Yes! The chapter you have been waiting for! Sorry I didn't post it earlier, butI had some problems with fanfic. It wouldn't
let me log in. Besides, I didn't take more than 2 weeks, I think, to update. Anyway, I truly hope you
enjoy it, and oce again I beg you not to kill me. Remember that you want to know the end of this story. And trust me, it was
painful for me to reach the decision I took, but it was necessary. You'll see later…I hope. Oh, and if this chapter is
confussing, tell me and I'll try to explain. It does not start where the other left, so don't expect that scene at the beggining.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Someone told me that Dornkirk was discusting and couldn't move on the series. In this fic, he is disgusting, but not that much, and he can walk because it serves the point of this story. Also, Dornkirk WILL fight on this story. At the war, he will be there, and the battles that took place in the series will not be the same as in this story, so don't expect the same final battle. Some things will be similar, but definitly not everythin, and I'll try to change as much as I can.
The pain of loving you
Painful consequences
Hitomi had her arms gently around Van. She was trying to be delicate with him due to his injuries, but she was finding it hard with all the movements Escaflowne made. He turned and stole a kiss from her. He stood there, gazing lovingly at her.
"You should drive this thing. I don't want to fall." She told him softly.
He gave her a strange look. "What, scared of falling?"
"Well…"
"Hey!"
She laughed, but it sounded a bit forced. "I know you won't let me fall."
"Escaflowne won't let you either." His face turned serious. "I thought I had lost you."
"I know."
Their eyes met, and Hitomi saw so many emotions that she felt herself drown in them. And then, he took his eyes from her, and she felt alone and desperate. She looked at Van. He had his face towards the front. There was only blue in front of them, but he seemed to be concentrating. She thought it was because driving Escaflowne was harder than he thought. It was a wonderful guymelef; she would give it that, though she was not very comfortable in it, except for the fact that it allowed her to be close to him. She could smell his scent, feel his hair hitting her face, move with the rhythm of his breathing, and most of all, just enjoy his presence. He did a turn, and she let out a yelp and tightened her hold. She instantly felt him tense, and she drew back quickly.
"Sorry."
"Don't worry about it."
She bit her lip. She had to worry about it. It was because of her that he was like this. If she had been stronger or braver…If she had fought against Dornkirk…
If only, maybe, perhaps…
They didn't exist. She couldn't go back in time, no matter how much she wished to do so. She couldn't change what she had done. But she could prevent it from happening again. Van would never have gotten hurt if he had never loved her. He would have been strong and, he would have fought against her. He would have killed her and Dornkirk, and then he would be saved along with Gaea. But they had fallen in love. She had thought that maybe, just maybe, their love could happen, could be a reality…Now she new better. Dornkirk had used her and her feelings. He had changed them, destroyed them, and it had almost taken Van's life to free her. She wouldn't let that happen. She had to end things between Van and herself, for his own good. It would hurt, not having him near, but it was for the best. She had to break his heart and save him from death and from herself. She would not let another mistake like the one at Zaibach happen again. She didn't care what happened to her, as long as he was safe.
Some hours earlier…
Hitomi's mind was blank. There was no thought crossing her mind as she was taken out of her cell. Hell, she didn't even realize they were taking her out. She moved because she had been ordered to, but there was no motivation in her movements. Her eyes were as black as the night, and the shine of life that was always there was gone. She was the shell of what she used to be.
She didn't remember who she was or if she was supposed to be someone at all. Her mind had been erased, her heart changed, and her thought manipulated. Her personality had been erased from herself, twisted until there was nothing else from her old self. And yet, she didn't know a thing. She had no idea that something was missing. She was a doll, and Zaibach was playing with her without her knowing.
Soldiers grabbed her by the arms and pulled her through the halls of the building. Hitomi went obediently. She had no reason to fight against them. Hitomi didn't live, think, or feel. She didn't do anything any more. She was as empty and vacant as her now black eyes. Suddenly, the soldiers stopped, and Hitomi heard his voice.
