Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Escaflowne…If I did, that series would have continued.
To everyone who reviewed: Thank you SO much! At first, I thought no one would read it, but you proved me wrong! I'm so happy! Thanks! Now, I have to write!
Macky: Yes, Merle will probably be in this story…But she'll be coming later…Imigo: Yeah, I guess Hitomi did dye her hair blonde…I meant to put 'dirty blonde hair' but I forgot to change it when I was editing…But, uh, it's supposed to be dirty blonde…00
Chapter Two
He's here…He's really here…Hitomi's mind softly repeated as she stared into his wine-coloured eyes. He's really here…Even though she wanted to believe this so badly, she still had doubt. All those times I thought he was there and he wasn't…All those times he disappeared…How do I know this isn't another dream?
Van saw the sadness in her eyes. "Hitomi, what's wrong?"
She looked at him with tears. "How do I know this isn't another dream?"
He stared back at her and smiled. "I can prove that to you." Coming closer, he leaned in towards her face. Hitomi's eyes widened slightly at his actions but did nothing. There noses were almost touching…She could feel his breath on her face while hers hitched in her throat…Her heart was pounding…Van came closer…
…and pinched her arm.
"Hey! What was that for?" Hitomi asked, surprised. I thought he was going to... A blush crept to her face as she rubbed her arm.
"If you were in a dream, you would not have felt that." He smiled.
Hitomi gave him a short glare, but then smiled. "So, your really here?" She raised her arm to touch him. Just about to, she stopped. She was afraid.
All those times he disappeared
She was afraid to touch him and then let her hand fall right through him.
Van saw her hesitation and placed a hand on hers. He guided it towards his heart. He was solid. He was alive. He did not vanish or waver in thin air like he usually did in her dreams. Moving her fingers over his chest and arms again and again the doubt cleared. He's really here! Oh my gosh… "You're really here!"
She laughed, smiled and jumped up to hug him. He was solid; she didn't fall through. Van hugged her back tightly, matching the strength of her hug. He draped his wings around them both for protection; away from prying eyes. "Van…" Tears of happiness fell from her eyes and onto him. "I-I never thought I'd see you again.."
Van nodded sadly. "I thought, after all these years, you would forget…"
Hitomi's head was buried in his shoulder, but he heard her say, "Never." They stayed in the embrace for some time while the feathers surrounded them and continued to float in the air.
Finally, Hitomi broke the silence. Something about this reunion was bothering her. "Van?"
"Yes?"
"How did you…get here?"
Van looked up to the sky but did not respond. It's just like I fell from the sky…
"What made you come?"
He stopped.
The vision
How do I tell her? "I…Hitomi, I had a dream…" Van paused again, carefully choosing his words. He continued slowly. "I had a dream that something happened to you. I was worried and I…"
Her ears perked up at the words 'a dream.' "Van, what happened in the dream?"
"The pendant was there and you…you…kept falling…" He responded, getting quieter and quieter.
And no angel was there to save her
"I had a dream too." Hitomi stated after a few moments of silence. "The same one." Her eyes fell on the glowing pendant. "I kept falling and falling…"
"I'm sorry." Van interrupted.
"What?"
"I'm sorry that I could not save you."
"Van…" Hitomi felt horrible. Great, I've turned this happy moment into a depressing one…Good one, Hitomi… "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have said…"
"Hitomi, I don't know how I came here…But I know why; I worried about you. I was afraid of losing you and being helpless to watch you fall. I wanted to protect you in case…in case…something happens to you." Van said, answering Hitomi's initial question.
Something is going to happen…Hitomi's mind scolded. Something isn't right…Pushing away all the dark thoughts, Hitomi looked at Van again. "Come on. Let's go inside." Breaking the long hug, she pulled him along towards the door to get off of the roof.
Noticing the width of the door and the width of his wings, Van quickly shed all of his feathers.
