then it hit him, he was sure that it was a good plan. His mother's old wedding ring, he was sure that his mother wouldn't mind if Hitomi had been given it. He clutched the pendant that was now around his neck, since Hitomi had forced it on him last night after he had walked her to her room. He wasn't sure why, but Hitomi had wanted him to wear it for some strange reason, but he trusted her judgment. He started to walk down the hall, to his room, he would ask Hinata to hide his mother's ring in Hitomi's room whenever she had the chance to. He hoped that she would do it for him today.

Footsteps could suddenly be heard running from behind, so Van stepped to the side so that the person would have more room to get to wherever they needed since they where most likely late. 'It must be one of the new servants.' He thought. He didn't like the term servant, but that was the word that was always used. He paid his servants for their hard work, even though a few of the past kings thought of this idea as a crazy one. His father was the one who had started this idea, and ever since his father's rule, the servants where paid, so they where more or less workers, just like those out in the fields. "King Van!" He heard his name being shouted by a female who seemed to be out of breath. "King Van!" He heard his name again, this time the voice sounded more desperate then the first.

"What is it?" Van asked as the female stopped running once she was close enough to him. "There's no need to bow when you're out of breath, what is it? You wouldn't have ran all this way if there wasn't something wrong." Or at least Van assumed that. There was no need to run, if the message was urgent, most of the time any way.

"Merle-san sent me." The Ms. Shino said which made Van somewhat worried since Merle usually came herself whenever she wanted him to know something. "What is it?"

"She said to tell you that your guest Lady Hitomi Kanzaki was injured." Ms. Shino said quickly which made Van's heart feel like it had just stopped. "How badly is she hurt?" Van asked, as he held himself back from grabbing hold of the woman's dress and tossing her against the wall. "How bad?"

"She could be heard yelling at Merle-san to get down, and then the next thing that I saw, she jumped in front of Merle, and she was hit by an arrow, in her lower back." Ms. Shino managed to say with out shuddering.

"Did anyone see who shot it?" Van asked, his voice rising now.

"No your highness." Ms. Shino replied.

"Thank you, please have a rest and something to drink from the kitchen." Van told the woman and quickly hurried toward the palace doors. 'No one knew about who I was to marry but those three.' Van thought to himself angrily as he now was seen running down the halls by all who where there.

"King Van you can't just run in to the city." One of the soldiers said as they tried to stop him.

"Why not it is my city." Van answered. "Now get out of my way!"

"But your…"

"That's an order soldier." Van said coldly and watched as the soldier shut up and moved back. Van then ran out the front door and headed toward the city. "Damn, I should have asked where she was…" Van grumbled to himself as he hurried through the busy streets of Fanallia. Then he remembered something that Hitomi had taught him once to use against the invisible solders of Zaibach. 'Close your eyes and picture what you want to find.' He could hear Hitomi telling him two years ago, but the only thing different now was that he wasn't picturing Merle in his head, or the enemy, he was picturing Hitomi. He pulled off the pendant from around his neck and held it as she did two years ago when she taught him. The world got dark as he closed his eyes and could feel the pendent swing in the direction to where he needed to go. With out even looking at it, he clutched it in his hand and ran. "I'm coming Hitomi, hang on."

Princess Millerna was sitting next to her husband as he was making a business deal with one of the popular business in Fanallia. 'I wish he would hurry it up.' She thought as she sat there quietly. 'I want to do some shopping before we go home tomorrow.' Millerna thought and held back a sigh that wanted to come. She knew that she could always go with Allan who was standing outside, but that would bring up a rather emotional past. Two years ago before she was married to Dryden, she would have given anything to be able to go with Allan, but now, she had actually started to love her husband, and was now able to stay in the same room with him while they slept, even though nothing happened between the two since she made him sleep on a separate bed. It was un-usual, but she made up the excuse that he tossed and turned too much, and always ended up kicking her off the bed. She smiled at the thought, since he had believed the little lie. However, her time for excuses was soon coming to an end since she knew that she had to have children with her husband someday soon, with in the next three years other wise she would be questioned about it and knowing her father, would get the other doctors involved. She as a doctor, knew that there was nothing wrong with her, but just didn't want to give up just having her husband to herself for a while longer. Dryden had promised to make her happy and he had been doing that so far, she didn't know how he felt about having children, and so she didn't want to ruin their happiness.