"I suppose nothing, really. Except for the fact that I kept you alive and taught you everything you know. I would have expected you to be more loyal, Van. You have disappointed me." His voice brought color into her dull life. She suddenly remembered where she was and why she was here. Everything made sense. A little smile appeared on her lips. He was here. Her mind was filled with thoughts of only him. She thought everything was fine now, and yet her eyes remained black and voided of any emotion.
"You disappointed me too, Dornkirk. I swear, even if it is the last thing I do, I will bring you down." His words were harsh and angered. "I will avenge my family. I will kill you for what you did to my kingdom, to me. You will not escape me."
The words of the other man in the room made her angry. How dare he threaten her lord? She wanted to make him shut up. She had to hurt him badly to ease the hatred that was building up in her heart.
"I assume you would, if you could. Unfortunately, you can't. You are in my power, Van, just like your precious Hitomi."
She heard her name and got confused by it. His precious Hitomi? But she was Dornkirk's! What was her lord talking about?
"If you have laid one finger on Hitomi…"
"Oh Van, I have done much more than put one finger on her."
"What have you…?"
Hiromi was getting more and more confused. Why would Lord Dornkirk hurt her? He wanted her. He needed her. He loved her. He would never, ever, do something to harm her.
"I have decided you should die, but it will not be me who kills you." He ordered the soldiers to bring her. "I want you to meet the new Hitomi. She is to be my queen."
Hitomi entered the room because her lord asked her to. She went directly to him, not even looking at the captive. She wanted to look at her lord before seeing anything else. She encircled his waist, needing to feel him close to her. Dornkirk always made her feel save. Her eyes locked with Dornkirk's and she smiled. Then, her eyes turned towards the captive, and she felt hatred like she had never felt before. He repulsed her. God, she couldn't even stand to be in the same room he was in! She didn't want to breathe the air he did. She didn't want to share the space in which he was in. She wanted nothing to do with him. She needed him gone because he was a menace to her beloved Dornkirk.
"Hitomi…" Dornkirk said, giving her a sword which she took without a second thought. "Kill him."
'No!' Something inside of her screamed. 'No, no, no. Not him. Don't!'
Hitomi looked at Dornkirk again, unsure of why she was having second thoughts about following his orders. He gave her an intimidating look, ordering without words to do what she was ordered.
'No.' The voice said, but Hitomi drowned it. She had to do what Dornkirk said. She lived for him and nothing else mattered. She brought the sword up high, ready to strike a deadly blow, but when her eyes met his, she lost all her predetermination. His eyes had pleaded with her. When he had looked at her, she had felt that he was burning into her, looking right at her soul. It was as if he knew her. There was no fear in his eyes, and yet he had been pleading to her, but for what? She slowly brought the sword to her side.
"I can't do it." She told Dornkirk, not knowing why. She glared at the man in front of her, hating him more for not allowing her to fulfill her orders. "I'm not a killer."
"You will be whatever I want you to be." Dornkirk's angry voice told her. She tried to run away from him, but she was too late, and his hands made contact with the sides of her head. She felt pain, and she tried to fight it. She saw images of herself with the captive man, and she saw her thoughts about Dornkirk, and yet none of this made any difference.
'You are to follow every order Dornkirk gives you. You love him. You live for him. There is nothing you want but to be at his side!'
The words came with the pain, and it would not go away until she accepted them, so she did. She was Dornkirk's and no one else's. She lived to please him. Another wave of pain came, stronger than the one before.
'You hate Van Fanel, the man in front of you. He deserves to die. You hate him. You can't tolerate his presence. You will kill him.'
She tried to fight these words. They didn't fit into her mind. They felt wrong. Pain, stronger than before, hit her, and Hitomi screamed and screamed and screamed. She didn't give up. She had to win against the voices and the pain in her head. More pain came to her, and her defenses went down. She stooped fighting and started accepting. She had no option.
She opened her eyes and looked at Dornkirk. Her eyes were still black, but there was a shining that hadn't been there before. Her eyes had the same shine that Van's used to have and that Dilandu's still had. They shined with hatred. She got up, sword grasped tightly in her right hand. Dornkirk grinned.