And not one of them disappeared
Surrounded by darkness, a sinister voice whispered, "Something is going to happen, Hitomi…You have no idea…"
Holding out its hand, a pendant fell from its grasp. It swayed back and forth with a perfect connection to time. The pendant glowed-
Pulsed
-steadily to their heartbeats. And the creature smiled. No matter how strong or how smart, when you attack the heart, nothing is left…and the body along with the mind is yours to mold…
The pendant in its grasp lit the shadows with a deviant black light.
And the creature disappeared.
"Van, stay quiet…alright?" Hitomi whispered to him as they walked down the stairs. How am I gonna explain this to anyone if people see me? They know that I came here with no roommate…
"Alright." He whispered back, looking at the strange walls. The Mystic Moon looks so different from my home…Van reached out to touch one of the walls. It isn't stone or wood…what is this material?
"Van. Come on!" Hitomi said. She thought he was walking behind her but realized that he had stopped at the head of the stairs. He snapped out of his thoughts and jumped over most of the stairs. "I don't want you getting lost, alright?"
"Yes. I'm sorry…What substance makes the walls of this place?" He asked, curious.
"It's called cement." Hitomi mentally smacked herself. He doesn't know what that stuff is! Oh, this is gonna be weird. She quickly made an easier answer for Van to understand."Uh…I mean, it's like stones, but made in a liquid kind of state…."
"I see." He replied. Hitomi sighed out of relief. How am I supposed to explain all the other things on the planet if he asks? Ugh! This is gonna be difficult…
She opened the door to get out of the stairwell and put a finger to her mouth to remind Van to keep as quiet as possible. Checking to make sure no one was in the hallway, she grabbed on to his arm and led him to her apartment. Opening the door, pushing Van inside and then locking the door only took a minute or so.
Good. No one saw us. Hitomi sighed out of relief and looked at Van. He was currently staring at everything in her apartment, from the ceiling to the floor. "Van?"
"Your home is full of alien things to me. But they are beautiful." He responded, still in his awe state. There are so many things I want to know…The Mystic Moon is more intricate and interesting than I thought.
"Uh, thank you." Hitomi smiled. Looking at the clock, it read 3:54 a.m. Hmm. There are still a few hours of darkness until sunrise…Good, that means I can sleep a few hours. The concept of sleep sounded comforting to her, but scared her at the same time. What if I have another...? What if he is gone when I…? Her thoughts never finished.
"Hitomi?" Van asked, looking at her.
"Sorry…I'm just a little tired…" She said slowly.
"Maybe you should get some rest." He suggested, seeing her bed with the tossed sheets. "After all, it has been an eventful night…"
"Yeah…I-I guess so." Hitomi made her way to the bed and watched Van remove his shoes, his belt with the sword attached to it, and a small dagger and placed them in a corner. He made his way to the sofa, cautiously, and sat down on it.
"This is nice." He smiled as he sank into the soft, springy cushions. "What is this called?"
"A sofa. It's like a chair, but longer." Hitomi explained, using another simile. She smiled at his curiosity and at his cuteness. "You can get some rest on that…It's very comfortable…" He grabbed the pillow on the opposite side, the small blanket on the back of the 'sofa' and proceeded to lie down for sleep.
"Good night Hitomi…" Van whispered.
She watched him for a little while longer, until his eyelids were still. Well, at least one of us will sleep tonight…Hitomi thought sadly. She was afraid to return to that dream where the pendant's heartbeat stopped. She was afraid that when she woke up, the sofa would be empty…
…and this whole night would have been a dream.
Van looks exactly the same as he did when I first met him…She thought dreamily. His hair was still black and all over his face. His eyes were still big and gentle. He had gotten more muscular and tanned, but the kind soul she remembered was still there. Van had not turned into a ruthless-
Evil
-cold, bitter King. She reminded herself to ask him about Fanelia and how it is doing…And about Merle and Allen…and Celena…and…All the memories flooded back at once. I wonder how they are…Van was the only link she had to her friends on the other planet.