She stood up which made the two men stop talking and look at her. "Is it alright that I go shopping? I promise to take Allan-san with me." Millerna said as her husband looked at her and nodded.

"I'm sorry that this was taking so long." Dryden apologized. "I'll join up with you after this."

"My wife is the same way." The man to who Dryden was making a business deal with said chuckling. "She can't stand it when I'm in a business meeting, she rather be working in the store or going shopping."

"No, its just that I don't get to come here very often and I want to do a bit of shopping and site seeing before we have to go back." Millerna said which made the man nod.

"That's understandable, Fanallia has wonderful stores and is beautiful herself. Forgive me for what I said earlier princess, it was rude of me." The man said apologizing.

"No, its alright, excuse me, and try not to loose your temper Dryden." Millerna said smiling as she kissed Dryden on the forehead and then walked out the door. "Allan, would you like to company me?" She asked the knight who seemed to be staring off in the distance and seemed to not even hear her. "Allan." Millerna called out to the knight, only this time she spoke a little louder.

"I'm sorry, what is it princess?" Allan asked as he looked at Millerna with his blue eyes.

"Would you like to go shopping with me? Dryden will still be a while and he doesn't like me going out alone, would you come with me? Just as friends you know." Millerna said and could tell that there was still something strange about Allan today.

"I'd love to, your highness." Allan said formally and bowed.

"Don't you dare start that!" Millerna hissed and walked in front of the knight who seemed so distant today. 'Something must have happened last night.' She thought to herself as she started to look around. 'He's usually not like this.' Then suddenly she heard her name being called as a man came running toward her, one that she recognized to be one of Hitomi's guards.

"Princess Millerna, please come with me." The man begged.

"What is it?" Millerna asked and watched as the man suddenly got Allan's attention.

"Why are you here aren't you suppose to be with Hitomi?" Allan asked, his voice was raised to a dangerous. "Well?"

"Ms. Merle asked me to come receive Princess Millerna." The young man answered. "Ms. Merle was attacked, but Lady Hitomi jumped in the way to save her. We're not sure if Lady Hitomi is alright or not now sir, she wants Princess Millerna to come since Lady Hitomi is injured badly."

Millerna nodded and turned to Allan to tell him something, but before she could say anything she watched as Allan grabbed hold of Hitomi's guard and punched the young man. "ALLAN!"

"You where suppose to be guarding her you moron!" Allan shouted at the guard. "The king should do something with the two of you, for failing to do your job."

"Allan calm down, I still need him alive to show me the way." Millerna told the knight.

"You heard her highness, show the way to Lady Hitomi."

"Yes." The guard said somewhat frightened as Allan now released him and tossed him somewhat, making the guard have to regain his balance. "No one's moved her have they?" Millerna asked the guard who shook his head. "No your highness, Ms. Merle had just caught her before she sent me to you."

"Hurry up, we have no time to waste." Millerna ordered.

"Yes princess."

When Van got there, He saw a group gathered in a circle, and had to push his way through. "Let me by!" He ordered the people who instantly recognized him and quickly moved to the side to make room for him to get through. When he had finally made it to the center, he saw Merle with Hitomi on her lap, his childhood friend was crying. "Hitomi!" Was all that he could say as he went to kneel by his lover's side. "Merle how is she?"

"She's been like that ever since… ever since…." Merle said but didn't quite finish.

"She's getting cold…" Van said almost silently as he held her hand and stared at Hitomi who was laid on her side.

"Its all my fault Van-sama." Merle cried.

"This is no time for that now Merle, we need a doctor." Van said trying to keep his friend calm.

"I already sent for Princess Millerna." Merle answered and watched as Van just stared at Hitomi.

Moments later, Van looked at one side of the gathering crowd in surprise as people where being literally thrown to the side and then saw two blondes appear from the space. "Allan, Princess Millerna."

"Hitomi, what have you done now?" Millerna asked as she bent over next to Merle and examined the arrow in Hitomi's back. "It was good that you didn't try to move her, but this is going to be more difficult, it would have been better if the arrow had gone all the way through." Millerna said as she looked at the arrow.