"Tell me, Hitomi, do you hate Van Fanel?"
She didn't have to think twice to answer that one. "Yes."
"And why do you hate him?"
Hitomi took a moment to think about the question. And then, the perfect answer came into her mind.
"Because he breathes."
Dornkirk's grin grew wilder. "Kill him and then report to my quarters. We have much to prepare before the final battle, and I need your help to destroy the other kingdoms."
"Yes, milord."
Dornkirk left the room with his soldiers, and Hitomi turned towards Van. She saw him flinch when their eyes met, and she smiled evilly.
"It is your time." She told him, kneeling besides him. "I can't bare your presence anymore."
"Hitomi…"
Slap.
Hitomi slapped him hard in the face, feeling good as she saw the hurt in his eyes. "Don't say my name. I will have to change it if you keep repeating it."
"This is not you, Hitomi, please…"
Hitomi's fist made contact with his face, drawing blood from his mouth. "I told you not to say my name!"
They stayed silent for a moment, suspended in the moment. Hitomi only felt her hatred grow and her anger rise. She located her sword against his chest, where his heart should be.
"Don't do this, please, don't let Dornkirk win."
"He has already won."
She pushed the sword into him.
His eyes locked with her now black eyes and he felt like weeping. There was no life in those eyes. There was no Hitomi in those awful orbs. He could only see the malice of Dornkirk. To top it all, his Hitomi had her arms wrapped around that old bat. He felt like throwing up. He looked at Hitomi again and felt his heart clench. Van felt completely disbelieved as he saw what that monster had done to her. She was gone, and he didn't know if he could get her back.
"Kill him."
Van heard Dornkirk's order and saw Hitomi move towards his side. She took the sword high above her head, and then she looked at him. He pleaded with his eyes. Through them, he told her how much she would hate that one act. He tried to make her feel all the love he felt for her. God, he wanted her back. To his shock, she brought the sword down.
"I can't do it." She told Dornkirk, "I'm not a killer."
The words hit Van hard. She had said she was not a killer, unlike him. Even in Dornkirk's spell, she didn't want to be like him. She despised him because he was a mercenary, and no matter how much she had told him she loved him, it would never change the fact that she was pure and he was not. Even Dornkirk knew that.
"You will be whatever I want you to be." Dornkirk's angry voice told her.
Van saw her go to the ground as Dornkirk put his hands in her head, but he couldn't do anything. He heard her scream in utter pain and saw her fight against his power, but he was held back by his chains and was not allowed to help her. And then, after seeing her fight and lose, after seeing her beautiful face torn by pain, he saw her eyes and froze.
They were the color of death, and they had the same shine he had tried to erase from his. Dornkirk grinned.
"Tell me, Hitomi, do you hate Van Fanel?"
"Yes."
Van was sure no one would have to kill him. Her words were the only thing necessary to leave him without wanting to live.
"And why do you hate him?"
Van closed his eyes. He didn't want to hear her answered because it would hurt like hell. He wasn't strong enough to hear her reasons for hating him.
"Because he breathes."
Van tried to convince himself that those were not her real emotions. She was under Dornkirk's spell, and what she said was what he wanted to hear. Still, Van knew that emotions couldn't be created, so where did all this hatred come from? Had she been playing with him? Had it all been a joke?
'No!' His heart screamed. 'You know her. She would never be able to do that to you. It is not her, the one that is talking; it is Dornkirk. He wants to hurt you, to use your emotions against yourself. Don't let him win.'
"Kill him and then report to my quarters. We have much to prepare before the final battle, and I need your help to destroy the other kingdoms." Dornkirk ordered her.
"Yes, milord."
Dornkirk left the room with his soldiers, and Hitomi turned towards Van. He couldn't help but flinch as their eyes locked.
"It is your time." She told him, kneeling besides him. "I can't bare your presence anymore."
"Hitomi…" He started, but was cut short by her.