He's here…He's really here…She smiled with tears in her eyes. Everything we promised has come true. He told me that he would find a way to make it back to me…I told him that we would see each other again…Everything turned out okay…Everything is…normal…
The tears fell from her eyes and she tried to silence her sobs. No…It's not normal…Something's wrong…He's never been able to come to Earth before, why now? What circumstances? But he's here…He doesn't know why he's here either…We have to figure this out...I don't want to lose him so suddenly again…Oh God…Just give me a few days with him...That's all I ask for! Just a few days to be with him; to catch up on everything…Just to understand what is going on!…Just to be with him…
I don't want you to fade away
Hitomi became overwhelmed by everything. The man she left has returned…and she didn't want him to leave. Something's not right…He can't leave…Not by morning…Don't fade away…Don't be a dream…
"Hitomi? Are you alright?" Van asked. She's crying…
She didn't even notice that he had awaked to the sounds of her sadness and that he was by her side. "Hitomi?" He asked again, rubbing her shoulders.
"Van…Do you promise to stay with me tonight?" Hitomi asked, without looking at him. "Do you promise to be here when I wake up…?" She could not finish because she began to cry.
"Hitomi, of course." He replied quickly, trying to reassure her that he would not leave. "Come on. Lie down with me on the sofa."
Shaken up by the whole night, Hitomi walked over to the sofa slowly. Lying down on his side, Van pulled Hitomi close to him and placed the blanket over them. Holding on to her hands, he waited for her to fall asleep.
When she would stir, he would repeat to her in her ear, "I'm still here. I'm not leaving…" and wait until she would calm down. What's gotten into her? The Hitomi I remember was stronger than this…That dream must have scared her…this whole night must have scared her. I haven't held her this close since…since she left Gaea. He shifted his position a little, happy that he did not to wake up Hitomi. I'm glad she's calmed down now…I hope she doesn't have another one of those visions again…Even if she does, I'm going to save her.
Van noticed a pink light coming from the pendant. I never…understood how this…thing works…Never knew…His tired mind did not finish the thought or ask questions about the pendant. He tightened his grip on Hitomi he allowed himself to fall asleep.
The pendant continued to glow.
Because the two separated hearts were rejoined.
Oh no, not again…In a dream-like state, Hitomi recognized the place where her mind was taking her. No. No more fear, Hitomi. Stop this. You have to figure this thing out…You're going to face this vision! With new determination, she allowed herself to be placed in the room she did not want to be in.
Hitomi saw the pendant again…in the same dark room…listening to the same pulse as before. Don't touch it.
She waited and watched the pendant pick up speed in its pulse but made no move. She waited for it to stop. She wanted to find out what this dream meant. If a dream with the same objects appears twice, there is a message it is trying to tell you. There must be something-
Someone
-who is pulling the strings…
The pendant finally did stop; and this time, Hitomi was ready for it. For a brief moment before she felt the ground underneath her crumble, she strained her eyes to look at the room she was in.
She scanned every corner that she could see as thoroughly as she could even when the dizzy feeling started to happen again. There must be something here!
In the last seconds before she began to fall, she focused. She pictured the pendant in front of her and waited for it to point in the direction she needed to go in.
It pointed straight ahead.
And in the shadows of the room…
…something moved.
What was that! Before she could get an answer, she was already falling. Hitomi reached out towards the darkness…praying that someone…anyone would grab onto her.
Not an angel, but a feather fell in her line of sight….But it was not white.
It was red.
I hope you all liked the second chapter!
That blurb with Van pinching her arm even though it seemed that he was going to kiss her...Yeah, just thought I'd tease you. Don't worry, they'll make out soon enough.
As you can see, the bad 'creature' has made its debut…Since it has a pendant, I guess that all you Esca. lovers know that it must have been a part of Atlantis….Or was it? The pendant is not pink, but black….Hmmm…What could that mean? (I don't know yet…)
There is more to the vision than just the pendant….Hitomi will keep having these things until the entire vision is revealed…..and when the thing in the vision is identified….00
That whole scene with Hitomi breaking down…Don't ask…I don't know why that happened, but I guess I'm showing that Hitomi is very nervous about this whole thing. She doesn't know the connection yet between Van's arrival and that vision yet….Also, she's trying to sort out her own feelings for Van too! That's a lot for a girl to handle!
Anyway, I hope to get the next chapter up soon…But with school and all the craziness going on, bare with me!
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