Disclaimer: Two words…I wish.
To all who reviewed: THANKS A LOT! (sends love) I can't express my thanks is words! You guys are amazing! (sends chocolate) Anyway, sorry for the delay…got some writer's block again…I'm still unsure about the ending…Who wants it to be romantic? Angsty? Fluffy? Please! I need ideas!
Chapter Twenty OneShina's eyes glowed pleasantly as she stared at the magnificent guymelf that would be the icing on the cake for her plan. Nothing of an Atlantian deserves to be kept away…Besides, what better way to destroy a planet than with the machines they love?
"Escaflowne…Legendary guymelf of one of the remaining Atlantians…How touching." She mumbled, as she took a step towards it. "So beautiful and yet, so harmful. Just like me." Shina's feet stumbled upon a small bump in the ground. She frowned at the obvious grave. A weird tingling feeling seeped into her. Not even the dead will stand in my way…
Her eyes narrowed and following three loud cracks, the white cross marking the grave of Folken Fanel fell to the ground in three pieces. Shina began to smile again as the rest of her journey towards the machine was uninterrupted. Not even the dead will stand in my way…
Standing in front of it, she paused to listen to the cackling fires, the screams for help, the sounds of swords and bodies clashing together… "Sweet, sweet music to my ears…" The state of Fanelia, and Gaea in general, was almost reduced to ruins. Tall buildings were nothing but rocks and the civilization that once flourished was gone. What will they think of their angel now?
Mumbling a simple incantation, the sorceress levitated and landed into the lap of the seated Escaflowne. Shina walked along its metal frame with some caution, as the surface was not smooth.
But she knew that everywhere she touched, she would make it very cold.
Choke
Finally in the position she wanted, Shina stared at the giant pink jewel where the machine's supposed heart was. What makes the blood start to pump, Escaflowne? She stared at it, expecting an answer, but the machine remained still, unlike the state of its surroundings. They've been gone long enough…It's time they paid me a little visit. After all, I can't let them live in peace on the Mystic Moon…The Atlantian would live and there would be no fun in that…
Carefully and delicately, Shina reached out to touch the heart of the mechanical beast. When you attack the heart, nothing is left…and the body along with the mind is yours to mold…At first, the pink jewel appeared solid and hard, but soon, her pendant and her eyes shown brightly and her hand slipped into the jewel. She used her previously burned hand to reach inside there; just in case any thing would happen, she would still have one good hand to use.
It felt like a thick syrup that her hand was swimming in. Shina tried to clutch at something, but she found nothing there. Growling out of frustration, she focused hard and tried to input some of her own magical and dark energy into Escaflowne. If what Chid told me was true, Van should be receiving a heartfelt message…And Escaflowne should become my weapon of choice…
Her hair flapped around as her power from the black pendant tried to fuse with the goodness of the machine. You will be mine!
She laughed manically as she watched the body of Escaflowne turn from white to an inky black.
Forced by Hitomi's mother, Van was lying down on three chairs that they had moved together to make a place where he could rest. "Please, I'm not tired…" He tried to argue.
"No! There will be no more of that foolishness. You need to rest!" She continued to persist. He wasn't exactly sure how long he had gone without sleeping, but apparently, it was a long time. I'm used to it…I'm a king…Sometimes I have to work long into the night…Why can't she see that? Ah, forget it…Van's eyes looked up at the smooth white ceiling and he sighed. I might as well heed her cries…she won't stop bothering me if I don't do it now…
He turned his head to face Hitomi's bed. She was sitting up and eating an all-liquid lunch with her friend with the red hair…It was mostly juice and some strange red mixture that looked like water, but wobbled and jiggled when you touched it. What did they call that again? Gel…something? Van studied them for a bit longer, trying to remember the name of the food she was eating, but could not come up with it.
Instead, he just watched her. She's been getting better…It's only been about four days, and already she's mastered the ability to walk and move…Oh, Hitomi…Van felt his heart beat a little faster at the thought of her success. She's made so much progress…Her wound must be healing properly, thanks to all those tubes and things…
Hitomi smiled at Van, noticing his staring. "Would you like anything to eat?" She held up that red mixture. "I know that it's not the best food…"
"No…that's okay…" Van smiled back, happy to hear the strength in Hitomi's voice and actions. "I already ate…Your mother brought me back some food from earlier." She looked at him strangely, trying to see if he was lying to her. Van almost laughed. She knows that I haven't eaten much… "No! Hitomi, I mean it! Ask her when she comes back from the restroom."