"Why's that?" Van asked now worried as he looked at the princess.

"Because, if the arrow went all the way through, I could have just snapped it and pulled it out and then did the sugary. Now, its going to be more difficult since the arrow head is inside of her." Millerna explained. "It'll be extremely difficult not knowing what type of arrow it is since now there is more then one way to make the arrow head." She explained. "We need to get her to a different spot, but not too bumpy of transportation if possible." She turned to Allan. "Go get a coach and don't beat up the driver!" She ordered the knight who didn't need to be told twice to do it. "I can't do anything here, I need my bag. Someone needs to also go tell my husband where I am, you." She pointed at the second guard. "Go get Prince Dryden, he's at Iseden."

"Hai!"

When Hitomi opened her eyes, she realized that she was no longer on Gaea, but a completely different planet. "Is this the Mystic Moon?" She asked as she walked down the too familiar side walk and was looking at what was called a park. She could see a girl talking to her, one that she knew too well. "Yes Yukari." She seemed to say and stared at the girl in shock now recognizing the name. 'Yukari-chan." She thought as she looked at her friend, now being able to start to remember things about this world.

"Almando proposed to me last night Hitomi." Yukari told Hitomi.

"Congratulations Yukari, when's the wedding?" Hitomi asked. "Do I get to be brides maid?"

"Of course, don't be such a baka." Yukari said giggling. "I think that purple would go best with you of course."

"Does your mother know?" Hitomi asked curiously.

"Of course not, are you crazy? She'd freak! I'm waiting until I have Almando over for dinner tonight to tell them." Yukari said with a grin.

"Scary thought thank goodness that I won't be there." Hitomi laughed as she carried the picnic basket. "Are you sure that you want me to come today? I mean won't I be in the way?"

"Nonsense!" Yukari scolded. "You're coming so shut your mouth!"

"Hai! Hai."

Almando hadn't arrived yet and Hitomi had decided to grab a quick bite while she was waiting. She knew that she should have waited, but she just couldn't since she hadn't eaten anything all day since she was saving room for now.

"Hello Hitomi." The familiar face of Almando greeted her as he sat down. "Hi Yukari, sorry that I'm late. I couldn't get away from a few girls." Almando said which made Hitomi laugh. "So typical." She realized that this was the first time that she had laughed like this, in the past few days.

"Don't laugh while you're eating Hitomi, other wise you'll choke." Yukari said and just as she said it, Hitomi seemed to do it. "Hopeless aren't you?" Yukari asked with a half sarcastic sigh.

Almando was laughing at her now, it was his turn to laugh at her since she had rudely laughed at him earlier. "See, you should listen to Yukari once in a while Hitomi." Almando said in a mocking tone of voice. "Other wise bad scary things will happen." This time it was more spooky sounding.

Hitomi was still laughing and coughed a bit as some of the rice ball went down the wrong pipe. The next thing she knew, she suddenly heard a gun being shot off from somewhere and then multiple shots.

"Almando shut…." Before she could finish her sentence, Yukari started to scream at the sound of the gun shot and clung to Almando, digging her head in to his chest. Hitomi on the other hand, suddenly felt a sharp pain go right through her stomach and then through her back. She let out a loud scream, louder then what Yukari. Everything began to just get weirder and weirder from that wound.

"HITOMI! Yukari knock that off look at Hitomi!" Almando shouted at his bride to be who did as he said and then looked at Hitomi and stared at her friend who had fallen backwards with wide eyes. "Oh my god Hitomi!"

"Hitomi, stay with me HITOMI!" Almando cried even though he didn't mean it in a loving way, just as a friend way. Two years ago, she would have given anything for Almando to be hers, now it was Van. 'Sorry Van.' She thought as she started to feel weaker and weaker as blood started to soak her shirt. 'I won't be able to see you again, I want to see you, one last time.' Then just as she said it, she could feel the pendant start to get hot. She could suddenly see her body, and her eyes where closed.

"Hitomi, wake up Hitomi." Almando said over and over again at the girl who looked exactly like she did. It was her, and it wasn't her, but how could that be? There was only one Hitomi.