Slap.
His head moved to one side, and he stood there, immobilized. Hitomi, who couldn't hurt a fly, had just hit him. It hadn't really hurt, but that was not the point.
"Don't say my name. I will have to change it if you keep repeating it."
He tried again. "This is not you, Hitomi, please…"
Hitomi's fist made contact with his face, drawing blood from his mouth.
"I told you not to say my name."
He couldn't even look at her. His mind was screaming at him to hurt her, to make her feel pain for just having insulted him. His instincts told him to kill her. He ignored them all. This place was slowly turning him back into what he did not want to be. He looked at her from the corner of his eyes and remembered what he had promised her.
Flashback
"Promise you won't forget what you have learned with me."
"What have I learned?"
"You have learned to be human."
"I was never human. I am a draconian."
"Draconian, human, what is the difference? You can fly, we don't. So what? We both hate and love the same. We both suffer and are happy like everyone else. They are only a little different." She said, while running her hands over his feathers.
"We are stronger, and we heal faster." Van said.
"Of course, but you feel like any other human. Our emotions are the same. Don't ever forget that."
"Why are you making me promise this?"
"Because I know you are afraid of the future. I am, too, but you must always remember, no matter what happens, that you can feel, and that I will always be there for you. I adore you, Van. I'd do anything for you."
"I promise you, Hitomi, that I won't ever forget how I feel right now. I won't let anything change me back into my old self."
"Thank you."
"Anything to please you."
End Flashback
He felt the tilt of her sword on his chest, but he refused to be intimidated. Dornkirk wanted them to fight and destroy each other. He wanted Hitomi to lose her innocence. He would not allow Dornkirk to do so. He would rather die than let Hitomi give in into the darkness that was in her eyes. He would fight until the end, and then some more if it was necessary. He would get his Hitomi back, no matter what. He felt a new force rise within him.
"Don't do this, please, don't let Dornkirk win."
"He has already won."
She pushed the sword into him, but the sword didn't make it to its destiny. Hitomi looked at him surprised. Van grinned at her, though it hurt him to do so. He had a satisfied look on his face. Hitomi's eyes went down towards her hand and the sword, and she found the reason. One of his hands was freed from its chains and was grabbing the sword. It had cut him, and his blood had tainted the sword and some drops had fallen to the floor, but the blow could have been worse. He was happy it had not reached its destiny.
He had lost so many things in his life, and so many things had gone wrong in his life…Folken, Dornkirk, the world had betrayed him. Everyone but her. And now, thanks to an idiot, he was loosing her again. He could feel the desperation that he had felt when he saw his brother die and the pain when he had been forced to kill. He would not endure all of that again.
"No, Hitomi." He told her firmly, a new light in his eyes. "He has not won, and I will not allow him to do so."
Everything happened in slow motion, and nothing seemed to make sense.
´He should be dead!´ Hitomi's mind told her. She had pushed the sword with no other purpose than to kill him, and yet he had refused to die. Somehow, he had managed to free one of his hands, and at the last second, he had grabbed the sword. Hitomi saw how his other hand came free. She felt herself being pushed backwards, and some pain came when her back hit the wall, and yet she did not make a move to stop the man in front of her from totally freeing himself. With two quick moves from the sword, he had cut the chains that were at his feet.
'Those chains were of iron!' Her mind screamed. 'How did he free himself!'
She was getting scared. There was something about the man that was now in front of her, on his feet, that scared her beyond belief. Something told her he was evil and very capable of ending her life in less than three seconds. Still, she held her chin high and got to her feet. She had orders to kill him. She would not fail her Lord Dornkirk. She did not care about the methods she had to use.
"Hitomi." Her name came rolling off of his tongue like velvet. It made Hitomi tremble and she did not know why. She didn't know him. He meant nothing to her, and yet his voice alone was enough to make her heart race. Whatever was happening, it was not good. It was a distraction towards her duty and Dornkirk.
"Why do I hate you so?"