"Fine. I will ask her!" Hitomi turned her head away in false anger.
"Alright then. Go ahead. I have nothing to hide."
"Fine!"
"Fine." Van's smile grew wider as he saw through Hitomi's acting. I'm so glad you're acting like yourself again…He hasn't seen her this happy since the day he had arrived on the Mystic Moon. Everything felt so natural…no worries…no stress…nothing seemed to faze her. He liked her best in this state. Nothing in the world can stop her. Nothing at all…
Of course, he knew that he was lying to himself.
Shina's waiting for us…
You belong on Gaea
…and when we get there, I'll see what she's done to my home…I'll make sure she pays for it…A growl almost escaped from his lips as his anger built up again. Van grit his teeth and calmed down. A strong warrior is a patient one…Calm down…Anger is not the best tool to use when in battle…He began to repeat the words that his teacher used to tell him every time they practiced.
And then, he remembered that he would never hear him speak such words of wisdom again.
I have to have a plan…what is her weakness? Van began to search for answers from what Hitomi had told him earlier about the visions. Her power is destruction…her eyes? What makes her eyes glow so brightly? What is it that gives her power? Although he was facing Hitomi's bed, he was no longer focused on her. He hadn't realized that she had fallen asleep.
Van tried to dig deeper in his memory for the moments before everything happened. He remembered that they had run into his combat-practice room and into Shina…he remembered seeing his teacher's face—or what was left of it…But he could not remember the exchange of words the three of them had…or anything else after that.
The most vivid memory he had was the one where he stood over Hitomi, poised to decapitate her.
Stop it! Van's heart lurched at the recollection of that moment. S—Stop thinking about that part…She is better now, and that's all that matters…
Even though his mind had calmed down, his heart still hurt. Breathing started to hurt too. Gods, what's this? Van looked down at his chest, trying to see what was causing his discomfort. The pendant, unknowingly to him, started to glow faintly around Hitomi's neck.
He slowly got up from his lying down position to find that the pain intensified. Ah! It felt as if his heart was being pulled out of place. His breathing picked up a few notches but it didn't do anything to sooth him. Van's sweaty hand reached over and clutched the hospital gown as he continued to pant in pain.
"Sir? Are you alright?" Yukari noticed the noise and looked on with concern. "Sir?"
Without warning, Van suddenly yelled as the burning ache surrounding his heart reached another level. The blood that went through his veins was hot, causing his temperature to rise dangerously and his blood vessels to pop out of his skin. His legs kicked the chairs that made his make-shift bed so that he could sit upright with his feet touching the ground. The chair bounced off the walls and landed nosily as Van tried to control himself.
"What's wrong?" Yukari rushed over to Van, knelling down beside him, watching his body convulse in obvious distress. "Where does it hurt?"
Shaking eyes went her way as Van tried to communicate with her where all the pain was coming from. His mouth would not form the words he wanted, so instead, he grit his teeth and clutched the gown tighter where his heart was.
"Your heart? Is it your heart!" Yukari asked frantically. Van answered with a quick nod and screamed in agony again. He doubled over, his head touching his knees, as his heart continued to feel as if it was being torn to shreds.
Yukari rushed back over to Hitomi's bedside and pressed the 'Nurse's Call' button attached to the bed. A calm voice came over the small intercom. "Yes?"
"Please! We need help! Hitomi's visitor's heart is hurting!" She yelled back at her.
The nurse on the other side heard all the background noise as well as Yukari's plea. "We'll be right over!"
The black void was around her again, thanks to the morphine-induced sleep. She knew better this time. Hitomi did not waste a second before running towards where the gray light was last time. I am going to take it from her this time!
Her pink pendant guided her, glowing to light up her way. Hitomi's feet were not touching solid ground, but she was moving. Come on…Where are you—?
She saw it.
Hitomi stumbled out of the darkness and ended up in a grassy field with trees. There, in front of her was Escaflowne…in the same position when she left Gaea the first time. Of course, there was something else.
Something—
Shina
—was standing in the lap of the guymelf. Gray light illuminated the scene and soon, Hitomi noticed that the body of Escaflowne was turning black.