"Hitomi damn it! Wake up!" She heard Almando frantically call her name as more of body began to disappear. "I'M RIGHT HERE!" She shouted at the top of her lungs and suddenly realized that she could no longer see them. She gasped as the darkness surrounded her: being somewhat frightened by it. Then she saw it, the light with an angel flying through it, their single arm was stretched out toward her. It was just like Van, on that day when he saved her from falling at the Dragon Grave Yard. "Van, is that you?" She asked the angel as she grabbed hold of the angel's strong hand, and seemed to drift off in to the darkness, a different type of darkness then the one that was once surrounding her, couldn't remember anything beyond that point.

It had felt like hours to Millerna as she finished the final stitches of Hitomi's sugary after they had got back to the palace. "That should do it." She thought as she sighed and whipped her forehead and took off the gloves and threw them away. She could tell that Hitomi's color was beginning to come back some, and that her breathing had regulated itself. "Thank goodness." Millerna sighed and then walked toward the door, now able to tell other's the news. She opened the doors and watched as everyone stared at her. "She'll be alright." Millerna promised and could see the look of relief on Van's face. "All she needs is rest." Millerna could see her own husband with in the group of people who ran to catch her as she started to collapse. "Thank you Dryden."

"Rest now, Millerna." Dryden said as he picked her up and started to carry her to the next room.

"Millerna…" Van said quickly before Dryden was even at the door.

"Yes?" A tired Millerna asked as she looked at Van.

"Is it ok to go see her?" Van asked.

"Yes, go ahead." Millerna answered.

"Millerna…." Van said once again.

"What is it?" Millerna asked.

"Thank you." Van said, with a look of relief on his face.

"You're welcome, anything for a friend, Van." Millerna said tiredly and then closed her eyes. Van quickly opened the door for Dryden and Millerna and stepped aside for Dryden to walk inside. Van closed the door behind him quietly and then quickly walked to the room to where Hitomi was currently staying in. "I want to be alone with her for a while." Van said to the others who seemed to understand and left the hallway. "Hitomi…" He said after he closed the door and saw her laying there.

Hitomi seemed to wake up at that moment since her green eyes where now staring at the ceiling. "How did you find me Van?" Hitomi asked which made Van jump a little, not having had expected to see Hitomi awake.

"You should be resting Hitomi." Van said quietly and pulled a chair from the side of the wall and sat next to her.

"How did you find me?" Hitomi asked again, not even really noticing that she no longer had the arrow through her.

"Why?" Van asked and took hold of her hand.

"I remember how I came here, that's why, now how did you find me?" Hitomi asked again, and ignored the pain.

"I heard you calling me." Van finally answered. "The next thing I knew is that I was grabbing hold of your hand, just like that one time when I wanted to save you from the Dragon Grave Yard."

"How was I?" Hitomi asked.

"Beautiful as ever." Van said smiling.

Hitomi stared at him puzzled, how could she be beautiful when she was near death? "Was there any blood on me Van? Was I injured any?" She asked and stared at Van and watched as he just stared at her puzzled. "Why would there be blood on you Hitomi?" Van asked now worried again. "You weren't moving or awake when I found you which worried me." Van answered. "You where breathing normally, which made me realize that you where just sleeping."

"Van, that can't be." Hitomi told Van as she now tried to sit up, but was pushed back down by the pain from her wound and also was pushed down by Van. "That can't be! I was shot Van."

"Yes, recently you where shot with an arrow." Van said a bit puzzled.

"No, on earth, we have a weapon called a gun Van." Hitomi corrected which made him just stare at her. "Me, Yukari, and Almando where at the park and someone started shooting and I was shot!" She said her voice was rising. "There was no bullet hole or blood on me at all?"

"No, there wasn't." Van replied. "Do you remember how there was no blood on your cloths when you woke up? Your cloths where in the same state as they where when you arrived here. No one took them off of you and washed them or anything." Van insisted.

"But that can't be, I was injured Van… that day when I came, I was injured and then you saved me…."

The end of the eighth chapter. See I told you I sort of explain it to you soon now that I finally have things figured out. HEHE! I ROCK! Not really but ya know…. I also seem to be updating more frequently then I thought I would be. That would most likely explain the cramp in my hand that I now have… well this is the 2nd chapter that I wrote today and have been on the computer for more then 5 hrs so that would explain things.