She had not meant to ask the question, but she was not quick enough to retain it. Since the moment she had laid eyes on him, she had hated him with a passion that was inhuman. It was as if she had been born hating him, as if her only mission on Gaea was to kill him, destroy him, and erase him from this world. Gods she wanted to kill him! She wanted to erase the grin from his face and the tender look in his eyes. Why did he look at her like that when she wanted nothing but to kill him? Why did she know him? Why wasn't she trying to kill him? Damn it, she had almost pushed a sword into his flesh. Had he not stopped her, it would have gone straight into him, from side to side, leaving him to history. And still, he dare look at her like he cared!
"You don't hate me. You just think you do because Dornkirk tricked you into thinking that, but you must fight it, Hitomi, you must, for us…"
"There isn't any us. Unless you are referring to the hate I feel towards you." She said.
Her voice was cold. Her eyes were colder. She saw his smirk disappear, and a smile came upon her face. One of her hands went behind her back and tightened around a knife. She took a step towards him, and rose on her toes so her lips were at his ear.
"I want you to understand one thing, and just one thing alone." She whispered in his ear "Dornkirk will win."
Without another word said, she stabbed him in the back, the blade finally reaching its destination. Hitomi pulled it back, looked at the blood, let a dry laugh, and went away, towards Dornkirk.
In the middle of the cell, Van fell to his knees, blood coming from his back, eyes widened, not believing what had just happened.
Dilandu was not pleased with the way things were going. Oh sure, Dornkirk had let him torture the pitiful Dragon, but it had not been as fun as he had anticipated. The bastard had refused to scream or beg. In fact, he had not gotten a response from him until he had mentioned the seer. Then, Dornkirk had not let him touch her, and when he had he had been thrown away. No doubt Dornkirk was looking for an appropriate punishment for his behavior. To top it all, Dornkirk, the almighty leader of Zaibach, had decided to make that filthy girl his queen. If that ever happened, he would surely not be able to kill her, and he would have to obey her every wish. As if that wasn't enough, he hadn't even been allowed to see how the seer killed her precious dragon. If the situation was not annoying and displeasing to him, he was sure he would actually be enjoying the irony if the situation. To think that the noble, innocent, pure seer was killing the bloodthirsty, evil, and powerful mercenary was just something that needed laughing about. Except for the fact that he had and still wanted to kill her in front of him, and then torture him to death. Therefore, it was no wander that when he heard her evil laugh, he went to check.
Even to him it was stressful to see her in such an unordinary attitude.
He saw her go towards the towers, a bloody blade in her hand. He entered the cell only to find Van in the middle of it. He was on his knees with his eyes closed. Dilandu walked towards him, but he did not move. He caught a glimpse of his back. Blood was everywhere on it, but the wound was not fatal, and it would not cause him any problem. If the Dragon had wanted to, he would be on his feet right now. And yet, he did not move. Dilandu poke him with a finger. No reaction. He took his sword out and pressed it against his neck. He remained still.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" He finally asked him. To his great surprise, he responded.
"I am waiting for death, what else do you think I'm doing?"
He opened his brown eyes and met his blood like gaze. A Silence passed between them, until Dilandu started laughing hysterically.
"Why? Because she betrayed you? Because she stabbed you? Please, it was not her. It was merely Dornkirk's spell. Really, I never thought I'd see the day when the great Dragon would be brought down by a mere illusion."
In less than a second, he found himself face to face with Van. He had an angered expression on his face, and his fists were tightened around his shirt. He looked ready to kill. Dilandu only smirked.
"That is more like it, Dragon."
"Shut up!" Van pushed him against the wall and raised him a little above his feet. For a man with a wound on the back and heartbreak, he was still pretty strong. "You have no idea of what you are saying!" The Dragon screamed at him. "You have no idea of how it feels..." He let go of him. "She is gone. I'll never have her back."
Dilandu laughed. He laughed so hard his stomach started to hurt.