Oh God…She remembered the last time it went black and how Van was affected. Escaflowne had turned black because of revenge and the darkness in Van's heart. It had become very dangerous then…Van's in danger! Gaea is in danger! She does not want it to be pure! Running closer, she saw that Shina's black hand was inside the pink jewel grasping at something. It's heart…
Van's heart…
As she neared the sorceress, the creature turned its head to face her.
The angry blue eye looked at her.
"Stop it!" She screamed. "STOP IT NOW!" Hitomi tried to reach out and grab her, but the scene got farther and farther away. No! Van! Soon, the darkness returned.
With its no longer comforting hug.
As she stared out, Hitomi dawned on the conclusion that she wished she didn't have to.
She knows…
The ground cracked underneath her feet, and she fell. She waited for the bloody hands to grab her, but instead, the angel wrapped his arms around your waist. Hitomi could feel him there; his breathing, his heartbeat…
But his pulse was too high…
Too irregular…
Hitomi looked up and saw the red feathers this time. Shina knows…
Yukari came back to Van's side and placed a hand on his back. "Can you stand up? The doctors are coming!"
Her comforting touch did not feel good on his suddenly hypersensitive skin. "AH!" He cried out. Van heart his own heartbeat in his ears; it was irregular, it was painful…Oh G—Gods…He felt his stomach twist and his intestines clench…The knuckles that gripped the edge of the chair turned white. His eyes closed shut as another wave of internal fire crashed into him. Van's nerves were shot, his mind was blank.
But he recognized this pain.
E—Esca…f—flow…n—n—ne…His brain established that whatever he was feeling now was what his guymelf was feeling too. Shina…
Hitomi awoke suddenly, startling Yukari. "VAN!" The pendant started to glow brighter, and all three of them noticed.
"Hitomi!" Yukari cried, "What's going on?" She was torn between helping her friend and the man in pain. Her red hair swished as her head turned back and forth.
Van slowly stood, still clutching his heart. "Hi…Hi…tomi…"
Yukari noticed that the both of them were trying to move towards one another. Her friend was twisting her way out of the bed and trying to move the steel barriers that surrounded her. Yukari made up her mind, rushed to Hitomi's bed, and moved the barriers so that she could get off the bed.
They met half-way and the pendant was shining so brightly, the pink light was white. Hitomi was frantic. "Van? Van, what's wrong? What is she doing to you?"
"Hitomi! Who's 'she'? What are you talking about?" Yukari tried to understand what was going on, but continued to be confused as Hitomi rambled on.
"I saw it! She's hurting you! She's hurting Escaflowne! Van! What are you feeling?" She almost screamed at him. "Oh God! Van, please, fight it!"
"Please! Hitomi! What is 'Escaflowne'?"
They were standing right in front of each other, Van still feeling the effects of Shina's hand on Escalfowne's heart. "M—Make…it s—st—top." He mumbled to her with the best of his ability.
The pendant started to pulse again. His heartbeat…
Faster and faster.
There must be something I can do to stop her! Hitomi looked down at her pendant with shaking eyes. What can I do? Her thoughts were interrupted as Van cried out in obvious pain. He grabbed her shoulder and squeezed it. "VAN! No! N—no! Please!"
Hitomi held onto him tightly as well, trying to think of something to help him. Yukari had rushed out of the room, yelling for a doctor. They can't help him, Yukari!
Faster and faster.
As they held on to one another Van loosing his grip on himself and reality and Hitomi focused all her energy into the pendant. She shut her eyes and forced her mind to replay the vision she just had. Stop it Shina! You have no right to do this!
You have no right to know!
The pendant's now white light levitated between the two bodies. Hitomi listened to the pulse of it and the pulse of Van. Too erratic…Too irregular…
Faster and faster.
Both of their breathing increased as Hitomi tried to put herself in the vision again. I have to reach her! She trembled when Van trembled and soon, she no longer heard anything. She could still feel Van there, but instead of the hospital, she was in the grassy field, watching Escaflowne become black.
The pendant swayed back and forth and a white-hot bubble of light encased the original pink gem.
Faster and faster.
Hitomi ran towards them, the pendant's light getting more intense. Like Van's pain…I have to reach her! I need to stop this!