"You idiot, and that is why you are whining? You are just going to let her go away? You're not even going to give a fight?" He came close to the Dragon, until all he was able to see was those brown eyes that he hated so much. "I've wanted to kill you all my life. If you give up now, then killing you will be of no significance to me." He separated from him and went towards the door. "You can still bring her back. I do believe she is fighting the spell right now. She went to the principal tower." He saw how the dragon's eyes widened. "Next time I see you, I will kill you."
He left him there, dumb struck and alone. Well, at least the day had not gone in vain. If the dragon managed to bring the seer from the spell, then his plans wouldn't be ruined. He would be able to kill them both in the most horrible, tortuous way he could imagine. His eyes became redder with the thought of revenge. He would get what he wanted, no matter what.
Hitomi looked at the blade that was in her hands. Fresh blood was on it, and it made her stomach churn. It had felt so good to kill him, yet now she felt lost. She was confused, angry, and frustrated. She had wanted to kill him. It was what her Dornkirk wanted, but…
"What the hell is wrong with me?" She yelled to the night.
Damn it! She loved Dornkirk. Whatever he wanted was what she wanted, and yet right now, she felt that what she had done was wrong, and she did not know why. Because she hated the man she had killed, and had wanted nothing more but to end his life, and now that she had done it, it left her with a void in her stomach and her heart aching. Her head was starting to hurt and she was beginning to doubt herself and her actions. The worse was that she did not know why. She just knew that something wasn't right.
"Hitomi."
She heard her name being said in the same way that she had heard just a few seconds ago. It was the same voice and the same tone, and her heart seemed to become smaller. She did not know if it was from fright or something else. She turned around to meet him, all the time hoping it wasn't him.
Is it too late?
Nothing to salvage
You look away
Clear of the damage
The meaning to
Our words of love
Has disappeared
Maroon met forest like eyes.
Lover found hater.
"I killed you..." Hitomi said.
"No, you just stabbed me."
Her eyes became colder and blacker.
"I'll just have to rectify that."
She walked towards him, blade in hand, determined, regardless of her doubts, to finish what she had started. Once again she raised the blade and brought it down fast and hard, but this time Van grabbed her wrist. The blade stood between them, shining brightly, separating them, and time seemed to stop. Their eyes locked. Hitomi's were filled with hatred and doubt. Van's eyes were full of love and determination. He squeezed her wrist tighter until she let go of the knife. The blade hit the floor, making an echo as it touched it.
We used to love one another
Give to each other
Lie undercover so,
Are you friend or foe?
"Let go of me." She spitted the words at him. She tried to free herself from his hold. She kicked, screamed, pushed, nothing worked. He just wouldn't let go.
"You will listen to me."
"No."
"I'm not asking."
"I won't hear you."
"You have no option."
"Why are you still here?"
´Why haven't you died? Why do you bother? What do you want to tell me? Why are you holding on to me!´ She had so many questions, and so little answers. The hatred inside of her was consuming her, as if it was alien to her body.
"I know you can't remember, and I know you feel like killing me, but that is not you."
"You don't know me."
"Yes, I do." His free hand went towards her face, caressing it. The touch was so soft that is almost hurt. "I know you better than anyone."
Love one another
Live for each other
So, are you friend or foe?
'Cause I used to know
"The only person that knows me is Dornkirk."
She saw anger flash in his eyes, but it disappeared soon.
"He doesn't know you. He did something to you so you wouldn't remember."
"Remember what?"
"Remember us."
Pain shot through her head, driving her to her knees. Images that shouldn't exist flashed in her head. In all of them they were together. She refused to accept what passed through her mind. It was all wrong. It was an illusion he had somehow caused. There was no way she had ever been with him. Her life belonged to Dornkirk.
"Lies! All you say are lies! You are just trying to confuse me so that I will betray my Dornkirk!"
"Damn it, girl. I'm not using tricks on you or anything. I'm telling you the truth. Why do you refuse to see it?"
"Because I love Dornkirk, and I hate you!"
Her head shot to her side as his hand hit her. She looked at him with new hatred.
"You hit me."
"You deserved it."
The promises
Hollow concessions
And innocent
Show of affection
I touch your hand
A hologram
Are you still there?
His hand went to her cheek, lying on top of it. Hitomi closed her eyes. He had hit her. She hated him. Still, she let him touch her, and she did not know why.
"Please, Hitomi. I promised to protect you. I swore I would keep you safe from everything, even yourself. Don't force me to hurt you. I don't want to ever hit you again. Please, Hitomi, I know you are somewhere over there, ready to be freed. This…" He completely let go of her and took a step backwards. "Is NOT you. You are a lovely woman that is full of happiness. What Dornkirk has made of you is sickening, and you should fight it back. You did it once, back at the cell, you can do it again."
Hitomi didn't know what to think or feel. Part of her wanted to erase him from her mind. She wanted to go back to Dornkirk, to that blankness that filled her mind whenever she wasn't with him. Another part of her told her to trust him, the one who claimed to know her. Something insideof her wanted to go with him, desired to be with him, needed to apologize to him for all the pain she had caused him. She couldn't do any of those options. Her mind was hurting and her heart was aching and she didn't know anything anymore.
Is it too late
Nothing to salvage
You look away
Clear of the damage
The meaning to
Our words of love
Has disappeared
"No, Dornkirk…"
His finger came to her lips, stopping her words.
"He is our enemy. His troops killed your father, destroyed my country, and want to make slaves of our people." He came closer to her, and she didn't have the strength to pull back. She felt his breath on top of her lips. "He wants to separate us because he knows that together we are unstoppable. Don't let him win…"
Hitomi heard soldiers climbing the stairs of the tower. She heard Dornkirk's voice yelling for her, but she couldn't move. She was trapped in his eyes, and the feeling was so familiar…
"Hitomi, get away from him." Dornkirk ordered her. She looked into Van's eyes, trying to find the answer to what she had to do in them. The barrier that was in her head was diminishing. Images of them started to run into her mind. "Come here right now…" Dornkirk's voice became a silent buzz. She only had attention for the man in front of her.
"I hate you." She told him softly.
"It doesn't matter. I love you."
We used to
We used to
We used to
We used to
Used to
She could hear Dornkirk coming nearer, and she knew the soldiers would kill him as soon as they reached him. Minutes ago all she had wanted to do was kill him, and now all she wanted to do was protect him. The fog in her mind was dissipating, and she knew, not knowing why, that her place was y his side.
"Trust me." He told her.
"Do you trust me?"
Their past conversations echoed in her head. They blurred her mind, and they made her feel strong at the same time. She was fighting. Fighting to remember, and fighting to know. She needed to find out who she really was.
"Yes." She said, as she had said a long time ago, when she had been trapped on the roof of a motel, and there had been fire and soldiers and chaos all around her.
"Jump with me."
"Hitomi, jump!"
She felt him take her hand and run towards the end of the tower. She knew he would jump, but it didn't scare her. She knew everything would be alright, as long as she was with him…
The floor ended and she found herself been thrown towards the infinite space. She could feel the wind hitting her face, and she crushed her body to Van's. She heard him give a cry of pain, and then big, beautiful, white wings appeared at his back and made them fly high over the sky.
"Escaflowne!" He yelled.
´Escaflowne!´
The pink pendant that was around her neck and had been as black as the night suddenly recovered its life and shown a bright pink.
"Van…"
He smiled.
Van saw three castles and a big wall in the front. From what he could see, he inferred that the castles had once been great, and that the wall had served more like an ornament than a shield against Zaibach's attack. Now, though, everything was different. Even from here he could see that the kingdom was barely holding. The wall had big holes, and one of the towers in the middle castle was missing.
"My kingdom, Kansaki."
He looked at it again. It was Hitomi's home, the place she was fighting for. A soft smile formed on his lips. If it was important for her, then it was important for him. He would fight until his blood was cold, his spirit ravished, and his love for Hitomi gone. He had to keep this kingdom from going down, for her.
"We will save it."
"Of course we will. We managed to escape from Zaibach. We can do anything."