She was standing in front of the machine now, watching them from a new perspective. Escaflowne was almost all black now. If she keeps this up…Her thoughts trailed on after that. She tried to climb up the guymelf's leg, but she couldn't. It was not the best climbing material and there was no place to put her feet. No! NO!
Tears fell. She was hopeless. I can't …
You have no right to touch me
Hitomi stepped back, wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. No…I am not helpless… "SHINA!" She called out to her.
The creature turned at the sound of its name and smiled, its blue eyes glowing wickedly.
"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TOUCH HIM!" Hitomi screamed.
Faster and faster.
The white bubble that surrounded the pink pendant shot out and struck the heart of Escaflowne. Hitomi's emotions fueled its power and this time, she was not going to let up. Nothing is going to faze me! She had to shut her eyes as the colour of the light was too bright, but she heard a scream.
And she smiled.
Shina had fallen back from Escaflowne in a heap on the ground. The purifying light that scorned her hand before had done so again. As the goodness from the pendant entered Van's guymelf, the darkness washed away.
Faster and faster.
The scene disappeared as the white light from the pendant covered everything in her sight. When Hitomi opened her eyes again, she gasped; the trip she had done had taken much of her energy. Being back in reality was a shock to her system. It was too sudden. She looked at Van to see if any of it helped. I stopped her…I pulled her dark hand away from Van's heart… Hitomi panted in exhaustion and focused her eyes on him.
His face was still twisted in agony.
The pendant continued to repeat Van's pulse and Hitomi noticed that it was still speeding up. Slightly disoriented, it took some time before Hitomi registered what was happening around her. Oh God…
Faster and faster.
No! NO! VAN!
Then, it stopped.
Van felt the temperature in his body suddenly drop. The hot blood that once flowed in his veins became icy water.
Cold
With one, last struggled breath—his body frozen—he collapsed on the floor, bringing Hitomi with him.
"VAN!"
Shina watched with marvel as the black Escaflowne was almost created. Yes, my machine…Show Gaea that this is your strong suit!
The gray light from her pendant kept supplying the machine with dark energy but, suddenly, it stopped.
Shina felt her hand get very hot again. What? What is this? A white light shot out of the pink jewel of Escaflowne, pushing her away. NO!
She landed on the ground from the impact of the pure light. Her burned hand was even more disfigured now. Shina growled. That witch…Even from the grave, she crosses me!
Her blue eyes glowed angrily as the white light chased away the darkness that she had infused in the machine. Shina stood quickly and brushed off her dress. When they return…I will make sure that she pays for that…and I will make sure that he watches it.
Night had fallen and Van currently resided in the hospital bed next to Hitomi's in the room. The doctors were unsure of what happened, but kept him hooked up to the machines overnight for observation. He hadn't woken up since he collapsed, but the doctor's concluded that the stress on his body made him fatigued and tired.
Visiting hours were long over and the lights had gone out in their room. The only sound was the rhythmic beeps and groans from the machines that watched their vitals. Hitomi lay awake on her bed, staring at the dark ceiling with her mind muddling with the events that took place that day.
Shina knows how to work Escaflowne…If she can make it dark…W—We have to stop her…I did it today, but I can't keep stressing the pendant like that…That took most its power—to travel to another world and fight her—so another battle like that will have an outcome that I won't like…
She turned her body to face the sleeping Van. He still looked peaceful—like on the day he first arrived—even with all the wires and tubes running from his body to the machines and back.
Even with all the problems they still had to face.
"Van?" Hitomi whispered to her bed-ridden king. She tried to wake him with a louder voice, but he kept sleeping. What are we going to do?
The answer came to her quickly; they couldn't keep running. They had to face it. The creature had to be stopped before his entire planet was destroyed. There was no doubt in Hitomi's mind that Shina would not just end it there. She would probably follow them to Earth and would not rest until the last Atlantian—her angel—was destroyed.
We have to go back…Okay, wow. I had to rewrite this chapter twice. Blah. Blame my writer's block. The first time I wrote it, I had Van actually die. But then I changed it up.
Anyway, this was a MAJOR filler. Like, oh goodness, what a filler chapter. The final showdown is coming up!
AND, big news, IT'S MARCH BREAK! Since I have no homework, I'll be updating:D
PLEASE REVIEW!