Her optimistic ideas bore into his brain. He was glad she was back. He had hated the mean, empty Hitomi. It had sacred him, to see her like that. He had thought he had lost her forever. He had seen her slipping from his fingers, and he had wanted nothing but to stop that. He didn't think he would be able to live without her.
´What will I do without her?' That had been the only thing that had ran through his head all that time. He knew he would never have been able to hurt her. Hitting her once had been enough. He still felt guilty about that, even though it had been necessary. He could simply not see himself inflicting more damage upon her. He would rather die willingly at her hands. He turned his attention back towards the front. They were close to Kansaki.
"We have to be careful, Hitomi."
"Why?"
"They don't know who we are, Do you have any signal we can give them so…?"
Before he could finish the question, 4 guymelefs surrounded them. He felt Hitomi move closer to himself, and refrained from tensing.
"We are friends…"
But he was interrupted by Hitomi. "Allen, Amano, do not shoot, or have you forgotten me?"
Van turned to look at her. Was she insane? But then he saw two of the guymelefs back away. One of them made a move for them to follow.
"I am queen of this country. Do you think they would not recognize me?"
"They are at war, Hitomi." He snapped at her. He could have gotten herself killed! What if they didn't recognize her?
"Don't be silly. We don't look like Zaiback soldiers, so they would investigate first. Those are his orders. I know my people, Van."
"But…" He sighed. Now was no time for discussions. The other guymelefs were already landing, and he did so gently. His feet touched the ground, and he turned to look at his surrounding. No matter how much this was the house of Hitomi, they didn't know them, and he couldn't forget that he had caused them a lot of suffering. He was uncomfortable and tense. He became tenser when he recognized Schezar and the blond lady. From the other guymelef came a guy that looked too much like Allen. He didn't like him. A red head was by the other's side. A lot of people were slowly forming a circle around them. Van did not like this.
"Van…"
Hitomi's voice reached his ears, and he quickly turned all his attention towards her, forgetting about the world. He offered her his hand, which she took gratefully. She smiled, a big, breathtaking smile, and he felt the world around them disappear.
"Don't worry about them. I won't let them do anything to you."
He laughed as he helped her out of the guymelef.
"I've had to save you all this time. What makes you think you can save me?"
"Oh, Van, you are now in my territory. You will need my help."
Van was about to lean down and steal a kiss from her beautiful lips, but Schezar's voice interrupted him.
"Hitomi…"
The way he said her name reminded him of how much Schezar loved Hitomi. He was about to pull Hitomi close to him when he felt her pass through him, away from his arms, and into his. He saw, not really wanting to, how she placed her hands around his face and brought him closer to her. Seconds later, she was kissing him, with a passion that she had only shown Van. People around them cheered.
"Long live King Allen and Queen Hitomi" some people yelled.
Van was paralyzed. He had to be in a dream, no a nightmare. Because only there would this be happening. It was not possible. Hitomi loved him, not Schezar, and yet she was kissing him, as if Van had never existed. They separated, and Schezar hugged her. Then they left the place, hand in hand. Hitomi never turned back to look at him. She simply left, never regretting what she had just done. Van felt his heart explode, and his eyes turn cold. She had betrayed him. It had all been a façade. Nothing had been real.
'But what about all we had, all we went through?´ His mind screamed. 'What the hell is wrong?´ he knew that Hitomi had a good explanation for this. She had to. She just wouldn't throw him away like that.
Still, he had never felt more alone and insecure.
So….are you going to kill me? Trust me, it was painful for me too, but I had to make Van and Hitomi split up. But don't
worry; I swear it was for a good cause. And who knows? Maybe they'll get back together ;) So anyway, next chapter will be
up in a week or two (I have final exams, and they are very important, so I won't be able to write chap. 27 for now. That is
why I am not posting chap. 26 right now. I don't want you to wait to long for chap. 27.) Well, I have to say goodbye for now.
Review, review, review! Your reviews keep me going and make me smile! And again, if the chapter was confussing, just tell
me and I'll clear it up.